Thung Khru Edge Out Luang Prabang To Win Asean Basketball League
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Thai Team Thung Khru Hi-Tech, The Title Favourites, Pipped Laos’ Luang Prabang 80-78 In The Final Play-Off Of The Asean Super League 2022 On Monday At Nimibutr Building In Bangkok.
Organised by the Basketball Sport Association of Thailand, the 10-day event offered a total prize money of 5 million baht.
Eight teams from the region took part in the competition. They were: Adroit from Singapore, Mekong United, Vietnam; Luang Prabang, Laos; NS Matrix, Malaysia; BBM CLS Knights, Indonesia; Pegasus Brunei from Brunei; and two Thai teams — Thung Khru Hi-Tech (Thailand Basketball League 2021 winners), and Thai league 2021 runners-up Bangkok Tigers.
Thung Khru Hi-Tech eliminated NS Matrix 88-76 in the semi-final while second-seeded Luang Prabang won against Adroit 87-76.
In the first leg, Thung Khru Hi-Tech had comfortably beaten Luang Prabang 75-55, however the teams were neck and neck in the final with the Thai team winning narrowly at 80-78.
Thung Khru Hi-Tech received prize money of 1 million baht while the runners-up received 800,000 baht.
Third-placed NS Matrix won 650,000 baht and fourth-placed Adroit earned 550,000 baht.
The Most Valuable Player Award was given to Nattakarn Muangboon from Thung Khru Hi-Tech.
Klopp Seeks Liverpool Reaction Against Ajax As Injuries Mount
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Liverpool Manager Juergen Klopp Says His Team Are Looking To Bounce Back After Being Dismantled In Naples Last Week To Open Up Their Champions League Group With A Loss.
In a news conference ahead of the club’s home match against current group leaders Ajax, Klopp said the 4-1 defeat allowed the team to identify shortcomings in what he had dubbed “worst game” for the club since he joined in 2015, adding that analysing the match was akin to watching a “horror film” with at least eight players playing below their level.
Klopp also said he will pay his respects at the scheduled minute’s silence honouring Britain’s recently deceased and longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
“Yes. But of course, in a week with Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday (games) this would have been a tough one anyway coming back Thursday afternoon, stuff like this. But yes, we would have wanted to play. But for the reasons we all know, it didn’t happen and of course, we respect that. And now we try to use the time for analysis and training which makes absolute sense after the game we played at Napoli.” Said Klopp
“I watched the game (against Napoli) back plenty of times and it was a real horror show, to be honest. So we showed the boys the situation as well. They knew, but then seeing it again makes it really obvious so that was pretty much, it was the worst game we played since I’m here and we had a few bad games, we all know that, everybody remembers probably Aston Villa and some others maybe, where we were just not up to speed or stuff like this. But there were always glimpses of us, even in these games. In this particular game (against Napoli), nothing.”
“We have to show a reaction definitely we know that. That doesn’t guarantee a result against Ajax. I would say Ajax are pretty much in the opposite situation, won all their games so far this season. They have again a rebuild, a really massive rebuild, and doing again a really good job.”
“I don’t know her, but the things you can see now, she was a really warm, nice, beloved lady. That’s all I need to know. Because of my personal experience, not too long ago, it’s obviously not all about what I think, it’s more about what people think who were much closer to her, or felt much closer to her. And I respect their grief a lot. That’s why I will show my respect tomorrow night with a minute of silence – if it goes through.”
The club’s fans have in the past vocally booed the national anthem “God Save the Queen” in high profile games as part of an anti-establishment sentiment among some fans.
Williams Driver Albon Recovering After Post-Surgery Complications
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Williams’ Alex Albon Was Put On A Ventilator After Complications Following Surgery For Appendicitis But The Thai Driver Has Since Recovered And Is Expected To Be Released From Hospital On Tuesday (September 13), The Team Said On Monday (September 12).
Albon was replaced in the driver lineup ahead of the weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, with Dutch driver Nyck de Vries making his Formula One race debut at Monza and finishing ninth.
Albon had successful laparoscopic surgery on Saturday (September 10) before he encountered respiratory complications.
“Following surgery, Alex suffered with unexpected post-operative anaesthetic complications which led to respiratory failure, a known but uncommon complication,” Williams said in a statement.
“He was re-intubated and transferred to intensive care for support. He made excellent progress overnight and was able to be removed from mechanical ventilation yesterday morning.
“He has now been transferred to a general ward and is expected to return home tomorrow. There were no other complications.”
