TODAY IS International Women’s Day, the occasion on which the world officially celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women.

Like other countries, Thailand has many women who merit that honour, among them Professor Emeritus Dr Wannee Nitiyanant of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, a specialist in endocrinology and metabolism, who has been passing on her knowledge to medical students and doctors for more than four decades.

A long-time social advocate on health issues, Dr Wannee recently turned 72, but has shown no signs of slowing down, and is as active as ever in masterminding the country’s many health campaigns.

The president of the Diabetes Association of Thailand under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Wannee organised a four-kilometre run-walk and a seminar on diabetes in women to mark World Diabetes Day.

Diabetes is a massive global problem and Thailand is as affected as anywhere. Recently published World Health Organisation statistics show that the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 and that it is especially prevalent in middle and low-income countries.

Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. In 2015, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Already on the global agenda since the beginning of the century, world leaders recently committed to reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), of which diabetes is one, by one third by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, recent WHO reports indicate that the world will struggle to meet that target. Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are major risk factors for chronic disease.

Dr Wannee, who is also president of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand’s Network of Fatless Belly Thais and the Thai NCDs Alliance, emphasises the importance of personal and family health care and diet, adding that the current rate of women with diabetes is high, especially in those who are overweight or obese

“Women are at greater risk for diabetes than men because of their body physique, eating habits and lack of exercise. The risk of diabetes increases during pregnancy if the mother doesn’t take good care of herself. For every woman with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the risk continues even after childbirth and there’s always a chance of diabetes returning in some cases within five to 10 years. The 24th week of pregnancy onwards is when the risk is highest due to the development of the placenta, which involves the increase in hormone production causing insulin resistance. Other risk factors relate to genetics, being overweight, history of abnormal pregnancy or miscarriage. Therefore, it is important to have screenings for gestational diabetes and always follow the doctor’s instructions to prevent or take care of GDM as well as regular checks for diabetes for years afterwards. Moreover, women are also more likely to develop diabetes, due to insulin resistance. These are the factors that make women more vulnerable to diabetes than men,” she tells The Nation.

Diabetes, she stressed, can be prevented through diet, exercise, getting enough sleep and avoiding stress, alcohol and smoking. Interval health checks that include a diabetes test are important especially in those aged 35 and older as is weight control. Poor health can easily be identified by simple checks at home – calculating BMI, measuring waist and height [waist should be half the height] and taking blood pressure.

“Many people don ‘t know they have diabetes until their blood glucose level is more than 200 mg/dl. Indeed, they already have diabetes if the level is higher than 125 mg/dl. This is the reason why diabetic screening is very useful in preventing further development of the disease as at this stage it can be controlled by simply adjusting the diet and regular exercise without any need for medication.

“A survey of Thai people’s health found that in 2014 there were 4.8 million diabetic patients compared to 3.3 million back in 2009. This shows an average increase of 200,000 patients each year,” Wannee says.

“The development and severity of the disease has not changed much. What has changed is the rapid increase in the number of patients and that is mainly due to lifestyle.

“Medical students these days learn about the disease and are well-versed in the latest findings. Education is much more open than in the past. Students should be capable using their knowledge and carefully examining patients in order to identify the disease and prescribe appropriate investigation and treatment protocols. Diabetes is a complicated disease because a patient may present with a variety of symptoms,” she says.

“In fact, living as if you have diabetes is a superb idea because usually the diet of those already diagnosed with the disease is healthy. To achieve energy balance and a healthy weight, limit energy intake from total fats, shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats, and eliminate trans-fats. Also limit the intake of free sugars, and limit salt consumption from all sources,” she advises.

“As part of Thai NCDs Alliance campaign, we advocate national or public policies that promote the health and wellbeing of Thai people Last year, we saw government impose a sugar levy but we won’t see the effects until 2019. Not only taxation, but also non-tax measures will be implemented in parallel. Food advertisement and promotion, especially to children, should be limited. We are really looking forward to seeing the outcome.

“However, Thailand is moving towards an ageing society and child obesity is a major problem. Women have an important role in the prevention of diabetes not only for themselves but also for their entire families as they oversee the wellbeing and diet of their loved ones.

“A wealth of scientific evidence and my experience tells me that NCDs can be prevented. Good health is a necessity and one must act now – otherwise it will be impossible to prevent and control diabetes and other NCDs,” Wannee stresses.

The wreckage was found Sunday by the team’s research vessel, the R/V Petrel, some 3,000 meters (two miles) below the surface more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) off the eastern coast of Australia.

The search team released pictures and video of the wreckage of the Lexington, one of the first ever US aircraft carriers, and some of the planes which went down with the ship.

Remarkably preserved aircraft could be seen on the seabed bearing the five-pointed star insignia of the US Army Air Forces on their wings and fuselage.

On one aircraft, an emblem of the cartoon character Felix the Cat can be seen along with four miniature Japanese flags presumably depicting “kills.”

