Today, dwp is officially launching a brand new organization called dwp|metatecture that is servicing the growing local and international demand for web3 services, including digital assets and virtual environments, through to the metaverse.
 
dwp has a 30 year history with a foundation in global architecture and physical environments with the skills, resources, and expertise that have created award-winning spaces internationally. That expertise is now committing to a digital future with dwp|metatecture focusing on the next 30 years of digital assets and virtual environments. With our in-house team and specific partnerships, we’ve crafted a broad spectrum of web3 tools such as AI, AR, VR and Blockchain, to enable great digital interactions and virtual experiences.
 
Ms. Sarinrath Kamolratanapiboon, one of the founding partners of dwp|metatecture, says, “It’s been a combination of hard work and dedication, across creative, design, web3 technologies and innovation all coming together this year to create dwp|metatecture. We will push the boundaries of conventional architecture and interior design, where buildings no longer have restrictions and limitations compared to virtual spaces. We want to provide our clients with the opportunity to merge the physical space into an adaptive virtual environment enabling access to global audiences, enabled through digital channels.
 
dwp|metatecture is bridging the gap between IRL (In Real Life) and the physical world through to the digital world. As our lives become more digital, so do our interactions in everyday life.

Thai Vietjet announced its performance in the first three quarters of 2022 and revealed its business strategies for the upcoming year of 2023.  
 
None of the past years has witnessed such rapid international expansion to different regional countries for Thai Vietjet. From only international cargo flights to China and Vietnam during the pandemic to almost 1st half of 2022, Thai Vietjet has been aggressively expanding its international flight network to various top destinations across the Asia-pacific region. Currently, the airline operates direct flights from Bangkok to Singapore, Fukuoka, Taipei, Phnom Penh, and many destinations in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc. Total passengers and cargo carried reached over 5 million and almost 9,000 tons, respectively.
 
Planning ahead to 2023, the airline is focusing on improving domestic flight services and international network expansion to offer further convenience to passengers and uplift its competitive advantage. 
 
“2022 has been a remarkable business year for Thai Vietjet,” said, Mr. Woranate Laprabang, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Vietjet, “We started the new year with the launch of the direct service between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, as soon as the borders between the two countries started to open, and since then have continuously and proactively expanded our wings to many destinations through the Asia-pacific region, including Singapore, Fukuoka, Taipei, as well as relaunching many destinations between Thailand and Vietnam, where we are the leader in the market.” 

• Refreshed Somerset brand features new experiences anchored in sustainable travel for multigenerational families
• Launches augmented reality campaign with over eight million ASR points to be given away

 
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment, today unveiled its refreshed hospitality brand, Somerset. A brand that champions inclusivity and sustainability, Somerset embraces harmony within individuals, with families and in the environment. This brand refresh follows Ascott’s recently announced Ascott CARES, a sustainability framework that aligns Ascott’s growth strategy with environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. The refresh of the Somerset brand serves as another milestone to mark Ascott as one of the first hospitality groups to be conferred Recognised Standard status by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
 
Ms Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s Managing Director for Brand & Marketing, said: “Sustainable travel has gained prominence in recent times as travellers become more socially conscious and aware of their environmental footprint. We are witnessing a returning trend towards family vacations and multigenerational trips, as guests look to travel as a way to reconnect post-pandemic. Against this backdrop, the Somerset brand was refreshed to meet travellers’ growing expectations for sustainability, while at the same time ensuring they can immerse themselves in a truly inclusive, harmonious experience.”
 
“As the second largest brand within our global portfolio, Somerset has been most popular amongst our guests travelling with families, because of its flexibility to cater to different travel purposes – from long-stay relocations to short-stay vacations. As travel continues to rebound, we are excited about the renewed opportunities Somerset will offer for families and eco-minded travellers. Somerset celebrates the coming together of people in an inviting, inclusive and homely environment. We hope to curate a stay where all families across generations can share happy moments, build lasting memories and create positive impact,” added Ms Tan.
 

 The Peninsula Bangkok welcomes guests and visitors to discover the stunningly intricate, traditional, and vanishing Thai lacquer-art technique of Lai Kammalor, with a special art installation by acclaimed local artist and an Associate Professor, Niroj Jarungjitvittawat through 30 December 2022.
 
The exhibited works, collectively titled SATI (a Buddhist term meaning mindfulness or consciousness) have been commissioned as part of The Peninsula Bangkok’s artist in residence programme. The programme collaborates with up and coming local artists to offer hotel guests uniquely immersive artistic experiences – in part, by hosting artists in residence like Associate Professor Niroj, who use studio and exhibit spaces on hotel premises to create work and interact with visitors.
 
