A Week in Chinese Tech: AI, 5G, and Artificial Heart

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9 September 2019, 10:02

A file photo of a robot waiter working in the 5G experience area of the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. (Xinhua)

BEIJING (Xinhua) — The following are the highlights of China’s key technology news from the past week:

AI Pilot Zones

China will construct around 20 new artificial intelligence (AI) innovative development pilot zones by 2023, according to a recent work guideline issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The guideline said the pilot zones will promote the deep integration of AI and socio-economic development, as well as improving the AI innovation ability and level.

Robot Standard

China has published a national standard for ground search-and-rescue robots, according to a source of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Drafting of the national standard, initiated by the Standardization Administration of China, was undertaken by the Shenyang Institute of Automation under the CAS, in cooperation with units including the National Earthquake Response Support Service and a number of leading robot companies.

Artificial Heart

A Chinese artificial heart design used in patients with aerospace technology will go into clinical research by the end of this year, according to its developer. Once reaching the market, it may help millions of people in China suffering from weak hearts.

Developed by scientists from the No. 18 Research Institute under the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the country’s leading rocket maker, the artificial heart called HeartCon weighs only 180 grams and is smaller than the size of a fist.

5G Base Stations

Chinese telecom giant China Mobile said Thursday it has built more than 20,000 5G base stations in 52 key cities across the country. It plans to provide 5G commercial services in more than 50 cities by the end of 2019.

China Mobile will invest 24 billion yuan (3.39 billion U.S. dollars) to accelerate the construction of the 5G network.

Charity Ship Rescues 50 African Migrants in Sea Off Libya

By

Associated Press

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9 September 2019, 09:42

Migrants on a blue rubber boat wait to be rescued some 14 nautical miles from the coast of Libya in Mediterranean Sea, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Renata Brito)

ABOARD THE OCEAN VIKING (AP) — A charity ship run by humanitarian groups in the Mediterranean spent a rainy Sunday searching open waters for a fragile rubber boat overloaded with migrants before finally plucking 50 people to safety not far off Libya’s coast.

The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking, which is operated jointly by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, sent its own boats to pick up a pregnant woman close to full term, 12 minors and 37 men, all from sub-Saharan Africa.

“God bless you!” one of the men told the rescuers as they passed life vests to the wet and barefoot passengers.

At least two people feeling ill collapsed upon arrival on the Ocean Viking, while three others were soaked in fuel and two were suffering from mild hypothermia. The operation was witnessed by an Associated Press journalist aboard the ship, which found the migrant boat some 14 nautical miles (16 statute miles) from Libya.

The rescue occurred 14 hours after the Ocean Viking as well as Libyan, Italian and Maltese authorities, the United Nations’ refugee agency and Moonbird, a humanitarian observation plane, received an email by Alarm Phone, a hotline for migrants. It was an urgent call seeking help for the rubber boat carrying 50 people without a working engine.

The Ocean Viking, which was already in the Libyan search and rescue zone of the central Mediterranean, informed all authorities that it was beginning an active search for the migrant boat. Throughout the morning, the charity ship chased several objects spotted on the horizon, including what turned out to be a floating palm leaf tangled with fishing gear and an empty small fishing boat.

Throughout the morning, the ship tried to contact Libyan officials without success. The AP journalist witnessed at least three phone calls to the Libyan Joint Rescue and Coordination Center that went unanswered.

The blue rubber boat jammed with the migrants was finally spotted on the horizon near a fishing boat at 1:30 p.m. The fishing boat did not respond to radio contact by the Ocean Viking, which then launched its rescue boats.

At 2:30 p.m., the Libyan Coastguard finally answered the phone and the Ocean Viking reported that its crew was in the process of rescuing the migrants.

A European Union plane taking part in the Operation Sophia anti-human trafficking operation flew over the Ocean Viking, the migrant boat and the fishing boat multiple times shortly before the people were rescued.

As required by maritime law, the ship asked Libyan authorities responsible for rescue coordination in that part of the Mediterranean to provide a place of safety to disembark the rescued migrants, but it also made the same request to Italian and Maltese officials. There was no immediate response.

International migration and human rights bodies say Libya is not a place of safety, and Doctors Without Borders does not consider any North African country safe for disembarkation of the migrants.

But for more than a year, migrant rescues performed by non-governmental groups have frequently led to sometimes weeks-long standoffs trying to get European authorities to allow migrants to be landed.

