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Career can wait as son samples his dad’s tough job

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Career-can-wait-as-son-samples-his-dads-tough-job-30287890.html

SOOPSIP

The Nation
email: ntsoopsip@gmail.com June 13, 2016 1:00 am
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A young man in the Northeast has wowed people across the country with a wonderful show of respect to his parents.

Annawat “An” Dampatik recently graduated from Ubon Ratchathani University with a degree in engineering and could have got a job at any number of big-city tech firms – but, for now at least, he’s chosen instead to be a security guard.

That’s because his dad is a security guard. And in fact the 24 year-old is patrolling his alma mater alongside the old man.

“Seeing my father wearing this uniform since I was very young, I really appreciate the uniform and this job,” An says on the URU website. “I have special bond with the uniform because I see it as the uniform of a hero.”

An says he’s always been proud of both his parents. “My mother is a farmer and my father is a security guard and they supported me all the way through school.”

Somsuk Dampatik, An’s pop, who’s worked at the university for more than 25 years, says he was both surprised and delighted when his only son told him he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“I’m glad my son isn’t ashamed of my job,” laughs Somsuk, “but, after all, my earnings put food on the table all these years and paid for his education.

“When he first started out as a security guard I was afraid he might do something wrong or lack discipline, but he’s been doing all right! I just hope he can adopt whatever he learns from this job to become a better engineer when he pursues that route.”

Standing side by side with his dad in their uniforms is like a dream come true for An, and seeing what he does every day at work has given him a better understanding of his father. “Before I started on the next phase of my life I wanted to see what was involved in my father’s work,” An says. “I wanted to know about all the hardships as well as the enjoyable aspects.

“I’m really proud to have this chance. Now I know how hard it’s been for my father, doing this. I know what he has to go through every day.

“It’s been a great experience. I’ve learned to be responsible and do my duty. I have to be concerned about the safety of other people and their property. I have to help people when they have problems around the campus.

“This job teaches you how to be both polite and compassionate. I’ve learned discipline and patience. I normally work about 12 hours a day, but there’ve been tough days when I’ve had to put in almost 24 hours. It’s made me tougher and more mature, which are valuable traits in daily life and in any career I might choose to pursue.”

An, who once almost decided to drop out of high school, plans to keep working as a security guard until November – but there’s one more thing he has to do before he gets on with his engineering.

“I’ve been drafted for two years’ service in the military,” he says. “Once I’m discharged, though, I plan to find work as an engineer, which is my true calling.”

A first taste of freedom

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MYANMAR MIGRANT CHILDREN

Manote Tripathi
Special to The Nation June 13, 2016 1:00 am

Children of Myanmar migrant labourers from Samut Sakhon performed the play at Museum Siam. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

Children of Myanmar migrant labourers from Samut Sakhon performed the play at Museum Siam. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

'The Butterfly' reflects the migrant-workers' children's statelessness. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

‘The Butterfly’ reflects the migrant-workers’ children’s statelessness. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

'The Butterfly' reflects the migrant-workers' children's statelessness. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

‘The Butterfly’ reflects the migrant-workers’ children’s statelessness. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

Pavaluck Surasavadi, left, a drama lecturer at Mahidol University, co-directed the play. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

Pavaluck Surasavadi, left, a drama lecturer at Mahidol University, co-directed the play. The Nation/Tanachai Pramarnpanich

Migrant children from Myanmar speak of their hopes for the future in a play hosted by Museum Siam

Life in the seafood factories of Mahachai in Samut Sakhon province, as endured by migrant workers from Myanmar, is a sordid reality. Their fate regularly comes to the authorities’ attention, usually when an international news agency or an NGO breaks a story about migrant labour abuse.

Accounts of their quiet suffering at the hands of Thai seafood factory operators are numerous and well publicised. Relatively less known , even to the media, is the plight of their children. Whether born on Thai soil or in their parents’ homeland, they are all growing up in Thailand. Unlike their parents, they are more adept at assimilating into the new culture. But these children have fared no better than their parents when it comes to basic rights.

It was thus a welcome surprise to see Museum Siam hosting a play featuring a cast of young kids from Mahachai. Through “The Butterfly”, these children of Myanmar labourers had a chance to fly away from the chaos of the port city and into the big modern capital city. For them the play offered moments of relief from an otherwise dull world of seafood factories and rented row houses.

