Recorded at the Opera Bastille with the Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus, the film directed by Benoit Jacquot adheres to the three acts delineated by Giuseppe Verdi.

Alfredo Germont falls in love with courtesan Violetta Valery at a party at her Paris salon. He is determined to cure her tuberculosis and they leave Paris for a contented life in the countryside. But Violetta’s happiness is destroyed when Alfredo’s father Giorgio pays her a visit.

Verdi based “La Traviata” on Alexandre Dumas’ novel and stage play “La Dame aux camelias”, which was in turn inspired by the life and death of actual Parisian courtesan Marie Duplessis.

Verdi offered a more complex and sympathetic portrayal of his heroine, highlighting Violetta’s noble nature and her devotion to Alfredo.

“La Traviata” is today the mostperformed opera in the world and the role of Violetta a favourite for many star sopranos.

Richard Eyre’s stunning naturalistic production contrasts the superficial glamour of 19thcentury Parisian high life with intimate scenes for Violetta with Alfredo and Giorgio, culminating in the heartbreaking final act.

Verdi’s sublime score contains some of his most inspired arias and duets, including Violetta’s introspective “Ah forse’ lui” and hedonistic “Sempre libera” and Alfredo and Violetta’s “Parigi, o cara”.

Tickets cost Bt200 (Bt100 for AF students and members) at the door.

Like most member nations of the United Nations, Thailand has set itself the goal of eliminating new infections of HIV/Aids and reaching “Getting to Zero” by 2030.

It is an ambition that faces many challenges. Current figures show that the nation has more than 400,000 HIV-infected patients and that 21 per cent of them are over the age of 50. Improved medical treatment and more efficient drugs will push an increasing number of those infected into the 50 years-plus bracket as the target date draws near, thus exposing them to age-related medical conditions.

At the same time, a the national survey in 2016, conducted by the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre in 2016 found 6,200 new patients being infected with HIV per year – or 17 persons per day – and that the majority of these were among the younger generation, especially men who have sex with men (MSM).

Speaking at the 21st Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine held last week at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Professor Emeritus Praphan Phanuphak, MD, the director of the Centre and director of HIV-NAT Thailand, stressed that active and coherent strategies are urgently needed to tackle the problem.

“Although the present situation seems better in terms of medical treatment, the fact that there are 6,200 new HIV-infected patients per year is not good because it has been around this figure for the past six years. We know we can make it zero. We need to look at other countries’ strategies, examine how they have handled the situations and then analyse and improve our policies. This should be done through a comprehensive review of the management of HIV infection and opportunistic infections in parallel with efforts to improve access to therapy as well as the latest updates on research into HIV treatments and vaccines. The United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids – UN-Aids aims to bring an end to the disease in 2030, meaning that the incidence will be changed from ‘epidemic’ to ‘endemic’ or individual infection.

“Another goal is to achieve a 90-per-cent reduction in new patients from the current global figure of two million annually. Ending Aids also refers to a reduction in deaths of the HIV-infected, as well as zero stigmatisation or discrimination, which is very hard,” he says.

“A study has followed 3,000  serodiscordant couples for over 3 years, one of whom is HIV infected,

taking anti-Aids drugs until no more virus was detected in their blood although infection still remains in the body, none of the HIV-negative couples has even be infected even consistent condom use is not the norm. The most promising result of the study is that it shows that none of the partners have become infected. This is known as the ‘U=U’ campaign.”

U=U is an informational campaign about how effective HIV medications can prevent sexual transmission of HIV. U=U means “Undetectable = Untransmit table”, indicating that if an HIV-positive person is on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) with a consistently undetectable HIV viral load, the HIV virus cannot be transmitted to a sex partner. As a prevention strategy, this is often referred to as Treatment as Prevention, or TasP. U=U and TasP are based on substantial scientific data. In fact, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said that people who take ART daily as prescribed and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.

“So there is no reason for social discrimination against HIV-infected individuals at the workplace or anywhere else. The bottleneck is getting those at risk to get a free blood test at least twice a year and for everyone else to get one at least once in a lifetime with their partner – assuming they have never had sex with anyone else. It can be an annual health checkup but most people are afraid others will hear about it. In some cases, even those who know they are infected refuse to take the medication because they are afraid that someone might see it and talk about it. Others may have poor adherence to the medication resuting in treatment failure with development of drug resistance,” the professor explains.

The ideal approach is known as the Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment (START). This global treatment has shown that HIV-infected individuals have a considerably lower risk of developing Aids if they start taking anti-retrovirals as early as possible thus reducing the risk of HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partners.

