The campaign encourages everyone to take part by supporting the Pankan: Share-rity Room shop in assembling goods to sell. All the proceeds from sales will be granted as scholarships to students at the Yuvabadhana Foundation. The campaign runs until November 15 at the shop on Siam Discovery’s on M floor. “Based on the policy of Siam Discovery – The Exploratorium, we have been emphasising the importance of providing a space to inspire, which contributes to experimentation, creation and cultivation. The campaign allows every customer to join us in sharing and giving away unwanted stuff in good condition from clothes and bags to shoes and accessories. All the donations will be on sale to turn proceeds into scholarships for disadvantaged students. The campaign is also in line with our ‘Recycle, Reuse and Reduce’ policy, which is designed to protect the environment,” said Usara Yongpiyakul, chief executive of Siam Piwat Retail Holding. “Pankan is a mechanism for creating engagement among Thais through social enterprise. It allows people to give unwanted items in good condition, which will then be put on sale at a reasonable price. It’s about turning possessions into an opportunity while providing benefits and making society better,” Thapanee Sinadyodharaks, managing director of Pankan shop, added. “The shop is destined to create engagement among people – both those who come to give away their stuff and those who come to buy. Everyone will have an opportunity to grant disadvantaged students scholarships. We plan to grant 21 scholarships during the campaign.” Among the good-hearted figures to contribute so far are Nadech Kugimiya, Yaya Urassaya, James Jirayu, James Ma, Mai-Davika, Peck-Palitchoke, and Charyl Chappuis. Products will be on sale from next Monday (September 4). For more information, call (02) 658 1000 extension 3400.

ALMOST 60 years have passed since dengue was first identified in Thailand, in 1958, and the country has since come up with ways to prevent the disease through education and control of the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

However, dengue continues to afflict people in all provinces, men and women and every age group, throughout the year.

Now, though, the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a safe and effective dengue vaccine is being hailed as a game-changer in terms of comprehensive prevention.

Any one of four viruses spread by mosquitoes can cause dengue. It is an acute condition that can develop into life-threatening haemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, plasma leakage and complications to other parts of the body, including the brain and liver, which can lead to death within days.

“Over the last decade, the number of deaths from dengue has decreased due to more advanced medical technology,” notes Associate Professor Pratap Singhasivanon, dean of tropical medicine and Mahidol University.

“The number of patients, on the other hand, is increasing, especially among adults.

“Research shows that the overall number of asymptomatic cases is three times higher than symptomatic ones, and these cases are 10 times more likely to transmit the dengue virus via mosquitoes,” he says. “It is thus considered a key issue for public-health surveillance and prevention.”

The disease also hurts the country in economic terms. Thailand has spent more than Bt290 million on treating dengue, second only to Indonesia in Southeast Asia.

Thailand sees 80,000 to 100,000 dengue cases annually, 70 to 100 of them fatal.

It has also been discovered that initial infection with one type of virus doesn’t preclude further infection with the other three types. This can be attributed in part to the above-average number of mosquito larvae found in every part of Thailand.

This year, through August 16, nearly 30,000 dengue cases were reported, mostly among children aged five to 14 and young adults 15 to 24. The number of fatal cases in patients 15 years and up rose to 24, and in younger patients to 17.

The leading causes of death related to dengue include delay in seeing a doctor, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs without a prescription, and having other medical problems, especially in adults with obesity or chronic disease.

Dr Panumard Yarnwaidsakul, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control, suggests “Three steps to prevent three diseases”:

l Keep the house clean, especially places where mosquitoes might gather.

l Remove garbage, in which mosquitoes can breed.

l Keep water containers covered to prevent breeding.

Dr Panumard also recommends keeping well:

l Protect yourself from mosquito bites.

l Watch out for high fever, headaches, body and joint aches, red blotches on the skin, vomiting and stomach-ache.

l Go to hospital when you’re sick or have a high fever.

“The new vaccine is one of the World Health Organisation’s recommended preventive measures for countries with a high percentage of dengue infection rate, including Thailand,” says Associate Professor Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, president of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Society of Thailand.

“The vaccine now approved for use helps prevent symptomatic cases caused by any of the four types of the virus by 65.6 per cent, reduces severe dengue cases by 93.2 per cent, and hospitalisation by 80.8 per cent.”

