Specifically designed for the busy executive whose life revolves around making presentations and using business apps on the go, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen is a tough and fast notebook computer. It looks sleek too, with an elegant matte black casing and a virtually unbreakable chassis thanks to its use of advanced carbon fibre composite – four layers of reinforced carbon fibre and a magnesium alloy rollcage.

Like all ThinkPads, the X1 Carbon is tested against 12 military-grade requirements and more than 200 quality checks to ensure it runs in extreme conditions. It passes MILSTED 810G tests including operating temperatures up to 43 degrees C and down to 21 degrees C. The keyboard spill tray is designed to cope with up to 500ml of liquid.

And the X1 Carbon is still the world’s lightest 14-inch business-class laptop, weighing in at just 1.13kg and a mere 15.95mm thick.

Better still, the battery can last up to 15 hours and the notebook comes with RapidCharge technology that provides 80 per cent of capacity or 12 hours of battery life in just an hour of recharging.

The 6th-gen X1 Carbon is powered by 8th Generation Intel Core i78550U quadcore processor running at 1.8 GHz and has 8 gigabytes of working memory or RAM. It has 250 GB SSD drive and uses integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 as graphic adapter. The notebook runs on Windows 10 Pro operating system.

The screen as bright and clear thanks to a 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560×1440 pixels) IPS glossy display. This supports Dolby Vision HDR and has a brightness of 500 nits. Lenova says the new X1 Carbon is one of first laptops to support Dolby Vision HDR but cautions that Windows 10 has yet to release support for Dolby Vision HDR to make the most of the display.

That lack notwithstanding, I watched 4K HDR YouTube clips and found the quality was impressive with vivid colours and stunning details.

The test found that the new X1 Carbon started up and shut down very fast. It ran business applications like Microsoft Office at breakneck speed and played HD video clips smoothly.

Office road warriors should be happy that the new X1 Carbon has a nano SIM slot, located on top near the left hinge, for providing an LTE 4G connection so that they could remain working while travelling without the need to depend on Wi-Fi hotspots. Do note though that you must first buy an optional LTE module and install it.

The new X1 Carbon could also be a dream device for your IT admin because it offers robust security features, including matchonchip fingerprint readers with anti-spoofing technology to safeguard company data and provide more secure authentication and login.

You can quickly log in with Windows’ “Hello of Windows 10” with just a touch of the finger or the view of your face if you opt for the IR camera. Your fingerprint image is saved on the chip and your data is protected with the discrete Trusted Platform Module that encrypts your information.

The new X1 Carbon also supports Fido – it stands for Fast Identity Online – to protect your online credentials when you sign in to websites like Facebook or Google or make payments via PayPal.

The new X1 Carbon has all necessary ports of expansion and enhancements. It has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and one of them supports Always On technology, allowing you to use it to recharge your mobile phone even when the notebook is turned off.

The notebook also has two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C that conform to Intel Thunderbolt 3—the technology that brings lightning-fast data transfer, up to 40Gbs to USBC. If you wish, you can connect a cable from your USBC port to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled device, and get four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other port type, while also supplying power. In summary, that gives you Thunderbolt, USB 3.0 data transfer, and DisplayPort all rolled into one.

The computer comes with a 4-in-1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), right by the Sim slot and an HDMI port for you to stream 4K video to your TV.

Moreover, the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon integrates with the ThinkPad Pro Dock (sold separately), which is a whole new docking system that’s shared across most of the 2018 ThinkPad models. The new USBC side mechanical dock easily connects with two male Type-C ports that snap into and automatically level your device. Once docked, your ThinkPad stays securely in place and sits at a slightly tilted angle for comfort.

The new X1 Carbon also supports handfree audio commands. With Cortana Premium, you can speak commands to your ThinkPad X1 Carbon from four metres away. The integrated 360-degree far field microphones ensure your voice is heard across the room. It also allows you to wake your device or quickly and easily find files and calendar events.

