Inspired by the Royal Ascot races, Saja has utilised his masterful embroidery techniques to embellish and elevate silk and cotton toile for the collection that will look great for a day at the races. Each piece is rendered in a unique colourway with embroideries positioned in different places on a thigh-length overcoat of silk organdie, a cotton piquet blouse with voluminous sleeve detailing, cropped cotton trousers with a slight kick-flare, and a cotton poplin shirt.

Your life on your wrist

Swiss luxury watchmaker Frederique Constant has launched a special edition smartwatch, the 3.0 Hybrid Manufacture, which fuses tech with the best mechanical manufacture-made movement. Distributed in Thailand by C Thong Panich, the watch boasts the FC-750 hybrid calibre to enable the smart functions of the watch, which update the activities of the wearer, including their daily steps, daily calories burnt and sleeping patterns. There’s also an analysis function that tests the accuracy of the watch’s calibre, which results in a graph that is shown on the mobile application.

Shiny hair, healthy scalp

Based on the concept that beautiful hair starts with the scalp, Japanese skincare brand Three launches Orderange, a new line of shampoo and conditioner. The daily shampoo routine leaves the hair ravishing and keeps it nourished by restoring the day-to-day scalp and hair damage. In addition to the botanical ingredients that help maintain the hair’s resilience, body, colour and shine, it is formulated with selected plant-based extracts that effectively control the deterioration of the scalp condition to build the foundation for healthy hair.

Dressed to kill

Emporio Armani’s pre-autumn 2018 collection is designed are for today’s fast, connected and always changing world. Sartorial-cut jackets are paired with cotton cargo trousers or jeans, suits are matched with sweatshirts and silk blouses are worn with basketball sneakers. Pure, functional lines are contrasted with stud inserts and kidassia goat fur patches. The typical Armani masculine and feminine contrast is evident in the alternating combination of impeccably cut jackets with flowing trousers and short embroidered dresses.

HER ROYAL Highness Princess Sirivannavari Narirattana, who’s earned a global reputation as a clothing designer, is among seven winners of the Silpathorn Award bestowed on artists by the Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture.

She becomes the first member of the royal family to earn the award – and, at 31, the youngest recipient in its history.

Also honoured are curator Ark Fongsamut, architect Twitee Vajrabhaya Thephakham, writer Uthis Hemamoon, dramatist-theatre director Theerawat Mulwilai, film producer Soros Sukhum and violinist-conductor Nora-ath Chanklam.

Princess Sirivannavari attended last week’s opening of a Silpathorn Award exhibition at the Rajdamnoen Contemporary Art Centre. All of the recipients have examples of their work on view, in some cases presented in videos. Her fellow awardees will also be giving talks as part of the show continuing until September 9.

Seventy-four people have received the award since its introduction in 2004 as a way of recognising mid-career artists who have garnered international acclaim.

Princess Sirivannavari, whose clothing carries the Sirivannavari Bangkok label, graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a degree in fashion and textiles, first-class honours, and from l’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in France.

Her first collection, “Red Hobby”, appeared in 2004, three years before she founded her brand. In 2008 she made her international debut during Paris Fashion Week at the invitation of famed French couturier Pierre Balmain. Ever since, she’s been a familiar face on the global fashion scene.

Sirivannavari clothing is distinguished by unique prints and patterns and by avant-garde yet luxurious and elegant concepts. The embroidering is impeccable and typically features a peacock – the brand’s logo and the Princess’ favourite motif.

The Princess has also designed fine jewellery and leather goods including bags and shoes and creates men’s clothing under the brand S’Homme. About three years ago she established the Sirivannavari Atelier and Academy to pursue embroidery design and other techniques.

There have been 10 collections to date – Viva Victorian (in 2005), Fly to Nouveau (2006), Presence of the Past (2008), Ethnic Rock (2009), Cruise Collection (2010), Human DNA (2014), Napoleonic (2015), Mystical Garden (2016), Serenity (2017) and this year’s Horse, Helen, Henri.

Her designs reflect her keen interest in art history, embracing Thai traditional and Western classical art, Romanticism and Impressionism and even going futuristic. Princess Sirivannavari is also a gifted equestrian and draws inspiration from that sport as well.

