BK Magazine 814 by BK Magazine

it's free! Cluckin’ Good Six spots serving the crispiest, tastiest fried chicken in Bangkok Line of Fire Meet the photographer documenting the protests on the frontlines Sk8r Boi Grab your boards and roll out to these skate and surf skate parks On the Road What you need to know as domestic travel crawls back to life

Extremely offline.

NO. 814 SEPTEMBER 24, 2021. www.bkmagazine.com

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travel

the last word

What to know as travel returns

Kan Sangtong

The arrest came amid a widening crackdown on the sorts of scofflaws the authorities believe are to blame for Thailand’s current ignominy: families gathering over bottles of wine, kids who look like they might support democracy, homeless folks caught stealing food red-handed. “To parents of sex-curious children across Thailand and high net worth tourists everywhere, I say: rest easy. We’re going to treat this country as if it were a Bangkok bus station or public restroom and clean it thoroughly,” Somchai declared. Sources close to the prime minister said he expressed visible, almost palpable relief that Khai Nao and her partner were taken into police custody in record time. “He literally jumped out of his chair and started pumping his fist like Tiger Woods,” said one aide. “Finally, something to take the heat off the Joe Ferrari stuff,” he was reported to say, before floating amnesty for fugitive Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhaya to a group of deputy ministers.

upfront BY THE NUMBERS

SIAM, SCALA, AND THE END OF ALL THINGS GOOD AND TRUE

Number of standalone single-screen theaters left from Bangkok’s golden age of cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, when there were an estimated 140 such theaters in the capital alone

9,556

Number of years the standalone Scala Cinema operated in Siam, premiering with The Undefeated in 1969 and closing with Cinema Paradiso in 2020

Square meters of space on the land where Scala once sat to be developed into a “shopping street” by Central Pattana, developers of Central malls nationwide

13 Number of malls currently operating between the National Stadium and Chit Lom BTS stations*

LESS THAN ZERO Number of new malls anyone with a soul thinks this already miraculous miracle mile needs

*Amarin Plaza, Central Chidlom, Central Embassy, CentralWorld, Erawan Bangkok, Gaysorn Village, The Market Bangkok, MBK, Platinum, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon, Siam Square One

YOU SAID WHAT?

HOT OR NOT

“[G]reat soi, my regular fave, don’t know this new place wonder if it will survive long enough to visit in when we eventually can get back in” Facebook user Philip Solo on Bang Bang Burgers, which recently opened on Sukhumvit Soi 11

“didnt get past Manchester at 3” Twitter user @robmcthai on Bangkok being ranked no. 37 of 37 on Time Out Magazine’s list of the world’s best cities

“This looks amazing” Instagram user @tassineek on BK’s post reporting the reopening of beloved breakfast cafe Chu on Sukhumvit Soi 31

POTENTIAL

EXPERIMENTATION

Are you a high net worth individual thinking of dropping a lot of cash in a foreign nation? Thailand wants to hear from you. The country’s finest thought leaders believe that a million “high potential” foreigners will yield B1 trillion in economic benefits from tax revenues and domestic spending in the next five years, which will make up for the total destruction of the tourism industry. Seems legit.

The latest twist in our national nightmare (a.k.a., the whole vaccine thing): doctors have been given the go-ahead to inject booster shots under the skin rather than into muscles. The unconventional approach will allow Thailand to stretch its (thin) resources to the max, say health officials. This move complements Thailand’s other not-used-anywhereelse strategy of mixing and matching Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

TAXES Patchara Anantasin, the director-general of the Customs Department, told Bangkok Business News recently that import duties on alcohol could be slashed by as much as half. The reason? To attract “high potential” foreigners. However, industry insiders have told BK that this measure won’t change a damn thing. Excise tax, not import duties, keep the price of your wine in the stratosphere, they said.

CREATION Subscription platform Onlyfans has become the go-to for sex workers and content creators globally, offering a new, and safer, means of generating income. In Thailand, however, creators were recently reminded by the authorities that content deemed “obscene” by the Thai state is punishable by jail time and fines. No comment was given regarding the status of Nana, Soi Cowboy, Soi Bangla, the entirety of Pattaya, and… you get the picture.

food & drink

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

ADVERTORIAL

FEAST OF A DEAL

The Total Package Four restaurants that do everything from steaks to desserts in top form Brought to you by Citi

Mozza by Cocotte

Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery

Victoria by Cocotte

Leon by Cocotte

This pizzeria and Italian comfort food specialist is a runaway success. As many of EmQuartier’s restaurants flounder, its ground-floor spot with outside terrace is rarely anything but full to bursting (same with the Siam Paragon branch). It’s a great place to get your dessert fix, too, with items like classic tiramisu, chocolate ice cream cones and pistachio amore among others.

