The switch to more simplified shapes and a fresh colour hasn’t altered the brand’s friendly, recognisable look, though.

“We’re very excited to deploy our refreshed brand image and spread our new signature pink,” says global chief marketing officer Julian Dames. “This marks the beginning of a new era and enables us to further stand out in the streets of the cities we cover.”

The Foodpanda app and website are meanwhile taking on an improved, user-friendlier interface with several new features. Delivery times are now presented more dynamically, taking into account food-preparation time, rider availability and distance to the destination, right down to the last minute.

The live-tracking feature lets customers monitor the progress of their order as it makes its way from restaurant to their doorstep.

“We took the refreshed design as an opportunity to improve our visibility and also provide even more safety to the riders,” says Dames.

“Not only are uniforms eye-catching in pink, but the rider jackets are also lightweight and water-resistant. We’ve also added reflective material to different parts of the uniform that’s more noticeable to others on the road. This combination of style and safety will ensure being noticed on the street, and will also allow riders to enjoy wearing them while staying safe.”

The competition run by the Neilson Hays Library draws an enthusiastic response every year, with 178 students at 44 schools entering this year.

It’s open to students ages 10 to 18 who can author a short story or write and illustrate a children’s picture book – in English.

Entries must be in by February 28.

The theme for the contest, which is chaired by MR Narisa Chakrabongse, is “Wonder”.

Entrants can work solo or on a team of up to three students, except in Category E, which is only for individuals.

Category A is for original picture books – no more than 20 pages and 500 words – by authors who are 12 years and under, from Thai or bilingual schools

Category B is the same but for students at international schools.

Category C is for original picture books – no more than 24 pages and 800 words – by students 16 years and under, in Thai and bilingual schools

Category D is the same, but for international schools

Category E is for original short stories – no more than 1,500 words – by students 18 years and under, attending any kind of school.

On the judging panel are acting coach Onchuma Yuthavong, SEAWrite Award winner Ngarmpun Vejjajiva, writer-illustrator Gee Svasti Thomson, journalist and author of “Finding George Orwell in Burma” Emma Larkin, and author of “The Little Blue Tuk-Tuk” Janice Santikarn.

Finalists will get to attend a workshop at Chakrabongse Villa, where the judges and other published writers and illustrators will critique their work and offer tips. Chaiporn Panichrutiwong, director and animator of “Yak: The Giant King”, and Cod Satrusayang, managing editor of the Asia News Network, will also participate.

The winners will hear their work read aloud at a public ceremony by prominent literary and art figures. They’ll receive certificates and Bt10,000 in cash. Canadian Ambassador Donica Pottie will also present a Bt10,000 prize

Find out more at (02) 233 1731 or NeilsonHaysLibrary.org. The entry form is available at goo.gl/fsrkQR.

Once you choose, the app’s skin and vehicle icons will change to reflect your prediction.

If you’re right, you’re likely to win free rides in Grab vehicles bearing the victor’s decal – and maybe much more.

The campaign continues through Monday (December 18).

The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and Grab Thailand have set up the online battle, ahead of which every ride taken with Grab earns Rewards Points and chances to win a “Last Jedi” tumbler, notebook, passport cover, tote bag or tickets to a private screening.

The grand prize is an all-inclusive trip for two to the world’s largest privately owned Star Wars memorabilia museum, Rancho Obi-Wan in San Francisco, California.

Follow developments on Grab’s Facebook page, “GrabTH”.

The OPod Tube House, conceived by James Law Cybertecture, is an experimental low cost, micro-living housing unit constructed out of a 2.5 meters diameter concrete water pipe.

The design ultilizes a strong concrete structure to house an apartment for one or two persons with living, cooking and bathroom inside 100 square feet (9.29 square meters).

Each tube house is equipped with smartphone locks for online access and space saving micro-living furniture. They can be stacked to become a low-rise building as a modular community in a very short time, and can be located and relocated in different sites conveniently.

To promote the film, Walt Disney (Thailand), CPN, Tokyo Bike, UB Tech, Phillips, Rag & Bone, Grab, Lego, Hot Toys, Hasbro and Lenovo have some special plans in mind.