The vaccine schedule is three doses, given six months apart, with each dose yielding increasingly preventive results.

“Interestingly, the clinical data indicates the vaccine has 81.9 per cent efficacy in those who have been exposed to dengue, but has a lower efficacy of 52.5 per cent, in those who have never been exposed to dengue prior to vaccination,” says Dr Tawee.

“This is because the vaccine does not consist of a pure dengue virus, but is a mix of attenuated dengue virus and flavivirus, which is non-virulent. It helps the immune system recognise the dengue-infected cells in people who have been exposed to dengue before, boosting the immune system to prevent the four virus serotypes, with better efficacy than in those who have never been exposed to dengue before.

“On the other hand, any of the four serotypes is 100-per-cent virulent. The data imply that the vaccine does not cause dengue infection and therefore is not considered a first-time infection. Thus, it is safe and is approved for prevention by the WHO and Food and Drug Administration of Thailand.”

Fortune-teller Ajarn Khatha Chinbunchon, a specialist in cultural art, led the ladies in prayers and merit-making as they explored the ancient city.

He spoke about the “positive energy” they could find in the old capital, which he called “the secret to having a tranquil and prosperous life”.

“The city’s name comes from suk, meaning ‘happiness’, and uthai, ‘the dawn of happiness’,” Khatha said. “It was the first territory of the Thai Kingdom, claimed 700 years ago.”

The mall’s customers, especially mothers and their children, first paid respects to the Phra Ajana Buddha statue at Wat Si Chum, said to be powerful in granting wishes.

Khatha explained that, in praying to the statue, the palms should be held with the fingers of the right hand pointing downwards, to the earth.

Next stop was the shrine of Phra Mae Ya, which local residents believe holds the spirit of King Ram Khamhaeng, who built the edifice for his mother.

A tram ride around Sukhothai Historical Park revealed the early Kingdom of Siam in all its prosperous glory. The beautiful architecture of the former palaces and temples has been sufficiently restored to reflect their original grandeur.

Here, the travellers paid respects at the monument of King Ram Khamhaeng, third ruler of the Phra Ruang dynasty that established the Kingdom. The evening obliged with a gorgeous sunset at Wat Mahathat within the park.

The second day featured a ride in an open-air bus, humorously called “the pigpen bus”, to the ceramics store Suthep Sangkhalok. Participants got to try their hand at making pottery and expressing their imagination, the younger ladies learning about teamwork alongside their mums.

The group then viewed vintage woven textiles at the Golden Clothing Sathon Museum, which preserves the way of life of the Phuan people of Baan Haad Siew. On view is Jok Kao Lai fabric and cloth made for ordination ceremonies, elephant parades and weddings.

“This campaign allows everyone to experience the beauty of domestic travel in Thailand and encourages families to take their mothers travelling, merit-making and praying for good fortune,” said Mall Group senior vice president Voralak Tulaphorn.

“We have package trips to Ayutthaya, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Sukhothai and Khon Kaen, each one custom-designed for young ladies and their mothers.”

You too can get involved at http://www.MCardMall.com and http://www.Facebook.com/mcardforall

LINE THAILAND says 500 million sets of its cute little stickers were downloaded last year, the stuff that quick online communications are made of. On average, it adds, every single person using Line in this country owns 15 sets.

Because they’re fun – that’s why.

Cathaleeya Vankaew warns that you should only send her sarcastic and snide “Circle Dukdik” stickers to close friends.

The emotive characters can deliver a giggle whether they’re in motion or not, give off a sound or not, sing a song or not.

The Line mobile app is in use in more than 230 countries and territories. Better than 94 per cent of Thais with mobile Internet use it. We’re the second-largest market after Japan – and apparently trying hard to catch up.

“The sale of Line stickers in Thailand is constantly growing,” Kanop Supamanop, head of Line Thailand’s B2C business, said on Tuesday amid celebrations for the third anniversary of the Line Creators Market at Central Lat Phrao.

The Creators Market is where the stickers you have to buy come from, as opposed to the “sponsored stickers” given away freely by retailers and service providers in exchange for “friending” them on Line.

