Bangkok 101 - November 2008 by Talisman Media

bangkok 101

november 2008 100 baht

Riverside and B eyond

Photograph by Dominic Sansoni

t h r o u gr hi v et hr sei deey easn do f bheiyso kn idn g d o m

1 on 1: NOPPADOL BAHOLYODHIN Now in Bangkok: LOY KRATHONG Very Thai: FORTUNE TELLERS Day Trip: LOPBURI The Natural Guide: SUKHOTHAI Upcountry Escape: TAK Over the Border: PENANG

november 2008

Making Merit: SCAD

HISTORY & CULTURE ■ SIGHTSEEING & EXCURSIONS ■ DINING & NIGHTLIFE SHOPPING ■ SPAS ■ LISTINGS ■ EVENTS CALENDAR ■ CITY MAPS & MORE

publisher’s

letter

november 2008

Welcome to Bangkok 101! If this, our third anniversary issue, doesn’t float your boat we don’t know what will. Water is a running theme this month, kicking off with a photo feature by Dominic Sansoni, a Sri Lanka-based photographer who, for the Thailand: 9 days in the Kingdom shoot, spent his days cruising the Chao Phraya River. We’ve also added a Riverside itinerary to our Route 101 section. If you’ve ever wondered how you go about using public transport on the city’s oldest and most atmospheric thoroughfare, or what lies beyond those wormhole-like piers, see p.24. Now is the time to be down by the water, after all: November sees one of Thailand’s biggest celebrations, Loy Krathong, the festival of water and light. On the night of the full moon in the twelfth lunar month, Thais across the country set adrift candlelit krathongs (floats) on waterways in an act that’s both cathartic and, for the soppier among us, romantic. So, peppered throughout this issue are suggestions on where you can join in setting afloat a krathong of your own, not only in Bangkok (p.15), but also in the ancient capital Sukothai (p.44), where this festival is thought to have originated; as well as upcountry in Tak (p.42) and other provinces (p.41). This beguiling event is a time for washing away bad luck. Should you want to make sure yours bobs off into oblivion, perhaps you should consider checking your astral account by visiting a Thai fortune teller, or mor duu? See this month’s Very Thai excerpt, on p.21, for more. In other news, the sticky heat has yet to subside, but Thailand’s cooler season is (fingers crossed) just around the corner. While not quite winter as most foreigners know it – the rain disappears, the mercury drops a smidgen, beer gardens bustle – the cool season is certainly the right time to get out there and explore the city. rs 101 cate For pointers, go glean a few tips from our 1 on 1 interview with Bangkok n what they , d se ia b a un international Zen design hero Noppadol Baholyodhin (p.12),, a man ent and r more th er Independ rs who yearn fo s. It brings togeth , lle who knows style when he spots it. And don’t forget to consult k e o ters v o a ri b tr e w , y id v ts u v n g side ted to sa Now in Bangkok (p.14) – there’s buckets of invigorating activities of city re rs. The result eighty, da find in w tive Who’s Who to ta n e m m travel rita co to refresh the senses this month, not least concerts by local an autho ers and cultural monthly f o d ri b y h h p off the t ra n d indie heroes Modern Dog, Welsh angst rockers Manic Street photog intellige u on an pact and ine that takes yo employs the m o c Preachers and Antipodean pop princess, Kylie. You may just find a is gaz 01 d city ma track. Bangkok 1 no smut and no us, celebrating our third birthday, at one of them! guide an urist o fluff, ht.

What i1s01? Bangkok

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher & Editorial Director

to n ug well-worn al standards, with nt cannot be bo , ri te rs o n e it o d d c a e l our re ditoria highest ls. Our e tain the focus on a ri to r e v ad ain to ensure rously m We rigo nd our mission is ity as much a c t a y this gre they enjo love living in it. as we

contributors Dominic Sansoni

Dominic Sansoni lives and works in Sri Lanka. What he likes doing best is travelling around the world with no agenda. In addition to an extensive portfolio on Sri Lanka, where he has photographed the many years of conflict, Sansoni’s collection includes photos of India, Maldives, Thailand, Yemen, Cambodia, Nepal and Singapore. Much of this is available on the Sri-Lanka based photo library he co-runs: www.threeblindmen. com.

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 Cornwel-Smith

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’s just finished writing the travel guide Bangkok Step by Step, to be published in 2009 by Insight Guides.

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 & Editorial Director Mason Florence Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jesda M.Tivayanond Managing Editor Max Crosbie-Jones Associate Editor Mike Atkins Design Director Yuthtaya Sangnak Art Director Narong Srisaiya Editorial Assistants Piyakwan Mettaprasert Tippicha Chumsaeng 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, Frances Doherty 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 Marketing Vareeporn Arunsuratpakdee Account Executives Jhone El’Mamuwaldi Suwadee Mankij Administrative Assistant Peeraya Nuchkuar Circulation Jaruwan Janvisitsak Adul Waengmol 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 2008. 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

november 2008

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10 12 14 16 18 19 20 21

101 picks 1 on 1 now in bangkok events calendar history religion customs very thai: fortune teller

arts 46 47 48 56 57 58 59

contemporary art galleries photo feature performing arts cultural centres cinema reading & screening

sightseeing

22 24 26 28 30 32 33 34 36 37 38 40 41 42 44 45

route101: rattanakosin route101: riverside route101: sukhumvit route101: pathumwan route101: silom historic building palaces temples musuem the great outdoors day tripping featured day trip: lopburi upcountry festivals featured escape: tak the natural guide: sukhothai over the border: penang

44 45

40 On the cover: an ornately painted wooden sculpture of Hanuman, the Monkey God from Thai mythology, sits astride the bow of one of the Royal Barges. photo by: Dominic Sansoni

table of

contents

november 2008

sports

shopping 98 100 102 104

courses & services

accommodation

106 one room & boutique hotel

health & wellness

food & drinks 60 62 63 64 65 68 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

114 spectator sports 115 active sports

stuff shopping tours mall crawl markets

108 110 112 113

dining in bangkok thai cuisine thai sweets street eats thai restaurants chic bangkok river dining cruises dim-sum brunching tea late dining sweet treats all you can eat wine

116 cooking, meditation & thai massage courses 117 making merit: SCAD 118 survival thai 119 contacts 120 getting around

reference

body & beauty spas medical tourism wellness centres

106

nightlife 82 84 86 87 88 90 92 93 94 96

110

one night in bangkok nightclubs hotel nightclubs latin rhythms bars bars with a view hotel jazz clubs rca live music pub crawling

79 96

117

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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 It’s a sweaty affair, but a market must on weekends – ogle stuff you didn’t even know was for sale (p.104)

■ Making Merit Donate food to monks, release birds, or light incense sticks at a temple – and pray for good karma (p.117)

■ Beautiful Brunches What else are Sundays for? Indulge at any five-star hotel. Smaller places are great, too (p. 75)

■ Dusit District Filled with lovely airy boulevards, a big zoo & Vimanmek Mansion’s gorgeous greenery (p.33)

■ Bars & Clubs Get in amongst Bangkok’s legendar y nightlife (pp.82-96)

■ Suan Lum Night Bazaar Downtown mini-Chatuchak, just cleaner, hipper, open daily & less hot (p.104)

■ Thai Massage Passive torture or sheer bliss, you gotta try it once (p.108)

■ Food Courts Thai food 101, the safe (and air-conditioned) way (p.64)

■ On the River Take an express boat up to Nonthaburi, rent a long-tail boat or do a dinner cruise (p.24)

■ Suan Lum Night Bazaar Munich’s Oktoberfest goes Thai and throws in some major shopping (p.104)

■ MBK & Siam Square Cell phone heaven meets nifty young Thai designers (p.100)

■ Thai Cooking Classes Your culinary chance to advance on the phad thai cliché (p.116)

■ Dining Cruises The setting won’t get any better; also available for lunch (p.73)

■ Cycling Tour Discover the green amid Bangkok’s chaos, and you might consider moving here (p.115)

■ Shows Traditional Thai dance or tranny cabaret – it’s up to you (p.85)

■ Patpong A bustling street bazaar incongruously sandwiched between neon-lit gogo bars (p.104)

■ Thai Boxing The brutal, quintessentially Thai form of kickboxing (p.114)

■ Meal Deals Fancy a cheap gourmet chow-down? (p.61)

■ Ancient City Rent a bike and see all of Thailand in half a day in smog-free surroundings (p.38)

■ High Attitude Bars Shell out for the great views and cool breezes (p.90)

■ Panthip Plaza Get lost in a mega-mall paradise for computer junkies! (p.102)

■ TCDC Cool, creative learning space for Thai designers (p.57)

■ Street Food We dare you! Timid souls opt for fantastic, fresh fruit (p.64)

■ Lumphini Park The Central Park of the tropics (p.37)

■ Dining Cruises Slothful full-board sightseeing (p.73)

■ River City Antiques galore – expect top quality, not bargain basement (p.102)

■ Jim Thompson House & Silk Shop Commune with one of Bangkok’s favourite spooks (p.98)

■ Affordable Gourmet Eat topnotch French, Italian and more for the price of a N.Y. martini (p.70)

■ Flower Market Close your eyes and inhale deeply (p.105)

■ Carnivalesque Par ty with the backpacker crowd on Khao San Rd or Thai hipsters on RCA (pp.88; 93)

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bangkok 101

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1 on 1 Noppadol Baholyodhin has made it in every sense of the word. Not only is he creative director for silk revivalists Jim Thompson, he’s also used his spare, subtly Asian style to fashion everything from hip London restaurants to Japanese boutiques and minimal Zen furniture. After giving a lecture at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC), we plied him with coffee and sat him down in the library for a quick 1-on-1 brainstorming.

What advice would you give to designers starting out in Thailand? The most important thing is to have your own identity that sets you apart from someone else, that means clients can connect with you. What’s unique about Thai design? Thai people are gentle, soft, warm and sensuous – these traits sum up Thai design more than any tangible style or look. Do you keep your eye on the Thai design scene? I’m having a break at the moment, living in a lonely little coconut farm where nothing much happens except sunrise and sunset. But, I do know

NOPPADOL BAHOLYODHIN that Thailand is happening design wise. There are so many hip new hotels and restaurants opening everywhere.

temperature. He does everything with a full, Zen master knowledge and has years of experience.

Examples? That little hotel The Eugenia in Sukhumvit; and the Rachamankha Hotel in Chiang Mai is a lovely spiritual place.

If you could redesign Bangkok how would you do it? Make it more pedestrianised. Do that and there would be more community and the city would be more alive, as opposed to everyone just stepping out of a car or train and into an airconditioned bubble.

Where do you go in Bangkok? I love Chinatown – it’s mad, it’s hot, it’s hectic. Late at night it has to be Soi 38 noodles, opposite Thong lo. You designer friends are coming to Bangkok. Where do you take them? I bring all my friends here (looks around the TCDC). I’m really proud of this place. It’s truly impressive on a scale that I haven’t scene in other design capitals. Where do you like to eat out? None of my favourites are design or fusion restaurants. The pizza at La Villa, just off Thong Lo, is great. And at the corner of Silom and Convent Road late at night, there’s a chubby guy who sells barbeque moo ping (grilled pork). This guy is what good, honest, simple design is all about! He knows his pork, his sauce, his coal

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Which buildings in Bangkok pique your interest? [pauses]… There’s no one building I would go point out to somebody and say “Hey, look at this”, but I do love the hidden, shaded old wooden houses. Where are the good places to buy furniture in Bangkok? Chatuchak Weekend Market or Suan Lum Night Bazaar. There’s an emotional element to buying furniture; and going into a department store with a sales person who’s not clued up about what they’re selling is not the same as going to Chatuchak and talking to an independent designer who has made this lovely little piece which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. bangkok 101

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now in bangkok

FILM

Howard Richardson

FOOD POP

She’s a gay icon, the patron saint of singing soap stars, and had a show of her hotpants at London’s V&A Museum. It can only be Kylie. Catch her catalogue of hits and songs from her last album, X, on November 23 at Impact Arena (02-504-5050). Tickets are B1,200-B9,500 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

Grape lovers can fill up on a fivecourse Lynch-Bages Wine Dinner at Reﬂexions on November 11. Chateau Lynch-Bages – one of the celebrated Bordeaux Grands Crus – is owned by JM Cazes, and the other wines at the dinner are the JM Cazes Selection, culled from his various French properties. Reﬂexions chef Thibault Chiumenti does a fine job pairing dishes at these events. Price B4,200++, For reservations call the Plaza Athénée hotel (02-650-8800).

ROCK

UK rockers the Manic Street Preachers will headline Bangkok 100 Rock by 100 Pipers, a two-day music festival at the Military Camp, Viphavadi Rangsit Road, on November 29 and 30. As well as a mix of genres, from EMO to punk metal, by many of Thailand’s best artists and acts from Europe and the US, there’s an indie stage for tyro bands to strut their stuff. Stars of Day One are Hoobastank, As I Lay Dying, and Melee, all from the US, plus Thailand’s Ebola and Silly Fools. The Preachers close day two, following Ash (UK), Penny Century (Sweden) and local heroes like Modern Dog, Apartment Khunpa and Futon, a Thai-UK outfi t featuring ex Suede drummer Simon Gilbert. Tickets (call 02-833-5555) are B800/one day, B1,400/two. Get the full line up at www.bangkok100rock.com.

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The 17th European Union Film Festival runs from November 27December 7 at SF World, in Bangkok, before moving to Vista Kad Suan Kaew, Chiang Mai, from December 11-20. Among the highlights of the 17 movies on show should be The Edge of Heaven (Germany, 2007), which was Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Film, and Control (UK, 2007), the biopic of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis and winner of Best British Independent Film. All screenings are in their original language with English subtitles. For more information call 02-305-2600, ext 2646.

JAZZ & BLUES

There’s very hot jazz at the Living Room, with sax player Ernie Watts in town from November 18-29. This guy has gigged with the likes of Buddy Rich and Pat Metheny and recorded with Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock and Frank Zappa. He shows blistering chops on standards like Wayne Shorter’s Pinocchio, while his own compositions include the lyrical Spirit Song, on which he plays a home-made “spirit ﬂute”. His annual Bangkok appearances drive an already stomping house trio to their best performances of the year. For full details call the Sheraton Grande hotel (02-649-8000). On the blues front, you can check out some of Bangkok’s finest bands and also do some good for the world by heading down to Music 4 Kids on November 7, 8 and 9 at Tokyo Joe’s Bar and Restaurant (02-259-6268). The musos play free and all door proceeds go to children affected by HIV/ AIDS, cared for by the Mercy Centre in Klong Toey, one of the city’s poorest areas.

bangkok 101

FOOD&DRINKS

FESTIVALS

November 12 is Loi Krathong, one of Thailand’s most beautiful festivals, in which people throughout the country ﬂoat candles in banana leaf boats on virtually any available body of water. It’s held on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month each year to welcome the end of the rainy season and to pay respects to the water spirits. Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River will be awash with bobbing lights, many launched from hotel piers. There’s a variation on the theme in northern provinces, where tubular lanterns are released like hot air balloons to drift into the night sky.

ART

The new Bangkok Arts & Culture Gallery continues its first major show, Traces of Siamese Smile, until November 26. Included in 300plus pieces by some of Thailand’s most celebrated artists are works of traditional religious art, through the abstract sculpture of modern master Montien Boonma, to wallsized paintings of social commentary by Pratuang Emjaroen. A smattering of international items includes a giant spider of creepy elegance constructed by Louise Bourgeois. Free entry. bangkok 101

RED SKY

Red Sky – the latest of Bangkok’s growing clutch of al fresco rooftop restaurants – opened last month sporting a marketing tag of “chic urban bistro”. It’s 55 floors high, bang in the centre of the downtown shopping district, and has a menu that favours hearty steaks over chefly emulsions and foams. The décor is minimal – who needs it with this view? – with wooden deck flooring and seating arranged on two short wings radiating from a loungey cocktail area. Inside is a wine bar, with extra dining space for when it rains and a pianist-singer crooning Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. The food is founded on quality imported products like whole roast Boston lobster, dry aged New York striploin and Bresse pigeon stuffed with dried fruit, WHERE Centara Grand mushrooms and foie gras. Desserts Hotel, 999/99 Rama I Rd, resurrect the 70s fad for bread and butter 02-100-6101 BTS Siam pudding and other or Chidlom OPEN Daily homey stand-bys11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30gone-posh. 11.30pm (bar shuts at 1am) With 250 PRICE $$$$ wines, including 20 by the glass, there’s great scope for trying new labels. In the future, they’re promising to sell fine wines such as Chateau Margaux by the glass, but who’d be crazy enough to blow B9,000 a pop when you don’t even know how long the bottle’s been open? Then again, this is Bangkok.

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events calendar

Throughout Nov The Science Film Festival Thailand

Ogle 36 handpicked “edutainment” films from across Europe and Asia; i.e. edifying films that convey technological and scientific issues accessibly and entertainingly to a broad audience. See www.goethe. de for more.

LOY KRATHONG

See Now in Bangkok p.14; and p.61 for light, water and food spectaculars at the city’s top hotels.

3-4 November La Boheme & Bravo Broadway

The Bangkok Opera and European Chamber Opera will get together at the Sheraton Grande’s Arts Theatre on 3 Nov to do a chamber version of Puccini’s immortal tear-jerker La Boheme in a gorgeous ballroom setting. Then, on 4 Nov, enjoy the music and razzmatazz of Broadway with a Gala show. Tickets cost B1,000 for the show only, more for a dinner-show package at one of the hotel’s gourmet eateries. Call 02-649-8315 for information and reservations. Or log on to www.thaiticketmajor.com

2 November The growth of Isaan Textiles Lecture

1-2 November Thailand Yoga Conference 2008

Love Northeastern Isaan textiles? Then don’t miss expert Suriya Samuthakupta’s spin on the weaving culture of Thailand’s northeastern region and its role in society. Admission to this lecture in the Jim Thompson Art Centre’s William Warren Library is free, but call 02-612-6741 or email education@ jimthompsonhouse.com for reservations.

Muscles knotted? Chakras need realigning? Breathe a meditative sigh of relief, yoga lovers, because 14 of the world’s foremost yoga practitioners are coming to give workshops in, peculiarly, the Army Club. Hot, Ayurverdic,Vinyasa, Sivananda… you name the school, it’ll be there. See www.yogajournalthailand.com or call 02-635-5185 to sign up.

6-8 November Murder Mystery

Enjoy a fast-paced, hilarious and deadly tale of secrets, lies and revenge, performed by the EPS Theatre Group of Hong Kong.Then finish off with an elegant four-course dinner created by Chef Paolo Vitaletti. Taking place at the ShangriLa Hotel, B2,880 per person buys you a four-course dinner.

7 & 8 November The Threepenny Opera

By German playwright Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, this revolutionary opera set in Victorian London tells the tale of two working class anti-heroes, Macheath and Polly Peachum. Begins at 8pm at the Thailand Cultural Centre’s small hall. Tickets B600/800/1,200 from www. thaiticketmajor.com snapshots

bangkok 101

8 November DJ Nick Warren

He’s toured with Massive Attack, had Nineties chart success as part of progressive housers Way Out West, and is still spinning tunes that fuse driving 4/4 beats with melodramatic melodies. Bow deeply before this member of DJ royalty, Bristolian Nick Warren, at top RCA nightclub, 808 (p.93).

14-15 November The Punchline Comedy Club

9 November East Marries West

Shubhendra Rao is a protégé of everybody’s favourite sitar maestro: Ravi Shankar. For this one-off show at NIST on Sukhumvit Soi 15, Shubhendra, celloist Saskia Raode-Haas and tabla-player Durjay Bhowmik will perform intoxicating music that fuses European and Indian classical traditions. Tickets B600-800, call 081-817-9938.

Good British comedy – irreverent, topical, often filthy – is hard to come by in Bangkok. Hats off then to The Bull’s Head, the pub hosting this standup night featuring Andy Parsons, Mark Walker and Russell Kane. No, we haven’t heard of them either but they’ve been winning plaudits galore in the UK, apparently. Tickets B1,500 available on 02-233-4141 or via www. greatbritishpub.com

29 November

Ploenchit Fair by the River

20-23 November Salsa Bangkok Fiesta

The city’s annual Salsa showdown will feature world class DJs, dance instructors and global performers across four fabulous venues. Artists confirmed include DJ Rolando and Henry Knowles from New York. See www.salsabangkok.com/fiesta2008

Come enjoy all the fun of the fair… the British community’s mammoth annual charity fair.With its ferris wheel, coconut shy, football shoot, Petticoat Lane bazaar and much more, you may just think you’ve stumbled on a little corner of provincial England. Takes place from 10am – 8pm at Shrewsbury International School. www.ploenchitfair.org

27-29 November Kamala Sukosol’s Annual Charity Concert

This multi-talented hi-so hotel owner/jazz singer is not adverse to using her resources for philanthropic ends. This, her annual pet-project, a benefit concert in aid of The Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and The Thai Red Cross Society, will find her singing jazz, pop and latin favourites alongside a 20-piece big band, plus guests. Tickets, B1,000-2,500, available from Siam City Hotel, 02-247-0123. bangkok 101

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22 Nov – 14 Dec Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008

From traditional to postmodern, classical to avant-garde, indoors to outdoors, and free-admission to reasonably priced, this annual thespian fest has something for everyone. Venues include Santichaiprakarn Park (on Phra Athit Road) and the Lido Multiplex – see www. bangkoktheatrefestival.com for more and details on how to reserve tickets.

29-30 November YMCA Bazaar

With 170 booths representing almost as many countries, you’re bound to find something worth bagging at this international fair at CentralWorld. Organised by the Young Women’s Christian Association, all proceeds will go towards projects sponsored by them.

NATIONAL FESTIVAL FAIR PERFORMANCE LECTURE/WORKSHOP FILM

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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

he majority of Thais (over 90 %) are Theravada Buddhists, with the rest of the population split between Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. Older animist beliefs also remain, practised alongside a version of the Buddhism that originated with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in India around the 6th century BC. Theravada Buddhism is based on the concepts of dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence and transience), and anatta (im“making merit” – donating permanence of the self) to the poor or a temple, or Thai Buddhist – suffering arises through handing out rice to monks monks once attachment to imperduring their morning almsdyed their manent conditions. By gathering processions. own robes working to extinguish Nearly all Thai Buddhist with colour attachment through men will become monks, extracted meditation and proper if only for a short time. from turmeric conduct, Buddhist pracWomen cannot be orand the titioners can eventually heartwood and dained but some become attain spiritual enlightennuns, although their numleaves from jackfruit trees; bers remain low. Contrary ment (nirvana), freeing now most them from cycles of reto Western perceptions robes come birth. A soul is reborn of Buddhism as a religion chemically according to its progress above the fray of everyday dyed. (or lack of it) towards life, monks and nuns have nirvana, with animals launched HIV-education and forming lower strata and monks oc- drug-prevention campaigns, orphancupying the top. The Buddha himself ages, and other social programmes. took 550 lives to become enlight- More controversially, a number of ened (mural paintings in Thai temples monks have begun advocating that often depict tales of his former lives, Buddhism should be enshrined in the called jataka), so most Thais focus new constitution as Thailand’s state on attaining a better rebirth through religion.

Did you know?

bangkok 101

snapshots

religion

For more information on Buddhism and meditation courses, check out the World Fellowship of Buddhists at www.wfb-hq.org and the international homepage of Vipassana meditation centres at www.dhamma.org.

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. 19

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. 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.

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.

Social hierarchy Age, social rank, lineal descent, salary and education are all considerations for social conduct. Such hierarchy is demonstrated at every moment of the day, even the way of greeting. Thais don’t usually shake hands but rather wai (a prayer-like 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 (cool-hearted) is highly admired in Thai culture. Any impulsive reactions that may show annoyance (i.e. 20

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 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. snapshots

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

fORTune TelleRS Divine fate from your stars, cards and moles

Commercial mor duu act as counsellors, dispensing practical advice. Though not bound by a professional code, they join associations for credibility or – if a prediction ﬂops – self-defence. Half are female, as are most khon song (mediums), who channel predictions direct from the divine or the dead. The alpha-male branch of the occult, mor phii (spirit doctors or shamans) claim to relay the answers direct from the underworld. While mediums and shamans shirk publicity, mor duu feature visibly at markets, malls, sidewalks, parks or near temple gates. Some adopt a studious, spectacled look, others go for outlandish, otherworldly trappings. At their booths, palm and zodiac illustrations adorn the banners, signboards and decorated lids of boxes that contain cards, almanacs, astronomical wheels, notebooks and cabalistic diagrams. Other mor duu simply set up a table or groundsheet, where their accoutrements and smaller signs spill out of a decorated briefcase. Usually this includes candles, incense and a Buddha image.

Photographs by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith

One way to discern an impending coup, it’s whispered, is to watch when generals visit their favoured soothsayers. They’re seeking an auspicious time to seize power. From personal life to the fate of nations, divination guides most Thais at least some of the time. Mor duu (seeing doctors) advise on investing, building, lotteries, marital compatibility, installing spirit houses, averting danger. And they’ll specify timings to the luckiest minute. With karma deciding the Buddhist’s fate, millions of Thais check their astral accounts with a mor duu twice a year. Fees average 300 baht a time, though a third of those pay 500-1,000 baht, and some ‘donate’ much higher sums. It’s a lucrative industry that mirrors the fortunes of the wider economy, generating 1.5 billion baht in 2002.

Philip Cornwel-Smith

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

route 101 Welcome to Rattanakosin Island: historical heartland of modern Bangkok, 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. First stop is Wat Arun (p.35), 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 Wat Po

hether 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.