“‘Star Wars’ is one of the all-time most successful movie franchises, followed by fans around the globe for 40 years,” says Walt Disney (Thailand) general manager Subha-Orn Rathanamongkolmas.

“The story is exciting, easy to relate to and timely. Since the original film premiered in 1977, there have been seven others in the series, excluding one separate episode.”

“We know many fans are waiting for ‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi’, because it continues on from ‘The Force Awakens’ and will reveal the conclusion of important events in previous episodes, as well as new clues leading to the next ones. This is what makes the series so fascinating.

“And now we have an historical collaboration with 10 businesses that are all domestically and internationally leaders in their fields,” Subha-Orn says. “Our joining hands on this campaign will not only offer each brand’s customers exciting new experiences, but also help expand their consumer base with ‘Star Wars’ fans who will become engaged with them through the movie. It’s a good opportunity to see how each brand introduces its strategy to impress its customers.

“The Force Awakens”, the previous episode, is one of only three movies that have generated total revenue topping US$20 billion. The franchise itself has earned more than $7.7 billion.

“The Last Jedi” sees the heroes of “The Force Awakens” join other galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

Bangkok is a magnet for travellers but, as the city’s most popular areas become overcrowded, new areas are starting to emerge, attracting adventurous, younger visitors. On Nut is one.

Just a few Skytrain stops from the heart of Bangkok, On Nut is nestled between downtown Sukhumvit and ultra-cool Thonglor, putting the city’s main highlights within easy reach. But, being away from the tourist hotspots, On Nut provides many wonderful examples of authentic Thai life.

X2 Vibe Bangkok Sukhumvit has created a new Destination Guide to On Nut. Curious guests can use the guide to uncover authentic urban activities that can’t be found in the usual tourist handbooks.

From chic cafes to hidden temples, outdoor activities, public pastimes and even simple trips to the supermarket, the Destination Guide enables guests to be immersed in the day-to-day life and culture of their destination. All 11 activities and attractions are easily reached from the hotel.

“Our guests are seeking a new type of travel experience, less focused on traditional tourist attractions and more on local, authentic cultural exploration,” says general manager Charin Tuncharoen.

“Our ‘Live Like a Local’ campaign and Destination Guide will open up our neighbourhood, revealing an array of attractions and activities that few visitors have a chance to discover,” says Charin. “From shops to supermarkets, farms to food courts, temples to Thai-boxing clubs, these are truly local experiences which are genuinely popular with Bangkokians.”

The attractions include the Wat Bang Na Nok Pier, where the canals teem with catfish, and Bang Nam Phueng, home to a floating market and many restaurants. Slightly further afield is Bang Kra Jao, the “Green Lung of Bangkok”.

There’s also muay thai boxing led by Attachai Fairtex and Sukhumvit Road’s lively W District, plus the pleasant caf?s and side-food stalls of On Nut.

Guests can join locals at an outdoor beef barbecue, discover quaint “European villages”, or take a break from the bustle of the city with a visit to an urban farm.

Following the launch of the first Destination Guide in Bangkok, the campaign will be rolled out across the X2 and X2 Vibe brands in Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin and Buri Ram.

In a small workshop in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan, Halima al-Ankassuri embroiders traditional patterns onto a blue shawl destined for sale in an upmarket Paris, London or Dubai boutique.

The 54-year-old mother of seven describes her work as “modern products with shimmering colours, embroidered with Palestinian and Islamic motifs”.

“I’m proud to see Europeans wearing what we produce here and to see top fashion magazines take an interest,” she says, referring to the German online edition of Vogue, a large smile on her face, girded with a red veil.

The Jerash camp where she lives, in northern Jordan, was established to host more than 11,000 Palestinians who fled the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war – hence its alternative name, Gaza Camp.

Half a century on, more than 29,000 refugees live in the camp amid poverty, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure.

In 2013, Roberta Ventura, an Italian with a background in investment banking, decided to set up a social project to help women in the camp after visiting it and seeing their intricate skills close up.

SEP Jordan (SEP for “social enterprise project”) aims to “change lives not only of dozens but over time, hundreds, perhaps thousands of women”, she |says.