“The early treatment is definitely beneficial to the HIV-positive person. We have run campaigns with workshops and various activities for the past two years. Now we want to legalise the import of the HIV Home Kit selftest on the Thai market, so that individuals who might have recent exposure can get hands-on results in time to receive further medical treatment,” Dr Praphan adds.

In addition to the self-test, one of key successes in early treatment is access to the PEP medication within 72 hours. PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis and involves taking HIV medicines within 72 hours after possible exposure to HIV to prevent becoming infected. It should, however, only be used in emergency situations though it does away with the need to wait for two weeks to get the test results.

“It should be available as an emergency control measure. Hospitals in Bangkok should welcome patients and prescribe medicine even if the patients’ rights to access medical treatment – the gold card – specify another province. However, PEP is not intended to replace regular use of other HIV prevention methods, such as consistent use of condoms during sex or preexposure prophylaxis [PrEP],” he says.

“At our anonymous clinic, we do SameDayART [anti-retroviral therapy] to ensure patients get the medicine immediately. We also have a ‘navigator’ to help with patient consultations throughout the treatment. The SameDayART has proved very successful. Of some 1,000 HIV-infected patients, 80 per cent can start taking medicine on the same day and the rest within three days. We are expanding this method to other provinces, so that we don’t lose patients there,” he adds.

PrEP is another effective strategy to ending Aids and was explained to the symposium by Prof Andrew Grulich, Head of the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Programme at the Kirby Institute. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is considered an effective HIV prevention intervention and could be a potential game changer in the region.

In his presentation of the expanded PrEP Implementation in Communities in New South Wales study launched in March 2016, Grulich explained that the initial target of 3,700 high-risk men who have sex with men was reached in October 2016, with an average monthly recruitment of 499. More than 9,500 participants are currently in the trial, making it the largest PrEP trial globally.

The high-level, targeted and rapid rollout of PrEP in New South Wales has led to a 35-per-cent decline in statewide HIV diagnoses in MSM, and a 44-per-cent decline in early HIV infections in MSM, levels unprecedented since the beginning of the HIV epidemic. This was achieved less than one year after the target recruitment was reached. In a concentrated epidemic with high testing and treatment coverage, the PrEP scale up led to a rapid decline in HIV transmission at the population level.

“This study has given impressive results. As we move towards 2030, UN-Aid has introduced the ‘90-90-90’, an ambitious treatment target to help end the epidemic. This means that by 2020, 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all those with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained anti-

retroviral therapy, and 90 per cent of all people receiving anti-retroviral therapy will have viral suppression. In Thailand, the

first 90 has now reached 91 per cent, the second is 72 per cent and the third is 80 per cent. So, we can see where we need to solve the problems. By 2030, we aim 95-95-95,” Dr Praphan notes.

Many strategies will be needed to end the Aids epidemic and it will present an enormous challenge not only for the medical profession and policy makers, but also for the world of technology in getting to zero. In this context, work is already steaming ahead on an application by the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre that will draw at-risk and infected young people into the fold.

A panel of judges will then select the 10 best photos, which will be featured on billboards in select cities, Apple retail stores and online. The winners will be announced later next month.

The judges will include renowned photojournalists Pete Souza and Luisa Dorr as well as travel photographer Austin Mann.

Following a rigorous three-phase judging process, which includes an onsite evaluation, the winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at the 19th WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain from April 2 to 4.

All 15 finalists illustrate a strong commitment to supporting change, transformation in business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more environmentally conscious sector.

“This year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards shine the spotlight on those organisations which are leading the way in sustainable travel and tourism. They reflect WTTC’s Strategic Priorities of Climate Action, Destination Stewardship, Future of Work, and Social Responsibility. I am delighted that as we mark our 15th anniversary year, we are particularly highlighting initiatives that are combatting the illegal wildlife trade, in line with the WTTC Buenos Aires Declaration which was launched in April 2018,” said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC.

Awards Lead Judge, Prof Graham Miller at the University of Surrey added: “The shortlisted projects and businesses demonstrate community development, sustainable employment practices, female empowerment, innovative environmental technology and protection of land and marine wildlife as well as positively contributing to the broader Sustainable Development Goals. Their efforts in these areas are a beacon to the rest of the travel sector in signalling the way to a more sustainable world.”

The Climate Action Award will be given to organisations undertaking significant and measurable work to reduce the scale and impact of climate change. The three finalists are Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba, the Brando, Tetiaroa Private Island in Tahiti, and Tourism Holdings Limited in New Zealand.

