A
Publisher’s Letter
lthough Bangkok doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to limiting pollution and protecting its own environment, there are some forward thinking residents here who realize that going green is really the only practical path to follow. Many resorts and hotels in Thailand are at least making an effort to be a little greener, and there’s even some office buildings in Bangkok that merit an eco seal of approval, but on the whole this malodorous metropolis still has a long way to go. What Bangkok needs less of—as is the case with most major cities—are cars, shopping malls, and rampant overdevelopment of luxury condominiums. What it needs more of is reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and public green space. What it also needs more of are the kind of entrepreneurs, business owners, and civic-minded folk we’ve profiled in many of this issue’s features and articles. From organic wine bars to paper recyclers and insect farmers, this month we cover many different shades of “green”. Of course we also have plenty of interesting reading that is not directly related to eco-issues, including our regular film, music, food, and nightlife reviews and listings. We also bring you news of this year’s Phi Ta Khon festival (page 37), a special report on Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s most vibrant and interesting places to visit (page 46), a photo feature showcasing buffalo portraits by artist Maitree Siriboon (page 58), and an exclusive interview with Thai musician and film star Krissada Sukosol Clapp (page 54). All this and more—including our Bangkok 101 archive and Enjoy. extras—can be found online at www.bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks are all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening in Bangkok and beyond. And if you as a reader feel there’s something we’re not Mason Florence covering, but should be, please drop Publisher us a line at info@talisman.asia.
What is Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in 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.
B A N G K O K 101 P A R T N E R S
bangkok101.com
J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 5
CONTENTS 16
CITY PULSE
54
10 Metro Beat Find out what’s going on this month in and around Bangkok 14 16 20
My Bangkok Interview with Bangkok Tree House founder Jirayu ‘Joey’ Tulyanond on green living, and new redevelopment projects
46
Best of BKK A step-by-step guide to Bangkok’s tricky Pun Pun Bike Sharing Network On the Block Discover how new eco-friendly projects add colour to the Phra Khanong area
22 Property Profile Travel to another time and place at The Siam, a luxurious Art Deco city resort
SNAPSHOTS
TRAVEL
24 Tom’s Two Satangs How Indians have influenced Thai culture and society
36 Travel Updates
26 Joe’s Bangkok Exploring the “secret” army bar JUSMAG, at Sathorn Soi 1
38 Upcountry Now Performances, special events, and festivals taking place throughout Thailand
28 Bizarre Thailand The new role of insects in the global food chain
40 Upcountry Escape Thailand’s “greenest” island getaways
30 Very Thai Freelance gleaners make the most of Bangkok’s rubbish
44 Weekend Getaway Nature and tranquility at Santiburi Beach Resort
32 Heritage A historic walk through Bangkok’s greenest garden spots 34 Making Merit Paper Ranger is a superhero who turns trash into treasures
46 Over the Border Da Nang, on Vietnam’s central coast, is packed with both beaches and culture
ART & CULTURE 50 Art Updates
On the cover
Cycling in the green expanse of Bang Krachao. Photo courtesy of Let’s Go Biking. See more about this amazing bike tour on page 18. www.letsgobikingthailand.com
52 Art Exhibitions The latest museum gallery openings across the city 54 Art Interview The multi-talented actor, musician and hotelier Krissada Sukosol Clapp expounds on his varied artistic pursuits 56 Cinema Scope This month’s special film events and screenings 58 Photo Feature Save Thai Buffalo photo exhibit by Maitree Siriboon
Bangkok 101 is available at: 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
CONTENTS 69
FOOD & DRINK
90
64 Food & Drink Updates 66 Meal Deals Restaurants offer amazing deals for diners 67 Hot Plates Char’s the newest addition to Bangkok’s (roof)top restos 68 Restaurant Reviews Osha Café; La Vie; Quaint; Blu36; 3nvy; Medici Kitchen & Bar 76 Breaking Bread with restaurateur Antonio Armenio from La Piazza
LIFE+STYLE
78 Eat Like Nym Feeling at home at Tham Sue Tham Suan
98 Lifestyle Updates
80 Food & Drink Listings Capsule reviews of select restaurants in Bangkok
100 Spa Deals Bangkok spas offer amazing deals and discounts
NIGHTLIFE 86 Nightlife Updates 88 Bar Reviews About Eatery; Craft ‘N Roll Café; ThreeSixty 92 Live Music 101’s Rock Philosopher reports on Bangkok’s live music scene 93 Club Report Old School DJs go “very vinyl” at 12x12 bar on Ekkamai 19 94 Nightlife Listings Capsule reviews of select nightspots in Bangkok
101 102
Spa Reviews The King & I Boutique Spa Spa Products Eco-friendly skincare products from Thailand
103 Unique Boutique Sustainable shopping at Eco Shop Common 104 Made in Thailand Hilltribe Organics gives farming families a sustainable income
SIGNING OFF 106 Did You Know?... The endless variations on the sport of Sepak Takraw
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Reena Hallberg, Rachel Kwok, Korakot (Nym) Punlopruksa, Craig Sauers, Lekha Shankar
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Julia Offenberger
PUBLISHER
PHOTOGRAPHERS
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ART DIRECTOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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GENERAL MANAGER
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
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SALES AND MARKETING
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PUBLISHED BY
Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 54 Naradhivas Rajanagarinda Soi 4, Sathorn Tai Rd,Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 Tel: 02 286 7821 Fax: 02 286 7829 info@talisman.asia © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2016. 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.
CITY PULSE | metro beat
JULY’S HOTTEST TICKETS July 29
AM-CHAM EVENT July 2
To celebrate American Independence Day, this year AmCham Thailand is hosting a community event at NIST International School (36, Sukhumvit Soi 15). Enjoy classic American foods— from BBQ burgers to pots of chilli—as well as desserts, drinks, and more. Event highlights include live music from some of Bangkok’s best local ex-pat bands, family fun games, and a charity raffle with great prizes. Early bird tickets are B200, or B300 at the door, and children under 12 are free. www.amchamthailand.com
FRENCH FESTIVAL July 14-17
The Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce (FTCC) is bringing the first Thai edition of Bonjour France to CentralWorld this month. Aiming to showcase the dynamic and contemporary image of France, this 4-day event will feature great French lifestyle products from more than 50 exhibitors, including cosmetics, fashion, interior design, and gourmet foods and beverages. There will also be a series of cultural events in collaboration with the French Embassy in Thailand during the fair. More importantly, it’s free admission for all visitors. www.francothaicc.com 1 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
The long awaited and much anticipated Thailand debut of American singer and actress Selena Gomez has arrived. Dubbed “The Revival Tour”, she and her entourage will be taking the stage at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, bringing fans a selection of hit singles from her latest album, including “Good For You” and “Same Old Love” which went to number one on the US Top 40 charts. With over 45 million tracks sold worldwide, and almost 70 million followers on Instagram, Justin Bieber’s former girlfriend is definitely one of today’s rising young stars. Tickets range in price from B2,000 to B5,000. www.thaiticketmajor.com
July 1-5
Everyone’s favourite ogre is coming to Bangkok as Shrek The Musical hits the stage of the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre (located at the Esplanade shopping complex on Ratchadapisek Rd). Shrek, along with Princess Fiona, the talking Donkey, the Gingerbread Man, and the gigantic dragon, will all be here for the first ever international touring version of this show, based on the Oscarwinning DreamWorks animation film. There will be eight performances in total, with evening performances beginning at 7:30pm and matinees on July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at 2pm. Tickets are priced between B1,500 and B4,500. www.thaiticketmajor.com
July 4
The Singha Light Live Series Vol. 2 presents the return of The Radio Dept, a popular indie-electro-pop band from Sweden. The event will be presented at Voice Space (Viphavadi Rangsit Rd) and the show gets underway at 7:30pm. Since the release of their debut album “Lesser Matters” in 2003, the band has done tons of gigs and plenty of recordings, gaining them a respectable worldwide following. Fans should expect to hear lots of old favourites, alongside songs from their new CD, expected to be released later this year. Tickets are B1,300 in advance, and B1,500 at the door. www.ticketmelon.com bangkok101.com
metro beat | CITY PULSE
THEATRE EVENTS Till July 3
You only have a few days left to take part in BICT Fest 2016, the Bangkok International Children’s Theatre Festival, taking place at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), located across from the National Stadium BTS station. This 13-day festival, which began on June 21st, is the first of its kind in Thailand, combining a mix of high-quality performing arts experiences with intercultural exchanges for artists and creative learning programs for young people and their families. Ticket prices range from B150 to B850, although some activities are free of charge. Catch it while you can! www.bictfest.com
July 14-17
The Joe Louis Thai Classical Small Puppet Theatre presents The Garuda King, a light and sound performance— with holograms—at The Thailand Cultural Centre. The performance is dedicated to the commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday. The Joe Louis troupe is well known as the best when it comes to the fine classical performing art of Thai puppetry. Don’t miss this magnificent state-of-the-art performance. Tickets are priced from B200 to B1500. www.thaiticketmajor.com
MUSICAL EVENTS July 23
The acclaimed vocalist, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter of Thai folk-rock band Caravan, returns to the stage to raise awareness of environmental issues. Surachai Jantimathon, or “Nga Caravan”, will be performing both the greatest hits from the band’s glory days as well as tracks from his latest solo releases. His career path spans more than 40 years, during which time he has written countless valuable songs reflecting many different thoughts and perspectives. In 2010 he was recognized as a National Artist of Thailand in literature. The concert takes place at the Scala Theatre, starting at 7pm, and tickets are priced at B2,000, B1,500, B1,200, and B900. www.thaiticketmajor.com
July 30
After the huge success of the first concert, The Legend of The Guitar is coming back to shake up the music industry once again for the 45th anniversary celebration of Guitar Mag. This all-day event—which starts at 2pm and continues till midnight—takes place at Muang Thai Gmm Live House @Central World, and over a hundred of Thailand’s leading artists, from three different music eras, will be performing together on the same stage in what will no doubt be a show full of many surprises. Other highlights include rebel record booth stalls, music instrument and accessories shops, a showcase of artist’s guitars, and much more. Ticket are B1,600. www.thaiticketmajor.com bangkok101.com
LITERARY EVENT July 15-17
The annual Bangkok Book Festival returns to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) under the theme of ‘Literary Weekend’. Readers, writers, publishers, designers and everyone who loves books are all encouraged to join this event. Each day, from 11am till 7pm, there will be plenty of great new books on display, as well as talk sessions from over 30 speakers, a Dream Story exhibition, films, and a workshop from German graphic novelist Jakob Hinrichs. (his work is pictured above). Admission is free and everyone is welcome. www.facebook.com/bookmoby
TECH WORKSHOP July 23-24
Join in on the biggest international tech conference in Thailand at the Techsauce Summit, which will be held at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. During the 2-day event participants will meet some of the top global leaders in the startup and venture capital communities, including Akira Morikawa, CEO of C Channel Corporation (ex-CEO of LINE), Nick Nash, Group President of Garena Online, and Hao Xu, Co-Founder and CEO of Camera360. Organizers promise 7 conference stages as well as the most epic after party. www.techsauce.co J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 1 1
CITY PULSE | metro beat
SPORTING EVENTS July 10
LANDMARK LOSS July 5
One of Sukhumvit Road’s most storied landmarks is sadly bidding a reluctant farewell. CheckInn 99—which was built in the late 1950s, and originally operated as the Copacabana—will disappear forever, as the Indian landlord and property owner is developing the area behind the bar into a market place, and the new construction would demolish a significant portion of the bar’s interior. The rent has also skyrocketed, and thus owner Chris Catto-Smith is actively looking for a new location to resurrect this long-standing Bangkok institution. Over the past six years the bar has become a watering hole of choice for many of the city’s writer’s, musicians and artists, many of whom come especially for the Sunday afternoon jazz jams. It’s sad news, made even sadder by the fact that Cheap Charlie’s on Sukhumvit Soi 11 alley—another beloved landmark institution—will also be closing due to the dreams of Indian developers (but at least we have till spring 2017 before that happens). Be sure to visit CheckInn 99 one last time before the doors shut forever on Tuesday July 5th. www.facebook.com/CheckInn99
THEATRE BUFFS July 7
If you’ve got the singing bug, but karaoke is just not your style, why not join the Bangkok Community Theatre as they present an evening dedicated to studying the work of musical theatre masters Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Sondheim/Lloyd Webber Songboom Club Night will take place at Bistro 33 (Sukhumvit Soi 33) from 7pm till 9pm, and admission is a mere B100. Participants can learn how to properly master some of the songs of these two iconic composers. For further info call Suman at 092 730 3590. 1 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
Thailand leading triathlon series returns with the Tri Dash Bangkok 2016, c oming to Bangpoo Golf and Sport Club in Samut Prakan. The races begin at 7am and the distances are 400m for swimming, 20km for cycling, and 5km for running. The swim is done in a 50m pool, while the biking is on a closed road around the golf course and the run is an out and back along the same road as the bike course. Join the fun and exciting experience to see how far you can go, or just cheer on the participants. Entry fee is B1,050, and registration is available online. www.gotorace.com
COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS Every Friday
The regular Friday night Comedy Club of Bangkok has an excellent line-up this month, including improv shows on July 8th and 22nd, but July’s biggest event will surely be the appearance of stand up comic Atul Khatri (left) from India on Friday July 15th at 8pm. Half-Indian, half-Pakistani, he’s all-comedian, and CNN-IBN recently rated him as one of the top 20 comedians in India to watch out for. Tickets are B500 in advance, and B750 on the door (includes one drink). Advance tickets available online or from the Royal Oak Pub (Sukhumvit 33/1). www.comedyclubbangkok.com
TRADE SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS July 14-17
To promote domestic and outbound tourism industry in Thailand, The Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) in collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hosting the Thai International Travel Fair 2016 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Each year visitors to this highly anticipated event enjoy special privileges, tourism products at special prices, and exciting tour program promotions, both in Thailand and internationally. The list of participants includes travel companies, airlines, and entrepreneurs who have tourism-related businesses. The event runs from 10am to 9pm each day, and admission is free. www.titf-ttaa.com
July 30-31
Cat lovers unite… the Thailand Cat Show 2016 is here! This is the 16th staging of this popular feline festival, and this month things get underway at Centralplaza WestGate (located at the Bangyai Intersection on Kanjanaphisek Road). The Cat Fanciers’ Club of Thailand (CFCT) welcomes all CFA exhibitors and breeders to join in on the 8 ring shows, and spectators can watch as the cats and their keepers compete for cash prizes. It’s the purr-fect way to spend the day. www.cfct-cat.com bangkok101.com
CITY PULSE | my bangkok
Jirayu ‘Joey’ Tulyanond
As the founder of the Bangkok Tree House, the city’s most eco-minded hotel resort, Jirayu (Joey) Tulyanond knows all about green living. He’s now using his skills to work on a new urban redevelopment project— Phra Nakorn Living—building “green” town homes in Old Bangkok. By Pawika Jansamakao Why did you choose the Bang Krachao Peninsula to be a location for the Bangkok Tree House? It’s an oasis with abundant greenery, ample bio-diversity, and limited road access. It’s five times the size of New York’s Central Park, yet only 15 minutes from the BTS (Bangna Station). What’s not to love about it? Do you think there are enough green spaces in Bangkok? According to a recent survey, Bangkok has only 3.3 sq.m of green space per person. Compare that with Hong Kong, which has a remarkable 105.3 sq.m per person. So, the short and brutal answer is “no”, Bangkok is far from having enough green space.
out in Bangkok—at the very least in all convenience stores and supermarkets. It’s not enough to tell people what to do, you have to create the right economic incentives and disincentives to influence people’s behaviour. How would you encourage people to be more ‘green’? Get them while they are young, then educate, educate, and enforce littering and environmental laws.
How could people in the hospitality business help to avoid harmful consequences to the environment? People in the hospitality business forget. I see and I remember. I do and I have to take the long-term outlook understand”. When people hear about and realize that there is more value in protecting the environment than climate change, it goes in one ear destroying it. In the long-run, a resort How can inadequate green spaces and out the other. We need for our affect people in the city? children to see and feel first hand how on Koh Tao can make more money by Our ancestors have lived and their actions can have a domino effect having parrot fish in the sea rather than slept in trees, or among trees, for on the eco-system. One simple activity on the dinner table, and a native of Nakorn Sawan can make more money approximately 200,000 years. Here in we can do for all students in Bangkok as a tour guide leading a tiger trekking Thailand we’ve only started to live in is to take them down river in Samut expedition in Mae Wong National Park concrete houses for the last 60 years. Prakarn to collect trash that is being than to kill the same tigers and sell We have evolved as a species to be thrown in the river from people who its skin on the black market. Having close to nature and to live with nature. live up the river in Bangkok. When said that, the hospitality industry I think physically we can exist separate they pick up a soiled green tea bottle should stop relying on the ineffective from nature, but psychologically it’s on the riverbank that resembles a a different matter. Without close bottle they just drank yesterday, a light bureaucracy and start monitoring and enforcing—through social pressure— contact to nature we will wither. In bulb may light up in their heads. environmental standards themselves. fact, there are studies that have shown that spending time around nature Is there any one critical environment The Thai hospitality sector employs some of the most talented personnel reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, issue in Bangkok that needs to be in the world. We should find ways and that patients recover from surgery dealt with immediately? to leverage this talent to help make faster when they have a “green” view. My biggest pet peeve is how store clerks and market vendors equate good Thailand’s tourism economy more responsible and sustainable. Do you think there is adequate service with giving away plastic bags. awareness or education in Thailand Often I would have to insist three-four concerning Global Warming? times that my grilled corn cob does not Although Jirayu Tulyanond sold the There is definitely plenty of awareness need to be put in two separate plastic Bangkok Tree House in 2014, it and education about climate change bags and that I will be absolutely fine remains one of Bangkok’s most unique in Thailand, I just don’t think it is being holding on to it with my bare hands. I accommodation options. To find out more carried out effectively. I am a firm think we should start charging a baht visit: www.bangkoktreehouse.com believer in this thought: “I hear and I for every plastic bag that is handed 1 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
CITY PULSE | best of bkk
Bangkok’s Free Bike Network The system is a bit tricky, but not impossible to understand By Luc Citrinot
B
angkok is one of Southeast Asia’s first major cities to have a free sharing bike system, emulating the ones that already exist in Europe. Bangkokians are always quick to embrace trends, especially if they have their origins abroad, and biking is one of those trends. But over a century ago already Thai monarchs fell in love with bicycles, and during the development of Ratchadmanoen Nok Avenue, the oldest part of that prestigious boulevard, the middle lanes were reserved for the Royal Family to cycle. 1 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
Now, more than a century later, Bangkok embraces the bicycle once again. In European cities shared bikes provide commuters with an eco-friendly means of transportation to cover short distances. Three years ago, with much fanfare, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched its own free bike scheme called the Pun Pun Bike System (pronounced pan pan, it literally means “share a bike”), an ambitious plan to develop a free bike scheme all across this sprawling metropolis. bangkok101.com
best of bkk | CITY PULSE
The original plan was to cover Bangkok with a network of free bike stations, implemented in phases, covering most of the city limits. Unfortunately, as with many other official projects, the plan remains only halfway complete. During the past three years the plan to further develop the scheme was effectively put on ice, the main reason being the political turbulence which overtook Bangkok two years ago. Since then Pun Pun Bike has been waiting for the green light for its further implementation. The bike system is, consequently, only available in Bangkok CBD—roughly between Sukhumvit 10, Hua Lamphong, Sathorn and Silom. Currently there are 50 stations available, with some 400 bikes provided to the public. The bikes themselves are very simple, equipped only with one speed. So why aren’t more residents and visitors using this commendable (although incomplete) form of transportation? Well, for one it’s not that easy to understand how it works, especially if you don’t speak Thai. However, here’s a quick explanation of how to successfully get your wheels in motion. You can register online (www.punpunbikeshare. com), but the problem with the website is that its main entry page is in Thai, even though the registration form is in English. This will soon be rectified, according to Mr. Dittaporn from Smart Bike Service, the private company which has partnered with the BMA. “We just designed a new website exclusively in English, and it should be launched very soon,” he assures potential cyclists. And once your application registered, the company will send, by mail, a card with which to use the system. bangkok101.com
But for those who are only temporarily in Bangkok, such as eco-minded tourists, there are other ways to get the Pun Pun Bike Card. Three stations have Bicycle Officers registering potential customers on site. According to Mr. Dittaporn, they are generally located at one station in Sathorn, another one in Ploenchit, and a third along Silom. “However, officers are not always present as we request sometimes for some other jobs. But visitors can always come to Chulalongkorn University where we do have our office. We will then provide a card immediately”, he adds. Visitors must bring ID—a passport for non-Thais—and pay a registration fee of B120. For now the use of the bike itself is free of charge, in order to raise awareness and interest, but this will not last for ever. “The bike system is really made for short trips, for example from the skytrain to your work place. It does not make sense to keep the bike all day, and we will soon re-implement a payment according to the time of use,” explains an SBS representative. Once the payment scheme is revived, it will cost just B10 for usage between 15 and 60 minutes, B20 for 1 to 3 hours, and B40 the fourth and fifth hour of use. So far, the total number of stations is concentrated in a square roughly delineated by Ratchathewi BTS station, Ratchadamri Road (near Pratunam Centre), Hua Lamphong Rail Station, and Sathorn Boulevard. However it is currently possible to ride all day with the same bike—while it’s still free—and a great plan is to take a bike from the stations located either at Siam or Hua Lamphong, and travel to Bangkok’s historical city (Dusit and Phra Nakhon districts). On the weekend, the roads are generally empty from J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 1 7
CITY PULSE | best of bkk
National Stadium to Ratchadmanoen and Sanam Luang on the way to the Grand Palace. But will the network ever expand the way the rest of the city is rapidly stretching out in every direction? According to Mr. Dittiporn, the second phase is likely to be launched next year, and it will finally give a new dimension to the scheme. Another 40 to 50 bike stations are set to be added, especially along BTS and MRT lines. It will thus provide bicycles all along Sukhumvit Road, up to Bangna, as well as in Thonburi and around Chatuchak Park. “We are also thinking of having stations connected to public boat piers along Bangkok’s canals. Our aim is to favour a clean way of transportation—easy, practical and accessible to all,” says an SBS representative. In fact, the government is now keener than ever to develop the system, as it has proven to be of great value. “We had zero accident with our bikes over the last three years. I think that is rather remarkable as we record on average 500 rides per day and already account over 10,000 subscribers,” Mr. Dittiporn points out with pride. Similar bike schemes have also been further developed in Chiang Mai and in Phitsanulok. These are
great initiatives, and the government wants to push the use of bicycles across the country. During the recent Thailand Travel Mart in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s Minister of Sports and Tourism Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced that Thailand would develop—before the end of the year—another 690 km of bicycle lanes all across the Kingdom, offering further opportunities for local and foreign bike fans to criss-cross the country on two wheels. And maybe convince more lazy car and motorcycle drivers to do the same. Practical Advice for Users Bring your own lock and helmet (as neither is provided with the bicycle). The map of all Pun Pun Bike station locations is available at each station, and on the website. Bikes must be returned before midnight as stations are then deactivated. Finally, it is not possible to obtain a bike after 8pm. Tel: 087 029 8888 (English spoken) www.punpunbikeshare.com
Green Biking
Photo by Let’s Go Biking
While the Pun Pun Bike System is great for downtown residents, it’s also worth noting that there are many bike tour companies that offer residents and tourists alike a chance to cycle through Bangkok’s greener pastures. LET’S GO BIKING is one such organization, and their tours of Bang Krachao, otherwise known as “Bangkok’s green lung” are not to be missed. For B1,400 you can explore this green-preserve in the outskirts of the city, riding a mountain bike along a beautiful elevated bikeway that passes parks and tranquil canals. www.letsgobikingthailand.com 1 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
CITY PULSE | on the block
The Mustang Nero
Naiipa Art Complex
Banh Mi-Crispy
Habito and the Sansamran Bridge
Hubba-To co-working space
Sustainability in the City Green-minded projects add colour to Phra Khanong By Craig Sauers
A
s Kermit the Frog—that pillar of existentialist thought—once put it, “It’s not easy bein’ green.” Sure, he might have been lamenting his swampy shade, but still the adage rings true. When it comes to nature and greenery in Bangkok, most of the city’s native flora and fauna were long ago razed and replaced by glass towers. So it’s probably no surprise to read that with only 3 sq.m of green per capita, our metropolis has the 2nd least amount of green space among major Asian cities. And while green space has gone down, energy demand has soared to record-high levels. No, being green hasn’t been so easy. But lately property developers have begun to see positive
2 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
connotations in low-impact, community-minded projects. Nowhere is this more evident than Phra Khanong. Between the Ram Intra Expressway and the Phra Khanong Canal, a once-rundown tract of land is being built up and shaped into a new community. Called T77, the Sansiri-led project will include two condominiums (The Base Park East and West), three housing complexes (Hasu Haus, Garden Square, Mori Haus), a lifestyle mall, and, in 2017, Bangkok Prep Secondary School. While some of the living spaces have already climbed to over 80 per cent occupancy, its first community centre and lifestyle mall— Habito—is just now opening its doors. bangkok101.com
on the block | CITY PULSE
Goja
Koyryoriya-te Sukhumvit Rd.
