No real dress code, but since it was a beautiful game, it was nice to look beautiful. Horses were so elegant that they blended well with glamour fashion for the final charity match of the 7th ‘Mercedes-Benz & B.Grimm Thai Polo Open 2010’, on the recent freezing day. The match was recently presided over by H.E.Air Chief Marshal Kamthon Sindhvananda, Privy Councillor and was held at Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya. The match was organized by Mr.Harald Link, C.E.O of B.Grimm Group to raise funds for the Chitralada Vocational School project under the patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The funds were in aid of providing students with good and useful knowledge through resourceful training to gain future employment.
It was a great way to get outdoors and enjoyed nature, met lots of new people and watched thrilling sports action. Fans of polo match included HRH Crown Prince Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, Malaysia, who made time in his busy schedule to cheer the tournament and the polo team flew from Malaysia; Saudi charge d'affaires to Thailand H.E.Nabil Hussein Ashri and wife, Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan, Phornsake and Lalivan Karnchanachari, Phongthep and Aungkana Chiaravanont, Dumrong and Linda Watanawekin, Jitrsumarn Amatyakul, Suratchada Sasomsub, Kanchari Buranasomphob, Rancha Boribalburibhand, Varavut and Naddaram Pachimsawat, Preerati Bhirombhakdi, Pimpa Hoontrakul and etc.
Earlier in the afternoon, thousand of guests prepared themselves with energetic mix of fun activities such as buffet lunch in opened Marquee, English High Tea, Mercedes-Benz car show, kid polo, pony ride, polo clinic, fortune telling, music by Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. There were variety games creations such as shooting game, lucky draw and many more with lots of prizes. One of the most popular parts of polo match happened at halftime, when spectators were invited onto the field for the stomping divots. During play, polo horses tear up the turf, so replacing the loose clumps of grass with a good stomp was important. It was also a fun way to socialize with fellow fans. At this time, elegant dresses and fancy hats were showed off onto the field.
This seventh edition match were joined by 7 teams which players came from many countries including Pakistan, India, German, Argentina, Ireland, Malaysia, England and Thailand. It was the great run by the horses and skilled rider, so the Harilela the Next Level team powered to victory for Thai Polo Open 2010 match with 8-1 scores over Jogo Elevation team and won the royal trophy.
At the sun went down, the cocktail party was in place and a memorable day concluded with a spectacular display of beautiful fireworks, lighting up the sky over the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club to celebrate the fantastic polo match.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
“Yamaha” joins hand with “Einstein” sending “season five” as a magnet in the “Everyday is SunDay with FINO” campaign
“Yamaha FINO”, a leading automatic motorcycle brand, continues pursuing its “Lifestyle Marketing” strategy via the music marketing with the Hybrid A cappella style, “season five”. The road shows will be also to conduct in five provinces of each national region.
Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. a market leader in automatic motorcycles said the company would aggressively deploy the “Music Marketing” strategy to extend its previously launched campaign “Open the new experience with Yamaha FINO” that received a great response.
Under the new marketing campaign "Everyday is SunDay with FINO, Yamaha has jointly cooperated with Einstein by Matching Group, a new media and entertainment business unit of Matching Entertainment Co Ltd, offering special returns to its customers.
Soungsuda Manasboonpermpoon, General Manager: Marketing Communications Department of Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. said after launching special campaigns throughout the year to FINO customers, the company has been preparing a new marketing campaign to provide customers the new experiences under the “Everyday is SunDay with FINO” , starting from December 2009 to March 2010.
In cooperation with Einstein, the season five choirboy artists were brought to present cheerful music in the “Hybrid A Cappella” style, given a modern music that is able to mix with all styles of music. The band is able to perform its live show and many of its songs have been on the top 10 Music Channel chart such as Kae Tua Loek (just a choice) and Rak Kon Mai Mee Tua Ton (love a person with nobody). season five has four members, comprising of Pao – Borworn Atchararattanasopon (bass), Jay -- Ekpol Satirakorn (tenor), Aek -- Sudkhate Jungcharoen (tenor), and Jug -- Sirodom Lorgunpai (baritone).
season five's music style is also harmonized with Yamaha's upcoming marketing activity that one of its “seasons of life” album namely – Everyday is SunDay – contains lyrics, describing traveling, positive thinking and doing every day as Sunday. Selected as a main theme, this song will be used for doing a fully-integrated marketing from producing into a music video in which the four choirboys join acting in riding Yamaha FINO to several interesting tourism spots towards disseminating it to customers via free TV, cable TV and radio channels.
Besides, Soungsuda said that Yamaha would give happiness to its customers by offering exclusive and VIP concerts in everywhere it conducts the roadshow events in 5 provinces nationwide. However, the concerts to be performed by season five are limited to the lucky members of the FINO family only 150-200 seats.
She said the “Everyday is SunDay with FINO” activity would debut on December 1 and the road shows will be conducted during December 24-26, 2009, starting from Chiang Mai province. FINO members in Chiang Mai. The customers would be able to ask for more information at yamaha website and yamaha square nearby. Besides, the FINO customers will be able to win the ticket for this exclusive concert through many special activities at the academic institutes and several local radio stations that Season Five will have an closely interviwed with and giveaway the tickets to the winners.
“We want to reward our FINO clients for all the supports by offering special quality music with the show that closes to the audience will make our clients impressed with the new different experience. In addition, the clients will receive a package of accommodations in where the concerts are taken place. We expect this campaign will satisfied all FINO customers as well as increasing new customers at the same time,” said Soungsuda.