Items made on request

On the workshop’s tables lay traditional keffiyeh chequered headscarves with inscriptions of different colours, along with cashmere shawls and handbags.

“The project started with 10 women and now they are 300,” says director Nawal Aradah. “We make products on request – shawls, handbags, towels, |sheets and all kinds of household decor.”

Every two months, 11 to 14 cartons containing 190 to 270 kilograms of goods are sent to stores in Paris, London and Dubai. They’re also sold inside the Palestinian territories – in |Israeli-occupied Bethlehem, says regional manager Mahmoud al-Haj.

“Most buyers are foreign tourists,” he adds.

For women in the workshop, embroidery is an important source of income.

“We all suffer from poverty in this camp,” Ankassuri says.

“This work helps us to improve our lives, even if we charge for our products individually at low prices.”

Every product she embroiders requires at least a week’s work. She has pain in her hands, but enjoys being around the other women in the workshop.

Ventura says the women’s “unique talent” is “appreciated around the world”.

More than two million Palestinian refugees are registered with the United Nations in Jordan, but about half of the country’s population of 6.6 million is of Palestinian origin.

Ankassuri and her colleagues learned embroidery from their mothers and grandmothers.

Each region of historic Palestine has its own motifs and patterns.

As well as presenting Palestinian history and culture to a new audience, their crafts “help promote the cause of our people”, Aradah says proudly.

A flag and a map hang on the walls of the workshop, reminding the women of their link with the land of their birth or, for the younger ones, that of their ancestors.

“Every woman here has a story,” Aradah says. “This work

helps them send their children to school, change the furniture in their homes and improve their |living conditions, especially |since many husbands do not work.”

Hiba al-Hudari, weaving a blue purse with Islamic inscriptions, says the workshop had become “a second home”.

The 37-year-old mother of six earns enough to help her husband, a mechanic, provide for the household.

Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), operator of the luxury mixed-use development, has joined with the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in hosting the jaw-dropping performance designed and performed by Limelight, a group of world-class artists who are well-known for their 3D Projection Mapping. “Beautiful Bangkok”, which is inspired by the lifestyle, culture and history of the Thai capital, promises to be the best show of the year.

The performance takes place from Thursday (December 14) to December 31 at 7, 7.15, 7.30, 7.45 and 8pm daily.

And on New Year’s Eve at 11.55pm, MQDC invites everyone to join the fun and count down to 2018 together.

The partners have also launched a photography competition. It’s open to both amateur and professional shutterbugs and offers prizes worth up to Bt100,000. The rules are simple: send landscape photos or selfies of Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard (MRB) with a description on the topic “Beautiful Magnolias” and post them with hashtags #beautifulbangkok, #beautifulratchaprasong, #beautifulmagnolias, and #bangkokiconiclandmark in the caption. To submit your photos, upload photo file to one of the file storage websites such as WeTransfer,

Dropbox and GoogleDrive together with your contact details (name, address, telephone number) and send the link to beautifulbangkokbymagnolias@gmail.com.

The competition is open from December 14 to January 5 and the winner will be announced on January 30. Find out more at Facebook.com/MagnoliasRatchadamriBoulevard.

Imagine William Peskett, resident of Pattaya, an England-born Irishman (assuming there is such a thing in itself), sort of “googling” his name in the collected works of William Shakespeare, resident of Stratford thence London thence Stratford again, and finding multiple entries.

Peskett, whose short-fiction/essay collections “The Day of the Tiger”, “Selected Short Stories of Thailand” and “Return to the Go-Go” have all drawn praise on this page in recent years, goes by “Will”, as did the Bard of Avon. And, like the Bard did, he recognises the fertile ground for puns therein (“Will will at will repeat”).

In joining at play with the word and name found frolicking in Shakespeare’s Sonnets 135 and 136, Peskett – already a published poet – decided to portray his own world in this rhyme construction that’s not always easy to read and surely trickier to write. He shows a gift for the off-kilter couplets, but he’s the first to admit he’s no Shakespeare:

Comparison is reckless and perverse:

Where Will wrote wisdom, I write verse

The results are indeed mixed, the subject matter sometimes mundane, but there are many precious gems in this charming collection, lovingly presented in a petite 70-page paperback and illustrated with apt photos. It’s by turns amusing and cheeky, sombre and contemplative.

