BK Magazine 827

The best happy hours in Bangkok’s pubs, clubs, and bars.

It’s that time.

WHO’S IN CHARGE?

BK EDITORIAL

Managing Director Dietrich Neu

Managing Editor Tyler Roney

Deputy Editor Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj

Senior Writer Porpor Leelasestaporn

Art Director Wirankan Saiyasombut

GROVE: COCONUTS BRAND STUDIO

Senior Brand Editor Julianne Greco

Associate Thai Editor Pakvipa Rimdusit

Branded Content Writer Moe Thet War

Senior Project Manager

Sirinart Panyasricharoen

Senior Account Manager Hafiz Rasid

Senior Digital Account Manager Nuttajuk

Kittichailuk

Art Director Tan Kar Liang

Senior Graphic Designer Umporn Jiaranai

Production Manager Komkrit Klinkaeo

Head of Business Development

Elizabeth Chua

Senior Business Development Managers

Piti Rungrojanaluck, Sophia Ong

Business Development Manager

Chalida Anuwattanawong

Publisher, Printer, and Editor

Tara Rattanaphas

COVER & COVER STORY PHOTO:

IG: rocket.kubs

No Cafe Just Coffee and Breakfast

BK MAGAZINE IS A COCONUTS MEDIA PUBLICATION.

Chairman Byron Perry

General Manager Vim Shanmugam

Operations Manager Clarissa Cortes coconuts.co

Advertise with us advertising@coconuts.co

WHERE TO FIND US!

COCONUTS BK LIMITED

111 Room 5A, 5th Floor

We Space Building, Soi Thonglor 5

Khlong Tan Neua, Wattana Bangkok, 10110

Tel: 02-041-5755

Email: info@bkmagazine.com

HAVE YOUR VOTE

Thailand finally goes to the polls this month.

B5.9 billion

The budget for hosting this upcoming election—but, the Office of the Election Commission of Thailand doesn’t have real-time vote counting, leaving the people to gather volunteers to monitor ballots.

70 parties and 63 PM candidates are engaging in this upcoming election

52 million

The total number of eligible voters, 4 million of which are the first-time voters

YOU SAID WHAT?

“WAY better restaurants in Koh Pha-ngan if you are seriously looking.”

— Instagram user Jason M. Cronen on the announcement that the next Michelin guide will include Koh Samui and Surat Thani.

“But can anything match the grandeur of Central Entropy?”

— Instagram user Tim F on the announcement of Marche, a new Thonglor mall.

“koh tao. it comes with a story line. convenient.”

— Facebook user Bo Siddhisornchai on the announcement that the dark satire White Lotus will be filmed in Thailand.

HOT OR NOT

376 seats from 750 are needed from 500 MPs to counter the votes of the military-backed senate. The EC’s dedicated registration website and the Smart Vote application was said to be able to handle 4,000 registrations per second. The system crashed Apr 11.

More than 2,000,000 voters had registered for advance voting by mid-April.

#1 and #2

“Explore a city. Pin a toilet. Be a hero.” That’s the tagline of Bangkok’s weirdest new app, which lets users pin public toilets. The app, Khee, crowdsources public toilets for people who feel the call of nature in the city, complete with a Google Maps-like interface with cutesy rainbow-colored poop pins

Plant-based pansexual

Overwatch 2’s 37th character will be Niran Pruksamanee, aka Lifeweaver, who is described in reports as a celebration of Thai culture and is shown holding a lotus flower in a character portrait. Overwatch 2, from Blizzard Entertainment, has described the character as a plant-based pansexual.

Beer Posts

Last month saw a lot of drama from the Beer People’s Beer Festival, and this month a Thai advocate for reforming alcohol laws faces prosecution and hefty fines for posting photos of craft beer. Activist Thanakorn “Benz” now faces a fine of at least B750,000 for social media posts about craft beer.

Butt Tagger

Some weirdo in the Bang Na area has been painting women’s pants red. Why? Bangkok, that’s why. Described as an older man, the culprit has been spray painting the back of pants, and police told one victim that the man has been arrested on similar charges before. Stay safe, stay paint-free.

HBO’s ‘White Lotus’ is coming to Thailand— but where?

The rumors were true. Variety published an exclusive in April claiming that “White Lotus,” the HBO show about modern American malaise and occasional murder in luxury hotels, would be filming in Thailand.

HBO has yet to comment on the location of the third season of the show or confirm the sources cited by Variety, but the smart money is on Four Seasons. The first two series of the show were filmed in Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii and Four Seasons’ San Domenico Palace in Sicily.

Assuming they want to stay with that winning formula, there are four Four Seasons hotels in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, the Golden Triangle, and in Bangkok. As the previous seasons were island and beach based, Four Seasons Koh Samui seems like the obvious choice.

Showrunner Mike White said at the end of season two: “I think the third season would

be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”

Four Seasons is the frontrunner, but a seasonal closing at the Amanpuri Phuket is also a good bet.

New 24-hour outdoor mall to open in Thonglor

Under construction for quite some time and with food trucks now open outdoors, Bangkok can finally get a look in at Marche. It’s only half finished at the moment, replacing the old Tops Supermarket, Burger King, and Starbucks.

Visitors can currently enjoy food stalls, the new Tops, and walk your dog through the pet-friendly spaces. Other areas will slowly be opening throughout the year, but there is not completion date set for the entire space.

Eateries and cafes are found upstairs from the new Tops Supermarket. Much of the second level is an outdoor area that will be good for working and sitting, the third floor will be—wellness clinics,

and the fourth floor, at the time of writing, still smelled like paint so keep watching for more updates.

Best Eats from BK will finally make its return this

year

After a hiatus last year, BK Magazine is bringing back its Best Eats guide — highlighting Bangkok’s soul food and comfort food champions. Whether you are looking for the best American smash burger, a steaming bowl of cheap ramen, a new izakaya to try, or just some good old junk food, you will find it in Best Eats.

The team at BK Magazine has searched far and wide for all the types of food you want to shamelessly tuck into after a tiring day at the office. For years, it has been one of our most popular food guides, and it’s back this June.

You’ll find the guide inserted in the July issue of BK Magazine. Throughout the following months we’ll be publishing the content section-by-section on our website—so keep an eye out.

