The PARQ unveils CURVE LIFE—BALANCE: BLA • BARRE • BAR Event in collaboration with CURVEBKK, Elevating the Concept of ‘Life Well Balanced’
Bangkok – The PARQ, a pioneering mixed-use lifestyle development aimed at fostering smart offices and retail spaces under the theme “Life Well Balanced,” proudly announces its partnership with CURVEBKK, a renowned Barre Exercise studio, to launch the CURVE LIFE—BALANCE: BLA • BARRE • BAR event. Presented by The PARQ, this initiative aims to promote balance in life, emphasizing the importance of holistic self-care for both the body and mind on February 3rd, 2024.
This vibrant gathering brought together health enthusiasts, forming a dynamic Workout Community, who participated in a diverse range of exhilarating exercise activities curated by CURVEBKK. Attendees exchanged self-care tips and explored lifestyle markets featuring health-focused products from popular brands on social media.
The event commenced with an invigorating BLA Wellness talk themed “Workout Life Balance” featuring insights from Ms. Poy – Natasha Soontornvinate, from the Holistic Medical Centre, and renowned Food Science Specialist, Ms. Wasinee Kongnaisat or Sydneyfeelgreat’s. They shared valuable knowledge and experiences on comprehensive health care, underscoring the importance of balanced living.
Continuing with the excitement, the event featured two exclusive classes designed to boost fitness and firmness: Barre Exercise, a ballet-inspired workout that combines interval and bodyweight training for simultaneous fitness and fat burning. The lineup included the Sunset Booty Curve class, focusing on sculpting and tightening the glutes, and the Blacklight Cardio Barre activity, designed to push the body’s limits while adding an extra element of fun with music from DJ Mixes and Live sets.
The energetic atmosphere, enhanced by the Glow in the Dark theme, allowed everyone to fully immerse themselves in self-care under the twilight sky of Bangkok, atop the Q Garden.
Another highlight of the event was the Lifestyle Markets zone, offering a plethora of health-focused products from popular social media brands, providing attendees with the opportunity to shop for items supporting their self-care routines including Gooderly, Moodactiv, Cross’e, Peaches Active, Holistic Medical Centre, Verite, Faceandetc, Fitmeal, Pleased Yoghurt Bar, Khunkale, and among others.
Culminating the day was the BAR Dance the Night Away & Mingle activity, where The PARQ transformed into a pop-up rooftop bar, complete with a live DJ, fostering connections among like-minded individuals and fostering a stronger Workout Community.
Ms. Korbua – Ruchupha Somsopath, one of leading Barre Instructors from CURVEBKK, expressed deep gratitude to The PARQ for valuing holistic health. She highlighted the significance of their ‘Q Garden’ space as a sanctuary, fostering collective efforts toward a ‘Work-Life Balance’ lifestyle. She emphasized the crucial role of balance in modern living, acknowledging The PARQ’s visionary insight and provision of activities aligned with this ethos. She believes the event’s impact empowered countless individuals to find equilibrium in their lives.
CURVE LIFE—BALANCE is another testament to The PARQ’s commitment to supporting balanced living. As the first project in Thailand achieved LEED Gold® Version 4 and WELL Certified™ Core Gold standards, The PARQ continues its dedication to elevating the living standards of its occupants and visitors, providing a balanced life in every aspect.
For the latest news and more information on The PARQ’s activities
PHUKET – Foreign visitors to Phuket shared images of the lion cubs in the cafes on social media, and many people expressed their disapproval. One comment read, “This is cruelty to animals. Lion cubs should be with their mothers and pride where they belong, not in a café. We strongly oppose this.”
On February 12, 2024, Shinthep Kanghae, director of the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary, Tourist Police and Phuket City Police Station visited the café in Phuket to investigate. They found the café full of tourists and spoke to Mr. Kai, a Chinese friend of the café owner. Mr. Kai was invited to Phuket City Police Station for questioning.