Anyone with a bit of talent and imagination can become a creator, and their work is sold for between Bt30 and Bt60 per set, split with the company.

“Creators Market stickers first appeared in Thailand in 2014 and we now have around 46,000 sets, created by more than 120,000 Thais,” Kanop said.

“They’ve generated Bt400 million in revenue in the past three years. It can be a promising career for anyone with good ideas!”

Cathaleeya Vankaew didn’t expect her “Circle Dukdik” stickers to be a hit, but she’s now the No 2 Thai creator by sales and was recently named Best Newcomer in the business.

Cathaleeya Vankaew warns that you should only send her sarcastic and snide “Circle Dukdik” stickers to close friends.

Saying she’s “too lazy” to draw complicated figures, Cathaleeya keeps things simple and adds a sarcastic message – the same sort of cutting remarks she says to her friends in person. “I didn’t ever think they’d become so loved by so many people.”

But the often-biting messages are best kept between close friends, she laughs.

The first set came out last October and another in December and both earned monthly “Rising Star” awards. Editions 3 and 4 appeared this year and were quickly upgraded to “official” sticker status.

“As long as I’m single I can earn a living selling stickers,” Cathaleeya said. “I love doing it part-time, and I get inspiration from my colleagues at the animation firm where I work.”

All those cute kittens posted on the social media drove a Taiwanese creator who calls himself Mochi Dad to invent the stubborn, chubby “Haughty Smelly Cat”. It’s hugely popular among Thai users.

Some of these Line sticker creators are camerashy.

“My first sticker character was a bulldog named Mochi, inspired by my own pet. Then I gave him a rival cat and it’s become a global superstar!” said Mochi Dad, his face hidden behind an orange cat mask when there are cameras around.

“In Taiwan we have a saying – if there are 10 orange cats, nine of them are chubby and the other one’s very fat. So my orange cat is an obsessive eater and really disdainful, and people love sharing the stickers to perturb their friends.”

Originally bearing messages in Mandarin, Haughty Smelly Cat has learned to speak Thai and Japanese, adding to his appeal in those countries. He’s such a success that Mochi Dad has been “stickering” full-time for two years.

He set up his own company, Thatfish Corp, which has released 20 sets, adding a fish character to the menagerie. There’s even a Haughty Smelly Cat Acer mobile-phone case and Playboy-brand clothing.

“A single sticker can really say a lot about your emotions,” he explained. “People love sending stickers that are funny or express how they’re feeling.”

Taiwan’s Mochi Dad wears his hilariously stubborn Haughty Smelly Cat on his face. 

Equally popular right across Asia is Betakkuma, a character with a human body and a bear’s head who’s seen doing oddball dances that fans enjoy mimicking in videos sprouting all over YouTube.

Betakkuma is the invention of Yoshitaka Ueki, another camera-shy masked man.

“Kuma means ‘bear’ in Japanese and betak refers to something that’s cliched and outdated but at the same time retains some charm,” he said. “At least the viral videos of people copying the silly dance moves prove they love it!”

Ueki’s Tokyo-based firm Quan has released more than 100 sets of stickers featuring a dozen characters, of which Betakkuma is the best known. He’s catering to the Thai market with a branch in Bangkok staffed by a team that localises the content. China, South Korea and Vietnam beckon as future bases.

Betakkuma has appeared in seven series since his debut three years ago and there’ll be two more in September and October, launched as “official” editions by Line Japan. “The new ones will have the voice of a famous Japanese anime voice actor,” Ueki said.

Who is that masked man? That’s Yoshitaka Ueki from Japan, who created the immensely popular dancing bearman Betakkuma.

Kanop reported that funny characters are the most popular. And the more outrageous the facial expression and message, the better.

“Women made up the majority of Line users originally, since they love all the cute stickers, but a lot more men are using stickers now, and they go for the funny, weird, satirical ones to say what they’re not really prepared to say or write themselves.”

Also growing in popularity are stickers so pared down that there might be no figurative character at all, just playful text, Kanop said.

And meanwhile Line has the permission of a dozen music labels to use eight-second hooks from famous songs in its stickers.

So how hard is it to create a sticker? Basically, you need a simple idea and an illustration of some sort – a photograph, computer graphic or hand-drawn picture.