BTS Phra Khanong
Ram Inthra-At Narong Expressway
Rebel Art Space
Beat Hotel
Training Ground
Sukhumvit 71 Rd.
Tars Gallery
Sukhumvit 69 Rd.
Sukhumvit 67 Rd.
In planning the construction of Habito, the project developer Sansiri sought the assistance of Winkreative, an agency chaired by Tyler Brûlé, Editor-in-Chief of design bible Monocle. So naturally the venue’s design integrates smart, eco-friendly elements, such as a breezy open floor plan, reducing the need for air-conditioning. The entire space is filled with greenery, as well, the air punctuated by the soft smell of the frangipani trees and flowering bushes. For now, the project boasts 15 restaurants, among them a Chefman Express, David’s Bakery, and Muiné, a southern Vietnamese specialist that makes a mean banh mi. More restaurants and cafés will follow, including a 24hour Tom n Tom’s, but Habito is a community centre, not just a shopping or dining destination. To that end it has a dental clinic, a branch of SCB, a huge RSM Muay Thai gym offering a variety of workout plans beyond Thai boxing, and—its flagship venue—Hubba-To, a partnership with pioneering co-working space Hubba. Hubba-To has been labelled a “co-creative” space (meaning: it’s not only a place to go to when you get tired of working in your pyjamas at home). The cavernous, naturally lit space incorporates a cooking room, an oven for making ceramics, a darkroom for developing film, and possibly even a recording studio, thanks to interest from Jay Montonn’s Asiola project. Open as of this writing, it’s the most impressive shared creative space in the city, and it might just be a bellwether for the way working environments will be regarded in the near future. Closer to BTS Phra Khanong, an office building has set out to reframe the balance of art, nature, and work in our world of cold concrete. The much-hyped Naiipa Art Complex comes from architect Chanasit (Dew) Cholasuek and Sabhat (Kaey) Rakitawan, who owns the property. Challenged to build around extant trees, the team consulted preservationists and came up with a sustainable design of the city has never before seen: wood walkways wrap around tree trunks, hovering above a brilliant green lawn, while
glass walls let light in open rooms, inspiring creative thought not commonly harvested in four-walled office spaces. These two new projects are part of Phra Khanong’s ongoing transformation (and with a couple of conspicuous empty lots remaining—one on Sukhumvit 69, the other on the corner of Rama IV Road—expect even more developments soon). The arrival of Beat Hotel, Rebel Art Space, and Hof Art Space helped this former backwater earn a reputation as a cutting-edge creative district. In 2014, Japanese-focussed Goja Gallery joined the crowd, lending its street art vibe to the pot. Then, more recently, Tars Gallery entered the fold, showcasing mixed media in an intimate, white-walled shophouse. By day, these venues make the community a colourful place to galleryhop. By night, it becomes something else entirely. Phra Khanong has become a top dining spot, much of it centred on the W District’s open-air beer garden. Foremost among the many great venues are brand-new Banh Mi Crispy (yes, Phra Khanong has two places to go for banh mi—visit here for a version with crispy pork); Sod Sai Fish & Chips (serving a dish that has been sorely lacking at the quality and B120 price point it’s sold for here); and Jacobo Astray’s tapas joint Broken Eggs, where you can get a proper paella on Fridays and its French-fried namesake huevos rotos (“broken eggs”) whenever. Beyond the beer garden, the bar scene is small, but growing. Pick up a Japanese beer at Goja, or visit proto-Tokyo dive bar Koryoriya-te for umeshu, shōchu, or Japanese whisky and beer. Having to order from a chalkboard menu written in Japanese may seem troubling, but fear not, purists: classic Nippon bar snacks, such as potato salad, are available. After bar-hopping, stay at one of the city’s most charming rentals on Airbnb, The Mustang Nero, a beautifully renovated commercial building filled out with plants and shrubs. And when you wake up, sweat out the night’s revelries at Training Ground, the cavernous crossfit gym, feeling good about going local and being green.
San Samran Bridge
W District
BTS On Nut
Sukhumvit Plus 2 Alley
The Mustang Nero Hotel
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CITY PULSE | property profile
Siam Suite
Private dining room at Chon Thai
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Riverfront bar
Music room
Bathtub
Opium Spa bangkok101.com
property profile | CITY PULSE
The Siam
Transporting guests to another time and place By Bruce Scott
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he term “destination hotel” is used most often to describe an accommodation that is as alluring as the area that surrounds it. The Siam, a luxurious city resort located on the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River (just north of the Krung Thon Bridge), is, without doubt, just such a place. Guests here—whether they be newcomers to Thailand, or city residents splurging on a stay-cation—are transported to another time and place as soon as they enter this opulent but welcoming hotel. The “time” is the Art Deco jazz age of the 1920s, and the “place” is a sepia-toned, old-fashioned Bangkok—snazzier but simpler at the same time. The design architect responsible for the overall look of The Siam’s interior and exterior is none other than Bill Bensley, a veritable superstar in the world of tropical hotels. The properties that bear his touch are absolute masterpieces of elegance, taste, and attention to detail. His handiwork here is first evident in the simple black, white, and silvery grey colour scheme that dictates the look of almost all the floors, walls, and bedroom and hallway furniture, most notably in the 16 lavish 80 sq.m Siam Suites (astoundingly they are the smallest of all the hotel’s mere 39 units, which also include pool villas, larger suites, and a deluxe private cottage). Within my second floor Siam Suite the clever use of interspersed floor-to-ceiling wall mirrors makes the room seem even more spacious than it already is. Meanwhile the geometric designs in the beautiful black and white tiling, the deep slingback freestanding white bathtub, as well as the sleek black furniture and grey-toned armchairs and sofa, bangkok101.com
all combine to make you feel like you’re Noël Coward (or, if you prefer, Great Garbo) on a tropical getaway. In addition, the abundance of antiques, curios, and artifacts in the room’s polished glassed cupboards adds both a homey touch and a historical feel. For my own brief visit I am even assigned a personal butler, who first gives me an informative tour of the grounds, and later assures me that he is available at all times to take care of any trifling needs I may have. The facilities at The Siam include fitness gym, boxing ring, outdoor infinity pool, riverfront bar, indoor and outdoor restaurant, billiard table, and meeting rooms, but more interestingly there is a stately library full of museum-worthy antiques, a private screening room decorated with vintage cinema projection gear, and—my favourite—a sun-filled solarium with a working record player and a selection of playable vinyl LPs. The décor here evokes a sort of big game hunters club circa 1910, complete with oversize leather chairs, taxidermized birds in domed glass cases, a stuffed crocodile, a leopard pelt, retro jazz posters, and yet more eclectic antiques and curios. Another highlight facility is the Opium Spa by Sodashi, which offers solo or couple’s suites with steam rooms, saunas and Jacuzzis. Visitors can choose from facial, body, and massage therapies—I opt for the recommended, and intriguingly titled, one-hour Muay Thai Massage—or create their own tailored multi-day spa package. But even if you choose not to indulge in a treatment, don’t miss viewing the spa’s extravagant 3-storey, open entry area (the Opium Den as it’s called), complete with indoor koi pond and wraparound couches. It’s breathtaking!
Truth be told, it’s all quite breathtaking, and even just walking to Chon Thai, the hotel’s riverside Thai restaurant, is made more special by a trellised shaded passageway overgrowing with beautiful foliage. Meanwhile the restaurant itself is made up of a collection of old teak buildings once owned by the legendary Jim Thompson—yet another link with historic Siam. The homes were dismantled, taken from their original location in Ayutthaya, and reassembled here, and the upper floors of these perfectly restored dwellings serve as beautiful private dining rooms—but having a meal at ground level, overlooking the river, is just as pleasant. And as the restaurant’s background music plays—a very cool mix of old Thai jazz-era tunes—I sit back with a refreshing gin cocktail (the Kafir Lime Fizz) and wait for my Jungle curry with sea bass, and Wok-fried chayote with garlic, chili and oyster sauce. However, I’m just a tiny bit jealous of the couple I see enjoy their 10-course Chef’s Table privately prepared dinner, just one of the special promotions the restaurant offers guests.
The Siam
3/2 Khao Rd. Tel: 02 206 6999 www.thesiamhotel.com
Know Before You Go The Siam has its own dedicated river pier, offering a private, 25-minute speedboat shuttle to and from the Sathorn Central Pier (at Saphan Taksin BTS station), but it’s not a regularly scheduled service so reservations must be made in advance.
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SNAPSHOTS | insight
Ganesha at a Hindu temple in Molmein, Myanmar 2 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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insight | SNAPSHOTS
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On Khaek and Culture
he word “khaek” in Thai can cover large and diverse groups of individuals. They can be people from Southern Asia such as Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans, or the Malays in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. The term can even refer to those from as far away as the Middle East and North Africa, whether they are Persians or Arabs. Most Thais have preconceived notions about khaek being tricky and untrustworthy. According to an old saying, when you see a khaek and a snake, the question is which one should you hit first. In reality however, this generalization does not represent Thailand’s true sentiments towards khaek. Admittedly some bad apples gave them bad a reputation, but Thai culture and society in general owes a great deal to the cultures from the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The origins of much of Thai culture comes from the khaek. Buddhism, the kingdom’s primary religion, started in northern India. The teachings and prayers that the Thai monks use came from Sri Lanka as exemplified by the Lankawong sect. Most Thais also carry
Tom’s Two Satang 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 lighthearted yet learned manner. bangkok101.com
Hindu beliefs, which is why some sociologists call us Sino-Hindus or Chinese-Hindus. Although Hinduism may not be our official religion, it has been ingrained into our belief system and our arts. In fact, Hindu beliefs and symbolism are seen in most Thai religious art and architecture. Most Thais do not mind going to pray and ask for favours at Hindu temples and shrines. Every year outside the colourful South-Indian style Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Silom Road (also known as the Maha Uma Devi Temple), there is a grand procession in which many locals join. Meanwhile the Brahma Shrine (or Erawan Shrine), located on one corner of the Ratchathewi intersection, is flocked to daily by both Thais and tourists asking for all kinds of successes—whether it be for their businesses, education, or love lives. Some Bangkokians respectfully dub this crossroads the “Intersection of Deities”, as it is lined with shrines of Hindu gods and goddesses, from Vishnu to Indra, Ganesha, and many more. Many Thais, especially those in the fields of the arts, often have a statue of Ganesha to worship because they believe that he is both the deity of knowledge and fine arts, as well as the remover of obstacles. In short, Thailand’s faiths have blended Buddhism and Hinduism, with Brahmanism, some Animism, and even Confucianism thrown in. In addition, the Thai language has borrowed a lot from both Pali and Sanskrit. Hence, all the official vocabulary and our full names sound more Indian (even though our look may be more Chinese). Our mannerisms, such as the “wai” gesture, as well as much of our etiquette, food, fashion, and literature have all been influenced via India. It’s hard to imagine Thai food without curries and spices, and our silk weaving techniques and traditional dress styles mainly come from Indian influences. Without Ramayana, or Ramakien, we Thais would probably have to rewrite our entire literary
and artistic legacy because Khon, the masked dance drama, mural paintings, and other related fields, are intrinsically connected to this epic poem. Among the Indians in Thailand the Sikhs are a very prominent sect, and Sikh men are easily identified by their turbans. Originally from Punjab, the Sikhs from the Namdhari sect have settled in Thailand since King Rama V’s reign. Some live in the Phahurat district, or Bangkok’s “Little India”, where many trade in fabrics and textiles—a business cliché that Thais often associate with Indians. In days gone by, many residents of Indian origin could be seen selling dried nuts and beans. They were recognizable because of the small tables they carried on their heads, and when called they would stop and place the table down to mix and match the nuts. Nowadays this is a rare sight, mainly because counting money has taken over from counting beans in much of the now exceedingly affluent Thai-Indian community. Years ago, when areas such as Nana (named after an Islam family) and Asoke (along Sukhumvit Road) were just rice fields, canals, and swamps, many Indians chose to settled there. As landowners, their property values have increased immensely over time, and as their businesses flourish, so do their lifestyles. Most Indians have integrated well in Thai society and many speak Thai fluently, even the older generations. However, there are always some differences that stem from stereotyping, misunderstanding, and misperception. Although the stereotyped khaek’s traits are being brash, greedy, and deceitful, many Thai-Indians have succeeded in all sorts of professions. Among the artists who have represented Thailand at the Venice Biennale, Navin Rawanchaikul from Chiang Mai showed his works in 2011. As the word khaek also means “guests”, Thais should welcome and treat these guests wholeheartedly because the Indian community calls Thailand their home as well. J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 2 5
SNAPSHOTS | highlight
Unassuming entrance to JUSMAG, on Sathorn Rd.
Beer Commando, First Division The so-called ‘secret American bar’ offers retro ambience and untaxed American craft suds By Joe Cummings/CPA Media
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don’t remember the very first time I heard about a bar hidden away somewhere in Bangkok that was run by the US government, but it was at least 15 years ago. The stories were often so vague that when I finally found the place myself, I realized many of the people who told me about it had never actually been there. It was supposed to be a dark den where US military types gathered to wash away the memories of black ops with real American beer. There was once a time when you didn’t find American beer anywhere in Bangkok, except during the annual American independence day celebrations, when the US embassy flew in cases of Budweiser and other mass-produced 2 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
brands that were hardly desirable to begin with. Still, my curiosity was aroused, and I always wanted to check the bar out—assuming it truly existed and I’d be able to get in. Some said the bar was mostly used by Marine embassy guards, and that you needed a US government ID to enter. It wasn’t until I was working at the Bangkok Post eight years ago that Scott Herron, an American who helps run the Post website, gave me the whole story. Scott was a regular at the bar, and explained that it was located inside the fortified compound of the Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG) on Sathorn. Not only was it open to non-military, it was open to anyone, of any nationality.
“All you need is photo ID,” he said. “And it’s not just Budweiser. There’s a fridge full of craft beers, and they’re cheap.” A week later I paid my first visit to the compound at the corner of Sathorn and Sathorn Soi 1. After pressing a buzzer outside and passing through two reinforced steel doors, I left my Thai driving license with a guard standing in a caged room, in exchange for visitor’s pass. After passing through one more steel door, I found myself in the hidden beer sanctuary. bangkok101.com
highlight | SNAPSHOTS Since then I’ve been back many times, enjoying such heady brews as Redhook ESB, 8 Ball Stout, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Steam, New Belgium Fat Tire, Dogfish Head, and Samuel Adams Boston Lager, all of which are rarely seen elsewhere in Bangkok. The bar also stocks craft labels more commonly distributed in Bangkok (through the noble efforts of local outfit Beervana) such as Rogue, Stone, and Anderson Valley. Beers and ales are kept in a glassdoor fridge, where you help yourself— just like at Wong’s—and then pay at the bar. Prices run 100 to 140 baht per bottle, less than half the price you’d pay for the same beers at any other bar or bottle shop in the city, simply because JUSMAG is able to import and sell American products without paying import duties. A full bar of American liquors, plus a limited selection of wines, are also on hand. For a few months I was ordering Blanton’s Bourbon here for 80 baht a shot, but sadly the bar doesn’t seem to stock it anymore. Lately, Knob Creek and Woodford’s Reserve have made regular appearances.
The barroom itself looks like it could have dropped out of the sky from Indiana, with its polished-wood high bar chairs, pool tables, largescreen TVs, American flag bunting and assorted memorial plaques. The Thai bartender here can be a bit cranky at times, no doubt because he handles all the serving, drink mixing, and cashiering alone. The bar opens at 3:30 pm, and the clientele varies as the night proceeds. From around 4 to 7pm, three or four retired military men are usually sitting at the bar, quietly rehashing the old days or talking sports and politics. As they trickle out into the night, a younger crowd of Thais, embassy employees, and savvy beer aficionados arrive in small groups. The well-maintained pool tables are a popular draw. The primary function of JUSMAG Thailand, established in 1953, is to arrange and oversee US-Thai military training. Although commonly referred to as “Jusmag Bar”, the watering hole is officially called Aderholt’s Annex, named for the late Brig. Gen. Harry “Heine” Aderholt, a former Jusmag
Thailand commander and heavily decorated air commando known for air-dropping agents behind enemy lines in clandestine night missions during several American conflicts. According to the Air Commando Association website, in later years Aderholt was commonly seen “wearing a safari suit, a five-baht gold chain, a gold Rolex, sunglasses, and possibly carrying a demolition knife”. One night when I was cozied up to the bar, Australian club designer Ashley Sutton and BK Magazine editorin-chief Gregoire Glachant strolled in. I could tell by the way they looked around the room that they hadn’t been there before. After they were seated at a table, I walked up behind Sutton and whispered into his ear, “Is it true you’re planning to open a new bar with the same retro interior, but charging 400 baht per beer?”
Aderholt’s Annex
JUSMAG, 7 Sathorn Tai Rd. Tel: 02 287 1036 Open: Mon-Fri, 3:30pm-10pm Last call: at 9:30pm
Joe’s Bangkok Bar interior
Award-winning writer Joe Cummings was born in New Orleans but became one of Lonely Planet’s first guidebook authors, creating the seminal Lonely Planet Thailand guide, as well as several other titles and updates for the region. Each month, he picks out his favourite cultural gems throughout Bangkok. bangkok101.com
Look for the Sign
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SNAPSHOTS | highlight
Insect Farms Metamorphosizing Into Serious Business
In an excerpt from Thailand’s Sustainable Development Sourcebook, contributing author Jim Algie examines the new role of insects in the global food chain and why Thailand is leading the world in these economical farms.
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or travelers visiting Thailand, insect vendors on the streets of Bangkok and Chiang Mai make for fantastic photo ops and drunken dares. Long an alternative source of protein in the country’s rural regions, insects have shed some of their stigma as the most repugnant snack among Western consumers.
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Indeed, research has shown that caterpillars have more protein than red meats or chicken and they come with much less saturated fat. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals. “Eating a few insects is like taking a multivitamin,” Patrick B. Durst, a senior FAO official who co-authored a study on Thailand’s
edible insect industry, told the New York Daily News in 2014. Insect farms are easy on the environment too. The water and food used to nurture them is but a drop in the bucket when compared to cattle farms, which are one of the biggest causes of deforestation. To produce a pound of beef takes 25 pounds bangkok101.com
highlight | SNAPSHOTS
Bizarre
Thailand
Jim Algie has parlayed his experiences living in Thailand into books like the non-fiction collection, Bizarre Thailand: Tales of Crime, Sex and Black Magic (2010) and On the Night Joey Ramone Died: Twin Tales of Rock ‘n’ Punk from Bangkok, New York, Cambodia and Norway (2016). Check out www.jimalgie.com for more.
of feed, 2,900 gallons of water and plenty of room for bovines to roam. To produce a pound of crickets, conversely, takes a mere two pounds of feed, one gallon of water and a cubicle. None of the most contentious supplements like growth hormones or antibiotics are needed. Nor do insects produce bursts of methane gases from either end like cows do. For farmers in Thailand’s northeast, who are used to reaping only one rice harvest per year, crickets can be harvested every two months. They are also more resistant to periods of drought (a common occurrence in the northeast) and with around 200 different species for sale in Thailand offer plenty of diversity. Now that “food security” has become a buzzword with the most ominous overtones, insects are winging their way into the diets of many health buffs and the higher
realms of environmentally correct foodstuffs. With some 20,000 small-scale farms operating in Thailand, according to the FAO, the kingdom produces around 7,500 tons of edible insects per year, making it the world leader. In 2013 the UN agency released a book called Six-legged Livestock: Edible Insect Farming, Collecting and Marketing in Thailand that chronicles the kingdom’s success story in opening a new chapter in health food, as what was once unpalatable to Western palates has turned into something of a delicacy, with energy bars that consist of ground-up crickets turning up on the shelves of health stores in the US and the first American cricket farm opening in 2014.
From the Source Published by Editions Didier Millet (EDM Books) in late 2015, Thailand’s Sustainable Development Sourcebook provides an incredible array of information, ideas and inspiration through more than 60 succinct articles, written by experts in the field, on subjects as various as energy and income inequality to education, corruption, organic restaurants, culture, Buddhism and climate change. The handsome hardcover edition, brimming with photos and infographics, retails for B1,800. The book was edited by, and features contributions, from Nick Grossman, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul and Jim Algie. This excerpt came from the chapter on agriculture. www.edmbooks.com
bangkok101.com
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SNAPSHOTS | very thai
Trash Recyclers
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Freelance gleaners make the most of rubbish
hailand’s newly affluent society doesn’t separate for recycling what they throw away. Instead, a caste of roving gleaners called saleng do the grimy task for them, sifting treasure from the trash. Thais historically tossed out packaging, scraps and broken items without problem, since it was mostly biodegradable natural materials like wood, cotton, leaf or bamboo, but this habit has barely modified in recent decades with the sudden influx of plastic, metal, synthetics and hi-tech detritus. You can measure what a society values by what it throws away. And the widening wealth gap reflects ambivalence, among both public and officials, about moderating a statusconscious lifestyle that shows off its cavalier consumption of resources. Recycled products have since the mid-2000s gained trendy cachet—as long as it’s someone else’s hands that get dirty repurposing the refuse. Into the resulting mess, the freelance forager thrusts a willing hand. “There are two types: khon geb khaya collect or steal stuff, whereas saleng only buy,” says Natthaphon, 23, who joins his mother and two elder brothers in buying-up a chunk of Phitsanulok’s scrap. Saleng—a term indicating the Chinese ethnicity of Thailand’s earliest ‘rag-and-bonemen’—are a rung higher up the hardscrabble hierarchy, and make a decent living in a socially useful role that’s part of daily street life. “I quit working in a BMW car factory to do my father’s business when he retired,” recounted Nattaphon from his red, three-wheeled trolley. “My mother uses a pick-up truck, not a tricycle. She could earn 1,000 baht a
> Very Thai
River Books by Philip Cornwel-Smith with photos by John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith B995 3 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
day. I earn about 500 baht.” Assembling BMWs clearly hasn’t influenced the design of the bare assemblage of steel, rubber and grease that constitutes his tricycle. He rides the largest size sold by his saleng depot, costing 23,000 baht. It’s pedal powered, though Bangkok’s traffic has led to a surge in motorised versions. On luxury models, a collapsible umbrella shades the driver and his scales, though not the assistants dozing in the load tray’s lumpy mattress of jumble. “I buy almost everything: glass, paper, plastic, metal, wood, newspaper, books, magazines, electronics, usable tyres and sometimes clothes,” Natthaphon says. He makes 4-5 baht profit per kilo on the 3-5 baht a kilo he pays for things the processing centre can ship in bulk to recyclers. He may pay a premium for other useful items, prizing things that won’t need repairing before resale. Squealing their trademark bicycle-pump ‘horn’, saleng trundle urban streets from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and all day weekends. They complete for only a small fraction of the trash, however, while the wider problem eludes solution, as mountains of hazardous, mercury-seeping waste pollutes groundwater. One group of
khon geb khaya in suburban Bangkok swiped tubs of apparent trash from a prominent company’s doorstep, only to lose fingers, sight or life to the radioactive contents. Thailand produces 15.1 million tonnes of waste per year, according to 2009 figures, a fifth of that by Bangkokians. The amount recycled had doubled to 22% since 2003, when the state was recycling just 3 percent, and saleng 8 percent. That compares to 30-50 percent in Korea, Singapore and Japan. Recycling schemes involving colourcoded street bins have foundered through lack of enforcement, changed bin colours, and a ban on street bins after the New Year 2007 bombings. Bin men have also been spotted dumping divided trash into the same truck. The solution rests in education, discipline and civic pride, but successive Bangkok governors failed to foster the separation of waste in either household or workplace. The situation was improved by the state finally utilising the local profit-driven saleng system that Thais are used to. NGOs have long treated saleng as a socially positive means to educate about waste and to get those in poverty organised and more appreciated by society.