The bustling Phrom Phong restaurant that started a wave of venues under the same banner and is still wildly popular to this day. Cocotte is a contemporary wood-charcoal grill and rotisserie restaurant combined with a wide selection of cheeses, cold cuts, and wine. You’ll find the likes of 70-percent dark chocolate lava cake, Paris-Brest (a classic French dessert with choux pastry, in-house hazelnut cream, and roasted hazelnuts) and sticky toffee cookie.

This modern day brasserie is designed to offer a whole range of experiences food-wise. Nestled in the middle of the city in the vibrant EmQuartier mall, all-day dining favorites like burrata with parma ham and bangers and mash are available from sunup to sundown. For your sweet tooth, try the Valrhona chocolate mousse.

From the designers of some of Bangkok’s hottest restaurants comes this chic addition to the Cocotte empire, with an unpolished rustic-yet-modern atmosphere, imbued with brass and royal blue tones. Try the crowd-pleasing tarte tropezienne, with a homemade brioche bun, vanilla ice cream, blackcurrant confit and crunchy sugar sprinkles. There’s also good old chocolate brownies if you are looking for something more laid back.

G/F, Emquartier, Sukhumvit Rd., 097-004-0072. Open daily 8am-9pm. There is a second location at Siam Paragon (062-208-8828)

G/F, Emquartier, 698 693,695 Sukhumvit Rd., 092390-8080. Open daily 7am-9pm

/F, 39 Boulevard, Sukhumvit Soi 39, 092-664-6777. Open daily 10am-1:30pm; Mon-Sat 5-9:30pm; Sun 4-10pm

G/F, Emquatier, Bangkok, 063-267-7778. Open daily 10am-9pm.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members

Get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage valued THB 200 for selected cards (limit 1 glass /card /table /sales slip) And Get a complimentary Cocotte’s Tiramisu valued THB 320 when spending THB 1,500 or more / sales slip via Citi Credit Cards (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

Get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage valued THB 200 for selected cards (limit 1 glass /card /table /sales slip) And Get a complimentary Paris Brest valued THB 340 when spending THB 1,500 or more /sales slip via Citi Credit Cards (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

Get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage valued THB 200 for selected cards

Get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage valued THB 200 for selected cards (limit 1 glass /card /table /sales slip) And Get a complimentary Chocolate Brownie valued THB 320 when spending THB 1,500 or more / sales slip via Citi Credit Cards (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

1 Apr ’21 - 31 Mar ’22

(limit 1 glass /card /table /sales slip)

And Get a complimentary Valrhona Chocolate Mousse valued THB 290 when spending THB 1,500 or more /sales slip via Citi Credit Cards (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

1 Apr ’21 – 31 Mar ’22

cover | know your thai vaccines

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s not to put all our eggs in one basket. Most countries have faced some kind of delays, shortages, and disruptions to vaccine supplies and Thailand has been no exception. But as the country steps up its rollout, with around 90 percent of Bangkok now jabbed, local scientists are still racing to produce vaccines of their own to ensure a steady supply of booster shots for when they might be needed. Here are some of the most promising Thai projects vying for a slice of the vaccine market that could knock leading brands off the shelf. By George Styllis

CHULALONGKORN’S MRNA VACCINE If approved, Chulalongkorn University’s Chula-Cov 19 vaccine will be the first mRNA vaccine to be developed and produced in Thailand—possibly in Southeast Asia, too, depending on the timeline for approval. The university began the second phase of its trials on 150 volunteers last month after seeing promising results in the first phase. The vaccine, which uses the same technology as Pfizer and Moderna, tells the body to produce a protein which then triggers an immune response. Dr. Kiat Ruxrungtham, who is leading the study, said the vaccine is able to induce a strong response in T-cells, which are what fight the virus. The vaccine has recorded 94 percent efficacy, says Dr. Kiat, on par with the other leading mRNA shots, and it can successfully suppress the four main strains of the coronavirus: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Dr. Kiat hopes the team’s vaccine can be approved for emergency use before the Thai new year in April.

BAIYA PHYTOPHARM’S TOBACCO VACCINE Few plants get such a bad rap as tobacco, but if the clever scientists at Baiya Phytopharm are successful, it could all change. Founded in 2019 by Waranyoo Phoolcharoen, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University’s department of pharmaceutical botany, the company began manufacturing plant-based ingredients for use in things like cosmetics before turning its hand to vaccines shortly into the pandemic.

