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At Government House today, the Prime Minister chaired the National Committee for the ASEAN Summit 2019 and Related Meetings, by setting up subcommittees to run the events, as Thailand is the Chair of ASEAN next year.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-O-Cha as head of the National Committee for the ASEAN Summit 2019 said today that Thailand will take over the position of ASEAN Chair from Singapore on January 1st, 2019, therein overlapping the 2019 fiscal year and 2020 fiscal year.

The 34th ASEAN Summit and Foreign Minister Meeting and Related Meetings will take place in the first half of 2019.

Meanwhile the 35th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN+3, ASEAN+6 and Related Meetings will be held in November 2019.

He said Thailand focuses on stability, prosperity and the sustainability of the relationship between ASEAN members. Future populations of ASEAN, would be acknowledged as part of the Global Dynamic. To achieve the goal, all countries must cooperate and no one must be left behind.

Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office as the head of the Public Relations subcommittee says the Theme for ASEAN 2019 involves three areas namely Connectivity, Sustainable Development and a Future-orientation, while the logo will be unveiled at the Ceremony Of Passing The Chair, in November 2018 in Singapore.

The press center during the summits, official website, Social Media such as Facebook, Instagram and Line are also considered tools to promote ASEAN 2019 in Bangkok.

source: thainews

Photo Above: (From the left) Golden Emperor Properties Director and Partner Mr. Fred Poon, REA Asia Market and Brand Manager Ms. Amanda Chase, Golden Emperor Properties Managing Director Mr. Terence Chan and Golden Emperor Director and Partner Ms. Alice Lee.

REA Group Asia, the market-leading digital business specializing in property proudly debuted the first “REA Greater China Awards 2018”. The awards honored the success and outstanding achievements of elites in property-related industries throughout the Greater China Region.

Golden Emperor receives the Best Overseas (Thailand) Property Agency and Best Overseas (Vietnam) Property Agency awards. Mr. Terence Chan, Managing Director of Golden Emperor Properties states, “We are delighted to win these two awards which signifies our leading status on the market and the professionalism we provide. Golden Emperor specializes in providing one-stop full services from buying, resale and property management. We have a strong foundation in Hong Kong providing offices across China in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Bangkok in Thailand and Hanoi and HCMC in Vietnam. We have over 100 staff in Hong Kong offering tailor made services for our clients and will continue to strive to provide the best quality projects and services for the public.”

Photo Above：Mr. Terence Chan, Managing Director of Golden Emperor Properties gives a speech on stage.

The “REA Greater China Awards 2018” presentation ceremony was held at sky100 with Ms. Kerry WONG, Chief Executive Officer, Greater China Region, REA Group and Ms. Amanda CHASE, General Manager, Marketing & Brand (REA Asia) in attendance. Kay KAM, Community Director of WeWork HK was invited to be the officiating guest to present the awards to the winners and share insight on the transformation of the property industry under the digital era.

Recipients of the “REA Greater China Awards 2018” were nominated by the public and selected through an online vote in a fair and transparent manner and were based on the criteria of creativity, skills and services towards excellence and innovation, which enhance the overall quality of the property market and related fields. After evaluation and internal
review by REA’s committee, a total of 20 trophies were presented to property-related professionals worldwide in three categories namely ‘Best Property Projects’, ‘Best Property Services’ and ‘Best Lifestyle Brands’.

Ms. Kerry WONG, Chief Executive Officer, Greater China Region, REA Group is proud to honour and recognise the remarkable achievement of the winners. At the awards presentation ceremony, Ms. WONG said, “REA Group’s main purpose is to change the way the world experiences property and we do that by working closely with only the best of the best. The awards honour those who have played a pivotal role in helping thousands of people in their property journey. I would like to extend my congratulations to all winners onbehalf of REA Group.”

Photo Above: Ms. Kerry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of REA Greater China, gives her best regards to the winners of the night.

Photo Above: The “REA Greater China Awards 2018” was hosted at SKY100 which showed the success of the market.

Photo Above: (From the left) Ms. Alice Lee, Director and Partner of Golden Emperor Properties and Mr. Fred Poon, Director and Partner of Golden Emperor Properties pose for the photo at the award.

Southeast Asian nation becomes fifth country to strike deal on the checks with the city, after South Korea, Germany, Singapore and Australia.

Hongkongers visiting Thailand will be able to get through immigration more quickly from Saturday, when automated border clearances begin.

A similar arrangement will be offered to Thai passport holders visiting Hong Kong. The Southeast Asian nation is the fifth country to have struck a deal on the automated checks with the city, after South Korea, Germany, Singapore and Australia.

“Residents of [Hong Kong and Thailand] can easily pass through immigration control, resulting in shorter waiting and clearance times,” Raymond Lok Wai-man, the Immigration Department’s assistant director responsible for information systems, said.

Lok said using the automated clearance service would take about 20 seconds. On average it takes about 75 seconds for a visitor to go through immigration clearance at a counter when entering Hong Kong, and 57 seconds when leaving.

“The arrangement could allow greater travel convenience for residents of Hong Kong and Thailand,” Lok said.

Thailand is one of Hongkongers’ favourite travel destinations. In the first seven months this year, there were 570,000 visits to Thailand by people from the city, according to the department, and 330,000 to Hong Kong by Thai travellers.

“The arrangement could allow greater travel convenience for residents of Hong Kong and Thailand,” Lok said.