The result is outfits that harmoniously combine both feminine and masculine qualities and are sophisticated, cultured and full of subtle nuance.

In the Art Centre exhibition, some of her clothing is on display along with live demonstrations by artisans of the techniques used in embroidering with gold thread, lace, crystals, feathers and flowers.

In a video interview, Princess Sirivannavari says she’s always admired embroidery, whether in the Thai, French or Indian style. She likes to experiment in both techniques and patterns and to apply modern graphic designs to traditional Thai crafts.

“We can set goals, but the question is how to reach them,” she says. “There is no shortcut – only perseverance. I’m like a captain of a ship. To direct my crew in the same direction, the foundation has to be strong. Every year I look at the strengths and weaknesses of each collection so I can improve. I don’t rush into something. I want to have a strong base first.”

Composer Nora-ath Chanklam, conductor of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, enjoys a variety of musical genres, including Thai contemporary music. He currently also conducts the Symphony Orchestra and String Orchestra at Chulalongkorn University.

Growing up in a family involved with the popular Soontraporn Band, Nora-ath studied violin at the Collage of Dramatic Arts and completed his studies in Germany.

Captured on video in the exhibition is one of his most memorable moments, the 2017 concert “Journey through the Music of the Great King: Suite for an Orchestra”, Chula’s tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol.

“What is most important is to create my own voice in terms of technique, so that the modern audience is able to enjoy beautiful Thai traditional music blended with the perfection of Western instruments. It is very unique and I’m quite proud of it.”

Twitee Vajrabhaya Teparkum co-founded Department of Architecture Co, a private firm, in 2004. She earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Virginia Tech and her master’s from Princeton and worked in Chicago and New York before returning to Thailand.

It was Twitee who conceived the manner in which the Thailand Creative and Design Centre could be relocated to the historic Grand Postal Building. Her multipurpose pavilion the Flow in Chonburi is renowned for its eye-catching folding floor that allows various activities to be oriented towards the great sea view.

As a child, Twitee loved both science and art and asked her father what she should be when she grew up.

“He said, ‘An architect!’ Architect- ure requires you to be quite well versed, with a sense of aesthetics and a basic knowledge of construction.

“The core of architecture is that you need to understand people – their activities, needs and livelihoods – in order to design spaces for them and the society around them.”

Uthis Hemamoon first gained wide attention with his third novel, “The Brotherhood of Kaeng Khoi”, which in 2009 won the Seven Book Awards competition and the SEAWrite Award. The Japan Foundation then selected Uthis for the Takeshi Kaiko Memorial Asian Writers Lecture Series scholarship award and sent him on a talking tour of Japan.

He’s written four novels, two collections of short stories and two collections of movie and literary criticism.

“With a pen and a notebook, we can create whole universes,” he says.

“In the past, the pen was in the hands of only a few – the powerful and the rich. But the majority deserves a pen, to write and to create their histories. What I’ve tried to do is to make the live of ordinary people meaningful in the world.”

Theerawat Mulwilai helped establish B-Floor Theatre in 1999, but had always been involved in stage performances and especially in the development of physical theatre.

Most recently the winner of the best actor award from IATC Thailand Dance and Theatre Review, his important works include “Storehouse Collection” at Ueno Storehouse in Japan, “Something Missing” at Momggol in South Korea and “Rite of Passage”.

Theerawat’s pieces are full of wit but also political messages, as seen in “Fundamental”, “Iceberg: The Invisible” and “The Remain”.

“I like to touch on sensitive issue because it’s a challenge for both the audience and me,” he says.

“But being a performance artist in Thailand isn’t that easy. The problem is the lack of sponsorship. If you want people to remember you, it requires timing and continuing in your work. Maybe I’ll have to be stubborn to achieve my dreams.”

Curator Ark Fongsamut and movie producer Soros Sukhum are the first award recipients in their respective specific fields and grateful to the Culture Ministry for broadening the categories. The award for visual arts has always gone to artists and the award for film to directors.

