THAI TUMMIES were rumbling anew as the year neared its end. The inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok sprinkled 17 coveted stars among worthy restaurants in the capital.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand promptly triggered a little indigestion with a proposal to spend Bt140 million on a five-year promotion for the star-earning restaurants, but there’s no denying that we all still hunger for a share of global culinary glory.

Here’s a look at what’s likely to happen next.

A Michelin star set street-food outlet Jay Fai ablaze this month. Supinya Junsuta’s modest shophouse restaurant was already popular without the international spotlight.

THE MICHELIN MAN COMETH

The big surprise when the Michelin ratings were announced about a month ago was the inclusion of a little shop serving humble street food. Jay Fai, sharing the nickname of proprietor Supinya Junsuta, was always popular and busy, but, with a Michelin star to flaunt, the lady is fairly run off her feet now.

The accreditation put Jay Fai on a par with posh fine-dining “destinations” like David Thompson’s Nahm, Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier and Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin. Nuntiya Hame-ung-gull of Gourmet One Food Service was impressed.

“Michelin can help boost the Thai food industry,” she points out. “The guide puts the international spotlight on local dining outlets – and not just the expensive restaurants, but the street hawkers too.”

All the places that earned a star have queues at the door now, Nuntiya says, and that’s not just a fashion that will fade – “this is ongoing recognition”.

Claire Dorland Clauzel of the Michelin Group says the Asian “gastronomy landscape” has improved so much in the past decade that great restaurants were bound to begin appearing. “The chefs are now going to push farmers to produce top-quality ingredients through quality processing, and the result is a good ecosystem.”

Gourmet Litti Kewkacha notes that Thai fine dining shows strong potential, even as the global trend is headed back to casual dining.

“We’ve only had true fine-dining establishments in Thailand in recent years because street food has always been our tradition,” says Litti, who runs the dessert cafes Sfree, Parferio and Kyo Roll En.

“In coming years we’ll see many foreign chefs open branches of their Michelin-star restaurants in Bangkok.”

The Michelin Guide Bangkok’s arrival is expected to have a major impact on the Thai culinary scene.

Clauzel says a Michelin-ranked restaurant will generally enjoy see revenues rise 50 to 100 per cent, while a mere mention in the guide can boost income by 10 to 20 per cent. Getting in that guide will be huge motivation, Litti says.

“They are learning what the Michelin inspectors look for, because earning a star can help drive high revenue. And it’s a good chance for Michelin to learn more about our culture. At the same time, we must improve to international standards, particularly in service and consistency.

“Usually about half the people eating at fine-dining restaurants are tourists, mainly from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan,” he notes. “Michelin has a long history and is recognised by tourists, and on average they’re willing to spend Bt2,000 each on fine dining here, which is still cheaper than in other countries in the region.”

Nuntiya believes the Thai food industry continues to grow despite the country’s unstable economy because food is such a significant factor of life. The volume of imported and local ingredients consumed in Thailand grew by 20 per cent this year, she says.

Her company supplies those ingredients to hotels and restaurants across the country.

“It’s not just the international food chains that will open outlets in Bangkok, but also several five-star hotels. The Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton are due to open with their own branded fine-dining restaurants. People these days are knowledgeable about food and about value for money. They even study up on the chefs’ profiles. It all adds up to a vibrant and versatile the food scene.”

SPACES FOR SPICES

Central Embassy’s co-living space Open House has a dozen restaurants among the places to read, play, work and admire art.

The “creative spaces” that have opened around Bangkok, like ChangChui and Lhong 1919 in Thonburi and Open House at Central Embassy, have their own jumbles of bars, craft shops and art galleries – and invariably an array of unusual culinary experiences.

The Na-Oh Museum & Restaurant will take diners on culinary flights of fancy aboard a decommissioned airliner.

The dining will be both fine and adventurous when the Na-Oh Museum & Restaurant opens at ChangChui in February. You’ll absolutely need reservations to board the refurbished (and now stationary) jetliner and sample elegant fare among a menagerie of stuffed animals.

You get bugs with your nachos at Insects in the Backyard.

Already in operation there is Insects in the Backyard with its menu of dishes made with edible bugs. Seared scallop with pan-fried bamboo caterpillars, ravioli stuffed with giant water beetles and vanilla ice cream with silkworm chips are among the unusual temptations.

