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Adriano Trapani / Photographer

Adriano Trapani is an Italian expat who has been living and working in Phuket as photographer for over a decade. To many he’s also known as Phuket Paparazzi from his underwater photography days as the underwater paparazzi.

From fantasy portraits to architecture, products and lifestyle, he approaches every subject or assignment as unique and he always strives for best results.

Lilly Carrion / Editor & Director of Sales & Marketing

Lilly travelled extensively before settling on the tropical paradise of Phuket.

With her friendly soul, extensive island contacts, experience in PR and marketing skills she decided to offer the best of her talents to Insider Asia Magazine.

Manuschai Kaewrat / Art Director

‘Manu’ is back in the designer seat at “INSIDER ASIA” Magazine He studied graphic design at Runsit University and has worked for 12 years.

Debbie Oakes / Chief Editor

Debbie Oakes is a flying Kiwi. She has spent more than half of her life in cool, manic and magic Asia. As a writer and photographer she has covered is all aspects of lifestyle. From human interest and poverty to health and beauty, food and of course wine.

Life is a treasure hunt where people, adventure, breaking bread (and always the odd bit of shopping) are the holy grail.

Frank Couture / Contributor

Passionate diver and long-time resident in Thailand, Frank has been traveling the world for business and adventure for almost 30 years. Spontaneous, outgoing and optimistic, he strives to combine his mother’s German organisational skills with his French father’s love of an epicurean lifestyle. Father of two and founding member of the Phuket Sunshine village child care center, he considers Phuket as his home and the world as his playground .

Lisa Allen / Contributor

Lisa Allen is a creative freelance make-up artist, hair designer and stylist currently based in Phuket, Thailand. An accomplished expert in her field of artistry, Lisa’s skilful make up application, professional hair styling techniques and flair for creativity have enabled her to develop a successful business with a reputation that precedes her.

Antoine Melon / Contributor

Graduated from Lausanne Hospitality School with a Diploma for Higher Studies in Hotel & Restaurant Management, Antoine accumulated 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.

He spent the initial years building his career in Egypt, Scotland, England, France, Sweden, Spain, Hong Kong, Maldives. Thailand and he is now in UK.

Annebe van Dijkis / Nutritionist

Annebe van Dijkis a nutritionist who studied health and orthomolecular nutrition. She has a passion for healthy eating that she shares on www.facebook.com/healthy.bitsbyanna.

Anna also runs a vegetarian restaurant for students. Anna runs workshops and consultations on healthy diet & lifestyle

Darren Scherbain / Contributor

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Darren is a life coach from OLD DAWG and Secrets of Better Living. He is a Dog Whisperer and teaches us new tricks. He believeswe all have a story that keeps us disconnected from ourselves. That we search for hidden treasure; constantly looking outside ourselves. He teaches the biggest thing standing in our way is not lack of ability, talent, money, or luck, it is the relationship we have with ourselves. He teaches tools to get past the narratives we tell ourselves about why we are not enough as we art.

Insider Asia Team

H a pp y Tha i S ong k r a n Ne w Y e a r ! ! ! elcome back to Insider Asia’s second exciting second issue in which we applaud all that we are, and all that we aim to be, as well as lots of fun and community spirit in the region.

Our March April edition, in the spirit of Spring, celebrates all things Green, sustainable, organic and local… It celebrates the Sustainable Development of Women and International Women’s day on March 8.

But first a little ditty!

“Spring has sprung and the grass has riz, I wonder where the daisies is.”

I don’t know about you, but metaphorically and realistically, (we do live in ever-summer Asia after all) search as I might when I look at the world around me right now all I can see are weeds… and the fear based cold wind of a medieval winter blowing. This ecological and political climate change feels wrong. Where are our daisies?

Spring represents rebirth, renewal and change.

And as poetic as that sounds, change is not always easy…

I don’t know how to change the world. But what I do know is that we all have the power in our individual hands to make small changes in our lives that can collectively make a positive difference to the Earth and for each other. In the face of a collective dis-empowering barrage of reactionary agendas, from climate change, to women’s rights (over their bodies, gender inequality etc) to religious freedoms: ‘I can choose change for me’ is an empowering thought. But we need to set our intention, we need to act, we need to #BeBold. Be bold in all our choices to save the planet and work towards equality for all.

I wish you a Happy Thai Songkran New Year and happy reading #BeBoldForChange

De bbie Oa k e s Editor Editor’s Note

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By LE PARIS PHUKET - BANGKOK Independant bimonthly Magazine English with a French Twist Founded in December 2011

DISTRIBUTION Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Samui Shanghai, Hongkong, Singapore, Bali, Paris CHIEF EDITOR DEBBIE OAKES ART DIRECTOR MANUSCHAI KAEWRAT EDITOR - SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR LILLY CARRION Email: Lilly@insider-asia.com Tel.: +66 (0)8 39 69 78 07 (French, English) PHOTOGRAPHER ADRIANO TRAPANI phuketpaparazzi.com CONTRIBUTORS Patrice Sarda, Lilly Carrion, Debbie Oakes Frank Couture, Panatta Bunthanom , Lisa Allen, Annebe van Dijk, Antoine Melon, Helke Vijsma, Rebecca Leiler, Darren Scherbain, Katia Sav, George Mathew

CEO

PATRICE SARDA DIRECTOR ORATAI TOPRASIT

INSIDER ASIA IS EDITED BY PHUKET LIFESTYLE MULTIMEDIA CO., LTD. 43 Baandon, Cherngtalay Rd., Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110, ThaiIand Email : info@insider-asia.com ©Insider Asia All rights reserved.

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CONTENTs ISSUE 59

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SOCIAL SCENE Phuket & Bangkok Social life

INTERVIEW

International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March. Insider Asia celebrates by interviewing three women that have impacted the lives of others

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FEEL GOOD

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ART & CULTURE

Quotes of Happiness

EAT & DRINK

Mr Marteens puts greens in your life The Curious Gourmand Restaurant reviews Juicy Detox Journey

Meet the artist Adriano Trapani BUBU Collection Tattoo Festival

CONTENTs ISSUE 59

46 60 72

TRAVEL

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MIND MATTERS

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Diving on the shark route Myanmar Phonography Unbelievable Umbria Unexpected Slate

HEALTH AND BEAUTY Amazing food art Sustainable you Fit and fabulous Treat yourself

FASHION

A love affair in a pair Rusi Handbag Ambre Jolie Shopping Design with toineinbangkok

Secrets of better living Mineral pool systems Dog Day Afternoon Bangkok’s Boutique Real Estate Agency

MOTORS & TECHNOLOGY The art of rebellion Tesla Motors Car

HOT SPOT

Hot spot in Bangkok Hot spot in Phuket

Social Scene The 2nd Bollywood in BANgkok

by Evento Women need other women. They always do. It is a special bond. It is like no other. Our circle, our posse, our tribe, our girlfriends.

They become more and more important as we grow older. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends are the mainstays of our life.

Girlfriends by Melody Morgan Both the Image and the quote are from the blog “Breathe it in” by Deb Allison.

Bollywood is an event organized and set up

by Evento - three women, (Meena, Sonia and Lakshmi) helps raise funds for 17 scholarships for girls in rural Thailand, under the 20 yr old program by the American Women’s Club, Bangkok.That is true power!

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Social Scene

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THE NAI HARN Legendary Mixologist at the Nai Harn : Salim Khoury, from the Famous American Bar at the Savoy in London.

He shared with us an exclusive and fun training session, creating amazing cocktails with local product !

Next time you pop in at Cosmo Restaurant & Bar or at Rock Salt do not hesitate to ask for a Lady NaiHarn, Blushing Monarch, NaiHarn Sunset or a NaiHarn Cooler cocktail.

Chef George Panagiotidis brings us delicious finger food with a taste of Greek influence.

Insider Asia Magazine enjoyed this moment sharing smiles and laughters.

The evolution

from Indigo Pearl to The Slate Insider Asia Magazine was invited last Monday to a SPECIAL event at The Slate It’s always a pleasure to visit this UNIQUE resort.

The moment you step into The Slate, you’re whisked away to ANOTHER world where exotic birds shine with dazzling colours and verdant rainforests quietly grow.

A strikingly original manifestation of the island’s core, it’s rich culture and traditions are brought to life with bold design and FEARLESS imagination. Where family legacy meets raw elements, industrial beauty interrupts, and art converges with nature.

A captivating vision of the island’s true soul.

Indeed, the EVOLUTION from Indigo Pearl to The Slate has been seamless.

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Social Scene

FAREWELL BKK Although the tireless Sister Joan has left Bangkok her mission continues through her volunteers who continue the milk run for the babies of Kling Tori. As well as rice, oil, fish sauce and sardines for the over 60 plus disabled people. In addition food and fares plus school uniforms are ongoing. This is all due to the incredible support in Bangkok through groups like SILC, ANZWG, volunteers and supporters in Australia and the around the world.

Melbourne cup The delayed Melbourne Cup was celebrated on 24 of January. It is the annual ANZWG party of the year raising a great deal of money for various charities

Social Scene

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ARTISAN BANGKOK Whe r e c a n yo u g o in Ba ng k ok to f ind a spe c i a l pe rs on a l i se d g if t or hom e m a de t r e at ? I n side r A si a g oe s to t he fa ir …

OPE FAIR

The Hope Fair was created in 2014 on the principle of community. To make Bangkok a smaller place. It is a unique fair where customers can talk directly to the suppliers and creators. More than 100 artisans, craft makers, chefs, and delicatessens have their goods exclusively available.

Hope Fair vendors are selected by their story, their products, and what they offer to the community. Many of products are handmade with love, purpose and passion. Foods are mainly organic, healthy, natural and, in some cases, directly from the source… difficult to find in Bangkok. There is also a diverse range of unique homeware infused with the artist’s passion. Cosmetics and heath products made from natural ingredients are available, as well as wellness and healthy lifestyle tips. The kids are not forgotten with a selection of educational games, trendy clothes, fun costumes, and amusing activities available. Next one will on Tuesday 28th of March .

The Hope Fair operates 5 times a year: in January, March, May, September and November. www.facebook.com/hopefairbangkok

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Social scene

Spacious, friendly, inspiring and art studio in the heart of Bangkok.

colourful

Painting and drawing lessons for anyone aged 6 years to 100 years!!

Why don’t you drop in and meet an eclectic bunch of people painting because we want to!!

Or call Laurie on the number below for a chat.

Every Wednesday “Life Drawing Classes” all levels welcome

Kids Classes “Mini Monets” Aged 5 -9 years Every Saturday 10-1pm & 1:30 to 4:30pm

Adult Classes Monday to Friday 10-1pm Sunday 1-4pm atticstudiosbangkok

Young Adults Classes “Budding Banksy’s” Aged 10 years up Every Saturday 1:30 to 4:30pm

Elements of Art mixed media, drawing classes, Painting classes

www.attic-studio.com

Email: info@attic-studio.com

Tel: +66(0)2 662 0224 Mobile: +66 (0)93 950 0046 45/5 Sukhumvit Soi 31, Klongtan Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Attic studios

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C H R IS T I NE M C N A B

THE COMMUNICATOR Interview By Debbie Oakes Photographer: Christine McNab

hristine McNab has been a leader in the communication of global health efforts; a TEDMED speaker and she has designed and driven artistic projects to secure millions of dollars for vaccination programs. Her latest project, A River Runs with Her, takes us along the Mekong River where she asks women, in their own words, about their experiences of gender equality, health, education, the rapidly changing ecosystem and how their communities are changing. She has been living in Bangkok for six years.

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dire straights at the time. It was one of the last big key countries where the transmission of the disease was still actively happening internally and externally into other countries. We realised that if we could knock it out in Nigeria we could ‘get Africa’.

“I am from Canada. My first degree was in journalism. I worked for four or five years and then decided to get my Masters in International Relations in Geneva. After small jobs and internships at WHO, (The World Health Organisation) I was very fortunate to be offered a position in communications for the Polio eradication programme, after I graduated. I was there for eight years. Five as Head of Communications, until 2008, when I left.

I was located in the Government office in the Ministry of Public Health advising on communication strategy. It was a great experience. I went from the velvet handcuffs of Geneva to working in a building with no flushing toilets.

It was alright… I’ve never been precious. I had been to places like Somalia and Sierra Leone so it wasn’t a complete shock. Towards the end of that period the Boko Haram started attacking Ubutu; where I was based. There were lots of bombings so moved but travelled back frequently. People I know lost their lives. It was terrible. In the North East, where I had met great collegues working for children’s health, people and their families…

I wonder most days if they are still alive. I find that challenging to think about.

It is easy to get attached to the life in Geneva. And although I had travelled a lot to various countries with WHO; I had never lived ‘in country’. After leaving WHO I travelled for a bit then was offered a position at the Bill and Malinda Gates foundation in Nigeria. The Polio eradication programme there was in

The Gates foundation was completely committed to eradicating Polio. We had a lot of financial and technical support. There was good leadership in the Government too. I could develop Polio eradication programs with Malaria treatments and prenatal care for women.

Interview

THE ART OF SAVING A LIFE The idea for this project emerged when I was walking around Lumpini Park.

I was thinking of ideas to mark 40 years of Global Immunisation programming.

Even I had been getting tired of my own message saying how important immunisation is; in the same way. I realised artists can tell stories that are passionate; that can can grab you. We could get new people engaged. For example, writers like Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, highly acclaimed for her book Americana, grew up knowing the reality of that world. She also has a profound understanding of American society. All of a sudden you have somebody who can translate an idea really clearly and make it very personal.

Telling personal stories about preventable diseases was very powerful.

I pitched the idea it to the Gates Foundation and they accepted. I did the creative thinking and pitched to artists about what stories they might like to consider. The Gates Foundation put their weight behind it, funded it both financially and with all their legal resources. So we managed to get a lot of big names. I’m sure the Gates name on the invitation letter helped!

The TedMed Talk was an amazing experience. They had seen The Art of Saving a Life Project and invited me. The Gates Foundation was very supportive and brought the whole exhibit to the TedMed conference in Palm Springs California. (www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=527613)

A RIVER RUNS WITH HER Going for walks is a great idea! That’s where my ideas come from. Last year I decided to take a year off. I was doing lots of photography but couldn’t let myself just relax. I wanted to do something more meaningful. I have always loved the Mekong, and as gender issues have become much bigger in the last couple of years, I felt it was a good marriage. Since then its been a lot of random travel. Back and going to various bits of the river. I’m paying for it all myself so I need to make each trip count.

Some of the people are arbitrary; market ladies for example. Others, like a girl in Laos who won a scholarship to Australia, I have seen in news paper articles. She’s the only fisher woman in Northern Thailand that is very concerned about the river. So it’s a combination of luck and intention.

I have published about 18 pieces but I have at least another 15 to write.

I want to do a few more trips.

Questions I have not asked on purpose are about people politics. It’s not fair.

The purpose is to talk about women’s lives, their hopes, dreams and childhoods. If they mention politics I have intentionally not written about it because I get to leave and they have to stay.

Every single person I have talked to has expressed their concern about the Environment. All are concerned about the health of the Mekong; the changes they have seen since they were kids. I have not quoted people for the same reason. I will write a bigger thought piece about it later from my own observation. Tying in their thoughts but not naming anyone because they can be found. It’s still fraught. And they are not trying to be activists.

My overriding objective with A River Runs with Her is two-fold. Firstly, in International Development we create projects in cities. I have asked myself: are these the real needs? Are people getting left behind? So I wanted to get a real narrative: what are women actually saying, as opposed to, what we are writing about what their needs are from Bangkok.

Secondly I felt it was time to give women a voice. The people most often quoted in al the articles I have researched are the men, which is completely valid, but token women sex worker quote has become a bit of a cliché.

Interview

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So, it was a nice surprise to find that what we are saying globally is on point. Guidelines from WHO about such things as antibiotic (over) use, contraception (that it is healthier for women to have fewer babies) has trickled down. I met a nurse working in a tiny clinic in rural Cambodia.

Dressed in a tiger-print hoodie, she spoke excellent English and she knows all the things that we have been saying globally. She gets it and believes it. In the clinic she’s operating for an NGO they are giving women contraception and advice. She was completely on top of it.

She also shows how much things have changed within a short amount of time. She was from a large family but said emphatically that she only wanted two kids. It has been really encouraging to see women’s lives change in one generation. Their mothers had eight - ten children and little education. So with the right in-puts you can change people’s lives enormously.

I am seeing a lot of gaps too. Something I had not thought about is that older women beyond their child baring years. I have talked to so many women who are over 45 about their future and they just say ‘I’m going to keep working until I die’. Those women are very poor doing their best… but they are the most forgotten.

Environmentally speaking some people would say; it’s already finished. There is so much damming in China and Laos, the flows of the river are changing dramatically. On the Vietnam side the water is dropping dramatically. Add to that climate change and the inflow of the sea, which changes the soil so much that they can’t cultivate rice anymore near the mouth of the Mekong because it is too salty.

They are now changing to shrimp farming.

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There have been studies showing that the bio-diversity of fish has also changed. I have had everyone telling me the same thing, all the way up and everywhere on the Mekong, that they have observed this. Many people have said when they were young they would pull about 5kg of fish a day.

Now they are lucky to get one or two. This is a huge thing for people that are dependent on fishing for their living… or even for subsistence.

The other thing that is regularly observed is that the water levels change unpredictably by several feet in a day due to the damming. China can decide when its letting it through or holding it back. This means is that the gardens along the river banks are destroyed during the dry season.

Other observations are that the river pathways have changed so much that many fish spawning zones no longer exist. And of course numbers of the Irrawaddy dolphins on the Laos - Cambodia border have declined dramatically due to over-fishing and the use of explosives.

There are only 80 or so left and the outcome doesn’t look good So the material things are people’s health and education. But you also want women’s hopes and dreams to expand as well. You want everyone to feel there is more out there. That they have a sense of their own futures too.

Christine McNab www.ChristineMcNab.com www.facebook.com/christinemcnab

Business

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Roisai Wongsuban

THE HUMANITARIAN Interview By Debbie Oakes

Roisai Wongsuban is a human rights and humanitarian advocate for migrants, refugees, displ aced people, asylum seekers and survivors of human trafficking.

Her work has focused on contributing to improving the life circumstances of Burmese living in Thail and.

Roisai holds a Post Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin Universit y, Melbourne and a Master of International Development and Environmental Analysis from Monash Universit y, Melbourne am from Surathani in Southern Thailand and now living in Brighton, UK. I am studying for an MA in Migration Studies at the University of Sussex under the Chevening Scholarship Program (International awards scheme for developing global leaders).

I worked in Humanitarian Development for eight years. Then I changed to a social enterprise, which brings market-based solutions to low-income workers and their families My career began with World Vision focusing on trafficked victims and trafficking prevention. I got to know migrant communities and their resilience. During that eight years in Humanitarian Development I worked with various populations

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Interview

focusing on migration and policy. People affected by conflict, economic migrant workers, trafficked victims, refugees and other groups of people who cross the International border.

When I moved to Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) my passion for migrants and their children’s education developed. People have the perception that refugees are fleeing war and politics. In fact, people have to flee their homes for various reasons when their government cannot protect their lives. It can be because of religious hate, criminal gangs or even loving the wrong person. I gained bigger picture of what migration is and why it matters to determine someone’s death and life situation.

I then became a senior advocacy coordinator for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). I met a lot of Community Based Organisations - support groups from Thailand - that deliver humanitarian assistance (health, education, women and children) to hard to reach areas of Myanmar, or migrant communities in Thailand, such as Mae Tao clinic. The resilience of these communities amazes me.

The community groups risk their lives to look after people who have no chance to flee Myanmar. They manage to reach hundreds of thousands of people every year carrying basic things we all take for granted: supplements, soaps or mosquito nets, for example.

My last humanitarian job was as a migration expert for International Organisation for Migration to successfully establish Legal Clinic at Mae Sot (the border) Hospital to aid migrants to obtain birth certificates for their children.

Both refugees and migrants sharing one thing in common: the sense of living far from home. They do not feel they belong. And many host communities may have sense of distrust to new arrivals and strangers. The world is changing so fast. If you ask me what an ordinary person can do to help; I always say: start learning about refugees and migrants. Try to find answers to very simple questions. Who are they?

Why are they here? What they are doing in your country or community? Read the news about their origin countries. Talk with someone who hires migrants and refugees. Migration is not a new phenomena and many of us are once again migrating or have immigrant heritage. I believe that if we are well informed on migration, we will all comfortably cope with a fear like xenophobia.

My work with children is focused on migrant education. To try to increase numbers of children that have access to education. The futures of migrant children are determined by their education. Once they have developed life and work skills, they have ability to take control of their lives. I feel happy I successfully advocated for a government certificate to be granted to migrant children in Thai non-formal education.

What is trafficking? Who does it happen to?

Trafficking (simply put) means recruiting and transporting people by means of a threat or, any form of abuse of power, in order to benefit from their exploitation.

Basically it happens because some people are in the position to force other people due to their disadvantaged position. That’s why it usually happens to the poor and migrants. When you have very limited options in your life, you also loose your negotiation power.

Who are the people that do the trafficking? What are people trafficked to do?

Trafficking is not always by organised crime. Sometimes a perpetrator can be a neighbour, an employer or anyone who knows that they can earn money through exploiting someone through forced labour, sex working, begging and other degrading jobs. Traffickers may not always force someone to move physically, but may offer the promise of a better life. Many trafficked victims are poor and low educated. They have no concept that this can be fraud and deception. In the worst cases they are sold by their guardians or even abducted.

What is the biggest driver for trafficking? Why can’t they escape?

Traffickers can make a lot of money from victims directly and indirectly. It does not always play out like a movie. The victim may not be chained but traffickers put a lot of debt on them. Even a victim flees their family may have to pay off those debts.

Many people have no other choice except working in undesirable conditions in order to pay.

What should people do if they suspect something (in Asia)?

If you notice the trafficking incidence, the best way is to inform police or social workers. If you are concerned that local law enforcement might be involved with trafficker. You can always contact a central hotline in the country. Most Asian countries has set up the national hotline for complaining on trafficking cases.

In Thailand, you can inform Ministry of Social Development and Human Security via hotline 1300.

I know many champions that can influence society. So I can do the simple jobs to network and build momentum to drawing in support from reform minded politicians,

civil servants, academics, civil society and the international community. As a Thai woman operating in a patriarchal political space, I must stand firm to have my voice and clear messages heard consistently, and persuasively, so that the specific issues facing refugees and migrants are brought to the fore.