Hundreds Attend ‘Matchmaking Day’ in Shanghai

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Xinhua News Agency

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9 September 2019, 09:36

A file photo of people taking part in a matchmaking event in Shanghai on Nov. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

SHANGHAI (Xinhua) — A “matchmaking day” was held in eastern China’s Shanghai Saturday to encourage more young people to engage in social networking and match-making.

An orienteering activity was organized with over 1,000 single young people participating, and more than 30 outdoor activities were also held at the Shanghai Expo Park, many of which should be accomplished by a team of two.

A total of 23 psychologists and love mentors were also at the event to provide consultation services for the participants.

The “matchmaking day” was supported by the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League and the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, in a bid to encourage more young people to engage in social networking and match-making.

Shanghai has also launched a league formed by 16 social service institutions and opened a public account on social networking app WeChat.

According to a recent report released by the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League, young people in Shanghai now show intentions of marrying later.

Demonstrators Ask Trump to ‘Liberate’ Hong Kong

By

Associated Press

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9 September 2019, 09:21

Protesters waves United States flags and placards during a protest in Hong Kong, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong urged President Donald Trump to “liberate” the semiautonomous Chinese territory during a peaceful march to the U.S. Consulate on Sunday, but violence broke out later in the business and retail district as police fired tear gas after protesters vandalized subway stations, set fires and blocked traffic.

Demonstrators flooded a park in central Hong Kong, chanting “Resist Beijing, Liberate Hong Kong” and “Stand with Hong Kong, fight for freedom.” Many of them, clad in black shirts and wearing masks, waved American flags and carried posters that read “President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong” as they marched to the U.S. Consulate nearby.

“Hong Kong is at the forefront of the battle against the totalitarian regime of China,” said Panzer Chan, one of the organizers of the march. “Please support us in our fight.”

Hong Kong has been rocked by three months of unrest sparked by a proposed law that would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. Many saw the extradition bill as a glaring example of the erosion of civil liberties and rights promised under a “one country, two systems” framework when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

ABA33763 D19A 4590 AB6C 4ED1016DE144 — Protesters shout slogans during a protest in Hong Kong, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Hong Kong’s government promised this past week to formally withdraw the bill, but that failed to appease the demonstrators, who have widened their demands to include calls for direct elections for the city’s leaders and an independent probe into alleged police brutality against protesters.

The unrest has become the biggest challenge to Beijing’s rule since Hong Kong’s return from Britain. Beijing and the entirely state-controlled media have portrayed the protests as an effort by criminals to split the territory from China, backed by hostile foreigners.

Protesters on Sunday urged Washington to pass a bill, known as the Hong Kong Democratic and Human Rights Act, to support their cause. The bill proposes sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials found to suppress democracy and human rights in the city, and could also affect Hong Kong’s preferential trade status with the U.S.

A group of protesters sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before handing over an appeal letter to a U.S. Consulate official.

Just before the rally ended, violence erupted after riot police detained several people and cleared a crowd from the nearby Central subway station. Angry protesters smashed glass windows, sprayed graffiti and started a fire at one at the station’s exits.

The government said protesters also set street fires and blocked traffic at some thoroughfares. In the type of cat-and-mouse battle that has characterized the summer-long protests, riot police pursued groups of protesters down streets, but they kept regrouping.

Police fired multiple rounds of tear gas in the Causeway Bay shopping area after protesters heckled them and refused to leave. They also searched dozens of young people on the street and inside subway stations.

1000 — Riot police detain protesters in Central, the main business district in Hong Kong, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

At the Mong Kok police station, clashes took place for a third straight night. Police fired projectiles at an angry crowd that was shining laser beams, and several people were detained.

The U.S. State Department said in a travel advisory Friday that Beijing has undertaken a propaganda campaign “falsely accusing the United States of fomenting unrest in Hong Kong.” It said U.S. citizens and embassy staff were targeted and urged them to exercise increased caution.

Some American legislators are pressing Trump to take a tougher stand on Hong Kong. But the president has suggested that it’s a matter for China to handle, though he also has said that no violence should be used. Political analysts suggest that Trump’s response has been muted because he doesn’t want to disrupt talks with China over their tariff war.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday that Hong Kong residents deserve real autonomy and freedom from fear. She urged an end to police violence against protesters and said Congress looks forward to “swiftly advancing” the Hong Kong bill.