The Investing in People Award will be presented to organisations demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive, and equitable employer in the sector. The finalists are Lemon Tree Hotels Limited in India, Reserva do Ibitipoca in Brazil, and Shanga by Elewana Collection in Tanzania.

The Destination Stewardship Award will honour organisations helping a place to thrive and bring forward its unique identity for the benefit of its residents and tourists. The finalists are Grupo Rio da Prata in Brazil, Masungi Georeserve in the Philippines, and St Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, St Kitts and Nevis.

The Social Impact Award will be given to organisations working to improve the people and places where they operate. The finalists are Awamaki in Peru, Intrepid Group in Australia and Nikoi Island in Indonesia.

The Changemakers Award will put a special spotlight on fighting the illegal wildlife trade through tourism, an issue that is also a focus of WTTC with its Buenos Aires Declaration on Illegal Wildlife Trade launched last year. The finalists are Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung (KPLB) in Indonesia, SEE Turtles in the US, and The Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia.

More details on the awards and the finalists can be found at http://wttc.org/T4TAwards

Miller is a regular at the San Francisco Punchline, The Stand in Scotland and The International in Dublin and is now chomping at the bit ready to do her storytelling, cabaret and standup comedy throughout the world to prove that her ageing has been amazing.

At 83, Lynn Ruth Miller is still going strong.

She started her comedy career at 71. She made it to Las Vegas in America’s Got Talent, 2008, won People’s Choice at the 2009 Branson Comedy Festival, the finals of Bill Word’s Funniest Female Contest 2009 and reached the semifinals in the SF International Comedy Competition, She has also appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” and won both nights of the Texas Burlesque Festival without taking off anything that matters.

She was the 2013 TO&ST winner of “Granny’s Gone Wild: at the Edinburgh Fringe. That show was performed at the Soho Theatre in London in March 2014. In August, she performed her fourth solo show “Not Dead Yet” a compilation of stories and songs about her life, directed by Sarah Louise Young with songs written by Young and Michael Roulston.

She will be supported by multi awardwinning Comedy Central comic Carlos Rodriguez.

Tickets are Bt600 in advance online at ComedyClubBangkok.com and The Royal Oak Pub, and Bt800 on the door.

With January almost done and dusted and time passing by at an alarming pace, it’s time to look to the months ahead and start planning a vacation.

Ideas and inspiration for that dream trip are going for free at the Thailand Tourism Festival 2019, which gets underway tomorrow at Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.

Thai Clay Art

Hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the festival is designed to encourage tourism in the country throughout the year and motivate Thais to discover more about the land of their birth.

“This festival has played a long and important role in encouraging domestic tourism since its days at Suan Amporn and now at Lumpini Park,” says TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

“We hold it at the beginning of the year so that people can start planning their trips early. This year’s event will, as usual, feature a variety of foods, products and performances from all regions of the country in order to promote, inspire and help motivate everyone to travel. More than 600,000 local and foreign visitors visited last year’s event, which generated Bt390 million of income.”

“This year, we have chosen to highlight the charms of Thailand by dividing the festival into nine zones,” adds Noppadon Pakprot, deputy governor for TAT’s domestic marketing.

A mascot of a “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” waste initiative that encourages visitors to use cloth totes rather than plastic bags.

“From the entrance in front of King Rama VI Monument, you will see landmarks of five regions featuring a woven Thai carp, a Bo Sang umbrella, tungs (northern flags) with a spider web, basketry and dyed papyrus, and a bird cage. The second zone is home to booths offering tour packages and special promotions. The third zone covers all five regions with five themes: the gastronomy of the Northeast (Isaan), the fabrics of the North and the legacy of the Central region with an emphasis on Thainess and workshops on Thai sweets. The East is represented by fun things to do in Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat, while the South is showcased with the sea of mist in Betong, the southernmost district of Yala. Ninety travel routes are also presented.

“At the “Loke Suay Duay Song Mue’ (“beautiful world with two hands”) zone, visitors will find ideas for green travel that we hope will motivate them to take care of natural resources. This includes a ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’ waste initiative that encourages visitors to use cloth totes rather than plastic bags. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration zone, meanwhile, offers food from Bangkok’s 50 districts and highlights seven areas that shouldn’t be missed such as Bang Lamphu, Yaowarat and Talad Noi.”

The official opening takes place at 5.30 on Thursday with a performance of royal khon, an all-male Lakhon Nok play, a “Manorah Ruang Saeng” dance, a modern take on the Phi Ta Khon festival and mini concerts by Neung Jakkrawal, Palmy, Yinglee, Jay Jetrin, Bao Wee, Non Thanon, Stamp Apiwat, Getsunova, Potato, Scrubb and Twopee.