The company’s vaccine, Subunit, is made from tobacco plants low in nicotine that are imported from Australia. At five weeks, the plant is injected with bacteria carrying the coronavirus DNA, triggering an immune response. Once it has produced as much protein as it can before succumbing to the virus, the protein is removed and used as the main ingredient for the vaccine.

Phassorn Suwatsrisakul, Baiya’s project manager, said after a sticky start the company is seeing encouraging results. “We did so many experiments and failed a lot, but then we managed to make antibody test kits and thought it would be good to take the next step and actually make a vaccine.”

One of the key features of Baiya’s vaccine is that it may have less side effects than an mRNA shot. “The protein is not harmful. Our vaccine is essentially comprising the protein that the mRNA vaccine is going to produce,” Phassorn says. “With mRNA [vaccines], it has to change into the protein and the protein can activate your body to produce antibodies.”

BLINDED BY SCIENCE

GPO’S VACCINE

Thailand’s vaccine experiments

While the government is helping to fund the efforts of Chulalongkorn and Baiya Phytopharm, it is also working on a vaccine of its own. The vaccine will be synthesized from egg protein and uses an inactivated strain of the virus. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization, along with Mahidol University and a US-based non-profit organization, started testing its vaccine on humans in March 2020 and launched the second phase on 250 volunteers aged 18-72 in August. It hopes to produce 30 million doses annually, starting in the middle of 2021.

A DOZEN DOSES In March, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) defended plans to administer up to 12 doses per vial of AstraZeneca vaccine,despite vials officially containing only enough for 10.

NASAL SPRAY For those with a phobia of needles, relief might be at hand. The National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology is working on a vaccine that can be administered as a nasal spray, potentially offering an alternative to the “sharp scratch.”

Officials said that doctors could use low dead space syringes to extract extra doses. The plan was expected to save the country B1 billion.

The spray will work by going up through the nose, into the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory system, where most viruses—including Covid-19—form, and into the rest of the body. Clinical human trials in collaboration with Chulabhorn Royal Academy are expected to start at the end of the year, with manufacturing slated for the middle of 2022.

MIX-ANDMATCH In July, health officials gave doctors the go-ahead to mix-and-match Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines,citing high antibody counts in their (opaque) experiments.

LIZARD MAN No rundown of vaccines would be complete without a mention of one of the project’s at the more experimental end of the spectrum. Jitkamol Thanasak, a professor at Mahidol University, is currently carrying out studies on monitor lizard blood as a potential cure for Covid. The long-haired professor, who’s become something of a celebrity for his love of lizards, having appeared on TV shows cradling the big scaly beasts, fell in love with the animals during a chance encounter some years ago. While in his lab working on diseases in cows, the professor was given a lizard brought in by some students who had found it thrashing

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE Complementing Thailand’s research into vaccines are studies into alternative medicines as treatment for Covid. Amid efforts by the government to promote their use, demand for fingerroot (krachai khao) and green chiretta (fah talai jone) has boomed. But while the herbs have been used for centuries across Asia to treat various infections and ailments, like the flu, their ability to treat coronavirus remains in doubt. In May, a professor came out to say that his university, Mahidol, which is carrying out research into the root, did not support claims by product

around in the canal, seemingly in distress. After spending a couple of days tending to the lizard at a loss for what to do, Jitkamol was amazed to see the lizard cough up the entire shell of a tortoise before swiftly recovering. “From then on, people started bringing sick monitor lizards to me and so I had to learn about them and do research,” he says. Jitkamol believes their powerful immune system has the power to fight diseases in humans and has seen positive results of the lizard’s blood on cancer cells. The next step is to try it on Covid before the end of the year, he says.

In Sep, Thai officials again okayed the mix-and-match strategy, this time for AstraZeneca and Pfizer shots.

UNDER THE SKIN Recently, health officials told doctors to inject booster shots under the skin rather than in muscles. By doing this, doctors can get the equivalent of five boosters for every dose administered the standard way, stretching limited supplies to their logical extremes.

advertisers that it can kill Covid in humans. He did, however, say that its extracts were effective in killing the virus in test tubes. There has been similar confusion over green chiretta. In August, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine pulled its study into the plant from publication due to a statistical error, though the department maintained the herb can help patients with mild Covid symptoms recover. Of course, whether those patients recovered on their own or with the aid of the herb is unclear.