The protests are an embarrassment to China’s ruling Communist Party ahead of the Oct. 1 celebration of its 70th anniversary in power.

Separately, well-known Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong said in a statement through his lawyer that he was detained at the city’s airport early Friday for breaching bail conditions. Wong, a leader of Hong Kong’s 2014 pro-democracy protest movement, was among several people detained last month and was charged with inciting people to join a protest in June.

Wong had just returned from Taiwan, where he gave speeches on Hong Kong’s protests, and is due to visit Germany and the U.S. He said a court had approved his overseas trips.

He described his detention as a procedural hiccup and said he expected to be released Monday. His prosecution comes less than two months after his release from prison for a two-month sentence related to the 2014 protests.

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Associated Press writer Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.

Hong Kong Police Warn Protesters to Stop Illegal Acts

By

Xinhua News Agency

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9 September 2019, 09:11

Radical demonstrators set fires on roads of Central in south China's Hong Kong, Sept. 8, 2019. (Xinhua)

HONG KONG (Xinhua) — Some radical demonstrators set fires on roads and at least one exit of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in the central areas of Hong Kong Sunday afternoon, as prolonged protests continued to disrupt traffic and cause chaos here for the third month.

Rioters smashed windows, obstructed escalators and vandalized facilities at the MTR Central station before starting the arson at one of the exits, forcing the close-down of the station.

They also built barricades with dismantled road railings, trash bins and other miscellaneous objects on streets in Central and Admiralty areas.

Huge smokes billowed into the sky before fire fighters came and extinguished the fire.

As the police carried out dispersal operations in Central and Admiralty districts, some demonstrators headed to Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, blocking carriageways in the areas and paralyzing traffic.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government’s Transport Department announced Sunday evening that several road sections on Hong Kong Island were temporarily blocked to all traffic, and the services of 18 bus routes were suspended and over 60 routes were truncated or diverted.

The MTR announced in the evening that Central and Wan Chai stations were temporarily closed because of an escalation of the situation in the stations.

The police said they have deployed tear gas and used appropriate force to disperse radical demonstrators in Causeway Bay.

DSC 1112 — Radical demonstrators set fires on roads of Causeway Bay in south China’s Hong Kong, Sept. 8, 2019. (Xinhua)

The police appealed to everyone on site to leave immediately and condemned all violent acts by rioters. Residents of the areas were advised to stay tuned to the latest situation and if necessary keep their windows shut and stay indoors.

Later on Sunday night, some radical protesters blocked carriageways in Mong Kok, Kowloon, by setting up barricades with trash bins and debris, paralyzing the traffic.

Some protesters hurled hard objects into Mong Kok police station, posing a safety threat to members of the public and police officers at scene.

The nearby Prince Edward and Mong Kok MTR stations were temporarily closed due to the violence.

The police warned the protesters to stop all illegal acts and leave immediately. After repeated warnings in vain, the police started to disperse the protesters.

UTCC Partnering with Barcelona Startup, Harbour.Space, to Transform Thailand’s Future of Higher Education

By

Khaosod English

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9 September 2019, 05:38

In 2020, Harbour.Space @UTCC will offer the best education for jobs of the future in Asia by launching programs in Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Design.

Bangkok, September 6, 2019 – New interdisciplinary educational programs for entrepreneurship, technology, and design will be offered for the first time in Asia at Harbour.Space @UTCC in Bangkok, Thailand to talents from all over the world through collaboration between University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand’s leading university in trade and services in ASEAN, and Harbour.Space University, a state-of-the-art university based in Barcelona, Spain.

Though located in different parts of the world, both institutions share a common mission to prepare today’s students for jobs of the future in tomorrow’s world. Both agree that a well-prepared student will exemplify three essential traits:

-Mastery of their chosen profession

-Ability to continuously renew their knowledge and build complex networks

-Compassionate application of knowledge to enrich the lives and happiness of others in society

Harbour.Space @UTCC offers a groundbreaking education model combining startups, technology, and design. The acquisition of knowledge and new technology skills will utilize methods including hands-on learning and working on real company projects. Most importantly, Harbour.Space @UTCC will bring leading global industry professionals to develop talented students. These cutting-edge professional teachers will provide instruction designed for the needs of fast-changing industries.

