Social-network marketing, using both Facebook and Twitter, has become the talk of the town among marketers in all industries.
The rapid rise in the number of users at both sites in Thailand has demanded the attention of Thai marketers, many of whom are currently calculating what share of their annual budget they should divert to the new online medium.
An adviser to the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Ian Fenwick, has given some pointers to online-marketing success.
He said marketing was moving towards a new digital era, for which new marketing models would be designed and developed to deliver messages digitally through a variety of end-devices and platforms including Internet web 2.0, mobile phones, Internet television, personal Internet devices, social-networking platforms, and electronic devices yet to be developed.
Referring to the "Four Ps" of traditional marketing strategy - product, price, place and promotion, he said digital marketing came with its own Four Ps: permission, participation, profile and personalisation.
"Marketers need to understand the fundamental elements of the new era of marketing first. Then they have to understand how to use their marketing budget to gain the most benefit," Fenwick said.
This year, Internet penetration around the world amounts to 1.6 billion users. Of these, 42 per cent are in Asia. These people are also spending more of their time on the Internet, from only 15 per cent of their daily life in 2003 to 30 per cent in 2008. Their main activities on the Internet are participating in social networks and reading blogs.
The best-known social-network site is Facebook. It now has 330 million users - up from 250 million in July. The trends are similar in Thailand, where there are 16 million Internet users and more than 1 million of them are Facebook users.
Twitter, the most popular microblog site, had more than 7 million users in February, up from fewer than 5 million one year earlier.
Marketing expert Thunyawat Chaitrakulchai, who is managing editor of MKT magazine, said social-network marketing, especially that using Facebook and Twitter, was the next big thing. Marketers should not ignore it, but should pay more attention to learning about it and understanding it in order to use it as a marketing weapon to reach the right target customers at a lower cost in terms of time and money.
He said it was better to use both Facebook and Twitter in parallel, with "balanced portions" devoted to each. The size of the portions directed at each channel depended on the requirements of different businesses.
"There is no one success model for all. This is a time for marketers to pay attention. They have to realise that they cannot ignore this. Both large corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises should jump in," Thunyawat said.
A similar message came from Worawisut Pinyoyang, marketing expert and owner of Newmedia.com and MKTtwit.com. He said Facebook and Twitter had a big impact on product and brand awareness.
The beauty of social networking for marketing is that it provides a huge number of target customers with the correct demographic profile, he said. Personalisation enables marketers to get very quick feedback and their marketing message can reach a mass market in a short time by "going viral".
Monday, September 28, 2009
BETTER WAY HIKES 2009 SALES TARGET TO BT8.6BN
Better Way (Thailand), a leading direct-sales operator and owner of the Mistine brand, has revised its sales target for this year to Bt8.6 billion, up significantly form Bt8.1 billion set at the beginning of the year.
Managing director Danai Deerojanawong said the new sales target had followed dramatic year-on-year growth in the third quarter, with figures 15-percent higher than those in last year's third quarter. Company sales grew 13 per cent last year from 2007.
He said the company had also been encouraged to set the new target by growth in its exports, which would double this year to a value of about Bt300 million.
"We've been able to open new markets for Mistine products, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, including Iran, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We plan to enter Mauritius by the end of this year and will turn to Ivory Coast and the UAE next year," Danai said.
The company expects its export sales to grow at least 25 per cent next year.
"We've achieved sales of Bt6 billion in the first nine months of this year, including exports. We expect sales for the whole year to show growth of 11-12 per cent," he said.
Danai said the company had increased its number of sales representatives from 700,000 last year to 860,000 now.
"We've also found the value of purchases per bill from our sales representatives has increased significantly in the third quarter, by more than 5 per cent."
Danai said Better Way (Thailand) had set a conservative sales target for next year, with year-on-year growth of 10 per cent expected. Sales performance should be similar to this year, depending on "crucial factors", such as local political stability and oil prices.
"We invested more than Bt100 million last year to upgrade our information-technology(IT) system, so that now we're able to analyse our costs more effectively.
