Bangkok Trader – Volume 6, Issue 4 – March 2012

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VOLUME 6, ISSUE NO. 4

The Samurai of Ayutthaya

MARCH 2012

Page 4

You are cordially invited to join us to celebrate our 5th anniversary of Bangkok Trader.

We’re having our annual blowout at Zanzibar at Sukhumvit Soi 11 on Friday, November 25th, from 6:30-9pm, with lots of food and drink, a DJ, dancers, and all of you there!

For more details, go to http://goo.gl/UBsgo or http://goo.gl/EnNbR

BANGKOK TRADER Volume 6, Issue No. 4 MARCH 2012

Published by Siam Gazette Co., Ltd. Publisher and Managing Director: Kaewta Verstein kaewta@thebangkoktrader.com Executive Assistant to the Managing Director: Pla Jaiyen Tel. 02 655 0941 pla@thebangkoktrader.com Sales & Marketing: Alan S. Verstein Tel. 081 761 9302 alan@thebangkoktrader.com Ad Sales (Thai) and Ad Traffic: Joke Chaymanee Tel. 084 147 5550 thailandmagazine@gmail.com Business Development Manager: Andy Hyde Tel. 080 814 9080 andy@bangkokbusinessbrief.com Creative Director: Reid Nixon reid@thebangkoktrader.com Delivery: Cha Lormnak

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Ground Floor, Vanissa Bldg, 29 Soi Chidlom Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel. 02 655 0940 • Fax 02 655 0941 Cover photo of Japanese Village provided by Voici Mihnea Simandan, who can be contacted at mihnea_voicu@yahoo.com

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The Samurai of Ayutthaya His life and times in the Siamese capital

By Voicu Mihnea Simandan The City of Ayutthaya is one of my favourite places in Thailand. I have been there on several occasions, both by myself and together with family and friends, and I can never get bored of its ancient ruins and wonderful attractions. On my trips, I have visited both the inner city and the area surrounding it, and one of the places that I keep going back to is the Japanese Village, or Baan Ippun in Thai and Nihonmachi in Japanese. It is situated on the banks of Chao Phraya River, opposite the Portuguese Village - which is visible on the other bank –, another historical site we have covered recently in the pages of Bangkok Trader.

The history of the Japanese Village is closely related to that of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who made it his home in the early 17th century, when Thailand was known as Siam and its capital city, Ayutthaya, was nearing greatness. Tracing back the history of the Japanese Village and its most famous leader, Yamada Nagamasa, is not an easy task, as Ayutthaya was completely destroyed when the Burmese army invaded it in 1767, killing, pillaging and burning everything in its way. Still, historians continue to search for documents and Yamada’s exploits in Siam have even been picked up by the public in the form of a big-screen movie.

Though historically inaccurate, Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya is a good introduction to the kind of life Yamada Nagamasa lived in Ayutthaya. The movie was released in Thailand in 2010 to celebrate the 127th anniversary of ThaiJapanese diplomatic relations. Directed by Nopporn Watin, who also organized the international muay thai tournaments which took place in Bangkok,

the movie is a “linguistic marvel,” with alternating dialogues in both Thai and Japanese, plus English and Thai subtitles. The DVD and Blu-ray versions have finally become available in the UK and Ireland at the beginning of 2012. It is a pity that the local DVD release has no subtitles!

A score of actors, mostly known only to the local and regional audience, and not as much to the Western one, raised the stakes of Yamada. The historical character of Yamada Nagamasa was played by Seki Oseki, a Japanese model and Thailand-based actor, who displayed a very good grasp of the Thai language. In the role of the pretty and sexy village girl we had Kanokkorn Jaicheun, aka Miss World Thailand 2007, who of course falls for “White Face,” as Yamada is referred to in her village.

A more scholarly approach was attempted in the form of a well-documented book

by Italian-born researcher Cesare Polenghi. Samurai of Ayutthaya: Yamada Nagamasa, Japanese Warrior and Merchant in Early 17th Century Siam (2009) was published by White Lotus, a Thailand-based publishing house that has already built a tremendous reputation with its long list of excellent books on the Southeast Asian region. It is the first monograph written in English about Yamada Nagamasa and the Japanese who were active in Southeast Asia before 1940!

From the little information that we have about Namagasa’s early life, we know for sure that he was born in Sumpu, in the Suruga province (located on the eastern coast of central Japan) in 1590, a time when Japan was entering a new era of peace and security, after a century and a half of civil war.

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There are no primary sources that deal directly with Nagamasa’s life and the main source about his exploits in Ayutthaya comes from the writing of a Dutch merchant, Jeremias van Villet, who lived in Ayutthaya from 1633 to 1640 and wrote extensively about what he had experienced.

According to the Siamese Royal Chronicles, in 1593, there were already 500 Japanese in Ayutthaya, many of whom had taken as wives Thai women, thus helping create a whole generation of young “Japanese-Thai” adults. Most of the Japanese who worked in Ayutthaya were either merchants or warriors or, in quite a few cases, both. As elite troops in King Song Tham’s bodyguard corps and as auxiliaries in the Siamese army, the Japanese soon built a reputation for themselves and their services were valued (though loathed for their brutality). As Christianity was tolerated in Ayutthaya, it is not surprising that most of the Japanese living in Baan Ippun were Christian, with as many as 1,500 Japanese Christians living there by 1662.

Unfortunately, the Siamese political scene of the late 1620s was highly influenced by a ruthless man called Phya Sriworawong whose greatest desire was to become king. At the death of King Song Tham in 1628, Phya Sriworawong succeeded in getting rid of all his rivals at the Siamese court, but Nagamasa, who remained faithful to the late Song Tham’s memory, proved to stand in his way. Phya Sriworawong took the court title of “Kalahom” and devised a plan that would eventually bring about Nagamasa’s destruction.

In 1629, the Kalahom made Nagamasa the King of Ligor (today Nakhorn Si Tammarat), a province in the south that ever since the 16th century had been paying tribute to Ayutthaya. Here, the “rebel” king refused to pay tribute to Ayutthaya and Nagamasa was sent to replace him. By 1630, Ayutthaya was back in control of Ligor and the Kalahom became king after he assassinated King Athittayawong, a ten-year-old puppet-king. Although worried by the turn of events at the Siamese court, Nagamasa remained in Ligor to nurse a wound he had received in battle. He was soon to die. His death is surrounded in mystery and controversies, with two versions that both state that Nagamas was poisoned, but differ when it comes to naming the culprit.

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After this sad episode, “the Nihonmachi of Ayutthaya gradually vanished,” concluded Cesare Polenghi. The normalization of relationships between Japan and Thailand resumed in 1887, more than 250 years later!

Today, Mr. Inue is the only resident of the reconstructed Japanese Village in Ayutthaya but, unfortunately, last year’s devastating floods have not spared his adopted home either, which was totally submerged in the murky flood waters.

He manages a small souvenir shop that also features a small museum, with a miniature reproduction of the village in its heyday and a reproduction of Nagamasa’s ship. Also, you can see on display the head of the Japanese Buddha that was excavated in the 1930s and a kami-like statue of Nagamasa which is adorned with garlands. The statue towers over a charity-box collecting money for different causes.

Once on site, you can also visit the nine-part exhibition hall suggestively called “Ayutthaya Historical Study Center.” Here there are on display several maps, artifacts, goods, miniature models and photographs that underline the busy life Japanese immigrants had in Ayutthaya. The peaceful grounds of Nihonmachi are dotted with Japanese-like lanterns, bridges, memorial plaques, and footpaths plus a pavilion where you can rest for a while in the shade. On my last visit, before the 2011 floods, the most striking feature of the compound was a Japanese garden, beautifully designed and maintained. Sadly, the garden had been completely destroyed by the fury of the Chao Phraya waters.