“For the road shows in five provinces, five regions, she said it would serve demands of both old and new customers. This would also reinforce the FINO image, ranking the number one of the automatic motorcycle market with unique marketing that can respond all the customers' needs. We expect this marketing activity will help restore the FINO customers' confidence that FINO is not just a motorcycle, but more than that. What we give the customers is lifestyle in the FINO style, being shown under the “My Fino … My Experience” slogan,” said she.
Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. a market leader in automatic motorcycles said the company would aggressively deploy the “Music Marketing” strategy to extend its previously launched campaign “Open the new experience with Yamaha FINO” that received a great response.
Under the new marketing campaign "Everyday is SunDay with FINO, Yamaha has jointly cooperated with Einstein by Matching Group, a new media and entertainment business unit of Matching Entertainment Co Ltd, offering special returns to its customers.
Soungsuda Manasboonpermpoon, General Manager: Marketing Communications Department of Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. said after launching special campaigns throughout the year to FINO customers, the company has been preparing a new marketing campaign to provide customers the new experiences under the “Everyday is SunDay with FINO” , starting from December 2009 to March 2010.
In cooperation with Einstein, the season five choirboy artists were brought to present cheerful music in the “Hybrid A Cappella” style, given a modern music that is able to mix with all styles of music. The band is able to perform its live show and many of its songs have been on the top 10 Music Channel chart such as Kae Tua Loek (just a choice) and Rak Kon Mai Mee Tua Ton (love a person with nobody). season five has four members, comprising of Pao – Borworn Atchararattanasopon (bass), Jay -- Ekpol Satirakorn (tenor), Aek -- Sudkhate Jungcharoen (tenor), and Jug -- Sirodom Lorgunpai (baritone).
season five's music style is also harmonized with Yamaha's upcoming marketing activity that one of its “seasons of life” album namely – Everyday is SunDay – contains lyrics, describing traveling, positive thinking and doing every day as Sunday. Selected as a main theme, this song will be used for doing a fully-integrated marketing from producing into a music video in which the four choirboys join acting in riding Yamaha FINO to several interesting tourism spots towards disseminating it to customers via free TV, cable TV and radio channels.
Besides, Soungsuda said that Yamaha would give happiness to its customers by offering exclusive and VIP concerts in everywhere it conducts the roadshow events in 5 provinces nationwide. However, the concerts to be performed by season five are limited to the lucky members of the FINO family only 150-200 seats.
She said the “Everyday is SunDay with FINO” activity would debut on December 1 and the road shows will be conducted during December 24-26, 2009, starting from Chiang Mai province. FINO members in Chiang Mai. The customers would be able to ask for more information at yamaha website and yamaha square nearby. Besides, the FINO customers will be able to win the ticket for this exclusive concert through many special activities at the academic institutes and several local radio stations that Season Five will have an closely interviwed with and giveaway the tickets to the winners.
“We want to reward our FINO clients for all the supports by offering special quality music with the show that closes to the audience will make our clients impressed with the new different experience. In addition, the clients will receive a package of accommodations in where the concerts are taken place. We expect this campaign will satisfied all FINO customers as well as increasing new customers at the same time,” said Soungsuda.
“For the road shows in five provinces, five regions, she said it would serve demands of both old and new customers. This would also reinforce the FINO image, ranking the number one of the automatic motorcycle market with unique marketing that can respond all the customers' needs. We expect this marketing activity will help restore the FINO customers' confidence that FINO is not just a motorcycle, but more than that. What we give the customers is lifestyle in the FINO style, being shown under the “My Fino … My Experience” slogan,” said she.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Phuket International Boat Show To Generate Over 7 Billion Baht For Marine Tourism
Phuket is Asia’s Marine Hub and to become Monaco of Asia.
The organizers of the Phuket International Boat Show together with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TECB) today announced plans for the 2010 event to be held 7-10 January in Phuket at Royal Phuket Marina.
Now in its seventh year, the Phuket International Boat Show continues to grow and expand, promoting marine tourism and attracting more international exhibitors and visitors each year.
Launched in 2003 at a time of rapid growth in marine tourism in the region, the Phuket International Boat Show now leads the way in promoting Phuket’s marine facilities to the world. Through business-generated by exhibitors, the Phuket International Boat Show contributes over 7 Billion Baht to Phuket’s marine tourism industry each year.
Phuket has five operational marinas, over 1,000 ‘resident’ yachts, and attracts approximately 300 international yachts and over 30 superyachts each year. Combine some of the most modern marina facilities in Asia and the growth in multi-million dollar properties on the Island, and it’s clear to see that Phuket has become the Asian playground for the wealthy and cements Phuket’s reputation as the Monaco of Asia.
The Phuket International Boat Show is a key contributor driving the growth of Phuket’s marine tourism by approximately 10% year-on-year. The Phuket International Boat Show is the biggest marine show in the region and has a proven track record with sales successes and strong visitor numbers for seven consecutive years.
Mr. Andrew Dowden, General Manager of Informa Yacht Group, the organizer of Phuket International Boat Show said that the show is the biggest international boat show in terms of the on-water display and that despite the global economic downturn, the show continues its popularity with confirmation of many new brand yachts exhibiting, increased international exhibitor presence and two superyachts attending from Europe - a 32 metre Mangusta and a 26 metre Pershing.
”Marine tourism in Asia continues to grow with many international marine businesses now looking to expand into Asia. Phuket is ideally located geographically, has good support structure and many modern marina facilities, which will combine to make Phuket the Marine Hub of Asia,” Mr. Dowden said.