BK NEWS QUIZ

1. What is the street food dish featured in Netflix’s food thriller “Hunger?”

a. Definitely crab omelet.

b. Pad kaprow

c. Khao mun gai

d. Pad see ew

2. What is Shake Shack’s special menu item for its Thailand’s outlet?

a. Kaprow burger.

b. Sai oua cheese sausage hot dog.

c. Shake fries with kapi powder.

d. Pandan sticky rice milkshake

3. If Prayuth were to win another term, how long can he serve as a prime minister according to the constitution?

a. The reign of our glorious leader shall never end.

b. 1.5 years.

c. Another regular 4 year term.

d. 120 years.

4. What did Fat Joe do in Pattaya after Rolling Loud Thailand?

a. Take in the cultural sites of downtown Pattaya.

b. Go to walking street with Chris Brown.

c. Get a photo taken with a tiger.

d. Go to Koh Samet.

Answers: 1) D. It’s pad see ew but one could say the young protagonist is reminiscent of Jay Fai with a ‘mastery’ over fire. 2) D. A crowd favorite, the milkshake with pandan sticky rice. It’s definitely a cheat day type of thing. 3) B. According to a recent Supreme Court’s ruling, Prayuth had been in power for 6 years, so he would have another 1.5 years to serve the allotted eight years under the constitution. 4) C. The 52-year-old Fat Joe, posed for a tiger shot at Pattaya Tiger Park on Instagram alongside Rolling Loud co-creator Matt Zingler.

Photo: Marche / Coconuts Bangkok

Cielo Sky Bar and Restaurant

Happy Hours: Sun-Thu 5:307pm.

When you think of rooftop bars, you probably think of the downtown CBD, but don’t forget there’s a good one in Phra Khanong. Head up to the 46th floor and catch the sunset far from the 20-year-old English teachers on Tinder dates in W District. There are special prices on selected beer, and right now they also have summer cocktails on offer.

Cooling Tower

Happy Hours: Daily 5-6:30pm

Carlton Hotel’s rooftop bar sits on the 34th floor above Sukhumvit Road. You can sit back and escape the unusually long Asoke intersection traffic right below while taking in the view. Their happy hour menu is two pages long for buy-one-get-one deals, including cocktails, wine, and beer.

Let’s get happy

Rooftop Bars

Escape

Happy Hours: Daily 5-7pm.

The swanky EmQuartier dedicates some its fifth-floor, malltop space to a venue that’s part tapas bar, part tiki bar, and wholly committed to its “downtown beach club” theme. Put on your Hawaiian shirt and enjoy drinks at special prices from wines (B199) and cocktails (B199) to Bootleg Brothers craft beer (B99) and Corona beer buckets (B699/ four bottles)

Nest Rooftop Lounge

Happy Hours: Mon-Wed 6-10pm.

This rooftop bar sits on the ninth floor above the craze of Sukhumvit Soi 11 and offers a 360-degree view. Its happy hours last longer than usual (four hours instead of the usual two), and drinks vary depending on the day, with buyone-get-one mojitos on Mondays, wine on Tuesdays, caipirinha on Wednesdays, and ladies night for the entire evening on Thursdays (free mojito).

Red Sky

Happy Hours: Daily 4-6pm

This 55th-floor rooftop bar offers buy-one-get-a-second at half price on selected gin-based signature cocktails like the elderflower ginger, pineapple cardamom, mary berry, or wolfberry lemon (B690 for two). If the sun is too much in this summer heat head down one floor for Uno Mas’s buy-one-get-one on wine, sangria, beer, and standard cocktails.

Sky on 20

Happy Hours: Daily, 5-7pm

Sukhumvit Soi 20’s rooftop bar sits on the 26th floor and offers special prices on selected drinks from draft beer (B120/half a pint of Chang) to standard cocktails like pina coladas (B200). Other simple spirits-based cocktails are available for B200.

Spectrum Lounge and Bar

Happy Hours: All night. Spread over three levels, from the 29th to 31st floor over 280 sqm, Spectrum can accommodate almost 300 people. Even though it doesn’t have “happy hours” per se, it has something better. For B999 you get two hours of freeflow house wine (red, white, sparkling), and for B2,099 you get two hours of unlimited champagne.

Zoom Sky Bar

Happy Hours: Daily 5:307:30pm.

One of the lesser talked about sky lounges in Sathorn, an area absolutely rammed with rootop bars. Pull up a seat at Zoom Sky Bar on the 40th floor of the JC Kevin Hotel, watch the bustling Narathiwas road below, and enjoy buy-one-get-one on all cocktails from B370—meaning you end up paying B185 per glass for the likes of apple martinis, cosmos, Singapore slings, margaritas, and 17 more options.

Pubs and Dives

Old English

Happy Hours: Daily 1-7pm. This classic English-style pub on Thonglor relocated last year to a more cozy spot by the BTS. In addition to one of the cheapest happy hours in town, it’s a solid spot for sports lovers (and wing lovers). You’ll find B45 pints as part of their “Pint for a Pound” gimmick from 1-3pm, and then B65 and B85 at 3pm and 5pm respectively.

Robin Hood

Happy Hours: Daily 9am-7pm. Hanging off the edge of Sukhumvit, Robin Hood is decked out in comforting wood furnishings and is just staggering distance from BTS Phrom Phong. The long-running British boozer is packed for big sports events and serves an excellent Sunday roast. For happy hour, check out their special deals on cocktails, buckets, and pints starting at around B119.

12x12

Happy Hour: Tue-Sat 6-8pm. It’s not trying to be cool. It just is. Expect a homey setting of couches and other mixand-match furnishings and a well-stocked wooden bar with some surprisingly inventive cocktails. With a rotating roster of DJs spinning on the regular, 12x12 sometimes rides the line between dive and club—along with a buy two get one deal on happy hour cocktails.

Royal Oak

Happy Hours: Mon 9am-midnight, Tue-Sun 9am-7pm.

A BK Magazine runner up at the BAD Awards 2023, this spot hosts regular comedy from The Comedy Club Bangkok upstairs and a serious quiz night. Similarly, it’s well situ-

ated on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 within easy walking distance of something a bit more specialized like Hair of the Dog. Happy hour here is chill and cheap with deals on selected beers and cocktails.

