Bangkok101_April 2012 by Talisman Media

bangkok 101

B-Lay Tong Phuket, MGallery Collection Prime beach front location at the quiet north end of the world famous Patong Beach within close proximity of the busiest eateries, shops and bars. The resort’s 123 rooms and suites have a feel which exudes modern playfulness and funky vibes mixes with Feng Shui color schemes. It offers spectacular sunset views from it’s 198 lobby bar which overlooks the white sandy beach and sparkling turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. In addition, free WiFi internet access is provided throughout the resort’s guest rooms and public areas. Other facilities include the B-Restaurant, B-Spa and the nightclub Beat Club. Meeting space is also available.

B-Lay Tong Phuket, MGallery Collection

OKURA BELIEVES IN PERFORMING EACH AND EVERY MOMENT WITH THE SPIRIT OF ‘WA’ (HARMONY). IN SPRING 2012, COME SHARE OUR CULTURE.

www. o k u ra b a n g ko k . co m 57 WI R E L E S S ROAD, BANGKO K 10330, T HAI L AND

april 2012

198 Taveewong Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand Tel +66 (0)76 344 999. +66 (0)76 680 666 Fax +66 (0)76 344 998 E-mail rsvn@b-laytong.com www.b-laytong.com – www.mgallery.com – www.accorhotels.com

I Built This City | City Pulse Bangkok Tree House | Travel Bhutan | Food & Drink Dine in the Dark | Shopping The Chonabod

‘WA’ HARMONY

april 2012 100 baht

I Built This City

collages by pariwat a-nantachina

Wat Khema

Wat Soi Thong

reference | B angk o k cit y M ap 8

Province Border

Phahon Yothin

Dir Domection est Don ic A irp Muen ort g

Rama VII Bridge

Prach a Rat Sai 2

Bang Po

River Ferry

25 Pilbul 1

a Chu

on tha bu ri

P ra c h

Kru ng the p-N

Suan Wachira Benchathat t 29 Queen Sirkit Park

2 Jatujak Park

Lat Phrao

Bang Sue

Wa ni

han

Payap Wat Thepnahree

t gsi an iR v ad ha Vip y

wa ess

Wat Maichonglom

Bandon Mosque

Prasanmit

5 oi 5 hum

S ilom

Krung Thon Buri

Sathorn

rn 5 – s

Saphan Taksin

o S at h

Oriental

Benjasiri Park

Sala Daeng

Chong Nonsi

Surasak

ilo

m /

S a

or n

Lumphini 9 10

S oi 6

S uk or –

umvit

Benjakiti Park

m ai –

Asok

vit

Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre

Thong Lo

Khlong Toei

3 – Ram

a IV

S u

D BT irect S S ion tat ion

Ekkamai

nighlife

Ratchapraprop

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

Ekka

Wat Muang Khae

wo n

a b u ri

Sukhumvit

S ur a

vit S

Lumpini Park

Si Lom

Nana

Witt ha

Su an

Son

un ant

Ratchadamri

Sam Yan

essw

Klongton Bridge

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

Pak Khlong Talad Khao San Road 3 Thewet 4 Ratchada Night Market 5 Talat Rot Fai 6 Jatujak Weekend Market 2

Charn Issara

Phrom Phong

r ay a

Pe tc h

ng L

Sri Ph

E xpr

Suk h

es sw ay

Italthai

Nana Chard

Markets 1

t ate

Direction Internat Suvanabhum ional A i irport

Asoke/Phetchaburi

Marine Dept.

Si Phraya

Wongwian Yai

Phloen Chit

4 – SI A M / Ch it L o

Hua Lamphong

Chit Lom

Hua Lamphong Central Railway Station

gW at

2 nd S

w ay

Phetchaburi

Wireless

hai

Wongwian Yai Railway

Ram a IX

pre s s

Siam Thong

it / E x

Tho

ur at h

Nana Nua

Pratunam

Soi To n

Chit Lom

Soi La ng

C h

C h at

National Stadium

Ba nt hat

Son

Phra Rama 9

Makasan

H enri D

6 –

Krung Kasem

Ya ow a

Rajchawongse

Phaya Thai

Ph ay a T

Ram

k halo ank S aw w ay re s s E xp

ak Chai Maha

Ch ak ra Ph et Ch akk raw at

aro

Memorial Bridge

habu

Ratchapraprop

Baan Krua Nua Sapan Hua Chang

2 nd State Ex pr

Ratchathewi

Wora ch

g Ti Thon

Cha kph 1 et

Rajinee

et.

Tri Ph

Sapan Charoenpol

hit

Phra Phi Phit

Pe t c

Talad Bobae

t 1s S t a t e E x pr

i ata Thip

cha

Pra Dinso

Rachinee Atsadang

Thailand Cultural Centre

Phaya Thai

Lan Luang

Phan Fa Lilat

Victory Monument 9 Victory Monument

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

Bumrung Muang

Charoen Krung

en ms Sa

ng ho aP kr

Ratcha Damno en Nai

j Klang

Huai Khwang

Sanan Pao

ri C

d 5

ay a

Royal Turf Club

Mait

at har Ma

Tha Tien 1

ai Sanam Ch

i Wa

Tha

wit

Ari

itri

Kalayana Ma

Grand Palace b

t th

g Kru

noen

Ay u

Tha Chang

Chitralada Palace

Sri

Kh 2 2 aos an Ratch4 a Dam

it s

asa

1 Wang Lang

isu

Thonburi Railway

Phra Atith e

Sutthisan

S t at

4 o

2 nd

cha

Dusit Zoo

Thewej

it N13 At ra Ph

hra

ir i

R at

Phra Pin Klao Bridge

ais

oth

Rama VIII Bridge

Suk

7 – Oldtown

Pradiph

Sutthisan

Krung Thon Bridge

Saphan Khwai

Tho

Tet c Kheaw Khai ka

Irrigation N19 Dept.

Ratchadapisek

Kamphaeng Phet

et D

Tha

Kjak Kai

Airport Rail Link

Railway

Mo Chit

amr

MRT Subway Line

Thonburi Railway

Chatuchak Park

BTS Sukhumvit Line

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

BTS Silom Line

Sightseeing a

Canal Boat

Bangkok Map 8

Hotels 1

Pullman King Power

ari

Phra Khanong

Publisher’s letter We know exactly where Pariwat A-nantachina, the graphic designer behind this month’s photofeature, is coming from. Frustrated at being unable to see his vision of the city become reality, this aspiring architect has been creating his own hectic Bangkok streetscapes. These quirky and colourful collages have captured the imagination (we’ve noticed limited edition prints of them gracing the walls of quite a few bars and restaurants around town) and we hope I Built this City, a selection of them, does the same for you. As always, this issue is designed to keep you flicking. That said, even we admit that you should probably put it down between April 13 and 15: Thai New Year. During these dates – the sauna hot zenith of Thai summer – merely stepping out of your apartment or hotel is an open invitation for a grinning stranger to drench you top-to-toe with a pump-action Super Soaker. What’s the best way to deal with these no-holds-barred waterfights? Some old timers go for self-imposed house quarantine, but, for one day at least, we recommend getting stuck in! Head to p.10 for the skinny on Songkran: tips, parties and the meaning behind the madness. After the splashdown – or possibly during it – you’ll probably be thinking about escaping. Out of town jaunts this month include the Bangkok Tree House, a very green new eco-resort on the banks of Phra Padaeng, a wild peninsula of land that’s located just a short long-tail or ferry ride away – and well worth exploring if you haven’t already. Meanwhile, for Over the Border we trek further than we ever have before: to the Kingdom of Bhutan, with its beguiling mountain vistas and focus on national happiness. If you’re planning to stay put, but fancy seeing a different side to the capital, this month we also revive our Route 101 series of area guides with a tour around Thonburi’s Bangkok Noi. Elsewhere, in our nightlife section we size up Sonic, a new Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) nightclub with an indie edge, and new Silom Road gastropub The Pintsman. Our food and drinks coverage includes reviews of the self-explanatory Dine in the Dark and a couple of old favourites, plus a My Bangkok chat with Thai-American food writer and blogger Chawadee Nualkhai, who gives us tons of tips for where to find lipsmacking streetfood. Because the heat is on this month, we also tell you where to find a cooling bowl of regal seasonal dish khao chae: fragrant iced-rice served with intricate sides.

TXT

Sawasee pii mai! (Happy New Year!)

Contributors

Mason Florence editor-in-chief

Dr. Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher

Ratchaburi-born graphic designer and freelance artist, Pariwat A-nantachina is currently a senior designer at King Power International. Since graduating in communication design at Bangkok University, he has created logo and design work for clients ranging from Thai and international restaurants to car showrooms, theatres, resorts and the art gallery of Bangkok University, as well as The Mekong Art & Culture Project. His photo collage works have also been exhibited twice at Art’psodie in Marseille, France. Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first phone guide for Nokia. Food and travel writer howard richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent 12 years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.

Yaowarat 002

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

What is Bangkok 101?

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

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

Greek-born but California-raised, dave stamboulis resides in Bangkok where he works for numerous magazines, newspapers and stock agencies as a freelance photojournalist. His quest for stories and images has taken him to Borneo, Ethiopia, Bolivia, and other way out locations, while his travel book, Odysseus’ Last Stand: Chronicles of a Bicycle Nomad, received the Silver Medal from the Society of American Travel Writers in 2006.

Parinya Krit-Hat managing editor

Max Crosbie-Jones art director

Christiane Patic´ editorial assistant

Adul Waengmol strategists

Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers

Annette Heile, Julia Chinnock, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Leo Devillers, Korakot Punlopruksa, Steven Pettifor, Howard Richardson, Noy Thrupkaew, Cassandra Beckford contributing photographers

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

Jhone El’Mamuwaldi

director of business development

Erika Teo

sales & marketing manager

Haluethai Wattanapathomvong administrative asssistant

Peeraya Nuchkuar circulation

Pradchya Kanmanee published by

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

Mason Florence Publisher

APRIL 2012

publisher

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.

bangkok101.com bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 3

Table of COntents city pulse

food & drink

6 metro beat 10 songkran 12 bangkok tree house

55 56 59 62 64 66 67 68 76

s n a p s h ot s 16 very thai: temple fairs 17 chronicle of thailand

Sightseeing 18 sightseeing focus: national museum 22 route 101: bangkok noi 24 historic homes 24 shrines 25 temples 26 museums 28 parks & zoos 29 muay thai

t r av e l 30 upcountry now: poi sang long 32 upcountry now 34 upcountry escapes: bhutan 39 hotel deals

foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;&â&#x20AC;&#x2030;drink news meal deals restaurant reviews: dine in the dark, khua kling pak sod, benihana, na aroon, thara thong sweet treats: sri khao chae 101 eat like nym street food hotspots restaurants wine review: decanter

nightlife 77 78 80 82 83 85 87 88 90 91

one night in bangkok clubs hotel bars & clubs bars with views bars bar review: sonic live music jazz clubs pub review: the pintsman nightlife areas

shopping

a r t s & c u lt u r e 42 exhibition highlights 44 art 1-on-1: numthong sae tang 46 theatres & cultural centres 47 reading & screening 48 i built this city

92 94 96 97 98 99

new collection: theatre unique boutique: the chonabod jatujak market jj gem: kaew kham markets & sidewalks market focus: amulet market

wellness 100 massage & spa 101 signature treatment: bangkok oasis spa

reference

bangkok 101

april 2012 100 baht

102 getting there 104 maps 112 my bangkok: chawadee nualkhair

I built this city | City Pulse Bangkok Tree House | travel Bhutan | Food & drink Firehouse | shoPPing Terminal 21

on the cover

april 2012

I BuIlt thIs CIty

collages by pariwat a-nantachina

APRIL 2012

'Yaowarat 001', from Pariwat A-nantachina's series of photo-collage streetscapes. H o t e l Par t n e r s

CITYPULSE

C I T Y P U L S E | M E T R O B E AT

Songkran

Festivals

Revellers will roam the streets with water pistols, buckets and highpowered water canons for the Songkran festival from April 13 – 15, which welcomes the Thai New Year. Tourist places such as Patpong and Khao San Road will be riotous, while traditional merit making ceremonies with genteel sprinklings will happen at local temples, including Wat Poh and Wat Arun. Official celebrations around Rattanakosin run from April 10 at venues such as Nagaraphirom Park. See p.10 and songkran.tourismthailand.org for more details.

Exhibitions

This year’s French festival La Fête continues with Thai artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook showing The Two Planets Series at the Museum of Siam until April 29. The exhibition portrays the filmed reaction of Thai villagers to reproductions of four major 19 th century European masterpieces (Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, Van Gogh’s Siesta, Millet’s Glaneuses and Renoir’s Moulin de la Galette). Entrance free. Portraits de Mode by Jean-Marie Périer, the final event in La Fete, runs until June 30 at Zen Department Store. The outdoor photography exhibition celebrates Thai and French fashion with images of Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint-Laurent and many more. Admission free. There are more details at www.lafete-bangkok.com.

Jazz & Blues New York composer and sax player Joseph Marchione has a quartet at Niu’s on Silom (02-266-5333) on April 21 featuring Dan Phil-

There’s a Thai-Portuguese Exhibition called Ola Siao Five Centuries of Thai-Portuguese Relationships at Museum of Siam (02-2252777) until April 29, in which ten actors play various parts of the 500-year history between the two nations since the Portuguese sent the first Western ambassador to Thailand in 1511. Admission free.

Pop & Rock The funky horns of Earth, Wind & Fire are at Impact Arena (02504-5050) on April 2, when singer Philip Bailey will bang out hits like ‘After The Love Has Gone’, ‘September’ and ‘Boogie Wonderland’. Tickets are at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com), priced B2,000-B4,000.

lips (guitar), ‘O’ Viriyapark (bass) and Hong Techatananan (drums). They will blend original tunes with standards from the likes of Miles Davis, Horace Silver and Wayne Shorter. Admission free. A new venue, Nothing But The Blues (084-033-5228), opened recently on Thong Lor Soi 13 with live jazz and blues nightly from 9 pm, with special guest appearances and a jam on the second Sunday of each month.

Cl assical The Seventh Mozart And More Mini-Festival starts on April 17 when Trisdee plays Mozart at Mahisorn Hall. On April 19, the Siam Sinfonietta with soprano Nancy Yuen performs Mozart arias and Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, and on April 22 at the Siam Society the Shounen-Thai Quartet, plus friends from the Siam Sinfonietta perform music by Mozart and Haydn. All shows start at 8 pm. Tickets are available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com) or Bangkok Opera (02 231 5273).

nightlife

h owa r d Richardson

Fairs The Bangkok International Book Fair at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (02-229-3000) until April 8 expects over 400 exhibitors and 1.6 million visitors from 19 countries. Admission free. The Bangkok International Motor Show at Impact Arena (02-504-5050) until April 8 will show the latest models from Ferrari to Ford, plus concept cars, accessories and new technology. The Bangkok International Gift & Bangkok International Houseware Fair does what it says on the can with a mind boggling array of goodies, including home decor, household products, handicrafts, artificial flowers, Christmas items, candles, spa products, textiles, stationery, toys, games, electronics and on and on. Take money and a very large bag to BITEC (02-749-3939) on the public days April 21 and 22.

6 | APRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

Hugo, whose song ‘Disappear’ was on Beyonce Knowles’s third album I am… Sasha Fierce, performs at Aksra Theatre (02677-8888) on April 4 and 5. The singer is contracted to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label on which he released the album Old Tyme Religion. Tickets are B1,000-B 2,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). American outfit Avenged Sevenfold bring heavy metal to the Thunderdome Muang Thong Thani (02-504-5050) on April 24. Following the death of drummer James ‘The Rev’ Sullivan in 2009, former Dream Theater kit man Mike Portnoy joined vocalist M Shadows, guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance and bassist Johnny Christ. They’ll play a mix from albums such as City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold and Nightmare. Get tickets (B1,500) from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). bangkok101.com

Black Eyed Peas singer Taboo takes to the DJ tables as headline for the Mixx Discotheque dance party, in the Intercontinental Hotel (02-6560444) on April 1. Doors open at 8 pm, tickets (B900 and B1,500) are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). Retox Sessions’ Together Festival promises an ultra-hip DJ experience out at BITEC, Bangna on April 5. Los Angeles-based house duo LMFAO and Dutch DJ Afrojack are to headline. Tickets B1,600 or B2,500 for VIP from www.thaiticketmajor.com.

APRIL 2012 | 7

CITYPULSE

performing arts

C I T Y P U L S E | M E T R O B E AT

Lifestyle

restaurant

All Soul Chamber Theatre (02-721-5625) present an experimental cabaret production called Perversion every Saturday until June 30. They describe the show as “a fluid work in progress, enticing audience-actor interaction… as weird and lonely characters play out their lives”. Curtain up at 8:30 pm; tickets are B350; and the Teatro Italian restaurant serves snacks and full meals.

B-Floor Theatre launches a four-part, year-long project called Fright in Sight with Lear & His 3 Daughters, a dance performance inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear. The show runs from April 26 – May 7, except Tuesday and Wednesday, in the courtyard of the Pridi Banomyong Institute, on Suk humvit Soi 55. Tickets are B 450 from 089-167-4039 or bfloortheatre@gmail.com. See www.bfloortheatre.com for more.

Art & Design

Bangkok’s riverfront gets a much needed injection of peoplefriendly space this month with the official opening of Asiatique, a riverfront mall on Charoen Krung Sois 72-76. The 1,500 outlets will include shops, restaurants, bars and a welcome reincarnation of the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre. They have parking for 2,000 cars and a shuttle boat from Saphan Taksin. There’s more info at www.asiatiquethailand.com.

getting there

Mezzaluna Sport & Ga mes Only the stuff in people’s skulls will move, but the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 is still a spectator sport of sorts. It’s at the Dusit Thani Hotel (02-236-6400) from April 13-19. There’s an open section with no grand masters if you want to play. Register at www.bangkokchess.com.

Royal Events The royal funeral procession of the late Princess Benjaratana will be held on April 9, ending at Sanam Luang, where there is a cremation pavilion. Three stages there will host performances in honour of the princess, who was a cousin of HM the King and the only daughter of King Rama VI. The day has been declared a national holiday.

Our favourite view from the 200-metre high Mezzaluna is looking north along the meanders of the Chao Phraya River past ancient temples towards the Grand Palace, but wherever you sit in this restaurant you get a stunning Bangkok panorama. The inside’s slick, too – a high-ceiling grandeur, where silk shades soften the light from ornate chandeliers, and a multitude of stout candles on slender metal rails send a cathedral flicker around the room. Add crisp white table linen, a string quartet, and huge faux Greco-Roman pillars outside the windows and you have an imposing, although comfortable, formality. You wouldn’t want to come here in a T-shirt and shorts, even if they didn’t have a dress code (which they do). Twin brothers Thomas and Mathias Sühring run the open kitchen, where Challans duck, Allaiton lamb and Nova Scotia lobster are typical of the items that make the store rooms. The mantra “top quality product” is much quoted in restaurant circles everywhere, but at Mezzaluna they mean what they say.

mezzaluna [map5 / c 5] 63 rd F, The Dome at Lebua | 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | www.lebua.com Tue – Sun 6 pm – 10:30 pm They have a choice of a three course menu (with four picks each of starters, mains and desserts, B 3,900++) or a six course tasting menu (B 4,900++), also available with a wine pairing (B 6,900++). Both change daily, according to the product in hand. Ours had dishes including meaty deep sea prawn with lobster foam, crispy potato pillows and a splurt of sweet potato puree topped with herring roe; and Wagyu rib eye cooked sous vide, finished with a covering of hay to give a hint of smoke, and served with rooted parsley, earthy almond mushrooms and soy salt. Terrific dishes both. The twins add subtle treatment to fine product and show great consistency and balance, both to individual plates and to the meal as a whole. This is one of Bangkok’s most impressive restaurants, and a shoe-in for special occasions. รร.เลอบัว แอท สเตททาวเวอร์ ถ.สีลม

Ideacubes aims for nothing less than to change

the world. It’s an exhibition of 100 ideas located at several Bangkok venues, including the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Siam Paragon and Crystal Design Centre, from April 16 to May 31. Members of the public were asked to suggest “simple things that could benefit their community, society and environment”, such as, “If you buy take-away coffee, say no to the lid”. One hundred artists then represented the best ideas within wood-frame cubes for exhibition in public spaces, indoor and out. There’s more about the ideas, where to find them, and how to participate with “actions” at www.mysocialmotion.org and www.facebook.com/mysocialmotion.

8 | APRIL 2012

Food & Drink Fifty Five restaurant, in the Centara Grand at CentralWorld (02-100-6255) has a Taittinger Easter Champagne Brunch on April 8. As well as free flow bubbly, there’s an “upgraded surf & turf buffet”, including whole roast suckling lamb, 20 cheeses and a Valrhona and berry dessert buffet. It runs from 11 am – 3 pm, priced B 3,555++.

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 9

CITYPULSE

C I T Y P U L S E | S ongkran

Splashdown 2555!

why and where you should celebrate Songran, thailand's wet and mostly wild New Year photos By julian ward

f you think Thai people are serene creatures who spend their days meditating, being in Bangkok between April 13-15 will result in an immediate and overwhelming culture shock. The city goes water wild: thousands of people, dripping wet, bring the traffic to a complete halt, douse everybody in reach with water and chalk powder. Nobody can escape the madness. It’s Songkran, the Thai New Year! A festival with murky Indian / Burmese / Chinese origins, Songkran celebrates the beginning of the solar year (2555) and a new farming cycle. It’s also a chance to spend time with family and close friends, purify oneself and start a New Year afresh. Water symbolises. Traditionally over the three day duration, jasmine-scented water is sprinkled deferentially over monks and elders as a mark of respect. Sacred Buddha images are also paraded through sodden city streets, and sand carried to temple grounds to replace the dirt carried away on worshipper’s feet during the preceding year.

songkran Events

April 9 – 15 Bangkok Songkran Splendours Festival Official celebrations in the old town, Rattanakosin, will kick off on April 9 in Nagaraphirom Park, next to Tha Tien pier. Food stalls and cultural performances between 10am and 8pm will give a flavour of Songkran in each of the Kingdom’s four regions.

April 9 – 17 Nine Sacred Temple Tour The number nine, gao, is lucky for Thais, and during Songkran many of the more pious ones will visit nine temples to get the New Year off to an auspicious start. The following temples will have booths where you can get a stamp in a ‘temple passport’: Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Pho, Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), Wat Ratchaorasaram, Wat Ratchaphradit, Wat Ratchabophit, Wat Bowornniwet, Wat Suthat, Wat Phraram Kao, Wat ChanasongThese rituals survive, both in Bangkok and upcountry, but khram, Wat Saket (The Golden Mount), Wat Rakhang and Wat the truth is that these days they tend to take a backseat to Kanlayanamit. Check in at nine of them and you’ll be given a the all-out aquatic frenzy. Songkran has in the eyes of many small memento at what should be your last stop, Wat Pho. Thais been watered down, devolved into a huge, mindless water fight that serves no higher purpose other than to keep April 12 – 16 people cool in April’s unforgiving sun. Still, for the most part Poom & Petjah Songkran Party 2012 it’s all very good-natured, and prowling the streets, primed RCA’s most popular superclub, Route 66, presents five waterpistol in hand, looking for new bone-dry victims to nights of humungous themed parties in conjunction with radio station Virgin Hitz 95.5, who will be supplying the douse is both sanuk (fun) and strangely cathartic. talok (humorous) hosts Poom & Petjah. The fancy-dress Make no mistake Bangkok is a great place to immerse yourthemes, in order, are Navy, Cosplay, Immortals, X-Men and self in the festivities. Whole swaths of the city – Silom, Royal Beach Party. There’s more (in Thai only, unfortunately) at City Avenue and Khao San Road predominantly – morph into www.route66songkransummerfest.com free-fire water sloshing zones for the three-day duration, while others turn eerily quiet. However, for many, it is in the April 13 – 15 provincial cities, towns and villages far from the big smoke gCircuit's Songkran 6 that it’s at its most endearing. Although still certain to get The well-established gay party crew is putting on three days your cheeks plastered by a grinning stranger, away from the of wild and wet parties, from the opener at Zen’s 18th floor, carnage you’ll also encounter more genteel ceremony. to a daytime pool party and the closer at the Royal Bangok A region-by-region break down of what’s happening can Sports Club's Falabella. Expect up-and-coming Asian DJs, be found at the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s dedicated flamboyant performers and wall-to-wall six-packs. Threeday passes (B 4,500) or VIP passes (B 5,400) can be bought at Songkran website: http://songkran.tourismthailand.org. www.gcircuit.com or at Thai Ticketmajor on the 5th floor of Siam Paragon (10am – 9pm, 02-262-3456). 10 | A PRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

"frustration will get you nowhere. Instead: get dressed to get wet, invest in a kick-ass waterpistol and say 'sawasdee pii m ai' (Happy New Year) alot!"

