Available only at its boutique at the EmQuartier, the PS1 tote is inspired by traditional school satchel, integrated with luxury and active vibes and is a favourite with such celebrities as Dakota Fanning, Jessica Alba, Gigi Hadid and Kirsten Dunst.

Clothes that roar

“Rare Stripes”, dubbed a “Collection with a Purpose”, is the latest collaborative effort in support of the global wild tiger conservation campaign led by French luxury fashion house Kenzo, Tiger Beer (Thailand) and WWF. The limited-edition campaign, which was inspired by a trip to Cambodia by Kenzo co-creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim and four Asian artists, is made using Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) compliant organic cotton and comprises 16 items, which will soon be available for purchase online. In addition, each piece of clothing will have a QR Code. When scanned, the reader can access stories and learn more about wild tigers. Tiger Beer Thailand is also introducing a Scarf Collection, designed in three Thai tiger patterns by three Buppha, Khaojee, and Veeraphong available from today until August 31 for Bt300 at http://bit.ly/tigerxwwf. Additional information is available at facebook.com/TigerbeerTH. All proceeds from the sale of scarves will go to the “Home for Tigers” project in Khao Yai mountain while funds from the sale of the limited-edition collection go to WWF.

The buzz on daisies

Burt’s Bees, a leading natural skincare brand introduces its brightening collection using sustainably collected extract of wild white Daisy blossoms, a natural skin brightening agent. This Skin Perfecting Serum is clinically shown to even skin tone and diminish the appearance of dark spots and discoloration, leaving a luminous glow.

INSPIRED by Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s much-loved poetic tale, Montblanc, the German maker of luxury writing instruments, recently celebrated the launch of the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince Special Edition pen.

With design elements based on Saint-Exupery’s hand-drawn illustrations, the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince Special Edition evokes the themes of one of the world’s most translated novels –a story about the power of imagination, friendship and the transmission of ideas.

“Who doesn’t know about the Little Prince? This beautiful story about companionship, friendship, and love is available in 250 languages. We show our pride in the storytelling through what we do best, which is the writing instrument,” says Matthieu Dupont, Montblanc’s president South East Asia

“The pens are handmade and features a lot of exquisite details such as the engraving, the fox, and the Little Prince’s quote ‘To me you are unique in the world’ on the cap.”

On the market since April, the pen was officially launched recently in Bangkok at the brand’s revamped boutique in Siam Paragon. The first series of the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince edition features the inspiring and tender characters of the young prince and the fox who enlightens him about the importance of close bonds and human relationships, revealing the core wisdom learned from his own life’s experiences. Subsequent editions, which are due on the market in the next three years, will highlight other characters from the book and the powerful messages they carry.

In a first for Montblanc, the cap and barrel of the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince Special Edition are made of night-blue resin evoking the deep blue sky of the universe around the prince. The milled cap is decorated with a fox face pattern, with platinum-coated fittings contrasting with the deep blue of the writing instrument. Before travelling back to his asteroid, the little prince tells the pilot he will be able to hear his laugh any time simply by looking at the stars and remembering. As a reminder of the laughter in the stars, a golden star adorns the clip of this edition.

The delicate character of Le Petit Prince is immortalised along with his friend the fox on the handcrafted 14K rhodium-plated nib. the sentence from the original novel has been laser engraved into the crown of the writing instrument, which is available as a Fountain Pen, Roller Ball and Ballpoint Pen.

The Classique Edition, meanwhile, pairs the deep blue of the lacquer barrel with the luminosity of a platinum-coated cap elegantly decorated with engravings of the fox pattern. The shiny surface of the platinum is repeated on the metal cone, cap and the pen clip adorned with the yellow star. Collectors can |choose between a Ballpoint Pen, a Roller Ball and a Fountain Pen with an 18K bi-colour nib embellished with the outline of the Little Prince and the fox.

The fox pattern covers both the cap and barrel of the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince Solitaire, engraved on the deep blue lacquer. Contrasting with the blue, the fittings are crafted from platinum-coated metal.

“Traditionally the Meisterstuck collection is in black so we were being adventurous in selecting a dark blue to represent the night sky. The challenge was to get the right blue,” Dupont adds.