The search for Nagamasa ends in Nakhon Si Thamarat where, in a quiet park, an obelisk stands in remembrance of the Japanese who perished in the Southern city in 1630. It is a recent feature, built thanks to Thai students who returned to their home country after spending a few years in Japan. Whether it’s the exact location of Nagamasa’s death, we don’t know, but it points up to the sky under which Nagamasa and his community prospered almost 400 years ago.

The Japanese Village is located about 3.5 km to the south of the main city and it is quite easy to reach. Luckily, Ayutthaya has a very good system of bilingual signs for most of its tourist attractions and this village is not an exception.

From Bangkok, Ayutthaya can be reached either by going north towards Don Muang Airport (public buses leave hourly from Mo Chit Bus Station) or going south on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway, towards Suvarnabhumi Airport (here you follow the signs that lead to Bang Pa-in first).

The Japanese Village is managed by the Thai-Japanese Association (www. thai-japanasso.or.th) that was founded in 1935. Their members and supporters are the ones who organized the site’s clean up after last year’s floods. The admission fee is only 50 baht.

Voicu Mihnea Simandan has been a member of the Bangkok Writers’ Guild since 2008. He is currently working on “The Stolen Sword,” a historical thriller partly set in Ayutthaya’s Japanese Village. He can be contacted via his website at www.simandan.com.

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Suan Pakkad

From Cabbage Patch to Royal Grounds

By Dave Stamboulis While many lament Bangkok’s loss of charm in the past decade, with new condos and endless rods of steel going up day in and day out, there are still pockets of hidden respite. One such spot is Suan Pakkad, the former residence and palace of Prince Paribatra (known as Prince Chumbhot), grandson of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), now converted to a museum, as well as an aesthetic display of traditional old Thai houses.

Like its counterpart across town of Baan Kukrit, Suan Pakkad is another one of these secluded oases that are getting harder and harder to find in Bangkok.

The serene grounds, tucked inside a wall off of busy Sri Ayutthaya Road, were originally a cabbage garden (the meaning of suan pakkard). After becoming a palace, the Prince’s residence was made into a museum for displaying the prince and princess’s huge collection of artifacts, ranging from musical instruments to lacquerware, and other art objects. Over the years, a series of eight traditional Thai houses have been moved here and reconstructed, showing off some of the Kingdom’s finest architectural traditions and housing the large collection of art pieces.

all the antique furnishings and proficient restoration work, you might think you’ve been transported back to the Bangkok of some fifty years ago… save for all the skyscrapers that poke their heads up from around the perimeter of the property.

There are several newer additions to Suan Pakkad, the main one being the large Ban Chiang collection, housed in the new Chumbhot-Pantip Centre of Arts building. Ban Chiang is a UNESCO World Heritage site in northeastern Thailand, where pottery shards were discovered by an American archaeology student who accidently tripped on a root while returning from a dig in the mid 1960s, and came face to face with ceramic pieces that ended up dating back to 2000 BC, one of the most ancient Bronze Age cultures in the world. Many of the discovery’s pots and ancient jewelry items are on display at Suan Pakkad.

Prince Chumbhot was an avid musician and composer, and the main house has a room downstairs filled with large drums, gongs, stringed fiddles, and traditional Thai instruments made of ivory. The couple also collected glassware, porcelain, silverware, sculptures, and drawings, and their interests also ran to precious stones, fossils, and even shells, all of which are displayed in each of the eight Thai houses.

The Lacquer Pavilion is also a newer building, restored from an abandoned home found in an old temple dating from the 17th century Ayutthaya period, reconstructed as a fiftieth birthday present for Princess Chumbhot. Today, it is one of the most attractive buildings in Suan Pakkad, and its upstairs has mural paintings in gold and black lacquer, showing stories from the Ramayana and life of the Buddha. The interior woodwork and almost Moghul-style windows and arches are exquisite. Next to the pavilion, there sits a full-sized wooden barge made entirely of teak and hopea odorata wood, which was passed down to the prince from his father, and was used during the Chao Phraya river processions of Rama V’s reign.

The first and second houses are connected to each other via a wooden footbridge and are fine examples of traditional craftsmanship. There are lacquered cabinets, commemorative fans, and settees that sit overlooking the outside fishpond and garden, across to the gold lacquer pavilion across the way. With

Upstairs in the Chumbhot-Pantip Centre is the Marsi Gallery, named after the only daughter of the prince and princess, who was a painter and proficient artist. In addition to some of her paintings, the gallery has exhibitions and displays by contemporary artists. Also on the premises is a khon museum that

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has masks, puppets, and clay figures all used in the classical khon dances that depict scenes from the Ramayana, featuring demons, monkeys, and other phantasmagorical characters.

With all the houses and museums on display, it is easy to spend half a day at Suan Pakkad, but the serenity and respite from Bangkok’s concrete and steel are worth the admission price alone.

Suan Pakkard Palace Museum – www.suanpakkad.com – 352-354 Sri Ayutthaya Road, 02 246-1775. Open daily from 9-4, admission 100 baht for foreigners, but if you have a Thai driver’s license or residency card, you pay the Thai price of 50 baht.

Dave Stamboulis is a freelance photographer and travel writer based in Bangkok. He is the author of Odysseus’ Last Stand, which received the Silver Medal Book of the Year award from the Society of American Travel Writers. He can be contacted at pedallerdave@hotmail.com.

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Chicky Soup for the Social

By Shei Sanchez (photographs courtesy of Chicky Net)

The blandness of soup.

Another day checked off from the calendar and you begin to feel that this city might not be for you. You try joining a few clubs, venture to some bars, or maybe run into someone who may feel the same way as you. But these just aren’t cutting it. Woe is you, woe is Bangkok.

It began with a forum posting on Thai Visa. Almost immediately, two women joined. The circle grew wider, with their friends and their friends’ friends joining.

Membership grew exponentially after the Phuket Gazette published something about Chicky Net. Though media has played a big role in spreading the word, the simple act of telling other women has become the primary form of promotion.

Certainly, this is a dramatic way of looking at it. Needless to say, moving from one nest to another can be invigorating and intimidating. For some women new to this urban maze of the unfamiliar and exciting, settling in can be an adventure. With a new place to call home, even for just a little while, some transplants to Bangkok may want to find that pleasant groove between an engaging social life and a relatively boring, unfulfilling one.

Despite the fact that she and her friend who co-founded Chicky Net have since parted ways, Berthe has continued on. Luckily for this network’s members, girl power has grown in Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, and our very own Bangkok.

Chicky Net is an answer – a darn sensible and rewarding one.

Its early ingredients.

“Every girl needs some girlfriends,” said Chicky Net founder Berthe Mandaat.

In Thailand, expat women can find this search for much-needed girl solidarity a bit difficult. Originally from the Netherlands, Berthe, along with a friend, launched this social networking site in April 2009. “Before moving to Thailand, I had already done a lot of research online and I really got the idea that I was moving to ‘grumpy old men land’.” Berthe may not be off the mark. The writer of this article is female and pre-landing research to the Land of Smiles was not necessary to come to that similar idea.

After living in Phuket for three months, Berthe was faced with what seemed to be a dearth of foreign women. “Of course you would run into one occasionally, but it was totally out of my comfort zone to just approach her like that.” Thus came forth her plan. Back home, Berthe was part of a women’s group with a focus on “[expanding] their social circles.” Overall, this group was a positive experience for her, so she decided to set one up in a similar vein in Phuket.

Little did she know that the turnout would be phenomenal.

The miracle of soup.

Chicky Net is more than just broth for the bored and restless. In fact, it’s become a community of women for women. As a social network, this site has opened opportunities for women who want to establish a healthy, active social life in a new environment. As site member Marisa puts it, Chicky Net has been “an immediate way to get information for living in [a] new home and to find people with common interests.” Not only are common threads discovered, but counsel is established as well. “[Some] benefit greatly from all the advice from real women, just like them.”

A self-directed community, Chicky Net essentially serves as a stage for its members to take on several roles during their time in Thailand. Berthe mentioned that the biggest group is comprised of the readers, who are followed by contributors that actively participate in the site community. The initiators make up the smallest group as “they set things in motion.”

