Bangkok 101 - May 2010 by Talisman Media

bangkok 101 t h r o utghhe trheet ueryne so fo ft hhei s k ki ni ng g d o m

may 2010 100 baht

The return of the king

may 2010

In Celebration of the 60th anniversary of hm king bhumipol adulyadejâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return from europe to be crowned

publisher’s

letter

may 2010

Politics is not something we usually touch on here at Bangkok 101. But with headline-grabbing anti-government protests paralysing much of downtown Bangkok for weeks now it would, in this case, be blinkered not to. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by them – and we hope that as you read this the unrest has come to a non-violent end. Just as importantly, we hope that the socio-political rifts at the root of them are that much closer to being bridged. If they’re not, however, is Bangkok a no-go? This is a personal decision; one you should arrive at by keeping abreast of developments and sizing up the risks. What we will say is that away from the protest areas Bangkok’s gritty heart beats on, with folk going about their business as usual and, as things stand, many events still pencilled in for muggy May (see Metrobeat). These include a few religious and national days, beginning with Coronation Day (May 5) to mark the 60th anniversary of the coronation of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony (May 13) then marks the start of the rice-planting season, and Visakha Bucha Day (May 28) the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar. Our photofeature collaboration with publishing house Editions Didier Millet celebrates the first of these with a look back at the 73 days back in 1950 when His Majesty the King – the world’s longest reigning monarch – returned from his studies in Switzerland to be crowned officially. Alongside rare black and white photos, news stories from the landmark history-book Chronicle of Thailand shed light on the pomp and circumstance and momentous events which preceded it. Escapes this month include one close to the capital – Petchaburi for the Visakha Bucha Day Lamp Ceremony – as well as further flung Hanoi in Vietnam, a capital city currently basking in its newfound cosmopolitanism and 1,000 birthday celebrations. We also head north to Mae Hong Son, where we investigate what the lush, Burmabordering province has to offer beyond the little hippie paradise of Pai. We also continue to bring you intimate views of the country from the perspective of long-time residents, with an interview with Doug Harrison, a long-serving veteran of Bangkok and the New ters Orleanian behind award-winning Cajun Creole restaurant k 101 ca d, Bangko an what they se ia b n u Bourbon Street. And we kick off a new serialisation from ent and r more th er Independ rs who yearn fo s. It brings togeth , Buddhist Temples of Thailand, an immaculate coffetable lle k rs e o te v o a ri b tr ents, w d guide to savvy book profiling 40 of Thailand’s most dazzling wats. city resid The result hty, date f ig o e o w h in . W find ho’s tators Whatever May brings and wherever it takes you within travel ritative W commen an autho ers and cultural f monthly ff the o d ri b the city, or beyond, stay safe and we’ll see you back here in y h h p o t ra n d g e n g a to pho intelli u on pact and ine that takes yo employs the June. By then the annual rains should have brought with it is a com z a g 01 d city ma track. Bangkok 1 no smut and no cooler climes and, with any luck, cooler heads. guide an ff, st

What i1s01? Bangkok

touri no flu ught. well-worn al standards, with nt cannot be bo , ri te rs o n e it o d d c a e l re a st ri r e high ur edito the focus on ou O . ls a ri adver to aintain to ensure rously m We rigo nd our mission is ity as much a at c y this gre they enjo love living in it. e as w

Mason Florence Publisher

contributors Noy Thrupkaew

Noy is a U.S. journalist and former Pew fellow in International Journalism and Fulbright fellow in contemporary Thai cinema. She writes frequently on international politics and culture. Noy has reported from Cuba, Iran, Morocco, Japan, and Cambodia, among other countries; for outlets including The Guardian, Marie Claire, Ms. and The American Prospect, where she is a senior correspondent.

Philip CornwelSmith

Very Thai author Philip Cornwel-Smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first mobile phone guide for Nokia. Born in England, he has also written for Eyewitness: Thailand and international magazines.

Howard Richardson

Food and travel writer Howard Richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent 12 years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column on Bangkok events and trends in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine. He also wrote the travel guide Bangkok Step by Step, published by Insight Guides.

Brian Mertens

Author Brian Mertens helped spotlight Thailand’s new wave of textiles and furniture in his recent coffee table volume Bangkok Design. Previously he wrote Architecture of Thailand: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Forms. He writes on culture, travel and current affairs for such publications as New York Times, Art AsiaPacific and Forbes. A former resident of New York City and Tokyo, he has lived in Thailand since 1997, the year he won the Citibank Prize for Excellence in Journalism.

Tom Mintier

From covering the Vietnam War as an army photographer to heading up CNN bureaus in London and Bangkok, Tom Mintier is one of the most recognised and respected media figures in Thailand today. An Emmy award-winning television news journalist, Tom covered many events live for CNN, including the 1989 student uprising in Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Currently a consultant at AMATA Corp and professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Tom continues to train local journalists.

Steven Pettifor

British-born writer-artist Steven Pettifor stopped over in Thailand 13 years ago on his way to Japan, but never left. An authority on contemporary Thai art, Steven is a regular commentator on the local art scene, contributing to several international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published the coffee-table book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. When not art musing, he spends his time travel writing.

Korakot (Nym) Punlopruksa

N a t i v e - B a n g k o k w r i t e r, photographer and incurable travel addict, Nym believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats around. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for television and a documentary scriptwriter. She is the author of several travel narratives, and her work appears in myriad magazines including ELLE, Elle Decoration, GM and Home & Décor.

Cheryl Tseng

An avid epicurean, Cheryl’s foodie credentials can be traced back to L.A., where she was a regular fixture at the tables of Wolfgang Puck and Nobu before their rise to culinary fame. She later brought her experienced palate to Bangkok, where she thrives on the new and delectable in the night-out culinary experience. Cheryl contributes to numerous magazines and her website, www.chicasia.com, gives the latest on Bangkok’s hippest venues.

Publisher Mason Florence Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jesda M.Tivayanond Managing Editor Max Crosbie-Jones Staff Writer Nattapholm Suksuyuth Graphic Director Yuthtaya Sangnak Art Designer Narong Srisaiya Editorial Assistant Piyakwan Mettaprasert Strategists Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger Contributing Writers Cheryl Tseng, Noy Thrupkaew, Steven Pettifor, Nick Measures, Joel Quenby, Korakot Punlopruksa, Liz Smailes, Leo Devillers, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Cassandra Beckford, Chirayu na Ranong, Ashley Simcox, Brian Mertens Contributing Photographers Jatuporn Rutnin, Christian Phongphit, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Austin Bush, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat, Frédéric Belge, Somchai Phongphaisarnkit,TAT Director of Sales & Marketing Jhone El’Mamuwaldi Director of Business Development Simon Hughes Account Executives Haluethai Wattanapathomvong Jurairat Wannaprom Administrative Assistant Peeraya Nuchkuar Published by Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330 T: 02-252-3900 F: 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com Designed by Letter Space T: 02-386-7181 F: 02-386-7182 letter_space2000@yahoo.com Printed by Allied Printers T: 02-240-3700 © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.

table of

contents

may 2010

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8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17

101 picks 1 on 1: doug harrison events calendar now in bangkok metro beat history religion customs very thai: nang kwak

sightseeing 18 19 20 22 24 26 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 42

arts 44 45 46 54 55 56 57

on the cover: The King, accompanied by the Queen, waves to his subjects from a veranda at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall during a three-day celebration of His Majestyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coronation.

orientation riverside route101: rattanakosin route101: chinatown route101: sukhumvit route101: pathumwan siam and pratunam historic buildings temples kids in the city & shrines musuems the great outdoors day tripping featured daytrip: petchburi buddhist temples of thailand: wat phra dhammakaya upcountry festival upcountry escape: mae hong son over the border: hanoi

contemporary art exhibitions photo feature: the return of the king performing arts cultural centres cinema reading & screening

table of

contents

may 2010

108

115

food & drinks 58 59 60 61 62 63 68 72 73 74 75 76 77 78

dining in bangkok meal deals thai cuisine thai sweets street eats thai restaurants neighbourhood nosh: dim-sum brunching tea late dining sweet treats all you can eat wine

sports

112 spectator sports 113 active sports

nightlife 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96

one night in bangkok nightclubs bars with a view hotel bars bars jazz clubs live music nightlife areas pub crawling

couses & services 106

accommodation 106 boutique bangkok

shopping 98 99 101 102 103 104 105

unique boutique stuff bangkok design mall crawl chatuchak market markets sidewalks

114 115

cooking, meditation & thai massage, courses making merit: little light project

business 116 business 117 real estate

health & wellness 108 109 110 111

body & beauty spas wellness centres medical tourism

reference 118 survival thai 119 contacts 120 getting around

D a a a t l

F B

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Snapshots

101 picks

Before dashing off to a tropical island or the mountains, scratch beneath the city’s gritty surface to discover gems that’ll keep you here longer. We’ve compiled our Bangkok favourites here.

one night in bangkok

shopping

thai style

food heaven

open air

■ Chatuchak A huge, sprawling village of a market, selling everything under the sun. Cramped, steamy and lots of fun (p.103).

■ Making Merit Donate food to monks, release birds, or light incense sticks at a temple – and pray for good karma (p.115).

■ Beautiful Brunches L a ze a r o u n d w i t h friends, newspapers for those great late breakfasts (p. 73).

■ Dusit District Filled with lovely airy boulevards, a big zoo & Vimanmek Mansion’s gorgeous greener y (p.28).

■ Bars & Clubs Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. It’s fun to be a Bangkokian (pp.80-96).

■ Suan Lum Night Bazaar A pleasant evening market with arts, crafts and textiles. And a massive beer garden (p.104).

■ Thai Massage A cracking good time – though not for the faint hearted (p.108).

■ Food Courts Love cheap Thai food but love air-con more? Get thee to a food court (p.69).

■ On the River Take an express boat up to Nonthaburi or explore the canal communities of Thonburi (p.19).

■ Cabarets Wow, she is beautiful. Such a graceful dancer. And what a figure! Eh… what do you mean “he”? (p.83).

■ Siam Square All the young dudes head to this cradle of cool for the latest flicks and threads (p.102).

■ Thai Cooking Classes Learn to pound a proper paste like a pro (p.114).

■ Riverside Dining The Chao Phraya River makes for an awesome backdrop.And there are plenty of good restaurant options (p.21).

■ Cycling Tour Maybe not an obvious choice, but these tours are surprisingly popular (p.113).

■ High Attitude Bars Slinky cocktails at eight miles high. Not cheap, but well worth it (p.84).

■ Patpong A thin strip in the CBD jam-packed with market stalls and, er, go-go bars (p.105).

■ Thai Boxing The brutal, quintessentially Thai form of kickboxing (p.112).

■ Meal Deals Take advantage of special offers to eat at some of the city’s best restaurants (p.59).

■ Ancient City Cycle round the museum park of Muang Boran, and see Thailand in miniature! (p.36).

■ Dining Cruises Stuff your face as you wind your way along the Chao Phraya (p.59).

■ Panthip Plaza The ultimate computer-geek mecca. If you can’t find it here you just haven’t looked hard enough (p.102).

■ TCDC Cool, creative learning space for Thai designers (p.55).

■ Street Food Pull up a plastic stool and get ready to point and shoot (p.62).

■ Lumpini Park A huge green space in the heart of the city. Perfect for jogging, picnics and boating on the ponds (p.33).

■ Carnivalesque Get wiggly on Khao San, jiggly at RCA or giggly on Soi 11 (pp.94-95).

■ Paragon & CentralWorld Two of the swishest mega-malls you’re ever likely to encounter. Fancy a Ferrari? That’ll be the third floor (p.102).

■ Jim Thompson House & Silk Shop This former spook rebuilt the Thai silk trade then disappeared. Nice house though (p.28).

■ Affordable Gourmet Food If you prefer foie gras to fried insects, Bangkok needn’t break the bank (p.63).

■ Flower Market Close your eyes and inhale deeply. 24-hour marigold madness. (p.104)

■ Theatre TraditionalThai wooden puppet shows, classical Thai drama or breathtaking extravaganzas – no tux required (p.56)

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bangkok 101

1 on 1

New Orleanian Doug Harrison is one of Bangkok’s most successful restaurateurs: the founder and owner of the legendary Bourbon Street. He’s been dishing up the city’s best gumbo, blackened fish and other hearty Cajun Creole dishes to his Sukhumvit faithful for over 20 years, and is also a respected player on the local charity circuit. Tom Mintier sat up at the bar with the proud, straight-talking deep southerner to glean his thoughts on the dining scene and city at large. Restaurants open and close all the time here. How has Bourbon Street survived? I think the key to its success is my spending so much time here… talking to people, being able to give instant feedback to the kitchen, and telling people “thank you” as they walk out the door. Sukhumvit Road now has more restaurants than massage parlours. What do you think about all the competition? When The Dubliner pub first moved in around the corner, somebody asked me what I thought about the competition. I said “it’s not competition, it’s a compliment”. The more good places you have in the area, the more reasons there are for more people to come. Nobody goes to the same restaurant or bar every night. Are there any similarities between Louisiana and Thai cuisine? Many: both use a lot of garlic, onions, chilies, bell peppers, basil and many other spices, but in different proportions. Is it true you may soon be forced to move to another location? Yes, we just bought a new building in Ekamai. Things are starting to move out of Sukhumvit; things are getting too pricey in the inner city. Where do you take visiting friends for dinner? bangkok 101

Doug Harrison Gianni, Beirut, Trader Vic’s a the JW Marriott, the Riverside Terrace barbeque at the Marriott Resort and Spa, Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental, and Somboon Seafood, where you can get a great Thai-Chinese yellow crab curry. Which are your favourite live music venues in Bangkok? Spasso’s or maybe Saxophone, by Victory Monument, for something not so upmarket. What one thing would you change about Bangkok? Implement more mass transit, to move people around the city quicker; that would be fabulous because so many people waste so much time in traffic. When you’re not slaving away at Bourbon Street where will we find you? In Bangkok I usually relax around my snapshots

home swimming with my sons or go play golf or tennis. When I leave Bangkok I head for Hua Hin, Khao Yai, Phuket or Chiang Mai. Are you a big fan of Thai food? What are your favourite dishes? Yes, I love Thai and Thai Chinese food. Crab with yellow curry, chicken with cashews, MK restaurant, the green and red curries, kana green vegetables, chicken with basil, noodle soups.... oh, too many to mention. Do you speak Thai? What advice would you give to someone wanting to learn more about Thai culture? I speak real good Thai in the kitchen and enough to barely get by. To learn more about the culture, talk to the Thais you meet at restaurants, department stores and hotel staff. 9

Snapshots Thu 6: Jack Beats & Boy 8 Bit

may calendar Throughout May: Mauro Monti Niu’s on Silom | 02-2665333 | www.niusonsilom. com See Metrobeat ‘Jazz’

Nationwide A public holiday that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s longest reigning monarch’s coronation. See photofeature on p.46 for more.

Thu 6 – Fri 28: Movements in Frozen Time: An Exhibition of Dance Images Goethe Institut | 02287-0942 | www.goethe. de/thailand | free See Metrobeat ‘Art’

Fri 14: Deep Purple Live in Bangkok 2010

Sat 15 – Sun 16: THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2010

Sanam Luang, opposite the Grand Palace A photogenic royal rite to mark the arrival of the hopefully bumper rice-growing season.

Thunder Dome Muang Thong Thani | 02-2623456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B800 – 2,500 See Metrobeat ‘Rock & Pop’

Impact Muang Thong Thani | 02-512-0093104 | www.thaitradefair. com | free

Wed 19 – Sun 30: La Cage aux Folles

Wed 19- Thu 20: Orphee et Eurydice

Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre, 4 th Fl., Esplanade Shopping Center | 02-262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor. com | B500 – 2,800 See Metrobeat ‘Theatre’

Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadapisek Rd. | 02262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B800 – 3,500 See Metrobeat ‘Opera’

Fri 21: HedKandi

Thu 27: Rehab with Boy George

Thurs13: Royal Ploughing Ceremony

QBar, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | B800 See Metrobeat ‘Nightlife’

Until Jun 20: Luk Thung: The Phenomenon of Thai Country Music Museum of Siam, Sanam Chai Rd., Pra Nakorn | 02-225-2777 | www.ndmi.or.th | free See ‘ Now In Bangkok’ 10

Wed 5: King’s Coronation Day

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com The androgynous 80s star turned house DJ unleashes dancefloor bombs for the Rehab Crew.

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com Jack Beats is back in the city with Boy 8 Bit, one of the UK’s most essential dance acts.

Thu 20: Sir Norman Jay

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com International house, soul and disco from the UK’s Sir Norman Jay.

Fri 28 – Sun 30: Bangkok Post Thailand Travel Fair 2010 QSNCC | 02-240-3700 | www.bangkokpost.com | free

Until Sun 16: Mythical Adventures from the Depths of Thai Legends Siam Ocean World, Siam Paragon | 02-687-2000 | www.siamoceanworld. com | Adult B380, Child B280 See Metrobeat ‘Theatre’

Mandarin Oriental | 02659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental. com See Metrobeat ‘Food’

Tue 18 – Sun 22: Jeremy Monteiro Trio Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 02-6498888 | www.sheratongrande ukhumvit.com See Metrobeat ‘Jazz’

Thu 20 – Sun 23: Thailand Travel & Dive Expo 2010 QSNCC | 02-2034222-6 | www.thailanddiveexpo. com | free Predominantly a trade fair, but there’ll be scuba gear for grabs.

Fri 21: AVICII

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com This groundbreaking Swedish DJ is ready to burn the deck for the first time in Bangkok.

Fri 28:Visakha Buddha Bucha Festival Temples nationwide The holiest day in the Buddhist calender marks Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. Expect sermons & candlelit processions.

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Mon 10 – Sat 15: Annie Féolde

Until Jun 13: Be Skeptical BACC, opp. MBK | 02214-6632 | www.bacc.or.th | free See Metrobeat ‘Art’ Trade Fairs Performance Live Music Shopping Festivals/Events Food & Drink exhibition Sport Nightlife

bangkok 101

now in bangkok

Luk Thung –

The Phenomenon of Thai Country Music

ou might not know what it is. But you’re sure to have heard it on your taxi ride adventures around the capital. Luk thung, or Thai country music, is the sound of the rice-growing northeast, a uniquely Thai musical genre identifiable by its warbling singers who croon about life’s hard knocks and with a melancholy lilt that stirs the soul. It’s been half a century since luk thung emerged and to mark the occasion the Old City’s Museum of Siam has launched a free exhibition retracing its 50year journey, from its humble beginnings to its status today as a phenomenally popular genre of Thai music fronted by a panoply of revered stars. National Discovery Museum Institute Director, Paravi Wongchirachai, says the exhibition “gives a clear picture of the denouement of a marriage between Thai classical and folk music, with some influence of western music styles.” But to us this is just a fun, frothy introduction to your taxi driver’s dialled-in sound. Entering via the museum’s reception, you hear a song by Plern Phromdan set to a video of his old backing dancer before emerging into a room filled with mannequins in flamboyant hang khruang, or chorus line costumes. Belonging to celebrated bands, these range from Vegas-style cabaret dresses resplendent with sequins and ostrich feathers to traditional ones rooted in Thai folklore. Visitors then snake around a second room lined with old LP sleeves hung in plastic covers and each displaying a neatly coiffed luk thung star staring sweetly at camera. Many feature the designs of the famous Piak Poster, a director and movie-poster designer who drew inspiration from Hollywood. Along the way, mini-installations offer mock-ups of farmer’s abodes and flashbacks to different luk thung eras, including the rise of legendary Suphanburi-born superstar Suraphol Sombatcharoen,Thailand’s very own Elvis. Most of the exhibition text is in Thai but the record sleeves, TVs screening hit musicals and listening stations allowing you to nod, or even, should you be so inclined, sing along to karaoke videos, make this well worth a visit. In the museum’s shop, you also can also buy nostalgically packaged CD reissues of the classics. And there are screenings, talks and a live concert in the museum’s stately grounds scheduled (call the Museum of Siam or log onto its Facebook page for dates). UNTIL June 20 WHERE Museum of Siam, 4 Sanamchai Road, Phra Nakorn | 02-225-2777| www.ndmi.or.th | free

สถาบันพิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้แห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย (ใกล้ตั้งตรงจิตพาณิชการ)

bangkok 101

snapshots

Snapshots

metro beat

The pick of Bangkok’s hottest news, trends, events and openings, by Howard Richardson.

theatre

rock & pop

Siam Ocean World (02687-2000) has a summer show called Mythical Sea Creatures of Thai Literature until May 16, which recounts aquatic legends of traditional Thai literature, such as Ma Nin Mungkon, a magical halfhorse, half-dragon, with fangs made of diamonds. There are four performances a day (six at weekends), from 11am, with some scenes acted underwater. Admission is B380/adult, B280/child. For full details visit www.siamoceanworld.com. There’s Thai language production of the campy French musical drama La Cage aux Folles at Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre from May 19-30. Tickets run from B500-B2,800, and are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

nightlife HedKandi fly in to Q Bar (02-2523274) on May 21 with their latest show Twisted Disco, performed by DJ Sarah Louise and percussionist Pav, who describe it as the “Darker Side of House”. Entry is B800, which includes two drinks. For more info visit www.hedkandi.com.

exhibitions The Museum of Siam (02-2252777) celebrates Thai country music with the exhibition Luk Thung: The Phenomenon of Thai Country Music daily, except Mondays until June 20. The displays include music and memorabilia, and look at 50 years of the genre, exploring links with Thai folk, classical music and Western influences. Among the profiles of stars are Suraphol Sombatcharoen (‘The Thai Elvis’) and Poompuang Duanjan (‘The Madonna of Luk Thung’), while sub genres include Kwam Ru Mee Piang Kae Chan Por Si (Grade-4 Educated Dude). Admission is free. For more information, see www.ndmi.or.th. 12

Hard rock pioneers Deep Purple are live at the Thunder Dome Muang Thong Thani on May 14. The original 1970s’ members Ian Gillan (vocals), Ian Paice (drums) and Roger Glover (bass) are joined by Steve Morse, who replaced guitarist Richie Blackmore, and Don Airey, the new keyboard player, following the retirement of Jon Lord. The band is here on a world tour packaged around the new album Rapture of the Deep, but they will also no doubt play classic songs like ‘Black Night’, ‘Highway Star’ and ‘Smoke on the Water’. Tickets (B800-B2,500) are available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

opera The Metropolitan Opera of Bangkok perform Gluck’s opera Orphée et Eurydice at the Thailand Cultural Centre (02-247-0028) on May 19 and 20. The production has a wide international flavour, being a story from ancient Greek mythology, performed in French, using scenery inspired by Thai mural paintings, and incorporating traditional Thai costumes and art forms such as khon dance and puppetry. Tickets cost B800-B3,500. For more details call 02-932-9208.

food The Mandarin Oriental Hotel (02-659-9000) continues its programme of high grade visiting chefs with Michelin three star winner Annie Féolde, who’s in town from May 10-15. Originally from France, Annie became the first woman in Italy to gain three stars, for her restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri, in Florence. In Bangkok, she will present five-course lunches and seven-course dinners daily at Le Normandie restaurant.

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bangkok 101

art

Food & drink

The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (02-214-6632) shows Be Skeptical until June 13, featuring four contemporary Thai artists. Pitiwat Somthai, Pasut Kranrattanasuit, Suparirk Kanitwaranun and Noppadol Viroonchatapun ask their audience to do just what the title suggests through various works rendered in sculpture, installation, film and video art. Daily except Monday. A clutch of photographers and artists from Germany exhibit Movements in Frozen Time: An Exhibition of Dance Images at the Goethe Institut (02-287-0942) from May 6-28. The show features 50 colour and black and white photographs, plus a video installation of dance companies like William Forsythe and Sasha Waltz. Artists include Andrea Esswein and Dominik Mentzos. There’s more information at www.goethe.de/ thailand.

jazz Swiss pianist Mauro Monti fronts two bands at Niu’s on Silom (02-266-5333) throughout May. On Thursdays, a classic quintet, with sax and trumpet, play Blue Note tunes from the likes of Herbie Hancock; and on Saturdays a quartet, featuring Tew Tunboot (bass), Dan Phillips (guitar) and Chris Sweeney (drums) backs Wachirat Thoumthed singing jazz standards and material by modern writers such as Nora Jones. The Jeremy Monteiro Trio returns to the Living Room, in the Sheraton Grande hotel (02-6498888) with a short residency from May 1822. Pianist Monteiro brings with him a special guest in alto and baritone sax player Alan Barnes, a stalwart of the UK jazz scene, who has played with Don Weller, Stan Tracey and John Dankworth, and appeared as a session musician with Van Morrison, Bjork and Bryan Ferry. Also in the band are drummer Shawn Kelley and bassist Therdsak Wongvichien.

bangkok 101

Hyde & Seek

Two bright lights of Thailand’s F&B scene have opened a stylish downtown gastro bar that’s a dead-ringer for one of those London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pickme-up cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is fuelled by Chanond Purananda, a partner in Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The result is a menu of home-cooked European meals with an upmarket tweak that’s unusual in this price range. Baby back ribs are glazed with WHERE 65/1 Athenée chocolate and chilli Residence, Soi Ruamrudee, (sweeter and less spicy 02-168-5152 OPEN Daily than the Mexican mole 11am-1am PRICE $$ sauce); seabass comes with melted cabbage and shellfish emulsion; and lamb shank is slow-cooked, sous-vide style for 48 hours. The sleek Georgian-influenced décor has panelled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps go well with custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and the beginnings of a mini maze of tea plants to partition dining areas. Hyde & Seek is already good, despite a soft opening as recent as mid-January, and will likely get better. It’s a rare entry into the still huge market gap for high quality at middle prices. There’s a buzz here already, and it’s not large, so best to book ahead.

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history

Grand Palace

angkok became the capital of Thailand in 1782, when the royal court relocated from the city of Ayutthaya, which had been left in ruins following years of conflict with the Burmese. After settling temporarily on the western banks of the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, the capital moved again, this time to the area of Rattanakosin in present-day Bangkok. Almost entirely surrounded by water, the new location was easier to defend against potential attacks. The final move marked the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty. Rama I named the new capital Krung Thep (City of Angels) in reference to the past glories of Ayutthaya, and he ordered the construction of two of the Kingdom’s most illustrious religious monuments, Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, to consolidate the new capital’s ruling status. During the subsequent reigns of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and his son King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the city developed rapidly, culminating in the modernisation and explosive growth of the 20th century. After visiting European capitals, Rama V moved the royal family to the leafy enclave of Dusit. The modern architectural monuments built in this neighbourhood include the Thai Parliament Building, the impressive marble Wat Benchama Bophit and the enormous teak Vimanmek Mansion. Greater Bangkok now occupies nearly 1.5 square kilometres and is home to some 12 million residents. Rattanakosin remains the spiritual centre of the city, graced by the dazzling splendour of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and nearby Wat Po. Modern downtown Bangkok stretches southeast of Rattanakosin and looks very much like many other Southeast Asian capitals, with gleaming skyscrapers, deluxe apartment projects and lots of snarled traffic. The core of the new city encompasses the Sathorn/Silom

districts and Sukhumvit Road, which include upscale shopping plazas and leafy public parks. These major downtown neighbourhoods are connected by the BTS Skytrain and the MRT subway systems. These gradually-expanding public transpor tation networks, with their

bright, snaking trains carrying wideeyed tourists and weary commuters alike, have not only helped relieve the city’s notorious traffic congestion and pollution, but given this City of Angels a modern, 21st-century feel.

Take a deep breath Thais rarely call their capital ‘Bangkok’ but instead refer to it as ‘Krung Thep’ (City of Angels), an abbreviated version of the full ceremonial and official name. This can be translated as ‘The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.’ It is no surprise that The Guinness Book of Records registered it as the world´s longest name for a capital. snapshots

bangkok 101

religion

Did you know?

h e majorit y of enlightened (mural paintThai Buddhist Thais (over 90%) ings in Thai temples often monks once a re T h e r av ad a depict tales of his former dyed their B udd his t s , w i t h t he lives, called jataka), so most own robes rest of the population Thais focus on attaining with colour split between Muslims, a better rebirth through extracted Christians, Sikhs and “making merit” – donating from turmeric and the Hindus. Older animist to the poor or a temple, or beliefs also remain, prac- heartwood and handing out rice to monks leaves from tised alongside a verduring their morning almsjackfruit trees; gathering processions. sion of the Buddhism now most that originated with the Nearly all Thai Buddhist robes come teachings of Siddhartha men will become monks, chemically Gautama, the Buddha, if only for a short time. dyed. in India around the 6th Women cannot be ordained century BC. but some become nuns, alTheravada Buddhism is based on though their numbers remain low. the concepts of dukkha (suffering), Contrary to Western perceptions of anicca (impermanence and tran- Buddhism as a religion above the fray sience), and anatta (impermanence of everyday life, monks and nuns have of the self) – suffering arises through launched HIV-education and drugattachment to impermanent condi- prevention campaigns, orphanages, tions. By working to extinguish at- and other social programmes. More tachment through meditation and controversially, a number of monks proper conduct, Buddhist practi- have begun advocating that Buddhism tioners can eventually attain spiri- should be enshrined in the new contual enlightenment (nirvana), freeing stitution as Thailand’s state religion. them from cycles of rebirth. A soul For more information on Buddhism is reborn according to its progress and meditation courses, check out (or lack of it) towards nirvana, with the World Fellowship of Buddhists at animals forming lower strata and www.wfb-hq.org and the international monks occupying the top. The Bud- homepage of Vipassana meditation dha himself took 550 lives to become centres at www.dhamma.org.

bangkok 101

snapshots

Spirit houses Hand in hand with their Buddhist faith, Thais still hold many animist beliefs. Spirit worship is widely practised and spirit houses can be seen on the corner of most residential and commercial properties. By providing the spirits (good and evil) with shelter, it’s hoped that they will protect houses or buildings from any harm or mischief. To make sure the spirits are kept happy, offerings of incense, fruit, flowers or rice are made every day. 15

Snapshots

customs

oreign visitors to Thailand are not expected to understand all the intricate subtleties of Thai customs, but by learning something about them and trying to incorporate them into your behaviour, you will show respect for local people and avoid some potentially embarrassing situations. In Thailand, two institutions take on particular importance: the monarchy and religion.

Did you know?

Every day has a corresponding colour in Thailand, and throngs of locals will don a yellow shirt to show their respects and celebrate the 80th birthday of the King, who was born on the yellow-themed Monday.

The Monarchy Thai people love their king with deep reverence for the monarchy. By way of proof, portraits of their majesties are displayed in most shops and businesses. Like anybody else, you are expected to be respectful towards members of the royal family.Therefore, stand quietly when the national anthem is played, which happens daily at 8am and 6pm in parks and other public places. Social hierarchy Age, social rank, lineal descent, salary and education are all considerations for social conduct. Such hierarchy is demonstrated 16

at every moment of the day, even the way of greeting.Thais don’t usually shake hands but rather wai (a prayerlike gesture with hands clasped in front of the face).This action means ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ but also shows respect and humility.The higher the hands are raised, the more respect is being paid.

Losing face Thais are known to be patient and calm. Being jai yen (coolhearted) is highly admired in Thai culture. Any impulsive reactions that may show annoyance (i.e. raising your voice) are considered unseemly, counterproductive and can make you ‘lose face’. Losing your temper should be avoided; things will work themselves out much better if you remain calm. Practise the words mai pen rai (meaning “never mind”). Body parts The head is considered to be the most sacred par t of the body while the snapshots

feet are the lowest, hence the most impure. For this reason, it is impolite to pat or touch somebody on the head (this applies even to children) and it is particularly rude to point your feet at somebody or to place them on a table or a chair. Pointing the finger at other people is also considered impolite – best to gesture with an open hand.

Temple Etiquette

As temples and Buddha images are considered sacred, certain rules of respect should be followed when visiting temples: ■ dress properly (long trousers or dresses, covered shoulders) ■ remove your shoes at the entrance of temple buildings ■ don’t step on the threshold ■ don’t sit pointing your feet towards a Buddha image ■ avoid touching Buddha images or chedis (funeral monuments) ■ be considerate when taking photographs ■ Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by women. So, if a woman gives something to a monk, she must first pass it to a man or put it on a piece of cloth

bangkok 101

very thai Philip Cornwel-Smith

Nang Kwak: The beckoning lady brings business and love

Photos by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith

“Those who don’t ask don’t get” runs the English proverb and Thai shopkeepers aren’t shy to ask for more custom. Most unambiguous of all the trade talismans, nang kwak (beckoning lady) ushers in business at restaurants, shops and stalls. Many assume she’s a copy of maneki-neko, the Japanese beckoning cat often seen performing the same role beside her, but Nang Kwak has a separate local origin. Dressed in traditional costume and crown, she sits Thai-style – legs tucked in, left hand on floor or thigh – her right arm half-raised to beckon. In the courteous way that Thais summon taxis, waiters or social juniors, her palm faces down. Were nang kwak’s fingers pointing up, trade would suffer. Made by men, that rude gesture aggressively challenges; made by women, it’s a raunchy signal to “come hither”. Actually, nang kwak does have a sexy side. Like many amulets, she doubles as a love charm, though in the form of leaves from the plant of the same name. “In junior high school half a dozen girls in my class would wrap nang kwak leaves in a handkerchief to place in their top pocket to find a boyfriend,” recalls Chatchai Ngoenprakairat, 24. Coloured red or green with a white centre, these leaves curl down – an auspicious trait seen as beckoning. Leaves have a limited life however, so their power was extended by carving a beckoning figure from the herb’s tuber root. Over time, the sculptures were enlarged and executed in ivory, bronze, clay or a particular wood (notably the fig tree). Most elegant in gold leafed black lacquer, they’re often now plaster or plastic, moulded and painted with the same imprecision as spirit house attendant figures, among whom nang kwak sometimes sits. Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture is a book that almost every foreigner living in Bangkok has on their bookshelf, a virtual bible on Thailand’s pop culture. For page after colourful page, author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus mini-chapters, we present a different excerpt each month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic. Snap up a copy at any good book shop. Very Thai – River Books l B995 l hardcover, with photos by John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith bangkok 101

snapshots

Sightseeing

orientation

greater bangkok Cha

Thewet & Dusit

ph r a

Ko Rattanakosin Ch

hray

Thonburi

Chinatown

Siam Square & Pratunam

Sukhumvit Chaophraya

– steel towers, snarled traffic and snaking expressways – that is Modern Bangkok. Silom and Sathorn are busy business arteries linking the riverside’s old colonial style mercantile buildings and posh hotels to the city’s green lung, Lumpini Park. Seething Sukhumvit Road and its branching sois (where internationals tend to live, work and play) offer few sights but untold opportunities for drinking, dining and debauchery. And Pathumwan (p.29) is

meared over the flat, floodprone Chao Phraya river plain, Bangkok at first appears about as organised as a bowl of spaghetti. The fact that there isn’t one all-singing, all-dancing city centre doesn’t help matters. Delve in though and you’ll discover a sprawling megalopolis with a series of distinct neighbourhoods that have evolved over the centuries and have different, tourist-luring attributes. On the west side of the river, glimpses of the Venice of the East survive down the criss-crossing canals of former capital Thonburi. On the east, historic monuments like the Grand Palace are sprinkled like gold dust through former royal HQ Ko Rattanakosin (p.20) – the city’s most revered neighbourhood by far. Fringing it are the old shophouse communities of Phra Nakorn and Banglamphu, the latter of which includes backpacker ghetto Khao San Road. South of Ko Rattanakosin is the city’s congested, chaotic and must-see Chinatown. And crowning Banglamphu is royal and government enclave Dusit with its grand, tree-shaded boulevards a la 19th Century Europe. When temple fatigue strikes head east for the urban hurly burly

where it’s at for shopping, be it at glitzy mall or gritty market. All these neighbourhoods (and the city’s intermittently interesting ‘burbs) can be reached using the city’s roads. But the Skytrain (BTS) and Underground (MRT) networks are better allies – whiz above or below the gridlocked streets in fridge-cool comfort! When these can’t help you (when heading from downtown Bangkok to the Old City for instance) hop on a river expressboat, accessible via Saphan Taksin Skytrain station (see opposite). Alternatively, seek out a pier along smelly Klong Saen Saeb (p.120) and clamber (carefully) aboard one of its zippy boats. Other tips include avoid scammers (p.29), carry small change and, if visiting temples, dress properly. In a city as potentially aggravating as Bangkok, it’s also worth planning. Do you really want to be traipsing round temples all day? Exactly. For ideas check out the following Route 101’s – these itineraries introduce the most notable sights in the city’s most colourful neighbourhoods. Don’t follow them to the letter however – getting hopelessly lost as you wander down one interesting looking sidestreet after another is half the fun.

Riverside

Pathumwan& Lumphini

Silom & Sathorn sightseeing

bangkok 101

ban

the riverside

N16-N30 Head north and concrete seques into greenery as expressboats sprint up to their terminus at Nonthaburi, a charming provincial town.

N13 : Phra Athit Bkk’s young bohemians pensively sip coffee in the cute shophouse cafes that line this leafy old street. There’s a quiet park and the hedonistic madhouse that is Khao San Road is around the corner.

