Blending advanced innovations with the wholesome goodness of natural plants to visibly improve skin condition, its success has been guaranteed by more than 50 awards from leading organisations including the CEW Eco Award Winner 2016.

The launch saw fans enjoying a special body wash workshop in which they could design their own body wash. The event was attended by celebrities Panit Limsawadiwong, Yanisa Srirungkijsawad, Pornpatr Witoonchart, Apicha Laohapongchana, Sansinee Inthraphuvasak, Leila Soontornvinate, Chatbencha Nandhabiwat, Munchumart Numbenjapol and Kingkarn Salakornthanawat.

Sumanus Montrechok, co-founder of Covent Garden (Thailand), the importer of the brand, notes that this new counter is more spacious than its first, with special services, which ensures make the shopping experience more fun.

“Over the past two years, we have received great feedback from Thai women who trust our brand to take care of their skin from within using organic plant-derived ingredients. To make our excellent products more accessible to our customers, we have opened a new counter on M floor.

This spacious new counter is designed in a simple style with contemporary touches, using the brand’s signature blue colour. This new counter design debuts here first in Asia. There is a dedicated corner for workshops, in which Neal’s Yard Remedies customers can enjoy special activities. Additionally, the new counter also offers testers for all categories – facial and body. Our staff is ready to offer tips and answer your questions.”

Neal’s Yard Remedies’ most popular products, according to Covent Garden (Thailand) co-founder Promruck Limsodsai, is the Frankincense Intense range, which features pure and safe organic ingredients, Plant Stem Cell innovation and 3-Peptide Complex to protect the skin and slow down the ageing process.

The Frankincense Intense Concentrate nourishes the skin with lightweight gel texture, reducing signs of ageing and plumping up the skin over time. The Cream is designed to tackle fine lines and wrinkles efficiently, promoting the skin’s elasticity and improving the skin colour while the Eye Cream restores moisture to the skin around the eyes, reducing lines, dark circles and puffiness.

To welcome the festive season, Neal’s Yard Remedies has prepared gift sets, which offer complete solutions to any skin concern and is also offering a special 15-per-cent discount until during November 15.

Find out more at Facebook.com/NealsYardRemediesThailand.

Riding on the theme of “Space made personal, experience the difference”, the new cabin provides more space and privacy in all classes, featuring intimate and bespoke elements designed especially for the Singapore Airlines customer.

The new cabin products were displayed for the first time last week at a media launch in Singapore. They will enter service next month on the first of five new A380 aircraft entering the fleet. Retrofit work will also take place on 14 existing aircraft, to ensure product consistency across the Airline’s entire A380 fleet.

The new Singapore Airlines A380 will be configured with 471 seats in four classes, featuring six Singapore Airlines Suites and 78 Business Class seats on the upper deck, as well as 44 Premium Economy Class seats and 343 Economy Class seats on the main deck.

Tucked within the front cabin of the upper deck, guests will experience a sense of exclusivity and intimate privacy in six Singapore Airlines Suites behind its artistically-designed sliding door.

Each Suite is furnished with a separate full-flat bed with adjustable recline and plush leather chair, enabling customers to lounge comfortably in the chair or rest in bed without the need to convert the bed from a sitting position. For couples travelling together, the beds in the first two Suites of each aisle can be converted to a double bed. When not in use, the bed can be stowed completely, creating even more personal space within each Suite.

Each seat is upholstered by world-renowned Poltrona Frau in fine leather, and is fully adjustable using an electronic control side panel which can accommodate a variety of sitting and lounging positions. The swivel capability of the chair (between 135 and 270 degrees) with recline up to 45 degrees provides added flexibility for dining and relaxation.

Passengers can enjoy a 32-inch full HD monitor that can swivel for the different viewing angles in seat and bed modes, a full-sized personal wardrobe, customised handbag stowage compartment, amenity box lined with soft leather, specially designed carpet and a feature wall with mood lighting – all exquisitely crafted to give a touch of luxury and intimacy.

Designed by Pierrejean Design Studio and manufactured by Zodiac Seats UK, the exclusivity of the Suites cabin is further accentuated by its two stylishly-furnished lavatories, one of which has a sit-down vanity counter.

The Business Class is the work of JPA Design of the UK and manufactured by JAMCO Corporation of Japan, the interior design showcases a modern yet organic colour scheme featuring a selection of soothing and classy leather and fabrics, in addition to lightweight carbon composite materials.

Measuring 25 inches in width, the Business Class seat, which has two side wings for better back support, reclines directly into a comfortable full-flat bed (78 inches). Customers may also stretch out fully in a ‘sun-deck’ position to watch movies on the 18-inch high definition touch-screen monitor. The Business Class seat is upholstered by Poltrona Frau as well.

A larger back shell on every seat creates a cocoon-like feel for more privacy while the centre divider can be fully lowered to form double beds, making the two centre seats an ideal choice for customers such as families travelling together.

A unique feature of the new Business Class seat is that it has a carbon fibre composite shell structure, as compared to conventional aircraft seats, which use metal as the primary support structure. This thinner base structure allows for better optimisation of the seat and creates more under-seat stowage space to accommodate a full-sized cabin bag and laptop bag or handbag.

