THE CENTRE of a powerful ancient civilisation, Mohenjo Daro was one of the world’s earliest cities – a Bronze Age metropolis boasting flush toilets and a water and waste system to rival many in modern Pakistan.

Some 5,000 years on archaeologists believe the ruins could unlock the secrets of the Indus Valley people, who flourished around 3,000 BC in what is now India and Pakistan before mysteriously disappearing.

But they warn, if nothing is done to protect the ruins – already neglected and worn by time – it will fade to dust and obscurity, never taking its rightful place in history.

Once the centre of a powerful civilisation, Mohenjo Daro was a Bronze Age metropolis boasting flush toilets and a water and waste system to rival modern standards./AFP

“Everybody knows Egypt, nobody knows Mohenjo Daro, this has to be changed,” says Dr Michael Jansen, a German researcher working at the sun-baked site on the banks of the Indus river in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.

Jansen is at the forefront of a new effort to promote the site internationally while finding ways to protect what is left.

In summer temperatures can soar above 46 degrees Celsius. “There is enormous thermo-stress,” says Jansen, adding that salt from the underground water table is also damaging the ruins.

But it’s more than just the weather and time. Pakistan’s bloody fight against militancy has also raised the spectre of destruction by an Islamist group, much like Islamic State destroyed the ruins in Syria’s Palmyra.

Most horrifying, however, is the wanton disregard for Mohenjo Daro – or “mound of the dead” – by ordinary citizens.

In 2014 police stood atop the main stupa as hundreds of people swarmed the site to, ironically, commemorate Pakistan’s cultural heritage – complete with scaffolding, dancing, fireworks, heavy spotlights and lasers.

Sardar Ali Shah, cultural minister in Sindh province, vowed never to let such a thing happen again.

“It’s like you are jumping on the bedof a 5,000-year-old ailing patient,” he says.

Yet today curious visitors still roam the remains with impunity, many leaving rubbish in the once pristine-streets and wells.

Jansen and his Friends of Mohenjo Daro society aim to promote the site internationally, with plans to recruit Pakistanis around the world for conferences, seminars and debates.

Dr Kaleem Lashari, chief consultant to the Pakistani government over Mohenjo Daro, says they will also digitally archive the Indus script – which has never been deciphered – in hopes that making it accessible will increase the site’s profile.

At the site itself, he said, technical reviews are being held to examine the water logging issue and other ways to shore up the ruins, while exploring new, modern technology that allows researchers to ascertain what lies beneath the surface in the portions of the city not yet excavated.

But, Lashari says, perhaps the biggest challenge remains Pakistan’s international image, tarnished by extremism, corruption, poverty, and insecurity.

“Foreigners are afraid to visit Pakistan and the site because of the chronic issue of law and order,” he warns.

The issues he cites underscore unsettling differences between modern day Pakistan and the civilisation found among the ruins.

At their peak during the Bronze Age, the Indus Valley people are believed to have numbered up to five million, with Mohenjo Daro their largest and most advanced settlement.

Clay and metallic seals, coins, standardised weighing stones, gold and bronze ornaments, toys and whistles – the bric-a-brac of ancient lives have revealed volumes about thriving Indus trade and commerce.

The layout of the city itself suggests an egalitarian people more concerned with cleanliness than hierarchy, says Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer of the University of Wisconsin.

“In Mesopotamia, the streets went from the city to the palace … whereas in (Indus) cities all the streets were organised to allow access to the whole city,” he says.

Mohenjo Daro had a complex water and waste management system which observers have wryly noted was better than in many parts of Pakistan today.

Only a small portion of the site has been excavated properly, but the most important building appears not to have been a palace or a place of worship, but a massive public bath.

Houses had tiled bathrooms and their own cylindrical brick wells, sometimes raised to the second floor to allow for a flush system.

None of this, however, has yet explained why such a powerful, advanced and flourishing civilisation disappeared so abruptly around 1900 BC.