N10

N15 :Thewet Feed the catfish, peruse a flower and wet market, or dine overlooking the nearby Rama VIII suspension bridge. Stately royal district, Dusit, is a short taxi ride away.

d. tR ra

N9 : Tha Chang Thai icons ahoy! Turn left for Wat Mahatat and the Amulet market. Walk straight ahead for the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang. Hungry? The pedestrian area in front of the jetty is packed with old-school food stalls.

Na Phra Lan Rd.

Rd. arat Mah

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Ratchada

mnoen K

Kalayang Matri Rd.

lang Rd.

N5 : Ratchawongse Bangkok’s Chinatown! Taoist temples, mazy backstreets, mottled shophouses and no end of Sino sights, noises Rd. Muangand smells make it a must. Bamrung

Royal Grand Palace

d. ng R i Wa Tha Wat Po

Chinatown

Pak Klong Talad

Pahurat

Kl Phr ao a P Br ok id ge

N1 : Oriental The old western quarter. Admire neglected neoclassical edifices and Oriental object’s d’arts at OP Place, then take tea at Bangkok’s most illustrious hotel, the Mandarin Oriental.

Millenium Hilton

Wongwian Ya

ksin R

N6 : Memorial Bridge/ Saphan Pood Venture left for decrepit godowns (warehouses) teeming with veg and flowers; i.e. Pak Klong Talad, the 24-hour fresh market. Head straight for Bangkok’s Little India, Pahurat. At night there’s a clothing market popular with teens.

tc ha wo n

N6 Wat Arun

N2 : Sri Phaya On the left is River City: 4 barren-floors of SE Asian antiques, ethnic reproductions, tailors and tat. To your right, the Royal Orchid Sheraton.

Charoen Krung Rd.

ai Rd. Sanam Ch

N15

N13

Amulet Market

Wat Mahatat

N8 :Tha Tien Lovely King Rama V-era shophouses sell dried fish but Wat Po – home of the reclining Buddha – is the main attraction. Wat Arun (p.29) looms large on the far bank. Catch a cross-river ferry to it for B3.

Ratc hada mno Sana en N m ai Rd Luan . g

N10 : Wang Lang Wat Rakhang, the macabre Forensic’s Museum, a teenfashion clothing market and Patravadi Theatre (p.54) are all in the vicinity.

ra ge Ph id et Br o mdla So K n Pi

101

Though tall ships no longer sail into Bangkok, its churning river – the Mae Nam Chao Phraya – remains important to city life. Long tails, tug boats and pleasure cruisers ply the water, while sunburnt temples, neoclassic buildings, mottled warehouses, stilt homes and a fair few modern monstrosities (hotels, office blocks etc) look on.The best way to encounter all this is by expressboat, which follows a 33km route from Wat Rajsingkorn in the south to Nonthaburi in the north. Fares (usually no more than B13) are payable on board, and during rushhour the boats thronged with office-workers, students and saffron-robed monks. Read up on most interesting piers here then hop aboard! For more about routes, fares and timetables see www.chaophrayaboat.co.th

bangkok 101

o Ta Cha Phra Som det

Saphan Taksin Accessible via the Skytrain’s Saphan Taksin Station. Alight here for shuttle boats back to Mandarin Oriental, Pennisula and Millenium Hilton hotels. Or if staying in Silom, Sathorn or Sukhumvit.

Penninsula

Wongwian Yai

Krung Thonburi Rd. KrungThonburi

N1 Taks

in Br

idg

e SapanTaksin

sightseeing

Sightseeing

route 101

Whether your stay in Bangkok is for a few hours, a few days or more, absolutely any itinerary should include the ‘old city’ of Rattanakosin. From exquisite temples to ancient Thai massage, it’s all here. Wat Phra Kaew

Rattanakosin

elcome to Rattanakosin Island: historical heart land of modern Bang kok, spiritual epicentre of the Kingdom. King Rama I located the capital here in 1782 because he thought it would be easier to defend than previous site Thonburi. Surrounded by man-made klongs (canals) and the Chao Phraya River, and immune to high-rise developments, its charms include decaying old shophouses (as opposed to 50-storey monsters) and the highest density of sacred must-sees in Bangkok. Whether you’re here for a few hours, a few days or more, every itinerary should include some time here.

sightseeing

bangkok 101

ban

oa d

ath ai R

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dam

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Luk Luang Road

Road

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Bamrung Muang Road

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Muang Ro

Mahac

Bamrung

Charoen Krung Road

NORTH

The Deck

Phra Phi Phit Road

M Ro

Phra Buddha Yodfa Monument

recommended sites: n Khao San Road Backpackers and all their material attachments. n Wat Mahathat A centre of Buddhist teaching hemmed in by a jostling amulet market. n The Giant Swing Men reached hazardous heights here during annual ceremonies... until it was banned. n Phra Athit Road Bohemian cafes, a tranquil park and an old fort converge upon one tree-shaded street.

sightseeing

Saphan Phut Pier

ka ph

Tha Thien Pier Tha Rachinee Pier

1. Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) 2. Wat Po (Wat Phra Chetuphon) 3. Wat Phra Kaew 4. National Museum

PAHURAT

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Wat Po

Thipsamai

Sao Ching Cha (Giant Swing)

Atsadang Road Rachini Road

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Sanam Ch

The Grand Palace

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Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Democracy Monument

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PHRA NAKHON

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

ra Ph

Atsad

Sana Luanm g

noen

Na Phra Lan Road

Tha Thien Pier

isu

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Tha Chang Food Market

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Wat Mahathat

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Ratch

Phrannok Pier

Tha Chang Pier

Kao San Ro

Tha Chang Pier

BANGLAMPHU

Thammasat University

Tha Maharat Pier

khon Road

n Pi

National Museum

Tha Phra Chan Pier

Fuang Na

ra Ph Thonburi Railway Pier

Dinso Road

oad

Tanao Rd

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Tha Phra Athit Pier

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Saphan Phra Pin Klao Pier

Sa ms en R

Khin Lom Chom Saphan

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bangkok 101

101

Democracy Monument

Wat Sam Phraya Pier

First stop is Wat Arun (p.29), also known as the Temple of Dawn. Actually pre-dating the Rattanakosin era, it’s a cornerstone of Thailand’s history. To get there, ride the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin then, once at the river, jump on an express boat (ask someone to point out which boat is an express). As you face the river, you want to be going right, upriver. Get off at Tha Tien pier and catch one of the numerous boats that cross to the other side. Wat Arun, with its spire aglow, is easy to spot. After admiring the sweeping panoramas from the top, cross the river back to Tha Tien pier. Then make your way to the city’s oldest temple complex, Wat Po (p.30). Here, see the immense reclining Buddha and have your muscles de-knotted at the famous Thai massage school. Temple initiation over, head north for the granddaddy of Bangkok sights: the Grand Palace (p.29) and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (p.29). Snub the touts telling you it’s closed, and take plenty of time to pace, reverentially, around this gilded fairytale of a royal complex (note: the B300 ticket is also valid for Dusit’s Vimanmek Mansion, p.28). Hungry for more Thai history? Then exit and head north across the ancient ceremonial park, Sanam Luang, veer left and delve into the National Museum (p.32). Depending on your body and foot fatigue, you will probably find it is early evening.The rest of your evening is up to you – Rattanakosin has plenty of options. A good place to unwind over a drink or a meal is at one of the artsy eateries near the fort, along Phra Athit Road. Alternatively, grab a beer and some pad thai with the backpackers along Khao San Road. Or hit a cocktail bar like Amorosa, with its picture-postcard views over the river of lit-up Wat Arun.

Dining pit-stops: Use these restaurants to recharge en route. n The Deck Open-air restaurant with stunning views of river-straddling Wat Arun. 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Road | 02-221-9158 | www.arunresidence.com n Khin Lom Chom Saphan Feast on Thai seafood while eyeballing river reflections of Rama VIII Bridge. 11/6 Soi Samsen 3 | 02-628-8382 n Thipsamai Famous pad thai restaurant. 313 Mahachai Rd | www.thipsamai.com n Tha Chang Food Market A lipsmacking local market unfurls here each day. 21

Sightseeing

route 101

hinatown or Yaowarat, as it is known locally, is a sprawling, neon-lit enclave of tiny lanes, fabulous food, dramatic Chinese shrines and wiry old men sitting on plastic stools staring through thick-rimmed glasses. The centre of Bangkok’s Chinese community actually used to be a couple of clicks west, but when King Rama V decided to build his palace on Rattanakosin Island the neighbourhood decamped en masse to its current location. It’s a fantastic place just to wander around during the day, stuffing your face with weird fried things and trying to figure out just what the hell is being displayed in the Chinese pharmacy windows. Yaowarat Rd itself, Chinatown’s main stretch, comes alive at night when

cHINATOWN fold-up-table restaurants spill out over the pavements, and a million and one gold shops, with their ridiculously ostentatious facades, flick on their neon switches. It’s quite a sight. The best way to get there is by the underground. Take Exit 1 from Hua Lamphong MRT and look over to your right to take in Bangkok’s impressive main train station. This Renaissance-style edifice dates back to the early 20th century when King Rama V commissioned a bunch of Italian architects and engineers to give the capital a dash of European élan. Head straight on from Exit 1 and

sightseeing

cross over a couple of roads and the canal until you hit Mittraphap ThaiChina Rd. Down here you’ll find one of the most imposing temples in Bangkok, Wat Traimit Witthayaram (p.30) and, 50m further on, the Odeon Circle Gate, an enormous structure that serves as the entrance to Chinatown proper. Turn right and check out the San Chao Poy Sien shrine, before crossing over onto Yaowarat Rd and exploring the Thian Fah Foundation complex. Continue along Yaowarat and, when you’re suitably disgusted/ impressed by all the restaurants advertising bird’s nest and shark’s fin delicacies on Yaowarat, duck down Yaowaphanit Rd. Then turn right onto Sampheng Lane (officially Wanit 1 Rd). This wholesale shopping treasure trove used to be full of opium dens and brothels, although there’s not much more illicit than hair clips and rubber sandals on offer now. The lane’s not wide to start with, but fill it with food carts, dawdling shoppers and delivery boys on Vespas loaded with Hello Kitty schoolbags and you feel like a human pinball. Great fun! Emerging like a new born calf bangkok 101

ban

d aR

ai-C hin Th ab

3 Trongsawat Rd

Yaowaphanit Rd

11 Rd Soi Yaowarat

Mit tap h

Phadung Dao Rd

Plaeng Nam Rd

Soi Charoen Krung 16 Rd

Soi Yaowarat 6 Rd

Mungkorn Rd

Mittraphan Rd

Phlap Pla Chai Rd

Suapa Rd Soi Charoen Krung 14 Rd Soi Yaowarat 8 Rd

1 Rd

Mungkorn Rd

am ar

t ru Ph

Chaloem Buri Intersection

ha Ma

Soi Yaowar at 15 Rd

Ratchawong Rd

ar oe

See n San Chao Poy Sien Okay, it looks like a souvenir shop, but it’s actually a funky little shrine. Pop upstairs to the weird plastic cave-room to see the statue of the Chinese god Kuan Yim.

Information

Old market

Soi Wanit 1

Ratchawong Rd

ase gK

Yaowarat Rd

Soi W anit

Sam

phe

Sbudibxpoh !Qjfs

China Town Scala restaurant

Yaowarat Rd

Song Wat Rd

un Kr Rama IV Rd

Shangarila restaurant

Wat Kunmatay

Mai market

rat

Wat Bamphen

Kwang Tung Shrine

Rd a ow

Grand China Princess Hotel

Charoen Krung

i Ya So

101

HUA LAMPHONG

Hua Lamphong Railway Station

Lan

Wat Ko

Song Wat Rd

at R gW

Son

Wat Sampheng

1. Wat Traimit Witthayaram 2. San Chao Poy Sien shrine Auphairat 3. Wat Thian Fah Foundation 4. bamrung Canton House 5. Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat 6. Hua Seng Hong 7. T&K Seafood

Chao Phraya River

onto Ratchawong Rd, you’ve got a choice to make. Head left towards the river to explore the old colonialstyle warehouses and catch a river taxi from Ratchawong Pier; jump in a cab and mumble “Pak Khlong Talad” (p.104) to explore the 24-hour flower market; cross the road and continue the market mayhem as Chinatown segues into Little India with all its fabric shops and samosa stalls; or turn right and head up to the other main Chinatown artery, Charoen Krung Rd. As you approach Charoen Krung you’ll cross back over Yaowarat Rd, passing the Grand China Princess hotel on your left. Turn left when you hit the main drag and walk about 500m to get to Nakhon Kasem, the old Thieves’ Market (p.104), or turn right and cross

over to visit the wonderful Mangkorn Kamalawat temple complex. Opposite the temple, about 20 metres on, there’s a tiny, jam-packed lane, Soi 16, that connects with Yaowarat Rd. If you’re there at breakfast time, head on in for a seething, groaning wet-market with everything from huge sacks of tea and dried mushrooms to plastic tubs of writhing catfish. If you’ve timed it well, when you come out of Soi 16 (Yaowarat Rd Soi 6) night will have fallen and the neon-lit optical orgy that is Yaowarat Rd will be in full flow. Squeeze past all the chestnut vendors and satay grillers and slip into an appealing restaurant or find a table at a streetside eatery to give your feet a well-earned rest.

n Thian Fah Foundation This atmospheric complex incorporates a hospital and another, more elegant shrine dedicated to Kuan Yim. n Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat Fight your way through the vendors in the entranceway and head straight to the temple at the back for a truly memorable experience.

Eat n T&K Seafood 49-52 Soi Phaduang, Yaowarat Rd | 02-2234519 | 4:30pm-2am Watch the crowds roll by and dishes being hoisted down on fishing lines from the upstairs kitchen. n Canton House Chaloem Buri Intersection | 02-2213335 | 11am-10pm Cheap, tasty and air-conditioned, Canton House has a great selection of dim-sum from B15 a pop. n Hua Seng Hong 371-373 Yaowarat Rd | 02-222-0635 | 9am-midnight Look out for the bright yellow sign, then squeeze past the crabs, ducks and shark fins into an air-conditioned dining room for tasty, reasonably priced Chinese fare.

bangkok 101

sightseeing

Sightseeing

Emporium

route 101

Sukhumvit like a slo-mo bullet above it. Get a quick jump on the day and loosen up with a morning stroll around the lake in Benjakitti Park. Located adjacent to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, which

Hapa Spa

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55 (S o

Nang Len

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63 (S o

Soi S

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Soi S

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Agalico

THONG LO

EKAMAI

ek Rd QUEEN SIRIKIT NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Crystal Spa

sightseeing

Prakanong)

vit Rd Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai)

adapis

1 Benjakitti Park

phong)

(Soi Prom umvit 39 49

Ratch

Soi 24

Soi 20

Benjasiri Park

Shades of Retro

Soi

PHROM PHONG

Rembrandt Hotel

Thailand Tobacco Monopoly

Soi Sukh

Rasayana Retreat

Soi 18

SUKHUMVIT

Soi 33

Soi 31

SUKHUMVIT Soi 14

pressway

Soi 12

Crêpes and Co

Soi 22

akhon Ex

ASOKE

Ekamai

Divana Divine

Uomasa

hosts world class expos weekly (see calendar p.10), it is easily accessible via the centre’s MRT stop. Next head to the Siam Society for a quick shot of culture. On Asok Road (the unofficial “border” die-hard Sukhumvit dwellers rarely cross), it’s an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Thai heritage, art and culture through study trips, lectures and exhibitions. And out back is a stunning Northern Lanna teak house/ethnological museum. After Asok, it’s on the Skytrain and off to Phrom Phong station. Here you will find the cultural epicentre of upper Sukhumvit, that shrine to nouveau riche Thai consumerism, Emporium. While you can easily get your shopping fever quietened with the bevy of established, Coffee Beans by Dao world-class designers and up-andcoming Thai labels here, an interesting alternative is the Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) on the sixth floor which continually stages thought-provoking, and usually free, exhibitions. Even better yet, TCDC is a short escalator ride away from the food floor, a United Nations of culinary possibilities. If your back is aching from scrutinising all those exhibits, why not Soi Sukhumvit 71 (Soi

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ike Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Sukhumvit Road is a futuristic thriller – a flawed, frenetic, yet often compelling urban streetscape. Towering hotels, condominiums and offices sprawl east across its skyline, while down below a global Who’s Who races anonymously among them. Along its main stretch cars and c oncrete assail the senses, while down its many flanking sois calmer, more serene atmospheres unfold. Once a suburban backwater dominated by a stretch of rice fields, Sukhumvit has evolved into the residential destination of choice for aspirational Thais and the expats who work with them. As a result, it has developed its own village culture – marked by twee cafés, achingly hip boutiques and a veritable nation of fantastical day spas. In other words, when temple and museum-weariness set in, Sukhumvit could very well offer the perfect antidote. Only helping matters is the Skytrain, which swooshes

PRAKANONG

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Bed Supperclub

take a stretch among the modern sculptures and trim greenery of adjoining Benjasiri Park? Shopaholics can probe Thong Lo further, staking out the neighbourhood for designer clothing, jewellery, furniture and books. Or, should you be toying with matrimony, wedding garb. Hop on over to J-Avenue, Bangkok’s little slice of neon Tokyo and watch as beautiful people and their even prettier cars roll in. Once dinnertime rolls around check out “Japan Town” in Thong Lor Soi 13, where a clutch of great Japanese restaurants like Uomasa lurk. Finally, when it comes to Sukhumvit, the night time is definitely the right time. Drinking, dining, dancing, debauchery... it’s all here. For a go on a shisha pipe, Sukhumvit Soi 3 is Bangkok’s very own Little Arabia. Those looking to make a very Thai night of it (whisky sodas, a Thai live band) should head to one of the jumping joints along Thong Lor or Ekkamai. Sukhumvit Soi 11 – home to veterans like Bed Supperclub and Q Bar (p.82) – will satisfy your international clubbing needs. But for the best of Sukhumvit’s beau monde haunts its got to be Long Table (p.84): a cocktail at this 25th floor design bar, with its movers and shakers and electric panoramas, is not easily forgotten.

Crêpes & Co

bangkok 101

EAT Coffee Bean by Dao | Casa Viva Apartment, Ekamai Soi 12, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | 02-713-2504~8 The cheesecakes at this local hi-so cake stop are out of this world. n Crêpes & Co | 18 Sukhumvit Soi 12 | 02-653-3990 Nestled in a quiet soi, in a palm-fronded garden, this French/Meditterean cafe serves an excellent all-day brunch. n Agalico | 20 Sukhumvit 51 | BTS Thong Lor | 02-662-5857 An all-white tea lounge situated in a lush garden. Only open weekends. Take a ride down Sukhumvit Soi 51, and take the first right. n Uomasa | Nihomura, 87 Thong Lor Soi 13 | 02-392-6575 Found in the wooden Nihomura compound, Uomasa is particularly recommended for sashimi lovers. DRINK n Shades of Retro | Soi Tararom 2,Thong Lor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lor | 081824-8011 | 1pm-midnight People craving a drink and some laid-back conversation need look no further n

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than antique store/nostalgia café Shades of Retro. n Cheap Charlie’s | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok’s most bizarre bar (p.88). n Nest | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Found opposite Q Bar, this sleek yet cosy rooftop bar won’t ruffle your feathers. n Nang Len | Ekkamai Soi 5, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | 02-711-6565 The name means “to sit around” in Thai. However you’d probably win the lottery before you find a seat here on weekends. SPA n Divana

Sightseeing

route 101 CentralWorld

Pathumwan

Siam and Pratunam BACC

of Panthip Plaza. Chockful of gadgets and some highly suspicious software, Panthip is worth visiting but it is truly a place where the ‘buyer beware’ motto should be kept in mind. Double back on yourself once more and head back to the junction. Turn south to where you previously crossed the canal. It is time to give your feet a rest and take a boat ride on Klong Saen Saeb. Get on a boat heading west and get off at Jim Thompson’s House (see p.28). Thailand’s second most popular tourist destination is a wonderful, meditative place to wander around and perhaps ri R

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he Pratunam and Siam Square districts are famed as a shopper’s paradise. From the chaos of the shop-4-all places like the Mahboonkrong Center (MBK) and the Pratunam clothes market to the elegance of Siam Paragon Mall and Central Chidlom shopping centres, the range of goods is staggering. Hidden among these mammoth malls and markets are some very Thai activities that should not be missed. Start the day off with a visit to a popular spot if you wish to pray for good fortune from the four-faced Hindu God Brahma. On the corner of the junction with Ploenchit Road and Ratchadamri, the Erawan Shrine is renowned for bringing good luck. Then cross over Ploenchit Road and head north up Ratchadamri Road. Just after you cross the canal (khlong) is another major junction with Phetchaburi Road. On the other side of this road is the legendary Pratunam clothes market (see p. 105), reputedly the largest market of its kind in Thailand. Then head back south to Phetchaburi Road and turn right. After a few minutes’ walk, on the other side of the road is the computer geek paradise

indulge at the café. Take a right out of here and turn left at the end of the soi. Walking toward Siam Square and on the left corner of the junction, between Rama I and Phayathai Road, you can’t miss the crisp, concrete curves of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Called the “Guggenheim meets a shopping mall” by our very own art critic, this is Bangkok’s new modern art scene central. After all this walking, a sit-down is probably in order. CentralWorld, Asia’s largest “lifestyle shopping complex”, houses scores of great restaurants and a fantastic cinema complex, where you can treat yourself to a ‘luxury cinema’ screening (see p.56). Top off your day with a yin-yang cocktail at Centara Grand hotel’s ultra-chic rooftop bar, Red Sky (p.84). You don’t even need to leave the bracing confines of the CentralWorld complex to get there. Just take an escalator to level one, catch a lift to the hotel’s lobby, and from there make like a rocket to the 55th floor.

Lumphini Park

Sightseeing

historic buildings JIM THOMPSON’S HOUSE (map C3, #16) 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium| 02-2167368 | www.jimthompsonhouse.com | daily 9am-5pm | B100 (B50 students) One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit the home of Jim Thompson, the American businessman largely responsible for the global popularity of hand-woven Thai silk. Found in a sun-dappled tropical garden, beside a pungent canal, this complex of six traditional teak houses from around the country is testament to his commitment to preserving regional art and culture. Each brims with art and antiques rescued from around Asia: everything from limestone Buddha torsos to a cat-shaped porcelain bedpan. Free tour guides discuss these exquisite treasures and the much-mythologised life of the man himself. There’s also a shop selling his trademark designs, an art gallery and a café.

บ้านไทย จิมทอมป์สัน ซ.เกษมสันต์ 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE (map C4,#20) 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-2868185 | Sat, Sun & Holidays 10am – 5pm, weekdays by appt. only | B50 (B20 kids) Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s most-loved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister in the 1970s. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens, now on show to the public and off the tourist trail is a terrific example of traditional Thai architecture. บ้านหม่อมราชวงศ์คึกฤทธิ์ ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต้้

VIMANMEK MANSION (map B2,#1) 139/2 Ratchawithi Rd, Dusit | 02-281-1569 | daily 9am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved, piece by piece, to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms, spread over three floors, overlook a beautiful garden. Inside, many of his acquisitions from international trips are on display, including possibly the first bathtub in the kingdom, antique photographs and fine porcelain. Regular tours in English are held throughout the day. พระทีน ่ ง่ั วิมานเมฆ ถ.ราชวิถี เขตดุสติ WANG SUAN PAKKARD (map C3, #15) Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi | BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 | www. suanpakkad.com | 9am – 4pm | B100 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard pays testament to her dedication to collecting Thai artefacts and antiques. Of note are the examples of Buddhist and Hindu art, the ceramics from old Ban Chiang and the delightful lacquer pavilion depicting scenes from the Ramayana. วังสวนผักกาด ถ.ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall (map B2, #2) Uthong Nai Rd, Dusit, opp Dusit Zoo | 8:30am-4pm | B50 This stately parlimentary palace was built during the reign of RamaV and completed by Rama VI. Cast in white Carrara marble, it is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session. Influenced by Renaissance architecture, the interior is decorated with detailed frescoes, by Italian Galileo Chini, of royal ceremonies and festivities. พระทีน ่ ง่ั อนันตสมาคม ถ.อูท่ องใน ดุสติ

Jim Thompson:The Man behind the Mystery Check this out for a CV: a Princeton graduate and former US spook turns Bangkok socialite, silk revivalist and Asiaphile antiques collector before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. Jim Thompson’s strangerthan-fiction life story makes for a twisting, ultimately tragic tale.This, along with the sheen of his famous silks, his entrepreneurial skills and impeccable taste, has made him Thailand’s most famous farang (westerner).Today he’s a brand gone global.You can visit his stunning home (see above), buy his trademark fabrics in Argentina or Australia, and read a slew of gossipy biographies peddling myths that only seal the legend. But it’s perhaps at Ban Krua, the Muslim silk-weaving community found near his home, where his legacy is most lasting. Here the cottage industry he resuscitated continues to thrive – a testimony both to the skill of the weavers who live there, and the visionary American who believed in them. 28

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temples majesty of the temple, the walls of Wat Phra Kaew’s cloisters feature examples of Thai mural art documenting the life and travels of the Buddha and scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana epic. Remember to dress respectfully as a strict no shorts or sleeveless shirts policy is enforced.

The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew

THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW (map A3, #10) Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang | 02-222-0094 | daily 8:30am-4pm | B350 includes entry to Vimanmek Mansion | dress respectfully The granddaddy of all Thai sights. Don’t let the touts who mill around outside put you off a visit to this, the Kingdom’s most beloved keepsake – a fantastical 218,400m² royal complex that comes enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls, and at night sparkles like the jewel in some Oriental fairytale. Building began in 1782, the year Bangkok was founded, and every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many stunning sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. Though King Bhumibol now holds court at Chitralada Palace, in the northern district of Dusit, the Grand Palace is still used for major ceremonies or royal functions. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – colloquially known as the “Westerner in a Thai hat” due to its blend of Thai and European architecture – is worth

seeing, and there are some state rooms and halls open to visitors.These include the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall, where the King still delivers his birthday speech, and a small weapons museum. The highlight is the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist relic – and the ornate temple purpose-built to house it, Wat Phra Kaew, where hundreds pay their respects each day. Completed two years after the capital was moved from Thonburi to Rattanakosin in 1784, this forms the north-eastern corner of the complex. The Emerald Buddha was discovered in 1434, when lightning is said to have struck a chedi in Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand. It was originally covered in stucco which peeled off over time to reveal the brilliant green stone beneath. After being moved around Northern Thailand by a succession of Thai kings and then taken by the Lao to Vientiane, Rama I retook the statue in 1779 and placed it at the centre of his new capital. Apart from the amazing architecture, gilded statues and the

WAT ARUN (map A3, #12) Temple of Dawn | Arun Amarin Rd | 02- 465-5640 | www.watarun.org | 8am- 5pm | B20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important and beguiling religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered almost entirely in pieces of colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of Mount Mehru, the Khmer home of the gods. The temple is believed to have been named by Rama I on his first sunrise visit, but in contrast with its name, it is best visited at dusk when the setting sun forms a stunning backdrop.

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร์ ผั่งตะวันตกของแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา

Wat Arun

Beware!

Bangkok has its share of brilliantly choreographed and well-practised street scams, often active in the area around the Grand Palace. Typically these involve being “befriended” by a seemingly straight-up local, and with true sophistication they often result in travellers not reaching their intended destination, but instead visiting an alternative temple and eventually a jewellery outlet. The bottom line is, if anyone, no matter how official they may appear (and this includes uniformed guards!), tells you that the palace or Wat Pho, for example, is closed, you are likely being set up. Our advice: politely decline any such offers and proceed directly to the actual ticket booth (presuming, of course, that you have arrived during official opening hours).

bangkok 101

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Sightseeing

The Giant Swing

temples WAT SAKET (map B3, #7) Chakkraphatdiphong Rd, Sattruphai | 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Raised on a small hillock, and thus referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat offers great views of Chinatown to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V built a smaller chedi on top, which was subsequently expanded to house a Buddhist relic inside. The temple is worth a visit for the view if you are prepared to hike up the 318 steps.

วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ์

WAT MAHATHAT (map A3) Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Mahratch Rd | 02-221-5999 | 9am-5pm| free An amulet market is situated near this 18th-century centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect and an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are set up on the grounds to complement the daily vendors of traditional medicines and herbal potions. Wat Mahathat is one temple in Bangkok where courses on Buddhism are given in English.

วัดมหาธาตุ ท่าพระจันทร์ สนามหลวง

WAT SUTHAT and THE GIANT SWING (map A-B3, #8) Bamrung Muang Rd, Phra Nakhorn, | 02-2229632 | 9am-5pm | B20 Surrounded by perhaps the greatest concentration of Buddhist supply shops in Bangkok, Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to some excellent examples of bronze sculpture, a blend of Thai and Chinese-style mural art 30

and a 14th-century Sukhothai period statue. The wat used to be the site for annual harvest ceremonies where brave men would swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth. However, the practice proved a bit too dangerous and was banned in the 1930s. Today the huge red structure, named the Giant Swing, still stands in front of the temple.

วัดสุทัศน์ ถ.บำรุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงข้ามเสาชิงช้า

WAT BOWONIWET VIHARA (map A3) Phra Sumen Rd, Banglamphu | 02-281-2831-3 | all day long | free Home to the respected Maha Makut Buddhist University, this temple is par ticularly important to the monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty as Rama VI, Rama VII and the present king were all ordained as monks here.

วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร ถ.พระสุเมรุ

WAT BENCHAMA BOPHIT (map B2, #3) 69 Rama V Rd, Dusit | 02-6287947 | 8am-6pm | B20 This white Italian Carrara marble wat dates from the 19th century. Alms are brought here by generous Buddhist families in the early mornings. วัดเบญจมบพิตร ถ.พระราม 5 WAT RATCHANATDA (map B3) Mahachai Rd, Phra Nakhorn | 02-2248807 | 9am-5pm | free This temple, a centre for buying amulets, features the bizarre multitiered Loh Prasat. Collecting amulets is popular in Thailand and many believe these miniature images of Buddha sightseeing

possess spiritual powers, protecting the wearer and bringing good fortune.

วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร

WAT TRAIMIT (map B3, #13) 661 Hua Lamphong, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8am-5pm | B20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha. Weighing over five tonnes and standing over three metres high, its worth has been estimated at over US$10 million.

วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำโพง (เยาวราช)

WAT PO (map A3, #11) Reclining Buddha | Chetuphon/Thai Wang Rd | 02-226-0369 | www.watpho.com | 8am-noon, 1-5pm | B50 The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Originating in the 16th century, it houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand as well as the greatest number of Buddha images. Wat Po is also the centre for traditional Thai medicine and a learning centre for Thai massage, where you can both enjoy and learn this ancient healing art. The 45m-long statue depicts the Buddha entering nirvana and is impressive both for its size and the mother-of-pearl detail on the soles of the feet, a blueprint revealing the 108 auspicious signs of a genuine Buddha.

วัดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน

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Kids in the city

Negotiating Bangkok with kids needn’t be the nightmare many parents presume. The single biggest plus point is that Thais absolutely adore children, meaning there are always people around ready to help out. Skytrain guards will drop what they’re doing to help you haul that stroller down the stairs and waitresses will gladly whisk junior off for a tour of the kitchens while you enjoy a coffee. Most of the big shopping malls (see p.102) have play areas set aside for kids, with two of the best being Kiddy Land, which has slides, a ball pit and a balloon room on the 6th floor of CentralWorld; Jamboree on the 3rd floor of Emporium; and the huge indoor playground Funarium (see below). Plus, of course, most of the shopping malls have cinemas and enough ice-cream stores to sate a homesick Eskimo. There are also a fair few attractions that appeal to wee ones.The city’s parks (see p.33) offer a chance to let off steam, especially Rot Fai Park near Chatuchak Weekend Market (p.103), where you can rent bicycles; and Dusit Zoo (p.33) is a sprawling, chaotic afternoon’s worth of fun. Although expensive, Siam Ocean World (p.33) is a great way to entertain the kids while you shop at Paragon department store. On a more scholarly note, there’s a cracking museum aimed at inquisitive young minds. The Children’s Discovery Museum has a science and nature theme and is handily located near to Chatuchak. And if you’re sticking around town for a while, Bangkok Dolphins (www.bangkokdolphins.com) offer swimming classes from three months old. The Children’s Discovery Museum (map C1) Kamphaeng Petch 4 Rd, Chatuchak | 02-6157333 | www.bkkchildren museum.com | Tue-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am- 6pm | B150 Near the Chatuchak weekend market, this interactive museum aimed at younger guests covers science, nature and the environment. It also hosts regular courses and activity camps. พิพิธภัณฑ์เด็กกรุงเทพมหานคร

Funarium (map D4) 111/1 Sukhumvit 26 | 02-6656555 | www.funarium.co.th | 8:30am-8:30pm | kids: B180/300; adults B90 Basically 2,000m2 of slides, ball pits, trampolines, obstacle courses, cycling tracks and basketball courts, with a decent café and a small branch of Mothercare.

ฟันเอเรียม สุขุมวิท 26

สวนสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ ตรงข้ามสวนจตุจักร

SHRINES

Apart from the many Buddhist temples across the city, there are lots of small shrines where devotees pay their respects to Hindu deities, Animist spirits and even errant spooks. Many of the most famous – and visited – are centred around Ratchaprasong, the mall-cluttered central district. Here it’s not unusual to see a Thai wai a God while on their way to the Gucci store. ERAWAN SHRINE (map C3, #17) Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-252-8754 | 6:30am10:30pm | BTS Chit Lom Don’t expect serenity here.This is one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections: the crowded shrine to the Hindu creation god Brahma and his elephant Erawan is filled with worshippers lighting incense, buying lottery tickets and watching the traditional dancing group, which bangkok 101

performs for a nominal fee. Fancy making an offering? Buy a set from the surrounding stalls, and starting with your back to the main entrance walk around it clockwise, offering 3 incense sticks, a candle, garland and a piece of gold leaf to each of the four faces.

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำริ

Ganesha Shrine

TRIMURTI SHRINE (map C3) Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store, Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is ailing then this shrine is for you: at 9.30pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances of meeting your dream beau you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit. Alternatively, you could try saying hello to the person next to you.

GANESHA SHRINE (map C3) Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store, Ratchadamri Rd Perhaps the most recognisable Hindu deity, a silent prayer in front of this pot-bellied gold elephant – the son of Shiva and Parvati – is said to help get the creative juices flowing, as well as protect you from harm. Aside from marigold garlands, bring bananas, ripe mango or sticky rice-flour Thai desserts – Ganesha has an eternal appetite.

พระตรีมูรติ หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์ sightseeing

พระพิฆเนศวร หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์

Sightseeing

museums THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (map A3) 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-2241333 | www.thailandmuseum. com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B200 Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artefacts from the main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also on display. Free English tours are given on Wednesdays (about Buddhism) and Thursdays (on art/culture) and start at 9:30am. Photography is not allowed inside the museum galleries.

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์สถานแห่งชาติ ถ.เจ้าฟ้า ใกล้ทอ้ งสนามหลวง

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM (map A3) 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi,Arun Amarin Rd,Thonburi | 02-424-0004 | 9am5pm | B100 (photo B100, video B200) This collection of royal barges, some up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near Pinklao Bridge.The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya, when the crews number up to 64 and include rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and musicians. Beautiful and ornate, these magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former glory by the present King, who also commissioned the newest boat for his golden jubilee in 1996.

พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร์

Oddball Museums

It’s not all Buddhist art you know. Several museums in and around Bangkok delve into Thailand’s wacky and idiosyncratic. Definitely the most macabre, the Si Quey Forensics Museum revels in pickled body parts and cadavers of serial killers. A close second, the Corrections Museum uses lifelike models to recreate the rough justice meted out to crims in the not so old days (you’ll think twice about that sly toke after a trip here). Also in central Bangkok, the Museum of Counterfeit Goods displays 1,500 of Thailand’s best forgeries. As long as you call ahead (and don’t use it as a means to spot that fake handbag on Patpong the next day), you’re welcome. On the outskirts, the weekends only House of Museums is a two-storey sprawl of retro curiosities. Finally, if you’re a cinephile interested in Thailand’s New Wave, learn about the heritage that inspired your Pen-Eks and Apichatpongs at the Thai Film Museum in Nakhom Pathom. By appointment on weekdays, here you walk among recreated film sets, old 16mm cameras and waxwork figures of Thai cine heroes. Si Quey Forensics Museum (Official Name ‘Siriraj Medical Museum’) 2 Prannok road, Bangkoknoi | www.si.mahidol.ac.th | 02- 419-7000 ext 6363 | Mon-Sat 9am – 4pm | B40

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์การแพทย์ศริ ริ าช ถ.พรานนก

Corrections Museum 436 Bangkok Remand Prison, Mahachai Rd., Samranrat, Phra Nakhon | Mon-Fri 9am - 4pm | 02-226-1704 | free

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์ราชทัณฑ์ เรือนจำเก่า ใกล้กบั สวนรมณีนาถ

Museum of Counterfeit Goods Supalai Grand Tower Building 26F, Rama III Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-653-5555 | www.tillekeandgibbins.com | by appointment only

อาคารศุภาลัยแกรนด์ทาวเวอร์ ถ.พระราม 3

House of Museums 170/17 Moo 17 Soi Klong Po 2, Salathammasop Rd., Taweewattana | 089-666-2008 | http://houseofmuseums.siam.edu | Sat-Sun 10am – 5pm | B30

บ้านพิพธิ ภัณฑ์ ซ.คลองโพ 2 ศาลาธรรมสพน์

Thai Film Museum 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya, Nakorn Pathom| www.nfat.org | 02-482- 2013-15 | weekday: appointment only, weekend tours: 10am, noon, 3pm | free

หอภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ 94 หมู่ 3 ถ.พุทธมณฑลสาย 5

MUSEUM OF SIAM (map A3) 4 Samachai Rd., Pra Nakorn | 02225-2777 | www.ndmi.or.th | Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | B300 Just a few blocks from the Grand Palace, the Children’s museum is located inside the historic Ministry of Commerce building. Inside the three storey, E-shaped Renaissance style building, built in 1921, is a series of interactive, animated, theme park-like sightseeing

exhibitions exploring the history of the Siamese people. For adult viewers making sense of each room might be confusing: topics unexpectedly jump from ethnicity to religion to ancient folklore. Kids though will find it an edutaining experience, and love playing with the vibrant touch screens.

สถาบันพิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้ แห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย

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the great outdoors

Lumpini Park

FLORA LUMPINI PARK (map C4) Entrances on Rama IV Rd, Sarasin Rd, Witthayu Rd and Ratchadamri Rd | free Want shades of green instead of drab slabs of grey? For most in the city Lumpini Park, the inner city’s largest green lung, is the solution. Busy as soon as the sun rises and again around sunset, Bangkokians of every ilk take advantage of the relative cool and quiet to practice Tai Chi, do aerobics, hold hands or jog around the picturesque lakes. Other activities include taking a pedal boat out onto the water for a quick spin. The most reliable entrance is the one near Silom at the corner of Rama IV Road and Ratchadamri Road, at the front of which a statue of King Rama VI stands sentinel. สวนลุมพินี เข้าได้ทาง ถ.พระราม 4

ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำริ

RAMA IX ROYAL PARK (off map) Sukhumvit 103 Rd, behind Seri Center, Pravet 02-328-1972, 02-328-1395 | 5:30am-7pm | B10 This 200-acre park features a small museum dedicated to the king, set amongst pleasant botanical gardens with lots of soothing water features. สวนหลวง ร.9 ถ.สุขุมวิท 103

(หลังเสรี เซ็นเตอร์) ประเวศ

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CHATUCHAK and QUEEN SIRIKIT PARKS (map C-D1) 820 Phahonyothin Rd, Ladyao Sub-district, Chatuchak | 02-2724358~9 | 5am-6:30pm | free These two parks situated not far from the mayhem of the weekend market offer some respite. Chatuchak Park hosts some art exhibits and a collection of old railway engines and ancient automobiles. Nearby, Queen Sirikit Park has a pretty botanical garden with lotus ponds.

สวนจตุจกั รและ สวนสมเด็จ พระนางเจ้า สิรกิ ติ ์ิ 820 ถ. พหลโยธิน จตุจกั ร

FAUNA DUSIT ZOO (map B2) 71 Rama V Rd, opp. Chitralada Palace, Dusit | 02-281-2000 | 8am-6pm | adults B100, kids B50 The city’s main zoo, situated to the north of Rattanakosin, is home to a large selection of mammals, reptiles and other animals. Spread over a large park, there’s also a lake to paddle around. สวนสัตว์ดุสิต 71 ถ.พระราม 5 QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (Snake Farm) (map C4, #18) 1871 Rama IV Rd, Thai Red Cross, Henri Dunant | 02-252-0161~4 ext.120 | Mon-Fri sightseeing

8:30am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9:30am – noon (Shows at 11am & 2:30pm) | B200 A centre for developing antidotes to poisonous snake bites, this research facility is also open to the public. The idea behind this is to educate visitors about the dangers of poisonous snakes in Thailand and what to do with the victim of a snake bite. There’s an informative slide show followed by a display of live venom extraction from some of the deadliest serpents in the kingdom. สถานเสาวภา (สวนงู)

ถ.พระราม 4 สภากาชาดไทย

Siam Ocean World (map C3) B1F Siam Paragon, 991 Rama I Rd | 02-687-2001 | www.siamoceanworld. com | 10am-7pm | B650/850 Such a pity that this tourist attraction – reputed to be the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia – operates a dual pricing policy. If you’reThai you pay B350; if you’re not you pay B850. This irritating iniquity aside, there’s certainly fun to be had inside, with 8m-high tanks, glass-tunnel walk-throughs and shark-feeding shows – although a ride on a glass-bottom boat to see sharks and rays costs extra and is wholly unremarkable. Reckon on an hour to get round the whole thing. สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1 33

Sightseeing Lop Buri

Uthai Thani

day tripping

Chai Nat Nakhon Ratchasima

Ang Thong Saraburi

Suphan Buri

It’s easy getting around in Thailand, and there are plenty of worthwhile excursions within easy reach of Bangkok; some one-day affairs, others overnight. Organise a trip yourself or book through your concierge or a local travel agent.

Ayutthaya

Kanchanaburi

Nakhon Pathom

Koh Kred

Pathumthani

Nakhon Nayok

Sa Kaeo

Nonthaburi Bangkok

Ratchaburi

Samut Sakhon Samut Songkhram

Samut Prakan

Chachoengsao

Chon Buri

Phetchaburi

AYUTTHAYA The capital of Siam from the 14th to 18th century, Ayutthaya was one of the richest cities in the East, until it was plundered by the Burmese in 1767 and its ruins left to nature. Today a Unesco World Heritage Site, its remnants – all Khmer-esque stupas, crumbling bricks and Buddha faces entwined in tree roots – make a wonderful daytrip. The 85km journey is best done by river. The major hotels organise trips (usually to Ayutthaya by coach and then back by boat), while independent tours run from River City. Many combine the trip with a visit to the Bang Pa-in Summer Palace. A former royal garden retreat, this presents a mélange of different architectural schools, mostly reflecting King Rama V’s love for all things European. Once at Ayutthaya, hop on a bike and scoot round highlights like Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Ratburana at your own pace. . LOPBURI Lopburi’s illustrious ruins date back over 1,000 years and can done on foot. During the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries) the city was known as Lavo 34

until the Khmers took over the region during Angkor’s 10th century heyday. The Thais took control during the powerful Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. And in the 1600s, King Narai made the city the second capital and fortified it against the Dutch navy threatening Ayutthaya. The remnants of the palace he built now serve as a public museum. The city is also littered with crumbling wats (temples) blending Khmer and Thai styles. Watch your belongings: the most famous – three-prang shrine Phra Prang Sam Yot (a prang is a spire-like vault) – is home to some mischievous macaque monkeys.

SAMUT PRAKAN Just down the road – 29km away – Samut Prakan has three big draws.The Crocodile Farm offers daily croc wrestling and elephant shows. Muang Boran (the Ancient City) is an open-air museum park featuring over 100 replicas of landmark Thai temples, monuments and buildings. Built by the same benefactor, the smaller Erawan Museum features a towering threeheaded elephant sculpture. Inside are antiques and a stucco chapel, but most Thais come for the fantastical gardens and to pray for good luck at the esteemed shrine.-

NAKHON PATHOM The star attraction in this ancient Thai town is the 120m high chedi (or stupa), the tallest in the Kingdom, which was erected on the site of a 6th-century version. Situated around 55km west of Bangkok, the town is widely thought to be the oldest in Thailand, but apart from the chedi there are few clues as to its history.The other big draw is the Rose Garden, a picturesque 70-acre park featuring botanical gardens and mock-Thai village cultural shows.

KANCHANABURI Made famous by the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi town is a popular weekend getaway, offering great scenery and a host of river-based activities. Most foreigners are attracted by the area’s history – namely the “Thai Burma Death Railway,” built by POWs under Japanese occupation during World War II. Riding the railway is possible with three daily trips from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok. The lush countryside around Kanchanaburi is home to many of the country’s most impressive waterfalls, with nearby Erawan National Park offering great trekking.

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NEARBY ISLANDS/BEACHES

No time to jet down to Koh Samui or Phuket? A handful of beach resorts and islands close to Bangkok are perfect for last-minute escapes.These span the gamut from lonely beaches offering the odd reggae shack and driftwood sign, to cosmopolitan beach resorts that have adopted the ‘built it and they will come’ philosophy with mixed results. ■ PATTAYA/JOMTIEN Most famous for its seedy nightlife, Pattaya’s been trying – well, sort of – to re-establish itself as a family destination. Hundreds of hotels and eateries ensure competitive prices; and while the surfeit Koh Chang of self-enclosed resorts means it’s easy for those with kids or a sleaze intolerance to avoid the girly bars, sister beach Jomtien is still a better option. ■ KOH CHANG A large jungle-clad hilly gem that’s been found by the deluxe hotel industry. Spending the night in hammocks is impossible, but fantastic beaches are still here, some hiend touristy, some budget backpacker-y. Catch a bus from the Ekkamai bus station (approx 5 hours) or fly here with Bangkok Air via Trat (approx 2 hours). ■ KOH SAMET A retreat for hip Thai youngsters who invade the island to

FLOATING MARKETS

Amphawa

Floating markets offer an idyllic taste of the Bangkok of the days of yore. The experience depends largely on which market you choose. n DAMNOEN SADUAK Considered “the” floating market for visitors, this bustling stretch of waterway 100km southwest of the capital is two hours by car or bus, plus a 1530 minute boat ride. Arrive before the horde of tourists descend upon the market at 9am – it closes up midday. For a less-crowded option, head south to Talat Khun Phitak via water taxi from the pier on the east side of Khlong Thong Lang. bangkok 101

spend days swimming in clear waters and nights sipping Thai-whisky buckets or playing the guitar on the superclean beaches. It’s worth booking ahead on weekends and public holidays, lest you want to be a source of amusement as you trudge up and down the beach desperately looking for an overpriced room. ■ HUA HIN/CHA-AM The royal summer residence town receives hordes of Thai families and package tourists. The long beach is satisfying, and is dotted with plenty of top-notch resorts like Chiva Som, the Evason, Hyatt Regency, Hilton and more. The piers filled with seafood restaurants are more of an attraction, as is the addictive night market. Nearby Cha-am is Hua Hin’s smaller, less developed sister. Coach loads of Thai townies come here on weekends to fly kites, ride ponies and generally lark around in the ocean. ■ KO SI CHANG Located a cheap 45 minute ferry journey from Si Racha Town, in Chonburi province, scenic Koh Si Chang is seldom visited by foreign tourists. More fool them – though its more of a sightseer island than a sunbather island, it’s got picturesque lookouts, King Rama V era palaces and Chinese temples to explore.Those wanting to overnight can pick from a few cheap resorts and bungalows.

GETTING THERE By bus: to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal every 40 minutes from 6am (02-435-5031 or 434-5558). n TALING CHAN For a kinder, gentler introduction to the world of floating markets, Taling Chan is a destination often overlooked on most tourist itineraries. Built by former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang in 1987 to honour HM the King’s 60th birthday,Taling Chan also offers live performances of traditional Thai music from 11am-2pm. The market only opens on weekends from 9am-4pm, so make sure to plan accordingly.

n AMPHAWA Night owls can have a slice of floating market action too. This one – only open Friday to Sunday – sets up at 4pm, allowing the luxury of a lie-in. This little-known treasure is not often on the itineraries of the tourists who flock to more famous markets. Make sure to take a boat down the canal after dusk, when the lights from the riverhouses gleam and the fireflies come out to play, especially during the rainy season. GETTING THERE By car: Drive one hour south from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram.The market is nearby Wat Amphawan Jatiyaram.

GETTING THERE By bus: Take bus #79 or #83 to Taling Chan district (02-424-5448 or 02424-1712). Damnoen Saduak

sightseeing

Sightseeing

Visakha Bucha Day Lamp Ceremony

featured daytrip

PETCHABURI

quick mini-break makes you love Bangkok more, and the beginning of the rainy season is a smart time to check out Petchaburi. 160kms, or a two-hour drive, south of Bangkok, it’s a quirky little town, perfect for a stopover or a day trip. The ancient royal city dates back to the 8th century and is also called “Living Ayutthaya”.Visitors can explore the town’s long history in numerous temples and palaces. The main attraction is visible from afar: Khao Wang or Palace Hill rises high from the hot plain stretching all the way to Hua Hin. Thick vegetation partly hides the Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park and its numerous halls, palaces, temples and other buildings, all built by Rama IV and his two successors. As usual with turn-of-the-century constructions, the buildings blend Thai, neoclassical Western and Chinese styles – a curious sight in a provincial town like Petchaburi. Clamber up stairs and ladders to catch some panoramic views over the town and the fertile countryside. Kids will love meeting the current hill populace: hordes of wild monkeys. Watch out for valuables – the animals are quick to steal anything that glitters. A cable car carries lazybones to the top. The definite highlight is Tam Khao Luang, Thailand’s most atmospheric cave, a couple of kilometres north of 36

town. The open-dome cave is in fact a temple, housing several Buddha images and chedis. Most impressive is the 9 metre-long reclining Buddha, but the whole place is unique. The sculptures, stalactites and indirect lighting create a stunning, moody feeling. Beware of the monkeys here too. If you just have the time to visit one Thai cave, make it this one. The best time to visit is between 11am and 2pm, when the sun seems to light up the golden statues. Back in town, a skillful blend of traditional and modern structures melts into an architectural hybrid. Beautiful Wat Yai, a 17th-century temple complex, features an eyecatching shrine made entirely from teak and housing magnificent murals dating back 300 years.The resident monks are friendly folk, just as Petchaburians are in general. Wat Kamphaeng Lang’s four Khmer-style pagodas and sandstone walls transport visitors back centuries, while Baan Puen Palace brings to life European art nouveau. Nature lovers should consider Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand’s largest and still largely unexplored. Treks await butterfly and bird watchers amid jungle-covered mountains, with whitewater rafting, waterfalls and even tiger spotting on offer. The Gulf of Thailand is just a couple of kilometres away and the local beaches are okay, but then again, sightseeing

Hua Hin with its resorts, watersports and world-class golfing lies only 60km to the south. This month, Petchaburi hosts its annual Visakha Bucha Day Lamp Ceremony (May 27). Held at Phra Na Korn Kiri (Khao Wang), this beautiful annual night ritual marks the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha by festooning the hill with lamps. The experience is magical, and can’t be found anywhere else but here. Overnighting in Petchaburi? Roughing it not your thing? Book yourself a villa at the bucolic Fisherman’s Village. This tranquil and unexpected seaside boutique resort offers a perfect hideaway. Fisherman’s Village Haad Chao Samran | 03-244-1370 | www.fishermansvillage.net bangkok 101

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sightseeing

Sightseeing

Buddhist Temples of Thailand

Wat Phra Dhammakaya

Founded in 1978 on 80 acres of land in Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province, Wat Phra Dhammakaya represents Thai Buddhist architecture at its most modernist. The concrete-and-steel bot, completed in 1982 and consecrated three years later, gives a nod to typical Thai temple design with its traditional rectangular floor plan and steeply curving rooflines but for the most part it is devoid of architectural ornamentation. In 1998 the structure was honoured with an Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) Architectural Design Award. The monastery soon acquired adjacent lands from donors and expanded to encompass four square kilometres. The Dhammakaya Cetiya, a huge stupa covering a square kilometre itself, represents the single strongest image to monastery visitors. It was completed and consecrated in 1999 when the last of 300,000 Buddha images were installed on its hemispherical middle level and domed top. The stupaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior is being installed with another 700,000 Buddha images, to bring the overall total to an eventual one million. The Wat Phra Dhammakaya community today numbers 3,000 monks, novices and laypeople, making it the most populous monastery in Thailand. During Buddhist festivals as many as 100,000 devotees congregate on the grounds, an impressive sight especially during candlelit nighttime ceremonies. Buddhist Temples of Thailand is the first book to bring together the archetypal examples of this diverse architectural form from across the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key regions. Well-researched text by Southeast Asian art history expert and writer Joe Cummings, and more than 200 full-colour photographs by British photojournalist Dan White, brings the temples to life, shedding light on key architectural features, regional styles, historic murals and prominent Buddha images. Each month we present a different excerpt from one of the 40 historically or architecturally significant temples featured in it. Buddhist Temples of Thailand â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marshall Cavendish Editions | B1,195 | Available at all good book shops | Hardcover, with text by Joe Cummings and photos by Dan White

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bangkok 101

Thailand is a vast area adorned with year-round festivals that are surely not limited to the capital city. Many, if not most, nationally celebrated events originate in other provinces and the chance to go to the root of these annual festivities should not be passed up.This month don’t limit yourself to the wonders of Bangkok. Instead go out and explore the endless possibilities of Thailand.

7-9 May Bun Bangfai Rocket Festival,Yasothon

Debatably the noisiest festival on the calendar takes place in the usually sleepy North-eastern town of Yasothon. Local farmers pack big, ornate rockets (bang fai) full of homemade explosives, drag them on elaborate floats to the launch sight and then, on the third day, fire them high into the sky. Why? According to folklore, the first raindrops of the rice planting season only fall when the gods are in the mood for love. Firing missiles in their direction, so the theory goes, stimulates them into action. Lots of Isaan-style merry making – raucous comedy, a fun fair, beauty contests, morlam folk music etc – accompany this lofty celestial goal. Call the TAT Call Centre (1672) for more.

1-9 May World’s Durian Festival, Chanthaburi

Yes, there exists such a thing, and where else would it take place but in Thailand? The equally loathed and loved “King of Fruits” has its own festival, held during this time each year when the giant, pungent and spiky fruit is in season. This orgy of durian selling and feasting, which also includes an OTOP fair and fruit contests, takes place in the eastern province of Chantaburi, which is sometimes dubbed the “fruit bowl of Thailand” due to its abundance of fruit. TAT Call Centre (1672).

31 May – 5 June Sawadee.com Regatta 2010, Koh Samui

The 9th Samui International Yacht Regatta, now renamed the Sawadee.com Regatta 2010, will feature six sailing classes and a slew of related lifestyle activities. Watch the sailing action from the comfort of a spectator boat… and then party the evening away at one of many related regatta events taking place, including live jazz. Find race entry forms, ticket details and an event schedule at www.samuiregatta.com

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upcountry festivals

7 May Miss Tiffany Universe 2010, Pattaya

Watch around 30 flawlessly stunning (read: surgically-chiselled) ladyboys strut their stuff at this world-famous annual beauty contest, held in Pattaya. After parading about in ball gowns, Vegas-cabaret style outfits and skimpy bikinis, the winner will be crowned Miss Tiffany Universe 2010 while cameras flash (and her fellow competitors look on aghast). Don’t do Pattaya? The contest, the proceeds of which will go to The Royal Sponsored AIDS Foundation, will also be screened live on Channel 7 from 10:30pm-00:30am. Tickets (B1,000-2,000) from www.thaiticketmajor.com

28 May Doi Suthep Pilgrimage, Chiang Mai

Doi Suthep is an iconic symbol of Chiang Mai province, as well as an important Buddhist pilgrimage site. This is most prevalent during Visakha Bucha Day, which this year falls on 28 May. During this time, worshippers gather at the base of Doi Suthep Mountain just as the sun sets. They light candles and begin the seven km journey to the top of the mountain where Wat Doi Suthep awaits. sightseeing

Sightseeing

Upcountry Escape

Mae Hong Son

elcome to trekking country! Yup, Mae Hong Son is to long, aweinspiring walks what Bangkok is to shopping and Chiang Mai is to temples. Thick forests and imperious mountains stretch across to the nearby Burmese border, making the so-called City of Three Mists one of the best bases from which to explore Thailand’s natural beauty and visit hill tribe communities. And there are enough waterfalls, stunning views and national parks to make it pretty clear you ain’t going to be spending your time holed up in a hotel room ordering club sandwiches and watching HBO. Well, not during the day, anyway.

What to do Up above the city, on Dong Ku Mountain, Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu is a temple that wears its Burmese influence on its sleeve. Come here for the panoramic views and stop in at Wat Phra Non to see the 12m reclining Buddha, which dates back to 1875. About 60km east of Mae Hong Son, Namtok Mae Surin is one of Thailand’s most impressive national parks. Imposing mountains reach up to 1,700m above sea level while Mae Surin Waterfall – after which the park

sightseeing

was named – plunges almost 100m onto the rocks below.Truly impressive. The park affords many spectacular views, especially in the early mornings, when the mists are swirling. If you’re an early riser, there’s a good morning market in town. Head in to explore the stalls, fill up on sugary coffee and observe the hill tribes who come to trade their wares. Talking of hill tribes, if there’s one place in Thailand synonymous with Long Neck Villages, it’s Mae Hong Son. The Padaung tribe originates in Burma

bangkok 101

Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son

but, after severe repression from the military government, has made Northern Thailand its home. The distinctive brass coils the women wear around their necks are extremely heavy and actually push the collarbone into the body, stretching the neck. Nai Soi is probably the most prominent Long Neck Village, although visitors should not expect anything “authentic” or particularly savoury from a visit. If you’re looking for reasons to go, rest assured that you will get your exotic holiday photos and that the money (B250 entrance fee, plus all the tourist tat you want to buy) does actually go to helping these somewhat

downtrodden people. On a lighter note, Mae Hong Son is an ideal destination for flower lovers. Huai Nam Dang National Park sees cherry blossoms burst into life during January, while Bua Tong flowers (like sunflowers) positively cover Mae U-Kho Mountain in November. Where to stay and eat There are loads of cool little guesthouses in town, although not so much at the higher end of the scale. The Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son (149 Moo 8, Tambon Pang Moo | 053-684-444 | www.imperialhotels. com | B2,190) is the kind of big-name

joint you can pretty much rely on. Set on the edge of town, surrounded by a teak forest it is actually one of the chain’s more inspiring hotels. Fern Resort (64 Moo 10, Ban Hua Nam, Mae Sa Khut | 053-686-110 | www.fernresort.info | B2,500), on the other hand, bills itself as an “ecoresort for nature lovers”, and believe me, these guys are nature lovers. Stay in Shan-style wooden bungalows and enjoy the nature trails that start out back. You can even have a go at working on the surrounding rice fields if you ask nicely. The Fern gang also runs one of the nicest eateries in town (Fern Restaurant Khunlumprapas Rd | 053611-374 | 10am-10pm | $) Be sure to try the ook gai (chicken curry with lemongrass). GETTING THERE SGA Airlines/Nok Air (www.sga.co.th | 02-664-6099) and Thai Air operate a limited service from Chiang Mai, with one-ways costing just over B1,000. Buses from Chiang Mai are cheap and plentiful, but can take up to eight hours whereas buses from Pai only take a few hours. The best way to get there, if you don’t want to fly, is by car with plenty of stops along the way.The more adventurous might opt to make the trip from Pai by raft.

bangkok 101

sightseeing

Sightseeing

over the border

ietnam’s capital celebrates its 1,000 year throughout 2010. And indeed, there is much to celebrate: 35 years after the end of the war, Hanoi hums like never before. Chic restaurants, boutiques and hotels now cram its streets. Its contemporary art scene is internationally acclaimed. And for every old man sipping tea at a streetstall or grandmother in traditional conical hat, two or three primped teenagers can be spotted coasting around on mopeds, a mobile phone cupped to their ear. But there’s much more to Hanoi than just a cosmopolitan gleam. Despite the post-war baby boom, migration and urban sprawl that has followed, the former capital of Indochina retains its unique blend of East and West, namely the Chinese influence left from centuries of dominance and French design from its colonial past. For every glinting shopfront or skyscraper, there’s an old lake, pagoda or incenseshrouded temple to explore. And despite the honking traffic the city’s wide boulevards are still among the most enjoyable in Asia – lined with tamarind trees, elegant French villas and magnificent public buildings. Old Quarter

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANOI! There are some obligatory sights you must do first. The embalmed corpse of national hero Ho Chi Minh, preserved for eternity behind bulletproof glass, is the macabre must-see in Hanoi, but be sure to get to the mausoleum before 10.30am. Stroll to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and/ or his former “stilt house” residence afterwards for more insights into the humble Uncle and the gardens of the One Pillar Pagoda, one of Vietnam’s most iconic Buddhist temples, for a moment of repose. The Temple of Literature, site of Vietnam’s oldest university, is a tranquil haven of picturesque gardens and Confucian wisdom – make a lunch stop afterwards at KOTO restaurant across the street, which runs a training program for disadvantaged street kids in the city. Hanoi is also home to several fine museums including the Women’s Museum, Museum of Ethnology and Revolution Museum, so schedule a visit to step back in time during your stay. For a leisurely stroll there’s no lack of lakes – over 20 in fact. West Lake, the largest and site of the oldest pagoda in town, Tran Quoc, is now a popular hang-out are littered with funky waterside cafés. There is a flock of kitsch swan boats for hire and the small lake next to it, Truc Bach, notable sightseeing

for being the spot where John McCain crash landed during the war. Hoan Kiem, the lake of the restored city, in the centre of the Old Quarter, is the main hub of tourist activity and lovely in late afternoon, when crinkly old Hanoians play chess in the shade of weeping willows while newly weds get their portraits taken. In the Kim Dong Theatre beside it, the Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe gives nightly tourist-oriented performances of mai roi nuoc – a uniquely Vietnamese art form featuring wooden marionettes frolicking in a shallow pool to traditional music.

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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

bangkok 101

INFORMATION:

SHOPPING n Ipa-Nima 17 Nha Tho | (84 4) 928-7616 | www.ipa-nima.com n Tan My Design 61 Hang Gai | T. (84 4) 3938-1154 | www.tanmydesign.com

family temple turned upmarket little haven, is a sweet place for lunch, serving a lip-smacking Vietnamese buffet for $11-12 in a courtyard shaded by banana and sapodilla trees. La Badiane serves Asian-inspired French cuisine in style on Nam Ngu St, while the deservedly popular Bobby Chinn restaurant overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake and dishes up a unique style of California-Asian cuisine in a hip, contemporary atmosphere. For accommodation, consider 5-star new-builds like the Movenpick Hotel Hanoi, with its opulent neocolonial façade and hip modern rooms; or the InterContinental Westlake Hanoi, which sits perched over the West Lake. Many reason, however, that if you’re going to splurge it may as well be at the grand dame: the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, the oldest and most prestigious hotel in town. When the city’s sights are seen, just a three-hour drive from Hanoi is the stunning World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, a dense cluster of almost 2,000 limestone monolithic islands, each rising spectacularly from the ocean and topped with thick vegetation. The other main Hanoi excursion is Sapa, a frontier town in the northern highlands surrounded by tiered tea plantations and verdant rice terraces. Tours with private transfers to both can be arranged through Exotissimo Travel. sightseeing

ART n Hanoi Museum of Fine Art 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc | (84 4) 7332131| www.vnfineartsmuseum.org.vn n Thang Long Art Gallery 41 Hang Gai | (84 4) 825-0740 | www.thanglongartgallery.com n Apricot Gallery 40B Hang Bong | (84 4) 3828-8965 | www.apricotgallery.com.vn EAT n Brother’s Café 26 Nguyen Thai Hoc | (84 4) 73333866 | www.brothercafe.com n La Badiane 10 Nam Ngu | (84 4) 3942-4509 n Bobby Chinn 77 Xuan Dieu | (84 4) 3719-2460 | www.bobbychinn.com STAY n Movenpick Hotel Hanoi 83A Ly Thuong Kiet | (84 4) 38222800 | www.moevenpick-hotels.com n InterContinental Westlake Hanoi 1A Nghi Tam | (84 4) 6270-8888 | www.intercontinental.com n Sofitel Legend Metropole 15 Ngo Quyen | (84 4) 3826-6919 | www.sofitel.com TOURS n Exotissimo Travel | (88 4) 828-2150 | www.exotissimo.com Getting There Three airlines – Thai Airway (www.thaiairways.co.th), Air Asia (www.airasia.com), and Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines. com) – fly from Bangkok to Hanoi daily; there are around 28 flights each week. The flight takes approximately 2 hours.

Photography by Gavin Gough

Hanoi is a shopping Nirvana – the rows of low, peeling buildings that make up the hectic Old Quarter are filled with small artisans and traditional tailors alongside funky boutiques such as upscale silk emporium Tan My Design and Christina Yu’s internationally acclaimed Ipa-Nima. With prices often ridiculously low, no one can blame you for a session of frenzied retail therapy – but do beware fake antiques. One of the best means of navigating it is via cyclo, and the pit-stop of choice for many one of the kerbside bars at the intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen Streets, where Hanoians and tourists alike beat the heat by swigging cheap glasses of local draught Bia Hoi while perched on small plastic stools. Nothing expresses the creative verve of Hanoi better than its art. It’s everywhere – from the Hanoi Museum of Fine Arts, with its more than 2,000 objects on display, including artifacts from the Stone and Bronze Ages, to the restaurants that incorporate contemporary art into their décor. It is in galleries such as Thang Long and Apricot though that’ll you find the post-impressionist and experimental pieces that sell for big bucks hanging. Fine dining is another Hanoian asset. For a “pho real” food experience take a tip from the locals, who sit on tiny street-side stools slurping steaming bowls of pho, the nation’s favorite noodle soup. More civilized dining can be found in the city’s many fine restaurants. Brother’s Café, a former

Arts

contemporary art Steven Pettifor

hat could be a better memento of a stay in Thailand than hanging an original piece of contemporary art in your home? Bangkok’s shops and markets teem with nostalgic Buddhistinfluenced paintings and sculptures, but there are also numerous commercial and non-profit galleries that exhibit the fruits of Thailand’s growing artistic presence. Bangkok has a small, vibrant and highly resourceful contemporary art circle, which is slowly beginning to make waves within the international art arena, aided to some extent by the Western ar t world’s recent penchant for all things Asian. The trend has been for ambitious installation and multimedia projects, proving popular with the younger generation of artists. Spirituality and Buddhism have been, and still are , major themes in contemporary art, whether coming from neo-tr aditionalist painter s including Thawan Duchanee and Chalermchai Kositpipat, whose late 20th-centur y paintings resurrect traditional perceptions of the Thai identity – as pure, harmonious, Buddhist, monarchist and patriotic – or aromatic meditative installations during the 1990s by the late Montien Boonma. Away from the spiritual, the economic collapse of 1997 has fuelled many local ar tists to question the effects of globalisation upon the Thai populace. A return to an innocent agrarian existence became one common call, while more contentious artists like Vasan Sitthiket highlighted their disdain for national policies through faux-political electioneering. Conceptual photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom satirised local urbanity’s consumerist obsessions with his engaging Pink Man series. Ironically, as leading artists question the ceaseless and unconditional absorption of all things American and

BACC

European, many of Thailand’s freshfaced generation of artists are infatuated with the street-style, urban iconography of pervasive Asian cultures like Japan, Korea and increasingly China. An indicator of the growing profile of Thai art could be in the proliferation of new commercial galleries that have opened in the last couple of years, with Bangkok gaining over a dozen new venues in different areas across the city. These include artist -run spaces such as printmaker and sculptor Thavorn Ko-Udomvit’s grey cube Ardel, and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s hotbed of young conceptualists at Gallery VER. While Thailand’s ongoing political debacle has complicated ar tistic planning, the decade-plus wait for the new Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, opposite MBK shopping mall, is over. For news of its exhibitions, performances and the like log on to www.bacc.or.th GALLERIES The majority of contemporary art on view in Bangkok is produced by domestic practitioners, several of whom are now receiving significant international exposure, though there is ar ts

an increasing number of regional Asian artists displaying their works, at prices often cheaper than in countries like Singapore, China and Vietnam. Whether hoping to peruse some emerging local protagonist, or purchase something a bit more commercial or traditional, one thing’s for certain – prices for art in Bangkok are more realistic and reasonable than overinflated, fashionable ar t centres in America, Europe and increasingly China. You’ll soon realise that the city doesn’t have a concentrated artistic enclave; rather, there are small pockets of galleries, auction houses and antiques shops randomly dispersed throughout the city. Commercial galleries are spread across town and a little route planning is advised before embarking on a day of gallery musing. On the following page is a selection of noteworthy galleries about town. Steven Pettifor is the editor of the Bangkok Art Map (BAM!), and author of Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. He is available as a consultant to art buyers; stevenpettifor@hotmail.com bangkok 101

Enjoy these selected highlights from the current issue of the Bangkok Art Map. BAM! is a free-folding city map containing the latest information and critical insights into Thailand’s burgeoning contemporary arts scene. Grab a copy and participate in the promotion of art in Thailand. More of the Same Whitespace Lido Bldg 2F, 260 Siam Square 3 | 02-252-2900 | Tue-Fri 1pm7pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am-8pm or by appointment | www.whitespaceasia.com | BTS Siam A decade since his debut solo exhibition in New York, multidisciplined artist Top Chantrakul recently admits to having hit an artistic block. An active face on the Thai art scene and having set up the useful online art resource www.artscenetv. net, in this latest exhibition Top attempts a connection with his more primitive side in order to draw out raw creativity. Until May 16

In-Land Out-Cast Kathmandu Photo Gallery 87 Soi Pan, Silom Rd | 02-234-6700 | Tue-Sun 11am-7pm | www.kathmandu-bkk.com l BTS Chong Nonsi Returning to Kathmandu after his combustible 2007 series of ethereal dreamlike photographs derived around his personal encounters with the highly addictive methamphetamine ya ba, or ‘crazy drug’, award-winning British-Chinese photographer Olivier Pin-Fat propels his latest feverish forays into the “living necropolis” of urban delirium. Based in Bangkok, Pin-Fat describes his recent photos as a “film noir whose cast are the city’s spirits”. Until May 30

Free

Wrong Place Tang Contemporary Art Unit B-28 (Basement), Silom Galleria 919/1 Soi 19 | 02-630-1114 | Mon-Sat 11am–7pm (closed public holidays) | www.tangcontemporary. com | BTS Surasak Kamin Lertchaiprasert is known for the systematic daily art he makes in response to his daily meditation sessions. For his latest solo exhibition on societal disillusionment, Kamin has produced 24 monochrome paintings and wood sculptures along with an installation involving two pink buffaloes and a floor coated in flowers. Until May 31

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bangkok 101

Light-Life 2 DOB Hualamphong Resident One Property Co, Ltd, DOB Building 2F, 318 Rama IV Rd | 085-4823566 | 10am-7pm I MRT Hualamphong Having appeared in last year’s photographic group exhibition See, Saw, Seen II at Ardel Gallery, Kanok Suriyasat returns with his latest works. Reprising the 60-plus portraits shown in the original Light-Life exhibition in 1993, the experienced photographer attempts to capture the immediacy of emotions before the shutter is pressed. Until May 20

For the latest scoop on Bangkok’s art scene, pick up a free copy of BAM! citywide at art galleries, cultural centres or from your hotel concierge.

EVERY MONTH

Bangkok Ar t

art exhibitions

From the publishers of ar ts

www.bangkokartmap.com 45

THE return of the king Palace and government dignitaries wait along the Chao Phraya River to greet the returning King Bhumibol Adulyadej as HMS Sri Ayuthaya prepares to dock.

n celebration of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadejâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coronation, Bangkok 101 proudly presents a series of rare black-and-white photos and Bangkok Post news stories from landmark history book Chronicle of Thailand, published by Editions Didier Millet. Together they tell of the 73 days in 1950 when His Majesty returned from his studies in Switzerland to take part in three momentous events: the cremation of his brother, His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol, his marriage to MR Sirikit Kitiyakara, and his official coronation as the King of Thailand. Tens of thousands of well-wishers welcome home their young monarch.

Accompanied by dignitaries, King Bhumibol sets foot on Thai soil for the first time since 1946.

24 March 1950: King Bhumibol arrives King Bhumibol stepped off HMS Sri Ayuthaya at the Royal Landing on the Chao Phraya River shortly after 3pm to find hundreds of thousands of loyal subjects waiting to greet him. The King, accompanied by his fiancée, whom he met in Switzerland, had travelled to Thailand on the Dutch steamer Selandia before transferring to the navy flagship, which completed the trip up the river. He was greeted by Prince Rangsit of Chainat, his uncle and president of the regency council, which had ruled in the King’s stead for more than three years. The route to the Grand Palace, including the resplendent Ratchadamnoen Avenue, was bedecked with flags and lined with people, helping make the King’s return a triumphal procession.

Officials transport the body of the late King Ananda.

29 March 1950: Rama VIII cremated Stately splendour awed a crowd of tens of thousands, who gathered near the Grand Palace to witness the cremation of King Ananda Mahidol at the Pramane Ground.The emotional peak of the ceremonies occurred in the afternoon, when King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended the cremation stand to perform the symbolic lighting of the pyre of his elder brother. Instead of bowing to the Royal Remains as had been expected, the King knelt down, pressed his palms together and raised them high in a sign of utmost respect. Many wept upon seeing the gesture. Later, at 10pm, the actual lighting occurred, and the glow of the flames created a sombre picture for those gathered around the grounds.

The cremation ceremony for the late King Ananda.

Queen Sirikit sits beside King Bhumibol during a ceremony to bestow the full title of Queen upon her.