The Glasshouse Cafe and Space, located at Village No. 2, Ratsada Subdistrict, Mueang District Phuket, is where the lion cub was displayed to attract customers.
Mr. Kai told police that the owner of the lion, who is his friend, lives in Krabi province and will return to Phuket soon. He said the lion cub was bought in Bangkok 15 days ago and was brought to the cafe every day for 2-3 hours for tourists to see before being taken back to the owner’s house in Chalong District.
Officers gathered evidence to obtain a search warrant for the house in Chalong where the lion is being kept. They will also investigate whether the lion was brought to the area legally and whether the proper permits were obtained for its transportation. Lions are considered a controlled species in Thailand.
A sign notifies customers who want to play with the lions: “I don’t wanna be touched of you outside the fence.”
However, on February 14, police and wildlife officials raided a hotel room in Mueang Phuket District where the Chinese owner, who keeps the cub. The woman said she purchased the cub from Bangkok for 250,000 baht on January 9. However, the integrated chip did not match the registration number, and the location was also unsuitable for wildlife, so the authorities seized a lion cub from her.
The police charge the lion owner violated the Wild Animal Preservation and Protection Act by neglecting to notify the possession of wild animals and moving them without permission.
The Chinese woman said she purchased the cub from Bangkok for 250,000 baht.
The incident in Phuket is similar to an incident that took place in a café in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district. A team of officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation seized a one-month-old female lion cub.
Mr. Naruporn Tipmontha, director of the Forest Fire Prevention and Control Department, said officials first visited the cafe on January 29, 2024. They only found a receipt for the sale of the lion cub from a foreign animal trading company to the café and a document with a microchip number. However, they did not find the microchip itself and there were no official documents authorizing ownership of the lion cub.
The officials therefore confiscated the lion cub from the café and gave the owner 15 days to produce the necessary documents. However, the owner was unable to provide proof of ownership or transfer of the controlled wild animal.
It was also found that the microchip number belonged to a three-month-old male lion in Nakhon Pathom province. The lion is believed to be around 5 months old and not a female lion at 1 month and 19 days old. Officials went to the same café for further investigation.
The owner of the cafe in Khlong Toei was charged with violating the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act for failing to report possession of a controlled wildlife species. Officers confiscated the lion cub and its cage and took them to the Wildlife Conservation Office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for care.
People walk past a Body Shop store in Canterbury, England, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — The Body Shop, the British beauty and cosmetics retail chain, said on Tuesday that it has appointed insolvency administrators after years of financial struggles.
The retailer, which grew from a single shop in 1976 to become one of the most recognizable retailers on the British high street with hundreds of stores in the United Kingdom and beyond, is known as an early champion of ethical practices in business.
FRP, the administrators hired by The Body Shop, said it will “now consider all options to find a way forward for the business.”
“The Body Shop has faced an extended period of financial challenges under past owners, coinciding with a difficult trading environment for the wider retail sector,” FRP said.
The announcement came just weeks after the chain’s new owners Aurelius, a European private equity firm specializing in buying and turning around troubled firms, took control of the business.
The retailer of soaps, creams and make up was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick and her husband as one of the first companies to promote so-called ethical consumerism, highlighting its fair trading practices and cosmetics and skincare products that were not tested on animals.
The Body Shop, the British beauty and cosmetics retail chain, says it’s appointed insolvency administrators after years of financial struggles. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Roddick, an environmental and human rights campaigner as well as a businesswoman, was lauded as the “Queen of Green” because she put corporate social responsibility and environmentalism front and center of her business long before it became fashionable.
The brand became hugely popular in the 1980s, when it listed on the London Stock Exchange, and has stores in some 80 countries, including many operated through franchises.
Roddick and her husband sold The Body Shop to beauty giant L’Oreal in 2006. The brand was passed on to Natura, the Brazilian cosmetics business, in 2017, which sold it on to Aurelius late last year in a deal valued at 207 million pounds ($261 million.) The company employed about 7,000 people worldwide at the time of the takeover.