Songkran Tips

- Whether dressed in Bermuda shorts or crisp suit, nobody (except the infirm) escapes a splashing, so either go with it or hibernate in your home or hotel. - Avoid travelling for the duration. Buses, trains and planes are packed as millions head back to the hometowns, and road deaths caused by irresponsible/drunk revelers number in the hundreds. Then there’s your arrival to worry about: armed or not, foreigners are always fair game! - When venturing out into free-fire war zones, be sure to store your cell phone, camera and other precious belongings away in Ziploc bags. - Frustration will get you nowhere. Instead: get dressed to get wet, invest in a kickass waterpistol and say 'sawasdee pii mai' (Happy New Year) alot! bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 11

C I T Y P U L S E | B angkok treee house

W On thetrack Right B y M a x c ro The firs

sb ie -J o n es

open on t resort to

the ci ty’s w

il d Gr een

a il bl azing Lung is a tr

hen I meet Jirayu Tulyanond, the thirty something creator of an ambitious new riverside resort called the Bangkok Tree House, we don’t wai or shake hands. We can’t, as they’re full with all the bits of Styrofoam, plastic bags and other pieces of trash he’s fished out of the water on his walk up the floating bamboo pontoon that guests arrive on. “It’s amazing what washes over from the city,” he tells me a little later, once we’ve finally made our formal introductions. “We already have a salvaged wood wall, but I’m thinking of adding a wall of sandals, and maybe even bicycle helmets.”

beacon of gr

een li ving

remains so, despite steady blips of effusive coverage in the local and international press. On weekends, small groups of outdoorsy, in-the-know Thais, tourists and expats hop on a cross-river ferry or long-tail, hire bicycles and set off down the mazy network of raised cement paths that weave through it. During my time here, I grab one of the hotel’s free bikes and quaint maps plotting the main points of interest and follow their lead, peddle deep into the unknown. I cut past banana and palm groves, fragrant tropical foliage, boggy forests of towering mangrove palms, and clusters of low-rise habitation where mangy dogs scramble nervously out of my path, and the earthy locals go about their business, but still find time to stop and give me a wave or shy smile. Before long, I’m very far from home (or what feels like it). But the sights I encounter offer no incentive for me to turn back: a dilapidated old temple lined with fading mural art; exotic birds; strange hanging fruits and vivid blossoms; the local incense factory. At one point during my four hour foray, I squeeze past hundreds of hungry locals at a packed weekend market, at others I emerge onto a busy road. But for most of it there is not another soul in sight, just me and the chirruping cicadas.

Plucking flotsam from between the reeds is not something Joey, as his guests call him, just does on a whim – it’s an integral part of his hotel’s deep-rooted philosophy. The recently completed, twelve ‘Nest’ property sits just across from the smoking refinery chimneys of the city’s Bang Na area, perched above the marshy banks of a kidney-bean shaped landmass that some call the Phra Padaeng peninsula, others call Bang Krachao or Bangkok’s Green Lung. And to match the improbably lush location – almost 2,000 hectares of wild open space surrounded by the Chao Phraya on three sides – he has come up with a Green Alphabet: an ambitious A to Z After this mini-adventure, I retreat to my ‘Tree Top Nest’, exof environmental principles. A is for air-quality control, B for hausted but happy, and am seduced all over again. With their bamboo structure, C for carbon-free cooking, and so on. clean modern lines and boxy shapes, these tropical, three-lev“Why put the bar so high for yourself?”, I ask him. Over a cup el abodes look not a million miles from something Thai archiof coffee at the hotel’s funky organic restaurant Reflect, Joey tect Duangrit Bunnag would craft for some slick minimalist tells me that he was originally inspired by Walden, American beach resort. Only these are more open to the elements and transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau’s account of have green touches, such as bamboo trellises that, Joey tells simple, self-sufficient living amid nature, published back in me, will soon be graced with edible climbing herbs. 1854. That and his first-hand experiences. “My family owns I'm also struck by the lack of a fridge (to save energy guests another property, the Old Bangkok Inn, and we realised how share a communal one) and the presence of only one airmuch impact such hotels have on the environment. So when conditioner, in my cozy mid-level bedroom, reached via a I had the chance to build a second property, I wanted to go all funky (but mildly perilous) zigzagging wooden staircase. out and really push the limits of being green.” Beneath it there’s a living area and an open-sided shower, and Just as quixotic as his green manifesto is a headline on the above it a roof deck blessed with panoramic views and a dayhotel’s website that reads: ‘The Tree House is not for every- bed that will surely go down well with sunworshippers. Even body.’ Click on it and instead of the usual boastful clichés the compact PC that doubles up as my in-room entertainment telling you why you’ll love the place and beseeching you to is green – loaded with eco-themed documentaries and films. ‘BOOK NOW!’ you arrive at a list of reasons why you might Alternatively, for the hardcore nature buffs who think enjoynot. These range from the insects (“won’t, don’t, can’t fumiing a Planet Earth marathon with the air-con blasting isn’t regate”) to the chemical free swimming pool (“you might have ally in keeping with the spirit of things, there is Joey’s pride to share it with plants”), to the lack of roads and air-condiand joy: the ‘View with a Room’. Just before I leave I climb to tioners. It’s a brave move, but a refreshing one. Is he not afraid the top of this seven metre high ‘swans nest’, where guests it may put people off? “Being upfront may hurt us in the short can slumber under the sky with only the palm trees and passrun,” he admits before adding, “but we think it’ll pay off.” ing storks for company. Here, as I stare across the river to the Joey’s refusal to give the hard sell seems naïve, reckless big smoke, it strikes me that Joey is right: the Bangkok Tree even… until you get here and realise that Phra Phadaeng’s House is not for everyone… and all the better for it. Some of charms speak for themselves. For decades now this untamed the locals think the project is an expensive folly (“they say wild zone has been one of Bangkok’s best kept secrets, and it I’m burning money”). Up here, though, it appears visionary.

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 13

CITYPULSE see

Bangkok Tree House [MAP 2 / G 12]

60 Moo 1, Soi Bou Phueng Pattana, Petch Cha Hueng Rd, T Bang Namphueng Phra Padaeng, Samut Prakarn 10130 | BTS Bang Na 08-1453-1100 | www.bangkoktreehouse.com Soft opening rates (until April 30): Tree Top Nest B3,444; View with a Room B4,943 รร.บางกอก ทรี เฮาส์ ซ.บัวผึ้ง พัฒนา จ.สมุทรปราการ

EAT

Reflect With its open-sides and decking over the river bank, the Tree House's funky, bamboo-accented restaurant appears to be in perfect harmony with its surroundings – and truly is. All cooking is done using wind and solar energy, all ingredients are sourced locally or grown on-site (pot plants made from recycled water bottles line the walkways), and all the washing up is done using organic detergent (used pineapple peels that are bought off a neighbour and then fermented). Breakfast options include the ‘Bangnamphung Surprise’: a bowl of rice porridge and tray of assorted local fruits and khao tom mut (sweet sticky rice treats wrapped in banana leaves). Dinner is a three-course set, and Sunday brunch available. Baan Nam Phung Floating Market There are handicrafts for sale at this weekend-only market beside a khlong (canal), but most locals pack its covered aisles with one aim only: to buy local delicacies, from fresh, steaming bowls of noodle soup cooked from within long-tail boats to obscure nam priks (curry pastes), kanom boran (old-style snacks) and 10 baht claws of local bananas. There is also a tree-shaded kid’s area with bouncy castle and painting, plus a karaoke garden. see

Wat Bangnampheung Nork Only a few hundred metres from the Tree House, located beside the pier that ferries locals to and fro the city, this temple complex has a couple of 200-year-old temples at its rear. The neglected murals inside one of them, including a rather risque one of a Mon tribe lady having a bath, are highly regarded in classic Thai art circles, noted in textbooks and attracting students with sketchpads. Herbal Joss Stick Home A short cycle from the resort sits this house, where the friendly owners usher you in to show you how they make incense, candles and torches using a mixture of wood, lemongrass, kaffir lime and water. Even if you don’t have an insect problem (they work as natural mosquito repellant as well as fragrant room fresheners), the polite thing to do is buy a couple of packets. Srinakon Kheunkan Park A smart place to take a wellearned rest, this big public park has wide open lawns, botanical gardens and a huge pond where you can feed the schools of unruly catfish. It's open everyday, between 6am – 7pm. Siamese Fighting Fish Gallery Turn right out of the park, then right again and you’ll spot the large gates of this lush complex devoted to pla kat, tiddly finned fish with ferocious temperaments. Betting on fights is banned, but here you can peer into little tanks each containing a different colourful breed, plus read placards outlining their different characteristics and personality traits. It only open on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am – 5pm. getting there

Take the Skytrain’s Sukhumvit line to Bang Na station. From there catch a taxi to Sanpawaut pier (‘Tha Sanpawat’). Call the hotel and they’ll send a boat to pick you up. Alternatively, take the peppermint green ferry to the pier opposite for B4. On exiting the pier turn left, passing the temple on your right, then walk for 300 metres along the winding concrete path. 14 | A PR I L 2012

bangkok101.com

Central Chidlom Thailand ’s Best-Loved Department Store

CITYPULSE

C I T Y P U L S E | C hronicle of thailand

Photo by John Goss

Temple Fairs

Where old and new come together Thais go to the wat for worship. And for solace, shelter, or school. They also go for healing or lottery numbers. Or for fun.

Very Thai River Books | with photos by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith B 995 Very Thai – Everyday Popular Culture is a book that almost every foreigner living in Bangkok has on their bookshelf, a virtual bible on Thailand’s pop culture. For page after colourful page, city resident and author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus mini-chapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself properly for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and snap up a copy of Very Thai now at any good book shop.

A dry-season religious fund-raiser buzzing with energy, the ngan wat (temple fair) promotes merit-making through merry-making, combining food fest and flea market, carousel and courting ground. Friends lark, sweethearts carouse, families treat toddlers to candy. Teens fire pop-guns at targets, couples ride the ferris wheel, lads toss balls at levers to dunk a girl into water. Overloading every sense, the carnival renders you punch-drunk from everything happening at once. Rival stages spotlight likay operetta and luuk thung folk music, beauty pageants and boxing, while shadier activities may occupy the fringes. “The temple fair is one of few places where you can still experience what is left of Thailand’s traditional popular culture,” observes music expert John Clewley. Migrants especially throng to Bangkok’s fairs, relishing a reminder of the village. Most are so local that word only spreads by mouth or by banner. Otherwise finding them depends on serendipity. Look for trees hung with multi-colour fluorescent tubes. Meanwhile the multifarious fairground format continues in contemporary culture, lending an amiable Thainess to events, whether arty, indy or official.

9 April 2007

Stampede for amulets

‘Magical’ Jathukham talismans set off national craze A 50-year-old woman was killed and dozens of people injured when a crowd stampeded during the sale of a popular talisman, which was supposed to bring good fortune and wealth. More than 10,000 people had camped overnight by a school compound in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, waiting to buy the Jathukham Ramathep amulets, which had gained a huge following for their claimed magical qualities and rising market value. The fatal incident had no effect on the insatiable appetite for Jathukham amulets, with the temple that was making and selling them fully booked until the end of the year for incantations. Huge numbers continued to flock to the Wat Phra Mahathat Buddhist temple, the source of the amulets. The amulets were said to be pumping 100 million baht into the Nakhon Si Thammarat economy each week. Nearby hotels were completely booked every weekend. However, some found the ‘Jathukham craze’ to be distasteful. Several leading monks criticised the fad as contradictory to Buddhist values, saying it was driven by financial greed. Revered monk Phra Payom Kalayano introduced ‘Jathukham’ cookies to mock the craze. “My cookies are intended to bring back people’s consciousness. It is unhealthy for the religion if we allow this trend to go on like this,” the monk said.

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

The amulets were first created in 1987 by a policeman who believed that the spirit of Jathukham Ramathep had helped him solve a murder case. 16 | A PRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

A PR I L 2012 | 17

lv so pu

e h

a st

at i

zz sightseeing FOCUS: National museum After the mandatory visits to the Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace many tourists decide that yet another culture stop is one too many. But don’t head back to the chilled comfort of your airconditioned hotel room just yet – for many a stop at the National Museum ends up being the most rewarding stop of all, the missing piece in the beguiling puzzle that is Thai culture. Even more so if you have take one of the regular tours given by the museum’s multilingual volunteers and have someone explain the history, art and culture in front of you in your native tongue (English, German, French or Japanese only). A former Royal palace that was converted into a museum back in 1926, the National Museum is home to one of the most extensive and highly prized collections of Southeast Asian Art in the region. Thousands of artifacts ranging from Buddhist and Hinduist sculptures to ceramics, textiles, jewelry and puppets illustrate the rich and diverse culture of the Kingdom and its closest neighbours.

Tamnak Daeng, a small teakwood palace built in the late 18th century

The gallery of Thai history, in the former Siwamokkaphiman audience hall, makes a good starting point, covering almost a thousand years of history, from the Sukhothai period to the early days of Bangkok and the 20th Century. Next door to it, the temple-like Buddhasaiwan chapel also impresses with its sheer white exterior and sumptuous red and gold interior. Here, murals dating back as far as late 18th century illustrate the life and teaching of Buddha, aka. Prince Gautama Siddharta, and a highly revered gold plated Buddha statue draws worshippers to the museum site.

Sightseeing

"for m any, a stop at the national museum ends up being the most rewarding stop of all"

The National Museum

[map 7 / c 6]

Na Prathat Rd, facing Sanam Luang 02-224 1333 | www.nationalmuseums.finearts.go.th Wed – Sun 9am – 4pm | B200 Wed & Thu at 9:30am free guided tours in English, German, French and Japanese. See www.museumvolunteersbkk.net for more information.

The historical Wang Na palace building in the centre of the museum complex houses Royal paraphernalia. Kids will marvel at the sight of a life-sized elephant in full battle armour, surrounded by a collection of weapons and cannons. Masterfully crafted puppets and masks also command your attention. The South and North Wing are dedicated to art before the 13th century (South wing) and after the 13th century (North wing, currently closed for renovations). Another highlight of the exhibition is the exhibition of Royal funeral chariots. Currently these heavily gilded ceremonial vehicles with ornate naga (serpant) heads are being refurbished for use in the next Royal funeral procession on 9 April 2012, when Princess Benjaratana, a cousin of the current king and only daughter of King Rama VI, will be cremated. A pavilion for the cremation ceremony is being built on Sanam Luang, performances in honour of the late princess will take place on three stages, starting in the evening of April 9 and running through until the early morning hours of April 10. 2 0 | A pril 2 0 1 2

AD Hidden in the shade of the funeral chariot’s exhibition hall hides a small restaurant, serving Thai fare at street food prices for museum staff and visitors alike. Those who want to dig deeper into history might want to pay the museum’s library a visit (open Sat & Sun), or take home a book from the expansive selection of literature and souvenirs sold at the museum shop next to the ticket office. Ice-cream and cool drinks are also available from the air-conditioned café on the other side of the ticket office. Want deeper insight into all this beguiling cultural finery? The National Museum Volunteers give guided tours in English, French, German and Japanese on Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting at 9:30 am (meeting point: next to the ticket office). The duration of the tour depends on the guide and your stamina – allow around two hours for an in-depth walk around that puts all the pieces of the puzzle in place. พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ ถ.หน้าพระธาตุ bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 2 1

Sightseeing

sightseeing | R oute 1 0 1

Bangkok Noi

Route 101

by Annette Heile

Did you know? Khlong Bangkok Noi used to be a section of the Chao Phraya River, but shrank a couple of centuries ago when a manmade shortcut was dug between bends in the river.

nother, more genteel side of Bangkok awaits you on the otherside of the Chao Phraya River. Despite their unsightly concrete flood barriers, the khlongs (canals) that meander through Thonburi are a charming sight, lined with rickety wooden dwellings, old-money townhouses, wild patches and ornate temples. The pace is slower, the smiles warmer here. It’s a great area to explore by boat or by foot but a combination of both works best.

Most forays into them begin along the Chao Phraya river, where longtail boats can be rented at most of the piers (see box for details). Khlong Bangkok Yai (just south of Wat Arun) and the narrower Khlong Mon (just north of it) are the most common entry points, offering picturesque snapshots of riverside life, visits to temples and the chance to feed fish on the way. A popular stop on the loop up towards Bangkok Noi canal is the weekend-only Taling Chan floating market, with its food vendors in wooden boats, floating restaurant and little waterside shops. But for this walking tour the first stop that you must ensure your driver pulls up at is the Royal Barges Museum [1], on Klong Bangkok Noi (most tours do). Once he’s dropped you off at the pier, bid him goodbye and head into the museum’s open-sided hangar. Here you’ll find eight out of the fifty long and ornately gilded Royal Barges that are used in ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya (open daily 9 am – 5 pm, admission B 30, camera fee B 100). If your longtail boat is still waiting for you, it can quickly shuttle you across the river to the pier at Wat Suwannaram. Otherwise, start your walking tour by taking the footpath up to Arun Amarin Road and then catching a taxi to the Bangkok Noi Museum [2] on the other side of the canal (Soi Charan Sanitwong 32, also known as Soi Wat Suwannaram). Here, hidden inside the grounds of Suwannaram Wittayakorn 2 2 | A pril 2 0 1 2

School, is a small museum featuring displays of traditional arts and crafts and information (in English!) about the longstanding traditions of this area (Wed – Sun 9 am – 4 pm, free). From here it is only a short walk to Wat Suwannaram [3]: exit the school complex and turn left, and left again at the next corner. This temple overlooking the canal rose to fame during the reign of King Rama III. It was he who ordered it to be rebuilt, converted it into a Royal cremation site and commissioned its prized and well-preserved mural paintings by master artists Thong Yu and Khong Pae. Attracting mainly art students, it is usually a quiet spot, but at the time of our visit was busy with ongoing renovations. From here, turn right onto a small river promenade that leads along the canal past an official looking building on your right,(the Bangkok Noi district offic). Follow the path as it turns right, away from the khlong, and then turn left again at a fresh food market hall.

"the pace is slower, and the smiles warmer here."

Continue walking and you should hear a steady, metallic, hammering sound emanating from your next stop: the Jiam Sangsajja Bronze Bowl workshop [4] (Mon – Fri 7 am – 5 pm). Hidden behind a wooden gate and a small garden area, this tin roofed workshop takes you back in time by at least a century. In a six-step production process that includes melting and casting, hand-hammering and polishing the workers here produce fine bronzeware, originally used for storing water or rice and as alms bowls by monks,. The beautiful bowls and plates (mostly black and raw on the outside, polished and golden on the inside) make great gifts and souvenirs. They’re not cheap though: prices start at B 1,200 for the smaller bowls, and can reach B 6,000 for the big ones. Continue down the same soi for another 250 m, turn right at the end and find yourself at the train depot of Thonburi railway station [5], the last stop for a few decommissioned steam locomotives. As for your last stop, this lies another 400 m straight ahead, within the hulking concrete complex that is the prestigious Siriraj Hospital. Here the Siriraj Medical Museum [6] (Mon – Sat 9 am – 4 pm, B 40), first and foremost an educational facility for medical students, hosts a display of macabre exhibits: from deformed human foetuses preserved in formaldehyde to the shriveled cadaver of Thailand’s notorious child killer, Si Ouey. After this spine-chilling museum visit, treat yourself to some much needed fresh air on the way home by catching a boat from the nearby Wang Lang river pier.

bangkok101.com

Longtail rental basics Longtail boats can be rented at numerous piers along the river, among them Tha Chang near the Grand Palace and the pier at Wat Arun. The Saphan Thaksin pier (next to the BTS station) has a rental desk. Negotiating the price is a must: for a two-hour khlong tour with your own longtail boat and driver aim to pay around B 1,40. Operators have maps of the canals on which you can point out which stops you want them to include.

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 2 3

Sightseeing

sightseeing | temples

historic homes

Shrines

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [map 5 / H 8] 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-286-8185 Sat, Sun & Holidays 10 am – 5 pm, ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Mon – Fri by appt. only | B 50 / B 20 kids Throne Hall [map 8 / F 8] Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s mostUthong Nai Rd, opp. Dusit Zoo loved statesmen of the 20 th century. A natural Tue – Sun 10 am – 6 pm | B150 all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and dress politely even served as prime minister. His peaceful Located at the tail-end of Dusit district's abode with its lovely gardens is a terrific stately ceremonial boulevard, Ratchadam example of traditional Thai architecture. noen, this stately parliamentary palace was built during the reign of Rama V and com- บ้านหม่อมราชวงศ์คึกฤทธิ์ pleted by Rama VI . Cast in white Carrara ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต้ marble, it is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session. Influenced by Renaissance architecture, the interior is decorated with detailed frescoes by Italian Galileo Chini of royal ceremonies and festivities. Out front stands a statue of King Rama V mounted on a horse that is still worshipped today. พระที่นั่งอนันตสมาคม ถ.อู่ทองใน ดุสิต

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE [map 4 / A 3] 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 www.jimthompsonhouse.com 9 am – 5 pm | B100 / B 50 students American Jim Thompson was the Princeton graduate and former spook who revived the hand-woven Thai silk industry before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden home beside a pungent canal: six traditional teak houses from around the country kept exactly as he left them, and brimful with art and antiques he acquired during his many trips around Asia. Tour guides discuss these exquisite treasures and the much-mythologised life of the man himself. There’s also a shop selling his trademark designs, an art gallery and a café. Ban Krua, the silk-weaving community he commissioned, is also nearby. บ้านไทย จิมทอมป์สัน ซ.เกษมสันต์ 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ

2 4 | A pril 2 0 1 2

VIMANMEK MANSION [map 8 / F 8] 139 / 2 Ratchawithi Rd 02-281-1569 | 9:30 am – 4 pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868 , and then moved to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms spread over three floors overlook a beautiful garden. Inside, many of his acquisitions from international trips are on display, including possibly the first bathtub in the kingdom. Regular tours in English are held daily. พระที่นั่งวิมานเมฆ ถ.ราชวิถี เขตดุสิต

TEMPLES

ERAWAN SHRINE [map 4 / G 5] Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan BTS Chit Lom Don’t expect serenity here. This is one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections: the crowded shrine to the Hindu creation god Brahma and his elephant Erawan is filled with worshippers lighting incense, buying lottery tickets and watching the traditional dancing group, which performs for a nominal fee. พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ

GANESHA SHRINE [map 4 / G 3] Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd A prayer in front of this pot-bellied gold elephant – the son of Shiva and Parvati – is said to help get the creative juices flowing, as well as protect you from harm. Aside from marigold garlands, bring bananas, ripe mango or sticky rice-flour Thai desserts – Ganesha has an eternal appetite.