The search team also released pictures and video of parts of the ship, including a nameplate, and anti-aircraft guns covered in decades of slime.

The USS Lexington and another US aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown, fought against three Japanese aircraft carriers from May 4-8, 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first ever between carriers.

The badly damaged Lexington, nicknamed “Lady Lex,” was deliberately sunk by another US warship at the conclusion of the battle.

More than 200 members of the crew died in the battle but most were rescued by other US vessels before the Lexington sank.

Admiral Harry Harris, who heads up the US military’s Pacific Command (PACOM) — and whose father was one of the sailors evacuated — paid tribute to the successful research effort.

“As the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington, I offer my congratulations to Paul Allen and the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel for locating the ‘Lady Lex,’ sunk nearly 76 years ago at the Battle of Coral Sea,” Harris said in a statement.

“We honor the valor and sacrifice of the ‘Lady Lex’s’ Sailors — and all those Americans who fought in World War II — by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us,” he said.

The USS Lexington was carrying 35 aircraft when it went down.

The search team said that 11 planes had been found including Douglas TBD-1 Devastators, Douglas SBD-3 Dauntlesses and Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats.

Search teams led by Allen have discovered the wreckage of a number of historic warships including the USS Indianapolis, a US heavy cruiser which sank in the Philippine Sea in July 1945 after being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

After 15 years of supporting talented female scientists, L’Oreal Thailand has announced changes to its fellowship programme “For Women in Science” as it moves into the 16th year. The aim is address the country’s development in the fields of science.

Moving from the original three award categories of material science, life science and chemistry, this year’s awards are being re-categorised into two branches – life science and physical science.

“The world is changing and science is expanding as its embraces the digital world, artificial intelligence and genomics. Our two new categories address this change and are able to cover more branches,” says Dr Yongyuth Yuthawong, Deputy Prime Minister and the former Minister of Science and Technology, who is a member of the jury.

Dr Yongyuth adds that the introduction of the new categories will attract a broader range of women scientists to submit their work to win a possible grant of Bt250,000 although the number of awardees will remain the same.

Joining Dr Yongyuth on the judging will be seven other honorary national experts, namely Dr Kopr Kritayakirana, who will serve as president, Prof Dr Pairash Thajchayapong , Emeritus Prof Dr Wanpen Chaicumpa, Emeritus Prof Dr MR Jisnuson Svasti, Assoc Prof Dr Paritud Bhandhubanyong, Assoc Prof Weerasak Udomkitdecha and Professor Dr Jumras Limtrakul.

For the purposes of the awards, physical sciences are concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including chemical science and engineering, computer science and engineering, Earth science and engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, environmental science and engineering, material science and engineering, mechanical engineering, nanoscience and nanoengineering and digital science.

Life sciences, meanwhile, relate to the study of animate natural objects, and life-science related topics, including bioscience and biotechnology, cellular and molecular, marine science, biophysics, plant science, microbiology, bioengineering, environmental science, nanoscience and nanoengineering, and engineering.

The new categories will also apply to the L’Oreal Women Science Award in France.

The programme has been adjusted to allow for recruitment and the research granting process to be done online rather than by post as in previous years. Interested applicants can submit their applications with the research in PDF format to email FWISTH@loreal.com between May 1 and July 31. Announcements of the fellowships will be made in September.

Five grants of Bt250,000 will be awarded. Applicants must be Thai female researchers aged between 25 and 40 years, work in the categories of physical sciences and life sciences and submit research that’s in the process of development and operation.

“The research should be creative, new, knowledgeable and widely accepted internationally,” Dr Yongyuth explains.

One of the measures used in the judging is what is known as the H-index, a matrix that measures both the productivity and citation impact of the publications of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist’s most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications.

An average of 45 to 60 research papers have been submitted annually to date and most of the scientists are young. A total of 61 fellowships from 16 organisations have been granted. But while the winners have more than merited their places, no Thai women scientists have made it into the International Rising Talents or top International Awards categories, which reward five outstanding scientists from five regions, namely African and Arab states, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.

This year, the Thai jury could submit the most outstanding research for the international award.

“Even before I became involved with Women in Science of Thailand, I’ve hoped to see a Thai woman scientist place top and I believe it will happen soon. We have submitted research before but so far none has qualified for the international award,” says Dr Yongyuth.

This year, the programme is also introducing additional activities with the aim of supporting soft skills for past recipients of fellowships through the For Women in Science Academy, an online learning platform offering varied training platforms to leverage their work.

The soft skills, says Onanong Pratakphiriya, the director of corporate communications and public affairs for L’Oreal (Thailand), include management skills, public presentations that women scientists can use in their research management and how they present their research.

The academy provides four areas to enhance the social skills of fellows including management, empowerment, communication and tutorials. Currently more than 170 online content components are available on the platform, which also allows for discussion and exchange of ideas with L’Oreal fellows across the world.