Seats in the Business Class cabin are arranged in a forward-facing, four-abreast (1-2-1) configuration that offers all customers direct access to the aisle. Other features include a business panel equipped with USB ports and in-seat power, reading lights with adjustable brightness level, mood lighting, enlarged dining table designed for flexibility in dining positions, as well as stowage space for personal amenities with a thoughtful design that puts everything within easy reach.

Manufactured by ZIM Flugsitz GmbH and customised by design firm JPA Design, Premium Economy Class comes with a contemporary and stylish design. Each seat is 19.5 inches wide, with eight-inch recline and seat pitch of 38 inches. Customers will be treated to an enhanced in-flight entertainment experience with the provision of active noise-cancelling headphones and a sleek 13.3-inch full HD monitor.

Other features include a full leather finishing, calf-rest and foot-bar for every seat, individual in-seat power supply, two USB ports, personal in-seat reading light, cocktail table, and more stowage space for personal items.

Designed and built by RECARO, the Economy Class seat offers more space and greater comfort through an improved design. Leveraging on advanced technology and ergonomics, seats offer more legroom and back support, with a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings. The Economy Class seat also features a more contemporary fabric seat cover design.

An 11.1-inch touch-screen monitor eliminates the need for handsets and offers more convenience to customers who wish to catch the latest movies on KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system.

Other features include a patented non-intrusive reading light installed underneath the seatback screen, personal storage space for small personal items, a coat hook, in-seat power supply and ergonomically designed footrest with adjustable positions.

“The significant investment that we are making with the introduction of new cabin products demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in products and services, our long-term approach to ensure we retain our leadership position, and our confidence in the future of premium full-service air travel,” said Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines.

“The new cabin products are the culmination of four years of work, involving extensive customer research and close partnerships with our designers and suppliers. We are confident that the results will genuinely ‘wow’ our customers, and ensure that we continue to provide them an unparalleled travel experience.”

Find out more at A380.singaporeair.com.

For the cycling enthusiast, the finest names of bike fashion and equipment will be there, featuring their latest collection, among them Specialized, Shimano and Jaggad. Located in the heart of the Festival Village is a specially constructed Chill Zone offering striking views over the lush greenery of Siam Country Club Pattaya. In this area, visitors and cyclists can indulge in tempting treats from Dean & Deluca while witnessing the excitement and action from cyclists post their main competition rounds. There will also be live music by DJ Diva to entertain the crowds, and two presentation backdrops for selfie-lovers to capture some memorable shots.

The event will also be bursting with lots of interesting activities, live entertainment, and fitness and relaxation treatments to keep everyone entertained, including dedicated masseuse and fitness instructors at the Stretch Zone to aid cyclists who have completed their courses with simple treatments to aid and boost recovery.

Admission is free. For details, visit https://bangkokbankcyclefest.com

THE FIRST OBJECTS you encounter at the Yokohama Tram Museum are seven Yokohama municipal tram cars, each with a conspicuous ad on its front. Such ads were common when the municipal tram network was in service, and the ones in the museum include ads for the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun and Shin Sankyo drugs.

The cars have chic wood-finished interiors and are slightly larger than buses. In some cars, you can push a switch with your foot, producing a sort of “ring ring” sound. Two such bells were the signal for departure, while a single bell indicated the train would stop.

The Yokohama municipal tram system was in service for 68 years through 1972. Known as the “Chin chin train”, it was a key form of transportation for Yokohama citizens. The museum exhibits tram cars and many photos through which visitors can learn about the train’s popularity.

 A railroad diorama with municipal trams and subway trains running against a backdrop of Yokohama Station is shown at the Yokohama Tram Museum. (Photo/ The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Next to the seven tram cars, there is an area – refurbished in January – covering the history of the Yokohama municipal tram.

In 1904, the Yokohama municipal tram began operating between Kanagawa and Oebashi stations, despite opposition from rickshaw men who feared trams would take away customers.

The tram network experienced two major hardships: the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and the Yokohama air raid in 1945. Each event caused massive damage, with half of the cars lost in |the earthquake and a quarter in the air raid.

The tram was reconstructed and later widened, reaching its heyday around 1960.

About 300,000 people used the tram daily then, and its network expanded throughout the city into such areas as the Kannai business district and the Isezaki downtown area. The Sakuragicho district served as the central hub.

Although the municipal tram overcame great setbacks such as the 1923 earthquake and World War II, it could not compete with automobiles and the national railway.

Along with the spread of private cars, it became impossible to operate the tram on schedule due to traffic jams. The now-defunct Japan National Railways also opened the more convenient Negishi Line, all of which led to the tram service being shut down in 1972.

A notice on a wall says, “Thank you for riding” and a photo in which a tram decorated with flowers is surrounded by members of the public and station officers saying farewell to the tram.

The history of the tram overlaps with that of Yokohama itself.

“The number of people who rode on the trams themselves will continue to fall,” says Kazuo Ito, director of the museum.

“I hope many children will visit the museum.”

In “Genesis 2.0”, his latest god-like display of sleight-of-hand, Thailand-based Canadian writer Collin Piprell has upended the biblical old and new testaments, with the son killing off the father.

