THE WEEK AHEAD
MONDAY
Spare a thoughtful moment today for the two Thai victims of the 9/11 attacks on America, 16 years ago. The family of Orasri Liangthanasan will go to a wat this morning to remember her, as they do each year, and then to their private meditation house in Lampang to pray and make merit. The family of Saranya Srinuan will also remember.
You can’t beat the irony of the Thai government meeting with the Mara Patani separatists today in the latest round of talks aiming ultimately at ending terrorist attacks in the deep South.
The country’s original tech imaginers, Nectec, hold a one-day conference and exhibition today at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Anyone interested in what’s on the horizon should be interested. Thailand Innovation and Design Expo 2017 will open Thursday for a fourday run at the same venue.
TUESDAY
Khao San Road vendors are going to move from the pavements onto the actual street today. This is City Hall’s latest offensive in the War on Street Food, but giving the sidewalks back to pedestrians by taking the road away from drivers is a new wrinkle.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Government House servants will squeeze in reps of 500 Japanese firms looking for investment opportunities, a good time in Bangkok on the expense account, or both. Tokyo’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment set it up. The biggest event in the entire history of telecommunications begins tonight in the US when Apple shows the first telephone ever, the iPhone 8, to sell for more than $1,000, or 35,000 baht in real money.
WEDNESDAY
The all-male national strategy committee must submit plans and criteria for reforms to the PM today.
Some 700 exhibitors open the 22nd Food Ingredients Asia including Food Beverage Thailand today (ends Friday) at Bitec Bang Na. Dutch Treat tonight at Seasonal Tastes restaurant, Westin Grande Sukhumvit, when Holland’s celebrity chef Albert Kooy shows off and sells his country’s top dishes.
A Russian cosmonaut and two US astronauts are to blast off today from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, to the International Space Station.
President Jean-Claude Juncker will give the annual presidential State of the Union speech to the European Parliament this evening.
THURSDAY
The third annual RetailEx Asean is already the region’s largest conference and exhibition for retail stores, businesses and e-commerce. It opens today for three days at Impact Muang Thong. The Jutanugarn sisters and other top women golfers are playing this weekend at the important $3.65 million Evian Championship at Evian-les-Bains, France — 120.7 million baht in real money. The IAA Frankfurt Motor Show begins today and runs until Sept 24.
In Spain, the five-day Madrid Fashion “Week” begins this evening. Tomorrow, the four-day London Fashion “Week” begins.
FRIDAY
It’s the last day of testing for the eye-clotting new buses. The brightly coloured vehicles and their weirdly named routes were incredibly unpopular when introduced last month, but the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority probably doesn’t care. The Halal Science Center of Chulalongkorn University, Chiang Mai, will open its nine-day Unseen Lanna 2017 today at the Chiang Mai International Conference Centre, featuring 60 booths about the North’s best halal products.
It is the International Day of Democracy. Thailand’s participation is questionable. The name is unwieldy but the 10th Power Buy Mega Power Home Appliance Expo is a bargain-hunter’s paradise for electronics and appliances. It opens today and will run through next Sunday at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Attention wrinkled people. Ringo Starr will release a solo album this evening.
SATURDAY
Do you prefer juice or soda? Either way, dig deeper because new excise taxes on
all drinks with sugar begin today and if you think vendors are going to absorb that penalty, we have several bridges you probably will also want to buy. Thailand host Group G round-robin of the AFC Under-16 boys’ tournament beginning today at Rajamangala Stadium. The Thai team first play the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday at 7.30pm. Winners and five best runners-up qualify for the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship in Malaysia next September.
Crystal Palace and Southampton kick off the Premier League weekend at 6.30pm. Liverpool host Burnley and Watford play Man City at 9pm, with Spurs against Swansea at 11.30. Two superior matches tomorrow: Chelsea-Arsenal at 7.30pm and Man United-Everton at 10.