Clutching his elephant toy, Avyaan’s conversation is pretty much limited to a happy gurgle, but the nine-month-old might be about to go down in history for helping make breastfeeding in public more socially acceptable in prudish India.

Public breastfeeding carries a social stigma in much of the world – a situation that World Breastfeeding Week that ends today hopes to change – but in highly conservative India it is particularly taboo.

The country’s hundreds of millions of women are expected to dress modestly, and even a glimpse of a breast during feeding is a strict no-no, all too often inviting disgusted demands to desist and even unwanted sexual advances.

So this is what a petition brought in little Av-yaan’s name – by his middle-class lawyer parents Neha and Animesh Rastogi – and currently before the Delhi High Court is aimed at chipping away at.

“I was flying to Bangalore and my co-passengers were male. My son was exclusively on breast milk and it was so difficult to feed him there,” Neha Rastogi, 30, says from her home in Noida, a satellite city on the outskirts of Delhi.

“We want the government to set aside space in flights and at all public places because we can’t feed in the open simply because breast is just seen as a sexual organ.”

The signs are good that the case may make some progress, with the court demanding city authorities come up with a response at the next hearing day on August 28.

But setting aside special places is one thing. Getting wider acceptance for women to feed their babies wherever and whenever they like is a much bigger challenge.

This was what Gilu Joseph, an actress from Kerala in the south, was trying to alter when she posed with a baby – not actually her own – at her bare breast on a magazine front cover earlier this year.

The photoshoot, captioned “Mums tell Kerala: don’t stare – we need to breastfeed”, landed her and the publisher in court on charges of nudity, obscenity and endangering society’s moral fabric.

The court dismissed the petition but Joseph found herself at the sharp end of torrents of abuse.

“I don’t care what others say about me. The photoshoot was part of a campaign on how to be confident while feeding in public,” says the 28-year-old.

“Our society is so sexualised that men connect everything with sex. They are having a problem (with my picture) because for them the body is only for sex.”

Roopam Gupta, a working mother, also had a taste of how hostile society can be when she started expressing milk for her six-month-old daughter in the car coming home from work.

The driver “tried to put up covers inside the car,” Gupta recalls. “I told him he must change his mindset because I am not going to change mine.”

Her place of work though is helping to fight back – the Fortis La Femme hospital, home to Delhi’s first “milk bank” for mothers, set up in 2016 but still only one of a handful. The Amaara facility collects breast milk from donor women who pump it at home. It is then pasteurised and provided to newborns in hospital or to mothers who are unable to breastfeed.

A new report released by Unicef and the World Health Organisation underscores the benefits of nursing babies from the word go.

“Breastfeeding gives children the best possible start in life,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus writes in the report.

“We must urgently scale up support to mothers – be it from family members, health care workers, employers and governments, so they can give their children the start they deserve.”

Breastfeeding is even more important in a developing country like 1.25-billion-strong India where many cannot afford formula milk and daily-wage earners often take their infants to work.

The restrictive atmosphere prompts many mothers to stay at home, exposing them to the risk of postnatal depression, while also acting as a brake on getting women into the workforce.

“I believe in breastfeeding and want every woman to be open about it,” says Gupta.

The KCON festival has allowed fans to experience all things South Korean over the world since 2012.

KCON began in Irvine, USA in 2012 and has expanded every year. It has held festivals in Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Paris, Mexico City and Sydney over the last six years and has established itself as the true global representative of hallyu.

KCON 2018 Thailand is expected to provide a significantly greater range of interactive programmes where fans can experience and enjoy Hhallyu up close with hands-on ctivities and K-Pop’s most captivating idol groups joining the line-up for the first KCON in Thailand.

The first headliner confirmed is GOT7, who recently proved themselves as one of the most astonishing K-Pop stars with a grand-scale world tour taking in 17 cities worldwide.

It is highly anticipated that GOT7, who have displayed unrivalled popularity over various events in Thailand, will prepare and present a different performance for their fans in Thailand this time. On their 2017 Nestival tour of Thailand they performed five concerts in four different cities, and on their 2018 “Eyes On You” World Tour they completely sold out Impact Arena three times!