The recent press conference provided a taste of what visitors can expect from the festival with plates of fruits and desserts and a selection of products from the five regions.

Mae Khai Thoon Klao in Chon Buri

Among those offering their wares was Sirikanya “Khai” Ngamchantathip, owner of Mae Khai Thoon Klao, a khao lam (glutinous rice roasted in bamboo joints) shop at Talad Nong Mon in Chon Buri.

“My khao lam is sweet, nutty and mild with good ingredients. It comes in a shorter bamboo tube, so that it’s easier to eat with a bamboo spoon and is topped with ginkgo, taro and beans. It can be a snack while taking a break from meetings,” she told The Nation.

Raet Mango in Chachoengsao

Also on offer was raet mango from Chachoengsao’s Bang Khla District.

“The raet mango in Bang Khla District is sweet-and-sour and also mellow, different from other mangoes, and wonderfully fragrant. The soil in Bang Khla is full of minerals and irrigated by the Bang Pakong River with a mixture of freshwater and brackish water. This gives our mangoes an amazing taste. Bang Khla is full of fruit orchards. Unripe Chokanan Mango isn’t popular because of its hard texture, so it is preserved in syrup as mamuang chae im. It’s only made in Bang Khla and guaranteed as one tambon one product,” says Khwanruan.

Lookchin Jae Nok Kog in Buriram

Ratchanok Maneewan was on hand to feed the media with her delicious grilled meatball skewers. Her stall, Lookchin Jae Nok Kog at Buriram Railway Station, is one of 12 selling the meaty snack for people to eat while standing

“The phenomenon of eating grilled sweet-and-sour meatball skewers while standing started more than 30 years when a vendor called Jae Nok made it popular. These days, a lot more people have got into the business. I can earn Bt7,000 to Bt8,000 on weekdays and Bt10,000 on the weekends. The meatballs are similar but the spicy sauce is different. My sauce is sweet and sour and a little spicy suitable for customers from all walks of life,” Ratchanok says.

Bhutesavara in Samut Songkram

Bhutesavara from Samut Songkhram, meanwhile, presented its khon masks made the traditional way.

“We aim to preserve and promote traditional Thai art by sticking to the original way and technique of making khon masks and the materials used. Modern masks are made of resin but we still use paper. Again, these days, the decoration is done on a mould but we do ours on paper on each individual mask. And while more than 100 resin khon masks can be moulded every day, we can manage only seven pieces, as the work is hand done meticulous. In the past, the mask was made of straw paper, but these days we use mulberry paper, which has a finer texture,” says Suchart Moradok.

Baan Khok Phayom in Narathiwat

Baan Khok Phayom, one of six basketry krajood groups in Narathiwat, is all ready to show its delicate crafts at the festival.

“The craft of basket-making has been passed down through the generations. I’ve been making basketry products since the early 2000s. The differences between each of the villages can be found in the colours and patterns. Customers are interested in baskets and bags. We also make them to order,” says Jesoh Wae-U.

Yano in Chiang Mai

Yano from Chiang Mai is displaying its handmade textile products made with sustainable materials.

“Yano’s slogan is ‘addicted to happiness’ and inspires people in these communities to focus on happiness. Most of them are unemployed so it offers an opportunity to generate some income. Our project started with 10 people in Tha Kwang sub-district of Saraphi district before expanding to several other communities. I thought hard about how happiness and management could be sustainable. I studied sustainability from international sources and our late King’s sufficiency economy philosophy. Our product is environmentally friendly and most of our products such as clothes and souvenirs are made of cotton. We have developed our designs and marketing over the last 14 years with happiness as our central focal point,” says Nakarin Yano.

Ice Cream Arom Dee in Kalasin

Hungry for heritage

– The Thailand Tourism Festival 2019 runs from tomorrow through Sunday at Lumpini Park.

– Find out more by calling the TAT Contact Centre at 1672 or visit http://www.TourismThailand.org.

WHEN SHE was growing up, Amara (surname withheld), a Myanmar Muslim woman born in Tak’s Mae Sot District, never thought she could have a proper career and earn a living until fate dictated otherwise and she was able to attend a United Nations agency’s vocational training programme.

Amara lives in Thailand but has no legal status or documentation. Three years ago she landed a job at a Bangkok department store using an ID card belonging to someone else. After her husband left her, she returned to her parents’ home in a Muslim community in the Thai-Myanmar border district.

She recently finished a three-day training course in basic sewing and now knows exactly what she wants to do.

Aye [real name withheld] would like the agencies to help find her retailers or distributors.