And it also supports Amazon Alexa that allows you to play music, get news, control your smart home, or shop.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen from Lenovo has a starting price of Bt63,900.

Key Specs

– OS: Windows 10 Pro 64

– CPU:  8th Generation Intel Core i78550U 1.8 GHz

– Memory: 8 GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz

– Storage: 250 SSD

– Graphics: Integrated Intel  UHD Graphics 620

– Display: 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS glossy with Dolby Vision, 500 nits

– Camera: HD 720p with IR camera for face recognition

– Connectivity: WLAN: Intel DualBand Wireless AC (2 x 2) 8265 + Bluetooth 4.1 with vPro

I/O ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one Always On),

2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 TypeC / Intel Thunderbolt 3 (Power Delivery, DisplayPort, Data transfer), HDMI, Headphone / microphone combo jack, 4in1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), Ethernet Extension Connector (Dongle for Native Ethernet sold separately)

– Battery: Up to 15 hours, integrated Liion 57 Whr with RapidCharge technology

– Dimensions (W x D x H): 323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 (mm)

– Weight: 1.13kg

After 12 years of organising outdoor sports events in Thailand, Active Management Asia has adopted a new name, C55 Events, in a Bt60-million-plus rebranding push that covers marketing strategy, technology and staffing.

“C55 Events is a melting pot of experience and expertise in organising events,” executive vice president Rujirapun “Mook” Juangroongruangkit said as the company unveiled its plans recently at CentralWorld.

“The new look responds better to the active lifestyle in this digital world. Thais have a passion for exercise and outdoor sports, and sport has become a part of our lives.

“We’re targeting people from all walks of life, from kids to adults, especially women and even the disabled, because we want to help everyone to overcome any obstacle and arrive at the finish line shouting, ‘I can do it!’”

The name C55 derives the element caesium and its atomic number, which also happens to translate as “ha ha” in Thai – the sound of laughter.

“We emphasise high-quality customer experience and aim to increase our share of customers to 20 per cent of the market in the next few years, as well as 15 to 20 per cent growth in sport sponsorship,” Mook said. “In the next phase, we’ll expand into corporate sport events, sport training and sport merchandising.”

The guiding concept is “The Path To Awesomeness”.

Four events are planned this year. TRIIB The City Obstacle is set for at CentralWorld from September 21 to 23, the Pattana Triathlon, the Bike Challenge Ratchaburi and the XTERRA Nong Yai Trail Run.

“We’re focused on customers ages 35 to 45, who have the most spending power and know how to manage their lives and their time,” said Prapas Thongsuk of CIMB Thai Bank, which is sponsoring the CIMB Thai Triathlon for Asean at the Pattana Golf Club & Resort Sriracha on August 5.

And Kwankaew Sirijinda of Central Pattana said the mall is looking forward to its first collaboration with C55 on TRIIB the City Obstacle. “Our venue can handle 2,000 people. We’ve held many running events, but not trail running. This will be the first time it’s seen in the heart of the city.”

Meanwhile Sithai Vajarodaya of Singha Corp is in charge of organising the annual Singha Keng Kraeng Kla (Singha Obstacle Fun Run) at Singha Park in Chiang Rai on December 8.

Actors Louis Scott and Ramida “Noon” Prapasanobol from the hit Channel 3 period drama “Buppesannivas” and English sports blogger and professional athlete Mark Abbot discussed the events onstage and then tried out simulations for four event models in the mall’s outdoor plaza.

“You have to set goals for an obstacle run,” Louis said. “But I think people today are definitely getting more interested in health and sports.”

Mark said he’s been participating in AMA events for years and looks forward to C55’s efforts to become a “one-stop service”, a move that will help sportsman focus on the competition.

C55 is ready to roll

Find out more at http://www.C55Events.com and “c55events” on Facebook.

Audio-Technica’s ATH-WS990BT wireless headphones ensure powerful bass with 53mm drivers and an aptX Bluetooth connection. The over-ear headphones have Active Noise Cancellation and Hear Through functions. The battery will last up to 30 hours. They’re in stores for Bt9,900.

