Men trying to become a father the old-fashioned way are better off wearing loose underwear, according to a study published last week.

Compared to men who favour snug-fitting briefs, devotees of boxer shorts had a significantly higher count and concentration of sperm, researchers reported in the journal Human Reproduction.

The sperm were also more lively, and levels of a reproductive hormone were more favourable to generating offspring.

Researchers led by Lidia Minguez-Alarcon of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston examined 656 men of normal weight, aged 18 to 56, whose partners were seeking infertility treatment at a clinic.

Earlier research had come to the same conclusion, but with a smaller sample size. Corroborating data on the hormone, known as FSH, was also new.

Successful sperm production requires an environment three to four degrees Celsius below body temperature.

This explains the design of the free-hanging male scrotum, which is, in effect, a cooling system that places the sperm-making testes outside the main body cavity.

Anything that prevents this cooling is likely to impair both sperm output and quality.

While the age-old locker-room debate among men – boxers vs briefs – is more aesthetic than medical, the question has long been raised: do tight-fitting shorts overheat the family jewels?

The answer, it seems, is “a little bit, but it may not matter”.

“The study provides reasonably strong supporting evidence that wearing tighter underwear might cause mild, but significant, impaired sperm production in men,” notes Richard Sharpe, an honorary professor from the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health who was not involved in the research.

Ashely Grossman, professor of endocrinology at Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, agrees, saying the results are robust enough to merit a small lifestyle change when in doubt.

“It is a simple measure to wear boxer shorts when there is uncertainty regarding fertility,” he comments.

At the same time, none of men surveyed – whether they wore boxers, jockeys or bikini briefs – showed sperm counts below the normal range.

Experts noted a number of gaps in the new study that left room for uncertainty, and highlighted the need for follow up research.

While each participant provided a sperm and blood sample, sartorial habits were self-reported.

The study was also not a clinical trial – the gold standard in health research – but a search for statistically significant correlations, which can only point to possible causes.

Also, the study did not measure actual pregnancy outcomes, so it was unclear whether the differences in sperm count and quality uncovered actually made a bottom-line difference in the desired outcome.

Former deputy governor of Bangkok and chief executive of Rugby International School Bangkok launched the sale in the company of organiser Surachet Worawongwasu, backers Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, and Paul Kanjanapas, managing director of Impact Exhibition Management.

“The return of the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale to Bangkok for the third consecutive year marks our commitment towards advocating English literacy. We are passionate about making books affordable and available to everyone because we believe that everyone should have access to brand new, high quality English books,” said Surachet.

“The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale keeps getting bigger and better each year. This year, we’ve stocked the sale with an amazing selection of titles from popular authors. It will truly be a book heaven for readers,” he added

The shopping event is known for offering a wide selection of high-quality English books at ridiculously reduced prices. Readers can expect to find bestsellers, novels, business books, art and design titles, cookbooks and a fantastic range of children’s books, from augmented reality books, activity books, story books to interactive books.

Through its Red Readerhood programme, Big Bad Wolf has pledged to donate books to the Hope Foundation in Thailand. These books will benefit more than 10,000 students from 4 to 15 years of age across seven government schools in Bangkok.

Shoppers who are keen to support the cause can head over to the Red Readerhood corner at the exit of the sale and purchase books to donate to the students. All they have to do is select from the books at Red Readerhood, which are specially curated to meet the students’ reading needs, and pay for them at the counter.

Stay updated with news and contests via Big Bad Wolf Thailand’s social media pages: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bbwbooksthailand Instagram: @bigbadwolfbooks_th

HER MAJESTY Queen Sirikit of the Ninth Reign has long been associated with royal projects to promote Thai textiles and arts and crafts but less is perhaps known about her commitment to environmental conservation and the sustainability of Thailand’s seas.

Almost two decades have passed since Her Majesty launched the Royal-Initiated Coastal Resources Rehabilitation Project, which focuses on creating artificial reefs to serve as a habitat for marine life.

Speaking on the occasion on her birthday celebrations back in 2009, the Queen explained how she had become involved in the project.

“Fish in the shallow coastal areas have all but disappeared. I had no idea what to do, so I sought the advice of experts, who suggested putting in artificial reefs. This was new knowledge to me, and I learned a lot from the local villagers in order to create artificial reefs as a habitat for marine life. I initiated the coastal rehabilitation project in Narathiwat Province in 2001. It was supported by various organisations, and became a truly worthwhile project, because it helped to improve the livelihoods of the poor.”

The documentary film “Reefs of Life”, stills from which are on display, spreads the word on environmental conservation initiated by Her Majesty the Queen./courtesy of BCPG

In 2001, villagers from Ban Laweang in Pattani’s Mai Kaen district requested help from Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to rehabilitate the badly depleted marine life in the area. Her Majesty responded by instructing Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwannarat to find a location to set up a hatchery for the artificial breeding of both finfish and shellfish for subsequent release into the seas off Pattani and Narathiwat.