Williams added Albon’s focus is now on preparing for the Singapore Grand Prix over the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 weekend.
Thailand-Norway Ties Still Flourishing After 117 Years
BY LINE : THE NATION
WED, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
The Friendship Between Thailand And Norway Began 117 Years Ago When King Rama V Visited Oslo In 1907 As Part Of His European Tour.
The king had travelled around the world, especially in Europe, to promote Thailand as a developing, independent nation. This was after the Kingdom lost a lot of territory, including Laos, in the 1893 Franco-Siamese War, or the Incident of RS 112.
King Rama V visited Norway two years after the Nordic nation became independent from Sweden on October 26, 1905.
Thailand’s Ambassador to Norway Vimolbajra Ruksakiati said that now there are some 30,000 Thais, mostly women, living in the Nordic nation. Most of them live in Svalbard, followed by Oslo and Trondheim.
“Even though the distance between Thailand and Norway is huge, Thais were the first foreigners to visit the area,” she said.
Vimolbajra, who began her mission in Norway in December 2019, said the two countries have been cooperating on various aspects, such as telecommunications, digital farming and clean energy.
She also believes that the two countries can work together to create sustainable clean energy.
“Thailand and Norway have the same targets in tackling environmental issues and pollution,” she said, adding that advanced technology is necessary to make the cooperation successful.
The envoy added that Thailand’s Commerce Ministry was currently negotiating a free trade deal with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which is comprised of Norway, Iceland Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
“This will benefit both Thailand and EFTA members as it will be Thailand’s first FTA in Europe,” she added.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s soft power – its cuisine – has been making a mark in Norway for a few years now.
Penpaka (last name withheld), the owner of the restaurant “Benja Siam Syd” in Trondheim, said Norwegians had developed a taste for Thai cuisine.
She said she opened this second branch about a year ago after running her first restaurant, “Benja Siam Midtbyen”, successfully for 10 years. Penpaka moved to Norway with her Norwegian husband 22 years ago.
She said the most popular dishes in her restaurants are “phad Himmaphan” (stir-fried vegetables with roast duck and cashew nuts), “phad Thai” (stir-fried rice noodles) and “phad priew wan” (sweet and sour pork).
Renu (last name withheld), who owns “Thai Restaurant by Renu” in Kristiansund city, also said her food had received a good response from locals.
She has been living in Norway for 28 years and opened the restaurant with her husband some five years ago.
Let’s Listen To Music And Create A Piece Of Art At “Art Inspired By Storytelling”
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) Invites Children, Families, And Anyone Interested In Music And Art To Join The Event “Art Inspired By Storytelling,” A Showcase Of Children’s Works Of Art Inspired By Picture Books On September 17-25.
The event includes a variety of learning activities that encourage children to use their imaginations, such as a display of art pieces created by children designing bags and making small clay cups inspired by the stories “The Rabbit’s Fabric Bag” by Koyama Yoshiko and Kamimoto Kozo and “A Cup for Everyone” by Yusuke Yonezu.
Attendees will also be able to participate in an art workshop where children and families can collaborate to create works inspired by listening to visual stories.
In addition, every weekend throughout the event, a demonstration of Kamishibai, a traditional form of Japanese street theatre in the form of picture card storytelling, will be held to improve children’s storytelling skills.
There will also be concerts to commemorate “Playing for Change Day,” a global event that supports music as a tool for change. And apart from ukulele workshops, on “Playing for Change Day” on September 17, 2022, children from the Khlong Toei Community will demonstrate their art creation skills as well as exhibit their works in a fun-filled art exhibition.
Young people who are interested can attend the event for free from September 17 to September 25, 2022, from 10.30 a.m. to 17.30 p.m. at Open Space, TK Park, 8th floor of CentralWorld in Bangkok.
Israeli Food Is A Unique Global Melting Pot – How To Get A Taste In Bangkok
BY LINE : NEENA ML.
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Falafel, Shakshuka, Pickled Herrings, Schnitzel, Jerusalem Bagels, And Even Greek Salad: These Are The Names Of Dishes That Also Represent The Food Of Israel.
Well, Israel is also a rich melting pot of cuisines from all around the world. The state was established in 1948, but since then Israel has embraced waves of Jewish migrants from all over the globe. New arrivals from Europe, the US, the former USSR, and even neighbouring areas in the Middle East have added fresh “spice” to create a unique flavour of diversity and togetherness.