28 April 1950: King Bhumibol marries Mr Sirikit At exactly 10.24am, a time selected by Buddhist astrologers, King Bhumibol Adulyadej took the 17-year-old MR Sirikit Kitiyakara as his queen. The simple and private ceremony took place at Sapathum Palace, the residence of the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother, Queen Sawang Vadhana. After the King paid the usual 10 baht and 10 satang marriage fee and signed the marriage register, the young couple knelt before his 88-yearold grandmother, who dabbed their foreheads with three spots of perfumed sandalwood paste and sprinkled them with holy water that had been blessed daily since 1782 by four Buddhist priests. The King then conferred his bride with the Order of the Maha Chakri. After the event, the King and Her Majesty the Queen greeted well-wishers, including immediate members of the royal family, privy councillors, politicians of the cabinet and top diplomats. From a landing, the royal couple also acknowledged a huge crowd, who had gathered to catch a glimpse of them. The following day, the King and Queen departed Bangkok for the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seashore Klai Kangwon (Far From Worry) Palace in Hua Hin to enjoy their honeymoon.

Queen Sirikit signs the register book to make the marriage official under Thai law.

The King and Queen wave from the train on their way to Hua Hin.

On his throne, the King wears the bejewelled, tiered crown as Brahmin priests, in white, lead rituals during his coronation.

5 May 1950: Coronation of King Rama IX The country rejoiced as King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially ascended the throne in a sacred coronation ceremony filled with splendour. Three days of elaborate rituals began in the morning of 5 May, with a ceremonial bath within the vast courtyard of the Amarindra Hall, where the King, dressed in the attire of a Brahmin priest faced east and had holy water poured over his shoulders. Later, the King, in full coronation attire, received eight representatives of the government in the large reception hall.They paid their respects, offered him sacred water from different parts of the country and asked if he desired to become their king. A Brahmin high priest presented a nine-tiered umbrella as the first symbol of sovereignty. A procession of pages then brought in the 26 items of royal regalia, including the sacred golden crown. The young King took the crown, adorned with diamonds and other precious stones, and weighing a hefty 7kg, and placed it on his head. He also took possession of other royal treasures by touching them with his fingertips. Afterwards, 101 cannon shots were heard, while the bells of all the kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temples where struck simultaneously to signify the official assumption to the throne of the new sovereign. In a short speech of thanks, the King made a solemn vow: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We shall rule with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the people of Siam.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

His Majesty the King is carried on a royal palanquin during the coronation ceremony.

Marking the closing of three days of ceremonies for the King’s coronation, the royal couple appeared before an estimated 20,000 people. The King spoke of his ‘deep attachment’ to the Thai people, but said he would have to return to Switzerland to complete his studies.

‘We shall rule with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the people of Siam.’ Proclamation by the newly crowned King Bhumibol Adulyadej at his coronation on 5 May 1950.

Chronicle of Thailand is the story of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Beginning on the day he was crowned, 9 June 1946, the book presents a vivid eyewitness account of Thailand’s political, social and cultural development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events as they unfolded and quirky aspects of daily life that just happened to make the news, the book features thousands of rare pictures and illustrations, representing one of the most comprehensive photo collections of Thailand ever produced. Chronicle of Thailand – EDM Books | B1,450 | Available at AsiaBooks, Kinokuniya and B2S | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | www.chronicleofthailand.com

Arts

performing arts

RAM THAI (Thai traditional dance)

Bangkok’s performing arts scene may not throb like in other cities, but look under the surface and you’ll find it there, beating to its own rhythm. No, there aren’t many plays, stage shows or performance pieces being staged, and sometimes it’s as if mainstream pop and rock acts are the only things that captivate the masses. Still, fans of the performing arts can find diamonds and everybody will appreciate the low ticket prices. For more information on what’s happening, visit these sites for event information: www.thaiticketmaster.com, www.bangkokfestivals.com, www.bangkokconcerts.com

Theatres

Aksra Theatre (map C3) King Power Complex 8/1 Rangnam Rd, Phaya Thai|BTS Victory Monument | 02677-8888 ext 5678 | Tue-Fri 7pm, Sat-Sun 1pm&7pm In this spectacular new 600-capacity theatre, lined with fabled wood carvings, bear witness to hypnotic performances by the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek (Aksra Small Puppets) troupe. Intricate Thai puppets, given life by puppeteers swathed in black, act out Thai literary epics. Family entertainment of the most refined kind.

โรงละครอักษรา คิงพาวเวอร์ คอมเพล็กซ์ ถ.รางน้ำ

PATRAVADI THEATRE (map A3) 69/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amarin Rd, Thonburi | 02-412-7287~8 | www. patravaditheatre.com Outside of university art departments, this is one of the few places in Bangkok to see contemporary performing arts. Its founder, the well-known Patravadi Mejudhon, created not only a theatre, but an entire arts complex, comprising classes, artists’ residencies and international exchanges. Performers are trained in classical as well as modern traditions; and the shows are world-class.

โรงละครภัทราวดี ถ. อรุณอมรินทร์

A live puppet show might sound like it’s aimed at kids, but this one is intriguing for all. The one-hour show follows the story of the Ramakien. The large puppets are incredibly lifelike; the scenes are colourful and fun to watch – so even adults enjoy the show. Arrive early to observe the production of traditional masks.

โรงละครนาฏยศาลา หุน่ ละครเล็ก (โจหลุยส์) สวนลุมไนท์ บาซ่าร์

SIAM NIRAMIT (map D2) 19 Tiam Ruammit Rd | 02-649-9222 | www.siamniramit.com A breathtaking, record-breaking extravaganza, hailed as “a showcase of Thailand”. Using hundreds of costumes and amazing special effects, more than 150 performers journey whirlwind-like through seven centuries of Siamese history. Up to 2,000 guests experience this spectacle nightly; eyepopping poignancy to some, detached fantasia to others.

สยามนิรมิต ถ.เทียมร่วมมิตร

Traditional Thai theatre and dance takes many forms. The most accessible is khon, which depicts scenes from the Ramakien (the classic Thai epic based on the Hindu Ramayana), in graceful dances. Originally reserved for royal occasions, it’s now performed mainly for tourists in five-star hotels or at cultural shows across the city. At the Erawan Shrine (p.31), pay the colourful troupe a couple of hundred baht to see them perform. When visiting Vimanmek Mansion (p.28), don’t miss the performances there. More popular amongst Thais is ligay, a lively blend of comedy, dance and music, often with contemporary subject matter. Due to its improvised nature, non-Thais find it very difficult to follow. Puppet theatre, which nearly died out, has made a comeback at the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and Aksra Theatre. It also borrows heavily from the Ramakien (as do most soap operas on Thai TV), substituting human dancers with paper and wire puppets dressed in elaborate costumes. There are regular performances of contemporary theatre in Bangkok, predominantly at the Patravadi Theatre and the Thailand Cultural Centre. Also, though more influenced by Broadway than indigenous dance, don’t miss Bangkok’s gender-bending ladyboy cabarets (p.83).

NATIONAL THEATRE (map A3) 2 Rachini Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-2241342, 02-225-8457~8 Along with the National Museum, the imposing theatre forms an island of high culture. Classical Thai drama, musicals and music performances – all elaborate affairs, sometimes strange to foreign eyes and ears – are staged on a small side stage and the open-air sala. The season runs from November to May, but you can catch classical Thai dance and music on the last Friday and Saturday nights of each month.

โรงละครแห่งชาติ ถ.ราชินี สนามหลวง ar ts

bangkok 101

TCDC (Thailand

Creative & Design Centre)

Perhaps the most active players on Bangkok’s arts scene are its cultural centres. These ensure that the scene stays booked with top-notch exhibitions (conventional and experimental) and performances from the world of visual arts, drama, dance, music, fashion, film, design, literature and more. The foreign contingent regularly put on events showcasing international talent. Ring up, check their websites or just drop by to find out what’s on.

cultural centres

Alliance Française (map C4)

his hip design learning and resource facility, plonked atop the Emporium shopping mall, aims to stimulate creativity and innovation among young Thai designers. Everyone, however, is free to attend its workshops, talks by prominent international designers and exhibitions. These are particularly WHERE 6F,The Emporium good at opening your Shopping Complex, mind and eyes to Sukhumvit 24 (map D4) BTS curious international Phrom Phong, 02-664-8448, design concepts; be it www.tcdc.co.th OPEN Vivienne Westwood’s 10:30am-9pm closed Mon fearlessly nonconformist fashions, or Le Corbusier-influenced Modern Thai architecture. Don’t miss permanent exhibition, “What is Design?” a look at how 10 countries have interpreted their cultural uniqueness to create 20th century design classics; or a peek at the swish, state-of-the-art library. With over 16,000 rare books, a large selection of multimedia, even a textile centre, this is where the city’s fresh-faced art, fashion, design and film students rush to the day before their final paper is due – only to end up distracted by the obscure arthouse DVDs and glossy tomes on modern Scandinavian architecture. Fortunately in-centre café Kiosk, with its strong Italian coffee and all-day-brunch, is on hand to keep the Kingdom’s next big things on track.

ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปิ้ง คอมเพล็กซ์ สุขุมวิท 24

29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-670-4200 | 10am6pm close Sun | www.alliance-francaise.or.th

สมาคมฝรั่งเศสกรุงเทพ ถ. สาทรใต้

BRITISH COUNCIL (map C3)

254 Chulalongkorn Soi 64 Siam Square, Phaya Thai Rd, Pathumwan | BTS Siam | 02-652-5480 ext 108 | www.britishcouncil.or.th

บริติช เคาน์ซิล สยามสแควร์

Goethe Institut (map C4)

18/1 Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1 | MRT Lumphini | 02-2870942~4 ext.22 | 8am-6pm | www.goethe.de/

สถาบันเกอเธ่ 18/1 ซ. เกอเธ่ สาทร ซ. 1

Japan Foundation (map D3)

Serm-mit Tower, F10, Sukhumvit Soi 21 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-260-8560~4 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm | www.jfbkk.or.th

เจแปน ฟาวน์เดชั่น ชั้น 10 อาคารเสริมมิตร สุขุมวิท 21

Check also: ■ Bangkok Music SocietY (BMS) 02-617-1880, www.bms.in.th ■ Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, 02-223-0871-5, www.bangkok symphony.net ■ The Belgian Club of Thailand (BCT) www.belgianclub-th.com

BACC (map C3) 939 Rama I Rd, Pathumwan | BTS National Stadium | 02-214-6630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am-9pm | www.bacc.or.th The eleven-storey Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) structure is engulfed by neighbouring shopping malls and looks out towards the city’s elevated skytrain.The Guggenheim meets a mall, the parabolic white concrete design has an interior defined by a circular atrium accentuating smooth curves around which exhibitions are hung. Potentially an important player in Thailand’s contemporary cultural development, the centre plans to nurture a scope of creative fields including theatre, film and design, with the upper levels boasting 3,000sqm for hosting art. Combine a trip here with a shopping assault at the nearby malls, which it’s linked to via a raised concrete walkway.

หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแห่งกรุงเทพมหานคร แยกปทุมวัน

bangkok 101

ar ts

Arts

cinema

angkok boasts world-class, stateof-the-art movie theatres showing the latest Hollywood and Thai blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House and Lido and the city’s cultural centres (p.55), screen less common independent and international films. Thai films are usually, in downtown Cineplexes at least, shown with English subtitles; foreign films with subtitles in Thai. Seats are reasonably priced at around B100-180. The best place to check screening times is on the daily-updated www.movieseer.com.

Please

Thai Cinema

stand while the king's anthem is played in respect to Thailand’s beloved monarch.

Noy Thrupkaew

Judging from the city’s movie posters, Bangkok visitors might assume that Thai filmic fare is limited to elephantine historical epics, maggoty horror flicks and the offerings of culture-colonising Hollywood. But sandwiched in-between the mainstream movies are a number of idiosyncratic indies that are winning a name for Thai cinema abroad. Thailand’s most internationally renowned director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, has made a career out of bending genres, as in his bewitchingly strange Cannes-winning feature, Tropical Malady (Sat Pralad, “Strange Beast”, is the original title). Other Thai filmmakers have emulated Weerasethakul’s border-transgressing ways, steeping Thai tales in Western cinematic influences, or working with international backing. Despite Thai film’s increasing acclaim, impatient distributors often pull small pictures within days. Audiences eager to support emergent cinema should track movies at the Thai Film Foundation’s website www.thaifilm.com or at Thai film critic Anchalee Chaiworaporn’s www.thaicinema.org, and gallop to theatres soon after opening day.

cinema dine

If you don’t fancy the local cineplex or your frontroom there’s another option that falls snugly between the two. Monday is Cinema Dine night at Bed Supperclub (p.84), where staff serve creative chef Cameron Stuart’s gourmet popcorn and unique Thai cocktails while you watch a classic or cult flick (B1,450++). ! And… you lie on fluffy white divan beds to eat: the perfect position for watching a movie. This month’s selection fits an ‘Underdogs to Superchamps’ narrative theme, beginning May 3 with School of Rock, the Jack Black helmed comedy about a substitute teacher who teaches his pupils to rawk harder than Gene Simmons. On May 12, Napoleon Dynamite finds a ludicrously gangly American high-school geek trying to prove the world that he’s got nothing to prove. Hokey 1980’s classic Karate Kid then screens May 17. In it bullied teen, Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, learns important life lessons – as well as a kick-ass crane kick – from sage sensai Mr. Miyagi. Last up, May 24, is classic dystopian Aussie road movie Mad Max II: The Road Warrior. Films start at 6:45pm. 02-651-3537, www.bedsupperclub.com 56

ar ts

APEX Lido, Siam and Scala (retro 1960s) Siam Square, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | Lido 02-252-6498, Scala 02251-2861, Siam 02-251-3580 โรงภาพยนต์ลโิ ด สยาม และสกาลา

สยามสแควร์ ถ. พระราม 1

EGV Metropolis (Gold Class) Big-C Ratchadamri (opp. Central World Plaza), Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Chitlom | 02-812-9999 บิก ๊ ซี ราชดำริ ตรงข้ามเซ็นทรัล

เวิลด์พลาซ่า ถ. ราชดำริ

HOUSE (Boutique art film cinema) Royal City Avenue (RCA), Petchaburi Rd | 02-641-5177 เฮ้าส์ อาร์ซเี อ ถ. พระรามเก้า Krungsri IMAX Theater (features the world’s largest movie screen) 5th Fl., Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | 02-129-4631 สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1 PARAGON CINEPLEX 5th Fl., Siam Paragon, Rama | Rd l BTS Siam | 02-129-4635-6 or Movie line 02-515-5555 สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1 SF CINEMA CITY MBK (VIP Class) 7th Fl., MBK Center, Phaya Thai Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-611-6444 มาบุญครองเซ็นเตอร์ ถ. พญาไท SFX CINEMA CITY Emporium (Cineplex) 6th Fl., Emporium, Sukhumvit 24 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-260-9333 เอ็มโพเรียม สุขม ุ วิท 24 SF WORLD CINEMA 7th Fl., Central World Plaza, Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Chit Lom | 02-268-8888 เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์พลาซ่า ถ. ราชดำริ SF World,CentralWorld

bangkok 101

reading & screening

In Print

Bangkok is home to an eye-popping array of excellent bookshops, small, large and sprawling. Just head for any major mall – Siam Paragon, Emporium, All Seasons Place, CentralWorld or Central Chitlom, to name a few (see mall listings on p. 102) – and look for chain favourites like Asia Books, Kinokuniya, B2S, Nai-In or Bookazine. Plenty of other stand-alone local book stores across town offer the latest in print, new and used. THAILAND’S BEST RESTAURANTS 2010 Blue Mango Publishing | 316pp | B395 Every city has its essential restaurant guide; and Thailand Tatler’s annual handbook has acquired a certain eminence among local foodies – and restaurants (notice how numerous eateries prominently display certificates awarded by editions of this guide). Leafing through Tatler magazine, you’d be forgiven for assuming they favour wallet (as well as gut) busting establishments. But, with a pricing guide that nominates “More than B1,500 per person” as its topdollar category, there’s clearly a host of affordable good eating around. And this guide, covering 150 restaurants in Bangkok, plus 60 in other popular tourist locations, is probably the most comprehensive available. Extra points, too, for surveying readers to help compile the compendium – and for apparently reviewing places anonymously, thereby securing priceless editorial autonomy.

On DVD

Thai theatres are notorious for their rapid turnover rates, making DVDs one of the best ways for visitors to explore Thai film. Thai DVDs are readily available in Mang Pong or CD Warehouse outlets in major malls, but before purchasing check the back for English subtitles and DVD region compatibility, if you don’t have an all-region DVD player. Englishsubtitled versions are also often available as exports from Hong Kong at websites such as www.hkfilm.com or www.yesasia.com. bangkok 101

Chronicle ofThailand Editions Didier Millet | 444pp | B1,450 Among the bloated compendium of books on Thailand, only a few could be called essential. This breezeblock of a coffeetable book is one of them: an unflinching look back at headline Bangkok Post news from the last 64 years (i.e. His Majesty’s reign) primed with rare photographs and illustrations. It’s an often sobering read, especially in light of recent bloody events. Recaps of the political sagas – and there are many – remind us that a Thailand that doesn’t learn from history is doomed to repeat it. And yet, for every story about the growing pains, another proudly flags the progress (Siam’s entry to the United Nations etc). Moreover, the book includes thousands of footnote stories that alone seem like filler (advertising campaigns, movie releases, wacky tales etc) but together trace the nation’s social history, cultural DNA and trademark sense of sanuk. You won’t regret buying it, as long as you reinforce your bookshelf first – boy, is it heavy.

Travel Green Thailand Richard Werly | AsieInfo | 160pp | B395 From water pollution to overfishing and wholesale deforestation, Thailand’s environmental degradation is welldocumented – and tourism’s role indisputable. So how can we, the visitor, do our bit? A sound start would be to buy a copy of this green call to arms: an attractive, A1-sized book flush with case-studies highlighting ecotourism initiatives, both governmental and non-governmental, around the country. Its author, seasoned journalist Richard Werly, believes “the time is ripe for Thailand’s tourism sector to take a badly needed green turn.” And with these pithy, readable write-ups of the best homestays, cycle trails, heritage sights, wildlife sanctuaries etc, all separated by region and tied in with alluring photographs of the lush outdoors, he’s empowered you to take part. Also includes essays by prominent players in the movement about why travelling green matters.

Bang Rajan Thanit Jitnukul | 2000 | $13.49 (www.amazon.com) Snuff film with epic aspirations. Bang Rajan rubs that old ThaiBurmese wound again – Thanit Jitnukul’s chart-topper is an homage to the legendary Bang Rajan villagers who repelled repeated invasions by Burmese forces in 1765. Rural idylls of flirtatious courtship, rice harvesting and the like convey the What They Were Fighting For schematic, which is routinely interrupted by howling bloodfests that are startling in their unvarnished, shaky-cam realism. Gouts of blood and severed limbs fly as the doomed men – and women! – of Bang Rajan defend their homeland. In contrast to fat, effete and evil Burmese,Thais characters are gorgeously bronzed and sinewy, and include a vigilante with a strongman ‘stache and a drunk who rides into battle on a water buffalo with swooping horns. Striking visual style and hell-bent storytelling make this an enormously effective film – a blast of Thai nationalism delivered with the power and lack of subtlety of blunt-force impact. ar ts

Food&Drinks

dining in bangkok

Celadon,The Sukhothai

Food is of the utmost importance here. Locals have been known to brave the beast of Bangkok traffic and make cross-town journeys with the sole purpose of sampling a bowl of noodles at a famous local shop. Thais often ask each other “Gin Kao Leu Yung” or “Have you eaten rice yet?”. This shouldn’t be understood in the literal sense, but almost as another way Thais say hello. It’s how Thai people socialise. Whether the occasion calls for family, friends, business, or anything in between, there’s usually food nearby. The Thai dining experience requires that all dishes be shared - real evidence of the importance of dining to the Thai sense of community.

taste of Bangkok doesn’t just stop at Thailand’s world-famous national cuisine; flags of all nationalities fly here, and the results can be amazing. Tom yum soup and creamy curries can be found alongside seared foie gras, crispy tempura and heart-stopping steaks. It won’t be a challenge to find some culinary dynamite for your palate. You’d be better off compiling a list of what the city doesn’t have on offer.You’re bound to eat very well, whether it is at the sexiest, high-end locales, or at the origin of most local food - the streets, where you can get a very tasty, hearty meal at a nondescript stall, or even crackling grasshoppers and worms! Fantastic food is also available round the kitchen clock, although choices narrow as it gets closer to midnight. Many restaurants have closing times at 9pm or earlier. However, plenty of them feed late-night appetites (see p.75). If you really want to bump elbows with the locals and get to the heart of things, Bangkok’s street food culture doesn’t acknowledge the concept of time, with some vendors even carrying on into the wee hours. If a business can survive by trading when everyone is asleep, then it must be good, right? So whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, slightly picky or a try-anythingonce daredevil, you’re in for a non-stop gastronomical journey.

BANG FOR YOUR BAHT

The price guide to the right indicates what you can expect to pay per-person for a meal, not including drinks. Many restaurants run special deals so don’t be shy when asking about promotions, especially at lunchtime when many of the more upmarket restaurants offer set-menus at great prices. Lastly, to avoid any nasty surprises be sure to read the menu carefully. When prices are followed by “++”, the so called “plus plus”, this means 10%) and government tax (typically 7%) will be added to your bill.

$ under B400 $$ B400 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000 – B2,000 $$$$ over B2,000 a service charge (typically

Butt Out

Smokers beware. Lighting-up indoors is forbidden at all air-conditioned restaurants and bars citywide – you risk being fined B2,000 (US$60), and subjecting the restaurant owner to a lashing B20,000 (US$600) penalty. Exempted are outdoor areas, and, in practice, many Japanese and Korean restaurants. 58

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Superb Abalone, Sofitel Bangkok Silom

Super Tuscan Wine Dinner, The Sukhothai

meal deals

The Sofitel’s art deco Chinese serves dishes made with the edible seasnail through May. Highlights include braised abalone and goose webs in brown sauce, and sizzling abalone stuffed minced prawns with black paper sauce. Prices start at B400++. Kung fu tea, or ba pao chai, will also be served for B90++. 02-238-1991 ext.1362

La Scala at The Sukhothai offers a 6-course Tuscan set dinner, Thurs 27, with four top Tuscany wines pairing. Accompanying them will be the finest and freshest ingredients Tuscany has to offer, including prime langoustine, chicken liver, rabbit and foie gras, plus desserts. B7,200++. 02-344-8888

River Dining Cruises

Vietnamese Buffet, Pullman Bangkok King Power

Manorah Cruise Menu, Marriot Resort and Spa Mindful of consumers and their yen for choice, the Manorah dinner Cruise along the Chao Phraya is now offering five Thai set menus, the repertoire rotated every three days. Among your mainstream dishes are a few rare ones like tom yum hoy (traditional spicy Japanese scallop soup). 8 courses B1,250++; 10 courses B1,990++. 02-476-0022 ext. 1416

No need to hop on a plane to experience upscale Vietnamese Cuisine… between May 17-24 the Pullman Hotel’s Cuisine Unplugged will have two chefs from the Sofitel Saigon, Le Van Vien and Dinh Thi Doan Trinh, dishing out spring rolls, bowls of pho and the rest at its lunch and dinner buffets. 02-680-9999.

Grand Pearl

A cruise along the legendary Chao Phraya can only be topped by combining it with exquisite Thai food. Although touristy, a gastro-cruise is one of Bangkok’s most romantic outings, the chance to take in the river sights while getting stuffed. Most riverside hotels offer lunch and/or dinner cruises, some on large, modern ships seating hundreds (ShangriLa) or on smaller, refurbished antique rice barges (Apsara, Manohra, Oriental). Whether you are looking for a peaceful romantic sojourn, traditional dance shows or a blaring disco dinner buffet, you won’t be disappointed. Cruises range from B700 to B1,700 pp, depending on how well you dine, and last two to three hours. Most include a full buffet or set dinner. It’s wise to make advance reservations. Manohra

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

thai cuisine

Did you know?

Nam Prik Kapi (Shrimp Paste Chilli Sauce with Vegetable)

he chance to sample some authentic Thai cuisine is one of the best reasons to visit (and linger in) Bangkok. Its astonishing variety of flavours and textures, which comes from a marriage of centuries-old Western (namely Portuguese, Dutch and French) and Eastern (think Indian, Chinese and Japanese) influences, ranks Thai as one of the best cuisines in the world. The traditional Thai way of living unified people with their environment. Meals were communal events uniting families with the seasons. Rice is the main staple, accompanied by myriad curries and side dishes made from local ingredients.The pre-industrial custom of wrapping foods in natur al Eating is a materials per sists communal t o d a y ; l a b o u rand intensive desser ts social affair in or savoury mousses Thailand. are wrapped in banana leaves and the tops of coconuts are chopped off for a quick and refreshing elixer. Eating is a communal and social affair in Thailand. Once Thais sit together, they automatically take care of one another. No Thai dish is an independant one; they’re all meant to be shared. 60

Thai beliefs about the cooling and heating properties of different foods – particularly fruits – are influenced by Chinese concepts of yin and yang. Excessive consumption of heating fruits like durian (the fetidly fragrant “King of Fruits”) can lead to fever, cold sores, and a sore throat, according to traditional beliefs; overindulgence in cooling fruits like pears can result in dizziness and chills. So if you are feasting on durian, make sure to eat plenty of mangosteen, the cooling Queen of Fruits, to balance everything out.

food & drinks

Thai Food 101 ■ Popular Thai Dishes Here’s a sampling of great local dishes to look for – and it’s just the tip of the iceberg: Tom yam goong........spicy shrimp soup Tom kha gai.....chicken in coconut soup Phad thai............Thai-style fried noodles Mu/gai sa-te.........pork/chicken skewers Som tam.......spicy green papaya salad Yam nua.......spicy beef salad Gai yang..........grilled chicken Phanaeng............curry coconut cream Kaeng phet pet yang.........roast duck curry Kaeng khiao wan gai.....green curry chicken Phad kaphrao.........stir-fried meat with sacred basil Gai phad met mamuang himmaphan .......stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts ■ Drinks Most street vendors offer a range of normal drinks but there are always some surprises available. Try any of these liquid specialties when eating on the streets. Nam ma prao.......................coconut juice Nam krajeab .............rosella flower juice Nam matoom ....................bael fruit juice Nam ta-krai ...................lemongrass juice Nam tao hoo.................hot soy bean milk Cha yen............................Thai iced tea with condensed milk bangkok 101

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thai sweets Kanom Thai

‘Polamai’: Thai Fruits

It’s often a strange land for foreign eyes, but weirdness is all relative. To you those fuzzy, furry, spiky, hairy, sometimes humongous obscure items are just downright bizarre. But to the locals well, it’s just good ol’ healthy nutritious fruit. Having unfamiliar names like rambutan, mangosteen and durian only lends to the mysterious, perhaps even scary, stigma surrounding Thai fruits. Fruits are often eaten as a snack or transformed into a dessert, or featured in meals. Particularly coconuts. Street carts patrol the sidewalks with ice-chilled offerings of seasonal fruits. However these vendors don’t exactly uphold hygiene standards, so proceed at your own discretion. All fruits are almost always available year round in supermarkets, but some are better at certain times of year. Here’s a look at what and when to eat.

MAYOM (star gooseberry)

Though it’s referred to by various other names in different parts of the world (such as Malay Gooseberry, West Indian Gooseberry and Tahitian Gooseberry) the fruit surprisingly does not actually resemble a gooseberry and looks much more like a cherry. Believed to originate in Madagascar, they are now found all over Southeast Asia. They feature a single seed with a pale yellow or white waxy skin, crispy and juicy texture, and are incredibly sour. They can be consumed in a number of ways including salted, pickled and sugared, or simply on its own, while its juice can also be used as a beverage. They are also believed to have medicinal benefits, with their roots being used to treat skin rashes, chickenpox symptoms, as well as fevers.

Try also: Coconut (Ma-Praow), Guava (Farang), Banana (Kluay), Papaya (Malakor), Mangosteen (Mong-Koot), Durian (Tu-Rian), Mango (Ma Muang), Rambutan (Ngoh), Lychee (Lyn-Chee) bangkok 101

food & drinks

The word Kanom is much too schizophrenic to be summed up as Thai desserts. Although most anything that’s sweet will be categorized as a Kanom, anything that you would normally snack on would be considered one as well; a pack of chips or crackers would qualify. You may not be too familiar with traditional Thai desserts as you’d often have to go to specialty stores or stalls to find them. Restaurants often omit them from the menu, partly due to the specific ingredients and preparation time required and also because it isn’t customary to have a dessert to end your meal. To the uninitiated the sights of shocking green foods of any kind may scare you off but this is only a reflection of the age-old traditions of using ingredients, like pandan and coconut, which are indigenous to this region and provide to its intense colours.

Try This!

Ice cream Kati Well we’ve put coconut in almost everything else, the sensible thing of course would be to make an ice cream out of it! Coconut cream (Kati) ice cream, a word which has been butchered and commonly pronounced “I-tim Kati” by Thais, does not need much explaining in itself, but more in some of the ways it is consumed.  Of course it can be had in a cup or a cone, but that’s so Zzzzz.  You’ve had an ice cream sandwich you say? Not like this you haven’t, here it’s literally ice cream in a bun.  Had som tum with sticky rice for lunch? Well why not Coconut ice cream with sticky rice.  We put coconut cream in our sweet corn, why not put sweet corn in our coconut ice cream then? Might sound strange, but hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. 61

Food&Drinks

street eats

Street Food Hotspots

treet food is a central ingredient in the stew of Bangkok’s culture. So much so that if you took away the city’s rot khen (mobile vendor carts) it would begin to taste rather bland. Some open for lunch only; others open all night. Though common to every street, knowing which carts sell what, when and where is a skill many Bangkokians pride themselves on. Short on time? Then make for one of the following hotspots, where clusters of vendors sell good feeds for pocket-change.

ealikte

Nym

Our roving street-food eater Nym knows her local grub inside out – and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the next delectable morsel. From roadside vendor stalls to hidden restaurants, serious foodies would be well advised to follow her trail.

Southern Thai food at Chanhom

Southern Thai food is the most pungent in the land, and one of my favourite places to enjoy it is at Chanom, a restaurant on the outskirts of Bangkok specialising in Suratthani Province style Southern food. Thus it’s very popular among those Thais who want absolutely no mercy when it comes to spicing. Among the huge variety offered, I tend to order a combination of mild dishes and fiery ones to achieve a flavour spectrum, and balance the meal. Bai laing pad khai (bai laing leaf fried with eggs) has a crisp and soft texture courtesy of fresh leaves and eggs, and goes perfectly with the pad sataw kapi (southern green bean fried with ‘kapi’ or shrimp paste).This dish has a hot, bitter flavour that isn’t for everybody, especially as it comes laced with smashed chili. Turmeric is a central ingredient in Southern cooking, so here I usually also order a deep fried fish marinated in a blend of turmeric salt and herbs. The last famous dish here is moo ko (three layers of pork skin fat and meat sliced thin) roasted with seasoning and topped off with fried sliced red shallots and garlic. Salty yet divine. The more adventurous among you should also go ahead and order in a bowl of kaeng luang (yellow curry soup) or kaeng tai pla (fish stomach in southern style soup). Both these turmeric-based curries are deliriously spicy but so good! Address: Chanhom is on Ramkhamhaeng Soi 21.You can either enter from Ramkhamhaeng Road or come from Rama IV Road then turn left onto Ekamai-Ram-intra parallel road, then make a U-turn before the intersection. After that keep left and turn left just after the Petronas Gas Station. Head straight for 400 metres and you will see Chanhom on the right hand side. It’s open 11am-10pm everyday, except Monday. Tel: 02-319-1128~9

food & drinks

Sukhumvit Soi 38 Directly beneath BTS Thong Lo station, the mouth of this soi fills up with food vendors selling late-night delicacies to revellers. Sample the delicate, hand-made egg noodles, or Hong Kong noodles; and never head home without trying the sticky rice with mango. Surawong A long row of street vendors offers special noodle dishes along this street near Patpong Night Market. Be sure to try the stewed chicken noodles in herbal soup in front of the Wall Street Building. Stalls are open from 10pm until 4am. Corner of Silom/Convent Road The stalls at the mouth of Soi Convent are popular with inebriated night crawlers; but it’s the B10 sticks of moo ping (grilled pork) served by one rotund, Zen master vendor that are justly famous. Go before the bars close (about 2-3am) to avoid the queues. Pratunam Midnight khao mun gai (Hainanese chicken rice)! There are two shops at the intersection of Pratunam (on corner of Petchaburi Road Soi 30); the first one is brighter and good, but if you like your sauce authentic – with lots of ginger – go to the second one. Also, try the pork satay with peanut sauce. Chinatown Shops fill the streets after dark.There’s an amazing range to sample, but a must-try for seafood fans is the vendor at the corner of Soi Texas. A bit farther on the other side of the street you can get delicious egg noodles with barbecued pork. For dessert, try fantastic black sesame seed dumplings in ginger soup next door. Soi Rambutri (near Khao San Road) Many a hangover has been stopped in its tracks after a pre-emptive bowl of jok moo (rice porridge with pork) from the stall in front of Swenson’s. Popular among tipsy Thai teenyboppers, this is just one of Soi Rambuttri’s many late night food stalls. bangkok 101

thai THANYING (map B4) 10 Pramuan Rd., between Silom 17 and 19 | BTS Surasak | 02-236-4361, 02-235-0371 | www.thanying.com | 11am – 10pm | $$ Prim and very proper, this two-decade strong Thai restaurant is housed in an ornate townhouse set back from the road and run by a Princess’s son and his actor business partner. Inside, a stately dining experience awaits, with royal portraits looking on as impeccably smart and attentive (but never hovery) waiters serve high-society sorts sat in tall-back wooden chairs. The menu of simple Thai looks unextraordinary – until the dishes prepared to the exacting standards of the Sukhothai Royal Court arrive. On our visit even the mainstream ones you find everywhere were captivatingly rendered and thus memorable. The Tom Yum Goong soup for example had a haunting perfumeherbal hint to it; while the look chin pla green curry was faultless: thick with sweet basil, fresh galangal strips and juicy fish balls. Dessert selection is slim but equally well done (try the tangy ripe mango served with sticky rice ball). It might be too proper for some, but Thanying is undoubtedly a gem, up there with the best fine dining establishments in town; especially as it’s so reasonable. Barring a splurge on seafood, a meal for two, minus wine, should come in well under B1,000.

ท่านหญิง ถ.ประมวล

restaurants

Than Ying

Baan Khanitha (map C4) 67-69 South Sathorn Rd | 02-6754700-1 | 11:30am-2:30pm; 6pm11pm | MRT Lumpini, BTS Saladeang | www.baan-khanitha.com | $$ Set inside a massive colonial mansion, this 350-seater is almost always at the top of every hotel concierge’s list of Thai restaurants to recommend to guests. For spice and chilli-phobes, this is like jumping into a wading pool as there’s simply nothing to fear here; the chefs play it safe and keep the flavours quite tame.You can expect all the basic staples like stir-fries and curries with a heavy focus on seafood dishes like tiger prawns with cashews and roasted chillies, as well as stir-fried scallops with crispy basil leaves. Instead of jasmine rice, try their germinated brown rice for a little change of pace, however that’s probably about as risqué as things will get here, which might leave those who are ready to take off their training wheels wanting more.

บ้านขนิษฐา สาทรใต้

Baan Khanitha

bangkok 101

food & drinks

BURI TARA (map C4) 762/2 Rama 3 Rd, Chatuchak Rama 3 | 02-682-9457 | 5pm-midnight | $ This riverside place has got style! Dare to venture out to the tourist neglected mini-version of Chatuchak, and you’ll find yourself in one of Bangkok’s unforgettable eateries. This one is definitely off the beaten path. One large, split-levelled wooden deck accommodates dozens of low tables and snug faux-leather sofas separated by extravagant Bali-inspired dividers. The lights emanating from the 60s style lamps hanging above you don’t give out a lot of light so squinting over the huge menu is required. Don’t bother with the limp Western food, but indulge in excellent Thai seafood (read whole fried fishes and huge portions of deep-fried catfish salad), while river breeze keep you cool. Never eat inside – the band’s much too loud. And don’t mind the slow staff; instead, take in the captivating harbour setting.

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Food&Drinks

Lo-Shu

Fat Fish Bistro

INTERNATIONAL Fat Fish Bistro (map D4) 20/4 Sukhumvit 31 | BTS Promphong | 02-261-2056 | 11:30am - 2:30pm & 6:30pm - 10:30pm | $$ It wasn’t hard to take to the slick but comfy French bistro setting with under-lit red brick walls and an airy glass frontage at this two-month-old seafood restaurant. However, after sampling the dishes from the promising menu and having the often inattentive and obviously inexperienced wait staff spill our drinks all over the ground, its obvious Fat Fish Bistro still needs its training wheels. Most of the food sounds delicious, but the execution is just a tad off (sesame crusted tuna

too bland, crab cakes too salty) and the service needs a little more work (three diners, two glasses of water?). Their Pan Roasted Snow Fish with Miso, was silky and delicious, though (again) a bit heavy on the sodium. The dessert menu was still being shaken into place though we tried a chocolate and marshmallow pie, which was perfectly luscious, but didn’t even have a name. Just like the earlier bumbles these wrinkles can and should be ironed out. We’ll chalk it up as rookie jitters for this fledgling restaurant, which, with a little seasoning (or a little less), could end up being a good catch.

