News and Event

Each September, Mexico commemorates the anniversary of its independence. September 16th is the most important national celebration in the country, and on the night of September 15th, takes place a ceremony we call “The Cry of Independence” (El Grito de Independencia). 

The Cry of Independence, which took place close to the midnight on September 15th 1810, is one of the most important events in the history of our country, as it marks the beginning of the fight for Mexico to become an independent nation. 

The war of independence began when the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla incited the town of Dolores to rise up in arms against the colonial rule, by summoning the townsfolk by ringing the bells of his parish and eloquently shouting the reasons why they all had to take up arms to fight for Mexico to become an independent country. That is why this historical event is known as “El Grito”.

To commemorate this important moment in our history, each year there is a ceremony led by the President of Mexico at the Zocalo (Main Square) in Mexico City. During the ceremony, the President reenacts the call made by Miguel Hidalgo, and rings a bell from the National Palace, while waving the Mexican flag and shouts the names of the most important heroes of the independence movement.

While the president mentions the name of each of hero, the people gathered at the Zocalo reply by enthusiastically shouting Viva!, Viva!, an expression that represents respect and admiration for the national heroes. At the end, it is customary to shout three times “Viva México!” as a symbol of hope for a better and more prosperous future, for the country and its people. 

While the main ceremony of “The Cry of Independence” is led by the president in Mexico City, similar ceremonies take place in every city, town and village in the country, and even at the Embassies and Consulates of Mexico overseas, where the Ambassadors and Consuls carry out “El Grito”, in honour of those who gave their life for the independence of our country. 

This year, Mexico commemorates the 212th anniversary of the start of its independence movement.

 Independence allows the states to exercise their sovereignty to make decisions to build their own future, to decide how to better advance their development and the wellbeing and security of their population. Independent countries establish ties of friendship with other nations to assert their presence in the international arena. 

In accordance to that practice, Mexico and Thailand formalised their long ties of friendship by establishing diplomatic relations on August 28th, 1975. Thus, this year marks the 47th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Thailand, two countries whose ties of friendship have become closer and stronger through cultural, commercial and cooperation exchanges. Mexico recognises in Thailand an important friend and partner both bilaterally and regionally. 

Furthermore, in 2022 Thailand hosts APEC, a regional economic forum that brings together 21 economies from the Asia-Pacific region, where both our countries converge, providing the opportunity to join efforts to work together in projects of common interest. Enhancing and enriching our bonds of friendship for the prosperity and wellbeing of both our peoples.

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a “moment of great sadness” for him and his family and that her loss would be “deeply felt” around the world.

He said: “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.

“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

During the coming period of mourning, he said he and his family would be “comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held”.

The King and his wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort, will return to London on Friday, Buckingham Palace said. He is expected to address the nation on Friday.

Senior royals had gathered at Balmoral after the Queen’s doctors became concerned about her health earlier in the day.

All the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

Her grandson and now heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, also gathered there.

• Obituary: A long life marked by a sense of duty
• Moment her death was announced on the BBC
• Politicians pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
• King Charles III, the new monarch

Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was appointed by the Queen on Tuesday, said the monarch was the rock on which modern Britain was built, who had “provided us with the stability and strength that we needed”.

Speaking about the new King, she said: “We offer him our loyalty and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much, to so many, for so long.

“And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country, exactly as Her Majesty would have wished, by saying the words ‘God save the King’.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - spiritual leader to the Church of England of which the monarch is supreme governor - expressed his “profound sadness”.

He said his “prayers are with the King and the Royal Family”.

Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into - and withdrawal from - the European Union.

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Ms Truss, born 101 years later in 1975.

She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.

At Buckingham Palace in London, crowds awaiting updates on the Queen’s condition began crying as they heard of her death.

The union flag on top of the palace was lowered to half-mast at 18:30 BST and an official notice announcing the death was posted outside.

On the Queen’s death, Prince William and his wife, Catherine, became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.

The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.

Few could have foreseen she would become monarch but in December 1936 her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne to marry the twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson.