In parallel, the Office of Royal Development Projects Board in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries, the State Railway of Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Navy and other organisations proceeded to create artificial reefs as fish habitat. Between 2002 and 2010, these organisations donated materials that could be recycled as reefs including ships, tanks, train carriages, and so on. This complex structure of artificial reefs draws various species of marine life to take refuge from predators. The ocean currents flow through and they are also an abundant source of food due to the proliferation of seaweed, invertebrates, sand-dwellers, and various marine creatures, creating a thriving food chain.

An artificial reef – an old T-69 amoured tank – forms a new safe haven for underwater life threatended by the loss of natural habitats./courtesy of BCPG

Today, coastal fishermen no longer have to venture too far out and the reefs with their unique characteristics are also a magnet for divers. As the barnacles and soft coral develop into larger colonies that cover the entire structure, they are almost indistinguishable from natural coral reefs.

To pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on her birthday and promote awareness of her royal initiatives on marine conservation, power company BCPG has joined with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 in releasing the documentary “Breath of the Ocean”. The film comprises a tribute segment to Her Majesty the Queen titled “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit”, and a nine-part series on artificial reefs. The production is part of BCPG’s corporate social and environmental responsibility activities dealing with water resource conservation.

Whale shark

The documentary and accompanying exhibition titled “Breath of the Ocean”, were created and produced by Mailak Team led by Sivakrit Saravit, a veteran producer of documentaries.

“In Thailand there are 24 provinces connected to the sea and hundreds of thousands of rai of coral reefs that contribute to the livelihoods of fisherman living nearby. The deterioration of the coastal waters pushed these fisherfolk to the brink of disaster and so Her Majesty created a new habitat for marine life thorough artificial reefs. This served as a nursery and protected area for fish fry, increased resources for the fishing industry, and revived the livelihoods of the coastal fishermen,” says Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Mushroom coral

“At that time, we had little knowledge about this delicate and complex issue but today we are witnessing huge numbers of fish and other forms of marine life. What’s more, the artificial reef sites are greatly appreciated by divers. However, we must now put even more effort into marine conservation to counter the damaging impact of garbage, which is a truly major concern,” he adds.

“One of the reasons we have produced this documentary is to stimulate an awareness of global warming, and the need for each individual to pitch in to protect our earth,” says Bundit Sapianchai, president and chief executive of BCPG.

“When people think about global warming, they mostly think about planting trees. But we would like to invite public to ‘plant trees in the sea’, to pay more attention to our rivers, seas and oceans. As a source of oxygen through phytoplankton, they are integral to the ecosystem since they produce 70 per cent of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere, while the remaining 30 per cent is produced by plants. Phytoplankton are very similar to plants on land; they absorb carbon dioxide, and through photosynthesis, they produce oxygen. They can be found in fresh water, seawater and brackish water. However, studies indicate that global warming has affected the ecosystem and the human way of life in many different ways, particularly in coastal communities. Such phenomena as red tides have had an effect on the quantity and quality of marine life, as well as the tourism industry,” he explains.

Producer Sivakrit is also passionate about the seas. “Every life is valuable. Corals are not stones. They are marine invertebrates which, at night, use the polyps’ mouths as tentacles to catch zooplankton as food. They are living creatures like all of us, and so they need to be taken care of. When I used to dive, I rarely saw any fish. Her Majesty’s initiative and devoted efforts of this project have produced beautiful consequences,” he says.

Alex Rendall 

Alex Rendall is an actor and conservationist who has organised some 100 youth conservation camps to date in an effort to instil knowledge of and respect for natural resources.

“My goal, which is consistent with the UN’s sustainable development goals, is to strengthen environmental education. I believe that young people who join my conservation camp will grow up to never take advantage of natural resource. Even if they become, say, top executives of plastic companies, they will find a way to run their business so that it is coherent with the natural environment.”

And hopefully, though the series, the public will also learn how this coastal rehabilitation project has not only helped local communities earn a livelihood but also created a true safe heaven for marine life.

There is no better time that the present than to start working towards environmental conservation and instil more sustainable ways of life in the minds of the Thai people.

PROTECTING OUR SEAS

The documentary “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit” will be broadcast on Royal Thai Army Radio and TV Channel 5 on Sunday after the evening news and on Nation TV Channel 22 at 9am.

The nine-part series on artificial reefs will be aired on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6.20 to 6.30pm from Monday through August 29.

The exhibition continues in the foyer of Quartier CineArt, the EmQuartier through Monday.

The images are also available for sale, with all proceeds to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen for her royal charities.

The documentary film “Breath of the Ocean” can be viewed at http://www.bcpggroup.com.

BCPG has also pledged to install solar panels as a power source for rangers and tourists at marine national parks.