RATTANAKOSIN

Grand Palace

your way to the city’s oldest temple complex, Wat Po (p.35). 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.33) and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (p.35). 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.32). Hungry for more Thai history? Then exit and head sightseeing

north across the ancient ceremonial park, Sanam Luang, veer left and delve into the National Museum (p.36). 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 Amourosa, with its picture-postcard views over the river of lit-up Wat Arun. bangkok 101

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

bangkok 101

DINING PIT-STOPS: Use these restaurants to recharge en route. ■ 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 ■ Khin Lom Chom Saphan Feast on Thai seafood while eyeballing river reflections of Rama VIII Bridge. 11/6 Soi Samsen 3 | 02-628-8382 ■ Thipsamai Famous pad thai restaurant. 313 Mahachai Rd | www.thipsamai.com ■ Tha Chang Food Market A lip-smacking local market unfurls here each day. sightseeing

Sightseeing

route 101

RIVERSIDE

lowly winding its way through the city, the Chao Phraya River drains a river basin the size of Britain. Defence, trade, transport and agriculture are just a few reasons why the city was located beside it. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Bangkok was devoid of asphalt roads and commerce was conducted by boat on this great brown swathe and its network of klongs (canals). The completion of the Taksin Bridge in the 1990s, however, signalled the end of tall ships sailing into Bangkok. Today the Chao Phraya remains integral to city life. Long-tailed boats take visitors on colourful klong tours; (p.73) converted rice barges and pleasure cruisers ply back and forth to ancient capital Ayutthaya (p.38); tugs pull heavily laden rice barges; and thousands of commuters – office workers, students and monks alike – hop on and off its spluttering express river taxis. Joining them is recommended. Not only can you shrink journey times between the city centre and major

sights, in many cases it’s also the best way to see the gold-spired temples, Catholic churches, glassy hotels and rickety shacks that have encroached, over the centuries, along its banks. And did we mention the sense of freedom? After being stuck in gridlock hell, it’s nothing less than exhilarating. Kick off by heading to your nearest express boat pier. Five different express routes ply the water, each identifiable by a coloured flag that flutters at the back. Look for a northbound orange flag and hop on – it stops at all piers of interest to tourists, runs all day and costs a measly flat rate of B15 each time you board. Be careful when jumping on and off – boats get chockfull during rush hour. There are also tourist boats that cruise the river (150 baht for an all-day pass), though these are decidedly less atmospheric. Enjoy the scenery and breezes, but don’t get too comfy – you’re getting off at Thewet (pier N15). Look out for frenzied fish fighting for crumbs thrown in by local merit-makers. Walk away from the pier and turn left over a footbridge to see the wet market. The royal district of Dusit is also nearby. Jump on an express boat going south downriver, and pull out your camera – soon you’ll pass beneath the harp-like metal monolith, Rama VIII Bridge. The next compelling pier is in the Old City district of Bang Lamphu: Phra Athit (N13). If you have bohemian sightseeing

leanings or fancy seeing backpacker refugee camp Khao San Road, this is the place to wander. Next, make haste to Wang Lang (N10). As well as young shoppers bagging cheap fashions, here gruesome formaldehyde sights await you at the Siriraj Hospital’s macabre Forensics Museum. Had enough pickled flesh? Then take a cross-river ferry (cost only B3) to Tha Phra Chan Pier, where a right onto Maharat Road leads to a pavement/portal into Bangkok’s spiritualised side. Walking past Wat Mahathat on your left, expect to see vendors peddling amulets, phallic charms, herbal remedies, even false teeth. Don’t turn back: the rot-stained shophouses here are some of the oldest in town. Soon you’ll come to a junction; the crenulated white walls of the Grand Palace complex on your left, a thicket of food stalls on your right. Plough through it towards Tha Chang (N9) and hop on a boat to Tha Tien (N8). Its trading shophouses, monastic

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LONG-TAIL BOAT An alternative way of enjoying the river is to hire a colourful long-tailed boat and explore the canal network around Thonburi (the west side of the Chao Phraya River). Whizzing nimbly down green and peaceful canals – past town houses, wooden shacks, temples and water hyacinth – never fails to beguile the senses. Be sure to negotiate a price, though, before you set off (expect to pay around B500 per hour).

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mood and proximity to Wat Po (home of the reclining Buddha, p.35), make this a popular sojourn. Also, here’s where you hop on a cross-river ferry for Wat Arun (p.35). By now the day is likely wearing on – your camera as depleted as you are. Don’t give up now, though. People wanting to witness the 24-hour flower market, Pak Khlong Talad (p.105), should look no further than Memorial Bridge (N6). For a night in Chinatown – a confusion of crumbling godowns, pungent aromas and bird’s-nesty delights – disembark at Ratchawongse (N5). Antique-lovers should land at either Sri Phaya (N3) or Oriental (N1). The former sits beside pricey antique mall River City, the latter a sign-posted stroll away from period objets d’art centre OP Place (p.102).

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The Chao Phraya sparkles at night. Literally. After sunset, floodlights illuminate its gilded temples, Portuguese churches, bridges and civic buildings. Dinner at one of many restaurants strewn along its banks is among the most popular ways to admire this nocturnal mystique; as is a romantic dinner on board a sumptuously converted antique rice barge – see p.73 for the best. sightseeing

Sightseeing Long Table

route 101

SUKHUMVIT

Nest

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 whos who of world races moves anonymously amongst them. Along its main stretch cars and concrete assail the senses, while down its many flanking soi 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 like a slo-mo bullet above it. Get a quick jump on the day and loosen up with a morning stroll 26

around the lake in Benjakitti Park. Located adjacent to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, which hosts world class expos weekly (see calendar pp.16-17), it is easily accessible via the centre’s MRT stop. Jump off for a jolt of coffee (see ‘Eat’ for ideas), then head to the Siam Society (p.32) for a quick shot of culture. On Asok Road (the unofficial “border” diehard 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

Emporium

sightseeing

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, world-class designers and up-andcoming Thai labels here, an interesting alternative is the Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) on the 6th 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 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”

Bangkok Oasis Spa

bangkok 101

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in Thong Lo 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.Those looking to make a very Thai night of it (coke and whisky, a Thai live band, miniskirted girls) should head to one of the many jumping joints in Thong Lo or Ekamai (slick gothic church, Santika, is a safe bet). With veterans like Q Bar and Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 will surpass your international clubbing needs (p.84). But for the best of Sukhumvit’s beau monde haunts its got to be Long Table (p.90): a cocktail at this 25th floor design bar, with its movers and shakers and electric panoramas, is not easily forgotten.

some laid-back conversation need look no further than antique store/ nostalgia café Shades of Retro. ■ Cheap Charlie’s | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok’s most bizarre bar (p.88). ■ Nest | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Across the road from Q Bar, this sleek yet cosy rooftop bar won’t ruffle your feathers (p.90). ■ Nang Len | Ekamai 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 ■ Divana

DrINK ■ Shades

of retro | Soi Tararom 2,Thong Lo (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lo | 08-1824-8011 | 1pmmidnight People craving a drink and

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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. ■ Crêpes and 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 (see p.75). ■ Agalico | 20 Sukhumvit 51 | BTS Thong Lo | 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. ■ Uomasa | Nihomura, 87 Thong Lo Soi 13 | 02-392-6575 Found in the wooden Nihomura compound, Uomasa is particularly recommended for sashimi lovers.

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Sightseeing

PATHUMWAN

route 101

SIAM AND PRATUNAM

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houses scores of great restaurants and a fantastic cinema complex, where you can treat yourself to a ‘luxury cinema’ screening (see p.58). Top off your day with a yin-yang cocktail at Centara Grand hotel’s new ultra-chic rooftop bar, Red Sky (p.15). 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. Siam Paragon

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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.32). Thailand’s second most popular tourist destination is a wonderful, meditative place to wander around and perhaps 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 modernart scene central. After all this walking, a sit-down is probably in order. CentralWorld, Asia’s largest “lifestyle shopping complex”,

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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. 100), 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 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

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bangkok 101

Sightseeing

route 101

SILOM & SATHORN Silom Village

he Sathorn/Silom area personifies Bangkok’s split personality. The white collar, bustling crux of Bangkok’s business world by day, this whirlwind area houses a grab bag of cultural and religious sites. But when night falls this area hustles, gyrates, and rears a very different head. Home to a large chunk of Bangkok’s corporate world, this area spilling with yuppies and bigwigs during the day, kicks it up a gear after office hours, with a jiving scene of clubs, expat pubs, some very shady characters, and one oh-so-slightly notorious little lane. P.M. Kukrit’s House

Set the alarm and beat the sun to the punch; there’s much to be done today. Skip the hotel breakfast and head out early for a more localised experience. Take the MRT to the Sam Yan stop. Here you will find an oldlooking shop house called Jok Sam Yan. A legendary Thai institution for over four decades selling only one item, jok moo, or rice congee with pork. It’s immensely popular but they close at 8am, so come early! Walk towards Silom and take a venomous venture into the Snake Farm (see p. 37) and watch wranglers extract poison from serpents, and if you dare you can even pet a cobra or kiss a python! If you’re still alive, continue on your earlier path and shop for some sumptuous silk items at Jim Thompson’s flagship store on Surawong Road. Once you have all your ties and linens, take a nice stroll in Lumphini, Bangkok’s largest public park. If it’s the weekend take a taxi into the past with former P.M. Kukrit’s heritage house. (see p. 32) Go back down tree-lined Convent Road, known as Bangkok’s French quarter for its cluster of French cafés, butcher shop and a bakery, La Boulange, where you can have a light lunch or grab a freshly baked baguette. Another option is the Silver Palace sightseeing

Restaurant in Silom Soi 3 for some excellent dim sum. After filling up follow the throngs of office workers into Soi Lalai Sup (The Soi that melts your assets), squeezing through the chaos, hunt down bargains on clothes, gifts and other knick-knack paddy wacks. Farther down Silom on Thanon Pan, you will come across Wat Mahamariamman. Referred to by locals as Wat Kaek, it is the most famous Hindu temple in Bangkok and rituals are performed here daily at noon. Right across the street is Kathmandu Gallery (see p.47) featuring great photo exhibits, and also Silom Village which is a nice spot to pick up some handicrafts. Go through Chong Nonsi and look for Sathorn Soi 12. Loosen up with a massage at Health Land Spa, originally an organic health food store and vegetarian restaurant, it’s now a fullyfledged spa centre. This experience is about to pick up speed. Cab it to Lumphini National Boxing Stadium (see p.114) around the corner, which will guarantee adrenaline rushes, as young men kick and punch the hell out of each other. For something less violent, Suan Lum Night Bazaar (see p. 104), a pricier but less sweaty version of Chatuchak is just seconds away. Seafood restaurants abound here and the Joe Louis Puppet Theater (see p.56) is great for a cultural show. There’s also a great beer garden. Once it’s nice and dark, head up to the top floor of the Banyan Tree and ascend the aptly titled Moon Bar at Vertigo (see p. 91). 200 metres above the pavement this bar’s main attraction bangkok 101

Vertigo

hip, the bars and clubs in Silom Soi 4 will suffice. If you’re gay, look no further than same-sex central, Silom Soi 2. And if you’re feeling frisky and don’t mind being harassed by aggressive touts, immerse yourself in the decadent not-so-underworld that is Soi Patpong. Be careful around here and do not follow strangers offering you free shows. But don’t hold back, because whatever you choose to do in this part of town at this time, you’re most likely to wake up with no recollection of it.

is the completely unobstructed 360° Bangkok panorama. Do not stray too far over the railing as the only thing to break your fall here is the concrete sidewalk. Once you’ve soaked it all in, or if your knees are shaking, descend back to street level. The night is still far too young. For some rowdy (and raunchy) times back to Silom you go. There’s still some shopping to be done here as many street vendors are just starting their day selling trinkets, antiques, clothes, and the everpresent dodgy DVDs. If you’re looking for something a bit more

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sightseeing

Sightseeing

historic buildings

M. R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE (map C4,#20) 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02286-8185 | Sat-Sun&Holidays 10am – 5pm, weekdays by appt. only | adults B50, kids B20 Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s most-loved statesmen in 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.

JIM THOMPSON’S HOUSE (map C3, #16) | 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 | www.jimthompsonhouse.com | daily 9am-5pm | B100 (B50 under 25) One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit the home of Jim Thompson, the American business- S i g h tบs าeนหม e i n อg มราชวงศคึกฤทธิ์ man largely responsible for the global ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต popularity of hand woven Thai silk. Found in a sun-dappled tropical garden BAAN KHAMTHIENG beside a pungent canal, this complex (map D3, #21) 131 Sukhumvit Soi 21 of six traditional teak houses from | BTS Asok MRT Sukhumvit | 02-661around the country is testament to 6471-7 | www.siam-society.org | his commitment to maintaining and Tue-Sun 9am – celebrating regional art and culture. 5pm | adults B100, Each brims with art pieces and antiques students B50 rescued from around Asia: everything Baan Khamthieng is from limestone Buddha torsos to a an antique wooden cat-shaped porcelain bedpan. Free house from the tour guides discuss these exquisite north which was painstakingly rebuilt treasures and the much-mythologised in Bangkok. It serves as a museum for life of the man they affectionately call the Siam Society, an organisation which Mr. Jim Thompson. There’s also a shop documents and preserves traditional selling his trademark silk designs, an art Thai culture. It’s a neat place to view gallery and a café. gardens, ancient Thai manuscripts, maps บานไทย จิมทอมปสนั ซ.เกษมสันต 2 and art.

ตรงขามสนามกีฬาแหงชาติ

บานคำเทีย่ ง สุขมุ วิท21 (อโศก)

VIMANMEK MANSION (map B2,#1) 139/2 Ratchawithi Rd, Dusit | 02-281-1569, 02-628-6300~9 daily 9am-4pm | B100 | dress properly The stately Vimanmek Mansion is the world’s largest teakwood building. This masterpiece was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang in 1868 and then moved piece by piece to Bangkok where it was used by Rama V as his residence. Its 81 rooms are spread over three floors, which overlook a beautiful garden. Inside, many of Rama V’s possessions collected from international trips, are on display, including possibly the first bathtub in the kingdom. Other valuable artefacts on display include period antique photographs, fine porcelain, gold and silverware, and superb glassware. Behind the main building, a smaller museum houses a good selection of exquisite Thai handicrafts sponsored by Queen Sirikit’s SUPPORT charity foundation. Converted from the stables, which once housed the king’s albino elephants, the Chang Ton Royal Elephant Museum sports a collection of historical pachyderm paraphernalia. Regular tours in English are held throughout the day. If you time your visit right, make it a point to stick around for free traditional Thai dance performances (at 10:30am and 2pm) outside the mansion.

พระทีน่ ง่ั วิมานเมฆ ถ. ราชวิถี เขตดุสติ

JIM THOMPSON:THE MAN BEHIND THE MYSTErY Check this out for a CV: a Princeton graduate and former US intelligence officer turns Bangkok socialite, Thai silk revivalist and Asiaphile antiques collector before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. Jim Thompson’s stranger-than-fiction life trajectory makes for a twisting, ultimately tragic tale.This, along with the luminous sheen of his famous silks, his entrepreneurial verve 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 countries as far-flung as Argentina and Australia, and read a slew of gossipy biographies peddling conspiratorial 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. 32

sightseeing

bangkok 101

ban

101

palaces

Wang Suan Pakkard

THE GRAND PALACE (map A3, #10) Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang | 02-222-0094 | daily 8:30am-4pm | B250 includes entry to Vimanmek Mansion | dress properly Despite your being able to visit many stunning sights on the Grand Palace grounds, including the incredible Wat Phra Kaew – or Temple of the Emerald Buddha (see. p.35), most of the actual palace is off-limits. As the king has moved his residence to Chitralada Palace in northern Bangkok, the Grand Palace is now only used for major ceremonies or royal functions. Its exterior – an interesting blend of Thai and European architecture – is worth a look and there are a couple of staterooms and halls that are open to visitors. These include the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall, where the king still delivers his birthday speech, and a small weapons museum. Multilingual tour guides can be hired here.

พระบรมมหาราชวัง ถ. หนาพระลาน ใกลทองสนามหลวง

PHAYA THAI PALACE (map C3) King Mongkut Hospital, Ratchawithi Rd | BTS Victory Monument | Mon-Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm | free Built in 1909, Phaya Thai Palace was a cottage to which Rama V could escape at weekends. It later housed a r adio station, before the whole place was turned into a hospital. The only structure remaining is the Thewaratsaparom Throne Hall, a stunning glassand-wood building that was mostly used as a theatre. The rooms inside are built and decorated in western styles, complete with French doors, a grand staircase, a fireplace and an elaborately carved ceiling. Since the palace is on the King Mongkut Hospital grounds, the banyan trees next to the building are used for shade by the staff, but the palace’s interior is open to visitors. This is a quiet, secluded place for a breather.

พระราชวังพญาไท โรงพยาบาลพระมงกุฏ ถ. ราชวิถี

WANG SUAN PAKKARD (map C3, #15) Sri Ayudhaya Rd, Ratchathewi | BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 | www.suanpakkad.com | daily 9am – 4pm | B100 A former market garden, this was conver ted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot of Nakhon Sawan. 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, which depicts scenes from the Buddha’s life and the Ramayana.

วังสวนผักกาด ถ. ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี

ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall (map B2, #2) Uthong Nai Rd, Dusit, opp Dusit Zoo | daily 8:30am-4pm | B50 Previously the parliament building, this stately palace was built during the reign of Rama V and completed by Rama VI. It is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session but other sessions are held at the new parliament nearby.The interior was influenced by renaissance architecture and the dome is decorated with detailed frescoes of royal ceremonies and festivities.

พระทีน่ ง่ั อนันตสมาคม ถ. อูท องใน ดุสติ

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 personalised shopping tour for jewelry. 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 for any seemingly logical reason, you are most likely being set up. Our advice is to politely decline any such offers and proceed directly to the actual ticket booth (presuming, of course, that you have arrived during ofﬁcial opening hours). If you’ve experienced any such scams in Bangkok, please e-mail us so that we can continue to advise fellow travellers.

bangkok 101

sightseeing

Sightseeing

temples

WAT SAKET (map B3, #7) Chakkraphatdiphong Rd, Sattruphai | 02-233-4561 | daily 7:30am-5:30pm| B10 Raised on a small hillock, and thus referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat offer s 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. จักรพรรดิพงษ

WAT MAHATHAT (map A3) Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Mahratch Rd | 02-221-5999 | daily 9am-5pm| free An amulet market is situated near this 18th-centur y centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect and an impor tant 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 ทาพระจันทร สนามหลวง

WAT SUTHAT and THE GIANT SWING (map A-B3, #8) Bamrung Muang Rd, Phra Nakhorn, | 02-222-9632 | daily 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 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.

วัดสุทัศน ถ. บำรุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงขามเสาชิงชา

WAT BOWONNIWET VIHARA (map A3) Phra Sumen Rd, Banglamphu 02-281-2831-3 | daily, all day long | free Home to the respected Maha Makut Buddhist U n i v e r s i t y, t h i s temple is particularly impor tant 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 sightseeing

The Giant Swing

WAT BENCHAMA BOPHIT (map B2, #3) 69 Rama V Rd, Dusit | 02-628-7947 | daily 8am-6pm B20 This white Italian C ar r ar a mar ble 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 | 02-224-8807 | daily 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 possess spiritual powers, protecting the wearer and bringing good for tune.

วัดราชนัดดา ถ. มหาชัย พระนคร

WAT TRAIMIT (map B3, #13) 661 Hualampong, Charoen Krung Rd, 02-623-1226 | daily 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)

bangkok 101

ban

101

Wat Arun

WAT PHRA KAEW – Temple of the Emerald Buddha (map A3, #9) Na Phra Lan Rd |02-222-0094, 02222-6889 | daily 8:30 am-3:30pm | B250 includes access to Grand Palace and Vimanmek Mansion | dress properly The home to Thailand’s most sacred relic – the Emerald Buddha – and the country’s most stunning temple, Wat Phra Kaew was completed two years after the capital was moved from Thonburi to Rattanakosin in 1784, and forms the northeastern corner of the Grand Palace 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 stone beneath. It was then moved around northern Thailand by a succession of Thai kings before being taken by the Lao to Vientiane. Rama I retook the statue in 1779 and brought it back to Thailand where he placed it at the centre of his new capital. It is the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand, and hundreds pay their respects to it every day. Apart from the amazing architecture, gilded statues and the majesty of the temple, Wat Phra Kaew also features excellent examples of mural art, documenting the life and travels of the Buddha and scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana epic.

WAT PO – Reclining Buddha (map A3, #11) Chetuphon/Thaiwong Rd | 02-226-0369 | www.watpho.com | daily 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 45-metre-long statue depicts the Buddha entering nirvana and is impressive both for its size and the mother-ofpearl detail on the soles of the feet, a blueprint revealing the 108 auspicious signs of a genuine Buddha.

วัดโพธิ์ ถ. เชตุพน

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ. อรุณอัมรินทร ผั่งตะวันตกของแมน้ำเจาพระยา

ERAWAN SHRINE (map C3, #17) Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-252-8754 | daily 6:30am- 10:30pm | free | BTS Chit Lom Apart from the many temples across the city, there is a far greater number of small shrines where Thais pay their respects to various deities and spirits. 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 performs for a nominal fee.

วัดพระแกว ถ. หนาพระลาน ใกลทองสนามหลวง

bangkok 101

WAT ARUN Temple of Dawn (map A3, #12) Arun Amarin Rd | 02-465-5640 | www.watarun.org | daily 8am-5pm | B20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s important religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The fivetowered 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.

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ. ราชดำริ

sightseeing

Sightseeing

museums THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (map A3) 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang| 02-224-1333 | www.thailandmuseum. com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B40 Previously a palace dur ing the reign of R a ma V, t he National Museum features extensive displays of T hai ar tefacts 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) which start at 9:30am. Photography is not allowed inside the museum galleries.

พิพธิ ภัณฑสถานแหงชาติ ถ. เจาฟา ใกลทอ งสนามหลวง

MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS Supalai Grand Tower Building 26th Fl., Rama 3 Rd., | 02-653-5555 | www.tillekeandgibbins.com | by appointment only | BTS Surasak Condemn it or not, forger y is a huge draw for some. In 1989, the law firm Tilleke & Gibbins decided to convert collected fake goods into educational tools for law students. An entertaining site – fromToblerone chocolate bars to bellybutton rings, from anti-malarial tablets to fake MSG – 1,500 pieces are neatly laid out, forgeries next to the originals. Call for an appointment and please don’t use it as means to spot that fake handbag on Patpong later that day.

ติลลิกี แอนด กิบบินส พิพธิ ภัณฑสนิ คา ปลอมและเลียนแบบ ซ. ตนสน ถ. เพลินจิต

THE ERAWAN MUSEUM 99/9 Sukhumvit Rd (entering Samut Prakhan) | www.erawan-museum. com | daily 8am-5pm | adults B150, children B50 Outside the city, in a garden of Naga sculptures and other fabled Thai beings, you’ll find this simply unmissable building. Constructed in the shape of a monstrous three-headed elephant named Airavata, it would be a marvel to look at even if it didn’t house ancient artifacts within. Built by the owners of the Ancient City, it is divided into three “worlds”: Underworld contains antiquities like Chakri dynasty tea sets; Earth is a technicolour hall embellished with religious iconography and stained glass; and inside the elephant’s belly is Heaven, a concave space lined with standing Buddhas and abstract murals. The building is also a site of worship. Rumour has it that a Thai girl prayed here before buying what turned out to be a winning lottery ticket!

พิพิธภัณฑชางเอราวัณ ซ. วัดไตรสามัคคี ถ. สุขุมวิท

CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY MUSEUM (map C1) Queen Sirikit Park Kamphaeng Petch 4 Rd | 02-6186509 | www. bkkchildrenmuseum. com | Mon-Fri 9am11am, Sat-Sun 10am6pm | adults B70, children B50 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.

พิพิธภัณฑเด็กกรุงเทพมหานคร สวนสมเด็จพระนางเจาสิริกิติ์ ถ. กำแพงเพชร 4 ตรงขามสวนจตุจักร sightseeing

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM (map A3, #5) 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd, Thonburi | 02-424-0004 | daily 9am-5pm | B30 (photo B100, video B200) This collection of royal barges, some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge.The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians. Beautifully and ornately decorated, 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.

พิพิธภัณฑเรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร

MUSEUM OF SIAM 4 Samachai Rd., Pra Nakorn | 02622-2599 | www.ndmi.or.th | Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | free admission Just a few blocks from the Grand Palace, this new Children’s museum is located inside the historic Ministry of Commerce building. Italian architect Mario Tamagno designed the solid three stories, E-shaped Renaissance style building in 1921, inside of which is a series of interactive, animated, theme park-like 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 this an entertaining learning experience, and love playing with the vibrant touch screens.

มิวเซียมสยาม พิพิธภัณฑการเรียนรู ถ.สนามไชย

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FLOrA 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 เซ็นเตอร) ประเวศ

CHATUCHAK and QUEEN SIRIKIT PARKS (map C-D1) 820 Phahonyothin Rd, Ladyao Sub-district, Chatuchak | 02-2724358~9 | daily 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 สวนสมเด็จพระนางเจา สิรกิ ติ ์ิ 820 ถ. พหลโยธิน จตุจักร

FAUNA DUSIT ZOO (map B2) 71 Rama V Rd, opp. Chitralada Palace, Dusit | 02-281-2000 | daily 8am-6pm| adults B30, kids B5 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.

สวนสัตวดสุ ติ 71 ถ. พระราม 5

the great outdoors

QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (Snake Farm) (map C4, #18) 1871 Rama IV Rd, Thai Red Cross, Henri Dunant | 02-252-0161~4 ext.20 | Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-noon (Shows at 11am & 2:30pm) | B70 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) B1/B2, Siam Paragon | Rama I Rd | 02-687-2000 | daily 9am-10pm | adults B450/kids (80-120cm) B280 | BTS Siam | www.siamoceanworld.co.th Journey through 7 zones containing 3,000 varieties of fish. Enjoy an educational 25-minute tour of the 2.8 million litre Oceanarium in a glassbottomed boat. You can even dive with sharks, supervised by instructors from Planet Scuba (www.sharkdive. org). Or opt to watch the penguin or shark feeding (twice daily), or for the Magical Mermaid Show (three times a day).

สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1

Siam Ocean World

Snake Farm

LUMPHINI PARK (map C4) Entrances on Rama IV Rd, Sarasin Rd, Witthayu Rd and Ratchadamri Rd | free Want shades of green instead of drab, towering 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 เขาไดทาง ถ.พระราม 4 ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำริ

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day tripping

t ’s e a s y g e t t i n g a r o u n d i n Thailand, and there are plentiful wor thwile excursions within e a s y re ac h of B angkok ; so me one-day affairs, others overnight. Organise a trip yourself or book through your concierge or a local travel agent. AYUTTHAYA The capital of Thailand from the 14th to the 18th centuries it was one of the richest cities in the East during its heyday, but after it was attacked by the Burmese in 1767, most of the city was destroyed. It was then deserted when the capital was relocated to Bangkok and the ruins left to be overtaken by nature. However, over the past 30 years the remnants of the city have been renovated into a UNESCO historical park, which, at 85kms from Bangkok, makes an ideal daytrip from the city. The best way to get to Ayutthaya is by the river and there are trips available for every budget. The major riverside hotels organise trips (usually to Ayutthaya by coach and then back by boat), while independent tours run from River City. Once at Ayutthaya, hire a bike and see the highlights like Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Phra Mahathat and Wat Ratburana at your own pace. LOPBURI Those inspired by the ruins of Ayutthaya can continue the experience in Lopburi, which features ruins from a period spanning over 1,000 years. During

FLOATING MARKETS Floating markets offer an idyllic taste of the Bangkok of the days of yore. The experience depends largely on which market you choose. ■ 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 15-30 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. GETTING THERE By bus: to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal every 40 minutes from 6am (02-435-5031 or 434-5558). ■ 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.

the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries) the city was known as Lavo but traces were wiped out by the Khmers, who took over the region during Angkor’s heyday in the 10th century. The Thais subsequently took control during the powerful Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. During the reign of King Narai in the 1600s, the city was for a time the country’s second capital when he fortified the city in response to the Dutch navy threatening Ayutthaya. King Narai built a palace in the city, the remnants of which survive to this day and are open to the public. In sightseeing

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

addition, the surrounding countryside offers a number of crumbling wats, in a mixture of Khmer and Thai styles. BANG PA-IN SUMMER PALACE Highway 32, 60kms north of Bangkok, Baanlen, Bang Pa-In | 035-26-1044 | daily 8am-4pm | B100 A former Royal retreat, the Royal Palace here is a mélange of different architectural schools, mostly bangkok 101

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MUANG BORAN (Ancient City) 296/1 Old Sukhumvit Rd Km 33, Samut Prakan | 02-709-1644-5 | daily 8am-5pm | B300 adults, B200 children Only have a day to see the whole country? The Ancient City was made for you. This museum park, designed in the shape of Thailand, features model representations of its historical buildings, temples and architectural heritage. Renting a bicycle is recommended as the park is fairly large and takes a full day to view properly. Should you want to watch some animal gymnastics before returning to Bangkok, the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm offers daily crocodile wrestling or elephant shows.

NAKHON PATHOM The star attraction in this ancient Thai town is the 120-metre-high chedi, the tallest in the Kingdom, which was erected on the site of a 6th-century stupa. Situated around 55kms west of Bangkok, the town is widely thought to be the oldest in the Kingdom, but apart from the chedi there are few clues as to its history. On the chedi grounds, a small museum displays some interesting Buddhist artefacts and a small shop stocks various related paraphernalia. KANCHANABURI Made famous by the film Bridge on the River Kwai, this town is a popular weekend getaway, offering great scenery and a host of river-based activities. Most foreign visitors are attracted by the area’s history – the Thai Burma ´Death´ Railway, built by POWs under Japanese occupation during World War II, was notorious due to its high casualty count and seemingly impossible route. Riding the railway is possible with three daily trips from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok. The 120-minute trip offers spectacular scenery and the chance to marvel at the extreme difficulties of its construction.

The countryside around Kanchanaburi is also stunning and home to many of the country’s most impressive waterfalls, with the nearby Erawan National Park offering great trekking opportunities. KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK Home to wild elephants, deer, boar, and tigers, as well as uncountable species of birdlife, this enormous forest is one of the world’s best national parks. Visitors can hike through the jungle to altitudes of over 1,000 metres. It’s best to hire a guide as it’s easy to get lost - the park is over 2,000 square kilometres in size, and local maps are not to be completely trusted. NAKHON RATCHASIMA One of Thailand’s silk weaving centres and an important trade hub, this is the country’s largest province and host to Korat, its second-largest city. The surrounding countryside has a fine collection of ancient Khmer ruins, left over from the Angkor period. Of these, worth a visit are Prasat Phanomwan, Prang Ban Ku, Prang Sida and Prasat Hin Phimai, the largest of these ruins and recently restored.

NEARBY BEACHES No time to jet down to Koh Samui or Phuket? A handful of beach resorts and islands close to Bangkok are perfect for much-needed respite. ■ 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; sister town Jomtien is still a better option.

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Hua Hin

■ 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. Ferry or fly here via Trat. ■ KOH SAMET A retreat for hip Thai youngsters who invade the island to spend days swimming in clear waters and nights playing the guitar on super-clean beaches.

■ 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 topnotch 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.

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Photo courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand TAT

reflecting Rama V’s love for Western styles. Bang Pa-In was initially used as a retreat during the Ayutthaya period but was somewhat forgotten when the capital moved south to Bangkok. However it became popular again as travel became easier from Bangkok and King Mongkut (Rama IV) built himself a residence here. Apart from the contrasting architecture of the palace and its beautiful lake and garden, there’s not much of interest to warrant a full day’s visit so many combine the palace with a trip to nearby Ayutthaya.

Sightseeing Phra Prang Sam Yot

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LOPBURI Monkey Magic

ocated about 150km north of Bangkok, the former Khmer capital of Lopburi is a fascinating mix of royal splendour, desolate ruins and monkey magic. The quirky town offers a refreshing insight into Thailand’s turbulent past, while the mischievous simian population makes for a fun, if somewhat unpredictable, destination! Lopburi had its glory days during the Ayutthaya period, when King Narai the Great made the city his second capital. The palace he built in 1665 stands proudly in the centre of town and the compound now serves as Lopburi’s National Museum which is certainly worth checking out. The region’s outstanding archaeological sites are also a major attraction and the city is littered with impressive temple remains. Most hotels and guesthouses rent out bikes for a small fee, so you can explore the atmospheric ruins at your own pace. The ancient Khmer shrine of Phra Prang Sam Yot is Lopburi’s best known landmark and is home to most of the city’s large and rather troublesome macaque monkey population. The monkeys can be found throughout the city, but are ubiquitous at this picturesque, three-prang shrine and the nearby San Phra Kan shrine, and have 40

grown fat on the handouts of visitors. Indeed, the monkeys are such a tourist draw that local residents now express their gratitude by sponsoring an annual monkey feast on the last weekend in November (this year’s takes place on Sunday November 30). Employing over three tonnes of food, four chefs, food bearers, and a troupe of traditional Thai dancers, the monkeys are treated to a sumptuous banquet. The bizarre extravaganza has grown into Lopburi’s most lavish and photogenic attraction and hundreds come each year to witness the spectacle. But be warned! Just because the monkeys are used to being fed, that doesn’t mean they’re tame. They can be quite aggressive and have a penchant for snatching hats and bags from unsuspecting tourists, so keep a watchful eye for mischief while you roam! When you’ve seen all of the provincial capital’s sights, Wat Phra Phutthabat makes for a fine excursion from Lopburi. The exquisite golden shrine houses a revered “Buddha’s footprint”, considered to be one of the most significant of its kind in Thailand. Jump on any Saraburi-bound bus which will stop at the base of the temple. Also located in Lopburi province, sightseeing

GETTING THErE Trains for Lopburi leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong train station five times a day. See www.railway.co.th or call 02-223-7010 for schedules and reservations. Air-conditioned coaches and non air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal) every 20 minutes from 5.30 am. until 8.30 pm. The journey takes 3 hours. Call 02-936-2852 for more information. Drivers should take either Highway No.1 via Saraburi (total distance is 153 kilometers), or use Highway No. 32 via Ayutthaya, and travel further along Highway No. 347 to Lopburi via Tha Ruea District. some 45km from the centre of town at Tambon Chong Sarika, is the largest sunflower field in Thailand.The flowers – called tantawan in Thai – are in full bloom from November to December, and a favorite jaunt for Thai flower lovers or anyone who enjoys long sweeping vistas of golden yellow. The rich cultural heritage, entertaining monkey business and floral charms make Lopburi a unique destination for a short escape.

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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.

LOY KrATHONG FESTIVAL Sukothai Loy Krathong and Candle Festival 10-12 November No question about it: the best place to see Loy Krathong is Sukothai. Though its origins have been debated, one thing that is never disputed is that it came from here, Thailand’s original capital city, making it the oldest festival still being held today. It’s held in the Historical Park amidst the ancient ruins (see p.44).

upcountry festivals Surin Elephant round-Up November 22 – 23 Though Surin is rarely on tourist itineraries, this event is a big annual draw. Historically renowned as skilful elephant handlers dating back to the Khmer wars, the Surin locals put on a grand show featuring the most historically important animal in Thailand. The elephants parade through the city before displaying their strength and intelligence in fun events like soccer and tug-of-war. Surin Elephant round-up

Tak Loy Krathong Sai Festival and a Thousand Floating Candles 8-12 November See p. 42

Sukhothai Loy Krathong

Build a tiny banana-leaf boat. Festoon it with flowers and candles. Then cast it into the nearest stream and bid farewell to bad luck. These are the basics of Loy Krathong. Add your nearest and dearest, thousands of awed participants, floating lanterns, the obligatory beauty pageant and you have Thailand’s most beautiful populist festival.

river Kwai Bridge Week 28 November - 9 December A week-long celebration to honour Kanchanaburi’s world famous River Kwai Bridge. Expect WWII historical/ archaeological exhibits, carnivals, folk and cultural performances, rides on war-era trains, and spectacular light and sound shows. Contact the TAT central office on 03-451-1200.

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The Northern Lantern Festival and Yipeng Loi Krathong 11-13 November Chiang Mai puts an aerial spin on this festival with Khom-Loy or Lanna-style floating lanterns that fly off into the heavens. During the festival the entire city will be covered in lights, and along with the usual Loy Krathong on the river, there will also be boat races and cultural shows; you really shouldn’t miss is the aforementioned floating lanterns, a truly uplifting sight.

Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival 30 November After a year of wallet pinching and other cheeky simian transgressions, how do Lopburi’s residents repay their monkey populace? With a fruity feast thanking them for all the tourist dollars they attract, that’s how. This outlandish ritual takes place around the spectacular three-spired Phra Prang Sam Yot shrine. sightseeing

Dok Bua Tong Wild Sunﬂower Blooming Season Until Dec 15 Scenic Mae Hong Son blooms every November during the sunflower season; the Doi Mae U-Kho mountain in particular becomes one long, undulating vista of vivid yellow. Well worth seeing.

Silk and Phuk Seow Festival November 29 - December 10 Learn everything you wanted to know about Silk in this annual Khon Kaen event celebrating the art of weaving and sericulture. river Kwai Bridge

Sightseeing

upcountry escape

the noisy yet awe-inspiring Namtok Thi Lo Su. Camping is allowed nearby between November and December (although you need to bring your own equipment and permission needs to be granted at the park ranger office). One of many popular rafting routes through the forests of Umphang also begins here. Other national parks include the high-granited peaks of Lang San, 17km from Tak city; and Taksin Maharat (just off the 26km marker on Tak-Mae Sot highway 105), which is especially well known for its high-altitude mountains and migratory birds. With all this adventuring and mingling, one needs to find a place to rest one’s head. Most choose to bunk down in a cheap guesthouse, or camp, but if you’re mad about mod-cons, and don’t mind forking out, you won’t be disappointed with the Centara Mae Sot Hill Resort, near Mae Sot.

TAK

photo credit to TAT

verrun with war-mongering Burmese during the reign of King Naresuan, today it’s Unesco-protected natural beauty and ethnic diversity that rule supreme in Tak. And if ever there’s a month to see this rugged, Northwestern province bordering Burma, it’s this one. Between 8-12 November Loy Krathong, easily the Kindom’s most spellbinding national festival, is celebrated here… with a twist. Rather than symbolically setting adrift decorated krathongs (bananaleaf floats) to say farewell to misery and ill-fortune, the citizens of Tak town instead put candles in coconut shells. Threaded together and launched simultaneously, they appear as long chains of hundreds of glittering lights glowing on the Maenam Ping, a river whose tributaries span the entire province.This light spectacular happens around Rattanakosin Bridge in Tak town, and is accompanied by a host of rollicking festivities: krathong floating competitions, traditional music, beauty pageants, a handicrafts bazaar and a food fair. The sightseeing doesn’t stop here, however. While Tak town is unremarkable, the surrounds offer 16,406km2 of richly rugged forest and mountains. Mae Sot is a busy border town where assorted ethnic groups (mostly Karen refugees but also Hmong, Yao, Lahu, Burmese and 42

EVENT Loy Krathong Sai Festival 8-12 November Som Phot Krung Rattanakosin Bridge, Tak town

NGO workers) cross paths. A day can easily be spent here seeing how they trade, eat, dress and mostly get along. The central market is a good place to start. Depending on current levels of Burmese state paranoia, you may also be able to daytrip into Thailand’s blighted neighbour (assuming, that is, you find it conscionable). Umphang village, a 160km drive along a mountainous road south of Mae Sot, is one of Thailand’s top trekking destinations. Challenging trails, vertiginous vistas, rafting, stunning waterfalls, sunny locals… it isn’t hard to see why. Most of this happens in Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, a Unesco World Heritage Sight and Thailand’s largest wildlife haven. Its virgin forests are also home to the reason many come here: the countries biggest and most beautiful waterfall, sightseeing

STAY Centara Mae Sot Hill resort 100 Asia Highway, Amphoe Mae Sot | 055-532-601-8 | www.centarahotelsresorts.com

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Sightseeing

the natural guide Sukhothai

ukhothai province in Thailand’s Central Plains stands at the historic crossroads of Khmer,Thai and Singhalese cultures. This estuary of disparate cultures assimilated into a style which has influenced all forms of Thai art.The city’s architectural heritage allows visitors to perceive the way of life and the aura that was the seat of this kingdom for nearly two centuries. Over 200 temple and archaeological sites – elegantly restored by the Thai Fine Arts Department and Unesco – invite you into the heart of the 13th century. Between 1238 and 1376, this prosperous city in the middle of rice fields proudly carried its title as the kingdom’s capital.

WHAT TO DO Old Sukhothai’s glorious temple ruins can be seen both inside and outside the city’s ramparts. In the centre, Wat Mahathat is the most impressive, stretching over 200sqm. To the south, Wat Sri Sawai has an impressive shrine of Khmer origin, while the Singhaleseinflected chedi of Wat Sra Sri sits in the middle of a pond. The historic site of Sri Satchanalai – 55km north of the city – also encapsulates the greatness of the Sukhothai civilization: vivid red brick buildings, weathered Buddha statues, a site full of contrasting colours. New Sukhothai, 12 km away from the Old City and capital of the province, is a small town of markets and fruit traders. Built on the banks of the Yom River under the orders of Rama I in 1788, it was devastated by a fire and rebuilt in 1968. Most visitors stay here, and the surrounding countryside offers exquisite bicycle rides through its surrounding maze of rice paddies. Where to stay Staying near the old city gives easy access to the main sites. Only 2km from

the entrance, Orchid Hibiscus Guest House offers very comfy bungalows in brick and wood, a garden brimming with flowers, and a swimming pool. A little farther away, Mountain View Guest-House is located in the middle of rice fields at the foot of mountains, with homey bungalows bordering a swimming pool. New Sukhothai’s accommodation ranges from charming budget guesthouses to comfortable hotels. For riding in the surrounding rice plantations, Banthai Guesthouse is perfect on a tight budget. Fringed by greenery, it offers clean but spartan rooms, in a wooden house with a shared bathroom. The bungalows at the end of the garden are more private. Bicycle fans Mam and Ronny also offer two-wheeled excursions. STAY n Orchid Hibiscus Guest House | 407/2 Old City | 05-563-3284 n Mountain View Guest-House | 23/3 Moo 8, Muang Kao | 05-560-1111 | www.mountainviewguesthouse.com n Banthai Guesthouse | 38 Th Pravet Nakhorn | 05-561-0163 | Banthai_ guesthouse@yahoo.com

Photography by Kitia Grau

The Natural Guide to Thailand is the third in a series of guide books dedicated to appreciating and respecting people and the environment. Created by the Bumi Kita Foundation (www.naturalguide.org), the book is written by environmentalists, anthropologists, sociologists, journalists and artists – mostly Thais and insiders – who have selected only those businesses that actively demonstrate environmental and social commitment. In each issue, Bangkok 101 presents a destination excerpt from this guide and hopes readers will consider the Natural Guide approach when travelling in Thailand. The Natural Guide to Bali is also available. 44

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PENANG: Pearl of the Orient

over the border

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vibrant enclave of Little India is a great spot for excellent food, spices, saris and Bollywood bustle. Thanks to its unique cultural heritage, Penang is Malaysia’s undisputed food heaven, with the tastiest offerings to be found from hawkers and food stalls. Sample local specialties such as char kway teow (fried flat noodles with prawns and bean sprouts) and assam laksa (a sour fish-based soup) on Gurney Drive, or for seriously stylish dining head to Stephen Lim’s awardwinning Thirty Two at the Mansion for fine fusion in an elegant setting. Beyond Georgetown, Penang has tons of tropical treasures to keep ecotourists entertained. Its award-winning national park, Teluk Bahang, is a haven for adventurous hikers and with over 23 hectares of rainforest, Sungai Tekun Park is a birder’s paradise. Although many of Penang’s beaches are not as pristine as they once were, resorts like the Parkroyal Penang still provide scenic spots for sun-worshippers. Penang has many excellent hotels and resorts to choose from, but for the ultimate in colonial chic, the exquisite dining halls, sweeping staircases and luxurious suites of the The Eastern & Oriental Hotel on Lebuh Farquhar still evoke the opulent glamour of a bygone era. sightseeing

Getting There n Air Asia | www.airasia.com n Thai Airways | www.thaiair.com n Malaysia Airlines | www. malaysiaairlines.com Eat n Thirty Two At The

Mansion | 32 Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, +604262-2232 | www.32atthemansion. com Stay

n Eastern

Photography by Martin Perry

ocated only a short flight from Bangkok in the Malaysian Straits of Malacca, Pulau Pinang, the “island of the betel nut”, is a laid-back living museum of colonial heritage, cultural fusion and fine dining, and makes a great escape from the highpaced, high-rise metropolis. The so-called “Pearl of the Orient” on the northwest coast of Malaysia, Penang was established as the first Far Eastern British trading post in 1786, and the fine colonial buildings of George Town are a grandiose tribute to its imperial decadence. Historical George Town is centred around the old Fort Cornwallis which marks the spot where Captain Francis Light landed in 1786. Many of the gorgeous, colonial buildings dotted around the Fort housed the British administration until independence in 1957, and now form the administrative and legislative centre of modern Penang. For a romantic insight into the island’s colonial settlement, the restored Christian Cemetery holds the graves of many important characters involved in the growth of “Pulo Pinang” including Captain Francis Light himself and is worth a wander. Also boasting a long history of Asian migrants, Penang is a fascinating cultural melting pot, and a series of clan houses, temples and mosques form many great walking trails around the town. Take a trishaw ride along the heritage trail and hit the Cathedral of the Assumption, the ornate Peranakan Mansion and Goddess of Mercy Temple along the way. Winner of a Unesco Heritage Conservation Award, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has been restored after a century of neglect and offers daily tours around the town’s grandest Chinese residence. The city certainly has a distinct Chinese flavour in parts, with its ancient trades, winding narrow streets and traditional hawker stalls, while the

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

La Lanta Fine Art

absorption of all things American and whom are now receiving significant European, many of Thailand’s fresh- international exposure, though there faced generation of artists are infatuated is an increasing number of regional with the street-style, urban iconography Asian artists displaying their works, at of pervasive Asian cultures like Japan, prices often cheaper than in countries Korea and like Singapore, China increasingly and Vietnam. “Prices for art in China. Whether hoping Bangkok are more An indicator to per use some realistic and of the growing reasonable than over- e m e r g i n g l o c a l profile of Thai art protagonist, or inflated, fashionable could be in the purchase something art centres in America, a b i t m o r e proliferation of Europe and new commercial commercial or increasingly China.” galleries that have traditional, one thing’s opened in the last for certain – prices couple of years, with Bangkok gaining for art in Bangkok are more realistic over a dozen new venues in different and reasonable than over-inflated, areas across the city.These include artist fashionable ar t centres in America, -run spaces such as printmaker and Europe and increasingly China. sculptor Thavorn Ko-Udomvit’s grey You’ll soon realise that the city cube Ardel, and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s doesn’t have a concentrated artistic hotbed of young conceptualists at enclave; rather, there are small pockets Gallery VER. of galleries, auction houses and While Thailand’s ongoing political antiques shops randomly dispersed debacle has complicated ar tistic throughout the city. Commercial planning, the decade-plus wait for the galleries are spread across town and new Bangkok Art & Culture Centre is a little route planning is advised before over. It’s currently in its soft-opening embarking on a day of gallery musing. period, with news of exhibitions, On the following page is a selection performances and the like expected to of noteworthy galleries about town. roll out in the coming months. Steven Pettifor is the editor of the GALLERIES Bangkok Art Map (BAM!), and author The majority of contemporary art on of Flavours:Thai Contemporary Art. He view in Bangkok is produced by is available as a consultant to art domestic practitioners, several of buyers; stevenpe@loxinfo.co.th ar ts

bangkok 101

■ 100 Tonson Gallery (map C3) 100 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd | BTS Chit Lom | 02-684-1527 | Thurs-Sat 11am-7pm | www.100tonsongallery.com

100 ตนสนแกลลอรี่ ซ.ตนสน ถ.เพลินจิต

■ Ardel Gallery of Modern Art (map D4) 99/45 Belle Ville, Boromrachachonanee Rd (Km 10.5) | 02-422-2092 | Tue-Sat 10:30am – 7pm, Sun 10:30am – 5:30pm | www.ardelgallery.com

อารเดล ถ.บรมราชชนนี

■ Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (map C3) Pathumwan Junction, Opposite MBK shopping mall | BTS National Stadium | 02-214-6630~1 | Tue-Sun 10am - 9pm

หอศิลปวฒ ั นธรรมกรุงเทพฯ ตรงขามมาบุญครอง

■ Bangkok University Art Gallery (map D4) Bangkok University Gallery Bldg, Kluaynam Thai campus | Rama IV Rd | 02-350-3626 | Tue-Sat 10am – 7pm

Sun & Holidays noon-6pm

จุฬาลงกรณมหาวิทยาลัย ถ.พญาไท

■ Jim Thompson House Art Center (map C3, #16) 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 | 9am5pm | www.jimthompsonhouse.com

บานไทย จิมทอมปสัน 6 ถ.พระราม 1

■ Silpakorn University Gallery (map A3) 31 Na Phra Lan Rd (op. Grand Palace) | 02-623-6120, ext 1418 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-4pm | www.su.ac.th

คัดมันดู โฟโต แกลลอรี่ ซ.วัดแขก สีลม

■ Surapon Gallery (map C4) Fl 1, Tisco Tower, 48/3 N. Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-638-0033 | Tue-Sat 11am-6pm

ละลานตาไฟนอารท สุขุมวิท ซ.31

■ Tadu Contemporary Art (map D2) 99/2 Tiamruammit Rd | MRT Thai Cultural Centre | 02-6450-2473 | Mon-Sat 9am6pm | www.tadu.net

มหาวิทยาลัยกรุงเทพ กลวยน้ำไท ถ.พระราม 4

■ National Gallery (map A3) 4 Chao Fah Rd | 02-281-2224 | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm

จุฬาลงกรณมหาวิทยาลัย ถ.พญาไท

■ Number 1 Gallery (map B3~4) Room # B15 Silom Galleria, 919 Silom Rd BTS Surasak | 08-6524-6152 | www.number1gallery.com | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm

อีท มี 1/6 ซ.พิพัฒน 2 ถ.คอนแวนต

■ H Gallery (map B4) 201 Soi 12, Sathorn Rd | BTS Surasak | 08-1310-4428, 02-310-4428 | Thurs-Sat noon-6pm, Sun-Wed by appointment | www.hgallerybkk.com

อาคารสีลมแกลลอเรีย ถ.สีลม

■ Numthong Gallery (map C2) 1129/29,31 Co-Op Housing Building | Toeddamri Rd, Dusit | BTS Ari | 02-243-4326 | Mon-Sat 11am-6pm

นำทอง แกลลอรี่ ถ.เทอดดำริ ดุสิต

■ Hof Art (map D1) 244-248 Soi Vibhavadi Rangsit 16/32 Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd | MRT Ratchadaphisek | 02-690-1347-8 | Tue-Sat 9am – 6:30pm | www.hofart.net

ฮอฟ อารต วิภาวดีรังสิต ซ.16/32

■ Jamjuree Gallery (map C3) Jamjuree Building 8, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Rd | BTS Siam | 02-218-3709, 0-2218-3633~6 | Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat,

FREE

พิพิธภัณฑสถานแหงชาติ 4 ถ.เจาฟา

■ The Queen’s Gallery (map A3) 101 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd | 02-281-5360 | Thur-Tue 10am-7pm | www.queengallery.org

เอช แกลลอรี่ 201 ซ.12 ถ.สาทร

galleries

หอศิลปสมเด็จพระนางเจาสิรกิ ติ ฯ ถ.ราชดำเนิน

■ Rotunda Gallery (map C4) Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-233-1731 | Tue-Sun 9:30am5pm | www.neilsonhayslibrary.com

โรทันดา แกลลอรี่ หองสมุดนิลเซน เฮส ถ.สุรวงศ

■ Silom Galleria Art Space (map C4) Unit B24-25, B1 Floor | 02-630-3381 | daily 10am – 9pm

สีลม แกลลอเรีย ถ.สีลม

มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร ถ.หนาพระลาน

สุรพล แกลลอรี่ อาคารทิสโก ถ.สาทร

หอศิลปตาดู ถ.เทียมรวมมิตร

■ Tang Contemporary Art (map B4) Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-630-1114 | daily 10am – 7pm (except on Wed and public holiday) | www. tangcontemporary.com

ถัง คอนเทมโพรารี อารท สีลมแกลลอเรีย ถ.สีลม

■ Teo & Namfah Gallery (map B4) 331, Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Rd | BTS Surasak l 02-237-5568 l Tue-Sat 10.30am7pm l www.teonamfahgallery.com

เทีย่ ว น้ำฟา สีลมแกลลอเรีย ถ.สีลม

■ Thavibu Gallery (map B4) Suite 308, Fl 3, Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Rd | BTS Surasak| 02-266-5454 | Tue-Sat 11am7pm, Sun noon-6pm | www.thavibu.com

ทวิบู แกลลอรี่ สีลม แกลลอเรีย ถ.สีลม

■ Gallery Ver (map A3) Fl 2, 71/31-35 Klongsarn Plaza, Charoen Nakorn Rd, Thonburi | 02-861-0933 | TueSat 10am – 7pm | www.verver.info

แกลลอรี่ เวอร คลองสาน พลาซา ถ.เจริญนคร

■ Whitespace (map C2) Fl 2, 260 Lido Bldg, Siam Square Soi 3 | BTS Siam | 02-252-2900 | Tue-Fri 1pm – 7pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am – 8pm | www. whitespaceasia.com

ไวทสเปซ ลิโด สยามสแควร ซ.3

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

June 2008

FREE

Bangkok Art Map

ISARN BOY DREAM by Maitree Siriboon

Exhibition Spotlight Month of Photography

Current Exhibitions The most interesting shows across town

Ban

gkok Ar t Map

Gallery Directory

Detailing the capital’s best viewing spaces

Sponsored by bangkok 101

From the publishers of ar ts

www.bangkokartmap.com 47

Riverside and Beyond Photographs by Dominic Sansoni For Sri Lanka-based photographer, Dominic Sansoni, a career highlight was one of his shots being chosen to grace the front cover of Thailand: 9 days in the Kingdom. For the project his brief was to capture life along the Chao Phraya River, as he puts it “so much the heart and soul of Bangkok”. The resulting pictures do that – only differently. Eschewing the riversides touristy face, he shot the working river and its compromised yet still quintessentially Thai riverside communities. From pictures of temples and festivals in Chinatown, to portraits of septuagenarians stoically plying their trade, and monks collecting alms in long-tail boats, the following collection is a quiet celebration of Bangkok’s sinuous ancient river and the local life that endures beyond it.