Directed by Dr Pavaluck Surasavadi, a drama lecturer at Mahidol University and theatre veteran Ladda Kongdech, the play was designed like a jigsaw, with a host of different stories pieced together to lay bare the kids’ hopes and aspirations. It was performed by 20 youngsters selected from Wat Srisutaram School in Samut Sakhon and elsewhere.

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The children, many of whom were born there, invariably speak Thai fluently thanks to their access to Thai primary education. Many speak broken Myanmar, and only a few speak Myanmar fluently, but that did not stop them from singing both Thai and Myanmar traditional lullabies. The audience was especially moved by the lines of a typical Myanmar lullaby -“When mum comes back, I get to drink milk. When dad comes home, I get to eat coconut”.

The kids simulated Thai children’s games, sang the “Loi Krathong” song, and revealed their dream careers, as they wielded colourful masks that were the exact replicas of their own faces. One wanted to be doctor, another wished to be a teacher, and yet another a nurse. But they were all white butterflies yearning to fly away into the open skies

The play conjured up visions of innocence as the children showed the audience how to have a good time in the face of overwhelming odds. Just watching them having fun teasing one another in the play was a delight.

Yet underneath the sunny smiles is the reality that they are stateless and deprived of identity. “That makes me sad,” says Pavaluck.

Pavaluck and Ladda visited Mahachai over the course of two months to train selected kids in the art of acting. The Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation took Pavaluck on a tour of the factories in Mahachai where she was able to observe the working conditions of migrant workers. It was, she says, grim.

“These kids are amazing. They have the determination to train and perform in the play,” she says.

Ladda was equally impressed with the children, saying: “They were just as innocent as us when we were kids. Children are children. These kids go to school like Thai children, but they don’t enjoy as much freedom as Thai kids.

Through the play, Ladda and Pavaluck aimed to express the kids’ hopes and dreams rather than touch on the downside of life as migrant workers.

“I think we all know how bad life is for migrant workers. It’s in the news, with all the statistics. So I don’t want to play up the issue,” says Ladda.

Perhaps because of their age, the harsh reality is not a major deal for the kids. Young Kwiten told XP that her parents work in a seafood factory in Mahachai and that the whole family visits a local temple every Sunday for merit-making. The parents of her friend, Suphanee, work in a shoe factory. Another child, Somanai, added that she lived in a rented row house with her parents who work in a seafood factory.

The parents of these children have to pay tuition fees to keep the kids in school. And inevitably some kids have to leave due to the lack of money.

Somanai says she doesn’t like the way some Thai children look down on her.

“Some of the Thai students tease me about my origins. They ask why I have to study at the same school as they when I am not Thai. I don’t like the way they look down at me. They are not polite at all,” she says.

She also doesn’t understand why Thai women like to wear mini-skirts or why Thais like to pay respect to Buddhist monks by performing a wai while standing, not sitting.

Kwiten who speaks Thai and Myanmar fluently but says her parents do not, recalls having to fend off extortion by the local police. The police visited her family asking her dad to pay them Bt500 as protection money.

“I told them they had no right to get that money from my dad. I told them to go away,” says Kwiten.

Family circumstances forced Kwiten to drop out of school and work at a pizza restaurant. She was however able to get time off to perform in the play and visit the Grand Palace.

“I was so pleased to see Japanese and Western people for the first time,” she squealed delightedly.

According to the 2014 Thailand migration report released by the International Organisation for Migration, Thailand’s Ministry of Labour reported the total number of registered migrant workers in 2013 at 1,174,900 with children adding another 11 per cent. The number of Myanmar migrant children in Thai schools in 2012 was recorded at 49,677, the majority of them in primary education.

A case study of child labour in Samut Sakhon province estimates that there between 2,920 to 3,650 children born to migrants in that province alone. More than 80 per cent of migrants with displacement backgrounds reported living with their children in Thailand whereas only slightly more than 50 per cent of non-displaced migrants live with their children.

AMAZING SPIRATIONS

– “The Butterfly” will be performed at 2pm on June 25 and July 30 at the Museum Siam.