At the time, Aurelius expressed optimism that it could re-energize the iconic British brand “despite the challenging retail market.”
The chain will continue to trade through stores and online during the administration process, but the news that it has gone into administration will likely put hundreds of jobs at risk.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) police officers launch a warning campaign on Valentine's Day 2024 to keep everyone safe in Bangkok's central area.
BANGKOK – Valentine’s Day in Thailand is more than just a day for lovers or a chance for vendors to make money by selling flowers and Valentine’s Day-themed merchandise. Police officials often use Valentine’s Day to warn the public about crimes involving love and sexual acts.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Siriwat Deepoh, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said criminals may take advantage of Valentine’s Day to defraud their victims. Police have identified six types of love scams:
“Romance Scam” involves the creation of fake social media accounts using photos of other people or AI-generated images, often depicting handsome men, beautiful women or financially successful individuals. The scammers befriend victims or start conversations with them on social media platforms, build relationships and then entice them to give away their assets. Romance scams ranked 10th in crime cases with 1,435 cases and a total loss of over 476 million baht between 17 March 2023 and 31 December 2023.
“Hybrid Scam: Investment Fraud” involves false promises of high returns and the seduction of victims into investing money that is not true.
“Sextortion” consists of building relationships and then persuading victims to make video calls or record explicit videos, which are later used to extort money from the victims by threatening to publish the videos or send them to their spouses.
“Commodity Scam” involves the sale of products at unrealistically low prices to entice victims to buy them.
“Fake Restaurant Reservations” involves the creation of fake social media accounts posing as restaurants offering Valentine’s Day deals. Victims are tricked into paying a deposit for a table reservation, only to discover they have been scammed when they arrive at the restaurant.
“Fake Room Reservations” involves the creation of fake social media accounts posing as hotels or accommodations offering Valentine’s Day deals. Victims are tricked into paying a deposit for a room reservation, only to discover they have been scammed when they arrive at the hotel or accommodation.
In addition, the Forensic Science Division of the Royal Thai Police warned against date rape drugs, or gamma-Hydroxybutyric (GHB), which can damage the brain and nervous system and can be derived from natural or synthetic substances.
These drugs can easily be dissolved in water or drinks without being detected. When mixed with alcoholic beverages, their effects are intensified, causing symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, unconsciousness, euphoria and temporary memory loss. They can also suppress breathing and lead to fatal respiratory arrest.
The Forensic Science officer shows the bottle of rape drugs, or gamma-Hydroxybutyric (GHB), to warn people on Valentine’s Day.
The statistics on psychoactive substances that affect the mind and nervous system show an increasing trend over the last three years. There were 320 cases in 2021, 319 cases in 2022, 400 cases in 2023 and by early 2024 there were 54 cases, totaling more than 1,093 cases in the last three years, with Bangkok having the highest number at 678 cases.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Tairong Phiwphann, Commissioner-General of the Office of Police Forensic Science, Royal Thai Police, pointed out the illegal sale of drugs, especially on the Internet. He urged the youth to be careful on Valentine’s Day and other occasions. He advised them to learn how to protect themselves by avoiding drinks or food from strangers.
BANGKOK – Miss Sudawan Wangsuphakitkoson, Minister of Tourism and Sports, revealed on Tuesday, February 13, that Thailand has attracted a large number of tourists in the past week during the Chinese New Year festival (February 5-11, 2024), particularly from East Asia and Southeast Asia such as China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, in comparison to the previous week.
This brings Thailand’s total number of foreign tourists to 872,235, up from 102,227 the previous week, or 13.28%, with an average of 124,605 foreign tourists visiting Thailand each day.
The top five foreign visitors are from China (194,275), Malaysia (125,686), Russia (48,826), South Korea (48,643), and India (36,793).
