Bangkok 101 - November 2009 by Talisman Media

bangkok 101

november 2009 100 baht

Sukhumvit photography by

Jonas Becker t h r o u g h t h es uekyhe us movf i th i s k i n g d o m

1 on 1: kriensak victor silakong Metrobeat: 7th World Film Festival Very Thai: trade talismans Upcountry Escape: Korat Over the Border: macau Making Merit: ban kru noI

november 2009

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

publisher’s

letter

november 2009

Welcome to our 4th birthday issue! This month we kick off our celebrations by welcoming a new book serialisation to the fold. As part of a special collaboration with publishing house Marshall Cavendish Editions, Bangkok 101 will each month present an excerpt from Brian Merten’s benchmark-setting book Bangkok Design, beginning with a look at the wonderful things a female Thai artisan does with water hyacinth. Featuring photos by architecture and interior snapper Robert McLeod, our hope is that these excerpts will enlighten you about both the lovely Thai-made designs prettying up the city’s shops and the creative talent that made them. Looming largest on the social calendar this month is the 7th World Film Festival of Bangkok: the second international film festival in as many months. As long-running festival director Kriengsak Victor Silakong explains in this month’s 1 on 1, it’s an audience and arthouse-orientated affair, with a particular yen for regional films. Sticking with the cinematic theme, we’ve also got a feature on Bangkok’s old independent cinemas. Seek them out to enjoy films on the super cheap or just stand back and admire their retro architecture – before it’s too late! November is a bumper month for one of Thailand’s favourite things: festivals. Loi Kratong, when decorative floats festooned with candles clog the waterways, is on Nov 2; and you’ll be encounter more night-lights at Kanchanaburi’s River Kwai Bridge Week, a light and sound extravaganza re-enacting the WWII legacy of the bridge. Meanwhile in the northeast, Nakorn Ratchasima – Thailand’s cattle country and this month’s Upcountry Escape – is hosting an open-air concert and caters kok 101 y a cowboy food festival. For your trip overseas, consider Macau, a sed, Bang what the ia b n n a u th d n re a o t n m r e r e d fo th n ge rn sort of Disneyland for roulette-lovers. Indepe who yea ooks. It brings to ters, travellers , wri ideb ts u n g Our photo feature this month is raw and gritty – just e d d si te to savvy a of city re rs. The result eighty, d find in w tive Who’s Who like the part of Bangkok it’s about. Young German lensman to l ta ommenta ri c l o ra th thly trave an au Jonas Becker’s photos show that far from just being a main and cultu t hybrid of mon e rs th e h ff p n and o photogra ct and intelligen drag lined with hotels, malls, condominiums and offices, the es you o loys the k a ta p t a m o th emp is a c azine Sukhumvit area is also an ongoing and very noisy experiment gkok 101 city mag and no uide and tourist track. Ban o fluff, no smut g n in globalisation, futurism and multi-culturalism. rn h ought. it o b w w e lls, b we andard cannot st t l n a ri te rs, o n Finally we’ve been busy road-testing the latest nightlife and it o d d c ur rea e highest e ls. Our editorial cus on o fo a e ri th restaurants (yep, tis a tough life!) to give you inspiration for the to r in adve ainta to ensure rously m fresher, cooler weather that hits this month. It’s been an absolute We rigo nd our mission is ity as much a at c pleasure ducking and diving our way though the city with you over y this gre they enjo love living in it. the past four years. We look forward to countless more. as we

What i1s01? Bangkok

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher

contributors Jonas Becker

German national Jonas Becker made in-roads into professional photography after an internship with Thai English-language newspaper The Nation in 2007. Since then he has worked as a freelance photographer for the Goethe Institute, European Press Agency and various magazines, and become a member of international photo agency Plainpicture. This month’s photofeature is lifted from “Sukhumvit Road”, a series of 130 photos he took for his diploma in photography.

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

table of

contents snapshots 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17

101 picks 1 on 1: kriensak victor silakong events calendar metro beat history religion customs very thai: trade talismans

november2009

sightseeing 18 19 20 22 24 26 28 30 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 41 42 44

orientation riverside route101: rattanakosin route101: chinatown route101: sukhumvit route 101: silom&sathorn route101: pathumwan siam and pratunam historic buildings the grand palace temples museums the great outdoors in the neighbourhood day trip: tha na and don wai market day tripping upcountry festivals upcountry escape: korat over the border: macau

arts 46 47 48 56 57 58 59

contemporary art exhibitions photo feature: sukhumvit performing arts cultural centres cinema reading & screening

37 44

on the cover: a takraw player in Sukhumvitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Benjasiri Park attempts the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s killer move, the somersault scissor kick

The Stylish

New Way to Sleep in Bangkok

seven design hotel 3/15 Sukhumvit 31 Bangkok 10110 t: +662.662.0951 f: +662.662.3344 e: info@sleepatseven.com www.sleepatseven.com

table of

contents

november2009

91 92 94 96

sports

jazz clubs live music nightlife areas pub crawling

112 spectator sports 113 active sports

courses & services

shopping 98 99 100 101 102 104 105

114 cooking, meditation & thai massage courses 115 making merit: ban kru noi

shopper scene stuff unique boutique bangkok design mall crawl markets sidewalks

business

accommodation 106 boutique bangkok

health & wellness 108 109 110 111

body & beauty spas wellness centres medical tourism

116 business 117 real estate

reference 118 survival thai 119 contacts 120 getting around

food & drinks 60 61 62 63 64 65 68 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

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

100

108

nightlife 82 84 86 88 89 90

one night in bangkok nightclubs bars with a view hotel bars boho bars latin rhythms

106

116

Snapshots ee

history

Grand Palace

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

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

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

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

bangkok 101

religion

Did you know?

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

bangkok 101

snapshots

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

Snapshots

customs

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

Did you know?

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

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

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

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

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

Temple Etiquette

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

bangkok 101

very thai Philip Cornwel-Smith

Trade Talismans

Merchants use magic to make you spend

Photos by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith

If shopping is the new religion, as many quip, then Thai shopkeepers are sitting pretty. They’ve long since enrolled religion in selling. The archetypal general store draws on the power of magic mascots. Few merchants seem to trust just one talisman, instead summoning a host of spirits positioned throughout the shophouse: front to back, floor to ceiling, and especially around the money. They display not just animist and Therevada Buddhist totems, but many charms of Chinese origin, indicating the ethnic lineage of many Thai merchants. You can’t get more Chinese than a red medallion of a gold character meaning ‘good’, ‘longevity’ or ‘rich’. Such huu charms dangle over doorways or walls. Originally on cloth or paper, huu also come in carved wood or embossed plastic, many inscribed with the Thai word dee (good) instead of a Chinese character. To invoke protection or money-making benefit these must be blessed by a monk, medium or shaman before display. Such inscriptions may lurk in the folds of pla tapian, a carp fish woven from strips of palm painted red, gold, black or yellow. Suspended on a string alone or as part of a shoal in a fish mobile, it is increasingly popular in shops. Other animal spirits invoked include the spider – for snaring customers in the trader’s web – and the gecko. Another Chinese emblem, nam tao (bottle gourds) dangle on lucky red chords, often alongside other fertility symbols like the phallic palad khik and the fish trap. Made from bamboo like the real thing, the model fish trap vaguely resembles a fish, tapering at the head, flared at its tail. In the family-run corner shop, you are its prey. 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

Snapshots

101 picks

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

one night in bangkok

shopping

thai style

food heaven

open air

■ Chatuchak A huge, sprawling village of a market, selling everything under the sun. Cramped, steamy and lots of fun (p.104).

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

■ Beautiful Brunches L a ze a r o u n d w i t h friends, newspapers for those great late breakfasts (p. 75).

■ Dusit District Filled with lovely airy boulevards, a big zoo & Vimanmek Mansion’s gorgeous greener y (p.30).

■ Bars & Clubs Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. It’s fun to be a Bangkokian (pp.82-97).

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

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

■ Food Courts Love cheap Thai food but love air-con more? Get thee to a food court (p.71).

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

■ Cabarets Wow, she is beautiful. Such a graceful dancer. And what a figure! Eh… what do you mean “he”? (p.85).

■ Siam Square All the young dudes head to this cradle of cool for the latest flicks and threads (p.101).

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

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

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

■ High Attitude Bars Slinky cocktails at eight miles high. Not cheap, but well worth it (p.86).

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

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

■ Meal Deals Take advantage of special offers to eat at some of the city’s best restaurants (p.61).

■ Ancient City Cycle round the museum park of Muang Boran, and see Thailand in miniature! (p.38).

■ Dining Cruises Stuff your face as you wind your way along the Chao Phraya (p.61).

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

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

■ Street Food Pull up a plastic stool and get ready to point and shoot (p.64).

■ Lumpini Park A huge green space in the heart of the city. Perfect for jogging, picnics and boating on the ponds (p.35).

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

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

■ Jim Thompson House & Silk Shop This former spook rebuilt the Thai silk trade then disappeared. Nice house though (p.98).

■ Affordable Gourmet Food If you prefer foie gras to fried insects, Bangkok needn’t break the bank (p.65).

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

■ Theatre TraditionalThai wooden puppet shows, classical Thai drama or breathtaking extravaganzas – no tux required (p.58)

snapshots

bangkok 101

Snapshots

1 on 1 Victor Silakong is one of Bangkok’s foremost arts mavens – a highly respected theatre director and film festival director rolled into one. Fresh from his recent genre-splicing production of Carmen, he’ll helm the 7th World Film Festival of Bangkok from 6-15 November, as he has done for the past six years. He tells us what he’s got lined up and where he gets his culture fix on the rare day off. See www.worldfilmbkk. com for the festival line-up.

Kriengsak Victor Silakong So, what have you got lined up for this year’s festival? Some very exciting independent films, that’s always our aim. The opening film will be a Thai film called Jao Nok Krajok or, to give its English title, Mundane History. It just premiered at Pusan and was made by a Thai female director called Anocha Suwichakornpong, who recently went to Cannes in the official short film selection. Where is it being held? At the Paragon Cineplex we have three cinemas dedicated to the festival. And we will close with an open-air concert film at night about reggae music called Rock Steady. It’s going to be free of charge and hopefully a lot of fun. This is the second Bangkok film festival in as many months. Is it difficult to find fresh films? No, many cities have two festivals and there are plenty of films to go round. Of course sometimes we might want the same films, but very few. I think 10

the biggest problem is confusion – certain directors assume that we are one and the same. What makes the World Film Festival unique? There’s no industry market, it’s purely an audience festival. Also, over the past 6 years we’ve staged three workshops called Produire au Sud. This is about putting new Southeast Asian film projects together. We select the best ones and send them to France to get coproduced. Last year we had a Thai film born from this workshop called A Moment in June. And this year we have Mundane History. Favourite Thai directors? There are many. In the past I really admired Cherd Songsri and Vichit Kounavudhi. Sadly both have passed away but these two masters really carried the Thai-ness in their films – the melodrama, but with quality. They did it well. I really miss the big films they made covering the big subjects of the time, like snapshots

Luk Issan (Son of the Northeast). One new director I really like is Kongkiat Khomsiri. He blended the commercial and artistic very well in Muay Thai Chaiya. Where do you go in Bangkok to get your creative fix? I really like the National Theatre; they give a free performance every Saturday. Sadly there are often only 20 people watching but still, they give the best performances. In terms of museums I like the TCDC at the Emporium. It’s world-class – especially when they cover Thai subjects. Capital of Culture. Is Bangkok close? No, but we already have lots of good stuff to show the world. Not just the classical side, but the contemporary scene too. If you go to Tonson Gallery, or one of many galleries in Bangkok you can see exciting works by young world-class artists. I only wish they got more support from the government. bangkok 101

Ari Hoenig

Loi Krathong

november calender Sun 1: Roberta Flack Bangkok Convention Center, Centara @ CTW | 02-262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B1,000 – 6,000

See Metrobeat ‘Rock&Pop’

Thu 5: Champion Sound & UB Radio Present Johnny Fiasco

Sun 1 – Sun 8: Red Demon Jim Thompson

Art Center, Soi Kasemsan 2 (opp. National Stadium) | 087-221-3111 | www.makhampom.net | B200-500

Contemporary likay (Thai folk dance theatre) adaptation of a Japanese play by Hideki Noda. Red Demon

Sat 7 – Sun 8: Fat Festival # 9

Fri 13: DJ Little Martinez

Impact Muang Thong Thani | 02-833-5555 | www.totalreservation.com | B299 The line-up’s predictable (Modern Dog, Slur etc) but it’s still the best indie fest in town.

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-6513537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | B800 See Metrobeat ‘Nightlife’

Thu 19 – Sun 22: Cartoon Network Live On Stage! – Power of the Omnitrix

Mon 23 – Sun 29: World Opera Week

Sat 28: Ploenchit Fair by the River Shrewsbury International School, Charoen Krung Rd. |02-204-1587| www. ploenchitfair.com | free See Metrobeat ‘Fairs’

bangkok 101

Mon 2: Loi Krathong

Chao Phraya River, China Town and other venues See Metrobeat ‘Festival’

Thu 5, 12, 19: NMV Introductory Lecture Series 2009 The National Museum, Naphra-that Rd. (opp. Sanam Luang) | www. museumvolunteersbkk.net | B400 per day Weekly lectures on Thai and regional culture by Bangkok brainiacs.

Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | B700 See Metrobeat ‘Nightlife’

Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon | 02-262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B900-B2,000 See Metrobeat ‘Theatre’

Tue 3 – Sun 31 Jan: Alice Day Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 02-6498353 | www.luxurycollection.com/bangkok See Metrobeat ‘Jazz’

Thu 5 – Sun 8: Salsa Bangkok Fiesta Various venues| 081454-4545 | www.salsabangkok.com | B500 – B3,000

See Metrobeat ‘Dance’

Tue 17 – Fri 27: The Fifth Science Film Festival 2009

Wed 18 – Sat 21: Chef Stéphane Gaborieau

Goethe-Institut Bangkok, Soi Goethe, Sathorn 1 | 02-287-0942 | www. goethe.de | free A run of international films that try to educate as well as entertain.

Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Klong Sarn| 02442-2000 | www.hilton. com | B4,500++ See Metrobeat ‘Food’

Thu 26 – Sun 29: Blood Brothers

Alliance Francaise, South Sathorn | 02-833-5555 | www.totalreservation.com | B850 Bangkok Community Theatre amdram production of the hit musical about workingclass Liverpudlians.

Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadaphisek Rd. | 02262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com |B100 – 3,000

See Metrobeat ‘Classical’

snapshots

Wed 4 – Thu 5: Ari Hoenig Quartet

Niu’s on Silom | 02-2623456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B2,500 – 3,500 See Metrobeat ‘Jazz’

Fri 6 – Sun 15: 7th World Film Festival of Bangkok Paragon Cineplex, Siam Paragon | 02-3383618-9 | www.worldfilmbkk.com | B100

See Metrobeat ‘Film’

Thu 19: Blue Frog, Mumbai & Blue Palace Beats Present DJ Janux Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | B600 See Metrobeat ‘Nightlife’

Fri 27: DJ Charles Schillings Bed Supperclub, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-6513537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | B1,000 See Metrobeat ‘Nightlife’

Trade Fairs Performance Live Music Shopping Festivals/Events Food & Drink Charity Sport Nightlife

Snapshots

metro beat

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

fairs

festivals On November 2, people around Thailand will head for the nearest water to float candles in banana leaf boats to celebrate Loi Krathong. The festival shows respect to the water spirits and welcomes the end of the rainy season. In Bangkok the Chao Phraya River will be filled with bobbing lights, and there should be some lanterns launched like mini ballons into the night sky over Chinatown.

theatre The animated TV series Ben 10 takes to the theatre in a production named Cartoon Network Live On Stage! – Power of the Omnitrix. In this world premiere two new characters, Rocks and Squid Stricter, join Ben, who has the power to transform himself into several superheroes, using his Omnitrix device. Catch it at the Royal Paragon Hall, from November 19-22. Tickets (B900-B2,000) are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

food The Millennium Hilton Bangkok (02442-2000) has Michelin-starred Chef Stéphane Gaborieau in its kitchens from November 18-21. The owner of Paris restaurant La Pergolèse will prepare an a la carte menu at Prime restaurant, a nightly seven-course wine dinner (B4,500++) and a cooking class.

sport National teams from 82 countries will compete in the IFMA Muay Thai World Championships from November 27 to December 5. The event includes men’s, women’s and junior bouts, with gold medalists qualifying for the 2010 Martial Art & Combat games in Beijing. Fights are at the Mall Ngamwongwan, until December 4, with remaining finals, plus the King’s Cup pro tournament at Sanam Luang on December 5. Entry free. Full details are at www.ifmamuaythai.org.

The British Community’s annual fund-raiser Ploenchit Fair by the River is at Shrewsbury International School on November 28. Stalls and entertainment will include go-karts, clowns, books, clothes and handicrafts, plus international food, a tea garden and champagne and Pimms. For details see www.ploenchitfair.com.

dance Salsa Bangkok Fiesta will have Latino dance lovers drooling from November 5-8 with performances, competitions, dance lessons and parties at a variety of Bangkok venues. Henry Knowles, “the world’s most famous Latin DJ”, from New York, will be here, along with three-time World Salsa Championship finalist Nestor Manuelian. Shimmy to www.salsabangkok.com for the programme.

events World Opera Week has three productions at the Thailand Cultural Centre from November 23-29. Ode to Joy (23) brings Beethoven’s Ninth, and other bits, with the Orpheus Choir, Siam Philharmonic and soloists including Nancy Yuen and Stefan Sanchez; Puccini’s La Boheme stars Nancy Yuen and Israel Lozano (25 & 26); and on November 28 and 29 A Boy and a Tiger is an opera by children for adults, composed by Bruce Gaston, inspired by Yann Martel’s Novemberel The Life of Pi. Tickets are B100-B3,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com) or chintana@ bangkokopera.com.

nightlife Bed Supperclub has several imported acts this month, starting with Chicago House music pioneer DJ Johnny Fiasco, who brings disco beats and vocal mixes on November 5. Also in town are Kid Massive’s tour partner Little Martinez (13); DJ Janux and live percussionist, from Mumbai’s Blue Frog club (19); Hong Kong’s DJ Helen (20) and Charles Schillings, from France (27).

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bangkok 101

Food & drink

Jazz New York club jazz hits Bangkok on November 4 and 5, when the Ari Hoenig Quartet plays Niu’s on Silom (02-2665333). Drummer-composer Hoenig and sidemen Gilad Hekselman (guitar), Orlando LeFleming (bass) and Jamie Oehlers (sax) have played with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. This will be hot. Show start at 9.30pm. Tickets (B2,500 includes one drink; B3,500 includes dinner at Concerto Italian restaurant, plus one drink in the jazz club) are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor. com) or reservation@niusonsilom.com. Alice Day is the sassiest jazz singer on the Bangkok circuit, bringing an edgy attitude, extraordinary dress sense and the longest curly painted fingernails to her sets at the Living Room, at the Sheraton Grande hotel (02-649-8353). She can sing, too – particularly strong on ballads – and occasionally touches you in places only the best can. She’s backed by the Jeremy Monteiro International Trio from November 3.

rock & pop Roberta Flack will kill us softly with her performance at the Bangkok Convention Centre on November 1. Tickets are B1,000-B4,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

film The 7th World Film Festival of Bangkok from November 6-15 at Paragon Cineplex screens over 100 films in eight categories, including experimental, video, museum art, music and Asian contemporary. Titles include Bulgarian film noir (Zift), Indian drama-comedy (Gulabi Talkies) and Panamanian Sundance nominee The Wind and the Water. The closing film, Rocksteady: Roots of Reggae, will be a free open-air screening, otherwise tickets are B100. For full schedules see www. worldfilmbkk.com. The European Union Film Festival 2009 comes to Bangkok’s SF World Cinema from November 19 to 29, after an opening stint in Chiang Mai from November 5-15. Among the award winning entries are California Dreaming (Romania) and Ben X (Belgium), while documentaries include Citizen Havel (Czech Republic) and Sounds Like Teen Spirit (UK). German, Dutch and Polish films have Thai subtitles, the rest have English. Call 02-305-2646 for full details. bangkok 101

Bed Supperclub

Bed Supperclub needs no introduction, but new chef Cameron Stuart might. He’s a graduate of Neil Perry’s Rockpool restaurant, in Sydney, and his approach is squarely modern Australian, i.e., an easy and unashamed mixing of flavours from different cultures. Because we love labels, he calls it modern eclectic, although in private, and being Australian, he just calls it cooking. The menu structure is the same – a three-course set with choices from WHERE 26 Sukhumvit a trio of starters and Soi 11, 02-651-3537, desserts, and five www.bedsupperclub.com mains, with options, BTS Nana OPEN Nightly such as oysters, foie 7:30pm-1am PRICE $$$ gras and wagyu beef, should you want to splash out a bit. The dishes change every four weeks. The one we had was rooted in the Mediterranean, starting with a bouncy salad of zucchini ribbons, goat cheese, pine nuts and fresh berries, splashed with a lightly sharp palm sugar dressing. Mains included Moroccan cous cous with tuna steak coated in the North African marinade chermoula, and lifted by the spicy tang of chilli jam. The space-age tubular building, with multi-media floor shows, funky sounds, and all-white décor with beds to lie on, ensure a venue of cheekbones and bohemian chic, firmly on the radar of Bangkok’s young and beautiful.

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Sightseeing

orientation

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Thewet & Dusit

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Ko Rattanakosin

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Thonburi

Chinatown

Siam Square & Pratunam

Sukhumvit Chaophraya

roads. But the Skytrain (BTS) and Underground (MRT) networks are better allies – whiz above or below the gridlocked streets in fridge-cool comfort! When these can’t help you (when heading from downtown Bangkok to the Old City for instance) hop on a river expressboat, accessible via Saphan Taksin Skytrain station (see opposite). Alternatively, seek out a pier along smelly Klong Saen Saeb (p.120) and clamber (carefully) aboard one of its zippy boats. Other tips include avoid scammers (p.29), carry small change and, if visiting temples, dress properly (p.16). In a city as potentially aggravating as Bangkok, it’s also worth planning. Do you really want to be traipsing round temples all day? Exactly. For ideas check out the following Route 101’s – these itineraries introduce the most notable sights in the city’s most colourful neighbourhoods. Don’t follow them to the letter however – getting hopelessly lost as you wander down one interesting looking side-street after another is half the fun.