And, as chef Thitiwat Tantragarn points out, insects are low in calories and rich in protein and nutrients.

Nai Harng at Lhong 1919 in Thonburi takes its cues from the street-food stalls of Chinatown.

Lhong 1919 is the new name of a revamped steamer dock of that vintage on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River. It’s now home to restaurants, craft shops and an events hall, and in a former rice warehouse is the Thai-food restaurant Rong Si (Rice Mill), all rustic roof tiles and other trappings of the past. Next door is Nai Harng (Big Boss) serving Thai-Chinese dishes that nod to the street-food stalls of Bangkok’s Chinatown.

The sixth floor of Central Embassy is now a vast, co-living space called Open House, complete with a dozen eateries offering diverse cuisine.

“It’s about the new lifestyle approach of combining many interests in one place,” says the mall’s managing director Barom Bhicharnchitr.

ROOM FOR DESSERT

Not even the current fad surrounding Japanese cheese tarts has dampened diners’ ardour for long-standing Bangkok dessert cafe After You. You still have to queue at any outlet for a portion of Shibuya honey toast and kakigori (shaved-ice dessert).

Kyo Bar serves anmitsu (a mixed dessert) in a wooden box fogged by dry ice.

Another phenomenal success this year was the booths set up at malls and Skytrain stations by venerable Thai tea brand Cha Tra Mue, which has been a national habit for more than 70 years. Its ingenious brainstorm this year was a soft-serve ice cream made with its powdered, Thai tea. Again with the queues!

New on the scene is Kyo Bar at Siam Paragon, run by brothers Litti and Dej Kewkacha, who turn flour and eggs into unexpected shapes, such as a serene Zen garden or a hot-spring tub. Customers perched in the 14 seats at the counter bar can’t fail but be enchanted.

“We’re taking sweets to the high end,” says Litti. “Japan and Singapore have fine-dining dessert bars and Thai pastry chefs are really creative, so the potential is definitely here.”

Tsujiri serves authentic Japanese green tea.

It pays to specialise. Popular Japanese teahouse Tsujiri is sharing its authentic drinks and desserts made with green tea at the EmQuartier. Top orders include the hot O-Matcha Cappuccino and Tsujiri Sundae, with its layers of brown rice, red-bean sauce and green-tea soft cream.

Lovers of sweet potatoes muster at South Korean dessert cafe Bora at Siam Paragon. Their favourite vegetable becomes bingsu (ice flakes and chips in puree), soft-serve ice cream and a latte.

Grafton died on Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer, her daughter Jamie said on the author’s Facebook page.

Grafton was best known for her mystery series with alphabetical titles.

The first book in the series, “A is for Alibi” came out in 1982 and the latest, “Y is for Yesterday,” in August of this year.

Her daughter said that would be the last.

“Sue always said that she would continue writing as long as she had the juice,” her daughter wrote on Facebook.

“Many of you also know that she was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name,” she said.

“Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y.”

Kinsey Millhone, the main character in Grafton’s “Alphabet Series,” is a former police officer who left the force and became a private investigator.

The books are set in Santa Teresa, a fictionalized version of Grafton’s southern California hometown of Santa Barbara.

Grafton’s books have been translated into 26 languages, according to her website.

It supports HDR10 technology, which brightens pictures and adds the wider scope of colours, is equipped with HDMI ports and supports Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Treat yourself this New Year for Bt60,900.

Hear the difference

Sony hear.on 2 MDR-H600A High-Resolution Audio overear headphones comes with Beat Response Control technology for deep bass sounds. The phones have HD 40mm drivers to reproduce high-resolution sounds and the audio cable comes with microphone and inline remote control so the H600A can also be used as a smartphone headset. It retails for Bt6,290.

Shots in a flash

A new digital SLR camera with very fast auto-focus, especially in Live View mode, Canon EOS 800D boasts a DIGIC 7 image engine for fast operation and 24.2-million-pixel APSC image sensor for sharp resolution. It also comes with Bluetooth for easy connection and with the EFS 1855 IS STM kit retails for Bt34,590.