There are always “Stories Behind the Dishes”, explained Israeli ambassador Orna Sagiv. “That is why the Embassy of Israel in Thailand organised a cooking workshop at Helena Restaurant to introduce Israel’s unique charm through its unique culinary traditions to the Thai community,” she smiled. Held in cooperation with the Thai Journalists Association, the event saw Bangkok’s press corps rendered unusually silent as they chowed down on rare delicacies.
Sagiv is hoping the publicity “will catch the interest of Thai people as our food has so much influence and combinations from around the world, [and this event] will also share our special culture”.
As participants enjoyed their deep dive into the tastes and aromas of Israeli cooking, the ambassador explained how each dish had blended into the Holy Land’s melting pot. Although these specialities are also known in other countries, Israelis have a unique way of cooking them as each family has its own secret recipe.
“Neighbours from different ethnicities would cook their family food and share it in their neighbourhoods,” Sagiv explained. “We add this and that, and our differences become unique, and that’s what makes our Israeli identity.” The culinary treasures of Israel can be sampled at Helena on Soi Sukhumvit 51 and a handful of other restaurants across Bangkok. Shalom!
According To One Of The Largest Global Employee Surveys, One In Five Workers Plans To Quit Their Jobs This Year. When Asked About What Motivates Them To Change Jobs, Being Able To Choose When And Where To Work Was Ranked Very Important By 50% And 47% Of Those Surveyed Respectively.
Yet, we’re seeing major companies pushing for compulsory office return policies, despite 56% of employees in Asia-Pacific making it clear that flexible work options, even beyond the pandemic, are in demand for sustained productivity.
This begs the question – why are so many companies still adamant about employees returning to the office, even when talent is at stake?
Admittedly, I was worried when the pandemic first hit. How were we going to brainstorm and collaborate on projects if we aren’t in the same room? Was the quality of our work going to suffer?
Instead, our teams came together like never before. Deadlines were met, work goals were achieved, and we remained as collaborative as ever.
In fact, studies have shown that businesses that embraced virtual work were even more productive.
Approximately 6 in 8 Thai professionals reported a similar or increased level of productivity while working at home. Consequently, 6 in 8 wish to have more work-from-home arrangements in the future. This may be an increasingly significant consideration in determining employee job satisfaction or their decision to change roles.
The pandemic has demonstrated that employees could be just as productive and successful, independent of the office. It has also taught us to focus on quality of output, instead of hours spent in the office, a rather archaic method of measuring performance anyway.
Most importantly, it has taught us the need to trust our employees to deliver their best work regardless of their way of working, and the importance of communicating that trust.
This trust will pay off. Research shows that trust builds employee engagement and well-being, boosting business and performance outcomes.
After spending months in remote work and subsequently rolling out a flexible, trust-based work model across our global organization called ‘Work Your Way’, here’s how we were able to not only offer flexible, hybrid or remote work, but take these work models to new heights.
Carving out “moments that matter” starts with the top
Leadership calls for flexibility and adaptability. As such, we should find ways to create “moments that matter” regardless of whether our teams are working on-site or remotely.
This means strategically planning valuable personal and professional interactions, be it virtually or in-person, and this will look different depending on each team’s size, work arrangements, preferences, and personalities. It may include performance reviews, celebrating key milestones, team-building activities and many more. While these moments may not need to be in-person, it’s important for those involved to discuss how to recognize them in an effective and meaningful way.
I thus take the time to meet and collaborate in person with my team in Korea, where I’m based. To continue building rapport with the wider Asia-Pacific region, which is also within my area of responsibility, I hold regular regional town halls and dialogue sessions.
Some of us leaders also started regular virtual meetings with different teams. As a result, we have had much more face-time with team members we previously would have not met, and hearing these different perspectives have in turn helped us lead better. Invest more resources into making virtual onboarding a success Many naysayers of flexible and remote work often bring up the difficulty of virtual onboarding for new talent. Helping them pick up your organization’s work software, procedures, and team culture can be challenging. But doing it entirely online adds another layer of complexity.
This is an understandable perspective. However, I argue that companies are still scratching the surface when making their virtual onboarding a success.
Here are ways to improve virtual onboarding processes. Organizations must figure out effective onboarding procedures to help new employees adapt quickly even if they choose to work remotely. This can be in the form of comprehensive employee guides, videos, and scheduling both formal and informal meetings with team members.
Additionally, dedicated networking programs for new joiners can help them make connections and learn more about the company culture much faster. Our ‘New Employee Opportunity Network’ (NEON) is a global community that accelerates the connection and growth of new employees to provide them tailored networking, development, and leadership opportunities to empower these new joiners to actively influence our strategy, culture, and results.
