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Tatul Manassarian Ambassador
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree today, appointing Tatul Manassarian Ambassador of Armenia to the Kingdom of Thailand, the President’s press office reported.
According to the presidential decree, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia in the People’s Republic of China Sergey Manassarian (residence -Beijing) is appointed non -resident Ambassador of Armenia to the Kingdom of Thailand.
Artinian Jewellery
By KUPLUTHAI PUNGKANON
THE NATION
ARTINIAN, the fine jewellery house from Armenia, has been relying on the exquisite craftsmanship of Thai artisans for more than two decades. Last month it celebrated their skills as well as the first anniversary of its opulent boutique, Maison Artinian at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok in style with a press lunch and an afternoon tea at the hotel’s Joseph Conrad terrace.
The event highlighted the story behind its “Carats and Canvas” concept, which brings together Arto Artinian of Artinian and Satoro brands and Bangkok-based Danish artist Elizabeth Romhild and also featured a show of exquisite diamond jewellery sets complemented by Romhild’s original art.
At Maison Artinian, artists muse and collaborate on collections, offering a beautiful selection much admired by customers with socially engaged, urban lifestyles.
President and founder Artinian is proud of the company’s success, crediting his staff of Thai artisans for the aesthetic creations that intrigue with their sophistication, heritage and sparkle.
“Artinian has been in Thailand for 22 years. As a manufacturer, we didn’t want to sell products under our own name until we had our own collection. Today, we offer a range of precious pieces including a choker and luxury earrings set featuring pear-cut yellow diamonds of 49.87 karats. The “Oriental Moonlight” collection, which was inspired by the colour of the night sky and twinkling stars, combines blue sapphires of 165.28 karats and diamonds of 160.96 karats.
Artinian’s sister brand, Satoro, which gets it name from Arto and his brother, Saro, the co-founder and design development director, offers more easy-going, contemporary designs while maintaining the level of craftsmanship.
Sartoro showed off its designs at the event, highlighting the Peacock collection featuring a long necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet made from pink and white gold, blue sapphire, emerald, tanzanite, turquoise and Akoya pearls.
The Plume line boasts a Marquise design in neoclassic style and is a perfect mix between artistic haute couture and modern design while the “Riviere” collection is a set of jewellery with Marquise cut diamonds and blue sapphire. Gaia celebrates the return of Renaissance art with a classic design and the Happy collection has a simple yet stylish look that can be worn for occasion.
“As I have said before, Thailand is home to highly skilled artisans and that was one of the reasons we came here. Jewellery is interesting in that it is still made by hand. 3D printing might have made jewellery industry more technologically advanced but the human touch is very important. At Artinian, we use high-end technology for high volume production where the client wants a specific look. We are also very particular about the type of diamonds we buy and focus on the purity of stones,” he says.
Arto Artinian is the Honorary Consul of Armenia to Thailand.
BANGKOK, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) — Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday that he has ordered authorities to investigate into allegations that four Islamic schools in the Deep South region of the country had been linked with a Turkish terrorist movement.
His comments followed news reports that the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok had announced on its website to not ratify any educational certificates from the four Islamic schools in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces for their alleged connections with Fethullah Gulen movement.
He said the authorities in charge of security affairs have been instructed to see whether the Islamic schools, namely Pan-Asia International School, Chindamanee School, Siriwat Wittaya School and Wichai Wittaya School, might possibly have been connected with Fethullah Gulen group.
He declined to comment whether or not the Turkish terrorist group might possibly have been involved in a series of last month’s bombings in several southern Thai provinces, which claimed several deaths and injuries.
Those blasted spots included famous seaside resorts such as Phuket and Hua Hin which geographically lie a long way north of the turbulent Deep South region.
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-09/16/c_135691290.htm
blast in central Bangkok on Aug. 18. (Photo: Reuters)
Thai police said on Thursday they were looking at arrivals of Turkish nationals in the days before a Bangkok bomb attack that killed 20 people, but authorities in Turkey said they had received no request for assistance with the investigation.
Police in Thailand and some security analysts have raised the possibility of a connection in the Aug. 17 blast to the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur minority from the far west of China, who complain of Chinese government persecution.
The blast at the Hindu Erawan Shrine, popular with Asian tourists, killed 20 people, more than half of them foreigners.
Thailand last month deported more than 100 Uighurs to China, sparking condemnation by rights groups and a protest outside Thailand’s consulate in İstanbul. The treatment of Uighurs is an important issue for many Turks, who see themselves as sharing a common cultural and religious background.
Thai media reported that police were investigating 15 to 20 Turkish people who had entered the country over the two weeks before the blast.
National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri, asked about the reports, confirmed that police had been looking into the arrival of Turkish people.
“There are probably more Turkish coming into Thailand than that. We investigated groups which may have come into the country,” Prawut told reporters.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç said he was aware of reports in the Thai media that Turks may have been involved but said Ankara had received no requests for information or assistance from Thai authorities.
“Our minister called the newly appointed Thai foreign minister yesterday and they talked about bilateral relations and also the fight against terrorism. But this issue specifically was not discussed,” he told reporters.
“We told the Thai authorities: if you have any concrete information, please convey it to us. But until now nothing has been given to us,” he said.
The main evidence from the blast that police have is security camera footage showing a man with a yellow shirt and dark hair removing a backpack after entering the shrine, and walking away before the explosion.
Twelve of the 20 dead in the attack were foreigners, including people from China, Hong Kong, Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst with IHS-Jane’s, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand on Monday, said there were not many groups with the motive and capability to pull off such an attack.
He said the most likely perpetrators were members of an ultra-nationalist Turkish organization called the Grey Wolves, a group not known to have engaged in any significant militant activity in recent years, beyond street clashes with rivals.
Davis said their motive may have been revenge for Thailand’s deportation of Uighurs to China.
“The Uighur cause is something they’ve latched onto in a big way,” he said, adding that the Grey Wolves were “at the front of the queue” during an attack on the Thai consulate in İstanbul last month by a mob protesting Thailand’s decision to deport the Uighurs.