Now out in an expanded, updated 2nd edition, “Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture” is a book that almost every foreign resident has on their reading table, a virtual bible on Thai pop culture. Now with four extra chapters, 64 more pages and a third of the 590 photographs being new, it guides you on a unconventional Technicolor tour of the quirky things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 70 chapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and buy a copy of the new edition at any good bookshop. bangkok101.com
SNAPSHOTS | heritage
Saranrom Garden
Grandiose Gardens
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A historic stroll through Bangkok’s green spots
he sad reality must be acknowledged that among all the big cities in Asia, Bangkok is one of the least green. In a report by German company Siemens, and the Economist Intelligence Unit, Bangkok comes at 3.3 m2 of green space per capita, 10 times less than the Asian average of 38.6 m2 and 20 times less than the top ASEAN performer, Singapore (66.2 m2 per capita). But at least Bangkok is only the “second worst” of the lot (Jakarta tops that list). But there are many green pockets around town, including large public parks—such as Chatuchak or Lumphini—as well as parks that are just a few square meters wide but represent a welcome green oasis in a jungle of concrete. Over the last five years, positive developments have been seen around town, and new green spaces have been opened to the public. Additionally, a new trend in Bangkok these days is suspended gardens—the best example being the amazing EmQuartier garden on the
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sixth floor of the Helix Building. In fact, if you look hard enough there are some surprising little gardens around town, many in historical districts. SARANROM GARDEN: The public garden across the Grand Palace compound is part of Saranrom Palace, formerly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Originally exclusively reserved for a royal use, the Park is an interesting mix of European and Asian style gardens. Conceived first as a private botanical garden, the park was opened in 1874 and was put under the management of King Rama V personal advisor, Britainnative Henry Alabaster in 1881. The Briton imported trees from London and Singapore giving the park its distinctive character, which includes a European style fountain, a Victorian style gazebo, a brass band pavilion, and a Chinese pavilion, as well as a glass house that was later added by Italian Annibale Rigotti. The park was originally a purely private garden for the monarchy, but turned gradually into an exquisite public park open to all.
JIM THOMPSON HOUSE: For most visitors to Bangkok, a visit to the house of legendary American Jim Thompson is a must. The house was built in 1959 by reconstructing and joining together six ancient Thai houses from Ayutthaya, and although the house layout follows many Western patterns—such as the grand staircase to access the living room and bedrooms—the garden surrounding the house is all Asian. It echoes a mini jungle with its lush giant tropical plants, such as banana and palm trees, ferns, flames of the forest, golden bamboos, and majestic rain trees. Despite its small scale, the garden provides this strong sense of plunging in the midst of a deep rainforest. The garden is only accessible with a visit to the museum. WAT SAKET: Also known as The Golden Mount, this landmark silhouette stands firmly in the background of Dusit and Phra Nakhon districts, Bangkok historical city centre. And even though most tourists go to the temple for the spectacular bangkok101.com
heritage | SNAPSHOTS view from the top of its chedi into Bangkok old town, another surprising discovery are the gardens surrounding the temple. It is a strange eclectic mix of kitschy statues, more classical representation of Thai deities, artificial waterfalls and mist, giant ferns, colourful bougainvillea, and orchids. The garden is in fact a reflection of Thai soul when plunged into Buddhism, as the gardens are built to tell all about the life of Lord Buddha. The ascension to the 58m high chedi is a voyage of discovery within an enchanted forest. Not to be missed are the 100 year old bodhi trees that form a natural wall. EM QUARTIER: These days Bangkok malls are not just about shopping, and to prove it pay a visit to the amazing gardens at EmQuartier. This freely accessible park is located on the fifth floor of the mall’s Helix building. Shops suddenly vanish to give way to waterfalls, tropical plants,
an artificial pond, large armchairs of rattan, and even swings—all surrounded by bushes, ferns and wild tropical orchids. At night, the garden evokes an almost ‘Wizard of Oz’ feel, as spotlights give new shades to trees and bushes in a symphony of rainbow colours. The project is the work of French artist and garden designer Patrick Blanc, who also designed the green wall surrounding the fountain at Siam Paragon. Not to be missed is his giant rainforest chandelier hanging over the travelators. It’s a perfect synthesis between pure art and greenery, as the chandelier’s two elegant spires scroll down over the Helix for 100m, with various tropical plants tracing the shapes of the stainless steel wires. PHAYA THAI PALACE: Located near Victory Monument, this alluring structure was built by Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti
(construction lasting from 1909 to 1922). A blend of German, Italian and Moorish architectural styles, the palace was surrounded by sumptuous Italian gardens with a Tuscany-style fountain gracing the entrance to the palace. For many years, the backyard of the palace was designed in Italian style until being converted into a hospital in the 1930s. The garden was then neglected and transformed into a parking lot in the 1970s. However, miracle do happen, and in the last two years the Government has transformed the unaesthetic parking into the lost Italian garden, taking its inspiration from old photographs. Behind the palace visitors can now stroll under pergolas, look at a basin with fountains surrounded by coppices and beds of flowers, and see the caryatids and Corinthian columns that create a stage facing the garden. Phaya Thai Palace is open everyday (free of charge on the weekend).
Historic
Bangkok Wat Saket
Paris native Luc Citrinot has lived in Southeast Asia for the past 12 years, first in Kuala Lumpur and more recently in Bangkok. A seasoned traveller, he writes about tourism, culture, and architecture. He was instrumental on a recent EU-endorsed project to establish the European Heritage Map of Bangkok and subsequent app covering all of Thailand. Luc still travels extensively in Southeast Asia, looking particularly for new architectural gems related to colonial and European history. bangkok101.com
Jim Thompson House
Helix, EmQuartier
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SNAPSHOTS | making merit
Turning Trash into Treasures Paper Ranger creates notebooks using waste paper By Julia Offenberger
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oining the ranks of superheroes, Paper Ranger fights, just like Batman, Superman, or Spiderman, against evil, trying to make the world a better place. In his case however, the enemy is trash, and this hero’s superpowers consist of turning waste paper into useful notebooks. By distributing them to disadvantaged children in rural areas, Paper Ranger not only contributes to a more sustainable, and eco-friendly environment, but also helps those in need. Sounds like a good guy? Keep on reading to find out more about this special hero’s backstory. Once upon a time (around 9 years ago), a group of university students became increasingly aware of the excessive amount of photocopy paper wasted by people using only one side, and leaving the other blank. In an effort to reduce this waste, they figured out a way to efficiently use both sides of the sheets, and decided to turn them into notebooks. The students started collecting leftover one-side-used A4 papers from different companies, schools, and universities, and developed the knowhow to produce creative, hand-made notebooks. The method to bind the books is fairly simple, and easy to do at home (if you want to try it yourself). First the sheets are 3 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
folded in half leaving both front and back of the page blank. Then, the stack of sheets is wrapped in some cover paper, and punctured on one side using a measuring bar, a screwdriver and hammer. Lastly, the notebooks are bound together with a piece of string, and individualised with cute images on the cover. Search “Paper Ranger Notebook Making Tutorial” on You Tube to watch our hero’s easy to follow video. In the beginning these books were only used by the group themselves, but it pretty soon became clear that their production exceeded their need of notebooks. So, they decided to use them for a good cause. In many rural areas of Thailand students have very little funds for education, and most often can’t afford notebooks for class. Hence, the group organised their first university volunteer trip in the Lampang province and donated their products there. Inspired by this experience, and with a strong belief in their idea—spreading it through teaching opportunities—Paper Ranger was born, giving the project a name and a face (in the form of a cute and recognisable character). The life of our hero then continued quite successfully. In 2008 the project worked under The Foundation of Thai Rural Reconstruction Movement (TRRM), under Royal Patronage, and received its first funding from the Siam Commercial Bank Foundation (SCBF) in 2009. Unfortunately, this period of triumph didn’t last for very long, and the funding was used up within a year. Paper Ranger was faced with a difficult decision: give up or go on. However, driven by his goal to limit the evil power of trash, Paper Ranger figured
out new ways to continue his task. In order to be sustainable, he applied the model of Social Enterprise as the project’s operating model, and modified the approach of working using the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The efforts of Paper Ranger and his numerous volunteers were worth all the hard work, as more and more people became interested in the project. Finally it could generate its own money to continue our hero’s quest, and help the kids in the kingdom’s rural areas. Up until now, more than 200,000 Paper Ranger notebooks have been made and donated to kids all over Thailand, including the Hmong tribe in Payao province, the Karen kids in Kanchanaburi, and children suffering from Down’s Syndrome in the Chonburi area. Helping hands are always needed, and opportunities to join in on the good work range from donating one-side-used A4 paper, to joining the project to organise a CSR, or volunteering on weekends at Baan Jitasa on New Phetchburi Road. Paper Ranger seems to be on a steady course against his enemy, but it is important to keep in mind that he couldn’t have done all of that on his own. In fact, everybody can be a superhero, and everybody can be Paper Ranger. For more details, visit www.paperranger.org, or check out our hero’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/wearepaperranger. bangkok101.com
making merit | SNAPSHOTS
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TRAVEL |
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| TRAVEL
ROAM The Phi Ta Khon Festival in Loei Ghosts with Human Eyes take over Dan Sai!
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or three days each year the village of DAN SAI, in idyllic Loei province, fluffs its feathers like a bird of paradise during the festival known as PHI TA KHON (or Ghost with Human Eyes). It starts with a cavalcade of local men strutting around town in outrageous, vibrantly coloured costumes; their faces shrouded behind ghost masks so ghoulish they might haunt your dreams. But perhaps more nightmare inducing are the massive wooden phalluses the men wave like unsheathed swords at passersby. But don’t get the wrong idea, as this festival isn’t just some deviant frat party. It recognizes the return of Prince Vessantara (the Buddha in a past life) from a long journey. A journey so long in fact that his devotees presumed that he had died along the way. In turn, the celebrations following his return were so rowdy they woke the dead. The festival has grown immensely in popularity over the past number of years, and nowadays the fearsome festival masks—woven from coconut leaves and rice husks—are the iconic image most associated with this region of Thailand. The first day sees the vigorous “spirits” gathering at the Mun River, and then come the parades, games, and concerts featuring Isaan rock bands. On the second day, the villagers head to Wat Ponchai to listen to sermons, after which they do more of the same from the first day. The third day involves Buddhist rituals, above all else, but the music and dancing continue, as well. Alcohol is consumed in great quantities throughout the weekend, and often the party goes off the rails rather quickly. This year’s celebration runs from JULY 6-8 in Dan Sai. It’s well worth the trip, so take a chance and soak up some authentic Isaan flavour.
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TRAVEL | upcountry now
HYATT OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT July 16-17
Golf enthusiasts should swing down to the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin over this weekend for the Hyatt Open Golf Tournament 2016. Golfers who enter will be able to compete in an amateur yet competitive tournament, and then retreat afterwards to a luxurious guestroom at the nearby Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. A two night stay, welcome dinner, two rounds of golf (including golf cart and caddy), awards luncheon, and complimentary transfers, starts from B15,400 net for one player, and B22,800 for two. To reserve a place or find out more, call 03 252 1234 or email: reservations.hrhuahin@hyatt.com.
UBON RATCHATHANI CANDLE FESTIVAL July 19-20
In the temple courtyards of this Isaan city, menfolk sharpen their knives and begin carving intricately detailed, impressive sculptures to display during the annual Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival. The carvings—everything from oversized Garudas to representations of Lord Buddha himself—are then paraded through town and presented as merit-making offerings. The festivities get underway in late July, centred mostly around Thung Sri Muang Park and the Ubon Ratchathani National Museum. Some of the wax sculptures will be on display for a week or so after the festivities and street parades are finished.
TAK BAT DOK MAI FESTIVAL July 19-20
During Khao Pansa (Buddhist Lent Day), Saraburi is the place where Buddhists come to celebrate the one and only festival of Tak Bat Dok Mai. In the morning, people will offer alms, candles, and food to the monks, but the real highlight of the festival is in the afternoon when people collect the flowers exclusively blooming during this festival time—known as Dok Khao Pansa or Globba—from the nearby mountain slopes. Later, they will offer the flowers to the monks. There will be two rounds of flower offerings, on both days, at 9:30am and again at 3pm.
PHUKET RACE WEEK July 20-24
Sponsored by the Cape Panwa Hotel, this international regatta is scheduled to take place in and around Phuket’s south coast at Cape Panwa. This year’s Race Week will feature at least seven racing classes, including IRC Racing I, IRC Racing II, IRC Cruising, Charter/Bareboat, Firefly 850, Multihull Racing, and Corsairs. The races span four days and five nights, and include beachside regatta parties open only to participants. The Beachside Regatta Bar will be set around the beachside gardens of the hotel to offer free-flow beer, wine and spirits. Fees for boat entry are B15,000, and B5,000 for crew tickets. www.phuketraceweek.com 3 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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Tranquil Tropical Getaways at The Oriental Kwai Resort
Nestled amongst the exquisite greenery of Kanchanaburi’s tropical forested landscape, The Oriental Kwai Resort is the perfect getaway retreat.
Cozy cottages sit serenely in a tranquil tropical garden, providing guests with plenty of opportunity to relax amidst the peaceful natural surroundings. Meanwhile the resort’s riverfront restaurant offers visitors all-day dining deals complete with panoramic views of the majestic River Kwai.
Close and Convenient Located just 150 km from Bangkok, the resort is easily accessible by taxi and minivan.Once here, the our bike services are available for guests wanting to explore the town, and long-tail boats can also be arranged for scenic visits to the famous River Kwai Bridge.
In addition, the Oriental Kwai Resort is a mere twenty minutes’ drive to either Kanchanaburi town or the world-famous Erawan waterfalls—making it a very central location for sightseeing in the area.
Book your holiday getaway now, and discover Kanchanaburi with us! Oriental Kwai Resort | 194/5, Moo 1, Amphur Muang Tambon Ladya, Kanchanaburi Tel: 03 458 8168 | www.orientalkwai.com
TRAVEL | upcountry escape
The view from Ao Kao beach, Koh Mak
Shades of Green Eco-tourism on Thailand’s emerald isles By Jim Algie
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hen a young American named Dick Sandler first came to Thailand back in 1966, he was living on a raft house in Kanchanaburi where he swam back and forth across the River Kwai for his morning exercise. When friends visited they all wanted raft houses of their own to stay in, which led Sandler and his cohorts to float the idea of starting the province’s first riverside resort, unwittingly pioneering a travel niche that would only start to bud in the next decade. “I was doing eco-tourism before the term even existed, growing our own food and organizing sustainable tours,” says Sandler in a rare burst of braggadocio. He also ensured that the locals benefitted from his visitors, which makes him something of a pioneer in community-based tourism (another branch of the eco-tourism tree). Fluent in Thai and schooled in economics, this entrepreneur and self-confessed nature nut eventually took on consultancy work with the United Nations Development Fund and the World Bank, working on rural development projects that allowed him to explore the kingdom’s most remote islands, jungles and beaches. Those discoveries led Sandler to found groundbreaking,
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eco-minded resorts on Krabi’s Railay Bay, on the fringes of Khao Sok National Park, and the Golden Buddha Beach Resort on Koh Phra Thong (population 300) in the Andaman Sea. An expression he first coined has become a touchstone for tourism with a green theme: “low density, high value.” What he means by that are resorts where the accommodations are sufficiently spread out, and noise pollution is kept to a minimum, to ensure that the eco-system is not disrupted and the creatures that depend on it for shelter and succor will continue to thrive. Even after a few decades in business the Golden Buddha remains faithful to that principle, with only 27 bungalows spread out over a large swath of impeccable beachfront free of touts, sun-loungers, and blaring beach bars. That allows the wildlife and reptiles to run rampant. So crab-eating macaques scurry across the sand in search of their staple supper, the famously shy Sambar deer go for dips around dawn or dusk, and bird-watchers will have a field day spotting Indian Rollers, Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Ruddy Kingfishers, hornbills and Brahminy kites—all frequent fliers in the island’s air space. bangkok101.com
upcountry escape | TRAVEL Koh Phra Thong is also renowned as one of the last nesting places for sea turtles in Thailand, and the resort’s former manager Loredana Follador—who escaped a near-drowning experience during the 2004 tsunami when fishermen helped her and her son to flee the tidal waves and reach higher ground—helped to start a turtle conservation project for them. That project is now run by Naucrates, an Italian “voluntourism” group, and the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). Visitors are welcome to lend a hand and some legs to take part in the nightly patrols during the nesting season to tag the females and locate their nests. Though Dick Sandler and his partners sold the Golden Buddha resort some two years ago, partly so he could spend more time on Our Jungle House (his Khao Sok property), the resort’s new owner, Jochen Mosthaf, is expanding on his environmentally correct policies and practices by recycling wastes on the mainland, feeding the pigs leftovers from guests, and sourcing water from wells on the island rather than having it shipped over by boat. However, now that the nearby island of Koh Ra has become a nature reserve, Jochen reveals that plans are afloat to turn the entire area into a national marine park, which he does not believe would be an improvement. “This island could not get more ecological than it already is.” The resort’s future may be more of a grey than green area, but the new owner is less concerned about eco-tourism becoming spoiled by waves of mainstream voyageurs any time soon, because the market’s very nature is its niche appeal and protective camouflage. “Eco-tourism will always be a minority, but the interest is there,” says Jochen. Golden Buddha Resort is closed from May 31 to October 31. Most guests come from the Phuket International Airport, 160 km north of the ferry pier at Kuraburi, where the resort will arrange transfers via long-tail boat.
Looking for Other Green Getaways? KOH MAK: Island getaways have always tempted travelers with the promise of seclusion. In Thailand these days remoteness is a hot property. Take Koh Mak as Exhibit A. Located just south of Koh Chang, it’s larger and more popular neighbour, this 16 sq.km idyll is home to only a few hundred locals and a dozen-odd resorts hugging the island’s outer edges. It also has few roads, virtually no crime, and no uncouth tourist hordes, which makes it perfect for relaxing getaways. In addition, resort owners and residents are also working hard to position Koh Mak as one of Thailand’s most eco-conscious islands, so look for programs such as the volunteer once-a-month beach clean up, where visitors can join locals as they target one beach and give it a thorough cleanse. Buses to Trat depart regularly from Bangkok’s Eastern Bus Terminal. Bangkok Airways also has several daily flights from Suvaranbhumi International Airport to Trat. Speedboats to Koh Mak depart from Laem Ngop pier. bangkok101.com
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TRAVEL | upcountry escape
KOH CHANG NOI: Backpackers were the Marco Polos of
the travel world, discovering islands like Koh Samui and Phuket long before the jet-ski set began to whine. You can channel the free spirits of old-school wanderers and their modern brethren (tattooed, pierced and dreadlocked) on Koh Chang Noi in Ranong province. Settled some five decades ago by itinerant cashew-nut farmers, the island’s accommodations (mostly thatched bungalows in the lower price range) are studies in Spartan sustainability bastioned around the bays of Aow Yai and Aow Lek. The neo-hippies and punks enjoy their tunes and herbal supplements but don’t expect any howling-at-the-full-moon parties to disturb your peace. Several long-tail ferries depart from the Saphan Pla Pier in Ranong daily. The trip takes about 90 minutes. During the rainy low season (May to October) almost all of the island’s resorts are closed.
SURIN ISLANDS: Among the diverse tribes of eco-
tourism, campers are still the chiefs. For minimum impact on the environment and maximum freedom, rent a two-person tent from the National Park Headquarters on Surin Island, part of a five-isle archipelago and national marine park renowned for some of the best snorkeling and diving in Southeast Asia. To visit the more remote islands you will need to take a liveaboard from Phuket. For snorkeling around the main island there are long-tail boat trips every morning and afternoon that depart from the National Park Headquarters. The island is inaccessible during the monsoon season from around mid-May to early November. Speedboats from the pier in Kuraburi take about 90 minutes.
KOH YO: Located in the middle of the Songkhla Lagoon, and linked to the mainland by the Tinsulanon Bridge and encircled by economical resorts, Koh Yo is notable for southern Thai touches, benevolent climate, and agro-tours of beauty. Start the morning by taking a long-tail boat to watch the fishermen trawling for net profits, before savouring a seaweed salad for breakfast (the lagoon’s seaweed is rich in vitamins, making for a tasty and healthy snack). Afterwards, the time is ripe for visiting the orchards of jackfruit, sapodillas and mangosteens, or head for the Thaksin Kadi Institute and Study Center, a repository of Southern finery in fashions and handicrafts. Regular buses to Koh Yo run from the city of Songkhla, or take a 1-hour taxi from Had Yai.
KOH YAO NOI: The Conservation Tourism Club of the Koh Yao Noi community was set up to give tourists a gigantic window on the livelihoods and lifestyles of the island’s Muslim denizens. Altogether, there are 30 rooms for home-stays with local families who can arrange educational daytrips to watch the local fishermen and rubber-tree tappers in action. This is a friendly but conservative community, so it’s best to dress accordingly, and remember that alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the homes (drinks are only served in the island’s commercial resorts). Koh Yao Noi is accessible by long-tail boat ferries departing regularly from Bang Rong Pier on Phuket (a one hour trip), and daily speedboats from Krabi (Klong Hia Pier). 4 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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TRAVEL | weekend getaway
Old School Beach Luxury Santiburi Beach Resort renovations promote nature and tranquility in Maenam Beach
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n the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, when adventurous backpackers first discovered Koh Samui, the northern shore, including Maenam Beach, became a favoured haven. Because the beach was (and still is) farther off Samui’s main ring road than most other beaches on the island, it tended to be quieter, more laid-back, and less commercial than larger Chaweng or Lamai on the east coast. Nowadays, when the latter beaches are awash with multi-story resorts and multi-lane streets lined with massage parlors, beer bars, and ‘fish spas’, Maenam’s semi-bohemian vibe has largely survived. Although a few backpacker bungalows linger on in Maenam, 25 years ago luxury became an option as well when Santiburi Beach Resort was established in a large coconut plantation with beach frontage of more than 300 meters. Last year the owners invested $20 million US into top-to-bottom renovations. The re-design and the refurbishing extended to all existing suites, villas, guest rooms, main lobby, F&B outlets, sporting facilities, pool, and landscape, along with a new beach bar complex which has become probably the most favoured hangout space in the resort. Or, for quieter moments, there’s Rim Talay, a casual yet romantic beachside dining venue where guests sit at tables in the sand and enjoy views of the Gulf of Thailand, and Koh Pha Ngan. “Those who know and love Santiburi will be blown away by the changes – it’s almost like a new hotel,” said general manager Cedric Bonvin. “There’s nothing showy or shouty about it—all our efforts have gone towards creating sanctuaries of true relaxation and timeless style, with generous use of hardwoods and beautiful timber throughout and accents of Thai culture in just the right measure.” 4 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
By Joe Cummings/CPA Media
But allow me to praise my favourite feature at Santiburi, the green design of the guest villas. I can’t count the number of times I’ve checked into expensive tropical beach villas built out of thick concrete to find that the designers had completely ignored the climate. Often there are no fans in the room and, worse yet, windows cannot be opened to let in fresh air. The heat of the day transferred via concreteblock walls leaves one no choice but to run the air-conditioning, even though the outside temperature, at night at least, might be quite comfortable. This is not the case at Santiburi, where all of the windows, as well as
the massive sliding doors along at least two sides of the villas, are fully operational and fitted with high quality screens. On top of that, vaulted ceilings allow the growing heat of the day to collect above the living space, and both rooms of my villa also featured large, quiet ceiling fans. Of course, the villas also come equipped with air-conditioning for guests who can’t quite handle the tropical heat.