PJ O’Brien’s

Happy Hours: Daily 11am-7pm. Serving up pints and surprisingly good food for the Phra Khanong crowd, PJ O’Brien’s evinces a refreshingly upscale pub take for something so far down the Sukhumvit. Here you’ll find a lot of sports fans and occasional live music—as well as a lengthy and cheap happy hour featuring Tiger at B75.

Clubhouse Bar and Grill

Happy Hours: Daily 9:30am7pm.

If there’s a game on, you can expect the downstairs to be packed, and the upstairs offers a more intimate, fun feel. A little more sleek than you expect from your average sports bar, the staff are on the ball, and you can expect nine beers on draft, lunch specials Monday to Friday, and special prices on selected beer, spirits, and wine.

Mad Bulldog Pub and Grub

Happy Hours: All day Tuesday; 4-8pm and 11:30am-closing Wed-Sun.

A new pub on the scene, the pet-friendly Mad Bulldog Pub and Grub in Phra Khanong has been open for just around two months. The gastro-pub on Sukhumvit 71 by W Market has live music nearly every day and a selection of Western and Asian snacks. Pets should be leashed, in a trolley, or in a bag.

The Game

Happy Hours: Daily 8am-7pm. With live music at this sports-centric pub in Nana, patrons can play pool, grab some tacos, and enjoy tunes from the likes of the Bangkok Beatles every Monday. Every game you were hoping to catch is on here, and happy hour will see you grabbing bottles of local beers and Heiniken, Asahi, and San Miguel Light for a cheap B100.

Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub Bangkok

Happy Hours:Daily 3-7pm. At the far end of Soi Cowboy, Scruffy Murphy’s is hard to miss. The exterior is a taste of what you’ll get inside: Good old fashioned Irish pub—with, admittedly, some of the Cowboy crowd. That said, the happy hours could make for a good afterwork spot for the Asoke office crews.

22 Steps Craft House

Happy Hours: Daily 6-8pm. Friday “after work session” 4-6pm.

A higher end sort of pub on the mezzanine floor of Hotel Indigo on Wireless Road, 22 Steps Craft House is definitely geared more toward the hi-sos in the neighborhood, but their buyone-get-one happy hour levels the playing field. The design is sleek, the food is high-end, and it’s buy-one-get-one on selected craft beer, wine, and draught for happy hour—and a Friday “after work session” for buy-one-get one draft beer and house wine from 4-6pm.

Cooling Tower

Sky on 20

Royal Oak

Clubhouse Bar and Grill

Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub Bangkok

Clubs and Cocktail Bars

Cinemaclub

Happy Hours: 6-9pm. For self-proclaimed cinephiles looking for casual spots to down quality drinks with cinema vibes, head to Ari’s cocktail bar hidden in the hip Josh hotel. Here, you can order four cocktails—designed by the illustrious Fah Beer to mirror each of its film genres— for B1,200 or get one free glass of beer Lao when ordering three of them (B600).

Mezcal

Happy Hours: Thu-Sun 6pm7:30pm.

Happy hours don’t have to be just about the drinks. This mezcal specialty bar in Sathorn wants to fill your belly before blowing your mind with their smoky, strong cocktails. With their Cantina Hours, you get a snack every time you order their drink (B400)—from a small sea bass aguachile for your first drink to wagyu tacos for your fourth drink.

Villa Eugenia

Happy hours: Daily 6pm9pm.

Located inside Metropole Hotel is the new restaurantslash-bar Villa, boasting classic colonial vintage luxury, French and Spanish comfort food, and classic cocktails. Beer, wine, and cocktail lovers can order a drink and get their next for free at this high-end happy hour.

Yoshi

Happy hours: Tue-Sun 6pm8pm.

With super-friendly happy hours, over a dozen sake labels, and a lived-in vibe, this low-key bar brings sake down to Earth. Expect a fifty percent cut from its drinks—think Sapparo draft beer (normally B240) for B120 and their Jim beam soda hi-ball for just B90. Sake lovers can opt for their all you can drink buffet for B1,290

Maggie Choos

Happy Hour: Tue-Sun 7pm8pm.

This decadent bar hidden inside Hotel Novotel Bangkok Fenix never fails to impress your date(s) with its exotic gambling-den vibe, evoking colonial outposts reminiscent of James Bond movies. Head there for its “victory hour” where you can enjoy a 50-percent discount on their canapes and deep-fried dishes.

The Iron Fairies

Happy Hours: Sun-Thu 6pm8pm.

After years of hiatus, this conceptual, design-forward bar has made its return to Sukhumvit Soi 39, which still mirrors some of the wild style from its former location— think gargoyles hanging from the ceiling. Enjoy its buyone-get-one promotion on select drinks, ranging from classic cocktails, red and white wine by the glass, and Aperol spritzes.

Yoshi The Iron Fairies

Mezcal

Resto Bars

Antito

Happy hours: Daily 5-7pm. Known for its range of casual Italian bites crafted by Amerigo Tito Sesti, who you might know from J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain, Antito’s poolside perch atop the 14th floor of Sathorn’s Eastin Grand Hotel makes it a cool breezy spot to knock back some afterwork drinks. The gig is simple: 50-percent off everything (except bottles of wine).

Blue Parrot

Happy Hours: Mon-Thu 4-7pm.

Runner up for “best alfresco bar” in BK Magazine’s BAD Awards 2023, who wouldn’t want to have a few cheap drinks here? Snag aperitifs for as little as B85. Panaches and Monacos will set you back just B93. Singha draft at B93 (320ml) and B170 (620ml). Rival rose wine is B170/glass.

Charley Browns

Happy Hours: Daily 4-6pm. Asoke’s long standing Mexican favorite has been host to one of the area’s best happy hours for a little over a decade after it moved from Sukhumvit Soi 11 several years ago. Here, margaritas and sangrias are 50-percent off, domestic beers and house pours for B85, and house

wine will set you back B100. On Tuesdays, the margarita and sangria deal extends from 4pm until close.

Thonglor Yokocho

Happy Hours: Daily 5-7pm. Thonglorites who favor back alley yakitori over the pricey main street options will already know Thonglor Yokocho (at the back corner of Thonglor Soi 9) for its booming welcome drum and monster menu of reasonably priced izakaya favorites. What they also know is that if you show up for happy hour you get three-for-one deals on glasses of Asahi, chuhai, and high balls.