– To reserve a spot, call (02) 225 2777 extension 420, 421 or e-mail yupaporn@ndmi.or.th. Admission is free.

– Find out more at Facebook.com/museumsiamfan.

 

A tale of two languages

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STAGE REVIEW

Pawit Mahasarinand
Special to The Nation June 13, 2016 1:00 am
The Thai cast is comfortable with the dialogue in both English and Thai. Photo/Thitiporn Kaikaew

The Thai cast is comfortable with the dialogue in both English and Thai. Photo/Thitiporn Kaikaew

The English-speaking cast consists of only one native speaker, Briton James Laver. Photo/Tatisara Changmanee

The English-speaking cast consists of only one native speaker, Briton James Laver. Photo/Tatisara Changmanee

A contemporary American play delivers heartfelt messages notwithstanding some miscasting choices

Thanks to Thong Lor Art Space (TLAS) whose curation is as surprising as it is inspiring, my regular nights out in trendy Thong Lor can be enjoyed just 100 metres from the BTS station. At no time since the era of AUA Thai Players in the late 1960s and early 1970s, do I recall any company staging the same play with two different casts speaking two languages – the original English and Thai. TLAS is doing just that and more, with 17 Thai language performances and the same number for English, for their new production of American playwright Josh Ginsburg’s “Stick Figures”, or “Khon Kang Pla” in Thai.

This 100-minute domestic drama tells the tale of a family who are unable to cope with the loss of their high-school daughter and hire a professional “surrogate” to stand in for her. All goes well until the couple’s son returns from college and doesn’t completely buy into the idea. He also discovers that the surrogate has been moonlighting, posing as the recently deceased wife of a lonely man. The surrogate’s secret is revealed towards the end of the play.

Filled with sincerity, keen observations on contemporary life and the smart use of all five actors, the play is truly touching and captivating. But, like works of many young playwrights who may be afraid that their audiences might not clearly get their messages, it delivers its messages too soon. Seasoned director Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon deftly stages this with all her heart and her set design is so highly practical that one scene moves into another seamlessly. Paphavee Limkul’s lighting design, which undergoes several changes during the drama, is both subtle and effective. Perhaps aiming for a more realistic performance, most of her actors’ voices are very soft and even in such a small theatre studio I had to move from the third to the front row to catch what they were saying.

The five-member Thai-speaking cast is a delight as they’re comfortable with the dialogue in both languages, partly thanks to translator Pattareeya Puapongsakorn, herself an awarded playwright, who made some context adaptation. Standing out is Varattha Tongyoo who effortlessly slips in and out of her three characters. Even when her performance reaches its emotional apex and the surrogate’s personal secret is revealed, she doesn’t get too carried away.

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The English-speaking cast consists of only one native speaker, and Briton James Laver delivers another arresting performance. Although our government may be delighted to see that Thai people are ready for the Asean Economic Community, as evidenced in the proficiency of the Thai cast members here, it’s not yet up to the level of professional thespians who would otherwise act naturally and enjoy using different dialects of the language, as necessary in each play’s setting.

And if the production is not going to employ any voice or dialect coach, then casting native speakers in these roles—and there are a high number of them here in this expat-friendly city – would make it more credible as the play is, after all, set in the Big Apple, not the Big Mango.

Both casts have a similar letdown, namely the miscasting of the father and mother roles to actors too young to be believable as parents who prematurely lose their daughter. Does the Thai stage really lack actors and actresses in their mid- to late-40s?

STICK AROUND

– “Stick Figures” runs until June 30 at Thong Lor Art Space, a short walk from BTS Thong Lor.

– Shows are 8 nightly (except Tuesdays) with 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The Thai and English performances alternate days.

– Tickets are Bt550 (Bt450 for advance transfer and Bt400 for students). Call (095) 924 4555 or check Facebook.com/ThongLorArtSpace.