“Phuket is perfectly geared to the needs of the yachting industry and tourists alike, and offers an unmatched diversity of leisure opportunities to suit everyone. With pristine natural beauty and two
brand new marinas, Phuket is ideally positioned as a hub for regional marine events such as Phuket International Boat Show 2010,” said Supawan Teerarat, Exhibition Director, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. “TCEB is proud to be able to lend our support and backing to this premier regional
marine and lifestyle content and we are confident that this will fortify and enable Phuket to host large-scale events in the future.”
The 2010 show is expected to attract over 90 local and international exhibitors and over 5,000 visitors and international High Net Worth Individuals.The show’s exhibitors include a large variety of marine tourism products and services as well as yacht brokers, luxury watch makers, luxury real estate and other lifestyle products, from Phuket, Thailand and around the world.
The Phuket International Boat Show is an example of a successful international event hosted in Thailand that contributes to and helps to drive Thailand’s MICE industry. “This year, Thailand’s MICE industry is expected to attract half a million business visitors, with projected revenues of approximately THB 41 billion, and in 2010 we expect the sector to grow by up to 15%, demonstrating the buoyant long-term prospects,” said Supawan.
An exciting new development in 2010 for the Phuket International Boat Show is a series of seminars on maritime safety. Organized by the Human Development Forum Foundation, a number of international speakers will chair discussions on various aspects of maritime security issues.
A Bangkok Preview of the Phuket International Boat Show will be held 6 – 8 November 2009 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the White Room. This will include a select number of exhibitors and give Bangkok residents a small taster of what will be on offer at the Phuket International Boat Show in January next year. The Bangkok Preview is open to the public and entry is free.
The Phuket International Boat Show is supported by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau with support and enthusiasm from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Sports Authority of Thailand. Co-Sponsors include the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Horus Watches, with Pan Pacific Hotel as Official Supplier. Media Partners include 91.5FM, Asia Pacific Boating, Asia Spa, China Boating, Director, International Herald Tribune, Jet Asia Pacific, Luxury Properties, Millionaire Asia, Newspaper Direct, Phuket Gazette, Prestige Thailand and The Nation.
The Phuket International Boat Show will be held January 7-10, 2010 at Royal Phuket Marina.
For more information, visit www.phuketboatshow.com.
Notes to editor
About Phuket International Boat Show
The inaugural PIMEX took place in December 2003. Phuket, with its rapidly expanding marine industry and a healthy property market was already established as one of the world’s prime leisure destinations and a favourite with those seeking to relocate to a better lifestyle. Shortly after this first show the import duty on boats was reduced to zero as the government quickly realised the potential of this high end sustainable tourism.
The show will display on 2,500 square metres of air-conditioned exhibition space and around 45 on-water displays in a “working” marine environment. There are over 2,000 trade visitors and 2,000 members of the public – all the main players from the marine industry, property and lifestyle industry to exhibit at the show each year.
About Informa Yacht Group
Informa Yacht Group a leading events organizer recently acquired PIMEX from Andaman Marine Consultants and has appointed AMC as the management company for the show. Informa also own The Monaco Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup in Palma and in Antigua, Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, and the World Yacht Racing Forum. Its parent company, Informa PLC, also organizes over 10,000 exhibitions and conferences worldwide through its subsidiary IIR Exhibitions.
The organizers of the Phuket International Boat Show together with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TECB) today announced plans for the 2010 event to be held 7-10 January in Phuket at Royal Phuket Marina.
Now in its seventh year, the Phuket International Boat Show continues to grow and expand, promoting marine tourism and attracting more international exhibitors and visitors each year.
Launched in 2003 at a time of rapid growth in marine tourism in the region, the Phuket International Boat Show now leads the way in promoting Phuket’s marine facilities to the world. Through business-generated by exhibitors, the Phuket International Boat Show contributes over 7 Billion Baht to Phuket’s marine tourism industry each year.
Phuket has five operational marinas, over 1,000 ‘resident’ yachts, and attracts approximately 300 international yachts and over 30 superyachts each year. Combine some of the most modern marina facilities in Asia and the growth in multi-million dollar properties on the Island, and it’s clear to see that Phuket has become the Asian playground for the wealthy and cements Phuket’s reputation as the Monaco of Asia.
The Phuket International Boat Show is a key contributor driving the growth of Phuket’s marine tourism by approximately 10% year-on-year. The Phuket International Boat Show is the biggest marine show in the region and has a proven track record with sales successes and strong visitor numbers for seven consecutive years.
Mr. Andrew Dowden, General Manager of Informa Yacht Group, the organizer of Phuket International Boat Show said that the show is the biggest international boat show in terms of the on-water display and that despite the global economic downturn, the show continues its popularity with confirmation of many new brand yachts exhibiting, increased international exhibitor presence and two superyachts attending from Europe - a 32 metre Mangusta and a 26 metre Pershing.
”Marine tourism in Asia continues to grow with many international marine businesses now looking to expand into Asia. Phuket is ideally located geographically, has good support structure and many modern marina facilities, which will combine to make Phuket the Marine Hub of Asia,” Mr. Dowden said.
“Phuket is perfectly geared to the needs of the yachting industry and tourists alike, and offers an unmatched diversity of leisure opportunities to suit everyone. With pristine natural beauty and two
brand new marinas, Phuket is ideally positioned as a hub for regional marine events such as Phuket International Boat Show 2010,” said Supawan Teerarat, Exhibition Director, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. “TCEB is proud to be able to lend our support and backing to this premier regional
marine and lifestyle content and we are confident that this will fortify and enable Phuket to host large-scale events in the future.”
The 2010 show is expected to attract over 90 local and international exhibitors and over 5,000 visitors and international High Net Worth Individuals.The show’s exhibitors include a large variety of marine tourism products and services as well as yacht brokers, luxury watch makers, luxury real estate and other lifestyle products, from Phuket, Thailand and around the world.