VACC 2 SCHOOL Despite Sinopharm’s vaccine not being approved for use in children under 18, Thailand has begun administering shots to kids aged 10-18 as part of the Chulabhorn Royal Academy’s (CRA) “Vacc 2 School” campaign. It isn’t the first country to do so. China and the UAE have both approved Sinopharm for kids aged 3-17.

feature | new surf skate spots

New e v a W

The soaring popularity of surf skating shows no sign of abating. Bangkok has never lacked skating spots, but lately loads of new, surf skate-specific spaces have given the concrete wave-riding community more great options. Glide away at these surf skate (and old-fashioned skateboarding) arenas in and around Bangkok. By Alisha Pawa

JUMP MASTER SKATE HAUS This indoor skatepark made Charoenkrung hipper than it already was, promising more than your typical barn ramps. The creators revamped former sneaker brand offices on the third floor of the historic Chai Phattanasilp building with sleek, wooden flooring and ramps ideal for pros and rookies alike. It’s divided into different zones such as “Wave Bank,” “Giant Slope,” “Half Blow,” and “Curving Zone.” The venue is only open for four sessions per day and is limited to private groups of up to 10 people. Price: B1,800/round (1hr 50min) Where: 3/F, Charoenkrung Soi 35, Bangkok. Open daily 10am-8pm.

H SPACE PUMP TRACK This outdoor arena off Rama 2 Road beckons adventurous souls with special curvy tracks that cater to surf skaters, BMX bikes, balance bikes, scooters, and rollerbladers. If you’re a newbie or don’t have your own gear, you can rent skateboards (B100) and helmets (B50) at the track. The venue only allows 20-25 people per round and each round is limited to two hours. Price: B70 (kids)/B100 (adults); B1,500 for private groups Where: Near Suankularb Thonburi School, Kanchanaphisek Rd., 089-949-6398. Open daily 10 am-8pm.

Jump Master Skate Haus

SERVE SKATE

H Space Pump Track

Located in Ari, this warehouse-turned-skate-rink aims for a more authentic street feel. Covered with a tin awning, the spacious venue is otherwise open to the elements. There’s one large wave and a handful of ramps that will keep you engaged—all painted Smurf blue. You can rent a skateboard (B100-B200) here, and if your wheels are giving you trouble, there’s board maintenance service, too. Serve Skate offers five rounds a day; groups are limited to five people. Price: Private groups B1,000/round (1 hour 50 minutes); requires booking Where: 434/2 Phahonyothin Soi 12, 089-991-2728. Open daily 9am-7pm.

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

FARMER SURFER Glide through the rice paddies at this offbeat, and very photogenic, skate spot. A long concrete half-pipe dotted with mogul-like slopes—and palm frond-covered cabanas—caters to skateboarders, rollerbladers, and surf skaters. Still, the refreshing view of green fields in the background and #photoops are the highlight here. Price: B150/person Where: 44 Ban Mai, Bang Yai, Nonthaburi, 084-7559997. Open daily 9am-8pm.

SURFLAB Surflab’s sprawling skating range makes it worth the mileage to the city’s outskirts. The surf skate space boasts four sweet sections: wave ramp, wave bowl, half bowl, and snake lane. While the arena accepts walk-ins, it’s best to pre-book private sessions to secure your spot before you make the journey to Nonthaburi. Surflab also has its own merchandise store, so enthusiasts can travel light and purchase skateboards, t-shirts, knee pads, and more. Price: B150/person; Private group B3,000 Where: 1/20 Nakhon In Frontage Rd., Bang Phai, Nonthaburi, 084-752-5624. Open Mon-Fri 8am-midnight, Sat-Sun 7am-1am.

Farmer Surfer

NEVER WAVE Nestled in the heart of Lad Phrao, Never Wave is a buzzing place to chill and ride the concrete wave. There’s a 12-meter-long and 4.8-meter-wide ramp situated in the courtyard of creative community space Never Normal. Heard of Never Wave Radio before? It happens here. Sway to the beat of their original playlists as you ride the ramp. Price: B800 the first hour, B500 the second hour; “free flow” B100/hour Where: 35-37 Lat Phrao Soi 18, Yaek 10, 063-4299365. Open for bookings from 1-8pm.

Farmer Surfer

BOOMER STUDIO Surflab

Coffee lovers can find themselves honing their skateboarding tricks at this laid-back, garage-like space that doubles as a cafe. Get your caffeine fix, rent a skateboard and helmet, and try those kickflips you’ve been working on. There are four rounds available for bookings each day, and no more than 20 people are allowed per session. Price: B150/round; B2,000/20 people (private groups) Where: 1/2 Pracha Uthit Soi 37, 083-440-1999. Open Tue-Sun 10am-8pm.