The curving glass facade of the CAT Telecoms building dominates this shot from the riverside’s downtown. (left) The head office of the Kasikorn Thai Farmers Bank towers above the Rama IX bridge, while tug boats and industrial ships skim the waters. (above)

P H OTO F E AT U R E

At her small shop down a Chinatown alley, a coffee vendor prepares a cup of local coffee. One cup costs between 10 baht and 12 baht (around US$ 0.30). While there are now a thousand of modern coffee franchises all over Thailand, local-style brews are popular. (top)

A vendor sells fresh yellow noodles at his popular restaurant in Chinatown. (left)

A local does his washing at the edge of the Chao Phraya. The Dipangkorn Rasmijti bridge can be seen in the distance.

A fortune-teller peeks out of his shop in Chinatown. In Thailand, fortune-telling is not just for fun. The vast majority consult fortune-tellers to answer serious questions about when to hold important events such as wedding or business launch, or when to have a child. (top left) A woman sells tickets for the ferry at a pier on the Chao Phraya River. (bottom left) An old gent having his hair cut. (top) A woman pays respects at a temple in Chinatown.. (right)

P H OTO F E AT U R E

In the early morning by Ban Song Thai Plai Pong Pang homestay in Ampawa district, three monks receive food from a woman giving alms. Ampawa, only 90 kilometres from Bangkok, is known for its charming canals, floating markets and activities typical of traditional village life.. (above)

A Royal Barge. Used once a year during the world-famous Royal Barges Ceremony, for most of the year they are kept in the Royal Barges Museum found along Klong Bangkok Noi. (bottom right)

P H OTO F E AT U R E

Traffic is backed up as usual on Bangkok’s Saphan Taksin Bridge, which spans the Chao Phraya River. Lit up along the riverfront are some of Bangkok’s most famous luxury hotels.

THAILAND:

DAYS IN THE KINGDOM

The pictures here come from the Thailand: 9 days in the Kingdom project, which was organised by Singapore publisher Editions Didier Millet (EDM). For nine days, between January 14 and January 22, 2007, 55 of the world’s greatest photographic minds from 18 nations gathered in Thailand. Their mission was to create a visual time capsule of the great kingdom to mark the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King. Across the country, hundreds of priceless moments were snapped up and immortalized on celluloid, featuring Thailand’s people and wildlife, land scapes and cityscapes, smiles and struggles. The work has been presented in a stunning, large-format coffee table book called Thailand: 9 days in the Kingdom, filled with Thailand from every possible angle. The 304-page book, with no less than 425 photographs from the project, includes a free DVD with two behind-the-scenes documentaries, and is on sale at B2S, Kinokuniya and Asia Books for B1,750. It is a rare opportunity and a must-have for anyone fascinated by Thailand. www.9days-inthekingdom.com www.edmbooks.com

Arts

performing arts Theatres

AKSRA THEATRE (map C3) King Power Complex 8/1 Rangnam Rd, Phaya Thai|BTS Victory Monument | 02-677-8888 ext 5678 | TueFri 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 คิงพาวเวอร คอมเพล็กซ 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. อรุณอมรินทร

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 Joe Louis

TRADITIONAL THAI PUPPET THEATER (JOE LOUIS) (map C4) Suan Lum Night Bazaar, 1875, Rama IV Rd | MRT Lumphini | 02-252-9683-4 , 02-252-5227-9 ext 101 – 104 | daily 8pm – 9:15pm | adults B900, children B300 | www.thaipuppet.com 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 หุนละครเล็ก (โจหลุยส) สวนลุมไนท บาซาร

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; eye-popping poignancy to some, detached fantasia to others.

สยามนิรมิต ถ. เทียมรวมมิตร

NATIONAL THEATRE (map A3) 2 Rachini Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-224-1342, 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.

โรงละครแหงชาติ ถ.ราชินี สนามหลวง

RAM THAI (THAI TRADITIONAL DANCE)

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.35), pay the colourful troupe a couple of hundred baht to see them perform. When visiting Vimanmek Mansion (p.32), 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.85). 56

ar ts

bangkok 101

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. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE (map C4) 29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-670-4200 | Mon-Sat 10am-6pm | www.alliance-francaise.or.th

สมาคมฝรั่งเศสกรุงเทพ ถ. สาทรใต

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 เคานซิล สยามสแควร

GOETHE INSTITUT (map C4) 18/1 Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1 | MRT Lumphini | 02-287-0942~4 ext.22 | daily 8am-6pm | www.goethe.de/

สถาบันเกอเธ 18/1 ซ. เกอเธ สาทร ซ. 1

cultural centres

JAPAN FOUNDATION (map D3) Serm-mit Tower, Fl 10, Sukhumvit Soi 21 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-2608560~4 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am5pm | www.jfbkk.or.th

เจแปน ฟาวนเดชั่น 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 Goethe Institut

TCDC (THAILAND CREATIVE & DESIGN CENTRE)

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 good at opening your mind and eyes to curious international design concepts; be it Vivienne Westwood’s fearlessly non-conformist 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 WHERE 6th Fl., The cultural uniqueness to create 20th century Emporium Shopping Complex design classics; or a peek at the swish, Sukhumvit 24 (map D4) BTS state-of-the-art library. With over 16,000 Phrom Phong, 02-664-8448, rare books, a large selection of multimedia, www.tcdc.co.th OPEN Tueeven a textile centre, this is where the city’s Sun 10:30am – 9pm 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. Incentre café Kiosk, with its strong Italian coffee, is on hand to keep the Kingdom’s next big things on track. Kiosk

bangkok 101

ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปง คอมเพล็กซ สุขุมวิท 24 ar ts

Arts SF,M BK

cinema

angkok boasts world-class, state-of-the-art movie theatres showing the latest Hollywood and Thai blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House and Lido, screen less common independent and international films. Foreign films are mostly screened in their native languages with subtitles in Thai. For artsy fare, check out the regular screenings at culture centres like the Alliance Française, Goethe Institut and Japan Foundation – most movies are shown with English Please subtitles. Seats are reasonably priced at around B100stand quietly 180. The best place to check screening times is on the while the national daily-updated www.movieseer.com, which just about anthem is played every Bangkokian uses before going to the movies. in respect to Thailand’s king. Thai Cinema 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.

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

โรงภาพยนตลโิ ด สยาม และสกาลา สยามสแควร ถ. พระราม 1

EGV Grand (Gold Class) Siam Discovery Centre, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | 02-812-9999

สยามดิสคัฟเวอรรเ่ี ซ็นเตอร ถ. พระราม 1

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

บิก๊ ซี ราชดำริ ตรงขามเซ็นทรัล เวิลดพลาซา ถ. ราชดำริ

HOUSE (Boutique art film cinema) Royal City Avenue (RCA), Petchaburi Rd | 02-641-5177

เฮาส อารซเี อ ถ. พระรามเกา

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

มาบุญครองเซ็นเตอร ถ. พญาไท

These Screens are Gold

You enter the dimly lit room, chiffon drapes sway against the wall as the cool air flows against your skin. Settling into the velvet sofa, complimentary drinks are whisked in front of you. Soon you are led to a separate area. Dark and hard to navigate, you are guided to your seat in this chilly chamber. Reclining back, a blanket is pulled over your body, covering you up for whatever thrills that may ensue. By now it’s more than obvious where you’ve been lured..... To the movies of course!! In Thailand you can fly in cinematic first class, which is possible for roughly the same price as your old neighbourhood theatre back home. All of the above, including seat-side waiter service, is available for around B300, although Paragon charges at least double.

SFX CINEMA CITY Emporium (Cineplex) 6th Fl., Emporium, Sukhumvit 24 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-260-9333

เอ็มโพเรียม สุขมุ วิท 24

SF WORLD CINEMA 7th Fl., Central World Plaza, Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Chit Lom | 02-268-8888

เซ็นทรัลเวิลดพลาซา ถ. ราชดำริ

Paragon Cineplex

Where’s the gold?

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bangkok 101

reading & screening

In Print

Bangkok is home to an eye-popping array of excellent book shops, 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. BANGKOK CITY SCOOPS CityScoops Media | 144pp | Finding the coolest eats, buys, chills, clubs and thrills in a city as fickle as Bangkok is one long game of chase your tail.As soon as you rock up,the trend-setters are up and off to find their next victim. Cue Bangkok CityScoops, “a rare insider’s view of what’s spicing up the city” compiled by a team of “urban curators”. This is not some guidebook written by a deskbound writer under the kosh of commissioner deadlines; more like the transcribed whisperings of Bangkok’s young and hip, as each one takes it in turns to describe – in a sassy fashion – their current haunts du jour. Add fresh propulsive photography by Luke Duggleby, playful headlines, neat chapters divided by neighborhood, annotated maps, and you’re onto a winner. Of course, the true test is what do the locals think? And, competitive streak aside, we confess there are a few “CityScoops” now on our to-do list.

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

PLATFORM Michel Houellebecq | B450 | 362pp Random House This shocking, incendiary, yet riveting piece of existential lit comes from – where else? – France. The highly controversial author caused a right old rumpus with this novel, largely due to its criticism of Islam, ruthless descriptions of sex tourism and graphic portrayals of intercourse. It’s still considered Houellebecq’s best work so far, though. Michel, a humdrum, frustrated civil servant, travels to Thailand, in the hope for sexual pleasures with Asian women. He meets a French woman, falls for her, and they decide to open a sex resort on Phuket. When the resort is brutally destroyed by Islamic terrorists and Valerie is killed, Michel returns to a state of forlornness. “Love must fail,” seems to be Platform’s message. Known for his ability to record existence mercilessly, Houellebecq exposes a side of Thailand that is known but often ignored.

THE LAST EXECUTIONER Chavoret Jaruboon | 296pp | Maverick House | B495 Capital punishment: the harshest penalty the laws of the land can deliver. Just desserts dished up by the karma police – or simply state-sponsored murder? Whatever your moral stance, if you were condemned in Thailand before the advent of lethal injection in 2003, your stance would be: strapped to a crucifix, hands bound in a wai, a target over your heart, with your back to Chavoret Jaruboon manning a not-always-trusty submachine. This is the autobiography of the simple, yet very reﬂective and practical man. Born a stone’s throw from an opium-ﬂouting brothel, he started out an Elvis-adoring touring musician, and ended up doing away with 55 inmates at Bang Kwang, the infamous Bangkok Hilton. Unsurprisingly, it’s harrowing stuff. And also pretty hard to put down.

MON-RAK TRANSISTOR 2001 | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang | VCD B200, DVD B399 A faux-naif morality tale with a satiric sting. Country crooner Pan leaves behind his sweetheart to make it big in Bangkok – and that’s when everything goes to hell. Ratanaruang disrupts what might have become a tired big-city-is-bad narrative with unruly tonal shifts, pitching cacky comedy after buckets of tears – the result is messily enchanting. Transistor draws on a hodgepodge of inﬂuences, including the 1970 cinematic sensation Mon Rak Luk Thung, a musical celebration of Thai rural life; campily narrated silent films; and the songs of a beloved Thai country singer, making it as much a love song to Thai pop culture as it is to its longsuffering lovers.

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Food&Drinks

dining in bangkok 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.

Deva

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.77). 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-anything-once daredevil, you’re in for a non-stop gastronomical journey. Wyndham Thai

BANG FOR YOUR BAHT

$ under B400 The price guide to the right indicates what $$ B400 – B1,000 you can expect to pay per-person for a meal, $$$ B1,000 – B2,000 not including drinks. Many restaurants run $$$$ over B2,000 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 a service charge (typically 10%) and government tax (typically 7%) will be added to your bill.

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. 60

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meal deals

rEFLEXIonS, PLaza aTHEnEE It’s game season in Europe. Until 30 November, Reflexions will celebrate that fact with richly flavoured dishes like hare, duck, pheasant, guinea fowl, quail, patridge, venison and wild boar; all prepared with passion by Chef Thibault Chiumenti. Call 02-650-8800, ext. 4338.

SET LUnCH, aUBErGInE Enjoy French cuisine, a la Province, with this new two or three course set lunch at Aubergine. For B299++ or B349++, sample dishes like pan-fried duck breast with orange sauce, while languishing in the cosy, yellow-ochre splendour of this former diplomat residence. Call 02-234-2226.

THanKSGIvInG, SHEraTon GranDE SUKHUMvIT Celebrate Uncle Sam’s heartwarming harvestfestival, with this dinner buffet at three Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit venues: Rossini’s, The Living Room and basil. Victuals, available from 6.30-10.30pm, include butternut squash with spicy sausage soup, roast Butterball turkey with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce and key lime pie. For reservations call 02-649-8353.

TaSTE oF MEXICo, PrESIDEnT ParK Throughout Nov, President Park hotels will serve a la carte dishes from the land of fiestas. Think burritos con cordero or pollo loco, and desserts like pina colada bread pudding, washed down with a glass of tequila solitos. Call the President Park (02-661-1000 ext. 28), President Solitaire (02-255-2700 ext.5) or Grand President Hotel (02-651-1200 ext.7).

Loy KraTHonG FESTIvaL DInInG Wash away your sins while enjoying a feast fit for Princess Nopamas herself, with these Loy Krathong hotel dining specials. November 12 is the big night, when a whole city will flock to the water to set adrift symbolic banana-leaf floats. The Sukhothai is staging a Thai set menu at their Celadon restaurant. For B2,300++ per person you’ll get to dine like royalty and be given a krathong to float, no doubt on the evocative ponds there. Similarly, the Holiday Inn

n Royal Orchid Sherato

bangkok 101

Silom is celebrating with an array of fine Thai cuisine, plus a complimentary krathong to float in the fountain. All for just B700++. Call 02-238-4300 for reservations. The riverside, for most, is the place to be. All the hotels along the Chao Phraya River will be throwing special dos. As we go to press, it’s two of the most famous that are really pushing the float out. The royal orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers is laying on a lavish buffet on their riverside terrace, with krathong floating off the hotel’s private pier,Thai dance shows, a beauty contest and fireworks (B4,200++).Alternatively, take a 6-course Italian set menu at Giorgio’s (B3,900++); or a 5-course set dinner at Thara Thong (B3,200++). Call 02-266-9214 for reservations. Similarly, the Mandarin oriental is offering the full works out on the atmospheric Riverside Terrace (B5,200 net, kids B3,700net).There’s also an a la food & drinks

Oriental

carte menu at Le Normandie available, a market style buffet at Terrace Rim Naam, a set menu at Lord Jim’s by resident chef Robbie, and an elegant set dinner at Sala Rim Naam.The showoffs. Will these be able to rival dining on their Maeyanang Rice Barge though, right in the midst of the candlelit action? For B3,000 net, frankly, we doubt it. Call 02-659-9000 ext. 7302. 61

Food&Drinks yum ta krai (spicy lemongrass salad)

thai cuisine

Did you know?

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. 62

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 yarng..........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 FRUITS

thai sweets

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 (polamai) 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 cer tain times of year. Here’s a look at what and when

November is best for: Langsat

Perhaps one of the least known and hardest to find fruits, the langsat is a small oval-shaped fruit that has a green coloured skin when young and gets increasingly yellow as it ripens. It is similar in appearance to the longkong, except with thicker skin that emits a bit of sap, though it is not sticky to the touch. The flesh is plump and translucent, and comes in various segments. It is fragrant and has a sweet flavour with a slightly sour kick, though less ripe ones tend to be very sour. Be very careful not to bite into the seed as you will receive an unwelcome and overwhelming bitter taste in your mouth. It is mainly found in the southern provinces of the country, as well as Uttaradit province in the North. The season for the langsat fruit is between the months of July and October.

Try also: watermelon (taeng-mo), pomelo (som-o), guava (farang), banana (kluay), papaya (malakor), mangosteen (mong-koot), lychee (lyn-chee), jackfruit (kanoon), mango (ma muang), rambutan (ngoh).

kanom Thai

The word kanom is much too schizophrenic to be summed up as Thai desserts. although most anything that’s sweet will be categorised 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 : KanoM Ta-Go

Though you may mistakenly think people are talking about a certain staple of Mexican cuisine (prounounced tah-goh), these little desserts are completely Thai. Made with sago (a starch extracted from Sago palms) as the main ingredient, the little puddings are topped with coconut and then steamed in pandan leaf cups. kanom Bueng – Crispy crêpes with coconut whip filling kanom krok – Mini coconut cream hotcakes kanom Chun – Layered pandan jelly

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

street eats

Street Food Hotspots

SUKHUMvIT SoI 38 Directly beneath the Thong Lo BTS station, the mouth of this soi fills up with food vendors selling late-night delicacies to Bangkok’s revellers. Sample the delicate, handmade 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 the Patpong Night Market. In front of the Wall Street Building; be sure to try the stewed chicken noodles in herbal soup. Stalls are open from 10pm until 4am.

ealikte

Nym

PraTUnaM Midnight Chicken Rice! There are two shops at the intersection; 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.

ood is a central ingredient in the stew of Bangkok’s culture. The city is famed for its scrumptious street food. Bangkokians eat out day and night, and locals know exactly what to get and where. on every street you’ll spot mobile vendors; some open for lunch only, others open all night. you’ll often find clusters of vendors in one place, selling all kinds of rice and noodle dishes. you can always eat out in restaurants, but don’t miss some of the wonderful street specialities.

Food Courts

Nearly all Bangkok department stores and malls dedicate ample space to food courts, culinary havens where you’ll find all the best local street food and more in air-conditioned surroundings. They are super-clean cheap, and many stands display pictures of the dishes – food courts make for the perfect initiation to Thai street food. Pick and choose – it will be tallied up as you go; you pay as you leave. Among our faves, try Central Chidlom, CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, Emporium and MBK (see p. 102).

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.

raD na naI Lao

For twenty years rad na nai lao has been a staple at this small shophouse, just off Thanon Nang Linchee. Rad na is a renowned noodle dish. Fried noodle is topped with a gravy-like sauce which is seasoned to harmonize in your mouth. The secret here that gives this dish its fame is the quality of ingredients. Nai lao only uses fresh, young, green vegetables (pak kana in Thai), and marries a gravy sauce with egg and the gentleness and flavor of marinated pork. Portions are generous but I never seem able to stop at just one! Another famous dish here that I have to order two dishes each visit is their pad se-eiw. This is fried noodles in a deep, dark, sweet sauce. The dark sauce gives off a soft aroma of caramelized essence and a mildly sweet taste. Unlike some other places, the pad se-eiw here is not oily and let’s more of the noodle texture and taste come through. I modify mine slightly by adding a few drops of vinegar, a couple drips of fish sauce, a pinch of sugar and, depending on my mood, some dry roasted chili. I love to make a spoonful that combines pak kana, a mouth-sized piece of pork and noodle all together. Come and you may see me, inhaling the aroma of the ingredients while chewing away and smiling! 128/4 nang Linchee road, close to Soi amorn | 02-678-3517 | open 11am-11pm, except Monday when it’s open until 3pm 64

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restaurants

THAi TIDa ESarn (map C3) Soi Rangnam opp. King Power Complex | BTS Victory Monument | 02-247-2234, 02-247-6226 | Mon-Fri 11:30am – 10pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am – 10:30pm | $ Itching to try fiery Isaan cuisine, but don’t want to dangle your feet off a vermin-friendly street curb in the process? A good bet for beginners is this open-fronted restaurant on Soi Rangnam whose beige, woody, informal interior is always jostling with locals and expats, despite some sluggish service. The atmosphere veers toward rambunctious, but when there’s an iceberg’d beer on your table (served up by a waitress “pretty”) and the food (eventually) arrives, it’s hard to argue with its Isaan fixings. The gai yang (grilled chicken) is good, the larb moo ditto, and the biting som tum pounded into existence from a little stall that sits, rather kitschily, centre stage. Price a bit steep for a place with unflattering strip lighting and farang in shorts? Then decamp to the more ramshackle, but cheaper and no less aroi (tasty) competition a few doors down.

ธิดาอีสาน ซ.รางน้ำ ตรงขามคิงพาวเวอร

rUEn UraI (map C4) The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawongse Rd | 02-266-8268~72 | BTS Saladaeng MRT Sam Yan | daily 11am-11:30pm | $ Collecting dust for many years before it was resuscitated, this century old manor has been transformed into a literally cool little nook in the otherwise smutty Surawong area. Nestled

Deva

off the main road it is a welcomed surprise. Bangkok’s unforgiving heat seems to take a break in this breezy garden oasis. The ancient heritage of the house is alive, heirlooms from the proprietor’s family decorate the dining area and the food here does not betray the history of the location. The restaurant takes an unrelenting stance on upholding genuine flavours, refusing to hold back on classic herbs and spices with standouts like lemongrass grilled chicken with tamarind sauce, and mouth-watering snapper fillets with roasted chilli jam. Also try dishes like Salmon satay, unorthodox yet strong authentic flavours remain. For a first foray into Thai cuisine this may spoil you for life.

เรือนอุไร รร.โรส โฮเทล ถ.สุรวงศ

Ruen Urai

DEva By M.L. KWanTIP DEvaKULa (map D4) 32/1 Soi Sukhumvit 39 (Phrom Phong) | BTS Phrom Phong | 0-2662-5427 | www. devabkk.com | daily 11am – 11pm | $$$ When not gracing the pages of hi-so magazines or TV, celebrity chef ML Kwantip Devakula, can often be found entertaining at her restaurant, Deva. “It’s not fusion” she’ll chirp as you sit down amidst a posh forest of pine wood panelling, shot through with black vertical lines. And, despite some inner contention about dishes like sirloin steak smothered in a gaeng keow wan (green curry) gravy, you won’t be inclined to disagree. Her lunch and dinner menus – much of it made with imported produce – brims with Eastern nouveau cuisine ambition. Try the smoked salmon salad with spicy lime dressing; or Wagyu beef carpaccio with Asian mayo, for proof. Homier fair includes lovely red-glazed roast chicken with a rustic chilli and garlic paste. A broad wine list and light piano on Fridays and Saturdays whips diners into a posh reverie. And if you fancy recreating the tongue-somersaults that often occur here, book in for one of her intimate cooking classes.

เดวา บาย หมอมหลวงขวัญทิพย เทวกุล ซ.สุขุมวิท 39

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

Wyndham Thai

WynDHaM THaI (map D4) Somerset Lake Pt | 41 Sukhumvit Soi 16 BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-258-1783 | daily 11am-10:30pm | www.wyndhamthai.com | $$ Somebody sure loves strong colours, both in his place and on his plates. A sharp Thai guy takes all he learned cooking in some of Sydney’s top kitchens to Hong Kong, where his restaurant becomes a hit. He then returns to Bangkok, bringing home with him this gastronomic gem. Chef Rom’s talents show in his daring, intensely flavoured Thai creations presented as nouvelle cuisine. The food is innovative, but pays respect to its roots: green papaya salad and scallops come in succulent crêpes; super-tender baby back ribs arrive in tamarind sauce. Recent discoveries include delicate soft shell crab rolls and, from the main dishes, a baked barramundi fillet divinely presented in a chilli, lemongrass and coconut sauce. Portions are generous, prices fair, desserts divine (think coconut crème brûlée or poached pear stuffed with lemon grass ice cream). Wyndham Thai is a destination in itself. Trendy without trying too hard, it gives you copper lotus flower lights, earth-toned walls, and a stunning royal barge figurehead. The lounge bar, with its red leather couches, is right out of a boutique hotel. Instead of the usual pling-pling sounds you get downbeat, unobtrusive music. If Rom opened in a place like New York or London, we fear we’d never get a table.

วินดัมไทย โซเมอรเซท เลคพอยท สุขุมวิท ซ. 16

HoME KITCHEn (map C3) 94 Langsuan Rd | BTS Chidlom | 02253-1888, 02-254-9888 | daily 8am – midnight | $ If you want a place to come and enjoy the simple joy of eating delicious local food – no fuss, no pretence, no huge bill – check out Home Kitchen, or Khrua Nai Baan. Its two houses opposite Lang Suan Soi 6 (one modern, the other a gracefully rickety wooden house) are unremarkable, yet the kitchen here shines as one of the best in town for its authentic Thai, Chinese and seafood cuisine. Don’t miss the deep fried fish with mango salad; steamed prawns with chilies and lime sauce; or the stir fried crab with curry powder. These and many other classics simply excel here, and though this is no tourist trap, the experience is enhanced by one of the most comprehensive and wellillustrated menus in town. Unusually for a place that doesn’t specialise in it, the dim sum is also remarkably good – big, firm and succulent.

รานครัวในบาน ถ.เพลินจิต ตรงขามหลังสวนซ.7

food & drinks

To SIT (map C4) 72/2 Langsuan Soi 5 | BTS Chid Lom | 02-652-2332 | www.tosit.com | Mon-Sat 5pm – til late (last order at midnight) | $ There are tons of places where Thais flock to unwind over jugs of beer, snacks and acoustic ditties. Very few, however, can lay claim to as winsome a setting as To Sit. Beyond a white picket fence, a refurbished King Rama-V era wooden house, painted in pastel blues and whites, rises from within a trim modern garden. On a typical night you may find, say, an office party chatting budgets, or a dashing couple enjoying a romantic rendezvous on the patio, where a female pianist/vocalist duo play softly. Everyone’s sharing the unsophisticated, local fare; top sellers of which include pla krapong chair nampla (fried sea bass with fish sauce), larb moo tod to sit (spicy deep fried minced pork salad) and pla muek pad khai daeng (stir fried squid with chicken yolk). One for banyakaat dee (relaxing atmosphere) lovers.