Chinese New Year celebrations 2024 took place in Songkhla Province.
The government had set a goal of 195,825 foreign tourists visiting for the Chinese New Year Festival (February 8-16, 2024), a 137% increase over the Chinese New Year Festival 2023 (January 19-27).
In terms of tourism revenue, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates total tourism income of 34,390 million baht, a 29% rise, with 995,000 foreign visitors projected to arrive, a 34% increase, generating income of 28,390 million baht, or a 36% increase.
Miss Sudawan stated that foreign tourists are expected to resume normal levels following the Chinese New Year holidays. The signing of visa waivers between Thailand and China has raised tourist confidence while enhancing travel convenience and airline frequency, while visa exemptions for India, Taiwan, and Kazakhstan are currently supporting Thai tourism.
Yaowarat, Bangkok, 2024
As the next major event is Songkran, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on Tuesday that the Cabinet has agreed to add Friday, April 12, 2024, as an April 12 to 16 national holiday during the festival to urge people to spend within the country and on domestic tourism.
He also directed the Minister of Tourism and Sports to further promote tourism in minor cities after the success of major provinces such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.
Do you have chronic knee, neck or back pain and want to find another way to treat it besides taking drugs? Have you suffered an accident or sports injury and wished that you could speed up the healing process? Are you constantly feeling the effects of office syndrome on your shoulders and back?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should look into the benefits of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT). HILT is a new type of physiotherapy technology that uses four types of lasers together to stimulate soft tissue and provide relief to patients.
By utilizing four laser beams of different strengths and intensities, technicians can penetrate deeper into ligaments and muscles and stimulate damaged and chronically sore tissues. HILT can reduce spasms and muscle aches, help heal bruises and swelling, and provide pain relief to ligaments and joints, including shoulders, knees, backs, and necks.
High Intensity Laser Therapy Costs Are Low
One of the best features of high-intensity laser therapy is that the costs are easily affordable. BDMS Wellness Clinic in Bangkok is offering a special promotion that costs only THB 1,300 per session. As HILT treatments are non-invasive, you can continue your daily activities while undergoing treatment. An effective program of HILT physiotherapy consists of multiple treatments, but pain treatment no longer must dictate your schedule. The treatments are performed on an outpatient basis by BDMS Wellness Clinic.
The affordable costs of high-intensity laser therapy are easily worth it. HILT addresses several chronic conditions and injuries, including:
Back pain
Disk degeneration and herniation.
Sciatica and stenosis
Joint pain, including feet, knees, hips, and neck.
Shoulder pain, including frozen shoulders and rotator cuffs.
Tissue tears, including ACL, MCL, TCL and a torn meniscus.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis
Post-surgical pain
HILT can also be effectively used to reduce the pain from scar tissue. Laser therapy is used to loosen scar tissue and enable the body to move freely again.
Promotes Faster-healing Tissue
One of the main benefits of HILT is to reduce inflammation in new injuries. The other benefit is that the four lasers utilized within HILT increase the speed of the healing process by stimulating the cells of the tissue. They knit together and mend faster after undergoing treatment. By reducing inflammation and stimulating the cells of the damaged tissue, injuries are healed more quickly, and athletic people can return to the sports they love much faster.
No Side Effects
One of the reasons that HILT is becoming so popular is the lack of side effects. When performed by our properly trained technicians at BDMS Wellness, HILT has no known side effects and is an FDA-approved treatment.
Make an appointment for a consultation at BDMS Wellness Clinic in Bangkok and learn more about what HILT can offer you in pain treatment and management. High-intensity laser therapy offers low-cost pain treatment options for everyone.
Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, second left, walks with his son Panthongtae, his daughters Pinthongta and Paetongtarn, second right, as he arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI, BANGKOK — Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who last year returned from more than a decade of self-imposed exile to serve a prison sentence for misdeeds committed while in office, has been granted parole and could be released this weekend, the country’s justice minister announced Tuesday.