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food & drinks

LO-SHU (map D3) 110/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-259-6771 | www.lo-shu.com | 10:30am-midnight | $$ For true foodies, counting calories and watching what you eat are usually torturous and blasphemous acts. Luckily, this restaurant and wine bar offers satisfying guilt-free alternatives to random acts of dieting. With a Feng Shui inspired interior, the reworked menu explores the notion that balance and simplicity is best. Fusing together Asian and Western creations, there are a few favourites with ongoing appearances on the monthly line-up. Choose from an extensive wine selection or one of many Japanese Sho-Chu cocktails to start things off. The pomelo & winged bean salad offers the palate a blend of sweet and sour, spice from crushed chillies and a hearty serving of protein from a generous helping of shrimp and a surprise prawn’s head. Whether opting for juicy pork tenderloins in red wine mushroom sauce or barracuda fillet as your main course, the Ferrero Rocher ice cream is undoubtedly worth the splurge at the end.

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bangkok 101

TO DIE FOR (map E4) H1 Place 998, near the end of Sukhumvit 55 (Thong Lo) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-381-4714 | 5pm-midnight | $$ Set in H1, a sort of avant-garde shopping center at the end of swanky Thong Lo, To Die For has a slick, minimalist interior dining section that looks out on the real prize – a beautiful outdoor area lined with chaises and dramatic lighting fixtures. The young hi-so crowd flocks here to flirt, sip on sophisticated, nottoo-sweet drinks and gnosh on Bangkok’s version of hip food – European with Thai twists. Entrees are underwhelming – mediocre meat dishes are consistently upstaged by their excellent sides – but appetizers like salt-and-spice fried shrimp, served in their crackly shells, and a parma-ham and asparagus nibble get a thumbs-up. Come with a crowd, order drinks and apps, and don’t miss the carbonara. Toothsome, decadent pasta, spiked with bits of succulent ham – the one dish on the inconsistent menu that really is to die for.

ทูดายฟอร์ ทองหล่อ

bangkok 101

The Andaman

THE ANDAMAN (map E4) 56/1 Soi 5 Sukhumvit 55 | BTS Thong Lo | 02-185-3800 | 11am-10pm | $$ Do you fondue? Well, you should. Especially if you happen to be around Thong Lor and hunger strikes.Andaman is a stylish family affair that has been serving up interesting European fare since 1995. By “interesting” I mean things like raclette, or liver dumplings in spätzle soup rather than bogstandard spaghetti carbonara. It’s good that there are restaurants around with this kind of imagination, it keeps things fun. Not that Andaman is the only place in town to get things like fondue and raclette, but it’s certainly one of the best. While upper Sukhumvit could never be mistaken for St Moritz, dunking fresh juicy prawns and cubes

food & drinks

of primo US beef into a caldron of piping hot oil is incredibly satisfying… like MK never existed. Some of the more pedestrian offerings, like lamb shank pie with mashed potato, can safely be sidestepped, but this is the kind of huge, comprehensive menu where there are exciting options on every page. There are plenty of booths to choose from, while freestanding tables come with comfy armchairs – quite fitting for a place that describes itself as a “casual dining experience”. And there’s a pleasant outdoor terrace for warm evening or sunny afternoons. Talking of sunny afternoons, ask about the set lunches which offer great value.

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Food&Drinks

French LE VENDOME RESTAURANT (map D4) 267/2 Sukhumvit Soi 31 | BTS Prom Phong | 02- 662 0530-1 | www.levendomerestaurant.com | 11:30am – 2:30pm & 6:30pm – 10:30pm | $$$ Le Vendome debuted in 2004, installing a slice of modern Parisian chic into the yuppiefied All Season’s Place skyscraper complex. It has since relocated its perfectly spotless starched cotton tablecloths to a tranquil twostorey family house in a secluded backalley off Sukhumvit, complete with terrace, pool and a walled garden: a quieter, more pastoral locale. That’s all the better to contemplate the delicacy of the fine cuisine, which comes from Nicolas Joanny, a chef who’s been pinging round a worldwide cartel of Michelin-starred joints working up quite a reputation as an emerging talent on the global gourmet scene. For this neat, minimally-appointed, and attentively served establishment, he’s devised a refined, haute cuisineish carte du jour with a modern twist – check out the website for a detailed (and inventive) menu showcase.

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Opus

Italian OPUS (map B4) 64 Pan Rd, Silom | 02-637-9896 | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm | $$$ Not strictly a restaurant, but a very slick wine bar on the back lanes of Silom, Opus nevertheless has a full food menu to choose from as you sip your way through a selection from the walk-in cellar. The uncluttered space is divided into bar and lounge areas, both decorated in whites and browns and discreetly lit, giving a bright yet warm ambiance. Semi-abstract landscapes in pleasing mineral tones, like cross sections of rock, line the walls. The menu starts with a large hot and cold antipasti plate, but it’s perhaps more rewarding to begin with a pasta, such

as penne dello chef, comprising Italian sausage with a hint of gorgonzola served with rocket leaves and basil. It’s a decent, simple dish that’s ideal for a relaxed dinner with a choice from the 300 wines, including ten by the glass, starting at a mere B220 for a Mandrarossa Cabernet 2006. Main courses include Australian fillet cooked in a Merlot wine reduction, ossobuco, steamed seabass in white wine sauce, and pizzas. Desserts are in the mainstream of tiramisu and panna cotta. Eat at high tables and chairs in the bar or casual dining seating in the lounge, where wood framed windows give a cosy town house feel.

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2 T

Tokyo Style Japanese with a Modern Atmosphere

First time in Thailand, Rakuza Tokyo is a Tokyo Style Japanese restaurant With an indoor and outdoor atmosphere. The restaurant is suitable for casual dining or enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Our Japanese Chef integrates food perfectly into a unique Tokyo style and taste. Our Fish Direct From "TSUKIJI" fish market , Japan MENU ■ Otoro Sushi...180B ■ Churoto Sushi...150B ■ Seared Akami Sushi...120B ■ Roasted scallop, sweet shrimp and sea urchin with caviar in chardonnay creamsauce...480B ■ Tender chicken and mushrooms grilled in a black pepper TERIYAKI sauce...480B

Tokyo Style Japanese Restaurant -Rakuza Tokyo-

NEW OPEN

F unt 20%OF Special Disco 1/05/2010 :3 te Expire da

264/1 Grass Thonglor ,between Thonglor 10-12 (Sukhumvit55) Wattana, BKK 10110 Tel : +662 – 714 – 9897 18:00-25:00 (Food last order 22:00) (Drink last order 24:00) Close : Monday

Food&Drinks

Neighbourhood Nosh: sukhumvit soi 31 10

Each month we stake out one of the city’s best neighbourhoods for eating out, and serve you the nitty gritty in an easily digestible, bite-size format. Cassia Café

vit Soi 3 1

Fat Fish Bistro

Sukhum

vit Soi 3

Soi 27

3 2

vit

Soi 33

Soi 29

Sukhum

oi Sawasdi, also known as Sukhumvit 31, has received its lion’s share of face time in the news in recent times since it’s home to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. It’s only fitting that the road leading towards his house is dotted by a united nations of restaurants featuring cuisines from all corners of the globe. Entering from Sukhumvit road, you will come upon Himali Cha-Cha (1) about 50 metres in the soi on your right hand side.The flagship store of this restaurant that boasts three branches around town, Himali Cha Cha has been dishing out delicious Indian fare in Bangkok for over thirty years. A little further down on the left is Bella Napoli (2), whose wood-fired thin crust pizzas are always ranked towards the top, if not at the top, of the capital’s very large mountain of Italian pizzerias. You can’t go too far in downtown Bangkok without running into a Japanese restaurant and Soi 31 is no different, boasting one of the hottest sushi bars in town, Isao (3). Run by 68

perhaps the city’s only female sushi chef, Karuna Sangaroon, this modern joint rolls up some of the most creative maki sushi in town. Head next door to Cherubin (4) for a sinfully sweet hit of chocolate at this Teddy Bear filled café. Their addictive French Chocolate Cake is utterly irresistible. Cross the street to Cassia Café (5) if you’re around before dinner time for some afternoon tea. They serve up some delicious scones as well as a rotating menu of desserts to go with some heavier European fare. Next is Fat Fish Bistro (6), which just moved into the neighbourhood in February with some fresh catches in hand. See full review on p.64. For something completely different, swing into Hard Times (7). This curiously named bar, which bares every resemblance to an Irish boozer, is in fact a Japanese spin on the traditional European pub, that instead sports a menu full of classic Izakaya fare. There’s no need to be alarmed by the barricades and men on duty once you hit the mid-soi intersection, because you might risk missing out on Brown Eyes (8) on the Northwest corner of the junction. This Japanese

eatery features healthy gluten free cooking and baked goods, along with interesting creations like pizzas using buckwheat soba dough. If you’re looking for something a little extra special, turn left at the junction and continue down towards Le Vendome (9) one of the finest French restaurants in town. But if you’re looking to unwind, Suea Non Kin (10), at the very end of this soi is the perfect place for some drinks, and perhaps some spicy Thai food, while listening to some classic Thai tunes in its retro setting.

Suea Non Kin

Isao

Le Vendome

food & drinks

bangkok 101

Food courts

Baan Somtum

Much as we love cheap and tasty street food, non-wobbly tables and a little air-conditioning can go a long way. That’s why the Thai god of grub invented food courts! MBK: The Food Center (6F, 10am9pm) is cheap, chaotic and jampacked with yummy Thai grub. Most dishes are around the B40 mark. Just below the Food Centre is the Fifth Food Avenue (5F, 10am-9:30pm), a more upmarket collection of independent eateries (figure B150 for a dish) with good variety of international food, including Greek, seafood and Mexican options. Siam Centre: If you have a thing for molded plastic seats and vivid orange colour schemes, then baby, you’ve just hit the motherlode. Migraine-inducing décor aside, Food for Fun (4F, 9am-9pm) is a cheap and cheerful spot where B40-50 gets you a huge pile of reasonable Thai grub and the chance to tut at spiky-haired teenagers. Paragon: You can stare at a table-top aquarium while you munch your noodles; but you’re paying about B70 for those noodles. And they ain’t all that. The Food Court (B1, 10am10pm) dining hall gets packed too, making seats hard to come by and the atmosphere far from relaxing. CentralWorld: Flavour (7F, 10am-10pm) at the back of the Food Hall supermarket is really comfortable and has some cracking options at good prices. Figure on B50 a dish. Also in CentralWorld, on the seventh floor of Zen department store, is Food Loft (10am-10pm). Easily the most successful attempt at a mid-range food court, this plush, glass-walled offers up top-notch international fare. Try the Vietnamese noodle salad at B110. There’s another branch of Food Loft at Central Chitlom. Emporium: Probably the nicest food court on the mall-beat is the Food Court (5F, 10am-9:45) at Emporium. Clean, decked out like a library and with pleasant views over Benjasiri Park, the Food Court has lots of good Thai/ Chinese standards priced at B50-60. bangkok 101

Isaan Eats

Isaan food, Northeast Thailand’s unadulterated cuisine, is everywhere. Bangkok’s streets teem with rot khen (vendor carts) and no-frills restaurants serving comfort foods to the city’s huge Isaan migrant population: dishes like laab (ground-meat salad), gai yang (grilled chicken) and som tum (green papaya salad). Not that they’re the only fans. Though many draw the line at nibbling insects, every strata of Bangkok society – from homesick taxidrivers through to their Prada-clad passengers – has its fans. Indeed, many rank this sweat-raising blend of Lao and Thai cooking (which uses sticky rice, fresh vegetables, chillis, herbs and whatever creature’s within grasp) as just about the best Thai culinary creation going. Almost every sidewalk has a lip-smacking Isaan kitchen (here gastrogems spring from the grittiest of setups), but a meal at one of the following will have you vowing that your days of tart-sweet Thai food are over. n Baan Somtum 9/1 Soi Srivieng, nr Sathorn Road | BTS Surasak | 02-6303485 | 11am-10pm | $ This squat but smart townhouse serves a staggering 22 types of somtum, as well as haunting Isaan soups, at pocket-friendly prices. n Café de Laos 19 Silom Soi 19 | 02-635-2338 | 11am-2pm & 5-10pm | $$ Who said you have to forgo ambience entirely? At Café de Laos you get a posh setting and rustic Issan nosh.You’ll pay more than you would streetside, though. n Isaan Rot Det 3/5-6 Soi Rangnam | 02-246-4579 | BTS Victory Monument | $ The best northeastern fare on Rangnam (a soi renowned for it) is served at this no-frills shophouse. Explosive som tum, crisp vegetables and lots of spice-flushed local faces. n Café Chilli Ground Floor, Siam Paragon | 02-610-9877 | www.cafechilli. com | $ Zingy Isaan delights with hi-so ambitions (think grilled lamb rack with nam jim jaew dip) meet air-conditioned mall. Perfect for when a sweaty you won’t do. n Soi Polo Fried Chicken 137/1-2 Soi Polo,Th Withayu | 02-655-8489 | $ Golden-brown, succulent and blanketed in crisp-fried garlic, their gai thowd (deep fried chicken) is legendary. Also recommended: their catfish laab and tom saep soup. 69

Food&Drinks

Toaya

Trio 24

Chinese

Trio 24 (map D4) 1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-260-0406 | 11:30am2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | $$ Though it sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb with its odd location – tucked away in a tiny alley behind massage parlours and Japanese restaurants – there’s nothing strange about the food served up at this Italian restaurant.The white walls and bright lighting reflect the three Italian owners’ desire to keep things straight forward and focus on serving tasty, classic dishes at affordable prices. Though boisterous chef Luca will be more than happy to point you in the right direction with dishes like pasta Trio (a platter of potato gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce, tender cuts of choice New Zealand beef, it’s the pizza that deserves a standing ovation. The perfectly thin and crispy wood-fired crust stands up to this reviewer’s test and there’s no sign of the limp, soggy pies that way too many local Italian joints unfortunately send out of their kitchens. tuna spaghetti and pesto penne) and tender cuts of choice New Zealand beef, it’s the pizza that deserves a standing ovation. The perfectly thin and crispy woodfired crust stands up to this reviewer’s test and there’s no sign of the limp, soggy pies that way too many local Italian joints unfortunately send out of their kitchens.

Maison Chin (map C4) Bandara Suites | 75/1 Soi Sala Daeng | BTS Sala Daeng | 02-266-0505 | 11:30am-2pm, 5-10pm | $$$ The most recent celebrity chef to tip his hat at Thailand is Ken Hom, whose books and TV shows on Foolproof Chinese Cookery have been popular since the mid 1980s. The Chinese American spends a lot of time here and so didn’t have to think twice about lending his name and consultancy to Maison Chin, a restaurant marketed as “modern Asian”. On the plate this translates mainly as Asian flavours added to Western product and presentation in a now familiar style variously described as Pacific Rim, Modern European or the strangely demonised “fusion”. Tasty examples we enjoyed from the menu are Wagyu beef carpaccio, well balanced with tamarind and sesame dressing; sumptuous Saint-Sever Landes foie gras with date compote and citrus port wine sauce; and crab and prawn coriander ravioli served in a delicate Chinese herb broth. Less successful was pan-fried snow fish laid on toooily rice paper and overpowered by a sweet, sun-dried tomato relish. The dishes are available a la carte or as a seven course tasting menu for B2,200. The interior is split into several small rooms, the pick of which is the pleasant atrium, its windows overlooking the busy side street, and reminiscent of a Parisian café.

บันดาราสวีท ซ.ศาลาแดง

Maison Chin

ทรีโอ 24 สุขุมวิท ซ.24

Japanese Toaya (map D3) 593/27 Sukhumvit 33/1 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-260-3615 | Noon-3pm, 5-11pm | $$ A relative newcomer to the Japanese restaurant scene in and around Phrom Phong,Toaya is a modest eatery with a lot of heart. Simple wooden furniture, friendly, attentive staff and a refreshing attitude to prices make this a decent pick for casual Japanese fare. Most of the 200-item menu (including all your favourite J-dishes) falls below the B250 watermark, and you could easily pick out a selection of interesting dishes to share with a friend, sip a few beers and get out the door for B1,000. Not often you can do that in this neck of the woods. Of particular value is the sashimi mori platter.The craftsmanship may be artisan, but the helping is huge. A plate brimming with hearty chunks of tuna, salmon and the like is yours for B350. And that’s the small size. The sushi is also solid here, if slightly less of a bargain than the sashimi. Oh, and do take note when they warn you about the hot wasabi: it really is an eye-waterer.The number of customerlabelled bottles of shochu and sake behind the bar bear testament to Toaya’s drawing power. Look out for the super value lunch sets.

ร้านโตอาย่า สุขุมวิท 33

food & drinks

bangkok 101

mexican SEÑOR PICO (map D3) Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18 | BTS Asok | 02-261-7100 | 5pm-1am | www. rembrandtbkk.com | $ Standing outside the Rembrandt Hotel you’d never guess it was home to Bangkok’s first and best known Mexican, a lively, carefree little joint where sprightly Latin melodies come served with a rich array of fajitas, enchiladas and suchlike. The stereotypical Mexican décor comes off as a bit cheesy but gives off a sense of tex-mex familiarity. And while it can be quiet early on, the place usually picks up when the Uruguayan house band begins shaking the maracas at 8pm (except Mondays), especially on weekends. Start with the Azteca – a mango-based margarita that will quench your thirst and loosen up those two left feet. The friendly staff suggested the enchiladas, chicken breast in poblano sauce, and juicy and meaty pork ribs barbeque (B300 – 650), all of which was endearingly sloppy but undeniably tasty. Portions are large, not leaving much room for dessert, which is just as well because by this stage you’ll probably be chacha-ing upfront with the waitresses. Not the place for a quiet heart-toheart or pursuing a make-or-break business deal then, but for decent tex-mex with entertaining trimmings Señor Pico delivers.

รร.แรมแบรนท์ สุขุมวิท ซ.18

Señor Pico

Punjabi

indian PUNJABI BY NATURE (map B4) 839, soi 17 silom road, near Holiday Inn Bangkok | BTS Surasak | 02-6353467 | 11am – 11pm | $$ Indian food might sit pretty low in the city’s culinary pecking order, but Bangkok is nonetheless host to a clutch of tasty offerings. While most are frequented by the resident Indian community, Punjabi by Nature relies mostly on passing trade, most of them tourists on an evening stroll. Recently rebranded and refurbished, the dining room overlooking Silom Road (i.e. traffic) and lined with rough off-white bricks has a somewhat garish feel in spite of its fun wall murals of technicolour Punjabi life (some softer lighting and parquet flooring could easily fix this). And the presentation and service, like the interior, is no match for the city’s upscale Indian offerings. But the flavours we curryheads crave are in full effect, ranging from spot-on poppadoms with funky chutneys, golgappas and other snacky starters to rich meat, fish and veggie curries like the saag gosht, a pungent blend of chunky lamb hunks with pureed spinach, tomatoes, ginger and cumin seeds. Learn from our mistake and don’t order more than you need.Two mains, bowl of fluffy pilau and one of their big, to-die-for nan breads should easily stuff two hungry souls.

bangkok 101

ปันจาบ บาย เนเจอร์ ถ.สีลม ใกล้ รร. ฮอลิเดย์อินน์

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

american

Bei Otto

german Bei Otto (map D4) Sukumvit Soi 20 | BTS Asok | MRT Sukumvit | 02-260-0869 | www.beiotto.com | 11am-midnight | $$ Proprietor and German governmentcertified master chef Otto Duffner inaugurated his eponymous Bangkok restaurant/bakery back in 1984. Over the years he’s seen competitors come and go, leaving Bei Otto as the only worthwhile dedicated German restaurant in town. Meanwhile his original Schwarzwaldstube has added a butchery and superb deli,

and a slightly more formal European restaurant to its stout menu. It’s cosily attired, with a forest of mock wooden panelling, slatted dividers and logbeamed ceilings. The menu’s stocked with hearty Bavarian fare, and Otto’s in-house specialties – his assorted baked goods, imported meats and German wheat beer on tap – set him apart.The mixed platters, each offering various cuts, sausage selections and side dishes, make waistline-expanding good value for groups.

บาย อ็อตโต้ สุขุมวิท ซ. 20

dim-sum featured

Crystal Jade Golden Palace

Roadhouse Barbecue (map B3) 942/1 Surawong Rd | BTS Saladaeng, MRT Silom | 02-236-8010 | www.roadhousebarbecue.com | 10am-1am | $$ Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And spewing out from this downhome, honky-tonk rib joint are the sweet aromas of genuine, chop-lickin’ bliss. Hunkered down at the intersection of Surawong and Rama IV Roads, Roadhouse is a carnivores’ pleasure dome. A bustling street level bar/ restaurant offers up live music, while a quieter non-smoking dining room is one flight up. A sports bar on the third fl oor boasts a professional billiards table, a full-length shuffle board, foosball tables and wide-screen TVs. The open-kitchen and its US-made smokers churn out perfectly done ribs, buffalo wings, beef brisket and hickorysmoked chicken. The awardwinning beanless Roadhouse Chili – a must-try– features tender steak; grill fans may be partial to the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich or burgers. Save room for a succulent slice of Key Lime pie or their deep-fried vanilla ice cream.

โรดเฮาส์ บาบิคิว ถ.สุรวงค์

The little warren of upmarket restaurants on Paragon’s basement level throws up some interesting choices, even if at first glance the Crystal Jade doesn’t look one of them. There’s a severity to the 250-seater restaurant’s look that WHERE Siam Paragon, G Floor, belies the good value to be found North Wing (map C3) | 02-129on their dim sum menu and 4343 | www.crystaljade.com | the friendliness of the staff; the BTS Siam | OPEN 11amcold hard lines and sheer dark 2:30pm&5:30pm-10pm | PRICE $ wood surfaces more boardroom than chow-down. Slip into a comfortable booth or settle at a plush table to peruse the 40 or so dim sum choices and tick them off on your order sheet. Standout dishes include the meatily moreish pan-fried rice flour roll with XO chilli sauce and the crisp, glistening beancurd skin roll with shrimp, and only a fool would ignore the juicy steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.

Roadhouse Barbecue

สยามพารากอน

food & drinks

bangkok 101

runching is big in Bangkok. All five-star hotels and respectable cafés do them. Some are kid-friendly, others are strictly adult.You can get tipsy at some, while others focus on music. Curing a hangover? Need to eat al fresco? We offer you a sampling of Bangkok’s best.

brunching

featured

brunch Minibar Royale

The ghosts of film-noir – of screeching getaway cars, smoke-blowing dames and detectives in overcoats and brimmed hats – never seem far away in this café homage to the French-American brasseries of New York. Welcome, folks, to Bangkok’s most cinematic brunch venue. In a classic-cool interior that resembles scenes from Jean Pierre Melville’s Deux Hommes dans Manhattan, the Minibar Royale team Where Citadines Bangkok, serves a trim but handsome a la carte 37/7 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02brunch menu. Think generously 261-5533,www.minibarroyale. portioned plates of eggs Florentine, com BTS Asok Open Brunch soft boiled eggs on toast or corned Mon-Fri 10:30am-2pm, Sat-Sun beef hash. One not to miss is the eggs 10:30am-3pm; Normal hours Benedict: two slices of baguette coated 6:30am-midnight Price $ in salmon, sprinkled with fries and topped with two perfectly poached eggs. Just a lazy tease with your knife frees a wondrous torrent of runny yolk. Not only that, its hollandaise sauce has a satisfying tart, orange citrus twang. Sweet tooths, meanwhile, can shock start their metabolism with waffles, French toast or mini-pancakes served with seasonal fruits. Or dive straight into dessert menu delights like banana pudding, a gooey banana-cream meets crunchy-biscuit concoction that, if shared, will have you jousting forks over the last sloppy spoonful (and the winner licking the bowl triumphantly). A tip: once you’re done the brunch thang, order a coffee, a Framboise Royale wine spritzer or hide, like a mobster on-the-run, behind the daily papers. In other words, stick around. Unlike your typical hotel brunch, where the waitstaff start folding up the tablecloths at 3pm sharp, Minibar Royale’s approach is a bit more laissez faire – as their daubed plate-glass windows put it, “No fuss, just chill.”

มินิบาร์ รอแยล สุขุมวิท ซ.23

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

tea

or a break from the bustle of Bangkok, what could be more soothing than sipping a cuppa? Most upscale hotels and a growing number of stand-alone tea rooms serve afternoon tea. Some provide the traditional tray of sweets and savouries; others offer buffet or à la carte options for the hungry or the choosy. Mid-city or riverside, cosy or contemporary, whatever you choose, eat a light lunch or plan for a late dinner – these tea spreads are their own dose of decadence.

tea

featured

Cassia Afternoon Tea

With its white wicker dinette sets and display of low-sugar fat-free desserts, Cassia Café & Tea Room feels like a Sunday afternoon at your health-conscious grandmother’s house. The flowery matching wallpaper and menu scheme sums up the dainty charm of this eatery. The coffee/tea set features the usual suspects including croissants with jam, scones, salmon, cucumber and ham sandwiches and a choice of tea or coffee. Simplicity is best, as the tea selection is unexpectedly limited featuring a few varieties of Earl Grey, Afternoon and Royal Blend. Although the warm beverage options are modest, those that brought their appetites along are greeted with a hearty list of main courses. If the pork, steak or kidney pies don’t hit the spot, there’s always WHERE Sukhumvit Rd Soi the oxtail stew with mashed potatoes. It’s worth 31,02-662-0325 BTS Asoke taking a peek at the daily specials as they offer MRT Sukhumivit OPEN more traditional fare such as the beefburger and 9am-10pm PRICE $ tomato soup. While guilt free and smart treats such as the strawberry mousse or butterscotch mousse cake stare at you from behind the dessert counter, we suggest giving in to temptation and opting for the sticky toffee pudding. Resembling a slice of carrot cake soaked in oozing butter and sugar then topped with crunchy pieces of toffee, it’s just short of life-changing.

แคสเซีย คาเฟ่ สุขุมวิท 31 (ซ.สวัสดี)

food & drinks

bangkok 101

ban

101

■ Sukhumvit Q BAR 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-2am The ever popular Sukhumvit nightclub serves mighty tasty quesadilla, burgers, ribs, khao mun gai, beef jerky and schwarma and has a cool, al fresco terrace area perfect for enjoying them on with friends.

Took Lae Dee Foodland Supermarkets Nana Branch | BTS Nana | Sukhumvit Soi 16 Branch | BTS Asok | open 24 hours Means “cheap and good” and it is for the most part. Round-the-clock diner serves Thai and Western food and is attached to a supermarket that never closes either. Sunrise Tacos 236/3-4 Sukhumvit (btw Soi 12 and 14) | 02-229-4851 | BTS Asok | open 24 hours | www.sunrisetacos.com A little take-out joint serving Mexican fare and margaritas “by the yard” where you can get a super-sized halfkilo burrito. The presentation is a bit sloppy but by now, so are you. Royal Kitchen 912/6 Soi Thong Lo (opp. Soi 25) | BTS Thong Lo | until 1am | 02-391-9634| www.royalkitchengroup.com Congee, standard roast duck and BBQ pork along with a full Chinese menu. ■ Silom Eat Me Off Convent Rd In Pipat 2. | 02238-0931 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 1am Half restaurant, half art gallery with innovative Thai and Pacific Rim cuisine.

dishes like curried crab crêpes. Ramen Tei 23/8-9 Soi Thaniya | Silom Rd | 02-2348082 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 2am Ramen noodles in Soi Thaniya. Good Evening Restaurant 1120 Narthiwas-Ratchanakarin Soi 17 | 02-286-4676 | BTS Chong Nonsi | until 1am | www.goodeveningbkk.com Stylish Thai cuisine ■ Lang Suan Ngwan Lee Corner of Soi Lang Suan & Soi Sarasin | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-250-0936 | Until 3am This Soi Lang Suan stalwart is popular with clubbers; and the humdrum décor doesn’t distract from the reason why: excellent Thai/Chinese fare. ■ Khao San Padthai Thipsamai 313 Mahachai Rd (near the Golden Mountain) | 02-221-6280 | open 5pm3am | www.thipsamai.com If you’re around Khao San log in to this hole in the wall considered by most to have the best pad thai in Bangkok. And oh yeah, it’s probably the only pad thai with a website.

hais usually have dinner fairly early, on average around 6-7pm so visitors to Thailand may be surprised by the early closing times at restaurants which quite often take their last orders around 9:30-10pm. So what do you do when you’ve just come out of that show or late-night movie? Or what if all that club-hopping has gotten your stomach growling? No worries, as there’s food to be had at all corners at all times. Obviously most hotels have 24hour restaurants, pub kitchens usually stay open till midnight (see Pub Crawling p.96) and certain areas are bustling all night (see Street Eats p.62). But with all due respect to the above we’ve come up with a list of excellent, independent establishments where you can settle in and tuck into a meal ‘round midnight and beyond.

Coyote on Convent Sivadon Building | 1/2 Convent Rd | 02631-2325 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 1am Tex-Mex Fare with an endless list of margaritas.

The Old PraAthit Pier Restaurant 23 Phra Athit Rd | 02-282-9202 | until midnight Thai food on a wooden deck right beside the pier.

Bug and Bee18 Silom Rd. | 02-2338118 | BTS Sala Daeng | open 24 hours | www.bugandbee.com Four storey café offers up Thai and fusion

Silk Bar and Restaurant 129-131 Khao San Rd | 02-281-9981 | Food until 2am, Closes at 6am | Thai and International Food

bangkok 101

late-night dining

food & drinks

Sunrise Tacos

Bug and Bee

Food&Drinks

sweet treats

ookies, Cakes, Pies, oh my! Thais surely love it sweet, taking every opportunity to lace their foods with sugar or syrup whether it is noodles or teas. Kids even drink sweetened milk! So it’s no surprise that almost everywhere you look there are bakeries or sweet shops selling sugary, creamy, crusty goodies for all. Of course with everything there’s good and bad. Though it’s hard to complain about desserts in general one has to keep in mind that not all are created equal. Rest assured the decadent little treats at these spots are surely from the upper crust.

desserts featured

PURITAN

Of the many cake shops we’ve stuffed our faces at Puritan is perhaps the best allrounder. Japanese trained chef and owner Purinat Tantinahtana’s homemade cakes taste as indulgent as they look, glistening in his glass cake-counter, while his house cluttered with vintage bric-a-brac on suburban Ari Soi 5 has a cosy period atmosphere that most can only hanker for. Pick from one of only four tables in the snug house done out with Art Deco lamps, chandeliers, statues, velvet settees and other curios bought on his travels; or a lush courtyard out front, where tables sit beside fauxGrecian statues and orange, jelly-fish like fabric lanterns dangle from a rain tree. It’s an adorable setting in which to chill in this tropical pressure cooker of a city; especially in the evenings when the fairy lights and cicadas trilling over the Jazz CDs create a bohemian remove from Bangkok’s bustle. A quirky fusion food menu and selection of WHERE 46/1 Soi Ari 5 BTS Ari, creative coffees and smoothies are served, but, 02-357-1099, www.puritan-cake. judging by the generous slabs being ferried com OPEN Sun-Thu noon-11pm, to every table, often two or three at a time, Fri &Sat noon-midnight it is the low-fat cakes baked fresh everyday PRICE B100-150 a slice for which Puritan is best loved. This rotating selection includes a moreish Cherry Cheesecake, featuring dark chocolate biscuit, moist cream cheese and thick layer of Morello cherries. And a divine Chocolate Cake made from a preposterously sticky and sumptuous dark chocolate. A selection of chunky homemade chocolates is also sold, the booze-laced ones going for B30 a pop.

ภูริตัน อารีย์ ซ.5

food & drinks

bangkok 101

ban

101

Buffet Venues ■ TASTE Westin Grande Sukhumvit | 02-2078000 | 6am – 11pm | Breakfast B650++, Lunch 790++, Dinner B1,100++ ■ DINING ROOM Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-254-1234 | Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm (3pm on Sat), Mon-Thu 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 6pm-10pm | lunch B780++, dinner Mon-Thu B1,150++, dinner Fri-Sun B1,499++ (seafood) ■ COLONNADE The Sukhothai 13/3 South Sathorn Rd | 02-344-8888 | noon-2.30pm | B980++ ■ ESPRESSO InterContinental Bangkok, Ploenchit Rd | 02-656-0444 | daily noon2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | B790++ (lunch) B990++ (dinner) ■ Panorama Restauarant Pan Pacific Bangkok | 02-632-9000 | 6:30am – 10:30am, 11:30am – 2:30pm | Breakfast 695 net, Lunch 690++ ■ No.43 BISTRO Cape House Serviced Apartment, Gr Fl, 43 Soi Langsuan| 02-6587444 ext.285 | daily 6am-midnight ■ Lord jim’s buffet Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Oriental Avenue | 02 - 659-9000 | Mon-Sat noon-3pm sun 11:30am-3pm | B1,295 net (Mon-Sat) B1,648 net (Sun) Booking advised. Smart casual dress code. ■ THE BRASSERIE Holiday Inn Silom, 981 Silom Rd | 02-238-4300 | daily noon-2:30pm and 6pm-10:30pm | lunch B707 net, dinner B824net, Friday Seafood Night B941net ■ Orchid Café Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 02649-8888 11:30am-2:30pm & 6:30pm10:30pm | Lunch 760++, Dinner (Mon-Thu) 1,050++, Dinner (Fri - Sun) 1,250++ ■ Citi Bistro Pathumwan Princess Hotel 1st Fl., near MBK | 02-216-3700 | 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm | lunch B650net, dinner B1,300net

angkok bites off way more than it can chew. We all know this is a great city for very high quality dining, but it’s also excellent for the gluttons among us, drawn to food in quantities. From street side moo krata joints that give you a sizzling skillet and let you loose on a pile of meat for less than B100, to the city’s ever-growing legion of fivestar hotels that offer up the utmost quality along with quantity, it’s a wonder how Thais stay in such good shape. Here is a sampling of Bangkok’s best eat-till-you-burst buffets.

all you can eat

featured

buffet Marriott Resort & Spa

Not all dinner buffets here come served in drab dining rooms with views of nothing more captivating than the rush-hour traffic – some throw a memorable location into the bargain too. The Sheraton Resort & Spa’s therapeutic al fresco version is just such a creature, its market-style buffet lines and cooking stations located beneath a huge open-air Sala that straddles a breezy stretch of river free of those antisocial, neon-lit pleasure cruisers. It’s also a dinner show. Throughout the evening you’re treated to the sight of dancers in ethereal costumes prancing in slow-motion across an open-air stage, flames flickering in giant clay urns behind WHERE Marriott Resort & Spa, them. If these performances don’t put you 257 Charoennakorn Road, Samrae in a trance, dive straight in as there’s much BTS Saphan Taksin, then hotel to gorge on. Live cooking stations rustle shuttle boat, 02-476-0022 OPEN up pasta, teppanyaki, Thai dishes like pad 6pm – 10:30pm PRICE B1,250++ thai and hoy tod, and, intriguingly, tasty Mongolian stir-fry. A solid, if inoffensive, selection of freshly-prepped Indian, Chinese, Thai and antipasti is also up for grabs, different dishes turning up each week. The undeniable pièce de résistance though is the BBQ here, which gently smokes away non-stop as chefs toss on meaty specimens: lobster, king prawns, steak, kebabs, tangy sausages. You should also wobble over at least once to the perky chilled seafood and plump dessert sections; the latter sports crepes, icecreams and all manner of tasty tarts pilfered from the hotel’s bakery.

แมริออทรีสอร์ทแอนด์สปา ถ.เจริญนคร

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

wine

Siam Winery

‘New Latitude’ Thai wine

featured

Enoteca Italiana

wıne bar

OK, so it’s not not a wine bar per se, but the wall of vino at this intimate little “wine library” is one of the Bangkok’s best-kept secrets. It’s name harking back to ancient Rome, the Italian father-son team at Enoteca’s helm got their start in Thailand producing homemade gelato and later expanded their horizons to food and wine. Master Sommelier Nicola will happily to advise on both old standards and recent wine acquisition. He hand picks each of the 200+ labels here (nearly all of WHERE 39 Sukhumvit which are Italian). Ask about discounts on Soi 27 (map D3-4), 02cash-and-carry bottles if you taste something 258-4386 BTS Phrom you want to take home. Phong OPEN 5:30pm Italians rarely drink without eating, so – midnight www.enoteca ask Chef Luca to slice you up a platter of italianabangkok.com imported Italian cold cuts and cheeses to nibble on with your wine. And if you’re staying for dinner, don’t miss their pastas – the curiously squared-shaped spaghetti alla chitarra is a Mediterranean masterpiece. And save room, of course, for the ice cream. One caveat: although centrally-located off Sukhumvit Road, actually finding your way here through the residential warren of narrow streets is part of the adventure. Best to print out the map from their website. With just nine tables, reservcation are highly advised. Inquiries about periodic special tasting wine dinners.