Currently, there is no bid to excavate further among the plans being laid by Lashari and Jansen. “It is actually preserved when it is buried,” explains Harvard University’s Dr Richard Meadow.

Despite their access to new technologies, that puts researchers in a quandary, especially as they try to understand what happened to the Indus people. As Jansen says, the “best way to learn information is to excavate”.

But mysteries take time to solve: for now, the researchers say, they will settle for ensuring that Mohenjo Daro endures for a few centuries more.

THE STREET LAB at Siam Discovery brings sunshine to rainy days with a new collection of street-smart clothes and accessories from both local and international brands.

For the guys, there’s Gingko’s slim-fit Fold Collar shirt that’s stylishly embellished with colour blocking around the torso and a unique fold collar. Solomon presents Fast Wing HZ SS Tee M running tees in lightweight fabric, which boast a four-way stretch to reduce skin irritation. Advanced Skin Active Dry technology ensures sweat evaporation and ventilation while running.

Corso sunglasses from Assada Eyewear, Bt20,500

Assada Eyewear from Switzerland takes inspiration from Jean Hans Arp’s sculptures for its On the Road sunglasses while the Corso series give off a movie star quality with transparent tinted lenses in purple-blue.

Venque’s Alpine Rucksack backpack is functional for travel and daily use with two handle directions and small padded compartments just right for a mirrorless or DSLR camera and lens. The totes are made of Quanta fabric, which has better water-resistance and is three times more durable than canvas.

Nixon x Bones Brigade watch, Bt6,500

The limited edition Nixon x Bones Bridge wristwatches boast iconic skateboarding graphics from the legendary Bones Brigade skateboard team in the ’80s on the dials of the Time Teller series. There are six designs, engraved with a skateboarder’s name at the back. Only 20 watches are available in Thailand.

Camper’s Twins shoes, Bt5,950

Camper’s Twins shoes provide great support for tired feet and look good too. Colourful and contemporary, the Twins series are ideal for the man or woman around town. Cole Haan footwear meanwhile has the Zerogrand Stitchlite Oxford collection made out of stretch knit material for ultimate comfort and breathability. The shoes optimise airflow and feature shoe-sole lightness while allowing flexibility in every step.

The Street Lab is on the first floor of Siam Discovery.

“The passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a very great loss to the Thai people and the state and private entities have been organising various activities to show their condolences and undying loyalty,” notes Asst Prof Kowit Puangngarm, Dean of the Social Administration Faculty.

“Thammasat’s Tha Prachan campus is close to the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang where people come to pay respect to the late King and is equipped with various facilities including restrooms and the coordinating centre for volunteers while the area around the Social Administration Faculty offers food and beverages to the public and volunteers.

“The faculty and South East Asia University are thus introducing this ‘Photo in remembrance of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’ project to help those come to pay respects take home a memento of their visit while simultaneously raising awareness about the faculty. The project will provide 200 photo shoots a day for 5 months of people paying respect to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The photos measure 6×8 and are in colour with 11 backgrounds from which to choose including His Majesty the King’s activities and the Grand Palace. This project is expected to be another landmark for volunteer activities during this historic event.”

Those who are interested in having a photo taken of themselves paying respect to the late King can visit Room 108 of the faculty every day until October 19. Find out more by calling (02) 613 2500 between 9am and 4pm.

The contest is designed to find a business whose innovation and enterprise strives to make the world a better place under the concept of “Win the Right Way”.  Following a tough selection process, Peetachai Dejkraisak, co-founder and chief executive of Siam Organic, a social enterprise that aims to solve the problem of farmers’ poverty through innovative organic products, including specialty organic rice, Jasberry, was picked for the final round.

Siam Organic realises that although Thailand is the number one rice exporter in the world, Thai farmers are among the lowest income earners in the ASEAN region. Siam Organic has developed a line of “Jasberry” products with the aim of ending small-scale farmers’ poverty by giving farmers access to the global organic market. Jasberry rice is a purple variety of rice with three times the antioxidants of blueberries. By providing farmers with rice seeds, micro-financing and training them in organic farming methods, Siam Organic has already enabled farmers to earn 14 times more profit compared to the average Thai rice farmer. Currently, Siam Organic works with approximately 5,000 farmers in about 1,000 households. But it needs help if it is to grow its operations and reach 20,000 new farmer households over the next three years, assisting even more farmers grow their way out of poverty.