Santiburi Samui Beach Resort Maenam Beach, Koh Samui Tel. 07 742 5031 www.santiburisamui.com
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TRAVEL | over the border
The Citadel, Hue 4 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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over the border | TRAVEL
Destination: Da Nang Vietnam’s central coast packs together beaches and culture like no other place in Southeast Asia By Joe Cummings/CPA Media
Tomb of Khai Dinh
Fishermen, Hoi An
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itting on the coast of Vietnam, equidistant from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This has partially been due to a lack of international air links with Da Nang International Airport, which means most regional visitors have had to fly in from the north or south rather than direct. In this fashion I’ve travelled to Da Nang three times during the last decade. But my most recent trip was the easiest yet, thanks to Bangkok Airways’ new nonstop flight between Bangkok and Da Nang. The four-timesweekly, 95-minute flight means I no longer have to stop over in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, thus at least halving the time required to reach Vietnam’s third largest city. Besides being close to three unique Unesco World Heritage sites—more on those later—the lengthy coastline stretching between Hue, an hour north of Da Nang, and Hoi An, an hour south, is studded with over 20 sandy bays, coves and beaches. And my temporary home for this three-day holiday is Lang Co Bay, one of the most beautiful, and thus far least discovered, beaches of the central coast. After I clear immigration, a driver from Banyan Tree Lang Co picks me up and I enjoy riding through the center bangkok101.com
Bun Bo
of Da Nang, which unlike its northern and southern rivals, boasts wide boulevards with light traffic. Soon we reach the long strand of urban beach that fronts the city, part of which is Non Nuoc, once known as “China Beach” to the tens of thousands of American soldiers who occupied the area during the Vietnam War. Before long, Da Nang gives way to the scenery of the Marble Mountains and shortly thereafter we enter 6280m-long Hai Van Tunnel, which opened in 2005 so that motorists wouldn’t have to drive around the mountains and through legendary, sometimes treacherous, Hai Van Pass. This cuts another hour off the average road trip to and from Da Nang. North of the pass, Hue province unfolds with a dramatic series of green mountains interspersed with huge, interconnected lagoons belonging to Tam GiangCau Hai, Asia’s largest lagoon ecosystem. Dotted with fishing villages and low-impact oyster farms (the mollusks are grown in discarded bike tires), Tam Giang-Cau Hai benefits from the oversight by the FAO’s Integrated Management of Lagoon Activities (IMOLA) project. I arrive at the Banyan Tree and am assigned a personal host who checks me into a private beachfront villa. J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 4 7
TRAVEL | over the border Besides the services of a host, the spacious villa boasts an interior enhanced by lacquerware, embroidered silk, and intricate lattice woodwork, plus a decent-sized private pool between villa and beach. The situation is so well engineered to cater to one’s every whim that it’s only with some effort that I drag myself past the pool and down a sandy pathway to have a look at beach and sea. It’s three in the afternoon, but I’m the only person in sight along the wide, 3 km beach. The soft, ruddy sand fades into a swatch of blue sea which, after three days of swimming, I declare to be the cleanest, clearest shoreline water I’ve encountered anywhere in Southeast Asia over the last 10 years or more. Unlike the bathwater sea temperatures found in Thailand in May, the water at Lang Co is refreshingly cool. But there’s much more to the central coast than sun and sand. On a previous trip to Da Nang, I’d immensely enjoyed the city’s Museum of Cham Sculpture, which houses a collection of exquisite stone art from the Cham civilization, a series of Hindu kingdoms which occupied much of central Vietnam from the first millennium AD through the 14th century. Besides Hindu deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, and Garuda, there’s a fanciful variety of animal figures and striking Hindu fertility icons, including a Shivalingam pedestal ringed by a row of perfectly sculpted breasts. The museum was built in 1915 as the Musée Henri Parmentier, and the art was collected by French archaeologists from Cham temple ruins in nearby My Son Sanctuary to protect them from looting. Any visit to My Son should be paired with a visit to this museum to appreciate the full extent of Cham devotional art, which in some cases predates, and possibly inspires, sculpture and architecture found in Bali, Java, and Cambodia. My Son Sanctuary itself, once the spiritual center and political capital of the Champa Kingdom, occupies a high wooded valley 68 km south of Hoi An. Hinduism among the Cham emphasized Shiva worship, and beginning in the 4th century AD and continuing over a thousand-year period, the Cham constructed a series of impressive
brick-and-sandstone tower temples in the valley. I love wandering from site to site—there are 71 standing monuments, most dating from between the 10th and 13th centuries, clustered in eight groups—along wellgroomed forest trails. Worship ceased in the late 15th century, when the site was abandoned and many Cham fled the area. The site was added to Unesco’s World Heritage list in 1999. That same year, the ancient Vietnamese town of Hoi An was added to the coveted Unesco list. Ochrehued courtyard homes draped in purple bougainvillea, narrow streets bathed in the glow of red silk lanterns, and fishermen hauling slippery baskets of fresh fish from their boats, combine to make Hoi An a postcard-perfect image of old Vietnam which draws hordes of tourists from all over the world. Today practically every business in Hoi An, which for centuries was the largest and busiest port in Southeast Asia, is oriented towards the tourist market. I’m able to ignore that and get on with my business, which includes touring the well-preserved Chinese clan assembly houses, constructed of carved wood and tile, and the famous Japanese covered bridge. Built by Japanese merchant residents in the 1590s, the heavy brick edifice performs dual functions, not only spanning a stream but also offering a sacred shrine over the water for keeping South China Sea typhoons at bay. A cruise along the Thu Bon River offers a different perspective of Hoi An, and a look at the nearby villages of Thanh Ha, famed for its pottery, and Kim Bong, a carpentry village. The historic city of Hue to the north presents an entirely different kind of history, that of political rather than economic power, revolving around northern Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty. The dynasty kicked off in 1802 and ended in 1945 when the Vietnamese communist movement installed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. I find time to visit three historic sites in town. The Citadel, begun in 1805 by the first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, was once somewhat comparable to Beijing’s
My Son Sanctuary
Lang Co Bay
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over the border | TRAVEL
Angsana
Angsana
Banyan Tree
Angsana
Forbidden City. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, however, it was mercilessly bombed, first by the North Vietnamese before they took the city, then by the Americans. Only the thick, heavily fortified walls survived, but they’re well worth a visit. Some of the palace structures inside have been rebuilt as well. Hue’s Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh survived the Vietnam War intact, and has been declared the most majestic imperial tomb in all of Vietnam. Built on a hillside over three different levels, the grand mausoleum was begun in 1920 and took 11 years to finish. Today considered to have been a puppet of the French colonial government, Emperor Khai Dinh died at age 40 of tuberculosis three years before its completion, and is interred in a striking sarcophagus inside an ultra-ornate palace at the uppermost level. The third spot I visit in Hue is Thien Mu Pagoda, which overlooks the scenic Perfume River, and is to me the single most impressive historic monument in the city. Built in 1844 by Emperor Thieu Tri, the tiered brick tower offers an East Asian interpretation of the classic Buddhist stupas found in South and Southeast Asia. Behind the tower is a Buddhist monastery, famous for a monk named Thich Quang Duc, who in 1963 made headlines around the world after he traveled to Saigon, poured a canister of gas over his head, and lit himself on fire in protest of American military interference in South Vietnam. The remains of the Austin car in which he rode to Saigon are displayed in a garage in back of the monastery. I’m struck by how peaceful the Thien Mu grounds are. Unlike at the imperial tomb and the citadel, very few tourists turn up while I’m there. For the remainder of my time, I enjoy the beach at Lang Co. An evening dinner at Saffron, Banyan Tree’s signature Thai restaurant, is a treat not only for the excellent cuisine, bangkok101.com
Banyan Tree
overseen by a Thai executive chef, but for its lofty perch overlooking the north end of Lang Co Bay. I also take some time to explore Angsana, Banyan Tree’s sister property next door. While the Banyan Tree emphasizes elegant design and laidback, private luxury, Angsana is decidedly more family oriented, with the added focus of watersport gear and a 300 m swimming pool that meanders throughout the resort and includes a diving section. Guests at each resort have full access to facilities at both. Both resorts are part of the larger Laguna Lang Co, a 280-hectare integrated multi-use project linked to the original Laguna complex in Phuket. The development includes 18-hotel, par-71 Laguna Lang Co Golf Club, a championship course designed by Sir Nick Faldo, and considered to be one of Asia’s top beachside links. Sunday evening I head to Soul Kitchen, a rustic beachside bar on An Bang Beach, close to Hoi An, where I borrow a guitar and join local and expat musicians for the weekly live jam session. Beaches, ancient architecture, and live music always means a great vacation for me, and I finish this one vowing to return soon.
Banyan Tree Lang Co +84 54 3695 888 www.banyantree.com
Angsana Lang Co +84 54 3695 800 www.angsana.com
When to Go Locals agree the best months to enjoy Lang Co are April to August. From late August till November, rains are frequent, and between December and March the air and water temperatures can be quite cool.
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ART
| ART & CULTURE
ATMOSFEAR
Cartoonish creations bring viewers into the artist’s alternative universe
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his site-specific painting installation by YUREE KENSAKU has transformed—over the past 4 months—the white cube interior space of 100 Tonson Gallery. The show is entitled ATMOSFEAR, and presents the artist’s own alternate universe through her biggest mural painting to date. The title of the exhibition is inspired by a special place, oozing with malicious energy, where the protagonist battles his villain called Makuu Space (as has appeared in a Japanese superhero TV series called Space Sheriff Gavan). The word Makuu Space then became a Thai colloquial word used to describe awkward or uncomfortable situations. Entering the exhibition space the audience faces Yuree’s outlandish characters, including Little Rodeo Girl who wears a crab helmet while crashing her whip on a lobster and a macho man springing out of Venus’s clam half-shell, Meanwhile, dangerous cuddly beasts surf the waves while a deep fried mermaid reclines comfortably on a trash strewn seaside beach where a pastel tsunami is crushing everything in sight. Yuree Kensaku is one of the leading Thai new wave talents whose art is exhibited and collected internationally, with works in the renowned museums such as the Mori Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. Most recently her solo showcase at Art Basel Hong Kong 2015 drew wide attention. Known for her lively, colourful painting, with characters influenced by wide range of sources—from mythologies, popular culture, Japanese Manga, folklore and fairy tales—combined with her witty wordplay, the result is a visual narrative with unexpectedly serious underltones. ATMOSFEAR runs from June 23-November 27 at the 100 Tonson Gallery. Viewing hours are Thursday to Sunday, from 11am till 7pm. For more information, call 02 010 5813. www.100tonsongallery.com
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ART & CULTURE | exhibitions
JULY 7-AUGUST 13 Capturing The Intangible
Chulalongkorn Art Centre, Centre of Academic Resources Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Rd. Viewing hours: Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-4pm Tel: 02 218 2965 | car.chula.ac.th/art
Long-accumulated values have turned into beliefs that are coded into symbols, be they behaviours and rituals, or manmade objects such as statues and architecture. The stronger the materiality of beliefs, the more obscure their true meanings become. This exhibition is comprised of ten sculptures by artist Sanitas Pradittasnee which depict her attempts to transform what is intangible into an experience—which in turn has led to the questioning of the core of belief and the truth of life. The artist has constructed a space that explores life’s meaning and offers a journey from an outer layer to a core.
JULY 9-25 Torwong Wutthiwong Bridge Art Space
Soi Charoen Krung 51 Viewing hours: Wed-Mon, 10am-10pm Tel: 086 986 9421 | www.facebook.com/bridgeartspace
Bridge Art Space presents a solo exhibition by Torwong Wutthiwong. The artist’s memories are recorded in ethereal abstract paintings where faint recollections of memory are portrayed, but remain almost illegible. The colour of the paint and the weight of brushstrokes tells a story, and hints at the deep emotion of lost moments. In the words of the artist: “Painting for me is like I’m writing a diary. My pictures might seem not to represent, or talk about anything. They are only the air that surrounds us, floating. The smoke of memories of what has happened.”
UNTIL JULY 15 Women on the Verge H Gallery
201 Soi 12 Sathorn Rd. Viewing hours: Wed-Mon, 10am-6pm (Tue. by appointment) Tel: 085 021 5508 | www.hgallerybkk.com
For his 6th Bangkok solo exhibition at H Gallery, Jaruwat Boonwaedlom, an MFA Graduate of Silipakorn University, presents seven beautifully photo-realistic oil on canvas paintings. The works are an amalgamation of urban scenery and portraits of contemporary Thai women. But these exceptional paintings are also a subtle critique of modern Thai life. Encased behind what appears to be panes of glass are depictions of fashionable young Thai women, but at the forefront is a commentary about how real Thai women exist in the urban jungle—amidst peer pressure and changing values. 5 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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exhibitions | ART & CULTURE
UNTIL JULY 17 Good Deeds – Great Art Sombat Permpoon Gallery
12 Soi 1 Sukhumvit Rd. Viewing hours: Daily, 9am-8pm Tel: 02 254 6040 | www.sombatpermpoongallery.com
This exhibition—combining art and philanthropy—has been organized by the Thai Red Cross Society in conjunction with Sombatpermpoon Gallery, and will be showcasing over 200 artworks donated by a group of charitable artists known as the Independent Artists 96. Prices for the artworks on offer begin at just B1,200, and all proceeds from the sales will go to the Thai Red Cross Society. Although the grand opening reception, ceremony, and lucky draw give away already took place on June 23rd, there’s still plenty of time to see this exhibit and support a good cause.
UNTIL AUGUST 7 Thailand Eye
Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC) 939 Rama I Rd. (BTS National Stadium Station) Viewing hours: Tue-Sun, 10am-9pm Tel: 02 214 6630-8 | www.bacc.or.th
The Ministry of Culture, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Saatchi Gallery, and the Prudential and Parallel Contemporary Art present a group show in the Main Gallery, 8th floor. Curators Nigel Hurst, Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda and Serenella Ciclitira have chosen works from 23 Thai artists, and have titled the exhibition ‘Thailand Eye’. This showcase of key Thai contemporary artists presents their thoughtprovoking works which are, in turn, inspired by Thai art and culture. The show has launched together with the book Thailand Eye, which has collected the works of more than 70 Thai artists.
UNTIL AUGUST 28 Antoine De Saint-ExupéryPassions & Inspirations Alliance Francaise (Art Centre)
179 Witthayu Rd., Lumpini Viewing hours: Tue-Sat, 10:30am-7pm (Sundays till 5:30pm) Tel: 02 670 4232 | www.afthailande.org
The current show at the Alliance Francais is a photo exhibition entitled Antoine de Saint-Exupéry-Passions & Inspirations. Delve into the world of historical photographs recounting the great adventures of the aviation pioneers of Latécoère, the first French airmail company founded in 1918 by Pierre-Georges Latécoère (later to become Aéropostale). The photos on display feature legendary pilots such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of The Little Prince), Mermoz, and Guillaumet. Admission is free. bangkok101.com
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ART & CULTURE | interview
Krissada Sukosol Clapp With a feature film set for release this month, and a new album in the works, this multi-talented actor, musician, and hotelier takes time out to discuss his varied artistic pursuits By Lekha Shankar
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lthough he comes from the well-known ‘Sukosol’ hoteliering family, Krissada Sukosol Clapp, otherwise known as ‘Noi’, remains shy, softspoken, and modest. He has also broken many existing social barriers during his multi-talented career, both as movie star and rock musician. But what remains most interesting is how deeply this artiste reads and researches on all his artistic “passions”. The “actor” Noi has appeared in more than 15 films, and his latest release is entitled Khun Pan, due to hit theatres in July. He stars alongside Thai superstar Ananda Everingham, who plays the real-life role of an infamous policeman who shot down many gangsters in Southern Thailand during the turn of the century. But the “musician” Noi has also recently compiled an album of 12 songs, after a decade-long break. This actor-musician is also a successful hotelier, and the owner of the luxurious, artstudded Siam Hotel (see story on page22), although this exclusive interview was conducted at the family’s equally captivating Sukosol Hotel, on Sri Ayuthya Road.
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Are you excited about the upcoming release of your new film Khun Pan this month? I’m very excited, as I get to ride horses and shoot cops, which satifies the “little boy” in every actor’s dream! But I’m also nervous, because this is the first “total baddie” role I’m playing. I wear a wig, sport tattoos, and am very loud, which is the opposite of who I am. But I enjoyed acting with Ananda, who plays the cop hunting me down. I admire his calm and relaxed air on the set, which is very different from mine. You’ve done quite a variety of film roles, haven’t you? Yes, I’ve always been interested in other people’s lives and experiences, and that’s why I’ve tried a variety of roles. I acted in the famous Thai comedy film-series Long Pi Teng, the indie movie Adventures of Iron Pussy, the reality-show thriller 13 Beloved (where I won a National Award), the musical Luk Thung Signature, and the gangster movie Antapan, which incidentally is by the same director as Khun Pan, Kongkiat Khomsiri. bangkok101.com
interview | ART & CULTURE Do you have any role-model actors? Many, but I believe that Daniel Day Lewis is the greatest actor on the planet! He makes a film just once every couple of years, and blows me away each time. Tell us about your rock-star career. I’ve heard a lot about your “wild moves” on stage! In a way, it’s another “role” I play. I’m easily frightened by crowds, and it’s just torture when I’m on stage. That’s why my body becomes an instrument and serves as a security blanket, where I lose myself. I began to study the great ‘movers’ of our time—Baryshnikov, Fred Astaire, even Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee. My rock-music career began when I returned after my studies in the US, and my brother Sukie started the Bakery Music indie music label, after which our rock band Pru became very successful. We did plenty of shows, from small nightclubs to big arenas. But our second album tanked, and we broke up soon after.
So, why this new music album now? I think that writing is what I do best, much more than singing and dancing. And I’m lucky to have a fan base. In fact, this is totally for them. I’ve whittled down 30 numbers to just 12 songs, and hope they are uplifting, as they are about people who hurt and who struggle. Isn’t it somewhat ironical that you should write about “people who struggle” when you yourself come from such a privileged family? I agree that I’m lucky to come from a privileged family, but at the same time, let me tell you that it’s gone against me. I’ve had to work extra hard to get credit for whatever I’ve done. I’ve always wanted to connect with the ordinary man on the street, and this happened only through my music and movies. All my life I’ve never liked clothes, cars, and gadgets. When I go to Chiang Mai, I stay at a 500 baht a-day guest house. Tell us about the fabulous art works and antiques in The Siam, your luxury riverfront hotel? I have an absolute weakness and passion for antiques, and loved designing the hotel with them. They are, again, bangkok101.com
a part of my deep interest in other peoples and cultures. Just as one gets lost in a film or a song, I want my guests to get lost in the artworks of our hotel. Does your passion for antiques have anything to do with your anthropology degree in the US? Absolutely. It’s the foundation of everything I do now. After all, anthropology is about the study of peoples, from thousands of years back to the present day. I also minored in theatre arts and studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. I waited on tables at night, and went to auditions during the day. But I never made it, and was a failure. That’s why I cherish my success in Thailand! How successful are you as a family-man? My wife Melanie, and two kids Finnegan and Rosalie, are my roots and foundation. But I try to be tough with my kids and instill in them the discipline that my father taught me.
Many people who know about your life and career still don’t know much about your father? People tell me that I’m a lot like my dad. His name is Terry Clapp, and he’s a solid middle class American guy. He met my mother, Kamala Sukosol, when they were both in a music band at college. They were together for 20 years. My Dad now lives in Hua Hin, and we keep closely in touch with him. Are you still a dreamer? Very much. I’m very fortunate that I’ve been able to fulfil my various dreams and passions. And although I spend time with my family, I also enjoy being on my own, dreaming, thinking… my favorite den is my library. How special is Bangkok, to you? Bangkok is like a lead singer who doesn’t look great, but damn it, has a great soul! There’s an undercurrent of energy and a duality in everything. Billionaire or a backpacker, there’s something here for everyone. Khun Pan opens in theatres across Thailand on July 14th J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 5 5
ART & CULTURE | cinema scope
Film News & Screenings By Bruce Scott
Mechanic 2: Resurrection
Nebraska
Y
Windstorm
ou still have time to catch a few screenings at the 2016 European Union Film Festival at the SF Cinema at CentralWorld, which runs till Sunday July 3rd (before heading to Chiang Mai). However the big film news this month is the return of the Thailand International Film Destination Festival (TIFDF), which will take place from July 6th-12th. This exciting 7-day showcase of feature films shot right here in Thailand will be held this year at the Paragon Cineplex. The amount of star power coming to Thailand is getting bigger all the time—just last year action hero Jason Statham and superstar Jessica Alba were in the kingdom filming Mechanic 2: Resurrection. But, more importantly, this festival also highlights some smaller budget films shot in Thailand that may not have even had a cinematic release here. Scheduled films at this year’s festival include the comedy Happy Hour in Paradise (Sweden), the action-comedy Detective Chinatown (China), the thriller drama Hacker (USA), and the family drama Fireflies (India). For full event screening information and detailed ticketing information, visit: www.thailandfilmdestination.com. It’s also worth noting that each year the TIDFF runs in conjunction with The Amazing Thailand Film Challenge, in which over 60 filmmakers from across the globe are given the opportunity to come to Thailand and make a short film. Starting on July 4th the 32 film teams will spread across Thailand and must submit their completed short film by July 11th. The festival then concludes with a star-studded Awards Ceremony on Monday, July 13th—to be held this year at The National Theatre—during which the winning entries will be revealed. In other film screening news the Goethe Institute of Thailand continues with its German film series, this
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month presenting the 2013 film Windstorm, directed by Katja von Garnier. It’s the tale of a 14-year-old girl sent to the countryside to spend time with her strict grandma. There she befriends “Ostwind”, a stallion that’s considered untameable and dangerous. The film will be presented first on Sunday July 10th, at 1pm at the Thai Film Archive (Salaya), followed by a screening on Tuesday July 12th at 6pm at the Cinemateque of Film Archive (2nd floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre). Both screenings will be in German with English subtitles, and admission is free. Later in the month, on July 15th, the second edition of The 30 Second Film Festival comes to town. Hosted by Whiteline - Silom 8, the event begins at 8pm and will be showcasing the finalists from this year’s competition. The best under-one-minute film—based on audience vote— will win this year’s grand prize of B10,000. The awards ceremony will be followed by an after party, which will no doubt run late into the night. Find out more by visiting: www.facebook.com/30SecondFilmFestival. Finally, on Saturday July 23rd, the BACC Cinema Diverse: Director’s Choice series presents Nebraska (2013) directed by Alexander Payne. The theme for the evening is ‘The Female Perspective’, and the film has been chosen by Wanweaw and Weawwan Hongvivatana, the twin sisters behind the Thai documentary Wish Us Luck. The highly acclaimed Nebraska, starring Bruce Dern, follows the journey of a cantankerous old man who thinks he’s struck it rich after receiving a phony sweepstakes letter in the mail. The film will be screened in English with Thai subtitles. Entry fee is B60, and showtime is 5pm at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre (BTS National Stadium). bangkok101.com
Art & Culture
Photo Feature SAVE THAI BUFFALO a photography exhibit by Maitree Siriboon
The noble Thai buffalo is celebrated in the latest solo photography exhibit by Maitree Siriboon, currently on display at the YenakArt Villa. The show, which runs until July 31st, features all 10 photographs from the artist's series entitled Save Thai Buffalo—most of which have never been shown before. The series also features images of the albino buffalo the artist is raising in his home-town, painted with the natural colours that are used in India for decorating sacred cows. This humorous series pays tribute to the noble buffalo, the animal that helped build Thailand into a rice-farming nation, and therefore into the modern nation it is today. But now, regrets Maitree, you hardly see buffaloes working in rice fields. In each photo, the painting on the buffalo has been inspired by a famous modern artwork or artist that Maitree became fond of during his visits to various western museums. In a way the images underscore the “cultural shock” he had upon returning to his village after his first long trip to Europe. In addition to the sacred cow photos, Maitree Siriboon will also be exhibiting some of his mosaic artworks, including The Issaan Tree—a piece that is exceptionally large (measuring 600x300cm). This reprinted selection of Maitree's work features both the photos that are being featured in his show, as well as some light-hearted "behind-the-scenes" outtakes and alternates. www.yenakartvilla.com
↓ The artist and his muse
Pink Miro ↑
↓ The Kiss
Family Dot ↑
Mondrian Buffalo ↑
↓ The Van Gogh Buffalo
Pink Miro (behind the scenes) ↑
↓ Family of Colour (behind the scenes)
FOOD & DRINK |
Gastronomic delights at Gaggan, voted one of the 50 best restaurants in the world 6 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
| FOOD & DRINK
AROY topping the list
Last month, in New York City, THE WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS announced its 2016 list at a grand ceremony and Bangkok 101 was there to savour every moment. The coveted number one slot went to OSTERIA FRANCESCANA in Modena, Italy, second place went to EL CELLER in Girona, Spain, and New York’s ELEVEN MADISON PARK placed third. Local foodies however will love to learn that Bangkok managed to squeeze onto the list, not once but twice! GAGGAN restaurant, named the best in Asia back in February, came in at 23, while David Thompson’s NAHM clinched the number 37 spot. It’s a slight slippage for both restaurants from last year, but an amazing accomplishment none-the-less considering the august competition.
the road to recovery At a recent media dinner at SEED Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 39, guests welcomed back head chef MUHAMMAD HAIKAL JOHARI, who suffered a severe and debilitating motorcycle accident last October. The crash left him paralyzed from the neck down, and he has spent the past six months gradually recovering. Fans of his culinary artistry—he was the chef at the original Water Library in Thonglor—will be glad to know he is still in touch with SEED, overseeing both the menus and his kitchen team, even though he is (for now) unable to move his arms or control his hands due to the severity of the accident. Show your support by stopping by and enjoying some fabulous food while you’re at it.
the choice for chinese If you find yourself on the 8th floor of the Helix Tower at EMQUARTIER (651, Sukhumvit Rd), don’t miss the opportunity to visit MAN YU FUAN KITCHEN (which took over the space of the now-defunct Charm restaurant back in May). This is the 2nd Bangkok location for this Singapore-based restaurant group, and the Singaporean roots show through beautifully in the delicious Chili crab buns, just one of the many dim sum delicacies on offer daily. However don’t pass up other Cantonese specialties, including their fabulous tea-smoked duck. During the day the sunlit interior is bright and elegant, making it perfect for the restaurant’s signature afternoon dim sum high tea.
delicious danish fusion Michelin-starred chef HENRIK YDE ANDERSEN was in town recently ramping up the menu at SRA BUA BY KIIN KIIN restaurant at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok (9, 991 Rama I Rd). While in Bangkok he held a series of special Chef’s Table dinners to give media a sneak peek at his upcoming menu highlights. All we can say is... wow! Get set for some amazing fusion cuisine (fried foie gras with pineapple caviar anyone?). The new menu should launch late August or early September, at which time Henrik will return to Bangkok to host a series of public Chef’s Table dinners.
bangkok101.com
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FOOD & DRINK | meal deals
Charcuterie, Cheese, and Wine at Up & Above Bar The Okura Prestige Bangkok | Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 687 9000 | www.okurabangkok.com
Pay a visit to Up & Above, located on the 24th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok, where diners can enjoy premium quality aged prosciutto, jamón Serrano and Bayonne ham, salami, saucisson, and a special selection of cheeses from Les Frères Marchand— all complemented by fine French, Italian and Spanish wines available by the glass. This Pop-Up Charcuterie promotion is available Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm, starting July 1st and continuing till September 30th. Prices start from B210 per item.
