KNOWN FOR its orchards that produce such popular fruits as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and longkong, the eastern province of Chanthaburi is working hard to showcase its potential as a culinary destination where visitors can learn about the unique local produce, savour recipes cooked up by the old generation and sample the creative twists dreamt up by younger natives.

Of course, not everyone grows fruit on this fertile land. On her 30-rai farm in Klong Plu sub-district, about 40 kilometres from Muang district, Sivaporn “Bess” Iamjitkusol practises organic farming based on an integrated and sustainable agricultural system. Garden vegetables such as coriander, long bean, cucumber, kale, chilli, holy basil and water morning glory fertilised with bio compost are among her main produce.

Sivaporn Iamjitkusol, far right, leads visitors to learn about her organic farming based on integrated and sustainable agricultural system in Klong Plu sub-district of Chanthaburi. 

“My farm has 10 water gates to generate water flow to the crops. Growing rambutan requires a lot of water. It means that I have to open all my water gates for about two days to provide enough water to nurture the trees. For my vegetables, I only need to open the water gates for 15-minute sessions in morning and evening,” says Sivaporn, 65.

A severe drought three years ago caused tremendous damage to fruit orchards throughout the province but Sivaporn’s farm was able to survive the crisis. Mixed crops, she stresses, help in managing risks from unpredictable weather.

The practice involves multiple cropping and keeping different types of animals such as ducks, geese and cows. Some mangosteen, longkong and rambutan trees also grow but are not the main crops. Hardwood trees like takien thong (malabar ironwood) provide shade for the mangosteens and the fruit responds to its natural umbrella with a shining and smooth skin.

Visitors are also served foods prepared by the descendants of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi.

A Bangkok native, Sivaporn worked in construction and lived in a polluted environment for several years. Her health suffered and she decided to quit her job and left the metropolis to buy this pot of land 28 years ago, following the sufficiency philosophy conceived and developed by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej to sustain Thailand’s agricultural sector.

“I want to develop the organic products that are good for my own health and other people’s. Food should be produced with safe, quality materials, while the production process should be environmentally friendly, without the use of chemicals. I can guarantee that my products are 100-per-cent organic,” Sivaporn says.

She is happy to share her farming practices with interested visitors and also offers farm stays. She also promotes the culture of the Chong – the indigenous people of Chanthaburi – through their cuisine to anyone who visits her farm. Sivaporn can arrange a farm tour for a group of visitors (15 people up) and provide a set menu of five or six dishes prepared by Chong descendants together with fruit. The cost is a very reasonable Bt350 per person.

Papaya salad

Chong people are also found in the neighbouring provinces of Trat and Rayong and it is believed they have lived in the area since the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It is also thought they were early inhabitants of Cambodia, probably pre-dating the Khmer.

They were known as cultivators and gatherers of cardamom – the herb that is largely grown in Chanthaburi. In the past, they lived in small, remote, isolated villages that were often located in heavily forested areas. Only a handful of elderly people still speak the language that is linguistically similar to Khmer.

“There are still thousands of Chong descendants living in Chanthaburi’s three main districts of Khao Khitchakood, Pong Nam Ron and Makham as well as in Trat and Rayong. In the past, the Chong hunted animals for their antlers and tusks for merchants to export to China,” says Chong descendant Chern Panpai, the head of the Cultural Council of Chanthaburi’s Khao Khitchakood.

During the farm tour, Chern and his neighbours prepare Chong-style dishes such as coconut and shrimp paste dip and chicken curry with pumpkin and serve them with fermented rice noodles and boiled fruits like bananas and papayas, as well as shredded papaya salad.

“Herbs and vegetables are the primary foods of Chong, which is why they are healthy and live long lives. Nam prik kati (coconut and shrimp paste dip) is prepared in almost every home. The coconut cream is slowly simmered with shrimp paste until almost dry and the dip is eaten with fresh or blanched vegetables and boiled fruits. Minced pork or fish can be added,” he explains.

“Shredded papaya salad is also unique. The shredded papaya is seasoned with ma-euk (hairy-fruited eggplant), chilli, ground dried fish, and shredded onion. Grated coconut can also be roasted with salt and eaten with steamed rice,” says Chern, 82.

A variety of fresh seafood and local favourite ingredients are available at Charoen Suk Market in Muang district.

The best spot to learn about local produce is Charoen Suk Market in Muang district that is open daily from 2 to 8pm. Home to more than 200 merchants, the market was renovated four years ago and took its clean market model from the Aor Tor Kor market in Bangkok. The carefully selected products are categorised into sections and range from fresh seafood, meats, herbs and vegetables to cooked-to-order food and consumer goods.

At the Lek-Khiew Seafood stall, Pairoh Pohthong gathers fresh seafood sourced from the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand. Her wares include longtail tuna, grouper, sea bass, squid and shrimp – all selected for their freshness and large size. Next door to her is a stall run by Nongkhran Satjasai who proudly presents the tiny-shaped mollusk the locals call hoy med krasun, which literally translates as bullet-shaped mollusks.