As part of the $1 million (Bt35 million) Chivas Venture fund, people around the world will have the chance to vote for their chosen social enterprise in a five-week online voting campaign that continues through June 12. The public’s vote will determine how the first $250,000 in funding is split among the 30 global finalists. Show your support for Siam Organic through a live vote at https://www.Chivas.com/th-th/the-venture/finalists/people/th-siam-organic.

The winner(s) of the remaining $750,000 in funding will be decided on July 13 at the Chivas Venture Final in Los Angeles, after a high-stakes pitch in front of the judges and a live audience.

Located in the heart of Nepal’s central region, just over an hour’s drive from Kathmandu and Tribhuvan International Airport, the luxurious mountaintop resort will have 44 well-appointed guest rooms and 20 exclusive villas, each providing magnificent views of the majestic Himalayan range.

Taking inspiration from the natural beauty of its surroundings, the pristine air and the year-round good weather, the new property will have a wellness spa concept created by Dusit’s signature Devarana Spa, which provides luxurious, personalized treatments to promote emotional and physical well-being. Other facilities will include an all-day-dining restaurant, a bar and lobby lounge, meeting facilities and a swimming pool.

Namo Buddha, a small village that’s home to the ancient Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal, is less than 10 minutes away by car. Dhulikhel, the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, whose old town is home to many Hindu shrines and Buddhist stupa, is also nearby. The extension of the highway linking Dhulikhel to Kathmandu is expected to be complete by 2020, reducing travel time between the capital and the resort to less than 45 minutes.

“Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort & Spa brings wellness and well-being to the fore in a magnificent setting that invigorates the mind, body and soul,” says Suphajee Suthumpun, group chief executive officer of Dusit International. “In keeping with our brand promise to deliver gracious hospitality to the world, we will do all we can to ensure our resort has a positive impact on the local environment and community, and we look forward to making it a huge success.”

“This is not just a commercial relationship, it is more of a spiritual collaboration between two companies that share the same beliefs and values, and which want to do something positive and meaningful for Nepal. It also marks the start of a long and fruitful relationship because we aim to explore more opportunities to work with Dusit, both within Nepal and beyond,” adds Vishnu Mor, principal partner of Omstone Asia Capital Nepal Pvt Ltd.

With 29 properties currently in operation across four brands in eight countries, Dusit International is in a growth phase which will see the number of Dusit properties reach 70 within the next three to four years across key markets worldwide.

Encapsulating all that is poetic and romantic about Japan, the eight-day Shinto Shrines and Steaming Onsen: Honeymoon journey begins in Tokyo to take in the ancient amidst the ultra-modern.

Couples will visit the traditional tea house Nakajima No Chaya and soak in an onsen spring in a lovely old ryokan, and wander through the iconic red Shinto gates of Fushimi Inari shrine. That’s followed by a trip to Hakone national park at the foot of Mount Fuji before speeding off to Kyoto on the shinkansen bullet train.

In Kyoto, newlyweds can enjoy walking tours to visit historic shrines, castles and the wooden townhouses of Sannen-zaka.

For couples preferring something more tropical, the 12-day Live, Love and Laugh in Vietnam encompasses urban adventures, breathtaking landscapes and idyllic islands.

From Hanoi to Hoi An and Halong Bay, this honeymoon programme includes unforgettable experiences including cruising between limestone karsts, lazing on the powder-fine sands of Phuc Quoc, scooting around on a Vespa in Saigon and more.

Find out more at www.BackyardTravel.com or email marketing@backyardtravel.com

A must for any small company that holds regular conference calls but can’t afford to invest in heavy-duty equipment, the Jabra Speak 710 is a premium portable speakerphone with a foldable stand and a built-in USB cable that wraps around the back of the speaker when it is not used.