L’Oreal’s Thailand “For Women in Science” fellowship programme was set up in 2002, offering annual grants to female researchers working in the fields of Life Science, Materials Science and Chemistry. Last year, to mark the 15th anniversary of the event, the programme introduced the honorary “L’Oreal Woman Scientist Crystal Award” to two former fellows.

This new initiative offers a clear indication of the company’s support to the sustainable development of women in the science profession in Thailand.

L’Oreal’s “For Women in Science” fellowship programme was established in 1997 in collaboration with the Secretariat of the National Commission for Unesco. To date, the programme has offered fellowships to more than 3,122 female scientists and researchers from 117 countries around the world. Ninety-two laureates have been awarded the top International Awards. Two of them went on to become Nobel laureates and another has become president of her country.

WITH military-ruled Thailand feeling isolated from the international community, it’s been relying more on “soft power” to make and maintain friendships with other nations. Last weekend the Culture Ministry treated the ambassadors of 20 countries to a feel-good tour of the far North, hoping to strengthen bonds in more than just culture.

The envoys’ spouses were along for the four-day excursion to Chiang Rai and also dipped into Keng Tung in Myanmar, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Portuguese Ambassador Francisco De Assis Morais E Cunha Vaz Patto leads fellow diplomats around Aen, an ethnic Shan village.

The ministry’s deployment of soft power predates the 2014 coup that drew international condemnation. It became a fence-mending tool in 2008, when anti-government yellow-shirt protesters shut down both of Bangkok’s airports, triggering alarm overseas.

So it’s been a decade of organising friendly cultural trips for the always-agreeable diplomatic corps, which have included destinations across Thailand and in Laos and Cambodia.

In 2013 it was ambassadors of Unesco who were given a tour of Wat Maha That in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which Thailand wanted the United Nations agency to designate as a World Heritage site. The same happened in 2015 when Phu Prabhat Historical Park in Udon Thani was up for consideration. Neither site has yet been listed, but hope prevails.

Polish Ambassador Waldemar Jan Dubaniowski and his wife Ewa Maria make saa paper at the Jinnaluck Mulberry factory in Chiang Rai.

Last weekend it was the ambassadors of countries, and this time Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat was hoping they would “help spread our rich culture to the world”.

Once again, the world’s major powers – the United States, China, Britain, Germany and France – declined to send their envoys along. It was, once again, the “regular guests” who enjoyed themselves. They came from other Southeast Asian nations and South Africa and from Portugal, the Czech Republic, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Poland.

There was actually a little sensitivity to this trip because it extended across the border from Mae Sai into Tachilek, Myanmar, for a visit to Shan territory – Keng Tung, also known as Kyainge Tong and in Thai as Chiang Tung.

Lanna culture, so deeply associated with Thailand’s North, crossed the same frontier hundreds of years ago.

Myanmar Ambassador Myo Myint Than and his wife San San Maw examine ceramics at Doi Din Daeng Pottery in Chiang Rai, founded by Somluck Pantiboon, centre.

Just as the ministry is promoting Krabi with the Thailand Biennale international arts festival in November, it’s telling the world about Chiang Rai being a “city of art”. The northern city is home to several prominent artists, some producing world-class contemporary art. Nakhon Ratchasima is meanwhile being touted as the third of Thailand’s “Art Cities”.

The envoys got to see Baan Dam (Black House), home of the late National Artist Thawan Duchanee, the Princess Mother (Mae Fah Luang) Museum and the Doi Tung sustainable-development project.

Cambodian Ambassador Long Visalo said he found the excursion “interesting”.

“I learned more about how Thai artists turn their home studios into art museums, as at Baan Dam,” he said. “And at Mae Fah Luang and Doi Tung, I learned how clever the late King Bhumibol and his mother were in turning opium fields into beautiful, sustainable and legal croplands. All of this can be adapted to fit with other Asean countries.”

The diplomats also toured Wat Rong Khun, the “white temple” built in recent decades by another National Artist, Chalermchai Kosipipat, and stopped for tea that was served in ceramic teacups handmade at Somluck Pantiboon’s Doi Din Daeng Pottery.

Somluck uses local red earth and trains 15 novices in the manufacture of utensils and decorative items that are sold to top hotels and restaurants and exported to Japan and Europe.

South African Ambassador Geoffrey Quinton Michell Doidge enjoys an exhibition at Chiang Rai’s Art Bridge.

At the Jinnaluck Mulberry Saa Paper Factory, the envoys and their spouses tried their hands at making the paper themselves. At Krua Silpa – the Art Bridge – they viewed the contemporary artwork of the young co-founders, who also conduct workshops.

Art Bridge president Songdej Thepthong explained to the visitors that the idea is to forge a bridge between artists and the community at large. He thanked the ministry for promoting Chiang Rai as an art city, but said the effort requires long-term support.