Anywhere at any time

Apple TV 4K is a new IPTV box from Apple that features 4K and HDR display technologies, allowing you to stream 4K HDR movies from content providers to your 4K HDR TV. It is powered by A10X Fusion 64-bit and connects to your router with either Gigabit Ethernet port or MIMO Wi-Fi 802.11ac. It also boasts an HDMI 2.0a port for connecting to bitscreen LCD TV. Two versions are available from Apple Thailand in two options  with 32 GB storage for Bt8,500 and 64 GB for Bt9,200.

Take a Note

A toned-down version of Galaxy Note 8, the Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition features 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It is powered by octa-core processor running at 2.3GHz and 1.6 GHz and has a 5.7-inch display with 2560x1440pixel resolution. It comes with 12 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. Buy it now for Bt20,900.

Chiang Rai has seen more than its fair share of natural disasters over the last two decades, with rural and remote areas of the province struck by tremors, floods and landslides, many of them related to climate change. Such disasters impact entire communities but children and young people are often the most affected as they lose opportunities to learn and develop, as well as, in some cases, their schools and homes.

Plan International, an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls, is trying to lessen the impacts, if not the disasters themselves with its new initiative, the “Chiang Rai Safe City Model: Creating Resilience to Disasters”.

Launched in November at the Princess Mother 90th Anniversary Building in Chiang Rai and supported by Prudential Life Assurance (Thailand) and the Chiang Rai Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group, the “Safe School” project began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Plan International and the Governor of Chiang Rai, under which the NGO will collaborate with provincial-level governmental organisations and agencies in promoting disaster preparedness among schools. The aim is to establish Chiang Rai as a model province in the sustainable management of such calamities as earthquakes, floods, mudslides, storms and forest fires.

Youth representatives attending the launch spoke about building safe schools and joined a forum on integrating collaborative efforts to reduce disaster risks at places of learning. Disaster preparedness demonstrations and exhibitions were also featured and included emergency response and preventive activities organised by students and staff from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Regional Office No 15, Chiang Rai and other agencies.

Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said Mae Suay and Mae Lao districts were the most earthquake-prone areas in the country. He added that Plan International’s initiative to work with schools would make the children more aware of disaster-response practices, which they could then share with relatives and friends.

Plan’s programme director Yupaporn Boontid explained that to date, Plan International has worked with 48 schools and seven learning centres to provide children and youth in high-risk communities with access to safe, quality education.

“Plan International has partnered with Prudential Life Assurance (Thailand) and the Prudence Foundation to pursue the safe school project in 25 schools and one learning centre in Chiang Rai, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya and Phang Nga. Plan International will publish a safe school guideline manual for other schools to adapt to local conditions and will also push at the policy level to ensure that the safe school model is included in both Ministry of Education plans and school action plans.”

Prudential’s Kanlayanee Vajarobol added that the company considered disaster preparedness an important part of the company’s commitment to helping less-privileged Thais.

“Through partnership with Plan International, we continuously support disaster risk reduction. Our staff has prepared 500 survival kits for distribution to students. Each kit contains basic items that children and families need in order to survive and sustain themselves for three days in the event of a disaster. This project does not seek to repair any disaster-inflicted damage but focuses on educating children about disaster preparedness. This will provide lasting knowledge on how to cope with disasters, which participating children will be able to share with or teach to their parents or relatives.”

The following day, volunteers from both Plan International and Prudential Life Insurance (Thailand) travelled to schools under the Safe School programme in Mae Suay and Mae Lao districts in Chiang Rai Province, all of which were damaged in the 6.3-Richter scale earthquake in 2014. The emergency kits were delivered to two representative schools: Bansanklang Radpattana and Pongphrae Withhaya to help prepare for future disasters and other emergencies.

“We were not prepared to deal with disasters,” admitted Montri Nuanchen, principal of Bansanklang Radpattana School. “We had no knowledge and did not even have a disaster management plan. Now, thanks to Plan International, our students and teachers have that knowledge. We have evacuation drills every semester and the students receive training in various skills including preparing an emergency kit, how to use and tie different knots in ropes, how to evacuate tall buildings as well as providing basic first aid and CPR.”