2 Michelin-Starred Chef Valentino Marcattilii at Park Society So Sofitel Bangkok | 2 North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 624 0000 | www.sofitel.com
Gourmands make your reservations now for two Michelin-starred chef-owner Valentino Marcattilii from Ristorante San Domenico, in Imola, Italy. He will be at Park Society, at the So Sofitel Bangkok hotel, presenting an extraordinary series of four, six, and nine course set menus (with or without wine pairing). The event take place over five days, beginning July 27th and continuing till the 31st. In addition, there will be a special weekend brunch at Red Oven on Saturday the 30th, and at Park Society on Sunday the 31st.
Expand Your Thai Culinary Horizons at Basil Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 250 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 649 8645 | www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com
Throughout the month of July, diners at Basil restaurant, located in the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit hotel, are invited to explore the cuisine of Southern Thailand as chef Kesinee presents her delicious 5-course sharing set menu. Diners will enjoy a wide range of spicy Thai delights, including kaeng khau nua yang and phad sator. This lunch or dinner sharing set menu is priced at B1,800 per person, so get set to expand your culinary horizons (guests who reserve online will receive an additional 30 percent off).
Japanese Delicacies at Kisso Japanese Restaurant Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok | 259 Sukhumvit Soi 19 Tel: 02 207 8000 | www.kissobangkok.com
With its mission to serve each season’s most invigorating culinary exports direct from Japan, Kisso Japanese Restaurant at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit hotel presents a series of special menus for July featuring two irresistible delicacies. Indulge in either (or both) ocean-fresh Ma-Aji (Japanese horse mackerel), or certified Kobe wine beef—both of which are currently in the ascendency on fine dining restaurant menus from Tokyo to Kyoto. In addition, Starwood Preferred Guest members can enjoy 15 percent off on a la carte menus.
Noodle Lovers Promotion at The Library Bar U Sathorn Bangkok | 105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli (Sathorn) Tel: 02 119 4804 | www.usathornbangkok.com
Throughout July, enjoy a delicious choice of Asian and Western noodle and pasta dishes at The Library Bar, located in the elegant U Sathorn Bangkok hotel. Signature dishes include: Egg noodles and slow-cooked Wagyu beef in Northern-style curry sauce, served with pickles, shallots and dried chili; Wok-fried flat noodles with chicken morsels, squid, shrimps and chicken egg; and Spinach tagliatelle with sunchokes, wild mushrooms, asparagus, artichoke sage sauce, and truffle oil. All items are B370 net per dish, and available from 11am to 11pm.
Take a Gastronomic Journey at The House on Sathorn The House on Sathorn | 106 North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 344 4000 | thehouseonsathorn@whotels.com
Chef Fatih Tutak creates gastronomic menus around the world, amazing diners with each tasting menu he and his culinary team create. Now is your turn to taste his gourmet dinner creations at The Dining Room at the House on Sathorn, every day from 6pm till 10:30pm. Striving to create dishes that reflect “the true flavours of nature”, while at the same time always seeking new techniques and ingredients, Fatih advises diners to “experience the message of each dish with all your senses”.
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hot plates | FOOD & DRINK
Char
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More than just meat at this rooftop resto
he fun and funky Hotel Indigo Bangkok is already one of the newest bright spots Wireless Road, but with the recent opening of Char on the 25th floor—the hotel brand’s signature restaurant—there’s even more reason to visit. And with the amount of fantastic dishes this busy kitchen can churn out in an evening, one visit most likely won’t be nearly enough. The restaurant’s jovial chef de cuisine, Lionel Vinatier, is the man behind the delectable French fare here, and his passion and expertise is evident in every bite. Meanwhile, the spacious dining room itself exudes
urban sophistication, especially with the beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows that offer all diners marvellous views of the twinkling city lights below. We begin dinner with the stellar Smoked beef tartare (B200), in which minced Charolais beef is complemented with dollops of pickled onion and fruit mustard, and topped with wafer-thin crostini bread slices (for scooping). The second dish to arrive is the Tuna tartare (B200), which sees a generous portion of yellow-fin tuna inventively offset with guacamole and picked apple, and topped with more crunchy crostinis. (ask for more if you run out.)
After the mouth-watering twin tartares we move on to a pair of foie gras plates. The luxuriantly rich Foie gras parfait crumble (B590), served with apple and red onion marmalade, is the more exotic of the two, and can almost be compared to a dessert because of its sweetness and creamy texture. On the other end of the spectrum the Chef’s foie gras ballotine (B530), served with apple compote and brioche, will get top marks from purists who prefer their goose liver old school. Classic Gallic fare continued with the arrival of French onion soup (B280), served in a mini crock pot. As a die-hard fan of this simple dish I can attest that Char’s version is the real deal, right down to the gooey Gruyere cheese melted on top. We also sample the savoury Lemongrass infused lobster bisque (B350), which gives a nod to Asian influences, but it’s the next two seafood plates that really steal the show—namely the succulent Seared Hokkaido scallops (B560) with mango and tomato concassée, and the unforgettable North Pacific black cod steak (B680) in lemon beurre and zesty tamarind sauce—we couldn’t stop talking about that last one. Finally, when the gargantuan plate of tender 45-day, dry-aged Charolais Prime rib (B420/per 100g) arrives, we knew we had saved the best for last. Meaty, moist, and marbled—this was sheer beef bravado. It’s also worth noting that there are many side dishes available for the main courses, so do try the silky smooth Truffle mashed potatoes, and/or the yummy Creamed spinach (B100 per item). And, if you still have room for some dessert, be sure to order the Tiramisu deconstructed (B280) and then thank us later. by Bruce Scott
Char
25F Hotel Indigo Bangkok 81 Wireless Rd Tel: 02 207 4999 Open daily: 6pm-11:30pm www.hotelindigo.com/bangkok bangkok101.com
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FOOD & DRINK | review
Osha Café
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The vibe is casual but the dishes are still divine
fter the success of their flagship restaurant on Wireless road, Osha Thai Restaurant & Bar has officially unveiled it’s second Bangkok branch: the Osha Café located in Warehouse 10 of the Asiatique The Riverfront complex. But here the dining concept is different, as both the interior design and menu aim to build a more casual vibe. The restaurant is furnished in a spacious, industrial loft style, complete with sleek modern furniture. Meanwhile the gleaming gold mosaic tiles behind the bar—that frame an oversized Mekhong whisky logo—can be seen through the windows from the
outside, enticing passersby to pop in for a drink. Nothing quenches one’s thirst better than a glass of the signature Osha Refresher (B160), a mocktail made from wild berry syrup and sparkling ginger ale, or guava based mocktail On the Street (B160) with its intense fruity flavour. Or go for something stronger with the Tuk Tuk Cocktail (B555), which mixes vodka, Mekhong whisky, bael juice, and homemade rosy syrup, and is served with a toy tuk tuk on the side. The food is varied in presentation and concept, but the quality and taste remain impressive. Start with the
fabulous bite-size Deep-fried soft shell served in betel leaf (B190), flavoured with peanut, garlic and sweet herbal sauce. It is recommended to eat all in one bite to get a perfect taste. A plate of assorted Satay (B190) also makes a great starter, and sees pork, chicken and beef skewers served with spicy homemade dip, cucumber relish, and bread chunks. One of the seafood highlights is the Deep-fried prawns topped with mellow tamarind sauce (B490). The crispy oversize prawns are so perfectly crispy-fried you can eat the whole body (including the shell). Moving on to meats, the tender Pork chop (B250) comes with a delicious jeaw style sauce so you can do your own spicing, while the mild Massaman curry with slow-braised beef (B320), combines tender, juicy beef chunks with the chef’s own authentic curry seasoning. For light meals, such as salad and noodles, we recommend the Osha noodles (B190), in which rice noodles are stir-fried with a zippy red curry paste and crispy catfish, and topped with moist and meaty fried dolly fish fillet. Tuck into this one right away, as the noodles will begin to stick together after a while. Finally, when it comes to desserts, the kitchen team is capable of making both simple and outstanding treats—from Coconut ice cream with sweetened bananas (B90), to their yummy (and crispy) Coconut-coated fried banana (B150). In addition, it’s worth noting that Osha Café also has an impressive cooking studio, located in the glasshouse next to a dining area, that offers courses for amateurs and professionals alike, with renowned Thai traditional culinary experts as the instructors. by Pawika Jansamakao
Osha Café
Asiatique The Riverfront 2194, Charoen Krung Rd. Tel: 02 046 9441 Open daily: 5pm-midnight www.facebook.com/oshacafeatasiatique 6 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
review | FOOD & DRINK
La Vie
L
The next nouvelle French cuisine
ocated on the 11th floor of the contemporary Vie Hotel Bangkok, the inviting La Vie restaurant exudes the warmth, charm and sophistication of a modern, intimate French dining room. With plush armchairs in shades of marigold, the restaurant offers exquisite surroundings with a relaxed and cozy ambience. While a pianist is playing soothing classical tunes, cloud-like ceiling lamps are seemingly drifting away, adding a whimsical touch to the venue. Modern French cuisine is meticulously prepared here by Chef Nicolas Basset—simple, delicate plates that showcase classic dishes alongside more creative culinary fare. Featuring seasonal menus, Chef Nicolas crafts a collection of favourite recipes with fresh homegrown produce and some of the world’s finest ingredients. Starters include a rich Red wine poached foie gras and sauternes jelly on brioche (B680), which is complemented with a tiny leaf of aromatic shiso. With garden-fresh greens and a shaving of black truffles over the top, the Assiette of asparagus with sherry and truffle mascarpone (B580) is an elegantly simple dish with a burst of flavours. If you enjoy savouring the perfumed molecules of truffles, then indulge in the Wild mushroom cappuccino with black truffle foam (B240), which is dusted with truffle shavings that look like cinnamon on a coffee drink. In addition, the Panseared Hokkaido scallops (B650), with cauliflower, white truffle essence and pea shoots, is also a must-try. For those interested in poultry options beyond the chicken, the Imperial pigeon pithivier (B1,600), with white onion puree and madeira jus, is a delightful main. Wrapped with a thin, buttery layer of puff pastry, the light pithivier is a glorious piece of red meat, with mild flavours suggestive of liver. Meanwhile the pinnacle for beef lovers would be the Tournedos Rossini (B1,800), in which hot foie gras is placed on top of beef tenderloin bangkok101.com
and then the stack is covered with a périgueux sauce that delivers a rich, buttery mouthfeel. According to Chef Nicolas one cannot end a meal without a spiced Tarte tatin (B280), a personal favourite of his, which consists of cinnamonflavoured apples in meltingly crisp pastry, vanilla ice cream, and a caramel sauce. But that’s far from the only recommended dessert on offer. Like a minimalist abstract painting, the Crème brûlée and variation of cherries (B280) is like an edible composition. With a sprinkling of crispy cherry on top, the rectangle-shaped creamy custard is served as the centrepiece, where a brush of ruby-red cherry coulis rests underneath.
Alongside a tantalizing array of wines and beers, La Vie also offers a wide selection of creative concoctions. The Tequila Drama (B290), a signature cocktail, is a refreshing sip made of Tres Magueyes Blanco, crème de cassis, lime and ginger ale. Or, for a sweeter, and tangier libation, try the Vanilla Passion Fruit Margarita (B290). by Rachel Kwok
La Vie
Vie Hotel Bangkok 11F, 117/39-40 Phaya Thai Rd. Tel: 02 309 3939 Open daily: 12pm-3pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm www.viehotelbangkok.com J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 6 9
FOOD & DRINK | review
Quaint
T
Your home away from home
he thing about Quaint is that it tries to be everything at once—café, bar, restaurant, and venue, offering an enormous selection of dishes, drinks, and cocktails. But while places, just like people, who can’t decide on who they want to be often lack a distinct personality, the team here seems to have mastered every element while still maintaining their own unique character. What used to be an old warehouse has been completely transformed into this newly opened eatery located on Sukhumvit Soi 61 (close to Thong Lo BTS station). Following a kind of raw chic style, reminding of one of those cool lofts in New York or London, its entire interior is an assembly of vintage furniture pieces from around the world. From the prohibition styled bar, to a 70 year old (still functioning) music box, everything has been uniquely selected, giving it a retro, and homey atmosphere, complete with a large outdoor garden which will soon be used for Sunday BBQs. The welcoming ambience makes it an inviting hang out, throughout the day and into the night, but can the food match our expectations? Described as an international kitchen with a Thai twist we start with their Premium pork chop steak with red wine sauce (B490). Accompanied with an array of roasted root vegetables, the piece of meat is soft and tender and could nearly be mistaken for beef. Followed by a plate of Grilled scallops with mango salsa (B460), the attention to detail is starting to stand out, as this dish is perfectly balanced without letting the fruity sauce overpower the delicate seafood morsels. Despite the great variety of dishes, the quality of food and level of preparation is definitely not neglected. For a great healthy snack try the Three avocado musketeers (B280), in which three avocado halves are filled (respectively) with either prawn, prosciutto and melon, or salmon with wasabi cream. Moving closer to the Thai side on the flavour spectrum, we
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go for the Soft shell crab with black pepper sauce (B380). With crispy skin and soft, fluffy meat, this crustacean is served whole, resting on a colourful bed of bell pepper, spring onion, and clusters of peppercorns. To finish the meal, we try the superb Salmon steak with mashed pumpkin (B620). Topped with red curry sauce, it’s a bold and delicious fusion of Mediterranean, and Thai cuisine. Regarding drinks, Quaint focuses on the revival of forgotten cocktails from the prohibition time, introducing
them to the 21st century. Try the fruity, spiced Vermouth-based Scofflaw (B320), or for more modern and adventurous tastes, opt for their signature Hipster Black Forest (B400) for a creamy and chocolaty sensation. by Julia Offenberger
Quaint
23 Soi Sukhumvit 61 Tel: 02 714 1998, 085 844 4234 Open daily: 8am-12am www.facebook.com/QuaintBangkok
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FOOD & DRINK | review
Blu36
P
Serving South America’s original fusion cuisine
eru’s startlingly varied culinary heritage is influenced by centuries of maritime trade with Spanish, African, Chinese, Japanese and Italian merchants, the time distilled vestiges of which having endowed contemporary Peruvian cooking with universal appeal and captivating allure. With a name that cleverly never lets you forget the address, the recently debuted Blu36 is located in a quiet little harbour of a neighbourhood, on a mango-shaded corner just off Sukhumvit Soi… wait for it… 36. Chef Joel Neri has created an intriguing, taste-temping menu that makes creative and skilled use of Peruvian cuisine’s supremely appetizing pallet of meats, chilli peppers, potatoes and raw fish varieties. A refreshingly light starter that is not without substance, the Gazpacho Peruano (B160) is a delicately herbed take on the chilled tomato and cucumber soup, here slightly “souped up” with the addition of red onion and Chinese mushroom. An eye-catching soup bowl island of malted quinoa rises from the centre, the tiny spouted grains providing both a intriguing visual, and textural 7 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
counter-point to this delightful vegetarian-friendly treat. Additionally, several quinoa-based dishes feature black, red or white varieties of the famously high-protein grain. While sounding like it was named after someone’s beloved grandfather, the Papa Rellena (B190) is in reality a golden browned, minced porkstuffed mashed potato roll (“papa” = Spanish for potato) with aji amarillo (yellow pepper) sauce. The traditional, creamy-rich sauce is a cuisine staple, its distinctive piquant quality—though not level with the weapons-grade pik kee nu—does offer a pin-prickling finish that lingers pleasantly on the palate. The Western hemisphere’s answer to Japan’s famed skillet-shy seafood speciality, Ceviche de Pescado (B320) is one of no less than five types of this signature crudo-prepared fish dish available from Chef Joel’s kitchen. Served in a sleek Martini glass, the tender bites of ocean-fresh snapper are catalytically “cold-cooked” when mixed with fresh lime juice, coriander and chillies. Another Japanese influenced dish is the Tiradotos (B350), a Peruvian favourite of sashimi-meets-carpaccio fish slices in a splash of spicy sauce.
Moving on to meats, the Aji de Gallina (B310) features the chilli pepperbased sauce made with milk-soaked bread, spooned over boneless, tender bites of chicken breast with onion, nuts and a light touch of cheese, served with petit strips of fried Japanese sweet potato. And for those with even more carnivorous tastes, Peru’s version of the kebab, Anticuchos (B190/B350), will not disappoint. The well-seasoned meat skewers (beef, chicken, duck or shrimp) are served with potatoes, corn and a selection of tangy aji-sauces. The afters selection features Tres Leches (B190), a timeless Peruvian favourite of milk syrup-drenched sponge cake, and the egg yolk-infused pudding Suspiro a la Limeña (B170). Finally, from the cocktail menu the house specialty Pisco Sour (B220), fortified with Peru’s biting, nationaltipple brandy, is highly recommended. by Gary Barber
Blu36 Bar & Restaurant
23/7 Napasub Soi 2, Sukhumvit Soi 36 Tel: 02 661 5448 Open daily: 3pm-midnight www.facebook.com/BLU36Bangkok bangkok101.com
review | FOOD & DRINK
3nvy
F
Flavours that will evoke a twinge of “envy”
rom the moment you step into 3nvy, you’ll find yourself in a mythical cosmos inhabited by mysterious antiquity and art sculptures made of paper. With beautifully painted wall murals of dark forests and black crows, this contemporary European restaurant is a reimagining of a gothic fairytale. Full of mismatched vintage chairs upholstered with hand-painted fabrics, the interior evokes a cafe-style bistro with a fearless imagination. Meanwhile, larger parties are invited to use their quirky dining room, where the dining table and chairs sit in the sunken portion of what appears to
be a swimming pool—complete with all-white tiles and a metal ladder (pool table… get it?). And if you like, the wavering sheen of a reflective pool can be projected in the dining area to add playful aquatic touch to your next dinner party. Owner Thanyatorn Vajanopath, a Le Cordon Bleu London Alumni Chef in Patisserie, describes the restaurant as her long-time dream. Just as she imagined, the bistro serves up classic European plates with a twist—from brunch favourites to comfort food. It’s a cozy spot, perfect for hanging out with friends, especially as the menu offers several sharing plates to
choose from. The creamy Mushroom tart (B250) is a crisp phyllo pastry filled with a generous, gooey amount of cheese with a luscious egg yolk on top, while the refreshing Smoke salmon salad (B380) is a colourful composed salad, stacked in successive layers of salmon, prawn, avocado and mango. Made with puréed beetroots, the homemade pasta in the dish named Cry Me A River (B520) has a fantastic ruby colour. Seasoned with Thai spices and served with prawn, the pasta is punctuated with spicy and garlicky tones. Another highlight is the “slowcooked until the meat nearly falls off the bone” 180 Shank (B890), which is succulent, moist and rich tasting. Best paired with a glass of Merlot, this hearty lamb shank also comes with a Yorkshire pudding, winter vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes. As is to be expected from a Le Cordon Bleu patisserie alumni, the carefully designed dessert menu is not to be missed. If you’re craving a real New York-style cheesecake then a slice of Thanyatorn’s Daydream (B165) would be a must-try. It’s rich, creamy, pure melt-in-your-mouth bliss, with a delightful blend of sugar and cracker in its crust. Alternatively, the Red wine poached pear (B330) is a simple, light dessert with a delicate floral scent. Served with cloud-like airy whipped cream and cookie crumbles, the poached pear is wonderful way to end such a delicious meal. For those who might be interested in a refreshing mocktail, try a fruity, tangy bubbling soda (B135) with flavours such as passion fruit, or the signature 3nvy (B135), which is infused with rose essence and strawberry, lending it a beautiful fragrance. by Rachel Kwok
3nvy
1246 Rama 4 Rd. Tel: 084 459 6266 Open: Tue-Sat 11am-9pm; Sun 9am-3:30pm www.facebook.com/3nvy3nvy bangkok101.com
J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 7 3
FOOD & DRINK | review
Medici Kitchen & Bar There’s something cheesy in Florence tonight
D
escending the ornate wooden stairway from the Hotel Muse Bangkok’s stylish lobby, one is given over to a sense of stepping into the murky waters of time past, through a palpable temporal surface tension separating the present day Langsuan Road locale from the oakand-wrought-iron opulence of Medici, the hotel’s much revered Italian eatery. The 19th-century-inspired, rustic industrial motif seamlessly mingles sophisticated elegance and comfortably at-home charm. The man behind’s magnificent fare here is Chef Nicolino Lalla, whose passion and talent for cooking was evident before he was old enough to drive. At the tender age of 15, Lalla attended the Istituto Professionale Alberghiero in Villa
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Santa Maria, becoming one of the world-renowned culinary and hotel management school’s top students, before embarking on a series of summer internships at top-rated Swiss luxury hotels including the Grand Hotel National in Lucern and Olden Hotel in Gstaad. Chef Nicolino’s mastery of the deeply held traditions of Italian cuisine, imaginative approach to kitchen-craft, and expansive experience and training shine like a golden signature in his impeccably presented creations. His cooking is sufficiently substantial to warrant a light starter, such as the Raw Mediterranean red prawn (B590) served on a bed of crisp, deep-green sea asparagus and garnished with a garden of roasted cherry tomatoes, micro herbs, salmon roe and olive oil
“pearls” that burst flavourfully on the tongue. The arrival of a toweringly thick Pan-fried Angus beef tenderloin ‘Rossini’ (B1,550) is an example of what is meant by substantial. This formidably sized cut—aged no less than 150 days—is delectably dappered-up with a finger-thick top hat of gorgeously browned foie gras with Norcia black truffle. Then the evening’s most dramatically presented and innovative course—a limited time special unfortunately—arrives aboard a gleaming copper-hued service cart. It’s a 20 kg wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, its centre portion hewn into salad bowl-sized dimple. A splash of cognac is then ignited before a pan-ful of extra wide, house-made ribbon pasta is tossed into the tantalisingly hellish, spontaneously gratinating cheese-scape of flickering flame and molten rivulets of Parm’. The resulting alfredo-style pasta dish (B900/portion) is flavour-enriched with dash of white truffle and porcini mushroom before being spooned directly from the flaming cheese crucible onto the house’s stylish Versace dinner plates (yes, that Versace). As if setting a massive cheesewheel on fire weren’t enough to dazzle his guests, Chef Nic borrows a page from Herman Melville’s epic mariner’s tale with his White chocolate tiramisu (B280), a delightful tone-inverted take on the classic Italian dessert with Amaretto, fresh strawberry and sliced almond. And in a truly one-of-a-kind ambience-enhancing touch, diners are treated to a roving serenade of live a cappella performed by local pop-opera troupe Fivera, from 8:30 to 10pm. by Gary Barber
Medici Kitchen & Bar
Hotel Muse Bangkok 55/555 Langsuan Rd. Open daily: 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm Tel: 02 630-4000 www.medici-italian-restaurant-bangkok.com bangkok101.com
FOOD & DRINK | breaking bread presented by sanpellegrino
FINE DINING WATER TO ENHANCE GREAT FOOD ACQUA PANNA AND S.PELLEGRINO. THE FINE DINING WATERS. www.finedininglovers.com Distributed by Global Food Products Co., Ltd. Tel. +66 26831751
Breaking Bread
with Antonio Armenio
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Renowned Italian restaurateur speaks about authentic cuisine, and his talented Thai chef Sayan Sartpradit
assion is a word often associated with people in the culinary world, sometimes to the point of cliché. But as cliché as it may be, in the case of restaurateur Antonio Armenio nothing else would be fitting. Whether he talks about food, his muse, or his newest establishment, La Piazza on Sukhumvit Soi 24, his passion is all you can see. And sharing his passion is La Piazza’s head chef Sayan Sartpradit, a Thai 7 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
native who speaks only a modest amount of English so Antonio speaks on his behalf. It’s only a Wednesday night at this three month-old eatery, but the crowd is fast swelling its two levels. The latte and contrasting white colour scheme, brick wall, and terracotta flooring mimics the atmosphere of an Italian square, and on Fridays and Saturdays the guests at the Top Room, the uppermost floor, are treated to
live music, including Latin, Bossa Nova, and jazz. Vodka Martini in hand—his preferred aperitif for tonight—Antonio makes one thing clear from the very beginning, he does not want diners to “compare” his two restaurants. The hugely successful Antonio’s Italian Restaurant, which has been around since 2004, is focused on fine dining, whereas his newest baby is a casual neighbourhood eatery. bangkok101.com
breaking bread presented by sanpellegrino | FOOD & DRINK
Chef Sayan Sartpradit
“I want La Piazza to be the little sister to Antonio’s,” he says. “But I don’t want it to follow in its shadow. I want this place to have its own personality and its own following.” Our first dish, the Bruschetta Bar—a unique DIY platter comprising of toasted bruschetta, smoked salmon, two variations of salami, sautéed mushrooms, salsa, pesto, and salted anchovies—is the first example of the distinction. The inspiration for La Piazza’s homey offerings comes from Antonio’s childhood memories of his mother cooking traditional meals for their family of seven. By the time the Tortellini tomato soup is set in front of us, Antonio is deeply nostalgic. “Her cooking is simple, and true to her southern Italian roots,” he explains. “What I serve my guests here is a taste of my upbringing. I am not pushing for modern interpretations of Italian cuisine. I don’t do anything that looks like a cappuccino, but is a Carpaccio.” Inventions like the Godfather bangkok101.com
(veal, Italian sausage, and pork ribs slow cooked in a rich sauce served with penne), Ravioli Alla Napoletana (ravioli with ricotta and spinach in pomodoro), and the Lobster Linguine (Canadian lobster flavoured with garlic, white wine, and chilli) are just a few samples of Antonio’s creativity in the kitchen. Yet surprisingly, he does not consider himself a chef. “I have two experienced Thai chefs that run the kitchen at La Piazza,” he points out, and the open kitchen on the ground floor confirms just that. “Some people need the fancy Italian chef to seem more convincing, and that is because they themselves don’t know anything about cooking or know very little. Whereas here I am in the kitchen with them every day; guiding them, telling them what needs to be better, what needs to change, etc. My guests are not bothered whether it’s a Thai chef or some guy I flew in—what they care about is the quality and the taste. And this is something I give them consistently.”