Guiltless patricide, 80 pages in (unintended but necessary) is only the first of many shocks in a continuing epic that resists categorisation. But let’s call it science fiction, because we just haven’t got to the point where any of this feels quite factual – not yet, though it could be imminent.

This is the follow-up to “MOM”, the engrossing book released just this past spring with which Piprell launched the “Magic Circles” series. “Genesis 2.0”, though just released last month, was already written by then. A third yarn is on the way. One can only wonder at what’s in store next.

We have a magical imagination at work here and at times the prose feels like magic realism, yet the series’ title, Magic Circles, refers ostensibly only to protective forcefields. What’s played out here isn’t magic but real life, as experienced today but projected into the future, an extrapolation, the probable fate awaiting all that we Earthlings hold near and dear.

Piprell has reverse-engineered the future to take us back to the dawn of mankind.

The story opens, sometime after the Second War for World Peace and Freedom in Our Time, during a pleasant family meal – Son, his dad Poppy, Poppy’s wife Auntie and God-fearing Gran-Gran.

Briefly, everything seems normal. Except that the meal is “monkey and mock-bean stew, spicy enough [you] can almost forget it’s monkey”. There’s a bit of quasi-incestuous footsie going on. And they’re living in an underground bunker.

Then it’s off on the hunt for Son and Poppy, into the Boogoo, the landscape creamed in a grey “blur dust” of self-replicating nanobots. We’re 800 kilometres north of where the ESSEA Mall in Bangkok fell apart in “MOM”, long ago.

Prowling this dangerous frontier are greedy pigswarms, monkeyswarms, ratswarms and roachswarms, near-invisible dragons, and GameBoys – basically street thugs minus the street – “a loose association of culture jammers, occupiers, teapartiers, HackenCrackers, Rightsrightists, Islamisrightists and the Radical Moderates who, toward the end, became the most terrifyingly violent of those unwilling to swap their freedoms for security”.

Son ends up his family’s sole survivor and braces for his apparent role as the last human standing, but his world is changing alarmingly fast.

Soon enough, in a place called Eden, he encounters the first walking plot-links to “MOM” and the episodes begin to mesh. Here are Cisco “the Kid” Smith and his formidable girlfriend Dee Zu, both veteran test pilots back when whole virtual worlds were generated for the enjoyment of a populace living in shielded malls.

At first it feels like Cisco and Dee Zu will serve as our Adam and Eve, but the casting is a long way from settled.

The virtual worlds came out of the hive mind of MOM, the almighty Mall Operations Manager. Then the whole of creation began coming apart. Now a MOM avatar called Sky is attempting to put it back together, though Sky’s plan is a risky one, entailing her own “deisuicide”, a leap of faith from which sentient life might never rebound.

To activate the plan, Sky needs the help of Cisco, Dee Zu, their new sidekick Son, and also Brian the Evil Canadian, the chief antagonist of the earlier novel.

All have been killed in one form or another, along with Leary, Ellie and a host of amusing robotic characters, and all have been resurrected. For us today, getting our first glimpses of digital replication and alternative facts, the mirror “backups”, multiple identities, multiple simultaneous points of view – and the widening doubt about what’s “real” and what isn’t – represent one of the series’ most compelling themes.

Piprell has filled an entire second volume with more of the insightful prognostication and strange terminology that went into the first (a lengthier lexicon is now also available).

We must learn to maintain a robust CQ (connectivity quotient) and stay linked to the IndraNet, severance from which is “what a lobotomy must feel like”. We must get used to swarms of “posits”, who will remind readers in Thailand of Chinese tourists. There are godbolts, knievels, gibubbles, goshdarnit-things and nownowbits.

Particularly for modern urbanites, and especially those currently living in consumption-crazy Bangkok, “MOM” caught at the throat with its vast malls acting as the last refuges in a morally, environmentally ruined landscape. In “Genesis 2.0”, Bangkok As We Know It is computer-regenerated almost in its entirety (and the traffic is even worse).

A marvel on its own and as part of a continuing saga, “Genesis 2.0” shimmers with a remarkable range of voices as situations require, from stout oratory to quip-laden banter. Pensive, poetic passages alternate with moments of gleeful wit in the repartee (Son and Cisco, rivals in both love and survival, bond over Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”). Among many memorable lines: “The last thing to impinge on Brian’s consciousness is some tons of limestone.”

It ultimately occurs to the reader that, for all the saga’s bumps against the Judaeo-Christian Bible, what Piprell hath wrought here is closer to the Ramayana. Hindu mythology is the better medium for the extraordinarily painted characters (divinities and ordinary Joes alike), the ornately choreographed battles enacted in sweeping vistas, the full chorus of earthly emotions (birth and loss, joy and apprehension) and the relentless search for an idyllic existence in what can never be more than a process of decay and rebirth.

What transpires at the peaks of the novel owes much to the human pursuit of transcendence. In one jaw-dropping hallucinogenic scene, our actors are blocked in their quest by a vast wall, dancing gnomes, feathered and armed horsemen, a hapless flight of Black Hawk helicopters, and giant wildcats that menace and then dissolve away.