"The new system supports our Marketing, Sales and Logistics departments, helping them work more efficiently," Danai said.
With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand," The company will segment its customers geographically and according to their preferred types of merchandise.
"We plan to open two new distribution centres next year in Chon Buri, which will be responsible for the Eastern Seaboard provinces and one province in the middle of the southern region," Danai said.
Better Way will launch a new television commercial this week called "Beauty Mind", for its Mistine No 1 Diamond lipstick. Starring movie queen Petchara Chaowarat, the 45-second commercial will be screened for the first time tomorrow, on all channels.
Part of the sales revenue will be donated to the Foundation for the Blind on Thailand.
With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand".
Managing director Danai Deerojanawong said the new sales target had followed dramatic year-on-year growth in the third quarter, with figures 15-percent higher than those in last year's third quarter. Company sales grew 13 per cent last year from 2007.
He said the company had also been encouraged to set the new target by growth in its exports, which would double this year to a value of about Bt300 million.
"We've been able to open new markets for Mistine products, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, including Iran, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We plan to enter Mauritius by the end of this year and will turn to Ivory Coast and the UAE next year," Danai said.
The company expects its export sales to grow at least 25 per cent next year.
"We've achieved sales of Bt6 billion in the first nine months of this year, including exports. We expect sales for the whole year to show growth of 11-12 per cent," he said.
Danai said the company had increased its number of sales representatives from 700,000 last year to 860,000 now.
"We've also found the value of purchases per bill from our sales representatives has increased significantly in the third quarter, by more than 5 per cent."
Danai said Better Way (Thailand) had set a conservative sales target for next year, with year-on-year growth of 10 per cent expected. Sales performance should be similar to this year, depending on "crucial factors", such as local political stability and oil prices.
"We invested more than Bt100 million last year to upgrade our information-technology(IT) system, so that now we're able to analyse our costs more effectively.
"The new system supports our Marketing, Sales and Logistics departments, helping them work more efficiently," Danai said.
With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand," The company will segment its customers geographically and according to their preferred types of merchandise.
"We plan to open two new distribution centres next year in Chon Buri, which will be responsible for the Eastern Seaboard provinces and one province in the middle of the southern region," Danai said.
Better Way will launch a new television commercial this week called "Beauty Mind", for its Mistine No 1 Diamond lipstick. Starring movie queen Petchara Chaowarat, the 45-second commercial will be screened for the first time tomorrow, on all channels.
Part of the sales revenue will be donated to the Foundation for the Blind on Thailand.
With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand".
BIDDING TO START FOR NEW PHUKET CONVENTION CENTRE
Bidding will be held by December this year for the construction of an international convention centre in the southern island resort of Phuket.
Deputy Finance Minister Pruttichai Damrongrat said the project would cost Bt3.74 billion, using budgets from fiscal 2010-12 under the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulas programme.
Construction of the facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions are expected to provede new economic opportunities in the southern island province.
The project will be located on a 150-rai plot owned by the Treasury Department, close to Phuket Airport.
Construction will take about two years. Pruttichai said the project needed an environmental-impact assessment before work could begin.
Sources said the site might face a shortage of fresh water during the dry season. In addition, the location is not close to most hotels, and it takes about an hour to drive to popular Patong Beach.
Overall, the Phuket convention centre will be designed to serve 2 million visitors a year.
Besides the four exhibition buildings, there well be a four-star hotel with 350 rooms.
Its carpark will accommodate 1,000 cars and buses.
Pruttichai said Phuket had already been allocated a Bt779-million budget for fiscal 2010 under the Bt1.43-trillion economic stimulus package, which runs through fiscal 2012.
Deputy Finance Minister Pruttichai Damrongrat said the project would cost Bt3.74 billion, using budgets from fiscal 2010-12 under the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulas programme.
Construction of the facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions are expected to provede new economic opportunities in the southern island province.
The project will be located on a 150-rai plot owned by the Treasury Department, close to Phuket Airport.
Construction will take about two years. Pruttichai said the project needed an environmental-impact assessment before work could begin.