Cha muang leaves

“The rounded and ribbed shell is similar to hoy khaeng (cockle) but not as strong. These mollusks live in the deep sea and can normally be fished in June. However, for five years, fishermen didn’t find any. They seem to have come back this year. The locals normally blanch them and soak for a while in fish sauce before eating them,” says Nongkhran.

Cardamom

Kra waan (cardamom) and cha muang (garcinia cowa leaves) – the two main ingredients that Chanthaburi locals use in the curry and salad – as well as a variety of curry pastes can be found at the stall Paa Nual run by Suthida Thopsri. If you want to cook the popular local delicacy of gaeng moo cha muang (pork belly curry with sour cha muang leaves), Suthida can arrange a set of ingredients and explain how to prepare it.

The legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana, whose second branch is shown here, offers a variety of local delicacies.

If you don’t want to cook but prefer to try different local favourites, look no further than the legendary restaurant Chanthorn Pochana that has been in business for nearly 60 years and was the first restaurant in the province to receive the culinary hallmark of Shell Chuan Chim. The restaurant now has two outlets in the Maharaj and Benjama Rachutit areas. Here you can find pork curry with cha muang leaves that is cooked to order or packaged in a can to take home.

Som tum with durian

“We want to promote local favourites to a wider group of people and also use local fruits in both savoury and sweet menus. Our restaurant brings together many food products from different communities in the province to promote local wisdom,” says Noztagon Vananan, the manager of the Benjama Rachutit branch.

Chicken massaman with durian

This season, diners can sample som tum with shredded young durian, chicken massaman with durian, stir-fried long bean with shrimp paste and dried shrimp, as well as pad thai with the province’s unique chewy rice noodle called sen chan. Pad thai sen chan is normally cooked with crispy fried whole baby crab but the taste is relatively sweet.

The 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan was held last weekend to promote local cuisine with creative twist.

To promote local cuisine with a contemporary twist, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi office organised the 100-seat chef table event called Proud Chan last weekend and invited two young Chanthaburi chefs to present a five-course menu based on local ingredients.

“Chanthaburi foods normally have sweet taste and make use of herbs such as cardamom and black pepper. They are partly influenced by Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. We want to reinterpret the local delicacies like pad thai sen chan, moo liang (braised pork in herbal broth) and rice slightly stir-fried with fleur de sel – the salt that is largely available in the province,” says 30-year-old Peeranat L Lorrasamee who also operates the Garage Cafe in Muang district.

 Peeranat L Lorrasamee, left and Nisayanun Pinkachan prepare dishes for the chef table-style dining.

He worked with 23-year-old female chef Nisayanun Pinkachan to present the local cuisine in a contemporary style while maintaining the authentic tastes.

Local ingredients like raew hom (bustard cardamom), brown sugar, ma pued (calamondin), cinnamon, hoy takom (Pacific oyster), as well as different kinds of fruits from durian, mangosteen, mango, longan, malva nut and salacca had a starring role.

The first course was moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice shaped into triangles and drizzled with brown sugar and chilled mangosteen in syrup. Chanthaburi-style stir-fried noodles with crab were served with a forgotten part of pork called lai lee – a chewy cut from the diaphragm – that was grilled and seasoned with cha muang sauce, together with durian-flavoured kanom jak. Kanom jak is made from ground coconut mixed with sticky rice flour, coconut cream and palm sugar and poured into long nipa leaf lengths, then grilled over a charcoal fire.

Moo liang served with Chinese-style, boiled sticky rice and chilled mangosteen in syrup

The large hoy takom were served fresh and seasoned with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce while the patong ko (deep-fried dough sticks) were lightly seasoned with sour-and-sweet clear sauce and served with mango sorbet.

Pacific oyster with Chanthaburi-style seafood sauce

“The theme was a one-day trip in Chanthaburi through a culinary journey. Diners today are increasingly interested in locally grown produce, artisanal and hand-crafted food and Chanthaburi has potential to match this food trend. I’m going to launch chef table-style dining called ‘One Night: One Table’ in the next two months at my own place for about 15 people at a time. So far, 20 groups have already booked,” says Nisayanun who trained at the Frog Hoxton restaurant in London.

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chanthaburi Office. 

A DECADE after arriving in Bangkok, the Barbara Barry flagship showroom has undergone a comprehensive facelift, vastly expanding the space to display fresh ideas in home decor.

Exclusive distributor Chanintr Living operates the showroom on the third floor of Siam Paragon. What customers now find resembles a simple yet elegant house filled with a wide range of luxury furniture, refined tableware, bedding and other products both from Barbara Barry and other manufacturers around the world.

Founder Barry, an experienced American interior designer, praises Chanintr Living for taking her brand “to another level”.

“This is like having my own beautiful home in Bangkok, where I live very well,” she says. “When people come to Barbara Barry, we now can get them not only the furniture but also pillows, sheeting, pyjamas and so many other things. Customers can get ideas for mixing and matching all these new things.”