Currently, the Phuket site has over a thousand members, with the bulk being contributors and initiators. Berthe admits that the site needs to grow in its other locations. “[Women] need to use it in order for it to work. It’s a delicate balance when a group is still in its infancy.” Though Bangkok’s membership is less than 300, it is one of the fastest growing cities for memberships.

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The variety of soup.

Activities range from simple meet-ups to picnics on the beach. An initiator can organize an event and the only requirement is that there is “no commercial gain.”

Whoever creates a group activity must maintain it. “[She] needs to nourish her group and make sure that it stays active,” Berthe continues. Women shouldn’t worry though. With an assortment of activites, there is something for everyone.

For Berthe, it seems that anything involving food is a hot item on the activity list.

even complain that their wife or girlfriend spends too much time on Chicky Net.” She gathers that men can be curious, perhaps on the lookout for a potential date, or even try to join just for fun. “But sorry, guys, it really is a girls-only network.”

This medley doesn’t only pertain to the activities. A good mix of women have signed up. Chicky Net is open to any female who wants to join, including Thai women. Though membership for native Thai residents isn’t high, current ‘chickies’ include those with spouses or partners and those who moved here alone.

“It is still a common belief that [foreign] women in Thailand are mostly trailing spouses, but this is not true at all. Many members work or volunteer, and many are very independent.” Berthe finds that most women in Phuket and Hua Hin have come with their partners, while those in Chiang Mai and Bangkok are predominantly single.

The flavor continues.

It’s not just a need for girlfriends. It’s for that sense of community in which trust and comfort can be cultivated. “It’s human nature to surround ourselves with people we enjoy and trust. Women, especially, like to have friends of the same sex to chat with, get advice from, and commiserate with,” Marisa explains.

What Marisa considers wonderful about Chicky Net is the openness of the site to those women who may be in the minority. “Even if there is only one other person on the site who also likes kung fu movies, you can find that person and connect. That’s what’s really great to me.” This connection also travels across Thailand’s borders. Some women continue to see each other after they leave and others keep in touch online. Berthe adds that others maintain communication as members just so they can stay in the loop with the goings-on in Thailand.

Soup sans men.

Berthe receives positive feedback from members’ partners. “Sometimes, they

However, men are welcome to events. It’s up to the organizer. If the event is open to members of the opposite sex, then partners and friends can show up.

Because of their enthusiasm and willingness to keep in touch, Chicky Net has been growing steadily. For expat women who find their nests to be a tad on the tedious or trying side, this site is soup for their soul. “What is great about being a national network is that when women travel or relocate, they can easily get all the information they need from the local women in that area,” Berthe affirms.

“One of our members recently visited Hua Hin and recognized a member of that location. What followed was a great evening out. How great is that?”

Chicky Net – www.chickynet.com/thailand – You can also join on Facebook (www.facebook.com/chickynet) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/chickynet).

Shei Sanchez is a full-time educator, some-time writer and photographer, gastrofiend, and budding gardener. She teaches at a university in Bangkok and can be contacted at orangesimple@gmail.com.

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by Phillip Charriol. Mother of pearl face with small diamonds on numerals. Baht 9,000 ono. Please email me for picture(s) or appointment to view/buy (Silom) <martinrowleya@yahoo.com> (K)

THE NICHE CONDO SUKHUMVIT 49, 43 sqm, 4th floor, Fully furnished 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, living room & kitchen. Free shuttle service to Prompong & Thonglor BTS. Fitness with swimming pool and sauna. Rent B.16,000 / month HAIR & BEAUTY SALON For Sale South with a 1 year contract. Contact Vickie Pattaya. Great location in City Walk Pattaya 089 897 0017 (L) (next to Royal Garden plaza) on beach front.

7 work stations, 2 massage tables, good COMMERCIAL BLD. home office – clientele base. Two 5 star hotels nearby. Panasin Place, Soi 24/3, Ramkhamhaeng Free parking. No licence required, no key Rd., Hua Mark, Bangkapi. 3 stories, 3 bed, money, profitable business, accounts 3 bath with Air condition. 2 car park. Lease available. 30,000 baht/month rent, only 18 years for 1.8 million. Rent 23,000 bath 980,000 baht. Relocating hence sale price. per month, 1 year contract. Tel.086-537Call 080-0959002 (C) 2557 Khun Naree (C)

HOUSE JOMTIEN Modern Thai/Bali style – 2/3 bedrooms, large living & dining rooms, office, european kitchen, maid’s and laundry rooms, jacuzzi, large garage, easy care walled garden. boat moorings, tennis court on complex. close beach, restaurants & shops. executive house built with finest marble, granite and asian hardwoods. for quick sale 19,800,000 baht - 4 million baht below original price.

Tel: 085 048 3839 (C) CONDO FOR SALE / RENT – Pattaya. New 45sqm studio (building just completed).

Located Cozy Beach Pratumnak Hill in prestigious area of Pattaya. 200m to beach. Close to shops, bars, restuarants.

Fully Furnished, A/c, kitchen, Oven hob, microwave. Balcony overlooking swimming pool. Includes sauna, pool bar, restuarant, gym, library, rooftop garden, concierge facilities, 24hr security, cctv, underground parking. TV, internet, telephone. Price only 2.5m Baht or 12,000b month rent. Contact Nick 0800959002, email nickgreen3@hotmail.com Visit: www.emerald-palace.com (C) THE COVENT GARDEN BAR COMPLEX located at Soi 16, Walking Street, Pattaya has some available space for you to set up businesses. We have 5 available spaces, suitable for a Beer Bar, Sheesha/ Beer Bar and/or Take-out counter. There are also 4 spaces suitable for a Night Club or an Ago go Club. I like to invite people to visit the complex and decide if you wish to expand your business. For inquiries call Joseph 088-737-8013 or email joseph_euperio@yahoo.ca (L) VIOLIN AND VIOLA LESSONS – experienced musician/teacher from USA with Master Degree. Violin students all ages, abilities, beginners to advanced, all those who dream about learning how to play violin and enjoy music! Preparation for entrance examinations to music schools, colleges in Thailand, Europe, America; scholarship auditions, ABRSM, IGCSE, A-level exams etc. Lessons in English, German, Italian, Russian at beautiful studio near Rama 9. Please e-mail Mariam: mkosashvili@hotmail.com, text or call for details! Tel: 0814808573 (C) DREAM BUNGALOW – land 272 sqm, house 120 sqm, 2 bedroom, big bathroom with Jacuzzi, 1 small room, marble floors, teakwood doors and kitchen, outside thai kitchen, design ceiling with spotlights, superblock walls, water well with filter system, small garden house (app. 4,5 sqm), Carport (app. 16,5 sqm), Garden, government water, Telefone, ADSL-Internet, 1,3 km from sea and golf (Phoenix Golf) 10 km from South Pattaya (Ban Amphur). Price: 2.199.000 Baht Tel 0806419742 Mail: andithai@gmail.com (A)

16 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

MARKETPLACE BE PART OF OUR NEW WEIGHT Loss Challenge at Sukhumvit! 12 weeks program to lose weight. Group to support.

Personalized coaching. Meal Plan. Fun ! Call Monthita: 0879 072 575 wlcbkk@ gmail.com Part time job We are looking for people who want to be their own boss. Training provided. International business. www.wfhweb.com/arob (B)

LARRYS RESTAURANT SOI 22 Sukhumvit , has one of bangkoks best burgers, the Tijuana Burger. Go to bangkok burger blog.com. Larrys has American cusine with BBQ RIBS from 299.00 friday nights and Larrys famous Rueban sandwich at 275.00. Also with zorbas Greek restaurant next door. The Greek Pita bread Burger is a delight at 250 baht.