The confirmation of GOT7 adds to the first announcement of KCON 2018 line-up along with (G)I-dle, Golden Child, and Pentagon, the hottest K-Pop band at the moment.

Chosen as one of the 10 Best New K-Pop Acts in 2017 by Billboard magazine, Golden Child has been recognised for its potential both at home and abroad.

Pentagon, also known as “self-composing/song-writing idol” for its self-created albums, is receiving a career-high fan reaction.

In addition to engagement activities with some of the best K-Pop artists, a series of hands-on Korean culture programmes will be arranged. The two-day spectacular will offer a series of interactive activation events and provide ultimate fan engagement experience opportunities including but not limited to Meet & Greets with K-Pop artists, Red Carpet, K-Culture workshop and more. The event is expected to establish itself as the truly unique comprehensive K-Pop festival by showcasing everything about Korean lifestyle including K-Fashion, K-Beauty, K-Food, K-Dance, K-Drama by day, and then unleashing exhilarating high-energy sounds and sights of top K-Pop artists by night.

Shin Hyung-kwan, President of Music Contents Business for CJ ENM, who leads the KCON business, said: “KCON 2018 is certainly meaningful in that KCON has chosen Thailand as the first country to embark into in Southeast Asia. Given that Thailand has frequent cultural exchanges with neighbouring countries and has a strong cultural influence across Southeast Asia, this will be an exciting opportunity for fans to experience a variety of Korean cultural contents, including but not limited to K-Pop.”

KCON 2018 Thailand will operate under the theme of “Let’s KCON,” which underlines the festival’s essence – present since its inception – to promote engagement between the fans themselves, between fans and the stars, and between fans and the multi-faceted cultural phenomenon of hallyu.

For further ticketing information, artist line up announcements and everything about KCON, fans are invited to visit the official website at http://www.mwave.me/kcon and follow the KCON global Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kconglobal.

WE OFTEN collect things because they’re important markers in our lives, providing fond memories, pools of knowledge and valued symbols from the past – all stories that are waiting to be told. Many of the things we possess carry an emotional value.

Ikea’s new collection, Sammanhang, is designed to make your possessions look better instead of getting rid of them.

Sammanhang means “context” in Swedish. So what it’s really all about is placing your collection of items in the right setting.

It’s a collection of open and closed units in a variety of materials to embrace and show off your belongings. Ranging from the smallest of boxes to furniture pieces, the products are created in collaboration with seven designers.

Display box with lid by Lisa Widen and Anna Wallin

“We are very good at storage at Ikea – enabling you to pack away your things in a very rational way. With Sammanhang, we want to explore how to touch the emotional side of storage,” says Ikea creative leader James Futcher

Design duo Lisa Widen and Anna Wallin are answering their own question by designing what they refer to as “the cake stand”. It’s just big enough for the most common collectibles, and just small enough to fit on your windowsill or table.

You can pile up lots of sweets and treats, but also other items, like jewellery and beauty products. In the hallway it’s a good spot for your mail, keys and coins.

They’ve also created a display box that can be used for mini-exhibits. They found inspiration in galleries and museums and how they display collections and valuable objects. Everything gets a little nicer when they have their own designated space.

Henrik Preutz designed a tray stand for use anywhere at home – as a shelf in the kitchen for storing spices, herbs and all kinds of other stuff that clutter your countertop or in the bathroom for nail polish and all of your makeup.

Joel and Kate Booy’s mesh box with lid

It can be on your bookshelf to display the tiny, nifty things you bought at the flea market; in your hallway for your keys, wallets and other grab-and-go items or on your dining room table filled with treats for your next party.

Joel and Kate Booy, also known as the design studio Truly Truly, have studied the properties of glass – and how to display without using it. Their boxes with lids are made of mesh, a material that partially displays the contents without hiding them.

Another perk of working with mesh is that it’s very easy to shape. The couple pressed two layers together to create exciting patterns. When you want to display the contents, just lift off the lid.

They also looked at how to both hide and display with glass, and created a display box where one side of the shelf is ribbed glass and the other is clear, so you have the choice of either keeping your contents hidden or having them stand out.

