Editorial | Redemption through Education Former PM Anand Panyarachun

I’m sure that you’re as excited as I am to see Anand Panyarachun, one of Thailand’s most iconic figures, gracing our cover. My team and I were honoured and delighted to have Anand, who has been UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Thailand since 1996, as keynote speaker at our fourth anniversary event at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok. Profound, inspiring and thought-provoking, the speech addresses the future of education in Thailand, which surely is the foundation on which the nation stands and from where it strives and prospers. The whole speech is presented in this issue for your enjoyment, and I am sure it will change your perspective on education, society and the world as it did mine.

And as always, our team has curated a variety of stories for you. I had the pleasure to meet with His Excellency Dr Dhiravat Bhumichitr, Thailand’s ambassador to Germany, at his residence in Berlin and talk about ties between the two countries. We also had the honour from Veera Rotphotnarat, minister of culture, who gave us a glimpse into and background story of the inaugural ‘Thailand Biennale, Krabi 2018’ that is slated to happen very soon.

Flip through the magazine and let us take you to exotic, far-flung destinations such as the Gobi Desert as well as the closer-to-home metropolitan haven of Hong Kong. Matt Lucas, an American Muay Thai commentator and photographer, took us into the ring to shed light on aspiring female fighters in the male-dominant world of Thai boxing in his first collaboration with us. There are also several carefully selected lifestyle stories that we hope will appeal to you.

As we venture forward into our fifth year, I would personally like to thank our sponsors, supporters, partners, all our interviewees and, most importantly, our readers for the comments, criticism and support through the years. We are very inspired to adapt and cater to the digital world with new features that will be launched very soon, to reach a broader readership and appeal to the younger generation. Rest assured that on whatever platforms you find Elite+, you are guaranteed to get quality and exclusive content.

Warm regards,
Arthorn Techatada
Executive Editor