Parole for Thaksin would be a symbol of reconciliation between his populist political party and the country’s conservative establishment, a rivalry that defined Thai politics for nearly 20 years and led to two military coups.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong told reporters ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Bangkok that Thaksin qualified for early release because he is in the eligible category of inmates who have serious illnesses, are disabled or are aged over 70. Thaksin is 74 years old.
Tawee did not confirm the date that Thaksin will be released, but it is widely expected he could be released as soon as this weekend.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
He is currently confined to a police hospital in Bangkok where he is serving time for convictions related to corruption and abuse of power while in office, convictions he decried as politically motivated.
Opponents have charged that serving his sentence in a hospital was a special privilege, suggesting that it was part of a part of a political deal between his party and the military.
Thaksin had been in exile since 2008, but voluntarily returned to Thailand in August last year and reported to prison to begin serving an eight-year sentence. He arrived back in his homeland the same day Srettha Thavisin of the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party secured the post of Prime Minister with the support of military-linked parties.
He was moved almost immediately to the hospital on grounds of ill health and about a week after that, King Maha Vajiralongkorn reduced his sentence to a single year.
Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire who used his fortune to build a populist political party, served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was ousted by a military coup.
He fled the country in 2008 to avoid arrest, but his allies remained a major force in Thai politics. His sister led the country from 2011 to 2014, when she left office weeks before another coup that installed a military government that held power until elections last year.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Srettha told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that Thaksin’s parole is in line with Corrections Department rules as he has already served his time. Srettha praised Thaksin as “one of the most popular prime ministers in the Thai political history” and someone who has long worked for the good of the country.
Srettha represents the Pheu Thai party, the latest incarnation of the party Thaksin founded as Thai Rak Thai, and which he’s still considered the de facto leader of.
Thaksin is not yet clear of all legal hurdles. Thai officials said last week they have reopened an investigation into allegations of defaming the monarchy made against Thaksin almost nine years ago. If the Office of the Attorney General decides to indict him, Thaksin could be detained again as soon as he is released.
Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who heads the Pheu Thai party, told reporters last week that she has prepared his residence in Bangkok in anticipation of his release.
Military-backed parties fared badly in last year’s general election, and Thailand’s royalist conservative establishment was believed to have favored reconciliation with Thaksin’s political machine in order to keep the more progressive Move Forward party out of power.
Moved Forward placed first in the polls but was blocked from taking power when the members of the military-appointed Senate refused to approve its candidate for prime minister.
A customer watches menu of marijuana at Highland cafe shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI, BANGKOK — Two years after Thailand made pot legal, the country appears set to crack down on its freewheeling drug market with a ban on “recreational” use.
The Cabinet is expected to consider a law that would ban recreational cannabis use while allowing medical as soon as Tuesday. If approved, it would go to parliament, where support for more restrictions is widespread.
Founder of Highland cafe Rattapon Sanrak prepares flower bud of marijuana for customers at his shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A draft version of the law that was circulated for public comment in January would make using cannabis “for entertainment or pleasure” a crime punishable by a 60,000 baht (about $1,700) fine. It would allow medical marijuana, but didn’t give details of how it would be controlled.
Thailand was the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis. Decriminalization was spearheaded by the Bhumjaithai Party, which made it a major part of its platform in the 2019 general election campaign. The party’s stronghold is in the poor Northeast, where it promised farmers cannabis would be a new cash crop.
Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul became health minister and an important member of the military-led coalition, pushing through a 2022 amendment to the Narcotics Law that dropped cannabis from the list of controlled drugs.
Anutin had promised that cannabis would be allowed only for medical use, but in practice the market was nearly unregulated.
Thailand almost two years ago spawned a highly visible retail industry when it decriminalized the sale and possession of cannabis, but now appears set to tighten controls to ban its recreational use. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The Health Ministry issued regulations that made cannabis a “controlled herb” that requires a license for planting or selling, as well as banning online sales, sales to pregnant women and people under 20, and public smoking. But cannabis can be purchased easily by practically anyone at many unlicensed establishments or online.