“We were inspired by glass and its reflective properties – the way light travels through it and bends and warps your perception. We chose to focus on the juxtaposition of hiding and revealing objects at the same time,” Kate says.

Hanna-Kaarina Heikkila created glass boxes with lids in different shapes and materials. Her idea was to create something both functional and emotional. It’s a simple product you can use to nicely organise small things in the bathroom, kitchen and hallway – pretty much anywhere in the home.

HannaKaarina Heikkila’s glass box with lid 

Iina Vuorivirta has three boxes inspired by matchboxes that she used to collect items with in her childhood. She also designed tiny domes, as well as a wall shelf for this collection. It’s perfect if you want to create a personalised exhibit with exciting postcards, small figurines, colourful skateboards, or quirky souvenirs.

Aaron Probyn tells everyone to “Let your creativity flow!” by creating something that allows collectors to display their items in an organised way, but also enhances and gives the entire collection a boost. That’s how his round display shelf in a minimal design came to life, including the multifunction display table that can be adapted as a coffee table.

“It has a simple, round shape and a neutral look which highlights the things you place on top. Display them as you like next to each other, on top of each other, in groups or on their own,” says Probyn.

The second piece Probyn designed for the collection was inspired by a collector – his wife.

“My wife loves to collect things and always comes home with something new. The big challenge is to create space for everything. It gave me the idea for the coffee table. The table’s neutral design allows the things inside to stand out, just as they should,” he adds.

With sliding doors on either side of the table, it’s easy to create new compositions of items to admire during your afternoon coffee or tea.

Experience a variety of ideas and storage solutions at Ikea’s two outlets at Mega Bangna and Bang Yai, Central Plaza Westgate, or visit http://www.Ikea.co.th for more details.

Thailand is getting used to being in the world spotlight. After last month’s dramatic cave rescue in Chiang Rai, it’s preparing to host the 2018 Miss Universe pageant.

And the competition to be held in Bangkok in December will feature the first transgender contestant in the pageant’s nearly seven-decade history – Angela Ponce of Spain.

The Miss Universe Organisation amended its rules in 2012 to allow transgender people to compete. It’s left to each nation to adopt the progressive rule or not, but Spain this year became the first country to crown a transgender contestant as Miss Universe Spain.

Miss Universe’s first transgender contestant, Angela Ponce from Spain, will vie in Bangkok with 90 other women for the grand title. Photo/AFP

Despite Thailand’s reputation as an LGBT-friendly country, the Miss Thailand Universe Organisation has not adopted the new rule. The reasons aren’t clear, but it’s possible that the organisers didn’t wish to detract from the popular Miss Tiffany’s Universe and Miss International Queen contests in which Thai transgender women have participated for years.

Thailand was chosen as host for the 67th edition of the Miss Universe pageant over the Philippines, Japan and China. We’re good at it – this will be the third time the pageant has been held here.

In return, tourism in Thailand and its capital are expected to get a multimillion-baht boost, and segments of the television industry will benefit too.

Paula Mary Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organisation, held a press conference at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on Tuesday, thanking the government for agreeing to host. She announced the venue as Impact Arena and set the date for December 17.

“The Miss Universe contest has come here every 13 years,” she pointed out. “Thailand hosted the contest in 1992 and 2005, so 13 is a lucky number!”

The United States, where the organisation is based, has hosted the pageant more than any other country, including last year in Las Vegas. The Philippines had the honour the year before.

Sharing the news, from left, were Miss Universe Organisation president Paula Mary Shugart, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat and Tanawat Wansom of TW Investment Group.

Tourism and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat assured the press that everyone involved in its return to Thailand would be safe and able to fully enjoy its hospitality and rich culture.

“We chose Thailand because we have a lot of fans here,” Shugart added. “The contestants from 2005 are still talking about it.”

The woman who won that edition, [Canadian] Natalie Glebova, ended up moving here,” she laughed. “That tells you a lot about Thailand and its people.”

Shugart introduced Tanawat Wansom of TW Investment Group, which has sole proprietorship over the 67th competition.