Sources said the site might face a shortage of fresh water during the dry season. In addition, the location is not close to most hotels, and it takes about an hour to drive to popular Patong Beach.
Overall, the Phuket convention centre will be designed to serve 2 million visitors a year.
Besides the four exhibition buildings, there well be a four-star hotel with 350 rooms.
Its carpark will accommodate 1,000 cars and buses.
Pruttichai said Phuket had already been allocated a Bt779-million budget for fiscal 2010 under the Bt1.43-trillion economic stimulus package, which runs through fiscal 2012.
A model kit mecca
"From the Beginning Beyond the Future" is the theme of "Gundam Expo Thailand 2009", which will be held from October 21-25 in the Fashion Hall of Siam Paragon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated series this year.One of the event's highlights will be the six-metre fibreglass representation of the upper body of Gundam RX-78-2.The expo will be divided into many different zones, featuring the history of the Gundam franchise in Thailand as well as in Japan dating back to its beginning in 1979; a visual zone featuring images from the Gundam animated series; a music zone featuring the signature and signing-off Gundam songs over the past 30 years;a lifestyle zone highlighting a wide range of Gundam products under the concept of a dream "Gundam bedroom"; and a not-to-be-missed shopping zone where Gundam model kits, DVDs and limited-edition goods will be available.At the event Kunio Okawara, Gundam's mechanical designer and one of the three creators of Gundam, will be giving a talk on his work, and Mark Bakuc, an expert in model assembly and modification, will be conducting a tutorial workshop. Other activities include a Gundam cosplay (a term of Japanese origin and short for "costume role play") competition and a Gundam karaoke singing contest.
Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.
Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.
Giants in animation
There is more to Gundam than just Japanese robots. To its fans around the globe, Gundam is a passion for life. "Gundam, to me, is like a drug," said Rittikrai Kraikrengsri, 30, a model maker at an animated series production company. "Assembling Gundam figurines has become an activity that I am addicted to whenever I have time."
FULL HOUSE: Tokyo’s Shiokaze Park is packed with Gundam diehard fans towered over by the 18-metre-tall statue of Gundam RX-78-2 specially created to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
"I like Gundam's characters. They're real," said Marisa Zennun, 28, an animator. "I have been following the Gundam TV series and reading Gundam comics since I was a child."
RARE FINDS: Gundam followers buy heaps of Gundam model kits, right, in a shop in Japan despite their exorbitant prices.
Like Marisa and the majority of Gundam disciples, Rittikrai's zest for the robots started off as a childhood fascination. It was the time, he recalled, when animated series featuring super robots proliferated. In contrast with the concept of super robots featured in stories of transformable, damage-resistant giant robots with an arsenal of superpowers yet unrealistic weapons, Gundam seemed to offer the only "real" robots - common robot machines used by the military forces such as tanks or aircraft - in that era. And that was the main reason why young Rittikrai suddenly fell in love with all of them.
Gundam maintains a very strong fan base not only in Thailand and Japan, but also in many other countries. Diehard Gundam fans are usually referred to as "Gundam Otaku", a term borrowed from Japanese to describe people who have an obsessive interest in Gundam.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, Bandai Japan recently held "Gundam Big Expo", an exhibition featuring the long history of Gundam figurines, the Gundam animated series, Gundam video games and every spin-off from the Japanese heroes. In the late morning, hundreds of people lined up patiently to enter the exhibition venue.
Gundam Big Expo was held in Odaiba, Tokyo, and its star attraction was an 18-metre statue of Gundam RX-78-2, standing firmly and elegantly in Shiokaze Park. It was considered the highlight of the anniversary event.
IN PRINT: Apart from the animated TV series, Gundam is also available in other media genres, below right, one of which is comics.
Gundam first came into existence in 1979 as an animated science fiction television series called Mobile Suit Gundam. The story of Gundam is simply about the giant piloted robots or the mobile suits and their pilots fighting in a war some time in the future where total destruction and dehumanisation are inherent.
The television series found its way to Thailand in 1981. It was first aired on Channel 7 under the name Apiniharn Gundam, which literally means "Gundam, the Super Power".