Programs will initially include Computer Science, Data Science, Cyber Security, Fintech, Digital Marketing, Interaction Design, and High-tech Entrepreneurship in the format of single courses, undergraduate programs, and graduate programs. Each class is taught in three-week modules. This allows students to focus on one topic at a time while developing skills needed to become high-tech entrepreneurs.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sauwanee Thairungroj, President of UTCC and Harbour.Space @UTCC, said “As Thailand’s leading university in trade and services, UTCC is committed to transforming higher education to enhance competitiveness in Thailand and the region.”

Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of B.Grimm, and one of the investors bringing this latest tech startup university to Thailand, said “Education designed for tomorrow’s world and future generation is of utmost importance. We invest in bringing the best digital entrepreneurial education to transform Thailand’s education and entrepreneur ecosystem in Asia.”

Svetlana Velikanova, Founder and CEO of Harbour.Space, said “In a few short years, we have proven our model produces high-caliber students who are prepared for the future. We are excited to bring this program to Asia with such a strong partner, UTCC.”

Business Today Thailand: A New Business News and Content Platform Launched on O2O Strategy

By

Khaosod English

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7 September 2019, 01:56

Bangkok, Thailand – BUSINESS TODAY (BT) has been introduced and positioned as a major business news content player, mobilized by a strong editorial team of veteran journalists, Tech Startups, digital tools, and fully-fledged Online-To-Offline (O2O) strategy.

As a business content platform, BT offers the coverage of business and economic stories, in Thai, via multi-channels in digital, broadcast, social media, online, and in print formats. The new provider also plans to provide contents in English for online channels.

Business Today was initiated by Dr. Thanachai Theerapattanavong, Honorary Chairman of Media Expertise International (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (MEI) and veteran editors and journalists Adisak Limprungpattakij and Nha-Kran Loahavilai, joined by experienced business news journalists.

“For over 40 years I’ve worked with professional journalists from various media: newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. But never had I witnessed such drastic changes in the media industry as much as the current impact of digital disruption.

It’s a huge challenge for the mass media. Any media outlet, unable to adapt itself, will find it difficult to continue its business. This circumstance has forced many “professional journalists,” in newspapers, radio, and television, who are adhered to the profession and ethics, to lose their jobs,” said Dr. Thanachai, who also manages Nectar Co., Ltd., which runs Business Today under MEI.

The new business content platform aims to create a new “Media Ecosystem” to better serve consumers and business communities as Thailand is moving from “Thailand 4.0” towards the 5G development in a few years.

With the O2O strategy, BT’s content and operation are prepared for online and offline capabilities via the formats of being “on-print, on-ground, on-air, and on- demand” to ensure “Maximum Impact,” he added.

MEI’s editorial teams, led by new-generation top media executives Dr. Thitikorn Theerapattanavong and Kittikorn Theerapattanavong, who run Harper’s BAZAAR Magazine, Sawasdee Magazine (Thai Airways International’s inflight magazine), Hua Hin Today (an English-language monthly newspaper) and Myanmar Business Today (an English-language business weekly newspaper in Myanmar).

Adisak Limprungpattakij, Chief Executive Officer at Business Today, said, BT is a business content platform that goes beyond being a media outlet. It embraces the concept of “Beyond Journalism”, which offers contents in all dimensions, for example, in the form of storytelling, which is driven by new digital tools such as Big Data and Social Listening via intensive and sophisticated Infographic Design.

BT’s core concept is Answering All Questions in the Business Community, he added.

“Big Data, creative design, and creative content will make the presentation more attractive, sophisticated, but easier to understand. We embrace iiAE (Insightful, Informative, Analysis, and Exclusive) for BT. Original contents are selected from analytical thinking to provide insights by experts, using Big Data and informative infographic presentation for exclusivity that is not available elsewhere,” said Adisak.

BT does not work alone but supported by more than 50 noted editors, journalists, columnists, content creators and storytellers as alliances from Tech Startups as well as influencers,” Adisak added.

Storytelling is key to the contents as it’s believed that every business has a story, distributed as text and video for online channels including websites; audio format for online and social media outlets and podcasts, in addition to animation, photo essay, Infographic presentation, and data visualization.

Nha-Kran Loahavilai, BT’s Editor in Chief, said, “The contents of Business Today are business contents catered as a must for the business communities especially in the disruption. The contents are divided into five groups as follows:

IT and Technology: Telecom, Network Infrastructure, Internet, Media, Social Media, Tech Startup, Computer, Mobile Phones, IoI (Internet of Things), Logistics, and Digital Transformation, etc.