The Phuket International Boat Show is an example of a successful international event hosted in Thailand that contributes to and helps to drive Thailand’s MICE industry. “This year, Thailand’s MICE industry is expected to attract half a million business visitors, with projected revenues of approximately THB 41 billion, and in 2010 we expect the sector to grow by up to 15%, demonstrating the buoyant long-term prospects,” said Supawan.
An exciting new development in 2010 for the Phuket International Boat Show is a series of seminars on maritime safety. Organized by the Human Development Forum Foundation, a number of international speakers will chair discussions on various aspects of maritime security issues.
A Bangkok Preview of the Phuket International Boat Show will be held 6 – 8 November 2009 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the White Room. This will include a select number of exhibitors and give Bangkok residents a small taster of what will be on offer at the Phuket International Boat Show in January next year. The Bangkok Preview is open to the public and entry is free.
The Phuket International Boat Show is supported by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau with support and enthusiasm from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Sports Authority of Thailand. Co-Sponsors include the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Horus Watches, with Pan Pacific Hotel as Official Supplier. Media Partners include 91.5FM, Asia Pacific Boating, Asia Spa, China Boating, Director, International Herald Tribune, Jet Asia Pacific, Luxury Properties, Millionaire Asia, Newspaper Direct, Phuket Gazette, Prestige Thailand and The Nation.
The Phuket International Boat Show will be held January 7-10, 2010 at Royal Phuket Marina.
For more information, visit www.phuketboatshow.com.
Notes to editor
About Phuket International Boat Show
The inaugural PIMEX took place in December 2003. Phuket, with its rapidly expanding marine industry and a healthy property market was already established as one of the world’s prime leisure destinations and a favourite with those seeking to relocate to a better lifestyle. Shortly after this first show the import duty on boats was reduced to zero as the government quickly realised the potential of this high end sustainable tourism.
The show will display on 2,500 square metres of air-conditioned exhibition space and around 45 on-water displays in a “working” marine environment. There are over 2,000 trade visitors and 2,000 members of the public – all the main players from the marine industry, property and lifestyle industry to exhibit at the show each year.
About Informa Yacht Group
Informa Yacht Group a leading events organizer recently acquired PIMEX from Andaman Marine Consultants and has appointed AMC as the management company for the show. Informa also own The Monaco Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup in Palma and in Antigua, Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, and the World Yacht Racing Forum. Its parent company, Informa PLC, also organizes over 10,000 exhibitions and conferences worldwide through its subsidiary IIR Exhibitions.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
INSPIRATIONAL LIVING
Intukarn GajaseniSirisant brings Martha Stewart s Midas touch to the Thai edition of Martha Stewart Living writes Samila Wenin
Intukarn Gajaseni Sirisant may be better known as an Isabella Bird-type than a Mrs Dalloway, as evidenced in the myriads of postcards collected from numerous places she's visited all over the world - a passion that earned the 41-year-old beauty over half a decade-long editorship post at Honeymoon & Travel magazine. Those who have not known the other side of Intukarn frowned when she took up the editor-in-chief post for the newly launched Martha Stewart Living Thailand.
"Travel is my passion and I used to travel a lot. But I have this domestic side the Martha Stewart side - and it's my daily life," she said.
Those close to her remember Intukarn as an excellent cook. She used to work as contributing editor for the culinary website Pai-Kin-Khao (Let's Go Eat), won a cooking contest and also co-wrote a culinary book titled,Spice of Life: The Recipes & Cooking Culture of Thailand , with renowned food stylist-columnist Ekarin Yusuksomboon.
"The magazine is pretty close to who I am and my lifestyle, and I believe this would make it easier for me to understand what it's trying to present to readers," she explained.
"Martha Stewart Living is a magazine for women who are interested in cooking,entertaining guests, home-keeping and doing crafts. I love to cook and entertain my friends with my home-cooked meals on the weekends. And that's why I said yes right away when I was offered the job. It's a very good opportunity."
As part of the preparations for the launch of Martha Stewart Living Thailand, Intukarn,along with Post International Media Managing Director Siri Udomritthiruj, sales manager and art director flew to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's headquarters in New York to undergo training. Visiting the empire of the domestic queen is, as Intukarn reflected, both practical and inspirational. For example, the beautiful office that overlooks Hudson River boasts a large kitchen for the cooking team to try recipes and deliver the freshly-cooked dish to the studio for a photoshoot right from the stove.
"What I have learned is that those who work here always go into great detail. They are real experts in the field and not just writers who go to interview experts. The crafts editor, for example, has innumerable materials stored in her office so that she can come up with and work on new ideas all the time. As for the food section, we have learned that each recipe has to be tried and tested by experts several times before it appears in the magazine."
The team also has to work closely with headquarters. With the current content comprising of picked-up stories from the US edition and local stories -at the proportion of 80 to 20 percent - the Thai editorial team is required to send the content line-up to headquarters for approval.
"The condition set for me is that, no matter what we do, the magazine has to stick to the Martha Stewart Living character.It has to be Martha and not any other woman. There are three key points in the framework we have to bear in mind. First,the stories are accessible for Thai readers.Second, each issue must come in a harmonious colour tone that is pleasing to the eyes for readers. Finally, you need to have a well-proportioned combination of stories to ensure the flow of content."
Despite a large number of home, cooking and decoration magazines dominating local magazine racks, Intukarn remains confident that Martha Stewart Living Thailand will be able to secure its place in the publishing industry. Using her own experience as an example, she said that, unlike other home and decoration magazines which mostly feature content with respect to global trends,Martha Stewart Living does not pay heed to trends and instead offers ideas and tips that are timeless."I've been a fan of the magazine even before I became editor. I often borrowed ideas from it and never trashed a copy. When I was offered the job,I went back to the old issues and found that those ideas and recipes can be used even today. It's more like a reference book for dreamers and doers."