Lai Kammalor, a centuries-old painting technique that dates to the Ayutthaya period of the Kingdom of Siam, employs lacquer, gold leaf, and powdered tempera to create elaborately patterned designs. These were used to adorn the doors, windows, partitions, and cabinetry in many of the country’s grandest historic palaces and temples – including Bangkok’s Grand Palace.  Associate Professor Niroj has made it his personal mission to preserve this distinctive artistic tradition through his own works, including the dozen paintings which comprise SATI, displayed on the Mezzanine Floor and artist studio at The Peninsula Bangkok.
 
“My dedication to Lai Kammalor goes beyond simply wanting to introduce this ancient Thai method to modern-day art enthusiasts, or to my students,” said Associate Professor Niroj, who teaches art at Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin. “It is my way of promoting the higher cultural values embodied in the approach – goodness, faith, truth – to viewers around the world.”
 
According to Joseph Sampermans, General Manager of The Peninsula Bangkok, the SATI exhibit offers guests the sort of deeply engaging, culturally relevant art experience that the hotel seeks to share with the artist in residence programme.
 
“Installations like Associate Professor Niroj’s fulfil an important purpose,” Mr Sampermans said. “Not only do they surround our guests with exquisitely beautiful artworks, and introduce them to local creators; they also connect our visitors with the vibrant culture of our home city, and our home country.”
 
For more information about The Peninsula Bangkok’s artist in residence programme, please visit www.peninsula.com/art. To book an Artist Studio Tour in the hotel personally guided by Associate Professor Niroj, please contact The Peninsula Bangkok at +66 2020 2888 or email: pbk@peninsula.com.

​New Ascott CARES programme aligns with the gold standard for sustainable tourism; pledges commitment to key pillars of Community, Alliance, Respect, Environment and Supply Chain

The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment, today announced the conferment of Recognised Standard by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). As a member of GSTC, Ascott is one of the first hospitality groups to be conferred this GSTC-Recognised Standard status for its adoption of the GSTC Industry Criteria. It is an affirmation of Ascott’s commitment to the gold standard for sustainable tourism. Marking this milestone, Ascott has unveiled Ascott CARES, a sustainability framework that aligns its growth strategy with environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations alongside GSTC Criteria. The expanded framework is centred around five pillars representing the acronym CARES - Community, Alliance, Respect, Environment and Supply Chain.
 
“The sustainability landscape is an ever-changing one, made more complex by the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Recognising that, we need to evolve our approach to sustainability in a more holistic and strategic manner. As both an owner and an operator, Ascott has the ability to design a strategy that integrates purposeful sustainability goals with financial objectives. We have a strong position that allows us to influence and manage properties throughout their entire real estate lifecycle, beginning from the investment stage, to design stage, right through to operations,” said Ms Beh Siew Kim, Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Lodging, CapitaLand Investment and Managing Director, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan and Korea, The Ascott Limited.
 
“The need for us to accelerate our sustainability initiatives stems from the wider crisis of climate change. The built environment is a key contributor to the climate change crisis and there is much work to be done. As a key player in the lodging industry, every stakeholder has a part to play,” added Ms Beh.
 
Having evolved from a hygiene and safety programme that was first introduced in May 2020, Ascott CARES has since been strengthened to extend the culture of care and hospitality to the community and environments within which it operates through its business and across its supply chain as part of its sustainability framework.
 
Ascott CARES is aligned with CapitaLand’s ‘Sustainability Master Plan’ pillars and will be rolled out across all of Ascott’s managed and branded properties. Alongside the new framework, Ascott
 
has also announced its supporting targets which will be progressively achieved from 2023, with target completion by 2030.
 
Driving effective implementation of the sustainability programme, Ascott has taken further steps to establish a robust sustainability governance structure that fosters cross-collaboration between regional leaders and Ascott’s Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC).
 
Co-led by Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kevin Goh, and Chief Financial & Sustainability Officer, Ms Beh Siew Kim, Ascott’s SLC exercises oversight of sustainability and climate risks, and determines the strategy and goals for the company. These strategies are driven by the Corporate Sustainability team, in collaboration with regional and property leaders who facilitate the execution of programmes within the local market.
 
“Responsible stewardship is key to corporate governance, and a sound governance structure will ensure we remain focused in our efforts. Sustainability has been a key priority for all our stakeholders and will continue to play an integral part in our business and growth strategy,” said Ms Beh.
 
Full details on Ascott CARES can be found in the attached appendix. For more information, please visit discoverasr.com/ascott-cares
 

AnyMind Group, an end-to-end commerce enablement company, has today announced the launch of an analytics module and integrated its platforms for logistics management (AnyLogi) and conversational commerce (AnyChat) to its e-commerce management platform AnyX, enabling AnyX users to access detailed analytics into multichannel e-commerce operations, manage and track logistics operations, and perform customer engagement through a single platform. Both AnyLogi and AnyChat are still available separately to customers.
 
The company has also added several site analytics and advertising integrations, providing platform users with the ability to plug in data from Google Analytics, Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, and Facebook Ads for Shopify web stores.
 
