PHOTO FILES:
1. Massimo Catalani – Tomatoes’ Field
The tomato, a modern vegetable, arrived late on our dinner table, but it soon conquered the world, demonstrating a powerful and distinct plant intelligence. For this and for its infinite varieties, Mr. Catalani thought to compose this art work, titled All the Same and All Different: Tomatoes’ Field.
​

2. Antonio Saba – The Naiad Nimphs at Grotta Giusti
In The Naiad Nimphs at Grotta Giusti, the Naiads, also known as water nymphs - the lymph of life - are represented by Mr. Saba as Pre-raphaelite beauties; they are chimeric, angelic and seductive at the same time. 

BOILER PLATE
For 33 years, River City Bangkok has been Asia’s premier art and antique center. In 2018, River City’s 3,000 square meter second floor is being transformed to accommodate contemporary art, including an enlarged RCB Galleria, the new RCB Photographers’ Gallery, the 120 seat RCB Forum, RCB VIP lounge, and retail stores. Located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, River City Bangkok will host a series of international and national exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, photography, and film. Each will be supported with a program of talks. 

​PLANNING IN ADVANCE
​
Once the official announcement was made in 2017 that MotoGP would be coming to Thailand, myself and three friends determined that immediate action would be needed to secure accommodation within reasonably easy reach of the Buriram circuit.
 
Hotel rooms closest to the circuit had doubtless been allocated to personnel directly connected to the event prior to the dates being announced so the best we could do was a hotel in Nang Rong, 50km from the track. We booked this almost exactly a year in advance. Tickets for the race weekend went on sale early in 2018 and we secured these via a PTT promotion within three days of their being made available. Price for a weekend ticket in the main grandstand 2,550bt.

‘High luxury’ brand
​
“My company now offers all five models produced by Maserati, the latest being the Levante. This is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV introduced to the market in 2017,” said Mr Piyathep.
 
“More models are scheduled for introduction in the future. We have changed the strategy used by the previous importers. They looked at Maserati as a niche brand, but we see it as a ‘high luxury’ brand. In Thailand this means its status is higher than BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi. Worldwide, Maserati is trying to go head-to-head with Porsche.
 
“The price for a Maserati here ranges from seven million to 15 million baht. BMWs start at around two million baht and go up to about six million. We think many BMW customers may want to become Maserati customers. You see, that is a perfectly logical step for wealthy people in Thailand. People want to look richer than other rich people. Actually, this is a phenomenon not only in Thailand but in other Asian countries like Korea, Japan, Chinaand even Hong Kong.
 
“Wealthy people see Maserati cars as fun, kind of like a toy to impress their friends. That’s why Porsche sells very well in Thailand. Of course, Aston Martin is more expensive than Maserati and Rolls Royce more expensive still, but these cars send a different message. You can see from the price positioning of BMW, Maserati, Rolls Royce and so on that these brands do not compete with each other, but in fact they support each other.
 
“BMW and Mercedes Benz owners are in the same customer group, a group that wants to drive something a step above Toyota or Mazda. But now BMWs and Mercedes are everywhere, so people who want something more prestigious will go for a Porsche. This is the market for Maserati in Thailand we are competing primarily with Porsche.
 
“In Thailand, the perception of Maserati has always been quite good, but the past importers narrowed the appeal by targeting only people looking for a ‘super car’. Yes, we do sell super cars, but typically these are at the high end of our lineup, priced at over 10 million baht. We expect to sell a higher volume of cars priced under 10 million baht. We offer both petrol and diesel cars.”

OVER the years the Kingdom of Thailand has amassed thousands of legal directives for residents and visitors to follow. The most fundamental are those outlined in the Constitution, and these are joined by an endless procession of specific measures categorized as Acts, Administrative Charters, Announcements by Council for National Reform, Announcements by the Revolutionary Council, Codes, Emergency decrees, Ministerial Regulations, Royal decrees, Rules and Regulations, Treaties and so on. There are also a vast number of amendments to laws which may have been on the books for 100 years or more. For example, the Act on Navigation in Thai Waters, B.E. 2456 (1913), has undergone 15 amendments, the last being made in 1997. Several hundred laws have been translated to English and they appear on www.ThaiLaws.com. 

REGULAR readers of BigChilli will no doubt remember the story in September last year about Schönes, the company that manufactures replica supercars in Thailand. Well, I recently received an invite from the company’s owner, Chris Pongpitaya, to visit the company’s newer, bigger premises. As I couldn’t just turn up – the invite read: “You are welcome to visit us, by appointment only”– my curiosity was piqued. Just exactly what are he and his team creating at their new premises?

THE Toyota Fortuner gained fame in Thailand during last year’s floods because it enabled families to safely evacuate their homes and, thanks to its generous space, take their prized possessions with them.

Most important, though, this SUV is able to navigate deep waters – perhaps one of the reasons why there continues to be such a high demand for the Fortuner locally.

“You can drive this car through 70 centimeters of water, which is very appealing to many of our buyers afterthe 2011 floods,” said Piya Airn-in, fleet sales manager of Toyota Muangnont who arranged for me to test drive the new Fortuner 3.OV 2WD. As I had no plans to personally check the accuracy of that claim, I had to take his word for it. What I do know after giving the car a good workout, though, is that this SUV is a beauty.

THE eagerly awaited 2012 BMW 3 Series 320d sedan is now available in Thailand in three trims: Sport Line, Modern Line and Luxury Line, allowing customers to select a style and adapt it to their individual preferences. Each choice offers subtle differences in interior and exterior appointments, while all three lines are powered by a diesel engine assembled locally at a factory in Rayong. Petrol engine models will follow later. 

Courtesy of Millennium Auto Co. Ltd., The BigChilli was the first media organization in Thailand to road test the new 3 Series (Modern Line). I had full use of the car for several days, and I have to say up front that it exceeds all expectations. 

This small but powerful BMW is the best we’ve driven yet
By Maxmilian Wechsler

IF you’re a car buff and watch foreign TV news channels, you have probably noticed that BMW cars are quite often used by global political and business leaders. Many diplomatic corps have made it their official brand as well. In the latest Mission Impossible 4, Ghost Protocol, the constant use of BMW cars was pretty obvious, and perhaps a little overdone. But it’s an accurate reflection of the increasing presence in all spheres of the German-made luxury cars, the sales of which are going through the roof around the world and in Thailand. 

After road testing no less than seven BMW models in the past year or so, I don’t find this surprising at all, and I have to say that the model I took out a few weeks ago for four days, the 528i Sport, impressed me most of all.