The Speak 710 can be used either as a Bluetooth speaker or a USB speaker and can easily be paired with a second Speak 710 to create stereo sound and or to provide wider coverage for a conference room. Connecting the two is easy too: just press the Link button on both speakerphones when they are within two metres of each other.

The Speak 710 uses Bluetooth 4.2 technology with headset profile version 1.2 and hands-free profile version 1.6. Wireless range is up to 30 metres and the built-in omni-directional microphone has a signal to noise ratio of 70dB.

A PC USB Bluetooth dongle (Jabra Link 370) is provided that you can plug into your PC to stream music to the Speak 710.

The Speak 710 has 10 watts of peak output power and 2 RMS watts. The 500 mA battery provides talk time of up to 15 hours and takes about three hours to recharge.

Weighing about 298 grammes and a mere 131mm, the speaker is very portable and even comes with a carry pouch.

It has frequency response of 150 Hz to 20 kHz.

During the test, I had no problem using it with my notebook computer. I simply plugged it to a USB port and the driver was installed automatically all ready to play music.

Connection with a smartphone using Bluetooth connection was also a breeze.

The speaker has touch sensitive buttons around its edge. I simply held the Bluetooth button down to make the Bluetooth link.

There are also volume up and down buttons and two speakerphone buttons for receiving and hanging up calls.

When the Speak 710 is linked to a smartphone, you can use the Smart button to activate voice assistant, like Siri of iOS, Google Now and Microsoft Cortana. You can also set the Smart button to speed dial instead of activating a voice assistant.

The Speak 710 has good sound clarity. It highlights the highs and mids and has just enough bass.

Jabra Speak 710 has a suggested retail price of Bt11,000 and it will be available from Ingram Micro (Thailand), RTB Technology, and SiS Distribution (Thailand).

Key specs:

– Connectivity: USB 2.0 & Bluetooth – USB cord of 90cm

– Bluetooth standard: Bluetooth 4.2 – Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE)

– Wireless range: 30 m

– Supported Bluetooth profiles: Headset profile v1.2 , hands free profile v1.6, A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.5

– Output power: 10 watts (peak), 2 watts (RMS)

– Frequency: range – Music mode 150 Hz to 20 Khz

– Microphone: Omni-directional with 70dB SNR

– Battery: 500 mA, 3 hours charging time, up to 15 hours talk time

– Size: 131mm in diameter and 38mm in height

– Weight: 298 g

With the HP Elite x3 smartphone, you’ve already got a desktop or laptop computer running Windows 10. This clever design makes things a lot easier for people who work on the go. Mind you, it costs Bt30,000.

The “x3” signifies the three configurations – phone, desktop and laptop – but to use it as a laptop, you need to also buy the HP Elite x3 Lap Dock, which looks like a laptop but doesn’t have a CPU. It just mirrors your phone’s apps and functions.

Using the Elite x3 as a desktop computer is a given, though, because the phone comes with an HP Elite x3 Desk Dock for connecting a monitor, keyboard and mouse and even an Ethernet LAN cable.

The phone makes use of a fast USB-C port and the Continuum component of Windows 10 to connect to the monitor, mouse, keyboard or a mirrored laptop.

Business executives and other high rollers who want to double down on computer time without having to switch between machines need only save their work in cloud storage, since the Elite x3 has just 64 gigabytes of internal storage.

Although a microSD expansion slot is provided, it’s shared with the second nano SIM. You can use it for one function or the other, not both.

As a smartphone, this is quite a powerful unit, and nice-looking in black, too. The multi-touch display is a large 5.96 inches with 2,560×1,440 pixels of resolution, protected behind anti-reflective Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

The power comes from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor running at 2.15GHz. Working memory (RAM) is a generous 4GB. For graphics, a Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU is your able servant.

I tested the device with the Microsoft Office applications that come with Windows 10 Mobile – Word, Excel and PowerPoint – and got through my tasks quickly and smoothly, with the same speed and confidence shown for games, videos and music files.