To begin with, the author looks at what’s on his plate and what’s buzzing around his own flesh – soft-shell crabs and dengue-laden mosquitoes (“The virus that’s to blame is in my blood / Its doings there are doing me no good”). And he converses with them in quizzical monologue, simple thrusts rendered complex by the circuitous, tumbled rhyming.

Paeans to crustaceans and even an insect cursed might be taken as acknowledgement of the ecosystem that preserves us all, yet Peskett has more in mind. He’s frequently tongue-in-cheek and flippant, but he might also be advocating that, rather than Tweeting and Facebooking our days away, we choose real life over its virtual shell. The poem “Mobile” suggests wedding vows updated for the tech era:

I will not give you up at any price,

My love, my darling sweetheart, my device.

Real life, for all its flaws, warrants less criticism when the subjects are human, as in “Expat Love”, safely presumed to be an ode to Peskett’s Thai wife.

“We’re student and instructor sharing praise,” it says, and Thai and farang roles reverse according to each passing day’s needs.

When age makes me the tutor you sit back

And suffer to be taught the things I’ve known;

Then you prepare me in the ways I lack,

So challenged by a culture not my own.

The scribe confesses to limited patience in comparison to his mate, the “diplomat at large”, and in the end concludes (as should all Westerners in their dealings with Thais, and vice versa):

We’ll never change each other, let’s be clear;

But, still the same, we make our contrasts mere.

Would that more of Thailand’s grumbling hordes of expatriates understood this. It should be written on the gates at Immigration.

The concepts aren’t so profound when Peskett rides on whimsy alone. Among the lightweight efforts are “Chilli” (“Those blessed with age are nothing like the young; / They crave spice in their lives, not on their tongue”) and “Sukishi”:

I’m hungry now, so as I walk I scan

The menus that they put out on the street

One common type of which I am a fan

Is one that promises “All You Can Eat”.

There are poems about snooker, Songkran, the noble pickup truck, and the Kingdom’s capital (“So only if your system needs a shock / Should you consider visiting Bangkok.” Not surprisingly, Pattaya fares much better in Peskett’s treatment.)

The entries “Ladyboys” and “Hot” simply joust poetically with conventional notions and matters of fact, offering nothing fresh. But the groan-worthy fluff is handily swept aside by musings of deep poignancy and excellent wordplay.

In “Ko”, the island destination is “rather an idea that dawns on you as you queue for the ferry”. “Cosmetic Surgery” is a lament for Thais seeking to look less Thai:

An Asian face with borrowed Western eyes?

I hear the heavens weep as beauty dies.

In “Drink”, present plans for a booze-up clash with dread over future self-remonstration, triggering a bout of schizophrenia, “When thoughtless now ignores what next day thinks.”

The poem “At Hellfire Pass” visits the quiet Kanchanaburi monument to one of the worst ordeals endured in World War II, “the trial that found the giant in every man”:

The generation that could meet that test

Bore mine, the ones untried whose lives are blessed

If “The Thailand Sonnets” lacks the sustained power of Peskett’s prose and the sheer thrill of the hunt found in “Day of the Tiger”, there are at least a couple of tigers lurking here. One appears in a humorous admonishment to those who deplore the spectacle of boys in girlie bars:

Objectors, fetch a Tiger from your shelf

And sit at home and drink it by yourself.

The other is not the beer but a real tiger, observed forlorn in chained captivity:

The wild ones, do they visit you at night

And press their noses to yours through the wire?

Where you are wronged, do they urge what is right?

And, where you’ve lost your fight, do they bring fire?

…

What drugs do these small showmen give to you

To make you pose with tourists as you do?

In “Jungle”, what remains of Thailand’s ancient forests are found to be “isolated … tufts around the planet of our skin”. Peskett named his imprint Cycad Books because he sees cycads as characterising tropical flora equally old. The venerable gingko is just one familiar example.

“They remind me of visits to humid hothouses in botanical gardens in my youth, times when I never dreamt I’d ever have such things growing in my own garden,” he said in an email. “I trained as a biologist, so it runs deep. Also, cycads haven’t evolved much in 10 million years – so, a bit like me, really.”