Elizabeth’s father became King George VI and, at age 10, Lilibet, as she was known in the family, became heir to the throne.

Within three years, Britain was at war with Nazi Germany. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, spent much of wartime at Windsor Castle after their parents rejected suggestions they be evacuated to Canada.

After turning 18, Elizabeth spent five months with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and learned basic motor mechanic and driving skills. “I began to understand the esprit de corps that flourishes in the face of adversity,” she recalled later.

Through the war, she exchanged letters with her third cousin, Philip, Prince of Greece, who was serving in the Royal Navy. Their romance blossomed and the couple married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947, with the prince taking the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

She would later describe him as “my strength and stay” through 74 years of marriage, before his death in 2021, aged 99.

Their first son, Charles, was born in 1948, followed by Princess Anne, in 1950, Prince Andrew, in 1960, and Prince Edward, in 1964. Between them, they gave their parents eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya in 1952, representing the ailing King, when Philip broke the news that her father had died. She immediately returned to London as the new Queen.

“It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can,” she later recalled.

Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, aged 27, in front of a then-record TV audience estimated at more than 20 million people.

Subsequent decades would see great change, with the end of the British Empire overseas and the Swinging ’60s sweeping away social norms at home.

Elizabeth reformed the monarchy for this less deferential age, engaging with the public through walkabouts, royal visits and attendance at public events.

Her commitment to the Commonwealth was a constant - she visited every Commonwealth country at least once.

But there were periods of private and public pain.

In 1992, the Queen’s “annus horribilis”, fire devastated Windsor Castle - a private residence as well as working palace - and three of her children’s marriages broke down.

After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen drew criticism for appearing reluctant to respond publicly.

There were questions about the monarchy’s relevance in modern society.

“No institution… should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t,” she acknowledged.

Message by HE Mr Jose Borges dos Santos Junior 

the Brazilian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand

2022 is a very important year for Brazilians, as it marks the 200 years of Brazil’s independence, and the beginning of our journey as a nation.

Every year Brazilians proudly celebrate, all around Brazil and abroad, our National Day. It is a celebration of our national character and culture, as well as of our artistic, scientific, and technological achievements and singularities.

One of these singularities is the way Brazil became an independent nation. Brazil’s independence was proclaimed by the representative of the colonial power and mother country, Crown Prince Dom Pedro de Alcantara, known in Brazil as Pedro I, who established the only national and constitutional monarchy in the Americas, and who would accede to the throne of Portugal a decade later. Brazil was, as a consequence, a monarchy for the first 67 years of its existence.

Well known for its football, carnival, and coffee production, Brazil is in fact a vigorous nation of people devoted to building a strong democracy, and which shows a cultural and ethnical diversity rarely seen elsewhere. Besides being the world’s fifth largest country by area and the seventh most populous, it is also one of the 10 largest world economies.

On 17 April 2022, Brazil and Thailand celebrated the 63th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations.

Along all these years, the two countries have developed bonds and enjoyed cordial relations, which are clearly reflected in the growth of their bilateral cooperation in a broad spectrum of areas, but specially in trade and investment.

In 2021, trade between the two countries reached more than USD 5 billion: USD 3.38 billion in goods were exported to Thailand, and imports were valued at USD 1.96 billion. The bilateral trade in 2022 should easily surpass these marks.

In 1993, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, then Crown Prince of Thailand, paid an official visit to Brazil. Since 1959, four Thai Prime Ministers have also visited Brazil.

I wish to challenge the Thai people to be curious and get to know Brazil a little better. I can guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised, not only by the country’s diversity and cultural richness, but also by finding out that our two countries share similarities, in family values and joie de vivre, among many others.

On this auspicious occasion, I wish to express, on behalf of my government and people, the entire team of the Embassy of Brazil, and the hardworking Brazilian community in Thailand, our deepest gratitude to the Thai people for their hospitality and friendship. I also wish to take this opportunity to convey our best wishes for the health, happiness and prosperity of His Majesty the King and of the people of Thailand.

Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) Thailand signed the MOU to appoint WRS Group to manage the world class privileges of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) in order to match the premium lifestyle and travel for both domestic and international travels of APEC businesspeople.