Now I am working in private sector, and using an academic lens to analyse discourses in migration and humanitarianism, I can see some room for improvement.

I have not yet lost faith in humanitarian projects but it can be transformed to be more empowering and to increase the scale of impact.

I am passionate and committed to social justice for the most marginalised.

This is not just a job. it means everything to me.

My doctrine is universal human rights. And this is not always a welcome idea in Thai society. I grasp the challenge of promoting social justice for vulnerable people.

While society is not yet transformed as much as my desire, I have seen progress.

You cannot give up fighting the unjust cause. Even if people call me as a person with ‘Rosie world view’ or in Thai they say Lok-Suay or naive. I will persist on this path.

To make a difference my advice is STOP giving money to beggars. Most child beggars are taken away from their family by brokers. They miss their education.

The begging industry is much uglier than those innocent faces.

When I decided to leave the Humanitarian sector, the learning curve was steep.

Thailand is a middle-income country and we should have ability to solve unjust issues without relying on the International community’s assistance. I was impressed by one sentence: “a market based solution for the poor”. The mission of “iCare Benefits” is to provide workers with immediate access to essential products and services. This enables workers and their families to improve quality of life without the burden of onerous interest payments.

At its heart, iCare Benefits challenges fundamental beliefs of financial credibility and planning for the poor. The mainstream assumption is that workers do not have appropriate financial plans for themselves. Actually they do. But they have to often cope with emergencies that greatly interfere with their plans. That’s the main reason they have to go to loan sharks, pay interest; and become even poorer. iCare Benefits gives access to essential products and services and is provided at zero-supplementary cost. Workers pay cash or interest-free monthly repayments over a six month period. In order to avoid over-burdening workers with indebtedness. The great advantage all-round is the liberation of workers from the informal lending sector (and even the formal lending sector) where interest rates may reach 30% or more per annum.

It is important not to lose faith in humanity. I believe in the power of humanity.

We are one group and don’t fall to a trap of boxing ‘us’ and ‘them’. Don’t disregard the value of compassion, kindness and our ability to trust each other.

Don’t let any fear to hold you back. If you want to achieve your goal. Go for it.

Interview

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L akshmi Ramaswami

LONDON MAMI

By Lakshmi Ramaswami

L akshmi Ramaswami is an Architect, passionate about life and living.

People, pl aces and cities intrigue her . Spaces that are generated by people and spaces defined by Architecture… the constant flux and changing nature.

Here she tells us about the most powerful woman in her life.

‘London Mami’. Strange as it sounds, that is what people called my Grandmother. I called her Thathi. She was a tall, striking woman in a silk madisaar (traditional South Indian 9yard sari). Diamonds twinkled in her ears and in both nostrils. She had a mane of pure silver hair, an imperial bearing and a piercing stare. Of course, she hid a loving heart… deep within. She hated any display of weakness. She was resourceful, a hard worker, a strategic thinker, she was a pure management genius. Uneducated, she could only sign her name in Tamil. She often quipped: “If I had an education, Indira Gandhi may not have been the only Indian woman Prime Minister”, Knowing my Thathi, it was no idle comment, she meant every word.

She could manage anything, anywhere with zero English, Tamil accented and meager Hindi. Supreme confidence was her passport. No one would dare mess with her.

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Interview

Thathi would not abide rudeness or any kind of public misbehavior. She was always the first to stop and speak out and scare the life out of an offender, be it a policeman, a queue breaker or god forbid, a BEST (Bombay’s public bus service) driver who did not wait till she had properly boarded the bus!

She used the public buses in Bombay even at the age of 75, comfortably and happily. She chose to do so.

She was always rather proud that she was called London Mami, without ever having been there she earned and owned the sobriquet and revelled in it. It was my father, in 1963 who managed to get a job in London who lived there.

That represented so many things for her. She had a London connection… elevating her status in Matunga (South Indian dominated area of Bombay). It meant her son spoke English and was earning Pounds.

She was outspoken, stood ramrod straight, had an opinion on everything and always did precisely as she had planned. She never bore any injustice to herself or anyone she knew. We were petrified if anyone picked a fight with us when she was around. That kid and the parents would be lectured on values and behaviour. Fiercely proud, even with no education, she knew that she was worthy of anything she dreamt of.

My mother was a beautiful, timid, young widow, bringing up my brother and I. Thathi lived with us and helped us all out in many ways. One of the neighbours was a bit nosy. She saw my mother being helped into the public bus by a male friend. She asked Thathi who he was. She explained clearly that her daughter in law was smart, capable and she cared not one whit what anyone thought. She never offered an explanation… just shut her up for good. Of course, she never told us any of this. But another neighbour told my mother. When I asked her about it she said: ‘It is your life, and you are the boss. Don’t take this from anyone’.

My mother chose to send us to one of the best schools in Bombay.

The school had a lunch room with benches outside in common areas.

Thanti often brought our lunch to school by taxi because our dabbawallah (lunch delivery man) hadn’t shown up. She would wait until we finished, with a good stare. That was always the fastest meal with not a morsel wasted.

One day, I walked out of class to see Thathi, plonked on one of the benches. I gulped politely and said (one could not argue with her) that this wasn’t our place… we sat elsewhere. Meanwhile, behind her, a posh mom, with her designer handbag and huge sunglasses, was looking stressed and asking for Thathi to move because her kids (one of them is a top Bollywood actor now) sat there. I begged in my native tongue to be allowed to change places. Thathi walked up to that lady and in her poor accented Hindi asked: “Do you see any names printed on the table?”

The flustered lady replied, “No”. Thathi then proclaimed “I thought so. It is a school and it’s for everyone to use. I am sure you agree” and she added, “If you like we could always ask the Principal!” The poor lady had no choice, and we had to sit there and eat our lunch… heads bowed.

Back then I was embarrassed of my 9yard saree clad grandmother who spoke no English and poor Hindi. Many years later, I marvel at how clear her concepts were, and how she never backed down and always made her case. Always proud of herself, she believed in only being herself.

Never a hair out of place, dedicated to her routines. I think of her every day, and am so proud to be her granddaughter.

Today I miss her brand of Feminism (I can’t imagine what else it was).

We secretly called her the Terrorist. She believed in herself and in what she knew was right, she never accepted anything else. That is how she brought us up to be. With no education, life was her teacher, and she always took control of her life and never sat back or cribbed. She had the courage of her convictions… and knew right from wrong. She called a spade a spade. She knew how to hold her head high, no matter what.

Supremely resourceful, she feared no one and nothing. She was loud and she loved us fiercely.

Actually, the word, fierce suited her. She would have reveled in it.

“Change is the only constant... it needs courage and faith.”

The Cove Phuket 8/1 Moo.8 Tambon Wichit, Ao Yon Beach Phuket, Thailand Contact : +66(0)6 22 42 34 42 facebook/thecovephuket

instagram/thecovephuket

www.thecovephuket.com

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MEET THE PRESIDENT LET S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS The Australian and New Zealand Women’s Group (ANZWG) Vesna Burgess in her own words.

Interview by Debbie Oakes

had back home. These include visiting schools in the Hill Tribe Areas and learning Muay Thai in an Authentic Muay Thai training school for example.

I have also visited many other countries in South East Asia, that I wouldn’t have, if I didn’t live in Thailand. The things I miss the most about home are my daughters, my family, friends and the outdoor lifestyle.

Before we moved here I was many things: a stay at home mum, a coach for kid’s sport, a volunteer at different schools, I also sat on school committees and sports committees in Auckland and Sydney.

Now, apart from being the ANZWG President, I like to keep fit, play Golf and have recently begun learning to play Mahjong.

I was the President of ANZWG for three years from 2009 to 2011 and I started a second term in 2016.

My role as President involves co-ordinating and supporting a big committees that have different responsibilities ranging from welfare to event planning to social activities.

nsider Asia talks to the women behind the organisations that provide an invaluable level of support for new arrivals, a network of help and friendship for long-term expats and multi-faceted care for the most needy communities in the countries we call home.

MEET THE PRESIDENT: I grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. My tribe whakapapa is Ngāpuhi through my Mum, and Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi and Ngāti Tūwharetoa through my Dad. I love living in Thailand for lots of reasons. The people and good food make it special. I have also made some amazing friends. My husband Pete is working in a job that he enjoys going to everyday.

I have had many opportunities that I wouldn’t have

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Interview

What I enjoy the most is seeing the looks on the faces of new members when they learn what we do and are able to achieve together in a year. It is wonderful to see the changes we make in people’s lives with our Charity Donations to Thai Women and children his also extremely rewarding.

It certainly keeps me busy and out of trouble.

The aim of ANZWG is to support its members, foster friendships and promote goodwill in the community by our charitable work. We have monthly morning teas, numerous cultural and discovery activities around Bangkok, as well as organising events including our annual Melbourne Cup Charity Luncheon. We publish the famous ANZWG Bangkok Guide every couple of years which requires many volunteer hours to gather, edit and print information.

ANZWG support many different charities which help Thai Women and Children from with Health and Education. I do what I can to help them by sharing their groups when and where I can.

The charities I support personally are - for many years - Sister Joan Presentation Slums Mission Bangkok with her Milk Run. I also sponsor two boys through the Thailand Hill Tribe Education Project. Pete and I also try and support the Naaksuu Tigers who try to make an impact on the lives of young unprivileged people through rugby training and life skill development. The hope is that they will be empowered to continue their education and make positive changes in their lives and in their communities.

The recent Melbourne Cup charities are: Thailand Hill Tribe Education Projects (THEP). A proposed construction of a girls’ dormitory at Ban Mae Kit School in Mae Hong Son. The dormitory will accommodate 40 - 50 students. The school was established 20 years ago and has grown quickly and serves the education of the children from 8 surrounding villages. www.thepthailand.com The Christian care foundation for Children with Disabilities (CCD) provides care and support to abandoned children with disabilities in Thailand. Rainbow House is a purpose built care home for 20 - 30 children and provides specialist facilities, resources and individualised education programmes. ANZWG will provide funds for the construction of a weatherproof roof and resurfacing of their sports ground. www. ccdthailand.org And finally Operation Smile provides medical assistance to children born with cleft lips or cleft palates. ANZWG will provide funds to their Bright Smiles Happy Hearts Program which may include the printing of booklets and pamphlets to assist parents understand the deformity and how to care for it. The funding may also provide reusable scrubs for the volunteer surgeons and nurses. thailand.operationsmile.org I believe in giving back and I want to help those that are less advantaged.

Since becoming President I have learnt management and event skills that I never knew I had. My Computer skills have improved (but still need more improvement!) I don’t think the role has changed me but has helped me knowing that I can achieve anything if I set my mind to it alongside other ANZWG members.

My top tips for being happy to in Thailand are that when you arrive try to accept as many invitations as you get. You will find the people and places that will keep you happy. Remember you are living in Thailand, not at home where things are done a lot differently. Try not to compare or say “Back at home they do…..” Have patience. Enjoy massages!

My greatest inspiration was my parents. They worked hard, kept active and had a good social life with sport and friends. There was lots of socialising and laughter in our home. Our house was always full of people having fun… but you had to get up the next day and carry on with life… no excuses.

The life events that changed me the most were my Mum passing away when I was 21 and getting married and having my daughters.

My best advice for life is to be true to yourself and do the best that you can in all parts of your life. Head down tackle hard!

Interview

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NO RAIN, NO FLOWERS new dreams new days new desires new ways new year

Happy new you

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Feel Good

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MR Maarten s microgreens Interview By Helke Vijsma

efore moving to Thailand Maarten Kaspersma spent two and a half turbulent years, training teachers in Nepal during the Civil War. (The teaching itself was not that turbulent.

It was the unexpected jobs like having to assist with a leg amputation that were more of a challenge). Initially he taught Dutch at two International schools in Bangkok.

Outside school hours Maarten also offered private maths tuition.

It was during these classes he became acquainted with parents of his pupils who were successful business people. He became inspired, and started to visualise his future as an entrepreneur.

In the beginning it was a challenging thought for the Dutchman.

He had been raised in a modest family in the countryside. But over time Mr. Maarten stopped teaching and made a switch to set up his own company with a friend working in agriculture in The Netherlands.

Together they started a glasshouse tomato project. He had always been blessed with green fingers and was a good handy man.

Unfortunately the business did not succeed; but he had learned a lot.

With his new found knowledge, experience, his green fingers and what was left of his savings, he tried to figure out what he could do in agriculture. After a lot of research into finding a gap in the market he noticed all paths were leading to‌ microgreens.

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Today, six years later, Mr. Maarten is still proudly growing ‘Mr. Maarten’s Microgreens’. He has a big space with four staff. He uses organic peat moss soil imported from The Netherlands and his products are chemical free. The are currently in the process of being certified G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices), an internationally recognised farming standards.

Where can you find these delicious, healthy greens?

Microgreens stylishly top your meal as a garnish or are dressed in vinaigrette as a salad. But what exactly are they, other than the obvious fact that they are very small?

Microgreens are grown in a medium soil so should not be confused with sprouts, like alfalfa, which are grown in water. These little greens are not only pretty but are also very concentrated in nutrients such as vitamins C, E, K, glutein, and beta-carotene. Researchers have found that leaves from almost all microgreens contain four to six times more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plant. Which is not to say they should replace their grown up counterparts that contain more fibre. But a bunch of microgreens will provide you a tasteful shot of vitamins. Concentrated in their flavours, the tiny plants will give you a bright punch of freshness or a spicy after bite.

Maarten liked the possibility of this idea. He formed a new partnership with Mr. Timber, an executive chef at Central Foodhall. They imported seeds from the U.S. and started growing 15 different microgreens in Maarten’s living room. Fortunately many restaurants in Bangkok, following US and European trends for microgreens, were not only aware but eager to buy the healthy vegetables.

The chances are fairly high that you have eaten them already. Maarten delivers to several restaurants in Bangkok, Thai Airways Business Class, the Coffee Club, and soon in will be supplied to Central Foodhall. Mr. Maarten’s Microgreens like rucola, basil, celery, carrot, sorrel, mustard, red amaranth, red cabbage, mizuna and radish (to name a few) are also available at Villa Markets.

Now go boost up your home made juices, salads, soups, sandwiches, appetizers, mains and more with some vibrant nutritious elegance!

“You don’t need to be a math teacher to grow microgreens.

But it sure worked out well”

Mr. Maarten’s Microgreens is located in 59 Lasalle 77 Prime Place 105 Bang Na, Samut Prakan, Thailand Email : mmmicrogreens@gmail.com Phone : 087-013-7606

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The Curious Gourmand An toine sh a r es e xcer p ts of hi s e n t e rtaining and infor m ationa l b o ok , The C ur ious G our m and , e xc lu sively for I nsider A si a

By Antoine Melon hroughout his career, Antoine has been privileged to meet many of the greatest chefs of our era: Paul Bocuse, Pierre Gagnaire, Joël Robuchon, Ferran Adrià, Daniel Boulud, Michel Bras, Martin Berasategui, Jordi Roca, Oriol Balaguer, and Thomas Keller. Their work inspired him to create a collection of personal anecdotes, history, tales and customs over the last twenty years. Antoine has lived and worked in more than ten countries.

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How Green is my PISTOU / PESTO?

Pistou sauce comes from my adopted home, Provence, whereas pesto comes from Liguria on Italy’s northwest coast. The two are often confused, with good reason, since though their names differ both contain the same ingredients! The closeness of Provençal and Genoese cuisines is perhaps not surprising, given the proximity of Provence to Northern Italy as well as the trading links that have existed since pre-Roman times. The town of Nice itself has only been part of France since 1860. Previously it belonged to the Italian state of Piedmont.

Pesto comes from the past participle pesta (“to crush”), in reference to its ground basil, pinenuts, grated parmigiano reggiano (or pecorino) with olive oil. The sauce originated in Genoa, where basil was first introduced from North Africa. The Genoese serve pesto with minestrone in terracotta bowls called xatte. Basil also proliferates throughout Provence the home of pistou. Pistou was likely adapted from pesto, though it perhaps tilts more toward garlic than its Italian cousin. As with pesto, pistou is used to give complexity and flavour to soups; tomato, leek, or potato. Pistou is also used in a delicious vegetable soup (known rather unimaginatively as la soupe au pistou), which is very similar to minestrone. Pistou is also served with roast lamb, pasta, and as a dip for crudités. Remember that the best way to store pistou is in an airtight refrigerated container; drizzle the pistou with olive oil to prevent oxidation.

Nowadays there are many variations on pesto. Basil is often replaced with other herbs

– arugula, perhaps, or mint –and the pinenuts with walnuts or cashews (both are cheaper than the pignons.) You can also find red pesto made from either sundried tomatoes or red bell peppers.

You say pesto, I say pistou…

A classic Italian Oven restaurant delivering a unique dining destination, offering the best of regional Italian cuisine.

Specialised in wood fired pizza.

Open Every day 28/75 Moo1, Saiyuan Road Rawai, Phuket 83130

cecconirestaurant

cecconirawai

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BOOKINGS : 063 101 8445

80/20 Bangkok Softly m a sculine or str ongly feminine I can’ t decide, but the teal blues, concrete, the candle lights, vertiginous ceilings and the soft jazz are the perfect antidote to Bangk ok’s hustle and bustle.

By Debbie Oakes oftly masculine or strongly feminine I can’t decide, but the teal blues, concrete, the candle lights, vertiginous ceilings and the soft jazz are the perfect antidote to Bangkok’s hustle and bustle.

Located on the increasingly happening Charoen Krung road in an elegant old Chinatown shop house, 80/20 Restaurant layers delightful surprises like spices, in a well-balanced tom yum. The name reflects the fact that more than 80% of the ingredients are locally grown and organically produced. They also have their own garden overseen by Joe (one of the chef’s) Mum. The Tapas style menu, made for sharing changes seasonally.

The chef’s day starts at the early morning markets. The fresh Thai flavours and local seasonal herbs all delivered with a Western twist scream: ‘eat me now’.

A veritable tapas buffet of surprising flavours and unexpected textures ensues: The amuse bouche depends on what chef finds in market that morning. We are presented with a fragrant and compelling vegetable and duck taco wrapped in beetle leaf. The sticky-rice-flour dumpling, a bit like gnocchi, (they invented it) has an aromatic intense flavour. Light but satisfying with the meaty crunch of a mushroom medley. The lamb crevice is a testimony to the chef’s inspiration by nature and looks like the jungle on a plate with cooked crickets which are surprisingly nutty and sweet. (They don’t look like like crickets!)

My personal favourite is the Prawn ceviche. Tangy flavours and a mouth melting texture that lured into an understanding of what it will be and then wham! A delightful spicy tap-dance on the tongue.

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The Cocktail list is an aficionado’s dream, all with a dash of something different.

The GnT is mixed and ‘funked up’ with Thai and Chinese herbs. It is like no GnT I have ever had and is simply delicious. The herbs, I am assured, are very good for you too!

The Smoky flavour of the pina colada comes from home-roasted coconut The Martini is infused with butterfly blue pea and lemon grass. Refreshing with Thai flavours and a hint of jasmine The Desserts finish the theme perfectly. A melange of fantastically composed Thai, western flavours and presentation. The Corn & Coconut with salty popcorn and sweet toasted coconut ice cream and meringue is A MUST At 80/20, they believe in the power of the passion. It is impossible to miss the fact that they believe in what they do, and that they are doing what they are very good at.

80/20bkk

is located in 1052-1054 Charoen Krung Rd, Bangrak, Bangkok 1050, Thailand Email : 8020bkk@gmail.com Phone : 02 639 1135

VEGANERIE BANGKOK Forgive me for my prejudices but I feel I have to point out before you turn the page that this is no ordinary hairy armpit vegan eaterie

By Debbie Oakes

or starters the chic and modern design fits in perfectly in the oh-so-shi-shi street behind Benjasiri park. The dĂŠcor is warm, elegant and inviting with just enough quirkiness to be cool.

We chose form an extensive menu that included Thai and Western favourites.

I challenge even the most die-hard meat eater to come here and not leave full.

The zucchini spaghetti with pesto was green, fresh and satisfying‌ and all the mushroom dishes are unreal. The papaya salad, tomato sauce zoodles were extremely satisfying and delicious. My only gripe is that next time I want to leave space for the pancakes!

Veganerie provides 100% VEGAN varieties of premium quality, including Meals (Breakfast & All-day dining), Desserts, Bakeries, Coffee, Juice and groceries.

There are three branches including G Floor Emquartier, 4th Floor Mercury Ville and Benjasiri Park

VEGANRIE BANGKOK

is located in Soi Methi Niwet, Klong Ton, Klong Teoy, Bangkok, Thailand Email : 8020bkk@gmail.com Phone : +66(0)2 252 2120 Mobile: +66(0)81 390 2396

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HEALTHY ME MY JUICY DETOX JOURNEY F r e sh f r ui t and v e ge tabl e juic e detox ific at ion i s be com ing inc r e a singly p op ul ar e very w here.

By Lilly Carrion Photographed By Adriano Trapani

or several days the body is given a break from everything but freshly squeezed natural goodness.

Many people turn to cleanses because they feel off - bloated, sluggish, dependent on caffeine and junk food and break outs. The idea of a detox is that it shifts you away from bad habits (too much coffee, alcohol, and fatty foods) and helps foster healthier habits after you’re done.

Being a bonne-vivante, and having a sweet tooth by nature, eating is for me synonymous with pleasure. Two week’s detox was therefore a real challenge for me. I realized how much many pre-conditionings and preconceptions I have about food. I was also surprised at the ease with which I adapted to this new diet.

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The goal?

Help the natural process of cleansing the body and therefore feel good in myself: and of course loosing weight

For who?

Everyone - novice or practiced detoxers. For those who want to lose a few extra pounds or those who just want to feel in harmony with their bodies.

How?

For a limited time (chosen by me), I drink the equivalent of 5kg of fresh juice every day. The juices are half fruit, and half vegetables and herbs. Everything is raw, divided into 7 bottles of 330 ml to be finished by the end of the day. That’s a lot of minerals and vitamins!

My days starts with bottle #01. The next bottle should be consumed 2.5 to 3 hours later to prevent hunger.

More than 4 kg of vegetables are in these bottles.