Line Thailand has an application for Android devices (iOS version coming soon) called Creator Studio that makes the process even easier. You whip something up, submit it for assessment and will probably soon find your handiwork “on the shelf” in the Line shop. Half the revenue from sales will be coming your way.

“It can be a nice little money-maker for creative folks and possibly even lead to a lucrative career,” Kanop said.

“There are about 800,000 creators around the world and Thailand has more than any country except Japan. We’re aiming for 150,000 registered creators by the end of this year.”

Line also wants to put its most popular sticker characters on non-digital merchandise. An online Line Gift Shop will be launched next month.

So there’s another potential revenue stream for creators, and Kanop pointed out that Line also gives each of its monthly Rising Star award winners Bt50,000 to produce merchandise for sale.

The first emergency situation Josephine “Jo” Reynolds found herself dealing with happened while she was still being trained as a firefighter – in fact, as Britain’s first woman firefighter.

A fellow recruit was killed in a highway accident while they were all making their way home in different vehicles. It shook her to the core, but, as happens time and again in Reynolds’ engaging memoir, she had to tough it out and move on.

There were other lives in danger, other fellow citizens to save. Her skills would be called upon many times over the next five years.

Reynolds – who later spent time in our part of the world writing about humanitarian issues in Myanmar and elsewhere – has produced a gem of an autobiography with “Fire Woman”.

The catchy title turns heads, but so does the fact that Britain, like most places in the world, had only “firemen” at the time. And, to this day, only 5 per cent of its firefighters are women. One of Reynolds’ aims here is to encourage more young women to sign up.

It’s not easy, she’s the first to admit. Her 15-month training period, which takes up most of the book’s first half, was physically grinding and soul-crushing, stretching the applicants’ capabilities to the stomach-churning breaking point. Knowing that public safety would be in the hands of these youngsters, the Fire Service instructors were often deliberately cruel in testing them. Dozens of recruits fell by the wayside in the struggle to make the very small final cut.

When severely challenged, however, the human spirit can project surprising force and, on overcoming an obstacle, will rebound twice as strong. This is what gives “Fire Woman” its remarkable dynamism.

It is lively, provocative, frequently charming and often exciting, and, at risk of sounding classist, the writing is certainly far better – more thoughtful and moving – than might be expected of someone in this fundamentally brawny, gutsy profession.

The story could simplistically be characterised as “goth girl makes good”. Reynolds was a tomboy from rural Wales who, once she became old enough and bold enough, sometime in the very young’80s, started making regular forays into London for punk shows.

The music of the times pulses through the book, and she’s cleverly given each chapter the pertinent title of well-known pop or rock song.

“Sweet Dreams are Made of This” doesn’t get to the Eurythmics tune right away. It begins with Reynolds moving into a 16th-century stone cottage full of stoners, a rock band in the making, existing in “a cumulonimbus-sized cloud of spliff smoke”. She livens up her drab room with posters of Che Guevara and the Sex Pistols and joins the rest in a woodland hunt for magic mushrooms.

(Less generous readers might by alarmed at drugs and alcohol making regular appearances in the book, but it would be churlish, surely, to deny courageous first responders their off-duty recreation, given the horrors and other difficulties they cope with every day.)

In a flash (pun intended), Reynolds is leading a squad of fellow firefighter wannabes through a severe test of their skills, battling to bring under control a deliberately set but still vicious oil-tank fire.

Willing herself to keep the bucking hose trained on its target, she discovers the surge of unexpected strength that adrenaline brings and, elated, starts singing aloud, then and there, the song of the chapter’s title.

Successful in the assignment, “I felt like Queen of the Universe!” she thrills. “It was only when I looked down at myself – filthy, wet, muddy and stinking of burning oil – I realised that maybe I didn’t look like it.”

“Every Breath You Take” by the Police is the apt choice for the chapter in which the recruits learn to shoulder heavy oxygen apparatus as they’re thrust into life-strangling, smoke-blinded conditions described with suitably suffocating prose. The real-life situation that soon follows is genuinely terrifying.