“We’ve spent more than Bt1 billion to bring about this spectacular contest,” he told The Nation Weekend, adding that the final round will be starting very early at Impact on December 17 – at 7am – so it can be broadcast live to the US on the Fox Channel for primetime there. The feed will also be going out to 170 other countries, he said.

Steve Harvey, an American comedian, will reprise his perennial role as emcee.

Tanawat has commissioned Somchai “Tee Matching” Suthanont of Tee Entertainment Co, who was also responsible for the dramatic 2005 pageant held at the Sofitel Centara Grand.

The contestants will be arriving in early November to be steeped in Thai culture while touring the country. They’ll learn to weave silk, carve baskets, string floral garlands and cook local dishes. “We hope to make this a really memorable show, featuring charming elements of Thai culture along with a high-tech presentation,” Tanawat said.

And Miss Universe’s first opportunity to address the gender issue is sure to give the event a fresh dimension. “This year, we will meet Miss Universe’s first transgender contestant, Angela Ponce from Spain,” Tanawat noted. “I think this will open a new chapter for the pageant in Thailand.”

Weerasak pointed out that during the month leading up to the pageant, more than 6,000 people involved with it – including a media army – would be roaming around Thailand.

“It’s a great opportunity to promote Thai culture and boost the economy of our secondary cities,” he said. “We’ll be supporting cultural and tourism facilities for this special event.”

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha remarked that the pageant would send out a “positive image” of the Kingdom.

Shugart said the contestants would all become “ambassadors for Thailand”.

Former Miss Universes, from left, DemiLeigh NelPeters (2017), Apasra Hongsakula (1965) and Natalie Glebova (2005) attended Tuesday’s announcement that the pageant will return to Thailand this year.

Thailand has two Miss Universes of its own – Apasra Hongsakula, who won in 1965, and Porntip Nakhirunkanok (Bui Simon), crowned in 1988. This year Sophida Kanchanarin will vie for the country’s third title. Shugart said the event was about women “coming together and doing their best to support each other”, but while in Thailand the contestants would also be visiting the disabled, the elderly and underprivileged children.

“It’s not about the television show – it’s about the experiences,” she said. “All of the young women that come here, whether they win or not, their lives afterward will not be the same. They will remember this for the rest of their lives and so will their families, friends and the thousands of other people that come.”

Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa confirmed that. She said at the press conference that she’d learned a great deal about the world in her travels.

“Miss Universe has completely changed my life,” Nel-Peters told The Nation Weekend. “I’m more dedicated to my country. I’ve grown so much personally and emotionally. I have so much more confidence in the future as a woman. And Miss Universe gave me a global platform to speak about the things I’m passionate about, things I care about, a chance to make a meaningful difference in changing the world.”

Nel-Peters is another big fan of Thailand, having celebrated her 21st birthday on Krabi two years ago, downing as much green curry and sticky rice with mango as she could.

“Thailand has so much beautiful nature and culture and the women are so beautiful too,” she said. “I’ve never seen so many people so happy and calm as Thai women. No matter how busy or stressed they are, they remain very patient.”

JABRA ELITE 45e is a Bluetooth headset that provides good sound quality for calls and music with noise cancelling technology to make your voice clear while it is comfortable to wear.

The headset has good design to prevent the wire from getting entangled and, best of all, the music sound can be adjusted with an app.

The in-ear headphones come with flexible memory wire neckband that is customisable to your neck shape in an oval design. It remembers the shape and the contours of your neck, meaning you can bend the band and it will revert to its intended shape. And it comes with unique ear wings and ear gels for a comfortable fit.

The body is made from premium material for lightweight, flexible and irritation-free wear. The Jabra Elite 45e achieves IP54 Standard in protection from water and dust.

The Elite 45e uses advanced 2-microphone technology specially designed to cancel wind and surrounding noise for clearer output. Jabra sound technology removes noise from calls – ensuring that your voice is heard clearly, but not the voices of those around you.

The earphones use 12.4mm drivers to deliver good sound quality with clear mids and highs and good bass for earphones. When the earphones are seated properly, you can clearly enjoy the bass sound.