The model living room is cosy and elegant with an Obi lounge chair that feels like it’s “hugging” you while you sit. The sculptural upholstery of cotton and linen atop a rounded wooden base has lovely topstitching details.

The Kukio chair has a tight seat and mahogany legs and is available in five finishes. At the back of the contemporary upholstery are two decorative vertical seams.

The tailored Surround Sectional sofa with a supportive seat and durable bronze legs features inviting loose seat cushions and a tight back with arms and throw pillows for extra comfort.

“My furniture is casual but elegant,” Barry says. “I take my inspiration from nature. When I look outside or walk in the garden, I just think about the shapes I see and how nature is so perfectly composed in an array of neutral earth colours that complement one another. I’m not a designer who uses bright blue or red or yellow.

“What’s most notable about nature is that everything is timeless and soft.

“The showroom isn’t too feminine or masculine. It’s balanced. Perhaps the husband wants modern furnishings and the wife wants ‘pretty’. That can cause friction, but here they can come together.”

For their mealtimes, the Encircle dining table with an octagonal base has a subtle veneer and patterned top. The sensually coved edge all round is accented with burnished gold leaf, while light plays off the rhythmic fluting of the base sitting on bronze pads.

The Canyon Swivel dining chair is as versatile as it is functional, inviting conversation in all directions. The X-form base ensures stability and the seat floats on a floral stem. The back is barrel-shaped tightly upholstered for comfort.

In one corner of the showroom are fine porcelain and ceramic tableware by Augarten and striking leather lifestyle products from Italy.

“My whole career and my whole life have really been spent in appreciation,” Barry says. “At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of how the house comes together and how it feels.

“I’ve done many homes and I can teach people how to put a room together in layers. A good tip is to ‘dream’ the feeling you want in the room.

“I don’t believe in trends. I love circles and curves. I like softness and colour changes, but it’s always neutral colours, easy to live with. We don’t need too many things, but we need nice things. We need quality and things in simple shapes.”

Barry also offers a wide assortment of products exclusively designed for her, like the Pink Peony Catchall shopping bag made from upcycled sailcloth, BB Basic Bed linens and cotton towels and BB loungewear inspired by the softness of marshmallow gauze.

MORE THAN A MERE HOME

>> The Barbara Barry showroom by Chanintr is on the third floor of Siam Paragon. It’s open daily from 10am to 7pm.

>> Find out more at (02) 129 4577.

SONY RX0 Mark II is a premium, tough digital camera that allows you to capture good-quality photos despite its tiny size.

The RX0 II has a footprint of only 59×40.5x35mm and weighs just 117 grams without the battery or microSD card, but it can capture 15-megapixel photos in 3:2 format and good-quality 4K video.

Its diminutive size and weight allow you to carry it in your pocket all the time, ready to grab images whenever you encounter something interesting.

The camera can capture beautiful images even in dim light thanks to the powerful 1.0-type sensor and low-distortion Zeiss Tessar T lens.

The camera can also send the photos and video clips to your phone for instant sharing on your social networks.

The RX0 II is so compact that it rests comfortably in the palm, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

There are two separate shutter buttons on top, one for stills and the other for video, but if you buy an optional shooting grip, you can much more conveniently press the shutter buttons.

The shooting grip has a USB cable to link to the camera and the grip also provides a button for zooming in and out, making it more convenient to switch between telephoto and normal focal length.

The camera has no optical zoom, but instead 2x digital zoom of good quality. It will reduce the resolution from 15 to 7.7MP.

The excellent quality of images coming out of this tiny camera is attributed to the 1.0-type Exmor RS sensor and low-distortion wide-angle Tessar T 24mm-equivalent lens with an f/4.0 aperture and improved 20cm minimum-focus distance.

The LCD screen can be tilted 180 degrees to take pictures of yourself and video for your vlog. With the Picture Profiles feature and S-Log2, you can set the overall tone of movie productions from the camera body, adjusting parameters that affect the final look.

I found the RX0 II captured nice photos in most lighting conditions and the video taken using the grip was clear and not shaky.

The camera has a Soft Skin mode that reduces small facial wrinkles and improves skin dullness while preserving the clarity of your subject’s eyes and mouth.

The Eye AF function automatically focuses on your subject’s eyes, so portrait shots will not be out of focus.

The super-slow-motion mode running at speeds up to 1,000fps lets you to capture split-second action and enjoy it really slow. You can even shoot in full HD resolution at up to 120fps.

And the continuous-shooting capabilities allow you to better capture decisive moments of action and fleeting facial expressions. Up to 12,916 JPEG (Standard) images can be shot in one burst.

The Anti-Distortion shutter is capable of speeds of up to 1/32,000 of a second and is designed to minimise the “rolling shutter” phenomenon, which can distort images of fast-moving objects.

The Mark II version has a new interval-recording feature that enables continuous shooting at a set interval, anywhere between one and 60 seconds. These still images can then be edited into a time-lapse movie on a PC.