Intukarn Gajaseni Sirisant may be better known as an Isabella Bird-type than a Mrs Dalloway, as evidenced in the myriads of postcards collected from numerous places she's visited all over the world - a passion that earned the 41-year-old beauty over half a decade-long editorship post at Honeymoon & Travel magazine. Those who have not known the other side of Intukarn frowned when she took up the editor-in-chief post for the newly launched Martha Stewart Living Thailand.
"Travel is my passion and I used to travel a lot. But I have this domestic side the Martha Stewart side - and it's my daily life," she said.
Those close to her remember Intukarn as an excellent cook. She used to work as contributing editor for the culinary website Pai-Kin-Khao (Let's Go Eat), won a cooking contest and also co-wrote a culinary book titled,Spice of Life: The Recipes & Cooking Culture of Thailand , with renowned food stylist-columnist Ekarin Yusuksomboon.
"The magazine is pretty close to who I am and my lifestyle, and I believe this would make it easier for me to understand what it's trying to present to readers," she explained.
"Martha Stewart Living is a magazine for women who are interested in cooking,entertaining guests, home-keeping and doing crafts. I love to cook and entertain my friends with my home-cooked meals on the weekends. And that's why I said yes right away when I was offered the job. It's a very good opportunity."
As part of the preparations for the launch of Martha Stewart Living Thailand, Intukarn,along with Post International Media Managing Director Siri Udomritthiruj, sales manager and art director flew to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's headquarters in New York to undergo training. Visiting the empire of the domestic queen is, as Intukarn reflected, both practical and inspirational. For example, the beautiful office that overlooks Hudson River boasts a large kitchen for the cooking team to try recipes and deliver the freshly-cooked dish to the studio for a photoshoot right from the stove.
"What I have learned is that those who work here always go into great detail. They are real experts in the field and not just writers who go to interview experts. The crafts editor, for example, has innumerable materials stored in her office so that she can come up with and work on new ideas all the time. As for the food section, we have learned that each recipe has to be tried and tested by experts several times before it appears in the magazine."
The team also has to work closely with headquarters. With the current content comprising of picked-up stories from the US edition and local stories -at the proportion of 80 to 20 percent - the Thai editorial team is required to send the content line-up to headquarters for approval.
"The condition set for me is that, no matter what we do, the magazine has to stick to the Martha Stewart Living character.It has to be Martha and not any other woman. There are three key points in the framework we have to bear in mind. First,the stories are accessible for Thai readers.Second, each issue must come in a harmonious colour tone that is pleasing to the eyes for readers. Finally, you need to have a well-proportioned combination of stories to ensure the flow of content."
Despite a large number of home, cooking and decoration magazines dominating local magazine racks, Intukarn remains confident that Martha Stewart Living Thailand will be able to secure its place in the publishing industry. Using her own experience as an example, she said that, unlike other home and decoration magazines which mostly feature content with respect to global trends,Martha Stewart Living does not pay heed to trends and instead offers ideas and tips that are timeless."I've been a fan of the magazine even before I became editor. I often borrowed ideas from it and never trashed a copy. When I was offered the job,I went back to the old issues and found that those ideas and recipes can be used even today. It's more like a reference book for dreamers and doers."
Magnificent seven
In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
BANGING HER OWN DRUMS
Jureeporn Gamontummagul of band Abuse the Youth talks about the hands that rock the sticks Astereotype exists in rock music about girls being sexiest with a bass guitar. Yet, they never seem to be associated with the drums. The drums are a masculine instrument. They require the biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles of a man to master. And let us tell you that "mastering" is as much about the weight of the sound measured by the intensity of each stroke as it is about rhythm and timing.
Jureeporn Gamontummagul, drummer of indie rock outfit Abuse the Youth, seems to have such muscles and they seem to have enabled her to beat the stereotype and become a rare gem of the Thai indie rock scene - a female drummer who can really bang the drums. "It's down to two tricks," she said, smiling proudly while showing us her toned forearm.
"I have worked a lot, rather than work out. My family runs a factory that produces and distributes sweets. Like all Chinese families, we all have to work. I've been helping my parents with everything, most of all with manual tasks such as carrying huge sacks since I was young. That's how I don't get tired easily on stage."The second trick is practice. I have been practising every day for years and when you do that, your muscles remember and become familiar with the intensity and the stroke. Then, you become comfortable with it."
In person, the 28-year-old drummer is polite and courteous. She's communicative, but not chatty. During conversation, she would drop some funny remarks, but not tell a long joke. Jureeporn is not the type of charismatic rock personality who commands great presence onstage and glides like a white swan amongst a flock of rock chicks and the wannabes at an after-show party. She looks more like an ordinary music enthusiast until she grasps the sticks. Buried behind her Ludwig kit, the brand for which she was hand-picked as the ambassador for by local distributor Intermusic, Jureeporn provides the beat that is the backbone of Abuse the Youth's much-revered raw and intense live energy.
Growing up in a large, extended Chinese family, Jureeporn has familiarised herself with her music lover uncle's instruments since she was seven, playing first the guitar and later settling with the bass in a band comprised of family members. Her stint with the sticks began during her middle school years when a cousin and former band member quit and left a drum set at her home. Jureeporn started playing with them and learned the basics from a friend.
"I never took any official drum courses," she said. "Apart from informal lessons from a friend, the rest was trial and error. I would listen to a song and figure out how the drum part was played and copy it. I learned to play it by heart."