Kosmo

Happy Hours: Daily 4-7pm. Most people discover happy hour here naturally thanks to the fact that showing up any later than 5pm often means you can’t get a table. The Phra Khanong favorite is packed nightly with boozers and eaters chomping on international pub-grub and enjoying the alfresco vibes. The immensely popular happy hour deals see on-tap Belgian beers for as little as B75, glasses of wine for B100, and cocktails from B125.

Hemingway’s

Happy Hours: Daily 9am7pm.

Hemingway’s is a strong contender for your happy hour baht with its high-end pub food and easy sipping drinks. Its happy hour starts way too early to drink (9am), but you can get local beers and some spirits for B99, wine by the glass from B129, draft beers from B109, among others.

Junker and Bar

Happy Hours: Daily 3:306:30pm.

This Suan Plu institution is one of the last standing restaurant bars to hold out against the wave of upscale gentrification to hit the soi over the past five years—and we are happy to see it. Here, you’ll find B100 cocktails, glasses of wine, and Tiger beers. Once the happy hour runs out you’ll still see a lot of mileage out of your baht.

BKK CF

Happy Hours: Daily 9am7pm

There’s a little bit of everything at this On Nut watering hole on the second level of the Habito Mall. Live sports, pool, an open-air terrace and happy hour specials on big beers and drinks starting at B100. On top of the bar’s food menu, you can order grub from the other restaurants in Habito and eat it directly in the venue—making the range of food options here huge.

The Deck

Happy Hours: Wed 7ammidnight.

Another runner up in BK Magazine’s BAD Awards 2023—again for the alfresco category—The Deck feels like a tropical oasis in the middle of Bangkok’s concrete jungle. The massive bar is surprising for this neck of the woods, and two floors of seating makes things feel spacious. For the happy hour, you’re looking at an all-day buy-one-get-one on beer, wine, spirits and select cocktails. ●

Antito Penthouse

THONGLOR’S CASUAL NEW KOREAN DINING SPOT COULD BE YOUR NEXT HIP HIDEAWAY

The buzz: Meandering through the residential lanes of Thonglor Soi 19, you may stumble upon a hidden gem with an irresistible allure: Macha. This recently opened Korean casual dining venue blends the warmth of intimate Korean classics with a playful twist.

The vibe: Stepping into this cozy three-story building, you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to the heart of a quintessential Korean home, from the welcoming white cushioned sofa and dark-wood accents to the delightfully warm orange hue walls. Following the elegant wooden staircase, you’ll be led to a spacious second-floor retreat, where the lush, leafy ferns and abundance of natural light enhance the comfortable and inviting ambience.

The food: Despite having macha in the name, the venue doesn’t have anything to do with Japanese green tea. Rather, this place drew inspiration from pojangmacha , the plasticcurtained moving food carts of Korean streets. The owner and young culinary graduate Seokhoon Kang seeks to echo the comfort of these street food carts while offering playful twists on classic Korean dishes. He tells BK that he always dreamt of gently defying conventions when he got his first restaurant.

The jangjorim bibim-myon (B240)—a hearty, cold pasta featuring simmering soy-braised beef shredded into chewy strands—brims with umami-rich sweetness. Another highlypraised dish, macha tteokbokki (B320), boasts a large pot of simmered rice cake bathed in gochujang-rich sauce, sausages, and fish cakes that we initially mistook for meatballs. Though not a fan of Korean rice cakes, their addictive quality grows with each bite. Fans of Korean fried chicken can’t miss his macha chicken (B330), a pot of sweet, crispy fried chicken combined with the delicate glaze of sticky, honey-like sweetness and gentle heat. But the real top-notch dish is his French toast (B250); the delicately crisp outer layers—not too sweet or buttery—give way to a pillowy, luscious interior stuffed with custardy kaya. This may sound like an exaggeration, but the dish surpasses other brunch spots that ask for more than B300 for the same thing.

Why we’d come back: Macha sets itself apart from the typical fusion establishments that, more often than not, value style over substance. With its delightfully intimate ambiance and refreshing take on Korean cuisine, we’re confident Macha will be crowded with food enthusiasts in no time. ●

Porpor Leelasestaporn

Burger joint Quickie made a huge debut last year for one obvious reason: its shocking resemblance to Shake Shack—which launched its first branch on Mar 30 to much fanfare. With its whimsical neon-lit burger sign and pattern schemes right down to Shake Shack’s DNA, it doesn’t take a degree in graphic design to figure it out. The big difference from its American counterpart is the red retro American diner vibe—and, of course, the food.

During its glory days last year, this place flaunted red classic Americana diner decor, drawing Instagrammers, curious foodies, and regular folks alike and has even expanded the repertoire to two more locations: Eight Thonglor and Sukhumvit Soi 11. But those days are over and the real deal is here now. During our last visit to their two out of three locations, they were all empty (Langsuan’s aircon was dripping) and it’s not difficult to guess why.

One of the signature dishes, the Quickie Burger (B190), explains it all. The smashed prime beef patty was crispy and lightly charred on the side to our liking, but the buns were a significant let down: soggy, saturated with oily beef juice, and falling apart. We gave them another chance at their Sukhumvit Soi 11 branch and encountered the same result; at least it’s consistent. The truffle burger (B390) was satisfying but mediocre.

Equally disastrous was the vanilla milkshake (B140), lacking the rich, creamy texture that one expects from a modern milkshake. Comparing it to the shakes at Thonglor’s Bun Meat and Cheese, Little Market, and Cast Iron Burgerhaus, it’s not even close. It was diluted and watery, reminiscent of the cheap frozen drinks found on street corners. The addition of marshmallows on top did little to remedy the situation, serving as a decorative garnish to a disappointing concoction. You will meet with the same watery taste regardless of the branch.

Quickie isn’t the only spot to be accused of being a Shake Shack cut-and-paste job, but places like Prime Burger have their own bright spots and originality. We’re not completely writing off Quickie. Despite the undesirable execution of its menu—even the Shroom Burger name is ripped from the real deal—it’s still somewhere you can get a quick meal without waiting and a photo with its photogenic backdrop.