The RX0 II comes in a rugged and robust construction with a duralumin body. The body is built to withstand the impact of a drop from a height of two metres.

The camera is dustproof waterproof in both fresh water and seawater. There’s no need to safeguard against rainwater or splashed drinks, and you can also shoot comfortably in beach settings with sand blowing around without needing a special case or other accessories.

It’s also crushproof, rated for up to 200 kgf/2000 N, so you can carry the camera around without worrying about damage.

The camera can be wirelessly controlled from a phone or tablet with Sony’s Imagine Edge Mobile app. This gives you greater flexibility in positioning your cameras to create stunning shots or videos.

It links to your phone with the same app so you can download the video and then edit it with the Movie Edit app. This add-on will also keep your subject in-frame automatically, even when you crop movies for phone portraits and sharing online.

The app works the camera’s gyro sensor and image stabiliser for editing the videos to look smooth, as if they were shot with a gimbal. You can create videos with multiple aspect ratios from one video file for efficient posting online.

Sony’s RX0 II has a suggested retail price of Bt21,990. The VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip costs Bt3,190. Get them packaged together for Bt23,990.

KEY SPECS

Sensor: 1.0inchtype (0.52 x 0.35 inch) Exmor RS CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2, with 15.3 MP resolution

Lens: Zeiss Tessar T Lens, 6 elements in 6 groups (6 aspheric elements), 24mm focal length, f/4.0 aperture

Screen: 1.5inch (4:3) / 230,400 dots / Clear Photo / TFT LCD

Image processing engine: Bionz X

Electronic shutter: 1/4 in, 1/32000

Focus type: Contrastdetection AF

Focus mode: Singleshot AF, Preset Focus, Manual Focus

ISO sensitivity: ISO12525600

Video resolution: 4K 30p (3840×2160)

Interface: Multi/Micro USB Terminal10, HiSpeed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI, Microphone jack(3.5mm Stereo mini jack)

Wireless connectivity: WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1

Battery: 240 shots per charge, 60 minutes of video shooting

Dimensions: 59×40.5x35mm

Weight: 132g (battery and microSD card included)

Anand Panyarachun became Thailand’s prime minister in 1991 in the wake of a military coup and then a second time following what’s aptly enough described as a “people’s coup” against the generals, culminating in the awful conflagration of Black May 1992. What citizens were protesting against at the time was “a sham democracy – a continuation of the junta in civilian attire”.

The crunch of that line could not possibly be louder today.

In his thoroughly absorbing, 500-page biography of a man whose unimpeachable personal and professional ethic continues to inspire hope perhaps more than that of anyone else in modern Thai history, Dominic Faulder demonstrates his fairness in not extrapolating on the “sham democracy” phrase. He knows the parallel with the Thai politics of this very day is amply self-evident.

This is a key part of the tremendous value of “Anand Panyarachun and the Making of Modern Thailand”.

Faulder, who’s attached to the Nikkei Asian Review, has not only given us a meticulous portrait of a remarkable, multifaceted individual, but he also illuminates the stunning similarities – and contrasts too – that exist between today’s political scenario and that of just a few decades ago.

The contrasts include the current paucity of public dissent over egregious government disdain for basic freedoms, and over corruption that persists despite being targeted for reform by the Prayut Chan-o-cha regime.

Siam was not and Thailand has never been exempted from the murk and intrigue of political gamesmanship on either a domestic or international scale, but until very recent times there was always evidence of noble righteousness.

Apart from fleeting appearances as a United Nations goodwill ambassador and as chairman until this past spring of SCB, Anand, 86, is rarely seen in the news nowadays. But his name continues to be invoked as an embodiment of that righteousness, as a pragmatic statesman who never lost sight of the public good and the genuine national interest.

Faulder’s book illustrates again and again how Anand could alternately be tactful or domineering as circumstances required, and always unwaveringly forthright and honest in a world given to trickery and subterfuge.

The biography – published late last year but enjoying a fresh launch this coming Thursday morning at Chulalongkorn University, where the author will discuss its content (and hopefully current events as well) with Kasit Piromya, Abhisit Vejjajiva’s foreign minister – goes well beyond the promise of its title.

Anand was indeed at the forefront of virtually every occurrence of the past half-century shaping today’s Thailand, by turns a driver and navigator on what Faulder describes as the nation’s “very rocky road to constitutional democracy that has yet to reach its destination”.

As a Foreign Affairs Ministry civil servant, his opinion was sought when Preah Vihear (Khao Phra Viharn) came before the International Court of Justice in 1954. His was the guiding hand when Kukrit Pramoj met Mao Zedong. His was a key voice in getting American troops out of Thailand at the close of the Indochina War in 1975.

This is no mere reading of the historical record, however. None of the associated aspects of these events are overlooked. The expulsion of US forces took place against the backdrop of a homegrown communist insurgency whose divisive legacy continues to pose challenges, and this too is carefully weighed. And the book’s account of the Ramasun espionage incident – the “final straw” in America’s sluggishness to depart – is fascinating.

