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Innovation Keeps Ma Té Sai Crafts on Top
Touch Down Singapore Ma Té Sai is now open for business in Singapore to expand its sales network, which is vital to their artisans’ income and the sustainability of their crafts. The endeavour started as a month-long pushcart rental in Chevron House in downtown Raffles Place. During November, Ma Té Sai has been selling a mix of smaller gift items, unique jewellery, Christmas decorations, and home wares. The well-known Luang Prabang craft business has even designed a silk shawl in light natural colour shades, specifically for Singapore women to provide cover in cool air-con environs. Luang Prabang Hotels Loves Ma Té Sai New hotels and restaurants keep popping up in Luang Prabang, with several tapping Ma Té Sai for décor. The newly opened Le Bel Air across the Old Nam Khan Bridge sourced its lobby cushions and menu covers for its restaurant and rooms from Ma Té Sai whose products have also been selected for the lobby shop. The Ma Té Sai village sewing team has been busy in between the rice harvest, sewing 161 cushion covers for Paste Laos, the dining room of The Apsara. New Products & Packaging Making their way off the looms of the young women at the Deaf and Mute School are Ma Té Sai’s new range of placemats and napkins. Villagers at the Ban Jan pottery village are now glazing with a colour made from buffalo urinating in the mud, though inconsistencies in the mixture have caused some start-up obstacles. Ma Té Sai’s jewellery is now packaged “ready to give” in locally made saa paper envelopes with information about the origin of each piece. This simple packaging saves space while protecting the item inside, perfect for those travelling and great for shipping. Coming soon are Akha pom-pom earrings, developed during a recent textile tour workshop. Ma Té Sai
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SilkAir Says “Scoot” to Laos
SilkAir is switching to Singapore Airlines’ budget arm “Scoot” for its Lao flights to Luang Prabang and Vieniane commencing April 2019. The airline did not mention any scheduling changes , SIA said on Thursday (Nov 22). The move is the result of a detailed review to identify which airlines in the SIA Group portfolio are best suited to meet evolving customer demand, the airline said. Customers with existing bookings on all affected routes will be provided the option to switch to the new Scoot, SIA or SilkAir flights where possible, or be provided refunds. SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong said, “We are now at the half-way mark in our three-year transformation programme, and today’s announcement represents another significant development. “The route review will strengthen the SIA Group for the long term, with the right vehicles in our portfolio of airlines deployed to the right markets,” he said. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir have inked a new codeshare agreement with SIA Group’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot, allowing travellers access to over 30 Scoot-only destinations. SIA announced in May that its regional wing SilkAir would undergo a significant investment programme to upgrade its cabin products ahead of its eventual merger into SIA. Scoot’s fleet will meanwhile be expanded with the transfer of 14 Boeing 737-800s from SilkAir, while SilkAir will continue growing its operations in the years ahead as it takes delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX8 aircraft. Source: The Strait Times