By eliminating toxins and other waste, the intestines and the liver are given a chance to clear themselves. Of course I could drink a s much non-carbonated mineral water and sugar-free herbal teas as I wanted.

The calorie intake is well dosed and the consistency of the juices is appropriate to our daily needs.

It is suggested - to help with a sense of satisfaction – to try to chew the juice in your mouth before swallowing. This helps the digestive process as it releases saliva, which contains the digestive enzymes, important in delivering nutrients to the cells.

How Much?

Approximately 8000 baht for 6 days of treatment

The results?

When you eliminate toxins from your system, your entire body feels better and reacts both internally and externally. That was certainly true for me and I lost 5kg in two weeks.

The experience taught me how soothing it is to unburden my body from its intestinal work, so I gained a flat stomach. I am in great shape and feel rather toned.

Pura Organic juice suggest you juice for as long as possible for minimum of seven days and preferably 10. After the Juice Fast finishes, the health improvements will continue and you will feel so good you probably want to continue in some sort of way. I decided to change my diet after this 2 weeks of juicy detox. I want to keep this feeling of wellness. I will from now have a juice every morning and one for dinner. I am more conscious about how important eating healthy is and as a result makes me kick the habit of coffee and I have become healthier in my choice of food going forward.

I drank at least 2 liters of water per day to help to flush my system

I RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE TO TRY THE JUICY DETOX ONCE A YEAR

Pura Organic Foods Ltd We deliver anywhere

13/1 Si Soonthorn (#4025), Moo 4 Srisoonthorn Road Choeng Thale, Amphoe Thalang, Phuket 83110 Phone: +66(0)76 270 101 Email : martin@puraorganic.org www.puraorganic.org

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Meet the Artist Adriano Trapani

By Lilly Carrion

Photographer: Adriano Trapani

driano Trapani is an Italian expat born in Napoli. He has been living and working in Phuket, Thailand for the past 12 years.

“I have always been an artist in spirit. But back in Italy my artistic soul was trapped in a corporate businessman’s body. I could let my spirit free once I moved to Thailand. I like the different pace of life in Phuket as opposed to the busy and stressed city life I had back in Italy. My family has always supported me in any choice I have made. And for that I’m grateful. Without that kind of freedom, I probably would have never changed my life the way I did 12 years ago.

I would say that art chose me through an unconventional medium: scuba diving. I was teaching (and guiding) diving when I first arrived in Thailand and I became interested in underwater photography. Over the years I mastered my photography skills underwater and started “migrating” to dry land. Once there, I was free from all the restrictions of underwater photography (limited time, limited equipment, limited subject matter) and I explored many techniques and styles of photography. I’m all self taught. I realise now it would have been easier and quicker to get to this level if only I had had some guidance. This is the reason why I now teach photography courses.

I’m extremely attracted to visual art in any form. I couldn’t (and I still can’t) draw or paint to save my life and that’s what made me fall in love with photography.

I can finally express my visions and share them with the world. I love being able to represent visually what I have in mind. There’s beauty in everyone and everything, I try to capture it.

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When in London I often visit the TATE gallery, when in Amsterdam I always visit the Van Gogh museum. The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg is mind blowing, Rome has always some exhibitions running and every time I go back to visit my family in Italy I try to attend at least one of them. Another Dutch artist that I love is M.C. Escher, he was a truly unique and visionary man who also lived in Italy for some years in his life. I have a tattoo on my leg of one of his pieces the “curl ups”.

My last project is called “Projections on Skin” and it’s a series of photos taken in my studio. Images or patterns are projected onto models’ skin. Most of the final results look almost like tattoos or body paintings. It was my wife Katia that came up with the idea. After letting the idea brew for couple of months, I finally decided to get the equipment needed for it and started tackling it.

Apart from photography, I have a passion for scuba diving (as mentioned before) which I’ve been neglecting recently due to my busy schedule. I also love cooking for my family and friends. If I wasn’t an artist, I would probably a personal/private chef. Someone once said that the world gained a good photographer and lost a talented chef…

Every artist should be aware of their limits and should always strive for better results. My technique is surely better than few years back but I can’t say I have reached the pinnacle of it. There’s always room for improvement. I do that by constantly following forums and tutorials on the web, participating in workshops, arranging workshops and photography courses. There’s always the possibility to learn something new from like-minded people; even my students.

The photography community on the web is so vast. On photography sites and social networks, you can be overwhelmed by feedback and ideas. Sometimes family and friends spark new ideas, sometimes I get inspired by other’s people work and try to put my own spin on it. To be creative it is important to keep an open mind. I think that anyone can be creative give the right stimulation.

My greatest inspiration is a Brazilian photographer named Sebastiao Salgado.

Although his style is strictly black and white travelling photography, the only way I can describe his style, is ‘colorful’. His photos are full of strong emotions.

I suggest anyone who doesn’t know him to check his amazing work The event that changed me the most was the 2004 Tsunami. I arrived in Phuket six days before. After being lucky enough to avoid it by minutes, as a professional scuba diver, I joined the Thai Marine and Coastal Resources Department for few weeks of volunteer work in cleaning up and restoring the reefs around Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Racha Island and the Similan National Park It is important to seize the day. I know it sounds cliché but only in Thailand while scuba diving have I realized that I was wasting my life in Italy in my corporate climbing rat race. For me now being successful means doing what I love and being lucky enough to get paid for it. Back then I was thinking that the definition of success was being high ranking in corporate business.

Inspiration is everywhere, sometimes right under my nose. Sometimes it’s love at first sight, sometimes it takes few more sights to recognize it…Now that we are in the digital era it is not necessary to buy art to develop creativity. Art can be accessed on line. Prints and books can be purchased. It is not necessary to own art, there’s always the option to go to a gallery or to an exhibition. Lastly, almost everywhere, there’s a thriving community of contemporary artists that could benefit from a small investment by purchasing some of their work.

Together with a collective of Phuket based artists (photographers, painters, sculptors, digital media artists) I’m participating in an exhibition called “Knock Off” a celebration of the counterfeit. I have “launched” a campaign for a (non existent) perfume line. My brand is a combination (Knock Off) of two well known brands at two opposites of the luxury/affordablity spectrum. The hosting venue is Home Kitchen and Bar in Kalim. The owner John Underwood is a long term resident, that is an artist himself, and always promotes this kinds of activity within the island’s community.

For further information and to view or purchase Adriano’s work Call me +66 (0) 848 44 92 15, www.adrianotrapani.com @phuketpaparazzi Twitter, @phuketpaparazzi Instagram www.phuketpaparazzi.com

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BUBU Collection INSIDER A SIA SITS DOWN WITH SWISS ARTIST, DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF B UBU COLLECTION, OLIVER SCHIBLI

By Lilly Carrion Photographer: Oliver Schibli

WINNER EMERGING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST AWARD DUBAI 2016 n my mind I have always been an artist.

But before I made a real commitment to it; I was a Sales and Marketing manager.

My girlfriend Sii was the one that inspired me to think differently about my life and the way I was living it. She asked me whether I would be happy working in an office job until I was 65. She urged me to consider following my passion. Using my talent to become a successful artist.

So I began an apprenticeship as sign maker at the Visual Art school in Bern. It was there that I learned, over four years, many techniques: from writing

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It took one year to find the right manufacturer that could provide the highest possible quality of cotton and print. A few months ago I finally received the finished product after a long journey. I am so happy with the result that I’m planning to do a new edition every year and special editions for corporate gifts and weddings My definition of success is to wake up everyday looking forward to creating something new.

My work is evolving every day. If I have an idea; I just go for it. My motto is: ‘Don’t think. Just do it with lots of love and passion’. with feathers to working with gold leaf, the colour gauge, screen printing and important aspects of creating and the basics of working with different materials, techniques and possibilities Then in March 2014 I decided it was a good idea to move away from all of the distractions of Zurich and come to Thailand for a while. I love living in Switzerland because everything works very well. It is clean, safe and I really love nature. Especially the mountains. Also, if I have an idea for a painting, I order my stuff online, and start next day.

I also travel a lot so it’s a perfect mix. However, in Phuket I could concentrate on my art and finding my style. I worked fifteen hours a day, most days, to perfect my technique and ideas. I call my style ‘Chic-Chaos’, which to me means that the colours are harmoniously mixed with the details and messages inside.

My experimentation took me in many directions.

I started printing my artwork on accessories, which was the birth of the BUBU Collection. My latest project is limited edition art beach towels. Each one has a print with one of my paintings. I had looked for many years for an excellent quality XXL beach towel with a bright and unique design but there were none. So I decided to make it myself.

Of course I love hanging out in museums and big galleries too. I don’t have a favourite artist so I like to explore. Ideas come to me very easily. Right now, for example, I have the idea for four new art pieces and projects. I work them in my mind for months until they are ready to execute. Inspiration comes, maybe like the word, in-spirit. Sometimes I feel it is from elsewhere. I just need an open mind and the ability to receive it from the universal mind or source. I think that if anyone has an inspiration to try something – the only thing to focus on is what is needed to execute it. Try to do it your own way.

Don’t think too much. Everyone can be creative if they stop worrying what other people say and believe in their talent. It is important to follow heart and passion. To believe in and have the courage to ‘go for it’ no matter what people say. Even if you have to struggle a few years it is worth it.

For me art is the key to my happiness because I love to work with colour. That is the most important thing for me and automatically puts me in a positive mood. And, of course, I love to be free to earn money doing what I really love.

The advice I have for people that want to buy art is only buy what you really love. Support only living emerging artists and maybe you will be lucky and choose the right artist. Your kids will love you when they sell the piece in 50 years!

Current Exhibitions

Art333 Gallery, Waedenswil, Switzerland Opening 4th February (February 4th until March 25th) www.art333.ch

Permanent Exhibitions

Kata Rocks Phuket, Thailand Phoenix Award Winning Gym Switzerland

OLIVER SCHIBLI ART BUBU COLLECTION Call us at +41 78 866 24 57 info@bubucollection.com www.oliverschibli.com www.bubucollection.com

My ideas also come from the nature. Its beautiful forms and colours, which I enjoy everyday. I believe that we all should care more about nature. Also the people I meet in daily life, the music I listen to, even news on the radio, the pictures I discover on Instagram and my passion for travel and other cultures. I’m always looking for special art residencies in other countries, remote places or big cities.

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Many say they after the first painful minutes, they reach a sort of state, which makes it bearable somehow.

Wai Khru Sak Yant Tattoo Festival Wat Bang Phra

By Helke Vijsma

ak Yant scared tattoos have been around for over 2000 years. Buddhist monks originally engraved Sak Yant into warriors seeking protection and strength in their battle. Often their entire bodies would be covered from head to toe in magic symbols to prevent knives and arrows from piecing their skin.

Nowadays a Sak Yant is said to give people the courage to face difficulties in their lives, increase wealth and protect from harm. Thousands of devotees every year (usually on the first Saturday in March) make the annual pilgrimage to Wat Bang Phra, 50 kms west of Bangkok in order to have or re-empower their Sak Yant tattoo (the power of any amulet or tattoo decreases with time).

This happens by first honouring the Sak Yant master and celebrating Wai Khru, a ceremony that pays respect to the teachers. All night many of devotees will receive their Sak Yant from a monk. Many claim the Sak Yant has changed their lives.

There are hundreds of traditional Sak Yant designs. Sak means tapping, and Yantra stands for holy geometrical design. A Sak Yant can also be an animal. The tattoo master chooses the Yant as well as its location on the body. The first tattoo one receives is usually the Yant Kao Yot with its nine pillars, placed just below the neck. This is considered to be a location on the body where protection must begin.

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A rt a nd C u lt u r e This man receives an invisible Yant in between visibles.

Within and around the Sak Yants, symbols are written in Khom, an ancient Cambodian alphabet. But the language itself is Pali (an ancient script used for writing both Hindu and Buddhist prayers). The tattoo master translates them to his own symbols and therefore the sacred texts have the ‘signature’ of the Master.

The tattoo masters are usually monks who have spent years studying Buddhism and Pali. This sacred language is exclusively used for Buddhist prayers, magic and sacred texts.

The monk will select a Sak Yant from several different templates.

He will apply the template to ink and then press it on to the recipient’s back to transfer the design.

The Yant is hand-etched onto the skin with a long metal spike or sharpened bamboo. The tip of the needle is dipped into a mix of oil, (probably palm oil), Chinese charcoal ink, and possibly snake venom. The monk will trace the pattern, which usually takes a few thousand strikes per Yant. Every now and then he dips the needle into the ink. When complete, the monk blesses the tattoo and blows on it to infuse it with power.

Full speed ahead.

Calming down. Earlobes are being rubbed.

The Sak Yant is particularly popular among people with physically risky professions like military personnel. They are still considered powerful and sacred with the ability to protect the wearer from physical attack, danger, magical assaults and bring the wearer good luck. Some even say they can stop bullets from hitting them. These blessings are not merely attained by the ink though; the wearer must follow particular rules and moral codes like avoiding certain foods, not kill or stealing for example.

The festival starts just after sunrise. A stage is set up where monks sit and perform rituals. Behind them, a huge statue of the most famous monk of Wat Bang Phra, Tattoo master Luang Phor Pern who died in 2002, faces the crowd. The highly respected monk is honoured every year as the master of tattoo masters. He was able to transfer his magic power into amulets and tattoos and preserved the ancient tradition of Sak Yant.

Thousands of people find themselves a spot on the floor in front of the stage. The monks are standing and sing kata’s (mantra’s) to activate the tattoos. Many people fall into a kind of trance and begin to move, sound and behave like the motif of their magical tattoo behaves. People with a crocodile or a snake writhe around on the ground, those with tiger tattoos roar and move like tigers. Many of them rise up and run through the crowd towards the front stage. Injuries are accepted as part of the risk of being there and taking part in the Wai Khru Sak Yank ceremony.

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As monks can’t touch woman barehanded, they use a blanket or wear a glove. Here the woman receives a visible Yant, but often woman get an invisible tattoo, as many women are not allowed to wear one. The power is the same though.

Tigers!

A security team is ready to catch the devotees in front of the stage.

They rub their earlobes to get them out of their trance. They then return to their spots and might fall into trance again where the process repeats.

Suddenly the monks stop their prayers and everyone calms down.

Then, holy water is sprinkled at the crowd. The atmosphere becomes very dense. Ten minutes later, the ritual is over; some go home, while others line up to get tattooed or gather around the temple to picnic with their families.

Since I visited this festival for the first time, I now see Sak Yant tattoos everywhere. And realize myself more over; there is a whole different world out here.

My body is a book and my tattoos are my stories!

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Tigers!

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DIVING The Shark Route Written & Photographed By Frank Couture

F r om M oza mbiq u e to So ut h Af r ic a or adrenaline junkies and seasoned divers, diving with large sharks without a cage, is an experience that ranks high on the bucket list.

One of the best place in the world to get close and personal with top of the food-chain predators is the South East coast of the African continent. It is a long stretch of never ending dunes battered by the Indian ocean, a wild and rugged land that starts in Mozambique and ends at the tip of the continent, the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

To experience the largest variety of sharks, I recommend to start in Mozambique, in Punta da Oro. Make your way down south from there, making stops in Sodwana bay, Durban and finally Cape Town.

Each stop allows you to encounter different species of sharks.

Punta da Oro is famous for its bull sharks. Sodwana bay for its ragged tooth sharks, whale sharks and dolphins. Durban (Aliwal shoal) for its large population of ocean black tips and the massive Tiger sharks. And Cape Town for the most legendary of all: The Great White.

All dives can be experienced without a cage if you are accompanied by the right professional guides, with the exception of the Great White, where cages are mandatory unless you can afford to have helicopter assistance on stand-by. That’s a luxury usually reserved for film crews-unless you have an unlimited budget.

Great whites are no more aggressive than any other sharks; on the contrary they tend to be more cautious. However, their sheer size and the potential damage they can inflict on your body, puts them in a league of their own. Hence the cage or the mandatory helicopter assistance.

The first question that people usually ask me about diving with big sharks refers to my sanity. In other words: ‘Are you crazy, or just suicidal’? The answer is no. Well, at least I am not suicidal…

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Sharks are potentially dangerous wild animals that remain difficult to predict. They are however very cautious animals, that hunt only if healthy and uninjured. For this reason they are generally very reserved about approaching something large that they do not understand. They tend to stay away from divers because we are difficult to mistake for something they recognize as prey.

To put it simply: we are not on their menu.

The two golden rules when you jump in the water with those animals: First: don t look like food.

Second: don’ t act like food.

“Looking like food” means anything that is too shiny on your dive or camera equipment could be mistaken by a shark for the glittering belly of a passing mackerel. Leave shiny yellow fins at home.

The fashion guideline here is black. All black. Put gloves on your hands.

The white of your palms could catch their eye like a sardine. If you are bold, put on a hood, your shiny head could also mislead them. And the hood will keep you warm as well.

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Few words about the destination: South Africa packs a lot in terms of wildlife.

Besides exploring the oceans in search of adrenaline, you can also go on land for a safari and see the Big Five Game (leopard, lion, rhino, elephants and buffalo). There are many well organized natural parks. Simple tents to luxury accommodation the choice is yours. My personal favourite is Phinda game reserve. http://www.phindagamereserve.com/ Along the beaches you will also meet up with seals, penguins, ostriches and monkeys. It is wild, wild, wild!

The food in South Africa is great, affordable and the wines are very decent (I am French, so that’s actually a compliment). A road trip along the garden route is a must for both the wine tasting and the views.

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“Acting like food” means that your attitude underwater could mislead them to think that you are in panic, scared and trying to flee. It is a bit like when you meet a dog on your walk in the countryside . If you start to run the dog will chase you. It is the same underwater, just that the teeth are bigger, you can not outrun them, and you are definitely not going to chase Rex away with a stick. So your only chance is to stand your ground, remain calm, and keep eye contact with the animal. Move quietly, allow sharks to approach and to investigate you on their own terms. Remain as motionless as you can, control your breathing, do not make any fast movements. If they come too close for comfort, you can push them away calmly with your hand, or give a loud shout in your regulator. The good news is, that the bigger they are, the more cautious they tend to act. The bad news is, that even a smaller shark can, of course, injure you.

Cape town is a modern city with old world charm, where the café culture is in full swing and there is nothing better to do then sit at a terrasse and contemplate in awe Table Mountain that dominates the city majestically.

Yet at night in the numerous live music pubs, the pulse of African beats will leave no doubt in your mind that this is a young country that explodes with energy and joie de vivre.

Diving with big sharks is -first of all- learning to control your own fear. Your first jump will most probably terrify you. The second one will still scare you.

Trust your dive guide. Have the right dive buddy on your side.

And stick religiously to my two golden rules. By the third dive, you will be proud of yourself and start to enjoy the show.

Shark route trips in full safety are organized every year in January.

Contact me at frank@bathline.info for more info

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South Africans are a really mixed bunch of races, with people from all origins.

No wonder they call it the Rainbow Nation. I have met only friendly people there over the years, although you have to be aware of where to go and where to stay away from. Like everywhere else.

Bon voyage.

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Myanmar was full of surprises.

Ancient Temples and a unique way of life.

I found the truth of local life early every morning with just natural light and my IPhone.

Life felt so beautiful

MYANMAR PICTURE BLACK AND WHITE IPHONEOGRAPHY

By Panatta Mam Bunthanom

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UNBELIEVABLE UMBRIA and LAKE TRASIMENO Written and Photographed

by Debbie Oakes

mbria stretches her green arms down from the Apennine Mountains in the north, nuzzles up to Tuscany in the west, and gets cozy with Rome’s Lazio in the south. Medieval villages stride verdant hills in a blend of landscape and architecture conspired between man and God in Italy’s only landlocked province.

The rolling landscape is as luscious, dependable and complex as its famous wines. And with the seasons; a kaleidoscope of changing colour unfolds.

Spring weaves a Persian floral carpet from the fallow fields of winter. Summer bursts onto the stage with a can-can of bright yellow sunflowers. Autumn’s harvest moon shine’s on deep purple grapes hanging from the vines. All year long olive groves flirt with the sun.

Unmissable Umbria.

The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Italy, is decorated with the fresco-masterpieces of Giotto, Lorenzetti and Simone Martini and also contains his tomb (and the skin of his stigmata is enshrined lovingly in gold in the museum). Infused with the energy of centuries of pilgrims and prayer the Basilica is so thick with spirit; you could paste it on pane. While you are in Assisi do not miss the Basilica of Santa Chiara. The plain (uncomfortable looking) robe she exchanged for her rich dresses can still be seen. The massive 14 Century fortress, Rocca Maggiore offers spectacular views over the valley below.

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Orvieto juts out of the earth like a gigantic panetone. And it is old. So old that even the ancient Romans called it Urbs Vetus; or ‘Old Town.’ The Etruscans are thought to have moved up on to the secure top plateau in 9BC. The town sits on the top of the tuffa rock. A grande old Dame of undiminished beauty, a cheeky dry white wine in hand, Orvieto DOC, naturally. She toasts us with a gentle reminder, “Take your dolce vita now.” Not to be missed is the spectacular Duomo of Orvieto and the adjacent museo d’art. Also Etruscan Caves burrow under the city. They were dug for wells and have been used as pigeon coops and wine storage, over the centuries, and to this day.

Saint Patrick’s 16th century well is an engineering masterpiece for the fit and curious.

Perugia Park at the huge free car parking at, ‘Rocca Paolina’ and shoot to the top on the MiniMetro. Once there you will discover an enchanting town that has combined its medieval streets with modern shops and alfresco restaurants (in summer). There are two festivals every year not to be missed: Umbria Jazz in July (www.umbriajazz.com) attracts some of the world’s biggest acts, and the chocolate festival in autumn. (Perugia is the home of Perugina Baci chocolate).

Speaking of lunch. Teetering on the Umbria-Tuscan border; Trasimeno cuisine is as diverse as the landscape. The lake is surrounded by rich rolling countryside so perch, pike, carp, tench and eel often share the same menu with Chiana beef, pheasant and wild boar. All dressed in local virginal olive oil. Umbria is famous for its truffles and Trasimeno is no exception. Best in Autumn, served with local homemade pasta such as pici. Many restaurants are dotted along the waterfront near the towns of Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno. Mostly family-owned, it is entirely possible even in summer to have an authentic Italian dining experience without the thronging masses, and without breaking the bank.

