It’s a French touring carnival with two dozen inflated characters and is making its first appearance in Southeast Asia right here.

“The balloon show is the work of world-renowned French street-theatre troupe Plasticiens Volants and will feature spectacular giant inflated puppets flying over Parc Paragon, combined with stunning lighting and music,” says senior executive vice president Mayuree Chaipromprasith.

Little Nemo is the cartoon character that Winsor McKay first drew for the New York Herald Tribune in 1905, which went on to book and film adaptations and even an opera.

In “Slumberland”, he has a fantastic dream, which is recounted with 20 colourful floating inflatables, including a magical flying bed whose legs grow to nine metres, a floating castle and vast raspberry fields.

The marathon was dubbed the most hassle-free running event ever organised with participants only needing their smartphone and letting Grab take care of the rest.

Grab business partners, including KBank, Sunday Insurance, Shopee, Joox and Ari Running were also on hand for the cause, providing fun-filled activities; and Grab Food-featured restaurants were present to refuel runners with a variety of dishes and snacks. The event culminated with a vibrant performance by Praew Kanitkul Netbute.

“Grab donates Bt10 for every kilometre covered by each runner. We’re pleased to announce the total donation of Bt400,000 which goes directly to Ramathibodi Foundation to support the purchase of medical equipment for the Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute in Samut Prakan. When fully operational, the facility will be a leading medical institute with the capacity to treat more than 1 million patients each year. The success of today’s activity would not have been possible without the collective efforts and kindness of our runners, driver-partners, passengers, business partners as well as the authorities. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us and look forward to organising more meaningful activities to further improve the livelihood of people in the future,” says Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand.

“Grab Running” was part of Grab’s mission to give back to the society. Over the past few months, Grab has organised several CSR activities including scholarship grants for the children of driver-partners; “GrabFood for Good” donations to provide lunch money to more than 1,000 underprivileged children; and “GrabExpress Delivering Happiness”, with donated goods delivered free of charge to seven children’s foundations across Thailand including Baan Nokkamin.

The party, which is being organised with Rap Is Now, Thailand’s biggest underground rapper community and creators of the country’s first ever “Rap Battle” TV show, features performances by several local rap artists including CD Guntee, Dawut, Blacksheep, Maiyarap, Ben Bizzy and can’t get away with the rap battle between Stage-N vs 8botsboyz, with DJ Suraboon and Vnazz spinning until late.

Aside from the concert and rap battle, the party will also feature a streetwear market.

Tickets cost Bt490 including 2 drinks at /www.eventpop.me/e/4263-gxrapisnow.

Find out more at (02) 352 4000.

In collaboration with other artists and volunteers from London to Melbourne and Taipei to Kuala Lumpur, the bird of paradise arrives in downtown Bangkok with a clear message to those living there – to save the forests. It will be on display until October 14.

After ravaging the forests of Borneo and Sumatra, the palm-oil industry has reached the final frontier, Papua, home to these birds of paradise. Greenpeace says both the birds and the forest could be lost if these companies are allowed to continue.

“Forests, home to endangered animals and precious treasures from the earth, are being destroyed by the hands of humans,” says Muebon. “I hope this artwork will be able to reflect the voices of these animals, voices that otherwise might never reach the concrete jungle.”

Find out more at http://www.Greenpeace.or.th.

With the theme “Redesigning the Good Life”, the conference – organised annually since 2015 by Dr Sirikul Laukaikul – will be held at the Siamese Fighting Fish Gallery, against the scenic backdrop of the Bang Kachao mangrove forests.

The idea is to raise awareness of this urban oasis and its rapidly dwindling natural resources. Unknown to many, including local residents, Bang Kachao – often described as Bangkok’s green lung – has played a crucial role in providing clean air to the city by trapping 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Recognised in Time magazine as Asia’s best urban oasis, Bang Kachao faces the challenge of surviving the onslaught of property development. Its pristine forest area and proximity to the city centre have long caught the eyes of investors.

The conference will have inspirational morning talks on the topics mentioned. Lunch both days will entail sumptuous family dishes prepared by Thai cooks. The afternoons will have workshops designed to engage and inspire.

Speakers and workshop moderators will include Sandja Brugmann, a Dane who’s been counted among the world’s “leadership gurus”. Dr Sirikul will interview her on the subject “Can we redesign the good heart and mind?” It was Brugmann who guided shoe brand Crocs from an eight-person startup into a global company worth US$208 million.

Afroz Shah, a United Nations Champion of the Earth in 2016, conducted the world’s largest beach cleanup in Mumbai. He will share insights on heightening people’s awareness and getting them to manage their waste.

Dr Suthat Ronglong, founder of Do in Thai, award-winning architect Duncan Firth of New Zealand and sustainable-energy architect Onishi Takuya of Japan will discuss housing and lifestyle redesign using technology “with the grace of nature”, using Bang Kachao as a case study.

Physician Pipatpong Israsena Na Ayudhya of Doi Kham will share his encyclopaedic knowledge about Thai food with Jarongsak “Satang” Rongdech, producer and presenter of “Pattakarn Bantung” on Thai PBS, and Sripattra Junsaengsook, a local chef in Bang Kachao.

Kei Nakayama, an advocate of Japanese rural tourism and co-founder of Discover Another Kyoto, will explain “How to create good tourism”.

Other speakers are actor-singer Alex Rendell, best-selling author Dr John Izzo, PTT CEO Chansin Treenuchagron, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, Suntory senior executives and award-winning designer Somchana Kangwarnjit.

Tickets costing Bt6,000 to Bt12,000 can be booked at http://SustainableBrandsBkk.com/sb2018. Find out more at (081) 307 3960.