 

On the wings of the eagle

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BALINESE ARTS

Trisha Sertori
The Jakarta Post
Asia News Network June 13, 2016 1:00 am
Made Ada, who has sculpted for three Indonesian presidents, also has his work on display in Russia’s Hermitage Museum and the Kremlin. Photo/The Jakarta Post

Made Ada, who has sculpted for three Indonesian presidents, also has his work on display in Russia’s Hermitage Museum and the Kremlin. Photo/The Jakarta Post

Nyoman Lamun chisels free the great garuda eagle and the winged chariot of Vishnu.Photo/The Jakarta Post

Nyoman Lamun chisels free the great garuda eagle and the winged chariot of Vishnu.Photo/The Jakarta Post

Sculptures are painted in Pakudui, most of whose residents carve garuda, earning it the designation Garuda Pakudui Tourism Village. Photo/The Jakarta Post

Sculptures are painted in Pakudui, most of whose residents carve garuda, earning it the designation Garuda Pakudui Tourism Village. Photo/The Jakarta Post

A village of artisans entirely devoted to carving the garuda, symbol of Indonesia, earns global fame for Balinese tradition

Built as powerfully as the tree trunk he’s in the process of sculpting, Nyoman Lamun carefully carves a likeness of Sita nestled in the wings of a garuda. With each chisel tap, the princess of the Ramayana is further exposed.

Nyoman is one of hundreds of sculptors living in the village of Pakudui just north of the Ceking rice fields who carve the history of the mythological eagle from the epic Hindu poem, which is Indonesia’s national symbol.

So important is sculpting garuda to the hamlet in the hills above Ubud that 90 per cent of its inhabitants are employed in the craft. Some carve, some sand, polish or paint the finished carvings of garuda and the poem’s central characters, Rama, Sita and Vishnu.

A man of few words, Lamun says he and most men in the area learned to carve in the early 1980s under the tutelage of a fellow villager, I Made Ada. The community began to carve garuda following a visit to Pakudui by then-president Suharto.

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The works of 67-year old Ada have been collected by three Indonesian presidents and can be seen in the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and the Kremlin in Russia.

“Suharto was here in 1981,” Ada says. “He ordered more than 100 garuda statues for the palaces. I taught 75 villagers to sculpt in order to complete the work.”

In recognition, Pakudui was renamed Garuda Pakudui. Three decades later it was renamed again – Garuda Pakudui Tourism Village.

“So now we are officially a tourist village,” says Ada. “People trek through the rice fields en route to Tirta Empul in Tampak Siring, passing through Pakudui.”

Ada’s museum-cum-gallery was built 16 years ago on the advice of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who ordered a pair of garuda statues as a gift for Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“She wanted Balinese statues to be housed in the Hermitage to promote Indonesia in Russia,” Ada says, adding that Megawati also thought his work should have a permanent home in Pakudui.

“She advised me to keep some of my works, not sell everything, because my sculptures are an important part of Balinese art and culture. That’s why I built this museum.” His family was no stranger to Megawati. His father, I Nyoman Kampih, had worked as a sculptor for her father, Sukarno, one of the country’s founding fathers.

“Sukarno was a collector and had my father’s works in the palace, so Ibu Mega knew of me from her father. She knew we were a family of carvers,” Ada says. As a child he has a brief encounter with Sukarno.

“He passed by me at the temple, patted me on the head and asked if I was cold after bathing at the tirta empul [water temple]. He had his baton under one arm, as he always did.”

Ada and the villagers crafted garuda from teak, jackfruit and sawo (sapodilla). Often more than three metres tall, the works are both an expression of the power of garuda and the breathtaking skill of the artisans.

With his newly sharpened chisel, Lamun whittles away filament-thin shavings as he works on the garuda and Sita. It can take three sculptors almost two years to trim, form and sand the characters hidden within the grain.

 

It’s May and Jay racing toward the goalposts

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SOOPSIP

The Nation June 10, 2016 1:00 am
May and Jay

May and Jay

Bo and Mali

Bo and Mali

SHOWBIZ COLLIDES with sport again as word spreads on the social networks that film actress Pitchanart “May” Sakakorn and Muangthong United Football Club superstar Chanathip “Jay” Songkrasin are dating.

The relationship had been more than a rumour for while amid sightings of the cuddly duo at football matches, and then Jay, 22, announced on Instagram a few days ago that he is indeed seeing the sexy 35-year-old actress.

“In fact we’ve known each other for a long time,” he confirmed under a photo he posted of May holding a trophy – one of his, presumably.