BRING the whole solar system to your living room and let the kids learn all about the planets with an app that costs the same as a dish of fried rice.

The new SolarKit app from Jabez A Churchill uses Augmented Reality (AR) and Contextual HUD (heads up display) to inform your kids about whatever they happen to be looking at. The tack button locks on to objects and displays more details about the object you focus on.

Solar Kit provides four unique sandbox modes to demonstrate a wide variety of different concepts and information.

When you open the app, it will ask whether it is being used while sitting or standing in order to create the appropriate sizes of the sun and planets in your room. The pictures of planets in 3D will be superimposed on the environment of your room as if they were really there in the so-called AR environment.

In the Table Mode, the app will drop all the planets on your table or floor to compare the size or scale of them. In this mode, you can observe how the planets are tilted on their axes and compare rotation speeds.

You can use the Distance Mode to explore a proportionate model of our solar system. For example, you can compare the distance of Neptune from the sun to the distance of earth to the sun.

The app shows animations of the orbits of the planets with the sun at the centre. Orbits are displayed in layers in different heights. You’ll need to step back to see the entire solar system in orbit to observe their distance to the sun.

In Orbit Mode, you or your kids can watch and explore our whole solar system in motion all around you. The app will display the sun and the planets floating around it. The mode demonstrates orbit, rotation, and you can track orbit speeds in relation to each other.

There is also the Planet Mode that allows you to explore the inner structure and atmosphere of any planet you want. Each planet’s moon system is included too.

I tested the SolarKit on the iPad Pro 10.5-inch. The app ran fast and smoothly. Solar Kit has a suggested retail price of Bt35.

THE GALAXY J8 is new affordable smartphone from Samsung that features a large display and good quality cameras.

The J8 is a new top model of Samsung’s mid-tier phones. And Samsung has recruited BNK48 as brand ambassadors for J8, so it’s also issued the Galaxy J8 BNK48 Edition.

I got to try the non-pop-idol edition in a sleek polycarbonate matte finish. Although the J8 is not powered by the flagship processor from Qualcomm, I didn’t feel the phone was slow during the test.

The J8 is instead powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor running at 1.8GHz. It has three gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card by up to 256GB. It’s good that the phone has an extra microSD slot apart from two nano SIM slots.

The menus and the touch screen were responsive during the test and apps ran fine.

I tested the Internet connection on TrueMove H’s LTE 4G network. The connection was fast. I used Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speed and found that the J8 got the download speed of 45.4Mbps and upload speed of 31.9Mbps.

The J8 is also capable of playing High-Resolution Audio of FLAC 24bit/192kHz format smoothly and with good sound quality. I tested it on Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-Res Audio headphones and found that J8 played Hi-Res Audio songs with good music details and powerful bass.

The J8 comes with 6-inch Super AMOLED HD+ Infinity Display in 720×1480 pixels in 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Although the resolution is less than Full HD, the large size of the display makes it good for watching HD video clips.

During the test, I enjoyed using the J8 to watch TrueID TV movies from TrueVisions. And the J8 comes with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology when used with headphones so watching movies with the Dolby Atmos function was really fun.

Although it is a mid-tier smartphone, the J8 comes with dual rear camera with good picture quality. The rear main camera has 16-megapixel resolution with f/1.7 aperture lens so it has good low-light performance.

The dual real camera uses a second camera with 5MP resolution and f/1.9 aperture lens for creating Bokeh effect or professionally blurred background.

To capture outstanding subjects with Bokeh background, you can use the Live Focus shooting mode. This mode will provide a slide bar for adjusting the blur level of the background on the preview screen.

The effect is live, so you’ll get what you’ll get. But you need to take into account that the background blur may not be applied properly if the phone or your subject is moving.

It might not happen too if the subject is thin or transparent, if it has a similar colour or pattern to the background or if the subject or background is plain. During the test, I could get beautiful shots with blurred background easily.

And with the Live Focus mode, you can shoot first and adjust the blur background later. Best of all, when the background lighting appears in blurred points, you can change the shape of the background blur. You can select a shape, such as a heart, star or flower to decorate the photo while editing your Live Focus photos.

When you open a shot taken with the Live Focus mode, you can tap the button labelled Adjust Background Blur.

Then you will see a blur level bar for changing the level of blurred background. And to change the background blur shape, you can drag the effect list to the left or right and select the effect you want. The effect list will appear only when the photo has blur shape in the background.

You can also have fun taking photos with Live Stickers mode. You can select a live sticker from the list or have the app apply stickers randomly.

There are also other shooting modes, called Auto, Beauty, Pro, Panorama, Night and Continuous shot.

You can mostly choose the Auto mode so the camera evaluates the surroundings and determines the ideal scene mode for the photo. The Pro mode lets you manually adjust the shooting parameters, such as exposure value and ISO value.