ทูซิทหลังสวน หลังสวนซ.5

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Butler’s

iNTERNATiONAl BUTLEr’S (map C3) L/F, Gaysorn 999 Ploenchit Road | BTS Chit Lom | 02-656-1107-8 | www. gaysorn.com | daily 10am – 8pm | $$ Mall dining can be startlingly good here. Not only is the foodcourt fare toothsome, you can also, if your wallet can stand it, dine in super posh style. With its swish gazebo, honeycomb motifs, elegant tones and sharp service, Butler’s falls firmly in the latter camp. And stays there. Awardwinning US pastry chef, Tim Butler, uses mostly local produce to create playful, often outlandish twists on light Modern Western – highlights are the pâté de foie gras, with its Pollockesque looks and light mousse texture; and the tender Argentinean striploin steak with sautéed mushrooms, rocket salad and a moreish polenta. Butler’s true passion, though, is the three-course dessert menu. Order the Pineapple carpaccio or Thai tea for a double sensory whammy: once on seeing, again on tasting. And for proof that fine dining can, indeed, be fun try the chocolate consommé: the first dessert to ever, with its Kahlua biscuit raft bobbing on a rich, melted chocolate sea, remind us of Robinson Crusoe.

เกสรพลาซา แยกราชประสงค ถ.เพลินจิต

bangkok 101

EMBEr (map C-D4) 99/11-12 Langsuan Balcony Building, Soi Langsuan, Ploenchit Rd | BTS Chidlom | 02-652-2086-7 | Mon-Sat 11:45am-2pm, 6pm-10pm | $$$ This Bangkok venture of Singaporean chef Sebastian Ng, celebrated hotelier Peng Loh, and Thai partners features European dishes with “a tinge of Asian and Japanese influence” served in a decidedly chic setting. Must-have items on the menu include crispy foie gras served with a pear chutney and beet-orange chili reduction and five-peppered crusted Australian lamb rack with baby bok choy and a port-tamarind reduction. A dessert not to be missed is apple-cranberry strudel with caramel sauce and ginger ice cream. Ember also features a reasonably priced set lunch menu of B399++ for two courses, B459++ per person for three courses that can be selected from six appetizers and six main courses.

เอ็มเบอร ตึกหลังสวนบัลโคนี่ ซ. หลังสวน

To DIE For (map E4) HI Place 998, near the end of Sukhumvit 55 (Thong Lo) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-381-4714 | Sun-Thu 4pm – midnight, Fri-Sat 4pm – 1am | $$ Set in H1, a sort of avant-garde shopping centre at the end of swanky

food & drinks

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, not-too-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.

ทูดายฟอร ทองหลอ

Food&Drinks

chic bangkok Cheryl Tseng

La SCaLa

La Scala is a happening Italian restaurant situated in the illustrious hotel favoured by affluent travelers, known as the Sukhothai. The unusual layout makes every table a unique dining experience, from the patio that looks out to the gorgeous pool, romantic tables by the window, a communal counter that looks like a sushi bar to the long tables that appear to be suspended from a solid bronze wall. The stunning glass bricks and balustrades are like sculptural art. These striking elements, designed by the famous Japanese firm Studio SPIN, steadily attract Bangkok’s upscale crowd, who come to savour the delectable slow-cooked stuffed calamari with green peas tomato sauce, house-made spaghetti with baby black mussels, and splendid crispy Tuscan black pork belly Pancetta. For dessert, it’s hazelnut mousse with rosemary red wine and poached pear that stands out. La Scala’s wine list is well-edited and varied, ranging from a modest Italian Allegrini Amarone to a superlative French 1985 Romanée Conti.

Best for Italian venue Sukhothai Hotel, 13/3 South Sathon road (map C4), 02344-8888, www.sukhothai.com BTS Chong nonsi Open daily 11:30am-3pm, 6:30pm-11pm Price $$

Chic Restaurants & Bars Bangkok is a compact food and style lover’s bible showcasing Bangkok’s most fabulous venues for dining and drinking. Global gourmand Cheryl Tseng leads you to the capital’s finest food, and its most striking décor. Each month we take a sneak peek inside, and share a taste here. a definite must-have for travelling foodies, get yourself a copy of the new 3rd edition at local book shops, or visit www.chicasia.com.

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UnIQUELy TaSTy: Where Food meets Form If you appreciate good food and masticating in memorable surroundings, here are our top tips for unforgettable dining experiences around town. A perennial favourite with style magazines, Bed Supperclub (26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-651-3537) offers dining in the kind of surreal space-age pod George Jetson would approve of. Order artful 3 course meals from Sun-Thurs off a limited menu for B1,450++; and on Fri or Bed Supperclub Sat enjoy a mystery 4 course meal for B,1850++. Then recline like a galactic emperor on divan fittings while sexy staff in tight spacesuits and angel wings serve you. Brought to you by the same trailblazing team is ultra-stylish Long Table (Column Building, Sukhumvit Soi 16, 02-302-2557), the city’s most recent addition to the city’s designer dining stakes (they also do a pretty mean steak). As its name suggests, there’s a lengthy central bench, where you can rub up to models, celebrities and assorted other local A-listers, vertigo Grill if you get a kick out of that sort of thing. Relish eating while high? Prepared to spend a tidy sum doing so? Then you’re right for vertigo

Grill (21/100 South Sathorn Road, 02-679-1200), alfresco rooftop restaurant at The Banyan Tree hotel. Happened This sophisticated eatery, set in one it’s to be a Closet of the most architecturally stunning buildings in Bangkok, specialises in top barbecued seafood. After dinner, sup a cocktail in The Moon Bar, the highest alfresco bar in the Asia Pacific. Or make like King Kong and scale the State Tower skyscraper in search of Sirocco (1055 Silom Road, 02-6249555), where sweeping city panoramas extend from atop the second tallest building in Bangkok. Expect quality live jazz, lots of pretty people, and an oyster bar within the prominent golden dome where you can also indulge in Iranian caviar and fine Cuban cigars. Heading back down-toSirocco earth now, aim for the cutesy It’s Happened to be a Closet (32 Khao San Road, 02-629-5271; or Siam Square Soi 3, 02-658-4696). An odd but successful fusion of closet-sized boho boutique with continental restaurant and bakery, shoppers at its two branches chow at a few dinky tables while surrounded by uber-cool trinkets, accessories and hawk-eyed fashionistas.

WYNDHAM THAI RESTAURANT

BAR

UIBJ!XJUI! B!UXJTU

Authentic Thai flavours with an Aussie twist.

G/Fl., Somerset Lake Point, 41 Sukhumvit Soi 16, Bangkok Tel: 02-258-1783 Fax: 02-258-1784 www.wyndhamthai.com Open 7 days a week Lunch - 11am to 2.30 pm Dinner - 6pm to 10.30 pm For Taxi: โซเมอรเซท เลคพอยท สุขุมวิท ซ.16 bangkok 101

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original Rouennaise style. This involves squeezing a strangled duck in a custom bronze mangle to extract the blood for a sauce with port or Armagnac for B1,100 per person; or white or black truffle juice at B1,400 per head.

เลอ บันยัน สุขุมวิท ซ. 8

iTAliAN

Sofa so good

SoFa So GooD (map C2) 50 Soi Phaholyothin 7 Samsen Nai | BTS Aree | 02-617-0909| www. the-sofasogood.com | daily 5:30pm midnight | $ This retro-inflected, candy-colored bistro has the feel of a true neighborhood spot – its location in hip Ari, however, means that food and clientele are more dressed up than usual. Sit at a table if you must, but we prefer curling up on a couch for hours of gnoshing. The menu presents the usual hi-so mélange of Thai nibbles, Western dishes, and fusion-esque pastas, along with an affordable wine list. We headed for the most winceinducing dish – pasta with shrimp roe and blue cheese – and… ate every salty, funky forkful. As for the appetizers, skip the timid salads and suck down the hugely fat and juicy New Zealand mussels, and lahb moo tod (fried-pork larb, zesty, crackly and moist all at once). Leave room for fantastic desserts, and then kick back with the friendly crowd on weekend nights for exceptionally good live entertainment – a singer crooning soft standards, or perhaps a jazz pianist in full swing.

FRENCH LE Banyan (map D3) 59 Sukhumvit Soi 8 | 02-253-5556 | www.le-banyan.com | Mon-Sat 6:30pm12pm (last order 9:30pm) | $$$ String up the garlic and break out the Gauloises: you might get away with a crafty puff between courses at this unpretentious Gallic restaurant. Le Banyan is set in a converted house nested amid a jungle-y garden, run by a brace of cheery characters - manager Bruno Bischoff and Serge Gainsbourgalike chef Michel Binaux - who claim their establishment of over 18 years is the longest running French restaurant in Southeast Asia. It’s also one of the only eateries to serve pressed duck in the

รานโซฟาโซกูด ซ.พหลโยธิน 7 เขาไป 200 ม.

FUzIo (map E4) 6 Fl., Mini Square, Ekkamai Soi 7 | 02-711-6999 | www.fuzio.co.th | daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm With Italian supposedly the favoured European fare among Thais, Fuzio has entered a crowded marketplace – although by winning the “Cold Plate Challenge: Chefs’ Contest for the Best Antipasto”, organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, it has proven credentials. Located above the MINI showroom, this rooftop restaurant presents guests with a decently sized, tastefully attired dining room; slatted window shutters, vintage brown leather furniture, a cocktail bar inlaid with mother of pearl, and exposed ceiling vents create a pleasant semiformal atmosphere. For something different, try the pan-fried Tasmanian Wagyu lamb with Marsala wine and porcini mushroom sauce. This was the first time this reviewer has been aware of Wagyu anything-other-thanbeef – the designation normally being reserved for pampered Japanese calves predisposed to intense marbling. Cattle anomalies aside, Fuzio lives up to its motto: Stylish Italian Cuisine.

ฟูซิโอ มินิสแควร เอกมัย ซ. 7

le Banyan

food & drinks

bangkok 101

Restaurant

Bar & Terrace

Open Lunch And Dinner

Situated in a beautiful private house in Sala Daeng, Soi 1/1, (5 minutes walk from the BTS station, Sala Daeng and the MRT station, Silom). Parking available. A friendly, romantic restaurant serving traditional and modern french food,prepared by our French chef.Great value wine list.Perfect venue for special occasions,parties.V.I.P dining facilities.

Open daily Lunch

Dinner

mon-fri sat-sun

18.00-22.30 (last orders) 18.00-22.30 (last orders)

11.30 - 14.30 12.00 - 15.00

Set lunch monday-sunday 2 courses 299++, 3 courses 349++ Express lunch menu All starters@179++& All main courses@249++ Degustation set dinner 7 courses 1490++ t un co NU Dis E ME % T 71/1 Sala Daeng Road Soi 1/1, Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 10LA CAR www.aubergine.in.th For more information please call: 02-234-2226 email: aubergine_j@hotmail.com A

Food&Drinks

viETNAmESE

Old spices,

new flavours!

THanG LonG (map C3) 82/5 Soi Lang Suan | BTS Chit Lom | 02-251-3504 | daily 11:30am-2pm & 5pm-10:30pm | $ With a heaving hear t, we admit, sometimes, Thai just doesn’t always cut it. Too intense, too fish-saucy, simply too chilli. Those nights we yearn for raw goods, delivered fresh. Herbal lips. And we want clear, uncluttered spaces. Pure minimalism. Here on Bangkok’s busiest food mile, Thang Long – the city’s coolest Vietnamese joint – delivers all that (and more). In lofty, all-white surroundings, under vibrant paintings, playful staff load tables with addictive dishes. Not all classic Vietnamese, mind you. Local Muscles Marys need their Thai touch; thus soft-shell crab salad gets a makeover – and still satisfies. But staples such as chao tom, banh xeo, banh cuon thit and pho are all left in local traditions; you’ll recognize them on the pictorial menu. The street-front patio is a parcel of sexy bliss on cool winter nights.

ทังลอง ซ. หลังสวน

Coupling lighter, fresher ingredients with the curries people know and love, Red takes Indian food to a creative realm never before experienced in Thailand. Enjoy a set lunch menu for B295 net or a la carte dinner at our chic Thong Lor branch; or check out our new branch at Zense, the swish modern dining complex at Zen Department store.

Sukhumvit Branch: 124 Sukhumvit Soi 53 (Thong lor Soi 9), Tel 02-259-7590 Zense Branch: Level 17 Zen World 4, 4/5 Rama 1 Rd, Rajadamri Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Tel 02-100-9898 72

Thang long

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iBO

Souvlaki

GREEk SoUvLaKI (map C4) Silom Soi 4 Surawong, Bangrak | BTS Saladaeng MRT Silom | 02-6329967-8 | www.souvlaki.co.th | daily 11am – 2am | $ Standing between Silom Soi 4’s more colourful establishments stands a pillar of good food. Souvlaki brings the Greek, family-orientated approach to dining, where dishes are shared and freshness is the all-important ingredient, to Bangkok. The menu has been prepared to match the quality of the produce available in Asia with key elements, such as feta cheese, being imported directly from Europe. Instead of being a who’s who of Greek food classics, the chefs have designed a menu of dishes that can be cooked to the standards you would expect in Athens. This is reflected in the clear and consistent tastes found in the food, with gymnastically balanced flavours that neither over-impose nor disappoint. The cosy, intimate venue is frequented by both tourists and informed locals and it is reassuring to see a large Cypriot clientele among their ranks.

ซูฟลากี้ สีลม ซ.4

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RIVER DINING CRUISES 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 (Shangri-La) or on smaller, refurbished antique rice barges (Apsara, Manohra, Oriental).Whether you are manohra 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 2-3 hours. Most include a full buffet or set dinner. It’s wise to make advance reservations. ■ APSARA 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com ■ CHAO PHRAYA CRUiSE 02-541-5599 | www.chaophrayacruise.com ■ GRAND PEARl CRUiSE 02-861-0255 | www.grandpearlcruise.com ■ HORiZON CRUiSE The Shangri-La | 02-266-8165-6 | www.shangri-la.com ■ lOY NAvA 02-437-4932 | www.loynava.com ■ mAEYANANG The oriental Hotel | 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com ■ mANOHRA CRUiSES 02-477-0770 | www.manohracruises.com ■ WAN FAH 02-222-8679 | www.wanfah.com ■ YOk YOR 02-863-0565 | www.yokyor.co.th

Grand Pearl

Flow

DINNER SHOWS

Why not kill two birds with one stone and stuff yourself with culture as well as food, by taking in a culturepromoting dinner show at one of these featured restaurants? Some Thai dancing is very slow, elaborate and mesmerising, while the more folksy stuff offers livelier rhythms. alongside a good range of Thai dishes,The oriental’s popular Sala Rim Nam (02-437-2918), on the river, offers a daily classical dance show performed by Bangkok’s Department of Fine arts at 8.30pm (you can take the dedicated shuttle service from the Saphan Thaksin pier furthest to the left-hand side). other, similarly beguiling affairs are also staged at The Chao Phraya Cultural Centre (02-258-5403) on the riverside close to Sathorn Bridge, and The Piman Theatre (02-258-7861) on Sukhumvit. Innovative performing arts company, The Patravadi Theatre (02-442-2020), offers classical and contemporary dinner shows fusions, also beside the river. Locales include: its own Studio 9 (02-4127287) at 7.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays; the Supatra River House (02-411-0305) next door at 8.30pm on Saturdays; and the Millennium Hilton’s Flow (02-4422000), an exclusive weekly show at 8.30pm on Thursdays that’s creatively choreographed to match each course. Sala Rim Nam

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Food&Drinks

dim-sum featured

NOBLE HOUSE

The restaurant, a relocation of their fiercely popular street outlet, has been open for eight months now and is back due to public demand. Dim sum is their lunch speciality and the menu is a trendy development of the traditional with a fusion focus influenced by food from Shanghai. It is difficult not to be greedy when presented with the array of delicacies all directly from China. Scallops, seaweed and herb dishes – all beautifully presented – are a piece-de-résistance in most restaurants; here they are merely the equal of the other food on offer. The crabmeat, served as sushi, exemplifies the modernising cuisine departure and is predictably phenomenal. Apparently, the literal translation of dim sum from Cantonese means “order to WHERE G Fl., nai Lert Park your heart’s content”. Executive Bangkok, Wireless road (mapC3) chef Koongsoon and his team are BTS Ploenchit, 02-253-0123 taking that notion seriously and the OPEN Lunch 11:30am - 2pm , dim sum lunch is certainly worth a Dinner 6pm - 10:30pm PRiCE visit during your time in Bangkok. Dim Sum Lunch Buffet 550++ รร.นายเลิศปารค ถ.วิทยุ

AmERiCAN BoUrBon STrEET (map D4) 29/4-6 Sukhumvit Soi22,Washington Square | BTS Phrom Phong | www. bourbonstbkk.com | 02-259-0328-9 | daily 7am-1am | $$ The neighbourhood around Bourbon Street seems to draw inspiration from the restaurant’s namesake – this 20year veteran of Bangkok’s restaurant scene is set amidst a sweaty, bawdy entertainment strip. Once you plow past the neighborhood’s neon glare, you will find a restaurant with a casual, big-heated vibe – grab a seat at the giant old-school bar, or park yourself in a hefty chair, perfect a sprawl after you’ve overindulged. And overindulge you will, with American-sized portions of fantastic thick jumbo, zesty homemade sausages, and crawfish trucked in from the restaurant’s Kanchanaburi farm. Blackened fish, so often crusted in charred spices to hide its lack of freshness, is succulent here and full of flavour. Save room for the Bananas Foster, lit up at the table – the gooey caramely result is glorious gluttony. Popular draws: free wifi, the late-night hours, and the fantastic oyster bar.

เบอรบอน สตรีท สุขุมวิท ซ.22

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iNDiAN MrS. BaLBIr’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 | BTS Nana | 02651-0498 | Tue-Sun noon – 10pm| $ “Good Curry No Hurry” is this trusty curry house’s motto, run by the lady chef / owner / local celebrity Vinder Balbir. It could just as well be “It’s so Yum, who Cares about Carbs?” - not that the Northern Indian delicacies would be unhealthy, but guests simply stop counting those calories once the cute platters and pots arrive on the narrow table. Guests neatly mirror the microsociety that is Bangkok, from confused Korean tourists to the lunching ladies pack. Mrs Balbir satisfies those cravings for chicken tikka, sag or palak paneer, black dahl, stuffed nan and kulfui icecream - all made with love and care, super-fresh, well-priced and good enough for kinky foreplay (if you’re so inclined). Upstairs, a dream dollhouse with pillows and beckons Bombay Barbies. This is perfection, down to the cardamom on the cappuccino.

มิสซิส บาลบีรส สุขุมวิท ซ.11/1

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runching is big in Bangkok. all five-star hotels and respectable cafés do them. Some are kidfriendly, 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.

Stand Alone Brunch Venues

Lavish Hotel Brunch Buffets

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featured

brunch

brunching

SHERATON GRANDE SUKHUMVIT

It’s “Kind of Blue” with a buffet too. The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit combines cool jazz with hot (and cold!) temptations, with an amazing and eclectic spread that includes antipasti, premium Italian cold cuts and fantastic pastas, tender tandoori dishes, a carved ice counter with fresh sushi and an open bar. It’s good that the selection is so vast, because the vibe will make you want to take brunch slow. While buffet brunches abound in this city, what makes this one particularly good is both the atmosphere, which is bright and lively, and the quality of the cuisine. The fresh meats cooked to order are particularly good. The salad bar stretches the imagination as much as the stomach. Not to mention the ﬂow of premium wines, beer and WHERE Sheraton Grande cocktails. After multiple trips, you Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit will still feel you didn’t quite try road(map D3) BTS asok everything. It’s a brunch at which to mRT Sukhumvit, 02-649relax as much as to indulge, where 8888 OPEN Sunday 11:30am you can sip your Prosecco and – 3pm PRiCE 1,600++ channel New Orleans.

รร. เชอราตัน แกรนด สุขมุ วิท

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Food&Drinks

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

ANGELINA

This Parisian institution has been enrapturing bourgeois luminaries like Marcel Proust and Coco Chanel for over a century. Now it’s the parched hi-so patrons of Central Chidlom’s turn. Grab a dainty chair amidst the feminine, belle époque décor – balmy white and grey tones, floral motifs and castiron chandeliers – and order in a tea set for two, B395. Potted brews include Twinings classics, zingy peppermint and tangy passion fruit infusions; but you really haven’t “done” Angelina unless you’ve downed the decadent hot chocolate: not only are the cocoa beans imported from Africa to France for roasting, it’s unlike any we’ve tasted – dark, complex and rich. Nibbles WHERE 3rd Fl. Central include a yummy croque monsieur (a Chidlom Ploenchit road grilled ham and Emmenthal cheese (map D4) BTS Chid Lom, sandwich), pains perdu (slices of 02-793-7793 OPEN daily softened baguette topped with one 10am – 10pm, afternoon of four toppings – our favourite: Tea 2:30pm – 5:30pm the rustic cinnamon sautéed apple PRiCE 395+/2persons with vanilla crème Anglaise) and a pastry dénouement. The most famous is far and away the legendary Mont Blanc; a bed of meringue topped with tresses of sweet chestnut puree and filled with whipped cream. And, ahem, pardon my French: C’est délicieux! Tres magnifique! Formidable!! Now if only the view was of the Champs d’Elysee and not the ladies lingerie section!

เซ็นทรัลชิดลม ถ.เพลินจิต

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High Teas

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■ Sukhumvit Gazebo Sukhumvit Soi 1 | 02-655-2475-6 | BTS Phloen Chit Global tapas until the wee hours.

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 | 02-3919634| 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. | 02-238-0931 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 1am Half Restaurant Half Art Gallery with Thai and Pacific Rim cuisine.

bangkok 101

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.

late-night dining

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.64). 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.

Sunrise Tacos

The Old PraAthit Pier Restaurant 23 Phra Athit Rd | 02-282-9202 | until midnight Thai food on a wooden deck right beside the pier. Silk Bar and Restaurant 129-131 Khao San Rd | 02-281-9981 | Food until 2am, Closes at 6am | Thai and International Food food & drinks

Bug and Bee

Food&Drinks

sweet treats

desserts featured

KAKAO CAFÉ

It goes without saying that chocolate is a unifying force in this world which transcends barriers. Until recently Bangkok was lacking in choices for connoisseurs of what the Mayan’s referred to as the food of the gods. Things are definitely looking up for chocoholics with Kakao café, fancy yet chill, this spot specializes in designer desserts going that aim to knock your socks off with an indulgent cocoa kick. Once you enter this posh dessert boutique, a wide glass-display welcomes you with a variety of chocolate pralines and truffles including a decadent 72% cocoa, and the chilli-infused Spicy Kakao, adding extra heat to your bliss. Go for the Kakao Lava Melt, a soufflé-ish chocolate WHERE 99/361-8 Sukhumvit concoction. Grab your fork and pierce this soi 24 (mapD4) (opp. Camp seemingly benign morsel and watch as the thick, Davis), www.kakaocafe.com, rich, chocolate centre oozes and slithers across BTS Phrom Phong, 02-661your plate. All of the desserts are made fresh on1777, OPEN 10 am-10pm site everyday and you can admire the crafty team busy at work in the second floor kitchen. Look out for the unfortunately ignorant attendant downstairs who was utterly rude and inhospitable. Kakao café gets a bit busy at night so maybe you and your loved ones can drop by in the late afternoon to enjoy the wonderful desserts with a bit of privacy. คาเคา คาเฟ สุขมุ วิท ซ. 24 78

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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 five-star 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

MISTRAL

buffet

The heartbeat of all things culinary at Sofitel on Silom Road is the Mistral restaurant up on the second floor. Bright, open and breezy the restaurant looks out onto the city’s business district and attracts a blend of suits doing deals and locals exploring quality international cuisine. Smart without being overly fussy, Mistral’s main dining room is a comfortable blend of brown and orange hues dominated by a central buffet station and open kitchen. Chef Boris Cuzon, a native of Brittany, runs the show with an approachable, down-to-earth charm. The restaurant’s theme is contemporary Mediterranean, with an emphasis on simple, tasty food from that most inspiring of regions. One month the focus is on Greek fare, the next on Spanish. In November, the theme will be Corsican, a wonderful fusion WHERE Sofitel Silom 188 of Italian and French food from an island whose character Silom rd (mapC4) BTS owes as much to Sardinia and Tuscany as the Côte d’Azur. Chong nonsi, 02-238-1991 Buffet dining is so often a dispiriting experience, but OPEN daily 11:30am – Mistral keeps ahead of the game by presenting relatively 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm PRiCE lunch B700++, dinner small portions, thus ensuring a high turnover of dishes and keeping the food fresh – always a challenge. B800++, Sunday lunch 999++ Of the permanent stations, the sushi bar is functional and the salad bar adequate. A series of creative Thai cuisine – tuck into banana flower salad with chicken and fishcakes skewered with lemongrass spears – lends a little local pizzazz. But, aside from the mouthwatering Mediterranea, it is with the bread, cheese and pastries that Mistral really comes alive. Chewy, crusty bread – oh, heaven – is homemade, and irresistibly gooey camembert is well worth the breath mints you will doubtless have to buy afterwards. Meanwhile, Sofitel’s new pastry chef seems to have taken it upon himself to destroy any notions of restraint by producing a sumptuous array of freshly-baked goodies. Pace yourself, pick and choose and enjoy.

รร.โซฟเทลสีลม ถ.สีลม

BUFFET VENUES ■ THE MED The Westin Grande Sukhumvit | 02-2078000 | daily 6am-11pm | Breakfast Buffet: 6:00am-10:30am B650++, Lunch Buffet: noon-2:30pm B750++, Dinner Buffet: 6:00pm-10:30 B1,050++ ■ DInInG rooM Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-254-1234 | Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm (3pm on Sat), Mon-Thu 6pm10pm, 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 | 02-3448888 | Mon-Fri noon-3pm | B980++

bangkok 101

■ ESPrESSo InterContinental Bangkok, Ploenchit Rd | 02656-0444 | daily noon-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | B790++ (lunch) B990++ (dinner) ■ HEIGHTS CaFÉ Pan Paciﬁc Bangkok | 02-632-9000 ext. 4343 | Mon-Sat 6am-10:30pm, Sun 11:30am-3pm | Breakfast B590++, Lunch B610++, Dinner B690++ ■ no.43 BISTro Cape House Serviced Apartment, Gr Fl, 43 Soi Langsuan| 02-658-7444 ext.285 | daily 6ammidnight ■ LorD JIM’S BUFFET Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Oriental Avenue | 02 - 659-9000 | Mon-Sat noon-3pm sun 11:30am-

food & drinks

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 | 02-649-8888 11:30am-2:30pm & 6:30pm-10:30pm | Lunch 760++, Dinner (Mon-Thu) 1,050++, Dinner (Fri - Sun) 1,250++ ■ CITI BISTro Pathumwan Princess Hotel 1st Fl., near MBK | 02-216-3700 | daily 11:30am – 2:30pm | lunch B650 net, dinner B890net

Food&Drinks

wine

featured

wıne bar

WINE & ME

This relative newcomer on Bangkok’s burgeoning wine bar scene is exactly what a wine bar should be. Cosy, intimate and quiet, this friendly neighborhood dig holds only about 30 customers. The wine selection features around 100 labels, each handpicked by the congenial proprietor, Khun Paul, a young Thai businessman who opened Wine & Me about a year ago, extending the passion for wine he developed during his 13 years living in America. Most nights, you’ll find Paul here sharing tasting notes with his pals, and welcoming new and regular customers to his oenophiles’ lair. His wine selection shows a strong French influence, including a diverse selection from all five levels of Grand Cru class, plus some interesting choices from Italy and the New World as well. Wine & Me’s private selection boasts seriously rare gems, notably from some of California’s leading boutique vineyards (among them, a rare 1999 bottle of Screaming Eagle, with an equally screaming price tag of B135,000!). But not to fret; for the more modest quaffers, WHERE 941 Sukhumvit very drinkable bottles start from just B1090, road (btw sois 51 & 53), and there’s free wi-fi here for customers to 02-662-7605, BTS Thong sip and surf. Or nibble on a plate of fresh Lo OPEN Mon–Sat cold cuts and cheeses and just enjoy spying 5.30pm-1am on traffic creeping along Sukhumvit Road out the picture window fronting the bar. A live band, Viva Trio from the Philippines, plays an eclectic mix of oldschool classics Tuesday through Saturday nights from 8pm till midnight. And if you’re in need of further entertainment, the bar man happens to be a magician and is always ready to share a trick or two.