Ark, who graduated from in fine arts administration and curatorship from Goldsmiths College, University of London, has been involved in the arts for more than years. He’s currently a lecturer at Bangkok University and a curator at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre, where he mounted the shows “Grey Area”, “Allergic Realities”, “Immeasurable” and “Operation Bangkok”.

Soros is widely recognised as the producer of award-winning indie films, among them “Wonderful Town” (2008), which wowed festival attendees from Hong Kong and Osaka to Toronto and Rotterdam. He also produced “The Master” (2014) and “Motel Mist” (2016), and his latest, “Ten Years Thailand”, was invited to be screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

It brings work and style together in harmony high above Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong neighbourhood. Designed for “social cultivation”, it’s a co-working space where connections are fostered between businesses and among people.

Hospitality meets advanced technology in a hassle-free and pleasant environment of open spaces, meeting rooms and seminar rooms, natural lighting and 360-degree panoramic views.

Groups and individuals can enjoy the One-Touch concierge service and full office and business amenities in a Tree Pod meeting room, breakout area, sky lounge or independent hot desk.

Learn more at (02) 253 3999.

Zayed Alzayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, recently visited the centre in Bangkok, which is making sure that halal food is also on offer as Thailand seeks to become “the kitchen of the world”.

Chulalongkorn president Professor Bundhit Eua-arporn and Associate Professor Winai Dahlan, director of the Halal Science Center, greeted Alzayani and his delegation.

Winai established the centre in 1995 as the Halal Forensic Laboratory, part of the school’s Allied Health Sciences faculty. It soon earned a reputation – and awards – for protecting consumers, both Muslim and non-Muslim, by ensuring that halal standards were met.

Thailand is seen to be presenting a role model for the world in bringing scientific integrity to this area of the food industry.

“Thailand has the potential to support the use of science in halal certification,” Dr Winai says. “The Bahrain ministry found the centre exceeded his expectations because the laboratory is fully equipped to gauge the highest-quality standards.”

On Sunday, every mum gets a garland mini-cake and a beautifully crafted hand garland.

The Mother’s Day spa promotion from August 10 to 15 will see the prices of all a-la-carte treatments of at least 90 minutes’ duration reduced by 30 per cent.

One that Mum must try is the Aromatic Rice Milk Foot Bath.

Prices start at Bt1,599-plus (Bt800 per child). If your mum is at your side, you get 20 per cent off the bill automatically.

Make reservations at (038) 259 888, icpattaya@ihg.com or http://www.Pattaya.Intercontinental.com.

A recent Public Health Ministry regulation banning the production, import and distribution of industrially produced trans fats and food products containing partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) has revealed just how little the Thai public really understands about trans fats.

An example: some food stalls offering the popular khai kratha – eggs fried in a small pan with Chinese sausage, minced pork and spring onion – saw their customers disappear into thin air just one night after the announcement. Also affected were the vendors of crispy sweetened roti, a popular breakfast snack among workers.

The consumers believed that the cooking oils, margarine and butter used by these food vendors contained trans fats and so they should avoid all and any related products using PHOs.

“That really reflects a total misconception of the ban on trans fats,” says Dr Wilailuk Chaiyasit, an expert on lipids from Department of Food Science & Technology, Thammasat University.

Dr Wilailuk Chaiyasit

In some ways, Partially Hydrogenated Oil is synonymous with trans fats as the partial hydrogenation in vegetable oil yields trans fats – the artificial fat that has been used in making margarine, margarine, cooking oil, bakery goods and in frying fast food dates back to the 1940s. The benefit of PHO is that it doesn’t create rancidity and so extends the shelf life of the products. PHO can convert liquid fats to a solid at room temperature, which is beneficial for the texture and shape of bakery items, and is considerably cheaper than butter.

The use of PHO products in baking is especially good for making flaky crusts for pies, puffs and the Thai dessert khanom pia. It also increases the shelf life of baked goods and improves their texture. For decades, food manufacturers added partially hydrogenated oil to cookies, crackers, bread, frozen foods and more, and food companies and restaurants used it for frying. Then in the 1990s, research confirmed that PHO products are related to coronary artery disease, strokes, raising levels of LDL (often referred to as “bad cholesterol”), lowering levels of HDL (“good cholesterol”), increasing triglycerides in the bloodstream and promoting systemic inflammation.