The storyline in the original Gundam series later gave birth to a number of sequels, prequels and side stories. The popularity of Mobile Suit Gundam finally expanded to other media genres, including mangas, video games and, of course, figurines.
According to the Hong Kong-based assistant manager of Bandai Asia, Tsutomu Suzuki, there are several reasons why Gundam has such a strong following, even though it has been 30 years since it was first released.
"The designs are so cool. The narrative is not complicated, so it is not difficult for people to understand it. More importantly, the stories are closely related to our everyday lives," said Mr Suzuki, who is also Bandai's chief Gundam overseas officer.
And for those who think that Gundam robots are only playthings created particularly for children, they are absolutely wrong. In Japan, Mr Suzuki said, half of all Gundam diehard fans are, in fact, more than 30 years old, while 30% of all fans are teenagers. Family and children fill up the rest of the pie chart. In Thailand, children account for only 10% of all Gundam devotees, while 50% of all fans are adults and 40% are teenagers.
Bandai's factory in Shizuoka, a few hours by bus from Tokyo, produces about 15 million Gundam model kits annually. The plant boasts that its model-production technique is one of the most advanced dye-injection technologies in the world, and that it is the only place where 17 patented four-colour injection-moulding machines are located. In 2006, the Bandai Hobby Centre was founded within the factory's compound to function as a mini museum showcasing the proud history of the company's product creation and development.
The Bandai Hobby Centre and the factory have implemented a number of important environmentally-friendly measures. For example, the solar panels on the building's exterior generate the energy used within the centre as well as the factory. In addition, a system is used to recycle rain and groundwater.
The model kits manufactured at this factory are sold both in the Land of the Rising Sun as well as in 10 other countries, most of which are in Asia. The annual global sales revenue from Gundam figurines is about 200,000 million (72 billion baht). Despite such a commendable sales achievement, the chief Gundam overseas officers disclosed that the company's plan is to increase its sales performance by 10% every year.
"Our company's sales strategies are consistently implemented, especially in the area of product development. We conduct a lot of research to see which mobile suit is suitable for people in which period of time.
"In line with product development is the development of production technology to support our future growth," explained Mr Suzuki.
Rittikrai now has more than 50 Gundam figurines in his plastic model collection. Even though the prices of Gundam model kits remains high - starting from a few hundred baht for beginner model sets to more than 20,000 baht for perfect-grade figurine assemblies - as a Gundam otaku, his love for the robots will never die, he said.
"I think one of the major difficulties facing Gundam aficionados is that the model kits are so expensive and are, in many cases, unaffordable, especially as far as children are concerned.
"And this is the reason why non-fans think that we are crazy when we spend such huge sums of money on Gundam models. I think our case is similar to that of Blythe lovers.
"Blythe dolls are extremely expensive, but people still buy them simply because they like them. And it is the same with Gundam.
"Others might think that we are crazy, but to me, passion and craziness are two different things," he said.
------------A MODEL KIT MECCA
'From the Beginning Beyond the Future' is the theme of 'Gundam Expo Thailand 2009', which will be held from October 21-25 in the Fashion Hall of Siam Paragon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated series this year.
One of the event's highlights will be the six-metre fibreglass representation of the upper body of Gundam RX-78-2.
The expo will be divided into many different zones, featuring the history of the Gundam franchise in Thailand as well as in Japan dating back to its beginning in 1979; a visual zone featuring images from the Gundam animated series; a music zone featuring the signature and signing-off Gundam songs over the past 30 years; a lifestyle zone highlighting a wide range of Gundam products under the concept of a dream ''Gundam bedroom''; and a not-to-be-missed shopping zone where Gundam model kits, DVDs and limited-edition goods will be available.
At the event Kunio Okawara, Gundam's mechanical designer and one of the three creators of Gundam, will be giving a talk on his work, and Mark Bakuc, an expert in model assembly and modification, will be conducting a tutorial workshop. Other activities include a Gundam cosplay (a term of Japanese origin and short for ''costume role play'') competition and a Gundam karaoke singing contest.
Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.
FULL HOUSE: Tokyo’s Shiokaze Park is packed with Gundam diehard fans towered over by the 18-metre-tall statue of Gundam RX-78-2 specially created to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
"I like Gundam's characters. They're real," said Marisa Zennun, 28, an animator. "I have been following the Gundam TV series and reading Gundam comics since I was a child."
RARE FINDS: Gundam followers buy heaps of Gundam model kits, right, in a shop in Japan despite their exorbitant prices.
Like Marisa and the majority of Gundam disciples, Rittikrai's zest for the robots started off as a childhood fascination. It was the time, he recalled, when animated series featuring super robots proliferated. In contrast with the concept of super robots featured in stories of transformable, damage-resistant giant robots with an arsenal of superpowers yet unrealistic weapons, Gundam seemed to offer the only "real" robots - common robot machines used by the military forces such as tanks or aircraft - in that era. And that was the main reason why young Rittikrai suddenly fell in love with all of them.
Gundam maintains a very strong fan base not only in Thailand and Japan, but also in many other countries. Diehard Gundam fans are usually referred to as "Gundam Otaku", a term borrowed from Japanese to describe people who have an obsessive interest in Gundam.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, Bandai Japan recently held "Gundam Big Expo", an exhibition featuring the long history of Gundam figurines, the Gundam animated series, Gundam video games and every spin-off from the Japanese heroes. In the late morning, hundreds of people lined up patiently to enter the exhibition venue.
Gundam Big Expo was held in Odaiba, Tokyo, and its star attraction was an 18-metre statue of Gundam RX-78-2, standing firmly and elegantly in Shiokaze Park. It was considered the highlight of the anniversary event.
IN PRINT: Apart from the animated TV series, Gundam is also available in other media genres, below right, one of which is comics.
Gundam first came into existence in 1979 as an animated science fiction television series called Mobile Suit Gundam. The story of Gundam is simply about the giant piloted robots or the mobile suits and their pilots fighting in a war some time in the future where total destruction and dehumanisation are inherent.
The television series found its way to Thailand in 1981. It was first aired on Channel 7 under the name Apiniharn Gundam, which literally means "Gundam, the Super Power".
The storyline in the original Gundam series later gave birth to a number of sequels, prequels and side stories. The popularity of Mobile Suit Gundam finally expanded to other media genres, including mangas, video games and, of course, figurines.
According to the Hong Kong-based assistant manager of Bandai Asia, Tsutomu Suzuki, there are several reasons why Gundam has such a strong following, even though it has been 30 years since it was first released.
"The designs are so cool. The narrative is not complicated, so it is not difficult for people to understand it. More importantly, the stories are closely related to our everyday lives," said Mr Suzuki, who is also Bandai's chief Gundam overseas officer.
And for those who think that Gundam robots are only playthings created particularly for children, they are absolutely wrong. In Japan, Mr Suzuki said, half of all Gundam diehard fans are, in fact, more than 30 years old, while 30% of all fans are teenagers. Family and children fill up the rest of the pie chart. In Thailand, children account for only 10% of all Gundam devotees, while 50% of all fans are adults and 40% are teenagers.
Bandai's factory in Shizuoka, a few hours by bus from Tokyo, produces about 15 million Gundam model kits annually. The plant boasts that its model-production technique is one of the most advanced dye-injection technologies in the world, and that it is the only place where 17 patented four-colour injection-moulding machines are located. In 2006, the Bandai Hobby Centre was founded within the factory's compound to function as a mini museum showcasing the proud history of the company's product creation and development.
The Bandai Hobby Centre and the factory have implemented a number of important environmentally-friendly measures. For example, the solar panels on the building's exterior generate the energy used within the centre as well as the factory. In addition, a system is used to recycle rain and groundwater.
The model kits manufactured at this factory are sold both in the Land of the Rising Sun as well as in 10 other countries, most of which are in Asia. The annual global sales revenue from Gundam figurines is about 200,000 million (72 billion baht). Despite such a commendable sales achievement, the chief Gundam overseas officers disclosed that the company's plan is to increase its sales performance by 10% every year.