Marketing and Corporates: Marketing strategies, Property, SMEs, Retail, Modern Trade, Lifestyle Business, and Hospitality Businesses such as hospitals, hotels, restaurants, healthcare, entertainment, etc.

Finance and Investment: Macro Economy, Banks, Stock Markets, Money Markets, Investment, Savings, Insurance, Personal Finance, Infrastructures, Mega Projects, etc.

World Business: International Trade, Stocks, Financial Markets of Superpower Countries, Global Companies, Global Platforms, and Global Tech Startups, etc.

Soft Content: Local and international contents regarding digital lifestyle of people in the businesses to feature their lives at work and after-work for a happy work-life balance.

Business Today is also joined by a Thai-language weekly newspaper: BLT (BEST-LIVING-TASTE) under MEI. The paper features lifestyle contents of urban people in Bangkok. As currently becoming a part of Business Today, BLT is growing its coverage to reach audiences across the country. BLT’s distribution will also be expanded in addition to be available at coffee shops, expressways, and office buildings, etc.

Nha-Kran added that in addition to BLT, Business Today has already teamed up with more than 50 noted journalist and content creators, such as
including Tawee Mee-ngern, Tossaporn Chokechaiphol, Nattapong Okapanom, Chakrapong Srisuntorn, Vitay Saeng-Aroon, Asia Parawasin, Kanokwan Maneesaengsakorn, Anchalee Payakkaso, Nares Laopanarai, Lakana Suriyong, and Sunanthavadee Uthayo, etc;

Business Today is also in partnership key business persons from Tech Startups and veteran digital, data, and marketing companies including Dr. Somkiat Chinthamit (WealthMagik), Dr. Asama Kulavanitchaiyanunt (Coraline), Pawoot Pongvittayapanu (Creden), Dr. Thanachat Noomnond (IMC), Dr. Udomtipok Phaikaset (Digital Business Consultant), Maliwan Dejaritt (Passage Thailand), etc.

Among influencers and business content creators are Pattanadech Asasappakij, Aroon Parirak, Pongsook “Nui” Siranyapruek #beartai, Naowarat Charoenprapin, and Dao Kansuchada Suwanakorn, and many others from various business communities.

Business Today in the form of a weekly newspaper will be available officially on September 9, 2019, and reach its audiences on Mondays. Early, the business content platform has been made available via www.businesstoday.co, social media channels, a television program on NewTV18 channel, and as a radio format at FM90.5 MHz for about a month.

For the media to overcome the threat of digital disruption, “Beyond Journalism” is key. It involves a membership model or a subscription model to combine an online presence of the media and print version to lessen their dependence on advertisement revenues and tradition media distribution channels and create new online formats.

“A major trend large media organizations in the United States and Europe are adjusting themselves by altering their business models to focus on a membership system or a subscription model with a better payment system, combined with highly effective logistics system, making their products to be delivered to consumers faster,” Adisak said.

Successful newspapers using a new business model are, such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, for example.

Business Today, as a business content platform, aims to upgrade the duty of independent media in the business content to go further than general media. BT’s vision is to become an institution of business media knowledge management. In the pipeline, BT also eyes to create a co-creation space with an area of over 700 square meters combined with a still image photo shooting studio to serve as a mini-convention and a stage for holding business gatherings and exchange knowledge for media people and business people.

Together with all of the services and plans, Business Today has designed its packages called business content service packages into:

Exclusive Annual Membership: Bt1,500 as a business service fee and a companion to business journey for 1) Business Today in print delivered directly to you for one year. Each is priced at 30 Baht or a total of 52 issues; 2) A membership to access information on BT’s website (worth BT1,200 and with the access for information insights such as data analysis for every quarter); 3) Free entrance to BT’s training courses for 30 hours.

VIP Membership: An assigned access to exclusive contents prior to the availability of its print version and read columnists’ articles and other content creators’ writings. More than 50 people are in the section or choose another option for 10 columns to read on the website. The members can also access full reports for analytical writings, exclusively available at Business Today only.

Basic Membership: An access to to BTs website for free of charge, except the columnists’ section and data analytics.