“All the world’s nanobot disassemblers have turned wizard assemblers. Minuscule humanoids … one-hundred-metre figures that stride purposefully in and out of existence … an ancient biplane lurches along on the verge of leaving the ground … Siamese-twin apes on wheels slalom between the remaining molecules.”

“Genesis 2.0” is as revolutionary as the title suggests. It is by turns calm and riotous, reassuring and deeply disturbing, compelling and prohibiting. But there is muddle in the rubble.

At close to 700 pages, it is more than twice the length of “MOM”, and its kaleidoscopic, shape-shifting complexity requires twice as much explaining. Piprell has said the book is “as long as it needs to be” and resisted his and his editors’ attempts to condense it.

And yet there is considerable repetition in the bogstorm of explication, circuitous dialogue, aggravating gaps between plot objectives being met. The inventiveness withers in the loops and stretches. Even with the main characters strutting about proudly naked (often titillatingly so), the adventure at times stutters.

This aside, oh my MOM what a dazzlingly scary fantasy this is – assuming it does turn out to be a fantasy, and not an astonishing feat of accurate precognition on the part of an author who seems far better informed about the future than the rest of us.

The second Magic Circles novel ends (after a nice inside-out joke about plot-free writing) with a promise of more thrills to come, by way of a rather poignant use of the Thai term fai kaphrip, translated for divine purposes here as “fluorescent tube on the fritz”.

TEN DAYS have passed since Thai people bid a final farewell to their late King, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the gilded Royal Crematorium from which he ascended to his heavenly dwelling is now part of an exhibition open to the public. While the visit is naturally a solemn one, it is also a celebration of the master craftsmen and volunteers whose hard work in recreating a Heaven on Earth over the past year must be seen firsthand to be fully appreciated.

The buildings in the ceremonial ground including the Phra Thinang Song Tham (Royal-Merit Making Pavilion), the six Sala Luk Khun and a Thap Kaset (Government Officials’ Pavilions) are all hosting displays of the intricate details of the preparation for the royal funeral rites. Officials of the Fine Arts Department are on hand at every pavilion to provide more details.

Though the structures are conceptual and temporary and will be taken apart never to be used again, they incorporate the ultimate achievements in Thai architecture and art – along with some decidedly modern technology.

About 5,500 visitors are allowed into the ceremonial ground for an hour at a time. Though photography is allowed, selfies and live online broadcasts are forbidden.

The model of the Royal Crematorium

The first pavilion is home to an explanatory exhibition on the concept of the Royal Crematorium, which is modelled after the mythical mountain Sumeru, the centre of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. The King is believed to be the reincarnation of a god while King Bhumibol was also highly revered as a divine King. The designs of the Royal Crematorium dating back to those of King Mongkut (Rama IV) are on display together with the models of the Royal Crematorium and the Royal Funeral Pyre of King Bhumibol.

The process from sketch to construction of the Royal Crematorium is revealed. 

The process from sketch to construction is revealed in the next pavilion and it is here the visitor learns that the construction of the Royal Crematorium and 28 component structures covering more than 50 rai, or approximately two thirds of Sanam Luang, materialised from 377 sheets of pencil sketches that were later developed into more than 200 enlarged patterns.

A reproduction of sketches of this Royal Crematorium designed by Kokiart Thongphud is set out on a table along with the process of enlargement of each component to actual size. Also displayed is the painstaking work of the craftsmen using fretwork on gold-coloured crepe cloth, overlapping woodwork as well as coloured stencils to achieve the aesthetic perfection of the temporary architectural components.

A display of temporary architectural components used for the Royal Crematorium

“Temporary architectural components are made with materials that are easily manufactured, installed and dismantled such as thin pieces of plywood, plastic and fibreglass-reinforced resin composites. The decorative patterns retain the significance and symbols befitting the sovereign’s rank and status,” says an official of the Fine Arts Department.

Surrounding the Royal Crematorium are more than 500 pieces of sculptural works including the hand-crafted statues of celestial beings like the garuda and the naga, the mythical creatures believed to have existed in the Himmaphan Forest at the base of Mount Sumeru.

A showcase of the delicate procedures to create sculptural works

Visitors will be given details on the delicate procedures to sculpt these works and can take a closer look at some sculptures that are identical to those standing around the Royal Crematorium.

“Some sculptures were done in two editions – the ones for decorating the Royal Crematorium and the others to showcase in this exhibition, allowing people to study the details,” says Eakkasit Toratana from the Fine Arts Department.

A net of crown flowers crafted by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to decorate the top of the Royal Funeral Pyre.

Another example of sophisticated fine arts for the ceremony is the elaborate carving of fresh flowers, banana stalks, fruits and vegetables that were used as the natural flame retardant on the Royal Funeral Pyre. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also crafted a net of crown flowers to decorate the top of the Royal Funeral Pyre and her work is also on display in the exhibition.

“I am so sad to see that the flames from the cremation left a dark stain on some flowers. It was a sharp reminder of the solemn cremation ceremony that saw our beloved King returning to heaven,” said early visitor Kullaya Nitichan with tears in her eyes.