LAKE TRASIMENO. Umbria’s Secret Lake. (Shhh) Lake Trasimeno’s sparkling blue waters provide not only respite from the heat of summer, they are also shallow, safe, and clean. They glisten invitingly for a surprising few tourists. Bronzing Italians do ‘beach’ culture on soft white sand under sun umbrellas, in deck chairs, sipping delicious café and aperitivo.

On and around the lake, holidaymakers enjoy pedalos, kite surfing, canoeing or beach volleyball. Walking and cycling trails tempt the active, and if that sounds like too much wo/man-power, hire Italy’s own chic-on-wheels; a vespa (www.umbriainvespa.com).

Time and place are layered like lasagna around Trasimeno. Nearby towns such as Cortona (of Under the Tuscan Sun fame) and Chiusi were ancient hubs of Etruscan culture. Medieval hilltop villages and towns sit in quiet and glorious understatement. Churches, museums and art galleries ooze the spiritual and cultural passion of more than one thousand years and are crowded with the works of the Masters such as Signorelli.

Umbria on a Plate. ‘La Cucina Povera.’

Umbria is the SLOW food capital of Italy. It began earning its nickname as, ‘Italy’s green heart’ millennia ago when the Etruscans first farmed the fertile lands. Through the long ages locals have been rewarded with an abundance seasonal flavours. With a dash of salt, a twist of pepper, or a splash of wine, flavours needs very little coaxing from the freshest of ingredients. As such, it is difficult to have a bad meal.

Umbrian Olive Oil Umbria’s hills and rolling countryside shimmer with olive trees from which the superlative virginal queen-of-green herself is extracted: cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil. With acidity as low as 0.01% Umbrian olio is of the highest quality. Pure, unrefined and unadulterated by heat or chemicals during the extraction process, the table colour ranges from autumn gold to bright spring green.

Hannibal ambushed two Roman legions on the shores of the Lake in a small town called Tuoro, in 217 BC. 15,000 legionnaires died.

Castiglione del Lago’s, Castello di Leone castle, stands proudly on a hill. Still casting a protective eye over the lake and providing a spectacular historical backdrop to all the modern day comings and goings of the area as well as movies and concerts in the summer. Florence and Rome are both an easy drive (or train ride) away. In short, Trasimeno is a veritable plate of Italian Renaissance served with large helpings of ancient Etruscan and medieval art and architecture. And if you are all cultured out? Blue and white ferries carry travelers to the lake’s three tranquil islands Maggiore, Minore and Polvese, to enjoy nature walks, swimming and, of course, lunch.

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Umbrian Wines The most familiar names are Orvieto DOC - consisting of Trebbiano and Grechetto grapes (amongst others), and Montefalco’s DOCG. The Sagrantino di Montefalco is a rising star amongst those that know about ageing red wines. Although I have been known to partake in a tipple or two of Umbria’s delicious wines, it never seems to stay in the mouth long enough to form an ‘expert’ opinion. The lesser known vineyard Poggio Bertaio in Castiglione del Lago’s sweet rolling hills recently won the prize for the best Merlot in the world in Zurich (www.poggiobertaio.it).

Monica Larner of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, however, has this to say, “While Tuscany nabs the glitzy accolades and other neighboring regions excel in volume production, Umbria offers an array of grape varieties, wine styles and price points. It’s a compact, cautious and focused region that has something special for every palate.”

DIY Guide to Self-Catering Accommodation in Umbria Self-catering vacations are booming and whether your taste (or budget) dictates your choice of ‘Luxury villa with live-in butler-slash-concierge and personal chef,” or ramshackle hut in the country with a few stray cats and a dodgy toaster’, there are certain things you should know.

Self-catering accommodation vs hotel or B&B: Apart from home-comfort, privacy and flexibility, the biggest difference from staying in a hotel is that you are much more likely to have a SLOW travel ‘home away from home’, experience. Living with the pots and pans, the kitchen sink and without the room service menu. You will meet your neighbours, the local food producers at the fresh markets, and more importantly (for some - ahem) the winemakers.

For the space and facilities, you will also be paying considerably less than an equivalent hotel room. In some cases, you will be charged extra for linen or

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towels as well as for gas and electricity, so make sure you ask in advance, if it is not clear. As a general rule, even the most basic self-catering properties are fully furnished and supplied with essential household equipment (sheets, towels, washing machine, cooking equipment). Most should have WiFi or internet; but it pays to ask. If you cannot live without maid service, or concierge, then be sure to ask if it can be provided at additional cost.

Contact the accommodation provider before you book. The owner should also be able to give you a guide to the best restaurants and daytrips in and around the area. As mentioned, there is no 24 hour service but you will be given the details of someone to contact if you need help. www.facebook.com/villagioiellaholidayhome (villagioiellaholidayhome@gmail.com) OR contact Cynthia at casa.paterna@gmail.com for more details and tell her whether your Italian fantasy is a spacious village townhouse, luxurious beauty at the city gate, or spellbinding views high up in a mountain villa. www.villalemura.com

TOP TIPS

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Go SLOW: “Sustainable, Local, Organic, Whole-food,” try a shopping experience at the local fresh markets.

At restaurants: place yourself at the mercy of the waiter’s recommen dations. They will steer you in directions visitors rarely get their teeth into. (A caveat to this advice is if tourists out-number Italians, in which case you might also be in the wrong Umbrian restaurant altogether). Restaurant hours are from 12.00-12.30 to 3.00-3.30pm.

Then 7.30-10.00-10.30pm. Plan your day-tripping accordingly unless you want to eat a bar-sandwich.

‘Bars’ in Italy serve everything from delicious coffee to aperitivo.

Remember in Umbria - all things seasonal - truffles are just not truf fles in spring!

GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND.

Thai Airways (www.thaiairway.com) fly direct to Rome from Bangkok, there are no direct flights from Singapore, but many one stop options, including Emirates.

Outside of the main cities in Italy, it is best to hire a car

www.carrentals.co.uk

‘Advantage’ is best avoided as it is not located at the airport.

Lake Trasimeno is two hours from Fiumacino airport.

Ferries operate from Easter- end of September, hourly ferries head from

Passignano to Castiglione del Lago San Feliciano to Isola Polvese and Castiglione del Lago to Isola

Maggiore. Last Ferry: 7pm.

Bicycle/ Bike Hire: Castiglione del Lago, bikes can be picked up and dropped off around the Lake.

www.lagotrasimeno.co.uk/pg.itinerari.lista.php?id=1&lang=en Watersport: www.scuolakitesurf.it A rt a nd C u lt u r e

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EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED The Slate is a slice of old Phuket; rich in culture. Age-old traditions are brought to life with bold design and avant garde creativity.

Family legacy meets raw elements, industrial beauty and art mingle with nature.

By Lilly Carrion Photographed By Adriano Trapani

1 1. Resort The resort sits on the tranquil shores of Nai Yang Beach and is surrounded by the protected Sirinat National Park. The moment you step into The Slate you enter another world where exotic birds dazzle in colour and verdant rainforests quietly grow.

The extraordinary hotel features three swimming pools: A fun Family Pool with an exclusive non-smoking children’s section. Pulley Bar is an adults-only swim-up bar with smooth beats. The Infinity Pool is the perfect adults-only place to relax and enjoy the day. There is also a dive and kitesurfing center next to the hotel.

2. Cooking Class At Moo’s Kitchen cooking class, you will learn the philosophy of Thai cooking and the secret of the five fundamental tastes.

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3. Coqoon Spa This spa has revolutionized the art of unashamed bliss… The cutting edge design features a tree house “nest”. You will experience a sense of weightlessness as your body floats away allowing you to truly relax and unwind

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6. Restaurants The Slate attempts crafting authentic dishes on their 6 different restaurants.

Black Ginger

Discover the true tastes of Phuket. A magical restaurant offering delicious Thai Food.

4. The Bensley Suite Surrounded by lush greenery and calm waters, the Bensley Suite is 504sqm of luxury. It is a sublime sanctuary of nature and peace, flower arrangements and rich dark wood furnishings.

As the sky turns to red at sunset, you can take a dip in your private pool or relax in the comfort of the living room.

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Tin Mine

A lush array of dishes served alfresco. Enjoy fanciful grills and succulent steaks in an enchanting environment.

Rivet & Rebar 5.Private Pool Villa The one bedroom & two-bedroom Private Pool Villas are between 650 and 1,000sqm. Set in a surreal world of breathtaking art and captivating natural beauty. A fusion of nature, art and luxury, the private pool villas offer an otherworldly experience. Wake up in a cloud-like, oversized bed to the soft chirping of tropical birds.

Cool off in your private plunge pool or lounge in your striped sofa on your sun terrace, the whispering sea and sweeping coastal skies.

Serving up modern Asian cuisines, Rivet is a whimsical world with an exciting blend of tastes and spices.

For sensational sips and scrumptious sushi bites, hop over to Rebar.

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6 Tongkah Tin Syndicate

Snooker hall and stylish sips. Soothe your soul with rare whiskies and craft cocktails.

Dirty Monstera

5 For who ?

With your family, your friends or with your better half you will have an inspiring journey surrounded by the rich tradition of Thai Culture while enjoying and embracing art and flamboyant nature

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How much?

Starting from 12,000 THB/ night

A delectable spread of luscious lunch bites, fresh ground coffee and tasty sweet treats. Take rich, sinful forkfuls of a decadent dessert while you enjoy a classic film.

Verdict The Slate is a perfect backdrop for relaxation, wellness and beautiful scenery.. One of the most gorgeous hotels on the Island. Not just a hotel, a destination!

My Personal Favorite Without hesitation, Black Ginger restaurant is the pearl of The Slate. Every detail is perfect, like a dreamscape.

THE SLATE Nai Yang Beach 116 Moo 1, Sakhu, Thalang Phuket 83110, Thailand T: +66(0) 76 327 006 F: +66(0) 76 327 338-9 www.theslatephuket.com T r av e l

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FOOD ART

By Lisa Allen Photographer: Adriano Trapani

isa Allen is Insider Asia’s specialist makeup artist offering tips, advice and hot new products to beautify your life.

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The more I thought about the “Food Art” project the more I fell in love with it.

I was inspired by possibility of using food in a creative way. Of course the colours and textures but also how was I going to interpret this onto real models.

An artistic collaboration between Lisa Allen Makeup Artist, Stylist & Hair Designer, with Adriano Trapani, Photographer - Phuket Paparazzi.

I wanted to create a look that people could relate to and see the artistic value of the visionary process.

I really wanted to use my creative skills to transform the face or body of the model and I believed that, through my skills, the images could be taken to a higher level.

We wanted to create a series of images and believed that it was important to understand how the concept would translate into a complete look with the makeup, styling and hair.

Logistically we decided to shoot the series inside away from the heat.

We found a great location, my bathroom, as the polished concrete wall offered a neutral background as not to take away from the images.

H e a lt h a nd Be a u t y

Project One

PENNE ARRABIATA Ingredients: 1 Model Three Bags of Dry Penne Pasta Brown String Cotton Wool Needle & Thread Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves Fresh Chillies Baby Plum Tomatoes Makeup Foundation, Green Metallic Eye Shadow, Black Eye Liner, Eyelashes, Blusher, Powder and Red Lipstick Hair Brush, Comb, Hairspray, Bobby Pins & Hair Bands.

Creating The Look Adriano was the Italian influence for this project and we threw Italian into the mix.

We looked at many inspirational images from the web, from spaghetti in the hair to pizza hats, until one day I just started to string some dry penne pasta together which I found in the cupboard. I strung it in one metre lines and hung them vertically from a horizontal string, evenly placed and tied. The plan was to hang this from Dasha’s neck.

On the day of the shoot I still didn’t have a solid plan but concentrated on Dasha’s makeup starting with her eyes. I thought a green smoky metallic eye shadow would make her blue eyes pop and compliment the basil leaves. I airbrushed her foundation on, added eyelashes and liner, then set to work on her hair. I braided and twisted parts of the top. This gave me more of a solid base to add the food. I placed chillies, penne pasta, basil leaves and the baby plum tomatoes randomly throughout the hair. I then added the red lipstick powder and then blush. To complete the look, I put up the rest of Dasha’s hair up so the pasta could be seen but didn’t mingle with her hair and there was more of a contrast.

Challenges & Secrets to the Shoot I realised quite quickly that there might be a problem with the food falling off of the head as the tomatoes were a little heavy! So I ended up sewing majority of the chillies, penne pasta, basil leaves, baby plum tomatoes to Dasha’s hair. This really helped and they stopped failing off!

The pasta hanging around Dasha’s neck was super heavy, so to elevate the shoulder pain I put cotton wool under the pasta to make it more comfortable, so it didn’t dig into her skin too much!

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Project Two

MEXICAN TACO Model: Reachel Ingredients: 1 Model 3 Iceberg Lettuces 1 Large Chilli 2 Hard Shell Tacos 2 Chopped Tomatoes 1 Pack of Chopped Fresh Ginger Needle & Thread Ribbons in Green, White and Red White Crepe Paper Red Crepe Paper Double Sided Sticky Tape Makeup Foundation, Grey Metallic Eye Shadow, Black Eye Liner, Eyelashes, Blusher, Powder and Red Lipstick Hair Brush, Comb, Hairspray, Bobby Pins & Hair Bands.

Creating The Look I’ve always been a fan of Frida Kahlo but I know that her historic look has been recreated many times. Basing the overall look very roughly on Frida we decided to create Mexican Taco style. I decided on a colour theme from the Mexican flag, green, white and red.

On the day I created Reachel’s eye makeup first with a smoky grey smudged eye then I airbrushed her foundation on. Added eyelashes and liner, with an intense red Mexican red for her lips. Blusher and lipstick was added at the end.

I then went to work on Reachel’s hair. I parted the hair in the centre and created two braids either side of her head.

One of the plaits I braided in the green, white and red ribbons and left to hang down one side. The chilli was added as an “earring” and then the lettuce placed above. White and red crepe flowers (that I had made earlier) were then added either side of Reachel’s head. I placed the hard shell tacos inside the crepe flowers secured by double sided sticky tape. Then added in the ingredients of the tacos, tomatoes, lettuce and ginger. Finally placing lettuce leaves to add a “frill” type top to Reachel’s body using double sided sticky tape.

Challenges & Secrets to the Shoot The taco’s ended up being heavy and I had to secure them with a lot of tape to the crepe flowers. I used ginger instead of grated cheese inside the Taco’s as it would have melted really quickly under the lighting! The lettuce leaves where very challenging as they just would not stick to Reachel’s body, we just kept on attaching them and then would shoot again!

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CHILI FRIE Model: Melanie Ingredients: 1 Model Four Bags of Dried Chillies Large Size Needle & Elastic Thread Makeup Foundation, Gold & Red Metallic Eye Shadow, Burgundy Contour Powder, Black Eye Liner, Paper Eyelashes, Blusher, Powder and Chili Red Lipstick Hair Brush, Comb, Hairspray & Bobby Pins.

Creating The Look My husband and I have always been fans of spicy food, from Indian curries and Thai food all the way through to Mexican and of course that magic ingredient the “Ghost Chilli!” We looked through images and I loved the chilli necklaces that I saw across the web, but what if we could create something a little different?

The day before shooting I sourced four bags of dry chillies.

I had planned to make about six “chilli” necklaces in random sizes and to make a smaller one for a crown for her head. I had an idea of layering them on the day.

Melanie’s eye makeup was first with a red metallic eyes shadow in the crease blended upwards and then gold colour on the lid. I airbrushed her foundation and when dry I contoured Melanie’s face with a burgundy powder. Organic decorative paper eyelashes were added and then liner. I then added the chilli red lipstick powder and blush. Melanie’s hair was back combed all over and then hair sprayed for extra volume. I wanted a messy fiery look. I pinned it loosely at the back and the sides and left the top high. I then added the chilli necklaces and tied them in place with secured with bobby pins. Lastly the final two chilli necklaces were added around her neck.

Challenges & Secrets to the Shoot About an hour after sewing the elastic through all of the chilli necklaces my finger tips started to burn! I should have worn gloves! The chillies were hard to stand up in vertical position in the hair so I had to really go heavy on backcombing the top front section of Melanie’s hair so they were able to stand up.

The organic paper lashes were difficult to work with. When adding the eyelash glue to them they rolled up and a changed shape so I had to work fast to manipulate them, this took a little time!

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Project Four

SUSHI STICKS Model: Suzuki Ingredients: 1 Model 3 Large Carrots Plastic Synthetic Pearl Necklace Pearl Top Pins Needle & Thread 2 Pieces of Crab Stick Sushi 2 Pieces of Salmon Sushi 2 Orange Chopsticks 2 Red Chopsticks 2 Wooden Chopsticks Large Dried Seaweed Sheets Double Sided Sticky Tape Makeup Cream Face Paint Foundation in White, Red, Orange and Black.

Hair Pony Tail Hair Piece, Hair Doughnut, Brush, Comb, Hairspray, Bobby Pins & Hair Bands.

Creating The Look I researched this look quite intensly. I wanted to create a traditional Japanese look infused with food.

I wasn’t 100% sure of what I was going to create. After researching on the web I fell in love with the Kanzashi hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. I then thought about using carrots as I loved the orange colour.

The day before shooting I sourced all of the food produce and brought a synthetic pearl necklace which I thought I could use for the beads in the hair ornament. The chopsticks I already had in the kitchen. I carved the flowers and triangular shapes by hand out of the carrots and set them aside in water so they would not dry out.

The morning of the shoot I created the three long hair ornaments that hung from an orange chopstick and threaded with pearls then tied them to the chopstick. I based the idea of my makeup loosely on Geisha, with the white face and neck, red liner and brows. I added the orange and red to the face to give it more definition.

Suzuki’s hair was secured tightly in a high ponytail using additional “fake”hair with the doughnut on top and smoothed into a bun shape. I added chopsticks for decoration and some more carrot flowers secured by pearl top pins. Salmon and crab stick sushi was pushed on top on the hair bun and also secured with pearl top pins too. Finally, three large sheets of dried seaweed were added to create a top for Suzuki.

Challenges & Secrets to the Shoot Surprisingly, although this shoot was one of the more technical designs, everything went pretty well. The only difficulty was with the dried seaweed. It just would not stick to the body. I ending up using a pretty tough double sided sticky tape.

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SUSTAINABLE

YOU In sider Asia’s re sident nutr i t ioni s t An n ebe van Dijk studied he a lt h a nd orthomole cul ar nutrition at Ag riculture Universit y. Sh e h as a passion for he althy e ating t h at she shares on www.facebook .c om/ healthy.bitsbyanna. She is ava i l a bl e f or work shop s and consultat ions on healthy die t & life st y le Contact: healthy.bitsbyanna@gmail.com

By Annebe van Dijk t is important to understand that the way we eat and drink has a huge impact on our environment. We have come to expect the supermarket shelves to be stocked with a wide variety of food imported from all over the world. Though it is convenient to have grocery stores stocked with all the produce imaginable, if it’s not in season locally, it has to travel thousands of miles from the source.

Luckily there is increasing awareness with an emerging green food movement, also here in Asia. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are popping up like mushrooms, funky juice bars with interesting green juices on their menu can be found everywhere. Farmer’s markets can also be found somewhere every week.

Green eating has become hip. And it is as much about making healthy, natural choices about what we eat, as it is about choosing foods that are planet friendly, because they are grown locally. By making the lifestyle switch to eating green as often as possible you are saving your environment and your waistline.

Thinking or eating GREEN does not only, mean the colour. It is in every sense of the word: vegetables, legumes, tubers, fruits, grains, herbs, seeds, nuts and kernels are not boring or monotonous. Rather they are hugely colourful, diverse and even chic.

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he key to sustainable and healthy food is choosing local, organic and seasonal produce and choose more vegetables and less animal products.

Eat Locally

One of the best ways to start eating green is by purchasing foods that are locally grown. Buying from local farmers, or at farmer’s markets, ensures you’ll be eating fresher foods (unfortunately not always chemical-free as promised on the package) with higher nutritional values. From the moment a cauliflower is cut from the field, transported by boat, airplane or truck, then stored at different temperatures, washed, dried, packaged, touched and brought home to lay in your fridge for another few days, it loses more than 50 % of its original nutrients. Eating locally helps you and the economy of your community. It also helps bring down carbon emissions as transportation is limited to shorter distances, and with shorter storage times

Cut back on waste

Wasted food means more wasted natural resources and wasted energy on food disposal. To cut back on waste, refrain from overbuying, and stick to a shopping list. Give leftovers away or invite friends over for dinner if you have more than you need. We make it a sport at home to prepare improvised meals from all our leftovers.

Oftentimes these are the best meals of the week!

Eat Less Meat

Whatever way you look at it meat products burden the environment more than any other food. They are number one culprit compared to other foods when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. A recent publication by the Water Footprint Network states that to produce a kilo of meat requires a hundred times more water than than to produce one kilogram of grain or vegetables. To get one kilo of beef in the store requires 15,000 liters of water. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to get your daily proteins.

And if you still do eat meat try to eat less, ensure it’s locally produced and if your wallet can afford the extra expense, choose organic or free-range meat.

Health Benefits

In addition to being better for the environment, eating green is significantly better for your body.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), fruit and vegetables should take up the majority of your plate during meals (the 2/3 to 1/3 rule). Dark greens and lush fruits are loaded with antioxidants, rich in cancer-fighting fibre and will lower your risk for heart disease.

Did you know? Vegetarians are, on average, 8kg lighter than non-vegetarians, according to the CDCP.

Losing Weight

If you do decide to make the switch to green eating, expect to lose a few pounds in the process.

Naturally, by choosing foods that are fresh, locally grown and just plain better for you, you are going to be consuming fewer calories than if you were to stick to the fancy packaged, full-of-sugar and white carbohydrate processed junk.

Give green eating a try for a few weeks and see if you feel a difference in your body. I guarantee this is one lifestyle you’ll want to stick to!

Top 5 ways to start eating green!

• To save on plastic bottles fill your own aluminium water bottle when you leave home…

Why not add a teaspoon full of chia seeds to it • Imported, foreign goods are out; local products are in.

There are many local alternatives in the shops. Spend a bit of time exploring. Visiting farmers’ markets is fun too. Check the local websites for dates; • Veggies rule! Order a vegetarian dish for lunch or dinner. Restaurants have delicious and more complicated dishes on the menu than you might make at home; • Be aware of the plastic bags! Take your own.

