Editorial | Nirut Sirichanya : A Philosophical Actor

On March third Elite+ will celebrate our ninth anniversary, a very auspicious number as it is considered quite lucky. Many Thais will say this is because it sounds similar to the word for stepping ahead, or moving forward. And we, at Elite+, are now already setting our sights on the next decade. We will keep building upon our accomplishments over the past nine years by introducing and developing more informative, innovative and attractive articles, layouts and formats in our physical magazine and multiple digital platforms.

As part of these endeavours, we have as our cover story an interview with Nirut Sirichanya, a very popular Thai actor and media personality who is also known internationally having acted in both Thai and foreign productions that have been seen around the world. We then introduce you to a number of renowned foreign fashion designers who came to Thailand to participate in the “12th Celebration of Silk – Thai Silk Road to the World” to commemorate HM Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother’s 90th birthday celebration. After this we sit down with the recently appointed Thai ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Darm Boontham, as he discusses the rekindling of diplomatic relations between the two kingdoms.

Keeping on the theme of building strong relations to attain sustainable growth, we share with you the story of Coach A (Thailand) partnering with Thai Wacoal to help them set up a “Systematic Coaching ModelTH” to accelerate transformative change in the company, which Thai Wacoal MD and CEO Boondee Amnuayskul has said has achieved far beyond his expectations.

Our next article is about what UNESCO is doing, particularly at two pilot project schools in Thailand, to teach sustainable development to both children and adults through Greening Education because as UN Secre- tary-General António Guterres has put it, we are in a “battle for our lives”.

We then take you to The Queen’s Gallery for the “Miss You THAWAN DUCHANEE” exhibition. Curated by his common law wife of more than 30 years, the vast collections of paintings, sculptures and items the artist saved during his lifetime as well as his own designed furnishings provide a rare insight into the artist’s life and his philosophies.

For travel, we have Steve Van Beek, renowned writer and traveller, providing his perceptions of the Chao Phaya River and life on the waterway and its banks. Pongpol Adireksarn then takes us spelunking in Satun’s Le Stegodon Cave before our closing photo essay by Ezra Kyrill Erker that takes us south to the marine sanctuary at Ko Libong, the Island of the Dugong in Trang.

There is still much more, like the interview with Madame Áj Gabriella Sipos, the spouse of the Hungarian ambassador to Thailand, an article on Probiotics: Good Bacteria and an intriguing short story, Deer Hunting”, by Anchalee Viva.

I do hope you enjoy this issue of Elite+ magazine, and I again promise, each issue will only be getting better.

Punrit Taechatada
Executive Editor