เอนโนติก้าอิตาเลียนา สุขุมวิท ซ.27

food & drinks

Thai cuisine is considered one of the world’s best, and deservedly so – fresh ingredients, complex flavours, and tangy, tongue-teasing dishes. One thing gourmets rarely expect to drink over a Thai meal is wine, for fear that the food’s piquancy would overpower any subtle flavours. But in recent years several Thai vineyards have sprung up; and they are fast beginning to make their mark in a market dominated, as one would expect, by the usual array of old and new world wines. Thai-made “New Latitude Wines” are mostly blended from grape varieties like Shiraz, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a tendency towards light to medium-bodied dry wines, which balance well with the richness of spicy Thai dishes. Several Thai wineries are within easy driving distance of Bangkok – around two hours away. Head for Hua Hin, or the favourable altitude, rich soil and microclimate around Khao Yai National Park. Learn more at: www.thaiwine. org bangkok 101

941 Sukhumvit Rd. Live Band Between Sukhumvit 51-53 Thu - Sat 8 PM - Midnight Mon - Sat 5.30 PM - 12.30 AM For Reservation Tel: 02-662-7605 www.wineandme51.com

Magnificent Italian Foodâ&#x20AC;Ś Fantastic Ambience

64 Thanon Pan, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok Tel: 02 637 9896-7, Fax: 02 637 9898 info@wbopus.com www.wbopus.com

Nightlife

one night in bangkok

Q Bar

angkok’s vibrant nightlife offers an almost infinite Cowboy (btw sois 21 & 23). And voguish but affordable amount of options – so much more than just the hotspots (all tall tables, live hip-hop and whisky-sippin’ naughty male’s One Night in Bangkok wet dream. urban youth) abound in the hot-to-trot sois of Thong A night out here can easily have you flitting between Lor and Ekamai (sois 55 & 63). Northeast of the Sukhumvit conventional, cutting-edge and downright surreal, and usually in “Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major area, Royal City Avenue – or thoroughfare and its myriad RCA (p.95) – features a malla matter of steps, or, failing that, a short taxi ride. It’s little wonder that adjoining sois, hosts many of strip of megaclubs where hordes of young, flir ty Thais congregate, Bangkok pulls in so many revellers the city’s best nightspots.” especially on weekends. Other from across the city – and beyond. Glitzy bars and cocktail lounges attract the well-heeled notable hot spots include Bang Lamphu, the hedonistic and fabulous for slick drinks and smart design. Innovative backpacker hub that is legendary Khao San Road (p.94), nightclubs thrill international clubbers with rave-scene/ and the bohemian café/bar scene on Phra Athit Road. hip-hop culture sounds. Folksy jazz, blues and rock venues The Chao Phraya River has yet to live up to its please live music fans. Alternatively, sports junkies and the true potential as a nightlife centre. However, many of homesick have pubs… heaps of them, many as welcoming the city’s top hotels (The Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La, and well-stocked as your local boozer. Want to party till Millennium Hilton & Royal Orchid Sheraton) offer fivesunrise or thereabouts? Despite party-pooping official star cocktails, riverside. Alternatively, for bird’s-eye views closing hours (most venues must shut between 1-2am), of the river and high-altitude cocktails, turn to p.84. On and as long as you’re cool with doing it in a louche back- the following pages we list the cream of the crop – from lounges to live music venues, wine bars to nightclubs – street style, you can. The lively Silom/Sathorn commercial district is a to help you achieve that perfect night out. throbbing nightlife centre. From Irish-themed pubs to Patpong’s glaring go-go scene, right through to pumping DJs and bars-in-the-sky (p.86), there’s something for all. Nightlife Nous The city’s gay scene is also busiest here, with the pink flag Want the scoop on Bangkok’s notoriously under-theflying proudest around Silom sois 2 & 4, and the sleazier radar nightlife scene? Keep your eye on these websites Surawong Road. and before long you’ll be tipping off the locals. Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major thoroughfare, and its n www.bangkokgigguide.com – jazz, rock, reggae… myriad adjoining sois host many of the city’s flashest all the live music bases are covered in comprehensive, (and debauched) nightspots. On Soi 11, Q Bar and Bed night-by-night detail here. Supperclub (p.82) lead the way in international-style n www.lastnightinbangkok.com – club scene listings & nightlife. The more degenerate side of Bangkok nightlife post-party galleries. shines in Sukhumvit’s two adults-only streetscapes – n www.bangkokrecorder.com – their gossipy forum is Nana Plaza (off Soi 4), and the more carnivalesque Soi where news of upcoming DJ fly-ins often breaks. 80

nightlife

bangkok 101

Nightlife

nightclubs

Bed Supperclub

Clubbing in Bangkok? Stand-alone clubs are required by law to close at 1am, though many manage to stay open later; officially hotel nightclubs can stay open until 2am. The legal drinking age is 20. All patrons must carry proof. No ID, no entry. No joke. And as of late, smoking inside bars is a no-no. Q BAR (map D3) 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-2523274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of topshelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife nine years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and many big name guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday’s Gin & Juice hip-hop party, Wednesday’s Block Party with hip-hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Friday’s Houseduction. Upstairs at Q a chic, remarkably different vibe resounds in the bar/lounge, especially on Mondays when jazz music rules the speaker system (and the downstairs dancefloor takes a rest). Some relative solitude and a choice pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found here and on the outdoor terrace, perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack (including tasty meat wraps from a shawarma station).

คิว บาร์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

TAPAS (map C4) Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-632-7982 | 8pm-2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4,Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. Multilevelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or 82

dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general, weeknights can be hit-ormiss, but weekends are always hopping . ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4 The Club (map A3) 123 Khao San Rd,Taladyod, Phranakorn | 02-629-1010 | www.theclubkhaosan. com | B100 (including 1 drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a castle on Khao San Road. The spiral staircase of the central DJ platform and sky-high windows lend a fairy-tale vibe that would make Rapunzel want to let her hair down and hang loose. Musicwise, it’s a loud, banging house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, from psy-trance to full on, cranium-rattling electro and techno. Ladies night on Thursdays treats the crowd to live percussion, and dancers entertain on Friday and Saturday nights. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.

เดอะ คลับ ถ. ข้าวสาร nightlife

BED SUPPERCLUB (map D3) 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | nightly 7:30pm-1am ‘Bed,’ with its über-modern elliptical spaceship design, is a successful hybrid: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past seven years, Bed has attracted a fashionable crowd, and with its à-la-page white interior, is definitely a place to see and be seen. The food is world-class on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side, where bartenders blend cocktails using everything from local herbs to cutting-edge foams and sorbets. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over topclass world talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Tuesday’s hip-hop party Pop Champagne packs ‘em in while Wednesday’s Model Night throbs with Latin house music. Big-room house and mash-up hip-hop rules on Friday, and Sunday mixes 80’s pop hits with house music.

เบด ซัปเปอร์คลับ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

bangkok 101

Demo

Calypso

Cabarets DEMO (map E4) Thonglor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-711-6970-1 | 8pm1am | free (except one-off parties) Is Demo a sign of clubs to come in Thonglor? Or just a blip on the slickly gentrified area’s cookie-cutter nightclub factory line? Time will tell. In the meantime, we strongly suggest you check out this ramshackle tenement building turned gritty warehouse. Not only does it look like a venue you’d find in shabby, hipster-heaving East London. It sounds like one too: instead of mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast trendy nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system. And when they do go hip-hop, on Wednesdays, they keep it old-school. Further boosting its streetcool hip quotient, 1980s Brooklynstyle graffiti covers the brick walls and a vintage white Toyota Celica gleams in one corner. They offer a huge range of (quite expensive) beers, shots and cocktails and, though it’s only recently opened, weekends are already packed out with an international crowd.

เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ.10

808 (map D3) RCA, block C | 02-203-1043 | MRT Pra ram 9 | www.808bangkok.com | 9am-late This slick nightclub – all imposing red lighting, exposed brick and steelbangkok 101

cladding – has been a hit with clubbers ever since it landed on RCA in 2007. The reason: the consistently worldclass line-up. Grandmaster Flash, James Lavelle and Derrick May to name but a few global DJ giants, have all rocked this post-industrial warehouse, aided in no small part by the ear-drum/body/ table rattling sound-system (watch that drink dance!). Head up to the balcony for a comfy leather perch, or gyrate with the diehards on the dancefloor. Entrance prices vary depending on who is gracing the decks that night.

เอท โอ เอท อาร์ซีเอ บลอกซี

GLOW (map D3) 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 | | 6pm-2am This boutique club/bar/lounge challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes night-to-night, with deep-house and electro looming large and no hip-hop (hurrah!). Foxy coyote girls, dancing on the bar, make queuing for drinks here something of a guilty pleasure. For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool and up-todate website.

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nightlife

MAMBO (map C4) 59/28 Rama 3 Rd | 02-294-7381-2 | show time 7:15pm, 8:30pm, 10pm (please reserve for 10pm) | B800, VIP B1,000 The mother of Bangkok drag cabarets, tongue-in-cheek Mambo is still going strong, thanks to its fab ensemble of the city’s most glam kathoey giving their all amid rather drab décor. The very popular show is somewhat mainstreamy, but its professionalism keeps you entertained. The gals are so good they’ve even toured London. Be prepared for mimed pop tunes, Broadway evergreens, glitz and big, big melodrama.

แมมโบ ถ.พระราม3

CALYPSO (map C3) Asia Hotel | 296 Phaya Thai Rd | 02-216-8937| daily 8:15pm & 9:45pm | www.calypsocabaret.com | B1,200 (includes 1 drink) Bangkok’s biggest drag show cabaret features more than 50 kathoey (ladyboys) in a gender-bending and dazzling show twice a night. The show’s a rollercoaster of fun: envisage Madonna and Marilyn mimes, Nippon kitsch and the Paris Folies. Their Spice Girls are frighteningly good. Calypso offers an intriguing blend of the comic, the sexy and the bizarre. Don’t be afraid to take the kids along.

คาลิปโซ่ รร.เอเชีย ถ. พญาไท

Nightlife

bars with a view

Fed up with Bangkok’s fume-filled streets? Fancy a breather? Take to the skies. Bangkok offers a clutch of dramatic high-altitude bars (both indoor and outdoor) from where to survey the glittering skyline below.

Distil

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am A beacon over Bangkok’s night sky is ablaze. Picture a gorgeously moody, sexy place with world-class jazz, awesome cocktails and hear t-stopping views. Sprinkle this with the fact that you’ll be par t of the international trendsetter scene just because you’ve managed to cross the Chao Phraya. Sound inviting? Head over to the Millennium Hilton and take the glass elevator to the 32nd floor. Up in a glassed-in, UFO-like construction 130 metres high, Three Sixty perfects a circle. Soft couches and smooth cocktails enhance a dizzying view: Bangkok’s downtown and a row of riverside hotels spread out in front of you. Good thing this place doesn’t revolve. It’s a grown-up crowd which values Osetra on blinis with their drinks. Pure Post-Millennium Magic. And do check out the hotel lobby.

รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ. เจริญนคร

Red Sky (map C3) Centara Grand Hotel, Rama 1 Road | BTS Chid Lom/Siam | 02-100-1234 | www.centarahotelresorts.com | 5pm – 1am Hi-octane views, svelte Martinis, rattan loungers to enjoy them on. Ironically, the only thing you won’t be seeing at Centara Grande’s chicly lit al fresco bar is red. When not gasping at the city flickering like a circuit-board beneath you, let yourself be entertained by the boomerang-like edifice changing colour above the translucent bar; or stargaze into the fibre optic solar system embedded in the curving, wood-panel wall. Sip a bottle from their space-age wine cellar, or a well-mixed cocktail; they shake everything from Ying Yangs to classic Caipirinhas. Fifty five floors below, it’s all car horns and consumer frenzy, but up here, glass in hand, live jazz wafting through the ether, not even a gust of wind can upset the cosmic balance – glass barriers mean there are, virtually, none.

รร.เซ็นทารา แกรนด์ เซ็นทรัล เวิลด์ nightlife

Long Table (map D3) 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-3022557-9 | www.longtablebangkok.com | 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing drawing Bangkok’s in-crowd to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar in droves. There’s also the trendsetting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes a medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature “long-tail” cocktails or fine wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

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SKY BAR / DISTIL (map B3-4) State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd | 02624-9555 | www.thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am High fliers hankering after a taste for the dramatic can head over to The Dome at State Tower. Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Skybar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond-premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. These places are definately not spots for the casual beach bum; so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart-casual dress code is enforced.

สเตททาวเวอร์ ถ. สีลม

bangkok 101

Amorosa

V9 (map C4) 37F Sofitel Silom Hotel | 188 Silom Rd BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-238-1991 | 6pm-2am Smart V9 is a funky space, one-third comfy bar, one-third slick restaurant, one-third huge wine retail shop. Oenophiles undergo orgiastic experiences once they walk past the dozens of wine crates lining the entrance. All of the wines can be bought at supermarket prices and consumed on the premises with no corkage fee.The in-house Sommelier’s pairings are exquisite, with 15 house wines to tempt you by the glass or short carafe.The French food served up is faultless (try their snack trees), as are the cocktails – dozens of signature blends in a long menu. It’s all very Sex and The City, especially on Friday & Saturday nights.The music is good, and the view through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls wrapping V9 is heart-stopping – that’s what really counts. Perfect for those rainy nights.

รร. โซฟิเทลสีลม ถ. สีลม

MOON BAR (map C4) 61F Banyan Tree Hotel | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com | 5pm-1am As the name suggests, this is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart bangkok 101

surroundings. Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar is a romantic hideaway. With stunning 360˚ views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescopes and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys feel right at home here, too. Stay until the wee hours, nibble on sophisticated snacks, take in the light jazz – and never ever forget your camera.

รร. บันยันทรี ถ. สาทร

Panorama (map C3) Pan Pacific Bangkok, Rama IV Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-632-9000 | www.panpacific.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm Ideal for interminably hot or drizzly nights, the Deck Bar is a low-slung little bar counter found in the partitioned area at the rear of the Pan Pacific’s upmarket Panorama restaurant. Perfect for pre-dinner, the wine-list here is a facsimile of the restaurants (i.e. expansive and top-notch), and on cool nights the windows are open to the night air and a 23rd floor view nightlife

across Bangkok. Plonk yourself on one of its stools, order in a scotch and some fancy tapas, and let your eyes wander across the grounds of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and up over downtown – not quite breathtaking, but still very Bangkok.

รร. แพนแปซิฟิค ถ.พระราม 4

AMOROSA (map A3) Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Road (near Wat Po temple) | 02-221-9158 | www.arunresidence.com | 6pm-1am Balmy breezes, soft Latin Jazz, sour-sweet cocktails and passable wine list: all the ingredients for an agreeable open-air bar are in place at the Mediterraneanish Amorosa.The show-stopper though is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, it overlooks the weaving Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn. Go before sundown and gaze out as the sun disappears behind it. Or come later, when spotlights make it glow amber against the night sky. Wat Po is just around the corner, so a tipple here is an easily attainable – and fitting – reward after a day of temple hopping. And if you fall for the view, the hotel’s restaurant,The Deck, and 6 lovely suites mean you can prolong the love affair.

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช

Nightlife

hotel bars & nightclubs

BARSU (map D3) Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 | www.barsubangkok.com | 6pm-2am The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu features the tagline “eat, play, dance,” and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, house, hip hop and techno are banned; in-house DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s, 80s and world music. An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated bar snacks created by a Belgian two-star Michelin chef. In all fairness, calling this premium fare “bar snacks” is doing it a disservice: it’s finger food designed to be shared – sushi, sashimi, tapas and “wapas” (world tapas) – although not finger food as you know it. Ladies get a free standard drink on Wednesdays and the chance to win a bottle of Baileys.

Bamboo Chic

CM2 (map C3) Basement, Novotel Siam Square, Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam | 02-255-6888 | www.cm2bkk.com | 6:30pm-2am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s party cave par excellence still packs them in over a decade after it opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. Gone is the old karaoke complex, making room for pool tables and lounging space overlooking the big and quite 1980s looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) dancefloor. It’s mainstreamy all the way. DJs play Club 18-30-style dance-pop and bubbly live bands perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition (Simon Cowell would be impressed). Cheesy? Maybe, a bit; but still a fun (and always eye-opening) experience. International and Thai food, as well as a whopping great cocktail list that includes some made with Amaltery’s alcoholic ice-cream, is served.

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Bamboo Chic (map C4) Le Meridien Bangkok 4F, 40/5 Surawong Rd | 02-232-8888 | BTS Sala Daeng | www.lemeridienhotelbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Dim-tones and giant chandeliers set the tone for haute Sino-Nippon cuisine at Bamboo Chic: Le Meridien hotel’s dashing designer resto-bar. But Bangkok’s jetset have also taken a shine to what’s being served over at the arresting lime-florescent bar – innovative cocktails like the Kyoto martini: a delectable blend of dry gin, midori, dry vermouth and lemon juice, served in a fishbowl glass. Highwattage smiles and slick service rounds off this voguish venue, as apt for postwork or pre-dancefloor tipples as it is a swanky dinner. Just steel yourself for a blast of cognitive dissonance on arrival… Patpong, the neon sleazepit cum night market, is Bamboo Chic’s unscrupulous neighbour.

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

Barsu

รร.เลอ เมอริเดียน กรุงเทพ ถ.สุรวงศ์

CM2

nightlife

bangkok 101

Zuk Bar

Zuk Bar (map C4) The Sukhothai, South Sathorn Rd | MRT Lumpini | 02-344-8888 | MonSat 5pm-1am, Sun noon- midnight Hotel guests and clued-up suits enjoy zesty cocktails, creative canapés and an air of ultra-sophisticated tranquillity at this classy hotel bar. Drinks are on a par with the rooftop bars (in price and panache), but here you’re paying for the understated exoticism of it all: the sultry look, mood and service. The barely lit interior, with its dim nooks and raw silk couches, is perfect for heart-to-hearts. The underlit outdoors area, flanked by huge

bangkok 101

Club 87 Plus

oriental jars and cooled by overhead fans, a sociable spot where a ring of plump divan sofas invite you to plant your posterior. Quietly solicitous lady staff clad in silk serve while a DJ from Tues to Sat spins soulful tunes.

รร.สุโขทัย ถ.สาทรใต้

Club 87 Plus (map C3) Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-690-9087 | 6pm - 2am Bigger, sleeker and sexier, the Conrad hotel’s recently relaunched flagship nightspot has targeted its audience from the get-go. Don’t be expecting minimalist jungle or Ibiza-style foam

nightlife

parties, but if you like to cut a little rug to tunes from the 80s and 90s, this joint should do just fine. The main draw here is the band, Citybeat (Tues-Sun, 10pm-2am). They know how to get a party going with their tried and tested repertoire of funked-up pop classics. DJ 90 provides the soundtrack for the daily buy-one-get-one-free Happy Hour (6-9:30pm), and takes centre stage on Monday evenings. Thursday is Ladies Night and Sunday’s Latin. There’s also a nifty new smoking lounge adjoining the venue.

โรงแรมคอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

Nightlife

bars BARLEY BISTRO (map C4) 4/F Food Channel, Silom Road | BTS Sala Daeng | 087-033-3919 | daily 5pm-late | www.barleybistro.com Before this multi-level resto-bar popped up on our radar, bars in gritty Silom were limited to gay haunts, girly bars and cheesy Irish pubs. No longer: Barley Bistro’s arrival means it’s now possible to have a quiet drink here without encountering cruisers, sleaze-balls or barmaids in Leprechaun hats. Hidden up some stairs at the Food Channel, an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, its one helluva slick, snazzy spot. The design is chic (brooding blacks and greys, white-on-black stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food newfangled (spaghetti kimchi etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air rooftop. Though not quite worthy of our ‘Bars with a View’ section – it’s boxed in by buildings – it’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barley-stalk sculptures and perfect for postwork/pre-club cocktails. Live bands play in the bar most nights.

บาร์ลี่ย์บิสโทร ฟู้ดชาแนล ถ.สีลม

The Iron Fairies

THE IRON FAIRIES & CO (map E4) 394 Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 084520-2301 | BTS Thong Lor | www.theironfairies.com This recent arrival injects a healthy dose of creativity into the city’s nightlife scene and is probably the coolest bar in Bangkok right now. It’s an oddball cross between a curiositycum-antiques shop — yes, you can actually buy the eponymous iron fairies themselves — and homage to the 1920s. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours the tables impressing inebriated revellers with his slight of hand, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the cast-iron spiral staircase.The venue has the labyrinthine otherworldliness of a Terry Gilliam set with a touch of the bordello. Beers start from B120 a bottle, a well-mixed dirty martini goes for B280 and the burgers, which are served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, are divine.

ดิไอรอนแฟรี่ส์แอนด์โค ซ.ทองหล่อ

CHEAP CHARLIE’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-12:30am This shabby open-air streetside joint is a real Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety island hole-inthe-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists inthe-know to fill up on B70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. CC’s is the kind of place where it’s easy to fall into conversation with other patrons; whether it’s because you’re sheltering from a rain shower together or end up sharing one of the few tables. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little subsoi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.

ชีพ ชาร์ลีย์ ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก)

Barley Bistro

nightlife

bangkok 101

CAFÉ TRIO (map C3) 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | 02-2526572 | BTS Chit Lom | daily 6pm-1am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundays Tucked into a narrow alley off Soi Lang Suan, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars. Café Trio is overflowing with plush couches, the lighting is delightfully soft, and the music is always subdued. The tranquil atmosphere helps to make it a true neighbourhood place. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and the walls are plastered with her Modigliani-esque, Vietnamese-inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. Resident regulars come for live jazz (often toward the end of the month). For drinks, expect to pay what you would at better known, yet more generic, venues.The service is laid-back, like the bar in general. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and 50m down the road.

คาเฟ่ทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน

LOLLIPOP (map A3) 1 Mahannop Soi 1, Mahannop Road, Pra Nakorn | 086-339-1390 | Tue-Sun 5pm-1am Lime green walls, fiery red couches and hippie bead curtains – this old wooden house in the old city district of Phra Nakorn looks like it has been ripped from a Tim Burton fantasy. Just like the building’s previous tenant, rock-pub Lullibar, young indie-hipster Thais flock here for the juxebox indie tunes and house bands, cheap brews and kap klaem (beer snacks). One bad thing: Lollipop is hidden deep within the relatively unknown Soi Mahannop, a roughly five-minute walk from the city’s Democracy Monument. But then again, if you’re cool enough to frequent a place like Lollipop, you’re cool enough to hang with the kids who can get you there.

โลลี่ป๊อป มหรรณพ ซ.1

bangkok 101

Lollipop

PHRANAKORN BAR (map A3) Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd. | 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am When Khao San Road’s obnoxious bars wear thin – and they do – flee in search of this cool, multi-level boozer tucked just off Ratchadamnoen Road. It’s an old favourite of local art students, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playlist and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop offering splendid views, over rickety old-city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is also cheap as chips, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first. From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side. In the evenings there’s usually at least one vintage VW beetle parked outside.

พระนครบาร์ ซ.ดำเนินกลางใต้ ถ.ราชดำเนิน

ROLLING BAR (map A3) Wanchat Rd | 081-867-6568 | MonSat 6pm-2am A big lit up marquee sign on Wanchat Road beckons you to find out what is going on below the street line. Descend a few stairs and in a quiet corner by the water you will find Rolling Bar, a small open space filled with a mixed assortment of retro décor and various model Cadillac cars. Here, every night nightlife

you can hear familiar old folk and rock covers unplugged. The bar draws a mixed crowd all in the comfort of T-shirts and jeans and ready to throw back a couple of drinks. The menu’s got all the popular Thai favourites, but the bar offers you a little bit more. Owner Khun Sheeva has whipped up his own personal sweet rum, Sheeva Wop; a must try.

โรลลิ่งบาร์ ริมสะพานเฉลิมวันชาติ

WONG’S PLACE (map C4) 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen/Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | 02286-1558 | MRT Lumpini | Mon – Sat 10pm till late It’s amazing how Wong’s Place stays in business. It’s not near any public transport; opens when it wants, closes when it wants; plays crackly videos from Top of the Pops in 1985; has a couple of serveyourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Put it this way: if you’re looking for a chocolate Martini and a plate of tapas, you’re in the wrong place.Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers and professional barflies who have been coming here for years and regard owner Sam as a kind of benevolent dictator, knowing better than to take advantage of the beer-fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom –and watch the night unfold.

วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี

Nightlife

jazz clubs THE LIVING ROOM (map D3) Sheraton Grande, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-6498888 | www.sheratongrandesukhumvit. com | 10am- 12:30am Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s luxury hotel bars, the leather couches at The Living Room are so snug it’ll be hard to get up again once you’re seated. It’s a stylish place, and the usually middle-aged patrons live it up on great wines, champagne and strong cocktails in a quiet way. The high-ceilinged foyer offers perfect acoustics for the fabulous jazz band. Be prepared to be well-entertained. World-class talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport. Currently The Living Room plays host to Trio Live, performing every Tuesday jazz clubs through Thursday nights from 9pm to 11:45pm, plus Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 12:15am. You can also catch them during the Sheraton Grande’s legendary Sunday Jazzy Brunch. รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท

ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

Diplomat Bar

DIPLOMAT BAR (map C3) Conrad Bangkok, 87 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit | 02-690-9999 | www.conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am An architecturally striking hotel bar, mixing a funky, stylish décor with soft teak sofas and an arresting chandelier hanging over the massive round bar. Bronze silks and wood dominate this dark, contemporary, but always relaxed place. A boozy, high-profile

nightlife

crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buyone-get-one-free Happy Hour from 4-7pm (standard drinks only). Very hip among the diplomatic corps (Witthayu is stuffed with embassies), trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for people-ogling. But the main attraction here is more aural than visual and exceptional jazz acts are de rigueur. รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

bangkok 101

Niu’s on Silom

BAMBOO BAR (map B4) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave | 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com | Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in the city’s most fabled hotel, the 50-year-old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical film noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s nevertheless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by a superb staff. A definite big Bangkok must. รร.โอเรียนเต็ล ถ.โอเรียนเต็ล THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am Dizzying 32nd floor views across the Chao Phraya. Bangkok’s downtown flickering in front of you. Well worth crossing the river for, Threesixty is Bangkok’s most jaw-dropping jazz venue. Since July its dressy crowd has been soaking up that camera-grabbing panoramic alongside the sounds of Micki L Murphy. Her sultry renditions – spanning jazz to bossa nova to RnB – make this glassed in, flying saucer-like construction seem gorgeously moody. And the wan blue lounge lights, soft couches and smooth cocktails help. Requests are welcomed. รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ.เจริญนคร

bangkok 101

Niu’s on Silom (mapC4) F1-2, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 | www.niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am This New York-style wine bar – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for international guest vocalists, and trumpeter Steve Lowry and guitarist Dan Phillips, who rotate nightly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concerto Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available. นิวส์ ออน สีลม บ้านสีลม BROWN SUGAR (map C4) 231/20 Sarasin Rd | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-250-1826 | Mon-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 5pm-1am Sarasin Road, bordering Lumphini Park, hosts a strip of teeming bars. The best one is definitely this long-standing, smoky jazz club. The joint evokes a jazz haunt of yesteryear with dark woods, tight benches and a tiny stage. Newsweek called it ‘Asia’s Number One Spot’ and to prove the point, it’s packed every night. If you care for seats, arrive early, before the brilliant band starts at 9pm. You can have some decent pub grub, but it’s pricier than one might assume from the look of the haunt – same goes for the strong drinks. Sunday nights are the best – it’s the night off for most hotel bar singers, who all congregate here to let their hair down and jam with local pros.

บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ. สารสิน

nightlife

Niu’s on Silom Jazz Club Is Bangkok’s newest and brightest jazz club location, Where you can enjoy live performances daily, which include International musicians and some of the hottest local musicians.

Special guests:

Mauro and Mauro Monti Quintet Rydsma & Band Daniel Phillips and Band

Niu’s on Silom Jazz Club

Wine Bar & Restaurant 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Road (cnr Soi 19) Tel: 0 2266 5333-4 Daily 5pm-1am; Free valet parking reservation@niusonsilom.com www.niusonsilom.com

Nightlife

live music

Brick Bar (map A2-3) 265 Khao San Rd, Taladyod, Phranakorn | 02-629-4477 | Mon-Sun 7pm1am | free entry (Mon–Thu), B150 incl. 1 free drink (Fri-Sat) Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge shopping arcade, this dark and airy redbrick vault features benches downstairs, an upstairs terrace for people or band watching and plenty of nooks and crannies to party in. A magnet for young live music lovers, it’s jumping most nights of the week with freshy 20-somethings out to catch some of Thailand’s biggest ska, reggae, funk and blues bands, many of whom play their own material. Perfect for friends who’ve just hit town.

บริค บาร์ ถ. ข้าวสาร

Bangkok Rocks

AD HERE THE 13TH (map A2) 13 Samsen Rd, Bang Lamphu | 089769-4613 | 5pm-midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except for the Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), the down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ‘em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match, and would never sing Hotel California. People from around the globe drop in for a quick jam; you’re bound to meet more nationalities than you can list. Down some crazy cocktails, or do theThai-style whiskey-soda-ice thing, along with some super-cheap booze munchies. An insider’s must.

แอดเฮีย 13 ถ. สามเสน บางลำภู

OVERTONE (map D3) 29/70-72 RCA Zone D | 02-2030423 | www.overtone.tv | Closed Mon/Tues Overtone has what every venerable rock club needs: a wall of fame. And it’s a good one. Megadeth and Jimmy Page have both graced Overtone with their straggly-haired presence, as has pretty much every lightening fingered axe-grinder in the Kingdom. Not bad for a live music cave tucked along RCA, a club-strip that usually does a good line in brash hip-hop superclubs. Inside, bands rock out while vintage Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster guitars, presented like hallowed museum pieces in backlit wall alcoves, look on. The orange-themed décor is a little more suave than your average rock dive, but the steady line-up of hard rock acts intermingled with the odd night of jazz, indie, blues or ska one of the most intriquing in town. Check their website for the latest.

โอเวอร์โทน ถ.อาร์ซเี อโซนดี nightlife

Bangkok Rocks (map D3) The Key Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 19 | BTS Asok | www.bangkok-rocks.com | 6pm-late Covers of Hendrix, U2 and Santana are the staples from rotating bands at this new bar dedicated to live “classic” rock music. There’s potential in the decent acoustics, a mezzanine with good views of the stage, and beers and wine that start at B100. The downsides are a lack of character in the small boxy room of featureless white walls, and a soulless soundtrack. The Saturday night band we saw, 61 Highway, were competent but a little too harmless to drag across town for. This is a drop-in beer and boogie spot if you’re in the area, but Bangkok will only truly rock here if they attract stronger acts.

รร.เดอะคีย์ สุขุมวิท ซ.19

Overtone

Brown Sugar

bangkok 101

Raintree Pub (map C3) 116/63-34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 022457230, 081-926-1604 | www.raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age timecapsule. Raintree hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970s folk-protest music and soundtrack for Thailand’s politically disaffected. On a stage decorated with the movement’s trademark buffalo skulls, two artists strum nightly: a long-haired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring.

ร้านจามจุรี ซ.รางน้ำ อนุสาวรีย์

Parking Toys (off map) 17/22 Soi Maiyalap, Kaset-Navamin Highway, Bang Khen (pier 135-136 on left hand side) | BTS Mo Chit (then taxi) | 02-907-2228 | 6pm-1am It’s quite unusual for a business to go out of its way not to be noticed, but Parking Toys seems to do just that. With a dark, dismal exterior, the venue’s “We Accept Visa” logo is surprisingly larger than the actual bar sign. Once you finally do manage to get inside the ex-garage, it’s a sensory overload. Wall-to-wall retro furniture becomes instant eyecandy, while chairs without upholstery dangle from the ceiling. But if the funky furniture creates the space, the live music definitely defines it. Here, there is a band for every alternative music lover; in just one weekend night you can catch reggae root, electronic, rockabilly, and metal – now that’s what we call a variety pack. It’s a hike, but well worth it. So get off your couch and sit on someone else’s – the secret’s out!

Parking Toys

Tawandaeng German Brewery (map C4) 462/61 Narathiwat Rama 3 Road | 02-678-1114 | www.tawandang.co.th | This cavernous beer keg of a room plays host to Fong Nam, an energetic house band led by the talented Bruce Gaston, a NewYorker famous – in these parts, anyway – for giving traditional Thai music a Western makeover. Spurred on by up to 1,600 lary diners, they rollick through a musical repertoire that touches on everything from luk thung to driving mor lam, Thai orchestrals to western contemporary. They play every night from 7pm-1am, except Sundays. Besides their music (and the dry ice and dancing cabaret girls extravaganza that goes with it), Tawandaeng is also well-known for its micro-brewed beers, German sausage and deep-fried pork knuckle. Reservations recommended.

โรงเบียร์เยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3

ปาร์คกิ้งทอย ซ.มัยลาภ เกษตรนวมินทร์

เดอะ ร๊อคผับ ถ.พญาไท

TITANIUM ICE BAR (map D4) Sukhumvit Soi 22 | BTS Phrom Pong | 02-258-3758 | www.titanium-club.com | 6pm-1:30am Well folks, and now for something different. Picture this: congenial hostesses clad in Bangkok-Zeitgeist ao dai. A gifted all girl rock ‘n’ roll band, Unicorn, jamming six nights a week (with two male bands filling in for them on Sundays). Bangkok’s widest selection of vodka – 70 varieties to choose from. An intimate atmosphere, especially in The Vodka Room, chilled to a nippleraising minus 10 degrees. Not exactly a place to bring Mum, but a fun night out on the slightly wild side.

ไทเทเนียม ไอซ์บาร์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 22

The Rock Pub

bangkok 101

THE ROCK PUB (map C3) 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phayathai Road, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi | www.therockpubbangkok.com | 9:30pm-2am If AC/DC or Def Leppard were in town you’d find them reliving their glory years here. A tatty faux-castle exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride it is you’ve stumbled on, while inside house bands with Brian May hairdos thrash out everything from Van Halen to Motorhead covers. Bands get going at 10pm weekdays, 9:30pm on weekends, as they have done for the past 22 years.

nightlife

Nightlife

nightlife areas

Hemlock

PHra athit rd

Police Station

Khao San Road

The streets around Khao San Road – that famed budget travellers’ mecca – are buzzing with a frenetic mix of dek naew (trendy teens) and bronzed backpackers. Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge complex, Brick Bar [1] is a red brick cavern where young locals bounce along to excellent live ska. A few doors down, Lava Bar [2] is a dark hip-hop dungeon, while Sunset Street [3] is an architecturally interesting conglomerate of bars, but mostly attracts sweaty backpackers. Down the alley opposite, Zest [4] focuses on live Brit Rock, while Hippie De Bar [5], tucked down another alley, is a retro-cool cocktail house. More full-on, The Club [6] is a popular techno palace offering free UV glowsticks and a huge dancefloor. Just off the strip, Gazebo [7] is an open-sided rooftop featuring live reggae, hubbly-bubblies and DJs till the wee hours. For a more laid-back, cool evening, head to nearby Phra Athit Road, lined with trendy hole-in-the-wall bars, cafés and restaurants. Often compared with NYC’s Greenwich Village, it’s a favourite for young Thais going “beat” and the odd expat. Stop for a cheap caffeine intake at Coffee & More [8] in a beautifully restored colonial mansion. Elegant Hemlock [9] is invaded nightly by artsy folk, drawn to the eclectic Thai food at 1 6 3 2 rock-bottom prices. Minimalist but friendly Joy Luck Club Burger kHao sanroad rd Khao San [10] also deserves a mention. King 5

Ekkamai/Thonglor

Funky Villa

new phetchaburi rd

Soi 20

Thong Lor Soi 10

Soi 16

Ekkamai Soi 28

BTS Ekkamai

Ekkamai Soi 10

Soi 1

Sukhumvit RD

Soi 21

In recent years these parallel boulevards have embraced sweeping gentrification and emerged as upmarket playgrounds for the young, studiously cool zeitgeist follower, be they celebrity, model, arty type, uni student or slick professional. Aside from their surfeit of luxury condos, boutique lifestyle emporiums, designer spas and restaurants both are studded with trendy nightspots catering to a predominantly Thai clientele. New ones pop up every few months, as if to keep hipsters on their toes and match that season’s colours. For now Muse [1], FunkyVilla [2] and Demo [3] – three giganto clubs on Thonglor Soi 10 – are all the rage. Meanwhile, scattered about are old-timers like Song Saleung [4], a recently refurbished and often heaving live music joint, and Shades of Retro [5] – a combo furniture-store café and hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd. Ekkamai’s main drag and side-streets are even better endowed party-wise. Curvaceous Curve [6] and glamorous Jet Metropolitan [7] are big, top-shelf joints offering the usual failsafe blend of live Thai music and DJ’s spinning R’n’B. As the scene stands both are big draws, though the crowds are so gleefully fickle that could change in a Bangkok minute.Track them to the cool club of the moment. Or try two that have achieved longevity: nightclub Nunglen [8] and 4 BTS Thong Lor scruffy little bar Happy Monday [9]. Pretty young Soi 55 (Thong lor) things bounce along to Thai 5 1 tunes in the former; while 2 3 media types (25+) hobnob while enjoying low-key indy6 8 rockstar DJ sessions (May T Soi 63 (Ekkamai) from Modern Dog etc) and 7 9 slouchy sofas in the latter.

nightlife

bangkok 101

ROYAL City Avenue (RCA)

road AL LO C

road

For a night of clubbing,Thai twenty-something style, jump in a taxi and say “RCA” to your driver. On arrival, follow the stream of high-heeled and well-coiffed onto Royal City Avenue: a flash, brash, neon-charged nightlife strip much cherished by the city’s dressed-to-kill urban youth. Boasting a slew of swish bars and sprawling split-room clubs – many elbow room only after 11pm – it offers the perfect adventure for indecisive club-goers. Go in and out as the mega-decibel music takes you (making sure to flash your ID card as you go), as most venues have no cover charge and flaunts a different genre of music. Hip-hop haven Slim [1] is never short on crowds gettin’ jiggy to Biggie, while other room, Slim Live, offers live music in a more sane setting, and glam alter-ego, Flix [2] bangs out bass-thumping trance and house. Next door, slick granddaddy Route 66 [3] seethes with spaghetti-strapped students and baseball-capped boppers, who flit between its three glam zones and outdoors chill-out zone. Despise radio rap? For edgier dance-music (and funkier Thai/farang crowds) hit 808 [4], a red-brick warehouse with a crisp sound system and sets by global DJ gods. And opposite sits Cosmic Cafe [5], where indie types catch up with pals and nod appreciatively to live bands. Few foreigners venture further, but they should: Old Leng [6] is a rickety wooden pub great for warm-up drinks; while music cave Overtone [7] hosts some of the best rock, reggae or blues nights in town. There’s also Zeta [8], a live-music bar with a girls-only policy. Seriously: no men, gay men, drag queens or peeping Tom’s allowed.