The Hall of Opium museum recalls the history of the Golden Triangle on the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Within the Golden Triangle spanning parts of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, the Hall of Opium examines the history of the opium trade, ending with its virtual eradication in Thailand thanks to the efforts of King Bhumibol and the Princess Mother.

Across the border in Keng Tung, the largest town in Shan state, Myanmar Ambassador Myo Myint Than welcomed the touring diplomats over dinner. He promised them a weekend of “beautiful culture” and ample evidence of the similarities between Thai and Burmese tradition and culture.

“It’s my first trip to Shan too,” he said, explaining that he had to get central-government permission to travel there, so sensitive is the political protocol involved.

U Mu Lin Ta’s family runs the last surviving laquerware production house in Keng Tung.

Keng Tung culture bears similarities to that of neighbouring Chiang Rai chiefly because Thailand occupied it from 1942 to 1945. It’s a city in transition, with infrastructure being steadily built, but the surrounding nature and Buddhist-influenced culture are indeed undeniably beautiful.

Oman Ambassador Abdullah Saleh Ahmed Al Maimani shows his talent in painting at the U Mu Lin Ta Laquerware production house in Keng Tung, Myanmar.

“Traffic is increasing because the city is on the Asian highway network connecting Kunming and Jinghong in China and Chiang Rai,” said Saviti Suwansathit of the Thai Culture Ministry. “It’s beneficial to the economy and for tourism, but traditional culture could be harmed if the development doesn’t proceed carefully.”

The party followed the new highway to Wat Chom Doi Loy, whose perch atop a mountain affords excellent views of surrounding forests and rice fields. The first temple built in Keng Tung is believed to hold strands of hair of the Lord Buddha within its compound.

Wat Chom Loy is believed to be the first Buddhist monument erected in Keng Tung, Myanmar. It’s said to hold strands of the Lord Buddha’s hair.

In a village called Aen, the ethnic Shan minority greeted the travellers, who quickly began purchasing lovely fabrics made locally by hand.

Back in Keng Tung, they toured U Mu Lin Ta, the town’s last surviving family-run lacquerware production house. Invited to help paint a piece that typically takes a month to complete, Oman Ambassador Abdullah Saleh Ahmed Al Maimani showed his talent for decorative art.

Golden Buddha statues in the Burmese style adorn the country’s important temples, including the Maha Myat Muni at Wat Phra Sao Loang and Wat Hua Kwang in Keng Tung. But at Wat Chom Kham, the faith that unites the two countries was evident in the many Thai-style Buddha statues. Also on display is a photo of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visiting the temple in 1994.

The ambassadors were impressed with the cross-border weaving of art, culture and religion. Francisco De Assis Morais E Cunha Vaz Patto of Portugal, whose remit spans both countries along with four others in Southeast Asia, was on his second visit to Chiang Rai, but he’d never been to Shan state before.

“I’m very happy to see culture in two different nations be so close in so many aspects,” he said. “It’s important to show their similarities and to maintain their independence, and also to try to preserve them and support them.

“Buddhism is very strong in both cultures. It’s probably more modernised in Thailand because Myanmar is less developed, but I have the sense that it will grow there very fast.

“Culture helps bring diverse peoples closer,” Vaz Patto said. “For the Portuguese, it’s one of the international principles of diplomacy. It’s not a matter of how rich or how powerful a country is – we try to use culture as the key instrument in promoting diplomatic relations. When we share culture, we’re close.”

THE SUPPORT Foundation’s Sibuathong centre in Ang Thong province has long been known for creating the intricate masks and exquisite costumes used in the royal khon performances that have been enchanting audiences at the Thailand Cultural Centre for the past 10 years.

Less known is the centre’s role in producing food for our tables. Its integrated farm spread over 720 rai was set up on the instructions of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit following the severe flooding in the province back in 2006 and has been cultivating rice and vegetables as well as raising goats and pigs ever since.

One-day guided tours of the handicraft and agro-tourism activities at Sibuathong centre will start next month.

Today, having succeeded in its mission to raise the living standards of local residents in a sustainable way, Sibuathong’s farming project is all set to welcome visitors.

A one-day guided tour of the centre, which is in Ban Yang Klang district, about a two-hour drive from Bangkok, will take place every first and third Saturday of the month starting on April 7. In the morning, visitors will explore the farm and try different activities such as growing and picking organic vegetables and mushrooms, making ice cream from herbal juice and growing rice using what is known as the parachute transplanting technique.

The Support Foundation’s Sibuathong centre in Ang Thong province serves as a learning centre for the public with its integrated farm model.

The afternoons will be devoted to visiting the handicraft centre to learn how to make paper and khon masks from khoi (Siamese rough bush), brocade weaving and embroidery, and ceramic production.

“More than half of Ang Thong province was severely affected by the great flood of 2006, but this area remained dry. Her Majesty initiated both the farming project and the craft centre to help her people earn a living and become a good source for chemical-free foods. The farming project is also a model farm and provides knowledge to people at large,” says Vit Junsawang, an official at the Bureau of the Royal Household, during the tour preview last week.