The prices are definitely cheaper compared to most of Shake Shack’s menu; some are even half the price, such as Shake Shack’s pandan jelly shake (B230), but, well, you get what you pay for. It may not be a foodie destination but at least it has something to offer. ●

PRU

60/1, Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road, 076310-232. Open Thurs-Mon, 6-10:30pm

Taking its name from Pru Jampa, the village in Phuket where the resort’s own organic farm is located, MICHELINstarred Pru works with local producers to create an exquisite selection of five or seven multi-course meals (which they refer to as “experiences”). The team regularly pairs popular Thai ingredients with lesser-known ones in order to highlight the rich biodiversity that can be found across Thailand. Executive chef Jim Ophorst collaborates with businesses such as the neighboring goat farm and even goes for aging himself to source only the freshest ingredients. The result is a constantly changing “experience” (including a vegetarian option) that can feature surprises like confit suckling lamb glazed with a classic Thai shrimp paste, and wood-fired river prawns served with a homemade Indian plum sauce and aged chorizo

Get a complimentary beverage valued THB 500 when spending via UOB Credit Card or TMRW Credit Card

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

Privileges are available to Citi-branded card members

(At least 7 days advance reservations is required, please mention “credit card promotion” upon booking and excluding other promotions)

1 Feb ’23 – 31 Aug ’23

Terms and Conditions apply

95 Sarasin Rd, 061 632 6444. Open daily 24 hours.

Royal Orchid Sheraton opens Siam Yacht Club on the Chaophraya

The Royal Orchid Sheraton, just a stone’s throw from the tourist haven of River City Bangkok, has opened Siam Yacht Club, along with some deals to go with the grand opening. Siam Yacht Club steers into a nautical theme and the abiding history of the Chao Phraya, spread across 600 square meters. To launch the new venue, the grand opening period will feature special deals through May 31, including sparkling wine deals for groups of 10 or more and sundowner freeflow for signature drinks from 5:30-6:30pm for B990. Food and drink at the new venue are Asian inspired, and DJs are expected to get spinning when the party runs late.

Shake Shack finally opened at Central World with special Thai twists

The long wait is soon to be over for this American burger chain, as Shake Shack Thailand unveiled its official opening at G/F Central World. The classic Shack Burger (B230 /single, B385/double) and the Smoke Shack (B275/single, B385/double) are exactly what you were waiting for, but there are a few special Thai items to watch too. First and foremost is the pandan sticky rice shake (B230). A twist on their classic shakes, the item sees vanilla ice cream blended with palm sugar and rice milk and later completed with pandan jelly and Thai sweet sticky rice. It’s sweet, no doubt, but also soothing in an inexplicable way. If you love Thai mango sticky rice and Thai pandan desserts, this is something you can’t miss.

Tokyo’s third-wave specialty coffee roaster now open in Bangkok’s Old Town

Good news for caffeine enthusiasts, the renowned Japanese coffee brand, Onibus Coffee, has finally rolled out, opening its first outpost in Thailand in front of Samran Rat’s hip Once Again Hostel. Despite the diminutive space housing both of its speed and slow bars, standing tables, and few seats, Onibus Bangkok is functional and promises high quality joe imported from Japan, available for both light roast and dark roast beans. After receiving his barista training in Australia, Japanese founder Atsushi Sakao kickstarted his multi-roaster coffee shop in 2012 and garnered loyal fans for the high quality beans.

Siam Yacht Club

Shake Shack

Alpea

Feast on oysters every Friday at Sathorn’s favorite new French bistro

If you’re in the habit of burning through your pockets with a combination of oysters and glasses of wine, this Sathorn French bistro might prolong your bankruptcy a little longer. Every Friday, Alpea brings some of the finest oysters sourced from Jean Paul Guernier and Utah Beach to pair up with not one but two glasses of wine of your choice (white or rose wine). For six pieces, Jean Paul Guernier oysters start at B1,200 and 10 will set you back B1,600. Opened in December last year, Alpea is an ambitious project of Bangkok’s most vaunted French chef, Arnaud Dunand, where he loosens his grasp of haute cuisine to cook intimate dishes.

Get special price for lunch set menu 2 courses at THB 850 net and 3 courses at THB 1,250 net (only on Monday – Friday, 12.00 pm – 2.30 pm) when spending via UOB Credit Card or TMRW Credit Card

Privileges are available to Citi-branded card members (advance reservation is required, excluding other discounts, other promotions, public holidays and festive seasons)

1 Mar ’23 - 31 Dec ’23

Lunch at Waldorf for a good cause through June

Waldorf Astoria’s Front Room is doing a three-course southern Thai lunch set menu for B1,650, from which B150 will be donated to Amir al-Mu’minin Foundation, a Yala-based not-for-profit organization that looks after orphans in Southern Thailand, until June 30 between 11:30am-3pm. The “Culinary Journey to the Far South at Front Room” is presented by Front Room’s very own chef Chareef Pattanakul who was born and raised in Narathiwat, the southernmost region of Thailand. Front Room, a Top Tables 2022 pick, is known for the traditional Thai flavors married to the chef’s Scandinavian style in the sun-dappled ground floor of the plush Waldorf Astoria.

Ekkamai’s Asian smokehouse unveils a tasting menu

If you’re looking for a true barbecue experience, head to Aromkwan, Ekkamai’s Asian smokehouse, for its new chef’s table experience boasting a cascade of smoky, tender chunks of beef. Don’t let the chef’s table moniker fool you. Unlike haute cuisine restaurants that force you to sit for hours to taste nibbles and morsels, Aromkwan offers something more intimate—think a banana leaf banquet where massive portions of tenderized smoky ribs make an entrance to the table one after the other until you’re too full to finish. For B3,800, Vishanu “Bank” Prempuk marinates, smokes, and slowcooks each of his ingredients with fastidious care over flavor wood fires.

JAMPA

46/6, Moo 3, The Community House, 076-342-122. Open Wed-Sun noon3pm and 6-10pm

Jampa has long maintained a commitment to sustainability paired with a casual approach. Here, sustainability goes hand-in-hand with exquisite dishes, with the team placing an emphasis on “zero waste cuisine” and the philosophy of “Dine Good, Do Good.” The “farm to fork” concept — they also harvest from the Pru Jampa Farm, thus creating a closed-loop system — means that the menu is constantly rotating based on the seasonal ingredients that can be obtained from the neighboring sea and forest, which are in turn cooked with a variety of woodfired tech-niques. Diners can expect delicious and earthy dishes like home made barbeque sourdough with a side of fish paté, sweet butternut squash with a homemade salsa verde and creamy hollandaise, and grilled seabass served with caviar from Hua Hin.