Smeared over the flat, flood-prone Chao Phraya river plain, Bangkok at first appears about as organised as a bowl of spaghetti. The fact that there isn’t one all-singing, all-dancing city centre doesn’t help matters. Delve in though and you’ll discover a sprawling megalopolis with a series of distinct neighbourhoods that have evolved over the centuries and have different, tourist-luring attributes. On the west side of the river, glimpses of the Venice of the East survive down the criss-crossing canals of former capital Thonburi. On the east, historic monuments like the Grand Palace are sprinkled like gold dust through former royal HQ Ko Rattanakosin (p.20) – the city’s most revered neighbourhood by far. Fringing it are the old shophouse communities of Phra Nakorn and Banglamphu, the latter of which includes backpacker ghetto Khao San Road. South of Ko Rattanakosin is the city’s congested, chaotic and must-see Chinatown. And crowning Banglamphu is royal and government enclave Dusit with its grand, tree-shaded boulevards a la 19th Century Europe. When temple fatigue strikes head east for the urban hurly burly – steel towers, snarled traffic and snaking expressways – that is Modern Bangkok. Silom and Sathorn are busy business arteries linking the riverside’s old colonial style mercantile buildings and posh hotels to the city’s green lung, Lumpini Park. Seething Sukhumvit Road and its branching sois (where internationals tend to live, work and play) offer few sights but untold opportunities for drinking, dining and debauchery. And Pathumwan (p.28) is where it’s at for shopping, be it at glitzy mall or gritty market. All these neighbourhoods (and the city’s intermittently interesting ‘burbs) can be reached using the city’s

Riverside

Pathumwan& Lumphini

Silom & Sathorn sightseeing

bangkok 101

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the riverside

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

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

N15

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

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

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Amulet Market

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N13

Na Phra Lan Rd. Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

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

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

Charoen Krung Rd.

Chinatown

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Royal Grand Palace

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N8 :Tha Tien Lovely King Rama V-era shophouses sell dried fish but Wat Po – home of the reclining Buddha – is the main attraction. Wat Arun (p.31) looms large on the far bank. Catch a cross-river ferry to it for B3.

N10

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N10 : Wang Lang Wat Rakhang, the macabre Forensic’s Museum, a teenfashion clothing market and Patravadi Theatre (p.56) are all in the vicinity.

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Millenium Hilton

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bangkok 101

Penninsula

Wongwian Yai

Krung Thonburi Rd. KrungThonburi

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

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

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

N6 Wat Arun

101

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

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sightseeing

Sightseeing

route 101

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

Rattanakosin

Wat Arun Giant Swing

sightseeing

elcome 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 highrise 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.31), 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 bangkok 101

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NORTH

The Deck

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PAHURAT

Phra Buddha Yodfa Monument

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

sightseeing

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101

Taksin then, once at the river, jump on an express boat (ask someone to point out which boat is an express). As you face the river, you want to be going right, upriver. Get off at Tha Tien pier and catch one of the numerous boats that cross to the other side. Wat Arun, with its spire aglow, is easy to spot. After admiring the sweeping panoramas from the top, cross the river back to Tha Tien pier. Then make your way to the city’s oldest temple complex, Wat Po (p.32). 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.31) and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (p.31). 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.30). Hungry for more Thai history? Then exit and head north across the ancient ceremonial park, Sanam Luang, veer left and delve into the National Museum (p.34). Depending on your body and foot fatigue, you will probably find it is early evening.The rest of your evening is up to you – Rattanakosin has plenty of options. A good place to unwind over a drink or a meal is at one of the artsy eateries near the fort, along Phra Athit Road. Alternatively, grab a beer and some pad thai with the backpackers along Khao San Road. Or hit a cocktail bar like Amorosa, with its picture-postcard views over the river of lit-up Wat Arun.

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

Sightseeing

route 101

hinatown or Yaowarat, as it is known locally, is a sprawling, neon-lit enclave of tiny lanes, fabulous food, dramatic Chinese shrines and wiry old men sitting on plastic stools staring through thick-rimmed glasses. The centre of Bangkok’s Chinese community actually used to be a couple of clicks west, but when King Rama V decided to build his palace on Rattanakosin Island the neighbourhood decamped en masse to its current location. It’s a fantastic place just to wander around during the day, stuffing your face with weird fried things and trying to figure out just what the hell is being displayed in the Chinese pharmacy windows. Yaowarat Rd itself, Chinatown’s main stretch, comes alive at night when fold-up-table restaurants spill out over the pavements, and a million and one gold shops, with their ridiculously ostentatious facades, flick on their neon switches. It’s quite a sight. The best way to get there is by the underground. Take Exit 1 from Hua Lamphong MRT and look over to your right to take in Bangkok’s impressive main train station. This Renaissance-style edifice dates back to the early 20th century when King Rama V commissioned a bunch of Italian architects and engineers to give the capital a dash of European élan. Head straight on from Exit 1 and 22

cHINATOWN cross over a couple of roads and the canal until you hit Mittraphap Thai-China Rd. Down here you’ll find one of the most imposing temples in Bangkok, Wat Traimit Witthayaram (p.32) and, 50m further on, the Odeon Circle Gate, an enormous structure that serves as the entrance to Chinatown proper. Turn right and check out the San Chao Poy Sien shrine, before crossing over onto Yaowarat Rd and exploring the Thian Fah Foundation complex.

sightseeing

Continue alongYaowarat and, when you’re suitably disgusted/impressed by all the restaurants advertising bird’s nest and shark’s fin delicacies on Yaowarat, duck down Yaowaphanit Rd. Then turn right onto Sampheng Lane (officially Wanit 1 Rd). This wholesale shopping treasure trove used to be full of opium dens and brothels, although there’s not much more illicit than hair clips and rubber sandals on offer now. The lane’s not wide to start with, but fill it with food carts, dawdling shoppers and delivery boys on Vespas loaded with Hello Kitty schoolbags and you feel like a human pinball. Great fun! Emerging like a new born calf onto Ratchawong Rd, you’ve got a choice to make. Head left towards the river to explore the old colonial-style warehouses and catch a river taxi from Ratchawong Pier; jump in a cab and mumble “Pak Khlong Talad” (p.104) to explore the 24-hour flower market; cross the road and continue the market mayhem as Chinatown segues into Little India with all its fabric shops and samosa stalls; or turn right and head up bangkok 101

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Trongsawat Rd

Yaowaphanit Rd

Phadung Dao Rd

Plaeng Nam Rd

Soi Charoen Krung 16 Rd

Mungkorn Rd

Soi Yaowarat 6 Rd

Soi Yaowar at 11 Rd

1 Rd

Mungkorn Rd

Soi Charoen Krung 14 Rd

Mittraphan Rd

Phlap Pla Chai Rd

Suapa Rd

Soi Yaowarat 8 Rd

15 Rd

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Chaloem Buri Intersection

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Soi Yaowa rat

Ratchawong Rd

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Ratchawong Rd

Hua Lamphong Railway Station

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Old market

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to the other main Chinatown artery, Charoen Krung Rd. As you approach Charoen Krung you’ll cross back over Yaowarat Rd, passing the Grand China Princess hotel on your left. Turn left when you hit the main drag and walk about 500m to get to Nakhon Kasem, the old Thieves’ Market (p.104), or turn right and cross over to visit the wonderful Mangkorn Kamalawat temple complex. Opposite the temple, about 20 metres on, there’s a tiny, jam-packed lane, Soi 16, that connects with Yaowarat Rd. If you’re there at breakfast time, head on in for a seething, groaning wet-market with everything from huge sacks of tea and dried mushrooms to plastic tubs of writhing catfish. If you’ve timed it well, when you come out of Soi 16 (Yaowarat Rd Soi 6) night will have fallen and the neonlit optical orgy that is Yaowarat Rd will be in full flow. Squeeze past all the chestnut vendors and satay grillers and slip into an appealing restaurant or find a table at a streetside eatery to give your feet a well-earned rest.

China Town Scala restaurant

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Grand China Princess Hotel

Kwang Tung Shrine

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101

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

Chao Phraya River See n San Chao Poy Sien Okay, it looks like a souvenir shop, but it’s actually a funky little shrine. Pop upstairs to the weird plastic cave-room to see the statue of the Chinese god Kuan Yim. n Thian Fah Foundation This atmospheric complex incorporates a hospital and another, more elegant shrine dedicated to Kuan Yim. n Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat Fight your way through the vendors in the entranceway and head straight to the temple at the back for a truly memorable experience.

Eat n T&K Seafood 49-52 Soi Phaduang,Yaowarat Rd | 022234519 | 4:30pm-2am Watch the crowds roll by and dishes being hoisted down on fishing lines from the upstairs kitchen. n Canton House Chaloem Buri Intersection | 02-221sightseeing

3335 | 11am-10pm Cheap, tasty and air-conditioned, Canton House has a great selection of dim-sum from B15 a pop. n Hua Seng Hong 371-373 Yaowarat Rd | 02-222-0635 | 9am-midnight Look out for the bright yellow sign, then squeeze past the crabs, ducks and shark fins into an air-conditioned dining room for tasty, reasonably priced Chinese fare. 23

Sightseeing

route 101 Benjakitti Park

Sukhumvit

ike Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Sukhumvit Road is a futuristic thriller – a flawed, frenetic, yet often compelling urban streetscape. Towering hotels, condominiums and offices sprawl east across its skyline, while down below a global Who’s Who races anonymously among them. Along its main stretch cars and c oncrete assail the senses, while down its many flanking sois calmer, more serene atmospheres unfold. Once a suburban backwater dominated by a stretch of rice fields, Sukhumvit has evolved into the residential destination of choice for aspirational Thais and the expats who work with them. As a result, it has developed its own village culture – marked by twee cafés, achingly hip boutiques and a veritable nation of fantastical day spas. In other words, when temple and museum-weariness set in, Sukhumvit could very well offer the perfect antidote. Only helping matters is the Skytrain, which swooshes like a slo-mo bullet above it. Get a quick jump on the day and loosen up with a morning stroll 24

around the lake in Benjakitti Park. Located adjacent to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, which hosts world class expos weekly (see calendar p.11), it is easily accessible via the centre’s MRT stop. Next head to the Siam Society for a quick shot of culture. On Asok Road (the unofficial “border” die-hard Sukhumvit dwellers rarely cross), it’s an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Thai heritage, art and culture through study trips, lectures

The Emporium

sightseeing

and exhibitions. And out back is a stunning Northern Lanna teak house/ ethnological museum. After Asok, it’s on the Skytrain and off to Phrom Phong station. Here you will find the cultural epicentre of upper Sukhumvit, that shrine to nouveau riche Thai consumerism, Emporium. While you can easily get your shopping fever quietened with the bevy of established, world-class designers and up-and-coming Thai labels here, an interesting alternative is the Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC) on the sixth floor which continually stages thoughtprovoking, 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 bangkok 101

ban

EAT Coffee Bean by Dao | Casa Viva Apartment, Ekamai Soi 12, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | 02-713-2504~8 The cheesecakes at this local hi-so cake stop are out of this world. n Crêpes & Co | 18 Sukhumvit Soi 12 | 02-653-3990 Nestled in a quiet soi, in a palm-fronded garden, this French/Meditterean cafe serves an excellent all-day brunch. n Agalico | 20 Sukhumvit 51 | BTS Thong Lor | 02-662-5857 An all-white tea lounge situated in a lush garden. Only open weekends.Take a ride down Sukhumvit Soi 51, and take the first right. n Uomasa | Nihomura, 87 Thong Lor Soi 13 | 02-392-6575 Found in the wooden Nihomura compound, Uomasa is particularly recommended for sashimi lovers. n

Long Table

Those looking to make a very Thai night of it (whisky sodas, a Thai live band) should head to one of the jumping joints along Thong Lor or Ekkamai. Sukhumvit Soi 11 – home to veterans like Bed Supperclub and Q Bar (p.84) – will satisfy your international clubbing needs. But for the best of Sukhumvit’s beau monde haunts its got to be Long Table (p.86): a cocktail at this 25th floor design bar, with its movers and shakers and electric panoramas, is not easily forgotten.

DRINK n Shades of Retro | Soi Tararom

2,Thong Lor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lor | 081-824-8011 | 1pmmidnight People craving a drink and some laid-back conversation need look no further than antique store/ nostalgia café Shades of Retro. n Cheap Charlie’s | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok’s most bizarre bar (p.89). n Nest | Sukhumvit Soi 11 Found opposite Q Bar, this sleek yet cosy rooftop bar won’t ruffle your feathers. n Nang Len | Ekkamai Soi 5, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | 02-711-6565 The name means “to sit around” inThai. However you’d probably win the lottery before you find a seat here on weekends.

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toying with matrimony, wedding garb. Hop on over to J-Avenue, Bangkok’s little slice of neon Tokyo and watch as beautiful people and their even prettier cars roll in. Once dinnertime rolls around check out “Japan Town” in Thong Lor Soi 13, where a clutch of great Japanese restaurants like Uomasa lurk. Finally, when it comes to Sukhumvit, the night time is definitely the right time. Drinking, dining, dancing, debauchery... it’s all here. For a go on a shisha pipe, Sukhumvit Soi 3 is Bangkok’s very own Little Arabia.

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Silom & Sathorn

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. Silom and Sathorn spills over with yuppies and bigwigs during the day, kicking it up a gear after office hours, with a jiving scene of clubs, expat pubs, some shady characters, and one ohso-notorious little lane.

Set the alarm and beat the sun to the punch; there’s much to be done today. Take the MRT to the Sam Yan stop. Walk towards Silom and take a venomous venture into the Snake Farm (see p.35) and watch wranglers extract poison from serpents. If you dare you can even pet a cobra or kiss a python! If you’re still alive, continue on for a nice stroll in Lumpini Park, Bangkok’s largest public open area. If it’s the weekend take a taxi into the past with former P.M. Kukrit’s Heritage House (see p.30). Go back down tree-lined Convent Road, known as Bangkok’s French Quarter for its cluster of cafés, butcher’s shop and a bakery, La Boulange. After filling up follow the throngs of office workers into Soi Lalai Sup (“the soi that melts your assets”), squeezing through the chaos, hunting down bargain clothes, gifts and other knick-knack paddywhacks. Further down Silom on Thanon Pan, you will come across Wat Mahamariamman. Referred to by sightseeing

Coyote

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 featuring great photo exhibits, and also Silom Village which is a nice spot to pick up some handicrafts. Just before sunset hits, head up to the top floor of the Banyan Tree to the aptly titled Moon Bar at Vertigo (see p.87). Two hundred metres above the pavement, this bar’s main attraction is the completely unobstructed 360 degree Bangkok panorama (similarly sky-high bars in the area include State Tower’s Sky Bar or, if raining, the indoors V9 at the Sofitel Silom). Once you’ve soaked it all in, or your knees started shaking, descend back to street level. The night is still far too young. If you’re a jazz-lover, now would be a good time to catch some live jazz and top-notch Italian fare at Niu’s on Silom. Or, if wine’s your thang, head to friendly oenophile hangout Opus. Otherwise, cab it to Lumpini National bangkok 101

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Boxing Stadium (see p.112) 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 good beer garden. For some rowdy (and raunchy) times back to Silom you go. There’s still shopping to be done here as many street vendors are just starting their day selling trinkets, clothes, and cheap knock-offs. If you’re looking for something a bit more hip, the bars and clubs in Silom Soi 4 will suffice. If you’re gay, look no further than samesex central, Silom Soi 2. And if you’re feeling frisky and don’t mind being harassed by touts, immerse yourself in the decadent not-so-underworld that is Soi Patpong. Be careful around here and do not follow strangers offering 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. bangkok 101

EAT n EAT ME! 20 M. off Convent Rd. (Soi Pipat 2), Silom | BTS Sala Daeng | 02-238-0931 | www.eatmerestaurant.com | 3pm -1am Enjoy tasty fusions at this trendy restaurant-cum-art gallery. n Coyote on Covent Sivadon Building, 1/2 Convent Road | BTS Sala Daeng | 02-631-2325 Mouthwatering Mexicana: Burritos, enchiladas, 50-plus Margeritas. n Souvlaki Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng; MRT Silom | 02-632-9967 | www.souvlaki.co.th | 11am - 2am Greek cuisine till late. n Jok Sam Yan Phayathai Rd, btw Soi Chula 52 and 54 | MRT Sam Yan | Mon-Sun 3-8am & Mon-Fri 3-8pm This Thai shop-house institution only sells one dish: jok moo (rice congee with pork).

DRINK n OPUS 64 Pan Road, Soi Wat Kaek, Silom | BTS Surasak | 02-637-9899 An urbane wine bar stocking 400, almost exclusively Italian labels. n Tapas Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng | 02-

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of Panthip Plaza. Chockful of gadgets and some highly suspicious software, Panthip is worth visiting but it is truly a place where the ‘buyer beware’ motto should be kept in mind. Double back on yourself once more and head back to the junction. Turn south to where you previously crossed the canal. It is time to give your feet a rest and take a boat ride on Klong Saen Saeb. Get on a boat heading west and get off at Jim Thompson’s House (see p.30). Thailand’sP second most popular tourist he destinationtchaisburiaRd.wonderful, meditative place to wander around and perhaps Phe

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

indulge at the café. Take a right out of here and turn left at the end of the soi. Walking toward Siam Square and on the left corner of the junction, between Rama I and Phayathai Road, you can’t miss the crisp, concrete curves of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Called the “Guggenheim meets a shopping mall” by our very own art critic, this is Bangkok’s new modern art scene central. After all this walking, a sit-down is probably in order. CentralWorld, Asia’s largest “lifestyle shopping complex”, houses scores of great restaurants and a fantastic cinema complex, where you can treat yourself to a ‘luxury cinema’ screening (see p.58). Top off your day with a yin-yang cocktail at Centara Grand hotel’s ultra-chic rooftop bar, Red Sky (p.86). 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.

Plaza Athenee

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bangkok 101

Sightseeing

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

บ้านไทย จิมทอมป์สัน ซ.เกษมสันต์ 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ

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

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

Jim Thompson:The Man behind the Mystery Check this out for a CV: a Princeton graduate and former US spook turns Bangkok socialite, silk revivalist and Asiaphile antiques collector before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. Jim Thompson’s strangerthan-fiction life story makes for a twisting, ultimately tragic tale.This, along with the sheen of his famous silks, his entrepreneurial skills and impeccable taste, has made him Thailand’s most famous farang (westerner).Today he’s a brand gone global.You can visit his stunning home (see above), buy his trademark fabrics in Argentina or Australia, and read a slew of gossipy biographies peddling myths that only seal the legend. But it’s perhaps at Ban Krua, the Muslim silk-weaving community found near his home, where his legacy is most lasting. Here the cottage industry he resuscitated continues to thrive – a testimony both to the skill of the weavers who live there, and the visionary American who believed in them. 30

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

The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew

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

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

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

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร์ ผั่งตะวันตกของแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา

Wat Arun

Beware!

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

bangkok 101

sightseeing

Sightseeing

The Giant Swing

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

วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ์

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

วัดมหาธาตุ ท่าพระจันทร์ สนามหลวง

WAT SUTHAT and THE GIANT SWING (map A-B3, #8) Bamrung Muang Rd, Phra Nakhorn, | 02-2229632 | 9am-5pm | B20 Surrounded by perhaps the greatest concentration of Buddhist supply shops in Bangkok, Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to some excellent examples of bronze sculpture, a blend of Thai and Chinese-style mural art 32

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

วัดสุทัศน์ ถ.บำรุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงข้ามเสาชิงช้า

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

วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร ถ.พระสุเมรุ

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

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

วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร

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

วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำโพง (เยาวราช)

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

วัดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน

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Kids in the city

Negotiating Bangkok with kids needn’t be the nightmare many parents presume. The single biggest plus point is that Thais absolutely adore children, meaning there are always people around ready to help out. Skytrain guards will drop what they’re doing to help you haul that stroller down the stairs and waitresses will gladly whisk junior off for a tour of the kitchens while you enjoy a coffee. Most of the big shopping malls (see p.102) have play areas set aside for kids, with two of the best being Kiddy Land, which has slides, a ball pit and a balloon room on the 6th floor of CentralWorld; Jamboree on the 3rd floor of Emporium; and the huge indoor playground Funarium (see below). Plus, of course, most of the shopping malls have cinemas and enough ice-cream stores to sate a homesick Eskimo. There are also a fair few attractions that appeal to wee ones.The city’s parks (see p.35) offer a chance to let off steam, especially Rot Fai Park near Chatuchak Weekend Market (p.104), where you can rent bicycles; and Dusit Zoo (p.35) is a sprawling, chaotic afternoon’s worth of fun. Although expensive, Siam Ocean World (p.35) is a great way to entertain the kids while you shop at Paragon department store. On a more scholarly note, there’s a cracking museum aimed at inquisitive young minds. The Children’s Discovery Museum has a science and nature theme and is handily located near to Chatuchak. And if you’re sticking around town for a while, Bangkok Dolphins (www.bangkokdolphins.com) offer swimming classes from three months old. The Children’s Discovery Museum (map C1) Kamphaeng Petch 4 Rd, Chatuchak | 02-6157333 | www.bkkchildren museum.com | Tue-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am- 6pm | B150 Near the Chatuchak weekend market, this interactive museum aimed at younger guests covers science, nature and the environment. It also hosts regular courses and activity camps. พิพิธภัณฑ์เด็กกรุงเทพมหานคร

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

ฟันเอเรียม สุขุมวิท 26

สวนสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ ตรงข้ามสวนจตุจักร

SHRINES

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

Erawan Shrine

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

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำริ

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

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

พระตรีมูรติ หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์ sightseeing

พระพิฆเนศวร หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์

Sightseeing

museums THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (map A3) 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-2241333 | www.thailandmuseum. com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B40 Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artefacts from the main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also on display. Free English tours are given on Wednesdays (about Buddhism) and Thursdays (on art/culture) and start at 9:30am. Photography is not allowed inside the museum galleries.

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์สถานแห่งชาติ ถ.เจ้าฟ้า ใกล้ทอ้ งสนามหลวง

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM (map A3) 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd,Thonburi | 02-424-0004 | 9am-5pm | B30 (photo B100, video B200) This collection of royal barges, some up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near Pinklao Bridge.The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya, when the crews number up to 64 and include rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and musicians. Beautiful and ornate, these magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former glory by the present King, who also commissioned the newest boat for his golden jubilee in 1996.

พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร์

Oddball Museums

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

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์การแพทย์ศริ ริ าช ถ.พรานนก

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

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์ราชทัณฑ์ เรือนจำเก่า ใกล้กบั สวนรมณีนาถ

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

อาคารศุภาลัยแกรนด์ทาวเวอร์ ถ.พระราม 3

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

บ้านพิพธิ ภัณฑ์ ซ.คลองโพ 2 ศาลาธรรมสพน์

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

หอภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ 94 หมู่ 3 ถ.พุทธมณฑลสาย 5

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

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

สถาบันพิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้ แห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย

bangkok 101

ban

101

the great outdoors

Siam Ocean World

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

ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำริ

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

(หลังเสรี เซ็นเตอร์) ประเวศ

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

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

FAUNA DUSIT ZOO (map B2) 71 Rama V Rd, opp. Chitralada Palace, Dusit | 02-281-2000 | 8am-6pm | adults B100, kids B50 The city’s main zoo, situated to the north of Rattanakosin, is home to a large selection of mammals, reptiles and other animals. Spread over a large park, there’s also a lake to paddle around. สวนสัตว์ดุสิต 71 ถ.พระราม 5

Snake Farm

bangkok 101

QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (Snake Farm) (map C4, #18) 1871 Rama IV Rd, Thai Red Cross, Henri Dunant | 02-252-0161~4 ext.120 | Mon-Fri sightseeing

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

ถ.พระราม 4 สภากาชาดไทย

Siam Ocean World (map C3) B1F Siam Paragon, 991 Rama I Rd | 02-687-2001 | www.siamoceanworld. com | 10am-7pm | B650/850 Such a pity that this tourist attraction – reputed to be the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia – operates a dual pricing policy. If you’reThai you pay B350; if you’re not you pay B850. This irritating iniquity aside, there’s certainly fun to be had inside, with 8m-high tanks, glass-tunnel walk-throughs and shark-feeding shows – although a ride on a glass-bottom boat to see sharks and rays costs extra and is wholly unremarkable. Reckon on an hour to get round the whole thing. สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1 35

Sightseeing

in the Movie Theatres neighbourhood Independent angkok brims with lesser-known delights, many only visible by looking Philip Jablon

Siam

Scala

Sala Chalerm Thani

Mongkol Rama

Phaholyothin Rama

beneath the modern corporate veneer. One particularly special, albeit often overlooked, aspect of Bangkok culture is the independent movie theatre. Nowadays Bangkok’s cinema scene is dominated by massive multiplexes attached to humungous shopping malls and department stores, and operated by a few corporate proprietors. But for most of the 20th century, movie-going in Bangkok was made possible by several hundred stand-alone movie theatres, scattered throughout the city. These theatres were usually owned by private families or individuals who put their hearts and souls into the enterprise. Many of them were built to palatial standards, with seating capacities in the thousands and international film fares to satisfy all tastes. In brief, they were the corner stones of a public culture which existed long before the shopping malls and skyscrapers came to dominate Bangkok’s retail sector. By the end of the 20th century, however, almost all of them had either closed down or been razed – victims of changing technology and lifestyles. To see the remains of these old structures is to get a glimpse into Bangkok’s past. Take the Paris Theatre at Saphan Kao, for example. When the Paris opened in the early 1970’s it was a luxurious, state-of-the-art movie palace, its modernist architecture signifying the lofty aspirations of those who opened it. The Paris is now closed, recently converted to living quarters for migrant workers.The Sala Chalerm Thani Theatre at Nang Lerng Market dates back to 1918. Though now serving as a warehouse, its pristine condition offers an increasingly rare window into Bangkok of the early 20th century. But, there is more than just the skeletal remains of Bangkok’s glorious movie theatre past. At Siam Square stand three classic theaters operated by the Apex Company. Apex was once the largest movie theater operator in the city, with dozens of elegant stand-alone theaters bearing its trademark pyramid logo. The Siam, Lido and Scala theatres at Siam Square are the last of Apex’s once-vast empire, all three of which are exemplary of late-1960’s cinema architecture. Watching a film at any one of them is a treat in itself, while the Scala in particularly boasts an unparalleled opulence. A few old stand-alone theaters continue to operate in other parts of the city, as well. These are all second-run theaters, usually playing double features with all-Thai soundtracks.The Mongkol Rama, just a stones throw from Saphan Kwai BTS station, is one of the finer ones. For B50 you can watch two films in a row, with sound and projection quality on par with anything the big multiplexes have to offer. In the eyes of most, these remaining stand-alone theatres simply provide a service for film fans who cannot reconcile paying the roughly B140 ticket prices at the multiplexes. But by digging a little deeper we get a slightly different picture: these old theatres belie a Bangkok culture that prevailed long before the office and condo towers appeared on the scene. Perhaps they hold answers to a waning past which deserves another look.

APEX Lido, Siam and Scala Siam Square, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | Lido 02-252-6498, Scala 02-251-2861, Siam 02-251-3580 n Mongkol Rama Theatre Saphan Kwai | BTS Saphan Kwai -For more on Bangkok and Southeast Asia’s stand-alone cinemas log onto seatheater.blogspot.com n

APEX Lido

sightseeing

bangkok 101

featured daytrip Max Crosbie-Jones

nce upon a time in Thailand, people shopped at markets filled with family-run shops and stalls, not the impersonal giganto supermarkets they flock to today. Many were beside rivers, so that vendors could bring produce to market with ease. And it was homegrown delicacies and fresh-from-thefarm fruits – not tacky knock-offs and air-freighted imports – they sold. Two old markets of this ilk survive in plentiful Nakhom Pathom province and are big among folk from the big smoke, especially on weekends. Both are a mere 45 minute drive out of town, offer a cornucopia of old-style delights, and sit nestled along the lovely Tha Chin River, a tributary of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya. Packed full of delicacies that have been passed down for generations, Talad Don Wai is an exotic food-lovers paradise with a history dating back to King Rama VI’s era. What started out as a humble market, comprised of a few teak wood shophouses, is now a succession of open-sided hangars thronged with stalls; each one specialising in a few items, whether meat, vegetables, fruit or kanom thai boran (old Thai desserts). Everywhere you look a vendor is deep-frying, boiling or grilling some odd looking but usually divine tasting treat. Spend the morning here, grazing promiscuously on the little tasting samples offered, before decamping to bangkok 101

Tha Na and Don Wai Market

the smaller Talad Tha Na – a community of century-old wooden shophouses set back from the Tha Chin. A popular location for period films and TV dramas, an hour or two can be spent just soaking up the charm of these 40 or so Crown Property Bureau-owned buildings, admiring their plank-wood facades and browsing the wares or foods sold within. Some are thoroughly stocked with 20th century antiques and retro collectibles. Pin Tooh Cheen is brimful of quality carved wooden furniture, old transistor radios and bamboo tiffin-lamps, while across the road, Baan Som-O Waan is all about pop culture bits and bobs from the 1950s-70s: old toiletry packets, vintage Fanta signs, and toy robots etc. The real bargains, however, lie in wait at dusty Nimit Wittaya, a few doors down.The eccentric owner refurbishes antique furniture while also doing a good line in vintage bric-a-brac (old signage, busts of Mao, bubble gum machines etc) and gramophones. Ask and he’ll fling on an old luk krung record (and heads-turn as the melodic crackle of vinyl drifts down the street). More interested in chowing down/ Getting There stocking up on yummy comestibles? From Bangkok, take Highway 4 Cornershop restaurant Dtik Pochana (Petkasem Road). The entrance knocks up a delicious kaeng par look to is opposite the Elephant Show chin pla (curry with fish balls), not to ground and Sam Phran Crocodile mention hot, crispy hoi jor bpoo (sliced Farm. Take the route to Wat Rai crab fish cakes). And Kia Heng has Khing, when you reach it, go on for been serving khao ped palo (braised another 10km. Don Wai will be on duck in soy sauce with rice), and hoy the left. For Tha Na Market take joar (deep fried crab meat wrapped in Highway 4 (Petkasem Road) until tofu sheets) for over 70 years. you reach the Tha Na intersection. Metres from the water-hyacinth Drive on for 1.7km until you reach filled river’s edge, 20 or so vendors also the Talad Tha Na intersection, then sell produce beneath a long tarpaulin turn right and drive for 300m. It’s on tent – everything from khao lam (sweet the left handside. cooked sticky rice) to bunches of pak SHOP kar ched (water mimosa). Nakhom n Talad Don Wai & Pathom is also famous for its som-o Talad Tha Na fruit, and you really shouldn’t leave Open everyday until 8pm without taking one of these juicy, sweet, n Pinto Chine (Antique Shop) football-sized pomelos home with you. Khun Oat | 085-109-3542 sightseeing

Sightseeing Lop Buri

Uthai Thani

day tripping

Chai Nat Nakhon Ratchasima

Ang Thong Saraburi

Suphan Buri

It’s easy getting around in Thailand, and there are plenty of worthwhile excursions within easy reach of Bangkok; some one-day affairs, others overnight. Organise a trip yourself or book through your concierge or a local travel agent. AYUTTHAYA The capital of Siam from the 14th to 18th century, Ayutthaya was one of the richest cities in the East, until it was plundered by the Burmese in 1767 and its ruins left to nature. Today a Unesco World Heritage Site, its remnants – all Khmer-esque stupas, crumbling bricks and Buddha faces entwined in tree roots – make a wonderful daytrip. The 85km journey is best done by river. The major hotels organise trips (usually to Ayutthaya by coach and then back by boat), while independent tours run from River City. Many combine the trip with a visit to the Bang Pa-in Summer Palace.A former royal garden retreat, this presents a mélange of different architectural schools, mostly reflecting King Rama V’s love for all things European. Once at Ayutthaya, hop on a bike and scoot round highlights like Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Ratburana at your own pace. . LOPBURI Lopburi’s illustrious ruins date back over 1,000 years and can done on foot. During the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries) the city was known as Lavo until the Khmers took over the region during Angkor’s 10th century heyday. The Thais took control during the powerful Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. And in the 1600s, King Narai made the city the second capital and fortified it against the Dutch navy 38

Ayutthaya

Kanchanaburi

Nakhon Pathom

Koh Kred

Pathumthani

Nakhon Nayok

Sa Kaeo

Nonthaburi Bangkok

Ratchaburi

Samut Sakhon Samut Songkhram

Samut Prakan

Chachoengsao

Chon Buri

Phetchaburi

threatening Ayutthaya. The remnants of the palace he built now serve as a public museum. The city is also littered with crumbling wats (temples) blending Khmer and Thai styles. Watch your belongings: the most famous – threeprang shrine Phra Prang Sam Yot (a prang is a spire-like vault) – is home to some mischievous macaque monkeys.

monuments and buildings. Built by the same benefactor, the smaller Erawan Museum features a towering threeheaded elephant sculpture. Inside are antiques and a stucco chapel, but most Thais come for the fantastical gardens and to pray for good luck at the esteemed shrine.-

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

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

SAMUT PRAKAN Just down the road – 29km away – Samut Prakan has three big draws.The Crocodile Farm offers daily croc wrestling and elephant shows. Muang Boran (the Ancient City) is an open-air museum park featuring over 100 replicas of landmark Thai temples,

KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK Home to wild elephants, deer, boar, tigers and innumerable species of birdlife, Khao Yai (2½ hour’s drive from Bangkok) is one of Thailand’s most impressive national parks. Hike through the jungle to altitudes of over 1,000m. Hire a

sightseeing

bangkok 101

guide as it’s easy to get lost – the park is over 2,000km2 in size, and local maps are not to be trusted. Fancy staying the night? There are state-run bungalows in the park and luxe resorts nearby. Wine lover? Some of Thailand’s top wineries – Chateau des Brumes, Granmonte Estate, PB Valley – are also in the vicinity. NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KORAT) Both a silk and trade hub, Nakhon Ratchasima is the country’s largest province and home to Korat, its second largest city.The moated town with city gates is rewarding; and the countryside has a surfeit of Khmer ruins left over from the Angkor period, the best being in the recently restored Phi Mai Historical Park (60km north of Korat). Pak Thong Chai (30km north of Korat) is Thailand’s leading silk village. And for horse-riding and the chance to milk cows, visit Farm Chok Chai, a working farm popular with Stetsonwearing agro-tourists. KOH KRED Highly recommended, this ickle car-free island sits on a kink in the Chao Phraya River and is home to a Mon community renowned for their ancestral red-clay pottery skills. Seriously sleepy during the week, the palm-clad place goes into commercial overdrive on weekends. Bangkok cityslickers stroll its narrow footpaths, past working pottery warehouses, old Buddhist temples and homes selling hand-finished ceramics and tasty Mon kanom (snacks). By the time they’ve gone full circle, a few hours later, they’re smitten. Take a regular express boat up the Chao Phraya River to Nonthaburi and hire a long-tailed boat (B500 approx). Alternatively, on Sundays, the Chao Phraya Express ferry offers a guided tour for B300 (www. chaophrayaboat.co.th). bangkok 101

SARABURI Though often overs hadowed by neighbouring Lopburi, this central province, 108km north of Bangkok, still packs a thrill or two. Its 1½m-long Buddha footprint makes Wat Phra Putthabhat one of the most important temples in the region. And caves, like Tham Phra Pothisat, draw crowds thanks to their beautiful stalactite formations and Buddhist bas-reliefs, as does Chet Sao Noi Waterfall. The main attraction though is definitely out in the fields – from Nov-Jan bright sunflowers blanket the land, providing vibrant photo opportunities galore. PHETCHABURI Sacred Buddhist caves, neoclassical palaces, a quirky provincial market town – there’s more to Petchaburi province than the beach resort town of Cha Am. Best savoured over a long-weekend, sights include Wat Yai, a beautiful 17th century temple complex; and the stalactite and sculpture strewn Tham Khao Luang cave. To the west is also the scandalously underrated Kaeng Krachan National Park, where camp sites, butterfly and bird watching, water rafting and a stunning reservoir fringed by undulating hills await. CHACHOENGSAO An hour’s drive to the east, Chachoengsao rarely make the travel guides but is popular with locals. Smothered along the banks of the Bang Pakong River, the town boasts the temple Wat Sothon and 100-year old market Talad Baan Mai, where vendors flog traditional delicacies from within wooden King Rama V-era shophouses. Renting a boat to go see the old teak and stilted houses that line the sightseeing

sides – and the dolphins who migrate here between Nov and Feb – is also popular. RATCHABURI Ratchaburi’s Damnoen Saduak floating market is the hokiest in the land. But “The Land of the Kings” does have other qualities: unspoilt klongs (canals), hot stream Bo Khloung, the cascading Kaew Chan waterfall, and stalagmite and stalactite caves. For artsy-boho types there’s also the Suan Silp Baan Din Arts Centre, staging performances of old Thai arts and workshops. And at Wat Khanon temple, NangYai puppetry (an evocative but dying artform where puppet silhouettes are projected onto fabric screens) survives. Performances are on Saturdays. CHON BURI When it comes to this industrialised province on the eastern seaboard, we say skip Pattaya, Thailand’s Sodom-onSea, and head for Koh Si Chang, a small fishing island a mere 40-minute/B40 ferry hop across the Gulf of Thailand from Si Racha Town. King Rama V loved it there; and after a few hours exploring its hillside temples, summer palaces and pebbly beaches, so will you. On the way home, Baen San is a local, bucket-and-spade beach; and Talad Nong Mon, in Chonburi town, offers toothsome regional snacks like khao lam (sweet sticky rice in bamboo tubes). SUPHAN BURI This is where it all went down: where the legendary King Naresuan fended off Burma and rid Thailand of foreign occupation, freeing it from the Pegu Kingdom way back in 1592. At the Don Chedi, 30km from central Suphan Buri, there is a statue erected in his honour, as well as an exhibition hall and museum. Other draws include the Thai Rice Farmer’s Museum, Bueng Chawak Aquarium (64km out of town), and ancient temples dating back almost 1,000 years.

Sightseeing

NEARBY ISLANDS/BEACHES

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

FLOATING MARKETS Amphawa

Hua Hin

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

way 100km southwest of the capital is two hours by car or bus, plus a 1530 minute boat ride. Arrive before the horde of tourists descend upon the market at 9am – it closes up midday. For a less-crowded option, head south to Talat Khun Phitak via water taxi from the pier on the east side of Khlong Thong Lang. GETTING THERE By bus: to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal every 40 minutes from 6am (02-435-5031 or 434-5558).

Floating markets offer an idyllic taste of the Bangkok of the days of yore. The experience depends largely on which market you choose. n DAMNOEN SADUAK Considered “the” floating market for visitors, this bustling stretch of water40

n TALING CHAN For a kinder, gentler introduction to the world of floating markets, Taling Chan is a destination often overlooked on most tourist itineraries. Built by former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang in 1987 to honour HM the King’s 60th birthday, Taling Chan also offers live performances of traditional Thai music from 11am-2pm. sightseeing

The market only opens on weekends from 9am-4pm, so make sure to plan accordingly. GETTING THERE By bus: Take bus #79 or #83 to Taling Chan district (02-424-5448 or 02424-1712). n AMPHAWA Night owls can have a slice of floating market action too. This one – only open Friday to Sunday – sets up at 4pm, allowing the luxury of a lie-in. This little-known treasure is not often on the itineraries of the tourists who flock to more famous markets. Make sure to take a boat down the canal after dusk, when the lights from the riverhouses gleam and the fireflies come out to play, especially during the rainy season. GETTING THERE By car: Drive one hour south from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram.The market is nearby Wat Amphawan Jatiyaram. bangkok 101

upcountry festivals

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.

27 Nov – 8 Dec 11 – 15 Nov

Phimai Festival 2009, Korat

It’s all happening in Korat province this month. Not content with hosting a huge concert and a Cowboy festival (see below), the country’s largest province will also lay on this annual event around the crumbly Khmer ruins of Phimai Historical Park. Long-tail boat races are the highlight but there’ll also be a light and sound show, handicrafts sale and, curiously, a Siamese cat competition. Call the TAT call centre on 1672 for more.

21 – 22 Nov Surin

Elephant Roundup, Surin

Though Surin is rarely on tourist itineraries, this event is a big annual draw. Renowned as skilful elephant handlers since the Khmer wars, Surin locals put on a grand show featuring the most iconic animal in Thailand. More than 250 elephants parade through the city before displaying their strength and intelligence in fun events like soccer and tug-of-war. Reserve tickets (B500-800) from the Surin Provincial Governor’s Office (04451-2039) or by downloading a booking form from www.surin.go.th

River Kwai Bridge Week, Kanchanaburi

The sounds of simulated air raid sirens, gunfire and swooping Allied bombers will echo through Kanchanaburi’s night sky during this annual festival, which honours the infamous River Kwai Bridge and the POWs who died building it during WWII. Though contrived, this nightly light and sound show is actually quite poignant, especially when a mist covers the river. There will also be historical and archaeological exhibits, a carnival, folk and cultural performances and rides on war-era trains available. Call the TAT Central office on 03-451-1200.

28 Nov

Honda Winter Fest #4, Korat

26 – 29 Nov

BBQ Festival @ KORAT 2009

The area in front of Korat town hall will feel more like 1800s Kansas during this 3 day festival, with locals in full cowboy regalia enjoying Red Indian and cowboy horse riding shows, country music, a BBQ food fair, even a Bonfire Dance. If you’re wondering why, here’s the abridged explanation: American style cattle ranches were rolled out in Korat in the mid 20th century, and a love of faux cowboy-culture and Ennio Morricone soon followed. Call the TAT Nakorn Ratchasima office on 04-421-3030. bangkok 101

Late November is a good time to be tramping around Khao Yai, Thailand’s most popular and readily accessible national park. Not only is the weather cool (take a jacket), time your trip right and you can combine your visit with this concert at the Bonanza Khao Yai, a popular agro-tourist resort located near the park. Performers this year include Palmy, Modern Dog and Buddha Bless. Tickets B1,500, available from www.thaiticketmajor.com, include bring-your-own-tent camping.

29 Nov Lopburi’s Monkey

Banquet Festival

After a year of walking around like they own the place, how do Lopburi city residents repay their 3,000 strong monkey populace? With a vegetarian feast to thank them for all the tourist dollars they attract, that’s how. This simian free-for-all takes place on the last Sunday of November around the spectacular three-spired Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, usually attracting around 10,000 onlookers. The temple, a beautiful Buddhist shrine that was converted from a Hindu temple circa the 13th century, is located on Vichayen Road, about 200 metres from the railway station. sightseeing

Sightseeing

upcountry escape

hen Bangkok becomes a bore, it’s time to flee the city for the countryside – Thailand is so much more than whitesandy beaches and hill-tribe trekking. Two hours northeast of the capital, Nakorn Ratchasima, popularly known as Korat, offers lush rolling hillsides, fresh air and cool forests to intrepid travellers. Thailand’s largest province – the gateway to Isaan – is also blessed with manmade attractions of all stripes: everything from Khmer ruins, wineries and pottery villages, to mountainside temples and dairy farms teeming with Friesian cows and tourists in rockabilly shirts. We kid you not. Korat is the centre of Thailand’s cattle industry and one of its biggest tourist-lurers the former cattle ranch turned dairy farm and agro-tourist destination known as Farm Chokchai. Opened in 1957 by original Thai cowboy, Chokchai Bulakul, and located just northeast of Khao Yai

KORAT

Exploring Thailand’s Cattle Country

National Park at the foot of evergreen mountains, the 8,000 acre site sees thousands of tourists boarding tractor-driven wagons for farm tours each weekend. These demonstrate what makes a dairy farm tick – how cows are artificially inseminated, raised, fed, milked etc – and throw in some American-style cowboy kitsch for good measure. Although there’s nothing native Thai about the experience, it’s a fun family dayout. Kids love the animal show and petting zoo; grownups the guided horse rides around a spaghetti western set, gift shops selling cowboy paraphernalia and Umm!.. Milk dairy products. It’s especially hard not to get nostalgic for a 1800s Thailand that never was during the cowboy show, when Stetson-wearing Lone Rangers gallop into a ring on horseback to crack whips, sling guns and effortlessly fling lassos over terrified calves. Visitors looking for visible signs that they are in the Far East, not the Wild West, might check out Wat Thepitak, a mountainside temple in the same district (Pak Chong) overrun with chickens and unmissable from the Friendship Highway thanks to its bright white, 45m tall Buddha; or stop-off at the Art Floating Market: a faux but charming place to sip iced coffee amid fairytale canals and Hansel and Gretel-esque gift shops. If you’ve never lunched at a Tuscan country villa painted in terracotta before you might also enjoy Primo Posto. If you want to explore further north, bustling Korat town makes the perfect base. Its historical centre, surrounded by a moat and reconstructed city gates, is worth exploring. Check out the Western Gate (Chum Phon), made of stone and bricks and dating from the 17th century. Thai tourists usually stop for a photo at the Monument of Thao Suranari (Khun Ying Mo), overlooking the town square.This gutsy woman led Korat’s defense against Lao invasion way back in 1826 and is considered a Thai folk hero and proto-feminist because of it. Wat Sala Loi is also noteworthy for its modern chapel, whose unusual design has won several architectural awards. And the Maha Viravong National Museum opposite the city hall, features art objects and artefacts sightseeing

bangkok 101

Farm Chokchai Cowboy Show

Art Floating Market

Wat Thepitak

Getting there By Car Take Highway No. 1 (Phahon Yothin) from Bangkok to Saraburi and then take Highway No. 2 (Mitraparp Highway) from Saraburi to Nakhon Ratchasima. The total distance is 259 kilometres. By Bus Air-conditioned buses depart from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal). They leave every 30 minutes and the fare is B198. For information, call 1490 or visit www.transport.co.th SHOP n Art Floating Market 99 Moo 9 T.Klang Dong, Amphoe Pak Chong, Nakorn Ratchasima | 044-361-876~7

Phi Mai Historical Park

sightseeing

Laos

Chiang Mai

Korat

Bangkok

Sea

bangkok 101

Burma

man Anda

like bronze Buddhas of Khmer origin, plus ceramics and wood carvings from ancient monasteries. If you’re into pottery, head out to Dan Kwian, about 14 kms from Korat. The local clay has intriguing colour shades and the pottery is cheap and of good quality. Lots of Thai silk is produced in this area. Find that perfect souvenir at Korat’s markets or head straight to Pak Thong Chai,Thailand’s leading silk village, 30kms north. Of the area’s numerous ancient temples, Phi Mai Historical Park (60km north of Khorat) is Thailand’s grandest Khmer site. Beautifully restored and renovated, its magnificent architecture dating back to the 12th century astounds visitors, especially this month during the annual light and sound festival (see p.41). You can also travel back in time at Ban Prasat (45km to the north).The area is presumed to have been continuously populated for the last 3,000 years, and you can stumble upon skeletons, ornaments and artifacts at this archaeological site. Finding good accommodation is no problem; Korat town is littered with goodvalue lodgings. Meanwhile, chilled accommodation options back towards Farm Chokchai include the likes of Klang Dong Mountain View Resort, which offers rustic villas and camp fields at the foot of lush mountains, and the Bonanza Khao Yai, an agro-tourist resort on the edge of Khao Yai National Park (and host of this month’s Honda Music Fest #4, see p.41). For a truly unique experience though, consider the Farm ChokChai Boutique Camp. Guests enjoy the aforementioned farm tour, an ice-cream making workshop, an orgy of steak at a BBQ dinner and a night in a luxe tent in a picturesque forest campsite. And we mean luxe: they come with carpets, air-con and wireless internet, and the rustic, open-sided toilet facilities mean you can lather up while staring out into a sequestered slice of wilderness. In addition to all the above, it’s an eventful month on the Korat festival calendar (see p.41) so if there’s an ideal month to saddle up and make for Thailand’s cattle country it’s this one.