"Our company's sales strategies are consistently implemented, especially in the area of product development. We conduct a lot of research to see which mobile suit is suitable for people in which period of time.
"In line with product development is the development of production technology to support our future growth," explained Mr Suzuki.
Rittikrai now has more than 50 Gundam figurines in his plastic model collection. Even though the prices of Gundam model kits remains high - starting from a few hundred baht for beginner model sets to more than 20,000 baht for perfect-grade figurine assemblies - as a Gundam otaku, his love for the robots will never die, he said.
"I think one of the major difficulties facing Gundam aficionados is that the model kits are so expensive and are, in many cases, unaffordable, especially as far as children are concerned.
"And this is the reason why non-fans think that we are crazy when we spend such huge sums of money on Gundam models. I think our case is similar to that of Blythe lovers.
"Blythe dolls are extremely expensive, but people still buy them simply because they like them. And it is the same with Gundam.
"Others might think that we are crazy, but to me, passion and craziness are two different things," he said.
------------A MODEL KIT MECCA
'From the Beginning Beyond the Future' is the theme of 'Gundam Expo Thailand 2009', which will be held from October 21-25 in the Fashion Hall of Siam Paragon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated series this year.
One of the event's highlights will be the six-metre fibreglass representation of the upper body of Gundam RX-78-2.
The expo will be divided into many different zones, featuring the history of the Gundam franchise in Thailand as well as in Japan dating back to its beginning in 1979; a visual zone featuring images from the Gundam animated series; a music zone featuring the signature and signing-off Gundam songs over the past 30 years; a lifestyle zone highlighting a wide range of Gundam products under the concept of a dream ''Gundam bedroom''; and a not-to-be-missed shopping zone where Gundam model kits, DVDs and limited-edition goods will be available.
At the event Kunio Okawara, Gundam's mechanical designer and one of the three creators of Gundam, will be giving a talk on his work, and Mark Bakuc, an expert in model assembly and modification, will be conducting a tutorial workshop. Other activities include a Gundam cosplay (a term of Japanese origin and short for ''costume role play'') competition and a Gundam karaoke singing contest.
Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Images and art are typically opaque with pigment, dense depictions of objects or impressions of the un-representable, paradoxically becoming more mesmerising when the medium used is as translucent and profane as glass, a material possessing ghostly qualities beyond its commonplace applications.
While exhibitions of glass art are not unusual in many countries, they are unheard of in Thailand, so the first two glass exhibitions by Thai artists are almost historic events or at least milestones in the making of Thai art history.
The second of the two shows is now open at PSG Art Gallery, Silpakorn University. Titled "Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project: the 26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts",it contains many of the works created during a recent project by the faculty to establish the skills, techniques and technologies required for glass art production in Thailand.
Held from March to May at Silpakorn's Sanam Chand campus in Nakhon Pathom, the workshop focused on training teachers from around the country in both warm glass and cold forming techniques. The initial showing of the workshop's output was simply titled "Glass Exhibition" and was held from August 17 to September 4 at Sanam Chand campus.
A course designed to "train the trainer", it produced extremely innovative work, perhaps because none of the some 60 art teachers were familiar with the millennium-old traditions or schools in the glass art movement established elsewhere. Nevertheless, the work was of international quality.
If the response of the students, who flooded to attend the Sanam Chand opening, is anything to judge by, the future of glass art in Thailand is transparently bright. Substantial financial backing by sponsors including Loctite,Glass Dec and Ferro also indicates the medium has great potential to develop and benefit a new generation of artists.
The current show at Na Phralan cam-pus allows some of Thailand's most accomplished practitioners to express themselves using a material none had previously tried until participating in the workshop. Artists of the calibre of National Artist Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin and Panya Vijinthanasarn have put down their spatulas and paintbrushes and have begun fusing, foiling and staining glass, exploring the almost unlimited possibilities glass possesses.