Visitors will learn how to cultivate and pick mushrooms.

The best way of seeing the project is by boarding the charabancs that start at 9.30am and come complete with a guide. The open buses run through tracks lined with mamuang bao trees, the small and sour mangoes native to Thailand’s south, as well as khilek (cassod trees). The model farm is certainly abundant, producing everything from jasmine rice and riceberry to salad, pumpkins, mushrooms and assorted vegetables while also raising fish, frogs, goats and pigs.

Her Majesty ordered that a plot of 10-rai be set aside for a forested area for the animals and planted more big trees such as the takien (malabar ironwood) and yang na (gurjun-oil tree).

“We have a 11-rai plot for mulberry trees, the fruit of which sells for Bt80 to Bt100 a kilogram. We also produce ready-to-drink juice, jam and ice cream from the fruit. In the space between the trees, we grow indigo plants and these can be picked every three months. Ten kilograms of indigo plants can make a three-kilogram block of indigo dye. This natural dye sells for Bt180 a kilogram and is very much in demand,” says Suwichai Chaithopthong of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

Here too visitors can learn how to produce the photosynthetic bacteria that give off effective microorganisms for sustainable, organic farming. The bacteria generate higher yields while reducing the need for chemical fertilisers and increase nitrogen to promote plant growth.

There are more than 20 kinds of vegetables that are ready to pick, among them coriander, Chinese spinach and red and green oak salad. The staff are happy to offer tips on how to grow these and other plants. Seedlings as well as more mature plants can also be picked and taken them home.

Hed Nang Nuan

The farm is an important source of mushrooms including jew’s ear, shiitake and lingzhi (ganoderma) but the highlight is the stunning hed nang nuan (pink oyster mushroom).

“Hed nang nuan is a tropical mushroom, preferring warmer temperatures and high humidity,” says Suwichai. “It grows in clusters or large bouquets. It’s best eaten covered in batter and deep-fried. We sell it for Bt60 a kilogram at the farm and it’s also available from the Support Foundation’s shop at the Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok.”

The centre is home to more than 40 varieties of orchids.

And then there are the flowers. The farm cultivates more than 40 species of orchids in spectacular shades ranging from blue, red, orange, white and yellow. The vibrant indigo Vanda Pachara Delight takes pride of place with more than 400 plants, and is flanked by some 100 plants of each variety. They are for sale too, with the small blooms going for just Bt40 and the large ones for Bt120.

Other stars of the centre are the goats, 150 of them, which are bred and raised for their milk.

Goats are fed with pangola grass, which helps them to produce quality milk.

“Her Majesty wanted to encourage Thai children to drink more goat’s milk as its benefits are superior to cow milk. It’s easy to digest, rich in nutrition, high in calcium and fatty acids and low in cholesterol. It has fewer allergenic proteins and causes less inflammation,” says Vit.

“We feed these goats with pangola grass as it’s high in fibre and protein and visitors to the farm are welcome to feed them too.”

Named after the Chinese city of Jinhua, these piglets are a hit, particularly with young visitors. 

“Back in 1999 the Chinese government presented Her Majesty with two pairs of Jinhua pigs and we are currently feeding about 40,” he adds.

The pigs are named after the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province of eastern China, which is well-known for dry-cured ham. The pigs themselves are mainly white with black on the head and rump and are ready for slaughter at just four months.

Sanchai and his frogs 

Ten ponds are used for raising frogs, a hybrid of kob jarn and kob naa. “We produce about 100 kilograms of frogs each month and they sell for Bt80 a kilogram. They are normally used for cooking,” says Sanchai Nomkai of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

Lunch is served the oldfashioned way – in a tiffin. 

Some of the produce visitors admire over the course of the morning is prepared for lunch, which is served, along with dessert, in a pinto (tiffin carrier). Our group tucks into sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, larb moo (spicy minced pork salad), deep-fried mushrooms, grilled pork with spicy jaew dipping, assorted fresh vegetables and candied banana. We also get to sample mulberry and lemongrass juice, goat’s milk and ice cream made from mulberry and corn.

Three skilled artisans prepare to weave the exquisite pha yok to be used in the royal khon performance.

Fortified by this feast, we head to the handicraft centre. Over the past decade, the Support Foundation has created more than 1,000 costumes for the royal khon performances. Many of them have been produced at Sibuathong centre, which specialises in embroidery and exquisite pha yok – brocade with gold and silk threads that dress Sida, one of the main characters in the Ramayana epic.

Pha yok was favoured by royalty and the aristocracy and requires hours of skilled weaving. The gold and red silk thread woven into the fabric gives it its lustrous texture. To produce a 3.5-by-1-metre piece of pha yok requires at least three weavers working the loom and takes about three months to complete.

An artisan adds intricate embroidery to the magnificent costumes.

A group of 20 artisans also painstakingly add intricate embroidery to the magnificent costumes.