Open for Breakfast from 630am and lunch FLOOD SALE - Urgent resale NEW Ideo and dinner. telephone 026634563 (L) Verve Sukhumvit Onut BTS, 2 BR condo.

Asking original price 6,400,0000 THB. No FITNESS ACCESSORIES for sale. I have Commission. Unit 2702 at IDEO Verve. TRX, kettle bells, club bells, lebert buddy Ideo Verve 2br, 57.60 sqm, 27th floor, system, undulation rope and resistant facing southeast. Unfurnished, Brand bands for sale in a special rate for more New building, This is a beautiful condo in information please contact TK: 0817315427 an excellent location. Call 086 797 3712 or email tkpt77@gmail.com or visit http:// Brian (L) www.bangkokkettlebells.com (A) PHUKET LUXURY POOL VILLA (NAI HARN) – 3-4 bedroom, 3 en-suite, private pool in extensive gardens, fully furnished, pool table & western kitchen. Maid, pool and garden service supplied. Short walk to restaurants & shopping. Contact: Johny, 0878-237371, www.villa-sophia-phuket.com (K) CHEAP SHAVING, shaving products ,top quality shave brushes 150 baht, Old Spice shaving lather 100 baht a tube. After shave lotions at 200 baht, these products are unobtainable in Thailand and are a one off,only very limited quantity . Pattaya area 0832931821 jb4446@hotmail.com.

Reduction for two or more (L) HOUSE FOR SALE! between Bang Saray and Sattahip, 55 twah, close to Sukhumvit Road, 2 bedr. 1 air, 2 bathr. 2 kitchen, large terrace and carport, own well and water tank, phone line and cable TV. 1,39 Mio. THB. 0898681718 engl. 0850745196 thai. (L) HOT SALE: Doser coffee-grinder, brand: MACAP, from Italy, type: M4, C83, 625USD. Waring Xtreme high-power blender, from USA, type: MX1050XTS, 663 USD. David mobile 0905490286 (B)

MICROSOFT X-BOX-360 GAME Gears of War 3, new and original (only 999 THB), Sharp KSH740 big rice cooker NEW!!! (only 799 THB), street vendor car, new wheels, new color (only 1299 THB), German books (good price), please call 087-9088268 (Khun Mario). (B) CR-V FOR SALE; 2000 CR-V, Original Owner, 125,000 road kilometers; sell for B360,000; Exellent Conditon. Call Peter 086049-4406 (B) 2 YONEX BADMINTION racquets for sale, little use, very good condition.

B760 plus model , large head and full strings, developed in Japan light steel shaft and racquet covers for both.

500 baht for both ph 0828128226. (L)

FOR SALE: Horse riding saddle with reins SEXY BKK COUPLE (man farang,lady and bit and riding helmet. All purpose thai) like to meet sweet lady! Let’s chat! saddle all leather in good condition. sexybkkcouple@hotmail.com (C) Contact K.Jazz 02-271-0987 ext.333. (K) APARTMENT FOR RENT – I have LEARN MUSIC in just 7-15 days workshop an apartment available for occupancy in your place . immediately. Apartment details are as guitar, keyboard, dance, experienced follows: Duplex penthouse, 31st Floor (A teacher. instruments sale and rent, unit), 490 sqm, 5 bedrooms with on suite. online facilaity contact +0885015795, Newly renovated, Location: Sukhumvit international +88017-501-61-501. email 24, Apartment: President Park (Ebony sanismusicschool@yahoo.com (B) Tower). Price: 120,000 Bht negotiable.

RARE & OUT OF PRINT BOOKS (bold Facilities: Tennis courts, health club, 3 caps). U.S. Aniquarian will buy and sell. swimming pools, Children play area and 1-George Staunton. An Authentic Account squash court. To view please call Mr. Raj, Of An Embassy From The King Of Great 0819323042. (C) Britain To The Emperor Of China. (caps) London: 1797, 2 Volumes. 50,000B 20TH CENTURY history books and 2-Riley. Birds Of Siam And Malay. (caps) biographies in excellent once read Wash.: 1938, 581 pp. 1600B. Many other condition and reasonably-priced for sale. titles re Thailand and Southeast Asia. guide price is 40 p.c. of shop price. please contact N.Barrett nigelinseychelles@ 083-80-79610. (A) gmail.com 0871053664 (B) DELUX-CONDO for sale @ Sukhumvit Soi 13, three Min. to Nana BTS. 36 sqm. IN SUKHUMVIT 11 – as new 2Br FF condo completely furnished with all electric for rent. 85m/sq, master with ensuite, appliances, washer-dryer kitchen etc. naturally light & bright. Excellent facilities Large pool & Gym. Like new. Baht and convenient location! Asking 47,000 3.400.000 sold by owner. Tel: 084-7264- baht per month! Further enquires welcome – phone: K. J – 08 7812 6893 (C) 469. Email: paragon00@gmx.de (B)

BANGKOK TRADER

NOBLE ORA - Nice 1 bed for rent (Thonglor) – one of the best unit located at area thonglor. Luxury condo fully furnished, modern design, 1 bed, 79 sqm, 15 floor, facilities are swimming pool, fitness, security. Surrounded by many amenities, playground, j avenue, villa market, au bon pain. close to BTS Thonglor. Rental price: 45000 B/Month. for more details call kay: 081-825 4363 or visit our website: www. rentcondoinbangkok.com (A)

MARCH 2012 - 17

THE MET SATHORN 4 RENT 198 Sq.m.

3 Bed 4 Bath with maid quarter high floor.

Rental 110,000 THB. More info. Please contact Jenny 085 071 8396 or visit www.bangkokcondoonline.com (K)

IF YOU ARE BASED in Bangkok and a member of the transgender community we would like to invite you to join The Katoey Connection. This is a non-profit group for socializing. Visit us at: http://members. go-tranz.net/group/TheKatoeyConnection GROUP HEALTH Insurance Scheme *Note: This is not a sex or dating group. already up & running. Last year’s rates It is only for meeting new people in our apply until 1st June this year. Still room community. (B) for individuals & families to join. Excellent EXCELLENT HOUSEKEEPER – rates, not age related. Eligible age up to Looking for two days of work per week.

69 & no medical history required. giles@ CONDO FOR SALE - Supalai City Home expatmoneymatters.com 0899 862 315 (B) She is a good cook. She speaks fair English. Please call her direct number at Sukhumvit - 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, living room / dining room, separate kitchen. 68 HAVE A WIDE SELECTION 1200 081 286 3134 (J) square meters. Low rise bldg - 5th Floor vintage films pre-1960 era worldwide MOBILE PHONE. Nokia. Sim card plus. corner unit. Three A/C units, hot water, for sale as well as a large selection 2.500 baht minutes available. True move extra elect outlets. Kitchen cabinets, of 20th century books reasonably network. Asking price 2000baht. Call smoke alarms, sprinklers, new paint, priced in newish condition. Contact 0891539116 (B) curtain rods. Built 2008. 100 meters nigelinseychelles@gmail.com (L) SHIPPING CONTAINER going to the from Udomsuk BTS. Never flooded.

Photos at: http://bangkok.craigslist.co.th/ CONDOS AND HOUSES on prime/ best UK mid-March 2012. Have plenty of reo/2719154159.html. Contact 089-923- locations for rent in Bangkok areas on space for anything legal. Please give resonable price include free service. More me as much notice as possible. Tele 2615 or 081-754-6885. (B) # 081 490 6275. (L) details contact 08 3 7017059 CONDO OR HOME too hot? Then install or pavillion@gmail.com (L) solar window film and reduce the heat, cut ONE NEAR NEW Rocking Bassinet annoying glare, block uv rays, save 30% 81 SQ METER, two bedroom, 5/17 fl. 1km ideal for putting baby to sleep in very on your aircon bill, increase safety, and from BTS On Nut at Sukhumvit 50. Newly good condtion, 1000 baht. 2 baby make your home a more comfortable place renovated with Index furniture. Quite rockers with pillows, 300 baht each. to live. We are Thailand’s leading installer location and nice open view on balcony. Portable cot very good condition without of Solar Window Tinting Films. European 24 hr camera and security, swimming mattress can see assembly, 1000baht run so we fully understand your needs. Call pool and gym. High-End condo with Ph 0828128226 (L) Steve for a free quotation on 08-6083-9140 quality neighbours Photos: http://bangkok. or visit www.solarkool.biz (B) craigslist.co.th/apa/2740072335.html -- IMMO DE BANGKOK CO.,LTD – Real estate Agency. Welcome to posted by owner.