When in Auto and Pro modes, you can lock the focus or exposure of a selected area to prevent the camera from automatically adjusting based on changes to the subjects or light sources.

And the J8 comes with 16MP front camera with f/1.7 aperture lens and adjustable LED flash. The front camera has Selfie Focus mode that focuses on your face by blurring the background.

There is also a normal selfie mode that you can apply beautification effect on your face. Sticker mode is also available for the front camera.

The J8 also has good security system, allowing you to unlock the phone with your face or with your fingerprint. The facial and fingerprint lock can also be used to activate Secure Folder storage for data protection.

The J8 comes with a 3,500mAh battery that can easily last a day.

The J8 is available in purple, gold or black with a suggested retail price at Bt9,490, while the Galaxy J8 BNK48 Premium Box Set with a limited edition case is Bt12,900, limited to only 20,000 sets, |available exclusively at http://www.JD.co.th.

>> Network: 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, |4G LTE TDD

>> OS: Android 8.0

>> CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 oct-core| 1.8 GHz

>> Memory: 3GB

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

>> SIM slot: Dual nano SIM slots plust microSD slot

>> Display: 6-inch Super AMOLED with 720×1480 |pixels in 18.5:9 ratio

>> Cameras: Dual Rear Camera: 16MP (F1.7) +5 MP (F1.9); Front: 16MP (F1.7)

>> Sensors: Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Hall Sensor, Proximity

>> Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.2

>> Location: GPS, Glonass, Beidou

>> Audio: 360-degree surround audio Dolby Atmos Technology

>> Battery: 3,500mAh

>> Dimensions: 159.2 x 75.7 x 8.2mm

>> Weight: 177g

FAMILIES can take advantage of the upcoming long weekend to discover some of the fascinating research being undertaken in the country that’s being showcased from today through Monday as part of the Thailand Research Expo 2018 at Centara Grand Hotel and Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World.

The outstanding research being shown at the expo is divided into nine categories, namely security, agriculture, food, and technology, industry, society, medical and public health, energy, resources and the environment, the digital economy and information, and logistics.

Crocodile blood skincare 

In the medical and public health zone, the Biotech Economic Development Agency team led by Dr Nisachol Chaengpromma shows how crocodile blood cream is beneficial to the skin. Containing higher collagen compared to other animals, the blood of this aquatic reptile is bursting with antioxidants, and can kill bacteria and reduce inflammation while revitalising skin cells.

The plasma or white blood cells of the crocodile extract have been selected as a substrate in the preparation of a hypo-allergenic cosmetic cream.

The team has worked with the private sector to develop this cosmetic for sale on the market and has also developed to produce a gel for wound healing to reduce skin infections.

Isaan woven fabric

In the society sector, a value-added project for Isaan woven fabric, initiated by researchers from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, has seen the development of prae wa silk products mixed and matched with linen in Kalasin province, loincloths in Ubol Ratchathani, and teen jok sarong in Buri Ram.

Pumpkin species with phytonutrients

Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna’s Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Lampang, meanwhile, has developed three pumpkin species with phytonutrients as a value-added project for food for health innovations. The PK11, PK14 and PK17 species each weigh between three and five kilograms and boast a fine texture that doesn’t change when heated. Both the pumpkin and its seeds have high phytonutrients including anti-oxidant agents, prebiotics, vitamin A, beta carotene, fibre, folic, and Omega 3 and 6.

Waffle composite wall

The “Waffle composite wall system” research of Dr. Thanongsak Imjai of Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok: Uthenthawai Campus, is a sandwich wall popularly used in cold weather countries. It uses a special kind of foam, which is stronger than ordinary foam and also heat resistant, moulded in a waffle sheet that strengthens walls. Tests carried out in a two-storey 60sqm house, found that the temperature inside the house was about 10 degrees Celsius cooler than the outside. The construction cost is about Bt5,000, making it considerably cheaper than building a home with the Infill wall system or bricklaying.

The expo also features presentations and information about more than 100 innovations developed through university level contests, creative research and innovation exhibitions, as well as activities, seminar and conferences,

The highlights are a trio of exhibitions dedicated to the memory of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sufficiency philosophy and to the projects initiated by His Majesty the King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

“I DIDN’T want to be a journalist, but of course I didn’t want to be a political prisoner either,” says editor and author Kyaw Zwa Moe laughing. “But I just did what I believed I should do.”

During a chat at the launch of his book “The Cell, Exile the New Burma”, the 47-year-old writer recalls how he “fell in love with journalism” after fleeing his home country in 2001 and joining the then-Chiang Mai-based The Irrawaddy magazine, where he continues to be the English edition editor.

Indeed, it is both ironic and apt that Kyaw Zwa should end up being a journalist after all the reading and hiding of books and pens inside the prison cells he had to call home for eight years. He was arrested at 19 for his role in August 8, 1988 pro-democracy uprising, went into exile in Thailand after his release and returned to Myanmar, as Burma is officially known today, in 2013.