Business Today’s design in the print version is magazine-like or so-called newspaper creative design. BT is available only at bookstores in Modern Trade, Se-Ed, Nai-in, B2S, and through 7-11 shops located in office buildings, starting September 8, 2019.
The cover price is Bt30 and delivered directly to members on the same day. Office members will receive on Monday, September 9 onwards.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

For more information: Business Development Dept.
Tel: 087 324 2891

Email: [email protected]

Links to access photos: http://bit.ly/2ZoqfmA
For mixed languages: Thai and English: https://bit.ly/2ZzONgu

Pulled Pork Palo and Tamarind Chicken as Burger Fillings? This Asok Joint Says Yes

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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6 September 2019, 18:24

Top: From left to right, the Chicken and Tamarind Burger (305 baht), Mama’s Spicy Chicken Wings (260 baht), and Chicken with Salted Egg and Cheese Burger (340 baht).

Photos by Tappanai Boonbandit

In Bangkok’s tumultuous dining scene, even the most-hyped bars can shut within a year. But Chunky has been serving up Thai-style burgers for four years.

Think chicken burgers with sauces like tamarind or salted egg, and a pulled pork bun flavored like five-spice palo soup. If that sounds good, head down to Soi Sukhumvit 23 in Asok.

Our favorite burger when we visited was the Chicken with Salted Egg and Cheese (340 baht). A signature sauce made from salted egg yolks sourced in Chai Ya town in Surat Thani coats the fried crispiness – but those opposed to cheese sauces may not love it.

Of course, food purists won’t like Chunky’s creations. But the more curious among us – those who wonder ‘how Thai can a hipster burger get?’ – should try our second-fave, the Palo Pulled Pork Burger (280 baht). Cottony-soft, delicate strings of pulled pork immediately conjure the five-spice soup. An equally soft brioche-potato bun hybrid, layered with sauces made from prunes and mulberries, create a savory-sweet burger experience.

To Thai tongues, none of the burgers we tried were lian or overly buttery or creamy. There were always zesty contrasts like pickled shallots, cucumbers, or rocket leaves.

In the Chunky’s Wife Burger (270 baht for pork, 330 baht for beef), locally sourced meat is tucked between a fried egg and jam made from bacon and naam prik ong (pork and tomato chilli dip) – think a Thai-ized BBQ sauce. The most controversial burger we ate was the Chicken and Tamarind Burger (305 baht), a fried chicken burger drizzled with tamarind sauce – the sweetness is sure to be divisive.

Chunky’s Wife Beef Burger (330 baht for beef).

Although the burgers are Sukhumvit-priced, they pack a surprisingly filling punch.

The Mama’s Spicy Chicken Wings (260 baht) are not painfully spicy, but full of zapp Thai spices. If you really need some greens, try the Caesar Salad (230 baht). Don’t worry about sad dressing or dry croutons. Here, there’s a crumble made from bacon and Songkhla-sourced mackerel.

Vegetarians can opt for the Chunky Veggie Burger (270 baht), which has a Thai curry puff patty.

Aekkachai “Belt” Saengkardsanee, 27, one of four co-owners, says 90 percent of the ingredients used at Chunky are local. The Songkhla native’s the one bringing a southern influence to the dishes, which comes out in the menu’s sole dessert: the Vanilla and Yolk Ice Cream with Brulee Bun (180 baht).

“In Songkhla, there’s i-tim oang (bowl ice cream), where coconut ice cream is mixed with raw egg yolks and served in an oang. For this dessert, I decided to change coconut to vanilla,” Belt said.

The restaurant is full of exposed concrete, hanging ceiling lamps, and white neon lettering. A solid burger meetup for foodie friends, even if the Top 40 and EDM playlist may distract.

Chunky is open 11am to 10pm every day and is located in Sukhumvit Soi 23, about a 10 minute walk from either BTS Asok or MRT Sukhumvit.

This review was based on a hosted visit.

Chicken with Salted Egg and Cheese Burger (340 baht).

Passionfruit and Pineapple Soda (95 baht), Rose and Lychee Soda (85 baht), and Vanilla and Yolk Ice Cream with Brulee Bun (180 baht).

Chunky’s Wife Beef Burger (330 baht) and Palo Pulled Pork Burger (280 baht).