STAY n Farm Chokchai Boutique Camp 159km mark, Friendship Highway, Amphoe Pak Chong, Nakorn Ratchasima | 044-328-485 ext.116 | www.farmchokchai.com n Klang Dong Mountain View Resort 99 Moo 9 T.Klang Dong, Amphoe Pak Chong, Nakorn Ratchasima | 044-361-876-7, 044-361-111 | www.klangdongmountainview.com

Cambodia

Koh Samui

Vietnam

Gulf of Thailand Phuket

Malaysia

Sightseeing

over the border

Macau

This once quiet seaside goddess is wide awake

limmering towers of glitz and greed, crisscrossed with Portuguese restaurants, Mediterranean chapels and churches reflecting almost half a millennium under colonial rule. A contrast of the most overt kind, reminding us of its rich history, yet at the same time enunciating how those days have long since passed. Today flocks of visitors flood the streets, hopping off the boat hour after hour, many arriving with bagfuls of cash. Most leave it here. This is modern China. This is Macau. The first and last colony in China, this little strip of land (no more than 30 square kilometres), appropriately referred to as the Las Vegas of Asia, is seeing its best and brightest days. Just a four hour flight from Bangkok, or a short ferry ride from Hong Kong, Macau consists of three areas, the main Macau peninsular, and two

islands, Taipa and Coloane. For firsttimers, due to its fairly compact size almost everything is accessible on foot and it will be easy to get around. The autumn (Oct-Dec) sea breeze makes it the best time of year to visit this former Portuguese outpost. Upon arrival you may be blinded by all the casinos, however if you can put your chips down and just step into daylight for a while, it’s obvious that this former island (a gradually expanding sandbar has made it a peninsular) isn’t just one big slot machine. Portuguese fingerprints are everywhere, and despite the claims of some resorts, Macau’s most famous attraction is the ruins of the historic St. Paul’s Cathedral. Just above the ruins is what remains of an old fort, Fortaleza de Monte which has been transformed into the town’s main museum. sightseeing

Also of interest is the A-Ma temple, the most famous Chinese temple in Macau. According to legend this is a shrine to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers, and the source of the island’s name (originally A-Ma-Gau, or Bay of A-Ma). All of these landmarks are part of the Historic Centre of Macau which has been branded a Unesco world heritage site. If you let your mind drift for a moment you might think you’ve stumbled into Lisbon. For some modern attractions, the Macao Tower, modelled after Auckland’s Sky Tower, and the site where the world’s highest bungee jumping record was set, provides an amazing panoramic view of the glittering lights. There’s definitely some good eating to be had too, as the mixture of Chinese and Portuguese cultures surely produces some interesting flavours. You may not guess it from bangkok 101

the name, but some of the most famous dishes in Macau include the likes of bacalhau, or dried codfish, and African chicken, a dish symbolic of the significant role this area played in the historic spice trades. A Lorcha, near the A-ma Temple, is one of the best Macanese restaurants around. Down on Coloane’s Hac Sa bay, Restaurante Fernando is also worth mentioning for its casual fare which is popular among both locals and tourists. And while you’re in that area stop by the intriguing black sand beaches. With that said, yes the recent surge of popularity has been almost entirely due to the gambling industry and if that’s what you’re here for you will not be disappointed. The nights bangkok 101

might be brighter than the days around here as the neon signs guide you, and your wallet, around. It’s teeming with 5 (some claim 6) star resorts including the recently opened Venetian Macao, the largest casino in the world. For an idea of this complex’s grandeur, it is the second largest building of any kind on the face of the earth, only losing out to the Boeing Jumbo jet factory. This is basically Disneyland for adults. Are we really in communist China? Like the mainland’s illegitimate child of Western capitalistic ideals and colonial splendour, it has proven too beautiful, and lucrative, to be disowned. So what are you waiting for? Grab that dice and start rolling!

sightseeing

Getting There n Air Macau www.airmacau.co.th n Air Asia www.airasia.com Eat n A Lorcha 289a Rua do Almirante Serigo | 2831-3193 n Restaurante Fernando 9 Praia de Hac Sa, Coloane Island | 2888-2264 Stay & GAMBLE n The Venetian Macao The Cotai Strip | 2882-8888 | www.venetianmacao.com More Information www.cityguide.gov.mo www.macautourism.gov.mo 45

Arts

contemporary art

Jamjuree

Steven Pettifor

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

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

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

Enjoy these selected highlights from the current issue of the Bangkok Art Map. BAM! is a free-folding city map containing the latest information and critical insights into Thailand’s burgeoning contemporary arts scene. Grab a copy and participate in the promotion of art in Thailand.

exhibitions

Portrait of the King… The Art of Iconography

Suicide Mind

Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC) 939 Rama I Rd, Pathumwan | 02-214-6630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am-9pm | www.bacc.or.th | BTS National Stadium Marking the official opening of the BACC, this honorific exhibition brings together over 30 of Thailand’s visual artists all of whom have created two and three dimensional images of His Majesty the King. With the promotional statement claiming the exhibition will also reflect Thailand’s development on an historical, social, and artistic level, participating artists include late masters such as sculptor Khien Yimsiri, as well as current contemporaries like Anupong Chantorn and Wuttikorn Khongka. Until Nov 15

Whitespace Lido Bldg 2F, 260 Siam Square 3 | 02-252-2900 | Tue-Fri 1pm-7pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am-8pm or by appointment | www.whitespaceasia.com | BTS Siam For his first solo exhibition at Whitespace, young Thai-Japanese artist Pornpraseart Yamazaki presented a deliberately gaudy mixed media installation critiquing society’s materialist excesses and the spiritual path needed to bring balance.Two years on, Pornprasert continues his critique of wanton consumerism with a new sculptural installation and video works. Questioning the meaning of happiness, the artist brings sensationalism to his latest works by painting in his own blood. Until Dec 6

Stories from Her

Photocubism

DOB Hualamphong Gallery Resident One Property Co Ltd, 2F DOB Building, 318 Rama IV Rd | 085-482-3566 | 10am-7pm I MRT Hualamphong One way that female artists gain exposure, in Thailand’s male-dominated art scene, is by banding together into gender specific collectives and exhibitions. Curated by Somporn Rodboon, lecturer at Chiang Mai University and one of Thailand’s most respected art historians, Stories from Her is a rare opportunity to see how the six-strong Gasalong group presents a northern female artistic perspective. Named after a white flower, the exhibition presents a diversity of themes and mediums that include print, wax and mixed media installations, as well as wall hangings.Works include Kanitta Paungsri’s haunting three-dimensional, floor-based print landscape depicting a bird’s eye view of a village in the dead of night (pictured); Somjit Thuangkrathok‘s colourful naïve style embroidery; and Netikorn Butsabong’s curious installation of mutant toys. Other featured artists include Kanchalee Suksomran, Pattree Chimnok and Siriporn Kunmamuang. Until Nov 25

La Lanta Fine Art 245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31, Klongtan Nua, Wattana | 02-2040583 | www.lalanta.com | Tues-Sat 10am-7pm For her first solo exhibition, independent film director and producer Mingmongkol Sonakul revisits her first passion: the medium of photography. Spanning extensive travels from the last three years, her composite photos blur pictures taken in places like Thailand, Burma, Australia and Africa. Documenting her chosen subjects from a variety of angles and through distorted time frames, Mingmongkol finds beauty in the seemingly mundane, elevating a water droplet, a fallen leaf, or even a common toilet from irrelevance to something worthy of reverence. Beyond the visual seduction of such compositions, Mingmongkol’s interest in nature’s elemental power and universal accessibility are brought to the forefront. Until Dec 1

bangkok 101

ar ts

Sukhumvit Road is Thailand’s longest road, stretching 400km east towards Cambodia. It is the roughly 10km stretch through downtown Bangkok though that captivated German photographer Jonas Becker. Over several months he explored life branching out from each of its BTS Skytrain stations. And, along the way, found that far from just being one long, seemingly never-ending traffic jam, Sukhumvit Road’s sidewalks cram in nearly every characteristic of Bangkok. Mega shopping malls back onto family shophouses. Traditional, countrified ways of life take place in the shadow of multinational offices.Weathered old woman and shops-on-wheels ply their trade as tinted BMWs creep past and tourists tramp the sidewalks. Jonas Becker’s work captures all this – the contrasts, the grit, the pace, and, above all, the people – in pulsating photojournalistic style.

Sukhumvit photography by

Jonas Becker As a bus carrying commuters heads east, a vendor in a Northeastern straw hat sells fresh fruit on the corner where Ploenchit Road ends and Sukhumvit Road begins.

PhotoFeature

Florist Khun Palek prepares and sells puang malai (jasmine garlands) beneath a footbridge leading to the Ekkamai BTS station. The 68-year-old has done so for over 30 years, from Tuesday to Sunday, morning to nightâ&#x20AC;Ś and always in the same spot.

Three young boys admire their catch: shells fished from dirty Klong Phrakhanong. They don't eat them: they sell them to Buddhists looking to make-merit by throwing them back.

A tuk-tuk driver near Nana Plaza.

PhotoFeature

Abandoned buildings and distant skyscrapers reflect in a puddle near Nana BTS Skytrain station.

Santi, a motorcycle taxi driver, sits in traffic at Asokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ratchadapisek intersection.

A birds-eye nighttime view across Sukhumvit Road and the Ekkamai BTS station.

PhotoFeature

A tourist and Thai girl wait, hand in hand, to cross Ratchadapisek road.

A makeshift nighttime bar on the sidewalk near Asok BTS station. Note the shrine dedicated to Nang Kwak, a female spirit supposed to bring clients and partial to red water (thus the bottle of red fizzy pop).

Arts

performing arts

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

Theatres

Aksra Theatre (map C3) King Power Complex 8/1 Rangnam Rd, Phaya Thai|BTS Victory Monument | 02-677-8888 ext 5678 | Tue-Fri 7pm, Sat-Sun 1pm&7pm In this spectacular new 600-capacity theatre, lined with fabled wood carvings, bear witness to hypnotic performances by the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek (Aksra Small Puppets) troupe. Intricate Thai puppets, given life by puppeteers swathed in black, act out Thai literary epics. Family entertainment of the most refined kind.

โรงละครอักษรา คิงพาวเวอร์ คอมเพล็กซ์ ถ.รางน้ำ

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

โรงละครภัทราวดี ถ. อรุณอมรินทร์

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

โรงละครนาฏยศาลา หุน่ ละครเล็ก (โจหลุยส์) สวนลุมไนท์ บาซ่าร์

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

สยามนิรมิต ถ.เทียมร่วมมิตร

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.

โรงละครแห่งชาติ 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 fivestar hotels or at cultural shows across the city. At the Erawan Shrine (p.33), pay the colourful troupe a couple of hundred baht to see them perform. When visiting Vimanmek Mansion (p.30), 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

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TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Centre) Quick Bites: Design for Better Eating

cultural centres

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.

Kiosk

Goethe Institut

Alliance Française (map C4) 29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-670-4200 | 10am-6pm close Sun | www.alliance-francaise.or.th

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 cultural uniqueness to create 20th century design classics; or a peek at the swish, state-of-the-art library. With over 16,000 rare books, a large selection of multimedia, even a textile centre, this is where the city’s fresh-faced art, fashion, design and film students rush to the day before their final paper is due – only to end up distracted by the obscure arthouse DVDs and glossy tomes on modern Scandinavian architecture. Fortunately in-centre café Kiosk, with its strong Italian coffee and all-day-brunch, is on hand to keep the Kingdom’s next big things on track.

ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปิ้ง คอมเพล็กซ์ สุขุมวิท 24

WHERE 6F,The Emporium Shopping Complex, Sukhumvit 24 (map D4) BTS Phrom Phong, 02-6648448, www.tcdc.co.th OPEN 10:30am-9pm closed Mon bangkok 101

สมาคมฝรั่งเศสกรุงเทพ ถ. สาทรใต้

BRITISH COUNCIL (map C3) 254 Chulalongkorn Soi 64 Siam Square, Phaya Thai Rd, Pathumwan | BTS Siam | 02-652-5480 ext 108 | www.britishcouncil.or.th

บริติช เคาน์ซิล สยามสแควร์

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

สถาบันเกอเธ่ 18/1 ซ. เกอเธ่ สาทร ซ. 1

Japan Foundation (map D3) Serm-mit Tower, F10, Sukhumvit Soi 21 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-260-8560~4 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm | www.jfbkk.or.th

เจแปน ฟาวน์เดชั่น ชั้น 10 อาคารเสริมมิตร สุขุมวิท 21

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

Arts

cinema

angkok boasts world-class, stateof-the-art movie theatres showing the latest Hollywood and Thai blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House and Lido and the city’s cultural centres (p.57), screen less common independent and international films. Thai films are usually, in downtown Cineplexes at least, shown with English subtitles; foreign films with subtitles in Thai. Seats are reasonably priced at around B100-180. The best place to check screening times is on Please the daily-updated stand while the www.movieseer.com. king's anthem is

Thai Cinema

played in respect to Thailand’s beloved monarch.

Noy Thrupkaew

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

POPCORN PARADISO

If you don’t fancy the local cineplex or your frontroom there’s another option that falls comfortably between the two. Monday is Popcorn Paradiso night at Bed Supperclub (p.84), where creative chef Cameron Stuart serves a choice of two appetizers, three mains, and two desserts for you to chomp on while you watch a classic or cult flick (B1,450++). And, of course, you lie on fluffy white divan beds to eat: the perfect position for watching a movie. Almost Famous, writer and director Cameron Crowe’s 1970s coming-of-age story about a teenage rock journalist, shows on Nov 2. That’s followed on Nov 9 by Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi and noir detective film, Blade Runner; the recently passed Patrick Swayze’s most triumphant film, Dirty Dancing, on Nov 16; and Alan Parker’s hit film about a rhythm & blues band in working class Dublin, The Commitments, on Nov 23. Last up, on Nov 30, is the Rick-Moranis-helmed version of Little Shop of Horrors, a film musical from 1986 about a strange plant that craves blood and flesh. Films start at 6:45pm. 02-651-3537, www.bedsupperclub.com 58

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

สยามสแควร์ ถ. พระราม 1

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

ถ. พระราม 1

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

เวิลด์พลาซ่า ถ. ราชดำริ

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

bangkok 101

reading & screening

In Print

Bangkok is home to an eye-popping array of excellent bookshops, small, large and sprawling. Just head for any major mall – Siam Paragon, Emporium, All Seasons Place, CentralWorld or Central Chitlom, to name a few (see mall listings on p. 102) – and look for chain favourites like Asia Books, Kinokuniya, B2S, Nai-In or Bookazine. Plenty of other stand-alone local book stores across town offer the latest in print, new and used. RED vs. YELLOW: Thailand’s crisis of identity Nick Nostitz | White Lotus | B995 This is not an armchair analysis of the violent political turmoil that rocked Bangkok in late 2008: photojournalist Nick Nostitz was very much there, in the thick of it, dodging teargas canisters, photographing the often deadly street battles that ensued between the antigovernment yellow shirts, the police and pro-government red shirts. This gives the first half of his book – his chronological account of events after the 2006 coup – a visceral quality missing from mainstream media. However, this is nothing compared to the pictures in the second half. From shots capturing militant mobs in action to injuries far too gruesome to describe in a magazine like this one, Nostitz’s controversial book (four printers refused to print it, apparently) documents a bloody chapter in Thai history that we all wish to forget but need to remember.

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

EXPLORING SAMUI ISLAND AND THE ARCHIPELAGOS Sirikon Chankrachang | 189pp | B495 Good points first: this new travel guide on Suratthani province’s island archipelago is well laid-out, the individual chapters on each island featuring easy-to-read paragraphs and inviting photographs of aquamarine backdrops fringed by palmy white sands. So far, so enticing. However the problem here is with the content itself, which is thin and prone to platitudes of a “this is a charming island with a nice beach” sort. Take Ko Samui. Though it acknowledges the island’s glut of resorts, shops, nightclubs, bars and restaurants, it would rather tell you about how many sub-districts and villages Ko Samui has (7 and 39, if you’re interested) than actually guide you to any of them. For those just wanting to bake on the beach and check out the odd temple or waterfall, this will suffice; otherwise look to one of the more in-depth, factoid-rich efforts.

THAILAND AND WORLD WAR II Direk Jayanama | Silkworm Books | 566pp | B995 Though its role was peripheral, and it never wanted to get involved, having declared a position of neutrality early on, Thailand didn’t emerge unscathed from WWII. Not only did it have to cede some of its sovereignty to the Japanese, after its warships landed here on 8 December 1941, its image was also tainted by its declaration of war against the Allied powers. Why it did so and the answers to many more wartime geopolitical questions (including why it tried to join the Axis powers) are buried deep within these detailed memoirs by then Thai Foreign Minister, Direk Jayanama. Written in 1966, the master diplomat's diary-based account also spans his involvement in the Free Thai Movement and the post-war years, most intriguingly Thailand’s entry to the United Nations. A tough read? In parts. An important one? Definitely.

Last Life in the Universe 2003 | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang | VCD B119, DVD B199 Last Life unfurls its characters’ inner lives the way cigarette smoke reveals the secret shape of breathing – through a slow-burning, bitter beauty. Featuring a Death and the Maiden pairing – a compulsively neat, suicidal Japanese librarian and an explosively messy, live-wire Thai woman – Last Life flirts with familiar conventions: the screwball-comedy opposites-attract couple, the violent poetry of yakuza-flick shootouts, rescue fantasies, cultural malapropisms. But with the aid of famed cinematographer Christopher Doyle, (2046, Hero), Japanese alt-indie star Asano Tadanobu, sad-eyed Sinitta Boonyasak, and a rotting Eden of a country house where his duo shack up after a traumatic accident, Ratanaruang creates a tenderly caustic look at an unlikely relationship, in which a suicide note – “This is bliss” – can read like a bittersweet valentine. ar ts

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-anythingonce daredevil, you’re in for a non-stop gastronomical journey.

BANG FOR YOUR BAHT

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

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

Butt Out

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

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meal deals

Chef Frank Cai, Yuan Celebrated Beijing chef, Frank Cai, will cameo at the Millenium Hilton Hotel’s Chinese restaurant from November 10-15. Admire the river while enjoying shredded chicken with sesame sauce, wok-fried baby lobster with golden garlic and other dishes. A five-course set wine dinner will cost B3,500++ per person. 02-442-2000

Moroccan Fantasia, Crepes & Co

Chocoholic Heaven, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit

Chef Masafumi Sugimoto, The Conrad Guest chef Masafumi Sugimoto will whip up traditional Japanese cuisine at The Conrad’s Drinking Tea Eating Rice from 12-21 Nov. Expect a particular surfeit of seafood dishes using fresh imported produce from Hokkaido, like salmon roe in soy sauce and deep fried Saury fish. 02-690-9999

Put on your best kaftan and head down to Crepes & Co… this month the legendary brunch stop is serving sumptuous sounding Moroccan fare like Tajine of lamb, saffron pistils, orange cinnamon salad, briouattes and lamb cigars. 02-653-3990

Enjoy all-out chocolate gluttony at the Sheraton Grande through Nov. Italian Rossini’s will work cacao into its savoury menu:homemade cocoa pappardele in a pheasant ragout etc. And jazzy brunch spot The Living Room will serve a chocolate fondue, chocolate flight, and choc-inspired cocktails. 02-649-8368

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 Manohra antique rice barges (Apsara, Manohra, Oriental). Whether you are looking for a peaceful romantic sojourn, traditional dance shows or a blaring disco dinner buffet, you won’t be disappointed. Cruises range from B700 to B1,700 pp, depending on how well you dine, and last two to three hours. Most include a full buffet or set dinner. It’s wise to make advance reservations. ■ 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 bangkok 101

food & drinks

Grand Pearl

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 yang..........grilled chicken Phanaeng............curry coconut cream Kaeng phet pet yang.........roast duck curry Kaeng khiao wan gai.....green curry chicken Phad kaphrao.........stir-fried meat with sacred basil Gai phad met mamuang himmaphan .......stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts ■ Drinks Most street vendors offer a range of normal drinks but there are always some surprises available. Try any of these liquid specialties when eating on the streets. Nam ma prao.......................coconut juice Nam krajeab .............rosella flower juice Nam matoom ....................bael fruit juice Nam ta-krai ...................lemongrass juice Nam tao hoo.................hot soy bean milk Cha yen............................Thai iced tea with condensed milk bangkok 101

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thai sweets Kanom Thai

‘Polamai’: Thai Fruits

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

November is best for:

Kluay Nam Waa A medium sized variety of the banana, the kluay nam waa is chockfull of nutrition and particularly packed with carbohydrates and is a perfect for a quick energy boost.They are sticky and sweet when ripe and are perhaps the second most utilized fruit in Thai desserts, featured prominently in dishes like kluay buat chee (bananas soaked in coconut milk), khao tom mut (sticky rice pudding with bananas in bamboo), and kluay kaek (banana fritters). It is full of nutritional benefits, containing high levels of iron, vitamin C as well as fibre. Kluay nam wa are widely regarded as a remedy for ailments of the digestive system and it is believed that eating a lot of them can improve your skin complexion. Try also: Watermelon (Taeng-Mo), Coconut (Ma-Praow), Pomelo (Som O), Guava (Farang), Banana (Kluay), Papaya (Malakor), Mangosteen (Mong-Koot), Lychee (Lyn-Chee). bangkok 101

food & drinks

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

Try This!