At Pongphrae Witthaya School, students have created a disaster preparedness learning centre where they display emergency tools and equipment and learning materials to educate their fellow students and their families about how to prepare for disasters. One of the school buildings was damaged during the 2014 earthquake and has now been rebuilt with an earthquake-resistant structure, with support and funding from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Pannee Saeger, 16, an M3 student at Pongphrae Witthaya, said she has learned a lot about disaster preparedness and feels confident that she and her friends can help themselves and others should disaster strike again.

Mi Mix 2 smartphone from Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi boasts a beautiful design, large display, good performance and fast Internet connection.

Best of all, it’s much cheaper compared to other models with similar configurations.

The phone’s 5.99-inch display in 18:9 aspect ratio and full-display technology allow for resolution of 1,080 x 2,160 pixels, shielded behind Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

At that resolution, the Mi Mix 2 is great for viewing HD videos and high-resolution photos.

It’s quite a drop from the 6.4-inch display of its predecessor, the Mi Mix, released in October 2016, but the resolution is better, and this model is, after all, a lot smaller itself – 151.8×75.5×7.7mm and 185 grams compared to 158.8×81.9×7.9mm and 209g.

Mix 2 is running Google Android 7.1 (not the latest 8.0 version) and offers two nano-SIM slots. The notable performance and fast connection are due to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor running at 2.45GHz, a generous six gigabytes of working memory and 64GB of fast UFS 2.1 storage.

I found that the Mix 2 responds promptly in both menus and touchscreen functions and runs applications and HD video clips fast and smoothly.

The AnTuTu Benchmark Version 6.2.7 gave the phone a high score of 177,896 marks. As of December 20, it ranked as the fifth-fastest smartphone on the market.

I tested the Mi Mix 2 on TrueMove H’s LTE network and observed fast data transfer. Applications downloaded and photos were backed up to cloud storage very fast.

The  Ookla Speedtest app clocked a download speed of 75.84Mbps and uploads at 40.03Mbps. Wi-Fi connection is also rapid at 802.11ac protocol with 4×4 MIMO connection.

Another indicator of good performance is the ability to play High-Resolution Audio FLAC 24bit/192kHz files smoothly.

What’s missing is a 3.5mm stereo jack. Instead, you use a USBC adapter for the jack if you’re wearing wired rather than Bluetooth headphones.

I ran the phone with Sony’s WH1000XM2 headphones and found Hi-Res Audio files playing with top good sound quality and powerful bass.

World-renowned designer Philippe Starck was hired to conceptualise the phone’s terrific look. It has a four-sided, curved ceramic back plate and 18-karat gold-plated decorative camera rim. The frame is highly durable aerospace-grade aluminium alloy.

The cameras are quite good, too. The main camera uses Sony’s 12-megapixel IMX386 image sensor with a large 1.25-micron pixel size, and PDAF for fast autofocus even in low light.

The camera uses fouraxis optical image stabilisation to guard against blurring due to shaky hands. There are several shooting modes – auto, beauty shots, panorama and manual.

In manual you can set white balance, focus, exposure time and ISO. In auto, which is called “photo”, you can find several extra shooting options, including group selfie and night shot.

The shiny glass on the back cover makes it ideal for reflecting yourself and friends for group selfies taken with the rear camera. The camera will take multiple shots and stitch together one perfect picture with no one blinking or blurred.

Night shot mode is good for capturing New Year lights. Again, multiple shots are taken and the best-possible composite rendered.

The front camera has five-megapixel resolution and can adopt 36 “smart beautify” profiles automatically. You can also select one of 10 filters, such as nation, sky blue, blush and romance filters.

Advanced options can make your face look slender, adjust skin colour and smoothen the complexion.

The Mi Mix 2 is well secured with a finger-print reader on the back cover, below the lens, to quickly unlock the phone with a touch of the index finger. You first need to set up an unlocking pattern or a pin code in case your fingertip approach fails. I never had a problem, though.

The 3,400mAh battery got me through a full day without a recharge, but it’s ready for Quick Charge 3.0 when needed.

Entrepreneur Lei Jun founded Xiaomi in 2010 with the stated vision “Innovation for everyone”. In Thailand it partnered with VST ECS in August and has since opened two Mi Stores in Bangkok.

The Mi Mix 2 costs Bt17,990 both online at Lazada and the authorised stores at Imperial World Samrong and Seacon Bangkae, as well as through other official partners including Jaymart and IT City.