 Kyaw Zwa Moe /courtesy of Kyaw Zwa Moe

Unlike a typical memoir, ’The Cell, Exile and New Burma” is both personal and impersonal. The 32 articles tell stories all too common to too many people until the country started on the bumpy journey of political transition in 2011. Indeed, the book’s title reflects how a prison cell and exile were common experiences for individuals like Kyaw Zwa, as well as Myanmar’s past and present leaders. “If we want to understand the current political situation, we cannot get rid of these two places,” he says.

Kyaw Zwa talks about the unfinished story of Myanmar’s democratic transition, which has produced “kind of a democracy”. He discusses the perilous balance between democracy and a return to the past – and how a constitution that protects the military’s role is a fundamental handicap that weakens civilian governance despite the elections that put the National League of Democracy-led government in place in 2016.

 Kyaw Zwa Moe, right, talks during the book launch with Johanna Son.

I’VE SEEN A FEW DESCRIPTIONS CALLING YOUR BOOK “MEMOIRS”, BUT THEY’RE NOT, NOT REALLY. WHY A COLLECTION OF STORIES, NOT PERSONAL MEMOIRS?

[After I left Burma], I met many other people. All of them were encouraging me to write a memoir. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t do it. Luckily, one year after I was released from the prison, I joined The Irrawaddy. I didn’t intend to be a journalist but after I joined and I started writing the stories, news reports and later on analysis, documentaries, I really fell in love with journalism. So let’s say I have been busy with daily news reports all the time.

THE FIRST PART OF THE BOOK IS MORE PERSONAL. BUT WORKING ON THIS PROJECT REQUIRED YOU TO RELIVE THE TRAUMA. WAS THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY IT TOOK YOU SO LONG?

I don’t really have a trauma, even though I spent eight years in prison. But of course, we always face a difficult time whenever we recall something, something sad or something bad from the past. One of the examples of a bad incident was when my mother, who was 49 at that time, was hit by a military vehicle when I was in prison. But that was really coincidence. For anyone who wants to take something subjectively or personally, I should have hated the military and the military leader as well. But to me, [not writing a book earlier] was not simply because of that but because I couldn’t really focus on the book project. But I had 700, 800 stories all related to the pro-democracy movement, so I tried to repackage these into this book. That, I think, is more interesting than my memoirs.

HOW WAS IT FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GO BACK HOME? THERE WAS A TIME IN HISTORY WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT TWO COUNTRIES WOULD NEVER CHANGE – MYANMAR AND NORTH KOREA.

I didn’t know when I could go back, but since I joined the movement in 1988, when I was 16 years old, I think I was always optimistic. Even in front of the soldiers, at the forefront of the student protests, even when I tried to run away from the gunshots, I was always optimistic. When I was arrested and sentenced to 10 years, I knew that I would be released one day. I was never depressed. So I tried to do something even when I was forced to be in prison. That’s the type of person I think I am now. Every bit of stationery, every piece of paper, pencil, pen, was illegal in the cell. I tried to smuggle these goods into my cell, because I was so keen to learn something.

THE BOOK COVERS A LOT OF THE PAST, AND MUCH OF THE RECENT PAST. WHAT DO YOU THINK BURMA’S PAST CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE FUTURE? WHAT DID THE COUNTRY’S PAST TEACH IT?

In 1988, our young students started the 1988 pro-democracy movement on the streets demanding democracy. We can see that we have democracy because the government we have now was elected by the people in 2015. It is kind of a democracy. Basically, democracy means that you get the government that you voted for. We got a democracy that’s not perfect at all. But now that is a real example for all of us, because democracy alone is not enough. Democracy doesn’t come with civil rights, equality, autonomy or prosperity. Democracy is just the right to vote for a party you like. Democracy should come with constitutional liberalism, which is even more important or at least equally important. Constitutional liberalism is to get civil rights, to get your individual right and to get the rule of law – constitution is the key.

DO YOU THINK MYANMAR IS A MISUNDERSTOOD COUNTRY, OR DO PEOPLE OUTSIDE EXPECT TOO MUCH OF IT?

I think so. I would say that the country is complex in all of its layers. Sometimes we Burmese don’t understand what is going on, but at the same time I would say that the leadership doesn’t really have a vision of how to solve a lot of problems in our country.

YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE AN OPTIMIST, BUT ALSO A PRAGMATIST. WHAT ARE THE THREE TOP CHALLENGES THAT MYANMAR NEEDS TO ADDRESS?

