Eight women reflect on their chosen fields and look to the year ahead.
ART
Yuree Kensaku
Artist
It was a significant year for me as I put on an exhibition that marked my 10th year in the industry. New spaces have opened up and for the first time in Thailand, an exhibition (Metro-sapian) also took place in a cave in Ratchaburi province. It's something that we've never seen before and by utilising weird, new spaces, it gives audiences experiences they never had before.
I'm glad that the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) recently opened because it's a private museum. I'm hoping the Bencharongkul family will be opening more in the future. It's becoming more prevalent and it's a good thing that people who are interested in art are building these places so that ordinary people can come in to see their collections and art pieces.
There's also been a surge of interest in street art. Some fairs that took place this year, such as the ones in the Ratchathewi and Ratchaprasong districts of Bangkok, have put it under the spotlight and it's getting more recognition than ever before. Quality aside, we're seeing all these kids coming out to create this type of artwork. It's a good thing because when it becomes a trend you get to see all these people you've never seen before coming out to try their hand at it.
I do hope that next year will see the opening of more new spaces, to support both new talents and international artists. I'd love to see more exhibitions from famous artists from other countries, but it's hard to say whether that would be feasible or not.
- Parisa Pichitmarn
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Dr Thidakarn Rujipattanakul
Anti-ageing specialist
The use of stem cells was one of the most talked-about health and wellness topics in 2013, especially at the beginning of the year. Even though the Medical Council of Thailand did not approve the use of stem cells in medical care, some treatments of this nature were practised in several clinics and health-care providers nationwide. But after the Medical Council came out and announced that it might be too early to make use of stem cells in health-care and anti-ageing treatments, the popularity of this technique dropped as a consequence.
At the end of this year, a number of medical journals were published and many of them foresee "lifestyle medicine" as an anti-ageing trend next year, meaning that people will tend to put more emphasis on natural diets instead of synthetic nutritional supplements and pay more attention to regular workouts as well as lifestyle adjustment. Some of these medical papers have even questioned the efficiency of dietary supplements, wondering whether or not they can help cut the risk of developing age-related sicknesses.
And in response to more interest in lifestyle medicine among modern consumers in the year to come, I think lifestyle-health programmes will become more readily available. These programmes may include activities like an educational course providing knowledge regarding proper exercise, wellness spas, health rehabilitation as well as meditation and yoga.
It's hard to predict if such a health-care approach will become a hit in Thailand due to the fact that a very large number of Thai people prefer quick fixes when it comes to health care, meaning they prefer something that renders rapid results to something that takes time to be effective.
- Arusa Pisuthipan
FASHION
Achara Umpujh
Executive vice-president, The Mall Group
This year we have done a lot of fashion-related projects and events and there are many new brands, both local and imported. On the home front, Thai designers have become much stronger and their presentation style is remarkable. They have also organised collaborative projects with various products, which helped boost the fashion industry.
Thai brands are evolving very quickly, with many new brands entering the market. However, we also saw a rise in counterfeit goods with the copying of local brands. All in all, clothes sold well this year, whether low-end or high-end. Even though the atmosphere was a bit gloomy due to political issues, fashion is still going strong.
Next year, I hope to see fashion branching out to other aspects of life because fashion is not just about clothes - it's about lifestyle, food, home and everything you can think of. Today, checking out a new restaurant is a lifestyle choice and dining out has become a fashion as well.
Today, people's style comes from their impressions. They see new things and they are inspired and this inspiration is reflected in what they wear and do, which makes every person unique. I think this will be a fashion trend in the coming year.
- Napamon Roongwitoo
BUSINESS
Sutapa Amornvivat
Executive vice-president, Siam Commercial Bank and chief economist at SCB's Economic Intelligence Centre
From an economic perspective, this year we have seen numerous changes in terms of Thailand's economy. But we only focused on short-term economic analysis, partly because our audience wished to learn more about the economy in the short term. News and data released this year in connection with the country's economy therefore mostly involved statistics and figures. What should also be taken into consideration regarding Thailand's economic and financial status are medium- and long-term issues.
In 2014, I, an economist, wish to see more analysis on the supply side. There are five areas that we should concentrate our attention on:
First, labour. Thailand is still facing problems regarding low employment rates as well as regarding labour management. In other words, our workforce is being employed to do jobs for which the workers are actually overqualified.
Second, energy security. This is an area that should be explored and studied more.
Third, we need to put more focus on technological development. Apparently, certain types of technology for which Thailand has been considered a manufacturing hub have started to become outdated, for example the integrated circuits used in electrical appliances and some computer parts.
The fourth area is education and by "education" I mean how our country can fix issues to do with our educational system and carry out substantial changes.
And the last issue is regarding firm dynamics, meaning the ideology behind investment should also be explored.
- Arusa Pisuthipan
PUBLISHING
Kim Chongsatitwatana
Assistant managing director, Nanmeebooks
Bangkok was selected by Unesco to be World Book Capital in 2013, so we saw big efforts to promote reading in different genres. My publishing house was in charge of creating activities to promote science books, inviting both scientists and authors to train Thai teachers and librarians on how to use science books to do hands-on activities with children.