Thailand is one of Hongkongers’ favourite travel destinations. In the first seven months this year, there were 570,000 visits to Thailand by people from the city, according to the department, and 330,000 to Hong Kong by Thai travellers.

They will beforehand need to enrol with Hong Kong immigration officers, who will take their fingerprints and a photo of them. They can enrol at Hong Kong International Airport or at the Immigration Department’s headquarters in Wan Chai.

The department said it aimed to expand the list of countries with which it has mutual automated clearance, and that it was in talks with “several” countries which are popular travel destinations for Hongkongers.

Source: SCMP

Architecture in Thailand has reflected the country’s climatic conditions and its community culture. Thailand’s rising young population now opt for modernized social space crafted by thoughtful designs. As the cultural capital of the country, areas in Bangkok, like Thong-Lo and Ekkamai in the Sukhumvit District are now decked with restaurant and cafes favored by the young. But contemporary architecture is prevalent across the country, from temples in the north of Chiang Mai, to the national park in the island of Koh Kood, the country thrives with a boom in modern design by both local and foreign architecture firms.

Chiang Mai’s Modern Temple

Buddhanimit Temple, in the north of Thailand, Chiang Mai, sits in the rural community of Udon Thani. The temple is also a school for children whose families are unable to afford public education. An expansion has added new dormitories and libraries to the complex: using simple materials, old buildings were renovated into bedrooms and shared social space, connected by a series of hallways that serve as leisure space designed with translucent roofs to allow natural sunlight. The library’s bright and clean design under a slanting roof and raised floors is able to decrease humidity, cool floor temperature and prevent direct sunlight from the south, keeping a comfortable reading atmosphere for the novice monks.

Indoor Sports Hall in the North

A sports hall, fabricated by bamboo architecture specialist, Chiangmai Life Architects, spans more than 17 meters and is a gathering space for over 300 local villagers. Natural ventilation and insulation keeps the structure cool throughout the year. The bamboo-trussed hall can be transformed into a basketball, volleyball or badminton court as well as a performance hall. The building design is based on a Lotus flower, with a curving and rounded rooftop, all made from locally sourced material.

Koh Khood Indoor Playground Space

In the south of Thailand on Koh Khood Island, 24H Architecture has created a children’s activity and learning center as part of the Six Senses resort in the Gulf of Thailand. The materials are bamboo cultivated from the island and constructed together with wooden reinforcements. The structure is designed to be a paradise for children to play, learn, discover, eat and socialize while containing libraries, resting spots and cinema rooms decorated with pillows, throws and comfortable dim lighting.

Coffee Tank of Khao Yai

In central Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park, Secondfloor Architects has constructed a coffee shop, named the Yellow Submarine Coffee Tank. The exterior of the coffee shop looks to be one large concrete structure from afar, but as you navigate the area, the gravel entrance will lead to a bricked facade painted with Chinese black ink. The interior is a thoughtful yet contemporary design integrated with plants and lushness of the park. Stepping in, the coffee shop is really like a tank: a long coffee table is shadowed by a glassy overhead and wrapped within four walls and different viewpoints of the cafe serve as resting spots for guests to enjoy the nature that the park offers.

The Integrated Bodyshop & Café

Bangkok has thrived under an booming age of coffee shops and mixed used spaces. Bangkok-based Nitaprow’s space for Patom is a fine example. Settled in a lush garden, which symbolizes the body brand’s use of natural ingredients, the venue is the combination of a cafe, retail space and showroom. Covered with teak-wood bordered glass panels, merely separating the interior from the garden, the space is natural, relaxing and welcoming. A circular mezzanine also provides some privacy if needed, led by curved stairs to a heightened platform atop of the cafe space.

The Bangkok condominium market remained healthy during the second quarter of 2018 in terms of demand and prices, says Knight Frank Thailand Research.

While new supply declined by almost half from the previous quarter, this reflected the fact that most developers are planning to launch new projects during the second half of the year. A total of 8,894 new units entered the market, a decrease of 47% from the first quarter.

It is clear that industry participants are increasingly turning their attention to development of areas around the central business district (CBD) and in the suburbs. This was reflected in the number of new units launched in these two areas, which increased by 6.5% and 2.2%, respectively, compared with the first quarter.

The most popular locations were along the electric train extension lines, especially the Light Green, Blue and Yellow lines. New project launches took place around the same time in the Lat Phrao, Phahon Yothin, Phetkasem and Charan Sanitwong areas.

Meanwhile, the CBD in the Sukhumvit area remained the most popular location for developers during the second quarter, with two new luxury projects in Asok and Ekamai, totalling 363 units. There were no official launches of new projects in other CBD areas in the quarter.

Data compiled by Knight Frank found that the average sales rate of newly launched units was about 60%. Condos that enjoyed brisk sales were located in the CBD and the suburbs, with take-up of 70% and 50% of total units, respectively. Areas that were popular with buyers included Sathon-Tha Phra, Rama IX-Ratchada, and Phahon Yothin-Vibhavadi.

Overall, the asking price per square metre for new units during the second quarter of 2018 was 147,800 baht, up 5% from the previous quarter. The increase was driven by new developments in the CBD where average prices were 248,000 baht per sq m, reflecting a 16% increase from the previous quarter.

Market conditions warrant close watching in the second half of the year, with many developers scheduled to launch projects. There is a high probability that the new supply in the second half will be at least 22,000 units. If that is the case, total supply in 2018 will reach nearly 50,000 units.

Prices in the second half could break a record after six quarters, as more than 40% of the new supply will be in the CBD.

source: Bangkok Post