Professor Visith Chavasit

“It’s true that PHO has been used in food industry for decades, but in Thailand, the situation changed years ago. We find that most manufacturers no longer produce or use PHOs. Most of the products on the market don’t contain trans fats but customers are unaware of that,” says Professor Visith Chavasit, Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University who has conducted research into trans fats in Thailand and was involved in pushing for the ban.

Professor Visith first conducted the research on trans fats about 10 years ago when the Food and Drug Administration proposed adding trans fats content to product labels. The idea was dropped after they discovered that PHO products were actually far lower than they expected. Thus, listing trans fats would cause confusion and lead customers to focus on trans fat while ignoring other ingredients like saturated fats, which are also considered harmful to our health.

“It’s rather like putting a warning sign up on Rajadamnoen Road to beware of snakes. The snake sign will focus attention on looking for snakes to the point where they could well be hit by a car, of which there are many of the road,” he says.

The ban on PHO is actually aimed at a few manufacturers, suppliers and food producers who insist using PHO products as long as there is no law prohibiting it. They reason customers won’t like the taste of the goodies without it and don’t want to lose their market share.

“I admire those who have had the courage to change their recipes even though it meant losing revenue. So in January, when the ban comes into effect, the customers will feel they were informed in plenty of time and will feel less opposed to the new formulas,” says Visith.

Margarin, butter and shortening which are produced from partially hydrogenated oil have been used in bakery items for decades but will be banned from January next year.

Banning PHO will help eliminate trans fats from PHOs from Thailand, but won’t of course put a halt to the trans fats that occur naturally in meat and dairy products from ruminants.

“It is impossible to ban all products containing trans fats. The natural trans fats found in products from ruminants and in refined cooking oil are much lower than the trans fats from PHO. So they are not dangerous to our health,” he adds.

Fortunately, Thai food culture does not rely on PHO ingredients but relies mainly on coconut or rice bran oils. The demand for PHO arrived in Thailand with the western food culture, particularly bakery items.

The World Health Organisation’s recommendation says that adult and children should consume a maximum of one per cent trans fats of their daily calories. Nutrition labels on food products indicate that trans fats from PHO is on average 3-4 per cent or higher meanwhile the natural trans fats from meat and dairy products is below 0.4 per cent and can therefore be declared as 0 per cent trans fats.

Reading the product label is a must for those who want to avoid the problem, even though cooking oil, margarine or shortening products in Thailand’s supermarket contain 0 per cent trans fats. Use of Partially Hydrogenated Oil can however be found in some products like doughnuts, chocolate, crust pies and non-dairy cream as well as in 3 in 1 coffee.

Assistant Professor Dr Pornpoj Pramyothin from Division of Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital says that the confusion at the ban is a clear indication that we don’t have sufficient basic health basic knowledge, as all these procedures have been in place for years.

He says what most of his patients with trans fats-related diseases share in common is drinking 3 in 1 coffee every day.

“It is one of the major causes of the metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” says Dr Pornpoj.

“They drink one of these sachets two or three times a day and with that consumption, it’s only a week or so before they have the entire metabolic syndrome. But after they stop drinking it, then the blood pressure and cholesterol go back to normal,” says Dr Pornpoj.

He adds that even though trans fats are the most dangerous of fatty acids, focusing on them alone is unlikely to correct.

And just like that snake on Rajadamnoen Road, we focus on one point instead of looking at the overall picture.

“It ‘s good to ban trans fats but they are not the only bad food with which people should be concerned. Too much saturated fat is also dangerous to your health as are too much sugar and salt. Good food consumption doesn’t depend on just avoiding fat, it should focus on balancing the five groups of food we need in our diets,” he says.

Dr Pornpoj says that Thais also over-consume sugar especially from drinks and fruits, as well as salt and oily products. He gives a daily formulation of intake of 6-6-1, which means we should not eat over six spoons of sugar, fat, and one spoon of salt.