Anand was Thailand’s acting permanent secretary to the United Nations for so long that he was kidded about the “acting” part, and during that time he was also serving concurrently as ambassador to both Canada and the US. He enjoyed his time in those countries, even as he’d enjoyed his schooldays in England, so it came as a disappointment when Chatichai Choonhavan, then foreign minister, ordered him home in 1975 to become permanent secretary at the ministry.

The chapter about what ensued is telling in its subheads – “Ruffling feathers” (among the military), “A new broom”, “Grating the Americans”. Those pushbacks against the old illiberal order, typical of Anand, made him so many enemies that, in the fallout from the 1976 massacre at Thammasat University, masterfully recounted here, he was doomed.

The ferociously anti-communist junta that felled Seni Pramoj went straight for Anand, who “had negotiated with China and shown the American military the door”. Though left with few defenders, he was formally acquitted of what Anand calls “manifestly false” charges, reinstated at the ministry, and named ambassador to West Germany.

Anand’s eventual departure from the civil service and migration into the private sector seemed natural and, if not for what occurred next, inconsequential to politics.

Faulder’s detailed account of the February 1991 coup constitutes a thriller in itself, even if it happened to be “one of the most surreptitious in Thai history”. That same night, citizen Anand was assured, he could go ahead and host as planned an annual reunion of the Old England Students Association at the Shangri-La, where we find a youthful Abhisit mulling a career in politics. Just days later, coup leader Suchinda Kraprayoon asked Anand to be prime minister.

He felt it was his duty to accept, to salvage a country that was “drifting”, but made clear his terms as to when the junta could and could not interfere in his governing. The junta reluctantly agreed and over the next 13 months begrudgingly acknowledged that Anand was both lending it legitimacy and helping the nation move forward.

This was a time, and the reminders are most welcome, when Thailand evolved in a sudden lurch out of the dark ages of telecommunications quicksand and unruly taxis, when social reform became the norm, when genuine progress was seen to be made.

The March 1992 election that ended Anand’s first premiership led to a squabble that saw the junta pressure Suchinda to assume the PM’s post, and then, very swiftly, came the cataclysm of Black May, what Faulder calls “the ‘civilian coup’ that made the greatest impression on global consciousness”. I have read no better accounting of that extraordinary series of events that ultimately required the full, centuries-old and measured might of the monarchy to resolve.

This book, six years’ labour, 60-plus meetings and more than 200 hours of interviews with Anand, cannot be recommended highly enough. It is about Khun Anand, of course, but it’s also about how Thailand came to be the way it is today.

The names of politicians still very much active and influential tumble from the pages. Those of important players now deceased resolve into sharper focus in the modern context, as well as their contributions to it.

And there are many anecdotal surprises along the way, involving for example Asean’s origins and Anand preparing for King Bhumibol’s visit to Montreal in 1967 and sweating because, unlike His Majesty, he couldn’t speak French. Four years earlier, President John Kennedy watched a preview of the movie “The Ugly American”, set in a country much like Thailand, where it was filmed.

Taking umbrage, Kennedy asked his ambassador in Bangkok to request that the King and Queen shun the movie’s local premiere.

His Majesty’s response: “I am going to the opening. You, after all, have ‘The King and I’.”

Anand Panyarachun and the Making of Modern Thailand

By Dominic Faulder

Published by Editions Didier Millet, 2018

Available at Amazon.com, US$24

(Bt750, hardcover)

Short-video platform TikTok made an appearance at the recent Techsauce Global Summit where its representatives talked about TikTok’s mission in capturing and presenting the world’s creativity, knowledge and precious life moments. Surayot Aimlaor, marketing director TikTok Thailand, also illustrated how TikTok’s key features allow users to create, edit and share a unique a 15-second video on mobile and become part of the creative community worldwide.

In his keynote speech, Surayot unveiled TikTok’s visions along with its key success as the world’s leading social platform for users to express talent and creativity through cutting-edge technology right from their mobile device.

In the less than two years since its launch in late 2017, TikTok has rocketed to the top and is now the most downloaded application on both Play Store and App Store worldwide.

TikTok is a rising-star social platform for brands to communicate with their target audiences in a variety and number of executions. It has also enjoyed success in conducting talk-of-the-town partnership campaigns with such brands as Big Mountain Music Festival, S2O Songkran Festival, and SOS Children’s Village Thailand for its Send A Heart CSR campaign.

TikTok is now available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages with a robust localisation strategy to encourage users to create and interact with content relevant to local cultures and trends.

One Sunday afternoon in my senior year in college back in 1991, I watched Dass Entertainment’s “Onlaweng Phleng Nangfa” at MBK Hall with one of my best friends, having won a pair of tickets from a radio show quiz. I can still recall that we had a delightful time at what was Dass’s grandest stage production to date. Lighthearted and straightforward, the colourful mix of drama, action, comedy, romance and fantasy – the mixed-genre story of which Thai audiences are always fond – featured commendable performances by a large group of professional singers, stage thespians and aspiring young performers.