Tel 089-202-4866 (A) DESIGNERS OWN HOUSE for sale in Immodebangkok. If you want to sell, rent Bangkoks green, flood free peninsula PRIVATE ENGLISH teacher or buy condominium, we can help you “Bangkachao”. 2-story house 192 sqm, Experienced, professional and reliable. to reach your objective. just visit to our 100 twl land, built 2008. Minimalist All ages and all levels welcome. Native website: www.immodebangkok.com or Scandinavian style 2 bed, 3 WC, front speaker from UK. Contact Emma for call us. Khun Kay: +66 081- 825 4363 (A) / back garden, solar heated water in all further details 0860878173 or e-mail CONDO FOR RENT: Park Lane Jomtien taps, double walls, CCTV. Only 30-40 emz_798@hotmail.com. (L) Resort, Pattaya 35 Sqm studio room at 1st min. to Asoke / Sukhumvit, it’s truly an undiscovered oasis in city. See www. SUPER-CHARGE YOURSELF ! See floor closely private swiming pool, Fully bomancreative.com/house - 10,7 mill baht yourself as a more elegant communicator! furnished 1 bed and living room. Contact: by owner. Call 08 3859 3336. (B) Does NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Phen. Call 087-8308044 or Email: piccy_ audit@hotmail.com (B) A FURNISHED ROOM with Free HS ring a bell? No matter if you studied it from Internet (in Ploenchit Townhouse) for rent books or already attended life seminars SANDEE THAI LANGUAGE School – - Bht8,800. It’s located in heart of city. or not, you still desire practicing it, don’t Price 18,000 THB. Get 1-year ED Visa. @ Size 25 sqm. 5 mins walking from BTS you? Luckily NLP has helped millions of RCA, Bangkok. Tel:084 388-2832. www. skytrain station & close to embassies people achieve greater success, increase sandee.ac.th (B) &expressway, easy to go anywhere you confidence, relationships and overcome TOWNHOUSE Sukhumvit Soi 15 fully wish in Bangkok near all famous shopping fears! Now join 4-Free www.Meetup.com/ modernized & furnished. 5bed 6bath malls / supermarkets / fitness. To view the NLP-Bangkok . Check out the monthly 7aircon modern kitchen, gated subsoi room please call to make an appointment NLP practicing meetings. (A) opposite NIST main entrance. THB 42500 a day earlier. Penny: Tel 0894998356 per month Phone Bua 0879172056 (B) (1030–1230 am). e-mail to pashaporns@ INVESTMENT Opportunity Sukhumvit: New, unfurnished, double-unit condo for BRAND NEW CONDO for rent: perfect yahoo.com, benz_ps@hotmail.com (B) sale situated on the 3rd floor in a prime location - green, Bangkok, easily in and out PHUKET: BUNGALOW for rent/sale corner site. Each unit has a large room, of town. Modern, urban chic, fully furnished – area Thalang/Paklok/Palm Garden. kitchen, bathroom and balcony, with good incl. all electricals, glass balcony, 30 sqm, 3 bedrooms,2 bathrom,2 aircon, warm quality fittings throughout. This condo 1-bedroom, bath tub, 15/F. Enjoy 2 roof-top water, unfurnitured, quiet residentail area, presents a good letting opportunity as 1 pools and gyms. Directly at BTS Udom Suk! monthly Baht 10.000 negotlated/choice. unit or 2, and is a 10 min. walk from Bang BITEC exhibition center within view. Free sale price Baht 2,3 Mio, under market Na BTS with easy expressway access. parking, in-building shopping on 2 floors. value possible. mobil 0816063525 Orasa / Price 1.8 million baht. maxineping@ THB 15,000/month, minimum 6 months.

Dieter. Email: boyorasa@hotmail.com (A) hotmail.com or 0896626274 (B) Contact Mark on 089-067-5300. (A)

18 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

MARKETPLACE JUST OVER 6 RAI Land for building in Pak Chong on the edge of Khao Yai. Thai owner needs funds for resort development, hence 420k baht per rai. 6 and a bit for the price of 6. Adjoining land recently sold for 500k baht per rai. gilescullingford@ hotmail.com 0899 862 315 (B) RENOVATED 3BR & 3 bath 190sq/m FF condominium for rent @ 45,000 B/month. Location is between the Ekamai BTS and Big C. Near by is a California Wow, Major Cinemas, Irish pub and 24 hour supermarket, yet the condo is in a green & quiet area offering uninterrupted views. Ph: K. J on 08 7812 6893 (C) MAZDA 2, New Modell 2010, 28.07.2010, Foreigner name, color: sparklinggold, Typ: Sedan, 1.498 ccm, 103 PS, Automatic, allow-wheels, sport antenna, sport exhaust, First class insurance till 28.07.2010, all inspection done (Mazda) , AIRBAG, ABS, Window rain protector 4 x, Back drive sensor, Film, elct. Windows 4 x, elec. Mirror 2 x, Underground and much more, approx. 14.600 km, only 499.999 Baht Tel: 0806419742 Mail: andithai@ gmail.com (A) PRIVATE JAPANESE LESSON – experienced teaching in China. Around Sukhumvit area, weekday,1 houraround 500 bhat. Ms. Yuko. Email: kamado8changemax@gmail.com (C) CDSANDWICH.COM – Fresh Sandwiches, Salads & Juices made to order. Choose from our extensive menu and order at www.cdsandwich.com or call us on 02 692 40 85. Thonglor, Silom, Ploenchit, Siam, Ratchada, Sathorn, Narathiwat, Ekkamai, Rama 4, HuayKwang, Chitlom, Asoke. Business meetings & special events catered also.

Enjoy your meal. (C)

3 BEDROOM 140M/SQ condo in Sukhumvit 10 for sale – 13,000,000 baht!

Has kitchen with oven, large living, good sized balcony, storage room, master with ensuite, having separate bath and shower plus wooden floors throughout.

Is presently achieving 47,000 baht/month income! Ideal for investment or as a future home base in Bangkok. Ph: K. J on 08 7812 6893 (C) THAI LESSONS: for foreign children or adults. 6-year-experienced with foreign students. In-house or coffee shop. time can be arranged. Free trial contact 084119-6661. Or email for more information at: na_ta_nie@yahoo.com (C) CONDO FOR SALE@LUMPINI view (thailand cultural centre) 2 bedrooms with air conditioner, living room, 2 bathrooms, electric water heater for shower, wardrobe, refrigerator, washing machine, build-in, parking, convineient stores........please contact jean tel. no. 080-064 5665. (C) I AM A QUALIFIED and respectable business negotiating Consultant, with excellent credentials and references, travelling regularly between BKK and India, Middle East, Australia and Europe, I can professionally represent you or your company on any PC business matter within any of the above areas please contact: Dr. John on jas@rainconsult. com. Or 00447855546299 for further information. (A)

BUSINESS/FINANCIAL consultants, estate planners, will writers & paralegals are required to join our organization. Full/ Part-Time vacancies are available. (If you don’t have the qualifications, then you may attend our seminars and be certified).

Franchises/Agencies are available. For further information and to send your resume/CV to: legalalliance777@gmail. com Mobile No. (087) 9915655 (A) LAZY BOY Leather Rocker/Recliner Chair For Sale – Model: Dream Time.

Color: Cognac. 18 months new with 10 year warranty in excellent condition.