Mr Jakkapan Rattanapet, Founder and CEO of WRS Group, recently joined the MOU ceremony with JSCCIB’s representatives, Mr Payong Srivanich, the President of JSCCIB and the President of Thai Bankers’ Association, Mr Sanan Aungubonkul, the President of The Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand, and Mr Kriengkrai Thiennukul, the President of The Federation of Thai Industries, for the appointment of WRS Group to solely manage the premium privileges and benefits for APEC Business Travel Card holders at the Montien Hotel, Surawong Bangkok.

Mr Jakkapan Rattanapet, CEO of WRS Group, revealed that WRS Group was genuinely honoured and glad to be appointed by JSCCIB as Thailand’s leading luxury lifestyle services provider and privileges sourcing and managing company for more than 15 years. WRS Group has four businesses under its wings: World Reward Solution, a world class privilege sourcing and composing services for corporations. Next, WRX, an online platform development services, applications and technologies, and White Glove Delivery and Services, premium lands logistic services such as global and domestic limousine services and premium gift delivery services. And lastly, Silver Voyage Club is a concierge and luxury lifestyle services management for affluent clients. WRS Group has well rounded experiences in taking care of high-net-worth individuals and corporations in Thailand and Asia.

“WRS Group is ready and on its full capacity to bring its expertise and technology to develop and connect alliances nationally and internationally to provide seamless convenience in terms of travel and lifestyle to business travellers in this year in which Thailand hosts the APEC 2022. We realise the goal to develop and revive the travel and tourism sector, and we are confident that we, together, can very well take care of business travellers who hold the APEC Business Travel card, which also contains a “Business Visa” for smooth travelling. This initiative will definitely and wholely create a great impression towards Thailand.” Said Mr Jakkapan Rattanapet.

Mr Payong Srivanich, the President of JSCCIB and the President of the Thai Bankers’ Association, mentioned that WRS Group was selected since it has a long term specialty in luxury lifestyle services and premium privileges management. APEC Business Travel Card holders will enjoy most of the privileges apart from travelling smoothly since the card includes a “Business Visa” that allows holders to travel between 19 APEC economies easily. The 19 APEC economies include Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Mexico and Russia. In addition, the holders will be privileged to prioritised through the ‘APEC Lane’ at the immigration of participated international airports.

Mr Sanan Aungubonkul, the President of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand, said that this moment is crucial to collaborate and revive the Thai economy together. Therefore, having an expert and an experienced company such as WRS Group to take care of premium privileges and benefits for APEC Business Travel Card holders will help reassure worldwide business travellers to travel to Thailand, especially this year when Thailand hosts the APEC 2022. “We need to select the best for Thailand to promote what we can offer to global citizens,” said Mr Sanan Aungubonkul.

Mr Kriengkrai Thiennukul, the President of The Federation of Thai Industries, mentioned that “as a representative of Thai industries, I work closely with both the private sector and government for both nationally and internationally matters. I also need to take care of improvement and strategies to support the development of industries and the country’s overall economy. I am delighted that WRS Group helps us to put all their efforts into handling premium privileges and benefits for all APEC Business Travel Card holders as this will also help to enhance our country’s image to the world”.

For this occasion, WRS Group has joined hands with seven business alliances domestically and internationally to create world class premium privileges and benefits for APEC Business Travel Card holders. They are BDMS Hospital Network, The Coral Executive Lounge, Dusit Thani Hotels and Resorts Group, High Flyer Asia, Minor Hotel Group, Siam Piwat Company, and Silver Voyage Club.

All details of the new version of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) with the best world class privileges throughout the membership life, information on membership tiers and all privileges will be revealed in APEC CEO Summit 2022 on November 16 - 19.

฿3,000,000

Huai Rat, Buriram

Calling all investors and developers and enthusiastic handymen!

This four bedrooms detached property is offered for sale at half the real value when renovated which leaves scope for
getting into the higher end of the property market at low initial investment.
The property has been extended and boasts outbuildings and a good size garden.