The Thailand Sonnets

By William Peskett

Published by Cycad Books, 2017

Available at Amazon.com, Bt250

(e-book Bt66)

Reviewed by Paul Dorsey

A DAY after being-awarded one Michelin star in the first Michelin Guide Bangkok, 72-year-old Supinya Junsuta, better known as Jay Fai to her customers, is hard at work, expertly wielding her wok over the hot charcoal brazier and wearing the oversized goggles she favours to protect her eyes from spurts of hot oil.

Supinya Junsuta, better known as Jay Fai, wears oversized goggles while cooking her signature dish of crabmeat omelette over charcoal. Her eatery is the only street food venue to have earned one Michelin star.

She occasionally glances up at the crowd of hungry diners queuing to try her signature dishes and the large group of reporters who have invaded her small shophouse in the Pratu Phee area, next to the Golden Mount. While Bangkok is known the world over for its incredible street food, Jay Fai is the only street venue to have earned a Michelin star, bringing it on par with such fine-dining establishments like Nahm by David Thompson, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain, and Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin.

“I have just this one branch here at Pratu Phee and I’m the only cook. I work 12 hours a day, from 1.30pm until 1.30am every day except Sunday,” she tells The Sunday Nation.

Jay Fai – the “Jay” a familiar term for older sister and the “Fai” a reference to the mole on her neck – inherited the business from her father, a stir-fried noodle chef – 40 years ago and quickly made her ordinary eatery extraordinary. Thirty years ago, when a dish of rad naa (stir-fried noodles topped with gravy) cost Bt20, Jay Fai dressed up her dish with a giant-sized portion of seafood and sold it for Bt120. The price didn’t turn diners off and the eatery’s reputation for top-quality meals quickly spread.

Classic Thai recipes are served at the onestarred Paste.

Known for premium local seafood dishes, the best-selling dish is crabmeat omelette that varies in price from Bt800 to Bt2,000, while the most expensive is a rad naa made with Mexican abalone that can go as high as Bt10,000 a pop. The cheapest items on the menu are guay tiew kua gai (wok-fried noodles with chicken) and pork rad naa, each Bt200.

“I carefully select only the best local ingredients. The fresh crabmeat is from Nakhon Si Thammarat and, for my omelette, I use only the meat from the crab-paddle legs. There is no frozen meat and seafood here. My eatery is always welcomes high-profile figures and international chefs. Several chefs have flown in from New York to learn how to cook Thai-style omelette, crab curries and dried congee,” Jay Fai says.

“I didn’t expect to get a star because we’re just a small eatery so it’s an enormous honour.”

A star goes to Thai restaurant Chim by Siam Wisdom for its exceptional traditional fare.

Though Jay Fai is the only roadside venue to earn one star, the debut edition of Michelin Guide Bangkok has highlighted 28 street food locations with “Bib Gourmand”, a rating that recognises restaurants offering exceptionally good food at moderate prices, in Thailand’s case for a maximum of Bt1,000. The newly minted eateries include Go-Ang Kao Mun Gai Pratunam for its aromatic and flavourful chicken with rice, Jay Gee’s garlic fried chicken on Soi Polo, celebrated pad thai outlet Thipsamai Pratu Phee, Jay Daeng’s tasty som tam on Chula Soi 42, and crispy patongo (deep-fried Chinese dough) served at Pa Tong Go Savoey in China Town.

Michelin’s full-time food inspectors have been busy over the last eight months, making anonymous visits to restaurants to gauge their food. Restaurants are rated on such criteria as the quality of ingredients, consistency, cooking technique and flavour, the chef’s personality and value for money.

“The first edition of the Michelin Guide dedicated to Bangkok highlights the rich gastronomic diversity,” says Michael Ellis, international director of Michelin Guides. “Thai food is recognised around the world. Everyone knows tom yam, pad thai and satay. Bangkok’s food scene is varied, diverse and intense. The spices and intense seasoning are unique to Thai cuisine, as it mixes all tastes to the palate – salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami. Thailand also has incredible street food that should be included in the selection.”