“Writing is our DNA and we have been guided by the pioneering spirit since 1906. When you step in the boutique, you can see how much we have evolved into a brand that manufactures different types of luxury lifestyle products. Our products are crafted to the highest standards thanks to the skills of our artisans in Hamburg for our writing instruments, the Swiss Jura in Le Locle and Villeret for our timepieces and Florence for our leather goods.”

“The writing instrument category is still growing. More people still want to write and I don’t think technology will ever truly replace this. And, in any case, one does not prevent the other,” he stresses.

“We take what is good and sophisticated and inject innovations such as the new method of treatment given to, for example, the Montblanc Ultra-black or a modern design that uses a magnet to immediately position the cap and pen,” he says.

To extend the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince writing experience, Montblanc has created special ink and refills inspired by the fox character in a dark orange colour reminiscent of the fox’s fur. A leather notebook completes the writing experience, bound in fine Saffiano leather featuring a fox print on its cover inspired by the author’s illustrations.

The story of Le Petit Prince has also inspired a selection of Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince men’s accessories including a pair of round stainless steel cufflinks in deep blue lacquer with a fox face design, a stainless steel and blue lacquer money clip, and a contemporary men’s woven leather bracelet with a stainless steel clasp decorated with a yellow star.

SOME 15 years ago, Koh Libong off the Trang coast in Thailand’s southwest, was often unable to accommodate even the relatively small number of tourists that visited. Fortunately for them, the local residents were generous enough to offer their own homes for them to bed down.

And so what began as lending a helping hand evolved into the Libong Island Tourism Homestay group. Prachum Charoenrit, then a member of Koh Libong’s Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, remembers the early days well.

Back then, the island had a single resort with a capacity for 60 people and a regulation that banned construction on land without title deeds, explains Prachum, who is today the village head of Moo 4, Ban Batu Pute.

“It was fairly chaotic during the high season. We let visitors stay at our houses and eat with us,” the 42-year-old village head says with a smile, adding that after discussion, the villagers decided to form a homestay group.

    A bungalow belonging to Libong Island Tourism Homestay group.

Last year, the Libong homestay passed an evaluation by Ministry of Tourism and Sports with flying colours and was certified as an official Thai Homestay.

These days, it offers 15 choices of accommodation for a total of 40 people. Tourists can choose to stay in one of five houses along with the residents or opt for the 10 small bungalows overlooking a calm bay.

Currently the group has around 30 members and they share both services and income.

For example, tourists eat breakfast at other local shops or at restaurants belonging to member restaurants, Prachum explains. When they want to travel by boat, they rent these from boat owners who are also group members.

Koh Libong in Kantang district is the largest island in Trang Sea and can be reached only by a 30-minute ride in a long-tail boat from Hat Yao Pier.

The island is home to a Muslim community of some 4,000 souls who earn their living from fishing and growing rubber trees. Thanks to promotion of community-based tourism by the Trang office of Tourism Authority of Thailand, they are also able to generate income from visitors.

Linda Tonwicha, 33, who used to work in the front office at a resort, saw a good business opportunity two years ago and decided to start her own business Linda Travel @KohLibong. It’s the only one-stop service travel agency in the island.

Just as the homestays do with breakfast, she shares the benefits, allocates some travel services such

as motorbike rental and boat rental to other locals.

When Libong villager Jasoa Rhonrung, 43, finishes her routine rubber tapping, she can be found at the pier ready to give tourists a motorbike ride around the island. Although the extra income is unreliable, she can earn Bt500 to Bt800 for each ride depending on the time and distance.

Jasoa Rhonrung

Dubbed the city of dugongs, Koh Libong is the only place in Thailand where you will have a chance to spot these endangered marine animals and, if you’re really lucky, get to swim with one.

There are 250 dugongs in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea and 210 of these live around Libong, says Prachum, explaining that the waters around the island are still rich in sea grass, their main food source.

The best and more environmentally friendly way to enjoy the mammals is to climb up the 150m Batu Pute Hill and watch the creatures from above,

You can also take a long-tail boat ride in the hope that these cute marine beasts will surface though the vessel will need to cut its engine and anchor. Another possibility is to climb up to the five-storey watching tower at the end of Leekpai Bridge, but be warned, it’s currently under renovation.

From Libong, tourists can travel to nearby islands but only during November to May. Using Libong as a base, visitors can take boat trips to Koh Muk, Koh Ngai and Koh Kradan in the northwest islands, and Koh Sukorn and Koh Laolieng to the southeast.