Numerous restaurants in Bangkok are going back to basics with food. So what is La Piazza doing different, I inquire. “We are proven,” he remarks. “It makes a big difference when people know who is behind it. Anyone with money can open up a restaurant. They do this all the time in the city. But these restaurants close as fast as they open, because there is lack of thought, lack of knowledge in how to do it, and lack of understanding in what the customer needs,” he adds, with conviction. Somewhere between the Tartufo pizza—a melt-in-your-mouth combination of truffle cheese, porcini mushroom, and truffle oil—and the heavenly homemade Ferrero Rocher ice cream, I ask Antonio how he measures his success. “It’s all about passion,” he says without skipping a beat. “It’s what I built my life upon. People feel what you do, as well as taste what you give them. Whatever we do, we give it the love it deserves, and I pray that you feel it.” Interview by Reena Karim J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 7 7
FOOD & DRINK | street eats
A
Tell Me What You Don’t Eat!
mong the skyscrapers of Sathorn there is an oasis of old wooden houses. Situated downstairs in one of them is a bakery, while upstairs there is a restaurant.
eat like
Nym
Our roving roadside gourmand 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 7 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
It is called Tham Sue Tham Suan, meaning “make blouse – make garden.” There is no longer a garden or, for that matter, a blouse-making shop. Instead, it’s all about food. Owner-chef Juruwan, or Jub, used to have a dress-making shop in the Ratchawat area but four years ago she moved to this house to do what she loves best: cooking. When I first arrive I am confused. Have I accidentally wandered into someone’s home? Is this the right address? The space is Khun Jub’s ‘food studio’ and I am mesmerized by the blend of kitchen, dining area and what looks like a bric-a-brac showroom to one side. “When I grew up, the only activity we did as a family was cooking and eating,” Jub tells me. As a girl, she knew
all the herbs in family’s garden and could grab anything and craft it into the food. “My cooking style has always been based on intuition and feeling.” Her daily menu often begins with a phone call from the prospective diner. “What don’t you like to eat?” she asks. Or she will simply tell you what she has on as a special. Normally she offers four to five dishes: a soup, a salad, a pasta dish and a main course, all predicated by seasonal ingredients and what she finds daily in the market. Trust me, whatever she cooks will be good. Call Jub to make a reservation and check on the opening hours. Her price is roughly B650 per person but this varies depending on what she is serving on the day. The restaurant seats around 25 people and is available for private lunches and dinners.
Getting there: Tham Sue Tham Suan is situated in Soi Silom 9. Enter the soi and keep going towards the end. When the road splits, keep left and go straight as the alley narrows. The wooden two-story house is on the right side. If you get lost, just call Jub on 08 1843 9628 for directions!
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FOOD & DRINK | listings
CHINESE
FRENCH
Chef Man
Cantonese classics in all their glory at this posh venue beloved for its dim sum and irresisible Peking duck. 3F Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn 33/1 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 093 135 5539 Open daily: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm www.chefmanrestaurant.com
Charcoal
J’Aime
J’Aime by Jean-Michel Lorain
Liu
Liu
A traditional place that offers all the understated grandeur of Cantonese fine dining while executing food full of contemporary notes. 3F Conrad Bangkok 87 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 690 9999 Open daily: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm www.conradhotels3.hilton.com
Mei Jiang
Widely regarded as one of Bangkok’s finest Cantonese restaurants in town, Mei Jiang has built a loyal following for its dim sum, fresh classics, and behind-thescenes “Chef’s Table” concept. Garden Level, The Peninsula Bangkok 333 Charoennakorn Rd. Tel: 02 861 2888 Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm www.peninsula.com
Shang Palace
The interior is elegant, but, more importantly, the food is a glowing reminder of how Chinese food should be executed and presented. The dim sum is the obvious place to start, and the signature dishes are serious standouts. 3F Shangri-La Hotel 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road Tel: 02 236 7777 Open: Lunch Mon-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm, Sun 11am-3pm, Dinner daily 6pm-10.30pm www.shangri-la.com 8 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
Sukhumvit Soi11, Tel: 02 253 2394 India-Thai Chamber of Commerce Building, Sathorn Soi 1, Sathorn Rd., Tel: 02 677 6249 20/11 Sukhumvit Soi 4., Tel: 02 656 7357 www.bawarchiindian.com
The classic cuisine lives up to lofty expectations, even rising above, thanks to the vibrancy in taste and colour of the dishes. You might even find yourself trying to re-create certain ones the next day. U Sathorn Bangkok 105, 105/1 Soi Ngam Duphli Tel: 02 119 4899 Open daily: 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm www.jaime-bangkok.com
Le Boeuf
The concept at Le Boeuf is simple: high-quality steak liberally doused with a unique pea-green sauce, paired with an unlimited supply of crispy pommes frites and fresh salad. French to the core. GF Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair 60 Soi Langsuan Tel: 02 672 12 30 Open daily 11.30am-11pm www.leboeufgroup.com
Maison Blanche
A little slice of southern France in the heart of Bangkok. This is contemporary home-style French cooking at its best. Of course, that is not to say it is uncomplicated or lacking sophistication. 38 Narathiwat Soi 2 Tel: 0 2634 7939 Open: Lunch Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm, Dinner Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm www.maisonblanchebkk.com
INDIAN Bawarchi
The kind of curries you’ve been missing – rich, buttery, decadent, and delicious. Check out any one of Bawarchi’s four fabulous Bangkok locations. BF Intercontinental Chidlom 973 Ploenchit Rd., Tel:02 656 0101-3 1F Ambassador Hotel
No sloppy curries swimming in ghee–only sophisticated interpretations of tandoorgrilled delicacies enjoyed by the Moghuls of old, and a unique selection of cocktails with intriguing Indian twists. 5F Fraser Suites, Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 089 307 1111 Open daily: 6pm-11pm www.charcoalbkk.com
Indique
Indique
The pocket-friendly food and drinks are bursting with modern touches without eschewing India’s rich culinary heritage. 28 Park Avenue, Sukhumvit 22 Tel: 08 1425 4422 Open daily: 11am-1am www.facebook.com/indiquebangkok
Rang Mahal
Meaning “palace of colours,” there sure is a courtly air about the place, down to the refined, delicate food. The proceedings go up a notch when the kebabs and curries come out. 26F Rembrandt Hotel 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 Tel: 02 261 7100 Open daily: 6pm-11pm www.rembrandtbkk.com
INTERNATIONAL Crepes & Co
The flavours and ingredients take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. Sweet and savoury crepes are just as good for brunch as they are for a pre-bedtime treat. 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Tel: 02 015 3388 GF EmQuartier, Tel: 09 5251 5233 bangkok101.com
Thonglor Soi 8, Tel: 02 726 9398 7F CentralWorld, Tel: 09 2663 1386 www.facebook.com/crepesnco
Eat Me
Run by the always innovative Tim Butler, this cosy Silom restaurant is consistently ranked among the top restaurants in Asia and serves quite possibly the best steak in town. Trust us! Soi Pipat 2, Silom Rd. Tel: 02 238 0931 Open daily: 3pm-1am www.eatmerestaurant.com
Park Society
Harvest
Park Society
Rustic to the core, this wood-decorated venue relies heavily on Mediterranean influences and high-quality seafood. 24 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 02 262 0762, 09 7235 8286 Open daily: 5.30pm-midnight www.facebook.com/HARVESTrestaurantBKK
Moko
Breakfast is what this place does best – think elevated bacon, eggs, and sausage—but the lunch-focused menus are worth a trip in their own right. 71/2 Sathorn Soi 10 Tel: 02 635 3673 Open: Mon-Thurs 7.30am-7.30pm, Fri-Sun 7.30am-8pm www.mokobangkok.com
Mondo
Styled after popular neighbourhood salumerias (delis) and formaggerias (cheese shops) found on street corners throughout Italy, the food here is bitesized and meant to be shared.
Tables Grill
GF Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 620 6666 Open daily: 7am-1am www.hilton.com
The theme is based on the tableside preparation seen in many traditional French restaurants, and the outstanding menu, billed as pan-European, takes full advantage of the theatre. Grand Hyatt Erawan 494 Ratchadamri Rd. Tel: 02 254 1234 Open: Mon to Sat Noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10pm www.bangkok.grand.hyatt.com
ITALIAN
Excite both your taste buds and eyes with a cutting-edge, elegant dinner overlooking Lumpini Park and the amazing skyline of Bangkok. Perfect for a romantic evening or a friendly get-together. Sofitel So Bangkok 2 North Sathorn Rd Tel: 02 624 0000 Open daily: Kitchen 6pm-10.30pm, Bar 5pm-2am www.sofitel-so-bangkok.com
Don Giovanni
Red Oven
Don Giovanni
Styled as a World Food Market, this 7th-floor all-day dining venue puts a contemporary twist on buffet spreads. On weekends, the restaurant offers a scrumptious, free-flow wine brunch buffet that shouldn’t be missed. Sofitel So Bangkok 2 North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 624 0000 Open daily: 6.30pm-10.30pm, Sat-Sun Wine Brunch noon-3pm www.sofitel-so-bangkok.com
The menu is full of home-style recipes, the concept rarely straying from traditional Italian. Along with neoclassical décor, the culinary approach lends this restaurant a decorous air befitting its operatic name. Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao 1695 Phaholyothin Rd. Tel: 0 2541 1234 Open: Mon-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm, 8pm-10.30pm www.centarahotelsresorts.com
LE DALAT Traditional Vietnamese Cuisine by MADAME LY www.ledalatbkk.com Le Dalat Restaurant
57 Soi Prasarnmitr Sukhumvit 23 Rd. open 11.30-14.30, 17.30-22.30 Tel. 02 259 9593
7th Fl.,The Emquartier Sukhumvit Rd. open 10.00-22.00 Tel. 02 003 6267
4th Fl.,The Emporium Sukhumvit Rd. open 10.00-22.00 Tel. 02 664 7525
FOOD & DRINK | listings
Enoteca Italiana Bangkok
Rustic from the barn-like roof to the homemade breads, this place is traditional Italian to the bone. There’s a long list of vino to enjoy, and impeccable a la carte and degustation menus to explore. As authentic as it is delicious. 39, Sukhumvit Soi 27 Tel: 02 258 4386 Open daily: 6pm-midnight www.enotecabangkok.com
Scalini
Italian with enough surprises to satisfy the curious diner. For example, the antipasti retain a Mediterranean base while adding lighter, Asian-influenced twists. Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 620 6666 Open daily: Noon-2.30pm, 6pm-11pm www.hilton.com
JAPANESE Benihana
Galleria Milano
At the centre of every table is a hot grill, where a chef cooks for you, stimulating appetites with a deft and close-range slicing of onions, zucchini, shrimp, pork, steak—even the fried rice. Avani Atrium Bangkok 1880 Petchaburi Rd. Tel: 02 718 2023 Open daily: 6pm-10.30pm www.avanihotels.com
Galleria Milano
Kisso
An Italian restaurant in the hands of Italians, where the pride is tasted in every bite, serves as the inspiration for a restaurant aiming to conquer the city. 1F Mille Malle, Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: 02 663 4988 Open daily: 3pm-11pm www.millemalle.com
Luce
Combining a modern mastery of time-honoured customs in a stylish and convivial setting, this is one of the top places for outstanding Japanese cuisine in Bangkok. 8F The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok 259 Sukhumvit 19 Tel: 02 207 8000 Open daily: 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm www.kissojapaneserestaurant.com
Seated beside the Eastin Grand Sathorn’s infinity pool, the focus is on authentic Tuscan fare enliven the culinary senses accompanied by a fine selection of wines from Frescobaldi. 14F Eastin Grand Hotel 33/1 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 210 8100 Open daily: noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm www.facebook.com/LuceRestaurantBangkok
Shintori
Rossini’s
Shintori
The menu has lots of modern touches that reimagine traditional Italian styles. Also has more reasonable wine prices than many restaurants in this bracket, promising “top shelf wines at cellar prices.” Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 649 8364 Open daily: 6pm-10.30pm, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm www.rossinisbangkok.com 8 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
If you’re looking for a dinner that impresses on all fronts, the combination of an equally thrilling setting and exciting food is hard to find. 18F Zen World@Central World Tel: 02 100 9000 Open daily: 5.30pm-11.30pm www.shintoribangkok.com
Taihei
There’s a real commitment to quality leading the charge at Taihei. The food
is beautiful, and it tastes great, to boot. Honest-to-goodness Japanese served from atmospheric heights. 53/54F Banyan Tree Bangkok 21/100 South Sathorn Rd Tel: 02 679 1200 Open daily: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm www.banyantree.com
Ten-Sui
High-end Japanese restaurants abound in Bangkok, but it’s hard to imagine a more authentic experience than you’ll find at this elegant eatery. 33 Soi Sukhumvit 16 Tel: 08 8540 1001 Open daily: 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm www.tensui.co
KOREAN
Kong Ju
Kong Ju
When you’re voted Bangkok’s favorite Korean restaurant 13 years running you must be doing something right. The chefs here go to painstaking lengths to ensure an authentic dining experience, by preparing meals of unparalleled culinary brilliance. Highly recommended. 2F Pathumwan Princess Hotel 444 MBK Center, Phayathai Rd. Tel: 02 216 3700 Open daily: Lunch 11:30am-2pm, Dinner 5:30pm-10pm www.pprincess.com
MIDDLE EASTERN Al Saray
Authentic, traditional Lebanese recipes and the only place in Bangkok where you can find shanklishe–an aged, spicecoated cheese made in-house. 4F Bangkok Plaza Building Bangkok General Hospital, Soonvijai Soi 7 Tel: 02 319 4388 Open daily: 9am-10pm www.alsarayrestaurant.com bangkok101.com
listings | FOOD & DRINK
Arabesque
The menu is as pure Egyptian as the fixtures. Includes Middle Eastern favourites such as hummus, moussaka and tagine (clay pot stews), as well as dishes you may not recognize. 68/1 Sukhumvit Soi 2, Sukhumvit Rd Tel: 02 656 9440-1 Open daily: noon-midnight www.arabesquebkk.com
Beirut
A Bangkok classic serving classic Lebanese dishes at reasonable prices. The hummus and falafel are praiseworthy. Sukhumvit Soi 2, Ploenchit Center Tel: 02 656 7377 Open daily: 10am-10pm www.beirut-restaurant.com
La Monita Taqueria
If you’re looking for classic, affordable, Mexican fare that still packs some serious fireworks, then check out any of La Monita’s three downtown locales. Load up on guacamole, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, and soft corn tacos, all washed down with some wonderfully potent margaritas. Mahatun Plaza, Tel: 02 650 9581 GF, Siam Paragon, Tel: 02 650 9581 7F, EmQuartier, Tel: 02 003 6238 www.lamonita.com
Mexicano
Mexicano
Nadimos
Nadimos
For authentically traditional Lebanese dishes, Nadimo’s has been the go-to place in Bangkok for years. In fact it’s proven so popular that there are now multiple downtown locations, including the newest location, in the Amari Watergate Bangkok. Sukhumvit Soi 5: Tel: 02 255 8254 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Tel: 02 261 9816-7 Silom Soi 19, Tel: 02 266 9081 Amari Watergate Bangkok, 847 Petchburi Rd, Tel: 02 653 9000 www.nadimos.com
MEXICAN El Diablo’s Burritos
The enormous burritos are the stars of the show, but they make their own tortillas on the premises, too. The tacos are particularly impressive, and the salsa and toppings are light, refreshing, with just enough spice. 330 Sukhumvit Soi 22 Tel: 02 259 4140 Open: Mon-Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11.30am-11pm www.facebook.com/El-Diablos bangkok101.com
Formerly Señor Pico, Bangkok’s original Mexican restaurant, this new incarnation builds on a foundation of outstanding Mexican cuisine. Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 Tel: 0 2261 7100 Open daily: 5pm-midnight, Sat brunch 12pm-3pm www.facebook.com/mexicanobkk
Tacos y Salsa
A brightly-coloured haunt, decorated with the owner’s own artwork, serving up authentic Mexican food and tasty margaritas. A great spot to satisfy any Mexican cravings. 21/3 Sukhumvit Soi 18 Tel: 08 6346 0822, 08 6346 0822 Open daily: 11am – 11pm www.facebook.com/ TacosSalsaTequilaBarAndBistro
The Mexican
It’s worth the journey down Sukhumvit Soi 2 if you’re looking to find some of Bangkok’s most authentic Mexican food and drinks. The interior is also an eyepopping delight, with a huge mural of the Aztec Goddess Mictlantecuhtli (the First Lady of the Dead) dominating the room. 18 Rajah Complex, Sukhumvit Soi 2 Tel: 094 330 0390 Open daily: 11am-midnight www.themexicanbkk.com J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 8 3
FOOD & DRINK | listings
SEAFOOD
8/1-7 Sukhumvit Soi 19. 02 255 2864 88/36 Sukhumvit Soi 55. 087 213 088 Open daily: 11am-late www.elgaucho.asia
Hotel Muse, 55/555 Langsuan Rd Tel: 02 630 4000 Open: Lunch 12pm-3pm, Dinner 6pm-12am www.babettesbangkok.com
Islero
Raw Bar
Raw Bar
Oysters, tartare, carpaccio, ceviche: it’s all raw here, and it’s all very good. A nice low-key spot to shuck some shellfish and hang out with friends. 440/9 Sukhumvit 55 Tel: 02 713 8335 Open daily: 5.30pm–midnight www.facebook.com/TheRawBarBKK
The Oyster Bar
You know a restaurant takes seafood seriously when several pages of the menu are devoted entirely to oysters. 395 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24 Tel: 0 2212 4809 Open: Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun noon-10pm www.theoysterbarbangkok.com
SPANISH/LATIN El Gaucho
Meat lovers will enjoy the authentic taste of Argentinian steak in all its flame-kissed goodness, the meals best rounded out with a hearty South American red wine.
The warm and inviting interior, divided between a tapas bar and a regular sit down restaurant area, welcomes adventurous diners to try some of the chef’s more daring molecular gastronomy creations—delicious and inventive takes on classic Spanish cuisine. 63 Athenee Tower, Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 168 8100 Open: Mon-Fri 11am-2pm, Mon-Sun 5pm-12am www.facebook.com/IsleroBangkok
Osito
New York meets Madrid. A neighbourhood Dean & DeLuca during the day, with its own smoker, churro machine, and deli sandwiches like the Reuben, it morphs into a Spanish tapas bar-cum-restaurant at night. 888/23-24 Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Rd Tel: 02 651 4399 Open: Mon-Fri 10.30am-12am, Sat-Sun 10am-12am www.ositobkk.com
STEAK & BURGER Babette’s The Steakhouse
An intimate 1920s Chicago style eatery at award-winning Hotel Muse Bangkok, serving up the best steak in Bangkok, set against a glittering city backdrop.
Hamilton’s
Hamilton’s Steak House
Providing an undeniably pleasant spot to sit down for a few glasses of wine over lunch or dinner, this place caters to steak lovers but offers a surprisingly interesting seafood selection as well. Dusit Thani Bangkok, 946 Rama IV Rd. Tel: 02 656 9440 Open: Lunch Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm, MonSun 6pm-10pm www.dusit.com
THAI Basil
A glittering array of Thai favourites and never false note. This is Thai comfort food taken to a whole new gourmet level. 1F Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit Rd Benjarong Tel: 02 649 8366 Open daily: 6pm-10.30pm, Mon-Fri noon2.30pm, Sunday Jazz Brunch noon-3pm www.basilbangkok.com
Start your week with hearty breakfast 75/1 Sathorn soi 10 t: 02 635 3464 Open: Daily 7.00-19.00
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notjustanothercup @notjustanothercup
bangkok101.com
listings | FOOD & DRINK
Benjarong
The hotel’s signature Thai restaurant offers inventive dishes from all over the Kingdom, from north to south. Dusit Thani Bangkok 946 Rama IV Rd Tel: 02 200 9000 Open daily: 6pm-10pm, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm www.dusit.com
Chili Hip
Wide, unobstructed skyline views from an open-air perch over Pratunam, and a menu consisting mostly of authentic Thai and Asian inspired flavours. There is almost no covered seating, so bear that in mind when the rains come. Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel 567 Ratchaprarop Rd Tel: 02 625 1234 Open daily: 5pm-11pm www.centarahotelsresorts.com
The Rose Hotel 118 Surawongse Rd. Tel: 02 266 8268-72 Open daily: noon-11pm www.ruen-urai.com
VIETNAMESE
Ruen Urai
Set in the former residence of the herbal medical doctor to King Rama V, Ruen Urai uses herbs and spices with medicinal qualities, while delivering refined Thai fare using the finest fresh ingredients.
bangkok101.com
CAFÉ
Le Dalat
The newest branch of stately Le Dalat finds it in unusual territory—a high-end shopping mall—but its fresh Vietnamese fare is still as impeccable as ever. 7F The Emquartier Mall 651 Sukhumvit Rd., Tel: 02 269 1000 Open daily: 10am-10pm 57 Soi Prasarnmitr Sukhumvit 23, Tel: 02 259 9593 Open daily: Lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, Dinner 5.30pm-10.30pm www.ledalatbkk.com
Saigon Recipe
The well-designed dishes here reward closer inspection, as flavours reveal themselves in prescribed order. The portions are also perfect for sharing. 46/5 Piman 49, Sukhumvit Soi 49 Tel: 02 662 6311 Open daily: 11am-10pm www.saigon-recipe.com Ruen Urai
899 Sukhumvit Rd. (at Soi 49) Tel: 02 662 5001 Open daily: 7am-10pm Facebook: Broccoli Revolution
VEGETARIAN Broccoli Revolution
The brick-walled warehouse turned veg-friendly restaurant features a menu full of bright veggie bites that could pull in the most stubborn carnivore.