Serve Skate

Surflab

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SANTA CRUZ CLASSIC DOT 80S CRUISER COMPLETE

PREDUCE TRK MYSTICAL BUTTERFLY FISH SKATEBOARD DECK B1,700 Available at Preduce

B5,990 Available at Preduce

SKATEBOARD COMPLETE 100 GALAXY - RED B1,800 Available at Decathlon

CARNIVAL SS21 YACHT CLUB SKATEBOARD B3,290 Available at Carnival

YOW LAKEY PEAK 32” B12,900 Available at Yowthailand.com

food & drink | best fried chicken

DEEP-FRIED PERFECTION Nearly every great food culture has some special form of fried chicken. Bangkok’s representation of the world’s many fried chicken styles is, fortuitously, very high. Here’s your guide to finding the best bird in the city, whether you want Nashville hot chicken or the kind of wings you’d expect to find in a Nagoya izakaya. By BK Magazine

Henryfry

Changwon Express This yellow-painted spot steps from MRT Petchaburi (Exit 3) pairs craft beers with classic Korean drinking food. Especially chimaek, a.k.a. fried chicken and beer. Think plump mandoo (Korean dumplings), kimchi hot dogs, and crispy, juicy fried chicken served half or whole, original flavor or spicy. Wash it down with cold craft beer for the proper chimaek experience. 37 Asoke-Din Daeng Rd., 083-606-6510. Open daily 11:30am-8pm.

Choongman Chicken The fast-growing global brand’s chicken may not be as glorious as it was back in 2009, when Choongman rose to fame in South Korea with its tikkudak—fried chicken finished on a smoky charcoal grill—but it’s still crispy, tender, and delicious. The specialty at this chain now is probably its “snow onion,” which is basically a plate of chicken slathered in mayo and onions, but we prefer the variations on the OG tikkudak: garlic, gochujang, mala, soy, and more. Sukhumvit Soi 12 (Korea Town), 083-016-6947. Open daily 11am-6pm. (Several branches)

Changwon Express

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Fowlmouth Nashville fried chicken is the name of the game at this expanding fried bird empire. All the chicken is brined in buttermilk and spices overnight, then deep-fried to perfection. Choose your heat level, from normal (still hot) to death (good luck). Their many sides, like pimento mac and cheese and creamy coleslaw, cold craft beers, and drinks like the Arnold Palmer (a blend of lemonade and iced tea) add to the Americana.

Polo Fried Chicken

The Commons, 335 Thonglor Soi 17, 099-087-9494. Open daily 11am-8pm. (Several branches)

Henryfry The fried chicken of your dreams comes true at this tiny Talad Noi soul food spot. The chicken, crispy on the outside, hot and juicy on the inside, is taken to new heights with Henryfry’s house-made chili-mayo dipping sauce. There’s more than just fried chicken here, too. The homemade comfort food on the menu runs the gamut from pancakes to French onion soup.

Fowlmouth

Polo Fried Chicken

747 Charoenkrung Rd., 096-791-0780. Open Tue-Sun 11am-8pm. Fowlmouth

Though this Isaan spot has an excellent somtam, the crowds come for the juicy, namesake fried chicken, deep-fried in a wok then covered with deep-fried garlic. It’s so tasty it’s made this little soi off Wireless Road a household name. The no-frills restaurant even graces the pages of the Michelin guide. 137/1-3, 9-10 Sanam Khli Alley (Soi Polo), 02-655-8489. Open daily 7am-8pm (closed every second Monday).

Sekai No Yamachan Nagoya’s house of fried chicken has over 60 branches across the world and a few in Bangkok. There are two types of deep-fried wings on offer—the peppery, salty, and lightly spicy maboroshino tebasaki and the kuro tebasaki, both of which look fried to the point of no return, but that’s misleading. The flavors are nothing short of addictive, compelling you to snack away with an icecold Asahi. Sekai No Yamachan

YSK Building, Soi Thaniya, Silom Rd., 02-662-5541. Open daily 11am-8pm. (Several branches)

food & drink | new & noted

Matcha Mood

TABLE TALK

SUKI MASA Branches: Thonglor Soi 5, 02-392-4769, 082-3587777. G/F (North Wing) Siam Paragon, 02-129-4880, 061-392-9777. Operated by the team behind Sushi Masa, this restaurant specializes in crowd-pleasing sukiyaki and shabu, along with other Japanese dishes like sushi and gohan (rice topped with meat and raw egg). There’s also the A5 Wagyu beef set (B1,500)—if you really want melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can’t go wrong with the sukiyaki soup and highlight kurobuta pork set (B450). The a la carte menu includes lots of good bites, too.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 5% discount on food only And Get a complimentary Special Wagyu Roll valued THB 350 when spending THB 3,000 or more /sales slip (excluding VAT and service charge) (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip for dine-in only)