While Libong is a good example of community-based tourism, Ban Na Muen Sri is a role model in terms of conservation of indigenous knowledge.

Located in Na Muen Sri subdistrict in Na Yong district, Ban Na Muen Sri is famous for its local hand-woven fabric.

Na Muen Sri textiles have a unique structure, extraordinary patterns and specific colour pairing (always red and yellow), and are made by special smaller sized looms called gi that produce a finer detailed fabric, The fabrics are also a One Tambon One Product (Otop) of Trang.

A weaver at Na Muen Sri Community Enterprise works at the loom.

The art of weaving at Tambon Na Muen Sri has been passed down for more than two centuries, says Arob Rueangsung, president of Na Muen Sri Community Enterprise, who two decades ago researched the origins of the long-forgotten woven cloth patterns.

The Na Muen Sri textile dates back to reign of King Rama VI. Back then, Na Muen Sri textile was very popular among nobles. The textiles were made by a group of Na Muen Sri women, who kept their looms and accessories in their basements.

When they were not caring for their rice fields, these women wove for household use and distributed some textile to friends and relatives. Their skills helped generate income but the activity was suspended during World War II due to a shortage of material.

In 1971, four women decided to repair their looms and began weaving again. When Kusol Ninla-or, a daughter of one of those women, saw what her mother was doing, she joined in.

In 1973, Kusol established Na Muen Sri Weaving Group to preserve this folk wisdom and bring back the traditional woven cloth for the younger generation and for sale. It then spread out to nearby villages and became famous. In 2005, the group was developed into a community enterprise.

Grandma Kusol was a kru, or master of Na Muen Sri weaving and the creator of the Luk Kaew pattern, a unique weave in yellow and red. She passed away last year.

Initially, the group had only eight members but today that has increased to 139 in an age range of 18 to 50.

“They are still working full time as rubber tappers but when the rubber price is low, weaving earns them additional income,” says Arob.

Run as a family business, the group generates annual revenue of some Bt8 million. Expenses come to Bt100,000 per year, including salaries and free meals.

To date, the group has created 50 new patterns on top of the 32 traditional ones. They also turn the fabric into ready-to-wear attire, bags, umbrellas, headband and hats.

Arob, a fifth generation weaver, says it was hard for her textile to compete with those produced in north and northeast of Thailand in terms of price, so she introduced attractions that would draw tourists to her community.

She started in 2009 by offering handicraft lessons and homestays for tourists and later expanded to include community-based and cultural tourism.

Koh Libong mosque

Visitors can watch the weavers hard at work at the centre next to the showroom then pop up to the second-floor Na Muen Sri Heritage Museum to admire more than 100 traditional fabrics donated by village elders and weaving tools.

“Tourism plays a vital role in helping our community and products to become well-known,” says the 59-year-old president, who also plays a major role in preserving the cultural heritage.

Later this year, they will organise tram tours with guides around the subdistrict allowing visitors to see the villagers’ way of life and take in hot spots like Tham Khao Chang Hai, a limestone cave about 4km from the village. Next year, more homestays will be offered.

Arob adds that she is working on elevating the enterprise to a company to satisfy tax and other regulations while also expanding the business. “It will help us strengthen the community as well,” she says.

For now, Arob and her group will continue to train the young generation in the old weaving ways and tell them the stories of the textile and their ancestors so they will take up the mantle and pass it down to their children in turn.

IF YOU GO

>> Koh Libong is 30 minutes by long-tail boat from Hat Yao Pier. Check out Libong Island Tourism Homestay at (086) 943 7669 or (094) 315 5445 or visit http://www.HomestayThai.net

>> Na Muen Sri Woven Cloth Community Enterprise is open daily from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Call (075) 583 524 or visit Facebook.com/trangnameunsri.

Fortunately, the on-demand economy offers those who prefer a flexible schedule to fit their work to their lifestyles, thus manage their duties as an employee and a mother however they want.

On the surface, Naruemol “Pang” Winchakunkul may seem like a regular foodpanda rider. But at a closer look, this 33-year-old plays another important role. She is the mother of a 16-year-old boy, Nong Lip. Pang says raising a teenager alone is not an easy task, but her son’s future encourages her to work hard and live life to the fullest every single day.