Asking 25,000 thai baht. Call Greg 089-762-2731 (A) GERMAN BOOKS for children (ages 1 6) for sale. My daughter has outgrown all of her German picture and story books as well as some Ravensburger jigsaw puzzles and simple board-games. She would like to create some space on her bookshelf by selling her collection at a very reasonable price (50 - 100 Baht per book). If you are interested, please contact us at: standtt@ truemail.co.th (B)

THE ALCOVE THONGLOR, New 1 bed for rent – In brand new condo for rent at The Alcove Thonglor 10 an urban exclusive living lifestyle in Thonglor area, 1 Bedroom, 40 sq.m., 8th floor, Fully furnished. Facilities include 25-meters long swimming pool with panoramic city view, fitness with sauna & steam room.

For rent at 30,000 baht/month. If you need more info, please contact me K. Kay: 081-825 4363 or visit our website: www.

FRAGRANT CONDOMINIUM for sale – immodebangkok.com (A) 115 sq m, 2 bedrms, 2 bathrms, 1 living, INTERNET HELP NEEDED – Can I get 1 dining, I kitchen (fitted), 2 balconies, help from fellow expats in Bangkok? I ‘ve fully furnished and includes all electrical been turned down for an Adsense account appliances. Condo is just 5 years old. The six times. I’m told it is because I live in building is low rise – just 8 floors and this Thailand. Please help me get traffic levels unit on the 6th floor. Opening Price: Baht up so they won’t deny me again. Sign on 7 million (negotiable); Transfer fee: to to WWW.OldSchoolTriathlon.com - look be shared by buyer and seller. For more around, “like” something, maybe write a information call Kittima at 0818262399 or comment so I get extra traffic at just the Kittima@ns.co.th (B) right time. Thanks (J)

BANGKOK TRADER

BEAUTIFUL LAND OF 20.5 RAI at Huay Yai Gin. Complete with new chanotes and company. High ground fully fenced with four wells, various trees. Ideal for large private residence mansion or village development with concrete road and electricity. Quick access to 331 link road to Bangkok and Rayong, only 15 minutes to heart of Pattaya. Only 29,000,000 for quick sale. Possible part exchange for house. All offers concidered. email carolandcarl@hotmail.com or 038030049 or mobile 0811578760 (J)

MARCH 2012 - 19

FOR SALE RESTAURANT off of Rama IV. seats 120 people, 230sqm huge outdoor seating area with view to swimming pool. Located in an apartment /hotel building. serving international food with room service, outside pizza delivery and banquet/catering service. excellent loyal customer base. 2.5 MB incl. company, stocks and assets. Rental 30K/ mo. Contact Denis at 081 722 3505 or email sunsetrunner2010@yahoo.com. (C)

ITALIAN PIANIST and keyboards player and singer performing standard Italian and International songs etc. leaving in Bkk. since 2000. I used to play at the Italian Restaurants - Hotels in Bangkok.

I’m willing anytime. Inquiring Kind contact Sergio on 0813641830 (L) M.A.P MANSION for rent the convenience place in the center of Aree area that next to BTS Aree station just 300 meters. The studio in space 32 square meters included full furnitures and safety security 24 hours.

We staring price at 5000 bath per month.

Please feel free to call us at 02 6151149 or 02 2784480 (J)

A MUSIC/LANGUAGE teacher for your kids – I’m a Year 10 music scholar from an international school in BKK. I need a part-time job to teach your children to play ACCOUNTING AND TAX SERVICES flute and/or music theory, or even English SMEs registered in Thailand looking to or Thai languages. If you are interested CONDO FOR RENT Lumpini Ville Pracha Certified Public Accountant for prepare Uthit (Huay Kwang - Rachada) Tower please contact: 081-804-1252. (A) and submit,The Financial statement E2, 6th floor (35.6 sq.meters). Living and tax return to Thai Government VIP CONDO PATTAYA studio – 40 room, 1 bedroom, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, agencies. Please contact K.Yuth at sqm. fully furnish, seaview with private 1 balcony, parking. Furnished. 6th floor. yandkconsult@gmail.com. (B) beach, swimming pool, tennis court, and Rent 9,000 baht/month. Contact : 083 833 CONDO FOR SALE - 4.9 MTHB jogging track. 10th Fl. Room A 1009. 1 44 49 (Thai - English) (L) (Rental option available), Central year contract rent 9,000 baht per month.

Bangkok. Fully Furnished 2 Bedroom Sale 1.7 million. Tel. 086-537-2557 CAMPBELL CHAMBERS Thai Law & 2 Bathroom. A short walk from the Khun Naree (C) Office – professional legal services for Ploenchit BTS, located near the British tourists and expats by English speaking Embassy.

LUXURY CONDO AT PATTAYA for lawyers, providing legal advices, full 34th floor with fantastic views of rent or for sale in high standing building services, in conjunction with Campbell Bangkok. 101m2, Swimming, Fitness, on Wong Amat Beach, best location in Chambers Solicitors of London. 20 Minimart & Laundry onsite. Contact Pattaya 163 sqm fully furnished 3 bed 3 years experiences in civil and criminal Jaz on + 66 860486823 or e-mail: bath European kitchen Every room has cases. New company formation – easy, jazsidhu67@hotmail.com (B) large balcony with stunning views on the speedy setting up business with one sea and the islands Direct beach access stop services (company registration, MOVING – sell many items, best of Infinity swimming pool jacuzzi sauna tax, accounting, and translation) work small library, classic antiques art work fitness center tennis squash snooker permits, visa, immigration, marriage. everything musical just cool stuff. call sauna communal gardens restaurant Conveyancing lawyer - land and property anytime 0878103763 (A) minimart covered car park 24H security. buying and selling. Hotline: 081-55854000/month, 14,5 mil. Baht. 0903943933 1394. Tel/Fax: 02-278-1879. Email: law@campbellchambers-thai.com (C) LUXURY CONDO AT PATTAYA for (Thai phone number)) (B) rent or for sale in high standing building REPLACE YOUR ENERGY HUNGRY on Wong Amat Beach, best location in ONE-ON-ONE ENGLISH tuition in the bulbs with Eco-LED bulbs and save Money Pattaya 163 sqm fully furnished 3 bed 3 comfort and convenience of your home. All – Make the switch from Flourescent, bath European kitchen Every room has ages and all levels welcome. All aspects Halogen and Incandescent lighting to large balcony with stunning views on the of the language covered--grammar, low energy and very long lasting LED sea and the islands Direct beach access vocabulary, usage, comprehension, and equivalents and start to save from Day1.

Infinity swimming pool jacuzzi sauna speaking. Native speaker from California With energy saving of up to 90% and a fitness center tennis squash snooker and graduate of San Francisco State lifespan of up to 25 times longer LED is sauna communal gardens restaurant University. 10+ years of experience the way to go. Contact us for catalogues minimart covered car park 24H security. offering private lessons in Bangkok. and prices today. Call 0841609683 email 54000/month, 14,5 mil. Baht. 0903943933 Professional and reliable. Reasonable info@eco-LEDthai.com (J) rates. Let’s work together to improve your (Thai phone number) (B) English and make it more effective. David BAR FOR SALE. Open-fronted popular HUA HIN MARRAKESH condos for rent @ 02-259-5655 #304 (early morning/late and profitable Beer Bar in Sukhumvit Soi HuaHinstay.com! 1,2 & 3 bedroom units for night) or bangtowndjs@hotmail.com (J) 22. Attached ‘farang take-out’ servicing daily, weekly or monthly rental, with prices other bars in the area. Excellent location in as low as THB 1,XXX per day! Beautiful, MORE THAN 1,000 LIST of businesses busy Plaza. Great returns, low overheads individually-designed, fully-furnished - for sale, very useful in tele-sales and – 650,000 Baht including stock and assets. rooms with housekeeping. Check site or marketing. The contact list comprises golf clubs, banks, shopping malls, fitness Phone 0886 203 025. (L) email info@huahinstay.com. (C) clubs, restaurants, travel company, hotel 1 BED 1 BATH in Omni Tower Sukhumvit and more. With complete details like name NEED A QUIZ? Professionally prepared Soi 4 well furnished incl 42” flat screen of the owner, GM, Manager, phone, e-mail with additional themed and novelty rounds.