Get a complimentary beverage valued THB 500 when ordering Experience set menu and spending via UOB Credit Card or TMRW Credit Card

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

(At least 7 days advance reservations is required, please mention “credit card promotion” upon booking and excluding other promotions)

15 Jan ’23 – 31 Aug ’23

Terms and Conditions apply

Aromkwan

Privileges are available to Citi-branded card members

Front Room

Charoenkrung’s Thai fine-dining

restaurant Mother unveils its new a la carte menu

After making its debut as a casual fine-dining restaurant with Thai-centric ingredients in Charoenkrung, Mother is featuring past favorite dishes—and some new inspiration— in its recently unveiled a la carte menu. Opened in a two-story shophouse with an earthy, wood-feel, Mother foregoes the usual embellishments found among Thai progressive restaurants and adopts the more straightforward approach with its highquality produce. For their new tasting menu, the chef duo Khun Apis and Koranat “Tle” Robkob seek to reconnect with their roots .

Thonglor’s iconic dishes turn into cocktails at this new bar

One of Bangkok’s OG bartenders with experience of over 10 years on the scene, Suchada “Fahbeer” Sopajaree has opened her latest venture. Lost in Thaislation, right next to BTS Thong Lo, serves local dish-inspired drinks in a fun, casual vibe. Inside is a huge contrast to Sukhumvit road and its surroundings. You’ll feel as if you’ve just walked into a neat, quiet

omakase place, with the light wood interior bringing a Zen vibe. On first glance at the drink menu, it can be easily mistaken for a food menu, hence the disclaimer at the bottom, “P.S. This is a drink menu.” Each drink is inspired by the famous dishes of Thonglor. For example, khao mun gai is from Boon Tong Kiat (opposite Thonglor Soi 15).

Rabbit Hole launches a new cocktail menu for the first time in 7 years

One of Thonglor’s pioneering cocktail speakeasies, Rabbit Hole, has launched a new cocktail menu for the first time in its long history. The new menu features 26 new drinks based on the English alphabet and was created by the Rabbit Hole team, led by Supawait “Palm” Muttarattana (formerly Vesper, Backstage, to name a few), and Noppasate “Depp” Hirunwathit. With the A is for Apple, for example, you’ll get a cocktail with, you guessed it, apple ingredients (red apple, fermented raspberry, Campari, Ketel One vodka, green apple, giant water bug mousse, B420).

Grand Hyatt’s Italian restaurant

Salvia now serving a spring menu

Salvia, the warm, homey Italian restaurant at Grand Hyatt Erawan, has launched a spring menu featuring items made with Italian spring ingredients. Diners will find new items made with produce from springtime in Italy, including white asparagus, spring truffle, zucchinis, tomatoes, and olives. Chef Roberto Parentela showcases comfort dishes inspired by his childhood like the Gnocchetti sardi al ragu di salsiccia (Sardinian gnocchetti, sausage ragout, grana Padano, B380).

Fashion-forward club ‘for millennials’ puts on tunes for the Thonglor crowd

The Milley Club is bringing a new mix of class, youth, and music for the Thonglor club kids on the third floor of J Avenue. Opening earlier this year with a focus on both live bands and DJs, Milley is making waves for the new, hot tunes and drinks from Supawit “Palm” Muttarattana, formerly of Vesper and currently the group beverage director at the Watermelon Group, which runs places like Rabbit Hole, Canvas, and Bar Marco. ●

Mother Milley Club

Lost in Thaislation

THIS HARDCORE PUNK BAND IS SPREADING THAI SOFT POWER WITH AN ANTIGOVERNMENT MESSAGE

Speech Odd goes international with a powerviolence sound and ‘chainsaw’ vocals.

It started with a handful of videos posted to social media in early 2022. Footage from inside what appeared to be a rehearsal space converted from a storefront, facing out onto a city street. Given the late hour, the scenes were lit such that they might’ve passed for black and white, if not for the one obvious, color object in frame: A pink knit hat, worn by a slight young woman arching backward in quasi-demonic screams, set to blastbeats and a single guitar oscillating between chaotic riffs and squalls of feedback.

Thus Bangkok’s punk scene was introduced to what is now arguably its most mercurial soft power export, Speech Odd.

“It all happened in a year,” says Bom, the band’s drummer and a longtime fan of the punk subgenre christened “powerviolence,” which pushed punk’s speed and dissonance to extremes in Japan and the US around the early 1990’s.

After playing in bands together a bit as teenagers, then drifting apart, Bom and guitarist Nampan reunited in the wake of the 2020 protests that rocked Bangkok, angered by scenes of unarmed students facing down riot police and water cannons.

Seeing their collaboration, and similarly enraged by the turns of late 2020, Nampan’s girlfriend, Pam, offered to perform vocal duties.

“The initial intention was just to make a song to express our frustrations and emotions,” she says. “I didn’t care if anyone was interested in listening to it.”

But listen people did. In the last few months, Speech Odd has shared stages with touring bands from far-flung corners of the world, as covid restrictions have waned and foreign punk acts with enough clout to tour internationally have returned.

In the meantime, the band’s social media savvy caught the attention of record labels

in Singapore, Germany, and the US, who’ve teamed up to release Speech Odd’s debut EP, Odd World. Coxinha Records, a German label focused on anti-fascist punk and hardcore, was hooked the minute they first heard the band.

“Pam’s voice is a pissed-off chainsaw,” the couple behind the label explain. “The aesthetics of their artwork fit the political lyrics in a perfect way.” It’s an astute observation. From go, what the band has done in terms of branding rivals case studies circulated in Harvard’s MBA program.

Their 2022 demo (released on cassette and online) packed four obscenity-laced blasts of anti-government rage into just under five minutes, packaged in a stylized illustration: an iconic photo of a Thai cop beating a protester, rendered as a sort of black-and-pink comic book frame.

“It was Pam’s idea to create something visually memorable,” explains Bom.