The future of work – let employees work their way
When managed well, allowing employees to choose how they want to work should not affect business continuity. Flexible work should also go beyond shift A or B. Employees should have the freedom to decide when to come in.
Besides 3M, other companies are allowing employees to choose how, when and where they work.
Offering trust-based, flexible models of working is the way forward. It is how we can continue to retain talent, from younger workers to working parents.
Juggling work and parenting is notoriously challenging. With 3M’s new working model, parents can better plan their work around childcare, allowing them to enjoy parenthood without sacrificing career development.
Flexible work programs need not stop at the corporate office. Rolling out flexible work arrangements for plant employees is more challenging, but an important mission for us. While they will have to continue working on-site due to the nature of the work, production plant workers at 3M are offered other forms of flexibility such as flexible start and stop times or shift swapping.
We’ve seen great results from the launch of our new work model. As many as 90% of our employees across our global organization reported feeling supported in a survey conducted recently.
These findings say it all – instead of focusing on getting our employees back in the office, let’s find more ways to empower our employees to work in ways that boost their productivity.
By Jim Falteisek, Senior Vice President, 3M Asia Corporate Affairs and Managing Director of 3M Korea
Three Thai Cities To Host International Power And Energy Conferences
BY LINE : THE NATION
WED, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
The Thailand Convention And Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) And IEEE Power & Energy Society (Thailand) Have Successfully Secured Three International Power And Energy Conferences, Which Will Be Held In Three Cities In Three Years.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and IEEE Power & Energy Society (Thailand) have successfully secured three international power and energy conferences, which will be held in three cities in three years.
The three events are IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power & Energy Engineering Conference 2023 in Chiang Mai, IEEE International Smart Cities Conference or ISC2 2024 in Pattaya, and IEEE PES Grand International Conference and Exposition Asia 2025 in Bangkok.
TCEB said it has played the role of being the key driver of Thailand’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) industry and has distributed income to all sectors in a sustainable way.
It also acts as a “national bidder” in proposing the country and its host city options to attract world-class events.
Before Covid-19 in 2019, the MICE sector generated expenditure of approximately 280 billion baht, value addition worth 277 billion baht, created roughly 410,000 jobs, and generated tax payments of around 20 billion baht.
TCEB senior vice president Nichapa Yoswee said that Thailand’s success in winning the three consecutive international power and energy conferences is the result of TCEB’s strategic planning and strong collaboration with local associations and partners, including the proposed host cities.
“The partnership collectively elevates the event owners’ confidence in bringing forward its financial investment and world-class intellectual know-how to Thailand.
She said that the three events were expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from around the world, expenditure of approximately 837 million baht, and value-addition worth 465 million baht, creating some 586 jobs, and generating taxes of around 29 million baht.
Nichapa added: “They will also be a great opportunity for Thai professionals and students in related fields to have access to world-class knowledge from experts in power, energy, and smart cities from around the world.
“The positive impacts and legacies will encompass economic, social, and subject matter advancement aspects for Thailand and especially the host cities. This resonates greatly with TCEB’s strategy in using MICE to drive the local economy throughout Thailand and uplifting MICE events in the 10 strategic MICE cities and more.”
IEEE PES also plays an important part in driving power and energy advancement in Thailand, which will help increase the country’s opportunity to host world-class events in the future.
IEEE PES senior vice chairman Somchai Homklinkaew unveiled more details of the three conferences. “The 15th Annual Asia-Pacific Power & Energy Engineering Conference to be held in December 2023 in Chiang Mai is expected to attract around 700 participants
“The IEEE International Smart Cities Conference or ISC2 2024, the main annual conference of IEEE Smart Cities, is being held in 2024 in Pattaya, Chonburi province, and is expected to attract more than 500 participants
“We anticipate that more than 10,000 participants will attend the IEEE PES GTD Grand International Conference and Exposition Asia, the largest international conference and exposition on power and energy, which will take place in 2025 in Bangkok.”
Proposing the right host city in the bidding process was also a key factor in winning the conferences for Thailand.
The vice governor of Chiang Mai, Weerapan Dee-on, said: “Research focusing on energy conservation and renewable energy in Chiang Mai is knowledge that will be shared at the conference. These studies combine global knowledge with local processes and resources.”
“This, coupled with Chiang Mai city development plans and support from the public and private sectors, will boost Chiang Mai’s development in many areas, in particular sustainable energy for better quality of life.”