TV 27,000 Baht per month 1 year lease. and address. The contact list is in English Suitable for weekly or one off special gilescullingford@hotmail.com 0899 862 for 6,000 Baht only. Please contact K. events. Contact David. Tel: 0800451580 or e-mail ddickinson_uk@yahoo.co.uk (A) Rain cotto.en@gmail.com (L) 315 (B)

20 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

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22 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

Food Science

By Dave Stamboulis

A friend recently asked me if I was into molecular gastronomy. Molecular what?

Yet, a week later, I found myself on the phone with an editor asking me to go do a photo shoot of a restaurant specializing in molecular gastronomy fusions.

Resisting the urge to ask exactly what it was, I went along out of curiosity’s sake and actually came away slightly impressed.

famed for his experiments with ultra-slow or vacuum-packed cooking methods, in which meat is cooked so slowly so as not to have any gravy, but preventing collagen molecules from building up in the fat, taking away from the meat’s natural flavors. Yet, he says, it is just about doing non-traditional things with ultra-traditional dishes.

Molecular gastronomy is a recent term, coined at the beginning of the 1990s by a Hungarian physicist and French chemist. The pair, Nicholas Kurti and Hervé This, said that the field involved the study of physical and chemical transformations in food that took place during the cooking process. But this went far beyond the egg-getting-hard-when-it-boils theory and expanded to a series of food science workshops throughout the ’90s that sought to use scientific knowledge to create new epicurean delights.

In Bangkok, there is now the opportunity to sample exactly what Blumenthal is talking about. Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, the restaurant in the gorgeous Siam Kempinski Hotel at Siam Paragon has been at the forefront of the Bangkok movement. Modeled on the award-winning Kiin Kiin restaurant in Denmark – run by chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong, a Thai engineercum-gastronomist – Sra Bua sets out to overwhelm its patrons with dishes of amazing taste, texture, and presentation.

These days, chefs tend to see it as a way of creating avant-garde and exciting new dishes that will break conventional food norms and surprise their diners. In fact, most chefs in the field today don’t like the term, preferring to call it ‘experimental cuisine.’ Heston Blumenthal, the English gourmand and Michelin-winning chef of the Fat Duck restaurant in London, claims that the term molecular gastronomy makes good food sound “complicated and elitist to the average diner.” This coming from a man responsible for putting snail porridge and grain mustard ice cream on the menu might sound a bit much, and Blumenthal is

While there, I sampled several dishes from its set menu, perhaps the most astounding being something called The Harvest. What arrived at my table was a ceramic planter pot filled with dirt that had a carrot growing out of it. I sat in bewilderment for several minutes, not knowing what to do with it, until head chef Pavita Sae-Chao stepped in and instructed me to dig in. The dirt turned out to be cookie crumbs of baked wheat germ, and then using the carrot as a scoop, I delved underneath to find the tastiest kaeng kiaow waan (spicy green curry) I’d had in awhile, cool, refreshing, and whipped into a mousse!

BANGKOK TRADER

MARCH 2012 - 23 Just as riveting was the restaurant’s signature dish, the frozen red curry with lobster, in which the red curry has been made into frozen ice cream and is served topped with lychee foam and comes on a plate that is smoked with liquid nitrogen. Almost better to watch than to eat, I asked Chef Pavita what expressions appeared on Thai diners’ faces the first time they tried red curry in the form of frozen ice cream. She laughed and said that it did take a bit of getting used to, but that once people got out of a conditioned way of thinking about food, they usually enjoyed their meal. I must say, the freezing of the curries certainly enhances the flavors of each spice.

For dessert, pistachio cake with pandan ice cream and coconut foam looked almost as unrecognizable as its predecessors, and tasted perhaps even more heavenly.

While the lunch menu, five-, and eleven-course set dinners don’t come cheap (ranging from 1,500-2,400 baht), they certainly are completely novel and will make you rethink Thai food and perhaps food in general. And if the thought of Thai molecular gastronomy doesn’t tickle your palate, there is now Gaggan, the world’s first Indian molecular gastronomy restaurant to try as well. Run by chef Gaggan Anand, a Kolkata native who interned with Michelin-starred molecular whiz Ferran Adrià at his famed El Bulli restaurant in Spain, he prefers to call his Indian creations “modern gastronomy.”

Molecular masala anyone?

Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin – Located in the Siam Kempinski Hotel.

Tel: 02 162 9000, ext. 4321.

Gaggan – 68/1 Soi Langsuan. Tel: 02 652 1700.

Dave Stamboulis is a freelance photographer and travel writer based in Bangkok. He is the author of Odysseus’ Last Stand, which received the Silver Medal Book of the Year award from the Society of American Travel Writers.

He can be contacted at pedallerdave@hotmail.com.

24 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

Heaven in a Healthy Helping Seven Spoons

By Shei Sanchez Forget about Sukhumvit Road with its melange of eateries that are all the rage among Bangkokian residents and tourists. Skip Khao San Road and its surfeit of foodstands and hole-in-the-wall dining options. Take a detour to a road less travelled instead.

As a worthwhile alternative, take a jaunt to the outskirts of Chinatown to a road named Chakkrapatipong, and around the corner from Lan Luang, there is a small, un-ostentatious place called Seven Spoons. From the outside, its unassuming presence is its allure. Warm lights accent the smooth, wooden interior, as if inviting the hungry and curious to come in. Go on inside. Have a cocktail or two. Then, take a look at their menu of seasonal delights. Before you know it, your stomach is whispering a command to order a dish or three.

Less than a year old, Seven Spoons restaurant is run by the same progressive folks of Birds in a Row, a food delivery service that caters to a clientele that favor the heavenly combination of healthy and just plain delish. Even in its infancy, this modest, trendy establishment has been creating quite a buzz.

Not only does this restaurant’s welcoming vibe make your meal an enjoyable experience, but its use of seasonal ingredients – local and organic when possible – adds a touch of class to the classic dish.

“We’re not fusion. We twist,” the bartender Bee asserts. “We respect the classic recipes.” In essence, the idea behind Seven Spoons is to take their inspiration from international and Mediterranean cuisine and add a local twist to it.

“We would like to get the local and match it with the classic,” Bee maintains.

Jok, one of the founders and the head chef, believes that Bangkok is replete with Italian restaurants already. The market is in the freshness and similarity

of Mediterranean food. “In Bangkok, Mediterranean ingredients aren’t hard to find,” Bee continues. “It’s the feeling… the spices, the chilies.” Thai food, in other words, has parallels with dishes from that part of the world.

Take the much sought-after quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and feta.

This cereal dish is quite light and airy. The soft crunch of the grains, contrasted with the crispness of the vegetables, is a spoonful of pleasure. Little accents of salty feta may surprise your taste buds here and there. For an appetizer, try the Chardonnay pâté; smooth it on some scrumptious bread (care of the Bangkok Bread Boys). Liver hasn’t tasted this way before. For a main dish, try the peach brandy chicken. Lying on a bed of peach jus, the free-range chicken is accompanied with breaded butternut squash shaped into balls. They give in to your bite with a delectable munch.

While you are at it, order another cocktail. Bee upholds the classic (and strong) qualities of many a celebrated drink. You can find a caipirinha and mojito, but why not try their signature mix, the Silver Spoon; this adds local Thai ingredients, such as galangal and lemongrass. Other popular dishes include halloumi cheese in a spinach risotto, the tortellini, and duck confit. Of course, vegetarians and vegans can also delight in fine fare, upon request. In short, just about everything here is in demand.