Choosing even three is very difficult. Don’t forget that our Big Brother, the military, is still around. And they officially get 25 per cent of the seats in parliament without even standing in the election. There are three posts occupied by the military, according to the constitution. They are defence minister, home affairs minister, the border affairs minister, and of course, the commander-in-chief, who has the power to appoint those ministers. So, constitutionally, the government cannot purge those three ministers. Politically, the government cannot really purge the commander-in-chief either. So they are on top, so far. It’s quite difficult but the constitution is one of the main problems in our country. But even within that limited situation, the government, or we, all of us, can have our own |space to do more and more in terms of pushing the boundaries. Now, we say Myanmar is in democratic transition. If I have to define that, democratic transition means to dismantle the military from politics. This is very delicate in our country, very delicate.

MAYBE THAT’S WHY THE BOOK USES ‘EVOLUTION’ INSTEAD OF REVOLUTION? IT’S NOT A GOOD TIME FOR DEMOCRACY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. ARE THERE LESSONS THE REST OF US CAN LEARN FROM MYANMAR?

I joined the pro-democracy movement in 1988, 30 years back. Now, it is 2018. So we just started. We thought that we could get democracy in a few years, in the following years. I didn’t know twhen I joined the movement, that democracy is a process, to build a nation, or to rebuild a nation, and to restructure the entire nation’s society with its millions of people. So I think it will take time; it is very difficult. I think if you are optimistic, if you are positive, it’s not too bad. Look at the United States – that’s why we can learn from other countries as well.

Johanna Son is editor/founder of the Reporting ASEAN series (www.AseanNews.net).

Myanmar and more

Copies of ‘The Cell, Exile and the New Burma’, are available by writing to reportingasean@gmail.com.

Your body goes through whirlwind changes, some of which can be less pleasing than others. Hair loss after pregnancy, is one of these and it is quite common.

The loss usually continues for 10-12 weeks and after this, new hair should start to appear even if you’d done nothing. A healthy diet with plenty of protein will help the hair regrowth process.

But once you reach your 40s or 50s, you may again experience some thinning of the hair. This, of course, is for entirely different reasons.

And while thinning hair or hair loss in 40s or 50s is common, it also drains the self-confidence and most mothers dislike publicly discussing how emotionally traumatising it is to lose this symbol of beauty.

In fact, about half of all women face thinning hair by the time they reach 50.

It happens when your body becomes overly sensitive to male hormones called androgens, which can block hair growth. As a result, follicles gradually get smaller, producing shorter, finer hair until they stop growing hair at all.

The “gold standard” medical treatment for hair loss is a drug applied to the scalp called minoxidil. Minoxidil works by prolonging the growth phase of hair. Initial results occur at 4 months with maximum results occurring at 8 months.

Now another, newer hair growth treatment is being administered in dermatologist clinics. It consists of Platelet–Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. Platelet–Rich Plasma is a concentration of platelets, which are rich in growth factors.

Growth factors are the naturally occurring substances that are capable of stimulating the activity of the hair follicles. They play the role of messengers, signalling hair cells to function and result in significant improvement in new hair growth and density.

The use of PRP has a number of scientifically based articles showing its efficacy. In fact, it has been used in medicine to treat a range of health issues, including arthritis and signs of ageing. For treating hair loss, PRP is collected from a patient’s blood and injected into scalp areas of thinning hair.

The procedure requires minimal to no downtime. It works for any women experiencing hair loss, but those with early hair loss tend to respond best. For best results, consistency is crucial. Treatments are typically given once a month for the first 3-4 months. Anticipated results can first be seen within about 2-3 months.

With the Mother’s Day right around the corner, I hope this treatment option is good news for those mums struggling to find hair–loss solutions. It’s never too late to start anti–ageing prevention. Happy Mother’s Day!

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

CO-WORKING SPACES are all the rage in Bangkok these days and new facilities are popping up all over town to meet the needs of start-ups and freelancers who need a base that’s not their living room.

And we’re not talking about just office space. Today’s workspaces go far beyond the serviced facilities to include a brasserie, fitness studio, hostel and spa to make the working day a far more pleasant experience.

Glowfish Sathorn offers serviced offices, meeting rooms, conference halls and individual desks for startups and the self-employed.

Covering an area of 3,800 square metres on the second floor of Sathorn Thani 2 Building and easily accessed from Skytrain Chong Nonsi station, the new branch of Glowfish Offices is based on the concept of a healthy work-life balance. The office space offers serviced offices matched to business size along with meeting rooms, studios, conference halls, individual desks and collaboration areas. That’s complemented by stress-relieving workout studios Base and Physique 57 along with a recently opened co-dining space. Spread over 1,300sqm, it’s home to five eateries serving up a range of favourites including khao pad gapao (fried rice with meat and holy basil), Northern-stylekhao soi (curried noodle soup), Vietnamese pho, stewed chicken over rice as well as sandwiches and coffees.

 Glowfish’s co-dining space offers premium comfort foods from five eateries in pleasant work-life environment.

