Thai Creative Awards Honors Six Unique Products

Qualy Thailand Creative Design Awards 2011

The Thailand Creative Awards, initiated by the Office of Knowlege Management and Development or OKMD, now in their second year, are given in two categories of crafts and design, with three awards in each category. Criteria include creativity and functionality, business potenial, social benefit and envionmental responsibility.  Each winner receives a trophy of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhom, a certificate and Bt100,000 in cash.

 Two years ago Emsophian Benjametha returned home to set up his own ceramic factory called Benjametha. His ceramics represent his origins.  One set features the Arabic alphabet while another is inspired by the charateristic shape of the Kolae fishing boat with its narrow bow and stern in unique colors.  

Thosaphol Suppametheekulwat, the winner of several overseas awards, among them the Form Award from Germany and  G Mark's Good Design award from Japan, has finally made his mark at home.  His totally unique and funky kitchenware and household items under the Qualy Brand, come with playful gimmicks and a real sense of fun and whimsy but they are very functional, as well.

 Trimode Studio, Trimode Accessories focuses on fashion accessories and quirky jewelry pieces.

 Young entrepreneur Pimchanok Palangkul has created her own brand of Chinese white tea called Balankura's No. 57 and it has become quickly famous on the world market.

 Saran Youkongdee, designing under the brand Sarran, has created a banana fibre paper that can be cut into interlocking pieces like a jigsaw puzzle and then re-assembled into any form, like a partition or a tablecloth.  The fibre is toxin-free, resistant to moisture, stronger than cotton fibre and can help reduce odors.

 Apirat Boonruangthaworn of Plus-Sense Company receives his award for turning "junk" from an aluminum factory into very eye-catching outdoor furniture.  

The winning designs, including a dining table made from discarded wood by architect Singh Intrachooto of Osisu and 14 other outstanding submitted works, are now on display at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre until March the 4th.

>> The Centre is on the sixth floor of the Emporium mall. It's open daily except Monday from 10.30am to 9pm. Call (02) 664 8448, extension 2134 and visit www.TCDC.or.th.

The original article published in The Nation can be viewed at:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Talented-by-design-30176676.html