Deputy Mayor of Pattaya Titipun Pettrakul added: “The IEEE ISC2 in 2024 will be a platform for knowledge, technology, and experience exchange for Pattaya in its path to developing into a smart city, and with a goal of becoming ‘city of opportunity, balanced economy and quality of life for all’. We look forward for us to push forward clean energy for sustainability together.”
Deputy director-general of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Sing Limpirat, shared a similar view “The upcoming IEEE PES GTD Asia in 2025 will provide great benefits to all sectors in Bangkok and other provinces while also upgrading academic knowledge, most useful for students and professionals in the fields of power and energy engineering.”
Hope Sparkles For Thailand’s Top Luxury Jewellery Brand In 2022
BY LINE : VARUNSUDA KARUNAYADHAJ
WED, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
Pranda Glistens As Thailand’s Premier Manufacturer, Distributor, And Retailer Of Luxury Bling. Its PrimaGold Brand Is The Leading Exporter Of Thai Jewellery With A Customer Base That Spans North America, Europe And Asia.
Chanat Sorakraikitikul, who chairs the Finance & Risk Management Committee at Pranda, is optimistic that the market for luxury jewellery will grow this year despite global economic turmoil.
“Initially we only focused on manufacturing and selling our own designs, but now we are ODM [original design manufacturer], in that we produce pre-designed products for other brands,” Chanat said.
In line with the current trends, Pranda has continued to expand its market by using omni distribution channels to provide consumers with a seamless shopping experience. Its most successful brand has proved to be PrimaGold.
“Skilled craftsmanship is one of Thailand’s biggest strengths. Expert artisans cut and polish gemstones with accurate precision to create some of the most beautiful jewels. Thailand can easily be considered a regional and global gems and jewellery trading hub,” he said.
Watch the interview on the Business Story Programme on September 17, 10am, at www.nationthailand.com.
Centara Korat Opens To Guests With Eye On Invigorating Local Economy, Tourism
BY LINE : THE NATION
WED, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
Central Pattana And Centara Hotels & Resorts Are Spreading Their Wings, Opening Centara Korat In Their Latest Venture In A Bid To Strengthen The Local Economy And Boost Tourism In Nakhon Ratchasima Under The Attractive Concept Of “Business + Leisure”.
Centara Korat features “complete facilities” to push the potential of the destination as a “MICE City”, promoting the capability to host MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events to stimulate Korat’s economy and tourism, the company said.
Centara Korat comprises:
217 hotel rooms that include a daybed for relaxation and a dining table – unique from other hotels. Standard rooms are available and all rooms include cutlery.
Dining destination: A “superior dining experience” at the House of Kin, an all-day dining restaurant that serves three-meal buffets and a rooftop bar with 360-degree views
Comprehensive meeting facilities: meeting rooms have a total combined area of 1,000 square metres and can seat up to 1,000 people. The ballroom can accommodate up to 650 guests for cocktail parties. Additionally, there are four smaller meeting rooms.
According to the company, Central Pattana is moving into “a new future with the purpose to create and develop quality sites with care for the community and environment while driving the economy”.
“Central Pattana has pioneered our first mixed-use development in Nakhon Ratchasim, a complete lifestyle centre comprising Central Korat shopping centre, Escent Korat condominiums, and Centara Korat hotel,” said Surang Jirattigalachote, head of Hotel Development.
“We are committed to strengthening the local economy and tourism and have equipped our hotel with facilities to meet the needs of every traveller with the goal of becoming the best international-standard hotel in Korat,” he said.
“Centara Korat will play an important role in attracting visitors to the destination, which is a key gateway to Isaan and the region’s main provinces,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat.
“We see the potential and charm of the province and we have been committed to delivering Centara Korat so that everyone near and far can experience a locally inspired hotel of international standard,” said Phoom Chirathivat, head of Hotels and Alternative Investment at Central Pattana.
“We hope our project will help strengthen the Northeastern region as an economic centre of the country,” he said.
“We believe our hotel business can have a significant impact by creating jobs, bringing more opportunities and elevating the lives of people in Korat. Our hotel is ready to serve everyone and deliver an exceptional experience for every traveller,” he added.
Centara Korat is the latest offering from Centara, which continues to introduce its unique brand of Thai-style hospitality to new destinations across Thailand and the Middle East.
Further expansion is planned, with the company intending to open new hotels and resorts in Japan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, the Maldives, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Thung Khru Hi-Tech received prize money of 1 million baht while the runners-up received 800,000 baht.