The delicate crafted sandalwood flowers presented to the royal family members

Also on display are pictures and details of the Royal Sandalwood Urn and Coffin that took over eight months to complete. Both are made from fragrant dead-standing sandalwood trees taken from Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. The Royal Sandalwood Coffin features more than 30,000 pieces of hand-carved wood assembled in an exquisite design, featuring 24 patterns of intertwined sprays adorning 132 Garuda. The Royal Sandalwood Urn was assembled from more than 10,000 pieces of carved wood featuring 46 traditional Thai flower patterns adorning 64 Theppanom deities.

The pictures of the meticulously crafted sandalwood flowers presented to the Royal Family members during the actual cremation are also revealed.

The replicas of the cremation panels

The replicas of the cremation panels used to shield the Royal Funeral Pyre allow visitors to see the details of the double-sided paintings clearly. On the front at the top of the panels are paintings of an assembly of deities to pay homage to the late monarch while those on the bottom refer to royally initiated projects. On the reverse side is the heavenly abode filled with gorgeous lotuses and flowers in full bloom as well as daffodils – the late King’s favourite flower –and the monarch’s monogram.

Khun Tongdaeng, right, and Khun Jocho

The life-size fibreglass statues of the late monarch’s two favourite pet dogs, Khun Tongdaeng and Khun Jocho, sculpted to decorate the Royal Funeral Pyre now guard the front of the Phra Thinang Song Tham pavilion. Inside the main pavilion are items associated with his life and works as well as three magnificent murals on canvas depicting projects initiated by the beloved late monarch for the benefit of the country and his people.

A mural painting at the Phra Thinang Song Tham pavilion depicts projects initiated by the late monarch.

On display are a replica of his working desk with a desktop computer, a typewriter, cameras, a large map, a two-way handheld radio and stationery. When His Majesty learned of disasters or emergencies, he used radio communications to arrange and monitor the preparation and distribution of bags of emergency supplies to provide immediate relief. The examples of necessities in a bag of emergency supplies are showcased with a soundtrack of the monarch making suggestions to officials to help bring relief to the flood victims. The attached QR code brings up the video clip on YouTube.

A replica of King Bhumibol’s working desk 

His Majesty’s New Theory Farming based on sufficiency economy philosophy is translated into 3-D mechanical moving models for easy understanding as well as a display of different kinds of vetiver grass that King Bhumibol introduced for soil and water conservation.

The most touching part of the exhibition is the accumulation of pictures and videos of mourners since his passing on October 13 last year until the Royal Cremation day on October 26.

His Majesty’s New Theory Farming is told through 3-D mechanical moving models.

The Thap Kaset pavilion hosts a tactile exhibition designed for the visually impaired. The models of the Royal Crematorium and the landscape of the ceremonial ground as well as the sculptures of celestial beings and mythical creatures are available for touching and come with explanations from the officials and Braille letters.

“Ten eyes can’t be better than touching,” says Wiriya Namsiripongpun, 65, a retired blind lecturer of Thammasat University. “I can hear people explaining the structure of Phra Merumas, but having a chance to touch the model gives me a visual image of the grandeur. By touching, I even know the numbers of steps leading to the three-tiered Phra Merumas. The sculptures of celestial beings and mythical creatures have also been made with delicate details echoing the great efforts of the artists.”

Wiriya Namsiripongpun enjoys a tactile exhibition designed for the visually impaired.

“This is a respectful place from where our beloved monarch departed to rest at the heavenly abode, so people should be polite with both respectful attire and manner. With a limited time of one-hour per round, it’s better to use your heart and eyes to record the memory rather than spending much time taking pictures. I’ve seen some visitors touching and leaning against Phra Merumas and behaving in an inappropriate manner when taking pictures,” visitor Arunee Chuboonraj who attended a test run on Wednesday, told The Sunday Nation.

During the test run, visitors were permitted a close-up look of the three-tiered Royal Crematorium at the interior second level. Arunee’s comments proved prophetic however, and the Culture Ministry has since banned entry to the interior and the public can now visit only the surroundings.

Officials have also fitted sensors on some items in the exhibition, saying these are a preventive measure to detect if people came in too close a proximity.

IF YOU GO

The Royal Cremation ceremonial ground is open to the public until November 30 from 7am to 10pm. The one-way tour takes about an hour to complete, with only 5,500 visitors allowed at any one time.

Visitors are required to bring ID cards or passports and will have to proceed through one of five screening points. There are four screening points for Thais: the Territorial Defence Command, Tha Chang, the Earth Goddess Statue and Thammasat University, where wheelchairs will be provided, while monks and foreign visitors are invited to check in at the Defence Ministry screening point.

Eight roads adjacent to Sanam Luang will remain closed. Keep updated with the traffic situation at http://www.TrafficPolice.go.th or call 1197.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will provide 60 free buses a day on six routes from 4am to 11pm. Call 1348.

Epson’s L4150 Wi-Fi all-in-one ink-tank printer can help you save a lot on printing cost. The design is compact and sleek and the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity makes it easy to set up.

The L4150 is a small 375x347x187mm, so it’ll fit nicely on any handy surface, and the Wi-Fi linkage means it doesn’t have to be near your desktop computer.