Since the Elite x3, like most Windows 10 mobile phones, is designed for business uses, there’s a no-nonsense look and feel to it. In place of attractive wallpaper and themes, you have a minimalist tile display of the apps and functions most commonly used, awaiting your tap.

Still, this “business phone” comes with multimedia apps, like Grove Music and Movies, and the sound is good too, thanks to an audio system and speakers designed by B&O Play. Two front-facing 0.6-watt stereo speakers and HP Noise Cancellation software ensure that phone conversations are easy to hear.

The 4G LTE connection is a fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi that, as I found on TrueMove H’s LTE network, will download apps and back up files as if the cops were on their way. The Ookla Speedtest app measured downloads at 52.52Mbps and uploads at 14.69Mbps.

I got connected in a hurry through a Linksys EA8500 router and could fetch files from my other home computers with no problem.

Managing the dual-SIMs issue isn’t difficult. I designated one SIM for data and it was automatically set to a 4G connection, while the other was ready for a 3G connection. The home screen shows tiles for using either SIM to make phone calls and send SMS, all very convenient.

The security seems pretty sound. The 2.4MP “iris camera” integrated into the front-facing camera will check the irises of your eyes before unlocking the phone, and there’s a fingerprint reader at the back, below the main camera. In my test, both of these security functions worked well.

The cameras do a nice job. The main camera is 16-megapixel resolution and uses phase-detection auto-focus. It’s capable of shooting Full HD video at 30 frames per second. The front-facing camera is 8MP. Both can get decent images in low light and overall produce good quality for a mobile device.

Configured as a desktop computer, the phone handily connects to a monitor, keyboard and mouse using the provided Desk Dock.

My only gripe is that the dock comes with a display port instead of the more common HDMI port. If you don’t have a monitor with a display port connector, you’ll have to buy a cable with a display-port connector on one side and an HDMI connector on the other.

HP’s Elite x3 has a suggested retail price of Bt29,900. The Lap Dock costs Bt18,990.

KEY SPECS

– Operating system: Windows 10 Mobile

Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE

– Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (2.15GHz, 4 cores) with Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU

– Memory: 4GB RAM

– Storage: 64GB, expandable with a microSD card up to 2TB

– Display: 5.96-inch display, multi-touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and anti-reflective coating, 2,560×1,440 pixels

– Cameras: 16MP rear, 8MP front

– Sensors: Ambient light sensor and proximity combo, accelerometer and gyro, eCompass, pressure, hall effect, NFC, GPS

– Battery: 4150mAh; 33 hours of talk time, 14 hours Web-browsing time, 13 hours video playback time

– Dimensions: 83.5×7.8 x161.8mm

– Weight: 194 grams

MILLIONS OF artificial flowers being assembled around the country will be the final expression of love and reverence for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej when his remains are cremated in October.

Leaves from the corn plant are being folded and sculpted into the artificial flowers called dok mai chan, but they were traditionally made from the fragrant wood of kalamet trees (Mansonia gagei, locally known as mai chan hom).

The tree is now, however, protected under the Forestry Act – anyone can plant it, but cutting it down requires official permission. The only kalamet to be used for the late monarch’s funeral will appear sparingly in the crematorium structure itself.

Samart Chansoon, now retired from the Ministry of Culture, explained the history of the wood’s use on state occasions at a recent seminar, one of a series being hosted by Siam Commercial Bank at its Bangkok headquarters. Partici- pants in the seminars learn how to fashion the funeral flowers from corn leaves.

The appealing scent of kalamet and a light colour believed to signify purity long made it an obvious choice for use in royal funerals, Samart said, as did its utility as a timber for fires.

“But, following the cremations of Kings Rama V and Rama VI, it was clear that kalamet trees were becoming scarce, so the venerable Prince Damrong Rajanubhab decided they should be conserved and invented this artificial flower, dok mai chan.