“Don’t just focus on fat. Be cautious in everything you eat and that will prevent you from falling sick,” he says.

MORE THAN affordable at just Bt6,000, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 (ZB602KL) smartphone comes with a surprisingly fast eight-core processor for its price and a large 5.9-inch display with good resolution of 2160×1080 pixels. It also boasts a large battery and a quality camera.

There are three versions of Zenfone Max Pro M1 each different memory and storage size. I got my hands on the version with 3-gigabyte memory and 32GB storage. The two higher versions have 4 GB and 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage respectively.

The model I tested was far from slow, with both its touch screen and its apps responsive.

The Zenfone Max Pro M1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 65-bit octa-core processor with Qualcomm Adreno 509 GPU. It runs on Pure Android 8.1 operating system without a third-party user-interface on top of it. The smartphone comes with LTE 4G connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network and found it had fast Internet connection.

I checked the speed with Ookla Speedtest app and the smartphone got a download speed of 45.2 Mbps and upload speed of 29.3 Mbps.

It even supports High-Resolution Audio of 24bit/192kHz format with good sound quality. I tested the Hi-Res Audio with Sony MDR-1ABT headphones and was pleased to find it gave off good musical details and a strong bass.

The display has a high contrast of 1,500:1 and with full HD+ resolution, it’s good for watching HD video clips and looking at photos. I enjoy watching YouTube clips and movies and TV programmes streamed with TrueID TV app during the test.

The version that I tested comes with 13 megapixel rear camera and it uses a secondary 5 MP camera to help add more data for creating beautiful portraits with the bokeh effect.

You can use Auto mode or select one of several provided scene modes, including Landscape, Portrait, Sports, Flowers and Sunset. You can also select bokeh effect together with beautification effect to achieve beautiful portrait shots with blurred background.

The smartphone has a fingerprint reader on its back. It allows the phone to unlock in just 0.3 second and it can scan and save up to five fingerprints.

The Zenfore Max Pro M1 has an impressively large battery with 5,000 mAh capacity. With this capacity, you can play mobile games for 11.5 hours continuously or you can play music for 199 hours or eight days and seven hours continuously. Or you can stream YouTube clips for up to 17.8 hours or watch Netflix for 20 hours.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage retails for Bt5,990. The version with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage goes for Bt6,990 while the version with 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage costs Bt7,990.

>> Networks: GSM, WCDMA, LTE (Cat13)

>> OS: Android 8.1

>> CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 64-bit Octa-core Processor

>> Memory: 3GB

>> Storage: 32GB, expandable with microSD card by up to 2TB

>> Display: 5.9-inch Full HD+ (2160 by 1080) 18:9 Full View IPS display, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 450nits brightness

>> Cameras: 13MP+5MP dual-camera for rear camera with 25mm equivalent focal length, 8MP front camera with 26mm equivalent focal length

>> Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 5.0

>> Navigation: GPS, AGPS, GLO, BDS

>> SIM slots: dual nano SIM slots plus separate slot for microSD card

>> Sensors: Rear fingerprint sensor, Damp finger recognition, Accelerator, Gyroscope, E-Compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor

>> Battery: 5,000 mAh

>> Dimensions: 159x76x8.45mm

>> Weight: 180g

ATH-WS990BT is the flagship model of Audio-Technica’s Solid Bass series that feature Bluetooth connection, noise cancelling and High-Resolution Audio when used with a provided cable.

It can also be used as smartphone headset with built-in microphone and control buttons.

The ATH-WS990BT wireless over-ear headphones combine exclusive 53mm Deep Motion Drivers with large, high-flux magnetic circuitry and Bluetooth technology to deliver vibrant full-range wireless audio with invigorating bass. The drivers have frequency response of five to 40,000Hz, so the WS990BT supports Hi-Res Audio when used with the provided 1.2-metre headphone cable.

When connected in Bluetooth, it doesn’t provide Hi-Res Audio quality because the the Bluetooth protocol used does not provide enough bandwidth for the high sampling rate of Hi-Res Audio.