The nearest thing Jureeporn had to a formal music lesson was a three-year training scholarship awarded to her and her all-girl band by GMM Grammy's Meefah Music School. The programme trained the band to play better together. Jureeporn, back then a student at Abac University, travelled for kilometres from her university to the city centre every evening to take the invaluable lessons.
"The training focussed on music theory and practical things such as how to make music and play together in harmony. I never got tired of it. Once, I had to take a motorcycle taxi all the way from my university to the school at [Soi] Nana to be on time."
It was also during this period that she met her mentor, Crescendo drummer Ekpong Cherdtham, who Jureeporn credits as the one who taught her about the theoretical knowledge that enabled her to become a professional musician. When Ekpong was occupying the studio next to the one she was practising in, Jureeporn would knock on his door and beg for a drum lesson.
"I learned a lot from him, both about theory such as drum notes and, more importantly, something that he never actually verbalised - to enjoy playing music. He taught me this just from the way he would play the drums and I took it that if you enjoy playing, the audience enjoy it, too."
When her scholarship was discontinued after three years, which coincided with her graduation, Jureeporn put down her drum sticks and started working as a graphic designer for a year until she was summoned to audition for Flure when the band's drummer took leave to study abroad. She got the part, quit her full-time job and has since become one of the most sought-after drummers in the Thai music scene, playing back-up drummer for the likes of Flure, Ornaree and Crescendo.
Despite playing with various top groups, Jureeporn didn't find a band of her own until she was introduced to Mick Voranisa and Suppaphong "Toonz" Preunglumpoo who would soon become her Abuse the Youth band mates.
"I was told about this rock band who was looking for a drummer. Mick sent me some samples of songs he had written and I was soon hooked. They have this 1990s indie rock feel that reminded me of the very first time I heard the sound.
"From the very first time I played with them, I knew this was the band I would be committed to."
Unlike playing as a hired drummer for other bands, her commitment with Abuse the Youth requires much more professional and personal chemistry.
"We had a honeymoon period of about six months," she recalled with a laugh. "I would be doing everything they wanted and after six months, I had more courage to voice my opinions and ideas. We would argue more but the good thing about boys is that once we left the rehearsal room, we would drop any work-related arguments and start having fun. They would not hold a grudge."
Although Jureeporn and Abuse the Youth have already earned a five-year contract with indie record Mind the Gap, released one album, titled Under Skin, and toured extensively in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, the drummer insists to young music aspirants who would always come to her for advice after gigs that they do not need to give up everything to do music, nor do they need to obtain an official music degree in order to be a professional musician.
"It's still difficult to make a living as a professional musician," she said, not with a sigh of regret but with an understanding of a person who sees and accepts the realities in life.
"If playing music is your dream, you don't need to give up everything for it. You might need to work and make a living doing something else in order to sustain that dream. I still work as a freelance graphic designer and also help my family with their business from time to time and I still play in this band."
Relate Search: Jureeporn Gamontummagul, GMM Grammy Meefah Music School, Abac University, Ekpong Cherdtham, Mick Voranisa, Suppaphong "Toonz" Preunglumpoo
Jureeporn Gamontummagul, drummer of indie rock outfit Abuse the Youth, seems to have such muscles and they seem to have enabled her to beat the stereotype and become a rare gem of the Thai indie rock scene - a female drummer who can really bang the drums. "It's down to two tricks," she said, smiling proudly while showing us her toned forearm.
"I have worked a lot, rather than work out. My family runs a factory that produces and distributes sweets. Like all Chinese families, we all have to work. I've been helping my parents with everything, most of all with manual tasks such as carrying huge sacks since I was young. That's how I don't get tired easily on stage."The second trick is practice. I have been practising every day for years and when you do that, your muscles remember and become familiar with the intensity and the stroke. Then, you become comfortable with it."
In person, the 28-year-old drummer is polite and courteous. She's communicative, but not chatty. During conversation, she would drop some funny remarks, but not tell a long joke. Jureeporn is not the type of charismatic rock personality who commands great presence onstage and glides like a white swan amongst a flock of rock chicks and the wannabes at an after-show party. She looks more like an ordinary music enthusiast until she grasps the sticks. Buried behind her Ludwig kit, the brand for which she was hand-picked as the ambassador for by local distributor Intermusic, Jureeporn provides the beat that is the backbone of Abuse the Youth's much-revered raw and intense live energy.
Growing up in a large, extended Chinese family, Jureeporn has familiarised herself with her music lover uncle's instruments since she was seven, playing first the guitar and later settling with the bass in a band comprised of family members. Her stint with the sticks began during her middle school years when a cousin and former band member quit and left a drum set at her home. Jureeporn started playing with them and learned the basics from a friend.
"I never took any official drum courses," she said. "Apart from informal lessons from a friend, the rest was trial and error. I would listen to a song and figure out how the drum part was played and copy it. I learned to play it by heart."
The nearest thing Jureeporn had to a formal music lesson was a three-year training scholarship awarded to her and her all-girl band by GMM Grammy's Meefah Music School. The programme trained the band to play better together. Jureeporn, back then a student at Abac University, travelled for kilometres from her university to the city centre every evening to take the invaluable lessons.
"The training focussed on music theory and practical things such as how to make music and play together in harmony. I never got tired of it. Once, I had to take a motorcycle taxi all the way from my university to the school at [Soi] Nana to be on time."
It was also during this period that she met her mentor, Crescendo drummer Ekpong Cherdtham, who Jureeporn credits as the one who taught her about the theoretical knowledge that enabled her to become a professional musician. When Ekpong was occupying the studio next to the one she was practising in, Jureeporn would knock on his door and beg for a drum lesson.
