Bangkok 101 January 2013 by Talisman Media

January 2013 100 baht

Bangkok by Hand

publisher’s letter Each and every month, news of all sorts of events is sent our way, an increasing number of them concerned with our city’s cultural heritage and ways to protect it. But even we were surprised to learn of a recent workshop, staged by the Siam Society, that posited that sketches can be a form of cultural preservation. “Sketching makes you pay more attention to the detail of places… helps you memorise things better than taking pictures,” the spiel said. Intrigued, we investigated and discovered that the man leading this workshop, retired architect Asnee Tasanaruangrong, runs a sketchbook group that heads out on monthly forays around the city. This month’s art feature Bangkok by Hand is both a portfolio of his work, and a sanction for the power of the sketchbook. For us, these drawings have an evocativeness that Instagram or the latest DSLR can’t come close to matching. Head to p.52 to see them for yourself and find out more about the group. Elsewhere, we present the usual editorial smorgasboard, with a feature on the BACC’s latest, somewhat didactic Thai art survey, Siam App, appearing alongside an in-depth look at the brand new W Bangkok hotel and a review of The Okura’s finedining venue Elements. We also talk beer laws and pours with Aaron Grieser, one of the co-founders of new craft beer importers Beervana. These guys are on a mission to bring the artisanal beer revolution to town, and, thanks to some slick marketing and a lovingly curated line-up of suds, so far they’re on track, despite the many hurdles. Heading back to the gallery, we’ve also got interviews with Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich, as well as the founder of new art space 338 Oida Gallery. Meanwhile, our travel section finds us admiring gracefully aged Chantaburi town and it’s resurgent waterfront. As for our always nicely bloated dining section, reviews this month include Supanniga Dining Room, a Thonglor shophouse specialising in timehonoured regional Thai cooking; upscale “bordello meet’s burger bar” 25 Degrees; and two oldies but goodies, Italian Enoteca and al fresco rooftop dazzler Vertigo. Don’t forget that all this – plus the 101 archive and extras that didn’t make the print edition – can be found online at www.bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks is all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. Also, if there’s something we’re not covering but you feel we should be then please let us know at info@talisman-media.com.

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher

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? What is

Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in weighty, dated guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. Bangkok 101 employs the highest editorial standards, with no fluff, and no smut. Our editorial content cannot be bought. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers, and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.

Contributors

publisher

Mason Florence editor-in-chief

Dr. Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher

Parinya Krit-Hat managing editor

Max Crosbie-Jones art director

Tawan Amonratanasereegul The artist behind our Bangkok by Hand feature (see p.52), Asnee Tasnaruangrong trained as an architect at Chulalongkorn University and worked in Singapore from the mid 1970s to early 2000s. A keen traveler with a passion for recording his impressions in a sketchbook, Asnee is the founder of Bangkok Sketchers, the only sketching group in town (www. facebook.com/bksketchers) and one of the authors of Architects’ Sketchbook, which was published in Bangkok in 2008.

Bangkok-born but internationally-bred, Dr. Tom Vitayakul has a background in communication and branding but now runs his family’s boutique hotel and Thai restaurant. An avid traveler and a bon vivant, he has contributed to magazines including Lips, Lips Luxe and the Bangkok Post’s the Magazine, and has also helped edit several books on Thai subjects such as Bangkok Found and Architecture of Thailand.

Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of 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 phone guide for Nokia.

editorial assistant

Adul Waengmol Chaweitporn Tamthai strategists

Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers

Elizabeth Preger, Gaby Doman, Urasa Por Burapacheep, Luc Citrinot, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Leo Devillers, Korakot Punlopruksa, Diana Pajkovski contributing photographers

Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat, Frédéric Belge, Somchai Phongphaisarnkit director of sales & marketing

Jhone El’Mamuwaldi

director of business development

Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon account executive

Pailyn Jitchuen

director of digital media

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 in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.

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 commentator on the local art scene, contributing to international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published coffeetable book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. When not musing, he is often found travel writing.

Native-Bangkok writer, photographer and incurable travel addict, korakot (nym) punlopruksa believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for TV and a documentary scriptwriter. She is the author of several travel narratives, and her work appears in magazines including ELLE, Elle Decoration and GM.

Nowfel Ait Ouyahia circulation

Pradchya Kanmanee published by

Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd Bangkok 10330 T 02-252-3900 | F 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com

© Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2013. 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. bangkok101.com

CONTENTS

table of city pulse

food & drink

10 12 16 18

metro beat hot plates: elements w bangkok siam app new adventures in… beer

60 62

68 71 72 73 74

s n a p s h ot 22

tom’s two satang very thai 25 chronicle of thailand 25 still life in moving vehicles 24

food & drink news meal deals restaurant reviews: supanniga eating room, enoteca, vertigo, 25 degrees bangkok’s best cooking schools street eat eat like nym cooking with poo restaurants

nightlife 80

Sightseeing 26 28 28 29 30

sightseeing focus: phaya thai palace historic homes shrines temples museums

83 84 84 85 99 90

t r av e l 32 34 36 40

shopping

upcountry now hotel deals upcountry escape: a gem on the river over the border: bagan

92 94 96 97

46 48 51 52

new collection: ‘the nonchalance’ by kemissara unique boutique: hardcover jj gem: the sleeveless garden jatujak marketถ้าไม่มีก็ลบเลย

wellness

a r t s & c u lt u r e 44

nightlife news venue review: spot on clubs hotel bars & clubs bars with views bars live music jazz clubs

exhibition highlights profile: sopheap pich in-space: 338 oida gallery reading & screening photo feature: bangkok sketchbook

massage & spa signature treatment: oasis spa bagkok 99

communit y 100

making merit: baan gerda

reference 102

getting there

104 maps 112 my bangkok

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on the cover A crayon drawing of bustling Chinatown by Asnee Tasanaruangrong.

H o t e l Pa r t n e r s

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metro beat

METRO

BEAT by Howard Richardson

Jazz & Blues

A host of global and local jazz players gather for the Thailand International Jazz Conference 2013 to be held at the College of Music, Mahidol University (25/25 Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Rd, Salaya, 02-8002525, www.music.mahidol.ac.th) from February 1-3. There will be workshops from 10am to 6pm and concerts from 6.30pm to 11pm on all three days, with highlights including the Kenny Werner Trio, the Peter Bernstein Trio and the Eddie Gomez Trio. Tickets are B2,000 for three days or B500 per session at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www. thaiticketmajor.com). The nightly live jazz roster at Niu’s on Silom (661 Silom Rd, 02-266-5333, www.niusonsilom. com) includes a changing line-up on Friday nights, with the Jakob Dinesen Quartet leading on January 4. Thereafter are quartets led by Dan Phillips (11th), Joseph Marchione (18th) and Jerry Byrd (25th). Entry is free.

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Pop & Rock Hot guitar-based, UK indie rockers The Vaccines, who have been compared to luminaries such as The Strokes and The Ramones, arrive in Bangkok on January 12 for a gig at Moonstar Studios (701 Ladprao 80 (Soi Chantima), 02-539-3881, www. moonstarstudio.co.th). Expect tracks from the new album Come of Age, plus singles like ‘Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’, ‘Wetsuit’ and ‘Post Break-up Sex’. Support comes from Ozzie band The Rubens and Thailand’s own The Yers. Get tickets (B1,400 presale, B2,000 on the door) from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www. thaiticketmajor.com). Chinese Mandopop singer Han Geng, once of Korean boy band Super Junior, is in Bangkok this month as part of his world tour Hope in the Darkness. Known in China as the ‘Dancing King’, and winner of the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards for best worldwide act, the entertainer takes the stage at Royal Paragon Hall (Fl5 Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011) on January 13. The show starts at 7pm. Tickets (B1,000-B4,500) are available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). The 10-strong Japanese girl band Ebisu Muscats will not only sing, but also “play stage games” and interact with their audience when they do their first Bangkok gig at CentralWorld Live (991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-640-7000, www. centralworld.co.th) on January 19. Tickets cost B800-B4,500 at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). Sixteen-year-old Korean guitar prodigy Sungha Jung will draw from his 10,000-strong fan base in Thailand when he plays at Aksra Theatre (8/1 Soi Rangnam, 02-677-8888, www. aksratheatre.com) on January 26. Tickets are B1,000-B2,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-2623456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). The Rock Pub (Hollywood Street Building, Phaya Thai Rd, 081-666-4359, www. therockpub-bangkok.com) hosts the melodic hardcore band Comeback Kid, from Winnipeg Canada on February 1. They will perform tunes from their five albums, including the latest, Symptoms + Cures (2010). There’s a 300 limit on tickets (priced B800), so maybe best to grab one in advance. Show time is 8pm. bangkok101.com

Comedy Theatre All Souls Chamber Theatre starts two year Professional Acting Courses this month, offering 800 hours teaching and 700 hours internship, with a European Certification of Professional Actor awarded on completion. Modules include Beckett, Shakespeare and Pirandello, with students involved in several aspects of theatre production. There are only eight places available. To apply see www.mistrettatheatre.com.

They’re laughing in the aisles at The Londoner (Basement, 591 UBC II Building, Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-261-0238-9, www. the-londoner.com) with the Bangkok Comedy Collective performing stand-up routines on the first and third Monday of every month. As it’s an open mic format, members of the audience are invited to crack a few jokes, too. All nationalities are welcome, with Brits, Thais, Australians, Germans and Brazilians among those having already performed. To book a slot email comedybkk@gmail. com. The two hour show starts at 8pm. Tickets are B200, including one drink and 20% off all food. See www.facebook. com/groups/bangkokcomedy for more.

Dance

The UK charity project the Wellcome Collection chose B-Floor Theatre (089-167-4039) as Thailand’s artists-in-residence for its programme Art in Global Health, which commissions artistic works inspired by local scientific research. To produce its stage show, B-Floor focused on anti-malaria and melioidosis work done by the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU). The result is Survival Games: A Science Performance, which combines dance theatre with video and shadow puppetry, alongside an exhibition and installations. It’s at the Pridi Banomyong Institute (Sukhumvit Soi 55, 086-787-7155) from January 10-14 and 17-21. Entrance free. For more details see www.wellcomecollection.org/global. All Soul Chamber Theatre (Rm 103 KS Residence, 3 Sukhumvit Soi 54, 087-697-4806, www. mistrettatheatre.com) have a production called 6 Pinocchios about a group of puppets that awake from a sleep of several centuries to find the world has changed. It plays on January 18, 19 and 20, with extra performances at the Thailand Guitar Society on January 25 and 26 and at Bangkok University from February 1 to 3, as part of the World Symposium on Global Encounters in Southeast Asian Performing Arts.

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Contemporary dancer, choreographer and teacher Gwen Rakotovao, an Alvin Ailey American Dance School graduate, gives a performance at the Alliance Française (29 Sathorn Tai Rd, 02-670-4200, www.alliance-francaise. or.th) on January 18. It starts at 7.30pm, with tickets at B250 members and B400 non-members. She will also give workshops, running January 14-18, from 10am-11.30am, which are limited to ten people and priced B4,350.

Classical

This year’s open air Music in the Park season is under way, with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra slithering through melodies from film, stage and popular classical music. The setting is Lumpini Park, from 5.30pm every Sunday until February 10. Free entry. See www.bangkoksymphony.org for more information.

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Art & Crafts

History & Culture

The Arts of the Kingdom VI is the latest exhibition opened recently in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall (Dusit Palace, Uthong Nai Rd; 02-283-9411). It showcases metal-based arts and crafts during the reign of King Rama IX. The pieces were produced by the Sirikit Institute, which enrolls children from poor families in arts and crafts training programmes in order to promote skills and preserve ancient crafts. It’s open from 10am-8pm, Tuesday-Saturday. Admission B150. There are more details at www.artsofthekingdom.com. The exhibition Siam App at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02-214-6632, www.bacc. or.th) until February 17 is subtitled “A passage to access Thai Art ”. It offers artworks and photographs by 50 contemporary artists inspired by the forms and techniques of Buddhist art and local culture in an attempt to define “Thai art” in the modern era. While there, check out the sound installation Hear Here on the ramps from the 7th-9th floors until February 10, where there are sounds we rarely hear, notice or appreciate, such as organs at work in the body, traffic, and the soundscape of the art centre itself. This year marks the 10th anniversary of 100 Tonson Gallery (100 Soi Tonson, 02-684-1527, www.100tonsongallery. com) and they celebrate with a number of exhibitions, starting with Holy-Production by Prateep Suthathongthai, which hangs from January 24-April 7. The works focus on the commercialisation of faith. The artist says, “Contemporary faith is about beliefs and trading an enormous amount of money, and they cannot be separated.”

The exhibition Stone Metal Fire continues at the Museum Siam (4 Thanon Sanam Chai, 02-225-2777, www.museumsiam. com) until January 31, focusing on the history of Thailand’s prehistoric ancestors through educational multimedia tableaux.

Film

The annual Open Air Cinema season continues with German, Swiss and Austrian films at the Goethe Institut (18/1 Soi Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1, 02-287-0942, www.goethe.de/bangkok) every Tuesday until the end of February. This month’s reels are Narcolepsy on Jan 8; Colour of the Ocean (15th); The Foster Boy (22nd) and The System – Understanding Everything Means Forgiving Everything (29th). All films are at 7.30pm, in German with English subtitles. Entrance free.

Photography

Textiles The Thai Textile Society is holding a lecture, Out Of Context: The Ordinary and Extraordinary by Meredith Strauss at the William Warren Library (Fl 4 Henry B Thompson Office, 6 Kasemsan Soi 2, off Rama I Rd, 089-1646405) on January 19. Strauss, who trained as traditional loom weaver, uses unconventional materials in her work and teaches at Woodbury University in Burbank, USA. She will discuss cross-disciplinary collaboration between textiles and architecture. The talk starts at 10am; entry is B200 for members, B300 for nonmembers. Make reservations and get more information from bkk.tts@ gmail.com. 8 | ja n ua ry 2013

The Alliance Française is inviting entries for an international photography competition on the theme of Trades of the World. Participation is open to adult, non-professional Thai photographers, with the brief being to highlight traditional local trades. The winning Thai entry will progress to the worldwide contest, along with 19 other photographers, as well as solo and group exhibitions in Paris. The deadline for entries is midnight on January 15. For more information visit www.afthailande.org.

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Events Lectures

There’s more “Magic and Timeless Happiness for All” until January 13, plus music, wine and beer at Asiatique Festival. It’s held at the riverside shopping and entertainment complex Asiatique (Charoen Krung Sois 72-76, tel: 0-2108 4488; www. asiatiquethailand.com). There are also Children’s Day themes, which run from January 4, with a life-size model of a dinosaur skeleton, artistic activities and a mobile museum. Full details are at www.asiatiquethailand.com or www.facebook.com/ Asiatique.Thailand.

Presentations The entertaining quick fire format of PechaKucha (Japanese for “chit chat”) invites guests to present on a topic using only 20 slides, each on-screen for 20 seconds. PechaKucha 7 is at the Neilson Hays Library (195 Surawong, 02-233-1731, www.neilsonhayslibrary.com) on January 23, from 6.30pm. Would-be presenters and volunteers (to help set up, work the doors, etc) should email pechakuchabangkok@gmail.com. For more info visit www. facebook.com/pechakuchabangkok.

“Four guests have crossed through the garden gate into a rare realm of unity of the spirit … they will experience harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.” If that sounds like your cup of cha, then The Heart of Korean Tea: A Journey Through the Beauty and Enlightenment of Zen Tea sounds like heaven. Lee UkHyung and his team from the Choam Way of Korean Traditional Tea will explain the intricacies (over wild mountain tea and cakes) at the National Museum Bangkok (4 Na Phra That Rd, 02-224-1333, www.nationalmuseums. finearts.go.th) on January 12. It starts at 10am, is limited to 50 people, and requires an entry donation of B400.

Fairs The Thailand Mega Show 2013 promises something for everyone in a raft of products ranging from home décor to gardening, fashion and books, with kids, travel, food and electronics thrown in for good measure. And there’s actually a lot more. It’s at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, www.impact.co.th) from January 19-27. There are details at www.thailandmegashow.com.

Design Following up after Thailand’s disastrous floods in 2011, Design for Flood looks for creative solutions at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC, Fl 6 Emporium Shopping Complex, 622 Sukhumvit 24, 02-664-8448, www. tcdc.or.th) in an exhibition running until January 27. On display are the ten winning prototypes, such as floating furniture for schools, from the Design for Flood contest, which looked at the needs of people, volunteers and SMEs affected by the floods. Doors are open from 10.30am-9pm Admission is free.

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The 2013 Art Fair, to be held in the garden of the Neilson Hays Library (195 Surawong, 02-233-1731, www. neilsonhayslibrary.com) on February 3, promises artworks, performance and workshops with the focus on painters and sculptors rather than crafts. There will also be food stalls and a silent auction to raise money towards a library renovation.

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hot plates

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Elements by Howard Richardson

lements is an imposing space, where heavy ship’s lanterns loom overhead from a high ceiling lined with the inevitable exposed piping. It’s perhaps a bit large to fit the ‘living room’ atmosphere described in the marketing bumph, despite the sofa style and armchair seating. The décor is predominantly black and brown, low lit, with full wall sculptures of black charcoal at each end of the room that – as well as providing an arty backdrop – apparently filter out cooking smells from the open kitchen. To wind down grab a sake cocktail (maybe ‘sakura’, with plum wine, cranberry, and syrups of rose apple and sakura, B350++) as you choose from a list billed as ‘modern logical cuisine’, which they translate to me as the use of seasonal produce. The menu is divided into à la carte, with main meat courses largely in the B900++-B1,500++ range, and four tasting menus, including a vegetarian option (B1,200++). We opted for the five-course Moments set (B2,400++), starting with excellent quality gravlax and lightly smoked tuna with wasabi vinaigrette and soy jelly. Other dishes included a mushroom infusion poured over sautéed mushrooms, hazelnuts and thyme flavoured croutons; and slow cooked wagyu done two ways, as 24-hour sous vide short rib, with truffle mash, celeriac and apple, and beef cheek hachée. All are plated on off-kilter tableware for a little visual flair. Finish with “a modern interpretation” of tiramisu with mascarpone cream and amaretto ice cream served in a tuile. The coffee element arrives as a couple of tiny jelly squares. Champagne (B1,280++) and dessert wines feature among 19 choices by the glass (B280-B700++) on a list divided by grape rather than region. Take a glass (or the whole meal) outside to the good-sized deck, which benefits from an unobstructed view towards northern Bangkok, at least until the new Central Embassy mall and the Noble Ploenchit condominiums are built. There’s also a very enticing infinity pool which – 25 floors up – looks to disappear right over the edge into space.

รร.โอกุระ เพรสทีจ กรุงเทพ ถ.วิทยุ Elements [MAP4 / L5] Fl25 The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd 02-687-9000 | BTS Ploenchit | Daily 6pm-10.30pm bangkok101.com

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The

sleep over

W Factor

The latest luxe hotel opening is looking to corner the market in hospitality industry “coolness”. Words by Luc Citrinot.

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“

Hello sir, how is your day?” says a tanned, smiling Thai guy greeting guests passing through the sleek glass doors. Meanwhile, in the corner of the lobby stands a curious Christmas tree made of metal. Nearby, dark walls house a motherof-pearl mosaic forming traditional Thai motifs; purple lighting glows along the bar counter; and white chairs reminiscent of the Italian seventies sit in the corner. The lobby of the W Bangkok, the first Thai edition of Starwood’s coolest, hippest brand, appears more like the home of a wealthy designer than the heart and soul of a traditional hotel. And, from top-to-bottom, that impression doesn’t let up. Opened in early December, the W Bangkok adds 407 rooms to an already crowded market that is estimated to total 37,000 rooms for the entire city. But debonair general manager Nick Heath promises that the W experience will mark it out from the competition. “Our DNA is to all about cool design,” he says. “W Hotels have been around for almost 15 years and is a strong global, powerhouse brand. As I like to say “We don’t practice anymore, we deliver”. That will certainly make the difference when it comes to competing with other design hotels.”

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Inside the thirty storey main tower, the rooms are spacious, and the furniture is contemporary without being too minimalist or too baroque. They come in two shades, blue or gold, and their style pivots around little design touches that playfully homage Thai culture: gold-colour cushions on the bed in the shape of boxing gloves; a bedspread with a boxing naga motif; shower curtains made of sequins reminiscent of Thai costumes, etc. The hi-tech features are impressive too, albeit discreet: a portable tablet allows you to control everything from your wake-up call to the lights, music and do-not-disturb sign. Art is all over the hotel, too. This is also subtly done everywhere except for the lift area, where multi-coloured, changing light sculptures give life to a dull location. Elsewhere, figures of Thai giants play with weights in front of the fitness room and stylised stupas and metal Buddha heads alternate at Kitchen Table, the main restaurant. Music, fashion, lifestyle, stylish gastronomy: these are the cultural touchstones that the W Bangkok is keen to represent. According to the team, these will all combine at the hotel’s food

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and drinks outlets. “We want to make people feel comfortable about coming here,” says Heath. “Our hotel is anything but intimidating. Like all W hotels we want to position ourselves as a place where anyone can meet. To that end, every night the lobby turns into the WOOBar music lounge.” Meanwhile, the Kitchen Table infuses a contemporary zest into culinary traditions; and the Wet Deck, with its swimming pool, offers a bar with sunset views (interestingly, they decided to forgo the usual sky-bar – “we don’t want to do what everyone does,” explains Heath). W Bangkok also brings its own unique identity to the W family: a delightful cream and yellow mansion that dates back over a century seems almost to emerge from nowhere, as if from a platform beneath the earth. A nearly forgotten piece of Sathorn Road heritage immaculately restored, it adds a welcome historical element to a property that’s otherwise dominated by futuristic dark glass and concrete. The mansion used to be the home of Luang Jitjamnongwanich, a wealthy merchant back in the early 20th century. Once surrounded by gardens, the building, which

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is reminiscent of the Italian baroque that was in vogue back then, later became the Hotel Royal in 1927 before finally serving as the embassy for the Soviet Union and Russia for fifty years. Due to open in March, it will be an integral part of the W Bangkok, serving as “an open space that’s open to the public with food and beverage outlets, some function rooms and private suites,” says Heath. It will be a striking new meeting place for the area first and foremost. But Heath and the rest of the W Management team also hope it will help transform the Sathorn/Narathiwat crossroad – a decidedly not happening corner of the central business district – into Bangkok’s newest entertainment area. “We’re working hard with local communities and businesses to turn this street corner into Bangkok’s hippest destination,” says Heath. “We are ideally located, minutes away from the CBD, Silom and also the Chao Praya River and with excellent public transport access. With the Mahanakhon Building, one of Bangkok’s future architectural icons also being built next door, we are confident we can become a focus of the city’s social life.” Only time will tell whether this grand design comes to fruition, but what is clear is that the W Bangok is that rare thing – a design hotel that demands closer inspection.

ดับเบิ้ลยู กรุงเทพ ถ.สาทรเหนือ W BANGKOK [MAP5 / G7] 106 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak | 02-108-1500 | www.whotels.com 14 | ja n ua ry 2013

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exhibition focus

The Beauty in Thai Buddhism

The BACC’s latest expansive Thai art exhibition, Siam App, focuses on works inspired by the teachings of Buddhism and local culture. Words by Siriwat Pokrajen.

n a country seemingly so proud of its art and culture, the BACC’s Siam App appears to be a stark statement of how most Thais, generally, have little or no real understanding or time for it. Otherwise, why need such a didactic exhibition? The first impression one gets from Siam App is that this is an educational showcase. Creating this impression are the exhibition’s introduction and first few exhibits: a collection of images of all things considered true Thai culture – temples et al, as well as a chronicle of Thai art history that includes brief profiles of important Thai artists. However, as you walk around and see some real artworks, you can sense that the show aspires to be a grand celebration of a particular kind of art, much like what you can find at large museums overseas. Though not quite reaching that point, there’s still some good stuff to focus on.

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“The reason we’re staging this exhibition is because the gallery is close to Siam Square,” says the curator of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Pakorn Klomkliang. “This is a diverse area where you see Thais who want to be Korean and some who want to be Japanese. For those who say they’re Thai, we invite them to really take a look at their roots.” Referencing the widespread use of mobile apps nowadays, the exhibition’s title suggests that Siam App is a modern portal for learning about Thai art, particularly contemporary works created within the digital age. The word ‘app’ also alludes to the words ‘apply’ and ‘appreciate’, says the exhibition statement. And what we should get out of this show, the organisers hope, is to see how several artists and designers today appreciate the old values and traditions of Thai culture and apply them to their works, and how the general public can appreciate both the old and the new. Simply defining Thai art as art based on or influenced by Buddhism and the old Thai way of life, the exhibition draws heavily upon artworks conceived in the past five years. Several paintings are winners from the Bualuang Painting Competition, one of Thailand’s most prestigious art competitions. Such is a piece by repeat winner Thanongsak Pakwan, who often weaves Buddhist teachings and his hometown Lanna folktales together. Two other common mediums include textiles and cowhide. The former references Phra Bot, or ancient cloth painting, and female artists Hathairat Maneerat and Ruthairat Kumsrichan, both winners at the Bualuang competition, are two prominent rising stars for the medium. Meanwhile, Chusak Srikwan, an emerging artist from the south, has been making his name in the past few years creating shadow puppets inspired by Nang Talung shadow play. bangkok101.com

Surprisingly, given how rigid Thai academics often are when it comes to judging what is Thai and un-Thai, the exhibition is adventurous enough to also include new media (video art) and installations. One medium that is missing, however, is photography. Of course, most wouldn’t consider photographs of temples to be Thai art, although I personally think there are a few conceptual photographic series out there, say those by Prateep Suthathongthai, that are an exception. Siam App is a good primer to what is loosely called ‘Thai art’ (although a cynic might say, that is, if you’ve never experienced it before or know little about it). What many might find useful is the Thai art chronicle, a timeline of the development of Thai art that also profiles many artists who have contributed to Thailand’s art and culture. Despite the far from perfect English texts, one can also gain from the critical chapters on Thai art history. You might even feel compelled to go out and explore Thai art history a bit more. For example, the mentioning of Krua In-Kong, a Buddhist monk-cumartist who lived in the early 19th century, should inspire you to go and look at his Western-style murals, still found at temples in Bangkok. On display on the 8th floor of BACC, the exhibition runs until February 17 with several talks, art workshops and field trips throughout.

CITY PULSE

new adventures

New Adventures in

Beer

Something’s brewing. Away from Thailand’s macro breweries and lager stocked beer fridges, a new breed of beer is emerging out of containers shipped from West Coast USA. The team responsible? A gang of micro-brew evangelists who go by the name Beervana. Words by Max Crosbie-Jones.

“

We’re not trying to get big, we’re not trying to take over the market, we’re not trying to displace market share. We’re just about getting a great, vibrant beer scene and filling a gap that’s been missing.” This is the carefully measured mission statement of Aaron Grieser, the fast-talking former attorney who, along with fellow American homebrew and craft beer fanatic Brian Bartusch, recently set up new beer wholesaler Beervana. First the bad news: Thailand is several light years behind most of the beer swilling world when it comes to the craft beer craze. Over mason jars of Indian pale ales and other hoppy delights at tapas restaurant El Osito, one of Beervana’s selected stockists, Aaron explains why. “There’s a 400% duty and excise tax on alcohol here, which basically puts a giant wall around the country,” he says. “Home

18 | ja n ua ry 2013

bangkok101.com

brewing is also illegal, so there’s no grassroots threat to the market; and then there are only two types of brewery allowed by Thai law: a brew pub that’s banned from selling beer off premises, and a major brewery.” “If you had a graduate program on alcohol policy,” he goes on to say, “and there was a chapter in the textbook on regulatory capture, you could literally cut and paste Thailand’s liquor laws.” Given this sorry list of beer-market-stifling laws, which flavour old money Thai breweries, it’s no wonder the country has missed out on the craft beer revolution that has swept over much of Asia, most notably Japan and even straitlaced Singapore. The good news? Beervana, with its handpicked line-up of artisanal suds, eye-catching branding and no-hard-sell form of craft beer evangelism (“I have no background in beer other than drinking it and loving it,” Aaron says at one point), is looking to change this. And fortunately it’s not starting from scratch. During our interview, Aaron doffs his proverbial hat at Hobbs, the Belgium beer bar that began importing easy Euro drinkers such as Hoegaarden, Leffe and Stella about six years ago. “Hobbs is the one that broke it open: those guys are responsible for triggering the current curiosity and awareness about different beers,” he says. “We’re stepping into that space.” And step into that space they have. In fact, Beervana could be accused of not so much stepping into the Bangkok

beer arena as running into it while thumping their chests and screaming an ear-piercing war cry. From food markets and free tastings to Hawaiian luau Christmas feasts and even an end-ofthe-world-is-nigh Doomsday party, these new wholesalers have been everywhere since opening a couple of months ago. However, Aaron points out that behind the scenes they’re actually taking things slowly – and not aiming their sights too high. “We’re rolling out in stages,” he says. “We have a list of 48 venues in Bangkok that we like; realistically, we’re going to sell to about thirty.” Their beer curation aims are also modest. “As much as I’d love to curate everybody’s beer, we’re a super small company, so I think a total of five brands in our portfolio is going to be as much as we can do well.” Currently that portfolio includes only American craft beers sourced exclusively from two of the country’s leading brewers: North California’s Anderson Valley and Oregon’s Rogue. But sometime this month they’ll add the godfather of Singaporean craft beer, Brewerkz. Only when talking about how he got them on board does the extent of Aaron’s beer infatuation really become clear. “Last summer I quit my job, travelled out to west coast US and did a two month beer tour. I spent two full months travelling from British Colombia all the way down to Tijuana in Mexico, and along the way hit every single brewery that I love.” A native of Oregon, “ the spot” for craft beer, as he puts it, Aaron quickly found himself among kindred spirits. “Going in to

“Hobbs is the one that broke it open: those guys are responsible for triggering the current curiousity and awareness about new and different beers”

CRAFT BEER 101: what is it and where is it from? In a nutshell, beers brewed on a small scale by an independent producer using only local natural ingredients and for love above money. According to Aaron the movement started about thirty years ago in San Francisco when “renegade homebrewers started coming up with all this crazy beer.” Since then it has exploded, with craft beers now accounting for 7% of the US market and movements spawning all around the world, even in Europe. “Craft beer is the most significant movement in beer in the world right now,” Aaron says. “For most of the big breweries in Europe their main claim to fame is ‘We haven’t changed in 200 years”, but American craft brewing takes that and flips it on its head. They are so innovative, coming up with new beers and new styles every season.” bangkok101.com

ja n ua ry 2013 | 19

“These brewers don’t think like businessmen – they think like artists.”