The property has unlimited scope for further development and renovation and must be viewed!

Specifications:
The house has two main buildings, a 121smt Bungalow which consists of  2 bedrooms/living rooms, kitchen, and outside kitchen, this is to the right of the main house, this section is unaffected by structural damage.   The main house has 2 bedroom 1  ensuite, 2 kitchens, and a spacious living area, it is the rear section of the living room and kitchen which is in need of structural work.

The land area is to be issued with a new Chanote which will give a true and accurate size in rai, but the estimate is 1.6 rai.

Summary: The house was constructed approximately 9 years ago. The original structure was built to western standards overseen by a western building company. This was the main structure at the foreground of the footprint of the house. Later a rear extension was added and built by a local Thai builder, this is where the main problem is, and it suffers from cracks caused mostly by soil settlement. The house is approximately 270sqm, the rear extension which is affected and in need renovation is approximately 45 sqm.

The house has not been lived in by the owner for 5 years and the Thai family have been living there and have not maintained the house so the house is suffering from lack of basic maintenance. plus it will need some renovation.

Israel is world renowned as being the “start-up nation” and is the world leader for number of start-ups per capita - with 2,000 startups founded in the past decade, another 3,000 small and medium-sized startup and high-tech companies.

The book “Thou Shalt Innovate” by Avi Jorisch, profiles wondrous Israeli innovations that are collectively changing the lives of billions of people around the world and explores why Israeli innovators of all faiths feel compelled to make the world better. This is the story of how Israelis are helping to feed the hungry, cure the sick, protect the defenseless, and make the desert bloom. Israel is playing a disproportionate role in helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges by tapping into the nation’s soul: the spirit of tikkun olam – the Jewish concept of repairing the world. The Israeli author recently visited Bangkok and Expat Life was fortunate to sit down with the seasoned entrepreneur to learn about Israel as a hub of innovation and the aspirations in writing this book.

How innovative do you see Israel as a nation?

Israel has achieved remarkable, exponential growth over the last 72 years, and that is a testament to the country’s grit, determination and chutzpah. Entire industries and countries are looking to Israel to help them solve their challenges: Israel has over 300 research and development centers owned by multinational companies in various fields, including Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Intel and Microsoft. China, India and the United States now look to Israel to help solve their emerging water needs. Universities around the world are forging strong partnerships and creating joint innovation centres with Israel’s best and brightest institutions so as to work together in fields including engineering, biology, physics and chemistry. The country is a beacon of hope, and its citizens are ready to help solve local and global challenges.

Israel does not have a monopoly on good ideas or proper execution. All countries, including Thailand, would benefit from tapping into their own cultures in order to apply their own lessons to the industries and professions they have excelled in for centuries.

Why do you think Israel is the hub of innovation?

My book reveals the underlying secrets of how Israel has managed to produce more startups than Canada, India, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom combined. And the reasons why Israel has the largest number of companies listed on the NASDAQ exchange, with the exception of the US and China. Despite the fact that 60% of Israel is a desert, it is the world’s only self-declared water superpower. Israel’s innovative success stems from a number of factors, including benefiting from a religious culture that encourages questioning and challenging authority, and defying the obvious. The country embraces its ethnic, political and religious diversity, and has a culture that strongly values secular institutions. This concept of tikkun olam (a Hebrew term that means “repair of the world”) has helped to shape the pursuit of a greater purpose in Jewish culture.

What do you hope to achieve with the writing of the book “Thou Shall Innovate”?

I was born into a family of Holocaust survivors and raised primarily in New York City. But I also lived in Israel for long stretches of my childhood, through my teenage years and into adulthood, because of my family’s cultural, historical, and religious ties there. My interest in Israeli technology was kindled during the summer of 2014, when my family and I lived through Operation Protective Edge, in large part going in and out of bomb shelters. My family, like the rest of Israel, found comfort in the Iron Dome. I marvelled at this invention. It kept Israel from descending into the chaos and carnage that was engulfing the rest of the Middle East.