• Think beyond the cow! While beef offers many important nutrients, cows leave a larger carbon footprint on the planet than other protein sources. Mix up your meals with free-range chicken, wild salmon, canned light tuna, beans and legumes.

Some useful tips:

• Kaikorat Free-range chicken bee579@hotmail.com Mobile: 0936329354 • Lemon Farm fruit & vegetables from companies that are certified organic and pesticide-free www.lemonfarm.com • Organic Vegetable shops next to Chatuchak market • Below Eleven Ice cream flavors@below11.com Call: 094674119 • Mr. Maarten Microgreens mmmicrogreens@gmail.com Call: 0870137606 • Check dates on Bangkok Farmers’ Market | Facebook • The best Green Website for Bangkokians: www.theurbangreenscene.com • Download the VEGETARIOUS APP for the best veggie restaurants in your neighborhood!

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fit and fabulous WATCHARA MUAY THAI GYM Inside r A sia e xplores the m an y way s to get fi t, stay f it and (ideally ) en joy the pr oc ess.

M ar ch 17 is Nation al Thai B oxing Day in Thail a nd s o De bbie Oak e s tal k s to Panit (Beer) Watc har apruk to f ind ou t a bit m or e about the sport of c ha mpion s.

Written & Photographed By Debbie Oakes

nce upon a time (1767 to be exact) a warrior from Ayutthaya, Thailand’s ancient capital, called Nai Khanomtom was captured by the Burmese. Prior to being taken prisoner his fighting style had managed to capture the attention of the Burmese king. He quickly called for a tournament between the two countries best fighters to establish once and for all who was stronger. Legend has it that Nai Khanomtom proceeded to defeat nine consecutive opponents, proving his superior (Muay Thai) fighting style, and earning his freedom as a reward.

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Fast forward a few centuries and enter the Watchara Muay Thai Training Gym. The owner, Beer was born in Bangkok but his masterful English language skills are thanks to an International education. He explains: “I went to secondary school in Singapore and University in Australia. I was actually a graphic designer before I started a Muay Thai gym.”

Beer explains: “Starting a gym never come into my thoughts. Six years back I was happy with my graphic design. I started training in Muay Thai just for fun.”

He was training on Sukhumvit 13 when the gym had to close down. “After the

gym closed I let the trainer store his equipment - heavy bags, metal poles, pads, shin pads and gloves at my place. I thought it would be for a few days… but that turned into weeks. My parents started to ask and ask when I would remove them” And that was how Beer came up with the idea to start his own gym: “I thought – why not use the large space” So, together with his trainer, he set up the gym. “We used his business model. Mainly because he was experienced and I had none. MuayThai training for fitness was not as popular then as it has become now. Business was not as expected; so we decided to separate after six months.”

Beer found that he enjoyed working in the gym much more than sitting in front of his Mac doing graphic design: “I to made another important decision. I went to Petchyindee Muay Thai Academy in the evening almost everyday for a month to learn more.

I also took up private lessons so I could assist my trainer and look after the gym when he was not around.”

Things took an unexpected turn: “People started to come. Maybe I put up a sign” he laughs. “The very first people were my friends. They came not only to train but also help me to train my new members.

Today they still do that. Many fighters came too. They told me that the gym was a great place to come to train before and after Muay Thai camp. It was good for me too because they taught me to hold pads and shared their training techniques. Everything they learnt. Today we are still friends.”

“More people started to come. At that time the gym was much smaller. We had to fit between 10 -15 people, and there were pools of sweat everywhere. So my next step was to renovate the gym and double the space.”

“Our space is quite limited but it’s sufficient enough to fit in 10-15 people at the same time. When there are many people we will focus on strength, power and endurance however when there are less people we can add in techniques.”

“Now we offer Muay Thai training. Mainly for fitness, endurance and strength. Our training style is not quite exactly the same as traditional Muay Thai camp. Our members are not fighters but rather people who want to stay fit and strong. Fighters are welcome to join us for a small group or private session.”

“I love that I can keep myself fit along side my members. Also, my friends become members and members become my friends. It is a feeling of family. I think what makes us unique is our sincerity and friendliness with our terms of price. We do not limit training time. Our members are free to stay as long as they like if they feel that they want more.”

“Most of the training ideas are from experience. My trainers have fought over 200 professional fights. My main trainer, also a friend, has excellent knowledge. There are lot of kind hearted trainers I have met along the way. I am always grateful to them for the techniques I have learnt while training at both fitness gyms and Muay Thai camps.

I have had three amateur fights so far and I would like to have few more.

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Treat Yourself to a R e l a x ing M a s s a g e at

The Sur in S pa

By Lilly Carrion

efore I dive into the details of the massage experience; let me set the scene a little...

From the hotel reception, I was gently chaperoned to a Spa cottage.

I was warmly welcomed by a delicious tropical hibiscus flower juice.

The intimate cottages are nestled high in the jungle and are linked by a charming wooden bridge.

As I stepped onto the pathway, I took a few minutes to enjoy the plunging view over Surin’s Pansea Beach. With only a natural birdsong soundtrack; I was already feeling relaxed.

The therapist greeted me as I entered the room and introduced herself.

I could not wait to change into my robe and to put my slippers on. The sleek and refined decoration of the cottage, the white color on the walls, the discreet, calming music, the comfort of the bed: all elements were prepared for me to let go an enjoy my massage.

I was given a warm pillow under the neck and felt completely relaxed on the comfortable bed. The music was soothing and the massage was professional.

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The masseuse got right into my muscles and at times it kind of hurt, especially when she kneaded knots out of my shoulder, but later I felt fantastic. I received a foot, a neck and shoulder massage too. She also used a knuckle to get right into the pressure points on my feet relieving all the tension.

After one and a half hour in the expert hands of the Therapist, I felt energized and light, and as free as a bird in the air. The time passed by too quickly & I wished I was staying longer.

This Spa experience will definitely be on my ‘to do’ list next time I go back to The Surin Hotel.

The Surin Phuket

118 Moo 3 Choengtalay, Thalang, Phuket, Thailand Call +66 (0)76 316 400 http://www.thesurinphuket.com/

www.insiderasia.com

F I ND US ONLINE facebook.com/insiderasiamagazine twitter.com/insiderasiamag instagram.com/insiderasiamagazine www.insider-asia.com

BE PART OF THE JOURNEY

INFO@INSIDER-ASIA.COM 71

A LOVE AFFAIR IN A PAIR

LALITA ITALIAN DESIGNER SHOES

By Lilly Carrion Photographer: Lalita Shoes

eorge Tsakalos was born in the port of Piraeus, Greece.

After 10 years surviving the polar cold of Moscow, where he had a business, in 2016 it was time to move to the warmth of Phuket.

Time to enjoy a more relaxing life. He tells me: “I was always fascinated by travelling around the world and learning about new cultures.

I come from the biggest commercial port of the Mediterranean Sea, and I am definitely proud of growing up there.”

George arrived at the beginning of low season: “It wasn’t easy for me to start up a business here. Everything was completely new, from weather conditions to the lifestyle, from clothes, to human behavior in general. I am a straightforward person in every sense.”

Before George moved to Asia, he established an export company in Cyprus.

It still operates exporting quality food products, to Russia and Kazakhstan in particular, but also all around the world: “I graduated at La Sapienza Law University of Rome and then practiced as a lawyer at the best Law Studio in Italy. Returning to Greece, I had to face the ugly truth of the Economic crisis of my country. I took a trip to Moscow at the end of 2006 and saw that no Greek quality food products were sold in big supermarket chains. I saw a gap in the market and started to move into this business”

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“... Nowadays, even at distance, I am coordinating the exports of seven companies specializing in deli products. I feel proud of being an exclusive supplier of the most exquisite and awarded honey and olive products in the world, teasing, in a good way, the palates of Presidents, Prime Ministers of States and Kings …”

George’s friend, Laura, had been living in Phuket for about 3 years. It was her that gave him the idea of opening an Italian Designer shoes showroom in the booming area of Boat Avenue at the Phuket Laguna: “I was looking for new challenges and ways to invest. Thailand was a dream destination for me.

When my friend Laura threw this idea at me at the beginning of last year – ‘NO LEATHER SHOES, NO BIG SIZES’ - I was intrigued...” On my first trip I did noticed that this area (where my showroom now is) was growing really fast. There are many expats living around here with their families… and they couldn’t find good quality shoes.”

“I decided to give a name to a showroom that was related to Laura. Lalita is a baby’s name and means : Cheerful, playful, stubborn, independent, loved, it’s easy to pronounce by all nationalities and easy to remember.”

“Quality shoes are a must to move and walk in comfort. What you are wearing on your feet will affect your whole body, affect your whole day.”

“The concept of ‘luxury’ fascinates people. And many of them are likely following big brand names written in capital letters. But a real luxury item is luxury for its substance. I want my customers to understand this clearly. Q uality means fine materials, and good workmanship, not just marketing.

I won’t allow my customers to leave my shop with a single bag if they don’t feel 100% that is the right one for them comfortable in their shoes. If the shoe pair doesn’t fit perfectly, I don’t let them buy it. I make them try both shoes of same pair and walk until they are 100% sure which is right for them. It is not about money; but good service and relationship.”

George explains that Lalita wants to remain a small boutique and focus on quality rather than quantity: “I import 100% handmade Italian leather shoes and accessories, no synthetic materials. All our products have passed numerous quality controls and are all certified ‘Made in Italy’. It is the first and only boutique of its kind in Phuket.”

Lalita sells Italian Designer Shoes for men and women at a very reasonable prices: “I am able to do this because I connect directly with factories that have a very long history in the shoemaking, factories that produce for big names like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani just to name a few. Very similar shoes are up to three times more expensive in big brand stores that need to keep prices high for marketing and brand image. So, although the brand names in my showroom may not be so familiar, when you look close and try the shoes on, you can easily understand what real comfort means. Our selection is designed to satisfy every day’s needs but also for special occasions.

The range will be increasing soon with new brands and variety…”

“My ambitions remain always as big as my expectations in every area of my life. I want Lalita become the best shoe proposal for everyone that lives already in Phuket, as well for tourists, and one day to be associated with wellbeing and fine walking. When you offer customers quality items, you always gain their trust.”

“One step at a time (in good shoes!) you will get there . The most important thing is to keep your real identity and respect the people that choose your items for their every day life. Identity is important because indirectly you become a part of their lifestyle. My next project is an online store.”

“My grandfather is my inspiration. Since I was a young boy I saw him working really hard. He did everything for his family to offer them a better life. His main occupation was agriculture. Nothing was offered to him. He obtained everything with hard work and loyalty. He taught me to be a loyal and straight forward person. He is my protector…I took his name…”

“I have lived independently, far from my homeland, since I was 19 years old.

Every day for me is a new challenge. People that meet me for the very first time see a ‘detached person’. But they just don’t know me. If you look straight into my eyes as I look straight into yours, you can see who I am. You can see when I smile, that my eyes are smiling too!

Money is not important for me.

Time is…. And of course great shoes” Contact details Email: shop@lalitashoes.com Email: george@lalitashoes.com Phone number: +66(0)94 582 0102 www.lalitashoes.com Fashion

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RUSI HANCOCK

By Debbie Oakes

Handbag and Jewelry Designer here were you born?

Tbilisi, Georgia When did you leave?

I left in 1998 to accompany my husband, a British Diplomat, on a posting to Brussels.

Where do you live now?

I currently live in Jakarta, Indonesia, where my husband is the Consul at the British Embassy. Prior to that we spent four years in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok holds a special place in my heart as it is there where I first started making bags and jewellery.

What did you graduate in?

Interior Design and Decoration in the UK. Environmental Chemistry Georgia.

How many careers have you had?

Quite a few! As we travel so much for my husband’s work it’s hard to stay in one field. My jobs have included; a chemist (Georgia); USAID projects and financial manager (Georgia); Community Liaison Officer at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv (Israel); designer of Winter accessories (Georgia), Interior Designer (UK), a freelance Fashion and Style writer (Thailand). And finally, now I am at the stage in my life where my 3 boys are bigger, I create what I truly love: Fashion!

What exactly do you do now?

I design and manufacture luxury handbags in Italy and hand make my own line of jewellery. My full time job and my passion is my business - RusiDesigns. www.rusidesigns.com

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How did your business develop?

When my family arrived in Bangkok in 2011 I planned to continue my work as an interior designer, but ended up setting up my own fashion label. It was meant to be! and I would not change anything about it. when I first arrived I was hit by the vibrant colours! There was so much colour. Even taxis were bright! Actually, it was the Bangkok taxis that inspired me to create my first collection of clutches in 12 different colours. That was at the end of 2013. I then made jewellery to complement my bags and immediately picked up orders for both lines. It seemed everyone wanted something new and well made. I believe in design, function and quality and this is why my customers, who by the way are as passionate as myself about what I do, always always come back for more RusiDesign’s items.

My production in Thailand was going well, but I needed to scale up, so I started looking outside Thailand. In 2015 I got very lucky. I met some amazing Italian people who helped me move my handbag production to Italy. At this point my dream started moving into reality and now I produce in Italy in the same factory that makes other top luxury brands (For confidentiality reasons I can not say brand names........ but think big!).

Life is very busy now! RusiDesigns is UK based brand, so I regularly travel to the UK and Italy for work. So I am happy!

Describe your bags in a sentence Luxurious, but very practical and created with real women in mind!

What has been the most difficult lesson in your life?

Not following my dream earlier! I should have started before I was 45.

But as they say “Better late than never!”

What do you love about what you do?

I love the creative freedom, and the warm and proud feeling I get when my customers tell me how much they love what I do!

What is something that you wish everybody knew?

Follow your passion. If you really, really want it; its never too late!

Can everyone be creative?

I do not know, but I don’t think there is a need for everyone to be creative.

(And I know my husband is happy there is only one creative person in our house!) I think we need all sorts of different professionals in our lives!

My sense is there is level of creativity in anything anyone does well.

Who or what has been your greatest inspiration and why?

Victoria Beckham becoming a fashion designer after being a WAG and singer. I was inspired by what she achieved and how she achieved it! When she showed her first collection to influential editors in New York she could have been yet another celebrity turned designer, but she proved that if you work really hard people will respect you for who are in your own right.

What single life event changed you?

Meeting my wonderful husband Michael. Our travels around the world have provided inspiration and thrown up opportunities I could never have imagined!

Who is your favourite designer? Why? Marni and latest Fendi because they are bold and creative.

A collection of beautifully crafted high quality jewelry featuring our premium grade diamond simulants, set in 18K or 14K gold, and rhodium plated sterling silver, for those who appreciate excellence at an affordable price

What was the catalyst to creative life?

A short handbag design course I did in London made me realise that I was good at it. I told myself one day I will make my own brand at the first opportunity. This opportunity started shaping up in Thailand when we moved there in 2011. It took me 2 years to make my first collection and I have not looked back since.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Follow your passions! I would advise myself to go to Design School earlier!

While her label RusiDesigns may be young, the fabulous handbags she has designed show a deep understanding and appreciation of style and fashion. Her handbags ooze the same style, and creativity that Rusi brings to life. Beautiful craftsmanship coupled with sumptuous leathers in exciting colours, distinctive, stand-out linings, and use of gold plated animal motifs all come together to make seriously desirable handbags.

One of her favourite quotes is “You can never have too many bags!”

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AMBRE JOLIE T he French-Khmer de sign er show room h as be c ome Ba ng k ok ’s h idden Hot Spot to ge t t h e mos t a m a z i ng dre s se s i n tow n. he AMBRE JOLIE story began in 2007.

Fine Schuecktanz, is a German business women living in Bangkok. She tells me: “I had a background in producing fashion for the European music industry. So when a friend of mine arrived in town wearing a wonderful outfit, I immediately felt in love. Of course I reacted “OMG! Where did you get THAT dress’?

This was the beginning of Fine’s love affair with this very special collection by French-Khmer designer, Romyda Keth. “I was in love with these dresses but unfortunately they were not available in Thailand.”

As a business woman Fine thought there was an opportunity. “I knew that many other women would be very happy if they had a chance to find these dresses here in Bangkok.”

So in 2013 she finally decided to import the gorgeous designs and open a private showroom in Bangkok’s Ekkamai Soi 28: “Since that day women come here for the stylish, feminine and elegant collections.”

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“The dresses are worn like a second skin revealing the dormant sexiness and elegance inside a woman. They are comfortable to wear and easy to travel with. The fabrics are soft and stretchy.”

Ambre Jolie designs combine French classical cuts with Khmer subtle silk dyes, textures and embroideries. And are influenced by Japanese geometry, vivid shades and colours as well as the ornaments of Africa.

They are flattering and highlight the beauty of a woman’s femininity. New designs are released throughout the year as limited editions.

Standard Sizes are S.M.L (M is about Size 38 EU).

Fine is a style specialist and not only delights in helping her customers to choose the perfect dress, to match the occasion and underlying personality of her clients, she is also expert at it. “The most touching moments in the showroom happen when customers look into the mirror and say: ‘I can´t believe it´s me’! They can´t believe how beautiful they really are. It makes me smile. I tell them: ‘Wear it when you go by BTS and see what happens….

It´s magic’!”

AMBRE JOLIE

Facebook: AMBRE JOLIE

Line ID: ambrejolie Phone: +66 (0)2 711 5981

info@ambrejolie.com

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STYLE FILE EDITOR’S SELECTION OF THE COOLEST MUST HAVE SHOPPING ITEM IN ASIA

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Kaanda Beach Life

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Super SOSO

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Zen Sisters

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Island Bliss Phuket

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Pony Stone

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Rotsaniyom

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RoseBud

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Lalita

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Petit mask

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www.kaandabeachlife.com www.supersoso.cool www.zensisters.com www.islandblissphuket.com

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FB @ponystoneBKK FB @therotsaniyom www.rosebuditbag.com FB @lalitaitaliandesignershoes www.petitmask.bigcartel.com

4 Shopping

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TROPICAL VIBES EDITOR’S SELECTION OF THE COOLEST STUFF FROM LF OUTDOOR STORE IN THAILAND.

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Shopping

eccentric bohemian lab

9 /53 Co mm u nity Ma ll: S o i Th o ng L o , K h lo ng Tan N uea, Watthana Ban gkok, Thailan d

fo l low u s

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@ w h y d o n t yo u st o r e @ r o s e b u d _ bag @ r o s e b u d _ st o n e

style council DESIGN Q&A with Beatrice Martinet & Fabrice Masson

By Debbie Oakes here are you from?

We are both from France but nobody’s perfect! I’m from Paris and Fabrice is from Verdun regrettably well-known for the 14/18 war but now for being the capital of the Peace…

When did you come to Bangkok and why?

We arrived in Bangkok in May 2008, as expatriates with the Accor Group.

I was Director of Design for Asia, from 2008 to 2014 (also eight years in France previously) managing about 60 projects per year in construction or refurbishment. My background is architecture. When we arrived in Bangkok, Fabrice opened our first objects and design boutique under the name toineinbangkok (our son is called Toine). And in 2013, we launched the branch Interior Design for the company, together with “Art & Artifacts” sourcing. The company is busy with lots of projects.

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What attracted you to design?

As an architect, I have always lived in the artistic domain, rich, endless and so inspiring; it was natural to develop our activities around it.

What exactly is it you do?

We have plenty of activities and that’s what we love. All relating to decoration, art, design, colours, and disalignment… we like that. We are doing Interior Design, Styling and Art consultancy. Our preferred activity now is supplying art & props for hotel openings. We are always buzzing.

What spaces do you specialize in?

We work exclusively for hospitality and hotels. We like the mix of services under the same umbrella. The mix of outlets, restaurants, guestrooms and meeting-rooms, or even spas and gyms.

What are you passionate about?

Apart from decor and design, we love to have a sense of humour and joy of life. Actually that drives all our projects.

How do you work with the client to make sure they know and get what they want?

We are elaborating briefs prior any project. Mood boards (story telling) refine the direction and the definitive proposal. These phases are important and should not be omitted to create consolidated projects.

Describe your design ethos in a sentence Good morning every day!

Because designing is not only about art, design or creation… it is also wandering, feeling the vibes, being happy to breathe and think differently, out of the box. That gives us a creative mood and the motivation we have every day. We are definitively a team of happy fellows, enthusiasts of design and decoration, not very serious about life but pushed by very rewarding projects.

What is the difference between interior design, styling and art consultancy?

Interior Design is definitively related to architecture but planned for the interior. Creating or massaging layouts made by the architects. Thinking about the décor in 3D, providing all the aspects of the décor: walls, ceiling, floors, furniture, colours, patterns, fabrics and even the art & small decoration. It is a very long process, about two to three years for a hotel, from development and mood boards to completion. We recently completed the entire interior design project for the Sofitel Sentosa in Singapore.

Styling is more about “Atmosphere making”, revamping some existing areas, cosmetic touches, or just adding touches here and there… we love this kind of scope as it is a bit of Mary Poppins Art consultancy is to create trends or to help customers blend their interiors.

We provide guidance for pieces of art to give their spaces a specific feel. We are selecting, and often acquire, art and artifacts including paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, decorative objects.

Our main activity now is art & artifacts supply and we have a lot of fun doing it!

Describe the journey of your evolution.

Before I was supervising the projects of hotels, and now we are the other side, doing it! Therefore, it is quite easy for me to develop and translate brand expectations and requirements, as my previous scope was to create briefs for the projects. The courage required was to decide to quit my previous job. It was a great job, but I didn’t see my family enough as I was always traveling.

Naturally I decided it was enough and I jumped in the big void. I have no regrets and actually I’m so happy now. A sensation of freedom even. I would redo exactly the same, the same path and experience.

Who is your favourite designer? Why? I have plenty of ‘favourite’ designers… so many inspiring artists and creative people. Zaha Hadid or India Madhavi, I love the mix of cultures. But also the many artists we meet regularly, their philosophy of life. (Sometimes they don’t read their emails for one month, we love this kind of behaviour, so free) Their goodness and the translation in their art. Very emotional and poetic..

Also, I had a great time and a big chance to do workshops with Christian Lacroix when I was director of Design at Accor Group. His way of thinking is so culturally based, rooted in the deep local traditions, and revisiting them so beautifully… such a sweet memory.

What was the catalyst to creative life?

Being curious about every single little thing. Opening doors and wandering.