“We got talking and it just naturally progressed into love. We didn’t keep it a secret, but I only told the people closest to me. I didn’t want our relationship to be headline news – I just wanted to focus on football. I hope my fans will understand and don’t think I concealed anything from them.” Jay’s hashtag was “I’m so relieved”, evidently at getting it out in the open.

May, who starred in the second “Buppah Ratree” movie as well as “Pattaya Maniac” and “The Victim”, has long been a big fan of sports, so the speculation is that she met Jay in a footie froth.

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Bo and Mali: The Movie

Vanda “Bo” Sahawong, who with her daughter Nong Mali has stuck to the periphery of the entertainment scene since the death in January of her husband, actor Tridsadee “Por” Sahawong, is now mulling roles in the same movie for both of them.

“I’ve turned down a lot of projects because I wanted to be fully committed to taking care of Mali after we lost Por,” Bo tells Siam Dara. “But I’m seriously considering this film because it’s very interesting. We’re in discussions and tweaking the roles to fit both Mali and I. Don’t expect me to be the lead, though!” she laughs.

“If I do accept the project, it’s going to be a lot of work for both of us, because we need training so we can give our best performances. I really don’t want to disappoint anyone.

“I want to start with a film rather than TV because it normally requires a shorter time commitment than a series.”

Bo says she and Mali have other projects to finish first, one of them being a photo book titled “Mali Thong Lok” (“Mali Travels the World”). The title’s a bit of an exaggeration because they only got as far as Vietnam, Laos and Maldives, but the pictures are reportedly adorable.

“They’re already taking pre-orders and we’re now choosing the photos that best represent who we are,” Bo says. “And don’t worry about Mali working too hard – the team took great care of her and she really enjoyed travelling to different places.”

 

Tawan, the bashful beauty

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Manta Klangboonkrong
The Nation June 10, 2016 1:00 am
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Asia’s new top model Jiratchaya Kedkong talks about competing in the television reality show and her hopes for the future

Jiratchaya “Tawan” Kedkong certainly didn’t have it easy as she competed against 13 other supermodels from around the region, all of them determined to be crowned Asia’s Next Top Model. Indeed, she found herself in the bottom two twice and was almost eliminated but somehow struggled through the hard times to become the least expected winner.

Tawan walks away from the fourth season of the show with a brand new Subaru and a contract with Storm Agency in London, one of the world’s most prestigious modelling agencies with whom she will begin her career in earnest.

Born and raised in Lop Buri, 20-year-old Tawan is 177 centimetres tall and armed with a gentle disposition but a surprisingly strong will. She also has that spcial “something”, an indefinable quality that won over the supermodels Kelly Tandiono from Indonesia and Cindy Bishop from Thailand as well as globally renowned Taiwanese-born photographer Yu Tsai to become the second Thai model to snatch the crown, after Jessica Amornkuldilok, who was crowned at the end of cycle one.

We had a chat with the top model.

How did you start modelling?

I started when I was about 18, which is only two years ago. I’ve always been tall, which I inherit from my dad’s side of the family, and I’ve always liked fashion, though being a professional model never crossed my mind until after I graduated from high school. My family had quite a serious financial problem at the time and I decided to skip college and work. That’s when I came to Bangkok and tried my luck at modelling.

Was it hard to find modelling jobs?

Yes it was, at least at first because I was starting from zero and knew no one. I entered a few modelling contests and although I didn’t won any titles, I made connections on the modelling circuit. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was modelling in Hong Kong for six months. I then went on to Singapore when I heard about Asia’s Next Top Model, which is based in there, and decided to enter the competition just for fun. Looking back, things worked out really well for me and I feel really fortunate. I’m also very lucky to have the full support of my parents in pursuing a career in modelling.

I was shocked but of course thrilled when I was picked for the show where I would be competing with 13 other girls. I didn’t have a lot of experience as a model, my English was not very good and I have very little confidence. But then, what did I have to lose? I didn’t expect to win at all. I just wanted to get out there and be seen as I thought it would benefit my modelling career.

Was the drama in the show scripted?

No. I was surprised to find that, too. You have to understand when you have a dozen girls who don’t know each other, come from different backgrounds and different cultures, nasty things are bound to happen. The show captured the little moments, and built up the drama for effect. It’s not really my thing, or my strategy, so I tried to stay clear of all the messiness and focus on doing better in the challenges.