Now going into her fourth year as a foodpanda rider, Pang says that the job allows her to earn enough money to raise her son and to cover some personal loans. This is all possible thanks to foodpanda’s flexible working hours that fit with her roles as a mother. Delivering food by motorbike is not a simple task – the work itself is stressful and requires many responsibilities and obstacles. This includes checking the order, the condition of the food package and so on. When it rains and the roads are slippery, she tends to drive slower than usual which results in negative reviews from customers. Some of them have even splashed water on her face.

“As a rider, I want to deliver food to the hands of the customer in the best condition possible, so that they would be happy with our service,” Pang says.

Not having completed high school, she has always had to rely on jobs with limited skills to earn her money. With a helping hand from her sister, she chose to work 6 days a week and uses the rest of the week to spend her time with her son who is now studying in Hotel Management in a technical school in Bangkok. Pang said she wants to give total support to her son’s education, which is her priority.

“I didn’t have good education when I was young and I know how difficult life is without it. That is why I want to support my son fully in whichever career path he is pursuing,” Pang explains.

Thatsaniya “Ya” Saemasae, a Thai-Malay who is currently residing in Bangkok started working with foodpanda two months ago. Ya is pleased with how the company allows her to be flexible with the schedule. As an active individual, she chooses to work every day from 8.30am to 12.30pm and 3.30pm to 8.45pm. She sends an allowance on a monthly basis to her 11-year-old son, Sawan, who now lives in Yala with her mother, and manages to have some savings left for herself.

“As a delivery person, you give more than just food to the customers. A couple of weeks ago I delivered one order to the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok and I spoke to them in Malay. They were very surprised that foodpanda hires such a diverse group of employees. Aside from food, we act as an ambassador that creates a positive image for the company,” Ya says.

Ya plans to move her son to Bangkok to be closer to her. She knows that big cities have a higher cost of living, and plans to get some part-time jobs in the future to support herself further. “I am looking for jobs that allow me to apply online. It’s more convenient and enables me to adjust the job around my lifestyle and routine.”

In such a competitive world, many people are now struggling to earn a living to support their children. But as on-demand economies revolutionise society, it allows single parents to adjust their schedule however they want. Just like Pang and Ya, their duties go beyond food delivery and into bringing happiness to the customers via food. Not only that, but they create a bright future for someone waiting at home.

To thank all mums, Foodpanda is continuing to celebrate Mother’s day until Sunday (August 19), foodpanda customers can order “Mom & Me Combo set” from Pizza Hut with 50-per-cent off the price and no delivery fee! Just order from foodpanda application or website Foodpanda.co.th and you receive two medium-sized pizzas, Cheesy Pops and Garlic Bread for only Bt359.

Men trying to become a father the old-fashioned way are better off wearing loose underwear, according to a study published last week.

Compared to men who favour snug-fitting briefs, devotees of boxer shorts had a significantly higher count and concentration of sperm, researchers reported in the journal Human Reproduction.

The sperm were also more lively, and levels of a reproductive hormone were more favourable to generating offspring.

Researchers led by Lidia Minguez-Alarcon of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston examined 656 men of normal weight, aged 18 to 56, whose partners were seeking infertility treatment at a clinic.

Earlier research had come to the same conclusion, but with a smaller sample size. Corroborating data on the hormone, known as FSH, was also new.

Successful sperm production requires an environment three to four degrees Celsius below body temperature.

This explains the design of the free-hanging male scrotum, which is, in effect, a cooling system that places the sperm-making testes outside the main body cavity.

Anything that prevents this cooling is likely to impair both sperm output and quality.

While the age-old locker-room debate among men – boxers vs briefs – is more aesthetic than medical, the question has long been raised: do tight-fitting shorts overheat the family jewels?

The answer, it seems, is “a little bit, but it may not matter”.

“The study provides reasonably strong supporting evidence that wearing tighter underwear might cause mild, but significant, impaired sperm production in men,” notes Richard Sharpe, an honorary professor from the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health who was not involved in the research.

Ashely Grossman, professor of endocrinology at Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, agrees, saying the results are robust enough to merit a small lifestyle change when in doubt.

“It is a simple measure to wear boxer shorts when there is uncertainty regarding fertility,” he comments.