Once finished with training and into her big rubber boots as a full-fledged fire-woman (she got a man’s uniform, of course, since there were none for women), Reynolds joined the crew at Thetford in Norfolk. The novelty in her achievement made her a celebrity. Chris Tarrant had her on his morning BBC TV show and made the mistake of asking if she was strong enough for the job. She hoisted him over her shoulders and carried him out of the studio.

Thetford turned out to be a busy posting. The AC/DC track “Highway to Hell” is the soundtrack for shivering recollections about a stretch of road infamous for its fatal accidents. Reynolds and her colleagues also dealt with forest fires, unexploded ordnance, a potentially toxic spill, suicides in the gloomy surrounding woods and, on one occasion, a monkey loose from the zoo.

She got on well with most of her co-workers. Reynolds brings a hard-headed feminism to her assessment of situations like hers, of women operating in a man’s world, but more often she advocates independence, integrity and toughness. Quitters, of either gender, need not apply.

At first lonely in Thetford, she eventually finds friends, then romance, and then heartbreak. The book holds more than one tragic personal loss.

But it ends with a wonderful surprise, involving a character who, when first introduced, looks like he’ll be nothing but trouble. Jo Reynolds kept encountering surprises like this – defeat turning into triumph – and the story she shares is all the more uplifting because it’s true, true and honest.

Fire Woman

By Josephine Reynolds

Published by Michael O’Mara Books, 2017

Available at Amazon.com, Bt426

Fun, fast and highly addictive, the mobile strategy game Clash of Clans, now available in Thai, draws you in with beautiful graphics and the chance to show other online users what you can do.
While not new, the multiplayer online game has recently been localised thanks to collaboration between Tencent (Thailand) and the Finnish game developer Supercell.

The game was released for iOS platforms on August 2, 2012, and on Google Play for Android on October 7, 2013, and became a global hit. It’s now available in 20 languages.
Tencent and Supercell are also providing support through a Facebook Fanpage and YouTube Channel in Thai, as well as a customer-support channel.
The game is free, but if you want to progress fast and be able to compete against other players, you’ll have to purchase the game’s gems, which are essential for buying facilities for your towns.
The gems can also help you cut short the building time of each facility. Five hundred gems cost Bt179, and you also earn gems for certain achievements.

You play a village chief in a fantasy world and must build your town and expand it while protecting it from attackers. You need gems, gold and elixir to do so.
You can build barracks for training troops, mines for harvesting elixir and gold and storage facilities for the resources gathered. You can also erect builders’ huts so you have enough workers. Gem packages and special builders help speed up your construction, but they come at a price.

Once you have barracks, you can expand your army by training troops and upgrading the barracks so you can unlock more types of troops. You can also build a factory to brew magic spells, and a laboratory to make the spells stronger.
With a large enough army and strong spells, you can mount an attack on the Goblin Horde in a single-player game.
But the real fun is in playing against other online players around the world to earn tropes and collect loot. You can unlock your clan and join other players and experience Clan Wars. You can fight massive wars against enemy clans to earn bonus loot, Clan Xp and Clan perks.
I tried the game on an Android phone and found the graphics fluid and beautiful. The characters walked smoothly.
If you like strategy games, you will definitely find Clash of Clans very addictive.

KEY SPECS

– Required: iOS 7.0 or Android 4.0.3
– Developer: Supercell
– Publisher in Thailand: Tencent
– InApp Purchases: Bt35-Bt3,500
– Fanpages: http://www.Facebook.com/clashofclansthofficial, http://www.instagram.com/clashofclans

Sony CMTSX7 is a multifunction Hi-Fi system with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology that has powerful and good-quality sounds and gives you networked speakers.

The SX7 is a CD player, FM tuner, DAB digital radio receiver, Bluetooth speaker system, Wi-Fi speaker system, USB music player, USB DAC speaker system for your computer, and a Chromecast speaker system with Chromecast built in.

Best of all, the SX7 supports High-Resolution Audio files that have about five times the detail of CD-quality music, so you can enjoy music just as the artists and producers intended.

The SX7 has powerful music with 50×2 watts of music output. It comes with two high-quality speakers, each 14.5×24.5×22.5cm, so the system can easily fill your living room with stereo music.

The SX7 is powered by an SMaster HX digital amplifier, which is 100-per-cent digital for more power without distortion, improving efficiency and reducing size.