KEY SPECS

– Network: Global LTE 6 modes, 43 bands

– Operating system: Android 7.1

– CPU: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 octcore processor 2.45GHz

– Memory: 6GB DDR4

– Storage: 64GB UFS 2.1

– Display: 5.99-inch IPS with 1,080×2,160-pixel resolution

– Cameras: Rear 12 MP Sony IMX386 image sensor, f/2.0 lens, front 5MP

– Wireless connectivity: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0

– Connection: USB Type-C

– Sensors: Finger-print, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

– Battery: 3,400mAh, Quick Charge 3.0

– Dimensions: 151.8×75.5×7.7mm

– Weight: 185 grams

The Wonderboom from US firm Ultimate Ears is a highly portable Bluetooth speaker with a big sound that allows you to party on the go – even in the rain if you like.

Orb-shaped and flat at the top and bottom, it has a little carrying hook to hoist this petite 10293.5mm, 425-gram dream gadget around.

Despite the diminutive size, the speaker is a loudmouth. Its two 40mm active drivers and two 46.1×65.2mm passive radiators produce amazingly deep bass and overall sound quality at a sensitivity of 86dB and frequency response of 80Hz to 20kHz.

But the Wonderboom can be lonely at times, so consider adding a second one for a full stereo (and even louder) sonic experience.

The little beast is waterproof and dustproof. It can be immersed in water a metre deep for 30 minutes, meaning there’s no worry about it getting soaked on a rainy day.

The built-in battery will last up to 10 hours and is rechargeable via a micro-USB port, for which a cable is provided. (The port has a cover to prevent water from getting in.)

There are only five buttons running the speaker–oversized volume buttons, power, Bluetooth button and multi-purpose UE button.

Press and hold the Bluetooth button until your hear a tone and the speaker is ready to connect to your phone or tablet computer. It can pair with up to eight Bluetooth-enabled source devices, two sources at the same time. You can take turns streaming music from each device without having to disconnect and reconnect.

To pair two Wonderbooms, just press the UE button on both speakers at the same time.

This button is also used to control the music without having to pick up your phone. Press to pause and press again to resume. Double press to skip to the next track.

In my test I found the tiny speaker sounded very loud with clarity and impressively deep bass.

Ultimate Ears is a Californian manufacturer of custom inear monitor (IEM) speakers and earphone, founded in 1995. It was taken over by Logitech in 2008.

The Wonderboom comes in Stone (grey), Phantom (black), Fireball (red), Sub-Zero (blue), Cashmere (pink) and Lilac for Bt3,490. Grab one (or two) at any branch of IT City.

KEY SPECS

– Sensitivity: 86dB

– Frequency response: 80Hz20kHz

– Driver: Two 40mm active

– Waterproof: IP67

– Bluetooth profile: A2DP

– Wireless range: 33 metres

– Power: 10 hours battery life, 2.8 hours charge time

– Dimensions: 102×93.5mm

– Weight: 425 grams

The buffet, which features both Thai and international favourites along with live cooking stations, will be accompanied by music from the resident band, lucky draws and games and wrap with a firework display on the beach. It’s priced at Bt4,000 net. Kids aged six to 12 pay Bt2,000 net.

Book a table at (02) 641 4777 or visit http://www.SovereignResortAndSpa.com.

Big bites at the temple fair

Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok is also celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Dog with a gala dinner on a “Temple Fair” theme. The buffet includes a seafood station featuring Alaska crab, fresh oyster, New Zealand mussel and red snapper plus tenderloin and more. There’s also assorted dim sum, roasted duck, BBQ pork and crispy pork from Fook Yuan, sushi, sashimi and beef from Nishiki plus such popular Thai dishes including roasted duck red curry, beef sauteed in red curry paste and vegetable fried with scallop. Free flow soft drinks, beer and juice will be served from 7-9pm. The dinner costs Bt5,000 net. Book your seat at (02) 641 4777.