At the same time, none of men surveyed – whether they wore boxers, jockeys or bikini briefs – showed sperm counts below the normal range.

Experts noted a number of gaps in the new study that left room for uncertainty, and highlighted the need for follow up research.

While each participant provided a sperm and blood sample, sartorial habits were self-reported.

The study was also not a clinical trial – the gold standard in health research – but a search for statistically significant correlations, which can only point to possible causes.

Also, the study did not measure actual pregnancy outcomes, so it was unclear whether the differences in sperm count and quality uncovered actually made a bottom-line difference in the desired outcome.

Former deputy governor of Bangkok and chief executive of Rugby International School Bangkok launched the sale in the company of organiser Surachet Worawongwasu, backers Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, and Paul Kanjanapas, managing director of Impact Exhibition Management.

“The return of the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale to Bangkok for the third consecutive year marks our commitment towards advocating English literacy. We are passionate about making books affordable and available to everyone because we believe that everyone should have access to brand new, high quality English books,” said Surachet.

“The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale keeps getting bigger and better each year. This year, we’ve stocked the sale with an amazing selection of titles from popular authors. It will truly be a book heaven for readers,” he added

The shopping event is known for offering a wide selection of high-quality English books at ridiculously reduced prices. Readers can expect to find bestsellers, novels, business books, art and design titles, cookbooks and a fantastic range of children’s books, from augmented reality books, activity books, story books to interactive books.

Through its Red Readerhood programme, Big Bad Wolf has pledged to donate books to the Hope Foundation in Thailand. These books will benefit more than 10,000 students from 4 to 15 years of age across seven government schools in Bangkok.

Shoppers who are keen to support the cause can head over to the Red Readerhood corner at the exit of the sale and purchase books to donate to the students. All they have to do is select from the books at Red Readerhood, which are specially curated to meet the students’ reading needs, and pay for them at the counter.

Stay updated with news and contests via Big Bad Wolf Thailand’s social media pages: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bbwbooksthailand Instagram: @bigbadwolfbooks_th

HER MAJESTY Queen Sirikit of the Ninth Reign has long been associated with royal projects to promote Thai textiles and arts and crafts but less is perhaps known about her commitment to environmental conservation and the sustainability of Thailand’s seas.

Almost two decades have passed since Her Majesty launched the Royal-Initiated Coastal Resources Rehabilitation Project, which focuses on creating artificial reefs to serve as a habitat for marine life.

Speaking on the occasion on her birthday celebrations back in 2009, the Queen explained how she had become involved in the project.

“Fish in the shallow coastal areas have all but disappeared. I had no idea what to do, so I sought the advice of experts, who suggested putting in artificial reefs. This was new knowledge to me, and I learned a lot from the local villagers in order to create artificial reefs as a habitat for marine life. I initiated the coastal rehabilitation project in Narathiwat Province in 2001. It was supported by various organisations, and became a truly worthwhile project, because it helped to improve the livelihoods of the poor.”

The documentary film “Reefs of Life”, stills from which are on display, spreads the word on environmental conservation initiated by Her Majesty the Queen./courtesy of BCPG

In 2001, villagers from Ban Laweang in Pattani’s Mai Kaen district requested help from Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to rehabilitate the badly depleted marine life in the area. Her Majesty responded by instructing Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwannarat to find a location to set up a hatchery for the artificial breeding of both finfish and shellfish for subsequent release into the seas off Pattani and Narathiwat.

In parallel, the Office of Royal Development Projects Board in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries, the State Railway of Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Navy and other organisations proceeded to create artificial reefs as fish habitat. Between 2002 and 2010, these organisations donated materials that could be recycled as reefs including ships, tanks, train carriages, and so on. This complex structure of artificial reefs draws various species of marine life to take refuge from predators. The ocean currents flow through and they are also an abundant source of food due to the proliferation of seaweed, invertebrates, sand-dwellers, and various marine creatures, creating a thriving food chain.

An artificial reef – an old T-69 amoured tank – forms a new safe haven for underwater life threatended by the loss of natural habitats./courtesy of BCPG

Today, coastal fishermen no longer have to venture too far out and the reefs with their unique characteristics are also a magnet for divers. As the barnacles and soft coral develop into larger colonies that cover the entire structure, they are almost indistinguishable from natural coral reefs.

To pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on her birthday and promote awareness of her royal initiatives on marine conservation, power company BCPG has joined with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 in releasing the documentary “Breath of the Ocean”. The film comprises a tribute segment to Her Majesty the Queen titled “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit”, and a nine-part series on artificial reefs. The production is part of BCPG’s corporate social and environmental responsibility activities dealing with water resource conservation.

Whale shark

The documentary and accompanying exhibition titled “Breath of the Ocean”, were created and produced by Mailak Team led by Sivakrit Saravit, a veteran producer of documentaries.

“In Thailand there are 24 provinces connected to the sea and hundreds of thousands of rai of coral reefs that contribute to the livelihoods of fisherman living nearby. The deterioration of the coastal waters pushed these fisherfolk to the brink of disaster and so Her Majesty created a new habitat for marine life thorough artificial reefs. This served as a nursery and protected area for fish fry, increased resources for the fishing industry, and revived the livelihoods of the coastal fishermen,” says Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Mushroom coral

“At that time, we had little knowledge about this delicate and complex issue but today we are witnessing huge numbers of fish and other forms of marine life. What’s more, the artificial reef sites are greatly appreciated by divers. However, we must now put even more effort into marine conservation to counter the damaging impact of garbage, which is a truly major concern,” he adds.

“One of the reasons we have produced this documentary is to stimulate an awareness of global warming, and the need for each individual to pitch in to protect our earth,” says Bundit Sapianchai, president and chief executive of BCPG.

“When people think about global warming, they mostly think about planting trees. But we would like to invite public to ‘plant trees in the sea’, to pay more attention to our rivers, seas and oceans. As a source of oxygen through phytoplankton, they are integral to the ecosystem since they produce 70 per cent of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere, while the remaining 30 per cent is produced by plants. Phytoplankton are very similar to plants on land; they absorb carbon dioxide, and through photosynthesis, they produce oxygen. They can be found in fresh water, seawater and brackish water. However, studies indicate that global warming has affected the ecosystem and the human way of life in many different ways, particularly in coastal communities. Such phenomena as red tides have had an effect on the quantity and quality of marine life, as well as the tourism industry,” he explains.

Producer Sivakrit is also passionate about the seas. “Every life is valuable. Corals are not stones. They are marine invertebrates which, at night, use the polyps’ mouths as tentacles to catch zooplankton as food. They are living creatures like all of us, and so they need to be taken care of. When I used to dive, I rarely saw any fish. Her Majesty’s initiative and devoted efforts of this project have produced beautiful consequences,” he says.

Alex Rendall 

Alex Rendall is an actor and conservationist who has organised some 100 youth conservation camps to date in an effort to instil knowledge of and respect for natural resources.

“My goal, which is consistent with the UN’s sustainable development goals, is to strengthen environmental education. I believe that young people who join my conservation camp will grow up to never take advantage of natural resource. Even if they become, say, top executives of plastic companies, they will find a way to run their business so that it is coherent with the natural environment.”

And hopefully, though the series, the public will also learn how this coastal rehabilitation project has not only helped local communities earn a livelihood but also created a true safe heaven for marine life.

There is no better time that the present than to start working towards environmental conservation and instil more sustainable ways of life in the minds of the Thai people.

PROTECTING OUR SEAS

The documentary “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit” will be broadcast on Royal Thai Army Radio and TV Channel 5 on Sunday after the evening news and on Nation TV Channel 22 at 9am.

The nine-part series on artificial reefs will be aired on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6.20 to 6.30pm from Monday through August 29.

The exhibition continues in the foyer of Quartier CineArt, the EmQuartier through Monday.

The images are also available for sale, with all proceeds to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen for her royal charities.

The documentary film “Breath of the Ocean” can be viewed at http://www.bcpggroup.com.

BCPG has also pledged to install solar panels as a power source for rangers and tourists at marine national parks.

BRING the whole solar system to your living room and let the kids learn all about the planets with an app that costs the same as a dish of fried rice.

The new SolarKit app from Jabez A Churchill uses Augmented Reality (AR) and Contextual HUD (heads up display) to inform your kids about whatever they happen to be looking at. The tack button locks on to objects and displays more details about the object you focus on.

Solar Kit provides four unique sandbox modes to demonstrate a wide variety of different concepts and information.