What I like most about the Elite 45e is that you can use Jabra Sound+ app to adjust the equaliser for earphones to suit your taste.

There are six equaliser pre-sets to choose from – Default, Speech, Bass boost, Treble boost, Smooth and Energise. Or you can adjust the equaliser graph and hear the results in real time until you find the setting you like most.

The Elite 45e is easy to operate with its magnetic earbuds design. The buds connect for convenient cable and power management. When the earbuds are connected, your music will be paused or your call will be ended. When the buds are connected and there is an incoming call, you can answer the call by separating the buds from the magnetic connection.

The Elite 45e has a remote control on the cable on the right side of your neck. It has volume up and volume down buttons and a multifunction button in the middle.

The multifunction button is used to turn the Bluetooth earphones on and off as well as controlling playback and calls. You can hold it for one second to turn it on or hold it for three seconds to turn it off. You can press it while listening to music to pause or resume the play.

When there is an incoming call, you can press it to answer the call or double-press it to reject the call.

The volume buttons can also be used to change tracks. You can press and hold the volume up button for one second to skip track forward and the volume down button to skip track backwards.

There is also a smaller control above the remote control and it is located closer to the right earbud. The second control has a microphone to receive your voice. There is also a mute/voice button on the second control.

You can use the mute/voice button to mute your phone conversation. It can also be used to pause and resume music play. You can also use this button to activate Siri or Google Assistant to receive your voice commands.

During the test, I found that the Elite 45e had good sound quality and impressively good bass for earbuds. I enjoyed using the Bass boost setting to listen to rock music.

The earbuds have good battery life of about eight hours and it takes two hours to fully recharge.

Jabra Elite 45e is distributed by RTB Technology for Bt3,490. |It is available at Studio7, iStudio |by SPVi, iStudio by Copperwired, Jaymart, King Power, Digital |lab Siam Discovery, Power |Buy, Amcon, Loft, TG, http://www.Lazada.co.th, http://www.gadgetthai.net, http://www.shopee.co.th and http://www.shop24.com.

>> Ambient noise reduction: 2-Microphone technology

>> Speaker size: 12.4mm

>> Speaker sensitivity: 109dB

>> Speaker impedance: 32 ohms

>> Speaker frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz

>> Microphone type: Two MEMS

>> Microphone sensitivity: -38dB

>> Microphone frequency range: 100Hz to 10kHz

>> Battery talk time: Up to eight hours

>> Charging time: Fully charged within two hours, 15 minutes charging will give one hour of music time

>> Bluetooth: 5.0

>> Paired devices: Up to eight

>> In the box: Micro USB cable, three sets of EarGels and Earwings, Quick Start Guide

>> Main unit dimension: 100x102x362 mm

>>Weight: 25.95g

BEOPLAY P6 by Bang & Olufsen is a compact but premium design Bluetooth speaker that comes with amazingly big sounds.

It has a footprint of 170x130x68mm but its sounds can fill your room with both clarity and powerful bass.

B&O says the P6 is designed under the concept of “My Sound – My Space” as its sounds can be adjusted with an app to suit your music tastes.

The P6 has a strong and premium built with a mostly aluminium body and a leather handle-strap on one side. It comes in natural grey or matte black. I thought the black one I had my hands on looked really sleek.

The shape of the speaker allows for safe and stable standing, and with its smooth aluminium surface it can be easily gripped from any angle. The anodised and pearl blasted aluminium shell comes with the characteristic hole pattern that shapes elegantly around the corners fir 360-degree sound dispersion, while the double layered premium leather strap adds a warm contrast and provides a touch of exclusivity and reliability.

Moreover, the splash and dust resistant design makes it possible to use the speaker in any room around the home and outdoors as well, since it’s also dust proof. It conforms to the IP54 rating.

The P6 comes with five flex buttons to offer full control of speaker functions including play-pause music and speaker phone. The five buttons are Volume up Volume down, One touch, On/Off and Bluetooth.

The Bluetooth button is used for initiating pairing with your smartphone or a music player that supports Bluetooth connection. You simply press and hold it for two seconds and use your phone to find and connect to the P6. When the P6 is ready to pair, its status LED blinks blue, and when the connection is made, it turns solid white.