WAT PO (reclining buddha) [map 7 / D 12] Chetuphon, Thai Wang Rd 02-226-0369 | www.watpho.com THE GRAND PALACE & 8am – noon; 1 pm – 9 pm | B100 WAT PHRA KAEW [map 7 / D 10] The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Tha Chang Pier | 02-222-0094 Originating in the 16 th century, it houses the 8:30 am – 4:30 pm | B 400 incl. entry to largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand Vimanmek Mansion | dress respectfully as well as the greatest number of Buddha Bangkok’s most beloved temple (and images. Wat Po is also the centre for traditop tourist site) is a fantastical, mini-city tional Thai medicine and a learning centre sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly for Thai massage (see p.101). crenulated whitewalls. Building began in วั 1782 , the year Bangkok was founded, and ดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – the "Westerner in a Thai hat" – is worth seeing, and there are some state halls and rooms open to visitors. The highlight, though, is the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist relic – and the temple purpose-built to WAT MAHATHAT [map 7 / C 8] house it, Wat Phra Kaew, where hundreds Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Maharat Rd 02-221-5999 | 9 am – 5 pm | free pay their respects each day. An amulet market is situated near this 18 th พระบรมมหาราชวัง และ วัดพระแก้ว century centre of the Mahanikai monasถ.หน้าพระลาน (ใกล้สนามหลวง) tic sect and an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are set up on the grounds to complement the vendors of traditional medicines and herbal potions. Courses on Buddhism are given in English. วัดมหาธาตุ ท่าพระจันทร์ สนามหลวง

พระพิฆเนศวร หน้าห้างอิเซตัน

TRIMURTI SHRINE [map 4 / G 3] Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30 pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.

SUAN PAKKAD palace [MAP8 / K11] Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 www.suanpakkad.com | 9 am – 4 pm | B100 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard pays testament to her dedication to collectพระตรีมูรติ หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ing Thai artefacts and antiques.

WAT ARUN [map 7 / B 13] Temple of Dawn | Arun Amarin Rd Arun Pier | 02-465-5640 www.watarun.org | 8 am – 5 pm | B 20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered almost entirely in pieces of colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of Mount Mehru, the Khmer home of the gods. The temple is believed to have been named by Rama I on his first sunrise visit, but in contrast with its name, it is best visited at sundown. วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร์ ผั่งตะวันตกของแม่น้ำ�เจ้าพระยา

วังสวนผักกาด ถ.ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

WAT RATCHANATDA [map 7 / K 8] Mahachai Rd | 02-224-8807 9 am – 5 pm | free This striking temple on the corner of Ratchadamnoen and Mahachai Road features the bizarre Loha Prasat, a multi-tiered castle-like structure with 36 steel spires. Climb the spiral staircase to the top for good views of the Old City and its many temples. วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร

WAT SAKET [map 7 / L 8] Chakkraphatdiphong Rd 02-233-4561 | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm | B10 Referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat on a small hillock is worth the hike up 318 steps for the views of China town to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V later built a smaller chedi on top. วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ์

WAT SUTHAT & the GIANT SWING [map 7 / H 9] Bamrung Muang Rd | 02-222-9632 9 am – 5 pm | B 20 Surrounded by perhaps the greatest concentration of Buddhist supply shops in Bangkok, Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to excellent examples of bronze sculpture. The city's iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front. วัดสุทัศน์ ถ.บำ�รุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงข้ามเสาชิงช้า

WAT TRAIMIT [map 6 / L 3] 661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-6231226 | 8 am – 5 pm | B 20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha. Weighing over five tonnes and standing over three metres high, its worth has been estimated at over 10 million US$ . The interesting Yaowarat Heritage Museum (p.27) is located on the floor beneath. วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำ�โพง (เยาวราช) A pril 2 0 1 2 | 2 5

Sightseeing

BANGKOKian museum

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

BANGKOK DOLL MUSEUM [map 8 / L 11, 12]

sightseeing | M useums

madame tussauds

Madame tussauds [map 4 / C4] 6th F, Siam Discovery Center Rama 1, Phaya Thai Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-658-0060 www.madametussauds.com/Bangkok/ 10 am – 9 pm | B 800 / B 600 kids / 15 % discount for online Probably the best thing about Bangkok’s version of Europe's famous waxwork museum is the line-up – it’s clearly designed to keep tourists and locals alike snappy happy. About as common as international sporting legends, world leaders in sharp suits, pouting Hollywood A-listers, and sequined global pop stars here are wax likenesses of Thai and regional musicians, soap stars, sportsmen and women, famous monks, poets and statesmen. And once you’ve finished talking human rights with Aung San Suu Kyi, or admiring Angelina Jolie’s Khmer tattoo, there are lots of interactive games to stave off waxwork-fatigue too.

85 Soi Ratchataphan (Soi Mo Leng), Ratchaprarop Rd 02-245-3008 | www.bangkokdolls.com Mon – Sat 8 am – 5 pm | free Since opening in 1956 the Bangkok Doll Museum has continually attracted tourists, students and aficionados alike with its remarkable collection of hand-made Thai dolls. Founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol after she completed a doll making course in Japan, it showcases collections of dolls produced by a small team of artisans in the atelier out back, and clad in มาดามทุซโซ สยามดิสคัฟเวอรี่ ชั้น 6 traditional costumes based on designs lifted from museum originals, temple murals and MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT illustrations from antique books. GOODS [MAP 2 / E 12] 26th F, Supalai Grand Tower Bldg บ้านตุ๊กตาบางกอกดอลล์ ถ.ราชปรารภ Rama III Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-653-5555 www.tillekeandgibbins.com bangkokian MUSEUM [MAP 5 / E 3] Mon – Fri 10 am – 4 pm / App. required 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, for textile and computer collections Si Phraya Pier | 02-233-7027 In 1989, Thailand’s oldest international law Sat & Sun 10 am – 4 pm | free Smack in the middle of Bangrak, one of the firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, decided to convert most traditional districts of the city, find their evidence of counterfeit goods into this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, educational tools for law students. To help one of them lovingly converted into a pri- spread the word about the perils of buying vate museum by the compound’s charm- fake it's open to Joe Public too. Over 3,500 – from Ferrero Rocher chocolates ing owner, Ms. Waraporn Surawadee. items She decided to dedicate the place to the to antimalarial tablets and a fake Ferrari memory of her family and bygone daily motorbike – are neatly laid out, forgeries life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to next to the originals. While its well off-thethe public. While visitors shouldn’t expect beaten track location means it doesn't see breathtaking revelations here, the displays too many drop-in visitors, it's an eye-openare nevertheless surprisingly fascinating. ing experience, one that would make even They include antiques, traditional house- the thriftiest market-goer think twice. hold utensils and ceremonial items. พิพิธภัณฑ์ชาวบางกอก ถ.เจริญกรุง 43

พิพิธภัณฑ์สินค้าปลอมและเลียนแบบ ถ.พระราม 3

museum of siam

Museum of Siam [map 7 / D 13] 4 Samachai Rd | Rajini Pier 02-622-2599 | www.ndmi.or.th Tue – Sun 10 am – 6 pm | free A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-the-kids discovery museum, located in a beautifully restored former government building that dates back to the 1920s. Design company Story Inc! delivered the conceptual design, replacing the usual ‘don’t touch’ signs and dreary text with pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20 th century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on elephant-back with a canon (a bit tasteless that one), and mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a touch screen. Tellingly, the place teems with the usually museum-shy – Thai teenagers. Afterwards, enjoy the open-sided corridors and elegant Renaissance-stylings of the building itself, which was designed by Italian architect Mario Tamagno. พิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้แ้ห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [map 7 / C 6] 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang 02-224-1333 | www.thailandmuseum.com Wed – Sun 9 am – 4 pm | B 200 | no photo Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artifacts from all of Old Siam's main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also displayed. Free tours by the Natonal Museum Volunteers group are given in English, French, German and Japanese and take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 am.

SIRIRAJ MEDICAL MUSEUM [map 7 / A 7] RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL [map 7 / K 7] Siriraj Hospital | 2 Prannok Rd 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, Thonburi Railway Pier next to Wat Ratchanatda | 02-621-0044 02-419-7000-6363 | www.si.mahidol.ac.th www.nitasrattanakosin.com Mon – Sat 9 am – 4 pm | B 40 Tue – Fri 11 am – 8 pm; Located on the west bank of the river, in Sat, Sun & Holidays 10 am – 8 pm | B100 Thailand’s oldest and most prestigious hosThis multimedia museum a short walk pital, the Siriraj Medical Museum is chiefly from Khao San Road offers a skillfully an educational facility where trainee mediabbreviated introduction to an area that many admire, but few truly understand: cal students come to take notes and harden Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok’s glittering their stomachs. However, fans of the macabirthplace. Wandering its eleven rooms – bre can also pay a visit. Of its many chilling free of relics but rich in models, dioramas, displays, far and away the most famous is interactive videos, text and audio clips in the crisped cadaver of Si Ouey, Thailand’s Thai and English – brings the area’s hard- notorious child killer, stood in a phone to-fathom history, arts, communities, archi- booth. Other stomach-churning exhibits tecture and traditions into much clearer include the mummified remains of murfocus. One highlight is the room showcasing der victims, and deformed human foetuses Thai performing arts; another sheds light embalmed in formaldehyde. Best come on the trade specialities of local shop- before lunch, just to err on the safe side. house communities. Up on the fourth floor there's also an observation balcony from พิพิธภัณฑ์การแพทย์ศิริราช ถ.พรานนก which you can peer out over the area you YAOWARAT CHINATOWN now have a more in-depth grasp of. HERITAGE CENTRE [map 6 / L 3] นิทรรศน์รัตนโกสินทร์ ถ.ราชดำ�เนินกลาง Wat Traimit, 661 Mittaphap ThaiChina Rd, Charoen Krung Rd |MRT ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [map 7 / B 4] Hua Lamphong | 02-225-9775 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, |Tue – Sun 8 am – 4:30 pm | B100 / B140 Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier incl. visit to the Golden Buddha 02-424-0004 | 9 am – 5:00 pm For Bangkok’s Thai-Chinese the story of B 30 / B100 photo / B 200 video This collection of ornate royal barges, some how their forefathers fled here on leaking of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed junk ships and rose to become an affluent on the Thonburi side of the river in a series and fully integrated force in Thai society is of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. likely familiar, having been drip-fed to them The barges are best seen in action during over the years by their elders. But for the rare ceremonial processions on the Chao rest of us, the Chinatown Heritage Centre Phraya where the colourful crews can num- is the next best thing, presenting an engagber up to 64, including rowers, umbrella ing history of Bangkok’s Chinese commuholders, navigators and various musicians. nity and their bustling focal point, Yaowarat. Beautifully and ornately decorated, these Highlights include recreations of a magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former leaking junk ship and bustling street market, glory by the present King, who also com- a miniature model of Yaowarat during its missioned the newest boat for his golden Golden Age, and a room commemorating the community’s high-achievers. It's located jubilee in 1996 . within Wat Traimit temple (p.25). พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร์ ศูนย์ประวัติศาสตร์เยาวราช ถ.มิตรภาพไทย-จีน

ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN) [map 1 / F 6] 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd Samut Prakan province | 02-709-1644 www.ancientcity.com B 400 / B 200 kids / B1,500 private guide in English for 2 hours Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of the Kingdom’s most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a huge map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a tacky themepark. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Prapai Viriyahbhun, demanded that every replica look and feel like the real thing. Teakwood, stone and brick abound; everything looks authentically aged; and amidst the scaled-down and life-size copies are lots of salvaged original buildings. เมืองโบราณ จ.สมุทรปราการ THAI FILM MUSEUM [MAP 1 / E 5] 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya Nakorn Pathom province www.nfat.org | 02-482-2013-15 Sat & Sun tours: 10 am, noon, 3 pm; Mon – Fri: by appointment | Free The good folk at the National Film Archive of Thailand are fighting to preserve the country’s meager film heritage, whether it be by restoring ragged reels of 16mm film to their former glory, screening rare films in its cinematheque, or guiding anyone interested around their museum – for free. Thai film fiends will love inching around this nook-filled two-storey space modeled after the old Sri Krung film studio and filled with old cameras, projectors, props, costumes, posters and waxworks. Guides only speak Thai, so take a translator if possible. พิพิธภัณฑ์ภาพยนตร์ไทย ถ.พุทธมนฑล สาย 5

พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ ถ.เจ้าฟ้า ใกล้ท้องสนามหลวง Royal Barge Museum

2 6 | A pril 2 0 1 2

out of town

bangkok101.com

yaowarat heritage centre

ANCIENT SIAM A pril 2 0 1 2 | 2 7

Sightseeing

sightseeing | P arks & S ports

ROSE GARDEN RIVERSIDE (Suan Sampram) [map 1 / D5] 32 Phet Kasem Rd, Yai-Cha, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom Province | 03-432- 2544 www.rosegardenriverside.com 10 am – 4 pm | Garden B 50, Show B 500 Take an hour’s drive out from the city and explore this 70-acre property located beside the Ta Chine River, which includes a hotel resort, golf course, spa, organic farm and botanical gardens. The cultural shows here are as popular as the lush gardens. lumpini park

parks – Flora LUMPINI PARK [map 8 / K,L 16] Entrances on Rama IV, Sarasin, Witthayu and Ratchadamri Rd 5 am – 9 pm; cycling / skating 10 am – 3 pm free The biggest and most popular slice of public space in Central Bangkok, Lumpini Park is 142 acres of trees and grass sewn together with wide, meandering concrete paths. Busy as soon as the sun rises and again around sunset, Bangkokians of every ilk take advantage of its relative cool and quiet to practice Tai Chi, do aerobics, hold hands or jog around the picturesque lakes. A surprising number of animals also like it here – from turtles and giant monitor lizards, to flocks of crows and the occasional stray cat. Activities include taking a Swan-shaped pedal boat out onto the water for a quick spin and pumping iron at the outdoor gym, while live concert recitals and film screenings take place here during the cool season. There are entrances on each of its four sides, all of them open till 9pm, but the most impressive is the one at the corner of Rama IV Road and Ratchadamri Road, where a grand statue of King Rama VI stands sentinel.

bang krachao

Benjasiri park [map 3 / L 7] Sukhumvit Rd, btw. Soi 22 / 24 BTS Phrom Pong | 5am-9pm Next to the Phrom Phong BTS Skytrain station and Emporium shopping mall, this is a great place to escape the Sukhumvit rat race – amble around lakes, find shade under a tree, or admire modern Thai sculptures. สวนเบญจสิริ อยู่ระหว่าง สุขุมวิท ซ.22 – ซ.24 JATUJAK & QUEEN SIRIKIT PARKS [map 8 / M, N 1, 2] 820 Phahonyothin Rd, Ladyao 02-272-4358 | 5 am – 6:30 pm | free These two parks situated not far from the mayhem of the weekend market offer some much-needed respite. Jatujak Park hosts a collection of old railway engines and ancient automobiles. Nearby, Queen Sirikit Park has a botanical garden. สวนจตุจักรและสวนสมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ ถ.พหลโยธิน จตุจักร

โรสการ์เด้น ริเวอร์ไซด์ สวนสามพราน ถ.เพชรเกษม

Rama IX Royal Park

RAMA IX ROYAL PARK [MAP 2 / K11] Sukhumvit Soi 103, behind Seri Center Pravet | 02-328-1972 | 5:30am – 7 pm | B10 Bangkok's biggest park spans 200 -acres and features a small museum dedicated to the King, set amongst pleasant botanical gardens with soothing water features. สวนหลวง ร.9 ถ.สุขุมวิท 103 (หลังพาราไดส์ พาร์ค) ประเวศ Suan Rod Fai PARK [map 8 / M, n 1] Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd | BTS Mo Chit / MRT Chatuchak Park | 02-537-9221 5 am – 9 pm | free Also just north of JJ Market, this huge park has lots of open space and wild trees, plus a lotus pond, playground, basketball and tennis courts, and a butterfly garden (see opposite). Young locals flock here on weekends to hire a bike and cycle along its wide paths, and with prices for rental only B20 we highly recommend you copy them. สวนรถไฟ ถ.กำ�แพงเพชร 3 จตุจักร

สวนลุมพินี เข้าได้ทาง ถ.พระราม 4 ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ

DUSIT ZOO [map 8 / F 8] 71 Rama V Rd, opposite Chitralada Palace 02-281-2000 | 8 am – 6 pm | B100 / B 50 kids The city’s main zoo, situated to the north of Rattanakosin, is home to a large selection of mammals, reptiles and other animals. There’s also a lake with paddle boats, and playgrounds that the kids can run wild in. สวนสัตว์ดุสิต ถ.พระราม 5 QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (SNAKE FARM) [map 5 / K 4] 1871 Rama IV Rd, Henri Dunant BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom | 02-25201614-120 | Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 4 pm, Sat & Sun 9:30 am – 12 pm (shows at 11am & 2:30 pm) | B 200 Mainly developing antidotes to poisonous snake bites, this research facility is open to the public. There’s an informative slide show followed by displays of live venom extraction.

SARANROM PARK [map 7 / E 11] Intersection of Rachini / Charoen Krung Rd Phra Nakhon | 5 am – 8 pm | free This ‘green belt’ within the city is located opposite the Grand Palace, built in 1866 during the reign of Rama IV as a royal garden of the Saranrom Royal Palace. It is now a botanical garden and public park, featur- สถานเสาวภา (สวนงู) ถ.พระราม 4 ing a glass house, and royal bugle pavilion. สภากาชาดไทย สวนสราญรมย์ แยกราชินี ถ.เจริญกรุง SAMPHRAN ELEPHANT GROUND & ZOO [map 1 / D 5] Petkasem Rd km 30, Samphan parks – Fauna Nakhon Pathom Province | 02-295-2938 | www.elephantshow.com 8:30 am – 5:30 pm | B 600/ B 350 kids BANGKOK BUTTERFLY GARDEN & Apart from The Elephant Theme Show, insectarium [map 8 / M2] watch the Crocodile Wrestling Show or Suan Rot Fai Park | Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd ride on an elephant’s back through the BTS Mo Chit / MRT Chatuchak Park tropical gardens and waterfalls. 02- 272-4359 | Tue – Sun & Holidays ลานแสดงช้างและฟาร์มจระเข้สามพราน 8:30 am – 4:30 pm | free This dome-enclosed sanctuary not from ถ.เพชรเกษม สามพราน JJ Market houses over 500 species of butterflies fluttering freely in the mazes of the SIAM OCEAN WORLD [map 4 / D4] landscaped gardens, with their wild flowers, BI F, Siam Paragon | 991 Rama 1 Rd canopied benches, ponds and waterfalls. 02-687-2001 | www.siamoceanworld.com Besides butterfly watching, visitors can 10 am – 7 pm | B 900 / 700 kids picnic or rent a bicycle for around B 30. It's One of Asia's biggest aquariums. If you're located within Suan Rot Fai Park, a great not put off by the dual-pricing policy (we big park with open spaces as well as lotus are, quite frankly), there’s fun to be had ponds, playgrounds, and basketball and ten- inside, with 8 m high tanks, glass tunnels to nis courts. walk through, and shark-feeding shows. อุทยานผีเสื้อและแมลงกรุงเทพฯ สวนรถไฟ ถ.กำ�แพงเพชร จตุจักร

สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1

muay thai Thai boxing or Muay Thai is very popular in Bangkok with most major bouts held at either the Lumphini or Ratchadamnoen stadiums. This brutal but graceful martial art has been practised in Thailand for centuries. Past Kings are reported to have been champion fighters and one, King Naresuan, introduced the sport as part of military training in the 16th century. Due to the high incidence of deaths during combat, the sport was banned in the 1920s but reintroduced soon after under the more safety-conscious Queensbury rules. Bouts consist of three five minute rounds during which the fighters use every part of the body (except the head) to bludgeon the opponent into defeat. Before the bout begins, a graceful and mesmerising ritual dance named ram muay is performed by both fighters to placate the spirits and show respect to the art and its teachers. Bouts are extremely boisterous, noisy affairs and should be witnessed for the spectacle alone. Be warned though, this isn’t the WWF and the blows are hard hitting and real. Another sore point (albeit a figurative rather than literal one) that puts off some: the price to watch a fight for foreigners is five or six times what the locals pay. Lumpini boxinG Stadium Rama IV Rd | MRT Lumphini 02-251-4303; 02-252-8765 Fights Tue & Fri 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm; Sat 5 pm – 8 pm; 8:30 pm – midnight B1,000 / B1,500 / B 2,000 สนามมวยลุมพินี ถ.พระราม 4 Ratchadamnoen Stadium Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue 02-281-4205; 02-280-1684-6 Fights Mon, Wed, Thu 6:30 pm – 11 pm, Sun 5 pm – 8 pm; 8:30 pm – midnight B1,000 / B1,500 / B 2,000 เวทีมวยราชดำ�เนิน ถ.ราชดำ�เนิน

BANG KRACHAO [map 1 / E 5] Bang Krachao, Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan | 02-461-097 6 am – 8 pm | Free It’s hard to believe that this oasis of lush orchards and mangroves is just opposite the concrete jungle of Klong Toey. Included within it is the 200 -rai Suan Klang Central Park with a large pond where you can rent paddle boats for B30 . Or rent cycles for the same rate and ride a bike around the park then head down to the Bang Nam Pueng Floating Market. บางกระเจ้า พระประแดง Dusit zoo 2 8 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

Samphran Elephant Ground

Siam Ocean World A pril 2 0 1 2 | 2 9

APRIL 4 – 6

march to monkhood poi sang long upcountry now: poi sang long Unique to Mae Hong Son province, Poi Sang Long is one of Thailand’s most photogenic festivals. For three days in early April each year the sleepy provincial town of the same name hosts a colourful spectacle where young boys aged between 7 and 14 are ordained as novice Buddhist monks. On day one, the boys have their heads shaved. They are then bathed and anointed with consecrated waters and dressed in brightly coloured costumes. By the end of this process, the boys are now known as sang long or luuk kaew – precious gems. A colourful procession then makes it way through the streets of Mae Hong Son Municipality, the boys carried through the streets on the shoulders of male villagers, as they are not allowed to touch the ground. En route, the procession makes stops at the city pillar and various temples so that the sang long can seek forgiveness from the abbot. Much merrymaking also accompanies their rise in status. The second day of Poi Sang Long features a riotous parade and spontaneous celebrations, with just about everybody in town taking part. Finally, on the third day, the boys are given their first robes, formally ordained and served a huge feast, shortly after which Mae Hong Son returns to being a sleepy backwater for another year. With origins in Buddhist legend – this Burmese Shan tradition is thought to follow in the footsteps of Buddha’s own son – Poi Sang Long is a beautiful sight to behold and well worth planning a trip to the north around. getting there

BY BUS To get to the festival, take the Chiangmai – Mae Sa Reang – Mae Hong Son (Highway No.108) bus from Mo Chit station, usually takes 4 hours to Mae Sa Reang and 8 hours to Mae Hong Son. Or take route Chiangmai-Pai-Mae Hong Son (Highway No. 107 and 1095), which takes around 6 hours. YOUNG NOVICE MONKS ON PARADE in Mae Hong Son town

BY AIR Thai Airways flies from Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son (1566, 02-280-0060 www.thaiairways.com). Nok Air routes Mae Hong Son – Chiangmai (1318, www.nokair.com).

t r av e l

travel | upcountry now

Upcountry now!