Great phone, great cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A6+ has dual main cameras at 16MP and 5MP resolution, guaranteeing beautiful portraits with a bokeh effect. The front camera boasts 24MP resolution and three level of flash for great selfies in any lighting conditions. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octacore processor 1.8GHs, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The going price is Bt10,990.

Sing along or play along

Sony’s MHCV81D high-power home audio system with Bluetooth connection features 360-degree Live Sound technology to blast the tunes. A touch panel lets you drum along to the music, and you can plug in a guitar or microphone to get fully involved. DJ effects let you put your own spin to tracks. It’s on shelves Bt15,990.

Make it a Moto

The Moto G6 Plus smartphone has a smart camera that’ll make sure you get perfect pictures. Dual Autofocus Pixel technology, a large f/1.7 aperture and the 1.4-micropixel size combine with a 5.9-inch, 18:9 aspect-ratio Full HD Max Vision display. You get a 2.2GHz octacore processor and a 3,200mAh allday battery. Expect to pay Bt9,990.

Your choice in a Redmi

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 platform and offers flagship-level photography capabilities. It comes with a dualcamera 12MP setup, a large 1.4-micropixel sensor, AI camera effects and an LED Selfie light for the 13MP front camera. The 3GB+32GB version costs Bt5,990 and the 4GB+64GB edition Bt6,990.

A new top-of-the line smartphone from French firm Wiko Mobile, the View2 Pro could be an excellent choice for those who cannot afford an upmarket phone but still want a good looking device with quality cameras.

Priced at less than Bt8,000, View2 Pro boasts a dual camera setup that allows you to capture beautiful portraits with bokeh effect and a robust, sleek, ergonomic CNC metal housing in two colours – Gold and Anthracite. The back cover has an elegant chrome finish that gives a premium glass feel.

The View2 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octacore processor running at 1.8 GHz. It is equipped with 4 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card up to 256 GB. The smartphone runs on Google Android 8.0 operating system and has a large six-inch 19:9 Full Screen IPS display with 1528×720 pixels.

Although View2 Pro doesn’t use the flagship Qualcomm processor, I found it surprisingly fast during my test. The touchscreen and menus were responsive at all times and I had no problem using it with TrueMove H’s LTE network. Connection was fast, apps were downloaded in no time and my snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos cloud storage quickly and efficiently.

I used the Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speeds and found that the View2 Pro scored a download speed of 66.1 Mbps and an upload speed of 30.0 Mbps.

The View2 Pro has dual nano SIM slots that support 3G and 4G connection at the same time.

For security, the View2 Pro has a finger print reader and Face Unlock technologies. The phone scans your face and allows you to unlock the phone in less than a second. The phone’s gesture detection function automatically launches Face Unlock to scan your face and unlock the phone. Again, I had no problems, with the phone unlocking very fast once I lifted it up to my face.

The View2 Pro has a dual camera setup that you can use to shoot portraits with a blurred background. The main camera uses a Sony IMX499 image sensor with 16-megapixel resolution and it has an aperture of f/1.75 for brighter shots in low light conditions. It also comes with Super PDAF fast auto focus.

The secondary camera is a 120-degree wide-angle camera with 8-megapixel resolution.

An icon above the shutter button guides you to switch between the 16MP and wide-angle 8 MP.

When you use the Artistic Blur mode, you will see a slide bar for adjusting the degree of blurred background. I found during the test that the camera captured beautiful photos with a blurred background.

The 120-degree wide-angle lens allows you to easily capture group shots and panoramas.

Other shooting modes include Professional, Panorama, Night, and Face Beauty. The Professional mode lets you adjust various shooting parameters, including exposure level, colour saturation level, white balance, ISO and focus.

The Beauty Face mode allows you adjust the smooth level of your skin and shape of your eyes and your face.

The View2 Pro has a 16MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture with Big Pixel technology, which together work to allow the front camera to capture beautiful selfie shots even in low light conditions. The Big Pixel works by rearranging the pixels and giving greater photo-sensitivity.