Kiosk Café
Kiosk Café
Located in The Barkyard Bangkok Complex, this dog-friendly boite, is a fetching choice for an exceptional meal, a friendly cake-and-chat, or a hot coffee. 65 Sukhumvit 26 Tel: 02 259 4089 Open: Tue-Thu 10.30am-9pm, Fri-Sun 10.30am-11pm www.kiosk-cafe.com
Minibar Café
A modified version of the modern New York bistro whose pleasant ambiance is staked on good food, laughter, conversation, and music, because these elements help make meals memorable. 5F Central Embassy, 1031 Ploenchit Rd Tel: 02 160 5610 Open: Sun-Thurs 11am-10.pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight www.facebook.com/MinibarRoyale
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NIGHTLIFE |
Char Rooftop Bar, Hotel Indigo Bangkok 8 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
| NIGHTLIFE
NIGHTLIFE relaxing rooftop
There’s a new rooftop hangout in town, and it goes by the name of CHAR ROOFTOP BAR. Located on the 26th floor of the HOTEL INDIGO BANGKOK (81 Wireless Rd), it’s located directly above Char Restaurant (see review on page 67), and offers visitors a beautiful view of Bangkok’s lively downtown core. The breezes are gentle, the chairs and couches are comfortable, and the cocktails are delicious. When the sun goes down and the moon comes up this casual and intimate outdoor lounge makes for a great chill out zone.
irish anniversary One of Bangkok’s favourite Irish Pubs is celebrating their first anniversary this month. On THURSDAY JULY 14TH join in on the celebrations at THE DRUNKEN LEPRECHAUN, located on the ground floor of the FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON (4, Soi Sukhumvit 15). Get set for a beer sculling competition and lucky draw prizes every hour, and enjoy free snacks and live entertainment all night. And if you see any real-life leprechauns don’t worry, you’re not imagining things… they work there!
master-class martinis The elegant DIPLOMAT BAR, located on the ground floor of the CONRAD BANGKOK hotel (87 Wireless Rd), is tempting discerning tipplers with their unique MARTINI EXPERIENCE promotion. The experience begins and ends at your table, with a custom-built martini trolley designed to bring the bartender to you. Revel in the passion, craft, showmanship, and quality ingredients that go into every martini. One of the highlights is the Caviar Martini, which combines Beluga Gold Line vodka and La Quintinye Royal dry vermouth with 12 grams of osciètre caviar (from local producers VIVIN), two large Acqua Panna ice cubes, and two quail’s eggs. It’s a martini masterpiece!
get set to “play” Bangkok’s newest urban underground hangout, PLAY BY CM2, recently opened on the basement floor of the NOVOTEL BANGKOK on Siam Square. The venue offers party people a bit of everything—from great drinks and gourmet food selections, to live music and live sports. Play by CM2 is open daily from 6:30pm till 2am, and is currently offering 50 percent discounts on beverages from opening time till 8:30pm every night. And on “Ladies Night” (Monday to Wednesday) gals can enjoy free drinks all night long.
bangkok101.com
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NIGHTLIFE | review
About Eatery T
Organic wines at natural prices
he bottom line is this: if you are a wine lover, you’ll love About Eatery, a warm and welcoming bar and restaurant that recently opened on the ground floor of the Ocean Tower II building. The initial draw is, of course, the amazing selection of organic wines, but (as the name itself suggests) this is also an “eatery”, and offers tipplers a wide variety of tasty Mediterranean style bites to match with their very affordable artisan vino. Owner Guilio Saverino, formerly of Giusto Restaurant and Bed Supperclub, is a passionate individual who brings a wealth of wine knowledge to his customers. But before any tasting he gives me a breakdown of the basic properties that denote vin naturel (natural wines). Organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, while the term Biodynamic indicates that the wine growers follow natural harvest cycles—usually in relation to moon cycles—and shun the use of both chemicals and commercial yeasts. Finally, the term Natural indicates that
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fermentation has been allowed to take place without the use of commercial yeasts, enzymes, sugars, colours, or flavour enhancers (such as oak barrels). Many wines here are available by the glass, and on Guilio’s advice I start with a 2014 Crazy by Nature, Cosmo White from New Zealand’s Millton Vineyards (B180). The helpful wine menu legend points out that this delightfully crisp Chardonnay, Viognier and Marsanne mix is: biodynamic; aged in stainless steel; uses natural yeast; and is suitable for vegans (no egg products are used during the filtration process). I also comment on the wine’s slight but pleasant “fizz”, which Guilio points out is a common trait in natural wines. Moving on, I sample a wine that is neither white nor red, but “orange”— a style which, in Bangkok, is unique to this location. Orange wine is simply white wine that has had some maceration time in contact with the grape skins (giving the wine an orange hue). My first sip of the 2014 Clockwork (get it?) from New Zealand’s Mount Edwards vineyards (B195) introduces me to a wonderfully fruity, oak-aged, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay blend. The
wine also appears cloudy in the glass, which is common in natural wines. Finally I try two reds. I start with an organic 2014 Contadino Rosso from Sicily (B220), which the menu legend tells me has matured in amphora clay jars (“It’s the way wine was made thousands of years ago,” Guilio points out), followed by an oak-aged 2013 Crofters Syrah (B195) from Hawkey’s Bay NZ. Both are delicious, but it’s the 6,000 year-old recipe that proves most memorable. It’s like the best grape juice you’ve ever had—and that is a compliment in every sense! NOTE: About Eatery also plays host to excellent “themed” wine dinners (usually every Tuesday evening), often showcasing specific wine regions. See their website for full details. by Bruce Scott
About Eatery
GF, Ocean Tower II, Sukhumvit 21, Soi 3 Tel: 081 920 0740 Open: Mon-Fri, 11:30am–2:30pm Mon-Sat, 5pm-1am www.abouteatery.com bangkok101.com
review | NIGHTLIFE
Craft ‘N Roll Café F
Great beer, beautiful views, cool culture
or several years now, the word “craft” has been used to define a certain way of living in Thailand. Signifying the so-called “slow life”, the craft movement is a conscious shift away from our massproduced culture—hearkening back to the way we existed before, when we still made things by hand, with patience and personal investment. So widespread is this movement that an online community called Craft ‘N Roll has formed around it. And now, Craft ‘N Roll has a brick-and-mortar hangout preaching the gospel of Thai-made goods—in particular, beer! The Craft ‘N Roll Café occupies the cavernous, naturally ventilated building beside the Chao Phraya River that once housed To Sit Restaurant. The main floor now has a bar with 10 taps and natural wood benches for group seating, and a loft above it offers smaller tables for intimate chatter. The patio outside provides the best seats in the house though, especially at sunset when the temperature cools down and this wide, silvery stretch of river starts to shimmer. bangkok101.com
The taps change from time to time, but certain labels will forever be fixtures. On a recent visit the options included three styles from mainstay brand Sandport, highlighted by its wonderful Too Much Coffee Porter, a dark beer with roasted notes and a pleasant fizziness. Other frequent figures include Happy New Beer, which makes a consistently tasty session IPA, as well as Outlaw, whose Blondie Pale Ale and Gateway IPA come all the way from Loei. Some other recommended labels to try include the Weizen Bock from Triple Pearl, the Sauvignon Blanc Ale from Devanom Beer, and Raisa, the amber ale from Blaney’s. A roughly 330ml pour will cost you between B150-B180 here—about as cheap as it gets for the good stuff in Bangkok— and these beers come from some of the better home-brewers in Thailand. It isn’t easy to get to the bar, though. It’s practically in Nonthaburi, tucked away in an alley off Charan Sanitwong, where the skeletal frame of an imminent MRT line suggests more convenient access two years from now (for the time being, the best bet is to shuttle up the river to
Payap Pier, take the ferry to Thonburi, and hail a motorbike taxi). However, this out-of-the-way location serves a couple of somewhat practical purposes. Home-brewing still technically breaks Thai law, and selling home-brewed beer is just as big of an official no-no. Thus the isolation of this drink spot means the excise police won’t visit quite so frequently—and it makes the bar a destination, a place to go specifically to try the excellent array of Thai-made craft beer currently being churned out by the kingdom’s craftiest craftsmen. But it won’t be just a bar for long, either. There are plans to add a shop, selling clothing, jewellery, and other handmade goodies (expect monthly special events too). At Craft ‘N Roll Café the spirit of the slow-life movement is alive and well, and it’s a welcome change. By Craig Sauers
Craft ‘N Roll Café
115 Soi Charan Sanitwong 95/1 Tel: 09 8260 9292 Open daily: 5pm-midnight www.craftnroll.net J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 8 9
NIGHTLIFE | review
ThreeSixty Lounge
G
A sophisticated mix of panoramic views and potent libations
o sky high in style above the Chao Phraya River at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok’s stunning rooftop venue, the ThreeSixty Lounge. With an unobstructed and unrivaled 360° panoramic vistas of the city—both the old town and the downtown—this elevated lounge spot truly stands out from other Bangkok sky bars. They don’t call it 360 for nothing! The bar is divided into two separate areas. On the 31st floor stands the al-fresco hanging garden known as the ThreeSixty Outdoor Lounge, a perfect spot for a romantic sunset getaway, with a backdrop of golden sunrays blazing behind Wat Arun. This distinctive area also offers
sloped seating, allowing full enjoyment of the view, as well as a helicopter landing pad which transforms into a DJ booth on Fridays and Saturdays. Once the orange coloured sky turns to inky black, and a smattering of bright stars appear, move to the upper floor where the unique circular lounge is located. This spacious area exudes a classy and luxurious ambience, as the moonbeams fall weightlessly on the assembled crowd and jazz melodies from a live band fill the midnight air. Meanwhile the large panoramic windows showcase the scenic view over the manic metropolis below. Dim lighting, low-seated chairs, and an elegant bar counter blend together seamlessly to create an elegant blend
of romance and sophistication. Mixologist and F&B Masters champion Nutchonwit Ngammesri suggests starting with the highly recommended Robusto Mojito (B450). Using Cuban cigar infused rum as a base spirit, combined with fresh lime juice, mint, hazelnut syrup, and soda, the end combination reveals the refreshing scent of the citrus and mint, and the sweetness from the syrup. Though it is deceptively easy to drink, it’s pretty strong. Another recommendation from the bartenders—especially for the ladies—is the Pink Sangria (B450). Small cubes of juicy watermelon, and summer fruits such as guavas, apples and pineapples, are all put into this concoction that is based with apple brandy and rosé wine. Another drink highlight is the Big Mango (B450), consisting of citrus vodka, mango purée, and coconut liqueur. It’s one of ThreeSixty’s signature drinks, and is served in a tall martini glass garnished with a lemon wedge and cherry. By contrast the Indian Spice Ristretto Martini (B450) is made up of fine espresso, premium vodka, and aromatic cinnamon and cardamom spices—recommended for coffee snobs who like their some java in their juice. For non-drinkers, try the Ultimate Vitamins (B270), a mocktail mash-up of peach, pineapple, orange, and lime juice. The kitchen here also offers some hard to resist menu items. Deep-fried rock lobster spring roll with mango relish (B490) is a popular favourite, while the Battered fried fish finger with lemon tartar sauce (B450) is a perfect palate pleaser. by Pongphop Songsiriarcha
ThreeSixty Lounge
31-32F Millennium Hilton Bangkok 123 Charoennakorn Rd. Tel: 02 442 2000 Open daily: 5pm-1am www.bangkok.hilton.com 9 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
Photo of Hariguem Zaboy by Dave Crimaldi
NIGHTLIFE | live music
T
The Rock Philosopher by Dave Crimaldi
his month packs it in with both international music events and loads of events featuring local artists. For electronic music fans, there’s a major event happening as Comet Records celebrates 4 years by presenting Comet artists’ performances throughout the month. Instead of having an onslaught of 12 performances squeezed into one exhausting night, there is simply one event per weekend. Some of the highlights for me include Naked/Astronaught—I saw them a few years ago at Noise Market and fell in love with the trance inducing trip hop. If you like down tempo (Portishead, Massive Attack) check this band out on opening night at Soy Sauce Factory (24 Charoen Krung Rd) on July 2nd. Another performance I’m looking forward to is Nymph Hutakom—last time I saw her was at the 2014 Stone Free 3 festival where she hypnotized the audience with the lyrics “I will make you calm”. Don’t miss her performance on July 23rd at Third World Bar (Silom Soi 4). Another Comet gig to check out is Unda on July 9th at Jam (41 Soi Rong Nam Kang). This suave producer/rapper seems to attract a small following of female fans. Each show is B200 on the door, or buy a B600 full 4-show pass. Check the Comet Records BKK Facebook page for more details. You can also catch one of Thailand’s most famous music exports, the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, at Studio Lam (Sukhumvit Soi 51) on July 6th, while interesting international bands coming to town include The Radio Department (see page 10), and indie pop outfit The Fin, from Japan, on July 9th at Live RCA Bangkok (92-94 RCA Alley) with local support from Fwends and TELEx TELEXs. Also on July 9th it’s Sound A House—imagine a bunch of kids throwing a party in their parents house—which has a pretty sweet lineup, including Hariguem Zaboy (one of my favourite bands; a lot like My Bloody Valentine), Hope the Flowers, Summer Dress, and Zweedz n’ roll. Tickets are B250 at the door, which includes one drink (31 Soi Srinakarin 57, behind Paradise Park).
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Another July highlight is the multi-day festival brewing at Whiteline on Silom Soi 8, called Sugar Belly. Each evening of the festival promises to be thematic, and the electronic experimentation performance by Plern Pan Perth (aka Thanart ‘Pete’ Rasanont) from LA-LA—scheduled for the electronica and looping night—should definitely not be missed! The entire 4-day event is a joint production between an alliance of promoters including RhuBarb & CusTard, Nowhere End and Summer Sun Records. Elsewhere, on July 23rd at the Soy Sauce Factory, legendary hard rock band Brand New Sunset will host a party for their latest CD, and finally, on July 30th, Summer Sun Records is promoting a show at Tales of Gold Mine at Central World, with Brand New Sunset, and In Vice Versa scheduled to perform. To read more about Bangkok’s music scene, visit The Rock Philosopher at davecrimaldi.weebly.com
Listen Up! The electronica duo LA-LA, made up of Thanart ‘Pete’ Rasanont and Teerapong ‘Pipe’ Bumrungsheep, released another single last April called “ICU”. While I struggle to describe the music, it is nevertheless refreshing. The opening verses build tension with minimalism, and then blossom into a symphony before exploding—imagine floating away on a cloud of fairy dust. Surprisingly enough, the duo brings a full band with them on the rare occasions they perform live. At this time, “ICU” is available online from BandCamp, along with their other equally transcendent singles including “Rongtao”, but the band has also just released a mini-album entitled Waddee, which is available via the band’s Facebook page. www.lalaishereforyou.bandcamp.com/track/icu www.facebook.com/lalaishere bangkok101.com
club report | NIGHTLIFE
The DJ Booth By Wahtihdah Shannon Duffy
I
t’s time to give yourself a monthly detox and forget the ostentatious vibes of Thonglor for a night and, instead, hop a neighbourhood over to Ekkamai, where tucked away deeply in the residential soi of Ekkamai 19 lies a new type of party. The place is the Japanese bar 12x12, and this time it’s strictly vinyl. Here, in one of the most unassuming bars in Bangkok, a new monthly event series by the name of [DIG IT] exists, and if the verbal instructions on how fellow party-goers explain how to find the place doesn’t give a clear enough indication of the magical elusiveness of the party (eg: “walk into the soi until you can hear the good sounds”), then the rich atmosphere radiating upon approach of the bar might give you a better idea.
DJ Tristan
Playing only vinyl records, from classic house tracks to melodic techno tunes, and even the occasional far flung sound from a time beyond, the curation of tracks, played lovingly by resident DJs Tristan Kino of Paris and Seelie of Manchester, have been rocking 12x12 for the past three months. In fact these events have quickly garnered a reputation as one of Bangkok’s best monthly underground music gems. In EDM driven Bangkok, vinyl sessions can be a little bit of a catch to come by. Experiencing good ol’ fashion spinning is a welcome break from the commercial sounds that most events play host to, but what makes the sessions at [DIG IT] incomparable to other events in the city is the incredibly warm and inclusive atmosphere. In hand with an eccentric and friendly mix of partygoers, attending is like waking up with your family on Christmas morning—there is an atmosphere of love and bangkok101.com
camaraderie in the air that you would be hard pressed to come elsewhere in this town. Both DJs make it a point to present only their favourite tracks, from amongst their personal collection of vinyl, ensuring a point of uniqueness in how the music is played and how the atmosphere evolves. The next session is set for late July, so check in with Indeed Productions on Facebook to keep appraised of the exact date. Expect to hear Chicago Deep house from Chez Damier, and even the rare Detroit gems from Derrick May, all spun with zest and a mutual DJ-to-dancer understanding that who you’re grooving to is not someone you can groove to often in Bangkok. However, what’s even more rare in Bangkok than hearing Chicago vinyl in a Japanese bar is hearing amazing
DJ Seelie
Thai-produced techno. Featuring some of Bangkok’s rarer species, four Thai techno DJs have banded together to create a new event series by the name of The Dark Locomotive Techno by #0000000, showcased every 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sunday of the month. Things get underway at 9pm at the very grungy and cool Dickinson’s Culture Cafe. The Dark Locomotive is a slow burner; having just started the event series, you shouldn’t expect huge hoards of techno enthusiasts to be making regular appearances just yet. But the small crowd every Sunday has little correlation with the quality of techno being played by resident DJs 3DH, Nobita, and Photosynthesis. If anything, it’s a surprising welcome to the underground music world. With regular techno events being staged monthly by European expats looking to curate a scene akin to the ones back home, it could be considered a novelty to see a rise of Thai techno producers finding ground in their own land. J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 9 3
NIGHTLIFE | listings
BARS 22 Steps Bar
A great place to unwind, enjoying a cocktail or fine cigar while watching the world go by. Enjoy happy hour from 5pm to 9pm every day, and don’t miss Ladies’ night on Wednesday which offers women two hours of free-flow sparkling wine from 9pm-11pm. Hotel Indigo Bangkok 81, Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 207 4999 Open daily: 3pm-11.30pm www.hotelindigo.com/bangkok
amBar
amBar
Located on the 8th floor rooftop of the Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, this pool bar offers an inviting and relaxed lounge atmosphere. Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok 4, Sukhumvit Soi15 Tel: 02 309 3288 Open daily: 4pm-midnight www.ambarbangkok.com
Craft
Serving craft beer on draft in all its glory, this outdoor patio-bar plays host to food trucks each weekend, spins good tunes, and, most importantly, operates over 40 taps of delicious brews. 16, Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 661 3320 981 Silom Rd., Tel: 02 258 2464 Open daily: 2pm-12am www.craftbangkok.com
Brew
See and be seen at any one of the city’s three Brew. All have a healthy list of foreign brews and cider on tap. A beerlover’s dream. 1F Seen Space, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor), Tel: 02 185 2366 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 185 2366 Asiatique 2194 Charoenkrung Rd., Tel: 02 108 8744 www.brewbkk.com 9 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
Set in a bright pink mansion that was once a soda bottling company’s office, it’s the perfect place to enjoy intimate conversations with friends over inventive cocktails and delicious snacks. 401 Silom Soi 7 Tel: 02 636 6622 Open daily: 5pm-2am www.namsaah.com
House of Beers (HOBS)
This Belgian-leaning chain of bar offers all sorts of imported quaffs, from wheat beers like Leffe Blonde and Hoegaarden to esoteric specials like Kwak. The refreshments are augmented by Belgian fries and tapas-style bar snacks. Penny’s Balcony, Tel: 02 392 3513 1F Groove at CentralWorld, Tel: 02 613 1322 La Villa Aree, Tel: 02 613 0572 Aree Garden, Tel: 02 617 1600 INT Intersect, Tel: 02 682 6400 Nawamin Festival Walk, Tel: 02 907 0934-5 www.houseofbeers.com
J. Boroski Mixology
A secret bar, built by masterful mixologist Joseph Boroski, who creates drinks to reflect a customer’s specifications or, if you’re lucky, according to his own whims. Ask someone “in-the-know” to reveal the exact location. Sukhumvit Soi 55 (secret location) Tel: 02 712 6025 Open daily: 7pm-2am www.josephboroski.com
Badmotel
This three-floor joint is minimally decorated and painted bright white. The ground floor’s buzzing bar and tree-lined garden make a pleasant spot to sip on the venue’s “Creation Cocktails”. 331/4-5, Sukhumvit Soi 55 Tel: 02 712 7288 Open daily: 5pm-1am www.facebook.com/badmotel
Namsaah Bottling Trust
Shades of Retro
Shades of Retro
It’s Hipsterville at this Thong Lor hotspot, stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, and a plenty of antiques. Soi Tararom 2, Sukhumvit Soi 55 Tel: 02 714 9450 Open daily: 3pm-1am www.facebook.com/shadesofretrobar
Smalls
Decorated with vintage furniture and art, giving it a true bohemian vibe, this wellloved, three-storey neighbourhood drink spot offers a wide selection of beers, wines, and hard-to-find liquors, as well as, the occasional live jazz band. 186/3 Suan Phlu Soi 1 Tel: 095 585 1398 Open: Wed-Mon, 8.30pm-2am www.facebook.com/smallsbkk
The Friese-Greene Club
Mikkeller
Mikkeller
An enclave for beer geeks, distinguished by its many dozens of brews on tap, and its lush garden. A sure bet for anyone in search of a good—and sometimes hard to find—craft beer. 26 Ekamai Soi 10 Yaek 2 Tel: 02 381 9891 Open daily: 5pm-12am www.mikkellerbangkok.com
This member’s only club (guests are always welcome), screens films in a tiny cinema on the second floor and serves reasonably priced drinks on the first. 259/6 Sukhumvit Soi 22 Tel: 087 000 0795, 080 733 8438 Open: Tue-Sun 6pm-11pm www.fgc.in.th
U.N.C.L.E.
One of the most enticing small bars in Bangkok, a hideaway that exudes class, where you can get cocktails made to your exact specifications. Sathorn Soi 12 Tel: 02 635 0406 Open: Tue-Sat 6pm-1am www.avunculus.com bangkok101.com
listings | NIGHTLIFE
Whisgars
Whiskey and cigars are the focal points of this rapidly expanding Bangkok empire. Each outlet is a little different, but all cater to the finer things in life. 16 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 664 4252 981 Silom Rd., Tel: 02 630 1997 2F Mahatun Plaza, Tel: 02 650 8157 www.whisgars.com
an electro soundtrack. 33F Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 207 9300 Open daily: 6pm-2am www.aboveeleven.com
Woobar
Chic and low-lit without being cold or inaccessible, and spacious enough to find a seat without feeling vacant. Swing by for Ladies’ Night, an after-work release or, better yet, a weekend party. GF W Bangkok 106 North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 344 4131 Open daily: 9am-12am www.wbangkok.com
WTF
The coolest and most enduring shophouse bar in the city, decked out with old Thai movie posters and found items like wooden doors and chairs. Marked by great cocktails, live gigs, art exhibitions, and a mix of artsy patrons. 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 Tel: 02 626 6246 Open: Tue-Sun 6pm-1am www.wtfbangkok.com
ROOFTOP / SKY BARS Above Eleven
A west-facing, 33rd-floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, an outdoor wooden deck bar, an impressive cocktail list, and
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Heaven
When the golden feature bar lights up, Zen feels like one of the most glamorous places in the city. Enjoy well balanced cocktails and a beautiful backdrop. 20F Zen@Central World, 4/5 Ratchadamri Rd. Tel: 02 100 9000 Open: Mon-Sun 5.30pm-1am www.heaven-on-zen.com
Moon Bar
Amorosa
Amorosa
A sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, sour-sweet cocktails, and a showstopper of a view over the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun in the distance. 4F Arun Residence Hotel 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd. Tel: 02 221 9158 Open daily: 6pm-1am www.arunresidence.com
Barley Bistro
Check out the open-air rooftop, littered with fans, bean bags, and funky barley stalk sculptures. It’s a solid choice for some post-work/pre-club cocktails. 4F Food Channel, Silom Rd. Tel: 087 033 3919 Open daily: 5pm-late www.barleybistro.com
An icon amongst the city’s rooftop bars, it offers 360-degree views of the urban sprawl in smart surroundings. A perfect spot for honeymooners too. 61F Banyan Tree Bangkok 21/100 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 679 1200 Open daily: 5pm-1am www.banyantree.com
Octave
Octave
Rows of plush seating along the edge of the open-air balcony offer a perfect spot to view Bangkok from above while knocking back punchy, refreshing custom-made cocktails. 45F Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 Tel: 02 797 0000 Open: 6pm-1am www.facebook.com/OctaveMarriott
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NIGHTLIFE | listings
Phranakorn Bar
An old favourite of local art students and creative types, mostly for its indie/80s/90s playlist and mellow trestleand-vine rooftop offering splendid views of the floodlit Golden Mount temple. Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd. Tel: 02 622 0282 Open daily: 6pm-1am www.facebook.com/Phranakornbarandgallery
Red Sky
The al fresco turret here offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come—when daylight fades, a live jazz band kicks in and the city lights up like a circuit-board. 56F Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld 999/99 Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 02 100 1234 Open daily: 6pm-1am www.centarahotelsresorts.com
Sky Bar/Distil
Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, offering panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with new visitors as well as those intent on rediscovering it. 63F State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 624 9555 Open daily: 6pm-1am www.thedomebkk.com
CLUBS
PUBS The Australian Cé La Vi
Cé La Vi
Cé La Vi Bangkok (formerly Ku De Ta Bangkok) is one of the city’s top nightlife venues, a vast and glittering club with skyscraper ceilings and a long window that affords an exceptional view. 39-40F Sathorn Square Complex 98 North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 108 2000 Open daily: 12pm-late www.celavi.com
One of the most reliably busy nightclubs in Bangkok that welcomes a mix of resident expats, stylish Thai party animals, and wide-eyed holiday-makers that can’t get enough. 6F 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 082 308 3246 Open daily: 9pm-3am www.facebook.com/levelsclub
Classier than most of Bangkok’s afterhour clubs, a two-room affair decked out with chandeliers, paintings, and billowing sheets that lend it a desert tent feel. President Tower Arcade, 973 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 0382 Open daily: 10pm-late www.mixx-discotheque.com/bangkok
St. Regis Bar
This rectangular venue overlooks the Royal Bangkok Sports Club through a large plate-glass window, a lovely spot at sunset, even better on Sunday afternoons, when you can spy on horse races with a fine malt whiskey in hand. St. Regis Bangkok Hotel 159 Ratchadamri Rd. Tel: 02 207 7777 Open: Mon-Fri 10am-1am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am www.stregis.com 9 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
A wide and bright Australian import, complete with beer schooners as well as bottles from Coopers and VB, live rugby matches on TV, and rock bands on stage. 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 651 0800 Open daily: 9am-late www.theaustralianbkk.com
Levels
Mixx Discotheque
St. Regis Bar
Sukhumvit Soi 22 Tel: 02 258 3758 Open: 6pm-1.30am www.titanium-club.com
Route 66
RCA’s longest surviving super-club, with three zones to explore, each with its own bar, look, and music policy. Crammed with dressed-to-kill young Thais. 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue Tel: 02 203 0936 Open daily: 8pm-2am www.route66club.com
Titanium Club & Ice Bar
With Congenial hostesses clad in ao dai, a gifted, all-girl rock n’ roll band jamming nightly, and over 90 varieties of vodka, it’s definitely a fun night out.