Kanom Piak Poon This popular dessert whose name is translated to “wet cement dessert”, are widely available throughout the country. Similar to, but firmer than, a custard they are made out of flour and palm sugar and are usually sold in green or black colour with a sprinkling of shaved coconut. Try also: Kanom Krok – Mini coconut cream hotcakes Kanom Bueng – Crispy crepes with coconut whip filling

Kanom Piak Poon

Food&Drinks

street eats

Street Food Hotspots

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

ealikte

Nym

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

Bayia

I first learnt of Bayia years ago, from my grandmother. Back then it was a family favourite. So much so that when one of my family had to run an errand around the Little India area, it was considered their duty to bring several bags home with them! It’s a fried ball made from green mung bean mixed with herbs and the name’s pronounced as it in India, where it originates from. Different Bayia stalls use different mixtures but the Bayia cart I favour is at the corner of Saphanlek and Merry King Wang Burapa. If you cross the street from here, towards the local KFC, you can’t miss it – the golden brown snack is always boiling away in a massive wok filled with oil. This one makes it just the way my grandmother likes it – crispy crunchy on the outside, with a soft moist texture on the inside. Not only that, their herb mixture is the best tasting. Green beans soaked in water, pepper, cumin seeds and turmeric are the main ingredients. And to jazz up the taste, it comes with a dipping sauce, the recipe of which is a fiercely guarded secret! Dip the Bayia in it, alongside some deep fried chili and enjoy the burning sensation in your mouth. Irresistible! The Bayia stall is at the Si Yak intersection in Merry King Wangburapa.When coming from Saphanlek or China Town area, you’ll find it at the corner of the crossroad, across from KFC. It’s closed on Monday and open from late morning until early afternoon. 64

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

Baan Somtum

restaurants

NORTHEASTERN thai BAAN SOMTUM (map C4) 9/1 Soi Srivieng, nr Sathorn Road | BTS Surasak | 02-630-3485 | 11am10pm | $ Love somtum? If so your ship has come in: this smart new Isaan restaurant serves a staggering 22 types of Northeastern papaya salad. There’s porkneck somtum, salted egg somtum, even a Luang Prabang somtum (yep, we’re intrigued too). Any good? Let's just say that we tried the somtum pu ma… and marvelled at its fiery tang and legs of horseshoe crab. As for the other Issan dishes – all 80 of them – the kitchen seems just as skilled at the deep-fryer and soup pot as it is the pestle and mortar. The golden-fried tub tim fish is sublime, the gaeng hed poh (spicy popping-mushroom soup) beguilingly spiced, and the laab tod a deep-fried, crackling variation on the minced meat salad and just one of several playful signatures. Best of all are the pocket-friendly prices – though the owner pays inner-city rents she charges the same as at her other branches in the ‘burbs. For assertive, flavourful Isaan food in a bright, clean townhouse setting, Baan Somtum's a no-brainer. Plentiful parking too.

บ้านส้มตำ ซ.ศรีเวียง

bangkok 101

KINNAREE GOURMET THAI (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 8 | BTS Nana | 02-2560328 | www.kinnareegourmet.com | 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-midnight | $$ ‘You don’t need to budget to enjoy fantastic food,’ as the gastronomic cliché goes. This is especially true of Thai and, more to the point, the lovingly prepared cuisine at Kinnaree. Set back in a cosy converted house, expect delectable modern twists on classic staples. The young banana flower salad with shredded chicken, shrimp and chilli paste in an intricate edible marvel; the lightly grilled duck’s breast in tamarind sauce is succulently pink and tender. Named after the mythological hybrid said to symbolise feminine grace, this endearingly musty restaurant makes for an intimate evening out – right down to the ridiculously long cocktail straws.

กินรี กูร์เม่ไทย สุขุมวิท ซ.8

food & drinks

RUEN MALLIKA (map D4) 189 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-663-3211 | www.ruenmallika.com | 11am-11pm | $$ Somebody must be doing it right when a Thai eatery is filled with local diners, where foreigners are the exception. This Bangkok classic, in an enchanting 19th century teak house, is known citywide for one dish: fried edible flowers. The colourful arrangement, once it’s on your table, is almost too beautiful to eat but it’s a unique delicacy, not to be missed. The huge picture-menu introduces you to royal Thai food, which translates into high-quality, healthy cooking, with vegetables that are grown in the restaurant’s own garden. Do yourself a flavour [sic] and ask the friendly staff about your chosen dishes’ spiciness; otherwise you’ll be trying to cool your mouth with heaps of rice.

เรือนมัลลิกา สุขุมวิท ซ.22

Food&Drinks

TO SIT (map C4) 72/2 Lang Suan 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 head to enjoy jugs of beer, snacks and acoustic ditties.Very few, however, offer as winsome a setting as this branch of To Sit, hidden down a quiet soi in the upmarket Lang Suan area. Beyond a white picket fence, a faux King Rama-V style wooden house, painted in pastel blues and whites, rises from within a trim modern garden. On a typical night you may find, say, a couple enjoying a rendezvous indoors, or an office party sendoff on the chic gazebo, 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). A chill place to let the evening aimlessly unwind.

ทูซิท หลังสวน หลังสวน ซ.5

To Sit

Mallika

Southern Thai Mallika (map C3) 3 Rangnam Rd, Phaya Thai | BTS Victory Monyment | 02-248-0287 | 10am – 10pm | $ Southern Thai cuisine offers a brave new world of complex, searing hot, pungent flavours. Run by a family from Chumporn – a province in the deep south – this quaint yellow house is one of the best places in town to give it a trial (by fire), serving storming southern curries, salads, stir-fries and vegetables dishes. Start yourself off with something mild, like dok kajon fai dang. Cooked in oyster sauce, this stir-fry stars flecks of pork and a crunchy fern-like vegetable and is delicious. Ditto the pla samret tod mamuang, a deep-fried fish with an

food & drinks

out-of-this-world spicy mango dressing. Not hot enough for you? Here are three dishes that push the spice-ometre to overdrive – the khua kling nua (fried beef in spicy paste with kaffir lime leaves), the gaeng leang (turmericyellow curry), and, the most tonguescouring but gratifying dish we tried, the gaeng dtai pla (a rich, complex, maroonred bamboo & pumpkin curry). Also interesting is goong pad kapi sataw: a strong-tasting stir-fry pairing juicy prawns with fermented shrimp paste and green, bitter beans. Note that dishes for foreigners will probably be less assertively spiced. If you want the full incendiary rocket blast, brush up on your Thai and prepare for lift-off.

มัลลิกา ซ.รางน้ำ

bangkok 101

Palazzo

Italian

Pandanus

International Pandanus Bar Bistro (map C4) 50 Soi Nunta, Sathorn Soi 1 Rd | MRT Lumpini | 02-287-4021~2 | www.pandanusbarbistro.com | 12am11pm | $ You can’t help but feel cozy upon entering this two-storey bar and bistro, with its girly faux-vintage white walls and orchestra of candles blanketing the space. And it’s certainly fun watching the restaurant’s target demographic – whitening-creamed hi-so Thai gals and their metrosexual beauxs – rolling up in the early evening, flinging the keys of their SUVs to the valets as they chat on their cellphones. However the pleasures ended there on our visit. While we can forgive a whole hour passing before we

received any food (a malfunctioning deep fryer apparently), we can’t forgive such lame haute fusion dishes. Our calamari rings were more chewy than crispy, and the taro and chicken stuffed spring rolls tasted like they had been sitting next to the fish sticks for too long in the freezer. The main courses didn’t fare any better. A cheese-stuffed chicken breast came with, erm, no cheese-stuffing, and the pork chops conjured up unwanted memories of a high school cafeteria. And as good as the slice of banoffee pie at the end was, it was frankly too little too late. Our advice: skip the restaurant and head straight up to the brawny, dark design bar for a cocktail.

แพนดานัส บาร์บิสโทร สาทร ซ.1

PALAZZO (map E4) 335 Thong Lo Soi 17 | 02-712-9900 | 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | $$ Somewhat reminiscent of a classic eighties nightclub with its jet black exterior trimmed in copper piping, Palazzo was originally a colonial-style Thai house with rich wood panelling, spacious rooms and high ceilings; the two-story building now boasts a restaurant area, wine bar and outdoor balcony.The menu is downright roguish, with French fare such as escargot and foie gras coupled with Italian culinary diversions. Notable dishes are the “white pizzas” that dispense with tomato sauce in favour of cheese, and the blueberry cheesecake with lemon sauce that has a refreshing tanginess to it. Evoking a cosmopolitan ambience, the restaurant is excellent for both large groups and intimate couples who want to escape into their own world. Palazzo enables you to enjoy the comforts of fine cuisine in a wholly modern environment.

พาลาสโซ่ ทองหล่อ ซ.17

No Reservation ? Do It …!

Always something new happening at LA BOTTEGA

RSVP La Bottega’s 1 Anniversary WINTER TERRACE GRAND OPENING, White TRUFFLE FROM ALBA, CIGAR LOUNGE AND JAZZ NIGHTS Terrace 49 Building, Sukhumvit Soi 49, BTS Thong Lo, Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 5.30pm-11pm deli hours Tue-Sun 10am-8pm email: la.bottega.di.luca@gmail.com Tel: 02-204-1730-1

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

chic bangkok Cheryl Tseng

China House

The esteemed Oriental Bangkok has transformed the classic colonial Chinese restaurant interior to an opulent Art Deco décor that recaptures Shanghai’s architectural grandeur in the 1930’s. The interior is adorned with intricately carved screen doors, red lanterns and lavish furniture. Qipaosilhouetted waitress guides the jet-set types through the “Red Chamber”, BEST FOR Chinese a dramatic lofty reception room WHERE Mandarin flanked with antiques, Macassar Ebony Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental columns, period chairs upholstered Avenue BTS Saphan Taksin, with luxurious cowhide and horsehair 0-2659-9000, seat cushions, into intimately tiny www.mandarinoriental.com banquettes inspired by opium beds. This splendid sanctuary offers refined Chinese cuisine with a tinge of progressive touch. Teas are selected from an excellent collection by Mariage Freres from Paris, while the menu reveals delicately prepared fare– slow-braised dried Japanese Iwate abalone, classic Peking duck, savoury panseared beef tenderloin with pistachio nuts, and signature dishes like the slow-cooked shark’s fin in golden broth and succulent deep-fried prawn with a mild wasabi mango dressing. Dessert is the house version of mango pudding served in a dragon fruit. 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.

food & drinks

bangkok 101

GIANNI’S (map C3) 34/1 Soi Tonson, Ploen Chit Rd | BTS Chit Lom | 02-252-1619 | 11:30am2:30pm, 6:30pm-11pm | $$$ In an area filled with restaurants, spas and art galleries, this cozy place stands out thanks to its consistency – in faultless food, perfect service and never-vanishing popularity. Gianni’s was one of the first “real” Italians in town and has set off that Gianni's avalanche of Italian restaurants that hasn’t stopped yet. But over the years, Chef Gianni has managed to keep his regular guests. They might venture out to fleetingly check some brash newcomer but always return.The big, warmly lit room is bursting with diners night after night (reservations are necessary on any given evening) digging in with gusto. Many regulars don’t bother with the menu but order daily changing specials. Though the menu doesn’t bear surprises, it offers thoroughly composed, impeccable creations (the wine list features great matches). This place is the antithesis of all hipsterdom lurking everywhere in Bangkok. Bring your rich, old aunt, and she’ll love you.

เจียนนี่ส์ ซ.ต้นสน ถ.เพลินจิต

Philippe

French PHILIPPE RESTAURANT (map D4) 20/15-17, Sukhumvit Soi 39 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-259-4577-8 | www.philipperestaurant.com | Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm| $$$ Tucked away on a side street near the Phrom Phong BTS station, Philippe Restaurant provides a welcome dose of French charm to an area thronged with Japanese eateries. Since 1998, Philippe Peretti has been feeding the city’s happy Francophiles with defiantly unfusioned, fine traditional fare,

including foie gras, served in great silky lobes, hearty country stews with oxtail and beef tongue, and raspberry millefeuille, layers of perfect pastry stacked with fruit and a gorgeous buttermilk crème. The décor may be a bit staid, but it doesn’t detract from the beauty of elegantly done French classics and the very correct service, which is attentive without being hovery. Come for the B450++ lunch deal – a threecourse steal, perfect for a leisurely business lunch.

ฟิลลิปเป้ สุขุมวิท 39

Chef Stéphane Gaborieau at Prime Steakhouse 18 -21 November 2009

Welcome back to Thailand and to PRIME – our awardwinning steakhouse and one of the best, Michelin-starred Chef Stéphane Gaborieau the owner and mastermind behind Parisian gastronomical sensation La Pergolèse. For more information and reservations, please call 0 2442 2000

Millennium Hilton Bangkok 123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, bangkok.hilton.com

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

Sukhumvit 21 Rd. (Aso k)

Soi Sukh umvit 23

6 7 3

Soi Cowboy

1 BTS Asok

Neighbourhood Nosh: Sukhumvit Soi 23

vit

Minibar Royale

5 4

Each month we steak out one of the city’s best neighbourhoods for eating out, and serve you the skinny in an easily digestible, bite-size format. Alongside spiffy condos, dodgy massage (5). Resembling a saloon from the American shops and one carnivalesque red-light West, it serves good-value steaks from the strip, Sukhumvit Soi 23 is also specked Farm ChokChai cattle ranch in Nakorn with international restaurants. Taking it Rachasima province. Back on the main from the top (of the road), Offshore Fish soi is a hip French-American café popular & Chips (1) offers exactly that as well as among fashionista hiso gals and their dandy other Brit chippie staples like mushy peas. boyfriends: Minibar Royale (6). Resembling Skip the authentically dinghy dining room the diner from Edward Hooper’s iconic and go take-out. Le Dalat (2) is an elegant Nighthawks painting, it’s a classic-cool townhouse-up-a-drive serving French- place to enjoy brunch classics, like Eggs de tinged Vietnamese. Artworks, antiques and Benedict, while you do your best Bogart or dishes served with bowls of lip-tingling raw Hepburn impression. Of course, a Bangkok herbs abound. A few doors down sits fancy, neighbourhood ain’t anything without some pricey and glass-encased Giusto (3). Inside failsafe Thai restaurants. Wanakarm (7) is a this slick Armani’s lair, impeccable staff serve sprawling house featuring clunky wooden flavoursome cucina nouva italiana from an tables. You don’t come here for the décor, open kitchen. Down a sub-soi off Soi 23, Lo however, but the excellent Thai food and big Shu (4) works a feng-shui themed lounge portions (think crunchy shrimp cakes and vibe, complete with water hyacinth furniture curries thick with fragrant herbs). Buried and bubbling water columns. The healthy deep down the soi, on the right hand side, is East-West food’s so-so, but you’ll like the Baan Khanitha (8). It plays it safe spice-wise laidback setting and soshu cocktails. Almost but has the kind of faux traditional, teak-y adjacent to it is the Chokchai Steakhouse look that tourists go loopy-loo over.

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 Bed Supperclub artful 3 course meals from Sun-Thurs off a limited menu for B1,450++; and on Fri or 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 trail- blazing 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, 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. This sophisticated eatery, set in one 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, 02-624-9555), 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-to-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. 70

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bangkok 101

Food courts

Much as we love cheap and tasty street food, non-wobbly tables and a little air-conditioning can go a long way. That’s why the Thai god of grub invented food courts! MBK: The Food Center (6F, 10am9pm) is cheap, chaotic and jampacked with yummy Thai grub. Most dishes are around the B40 mark. Just below the Food Centre is the Fifth Food Avenue (5F, 10am-9:30pm), a more upmarket collection of independent eateries (figure B150 for a dish) with good variety of international food, including Greek, seafood and Mexican options. Siam Centre: If you have a thing for molded plastic seats and vivid orange colour schemes, then baby, you’ve just hit the motherlode. Migraine-inducing décor aside, Food for Fun (4F, 9am-9pm) is a cheap and cheerful spot where B40-50 gets you a huge pile of reasonable Thai grub and the chance to tut at spiky-haired teenagers.

With its superb Lanna stylings and sumptuous food Le Crystal will take your breath away. Visit our exceptional wine cellar and indulge in our outstanding French cuisine.

Paragon: You can stare at a table-top aquarium while you munch your noodles; but you’re paying about B70 for those noodles. And they ain’t all that. The Food Court (B1, 10am10pm) dining hall gets packed too, making seats hard to come by and the atmosphere far from relaxing. CentralWorld: Flavour (7F, 10am-10pm) at the back of the Food Hall supermarket is really comfortable and has some cracking options at good prices. Figure on B50 a dish. Also in CentralWorld, on the seventh floor of Zen department store, is Food Loft (10am-10pm). Easily the most successful attempt at a mid-range food court, this plush, glass-walled offers up top-notch international fare. Try the Vietnamese noodle salad at B110. There’s another branch of Food Loft at Central Chitlom. Emporium: Probably the nicest food court on the mall-beat is the Food Court (5F, 10am-9:45) at Emporium. Clean, decked out like a library and with pleasant views over Benjasiri Park, the Food Court has lots of good Thai/ Chinese standards priced at B50-60. bangkok 101

Food&Drinks

Vietnamese Xuan Mai (mapE4) 351/3 Sukhumvit 55 (near Thong Lor Soi 17) | 02-185-2619 | BTS Thong Lor | www.xuanmairestaurant.com | 11:30am -2:30pm and 6pm-11pm (11:30pm on Fri-Sat) | $ Quickly setting into its new location, former FBI agent and unintentional chef Meyung Robson’s popular Vietnamese restaurant has left the former homey confines of Soi 13 for the main stage of Thong Lor. Small, friendly and delicious, this homey restaurant has an army of followers that will surely be migrating along with Meyung. Spring rolls are definitely the way to start and the feather-light, deep fried Imperial rolls still had us salivating the next morning. Follow that up with a healthy portion of young lotus shoot salad with shrimp and BBQ pork, contrasted beautifully with a side of peanut crackers. The ridiculously tender tamarind braised pork with rice was delicious, but despite being a Vietnamese restaurant, you’ll be doing yourself an injustice if you don’t save room (be warned: portions are massive) for the brilliant passion fruit crème brulee. Served in a coconut, it’s irresistibly creamy and you won’t be able to stop from scraping the tender and aromatic meat off the sides of its shell.

ซวนมาย ทองหล่อ ซ.17

Kongju

korean Kongju (map C3) 2nd Fl. Pathumwan Princess Hotel (behind MBK) 444 Phayathai Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-216-3700 | www.pprincess.com | 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10:30pm | $-$$ When K-pop fever swept through town a few years ago, this Korean eatery shot up the popularity charts. Like all other things Korean in Bangkok, Kongju has its own pack of overexcited fans these days. Star t with geo jeol pan, a Korean hors d’oeuvre, where nine different fillings are rolled in a thin pancake. Unlike other outlets, lazy diners can have these pre-rolled by the

food & drinks

restaurant. But with the sizzling grill front and centre on your table, it’s almost impossible to remain hands-off when it comes to the barbecue. Communal, Do-It-Yourself cooking is very popular in Thailand – this being a perfect example – and almost every kind of meat is available for your choosing, from prime ribeye steaks via spare ribs to seafood accompanied by one of the tastiest dipping sauces around. Knock that all down with a stiff shot of soju, a vodka-like Korean rice wine, and for dessert go for an icy cinnamon punch, for a cool, refreshing finish.

รร. ปทุมวันปริ๊นเซส ติดกับมาบุญครองเซ็นเตอร์

bangkok 101

Fuku Fuku

Japanese HACHI (map C4) Soi Suan Plu,Naradhiwas Raajanagarinda Rd., Sathorn | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02287-4904 | 11:30am-2pm & 5:30pm10pm | $$ The two-storey Hachi wears its Japanese motifs lightly – a faux Japanese house exterior here, a kimono-clad waitress doing the rounds with the green tea there. Not that it’s a problem; the groups of Thais who come each evening (and, with their white shirts and askew ties, are Sathorn’s very own salaryman) are too busy enjoying the food to care. Most head upstairs for the shabu-shabu buffet, which offers unlimited meat and three tasty soups (shabu shabu, sukiyaki and spicy miso) for a fair B349 (Salmon and unlimited Heineken cost B39 and B199 extra). The more interesting – and, yes, pricey – fare though is served in the teppanyaki area downstairs, where seats sit around one of 5 grill bars. Sashimi is fresh, well-cut and sinewless, and the spicy tuna rolls drizzled in thousand island so moreish we just had to take some home with us. Best of all, though, are the teppanyaki sets. Spatula-rattling chefs sizzle and season your vegetables, meat, seafood and rice to salty, garlicky, peppery perfection. Opt for the Australian beef set – it’s over B1,000 cheaper than the Kobe and the meat ultra-tender.

ฮาจิ ซ.สวนพลู

Hachi

Fuku Fuku (map E4) 251/2 Sukhumvit 55 Thong Lor Soi 13 | BTS Thong Lor | 02-712-7127 | www.fukubkk.com | 11:30am-2:30pm &5:30pm-11pm | $$ It’s easy to get overlooked when you’re a Japanese restaurant located in a tiny compound featuring a wedding studio and a honey shop. Not to mention the fact that it’s situated right in the shadow of Thong Lor’s ode to neon Tokyo, J-Avenue, but this slick and modern sushi bar deserves some attention. Though its tag of “modern Japanese dining” might set off some fusion confusion alarms in your head, the menu is in fact quite traditional with a heavy emphasis on sushi that’s fresh, straight up with no frills. Take your pick from a list of nigiris, makis and sashimi, flown in fresh from the Land of the Rising Sun twice a week. If you’d rather skip the raw fish, Fuku Fuku (Japanese for “happy, happy”) serves a mean Teppanyaki Beef as well as a rich and delicious (and also cholesterol rocketing) grilled snow fish slathered with an omelet of mentaiko, or codfish roe.

ฟุกุฟุกุ ทองหล่อ ซ.13

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

Mexican

Vegetarian

SEÑOR PICO (map D4) Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18 | 02-261-7100 | 5pm-1am | www.rembrandtbkk.com Bangkok’s first and best known Mexican eatery is a lively, carefree little joint where the waitresses chachacha with diners to sprightly Latin melodies from Cuban house band Sol Y Son. Take a table too close to the stage and you might get dragged into proceedings - which could have disastrous consequences for those overstuffed with Tex Mex grub (although an impromptu Technicolor yawn might be greeted as a gaudy addition to the vibrant décor). As you can probably deduce, this informal, family-friendly joint isn’t recommended for those seeking a quiet heart-toheart or pursuing a makeor-break business deal. But get stuck in to the rich array of fajitas, enchiladas, and suchlike, and you’ll find that, much like the fare dished up, Señor Pico is endearingly sloppy round the edges – but undeniably tasty.