"I learned a lot from him, both about theory such as drum notes and, more importantly, something that he never actually verbalised - to enjoy playing music. He taught me this just from the way he would play the drums and I took it that if you enjoy playing, the audience enjoy it, too."
When her scholarship was discontinued after three years, which coincided with her graduation, Jureeporn put down her drum sticks and started working as a graphic designer for a year until she was summoned to audition for Flure when the band's drummer took leave to study abroad. She got the part, quit her full-time job and has since become one of the most sought-after drummers in the Thai music scene, playing back-up drummer for the likes of Flure, Ornaree and Crescendo.
Despite playing with various top groups, Jureeporn didn't find a band of her own until she was introduced to Mick Voranisa and Suppaphong "Toonz" Preunglumpoo who would soon become her Abuse the Youth band mates.
"I was told about this rock band who was looking for a drummer. Mick sent me some samples of songs he had written and I was soon hooked. They have this 1990s indie rock feel that reminded me of the very first time I heard the sound.
"From the very first time I played with them, I knew this was the band I would be committed to."
Unlike playing as a hired drummer for other bands, her commitment with Abuse the Youth requires much more professional and personal chemistry.
"We had a honeymoon period of about six months," she recalled with a laugh. "I would be doing everything they wanted and after six months, I had more courage to voice my opinions and ideas. We would argue more but the good thing about boys is that once we left the rehearsal room, we would drop any work-related arguments and start having fun. They would not hold a grudge."
Although Jureeporn and Abuse the Youth have already earned a five-year contract with indie record Mind the Gap, released one album, titled Under Skin, and toured extensively in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, the drummer insists to young music aspirants who would always come to her for advice after gigs that they do not need to give up everything to do music, nor do they need to obtain an official music degree in order to be a professional musician.
"It's still difficult to make a living as a professional musician," she said, not with a sigh of regret but with an understanding of a person who sees and accepts the realities in life.
"If playing music is your dream, you don't need to give up everything for it. You might need to work and make a living doing something else in order to sustain that dream. I still work as a freelance graphic designer and also help my family with their business from time to time and I still play in this band."
Relate Search: Jureeporn Gamontummagul, GMM Grammy Meefah Music School, Abac University, Ekpong Cherdtham, Mick Voranisa, Suppaphong "Toonz" Preunglumpoo
Sunday, October 11, 2009
GOLDEN GIRL
All things that glitter might not be gold,but investment guru Tipa Nawawattanasub believes it is certainly gleaming despite the recession, writes Napamon Roongwitoo
Sitting amongst 150 million baht worth of gold,it was hard to say whether the radiant glow in the room was coming from the eye-catching bars of gold or from the graceful lady 'Muse'was talking to.At 28, Tipa Nawawattanasub is the managing director at YLG Bullion International. In fact, she has held this position for a few years already. Though she may be born and bred in a family that runs a jewellery business, Tipa is not the kind of business heiress who spent her earlier years studying at a privileged school overseas before returning home to take the seat in the executive chair. The young businesswoman has spent her entire life working hard in the glittering business.
"My family has a jewellery business and I have helped out since I was a little girl," says Tipa. She recalls that every day, when school was over, she would walk back home and once she got back she was no longer a student - she was one of the staff.
Her business mind drove her to pursue a bachelor's degree in Business Administration at Thammasat University, and later an MBA from the University of Kent at Canterbury as well as a master's degree in Public Administration from Ramkhamhaeng University. Yes, two master's degrees. And that's not all.
"I am almost done with my PhD at Ramkhamhaeng University, too," adds the brainy beauty.
Her lifelong experience, coupled with her education background, gave her career a strong kick-start. Upon finishing her studies in the UK, her parents discussed with her about the opportunity to expand their business.Gold trading seemed like a tempting option since the jewellery market was beginning to feel the impact from India's and China's growth spurts.
"My career in gold trading started about five years ago. We decided to go ahead with the expansion of our existing business line to include the sale of 99.99 percent pure gold bullion products. It took incessant braincrunching meetings but finally here we are!"
The difference between 99.99 and 96.5 percent gold is the purity, which cannot be seen with the naked eye.Gold accessories are usually 96.5 percent, which makes them a little cheaper. Gold bullions, which are 99.99 percent, are a better option for investment. They might not look as pretty, but there is no goldsmith charge.
"When selling your gold accessories, you have to go back to the shop where you bought them from otherwise the price would drop significantly. Gold bullions are accepted anywhere, and each bar has its own individual serial number for tracking and safety purposes," she explains.
Tipa's job is not just trading gold - her policy is to make sure that her clients know exactly what they are doing with each order so they can make the most wellinformed decision when purchasing. The minimum investment is a one kilogramme pure solid gold bullion bar, which equals about one million baht. Such a big investment should not be done in a rush. If the market is not suitable for buying gold at that moment, her staff would suggest the clients to hold off on the purchase."We don't just trade gold. We want our clients to buy and sell at the most profitable times. It's business with ethics."
Her clients come from all walks of life. She could tell you, interestingly enough, that her biggest clients are sometimes noodle shop owners or fish ball makers."They might wear ragged T-shirts and shorts, but some of these investors have bought over 100kg of gold. My delivery boys told me that some families stock the gold bars in their refrigerator! You really cannot judge people from the outside."
The hard-working businesswoman feels blessed that she started off so young compared to most of her elder clients who feel she is one of their children. When Tipa would make a mistake in the beginning, they would give her advice instead of picking on her.
"Without these kinds of clients, I would not be where I am today," she says with a smile. She also adds that her staff never go hungry because her clients always bring in snacks as a treat.