The Black Swan
The Black Swan
An amber-lit favourite that offers myriad drink deals and spectacular Sunday roasts. Now in its new location. 19/32 Soi Sukhumvit 19 Tel: 02 229 4542 Open daily: 8am-late www.blackswanbangkok.com
The Drunken Leprechaun
This heavily Irish-themed establishment offers delicious pub grub and drinks from the Emerald Isle and beyond. The nightly entertainment includes weekly pub quizzes, generous happy (with complimentary snacks). Four Points by Sheraton, 4 Sukhumvit 15 Tel: 02 309 3255 Open daily: 10am-1am www.thedrunkenleprechaun.com
The Huntsman
English-style pub, cool and dark, with lots of nooks and crannies and a Sunday roast like no other. GF The Landmark Hotel 138 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 254 0404 Open daily: 11.30am-2am www.landmarkbangkok.com/huntsman-pub bangkok101.com
listings | NIGHTLIFE
The Pickled Liver
Pub grub, pool, quizzes, live music, and more make this landmark pub – now in its second incarnation – a perennial favourite with locals. Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 (opposite Maxim’s Hotel) Tel: 02 651 1114 Open daily: 3pm-late www.thepickledliver.com
33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 09 0626 7655 Open daily: Mon-Thu 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight www.apotekabkk.com
Adhere the 13th Blues Bar One of Bangkok’s funkiest, coolest hangouts, and nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar, and a band that churns out cool blues, Motown, and originals. 13 Samsen Rd. (opposite Soi 2) Open daily: 6pm-midnight Tel: 089 769 4613 www.facebook.com/adhere13thbluesbar
The Royal Oak
The Royal Oak
An old British enclave serving up delicious food in substantial portions, draft beer, and weekly pub quizzes. There’s even a comedy club upstairs which is open every Friday. 595/10 Sukhumvit 33/1 Tel: 02 662 1652 Open daily: 10am-1am www.royaloakthailand.com
LIVE MUSIC Apoteka
Built to emulate a 19th-century apothecary, this place has an old-school feel, an awesome line-up of live music, and a drink selection including beer and custom crafte cocktails.
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Maggie Choo’s
Maggie Choo’s
The bar’s attraction is the live jazz music, some of the best the city has to offer. The welcoming atmosphere is amplified with sultry mysticism and redolent of Shanghai’s dandyish early 20th-century gambling dens. GF Hotel Novotel Fenix 320 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 635 6055 Open daily: Tue-Sun 6pm-2am www.facebook.com/maggiechoos
Saxophone
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
Bangkok’s oldest, cosiest jazz venue. A restaurant and coffee house by day that morphs into a world-class jazz haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw crowds by night. 469 Phra Sumen Rd. Tel: 089 499 1378 Open daily: 6pm-1am www.brownsugarbangkok.com
A must-visit live music joint, dishing out stiff drinks and killer blues, ska, and jazz every single night of the week. 3/8 Victory Monument, Phayathai Rd. Tel: 02 246 5472 Open daily: 6pm-2am www.saxophonepub.com
SoulBar
Metalwork, modern art, and live Motown, funk, blues, and soul form the backbone of this stark, yet cool, shophouse turned small bar on the edge of Chinatown’s art district. 945 Charoenkrung Rd. Tel: 083 092 2266 Open daily: Mon-Fri 6pm-1am www.facebook.com/livesoulbarbangkok
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LIFESTYLE |
Oriental-inspired resort wear JARITT by HARNN 9 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
bangkok101.com
| LIFESTYLE
LIFE+STYLE oriental-inspired collection JARITT BY HARNN, an Asian-inspired clothing brand, has just introduced their latest collection, entitled “A Cup of Tea”. The eye-pleasing cool colour tones of butterfly pea-blue, soft green, and warm earthly hues, send out decidedly calm and relaxing vibes. Meanwhile the lightweight natural linen fabric is perfect for keeping you cool under the Bangkok heat. This collection is available at the Harnn shop located on the 1st floor at CENTRALWORLD, and the Vuudh pop-up store at GROOVE@CENTRALWORLD (999/9 Rama I Rd). The collection is also available at Harnn shops in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, and Phuket.
siam discovery exploratorium mobile app The newly opened Siam Discovery is presenting itself as THE EXPLORATORIUM, a creative playground for people of all ages and all genders. The SIAM DISCOVERY MOBILE APPLICATION allows visitors explore and discover new products, services, promotions and events. An advance reservation for a parking spot, restaurant table, and/or co-working space are easily to made with just the press of a button. The app also delivers to users personalized promotions, or news stories, according to your interests and purchase history. Available for download from both App Store and Play Store.
thai designer pops up in paragon Thai-born, Antwerp-based jewellery designer EK THONGPRASERT returns to Bangkok with a pop-up boutique and his first-ever line of apparel. His innovative accessory collections have earned him quite a reputation internationally. His pop-up is located on the first floor of SIAM PARAGON (Siam BTS station) and carries his latest lines of silicone-based costume jewellery, as well as clothing, including denim dresses, sporty jerseys with ruffles, smart jackets, and pastel dresses with floral silicone embroidery. The permanent retail corner will open at THE EMPORIUM (Phrom Phong BTS station) once the pop-up store finishes at the end of August.
so sofitel launches boutique gallery Officially launched just a few weeks ago, the TOINE IN BANGKOK boutique gallery is the newest addition to the SO SOFITEL BANGKOK hotel (2 North Sathorn Rd). Inside you’ll find a lively and fun collection of limited edition and one-of-a-kind objets d’art, ranging from Buddhist faces, busts, and sculptures (with peaceful, pleasing smiles), as well as clothes, jewellery, colourful knickknacks and more. Shoppers will be hard-pressed to walk away empty-handed, as both the price and the wide selection on offer allows for something for everyone. The shop is open every day from 10am till 9pm.
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LIFESTYLE | spa deals
Total relaxation at Ba-Ya Health & Spa
Ba-Ya Health & Spa | 87 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 311 4772 | www.bayaspa.com If you want to relieve stress, accompanied by the one you love, Ba-Ya Health & Spa is the perfect choice. The spa is currently offering a 25 percent discount per person for VIP double treatment suite programs. The five-hour total relaxation package includes six kinds of treatments, aimed at addressing health problems and relieving stress from head to toe. The spa’s skilled therapists are here for you and your loved one, at the special price of just B3,412 by person.
Get lulled to sleep at Devarana Spa
The Dusit Thani | Rama IV Rd. Tel: 02 200 9999 | www.devaranaspa.com Suffering from sleepless nights? Let the Dusit Thani hotel’s Devarana Spa put you in a slumber with their Lullaby Lavender Program—an emergency assistance treatment to help those who suffer from sleep deprivation get the rest they need. Drift off into a peaceful rest for two-and-a-half hours with a package that features a lavender body scrub and hot milk bath, followed by an aromatic lavender and chamomile oil massage. This promotion, priced at B4,600, lasts until the end of the month.
Get the royal treatment at Mandara Spa
Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Tower | 2 Charoen Krung Rd, Soi 30 Tel: 02 266 0123 | www.royalorchidsheraton.com Too much tension these days Princess? Let Mandara Spa at the Royal Orchid Sheraton escort you on a royally relaxing escape. Their 90 minute Princess Pampering package is being offered a special price of just B3,900 (regularly priced at B5,711). Melt away your tension and have your complexion brightened with the Elemis Rejuvenating Facial. Moreover, you can take away a bottle of sweet jasmine body lotion as a bonus. This promotion runs until the end of August.
Coco Mango body scrubs for two at Oasis Spa
The Oasis Spa | 2 locations (Sukhumvit Sois 31 and 51) Tel: 02 262 2122 | www.oasisspa.net Bring a friend and discover the sweet side of stress relief with Coco Mango, a unique Thai mango and sticky rice body scrub, made by combining natural shea butter, coconut butter, mango, finely textured coconut, and organic rice. Until the end of July, purchase one treatment for B3,900 and get a second treatment at 50 percent off. This 150 min. package begins with a Coco Mango scrub, followed by a body wrap cocoon along with facial treatment and massage, and ends with a warm coconut oil massage.
Experience body bliss at Opium Spa
The Siam Hotel Bangkok | 3/2 Khao Rd. Tel: 02 206 6999 | www.thesiamhotel.com Enjoy luxury and privacy at Opium Spa, located in The Siam riverside resort. Their Opium Bliss promotion is currently priced at B6,500 per person or B12,500 per couple. So enjoy a deeply relaxing body massage, perhaps accompanied by a Thai herbal steam. Using only the finest health care products from Sodashi, the Australian skin care line, the spa specialists here will take care of your every need. This promotion will be available throughout the year, but… why wait?
Indulge in an ancient Thai massage at Spa Botanica
The Sukhothai Bangkok | 13/3 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 344 8888 | www.sukhothai.com Throughout the month, Spa Botanica at the Sukothai Bangkok hotel is offering an Ayothaya Oriatal Retreat promotion for only B2,800. This 90 minute treatment begins with a relaxing foot ritual, followed by a special muscle massage. The ancient healing methods make use of Zingiber cassumunar oil, a native root herb rhizome, as well as traditional treatments for rejuvenating skin and easing muscle pain. This spa journey aims to help clients with everything from joint problems, to muscle spasms. 1 0 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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spa review | LIFESTYLE
King & I Boutique Spa N estled on Sathorn’s much calmer Soi 12, the King & I Boutique Spa offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s hectic business district. This stand-alone spa recently opened in March this year, and is the second branch of the family-run business. Following the successful outlet on Sukhumvit Soi 12 which primarily caters to walk-in guests, and tourists, counting a high turnover, the Sathorn branch is designed to offer business people, and local expats an oasis to recover and rejuvenate. The 1956 movie musical The King and I, as well as the saying “the customer is King”, serve as inspiration not only for the name but for the spa’s overall philosophy. Three big golden chairs in the lobby of the boutique spa used for foot scrubs will definitely make guests feel like kings, or queens for that matter. The rest of the spa’s interior is also traditionally Thai—floral tapestries, heavy wooden doors, and bangkok101.com
pictures of the king lining the walls— standing in contrast to the otherwise modern, concrete jungle that is Sathorn Road. The spa is comprised of about 30 rooms, with its top floor used as a treatment suite for private gatherings, and another floor specifically dedicated to Thai massages. Their signature treatment, however, is the deep tissue King & I Oil Massage (B1500/60min, B2000/90min, B2600/120min). It literally includes the whole body, as even the stomach and chest receive optional, light massaging. The massage is quite thorough and particularly beneficial for sport people, and those suffering from neck, and back pain. By thoroughly kneading the muscles, and working rice bran oil into the skin, the treatment helps to untie knots, and release tensions. Towards the end, some bending and stretching, inherent to a classical Thai massage, is incorporated into the treatment.
The smooth rice bran oil is organically extracted in Thailand, and it’s neutral in scent and one of the least allergenic—a good option for those suffering from sensitive skin, or feeling overwhelmed with the strong fragrance during a treatment. While those who enjoy the benefits of different essential oils, including lavender, gold, and lemongrass, should opt for the lighter Aromatherapy Oil Massage (B1900/60min, B2600/120min). To celebrate the spa’s recent opening, customers receive 50 percent off of most treatments. In addition, there’s currently a special promotion from Monday to Thursday on the Oil & Aroma Treatment (B750/90min). By Julia Offenberger
King & I Boutique Spa 199/1 Sathorn Neua Rd. Soi 12 Tel: 02 635 4772 Open daily: 10am-11pm www.kingandi.co.th
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LIFESTYLE | spa products
Eco-friendly Skincare Products Natural cosmetic brands from Thailand
Coffee Detox Shower Gel If you need your coffee to wake up in the morning, why not use it to give your body a fresh start as well? The caffeine in the Coffee Detox Shower Gel by Panya Natural and Organic (200ml/ B550) has numerous positive benefits for the body. It is said to brighten up dull looking skin, fight cellulite, and reduce swelling as it activates blood circulation. The Thai brand produces a range of 100 per cent organic beauty products, using natural ingredients from various regions in the country. The brand is both environmentally conscious, and also tries to support local communities. Their products are available both in Thailand and overseas. Either head to Panya Natural & Spa (28, Sukhumvit Soi 29) or check out their online shop at: www.panyaspa.com.
Bamboo Charcoal & Tea Tree Oil Soap A natural alternative to conventional face cleansers is the Bamboo Charcoal & Tea Tree Oil Soap by Srann (120g/ B429). The midnight black bar is especially effective for those suffering from oily and acne-prone skin. Bamboo charcoal is highly absorbent, and cleans deep inside the skin pores. Without leaving residue, it allows the pores to breathe and be naturally moisturised. The family business, based in Northern Thailand’s Phrae province, produces handmade soaps and organic skincare from local ingredients, including clean rainwater, cold pressed oils and home-grown herbs. No chemicals are used in the soap making process ensuring that the by-products don’t contaminate the water supply. Pop by their store when in Chiang Mai (28/2 Nimmanhemin Rd. Lane 17), or order online via their website at: www.srann.co. For those interested, Srann also offers volunteering opportunities and soap making workshops.
Ginger & Citrus Revitalizing Body Scrub Wake up and refresh your senses with the spirit-lifting Ginger & Citrus Revitalizing Body Scrub by Bynature (250g/B160). In addition to cleansing and conditioning the skin, its antiseptic ginger oil helps increase blood circulation. A citrus oil blend is used to reduce puffiness, clear blemishes, increase perspiration, and assist the release of toxins, while walnut shell exfoliates and removes excess oil, dirt and dead skin, leaving it soft, smooth and naturally nourished. The brand is based in the Nonthaburi province, and their products are 99 per cent natural, plant-based, and free of pesticides and other nasty chemicals, including silicones, parabens and ethoxylate. To ensure environmental friendliness, these affordable toiletries come in recyclable or reusable packaging, and are available in select health and department stores, including Lemon Farm (Sukhmvit 39), Pure by Big (Rajadamri), and in Siam Paragon’s Gourmet Market. For more products, check out their website at: www.bynatureshop.com.
Essential Deodorant with Magnesium Chloride While natural cosmetic products are becoming more and more popular, one of the most sensitive body parts is often forgotten: the armpits. The skin under your arms can absorb nearly 100 per cent of what is put on into the blood stream, and therefore, it’s important to stay away from toxic ingredients including aluminium, chlorohydrate and parabens, still found in most conventional deodorants. A welcoming alternative is the effective, and totally toxin-free Essential Deodorant by Essential Posology (40ml/B150). Its main ingredient Magnesium Chloride is also highly beneficial for the skin and body. By activating over 300 enzyme reactions, magnesium is crucial to nerve transmission, muscle contraction, blood circulation, energy production, and much more. It’s available in different scents and can be purchased at Bangkok Farmers Market (every second and fourth weekend of the month) or online at: www.facebook.com/essential.posology. 1 0 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 6
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unique boutique | LIFESTYLE
Eco Shop Common Sustainable shopping at this BACC boutique
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t is known that humans are the real threat to this world, and all life on earth, but at the same time some people are also trying to protect the environment and preserve the planet for future generations even if it’s just by doing little things. Inspired by the 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth, which documents the effects of global warming and the environmental movements trying to stop it, Pipat (Top) Apiruktanakorn decided to start his own green business, together with his wife and co-founder Siraphun (Noon) Wattanajinda. The result was Eco Shop, a retail outlet where Top could make his own products and provide a space for eco-design and awardwinning products to be sold. Founded in 2009, his first flagship store was located at Siam Square but later moved to its more recent home on the first floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). It has since been renamed Eco Shop Common, but remains a meeting place for fellow creative people from all over. The store is now not only a home for eco-friendly products, but also an eco-design and knowledge center for both students, and anyone keen to learn more about eco-products and the environment. bangkok101.com
Creative eco products available here vary widely—from bags, pillows, yarn, and lamps, to dried strawberries. Each product has its own story, which is often worth more than the product itself. The owner’s original brand O, for example, uses the LCA (or life-cycle assessment) methodology, which evaluates the entire process of production from the extraction of the raw materials to their final disposal. The products from O feature multipurpose leather straps, rear reflectors for bicycles, and bags from organic plant material. Foremost among the bestselling brands in the store is the environmental design label Rubber Killer, which uses inner tubes from all types of vehicles—bicycles, trucks, and tractors—and combines them with some inventive ideas to create useful products such as messenger bags, tote bags, and wallets. Other cool non-polluting products include Mazmoizelle’s backpack, made from cork sheets from oak trees, recyclable pencil caps from Gray Ray, and handicraft reused paper bead jewelry from Basic Teeory. Eco Shop Common is also offering beauty products that use natural and organic ingredients, such as
the very popular herbal liquid balm (for inhaling and applying) made by Herbiness, which gives off the refreshing scent of Thai aromatic herbs. There’s also a body scrub by Softcream made from sugar and apricot—natural exfoliators that give skin a radiant, healthy, and silky smooth appearance—and to keep lips nourished Pumi Pure’s organic lipstick, made from eco-certified organic ingredients. All items from the store can be exchanged within 7 days if there are any problems. Eco Shop Common is basically an environmentally friendly boutique where shoppers who want to make a change can find a small but varied selection of truly “green” products for sale. It’s a distribution channel, as well as a place that provides useful information related to environmental issues and eco designs. By Pongphop Songsiriarcha
Eco Shop Common
1F Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) 939 Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 099 339 0839, 087 454 9696 Opening hours: Tues-Sun, 10am-8pm www.ecoshop.in.th J U LY 2 0 1 6 | 1 0 3
LIFESTYLE | made in thailand
Egg-ceptional Endeavour
Hilltribe Organics gives farming families a sustainable income
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ggs are a huge part of the daily diet in Thailand. However the mechanics behind producing enough eggs to meet consumer demand results in an abundance of large-scale modern farming operations where the chickens live in confined conditions and are fed an alarming number of antibiotics, hormones, and other questionable chemical supplements. This is what keeps the price of eggs low, but what’s surprising is how little extra it costs to purchase eggs made in a 100 percent organic fashion. Take for example Hilltribe Organics, a Bangkok-based company that provides free-range eggs—which cost only a few baht more each than most regular eggs—to several grocery store chains in Bangkok, including Tops Supermarket, Big C, and Villa Market. This company is just one of the many healthy food retail product lines from Urmatt Ltd, and the forward-thinker behind this highly successful enterprise is Arvind Narula, a businessman who manages to balance business savvy with social responsibility. But going green has never been just a case of jumping on the organic bandwagon because it’s a popular trend. Before getting into eggs Arvind was (and still is) in the agriculture business, and his operations have been organic for quite some time. In addition, his progressive business model puts an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of which a large part entails making sure that farmers working for Urmatt are earning a good wage and not exposing themselves to dangerous chemicals. Arvind’s career in agriculture began around 1982 when he and
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By Bruce Scott some partner investors began growing basmati rice in Chiang Mai. Success came swiftly and by the 1990s they were employing thousands of families throughout the north of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. And although it had already begun going green, the decision to go 100 percent organic was motivated by a singular, life-changing incident.
“We owned three or four thousand rai of farmland in Chiang Rai,” he explains. “I was out there one day and saw a farmer with an insecticide spray backpack, and a baby in his front pack. And he was spraying! I had seen that there were children in the area being born with defects, but when I saw this guy with the sprayer it changed my life. I thought ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’. So I started to learn about going organic. We lost money for the next seven years, but I stayed the course, knowing that I didn’t want to use chemicals anymore. Eventually it took off and we’ve never looked back.” But the story of Hilltribe Organic eggs began only recently, as Urmatt
began launching several retail-ready organic products. It started out with the eggs, but has since gone on to include Life Brand organic soluble rice bran, Perfect Earth organic chia seeds and organic chia pasta, and their latest product, Maprao organic coconut water. “We do retail, but we also sell to hotels, and restaurants,” adds Gaurav Sehgal, Arvind’s nephew and Urmatt’s current Director of Sales. “Robuchon, Nahm, Bo.Lan, Rocket, Bad Motel—they all use our [Hilltribe Organics] eggs.” And it’s these humble eggs that really illustrate what a difference the company’s CSR has made to the farmers they employ. Each farming family that registers to work with Hilltribe Organics is given a total of 600 hens—all free of charge—as well as everything needed to set up operation, including organic feed (at no extra charge). Urmatt then buys back all the eggs from the farmers, giving them a guaranteed income. At first it all sounded to be too good to be true, but once one farming family tried it and prospered there were soon 200 more families eager to enroll in the program. Since the launch of this endeavour the income of each family involved has tripled, but more importantly lives have been changed. “In a show of gratitude,” recalls Arvind, “one of the farmers came up to me, held my hand, and said, ‘I really want to thank you. Because of all you’ve done, my daughter doesn’t have to work at night anymore’.” Find out more about the company and its HTO Social Enterprise at: www.hilltribeorganics.com bangkok101.com
CUISINE ART Thank you to all of the customers’ and friends’ support during our first nine years that has made Ruen Urai one of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok. Ruen Urai at the Rose Hotel 118 Soi Na Wat Hualumphong, Surawongse Road Tel. (66) 2 266 8268-72 Fax: (66) 2 266 8096 www.rosehotelbkk.com www.ruen-urai.com
SIGNING OFF | did you know?
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Words and photo by Marc Schultz/Black Star Publishing
id you know that one of Southeast Asia’s oldest native sports, known in Thailand as Sepak Takraw, can be seen almost everyday being played in and around the streets and parks of Bangkok? It’s the ideal urban sport, as it requires only a few square metres to play, but better still it gets people outdoors and exercising. In this sport players kick a small, hollow, woven rattan ball, but the variations on the sport are endless. In competitive games a
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net is placed between opposing teams and—much like in volleyball—players try to send the ball over the net and into their opponent’s area. And any part of the body can be used to do so, with the strict exception of the hands. Most play involves kicking the ball back and forth, and the footplay acrobatics involved are truly a sight to behold. There are also many variations on the game. You’ll sometimes see people playing alone or in small groups— endlessly bouncing the ball from foot to foot hackey-sack-style. Meanwhile, in Myanmar the sport is known as
chin lone, and is considered more of an art as there is often no opposing team, and the point is to simply keep the ball aloft, gracefully and interestingly. Almost every Southeast Asian nation has their own variation (and name) for this game, and it truly represents a shared history in this region. Go around Bangkok any late afternoon and you will see groups of Thais of all ages— young and old—jumping, kicking, laughing, and generally having a great time!
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