Back in 2005, when Her Majesty set about organising the revival of khon, one of Thailand’s oldest narrative dance forms, she assembled a research team to discover what the costumes might have looked like in the past. Once this historical evidence had been collected, she selected specialists to design new costumes to fit contemporary body forms and set in motion a series of weaving, embroidery, mask and jewellery-making workshops so that all aspects of khon costumes could be produced. The Sibuathong centre is part of that initiative.

The artisans paint the khon masks made from khoi paper.

Another part of the centre is dedicated to khoi (Siamese rough bush), the natural material used for making khon masks and books for monastic precepts. An adjacent pottery facility produces charming ceramics in simple yet stylish designs, all of them made by rolling the clay on hand-powered wheels or through pressure-casting.

Visitors can learn how to build a ceramic ware with hand-powered wheels or have a go at painting a ceramic cup.

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

The Support Foundation’s Sibuathong centre is in Sibuathong sub-district, Ban Yang Klang district of Ang Thong province.

The one-day, guided tour will start next month onwards, every first and third Saturday of the month. The fee is Bt799 for adults and Bt599 for children. Children under three get it for free.

Reservation is required. Learn more at http://www.Facebook.com/sibuathongth/ or call (02) 225 9420.

You too can create art masterpieces when your Apple Pencil is backed up with the Procreate 4 app for iPads.

The winner of an Apple Design Award contains a suite of tools for the stylus pen that will quickly have you drawing and painting with precision and imagination.

The app from Savage Interactive allows for rapid work, each brushstroke responsive in real time, as though you were sketching on real paper or canvas.

Procreate 4 works with the latest iOS11 operating system.

The Drag and Drop function is terrific. If you need to grab a custom brush from the Web, you just drag it into Procreate.

You can also drag the layer straight off your canvas and into Mail to share with friends and coworkers. You can also back up your work easily by grabbing all your artwork from the Gallery and dropping them into your favourite cloud service.

You can pastein images directly from a Web browser or drag out multiple artworks together.

Procreate has more than 130 brushes for creating masterpieces. When you open the brush library, you also see pencils, spray paints and pastel crayons.

There’s little in the way to limit your capabilities. The app’s dual-texture brush system offers a seemingly endless supply new and purely digital brushes.

Light Brush paints with an incredible radiant glow and the Triangulum brush twists the shading to add dimension to your canvas.

You can modify or create a custom brush. With one tap, you pop the hood on a brush and change any setting you like – or start fresh, and make your own. You can organise the brushes in sets and share them with other artists.

Procreate is intuitive to use with its array of multitouch gestures. For example, you can pinch to zoom and tap with two fingers to Undo an action. Advanced gestures include QuickLine, ColourDrop and QuickMenu.

Procreate feels professional because it paints in gorgeous 64bit colour. And, thanks to the graphically accelerated Silica M painting engine, it paints fast in a P3 Wide Colour gamut at 120 frames per second.

You can create astonishingly rich and detailed art on an iPad with canvases up to 16K in one direction. With this kind of resolution, you can create massive prints from your artwork. It’s quite easy to integrate Procreate into a professional workflow on the go with your iPad pro.

Procreate 4 has several improvements over the last version, 3.2. It’s now completely powered by the Silica M engine. Built with technologies like Metal 2, Swift 4 and Core Video, Silica M is specifically engineered to utilise the iPad’s full power for breathtaking colour depth, fluid and accurate painting and stunningly fast performance.

The new version comes with an all-new brush interface, enabling instant access to your entire library. You can navigate hundreds of brushes easily and instantly import or share multiple brushes at once with iOS 11 Drag & Drop.

The new Smudge feature lets you use any brush to smudge and mix paint with extraordinary speed and fidelity. With the Silica M engine, blending colours is 250 times more accurate than in Procreate 3.2.

There’s now “wet painting” as well. You can effortlessly mix and combine paint on the canvas for texture and colour blending. The Metal-powered engine ensures that mixing is accurate and blazingly fast.

The new Apple Pencil brush setting allows for vastly improved control. Using Bleed, you can increase pressure to change how much your brush impacts the canvas, transforming a simple brush into something far more powerful.

Improved sketching tools include Apple Pencil Tilt with Sketching brushes for a higher level of realism and responsiveness.

The colour interface has been rebuilt. You can now select exactly the right tone easily. All four colour-selection modes have been neatly ordered in tabs, so you can quickly jump between, picking hues, managing swatches, and entering precise colour values.

You can now actually see your canvas while performing complex image adjustments with the new interface design. You can zoom and rotate the canvas and maintain a full view of your artwork while editing curves or tweaking the colour balance.

The Procreate Gallery has been redesigned to make it easy to manage your output. You can scroll thousands of canvases fast and order them into Stacks. The Gallery also works seamlessly with the new iOS11 Files App. Just tap a button to instantly access your files across all of your locations and Drag and Drop artworks in and out.