The headphones have high sensitivity of 101dB when the noise-cancelling function is not turned on. When the noise-cancelling function is turned on, the headphones have high sensitivity of 107dB. The WS990BT has impedance of 30 ohms when not using noise-cancelling and 150 ohms when using noise-cancelling.

Audio-Technica says the headphones’ powerful magnetic force of the circuitry results in dynamic, well-tailored diaphragm response to reproduce deep, clear low frequencies and detailed mid-to-high frequencies.

The sound is further enhanced by the exclusive dual-layer, memory-foam earpads, comprised of a firm internal layer and a soft outer layer, that provide excellent sound isolation and comfort.

The WS990BT uses built-in lithium polymer rechargeable battery that takes about five hours to charge from 0 to 100 per cent. The headphones last about 25 hours when using Bluetooth and noise-cancelling. When using only Bluetooth and turning off noise-cancelling, the battery can last for about 30 hours.

The battery can last up ot 35 hours when using noise-cancelling only. This is because when you use the headphones with a headphone cable, the Bluetooth will automatically turn off, while you can still turn on the noise cancelling to enjoy Hi-Res Audio music in quiet environment.

The noise-cancelling function turns on automatically when you turn on the headphones with the power switch. When the noise-cancelling function turns on, the built-in microphones pick up the noise around you, and the headphones will produce signals to cancel and reduce the noise.

I found during the test that the headphones reduced the humming sound of my air-conditioner and provided a quiet listening environment for me to enjoy the music.

Anyway, you can turn off the noise-cancelling function by double-tapping the touch sensor on the right ear cup. When the noise-cancelling function is turned on, a lamp indicator turns green. The lamps turn off when the noise-cancelling function is also turned off.

Apart from the noise-cancelling function, you can select the hear-through function that allows voices in the surrounding area to be heard through the headphones. This lets you listen for important announcements, say in a train station or airport, and hear the voice of anyone who might engage you in conversation.

When you use the headphones on the road, it can be dangerous if you don’t hear the sounds around you, such as the sounds of vehicles coming up behind you.

The hear-through mode can help you be aware of what’s happening around you. You can turn on the hear-through mode by pressing and holding the touch sensor for about two seconds. When the hear-through mode is turned on, the touch sensor indicator lamp will flash green. And in the hear-through mode, the volume is automatically lowered to assimilate to the sounds around you.

You can turn off the hear-through mode and return to noise-cancelling mode by pressing and holding the touch sensor for about two seconds and the touch sensor indicator lamp will turn solid green.

There is a jog switch next to the touch sensor. When the WS990BT is Bluetooth-linked to your smartphone, you can use the jog switch to control music playback and volume and to answer and end phone calls.

You can slide the jog toward the plus sign on the front to increase volume by one level or you can slide and hold the jog by two seconds to skip the next track. Or you can slide the jog toward the minus sign or to the back of your head to decrease the volume by one level. You can slide and hold the jog back for about two seconds to play the previous track.

When the WS990BT is connected with Bluetooth to your smartphone, you can press the jog switch once to answer an incoming call and during the call, you press it once to end the call.

When there is an incoming call, press and hold the jog switch for about two seconds to reject it. When on a call, press and hold for two seconds to switch to the phone.

During the test, I found that headphones reproduced good quality music on a Bluetooth connection, using aptX connection protocol.

But the music quality was much improved using the cable with the noise-cancelling function still on. I tested playing Hi-Res Audio songs in FLAC 24bit/192kHz format from my Sony XZ Premium and the music quality was great with good details and powerful and solid bass.

ATH-WS990BT is distributed by RTB Technology and it is available at Studio7 shops and IStudio, dot.life, Siam Discovery, Jaymart, Munkong Gadget, Betrend, Power Mall and Lazada for Bt9,900.