The One touch button has multiple functions that can be selected and customised with Beoplay app that is installed on the phone to which the speaker is Bluetooth-linked.

By default, the One touch button is used to control music playback on a phone or music player connected to the speaker. You press it once to pause or play music as a toggle button. You press it twice to go the next track and three times to go to a previous track.

Or you can customise the button to play the last-played track on your playlist when you press the button once.

Best of all, you can use Beoplay app to customise the functions of the button. For example, you can use the app to change the button’s function to launch Voice command depending on the phone the speaker is linked to. If you use it with an iPhone, it will activate Siri. If the speaker is connected to an Android smartphone, it will activate Google Assistant to receive your voice commands.

The One touch button can also be customised to activate your choice of sound setting that can be customised and selected via the app.

The sound customisation is called the ToneTouch function of the app. When you bring up Tone Touch, the app will display a screen with three concentric circles in a square. Two lines divide the circles in the middle horizontally and vertically into four main parts, called Warm, Excited, Relaxed and Bright. The speaker will adjust its tone of sounds in accordance with the touch of the screen in each section.

For example, if you touch the middle of the screen, the sound setting will turn flat. If you press the far right part of the Excited section, the speaker will boost the bass sound.

You must try selecting the various parts of the screen until you find the sound setting you like and you can save it for future use. If you select the One touch button and ToneTouch option, it will act as a toggle switch to turn the sound setting of your choice on and off.

The Beoplay app also provides four pre-set sound settings to select – Lounge, Party, Podcast and Clear.

The app can also be used to pair two P6 speakers together to generate stereo sounds.

During the test, I found that P6 really has good sound quality with prominent mids and highs and also deep bass.

It uses two 1.5-ihch full-range drivers and one 4-inch woofer. The woofer is powered by a Class D amplifier with 36 watts of power while the full-range drivers are powered by two 30-watt Class D amps.

So, the P6 has a 215 watts of peak power, which is very high for this size speaker. The speaker has an effective frequency range of 55 to 20,000Hz.

I enjoyed playing rock music for hours during the test as it blared out powerful bass and clear mids and highs.

The P6 has built-in 2,600mAh battery that can last up to 16 hours per charge.

Beoplay P6 is distributed by RTB Technology and available at Studio7 shops and IStudio, .life, Siam Discovery, Jaymart, Munkong Gadget, Betrend, Power Mall, and Lazada for Bt16,900.

>> Power amplifiers: 1x36W Class D for woofer; 2x30W Class D for full-range drivers

>> Drivers: 2×1.5-inch full-range, 1×4-inch woofer

>> Effective frequency range; 55-20,000Hz

>> Connection: Bluetooth 4.2

>> Microphone: One electret type, omni-directional

>> Battery: 2,600mAh, 16-hour playback, 3-hour charging time through USB-C port

>> Dimensions: 170x130x68mm

>> Weight: 1kg

Since its inception 18 years ago, the World Gourmet Festival has grown in prominence to feature an extraordinary line up of some of the best chefs, wine-makers and food experts from across the globe, all gathered together under one roof for a week-long celebration of outstanding cuisine and superb wines.

This year, Anantara has joined hands with Sanpellegrino and Gastronauts Asia to create two dinners in its award winning Biscotti, Madison, Spice Market and Shintaro restaurants.

The international chefs include Jose Avillez from Belcanto in Lisbon, Portugal; Bernard Bach from Le Puits Saint-Jacques in Toulouse, France’ Ryohei Hieda from Shoun Ryu-Gin in Taipei, Taiwan; Jeong Ho Kim from Jungsik in Seoul, South Korea; and Martin Dalsass from Talvo by Dalsass in St Moritz, Switzerland.

The festival will also joined by Alessandra del Favero and Oliver Piras from AGA Ristorante in San Vito di Cadore, Italy; Srijith Gopinathan of Taj Campton Place in San Francisco, USA; Han Li Guang from Labyrinth in Singapore; Giuseppe Iannotti from Kresios in Naples, Italy; Shinji Ishida from Nogizaka with Shin Shinya Otsuchihashi from Craftale in Tokyo, Japan; and Luigi Taglienti from Lume in Milan, Italy.