Catch Mona Lisa’s Gaze at Digital da Vinci Exhibition

By

Tappanai Boonbandit, Staff Reporter

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6 September 2019, 17:11

Visitors standing by “The Last Supper” replica in Leonardo Opera Omnia on Sept. 3. Photo: River City Bangkok / Facebook

BANGKOK — Art connoisseurs no longer need to fly halfway around the world to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces – they’re being showcased in a digital exhibition in Bangkok.

Held to mark the 500th anniversary of the master’s death, “Leonardo Opera Omnia” digitally reproduces 17 works in full-sized light boxes. The exhibition, which opened to the public for free on Wednesday, runs for a month until Oct. 7 at River City Bangkok.

Visitors can appreciate up close some of the most well known pieces from the Renaissance period such as “Mona Lisa,” “The Last Supper,” and “Lady with an Ermine.” If that’s not enough, the “Italian Renaissance” immersive projection exhibition is being held separately at the same venue.

The organizer of “Leonardo Opera Omnia” claims the exhibition utilizes sophisticated digitalization and lighting techniques to make the pieces as true to life as possible. Each light box’s light intensity and color temperature has been individually adjusted.

The exhibition is part of the annual Italian Festival supported by the Embassy of Italy.

“Leonardo Opera Omnia” is being held at River City Bangkok in Soi Charoen Krung 24. The exhibition is open from 10am to 10pm daily from Sept. 4 to Oct. 7. The venue is reachable by a 15 minute walk along Charoen Krung Road from BTS Saphan Taksin exit No. 3, or by any boat that stops at Si Phraya Pier. Admission is free.

This ‘Lethal’ Durian Buffet in Bangkok Is To Die For

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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6 September 2019, 14:57

Nina Ecker at the durian buffet on Sept. 5, 2019 at Emquartier.

BANGKOK — A new addition to Bangkok’s buffet mania has come in the form of unlimited durian. Yes, a durian buffet, and for seven days only.

But it doesn’t come cheap: 559 baht a head for an hour of overindulgence at the Emquartier luxury mall. Patrons get to eat all the durian they can, plus a host of other fruits.

The cost is roughly a-day-and-a-half’s earnings on minimum wage, but customers seem willing to fork over that amount for an hour of fruit frenzy. After all, the twice-a-year event is now entering its fourth year.

“We don’t get much profit but we do it to promote the fruits,” Saichol Achanonte, the senior chef of the Mall Group which manages Emquarter, said.

Saichol admitted that a trial durian buffet in a less-affluent area of Bangkok wasn’t a success.

About 40 percent of customers at Emquartier’s durian buffet are foreign (mostly Chinese), said Saichol. Chefs prepare a selection of softer and riper durians, which are popular among Chinese consumers.

But a durian buffet is dead serious business, as a gentle warning sign in Thai, English and Chinese reminds guests: “Tips about durian. Eating durian together with alcohol can be lethal as it will rapidly increase sugar levels in the body and create an aggressive warming effect in the body.”

Non-alcoholic drinkers are warned as well: “Durian and soft drink can be a deadly combination. The fruit is high in sugar; combining with caffeine content in soft drink will cause a surge in blood pressure that [could] lead to sudden death.”

Those with diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure “should be careful of overindulgence in durian.”

The buffet is held in the open-air garden of Emquartier. Organizers feared that hosting it inside the mall would put shoppers off with the unmistakable stench of the king of tropical fruits, comparable to an old wet sock left for days without washing.

The durian on offer is the most common and popular variety in Thailand – morn thong or golden pillow. The durian is sourced directly from farmers in Chumphon province in the south.

Saichol says 10 tons of the spiky fruit was ordered for one week of buffet sessions.

“The last time around it was an orgy for some,” Thepparosh Natesuwan, a senior fresh market manager at Emquartier, interjected.

I casually asked a European lady munching on the durian buffet alone on Thursday afternoon how she liked it.

“I’m obsessed with durian,” Nina Ecker, 34, a flight attendant from Austria, said. Ecker said she had had two plates of durians already and was going back for more.

If patrons overindulge and have leftover durian on the table, the mall reserves the right to charge a 500 baht fine.

“Those who are real fans of durian know how much they should eat,” Saichol said.

The Durian Buffet is held outdoors on Emquartier’s ground floor. It will run seven times a day from 10am until 8.30pm until Sept. 10, 2019. The first round starts at 10.30am and the last round at 7.30pm. Each session lasts an hour and costs 559 baht.

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