The front camera also has a portrait blur mode for you to adjust the level of blurred background to make your selfie shots look outstanding.

The View2 Pro has a good battery life with 3,000 mAH battery. With one charge, you can easily survive a whole day.

Wiko View2 Pro has a suggested retail price of only Bt7,990. Wiko Mobile Thailand says the smartphone is now available through more than 4,000 outlets within Wiko’s national distribution network.

Key Specs

– Networks: LTE Cat 6

– OS: Android 8.0

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, OctaCore 1.8 GHz, CortexA53

– Memory: 4GB RAM

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

– SIM: Dual nano SIM slots, one shared with micro SD

– Display: 6-inch 19:9 IPS display with 1528×720 pixels resolution

– Main cameras: 16 MP for main camera with /1.75 aperture lens, 8 MP for 120-degree wide-angle lens

– Front camera: 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture lens

– Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n / Bluetooth 4.2/ Access point Wi-Fi / USB OTG

– Battery: 3,000 mAh LiPo

– Dimensions: 153 x 72.6 x 8.3 mm

– Weight: 164 g

The annual International Angel Challenge bicycle race for women returns to Suan Phueng in Ratchaburi on June 9 and 10 with 700 participants expected to be tackling even more challenges across hilly terrain.

Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor Noppadon Pakprot says sports tourism is booming and women these days “are more interested in sports”.

“This event drew 300 cyclists in its inaugural year and 500 last year, and it gives those who come from overseas a chance to learn about the province’s arts and culture, such as painting benjarong and making candles.”

Ratchaburi Vice Governor Weeras Praserttho is also looking forward to promoting the provincial capital as a “sports city”. It hosts the Chombueng Marathon and the Kao Pratubchang hiking trail.

For the cycling event, he says, the main road is being widened to four lanes and traffic safety is being improved.

The International Angel Challenge, formerly known as the Suan Phueng Angel Challenge, will take place in and around Scenery Vintage Farm in Suan Phueng and has as its concept “Be Angel, Be Gorgeous”.

There’ll be a 70-kilometre race and a 30km Lady Run Ride.

Organiser Pannasorn “Aeh Glory” Patamapinunt, who works for the Suan Phueng Tourism Business Association, says that, in her first five years cycling, she’d never heard of a cycling event just for women.

“I’d come across women’s cycling groups, such as the Lady Long Legs and the Thai Airways International team, but never a race specifically for women.

“For this event, which boasts a very beautiful route that’s also quite challenging, I invited two Japanese cyclists – Satowa Ota, who won the Doi Inthanon Challenge, and Yuiko Ohkawa, who I met while cycling at Shimanami Kaido in Japan, which is one of the world’s most incredible bike routes.

“Our route starts at Scenery Vintage Farm and crosses hills to the first checkpoint at Noen Sai Taek and the second one at Au Long Hill. We’ll have people lining both sides of the road cheering on the cyclists as they pass through their villages.”

Aeh Glory will be cycling with the Tourism Authority’s Angel Team alongside Geerachaya “Vhan” Geerawatthanakul, Oratai “Vaw” Moonkampang, Tanat “Poonimm” Watcharaapiya and Narissara “Au” Suphawanichleela. They’ll be competing against the Lady Long Legs and Kom Kom teams as well as celebrity cyclists including actress-TV host Arunnapa “Wan Wan” Panichjaaroon.

Wan Wan says she’s excited about riding up Noen Sai Taek and Noen Au Long, two relatively gentle hills. Aeh Glory has put together a great event for women, she says.

“It isn’t only for serious cyclists. Recreational cyclists will really enjoy the beautiful nature along the way and they’ll get to sample the local produce, such as the terrific melons they grow there.”

Channel 8 actress Rattanaporn “Mint” Klinkularbhirun, who’s only been cycling for six months, is ready for her next big challenge.