Joshua Stephens

“Whether it’s the color palette of the cover art or her brightly colored outfits, the aggressive content is still present.” Clothed for the club or a career in car repair, pink plays some role in everything from Pam’s stage presence, to the band’s merch, to their online personality. Consequently, it’s now virtually impossible to see the color at a Bangkok punk show and not think of Speech Odd.

In a sense, their approach synthesizes two camps within the early years of powerviolence, explains Nate Newton, bassist for Boston’s chaotic hardcore elder statesmen Converge. Traditionally, the genre has been dominated by vocally antiestablishment acts but occasionally birthed bands that satirized the punk and metal scenes from which they came.

“I’d break it more into [bands like] Infest or Man is the Bastard, and Spazz,” he says. Where the former two are standard-bearers of politically confrontational punk, the latter— along with bands like Chicago’s Charles Bronson; a favorite around the Speech Odd proverbial office—tread primarily in in-group references and barbed punchlines about their peers.

Speech Odd dances between the two, going for the Thai establishment’s jugular lyrically, with song titles channeling the guan teen (กวนตีีน) trolling common to Thai activist social media, satirizing the political class. An English translation of the early Covid hashtag

#ผู้้�นำ�โง่่เร�จะตี�ยกันหมด

(“Our foolish leaders will lead us to death”) appears as a song title on their recent EP.

The chasm between Thai musicians of Speech Odd’s generation and the government’s efforts to expand “soft power” via cultural exports like music and film, has generated no shortage of headlines.

From the controversy of rapper Milli’s statements about the Prime Minister’s Covid policy, to a court ordering that Rap Against Dictatorship’s track Patiroop be removed from streaming platforms, there seems little resolution on the horizon. The members of Speech Odd know this, and what it means for them.

“I’m not worried about problems that may arise,” says Pam. “In fact, I have prepared myself for that situation.”

With the release of their EP as a physical object produced by labels outside the country, the band has conducted a bit of jiu-jitsu, leveraging punk’s DIY ethic to acquire a platform beyond the reach of the establishment they challenge.

“Our aim is for events in Thailand to be talked about in as many communities as possible and be documented in a permanent way,” says Nampan. “Foreign outfits distribute our music. [The government] can’t control that. If any obstacles do arise, it means someone noticed, which simply means we’ve done our job.” ●

When you think about Vietnam, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, if you like) might come to mind. But there’s a beachside city that’s much smaller, and much more peaceful: Da Nang.

You can fly directly to Da Nang International Airport from Bangkok via AirAsia (Don Mueang) or VietJet (Suvarnabhumi), which makes it convenient for a mini-break (around B7,000-10,000 round-trip). In under two hours, you’re transported to a sandy beach town in a different country—but still the same time-zone.

Let’s start from the most important thing: alcohol. While you’re paying B400 for a negroni in Bangkok, in Da Nang you get away with B250 (100,000 dong is roughly B150). At the speakeasy Te Bar, you climb a dark, scary three flights of stairs to find a door that opens to a spacious room decorated with a long bar and playing early 2000s sing-along hits.

Other bars worth visiting include Libre Bar featuring classic cocktails with Japanese style, Tailor Bar with good signature cocktails served with local bites, and The Craftsman Cocktail Bar for great cocktails and music.

3 NIGHTS IN DA NANG: HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF ENTERTAINED IN A QUIET VIETNAMESE BEACH GETAWAY

There are also a few beach clubs for day drinking like The Deck House An Bang Beach and Dana Beach Color (B100 for a beer).

For the food, head over to Mi Quang Ech Bep Trang for lunch. This is what’s considered native Da Nang cuisine. You get things like nem lui (lemongrass pork skewers), banh trang cuon thit heo (roasted greasy pork belly), and deep-fried shrimp rolls, all served with rice paper and lots of vegetables. They also serve frog soup here if you feel like it. We didn’t. With three dishes, the bill came to around B600 split between two people.

For dinner, head over to the cute little two-storey restaurant Bep Hen. The decorations are so stylish and quirky, we wondered if it was intentional or a space that came from centuries ago, with red and white candles and a leather work bag hanging off the wall. Serving traditional Vietnamese food, the bill came just short of B350 split between two people for three dishes and a bowl of rice.

Because Da Nang is still a few steps behind other Vietnamese developed cities, there are huge beachside resorts with all the space you could ever want. A Grab ride into the city

costs around B200 each 20-minute ride, or you can stay in the city and walk around. It depends on what you’re after.

Another must-do is to spend one or two nights in Hoi An. Anantara Hoi An Resort (B11,000/night) is located about three minutes walk from the colorful Hoi An old town and is peacefully hidden behind large trees. The pond at the front is also a home for many loud and vocal toads—you can’t see them, but you’ll definitely hear them—giving the resort its own kind of soundtrack.

The resort is relatively small, giving a very boutique vibe, and some of the rooms face directly toward the river; at night, you’ll see boats heavily decorated in fairy lights full of tourists. But don’t worry, this is nothing like the Chao Phraya River. It doesn’t stink and the boats aren’t blasting “I Will Survive.”

For the bahn mi lover, Phi Banh Mi is a must-visit but go early as they run out fast. Grab their special banh mi with avocado (B65).

Apart from the Hoi An old town, they play classical music through the speakers all over the town, too, which is a nice touch. ●

International travel is back, and so is the mini-break to this peaceful Vietnamese spot.

Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj

Sustainable bottled water brand from the springs of Sai Yok launches in Bangkok

Sai Yok Springs launched a new sustainable and locally sourced mineral water from the waters of one of Thailand’s most famous national park areas. With reusable glass bottles and a closed-loop reuse system, the new brand features still and sparkling mineral water from the springs of Sai Yok in Kanchanaburi just a few hours west of Bangkok. Hotels and restaurants will be the first adopters, a representative from Sai Yok Springs tells BK, but they hope to start delivering to households as well. The Sai Yok Springs warehouse is located in Bangkok on Chan Road, and the brand aims to tackle the immense waste problem of the F&B industry.