Thai media was quickly filled with reports of drug-fueled violence and abuse, including among young people, who were not supposed to have access to the drug.
The Health Ministry reported a spike in people seeking treatment cannabis-related psychological issues, from more than 37,000 patients in fiscal year 2022 to more than 63,000 patients in 2023. Other studies pointed to more young people using the drug.
In the 2023 election campaign, all major parties — including Bhumjaithai — promised to limit cannabis to medical use.
Kalyapat Rachitroj, a lawmaker from the opposition Move Forward Party who has a medical degree, said the plant has economic benefits, and has uses in health care to relieve pain and for terminally ill patients. But, she said, widespread recreational cannabis has created social problems such as youth drug abuse.
Given the current situation, “we have no option but to put marijuana back to be classified as narcotics once again.”
Cannabis advocates and entrepreneurs oppose a radical rollback.
Chokwan “Kitty” Chopaka, a cannabis shop owner and activist in Bangkok, acknowledged problems involving cannabis use but said they are due to lax enforcement of existing regulations.
She said many officials still see cannabis as a dangerous narcotic. “Where we, on the other hand, see it as a plant. It’s an herb. It’s something that we have had traditionally for a very long time.”
Rattapon Sanrak, the founder of Thailand’s first legal cannabis shop, said it would be an overreaction to put cannabis back on the narcotics list.
Founder of Highland cafe Rattapon Sanrak prepares flower bud of marijuana for customers at his shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
He also said the move would be impractical or even impossible, given how big the industry has grown.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who disagrees with the control of use for underage children. No one wants to see people puffing weed on the street,” he said. “Sellers … also don’t want to see those street vendors who sell without a license.”
He called for more discussion on the best way to control the drug.
“People who don’t like it, people who are users, people who operate businesses, I think these parties have to find a common ground on how to exist together.”
BANGKOK – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak Srikirian, Director of the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), announced the research direction for this year, which is for MTEC to focus on the public and prioritize solving important national problems.
“We don’t just want to do research, we want to make it accessible to users. So we are concentrating on answering the entire value chain. With the policy of the Ministry of Industry, which sees research as an investment, not research for the sake of research, but research to solve important problems for the country or problems for the private sector. So we are focusing on that direction,” said Dr. Thermsak.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak Srikirian, Director of the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC)Matichon Group’s Executive Committees attended to listening to the MTEC research team discuss the future direction of driving research and activities.
What are the obstacles that prevent research from being applied in the real world?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak invited us to question the things we have been pushing for, such as Doing The Project Right.
“I believe that our researchers have no problem, everyone is talented and capable. But doing the right project, choosing a project that has an impact or solves the right problem is difficult.”
Cooperation with interest groups is also important, because research and development are only the beginning.
Incubate technology: Transferring knowledge into the economy
As one of the key players, MTEC knows how important it is to build on existing technologies.
“I believe that we can achieve technology localization (the development of foreign technology for strategic industries) as China has done in the last 20 years. They imported the technology first and used it immediately. I looked at ‘bamboo’, it is an interesting plant, it grows fast and has good properties. But there is still a lack of research to support it. There should be a scout to analyze what we should put into it.”
JOEY the active bed
“The private sector is already good at research and development, but it still lacks the push for standards. The private sector cannot be the regulator. So you need a third party that is independent and unbiased.
“We will be the Account Third Party in this matter. We will start to find projects that do the right thing by analyzing the entire value chain and looking at the downstream players. In medicine alone, we have made a lot of mistakes because we have not looked at the whole process, whether there are regulations to support the project. When we do that, we do research to our heart’s content, but we end up not being able to invest.” The MTEC director clearly pointed out the obstacles.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak said that the organization is well positioned. It does not want to compete with the private sector. It is there to connect and create a mechanism to transfer knowledge to the economy.
