Thai turns 50

Thai Airways International celebrated its 50th anniversary at the poolside of Dusit Thani Hotel. Dusit Thani’s GM Prateek Kumar and the hotel’s PR manager Danelle Palang transformed the pool area into a Thai village with candles, fairy lights and lantern torches. Over 300 guests were greeted with the airline’s signature orchid before the traditional Thai welcome ceremony that featured a huge 50th anniversary logo carved out of a block of ice.

Various Thai canapés and appetizers were passed around as guests were serenaded with traditional Thai kim background music before the program began. Chef Tun of Benjarong, the hotel’s Thai restaurant, prepared chicken wrapped in pandan leaf, padthai noodles, catfish salad, prawn cakes, larb gai, stir fried beef with oyster sauce, mango with sticky rice and Thai tako. Other Thai desserts such as luk chup, tong yip, tong yod, foi tong and kanom chan by Thai Airways’ very own in-flight catering in Bangkok were flown in for this special occasion.

Aside from soft drinks and traditional Thai drinks like pandan water and lemongrass tea, guests enjoyed free flowing alcohol and wine from the open bar provided by Ralph Joseph of Philippine Wine Merchants and Haagen Dazs ice cream from Ruth Co.

Hosts for the evening Tessa Valdes and Tim Yap livened the program with their fashionable attires in purple (the corporate color of Thai Airways) and gold (marking the golden jubilee) before presenting an extravaganza of Thai cultural show by the 25 performers from Sbun-nga cultural dance group flown in from Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

A VDO titled Thai Smiles was presented to officially mark the airline’s 50th anniversary. Thai Airways GM Nivat Chantarachoti mentioned in his welcome speech that one of the secrets of reaching this milestone which sets Thai Airways apart from other airlines is the “Thai touch.” He said, “The touches of Thai represent the ‘Thai-ness’ on-board each and every flight. It is the combination of traditional standards of hospitality, recognized through our friendly and caring staff members, in-flight dining, personalized entertainment and air safety above all. The result is a unique, luxurious and impressive experience that sets us apart from other carriers out there.” 

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Thai Airways also presented its “Top Ten Travel Agents” awards and gave away 50 raffle prizes including meal vouchers, accommodations, tour packages and air tickets to various destinations courtesy of Dusit Thani Hotel, The Foreign Post and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Guests were each given a crystal token engraved with the airline’s 50th anniversary logo. Congratulations to Thai Airways and many more years of success to come!

The heat is still on

Ayala Malls’ TriNoma, a premier lifestyle and shopping destination, celebrated the summer season with a hot fashion presentation and a sizzling party in partnership with Big Fish. The night showcased TriNoma’s homegrown labels and world-renowned brands. Nautical stripes and preppy ensembles dominated the collections of Lacoste and Topshop; for Liz Claiborne, burst of colors in simple styles are key; while summer officewear is the statement of Kenneth Cole New York. Gap showed staple and iconic denims in lighter and more relaxed cuts. Flower power is the theme for Dorothy Perkins; whereas layering of prints and colors is the look of Topman. For Springfield, it’s simple summer outfits. Crisp and clean are definitely the best styles one should have this time of the year and Calvin Klein Jeans gave nothing less.

Republ1c once again proved that skurban lifestyle is still part of fashion today. Speedo featured its swimwear line while local brands Crossings, Nothing But H2O and G-Force also presented swimsuits, board shorts and other resort wear. And probably one if not the most essential item this season is the ever reliable slip-ons from everyone’s favorite, All Flip-Flops (Havaianas).

Feeling the breeze of the night and making the affair even more exciting, guests gathered to dance the night away with an after-party by Big Fish and the sounds of DJ John Boy Lee.