Find Beervana brews at: Apoteka

[MAP3 / e8]

Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 090 626 7655 | www.apotekabkk.com

Bo.lan [MAP3 / o12] these breweries, I thought I would have to win their favour with a business proposal. What I quickly realised is that these guys don’t think like businessmen – they think like artists. Their first question wasn’t “how much money are we going to make?”, or “how many cases will you sell?” It was “so, do you get what we’re about?” Evidently, Beervana do get it. “The reason why craft beer gives you a much broader range of flavour than mainstream beer is because normally it isn’t filtered or pasteurised,” Aaron says with preacher-like zeal. “The flip side of this is that if you really want that fresh-from-the-brewery taste, it’s got to be drunk in three or four months max. So we push to get all of our beers consumed within that time frame. So far we’ve been successful.” Keeping the time between bottling and glugging to a minimum is Beervana’s “cold chain.” After being consolidated on America’s west coast, a temperaturecontrolled container is shipped via Singapore to Bangkok and on to their Sukhumvit refrigerator. To ensure no one ever opens a bad bottle, they have a refrigerated truck – and even keep tabs on their clients to make sure they’re keeping their stock in the right conditions. So far, so smooth, but what does the future have in store? Imminent plans include a range of Beervana glasswear (“it’ll be hand-blown by a local Thai artist”); the 20 | ja n ua ry 2013

arrival of ever-more-wacky concoctions such as Rogue’s Bacon Maple Ale (‘you’re either, “oh my god, this is the craziest beer ever!” or “ew, that’s disgusting””); and a ‘Year of the Beer’ campaign (“lots of parties are coming”). As they don’t want to get too big in Thailand (“once you go mass market there’s too much bullshit to deal with”), they also plan to expand their distribution network to Singapore, where they already offload some suds, and Indonesia. Meanwhile, at select bars around town, more adventurous beer drinkers are chugging some of the boldest artisanal brews the city has ever seen. Some are even waxing poetic about them with a lyricism normally reserved for that most gourmet of beverages: wine. And who can blame them? From the citrusy aroma and hoppy kick of the Yellow Snow IPA to the smooth, malty, crowd-pleasing Dead Guy Ale, these are beers with character and distinction, worthy of flavour profiles and food pairings. Indeed, the only big cloud hanging over Bangkok’s increasingly bright beer scene so far appears to be the prices, as the cheapest you can pick up one of these 335ml bottles is around B200 at one of their special events. But, as mentioned earlier on in this story, you know who’s to blame for that. Fingers crossed, someday, somehow, things will change and Thailand will go on to become a craft beer producer to be reckoned with. Until then, at least we now have Beervana.

Sukhumvit 26 | 02 260-2962 | www.bolan.co.th

Brew Beers & Ciders

[MAP3 / q6]

251/1 Thonglor Soi 13 (Sukhumit Soi 55) | 02-185-2366 | www.brewbkk.com

Eat Me

[MAP5 / j6]

Pipat Soi 2, Silom | 02-238-0931 | www.eatmerestaurant.com

El Osito [MAP4 / l5] 888/23-24 Ploenchit Rd | 02-650-9581 | www.facebook.com/ElOsitoBkk

Flow House

[MAP3 / p13]

A-Square, Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 02-1085210 | www.flowhousebangkok.com

Oyster Bar [MAP2 / e11] 395 Narathiwas Soi 24 | 02-219-4809 | www.theoysterbarbangkok.com

Quince [MAP3 / p10] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 45 | 02-662-4478 | www.facebook.com/quincebangkok

Road House [MAP5 / k10] 942/1 Rama IV Road, Surawongse | 02260-2962 | www.roadhousebarbecue.com

Seafood Bar [MAP3 / j11] 41/2 Somerset Lake Point, Soi Sukhumvit 16 | 02-663-8863 | www.theseafoodbar.info

Soul Food Mahanakorn [MAP3 / s9] 56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55, Soi Thonglor | 02-714-7708 | www.soulfoodmaha nakorn.com

WTF

[MAP3 / q10]

7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02-662-6246 | www.wtfbangkok.com

w w w.seekb eerva na.co m bangkok101.com

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ja n ua ry 2013 | 21

FOOD & DRINKS

22 | ja n ua ry 2013

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tom‘s two satang

ToTwmo ’Ssatang

Join Bangkok-born but internationally-bred aesthete Dr. Tom Vitayakul as he gives his own unique take on Thailand and its capital. Each month he tackles a different aspect of the local culture – from art and festivals to 21st century trends – in a light-hearted yet learned manner.

In with the Old M

any Thais these days prefer shiny brand new things, but for me there are no surprises to plastic-wrapped furniture. I like things with a time-worn patina and a story to tell. If, like me, you have a yen for yesteryear’s treasures, then let’s explore the old-world charm of antiques. But before I get to my five easy steps of collecting them, let me tell you where I stand on a commonly held Thai belief in regards to antiquities and old things in general: that they are likely to be haunted. Ghosts or no ghosts, many of Thailand’s objects of yore are just too precious to pass up and deserve to be preserved for future generations, not tossed on to the scrap heap. That bugbear out of the way, let’s begin. Firstly, what is your motive for buying a piece? Is Thai pottery or textiles a passion of yours? Is it for decoration or investment? Or are you just out to complete your collection? If you know your reasons for buying, it will make a difference in the next steps. Secondly, shop around. In Bangkok there are many places and areas that trade antiques. Of course, you can start in the comfort of your own room and browse the websites of eBay and famous auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but it’s not nearly as fun as actually getting out there in the markets and showrooms, where you can see, touch and feel the pieces yourself. The spots that I recommend you start would be the antique section of Jatuchak Weekend Market. This is where some dealers from larger stores come to scout good deals as well. If you have a penchant for retro furniture and pop culture bric-a-brac, I also suggest the nearby Talad Rot Fai, or Railway Market, on the weekend; and if amulets and sacred votives are more your thing, go to the Amulet Market near Wat Mahathat, where special markets are held on every Buddhist day (half-moon, new moon, and full moon days). Meanwhile, if you have an eye for high-end pieces, then go to Oriental Place (otherwise known as OP Place) or River City and have a browse. River City also holds monthly auctions as well, with a grand one every August. Third: narrow your scope. What makes your heart race? Do you like delicate Chinese porcelain? Do you want to decorate your place with stout old furniture? Does the serenity or magnificence of Buddha images make you feel humbled and enlightened? Do old prints and photographs bring on pangs

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of nostalgia? Do you like the supple and sinuous textures of old textiles and carpets? Does the roughness and sincerity of folk pieces make you feel warm all over? Which styles of different countries do you like? Do you like the Zen simplicity in Japanese objets d’art, the voluptuousness in Indian stone sculptures, the bright colours in Himalayan furniture or the artistic flair in Southeast Asian textiles? Find out what makes you tick and then go the next step. Four, learn as much as you can about your specialty. A good way to do so is simply ask the dealers about the style, period and provenance of the pieces that you like. Some of them are as knowledgeable as academics because they get to experience these artifacts first-hand. Has the piece been repaired or are any details missing? Talk to other collectors about them too. Read the books and magazines about the subjects of your interests. For example, River Books, Serindia and White Lotus are local publishers that produce copious volumes on art and antiques. Also visit museums and collections to see if they have something similar to what you’re after and learn from them. Identify if the piece is genuine or a reproduction. Shop around for prices and learn about its value. Five: budget, bargain and buy. If you decide to purchase a piece that you like, ask for the price first and then ask for the best offer. Bargain gently and then buy it. The dealers usually don’t give such high prices if they really want to sell. Some also accept payment in installments. If you are taking a Buddha image or stone and bronze Khmer pieces out of Thailand, you should also be aware of the rules and laws around exporting antiques. Check with the dealers and always ask for a certificate of authenticity when finalising the sale. If you are not able to find the pieces that you want right away, you can also ask the dealer to find them for you. So don’t rush and just wait it out. Like all kinds of shopping, the mantra is “seek and ye shall find.” But if all else fails, a friend of mine once saw a sign stating: “Antiques Made to Order.” As they say, only in Thailand!

ja n ua ry 2013 | 23

SNAPSHOTS

very thai

LUUK THUNG & MOR LAM Thai country music delivers ancient song styles with Vegas glitz

> Very Thai

River Books | with photos by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith | B 995

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, city resident and 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 every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and snap up a copy of Very Thai now at any good book shop.

24 | ja n ua ry 2013

To taxi-driving, labouring, factory-working, migrants from Buriram and Roi-et, luuk thung (children of the fields) folk music – and its regional Isan counterpart mor lam – goes way beyond entertainment. Punctuating the pulsating vocal trills, acerbic lyrics draw on folklore and experience. “When they listen to luuk thung they feel they are experiencing their own lives through our music,” says luuk thung singer Surachai Sombatcharoen of his rural and migrant audience. “Mostly our songs are about love, melancholy and grief, but they are not sentimental.” A term coined in 1964, luuk thung was born of radio. AM broadcasts of foreign music gradually infused village songs with big band, swing, country & western, rock ’n’ roll, and even the yodel of Gene Autrey. An injection of Latino ballroom dancing music sent rhythms sassy, brass surging, carnival costumes a-shimmy. Erupting out of a tremulous acapella intro, mor lam takes its name (song doctor) from the eloquent vocalist, who dispenses quick-fire raps on rural and romantic travails, or plaintive homilies from Jataka scriptures. Mor lam’s dizzying collision of sounds is driven by pulsating rasps on the khaen bamboo mouth-organ, whereas hurtling brass drives luuk thung. Nostalgia means there’s still a sizeable market for old recordings and covers of songs by Surachai’s late father, Suraphon Sombatcharoen, who pioneered the luuk thung sound and look. Killed by gangsters in 1967, the honeytonsilled crooner in suit and bow tie still influences how male leads deport and dress. Only now the jackets reach towards the knees, with lapels flaring in a fruit cocktail palette of papaya, banana and lime. This colour blast is largely owed to all-time great Phomphuang Duangjan, the illiterate farm girl who electrified the genre – literally with guitars and keyboards, visually with Broadway glamour – to combat the 1980s rise of luuk krung (children of the city). In the wake of her glitter, mini-skirts and chorus lines, touring troupes took luuk thung to Las Vegas extremes: spangled leotard costumes, racy choreography, feathered plumes, comic routines, MC chatter, and high kicks to complement curl-fingered ram wong dance gestures. Come the end of the show, fans shower the singers with garlands, ribbons and banknotes. bangkok101.com

chronicle of thailand

Drug lord Khun Sa

ousted

Armed forces drive ‘Opium King’ from Thai stronghold

21 January 1982 > Chronicle of Thailand EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450

Chiang Rai Thai forces launched their largest operation to date against drug lord Khun Sa, after intelligence reported a sighting of his 200-mule opium caravan near the Thai-Burma border. Several thousand army, police and ranger forces, supported by planes and helicopters, attacked the opium warlord’s stronghold at Ban Hin Taek and battled his Shan United Army (SUA). At least 1,000 reinforcements were called in on both sides as fierce fighting flared for two weeks. After Thai and SUA officers met in early February to discuss a truce proposal put forward by Khun Sa, Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanond stated: “A criminal like Khun Sa, who deals with narcotics trafficking, faces only execution. The government will continue its drive against him until his forces are completely destroyed.” It was estimated that Khun Sa produced 70 percent of the region’s heroin. Thai troops demolished the drug lord’s extensive headquarters and seized large amounts of weapons and equipment as casualties mounted on both sides. In July, Khun Sa’s forces, joined by Kuomintang and Lahu troops, fought against the Wa Nationalist Army on the Burmese side of Doi Lang mountain, near the junction of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces. The fight for control of the opium trail displaced hundreds of villagers, who sought protection from Border Patrol Police. In October, 1,500 Thai troops struck Khun Sa’s new base on Doi Lang after surveillance revealed he had constructed 200 buildings and continued to cross into Thailand. Chronicle of Thailand is the story of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Beginning on the day he was crowned, 9 June 1946, the book presents a vivid eye-witnessaccount of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events as they unfolded and quirky aspects of daily life that just happened to make the news, the book features thousands of rare and fascinating pictures and illustrations, representing one of the most comprehensive photo collections of Thailand ever produced.

City vs. Country

Still Life in Moving Vehicles

This cabby literally wears two hats. He dons a baseball cap when he’s driving his cab and puts on this straw hat when he’s farming. This is not uncommon in Bangkok as many cabbies here come from the countryside to drive a taxi between rice plantings and harvests, or when extra income is desperately needed. I asked the driver of this taxi which job he prefers and he told me that he would much rather do farming than drive in this city full of traffic jams and crazy people. Visual artist and academic, Dale Konstanz snaps photos of the sacred decorations and other bits and bobs he finds in Bangkok taxis, then writes about them on his blog, Still Life in Moving Vehicles (http://lifeinmovingvehicle.blogspot.com). Published by River Books, the spin-off book, Thai Taxi Talismans, is available at bookstores around town for B995.

bangkok101.com

ja n ua ry 2013 | 25

Sightseeing

focus

Phaya Thai Palace J

arring architectural contrasts are common enough in Bangkok, but even so Phaya Thai Palace, with its elegant Sino-Portuguese-style frontage and gothic turret surrounded by drab hospital buildings, is a shock to the system. A fading expression of stately European design in an area seemingly little concerned with history, the natural response when you lay eyes upon it is “what, when, why and how?” For the story of how this oddity, located a short stroll west of the Victory Monument roundabout, came to be you need to go back to the reign of King Chulalongkorn, or King Rama V. Back in 1909 he found himself drawn to the area’s natural beauty and so procured about 100 rai (or 40 acres) of land from local farmers. On it he had built a residence where he could relax when not out experimenting with rice crops. After his premature death in 1910, it went on to serve as the residence for his widow, Queen Siphatcharin, for the rest of her days before his successor, King Vajiravudh, then remodeled it into something resembling the palace visitors still enjoy today.

26 | ja n ua ry 2013

Some years later, in 1926, it found new life as the Phaya Thai Palace, a luxury hotel catering to well-to-do foreigners. Not for long, however: by 1932 it had fallen on hard times and was taken over by the medical division of the Ministry of Defence. Today, all these decades later, the military still own it but the hospital departments have relocated to the surrounding buildings, the nurses who work in them using it merely as a pretty conduit between them. Guided tours, given on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30am and 1:30pm, offer visitors detailed insight into this crudely abridged history – not to mention the many unique architectural features of Phaya Thai Palace’s interlinking buildings and outhouses. Highlights include the Thewarat Sapharom Hall, the striking structure that sits to the right of the front lawn. Featuring vaulted ceilings, a central dome, and some of the most striking and well-preserved of the many quaint painted frescoes scattered throughout, this fine example of Byzantine architecture is the only building still intact from the original 1910 incarnation.

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Other notable spots in the complex include the grand main hall on the second floor, where King Rama VI gave private audiences or informal meals, and a room on the third where Thailand’s first ever radio broadcast (of King Prajadhipok, King Rama VII, giving a speech on 25 February 1931, the anniversary of his coronation) was aired. Another still houses a small model pavilion, a reminder that the palace was once home to one of the world’s quirkier expressions of political thought – a miniature city that served as a fully-functioning model society. Within this one acre metropolis known as Dusit Thani and occupying the lawns out back, there stood palaces, private houses, Buddhist temples, hospitals and many more buildings, all of them two to three feet in height. Administering it were around 200 ‘citizens’, including its founder, King Rama VI, all with the right to vote. So exhaustive, in fact, was this edifying democratic experiment that it even had its own constitution, not to mention two daily newspapers (the King also had high hopes for Thai journalism). Sounds interesting but not up for spending two to three hours on a room-by-room tour? Quite honestly, unless you’re deeply fascinated by the minutiae of Thai royal history or love gawping at European-style period motifs, it’s not a must.

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Come on any given day and you can still admire the frontage, stroll along the first floor’s evocative frescoed corridors, or explore the grounds out back, which include a neo-classical Roman garden of marble statues and geometric Corinthian columns, and separate animist and Buddhist shrines. You’re also free to enjoy a good cup of joe in what is surely the city’s most historic coffeeshop, Café de Norasingha. Located in front of the main building, the grand room it occupies used to accommodate guests while they waited for an audience with His Majesty. The snacks and cakes are good, the evocative old-world atmosphere and vaulted ceilings even better.

พระราชวังพญาไท (โรงพยาบาลพระมงกุฎเกล้า) ถ.ราชวิถี

booking tours

Tours in English require a written request at least seven days in advance and cost B500. Tours in Thai are held on Saturdays at 9:30 or 3pm and by donation only (note: if there are enough English speakers one of the guides may conduct a tour in English). Call for more information.

Phaya Thai Palace [MAP8 / J9] Phramongkutklao Hospital, 315 Rachawithi Rd, Ratchathewi BTS Victory Monument | 02-354-7987 | www.phyathaipalace.org ja n ua ry 2013 | 27

Sightseeing

historic homes

shrine

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [map5 / H8] ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall [map8 / F8] Uthong Nai Rd, opp. Dusit Zoo Tue – Sun 10 am – 6 pm | B150 dress politely

Located at the tail-end of Dusit district’s stately ceremonial boulevard, Ratchadam noen, this stately parliamentary palace was built during the reign of Rama V 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. Out front stands a statue of King Rama V mounted on a horse that is still worshipped today.

19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi 02-286-8185 | Sat, Sun & Holidays 10 am – 5 pm, Mon – Fri by appt. only | B 50 / B 20 kids

Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s mostloved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens is a terrific example of traditional Thai architecture.

บ้านหม่อมราชวงศ์คึกฤทธิ์ ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต้

ERAWAN SHRINE [map4 / G5] Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan 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 performs for a nominal fee.

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ

พระที่นั่งอนันตสมาคม ถ.อู่ทองใน ดุสิต VIMANMEK MANSION [map8 / F8] 139 / 2 Ratchawithi Rd | 02-281-1569 9:30 am – 4 pm | B100

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE [map4 / A3] 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 9 am – 5 pm | B100 / B 50 students www.jimthompsonhouse.com

American Jim Thompson was the Princeton graduate and former spook who revived the hand-woven Thai silk industry before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden home beside a pungent canal: six traditional teak houses from around the country kept exactly as he left them, and brimful with art and antiques he acquired during his many trips around Asia. 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. Ban Krua, the silk-weaving community he commissioned, is also nearby.

บ้านไทย จิมทอมป์สัน ซ.เกษมสันต์ 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ 28 | ja n ua ry 2013

The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved 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. Regular tours in English are held daily.

พระที่นั่งวิมานเมฆ ถ.ราชวิถี เขตดุสิต

SUAN PAKKAD palace [MAP8 / K11]

GANESHA SHRINE [map4 / G3] Outside CentralWorld and Isetan Department Store Ratchadamri Rd

A 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.

พระพิฆเนศวร หน้าห้างอิเซตัน

Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi | BTS Phaya Thai 02-245-4934 | www.suanpakkad.com 9 am – 4 pm | B100

TRIMURTI SHRINE [map4 / G3]

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.

If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30 pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.

วังสวนผักกาด ถ.ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี

พระตรีมูรติ หน้าห้างอิเซตัน

Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store Ratchadamri Rd

bangkok101.com

TEMPLES

WAT PO (reclining buddha) [map7 / D12]

THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW [map7 / D10]

Chetuphon, Thai Wang Rd | 02-226-0369 www.watpho.com | 8am – noon; 1 pm – 9 pm | B100

Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang Tha Chang Pier | 02-222-0094 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm B 400 incl. entry to Vimanmek Mansion | dress respectfully

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 (see p.101).

Bangkok’s most beloved temple (and top tourist site) is a fantastical, mini-city sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls. 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 sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – the “Westerner in a Thai hat” – is worth seeing, and there are some state halls and rooms open to visitors. The highlight, though, is the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist relic – and the temple purpose-built to house it, Wat Phra Kaew, where hundreds pay their respects each day.

พระบรมมหาราชวัง และ วัดพระแก้ว ถ.หน้าพระลาน (ใกล้สนามหลวง)

วัดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน

WAT SAKET [map7 / L8] Chakkraphatdiphong Rd | 02-233-4561 7:30 am – 5:30 pm | B10

Referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat on a small hillock is worth the hike up 318 steps for the 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 later built a smaller chedi on top.

วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ์

WAT SUTHAT & the GIANT SWING WAT MAHATHAT [map7 / C8]

[map7 / H9]

Bamrung Muang Rd | 02-222-9632 | 9 am – 5 pm | B 20

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 vendors of traditional medicines and herbal potions. Courses on Buddhism are given in English.

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 excellent examples of bronze sculpture. The city’s iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front.

วัดมหาธาตุ ท่าพระจันทร์ สนามหลวง

วัดสุทศั น์ ถ.บำ�รุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงข้ามเสาชิงช้า

Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Maharat Rd | 02-221-5999 | 9 am – 5 pm | free

Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important 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 sundown.

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร์ ผั่งตะวันตกของแม่น้ำ�เจ้าพระยา bangkok101.com

WAT RATCHANATDA [map7 / K8]

WAT TRAIMIT [map6 / L3]

Mahachai Rd | 02-224-8807 | 9 am – 5 pm | free

661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8 am – 5 pm | B 20

This striking temple on the corner of Ratchadamnoen and Mahachai Road features the bizarre Loha Prasat, a multi-tiered castlelike structure with 36 steel spires. Climb the spiral staircase to the top for good views of the Old City and its many temples.

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 10 million US$. The interesting Yaowarat Heritage Museum (p.27) is located on the floor beneath.

วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร

วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำ�โพง (เยาวราช) ja n ua ry 2013 | 29

Sightseeing

BANGKOKian museum

Museums – in town There’s a museum for every interest here – hundreds in fact. Here are some of our favourites, both in town and just outside it.

BANGKOK DOLL MUSEUM [map8 / L11, 12]

85 Soi Ratchataphan (Soi Mo Leng), Ratcha-prarop Rd 02-245-3008 | Mon – Sat 8 am – 5 pm | free | www.bangkokdolls.com

Since opening in 1956 the Bangkok Doll Museum has continually attracted tourists, students and aficionados alike with its remarkable collection of hand-made Thai dolls. Founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol after she completed a doll making course in Japan, it showcases collections of dolls produced by a small team of artisans in the atelier out back, and clad in traditional costumes based on designs lifted from museum originals, temple murals and illustrations from antique books.

บ้านตุ๊กตาบางกอกดอลล์ ถ.ราชปรารภ bangkokian MUSEUM [MAP5 / E3] 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya Pier 02-233-7027 | Sat & Sun 10 am – 4 pm | free

Smack in the middle of Bangrak, one of the most traditional districts of the city, find this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, one of them lovingly converted into a private museum by the compound’s charming owner, Ms. Waraporn Surawadee. She decided to dedicate the place to the memory of her family and bygone daily life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to the public. While visitors shouldn’t expect breathtaking revelations here, the displays are nevertheless surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques, traditional household utensils and ceremonial items.

พิพิธภัณฑ์ชาวบางกอก ถ.เจริญกรุง 43 30 | ja n ua ry 2013

madame tussauds

Madame tussauds [map4 / C4] 6th F, Siam Discovery Center Rama 1, Phaya Thai Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-658-0060 www. madametussauds.com/Bangkok | 10 am – 9 pm | B 800 / B 600 kids / 15 % discount for online

Probably the best thing about Bangkok’s version of Europe's famous waxwork museum is the line-up – it’s clearly designed to keep tourists and locals alike snappy happy. About as common as international sporting legends, world leaders in sharp suits, pouting Hollywood A-listers, and sequined global pop stars here are wax likenesses of Thai and regional musicians, soap stars, sportsmen and women, famous monks, poets and statesmen. And once you’ve finished talking human rights with Aung San Suu Kyi, or admiring Angelina Jolie’s Khmer tattoo, there are lots of interactive games to stave off waxwork-fatigue too.

มาดามทุซโซ สยามดิสคัฟเวอรี่ ชั้น 6 MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS [MAP2 / E12] 26th F, Supalai Grand Tower Bldg Rama III Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-653-5555 | www. tillekeandgibbins.com | Mon – Fri 10 am – 4 pm / App. required for textile and computer collections

museum of siam

Museum of Siam [map7 / D13] 4 Samachai Rd | Rajini Pier | 02-622-2599 www.ndmi.or.th | Tue – Sun 10 am – 6 pm | free

A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-the-kids discovery museum, located in a beautifully restored former government building that dates back to the 1920s. Design company Story Inc! delivered the conceptual design, replacing the usual ‘don’t touch’ signs and dreary text with pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20th century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on elephant-back with a canon (a bit tasteless that one), and mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a touch screen. Tellingly, the place teems with the usually museum-shy – Thai teenagers. Afterwards, enjoy the open-sided corridors and elegant Renaissance-stylings of the building itself, which was designed by Italian architect Mario Tamagno.

พิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้แห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [map7 / C6] 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-224-1333 | Wed – Sun 9 am – 4 pm | B 200 | no photo www.thailandmuseum.com

In 1989, Thailand’s oldest international law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, decided to convert their evidence of counterfeit goods into educational tools for law students. To help spread the word about the perils of buying fake it's open to Joe Public too. Over 3,500 items – from Ferrero Rocher chocolates to antimalarial tablets and a fake Ferrari motorbike – are neatly laid out, forgeries next to the originals. While its well off-thebeaten track location means it doesn't see too many drop-in visitors, it's an eye-opening experience, one that would make even the thriftiest market-goer think twice.

Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artifacts from all of Old Siam's 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 displayed. Free tours by the Natonal Museum Volunteers group are given in English, French, German and Japanese and take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 am.

พิพิธภัณฑ์สินค้าปลอมและเลียนแบบ ถ.พระราม 3

พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ ถ.เจ้าฟ้า ใกล้ท้องสนามหลวง bangkok101.com

RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL [map7 / K7] 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, next to Wat Ratchanatda 02-621-0044 | Tue – Fri 11 am – 8 pm;Sat, Sun & Holidays 10 am – 8 pm | B100 www.nitasrattanakosin.com

SIRIRAJ MEDICAL MUSEUM [map7 / A7]

Located on the west bank of the river, in Thailand’s oldest and most prestigious This multimedia museum a short walk from hospital, the Siriraj Medical Museum is Khao San Road offers a skillfully abbreviated chiefly an educational facility where trainee introduction to an area that many admire, but few truly understand: Rattanakosin Island, medical students come to take notes and Bangkok’s glittering birthplace. Wandering its harden their stomachs. However, fans of eleven rooms free of relics but rich in models, the macabre can also pay a visit. Of its many chilling displays, far and away the most famous dioramas, interactive videos, text and audio is the crisped cadaver of Si Ouey, Thailand’s clips in Thai and English – brings the area’s notorious child killer, stood in a phone booth. hard to-fathom history, arts, communities, architecture and traditions into much clearer Other stomach-churning exhibits include the mummified remains of murder victims, focus. One highlight is the room showcasing and deformed human foetuses embalmed in Thai performing arts; another sheds light formaldehyde. Best come before lunch, just to on the trade specialities of local shophouse err on the safe side. communities. Up on the fourth floor there's also an observation balcony from which you พิพิธภัณฑ์การแพทย์ศิริราช ถ.พรานนก can peer out over the area you now have a more in-depth grasp of.

นิทรรศน์รัตนโกสินทร์ ถ.ราชดำ�เนินกลาง ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [map7 / B4] 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier | 02-424-0004 | 9 am – 5:00 pm B 30 / B100 photo / B 200 video

YAOWARAT CHINATOWN HERITAGE CENTRE [map6 / L3]

Wat Traimit, 661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd |MRT Hua Lamphong | 02-225-9775 |Tue – Sun 8 am – 4:30 pm | B100 / B140 incl. visit to the Golden Buddha

This collection of ornate royal barges, some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians. Beautifully and ornately decorated, these magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former glory by the present King, who also commissioned the newest boat for his golden jubilee in 1996 .

For Bangkok’s Thai-Chinese the story of how their forefathers fled here on leaking junk ships and rose to become an affluent and fully integrated force in Thai society is likely familiar, having been drip-fed to them over the years by their elders. But for the rest of us, the Chinatown Heritage Centre is the next best thing, presenting an engaging history of Bangkok’s Chinese community and their bustling focal point, Yaowarat. Highlights include recreations of a leaking junk ship and bustling street market, a miniature model of Yaowarat during its Golden Age, and a room commemorating the community’s high-achievers. It's located within Wat Traimit temple.

พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร์

ศูนย์ประวัติศาสตร์เยาวราช ถ.มิตรภาพไทย-จีน

Royal Barge Museum bangkok101.com

yaowarat heritage centre

out of town ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN) [map1 / F6] 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd | Samut Prakan province | 02-709-1644 | www.ancientcity.com | B 500 / B 250 kids / B1,500 private guide in English for 2 hours

Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of the Kingdom’s most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a huge map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a tacky themepark. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Prapai Viriyahbhun, demanded that every replica look and feel like the real thing. Teakwood, stone and brick abound; everything looks authentically aged; and amidst the scaled-down and life-size copies are lots of salvaged original buildings.

เมืองโบราณ จ.สมุทรปราการ THAI FILM MUSEUM [MAP1 / E5] 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya Nakorn Pathom province | www.nfat.org | 02-482-2013-15 | Sat & Sun tours: 10 am, noon, 3 pm; Mon – Fri: by appointment | Free

The good folk at the National Film Archive of Thailand are fighting to preserve the country’s meager film heritage, whether it be by restoring ragged reels of 16mm film to their former glory, screening rare films in its cinematheque, or guiding anyone interested around their museum for free. Thai film fiends will love inching around this nook-filled two-storey space modeled after the old Sri Krung film studio and filled with old cameras, projectors, props, costumes, posters and waxworks. Guides only speak Thai, so take a translator if possible.

พิพิธภัณฑ์ภาพยนตร์ไทย ถ.พุทธมนฑล สาย 5

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upcountry now!

Until January 13 Jim Thompson Farm Tours Did you know that Jim Thompson’s world famous Thai Silk Company has its very own silk farm up in Korat’s Pak Thong Chai district? Well it does, and once a year they fling open the gates and let Joe Public in. Tours of their mulberry plantation, silkworm egg production centre, vegetable plots and plant nursery are available every day until January 13 between 9am5pm. 02-216-7368, www.jimthompsonfarm.com

January 20 Bor Sang Umbrella Festival The little community of Bor Sang, just east of Chiang Mai, is often referred to as the “Umbrella Village”, and justly so. During this celebration of the delicately hand-painted saa-paper and silk parasols it churns out, bands will play, lanterns line the main street, and villagers compete to win the award for the year’s prettiest. Nearby San Kamphaeng also gets in on the act with its own handicrafts fair.

January 23 - February 3 PTT Pattaya Open 2013 Now in its 22st year, this pro tennis tournament promises an exciting lineup of top women tennis stars, including Grand Slam champ Ana Ivanovic. On Sunday 3, the eight day competition will culminate with the finals being held in a compact 2,500 capacity stadium located on the grounds of Pattaya City’s Dusit Hotel, within sight of the sea. Tickets are B300, B500, B800 and B1,200 from www.thaiticketmajor.com. Call 02-311-3414 or see www.facebook.com/ptt.pattaya.open for more.

January 25-27 Pai Reggae & Ska Music Festival Details were scant as of going to print, but we’re assured that this annual reggae-athon will be going ahead. Expect the lush location to be near Pai’s Huay Dee Mee Lake, a line-up of established local and international acts (including the excellent T-Bone), and a ragtag audience comprised mainly of rum-and-coke sipping ska heads. The price is B350 per night. For updates, ticket details and the all important directions, check www.paifestival. com or www.facebook.com/paireggaefest.

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January 27 9 th Khon Kaen International Marathon The self-proclaimed “Greatest Marathon of Thailand” takes place again on January 27, 445km northeast of Bangkok. The starter’s gun for the full marathon will fire at 4:15am sharp, with the half-marathon, mini-marathon and 4.5km fun run setting off shortly after. As usual, it starts and ends at Khon Kaen University’s Golden Jubilee Convention Hall, and the winners will take home some cold hard cash. www.khonkaenmarathon.com

Until February Lopburi Sunflower Festival If you’re an aspiring Van Gogh or just plain into flowers you’re in clover this month, as endless fields of bright yellow sunflowers are now in bloom in nearby Lopburi province. The perfect location for an outdoorsy daytrip – it’s only an hour and a half’s drive away – locals flock here to photograph and roam amidst the tall, sun-drinking sprouters, which usually hang around until February. They’re also blooming over in nearby Saraburi.

Until February 28 Flora Fest This ongoing flower show takes place at Chiang Mai’s Royal Park Rajapruek gardens and features indoor and outdoor displays of rare and exotic flowers. Held in honour of His Majesty and the Queen, activities will include academic talks and exhibitions on horticulture topics (vermicompost training anyone?) as well as live music and hill tribe performances, but the main attraction are the thriving gardens. Entrance for foreigners is B100 for adults, B50 for kids. For the full timetable see www.royalparkrajapruek.org

Until April 30 6th Hat Yai Lantern Festival One of Thailand’s quirks is its love of luminous night lights and lanterns, which locals believe evoke the spirit world and use to embellish everything from city streets to shabby restaurants. At this after-dark festival being staged in the southern city of Hat Yai through January and beyond, this tradition reaches its colourful zenith, with themed lamps drawn from local folklore, Thai festivals, the animal kingdom and even Walt Disney lighting up the city’s main park between 4pm and 9pm each evening.

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hotel deals

Until October 31

A New Vista on Paradise Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa 39/9 MuenNgern Rd. Patong, Phuket | 02-661-8141~4 | www.hideaway.avistahotelsandresorts.com

Set on a Phuket hilltop overlooking the Andaman Sea, this secluded resort packs in a rooftop bar, an Ayurvedic spa, three themed pools and a private beach club, among other luxe facilities. Currently they’re offering up to 40% off the “best available rates” in its modern Thai guestrooms and suites. Say you’re a Bangkok 101 reader and you’ll also get a complimentary upgrade to a higher room category.

Until Feb 28

Up to 50% off Le Méridien Koh Samui Resort & Spa Lamai Beach | 07-796-0888 | www.lemeridienkohsamui.com

Book now at the Le Méridien Koh Samui and enjoy up to 50% off. Rates start from B4,000 and include breakfast for two and free wi-fi. You have until February 28 to book for stays no later than June 30. Located on Lamai beach on the south-eastern side of the island, the resort is about as peaceful as they come and has its very own 224-metre floating ocean pier.

Until March 31

Rayavadee Romance Package Rayavadee Krabi Tumbon Ao-Nang | 07-562-0740-3 | www.rayavadee.com, reservation@rayavadee.com

Surrounded by beaches on all sides, the Rayavadee is Railay Beach’s most desirable resort. Aimed at honeymooners, the ‘Rayavadee Romance’ Package is offering couples the choice of a three night or a seven night stay, one that combines luxurious accommodation with spa treatments, gourmet dining, activities, excursions and airport transfers. The price tag: B67,200++ for 3 nights, B141,800++ for 7.

Until March 31

Bonus Night Package Cape Dara Resort Pattaya Dara beach, Pattaya-naklua road, Pattaya | 038-933-888 | www.capedarapattaya.com Book three consecutive nights at the new Cape Dara Resort on Pattaya’s Dara beach for the price of two. Rates for the deal, which only include deluxe, deluxe corners and Dara deluxe rooms, start from B3,802 net including buffet breakfast. Rising 26 storeys above a quiet residential section of North Pattaya, the resort stands amid lush natural surroundings and offers sky-views from every room.

Until March 31

Life’s a Beach Package Centara Hotels & Resorts 02-101-1234 ext 1 | www.centarahotelsresorts.com/package/lifebeach.asp Centara is offering a beach holiday package at selected Thai resorts. Example rates for a fivenight stay are B20,990 in a tropical suite at the Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas in Trat; and B25,600 for a superior room at Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort. Wherever you stay the package includes buffet breakfast, a one-hour massage or spa treatment, airport transfers and welcome cocktails.

Until March 31

Pattaya Retreat Package Furama Jomtien Beach Jomtien Beach Road, Pattaya, Chonburi | 038-418-999 | www.furama.com/jomtienbeach The Furama is an elegant 38 storey hotel located on Jomtien Beach, which is a quieter, more family-friendly alternative to neighbouring Pattaya. To welcome the new year, it’s offer a package that a special room rate of B2,999 for a superior room with daily breakfast and complimentary 30 minute Thai massage for two.

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upcountry escape

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chanthaboon Waterfront has been undergoing not so much a facelift as a re-awakeningâ&#x20AC;? 36 | ja n ua ry 2013

bangkok101.com

a gem on the river Tucked inland from Thailand’s East coast, Chantaburi is a small town with no pretensions and a story to tell. Words by Urasa Por Burapacheep. Photography by Noppadon Potishot (co7de).

hanthaburi is that vaguely familiar town, renowned for flavourful durians, sparkling sapphires, and an eleven-year stint as a French colony at the turn of the last century. Its Old Town, a prosperous port town known as Chanthaboon Waterfront, was a rich melting pot of Chinese merchants, Vietnamese artisans and proud Thai noblemen. But the community’s heyday is long past. Recent decades have seen depleted gem supplies, waning trade, and deserted historic homes. In 1990 a fire left over one third of the community destroyed. Multi-storeyed concrete buildings sprang up in its place like jarring pillars, and the town underwent a period of decay. Thankfully, a new leaf in its history has now been turned. Chosen as part of a nationwide initiative, Chanthaboon Waterfront has been undergoing not so much a facelift as a re-awakening. Crumbling buildings are being restored, and stories of decades past emerging. Today a stroll down Sukhapiban Road, the community’s main thoroughfare, is a strange journey back through time. At a small coffee shop, locals start the day with their version of an espresso shot, as others glide leisurely by on their motorbikes. Playing backdrop to this scene are colonial buildings in soft pastel shades with gingerbread-style latticework, delicate grilles and cornices. Out of nowhere a mostly faded mural of a voluptuous smiling brunette greets befuddled visitors – a legacy from a birds nest product commercial in which the town was decked up to evoke a version of Cuba. At the efforts of the local conservation committee, once dilapidated buildings now appear to resemble their former glory, each with anecdotal signage introducing its history. Here a riverfront Thai-style teak house. There an ornately tiled colonial beauty, enveloped in fumes from an incessantly stirred wok of pad thai (house no. 252). Both were owned by Luang Ratchamaitri, a charismatic, Penang-educated nobleman who drove around in the town’s first car, a black Ford, and bought his son its first motorcycle, a Harley Davidson. Further down Sukhapiban, colonial-era judge Luang Prakorbnitisarn’s residence is long unlived in and at times closed off to the public (house no. 148). Stately and slightly haunting, the three-storeyed vault-like interior is a Pandora of metal balustrades and ornate columns. Today it awaits plans to refashion it into a museum along with the community’s other abandoned gems.

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“For now, at least, tourists can admire the beauty of the town’s distinctive past unobstructed by crowds”

One other institution, rich in character of its own, is Jungkuang An Drugstore (house no. 172), a century-old apothecary of Chinese herbal medicine, replete with antique Chinese-labelled drawers and a proprietress who still fluently reads the language. Dotted throughout the town are other reminders of its once diverse past: calmly presiding Chinese deities; Wat Bot Mueang’s gently-tapering golden stupa; Wat Ketna Bunyaram’s daily Vietnamese chanting; and Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, with its 20,000-carat-of-sapphire-studded Virgin Mary. The pulsating heart of the town’s gem trade, though, is most alive at its weekend gem market, whose foreign traders eschew extravagance in favour of Formica tables, Ziploc bags and the power of the calculator. On a weekday such as this Chanthaboon Waterfront is quiet. The recent crop of boutique hotels and frappe bars now occupying its once derelict pockets doesn’t change much. For now, at least, tourists can admire the beauty of the town’s distinctive past unobstructed by crowds, and street delicacies from the elders’ decades-old recipes still come at prices resolutely unaffected by modern tourism –powdery Vietnamese sweetmeat stuffed with candied squash, Chinese pasta soup with long-simmered innards, and a definite culinary highlight: Jey Eed’s tom yum noodles ladled with mantis shrimps, crab eggs and fresh succulent crab. 38 | ja n ua ry 2013

At night, choices of bars range from the small and intimate, like Rarn Nia and Rao Hua Heng, where regulars snack on fried chicken wings while sharing bottles of Thai whisky, to Chanthaburi’s new hipster heaven Tamajan. But the clinking of glasses soon fades, as most of the bars, being respectful of the Old Town spirit, close as early as midnight. The morning after, the town’s elders wake, ready for their leisurely games of chess, as others spend the morning kneading, rolling and steaming their specialty desserts.

Do:

Visit www.chanthaboonriver.com (Thai language only) for a comprehensive overview of the community. Also, grab a handy map and an informative bilingual booklet at the Community Learning House (house no. 69; open weekends). The centuryold home is a museum, information centre and art gallery rolled into one.

stay:

Both the revamped Kasemsarn Hotel and newcomer Tamajan are boutique choices which will land you smack in the middle of Old Town, while Arun Sawat Hotel is a backpackers’ choice from another era.

shop:

Foodies will be impressed with the excellent candied dragon fruits and durian cookies at Pokabarn (house no. 89) and the endless variety of durian chips at Chanthorn Phochana (Benjamarachutit Rd.). For quirky handmade souvenirs with a local twist, head to 22000 (open weekends). bangkok101.com

Prime beach front location at the quiet north end of the world famous Patong Beach within close proximity of the busiest eateries, shops and bars. The resort's 123 rooms and suites have a feel which exudes modern playfulness and funky vibes mixed with Feng Shui color schemes. It offers spectacular sunset views from its 198 lobby bar which overlooks the white sandy beach and sparkling turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. In addition, free Wi-Fi internet access is provided throughout the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest rooms and public areas. Other facilities include the B-Hive, B-Spa, and the private Meeting space is also available.

B-Lay Tong Phuket, MGallery Collection

198 Taveewong Road, Patong,Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand Tel: +66(0) 76 344 999 Fax: +66(0) 76 344 998 E-mail: rsvn@b-laytong.com www.b-laytong.com-www.mgallery.comwww.accorhotels.com bangkok101.com

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t r av e l

over the border

Bagan Bliss By Scott Coates | Photos by Dejan Patic

taring out across the arid plain there was scarcely a movement but for one horse-drawn cart making its way along a bumpy dirt track. Majestic stone chedis dotted the landscape almost as far as the eye could see, creating a scene so staggering it looked like something you’d see in a computergenerated film. But this was real and Bagan’s thousands of temples lay in front of me as undisturbed and quiet as they’ve been for centuries. To think I’d been in Bangkok less than a day before but was now standing atop an ancient temple taking in sunset was the closest I’ve come to modern day time travel. The name Myanmar carries a certain mystique for travelers but it’s quickly becoming accessible at a pace not seen before. April elections have spurred optimism among governments around the globe, international sanctions are being dropped and British Prime Minister David Cameron touched down in the capital Yangon just a couple hours before me, making a historic visit to this nation that finally seems to be revealing itself to the world. As the sun set on Bagan’s temples it felt as though I’d arrived just in time. Modern Myanmar can be traced to the Pagan Empire which took root in 1044 and soon thereafter saw the rapid construction of temples and stupas as Buddhism cemented its foundation as the primary religion. More than 4,000 monuments

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were erected here before the kingdom was either defeated by Mongol invaders or abandoned in anticipation of their arrival in 1287. Over subsequent centuries scores crumbled and a 1975 earthquake leveled many that remained. Aggressive restoration took place in the 1990s and today there are roughly 2,000 pagodas and temples standing, so many that a lot are simply named by number. As one of Myanmar’s primary tourist destinations, Bagan, which lies 700 km north of the capital, has long attracted tourists but in a nation that still has less than one million international visitors per year, almost everywhere is still well off the troddentrail. Recent political reforms have tourism arrivals forecast to rise by 20% in the coming year, meaning now is the time to visit before the slow and sleepy pulse of this nation beats faster. Bagan Historical Park officially covers more than 100 km2, but it’s relatively easy to visit most key sites in a couple of days. Roads are quiet, most are dirt, and horse-drawn cart ($25 US/ day) is still a practical (and fun) way to get around. Pushbikes are widely available for rent ($1 US / day) and a choice way to cover this relatively flat expanse, although quality can be suspect and sandy tracks make for tough pedaling at times. Air conditioned car ($40 US / day) is an extremely enjoyable treat, especially during the peak heat of March – April. Combine all three and bangkok101.com

way to refresh before heading again out for sundown. Bagan is very much a sleepy backwater with true country folks living a slow, relaxed life and generously sharing smiles at every turn. The expanse of temples is staggering and truly one of SE Asia’s most impressive sites. Its lack of development is a rare treat and sure to change rapidly in coming years. For now at least, Bagan is bliss…

GETTING THERE

Air Asia have daily flights to Yangon ($100 US / way). Several Myanmar carriers make morning and afternoon flights to Bagan ($90 US/way) but awkward flight times often result in an initial evening spent in the capital.

Stay

you’ll get a different experience each day while varying your pace. To round-out the full transportation gambit it’s highly worthwhile to spend a sunset cruising the Irrawaddy River by private boat ($20 US / 2 hrs) with temples forming a stunning backdrop in the distance. It’s important to plan your days and sites well to avoid becoming templed-out, something that’s easy to do unless you’re a scholar and wanting to absorb every detail. At least one sunrise is a must and Dhammayazika is an ideal choice, being one of only a few temples that you can climb to the top of. At the opposite end of the spectrum, sunset is also superb at Thamanpaya, which is just far enough away from the major temples to attract few visitors and has a huge viewing platform. Gubyaukgyi is another gem that you’re allowed to scale and provides good views of neighbouring Thatbyinnyu, Bagan’s tallest temple, and Dhammayangyi, Bagan’s largest in the distance. Breaking for a couple hours in the afternoon is a good idea to avoid peak heat and get a break from stone structures. High quality (and some not so) lacquerware is widely produced in Bagan and there are numerous worthwhile shops to peruse. Long lunches with a cool beer or fruit shake followed by a dip in your hotel pool (a must when choosing where to stay) is an ideal bangkok101.com

Myanmar Treasure Resort ($60 US/double, myanmartreasureresorts.com) has comfy rooms and a nice pool while Aureum Palace ($250 US/double, www.aureumpalacehotel.com) is the top place in town.

Eat

Santhidar (Main Rd, Myingabar) is situated midway between Old and New Bagan and does great Burmese food in family style. Aroma 2 (Yarkinnthar Hoel Rd, 09-204-2630) serves up topnotch Indian cuisine and boasts, “You don’t like, you don’t pay.” Kaday Kywe (Main Rd, near Middle Pagoda, 061-65395) in New Bagan is very popular with locals and pretty much everything on the menu is tasty and well-priced.

To do

Lacquerware: Bagan House (Jasmin Rd, New Bagan, +956165133) is one of the more famous shops in town and The Lotus Collection (Kayay Rd, New Bagan, 061-65372) also produces some of the area’s finest pieces. Touring: There are many companies that offer arranged services but Grand Lotus (www.grandlotustours.com) is well established, Myanmar-owned and gets consistently good reviews.

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ARTS & C u lt u r e

Botanica at WE*DO Gallery 42 | ja n ua ry 2013

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a r bangkok101.com

Arts & Culture

Changes are afoot at one of the city’s unlikeliest arts hubs: Silom Galleria. At this arts and jewellery mall on Silom Road an extensive renovation is underway that will see some galleries moving up to the fourth floor – and others relocating entirely. Starting this month, Thailand’s only venue dedicated to Thai, Vietnamese and Burmese art Thavibu, and the international and Thai focussed Number 1, will both move upstairs. Meanwhile, Gossip Gallery will open at a new townhouse location off Rama IX Road sometime this month, and the Chinese-owned Tang Contemporary Art is expected to open in its new location later in the year. Back on the exhibition front, 2013 kicks off in earnest with a barrage of shows big and small. Sathorn Soi 12’s H Gallery is particularly busy, with a reprise of Thai photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom most recent exhibitions Holy Machismo and Obscene at its Chiang Mai space, plus a new show by Cambodian conceptual artist Sopheap Pich at its Bangkok one. Meanwhile, stark white art, design and fashion space We*Do Gallery has teamed up with Italian designers Studio Formafantasma for its latest edgy European collaboration (pictured opposite). Elsewhere, Opening, the enigmatic inaugural exhibition at the recently launched 338 Oida Gallery continues (see p.48 for our interview with its founder); Australian photographer Philip Blenkinsop is staging a timely retrospective of his Burma portfolio at his Chinatown shophouse space 2SnakeStudio; and neo-traditional Thai Buddhist art is on show at Ardel out in the northern suburbs. A more expansive body of spiritual Thai art can also be viewed at Siam App, up in the 8th floor gallery of the BACC (see p.16 for our full review). For more exhibition ideas, see overleaf or pickup a copy of our free sister publication BAM, or the Bangkok Art Map, which covers the lot.

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exhibitions

Buddha Dharma Ecclesiastic

Ardel Gallery of Modern Art [MAP2/B8] 99/45 Belle Ville, Boromratchonnanee Rd (Km 10.5) | Tue-Sat 10:30 am-7 pm; Sun 10:30 am-5:30 pm | 02-422-2092 | www. ardelgallery.com

Until Jan 13 Contemporary Thai artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preoccupation with Buddhist thought spans generations, from senior artists like Panya Vijinthanasarn and Thongchai Srisukprasert, who in the 1980s were responsible for painting the murals at Wat Buddhapadipa temple in Wimbledon, to younger, more provocative artists like Anupong Chantorn, who questions the role of Buddhism in modern society. These three continue their ecclesiastic interpretations at Ardel.

Thai Na Town - Little Oz

Art Centre Chulalongkorn University [MAP4/C8] Centre of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Rd | Mon-Fri 9 am -7 pm; Sat am- 4 pm | 02-2182965 | www.ar.chula.ac.th/art | BTS Siam

Until Jan 16 Thai ceramic artist and Australian resident Vipoo Srivilasa visualises his experiences of migration and community in his latest participatory exhibition of narrative blue and white painted pottery. Having first been staged in Sydney, where Vipoo conducted workshops with Thai expats, in Bangkok he invites Australians to produce ceramics redolent of home.

In Spite of Order

H Gallery [MAP5 / F6] 201 Soi 12 Sathorn Rd | 10 am-6 pm; Tue by appointment 081-3104428 | www.hgallerybkk.com | BTS Surasak

Until Jan 27 For his first Thailand solo exhibition back in 2007, Khmer artist Sopheap Pich spent almost a month in residency at H Gallery industriously moulding, burning, twisting and binding his unique style of three-dimensional rattan skeletons. Having appeared at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dOCUMENTA (13) in Germany, he has become the most recognised of a number of Cambodian emigrant artists that returned to their native country having fled the troubles decades earlier. In his second show at H, Sopheap presents wall mounted mixed media works as well as works on paper.

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Opening

338 OIDA Gallery [MAP8 / M17] 4F 1028/5 Pongamorn Building, Rama 4 Road, Sathorn | 090 198 8749 | Wed-Sun 1-5pm and by appointment | MRT Lumpini

Until Feb 28 Recently opened, 338 OIDA Gallery is the capital’s latest arts venue. Oida, which takes its name from the ancient Greek word for ‘seeing’, is the vision of art aficionado René Anant Feddersen. The inaugural exhibition Opening presents paintings by Nim Kruasaeng alongside sculptures by Mit JaiInn, a table installation from Rirkrit Tiravanija, and text work by Italian curator Pier Luigi Tazzi.

Burma 2012

2Snakestudio [MAP6/L2] Soi Nana, Maitri Chit Rd (nr Hua Lamphong Station) | By appointment only 086-012-1972 | MRT Hualamphong

Until Mar 7 Recognised for his gritty raw imagery, Australian Philip Blenkinsop is one of Thailand’s best-known resident photographers. Last year he opened a quirky work studio and exhibition space with partner Yonola Viguerie in a renovated shop-house in Chinatown. In the midst of all the international focus towards a reforming Burma, this three person photographic display documents the country from 1989 to the present.

Botanica

We*Do Gallery [MAP3 / S7] 79 Thonglor 8, Sukhumvit Soi 55 | 02-391-4866 | Tue-Sat 11am8pm, Sundays by appointment I www.wedo-gallery.com

JAN 11 – MAR 31 The stark white design, fashion and art space presents a display of bizarre, natural polymer-based objects by internationally lauded Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, or Studio Formafantasma. Ten artworks fashioned from intriguing materials such as rosin, damman and bois (a 19th century material composed of wood dust and animal blood) will be displayed, including one specially commissioned piece.

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Enjoy these highlights from our sister publication the Bangkok Art Map. BAM is a free city map containing insights into Thailand's blossoming art scene. www.bangkokartmap.com

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ARTS & C u lt u r e

profile

khmer materialist: Sopheap Pich O ne of Cambodia’s most prominent emigrant artists, Sopheap Pich has been ever more active on the international stage in recent years, with exhibitions at New York’s Tyler Rollins Fine Art and San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, among others. On show at H Gallery until January 27, his latest solo exhibition, In Spite of Order, marks something of a departure. While still made in Cambodia, the US-raised artist’s new series finds him stepping away from his acclaimed sinuous three-dimensional rattan sculptures towards a moodier and more linear aesthetic. Free of the earlier references to his homeland’s traumatic history and wounded psyche, these wallbound grid structures comprised of everything from beeswax to common dirt also seem to mark a shift away from political to more introspective themes.

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How and where are your works created? I make all my works in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by hand. Do you work alone? I have seven assistants who prepare and construct my structures. Which step during the making of a piece of work is the most challenging? All the steps are challenging, but the most challenging perhaps is knowing when the work is finished. In Spite of Order’s wall mounted mixed media works seem darker to the rattan sculptures for which you are perhaps best known. What sparked that difference? The main difference is that these work don’t rely on a fixed meaning or a variety of shapes as starting point. I want the work to be as free of association as possible. Some people find them darker but I find them more liberating. It is sort of a return to painting for me.

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The materials used in In Spite of Order – what are they and where are they from? The main structure is made from bamboo, rattan and metal wire – the same as my previous works. But I add used burlap (which normally has plastics as stitches), beeswax and damar (tree resin), dirt and oil paint. The black is wood charcoal used for cooking. All materials are from Cambodia. In a recent interview you seemed keen to distance yourself from the notion that a work should reflect your nationality and its shared history. Why is that? I want my work to be about the experience of seeing. I don’t think one can make works that completely unrelated to the history of the maker but I try to be as free as possible and deal with the issues at hand – that of making a sculpture, how it’s made and what it does for viewers in the end. What was your childhood like? There were three parts: during the Khmer Rouge, hungry, scared but I played children’s games and make toys and small hunting devices like animal traps and slingshots, etc. In the refugee camps: I went to school for the first time. I started learning English at 9 years old. In the US: confused. I had a hard time dealing with cultural differences. My parents were supportive but our Khmer culture and US culture were difficult for me to negotiate. I had great teachers. Did you difficulties adjusting to Cambodian life on your return? Absolutely. I am still having difficulties adjusting. This is a very old and conservative culture. I live mainly outside of it. bangkok101.com

Out of all your works, do you have favourites? If so, which ones and why? The first piece called “Silence” from 2004 was a breakthrough. I found my language that allows me to work through a lot of things and a process that I love as it required cheap materials and tools. The second piece called “Cycle” taught me the behavior of rattan and how much time it required to make a work. The “Buddha” piece from 2009 was important. Often, I start a piece not knowing where and when it is done. The last large-scale black pieces taught me that I can make a work with charcoal and that black does not have to mean darkness. How has your work been criticised, if at all? Some people expect me to be more political and vocal about Cambodia. I am finding more and more that I want to belong to the field of artists that have inspired me in the past and at present; the ones whose work comes from the inside, not politics. What’s next? Any more international shows planned? I have my third solo show with Tyler Rollins Fine Art in NYC and a solo show at the Metropolitan Museum both in the Spring of next year.

In Spite of Order Until Jan 27 H Gallery [MAP5 / F6] 201 Soi 12 Sathorn Rd | 10 am-6 pm; Tue by appointment 081-310-4428 | www.hgallerybkk.com | BTS Surasak ja n ua ry 2013 | 47

ARTS & C u lt u r e

in-space

338 Oida Gallery By Steven Petiffor and Max Crosbie-Jones

ecently opened, 338 OIDA Gallery is the capital’s latest arts venue. Oida, which takes its name from the ancient Greek word for ‘seeing’, is the vision of art aficionado René Anant Feddersen. The inaugural exhibition Opening presents paintings by Nim Kruasaeng alongside sculptures by Mit Jai-Inn, a table installation from Rirkrit Tiravanija, and text work by Italian curator Pier Luigi Tazzi. We spoke with René to find out more about Opening and also what this space’s artistic remit and plans are. What will be 338 Oida’s artistic focus? It will be on the work of Thai contemporary artists with further focus towards contemporary artists living and working in Asia. However, expect this focus to be disrupted and called into question on an ongoing basis. What will distinguish it from Bangkok’s existing art platforms? The primary objective is that clients and visitors find a space that is as nurturing as it is engaging. If a gallery is to be a ‘way to’ art, or a ‘way into’ art, it needs to begin by resolving tensions and pretensions, so that the mind and the senses are at ease. With these barriers gone, we have the chance to see. We also hope to achieve a very high level of participation by artists, curators, academics and writers, shaping the context and direction of the gallery, thereby taking ownership of the platform. 4 8 | ja n ua ry 2013

Why call your first exhibition Opening? When I first heard the name suggested, it rang so clearly and on so many levels. Contemporary art opens the little doors that lead to the inter-connecting caverns of our mind, allowing us to see the world and our lives in new ways, ways that enlighten and invigorate. The name of the gallery, oida, is the present perfect of ‘to see’, thus, ‘I have seen’, or said in a different way, ‘I know’ or ‘I have understood’. When we use the word opening, figuratively, as in ‘There is an opening ..’, it means to say that there is a new opportunity to understand, or an opportunity to understand something in a new way. Tell us about some of the pieces and how they’re arranged. The basic challenge of organising these works was this: we needed to separate the works of Nim Kruasaeng and Mit Jai Inn, as the visual power of the latter disrupts the tranquility of the former. The transition from one to the other, however, frames perhaps one of the most important questions of how Thai contemporary art works, as well as why it is relevant. The coexistence of Nim’s works and Rirkrit’s Table in one space precedes this exhibition, and we felt strongly that they should be in the same room. Rirkrit has been described as ‘a builder of platforms’. Nim’s archaic vessels and the silence they bestow, surround Rirkrit’s table. He gives rise to and is nurtured by his platform (table). bangkok101.com

Pier Luigi Tazzi’s work, the subtlety of which is overlooked by all but the most insightful of visitors, is in an outwardfacing window, facing the hallway that extends from the entrance of the gallery.