Do you find it really stressful in that top model apartment?

Oh yes, very! I missed speaking Thai. We were not allowed to use the phone, Internet, watch TV or read newspapers and the challenges were on every other day. There was always a lot to do, many challenges to tackle and too little time to prepare. I made some friends that I still keep in touch with. But just as I thought I had found solace in these new friends, they were eliminated, which made it even more stressful for me. I just wanted to run off to the forest and scream my head off. It was a really intense but rewarding experience.

The judges often criticised you for being too shy and reserved. Was that one of the major challenges for you to overcome?

Yes. I’ve always been easy-going and goofy, unlike many of the girls who have more of a Western attitude, you know, fierce, strong and insanely confident. I’m not like that, and I don’t think I need to be like them. I did the best I could, though, to speak up and speak out about how I feel and what I want. That is probably the biggest thing I have taken away from the show.

So how did a shy girl win the fierce competition?

I did my best and delivered what was required of me in each challenge. When I’m in a shoot, I’m always serious and try my best to give them what they want, whether it’s the customers or the judges. I may not be a fierce, super-confident supermodel but I’m versatile in my modelling style. I can be pretty, I can be chic, I can be cool – anything you want me to be. Also, I didn’t give up. I proved to the judges that I took note of their comments and seriously tried to do better. I’m shy but I’m not a quitter.

What are you planning next?

I hope to secure some good modelling deals that really fulfil my dream, and go as far as I can in this industry. Maybe I will go back to school and earn a degree, but right now I would like to savour my title, make the best of it and focus on my career.

Club Scene

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AFTER DARK

The Nation June 10, 2016 1:00 am

Avicii

Avicii

Find good parties in Bangkok

Old jokes never die

Hilarious Australian TV host Darren Sanders graces the stage tonight at the Comedy Club Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1. Billed as something of a legend because he’s been telling jokes professionally for more than 20 years, Sanders has a mirthfully engaging conversational style. Admission is Bt850 and the |beer costs just Bt85.

Free drinks? Crazy!

Fresh heights of madness are likely to be reached tonight at the opening of the Mad Club on Ratchadapisek Soi 14. On the deck are DJs Tech 12, Fuzion, Jedie, Knatz and others, and the drinks are free from 10 to midnight. There’s no cover charge. |Call (094) 441 9124.

Tuff gong with T-Bone

Two decades in the reggae and ska business, T-Bone is performing tonight at Maggie Choo’s on Silom Road. The nine-piece’s repertoire, which stretches into jazz, has carried it to clubs all around Thailand and twice to the stage of England’s Glastonbury Festival. Entry with a drink costs Bt500.

Off to the ball

Mask up, dress to impress and head to the White Ball Party at the Vogue Lounge near the Chong Nonsi BTS station tonight. Fashion, music and art fuse as DJs Maarten Goetheer and Karl Andy and MC Unda lead the parade. Check out “VogueLoungeBangkok” |on Facebook.

Got to be an Ultra night

Swedish superstar DJ Avicii and Martin Garrix, one of the undisputed kings of electronic music, headline tomorrow’s “Road to Ultra” bash at Bitec in Bangna, starting in the late afternoon. A troupe of local and regional DJs provides the support. See more at http://www.RoadToUltraThailand.com.

White is the new JOHNNIE BLACK

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AFTER DARK

MANTA KLANGBOONKRONG
THE NATION June 10, 2016 1:00 am
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Booze in bold new bottles, and Blue’s gone hi-tech with sipping stories

ONE THING YOU can say about Johnnie Walker – he never gets boring. And, quite apart from the dependable kick of the booze itself, Black Label and Blue Label now come in cool new limited edition bottles available only in Thailand (and, okay, Lebanon).

Johnnie Walker Black Label Limited Edition is the same full-bodied, oaky and smoky whisky, but now it’s swapped its usual black attire for an all-white look in a bottle conceived by Italian designer Mattia Biagi.

Dubbed “White Eclipse”, the exterior is pure white, “camouflaging the essence of the ‘Black’ whisky”, the whisky maker says.