Using an iPad Pro 10.5-inch, I found that the app worked fast and was very responsive. You have the ability to fully adjust every Apple Pencil technology on every single Procreate brush. You can modify exactly when tilt shading should kick in or exactly how much pressure you want.

You have several canvas options, including the screen size of an iPad Pro 10.5 – 1,668×2,224 pixels – a square canvas at 2,048×2,048 pixels, a 4K canvas at 4,096×1,714 pixels, A4 size, and 4×6 photo size.

The canvas will have a Quick Menu above it, affording fast access to actions, adjustments, freehand, layer selection, drawing tools, brushes, eraser, layer tools and palette. You can fully customise the Quick Menu to show any of your favourite features.

One very nice feature is timelapse video recording, which can be turned on or off. When activated, Procreate will record your progress from concept to completion. At any time you can watch a timelapse replay of your work.

If your masterpieces draw a following, you can broadcast your work in progress live via Facebook or similar programs.

Procreate 4 sells for Bt349.

KEY FACTS

– Seller: Savage Interactive

– Size: 174.5 megabytes

– Requirements: iOS 11.1 or later

– Compatibility: iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular, 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Wi-Fi (5th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (fifth generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (second generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular (second generation), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 10.5-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular.

– Languages: English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese,

With Huawei’s Smart Scale, you can monitor not only your weight but up to nine different body components – bodyfat and bodywater percentages, BMI, muscle and mass, bone mass, protein, visceral fat and BMA – all at the same time. Get one from the Huawei store on Lazada for Bt2,990.

Let Acer take your notes

Acer’s Swift 5 notebook computer is powered by an eighth-generation Intel Core i78550U processor. You get eight gigabytes of DDR3 RAM and 512GB on the SSD drive, a 14-inch Full HD display on the multi-touch screen and Intel UHD Graphics 620. Weighing just 970 grams, it sells for Bt42,990.

Great deal on a phone

The A71 (2018) smartphone from Oppo captures beautiful shots using AI Beauty Recognition technology in its 5MP front camera and 13MP rear camera. The 5.2-inch display is 1,280×720-pixel resolution. With a monthly package from AIS starting at Bt499, the A71 can be purchased for Bt1,990 instead of the usual Bt5,990.

Top-flight photography

The Fujifilm XA5 mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera boasting a retro design is capable of shooting 4K video. There’s a 24-megapixel APSC image sensor, and, for selfies, a 180-degree-tilting LCD and Portrait Enhancement. With a 1545mm kit lens, it retails for Bt21,990.

Keep to the Beats

Beats Pill+ (plus, minus) Neighbourhood Collection Bluetooth speaker has a stereo-active two-way crossover system for optimised sound fields, dynamic range and terrific clarity. It’s great for any type of music, the interface is simple and intuitive and you can play, pause and skip tracks and handle phone calls with a touch of the “b” button. It’s in the Apple online store for Bt8,900.

An affordable mid-range smartphone, the Sony Xperia L2 boasts a 5.5-inch display, an 8-megapixel super wide-angle selfie camera and a battery that lasts.

Helping to keep the price under the Bt10,000 mark is the low-cost Mediatek MT6737T quadcore 64bit processor. That’s not to say the phone is lacking. It’s not. It’s equipped with 3 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and has 32 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card of up to 256 GB.

The L2 comes with a 5.5-inch HD display with 720×1280 pixel resolution and the display is fully protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.

Xperia L2 runs on Android 7.1.1 operating system. And despite not being powered by a top-class and super-fast processor, it certainly isn’t slow. Apps, menus and touch screen all ran fast enough during my test.

Internet connection is fast too. I tested in on TrueMove H’s LTE network and measured the connection speed with Ookla Speedtest app and found that it had a download speed of 66.61 Mbps and upload speed of 30.69 Mbps.

The L2 is good for taking group selfie shots because it uses a 120-degree super wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture lens as well as a 1/4-inch image sensor. The selfie shots I capture were clear and sharp.

The main camera uses 13 MP 1/3.06-inch image sensor and an f/2.0 lens. The main camera has good low-light performance as it supports up to ISO3200.

During the test, the main camera captured sharp, clean and beautiful photos for a mobile phone.

It’s good for listening to music too as it comes with ClearAudio+ and Clear Bass technologies to enhance music quality and boost bass sounds.

And although it is an inexpensive phone, the L2 also comes with fingerprint scanner that is located below the rear camera’s lens. During the test, I could use my index finger to conveniently unlock the phone.

But where the L2 comes tops is with its large 3,300 mAh battery and smart charging technologies that help keep the battery healthy and give it a longer lifespan. Its Qnovo Adaptive Charging checks the battery’s health as it charges and adjusts current levels to protect the battery’s capacity. And the Battery Care will make sure that you will not leave a fully-charge battery plugged in during the night. It will charge to 90 per cent and wait to charge to 100 per cent before your wakeup time.