On September 6, the two visiting Japanese chefs and Japanese born chef Ryohei Hieda will team up to present a master class of six dishes, each paired with sake by chef and sommelier Seju Yang from S’accapau, Tokyo.

On September 8, celebrity chef Paul A Young will present two chocolate master classes followed by a chocolate-inspired afternoon tea, while the inimitable Bobby Chinn will host the Diageo Night at Aqua Bar.

The festival will donate Bt600 per dinner ticket and proceeds from the auctions to HRH Princess Soamsawali’s AZT Fund for Pregnant Women under the Thai Red Cross Society.

Check out the programme and ticket prices by calling (02) 126 8866 extension 1707 or visit http://www.WorldGourmetFestival.asia.

Written by Meik Wiking, chief executive of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and one of the world’s leading experts in happiness, the book offers inspiration and suggestions for achieving greater happiness, by practising Lykke – pursuing and finding the good that exists in the world around us every day.

The talk is hosted by moderator Salaithip Jaruphum, together with Dr Decharut Sukkumnoed, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Kasetsart University, Sivaphak Jienwanalee, an editor of a day magazine, and Lalita Polpala, translator of the book.

Admission is free and the event runs from 3.30 to 5.30pm.

Find out more by calling (02) 257 4300 extension 136.

Yoga in the air

Lifestyles on 26 at Centara Grand at CentralWorld offers a variety of fun fitness classes designed to suit all levels of ability. One of its most popular is the weekly “Yoga Fly” class that lets you stretch it all out while dangling from the ceiling using specialist equipment and techniques.

The yoga classes, held every Monday from 89pm, offer a whole new take on the activity. As you are lifted off the floor, less pressure is exerted on your limbs, allowing you to stretch deeper and for longer. The price is Bt400 per hour for both members and non-members.

Book your stretch at (02) 100 6299.

Sounds of sweetness

DJ Reeve, one of Malaysia’s most prominent rookies and 2014 champ of the Red Bull Thre3style, drops into Sugar Club on Sukhumvit Soi 11 on August 23.

The Malaysian, who is currently the official DJ for rapper Vibe, will share the decks with local DJs Ethemiz, Mizz G and MC GSpark, the Next Level band and a dance group of Sugar Babes.

Entry is Bt300 for men and Bt200 for women including one drink. For more information and table reservation, call (061) 391 3111.

White Castle hands out keys

White Castle Music Festival 2018 will be back in Thailand for its second edition in the last quarter of this year, but is gearing up for the event with an exclusive preparty, titled “Key To White Castle 2018” at Beans/Nunglen in Ekkamai Soi 5 on August 10.

This upcoming exclusive preparty will consist of multiple music genres of hip hop, trap, hard trap, dubstep and bass and will be headlined by Dubloadz, who turned the dubstep world upside down over the course of only a year. Support acts include DJs Zamasta, JWP and Babyscash as well as the top Thai rappers Ling of King, Lil Ice, Nicecnx, and Master Mind. Tickets costing Bt300 are available at Facebook.com/ WhiteCastleMusicFestivalTH.

Kneeling before his homemade metal scuba helmet, Bhoomin Samang prays for good fortune before he dives into the day’s work – scouring the bed of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river for sunken treasure.

The 62-year-old is part of a small community known as Thailand’s “Indiana Jones” divers, who brave the inky-black underworld of the trash-filled waterway in search of coins, china, jewellery and scrap metal.

“We look for old coins, sometimes we are hired to find lost objects in the river,” says Bhoomin, a veteran diver who has been scouring the river for 30 years.

Sometimes the find is more macabre – the divers have stumbled across skulls and skeletons as they feel their way along the river bed in total darkness.

“If you’re afraid of ghosts, you can’t go in because you can’t see anything. But we’re used to it,” he explains.

Trained foreign and Thai Navy SEAL divers were recently at the centre of global attention for their daring rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a waterlogged cave in northern Thailand.