“The primary objective is that visitors find a space that is as nurturing as it is engaging.”

Tell us about Mit Jai Inn’s poles and how they’re presented. It is always a challenge to speak of Mit’s work, and it does a much better job speaking for itself. We are, in fact, presently re-arranging the ‘poles’ to unify them visually, so as to trigger the dialogue between the shapes, textures and colors. “Enigmatic” is how one art critic described Opening. Why do you think this is? Something is often said to be enigmatic when it transcends the patterned scrutiny of the mind. Opening is about space and about being in the present tense, and the mind has a hard time with that. What has curator Pier Luigi Tazzi brought to the exhibition? What he has brought to this exhibition is a characteristic subtlety. It is, perhaps, a questioning or blurring of the boundary between artist of the exhibition (participating) and provider of space and context (curator). If Opening is enigmatic, then Pier Luigi is the enigma within the enigma. His contribution to the exhibition and to the gallery transcends boundaries and is present throughout in a real yet subtle way. bangkok101.com

The exhibition is dedicated to recently deceased Austrian artist Franz West. Why? Tazzi’s work is related to West and Mit was West’s assistant in the late 80s/ early 90s. Franz provided inspiration to many artists of his and future generations. I felt it was appropriate for a close friend of the gallery’s to dedicate the opening of 338 Oida Gallery to his friend. In a sense, the world of contemporary art, if we may call it that, is tightly bound. Here we are, half-way around the globe, celebrating Franz West’s life and his contribution to the world. What do you have planned for 2013? The next exhibition will be a young artist, followed by an exhibition by Thasanai Sethaseree. Running a gallery is fresh and new, and ideas about the future are only just beginning to take shape. What the latter part of 2013 holds remains to be seen.

338 โอไอด้า แกลเลอรี่ ถ.พระราม 4

Opening until Feb 28 338 OIDA Gallery

[MAP8 / l17]

4F Pongamorn Bldg, 1028/5 Rama IV Rd | 090-198-8749 I MRT Lumpini www.oidaartbangkok.com I Wed-Sun 1-5pm and by appointment ja n ua ry 2013 | 49

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reading & screening

Bizarre Thailand

The Phuket Colouring Book

Thai the Knot

Jim Algie | Maverick House 335pp | B524

Sophie Crichton | B149 www.phuketcolouringbook.com |

Pop Soisangwan | Blacksmith Books 166pp | $9.95

Canadian Jim Algie has spent 17 years writing for local publications. The dark, sexy stories he’s covered form the backbone of this collection of essays focusing on eccentric Thailand, “a Twilight Zone where nothing is what it seems” he writes. It could have been a tabloid-style hatchet job that paints the country as a grotesque freakshow, but it isn’t. Whether he’s hanging out with Thailand’s sex workers, cowboys or sacred tortoises, Algie is never anything but the model feature writer, bringing empathy, balance, wit and no small amount of research to his subjects. Over 24 sprawling chapters this engaging approach continues, before closing with a ‘Directory of the Bizarre’, so you can track down the places featured (if you dare). We’ll be dipping in to Bizarre Thailand for some time, we fancy. From the rock musician who traded in his guitar for an executioner’s machine gun to the first lady of forensics, it’s an irreverent celebration of what makes this country such a curiosity: its people.

British illustrator Sophie Crichton’s ‘The Phuket Coloring Book’ leads pint-sized readers on a mystery tour of the island, with sketches dedicated to scenic spots such as the Old Town, Cape Promthep and Thalang Road as well as popular local attractions such as Muay Thai, Thai massage and the street food stalls. All of the twenty two, itching-to-becoloured in scenes are populated by animal characters that draw youngsters in – and encourage them to do just that. Absorbing and humorous, each page also comes with an educational stimulus, namely a ‘Did you know?’ caption that reveals something of the local culture and ways of life. Released by The Phuket News, every last baht of the proceeds from ‘The Phuket Coloring Book’ go to the ‘Phuket Has Been Good To Us’ foundation, a local non-profit that helps the disadvantaged improve their economic and educational lot in life. Save the world and keep the kids out of your hair for an hour – brilliant!

Before you shack up with the Thai lady of your dreams, pick yourself up a copy of this outspoken little flexi-book, which claims to “untangle the complexities of cross-cultural marriage,” and features mini-essays on topics like ‘what do Thais really think of you?’. Two things distinguish it from the usual sweaty-palmed musings on Thai-Farang romance that clog the bookstores. Firstly, it’s written by a Thai woman who’s married to a westerner, and thus knows all about what Thai women need and expect from their foreign spouses. It’s all here, from the importance of not forgetting her birthday (“you will not believe the consequences”) and perfecting the hom kaem, or sniff kiss, to getting over her irrational quirks, and not making an utter fool of yourself at the nuptials. Secondly, she can write. Throughout, Soisangwan keeps things instructive yet jovial. In other words, this book is a like the Thai girl of your dreams, fellas – smart, honest, committed to marital bliss and blessed with a sense of sanuk (fun) that keeps things interesting.

Wonderful Town

Aditya Assarat | 2007 | US$23.09 from www.amazon.com A winner at Pusan and Rotterdam, director Aditya Assarat’s art-house feature debut is an atmospheric, slow-paced and honest portrayal of the wreckage left behind in Thailand’s post-tsunami south. A Bangkok architect supervising the construction of a beachside resort in the small town of Takua Pa gradually falls for the owner of a rundown hotel. Their love, silently budding among clothes lines, is voyeuristically captured with immediacy and poise. As the drama unfurls in the most banal of ways, a tragic emptiness is set to the simple strumming of guitar. Yet the deliberate sparseness taunts us with allusions to something beyond our grasp. “Why can’t you allow others to be happy?” asks the film’s protagonist of her estranged brother. And as the camera lingers on the locals’ faces after a horrendous deed, we are left with that palpable after-effect of trauma: the victims’ inability to allow themselves happiness.

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ja n ua ry 2013 | 51

ow many times have you tapped a ‘Like’, ‘Share’ or ‘Send’ icon today? And how many times have you actually picked up a pen and written or drawn something? Long before we trained our fingers and hands to make weird punching, tapping and swiping gestures on our computers and touch screen devices, they did other, more productive things. They dug for food so that we might eat; they span dried twigs so that we could make fire; they held arms so that we could conquer; and they held pens so that we might record our thoughts, dreams and surroundings. Today, as well as being guilty of pressing ‘Like’ or ‘Send’ on my mobile, I also do sketches of Bangkok. Now, I’m not naïve enough to believe that these will be appreciated today, but, given Bangkok’s breakneck modernization and lackluster heritage conservation record, I do believe that they could well go on to become a valuable record of scenes that might not be around tomorrow. However, over and above my somewhat romantic belief that sketching can be a force for cultural good, the main reason I sketch is for fun. Not only does it take me to parts of Bangkok I would never have seen otherwise, it also helps me to reconnect and find new meanings in places I am already familiar with. When sketching a scene of the Chao Phraya River from a high rise building, for example, a fresh appreciation of this waterway comes over me and I leave humbled. A meal at a roadside

food stall, meanwhile, always seems to taste different, better, once I’ve shown my sketch of it to the vendor and seen the smile on their face. I also strongly believe that sketch books are more memorable than photo albums. A sketch, after all, is not just a picture of a place – it’s an indelible imprint in the drawer’s mind. The sounds, the sensations, the smells, and even the conversations, curious remarks and car fumes… they all pour out every time you open the page. Hot, noisy and busy, Bangkok is not the best sketching city on earth, but it has more than its fair share of moments. Moreover, the scene, while not yet hip and very popular, is growing. This is partly down to Bangkok Sketchers, a casual sketcher group I run that meets once a month on weekends. If you are bored of exploring Bangkok by bus, car or foot, why not join us and try exploring it by hand instead? Alternatively, of course, you could log on to our Facebook page and click ‘like’, but where’s the adventure in that?

The Bangkok Sketchers group meet once a month at different city locations on every alternate first Saturday and Sunday of the month. Open to all ages, attendence is free, but you must bring your own drink and, of course, sketching gear. Follow them and out more at www.facebook.com/bksketchers

FOOD & DRINKS

new Signature dishes at the Banyan Tree’s Vertigo 58 | ja n ua ry 2013

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food & drink news

AROy New Openings

Two new Japanese restaurants have just opened in the Silom Sathorn area. We’ve yet to try either, but Seiryu Sushi (25/2 Sala Daeng Soi 1| www.facebook.com/seiryusushi) is a dark, glass-fronted minimalist affair; while Only You Sushi (297/452 Sathupradit 19 Road, Chong Nonsi | www.facebook.com/onlyyousushi) is all concrete and corrugated iron paneling. Expect sake and Sappora as well as the obvious. To reach either, your best bet is catching the skytrain to either BTS Sala Daeng or BTS Chong Nonsi then a cab. There’s more riverside dining available this month with the opening of Ciao Italian restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel (48 Oriental Avenue, 02-659-9000, www. mandarinoriental.com/bangkok). Ciao, which is normally a temporary al fresco option only in the cool season, is now a permanent fixture with a menu of modern classic Italian, plus tapas and eight or 12-course tasting menus, all headed by Chef Luca Casini. The operation includes a cocktail bar that trumpets “The greatest number of prosecco-based cocktails in South-East Asia!” That’s at least four, then. Expect a full Bangkok 101 review soon.

Michel Roux at Le Normandie

The English culinary revolution may have started with Frenchman Michel Roux, who with his brother Albert set up Le Gavroche in 1967. It became the country’s first three Michelinstarred restaurant, and more followed at the Waterside Inn at Bray, where Roux is now global ambassador. As guest chef at Le Normandie, in the Mandarin Oriental hotel (48 Oriental Avenue, 02-659-9000, www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok), he will prepare lunch and dinner menus from January 14-19.

Bed’s ‘Nouvelle Vague’ Dinner Concert

Bed Supperclub will stage the last in a trio of nouvelle vague-inspired dinner concerts on January 26. Providing the musical accompaniment to a three course meal (B999++) will be Jul & Co, a French multi-instrumentalist duo who have played luxury brand boutique openings and swanky hotel parties the world over. Blending live laptop DJing with singing as well as flute, trumpet and drum playing, their repertoire includes rare funk grooves, rock classics, bossa-nova anthems and even the odd Isan track. To book, call 02-651-3537 or email info@ bedsupperclub.com.

Beervana’s Craft Beer Club

Artisanal beer importers/evangelists Beervana (see p.18) our now delivering to our doorsteps. However, before you cut out the middleman and have a batch of Yellow Snow IPA, Juniper Pale Ale, Dead Guy Ale or one of their other so-weird-I’ve-gotta-try-it brews sent over you’ll need to sign up for their Craft Beer Club first. The annual membership fee of B1,990 buys you a 20% discount on their beers, plus insider access and even the odd free beer. For payment instructions email sip@seekbeervana.com. bangkok101.com

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FOOD & DRINKS

meal deals

Children’s Day Feast & Fun

Jan 12-13

Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square [MAP4 /D5]

Siam Square Soi 6 | 02-209-8888 | www.novotelbkk.com On National Children’s Day, January 12 and 13, kids who drag their parents to the Novotel Bangkok’s The Square will enjoy a special array of treats just for them, as well as get to meet kids from different countries in the game area and enjoy balloon art, clowns and painting. Available all day, kids aged 12-16 cost B475++ and those under 12 eat for free when accompanied by two paying adults.

Aussie Tucker

Jan 25-29

Banyan Tree Bangkok [MAP5/L8]

South Sathorn | 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com To celebrate Australia Day on 26 January, the Banyan Tree’s all-day international eatery Romsai will be adding premium quality Aussie tucker to its usual buffet line for five days. Between 25-29 January, you can expect to find Wagyu beef, Sydney rock oysters and the mandatory sweet treats like pavlova and lamingtons making a guest appearance at the lunch and dinner buffet as well as Sunday brunch.

Goose Promotion

Until Jan 30

Imperial Queen’s Park [MAP3/L7]

Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-261-9000 | www.imperialhotels.com/imperialqueenspark

Hong Kong native Chef Chu Hoi Hong and his team at The Imperial China restaurant, which is on the hotel’s fourth floor, have come up with a menu of succulent new dishes starring goose. Think double boiled goose with conpoy mixed with Chinese herbs, Hong Kong barbecued goose, goose winter hot pot, Peking-style barbecued goose and braised goose with egg noodles in clay pot.

Through Jan

Señor Pico hits its stride Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok [map3 / k11]

19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Sukhumvit Road | 02-261-7100 | www.rembrandtbkk.com

In celebration of its top-to-bottom refurbishment and slick rebranding (“The old Señor Pico has gone out to pasture and left the reigns behind…” etc), the Rembrandt Hotel’s ‘Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar’ is offering a free pitcher of Margarita to groups of six and more. If accompanied by a paying adult, kids under 12 also eat for free. Located on the first floor of the hotel, its open daily from 5pm-1am.

On Going

Antipasti & Tasting Plates Lunch Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa [MAP2/D10]

Charoennakorn Road | 02-476-0022 | http://bangkok-riverside.anantara.com The Anantara’s Italian restaurant, Brio, has just started serving a new range of antipasti and tasting plates on weekday lunchtimes (11:30am-2:30pm). Priced at B590++, the antipasti includes marinated vegetables, cold cuts and cheeses, as well as freshly baked breads, chutneys, relishes and garden salads, while the tasting dish is comprised of three of Northern Italian chef Patrizio’s pasta creations.

Ongoing

Inspiring by day, Latin by night Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park [map5 / K4]

952 Rama IV Road | 02-632-9000 | www.ichotelsgroup.com/crowneplaza The Crowne Plaza Bangkok has a new concept for its signature restaurant Panorama. Now the focus is on all things Latin, with DJ’s and live bands playing on special days of the week. The cuisine has headed south of the border too, with a Latin-inspired buffet selection at lunchtimes and the dinnertime à la carte menu now including delicacies from all over the continent (think ceviches, pupusas and empanadas). 60 | ja n ua ry 2013

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WATER: Plenty, Prosperity and Play

CUISINE ART

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Ruen Uraiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second Thai gourmet journey explores the natural elements that represent significant meanings in Thai food and customs. Water is abundant all over the country and plays many roles from being the source of food to the ways of transportation and the parts of ceremonies and festivals, such as Songkran. Countless types of fish give different connotations in our folklore. Thais believe that a carp mobile made from plaited palm leaves is a symbol of wealth, fertility and productivity. It is hung above a baby cradle to support children growing up with luck and abundance. Enjoy one of rich resources from the Gulf of Siam, crispy-fried pomfret with garlic and pepper. Casual dining and bar from noon to 11 p.m. Plus happy hours from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Ruen Urai at the Rose Hotel 118 Soi Na Wat Hualumphong, Surawongse Road Tel: 66 (0) 2266-8268-72 Fax: 66 (0) 2266-8096 www.rosehotelbkk.com www.ruen-urai.com

Thai Gourmet Journey Ad Series No. 6

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FOOD & DRINKS

Supanniga Eating Room by Max Crosbie-Jones

- east coast regional cooking comes to town Ah, grandma’s cooking. In the pantheon of Thai food, there is no more revered sort. Hit a restaurant with some Thai friends and it surely won’t be long before one of them, after tucking into the kanom jeen or tom kha gai, pipes up with “yes, it’s tasty and all, but not as good as my grandma’s”, or words to that effect. Fear not, though. For those of us not lucky enough to have an apron-wearing khun yai there is an alternative to telling them to give it a rest: namely, restaurants serving recipes that belong to someone else’s. Supanniga Eating Room, a bigger-than it-looks threestorey shophouse, is one such space. For his latest venture, Eh Laoraowirdoge, a young restaurateur who co-owns Parisianstyle café Minibar Royale and upscale Isan restaurant Somtum Der, decided to stop reminiscing about his late khunyai’s homecooked meals and bring her old recipes to Thonglor instead. She apparently hailed from the East coast’s Trad province, where the cooking is “more seaside” as he puts it, before moving to Khon Kaen in the northeast. Net result: a menu like nothing else in town.

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To put it another way, cuisine from Trad is rare here (as is most regional cooking other than southern and northeastern), but add her time-honoured recipes, plus the odd Isan dish or inflection, and you have something even more out of the ordinary. Served on stylish blue-and-white flower-pattern crockery, dishes include appetisers such as ma hor, sunny mouthfuls of minced pork and peanut paste served on tangerine slivers (B90), and pu jah, devilled crab shells filled with crabmeat and pork (B230). Even more surprising are the dishes that make up your main spread – the salads, soups, curries, stews, relishes and stir-fries. The yum nue lai is a tart salad featuring chewy morsels of beef shank and deep-fried garlic (B150), while the fiery yet flavoursome nam prik khai pu with boiled veggies (B190) is made with crab meat and roe and, unusually, absolutely no shrimp paste. Then there was a mild and sweet curry – the moo cha muang (B170) – that “not many Thais know about”. Starring slow-cooked, fall apart pork and sour boiled leaves, our spoon would not stop gravitating towards it. As well as lots of rarely encountered dishes, another

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surprise at Supanniga are the ingredients, many sourced from Trad. These include the shrimps, black pepper and, the most liberally used of all, the nam pla, or fish sauce. We found it imparting a saltiness to the ka lum tod nam pla, or fried Chinese cabbage (B120); the deep fried pla too, or mackerel (B160); and a meal on a plate, the khao pad nam prik pao pla salid, fragrant stir-fried rice with crispy leaf fish and salted egg (B160). Meanwhile, more family know-how is at work in the desserts. The intricately carved sapodilla fruit, with its granular texture and brown sugar like flavour, comes implanted with jelly, for example. Obscure yet approachable, not to mention modestly priced, Supanniga’s menu is exciting, the stuff that essay-length food blog posts are written about. But as we don’t have the luxury of space, let’s just move on and say that the drinks list and setting are impressive too. Martinis ranging in flavour from watermelon to Earl Grey and espresso are mixed strong at the bar (B190-220), while the décor brings the colourful northeast to a raw concrete shell. Think Isan silks on the walls, terracotta tiling, wooden tables grooved like the mai feum (an Isan weaving utentsil), and pictures of blossoming flowers taken at Eh’s Khon Kaen boutique hotel of the same name. As for seating, the ground floor houses half a dozen tables (as well as the bar), the second private booths, and the third, with its candlelit lounge feel and intimate balcony with cushioned banquettes, is the spot to head for your post-meal cocktail and analysis.

สุพรรณิการ์ อีทติ้งรูม ซ.ทองหล่อ (ระหว่าง ซ.6 – 8) Supanniga Eating Room [MAP3 / R7] 160/11 Thonglor (between Thonglor Soi 6 and 8, Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 02-714-7508 | facebook.com/supannigaeatingroom | 02-714-7508 | 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11:30pm

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FOOD & DRINKS

Enoteca by Howard Richardson

- unashamed traditional italian Cosy Enoteca is unashamed traditional Italian, rustic from its barn-like roof, to the homemade breads, cured meats and salamis on the countertop, and shelves of storage tins and kitchen bits. The building materials are new, but the arches and brickwork lend an old cellar atmosphere. Wines line the walls. Which is apt, as an Enoteca back home is mainly an outlet where people go to sample wines with accompanying snacks. Consequently, there’s a long list of grape – all Italian – with three reds and four whites by the glass from B300++ and bottles from B1,350++. While the ambiance may not be hip – no street theatre, trip hop or scented candles – the food – traditional, too, but executed with deft modern flair – is another matter. Settle into a comfortable and curvaceous wicker armchair at one of nine unfussy tables and choose from the à la carte or several degustation menus – four and five courses (B1,500++

ENOTECA ITALIANA BANGKOK [MAP 3 / K8] 39 Sukhumvit Soi 27 | 02-258-4386 | www.enotecabangkok.com 6pm – midnight 6 4 | ja n ua ry 2013

and B1,800++, respectively) or the eight course Gran Gourmet (B2,600++), all available for the whole table only. A tasty dish on the five-course is golden onion cooked in salt and filled with shredded braised quail (B590++). It’s accompanied by lightly pan fried cubes of bread topped with cheese, which gives light crunch and saltiness to offset the sweetly smooth onion and fowl. It’s a regional dish, and apparently so rare outside its native Piedmont you may otherwise have to come all the way to Bangkok to find it. Another comes as small pieces of pigeon breast, each mounted with tortelloni filled with pigeon gravy (B690++). You eat each combo in one spoonful – a clever way to serve it, as the liquid entirely fills your mouth and its flavours against the meat develop in a long complex finish across your tongue. To locate the restaurant follow Soi 27 right to the end, turn right, and it’s 30 metres on the left. Not the most convenient location in town, but, as one of Bangkok’s better restaurants, Enoteca is well worth the small effort to find.

อิโนติก้า สุขุมวิท ซ.27 bangkok101.com

Vertigo by Max Crosbie-Jones

- a decade old and still doing the business Is Vertigo, the city’s original, decade-old rooftop dining venue, still the must-visit it once was? Or have the masses tired of stratospheric locations and equally elevated prices? Or even moved on to the competition? Judging by a recent visit, the Banyan Tree’s flagship dining establishment still does the business, though mostly with couples, it has to be said. And, of course, the setting still wows. Soaring 200 metres above street level, how could it not? Soft house music and a gentle night breeze flutter over its multi-level wooden decks (the Moon bar side of which was being refurbished on our visit), and whichever way you look, your eye is drawn to a seemingly endless, 21st century cityscape. Bangkok still never looked more Bladerunner. The menu is tidily short, presenting Pacific Rim standards which appear just as refined as that ambassador’s wife’s gown the next table over. Undeniably not the place for a cheap night out, soups start from B400++, salads B500++, appetizers B650++. Meanwhile, seafood and meat mains range from B1,000-2,900 ++, and there are eight set menus (B2,200++ – B6,000++ no wine, B3,300++ – B8,700++ with wine). They also do a good line in “sustainably sourced” Australian and Japanese steaks. We started things off with some new signatures, including the swordfish Carpaccio garnished with chili, rocket and ginger. Served, like all the signatures, on an elongated plate, it was a subtle, mild dish, the ginger cutting through. Even better were the tataki of wagyu, which are melt-in-your-mouth oblongs of beef bangkok101.com

cooked rare in shoyu, or Japanese soy sauce. Neither, though, could match the spicy kick and decadence of the tuna tartar, which was a slab topped off with guacamole and lemon caviar. Not long after, our mains arrived decked with raw greens on oversized, deep plates. There was a pan-roasted free range chicken, the lean meat marrying well with the tarragon jus and a spot-on mash; and a lamb shank served with cumin-spiced potatoes, young roots and a little pot of sweet massaman curry sauce. Both demonstrated the Executive Chef’s fondness for sous-vide cooking, the meat in the case of the latter getting the treatment for three days, said the waiter. Desserts are Thai twists like the Thai tea crème brûlée, or the even richer mango and sticky rice with mascarpone served in a cocktail glass. That or sumptuous takes on European favourites such as the mille feuille of tropical berries with vanilla cream, or fresh fig tart with Thai honey, goat cheese cream and almonds. Wines are as you’d expect (wide-ranging, mostly Old World), as is the service (swift and sharp). Vertigo is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but for a romantic dinner to remember, which is what most people seem to come here for, there’s still nowhere that can match it.

รร. บันยันทรี ถ.สาทรใต้ Banyan Tree Bangkok [MAP5/K,L8] 21/100 South Sathon Rd | 02-679-1200 | MRT Lumphini | www.banyantree.com ja n ua ry 2013 | 65

FOOD & DRINKS

25 Degrees by Max Crosbie-Jones

- bordello red meets burger bar This ‘bordello meet’s burger bar’, a spin-off from Los Angeles and adjoining the Pullman G Hotel, arrived at the tail-end of the burger craze, a period back in early 2012 when a week didn’t seem to go by without a new joint opening. How does it fare against the likes of the Firehouse and the Burger Factory? Let’s just say, it’s a lot fancier than its brethren. The interior features a long wooden bar, oversized leather winged chairs, vintage black and white photographs and rich red, floral print satin wallpaper. A plush 1960s pastiche, Betty Draper on one of her saner days would not look out of place staring vacantly into space here. As well as the plush décor, the selection of cheeses, sauces and other extras that you can ‘craft your own’ burger with is also unparalleled. We counted no less than thirteen cheeses (from brie and goat cheese to emmental, gorgonzola, mozzarella and creamy Point Reyes blue; B40 each); fourteen extras (including sautéed mushrooms, sauerkraut, japapeno peppers, fried egg, sun dried tomato, green chili and parma ham; B40); and fourteen sauces (BBQ, lemon dill, horseradish cream, garlic aioli, pesto and Dijon sauce; B30 each). Being slightly, nay very, disorientated by all the choices we opted to order in some of the four signature burgers (B330) instead. One thing to note is that these, like the build your own

25 Degrees [MAP 5 / G5] Ground floor, Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, 188 Silom Road 02-238-1991 | www.pullmanbangkokhotelg.com 66 | ja n ua ry 2013

option, which starts at B210 for a 200 gram US Angus beef patty, come sans sides, so the prices here do start to rack up quite quickly. Arriving first, the Number One was a handsome, hefty specimen. On releasing it from its brown paper wrapping and biting into its golden bun we hit a layer of caramelized onion, crescenza, gorgonzola, bacon, arugula and thousand island dressing. Taking it all in, we decided it worked, but in future we’d probably swap the gorgonzola for a less assertive cheese, as it was a tad overpowering, detracting from the succulence and flavour of the soft, medium-done patty. The ingredients in the Number 2 – roasted tomato, burrata, crisp prosciutto and pesto – sound a little more low-key and subtle, so we might give that a whirl next time. There are other options too, like the Number 4, which pairs yellowfin tuna with a crispy fried onion (solid not spectacular), and, if you’re not bothered about burgers, grilled sandwiches and beast’s like the sonoran hotdog (B330). This almost footlong frankfurter came bacon wrapped and buried in tomato, pinto beans, onions, mustard and garlic aioli. Messy yet enjoyable. No complaints with the sides, either, other than we couldn’t really taste the truffle in the truffle French fries (B100). However, if there’s a worthy companion for the burgers it’s the milkshakes (B120). Our vanilla bean was thick, creamy, full of flavour. We left itching to try the alcoholic “spiked shakes” (B220) next time.

รร.พูลแมน แบงกอก โฮเต็ล จี ถ.สีลม bangkok101.com

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FOOD & DRINKS

Bangkok’s best cooking schools Want to recreate the magic back home? From schools in slums to pricier classes at the upmarket hotels, Thai to Vegetarian and even Indian, here’s our pick of Bangkok’s hands-on cooking classes.

AMITA THAI COOKING CLASS [map 2 / B9] 162/17 Soi Wutthakat 14, Wutthakat Rd | Talad Plu, Thonburi |02-466-8966 | www.amitathaicooking.com | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm (except Wed) | B 3,000 Held in a charming old canalside home in Thonburi, Amita Thai’s setting is far and away the most picturesque. Owner Tam Piyawadi Jantrupon teaches a changing roster of four Thai favourites to classes of no more than 10, but not before she’s led them through her nursery herb garden to handpick their own fresh ingredients. At the end of the class the four-course meal you’ve prepared is served in a Thai-style sala overlooking the canal. Another nice touch: if you’re staying in central Bangkok pick up and drop off by car is included.

รร.สอนทำ�อาหารไทยอมิตา วุฒากาศ ซ.14

BAIPAI COOKING SCHOOL [map 2 / E5] 8/91 Ngam Wongwan Soi 54 | Ladyao, Chatuchak | 02-561-1404 |www.baipai.com | Mon – Sat 8.30 am – 5.30 pm | B 2,200 No sitting back and just watching at this leafy two-storey townhouse. Shortly after being 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, personal 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?”) and ensure you don’t singe your spring rolls. Some take home recipes and a souvenir fridge magnet featuring a snap of you in action completes the four-hour morning or afternoon experience.

รร.สอนทำ�อาหารไทยใบพาย ถ.งามวงศ์วาน ซ.54

BLUE ELEPHANT [map 5 / D7] Thai Chine Building, 233 South Sathorn Rd | 02-673-9353 | www.blueelephant.com | B2,800++ half day / B5,000++ full day 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 apron, knives and wok, each student works at a personal cooking station in a spacious kitchen after short, informative demonstrations. 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 (รถไฟฟ้าสุรศักดิ์) 68 | ja n ua ry 2013

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HELPING HANDS THAI COOKING SCHOOL [map 8 / N18] Klong Toey Slum | www.cookingwithpoo.com | thai 087-686-3714, engl. 084-901-8717 | 8:30 am – 1 pm | B1,200 For the past two years Khun Poo, a long-time resident of Klong Toey, one of the city’s most impoverished slums, has been running her own cooking school as part of the Helping Hands initiative, a community self-help program that she instigated with four other slum residents. Held in the slum, the classes for up to ten offer the chance to see a little-known side of Bangkok in a safe environment as well as master four classic Thai dishes. The price includes return pick-up/drop-off near BTS Phrom Phong, a market tour, and some printed recipe cards.