Until 7 April Chiang Mai Fest 2012

April 2 – 7

In the run up to its notoriously carnival-like take on Songkran, Chiang Mai will get in the festive mood with a free music and arts festival. On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 local and international musicians, like vocal group Il Quinto and pianist Neung Jakkawal, will perform in front of the Old City’s Three Kings Monument. And before that a bevy of international artists will use the pavements as their canvas, transforming downtown Chiang Mai into a temporary outdoor museum of original art and masterpiece reproductions. www.chiangmaifest.com

Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung Festival

At dusk between these dates crowds will gaze in awe at an astounding astro-archeological event: sunlight beaming through the doors of Buriram provinces’s ancient Khmer temple, Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung, and onto a revered stone hidden deep in its main sanctuary. Marking this auspicious celestial phenomenon will be an invocation ritual known as buang suang, light and sound shows and cultural performances.

April 6 Nikki Beach White Party

Koh Samui’s Nikki Beach – apparently one of the world’s sexiest beach bars – will celebrate its third birthday with a “white-out experience”: a night featuring a display by the Miami Energy dancers, a firework show over the crystalline waters off Lipa Noi Beach, breathtaking musical entertainment and a lineup of hot DJs who will rock the party ‘til the small hours. www.nikkibeachthailand.com

April 6 – 7

Between 6 pm and midnight on these dates, stages erected along Pattaya’s North and South beach will host a bevy of top-notch live acts, both international and local. The line-up wasn’t confirmed as we went to press but is likely to include mainstays from the worlds of Thai pop rock, a couple of Korean and Japanese boybands and mainplayers on the local ska scene. A gift from the Pattaya City authorities and the Tourist Authority of Thailand, entry is totally free.

Krabi Rock and Fire International Contest 2012

April 13 – 15 (and longer ) April 6 – 8

Songkran

Phuket Bike Week 2012

For the 18 th installment of this annual bike meet, hundreds of hirsute easy riders will clog the roads leading to Phuket’s Patong Beach. To prove that they’re no Hells Angels, the organizers have a big program of community events planned. There’ll be beach parties, live music from Carabao, tattoo contests, tree plantings, bike exhibitions, a “ride for peace” around the island and the obligatory beauty contest (the amusingly titled ‘Miss Phuket Bike’ competition). www.phuketbikeweek.com

3 2 | A pril 2 0 1 2

Pattaya International Music Festival

April 28 – 29

Si Satchanalai Ordination Procession

Mae Hong Song isn’t the only province where young novice monks clad in elaborate costumes will be paraded through the streets this month (see Festival Focus, p.33). A similar mass-ordination ceremony will also take place in Sukothai’s Si Satchanalai district, only here they are transported on the backs of beautifully-attired elephants. The tribal tradition, which dates back some 150 years, finishes up at Ban Haat Siao village’s main temple, where a pho thao (village elder) helps the novices dismount and leads them to worship. 05-561-1196

April 27 – 29

bangkok101.com

Variations on the biggest festival on the calendar, Thailand’s wet and wild New Year celebrations, will grip all four corners of the Kingdom from 13 –15 April, and longer in many places. The full list is far too long to list here, but famous celebrations include those in the ancient former capital, Sukhothai (13 – 15), Pattaya (where they don’t get going until the 18 th), and up in Chiang Mai (12 –15), where the revelry reaches such a corporate-sponsored frenzy that it makes even the parties here in Bangkok look subdued. A province-by-province break down, as well as Songkran history and tips, can be found at the TAT’s dedicated website:

Jutting out of the emerald green Andaman Sea, Krabi’s craggy limestone cliff formations are considered one of the world’s premier rock-climbing destinations, offering some 600 bolted routes. During this annual event, experienced spidermen and women from across the globe will clamber up them in pursuit of cash prizes and the admiration of the crowds gathered on the sands below. As well as speed climbs and marathons, there’ll also be fire juggling contests. Call 07-562 2163 or e-mail tatkrabi@tat.or.th for more information or if you fancy taking part.

songkran.tourismthailand.org. bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 3 3

t r av e l

travel | B hutan

Bhutan The Pursuit of Happiness

OVER THE BORDER

by Mason Florence

xiting Thailand for Cambodia can be a less than positive experience. As I discovered on a recent trip, tourists who rock up at the border at Koh Kong tend to be treated like walking dollar signs by the price-hiking custom officials. Don’t let this put you off though: take a short taxi ride and within 20 minutes you’re cutting through deep green jungle and crossing expansive views of the towering Cardamom Mountains as you pelt along Highway 48. As our driver explained while we stared transfixed out the windows, this mountain range – one of Southeast Asia's largest rainforests – is a habitat for indigenous species of tigers, elephants and bears.

large reclining lounge chairs and a ladder leading right into the river – perfect for swimming. The resort’s website defines its goal of being “at one with the natural order and engaging the community in fostering the soft tread of an environmentally aware footprint.” Part of this initiative includes using only environmentally friendly materials, limiting the use of wood, ensuring responsible waste water treatment and educating locals and tourists alike on the importance of conservation.

As it turned out, though, this scenery, the ocean to the right and lush rolling hills to the left, was just an amuse bouche for the main course to come. Soon our taxi stopped near the steps of a bridge in a village called Tatai. Here we waited at the bridge for five minutes for the 4 Rivers Floating Lodge boat to arrive, which it did, right at sunset. The ride took 25 minutes, cruising slowly down the Tatai River, with palm trees, mangroves, and green isles on either side of the river lit golden in the dying daylight. On arrival we were met by the sight of the 4 Rivers Floating Lodge stretched out across the water: a series of twelve high end luxury yurts arranged in V shape, with the restaurant and lounge area at the base of the V. Essentially these ‘villas’ are simply large tents erected on a wooden pier, but the décor is such a divine potpourri of luxuriant and cozy that it feels like you’re stepping into a genie’s bottle.

After taking a brief tour of the resort and settling into my room, I headed to the restaurant for dinner. The restaurant is a fine dining experience and the chef specialises in fresh seafood. Dinner was a set menu at $19, with soup, appetizers, main course, dessert and coffee all included. The signature cocktails were an added expense but worth the extra spend Every room is 45m2 and comes with a flat-screen television, for a refreshing tropical buzz. Wi-Fi and mini-bar, not to mention it's own private deck with The pace was slow, and we liked it that way. That evening I was lured to sleep by the water lapping against the pier and slumbered deeply through the night. I woke up just past 9am full of energy and ready to explore. There were a few different possibilities. 4 River guides lead jungle treks, jaunts to spy on the rare and beautiful beaked nearby hornbill community, fishing trips for an assuredly fresh supper, and walks to the Tatai Waterfalls. I decided to give the guides a break, however, and embark on a kayak investigation of the mangroves. I spent a few hours leisurely rowing around the resort. The flora and fauna are stunning, and you don’t have to go far to bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 3 5

t r av e l

travel | B hutan

caption on the bhutanese people, maybe the traditional dresses

caption on the traditional architecture

traditional mask dance at amankora, buddhist prayer wheels and the wheel of life mural

caption on the bhutanese people

3 6 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 3 7

t r av e l

travel | H otel D eals

Hotel Deals

Amankora

Amankora paro 3 8 | A pril 2 0 1 2

Amankora Gangtey Photo by Amankora

Amankora Punakha

For the ultimate Bhutan luxe-journey, life on the road doesn’t get better than Amankora, a five-property network of idyllic destination lodges set in the picturesque valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang. Each one unique, these intimate resorts are a spectacular marriage of traditional and modern architecture, blended into the natural environment and local surroundings. Best explored as a loop journey – the word Amankora, in fact, combines the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’ with kora or ‘circular pilgrimage’ in Dzongkha, the Bhutanese language – stays of seven nights or more are inclusive of a private vehicle with driver and guide. For more information visit www.amankora.com

April 9 – 16 Songkran in Chiang Mai

Until April 17 Ultimate Easter Escape

Until April 30 Summer Specials

Khum Phaya Resort Chiang Mai | 053-415-555 www.centarahotelsresorts.com/kpc

The Pavilions Phuket Cherngtalay | Phuket | 076-317600 www.thepavilionsresorts.com

Enjoy Thai New Year up in Chiang Mai with the special Songkran package at Khum Paya Resort, which is part of the Centara Boutique Collection. Designed in classical Northern Lanna style, the intimately scaled resort features ponds, gardens and a beautiful pool as its centerpiece. The package, great value for money at B5,950++ for a two night stay for two, includes airport transfers, free internet and a traditional Kantoke dinner for two.

For Easter bunnies who would rather dive into a private pool than down the rabbit hole, The Pavilions Phuket is offering very generous Easter discounts. This is your chance to stay in a 275 sqm Spa & Pool pavilion with its own spa room, inner courtyard and infinity pool overlooking the hills and forests for 50% less than the usual rates: from B9,000++ per room and night. Layan beach is only a short ride away on the free shuttle.

Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa Nopparat Thara Beach, Krabi | 02-101 1234 | www.centarahotelsresorts.com The hot season has arrived and you’re probably feeling the heat. For some aquatic relief head to Centara Anda Dhevi in Krabi and jump right into the pool off the terrace of your deluxe pool access room (B2,950++ per night, Deluxe Garden Room cheaper at B2,250++). Bring the family, as the promotional rates allow two kids under 12 to share their parent’s room and bedding for free. Breakfast for two is included.

Until July 15 Thai Resident’s Special

Until Dec 2012 Exclusive Suite Offer

Ongoing New Adventure Packages

Anantara Rasananda Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach Koh Phangan | 077-239-555 phangan-rasananda.anantara.com

Tamarind Village 50/1 Rajdamnoen Rd Chiang Mai | 053-418-896 www.tamarindvillage.com

Nikki Beach koh samui Lipa Noi Beach | 077-914-500 www.nikkibeachthailand.com

Koh Phangan island’s upscale hideaway is offering Thai residents rates starting from just B 5,800++ per night, including breakfast for two. Stay three consecutive nights or more and you’ll also receive return shared car and speedboat transfers between Koh Samui airport and the resort. All of its 64 private pool suites and pool villas come with a terrace or balcony, a personal pool, as well as free spirits and homemade snacks.

This serene Lanna-style boutique property has bundled stays in their luxurious suites for two together with perks like free airport transfers, savings at their spa (20%) and Ruen Tamarind restaurant (15%), plus a 75 minute massage treatment of your choice for two. Priced at B6,500++, the package also includes buffet breakfast for two (minimum stay 2 nights, blackout periods apply).

Koh Samui’s funky beach club resort has introduced a four and seven night adventure package centered around the island's most idyllic hotspots. Each day you’ll be able to enjoy fishing trips, safari tours, mountain biking, kayaking, scuba diving or kite surfing and then relax around the resort’s huge lagoon pool afterwards. As well as a beach bungalow, the deal (B 23,000++ or B 56,500++) includes airport transfers and two one-hour massages.

Amankora Bumthang bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 3 9

Arts & Culture

Spirit of Women Palut Marod at Ardel Gallery

As well as lots of intriquing solo exhibitions (see overleaf), there are some big group exhibitions on the calendar for April. Over at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, the ARTAIDS Foundation is presenting ‘You Are Not Alone’, an attempt to promote understanding of HIV / AIDS through the works of sixteen Thai and international artists. Meanwhile, malls and walkways all across the city will be the locale for an innovative grassroots art project aimed at encouraging social responsibility. Earlier this year the organisers of Ideacubes asked the public to send in their ideas for how people can positively impact their community and environment. Between April 16 and May 31, one hundred of the best will be conveyed within a 1m³ wood frame cube, each one styled by a different local volunteer artist. See www.mysocialmotion.org for the background and full location list. Gallery Ver, a rare and valuable platform for more challenging, non-commercial and conceptually driven art, is also celebrating its new location, out near Chatuchak Market, with a retrospective of fifteen of its profiled artists. Speaking of new spaces, the fifteen-year-strong Numthong Gallery has just opened one in the northern suburbs. On p. 44 we talk with its owner, Numthong Sae Tang, and ask him what it takes for an independent gallery to survive here.

ARTS & C u lt u r e

A R T s & culture | E x hibitions

exhibition highlights

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

Pop Culture La Lanta Fine Art [map 3 / j 4] 245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31 | BTS Phrom Phong 02-260-5381 | www.lalanta.com Tue – Sat 10 am – 7 pm; Sun by appointment Until Apr 6

From the late 1950s, Pop Art has remained a prevalent artistic style that continues to permeate all manner of merchandise and media. Here the influential genre has been interpreted by numerous artists, including British artist Brett Neal’s whimsical animal sculptures, and Belgian Christian Develter’s Warholesque bold figurative paintings.

Bharata Et Cetera

You Are Not Alone Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC) [map 4 / B 4] 939 Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-214-6630-1 www.bacc.or.th | Tue – Sun 10 am – 9 pm Until Apr 18

Returning to Thailand for a third exhibition, the non-profit Art Aids foundation uses artists to promote understanding of Aids and HIV. Presented in conjunction with an educational programme aiming to raise awareness of the illness and prevent prejudice, the sixteen artists on view include Thailand’s Sutee Kunavichayanont, Pratchaya Phintong and Ohm Phanpiroj.

Ardel Gallery of Modern Art [map 2 / B 8] 99/45 Belle Ville, Boromratchonnanee Rd (km 10.5) 02-422-2092 | www.ardelgallery.com Tue – Sat 10:30 am – 7 pm; Sun 10:30 am – 5:30 pm Until Apr 8

The Subcontinent, a vibrant region rich in cultural nuances, has provided creative stimulus for many artists. Having journeyed to India and Nepal, photographers Urasha Jakkachaphol, Kittiphon Yingkitphinyo, Truswin Rasasataya, Bheema Jotikabukkana, Arthit Sirisant and Surin Banyatpiyaphod exhibit their diarist documentations of one of the world’s oldest civilisations.

spirit of women ARDEL’s Third Place Gallery [map 3 /R 2] 1st Floor The Third Place | Thonglor Soi 10 (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lor | 02-422-2092 www.ardelgallery.com | Tue – Sun 10 am – 8:30 pm Until Apr 29

Retro Ver-spective Gallery Ver [map 8 / L 3] Railway Station (Rod Fai Night Market) Kamphaengphet Rd | BTS Mo Chit / MRT Kamphaengphet | 02-622-0117; 089-988-5890 www.galleryver.com | Tue – Sat 1 pm – 7 pm Until April 29

Having relocated for a third time, Ver reopens in its new site close to Chatuchak with a retrospective of many of its previous Thai exhibitors. Run by internationally renowned artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, the gallery is one of the only platforms in the capital for more conceptually driven art.

42 | APRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

Conflicts of Interest

A well-known local artist and art instructor, Palut Marod presents a new series of acrylic paintings in which sculpture-like models of woman mingle with colourful flowers. Continuing his pre-occupation with modern notions of femininity and motherhood, these artworks aim to capture the diversity of women and their spirit, be it sweet, strong, kind-hearted or brave.

H Gallery [map 5 / F 6] 201 Soi 12, Sathorn Rd | BTS Surasak | 081-310-4428 www.hgallerybkk.com | 10 am – 6 pm, Tue by appointment Until Apr 30

This two-part exhibition highlights the continuing capability of painting as a relevant contemporary art medium. Opening with British artist Andrew Stahl alongside well-known abstract artist Thaiwijit Pheungkasemsomboon and Sujin Wattanawongchai, the second instalment features Sujin again as well as Alan Van Every, Tania Rutland and Giles Ryder. bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 43

ARTS & C u lt u r e

ART 1-0n-1 by Steven Pettifor

Numthong Sae Tang on Numthong Gallery

While the allure of managing an independent gallery space seems attractive to many with a passion for art, the financial and practical reality of such a venture forces many to prematurely close their doors. One of the few spaces to successfully maintain a presence over the last 15 years, Numthong Gallery is opening a new larger, purposely built space in the burgeoning Ari district of the city. Owner Numthong Sae Tang discusses what it takes to sustain an art space here in the Thai capital.

How did you first become involved as a gallery owner in Bangkok? I was helping as a volunteer at the former Bhirasri Institute and I wanted to fulfill my dream of opening my own space and representing artists I liked. Then the 1997 economic crisis hit and several galleries closed down as a result, and I knew that artists needed more sites to present their work.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about opening a gallery here? Owning a gallery is not a straightforward business, so if you expect to run it like a typical business venture you will struggle. Artists are suspicious of contracts and they tend to try and cut galleries out the loop. There aren’t many prolific collectors here either. I have been doing this for 20 years now but a lot of gallery owners only think in the short term.

What changes have you seen in the Thai art scene? It’s changed a lot, now a gallery has become more than just a place to sell art, it has to develop artists’ careers both domestically and internationally. The market has changed too, it’s become more about investment, not about the aesthetic or the importance of the creative process. It used to be more divided between East and West, now it’s generally about value, power and currency.

Apart from the larger venue, are you planning to expand the new gallery’s approach and/or activities beyond the former site? What can we expect for the future? I will continue my focus on promoting emerging and established Thai art with four more solo exhibitions through to the end of the year. Previously I have also tried to highlight young Southeast Asian artists and I plan to rekindle this in the future.

"if you expect What are the criteria you use to run your for selecting artists/exhibigallery like tions? a typical I have no criteria, just a belief in business my own eye for interesting art, which has evolved from a long venture you will time passion and building experistruggle." ence. Now I also work with young local curators to select the art, because I feel galleries have a responsibility to help develop the long-term art infrastructure here.

Tell us about your inaugural exhibition by Kamin Lertchaiprasert? The exhibition “Before Birth After Death’ is a continuation of Kamin’s Buddhist related themes, which are also central to his life philosophy. His main thread is the cycle of life, but each time it manifests in different forms and mediums. This time he sticks with painting and sculpture, but previously it has been presented as sound installation, multimedia works and even his 31st Century Museum in Chiang Mai. Like a daily visual diary, he focuses on the small incidental details of everyday existence, which viewers can readily identify with.

numthong

44 | APRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

before birth after death Until May 31

Numthong Gallery [map 8 / L 7] 72/3 Ari Soi 5, Phahon Yothin Rd | BTS Ari 081-918-5067 | www.numthonggallery.com Mon – Sat 11 am – 6 pm

ARTS & C u lt u r e

AKSRA THEATRE

A R T S & C ulture | reading & screening

National Theatre

SALA CHALERMKRUNG [map 7 / H 12] 66 Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-8148 www.salachalermkrung.com | B 800 – 1200 A former cinema from the 1930s is one Our performing arts scene may not throb of the few places in Bangkok where like in other cities, but look under the traditional Thai masked dance, or khon, surface and you’ll find it there, beating is shown on a regular basis. More than 60 to its own rhythm. For more information try www.thaiticketmaster.com or our own dancers in elaborate costumes perform episodes from the Ramakien, the Thai website www.bangkok101.com . version of the Indian Ramayana epic, on Thursday and Friday evenings from AKSRA THEATRE [Map 8 / K 10] 7:30 pm. On other nights, the Sala 3rd F, King Power Complex Chalermkrung theatre hosts peformances 8 / 1 Rang Nam, Phaya Thai Rd ranging from Thai pop to Elvis Presley tribBTS Victory Monument ute nights. For more information check their 02-677-8888-5602 website or book with ThaiTicketmaster Tue – Fri 7 pm; Sat & Sun 1 pm and 7 pm Tucked away in the sleek white bowels (www.thaiticketmaster.com). of Soi Rangnam's King Power Duty Free complex, this 600 -capacity theatre lined SIAM NIRAMIT [map 8 / R 9] with fabled wood carvings is the place to 19 Tiam Ruammit Rd come to enjoy hypnotic performances by MRT Thai Cultural Centre (then shuttle) the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek (Aksra Small 02-649-9222 | www.siamniramit.com Puppets) troupe. Intricate Thai puppets, A breathtaking, record-breaking extravagiven life by puppeteers swathed in black, ganza, hailed as ‘a showcase of Thailand’. act out Thai literary epics. Family enter- Using hundreds of costumes and amazing tainment of the most refined kind, this has special effects, more than 150 performbeen one of the few places where you can ers journey whirlwind-like through seven catch Thai puppetry since the much loved centuries of Siamese history. Up to 2,000 Joe Louis Puppet Theatre was demolished. guests experience this spectacle nightly; eyepopping poignancy to some, detached โรงละครอักษรา คิงพาวเวอร์ fantasia to others. คอมเพล็กซ์ ถ.รางน้ำ� สยามนิรมิต ถ.เทียมร่วมมิตร

Theatres

NATIONAL THEATRE [map 7 / D 5] 2 Rachini Rd, (Northern end of Sanam Luang) | 02-224-1342 Mon – Fri 9 am – 4 pm | B 60 / 80 / 100 Along with the National Museum, this imposing theatre forms an island of high culture and is held in high esteem by those who care about classical Thai performing arts. Classical Thai drama, musicals and music performances – all elaborate affairs, sometimes strange to foreign eyes and ears – are intermittently staged on a small side stage and the open-air sala. The season runs from November to May. On the last Friday of each month at 5pm there are performances of khon (classical Thai masked dance). โรงละครแห่งชาติ ถ.ราชินี สนามหลวง 46 | APRIL 2012

Cultural Centres Bangkok’s cultural centres bring in topnotch exhibitions and performances from the world of visual arts, drama, dance, music, fashion, film, design, literature and more …

BACC – BANGKOK ART & CULTURE CENTRE [map 4 / B 4] 939 Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium 02-214-6630-8 | www.bacc.or.th Tue – Sun 10 am – 9 pm Best described as The Guggenheim meets a shopping mall, the 11-storey Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) structure is an

BACC

important player in Thailand’s contemporary cultural development, nurturing artists in a range of creative fields, including theatre, film and design. The upper levels boast 3,000sqm of exhibition space. หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแห่งกรุงเทพมหานคร แยกปทุมวัน TCDC – THAILAND CREATIVE & DESIGN CENTRE [map 3 / M 7] 6th F, The Emporium Shopping Complex Sukhumvit 24 | BTS Phrom Phong 02-664-8448 | www.tcdc.or.th Tue – Sun 10:30 am – 9 pm This very slick design learning and resource facility aims to stimulate creativity and innovation among young Thai designers. Everyone, however, is free to attend its workshops, talks by prominent international designers and exhibitions. Don’t miss permanent exhibition, “What is Design?”, a look at how 10 countries used their uniqueness for creative ends, or a peek at the state-of-the-art library featuring over 16,000 rare books and a textile centre. ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปิ้ง คอมเพล็กซ์ สุขุมวิท 24 ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE [map 5 / K 7] 29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Sala Daeng 02-670-4200 | www.alliancefrancaise.or.th Mon – Sat 10 am – 6 pm สมาคมฝรั่งเศสกรุงเทพ ถ.สาทรใต้ GOETHE INSTITUT [map 8 / L 17] 18 / 1 Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1 MRT Lumpini | 02-287-0942 / 4 www.goethe.de | 8 am – 6 pm

THAI FOLK WISDOM

A JOURNALIST IN SIAM

Susan Aldous & Pornchai Sereemongkolpol | Maverick House 288 pp | B 420

Andrew A. Freeman | White Orchid 341 pp | B 595

Words don’t just describe the world – they also shape it. This is especially true in Thailand, where sage proverbs, passed down from generation to generation, are more venerated than in most countries. Anyone interested in discovering them – thus improving their grasp of the Thai vernacular and mindset – should snap up this coffeetable stunner in English and Thai. Pairing notes on 50 common proverbs with illustrations by top Thai artists, it’s an enlightening or diverting read, depending on your mood. Proverbs span from the intuitive (“riding an elephant to catch a grasshopper”) to the culturally obscure (“tigers eat lying down”). And keeping proceedings from seeming too didactic is a dovetailing story, by SEA Write Award winner Jane Vejjajiva, about the trials of a young girl and her family.