The SMaster HX amp is also enhanced for High-Resolution Audio, so it reduces noise levels for the precision needed with high-frequency ranges (above 40kHz).

You can enjoy Hi-Res Audio files stored on a USB drive or by connecting the SX7 to your desktop or notebook computer, using a USB cable and a Sony Hi-Res player.

Or you can stream Hi-Res Audio from a music player to the SX7, which supports the LDAC codec. LDAC is audio technology from Sony that allows you to enjoy high-quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. With three times the data transmitted, LDAC provides an enhanced wireless listening experience for all your music.

Although you can’t play non-Hi-Res Audio files on the SX7, you can still enjoy the music with Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX (DSEE HX). The DSEE HX upscales your compressed digital music files (MP3, ACC, ATRAC and WMA) and takes it closer to the quality of High-Resolution Audio.

By restoring the high-range sound lost in the compression process, DSEE HX produces your digital music files in rich, natural sound, closer to the quality of the original recording.

What makes using the SX7 more fun is its Wi-Fi and builtin Chromecast functions.

With Wi-Fi built in, the SX7 can be enjoyed in several wireless functions. It supports AirPlay, allowing you to play music stored on your Apple products, such as an iPad and Macbook computer, with ease.

And when the SX7 is used with Sony’s Music Center (formerly SongPal), the SX7 supports multiroom audio settings, meaning you can use your smartphone or tablet to group several SX7 units in separate rooms as your audio network.

You can then use the Music Center app to play the same songs or different songs to the SX7 or other speaker models that support this technology. You can also stream music from different music services, a PC or your DLNA network to these group speakers.

You can set up your own music server, using either Apple’s iTune or Sony’s Media Go, and use the Music Center to play music from your server to the SX7.

With the builtin Chromecast, you can stream music, podcasts and Internet radio stations with over 100 audio apps to your phone or tablet to the SX7. The apps include Tunein Radio, Google Play Music, 7-digital Music and Deezer.

Using the Chromecast function has several benefits. It can save the battery of your phone or tablet because it makes a direct connection to the music streaming service. And using Chromecast, you can enjoy music while playing a game or taking a call and your game sounds or your conversation will not interfere with the music being played.

To link the SX7 to your home Wi-Fi router, there are three ways to do it. The easiest way is to use the remote to activate the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) and then press the WPS button of your router, and the Wi-Fi connection will be established.

Once the Wi-Fi connection is done, you can enjoy the AirPlay function, Chromecast function, and DLNA music streaming and multiroom music function.

During the test, I enjoyed playing Hi-Res Audio format of FLAC 24bit/192kHz stored on a thumb drive. The music had clarity, good detail and powerful bass.

Streaming Hi-Res Audio songs from Sony NWA25 Walkman, using LDAC Bluetooth connection also resulted in good-quality music.

I also used the Chromecast function by casting from Sony’s Music app on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium to the SX7 without any problem. The music sounded good.

I tried streaming from an iPad and Macbook Pro using iTune and AirPlay. The music control was easy and the music quality sounded great as well. I could also play music on my notebook computer using the Windows Media Player to stream the music to the SX7 and the sound quality was great.

The Sony CMTSX7 has a suggested retail price of Bt15,990.

KEY SPECS

– Speaker size: 14.5 x 24.5 x 22.5 cm

– Output: 100 watts

– Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi, NFC, AirPlay, Chormecast builtin, Spotify connect

– Functions: USB, USB DAC, CD, tuner,

input, output terminals: Analog Audio Input, Digital Audio Input, Ethernet Portm FM/AM Antenna, Headphone Output, Speaker Output(s) Front, USBA Port, USBB Port

– Dimensions: 22.5 x 11.5 x 26.3 cm

– Weight: 2.7 kgs

And the studio will be partnering with Physique 57, the barre-workout specialists from New York.

“We’re excited about the direction that Bangkok and the region’s fitness industry is taking and can’t wait to offer at our training concept to Sathorn,” says Base founder and chief executive Jack Thomas.

“Our original goal was to bring a truly international-standard fitness operation to Bangkok, so expanding within a year of our opening is a big step. It’s an exciting time for us.”