“Now I want to save money to buy a sewing machine so I can stitch as many longyi [a sheet of cloth similar to a sarong widely worn in Myanmar] as I can. I want to study fashion design and become a fashion designer,” says the 23-year-old.

She adds that she is very grateful for the training, which has helped her look for work. Without it, she explains, she would have to pay around Bt300-Bt350 simply to learn.

“And sometimes they won’t teach me until I know how to sew,” she continues, her eyes brimming with tears.

Amara is just one of thousands of Muslim Myanmar women who were born in or have settled in Thailand but who have failed to get the legal status and documents that would make it possible to work.

The training scheme she attended is part of the Promoting Gender and Anti-Trafficking in Migration project, a joint programme of UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC] to prevent and mitigate the impacts of trafficking and transnational crime through women’s empowerment in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region and to build the capacity of law enforcement to address vulnerable populations. The programme is supported by the governments of Japan and Canada.

Canada’s ambassador to Thailand Donica Pottie, second right, Julien Garsany, deputy regional director of UNODC, third right, and the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy to Thailand Mami Ueno, fourth right, during their recent discussion with women in the Muslim community.

The project, which was launched in 2018, works in border communities like Mae Sot to provide assistance to survivors of trafficking and to train those at risk in a range of areas including job skills development and to raise their awareness on the differences between safe and unsafe migration.

Situated approximately 7km from the border with Myanmar, Mae Sot is one of the transit and destination hubs for migrants from Myanmar seeking economic opportunities.

Some 6,000 Myanmar Muslims, half of whom are women, have lived in the Muslim community for more than three generations. Ninety per cent of them are stateless, neither recognised by the Myanmar government nor the Thai government, according to UN Women. Most are irregular migrants working in low-skilled jobs, driven to leave their homes because of poverty and indebtedness.

Anna-Karin Jatfors, acting regional director of UN Women for Asia and the Pacific looks at two Myanmar Muslim women making clothes.

“When people are without legal status, they are easily taken advantage of by their employers. They tend to accept lower wages, and they are scared of reporting any abuses to local authorities,” says Ampika Saibouyai, director of Rights Beyond Borders, an NGO operating in Mae Sot and UN Women’s partner.

For this reason, they are always looking for a better job opportunity and this is what makes the traffickers’ offers so appealing, she continues.

“Women and girls are at even greater risk due to the growing sex industry in the area,” she adds.

The vocational training is held at the Muslim community centre where groups of women take turns to study sewing skills and learn about the difference between safe and unsafe migration.

Having a skill, Ampika explains, helps prevent them from becoming potential victims of trafficking and other forms of exploitation while also improving their living conditions. “They will be able to work at a garment factory or run a small sewing shop from home,” Ampika says.

For example, before attending the training, the average wage is between Bt80 and Bt100 per day. After the training that can increase to Bt200 per day, according to Ampika.

Ampika, who has worked with the community for seven years, says little to no progress has been made in the living conditions of Myanmar migrants in the community because the Thai government thinks they might be linked to the Rohingya people and therefore has done nothing to help them.

Last week, Canadian Ambassador to Thailand Donica Pottie and the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Thailand Mami Ueno, as well as representatives from the UN Women and UNODC visited the community to witness the training.

Like other modern females, these Muslim women want to stand on their own two feet and earn a living but they face difficulties in looking for work and a lack of awareness makes community members particularly vulnerable. Their biggest concern is living without legal status and the resulting unfair treatment they inevitably suffer.

Mya [real name withheld], 66, says she wants to get a job and earn more money to support her family but her lack of legal documents makes that impossible.

“We also face another restriction; even if we get a work permit we can only do one job with one employer,” says Mya, who moved from Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar to Mae Sot 22 years ago.

“That’s not enough to feed my family. I cannot help them have a better life,” she says, the despair obvious in her voice.

Aye [real name withheld] would like the agencies to help find her retailers or distributors so that she can sell her products and generate enough money to help her husband raise their family of six.

Her husband is a worker in the district and earns Bt250 a day, which she says is not enough.

“I now have the skills [to sew clothes] but I cannot make money using those skills. I don’t know how or where I can sell them,” says the 39-year-old, who has lived in the community since she was nine.

Their stories and their plight touched the visitors.

“The women we met today have real courage. They know what the issues are and where they want to be,” Ambassador Pottie tells The Nation. “I believe that women who come together can make a difference for themselves and their families,” she adds.

The ambassador hopes that they will continue to work together, saying that she believes the project makes them all stronger and that with UN Women and funding support from donors, they can achieve tangible results.