I had the thing up and running in a snap. You just press the Wi-Fi Connect button on the front and then the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button on your home WiFi router. Bingo – the connection is made.

Now you have to install the printer driver on a notebook or desktop computer that’s connected to the router. The computer will find the L4150 and you’re all ready for scanning and printing.

The L4150 is outstanding in its ability to save printing costs.

There are four ink tanks – black, red, green and blue. You can fill the black one for Bt395, and that should last for about 7,500 sheets of A4 paper at standard resolution. That averages out to 5.3 satang per sheet.

The colour ink-bottles cost Bt265 each and can print about 6,000 sheets of A4 paper, so the average there is 13.3 satang per sheet.

The printing quality is quite good at a resolution of 5,760×1,440 dots per inch (dpi) using “variable-sized droplet technology”. The machine can print 4×6-inch photo-size paper as well as plain A4-size paper.

Epson rates the 4×6-inch photo printing at standard resolution at 92 seconds for borderless printing. In my test, using photo-grade paper, it took about two minutes and 45 seconds to print out a borderless 4×6-inch photo at the top resolution setting.

A4 printing at draft resolution in black and white is rated at about 33 pages per minute. I did one at top resolution in about six seconds.

It’s really convenient printing photos directly from an Android phone using Google Cloud Print once you install Epson’s Control app. Or, you can install Epson’s iPrint app to print and scan directly from an iOS device or Android phone or tablet.

My printed sheets had sharp, legible text and my photos came out beautifully coloured, if not quite as bright as what you get from a professional photo shop.

The L4150 can scan documents at a resolution of 1200x2400dpi. The maximum area you can scan is 216x297mm at 48-bit depth. The machine can scan a monochrome page in about 11 seconds at a resolution of 200dpi and in 28 seconds in colour at 200dpi.

And there’s a button for using the flatbed scanner to copy documents without the need for a computer.

Epson’s L4150 Wi-Fi ink-tank printer retails for Bt7,890.

KEY SPECS

– Functions: Print, scan, copy

– Print method: On-demand ink jet (piezoelectric)

– Configuration: 180 nozzles black, 59 nozzles per colour (cyan, magenta, yellow)

– Maximum resolution: 5,760×1,440dpi with Variable-Sized Droplet Technology

– Copy speed: SO 29183, A4, Simplex, up to 7.7ipm black, 3.8ipm colour

– Maximum copy resolution: 360x360dpi

– Reduction/enlargement: 25400 per cent, Auto Fit Function

– Maximum copy size: A4, letter

– Scanner type: Flatbed colour image

– Sensor type: CIS

– Optical resolution: 1,200×2,400dpi

– Maximum Scan Area: 216x297mm

– Scanner bit depth (colour): 48-bit input, 24-bit output

– Number of paper trays: One

– Paper hold capacity: Input 100 sheets A4 Plain (80 g/m2), 20 sheets Premium Glossy Photo Paper, 30 sheets A4 Plain Paper, 20 sheets Premium Glossy Photo Paper

– Interface: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

– Network Protocol: TCP/IPv4, TCP/IPv6

– Dimensions: 3,75x347x187mm

– Weight: Five kilograms

It’s a common enough sight – a couple playing with their smartphones while waiting to buy tickets for a movie screening.

Except that the couple in question is far from ordinary and the “playing” involves not the social networks or games but the downloading of an app that will help them “see” the movie through a audio description.

New graduate Yoowanna Nutnapun, 24, was born blind and she along with her friend Akarin Punyaworawat, 42, blinded four years ago in an accident, were at SF Cinema in Central Rama IX to catch the recent Thai horror flick “Phuan Thee Raluek” (“The Promise”).

The app is called Pannana and allows the visually impaired to watch a movie at a cinema with a sighted audience during an ordinary screening. Right now, audio descriptions have only been completed for selected movies but the app is easy to use, requiring just a cellular network, and can be downloaded for both the iOs and Android platforms.

Pannana, which literally means “to describe”, has been developed by the social enterprise group Klongdinsor, who works with the visually and hearing impaired. It’s not the first AD project to be released but it is the first to give freedom to the blind to walk into the cinema and enjoy the show without asking their companion to explain what’s going on to them.

“It’s fun and it was so nice to be able to watch a film in the cinema rather than at home. I really hope they do more movies, especially fantasy movies and my favourite Harry Potter,” says Yoowanna.

Thanaphoom Paktra, 24, was also at the cinema that day with two of his friends and the three couldn’t stop talking about the film after it ended, giggling as they compared notes on the scenes that scared them the most. All three were full of praise for the app.

“I always get scared when watching horror films (even without AD) and then I dream about it because the music and the sound effects are scary in themselves. But watching with AD is so much better because the description elaborates on what’s going on, I love it!,” says Thanaphoom.

“The scariest thing is the imagination so a ghost movie for the blind that needs imagination creates scary feelings,” says Klongdinsor’s founder and manager Chatchai Aphibanpoonpon.