I had almost the same impression last Sunday afternoon at M Theatre when Dreambox revived the production with the new title “Nangfa: The Musical”. This was notwithstanding the fact that Daraka Wongsiri had considerably updated the book, added new songs and had others rearranged by a team of composers including veterans like Sutee Sangsareechon and Kaiwan Kulavadhanothai. No matter how pleasant the scenes with young and adult angels were back then and still are now, I couldn’t help but think how much fun they would have been with cross-gender casting, although it wouldn’t count as family entertainment in this conservative country.

As in many of Daraka’s works, female characters have meatier roles, and thanks in part to her longtime collaborator Silpathorn artist Suwandee Jakravoravudh, they came alive on stage. However, this also meant that the audience almost forgot that there’s a male lead character until the charismatic police officer Chanchai, incognito as a beggar, had a chance to pour his romantic heart out in solo number “Someone” towards the end, when Kemawat “Keng” Rerngtham’s heartfelt rendering brought smiles to our faces.

As the title character angel wondering why people no longer made wishes, Elisabeth “Rose KPN” Ruangkritya has developed, through different roles in Dreambox’s musicals, from a singer into a true musical theatre performer. Here she was equally comfortable singing, acting and dancing and could carry the whole show. Her charactisation work, marked by primness and properness in addition to optimism and even naivete reminding me of a preinternetera convent schoolgirl, was spoton, making it both charming and occasionally comical. Shining bright in the supporting role of Mai Fa was Nisachol “Nest AF” Siwthaisong whose singing prowess was well complemented by her deft comedic timing that reminded many audiences of another Dreambox regular Kanokwan Buranond. Almost unrecognisable in her thug character Sin who didn’t want to be called by her birthname Sinchai, was Phatchalarwaree “Jasmin” Damrongthamprasert, and allowed for a little gender diversity in the story now that our education ministry has put it in school textbooks.

Nangfa descended upon our City of Angels with five wishes for we humans, and right now I have two urgent ones to ask her. My first is that our country will soon be truly democratic, and that means her people all agree to disagree and believe that harmony is when people, young or old, think differently and accept that fact. My second is that all members of the new cabinet are really fit to each task and ready to push our country forward, not just those who need to be in charge simply because of their political, or familial, connections. But of course that wouldn’t be family entertainment and so to keep our mind off Thai politics for a few hours, we can simply enjoy this musical, in which none of the police are corrupt, with our kids.

“Nangfa” is the first of the three musicals this year when Dreambox – Dass as it was known in an earlier reincarnation – is celebrating the 33rd anniversary of their musical productions. Next up is the highly anticipated new work “Namngoen-Thae”, an adaptation of two-time SEA Write laureate Win Lyovarin’s novel coming to the stage in August, and then in November their revival of “Mae Nak”. We will probably have to leave our kids at home for both.

Two More Weekends

– “Nangfa: The Musical” continues this weekend and next at M Theatre, on New Phetchaburi Road, between Thong Lor and Ekamai. It’s staged on Saturday at 2pm and 7.30pm and on Sunday at 2pm.

– In Thai, with no English translation. Tickets are from Bt1,200 to Bt2,500 at http://www.Dreambox.co.th, and by calling (085) 416 66614.

Keris can be found in those parts of Southeast Asia infused with Malay culture – southern Thailand, southern Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia – but are most often associated with Indonesia and particularly Java and Bali. There they are embedded in complex socio-cultural realities as expressed in rituals, sacred ceremonies, performing arts, martial arts, epics and magic among others.

This rich tradition will be the focus of the book launch “Balinese Keris: Metal, Masculinity, Magic” at the Siam Society on July 9 at 7pm and at SEA Junction on July 14 at 5pm.

The book, written by cultural expert Garrett Kam and published by C Zwartenkot Art Books, encapsulates major aspects of Balinese keris from their manufacturing to their gender and spiritual dimensions. It describes the keris’ rich contexts while recognising the highly accomplished art of the blade, hilt and scabbard.

At the launch, the writer will talk about his book and perform a keris dance. In a symbolic gesture, he will then hand the book over to Pornrat Damrhung, professor of theatre and dramatic arts at Chulalongkorn University, as representative of the art and culture community in Thailand.

There will be limited copies of the book available for sale and the author will be glad to sign them on request.

Admission is free, but donations are most welcome to enable SEA Junction to continue its activities and keep events accessible to the public.

For more information and reservations, call (097) 002 4140, email southeastasiajunction@gmail.com, or visit http://www.SiamSociety.org.

The scratching of crayons on paper fills the air as the children at Lazare camp in war-ravaged Central African Republic draw scenes from daily life.

They draw armed men. Armoured vehicles. And they use red. Lots of red.

In a makeshift tent, glasses perched on her nose and her feet in the dust, psychologist Mamie Nouria Meniko pores over the creations — an indicator of the children’s mental health, and a much-needed outlet.