รร.สอนทำ�อาหารไทยเฮลพ์ปิ้งแฮนดส์ ชุมชนคลองเตย

MAY KAIDEE’S [map 7 / G1] 33 Samsen Rd (near Soi 2) Watsamphraya | Phranakorn | 02-281-7699 | www.maykaidee.com | B1,200 Learn to whip up meatless Thai dishes at this yellow Samsen Road shophouse, one of three popular vegetarian restaurants run by northeasterner Sommay Jaijong, or May, in the Banglamphu area. Like her restaurants, her cooking school has been a big draw with backpackers for 23 years. As well as learning how to cook eight recipes, morning classes include how to make the all important chili paste using a mortar and pestle, a discussion of Thai herbs and spices, and a trip to a local market. Less in-demand afternoon classes tend to be more one-on-one and let you pick what recipes you learn. Fruit carving classes also available.

หมายขายดี ถ.สามเสน

MRS BALBIR’S INDIAN RE STAUR ANT

[map 3 / F9]

155/1-2 Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 | 02-651-0019 | www.mrsbalbirs.com | B2,200 per session Not content with serving some of the Bangkok’s most authentic Indian dishes at her self-titled restaurant, former TV cookshow host Mrs Balbir also shares the secrets behind them at her regular classes. Pearls of sub-continental wisdom include how to master marinating lamb, prepare dal, and get your tamarind chutney just right. Each of the four sessions includes tutelage in four dishes, a recipe folder, full Indian lunch, and a B500 gift voucher to dine at Mrs Balbir’s. She also offers cooking classes for maids in English or Thai, as well as occasional classes aboard a floating rice barge (B3,500).

มิสซิส บัลบีร์ สุขุมวิท ซ.11

REMBRANDT HOTEL BANGKOK [map 3 / k11] 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Klong Toei | 02-261-7100 ext. 7537-8 | www.rembrandtbkk.com | 12 pm – 4 pm | B 999++ Sukhumvit Soi 18’s Rembrandt Hotel recently launched their own stab at the Thai cooking school: intimate classes of no more than four and offering insight into all the herbs and ingredients used. Students are taught how to cook four crowd-pleasers (green chicken curry, papaya salad, tom yum goong, and a classic Thai sweet like boiled banana in coconut milk) from scratch, and also shown the basics of Thai fruit and vegetable carving. Classes are officially between 12 pm – 4 pm, but can be rescheduled depending on the chef’s availability.

รร.แรมแบรนดท์ สุขุมวิท ซ.18

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street eats

EASAE YAOWARAT

“

My great-grandpa emigrated from China to Thailand and settled in Bangkok’s Chinatown,” says Khun Sivakorn, the fourth generation proprietor of Easae. “After starting out as a carpenter,” he adds, “he opened up this coffeeshop in 1927”. Over the years Easae, which is Hainan Chinese slang for prosperity, has relocated three times, but always kept the little Yaowarat community centre feel its customers – Chinese uncles mostly – savour. The beverages haven’t much changed either, still including o-liang (traditional iced coffee), o-yua (traditional hot coffee) and cha yen (iced-tea). Being deliciousiced-teahunters, we can vouch that Easae’s version is excellent. Also a must try, but more unusual, is heng-yin, almond extracted blended with fresh milk. And who would have thought that jam could be drunk? Order in their cold marmalade jam drink and you’ll discover that it can be as good in a cup as it is slathered on bread. They also serve food, like soft-boiled eggs (very good with pepper and soy sauce), as well as some desserts, like their signature kanom pung sankaya: coconut egg custard, or sankaya, eaten either as a topping on toast or dipped into steamed homemade bread. Having grown up on sankaya, we can one guarantee you that Easae’s is the real deal, with a pure egg taste that you won’t find elsewhere. Other toppings available include jam or even chilli paste. As for Easae’s atmosphere, lets just say that its fun perching on a wooden stool inside this tatty blue shophouse along with all the Yaowarat uncles nattering away in Chinese. Like your peace and quiet? Then order take-away, or visit in the late afternoon, when the sound levels are more bearable and you might even have this old Chinatown gem all to yourself. A tip: as it’s not on the main road finding Easae can be a tad tricky. When you walk down to Yaowarat Road’s Cha Learm Buri junction, enter the first alley on the right and you can’t miss it.

เอี๊ยะแซ เยาวราช ถ.เยาวราช-พาดสาย easae yaowarat [MAP6 / k4] 42 Yaowarat - Padsai Rd, Sumpunthawong, 02-221-0549, 081-573-3388 OPEN Daily 5:30am-9pm bangkok101.com

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FOOD & DRINKS

ealtike

Nym

Our roving 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 city’s next delectable morsel …

Soi 38’s Khao Tom Pla

ukhumvit Soi 38 has been a late-night best friend to hungry Bangkokians, me included, for decades. Walking down its two rows of yummy food carts, the options are so plentiful that it’s never easy to make your choice. That said, I do have my favourites. For example, my eyes are often drawn to the egg noodles cart tucked away in the driveway on the right hand side – this one has never let me down. Further down on the left, look closely and you will also see small pots with wooden handles stacked on top of each other in the window of a cart. This is my favourite ‘Hong Kong style noodles’ stall. These two gems aside, if there’s a favourite which keeps me coming back it’s this one: keep walking until the end of the row and on the right-hand you’ll come upon a little stand manned by a dynamic brother sister team. What’s being prepped in that big, steaming cooking pot of theirs? Khao tom pla, or boiled fish rice soup. While it’s a good dish worth trying, I tend to order a hybrid version by ordering tom yum pla (tom yum-style fish soup) and taking my rice separately. Why don’t I just go to any old restaurant and order

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a tom yum with fish? Simple answer: because it won’t taste as good as this one! The reason why it tastes so special is that the main lady chef does the seasoning for each tom yum soup bowlful by bowlful. In other words, the fresh lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, chili and freshly chopped coriander are tossed in just before it gets sent to the table. The temperature of the soup is just perfect, the flavour even better. The soup has a sweet taste, and subtle hints of salty, sour and spicy thanks to the fish sauce, chili and fragrant tom yum ingredients. Founded almost thirty years ago and now run by the second generation, this family run stall is yet more culinary proof that focusing on doing one dish well often yields the best results. Simple and soothing, this is soup perfection.

ข้าวต้มปลา ซอย 38 สุขุมวิท ซ.38 Khao Tom Pla [MAP3 / S11] Khao Tom Pla is in Sukhumwit Soi 38, and the last food cart on the right hand side. They are open from 6:30pm until midnight; closed Mondays. bangkok101.com

cooking with poo

Cooking with Poo Stop sniggering at the back! Poo is actually the nickname of one of the city’s most in-demand cooks, Saiyuud ‘Chom-Poo’ Diwong. A long-time resident of Bangkok’s Klong Toey slum, Poo runs her own cooking school as part of the Helping Hands initiative, a community self-help program she started with other residents. The profits help street businesses get on their feet. Each month we bring you a recipe from her cooking book, copies of which are available via her website www.cookingwithpoo.com.

Yam Som-O | ยำ�ส้มโอ (Pomelo Salad) Pomelo Salad is often referred to as ahaan chaw-wang, in other words, the food of the Royal Family. It has many ingredients, many of them quite expensive, so you won’t find this dish in street stalls, and it is scarce in our community. Despite this, when the opportunity to eat it arises, most Thai people consider it a delicious treat. This recipe serves four people. ingredients 2 cups water 100g chicken or prawns 1 tbsp palm sugar 1 tbsp fish sauce or a pinch of salt if you don’t want a fishy taste 4 tbsp tamarind sauce (don’t use if you are using grapefruit) 1 tsp chilli paste (more for taste) ½ a pomelo or 1 ripe pink grapefruit (peel and separate flesh into small pieces)

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1 tbsp deep fried onion (crispy) 1 tbsp deep dried garlic (crispy) 2 tbsp dry fried coconut (crispy) 2 tbsp peanuts (chopped) 2 tbsp cashew nuts 10 mint leaves Preparation • Boil water in a pot • Add chicken and cook until cooked (approx 10 minutes) • Drain water away, let cool and tear chicken into small pieces • Put palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, chilli paste in to a small bowl and mix • Gently mix pomelo, onion, garlic, coconut, peanuts, and chicken in a bowl • Add palm sugar mixture and garnish with cashews and mint leaves

COOKING WITH POO Saiyuud Diwong | UNOH Publications | 112pp | www.cookingwithpoo.com | Aus $20

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Baan Rub Rong

Thai Baan Rub Rong [MAP2 / J11] 8 Soi Mooban Seri Villa, Srinakarin Soi 55 | 02-1856030-1 | 10am -10pm | www.baanrubrong.com

There are Thai restaurants that scrape by serving mediocre food in a pretty setting. Then there are those that succeed because they serve some of the best Thai food you’ve ever tasted. Baan Raprong, a spotless family-orientated modern Thai affair out near Paradise Park and Seacon Square shopping malls, hums the latter tune. Starters hint at the quality to come. The pla satay are six little sticks of grouper fish served with sweet and smooth peanut sauce. Usually a pork dish, the white, succulent meat made a nice change from the usual chewiness. Gor bai hoey, nuggets of deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf, were also juicy and tender, though the plum sauce was a little too sweet for our liking. The menu (a whacking great, 300-dish strong, picture-led affair) also includes many unusual dishes: a fresh, funky salad, or yum, of grated white turmeric, mango, lemongrass and friend garlic for example. There’s also Southern Thai food, dishes such as that scorching hot classic kaeng dtai pla, and some northern staples, such as nam prik pla too, mackerel with chilli

Bor Ror Chor

dip, join the party too. For those of us in downtown Bangkok, a trip out to the Srinakarin Road area for a spot of lunch or dinner is a big commitment. Baan Rub Rong is one of the few restaurants in the area that’s worth the effort.

บ้านรับรอง ศรีนครินทร์ ซ.55 Bor Ror Chor [MAP5 / L6] Saladeang Soi 1 Lumphini Bangrak | 088-003-8987 | 10:30am – 9pm | facebook.com/borrorchor

There’s a new, quick and cheap lunchtime option in the Silom area – a cooler, less sweaty option than the usual streetside guay deow (noodle) or khao gaeng (curry over rice) stall. Peel back the sliding glass doors, step inside and you’ll notice that Bor Ror Chor looks ancient. Look closer, though, and you’ll see that those exposed brick or tobacco-stained walls, mosaic floors and elegant wooden chairs are actually all brand new, faux-antique stylings. Essentially, it’s a traditional pork and beef noodle shop, albeit one with a few specials that have been tacked on to keep things interesting. For us, the soup in both the pork and beef versions is intense but in a good way, not too sweet or too salty. And the meat makes a worthy companion to it – is juicy and tender, having been braised in accordance with the family recipe. Though the noodles come in all the usual variations

Issaya Siamese Club

(vermicelli, egg, thin or fat noodles), we’d say the bowls here are a cut above their street equivalents. And so they should be given the higher price: B65 per bowl; B10 for any extras. Other choices include Japanese-style steamed pork and egg topped on rice; moreish por pia tod (ham and cheese spring rolls; B70); and the feisty dab wan moo (pork liver salad; B70). In the evenings, they also serve draught beer as well as hot pots that you can boil meat, ‘suki’-style, in. Everything’s tasty, but in the comforting not mind-blowing sense of the word, which is exactly what you should expect from a cheap and cheerful shophouse joint such as this one.

ก๋วยเตี๋ยว บ.ร.ช. ศาลาแดง ซ.1 Issaya Siamese Club [MAP8 / M18] 4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Rd, Sathorn | 02-6729040 | www.issaya.com |11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm, late supper until 1am, bar until 2 am

Bean bags on the lawn, fans whirring on the terrace, a relaxed garden atmosphere that’s rare in this city…Before you’ve even glanced at the menu, this colourful Thai restaurant in the stately 1920s house that was formerly French restaurant Le Café Siam has won you over. A lounge bar as well as a restaurant, it’s a three-way tie-up between Chiang Mai based

novotel ss

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interior designer Hans Bogetoft Christensen, DJ manager Frederic Meyer (who supplies the sounds), and Thai celebrity chef Ian Kittichai. As well as the aforementioned, there’s an upstairs where old prints and photos hang beside armchairs and antiques, pre and post-prandial cocktails are served, and a private room is open for reservations. They even found space for an organic herb garden out back. Even if this setting were accompanied by the most by-numbers Thai food imaginable, we’d still recommend Issaya to visitors, but we can see Ian’s contemporary food appealing to wellheeled local foodies too. Of our mains, the tray of wok-seared scallops served in their shells alongside a bowl of moo wan (sweet pork), and the charcoal grilled Sanklaburi chicken, marinated with “Issaya” spices and flambéed with cured Thai whiskey yaa dong, were the two highlights. Instead of the usual white rice, we shared a big bowl of delicious wok-sauteed Asian multigrains with Chiang Mai mushrooms and garlic and sprinkled with mushroomscented oil. However, while the savory dishes exhibit Ian’s shtick – the pairing of traditional ingredients with progressive methods – the desserts are where it really comes to the fore. Prime example: the kanom dok mali, a Jasmine flower panna cotta served with jasmine rice ice cream and jasmine rice tuile.

TAKSURA [MAP4 / B3] 334/1 Soi Thammasaroj, Saphan Chalerm Lar 56, Phayathai Road | BTS Ratchathewi | 02-215-8879; www.taksura.com | 5pm-1am

Taksura attracts a mixed crowd: office workers, high-school students, university undergraduates and foreign travellers all flock here to enjoy reasonably-priced food in a fantastic setting. Diners have the option of sitting inside the old wooden house (seats 20) or on the outdoor terrace, which has space for 10 or so customers. The menu is straightforward, clearly divided into gin kum kum (starters), ao nuk nuk (mains), and lastly – and this probably explains the universal attraction – ‘Drink ‘til Drop’. Indeed, the entire food menu merely serves as a prelude to the alcoholic accompaniment, no surprise when you realise that in Thai ‘Tak’ means ladle and ‘Sura’ is liquor. Still, there are a number of must-try dishes, including pla shon boran (‘Serpent Head’ fish mixed with Thai herbs), kor moo yang (fried marinated pork) and yum tua ploo (fresh wing bean salad served with hard-boiled egg). All use fresh ingredients and come in perfect sharing sized portions. With its relaxed vibe and fun-seeking crowd, this is the place to head to for an evening of dinner and drinks. Come before 7pm to reserve a table on Friday and Saturday nights when the live acoustic band performs and the bangkok101.com

Vientiane Kitchen

crowd sings along. It’s that type of place.

ตักสุรา สาขาสะพานหัวช้าง ถ.พญาไท

NORTHEASTERN THAI (ISAN) Vientiane Kitchen [MAP3/R11] 8 Naphasap Yak 1 Sukhumvit 36 | BTS Thong Lor | 02-258-6171 | www.vientiane-kitchen.com | noon-midnight

While tom yum goong and green curry may have formed a vice-like grip on Thai food in the world’s consciousness, those in the know savour the fresh and fiery offerings from the northeastern region of Isan. The barn-like Vientiane Kitchen, in upper Sukhumvit, takes Isan’s close ties with Laos as its cue for an earthy showpiece restaurant that throws live music and dance performances into the mix. Don’t come expecting high-backed loungers and silk napkins: Vientiane Kitchen wears its bamboo furniture and ramshackle layout with pride. Simple grilled chicken and nam prik chilli dips are the stars here – true ambassadors of the region – while there’s something alluring about folding up chunks of snakehead fish and noodles into lettuce packages and washing it down with one of Asia’s finest brews, Beer Lao. Meanwhile, a huge centre-front stage hosts entertaining musicians and traditional dance routines from graceful, painted lovelies. Not a gourmet venue by any means, but still a fun, affordable night out and a good opportunity to sample some regional delicacies.

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AMERICAN Parata Diamond [MAP3/T3] Ekamai Soi 24 (Sukhumvit Soi 63) | BTS Ekamai | 08-5167-6489 | facebook: Parata-Diamond | Mon – Sun 6:30 pm – 1am

This gastro bar is a very slick proposition. There’s the location down an Ekamai backstreet, only a short hop from all the nearby clubs. There’s the big, converted 1960s townhouse with a dark and sophisticated Moroccan feel, lots of nooks sparingly graced with daybeds, tables or sofas, and a leafy garden. There are artsy add-ons such as exhibitions of local art upstairs and intermittent open-air cultural shows. And then

Parata Diamond

there’s the food, which, instead of the usual Thai and international, is ‘New American’. What’s New American cuisine? Upscale, contemporary cooking that’s not afraid to fuse flavours from across America’s huge melting pot. Which basically means anything goes. So it is that Nhoi, a young female chef who trained and worked in Denver, rustles up everything from Polish-style Pierogi puffs with pork belly confit and an Indian-ish pineapple relish to Southern-Thai style spaghetti and bowls of chrysanthemum panna cotta. Which is kind of fun, we think. Not that every dish is a total success. Our swiss chard lasagna with wild mushroom béchamel was rich and comforting whole food, an excellent dish; but the watery, spicy Thai-style sauce that accompanied what followed – a slab of pan-roasted salmon atop a bed of steamed mussels – didn’t quite work we thought. Still, this is one of the more interesting menus in the area. While the kitchen appears a pretty tight ship, the rest of Parata is more volatile, eager to keep you guessing – and we like that too. Happenings range from belly dancers to DJs (Friday / Saturday) to screenings of old movies (see their Facebook page for their latest “‘Artist’ Shit Happening”).

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FRENCH BOUCHOT [MAP3/O13] Oakwood Residence, 15 Sukhumvit Soi 24 | 02-258-5510 | 6am-10:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm

Bouchot has a creative touch that belies its serviced apartment location. It stands alone, so you don’t need to walk through reception, and it’s accessed by descending stairs into a faux Parisian street scene, complete with café tables and atmospheric shop facades. It’s an ideal introduction to a cosy, basement bar and bistro whose speciality is French- and Belgian-style mussels. Imported every Monday and Thursday, the shellfish are served in half or full kilos in a silver metal bowl, accompanied by either French bread or fries and a choice of sauces. They’re best to eat with your hands, accompanied by a glass or two of house wine (four choices from B220). A half kilo is good for two people, and those with middling appetites may find ja n ua ry 2013 | 75

FOOD & DRINKS

that’s enough. Otherwise, there’s also a list of appetisers, salads and pastas and a few crowdpleasing mains such as rack of lamb, salmon and rib eye. Desserts include a good crème brulée and a so-so banoffee pie. In sum, mussels are the stars of the Bouchot show, but the rest is also extremely decent bistro fare.

โอ๊ควู้ด เรสซิเด้นท์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.24

Ma Du Zi by Yuya

All Six to Twelve

Ma Du Zi is a narrow room with a wood and marble floor that leads from the small circular bar at the entrance of this boutique hotel. It’s informally decorated, with shelves of ornaments and books that effectively divide the tables into booths and lend the air of a library. Japanese chef Yuya Okuda has worked extensively in French restaurants, both in France and Tokyo, and brings to the table what he describes as French food, although supplemented by flavours and techniques from Japan. A typical example is the signature bouillabaisse (B1,200), in which scallop, river prawn and three types of fish are cooked and served apart from the broth, which is prepared with additions of miso and the Japanese stock dashi. The result is a cleaner tasting soup, more restrained and with less earthiness than the French traditional. Other cross-cultural touches come in items like Haccho red miso marinated New Zealand lamb rack grill (B1,300), marinated for three days, so the texture of the meat has a cured quality in the spectrum of marinated salmon. There are thirty wines each of red and white, from B1,100 to B6,000, but just one red or white by the glass.

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Apart from the à la carte, Ma Du Zi has various special menus, including a three course dinner set, with a glass of wine option instead of dessert (B990); a 10-Course Degustation (B2,850); and an ‘Anti-Aging’ 5-Course Dinner (B1,800), which has dishes with taglines like “anti-viral as well as anticancer effects”. Prices include tax and service.

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Indian INDIAN CHAAT [MAP3/K7] 59/4, Sukhumvit Soi 23 (opposite Smart School and next to Robinsons School of Music) | BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-259-7900 | indianchaat.blogspot.com | Mon –Tue 10am -10pm, Fr – Sun 11am – 11pm

In Hindi, the word ‘chaat’ means lick, and is the colloquial term used for snacks, the only type of food on the menu at Indian Chaat. The restaurant is the brainchild of an expatriate Indian family with a simple aim: to produce the most authentic Indian snacks in Bangkok at the most reasonable prices. The surroundings are simple but functional, with red tablecloths and a sprinkling of artwork on the walls. By the entrance is a glass display cabinet where the traditional sweets are kept, a tempting array that includes ras malai (sugary balls of

paneer soaked in clotted cream and flavoured with cardamom, B20) and the brownish-red coloured gulab jamun (deepfried milk product soaked in a sugary syrup, B15). On the main menu is a true smorgasbord of flavours, including pani puri (also known as golguppe, B50 for six pieces), traditional street food that consist of hollowed out, deep-fried dough balls that you make a small hole in, fill with potato, onion, chick peas and sauces, and then devour in one, taste-exploding bite. Following this were equally delicious servings of paneer pakora (deep-fried cottage cheese, B70), samosas (B10 each), and papri chaat (puri covered with yoghurt and sweet tamarind chutney, B50). Everything was ridiculously good, and at prices that meant we weren’t afraid to keep ordering. Alongside an order of sweet lassi (B50), and a smattering of sweets to takeaway, our entire bill came to under 700 baht – a steal.

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INTERNATIONAL All Six to Twelve [MAP4 / J8] Fraser Place Langsuan, 55 Langsuan Road, Lumpini | 02-250-6799 | Mon-Sun 6am-midnight | www.facebook.com/allsixtotwelve

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QUINCE

All Six to Twelve’s setup is very Lang Suan. This lofty space sits at the end of a neat, frangipani-lined driveway, on the ground floor of a slick serviced residence catering to expats and longstayers. Normally, these sorts of joints turn out fancy international fare at nosebleed prices. But All Six to Twelve’s menu of modern Thai, plus a smattering of Western and Japanese, is very reasonable. And pretty tasty, we thought. Salads are simple beds of fresh lettuce, rocket and other greens laced with herbs, protein and a fresh, tangy Thai dressing. Our pick: the tuna mango salad (B120). The tart lime dressing, cubes of soft sweet mango and lingering hint of dill worked very well together. Meat mains were simple, arriving rich-sauce free, slow-cooked and with greens. Our out-and-out fave was the chicken steak with five-spices (B180), as the meat was ultra flaky and flavourful. Quite a bit more expensive (fingers crossed they introduce a happy hour of some sort), but just as tempting are the tipples. The bar here shakes and stirs a selection that would put many of the bars along Thonglor to shame, from old standbys to luscious signatures to the aptly titled Lava party set. Order in one of these and, after watching an evil blend of tequila, Singha beer, brandy, vodka and sambuca being set on fire and then cascaded into 3, 6 or 9 cocktail glasses (B700-B2,000), the party will, indeed, be started.

เฟรเซอร์ เพลส หลังสวน ถ.หลังสวน QUINCE [MAP3/P10] Sukhumvit Soi 45 | 02-662-4478 | 11:30am-1am | www.facebook.com/quincebangkok

Tucked away just off Sukhumvit Road, a five minute walk from Phrom Phong Skytrain, Quince is located behind the furniture shop Casa Pagoda, whose owner – a partner– supplied some of the furniture for the restaurant. It’s a glam factory interior with elements of rustic chic. The front room has a bar, dealing in cocktails designed by self-styled ‘mixsultant’ Joseph Boroski, while the back room, dubbed the cellar, has white walls of warehouse brick and an old farmhouse-feel stairway leading to a surrounding balcony and private rooms. The timeless poppy soundtrack shifts from bangkok101.com

PIZZAZO

Blue Velvet to Come Fly With Me as we tucked into a starter of sweet watermelon pickle and sticky-soft, toffee-like quince jam working against a salty black pudding (B200. The food is presented to share rather than individual portions, and there’s a Mediterranean feel to it that makes the choice of by-the-glass Spanish reds appropriate. “We are trying to avoid clichés and do simple food cooked well,” says Jess. “And the menu changes quite often based on produce available.” Keeping it local, they have lamb and beef from Pak Chong, free range chicken from Kanchanaburi, and Jess says all the seafood is wild caught “except one sustainable fish-farmed barramundi from down south”. Quince does exactly what it says on the box – simple home cooking at good prices. You could easily walk out of here with three courses under your belt for B800 before wine and taxes. With punters’ support for the concept, let’s hope they can resist the pressure to go the upmarket route of expensive imports. There’s already enough wagyu in town.

ควินซ์ สุขุมวิท ซ.45

ITALIAN PIZZAZO [MAP3/K11] 188 Sukhumvit Soi 16 | BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-663-8500 | www.pizzazobistro. com | Tue-Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am10pm, closed Mon

The original concept behind Pizzazo was to create a takeaway pizzeria business delivering traditional Napoli-style pizzas – as opposed to the fast-food American versions – to hungry Bangkokians. However, when its owner Khun Thanit came across a neglected empty white house on a plot in Sukhumvit Soi 16, he set about transforming the site into a French-Italian bistro. After a mere two months hard work, Pizzazo the restaurant emerged. We began with a bright bruschetta alle verdure (B150). No simple tomato salsa on this bread, rather a fresh and flavourful vegetable medley of tomato and basil, grilled artichoke and vegetables topped with mozzarella. As for ja n ua ry 2013 | 7 7

FOOD & DRINKS

KOREAN BONCHON CHICKEN [MAP3/Q6] 2/F, Seenspace, Thong Lor 13 | 02-185-2361 | www. facebook.com/bonchonthailand | BTS Thong Lor | Sun-Thu 11am - 11pm, Fri & Sat 11am - midnight Hama-Ichi

pizzas, order the Mediterranea (B440) if you want to have it all: tomato sauce, mozzarella, premium parma ham, rocket salad, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, black olives, basil, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Combine this with an order of tiger prawns (served with crunchy eggplant, anchovy brandade, and mesclun salad with balsamic caramel and garlic chips, B340), and then satisfy those sweet cravings with the crispy chocolate and almond flavoured cake (B140), a delicious contrast of soft mousse and vanilla ice-cream with a crisp, biscuit-like base.

พิซซาโซ่ บิสโทร สุขุมวิท ซ.16

JAPANESE Hama-Ichi [MAP3/L9] Legacy Suites, 12 Sukhumvit Soi 29, Klongtoey-Nua | 02-662-3376 | Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight (last order 11:30pm), Sun 4pm-11pm (last order 10:30pm)

Occupying a ground floor space at the Legacy Suites serviced apartments, Hama- Ichi lacks the gritty, 1950s-street-in-Tokyo atmospherics and peeling movie posters of our favourite izakaya, Imoya, but makes up for it with a big sake and sho-chu list and even bigger food menu. While aimed at – and mostly catering to – a Japanese clientele, the menu

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BONCHON CHICKEN

is easily deciphered by English readers, with a short description and salivating pictures accompanying the names of the almost 300 dishes. Dive straight in – we did, and didn’t regret any of it. Our pick of the sushi, the aburi-zushi gokan (seared salmon, mackerel, yellow-tail; B460++), was devoured in minutes. And our bowl of kaisendon (sashimi on rice) with blob of wasabi, a sumptuous table-pleaser. Two dishes stood out above all the others. The first was the ishikara nabe, or salmon hotpot (B250++). Thick with vegetables and tofu as well as chunks of fish, this big bowl of misobased soup had a complex, almost creamy flavour that we just couldn’t say no to. The other was a otsumami (snack) recommended to us by the waitress: p-tori miso yaki (B90++), which is a long tray of chargrilled pork neck arranged on a bed of very lightly sautéed onions and doused in miso sauce. Finish up with a sake carafe or six. The selection here is extensive, with the owner, who apparently owns Ten Sui, one of the city’s best upmarket joints, importing bottles of the stuff every month. There’s also sho-chu (distilled liquor; glasses from B130++,bottles from B1,300++) and fruity alternatives such as chu-hai (fruity sho-chu cocktails) and choya (plum wine).

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Hailing from the South Korean city of Pusan, the first branch of BonChon Chicken opened there in 2002, serving up ‘healthier, crispier, and juicier’ chicken, with little grease and zero trans fats, and coated in either soy garlic or spicy soy garlic varieties. It quickly became a local favourite, with outlets opening all across the East Asian country. By the end of 2007, BonChon had moved across the Pacific and opened up six restaurants in the north-eastern United States. It soon had the American food critics raving, praising the crunchy and non-greasy chicken, usually served up with cubed pickled daikon radish, and best accompanied by beer or flavored glasses of the Korean spirit soju (or both). Two young Thai girls studying at university in the States, Polly Wongsirikul and Tanya Sripatamasakul, found themselves agreeing. The successful result is a cool new spot in Thong Lor’s latest lifestyle mall, Seenspace. With almost a page to itself, item number one on the menu is BonChon chicken. First, you choose what part you want to eat (wings, drumsticks, boneless, or combo), and how many pieces you want (small B150, medium B230, or large B380), then select your flavour (soy garlic or hot), and finally your choice of side (coleslaw, kimchi coleslaw, rice or sticky rice; the latter a Thai addition to the menu). Of the additional choices, order up a serving of pickled radish for B40, as well as the fried

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NADIMOS

potstickers (gyoza, B120), BonChon seasoned fries (B100); and if you’re into gristle, the chicken joints (soy garlic or hot, B120) make for a great appetiser to go with lychee soju. When the main event arrives, it doesn’t take more than a few bites to see what had the American media chomping at the bit: the coated meat of BonChon fried chicken is absolutely delicious, and, as advertised, is crispy without being greasy. Kamsamnida Korea, from now on we’ll never look at the dirty bird quite the same way again.