“Johnnie Walker is always processing and invests in new innovations to introduce new products,” says Paul Sirisant, marketing director at Diageo Moet Hennessy (Thailand). “And now we’ve made the classic Black bottle white for the first time, in a limited edition for collectors and those who enjoy the fine taste of Johnnie Walker.”

Born in Italy and based in Los Angeles, Biagi has done several designs for Johnnie Walker in the past that had “great feedback”, Paul says.

“His creative inspiration – in the human emotional reaction to physical objects that have superstitious associations – was a perfect match for us.”

“Only” 94,500 bottles of the new white Black are being sold in Thailand, at the usual price.

Meanwhile the premier Johnnie Walker Blue Label still looks the same as always, but now it’s in direct “communication” with tipplers thanks to NFC technology. If your phone or any other device is equipped with Near Field Communication, you can download the “Johnnie Walker Interactive” application from Android Play, buy this special bottle of Blue (a mere 500 are on sale), scan the cap, and prepare for some interesting stories.

“This is Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s way of showing its gratitude to its loyal customers,” Paul explains. “They’ll be able to access captivating stories about the brand, such as the Johnnie Walker legacy and history, and read about unique experiences that reflect the progressive luxury the brand stands for.

“It’s specially curated direct communication from the brand to the consumer. Johnnie Walker wants to bring to life the Johnnie Walker experience, matched to the convenience of your smartphone. It helps bring the brand and the consumer closer.”

Each “smart bottle” has its own unique ID and specific digital content, he says, so presumable if you were able to buy all 500 bottles available, you’d get 500 different sets of information.

And, in markets where counterfeit bottles pose an issue, the buyer will be able to detect if the bottle’s been opened or is still in its original condition.

Blue Label is pioneering this hi-tech approach – and to begin with only in Thailand. It too costs the same as the classic version.

Find out more at http://www.Facebook.com/ JohnnieWalker.

GDH film plans draw cheers, the stars not so much

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/GDH-film-plans-draw-cheers-the-stars-not-so-much-30287689.html

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The Nation June 9, 2016 1:00 am
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GDH 559, the studio amalgam that burst onto the showbiz scene late last year after the breakup of the GTH studio, has finally announced its road map to greatness, entailing both movies and TV series, naturally.

GDH 559, the studio amalgam that burst onto the showbiz scene late last year after the breakup of the GTH shingle, has finally announced its road map to greatness, entailing both movies and TV series, naturally. There are two films in the works, slated to hit theatres before the end of the year.

The first, shot in both Thailand and Japan, has stuck to previously announced plans and retained its working title, “Fanday”. Director Banjong Pisanthanakun hasn’t said much about it, apart from naming the stars – Chantawit “Ter” Thanasewee and Nittha Jirayangyuen – and a release date of September 1.

The second project was to be the first solo-feature effort by Parkpoom Wongpoom, Banjong’s co-director on the GTH hit horrors “Shutter” and “Alone”, but that’s on the back burner for now.

Instead, GDH 559 will release another of those ubiquitous omnibus films, an as-yet-untitled three-part romance with segments by different directors.

Studio co-founder Jira Malikool has already completed the opening segment, also starring Ter Chantawit. Part two is in the capable hands of Nithiwat Tharatorn, who had a hit with “The Teachers’ Diary” two years ago and is this time directing another GTH stalwart, “Freelance” and “I Fine Thank You Love You” leading man Sunny Suwanmethanon.

Closing out the triptych is a segment co-directed by Chayanop Boonprakob of “May Who?” fame and Kriangkrai Vachiratamporn from the teen TV series “Hormones”. Kriangkrai’s only other feature was “Phaun Mai Kao” (“Old Pals”), made for Sahamongkol in 2012.

What’s generating the most interest about the finale is the fact that it stars newcomer Napat Siangsomboon, the son of actress Pimpaka Siangsomboon. Having a new face to gawk at is an immense relief for many fans who have been complaining on Pantip.com that they’re bored to tears seeing Ter and/or Sunny in seemingly every picture being made these days.

The fan consensus seems to be that, as much as they love the movies of GDH 559’s predecessor GTH, there must surely be more than those two actors available. No one’s blaming Ter and Sunny for gobbling up every role around – it’s just a matter of, hey, how about giving some rookies a chance?