NA AROON 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Sukhumvit Road | 02-254-8880 | BTS Ploenchit www.ariyasom.com | $ Overlooking the Ariyasomvilla Hotel’s lush garden, this retro-fabulous vegetarian restaurant offers an atmospheric 20th century interior – rotating ceiling fans, tall teak shutters and chandeliers whisk you back to the 1940s. Lunchtimes are often humming with hotel guests, trysting couples and BMW-driving hi-socialites, all noshing on the fresh, affordable, often seasonal Thai and international fare. Grab a few moments with chatty owner/ devout vegetarian David Lees and you’ll realise he knows a thing or two about Thai food’s medicinal properties and loves to mix things up – pad thai malakor (stir-fried papaya instead of noodles) may appear one month;

Na Aroon

kanom jeen (fermented rice noodles) and homemade quiches the next. They also serve fish and do a good line in desserts, from rustic rhubarb and apple crumbles to seasonal Thai fruits like mayong chit. Healthy, exciting and delicious, vegetarianism never seemed so seductive.

ณ อรุณ สุขุทวิท ซ.1

dim-sum featured

รร. เรมแบรนดท์ สุขุมวิท ซ.18

Señor Pico

SUMMER PALACE

In the InterContinental Bangkok’s ornate yet inviting Summer Palace, accomplished Cantonese executive chef Cheung Chin Choi’s sharply defined dim sum menu is offered up a la carte. But why faff around with small fry when, for a mere B498, you can go for all-you-can-eat excess? The emphasis of his authentic, 30-plus selections – dumplings, wantons, pastries, buns and so forth, all made with ingredients from the mainland – is on quality as much as quantity. And for just a bit of extra wedge you can wash down your mouthfuls with superior infusions like chrysanthemum, oolong and green teas. Set in an elegant dining room of Chinese ceramics and traditional paintings, this is a bona fide gustatory treasure – unlimited top-notch dim-sum for a modest sum.

รร.อินเตอร์คอนติเนตัล ถ.เพลินจิต

WHERE InterContinental Bangkok 973 Phloenchit Rd. (map D3) BTS Chit Lom, 02-656-0360 OPEN daily lunch 11:30pm -2:30pm, dinner 6:30pm-10:30pm All you can eat dim sum Mon – Sat 11:30am2:30pm (not served on Sun and public holidays) PRICE B498net 74

food & drinks

bangkok 101

brunching

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

featured

brunch

the Sukhothai

In the leisurely splendour of one of Bangkok’s ritziest five-stars, a Sunday ritual plays out… A chef prepares carbonara for one rumbling belly (mine), while groups of raffish hi-sos enjoy the melodious vyings of a piano, oboe and clarinet. Kids in their Sunday best tuck into dessert plates as tall as molehills, while a Thai pop star with frizzy hair ambles around the antipasti. Welcome, folks, to brunch Sukhothai-style. Aside from striking exactly the right air of day-of-rest decorum, the food is, simply put, fantastic. Rock up at noon for first dibs on a mouth-watering array of prime meats, fresh seafood and spectacular cheeses. Hunker down on steaming dim sum, sashimi, continental salads, WHERE The Sukhothai freshly shucked Fine de Claire oysters and other chilled Bangkok | 13/3 South crustaceans. Or indulge in the hot kitchen’s casseroleSathorn Rd. | 02-344-8888 dished delights like coq au vin, hunks of roast lamb and MRT Lumpini OPEN Sun noon – 3pm PRICE 2100++ Peking duck. Stop the Champagne trolley in its tracks for a bottle of wine or bubbly to help wash down the feast (not included). And close with an assault on one of Bangkok’s best selections of soft, hard, veiny and downright stinky cheeses. Sweet tooths, meanwhile, should run amok in the adjoining Zuk Bar: every horizontal surface herein bears something sumptuously sweet, from rustic apricot tarts to sublime chocolate truffles. Though pricey, the Sukhothai brunch experience is a perfect way to spend a gluttonous Sunday afternoon. So book yourself a table, sit back, relax, and enjoy the gastronomic journey.

รร.สุโขทัย สาทรใต้

bangkok 101

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

tea

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

tea

featured

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 cast-iron 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 WHERE 3F Central Chidlom tasted – dark, complex and rich. Nibbles department store, Ploenchit road include a yummy croque monsieur (a grilled (map D4) BTS Chid Lom, 02-793ham and Emmenthal cheese sandwich), 7793 OPEN daily 10am – 10pm, pains perdu (slices of softened baguette afternoon Tea 2:30pm – 5:30pm topped with one of four toppings, including PRICE B395++ (2persons) lovely cinnamon sautéed apple with vanilla crème Anglaise) and a pastry of your choosing. The most famous is far and away the legendary Mont Blanc; a bed of meringue topped with tresses of sweet chestnut puree and crammed with whipped cream. And, pardon my French, it’s not hard to see why: 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

food & drinks

bangkok 101

ban

101

■ 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 innovative 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

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

desserts featured

SOUFFLE HOUSE

This cafe, run by a charming married couple, painted in carrot-cake orange, offers a bevy of homemade cheesecakes. Though it’s a bit tucked away, a short hop and a skip from BTS Saphan Taksin, it’s garnered a loyal band of devotees over its five years. The raspberry yoghurt cheesecake, for instance, is a hit among students, though whether that’s because its pink white topping is lusciously tangy-fruity or just matches their Hello Kitty notebooks isn’t clear. Of the other 8 offerings, the tiramisu cake yields smooth velvety, coffee-laced textures WHERE 105 Jarus Vieng while the white choc cheesecake is faultless: Rd. BTS Saphan Taksin, moist, not too sweet cream cheese sitting atop a 02-235-3666, 089-784crumbly dark chocolate biscuit base. Owner and 8049 OPEN 10am - 7pm; baker Khun Aoh, a graduate of the Mandarin closed Sun PRICE $ Oriental Hotel’s culinary school, makes them fresh each day in the bakery out back. Not a cheesecake person? Then try their crumble-in-your-mouth oat raisin cookies with a cup of Twinings or freshly brewed coffee, or order in the chocolate soufflé with ice cream (B170, 40 minutes baking time). It’s a homey laidback place – kick back on an upstairs sofa for a discreet chit-chat, or take the table nearest the front window, where dishy Laotian filmstar Ananda Everingham once sat.

ซูเฟล่เฮาส์ ถ.จรัสเวียง

food & drinks

bangkok 101

ban

101

Buffet Venues ■ THE MED The Westin Grande Sukhumvit | 02-207-8000 | 6am11pm | Breakfast Buffet: 6am-10:30am B650++, Lunch Buffet: noon-2:30pm B790++, Dinner Buffet: 6pm-10:30pm B1,100++ ■ DINING ROOM Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-254-1234 | Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm (3pm on Sat), Mon-Thu 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 6pm-10pm | lunch B780++, dinner Mon-Thu B1,150++, dinner Fri-Sun B1,499++ (seafood) ■ COLONNADE The Sukhothai 13/3 South Sathorn Rd | 02-344-8888 | noon-2.30pm | B980++ ■ ESPRESSO InterContinental Bangkok, Ploenchit Rd | 02-656-0444 | daily noon2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | B790++ (lunch) B990++ (dinner) ■ HEIGHTS CAFÉ Pan Pacific Bangkok | 02-6329000 ext. 4343 | Mon-Sat 6am-10:30pm, Sun 11:30am3pm | Breakfast B590++, Lunch B610++, Dinner B690++ ■ No.43 BISTRO Cape House Serviced Apartment, Gr Fl, 43 Soi Langsuan| 02-6587444 ext.285 | daily 6am-midnight ■ Lord jim’s buffet Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Oriental Avenue | 02 - 659-9000 | Mon-Sat noon-3pm sun 11:30am-3pm | B1,295 net (Mon-Sat) B1,648 net (Sun) Booking advised. Smart casual dress code. ■ THE BRASSERIE Holiday Inn Silom, 981 Silom Rd | 02-238-4300 | daily noon-2:30pm and 6pm-10:30pm | lunch B707 net, dinner B824net, Friday Seafood Night B941net ■ Orchid Café Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 02649-8888 11:30am-2:30pm & 6:30pm10:30pm | Lunch 760++, Dinner (Mon-Thu) 1,050++, Dinner (Fri - Sun) 1,250++ ■ Citi Bistro Pathumwan Princess Hotel 1st Fl., near MBK | 02-216-3700 | 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm | lunch B650net, dinner B1,300net

bangkok 101

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

all you can eat

featured

buffet

MIYABI

Shop a lot, eat a lot – that’s the name of the game along fashion and food boutique lined Siam Square. When you’ve done the former, consider doing the latter at Miyabi: this teen-hip Japanese restaurant – all blond-wood furnishings and swirling, pop-arty murals of samurai – offers decent all-you-can-eat deals. A tasty shabu-shabu (DIY hotpot) costs B359 but in our opinion the slightly dearer yakiniku buffet (i.e., the DIY grilling of raw meat and veg over a charcoal griddle) pips it. B439 buys you 90 minutes grill time, as well as infinite garlic rice, green tea or Pepsi refills. However, it’s the high-quality meat and veg that impress most. Pop your self-cooked sliver of marbled beef, river prawn or cut of fresh salmon home, and Where Siam Square Soi 4 you’ll discover it tastes as succulent and fresh as (map C3), 02-252-6516 BTS it looks. Ditto the asparagus, eringi mushrooms Siam Open 11am – 11pm and other vegetables – no dehydrated greens Price Yakiniku B439net, that have been ageing at the back of the fridge Shabu B329net,Yakiniku & here. Moreover, the dipping sauces are total Shabu B472net (incl. refilled scene stealers – the lime and chilli notes of the pepsi or tea) nam jim provides the perfect foil to the seared seafood; and the thick garlic mayonnaise goes well with just about everything. Want some suds to wash it down with? Go after 5pm, when an extra B99 buys unlimited glasses of Asakhi beer (and for two and a half hours). Stretcher home not included.

มิยาบิ สยามสแควร์ ซ.4

food & drinks

Food&Drinks

wine

Siam Winery

‘New Latitude’ Thai wine featured

wıne bar Opera Riserva Wine Bar

Getting to this hip “wineteque” entails a taxi ride up the oft-congested Sukhumvit 39, but it’s a well worth the trip. Adjacent to L’Opera, one of Bangkok longest-standing Italian eateries, this laid-back wine and cigar lounge features a narrow bar/dining area downstairs, comfy, quicksand sofas and a DJ spinning chilled tunes for a mainly local crowd. An-ever changing WHERE 53 Sukhumvit selection of wines of the month range from Soi 39, 02-258-5601, B370++ by the glass, or choose a bottle www.operariserva. (starting at B2,000) from the 300+ labels on com BTS Phrom Phong offer. If you taste something you like, pop (then taxi)OPEN 6pm – into the cash and carry wine shop next door 10:30pm and stock up for reasonable prices. In sync with the cuisine, over half the wine list hails from Italy; the remainder is an eclectic mix from both the New and Old World. Simple and fresh, the authentic bar fare focuses on grilled meats, imported cheeses and cold cuts, including delicate Spanish Pata Negra ham. Order up a plate of the daily tapas and let yourself go…

โอเปร่า ไวน์บาร์ สุขุมวิท 39

food & drinks

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

A taste of New Orleans...

Bourbon St. Restaurant & Oyster Bar BOURBON ST. EVERYDAY SPECIALS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday & Sunday

Boutique Hotel available daily, weekly or monthly 29/4-10 Sukhumvit Soi 22 (Behind SportsMan Bar) Tel: 02-259-0328/9, 02-259-4317 Fax: 02-259-4318 Email: info@bourbonstbkk.com www.bourbonstbkk.com

All you can eat “Red Beans & Rice” with salad & garlic bread 200 Baht ++ Only at night 6pm-10pm All you can eat Mexican Buffet 295 Baht ++ Buy one get - one free “Boiled Shrimp” Buy one, get one free, any kind of imported U.S. fresh oysters Buy one get one free “Seafood Pasta” 200 Baht ++ Children under 12 eat free (1 child with 1 adult and order 1 main course will get a free portion for child as follow) n Hamburger n Hot Dog n Popcorn Shrimp n Fried Shrimp n Spaghetti n Chicken Nuggets n Fried Chicken n Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks n Taco n Fish and Chips

“Thanksgiving Buffet”

Thursday 26th Nov'09 From 12.00 Noon – 10.30 PM (All Day) - 899 Baht ++ Per Adult - 450 Baht ++ Per Child under 12 years th Friday 27 Nov'09 From 6.00 PM–10.30 PM - 850 Baht++ Per Adult - 425 Baht++ Per Child under 12 years * Includes Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, Bottled water and Ice Tea *

Nightlife

one night in bangkok

Q Bar

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

nightlife

bangkok 101

PRESENTS:

Nightlife Q bar

nightclubs

Bed Supperclub Image by Marcus Gortz

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.

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

เบด ซัปเปอร์คลับ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

Q BAR (map D3) 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-2523274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of topshelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife nine years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and many big name guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday’s Gin & Juice hip-hop party, Wednesday’s Block Party with hip-hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Friday’s Houseduction. Upstairs at Q a chic, remarkably different vibe resounds in the bar/lounge, especially on Mondays when jazz music rules the speaker system (and the downstairs dancefloor takes a rest). Some relative solitude and a choice pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found here and on the outdoor terrace, perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack (including tasty meat wraps from a shawarma station).

คิว บาร์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

TAPAS (map C4) Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-632-7982 | 8pm-2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4,Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. Multilevelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general, weeknights can be hit-ormiss, but weekends are always hopping . ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4 nightlife

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 psytrance 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. เดอะ คลับ ถ. ข้าวสาร 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) 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 promote new talent, while also bringing in the big guns, ensuring an eclectic roster of breakbeat, electronica, trance, indie rock, drum ‘n’ bass and house music. 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.

คลับ คัลเจอร์ ถ. ศรีอยุธยา

bangkok 101

Calypso

Club 87 Plus

Club 87 Plus (map C3) Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-690-9087 | 6pm - 2am Bigger, sleeker and sexier, the Conrad hotel’s recently relaunched flagship nightspot has targeted its audience from the get-go. Don’t be expecting minimalist jungle or Ibiza-style foam parties, but if you like to cut a little rug to tunes from the 80s and 90s, this joint should do just fine. The main draw here is the band, Citybeat (TuesSun, 10pm-2am). They know how to get a party going with their tried and tested repertoire of funked-up pop classics. DJ 90 provides the soundtrack for the daily buy-one-get-one-free Happy Hour (6-9:30pm), and takes centre stage on Monday evenings. Thursday is Ladies Night and Sunday’s Latin. There’s also a nifty new smoking lounge adjoining the venue.

โรงแรมคอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

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

เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ.10

bangkok 101

THE TUNNEL (mapC3) Lang Suan soi 5 | BTS Chit Lom | 087594-0641| Tue-Sun 10pm - till late After a long hiatus, our after-hours venue of choice is back, once again causing taxis to clog up Lang Suan until the wee hours. Flash your I.D. at the harmless hulks on the door to enter a crypt-style hangout that’s filled with a veritable who’s who of the social scene. There’s ample dancing space and a DJ pod in the middle of the dance floor. A sweet sound system and switched on 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. Turn up around 1am and you may get to dance until 4:30-5am.

เดอะทันแนล หลังสวน ซ.5

808 (map D3) RCA, block C | 02-203-1043 | MRT Pra ram 9 | www.808bangkok.com | 9am-late This slick nightclub – all imposing red lighting, exposed brick and steelcladding – has been a hit with clubbers ever since it landed on RCA in 2007. The reason: the consistently worldclass line-up. Grandmaster Flash, James Lavelle and Derrick May to name but a few global DJ giants, have all rocked this post-industrial warehouse, aided in no small part by the ear-drum/body/ table rattling sound-system (watch that drink dance!). Head up to the balcony for a comfy leather perch, or gyrate with the diehards on the dancefloor. Entrance prices vary depending on who is gracing the decks that night.

เอท โอ เอท อาร์ซีเอ บลอกซี nightlife

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

แมมโบ ถ.พระราม3

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

คาลิปโซ่ รร.เอเชีย ถ. พญาไท

Nightlife

bars with a view

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

Red Sky

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

รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ. เจริญนคร

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

รร.เซ็นทารา แกรนด์ เซ็นทรัล เวิลด์ nightlife

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

อาคารคอลัมน์ สุขุมวิท ซ.16

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

สเตททาวเวอร์ ถ. สีลม

bangkok 101

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

รร. โซฟิเทลสีลม ถ. สีลม

MOON BAR (map C4) 61F Banyan Tree Hotel | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com | 5pm-1am As the name suggests, this is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar is a romantic hideaway. With stunning 360˚ views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescopes and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys feel right at home here, too. Stay until the wee hours, nibble on sophisticated snacks, take in the light jazz – and never ever forget your camera.

รร. บันยันทรี ถ. สาทร

bangkok 101

Amorosa

THE ROOF TOP (map C3) 83F Baiyoke Sky Hotel | 222 Rajaprarop Rd | 02-656-3000 | www.baiyokehotel.com | 10am – 1:30am | B200 Perched above it all, the view is the best and seemingly only draw at this ageing 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 tuttifrutti coloured walls. Passable cocktails and the loungy live cover band won’t distract you from what really makes this place really wor th visiting: the sprawling metropolis below. For fullscreen 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.

รร.ใบหยกสกาย ถ.ราชปรารภ

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

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช

nightlife

Nightlife

hotel bars

bar snacks created by a Belgian two-star Michelin chef. In all fairness, calling this premium fare “bar snacks” is doing it a disservice: it’s finger food designed to be shared – sushi, sashimi, tapas and “wapas” (world tapas) – although not finger food as you know it. Ladies get a free standard drink on Wednesdays and the chance to win a bottle of Baileys.

Bamboo Chic

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

for a blast of cognitive dissonance on arrival… Patpong, the neon sleazepit cum night market, is Bamboo Chic’s unscrupulous neighbour.

รร.เลอ เมอริเดียน กรุงเทพ ถ.สุรวงศ์

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; inhouse DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s, 80s and world music. An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated

nightlife

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

Zuk Bar (map C4) The Sukhothai, South Sathorn Rd | MRT Lumpini | 02-344-8888 | MonSat 5pm-1am, Sun noon- midnight Guests and clued-up city enjoy zesty cocktails, creative canapés and an air of ultra-sophisticated tranquillity at this classy hotel bar. Drinks are on a par with the rooftop bars (in price and panache), but here you’re paying for the understated exoticism of it all: the sultry look, mood and service. The barely lit interior, with its dim nooks and raw silk couches, is perfect for heart-to-hearts.The underlit outdoors area, flanked by huge oriental jars and cooled by overhead fans, a sociable spot where a ring of plump divan sofas invite you to plant your posterior. Quietly solicitous lady staff clad in silk serve while a DJ from Tues to Sat spins soulful tunes.

รร.สุโขทัย ถ.สาทรใต้

bangkok 101

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

คาเฟ่ทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน

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 mutts who lose the scent of home in the rain, it’s the humans who forget where home is after frequenting this grungy townhouse bar, where half the pleasure is in finding it in the first place. Hidden in the shadow of an expressway, it’s a go-to for Thai indie kids and journoartsy expats looking for inexpensive booze in bohemian surrounds, especially once other bars have kicked them out. Plonk yourself in one of the living room’s scuzzy sofas and enjoy one of the left-of-centre “happenings” – be it DJ party, live band, modern art documentary or one of your mates selecting tunes off their iPod. Or head out for some pseudo-intellectual conversation in the tatty garden. The vibe swings pleasantly between raucous and chilled depending on bangkok 101

boho bars

what’s on and who rocks up. Join their Facebook group for the skinny and the much needed map.

เรนด๊อกส์ ซ.พระยาพิเรนทร์

CHEAP CHARLIE’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-12:30am This shabby open-air streetside joint is a real Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety island hole-inthe-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists inthe-know to fill up on B60 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. CC’s is the kind of place where it’s easy to fall into conversation with other patrons; whether it’s because you’re sheltering from a rain shower together or end up sharing one of the few tables. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little subsoi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.

ชีพ ชาร์ลีย์ ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก)

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

Lollipop

advantage of the beer-fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close - Raindogs is nearby, and it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom - and watch the night unfold.

วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี

LOLLIPOP (map A3) 1 Mahannop Soi 1, Mahannop Road, Pra Nakorn | 08-6339-1390 | Tue-Sun 5pm-1am This old wooden house in indie town Phranakorn – formerly rockpub Lullibar – looks like it has been ripped from a Tim Burton fantasy. Lime green walls, fiery red couches, old cameras and hippie bead curtains are only some of the whimsical new touches old fans welcome. The house bands now have a performing area where they can strum away without knocking drinks off the tables. And the previously neglected parts, namely the patio and the “garden” outside, have also been renovated to accommodate the Vespa driving hipster Thais who come here, not only for the live and jukebox indie tunes but also pub grub ranging from kap klaem (beer snacks) to seafood. One bad thing: Lollipop is hidden deep within the relatively unknown Soi Mahannop. But then again, if you’re cool enough to frequent a place like Lollipop, you’re cool enough to hang with the people who can get you there.

โลลี่ป๊อป มหรรณพ ซ.1

Nightlife

jazz clubs

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

Niu’s on Silom

BAMBOO BAR (map B4) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave | 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com | Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in the city’s most fabled hotel, the 50-year-old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical film noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s nevertheless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by a superb staff. A definite big Bangkok must. รร.โอเรียนเต็ล ถ.โอเรียนเต็ล 90

ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

Niu’s on Silom (mapC4) F1-2, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 | www.niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am This New York-style wine bar – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for international guest vocalists, and trumpeter Steve Lowry and guitarist Dan Phillips, who rotate nightly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concerto Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available. นิวส์ ออน สีลม

บ้านสีลม

Bamboo Bar

nightlife

bangkok 101

Threesixty

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

bangkok 101

JAZZ GALLERY 2nd floor (beneath Gazebo Bar), 44 Chakrapong Rd, (just off Khao San Road | 02-629-5821~2 | 6:00pm1:00am The only thing “Khao San” about this standalone jazz lounge with a soft, elegant glow is its location, just off the raucous backpacker strip. Offering comfy armchairs on one side and casually riffing local jazz bands on the other, parquet floors, candlelight and discreet service, the Jazz Gallery is the most sophisticated venue to grace the area yet. And a great place to escape its moronic-music-loving masses.Think highbrow wine-bar for chardonnaysipping Coltrane-lovers. In addition to some of Thailand’s best jazz divas and ensembles, there’s a recessed art gallery, a smoking balcony (cigars available) and a wine cellar offering the best plonk in the neighbourhood. Mmmm, suave and smooth. แจ๊สแกลอรี่ ถ.จักรพงษ์

nightlife

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am Dizzying 32nd floor views across the Chao Phraya. Bangkok’s downtown flickering in front of you. Well worth crossing the river for, Threesixty is Bangkok’s most jaw-dropping jazz venue. Since August its dressy crowd has been soaking up that cameragrabbing panoramic alongside the sounds of new South Carolinian resident LaDee Streeter. Her sultry renditions – spanning jazz to bossa nova to RnB – make this glassed in, flying saucer-like construction seem gorgeously moody. And the wan blue lounge lights, soft couches and smooth cocktails help. Requests are welcomed. รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน

ถ.เจริญนคร

Jazz Gallery

Nightlife

live music 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.

บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ. สารสิน

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

ไทเทเนียม ไอซ์บาร์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 22

Raintree Pub (map C3) 116/63-34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 022457230, 081-926-1604 | www.raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age 92

The Rock Pub

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 nightly: a long-haired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, soul-stirring.

ร้านจามจุรี ซ.รางน้ำ อนุสาวรีย์

AD HERE THE 13TH (map A2) 13 Samsen Rd, Bang Lamphu | 089769-4613 | 5pm-midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except for the Chang beer. Nor th of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), the down-to-ear th, 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 nightlife

the Thai-style whiskey-soda-ice thing, along with some super-cheap booze munchies. An insider’s must.

แอดเฮีย 13 ถ. สามเสน บางลำภู

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

บริค บาร์ ถ. ข้าวสาร

“O

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

เดอะ ร๊อคผับ ถ.พญาไท

bangkok 101

Pl re

Fo at

Niu’s on Silom Presents

The Ari Hoenig Quartet featuring Gilad Hekselman, Orlando Le Fleming, and Jamie Oehlers

November 4th-5th Showtime 9:30pm At Baan Silom Arcade between Silom soi 17 & 19 Ari Hoenig has put together a top-notch international group to bring his musical ideas to life, including young Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman, Britain’s Orlando Le Fleming on bass, and 2007 Australian Jazz Musician of the Year Jamie Oehlers on saxophone.

Ari Hoenig

“One of the most promising jazz percussionists of his generation, Ari Hoenig is worth watching.” – All Music Guide

Gilad Hekselman

Jamie Oehlers

Orlando le Fleming

Ticket price 2,500 Baht incld. one drink! Ticket price 3,500 Baht incld. dinner at NIU’S CONCERTO! Please call 02-266-5333, or email us at reservation@niusonsilom.com For more information, please visit our website at www.niusonsilom.com st

Niu’s 1 International Bangkok Jazz Festival th

11 and 12 of December at Niu’s Jazz, Blues & Soul Club 8 Great International Bands — An event you don’t want to miss! Tickets available NOW at Thaiticketmajor.com or call 02-262-3456

Nightlife

nightlife areas

Hemlock

11 10

PHra athit rd

Police Station

8 7

Khao San Road

The streets around Khao San Road – that famed budget travellers’ mecca – are buzzing with a frenetic mix of dek naew (trendy teens) and bronzed backpackers. Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge complex, Brick Bar [1] is a red brick cavern where young locals bounce along to excellent live ska. A few doors down, Lava Bar [2] is a dark hip-hop dungeon, while Sunset Street [3] is an architecturally interesting conglomerate of bars, but mostly attracts sweaty backpackers. Down the alley opposite, Zest [4] focuses on live Brit Rock, while Hippie De Bar [5], tucked down another alley, is a retro-cool cocktail house. More full-on, The Club [6] is a techno-rave palace offering free UV glowsticks and a huge dancefloor. Just off the strip, Gazebo [7] is an opensided rooftop featuring live reggae, hubbly-bubblies and DJs till the wee hours. For a more laid-back, cool evening, head to nearby Phra Athit Road, lined with trendy hole-in-the-wall bars, cafés and restaurants. Often compared with NYC’s Greenwich Village, it’s a favourite for young Thais going “beat” and the odd expat. Stop for a cheap caffeine intake at Coffee & More [8] in a beautifully restored colonial mansion. Elegant Hemlock [9] is invaded nightly by artsy folk, drawn to the eclectic Thai food at 1 6 3 2 rock-bottom prices. Minimalist but friendly Joy Luck Club Burger kHao sanroad rd Khao San [10] deserves a mention. For outstanding seafood and King 5 4 absolutely no flair, check out Thon Po [11]. 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.

Ekkamai/Thonglor

Funky Villa

new phetchaburi rd

Soi 20

Thong Lor Soi 10

Soi 16

Ekkamai Soi 28

BTS Ekkamai

Ekkamai Soi 10

Soi 1

Sukhumvit RD

Soi 21

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

nightlife

bangkok 101

ROYAL City Avenue (RCA)

road

AL LO C

road

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

RCA road

1 2

4 5

Sukhumvit Soi 11

On the global nightlife radar Bangkok now registers a strong, steady bleep. And this buzzing soi – with its cosmopolitan collective of hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs tucked off steamy Sukhumvit Road – is one of the reasons. Go here tonight and you’ll rub shoulder straps with fashionable expats, slinky Singaporeans and the odd urbane local, among many other breeds of clubber. Would they all be here if it weren’t for Q Bar [1]? Unlikely. This beat lounge was the first to bring international design, DJs and drinks to the club scene – and, against the odds, 9 years later it still is. Just around the corner is the other Soi 11 superstar, Bed Supperclub [2]; a curvaceous club-cum-restaurant delivering spacey looks, soft white divans and Ibiza-esque beats. Many just rock up at one of these, ID card in hand, at around 11pm. Better, though, to make a night of it and start out early evening. Kick off with bargain al fresco beers at Cheap Charlies [3], a countrified bar only a tad bigger than a broom cupboard. Nest 1 [4], a breezy rooftop bar atop the sleek Le Fenix hotel, is a more upscale 4 5 option offering 2 Bed Supperclub laid-back, bird-nest seating and music that matches (think Sade’s Smooth Operator). Not quite the racy, subterranean Bangkok you were after? For something more risqué 3 check out new neighbour Diva [5]. Inside, caged coyotedancers pull off raw, hi-energy dance moves in what they enticingly call: “A femme fatale of a nightclub.” Think Moulin Rouge meets the Pussycat Dolls add throbbing house beats and you’re close. Soi 11

Q Bar

SUKHUMVIT road

bangkok 101

nightlife

Nightlife

pub crawling 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. Each month Bangkok 101 gives you the low-down on one of the top taverns around town.

HOUSE OF BEERS

If you fancy something that suits your palate a little more than limited selection of Thai beers, there are ubiquitous, crowded “British” theme pubs or one of several sprawling German beer gardens around town. But the most varied and numerous quality beers in the world are brewed in Belgium – and it’s been that way since Belgian monasteries started doing so in the Middle Ages. With that in mind, it’s about high time someone brought some of the action to Bangkok. So, big cheers to House of Beers, in the Where Corner of Soi 16, corner of Penny’s Balcony on Thong Thong Lo (Sukhumvit 55), Lo, which offers 22 imported Belgian 02-392-3513, www.hobsbkk. beers, form pale ales to esoteric, doubly com BTS Thonglor Open fermented specials, plus fruit beers and 11am - midnight mass-market brawlers. The liquid refreshment also comes augmented by Belgian fries and Tapas-style bar snacks, like steamed mussels in various sauces. It’s all served up a Euro-style café, which although petite, is decorated with woods and warm colours. This is more of an intimate-head-to-head place than a-yell-across-the-table joint; a refreshing change for Bangkok’s legions of drinkers.

เฮาส์ออฟเบียร์ หัวมุมซ.ทองหล่อ 16

Cigar Lounges

Cigar lounges are slowly catching on in Bangkok, with a handful of venues now providing outstanding facilities for lovers of quality coronas and fine figurados. As well as cigars from Cuba, Ecuador and beyond, the P&L Club lounges typically feature luxurious leather sofas, rich wood accents, discreet staff and stellar selections of wine and single malt whisky. Some, like Club Perdomo, operate on a members-only basis, with membership granting access to their worldwide network of lounges. Others, like the Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar at the InterContinental hotel, are open to guests and the general public. The members-only Pacific Cigar Company opened its first lounge, La Casa del Habano, at The Oriental hotel in 1997, and now operates another four venues in Bangkok, as well as one in Pattaya. One of PCC’s more interesting venues is the P&L Club which incorporates a traditional barber shop and what is billed as Thailand’s largest collection of single barrel malt whiskies. 96

nightlife

n Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar

Lobby level, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Road | 8am-1am | 02-656-0444 n Club Perdomo Bangkok 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 | www.clubperdomobangkok. com | 6pm-midnight n La Casa del Habano The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue | 02-267-1596 | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm, Sun and public holidays: noon-6pm | www.pacificcigar.com n P&L Club GF Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 10am-11pm, Sun: noon-6pm | 02-685-3898

Balcony Humidor

Club Perdomo

bangkok 101

Pubs 101

Silom AREA PUBS

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

BTS Surasak sathorn road

Thaniya

patpong

Convent road

Surasak road

silom road

2 1 BTS Sala Daeng

Silom area

Sukhumvit AREA PUBS

bangkok 101

soi 39

sukhumviT road

BTS Asoke

soi 22

soi 12

BTS Nana

soi 6

soi 4

sukhumviT road

soi 35

soi 11

soi 13

soi 33

soi 33/1

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

BTS Phrom Phong

nightlife

Shopping

shopper scene Silk/apparel Thai silk only started getting international attention quite recently, but quickly became renowned for its thickness and lustrous sheen. Jim Thompson is the legendary American silk revivalist who – with the help of a small community of weavers – pioneered the modern industry. Since then the brand has branched out from ties and cushions into a fully-fledged fashion label that even dabbles in Zen furniture design, as you’ll see if you visit one of their many sleek stores. LP Silk and Shinawong are two exporting wholesalers who can be trusted to fix you up with the whole nine yards (or more). n Jim Thompson Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Jim Thompson House Museum; Surawong Rd | www.jimthompson.com n LP Thai Silk Silom Village Trade Centre, 286 Silom Road | 02-234-4448 | www.lpthaisilk.com n Shinawong No C500 , C501 Ayudthaya Soi 8 Suan Lum; No27, 6F MBK Centre| www.shinawong.com

As clichés go, “shop till you drop” could have been written after a demanding spending spree in Bangkok’s sweltering heat. And while we’re dispensing mindless platitudes: there’s something for everyone in this town, however peculiar your peccadilloes may be. For locals, conspicuous consumption in one of the myriad swish mega-malls is the name of the face-gaining game, while foreigners often prefer to dig for buried treasure at the bustling street markets. Whatever your angle, stamina is a must, especially when it comes to pressing sticky flesh with the perspiring masses at the sweltering citysized 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. Handicrafts Beyond triangular pillows and woven shoulder bags, there are hordes of native trinkets up for grabs, with stiff competition keeping prices down. The main markets all bristle with goodies made from bamboo, coconut, rattan, wicker, wood and water hyacinth. As does Narayanaphand, an indoor bazaar offering ceramics, hand stitched fabrics and artisan goods; Silom Village; and the 6th floor of mazy MBK. The monthly, OTOP-approved ThaiCraft Fair is a place to pick up that bulrush basket for less (while ensuring its maker also gets a fair price). For Celadon and Benjarong ceramics (a form of Thai porcelain originally made for royalty), try one of Siam Ceramic Handmade’s showrooms.

Fair Third floor, Ambassador Hotel’s Tower Wing, Sukhumvit Rd Soi 11 | www.thaicraft.org n Narayanaphand InterContinental Hotel GF, 973 Ploenchit Road | BTS Chidlom | 02-656-0173-4 n Siam Ceramic Handmade Room 325-326, River City Shopping Complex F3; 202 Sukhumvit Soi 10 | www.thaibenjarong.com Jewellery/gems Some of the world’s best lapidaries are based here, stocking cut and uncut domestic and regionallymined precious stones. The best local jewellers can also turn wondrous tricks with gold, silver and platinum. Assuming, that is, you can find them – the city is, sadly, alive with shysters out to lure you away from legit dealers and into an intricate gem scam. There are a few diamonds in the rough, though. Duty Free – Duress Free Much more civilized than sprinting through the long corridors of Suvarnabhumi is a visit to King Power. At this glassy, space-port like complex on Soi Rang Nam (BTS Victory Monument, then catch a free tuk-tuk from Century Plaza), you can do your duty-free shopping at your own pace, days (instead of minutes) before your plane takes off. Peruse products such as cosmetics, clothes, computers and more – all at tax-free prices. Find what you want, order it and it will be waiting for you at the airport on your way out. Just be sure to bring your air ticket and passport. www.kingpower.com

THANN

n ThaiCraft

shopping

bangkok 101

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

Lambert Industries, with their friendly and reliable service, has been coming up with the goods for 35 years. n Lambert Industries (807-809 Silom Shanghai Bldg 4F, Silom Rd Soi 17, 02-236-4343). Fashion Spotted the local trendies yet? Then you’ll be wondering where it is they get their cool indigenous fashions. Several malls and markets around town act as little fashion hatcheries, giving you the chance to snap up dazzling pieces by local up-and-comers. Section 3 of Chatuchak, for starters, is jammed with fecund fashions. Here, amidst piles of vintage and aisles packed with kids who know how it wear it, you’ll find next season’s trends. Suan Lum and Siam Square are also spotted with dainty designer boutiques; while youth-orientated shopping mall Siam Centre and Gaysorn offer homespun high fashions by labels like Jaspal and Greyhound. Antiques Thai, Burmese and Cambodian antiques are among Asia’s finest – but all that glitters ain’t gold, so you’ll often be hard-pressed to find the real deal among the look-alikes. Unless, that is, you’re willing to shell out, in which case you’ll love the River City Complex, the sprawling, mother-of-allantique centres (p.102). Auctions are on the first Saturday of each month with viewings the preceding week. bangkok 101

Alternatives include period antique centre OP Place (p.102); Amantee, a gorgeous Thai house offering Oriental and Tibetan antiques on Bangkok’s outskirts; and L’Arcadia. And who can say what treasures the dustier straits of Chatuchak and Chinatown hold in store for the determined? n Amantee 131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi, 10210 | 02-982-8694-5 | www.amantee.com n L’Arcadia 12/2 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 23 | 02-259-9595 Aromatherapy & Spa One of Bangkok’s more fitting titles is “Spa Capital of Asia”. The following slick local product lines should get you fragrant, gooey and purring with pleasure in next to no time. Panpuri offers Asian-inspired sensory purification – pricy but wonderful combinations of holistic spa-inspired treatments and products. Worldly mixtures for washing, moisturising, cleansing and relaxing can be found at Thann; while Karmakamet specialise in long-lasting lotions, gels, Anyadharu

shopping

incense and candles that create the perfect bridge between scent and soul. Finally, Anyadharu offers health-imbuing natural oils, bath body gels and perfumes that are designed to give you much more than just a whiff of indulgence. n Anyadharu Chatuchak (Section 3); Isetan (MBK F4) | www.anyadharu.com n Karmakamet CentralWorld F2; Chatuchak Market, Section 2, Soi 3 | www.karmakamet.co.th n Panpuri Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Central Chidlom F4; Gaysorn F7 | www.panpuri.com n ThanN Central Chidlom F4; Central Ladprao F5; Isetan Plaza (CentralWorld) F5; Siam Discovery Centre F5; Emporium F4 | www.thann.info OTOP: One Tambon One Product One of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s more laudable legacies is his instigation of OTOP, a government initiative that markets handicrafts made in one of Thailand’s 7,000 tambons (subdistricts). These quality gifts, snacks, handicrafts, toys, gems, textiles and jewellery, can be purchased at fairs at the city’s exhibition halls, Narayanaphand and the monthly ThaiCraft Fair. By choosing OTOP products you’ll be helping preserve local crafts and ensure that the villager who made them can earn a fair living. 99

Shopping

UNIQUE boutique

SuperrZaaap

Up a staircase on Siam Square Soi 2 sits Superrzaaap: a portal back to the neon legwarmer-loving 1980s/colourful clothes shop. Aside from being strewn with old-school ghetto blasters, Atari consoles and hip-hop records, it’s also the best place in town to pick up funky nu-rave club clobber. Sift through their clothing racks and you’ll find electronic dance music affiliated clothes brands like Dim Mak and Ed Banger, imported from the US and Europe. And also, more intriguingly, their own cheaper, limited WHERE 2/F, 226/1 Siam edition range of loud, neon-tinged clothes and Square Soi 2, Rama I Rd accessories. Clearly in thrall to American streetBTS Siam, www .superrzaaap.com culture, these may not be at the vanguard of OPEN 12:30pm – 8pm Thai fashion, or push any distinct Asian aesthetic. But they certainly will make you stand out the next time you’re out on the tiles at hipster nightclubs like 808 or Club Culture. Picture oversized tees emblazoned with b-boy graphics, his and her Superzaaap jackets straight out of a Bratpack teen movie, caps with smiley faces, and day-glo Ferris Bueller shades. And, because nu-rave is a way of life, not just a wardrobe, they also sell the full complement of retro and nu-school electronica: everything from Yellow Magic Orchestra to Daft Punk and banging Steve Aoki CDs.

สยามสแควร์ ซ.2

Shopping Tips

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

n Bargaining: This is a way of life when shopping on the streets in Bangkok. The key is not to act too interested. They know you can find it further down the street, and if they want to make the sale they’d better be prepared to drop their price. If they ask B500, offer B350. You might get it for B380-400. Don’t be shy: it’s expected. Most importantly when haggling over price: keep a smile on your face and a cool head. n Keep it Real: As elsewhere in Asia, counterfeit goods abound in Bangkok. From the latest DVDs to luxury brand clothes, watches, handbags and fragrances, it’s all here – at a fraction of the price. But, tempting though it may be, remember that the quality never matches the original and you’ll struggle to get refunds. Perhaps scarier, you risk getting busted at customs back home; and by purchasing fake goods you inadvertently sponsor organised crime. So, just keep it real.

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n VAT: Look out for signs advertising “VAT Refund or Tourists”. At these places, they should have the paperwork (ask for a PP10 form) to enable you to claim back 7% on purchases when you leave the country on an international flight. The deal is you have to spend at least B2,000 at the same store on any given day, and you can only claim back on totals of B5,000 or over. It’s worth doing if you have a department store blitz, or fancy splashing out on electronics, jewellery or other expensive goods. Have your passpor t and tickets with you when you buy, and prepare to have your purchases, PP10 forms and receipts inspected when you claim back at the airpor t VAT refund counter. Be aware: if you are making big purchases and not paying VAT, you aren’t guaranteed quality products. For more info, check out www.rd.go.th

bangkok 101

DREAM WEAVER:

ML Pawinee Santisiri of Ayodhya

bangkok design Brian Mertens

Water hyacinth, a floating aquatic weed that clogs Thailand’s canals and rivers, becomes a thing of beauty in the hands of interior designer ML Pawinee Santisiri. Her brand Ayodhya is acclaimed for distinctive vases, mats and other accessories woven from the plant’s sundried stems. Among ML Pawinee’s classics are large vessels standing more than one and a half metres tall, in shapes recalling ancient Asian ceramics. Her work has been especially well received in Japan, where it has won awards and been exhibited at Tokyo’s Hara Museum. Decorators rely on Ayodhya designs to warm up modern interiors cooled by stone, steel and glass, thanks to this plant fibre’s appealing colour, texture and fragrance. To fully exploit the design potential of water hyacinth, previously used only in simple crafts, ML Pawinee mastered the art of woven construction. She developed a dozen weaving, braiding and other methods, each with a different look and range of applications. Sometimes she interweaves the fibre with materials like jute, leather and beads. ML Pawinee is driven to innovate by the need to create two new collections each year that take advantage of the specific handicraft skills of her firm’s more than 100 artisans, primarily using water hyacinth. Because she is committed to sustaining this village-size collective, she would never consider mechanical production, outsourcing or a shift toward the mass market. “I feel bound to this material so I keep finding new ways to use it, to take it as far as it will go,” ML Pawinee says. Available at: n AYODHYA 3-06, 3F Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Road | 02-656-1089 n PANTA 989 No.411-2, 4F Siam Discovery Center, Rama1 Road | 02-658-0415 Bangkok Design:Thai Ideas in Textiles and Furniture is the first book to explore Asia’s new wave in design creativity. Award-winning author Brian Mertens profiles 36 of Thailand’s top designers, showing how they translate their own culture and experiences into unique furnishings that have won international awards and museum exhibitions. Typically handcrafted of natural materials, the best contemporary Thai designs celebrate wit, warmth, sustainability and alluring form. Bangkok Design – Marshall Cavendish | B1,200 | hardcover, with photos by Robert McLeod bangkok 101

shopping

101

Shopping

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

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

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

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE

BTS National Stadium

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

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

BTS Siam Elevated rama 1 rdWalkway

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

4 5 6

oen k char

ong s u r aw

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

shopping

rd.

r aya

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102

To Emporium shopping mall, get off at BTS Phrom Phong

rive

BTS Ploen Chit

yr a

S i ph

o ph cha

WITTHAYU rd

CENTRAL C H IT LOM BTS Chit Lom Seven floors of clothes, shoes and accessories from all the major labels, plus some eye-catching Thai designers. Food Loft is Bangkok’s deluxe food court.

phetburi rd

ploenchit rd

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

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

chidlom

lang suan rd

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

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

Ratchadamri rd

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

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

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

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

Phaya Thai rd

uri rd

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

ph e tb

Phaya Thai rd

s ilo

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Shopping

markets

the standardised mix of crafts, textiles and knick-knacks offered at inflated prices. Don’t take that as reason not to come, because wandering round “Suan Lum” makes for a pleasant early evening stroll, before moving on to the nearby entertainment zones. In fact, endeavour to visit while you can: Lumpini Night Market’s days are numbered, after the powers-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.

สวนลุมไนท์บาร์ซาร์

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

CHATUCHAK (map D1) Forget designer malls. JJ weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere – the rest can get lost – literally. 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). 104

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 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 shopping

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

ปากคลองตลาด

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

เทเวศน์

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

นครเกษม

bangkok 101

Sidewalks are where it’s at for cheap presents to take back home. Oddities unfound in other lands, funny T-shirts, wooden carvings, paintings and much more crowd the side streets of the city. Most of the stuff on offer can be picked up in the malls and markets – but where’s the fun in that? And why pay more? Bargain! Khao San Road Along every budget traveller’s favourite sidewalk, stallholders do a sterling trade in “novelty” T-shirts and cigarette papers, not to mention phoney degree certificates, driving licenses and press passes. And yes, if you must, you can still get your tiedye and fisherman’s pants, your hair dreadlocked, or eat B20 noodles from a polystyrene plate. However, these days post-millennial Khao San has been gentrified into somewhere bearing scant resemblance to its humble past as a tropical haven for wandering hippies. And you’ll find no better proof than night times here, when whole mounds, suitcases and racks of young-at-heart stuff (frayed t-shirts, handbags, polka dot dresses etc) are dragged down and splayed on the street for sale by the city’s baby-faced entrepreneurs. Silom Road/Patpong Both sides of Silom Road, just off Sala Daeng BTS station, offer day and night time shopping, but it really gets going between 6pm and 2am,

when stalls set up here and along the notorious strip of sleazy gogo bars known as Patpong. This is a bizarre but uniquely ripe set-up that sees vendors plying busy nightly trade on the doorsteps of the bars concurrently plying an open trade in flesh; and young families rubbing shoulders with a motley crew of pimps, johns and scantily clad strippers. Among the illicit booty of pirated DVDs and designer knockoffs, the market actually does offer some decent local crafts, t-shirts and souvenirs – although, with prices naturally tilted towards the tourist end of the scale, robust bargaining skills are essential here. Sukhumvit Road The choices start around Soi 4 near BTS Nana station, on both sides of the major thoroughfare, and stretch nearly to Soi 20. In amidst the streetfood shacks and fortune tellers, you’ll find its mostly bogus tat all the way – polyester football shirts, DVDs, blown-up prints of long-tail boats moored on idyllic southern

sidewalks beaches. Although, right past Soi 6 is a group of deaf merchants who are always eager to find you something nice to remember beloved Thailand by. Velvet oil painting anyone? Pratunam A ten-minute walk from CentralWorld, this sidewalk is famed for its bulk clothing deals. Loaded with knock-offs, and crowded with tourists shopping for all things casual, you’ll find textiles, fabrics, fancy dress (Catwoman mask ensemble anyone?) and great jeans at affordable prices (never pay more than B600!). Spreading out from the base of the looming Baiyoke Sky Hotel, it attracts a multinational mix of fasttalking traders, all on the make, and continues around the intense indoor fashion market, Platinum Fashion Mall, where everything is available at discounted rates for bulk orders. Buy three or more and save yourself anywhere from B150-300 per item.