“But there is a role I call incubation technology. That’s something we are going to focus a lot on.”
He emphasized his position and welcomed all sectors to join. There is a business development unit that provides specific advice.
Looking at the country as a company: Older people must be able to live independently.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak said that many companies are not big enough to do their own research and development and that managing intellectual property is a big task.
“We assume that one thing that will be very useful is the model of looking at the ‘country as a company’. We want to be like an outsourced R&D unit that supports the corporate sector, which we see as a sales and production department, and we do research for the industry that we use. We keep joint development confidential, which allows more flexibility and removes the headaches of research.”
Ross and Rachel motion-assist bodysuits
Smart Life and Well Living:
For Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak, a good life is becoming increasingly important. This is because Thailand is about to enter an aging society in which people will have to live alone in the future. There is therefore a need for various aids, from wearables to medical devices and household aids. Currently, Ross has been developed for caregivers, nurses, carers or generally for people who care for elderly people at home. They need to lift and move patients.
“It is an exoskeleton that is worn as a back-supporting body suit. It’s a device like in the movies. It will help reduce the strain of walking or lifting things. I expect it to arrive.” The MTEC director is confident.
Batteries are the future: Changing the energy structure of the country
“When we do research, we have to be one step ahead of the trends. Just like the question of batteries today. Look at the sunlight that shines all day, with solar cells that capture it, but there is still no unit that stores electricity for the night. It’s like water that needs a reservoir to collect itself,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thermsak.
He emphasized that these energies are crucial and different from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, which are produced when carbon is extracted and ultimately released into the atmosphere, presumably contributing to global warming. Therefore MTEC is trying to do something from the ground up and use it here.
“As for the TRIS ACADEMY CLUB, which describes itself as an intelligent entity that studies issues of world concern, such as the release of carbon emissions, this could become another important trade mechanism that works closely with the aluminum and steel groups in the industry association. The next important step is ‘serious reduction’, so how to help reduce carbon emissions. Another part is assessing the carbon footprint. We need to develop these parts together.”
In addition to the economic costs, we must also consider the environmental costs,” said the Director of MTEC.
Carbon neutrality across industries
Dr. Asira Fuongfuchat, Deputy Director of MTEC, explained 4 strategies to promote Thailand’s industrial potential with ‘material technology’.
The first theme is the development of the country towards a carbon-neutral status through material technology and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
“This is one of the tasks of material scientists. We have to take care of our environment and our world,” said Doctor Asira.
She added: “We are focusing on NET ZERO, we have a DATABASE to show the carbon issue, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the chemicals in products (CiP), we are also emphasizing the plastics that we want to bring into the circular economy, looking at the end of waste and considering how we can capture carbon from the atmosphere in materials,” explained Dr. Asira.”
Kenzai Rapidly permeable concrete is made from recycled materials
She also mentioned water, which is vital as our bodies are made up of over 90 percent water. Therefore, creating a circulatory system for water is another important focus.
The second theme is innovative medical and health devices that are both integrated into the body and external. Active devices help older people, but passive devices that do not require energy are also being developed. There are plant-based foods that support the future trend towards a healthier lifestyle.
The third theme is the development of material technology for the manufacturing and transportation industry.
“This pillar is comparatively massive. It is the most important pillar that will help the manufacturing and transportation industries. We are trying to focus on Industry 4.0 to move Thailand towards 4.0. Another important aspect is modern vehicles and road safety, considering people, vehicles and roads at the same time,” explained the MTEC deputy director.
Ventilation blocks made from tile waste and green building products under the Kenzai brand
The fourth theme is the development of bio-based materials into high-quality specialty products. Our country has a rich biological base, such as ‘rubber’, from a green perspective. The use of agricultural residues, the extraction of lignin from plants, the production of seat cushions for health purposes, the relief of pressure and the development of polymers such as PLA for environmentally friendly food packaging.