However, she is quick to acknowledge that the main stumbling block remains their lack of status and thus rights and cautions that a quick result is not in sight.

“We just have to continue to try to look for solutions and to find ways to encourage and support the efforts of the government of Thailand to help regularise their situation,” she says.

Noting that Thailand is faced with an ageing workforce and will therefore be increasingly reliant on migrant labour, she points out that these small groups, most of whom have lived in Thailand for decades, could well provide the answer.

“Some of Thailand’s interests and these women’s interests are the same. They want work, Thailand needs workers. But we’ll have to wait and see,” Pottie says.

Anna-Karin Jatfors, acting regional director of UN Women for Asia and the Pacific, says that the community is a good example for women empowerment.

“When women have skills, when they have knowledge, they have ways to earn a living. They also feel more confident and they can empower women within their communities,” she tells The Nation, noting that the training is particularly useful in helping younger women find work and increase their incomes.

“So, for me, it is quite heartening to see that this is not just training for now, but it really strengthens young people to improve their lives. Ultimately this is what the project is all about,” she explains.

However, Jatfors points out that empowerment is not an overnight process but is something that happens over years.

“I hope we will be able to continue this support to these types of community organisations for the longer term,” she says.

CALM, LUXURIOUS and enduringly elegant, Thomas Pheasant’s interior designs for American furniture maker Baker’s latest collection are testament to his philosophy of simple serenity.

For 38 years, 16 of them spent collaborating with Baker, the Washington-based interior designer has balanced comfort and aesthetics with his love for design innovations. For example, the exposed wood of his case goods is executed in a palette of brass, glass, and solid dark-stained mahogany with either a high sheen finish known as Luxe, or a new lower sheen finish called Caviar, which is characterised by soft gold rubbed into the open pores of the wood’s grain.

Thomas Pheasant

The supports are finely tailored, the legs held together with artful brass dowels. The faceted geometry of the Diamond sofa series is carefully placed to add luxury to any space.

Known as the master of the neutral palette, Pheasant focuses on bringing a contemporary dimension to classic design principles, bridging past and present with attractive silhouettes and distinctive fabrics. In 2005, he was honoured by Architectural Digest US with the distinction “Dean of American Design”.

In high demand throughout the US, Europe and Asia, his recent projects include the redesign of Blair House, the US President’s guest house on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, and apartments in Washington, New York, Paris, and Moscow.

In Thailand, his entire collection for Baker is available through Chanintr Living. Pheasant flew into Bangkok late last year to introduce the 50 stylish pieces and found time to chat with The Nation Weekend.

“This is my fifth collection for Baker. They are a delight to work for as they have extraordinarily accomplished technical staff and devoted craftsmen. I began my first collection in 2002, and over the past 16 years each capsule has started to evolve in my mind as soon as the last has been presented. That’s a luxury most designers don’t have,” he says.

“What I’m proud of as the designer is the growth I can witness. As a designer in the creative world, you need to have the sense of growth for longevity, an accomplishment that personally keeps you going. Each piece has its own story and I find that exciting.”

Asked about his personal signature of simplicity and serenity, he explains: “Early in my career I found it was challenging to strip away what is unnecessary and try to create beautiful and fulfilling spaces. I never gave this approach a name even though it attracted a diverse clientele from all over the world. Interestingly, when I was asked to put together a book of my designs, my first  thought was to centre it on my classical foundation coming from Washington DC and growing up. But as I talked to my friends and my customers, I kept hearing the words ‘simple’ and ‘serene’ and changed my focus. In the end we called the book ‘Simply Serene’ and concentrated on how you create that human connection with interiors.”

He is reluctant to define American design, saying: “We are young compared to the rest of the world, but we are also a melting pot. That gives us freedom to create as we don’t have rules or even traditions. I spend a lot of time in France and Asia and am always fascinated by how young designers interpret their heritage in new ways. In the US, we like to break the rules and that’s good too.

“I was just in Beijing and have also visited temples here in Thailand. To me, this is visual overload; there is so much decoration and I wonder how all of these stimulations are going to be absorbed.

“Creating a signature design is hard. I tell young architectural and design students that they must think about how they want to express themselves and how they are going to build on that over time,” he explains.

His inspirations for the new Baker collection, he continues, were modern American painters and sculptors like Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra and Tony Smith, whose minimalist works demonstrate refinement and sophistication.

“With simplicity you can’t hide. It is either yes or no.

“My signature is all about form. When I start the project, it is not about adding but taking away so as to create something. For example, the chair must have a comfortable feel but the least bulk. For the sofa, typically you would have the long continuous line on the back but this dimension is very subtle, the height increases and decreases, the legs taper from the front to the back like they are constantly taking the mass away.”