“Cycling is a great way to get healthier and also make more friends,” she says. “I challenged myself at Doi Inthanon and got through it, and now I’m looking for more challenges. I’m getting rather serious about it! The Angel Challenge will be hilly but not too hard. My goal is to stand on the podium as the winner.”

Model Surampha “Golf” Yokchotisakul has been cycling for a year and loves the happiness it brings her.

“I’ve biked to several tourist attractions so I could enjoy the surroundings and meet the local people,” she says. “You don’t get that when travelling by car. Any time I took a rest, people would bring me water. It was so nice! I want to cycle around all the provinces.”

Another fashion model, Yossavadee “Yo” Hassadeevichit, enters triathlons and is a spokesperson for the women’s cycling brand Liv.

“This cycling event will be a little different for me because in triathlons I mostly ride a timetrial bike. I’ve been in two Chombueng Marathons and love how the local people cheer on the runners, just like they do in the Tokyo Marathon.

“Cycling is a better form of exercise than running and less likely to cause injury. It’s a great way for women to stay healthy, lose weight and get beautiful legs.”

Wheels and scenic wonders

The International Angel Challenge 2018 will be based at Scenery Vintage Farm in Suan Phueng, Ratchaburi, on June 9 and 10.

Learn more from the Suan Phueng Tourism Business Association at (092) 371 7799 or (081) 642 5479 or visit the “suanphuengangelchallenge” page on Facebook

Specifically designed for the busy executive whose life revolves around making presentations and using business apps on the go, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen is a tough and fast notebook computer. It looks sleek too, with an elegant matte black casing and a virtually unbreakable chassis thanks to its use of advanced carbon fibre composite – four layers of reinforced carbon fibre and a magnesium alloy rollcage.

Like all ThinkPads, the X1 Carbon is tested against 12 military-grade requirements and more than 200 quality checks to ensure it runs in extreme conditions. It passes MILSTED 810G tests including operating temperatures up to 43 degrees C and down to 21 degrees C. The keyboard spill tray is designed to cope with up to 500ml of liquid.

And the X1 Carbon is still the world’s lightest 14-inch business-class laptop, weighing in at just 1.13kg and a mere 15.95mm thick.

Better still, the battery can last up to 15 hours and the notebook comes with RapidCharge technology that provides 80 per cent of capacity or 12 hours of battery life in just an hour of recharging.

The 6th-gen X1 Carbon is powered by 8th Generation Intel Core i78550U quadcore processor running at 1.8 GHz and has 8 gigabytes of working memory or RAM. It has 250 GB SSD drive and uses integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 as graphic adapter. The notebook runs on Windows 10 Pro operating system.

The screen as bright and clear thanks to a 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560×1440 pixels) IPS glossy display. This supports Dolby Vision HDR and has a brightness of 500 nits. Lenova says the new X1 Carbon is one of first laptops to support Dolby Vision HDR but cautions that Windows 10 has yet to release support for Dolby Vision HDR to make the most of the display.

That lack notwithstanding, I watched 4K HDR YouTube clips and found the quality was impressive with vivid colours and stunning details.

The test found that the new X1 Carbon started up and shut down very fast. It ran business applications like Microsoft Office at breakneck speed and played HD video clips smoothly.

Office road warriors should be happy that the new X1 Carbon has a nano SIM slot, located on top near the left hinge, for providing an LTE 4G connection so that they could remain working while travelling without the need to depend on Wi-Fi hotspots. Do note though that you must first buy an optional LTE module and install it.

The new X1 Carbon could also be a dream device for your IT admin because it offers robust security features, including matchonchip fingerprint readers with anti-spoofing technology to safeguard company data and provide more secure authentication and login.

You can quickly log in with Windows’ “Hello of Windows 10” with just a touch of the finger or the view of your face if you opt for the IR camera. Your fingerprint image is saved on the chip and your data is protected with the discrete Trusted Platform Module that encrypts your information.

The new X1 Carbon also supports Fido – it stands for Fast Identity Online – to protect your online credentials when you sign in to websites like Facebook or Google or make payments via PayPal.