“The millennial generation seeks a healthy work-life balance and we want our place to be a creative community that fosters a culture of sharing and exchange, and brings out the best out in every individual. That’s why we offer a flexible workspace, a motivating workout environment and a dining area designed specifically to meet their needs,” says Glowfish’s managing director Gavin Vongkusolkit.

Designed by IAW Architect, the 200-seat, self-service, co-dining space offers a choice of spaces. There’s a long wooden table for a large group, a high table and stool for those eating alone and two to four-seat tables for low-key socialising. Tropical plants, retro hanging lamps, natural wood tones and a turquoise vibe create a calm retreat from the livelier working and dining spaces. Free Wi-Fi and plug-in sockets are available for freewheeling Bangkokians. There’s even a pantry equipped with microwaves and dinnerware for co-working customers.

“You can come here to eat, have a cup of coffee, work or hold a formal meeting,” adds Gavin. “We focus on comfort foods with high quality ingredients and the four new eateries are run by young entrepreneurs who have passion for food and creativity.”

Estimates put the number of people working in the two Sathorn Thani buildings at around 8,000, and Gavin admits it’s a challenge to draw them into dining at Glowfish where prices range from Bt80 to Bt350 from their more usual and cheaper haunts at the nearby Lalai Sup Market.

“We can be a choice for people who prefer good food and nice environment, but we also have to come up with a promotional strategy to encourage customers to linger here over brunch, lunch, break times and dinner. So far, our regular customers are executives, young professionals and expats. We’ll open a beer bar with a live band soon and that can be a new hangout for after work,” he says.

 Easy! Buddy presents Thai favourite khao pad gapao such as beef fried rice with marinated sirloin.

Often when people are unsure what to order, they opt for khao pad gapao – often referred to as a “silly dish”. The truth, though, is that the khao pad gapao offered at many street-food stalls is not particularly appetising. You get chopped long beans, onion, baby corn, carrot and a lot of oyster sauce, and maybe a basil leaf or two. It has little to do with the real recipe.

At Easy! Buddy, you can build your own dish with premium ingredients. Rice options are jasmine rice, sticky rice and quinoa. For meats you can opt for marinated sirloin slices, diced rib eye, salmon fillet, kurobuta pork and chicken liver pate. The choices of toppings are fried egg, onsen egg, creamy omelette, grilled sweet corn, pork crackling and chilli paste and the levels of spiciness are customised to your taste.

Fried quinoa with salmon fillet and onsen egg and cornbread with honey butter

Easy! Buddy is the brainchild of Thamtanut Hatayodom who runs a chef’s table of Western cuisine for six to 16 people at his home and discovered that the trimmed leftovers of beef taste great when stir-fried until crispy and cooked with rice, garlic, chilli and holy basil leaves. He was cooking the dish for his guests as a complimentary treat but they loved it so much that Thamtanut decided to open Buddy to Go and has been offering his khao pad gapao via a food delivery service last October.

 Beef fried rice with marinated sirloin topped with fried egg, sweet corn, pork crackling and chilli paste

“Every dish is made fresh to order. I don’t serve stir-fried meats with leaves of holy basil over rice, but I cook the rice thoroughly with the ingredients and a special sauce. I use old jasmine rice and after steaming, it will be kept in a refrigerator overnight or for three hours for sticky rice. This helps to dry the grains out enough to give fried rice a good texture. If I use warm or just-cooked rice, the fried rice will turn out soggy, without those distinct chewy grains,” says Thamtanut who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Paris and worked in the kitchen at Kiin Kiin Copenhagen for six months.

If you don’t know where to start, pick up any one of the chef’s favourites, such as beef fried rice with marinated sirloin topped with fried egg, sweet corn, pork crackling and chilli paste (Bt250), beef fried sticky rice with marinated sirloin (Bt200), and fried quinoa with salmon fillet and onsen egg (Bt320). Snacks like cornbread with honey butter (Bt160) and toast with chicken liver pate (Bt200) are also available.

 Viet Concept has Vietnamese classics like naem nueang.

Monica Singh loves Vietnamese food because of its abundance of vegetables but is allergic to chemicals all too often used to grow the veg. She decided to open her own contemporary Vietnamese eatery called Viet Concept.

“I use only organic vegetables delivered directly from the farm. As my mother is a native of Nong Khai province, I can source pho noodles made by descendants of the Vietnamese who settled here. I get my moo yor (pork sausage) from Ubon Ratchathani because it has a high percentage of ground pork with less starch,” says Monica. “With its minimal use of dairy and oil and the reliance on herbs and vegetables, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines around.”

Pork pho noodle

The menu so far offers 16 classic Vietnamese dishes. The popular naem nueang can be enjoyed as a platter of pork meatballs, fresh herbs and vegetables and rice papers for you to wrap by yourselves (Bt280) or as ready-to-eat rolls (Bt120) for easy eating. Pho noodles can be served with pork (Bt135), shrimp (Bt175) or with a spicy fusion of tom yum broth and pork balls (Bt160).