I think that 2014 will be both challenging and invigorating. Challenging because with the uncertainty in politics, money which schools could use to invest in libraries and learning innovations may be scarce (but let's hope not!). And invigorating because with the increasing awareness of democracy, civic rights, etc, I hope that Thai people will get more interested in reading, to broaden their knowledge and critical thinking skills.
We have many exciting plans for Nanmeebooks next year. The overarching campaign is "Nanmeebooks Reading Club #14". This will be the 14th year that we will be hosting a nationwide book club. Right now we have over 20,000 schools taking part. The theme for 2014 is "Nang Sue Sang Tua Ton" (Books Build Character) because we believe that every single book we read contributes to making us who we are. Next year we will be asking students to set personal-development goals for themselves and document how each book they read contributes to achieving these goals.
- Napamon Roongwitoo
MEDIA
Nattha Komolvadhin
News anchor at Thai PBS
One of the biggest changes in the local media scene over the past year was social media's role in Thai people's political awakening. However, next year I expect that digital TV channels will dramatically change the media landscape.
While demand for broadcast personnel will jump, consumers, with more choices in the digital era, will decide who will survive and who won't.
During my seven weeks in the United States as an Eisenhower Fellow this year, I got to meet some very talented, experienced and inspiring personalities in the media and political fields. I hope the experience will help me become a better broadcaster in 2014 and beyond. Top of my list will be to jump right into reporting and analysing the countdown to the establishment of the AEC [Asean Economic Community] in 2015. That means there will be more bridges to cross for media people to get connected throughout Asean. Hopefully, 2014 will be the year I complete my book about my work as a digital journalist coping with rapid and seismic changes all around. Somewhere at the top of the list of my priorities is, of course, to stay fit, physically, mentally and spiritually. To achieve that, I am starting with a resolution not to make any New Year's resolutions!
- Napamon Roongwitoo
CYCLING
Nonlany Ungwiwatkul
Cycling activist
Cycling has earned more attention from the media this year and the coverage has created more positive attitudes towards this vehicle. The bicycling population has been rising significantly and two-wheelers are getting a lot more recognition on the roads.
It's good that more and more phuyai [influential figures] who are policy-makers have started to cycle; this allows them to get first-hand experience of what it's like to cycle in Bangkok.
More cycling infrastructure - like a bike-share system and bicycle parking at corporate buildings - and activities were also features of this past year. But I do want to see the cycling infrastructure growing even more. The two priorities in terms of infrastructure are a growth in the Pun Pun bike-share programme and creating backstreet routes for cyclists that link communities in Bangkok with peripheral areas.
Both schemes are in the policies of the Bangkok's Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
Despite wide criticism of the bike-share system, the idea of sharing bicycles has become more popular among office workers. Many use them to commute during their lunch break, meaning that they don't have to rely on taxis like they used to, thereby reducing traffic congestion in the Silom and Sathon areas. That's the main purpose of the system; to link places in the heart of the city which are only a short distance apart.
The improvement of backstreet routes, including the provision of street lighting and CCTV cameras, is needed to promote these streets - which are otherwise likely to attract criminals - as links between communities for cyclists, pedestrians and local residents alike. The busier these backstreet routes are, the less attractive they will be to criminals.
- Sirinya Wattanasukchai
MINORITY/GENDER RIGHTS
Anjana Suvarnananda
Gender-rights activist and founder of the Anjaree Group
There were several exciting developments on the local LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex] front during the past year. First, the demands for marriage equality, both in terms of social and legal recognition, have increased in volume and these have been picked up and reported by the media. Many couples organised wedding ceremonies - complete with big banquets at hotels or in their homes and pre-wedding photo shoots - for which parents and members of the wider community showed their support by attending. This year the LGBTI movement also organised a number of public campaigns to push for marriage equality. The local lesbian advocacy group Anjareem, which is now being registered as a foundation, joined together with the Sexual Diversity Network to drum up publicity for a lesbian couple who attempted to register as a married couple at Bang Rak District Office on Valentine's Day.
This year, transmen [female-to-male transgenders] have also emerged onto the domestic gender-rights scene for the first time, an important step that should add vibrancy to the existing movement for transgender rights.
Up to that point all the activists prominently involved in the movement had been male-to-female transgenders and thus no efforts had been made to articulate the issues specific to the lives of transmen. At the same time, the level of participation and the sense of ownership of political power have both increased among members of LGBTI communities; this is a new phenomenon and a very positive one. Some politicians and high-level policy-makers have paid attention and shown an interest in supporting LGBTI rights.
In the coming year I expect that the LGBTI movement will need to learn how to manoeuvre and negotiate within the current political climate, given its volatile, confusing and polarising nature. All legal and high-level policy proposals - such as submitting a parliamentary bill to pave the way for civil partnership registration - might have to be put on hold (until further notice!) due to the ongoing political turmoil and the possibility of splintering within the movement caused by different affiliations with mainstream political parties. Despite this, social media is expected to play an increasingly large role in reporting on developments in the LGBTI movement and in the lives of individual members.
- Arusa Pisuthipan