Pushing the limits, being bold, moving from one subject to another one and mixing them. Trying to be surprising and you can even surprise yourself. Be authentic.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

To get off the beaten tracks, moving out of comfort zones, to be inspired and to think differently, to make things in diverse and various ways.

What are your top tips creating that you wish everybody knew?

Can everyone be creative?

Yes, absolutely, the important thing is to be curious always and about everything. The challenge is always to narrow your choices. Choosing the unique piece that nobody else has.

Do you have a showroom?

Yes! We have a boutique at the SO Sofitel in Bangkok; in the Lobby. It’s called toineinbangkok, and petit toineinbangkok for little trend setters. We also have a showroom on the ground floor of our office where we display operational supplies and equipment for operations of hotels. As our major clients are hotels (and we like that) we know they always need unexpected and surprising items such as trays, candle holders, items for guestrooms.

Who or what has been your greatest inspiration and why?

Definitively meeting all the different personalities on my path, many various and interesting characters.. So enriching.

During our sourcing for projects, we find lot of lovely items, then we like to display and show or use them when General Managers or investors request us to complete the Art & Artefacts supply with operational products.

Design

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MISSION ANTARTICA COLD BOLD WHITE & GREEN “If Antarctica were music i t w oul d be Moza rt. A rt, a nd i t w o uld be Mich el angelo. Literat ur e , a nd i t w oul d be Sh a k e sp e a re . A n d y e t it is something e ven gre ater; t h e only p l a ce on e a rt h t h at i s s t i ll as it sho uld be . M ay w e ne ver ta me i t.”

By Rebecca Leiler

Year 10 Student Bangkok Patana School first heard about the trip at our school assembly in August 2016.

Our cross campus Principle presented Project 2041. She explained the upcoming expedition would include one chosen student to go to Antarctica alongside Sir Robert Swan, a polar explorer, environmentalist and the first man ever to walk unsupported to both Poles.

2041 is the year that the treaty that protects the last great wilderness on earth, Antarctica, expires leaving it vulnerable to exploitation. Bangkok Patana decided to join Robert’s mission because it is an environmentally conscious school with students dedicated to taking small steps towards positive change.

Robert told us when he visited in October 2016 that “You can’t all do everything, but you can do your 1%.” And that if Antarctica continues to melt we will swim. Here in Bangkok we would be amongst the first. Antarctica’s problem is our problem.

This is a one chance in a lifetime to visit the 6th Continent, Antarctica. To advocate for the preservation of this unique eco-system for of it, future generations. And also for me to grow within myself.

The world is changing because of the human race and generation after generation is ignoring the messages our planet is sending. We continue to hope future generations will be the ones to clean the mess up. I believe in immediate action, taking responsibility and preserving the places on earth that need our help the most; Antarctica being on the top of my list. As Lee M Talbot said: “We do not inherit the planet from our parents we borrow the planet from our children.” Climate change is happening and I want to be the pebble that starts the ripple and this is also my motto for 2041. Environmental damage is a big problem and we are hurting the environment with waste and plastic.

The selection process, set up by the school committee, resembled the hiring process for a job. We all had to write a letter of motivation. Then we had individual interview rounds before the school committee. At the end of this process, I was selected from all the candidates.

The initial response of my parents, was that it was a confidence booster for me, knowing the competition was tough. They teach me never to give up and I take that to heart. At first they were speechless and surprised then very proud of me.

I had to raise a lot of funds and I am and still busy. We haven’t quite reached our goal. To make the dream a reality is very expensive. That is why we are reaching out to as many people as possible that are willing to contribute to our cause. We drew up a budget and divided it into corporate fund raising, community fundraising at school and then we set up personal fundraising websites. http://asiola.co.th/en/campaign/bps2041 https://www.generosity.com/fundraising/bangkok-to-antarctica--2 Antarctica is one of the last eco-system untouched by human exploitation. While now there is well-controlled eco-tourism to this sensitive eco-system; industrial exploitation banned by the International Treaty will only last until 2041. After this date Antarctica’s resources will be open to exploitation. The main purpose of this journey is to raise awareness of the 6th Continent, with the ultimate goal of extending the non-exploration treaty indefinitely, and preserving this sensitive eco-system for generations to come.

I am very focused on the trip because I truly care about the vision of 2041 and I am passionate about it. At the moment I have visited five year groups counting an astounding 57 tutor groups. I am excited to see how it will evolve my character.

I wonder how Antarctica will affect me personally and what life lessons I will bring back with me. Without sounding too dramatic, the main thing I feel is excitement.

I’ve dedicated myself to the 2041 vision and it does give you a boost when you are recognized in school as the girl that’s going to Antarctica. I’ve come to think that I’ve put passion in the 2041 cause. I hope that my passion exudes to my peers and that they may be as passionate about preserving Antarctica.

For more info: www.bangkokpatana2041.com

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Hero at the Start THAT S LIFE

By Darren Scherbain

Photographer: Adriano Trapani

I nside r A sia colum nist Darr e n S che r ba in i s a l if e coa ch, l ifes t y le presenter com m entator m e ntor , r e cov e r e d a ddict a nd 5x Ir onm an f inisher. H e ha s be e n t e a ching N e w Tr ick s in A si a since 2008. He is pa ssionat e a bo ut he l ping pe opl e t ur n obs tac les into opportunitie s. Da r r e n r e side s in Phuke t a nd i s ava il abl e f or consult ing a nd speak ing eng ag em ents a cr o ss the A si a-Pacif ic Reg ion

i I’m Darren and I’m a dog whisperer… I teach new tricks.

Arambhashura, is a bit of tongue twister. It is the Sanskrit word for Hero at the Start.

We have all been there: the start of a new project, the start of a book, the start of a new relationship, the start of the new me. We start off with a massive amount of conviction. ‘This time it will be different’. This time we will get it right and it will be perfect. But it is naive to think that the quest for perfection will shelter us from our fear of failure. What happens when we are left standing, clutching our uncertainty, wondering, how did this happen again? Why is it that we fizzle towards the finish line?

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It is important to remember that we will always run into speed bumps, road blocks and brick walls along the way. They make us ask us important questions. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. They are there to make us ask how badly we want something. When you feel yourself losing motivation, remember this one very important powerful question “Why is this happening for me?” as opposed to the reactive disempowering: “Why is this happening to me?” There are enormous opportunities for growth, forging character, and personal reliance.

Getting Intimate with Fear

Fear based decisions decrease our capacity to become the hero of our own story. Security and that need for control trap us in a narrative in which you can only feel heroic if you are without insecurities. Fear can feel uncomfortable, uncertain and powerless. So the next time you are feeling fearful remember that fear is a necessary ingredient for courage. You cannot have courage without fear. Next time, instead of playing hide and seek, get intimate with your fears. There are three steps to this:

We all have a story that keeps us disconnected from ourselves.

Searching for the hidden treasure. Constantly looking outside of ourselves. We try as best as we can to manipulate and control the pieces on the chess board, but fail to recognize the one constant variable in all our equations is me. The biggest thing that stands in our way is not lack of ability, talent, money, or luck it is our relationship to ourselves. We need to get past the narratives and accompanying fear when we tell ourselves why we are not enough.

Feelings of fear and disconnect can paralyze people. They make us cling to the illusion of control, security, and perfection. We start to question and doubt ourselves and feel we are doing something wrong.

We need to learn to have the courage to be intimate with our fears, insecurities, and feelings of discomfort. Also to give ourselves some credit. It takes an enormous amount of doubt to forge our character.

Character is not something that you can hack or download. Character is something you have to earn. It is very easy to feel in-control plodding along the same way. If you are willing to be courageous and heroic then get ready for some uncertainty, fear, doubt, and a brand new start.

The finish line will figure out its self.

1) ADMIT that you are afraid. Having the honesty to admit that we are fearful is the first step. You cannot out-run your shadows. Once we are honest with ourselves we realize that all along we have been running from ourselves. The one constant variable in all my equations is me 2) ALLOW yourself to feel all the fear. Sit with it. Don’t abandon-

ing yourself by reaching for your usual distractions to numb out fear.

Allowing yourself to completely feel it. This is one of the greatest acts of self love and nurturing. We all have the capacity to nurture and love ourselves.

3) ACT How would you act if you were fearless. Fearlessness is

not the absence of fear. How would you act if you gave yourself the permission to grow from mistakes and ‘failures’.

One illusion people have is the belief that we can cash in on being heroic at a later date. ‘The timing isn’t right’. ‘I’m not ready’. ‘I don’t have the ‘right’ feelings, among a multitude of conditional criteria.

‘I can’t be heroic now, but someday I’ll be ready to be heroic’. The illusion of ‘someday’ is an opiate that soothes our fear of being heroic.

If you can allow yourself to feel and act brave in the future, why not allow yourself to feel and act heroic right NOW. Now is the only moment we have any control over. We have this amazing capacity RIGHT NOW to allow ourselves to accept ourselves unconditionally.

Many people get wrapped up in the notion that courage requires massive effort. We fail to realize that the real magic is in consistency.

It’s a process of a thousand small steps, not one massive leap to the top of the mountain. There is no extraordinary cosmic snap of the fingers, but rather extraordinary results from the consistent small steps. The most important step is the one right now. This first step leads to a domino effect. Now is the time to be heroic and courageous and create your own hero story

Connect to Darren at www.secretsofbetterliving.com

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MIND YOUR BUSINESS Phuket Mineral Pool Systems.

Insider Asia talk s to Phuket entrepreneur Gregory L acour about an innovative and ecological new system for cleaning swimming pools.

By Lilly Carrion

here did you grow up?

Switzerland and came to Phuket in 2013 Why did you come to Phuket?

I came to Thailand on holiday and I fell in love with Thai Culture, the food, the climate, the beautiful Island and of course, the beach.

What is the ethos of your company?

I offer all my clients healthy & environmentally friendly products for daily life.

What has been the most difficult lesson in your life?

Trying to learn Thai! Also to start again from zero. I had a comfortable life in Switzerland but starting again was the best experience. It has enriched me both personally and professionally.

How has Thailand changed you?

It has given me more business opportunities and a better lifestyle. I have many more international friends and clients too. What do you love about what you do?

I love to be able to offer people a product that is healthy What would you do differently if you could do it again? environmentally friendly and cost effective.

I would not change a thing. All my success’ and mistakes have taken me where I am now.

What are your top tips for choosing a pool?

My top tip would be to choose an alternative cleaning Describe your day in a sentence. system other than chlorine.

My day mainly consists of liaising with clients to help them achieve what they need.

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What are the main benefits of your pool system?

• Crystal Clear Water • Money Saving • Healthy & Environmentally friendly • Time Saving • Reduce corrosion What makes it different and better than the regular pool cleaning system?

Unlike a chlorine or salt water pool, the Mineral Pure system does not use or create the chemical chlorine to sanitize your pool water. An ionizer therefore cuts chemical costs and reduces the number of hours needed to run the pool pump saving a dramatic amount of power as well as wear and tear on equipment.

Is it more expensive to buy?

Initially is a bit more expensive compared to alternative products available on the market. But long term through savings on chlorine, pool maintenance, equipment and wear and tear on accessories like ceramic tiles, stainless steel fittings, glass windows and even the garden, it becomes extremely cost effective.

THE HEALTHY & NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO CHLORINE

source of Happiness s i e r u t a N

How does it work?

Using a Mineral Pure Ionizer to sanitize and ionize pool water is ultimately the most effective method for cleaning swimming pools. Mineral copper and silver ions kill bacteria and viruses and prevent the growth of algae, even when the pump is not operating. The residual sanitizing power of copper and silver has a distinct advantage because the ions are unaffected by UV and heat. Unlike chlorine and salt, an ionizer does not need a stabilizer to keep the ions working as a biocide and algaecide. It works even when the pump is not running.

Can I change my existing pool to an ecological one?

Yes, very easily, in only few hours. It can be retrofitted to any system.

Do you think it is important to make ecological choices even if they cost a bit more?

Yes, it is very important. The global population is increasing every day. We all need to be responsible for finding solutions to keep our lives comfortable and at the same time respect the environment to preserve the Earth.

What has been your greatest inspiration?

My inspiration has been to offer an ecological and effective product not yet existing on the market.

If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people what would it be?

Follow you heart and do the right thing.

What does it take to succeed at business in Thailand?

I will tell you when I find out!

Mineral Pool Systems Co., Ltd

3 / 1 0 3 Sinsuk Thani, Thepkasattri Road, Ta lang, Phuket 8311 0 Email: info@ min eralpurephuket.com

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Call : 061 9154 693

DOG DAY AFTERNOON H ELP ST REET DOGS AND C AT S FOU N DATION Non-profit organization / charity foundation Cherngtalay, Phuket, Thailand

By Lilly Carrion Photographer : Lea Sarfati

ab Christophe and Léa Sarfati have known each other for more than 15 years but did not arrive together in Thailand. Léa explains: “I came four years ago for family trip but never left. I fell in love with Phuket, and had a business opportunity here, so I decided to stay.

I went to pick up my three cats on the plane and came over. Fab joined me a year ago. She came to visit me for holiday, and never left. We then went to France together to pick up her dog and bring it back here, with us.

Animal welfare was always a big part of Lea’s education. “My mother raised me to respect every living being. She was a member of WWF in England. We always had rescued cats and dogs at home. For the last five years I lived in France, I volunteered for a local foundation, as a stray cat catcher, as part of a sterilization campaign.”

When Léa arrived in Phuket, she found the terrible conditions of the stray dogs impossible to ignore. “We can’t drive or walk by without stopping to feed them or check if they are ok. Because unfortunately, most of them are not.”

Léa and Fab see dogs as man’s best friends. “They are faithful, around Asia they are ignored, mistreated, neglected and abandoned. Everywhere they are starving, sick, searching for food in the trash, and moreover looking for contact. This is the most moving thing to see. Despite having been beaten, mistreated, or kicked out, most of them have absolutely no rancor against humans. They still just want attention, wagging their tail waiting for cuddles.

They are totally harmless. Some are fearful and traumatized and it takes time and patience to gain their trust again. But once you can touch them, it is very heartwarming.”

“It is heart breaking not to be able to all take them home. It’s unbelievable to know that most of these dogs had owners before. They have simply been abandoned because they were sick and became ugly, or too big (people prefer puppies), or simply because the owners moved house or country and left them behind.”

“We started working with animals by feeding the stray dogs. But one day, one dog made the difference. I instantly fell in love with him. He seemed very sick and did not want to let me go. He had suffering in his eyes. So I took him to the vet for a check up. He was suffering from blood parasites that come from ticks and he had kidney and liver failure. I took him home, named him Alfred.

Thanks to him, I started to learn all about the diseases and issues the street dogs are facing; with the help of our vet. Alfred unfortunately past away a few months later, but since then, everything I do here, is in his loving memory.”

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“As the name of our foundation indicates, our aim is simply to help street dogs and cats, by feeding them, having them spayed, neutered, vaccinated and give them love and attention. I don’t know if we are rescuers, but we are caretakers. We do not run a shelter. All our work is on the streets. We also help some owners who can’t afford treatments for their pets, or who don’t even know that they are supposed to sterilize their dogs or cats. Education is the key for a better future regarding animal welfare in Asia.”

“Sterilization is the biggest issue. But also vaccination, because the dogs and cats all get sick at some point, and slowly die in pain.

We can’t bear the suffering. Last year, there was a terrible outbreak of Distemper and Parvo Virus.

Unfortunately, many of them passed away, and we have experienced it personally with several cats, and a few dogs.”

The first and best thing that people can do to help ease the situation is to sterilize their own dog; and vaccinate them. It is important for us, and other animal lovers, to inform others about the situation. To spread the word. We recently got some help and donations from friends and supporters, but all the food, medication and vet bills, we pay with our own money. People can help us with donations, we do need to get more funds, because it’s endless, everyday there are more dogs in need of help and treatment.”

“We both have professionals jobs that we must focus on.

Our animal care work is a daily investment. It takes us about 3 hours per day to drive all around the area, supply food, and give medication. So the other thing people can do is give some time. Come and spend a day or two with us during our daily tours. Volunteers are always appreciated.

And, the more hands we have, the more cuddles we give!”

The stray dog situation has improved a lot over the years.

Some big foundations like Soi Dog Foundation Phuket, started a massive sterilization campaign 15 years ago.

They have sterilized over 30,000 strays in Phuket, so obviously, it has made a big difference. Also, other smaller rescue foundations and shelters have helped a lot by treating, vaccinating and facilitating dog adoptions. Fab and I are acting locally, in our neighborhood, to the very best of our abilities. Luckily there are a lot of people who are concerned and together we can continue to improve the dog situation in Thailand.”

“The biggest challenge is to resist taking all the dogs home,” Léa laughs: “But seriously, almost every case is a big challenge. Currently we are facing two difficult situations: a female dog we named Rose is covered with mange and probably infected by blood parasites. We can’t touch her, she is very scared and traumatized. So we feed her daily, little by little, to try to gain her trust so we can take her to the vet. We have managed to give medicine in her food and her skin condition has improved a little bit. The second case is our beloved street dog named Coco. We have been taking care of him for a few months now; vaccinated and sterilized him. He was a healthy dog. But, a few weeks ago, he got severe pneumonia. After treatment at the clinic we discovered that he had hypertension. This leads to lungs issues resulting in respiratory failure. He needs a lifetime of daily treatment. We have not managed to find him a forever home, so he is still in the streets, sleeping in the dust. This dog is such a sweet nature. He is our main concern these days.

Adoptions are our greatest success.

This is real satisfaction. A nice happy ending for them. And of course, seeing the healing of a dog or a cat, feeling their gratitude and their love is the best reward. To mention specific cases: our beloved Daisy, who I rescued from the streets almost three years ago was about to die from mange and malnutrition.

I rescued her, she stayed seven weeks at the clinic where I visited her every single day. She is now a very healthy and happy dog in our home. Zebra, a dog who was tortured. He used to be very fearful of people. We treated him, but it took us months to gain his trust. He now stays in the area of our house, he is like our security dog, and only Fab and I can touch him. This is how he thanks us for saving him, by trusting us.

We would like people to understand the suffering of an animal. To be more concerned, and at least, have the reflex to call one of the numerous rescue foundations when they see a sick or injured dog.

Not just driving by. It’s all about compassion and care.

When we face a very bad case, such as a car accident, disabled dog or serious disease, something that we can’t handle ourselves, we ask for help from other foundations. We have to, and do, support each other and work together for the same cause.

TO DONATE: Paypal https://www.paypal.com/fr/ webapps/mpp/send-money-online ► helpdogsphuket@gmail.com ◄ Or Bank Transfer to French or Thai account (please email for info) Email: helpdogsphuket@gmail.com Tel: +66 (0)895 94 5312 Facebook: @helpdogscatsphuket (https://www.facebook.com/ helpdogscatsphuket/)

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1dPROPERTY BANGKOK S BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE AGENCY It ’s all about persona l i t y Interview by Debbie Oakes

andee (Lekky) Iamyoung, owner of 1D Property, arrives as if on a breath of fresh air. Quietly spoken and a careful listener, she is charming and easy to talk to.

Her reputation as a ‘great real estate agent’ has preceded her. I have heard from a number of friends that ‘she’s the best’. Lekky explains: “Most people find me by word of mouth. Even from overseas. Right now I have five families contacting me before arriving. We have very friendly interactions; I like to develop a close relationship so that I can really understand what their needs are. In that way I can advise them properly. By the time clients arrive in Bangkok and we go on our first tour we already know exactly what we are looking for. There is enough stress involved in relocating as it is so I like people to feel relaxed and not intimidated by the move.”

Lekky certainly knows what relocating feels like. She moved to Australia when she was just 19, only returning to Thailand with her husband and daughter three years ago. “After having lived so long in Australia I experienced reverse culture shock. I saw my country with fresh eyes. So I know how people feel when they first come here – the way the culture is, the way the local people are. And yet I am Thai. I can translate not only the language but other cultural nuances that are otherwise indecipherable I’m sure. I offer not only opinions but solutions because I cross over both cultures.”

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he explains: “There is a big difference between the cultures. Most landlords are of course Thai, while almost all of my clients are expat families. Landlords are not always as open-minded about change, and a large part of success is about building relationships between them. I take the time to show them the pride I have in my business, that I am here for them, and will do whatever it takes to help – as long as we are working together to make sure that both parties’ expectations are met. It is unusual in Thailand for the ‘boss’ to be quite so hands on but this is part of my service, even down to arranging for a plumber or whatever else needs to be done long after the lease is signed. I basically act as an intermediary, arranging various additional services and making sure they’re done seamlessly. I don’t charge extra for this – it’s part of the service! I have a problem-solving mentality which I suppose I developed living abroad from such a young age. It is quite rare in Thailand where most people are brought up being told what to do.”

Lekky’s family has a bus-building factory near Bangkok and she was chosen from among her four siblings to move to Australia. “My family wanted me to learn English so I could help them order bus parts from overseas. Even though I was the youngest, they chose me because I have a bit of a rebellious, independent spirit – the ‘naughty one’! They knew I wouldn’t spend the whole six months away from home crying – and six months was all we could afford at the time.”

“I fitted in very well in Australia. To this day I still call my homestay family ‘mum and dad’. They said: ‘You are Australian!’ They also ‘Australianised’ my nickname from Lek to “Lekky” and insisted I stayed. I was like a daughter. They sponsored me to live in Australia and we opened the first Thai restaurant in Mittagong in rural New South Wales. I was only 19 and I felt very young, but they even flew to Thailand to ask my parents’ permission.”

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“After three years it was time to move to Sydney. I worked at Sailor’s Thai, a famous restaurant in The Rocks under Michelin chef David Thompson. We worked very well together for 15 years, and we are still extremely close. David was building a global reputation as one of the celebrity chefs, and is still considered Thailand’s ambassador of Thai cuisine. He is also 1D Property’s most famous client!” Lekky recalls how David phoned her when she moved back to Thailand: “Lekky, I need something’. I said, ‘Sorry, I can’t work in a restaurant anymore.

Too much!’ He said: ‘No, I need you to find me a home!’ He heard I was doing real estate and he trusted me.”

When Lekky and her family arrived in Bangkok they had trouble finding a home. This inspired her to start her own agency. “The agent took us around for a week without really understanding what we needed. Yes, general questions about school and work, but not who we are as a family and what really matters to us.