Like many others, I was aware of Israel’s incredible record of innovation. But what I hadn’t realised was the extent to which Israel’s innovative spirit was having an impact far beyond Israel, addressing some of the world’s most pressing social problems. It quickly became clear to me that Israel was much more than the start-up nation. I felt compelled to write this book in order to share these stories with people around the world – I hope readers will be inspired to take action in order to positively improve the world around us, and view Israel is a different light.

What are your criteria in selecting which innovations to present in the book? Do you find it difficult during the selection process?

In my book I focus on 15 examples of Israeli innovations that are impacting billions of people, and I also list another 50 in the back of the book to round out the picture. It was incredibly challenging to choose only 15 innovations – there were so many to choose from. Each of the innovations I chose had to: 1) be extraordinarily innovative; 2) have already had an outsized impact on making the world a better place, and in particular play an important role in curing the sick, feeding the hungry and helping the needy; and 3) inspired me deep in my core as a human.

You are the author of five books on different topics, in your latest book, you mention that Israel is playing a disproportionate role in helping solve some of the world’s biggest challenges by tapping into the nation’s soul: the spirit of “tikkun olam” – the Jewish concept of repairing the world. Can you explain in more details?

Israel’s desire to repair the world is part of a host of Jewish values. Since the Middle Ages and possibly before, Jews have recited the aleinu prayer three times a day, which instructs us to repair the world. Pirkei Avot, or Chapters of the Fathers, a collection of ethical teachings compiled by rabbis around the second and third centuries CE, encourages people to help others. Israel’s founding fathers, chief among them David Ben-Gurion, the country’s first prime minister, were inspired by these religious teachings. Today, that idea is taught in schools and is woven into the fabric of Israeli society, affecting everyone from Yemeni Jews who have returned to their ancestral homeland to Christians from Nazareth or Muslims from the Golan Heights.

In the last 70 years, Israel has sent international aid missions around the world, to Africa, Armenia, Argentina, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Rwanda, Turkey and more. The reasons for these missions have varied, with some pragmatic and others idealistic. But the desire for tikkun olam, repairing the world, and bringing more light into the world informs them all. Many of Israel’s founders experienced the horrors of the pogroms and the Holocaust, and as Israeli parliamentarian Isaac Herzog put it, because Jews felt the “world’s silence” during the Holocaust, they “cannot remain indifferent.”

Israelis of all faiths see it as their duty to improve the lives of other people across the globe. The country is not just a “startup nation,” but a place where people of all religions and ethnicities—even as the surrounding region undergoes a seemingly intractable war—strive to make the world a better place for everyone.

Thailand is a developing country in SE Asia, can the successful Israeli startups as a practical model to follow or become a purely theoretical source of inspiration?

We are living in exciting and tumultuous times. I hope that readers will be inspired by the Thai language version of Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World. This book not only includes heartwarming stories that underscore the ancient roots of Israel’s innovative spirit, but also shows that we are all capable of making the world a better place on both a small and a massive scale. This book strives to provide a blueprint so that entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers and government officials can understand both the DNA of innovation and how to put it into practice. The technologies featured in this book are proof positive that we can leverage humanity’s greatest assets to improve the lives of billions of people: we can feed the hungry, we can cure the sick, and yes, we can help the needy.

The ideas covered in Thou Shalt Innovate will enable Thai entrepreneurs to open their minds to endless possibilities to help solve some of the most pressing issues our country faces today. Each of the innovations in this book could immediately improve the lives of a great many Thai, and I deeply hope it will inspire readers to drive social change in Thailand and globally.

Any further comments you like to tell our expat and local readers in Thailand?

I am really interested in how technology can play a role in curing the sick, feeding the hungry and helping the needy. In my next book, which will come out in a few months, I write to about a ‘history of the future,’ forthcoming trends, coupled with the personal stories of innovators from around the world that are moving the dial on problems impacting all of humanity. I do a deep dive on grand global challenges and provide one innovation or venture that is impacting a billion people. My hope is that this type of book will give readers around the world, including Thailand, hope that with enough creativity and determination humanity can solve massive challenges . “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it,” said Albert Einstein.