When you open the app, it will ask whether it is being used while sitting or standing in order to create the appropriate sizes of the sun and planets in your room. The pictures of planets in 3D will be superimposed on the environment of your room as if they were really there in the so-called AR environment.

In the Table Mode, the app will drop all the planets on your table or floor to compare the size or scale of them. In this mode, you can observe how the planets are tilted on their axes and compare rotation speeds.

You can use the Distance Mode to explore a proportionate model of our solar system. For example, you can compare the distance of Neptune from the sun to the distance of earth to the sun.

The app shows animations of the orbits of the planets with the sun at the centre. Orbits are displayed in layers in different heights. You’ll need to step back to see the entire solar system in orbit to observe their distance to the sun.

In Orbit Mode, you or your kids can watch and explore our whole solar system in motion all around you. The app will display the sun and the planets floating around it. The mode demonstrates orbit, rotation, and you can track orbit speeds in relation to each other.

There is also the Planet Mode that allows you to explore the inner structure and atmosphere of any planet you want. Each planet’s moon system is included too.

I tested the SolarKit on the iPad Pro 10.5-inch. The app ran fast and smoothly. Solar Kit has a suggested retail price of Bt35.

THE GALAXY J8 is new affordable smartphone from Samsung that features a large display and good quality cameras.

The J8 is a new top model of Samsung’s mid-tier phones. And Samsung has recruited BNK48 as brand ambassadors for J8, so it’s also issued the Galaxy J8 BNK48 Edition.

I got to try the non-pop-idol edition in a sleek polycarbonate matte finish. Although the J8 is not powered by the flagship processor from Qualcomm, I didn’t feel the phone was slow during the test.

The J8 is instead powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor running at 1.8GHz. It has three gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card by up to 256GB. It’s good that the phone has an extra microSD slot apart from two nano SIM slots.

The menus and the touch screen were responsive during the test and apps ran fine.

I tested the Internet connection on TrueMove H’s LTE 4G network. The connection was fast. I used Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speed and found that the J8 got the download speed of 45.4Mbps and upload speed of 31.9Mbps.

The J8 is also capable of playing High-Resolution Audio of FLAC 24bit/192kHz format smoothly and with good sound quality. I tested it on Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-Res Audio headphones and found that J8 played Hi-Res Audio songs with good music details and powerful bass.

The J8 comes with 6-inch Super AMOLED HD+ Infinity Display in 720×1480 pixels in 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Although the resolution is less than Full HD, the large size of the display makes it good for watching HD video clips.

During the test, I enjoyed using the J8 to watch TrueID TV movies from TrueVisions. And the J8 comes with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology when used with headphones so watching movies with the Dolby Atmos function was really fun.

Although it is a mid-tier smartphone, the J8 comes with dual rear camera with good picture quality. The rear main camera has 16-megapixel resolution with f/1.7 aperture lens so it has good low-light performance.

The dual real camera uses a second camera with 5MP resolution and f/1.9 aperture lens for creating Bokeh effect or professionally blurred background.

To capture outstanding subjects with Bokeh background, you can use the Live Focus shooting mode. This mode will provide a slide bar for adjusting the blur level of the background on the preview screen.

The effect is live, so you’ll get what you’ll get. But you need to take into account that the background blur may not be applied properly if the phone or your subject is moving.

It might not happen too if the subject is thin or transparent, if it has a similar colour or pattern to the background or if the subject or background is plain. During the test, I could get beautiful shots with blurred background easily.

And with the Live Focus mode, you can shoot first and adjust the blur background later. Best of all, when the background lighting appears in blurred points, you can change the shape of the background blur. You can select a shape, such as a heart, star or flower to decorate the photo while editing your Live Focus photos.

When you open a shot taken with the Live Focus mode, you can tap the button labelled Adjust Background Blur.

Then you will see a blur level bar for changing the level of blurred background. And to change the background blur shape, you can drag the effect list to the left or right and select the effect you want. The effect list will appear only when the photo has blur shape in the background.

You can also have fun taking photos with Live Stickers mode. You can select a live sticker from the list or have the app apply stickers randomly.

There are also other shooting modes, called Auto, Beauty, Pro, Panorama, Night and Continuous shot.

You can mostly choose the Auto mode so the camera evaluates the surroundings and determines the ideal scene mode for the photo. The Pro mode lets you manually adjust the shooting parameters, such as exposure value and ISO value.