The above seeks to help online merchants better navigate e-commerce where store management, marketing, logistics, and customer support can be done out of a single platform instead of across a multitude of disparate sources and apps.
 
The company looks to help enterprises better manage the growing complexity of online commerce, accelerating a world where business is done through a single platform, is borderless and open, and data can be utilized and maximized freely across business functions, enabling higher levels of growth.

Takieng – Phuket’s ultimate Thai restaurant at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa recently announced its continued success with two prestigious dining awards includes 2022 Phuket’s Top 25 Restaurants and 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Award Winner for Top Everyday Eats – Thailand.
Takieng means ‘Lantern’ in Thai, referring to the local fishermen’s daily routine of taking the long-tail boat with their fishing nets and lanterns to catch fish at night to avoid the heat from the day’s sun.
The restaurant serves classic Thai and Phuket’s favorite dishes with premium locally sourced ingredients that are hard to find elsewhere. Some of which are hyper-locally sourced, such as Mole Crab or Sand Crab that only live on Mai Khao beach and leaves that grow in Mai Khao.
Chef Tanasub Trisub or 'Chef Tham' – the head chef at Takieng has over 30 years of culinary experience, with a specialty in crafting local Thai and Southern Thai cuisine. Originally from the south of Thailand, Chef Tham’s dishes are inspired by family’s home cooking recipes and the aplenty of local ingredients available in the south of Thailand. Favorites on the menu are Pla Kapong Mieng Kham -- crispy deep-fried whole Sea Bass accompanied by Mieng Kham sauce, Chu Chee Ped Krob -- a rich red curry sauce with golden-fried locally farmed duck, and Jakkajun Thalay Thod -- deep-fried locally sourced Mole Crab served with sweet chili sauce.
In the heavily competitive market like Phuket and the time of changing diner priorities, Takieng exceeded expectations and has been lauded as one of diners’ favorites, proved by two prestigious dining awards this year. This is the second consecutive year that Takieng has been named Phuket’s Top 25 Restaurants, ranking No. 12 out of 25. Furthermore, the restaurant is also recognized by TripAdvisor again as a 2022 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best award winner for Top Everyday Eats – Thailand, ranking No. 6 out of 10 leading restaurants nationwide.
Takieng restaurant opens daily for lunch and dinner, from 12PM – 11PM. For more information and reservation, visit www.renaissancephuket.com or call +66 76 363 999.
Phuket’s Top 25 Restaurants award is founded by Travelindex in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Travel & Tourism Foundation. It is celebrating exquisite dining in each city highlighting the culinary diversity, as well as new trends and chefs supporting local community products.
Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best award is TripAdvisor’s highest recognition and is presented annually to those businesses that are the Best of the Best on TripAdvisor, those that earn excellent reviews from travelers and are ranked in the top 1% of all properties or restaurants worldwide.

Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, the landmark hotel in the heart of Thailand’s capital city, is celebrating after it won a trio of prestigious titles at the 2022 World Luxury Hotel and Restaurant Awards.
 
The pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry, the World Luxury Awards are voted for by guests, travelers and industry players alike. Over 300,000 international travelers vote each year, so the winners can truly be considered the best in their class.
 
In the 2022 awards, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park won the “Luxury Conference & Event Hotel – Country Winner” award in the World Luxury Hotel Award. This reflects the quality of its conference and banqueting space, which spans more than 30 flexible and fully connected function spaces and over 5,000 square metres of floorspace. These are complemented by exquisite alfresco venues, state-of-the-art audio-visual technology and professional catering and planning services, creating unsurpassed options for every size and style of event, from large-scale conferences to one-of-a-kind weddings.
 
Also in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2022, Goji Kitchen + Bar, the international culinary marketplace at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, won the “Gourmet-style Buffet – Country Winner” award. With its bountiful breakfasts, themed buffets and fantastic family brunches featuring fresh seafood, Parilla-grilled meats, global delicacies and much more, this is one of Sukhumvit’s most vibrant gastronomic venues.
 
Finally, Sirimahannop, the reimagined Thai tall ship on the Chao Phraya River, took home the “Outstanding Architecture – Country Winner” award in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards 2022. Having recently celebrated its second anniversary, this unique waterside destination has become an iconic landmark on Bangkok’s “River of Kings” and delights local residents and international visitors alike with its creative cuisine and dramatic design.
 
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park would like to thank everyone who voted! For more information, please call +66 (0) 2 059 5555 or connect us via these channels:
 
Website:                                   www.bangkokmarriottmarquis.com
Facebook:                                https://www.facebook.com/bangkokmarriottmarquis  
Instagram:                                 @Marriottmarquisbkk
 
Website:                                   www.gojikitchenbangkok.com
Facebook:                                https://www.facebook.com/GojiKitchenAndBar/
Instagram:                                @gojikitchenbar
 
Website:                                   www.sirimahannop.com
Facebook:                                https://www.facebook.com/sirimahannop/
Instagram:                                @sirimahannop