ไวน แอนด มี ระหวางสุขุมวิท ซ. 51 และ สุขุมวิท ซ. 53

food & drinks

Siam Winery

‘New Latitude’ Thai wine 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. Between Sukhumvit 51-53 Mon - Sat 5.30 PM - 1 AM

Live Band Tue - Sat 8 PM - Midnight For Reservation Tel: 02-662-7605

A taste of New Orleans...

Bourbon St. Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Serving up Asia’s ﬁnest Cajun and Creole cuisine since 1986.

Intimate. Stylish. Affable. Original. Innovative, modern sushi. Friendly, informal service. Chic ambience.

27-28th Nov. Join Us

“Thanksgiving Dinner” *899B++/Person Fixin’ breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7am-1am gumbo jambalaya ■ blackened redﬁsh ■

■ US

■

■ Mexican

& Local Steaks buffet every Tuesday ■ oyster bar (raw, char-broiled, more...)

Boutique apartments available daily or monthly 29/4-6 Sukhumvit Soi 22 (behind Mambo Theatre, Washington Square) Tel: 02-259-0328/9 Fax: 02-259-4318 www.bourbonstbkk.com

MON-FRI: 11:00am-2:30pm / 5:30pm-10:00pm SAT-SUN: 11:00am-10:00pm 5 Sukhumvit Soi 31 (Soi Sawasdee) Tel: 02-258-0645~6 www.isaotaste.com

nightlife

one night in bangkok DJ Cavo

Silom area

angkok’s vibrant nightlife offers an almost infinite myriad adjoining sois host many of the city’s flashest amount of options – so much more than just the (and debauched) nightspots. On Soi 11, Q Bar and Bed naughty male’s One Night in Bangkok wet dream. Supperclub (p.84) lead the way in international-style A night out here can easily have you flitting between nightlife. The more degenerate side of Bangkok nightlife conventional, cutting-edge and downright surreal, and shines in Sukhumvit’s two adults-only streetscapes – usually in a matter of steps, or, failing that, a short taxi ride. Nana Plaza (off Soi 4), and the more carnivalesque Soi Cowboy (btw sois 21 & 23). And It’s little wonder that Bangkok pulls in so many revellers from across the “Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major voguish but affordable hotspots thoroughfare and its myriad (all tall tables, live hip-hop and city – and beyond. Glitzy bars and cocktail lounges adjoining sois, hosts many of whisky-sippin’ urban youth) abound in the hot-to-trot sois of attract the well-heeled and fabulous the city’s best nightspots.” Thong Lor and Ekamai (sois 55 for slick drinks and smart design. Innovative nightclubs thrill international clubbers with rave- & 63). Northeast of the Sukhumvit area, Royal City Avenue scene/hip-hop culture sounds. Folksy jazz, blues and rock venues please live music fans. Alternatively, sports junkies – or RCA (p.93) – features a mall-strip of megaclubs and the homesick have pubs… heaps of them, many as where hordes of young, flirty Thais congregate, especially welcoming and well-stocked as your local boozer. Want to on weekends. Other notable hot spots include Bang party till sunrise or thereabouts? Despite party-pooping Lamphu (p,88), the hedonistic backpacker hub that is official closing hours (most venues must shut between legendary Khao San Road, and the bohemian café/bar 1-2am), and as long as you’re cool with doing it in a louche scene on Phra Athit Road. The Chao Phraya River has yet to live up to its back-street style, you can. The lively Silom/Sathorn commercial district is a true potential as a nightlife centre. However, many of throbbing nightlife centre. From Irish-themed pubs to the city’s top hotels (The Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Patpong’s glaring go-go scene, right through to pumping Millennium Hilton & Royal Orchid Sheraton) offer fiveDJs and bars-in-the-sky (p.90), there’s something for all. star cocktails, riverside. Alternatively, for bird’s-eye views The city’s gay scene is also busiest here, with the pink flag of the river and high-altitude cocktails, turn to p.90. On flying proudest around Silom sois 2 & 4, and the sleazier the following pages we list the cream of the crop – from lounges to live music venues, wine bars to nightclubs – Surawong Road. Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major thoroughfare, and its to help you achieve that perfect night out.

nightlife

bangkok 101

nightlife

Bed Supperclub Image by Marcus Gortz

nightclubs

Bed Supperclub

BED SUPPERCLUB (map D3) 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com nightly 7:30pm-1am ‘Bed,’ with its über-modern 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 five year s, 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. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-class world talent (including some very eclectic ar t) for special events. Tuesday’s Hip Hop party packs ‘em in while Wednesday’s Model Night throbs with tribal house music. Sunday is ‘Think Pink’ and features a colourful Burlesque show.

เบด ซัปเปอรคลับ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

Q BAR (map D3) 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com nightly 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka on offer!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife eight 84

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. years ago and is still going strong, with a crowd every night and many bigname guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday’s Beat Therapy hip-hop party, Wednesday’s Block Party with hip-hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Liquid Thursday’s Funky House. Upstairs at Q a chic, remarkably different vibe resounds in the newly renovated bar/ lounge. Some relative solitude can be found here and on the outdoor terrace, perfect for a breather and people watching.

คิว บาร ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

THE CLUB (map A2-3) 123 Khao San Rd, Taladyod, Phranakorn | 02-629-1010 | www.theclubkhaosan. com | free The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers will be amazed to find they’ve entered a castle on Khao San Road. The spiral staircase to the central DJ platform and sky-high windows give a fairy-tale vibe that would make Rapunzel want to let her hair down and hang loose. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging house with a B300-500 entry fee for special events from psy-trance to breakbeat to global DJs. Ladies’ night on Thursdays treats the crowd to live percussion, while a saxophonist jazzes it up on Fridays.The drink prices are kind to your wallet and dancers entertain on Friday and Saturday nights. The Club aims to raise the stakes on the Khao San strip with plans for an outdoor monitor that will stream live action from the naughty goings-on inside.

Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general, weeknights can be hit-or-miss, but weekends are always packed and hopping.

ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4

THE TUNNEL (map C3) Lang Suan Soi 5 | nightly 10pm-till late Bangkok’s late-night venues equal adventure and The Tunnel, growing by word-of-mouth, screamed from clubber to clubber, is no exception. Flash your ID at the harmless hulks on the door to enter a crypt-style hangout that’s filled with a veritable who’s who of the vampire social scene. There’s ample dancing space and a DJ pod in the middle of the dance ﬂoor. A sweet sound system and switchedon DJs blasting progressive house and electro ensure club-goers won’t be disappointed. It’s house music all the way but the tune selection is a cut above the usual stuff that passes for dance music in other venues. Expect guest appearances from classy, European DJs. The entry fee includes one or two drinks. Choose from beers, whiskey, cocktails and more. Turn up around midnight and you’ll usually get to dance until the wee hours.

เดอะ ทันนัล หลังสวน ซ. 5

เดอะ คลับ ถ. ขาวสาร

TAPAS (map C4) Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-632-7982 | nightly 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 14 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live percussion sets as well. Multi-levelled, with a dark, nightlife

Q Bar

bangkok 101

TWISTED REPUBLIC (map D3) 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-6510800 | Mon-Sun 9pm-3am | www. twistedrepublic.com Twisted Republic is the newest addition to the Sukhumvit Soi 11club scene. Clearly a club opened for clubbers by clubbers, it features a one-of-a-kind, touch-sensitive “interactive” projection bar. The gleaming glass pillars stand tall against an artificial waterfall and the interior statement says something between chic jazz lounge and cosmopolitan boutique residence. The music is well complemented by the euphoric décor, with electronica, break beat, hip hop and progressive house sets blasting out amongst a litter of lasers. The best local and international DJs can be found gracing the decks of the city’s newest clubbing utopia. Entrance is B500 with two free drinks included.

ทวิสท รีพับลิค สุขุมวิท ซ.11

park Bridge

CLUB CULTURE (map C3) Sri Ayutthaya Rd (opp. Siam City Hotel) | BTS Phaya Thai | 08-9497-8422 | www.club-culture-bkk.com | Tue-Sun 8pm-2am | B400 (incl. 2 drinks) Club Culture comes from the owners of the online clubbers’ guide, Buzzin’ Mag and Café Democ. Climb carpeted steps, pass through a curtained stairwell and you’ll enter a space where chandeliers and Thai wood carvings hang from the ceiling. Strategically placed structures, great for resting an elbow or a drink, dot the open-plan dance ﬂoor, surrounded by plush sofas and stools. It’s a beautiful building but the toilets lack a little finesse. This modish, 1,000-capacity club attracts a cross-cultural mix of trendy Thais and expats and the diversity is mirrored in the music policy. They aim to promote new talent, while still bringing in the big guns, ensuring an eclectic roster of break beat, electronica, trance, indie rock, drum ‘n’ bass and house music of all genres.

คลับ คัลเจอร ถ. ศรีอยุธยา

bangkok 101

PARKBRIDGE (mapC4) 5 Patpong Soi 2, 3rd Fl., (entrance opposite Foodland) | BTS Sala Daeng | www.theparkbridge.com | 6pm-5am “Upstairs in Patpong” used to be code for spectacularly sordid girly shows. No longer. Climb the stairs lined with urban graffiti murals and silver antlers, slink past the red velvet curtain and you’re in a dark, slick, intimate boite de nuit occupying a bridge between two car parks (thus “Parkbridge”). Glam Victorian furnishings add sparkle to a rectangle, steel warehouse-like space with a luminous bar in the centre; and the only sleaze in sight is out the windows lining either side, on the street below. Shimmy to Gallic DJ’s playing loungey deep house and euphoric electro, plus the odd spinning of drum & bass, indie or hiphop. Entrance is free, happy hours from 6-9pm nightly, and a one-off membership fee gets you discount tipples and access to a spangly mezzanine. Check out their website and click the Facebook link for info on their evolving weekly line-up.

ปารคบริดจ พัฒนพงษ ซ. 2 nightlife

Cabarets MAMBO (map D4) Washington Square, Sukhumvit Rd near Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-2595128 | daily 8:30pm & 10pm | B800 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 วอชิงตันสแควร ถ. สุขุมวิท

CALYPSO (map C3) Asia Hotel | 296 Phaya Thai Rd | 02216-8937| daily 8:15pm & 9:45pm | www.calypsocabaret.com | B1,000 (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.

คาลิปโซ รร.เอเชีย ถ. พญาไท

nightlife

hotel 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. As gimmicks go, this one surely takes the cake (or, rather, the featherlight crème brûlée). 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.While you’re still getting your head round one sly culinary twist (warm tom yum kung jelly, anyone?) you’re hit with yet another gastronomic slight of hand. The imaginative presentation throughout echoes the innovation of the dishes, and won’t murder your wallet. Ladies get a free standard drink on Wednesdays and the chance to win a bottle of Baileys.

บารสุ รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด สุขุมวิท

87+

87+ (map C3) Conrad Hotel, 87 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit | 02-690-9999 | www.87bangkok.com | daily 9pm2am The Conrad’s 87+ caters well to its upscale hotel guests. It features a pumping band doing the latest covers, and DJs playing a mixture of quality house music and commercial hip hop and R&B. Look out for the irregularly run Bhangra Nights with steamy Indian beats. Attached to 87+ is Italianate, a very good Italian restaurant with interesting décor. Start off the night listening to a set of worldclass live jazz in the Diplomat Bar, and afterwards stroll across the lobby to 87+ to take advantage of one of Bangkok’s great late happy hours, nightly from 8pm to 10pm.

87 พลัส รร. คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

nightlife

SYN BAR (map C3) Lobby Level, Nai Lert Park Swissotel 2 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit | 02253-0123 | daily 6pm-2am This swanky hotel hangout does raise some bars, especially when it comes to style.You’ll spend half an hour taking it all in – the suspended, translucent bubble chairs, the amorphous couches, the ornate lighting. The completely glass-encased bar screams retro-future. Think 1960s ovalism, 1970s ﬂuidity.The vast drinks menu lists a lot of signature cocktails, though the Asian-inspired martinis and spicy creations (like the Wasabi Mary, one of our personal faves) are way better than the Seven Deadly Syns. Syn Bar is considerably less crowded than other hotel nightclubs, which is not necessarily something bad.

ซิน บาร รร. ปารคนายเลิศ ถ.วิทยุ

bangkok 101

latin rhythms n La Rueda (map D3)

Rumpuree

Bangkok’s riding high on the Latin wave. People crowd salsa and tango dance classes and shake it at steaming parties. Inexpensive La Rueda is a small, salsa-only venue with lots of atmosphere, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when you can salsa with DJ Jorge from Mexico from 10pm to 1am. Dance lessons take place every Tuesday (pulsating zouk from 8-10pm) and Thursday to Saturday nights (sexy salsa from 7:30-10pm). The salsa social has taken off at several venues around town as a relaxed way to learn the moves and meet other salsa enthusiasts. RumPUREE World Dance Studio offers a New York Salsa Social every first and third Saturday of Señor Pico the month (6-9pm); Salsa Hacha Fusion Café and Dance Studio holds theirs between Wednesday and Sunday (7-9pm); Tapas Bar on Tuesdays (7-10pm) and Señor Pico on Wednesdays night. If you’ve already got skills (or just enough margaritas) under your belt and you’re ready to hit the clubs, Noriega’s, a small, unpretentious straight venue in a mostly gay soi, is teeming with a hot, fun, adult crowd on Sunday and Wednesday nights when the DJ pumps out Latin tunes. Barsu, at the Grand Sheraton, has DJ Greco from Cuba spinning out salsa, samba and African rhythms from 10pm-1am on Thursdays. DJ Greco also takes it to posh Bed Supperclub on Wednesdays, where he hosts his Salsa Revolucion, while V9, at Sofitel Silom Bangkok, has Latino DJ Jorge Bernal every last Friday of the month. If tango is what you’re after, hightail it over to Mediterraneo for their Milonga (tango dance party) nights on Monday (classes welcome beginners from 7:30-8:30pm), HOPS on Fridays from 6-8:30pm, Flava HOPS at Dream Hotel from 7:30-11pm on Sundays or Siam@Siam Hotel on Thursdays. The Summer Mansion also hosts a Tango Practica every Thursday as well as a Milonga night every fourth Saturday of the month. For more details, check out www.salsabangkok.com and www.tangobangkok.com. bangkok 101

nightlife

nightlife

bars CAFÉ TRIO (map C3) 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | 02-252-6572 | 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, Vietnameseinspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. Resident regulars come for live jazz (on an irregular schedule, 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.

คาเฟทริโอ ซ. หลังสวน

CHEAP CHARLIE’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-12:30am Bangkok’s most bizarre bar is little more than a wooden shack with a couple of barstools surrounding it, a makeshift kiosk really. Every night, an eclectic mix of tourists and foreign residents populates the stools – be prepared to stand. The prices are unbelievably low – you can get a G&T for B60, while beer sells for B50. No girlie bar, the unique place is heavily stuffed with oddities collected over the 20 years this Bangkok institution’s been in operation. Buffalo skulls, beehives, tribal masks and sex toys hang down from rafters, while the bar is stocked with an impressive range of alcohol. Beware to ‘only piss in toilets’, as one sign warns you. Ask the patrons about the bar’s countless myths. Go down Soi 11 and take the first left. The perfect place to while away some boozy hours amidst experienced barﬂies.

ชีพ ชารลยี  ถ. สุขมุ วิท 11 (ซอยแรก)

WONG’S PLACE (map C4) 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen/Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | 02-286-1558 | MRT Lumphini | Mon – Sat 10pm till late Quentin Tarantino would love this quirky late-night watering hole. On the block for 20 years and a must for music geeks, there’s not a working girl in sight, not even a waitress.Two fridges stocked with cheap drinks invite a self-service and pay-as-you-go honour system. Wong’s Place is known to Bangkok old-timers and it’s not uncommon to find guests revisiting the bar for the first time in years with travel stories to tell and looking for their photo on the wall. Owner Sam Wong inherited and extended his brother’s love for music videos, everything from 1950s jazz through punk to MTV-inﬂuenced babel. Wong’s houses the largest known collection in Asia, if not globally.Take his opening hours with a grain of salt:Wong opens when the mood fits.

วองส เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี

ONE NIGHT IN BangLampHu (map a2) The streets around Khao San Road – that famed budget travellers’ mecca – are buzzing with a frenetic mix of city execs, Thai students and travellers. A neat Khao San cocktail joint is hidden in a small side street and clad in eclecticism and cool kitsch. Sunset Street is an architecturally interesting conglomerate of bars, but mostly attracts sweaty backpackers. Cooler clubs include stylishly furnished Lava, a popular basement joint playing speedy house and hip hop. café democ, a faux-Euro club turning out electronic music, attracts a hip but unpretentious older clique. For a laid-back, cool evening, head to nearby riverside along phra athit Road, lined with little bars,trendy cafés and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.Often compared with NYC’s GreenwichVillage and London’s High Street Kensington, it’s a favorite for youngThais going “beat” and the odd expat. Stop for a cheap caffeine intake at coffee & more in a beautifully restored colonial mansion. Elegant Hemlock is invaded nightly by artsy folk, drawn to the eclecticThai food at rock-bottom prices. Minimalist but friendly Bar Bali and tiny Joy Luck club deserve a mention. For outstanding seafood and absolutely no flair, check out thon po. Directly on the riverside, this breezy place offers fantastic views and delicious fish and crustaceans from an expansive menu. Call ahead to reserve a riverfront spot. coFFee & moRe 102/1 Phra Athit Rd, Sun-Thur 10am-10pm, Fri & Sat-midnight HemLocK 56 Phra Athit Rd, 02-282-7507, Mon-Fri 4pm-midnight, Sat 5pm-midnight BaR BaLi 58 Phra Athit Rd, 02-629-0418, daily 5pm-11.30pm JoY LucK cLuB 8 Phra Sumen Rd, 02-280-3307, daily 11am-1am tHon po 43 Phra Athit Rd, 02-280-0452, daily 11am-10pm Hippie de BaR 46 Khao San Rd, daily 10am-1am Lava 249 Khao San Road, 02-281-6565, daily 8pm-1am caFé democ Ratchadamnoen Rd at Democracy Monument,02-622 -2571,Tue-Sun 4pm-1am

nightlife

bangkok 101

the glaz Bar

THE GLAZ BAR (map C3) Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02650-8800, ext. 4324 | www.lemeridien. com/bangkok | daily 11am-2am This stylish multi-functional conglomerate of lounge/bar/restaurant is a neat place along embassy row to down a few fab cocktails. In cosily dim tones, the bar is complemented on one side by a massive all-glass wall (you see where they got the name from). The Glaz Bar is a great spot to sample innovative Thai tapas, all the better paired with wines from their solid list of old world, new world and a respectable selection of Thailand’s own “new latitude” wines. Their monthly “After Work Cocktails and Cones” event (B550/pp nett) draws a chic crowd of social high ﬂiers who come for clever canapés and creative top-shelf cocktails. After Work Cocktails and Cones next chance is November 27th

รร. พลาซา แอทธินี ถ.วิทยุ

RAIN DOGS (map C4) 16 Soi Phraya Phiren, Rama 4 Rd | 081-720-6989 (Jum), 087-055-9407 (Cartoon) | 9pm till late Though rain dogs are poor mutts who lose the scent of home in the rain, it’s the humans who forget where home is after frequenting this bar, where half the pleasure is in finding the bar in the first place. A human-sized birdcage, pond and collage-like décor add to Rain Dogs’ character, while windows and patio doors blur the line between indoor and outdoor space. Though DJs and salsa nights are featured on occasion, the music policy is mainly DIY: bring your iPod to plug in and play, request what you want to hear or start your own jam session on the drums.The vibe swings pleasantly between rowdy and chilled and the Thai indie kid/artsy expat clientele can choose from an array of inexpensive beers and spirits.

GAZEBO (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 1 | BTS Phloenchit | 02-655-2475~6 | 7pm till late This airy rooftop bar’s remarkable Moroccan-style makeover has made it a popular alternative in the Sukhumvit area nightlife scene. Past the street front tuxedoed bouncers you go, along a lengthy, dim-lit corridor. A quick elevator boost to the fourth floor later, and Gazebo unfurls its multifarious charms. Turn right for the outdoor lounge: a melange of low tables, silky cushions, ornate flickering Egyptian lamps, and billowing drapes. Kick back with a dark grape-flavoured sheesha, choose from a range of innovative, multi-cultural tapas and check out the eclectic mix of live music. Heading left, slick nightclub The Harem offers a more upbeat, DJ-fuelled groove – although the seating sanctuary just begs you to cosy up among the plush cushions for an intimate heart-to-heart.

กาเซโบ สุขุมวิท ซ.1

Saras in Rd.

เรนดอกส ซ. พระยาพิเรนทร ถ.พระราม 4

SaRaSin Road (map c3)

It sure is fun to hang in Bangkok’s hopping hoods, but sometimes the throngs around RCA, Khao San and Silom Soi 4 get too much. The hippest youngsters (and the ones looking young) congregate on a short strip just north of Lumphini Park, a stone’s throw away from Silom. Trendy Singaporeans have discovered the western end of Sarasin Road as a playground, but only a few Caucasians venture here. The educated, fun-seeking masses of all sexual orientations are nice enough to strike up a conversation with, the music is fun, prices are low – it’s the perfect place for a relaxed night out. Even Monday nights see these small bars well-peopled; they’re heaving on weekends. Start your night out early at The Room. Two-ﬂoored and airy, with funky décor and richly colored walls, it sports the strip’s best food – fun fusion dishes for okay prices. Later, it ﬁlls up with glam guys and house beats. 70s Bar is quite homo-friendly, and celebrates 70s and 80s tunes plus Euro Pop. Eclectic seating is worth a look inside. Zarazine does cheesy live music while 2nd Round and Bard are heavily hetero and focus on hip hop. Upstairs I-Chub is the place for clubby boys and their fans to do some karaoke. Brown Sugar, one of Bangkok’s top live jazz venues, is the most mature of the bunch. Each bar puts out tables on the pavement, creating an almost European feel beneath the trees and offering perfect people-watching, especially at 1am when the lights go on and everybody streams out on the street. bangkok 101

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.

Long table

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32nd Fl Millennium Hilton |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-4422000 | daily 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 part 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.

ทรีซิกตี้ รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ. เจริญนคร

NEST (map D3) Le Fenix 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-305-4000, www. lefenix-sukhumvit.com | nightly 5pm-2am How low can the rooftop bar go? Pretty darn low says the sensepiquing success of Nest, an open-air hangout on the ninth ﬂoor of the ultra-sleek Le Fenix Hotel. Despite a lack of loftiness – skyscrapers sprawl around you, not below you – the views are intoxicating. And then there’s the management’s lust for all things loungy. Fan-enhanced breezes and smooth Balearic sounds waft across a lush, barely-lit Zen garden spotted with pathways, palms and intimate seating areas. Snuggle with your lovebird on the Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs; or bring your glampacker pals for some pre-club Manuka Mules and Tapas-y snacks, before you swoop down to nearby Bed Supperclub or Q Bar.

รร.เลอฟนิกซ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 nightlife

LONG TABLE (map D3) 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-302-2557-9 | www.longtablebangkok.com | daily 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 highﬂying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

เดอะลองเทเบิ้ล สุขุมวิท 16

SKY BAR / DISTIL (map B3/4) State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd | 02-6249555 | www.thedomebkk.com -| daily 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. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st-52nd floors. These places are definately not spots for the casual beach bum; so be sure to leave your flip-flops and bangkok 101

Red Sky

shopping bags at home – a strict smartcasual dress code is enforced.

สเตททาวเวอร ถ. สีลม

V9 (map C4) 37th Fl Soﬁtel Silom | 188 Silom Rd BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-238-1991 | daily 6pm-2am Smart V9 is a funky space, one-third comfy bar, one-third slick restaurant, onethird 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.

วีนาย รร. โซฟเทลสีลม ถ. สีลม

MOON BAR (map C4) 61st Fl Banyan Tree Bangkok | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com | daily 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 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 bangkok 101

– and never ever forget your camera.

มูนบาร รร. บันยันทรี ถ. สาทร

THE ROOF TOP (map C3) 83rd Fl Baiyoke Sky Hotel | 222 Rajaprarop Rd | 02-656-3000 | www.baiyokehotel.com | daily 10am – 1:30am | B200 Perched above it all, the view is the best and seemingly only draw at this aging and very campy sky-high watering hole. Step off the elevator and it’s like you’ve been transported to outer space. That is if outer space had tutti-frutti coloured walls. Passable cocktails and the loungy live cover band won’t distract you from what really makes this place really worth visiting: the sprawling metropolis below. For full-screen Bangkok, take the stairs, pass the kitschy solar system murals and extra-terrestrials (yes, seriously) up to the 84th ﬂoor and let the wind hit you in the face on the open-air revolving deck and try to spot the now ant-sized malls you were in earlier.