The AD for movies was introduced on Thai DVDs a few years ago but is only available for GTH and later GDH films. Now, with DVDs in decline, AD needs support from everyone involved in the business. Making an AD for a movie costs around hundreds of hundreds of thousands of baht and Klongdinsor would not have been able to complete the horror film project without the support of SF Cinema and GDH.

It’s not that the blind can’t go to movies but to do so, they need to be accompanied by a friend to act as a living AD. Given the potential for disturbing another spectators, it’s hardly a comfortable situation. The AD in app form sets them free and allows them to enjoy themselves.

The app is in synch with the sound and starts working when the titles begin rolling.

Chatchai says that the idea was born when the company organised a special movie screening for the blind with AD provided. “We could see it worked but we also knew that the cost was high and it would reach out only to a small group of the blind,” he says, adding that he starting working on the app after learning that many countries were passing laws that made it compulsory to provide AD for the visually impaired.

He took the idea to media agency Dentsu Thailand and spent a year working on the app with financial support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

Klongdinsor is a social enterprise company whose projects and products cater to those with impairments. Its best-known product is the Lensen kit, which allows the visually impaired to draw.

Its mission, says Chatchai, is to create an inclusive society where people with and without disabilities can live together in harmony and help contribute to the enrichment of the society.

“We organise workshops on volunteering skills for the blind so they too can give to society.”

The principle for the AD app, says Chatchai, is the sound synching between the (AD) sound recorded on the app and the sound on the screen. “And when it works, the people who want to use it can do it alone, anytime and anywhere,” he says.

The Pannana app, however, is not limited to movies but is also a platform for any audio-visual media who want their content to reach out to those with impairments.

“I hope the content provider takes responsibility for this part. There’s a need to build awareness among movie-makers and TV producers that there are hundreds of thousands of people – the blind – who can’t access their content. I hope they pay more attention to these people and do it. We have already provided the platform, so they only have to do the AD and put it into the app. That’s not so expensive,” says Chatchai.

The visually impaired in Thailand are all too often ignored, which isolates then from society. But even though many more organisations are providing more access to the blind, for example, the 1414 hotline that they can call to find information, news, audio books and even AD, not enough is being done to encourage them to play a full role in society.

“Speaking in business terms, the app and the platform will make their products or content reach out hundreds to thousands of customers,” he says.

So far only a few movies and TV shows are available for download.

Like other people, the blind enjoy watching commercial films and are hoping that AD will one day be available for Hollywood films. Chatchai has already started work and recently added blockbusters “The Avengers Part 1” and “Thor Part 1” to the app along with the TV series “Mom” from Thai PBS TV, one of the few channels to provide AD.

“I’ve heard that most Hollywood films are obliged by law to have their own AD but I don’t know whether their distributors in Thailand have it or not. It would be great if they have it in hand so that we could translate it and put it into the app,” he says.

The next challenge is finding the manpower to translate and write the AD script for the app. He hopes this will be achieved by volunteers, in much the same way as audio books have become possible.

“There is a AD course at Thammasat University and also some organisations hold occasional workshops on creating the AD script. It’s not a hard job. The AD doesn’t need to convince the visually impaired but just paint them a picture through words. Their imagination will do the rest.

“Audio description will help create equality and should be provided for all kinds of content. The blind should have the right to choose what they listen too – it shouldn’t be only Dharma or information,” he stresses.

“Our project shows what can be done for them. It’s like the chicken and the egg. In the past, we didn’t see the blind going to the cinema and people would say it was because there were no facilities for them. Now we have the Pannana app and everyone can see that a platform exists that helps the blind to see a movie at the cinema,” he says.

LISTEN A LITTLE

– The Pannana team is holding a special screening for the blind today of two movies: “The Avengers Part 1” shows at 10am and “Thor Part 1” at 1.30pm in meeting room 413 at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s Rian Roo Sukha Phawa building in Soi Ngam Duphli, Sathorn.

– The movie is Thai dubbed and has the audio description provided in the app. Those wanting to see the films can bring along one companion. All that’s needed is a smartphone with Internet access and earphones to listen to the AD.

– Find out more at Facebook.com/pannanaapp/ or call (086) 069 5652.

Sony’s WF-1000x true-wireless earbuds boast a neat compact and minimalist design that makes them both discreet and comfortably in the ears. Unwanted background sounds are eliminated and ambient sound is automatically adjusted to suit your current activity. The buds cost Bt7,990.

All eyes on the road

If you want a dashboard camera, DOD’s RC500S is a good choice because the LCD screen can be removed to avoid distraction while driving. You can watch in real time and replay video using an app connecting the camera to a phone or tablet. Files can be downloaded to a phone quickly and easily, and the app even offers video editing and marking functions. RTB Technology sells the RC500S for Bt13,900, including a 32GB MicroSD card.

Workout listening

If you exercise regularly, Urbanears Stadion is a light, flexible, Bluetooth-enabled headset. The stretchy coils wrap behind the neck in a good fit and EarClick technology secures the buds in the ears. With the three-button controls, you can click through a playlist, adjust volume and pick up calls. The headset will run for seven hours on a single charge. Head to http://www.AShop.asia with Bt3,590.