5 RCA road

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Sukhumvit Soi 11

On the global nightlife radar Bangkok now registers a strong, steady bleep. And this buzzing soi – with its cosmopolitan collective of hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs tucked off Sukhumvit Road – is one of the reasons. Go here tonight and you’ll rub shoulder straps with hedonist expats, slinky Singaporeans and the odd urbane local, among many other breeds of clubber. Would they all be here if it weren’t for Q Bar [1]? Unlikely.This beat lounge was the first to bring international design, DJs and drinks to the club scene – and, against the odds, 10 years later it still is. Just around the corner is the other Soi 11 superstar, Bed Supperclub [2]: a spaceship-like club-cum-restaurant that attracts a dressy international crowd every night. Many just rock up at one of these, ID card in hand, at around 11pm. Better, though, to make a night of it and start out early evening. Kick off with bargain al fresco beers at Cheap Charlies [3], a countrified bar only a tad bigger than a broom cupboard. Nest [4], a 1 breezy rooftop bar atop the sleek Le Fenix hotel, is a more upscale option 4 offering laid2 Bed Supperclub back, bird-nest seating and music that matches (think Sade’s Smooth Operator). Not quite the racy, subterranean 5 Bangkok you were after? Then sheepishly make your way 3 to the backend of the Ambassador Hotel’s basement carpark, where thumping after-hours nightclub Climax (5) lures in the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly till the wee hours. Soi 11

Q Bar

SUKHUMVIT road

bangkok 101

nightlife

Nightlife

featured

pub Balcony Humidor

Cigar Lounges

The Robin Hood

With a prime spot in the expat enclave around Phrom Phong BTS, it is no surprise that this pub has a loyal band of merry regulars. It keeps them happy by following an unfussy formula of affordable beers, dark wood décor and live sports on 12 screens. Split into two floors, the open-plan downstairs offers ‘faux Tudor’ patterned bench seats and heavy wood tables to sit and sup an imported beer whilst stills from various Robin Hood movies remind you where you are. Upstairs, the mezzanine has a more intimate lounge feel, with a pool table, comfy leather sofas and oak paneled walls. It’s a little clichéd, but it does enough to stand out from WHERE its rivals. For a start, the all day, every Sukhumvit Soi day 2 for 1 deal on spirits is not to 33/1 BTS Phrom be sniffed at and they also claim to Phong, 02-662-3390 serve the coldest beer in Bangkok. OPEN 10amWhile punters can often be found midnight cheering or seething at sports scores on the big screen, the pub mixes it up by throwing some jams in there with the jocks: regular live music is on offer a couple of nights a week. Opt for soul, pop and rock on Thursdays, or the bizarre, though entertaining, “human jukebox” on Fridays. Armed with just a keyboard, this one man karaoke kid claims to know over 1,000 songs. The international/Thai food is also worth a try, with weekly specials and classics like toad-in-the-hole and fish and chips.

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Cigar lounges are slowly catching on in Bangkok, with a handful of venues now providing outstanding facilities for lovers of quality coronas and fine figurados. As well as cigars from Cuba, Ecuador and beyond, the lounges typically feature luxurious leather sofas, rich wood accents, discreet staff and stellar selections of wine and single malt whisky. Some, like Club Perdomo, operate on a members-only basis, with membership granting access to their worldwide network of lounges. Others, like the Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar at the InterContinental hotel, are open to guests and the general public. The members-only Pacific Cigar Company opened its first lounge, La Casa del Habano, at The Oriental hotel in 1997, and now operates another four venues in Bangkok, as well as one in Pattaya. One of PCC’s more interesting venues is the P&L Club which incorporates a traditional barber shop and what is billed as Thailand’s largest collection of single barrel malt whiskies. n Balcony Humidor & P&L Club Cigar Bar Lobby level, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Road | 8am-1am | 02-656-0444 n Club Perdomo Bangkok 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 | www.clubperdomobangkok. com | 6pm-midnight n La Casa del Habano The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue | 02267-1596 | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm, Sun and public holidays: noon-6pm | www.pacificcigar.com n P&L Club GF Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 10am-11pm, Sun: noon-6pm | 02-685-3898

Club Perdomo

nightlife

bangkok 101

Pubs 101

Silom AREA PUBS

Hidden among the salacious delights of Silom Road, you will still find some of the “grand old men” of libation locales. O’Reilly’s [1] is a slightly dingy affair whose décor matches its demeanour – grizzled, but down-to-earth. Even so, it’s popular due to nightly drinks specials, live music, and an outdoor seating area to view the exotic sights of Silom. Just down the street is The Barbican [2] a multi-level contemporary concoction of granite and steel where the mixed crowd of expats and locals enjoy superior food and a wide choice of imported beers. Molly Malone’s [3] offers a real taste of Ireland. Drop in during their extended happy hour (5pm-9pm) for live music and multiple big screens for sport. Friendly staff and excellent food (especially their Sunday roast) means this place is always busy. Opposite the infamous Patpong stands The Duke of Wellington [4]. Its open plan layout makes it a bit sterile, but it does have good beer, a daily happy hour 4pm to 9pm and uninterrupted views of the four screens for sport. Jameson’s [5] sat under the Holiday Inn in the heart of the gem district is the newest kid on the block. It’s a cavernous place but still packs in the punters thanks to fantastic happy hours, including ladies’ night on Tuesdays featuring Margaritas for a ridiculously cheap B29 a glass.

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Sukhumvit AREA PUBS

bangkok 101

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Sukhumvit Road, a haven for expats, is jammed with joints catering to ale aficionados. Beside BTS Phrom Phong station, The Robin Hood [13] offers daily happy hour and drinks specials, as well as live music and sports. Even so, it can sometimes seem a little sedate. Down a nearby alley is The Bull’s Head [12], whose oak-panelled walls and low ceilings give off a cosy feel. It’s notable for a top jukebox and occasional comedy nights featuring international stand-ups. Sundays it’s “Toss the Boss”; call the flip of a coin right and the pub pays for the round. The Londoner [11] is a vast subterranean hideaway that brews its own real ale and lager, has good food and a regular house band. Opposite is the ever-popular Dubliner [10], a three-storey edifice. Though slightly pricy, the superb food (try the sausages), live music and Guinness pull in the punters. Just around the corner, behind the old Mambo Cabaret, Bourbon Street [9] backs up its Cajun/Creole dining with a well-stocked bar and good atmosphere. Up the road in the shadow of Asok BTS, is The Black Swan [8], a proper British booze abode. No bands. No happy hours. Just a snug escape offering a warm atmosphere and a wise-cracking landlord. Tucked down a dead-end street of Soi 11 is The Pickled Liver [7]. A shrine to soccer and suds, the décor is unfussy with a focus on big screen sports. But with friendly staff and daily happy hour it’s not just the sport that makes it worth a visit. Finally, Hanrahans [6] offers a genuine reason to be seen in Nana. Light and airy it ticks all the right boxes with regular music, special drinks deals and daily happy hour.

BTS Phrom Phong

nightlife

Shopping

shopper scene As clichés go, “shop till you drop” could have been written after a demanding spending spree in Bangkok’s sweltering heat. And while we’re dispensing mindless platitudes: there’s something for everyone in this town, however peculiar your peccadilloes may be. For locals, conspicuous consumption in one of the myriad swish mega-malls is the name of the face-gaining game, while foreigners often prefer to dig for buried treasure at the bustling street markets. Whatever your angle, stamina is a must, especially when it comes to pressing sticky flesh with the perspiring masses at the sweltering city-sized jumble sale that is Chatuchak Weekend Market. So brush up on your bargaining patter, arm yourself with Nancy Chandler’s invaluable shopping map - and prepare for sheer retail overload.

UNIQUE boutique

Sretsis Summer Collection

ocal sister fashion powerhouse Sretsis has over the past seven years carved out a sizeable niche for itself with it’s frilled up, feminine threads tailored with whimsy, imagination, skill and sass. And their new Spring/Summer 2010 collection looks likely to only raise their star further. As with all their collections, the appeal of “Make My Heart Melt” – which is inspired by Japanese manga artist Macoto Takahashi and his drawings of angelic young maidens and wideeyed princesses – is not just in its fairytale-like femininity, but also the cuts and detailing. Bows adorn pastel-toned high waist dresses, cheerful flower prints and lion, leopard and unicorn motifs liven up sheer elegant satins, etc. All of these 98

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getups look fantastic on the rack, but even more stunning when worn with a pair of their fancy, flower-pattern leggings. While girly overtones dominate, also worth mentioning are little glam peeks: heavy gold buttons and black fabrics, among others. Embroidered lace with silver and gold edges also lends a classic feel to the darker-toned threads. Perfect for that butter-wouldn’tmelt waif look, this adorable new collection is also complimented by a range of sunglasses, the result of a tie-up with French eyewear brand Thierry Lasry. WHERE Sretsis Boutique 2nd Floor, Gaysorn, Ploenchit Road | 02-656-1125 BTS Chidlom OPEN 10am-9pm bangkok 101

stuff Want to find the best deals in town? Read on and we’ll tell you where to go and what to buy. Not the global brands you can find anywhere, or the tat you will soon regret ever having wasted your money on, but the cool, home-grown “stuff” that Bangkok is justly famous for. Papercut & The Pencil Sharpener

Silk/apparel Thai silk only started getting international attention quite recently, but quickly became renowned for its thickness and lustrous sheen. Jim Thompson is the legendary American silk revivalist who – with the help of a small community of weavers – pioneered the modern industry. Since then the brand has branched out from ties and cushions into a fully-fledged fashion label that even dabbles in Zen furniture design, as you’ll see if you visit one of their many sleek stores. LP Silk and Shinawong are two exporting wholesalers who can be trusted to fix you up with the whole nine yards (or more). n Jim Thompson Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Jim Thompson House Museum; Surawong Rd | www.jimthompson.com n LP Thai Silk Silom Village Trade Centre, 286 Silom Road | 02-234-4448 | www.lpthaisilk.com n Shinawong No C500 , C501 Ayudthaya Soi 8 Suan Lum; No27, 6F MBK Centre| www.shinawong.com Handicrafts Beyond triangular pillows and woven shoulder bags, there are hordes of native trinkets up for grabs, with stiff competition keeping prices down.The main markets all bristle with goodies made from bamboo, coconut, rattan, wicker, wood and water hyacinth. As does Narayanaphand, an indoor bazaar offering ceramics, hand stitched fabrics and artisan goods; Silom bangkok 101

Village; and the 6th floor of mazy MBK. The monthly, OTOP-approved ThaiCraft Fair is a place to pick up that bulrush basket for less (while ensuring its maker also gets a fair price). For Celadon and Benjarong ceramics (a form of Thai porcelain originally made for royalty), try one of Siam Ceramic Handmade’s showrooms. n ThaiCraft Fair Third floor, Ambassador Hotel’s Tower Wing, Sukhumvit Rd Soi 11 | www.thaicraft.org n Narayanaphand InterContinental Hotel GF, 973 Ploenchit Road | BTS Chidlom | 02-656-0173-4 n Siam Ceramic Handmade Room 325-326, River City Shopping Complex F3; 202 Sukhumvit Soi 10 | www.thaibenjarong.com

Fashion Spotted the local trendies yet? Then you’ll be wondering where it is they get their cool indigenous fashions. Several malls and markets around town act as little fashion hatcheries, giving you the chance to snap up dazzling pieces by local up-and-comers. Section 3 of Chatuchak, for starters, is jammed with fecund fashions. Here, amidst piles of vintage and aisles packed with kids who know how it wear it, you’ll find next season’s trends. Suan Lum and Siam Square are also spotted with dainty designer boutiques; while youth-orientated shopping mall Siam Centre and Gaysorn offer homespun high fashions by labels like Jaspal and Greyhound.

Jewellery/gems Some of the world’s best lapidaries are based here, stocking cut and uncut domestic and regionallymined precious stones. The best local jewellers can also turn wondrous tricks with gold, silver and platinum. Assuming, that is, you can find them – the city is, sadly, alive with shysters out to lure you away from legit dealers and into an intricate gem scam. There are a few diamonds in the rough, though. Lambert Industries, with their friendly and reliable service, has been coming up with the goods for 35 years. n Lambert Industries (807-809 Silom Shanghai Bldg 4F, Silom Rd Soi 17, 02-236-4343).

OTOP: One Tambon One Product One of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s more laudable legacies is his instigation of OTOP, a government initiative that markets handicrafts made in one of Thailand’s 7,000 tambons (subdistricts). These quality gifts, snacks, handicrafts, toys, gems, textiles and jewellery, can be purchased at fairs at the city’s exhibition halls, Narayanaphand and the monthly ThaiCraft Fair. By choosing OTOP products you’ll be helping preserve local crafts and ensure that the villager who made them can earn a fair living.

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Shopping

Antiques Thai, Burmese and Cambodian antiques are among Asia’s finest – but all that glitters ain’t gold, so you’ll often be hard-pressed to find the real deal among the look-alikes. Unless, that is, you’re willing to shell out, in which case you’ll love the River City Complex, the sprawling, mother-of-allantique centres (p.102). Auctions are on the first Saturday of each month with viewings the preceding week. Alternatives include period antique centre OP Place (p.102); Amantee, a gorgeous Thai house offering Oriental and Tibetan antiques on Bangkok’s outskirts; and L’Arcadia. And who can say what treasures the dustier straits of Chatuchak and Chinatown hold in store for the determined? n Amantee 131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi, 10210 | 02-982-8694-5 | www.amantee.com n L’Arcadia 12/2 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 23 | 02-259-9595

Aromatherapy & Spa One of Bangkok’s more fitting titles is “Spa Capital of Asia”. The following slick local product lines should get you fragrant, gooey and purring with pleasure in next to no time. Panpuri offers Asian-inspired sensory purification – pricy but wonderful combinations of holistic spa-inspired treatments and products. Worldly mixtures for washing, moisturising, cleansing and relaxing can be found at Thann; while Karmakamet specialise in long-lasting lotions, gels, incense and candles that create the perfect bridge between scent and soul. Finally, Anyadharu offers health-imbuing natural oils, bath body gels and perfumes that are designed to give you much more than just a whiff of indulgence. n Anyadharu Chatuchak (Section 3); Isetan (MBK F4) | www.anyadharu.com n Karmakamet CentralWorld F2; Chatuchak Market, Section 2, Soi 3 | www.karmakamet.co.th n Panpuri

Shopping Tips

n Bargaining: This is a way of life when shopping on the streets in Bangkok. The key is not to act too interested. They know you can find it further down the street, and if they want to make the sale they’d better be prepared to drop their price. If they ask B500, offer B350. You might get it for B380-400. Don’t be shy: it’s expected. Most importantly when haggling over price: keep a smile on your face and a cool head.

n Counterfeit Stoners: Bounders running gem scams are ubiquitous on Bangkok’s streets. Beware anyone (tuk-tuk drivers especially) offering free rides to nearby “stockists” – they’re conmen on the make. The TAT provides quality assurance through the Jewel Fest Club; look for their ruby-ring logo on shop-fronts.

n Keep it Real: As elsewhere in Asia, counterfeit goods abound in Bangkok. From the latest DVDs to luxury brand clothes, watches, handbags and fragrances, it’s all here – at a fraction of the price. But, tempting though it may be, remember that the quality never matches the original and you’ll struggle to get refunds. Perhaps scarier, you risk getting busted at customs back home; and by purchasing fake goods you inadvertently sponsor organised crime. So, just keep it real. 100

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Duty Free – Duress Free Much more civilized than sprinting through the long corridors of Suvarnabhumi is a visit to King Power. At this glassy, space-port like complex on Soi Rang Nam (BTS Victory Monument, then catch a free tuk-tuk from Century Plaza), you can do your duty-free shopping at your own pace, days (instead of minutes) before your plane takes off. Peruse products such as cosmetics, clothes, computers and more – all at tax-free prices. Find what you want, order it and it will be waiting for you at the airport on your way out. Just be sure to bring your air ticket and passport. www.kingpower.com Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Central Chidlom F4; Gaysorn F7 | www.panpuri.com n ThanN Central Chidlom F4; Central Ladprao F5; Isetan Plaza (CentralWorld) F5; Siam Discovery Centre F5; Emporium F4 | www.thann.info n VAT: Look out for signs advertising “VAT Refund or Tourists”. At these places, they should have the paperwork (ask for a PP10 form) to enable you to claim back 7% on purchases when you leave the country on an international flight. The deal is you have to spend at least B2,000 at the same store on any given day, and you can only claim back on totals of B5,000 or over. It’s worth doing if you have a department store blitz, or fancy splashing out on electronics, jewellery or other expensive goods. Have your passpor t and tickets with you when you buy, and prepare to have your purchases, PP10 forms and receipts inspected when you claim back at the airpor t VAT refund counter. Be aware: if you are making big purchases and not paying VAT, you aren’t guaranteed quality products. For more info, check out www.rd.go.th

bangkok 101

TECH-FRIENDLY COOL: bangkok design Anurak Suchat of Aesthetic Studio

Brian Mertens

npretentiously cool products for the young urbanite: that’s the aesthetic of Anurak Suchat, who specialises in lighting, table-top wares, desk tools and similar functional accessories. Anurak is a gadget-lover whose products hint at technological inspiration, in materials ranging from laser-cut acrylic to anodized aluminum. Yet he transcends a flashy high-tech look by using friendly colours and shapes. Anurak started out as a landscape architect, but shifted to designing products for export after the Thai economy’s 1997 crash. The Chiang Mai native credits his landscape work with helping him think outside the box as a product designer. “It taught me to always consider the big picture because landscape design is the first stage in any architectural plan. When you have a plot of land, you have to analyse it, divide it up properly, plan infrastructure like roads, and have it all look beautiful as well. It combines function and aesthetics.” This profession also gave Anurak skills in using computer tools like CAD-CAM. When he shifted from landscape design to product design he utilised the same software and simply downshifted scale. His favourite design is his Connex wine rack, available in nine metallic colors. To come up with this idea, he surveyed the global design-scape and found that in the product category of wine racks there were only five or six strong offerings. Inspiration for his own rack came from some jigsaw puzzle toys he had bought in Hong Kong. He chose anodised extruded aluminum for its high strength, light weight, colour capability and recyclability. Precision was another consideration, since the rack units need to fit together snugly. ‘‘I don’t stick to any one material. I’m interested in form and function. If you have the right form, you can change the material to change the product’s feeling.” CONTACT n Aesthetic Studio Co. Ltd | 02-278-4244 | www.aesthetic-studio.com Bangkok Design:Thai Ideas in Textiles and Furniture is the first book to explore Asia’s new wave in design creativity. Award-winning author Brian Mertens profiles 36 of Thailand’s top designers, showing how they translate their own culture and experiences into unique furnishings that have won international awards and museum exhibitions. Typically handcrafted from natural materials, the best contemporary Thai designs celebrate wit, warmth, sustainability and alluring form. Bangkok Design – published by Marshall Cavendish – B1,200 - hardcover, written by Brian Mertens, with photos by Robert McLeod. bangkok 101

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101

Shopping

isitors to Bangkok will be amazed at how prevalent mall culture is in the weave of modern Thai society. Malls are not just places to shop for designer labels; there are restaurants, cinemas, bowling, aquariums and more! Bangkok’s retail mall epicentre is around the Siam and Chit Lom areas.

mall crawl MBK BTS National Stadium Perpetually packed shopper’s paradise; a mind-boggling, onestop bargain. Always busy, on weekends half of Bangkok’s teens converge here, hunting for the latest mobile phones and more.

SIAM DISCOVERY BTS Siam Light, pleasant and never too busy. Inside it’s international hip young brands (Diesel, Replay, Armani Exchange) and impressive interior stores (Loft and Mae Fah Luang).

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE

BTS National Stadium

MAJOR HOTELS 1 Pathumwan Princess 2 Novotel Siam 3 The Four Seasons 4 Grand Hyatt Erawan 5 Intercontinental 6 Holiday Inn 7 Conrad 8 Plaza Athenee 9 Royal Orchid Sheraton 10 The Oriental 11 The Peninsula 12 Shangri-La

SIAM CENTER BTS Siam The mall that started it all in 1973 hauls in trendy teens and young adults who shop for Euro-fashion and innovative local brands like Jaspal and Soda.

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CENTRALWORLD BTS Siam All hail Bangkok’s largest shopping mall, uniquely served by an elevated walkway connecting Siam Skytrain station to its Chit Lom counterpart.

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OP PLACE This fine objets d’art shopping plaza across from The Oriental Bangkok corresponds well to the classy hotel. 12

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C E N T R AL C H I T LOM BTS Chit Lom Seven floors of clothes, shoes and accessories from all the major labels, plus some eye-catching Thai designers. Food Loft is Bangkok’s deluxe food court.

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ALL SEASONS PLACE BTS Ploen Chit The sleek mall in a skyscraper complex is known more for its battery of eateries than its shops although the high-end retail range is impressive – art galleries, cigar shops, tailors and Euro-fashion.

GAYSORN BTS Chid Lom All-white interior of glitzy, top-class brands – expect Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy.

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EMPORIUM BTS Phrom Phong Ver y chic mall with the most amiable atmosphere, thanks to its airy architecture. Look for TCDC, the neat Thailand Creative Design Center.

RIVER CITY Four well laid-out floors of stores selling antiques, plus ethnic and tribal ar t from Southeast Asia, with a bit of the South Pacific, Indonesia, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan thrown in.

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ERAWAN BANGKOK BTS Chid Lom Posh boutique mall adjacent to the Erawan Shrine. Think Burberry. BTS Chitlom

PANTHIP PLAZA Bangkok’s one-stop shop for any and all computing needs: hardware, software and gadgets. It’s a loud, brash mecca for technogeeks.

SIAM PARAGON BTS Siam This gigantic shopping complex is legendary among Bangkok hi-sos. Home to Siam Ocean World aquarium, too.

ZEN BTS Siam This pop art-styled, multilevel designer department store aims to attire Bangkok’s young-at-heart funsters in the latest international fashions.

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SIAM SQUARE BTS Siam Bangkok’s heart for trendsetters, this maze of narrow streets has heaps of tiny boutiques carrying local up-and-comers, gastrogems and indie cinemas.

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bangkok 101

chatuchak weekend market

Forget designer malls. JJ weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere. The rest can get lost – literally.

JJ Gem

aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which zillions descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Chatuchak quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs during ‘Nam; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section supports the theory that JJ has somehow evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for peddling endangered species). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or, with many stalls opening for business on Friday, you can come for a leisurely browse before the real deluge hits - although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fullyblown, unadulterated fix.

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Soi 3, Section 26 | 02-272-5844 No need to traipse upcountry to get your mitts on lovely traditional-style northern textiles. The friendly owner of Roi, Khun Vasana Geb-Ngern, regularly heads up to Chiang Mai and the nothernmost border town of Mae Sai to buy stock off hill-tribes like the Naga – and she doesn’t ask silly prices either. She has a good eye too – naturally dyed cotton skirts, trousers, shoulder clothes, table runners and bags with a durable feel and traditional weave patterns fill her big, nook-filled shop to bursting. Tucked away in a wood cabinet at one end are also some one-off, finely embroidered old cotton and silk pieces. Give it a look – buy here and you’ll be helping preserve dying craft skills, as well as support the ethnic minorities who earn a living off them. 14. Clothing, miscellaneous 15. Pets and accessories 16. Clothing, miscellaneous 17. Ceramics 18. Clothing, miscellaneous 19. Ceramics 20. Clothing, miscellaneous 21. Clothing, miscellaneous 22. Home utensils and décor, furniture 23. Clothing, miscellaneous 24. Home utensils and décor, furniture 25. Home utensils and décor, furniture 26. Antiques

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1. Books, antiques, collectibles, food & drink 2. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 3. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 4. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 5. Second-hand clothing 6. Second-hand clothing 7. Art, food & drink 8. Handicraft, home décor and miscellaneous 9. Pets and accessories 10. Clothing, accessories, miscellaneous 11. Pets and accessories 12. Clothing, miscellaneous 13. Pets and accessories

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markets

NAKHORN KASEM Known locally as the “thieves market”, this smallish street-side market in Chinatown offers a curious blend of second-hand goods, the odd antique, and a seemingly random assortment of household appliances. As its nickname would suggest, ample bargains await patient, eagleeyed shoppers - though don’t expect a receipt, let alone a refund.

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Ratchada Night Market Fri-Sat Nights (busiest on Saturday) | parallel with RatchadapisekLadprao intersection | MRT Ratchadapisek or Ladphrao Vendors at this nighttime (and teen-thronged) flea market flog all sorts of retro and secondhand stuff, from art deco lamps and ghetto blasters to Polaroids and vintage clothing. Somewhat like a country fair, it’s open-air and most wares are laid out on the ground, so expect to squat a lot. Besides the used items, lots of handmade products, such as paintings and women’s accessories, also squeeze into this small-city sized market; as does a live band, lots of local food and a mini motor show of classic cars and bikes (nope, those VW vans and pastel-coloured Vespas aren’t for sale unfortunately). So worth the schlep, but bring a torch and your bargaining skills!

PAK KHLONG TALAD (Flower Market) Wake up and smell the roses, as next to Saphan Phut (Memorial Bridge) lies Bangkok’s main flower market, a 24-hour hive of floral activity bristling with blooms carted in from around the country. Horticulturalists and those with a well developed olfactory sense will enjoy strolling around these fragrant surrounds.

ปากคลองตลาด

THEWET Not far north from the flower market is the riverside plant market. The street is lined with small shops selling a wide selection of tropical potted flora. It’s easiest and most scenic to access Thewet by river taxi, thus evoking the waterborne glories of the days when Bangkok was hailed as “Venice of the East”.

SUAN LUM NIGHT BAZAAR (map C4) The official (read: tourist authorityrecommended) civic night bazaar is far more manageable than JJ - and mercifully less sweaty and intimidating. In fact, as Bangkok markets go, this amiable though sanitised effort probably ranks as the most consistently civilised – and its lively food court and expansive German beer garden offer extra incentive to linger. Bear in mind, however, that the market is mainly geared to separate tourists from dollars, with the standardised mix of crafts, textiles and knick-knacks offered at inflated prices. Don’t take that as reason not to come, because wandering round “Suan Lum” makes for a pleasant early evening stroll, before moving on to the nearby entertainment zones. In fact, endeavour to visit while you can: Lumpini Night Market’s days are numbered, after the powers-thatbe auctioned off its multifarious charms to make space for yet another redundant addition to the city’s obsessive collection of modern shopping malls.

สวนลุมไนท์บาร์ซาร์

Thewet

เทเวศน์

ตลาดนัดกลางคืนถนนรัชดา

104

shopping

bangkok 101

sidewalks

Sidewalks are where it’s at for cheap presents to take back home. Oddities unfound in other lands, funny T-shirts, wooden carvings, paintings and much more crowd the side streets of the city. Most of the stuff on offer can be picked up in the malls and markets – but where’s the fun in that? And why pay more? Bargain! Khao San Road Along every budget traveller’s favourite sidewalk, stallholders do a sterling trade in “novelty” T-shirts and cigarette papers, not to mention phoney degree certificates, driving licenses and press passes. And yes, if you must, you can still get your tie-dye and fisherman’s pants, your hair dreadlocked, or eat B20 noodles from a polystyrene plate. However, these days post-millennial Khao San has been gentrified into somewhere bearing scant resemblance to its humble past as a tropical haven for wandering hippies. And you’ll find no better proof than night times here, when whole mounds, suitcases and racks of young-at-heart stuff (frayed t-shirts, handbags, polka dot dresses etc) are dragged down and splayed on the street for sale by the city’s babyfaced entrepreneurs.

ถ.ข้าวสาร

Silom Road/Patpong Both sides of Silom Road, just off Sala Daeng BTS station, offer day and night time shopping, but it really gets going between 6pm and 2am, when stalls set up here and along the notorious strip of sleazy gogo bars known as Patpong. This is a bizarre but uniquely ripe set-up that sees vendors plying busy nightly trade on the doorsteps of the bars concurrently plying an open trade in flesh; and young families rubbing shoulders with a motley crew of pimps, johns and scantily clad strippers. Among the illicit booty of pirated DVDs and designer knockoffs, the market actually does offer some decent local crafts, t-shirts and souvenirs – although, with prices naturally tilted towards the tourist end of the scale, robust bargaining skills are essential here.

สีลม/พัฒน์พงษ์

bangkok 101

Silom Village

Sukhumvit Road The choices start around Soi 4 near BTS Nana station, on both sides of the major thoroughfare, and stretch nearly to Soi 20. In amidst the streetfood shacks and fortune tellers, you’ll find its mostly bogus tat all the way – polyester football shirts, DVDs, blown-up prints of long-tail boats moored on idyllic southern beaches. Although, right past Soi 6 is a group of deaf merchants who are always eager to find you something nice to remember beloved Thailand by. Velvet oil painting anyone?

Spreading out from the base of the looming Baiyoke Sky Hotel, it attracts a multinational mix of fasttalking traders, all on the make, and continues around the intense indoor fashion market, Platinum Fashion Mall, where everything is available at discounted rates for bulk orders. Buy three or more and save yourself anywhere from B150-300 per item.

ประตูนำ้

ถ.สุขมุ วิท

Pratunam A ten-minute walk from CentralWorld, this sidewalk is famed for its bulk clothing deals. Loaded with knock-offs, and crowded with tourists shopping for all things casual, you’ll find textiles, fabrics, fancy dress (Catwoman mask ensemble anyone?) and great jeans at affordable prices (never pay more than B600!). shopping

Sukhumvit

105

Accommodation

boutique bangkok

In each new issue Bangkok 101 brings you the best of Bangkok’s new breed. Each month we uncover those quirky, elegant, or downright luxurious lodgings that fit under the trendy boutique hotel banner.

THE OLD CHARM

Where 334 Soi Thammasaroj, Phayathai Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400 | 080598-4366 | www.theoldcharm.blogspot.com BTS Ratchathewi Price B600 dorm /B1,100 By The Pond Rooms/B1,500 Buddha Rooms 106

Hidden amidst looming towerblocks, past a twisting art-nouveau metal gate, in a leafy compound fringed with pink frangipani and towering banana-tree fronds, sits this drop-dead guesthouse. It has a lot going for it, especially if, like us, you go gooey at the sight of elegant old-world buildings. Inside, varnished parquet floors wind through lime green corridors, up fretted wood staircases and past louvered shutters, antique cabinets and a bust of the royal doctor it was built for over a century ago. There are elegant dorms and two boudoir-like bedrooms inside the house, two outhouses containing five rooms outside it. The latter are the most popular, with their 180 degree views of a pond where dragonflies buzz around giant Victoria lilies as fish flash in the murk – a pretty, introspective remove from Bangkok. Of these, the three ‘By the Pond’ rooms are quite small, with shared toilets and showers a few steps away.The two bigger ‘Buddha Suites’ have private bathrooms and a rattan swing chair perfect for reading in parked outside. No TVs throughout, but free wi-fi there is. Though a bugger to find at first, the location is splendid, especially if you’re into shopping; Siam Square is but a 10 minute walk, over Hua Chang bridge, away. Even closer is the Jim Thompson House (p.) and, closer still, the skytrain and pier for Klong Saen Saeb canal’s long-tail taxis – the quickest, cheapest and most fun way to get to the old city. Unfortunately, even bubbly manageress Minnie and her endearingly earnest young staff admit there’s a negative undermining all these positives – noise. While the sounds of squawking birds, humming insects and boats splashing down the nearby canal give it a serenely un-Bangkok feel during the day, the Old Charm sounds like a hangout for teenagers at night. Which is exactly what it is: a restaurant in an old glasshouse in the centre of the compound blasts loud Thai indie music for the pleasure of its cool uni student clientele. As do two even noisier restaurants on the same soi. Much as we’re in love with the place – the fact that a chunk of the income goes to a foundation supporting young Thai doctors, the fun blog, that gorgeous pond, etc – this anti-social, potential deal-breaker of a setup means that as it stands,The Old Charm isn’t quite the charmer it could and should be. That said if you’re a late or heavy sleeper, this is the most beautiful historical hostel in town.

accommodation

bangkok 101

“You don’t stay here... you live here”

1 Sathorn Soi 3, South Sathorn Road, Thungmahamek, Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand 10120 Tel : (66) 2 343 6789 Fax : (66) 2 343 6790 visit www.marriott.com/bkkea

60 Soi Langsuan, Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok, 10330 Thailand Tel: (66) 2 6721234 Fax: (66) 2 6721235 Visit www.marriott.com/bkker

H e a l t h & We l l n e s s

body & beauty

angkok offers more places to indulge in massage than any other city on earth. A great Thai massage can cost just B100 per hour, while posher spas can easily cost 10 times that. Like any place else, spa value can be gauged by the quality of the therapists, oils, atmosphere and so on. In each issue we introduce several local spas in different price categories to help you find the best rub-down for your baht (see p.109 for this month’s listings) – no need to break the bank to get a good treatment. Reservations are always recommended.

Thai-massage

What could be more quintessentially Thai than the world-renowned practice of traditional Thai-style massage? Known in Thailand as nuad pan boran – literally ‘ancient style massage’ – Thais have been practising this time-honoured, therapeutic custom for over 2,500 years, dating back to the life of Buddha. Traditional Thai massage is performed without oil, with people typically wearing light-weight, loose-fitting pyjamas. By way of acupressure points that stimulate muscles and nerves, and assisted yogic stretching, skilled Thai massage practitioners employ their hands, elbows, knees, as well as their own body weight, to apply various degrees of pressure and mobilisation to different parts of the body. This ancient form of healing can do wonders for all of the body’s organic systems by helping to align and balance the energies of the body. By enhancing blood circulation, Thai massage can help to break down and release toxins trapped in the body, in turn strengthening the immune system. Though Thai massage can at moments be a bit painful, the after-effect is not one of fatigue, but calm. Common remarks are of relief to aching muscles, an increase in flexibility and higher general energy levels. Others report better sleep, a decrease in stress and an overall boost, both on a physical and emotional, as well as a spiritual level.

signature treatment

Sarada Package

Situated beside the Amari Watergate’s 8th floor swimming pool, the little known Sivara sports a fetching grey palette and six private rooms including two suites for couples. As all good spas should, besides clinical efficiency and a warm welcome Sivara offers an extensive menu comprising Thai and oil massages, body polishes and wraps, facials, water treatments etc. We plumped for a twohour Sarada package, an oil massage and facial treatment combo that kicks off with your choice of massage. We sprang for the ‘body balancing’: a deep tissue rub focusing on pressure points, with strong strokes helping release built up tension in those achy muscles. It was as good as we’ve encountered within the world of massage, our immaculately attired therapist’s nimble hands making easy work of the task at hand. After this she delivered a deep cleansing facial for oily skin that beamed us to Dreamland – a cleansing with a honey scrub, a gentle massaging with a cooling Where Sivara Spa, Amari Watergate yoghurt concoction, and the final step, a green clay mask. We left in a gorgeous Bangkok Hotel 847 Petchaburi Road, daze – with a soft, luminous complexion and blissed-out body. It’s worth noting 02-653-9000, www.amari.lcom BTS that for only slightly more wedge you can also enjoy aroma milky baths or Ratchathewi Open 10am – 10pm tropical floral baths or other decadent add-ons. Price B 3,500 รร.อมารี ประตูน้ำ 108

health & wellness

bangkok 101

typical SPA cost range

BA-YA HEALTH AND SPA (map E4) 23 Sukhumvit Soi 87|BTS On Nut l 02-311-4772 | www.bayaspa.com| 10am-10pm | $$$ Lying a bit beyond the usual tourist track, Ba-Ya spa is popular with native Thais and Asian tourists, who like the affordable prices and down-to-earth spa menu. The spa is set in a cute house, giving it an cozy, comfortable feel. Spa offerings are well-priced and avoid gimmicks, and are focused more on massages and other kinds of bodywork rather than high-frill aesthetic services. Massages are fairly standard – therapists follow the usual circuit quite well, but don’t seek out and destroy problem areas the way a true tailor-made rubdown might encourage. Service is also a bit on the sweet but informal side – the front may not have change, but they’ll run and get it for you. A potential choice for those staying on the outskirts of the city, perhaps, or those wanting a spa experience at a more affordable price. Those seeking intensive, individualized work or luxe touches may want to explore elsewhere.