Pheasant also advises would-be interior designers to remember that any successful business requires both creativity and down-to-earth common sense.

“They require different brains,” he says. “As the creative person, the more you invest in that, the more fruitful, joyous and fulfilling the experience. I always get a kick out of talking to new clients and envisioning the rooms I will be working on. Then, of course, the practical realities come into play. We all accumulate things so we need to create storage, we need to take account of the kids and the pets. Certainly, it’s beautiful to have a vase with flowers on the table but you must always remember that you are building a space for people to live in, not just for photographs.

“Designers of residential interiors in particular have to be good listener to see and understand not just the space but the people. And that’s what’s so fascinating about our job.”

Fitted with an Ergolift hinge that tilts the keyboard at a gentle 5.5-degree angle and helping to reduce discomfort during extended typing sessions, the new Asus ZenBook S (UX391) is a sleek and powerful 13-inch Ultrabook computer that weighs next to nothing and has a long battery life.

New to the ZenBook line, the ErgoLift hinge also helps keep the ZenBook S cool to the touch by creating additional space between the laptop and the surface below. The ZenBook S takes in cool air through this extra space and expels warm air via the hinge area.

And the ErgoLift hinge helps to deliver a premium and immersive audio experience with cleaner sound and improved bass response thanks to the angled bottom-firing speakers.

On the design side, the ZenBook S is really attractive with an all-metal unibody construction in Deep Dive Blue or Rose Gold. And the lid is adorned with Asus’ classic concentric circle pattern that apparently requires more than 40 different steps to produce.

The UX391 is just 12.9mm thick and weighs one kilogram making it highly portable. Adding to its portability is its long battery life of 13.5 hours.

Despite its thinness, the UX391 is tough. It’s been designed to pass MIL-STD 810G tests for drops, temperature, humidity, and altitude.

And it’s powerful too, using an 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550 processor and equipped with fast 8 gigabytes 2133 MHz DDR3 of working memory. It also uses fast 512 gigabytes PCie 3.0 SSD storage and runs on Windows 10 Home edition.

The ZenBook S comes with fast dual-band 2x 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection for Internet browsing and video streaming.

And for maximum sustained performance, the ZenBook S uses an updated cooling system that uses an innovative liquid-crystal-polymer fan impeller with 71 blades — an increase of 40 per cent over previous designs — housed in an advanced 3D-curved aerodynamic shroud that can move 13.4 per cent more air than before. With this cooling system, the ZenBook S runs up to 5 degrees C cooler than previous ZenBook models.

During the test, I found the UX391 ran business applications like Microsoft Office fast. Web pages and video clips were fast and smooth too and the notebook started up and shut down instantly.

Its 13.3-inch LED-backlit display has 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The NanoEdge display has a 5.9mm-thin bezel with 85-per cent screen-to-body ratio, which is great for watching videos and viewing photos and also comes with Asus Eye Care technology that reduces blue light by up to 30 per cent, You can choose Eye Care mode, Normal mode or Vivid mode when using the display.

The ZenBook S is good for watching videos because it features an advanced video tuning system called Asus Tru2Life Video Technology that works like those found in high–end TVs. Asus Tru2Life Video enhances clarity, colour, and contrast in video and also intercepts image and video signals being sent to the panel, analysing every single pixel in every frame to optimise its brightness, contrast, colour and sharpness, before sending the frames for display. This results in colourful, vivid, sharper videos with as much as 150-per-cent improvement in contrast.

And the ZenBook S has a good sound system aided by Harmon Kardon’s sophisticated signal-processing that makes adaptive adjustments to improve clarity and filter out noise. The two bottom firing speakers are angled thanks to the ErgoLift hinge design and bounce sound off the surface to fill the room with rich and clear sound.

The ZenBook S offers a total of 3 USB Type-C ports, two of which are Thunderbolt 3 enabled and all of which support fast-charging and display output. Thunderbolt 3 is the fastest data transfer format available to computing devices with maximum speed of 40Gbps. The two Thunderbolt 3 ports allow the UX391 to support video output to two ultra-high resolution 4K displays for a total of three simultaneous displays.

Apart from a long life, the ZenBook S’s battery also supports fast charging, allowing it to recharge 60 per cent of its battery in 49 minutes.

Asus ZenBook S (UX391) has a suggested retail price of Bt49,990.