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bangkok 101

shopping

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Accommodation

boutique bangkok

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

BAAN DINSO (map A-B3) 113 Soi Silp, Dinso Rd | 02-622-0560-3 | www.baandinso. com | Deluxe B2,000, Suite B1,412 Single B942 net (incl. ABF) Stay around Khao San Road and you may well encounter a sour-faced receptionist and grotty rooms. Mercifully, though, there is Baan Dinso to restore your faith in the area’s hostelries: a quiet, immaculately restored, late 1920’s townhouse with 9 spotless rooms, and more charm in its original copper doorknobs than most manage full-stop. It’s painted in creamy white and beige, tucked down a shophouse-lined soi in the heart of the august Old City. Walls are of teak, as are the lacquered, slightly creaky floors. All rooms come with snuggly taut beds, Laura Ashley-esque curtains and contemporary frills (cable TV, air-con, fridge). Only the five double rooms have bathrooms but the communal washing areas are squeaky clean. Khun Puttima is to thanks for all this. She’s the gracious, hands-on proprietor who has even been known to take guests on impromptu tuk-tuk tours passed the glittering Grand Palace. Her people skills seem to have also rubbed off on the young staff, who are inordinately helpful and deliver your breakfast in a wicker basket before, later, waving you off from the raised porch. This, it transpires, is the only real disappointment at Baan Dinso, the “good-bye.”

บ้านดินสอ ซ.ศิลป์ ถ.ดินสอ

The Key Bangkok (map D3) 19-19/1-3 Sukhumvit soi 19 | 02-255-5825-9 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | www.thekeybangkok.com | PRICE Gold Key B2,400 / Platinum Key B2,600 / Master Key B3,500 (incl. breakfast) Sukhumvit Soi 19 is a neighbourhood popular with East Asian visitors and residents, and this hotel is no exception. The Key is surprisingly good value, especially for long-term stays, and seems geared towards businessmen on long contracts or tourists on a bit of a budget. A good choice for those who value convenience and economical comfort over frills and atmosphere. The neighbourhood may be noisier and more colourful than restful, but the convenient location – very close to the subway and Skytrain – can’t be beat. Rooms are utilitarian rather than luxurious, but tidy nonetheless. The Master Key suites, for example, are very spacious, with a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, eat-in area, kitchen cutlery, and two TV-DVD systems, one in the living room and one in the spacious bedroom. Bathrooms tend towards Tokyo sizes – squeeze past that sink! – so don’t expect a Jacuzzi, and window views are less than scenic considering the cramped quarters on this street. The Key also offers free wifi for laptop addicts, and a plethora of interesting eateries just down the street – try the three-story Japanese restaurant next to the Family Mart for a raucously beery look at the way salarymen wind down after a long day of work.

รร.เดอะคีย์ แบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.19

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

body & beauty

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

Thai-massage

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

Urban Retreat Spa – 31/10 Sukhumvit Soi 35 signature treatment / BTS Phrom Phong / 02-204-2008-9 / www.

urbanretreatspa.net <http://www.urbanre-

Nuance Facial &treatspa.net> Body/ 10am-10pm / $ 30-minute Himalayan Crystal pink Salts with Yogurt and Honey Scrub + 60-minute MacCombination at Coran adamia Oil Massage: 1200 baht n aa side backstreet behind Sukhumvit Soi 11 and 13 sits this spa-in-aBangkok Tucked away in street close to Phrom

Phong, Urban Retreat is preciselyIt’s that a for the stressed city survivalist – a white-townhouse. a –tonic quiet spot close to the bustle of Sukhumvit driveway up a lush garden; a cool, and the upscale Emporium shopping mall. uncluttered, fragrant lobby; 6 bohemian with wood floors; alongand with sumptuous packages offering atypical This new,rooms small spa is popular with Thais long-termtreatments foreign residents drawn (abyMorroccan very like Hamman treatment using black olive soap) good services that don’t suffer for being afand Thalassotherapy (the application of seawater, seaweed and other fordable. Spa menu is trim and tidy, with a focus on massage, although scrubs facials treatment making use of the latter is ocean derivatives). Oneand sumptuous are also available. Urban Retreat offers very 3 hour facial and body combo, the “Nuance”, which starts off with a crystal well-priced seasonal promotions -- we tried

salt and seaweed bodyscrub. After showering this coarse exfoliant off an hour long body massage follows, with an active thalasso cream infused with marine minerals applied instead of the usual aromatherapy oil. It’s as sensuous a treatment as it is a skin-beautifying one, your therapist drawing out clumps of tension as she goes. After this a tender facial treatment includes a deep cleansing, scrub, face mask and the application of a cool, velvety UV moisturizer. Gentle body compresses with warm towels, to remove excess thalasso cream, conclude the treatment. You leave the Where 27/1-2, Soi 13 building with soft, radiant skin and a Sukhumvit Road BTS sense that you’ve just woken up from Nana Open 11am - 10pm a rather lovely, lucid dream. Price B4,200/150 mins

โครันสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.13

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health & wellness

bangkok 101

typical SPA cost range

Flore Pleno

spas

$ under B600 $$ B600 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000-2,000 $$$$ B2,000+ Credit cards accepted unless otherwise noted ZENSE OF JOY (map C4) G Level, Liberty Square Building, Silom Rd. | BTS Saladaeng | 02-631-2200 | www.zenseofjoy.com | Mon – Sat 9am – 11pm, Sun&Public Holiday 9am – 10pm | $$$$You won’t find any mystical mumbo jumbo or mortar and pestle grinding at Zense of Joy. It’s cutting-edge all the way at this zen-sational spa for hi-sos, from the slick white minimalist, mall-like décor down to the top-notch treatments using Europe’s finest spa products. Think NARL slim fasts, a slimming treatment using radio frequencies to scare off cellulite, and facial treatments using caviar or collagen. Shrewdly, given it’s location beneath California Wow, a gym popular with mirrorloving metrosexuals, they also offer facials, body therapies and waxing for guys. Quietly gracious (or is it shy? – we weren’t quite sure) staff deliver expensive treatments (our collagen facial for men cost B6,500) in spick, innocuous rooms. And, as long as you’re not looking for a Thai massage with all the soulful trimmings, you won’t leave disappointed.

อาคารลิเบอร์ตี้สแควร์ ถ.สีลม

Zense of Joy

bangkok 101

Centella Day Spa (map D4) Fenix Tower, 2nd Fl, Sukhumvit 31 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-2621 | www.centellaspa.com | Wed-Mon 12am-9pm | $$ With a Latin name and post-Victorian décor, Flore Pleno stands out in a city overflowing with high-end spas. Bright, airy ambiance and sophisticated branding aside, several unique treatments make Flore Pleno worth a visit. The first is the availability of skin care products from the Californiabased Pevonia Botanica. It’s easy to poke fun at celebrity endorsed regimens containing things like herbal botox and caviar “from the highest quality sturgeon in the Caspian Sea,” but once this stuff is on your face your inner critic will be quickly silenced. Flore Pleno’s own line of spa treatments includes the Tropical Wine Spa Delight body package, which includes a massage, an exfoliating scrub, body wrap with real grapes and a hot bath spiked with an entire carafe of red wine (B 3000, 120 minutes). One caveat: Flore Pleno is located on the third floor of a shopping mall and lacks an in-spa toilet, so be sure to pee before you start!

อาคารฟีนิกซ์ทาวเวอร์ สุขุมวิท 31 health & wellness

PANARUN SPA (map C3) 68/4 Phloenchit Rd, across from Soi Lang Suan 3 | 02-652-1200-1 | 10am10pm | $$ Set in a Lang Suan townhouse, Panarun has a comfy feel, despite its posh locale. Services are similarly informal – towels may be whisked away with little ceremony, but massages are satisfyingly brawny and skin treatments leave behind a smooth glow even if the scrubs are not especially thorough. With its more casual approach, Panarun is not the place for luxe, ladylike pampering, perhaps, but packages are reasonably priced, making the space popular with nearby embassy workers and neighborhood residents on the weekends. Spacious couple rooms predominate; some have Japanese soaking tubs set just outside on the balconies. Clarify package offerings before you spring for one – the descriptions are creatively and charmingly worded, but perhaps not the clearest.

พานารันสปา ตรงข้ามหลังสวน ซ.3

Panarun Spa

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

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

S Medical Spa

Urban lifestyle taking its toll? Fear not for there are plenty of wellness centres around ready to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Lock it all out and feel free to throw away the key to the rest of the world as these holistic havens will pamper you to the edges of hedonistic bliss. Tria Integrative Wellness (map D3) 998 Rimklongsamsen Rd, Bangkapi | 02660-2600 | www.triaintegrativewellness. com | 7am-10pm Embrace your wellness at this urban retreat. With state-of-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.

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

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

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ไฮโดรเฮลท์ เอราวัณแบงคอก ถ.เพลินจิต

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

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 | www.rasayanaretreat.com | 9am-8pm Specialists in deep cleansing programmes and hydrotherapy colonics that leave you refreshed and reborn and also a little bit lighter. Also the Raw Food café at Rasayana is definitely worth stopping by as they promote raw fresh foods using organic fruits and vegetables to help your body stay as clean as possible.

รัสยานา รีทรีทต์ ซ. พร้อมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 39

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

อมฤต ศูนย์สขุ ภาพต้นตำรับอายุรเวท ศาสตร์ ทองหล่อ ซ.8

bangkok 101

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

bangkok 101

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

Eye Care

medical tourism Recommended hospitals n Bumrungrad International

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

FEATURED medical treatment

Sight is one of our most essential senses. Rutnin 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 your 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 soon be seeing clearly. Optometrists: n Better Vision Siam Paragon 2nd Fl. | 02-610-9645 | www.btv.co.th n Eye Lab MBK Centre 1st Fl. | 02-620-9490 Lasik Centres n TRSC International Lasik Centre 6th Floor, U Chu Liang Bldg. Rama IV Rd | 02-733-2020 | www.lasikthai.com/en/ n Rutnin-Gimbel Excimer Laser Eye Centre 80/1 Sukhumvit 21(Soi Asoke) | 02-639-3355 | www.rutningimbel.com n Bumrungrud Hospital Lasik Centre 33 Sukhumvit Soi 3 | 02-667-1555 | www.bumrungrad.com n Laser Vision Lasik Centre of Thailand 49/5 Laser Vision Building., Ratchadapisek 48 (Ratchayothin intersection) | 02-511-2111 | www.laservision.co.th health & wellness

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

Muay Thai Institute

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

ติดกับสวนลุมไนท์ บาซ่าร์

Fairtex

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

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

เวทีมวยราชดำเนิน ถ.ราชดำเนิน

TAKRAW (Kick Volleyball) Go to Lumphini Park (see p.35) on any given day and watch sweaty Thais combine the skills of volleyball, football and gymnastics. As many as two dozen men pair off to leap and dive through the air with one objective in mind: without using their hands, keep a rattan ball from hitting the ground on their net side. The diverse mix of players – tuk-tuk drivers, security guards and students – says much about the widespread Thai love of takraw, the most beautiful Asian game. Played since the 11th century, it has spread throughout the region, but nowhere is it played with as much relish as here, where it fills stadiums.The sport’s killer move, the somersault scissor kick, can send the ball hurtling back over the net at amazing speeds. Watch in awe. bangkok 101

Active Sports AEROBICS It might be hard to imagine, but every day, busy Bangkokians find the time for some energising aerobics – out in the open. Many practise graceful, meditative t’ai chi moves just after sunrise. And head to any park in the city around 5-6pm and you’ll spot large groups of office workers, kids and the elderly doing a hi-energy, Jane Fonda style workout in synch with blaring pop-techno songs and an enthusiastic coach clad in spandex. The best places for the free classes are the centrally located Lumphini Park and the smaller Benjasiri Park (next to The Emporium, Sukhumvit Rd, BTS Phrom Phong). Others, a bit off the beaten path, include Rommaninat Park (Siriphong Rd, near the Giant Swing), Saranrom Park (Thaiwang Rd) near the Grand Palace and Santiphap Park (Soi Rangnam). Never mind the possibility of fainting – simply join in! BOWLING Bowling is a favourite pastime among Thais. Most shopping malls have topof- the-line tenpin alleys on-site and many of these teeter dangerously close to being a nightclub with full bars and closing times after midnight. During after-hours, bowling alleys often have a DJ blasting thumping tunes, and they’ll often kill the lights and flood the halls with black light for a particularly psychedelic experience. Great spots to get your bowl on include trendy Blu-O at Siam Paragon and Esplanade, which also has platinum rooms for rent for your own private area and lane for your party. Also worth mentioning is the Major Bowl atop posh J-Avenue in Thong Lor, and also SF Strike Bowl in good ol’ MBK. bangkok 101

Major Bowl

CYCLING SpiceRoads 14/1-B Soi Promsi 2 | Sukhumvit 39 | 02-712-5305, 089895-5680 | www. spiceroads.com This company has been organising bicycle tours in Southeast Asia for over 12 years, and it offers extraordinary day tours in the outskirts of Bangkok. The daytrips take you to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Koh Kred and along atmospheric, rural canals in Bangkok’s undiscovered countryside (22-40kms, US$50-55). 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 tailormade 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) Ratchadaphisek Rd, Esplanade 4F | MRT Thailand Cultural Centre | 02354-2134 This isn’t a boring sterile rink, more like a nightclub on ice. Popular among youngsters, its 682m2 of fluorescent ice spor ts

lights up at night when Sub Zero morphs into an “Ice Bar” with DJs and strobe lights blasting the floor. For the novice, there are pros on hand with lessons ranging from speed skating, figure skating, ice skating and even hockey. Lessons are B900-2,400 and the complex has a fully stocked pro shop if you want brand new blades of glory. Even if you just want to have a look there are bars ringside, and of course they are made of ice! And this is Thailand so of course there’s karaoke on-site. TENNIS Lumphini Park Youth Centre (map C4) Soi Klang Racquet Club Sukhumvit Soi 49-9 (map E4) National Stadium Rama I Rd (map C3) Smash it down the line as tennis has become one of the most popular spor ts in all of Thailand, with local ace Paradorn Srichaphan bearing much of the responsibility for inducing hordes of Thais to pick up the racquet and star t practising their serves. Many of the leading hotels offer an in-house court for you but if you’d like to get out among the people, there are quite a few public cour ts around town that you can use for free or for a small fee. Also towards the end of their respective seasons Bangkok hosts two tournaments, the ATP’s Thailand Open and the WTA’s Bangkok Open. 113

Courses&Ser vices

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

Baipai

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

รร.สอนทำอาหารไทยใบพาย ถ.นนทรี

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

(รถไฟฟ้าสุรศักดิ์)

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

โรงเรียนแพทย์แผนโบราณ วัดพระเชตุพน ถ. สนามชัย

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

Wat Po

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

โมเดิร์นทาวน์ 87/104 ถ.สุขุมวิท 63

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

สำนักกองกลางวิปัสนา วัดมหาธาตุ ถ. หน้าพระลาน

bangkok 101

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

making merit

Ban Kru Noi

In the world of charitable foundations in Thailand, Kru Noi (Kru means teacher), whose full name is Nuannoi Timkul, is the equivalent of a rock star.You wouldn’t know it from looking at her. A small, middle-aged lady sporting recognizably gapped teeth, and an ever present smile, she has received considerable media attention for her endeavors. Growing up in a poor family, she understood first hand the importance of opportunities and education when you just can’t afford to pay for it. After suffering a stroke back in 1980 she was confined to her home where she would watch impoverished children playing and roaming the streets, with nowhere to go, and not much to do with their lives. Many of them were not allowed to attend school because they did not have necessary documents like house registration and birth certificates. She decided to open up her home, welcoming in these children, feeding them, teaching them to read and write, and offering guidance. Over the past decade Ban Kru Noi has been in the spotlight for its admirable work and Kru Noi’s warm personality. Since its inception, it has cared for over 800 underprivileged children, many of whom have parents who are imprisoned or have abandoned them. Through her works the government has changed its stance and allowed children to attend school without proper documentation. Today she takes care of over 70 children from 3 to 24 years old, many of whom are in school. The work never ends and Kru Noi and her staff of ten always welcome any contribution, whether it’s food, clothes, or money. Volunteers are also always welcome to drop by and help teach various subjects, whether it be English, Music, Arts, or Computer Skills to name a few. If you would like to help educate and keep these children off the streets visit the website for more details on ways to contribute. Ban Kru Noi 319 Moo 1 Soi Ratburana 26 | 02-871-3083 | www.moobankru.com/bankrunoi_Eng/e_menu1.html

บ้านครูน้อย 319 หมู่ 1 ซ.ราษฎร์บูรณะ 26

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Business

business

There’s rarely a quiet moment on the local trade fair scene. For a rundown, see www.thaitradefair.com. Or perhaps you’re considering staging your company’s big meet or team get-away here? If so, talk to the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (www.tceb.or.th). They say it’s who you know – not what you know. To get your face out there, join one of the networking events hosted by Bangkok Young Professionals (www.mobyelite.com/byp) or others. If you’re short on business cards – and you will be after a night at the aforementioned – try one of the many one-stopshops at MBK shopping mall. It’s also worth reading up on Thailand’s face-saving and, often quirky, business culture.Try Working with the Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy (White Lotus, B495). Finally, note that any foreigner working, or doing business here, must have a non-immigrant B visa and a work permit. If your company hasn’t arranged both, go to www.immigration.go.th and find out what you need. Or contact a business solutions provider like Sunbelt Asia – they’ll do all the paperwork so that you don’t have to.

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

Business spotlight

Starting Up Frequently voted one of the world’s best cities, it’s no surprise that so many look to set up shop in Bangkok. However, bear in mind that although Thailand opened it doors wide to foreign investment after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, it can still be a tricky place to establish a business. The best advice is to find local experts to help you clear the regulatory hurdles. Business solutions provider Sunbelt Asia (www.sunbeltasia.com) offers everything from upfront legal advice to business brokerage and serviced offices. Similarly, Bangkok Base (www.bangkokbase.com) is a 360° provider of business support. Chambers of commerce can also offer advice and assistance in finding partners. There are also a few books on the market. One of the best is Philip Wylie’s How to Establish a Successful Business in Thailand. In it you will find the essentials on the minutiae of business in Thailand, from negotiating baffling bureaucracy and legal peculiarities to cultural codes and social etiquette.

Millennium Hilton

The Millennium Hilton Hotel has a prime, prestige perch on Bangkok’s riverside. Those passing it cannot miss its striking, faux UFO-topped tower, while those inside it enjoy sweeping views out across the city.Though it’s not in the best spot for making downtown meetings (free shuttle boats whisk guests to the Bangkok side of the river), it’s undoubtedly a good choice for the business get-together. Swish rooms, Where 123 Charoennakorn executive lounge, upscale restaurants, gorgeously Rd., Klongsarn, 02-442-2000 moody jazz club – the Millennium Hilton has BTS Saphan Taksin Prices them all. More importantly, it has 10 state-ofB580 - B1,700++/person the-art meeting rooms, all boasting wall-to-wall windows, and thus panoramic 30th floor river views. In addition to the drama and sense of occasion these views add, each also features the gamut of cutting-edge meeting room technology, as well broadband access. Choose from two types: boardrooms for your executive, figure-crunching meeting, and multi-purpose rooms for less formal meetings or workshops. They also offer meeting planners and event organizers, and can lively up dull meetings with a quirky array of food and beverage breaks. Ice cream cone, anyone?

รร.มิลเลนเนียมฮิลตันกรุงเทพฯ คลองสาน

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101

Ideo Morph 38

bangkok 101

Another method to acquire land is through a loan/lease agreement, whereby you loan money to a Thai citizen under a contract specifying they must use it to buy a property. Your Thai business partner will then buy the property and legally own the land. Simply put, you then get your lawyer to draw up an agreement giving you – the lender – a leasehold agreement on the property. However you decide to approach the acquisition of property, be sure to shop around and proceed with caution. Research the developers’ track record, the location, the average rate of return, and the likelihood of a super-skyscraper popping up and blocking that achingly beautiful view of the Chao Phraya River. Also, be aware that tales of relationships suddenly souring once deeds are signed are all too common. The best advice is to exercise common sense and find local experts you can trust. International brokerage firm Sunbelt Asia (www.property.th.com) has plenty of listings and English-speaking consultants on hand, while Property Report magazine (www.property-report.com) will give you a good overview of the whole scene. business

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Photo courtesy of Ananda Development

Buying Property Many visitors decide they want to buy property in Bangkok: some because they fall in love with the city and all its eclectic idiosyncrasies; others because they jet in and out of the city on business and want more than a hotel room can offer. Whatever the reasons, buyers can find a wide range of accommodation at very favourable prices. From simple US$18,000 studio apartments to lavish million-dollar condos, there are options to suit most budgets. Non-Thai citizens looking to acquire property in the country will most probably be looking to purchase apartments rather than houses; as the law currently stands, foreigners are permitted to buy condos providing at least 51% of the building’s units are Thai-owned. Land (and therefore houses) is a different matter. Technically foreigners are not allowed to own land in Thailand, though if you are a foreigner married to a Thai citizen, then it is quite straightforward to draw everything up in your partner’s name.

real estate

Reference

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

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

Basics yes no I you

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greetings and civilities

Adjectives and adverbs

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

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

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

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

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

TRAIN State Railway | www.railway.co.th Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) Rama IV Rd | Call Centre 1690 reference

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Reference

getting around

angkok’s heaving traffic is legendary, presenting a constant challenge for residents and visitors to the city. River and canal boats, along with the BTS skytrain and MRT subway systems, offer some reliable alternatives to getting jammed on the road. Nonetheless, traffic remains horrendous, particularly mid-week. Below is a layman’s guide to inner-city transport options. anywhere in town for as low as B10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. It would be wise to decline any such offers. MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups by department stores, at the end of long sois or by tourist spots. As with tuk-tuks, fares definitely have to be negotiated beforehand.

BTS

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

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BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B5 and B7.50-23 Pink-white mini-buses are a little more expensive (B25 per person) but seats are guaranteed. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops). RAIL SKYTRAIN The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B15 to B40; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) is available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts. co.th

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

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