The new X1 Carbon has all necessary ports of expansion and enhancements. It has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and one of them supports Always On technology, allowing you to use it to recharge your mobile phone even when the notebook is turned off.

The notebook also has two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C that conform to Intel Thunderbolt 3—the technology that brings lightning-fast data transfer, up to 40Gbs to USBC. If you wish, you can connect a cable from your USBC port to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled device, and get four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other port type, while also supplying power. In summary, that gives you Thunderbolt, USB 3.0 data transfer, and DisplayPort all rolled into one.

The computer comes with a 4-in-1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), right by the Sim slot and an HDMI port for you to stream 4K video to your TV.

Moreover, the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon integrates with the ThinkPad Pro Dock (sold separately), which is a whole new docking system that’s shared across most of the 2018 ThinkPad models. The new USBC side mechanical dock easily connects with two male Type-C ports that snap into and automatically level your device. Once docked, your ThinkPad stays securely in place and sits at a slightly tilted angle for comfort.

The new X1 Carbon also supports handfree audio commands. With Cortana Premium, you can speak commands to your ThinkPad X1 Carbon from four metres away. The integrated 360-degree far field microphones ensure your voice is heard across the room. It also allows you to wake your device or quickly and easily find files and calendar events.

And it also supports Amazon Alexa that allows you to play music, get news, control your smart home, or shop.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen from Lenovo has a starting price of Bt63,900.

Key Specs

– OS: Windows 10 Pro 64

– CPU:  8th Generation Intel Core i78550U 1.8 GHz

– Memory: 8 GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz

– Storage: 250 SSD

– Graphics: Integrated Intel  UHD Graphics 620

– Display: 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS glossy with Dolby Vision, 500 nits

– Camera: HD 720p with IR camera for face recognition

– Connectivity: WLAN: Intel DualBand Wireless AC (2 x 2) 8265 + Bluetooth 4.1 with vPro

I/O ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one Always On),

2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 TypeC / Intel Thunderbolt 3 (Power Delivery, DisplayPort, Data transfer), HDMI, Headphone / microphone combo jack, 4in1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), Ethernet Extension Connector (Dongle for Native Ethernet sold separately)

– Battery: Up to 15 hours, integrated Liion 57 Whr with RapidCharge technology

– Dimensions (W x D x H): 323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 (mm)

– Weight: 1.13kg

Known for its modern and functional garments inspired by the worlds of art and design, the Cos x Pitti Uomo collection celebrates creativity, craftsmanship and forward-thinking menswear. Soma encapsulate the core Cos aesthetic and values, using traditional methods and new techniques to form an understated collection of timeless everyday pieces. Every detail has been designed with the movement of the wearer in mind.

No loss of face

Lancome comes up with the perfect answer to those long days that continue into the night with the launch of new foundation “Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation SPF15”, which gives the full coverage, comfortable, long wear that you need. Not thick or greasy, the foundation’s innovative formula gives all skin tones flawless, complexion-perfecting coverage and protection from harmful rays with a broad spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen. Redness, pores, and imperfections visibly disappear, evening the skin tone and leaving a mattified-yet-natural result. The new make-up comes in 24 shades and is now available at Lancome counters.

Where East meets West

Hello Kitty, the Japanese symbol that has won the hearts of many generations, makes a new friend in Italian luxury fashion bag, Furla. In an original creative collaboration that connects the East and the West, Furla uses the iconic Metropolis crossbody bag as a palette for three digital prints starring Hello Kitty on a pink, red, and blue background. The much-loved character is surrounded by flowers – white petals, hibiscus flowers, cherry blossoms, and lotus flowers – linking the culture and creativity of the two worlds. There is also a calfskin strap with face of the character as well as cute accessories including micro bags, key rings, credit card cases, Saffiano beauty cases and pouches.

Bags with a Northern touch

Inspired by traditional Lanna scenes and the lush forests of Northern Thailand, high-end fashion brand Pellevah introduces its new collection of signature bags. The totes include the “Bianca” series featuring a twisted leather band in gold and the “Alessandra” series with leather bands in a unique pattern complementing the simple clutch design. Both are easy to mix and match and designed with the independent modern woman in mind.