“He had the kalamet wood shaved into thin slices so that it could be shaped into a ‘flower’ called dok mai chan. People would attach an incense stick and candle to the stalk for burning at funerals.”

At one time every woman of nobility knew how to make dok mai chan from kalamet, keeping a block of the wood in a box at home to maintain its fragrance. They would slice off just enough for each funeral they attended and store the rest for later.

Commoners were apt to use any kind of wood to cremate the remains of loved ones, but the idea of dok mai chan made with corn leaves became popular. Temples these days keep a stock of the artificial flowers ready for funerals, made from different types of materials. They can be single “blossoms” or whole bouquets.

“Corn leaves aren’t always easy to find either these days, especially at this time of year,” Samart said. “The best for dok mai chan is the pang species grown mainly in Kam- phaeng Phet. It’s good for crafts – smooth and fine in texture, with a creamy complexion.

“When I teach people how to make the flowers, I’ll use corn leaves in the morning and banana leaves in the afternoon. You can actually use any material, because it’s the flower itself that symbolises respect for the dead. The flowers give us our last chance to say goodbye to them.

“The idea of using fragrant wood was that, no matter where the deceased travelled in death, they would still smell lovely – an echo of the Buddhist belief that, even in death, our goodness survives.”

The process of making dok mai chan is not difficult, and many businesses and agencies are hosting classes ahead of the royal funeral (see information box).

The flowers can be any of seven types – daffodil, lily, orchid, rose, cotton rose, Chinese rose or petit Chinese rose.

The daffodil (dararat in Thai – dara for “star” and rat for “jewel”) was one of the late King’s favourite flowers. He often made a gift of them to Her Majesty the Queen while they were living in Switzerland. It’s customarily a flower given to a loved one with nothing expected in return, and also symbolises honour, |bravery and hope.

Samart explained that the rose represents the “pure love” of the Thai people for the late King and their loyalty to him. The cotton rose signifies stability and abundance and is auspicious to the Chinese because it changes colour three times a day, as if mimicking the human life cycle.

The lily and white rose represent pure love. The orchid stands for stability, love and grace, all attributes of the late monarch. The Chinese rose conveys impermanence and divinity, and small blossoms can be see to represent people’s hearts as they pay worldly tribute to the King for the final time.

Belief dictates that dok mai chan given to mourners at a funeral should not be taken away and used for another purpose, since it’s intended only for the deceased. Passing it on to a living person might bring him sadness.

Nor should you praise the funeral flower for its beauty, because doing so suggests you desire an object meant for the dead. It’s sufficient to say the flower is nicely crafted.

TENS of thousands of dok mai chan have already been made for the royal cremation in October, but millions will be needed, so volunteers are being sought to lend a hand. Look for workshops and demonstrations being held at shopping malls, government buildings and private businesses.

– Siam Commercial Bank is hosting a demonstration of “Wood Floral Arrangements” (actually corn leaves, not “wood”) for the late King at its Mahisorn Hall on Ratchayothin Road on May 25 and 26, and materials will be sent to its branches across the country.

– The Mall Group and its business partners have prepared materials for creating the artificial flowers and are rallying volunteers for craft sessions at every branch and at the Emporium, EmQuartier, Siam Paragon and Bluport Hua Hin through July. Call (02) 310 1527.

– The Central Group aims to contribute three million wooden flowers by holding “Dok Dararat Tan Jai Tawai Dare Poh” craft sessions at every Central Plaza and Central Department Store, Central World, Central Embassy and all 19 Robinson Lifestyle Malls through August.

Gong’s face will grace the cover of the editions in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong. An in-depth interview with the actor will also be included in the issue and it will also be sold in Vietnam and the Philippines. Esquire is published in 10 countries in Asia.

It is the first time that one actor is on the cover of various different Asian editions at once, according to Gong’s agency Management Soop.

In Korea, three different versions of the cover featuring Gong will be available.

The cover shoot was held in Indonesia. The actor donned clothing from the Louis Vuitton X Supreme collection for the shoot, according to Management Soop.