Seven Spoons is reasonably priced as well. Granted, prices aren’t of the same low-to-medium range as a Thai restaurant to be found in other parts of Bangkok. Nevertheless, the menu presents a respectable fare with healthful dishes that support local farms in Thailand. Seven Spoons obtains some of their produce from farms in Pathumthani, Chiang Rai, and a few areas in Chiang Mai.

BANGKOK TRADER

MARCH 2012 - 25

Appetizers range from 120-180 baht, while salads and pastas run from 180260 baht. Main dishes average about 270 baht, depending on the ingredients.

Desserts are about 100 baht.

What with the organic and local trend in food, Seven Spoons is in a good spot.

Jok remarks that this year, the leaning toward a lifestyle that includes food that both tickles the palate and benefits the body is becoming stronger. As more health-conscious foreigners come to work and settle in Thailand, the awareness of better eating has been spreading. Seven Spoons is, without a doubt, responding to that awareness with a hip elegance and Ă la mode style.

And, in fact, most of their customers are, indeed, foreigners. Thai customers are few and far between. Bee laments that most Thai eaters of farang food prefer the pizzas and the pastas. In other words, there is no venturing outside of the boxâ&#x20AC;Ś yet. He hopes that these un-adventurous (but trend-friendly) eaters will warm up to all of the locavore and organic goodness that Seven Spoons provides.

Seven Spoons â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 211/8 Chakkrapatipong Road, 02-628-4588. Tuesday to Sunday, 6 p.m. until late. Seats about 15 people maximum; it is wise to make reservations.

Shei Sanchez is a full-time educator, some-time writer and photographer, gastro-fiend, and budding gardener. She teaches at a university in Bangkok and can be contacted at orangesimple@gmail.com.

26 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

The Way of the Sword

By Voicu Mihnea Simandan

Almost a year ago, while covering the movie premiere of Tom Waller’s Mindfulness and Murder for Bangkok Trader, I became ‘Facebook friends’ with Vithaya ‘Pu’ Pansringarm, the actor who played the role of the monk-detective in the film. Soon enough, through his updates, I realized that Khun Pu is not only a talented actor, but also a highly ranked kendoka. When I found out that the Thailand Kendo Club was organizing their annual tournament, I immediately took the opportunity to learn more about the club, its members, and the history of kendo in Thailand.

Kendo is a Japanese martial art that has its origins in the traditional swordfighting techniques of the medieval samurai. This semi-contact sport made its way to Thailand in 1985, when Keishi Nakane, a Japanese kendo master, started introducing kendo to Thais. The first-ever lessons, all based on a volunteering principle, took place at the College of Physical Education at the National Stadium in Bangkok. Later on, as Thais’ interest in kendo grew, classes were also held at the Royal Thai Naval Academy.

By 1990, there was enough interest in kendo to justify the founding of the Thailand Kendo Club, and one year later, the club was officially recognized by the International Kendo Federation. To honor the effort and dedication of Sensei Nakane, now a 7th-dan master (with 8th being the highest possible rank), the club organizes a yearly tournament symbolically called the Nakane Kendo Tournament. It was its 9th edition that I attended a few months ago at Rajamangala Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

At this event, I experienced (as a spectator) a great display of swordsmanship in all competing categories, from junior kendoka to senior practitioners and even their masters. I was then not surprised to find out that Thailand Kendo Club has been sending its most talented members to the ASEAN Kendo Tournament for more than twenty years. Held every two or three years, this regional tournament sees the participation of many Southeast Asian

countries, and Thailand has brought home numerous medals and trophies from their ‘encounters.’ With the experience gained at these national and regional tournaments, some Thai kendoka have even participated in world championships.

The president of the Thailand Kendo Club, none other than Vithaya ‘Pu’ Pansringarm – a 5th-dan kendo master – says that he will forever remain grateful for the initial support the Japanese government offered. A donation of the necessary equipment for kendo practice from Japan made all the difference when kendo was still finding its roots on Thai soil.

The equipment needed for the safe practice of kendo is very specialized and quite expensive. Apart from the sihnai, a sword made of bamboo slats, to compete, you also need a men, a helmet-like head protection; a do, torso protection in the shape of a chest plate; kote, gauntlets; and a tare, a protective apron that covers the waist and groin areas. Under this protective armor, called bogu in Japanese, the kendo practitioner wears samurai-style clothing – a kendogi (a jacket) and a hakama (a type of wide trousers also worn in other martial arts, such as aikido).

An entire kendo ‘kit’ could easily cost as much as 20,000 baht, so before you make any purchases, make sure kendo is what you really want to do. You can join one of the many dojos in Bangkok and other provinces, where, under the supervision of both Japanese and Thai masters, kendoka of all ages train and sweat under their armor.

The main dojo, called Bangkok Kenyu Kai is located on the grounds of the Thai-Japanese Association School, a place with a fascinating history (opened in 1974 to provide compulsory education for Japanese children whose parents were working in Thailand). The weekly training session takes place on Sunday from 3-5 p.m.

28 - MARCH 2012

BANGKOK TRADER

If this dojo is too far from your house, you can also join any of the other dojo set-ups at Chulalongkorn or Ramkhamhaeng universities, plus a score of other locations in Bangkok. For a full list of dojo, access the Thailand Kendo Club website (www.thailandkendo.com) or search for them on Facebook.

Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, wrote in one of his books that, “In the West, the sport of fencing evolved from warfare, but the foil, épée, and saber never became more than fancy kitchen knives, mere tools for killing people. Japanese swords, however, are works of art. Crafted here by master smiths for more than a millennium, our swords have superb texture, elegance, and balance. Viewing these blades, even non-Japanese sense the mystery of perfection. We refined a lethal weapon into an aesthetic experience.”

Kendo is a martial art that can be practiced at any age, as the essence of kendo is to integrate the spirit of the sword, mind, and body into one entity. If you can achieve this unity of spirit, then a kendoka can overcome a physically stronger opponent with relative ease.

Bangkok Kenyu Kai – 259 Soi Rongrien Yeepun (Japanese School Street) on Rama 9 Road.

Voicu Mihnea Simandan is a Romanian writer who has been living in Thailand since 2002 and can be contacted at mihnea_voicu@yahoo.com.

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BANGKOK BUSINESS BRIEF February 2012

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BUSINESS BRIEF

Vol. No. 1, Issue No. 3

February 2012

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Forecasting Thailand’s Economic Growth in 2012

By Dean Outerson

After a disastrous year for the Thai economy, forecasts for Thailand’s 2012 GDP growth are currently hovering between 4.7% and 5%, figures described by some as ‘conservative’ and others as ‘optimistic.’ Both sides agree that any growth will depend heavily on the successful implementation of the

economic stimulus packages proURGENT! British posed by the government, restoraexpats see Page 20 tion of investor confidence, and NOW! the absence of any serious global economic or monetary shocks or nomic stimulus package and a further domestic disasters.

350 billion baht (US$11 billion) investment in water management Skeptics of the government’s plans initiatives to prevent future floods, to right Thailand’s economic ship in the face of Thailand’s current question the wisdom of the 120 debt. The government’s recent Story continues on Page 20. billion baht (US$3.7 billion) eco-

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First ?¿MYSTERY¿?¿ location of 2012 – to be announced on our main Faceback page with more details at http://goo.gl/ UBsgo or our events page at http://goo.gl/EnNbR

Another great party was had at Señor Pico Mexican Bar & Restaurant at Rembrandt Hotel on Sukhumvit 18... all thanks to our wonderful hosts and our wonderful guests (yes, that’s you). We appreciate when you come and help us celebrate a new issue. We hope to keep on partying for another a year or twenty. Our next party is still in the works, so check out our Facebook to find out where we’ll be and join up with us – hope to see you there!

For details on all of our parties (and to look for your bright and shiny mug in our party pix), head on over to facebook.com, search 'Bangkok Trader', and add yourself to our group. After that, we'll automatically update and remind you about the monthly parties.

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