While not all the work in the exhibition is glass, the installation in the centre of the gallery is made up of a series of 30cm x 30cm glass panels contributed by each of the artists. Framed by a circle of stainless steel, the installation, which has been purchased by Kasikornbank PLC, demonstrates the versatility and natural beauty of the material.
Another example of the glasswork on show is Krisana Honguten's Golden Lotus on Starry Night which fuses materials with different properties including glass,wood, gold leaf and carborundum to portray the sky at night. Krisana's piece,painterly in its execution, warmly expresses the artist's vision with textural vitality.
In A Little Bit of Passion Can Refine Our Mind , Panya Vijinthanasarn recreates his signature representation of the Buddha gazing down from the top right corner of the work which he has famously replicated many times in gold leaf and paint, only here he has sandblasted his impression across six framed
panels of clear glass.
On the other hand,Surapon Saenkham has been inspired by the architecture of Italy, famous for its long history of glass art as evinced by the innumerable stained glass windows to be found in the country's cathedrals and churches. His Fi-renze Italy successfully captures the glory and splendour of those medieval and Renaissance monuments.
Glass maintains a fascination with the human mind because it accompanied humanity as numinous ornaments throughout the Palaeolithic period and thus has a symbolic power. Glass is simply sand transformed through fire into a substance so sublime as to become a metaphor or mirror for our own evolution from the archaic to the civilised, or unconscious into conscious.
The alchemical character of glass art will continue to captivate Thailand, and the glass seed now planted here in the hearts of so many art educators will crystallise at Silpakorn University and grow at art schools across the country,burgeoning in the years to come as a new branch of contemporary Thai art.
"Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project:26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts" is on show until October 9 at PSG Art Gallery,Silpakorn University, Na Phra Lan campus.Open Monday to Saturday,10am to 6pm.Call 02-221-0820.
While exhibitions of glass art are not unusual in many countries, they are unheard of in Thailand, so the first two glass exhibitions by Thai artists are almost historic events or at least milestones in the making of Thai art history.
The second of the two shows is now open at PSG Art Gallery, Silpakorn University. Titled "Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project: the 26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts",it contains many of the works created during a recent project by the faculty to establish the skills, techniques and technologies required for glass art production in Thailand.
Held from March to May at Silpakorn's Sanam Chand campus in Nakhon Pathom, the workshop focused on training teachers from around the country in both warm glass and cold forming techniques. The initial showing of the workshop's output was simply titled "Glass Exhibition" and was held from August 17 to September 4 at Sanam Chand campus.
A course designed to "train the trainer", it produced extremely innovative work, perhaps because none of the some 60 art teachers were familiar with the millennium-old traditions or schools in the glass art movement established elsewhere. Nevertheless, the work was of international quality.
If the response of the students, who flooded to attend the Sanam Chand opening, is anything to judge by, the future of glass art in Thailand is transparently bright. Substantial financial backing by sponsors including Loctite,Glass Dec and Ferro also indicates the medium has great potential to develop and benefit a new generation of artists.
The current show at Na Phralan cam-pus allows some of Thailand's most accomplished practitioners to express themselves using a material none had previously tried until participating in the workshop. Artists of the calibre of National Artist Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin and Panya Vijinthanasarn have put down their spatulas and paintbrushes and have begun fusing, foiling and staining glass, exploring the almost unlimited possibilities glass possesses.
While not all the work in the exhibition is glass, the installation in the centre of the gallery is made up of a series of 30cm x 30cm glass panels contributed by each of the artists. Framed by a circle of stainless steel, the installation, which has been purchased by Kasikornbank PLC, demonstrates the versatility and natural beauty of the material.
Another example of the glasswork on show is Krisana Honguten's Golden Lotus on Starry Night which fuses materials with different properties including glass,wood, gold leaf and carborundum to portray the sky at night. Krisana's piece,painterly in its execution, warmly expresses the artist's vision with textural vitality.
In A Little Bit of Passion Can Refine Our Mind , Panya Vijinthanasarn recreates his signature representation of the Buddha gazing down from the top right corner of the work which he has famously replicated many times in gold leaf and paint, only here he has sandblasted his impression across six framed
panels of clear glass.
