Editorial | Arunosha Bhanupan : A Pioneer in Thai Television Production

With Ok Phansa, the end of the Buddhist Rainy Season Retreat, the rains have pretty much halted and the weather has turned beautiful, at least for much of the country. Flooding has subsided, and the winter season has begun with beautiful days and cool evenings while many of us still wait for the temperatures to really drop.

This year is also especially auspicious as the county celebrates Loy Kratong under a “Beaver Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse”, which will be seen by much of the world. The next won’t come until 2025. So, it should be a beautiful night to celebrate and make merit, following a tradition that began 800 years ago, during the reign of Sukhothai.

The next Thai kingdom was Ayutthaya, and part of its history is being retold in a new Thai drama, “Destiny”, a sequel to the highly successful “Love Destiny” (Buppesannivas). Elite+ was very fortunate to meet Dr “Nong” Arunosha Bhanupan, the pioneering co-founder of Broadcast Thai Television Co, Ltd and award-winning television programme producer, to discuss these historical productions as well as her quite illustrious career in our cover story.

We next introduce you to HE Nadhavathna Krishnamra, Thailand’s Ambassador to Germany, and hear what he and the Embassy are doing to promote Thailand and help Thai students and others residing in Germany as well as how these two countries are celebrating 160 years of diplomatic relations. In between these two articles, we offer you a glimpse of the exhibition, “Bridge of Colors,” presenting the work of some of Indonesia’s best contemporary artists at the National Gallery.

In this issue we also look at how the Royal Thai Army Women Army Rangers, or Thaharn Phran Ying, are contributing to the peace process in the Deep South and empowerment of women. We then learn about the evolution of a fourth-generation family business, Mouawad, the designer of the Miss Universe crown, before meeting this year’s Chommanard Book Prize winner, Sasiwimon Nottee Suradejchamongkol. After this, we take you north to the recently opened Meliá Hotel Chiang Mai and its signature Mai Restaurant and Bar before returning to Africa and the Etosha National Park in Namibia. We then introduce you to Madame Pamela Jebichii Kiptiness, spouse of Kenya’s ambassador to Thailand before ending with a short story with a twist by Anchalee Vivathanachai and a photo essay by Ezra Kyrill Erker, presenting the beauty of a remote Danish island.

To conclude, let me just say I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have putting it together.

Punrit Taechatada
Executive Editor