I finally saw a house I liked that was under renovation. We secured the lease but it quickly turned into a disaster. When we moved in, renovations weren’t complete and many promises were never kept. Months of wasted time with the landlord, and not much help from the agent.”

Lekky started ID Property with the aim of providing expat families an unmatched professional and ethical home search service. The growth of online property search engines convinced her of the need for a highly personal ‘old style’ agency that focuses all its energy on client service through hard work, trust, and never giving up. She tells me: “Many agents have impersonal websites with huge databases of thousands of mostly expired listings. 1D Property are less concerned with building large databases because in Thailand most properties are available to any agent. I am much more focused on providing a highly personal, bespoke client experience.”

“My husband Stuart came up with the agency’s name and the Wandee (1D) logo. It’s my formal name, meaning ‘good day’.

Of course it was hard in the beginning juggling mother’s guilt, our daughter’s schedule, and the huge adjustment for our family. But even tougher was the mentality of many Thai landlords! Actually it was Stuart’s decision to relocate to Thailand. My mum is getting older and he knew that deep down I wanted to return.

It was time. So he got a job here running the local office of a global PR agency and he is a Director at AustCham.”

For more information Phone: +66(0)86 413 0974 Email: 1dproperty@1dproperty.com www.1dproperty.com

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“I would say the secret of my success is making an effort to truly understand my clients. This morning I showed an expat family a special house and they want to sign this afternoon – all within four hours! From both sides - owner and renter - the most important thing is trust. I work especially closely with new expat mothers to help them find their way. Maybe they don’t have a phone or Internet connection yet, maybe they are overwhelmed with new banking arrangements. My attitude is: ‘Let’s do it’. It’s more stressful to hide in a hotel room with young kids. That’s why it is important to know my client so we can settle them in quickly.”

“The FIRST thing I do is meet a new client in person as soon as possible. You can only learn so much from emails. We really get to grips with their situation beyond the usual topics of which neighbourhood, schools and proximity to the BTS. We chat about their lifestyle back in their own country and how to replicate at least some of it here – are they social; what do their kids like? We talk about traffic a lot! I feel I really get to know them, and so many clients become close friends. People are more than simplistic generalisations of ‘couple’ or ‘family’.”

“I also have great relationships with many parents at Bangkok Patana school, chatting over a coffee in the morning after dropping off our kids. We’ve all gone through the same worries and we know how to settle in a foreign environment. They often have friends and colleagues contacting them for advice and, of course, I can usually help. Personal referrals are the best clients – it’s a win-win.”

“Moving is never easy but it doesn’t have to be hard!”

Searching for your perfect home in Bangkok?

Wandee and her special team will spoil you with a highly personal, professional and ethical touch.

A bespoke, personal service Professional integrity "Always on" service

1dproperty.com expat special agents in bangkok

wandee property co.,ltd. t: +66 8 6413 0974 (lekky) e: 1dproperty@1dproperty.com line: lek.kelly facebook: 1dpropertybangkok www.1dproperty.com

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MONTAZURE

Dream Lifestyle by the Sea

By Lilly Carrion

Kamala Bay on Phuket’s sunset coast is swiftly developing into one of Asia’s most exceptional residential resort communities.

It is also one of Phuket’s last remaining prime beachfront locations.

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winpalms Residences MontAzure, scheduled for completion in 2018, is a residential resort destination that offers prime beachfront investment on Phuket’s glorious sunset coast.

Twinpalms Residences MontAzure, prévu pour être opérationnelles en 2018, est un complexe résidentiel balnéaire qui propose un investissement sur le front de mer de cette magnifique côte occidentale de la Perle d’Andaman.

The overall Montazure development spans 178 acres (72 hectares) of pristine mountainside to beachfront land. Visitors and residents will experience a unique natural setting that’s being sensitively developed to include luxury residences and condominiums, high-end hospitality and retail offerings, a retirement village and a choice of upscale beach clubs.

Ce complexe de 72 hectares s’étend sur un terrain de collines verdoyantes et de plage de sable fin. Tout en profitant des services d’hospitalité de grands standards, de résidences et de condominiums de luxe, d’un village de retraite, de boutiques et d’un choix de beach clubs branchés, visiteurs et résidents pourront profiter d’un milieu naturel unique et préservé.

“The residences suit global professionals and their families, either as a second home or as an investment property, with strong potential for high yields and capital appreciation,” explains MontAzure Executive Director Setthaphol Boottho.

“La Résidence est adaptée aux professionnels et à leurs familles, soit en tant que résidence secondaire, soit comme un investissement avec un important potentiel de rendement sur le capital,” explique le Directeur Exécutif de MontAzure Setthaphol Boottho.

Business

La baie de Kamala, sur la côte occidentale de Phuket, se développe rapidement pour devenir une des communautés résidentielles balnéaires des plus exceptionnelles d’Asie.

Elle est également l’un des derniers emplacements direct en bord de mer.

Located between Kamala’s Millionaire‘s Mile and the Amanpuri headland, just 35 minutes from Phuket International Airport. The lifestyle development will feature 75 freehold and leasehold condominiums with ocean and sunset views.Martin Palleros and the team at Tierra Design created Twinpalms Residences MontAzure as a series of low-rise buildings.

All the units either overlook the development’s generous communal swimming pool or offer vistas of the pristine beach.

Buyers are attracted by a combination of appealing lifestyle benefits and healthy investment returns.

Once completed, the property will be managed and operated by Twinpalms – one of Phuket’s most successful contemporary upscale resort brands.

Situé non loin de l’avenue des Millionaire, sur de la plage de Kamala et à seulement 35 minutes de l’aéroport International de Phuket, ce complexe créé par Martin Palleros et son équipe de Tierra Design, proposera 75 condominiums, en freehold et leasehold, avec une vue imprenable sur les eaux turquoises et le soleil couchant.

Les acheteurs sont attirés par le style de vie offert et par le retour sur investissement des plus attrayants.

Une fois terminé, le complexe sera géré et exploité par Twinpalms – une des enseignes hôtelières haut de gamme contemporaine de Phuket dont la réussite n’est plus à prouver.

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Buyers looking to purchase have a choice of one- and two-bedroom units with the added option to request a three-bedroom configuration. Each of the penthouses has access to a private rooftop garden with a plunge pool and owners will also enjoy an appealing range of top-class facilities, including a residents’ lobby, a gym/yoga studio, spa pavilions, library, lounge and outdoor event spaces.

Adding to the tropical appeal, HQ Beach Lounge at MontAzure recently opened next to the property offering a chic, contemporary oceanfront dining and entertainment experience.

“It is very rare to find beach condominiums in Phuket and we believe buyers will appreciate the location, the very high standards of the development and the holiday lifestyle that the destination provides,” says Arch Capital CEO, Richard Yue. Les potentiels acheteurs ont le choix entre des appartements d’une , deux ou trois chambres à coucher. Chaque penthouse a un accès privé à un jardin et à une piscine sur le toit. Les heureux propriétaires pourront également profiter d’un choix attrayant d’équipement de haut de gamme tel qu’un studio de gym/ yoga, un pavillon spa, un lobby, une bibliothèque, des lounges et des espaces événementiels extérieurs.

Sans oublier le HQ Beach Lounge de MontAzure qui vient d’ouvrir ses portes juste à côté et qui propose une expérience gastronomique et divertissante dans un décor chic et contemporain en bord de mer.

“Il est difficile de trouver un condominium sur le front de mer à Phuket et nous croyons que les futurs acheteurs vont apprécier la localisation, les standards élevés de ce complexe et le style de vie vacancier et balnéaire que leur offre une telle destination,” dit Arch Capital CEO, Richard Yue.

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Vie de rêve en bord de mer MONTAZURE

Investors will have the option to join a management pool. This allows them to reap the benefits of a well-managed hospitality operation with attractive rental yields, while at the same time retaining 45 nights for personal use every year.

The finishes and fittings meet the highest international standards with materials specifically chosen to complement the contemporary tropical design of the development, while also taking into account that many units may be occupied on a short-term basis.

Favourable payment terms and financing are being offered to domestic buyers giving strong prospects for capital appreciation. Twinpalms Residences MontAzure represents excellent value when compared to other waterfront developments in South East Asia. Unit prices range from eight million baht to 93 million baht, with an average price per square metre of 185,000 baht.

This is around 33 per cent lower than average for waterfront apartments in the region. www.montazure.com For more information: Sales Gallery: +66(0)93 624 8800 www.montazure.com

Les investisseurs auront également la possibilité de faire partie d’un groupe de gestion locative. Cela leur permettra de profiter des avantages d’une gestion hôtelière , de rendements locatifs attractifs tout en se réservant 45 nuits chaque année à des fins personnelles. Les finitions sont de standards internationaux avec un choix de matériaux spécifiques qui complètent le style tropical contemporain des lieux, tout en tenant compte que de nombreuses unités seront seulement occupées pendant de courtes périodes.

Des conditions de payments et de financement attractifs sont offertes aux acheteurs nationaux, ce qui permet des perspectives intéressantes en terme de rendement sur le capital. Twinpalms Residences MontAzure représente une excellente valeur en comparaison aux autres complexes situés en bord de mer dans l’Asie du Sud-Est. La gamme de prix d’une unité varie de 8 millions à 93 millions de Bahts, avec un prix moyen de 185’000 Bahts le mètre carré. C’est environ 33% moins cher que le prix moyen d’un appartement front de mer dans la région.

Pour plus d’informations: Sales Gallery: +66(0)93 624 8800 www.montazure.com Business

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How to Value Rental Guarantees

By George Mathew

Offering r enta l g ua r a n t e e s ha s be com e an inc rea sing ly p op u l ar s al e s tact ic f or cond om ini um de ve lopers in to u r i st a r e a s s uc h a s Phuk e t. ffering rental guarantees has become an increasingly popular sales tactic for condominium developers in tourist areas such as Phuket, especially since most potential buyers are looking for investment returns. So with the abundance of rental guarantees and the race amongst some developers to offer increasingly higher guarantees, the question naturally arises: how should I compare and evaluate rental guarantees?

Unfortunately, rental guarantees are only loosely regulated and therefore easy for developers to offer without substantial financial support. Developers do not need to provide proof of funds or insurance to offer such guarantees. As an unregulated investment ‘guarantee,’ you need to check for counter-party risk.

In other words, who is offering the guarantee and do they have the financial capacity to fulfill their obligations?

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To further complicate matters, simply checking on the financial strength of the developer isn’t enough. You need to carefully read the guarantee agreement to determine which legal entity is the actual counter-party. It may be a subsidiary of the developer with no real balance sheet. In which case, if the subsidiary doesn’t have the cash to support the guarantee payment, it may choose to go into default even though the developer itself has plenty of cash. You could try to sue the developer for payment but, in theory, your agreement is with the subsidiary and not the developer so the developer is not legally obligated to pay. (It’s not too different from lending money to someone and then trying to sue their father to get it back. You won’t get much legal support for your case.)

Properly checking on the financial strength of a counter-party requires serious due diligence. You need to examine total revenue from all rental units, operating expenses, management expenses, liabilities, etc. Also, you need to see what is the agreement between the subsidiary and the parent developer.

For instance, can the parent developer get money out of the subsidiary through a large management fee, loan repayment, or even dividends, and leave the subsidiary with no cash to pay the rental guarantees?

Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely you will get access to the documents and information that is needed to perform proper due diligence.

Instead, you are usually much better off asking for the rental guarantee to be converted into a purchase discount and then choosing to add your unit to an experienced property manager’s rental pool later for rental income. For example, if a developer is offering a 7% rental guarantee over 3 years, try instead to negotiate a 10% - 20% purchase discount and then get a company like Asia PHM (http://asiaphm.com) to manage your unit in return for a 4%-7% annual return. You will likely generate higher returns with less risk.

Phuket Advisory Services is comprised of independent advisors who understand the Phuket investment market. They can help you properly evaluate opportunities, identify risk factors, and execute the critical steps required for a successful investment. (http://phuketadvisory.com)

PHUKET

ADVISORY S ERV I C ES

P h o n e : +6 6(0 ) 8 8 876 24 94 Em a i l: i n f o @ p h u k eta dv i s o ry.c o m

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PIONEERING SPIRIT Brenton Mauriello In sider Asia talk s to entrep r ene urs a round t h e re g ion to fin d o u t what it tak e s to m a k e i t…

By Debbie Oakes

angkok businessman Brenton Mauriello left Adelaide, Australia for a year of travel in 1992.

He tells me: “While I was in my late teens and early twenties, and studying for my Bachelor of Education in Science, I also had several business’. But then the crash of 1991-2 happened and it hurt like hell. I decided I was too young for that kind of stress and needed a break. I went travelling to Thailand and India, finally ending up in London for two years. I moved to Sydney in 1993 and then back to Thailand in 1994.”

Brenton tells me: “Thailand has made me who I am today. Ultimately it was here I had my family, found great friends and forged my career. When I look back upon my life I see Australia as the soil and Thailand the tree that grew from it.”

Brenton now runs DWP (Design Worldwide Partnership) which is one of Thailand’s premier interior and architecture practices. “We have 10 offices and 400 people working around the region with 120 of those here in Thailand. It’s a Thai company started by Australians; which we are very proud of. DWP has a clear design philosophy. Simplicity and elegance. This doesn’t mean modern. You can design something very ornate but there is an underlying simplicity and elegance to it. The key is to ask: why is something there? Does it add to the design? Does it fit the concept you started with? I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I think, gosh, I helped start that, build that or design that. At DWP we call it the joy and excitement of creating. I think that sums it up”

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Mr. Brenton Mauriello

“Everyone has an opinion and it should be listened to. Not everyone has style though! The key is the concept, get it right at the beginning and refer to it all the way through. I am not a trained designer and I really don’t design. I leave that to the experts at DWP. But I do comment. Essentially I challenge the designers. What are they trying to convey and why? Can I see that vision in the final design? If not; then something is wrong.

Brenton explain that the have been three key eras in my careers path. Property Development, Medical and Pharmaceuticals and thirdly, Design. “I guess I should now add F&B given I have opened a few restaurants. I turned 50 last year and prior to that I was thinking, I needed to do something new.

I needed to keep growing. So, 18 months ago, I decided to enter the F&B arena and opened Jones at Emquartier, then Mejico Restaurant at Central Groove. I have an illy Café on it’s was as well. I liked the industry and thought the time was right.

But I must admit it’s been harder than I thought.”

Brenton now has two other businesses apart from DWP and Aldama foods: FMS medical and M&B Civil Construction. He says: “It is quite varied and all are fun. The main thing is that I have great people running them. It’s about finding people that have a drive and want to get ahead and then giving them the responsibility and then empowerment to get on with it.”

My interest in the medical import and distribution company turned out to be a bit of a golden goose.

It was started by my ex-employees. I funded them some 10 years ago so that they could have their own company and a future. It’s been one of my most cherished successes; to see them grow as they have!”

“I think my business decisions are based on the need for change and challenge. As for starting something, there are always reasons not to! But, it’s the reasons to do something that need to be the drivers in life. Just do it. Failure is success in a way. I always recall a friend of mine who started a gallery here in Bangkok. It was her dream and she worked hard to make it happen.

Unfortunately, the economics didn’t work and it needed to close. However, I remember saying to her that she had done something most people don’t do and never will. She lived her dream.

She tried and no matter what the outcome she would never look back and say: I should have tried. I have so much respect for her and others like her that just try. And where I can I will always help. Don’t stop, keep going, even when you get it wrong!”

“I would say one of the most difficult lesson in my life has been learning to forgive. I am getting quite good at it now and it helps. Why carry baggage around!”

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“My Dad has been one of the greatest inspirations in my life. He immigrated to Australia at age 14 with no English and he just started his business. He worked endless hours to make it work and put his kids through a good school. Even when we almost lost everything he fought on, family and friends rallied around him and supported his business. At 76 he still goes into his office to annoy people.”

I ask Brenton to name one life event that changed him and he tells me: “That’s difficult but easy as well. I should say getting married or adopting my child but actually that wouldn’t have come about if I hadn’t have landed the job in Thailand. So it has to be coming to Thailand!”

“If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be that things are not black and white, and tolerance is an attribute to be cherished. Important life lessons in business have been to stay focused and know the numbers. Yes, it’s about people, but that doesn’t mean being fluffy when it comes to hard decisions, and the numbers. You have a responsibility to all the employees not just a few. They have families, mortgages, school fees and car payments to meet and you must ensure that the company keeps going for their sake not just your own. In my personal life the most important lesson is to learn to love unconditionally. I recently adopted a child and the fierceness of my love for him is boundless. It is something I didn’t know, and thought I would never know, being in a same sex relationship.

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BRENTON’S BUSINESS’ DWP (www.dwp.com) Design company. Part owner and CEO. 400 employees with 10 offices across Asia, Australia and the Middle East FMS: Medical supply company. Part owner. 70 employees, Bangkok Thailand Aldama Foods: food and beverage company. Owner. 120 employees with four restaurants Illy (illy.co.th), Mejico (facebook.com/MejicoThailand) Jones (jonesthegrocerthailand.weebly.com), Zambrero (facebook.com/zambreroTH), Bangkok Thailand and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia M&B Civil. Civil Construction. Part owner. 40 employees, Adelaide Australia

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GET YOUr MOTOR RUNNING

Confederate Motorcycles The Art of Rebellion

By Patrice Sarda

here are some absolute truths in life: never compromise on passion, intensity, time or money and treasure American craftsmanship.

Invest absolute faith. Relish the challenge. Persist eternally. No compromise.

Confederate Motors, Inc. is an American manufacturer of exotic street motorcycles. The company was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1991 by trial lawyer H. Matthew Chambers, as a business initiative seeking “Enlightened design through true American inspiration.” The result was the creation of pure, unfiltered, honest industrial and mechanical design.

The company’s first motorcycle rolled off the production line on November 11, 1994. Over 500 first generation Hellcat models were built from 1996 to 2001.

The Recession After going bankrupt in 2001, Confederate recovered in 2003 and produced a second generation of Hellcats, about 75 total. Severe factory damage in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina interrupted production and Confederate moved its corporate headquarters and assembly operations to a building in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Production resumed in early 2006, with an announcement of a $5 million expansion and plans for production of a third, more affordable model.

Confederate Motor Co. sold 37 bikes in 2008, with an anticipated sale of 30 bikes in 2009, due to the recession. Even though Confederate’s wealthy buyers remained largely unaffected by the economic downturn, company founder Matt Chambers said: “It was very fashionable to not be buying a high-end luxury product like ours.”

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Confederate Motors is unashamedly passionate about what it does: designing and manufacturing exclusive motorcycles in small batches of around 60 for each model. They follow in no other company’s tire tracks. Instead, with unique names like Hellcat, Fighter and Combat, its small lineup of power cruisers pays homage to the pilots of WWII. Tough, militaristic styling and bare-bones functionality positions every Confederate motorcycle model as an essential American machine.

Components include an oversized engine, arched-backbone frame, brazen military-industrial design elements and little else.

The X132 Hellcat uses a billet-crankcase a 2.2-liter V-twin with a unitized gearbox with stacked gear clusters inside. Built to order, the R131 Fighter is an extreme interpretation of the minimalist formula.

The design is completely black (save a few shiny accessories). It has a menacing look that would fit very well into a Terminator movie.

Finally, there are two very limited-production Combat models that fly even higher; with Bonneville competition heritage.

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Confederate P51 COMBAT FIGHTER With both beauty and brutality, the P51 Combat Fighter is the metaphor for American rebellion and is the successor to the popular P120 Fighter Combat.

The new bike is constructed entirely of lightweight, extremely durable aerospace-grade billet aluminum and is powered by a 2,163 cc V-twin engine that produces 200 hp (40 hp more than the P120 Fighter Combat’s engine) and 180lbs of torque.

The extra brawn is the result of new cylinder heads and an innovative air-induction system. In addition to being more powerful than the P120, the new bike is 12.5 percent lighter. Confederate offers two versions of the P51 Combat Fighter.

Priced at $119,500 and the “Blonde” is $113,900.

Confederate HELL CAT

Confederate Motorcycles recently formalized the release of their monstrous streetfighter, the X132 Hellcat. The beast is powered by an impressive V-twin 2163cc 132 BHP engine with 200Nm of torque. It comes equipped with an Aircraft-Grade Billet aluminum frame and carbon fiber wheels enabling it to maintain a weight below 230 kg.

The bike will be produced in limited numbers (only 160 per year) and The Confederate X132 Hellcat Speedster can be yours for no less than 65,000 USD.

Confederate WRAITH

The Confederate Wraith is an icon. It has been described as a 21st century board tracker, with a little cafe racer thrown in for good measure.

The revolutionary design was the brainchild of J.T. Nesbitt; considered one of the finest motorcycle designers in the world. The rider needs to know big things are happening in the engine room; because from 2000 to 3500 rpm, the engine’s 120 horsepower and 135 foot-pounds of torque runs deep with liquid thunder.

Only seven R135 Wraith Combats will be made. Details are limited at this point, but with a price point of $135,000 the bike is sure to include strong and powerful specs.

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New: COMBAT 61 COLLECTION Brutal, minimal, and built to last, reveal, and transform. Fresh superabundant energy. Force and power is breathed into the world’s rebel motoring culture, one machine at a time. A primal example of raw American Power.

This magnificent machine hit 164.93 mph on very slippery salt at Bonneville this year. This co-efficiency of Drag Limited Performance is proof that 61 P51 Confederate Combat Fighters are destined for future glory. The optimized bookend to an era that will soon be: “Gone With The Wind.”

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TESLA MOTORs CAR 215 miles R ange per char ge Zer o to 60 mph in under 6 seconds Seating for 5 Adults Autopilot Hardware

By Patrice Sarda

Tesla Inc. is an American automaker and energy storage company co-founded by Elon Musk, Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, JB Straubel and Ian Wright, and is based in Palo Alto, California.

The company specializes in electric cars, their powertrain components, and also produces battery charging equipment. The company first gained widespread attention following its production of the Tesla Roadster, the first electric sports car, in 2008. The company’s second vehicle, the Model S, an electric luxury sedan, debuted in 2012 and is built at the Tesla Factory in California.

The company’s early primary goal was to commercialize electric vehicles, starting with a premium sports car aimed at early adopters and then moving as rapidly as possible into more mainstream vehicles, including sedans and affordable compacts for the mass market, serving “as a catalyst to accelerate the day of electric vehicles”.