ไก่บอนชอง ทองหล่อ ซ.13

MIDDLE EASTERN NADIMOS [MAP3/N13] 99/397 Sukhumvit Soi 24 (opposite the Davis Hotel) | 02-261-9816-7 | 11:30am-11:30pm | $$

Dishing up authentic Lebanese in pleasant surrounds, the original Nadimo’s became our go-to for Middle Eastern food in the Silom area after a chance discovery a couple of years back. Like the original, this bigger branch located deep in thrusting high-rise lined Sukhumvit Soi 26 is a more sophisticated and adeptly run joint than most of its shisha smoky brethren. Keen staff in white shirts and black slacks walk around the expansive

El Gaucho

modern steel and glass shell taking orders and straightening cutlery. Out front is an al fresco decking area where you can puff on a flavoured shisha pipe and order cocktails from the bar. Despite this glossy patina, Nadimos’ food doesn’t deviate from tradition. Shawarma fans will be reassured to see spits of beef and lamb spinning in the open kitchen, while the menu features all the usual suspects, from little plates of mezze to glasses of homemade ayran (a sour yet refreshing yoghurt drink) to wash them down with. Standouts from the reliable kitchen for us were the falafel (crunchy, fragrant, moreish), and, best of all, the kafta (juicy skewers of charcoal-grilled minced lamb).

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Steakhouse El Gaucho [MAP3/H9] Sukhumvit Soi 19 | 02-552-864 l daily 4pm-late | http://elgaucho.asia/thailand

We’ve been twice to this three-month-old steakhouse and on both occasions it ticked the ambiance, service and food boxes with aplomb. Our only real nitpick: it’s very pricey. A mirror-image of other branches in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, the slick, two-storey edifice

open lunch and dinner

www.labottega.name

Photography for La Bottega by Studio NUMA bangkok101.com

takes its cue from Argentina, the country with the second highest beef consumption rate after the US. Upstairs, with its spacious seating area and uninterrupted views out across traffic-snarled Soi 19, is the place to sit. Imported from the US and Australia (due to export laws there isn’t actually any Argentine beef!), steaks are sizzled the Argentinean way – with just a pinch of sea salt – then served to your table on heated metal trays, sans extras. Prime wagyu takes pride of place on the menu, a 200 gram fillet mignon of the stuff coming in at an eye-watering B2,990++. But, in our opinion, there’s no need to drop such a big wad when the cheaper options are this good. The Prime Black Angus ribeye (250g B1,300++) was a long and juicy slab with intense, gratifying marbling; and the fillet steak (250g B1,390++) even better – one of the most succulent hunks of meat we’ve chomped on this year. Cheaper ‘choice’ cuts are available (250g fillet steak B980++), as is even more affordable meaty fare such as braised lamb shanks, chicken skewers and beef burgers. Sides and sauces (extra) are rich and comforting and good for sharing, though honestly, such is the flavour and juiciness of the meat, we could live without the latter. Meanwhile, the wine selection is, as you’d expect, heavy on the reds. Four of the 52 bottle-strong selection are available by the glass, our pick being the spicy, peppery Malbec from Argentina’s Uco Valley (B330++ per glass, B1,350++).

เอล กัลโช่ สุขุมวิท ซ.19

OTTEGA ja n ua ry 2013 | 79

Nightlife

RED SKY BAR 80 | ja n ua ry 2013

bangkok101.com

Nightlife News

Nightlife Justice & Snoop Come Together

Jul & Co live jams

If you don’t dig the beats blasting in the bar room at Bed Supperclub (p.84) on Tuesday nights between 11:30pm and 1am, try what’s coming out of the adjacent white room instead. For the foreseeable, here you’ll find talented French multiinstrumentalists Jul & Co combining live laptop DJing with singing as well as flute, trumpet and drum playing. Going in whatever direction the beat or mood takes them, their repertoire apparently includes rare funk grooves, rock classics, bossanova anthems and even the odd Isan track.

Steve Rachmad to spin at Glow

Making a welcome change from the all the too-hyped and toohip DJs who tend to grace us with their presence, little-known techno legend Steve Rachmad spins at Glow (p.84) on Friday January 4. Considered the father of Detroit techno in his native Holland, he’s coming as part of his 2013 Secret Life of Machines album tour. Support is from organiser ReGenerate’s resident DJs The Outsider and Damien Porter, as well as Dane Wetschler from Duck & Noodle. Tickets are B300. www.facebook.com/ regenerate.soundsystem

DJ Shy at Q Bar

Touted as the first female on-air mixer at the Los Angeles radio station 102.7 KIIS-FM, DJ Shy brings a wide blend from house to hip-hop and R&B when she takes over the decks at Q Bar (34 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-252-3274, www.qbarbangkok.com) on January 9. For women it’s free entry (plus two free drinks before midnight). Men pay B500, which includes two drinks. bangkok101.com

US rapper Snoop Dogg headlines Together Festival, which brings a stream of international acts to BITEC (km1, 88 BangnaTrad Rd, 02-749-3939, www.bitec.co.th) on January 19. Snoop is here on the back of 30 million album-selling career, hits such as ‘Gin and Juice’ and ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, and the soon-to-bereleased film Reincarnated. Also on the bill are French electropop duo Justice (‘We Are Your Friends’ and ‘D.A.N.C.E.’), House DJs Max Vangeli and AN21, and Dutch DJ Quintino. Local acts include Thaitanium and Bangkok Invaders. Tickets are B2,300 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com) or available on the door. Don’t forget your ID to prove you’re over 20. For more details visit www.facebook.com/togetherfestival.

Bangkok Boat Party

Cruise up the Chao Phraya to the sounds of loud beats and over 200 excitable ravers on the January 14 edition of the Bangkok Boat Party. Boarding starts at 9:45pm at Saphan Taksin pier, after which the boat will set off upstream as DJs such as Ma, Go, Dragon and Goo spin everything from reggae to electrobreaks, dubstep and drum ‘n bass on the top deck. They also promise an air-con chill out room in the cabin below and prize giveaways. Tickets are B900 with two free drinks; call 081-8871032 or 084-713-2190 to book and see www.facebook.com/ bangkokboatparty for updates.

Kolour Sundays comes home

Bringing Balearic vibes and smoking barbeques to the grownup expat party scene, Kolour Sundays is a roughly bi-monthly event that blends DJs, live music, drink specials and other entertainment on, you guessed it, Sunday afternoons. After their packed first birthday blow-out at Flowhouse Bangkok back in late November, the crew are returning to where it all started, riverside bar Viva & Aviv, on January 15. The music starts at 1:30pm and entry free until 3pm, after which it’s B300. See www.facebook.com/wearekolour for the line-up and updates – and don’t forget your sunglasses ja n ua ry 2013 | 81

Nightlife

Spot On

- the city’s first barefoot drinking hole If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air, you might think a trip out of the city is due but, one of Bangkok’s newest bars attempts to recreate the charms of a laid back beach bar, right in the heart of Thong Lo. The concept – some may call it a gimmick – is that of a sun-downer bar beachfront bar, complete with sand-covered floor. Other seaside-y touches include decking, tables that double up as tanks, chilled out music and some overenthusiastic fans which, if you close your eyes, could well be a coastal breeze ruffling your ‘do (don’t panic, there’s air con, too). Patrons are welcome to kick off their shoes and slip on a pair of the bar’s flip flops or simply sink their toes into the fine white sand near the bar. Or, if you don’t fancy that idea, you can enjoy the beach vibe from the comfort of the decked area, where you can sink into a sofa in the open air section overlooking the street below. Spot On wants to be recognised for its cocktail menu as well as its novel décor but, in an area like Thong Lo, it certainly has its work cut out to wow the mixed drink swilling crowd.

Spot On Beach Bar & Lounge

[MAP3 / R6]

139 Thonglor Soi 10 | BTS Thonglor | 082-488-0169 www.facebook.com/SpotOnBeachBar | Mon - Sun 5pm – 2am 82 | ja n ua ry 2013

The extensive menu, showcased on iPads, includes some experimental and tasty options such as Mango Daiquiri, Spice Me Up (a not-very-spicy mix of vodka, triple sec, chilli and brown sugar) and The 7 Deadly Sins (tequila, gin, vodka, contreau, cognac, peppermint, sparkling wine and pineapple juice). Cocktails start at 220 baht and, though very tasty, do err a little on the weak side – even those on the ‘Hangover Tomorrow’ list. The food menu is more limited, offering bite-sized barnibbles, with both Thai fusion and western food available, including spring rolls, buffalo wings, larb salmon, fries and mini pork burgers, with most snacks coming in at around the B200 mark. If that’s still not enough to satisfy your oral fixation, there are mini shishas in a range of flavours, too. But, unless you’re partial to the taste of charcoal, we suggest steering well clear. Despite its B327 price tag, the staff is openly unsure about how to prepare it properly and the results are decidedly unappealing. Though Spot On has undeniable charm, it’s still surprisingly quiet for a venue that only opened in October. Perhaps it’s the lack of marketing, the slightly over-priced cocktails or perhaps the novelty has already worn off.

สปอต ออน ทองหล่อ ซ.10 bangkok101.com

ROUTE 66 [Map8 / Q12] 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | MRT Phetchaburi | www.route66club.com B200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais

Bed Supperclub

Nightclubs BED SUPPERCLUB [ma p3 / C4] 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3537 www.bedsupperclub.com | 7:30 pm-1 am

With its uber-modern oval spaceship design, Bed Supperclub is a hugely successful hybrid, and a Bangkok icon: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past eight 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. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-notch talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Bigname DJs tend to spin on Thursdays.

เบด ซัปเปอร์คลับ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 DEMO [map3 / R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-711-6970 | 8 pm-1 am | free

Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipster-ville; it sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.

เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ.10 Funky Villa [MAP3 / R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 | BTS Thong Lor 08-5253-2000 | 6 pm-2 am |

The name Funky Villa conjures images of roller-blading babes in bikinis, all partying at a Hugh Hefner-owned villa in the Med. The reality’s different. Steer your way through the fairground-sized car park, past the BMWs and chic lounge-deck area, and you’ll hit a swish one-storey house, more posh than bangkok101.com

Q bar

funky. Some of Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls around in the front room; but most hit the fridge-cool dancehall to boogie away the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs. Forget about edgy sounds – here it’s all about getting down with the CEOs of tomorrow.

ฟังกี้ วิลล่า ทองหล่อ ซ.10 GLOW [Map3 / G5] 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 | www.glowbkk.com 6 pm-1 am

This boutique club / bar challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of underground electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes night-tonight but always excludes hip-hop (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool website.

โกลว์ สุขุมวิท ซ.23 LEVELS [Map3 / E8] 6th Floor, Aloft Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 082308-3246 | 9pm-3am daily | www.levelsclub.com

One of the newest clubs on Soi 11 (along with Bash) is drawing big crowds, especially during weekends and international DJ fly-ins. Located in the front annex of the Aloft Hotel, directly opposite Bed, entry is via a lift. Step out of it and you emerge out on to a semi-open air terrace lit by a glowing bar. Our favourite spot: the banquettes with a birds-eye view down over the soi. The rest of the club hasn’t made such a big impression on us, yet. At the far end of the huge main room, a DJ spins mainly house music in front of a tiered danceflooor spotted with tables and podiums. Dancers step up to get the crowd going. There’s also a low-ceilinged room at the back that opens up later. On Thursdays ladies get 3 free drinks, and Fri-Sat there’s a free bar until 11pm for B500, but the biggest reason for its success appears to be the lack of an entry fee.

เลเวลส์ รร.เอลอฟท์ แบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.11

Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as it is affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, all-lasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. Route is not a good place to lose your friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry fee (but get a free drink).

รูท 66 อาร์ ซี เอ TAPAS [Map5 / J 5] Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom 02-632-7982 | www.tapasroom.net | 8 pm-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. Multi-levelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Weeknights are very quiet, but weekends are always hopping from about midnights onwards. And if it’s not, there’s the outside terrace: a good spot for cocktails and some of the best people watching in town. The tipples are mixed strong, and watching this soi’s comings and goings an eye-opening experience to say the least. The B200 entry fee on Fridays and Saturdays includes a drink.

ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4 THE CLUB [Map7 / F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 www.theclubkhaosan.com | 6 pm-2 am B 100 (incl. one drink)

The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairy-tale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance raves. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually cranium-rattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.

เดอะคลับ ข้าวสาร ja n ua ry 2013 | 83

Nightlife

Q BAR [Map3 / C4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-252-3274 www.qbarbangkok.com | 8 pm-1 am

Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs appearing regularly. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Some relative solitude and a pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found up here and on the outdoor terrace, which is perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack. Ladies get free entry on Wednesday nights – and two free drinks!

คิว บาร์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.11

hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map3 / F 6, 7] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250, Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 | www. barsubangkok.com | 6 pm-2 am

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, there are five live bands for each night of the week. Comprised of students from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Jazz, Tenon Round’ are a gifted young quartet who perform every Tuesday from 8 to 10pm. The other bands, JazzPlayground, P.O.8, Rhythm Nation and Hot Gossip, play from Wednesday to Saturday respectively. In between sets, the multi-talented DJ D’Zier spins an infectious blend of house, r&b, soul, latin and whatever else keeps you movin’. As well as creative cocktails (our pick: the tom yum yum - a cold cocktail version of the iconic hot and spicy soup), a ‘Night Bites’ menu of delicious premium finger food is also on hand to keep those energy levels up.

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท สุขุมวิท 12 CM2 [map4 / D5] B1 F, Novotel Siam Square |392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam | 02-209-8888 www.cm2bkk. Com | 10 pm – 2 am

The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and 84 | ja n ua ry 2013

ST.Regis bar

nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dancefloor, plus a sports bar with pool tables, smoking room, and an Absolut Vodka Lounge. It’s mainstream all the way. DJs play what the crowd wants, when they want it, usually the latest electro, funky house or hip-grinding R&B tune, while the live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition. Currently that includes the impressive CLAZZ-X, who perform their renditions of modern hip-hop, R&B and other charting hits daily except Tuesday from 10:45pm onwards. International / Thai food and a huge cocktail list is served, as is what they claim is Bangkok’s biggest pour – all drinks feature double shots for no extra charge. Currently the entrance fee is B650 (2 drinks included). However ladies during the popular ‘Ladies Night’ every Monday and Tuesday girls get in free, plus two standard drinks. Stalk their Facebook page for news of their popular monthly theme parties and drinks promotions

รร.โนโวเทลสยามสแควร์ สยามสแควร์ ซ.6 ST. REGIS BAR [map4 / G 7] 12th F, St. Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Rajadamri Rd BTS Ratchadamri | 02-207-7777 | www.stregis.com

Mo-Fr 10 am-1 am, Sat & Sun 10 am-2 am At 6:30 pm each day a butler struts out onto the terrace of The St. Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out onto the terrace. Come for this, stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whisky in hand.

รร. เดอะ เซนต์ รีจิส กรุงเทพฯ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ

CM2

Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP3 / C4] 33rd Fl Frasers Suite Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-207-9300 | www.aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am

A west-facing 33rd floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, Above Eleven is a winning combination. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. There’s a great view, an impressive cocktail list, an electro soundtrack with special DJ nights on Wednesday (Salsa), Friday (Hip Hop) and Saturday (House), and this is Bangkok’s only Peruvian restaurant, a cuisine with a bit of worldwide buzz. It will suit the adventurous.

เฟรเซอร์ สวีทส์ สุขุมวิท สุขุมวิท ซ.11 AMOROSA [Map7 / C 12] 4th F, Arun Residence Hotel |36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd (near Wat Po) 02-221-9158 | www.arunresidence.com 6 pm-1 am

Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, soursweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper though is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its balcony terrace onto the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn, on the banks beyond. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky.

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช LONG TABLE [Map3 / H8] 25th F, 48 Column Bldg | Sukhumvit Soi 16 BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-302-2557-9 www.longtablebangkok.om | 11 am-2:00 am

Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing that draws Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish bangkok101.com

explore the scenery. It’s not cheap, but the daily happy hours (buy one get one drink on selected wine, beer and cocktails from 5pm-7pm).

รร.เซ็นทาร่าแกรนด์ แอทเซ็นทรัลเวิลด์ ถ.พระราม 1 The Speakeasy [MAP4 / J6]

Long table

the speakeasy

restaurant-cum-bar. There’s also the trendsetting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the 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 new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hairtousling breezes; and – best of all – wide-screen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

signature martinis and upmarket nibbles from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include MODE, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape rather than detached from it.

อาคารคอลัมน์ สุขุมวิท ซ.16

Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd. 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am

MOON BAR [Map5 / K, l8] 61st F, Banyan Tree Bangkok | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 www.banyantree.com | 5 pm-1 am

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. 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 telescope 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.สาทรใต้ NEST [Map3 / C4] 9th F, Le Fenix | 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 BTS Nana | 02-305-4000 www.lefenixsukhumvit.com | 5 pm-2 am

An all-white and urbane open-air oasis on the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying bangkok101.com

เลอฟินิกซ์ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 PHRANAKORN BAR [map7 / G6] Only a five minute walk from Khao San Road, multi-level Phranakorn Bar is an old favourite of local art students and creatives, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playlist and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop offering splendid views, over old-city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is cheap, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first. From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side.

พระนครบาร์ ซ.ดำ�เนินกลางใต้ ถ.ราชดำ�เนิน RED SKY [Map4 / F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | BTS Chit Lom / Siam | 02-100-1234 www.centarahotelresorts.com | 5 pm-1 am

Encircling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan aura. Upscale bar snacks like slow-cooked baby back pork ribs and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company while your eyes

Hotel Muse | 55/555 Lang Suan Rd 02-630-4000 | www.hotelmusebangkok.com 6 pm-1 am

One of the newest al fresco rooftop bars, The Speakeasy has several sections, all radiating from the Long Bar, which you enter from the elevator. As the name suggests, the complex evokes the glamour of Prohibition Era USA, with fusion Deco details, mirrored wall panels and carved wood screens. Everything’s distressed, the parquet floors unvarnished – it’s a well-oiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel. On the wooden deck Terrace Bar people fill the lounge areas and tall tables that hug the classical balustrades overlooking Lang Suan. A long international snack menu stands out for decent portions at reasonable prices; spirits (from B 270) include luxury cognacs and malts; wines are B300-B600 a glass, while cocktails (from B 290) include home-made vodka infusions.

รร.โฮเทล มิวส์ ซ.หลังสวน SKY BAR / DISTIL [map5 / C5] 63rd F, State Tower | 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | www.thedomebkk.com 6 pm-1 am

Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely 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 สีลม

BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map3 / e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 083-5492055 | Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight

Fitting somewhere between Soi 11’s swank cocktail bars and the rickety dive bar aesthetic of the legendary Cheap Charlie’s, which it neighbours, The Alchemist is a stylishly stripped down drinking hole. Nothing more, nothing ja n ua ry 2013 | 85

Nightlife

less. We approve, and so too, it seems, do the punters. Not only does it attract the spill-over from Cheap Charlie’s, it also draws a loyal crowd of its own, who savour the intimate atmosphere, occasional live music, proper his and her toilets (Cheap Charlie’s are infamous for their dinginess) and, above all, drinks prices. Currently rocking the drinks list are assorted martinis (dry, passionfruit and espresso), classic cocktails, random shooters, and some of the best mojitos you’ll find on this end of Sukhumvit.

ดิ อัลเคมิส สุขุมวิท ซ.11 BARLEY BISTRO [map C4] 4/F Food Channel, Silom Road | BTS Sala Daeng | 087-033-3919 | daily 5pm-late www.barleybistro.com

Hidden up some stairs at the Food Channel, an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, Barley Bistro is slick and snazzy. The design is chic (blacks and greys, white-on-black stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food new-fangled (spaghetti kimchi etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air rooftop. Though not quite worthy of our ‘Bars with a View’ section – it’s boxed in by buildings – it’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barley-stalk sculptures and good for postwork/ pre-club cocktails. Live bands play in the bar most nights.

บาร์ลี่ย์บิสโทร ฟู้ดชาแนล ถ.สีลม BREW [map 3 / Q6] Seen Space, Thonglor Soi 13 | BTS Thonglor | 02-185-2366 | www.brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am

It wasn’t so long ago that the beer selection here was comprised entirely of the ubiquitous local lagers and the Heinekens and Carlsbergs

of this world. The fact that it doesn’t anymore is largely thanks to Chris Foo, the owner of this beer bar tucked away on the ground floor of Thonglor Soi 13’s happening mini-mall Seenspace. Depending on what time of year it is, Brew stocks between 140 and 170 bottles of ales, lagers, ciders, you name it. Currently, the setting in which you sip them is hip in Thonglor circles. That’s not so much down to Brew’s tiny interior, with its exposed piping and bar flanked by kegs of beer and brick walls, as the buzzing outdoor area it shares with futuristic cocktail bar Clouds and the nautically-themed Fat’r Gutz. Due to Thailand’s head-smackingly high import duties, most bottles hover around the B240-260 mark.

ซีน สเปซ ทองหล่อ ซ.13 CAFÉ TRIO [map4 / H6] 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | BTS Chit Lom 02-2526572 | 6 pm-1 am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month

Cafe Trio is just about the only bar worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Tucked down a narrow alley just off the upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – a true neighbourhood place. Cafe Trio overflows with plush couches, the lighting delightfully soft, the music always subdued. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has plastered the walls with her Modigliani-esque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and head 50m down the road.

คาเฟ่ทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน

clouds

CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map3 / D6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-253-4648 Mon-Sat 5 pm-midnight

This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-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 in-the-know to fill up on B 70 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. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little sub-soi (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) CLOUDS [Map3 / Q2] 1st F, SeenSpace | 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lo 02-185-2365 | www.cloudslounge.com

The third bar by Australian Ashley Sutton – the mad scientist of Bangkok’s bar scene – is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there

Tel : 02 258 4386 Fax: 02 259 9175 39 Sukhumvit soi 27, North Klong Toey, Wattana Bangkok

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marshmallow

soundscape, and giant cocktails. Though often empty, the big drink list will stop your body clock pretty fast. The three restaurants – Hazara serving Northern Indian, Misaki serving Japanese, and Lan Na Thai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and inviting, but you might be let down by the tiny portions, and the flamboyant prices. Stay in the Bar and order from the snack menu instead. And have another Japanese Slipper.

เฟซแบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.38 FAT GUT’Z [map3 / Q2]

are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of hip lifestyle mall SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leaf-encasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls; and the food offerings tasty misshapen pizzas, cooked in a gas-oven behind the bar and served in steel trays. A lively crowd-puller with indoor and outdoor seating, the result is enjoyably bizarre: think space-station drinking hole.

คลาวด์ โครงการการซีสเปซ ซ.ทองหล่อ 13 ESCAPADE [MAP7 / E3] 112 Pra-Artit Rd, Pranakorn | 08-7363-2629, 08-1406-3773 | Tue-Sun 12pm-12am www.facebook.com/escaburgersandshakes

Unlike most bars in the Khao San Road area, the owners of this bohemian hole-in-the-wall, Khun Karn and Khun Van, are the sorts of locals you might actually strike up a conversion with. Karn, a former bartender at the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, mixes creative, tasty and strong cocktails to order for only B140-B200. Tell him your wildest alcohol-sodden fantasies and he’ll deliver you the tipple of your dreams in minutes. Van, meanwhile, rustles up lip smacking bar grub: hot dogs buried in jalapeno peppers and sizzling bacon; baskets of honey-glazed deep-fried chicken, etc. Perhaps the most memorable thing about Escapade, though, are its proportions: you have to squeeze past strangers to enter, a quirk which makes it more intimate than most.

เอสกาเพด เบอร์เกอร์ แอนด์ เชค ถ.พระอาทิตย์ FACE BANGKOK [Map3 / S7] 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | BTS Thong Lo 02-713-6048 www.facebars.com | 11:30 am-1 am

Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s former mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings and thriving flora, it’s just bigger and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that summons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, ambient bangkok101.com

264 Soi 12, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor) ] 027-149-832 | www.fatgutz.com | 6 pm-2 am

This sleek saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named after famous WWII shipwrecks. This nautical theme loosely ties in with the short menu, from which the most popular dish is, of course, the fish ‘n’ chips (B320 for one person, B600 for two).

แฟท กัซ สุขุมวิท ซ.55 FIVE Gastronomy & Mixology [MAP3 / O9]

Room 103, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 BTS Phrom Phong | 088-524-5550 www.facebook.com/fivebkk | 6pm-1am daily

Five brings a welcome wand blast of gothic whimsy to K Village, an otherwise aesthetically uninspiring community mall. Its owner, Pattriya Na Nakorn, invited bar entrepreneur Ashley Sutton to work his magic with a vacant plot on the ground floor. And, completing her dream team is Joseph Boroski, the same New York based cocktail ‘mixologist’ that Sutton uses. His bars always engage the day-dreamy part of your brain and this black magic themed one is no different. Think clanking pulleys, monumental iron piping and flickering candles. Indeed, even the staff look like they’ve stumbled off the set of Harry Potter. Creepilymonikered eats include fried bat wings (herbcoated chicken wings). And Boroski potions worth necking include the Prescription Brandy Suzerac: a strong, earthy mix of Italian brandy, lime, honey and cinnamon served in a small poison bottle. It’s not cheap, but Five casts an intoxicating spell.

ไฟว์ เควิลเลจ สุขุมวิท 26

HYDE & SEEK [Map4 / L5] 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee BTS Phloen Chit | 02-168-5152 | 11 am-1 am www.hydeandseek.com

This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadringer for those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pick-meup cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgian-influenced décor has paneled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custommade cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and a minimaze of tea plants to partition dining areas.

แอนธินีเรซซิเดนซ์ ซ.ร่วมฤดี MARSHMALLOW [map3 / C5] 33/18 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-254-1971 Facebook: Marshmallow | 11 am-1 am

Occupying the corner building where Sukhumvit 11 turns left towards Q Bar, this gastro bar has a raised terrace that wraps around its perimeter, beside tall steel and glass doors that are fully retractable. Dark wood-planks line the walls and pillars; there’s a metalwork-backed bar; and a bohemian touch, bird cage lamps, dangling over the tables at one end. Cocktails come in at a very reasonable B190; champagne and sparkling cocktails B 220; local beers B90. “Food was never meant to be the focus,” the partner Fred Jungo, a resident DJ at nearby Bed Supperclub, told us. However, judging by the dishes we tucked in to – a bright and fresh haloumi cheese salad, a slab of Australian tenderloin with mash and boiled veg (B 550) – it could become their forte. An affordable and brilliantly located (in Soi 11 clubber terms) spot for drinks and bites.

มาร์ชเมลโล่ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 OSKAR BISTRO [map3 / D5] 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-255 3377 4 pm-2 am; kitchen open till 11:30 pm

Lively Oskar has the electro music and low ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. The food choice includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a section of cocottes. Almost all are under B300, which for food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most people come here though not for the food but for a pre-club libation or two: be it glass of wine (from B145 a glass), imported bottle beer, or reasonably ja n ua ry 2013 | 87

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priced cocktail. Close to Bed Supperclub and Q Bar, its own ambient, loungey sounds crank up as the night matures, and – although there’s no dance space – many of the mixed Thai-farang crowd are happy to linger. It’s a good meal and drinks option for a date or business, but also a lively pick-up joint without the pressure of full-on dress-to-kill. Book ahead if you want a table.

ออสการ์ บิสโทร สุขุมวิท ซ.11 TUBA [Map8 / S14]

tuba

wtf

34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 | 02-711-5500 www.design-athome.com | 11 am-2 am

Owned by the same hoarders behind furniture warehouse Papaya, Tuba is a Bangkok classic: room upon room of haphazardly arranged kitsch, all of which you’re free to skulk through at your leisure. Some come here to snag a comfy sofa, retro sign or goofy tchotchke. Others come for the big menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked for the local palate. But for us, it works best as a bar, as the setting and generous happy hours (buy one get one free between 5-8pm daily) mean there really are few cooler places to kick back with a sweet cocktail in hand (or two hands in some cases – the glassware can be that big!). A word to the wise: one glass too many and you may leave with more than you bargained for. Another caveat: smokers are allowed to puff away.

ทูบา ถ.สุขุมวิท 63 (เอกมัย 21) THE IRON FAIRIEs [Map3 / Q2] 394 Thong Lor (Sukhumvit Soi 55), Thong Lor Soi 12 | BTS Thong Lo | 084-520-2301 www.theironfairies.com

Bangkok’s most bizarre bar is a functioning iron foundry that just happens to serve booze. Drawing heavily from the steampunk genre, it has the labyrinthine otherworldliness of a Terry Gilliam film-set. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours the tables, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the cast-iron spiral staircase. Beers start from B120 a bottle, a well mixed dirty martini goes for B280 and the burgers, served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, divine. The moneyed Thong Lor set fill it nightly.