On the other hand,Surapon Saenkham has been inspired by the architecture of Italy, famous for its long history of glass art as evinced by the innumerable stained glass windows to be found in the country's cathedrals and churches. His Fi-renze Italy successfully captures the glory and splendour of those medieval and Renaissance monuments.
Glass maintains a fascination with the human mind because it accompanied humanity as numinous ornaments throughout the Palaeolithic period and thus has a symbolic power. Glass is simply sand transformed through fire into a substance so sublime as to become a metaphor or mirror for our own evolution from the archaic to the civilised, or unconscious into conscious.
The alchemical character of glass art will continue to captivate Thailand, and the glass seed now planted here in the hearts of so many art educators will crystallise at Silpakorn University and grow at art schools across the country,burgeoning in the years to come as a new branch of contemporary Thai art.
"Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project:26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts" is on show until October 9 at PSG Art Gallery,Silpakorn University, Na Phra Lan campus.Open Monday to Saturday,10am to 6pm.Call 02-221-0820.
PACIFIC MOTOR SHOW READY TO ROLL
The Pacific Motor Show will be staged in Chon Buri's Sri Racha district again next month, with the 12th annual event expected to attract 400,000 visitors to look over the products and displays of 15 auto manufacturers.
Organisers expect the show, to be held at Pacific Park Sri Racha from October 3-11, to lead to purchases worth Bt450 million.
Thirteen exhibitors will be carmakers and two motorcycle manufacturers. They are BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Ford, Suzuki, Tata, Chery. AP Honda and Yamaha.
At last year's show, 433 cars and 155 motorcycles were sold.
"The show will be held under the concept 'Energy and Automobiles', aiming to exhibit various alternative vehicles, such as hybrid cars and E85-capable vehicles," said Pacific Park Group managing director Somboon Vorapanyasakul.
"During the first half of 2009, the economic slowdown and political turmoil affected consumer confidence. However, thanks to the government's stimulus measures and positive signs in the global and local economies, consumers are now regaining confidence. Moreover, the automobile industry is also picking up, as seen from the upward employment trend. Many of the employees who were laid off have returned to their jobs back."
The Pacific Motor Show has been hailed as one of the most successful shows along the Eastern Seaboard, because of its location.
Somboon expects auto companies to have strong marketing campaigns at the show, to help boost sales.
"New products from auto companies will also be a main driving force. We'll be accepting orders for the Mazda2 subcompact car even though it has not yet been officially launched in Thailand," Somboon said.
"Other highlights will include the BMW 520d, the Volvo V50, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Vigo 2.5VN Turbo and the new Mitsubishi Lander EX."
Organisers expect the show, to be held at Pacific Park Sri Racha from October 3-11, to lead to purchases worth Bt450 million.
Thirteen exhibitors will be carmakers and two motorcycle manufacturers. They are BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Ford, Suzuki, Tata, Chery. AP Honda and Yamaha.
At last year's show, 433 cars and 155 motorcycles were sold.
"The show will be held under the concept 'Energy and Automobiles', aiming to exhibit various alternative vehicles, such as hybrid cars and E85-capable vehicles," said Pacific Park Group managing director Somboon Vorapanyasakul.
"During the first half of 2009, the economic slowdown and political turmoil affected consumer confidence. However, thanks to the government's stimulus measures and positive signs in the global and local economies, consumers are now regaining confidence. Moreover, the automobile industry is also picking up, as seen from the upward employment trend. Many of the employees who were laid off have returned to their jobs back."
The Pacific Motor Show has been hailed as one of the most successful shows along the Eastern Seaboard, because of its location.
Somboon expects auto companies to have strong marketing campaigns at the show, to help boost sales.
"New products from auto companies will also be a main driving force. We'll be accepting orders for the Mazda2 subcompact car even though it has not yet been officially launched in Thailand," Somboon said.
"Other highlights will include the BMW 520d, the Volvo V50, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Vigo 2.5VN Turbo and the new Mitsubishi Lander EX."
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