When in Auto and Pro modes, you can lock the focus or exposure of a selected area to prevent the camera from automatically adjusting based on changes to the subjects or light sources.

And the J8 comes with 16MP front camera with f/1.7 aperture lens and adjustable LED flash. The front camera has Selfie Focus mode that focuses on your face by blurring the background.

There is also a normal selfie mode that you can apply beautification effect on your face. Sticker mode is also available for the front camera.

The J8 also has good security system, allowing you to unlock the phone with your face or with your fingerprint. The facial and fingerprint lock can also be used to activate Secure Folder storage for data protection.

The J8 comes with a 3,500mAh battery that can easily last a day.

The J8 is available in purple, gold or black with a suggested retail price at Bt9,490, while the Galaxy J8 BNK48 Premium Box Set with a limited edition case is Bt12,900, limited to only 20,000 sets, |available exclusively at http://www.JD.co.th.

>> Network: 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, |4G LTE TDD

>> OS: Android 8.0

>> CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 oct-core| 1.8 GHz

>> Memory: 3GB

>> Storage: 32GB, expandable with microSD card by up to 256 GB

>> SIM slot: Dual nano SIM slots plust microSD slot

>> Display: 6-inch Super AMOLED with 720×1480 |pixels in 18.5:9 ratio

>> Cameras: Dual Rear Camera: 16MP (F1.7) +5 MP (F1.9); Front: 16MP (F1.7)

>> Sensors: Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Hall Sensor, Proximity

>> Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.2

>> Location: GPS, Glonass, Beidou

>> Audio: 360-degree surround audio Dolby Atmos Technology

>> Battery: 3,500mAh

>> Dimensions: 159.2 x 75.7 x 8.2mm

>> Weight: 177g

FAMILIES can take advantage of the upcoming long weekend to discover some of the fascinating research being undertaken in the country that’s being showcased from today through Monday as part of the Thailand Research Expo 2018 at Centara Grand Hotel and Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World.

The outstanding research being shown at the expo is divided into nine categories, namely security, agriculture, food, and technology, industry, society, medical and public health, energy, resources and the environment, the digital economy and information, and logistics.

Crocodile blood skincare 

In the medical and public health zone, the Biotech Economic Development Agency team led by Dr Nisachol Chaengpromma shows how crocodile blood cream is beneficial to the skin. Containing higher collagen compared to other animals, the blood of this aquatic reptile is bursting with antioxidants, and can kill bacteria and reduce inflammation while revitalising skin cells.

The plasma or white blood cells of the crocodile extract have been selected as a substrate in the preparation of a hypo-allergenic cosmetic cream.

The team has worked with the private sector to develop this cosmetic for sale on the market and has also developed to produce a gel for wound healing to reduce skin infections.

Isaan woven fabric

In the society sector, a value-added project for Isaan woven fabric, initiated by researchers from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, has seen the development of prae wa silk products mixed and matched with linen in Kalasin province, loincloths in Ubol Ratchathani, and teen jok sarong in Buri Ram.

Pumpkin species with phytonutrients

Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna’s Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Lampang, meanwhile, has developed three pumpkin species with phytonutrients as a value-added project for food for health innovations. The PK11, PK14 and PK17 species each weigh between three and five kilograms and boast a fine texture that doesn’t change when heated. Both the pumpkin and its seeds have high phytonutrients including anti-oxidant agents, prebiotics, vitamin A, beta carotene, fibre, folic, and Omega 3 and 6.

Waffle composite wall

The “Waffle composite wall system” research of Dr. Thanongsak Imjai of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok: Uthenthawai Campus, is a sandwich wall popularly used in cold weather countries. It uses a special kind of foam, which is stronger than ordinary foam and also heat resistant, moulded in a waffle sheet that strengthens walls. Tests carried out in a two-storey 60sqm house, found that the temperature inside the house was about 10 degrees Celsius cooler than the outside. The construction cost is about Bt5,000, making it considerably cheaper than building a home with the Infill wall system or bricklaying.

The expo also features presentations and information about more than 100 innovations developed through university level contests, creative research and innovation exhibitions, as well as activities, seminar and conferences,

The highlights are a trio of exhibitions dedicated to the memory of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sufficiency philosophy and to the projects initiated by His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.