The life of nine lady boys is laid bare; and the reading, unlike many of them, ain’t pretty. Some of these monologues are inspiring (like that of Thailand’s first transgender air hostess Nicky), others unremittingly bleak. Meet Patchara for instance, a streetwalker who feels she was destined to sell her body to strangers. Or Lily, a grand-motherly type who prowls Khao San Road luring backpackers for less-than-innocent massages. These and other tawdry tales offer sordid details galore for prurient readers (especially about body parts hidden, added, taken away or enhanced). But that’s not why this unflinching book succeeds. Candidly and respectfully, it offers rare insight into what life for many Thai transsexuals, especially those disowned by their family, is really like – a confused, hardup, loveless car-crash of an existence.

“For God’s sake don’t go to Bangkok,” plead Andrew A. Freeman’s friends in the opening pages of this sumptuously written travelogue from the 1920s. Thankfully for us he ignored them, because what follows is a Merchant Ivory movie in waiting – a lyrical account of his time here as editor at The Bangkok Daily Mail, an English-language daily owned by King Pradjadhipok. It’s Orientalist to the core, with sepia-toned exoticism spilling off its pages as the native’s eyes “sparkle with childlike wonder” and ceremonial elephants stomp through the city. But even more gripping than Freeman’s wonderment is his flair for sympathetic reportage. This he uses, like a crowbar, to pry open the paranoid, racist attitudes of the gin-sipping Europeans. It’s a joy to read; Bangkok’s very own non-fictional Burmese Days.

reading

& screening Khan Kluay

Kompin Khemkamnerd | 2006 | B195 A crash course in the uglier aspects of Thai nationalism. Ostensibly a cute children’s tale, this film starts off charmingly enough – a forest idyll, a loving mother elephant, and her adorable baby, the sweet-tempered Khan Kluay himself. Cue grueling rite of passage – after being separated from his herd, tender Khan Kluay finds himself training as a war elephant for the conflict against the Burmese. Set in the time between the Burmese sacking of Ayutthaya in 1569 and King Naresuan’s victory over Phra Maha Uparacha that re-established Thai independence, the film soon places Khan Kluay within the royal palace itself, where he is chosen to serve as King Naresuan’s battle elephant. The last twenty minutes devolve into a jingoistic snuff film that will surely scare any tots, or any adults who’d like to think that such naked nationalism has little place in a children’s film… or anywhere else.

สถาบันเกอเธ่ 18 / 1 ซ. เกอเธ่ สาทร ซ. 1 JAPAN FOUNDATION [map 3 / F 4] 10 th F, Sermmit Tower | 159 Asok Montri (Sukhumvit Soi 21), Soi 1 | BTS Asok 02-260-8560-4 | www.jfbkk.or.th Mon – Fri 9 am – 7 pm, Sat 9 am – 5pm เจแปน ฟาวน์เดชั่น ชั้น 10 อาคารเสริมมิตร สุขุมวิท 21

bangkok101.com

LADYBOYS

Tulaya Pornpiriyakulchai & Jane Vejjajiva | River Books | 58 pp | B 500

bangkok101.com

A PRIL 2012 | 47

I Built This City

collages by pariwat a-nantachina

When young Thai artist Pariwat A-nantachina failed in his dream of becoming an architect, he turned to the only creative outlet at his disposal: graphic design. Unable to make his mark on Bangkok’s streetscape, he started to create his own by using photos of the urban vernacular – its monuments, vehicles, structures, textures and charac ters – to create a series of crude yet effective collages. Today, he still obsesses about eventually making the break into architecture, but is nonetheless a successful freelance artist, creating work for a whole host of corporate clients while also selling limited edition prints of these and other works at his stall at the Chatuchak Weekend Market (Section 7, Soi 3). We hope you enjoy A-nantachina’s charming patchwork panoramas. Like this hectic city, they’re cluttered with colour and detail and greater than the sum of their parts. Keep up with his work at: a-pariwat.blogspot.com

NAA

kin

* looks tasty

Food & Drinks news

SAMurai at Benihana

NEW OPENINGS

THAI FINE-DINING

The last couple of months have yielded a bumper crop of new openings, albeit mostly in the pricey range. New mall offerings include the Tawandaeng German Brewery's first stab at a mall eatery, Red Sun Tawandaeng (7 th floor Siam Discovery Center | 02-6580821). Expect all the comforting signature dishes fans know and love from their boisterous music pubs, such as khar moo tod (deep fried pork knuckle), only in a colourful modern setting and minus the kitsch cabaret shows and micro-brewed beer. Another mall newbie is Four Seasons (G F Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd | 02-610-9578 | www.fs-restaurants.co.uk), Asia’s first outlet of Central London’s highly acclaimed roast duck chain restaurant. Last but not least, hummus lovers will be pleased to hear that popular Lebanese restaurant Beirut (2nd floor Ei8ght Building, Thonglor Soi 8 | 02-714-8963) has expanded into a Thonglor mini-mall. Standalone restaurants the have sprung up recently include Parata Diamond (Ekamai Soi 22 | 085-167-6489), a dark, chill, Moroccan-themed gastro-bar and gallery in a sprawling converted townhouse. The food is ‘New-American style’. Khao Yai’s PB Valley Winery has also opened up a facsimile of its original branch of The Great Hornbill Bistro (59/3 Soi Sukhumvit 39 | 02-262-0030). Alongside vino and a country-style hothouse setting, expect to find modern international cuisine and some Thai specialties.

One of the fancy new Thai restaurants we mentioned last month, The Local (32 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 02-6640664) is now open for orders. Yet another shamelessly authentic restaurant with a fancy setting (its forerunners include Bo.lan, Nahm and Tabchang), the focus here is on rustic dishes that have faded into obscurity, such as pla pak nahm (a fish salad made from a recipe found in the National Archives) and gang lun juan (a herb-laced beef and garlic soup that dates back to King Rama V’s reign). We’re also excited about the cocktail list and the setting: two bungalows done out with traditional jars, lanterns and handwoven fabrics and with sumptuous VIP dining rooms. Ticking all the boxes, they also have an outdoor deck with lounge beds, a chef’s table, and are just the latest in a string of restaurants to adopt the all the rage ‘farm-to-table’ philosophy, sourcing local ingredients and even growing some of their own in the herb garden out back. Look out for a review in our May issue. Meanwhile, Issaya Siamese Club (4 Soi Sri Aksorn | 02-6729040 | www.issaya.com) has announced that its owner, celebrity chef Ian Kittichai, will be holding cooking classes on April 7 and 21, as well as June 9. Classes (B 4,900++) of no more than 16 will be taught how to rustle up some of his signature dishes, like yum makuapow (grilled eggplant salad with tiger prawns) as well as fabulous desserts like kanom dok mali (jasmine flower panna cotta). They will kick off at 10 am and be followed by a set lunch.

FOOD & DRINKS

F ood & D rinks | R estaurant R eview

MEAL Deals

Dine in the dark Restaurant review by Max Crosbie-Jones

April 1 & April 8 – Fun April @ the Square Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square [map 4 / D 5] 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6, Rama I Rd | 02-209-8888 | www.novotel.com Chocolate is on the cards at the Novotel on Siam Square this month. Cocoa-based sweet treats will feature in the Chocoholic Brunch on April 1, and chocolate bunnies, eggs and bells in the Easter brunch on April 8. The pricing is family-friendly, too: adults pay B 899++, 12 –16 yr old’s feast at half price, under 12’s eat free when with two paying adults. Until April 30 – Wrap’n Roll Thai Fusion Wraps Thara Thong Restaurant at Royal Orchid Sheraton [map 5 / C 2] 2 Charoen Krung Rd Soi 30 | 02-266 9214 | www.royalorchidsheraton.com At Thara Thong is revamping Royal Thai cuisine with a selection of handprepared wraps and rolls. Enjoy fresh twists on classic flavours, like crispy duck breast wrap with tortilla, spring onion and sweet sauce, while you sit on the patio above the river or inside the restaurant’s air-conditioned teak pavilion. Daily 6 pm – 10:30 pm, wraps start from B 320++. Until April 30 – Buy 1 Get 1 Dinner Buffets Mistral at Pullman Bangkok Hotel G [map 5 / G 8] 188 Silom Rd | 02-238-1991 | www.sofitel.com The hotel’s all-day diner is offering buy 1 get 1 free on its dinner buffet (6 -11 pm daily). Opt for the food only for B 899 net, or enjoy it with free flow Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon for B1,2999 net. Between Tue – Sat they have different themes: Wagyu (Tue), Asian delights (Thu), seafood and chocolate (Fri) and fresh seafood (Sat).

In this new restaurant, old socks dangle from the chandeliers and a nude statue of Elvis sits in one corner. Or maybe not. The truth is you’ll never ever know, because the only thing you see from start to finish is absolutely nothing – complete darkness.

Soon enough you begin to calm down and enjoy yourself. Sort of. The whole experience was for me an adrenaline rush, a slightly unsettling journey into the unknown, and yet chatting to our waiter Khun Gap, a student who works here part-time, was an inspiration (in a nice touch, 10% of the proceeds go to a blind charity). I also found sitting in a void In the past few years, sightless dining has spread worldwide, liberating. No one is going to think you’re a loon if you use beginning in Switzerland back in 1999 before popping up your napkin as a turban for example, or, as we did, have a in Paris, London, the US and then Asia. Benjamin Baskins, celebratory shimmy around the table. one of the partners behind Southeast Asia’s first stab in the dark, sampled most of them during the planning stages, Revelling in the fact that you no longer need to confirm to plucking the best elements of each, losing the worst. fine-dining conventions is only one small part of it though. What we didn’t see coming was how the loss of sight changBut enough about the background. Here’s how it works: es how you respond and interact with food. Unable to idenon arrival at the restaurant’s nightclub-like reception area, a tify the dishes in front of us, we were forced to sniff it, finger friendly hostess asks you to pick your mystery three-course it and then gingerly taste it. Our salad, main and dessert set menu (Thai or international B 850, vegetarian B 750). were all tasty enough (we’re won’t reveal the dishes, that Then, you meet your visually impaired waiter for the night would be the dine-in-the-dark equivalent of a plot-spoiler) and are led by them, past thick curtains, in to the pitch black. but we honestly didn’t detect the heightened taste that othIf that sounds like a case of the blind leading the blind, it’s ers report. Or maybe we did but our other senses were just not – they know exactly where they’re going and soon too amped up for us to notice. enough you’ve tottered nervously to your table. Or what In a couple of months the owners will add a visually stimulatfeels like one at least. The first few minutes are spent in a ing lounge area where you can reflect on your experience sort of excitable panic, fumbling your way around the table with other diners afterwards. But for now you emerge back and chair, patting the cutlery, glasses and if you’re not careful into the entranceway with a sense that you’ve seen the light the hand of your fellow diner or face of your waiter. – in more ways than one. getting there

Ongoing – Seafood Extravaganza Espresso at Intercontinental Bangkok [map 4 / H 4] 973 Ploenchit Rd | 02-656 0444 | www.dining-experience.com Spoil yourself on Friday or Saturday evenings with the finest foods the oceans can muster: Pacific Oysters, Scottish salmon, pacific Snowfish, Chilean brown and King crab, etc. Priced at B1,699++ (inclusive of coffee, tea and still water, B 749 for under 12 yr olds) this offer includes cooked to order delicacies from Chinese, Japanese and Western themed cooking stations plus desserts and French cheeses.

Dine in the Dark [MAP5 / G 7] 2 nd F, The Ascott Hotel 187 Sathorn Tai Rd, near Soi 9 BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-676-6676 www.didexperience.com 7:30 – 11 pm, entry time 7:30 – 8:30 pm

แอสคอทท์ สาธร บางกอก ถ.สาธรใต้

Ongoing – Tempting Pasta Tuesdays Brio at Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa [map 2 / C 10] 257/1-3 Charoennakorn Rd | Thonburi | 02-476-1120 | www.anantara.com As if the riverside location weren't tempting enough, Anantara’s Brio Italian Restaurant is making Tuesdays even more appealing with its B 399++ all-you-caneat pasta and salad buffet. In the restaurant’s faux Tuscan-villa setting, expect to find dishes ranging from vegetarian ravioli with tomato and parmesan sauce to baked pasta of the day. Free flow soft drinks are included. Ongoing - 55 Minute Business Lunch Fifty Five Steakhouse at Centara Grand at CentralWorld [map 4 / F 3] 999/99 Rama 1 Rd | 02-100-1234 | www.centarahotelsresorts.com Five is now a lucky number for steak lovers on a tight schedule. Fifty Five, the steakhouse on the 55th floor of Centara Grand at CentralWorld, has just started serving a three course business lunch: healthy salad, main of your choice, plus dessert. They promise to serve it all quickly, in 55 minutes, so that the execs among you can be back at your desk on time. Mon – Fri 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; the price is B1,055++.

5 6 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 5 7

FOOD & DRINKS

F ood & D rinks | R estaurant R eview

getting there

Benihana [map 2 / C 10] Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa 257 Charoen Nakhon Rd | 02-476-0022 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 6 pm – 10:30 pm

getting there

Khua Kling pak Sod

Khua kling pak sod [MAP3 / R 3] 98/1 Thong Lor Soi 5 (Sukhumvit Soi 55) 02-185-3977 | 11 am – 2 pm; 6 pm – 10 pm

Restaurant review by Max Crosbie-Jones | Photos by Dejan Patic

Restaurant review by Howard Richardson

This Southern Thai restaurant is a family affair. It was when we checked out the original branch on Sukhumvit Soi 40, and it remains so at the house they’ve since relocated to on Thonglor Soi 5. Nope, other than more space and the addition of a small garden area, nothing much has changed here – and that’s a good thing.

All of these staples deserve a place in a Southern spread. While we’re on the subject, if you’re new to Southern food you may have heard that it’s all hot-hot-hot. It’s true, it often is, but there’s more to it than that. As is the case with all of Thailand’s regional cuisines, a southern meal is about balance, not punishing your tastebuds with plate after plate of unremittingly spicy food, as some naysayers would have Antiques, family heirlooms and Gustav Klimt prints still give you believe. the dining room a classy but homey feel, the English-speaking son and daughter still work here in their spare time, Other dishes at Khua Kling Pak Sod that won’t leave you Aunty is still on cooking duties, and the family matriarch still furiously dabbing your brow include the bai leang pad khai sits at her wooden desk, in front of a huge photo of her late (stir-fried bai leang leaves with egg; B120), a mild, simple husband looking dapper in his youth. More importantly, the dish that works as a palliative for mouth burn; and the Southern food is still as good as we remember – colourful, moreish moo oong (B140): a sweet, brown, smooth curry intense, made with love. primed with fatty strips of pork and fragrant with star anise. Dishes that might include the khua kling moo (a dry, fragrant The menu lists 21 Southern dishes, most of them family recpork curry flecked with fine strips of kaffir lime leaf and tiny ipes. On past trips we’ve enjoyed plates of their dainty tod birds eye chills – watch out!; B150); and the gaeng bpu bai khamin (fried fish with turmeric and garlic; price varies); the cha-pu (a delicate yellow crab curry with a spicy aftertone tongue-scouring hot kaeng lueang pla (the classic fish and that builds and builds; B350). bamboo shoot yellow curry, B180); and the khao yam (a rice and fresh vegetable salad that’s often eaten in the morn- Should you want to mix things up a bit, half the menu is ings, B120). We also remember their sataw phad kapi goong devoted to Central Thai food, all of it well done – but for (stir-fried stink bean, prawns and shrimp paste; B180), and us this is a place to delve into the flavours of the Deep enjoying every last bitter-sweet spoonful (for us it’s a must- South. The welcome is warm, the prices reasonable, and try though not everyone will agree – it’s an acquired taste). the slow-cooked food bold and fresh. คั่วกลิ้ง ผักสด ทองหล่อ ซ.5

5 8 | A pril 2 0 1 2

benihana

bangkok101.com

By boat from Saphan Taksin is the most relaxing way to travel to Benihana, the newly refurbished Japanese restaurant at the Anantara Resort, which might come in handy as this is far from the most relaxing dinner. Rather, it’s a family-friendly approach that throws in theatrics with the sushi rolls. A pre-meal sake cocktail (B 290++) is a good way to get in the mood.

courses, the foie gras first covered in a very sweet seaweed sauce. Between times the server tosses an egg into the air and catches it in his top pocket. Finish with Mount Fuji (B 225++), which is like baked Alaska with uncooked meringue, flambéed in sambucca.

Benihana is fun dining: great for the kids, but – depending on your taste in women (or men) – not necessarily a Criss-crossed iron girders divide the sprawling restaurant romantic date. into several areas, most of which have teppanyaki grill staรร.อนันตรา กรุงเทพฯ ริเวอร์ไซด์ รีสอร์ทแอนด์สปา ถ.เจริญนคร tions that double as a stage from which your server not only cooks your food but also juggles his flippers, forks and pepper pots and performs magic tricks that might delight the kids. Do they hire chefs and train them to be circus acts or the other way round? It’s hard to tell. The food is straightforward Japanese with a few Thai touches to suit the local market, such as a nam phrik dip on the side and Si Racha sauce incorporated into the signature Samurai rolls (B 450++) with Maine lobster tempura, avocado, asparagus and masago, all encrusted with toasted almonds. As your server chops and tosses vegetables to accompany the hibachi Atlantic salmon (B 950++), he chants to himself, rattles salt pots against the grill sides and clatters his metal spatula, which sings through the air, so there’s a soundtrack, too. He asks whether you want the salmon medium or well done. Everything comes medium or well done. Even the Chateaubriand, foie gras, white asparagus and black truffle sauce (B1,750++), a dish served as two separate bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 5 9

FOOD & DRINKS

F ood & D rinks | R estaurant R eview

Na aroon

thara thong

Na Aroon, at the lovely Ariyasomvilla boutique hotel, has been our favourite upscale vegetarian for a while now. Ever since we first clapped eyes on it in fact. One of the most authentically classic dining rooms in town, it’s a bright, woody space where rotating ceiling fans, teardrop chandeliers and tall teak shutters that open on to the hotel's tropical garden whisk you back to the 1940s (when it was built).

Offering traditional décor, lovely service, real Thai flavours and views of the bustling Chao Phraya River, Thara Thong ticks all the boxes for a Thai supper to remember. The spacious venue at the Royal Orchid Sheraton hotel boasts a mix of traditional Thai fare and modern interpretations, plus an elegant yet cozy Lanna-style interior dressed in dark teak wood and carvings. Shoes are removed and discreetly stowed away before you climb into sunken dining tables with traditional pillows that offer maximum comfort. As for the staff, they impart excellent recommendations when you ask, shuffle around silently, clearing away dishes or topping up glasses, when you don’t.

Restaurant review by Yvonne Liang

Restaurant review by Max Crosbie-Jones

Every time we walk in here for lunch this setting charms us all over again. And it appears to have the same effect on other people too, as there’s always an affluent cross-section of the city who all look very chuffed to be here, from nattering Japanese expat ladies to groups of important looking Thai matriarchs and, of course, hotel guests.

getting there

Na aroon [map 3 / A 5] 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Sukhumvit Rd BTS Ploenchit | 02-254-8880 | www.ariyasom.com 6:30 am – 11 pm; last order 10 pm

Or maybe it’s just that the food’s good. The owner David Lees is a wholefood fanatic, always baking up new puddings and tarts and heading up to Or Tor Kor market to source fresh, seasonal ingredients. As for the small matter of a foreigner making local food, David knows a thing or two about Thai food’s medicinal properties, but the purists among you will be pleased to hear that the chef in the kitchen, Khun Karan, is a local. Most things here sound and look tempting, from the quiches to the pad thai malagor (stir-fried raw papaya, instead of the usual noodles, served with a pleasantly sweet tamarind sauce) and delectable (if a tad oversweet) puddings like the apple crumble, but this month you might want to beat the heat with the seven-dish summer menu. It includes khao kluk laab (spicy, stir-fried mushroom and rice, B165++) and kuay deow luey suan (fresh vegetable spring rolls served with spicy dipping sauce, B145++), and more participatory dishes that involve a bit of D.I.Y., such as the kanom jeen (soft, lightly fermented rice noodles, B195++). The latter comes with bowls of cooling nam ya or sao nam sauce and a plate of raw condiments (diced ginger, garlic, chill, pineapple) that you sprinkle over the top before diving in. If you only pick only one dish though, make sure it’s a truly cooling seasonal special – khao chae (B250++, B290++; see p.64 for more).

Over the years, we’ve sampled nearly all the city’s riverside joints and we can say that Thara Thong is one of the best in the Thai fine-dining bracket. Head Chef Charoensri Vatanayut has been here almost as long as the hotel, and prides herself on her respect for tradition (although she does throw the odd culinary curveball in to the mix at times). Standouts from her curent menu include tortilla ped (crispy duck breast wrap with tortilla sheet, lettuce, cucumber and spring onion topped with sweet black sauce), which offers the perfect combination of contrasting textures from the soft tortilla and crispiness of the duck; and the poo nim pad pong karee (stir-fried soft shell crab with yellow curry sauce).

getting there

Thara Thong [map 5 / C 2] 2 nd F, Royal Orchid Sheraton 2 Charoen Krung Soi 30 (Captain Bush Lane) Si Phraya Pier | 02-266-0123-3213 vwww.royalorchidsheraton.com/tharathong 6– 10:30 pm

Come here next month and should definitely also order in the mieng kham. This healthy, do-it-yourself appetizer entails wrapping ginger, peanuts, cubes of fresh lime, shallot dried shrimp, coconut flakes and chili peppers in a fresh kale leave and biting into it for an exotic taste explosion. รร.รอยัล ออร์คิด เชอราตัน ถ.เจริญกรุง ซ.30

Traditionally food for the Royal court, a set here includes a bowl of fragrant, candle-scented chilled rice alongside a plate of six side-dishes, each one with an unusual texture and flavour of its own. Peeking out from between these elaborate works of art – balls of mock-shrimp paste, green chillis stuffed with tofu and encased in crispy egg shrouds, sweet radish sautéed in caramel sauce, etc – are pieces of raw vegetables that have been carved to resemble flowers. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Na Aroon serves some of the tastiest reasons we know of for lopping meat out of your diet. Try it, you might love it. อริยศรมวิลล่า ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.1 6 0 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 6 1

FOOD & DRINKS

F ood & D rinks | B runch R eview

getting there

sri

sri [map 3/ O 9] K-Village | Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 089-923-5477 BTS Phrom Phong | www.kvillagebangkok.com 9:30 am – 8:30 pm

Sweet treat review by Pattarasuda Prajittanond

Located at the otherwise chichi K-Village, this simple open-air shop features traditional carved wooden designs and some of the most delicious desserts in town. Dan Bunnag, owner of Sri: Thai Delicatessen, is on a mission to preserve the nation’s best-loved desserts and snacks. When not in the kitchen, his team spends its time tracking down regional specialties, researching the recipes, and where to find the finest ingredients. Tasting sessions are then held until the dish is perfected.

but here is only made using natural ingredients. The ninelayered dish (nine is the most auspicious number in Thailand) made from coconut milk and sugar, draws its green hue from the extract of pandanus leaves. There’s also the unique candle-cooked kanom peia ob kwan tien (B70), a ping-pong sized ball of flour filled with crunchy soy beans that gives off a fragrant scent, and fuk tong sang khaya (B150), a giant-sized pumpkin pudding perfect for any celebration or holiday gift (only made on Saturdays and Sundays, or to order).

