Arena targets high end in Thailand

<P>UK men's fashion glossy Arena has launched in Thailand, in response to "coaxing" from high-end fashion brands. </P> <P>According to Dan Flowers, publisher of Arena UK,  while the magazine's slant is high-end fashion, content may expand to include features about weighty political and social issues. </P> <P>Flowers described Arena's target audience as the 'black-collared worker', a term  coined by the magazine itself. "The black-collared worker is a guy working in a non-traditional industry, such as advertising or media. He's the 'cool' guy people follow." </P> <P>He added that the title was "completely different" from FHM, a men's title already in Thailand with a circulation of 80,000: "FHM is more straightforward in tone and content - it's written for the everyday lad. Arena is really for a more discerning, sophisticated audience. And it is tasteful enough for your girlfriend or wife to flip through." </P> <P>Locally published by Inspire Publishers, the issue retails at 100 Baht (US$2.60) with an initial print run of 40,000 issues. Arena is also currently available in South Korea and launches in Singapore this October. </P>