1 Apr ’21 – 31 Mar ’22

NEW AND NOTED

Silom’s new matcha house specializes in high-grade green tea

An uber-popular Korean breadhouse arrives in Bangkok

A new seafood specialist opens just in time for the end of oyster season

Matcha Mood offers a variety of superior-grade matcha products in a very contemporary (read: minimal) space that seeks to capture the peaceful, meditative spirituality rooted in tea-drinking culture. Newbies might want to try their mellow cold aged matcha (B130), or you can take it up a notch with the intense, velvety cold whisk matcha (B160) and award-winning sencha genmaicha (B99). While most will come for matcha, the hojicha here goes down easy, too, with its lightly sweet, toasted tones. The teas can be paired with freshly baked stuffed madeleines, available in three flavors: butter (B65), yuzu (B70), and Nutella (B70).

Mil Toast House is giving Seoulstarved Bangkokians a taste of the South Korean capital with a branch of its renowned bakery. The space is swimming in beige and decked out with wood touches to recall a simpler, more pastoral setting. Reputed for its bread products, like steamed bread rolls served in bamboo baskets and irresistible souffle French toast, the bakery has touched up its menu to cater to Thai tastes. Meaning, it’s sweeter. For example, the Bangkok-exclusive Nutella brioche (B310) and French toast with vanilla ice cream (B335). Wash it down with milk-based drinks like Hershey Nutella and peanut-flavored milk.

Looking for a treat for your first meal out? Try Oysterman, a new spot in Phrom Phong specializing in life’s finer things, like oysters, Canadian lobster, and 40-plus labels of champagne. The restaurant flies in fresh seafood weekly and serves their haul at an elegant, marble-topped bar fronted by velvet-lined chairs. Oysters run the gamut from Irish (B99/pc.; B540/ half dozen) to Cofin Bay and Tsarkaya (B129/pc.; B729/half dozen). The straightforward, two-page menu also offers dishes like house-cured gravlax (B290) and grilled Holland dover sole with beurre blanc (B990). Order their loaded seafood box (B1,890) if you’re dining at home.

50 Sri Vieng Rd., 082-171-4715.

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Mil Toast House

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Siam Square Soi 3, 094-898-9999.

129/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 088-080-1880.

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY,SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Double Slash

TABLE TALK

SUSHI MASA Rama 8’s artisanal cafe baits influencers with gorgeous new branch

Nana’s new burger and booze joint calls all bunaholics

Seoul’s popular 24-hour Korean barbecue spot is now open

With its new branch on Rama 3, Double Slash draws inspiration from the striking Streamline Moderne movement, and the glass-fronted, all-white outpost is pulling in cafehoppers by the dozen. Double Slash offers quality artisanal coffee made with a variety of beans, plus cold brew and more unique options. Try the black cold brew (B100), or go for a fancier drink, like the salted caramel with pink sea salt (B130) or Prachuap Dee (B120), coffee made with single-origin Prachuap Khiri Khan cacao. You can pair it all with pastries, like ham and cheese croissants (B125) and caneles (B85).

Bang Bang Burgers brings new

All-day Korean barbecue restaurant Saemaeul Sikdang has finally opened at CentralWorld’s seventh-floor Beacon Zone. The restaurant has long been a favorite among Thailand’s K-pop stans and Koreaphiles, especially its branch in Seoul’s Hongdae shopping and nightlife district. The branch in CentralWorld offers all the classics, like the yeontan bulgogi (thinly sliced spicy pork) and chilbun dwaeji kimchi jjigae (seven-minute pork kimchi soup), cooked for seven minutes, as the name suggests, to bring out the flavor of the kimchi and tenderize the pork. The restaurant is currently offering only walk-ins. If you’re lucky, you might get a seat before the end of the day.

483, 1 Rama 3 Rd., 097-989-6499.

energy to Soi 11. Designed by the award-winning Shelley Kwok, Bang Bang’s dive bar-like concept is filled with in-your-face colors, neon lights, and loads of Americana. The menu is straightforward: burgers, sandwiches, and sides with tons of house-made sauces. Go for the Duke (B290), made with your choice of meat (grass-fed beef, lamb, plantbased), cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, and signature Bang Bang sauce on a brioche bun, and fun sides like larb fries with aioli sauce (B185), jalapeno croquettes (B190), and pork cracklings (B85). Expect a selection of beers once Thailand allows alcohol to be sold on-site again. 30 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Alley, 092-596-4973.