If your sweet tooth only goes so far, then opt for one of their many snacks instead, such as kanom chor mouang (steamed flour sheets filled with minced pork and coarsely-ground peanuts that get their violet colour from the Anchan flower, B100) and Malay-influenced curry puff (B25). Bunnag and his crew also have the ideal refreshments made from local herbs, including luo hang guay – a sugar-free fruit juice, as well as other favourites including gek huay (chrysanthemum However, the highlight at Sri is their kanom chun (B70), a tea), all yours for just B25. They go down a treat. dessert that can be found almost anywhere in the kingdom, There’s a fascinating story behind every bite. Khao tom mud (B25), for instance, is a sticky rice-based sweet historically served to monks when they emerged from the monastery, following their confinement for the three months of lent. To make the dish, fried sticky rice is cooked with coconut milk, mixed with banana, topped with black beans, wrapped with banana leaves and then steamed before serving.

ร้านศรี เค วิลเลจ สุขุมวิท ซ.26

6 2 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 6 3

FOOD & DRINKS

F ood & D rinks | K hao C hae 1 0 1

A handful of traditional restaurants will be serving khao chae sets throughout the hot season. Here are a few of them:

Throughout April

Benjarong [MAP 5 / L 6]

Dusit Thani Bangkok 946 Rama IV Rd | BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom 02-200-9000 | www.dusit.com 11:30 am – 2 pm; 6 pm – 10 pm 13 – 19 April

Four Seasons Hotel [MAP 4 / g 6] 155 Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Ratchadamri 02-126-8866-1233 www.fourseasons.com/bangkok 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 6 pm – 10:30 pm Ongoing

Lai Ros [MAP 3 / O 4]

120/4 – 5 Sukhumvit Soi 49, opposite Samitvej Hospital BTS Phrom Phong | 02- 391-3193 | 11 am – 10 pm Throughout April

Khao Chae 101 Lifting the lid on Thailand’s cooling summer specialty

ver the years the Thais have devised numerous ways to beat the heat, from lobbing water over one another (this month) to spending much of their time in air-conditioned malls (every month). One of the tastiest is a sumptuous rice dish called khao chae.

Comprised of rice (khao) soaked (chae) in icy water and served with a selection of traditional side dishes, this elaborate summer delicacy is said to have been used during the reign of King Rama II to help him regain his appetite during the oppressive heat of summer. Not until the reign of King Rama V (1868 – 1910), however, did word of its popularity as a coolant spread outside the palace walls. As for its true origins, these are thought to be traceable to the Mon, a tribe who occupied the Central Plains and would offer it the female guardian spirit of Songkran, the Thai New Year which falls this month.

Na Aroon [MAP 3 / A 5] (vegetarian sets only)

Ariyasom Villa Hotel 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Sukhumvit Rd BTS Ploenchit | 02-254-8880 www.ariyasom.com | 6:30 am – 11 pm banyan tree

banyan tree

12 – 18 April

Romsai Restaurant [MAP 5 / L 8] a candle scented with a fragrance that’s often used in Thai desserts. The pot is then covered and left so that the fumes of the candle and oils of the flower permeate the water. A short while later, the rice is then sprinkled with the fragrant water, steamed and then served in a bowl of it along with crushed ice and yet more jasmine and rose petals.

If the rice sounds labour-intensive, it’s nothing compared to the sides that come with it. Offering a potpourri of flavours and textures, these elaborate dishes typically include deepfried shrimp balls, sweet dried turnips, deep-fried shallots with shredded pork, and neua waan, or caramelised strips of beef. Another favourite is steamed green chili stuffed with minced pork and shrouded in battered egg. Accompanying them usually is raw fruit and veg to nibble on, such as carrot, green mango, cucumber and krachai, or Chinese ginger. To prettify the dish so that its worthy of a place on the royal dinThe painstaking preparation process, and its regal back-story, ing table, these are often chiseled into ornamental shapes, explains why it tends only to be served in upmarket Thai ressuch as lilies and flowers. Just how refreshing is it? You'll taurants. The boiled rice is easy enough to prepare, but the never know until you've tried it. jasmine-scented water is a different story. Water is added to a pot, along with fresh jasmine, rose petals and a tien hom,

Banyan Tree Bangkok 21/100 Sathorn Tai Rd BTS Chong Nonsi / MRTLumphini 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com 6 am – 10:45 am; noon – 2:30 pm, 6pm – 11 pm

until May 15

Sala Rim Nam [MAP 5 / B 4] Mandarin Oriental 48 Oriental Avenue | 02-659-9000 www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok 12 pm – 3 pm; 5 pm – 11 pm Ongoing

Thanying [MAP 5 / E 5]

10 Pramuan Rd, between Silom Soi 17 and 19 BTS Surasak | 02-236-4361 | www.thanying.com 11:30 am – 11 pm

four seasons 6 4 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 6 5

FOOD & DRINKS

ealtike

Nym

F ood & D rinks | R estaurant R eview

Street Food Hotspots

Our roving eater Nym knows her local grub inside out – and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the city’s next delectable morsel …

Honey Glazed Roast Duck Believe it or not, my favourite way of rounding off a walk around the old town is with a meal, as many of the shophouse kitchens in the area are among the best in town. One stretch where you’ll find a lot is on Dinso Road, a short walk down from the Democracy monument, directly opposite Bangkok City Hall. This illustrious area has been sating the locals for delicious delicacies for decades, my pick this month, Tian Song Ped Yang, included. For more than 60 years it’s been dishing out ped yang, honey glazed roast duck, according to the original owner’s recipe, which I’m told hails from Hong Kong. I’m a fan of the crispy skin and succulently soft meat, of course, but it’s the seductive aroma and fruit-tinged flavour of the sauce that gets me every time. They’re hard to pick out exactly, but I think the secret ingredients are five spices (palo powder), honey, salt and Chinese fruit whiskey sauce. Besides duck, Tian Song also serves moo ping (tender BBQ pork) and moo krob (three-layers of crispy pork) too – two dishes that my friends love as much as the duck. Follow my lead and order one of each along with plain rice. Don’t expect much in the way of ambiance – the focus here is on the eating. That said, watching the local folks flow in and out as the old ladies in aprons loudly chop, cook and chat, does have a certain charm to it.

getting there

tian song ped yang [map 7 / h 8] 168-172 Dinsor Rd (between Giant Swing and Democracy Monument, opposite Bangkok City Hall) | 8 am – 8:30 pm

SUKHUMVIT SOI 38 [map 3 / S 7] Directly beneath BTS Thong Lo station, the mouth of this soi fills up with food vendors selling late-night delicacies to passing commuters. Sample the delicate, handmade egg noodles, or Hong Kong noodles; and never head home without trying the sticky rice with mango. SURAWONG [map 5 / J 4] A long row of street vendors offers special noodle dishes along this street near Patpong Night Market. Be sure to try the stewed chicken noodles in herbal soup in front of the Wall Street Building. Stalls are open from 10 pm until 4 am. CORNER OF SILOM / CONVENT [map 5 / J 5] The stalls at the mouth of Soi Convent are popular with inebriated night crawlers; but it’s the B10 sticks of moo ping (grilled pork) served by one rotund, Zen master vendor that are justly famous. Go before the bars close (about 2 – 3 am) to avoid the queues.

เทียนซ้งเป็ดย่าง ถ.ดินสอ

PRATUNAM [map 4 / G 2] Midnight khao mun gai (Hainanese chicken rice)! There are two shops at the intersection of Pratunam (on corner of Petchaburi Rd, Soi 30); the first one is brighter and good, but if you like your sauce authentic – with lots of ginger – go to the second one. Also, try the pork satay with peanut sauce. CHINATOWN [map 6 / H, J 3] Shops fill the streets after dark. There’s an amazing range to sample, but a must-try for seafood fans is the vendor at the corner of Soi Texas. A bit farther on the other side of the street you can get delicious egg noodles with barbecued pork. For dessert, try fantastic black sesame seed dumplings in ginger soup next door. SOI RAMBUTRI (NEAR KHAOSAN) [map 7 / F,G5] Many a hangover has been stopped in its tracks after a pre-emptive bowl of jok moo (rice porridge with pork) from the stall in front of the Swensen’s ice cream parlour. Popular among tipsy Thai teenyboppers, this is just one of Soi Rambuttri’s many late night food stalls.

6 6 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 6 7

FOOD & DRINKS

Thai LAN NA THAI [MAP 3 / S 7] Face | 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 BTS Thong Lo | 02-713-6048 www.facebars.com 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 6 pm – 11 pm This proudly elegant restaurant / bar / spa venue has taken the Thai wooden house of yesteryear as its inspiration and muted, sensual opulence as its mantra. Everywhere you look there is a towering Buddha statute gazing back at you, or a lustrous silk wall hanging acting to be fondled. Teak fetishists should brace themselves. At Lan Na Thai delicacies from the Northern provinces are sprinkled throughout the menu like piquant confetti while assorted Thai standards bring substance to the party. Not everything on the menu is a screaming success but the Chiang Mai sausage, colourfully laced with chilli and garlic, is exquisite while the steamed sea bass with lime juice and chilli is huge, fluffy and damn neat perfect. The soft shell crab, meanwhile, is juice, oily and lip-smackingly moreish and – if your credit has not been overly crunched, the mango cheesecake is what dreams are made of. Very naughty dreams. ล้านนาไทย ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.38

6 8 | A pril 2 0 1 2

F ood & D rinks | R estaurants

TAKSURA [MAP 4 / B 2] 334/1 Soi Thammasaroj, Saphan Chalerm Lar 56, Phayathai Rd BTS Ratchathewi | 02-215-8879 www.taksura.com | 5 pm – 1 am Taksura attracts a mixed crowd: office workers, high-school students, university undergraduates and foreign travellers all flock here to enjoy reasonably-priced food in a fantastic setting. Diners have the option of sitting inside the old wooden house (seats 20) or on the outdoor terrace, which has space for 10 or so customers. The menu is straightforward, clearly divided into gin kum kum (starters), ao nuk nuk (mains), and lastly – and this probably explains the universal attraction – ‘Drink ‘til Drop’. Indeed, the entire food menu merely serves as a prelude to the alcoholic accompaniment, no surprise when you realise that in Thai ‘Tak’ means ladle and ‘Sura’ is liquor. Still, there are a number of must-try dishes, including pla shon boran (‘Serpent Head’ fish mixed with Thai herbs), kor moo yang (fried marinated pork) and yum tua ploo (fresh wing bean salad served with hard-boiled egg). All use fresh ingredients and come in perfect sharing sized portions. With its relaxed vibe and funseeking crowd, this is the place to head to for an evening of dinner and drinks. Come before 7 pm to reserve a table on Friday and Saturday nights when the live acoustic

band performs and the crowd sings along. It’s that type of place. ตักสุรา สาขาสะพานหัวช้าง ถ.พญาไท TONGUE THAI [mAP 5 / C4] 18 – 20 Charoen Krung 38, Bangrak BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-630-9918-9 11 am – 2 pm; 5 pm – 10:30 pm Ignore the goofy name, and wind your way through the riverside streets near the Oriental to this charming two-floor shophouse decorated with rustic, old-Siam objects d’art. In a neighbourhood dominated by nosebleed-priced hotel dining, Tongue Thai offers a welcome alternative – affordable farang-sized portions of zesty Thai food without the farang-sized taste. Take your time to page through the huge menu, and you’ll find culinary representatives from all the major regions of Thailand – try the Isaan appetizer combination, with its tangy sausage and chilli spiked green papaya salad. Also recommended: the huge helping of soft-shell crab stir-fried with curry powder, which replaces the graininess of many restaurants’ versions with an addictive savoury smoothness. Tongue Thai is proud of its unapologetic approach to Thai spicing, so make sure to inform the staff of any chili susceptibilities from the very beginning. ทังก์ไทย เจริญกรุง ซ.38

bangkok101.com

Lan na Thai

Southern Thai PHUKET TOWN [MAP 3 / R 3] 160/8 Thong Lor Soi 6 (Sukhumvit 55) BTS Thong Lo | 02-714-9402 10:30 am – 10 pm Marked out by a distinctive bright yellow frontage, coloured glass windows and a hand-painted mural of its namesake, Phuket Town stands apart from anything else Thong Lor has to offer for another reason: its food. Run by Phuket native Ketsakorn ‘Kitty’ Kiattikul, the menu reflects the island’s colourful heritage, a mixture of Thai, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British and French influences – not to mention the Malays, from whom the island takes its name (‘Bukit’ means hill in Bahasa Melayu). A converted shophouse, the restaurant’s exterior resembles a classic Phuket Peranakan home; dwellings known for their ornate touches and SinoPortuguese influence. Pushing in through the small wooden doors, you enter a small space filled with vintage wooden furnishing,

bangkok101.com

taksura

seating for 30, and a hand-painted wall-size mural depicting shophouses along Phuket’s Thalang Road. Although spice levels have been diluted slightly for Bangkok tastes, the menu retains a faithful array of southernstyle dishes and ingredients. Kitty’s mum – who still resides in Phuket – sends up shipments of hard-to-find fish, herbs, vegetables and spices twice a week. These include the excellent deep-fried sea bream with turmeric (pla sai, B 70). Edible from its head to its tail, this crunchy critter is a Phuket specialty; as is their take on khanom jeen nam ya poo (B130), a rich, coconut milk crabmeat curry served with bean sprouts, green beans, cucumber, pineapple, anchovies and deep-fried chillies. Though this is normally served with the full crab claw, the sweet meat is removed prior to serving to cater to the big city preference for convenience. The steamed fish balls (B120) are also a must-try; larger than the street side variety, they go down perfectly with the accompanying hot chili sauce. Finish up with a helping of oh-aew (jellied banana-flour mixed with boiled red bean, ice, and sweet red syrup, B 55). Sweet and refreshing, it

phuket town

closely resembles the classic Malaysian dessert, eis cendol. Reflecting on the island’s cultural heritage, it’s a fitting way to end things. ภูเก็ตทาวน์ ทองหล่อ ซ.6

Lao / ISAN Isan Rot Det [MAP 8 / K 10] 3/5-6 Rangnam Rd BTS Victory Monument | 02-246-4579 10:30 am – 10 pm Steering clear of shabby restaurants is downright bonkers in Bangkok – a city where the best food often hails from cartson-wheels. Proving our point is this gritty, open-sided Isaan (northeastern cuisine) restaurant with zilch-atmosphere but a lot going on in the taste department. Ask for the English menu or just point at what the locals nursing whisky sodas are gobbling. And don’t be surprised when a boat of raw crunchy herbs and veg arrives unannounced on your table: munching these

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 6 9

FOOD & DRINKS

aubergine

takes the edge off – and enhances – the kitchen’s darn fiery spicings. Every dish suggests this is one of the most unadulterated Isaan joints in town; whether it’s the gai yang (grilled chicken), the gaeng om (a cleansing, earthy herbal soup), the shallot and mint-leaf studded lab moo (spicy minced pork salad), or one of the many varieties of blistering hot som tum (spicy papaya salad). Easy on the wallet, if not on the eye, Isaan Rot Det is the ideal place for Thai food daredevils bored with flavours tamed. An invigorating spice-high (and sweaty brow) is guaranteed. อีสานรสเด็ด ซ.รางน้ำ�

FRENCH

F ood & D rinks | re S taurants

chez papé

CHEZ PAPÉ [MAP 3 / C 5] 110/1 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-255-2492 | Mon – Sat 5 pm – midnight; Sun 11 am – 11 pm Montand, de Gaulle, and Juliette Greco… they’re all here in photos on the walls, along with a bike, a tuba, an old wireless radio and the crucial blackboard menu. Waiters in berets and hoopy French sailors’ tops flit from the bar as low key vocals à la Piaf fill the air. Chez Papé has just a touch of the theme pub in its DNA. But it’s pleasing on the eye, and they’ve managed a homey ambiance for decent food at very fair prices. Slow cooked leg of ham in hay comes as three tender rough hewn slices that give satisfying bite, simply served with cornichons and garnish. I couldn’t detect any effects of hay, but it looks good on the menu and delivers on taste. Crucially for such a simple dish, the crispy crusted bread and demi-sel butter are good quality, too. Among the mains there’s a satisfying lamb stew, lightly herbed and well presented in a wide brimmed bowl dusted with paprika. The neat little wine list has a choice of grapes from several regions, not only French, and three each of white and red by the glass (B145-B160), also available by 46cl carafe (B495-B590). Bottles run from B890. A good dessert pick is café gourmand – a shot of espresso and three decent sized shallow ramekins of ile flotante, crème brulée (not too sweet, crust not too thick) and chocolate mousse. Finish with a digestif, perhaps calvados or aged plum brandy. While there’s a sense the kitchen might be stretched if Chez Papé gets busy, it serves up good bistro food and old-fashioned hospitality. You leave feeling sated and warm.

AUBERGINE [MAP 5 / L 6] 71/1 Soi Sala Daeng 1/1 BTS Saladaeng / MRT Silom | 02-234-2226 11 am – 2:30 pm; 6 pm – 11:30 pm Poised on a quiet sub-soi between casual Saladaeng and the elegant hotels of Sathorn, Aubergine splits the difference and comes out cozy and classy. A beautifully preserved home with modern touches – warm yellow walls, a curvaceous bar, generous outdoor seating, and chic private rooms. The food is traditional, but not stodgy – Aubergine boasts tantalizing French and Italian. The lobster bisque is light and tastes like pure concentrate of the sea – potent, rich, but playing on the tongue. Handmande pastas provide such excellent counterpoints to fresh sauces – a robust fish ragout cut with the nutty assertiveness of rocket, for example. Meat entrées are conceived and เชส ปาเป่ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 executed with similar care. The lamb rack is one standout – tender, smoky, and accompanied by a meltingly rich gratin dauphinois and a delectable ratatouille. A fine wine International list and sophisticated, not-too-sweet desserts round out the offerings at Aubergine, CRÊPES & CO. [MAP 3 / F 7] where haute can be homey after all. 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 12 โอเบอร์จีน ซ.ศาลาแดง 1/1 BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit 02-251-2895 | www.crepes.co.th 7 0 | A pril 2 0 1 2

crepes & co.

Mon – Sat 9 am – midnight; Sun from 8 am This cosy little oasis, with its quiet tropical garden, makes for a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of nearby Sukhumvit Road. Crêpes & Co’s popularity is evidenced by the teeming weekend brunch crowd, from tables of families to groups of hipsters nursing hangovers. The eclectic variety of crêpes, served by attentive wait staff donning sailor garb, may just transport you to Brittany, but crêpes are just the beginning at this Bangkok institution. Patrons can also feast on a unique array of authentic Mediterranean fare inspired by family recipes - the French owner was raised in Greece, Spain and Morocco. A full menu of superb salads, exotic treats like couscous and authentic tajine-braised dishes (glazed claypots, f red stovetop) and build-em-yourself brunch combos, available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. แอนด์ โค ถ.สุขุมวิท 12

INDIAN Rang Mahal [MAP 3 / J 7] Rembrandt Hotel | 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-261-7100-7532 www.rembrandtbkk.com 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 6 pm – 11 pm Ask any Bangkokian to point you to the city’s best Indian restaurant and you’ll end up here. Occupying the hotel’s top floor, Rang Mahal offers up haute Northern Indian cuisine in heavy carpeted surroundings that somehow lose out to the panoramic wall of glass offering sweeping views over Bangkok’s skyline. A team of four top Indian chefs keep a close eye on the quality of ingredients, from homemade yoghurt and paneer cheeses to spices mixed inhouse, so expect a fulfilling feast. Dishes are rich, and are served on copperware from tableside trolleys to the accompaniment of live music, both Bollywood hits and classical Indian. It’s worth calling ahead to order the near-perfect Leg of Lamb or satellite dishsized “family nan”. The rogan josh kashmiri bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 7 1

FOOD & DRINKS

la bottega di luca

is a lamb curry to die for. You can pair all their curries with a nice German Riesling. Lunch sets are a good value, as is the popular Sunday brunch buffet. Don’t miss the lassies. รร.แรมแบรนด์ สุขุมวิท ซ.18

ITALIAN

F ood & D rinks | re S taurants

bonchon chicken

lush leather sofas. The menu is simple, a nofrills selection featuring a healthy sampling of homemade pastas, fresh-baked breads, pastries and more. Stand-outs include grilled scamorza (smoked mozzarella cheese) wrapped in speck ham and topped with sautéed mushrooms. The Risotto di Luca, is the chef ’s own take on what Italians do best with rice, in this case with a delicate crust of aged black truffle cheese and a lightly-spiced pancetta. Save room for the chocolate mouse with grappa, a dessert and digestive in the same tender bite. On weekdays housewives from the nearby Japanese enclave near Thong Lo flock for the smartly-priced lunch sets (B390++). The wine cellar is home to over 250, mostly Italian, labels. It’s a memorable gastro night out, and if you’re planning on entertaining at home, it’s all available for take out in the deli (including the wine).

LA BOTTEGA DI LUCA [MAP 3 / P 5] Terrace 49 Bldg | Sukhumvit Soi 49 BTS Thong Lo | 02-204-1731 Tue – Sun 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 11 pm When a restaurant is born of a deli, one thing you can count on is that the goods are fresh. And here, in this trendy, architecturally unique lifestyle complex at the corner of Sukhumvit 49/1, the Italian deli downstairs อาคารเทอเรซ 49 หัวมุมสุขุมวิท 49/1 is the direct supply link for the restaurant above. The cosy dining space with wooden floors has nine tables looking out of glass walls to an outdoor terrace complete with KOREAN

7 2 | A pril 2 0 1 2

catalana

BONCHON CHICKEN [MAP 3 / Q 1] 2nd F, Seenspace | Thong Lor Soi 13 BTS Thong Lo | 02-185-2361 www.facebook.com/bonchonthailand Sun – Thu 11 am – 11 pm; Fri & Sat 11 am – midnight Hailing from the South Korean city of Pusan, the first branch of BonChon Chicken opened there in 2002, serving up ‘healthier, crispier, and juicier’ chicken, with little grease and zero trans fats, and coated in either soy garlic or spicy soy garlic varieties. It quickly became a local favourite, with outlets opening all across the East Asian country. By the end of 2007, BonChon had moved across the Pacific and opened up six restaurants in the northeastern United States. It soon had the American food critics raving, praising the crunchy and non-greasy chicken, usually served up with cubed pickled daikon radish, and best accompanied by beer or flavored glasses of the Korean spirit soju (or both). Two young Thai girls studying at university in the States, Polly Wongsirikul and Tanya Sripatamasakul, found themselves agreeing.

bangkok101.com

The successful result is a cool new spot in Thong Lor’s latest lifestyle mall, Seenspace. With almost a page to itself, item number one on the menu is BonChon chicken. First, you choose what part you want to eat (wings, drumsticks, boneless, or combo), and how many pieces you want (small B150, medium B230, or large B380), then select your flavour (soy garlic or hot), and finally your choice of side (coleslaw, kimchi coleslaw, rice or sticky rice; the latter a Thai addition to the menu). Of the additional choices, order up a serving of pickled radish for B40, as well as the fried potstickers (gyoza, B120), BonChon seasoned fries (B100); and if you’re into gristle, the chicken joints (soy garlic or hot, B120) make for a great appetiser to go with lychee soju. When the main event arrives, it doesn’t take more than a few bites to see what had the American media chomping at the bit: the coated meat of BonChon fried chicken is absolutely delicious, and, as advertised, is crispy without being greasy. Kamsamnida Korea, from now on we’ll never look at the dirty bird quite the same way again. ไก่บอนชอง ทองหล่อ ซ.13 (โครงการซีนสเสปส)

MIDDLE EASTERN NADIMO’S [mAP 5 / D 5] Baan Silom | Silom Soi 19 BTS Sala Daeng | 02-266-9081 www.nadimos.com | 11 am – midnight Sukhumvit Soi 3 is Bangkok’s MiddleEastern food mecca, but Nadimo’s offers an elegant alternative in a less earthy part of town: a shisha-smoke free dining room with stone-walls and an al fresco frontage

bangkok101.com

overlooking a quiet, faux-colonial mall strip. The waitstaff and flick-through photo menu here are a godsend for mezze novices. Both are quick to throw up suggestions – be it lamb schwarma, juicy skewers, stuffed vine leafs or glass of arak, the country’s aniseflavoured tipple, to wash them down with. Standouts include the mousakka made with eggplants and tomatoes. The hummus is also good, if too smooth and not garlicky or lemony enough. And you just know you’re onto a good thing when a gigantic bowl of fresh and pickled veg lands on your table with dips – for free! นาดิโมส์ บ้านสีลม สีลม ซ.19

SPANISH

venue’s biggest coup though is its location, set about 15 metres back from the clubby far end of Soi 11. Named after the reputed home of tapas, Northeast Spain’s Catalonia region, Catalana sits only a pitted olive’s throw from night spots Bed Supperclub and Q Bar – close enough for tipsy clubbers to totter across in their short skirts and high heels. The menu is split between tapas staples such as patatas bravas (B120), thick sliced sautéed choritzo (B145), Spanish omelette (B120) and Calamares Fritos (B155), and “not so traditional” like stuffed grapevine leaves (B190) and fluffily deepfried cheese puffs with gouda cheese and Serrano ham (B220, our hit of the night). Salads like the manchego cheese and apple, with its mixed leaves, pickled peppers and balsamic vinaigrette, are fresh and plucky. And there are cold cut and cheese platters, not to mention classic paellas. Baked in a rich seafood and saffron broth, ours was gigantic and copiously studded with prawns, calamari and soft shell crab (B 800) – worth the wait (it takes at least half an hour to bake). House wines start at B160 for a glass of South Australian Shiraz or Chardonnay, bottles from the diverse, 200-strong selection from B 725. Cliché it may well be, but you still can’t have a tapas bar without sangria (glass B195, 500 ml carafe B 600, 750 ml carafe B 800). Catalana’s three variations include a light, very drinkable rose one in addition to the usual red and white. Add DJs spinning house tunage from Thursday to Sunday, plus two free drinks for the ladies on Sunday nights between 9 and 11, and Catalana should be featuring in your night on the town very soon.