>> Driver Diameter: 53mm

>> Frequency Response: |5-40,000Hz

>> Sensitivity: 107dB/mW when using noise-cancelling, 101dB/mW when not

>> Impedance: 150 ohms when using noise-cancelling, 30 ohms when not

>> Battery: Lithium polymer, 25-35 hours, 5-hour charging time

>> Weight: 300g

>> Cable: 1.2m

>> Connector: 3.5mm stereo mini-plug

>> Microphone: Condenser with -44dB sensitivity, |omnidirectional

>> Bluetooth: 4.1, supporting Codec of aptX, AAC, SBC

>> Accessories Included: 30cm USB charging cable, pouch

IF THE residents of the remote Nhong Ung community in Yasothon province are keeping their feet dry these days even at the height of |the monsoon rains, they owe it all to the efforts of one very special |individual – His Majesty King |Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, whose birthday falls today.

Just under two decades ago, the seven villages that make up this low-lying community of the Northeast province’s Koh Nue subdistrict faced annual misery, with floods every rainy season and drought the rest of the year. With crops damaged and roads impassable, residents were forced into the forest to forage for what little food they could find. The able-bodied left the villages to find work in urban areas, leaving behind their elders and children.

In 2000, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun visited his subjects and the royal-sponsored project at Nhong Ung, Yasothon, where he received a briefing from local officials.

Then on November 28, 2000, the then Crown Prince accompanied His Royal Mother, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, on a visit to flood victims in Baan Kham Nam Srang village.

In an attempt to bring comfort to his subjects, the Crown Prince granted a royal-sponsored project to develop and to improve the surroundings by dredging the ground at Nhong Ung and turning it into a water source, thus allowing residents to engage in agriculture and enlarge the fish breeding stock. The soil was improved and protected by planting vetiver grass while the forest was kept under careful scrutiny so that they could live in harmony with nature.

The Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation recently invited the media to witness first-hand the productive results of this royal project, one of the many models that exemplifies His Majesty King Rama X’s resolution to fulfil the wishes of His Majesty the late King Rama IX and work for the benefit of all Thais.

Somsak Taweenan, head of the Nhong Ung Development Project, says that the main obstacle faced by local people was the repeated flooding, which was always particularly bad between August and October.

“The water discharged from the Ubolratana and Lam Pao dams would converge here. Water then submerged the rice fields causing major problems for the farmers. However, after the visit of the then Crown Prince, everything started to change thanks to various royal initiatives. Local people could commute more conveniently because the roads in Nhong Ung were raised by one metre along a 15- kilometre stretch. Dredging for water was also highly effective. The villagers were allocated plots of lands for farming and about 120 rai in the Nhong Ung area was shared among 120 families from Tayiem village so that they too could earn a living from agriculture by following His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sufficiency economy philosophy,” he explains.

A view of the water integration system and the abundant forest.

The Dong Mun forest, which is close to Nhong Ung and covers some 3,000 rai, has also seen the benefits of the project. It had lost almost half its area to encroachment prior to 2000 but today has regained more than 50 per cent of its former abundance. Government agencies have helped to support local forestry systems by planting rubber trees, around whose roots grow such wild mushrooms such as puff ball, scabbard, talai and ra-ngok. And so local residents can still forage in the forest and their income has doubled, going from Bt1 million to Bt2 million. A cooperative has been set up with more than 70 members, who help each other generate more income by processing mushrooms as well as ant eggs.

Somsak Taweenan, head of the Nhong Ung Development Project

“We support all kind of integrated development – agriculture, fishing, and livestock so that the people will enjoy a better quality of life. The community is stronger because socially they have become more cooperative and willing to share. The royal-sponsored project has made seven villages stronger and united. It has also promoted knowledge sharing and this has expanded to other areas in Yasothon and to nearby provinces,” Somsak says.

Som Sairoj, 68, a resident of Baan Nam Kham village in Koh Nue subdistrict, says she greatly appreciates the royal-sponsored project, which has improved her life in so many ways. Today she is the vice-chairman of the Wanathip wild-product processing plant. She recalls the damage that past flooding did to her rice yields, explaining that on from a 20-rai plot, she was only able to harvest eight tons of rice worth some Bt20,000 -Bt30,000 a year.

Mushroom products from Nhong Ung community are well received in the market and create extra income for local residents. 

“When His Majesty King Rama X and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit visited us and brought many royal development projects, we all cried with happiness. Planting trees had allowed the forest to grow again and we are able to collect more mushrooms than ever before, which makes for extra income,” she explains.