To be fair to Ter, he didn’t appear in any GTH movies for years following “ATM Er Rak Error” in 2012. He does, however, show up on TV all the time – in series produced by GTH as well as other companies. As for Sunny, well, yeah, he’s all over the place.

The fans aren’t grousing without coming up with suggestions of their own. Several have said we should be seeing new faces soon in GDH 559 films and shows because there’s a fresh crop ready to harvest.

Thiti Mahayotaruk from “Hormones” had the lead in “May Who?”, the final GTH film, and GDH 559 is giving him and his former co-stars regular work on the small screen. Once they start looking more like actual adults, count on Sunny and Ter being relegated to the game shows.

The last word in the discussion belongs to the realists in the crowd, who point out that, despite all the complaining, GDH 559 movies are always going to be guaranteed hits at the box office.

Saving our seas

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Saving-our-seas-30287687.html

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KUPLUTHAI PUNGKANON
THE NATION June 9, 2016 1:00 am

La Mer celebrates World Oceans Day with a beach and sea cleaning exercise on the Chon Buri Coast

Located less than an hour from Bangkok, Bang Saen and Wonnapa beaches in Chonburi Province have long been popular weekend destinations for the urban crowd. Sadly, they have suffered from their popularity with visitors regularly using them as garbage dumps rather than respecting their natural beauty. Indeed, members of a recent media trip organised by skincare leaders La Mer to Wonnapa beach were horrified to witness the extent of trash littering the beach and the nasty odour given off by rotting food, paper and plastic.

The visit was organised as part of “La Mer’s Blue Heart” project to mark World Oceans Day 2016. La Mer staff and journalists joined up with guests Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, Puri Hiranprueck, Byron and Cindy Bishop, Disaya Koragotchamas, Isawan Sutthinark, Sirachai Arunrugstichai for a massive beach-cleaning session before boarding a Sri Racha Marine Fisheries Research Station’s research vessel to explore the condition of the sea.

The boat took its passengers to the area around Koh Loy and here too they were dismayed at the amount of garbage floating through the water and lying on the seabed.

Tons of water bottles and plastic bags were collected during the trip but despite this effort they will continue to damage our coral reefs and cause the death of several marine animals, especially rare ones close to extinction.

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Garbage is not a national-level problem, but an international one, as it affects the ecosystem and the environment as a whole. It is not too late for us to stop damaging activities and realise the importance of the ocean for every life on the planet.

“Several islands in Thailand have been closed down for restoration. It is now time for us to help. First, we have to help spread the message because it is easier to prevent damage than to restore. What we can do is to keep what we have today and minimise the damage. Thailand ranks among the top five countries with the largest amount of plastic garbage per head,” said conservationist and marine expert Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat.”

Free diver Disaya Koragotchamas added: “I love the sea, and diving is an activity that brings me closer to the beauty under the sea. We must conserve and give back to the oceans, which provide us with so much joy.”

Byron Bishop is a keen diver and says he’s saddened by the degradation of coral and other sea creatures he witnesses during his dives. “This is our world,” he stresses, “and if we all help, we can make a big difference.”

On a global scale, La Mer is continuing its partnership with National Geographic Society for the fifth consecutive year to help support the next generation of ocean explorers. Through this partnership, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr Sylvia Earle shares her ocean inspiration and expertise through a short film, which can be viewed shortly at Facebook: La Mer Thailand, Instagram @LaMerThailandOfficial and at http://www.LaMer.co.th/blueheart.

Joining this project are marine conservationists Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau, free diver Tomoka Fukuda, and model and actress Elsa Pataky.

La Mer invites consumers to share their own personal story of the sea through the #LaMerBlueHeart campaign on Instagram. Lucky winners from Thailand can win tickets from Bangkok Airways to explore the seas in Maldives, Phuket and Krabi. To qualify, post a picture at #LaMerBlueHeart and #MyOceanStory.

For more information, visit Facebook: La Mer Thailand.

– In celebration of La Mer’s Blue Heart and World Oceans Day this year, a 100ml jar of Creme de La Mer with a new limited-edition sea-inspired design is available at all La Mer counters through the end of June for Bt18,600.