เดอะรูฟทอป รร.ใบหยกสกาย

RED SKY (map C3) Centara Grand at Central World Rama 1 Road | BTS Chid Lom/Siam | 02-1001234 | www.centarahotelresorts.com | nightly 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 new, barely 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 huge 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 แกรนด เซ็นทรัล เวิลด nightlife

moon Bar

AMOROSA (map A3) Arun Residence 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Rd., 02-221-9158, www. arunresidence.com | daily 6pm-1am Amour ﬂows freely at this Moroccantinged hotel bar, a 4th-ﬂoor rooftop decked out with candles, glass-round tables and tall chairs. A bartender shakes over-sweet cocktails to an accompaniment of suitably soft music and warm breezes, and if it weren’t for the views you could be on the French Riviera. But views – postcard-perfect, indubitably Thai – there are… on the far banks of the city’s Chao Phraya River the seminal Wat Arun temple glints golden and majestic, while the dark waters beneath perform an endless shimmer. Order a signature Arun Sunset or Met Amorosa cocktail, or a bottle from their extensive wine-list (think Australian, Chilean or Italian, prices from B950-4,100). Then pinch yourself. One of Bangkok’s most beguilingly lovey-dovey spots – especially at sundown.

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช

nightlife

hotel jazz clubs THE LIVING ROOM (map D3) Sheraton Grande, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-649-8888 | www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com | daily 10am12:30am 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 still 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.Worldclass talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport. Until Sep 14, The Living Room plays host to Ernie Watts, November 18-29. performing every Tuesday through Thursday nights from 9pm to 11:45pm, plus Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 12:15am. You can also catch this spectacular act during the Sheraton Grande’s legendary Sunday Jazzy Brunch each week.

ลิฟวิ่งรูม รร. เชอราตัน แกรนด สุขุมวิท

diplomat Bar

BAMBOO BAR (map B4) The 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 one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, 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 crooner. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by a superb staff. Ideal for a boozy night on your honeymoon. A definite big Bangkok must.

แบมบูบาร รร.โอเรียลเต็ล ถ. โอเรียลเต็ล

nightlife

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 crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buy-one-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. Monday through Saturday nights, catch Susan and the swinging ambassdor band, Until December 31. ดิพโพลแมทบาร รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

bangkok 101

or 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 wellcoiffed 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 mega-clubs – many elbow room only after 11pm – it offers the perfect adventure for the indecisive club-goer. 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 flaunt a different genre of music.

RCA

SLim Daily 7pm-2am | 02-203-0377~8 Superclub Slim’s full-on hip-hop zone is never short on chic crowds gettin’ jiggy to Biggie. The other room offers live Thai music in a more sane social setting.

Route 66 Daily 7pm-2am | Free Entry | 02203-0936 | www.route66club.com Seething with spaghetti-strapped students and baseball-capped boppers, superclub ‘Route’ boasts an all-white American retro feel and ﬂashes of gothic glam. Go ‘North’ for house beats, ‘West’ for hip-hop R&B, ‘East’ for live-music and out front for a cool alfresco zone with low cushion seating and synchronized music videos.

nightlife

oLd Leng Free Entry | 02-203-0972 A rickety wooden bar with vintage Chinese adverts covering the distressed walls and a decent band banging out Thai hits in a corner. Don’t come to party. Come to chow down and sink a few, before you go party. Zeta Free Entry (women only) | 02-2030994 | www.zetabangkok.com Girls only at this trendy lesbian bar with live music. No men, gay men, drag queens or peeping Toms allowed. neW KiSS on tHe BoX A raw box of a bar with an industrial, exposedbrick look and intimate danceﬂoor. Occasionally hosts one-off events.

PETCHABURI ROAD

LOCAL ROAD

RAMA9 ROAD

a c

FLiX Daily 7pm-2am | Free Entry | 02-203-0377~8 Enjoy base thumping electro house at this alter-ego to the adjoining ‘Slim’. The décor is as ﬂash as the clubbers: soaring ceilings, colossal chandeliers, posh furnishings.

bangkok 101

HoBB (House of Bangkok Bar) Daily 7pm-2am | Free Entry | 02-641-5959 A chic, chandeliered two-storey bar with plenty of seating nooks and windows looking out onto the strip. Expect DJs, live music, and occasional appearances by Thai bands like Bodyslam.

808 Tues-Sun, 9pm-2pm | Entry Fee | www.808bangkok.com Sick of radio rap? Not interested in ﬂirting with waif-like bachelor’s students? For edgier beats and scruffier Thai-farang crowds, hit this slick industrial warehouse with the best soundsystem in town and sets by global DJ gods.

nightlife

live music TOKYO JOE’S (map D4) 25/9 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | (opposite Tara Hotel) | 02-259-6268 | www.tokyojoesbkk.com | daily 6pm1am Nobody knows quite where blues aficionados went before this place opened, but they’ve found a home here. After a brief hiatus, Tokyo Joe’s is back in a new location where two cool guys put all their efforts into this live blues mecca, and it shows. The stage sets fire nightly from 9:30pm with talented, mostly-local musicians performing blues, interspersed with jazz, soul and R&B. Unique for Bangkok are the ﬂamenco nights on Mondays; Sunday’s jam sessions are well-liked. A mixed, but mostly Western crowd is always impressed by the schedule (check the website for details) and the unassuming, tasty Asian-American pub favourites.This place is for serious blues lovers.

โตเกียวโจส สุขุมวิท 26

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 longstanding, smoky jazz club. The joint evokes a jazz haunt of yester year 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 star ts 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.

บราวน ชูการ ถ. สารสิน

Raintree pub

SAXOPHONE BAR (map C2) 3/8 Phaya Thai Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 02 246-5472 www.saxophonepub.com | daily 6pm-2am This unpretentious place is a Bangkok landmark when it comes to solid live jazz and blues. Just a stone’s throw away from a BTS station, it’s nevertheless not a tourist hangout. Filled with masses of fun-filled, youngish Thais and the odd foreigner thrown in, the spacious joint can pack up to 400 people on its low-ceilinged, wooden floors. Nightly, talented Thai bands belt out sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare.

nightly: a long-haired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30pm, a band at around 11pm adds bongos, mandolin and accordion. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 18 years ago and, it seems, 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, soul-stirring. There are too many insipid, cover-spouting live music bars in Bangkok – and too few like this one.

รานจามจุรี ซ.รางน้ำ อนุสาวรีย

แซกโซโฟน บาร ถ. พญาไท

RAINTREE PUB (map C3) 116/63-34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd. | BTS Victory Monument | 02-2457230, 081-926-1604 www. raintreepub.com | daily 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age time-capsule. 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 nightlife

Brown Sugar

bangkok 101

Brick Bar

AD HERE THE 13TH (map A2) 13 Samsen Rd, Bang Lamphu | 089769-4613 | daily 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. Nor th of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quar ter), 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 the Thai-style whiskey-soda-ice thing, along with some super-cheap booze munchies. An insider’s must.

แอดเฮีย 13 ถ. สามเสน บางลำภู

bangkok 101

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) As the name suggests, this bar’s built solely from red brick. Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge shopping arcade, it’s a dark and airy vault, with 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 fresh-faced 20-somethings out to catch some of Thailand’s biggest ska, reggae, funk and blues bands, many of whom play their own material. The excellent T-Bone, a charismatic Thai outfit who ﬂit from reggae to rocksteady and even samba, has been known to turn up. Good Thai food is available from the sister hotel, though you may struggle to find dancing space, let alone a pew. Beers start from B60, cocktails from B150 and even the obligatory whisky is given a slinky twist, with table service from tiny but hardy waitress “pretties”. Perfect for friends who’ve just hit town.

บริค บาร ถ. ขาวสาร

nightlife

TITANIUM ICE BAR (map D4) Sukhumvit Soi 22 | BTS Phrom Pong | 02-258-3758 | www.titanium-club. com | daily 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 jamming nightly. Bangkok’s widest selection of vodka – 90-some varieties to choose from. An intimate atmosphere, especially in The Vodka Room, chilled to a nipple-raising minus10 degrees. Not exactly a place to bring Mum, but a fun night out on the slightly wild side.

ไทเทเนียม ไอซบาร สุขุมวิท ซ. 22

Saxophone Bar

nightlife

pub crawling Nick Measures

featured

pub

here are many ways of quenching a thirst, but surely the most enjoyable has to be sipping a pint of real beer in a proper public house. With an unexpectedly wide choice of British and Irish bars offering a taste of pub life, Bangkok won’t let you down on this front. Bangkok 101 dragged our very own pub-crawler par-excellence Nick Measures out of the boozer to get the low-down on the top taverns around town.

BLACK SWAN

As soon as you walk through the door of this place, nestled in the shadow of Asoke BTS station, one thing is clear, this is not a concept pub, this is a proper British boozer. You won’t find any faux-Irish décor, happy hours, or live bands; but that’s what makes it so appealing. It’s a snug escape from the madness of Bangkok with its wood paneled walls, adorned with a collection of mementoes; you even get venue 326/8-9 a classic wise-cracking Sukhumvit Rd (map D3), landlord thrown in for 02-229-4542 open good measure. Its small daily 8am-1pm BtS size and low ceilings Asoke, mRt Sukhumvit give it a cozy atmosphere helped by the low-level lighting and small brick fireplace. On the ground floor there is a scattering of bench seats and tables or romantics can head upstairs with its candle-lit seating. Be warned though this will involve negotiating the metal spiral staircase, a challenge when you have had a drink or three. There is a good selection of beers, with Guinness, John Smith’s and Kilkenny on draught and a menu offering English style pub grub. Make sure you try the fish and chips - the haddock is imported direct from Scotland every Friday.

แบล็ค สวอน ใตสถานนีรถไฟฟาอโศก ถ. สุขมุ วิท

What’s on Tap?

DID

YOU The reputation of Thai brew is mixed to say the least, and decent choices are limited, but beer KNOW? remains a popular beverage among locals. Don’t be fooled by menus referring to Heineken and Asahi as “locals” - those are brewed here under local licence.The actual Thai heavyweights are Singha Due to the oven-like temperatures red Beer (pronounced “Sing”) and Chang Beer. Chang is the Thai word for elephant, and after a few cans wine is quite often of this you may feel like you’ve been trampled by one when you wake up. Not considered a classy served chilled. It’s brew by any means, it has been triumphant due to its lower price and higher alcohol percentage and also been known for beers to be glugged guaranteed intoxication. It’s much harder to find in classier bars compared to Singha Beer, which is with ice. the more high-brow choice. Chang’s reception is a bit spotty as some are quite fond of it while others liken it to urine. Forget the cans and stick to draught for a better bet. Micro-brewed Phuket Beer is harder to track down but many swear by it as a superior local choice. Many breweries have suds aimed at lower markets - the most notable being Singha’s underling, Leo Beer. Of course you get what you pay for with these. Also, independent breweries can be found, like at the Londoner Brew Pub or Tawandaeng Beer Garden 96

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. With Kilkenny and Guinness on tap, 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 including John Smith’s, Beer Lao and Guinness, 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 Road, a haven for expats, is jammed with joints catering to ale aficionados. Beside BTS Phrom Phong station, The Robin Hood [12] offers daily happy hour and drinks specials, including draught Kilkenny and Guinness, 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 [11], 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 [10] 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 [9], a three-storey edifice. Though slightly pricy, the superb food (try the sausages), live music and Guinness pull in the punters. 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

stuff

Jim Thompson House

s 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 literally something for everyone in this town (however peculiar your peccadilloes may be). For locals, conspicuous consumption in one of 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. Duty Free Why pay taxes? Anytime you can save money, take advantage! Airport shopping in a bling new complex, open for less than a year, allows travellers to peruse products such as cosmetics, clothes, computers and more – all at tax-free prices. They don’t have the most up-to-date products from the big names, but good choices abound nonetheless. This is the place for cosmetics or perfumes. Save up to 20% on department store prices. Get this shopping out of the way first, so you can focus on the other shopping that

needs to be done before departure. King Power’s inner-city location is on Soi Rangnam, (Victory Monument BTS station, with a free shuttle from Century Plaza). Find what you want, order it and it will be waiting for you at the airport on your way out. Be sure to have your air ticket and passport. This is much more civilised than running through the long corridors of Suvarnabhumi. Aromatherapy & Spa One of Bangkok’s more fitting titles is “Spa Capital of Asia”. When it comes to blissful pampering, the Thais have got their down-time services down pat. The following slick product lines should get you fragrant, gooey and purring with pleasure in next to no time. ■ Panpuri: Asian-inspired sensory purification. Pricy but wonderful combinations of holistic spa-inspired treatments and products. www. panpuri.com Paragon 1st Fl, King Power Duty Free, Central Chidlom 4th Fl, and Gaysorn, 7th Fl ■ Thann: Worldly mixtures for washing, moisturising, cleansing and

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 down the street, and if they want to sell it, they better come off the price a little. 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. 98

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relaxing. The new Mediterranean Blend is gorgeous. www.thann.info Central Chidlom 4th Fl, Central Chidlom 4th Fl., Central Ladprao 5th Fl., Isetan Plaza (Central World) 5th Fl., Siam Discovery Center 5th Fl. and Emporium 4th Fl. ■ Karmakamet: Long-lasting lotions, gels, incense and candles that create the perfect bridge between scent and soul. www.karmakamet.co.th Central World 2nd floor; Chatuchak Market, section 2, Soi 3 Home furnishings Modern Thai décor often blends Western minimalism with exotic “Oriental” flourishes to produce striking creations that are fast gaining international repute. So why not take some of the local style savvy back home with you? Silk: Thai silk reaped overseas recognition only quite recently – but quickly became renowned for its thickness and lustrous sheen. ■ Jim Thompson: This legendary American silk revivalist pioneered the modern Thai silk industry. Paragon 1st fl., King Power Duty Free; and Jim Thompson House Museum, Soi Kasemsan (across from MBK) and Surawong Rd. Antiques: Thai, Burmese and Cambodian antiques are among Asia’s finest – but all that glitters ain’t gold, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find the real deal among the look-alikes. bangkok 101

Counterfeit Stoners

Thai Silk

■ River City Complex: This sprawling mother-of-all-antique-dealers hosts auctions on the first Saturday of each month (with viewings the preceding week). 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung 30 Arts & Crafts: Beyond the triangular pillow and woven shoulder bags, there are hordes of authentic textiles up for grabs, with stiff competition keeping prices down. ■ OTOP: One Tambon One Product is a laudable government directive that markets handicrafts made in one of Thailand’s 7,000 tambons (subdistricts). ■ Narayanaphand: An enormous bazaar offering ceramics, handstitched fabrics and artisan goods. 127 Ratchadamri Rd, Pathumwan ■ ThaiCraft Fair: Everything from coconut-shell salad bowls to bulrush baskets at this monthly, OTOP-approved crafts-flogging session on the third floor of the Ambassador Hotel’s Tower Wing. Check www.thaicraft.org for dates. Tower Wing, The Ambassador Hotel, Sukhumvit Rd Soi 11. JEWELRY & GEMS Some of the world’s best lapidaries are based here, stocking cut and uncut domestic and regionally-mined precious stones. The local jeweller’s can also turn wondrous tricks with gold, silver and platinum. ■ Lambert Industries: This friendly and reliable service has been coming up with the goods for 35 years. 807-809 Silom Shanghai Bldg, 4th Fl, Soi 17, Silom Rd, 02-236-4343 ■ Rasi Sayem: This producer applies age-old methods to innovative, newfangled creations. 32 Sukhumvit Soi 23 bangkok 101

Bounders running gem scams abound 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. Sidewalks Sidewalks are where it’s at for cheap presents to take back home. Oddities unfound in other lands, funny t-shirts, small carved wooden products, 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. Step up to: ■ Silom Road: This well-known party place has some great shopping right off Saladaeng BTS station. Both sides of the street offer day and nighttime shopping, but it really gets going between 6pm and 2am. Just about everything, especially souvenir t-shirts unavailable anywhere else. ■ Central World: Right in the centre of the city, off the Chit Lom BTS station, and walking distance from Gaysorn, and the ever-crowded Siam shopping district. Stalls offer some uniquely crafted Thai products like

Keep it real

Value added tax

Department stores offer VAT services that allow you a precious 7% VAT refund upon leaving the country. You have to spend at least B2,000 a day to get the discount, but major purchases can add up in those stores. Have your passport and tickets with you! Be aware: if you are making big purchases and not paying VAT, you aren’t guaranteed quality products.

coke can tuk-tuks and coconut shell purses. ■ Pratunam: Well known for its bulk deals, the sidewalk offers sunglasses, and all things casual. Loaded with knock-offs, and crowded with tourists lapping up bargains, find great jeans at affordable prices (never pay more than B600!). A ten-minute walk from Central World, it surrounds an intense indoor fashion market with everything available at discounted rates for bulk orders. Buy three or more and save yourself anywhere from B150-300 per item. ■ Sukhumvit:The choices start around Soi 4 near BTS Nana station, on both sides of the major thoroughfare, and stretch nearly to Soi 20. Right past Soi 6 is a group of deaf merchants who are always eager to find you something to remember beloved Thailand by. Velvet oil painting anyone? Centralworld

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.

shopping

Shopping

shopping tours

SIAM SQUARE

Jump off the skytrain at Ratchathewi and head round the corner and up Petchaburi Rd; you’re now approaching one of Bangkok’s most jam-packed shopping enclaves. The Pratunam district is known for bargain basement bulk discounts, tasty street food, and for Pantip Plaza - an I.T. mall that practically levitates with the cumulative buzz of computers, gadgets and gizmos of all shapes sizes, races and creeds – as well as pests insistently touting “sexy movie” all over the ground floor. Once you’ve recovered from the sensory overload, check out the oxymoronically named Platinum Fashion Mall next door for a heads-up on where locals go for cheap fashion-wear. At the corner of Phetchabutri and Ratcharaprob Rd lies Pratunam market, an unmarked labyrinth of stalls overflowing with those infamous pirate copies. Shoppers spurred on by the prospect of wholesale prices should spend time negotiating here. The last stop is the shopping centre inside the Indra Regent hotel. This arcade is smaller than its neighbouring peers – and, with a range of quality tailors plying their wares under its roof, is a good place to get suited and booted

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Indra Regent Hotel Pratunam Market

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his buzzing locale may take its name from Thailand’s past, but its daily day-glow retail frenzy is a distinctly modern phenomenon. From premium brands to shoddy knockoffs; subtly modified student uniforms to show-stopping Cosplay-inspired gothic Lolitas, Siam Square is the Thai home of conspicuous consumption – a modern national pastime-cum-popular face-gaining strategy – and a prime spot for checking out Bangkok’s vibrant street fashions. Not only is the general vicinity a nominal open-air catwalk, but any Thai fashion label or trendy start-up worth its salt is represented here, hence the trend for youthful enterprises with quirky, anglicised names, like It’s Happened to be a Closet on soi 3, which stocks vintage girly fashions and also offers salon services and a menu of decent Italian cuisine. Gather yourself and dive headlong into a crowded cache of boutique-y market stalls - and prepare to bump elbows with young socialites and gangs of giggling students alike. The little alley tucked next door to the Lido cinema complex is as good an entry point as any. Those wishing to try shopping Thai-style, should shop at a leisurely pace, snacking every step of the way and taking regular breaks in the closest air con-chilled space – hopefully an I-Berry ice cream parlour. For some, the golden rule is: if you see something you like, buy it while you have the chance; Siam Square nurtures impulse buying. Resistance is a brave but naïve gesture, and ultimately futile.

PHETCHABURI RD

START HERE

BTS Ratchatewi

Panthip

Platinum Fashion Mall

bangkok 101

RD IT

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MRT Hua Lamphong

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Sampeng Market

START HERE

RAMA IV RD

YAOWARAT RD

CHAROEN KRUNG RD

PAHURAT RD

Thieves Market

Bangkok’s Chinatown (known locally as “Yaowarat”) presents urban pathfinders with a bewildering sensory mish-mash of human traffic, precious metals, pungent aromas, mazy, back-alley markets and shophouses stockpiling useless tat. Take the MRT subway The to Hualumphong then cross the street to Traimit Old Siam Rd. Walking down takes you past the 13th century FINISH Wat Traimit, host to the world’s largest solid gold HERE Buddha. Opposite the temple, the huge Odeon Gate beckons your passageway to Chinatown. Make your way down Charoen Krung Rd then hang left at the intersection with Chakrawat Rd. First up is the co-called thieves market,, where, if your luck’s in, second-hand antiques can be had at a steal. Next you’ll come to Sampeng Lane, a narrow bursting with cheap jewellery, accessories, bags, fabrics and so jam packed with punters it’s barely passable. Emerge, breathe, and cross Chakrawat onto Pahurat for Bangkok’s nominal Little India - and some excellent deals on fabric and clothing. Pass though the lane and turn right at Burupa where you’ll find The Old Siam, a very local four-story market whose traditional Thai candies will leave a sweet aftertaste to your expedition.

MAHACHAI RD

CHINATOWN (YAOWARAT)

SOI WANIT 1

Pahurat Market

THONG LO In recent years this long boulevard has emerged as a scene to see and be seen in; an upmarket playground for well-heeled, studiously cool zeitgeist followers; somewhere boasting conditions favourable to celebrities, models, media types and international school students, who linger there sipping endless moccachinnos, playing with their phones killing sweet time while secretly yearning to be talent-spotted. As befi ts such an eminent locale – if indeed Thong Lor is still riding fickle fashion’s unsteady slipstream as you read this – luxury condos, trendy nightspots, boutique lifestyle emporiums, and designer spas line the avenue. Hop off the BTS at Thong Lo station and on to a local red bus near the entrance to the soi, ride it until almost the end of the street then stroll back. Grab a restorative coffee at J-Avenue, on soi 15, hosts an Apple shop, trendy alfresco cafes and stylish Asian eateries, as well as boutiques flaunting sexy heels and handbags. And, incidentally, if there seems to be an unusual proliferation of blushing brides carousing about, it’s because Thong Lor’s posh wedding studios have formed a latter-day marital Mecca for Bangkok’s great and good. On the corner of soi 10, the Third Place, where at TrueLife@Thong lo you can sip smashing smoothies and use the Internet.

bangkok 101

START HERE

shopping

NEW PHETCHABURI RD

Third Place

SOI 20

SOI 10

FINISH HERE

SOI 18

J Avenue

SOI 55 (THONG LO)

SOI 6

SUKHUMVIT RD

BTS Thong Lo

SOI 15

SOI 13

SOI 53

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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

1 PHAYA THAI RD

Elevated RAMA 1 RDWalkway

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

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. 3

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

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OEN K CHAR

To Emporium shopping mall, get off at BTS Phrom Phong

RIVE R

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

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CENTRAL CHIDLOM BTS Chid 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.

C HAO

BTS Ploen Chit

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

CHIDLOM

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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.

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.

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.

RATCHADAMRI RD

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

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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.

BTS Siam

PHAYA THAI RD

PH E TB

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

G WON SUR A

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

S ILO

bangkok 101

Experience the World of Comfortable and Discover the Latest Wine Bar in Town Big Bonus Promotion Beer Festive 4pm-8pm Buy one Get one free.

Draught beer, House wine by glass

November 08 Promotion BAR.B.Q Festive discount 20% Dinner Time: 6pm-midnight Everyday @M3 Restaurant Tel: (662) 677-8484 or (662) 677-8400 Fax: (662) 677-8485 e-mail : fnb.fxasok@furama.com www.furama.com

LAMBERT… WHERE LUXURY AND VALUE MEET

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Visit our showroom, sit with us, we’ll design and create the piece of your dreams, choose from thousands of stones, all shapes sizes and colors…or buy from our ready made boutique collection. Trust Lambert and color your world with Thailand’s most beautiful gemstones. LAMBERT INDUSTRIES LTD. 807-809 Silom Shanghai Building, 4th floor Soi 17, Silom Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand Tel. 66 2-236-4343/49 Fax. 66 2-236-4810

www.lambertgems.com

Shopping

markets

Lumpini Night Market’s days are numbered, after the powers-that-be auctioned off its multifarious charms to make space for yet another redundant addition to the city’s obsessive collection of modern shopping malls.

สวนลุมไนทบารซาร

Chatuchak

CHATUCHAK (map D1) Forget designer malls. JJ weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fi ttest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere – the rest can get lost – literally. Taking 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 begins to crystallise from the chaos (Nancy Chandler’s famous 104

map also comes in invaluable). 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 fully-blown, unadulterated fix.

ตลาดนัดจตุจกั ร

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: shopping

PATPONG Over the years, this notorious strip of sleazy go-go bars evolved into a bustling, tourist luring market that plies busy nightly trade on the doorsteps of the bars concurrently plying an open trade in hired flesh. This is a bizarre but uniquely ripe set-up that sees young families on package tours rubbing shoulders with a motley crew of pimps, johns and scantily clad strippers. What’s funny is that the fleshpots have become almost secondary to the chain of stalls along Silom Road and the avenues of Patpong, starting at around 6pm every evening – but, rest assured, the seething, mercenary atmosphere remains fully primed to rip you off at the first opportunity. Among the illicit booty of pirated DVDs and designer knockoffs, the market actually does offer some decent local crafts and souvenirs – although, with prices naturally tilted towards the tourist end of the scale, robust bargaining skills come in second to none here.

พัฒนพงษ

Chatuchak

bangkok 101

Wet mArketS Bangkok has a number of large ‘wet’ markets and hundreds of smaller ones catering to residential areas. The pavements of the city are jam-packed with food vendors all day long, selling fresh fruit and vegetables to the endless stream of passers-by. Thais love to snack and fruit ranks as the most popular bite in-between meals. KHLONG TOEI

คลองเตย

This large market offers the full spectrum of ingredients required for the intricacies of Thai cuisine. Fresh meat, fish, herbs and spices rub shoulders with towering piles of vegetables, fruit and rice. The vendors with live ornamental fish for sale, hanging on their walking sticks, will get a quizzical first-time take. Visit it in the very early morning as the market slows down after 10am. SAM YAN

สามยาน

On the outskirts of Chinatown, this wet market is smaller but offers much the same fresh produce as Khlong Toei, albeit with some more obvious Chinese influences. TALING CHAN

ตลิง่ ชัน

(see Floating Market p.38)

KHAO SAN ROAD This legendary budget traveller’s ghetto hosts an astounding variety of shops catering to the younger – or younger at heart – generation of visitors. Stallholders do an accordingly sterling trade in “novelty” t-shirts and cigarette papers, not to mention phoney degree certificates, driving licenses and press passes. Yes, if you must, you can still get clad in tie-die and fisherman’s pants, get your hair dreadlocked, and eat B20 noodles from a polystyrene plate. But postmillennial Khao San has been gentrified into somewhere bearing scant resemblance to its humble past as a tropical haven for wandering hippies. Nowadays, the first sighting is to have your senses assaulted by a front line of screaming neon, while international junk food chains jostle rudely for attention in the gallery and gaggles of preening students amble along what must be the smoothest paving in the kingdom (not saying much, admittedly). You can momentarily evoke the bygone era by wandering past the guesthouses, second-hand bookshops and stalls punting leftover backpacker detritus at the temple end of the road – although any brief illusion is shattered as soon as you happen upon the next, inevitable 7-Eleven. That said, KS offers unbeatable peoplewatching; makes for an excellent refuelling pit-stop from tours of the neighbouring royal district; and it offers a diverse menu of inexpensive, roundthe clock grazing.