This year’s Test of Will challenge saw he introduction of age categories to level the playing field (18-34 years, 35-44 years, and 45+ years). Another significant change was that the minimum age to qualify was lowered to 18 years, extending the opportunity to younger fitness enthusiasts who wanted to put their will to the test. Thailand’s Test of Will 2018 overall winners are Ryan Fryer with a score of 224 and Phannapa Nichapa, two-time Test of Will champion, with a score of 218.

The top three male and female athletes in each category also received a limited-edition Test of Will 2018 medal, a new BMW Cruise bike as well as a one-week test drive of the new BMW X3, courtesy of BMW, one of the event’s main sponsors.

Read more about the challenge and the winners at http://www.UnderArmour.co.th or UnderArmourThailand Facebook or @UnderArmourTH Instagram.

Krabi was chosen as host venue for the marathon event due to its experience as a tourist destination and its capacity to handle large events with many participants. Accommodation-wise, Krabi offers more than 10,000 hotel rooms. The destination also boasts plenty of beautiful scenery along the race route for runners, including its gorgeous beaches, as well as unique Thai local experiences in the way of arts and culture for the runners and spectators to enjoy.

“Sundown Marathon Krabi 2018” will feature 12km and 21km race distances for 4,000 runners. Various fun and entertaining activities are being held on the sidelines, among them a festival and concert.

The marathon is a perfect fit with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Amazing Thailand “Open to the New Shades” communication concept, in which visitors to the kingdom are encouraged to see new attractions and also existing attractions from a new perspective.

Runners and spectators will get to experience Krabi from an entirely new viewpoint, as they will in each new destination in Thailand that the race comes to.

There are plans to hold the races in other provinces across Thailand in the coming years, to showcase more of the kingdom’s scenery, charm and culture to Asia’s running community and support Thailand’s sports tourism policy.

Sundown Marathon was first held in Singapore in 2008 and since then races have been added in Malaysia, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Hong Kong and this year, Thailand. As the largest night running event in Asia, the Sundown Marathon Series attracts more runners each year, with a combined 200,000 plus runners currently participating.

Online registration opens on Friday (June 1) at 9am at http://www.SundownThailand.com.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day Thursday, the UN health agency hailed that smoking had declined significantly since year 2000, but warned that there were still far too many people indulging in the dangerous habit.

And it cautioned that research showed there was “a serious lack of knowledge” about the different health risks associated with tobacco.

Tobacco use has been linked to more than seven million deaths worldwide each year, including some 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke.

But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and stroke, WHO warned.

“Most people know that using tobacco causes cancer and lung disease, but many people aren’t aware that tobacco also causes heart disease and stroke – the world’s leading killers,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

“Tobacco doesn’t just cause cancer. It quite literally breaks hearts,” he said.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels, and nicotine, which is associated with increases in heart rate and blood pressure.

At the same time, smoking unleashes poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood, thereby reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart muscle, WHO said.

The agency pointed out that tobacco use is responsible for around 17 percent of the nearly 18 million deaths from cardiovascular disease around the globe each year.

Yet in many countries, there is very low awareness that smoking significantly increases your chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

In China for instance, a large WHO survey showed that more than 60 percent of the population is unaware that smoking can cause heart attacks, while in India and Indonesia, more than half of adults are unaware that smoking can cause stroke.

“Governments have the power in their hands to protect their citizens from suffering needlessly from heart disease,” said Douglas Bettcher, who heads WHO’s non-communicable disease prevention unit.

According to a new WHO report on smoking trends and prevalence, the percentage of people worldwide who indulge in the habit has dropped from 27 percent in 2000 to 20 percent in 2016.

But it warned that the pace of reduction was too slow.

Due to population growth, the number of smokers in the world has remained relatively stable at around 1.1 billion, Bettcher told reporters.