But the “Indiana Jones” divers use more makeshift equipment and operate under the radar in the middle of the country’s urban metropolis.

Wearing shorts and T-shirt, Bhoomin jumps off his motorised skiff into a river strewn with city sewage and debris.

He is able to breathe thanks to the boxy helmet that weighs around 20 kilos and is hooked up to a rubber tube that connects to an air tank aboard the boat.

The tank pumps oxygen into the helmet to keep water out, allowing the most experienced divers to drop down to 30 metres below the surface.

After 15 minutes underwater, Bhoomin resurfaces with a cotton bag stuffed with mud.

He pans it out on a metal dish, revealing several 200-year-old copper and bullet coins with pictures of 19th century Thai kings Rama IV and V on them – artefacts divers call “regulars”.

The coins trace the history of the Thai capital’s lively waterfront, whose traditional stilted homes are increasingly being knocked down for development.

“In the old days, we lived on rafts and had floating markets. Villagers lost their jewellery and money in the river,” he says.

An unfinished small Buddhist amulet was also hidden inside the mud. The divers can turn a decent profit. Selling a few copper coins can make them some Bt500 – nearly twice Thailand’s daily minimum wage. If lucky, a piece of jewellery or a rare coin in good condition can be sold for up to $300 (Bt9,300) at Bangkok’s antique markets, while their loot is fattened out by scrap metal.

But the divers’ fate is in limbo as urban development threatens their riverside community, which stands on weathered wooden stilts.

Bangkok officials have ordered the families to relocate away from the river as part of the junta government’s gentrification plan for the city. The divers fear that without direct access to the river, up to “90 per cent” of them will lose their livelihoods.

But that’s not their only tension with the law – taking artefacts is technically prohibited and can be punished with fines or jail time.

Bhoomin, however, defends the trade, saying divers only go for the small stuff.

“We don’t take big artefacts like Buddha statues… (if officials really want something), they can go down there and take it,” says Bhoomin, who dips into a box of salvaged spectacles and sunglasses whenever he needs them.

Then again, the lure of something special is always just around the river bend.

“We don’t know what we will find or where we will go today, says 29-year-old Somsak Ongsa-ard, another diver. “It’s exciting.”

Paula Mary Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organisation, confirmed at a press conference in Bangkok yesterday that the pageant will be held in Thailand again, on December 17.

Last year, the contest was held in Las Vegas in the US and in 2016 it was held in the Philippines.

“Sawasdi kha [good afternoon],” Shagart greeted the audience in Thai. “I’d like to thank the Minister of Tourism and Sports Weerasak Kowsurat and the Thai government for allowing the Miss Universe Organisation to host the pageant contest in Thailand again.

“The Miss Universe [contest] has come here every 13 years. Thailand hosted the contest twice – in 1992 and 2005. Thirteen is a lucky number,” Shugart said at the press conference at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).

Shugart also thanked Tanawat Wansom of TW Investment Group who has sole proprietorship of the 67th competition.

Supported by the Tourism Ministry, the contest helps promote the Kingdom and is expected to earn millions of baht during the country’s tourism high season.

Weerasak said, “It’s a great opportunity for Thailand to host Miss Universe 2018. During the one-month contest, over 6,000 people, including beauty queens from around the globe and their crews and army of media, will be in Thailand.

“It’s a great opportunity to promote Thai culture and its beautiful destinations, especially to boost the economy of the secondary cities. We will support cultural and tourism facilities for this special event.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said after the weekly Cabinet meeting that the government was glad that the organisation chose Thailand to host the contest again and it will help promote a positive image of the Kingdom.

Shugart said pageant queens from across the globe will be in Thailand in early November for pre-contest activities.

“In December, about 90 contestants from all over the world will spread global messages about Thailand. All will be the ambassadors for Thailand,” she said.

She said that the event is about women coming together and doing their best to support each other. Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, the former Miss Universe 1965 Apasra Hongsakula and Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova were also present at the announcement.

Thailand has also produced two winners – Apasra Hongsakula in 1965 and Porntip Nakhirunkanok (Bui Simon) in 1988. Thailand’s representative Sophida Kanchanarin will vie for the country’s third crown.