 Shrimp paste sugar cane skewers

Perfect for sharing with friends is a plate of savoury-sweet shrimp paste sugar cane skewers (Bt190). The ground shrimp is mixed with pork paste to add moisture and is wrapped around a stick of sugar cane then fried to finish and served with blanched rice vermicelli tossed with fried shallots.

“People working around this area are so busy and they eat without really thinking about it. I want to offer pleasurable eating. When we work hard, we should enjoy life,” she adds.

Nam ngiao noodle at North Sathorn

Lampang-born Siwat Tongpatanakul’s North Sathorn offers the classic dishes of the North prepared to family recipes. Nam ngiao noodle (Bt150) is a great balance of sour, salty and spicy flavours and has rice noodles with minced pork, diced curdled pork blood, chopped tomato and tua nao (fermented soybean) with pork crackling, pickled mustard greens, beansprouts and a slice of lime.

Nam prik ong

“I found that there are no Northern-style foods that look and taste nice around this area, so there’s potential for my business,” says Siwat, who is also a creative director of Glowfish.

Other favourites are khao soi gai (chicken curry and egg noodle, Bt150), grilled sai oua(Northern-style, spiced pork sausage, Bt125), and nam prik ong (ground pork, tomato, fermented soybean and chilli dip, Bt125). A favourite is the spicy tum mamuang (Bt100) with shredded green mango, fish paste, chilli and palm sugar tossed with dried small fishes.

Tum mamuang

Dessert is lumyai sorbet (Bt80) made with wood-fire baked longan from Lamphun and served with separate small cups of dried longan and brown sugar.

Lumyai sorbet

Stewed chicken/beef/pork over rice is a favourite dish with Sasi Uraiwanchai’s children. At her Hip Bowl, the premium, home-made stews are her selling points, made to recipes handed down through the generations.

Hip Bowl serves stewed chicken over rice prepared to a family recipe.

“It started with my grandmother who cooked for my mum. Then my mum cooked for me and now I cook it for my children. Chicken, pork and beef are slowly braised in herbal broth for two, three and four hours respectively and simmered with stock until the meat tendered. It’s a single dish that is easy to eat and can be served immediately –perfect for a quick meal,” says Sasi.

Stewed beef over rice

The stewed chicken over rice (Bt140) comes with mushroom, carrot, Chinese-style pork sausage and chopped green chilli while the stewed Thai-French beef over rice (Bt220) is served with fried, dried crispy chilli, julienned Japanese spring onion and chilli vinegar sauce. Diners can substitute rice for rice noodles or instant noodles. For an additional Bt60, you also get salad, dessert and hot/cold tea.

Take a break with a cup of coffee, a sandwich and sweet treats at Kuppadeli.

Gavin, who also runs the popular cafe Kuppadeli, has opened a new outlet at Glowfish where customers can enjoy a wide range of coffees, sodas and sandwiches made with sour dough, rye or whole wheat bread.

EAT A LITTLE

Glowfish’s co-dining space is on the second floor of Sathorn Thani 2 Building and easily accessed from BTS: Chong Nonsi station (exit 2).

It’s opens Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 8pm.

Call (02) 109 9600 or visit http://www.GlowFishOffices.com.

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Up in the air

One of the novelties showcased earlier this year at Baselworld, Hamilton’s Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono Limited Edition watch is packed with technical aviation features including Hamilton’s ground-breaking drift angle calculator. Limited to just 1,918 pieces, it uses the H-21-Si, the first Hamilton chronograph movement with a silicon hairspring which has been precision certified by COSC as a chronometer. The American-born and Hollywood favourite is introducing this watch as a celebratory piece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its selection as timekeeper of the first US airmail flights between Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York.

Beauty round the clock

Beauty 24, the newly opened multi-brand beauty store at the heart of Siam Square, is guaranteed to please all cosmetic buyers by offering more than 250 brands through the store and via an online shopping platform manned by customer services personnel to answer any queries around the clock. Owned and run by Suriyon Sriorathaikul, Napassanan Pannipa, Dr Chalermruth Narkvichien and Sheranut Yusananda, Beauty 24 also sells perfumes, skincare and hair care products.

Check it out at Beauty24online.com.

Perfect for that morning jog

Under Armour (UA), a leader in the innovation of high-performance sportswear apparel, has opened Southeast Asia’s most cutting-edge Brand House at CentralWorld, showcasing its most advanced tech and unveiling its much-anticipated new running shoes, the HOVR Series 2. Engineered to provide the ideal combination of cushioning and energy return and built to provide a zero-gravity feel, these shoes offer the most explosive cushioning in the industry, allowing you to run longer and jump higher. Two new styles are available: the HOVR Sonic and HOVR Phantom.