“We have fully embraced the sufficiency economy. We plant trees in the forest and protect them because they are a great source of income. More importantly, we don’t have to move anywhere. This is our home. If we work harder, we can have more money. Our processed mushrooms are a great success and have been awarded 5-star Otop rating. When our earnings are good, life too is better,” Som says with a smile.

Farmer and fisherman Bin Sansook 

Sixty-four-year-old Bin Sansook is also grateful to the King. Two decades ago, he gave his four rai of rice fields to his nephew and turned to raising fish in Nhong Ung’s pond. But too many other villagers had the same idea resulting in the pond eventually losing its oxygen content and the fish dying.

“Back in 2000, I was a member of the subdivision’s administration. I saw His Majesty coming to the village from a long way off and I was delighted. The royal project was the great hope. The land suffered from drought, the soil was like sand, and didn’t have land ownership. Now we can stay in our village. They are plenty of fish for us all. The income from the fishery is better than ever, earning a clear profit of Bt200-Bt300 per day. Some days we catch Clown featherback fish, or Mekong catfish and we are satisfied with that even though it is not a lot. I also plant vegetables and I share the surplus with my neighbours. In the past, it was very hard to grow anything and life was very difficult. I had only enough money to buy fish sauce to mix with steamed rice and vegetable,” Bin recalls.

Gaysorn Rosapa, left, and Nanta Chaiya

Mother and daughter Gaysorn Rosapa, 63, and Nanta Chaiya, 39, of Baan Tayiam have also reaped the benefits of royal generosity. Both members of the Support Foundation under Her Majesty the Queen’s patronage at Baan Kham Nam Srang, they recall all too clearly the flooding of the past.

“Life was very hard and I ended up moving to Bangkok to work in a plastic manufacturing factory for 10 years. When the royal-sponsored project was initiated, my mother asked me to come home. We have now lived happily as a family for more than 13 years, much more so than in Bangkok where I really struggled to make ends meet. These days we grow rice and vegetables and even have some money saved.

“Every time we think of the royal graciousness, we shed tears of joy. Wherever Their Majesties visit, prosperity comes to those areas.”

The event continues through August 5 at Main Atrium on the first floor, Seacon Square Shopping Center on Srinakarin Road the moves to Seacon on Phetchkasem Road from August 10 to 19.

“The ‘70s in the West with their anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and the hippie movement had a big influence on Thais. People in Bangkok were wide open to western culture, such as movies, music, and fashion. Nowadays, people who lived in the 70’s are in their 50s and 60s and they will have a chance to remember their happy times at this event,” says Charun Poopat, vice president for marketing communication and corporate relations group of Seacon Square Shopping Centre.

The atrium will be transformed into the popular neighbourhood, Wang Burapha, which was the fashion and shopping centre at that time. It boasted the largest entertainment complex of movie theatres like King cinema and Talat Ming Muang, where ladies — actresses, singers, and members of the general public — went to when they needed artisan tailors. Also the most popular shopping centre for people in those years was the Nightingale-Olympic Department Store, which is the oldest mall in Thailand and it is still active until nowadays.

The 70’s was the golden era of heavy metal, rock and disco. Thais, especially people in Bangkok, were influenced by music from overseas. They listened to international songs and many of these will be performed at a concert by Thailand’s top professional musicians from Chaba Big Band, Isn’t and Spirit, Hard Boy and Kaleidoscope on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The event will also host a bustling trading area with grocery stores, peddlers, street stalls and much more. Customers can try Thai savoury and sweet dishes, such as traditional desserts, cotton candy from the coin-operated machine, frozen egg icecream, claypot sweets, traditional fizzy drinks, as well as buy souvenirs, music CDs, musical instruments, tin toys, apparel, shoes, and much more.

For more information, please call (02) 721 8888 or visit at http://www.seaconsquare.com and http://www.facebook.com/SeaconSquareFanPage.

For Seacon Bangkae, call (02) 454 7777 or visit http://www.seaconbangkae.com and http://www.facebook.com/SeaconBangkaeFanPage.