When gamers go big

BenQ’s W1210ST is a projector made for gamers. Short-throw technology enables projection of a 100-inch display from 1.5 metres. Built to block motion blur, it can be connected to an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Wii U for crisp, high-definition games. The going rate is Bt49,900.

Behold the flash drive reborn

The humble flash drive reinvented, the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick works on a computer, phone or tablet. It allows for wireless access to media, transfers of large files, streaming HD videos and music, and saving and sharing photos and videos. The builtin battery is rechargeable. A 16GB stick costs Bt1,090, 32GB Bt1,390, 64GB Bt1,890 and 128GB Bt3,290.

Fresh from HMD Global, the Nokia 8 smartphone boasts a good-quality camera, zippy performance and near-instantaneous Internet connection.

The main camera represents a dual-camera system with a Zeiss lens enhancing the image quality and Dual-Sight video technology for live-streaming motion pictures in real-time onto Facebook or YouTube.

Rather remarkably, Dual-Sight simultaneously harnesses both the front and rear cameras in a split-screen visual presentation of photos or videos.

Nokia’s OZO Audio technology encodes spatial 360-degree audio in a 4K video, so the sound is really immersive.

The Nokia 8 has a rugged build but it’s beautifully curved too, a design that makes it just 4.6mm thin at the edge, while the middle part is 7.3mm. The seamless body is milled from a single block of 6000-series aluminium, which HMD Global says is refined in a 40-stage process of machining, anodising and polishing.

The 5.3-inch display, protected by tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5, has a high-gloss mirror finish polished for 20 hours. The IPS LCD is 2,560×1,440 pixels and a very bright 700 nits. This makes it sensational for watching HD movies streamed, for example, via TrueVisions’ Anywhere app.

The Nokia 8 performs well thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM8998) with four cores running at 2.45GHz and four more at 1.8GHz. You have four gigabytes of DDR4 RAM (active memory) and 64GB of internal storage to play with.

The Google Android 7.1.1 is a “pure Android” version with no third-party user-interface on top of it.

AnTuTu Benchmark Version 6.2.7 gave my test model a score of 168,931 points. In global rankings, it was third as of October 5, after the iPhone 7 Plus (with 183,106 points) and iPhone 7 (173,767). These scores can be influenced by various factors, including apps running in the background.

Though equipped with Qualcomm’s flagship CPU, the Nokia 8 doesn’t overheat. The heat-dissipation design involves a graphite-shielded copper cooling-pipe that diverts heat across the full length and breadth of the phone.

I was amazed at the Nokia 8’s handling of graphics-extensive games and High-Resolution Audio music tracks. FLAC 24bit/192kHz files played through Sony’s MDR1ABT Hi-Res Audio headphones sounded fantastic in terms of clarity, instrumental detail and bass.

The Internet connection is very fast, letting you download apps and back up snapshots to a cloud in no time. The Ookla Speedtest app gauged download speed at 95.75Mbps and uploads at 33.08Mbps.

The fingerprint reader embedded in the home button provides assurance about security. I was able to use it effortlessly and effectively to unlock the phone.

The main camera’s dual nature produces impressive results. One sensor and lens capture RGB and others pick up the monochromes. When these are combined, the camera can achieve that magical bokeh effect of background blur, comparable to the quality offered by a DSLR camera.

To get this effect, select Live Bokeh mode, in which you can shoot first and focus the image later, using Bokeh Editor.

Other shooting modes are Manual, Photos (Auto), Panorama and Beautify.

Manual allows you to adjust exposure settings, white balance and auto, infinity or macro focus, and also choose among auto, evaluative or centre-weighted light-measuring.

Beautify mode, with a four-phase range (520), brightens and smoothes the subject’s face – it makes them look younger, in other words.

The shots I got in different modes were wonderfully sharp with well-saturated colours, and pictures taken at night were no less crisp, thanks to the f/2.0 aperture.

The Nokia 8 can use Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, so the 3,090mah battery is renewed very fast and, once charged, can comfortably last a full day.

The phone’s available from AIS, Dtac, True Move, Jaymart, TG Fone and other authorised dealers for Bt19,500.

KEY SPECS

– Network: GSM: 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8, TDSCDMA: 34, 39, LTE (Cat 9): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41

– Operating system: Android Nougat 7.1.1

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (four 2.45GHz Qualcomm Kryo, four 1.8GHz Kryo)

– Memory: 4GB LPPDDR4

– Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD by up to 256GB

– Display: 5.3-inch IPS LCD QHD 2,560×1,440 pixels, 700 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 2.5D Glass

– Primary camera: 13 MP (Colour + OIS) + 13 MP (Mono), 1.12um, f/2.0, 76.9 degree, PDAF, IR range finder, dual tone flash

– Front-facing camera 13 MP PDAF, 1.12um, f/2.0, 78.4degree, display flash

– Ports: USB TypeC, 3.5mm headphone jack

– Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO), BT 5.0, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC (sharing) ANT+

– Sensors: Ambient light, proximity, accelerometer, ecompass, gyroscope, fingerprint, hall, barometer

– SIM slot: One nano-SIM slot, one nano-SIM or one MicroSD card slot

– Dimensions: 151.5×73.7x 7.9mm

– Weight: 160 grams