>> OS: Windows 10 Home

>> CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U processor

>> Memory: 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard

>> Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD

>> Graphics: Intel UHD 620

>> Display: 13.3-inch LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 anti-glare non-touch display

>> Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2

>> I/O ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (Thunderbolt 3), 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, 1 x Audio combo jack

>> Audio: High-quality stereo speakers (with smart amplifier), Harman Kardon-certified ASUS SonicMaster Premium audio system

>> Battery: 50Wh |lithium-polymer

>> Dimensions: 311 x 213 x 12.9mm

>> Weight: Approx. 1kg

A PAIR OF Bluetooth headphones with rich sounds and long battery life and a clever design that lets you switch between over-ear and on-ear types, the Master & Dynamic MW50+ is one of two models of headphones from the New York-based firm distributed here by RTB Technology. The other is the MW07 and I’ll be reviewing it at a later date.

The MW50+ comes in a stylish and luxury design with attention to every detail starting with the premium grade materials and including Master & Dynamic’s signature rich, warm sounds.

The MW50+ has a clever design that lets you easily change between on-ear and over-ear thanks to two sets of magnetic ear pads.

The phones come with the on-ear ear pads. You simply pull out the on-ear pads that magnetically attach to the ear cups and attach the over-ear ear pads. You can choose on-ear ear pads for rich, detailed and expansive sound on-the-go or opt for the over ears for full sound isolation for focus, productivity and relaxation.

The MW50+ looks luxurious with a premium grain leather headband and lambskin interior. The two sets of interchangeable memory foam ear pads are also covered with lambskin for a truly premium look.

The headphones’ parts are made of forged aluminium components and the MW50+ uses a stainless steel adjustment arm with aluminium headband connector to improve the Bluetooth signal.

The phones are light and comfortable to wear. With the on-ear ear pads, they come in at just 205 grams and go up to 239g for the over ears. During my test, I could wear the headphones for hours without discomfort.

I also very much enjoyed the sound quality with rich and clear mids and highs and solid bass that wasn’t too bloated.

The MW50+ uses high-performance 40mm beryllium drivers and it has a frequency response of 5-30,000 Hz and 32 ohms of impedance.

The headphones use Bluetooth 4.1 and aptX streaming protocol. The package comes with a 3.5mm audio cable to use the MW50+ as wired headphones.

The MW50+ has a USB-C port for charging its battery that can last up to 16 hours after one full charge.

I tested the MW50+ by linking it to my Sony Xperia XZ Premium and the headphones reproduced good quality music sounds with music instrument clarity, beautiful vocals and, good, solid bass. For example, I could hear the percussion and guitar sounds on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” while the bass guitar and drums sounded solid.

During the test, I enjoyed streaming rock music from Jook and Spotify apps to the headphones. The music quality was also good when I used the provided audio cable.

Pairing the headphones to my smartphone was a breeze. I turned the headphone on by sliding the switch on the left ear cup from the lower to the middle position. To pair with my phone, I slid the switch to the Bluetooth position on the top and held it for two seconds to enter the pairing mode. To turn off the headphones, you simply slide the switch to the bottom position from the middle position.

When the headphones are turned on, the MW50+ will automatically search for the previously connected devices. If no connection is made after two minutes, the headphone will enter deep-sleep mode.

There are three controlling buttons on the right ear cup. The top and bottom buttons are used for increasing and decreasing volume. The middle button is called Multi Function Button (MFB) and is used for playing and pausing music. The volume buttons are also used for skipping to the next and returning to the previous tracks.

The MFB button is the one to press when answering a call and hanging up a line.

The phones are available in two versions. The normal version is available in brown/silver, black/silver and black/black for Bt15,900 and the special edition to commemorate the late Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday is available in black/gold for Bt17,900.

Both versions are available at Munkong Gadget, Studio 7 by Com7, iStudio by CPW, DotLife, Sound Proof, Lazada, Shopee and Mercular.

>> Ear coupling: |On-ear/Over-ear

>> Drivers: 40mm Beryllium Diaphragm

>> Impedance: 32 ohms

>> Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1, aptX codec

>> Microphone type: Dual omni-directional microphone array

>> Cables: Detachable 1.25m standard cable; USB-C charging / updating cord

>> Headphone connection: 3.5mm Passive Audio input / USB-C charging / firmware update input

>> Dimensions: 19cm H x 15.5cm W x 3.4cm T (On-Ear); 20cm H x 16.5cm W x 4cm T (Over-Ear)

>> Weight: 205g (On-Ear), 239g (Over-Ear)

>> In the box: MW50+, on-ear pads, over-ear pads, leather ear pad case, canvas headphone pouch, USB-C charging cable, 1.2m standard 3.5mm cable