ดิไอรอนแฟรี่ส์แอนด์โค ซ.ทองหล่อ SALT [MAP8 / L7] Soi Ari (near Soi 4) | 02-619-6886 6pm-midnight

Worth heading to Soi Ari for, Salt is a hipsterluring gastro bar with a post-modern finish. Seating is either out on an outdoor terrace or in a minimalist concrete shell – a former condominium sales office no less – with a bar at the far end and lots of raw marble, stone and wooden furniture. Behind them sits an 88 | ja n ua ry 2013

old wooden house which is used to project digital animations on and offers extra seating. This is the sort of uber-trendy space that the editors of Wallpaper* and other design bibles kneel down and kiss the floor at, but what makes Salt is the global cuisine that’s coming out the kitchen, from fresh sashimi platters to generously dressed thin-crust pizzas cooked in a proper wood fire. Creative concoctions like the Bangkok Mule (a long glass of Mekong rum, brown sugar, ginger ale and diced raw lemongrass) are the work of one of the mixologists from Soi Ruam Rudee’s designer cocktail bar Hyde & Seek.

ซอล์ท ซ.อารีย์ SHADES OF RETRO [Map8 / s14] Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor | BTS Thong Lo 081-824-8011 | 3 pm-1 am | cash only

Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thong Lor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture storecafé,Shades provides a quiet hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd by day, funpeople-watching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, flip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which flirts with being too ironic for its pants. A cool, friendly crowd and bracing cocktails or coffee served up with popcorn humanizes the hip, thankfully.

เฉดส์ ออฟ เรโทร ซ.ธารารมย์ 2 ทองหล่อ VIVA AVIV [map5 / C2] River City-Unit 118 | 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-639-6305 | www. vivaaviv.com 11am-midnight, later on weekends

Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar is being looked after by

the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum (tequila is so last year, apparently), come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250. Food is also served; our favourite dish the risottofilled croquet balls with yoghurt dip.

อาคารริเวอร์ซิตี้ เจริญกรุง ซ.30 WONG’S PLACE [Map8 / L17] 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen, Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | MRT Lumpini 02-286-1558 | Mon-Sat 10 pm-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. Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers, hipsters, creative Thais and professional barflies who have been coming here for years and regard owner Sam as a kind of benevolent dictator, knowing better than to take advantage of the beer fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s usually pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom – and watch the night unfold.

วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี WTF [Map3 / Q6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | BTS Thong Lo 02- 626-6246 | www.wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6 pm-1 am / gallery from 3 pm

This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor, decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thaifarang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo bangkok101.com

and feta salad. Expect occasional live gigs, art exhibitions upstairs and a mix of indie hipsters, journos and artscensters to chew the fat with.

ดับเบิลยู ทีเอฟ สุขุมวิท ซ.51

LIVE MUSIC ADHERE the 13TH [Map7 / G3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089- 769-4613 | 5 pm-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 forthe Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match, and would never sing Hotel California.

แอดเฮีย 13 ถ.สามเสน บางลำ�ภู BRICK BAR [Map7 / G6] 265 Khaosan Rd | 02-629-4477 | Mon-Sun 7 pm1am | Mon-Thu free /Fri-Sat B150 incl. one drink www.brickbarkhaosan.com

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 freshfaced twentysomethings 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.

บริคบาร์ ถ.ข้าวสาร COSMIC CAFE [Map8 / Q12] RCA Block C | Rama IX Rd | MRT Rama 9

The rebel in RCA’s ranks, Cosmic Café serves up a mixed diet of sonic eclecticism in a grungy, open-sided corner bar with outdoor seating and a small dance floor. On one night you might the place jumping to a rare live performance by mor lam legend Dao Bandon, on another a house band dishing out some surf guitar, ska, electronic or blues. The edgiest joint on the block, it draws a lively, musically discerning crowd, from skinny jeaned art-school hipster types to teddy boy expats. An insider’s must.

คอสมิค คาเฟ่ อาร์ซีเอ Le Bar de l’Hôtel [Map3 / G9] Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Road bangkok101.com

sa xophone pub

(btw Soi 13-15) | 02-126-9999 | BTS Nana or Asoke | Daily 11am-midnight

Hotel lobby bars are as safe and predictable as Justin Bieber. Which makes the Sofitel Sukhumvit’s introduction of Chai, one of Bangkok best blues guitarists, particularly welcome. And neither have they stuffed him in a suit. Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, his shaggy ZZ Top beard on full display, Chai throws the sleepy cool of Howling Wolf. And when he cranks up the guitar it sounds like grating steel. For these gigs, running every Friday and Saturday, Chai calls his band the Blues Delivery, a seven piece line up of guitar/ vocals, sax, trumpet, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion. The only thing missing from a traditional blues night is the grungy venue. Le Bar is hotel chic: an intimate 38-seat venue with a laid back vibe and slouchy sofas and cushions. Other music nights with special deals include the Neung Jakkawal Band every Wednesday (cocktails from B199net) and Siam Cubano, with Salsa on Thursdays (six oysters and free flow sparkling wine, B1,499 net). All bands play from 9pm to midnight.

โซฟิเทล แบงคอก สุขุมวิท THE ROCK PUB [Map4 / C2] 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phaya Thai Rd, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi www.therockpubbangkok.com | 9:30 pm-2 am

If Def Leppard, Aerosmith or Wayne and Garth were in town you’d find them reliving the glory years here, at Bangkok’s very own Castle of Rock. A tacky faux-turret exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride you’ve stumbled on, while inside local metal bands sporting Brian May hairdos and crotch-hugging jeans thrash out note-perfect renditions of everything from Black Sabbath to Sweet Child O’Mine and Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. Fans of the extended drum interl ude or lightening fast guitar solo will not be disappointed – or able to resist doing the Devil’s Horn.

เดอะ ร็อคผับ

sonic

RAINTREE PUB [Map8 / K10] 116 / 63 - 34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd BTS Victory Monument | 02-245-7230, www.raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am

This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age timecapsule. Raintree hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970’s 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 8:30 pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11 pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring.

เรนทรีผับ ซ.ร่วมจิต ถ.รางน้ำ� SAXOPHONE PUB [Map8 / K10] 3 / 8 Phaya Thai Rd | BTS Victory Monument 02-246-5472 | www.saxophonepub.com 6 pm-2 am

Just a stone’s throw from the Victory Monument Skytrain Station, this cozy, unpretentious place is a Bangkok landmark when it comes to solid live jazz and blues. Attracting youngish Thais and the odd foreigner, the spacious joint can pack up to 400 people on its homey, low-ceilinged, woodfilled floors. Each night, two talented Thai bands belt out sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare. All the local live music scene greats have played here and many still pop by when they can.

แซ๊กโซโฟนผับ ถ.พญาไท Sonic [MAP3 / T2] 90 Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) |BTS Ekamai 02-382-3396 | facebook: sonic.ekamai 6 pm-2 am

Hip, mural-splattered Sonic is dedicated to bringing you assorted musical jollies. Not the ja n ua ry 2013 | 89

Nightlife

same old Thai bands or David Guetta wannabes, but nights that sit at the more alternative end of the spectrum, with a tilt toward the indie side. There’s a big semi-outdoor seating area with DJ booth, an indoor bar and deeper in is the main room. On quieter nights stools and tables fill this high-ceilinged, warehouse-like space with a bar in one corner and funky brass lamps dangling overhead, but for gigs and other crowd-pullers they strip it bare. Since opening, Sonic has blasted its way into the affections of the city’s hard-to-please nightlife clans with a string of unusual live gigs and themed nights. See their Facebook page for the next.

โซนิค ซ.เอกมัย (ระหว่าง ซ.10 และบิ๊กซี) TAWANDAENG GERMAN BREWERY [MAP2 /E11]

462 / 61 Rama III Rd | Yan Nawa district 02- 6781114 | www.tawandang.co.th

The one place that every taxi driver seems to know, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the towers of micro-brewed beer, the Thai, Chinese and German grub (especially the deep-fried pork knuckle and sausage), and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, everybody is on their feet and the place going bananas. Great for large groups, especially birthday par ties and office outings, but make sure you reserve ahead for the best tables nearest the stage.

โรงเบียร์เยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3

Jazz clubs BAMBOO BAR [Map5 / B4] The Oriental Bangkok | 48 Oriental Ave 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com Sun-Thu 11 am-1 am, Fri & Sat 11 am-2 am

This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, the 50-yearold 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 never theless 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 songstress, Cynthia Utterbach. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bar tenders and served by a superb staff. Ideal for a boozy night on your honeymoon. A definite big Bangkok must.

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brown sugar

Brown Sugar [Map7 / J5] 469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 www.brownsugarbangkok.com | 6 pm-1 am

Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venue was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a world-class, jazz café-style haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. Its exterior is impressive, resembling a ritzy old cinema house. And inside, it’s huge, with a daytime coffeeshop up front, a versatile 200-seater ‘Playhouse’ upstairs, and the big, open-plan jazz pub and restaurant out back. Six house bands fill up the week, and on the last Friday or Saturday of each month they showcase an international act that’s passing through.

บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ.พระสุเมร DIPLOMAT BAR [Map4 / K7] Conrad Bangkok | 87 Witthayu Rd BTS Ploen Chit |02-690-9999 | www.conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu 6 pm-1 am; Fri & Sat 6 pm-2 am

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-onefree Happy Hour from 4 – 7 pm (standard drinks only). It’s 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

the living room

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 Randy Cannon and his trio, including ex-James Brown drummer Erik Hargrove and leading Thai bass player Therdsak Wongvichien, from Thurs-Sun from 9:15pm until midnight. Until November 15, Singaporean pianist Kerong Chok plays with a trio from Mon-Wed (6:15-8pm, 9:15-11pm) and Thu-Fri (6:15-8pm), after which the Don Gomes trio takes over.

รร.เชอราตันแกรนด์ สุขุมวิท Niu’s on Silom [Map5 / E5] 2nd F, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 www.niusonsilom.com | 5 pm-1 am This New York-style lounge – 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 various international acts who perform regularly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring established overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfor table for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concer to Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available.

นิวส์ ออน สีลม บ้านสีลม

THE LIVING ROOM [Map4 / F6] Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-649-8888 www.thelivingroomatbangkok.com | 9am-12am

Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s luxury bangkok101.com

PUB Crawl

pubs 101 HANRAHANS [Map 3 / e10] Sukhumvit Soi 4 l BTS Nana 02-255-0644-5 | 9 am – 1am

JAMESON’S [Map 5 / D 5] Gr. F Holiday Inn Silom | 981 Silom Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-2667703-5 | 10 am – 1 am

MOLLY MALONE’S [Map 5 / J 5] 1/5-6 Soi Convent, Silom| BTS Sala Daeng | 02-266-7160 | 9 am – 1 am

O’REILLYS [Map 5 /K 5] 62/1-4 Silom Rd | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-632-7515 | 9 am – 2 am

The BARBICAN [Map 5 / K 4]

SILOM AREA

Hidden among the salacious delights of Silom Road, you will still find some of the “grand old men” of libation locales. O’Reilly’s [ Map 5 / K5 ] 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 [ Map 5 / K5] a multi-level contemporary concoction of granite and steel where the mixed crowds of expats and locals enjoy superior food and a wide choice of imported beers. With Kilkenny and Guinness on tap, Molly Malone’s [Map 5 / J5] offers a real taste of Ireland. Drop in during their extended happy hour (5 pm – 9 pm) for live music and multiple big screens for sport. Friendly staff and excellent food (especially their Sunday roast) means this place is always busy. A short stroll down from the infamous Patpong stands basement boozer The Pinstman [Map 5 / J5] . Its look and feel is nothing you haven't seen before, but it does have Asahi, Guiness and Kilkenny on tap and lots of imported Belgian brews available by the bottle. Jameson’s [Map 5 / D5] sat under the Holiday Inn is a cavernous place but still packs in the punters thanks to fantastic happy hours, including ladies’ night on Tuesday featuring Margaritas for a ridiculously cheap B 29 a glass.

SUKHUMVIT AREA

Sukhumvit Road, a haven for expats, is jammed with joints catering to ale aficionados. Beside BTS Phrom Phong station, The Robin Hood [Map 3 / m10] offers daily happy hour and drinks specials, including draught Kilkenny and Guinness, as well as live music and sports. Even so, it can sometimes seem a little sedate. Down a nearby alley is The Royal Oak [Map 3 / m9], whose oak-panelled walls and low ceilings give off a cosy feel. The Londoner [Map 3 / m10] 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 [Map 3 / l10], a three-storey edifice. Though slightly pricy, the superb food (try the sausages), live music and Guinness pull in the punters. Up the road in the shadow of Asok BTS, is The Black Swan [Map 3 / j10], a proper British booze abode. No bands. No happy hours. Just snug escape offering a warm atmosphere and a wise-cracking landlord. Tucked down a pedestrian sub-street of Soi 11 lined with international restaurants is The Pickled Liver [Map 3 / e9]. 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 [Map 3 / e10] 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. bangkok101.com

9/4-5 Soi Thaniya, Silom Rd | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-234-3590 | 11:30 am – 1 am

THE BLACK SWAN [Map 3 / j10] 326/8-9 Sukhumvit Rd BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit 02-229-4542 | 8 am – midnight

The Royal Oak [Map 3 / m9] Sukhumvit Soi 33/1| BTS Phrom Phong | 02-259-4444 | 11:30 am – 1 am

BULLY’S [Map 3 / e10] Sukhumvit Rd, btw. Soi 2 / 4 BTS Nana | 02-656-4609 | 11 am – 1am

THE DUBLINER [Map 3 / l10] 440 Sukhumvit Rd, btw. Soi 22 / 24 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-204-1841/2 | 9 am – 1 am

THE LONDONER [Map 3 / m10] Basement, UBC II Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 33 | BTS Phrom Phong 02-261-0238/9 | 11 am – 1am

THE PICKLED LIVER [Map 3 / e9] Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 | BTS Nana 02-254-3484 | 2 pm – 3 am

THE PINTSMAN [Map 5 / J 5] United Center Blg., 323 Silom Rd, btw. Soi Convent / 3 | BTS Sala Daeng 089-012-9922 | 11 am – 1 am

THE ROBIN HOOD [Map 3 / m10] PB Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-3390 10 pm – midnight ja n ua ry 2013 | 91

opening at 338 OIDA GALLERY 92 | ja n ua ry 2013

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new collection

‘The

non

chalance

’

by Kemissara

Words by Gaby Doman

available at: Ekkamai Store [MAP3 / w3] 1023/49 Pridi Bhanomyong 41 (Connecting Ekkamai Soi 22), Sukhumvit Soi 71 | 02-713-3261

www.kemissara.com bangkok101.com

e’ve had the rule ‘cleavage or legs’ drummed into us for so long as a quick fix to sexy that it’s easy to forget our other assets. Sometimes sexy doesn’t have to mean legs out, cleavage on display and a slashed back dress, however much guys try to tell you otherwise. Sometimes it can be a beautiful silhouette, a nipped in waist or a girlie flash of upper midriff. At least, that’s the Kemissara perspective in only the second collection by this fledgling label. Femininity is approached from a refreshingly indirect angle – not the Lolita-style, lacy white frou frou faux-innocence way we’re so used to seeing in Bangkok – but in a covered up, subtle and confident way. And make no mistake; it does take confidence to work these outfits, no matter how much flesh is safely covered by its generous swathes of fabric. Rusty colours are teemed with ankle length sheer skirts, threequarter length sleeves and colour clashes; think deep reds teemed with bottle greens and navy blue complemented with orange accessories. It may not sound overtly sexy, but the collection’s sexiness is subtle but undeniable in its effortless and self-assured style. The key is in the detail. Luxe fabrics are mixed with light, sheer textiles and buttoned-up details, such as high necklines, low hemlines, slouchy trousers, long sleeves and hard-to-wear colours that are sexed up with one bold statement, such as a beautifully constructed bra top, a full length sheer skirt or a waist-hugging cut. The result? Think 70s art curator hot rather than Hollywood A-lister hot. It’s a more grown-up kind of beautiful than we’re used to seeing in Bangkok. Covered-up sexy is an alien concept to a lot of lithelimbed fashionistas in Thailand, but Kemissara proves it’s not only achievable, but results in a highly feminine look that oozes sophistication and style savvy whether you opt for the creamy and peach full-length evening gowns, the sassy white cropped tops and high-waisted trousers or the kiddie-cute appeal of the above-theknee A-line dresses. ja n ua ry 2013 | 93

SHOPPING

unique boutique

Hardcover: The Art Book Shop

t’s been all doom and gloom for books and those who cherish them in recent years. However, the opening of Hardcover last month over at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre proves that there might just be life in the old dog yet. Founded by Shane Suvikapakornkul from Serindia Gallery and Publishing, this gleaming new store is an importer of art tomes from home and abroad, most coming in over the B1,000 mark. Many, if not all, of the world’s leading art publishers are represented here. From Prestel Publishing’s catalog, we leafed through contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals as well as slickly produced books full of North Korean and Chinese political propaganda posters. We were also drawn to the selection of cool illustrative and graphic art books by UK publishers Nobrow located on a shelf near the door – and Taschen’s new, breeze-block sized James Bond 007 Archives. It’s not just imported fare, either. There are plenty of regional and homegrown publications up for grabs too: out-of-print Thai exhibition catalogs that Shane has clearly been hoarding; signed copies of National Artist Kamol Tassananchalee’s new compilation of watercolours, Under the Eastern Sky; and more coffee-table books on contemporary Thai architecture than the next Duangrit Bunnag could possibly need. Unsurprisingly, Serindia’s own catalog is also well-represented. Our picks: the excellent 30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon, which traces the modern history of Myanmar’s former capital through its crumbling colonial-era architecture; and its latest release Art of Southeast Asian Textiles, which is a compendium of top Bangkok law firm Tilleke & Gibbins’ prized, museum-quality textile collection. Whether Hardcover can find its niche in spite of the growing popularity of admittedly rather sexy digital reading experiences such as the iPad and Kindle is not clear, but this much we do know: art book fetishists will find it hard to resist a purchase.

ฮาร์ด คัฟเวอร์ (ชั้น 3 หอศิลป์ฯ กรุงเทพ) ถ.พระราม 1 Hardcover: The Art Book Shop [MAP4 / B4] 3rd Floor, Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama 1 Rd | 02-214-3155 | 11am-8pm TueSun, closed Mondays | www.hardcoverartbookshop.com, www.serindia.com 94 | ja n ua ry 2013

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SHOPPING

jj gem

The Sleeveless Garden By Tammy Dejsupa

You may get lost trying to find this one-year-old boutique, but it’s worth persevering just to get a look at its stylish products catering to the bookish end of the hip young Thai crowd. One of many little jewels in Bangkok’s growing retro fashion crown, The Sleeveless Garden traffics in boxy leather shoulder bags. All are made entirely from organic cow hide and, instead of frilly embellishments or over-the-top designs, boast a back-toschool look that appeals to college students and young working creatives (sorry Dad). Behind the designs are architecture grad Lin and two friends, all young Thai style-makers with a penchant for classic designs. A concept that they call “style from experience” influences each one, as do touches (think elegant stitch lines and old fashioned buckles) lifted from satchels and bags they admire from around the world, especially the Land of the Rising Sun and Europe. The resulting collection is dapper to the core with nifty, well-proportioned designs that come in a range of sizes – and wouldn’t look out of place on the shoulder of an earnest, duffle-coat wearing Ivy League student. 96 | ja n ua ry 2013

For sale at Jatujak or online (international shipping available!), types available include old school bags, compact swale bags, classy ridge bags and Japanese-inspired lawn bags. All are available in vivid, earthy colors such as chocolate brown, crimson red, saddle brown, tan, cherry pink and burgundy. Most have adjustable shoulder straps and at least one internal compartment. Clean and simple, these bags are not just lookers, they’re also functional. As well as bags, The Sleeveless Garden also dabbles in leather accessories such as wallets, belts and felt-shoes, as well as rather classic looking, water resistant “Lunar” watches. Prices vary from B2,900 to B7,400 – not cheap by any stretch, but just look at the quality of the stitching and you’ll know why.

สลีฟเลส การ์เดน โครงการ 4 ซ.47/1 จตุจักร The Sleeveless Garden Room 018, Section 4 Soi 47/1 | BTS Mochit, MRT Jatujak Park | www.thesleevelessgarden.com, www.facebook.com/ thesleevelessgarden | Sat-Sun 10am-10pm | B2,900-B7,400 bangkok101.com

jatujak

Jatujak Market

Forget designer malls. Jatujak 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 go and get lost – literally. Taking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as 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; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully-blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix they desire.

ตลาดนัดจตุจักร

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> The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover | B1,950

The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual inter pretation of Bangkok’s world famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove.

ja n ua ry 2013 | 97

WELLNESS

Chivit Chiva Massages & Spa

PIMMALAI

HEALTH LAND SPA & MASSAGE

PRANALI WELLNESS SPA

Chivit Chiva Massages & Spa [map3 / H9]

Enter this soothing spa, close the door to Bangkok behind you and wave the chaos of the Asok intersection area goodbye. At this top-notch day spa, there are five spa rooms and four Thai rooms, all simple yet exotic, some with private shower. All 12 staff are expertly trained and the menu of available treatments is extensive, featuring facials, body, foot and oil massages, spa packages as well as more funky treatments such as stone massages. They also offer a variety of body scrubs with everything from coffee to seaweed, salt and apple. The B1,600 baht oil massage is splendid, your 90 minute professional massage including a choice of your favourite oil scent, a private massage room with a shower attached and a bathrobe. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this. The spa also offers cheaper solutions that won’t rip quite as big a hole in your wallet, a traditional Thai massage going for B600 baht for 1 hour. Yes, that’s more expensive than you pay at most, but it’s also more reverent.

A former restaurant houses this downtown spa, a huge palace for the body. Despite almost 50 private rooms (175 customers can be treated simultaneously), a peaceful air permeates the place. You’ll get relaxing, muted colours, smart ornaments and expertly 98 | ja n ua ry 2013

performed treatments, all for only a smidge more than a backpacker place. Traditional Thai massages (B450 for two hours) are done in quasi-public but thick curtains guarantee some privacy. Groups of up to eight friends can book themselves into comfy, spick-and-span private rooms. The Aromatherapy Massage is something for the hardy ones; your muscles will get that passive workout. The traditional Thai Herbal Compresses are a must-try. An on-site doctor will examine you before an Ayurvedic Massage – Health Land takes treatments pretty serious. There are several other, even bigger branches scattered around town.

This traditional Northern Thai house is almost a stereotype in its authenticity. Tropical foliage harbours a tall teak and red-brick Lanna structure, inviting in its combo of simplicity and intricate trimming (translate that into high ceilings, pottery and bamboo). Refreshingly simple, airy rooms proffer a calming background for convincing treatments. The short menu contains the absolute classics (plus ear candling, which we love; other favourites are the Eye Treatment and the Scalp Massage). You’ll be hard-pressed to find lower prices even in the dingiest establishments around Nana – Pimmalai’s owners must be goodhearted souls not out for any profit. Plan to spend a whole day here, enjoying several treatments. In between, browse the spa shop, buy sarongs and the whole range of intriguing PIMM bath & body products. Fret not about

the location – Pimmalai is minutes away from a BTS Station. An absolute must – one of our all-time favourites, in fact.

พิมมาลัย ระหว่าง ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.81 และ 83 PRANALI WELLNESS SPA [MAP4 / D4]

The lonely walk, to the pin-drop quiet end of Siam Paragon mall’s third floor, is worth it. Award -winning Pranali delivers ancient techniques in what resembles a shiny Zen spaceship (albeit one that’s landed next to a Martha Stewart furniture store). Past the storefront selling Pranali’s luscious takehome ointments, milkyglass corridors lead to seven private treatment rooms, each named after one of the seven chakras (Visuddha, Anahata etc). Beside your massage bed, tassels of fibreoptic lighting or artinstallation like bamboo arrangements– not to mention mystical muzak – lend a serene, futuristic quality. Many, eager to get back to the shops no doubt, opt for a warp speed foot rub or facial; but Pranali’s well worth a linger. The accurately titled Marvelous Herbal Compress is but one of the menu’s detoxifying many. What’s more the masseuses, in their spick white Buck Rogers-esque uniforms, are models of spa professionalism: smiley, strong and communicative from start to invigorating finish.

สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1 Spa costs

$ :: under B600 $$ :: B600 – B1,000 $$$ :: B1,000-2,000 $$$$ :: B2,000+ bangkok101.com

Signature treatment

King of Oasis Massage

pa success stories don’t get much more meteoric than Oasis Spa’s, a company that started out in 2003 with a branch in Chiang Mai and now has ten scattered all across the land. Their latest is a wonderful Sukhumvit neighbourhood day spa formerly known as Being Spa. Since taking it over they haven’t changed all that much – and that’s a good thing. A path still leads past a serene courtyard pond, and the lobby reception still has the ‘home of a bohemian Thai’ look that we love, done out as it is with Chinese lacquer and Moroccan cushions. There are still eleven treatment rooms fashioned with rustic wood floors and tasteful ethnic décor. However, one thing isn’t the same here: the menu. Now Oasis spa’s full armory of finely tuned treatments are at your disposal, all of them delivered by a coterie of masseuses who have been trained up at Oasis’ very own Chiang Mai-based spa school. The extensive range of treatments range from scrubs, massages, facials and body wraps to packages that stretch a combo of all the above into a sensual, two to four hour body-odyssey. Alternatively, pick one of the five signature massages that have set Oasis Spa apart from the rest. The Voyage of Golden Lanna (B5,900 for 90 mins), for example, is a four-hands massage with a difference – the two masseuses use aromatherapy oils infused with flakes of purest gold, and work in sync with an evocative, specially written Northern Lanna Thai soundtrack. This time around though we opted for the King of Oasis, and were rewarded with two hours of hot herbal compresses and Swedish meets Thai moves – a real stress-relieving humdinger of a massage. As well as soothing our muscles, the aromatherapy oil was just too delicious to wash off, left us smelling like a walking talking air-freshener. The title don’t lie: this treatment is truly fit for a king.

ja n ua ry 2013 | 99

Communit y

Making Merit

Baan Gerda

10 0 | ja n ua ry 2013

bangkok101.com

magine how a child would feel to learn not only that it had been abandoned by its family but also that it was HIV positive. That’s right – you can’t. But that’s the grim situation faced by the young inhabitants of Baan Gerda: a small community in Lopburi province where 85 HIV-positive children, mostly orphans, live and receive medical care under the care of foster parents. Opened in 2001, the initial aim of Baan Gerda, a project of the Children’s Rights Foundation (a Bangkokbased NGO), was simply to ease the suffering of kids with AIDS – to be a hospice in other words. But the advent of anti-retroviral medicines means they now focus on providing what state orphanages and other charitable institutions can’t: life-saving drugs, the love and care of a close-nit family structure and education. Children are grouped into several families, each one with its own house. Two parents – in most cases an HIV positive married couple – take care of about ten children. They are responsible for administering medication, housekeeping and providing a loving home environment. Most kids attend a kindergarten or school following the national curriculum. And they are

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encouraged to let their creativity flow forth – through drawing, music, dance and crafts. Very far from last refuge of despair, Baan Gerda is a humbling place that brings hope, health and happiness to those left behind by their communities – and worthy of your support. Don’t just take our word for it. Here is what Sheldon Shaeffer, the former director of UNESCO Bangkok, had to say: “The many examples of children who were close to death when they first came to Baan Gerda, and who are now growing, playing, going to school and enjoying their childhood, are impressive. The dedication, love and spirit of the staff of Baan Gerda has to be commended.” Donations can be made via the Baan Gerda website: www.baangerda.org. You can either sponsor a child for 100 euros a month or make a single one-off donation.

www.baangerda.org

ja n ua ry 2013 | 101

getting there

victory monument Photographer : Walid Penpan 102 | ja n ua ry 2013

bangkok101.com

RAIL SKYTRAIN (BTS) The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 55; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th

ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).

SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am 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 about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th

Airport Rail Link A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B1545 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150 as part of a drive to increase passenger numbers. http://airportraillink.railway.co.th bangkok101.com

MOTORCYCLE TAXI

RIVER CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Phan Fa Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to board them as they don’t usually wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find.

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 altogether. Fares range from B 9 to B 32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. Cross-river services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B 3.

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. As with tuk-tuks, fares should be negotiated beforehand.

TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in B 2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B 5 or B 10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B 50 surcharge is added.

TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10-minute ride should cost around B 40, but always bargain before boarding. Beware: if a tuktuk driver offers to deliver you anywhere for B 10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. ja n ua ry 2013 | 103

REFERENCE

Map 1 Greater Bangkok A

Greater Bangkok & the Chao Phraya Map 2 >

L MYANMAR

Uthai Thani

UTHAI THANI

CHAI NAT

Chiang Mai

LOP BURI

Nakhon Ratchasima c

Udon Thani

Nakhon Ratchasima

Lop Buri

Kanchanaburi

Pattaya CAMBODIA Koh Samet Koh Chang

NAKHON RATCHASIM A

SARABURI

Andaman Sea

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Koh Samui

AYUTTHAYA

Phuket

PATHUM THANI 5

1 2

MALAYSIA

PRACHIN BURI

f c

RATCHABURI

VIETNAM

Gulf of Thailand

Krabi

NAKHON NAYOK

NAKHON PATHOM

Ubon

Bangkok

ANG THONG

KANCHANABURI

LAOS

THAILAND

SING BURI

SUPHAN BURI

SA KAEO

BANGKOK f a

SAMUT SAKHON

CHACHOENGSAO

SAMUT

1 PRAKAN

SAMUT SONGKHRAM

CA M BODI A CHON BURI

Phetchaburi

Ko Sichang

PHETCHABURI 8

Pattaya RAYONG

Cha-am

CHANTHABURI

Rayong Hua Hin

Ko Samet

Muang Chantaburi

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN 10

Trat

Gulf of Thailand

M YA N M A R

Ko Chang

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Ko Kut

20 km 20 miles Country Border Boarder Crossing Province Border

10 4 | ja n ua ry 2013

Sightseeing a

Bang Krachao b Rose Garden Riverside c Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo d Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) e Safari World f Rama IX Royal Park

floating Markets Damnoen Saduak 2 Amphawa 1

Museums

shopping 1

Asiatique

Nightlife 1 2

Parking Toys Tawandang German

Erawan Museum Hotels House of Museum 3 Thai Film Museum 1 Anantara Bangkok 4 Museum of Counterfeit Riverside Resort and Spa Goods 2

bangkok101.com

Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;

Tanya Tanee

PAK KRET

Don Mueng

Don Mueng Int. Airport

Ko Kret

Sai Mai

Royal Irrigation Dept.