บาหยาเฮลท์แอนด์สปา สุขุมวิท 87

$ under B600 $$ B600 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000-2,000 $$$$ B2,000+ Credit cards accepted unless otherwise noted

RUEN MAI SPA (off map) 467 Phaholyothin 54/4 | 02-993-7887 | Mon-Fri 10:30am-8:30pm & Sat-Sun 10:30am-8:30pm | $$$ If you can manage to find this unassuming, two-room spa tucked away on a busy sidestreet past Don Muang airport, expect an abundance of personal attention and a genuinely knowledgeable coterie of staff trained just next door. Frequented mostly by locals in the area, this three-year-old spa boasts an extensive selection of treatments including ear candling (B500-1100), which therapists say can fix a range of problems from sinus troubles to eye bags. Instead of the health questionnaire favoured by the spas housed in chi-chi Bangkok hotels, well-trained staff members suss out individual kinks via a 10-minute “warm-up” before unknotting tired muscles with expert fingers. Make sure to book on weekends, when the tiny space is filled to bursting with stress-addled customers.

spas ROYAL NATURAL SPA (map C4) 878 Rama 4 Rd | MRT Silom, MRT Sam Yan, BTS Sala Daeng | 02-6371032-3 | www.royalnaturalspa.com | 10am-10pm | $$$ Hmm…opulent or over the top? Royal Natural Spa takes its moniker seriously, which results in Thai décor with an ornate, “royal European” touch – brocade, jacquard, chandeliers, you name it. The spa is expansive, with huge, luxurious rooms -- once you start steaming away in your own gilded birdcage of a shower-sauna, you may decide…opulent, indeed. Services make good use of the natural part of the name, drawing on Thai herbs and fruits – you may get scrubbed down with plai, lemongrass, and ginger, and then basted with a tamarind paste. Packages are creative, well-conceived and change on a monthly basis, so there’s always something new for the spa fanatic. Therapists are expertly thorough and communicate clearly, ensuring that the whole experience is luxurious and polished without being snobbish in the least. Royal and natural – why aren’t more spas like this?

รอยัลเนเชอรัลสปา ถ.พระราม4

เรือนไม้สปา พหลโยธิน 54/4

bangkok 101

health & wellness

109

H e a l t h & We l l n e s s

wellness centres YOGA & PILATES The Pilates Studio (map C3) 888/58-9 Mahatun Plaza | Phloen Chit Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-6507797 | www.pilatesbangkok.com Bangkok’s first dedicated Pilates studio also offers pre- and postnatal breathing classes, vinyasa yoga, and gyrotonic expansion in well-lit, airy studios. First-timer sessions (Wed & Sun, B400) include mats and towels. Check the website for schedules. พิลาธีสสตูดิโอ มหาทุนพลาซ่า เพลินจิต Yoga Elements (map C3) 29 Vanissa Bldg, Soi Chit Lom | BTS Chit Lom | 02-655-5671 | www.yogaelements.com | 7am-9pm (Mon-Fri), 9am-6pm (Sat-Sun) Bangkok’s first vinyasa / ashtanga yoga studio specialises in dynamic yoga techniques. The large practice studios are bright, quiet and ideal for small classes. Learning methods include four levels, so absolute beginners will feel at ease with popping ’round for an “Elements” class of the foundational techniques of breathing and body opening postures. Single classes are B500; you can simply drop by (check their website for schedules). โยคะ เอเลเม้นท์ 29 อาคารวานิสสา ซอยชิดลม (หลังเซ็นทรัลชิดลม)

Urban lifestyle taking its toll? Fear not for there are plenty of wellness centres around ready to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Lock it all out and feel free to throw away the key to the rest of the world as these holistic havens will pamper you to the edges of hedonistic bliss. Tria Integrative Wellness (map D3) 998 Rimklongsamsen Rd, Bangkapi | 02660-2600 | www.triaintegrativewellness. com | 7am-10pm Embrace your wellness at this urban retreat. With state-of-the-art equipment coupled with expert specialists, Tria is ready to carry out its philosophy of caring for what it believes to be the three most crucial health components – the elemental, structural and emotional states. These three elements, when integrated will provide complete harmony and true wellness for you.

ศูนย์สขุ ภาพองค์รวม TRIA (ตรัยยา) ถ.ริมคลองสามเสน (หลังโรงพยาบาลปิยะเวท)

Hydrohealth (map C3) 494 Erawan Bangkok, 4th Fl, Phloen Chit Rd l BTS Chit Lom | 02- 250-7800 | www.hydrohealth.co.th | 10am-8pm The first hydrotherapy colonic centre in Thailand has some of the most innovative equipment around. The colonic procedure not only rids you of all the unwanted toxins in your intestine but has shown it can improve overall health and other conditions such as allergies and skin problems. The centre also has massage packages and infrared sauna, along with organic food and supplements available.

Tria

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ไฮโดรเฮลท์ เอราวัณแบงคอก ถ.เพลินจิต

S Medical Spa (map C3) 2/2 Phakdi Building,Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-253-1010 | www.smedspa.com | 10am-10pm The world of science and art collide ensuring you get a fully-fledged treatment as eastern traditions are combined with western technology to lift you up physically and mentally. The highly qualified staff consists of certified health & wellness

physicians, psychiatrists, dermatologists, gynaecologists and many other -gists ensuring you the most skilled and efficient service available.

เอสเมดิคัลสปา อาคารภักดี ถ.วิทยุ

Rasayana Retreat (map D4) 57 Soi Prom-mitr, Sukhumvit 39 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-4803-5 | www.rasayanaretreat.com | 9am-8pm Specialists in deep cleansing programmes and hydrotherapy colonics that leave you refreshed and reborn and also a little bit lighter. Also the Raw Food café at Rasayana is definitely worth stopping by as they promote raw fresh foods using organic fruits and vegetables to help your body stay as clean as possible.

รัสยานา รีทรีทต์ ซ. พร้อมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 39

Amruth Wellness Center (mapE4) Sukhumvit 55,Thong Lo Soi 8 | BTS Thong Lo | 02-715-9440 | 7am - 10:30pm Get treated for everything from sexual dysfunction to back problems at this fully-fledged Ayurvedic medical centre – Bangkok’s first. Every patient at this leafy garden townhouse gets a consultation with Keralan Doctor Baspin K., whether you’re in for a drop-in, dropout treatment, a yoga sesh or to embark on a life-changing panchakarma package. Stocked with medicines imported from the Subcontinent, holistic highlights include a hanging massage and the head oil-dribbling odyssey that is a shiro dhara.

อมฤต ศูนย์สขุ ภาพต้นตำรับอายุรเวท ศาสตร์ ทองหล่อ ซ.8

BANGKOK MEDIPLEX (map E4) 2/70 Sukhumvit 42, Phrakanong | BTS Ekkamai | 02-713-5555 | www.bangkokmediplex.com | 9am – 8pm Visible from the Ekkamai Skytrain Station, this gleaming steel and glass fronted lifestyle mall comprises 35 leading healthcare centres and trendy medi-lifestyle stores. There’s a clinic offering live cell therapy (a treatment to repair weak cells), a traditional Chinese medicine centre, a chiropractic centre, top notch eye-care and Thailand’s first organic supermarket. Ample parking.

แบงคอก เมดิเพลกซ์ สุขมุ วิท 42

bangkok 101

edical tourism is huge business in Thailand; a billion dollar industry. In 2007, Bangkok’s Bumrungrad Hospital alone reckoned to have treated over 400,000 patients from nearly 200 countries. And while Bumrungrad may be the market leader, there are plenty of others – such as Samitivej, BNH Hospital and Bangkok Hospital – who are increasingly courting international trade. The price is right Reasons for the popularity of travelling to Thailand for medical attention are manifold, but essentially come down to price. Healthcare in your own country may be prohibitively expensive, or maybe your insurance does not cover a procedure you need. Or maybe you’ve decided that for the same price as an operation in your home town you could fly to exotic Thailand, have the operation then recover on a warm beach with a mango shake in one hand and a paperback in the other. When you consider that procedures like heart bypass surgery in the USA can cost anywhere in the region of $70,000, while in Thailand it’s be more like $15,000, the numbers start to make sense. Especially when you consider your doctor here is likely to be foreign trained anyway. And it’s not just major surgery that provides the draw. Cosmetic surgery such as breast enhancement and liposuction is readily available at attractive prices, as is dental work and Lasik eye surgery. In fact, you can grab a Botox shot while you cruise the Bangkok malls. Four star treatment Some of the hospitals here have to be seen to be believed. When you walk into Samitivej Hospital, for example, the lush décor, cute cafes and chic boutiques give it an almost resort atmosphere. And back at Bumrungrad, once you’ve been met at the airport, sped through customs and situated in your private room, they have their own immigration department and

bangkok 101

a team of translators to take all the hassle out of your trip. You have to do your homework, though. Is the hospital you’re considering properly accredited? What are your doctor’s actual qualifications? Will you really be ready to go scuba diving only three days after a back operation? How soon after your operation is it safe to fly long-haul? And what happens if complications arise when you’re back home in Tulsa? These are all the kind of questions you should think about and take advice on before committing to treatment.

FEATURED medical treatment

medical tourism Recommended hospitals n Bumrungrad International

33 Sukhumvit 3 (Soi Nana Nua) | 02667-1000 | www.bumrungrad.com n Samitivej Sukhumvit 133 Sukhumvit 39 | 02-711-8000 | www.samitivejhospitals.com n BNH Hospital 9/1 Convent Road | 02-686-2700 | www.bnhhospital.com n Bangkok Hospital 2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchburi Road | 02-310-3000 | www.bangkokhospital.com

Brace Yourself!

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles, so where better to perfect yours than right here in Bangkok? Tourists may be surprised to see a more-than average number of people with braces in every possible colour. It’s practically a fashion statement here. Children are still the primary patients for this treatment, but now more and more adults are getting dental braces because they are unhappy with their oral appearance or they are already experiencing dental health problems. There are many reasons for wanting a more gorgeous grin. In a culture that puts a premium on beauty and outward appearance, an errant snaggletooth may even lead to workplace discrimination. Even if you come from a far less beauty-conscious culture, challenged chompers can be hard on your selfimage. Getting them in alignment may prove a great confidence-booster. And in many cases, it may serve to promote better dental health overall. Dental braces are used to straighten crooked teeth, align upper and lower jaws, improve the aesthetics of smiles, and relieve pressure on joints in the mandible.The outstanding expertise available and cost of Thailand’s dental clinics has made Bangkok a prime destination for anyone wanting to perfect their pearly whites.

Asavanant Dental Clinic

Places to go in Bangkok Prices vary from clinic to clinic, but as an average guideline, B70,000 will crank up the torque factor on the upper and lower sets. n Silom Dental Clinic | 02-636-9092, 02-636-9093 | www.silomdental.com n Bangkok Dental Clinic | 02-718-2342~4 | www.bangkokdentalhospital.com n Asavanant Dental Clinic | 02-381-8011, 02-391-1842 | www.asavanant.com health & wellness

111

Sports

sports MASTER MUAY THAI! Many a champ started out punching mitts at one of Bangkok’s many muay Thai schools. Some are livein training camps, others geared towards drop-in sessions, but all will train you up and teach you how to deflect – and deliver – the basic moves, be it kick, jab, elbow, foot thrust or standing grapple. Beginners and female pugilists are welcome, though they often receive inordinate attention from the coming-of-age combatants. n Chacrit Muay Thai School Washington Square next to Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-260-5816 www.chacritmuaythaischool.com n Fairtex Muaythai RCA 149 3rd Fl. RCA Driving Range, Local Rd. | 02-203-1443 | www.muaythaifairtex.com n The International Muay Thai School 22/8 Moo 8, Soi 10, Pracharaj Sai1 Road, Bangsue | 02-585-6807 www.geocities.com/maimuangkorn/ eng_mai.htm n Muay Thai Institute 336/932 Prahonyothin 118 Vipravadee Road, Rangsit | 02-9920096-99 | www.muaythai-institute.net n Muaythai Sasiprapa 401 Soi Ladprao 130 Klongchan, Bangkapi | 02-378-0270 | www.muaythaisasiprapa.com

Muay Thai Institute

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THAI BOXING venueS Lumphini Boxing Stadium Rama IV Rd, next to Suan Lum Night Bazaar | MRT Lumphini | 02-251-4303, 02-252-8765 | Fights Tue & Fri from 6:30pm10:30pm, Sat 5pm-8pm, 8:30pmmidnight | B1,000 B1,500 B2,000) สนามมวยลุมพินี ถ.พระราม 4

ติดกับสวนลุมไนท์ บาซ่าร์

Fairtex

MUAY THAI (Thai Boxing) Thai boxing, or muay Thai, is very popular in Bangkok with most major bouts held at either the Lumphini or Ratchadamnoen stadium. This brutal but graceful martial art has been practised in Thailand for centuries. Past kings are reported to have been champion fighters and one, King Naresuan, introduced the sport as part of military training in the 16th century. Due to the high incidence of deaths during combat, the sport was banned in the 1920s but reintroduced soon after under the more safetyconscious Queensbury rules. Bouts consist of three five minute rounds during which the fighters use every part of the body (except the head) to bludgeon the opponent into defeat. Before the bout begins, a graceful and mesmerising ritual dance named ram muay is performed by both fighters to placate the spirits and show respect to the art and its teachers. Bouts are extremely boisterous, noisy affairs and should be witnessed for the spectacle alone. Be warned though, this isn’t the WWF, the blows are hard hitting, the blood real. spor ts

Ratchadamnoen Stadium Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue | 02-281-4205, 02-280-1684-6 | Fights Mon, Wed, Thu 6:30pm11pm, Sun 5pm-8pm, 8:30pmmidnight | B1,000 B1,500 B2,000

เวทีมวยราชดำเนิน ถ.ราชดำเนิน

TAKRAW (Kick Volleyball) Go to Lumphini Park (see p.37) on any given day and watch sweaty Thais combine the skills of volleyball, football and gymnastics. As many as two dozen men pair off to leap and dive through the air with one objective in mind: without using their hands, keep a rattan ball from hitting the ground on their net side. The diverse mix of players – tuk-tuk drivers, security guards and students – says much about the widespread Thai love of takraw, the most beautiful Asian game. Played since the 11th century, it has spread throughout the region, but nowhere is it played with as much relish as here, where it fills stadiums.The sport’s killer move, the somersault scissor kick, can send the ball hurtling back over the net at amazing speeds. Watch in awe. bangkok 101

Spiceroads

Active Sports AEROBICS It might be hard to imagine, but every day, busy Bangkokians find the time for some energising aerobics – out in the open. Many practise graceful, meditative t’ai chi moves just after sunrise. And head to any park in the city around 5-6pm and you’ll spot large groups of office workers, kids and the elderly doing a hi-energy, Jane Fonda style workout in synch with blaring pop-techno songs and an enthusiastic coach clad in spandex. The best places for the free classes are the centrally located Lumphini Park and the smaller Benjasiri Park (next to The Emporium, Sukhumvit Rd, BTS Phrom Phong). Others, a bit off the beaten path, include Rommaninat Park (Siriphong Rd, near the Giant Swing), Saranrom Park (Thaiwang Rd) near the Grand Palace and Santiphap Park (Soi Rangnam). Never mind the possibility of fainting – simply join in! BOWLING Bowling is a favourite pastime among Thais. Most shopping malls have topof- the-line tenpin alleys on-site and many of these teeter dangerously close to being a nightclub with full bars and closing times after midnight. During after-hours, bowling alleys often have a DJ blasting thumping tunes, and they’ll often kill the lights and flood the halls with black light for a particularly psychedelic experience. Great spots to get your bowl on include trendy Blu-O at Siam Paragon and Esplanade, which also has platinum rooms for rent for your own private area and lane for your party. Also worth mentioning is the Major Bowl atop posh J-Avenue in Thong Lor, and also SF Strike Bowl in good ol’ MBK.

CYCLING SpiceRoads 14/1-B Soi Promsi 2 | Sukhumvit 39 | 02-712-5305, 089- 895-5680 | www. spiceroads.com This company has been organising bicycle tours in Southeast Asia for over 12 years, and it offers extraordinary day tours in the outskirts of Bangkok. The daytrips take you to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Koh Kred, around Bangkok’s old city, Chinatown or along atmospheric canals through Bang Krachao, an unspoilt rural peninsula just across the river. They usually start early in the day (pick-up from your hotel is included). The rides, organised throughout the week, are demanding but fun. Groups are held small (two to 16 participants), but private tailormade itineraries are also possible, even for seriously adrenalineparched mountain bikers who are up for a technical 30km nailbiter. SpiceRoads also offers two-and three-day trips around Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya and in the Mae Khlong Delta south of Bangkok; it also organises much longer trips in Thailand and its neighbours. ICE SKATING SUB-ZERO ICE SKATE CLUB (map D2) Ratchadaphisek Rd, Esplanade 4F | MRT Thailand Cultural Centre | 02354-2134 This isn’t a boring sterile rink, more

bangkok 101

spor ts

like a nightclub on ice. Popular among youngsters, its 682m2 of fluorescent ice lights up at night when Sub Zero morphs into an “Ice Bar” with DJs and strobe lights blasting the floor. For the novice, there are pros on hand with lessons ranging from speed skating, figure skating, ice skating and even hockey. Lessons are B900-2,400 and the complex has a fully stocked pro shop if you want brand new blades of glory. Even if you just want to have a look there are bars ringside, and of course they are made of ice! And this is Thailand so of course there’s karaoke on-site. TENNIS Lumphini Park Youth Centre (map C4) Soi Klang Racquet Club Sukhumvit Soi 49-9 (map E4) National Stadium Rama I Rd (map C3) Smash it down the line as tennis has become one of the most popular sports in all of Thailand, with local ace Paradorn Srichaphan bearing much of the responsibility for inducing hordes of Thais to pick up the racquet and start practising their serves. Many of the leading hotels offer an in-house court for you but if you’d like to get out among the people, there are quite a few public courts around town that you can use for free or for a small fee. Also towards the end of their respective seasons Bangkok hosts two tournaments, the ATP’s Thailand Open and the WTA’s Bangkok Open. 113

Courses&Ser vices

courses

apron, knives and wok, each student works at a personal cooking station in a spacious kitchen after short, informative demonstrations. Lunch consists of your own cooking plus additional dishes. No reason to limit yourself to just tom yam goong and phad thai – each session includes four innovative dishes; the selection changes daily. Perfect for tourists on a short Bangkok stint. บลู เอเลแฟนท์ ถ. สาทรใต้

Baipai

COOKING CLASSES BAIPAI COOKING SCHOOL (map C4) 150/12 Soi Naksuwan, Nonsee Road, Chong Nonsi | 02-294-9029 | www.baipai.com No sitting back and just watching at this leafy two-storey townhouse. Shortly after being picked up from your hotel, passed an apron and given a brief demonstration of how to cook four dishes it’s over to you. Fortunately the breezy open-plan workshop, individual cooking stations and pre-prepped ingredients mean cooking here is no chore. Plus the staff are smiley and professional, as they answer your questions (“But what if I can’t find kaffir lime leaves?” etc) and ensure you don’t singe your spring rolls. Later you get to feast on the fruits of your labour – so do your research on the seven set menus if you’re allergic to tom yum. Some takehome recipes and a souvenir fridge magnet featuring a snap of you in action completes the four-hour morning or afternoon experience; one so palatable and productive and, gasp, fun that many come back for seconds.

รร.สอนทำอาหารไทยใบพาย ถ.นนทรี

BLUE ELEPHANT (map B4) Thai Chine Building, 233 South Sathorn Rd | 02-673-9353 | www.blueelephant. com | from B2,800 The class offered at this classy restaurant is very hands-on and easy to follow. The morning class is preferable since it starts with a visit to the Bang Rak market with the chef, where you’re shown the ingredients you’ll use later. Equipped with 114

(รถไฟฟ้าสุรศักดิ์)

THAI MASSAGE CLASSES WAT PO THAI TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL (map A3) 2 Sanamchai Rd | 02-622-3551, 02622-3533 | www.watpomassage.com | daily 8am – 5pm | B8,500/30hrs Any good spa therapist will have undergone their training in traditional Thai massage at this temple school. Constructed in a concealed building away from the tourist-infested but peaceful Wat Po temple grounds, the instruction area is more functional than stylish, but the efficient course run by competent instructors more than makes up for the missing luxury. Thai massage, an ancient form of healing, uses pressure application on the various body meridians. Your costudents will mainly be Thai and Japanese, along with the odd Westerner. The 30hour course can be completed in five, six or ten days; a foot reflexology course and other instruction are available too. The tired tourist can also get Bangkok’s best Thai massage in fan-cooled, opensided salas for just B360/hour.

โรงเรียนแพทย์แผนโบราณ วัดพระเชตุพน ถ. สนามชัย

CHIVA-SOM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY (map E4) Modern Town Bldg, 87/104 Ekamai Rd, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | BTS Ekkamai | 02711-5270-3 | www.chivasomacademy. com | from B9,000 Asia’s premier training centre for spa and holistic therapies offers intensive courses covering all aspects of spa-ing, from anatomy and Thai massage to stress management. Held in peaceful surroundings and conducted by skilled cour ses & ser vices

Wat Po

international instructors, half the time is spent on theory and practice, the other half is filled with case studies. The academy takes its instruction seriously; students receive internationally accepted accreditation on completion of courses. The high but justified prices range from B9,000 (two-day reiki course) to B59,000 (spa development course). Most courses are too long for a usual holiday (two to four weeks), but there are one-week courses available in reflexology and shiatsu. ชีวาศรม อินเตอร์เนชันแนล อะคาเดมี

โมเดิร์นทาวน์ 87/104 ถ.สุขุมวิท 63

MEDITATION CLASSES INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST MEDITATION CENTRE (map A3) Wat Mahathat, Na Phra Lan Rd | 02-2226011 | www.mcu.ac.th/mcu/eng | free This is the most traditional, noncommercial meditation class, based on Vipassana (‘insight’) mindfulness. For Buddhists, meditation is essential to cleanse the mind and accomplish clarity and inner peace. Close to Sanam Luang, the atmospheric temple complex is the teaching centre of Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of Thailand’s highest seats of Buddhist learning. Daily classes conducted in English (1pm-4pm, 6pm-8pm, 7pm-10pm) are mixed; you’ll find monks, locals and tourists here. Participants can stay on the compound in simple, quiet rooms; complimentary meals are provided. Bring offerings of flowers, a candle and nine incense sticks for the opening ceremony. Donations are accepted. Retreats of three or more days are available as well. Perfect for a serious, but short stint into Buddhist meditation.

สำนักกองกลางวิปัสนา วัดมหาธาตุ ถ. หน้าพระลาน

bangkok 101

Want to shore up your karma reserves? Even if you’re only visiting Thailand for a short time, there are plenty of worthwhile causes that rely on public support for their services. In each issue of Bangkok 101, we highlight the work of a local charitable organisation, along with details on how you can help.

making merit

“The only thing that is worse than being blind is having sight but no vision” said Helen Keller, the deaf blind advocate for people with disabilities back in the early 1900s. Taking these words as her inspiration, and her own experiences as a visually impaired person as the spark, Prae Sunantarak set up local volunteer outfit the Little Light Project back in September 2005. Its aim: to help open the young, shy children at the Bangkok School for the Blind, near Victory Monument, up to the world through a series of fun, volunteer-led group activities. Children at these monthly meets are divided into groups of 4 or 5, with native Thai or English volunteers on hand to guide them through each activity. These activities range from getting the kids to identify ‘what’s in the basket?’ using taste, touch, scent or sound, to

LITTLE LIGHT PROJECT practicing conversational English and Braille. The latter is especially important, Prae says, because it “opens them up to a world of learning materials that’s much more extensive than the Thai one.” Aside from these skills the kids also gain something that Prae knows all too well is often lacking in the visually impaired – confidence. “I was diagnosed with the eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa when I was young,” she says, “and have learned through my own experience

that losing sight is hard but losing hope and confidence is even harder.” She adds that the kids are “inspired by our visits that blindness does not have to stop them from developing concepts, getting an education, being independent and most importantly of all – being happy!” Not that it’s a one way street – volunteers leave with a better awareness of how the blind perceive things around them, not to mention humbled. If you would like to assist Prae in her efforts to educate and embolden Bangkok’s visually impaired youth, please contact her via the channels listed below. Visits to the Bangkok School for the Blind usually take place on the third or fourth Saturday of each month from 8:30am11:30am, though she tells us that weekly visits may be on the cards in the near future. Contact: n Prae Sunantaraks praetoday@gmail.com n Little Light Project Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ group.php?gid=6682068019

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Business

business In Bangkok on business? Rest assured it brings a lot to the table. Convention centres, ritzy hotels, world-class wine-and-dine spots... it’s little wonder it’s a regional hub for MICE (Meetings and Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), especially when you factor in the myriad down-time attractions. We dig up all the basics so that you don’t have to. Business Travellers Top on the list after you’ve touched down is, of course, a hotel.There are lots to choose from, in every location, but those that tick every business-traveller box include The Conrad, Sofitel Silom, Westin Grande and Sheraton Grande. Bangkok’s traffic has a justifiably miserable reputation, but having a car at your disposal can be handy. Try Limousine Thailand (www. limousinethailand.com). And if your hotel room isn’t cutting it as a makeshift office, then contact temporary office providers Regus (www.regus.co.th) or Servcorp (www.servcorp.net).

There’s rarely a quiet moment on the local trade fair scene. For a rundown, see www.thaitradefair.com. Or perhaps you’re considering staging your company’s big meet or team get-away here? If so, talk to the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (www.tceb.or.th). They say it’s who you know – not what you know. To get your face out there, join one of the networking events hosted by Bangkok Young Professionals (www.mobyelite.com/byp) or others. If you’re short on business cards – and you will be after a night at the aforementioned – try one of the many one-stopshops at MBK shopping mall. It’s also worth reading up on Thailand’s face-saving and, often quirky, business culture.Try Working with the Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy (White Lotus, B495). Finally, note that any foreigner working, or doing business here, must have a non-immigrant B visa and a work permit. If your company hasn’t arranged both, go to www.immigration.go.th and find out what you need. Or contact a business solutions provider like Sunbelt Asia – they’ll do all the paperwork so that you don’t have to. Starting Up Frequently voted one of the world’s best cities, it’s no surprise that so many look to set up shop in Bangkok. However, bear in mind that although Thailand opened it doors wide to foreign investment after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, it can still be a tricky place to establish a business. The best advice is to find local experts to help you clear the regulatory hurdles. Business solutions provider Sunbelt Asia (www.sunbeltasia.com) offers everything from upfront legal advice to business brokerage and serviced offices. Similarly, Bangkok Base (www.bangkokbase.com) is a 360° provider of business support. Chambers of commerce can also offer advice and assistance in finding partners. There are also a few books on the market. One of the best is Philip Wylie’s How to Establish a Successful Business in Thailand. In it you will find the essentials on the minutiae of business in Thailand, from negotiating baffling bureaucracy and legal peculiarities to cultural codes and social etiquette.

Business spotlight

Somerset Sukhumvit Thonglor

Sporting a desirable location on upscale Thonglor Road, this snazzy new serviced residence consists of 262 sleek, roomy studios and one- and two-bedrooms pads (40-85m²). Apart from their fresh modern feel, muted grey palettes and bounteous mod-cons (fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, iPod dock, DVD player, HiFi, internet etc), perhaps the best thing about them is location. Thonglor, with its WHERE 115 Sukhumvit 55 well-heeled community of expat and Thai movers (Thong Lor) BTS Thong Lor, and shakers, is something of a “Gourmet Mile,” with 02-365-7999, 02-344 2500 or many of the city’s swankiest restaurants strewn along 1800 888 272 (Thailand tollit. And there’s good Skytrain station access, especially free), www.somerset.com as a complimentary tuk-tuk is on hand to ferry you PRICE B2,400++ studio deluxe to it. Back inside, a panoply of slick leisure facilities await: an outdoor pool, children playroom, fitness centre, sauna and steam room. A range of business services, including a boardroom and meeting room for rent by the hour, and some very attractive promotional rates (B2,400++ per night/B50,000++ per month etc) round off this seriously well-endowed new property.

โซเมอร์เซ็ททองหล่อ ซ.ทองหล่อ

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Reference

survival thai Numbers 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 20 21 22 30 40 100 101 110 200 1,000 1,100 5,000 10,000 15,000 50,000 100,000 1,000,000

˘ soon nèung ˘ song ˘ saam sèe hâa hòk jèt pàet kâo sìp sìp èt ˘ sìp song yêe sìp yêe sìp èt ˘ yêe sìp song ˘ saam sìp sèe sìp (nèung) rói (nèung) rói èt (nèung) rói sìp ˘ rói song (nèung) phan (nèung) phan nèung rói hâa phan (nèung) meùun nèung meùun hâa phan hâa meùun ˘ (nèung) saen (nèung) láan

Basics yes no I you

châi / khráp / khâ mâi châi ˘ / (di)chán phom khun

Communication I don’t understand I can’t speak Thai never mind possible / impossible

mâi khâo jai phôot thai mâi dâi mâi pen rai dâi / mâi dâi

lthough it is not really necessary to learn Thai for a short stay in Thailand, as most Thais who deal with tourists speak some English, you will have an undoubtedly more enjoyable experience if you make the effort to remember a few words. Basic Thai grammar is considerably simpler than the grammar in western languages. Sentences are reduced to the basic subject-verb-object format (no tenses, plurals, genders or subject-verb agreement). The main difficulty comes from the fact that Thai is a tonal language, meaning that words can have different meanings depending on how they are pronounced. Five tones are used: low tone ( ` ), middle tone (unmarked), high tone ( ´ ), falling tone ( ˆ ) and rising tone ( ˇ ).

Did you know? khráp and khâ You should end your sentences with khráp if you are a man and khâ if you are a woman: this is the polite way of addressing people in Thailand. Both words are also used to say “yes”.

Thai script Thai script was introduced during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng in 1283, and has hardly changed since then. Like English, the Thai language has an alphabet and is written from left to right. The main difference is that there are no spaces between words, no punctuation and no capital letters. Moreover, the Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 32 vowels.

Greetings and civilities

Adjectives and adverbs

hello / hi / goodbye how are you? I’m fine and you? pardon? sorry / excuse me thank you (very much)

beautiful big / small expensive good here/there hot / cold a little a lot / much / very

118

sa-wàt dee sa-bai dee réu sa-bai dee láew khun lâ arai ná ˘ thôt kho khòp khun (mâak)

reference

˘ suay yài / lék paeng dee têe nêe/ têe nân rón / yen nîtnòi mâak

Transportation canal street, lane pier road temple

khlong soi thâa ˘ (th) thanon wát

to... please pai... mái > the ... hotel > rong raem ... ˘ > the airport > sa-naam bin ˘ > the train station > sa-taa-nee rót fai > the bus station > bo ko˘ so˘ ˘ ˘ > the police station > sa- taa-nee tumruat > this address > têe yòo née ˘ ... > the ... restaurant > ráan aahaan use the meter turn left / right go straight on stop here please

chái mée-têr ˘ lée-ow sáay/ khwaa trong pai jòt têe nêe

Shopping how much is it? an-née thâo rài that’s (a bit) too expensive paeng pai

Food rice fried rice water tea coffee spicy is it very spicy? not spicy without chilli delicious

khâo khâo pàd náam plào chaa kafae phèt phèt mâak mái mâi phèt mâi sài prik arròy

Questions where? when? what? which? (thing) where is / are...? how much / many?

˘ têe nai mêua-rài ˘ arai ˘ an-nai ... yòo têe nai thâo rài

bangkok 101

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Metropolitan Mobile Police 191 Crime 195 Traffic Control Centre 197 Fire 199 Tourist Assistance Centre 02-281-5051 Tourist Police 1155 Highway Police 1193 Medical Emergency 1669 LOST CREDIT CARD CALL CENTRES American Express 02-273-5544 (8am8pm) / 02-273-5522 (after 8pm) MasterCard 02-260-8572 Visa 02-273-1199 or 02-273-7449 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Bangkok Hospital 02-310-3000 BNH Hospital 02-686-2700 Bumrungrad Hospital 02-667-1000 Samitivej Hospital 02-711-8000 St. Louis Hospital 02-675-5000 Thai Nakarin Hospital 02-361-2727 Dental Hospital 02-260-5000/15 TELEPHONE SERVICES Bangkok Directory Inquiries 1133 Domestic Long Distance 101 International Long Distance 100 Overseas Subscribers Call 001 TOURISM OFFICES TAT Call Centre 1672 (8am-8pm) TAT Tourist Information 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Rd; 02-282- 9773, 02-2505500 | daily 8:30am- 4:30pm Tourism Authority of Thailand 1600 New Phetchaburi Rd | 02- 250-5500 | www.tat.or.th; www. tourismthailand.org Bangkok Tourism Division 171/1 Phra Athit Rd | 02-225-7612/4 | www. bangkoktourist.com IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT 507 Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Rd | 02-287-3101 | Mon-Fri 8am- 4pm EMBASSIES Australia 37 South Sathorn Rd | 02344-6300 | www.austembassy.or.th Canada Abdulrahim Place 15F, 990 Rama IV Rd | 02-636-0540 | www.bangkokinternational.gc.ca bangkok 101

Cambodia 185 Ratchadamri Rd | 02957-5851-2 | RECBKK@hotmail.com China 57 Ratchadaphisek Rd, Din Daeng | 02-245-7043/4 | www.chinaembassy.or.th India 46 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 23 | 02258- 0300/5 | www.indianembassy. gov.in/bangkok Indonesia 600-602 Phetchaburi Rd | 02-252-3135/40 Japan 177 Wireless Rd | 02-696-3000, 02-207-8500 | www.th.emb-japan.go.jp Laos 520, 502/1-3 Wang Thonglang Rd | 02-539-6667 | www.bkklaoembassy.com Malaysia 33-35 South Sathorn Rd | 026296800 | ww.kin.gov.my/perwakilan/ bangkok Myanmar 132 North Sathorn Rd | 02233-2237, 02-234-4698, 02-234-4789 | mebkk@asianet.co.th New Zealand M Thai Tower, 14F All Seasons Place, 87 Witthayu Rd | 02-254-2530 | www.nzembassy.com Philippines 760 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-259-0139/40 | www.philembassybangkok.net Singapore 129 South Sathorn Rd | 02-286-2111 United Kingdom 1031 Witthayu Rd | 02-305-8333 | www.ukinthailand. fco.gov.uk U.S.A. 120-122 Witthayu Rd | 02205-4000; www.usa.or.th/embassy Vietnam 83/1 Witthayu Rd | 02-251-5836 TRANSPORT PLANE Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport Call Centre 02-132-1888 Bangkok Airways 02-265-5555 | www.bangkokair.com Air Asia Suvarnabhumi International Airport A1-062 FG, Concourse A | 02-5159999 | www.airasia.com Thai Airways Int’l Suvarnabhumi International Airport F4, Row F | 02-356-1111 | www.thaiair.com TRAIN State Railway | www.railway.co.th Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) Rama IV Rd | Call Centre 1690 reference

contacts

Train

SKYTRAIN/SUBWAY BTS Skytrain Call Centre 02-612-2444 | www.bts.co.th MRT Subway Call Centre 02-354-2000 BUS Call Centre 02-576-5599 Northern & Northeastern Bus Terminal Phahonyothin Rd, Mor Chit Southern Bus Terminal Boromrat Chonnani Rd Sai Tai Eastern Bus Terminal Sukhumvit Rd (Ekkamai)

Surfing BKK There’s a million websites out there, all desperate for a good quick click – but these are the only ones we would take home to meet our mum. n www.1stopbangkok.com Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. n www.thaivisa.com General, boring, immigration type stuff and an entertaining messageboard. n www.bangkokartmap.com Find out where the pretty pictures and free wine’s at. n www.paknamweb.com Blogs, blogs and more blogs. Everything from the Thai lottery to sizzling streetfood. n www.movieseer.com Popcorn? Check. Emergency sweater? Check. Showtimes? Check here! 119

Reference

getting around

angkok’s heaving traffic is legendary, presenting a constant challenge for residents and visitors to the city. River and canal boats, along with the BTS skytrain and MRT subway systems, offer some reliable alternatives to getting jammed on the road. Nonetheless, traffic remains horrendous, particularly mid-week. Below is a layman’s guide to inner-city transport options.

also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th

ROAD TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B35 (for the first 2kms) and the fare climbs in B2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the metre on. No tipping is required, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B5 or B10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to/from the airport, the passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the public taxi queue outside the terminal, a B50 surcharge is added to the metered fare. TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. They are popular amongst tourists and can be fun for short trips around town. A 10-minute ride should cost around B40, but always bargain before boarding. Beware: if a tuk-tuk driver offers to deliver you anywhere in town for as low as B10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. It would be wise to decline any such offers. MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle 120

taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups by department stores, at the end of long sois or by tourist spots. As with tuk-tuks, fares definitely have to be negotiated beforehand. BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B5 and B7.50-23 Pink-white mini-buses are a little more expensive (B25 per person) but seats are guaranteed. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops). RAIL SKYTRAIN The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B15 to B40; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) is available. BTS reference

SUBWAY Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5-7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom/BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit/BTS Asok and MRT Chatuchak Park/BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from B15 to B39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th RIVER (also see River Tourism on p.24) EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers. Fares range from B9 to B32 depending on the distance. Tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30am and 6pm. Cross-river services operate throughout the day at each pier for the modest sum of B3. CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Banglamphu across the city to Ramkhamhaeng University. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B8 to B18. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find. bangkok 101