CATALANA [MAP 3 / C 4] 24/1 The Prime 11 | Sukhumvit Soi 11 BTS Nana | 02-651-0220 www.catalanatapasandwine.com 11 am – 1 am Clearly a big chunk of change has been spent creating this tapas and wine bar, the stylish lovechild of two big players in Bangkok’s foreigner orientated nightlife and restaurant industry: the Eclipse Group and the owners of Soi 11 stalwart, Q Bar. Housed beneath the Prime condominium, Catalana sports a sleek modern design (they call it “Barcelona chic”) and accents that pay homage to the surrealist design of iconic Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi – curvaceous banquettes, tables and overhead fixtures. On one side is a handsomely stocked wine cellar, at the far end a long glowing คัตทาลาน่า ทาปาส แอนด์ blue bar, and through the side doors on ไวน์ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 either side are fan-cooled outdoor smoking areas (Cubans available). Probably the

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 7 3

FOOD & DRINKS

getting there

Decanter

decanter [mAP 4 / G 7] 12th F, St. Regis | 159 Rajadamri Rd BTS Ratchadamri | 02-207-7888 www.stregis.com | 5:30 pm – 1:30 am

Wine review by Max Crosbie-Jones

Should you not come for the free-flow ‘Wine Experience’ (and, given the low price of the deal, it’s probably the management’s hope that you will do at some point) bottles start at B1,400, a glass from B 300. Arranged by grape varietals, the 250 plus labels range from vintage Bourdeauxs and classic Italians to New World bottles from Napa Valley and Australian vineyards. There are also à la carte dishes ranging It would be a corker of a four-hour deal even if the wine from pan-fried scallops (B 210) to gazpacho (B150), Angus weren’t any good. Which it is. Ok, so the truly exceptional beef tartar (B 220) and the St. Regis Wagyu burger (B 650) and pricey bottles here (the most expensive, a Cabernet available. Sauvignon from cult Napa Valley label Screaming Eagle, will set you back B 250,000) are well out of your reach, but our รร. เดอะ เซนต์ รีจิส กรุงเทพฯ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ visit still had us asking “what’s that?” on more than one occasion. Handpicked by the clued-up and animated Thai sommelier, the selection (five whites and five reds) changes each week, and is complimented by the aforementioned snacks, including a very in-demand cheeseboard. To lure guests into their clubby wine bar Decanter, the über-luxurious St. Regis Hotel came up with the ‘Wine Experience’. And it’s a crowd-pleaser: for just B 950++, you can enjoy free-flow new and old world wines, along with a well-stocked buffet of anti-pasti and tapas-style nibbles, on Wednesdays to Saturdays between 6 and 10 pm.

Then there’s Decanter itself: a hyper lavish, clubby space with the lights set very, very low. Towering wood doors, flanked on both sides by equally towering glass wine cellars, peel back to reveal a high-ceilinged space divided into three connecting chambers. Many of the features of a gentlemen’s smoky drawing room from the 1920s fill it – high-backed velvet armchairs, chandeliers, velvet wallpaper, tasseled lampshades, woven rugs – but the refined gleam, not to mention the sections of wall lined with backlit wine bottles, lend a 21st century feel. 74 | A pril 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com

Nightlife NEWS COCKTAIL MARATHON Here’s yet another good reason to steer your party plans towards Sukhumvit Soi 11 (as if you needed one). Until April 28, the W XYZ bar (Aloft Bangkok, 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-207-7000 | www.alofthotels.com/bangkoksukhumvit11) is offering non-stop signature molecular and traditional cocktails between 9pm-1am every Friday and Saturday. The price, just B 499 per person, also includes free snacks. Straight up, this is the most generously elongated happy hour we’ve come across. SUNSET SUNDAYS

one night in Bang kok THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART live at Sonic (full review on p.85)

More and more revelers are skipping the big Saturday night out and hitting chill and schmoozy Sunday afternoon parties instead, especially poolside ones. The latest offering, Sunset Sundays, is a once a month shindig (the next: April 29) located around the St. Regis Hotel’s sparkling fifteenth floor infinity pool. The cocktails flow courtesy of Joseph Boroski, the international bar consultant who brought us the very creative tipples at Clouds and Fat Gut’z (p.86), and the classic house tunes spun by Chilean DJ Danny Fry. We won’t call it an outright bargain until we’ve been, but on paper it certainly looks very good value for money, especially if you come between 4-5pm, when you can enjoy a one hour open bar and canapés for just B480. After 5pm you pay B480 for two drinks. That’s still good value as it includes use of the swimming pool and towels, not to mention splendid sunset views over the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. Advance reservations (call 02-207-7801 or email fb.bangkok@stregis.com) are recommended if you want a seat. OPPOSITE GOES LEFTFIELD, WTF TURNS TWO Pop-up event space Opposite (27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | oppositebangkok.com) will go all zany and leftfield on us on April 18 with a performance by Berbere Superstar. From 9pm this Boston-based composer and party maker will fuse his skills on the electric violin with electronic dance beats, traditional African music samples, handheld recordings, analog synthesizers and video backgrounds. Entry price: B 200. Towards the end of this month, its neighbour and sister venue, bohemian shophouse bar and gallery WTF (7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02-662-6246 | www.wtfbangkok.com), will celebrate its second anniversary with three days of cutting-edge arts events, performances, music and film. On Thursday April 26, the host of Bangkok Poetry Reading, Colin Cheney, will front a reading; and on April 27, WTF will cut the ribbon on a new floating sculpture exhibition by Sina Wittayawiroj. After that there’ll be a charity auction and party featuring live music and Hennessy VS cocktails. Celebrations wrap up on Saturday 28 with a screening of five short films by Thai and international filmmakers, plus a block party in the alley between the two venues. Expect a BBQ, local artisanal beer and experimental music from the owner of the record shop next door, DJ Maft Sai.

Nightlife

BED SUPPERCLUB

clubs BED SUPPERCLUB [map 3 / C 4] 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3537 www.bedsupperclub.com | 7:30 pm – 1 am With its uber-modern oval spaceship design, Bed Supperclub is a hugely successful hybrid, and a Bangkok icon: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past eight years, Bed has attracted a fashionable crowd, and with its à-la-page white interior is definitely a place to see and be seen. The food is world-class on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-notch talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Big-name DJs tend to spin on Thursdays, house and mash-up hip-hop rules on Friday, and Sunday mixes 1980 ’s pop hits with house music. เบด ซัปเปอร์คลับ สุขุมวิท ซ. 11 CLUB CULTURE [map 7 / J 7] Ratcha Damnoen Klang Rd (behind Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall) 089-497-8422 | www.club-culture-bkk.com Wed – Sat 8 pm – late Club Culture comes from the same brains behind the city’s annual dance music festival, Culture One. After being evicted from its original home, a former Thai theatre on Phaya Thai Road, it relocated to this gritty four-storey warehouse hidden away in the Old City in early 2010, much to the relief of its regulars – a cross-cultural mix of hipster Thais and discerning expats. Like the old days they promote new talent, while still bringing in the big guns, ensuring an eclectic roster of indie rock, drum’n’bass and house music of all genres. คลับ คัลเจอร์ ถ.ราชดำ�เนินกลาง (หลังนิทรรศ์รัตนโกสินทร์)

78 | APRIL 2012

N ightlife | C lubs

Demo

route 66

MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [map 4 / h 4] B1 F, President Tower Arcade (next to Gaysorn Plaza), 973 Ploenchit Rd www.mixx-discotheque.com B 350 | 10 pm until late Most of Bangkok’s after-hours clubs are slightly dodgy affairs, tucked away at the back of car parks or squalid backstreets. But Mixx, in the basement of an annex of the Intercontinental Hotel, is a bit classier. Inside it’s more sophisticated than the competition too: a dimly lit, two-room affair with chandeliers and paintings hanging here and there, and billowing sheets on the ceiling lending a desert tent feel. A mix of banquettes, stools and tall tables เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ. 10 surround its two heaving dancefloors, one playing commercial R&B and hip hop, the GLOW [Map 3 / G 5] other banging techno and house. Expect a 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 flirty, up-for-it crowd made up of colourful BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 characters from across the late-night party www. glowbkk.com | 6 pm – 1 am spectrum. The entry price is B350 for guys This boutique club / bar challenges Bang and B300 for girls. That includes a drink and, kok’s biggies when it comes to delivering as long as things go smoothly, the ability to innovative music from the world of undermake whoopie until nearly sunrise. ground electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, มิกซ์ ดิสโก้เทค กรุงเทพฯ ถ.เพลินจิต funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes ROUTE 66 [Map 8 / Q 12] night-tonight but always excludes hip-hop 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, MRT Phetchaburi | www.route66club.com B 200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais check Glow’s cool website. Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill โกลว์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 23 young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as its affectionately known, is INSOMNIA [Map 3 / F 7] RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There Sukhumvit Soi 12 (between Times Sq and are three zones to explore (four if you Soi 12) | BTS Nana / Asok count the toilets – probably the ritziest www.clubinsomniagroup.com in town), each with its own bar, unique In this busy after-hours joints, LED lasers look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the spin and twirl around a huge main room huge, all-lasers-blazing hip-hop room; with a giant disco ball at its centre, and ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and DJs spin electro house out of a throbbing Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. mounted speaker system. Some shady ladies Route is not a good place to lose your and their hangers-on do head here (do we friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy need to spell it out?), but unlike most of the around a table, be it inside or out on the big competition Insomnia is not wall-to-wall outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the swarming with them. Guys pay slightly more locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry than the girls: B300. fee (but get a free drink). อินซอมเนีย ซ. สุขุมวิท 12 รูท 66 อาร์ ซี เอ DEMO [map 3 / R 1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) BTS Thong Lo | 02-711-6970 8 pm – 1 am | free Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipsterville. It sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.

bangkok101.com

Nightlife

q bar

TAPAS [Map 5 / J 5] Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom 02-632-7982 | www.tapasroom.net 8 pm – 2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4, Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. Multi-levelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general, weeknights can be hitor-miss (usually miss, it has to be said), but weekends are always hopping from about midnights onwards. And if it’s not, there's always the outside terrace: a great spot to enjoy a few cocktails and some of the best people watching in town. The tipples are mixed strong, and watching this soi’s comings and goings an, erm, eye-opening experience to say the least. ทาปาส สีลม ซ. 4 THE CLUB [Map 7 / F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod 02-629-1010 | www.theclubkhaosan.com 6 pm – 2 am | B 100 (incl. one drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairy-tale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually cranium-rattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free. เดอะคลับ ข้าวสาร

Barsu

vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s also more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Some relative solitude and a pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found up here and on the outdoor terrace, which is perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack (including burgers brought over from the Firehouse restaurant opposite). In an inspired piece of marketing excellence, ladies get in free on Wednesday nights – and two free drinks! คิว บาร์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map 3 / F 6, 7] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 www.barsubangkok.com | 6 pm – 2 am The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu features the tagline ‘eat, play, dance,’ and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, house, hip hop and techno are banned; in house DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s, 80s and world music. An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated bar snacks created by a Belgian two-star Michelin chef. Joining this premium finger food is a menu of creative cocktails priced at B 400 net, live music every Friday and Saturday from 10 pm, plus a slew of specials. Drinks between 5:30 – 8:30 pm on weekdays go for B 250 and include free hors d’ oeuvres, and ladies enjoy drinks for B150 net per glass each Wednesday from 9 pm.

Q BAR [Map 3 / C 4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com 8 pm – 1 am รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท Long-standing, New York-style night spot ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14 Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf 80 | APRIL 2012

St. Regis bar

CM2 [map 4 / D 5] B1 F, Novotel Siam Square 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam 02-209-8888 | www.cm2bkk. com 10 pm – 2 am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s sub terranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dancefloor, plus a sports bar with pool tables, smoking room, and an Absolut Vodka Lounge. It’s mainstream all the way. DJs play what the crowd wants, when they want it, usually the latest electro, funky house or hip-grinding R&B tune, while the rotating line-up of live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition. International / Thai food and a huge cocktail list is served, as is what they claim is Bangkok’s biggest pour – all drinks feature double shots for no extra charge. Check out their Facebook page for news of their popular monthly theme parties and drinks promotions. รร.โนโวเทลสยามสแควร์ สยามสแควร์ ซ. 6 ST. REGIS BAR [map 4 / G 7] 12th F, St. Regis Bangkok Hotel 159 Rajadamri Rd | BTS Ratchadamri 02-207-7777 | www.stregis.com Mo – Fr 10 am – 1 am, Sat & Sun 10 am – 2 am At 6:30 pm each day a butler struts out onto the terrace of The St. Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out onto the terrace. Come for this, and stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whisky in hand. The special promotions come thick and fast bangkok101.com

Nightlife

N ightlife | B ars

feel right at home here, too. Stay until the wee hours, nibble on sophisticated snacks, take in the light jazz – and never ever forget your camera. รร.บันยันทรี ถ.สาทรใต้

W XYZ

leapfrog

here: Tuesdays is jazz night, with Johnnie Walker Black Label for B1,990++ per bottle Bars with views (7 – 11 pm); Wednesdays is two for one martinis (6 – 8 pm); and ladies get free Bellinis on Thursdays (6 – 9 pm). Bangkok offers a clutch of dramatic high-altitude bars (both indoor and รร. เดอะ เซนต์ รีจิส กรุงเทพฯ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ W XYZ [MAP 3 / D6] Aloft Bangkok | 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 BTS Nana | 02-207-7000 alofthotels.com/bangkoksukhumvit11 Bangkok’s newest mid-range (i.e. affordable) hotel sits smack bang in the centre of Sukhumvit partyland, directly opposite Bed Supperclub (to which hotel guests get free entrance most nights). No surprise, then, that Aloft is going after the club crowd craving warm-up cocktails with W XYZ, their laidback lounge bar on the lobby floor mezzanine. What is a surprise is that this colourful space featuring funky modular furniture, colour changing glass pane floors, and lots of vivid LED lighting has a talented mixologist who has done stints at the Banyan Tree and V9, and specialises in ‘molecular’ cocktails made using all manner of gels, powders, foams and spray mists. For the ‘Heaven on Earth’, for example, he pours vodka, apple juice, lychee syrup and ginger ale into a champagne glass and freezes the top inch solid using liquid nitrogen – watch it smoke like one of Gandalf ’s potions! Others like the B52+1, which is essentially very boozy ice cream, are more suited to eating than drinking. More reasons to swing by W XYZ include decent finger foods and Thai-style tapas, the happy hours (50% off select drinks and snacks between 5 – 7:30 pm daily), and, for the budding DJs among you, Tuesday’s Pod Play session, when you get to pump your own iPod through the speakers. รร.เอลอฟท์ แบงคอก

82 | APRIL 2012

outdoor) from where to survey the glittering skyline below …

AMOROSA [Map 7 / C 12] 4th F, Arun Residence Hotel 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd (near Wat Po) | 02-221-9158 www.arunresidence.com | 6 pm – 1 am Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style open-air bar featuring balmy river breezes, whisper-soft Latin Jazz, sour-sweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper though is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its balcony terrace onto the Chao Phraya River and, on the far banks beyond, Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky. อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช Leapfrog [map 3 / F 7 ] 8th F, Ramada Encore Bangkok 21 Sukhumvit Soi 10 | BTS Nana 02-615-0999 www.ramadaencorebangkok.com The latest addition to the scores of venues perfect for rooftop drinking sessions, Leapfrog is a swank, lofty space where you can sit back and nibble on delicious California-Asian cuisine, such as salmon bites with spicy dip, marinated "Bilbao" baby octopus, and mozzarella cheese balls. In line with its Californian cuisine, the interior and exterior was designed by San Franciscan designer Kevin Christison. You'll find playful reptilian details throughout the bar and restaurant, from cute and practical metal frog purse hangers to a giant dinasour egg light fixture inside the restaurant. Just outside the restrooms a princely frog complete with a jeweled crown tempts female

red sky bar

visitors to give it a kiss. Diners who book the space for private events can also take a dip in the outdoor whirlpool. รร.รามาดา อังคอร์ สุขุมวิท ซ.10 LONG TABLE [Map 3 / H 8] 25th F, 48 Column Bldg | Sukhumvit Soi 16 BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-302-2557-9 www.longtablebangkok.com 11 am – 2:00 am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing drawing Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar in droves. There’s also the trend-setting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes a medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature ‘long-tail’ cocktails or new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – wide-screen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

NEST [Map 3 / C 4] 9 th F, Le Fenix | 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 BTS Nana | 02-305-4000 www.lefenixsukhumvit.com | 5 pm – 2 am Nest is the rooftop bar of choice for Sukhumvit’s international party crowd. An urbane open-air oasis on the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, it’s a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket bar food from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nestshaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include MODE, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike, you ask? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape rather than detached from it.

Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is also cheap as chips, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first. From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side. In the evenings there’s usually at least one vintage VW beetle parked outside. พระนครบาร์ ซ.ดำ�เนินกลางใต้ ถ.ราชดำ�เนิน

RED SKY [Map 4 / F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | BTS Chit Lom / Siam 02-100-1234 www.centarahotelresorts.com | 5 pm – 1 am Circling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers city panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades to black, and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan aura. Upscale bar snacks like slow-cooked baby เลอฟินิกซ์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 11 back pork ribs, and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company PHRANAKORN BAR [map 7 / G6] while your eyes roam the scenery. Daily Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen happy hours (50 % off selected wines, Rd. | 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am beers and cocktails between 5 – 7 pm) and When backpacker ghetto Khao San Road prompt, smooth service make the experiwears thin (and it will) flee in search ence all the more enjoyable. of this multi-level boozer only a five รร.เซ็นทาร่าแกรนด์ แอท minute walk away. It’s an old favourite of เซ็นทรัลเวิลด์ ถ.พระราม 1 local art students and creatives, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playSKY BAR / DISTIL [map 5 / C 5] list and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop 63rd F, State Tower | 1055 Silom Rd offering splendid views, over rickety old02-624-9555 | www.thedomebkk.com city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden 6 pm – 1 am

High fliers hankering after a taste for the dramatic can head over to The Dome at State Tower. Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyondpremium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely not spots for the casual beach bum, so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced. Given this policy, then, you might think it somewhat ironic that the venue featured recently in the gross-out American comedy hit, The Hangover Part II. สเตททาวเวอร์ สีลม

BARS BARLEY BISTRO [map 5 / H 5] 4st F, Food Channel | Silom Rd, between Soi 5 and 7 | BTS Sala Daeng 087-033-3919 | www.barleybistro.com 5 pm – late This multi-level resto-bar, hidden up some stairs within an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, is one very slick, snazzy spot. The design is chic (blacks and greys, white-onblack stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food new-fangled (spaghetti kimchi etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air roof-

อาคารคอลัมน์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 16 MOON BAR [Map 5 / K, l 8] 61st F, Banyan Tree Bangkok 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 www.banyantree.com | 5 pm – 1 am This is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar is a romantic hideaway. With stunning 360° views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescope and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 83

Nightlife

clouds

top. Though not quite worthy of our ‘Bars with a View’ section – it’s boxed in by buildings – it’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barley-stalk sculptures and perfect for post-work/pre-club cocktails. Live bands play in the bar most nights. บาร์ลี่ย์บิสโทร ฟู้ดชาแนล ถ.สีลม

CAFÉ TRIO [map 4 / H 6] 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | BTS Chit Lom 02-252- 6572 | 6 pm – 1 am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month Cafe Trio is just about the only bar worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Tucked down a narrow alley just off the upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – a true neighbourhood place. Cafe Trio overflows with plush couches, the lighting delightfully soft, the music always subdued. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has plastered the walls with her Modiglianiesque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and head 50 m down the road. คาเฟ่ทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน

CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map 3 / D 6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-253-4648 | Mon – Sat 5 pm – midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest Sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists in-the-know to fill up on B 70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little Subsoi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub. ชีพ ชาร์ลีย์ ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก) 84 | APRIL 2012

N ightlife | B ar R eview

face bangkok

CLOUDS [ Map 3 / Q 2] 1st F, SeenSpace | 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lo 02-185-2365 | www.cloudslounge.com Having shaken up Thonglor's bar scene with his first two concoctions, Iron Fairies and Fat Gut'z, his third is as we've come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of Thong Lor’s SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leaf-encasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls, and later on a DJ spins acid jazz while a female dancer sits atop one of the blocks, calmly polishing her gun and blowing bubbles. They also serve tasty misshapen pizzas, which are cooked in a gas-oven and served in steel trays. It’s not yet a big crowd-puller, but the result is enjoyably bizarre: part ultramodern mausoleum to nature, part space-station drinking hole.

hyde & seek

instead. And have another Japanese Slipper. เฟซแบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.38