A night to remember

Join the extravagant New Year’s celebration hosted by Asiatique the Riverfront on December 31 from 4pm onwards. The “Chang Music Connection Thailand Countdown 2018” will feature such top artists from the 1990s as Nui Ampol, Mos Patipan, Pang Nakharin, The Parkinson, Mr Team, Non The Voice, Instinct, and DJ Rita, as well as Electronic Live Band Naf, who will be offering non-stop entertainment on a spectacular vertical stage the height of a nine-storey building. Party-goers can also witness the fireworks from Sydney, Hong Kong and elsewhere around the world on enormous screens. Find out more at Facebook.com/Asiatique.Thailand.

Central goes wild for New Year

Among the many celebrations ringing in the New Year is the “AIS Bangkok & Thailand Countdown 2018”, which is being held at Central shopping malls across the country, with the marquee event taking place at CentralWorld in Bangkok. Designed around the theme “Super Sonic Space”, the event will feature 140 popular Thai artists and singers and spectacular light and sound techniques. The celebration at CentralWorld can be witnessed via live broadcasts on Thailand’s 3SD channel from 10.30pm and 3HD from 11.30pm to 12.30am or through ‘Multi View’ on the AIS Play app.

Tranced out for the countdown

Bangkok’s first ever EDM countdown music festival, the Bangkok Countdown takes place tomorrow and Sunday Live Park Rama 9 and is headlined by local and international DJs including Afrojack, Chris Lake, Lookas, Knife Party, Rotten and Mark Sixma.

Tickets are Bt1,800 at http://www.EventPop.me.

FOLLOWING continuous expert research into trends, insights and consumer behaviours, paint manufacturer AkzoNobel has named heartwood as the colour of 2018.

A subtle and warm tone of grown-up pink, it draws from the tactile qualities of natural wood and leather, conveying comfort and ease in response to consumers wanting to nestle down more and create a “welcome home”.

The research was conducted by the colour team at AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre, together with a group of 11 international experts. It revealed a strong overarching trend of consumers wanting to transform their homes into spaces of retreat from the outside world.

“As life gets faster, now is the time to press pause,” said Heleen Van Gent, creative director at the company’s Global Aesthetic Centre. “Our home needs to be a place where we can turn down the noise, where we can nurture our values and recharge. Colour can play a significant role in addressing the balance between outside clamour and inner calm.

“Heartwood and its four complementary colours will help consumers achieve a home that is truly and uniquely theirs, bringing a feeling of safety and reassurance, creating a welcome home for all.”

Insights from extensive research reveal that we live in a world of unpredictability, with access to more information and choices than ever. Now is the time to retreat into the comfort of our homes, where we can turn down the noise and pamper ourselves.

The “Welcome Home” is the heartwood home. It combines gentle shades of grey-pink, blues and soft cocoa flowing into bolder shades of ink blue and purple. It takes inspiration from the tactile qualities of natural wood and the comfort of leather, materials that customers are known to turn to during times of unpredictability. Calming and restorative, Heart Wood gives a sense of connection between the inside and outside world. The Heartwood Home palette blends harmoniously with the materials from which the hero colour takes its inspiration.

The “Comforting Home” creates an environment in which to truly recharge and reset the mind. Warm earth tones permeate this home, bringing together clay and blush pink tones to calm the mind, soothe the senses and shut out the noise. Rich, welcoming textures such as silk and velvet create a highly tactile space.

This home is perfect for the warm-hearted persona seeking to reconnect with themselves. Using minimal technology, this person brings nature into their home in a controlled way and beautifully balances aesthetics with function in their interior design choices. Comforting hardwoods and tactile textures are staples for them.

The “Inviting Home” brings comfort and convenience to life for those seeking to strengthen bonds and bring family and friends together. Cool shades of blue encourage a clear-headed approach to life, while neutrals and fresh green support the need for connection with the outside world. Softer pastel shades are enhanced by coal and ink blue.

Typically a space for shared quality time, this is perfect for the open-hearted persona. Inclusive, optimistic and collaborative, it’s a space where they can gather with friends and family, bringing comfort through community. Technology is used sparingly and to bring people together in their homes, while the line between the outside and inside is fluid. Open-plan living is at the heart of this home, preferring gentle, hard-wearing natural fabrics that feel safe.

The “Playful Home” creates a space to be inspired and invigorate the senses. Yellow-toned green and gold help spark the synapses and encourage a creative approach to life. Pops of colour add a sense of fun and energy, while clever use of colour can help create different zones within smaller spaces.