“Their problem is that they suffer daily exposure to violence,” she says.

The 43-year-old Congolese runs a Red Cross programme at the displaced people’s camp to identify and help kids suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Drawing helps children to express what they are feeling. It shows what children cannot say out loud,” Nouria Meniko says.

“Sometimes, some of them start crying as soon as they start drawing.”

The town of Kaga Bandoro housing the camp is a case study for the instability and violence that plagues the CAR.

Some 330 kilometres north of the capital Bangui, the town lies on a strategic junction of routes used by nomadic cattle-herders.

For five relentless years, Kaga Bandoro was in the hands of armed groups – militias who control four-fifths of the troubled country.

Typically claiming to defend specific ethnic groups or religions, the militias fight for resources and carry out extortion and acts of violence.

In a nationwide population of 4.5 million, thousands have lost their lives, nearly 650,000 have fled their homes and another 575,000 have left the country, according to UN figures as of December last year.

Many children have seen beatings, rape or murder. Some have seen their homes invaded, their parents humiliated, hurt, abducted or killed.

In Kaga Bandoro, relative calm returned last month with the arrival of the armed forces after the government and 14 warlords signed a peace pact in February – the eighth in a series of treaties.

For now at least, the militiamen are confined to their base, although sporadic violence continues on the outskirts of town.

The Red Cross programme has enabled Nouria Meniko to identify 233 children aged five to 15 who bear symptoms of PTSD.

Seated on a mat, she asks a group of six children: “Who had a bad dream last night?” Three hands are raised. Holding her little sister on her lap, 10-year-old Florine confides her nightmare.

“My mother and father came to pick me up but I told them I couldn’t come,” she says. Her parents were killed in 2013 by the Seleka, a mainly Muslim armed group.

To help the children manage their trauma, the psychologist teaches them breathing and relaxation techniques.

“When I feel bad, I do these exercises and I think of a nice meal,” says Florine, whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

To her right sits 12-year-old Herve, attending his third therapy session.

Herve’s drawings always show the same things: pickup trucks with machine guns mounted on the back. A body in a river. A hand in a well. A house on fire, with his dad inside.

“I have to draw to get the images out of my head and be able to sleep,” he says.

Herve’s mother, widowed by the Seleka in 2013, says the sessions have helped the boy and her relationship with him.

“Before, he used to cry all night. This week, he’s only woken up five times.”

The therapy also helps parents understand why a child may be craving attention or behaving aggressively.

“Before, when he didn’t obey me and did something silly, I used to hit him,” Herve’s mother admits.

“I didn’t understand. But now I know why he did that, and we talk to each other.”

Professor Jean-Chrysostome Gody, the head doctor at Bangui’s paediatric hospital, says mental problems linked to conflict are widespread in a country that has been gripped by violence since 2003.

But the issue is also taboo.

“It’s a real public-health problem,” Gody says. “Untreated trauma can cause depression and even lead to violence – it fuels the vicious circle.”

Children such as Florine and Herve who have witnessed extreme violence have a lifelong burden, adds Nouria Meniko.

“We can’t wipe out anything out,” the psychologist says with a sigh. “What we try to do is to help them live with the trauma.”

From the Zen capital of Los Angeles to the Champs Elysees comes the calming voice of a British Buddhist monk-turned entrepreneur, introducing American-style online mindfulness to the stressed-out French.

“Relax your muscles, breathe,” Andy Puddicombe, the bronzed co-founder of the app Headspace, intones by videoconference to a roomful of participants gathered on Paris’s ultra-chic shopping artery.

The Englishman and his French team are hoping to replicate the US success of Headspace with a French-language version, in a market where New Age philosophies from the “Anglo-Saxon” world are often viewed askance.

Its path has been helped by the success of French mindfulness app PetitBambou, which launched in 2015 – five years after Headspace – and claims more than three million users in France for its free and paid platforms.

Both apps use guided meditations for an array of situations – from coping with bereavement to just getting through a difficult day at work – with support from online counsellors, funky animations and videos.

In France as in the United States, Britain and elsewhere, companies have been signing up to subscriptions for their employees.

PetitBambou says it has secured “hundreds of licenses” from companies such as Deloitte and railways group SNCF and that it has nothing to fear from Headspace, which along with rival Calm has come to dominate the US market.

In a Paris studio, working on voice recordings for the app, PetitBambou co-founder Benjamin Blasco said his company was in any case aiming for the long haul.

“We broke even three years ago. We will not sacrifice anything on the altar of marketing,” he says.

“We do not try at all costs to keep people in the app,” he adds, “but to solicit a two-way exchange and tailor therapy to the user’s needs. Meditation is not a miracle tool, rather a mental hygiene: what’s essential is regular practice.”

Investors are certainly buying into the concept. Calm – which like Headspace was co-founded by a British emigre to California, Michael Acton Smith – raised $88 million (Bt2.75 billion) from a fundraising round in February.