Gaggan, which is known the world over for its progressive Indian cuisine, earned two stars.

The inaugural edition awarded 14 restaurants one star, highlighting the quality of local cuisine with seven of them – Bo.lan, Nahm, Saneh Jaan, Chim by Siam Wisdom, Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, Paste and Jay Fai – offering Thai food both prepared to traditional recipes and with a contemporary twist. The other one-starred restaurants are Japanese eatery Ginza Sushi Ichi, three French establishments – L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain and Savelberg – as well as two European contemporary venues – Suhring and Elements – and the 12-seat Upstairs at Mikkeller that pairs innovative cuisine with craft beer.

Chef Phatchara Pirapak might be only 27, but her refined Thai cuisine drawn from age-old recipes and the elegant ambience she has created in new restaurant Saneh Jaan on Wireless Road were enough to win the hearts of Michelin’s food inspectors.

A single star goes to Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, a place that changes diners’ perceptions of Thai food.

“We try to offer traditional and authentic Thai tastes and pay attention to every detail. We insist on only the best ingredients. The glass noodles, dried rice noodles and black bean curd come from Kanchanaburi, the shrimp paste from Klong Kone in Samut Songkhram, the palm sugar from Phetchaburi, and the dried salted fish from Tak Bai in Narathiwat,” says Phatchara, a graduate of Suan Dusit University’s School of Culinary Arts who honed her formidable skills with Chumphol Jangprai.

Among the best-selling delights are khai palow (five-spice egg with pork), a mix of hard-boiled eggs and tiny chunks of caramelised pork belly braised for three days with Chinese spices, black soy sauce and palm sugar, as well as stir-fried long bean with aromatic shrimp paste.

“I think the Michelin Guide will benefit our gastronomic scene. It will guide foreigners to experience the many different aspects of Thai cuisine,” Phatchara says.

The small Upstairs at Mikkeller gets one star for its innovative cuisine.

Ancient royal Thai recipes are brought back to life with a contemporary approach by experienced chef Bee Satongun in the one-starred Thai restaurant Paste at Gaysorn Village. Paste offers a range of signature dishes inspired by the Snidwongse family cookbook and a few other private sources. They include roasted duck with nutmeg, curry paste and saw tooth coriander served on rice crackers; watermelon and ground salmon with crispy shallots and roasted galangal powder; and southern-style yellow curry with crabmeat seasoned with black pepper, pennyworth leaves and hummingbird flowers.

Three big names on the city’s food scene – Gaggan on Soi Langsuan, Le Normandie of the Mandarin Oriental, and Mezzaluna on the 65th floor of Lebua – won two stars. No restaurant has as yet achieved the coveted three-star rating.

That comes as a little bit of a  surprise even though it is not easy to attain with the extremely high standards required to merit three Michelin stars. For example, in France, which has published the Michelin Guide for over a century, there are only 27 three-starred restaurants out of 4,500 establishments rated in the guide. Overall, there are 22,000 restaurants all over the world listed in the Michelin Guide and out of those, only 116 have three stars and just 450 two stars.

Ginza Sushi Ichi is Bangkok’s only Japanese restaurant to earn a star. 

“Evaluations are carried out every year and the restaurants can win or lose stars,” says Claire Dorland Clauzel of Michelin Group.

But not everyone is satisfied with Wednesday’s announcement. “Fewer Bangkok restaurants received stars than I would have expected. I think our city has more restaurants qualified for one star,” commented food connoisseur and gourmet Litti Kewkacha, who operates dessert cafes Sfree, Parferio and Kyo Roll En.

“I’m disappointed that no restaurant earned a three-star rating and that no Chinese or Italian establishments were included on the list. The three two-starred restaurants serve their food course by course, which is probably more familiar to the inspectors than the Thai culture of sharing dishes that complement each other. It’s a good chance for Michelin to learn more about our culture and at the same time, we must improve our level to the internationally-recognised standard, particularly on service and consistency.”

The Michelin Guide Bangkok makes Thailand the second country in Southeast Asia after Singapore and the sixth in Asia to have its own culinary reference. The red guide in both Thai and English costs Bt650 and will be available at leading bookstores from tomorrow. A digital version will follow soon.