Sony Xperia L2 is available in black and pink and retails for Bt8,990.

Key Specs:

– Networks: GSM GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+ (3G), LTE (4G) Cat13/Cat12

– OS: Android 7.1.1

– Processor: Mediatek MT6737T quadcore processor

– Memory: 3GB

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

– Display: 5.5-inch display with 720×1280 pixels, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass

– Main camera: 13 MP 1/3.06-inch image sensor with f/2.0 lens

– Front camera: 8 MP 1/4-inch image sensor with 120-degree super wide angle f/2.4 lens

– Connectivity: AGNSS (GPS + GLONASS), Wi-Fi Miracast, Bluetooth 4.2, Google Cast, NFC, USB Type-C

– Dimensions: 150 x 78 x 9.8 mm

Weight: 178g

Aeon Thana Sinsap (Thailand) will be offering financial services at the Money Expo Hat Yai at Central Festival Hat Yai from March 10 to 12. They include personal loans, YourCash, cash advances, and applications for credit cards and member cards. Channel 7 star Siwat “Cee” Chotchaicharin will perform on March 10.

Ikea in a generous mood

Swedish furniture giant Ikea will be distributing gifts at the opening of its second store in Bangkok – at Bang Yai – from March 15 to 18. The first 100 visitors to both Ikea Bangna and Ikea Bang Yai those days will receive a gift card valued at Bt500. The first 10,000 customers get a souvenir. Learn more at http://www.Ikea.co.th.

This side of ‘Eden’

Artist-photographer Piyatat Hemmatat will have an exhibition at the Serindia Gallery on Bangkok’s Charoenkrung 36 from March 8 to May 7. “Eden” will feature microscopic photographs and bronze sculptures addressing the pros and cons of using psychoactive plants. Piyatat seeks to stimulate fresh thinking and perceptions about substance use and abuse.

EDM ‘Dreams’ come true

Blend 285 is presenting “Bangkok of Dreams”, an EDM festival, at Live Park Rama on March 9 and 10. The world-class lineup includes Vinai, Sikdope, Eptic, Germiani and Mightyfools, as well as local DJs such as Gail Werner and Sunny. Tickets cost Bt499 (Bt999 for a VIP pass).

Time for a splash

The Santorini Splash Party at the Continent Hotel in Bangkok, on March 3 will feature DJ Rui Rodgrigues and the Slum Disco Soundsystem. The Bt400 admission includes a drink. Get details at (02) 686 7000.

 Looking good may not be the route to inner happiness, but a youthful and wrinkle-free skin can give us a much-needed boost.

Nowadays there is a lot we can do with modern technology to help soften or smooth those wrinkles under the eyes without surgery. Here are some of the non-surgical options.

 Fractional Laser is the gold standard for skin retexturising technology. A non-ablative laser, it treats only a fraction of the skin’s tissue at a time, leaving the rest intact and unaffected, thus minimising downtime to none. It allows patients to return to daily activities immediately after the treatment.

The fractional laser produces thousands of microscopic laser spots that penetrate deep into the skin layers, eliminating old, damaged collagen and stimulating new collagen production. As this occurs, fresh, smooth and healthy skin emerges. The result appears to be a smoother skin. This is best seen when used for the under eye areas. Benefits include a decrease in the appearance of the wrinkles and slight tightening of the lower eyelids. However, the effects are gradual and collagen remodelling will continue for up to six months. The resulting smooth skin under the eyes can last nine to 12 months. Multiple sessions are needed in some cases.

 Hyaluronic Acid Filler is a quick fix for temporarily treating under eye wrinkles. The fillers most widely used are made of cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid (HA) particles. When injected into wrinkles, they replenish the hyaluronic acid – a naturally occurring substance found in the human skin – they have an immediate plumping effect under the eyes.

Fillers specifically developed for thin and delicate skin like the lower eyelid are very soft, lightweight and liquid enough to not cause bumps or lumps. However, for those who worried about issues with undesirable side effects such as bumpiness, lumpiness or the risk of vascular complication from hyaluronic acid fillers, the non–cross-linked hyaluronic acid is a good alternative.

Non–cross-linked HA is thinner than fillers and, as the name implies, has no links, allowing it to flow much more smoothly and disperse and distribute HA evenly in the skin without the risk of forming bumps or lumps. This is also beneficial for sensitive areas such as the lower eyelid as it can significantly decrease the risk of vascular occlusion. To achieve the best result, a substance like peptide can be mixed with non-cross-linked HA to increase the activity of collagen production.

Many women aren’t looking for drastic changes; we just want a few years taken off our faces. The above procedures can help us achieve under eye wrinkle-free skin and enhance a youthful look. Remember: much like the rest of our skin, our eyes need rejuvenation as well. They don’t say beauty is in the eye of the beholder for nothing.

THANISORN THAMLIKITKUL MD is a member of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and certified in dermatological laser surgery. Send your questions for her to info@romrawin.com