Famous around Asia as a travel show host, television presenter Raine Grady is best known as the face of Asia & Beyond, Destination Thailand and local shows Phuket Plus and Pattaya Plus.

On Phuket recently to film the 21st King’s Cup Regatta and 2007 Laguna Phuket Triathlon as features for her travel programmes, Raine emptied her handbag aboard the elegant Indonesian penisi Silolona.

A collection of souvenir pens scooped from the depths of her new soft black leather satchel, bought while visiting family in Brisbane not so long ago, tracks the footprints of this jetsetting reporter. Soon after location shoots in Sydney and the Snowy Mountains, Raine zoomed off to London to film footy town Brentford and bagged an interview with ex- PM Thaksin Shinawatra, while she was in the neighbourhood.

Beetle juice

Smitten by cutesy neon pink and green anemone balls with cheeky eyes and friendly smiles, a life-like rhinoceros beetle emerges from the bag’s contents. Mother of two primary school boys, Raine explains that her work journeys are full of surprises.

“My kids always pop something in my bag before I go away – to remember them,” she grins. “My younger son has an obsession with bugs”.

Pointing at a pack of Magic Pops – candy that bursts on the tongue – Raine laughs.
“That’s my son’s too,” she explains, seated in the saloon and framed by the dramatic coast off Kata Noi. I wanted to believe her, but why should kids have all the fun?

Celebrity attire

As a travel show presenter, Raine dresses to suit the occasion. Her bag is filled with bits to fit the part. A large pair of Marilyn Monroe-style sunglasses sits seductively on top of a 40’s checkered hat, both hidden from view by a black bikini top and the anemone toys.

“Actually, those are Karl Lagerfeld glasses and I’ve managed not to lose them so far”.

Sponsored by Bobby Brown make-up, this celebrity is never short of glamour. Today she is wearing Cranberry lipstick and glitter eyes. A squirt of Caring Hairspray smooths her locks before the camera rolls.

A few ‘tricks of the trade’ are revealed – like Visine eyedrops and lots of Panadol and Aspirin for those long, late nights followed by early morning flights and pre-breakfast sailing gigs.

“This is very important when you are on TV,” Raine explains. “Panadol and eyedrops – you can’t go wrong”.

Postcard to Mum

A picture postcard of Kata Beach waits to be personalized. This one is bound for Raine’s mum’s fridge joining all the other postcards from around the world, sent by her daughter on work jaunts.

An MP3 music player keeps her company on the road with zillions of favourite tunes and a crime comedy novel sits unread waiting for some downtime. And last, but not least, there’s an old mobile phone. I can’t believe that glamorous TV celebrities also carry outdated personal communications devices.

“My new phone fell out of my lap before the King’s Cup,” Raine sighed. Another one bites the dust.