7/F, CentralWorld, 99/9 Rama I Rd., 092-567-4585.

Four branches: Thonglor Soi 5, 02-185-3800, 085-4239889. Ploen Chit, 02-168-5214, 090-518-7777. Thewet, 02-628-5990, 096-883-8833. Ratchathewi, 02-2159289 , 083-701-7627. You’ll definitely need to make a reservation to snag a seat here. What’s all the fuss about? The prices are very reasonable (they’re net, too) and the quality is on a par with Japanesefrequented sushi bars. But unlike the stiff, sullen operations in Thaniya or other Nippon enclaves along Sukhumvit, there’s something eminently approachable about Sushi Masa. With big picture menus, relaxed staff and cheerful chefs behind the counter.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members

Get 5% discount on food only (for dine-in only) 1 Apr ’21 – 31 Mar ’22 And Get 5% discount and get a complimentary Salmon Tataki valued THB 270 when ordering Duo Salmon Set (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip for dine-in and takeaway) 1 Oct – 30 Nov ’21

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17/9/2564 BE 16:20

travel | news

On again, off again: Bangkok likely to reopen to tourism in October BANGKOK

At long last, it’s happening. Maybe. We think. A year and a half after Thailand’s borders were closed, eight months after Thai citizens and visa holders arriving from abroad were allowed to return via two-week hotel quarantines in the Thai capital, Bangkok is gearing up to reopen to vaccinated tourists. Last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakansaid the city would reopen Oct 15, but unelected Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang stepped in to temper expectations, saying that the city would reopen only once 70 percent of Bangkok’s (registered) population has been fully vaccinated.

Tree House

PHUKET

Feast on omakase in a banyan tree at Anantara Mai Khao

Meliá adds another Thailand hotel with a new property on Phuket

The Anantara Mai Khao has added a Japanese restaurant in an unexpected setting. The new Tree House restaurant offers omakase (chef’s choice) in a perch built around the resort’s towering banyan tree, looking out at the Bill Bensley-designed gardens. The menu (B2,990++/10 courses; B4,990++/15 courses), meanwhile, highlights fresh, seasonal Japanese ingredients. There’s a vegetarian omakase menu, too. The dishes are made to be paired with the restaurant’s wide range of sake, shochu, wine, and Japanese-inspired cocktails. For example, the Japanese Negroni (vermouth, Campari, tokubetsu sake, B400), and carafes of Born Gold Junmai (B3,200).

Spanish hotel brand Meliá continues its Thailand expansion with a hotel on Phuket’s quiet Mai Khao beach. The Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, opening in November, offers 100 suites and villas, including 30 suites with outdoor bathtubs and cabanas, and 15 “wellness” pool villas. Those come with exclusive 60-minute massages each day. In keeping with the brand’s Spanish roots, the design is steeped in Mediterranean influences, from white stucco exterior walls to splashes of navy blue against a beach-toned palette. Facilities include a beach club with an open kitchen, a spa with five treatment rooms, three pools, and a kid’s club.

CHIANG MAI

HUA HIN

KOH SAMUI

Chiang Mai gallery opens with exclusive Baphoboy exhibition

The Standard to open a beachfront hotel in Hua Hin

Swish, sea-facing Hyatt resort opens on Koh Samui

A new gallery is opening in Chiang Mai, and its first exhibition is quite a coup (pun intended?). Suvannabhumi Head High Gallery—owned by Narongyot Thongyu, the Songkhla-born, Chiang Mai-based contemporary artist—launches next month with “Hope Land” by Baphoboy, the young artist known for satirical, somewhat salacious artwork. Featuring crudely drawn cartoon characters with comically smiling faces, his pieces, mostly digital paintings, deal with his own struggles coming to terms with Thailand’s politics. Baphoboy will display 15 prints on paper and canvas, and he’ll be in attendance for the opening party (6pm, Oct 2). “Hope Land” runs from Oct 2-Dec 4.

Boutique hotel brand The Standard is expanding internationally, and Thailand is set to benefit. The American brand, which operates six hotels in Los Angeles, Miami Beach, New York, London, the Maldives, is adding two new Thailand properties to its portfolio, starting with a 199-room escape in Hua Hin. The Standard Hua Hin is set to open on Dec 1 with a range of rooms, suites, and villas inspired by its gorgeous hotel in Miami, plus a beach bar, a buzzing Thai restaurant, and more. In 2022, The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon will open in the long-vacant Mahanakhon tower and bring with it Hong Kong-born Cantonese restaurant Mott 32.