The tournament, which is part of the Thailand PGA Tour, will feature a qualifying round on October 1 and a practice round on October 2.

The deadline for entry is September 26 at 4pm and the entry fee is Bt2,300. The winner will take home a cool Bt2 million.

The 18-hole golf course and deluxe 4-star hotel are adjacent to Soi Dao Mountain, set in over 1,580 acres of lush greenery and tropical gardens.

The award-winning course, created by renowned course designer Denis Griffiths, stretches over 395 acres of undulating tropical terrain.

The hotel’s rooms and suites each have a private balcony overlooking the course. The magnificent views can also be enjoyed from the restaurant and the Club House. The latter overlooks the course from floor-to-ceiling windows, contains a Pro Shop, and offers space for gatherings either indoors or in its outdoor terrace and gardens.

For more information, please call (089) 934 3008, (092) 905 2107, (039) 460 960-2, email: info.sdao@chatrium.com or visit http://www.Chatrium.com.

The MidAutumn Festival is a muchloved traditional festivity and this year falls on September 24. Activities being organised by Lhong 1919 include the raising of a paper lantern for good luck, a demonstration of the mung bean mooncake made to the original recipe, a mooncake making workshop and worshipping the Mazu Goddess, the deity of family and love that has graced the pier for more than 170 years.

Mooncakes by Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Peninsula Hotel, Banyan Tree Hotel, Vanilla Industry, S&P and Gokjai Restaurant will also be available for tasting.

Keep up with the news at Facebook Fan Page: Lhong 1919.

The event includes an exhibition of rare sea fish as well as delicious fish dishes and seafood to tempt any appetite.

The mall’s Rossaporn Khiewwan says the fair is designed to appeal to anyone who loves fish and seafood. To ensure maximum pleasure, it’s divided into three main zones.

Tsukiji fish market: This recreates one of the world’s most famous and biggest fish markets and will particularly appeal to those who enjoy Japanese-style fish dishes. Among the delicacies are salmon sashimi, other raw fish sashimi, saba steak and salmon steak.

Fishing Village, Fisherman’s Cove: This is a Western fishing village and a popular tourism destination in Nova Scotia, Canada. In this zone, many fish and other seafood dishes are on offer, among them dory barbecue, lobster spicy salad and fresh seafood.

The Thai fishing village will serve original Thai-style fish dishes and processed seafood for customers to eat and purchase.

Don’t miss the special salmon carving demonstration and shop for products at special prices between 5.30 and 6.30pm with an additional session held Friday to Sunday from 12.30 to 1.30pm.

Meanwhile, visitors can admire the tanks of cartoon fish, Blue Tang, butterfly fish, emperor angelfish, yellow boxfish, yellow coris wrasse, Mandarin fish, angelfish, unicorn fish (Naso), powder brown fish, Asian glassfish, lionfish, razorfish, parrotfish, and dascyllus.

Find out more at (02) 454 7777 or visit http://www.facebook.com/SeaconBangkaeFanPage.

The Audi Centre Thailand is spread over 4,800 square metres and features two six-storey buildings on the concept “Audi Light House”.

Guests at the opening included Jan Scheer, Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the German Embassy Bangkok, Arsa Sarasin, MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, Thanpuying Orasa Lamsam, Thanpuying Suchitguna Sarasin and Khunying Chodchoy Sophonpanich.

Audi’s Grisnagorn Sawettanan, Teerakup Thammaneewong and Michael Frisch were on hand to welcome the guests, who admired the new Audi Q8 and listened to performances by Byrd and Heart, Charas Fuengarom, Ronnadet Wongsaroj and Joey Boy.

Audi Thailand currently has three showrooms and service centres and will launch a fourth centre in Phuket at the end of this year. The company, which is focusing on after-sales service, also plans to open a new distribution centre and vehicle inspection centre.

Find out more at http://www.Audi.co.th, Facebook/AudiThailand Facebook or call (02) 765 8888.

The fair, which opens tomorrow (September 19) and runs through September 24, features more than 2,000 handmade products created by Sai Jai Thai members. All proceeds from sales go to charitable causes under the foundation.

ML Saralee Kitiyakorn will preside over the opening on behalf of Her Royal Highness Princess Somsavali tomorrow at 3pm.

Actress Khemanit “Pancake” Jamikorn and more than 35 honorary models will showcase Thai traditional costumes and present a new collection of Sai Jai Thai products such as drawings of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, a bag from the Wild Boar collection, a wide range of pig-related products to welcome the Year of Pig, satin silk scarves and more.

Thanpuying Phungchai Sindhvananda, director of the Sai Jai Thai Foundation, reminds shoppers that the “Sai Jai Thai Week” aims to promote the work of military men, volunteers, and their families, as well as to earn income for the Vocational Training Development Centre.

The foundation is currently looking after more than 4,000 members, helping them support themselves and to generate sufficient earnings for their families.

“Shoppers should buy our products in recognition of the value, creativity and endeavour that they represent and not only because they sympathise with our members. We continue to improve our products to match the modern lifestyle in order to increase their value,” she said.

Suthipong Deebang, former voluntary field army in Uttaradit and member of the Sai Jai Thai Foundation, who lost his right leg in a bomb-blast in 1991, added: “When I was in the army, I had never heard of the Sai Jai Thai Foundation. While I was in hospital I worried a lot about how I would live as a disabled person. When I was moved to Phra Mongkut Hospital, an official from the Sai Jai Thai Foundation contacted me to offer their help. I decided to become a member of the foundation and work here after receiving training in the glass pattern department. Today I have a job and can earn money to feed my family. The foundation makes my life valuable; I can feed myself and my family and have a life like normal people.”