That gave it a valuation of $1 billion, which Smith noted made Calm the first “mental health unicorn”.

“Unicorns” are start-up companies with a billion-plus valuation.

But like Headspace, Calm has its sights set further afield. In Britain it has enlisted actor and TV presenter Stephen Fry to record bedtime stories for use on a popular feature that helps users get to sleep.

“America is only 4.5 percent of the total global population, so there are a lot of other people that can enjoy the product and help the company grow,” Smith told CNBC after the investment round.

According to figures from Marketdata, the US mindfulness market as a whole including the dozens of apps on offer topped $1 billion in 2017, and should double that by 2022.

Helped by the growth in apps, a survey by the National Centre for Health Statistics found 14 per cent of Americans had meditated in 2017, a threefold increase in five years.

Headspace alone says it has 50 million users worldwide, and has raised $75 million from investors in total, despite marketing a product that preaches “digital detox”.

The paradox is not lost on Richard Pierson, the company’s other British co-founder.

“Although there is the irony that the phone is probably causing us a lot of our stress, our hope is that by using Headspace, you’ll be able to teach yourself the techniques that you need to learn in order to be able to use your phone in a more mindful way,” he says.

Many of the techniques in mindfulness apps are rooted in Buddhism and have long been familiar to practitioners in Asia. But what, if any, science underpins the apps?

Boosters got new backing with a US scientific study released in late April that looked at the effects of an experimental mindfulness app aimed at smokers.

The app helped many participants cut their smoking or give up altogether, by helping to rewire impulses in the brain linked to addiction.

The world of mindfulness “has become a business, but there is an ethical dimension”, comments Dominique Steiler, a professor at the Grenoble Ecole de Management who specialises in the “well-being” economy. Apps “are a good way to get started”, but users should be encouraged ultimately to sever the smartphone cord and meditate alone, he says.

Making recycling “fun and sexy” is what Taiwanese entrepreneur Arthur Huang hopes to achieve through his mini Trashpresso – a mobile recycling plant that converts plastic waste into consumer products such as coasters and candlemakers.

The Trashpresso consists of a 12m container housing a solid waste processing line.

It is the first innovation of its kind to be showcased in Singapore and was displayed at a Recycle Right event in Toa Payoh on Saturday (June 15). The Trashpresso compacts the recycling process into three steps – reducing the size of the plastic waste, purification and reshaping.

Likened in appearance to a “candy-making machine” by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor, it can transform 135 grams of pellets or recycled flakes into a set of three colourful hexagon-shaped coasters in less than 10 minutes.

Speaking at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub atrium, Dr Khor noted that Mr Huang’s company Miniwiz has been “innovative in converting waste materials into beautiful products”.

“If you recycle right, you can turn trash into treasure,” she said. For instance, when used bottle caps are shredded into plastic flakes and placed into the Trashpresso, they are transformed into coasters after the three-step process.

“This will help extend the life of these materials. … This is what we call a circular economy approach. Giving our waste plastic a second lease of life,” she said.

Recycling right has taken on new urgency as the amount of waste disposed of in Singapore has, in the past 40 years, jumped seven times to 7.7 million tonnes last year – enough to fill 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and the contamination rate of the blue recycling bins is at a high 40 per cent, Dr Khor said.

Even though the country incinerates its waste, if Singaporeans continue to waste resources at the current rate, the country’s only landfill at Semakau will run out of space by 2035.

To help Singapore in its efforts towards becoming a zero waste nation, the answer may lie in decentralising the recycling process, said Mr Huang, founder and chief executive of Miniwiz, which develops recycled plastic materials for use in building construction, interior design and consumer products.

Founded in 2004, the company moved its headquarters to Singapore last November. It has an R&D centre in Taiwan, a manufacturing plant in Shenzhen, as well as an office each in Beijing and Milan.

“Four years ago, we wanted to create a machine that rewards people for recycling,” said Mr Huang, who developed it with his team.

“The idea is to get it closer and closer to consumers. We are now in talks with many shopping malls and hotel chains in Singapore, which produce a lot of trash for recycling.

“We are planning to launch the mini Trashpresso and the smart trash collecting Robin system in Shanghai in October. But there will be a mini Trashpresso set up in Singapore. We are still deciding whether we should make it automated, or let humans do the recycling.”

The Robin is a trash sorting system that allows users to track and earn points if they sort the waste correctly.

Recycling right is not difficult or time consuming, Dr Khor said.

“First, read the labels on the blue recycling bins … and we will be changing this so it is even clearer … to find out what recyclables you can put in,” she said. Clothes, toys, shoes and pillow cases are not recyclable.

“Second, make sure your recyclables in blue recycling bins are clean and dry. Any packaging with food or liquids will contaminate the other recyclables. This will waste the efforts of other Singaporeans who are doing their part.

“Third, you do not need to sort the materials that you put into the blue bins. We practise a co-mingled recycling system.”

Dr Khor explained that this means recyclables will be sorted centrally at material recovery facilities after they are collected from the blue bins.