All the Base elements that are popular at its Sukhumvit studio will be available at the second branch, including its signature approach to high-intensity interval training and strength training.

Whether in group classes or a tailored personal-training programme, Base’s mix of cardiovascular and strength training is a hit because of its proven effectiveness in burning fat, improving fitness and building muscle.

The data-driven Baseline concept allows members to track their fitness levels and percentage of body fat versus muscle mass. The highly qualified coaching team then analyses the data to ensure the member’s training and nutrition regimen is optimised.

Base and Physique 57 are offering an eight-week “transformation package” that combines two proven training systems for maximum results.

All Base packages can be used at both branches. Group training classes start at Bt400 per session and personal training at Bt1,850. Unlimited class membership starts at Bt4,900 per month.

For the Sathorn launch, a 10-per-cent discount is being offered on all packages, and the eight-week transformation package with Physique 57 will be offered to the first 25 members for Bt15,000.

Keep up to date at http://www.Facebook.com/BASE Bangkok.

The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and Agricultural Research Development Agency Public Organization will be hosting activities through Sunday (August 27) in central Bangkok.

These include the fourth International Rice Bran Oil Conference at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel on August 24 and 25, co-organised with Naresuan University.

It will bring together experts from 22 organisations as far away as India and Japan. The use of rice-bran oil in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics will be one focus in an event designed to put Thailand at the forefront of the field.

The exhibition “25 Years of the TRF: Promote Human Development, Create Knowledge and Create Future” will be in Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall on August 25 and 26.

Each TRF unit will outline its outstanding research projects amid discussions on public health, agriculture and support for TRF scholarship and products.

The NRCT’s Thailand Research Expo at Centara Grand at CentralWorld from August 23 to 27 has as its theme “Research for developing the country to stability, prosperity, and sustainability”.

Plans include exhibitions honouring His Majesty the late King Bhumibol, regarded as “the Father of Thai Research”, and His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Now in its 12th year, the exposition highlights research projects around the country, and this year more than 1,000 undertakings will be examined. Among them is the “LeO-Trap” mosquito-fighting device invented by Drs Usawadee Tawara and Apiwat Thawatsin of the Department of Medical Sciences.

It takes the form of a small jar made of black plastic. Mosquitoes are chemically lured into the tall gap between top and bottom and lay their eggs, but the liquid inside kills the larvae – 500 mosquitoes dead in the space of a week, studies found, and the dangers of dengue fever avoided.

Professor Alisa Soontornwat of Huachiew Chalermprakiet University’s Faculty of Science and Technology has concocted a healthy jelly drink that’s beneficial to elderly people and promises to add value to Thai-grown mulberry and namdokmai mango, which are high in antioxidants and other nutrients.

Professor Sitthichai Samanchai of Ubon Ratchathani University’s Faculty of Applied Arts and Architecture demonstrates that research doesn’t just apply to science.

He and his community assistants in Korat have come up with a way to weave and dye fabric so it matches the look and texture of a lotus blossom – the bloom of the pink Ubon lotus, to be exact. Sitthichai calls it “Pagleebbua”.

The innovation is expected to both help preserve Ubon weaving traditions and carry the local textile trade into the future. Pagleebbua looks like it will be popular, promising weavers a good income – it currently sells for Bt8,000 per two metres.

The week holds many other surprises –amphibious houses for use in emergency situations, a miniature sausage cutter, a mobile museum, a “life lamp” and a “bird’s nest light detector”.

Find out more at http://www.ReseachExpo.nrct.go.th.

Pilates is an exercise that anyone can enjoy. The class involves performing slow and precise movements in repetition with an emphasis on developing the overall balance of the body through improving core strength, flexibility and awareness in order to support efficient and graceful movement. This exercise develops pelvic strength, scapula stability and abdominal control, using focused breathing patterns as well as improved posture by strengthening core muscles, stretching out tight areas and helping to reduce back pain.

The classes are held every Friday from 6.30 to 7.30pm and Saturday from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

For those wanting to try the class before committing, the fitness centre provides a special offer for non-members at only Bt400 per session. You can also save money by purchasing 10 sessions for Bt3,500 or 20 sessions for Bt6,000.

For more information and advance bookings, call (02) 100 6299.