Lak Si

Rajpruek

The Legacy

Northpark

Khlong Sam wa

Royal Thai Army Sport Center

Thanont

Chatuchak Bang Sue

Bang Phlat

Bueng Kum

Huai Khwang

Saphan Sung

Bang Kapi

Pathumwan

Bangkok Yai Wongwian Yai

Bang Rak

Khlong San *

Thon Buri 1

Chom Thong

Bang Kholaem

Lat Krabang

Suan Luang

Khlong Toei

Sathorn

60th Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park

Krungthep Unico Kreetha Grande

Watthana

Lumpini

Wang Thong lang

DinDaeng Ratchathewi

Mini Buri

Navatanee

Phayathai

Taling Chan

Khan na Yao

Mo Chit

Dusit

Bangkok Noi

Panya Indra

Lat Phrao

Chatuchak

Bang Sue

Bang Bon

Bang Khen

MUENG NONTHABURI

Phasi Charoen

Prawet Yan 2 Nawa

Rat Burana

Phra Khanong 4

Phra Pradaeng

Suan Luang Rama IX

Suvarnabhumi Int. Airport

Bang Na

Summit Windmill

Bearing

Bang Khun Thian

Mueang Kaew

Thung Khru

Green Valley

PHRA SAMUT CHEDI

SAMUT PRAKAN

Bangpoo

Gulf of Thailand

bangkok101.com

ja n ua ry 2013 | 105

REFERENCE

Map 3 Sukhumvit Road A

Phra Ram 9

Ram

a IX

Roya

m9 Prara ital Hosp

l Cit

y Ave

RC A ange R ing

Driv

Din

kam

phae

ng P

het 7

Phet

Uthai

Ital Thai

) Phe

Makkasan

tcha

Stat

2nd

Phetchaburi

buri

road (Toll Expy

38/1

phae

ng P

kam

het

Prasanmit Su

9/1

m Ph on g

um 0

wit

Benjasiri Park

wit So i1

Tai

ay sw

ana

s re

Hotels N

300 m 1 328 ft Canal Boat BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line Subway Line Railway

106 | ja n ua ry 2013

Conrad Bangkok Sheraton Grande 3 Seven 4 JW Marriot 5 Rembrandt 6 Four Points 7 Aloft Sukhumvit 11 8 Ramada Encore 9 Imperial Queen’s Park 10 Westin Grande Sukhumvit 2

Marriott Executive Markets Sukhumvit Park 4 Sukhumvit 12 Grande Centre Point Terminal 21 Arts & Culture 13 Sofitel Bangkok 1 Japan Foundation Sukhumvit 14 Le Fenix 2 Koi Art Gallery 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta malls 5 TCDC (Thailand 1 Robinsons Creative & Design 2 Terminal 21 Centre 3 Emporium 6 Nang Kwak 7 WTF

The Pikture Gallery We*Do Gallery 10 RMA 9

bangkok101.com

Phrom

Sukhumw

wit

h ko

Benjakiti Park

15 13

Soi 35

i 33

Sukhumwit

Soi

i 29

it So

wit

umw

hum

Sukh

Suk

it So Su

1 6

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Son

it So

Asok 16

Soi

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Sukh

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Sukhumvit

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wit

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ale

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hum

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Sea

14 35 31 38 39 26 2 7 32 29

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Soi

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Soi

Nan

Nana

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Chit

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tral Cen Lom Chit

ad rungr Bam ital Hosp

wit

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chat Bura kon ya Chai ital Hosp

ye in E Rutn ital Hosp

Soi

kasa

Asok

Soi

Nik

ak mM

Noi uan

Ekkam

Lo 25 Ekkama

Thong

ai 22

i 19

Ekkam

Lo 23

my on

Soi N

Camillian Hospital

Thong

g yon nom

ng myo

ng Lo

ai 21

i Ba

ano

Prid

on my

Bano

kamai

Soi Tho

Ekkam

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ano

Pridi

Soi Ek

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Prid

Ekkamai 23

cha

Thong Lo

Prid

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ai 20

B idi

n yo om

1 Prid

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Su kh um So

Sukh

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16 kamai

it So

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20 o 13

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27 24

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Ekkam

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Ekkam

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ai 12

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kamai

Ekk

ai 1

Soi Ek

lang

m on g

iP adi

Phro

Soi

ng Lo

hro

Soi K

ng L

Soi Tho

Tho

it 7

Ekk

j itive Sam vit um Sukh spital Ho

L hong

Suk

Ekka

mai 14

Sett hab ut

Soi Sa

it So i6 5

wit

Soi

Sukhumwit

Ekkamai

t umvi Sukh spital Ho

hum

wit

Thong Lo

Phra Khanong

Suk

Soi

wit

hum

it S

i 36

Suk

wit

Suk

wit So

S wit

Sukhum

Soi 28

Soi

um ukh

wit

Soi

wit

hum

wit

Soi

hum

Suk

it S

7 19

wit

hum

it S

Sukhumwit

Soi 26

Soi 24

Sukhumwit

Benjasiri Park

3 5

Suk

i 39

Phrom Phong

ukda

it So

Soi 35

Suk

umw

eng M

Sukh

Sukhumwit

Clubs 1

Q Bar Bed Supperclub 3 Insomnia 10 Glow 24 Demo 26 Levels 27 Funky Villa 2

pubs 11

The Hanrahans The Pickled Liver

bangkok101.com

The Robin Hood The Royal Oak 15 The Londoner 16 Black Swan

Nightlife 4

Long Table Beervault 6 Diplomat Bar 7 The Living Room 8 Cheap Charlie's 9 Barsu 19 WTF 17 Alchemist 5

Club Perdomo The Iron Fairies 21 Clouds 22 Fat Gut'z 23 Shades of Retro 25 diVino 28 Le Bar de L'Hotel 29 W XYZ 30 Face Bar 31 Marshmallow 32 Oskar Bistro 33 Tuba 34 Sonic 35 Apoteka 20

Water Library Gossip Bar 38 Nest 39 Above Eleven 37

Embassies IN

India

IR Iran LK

Sri Lanka

PH Philippines

Qatar Ukraine NO Norway QA UA

ja n ua ry 2013 | 107

REFERENCE

Map 4 Siam / Chit Lom A

5 Soi 3

Soi 31 Soi 33

Soi 25

Soi 29

Soi Tonson

Henri Dunant

Soi Lang Suan

Soi Nai Lert 15

Soi 2 Soi 3

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

Soi 4

Soi 3

Ratchadamri

Soi 4

Soi 5

Chulalongkorn University Area

Hotels 1

Pathumwan Princess Novotel Siam 3 Siam Kempinski 4 Baiyoke Sky Hotel 5 Amari Watergate 6 Novotel Platinum 7 Grand Hyatt Erawan 8 The Four Seasons 9 The St. Regis 10 InterContinental 11 Holiday Inn 12 Swissôtel Nai Lert Park 13 Conrad Bangkok 14 Centara Grand at CentralWorld 15 Hotel Muse 16 Okura Prestige 2

200 m 1 000 ft Canal Boat BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line Railway Airwalk Market

Arts & Culture 1

BACC – Bangkok Art and Culture Centre 2 Tonson Gallery

108 | ja n ua ry 2013

Sarasin

Soi 6

Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi 7

Sarasin Lumphini Park

Sightseeing

malls

Embassies

MBK Siam Discovery 3 Siam Center 4 Siam Paragon 5 Panthip Plaza 6 Platinum Fashion Mall 7 CentralWorld 8 Zen @ CentralWorld 9 Pratunam Center 10 Gaysorn 11 Erawan Plaza 12 The Peninsula Plaza 13 Amarin Plaza 14 Central Chidlom 15 All Seasons Place

Jim Thomson House Museum of Imagery Technology c Madame Tussads d Queen Savang Vadhana Museum e Siam Ocean World f Ganesha and Trimurti Shrine g Erawan Shrine h Goddess Tubtim Shrine b

Nightlife a CM2 b

Red Sky Bar Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar d P&L Club e Café Trio f Hyde & Seek c

Switzerland

BR Brazil FI Finnland ID Indonesia KH Cambodia NL Netherlands NZ

New Zealand

QA Quatar UA Ukraine UK

United Kingdom

US USA VN Vietnam

Shopping 16 17

Rud

NZ QA

uam

Soi Lang Suan1

Soi R

Ratchadamri

Soi 6

Soi 5

Soi 4

Soi11

Soi 3

Soi10

Soi 2

Soi 1 Soi 8

Soi Mahatlek Luang 2

Soi Mahatlek Luang 3

mvit

Phloen Chit 16

hith

Soi Mahatlek Luang1

Phloen Chit

Chit Lom FI

ukhu

Phaya Thai

ng P

Rajamangala University

g 11 7

Soi S

2 c

Dua

Soi 7

Soi 9

Siam 16 Siam Square

Th. Witthayu

c 10 11

Witthayu

Nai Lert Park

w ress

4 e 3

Soi Som Khit

Wat Pathum Wanaram

Soi Chit Lom

Ratchaprarop

Soi Sukhumvit 1

Chit Lom

Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi 23

Soi 19

Soi 15

Soi 27

Soi 32

Soi 30

Witthayu Bridge

Exp

Soi Kaesem San1

Saeb

ohn Nak

Soi Kaesem San 2

Soi 17

Khlong San

14 b

c 2

National Stadium

Prathunam

Rama I 5

Srapathum Palace

lerm

Hua Chang Bridge

Soi 20

Ratchathewi 2

uri

Cha

Phetchaburi Soi 18

Phetchab

Soi 22

Soi 13

Siam Square Pratunam Market

bangkok101.com

Silom / Sathorn Map 5 E

kho Rat

t are akh

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

Soi S

aya

ong

Phra

aN Phr Soi

t nr y He j

Thaniya

St. Joseph School

Silom 14 CA

Sala Daeng 1/1

Sala Daeng 1

Soi 5

Soi 7

Soi 9

or n S oi 1 1

So i S a

Lumpini Park

Sala Daeng l

Soi 6

Soi 8

Soi 14

Soi 11 Yaek 3

Convent

Pan

Soi 4

Patpong 1 Patpong 2

Chulalongkorn Hospital

5 o m 12 n BT

Chong Nonsi 17

Surawong

Soi 1

Soi 3

8 Than Tawan Soi 6

Sala Daeng

Trok Klue

Soi 10

Soi 12

Soi 7

Sam Yan

Soi 9

Decho

Soi 14

nan

chit

Sap

Naret

Soi Nom

Soi 11

Soi 13

Soi 1 8 Soi 16

6 Soi 2

Soi 2 2 Soi P/2 – Prach radit um

k 0 Soi 3 9

Cha

Chulalongkorn University

Soi Phra Phinit

Suan Phlu Soi 1

Suan Phlu – Sathron Soi 3

Soi 13

Charo aro

roen

Soi 13

int Lo

Soi Phiphat 2

Sathorn Nuea Sathorn Tai Surasak King Mongkut’s University of Technology

u i se – S a t h

rn tho Sa

2 8

Soi 15

en Ra

un Kr 5

Soi Santiphap

So i 51 i5 3

run

Phloi

suri

n ar oe Ch an

Iam

Rat

chai

Pramuan

Saphan Taksin

Suras

S So oi 5 Ch i 61 9 aro en K

7 d

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Soi 1

Surawong

Silom

Soi 38 Soi 40

SathornSo

So So

Soi 3

Soi Puttha Os

Maha Se

b 5 c

idg

Oriental

Taksin

Rak–

sway

Soi 3

2 n d Sta

Dumax

pres

Cha

Bang

en Kr Post

Wat Muang Khae 1 1Wat Suwan

Trok Ph et

Soi 32

Hua Lamphong

Si Phraya

Soi 39

Soi 30

Si Phraya PT

ung

Na 3

Charo

Nak roen

te E x

hon

2a Khlong San

Tak s

ang

Sathorn Nuea Sathorn Tai

MX GR

7 Soi 1

Soi Saw

Marine Dept.

Lat Ya

Soi 5

anagarindra

Naradhiwas Raj

C N

as Naradhiwind Rajanagar ra

Soi Wanit 2

DE DK

Suan

Phlu 6

Ph Suan

Soi Nantha Mozart

lu 8

Immigration Office

Hotels 1

bars with views

a Threesixty The Peninsula 2 Millenium Hilton d Sky Bar 3 Shangri-La o Panorama 4 Center Point Silom p Moon Bar 5 Mandarin Oriental 6 Royal Orchid Sheraton Nightlife 7 Lebua at State Tower 8 Holiday Inn b La Casa Del Habano 9 Chaydon Sathorn c Bamboo Bar f Niu's on Silom Bangkok 10 Pullman Bangkok g Barley Bistro & Bar j Eat Me Hotel G 11 Le Meridien k Tapas 12 Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Pubs 13 Banyan Tree 14 Dusit Thani e Jameson's 15 The Sukothai h The Pintsman 16 Sofitel SO l Molly Malone's 17 W Bangkok m The Barbican n O'Reilly's

Arts & Culture 1

Serindia Gallery 2 Silom Galleria: Number 1 Gallery, Tang Contemporary Art, Taivibu Gallery, Gossip Gallery 3 H Gallery 4 Bangkokian Museum 5 Alliance Francaise

Shopping 1

Robinsons 2 River City Shopping 3 Silom Village 4 Silom / Patpong Night-Market 5 Jim Thompson Store

AT Austria AU Australia BE Belgium

200 m

BT Bhutan

1 000 ft

CA Canada DK Denmark GR Greece FR France MY Malaysia MX Mexico

River Ferry River Cross Ferry BTS Silom Line Subway Line Market

MM Myanmar PT Portugal SG Singapore TW Taiwan

Sightseeing a b

bangkok101.com

Embassies

DE Germany

Snake Farm M.R. Kukrit’s House ja n ua ry 2013 | 109

REFERENCE

Map 6 Yaowarat / Pahurat (Chinatown & Little India ) A

M ai

Ba n D ok

h1u li n

itri

r ad

M it tr ph an

Hua Lamphong

Ch aro en Ya ow a r at K r So

3 h

g j i1

Y So i 3

So ng Saw at

Rama IV Y

Phadungdao–Soi Texas

Y So i 9

Pl an g N am

So i 18

So i 6

S oi 4

Tr i M si ang

S ong W

a n it 1

S oi W

ur han

So i 16

So i 21

on M an gk

So i 19

Soi 14 Y Soi 15

Soi 8 Y Soi 17

Y Soi 21 Y Soi 19

Soi 17

Su ap a Ratch awon g

Y S 10 CK S 12

ang

ut an P h Sa p h

t Phu

han

ae n

S ap

Phu

han

Tha Din Daeng

S ap

Memorial Bridge

Hotels Grand China Princess Bangkok Shanghai Mansion 1

200 m 1 000 ft River Ferry River Cross Ferry Subway Line Railway Market

Arts & Culture 1

Chalermkrung Theatre Samphanthawong Museum 3 Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre 2

Princess Mother Memorial Park

Temples

Markets

1 Long Krasuang Market Wat Ratburana School 2 Ban Mo ( Hi-Fi Market) Wat Pra Phiren c Wat Bophit Phimuk 3 Pak Khlong Talat d Wat Chakrawat (Flower Market) e Wat Chaichana Songkhram 4 Yot Phimai Market f Wat Mangkon Kamalawat 5 Pahurat –Indian Fabric Market g Wat Samphanthawongsaram 6 Sampeng Market 7 Woeng Nakhon Kasem Worawiharn h Wat Traimit (Temple of (Thieves Market) 8 Khlong Tom Market the Golden Buddha) 9 Talat Kao (Old Market) 10 Talat Mai (New Market) Sightseeing a

110 | ja n ua ry 2013

w Ta

Marine Dept.

et i Ph pir

R at

Hua Lamphong Central Railway Station

Rajchawongse

la n g

o nM 3

i So

Th S oi

g wo n

Y Soi 11

Ch aiy aphun

Y Soi 23

Ma ha Ch ak d

Rachi ni Atsad ang

it 1

A nu

Sam peng Lane – Soi Wan

Trok Itsaranuphap

Ma ngkon

at hur5 Pha

Lu ean Rit

Soi 8

Soi 10

ha r ap

4 oi

itri

D Din

Yaow

t ar a

Soi Aner Keng

ip Th

So i 15

So i 11

9 S oi

6 i So

Ch ak kr aw at

gs Ran

C ha kp he

P ok

Pha

ru nK 1

i5 Tr

t Yo

So i 13

h at Bo

Charoen Krun g

iP S ir

Ti 5

rip

ai Ch ha Ma

an ak Ugn

n ho

o Tr

Romaneenart Park

a iph

K h lo n

t P h ir

i S ir

Wa Thom

k Wor ac ha

Si Thamm athirat

Lua h at

Trok

Sida

S oi C

Chinatown Gate at the Odient Circle

bangkok101.com

Map 7 Rattanakosin (Oldtown) A

Rama VIII Bridge

its

VII

et md

ata

ha e Ka iC

ok noe Dam Rat

cha

Dinso

Memorial Bridge

Maha

Boriphat

Chai

ara

hit

Bat

Wo rach ak

ng A

Ch ak kr aw at

Yao w

im uk

Wat Wat Bophit Chakrawat Phimuk

wat kkra Cha

Son

gW at

mW at

Phi

ren

g 13

Ya ow a

Anu

won g

aw on g

Market Tot Phimai Market

Soi B an

Ti Thong

ng O

Soi Mahannop 2

Unakan Siri Phong

Chai ng

aro

tch

Cha kph e Pak Khlong t

Ya i k ko ng Ba

apho

Kh N

So iW at Ka nla ya

Wat Liap

Ma ha Ch an k

Ta l lo

Wat Kanlayannamit

lon

Phir

Tri Ph e

Set

Rajinee

g lon Kh

bangkok101.com

an thak

i So

Sri

n ari Am un Ar

Phahurat Ban Mo

Soi

Wat Arun (Temple of the dawn)

Phra Phi Phit

Museum of Siam

Wat Saket

Royal Theatre

Thip Wari

Luan

Bor iph at

Che

Saphan Phut

at har Ma

Wat Arun

n pho

Soi Sirip at

Sam Yot

Trok Phan um

Lan Luang

Muang

Rommaninat Park

Soi Sa Song Soi Long Tha

Saw

Phan Fah Leelard

Bumrung

Wat Suthat

Burapha

Tha Tien

Rat

Soi Siric hai 2 Soi Siric hai 1

Ch ak ra Ph sem et

Wat Pho

mran

Charoen Krung

Soi Phra ya Si

i Sanam Cha

Tha

Ratchabophit

Wat Ratchabophit

Saranrom Park

ng i Wa

Trok Sukha 2

Soi Sa

Giant Swing

n kho

ng Rak

g Tai

City Hall

Trok Sukha1

isut

Grand Palace

Damro

Klan

Wat Ratchanatdaram

uang

Fuang Nakhon

Khlong Lot

Saranrom

Wat

Tanao

Buranasat

aitri

Wat Ratchapradit

noen

Trok Ratchanatdaram Sin

Bumrung M

Kalayana M

Chao Phraya

Trok Nava

Phraeng Phuthon

Wat Phra Kaew

Dam

Ph ra Po kk lao

Tha Chang

Phraeng Nara

Lak Mueang

Na Phra Lan

Democracy Monument

Mahannop

hrut

K Trok

ei Na Hap Pho

Trok W

Soi Silipakorn

Bunsiri

g Nuea

Klang

Trok hep T Sath hida ien Ram

Tri Phet

Wat Rakhang

lang Tai

k Khro lonSgake L ot W at T

ee Rachin ang d a ts A

Ratcha Damn oen N ai

ra Tha

Sanam Luang

Khlo

noen K

Maharat

Wat Mahathat

noen Klan

noen

Silpokaorn University N

Soi Dam

Na Ph

Amulet Market

Tro k

Dinso

an a Dam

a Ch

Tr ok

i ttr

Wang Lang

Bowonniwet ViHara

Ratch

Thammasart University Maharaj Ph r

aos

an T ula

ap h

iS am Ph long sen ra 2 Su Bang me L Wat n amp

p sa Ka

Pin ra Ph

ais

Tan i

m Ra

ok Tr

t de m So ge rid

aB National Museum

iW or

kr aP

ray Ph

National Arts Gallery

National Theatre

Wat Chana Songkhram

o ha

Maha

ttr

R oi

Pra cha T

asa

C et md

Thonburi N11 Thonburi Railway Railway

tK isu

Phra Atith

hip

Khlong Bangkok Noi

ith

a hr

Sam

s en

Kl 12

se g an Ka Lu g k un Lu Kr

Pin ra Ph

Wat Saodung

Phra Pin Klao Bridge

an ulo

Rajchawongse

ja n ua ry 2013 | 111

m y b a n g ko k

Pan Pan Narkprasert Meet Pan Pan Narkprasert, the performing artist, curator, choreographer and drag queen championing the avant-garde side of Thai art. A few years back, this 23-year-old UCLA art graduate made his provocative debut with a multimedia exhibition in which he portrayed his sexual angst through Reer, the fictitious, artificially-inseminated offspring of a lesbian deer and a gay rabbit. Later, he was seen donning a head-to-toe golden costume and dancing in platform shoes at Lumpini Park while playing another fictional character, ‘Nang Gwak’. And currently, he is at the forefront of creative expression again with his latest passion – the frenetic, arm-flailing dance form that is waacking.

Best place for a drink? Lately I have been craving a mellow and easy-going experience where I am able to converse and don’t have to scream over blasting bass systems. My favourite place currently being Barley Bistro, an alfresco rooftop beer garden/shisha lounge haven. Here I can often be found lazily sunk into a bean bag, enjoying an icecold Asahi beer tower whilst basking underneath the neon lights of adjacent buildings and being tickled by the night breeze.

Best place to eat out? Every Thai local knows that real Thai food is served on the street. My favourite places to eat range from shuffling my way through to the famous fish cakes on Soi Lalaisub to food-touring in bustling China Town at night all the way to the Huay Kwang night market, where one can get seafood and a 2am nose-job at the same time.

Best place to shop?

Barley Bistro & Bar [MAP5 / H5]

Silom Rd (between Soi 5-7) | BTS Sala Daeng 087-033-3919 | www.barleybistro.com |5pm – 1am

Samutprakarn Crocodile

Hands down Platinum Mall. It’s shockingly Farm [MAP2 / H16] 555 Moo 7, Taiban Rd, T. Taiban, A. Muang, cheap and surprisingly safe. One of my Canadian friends got robbed their once but Samutprakarn | 02-703-4891, 02-703-5144-8 |7am – 6pm the security caught the thieves within half an hour and got their money and property Platinum Mall [MAP4 / H2] back. 222 (Platinum) Petchaburi Rd | 02-121-8000 |www.platinumfashionmall.com | Wed, Sat, Best place to relax? Sun |8am – 8pm; Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9am – Lumpini Park for water-pedaling fun with 8pm monitor lizards circling you like swans. A kick-ass massage at Silom’s Green Leaf is a good way to rejuvenate the soul. Outside of Bangkok, Samed Island for the beach and for the boys.

Green Leaf Relaxing and Wellness [MAP5 / K5] 60/4 Silom Soi 2/1 | BTS Sala Daeng | 0-26328323, 0-2632-8351 | 1pm – 1am

Best place for nightclubbing?

Bed Supperclub [MAP3 / C4] Bed Supperclub to live out that Sex and the City episode where the girls went to the 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-651club with all the beds. DJ Station for a night 3537 |www.bedsupperclub.com | 7:30pm – 1am of drag queens and dancing queens. And Route 66 for some hip hop battles. BACC [MAP4 / B4]

Best place to take visitors?

Best place for art?

Granted Peta will probably not approve, and some find it a culturally daunting experience, but I take mine to the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm. Here you can ‘fish’ crocodiles with raw chicken from a bamboo stick; and where else can one see apparently sane Thai guys insert their heads into a crocodile's mouth or a dog in the same cage with two tigers? Apparently, since they were raised together since birth, they won't eat the pup.

The BACC is Bangkok's very own art museum; H gallery is where Thailand's top artists exhibit; and RMA gallery gives a platform to young blood.

112 | ja n ua ry 2013

THE SHORTLIST:

Best place for a real Bangkok experience?

939 Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-214-6630-1 | www.bacc.com |Tue – Sun 10am – 9pm

H Gallery [MAP5 / H6] 201 Sathorn Soi 12 | BTS Surasak | 081-3104428 | www.hgallerybkk.com | 10am – 6pm, Tue by appointment

Take a stroll down Silom Road at night. RMA Gallery [MAP3 / L9] From good streetfood to great clubbing in Soi 4 and Soi 2, Silom encompasses all the 238 Soi Sainamthip 2, Sukhumvit 22 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-663-0809 | www. qualities of the side of Bangkok I love: its rmainstitute.net | 11am – 7pm grimy, shady underbelly. bangkok101.com

Wat Khema

Wat Soi Thong

Prach a Rat Sai 2

Dir Domection est Don ic A irp Muen ort g

Rama VII Bridge

Province Border

Bang Po

River Ferry

25 Pilbul 1

a Chu

on tha bu ri

P ra c h

Kru ng the p-N

Suan W Bench

Queen Sirkit Park

Jat P

Canal Boat BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line

t han

Payap Wat Thepnahree

v y

Witt ha

Son

Su an

Ratchadamri

Marine Dept.

Sri Ph N

r ay a

Sam Yan

Lumpini Park

Si Lom

S ur a

Wat Muang Khae Wongwian Yai Railway

Phloen Chit

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

4 – SI A M / Ch it Lo m

Hua Lamphong

Si Phraya

wo n

S ilom

Krung Thon Buri

u Chong Nonsi

orn 5 – s

Saphan Taksin

Sathorn

Sala Daeng

S at h

Oriental Wongwian Yai

ha Vip

es sw ay

Hua Lamphong Central Railway Station

gW at

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Siam

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Wireless

National Stadium Thong

Pratunam

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6 –

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Memorial Bridge

Ratchapraprop

Phaya Thai

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9 Victory Monument

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Royal Turf Club

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Ratcha Damno en Nai

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Grand Palace b

Victory Monument

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Chitralada Palace

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Thonburi Railway

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Rama VIII Bridge

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Dusit Zoo

Phra Pin Klao Bridge

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7 – Oldtown

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Irrigation N19 Dept.

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Airport Rail Link

Bang Sue

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Railway

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MRT Subway Line

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Lumphini 9 10

Phahon Yothin

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Map 8 Bangkok

tujak Park

Lat Phrao

Sightseeing a

Wat Arun Grand Palace c Wat Mahathat d Wat Pho e Wat Chana Songkhram f Wat Ratchabophit g Wat Bowornniwet Viharn h Wat Suthat & Giant Swing j Democracy Monument k Wat Ratchanatda l Wat Saket m Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium n Vimanmek Mansion o Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall p Wat Benchamabophit s Suan Pakkad Palace t Bangkok Butterfly Garden u Lumpini Boxing Stadium Arts & Culture b

Chatuchak Park

Mo Chit

Ratchadapisek

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Sutthisan Sutthisan

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Huai Khwang

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Siriraj Medical Museum Royal Barges Museum 3 National Museum 4 National Theatre 5 Museum of Siam 6 Rattanakosin Exhibiton Hall 7 Numthong Gallery 8 Aksra Theatre 9 Goethe Institut 10 Galerie N 11 Bangkok Doll Museum 12 Siam Niramit 1

Thailand Cultural Centre

Phra Rama 9

hit / E

Ram a IX

x pre s

2 nd S

s w ay

Phetchaburi

Nana Nua

Italthai

Nana Chard

Wat Maichonglom

Bandon Mosque

Prasanmit

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Direction Internat Suvanabhum ional A i irport

Asoke/Phetchaburi

Pe tc h

a b u ri

ana oi 5

Sukhumvit vit S hum

S oi 6 umvit Suk h

m ai –

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S uk or – ng L

Benjasiri Park

Tho

Benjakiti Park

Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre

Thong Lo

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3 – Ram

a IV

S u

D BT irect S S ion tat ion

Ekkamai

Amorosa The Club 3 Phranakorn Bar 4 Brick Bar 5 Adhere The 13th 6 Rolling Bar 7 Pullman 8 Raintree Pub 9 Saxophone Pub 10 Wong‘s Place 11 Route 66 12 Cosmic Cafe 2

Klongton Bridge

Phrom Phong

nighlife

Ratchapraprop

Charn Issara

Asok

Pak Khlong Talad Khao San Road 3 Thewet 4 Ratchada Night Market 5 Talat Rot Fai 6 Jatujak Weekend Market 1

t ate

Makasan 11

Markets

Hotels 1

Pullman King Power

ari

Phra Khanong