Newly opened Hyatt Regency Koh Samui is the island getaway you need. The resort boasts 140 guestrooms filled out with island-appropriate pops of turquoise and sand, including 24 suites, with private balconies or decks with plunge pools. The resort also advertises what it describes as “the largest pool area on the island,” with five free-form pools flowing down to the beach, plus a range of restaurants and bars. These include beachside grill Sesun, which focuses on fresh seafood and premium meats with a Mediterranean twist; all-day dining spot Yangna; and Oasis on the Rocks, a chef’s table set on a secluded cape.

59 Naresdamri Rd., Hua Hin, 032-535-999.

99/11 Moo 5, North Chaweng, Koh Samui, 077448-777.

Huay Kaew Rd. (across from Central Kad Suan Kaew), 085-705-8443.

233, Mai Khao, Thalang, Phuket.

888, Moo 3 Mai Khao, Phuket, 076-336-100 ext.4507. Open daily 6-11:30pm.

Hyatt Regency Koh Samui

the last word | in the crossfire

Meet the photographer reporting from the frontlines of the protests Before he put his helmet on and grabbed his camera, Kan Sangtong, a former lecturer and political scientist, was a protester himself. Now 34, Kan no longer continues his political activism on the ground—he does it by capturing the fight for democracy in photographs. We talked to him about covering the protests, freedom of speech, and human rights in Thailand. By Porpor Leelasestaporn

hat made you interested in protest photography? Like other freelancers, I began by shooting wedding and graduation ceremonies. But I didn’t feel like that was really for me, so I kept searching. After getting my masters in political science from Chulalongkorn University, I applied for a position at Amnesty International Thailand. I didn’t get the job, but the person who interviewed me offered me another position as a human rights observer for the Mob Data Thailand Project [a collaboration project between Amnesty Thailand and iLaw]. It was there that I received training to start reporting on political protests. At first, I had to submit a report and take photos of the protests. After seeing my work, they said I no longer needed to write; just taking shots was fine.

Guide us through your work process. Amnesty Thailand is concerned for our safety, so we need to have protective gear before entering high-risk zones. If headquarters [Mob Data Thailand] tell you to retreat, you retreat. During training, they told us that if we’re taken in by the police, all we have to do is confirm our status as human rights observers. If there are any charges against us, they’ll take responsibility for them. They always insist that we don’t have to go to the frontlines. They don’t want “nice” shots. They only want to know what’s happening on the scene, or if police have really violated protesters’ rights. “Just bring yourself back in one piece. Your life is more important,” they say. Have you ever refused to retreat, though? Several times. On these occasions, my boss has asked me to join up with bigger newsgroups like Prachathai and Voice TV. Once the situation calms down, they tell me to retreat right away. How do the police treat journalists in the field? From the government’s perspective, there are two types of journalists: one they recognize, and the other that they don’t. In their eyes, to be fully recognized as a journalist, you need to receive a permit from the Public Relations Department and the Thai Journalist Association. This means you have to work for authorized news publications, either in Thailand or from other countries. Things, however, get complicated when you’re a freelancer. Since they don’t have full-time contracts, or the publications they work for may not be registered in the system, freelancers usually get into trouble with Thai police. There are also YouTubers and influencers who report on the scene. Some will shout stuff at the police while livestreaming, and the police usually exploit that and crack down on them, saying they can’t distinguish them from protesters. Some reporters don’t like these freelancers to be there—they think they only provoke the police. Thailand has a journalists association. Do they protect freedom of press? They are mostly conservative. Despite how the media has changed over the years, they still embrace old views of what they think journalists should be. But literally anyone can become a journalist. You don’t have to have a fulltime job with a newspaper to call yourself a journalist. By creating a barrier to entry for new or independent reporters, they are giving the police license to violate the rights of people who are trying to do their jobs. In the majority of cases, the Thai journalist association sides with the government. They usually blame us for not following laws. They tell us we should return home before curfew [even if the protests continue]. We need to question why they never protect us. Tell us about one of the most powerful shots you’ve taken at the protests. I don’t think any of my particular shots are powerful. I just take shots of the situation at hand. But they represent only a moment frozen in time, and more often than not they allow people to interpret them however they see fit. A few weeks ago, I photographed a young protester who took out a gun and shot it one time. No one was injured. However, a [pro-establishment] Twitter user stole my picture and posted it with the caption: “Protesters turned violent, they had guns.” These moments can unfold into countless versions of reality if you let them.

All images courtesy of Kan Sangtong.

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020

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