ถนนขาวสาร

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

bangkok 101

shopping

Khlong Toei

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”.

เทเวศน

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, eagle-eyed shoppers - though don’t expect a receipt, let alone a refund.

นครเกษม

PRATUNAM A popular trading centre, primarily for textiles, fabrics, as well as fancy dress (feather boa and Catwoman mask ensemble anyone?), and cheap novelty clobber of all kinds, ranging from random tat right up to factoryseconds. This lively market area spreads out from around the base of the looming Bai Yoke Sky Hotel (the highest restaurant in Southeast Asia), attracting a lively multinational mix of fast-talking traders, all on the make. It’s also home to the LED-accentuated charms of Pantip Plaza, a techno-mega-mall with an atmosphere that’s simply electric (see p.100 for a suggested tour of the locale).

ประตูน้ำ

105

Accommodation

one room

In each new issue Bangkok 101 brings you the city’s very best overnight offerings by taking you inside its most extraordinary rooms in its most distinctive hotels, one room at a time.

Chakrabongse Villa’s River Suite

It happens everyday: tourist x goes to the Jim Thompson house; tourist x spends the rest of their trip aching for a stretch in their very own prestige/palatial teak house. Sigh. Pity them, they obviously don’t know about Chakrabongse Villa’s Riverside Suite. This spacious, lovingly restored oasis of calm – formerly a worker’s residence – ticks all the traditional Thai house boxes: gabled roof, flame-shaped eaves, polished teak everything, tropical landscape. Not only that, it also juts sublimely over the city’s Chao Phraya River, and sits lodged within the serenely lush 100-year-old residence of Prince Chakrabongse, one of King Rama V’s favourite yet WHERE 396 Maharaj Road, controversial sons. Tatien (map A3), 02-222-1290, From the lawn, a wooden staircase leads to your 02-622-1900, www.thaivillas. wedding-party sized veranda. Here, the only thing com PRICE 15,000+ (period: separating you and Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn), the November 2008) whitewashed Wichai Prasit fort, and Wat Kalayanamirt are brown, churning river eddies. Stepping inside, a narrow living room with water hyacinth furnishings and windows onto flowering creepers and frangipani awaits. Beyond lies a large oblong bedroom, with teak paneling, slanting ceilings, varnished floors and a wardrobe seemingly dreamt up by C.S. Lewis. Beneath an old Buddhist hanging, sits a king-size bed looking gamely toward the river (and a huge TV), and to the right of it a study with dressing table. There’s also a hidden pantry, and a bathroom complete with crawfooted Victorian bathtub. “Sleep well” implores a note beside a goodnight chocolate left on your bed – and boy, despite the distant drone of passing river traffic, sleep well you do.

จักรพงษ์วลิ ล่า ถ.มหาราช

boutique bangkok

The Eugenia

What better place to stage a colonial reverie than in a country that’s never been colonised? You can play with the fantasy with less guilt, although the Eugenia is quite earnest in its devotion to French colonial décor – this 12-room boutique hotel is done up in elegant columns, Southeast Asian and African antiques, zebra WHERE 267 Sukhumvit fur rugs and all. The Eugenia offers classic, luxuriously Soi 31, 02-259-9017-9, subdued rooms – often with four-poster beds and oldwww.theeugenia.com fashioned tubs – a clubby, cosy lounge, and a gorgeous PRICE 5,800 – 7,200++ emerald pool. The hotel boasts heaps of atmosphere (incl. breakfast) but doesn’t lose modern amenities, providing wifi throughout and VOIP phones in the rooms. Not feeling pampered enough? Gorge on the delicious complimentary breakfasts, and if you really want to splash out, hire one of their six vintage cars complete with chauffeur to squire you around town. Over the top? A bit. But the Eugenia manages to make you feel classy, not crass.

รร. เดอะ ยูจเี นีย สุขมุ วิท ซ.31

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accommodation

bangkok 101

Accommodation

one room

In each new issue Bangkok 101 brings you the city’s very best overnight offerings by taking you inside its most extraordinary rooms in its most distinctive hotels, one room at a time.

CHAKRABONGSE VILLA’S RIVER SUITE

จักรพงษวลิ ลา ถ.มหาราช

BOUTIQUE BANGKOK

THE EUGENIA

What better place to stage a colonial reverie than in a country that’s never been colonised? You can play with the fantasy with less guilt, although the Eugenia is quite earnest in its devotion to French colonial décor – this 12-room boutique hotel is done up in elegant columns, Southeast Asian and African antiques, zebra WHERE 267 Sukhumvit fur rugs and all. The Eugenia offers classic, luxuriously Soi 31, 02-259-9017-9, subdued rooms – often with four-poster beds and oldwww.theeugenia.com fashioned tubs – a clubby, cosy lounge, and a gorgeous PRICE 5,800 – 7,200++ emerald pool. The hotel boasts heaps of atmosphere (incl. breakfast) but doesn’t lose modern amenities, providing wiﬁ throughout and VOIP phones in the rooms. Not feeling pampered enough? Gorge on the delicious complimentary breakfasts, and if you really want to splash out, hire one of their six vintage cars complete with chauffeur to squire you around town. Over the top? A bit. But the Eugenia manages to make you feel classy, not crass.

รร. เดอะ ยูจเี นีย สุขมุ วิท ซ.31

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accommodation

bangkok 101

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.110 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.

Urban Retreat Spa – 31/10 Sukhumvit Phrom Phong / 02-2042008-9 / www.urbanretreatspa.net <http://www.urbanretreatspa.net> / 10am-10pm / $ 30-minute Himalayan Crystal pink with Yogurt andexperienced Honey Scrubthe + As anyone who’s had one will gamelySalts testify, once you’ve 60-minute Macadamia Oil Massage: double dose of pampering that is a “four hands massage”, there’s really no 1200 baht in apummeling? side street close going back. So where do you go from Tucked here? A away six-hand Eight? to Phrom spa Phong, Retreat is preFor The Oasis Spa – an award-winning groupUrban with roots in Chiang cisely that – a quiet spot close to the Mai – the answer lies not in more bustle hands of butSukhumvit rather their Lanna Music and the upscale Emporium mall. This new, Therapy Gold Massage. As expected, two trainedshopping masseuses simultaneously is popular with Thais and apply pressure on both the upper andsmall lowerspa parts of your body. Only here long-term foreign residents drawn by they do so using aromatherapy oils infused with flakes ofthat purest gold;suffer and very good services don’t for being affordable. Spa menu is trim in perfect synchronicity with an evocative, specially written Northern Lanna Soi 35 / BTS siGnATURE TREATmEnT

Lanna Music Therapy Gold Massage

Thai soundtrack. You’ll find aches and pains deliciously melting away as your WHERE 64 Sukhumvit 31 therapists work their combined massage magic. And also emerge looking like a latter-day Soi Sawasdee (map D3-4) Cleopatra – the only difference being you’ve been gently and thoroughly gilded in gold BTs Asoke mRT Sukhumfor 90 minutes and not slept in it. vit, 02-392-3533, www. What’s more, all this happens in the bucolic bangkokoasis.com OpEn surrounds of their luxurious Bangkok Oasis Spa, daily 10am – 10pm pRicE where luscious rain trees, water features and real 5900++ birdsong will invigorate you even if gold’s alleged health benefits don’t. You even get to shower outdoors, in the natural sunlight of your own private suite. Should you want to, that is. After all, what other spa treatment can leave you glinting in sunlight for days after; not only feeling a million bucks but also, literally, looking it? No wonder it ain’t cheap.

แบงคอกโอเอซิสสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.31

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health & wellness

bangkok 101

LIFE CENTER Next to Lumphini underground station and opposite the Suan Lum Night Bazaar is a cylindrical building buzzing with, well, life! Being healthy has never been more easy or glamorous than here at Asia’s first ‘healthstyle’ mall. Under one roof are 40 lifestyle brands dedicated entirely to fitness, health, beauty, cosmetics, healthcare and wellness. The Life Center is divided into four zones, beginning with food, and beverage, (unfortunately commercialism had to spoil the healthy lifestyle concept and the pretzel bakery might challenge the weaker health fan on their way out).A big bonus is the free wireless internet on offer and stylish lounge-out public areas on the ground level. Venture up to the second zone,‘Beauty & Cosmetics,’ and you’re spoilt for choice between quality products and services from Leonard Drake, Skeyndor, Madame Heng Good Health, Ariya, Slim Up Center and a KiDO education center. Prepare to be amazed on the third zone, devoted to ‘Healthcare & Spa’ where a range of cutting-edge medical advancements are at work - from a Center for Assisted Reproduction & Embryology, a DBC Spine Clinic and Gym, Hearing Focus, the Netanart Clinic, and a Stardent Dental Clinic. Right at the top is the ‘Fitness Zone’ and home to Fitness First Plus, a fully-equipped fitness center. Also on offer is Bikram Yoga as well as ‘Kinesis’, Thailand’s only bodybuilding exercise machine. It’s a boutique shopping mall with a difference, and the only shopping center in Asia where you can find an all-inclusive range of first-class health and beauty products and services. Specialised healthcare clinics, beauty centers, a fitness center, a spa, and various restaurants ensure you no longer have to shop till you drop!

liFE cEnTER No. 1 South Sathorn Rd,Tungmahamek, Sathorn, 02-677-7177, www.lifecenterthailand.com

Bangkok Snaps

Urban

MARK STANDEN

SITTHIVET SANTIKARN

Layers of BANGKOK

JUNGLE

Urban Bangkok

MC Colour

JOAKIM LEROY

Christian Phongphit

Brendan A. Linane

bangkok

IN ROYAL FOCUS Photographs by His Majesty King Bhumibo

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december 2006

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

spas siri Giriya spa

spa1930

SIRI GIRIYA SPA (map E4) 4 Soi Sukhumvit 60 ı BTS On Nut ı 02-741-5199 | www.sirigiriyaspa.com | 10am-10pm (last appt. at 8pm) | $$ Slipping into a steaming bath may be the last thing a traveler to hot and humid Bangkok may want to do – but then you’d be missing out on the joys of hydrotherapy, Siri Giriya style. Popular among Japanese, for whom bathing is an art, this homey spa is set just behind an elegant koi pond near the On Nut BTS station. Walk into the well-appointed room to find a tub overflowing with fresh Thai herbs – plai, turmeric, ginger, countless others – the smell is delicious. (You may be tempted to drink the water – just let your pores do that for you.) Maternal masseuses will scrub you, calibrate the temperature, even proffer up a tantalizing tamarind sorbet when the heat gets unbearable. Not everyone can handle this level of intimate pampering, but if you do, you come away with babysoft skin and that sweet, cool feeling of a detox well done.

SPA1930 (map D3) 42 Soi Tonson | BTS Chid Lom | 02254-8606 | www.spa1930.com | daily 9:30am – 9:30pm | $$$ The achingly cute fake-timbered heritage building, straight out of a Grimm’s fairy tale, houses a spa that is so popular it’s different to get a reservation. Maybe it’s been featured in too ma ny Asian travel magazines? At any given time, Singaporean, Hong Kong Chinese await their treatment in the welcoming reception area (complete with a library), which feels so intimate that you’ll think you’ve entered a private residence. The list of treatments is very traditional – no fancy shmancy here, just good old spa classics. The signature treatments are excellent, but you might be tempted into a marvellous 4-Hands Massage or an Herbal Pack Treatment. The handful of packages is quite respectable, too. Efficient therapists work in softly lit, simply decorated rooms. A welcome surprise is the fact that no music is piped into rooms so you can relax totally – or maybe nod off while listening to your own breathing.

สปา1930 ซ.ตนสน ตรงขามเซ็นทรัลชิดลม

The Grande spa

THE GRANDE SPA (mapD3) Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 250 Sukhumvit Road | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-649-8888 | 8ammidnight | $$$$ Technological or traditional treatments, The Grande Spa does it all. Die-hard dieters can zap that flab with the spa’s CACI machine, which sends mild electric currents to the muscles underneath – a fat-blasting workout for sweat-averse celebrities or true spa freaks. Cheerfully professional technicians take the fear factor out of the electrodes – and also deliver top-notch traditional treatments. Defying notions of cookiecutter hotel spas, therapists tailor sessions to your body within minutes, and offer up expert suggestions for keeping those aches at bay. The Thai Herbal Pound is one recommended treatment offering both Western and Thai body therapy techniques – the session includes the application of a warm herbal compress to key points along the body, an oil massage, and a facial cleansing.

รร.เชอราตันแกรนด สุขุมวิท ใกลสถานีรถไฟฟาอโศก

TypicAl spA cOsT RAnGE

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

สิริกิริยา สปา ซ.สุขุมวิท60

110

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

medical tourism

magine an ultramodern hospital where you can book same-day appointments with internationally accredited physicians. Picture waiting areas staffed with smiling orderlies dispensing free cold towels and drinking water. Think you’re dreaming? You’re not. Welcome to Bangkok, where top-tier hospitals offer state-of-the-art services for a fraction of what you would pay in Western Europe, Australia or the USA. Thailand is now Asia’s undisputed leader in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry. Many Thai-born physicians who have trained and practised abroad for years are now returning home to cash in on the country’s healthcare boom. The people fuelling the boom hail mainly from developed countries where waiting times for major procedures have become unacceptably long. Others are fleeing from nations where rising healthcare costs make it a bargain to travel halfway across the world for treatment. Popular procedures run the gamut from face lifts, breast enhancements and liposuction to organ transplants, multi-valve heart bypasses, back surgeries and hip replacements. If you’re only in town for a short time, don’t despair. Complete medical check-up packages, dental procedures and minimally invasive beauty procedures like botox injections and laser skin resurfacing can be scheduled with virtually no lead time. If you’re considering undergoing a more complicated surgical procedure requiring recovery time, it would behove you to see a doctor while you’re in town to determine if your physical condition makes you a suitable candidate for the procedure. If all goes well, you can plan to return for your surgery at a later date. Pre-approval largely eliminates the risk faced by

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maintains a comprehensive English language website detailing clinical specialities, services and prices. Some even offer discounts to international CAVEAT EMPTOR We leave it up to our readers to pick a patients. All medical procedures carry some hospital and a physician based on their risks. The more litigious own careful research. “Thailand is now among us should take While by no means the undisputed into account that an exhaustive list, leader in Asia’s complications resulting each of the hospitals from procedures perlisted on the following rapidly growing page has given special medical tourism formed in Thailand might not be covered attention to training industry” by insurance, and staff and providing facilities specifically geared toward compensation via malpractice lawsuits an international clientele. Each also may not be adequate in certain cases. those who travel long distances only to find they are medically ineligible.

Rutnin

FEATURED medical treatment

Eye Care Sight is one of our most essential senses. There’s nothing more annoying than to suffer from faltering vision. Having to squint wherever you go and struggling to decrypt even the largest billboards isn’t desirable for anyone. Here in Thailand there are number of remedies for you quandary. The most obvious option is to get a pair of glasses and it will be dead easy here. Just walk in whenever, get your free examination, choose some snazzy frames and that’s it! The world is in focus again. Check out MBK Centre, where there are no less than 16 optical shops, for very competitive prices on frames and lenses. If you are looking for full correction you may consider Lasik surgery. The procedure involves utilizing a laser to remodel any defects on your cornea, and is relatively painless with short recovery times. Surveys show that up to 98% of patients report full satisfaction with the results and there are many world class facilities that specialize in Lasik surgery in Bangkok, with state of the art equipment and English speaking staff you can rest assured that you’ll be seeing clearly.

Optometrists

■ Better Vision Siam Paragon, 2nd Fl. | 02-610-9645 | www.btv.co.th ■ Eye Lab MBK Centre, 1st Fl. | 02-620-9409

Lasik Centres

bangkok 101

wellness centres YOGA & PILATES

Tria

As marvellous as Bangkok may be there are certain downsides to it that will start to wear on you. The heat and pollution will wear your body down and the breakneck speed may be too much for some to handle. Fear not as 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 | 02-660-2600 | daily 7am-10pm | www.triaintegrativewellness.com Embrace your wellness at this urban retreat. With state-of-theart 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. ศูนยสขุ ภาพองครวม TRIA (ตรัยยา) ถ. ริมคลองสามเสน (หลังโรงพยาบาลปยะเวท) HyDROHEAlTH (map C3) 494 Erawan Bangkok, 4th Fl, Phloen Chit Rd l BTS Chit Lom | 02- 250-7800 | daily 10am-8pm | www.hydrohealth.co.th The first hydrotherapy colonic centre in Thailand it has some of the most innovative equipment around. The colonic procedure not only rids yourself of all the unwanted toxins bangkok 101

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.

ไฮโดรเฮลท เอราวัณแบงคอก ถ. เพลินจิต

s mEDicAl spA (map C3) 2/2 Phakdi Building,Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-253-1010 | daily 10am-10pm | www.smedspa.com 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 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 | daily 9am-8pm | www.rasayanaretreat.com They are specialists in deepcleansing programs and hydrotherapy colonics that leave you refreshed and reborn and also a little bit lighter. Also the Raw Food café at Rasayana is definitely wor th stopping by as they promote raw fresh foods using organic fruits and vegetables to help your body stay as clean as possible. รัสยานา รีทรีทต ซ. พรอมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 39 health & wellness

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 มหาทุนพลาซา 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 เอเลเมนท 29 อาคารวานิสสา ซอยชิดลม (หลังเซ็นทรัลชิดลม)

The pilates studio

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Sports

sports

Muay Thai

SPECTATOR SPORTS 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 stadiums. 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 safety-conscious Queensbury rules. Bouts consist of three fi veminute 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 and the blows are hard hitting and real. 114

TAKRAW (Kick Volleyball) Go to Lumphini Park (see p.37) on any given Sunday 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. AEROBICS It might be hard to imagine, but every day, busy Bangkokians find the time for some energising aerobics – out in the open. Head to any park in the city around 5pm-6pm, and you’ll be able to spot large groups of office workers, kids and the elderly following the instructions of an enthusiastic coach to blaring disco dance songs. The spor ts

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 6:30pm-10:30pm, Sat 5pm-8pm, 8:30pm-midnight | b1,000 b1,500 b2,000)

สนามมวยลุมพินี ถ.พระราม 4 ติดกับสวนลุมไนท บาซาร

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

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 Chatuchak Park. Never mind the possibility of fainting – simply join in! bangkok 101

Major Bowl

ACTIVE SPORTS BADMINTON Racquet Club (map D4) Sukhumvit 49/9 | 02-714-7200 Yen Akat Court (map C4) Soi Yen Akat | 02-249-6935-6 A family favourite in Thailand is badminton which is played by both young and old. A big reason for it being popular is the relative ease of setting up a game. All you need is a racquet, a shuttlecock, someone to watch out for cars, and you’re ready to go. It’s often played in neighbourhoods, in front of houses, whether hitting over fences or just simply on the street. Many housing estates will have courts available for rent or even free of charge. Some centrally located courts include the youth centre in Lumphini Park, Racquet Club and Yen Akat Court. 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 Lo, 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 | am 6pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-3pm (Sat) | V M This company has been organising bicycle tours in Southeast Asia for over 11 years, and it offers extra bangkok 101

ordinary day tours in the outskirts of Bangkok. The daytrips take you to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Koh Kret and along atmospheric, rural canals in Bangkok’s undiscovered countryside (22 - 40kms, US$50US$55). They 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 tailor-made itineraries are also possible, even for seriously adrenaline-parched 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) Rachadapisek Rd, Esplanade 4th Fl | MRT Thailand Cultural Centre | 02354-2134 This isn’t a boring sterile rink, more like a nightclub on ice. Popular among

Spiceroads

spor ts

youngsters, its 682 square metres 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 B700-1500 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 Center (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 Thai ace Paradorn Srichaphan, who became the first Asian player to achieve a top ten ranking just a couple of years ago, 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 will offer an in-house court for you but if you’d like to get out among the people a little, 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. 115

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 เอเลแฟนท ถ. สาทรใต (รถไฟฟาสุรศักดิ์)

Blue Elephant

COOKING CLASSES BENJARONG ROYAL THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT The Dusit Thani | 946 Rama IV Rd | 02200-9000 ext. 2699 | www.dusit.com Want to learn how to cook like a top Thai chef at one of the most elegant restaurants in town? Here’s your chance: The Benjarong Royal Thai Restaurant at the luxurious Dusit Thani Hotel is holding half-day cooking classes Monday through Friday from 2pm to 5pm. The course is run by Benjarong’s head chef himself, Surasak Kongsawat, who has racked up dozens of prestigious culinary awards and medals over his 18-year career in the kitchen. He is also an expert fruit and vegetable carver and you will have the option of learning how to carve fruit along with preparing three exceptional Thai dishes, or choose to learn a fourth recipe if carving doesn’t interest you. Both options include commemorative photos and course completion certificates. Courses are B3,000net pp or B4,200net if you’d like your very own Dusit Cookbook as well. The price includes a 5-course set dinner at the restaurant.

เบญจรงค รร. ดุสติ ธานี ถ. พระราม 4

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 116

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.

โรงเรียนแพทยแผนโบราณ วัดพระเชตุพน ถ. สนามชัย

CHIVA-SOM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY (map E4) Modern Town Bldg, 87/104 Ekamai Rd, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | BTS Ekkamai | 02-711-5270-3 | 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 อินเตอรเนชันแนล อะคาเดมี โมเดิรนทาวน 87/104 ถ.สุขุมวิท 63

MEDITATION CLASSES INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST MEDITATION CENTRE 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.

สำนักกองกลางวิปสนา วัดมหาธาตุ ถ. หนาพระลาน

bangkok 101

making merit 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.

SOI CATS & DOGS (SCAD)

Photo courtesy of SCAD

Amidst the splendour of Bangkok’s temples and its busy streets, thousands of cats and dogs endure a miserable existence. Their plight is largely ignored. Soi Cats and Dogs (SCAD), a non-profit volunteer organisation established in 2002, helps to change that by improving the lives of Bangkok’s strays. Through realistic programmes of animal birth control, education and adoption, SCAD works to reduce the number of homeless dogs and cats humanely. Run by a handful of enthusiastic staff, SCAD welcomes volunteers to meet rescued dogs. By offering them training and socialising them, it gives rescues the chance they deserve to become pets. You can visit the rehoming centre to see the cats and dogs at play and you can add your support by shopping at the store, ReTails Too, or enjoying some delicious home baked cake and a cup of coffee at Scoffees cafe. Here you can also donate money, supplies (cat and dog food, bowls, toys, blankets etc), or your skills through volunteering.You’ll find ReTails Too, Scoffees cafe and the Rehoming Centre at 289 Soi Pridi Phanamyong 42, Sukhumvit Soi 71 (nearest BTS Phra Kanong, then taxi) . If you would like to lend regular financial support to SCAD’s cause, why not become a ‘virtual’ adopter by sponsoring a needy cat or dog through the SCAD’s Muttketeer sponsorship programme? You’ll find more details at: www.scadbangkok.org/sponsorship

To learn more log onto www.scadbangkok.org or call 02-713- 3354. bangkok 101

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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

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sa-wàt dee sa-bai dee réu sa-bai dee láew khun lâ arai ná kho˘ thôt 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

EMBASSIES & CONSULATES

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

WESTERN COUNTRIES Australia 37 South Sathorn Rd | 02-344-6300 | www.austembassy.or.th Canada Abdulrahim Place, 15th Fl, 990 Rama IV Rd | 02-636-0540 | www.bangkokinternational.gc.ca Delegation for the Commission of European Communities Kiam Gwan Bldg II, 19th Fl, 140/1 Witthayu Rd | 02-305-2600 | www.deltha.cec.eu.int New Zealand M Thai Tower, 14th Fl, All Seasons Place, 87 Witthayu Rd | 02-254-2530 | www.nzembassy. com/thailand U.S.A. 120-122 Witthayu Rd | 02205-4000; www.usa.or.th/embassy United Kingdom 1031 Witthayu Rd | 02-305-8333 | www.ukinthailand. fco.gov.uk ASIAN COUNTRIES 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 Soi 23 | 02-2580300/5 | www.indianembassy.gov. in/bangkok Indonesia 600-602 Phetchaburi Rd | 02-252-3135/40 Japan 177 Wireless Rd | 02-6963000, 02-207-8500 | www.th.emb-japan.go.jp Korea 23 Thiam Ruammit Rd, Ratchadaphisek | 02-247-7537/40 | korembas@ksc.th.com Laos 520, 502/1-3 Wang Thonglang Rd | 02-539-6667 | www.bkklaoembassy.com (Visa Section)193 South Sathorn Rd | 02-287-3964 Malaysia 33-35 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-2190/5 Myanmar 132 North Sathorn Rd | 02-233-2237, 02-234-4698, 02-2344789 | mebkk@asianet.co.th Philippines 760 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-259-0139/40 | www.philembassybangkok.net Singapore 129 South Sathorn Rd | 02-286-2111 Vietnam 83/1 Witthayu Rd | 02-251-5836

LOST CREDIT CARDS CALL CENTRES American Express 02-273-5544 (8am-8pm) / 02-273-5522 (after 8pm) Diners Club 02-238-3660 (24hours) 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; 02-2829773, 02-250-5500 | daily 8:30am4:30pm Tourism Authority of Thailand 1600 New Phetchaburi Rd | 02250-5500 | 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 8am4pm

bangkok 101

reference

contacts TRANSPORT PLANE Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport Call Centre 02-132-1888 Bangkok Airways Reservations 99 Moo 14, Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak | 02-265-5555 | www.bangkokair.com Air Asia Reservations Suvarnabhumi International Airport A1-062 G Fl., Concourse A| 02-5159999 | www.airasia.com Thai Airways Intâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l Reservations Suvarnabhumi International Airport 4th Fl. 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 SKYTRAIN/SUBWAY BTS Skytrain Call Centre 02-6122444 | www.bts.co.th MRT Subway Call Centre 02-354-2000 BUS Call Centre 02-576-5599 Northern & Northeastern Bus Terminal Phahonyothin Rd, Mo Chit Southern Bus Terminal Boromrat Chonnani Rd Sai Tai Eastern Bus Terminal Sukhumvit Rd (Ekkamai) BTS Skytrain

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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.

ROAD TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con equipped 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 at the street level outside the terminal, an additional B50 is added to the metered fare.

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).

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.

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

MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their orange vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in

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

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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. For more information: www.bangkokmetro.co.th RIVER (also see River Tourism on p.24) EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of intercity waterways offers 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. Crossriver 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