The insignia of Tesla as seen on a Tesla Roadster Sport Tesla was Incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning (who financed the company until the Series A round of funding).

Tesla signed a production contract on July 11, 2005, with Group Lotus to produce “gliders” (complete cars minus powertrain). The contract ran through March 2011, but the two automakers extended the deal to keep the electric Roadster in production through December 2011 with a minimum number of 2,400 units.

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By January 2009, Tesla had raised US$187 million and delivered 147 cars.

The prototype Model S was displayed at a press conference on March 26, 2009. On May 19, 2009, Germany’s Daimler AG, maker of Mercedes-Benz, acquired an equity stake of less than 10% of Tesla for a reported US$50 million, in effect saving Tesla. Toyota provided a similar amount in 2010.

As of 2014, Tesla has had a US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of 276 mpg.

The US authorities have encouraged production of non-polluting vehicles by legislating incentives for manufacturers, usually tax credits and ZEV credits.

Local authorities also try to attract new business with tax abatements.

A financial watchdog group counts $2.4 billion in future incentives for Tesla, mostly Nevada tax credits (for Gigafactory 1) until the year 2034.

Tesla’s strategy has been to emulate typical technological-product life cycles and initially enter the automotive market with an expensive, high-end product targeted at affluent buyers. As the company, its products, and consumer acceptance matured, it is moving into larger, more competitive markets at lower price points.

The top selling car of Tesla’s line-up is the Model S, with global sales of 158,159 units between June 2012 and December 2016, followed by the Model X with 25,524 units sold between September 2015 and December 2016,and the Roadster with about 2,450 units sold globally through December 2012. Tesla’s fourth vehicle, the Model 3, is aimed for the mass market and retail deliveries are scheduled to begin by late 2017. The Model 3, the company’s first model aimed for the mass market, was unveiled in March 2016. A week after the unveiling, global reservations totaled 325,000 units, representing potential sales of over US$14 billion.

As of December 2016, Tesla has sold over 186,000 electric cars worldwide since delivery of its first Tesla Roadster in 2008, making the carmaker the second largest global pure electric car manufacturer after the Renault-Nissan Alliance. For two years running, 2015 and 2016, Tesla ranked as the world’s second best selling manufacturer of plug-in electric cars after BYD Auto.

Musk, the CEO, has said that he envisions Tesla as a technology company and independent automaker, aimed at eventually offering electric cars at prices affordable to the average consumer.

FUTURE Models There will be future cars that will be even more affordable down the road. Musk wanted the first three models to spell S-E-X but settled with “S3X” since Ford owns the trademark to “Model E”. However, the digit “3” will be stylized like three horizontal bars, making it indistinguishable from the “E” in Tesla’s logo.

After the Model Y is released, the four models will spell “S3XY”.

Future models may also reach a 500-mile (800 km) range, partially because of a new patented battery system, pairing metal-air and lithium-ion batteries.

On July 20, 2016, Musk detailed his master plan for Tesla that has been in the works for 10 years. It includes the manufacturing of more affordable cars produced in higher volume, solar power roofs, mid-size vehicles, SUV’s and pickup trucks, as well as the refinement of autonomous vehicles and the creation of a sharing economy, in which cars can be requested and driven while the owner is not using them.[305] A Tesla Minibus would be built on the Model X platform.

In September 2016, Tesla announced it had been chosen “through a competitive process” to supply utility company Southern California Edison with 20 MW power (and 80 MWh energy) of battery storage. In May, regulators ordered Southern California Edison to invest in utility-scale battery networks after natural gas provider SoCal Gas leaked 1.6 million pounds of methane into the atmosphere when a well ruptured at its Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility.

Some of Tesla’s stated goals are to increase the number and variety of electric vehicles (EVs) available to mainstream consumers by: • selling its own vehicles in company-owned showrooms and online • selling powertrain components to other automakers • serving as a catalyst and positive example to other automakers

All Tesla cars come standard with the hardware required for Supercharging.

Cars ordered after January 15, 2017 will get 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles or 1,600 km) per year, with a charge for further kWh; cars purchased before that date will continue to get free Supercharging.

During 2016, Tesla had been working on an “idle fee” from owners who let their Tesla vehicles occupy Supercharger stalls even after the vehicles have been fully charged. In December 2016, a Tesla owner reached out to Elon Musk via Twitter about Supercharger abuse. Within a week, Tesla announced that it will start charging the idle fee.

SAFETY Designed from the ground up to be the safest, most exhilarating sedan on the road. The unique electric drivetrain that sits beneath the car’s aluminum cell in its own sub-frame. Aluminum pillars reinforced with steel rails to reduce side intrusion, protecting occupants. In the event of an accident, eight airbags protect front and rear occupants, and the high voltage power source is automatically disconnected. This unique positioning lowers the car’s center of gravity, which improves handling and minimizes rollover risk, and replaces the heavy engine block with impact absorbing boron steel rails.

Adaptive Lighting Model S now features full LED adaptive headlamps. Besides enhancing the already great styling, they also boost safety: 14 three-position LED dynamic turning lights improve visibility at night, especially on winding roads.

Bio-Weapon Defense Mode Model S features a Medical grade HEPA air filtration system, which removes at least 99.97% of particulate exhaust pollution and effectively all allergens, bacteria and other contaminants from cabin air. The bioweapon defense mode creates positive pressure inside the cabin to protect occupants.

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Dual Motor A categorical improvement on conventional all-wheel drive systems. With two motors, one in the front and one in the rear, Model S digitally and independently controls torque to the front and rear wheels. The result is unparalleled traction control in all conditions. Unparalleled performance delivered through Tesla’s unique, all-electric powertrain accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. It comes with Autopilot capabilities designed to make your highway driving not only safer, but stress free. Conventional all-wheel drive cars employ complex mechanical linkages to distribute power from a single engine to all four wheels. This sacrifices efficiency in favor of all weather traction. In contrast, each Model S motor is lighter, smaller and more efficient than its rear wheel drive counterpart, providing both improved range and faster acceleration.

Pollution Free, Inside and Out A medical grade HEPA filter strips outside air of pollen, bacteria, viruses and pollution before circulating it into the cabin. There are three modes: circulate with outside air, re-circulate inside air and a bioweapon defense mode that creates positive pressure inside the cabin to protect occupants.

Model S is a driver’s car. The cabin combines meticulous noise engineering with Tesla’s uniquely quiet powertrain to obtain the sound dynamics of a recording studio. The gem of the interior is the 17inch touchscreen, angled toward the driver and includes both day and night modes for better visibility without distraction. It puts rich content at your fingertips and provides mobile connectivity so you can easily find your destination, favorite song or a new restaurant. It controls most of the car’s functions. Opening the all glass panoramic roof, customizing the automatic climate control, and changing the radio station all happen with a swipe or a touch. The touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, and steering wheel controls seamlessly integrate media, navigation, communications, cabin controls and vehicle data.

With only a foot of clearance on either side, Falcon Wing doors articulate smoothly up and out of the way, allowing passengers to enter from both front and rear directions. The side and overhead opening is so large that parents can buckle children in without ducking or straining and without bumping their child’s head on the roof.

Model X

Big Sky Model X has the largest all glass panoramic windshield in production, providing an unparalleled view of the stars and sky above. Optimized solar tinting and obstruction-free view creates unlimited visibility for the driver and all passengers.

Model X is the safest, fastest and most capable sport utility vehicle in history.

With all-wheel drive and a 100 kWh battery providing 295 miles of range, Model X has ample seating for seven adults and all of their gear. And it’s ludicrously fast, accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in as quick as 2.9 seconds.

Safety First Design Model X is designed with safety as the first priority. The floor-mounted battery lowers the center of gravity so that the risk of rollover is about half that of any vehicle in its class. The battery structure strengthens Model X against side impact intrusions. And without a gasoline engine, the large front trunk acts as a giant impact-absorbing crumple zone. Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet conducted crash testing on Model X, Tesla’s own internally conducted crash testing indicates that it should be the first SUV to receive the highest safety rating in every category.

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Motor and Technology

Active Safety Active safety technologies, including collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking, have begun rolling out through over-the-air updates.

Falcon Wings Falcon Wing doors allow easy access to second and third row seats from even a tight parking space, while traditional SUV doors or Minivan sliding doors would not grant any access.

Aerodynamic Model X is able to achieve 289 miles of range in part because it is the most aerodynamic SUV in production. At 0.24, Model X’s drag coefficient is 20% lower than the next best SUV. In addition, an active spoiler deploys from the rear liftgate to optimize highway efficiency and stability.

Seating for Seven + Gear Model X comfortably seats seven people in three rows. Every seat is the best seat in the house, but the second row seats are a work of art. Mounted on a single post and independently reclining, each second row seat is designed to maximize passenger comfort, legroom, under seat storage and access to the third row. The third row seats fold flat when not in use and the second row seats lean forward and out of the way for even more cargo area.

Model3 Accelerating Sustainable Transport Model 3 combines real world range, performance, safety and spaciousness into a premium sedan that only Tesla can build. The most affordable car yet, Model 3 achieves 215 miles of range per charge while starting at only $35,000 before incentives. Model 3 is designed to attain the highest safety ratings in every category.

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HOT SPOT BANGKOK

Sing Sing Theater Decorated by Ashley Sutton, the designer behind Maggie Choo’s, SING SING shares the same DNA. It’s as if a modern days Jules Verne was throwing a party with Chinese spirits from the 1920’s. This sumptuous den aims to become Bangkok’s hottest party venue, so check it out when in the area... www.facebook.com/SingSingTheater

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Why don’t you store This eccentric bohemian laboratory brings all unique Bags, Straps all the way from Paris. Under the brand “Rosebud”, you can customize it just like your style.

One stop Unique fashion for you all.

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken”!

FB@WhyDontYouStore / 092 270 1933

toineinbangkok Embracing the Asian culture by adding the necessary quirky tweak is our moto…the colourful curios and artwork at toineinbangkok are designed with a touch of humor and crafted in a thought-provoking and unconventional manner. Many of the trendsetting items are limited edition, with the majority custom made in collaboration with local artists in small workshops.

Shops ‘toineinbangkok’ & ‘petit toineinbangkok” at SO SOFITEL are opened from 10am to 9pm. www.toineinbangkok.com

Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery

Hideaway

YenakArt Villa

More than a rotisserie, Cocotte is the encounter with carefully selected organic products in a rural chic atmosphere in the heart of Bangkok. A talented Chef brilliantly leads this authentic culinary experience, breathing bold creativity into the legendary flavour of farm & local products. www.facebook.com/cocottebkk

A scalp and haircare specialist only using two products: Kerastase L’Oreal. The owner, Fon has an extensive knowledge of these products and strongly believes in their high quality and effectiveness.

They assess individual needs of clients and customise treatments. An oasis behind Benchasiri park on Sukhumvit Rd. They also have waxing and a nail spa using high quality products. The staff all speak English and are trained by L’Oreal technicians facebook.com/hideawaysalonbkk

Undoubtedly the biggest art sensation of recent months, YenakArt Villa is a large “Bauhaus” style art gallery in central Bangkok (South of SathornSilom): With 180 square meters floor and a 5 meter high exhibition hall, a glass facade opens onto a 600 square meters sculpture garden. All fine art disciplines are exhibited at YenakArt Villa (painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, animation, video-art, installation, light-art and more). The exhibiting artists are both experienced or emerging - with a growing number of Thai artists and International artists who generally have strong connections with Thailand www.facebook.com/yenakartvilla

Hotspot Bangkok

HOT SPOT BANGKOK

Quince Housed in a 1950’s Sukhumvit home, Quince’s now contemporary restaurant serves simple yet thoughtful dishes and drinks in a comfortable and unfussy atmosphere. www.facebook.com/quincebangkok

Maggie Choo’s

Oskar Bistro

Magical underground cabaret full of mystery, romance, jazz, reminiscent of Shanghai 1930.

There the mighty Laurent Couson fights for live music, gathering musicians and directing bands, while naughty Fred Canal leads DJs and fights for his right to party. The place to be! book@maggiechoos.com www.facebook.com/maggiechoos www.maggiechoos.com

Oskar is a casual bistro offering quality comfort food at great value for money. An ideal place to start a night on Sukhumvit 11 thanks to its clubby vibe. That’s where you’ll hear trendy DJs spin before the party and might meet your dream girl to come dance with you afterwards. www.facebook.com/OskarBangkok www.oskar-bistro.com

Authentic ItaliaN Cuisine anD Pizzeria

CHEF MARIO RECOMMENDS

Meat

Boiled pork Cotechino sausage with Italian lentils Smoked goose breast with home-made veal liver Pathe' Parma ham with fresh Italian burrata Italian rice Milanese style with veal ossobuco Home-made Pappardelle with deer braised in red wine sauce Braised beef cooked in Chianti wine sauce served with Polenta Italian rabbit stew cooked with vegetables and porcini mushrooms

Fish

Soup of Mediterranean mussels Deep fried zucchine with cinqueterre anchovies Canadian lobster Catalana style Spaghetti with Sardinia mullet roe Linguine with imported Canadian lobster Italian risotto with large shrimps and sea-urchins Slices of swordfish in Livornese sauce Sea bream filets in sauce of saffron, Prosecco wine and clams

Open everyday from 11am til 11pm www.facebook.com/rossovivoristoranteitaliano Email : rossovivoristorante@gmail.com Fisherman Way, 5/38 Viset Road, Rawai, Muang, Phuket, Thailand

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HOT SPOT PHUKET

Cafe de Mar

Kaanda Beach Life

HQ Beach Lounge

Café del Mar Phuket is a haven for music lovers, foodies and cocktail fanatics. A venue that epitomizes quality, sophistication and glamour. Let your mind run free from worries and immerse yourself into the experience!Known to be the only place on Phuket island serving quality electronic music. The sound ranges from Café del Mar’s classic Balearic sound to cool jazz, soul, downtempo, house, deep house & techno. I recommended it for Sunset Session …

This season Kaanda beach life are tilting their panamas to the enigmatic bohemian. 2017 will launch stunning collection full of fabrics, patterns and designs that inspire one to embrace the bohemian lifestyle. There are many translations for the word Kaanda, however one description has a particular appeal to it, embracing the spirit of being truthful to yourself and to others. I think we can all agree - there is nothing more beautiful than an attractive woman who is just as lovely in her demeanor as her form.

Run now to their shop in Boat avenue and discover the Bohemian Collection info@kaandabeachlife.com www.kaandabeachlife.com

Phuket’s Most Exciting & Stylish Contemporary Beach Lounge Located in kamala,enjoy splendid seaside Lounge experiences in chic simplicity and celebrate wonderful company with light beach side fares, true cocktails and sensuous wines. contact@hqphuket.com www.hqphuket.com

LALITA

Kate’s hair & makeup studio

Little Paris

Stylish and trendy, Lalita finally brings in Phuket, at Boat Avenue the unique Italian quality and style!

You should stop and discover amazing shoes brands for men and for women, from everyday shoes to special occasion ones, Lalita will be your reference shop in Phuket for good quality fashion shoes from sneakers to high sky heels up to size 41 for women and 46 for men.

FB@lalitaitaliandesignershoes

“Mirror, mirror, tell me who is the most beautiful in this country?” Your beauty is perfect your Majesty! But a young girl is preparing to be more pretty than you thanks to Kate’s team! If you go to Kate’s Studio, you will be treated as a princess with expert advice, massages, nail spa, make up or a new haircut the team will provide all you need to be perfect.

Call 076 620 020 www.kateshairstudiophuket.com

Amazing place with an incredible atmosphere! I would recommend highly this restaurant, especially for their choice of salad, reasonable price & portion.

The desserts are yummy!

Pop in at Boat lagoon and enjoy the experience. www.littleparisphuket.com

www.cafedelmarphuket.com

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Hotspot Phuket

@insiderasia Got a Hot Tip? Want to display your business on this section of the magazine? info@insider-asia.com

WE NEED YOU!

HOT SPOT PHUKET

Royal Pennae Shop

Le Winch

HOME Kitchen, Bar &Bed

A specialist Florist in Phuket Town. Royal Pennae offers superb flowers imported from around the world. They provide flower arrangement for weddings, garden parties, banquet and also other occasions which includes Birthday, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Grand Opening, Sympathy.

Tel.+66 (0)88 752 6691 Line. Royalpennae

Le Winch, at Phuket’s east coast Boat Lagoon, run

by Chef Vincent Meuwly from Lausanne, is a cosy, 40-cover restaurant. Le Winch is recommendable in that it presents a regular plat du jour and a menu offering wholesome and unpretentious French Mediterranean fare with an emphasis on absolute freshness prepared by Vincent himself who, by the way, insists on serving food on piping hot plates. lewinchrestaurant@gmail.com FB@lewinch.phuket.9 www.lewinch.com

Their large, yet intimate trendy interior allows you to relax with a few drinks after work or enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends before a night out on the town! You can customize and plan perfect events using their three main areas, which include the Rooftop Bar, Terrace and Main Restaurant.

Unexpected soul place in Kalim. www.homekitchenphuket.com

SIAMAYA

Usha Decor

The CAFÉ Gourmand

Located on Phuket’s sunset coast 10 minutes from pristine Bangtao Bay and famous Surin Beach. A confidential luxury estate of 4 private pool villas (2 bedrooms & 3 bedrooms) Thai Balinese style with a serene tropical garden.

Enjoy a no stress vacation in a 24h secure resort with residential hotel services. Close to residential Laguna area and all amenities: shopping avenue, restaurants, spa, superstores, etc. Few minutes walk to local village, typical fresh outdoor market and temples. www.siamaya.com

“Doctor, I think I’m suffering from chronic nostalgia of Holidays, It is serious?” “Dear Lady, good news, I have the remedy for this: Go immediately to Usha Decor! Amazing tropical, Balinese style decoration is waiting for you! Soak up the zen and colourful atmosphere to bring some sun touch at your home”Located in Boat Avenue and Home Pro in Chalong, these new concept stores are offering a stylish selection of trinkets. www.facebook.com/usha.shops2212

Just a stone’s throw away from Wine Connection and Tesco Lotus Bangtao, Café Gourmand is a lovely place with ultra comfortable seating and large tables. Cafe Gourmand is a place where you feel at home with casual elegant dining. Enjoy a convivial atmosphere where diners relax and soak up the experience. Awaken all the senses as lounge music plays in the background. A new generation of dining that leaves you feeling invigorated.

Call 087 278 4038 www.facebook.com/thecafegourmandphuket

Hot Spot Phuket

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HOT SPOT PHUKET

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Red Frog Shop

Havana Cafe

A desire to please or to be pleased? Red frog is a concept shop offering a unique boutique experience. Coming from all around the world you will discover amazing lithographs from Christian Develter, art scarfs by BUBU, Amore Essentials candles, gypset jewels and a lot more of accessories and decorations... Located in Boat Avenue, Red Frog is the shop where you will find the perfect gift for that someone who has everything!

Call 080 781 8162 www.facebook.com/redfrogshopphuket BOAT AVENUE Cherntalay

A great steakhouse should fulfill three criteria: the quality of the meat, the seasoning and of course, the preparation.

Havana Cafe delivers quality Black Angus steaks with fine texture and tenderness. Perfectly seasoned simplicity. A charming and lively restaurant with an abundant wine list. www.facebook.com/havanaphuket

Speed Boat for Sale

Cecconi

FELIIZ

9 meter Bayliner boat 10 years old. Registration:Thai Powered by 350 mercruiser (165 hp) Comes with GPS Setup with : on board shower, refrigerator, and microwave as accessories. Additional items include Cholamark dinghy, with Yamaha outboard that has never been run in. Purchased three years ago for 3 million baht (1 time used only). Speed 20-22 knots. will let go for 1.8 million, let’s negotiate.

For more info Call Mobile: +6694 679 8874, +6695 605 4244 Email: Atcharaphonjackson2525@hotmail.com

The Italians are masters of seduction, everyone knows it. In keeping with this reputation, Cecconi Italian Cuisine seduce you and resistance is futile.

Start with Parma ham on wood board, follow with pasta and crispy pizza. The homemade tiramisu is divino. There is nothing to do, you are lost in paradiso! You will be back again and again ‌ www.facebook.com/cecconirawai

Krisna will provide you high quality creative graphic design that delivers powerful, compelling and effective business solutions. Explain to her what you need and she will get back to you with a fresh and original concept. www.feliiz.com Contact: Krisna Gallerne Mobile +66(0)80 591 6288 Email: krisna@feliiz.com

Hotspot Phuket

Rawai Beach Studio Buisness for lease in heart of rawai beach Include 10 spacious rooms Rental property 16 sq.m Complete bar Buisness with income built in.

Sale@ 1.8 MB Mobile: +66(0)94 679 8874, +66(0)95 605 4244 See more pictures of room.

Please visit Rawai Beach Studios - agoda.com

For 7 years now, toineinbangkok team is proposing in the Boutiques numerous revisited Asian products from all around, with a twist of humor and disalignment.

Recently, 2 boutiques were merged at the Street Lobby of the SO Sofitel Hotel on Sathorn, one big is dedicated to Design, Art&home decoration items and the second one toineinbangkok is full of fancy stuff for kids, decoration, accessories and clothes.

The places are set-up to make your eyes meandering, wandering, and create delight, surprise and enchantment...

“We love to source and develop pieces with artists, we also have fun to add unexpected and personal touches to the items, to mix material and colors in a different manner”. This gives a funky mix of object’s d’art and a unique feeling. Both the prices and the wide selection on offer allow for something for everyone.

The stated mission is ‘to make you feel happy’….

Colors, shapes and details are particularly studied to express this.

Mixing different styles but always in a gentle and joyful manner, here at toineinbangkok

“we love to make you look and feel your best. Let’s make every day a good day! ”

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BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT 40% IN 5 YEARS

最 佳 投 资 回 报 率 : 5 年 即 可 获 得 40% 的 投 资 收 益 。

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME SMART & ECO-FRIENDLY HOMES

N AI HARN

RAWAI

PH UK E T

nzovillas.com INFO@NZOVILLAS.COM 120

From 8.9M THB O N L Y 3 0 0 M FR O M TH E B E A C H

Phase 1 sold out Phase 2 & 3 sales

launched

CONTACT +66 (0) 93 636 8454 ONE OF PHUKET’S BEST RESIDENTIAL LOCATIONS

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