Despite holding several degrees and having many years of first-hand experience in the gold business,Tipa does not consider herself much different from other women when it comes to investment. Both women and men, she says, have different preferences when it comes to taking risks. Men are typically higher on the financial risk-taking scale than women, and so gold investment is the preferred choice for many women now."Gold prices hardly ever come down. There are more factors to push the price up than there are that would drag the price down," she explains.
"I'm not very adventurous when it comes to financial investment. And I choose to invest mostly in gold as well because I have seen its price grow 200 percent from the first year our business opened. While making profits for the clients, I thought to myself,'Why shouldn't I invest in this, too?' and so I embarked on this path as well."
With more women nowadays seeing investment opportunities as equally important as a good and stable career. Her advice is to find the right investment as it is a subjective matter, not a one-size-fits-all choice.
"Think hard and research well before you decide to put your money in any investment. You can't just think,'Okay, I will invest in gold today,' and run to the gold shop without any prior knowledge. Ask yourself what kind of investor you would like to be - short term or long-term. Assess your risk management skills. And most importantly, stay in the know about what's going on in the world around you. For example, gold prices and oil prices are interlinked, so you need to keep a diligent eye on this all the time. Moreover, the 99.99 gold price changes constantly as the price is global, so sleep with one eye open!"
Sitting amongst 150 million baht worth of gold,it was hard to say whether the radiant glow in the room was coming from the eye-catching bars of gold or from the graceful lady 'Muse'was talking to.At 28, Tipa Nawawattanasub is the managing director at YLG Bullion International. In fact, she has held this position for a few years already. Though she may be born and bred in a family that runs a jewellery business, Tipa is not the kind of business heiress who spent her earlier years studying at a privileged school overseas before returning home to take the seat in the executive chair. The young businesswoman has spent her entire life working hard in the glittering business.
"My family has a jewellery business and I have helped out since I was a little girl," says Tipa. She recalls that every day, when school was over, she would walk back home and once she got back she was no longer a student - she was one of the staff.
Her business mind drove her to pursue a bachelor's degree in Business Administration at Thammasat University, and later an MBA from the University of Kent at Canterbury as well as a master's degree in Public Administration from Ramkhamhaeng University. Yes, two master's degrees. And that's not all.
"I am almost done with my PhD at Ramkhamhaeng University, too," adds the brainy beauty.
Her lifelong experience, coupled with her education background, gave her career a strong kick-start. Upon finishing her studies in the UK, her parents discussed with her about the opportunity to expand their business.Gold trading seemed like a tempting option since the jewellery market was beginning to feel the impact from India's and China's growth spurts.
"My career in gold trading started about five years ago. We decided to go ahead with the expansion of our existing business line to include the sale of 99.99 percent pure gold bullion products. It took incessant braincrunching meetings but finally here we are!"
The difference between 99.99 and 96.5 percent gold is the purity, which cannot be seen with the naked eye.Gold accessories are usually 96.5 percent, which makes them a little cheaper. Gold bullions, which are 99.99 percent, are a better option for investment. They might not look as pretty, but there is no goldsmith charge.
"When selling your gold accessories, you have to go back to the shop where you bought them from otherwise the price would drop significantly. Gold bullions are accepted anywhere, and each bar has its own individual serial number for tracking and safety purposes," she explains.
Tipa's job is not just trading gold - her policy is to make sure that her clients know exactly what they are doing with each order so they can make the most wellinformed decision when purchasing. The minimum investment is a one kilogramme pure solid gold bullion bar, which equals about one million baht. Such a big investment should not be done in a rush. If the market is not suitable for buying gold at that moment, her staff would suggest the clients to hold off on the purchase."We don't just trade gold. We want our clients to buy and sell at the most profitable times. It's business with ethics."
Her clients come from all walks of life. She could tell you, interestingly enough, that her biggest clients are sometimes noodle shop owners or fish ball makers."They might wear ragged T-shirts and shorts, but some of these investors have bought over 100kg of gold. My delivery boys told me that some families stock the gold bars in their refrigerator! You really cannot judge people from the outside."
The hard-working businesswoman feels blessed that she started off so young compared to most of her elder clients who feel she is one of their children. When Tipa would make a mistake in the beginning, they would give her advice instead of picking on her.
"Without these kinds of clients, I would not be where I am today," she says with a smile. She also adds that her staff never go hungry because her clients always bring in snacks as a treat.
Despite holding several degrees and having many years of first-hand experience in the gold business,Tipa does not consider herself much different from other women when it comes to investment. Both women and men, she says, have different preferences when it comes to taking risks. Men are typically higher on the financial risk-taking scale than women, and so gold investment is the preferred choice for many women now."Gold prices hardly ever come down. There are more factors to push the price up than there are that would drag the price down," she explains.
"I'm not very adventurous when it comes to financial investment. And I choose to invest mostly in gold as well because I have seen its price grow 200 percent from the first year our business opened. While making profits for the clients, I thought to myself,'Why shouldn't I invest in this, too?' and so I embarked on this path as well."
With more women nowadays seeing investment opportunities as equally important as a good and stable career. Her advice is to find the right investment as it is a subjective matter, not a one-size-fits-all choice.
"Think hard and research well before you decide to put your money in any investment. You can't just think,'Okay, I will invest in gold today,' and run to the gold shop without any prior knowledge. Ask yourself what kind of investor you would like to be - short term or long-term. Assess your risk management skills. And most importantly, stay in the know about what's going on in the world around you. For example, gold prices and oil prices are interlinked, so you need to keep a diligent eye on this all the time. Moreover, the 99.99 gold price changes constantly as the price is global, so sleep with one eye open!"
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