Bean bag brand Yogibo opens first flagship store in Thonglor

Yogibo, the lifestyle furniture retailer specializing in bean bag chairs and accessories, has opened its first flagship store in Thonglor. Previously, the brand had set up some displays in small zones of other shopping malls but head over to Thonglor Soi 13 and you’ll now find a proper flagship store. The standalone venue marks the brand’s sixth opening in Thailand. At the new flagship store, you’ll find regular hits like the Yogibo Max (a sort of lounging floor-bed, B9,744) and the Yogibo Pod (a bean bag, B8,400). On top of that, you can also catch the brand’s Disney collab, starting at B3,125 for a Minnie Traybo to B8,540 for a Woody Hugger.

Get ready for summer with this Ikea and Marimekko collaboration

Swedish minimalist home furniture store Ikea has teamed up with their fellow European friends, Marimekko, a Finnish brand, for a green and comfortable collaboration, ‘Bastua’. The collaboration is bringing a total 29 items (which will sell out fast) including kimono bathrobes (B1,290), shower curtains (B399), bags in three pattern designs (B99-149), and kitchenware like the clear glass jug and water glass (B149) and stainless steel water bottles (B299). Ikea should also be getting a lot closer for downtown dwellers, as the Swedish furniture giant announced last year that their next store will be set at Emsphere—the long under construction mega mall project taking shape next to the Emporium shopping mall by BTS Phrom Phong.

Uniqlo’s JW Anderson collab is back for this year’s spring/summer collection

Good news for the preppy kids of Bangkok, the latest collaboration by Uniqlo with British brand JW Anderson became available in Bangkok in April for the spring/summer collection. This is the sixth time that Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, the young founder of JW Anderson, is doing a collaboration with Unqlo. In this year’s collection, the collaboration will focus on modern interpretations of quintessential British style and is inspired by traditional sports at British universities, putting an athletic twist on classic wardrobe staples. Jonathan Anderson established JW Anderson in 2008 and earned the brand a show during the 2008 London Fashion Week the same year.

MEET THE FEMALE THAI PHOTOGRAPHER WHO SHOT THE OSCARS RED CARPET THIS YEAR

Early in March, Thai photographer Jutharat “Poupay” Pinyodoonyachet made waves when netizens found out she was shooting at the 95th Academy Awards red carpet for the New York Times. The 30-year-old freelance photographer has lived in New York since late 2019 after becoming fed up with unfairness in Thailand’s film production industry. BK called her from Bangkok to discuss beauty privilege and the lack of support in Thailand’s art scene that is stopping our creative industry from progressing.

How was your Oscars experience?

I was very excited. The New York Times sent three photographers and I was assigned to be at the red carpet. I’ve been freelancing for the New York Times for the past two and a half years, shooting arts and fashion—and this was a big event related to both—so they sent me. Next time, I would love to do other spots [at the event] as my photography style is usually very spontaneous and candid, or party moments full of energetic, positive and fun vibes.

Why did you move to New York?

I first came to New York for a study course. After I finished, I went back to Thailand and had friends in the industry who fed me work. I was a still photographer for a film production company and I would work 16 hours a day. Everyone thought that, or even 24 hours a day, was normal. People would tell me, “yea, it’s like that.” The last straw was when I left my home at 5am for a 6am call and ended up getting back home at 7am the following day. I sat on my bed and cried. They didn’t see my worth or even value my life as a production staff at all. The pay was seriously not worth it, or worth it for my mental health to be going through this. I didn’t think this culture was going to change anytime soon, or see how I

would be able to change it. I decided I would go back and give New York another try via the O-1 artist visa—where you have to submit your work portfolio for consideration—and I’d be able to work freelance legally.

How did you get started with the New York Times?

Covid hit almost right after I moved so I was mostly inside. Then there was the George Floyd protests, and it was a very historical moment. It was during a time when you couldn’t even dine next to each other in restaurants but people were out there, fighting for justice while wearing masks, so I went out and took some shots. I submitted the photo set to the New York Times together with another Covid-focused set that was about people living with wearing masks instead of the usual angles of grief and isolation. They said they would keep in touch and my first assignment came three months later. I shot gift shops in Time Square without the liveliness of tourists.

What are the struggles and obstacles to being a creative person in Thailand?

To be a working female photographer in such a male-dominated industry in Thailand is really hard. There’s a stereotypical image that it’s men who do this job and it’s hard

Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj

▲ Mind Flyer, 2018

to break through that. Then there’s also a beauty privilege element. If you want to “make it” in Thailand, you would have to fit with the beauty standards here in order for brands to want to sponsor you to use their gear or be a brand ambassador. You could be a total nobody but if you match Thai beauty standards, you’d get a gig and the media would pick it up and write about you as “the famous photographer” even if you had zero experience but looked pretty holding a camera. While in New York, the experience and jobs I get are all about skills. I can grow my career without the need for connections or the influence of the beauty privilege.

On top of that, most of the big commercial recognition platforms in Thailand are very outdated. For example, the categories for competitions always seem to revolve around “being a good-hearted Thai” or “having good morals.” That means your work needs to be very conservative—like shots of temples—in order to be recognized. Art should create discussion and be thought-provoking, but can we really do that in Thailand? With the nation so scared of controversy, how can true art be created?

That’s why I’m not coming back to Thailand. Here in New York, I know that my

hard work will be reciprocated fairly without having to worry about male privilege or leveraging connections. My skills are what’s appreciated.

What do you think Thailand needs to do to grow its creative industry more?

There are many arts grants that you can apply for in New York—from both the government and private sector. Even if your work is only 20-percent done you can often submit it as part of a grant proposal. There are also artist residency programs at galleries, without topic requirements. On top of financial support, getting these grants will help get you involved in the industry and with communities that will support you.

How do you feel when someone says “art is a privilege”?

It shouldn’t be thought of that way because art should make us question all the things around us and be accessible to everyone. The people in power need to make sure that we have art in more public spaces.

Any advice for people trying to make it in the art world?

Well, you first have to ask yourself where you want to make it. If that place is Thailand, I don’t think success has much to do with

results, but rather connections and the decisions of people with power and money. If you want to make it in other countries, you have to think like a world citizen and think about topics outside of just “being a goodhearted Thai” or “having good morals.” In Thailand, the industry is often monopolized by people who have power and funds, which means the work here still can’t reach the same level of diversity as the international scene. ●

▲ Pie man, NYC, 2020

▲ George Floyd Protest, 2020

▲ Summer in NYC, 2021