This home is for the light-hearted persona, curious, adventurous and adaptable. During times of unpredictability, this person looks outwards rather than shutting off and faces the outside world head-on. Early adopters of technology that is seamlessly integrated into their homes, they seek energy, experience and creativity, supplemented by the wealth of time they spend outdoors. Multi-functional, smaller spaces work with natural textures and fun patterns.

If the tree doesn’t fit inside your photo composition, it’s also surrounded by wild and colourful sculptures and a train of circus carriages.

There’s purple-skinned Nong Mangkud holding her weird little ball., another little girl called Minky in control of randomly shaped animals, Mhok – a little dog with a flower face – Chluay, an elephant with a banana body. Makrub and Maja are waiting with their fancy neck decorations.

Welcome to “The Amazing Carnival”, says     Siratha Suksawang of MBK marketing.

“For this year’s festival of joy, we’ve spent our marketing budget on both interior and exterior decoration in the form of a fantasy circus that perfectly infuses both Thai and foreign elements.

“We hope the carnival will bring excitement, joy and smiles to all visitors. We aim to create a new landmark for Bangkok to celebrate the end of this year and welcome the new one.”

Having only a Christmas tree wouldn’t have been amazing enough, Siratha says.

“I visualised MBK being the place for a rendezvous of visitors from space,” said Mamablues, one of artists involved. “Makrub is the ambassador inviting visitors to come from different planets and co-habitat with earthlings. It’s like our customers coming from all over the world to meet and shop at MBK.

“Nong Mangkud is the leader of the carnival parade and she also represents people of all ages. You can also see Jamue the nose with arms, Jow the kangaroo with a tail on his face, and the apple army with three arms who represent tender friendship.

“MBK Centre has always been very successful in incorporating art into the decoration,” Siratha says. “Both our street art and the Makrub and Maja sculptures by Lolay Taweesak Srithongdee have become landmarks where visitors take photos. This is the mall adjusting to reach the younger generations and keeping its appearance fresh and up to date.”

On sale are souvenir tote bags, animal-print scarves and coffee mugs with clown designs and a coaster shaped like a clown collar.

Learn more on the “mbkcenterth” page on Facebook.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of joyous activities including traditional Peranakan cultural shows and parades, a carnival, concerts and retro market fairs. A cleanup activity will be held on the morning of January 1.

Book and save

TMB credit card holders receive 10 per cent cash back when booking accommodation with leading online travel agencies like Agoda.com, Booking.com and Traveloka.com from now until March 31.

Part of the Travel Anywhere and Get 10 per cent Back promotion, guests spending over Bt5,000 per time will get Bt500 cash back, maximum of up to Bt2,000. But remember it’s one card, one privilege per month for a maximum of four privileges per card through March 31.

Find out more at TMB Contact Center 1558 or visit http://www.TMBBank.com/promotion.

Downtown deluxe

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is offering Getaway rates from Bt19,605 per night. The benefits include a complimentary airport transfer in private limousine, daily buffet breakfast at the Verandah Terrace for two persons and a Thai buffet lunch at Sala Rim Naam for two persons.

Check out the best rates at http://www.MandarinOriental.com.

A package for U

Make U Zenmaya Phuket your winter escape with the “Discover U Package” valid through March 31.

Room rates start at Bt9,883 per person for double occupancy and guests can enjoy a twonight stay in a wellequipped room, daily breakfast, a 30minute head and neck massage, welcome cocktail, roundtrip transfer from Phuket Airport, Phuket town or Rassada Pier, 20percent discount on food and beverages and free shuttle bus to Jungceylon Shopping Centre.

Make a reservation at (076) 336 888 or visit www. UZenmayaPhuket.com.

Disney waves a wand

Hong Kong Disneyland is transforming itself into the groundbreaking winter wonderland for all ages, offering a special range of spectacular festive shows and fun activities until Monday.

Visitors will enjoy Yuletide carols, magical lights, shimmering snowflakes and more. Teenagers can enjoy taking selfies with their favourite Disney friends dressed in their holiday finery and experience a White Christmas with festive Disney magic from day to night.

Find out more at http://www.HongKongDisneyland.com.