“We are interested in this topic because a significant portion of emissions, over 60 percent, is due to production and energy consumption and another 10 percent is due to industrial processes. As Thailand aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero emissions by 2065, it is inevitable that we need to research and innovate to meet the challenges and support industry partners,” concluded Dr. Asira.
Ve-Chick, a plant-based protein from AUROMEX Food
Making research usable
For the 5 projects funded by the Competitiveness Development Committee to bring material innovation to leading markets and create a better standard of living.
“We equipped innovation for small individuals, small and medium enterprises and intermediaries, promoting sustainable growth in all sectors. We have selected 5 leading companies,” explained Rapiphan Rahong, Senior Analyst in Business Development at MTEC, before unveiling the top products worth buying.
MTEC selected projects such as the ‘Power Lift Bed’ for senior citizens. SB Design Square received technology transfers for the ‘Joey the Active Bed’ technology or the ‘Awakening Bed’, which is currently in the innovation pipeline and ready to conquer new markets such as elderly care facilities.
The ‘Safe Ambulance with MTEC Technology’, with a robust structure, lightweight, manufactured by Suprera Innovation, distributed with ‘PETE Protective Covers’ (PPC) to combat negative pressure, supported by Matichon during the COVID-19 period.
PETE Protective Covers
There is also the Ve-Chick, a plant-based protein from AUROMEX Food, under the Goodies brand, which is aimed at health-conscious consumers and uses natural ingredients, including cat litter made from cassava pulp and pineapple fiber waste. There are also snacks that promote long-term health.
On the construction side, there is fast-permeable concrete, ventilation blocks made from tile waste and green building products under the Kenzai brand.
Working with materials, preserving these valuable resources for as long as possible, is at the heart of it all. It’s not about getting rid of waste, but about finding innovations that bring what is dead back to life, which comes closer to a true circular economy.
Cat litter made from cassava pulp and pineapple fiber waste
Officials in Surat Thani province are still searching for a 24-year-old British tourist on the second day after Mr. Gowribalan Shanghaman fell from a kayak into the Ratchaprapha Reservoir.
SURAT THANI – Officials in Surat Thani province are still searching for Mr. Gowribalan Shanghaman, a 24-year-old British tourist who fell from a kayak into the Ratchaprapha Reservoir (Cheow Lan) in Khao Phang Subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun District, on the morning of February 11, 2024. They are using sonar to search the underwater area.
At this stage, officials believe he is unlikely to have survived.
Mr. Shanghaman’s foreign friends said he was not wearing a life jacket when he set off from Khao Soi Pier in a kayak. He paddled out without permission from the Khao Sok National Park rangers. A friend who kayaked with him said Mr Shanghaman fell into the water in the Klong Wang area, about 500 meters from the pier.
After searching the surface of the water all day Sunday, four divers from the Ban Chiew Lan community rescue team and rangers from Khao Sok National Park were unable to find Mr. Shanghaman.
The underwater search was hampered by the cold water temperature and murky water below the surface, making it impossible to see anything. Officials used sonar equipment from the Mangkorn Chonburi Rescue Team, which specializes in underwater search and rescue.
Officials held a meeting to discuss the search operation for the British tourist at the Missing Persons Search Center in the meeting room of Khao Sok National Park Tourist Service Center, Ban Chiew Lan Municipality Pier. The meeting was attended by Ban Ta Khun district chief, Khao Sok National Park chief, Tourist Assistance Center, Ban Ta Khun police station, tourist police, Khao Phang sub-district chief and rescue units.
At the meeting, a target was set for the search for Mr. Shanghaman, at the location with coordinates WGS 84 Zone 47P 0458220E 1003875N, about 500 meters from Khao Soi Pier. The water depth is about 42 meters. The search will be conducted during the hours of brightest sunlight to maximize visibility.