FAT GUT’Z [map 3 / Q 2] 264 Soi 12, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor) 027-149-832 | www.fatgutz.com 6 pm – 2 am A place to see and be seen, this sleek saloon is packed nightly with a crowd of beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the already legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named – and here’s the rub – after famous WWII shipwrecks. This nautical theme loosely ties in with the short menu, from which the most popular order is, of course, the fish ‘n’ chips (B320 for one person, B600 for two). Made from an old famคลาวด์ โครงการการซีสเปซ ily recipe, it comes served in a wooden tub, ซ.ทองหล่อ 13 turning a takeaway staple into finger food. Tucking in as we listened to the blues band FACE BANGKOK [ Map 3 / S 7] play on the tiny stage, and observed the hi29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | BTS Thong Lo so crowd sipping politely on their aquatic02-713-6048 | www.facebars.com inspired cocktails, it was obvious that this 11:30 am – 1 am Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually bar is an unusual, albeit successful blend of stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s for- ingredients. mer mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings แฟท กัซ สุขุมวิท ซ.55 and thriving flora, it’s just bigger and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that sum- HYDE & SEEK [Map 4 / L5] mons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails. BTS Phloen Chit | 02-168-5152 Though often empty, the big drink list will www.hydeandseek.com | 11 am – 1 am stop your body clock pretty fast. The three This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadrestaurants – Hazara serving Northern ringer for those chic London haunts that Indian, Misaki serving Japanese, and Lan Na draw the after-work crowd for pick-meThai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab up cocktails and good food that doesn’t all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and invit- break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian ing, but you might be let down by the tiny Kittichai, the brains behind the successportions, and the flamboyant prices. Stay ful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while in the Bar and order from the snack menu the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, bangkok101.com

getting there

sonic

Sonic [map 4 / C5] 90 Ekamai (Sukhumvit 63), between Soi 10 and Big C BTS Thong Lo | 02-382-3395 www.facebook.com/sonic.ekamai | 6 pm – 2 am

Club review by Max Crosbie-Jones

Is this new nightclub and live music venue a sign that chic copper lamps dangling overhead, but for gigs and other the Ekamai area is growing some balls? Probably crowd-pullers they strip it bare. Revelers pack the floor, the not, but one thing is for sure – we like it. mezzanine and staircase, and, if they added a few TV cameras all zeroing in on the stage talent, you could almost be at Replacing Jet, yet another generic ritzy nightclub that we the Thai equivalent of Jools Holland or The Old Grey Whistle didn’t care less about, Sonic is dedicated to bringing you Test. assorted musical jollies. Not the same vapid Thai bands or David Guetta wannabes, but nights that sit at the more In its first few weeks Sonic blasted its way into the affecalternative end of the spectrum, with a definite tilt toward tions of the city’s hard-to-please nightlife clans with a rapid the indie side. It’s similar to what beatnik bar Cosmic Café fire hat trick. First there was a party by trailblazing indie (p.88) did at RCA, bring some imagination and volatility to a night Dudesweet, then Paradise Bangkok hosted their third very undiscerning nightlife area, only on a bigger scale. And birthday bash here (for which mor lam legends Wong Dontri as it happens, the owners are apparently one and the same. Molam Theppabut dusted off their khaen pipes especially!). And as if those weren’t impressive enough, they then lured To go with the much-cooler-than-average sonics there’s in a sea of skinny-jeaned hipsters with a gig by American a look to match. Out go the faux-chandeliers, in comes a indie shoegazers The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. warehouse feel, albeit a fairly slick one. Walk up the driveway where the rich kids used to rock up in mummy’s glass- The food ranges from Thai fusion to western, the beverages tinted BMW, past the huge white alien statue by Thai artist from local and draft beers to wines, cocktails, bourbon and Lolay, and you’re in a hip, mural-splattered place. There’s a Tennessee and Scotch whiskies. Sonic has set the bar very big semi-outdoor seating area with DJ booth, an indoor bar, high for itself, especially on the live music front. Will it go on and deeper in is the main room. to bigger, nosier things or fizzle out like feedback? We for one, will be watching – and listening – very closely. On quieter nights stools and tables fill this high-ceilinged, TV-studio-like space with another bar in the corner and โซนิค ซ.เอกมัย (ระหว่าง เอกมัย ซ.10 และ บิ๊กซี)

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 85

Nightlife

Marshmellow

the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgian-influenced décor has panelled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and a mini-maze of tea plants to partition dining areas. In sum, Hyde & Seek is a rare entry into the huge market for high quality drinks and food at middle prices. It's busy with the rich and powerful looking most nights, so best book ahead. แอนธินีเรซซิเดนซ์ ซ.ร่วมฤดี MARSHMALLOW [map 3 / C 5] 33/18 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-254-1971 | Facebook: Marshmallow 11 am – 1 am You’d expect the first bar by one of Bangkok’s best known DJs, long-time Bed Supperclub resident Fred Jungo, to be a loud, pumping house, but that’s not the case. “I don’t want Marshmallow to be one of those bars where the DJ gets more and more carried away until customers can’t hear themselves speak,” he says. Occupying the corner building where Soi 11 turns left towards Q Bar, the space has a raised terrace that wraps around its perimeter, beside tall steel and glass doors that are fully retractable. To evict the ghosts of ventures past (previous incarnations Diva and Welfare were both dismal failures), they gutted the interior. Dark wood-planks line the walls and pillars; there’s a mezzanine; a mirror and metalwork-backed bar; and a bohemian touch, bird cage lamps, dangling over the tables at one end. Cocktails come in at a very reasonable B190; champagne and sparkling cocktails B 220; local beers B90. “Food was never meant to be the focus,” Fred told us. However, judging by the dishes we tucked in to – three Fine de Clares (B 290) with condiments, a bright and fresh haloumi cheese salad, a slab of Australian tenderloin with mash and boiled veg (B 550) – it could, with a little tweak86 | APRIL 2012

N ightlife | B ars

oskar bistro

the iron fairies

SHADES OF RETRO

ing, become their forte. Marshmallow is an a mixed crowd all in the comfort of T-shirts affordable and brilliantly located (in Soi 11 and jeans and ready to throw back a couple of drinks. The menu’s got all the popuclubber terms) spot for drinks and bites. lar Thai favourites, but the bar offers you มาร์ชเมลโล่ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 a little bit more. Owner Khun Sheeva has whipped up his own personal sweet rum, OSKAR BISTRO [map 3 / D 5] Sheeva Wop; a must try. 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana โรลลิ่งบาร์ ริมสะพานเฉลิมวันชาติ 02-255 3377 | 4 pm – 2 am; kitchen open till 11:30 pm Lively Oskar has the electro music and low TUBA [Map 8 / S 1 4] ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; 34 Room 11 – 12A, Soi Cham Chun and, with a dominant central bar, it’s per- (Ekkamai Soi 21) | 02-711-5500 haps more brasserie than bistro. A venue www.design-athome.com | 11 am – 2 am for all seasons, with tables jammed, inside Some come to this two-storey furniture and out, and brown paper menus that set store to snag a comfy sofa, vintage sign or a tone of streetsy nonchalance where any- goofy tchotchke. Others come for the big one might feel at home. The food choice menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger for the local palate. But for us, Tuba works (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a best as a bar, as the unusual setting and section of cocottes (French-style individual generous Happy Hour (buy one get one dishes slow cooked and served in the same free between 5 -8 pm daily) mean there pot). Almost all are under B300, which for really are few cooler places in town to food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most kick back after work with a sweet cockpeople come here though not for the food tail in hand (or two hands in some cases but for a pre-club libation or two: be it glass – the glassware can be that big!). Owned of wine (start at B145 a glass), imported by the same hoarders behind Lad Phrao bottle beer, or reasonably priced cocktail. furniture warehouse Papaya, it features Close to Bed Supperclub and Q Bar, its room upon room of haphazardly arranged own ambient, loungey sounds crank up as eye-candy, all of which you’re free to skulk the night matures, and – although there’s through at your leisure. A word to the wise: no dance space – many of the mixed Thai- one cocktail too many and you may leave farang crowd are happy to linger. It’s a good with more than you bargained for. Another meal and drinks option for a date or busi- caveat worth bearing in mind: smokers are ness, but also a lively pick-up joint without allowed to puff away at Tuba, and many the pressure of full-on dress-to-kill. Book seem to come here to do just that. ahead if you want a table. ทูบา ถ.สุขุมวิท 63 (เอกมัย 21) ออสการ์ บิสโทร สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

ROLLING BAR [Map 7 / J 5] Wanchat Rd | 081-867-6568 Mon – Sat 6 pm – 2 am A big lit up marquee sign on Wanchat Road beckons you to find out what is going on below the street line. Descend a few stairs and in a quiet corner by the water you will find Rolling Bar, a small open space filled with a mixed assortment of retro decor and various model Cadillac cars. Here, every night you can hear familiar old folk and rock covers unplugged. The bar draws

THE IRON FAIRIES [Map 3 / Q 2] 394 Thong Lor (Sukhumvit Soi 55), Thong Lor Soi 12 | BTS Thong Lo 084-520-2301 | www.theironfairies.com Bangkok’s most bizarre bar is a functioning iron foundry – yes, you can actually buy the eponymous iron fairies themselves – that just happens to serve booze. Drawing heavily from the steampunk genre, it has the labyrinthine otherworldliness of a Terry Gilliam film-set. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours bangkok101.com

the tables, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the cast-iron spiral staircase. Beers start from B 120 a bottle, a well mixed dirty martini goes for B 280 and the burgers, served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, divine. The moneyed Thong Lor set fill it nightly. ดิไอรอนแฟรี่ส์แอนด์โค ซ.ทองหล่อ SHADES OF RETRO [Map 8 / s 1 4] Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor | BTS Thong Lo 081-824-8011 | 3 pm – 1 am | cash only Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thong Lor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture store-café, Shades provides a quiet hangout for the writer/ designer/artiste crowd by day, fun peoplewatching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, flip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which flirts with being too ironic for its pants. A cool, friendly crowd and bracing cocktails or coffee served up with popcorn humanizes the hip, thankfully. เฉดส์ ออฟ เรโทร ซ.ธารารมย์ 2 ทองหล่อ WONG’S PLACE [Map 8 / L 17] 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen, Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | MRT Lumpini 02-286-1558 | Mon – Sat 10 pm – late It’s amazing how Wong’s Place stays in business. It’s not near any public transport; opens when it wants, closes when it wants; plays crackly videos from Top of the Pops in 1985; has a couple of serve-yourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers, hipsters, creative Thais and professional barflies who have been coming here for years and regard owner Sam as a kind of benevolent dictator, knowing better than to take advantage of the beer fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s usually pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom – and watch the night unfold. bangkok101.com

WTF

วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี VIVA AVIV [map 5 / C2] River City – Unit 118 | 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 02-639-6305 | www.vivaaviv.com 11am – midnight, later on weekends Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a pleasant riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. In the main room, pulleys hang over the central bar made of salvaged wood, yards from a huge mounted moose's head. And the other, with its leather sofas, rusting anchors and other nautical knick-knacks, could pass for Jaco Sparrow's front room (if he had one). While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar is being looked after by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum (tequila is so last year, apparently), come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250. Weekly specials go for B199, along with wine by the glass, during the daily 4-8pm happy hours. Food tip: the risotto-filled croquet balls with yoghurt dip are a must. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for news of new specials and 'Kolour Sundays', their shadesdown and racuous Sunday DJ barbeques. อาคารริเวอร์ซิตี้ เจริญกรุง ซ.30 WTF [Map 3 / Q 6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | BTS Thong Lo 02- 626-6246 | www.wtfbangkok.com Tue – Sun 6 pm – 1 am / gallery from 3 pm This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor, decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thai-farang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails

VIVA AVIV

(from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo and feta salad. Expect occasional live gigs, art exhibitions upstairs and a mix of indie hipsters, journos and artscensters to chew the fat with. ดับเบิลยู ทีเอฟ สุขุมวิท ซ. 51

LIVE MUSIC Performances by top international bands might be thin on the ground here, but there are a clutch of venues where decent live music can be heard. Much, if not all of it, is world-class.

ADHERE the 13TH [Map 7 / G 3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089- 769-4613 | 5 pm – midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except for the Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match, and would never sing Hotel California. แอดเฮีย 13 ถ.สามเสน บางลำ�ภู BRICK BAR [Map 7 / G 6] 265 Khaosan Rd | 02-629-4477 www.brickbarkhaosan.com Mon – Sun 7 pm – 1am | Mon – Thu free / Fri – Sat B150 incl. one drink Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge shopping arcade, this dark and airy redbrick vault features benches downstairs, an upstairs terrace for people or band watching and plenty of nooks and crannies to party in. A magnet for young live music lovers, APRIL 2012 | 87

Nightlife

BRICK BAR

it’s jumping most nights of the week with fresh-faced twentysomethings out to catch some of Thailand’s biggest ska, reggae, funk and blues bands, many of whom play their own material. Perfect for friends who’ve just hit town, expect to be clinking whisky glasses with new friends all night. บริคบาร์ ถ.ข้าวสาร COSMIC CAFE [Map 8 / Q 12] RCA Block C | Rama IX Rd | MRT Rama 9 The rebel in RCA’s ranks, Cosmic Café serves a mixed diet of sonic eclecticism in a grungy, open-sided corner bar with outdoor seating and a small dance floor. On one night you might the place jumping, as the Paradise Bangkok DJs host a rare live performance by mor lam legend Dao Bandon. On another a house band dishing out some surf guitar, ska, electronica or blues. The edgiest joint on the block, it draws a lively, musically discerning crowd, from skinny jeaned art-school hipster types to teddy boy expats. An insider’s must. คอสมิค คาเฟ่ อาร์ซีเอ THE ROCK PUB 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phaya Thai Rd, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi www.therockpubbangkok.com 9:30 pm – 2 am If Def Leppard or Wayne and Garth were in town you’d find them reliving the glory years here, at Bangkok’s very own Castle of Rock. A tacky faux-turret exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride you’ve stumbled on, while inside local metal bands with Brian May hairdos thrash out note-perfect renditions of everything from Black Sabbath to Sweet Child O’Mine. Fans of the extended drum interlude or lightening fast guitar solo will not be disappointed – or able to resist doing the Devil’s Horn. RAINTREE PUB [Map 8 / K 10] 116 / 63 - 34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd BTS Victory Monument 02-245-7230, 081-926-1604 88 | APRIL 2012

N ightlife | L ive music & jazz clubs

RAINTREE PUB

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

diplomat bar

Thai bands belt out sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare. All the local live music scene greats have played here and many still pop by when they can. แซ๊กโซโฟนผับ ถ.พญาไท

TAWANDAENG GERMAN BREWERY [MAP 2 /E11] 462 / 61 Rama III Rd | Yan Nawa district 02- 678-1114 | www.tawandang.co.th The one place that every taxi driver seems to know, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the towers of micro-brewed beer, the Thai, Chinese and German grub (especially the deep-fried pork knuckle and sausage), เรนทรีผับ ซ.ร่วมจิต ถ.รางน้ำ� and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk PARKING TOYS [MAP 2 / G5] 17/22 Soi Maiyalap, Kaset-Navamin krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, Highway, Bang Khen everybody is on their feet and the place (pier 135-136 on left hand side) going bananas. Great for large groups, Lat Phrao district | BTS Mo Chit especially birthday parties and office out(then taxi) | 02-907-2228 | 6 pm – 1am ings, but make sure you reserve ahead for Inside this ex-garage out in the northern the best tables nearest the stage. suburbs it’s pure sensory overload. Wall- โรงเบียร์เยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3 to-wall retro furniture becomes instant eye-candy, while chairs without upholstery dangle from the ceiling. Here, there is a band for every alternative music lover; in Jazz clubs just one weekend night you can catch reggae root, electronic, rockabilly, and metal. Click your fingers like a hepcat at one of It’s a hike and not exactly easy to find, but the following respected live jazz venues. Some are all elegant and sultry, others as worth it. ปาร์คกิ้งทอย ซ.มัยลาภ เกษตรนวมินทร์ SAXOPHONE PUB [Map 8 / K 10] 3 / 8 Phaya Thai Rd BTS Victory Monument | 02-246-5472 www.saxophonepub.com | 6 pm – 2 am Just a stone’s throw from the Victory Monument Skytrain Station, this cozy, unpretentious place is a Bangkok landmark when it comes to solid live jazz and blues. Attracting youngish Thais and the odd foreigner, the spacious joint can pack up to 400 people on its homey, low-ceilinged, wood-filled floors. Each night, two talented

romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident songstress, Cynthia Utterbach. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by a superb staff. Ideal for a boozy night on your honeymoon. A definite big Bangkok must.

always relaxed place. A boozy, high-profile crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buyone-get-onefree Happy Hour from 4 – 7 pm (standard drinks only). It's very hip among the diplomatic corps (Witthayu is stuffed with embassies), trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for people-ogling. But the main attraction here is more aural than visual and exceptional jazz acts are de rigueur.

รร.โอเรียลเต็ล ถ.โอเรียลเต็ล

รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

Brown Sugar [Map 7 / J 5] 469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 www.brownsugarbangkok.com 6 pm – 1 am Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venues was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a live jazz haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. There’s also be a 200-seat space on the second floor that can host art exhibitions, film screenings, plays, poetry readings, concerts and “whatever else you can think of ”. And a monthly ‘Brown Sugar Showcase’ features live performances by international touring acts on the last Friday or Saturday of each month.

THE LIVING ROOM [Map 4 / F6] Sheraton Grande | 250 Sukhumvit Rd BTS Aso / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-649-8888 www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com 10 am – 12:30 am Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s luxury hotel bars, the leather couches at The Living Room are so snug it’ll be hard to get up again once you’re seated. It’s still a stylish place, and the usually middle-aged patrons live it up on great wines, champagne and strong cocktails in a quiet way. The highceilinged foyer offers perfect acoustics for the fabulous jazz band. Be prepared to be well-entertained. World-class talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport. Throughout Feb, The Living Room plays host to Alice Day alongside the Shawn Kelley Trio, performing every Tuesday through Thursday nights from 9 to 11:45 pm, plus Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30 pm to 12:15 am. You can also catch them during the Sheraton Grande’s legendary Sunday Jazzy Brunch.

บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ.พระสุเมร DIPLOMAT BAR [Map 4 / K7] Conrad Bangkok 87 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit 02-690-9999 | www.conradbangkok.com Sun – Thu 6 pm – 1 am; Fri & Sat 6 pm – 2 am An architecturally striking hotel bar, mixing a funky, stylish décor with soft teak sofas and an arresting chandelier hanging over the massive round bar. Bronze silks and wood dominate this dark, contemporary, but

รร.เชอราตันแกรนด์ สุขุมวิท Niu ’s on Silom [Map 5 / E5] 2nd F, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 www.niusonsilom.com | 5 pm – 1 am This New York-style lounge – with its hot

jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for various international acts who perform regularly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring established overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concerto Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available. นิวส์ ออน สีลม บ้านสีลม Tokyo Joe’s [Map 3 / N8] 25/9 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | BTS Phrom Phong 02-661-0359; 087-925-4105 8 am – late / music Thu – Sun from 9 pm When Tokyo Joe’s closed at the end of 2009 it left a huge hole in the Sukhumvit blues scene, so there was much rejoicing when it reopened last October. Bands play on a stage at the back of the room and there's a forecourt out front with bar. Furnishings inside are sparse, with a few functional tables and, on the walls, posters of musicians and events Tokyo Joe’s hosted in the past, such as the annual Bangkok Blues Festival. The current line-up includes a rotating headliner on Fridays and the Soi Dog Blues Band on Saturdays. Sundays is an open jam session. The bar is stocked with the usual suspects and the full food menu includes fancy items like duck confit and spaghetti al salmon as well as typical bar snacks like sandwiches, fries and Thai salads. Spartan but kicking, Tokyo Joe’s is back: a gritty bar that plays the blues. โตเกียว โจส์ สุขุมวิท ซ.26

raw and gritty as that old crooner's voice.

BAMBOO BAR [Map 5 / B4] The Oriental Bangkok | 48 Oriental Ave 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com Sun – Thu 11 am – 1 am, Fri & Sat 11 am – 2 am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, the 50-year-old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical film noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s nevertheless bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 89

Nightlife

N ightlife | P ub C rawl

pubs 101 HANRAHANS [Map 3 / C 7] Sukhumvit Soi 4 l BTS Nana 02-255-0644-5 | 9 am – 1am

PUB Crawl

JAMESON’S [Map 5 / D 5] Gr. F Holiday Inn Silom 981 Silom Rd | BTS Surasak 02-266-7703-5 | 10 am – 1 am MOLLY MALONE’S [Map 5 / J 5] 1/5-6 Soi Convent, Silom BTS Sala Daeng | 02-266-7160 9 am – 1 am

Balcony humidor

cigar lounges Cigar lounges are slowly catching on in Bangkok, with a small handful of venues now providing outstanding facilities for lovers of quality Coronas and fine Figurados. As well as cigars from Cuba, Ecuador and beyond, the lounges feature luxurious leather sofas, rich wood accents, discreet staff and selections of wine and single malt whisky. Some, like Club Perdomo, operate on a members-only basis, with membership granting access to their worldwide network of lounges. Others, like the Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar at the InterContinental hotel, are open to guests and the general public. The members-only Pacific Cigar Company opened its first lounge, La Casa del Habano, at The Oriental hotel in 1997, and now operates another four venues in Bangkok, as well as one in Pattaya. One of PCC’s more interesting venues is the P&L Club which incorporates a traditional barber shop and ‘Thailand’s largest collection of single barrel malt whiskies.’ Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar [map 4 / H 4] 1st F, InterContinental Bangkok 973 Ploenchit Rd | 02-656-0444 8 am – 1 am Club Perdomo Bangkok [Map 3 / O 7] 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 www.clubperdomobangkok.com 6 pm – midnight La Casa del Habano [Map 5 / B4] Mandarin Oriental | 48 Oriental Avenue 02-267-1596 | www.pacificcigar.com/eng/location Mon – Thu 10 am – 10 pm, Fri & Sat 10 am – 11 pm, Sun & public holidays noon – 6 pm | P&L Club [Map 4 / L 7] GF Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place 87 Wireless Rd | 02-685-3898 Mon – Thu 10 am – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 10 am – 11 pm, Sun noon – 6 pm

90 | APRIL 2012

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

THE Pintsman

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

Pub review by Max Crosbie-Jones

Walk down the steps located beneath Citibank's Silom Road branch and you’ll find debatably the slickest boozer in the area. At the bottom sits a brick-lined seating area that appeals to smokers, while the open plan interior has low-ceilings and a dark wood feel, albeit with a modern gleam, thanks mainly to the polished parquet floors. Chunky wooden chairs, tables and leather banquettes face a huge wall projector on which live sports are screened, and tucked away in the far corner is a pool table. The look and feel is slightly off the peg, but it’s still an amiable, if slightly dark spot. Where The Pintsman really impresses though is with its beer range: there are 10 brews on tap (Leffe Brune, Hoegaarden and Kilkenny among them; B100 or B 200 a pint before 7 pm daily), plus around 40 imported bottled beers. There’s a heavy lean towards esteemed Belgium and German brews, each one arriving with a glass that’s as quirky as the flavour is distinctive.

THE BLACK SWAN [Map 3 / G 6] 326/8-9 Sukhumvit Rd BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit 02-229-4542 | 8 am – midnight The Royal Oak [Map 3 / L 6] Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-259-4444 11:30 am – 1 am BULLY’S [Map 3 / B 7] Sukhumvit Rd, btw. Soi 2 / 4 BTS Nana | 02-656-4609 | 11 am – 1am THE DUBLINER [Map 3 / K 7] 440 Sukhumvit Rd, btw. Soi 22 / 24 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-204-1841/2 9 am – 1 am

In the few months since it opened, The Pintsman has also quickly gained a reputation for its live music, with the highlight of its roster being local band Wanna Funk, who get the punters on their feet with their loose, jammy takes on old-school funk standards each Saturday. Topping it all off is a decent selection of pub fare such as the smoked sausage (B180) and Thai, seafood and battered platters.

THE LONDONER [Map 3 / L 6] Basement, UBC II Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 33 | BTS Phrom Phong 02-261-0238/9 | 11 am – 1am

เดอะไพนส์แมน ถ.สีลม

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

getting there

The pintsman [map 3/ L 6] Basement United Center building (below Citibank) 323 Silom Rd | 089-012-9922 | www.thepintsman.com 11 am – 1 am bangkok101.com

THE PICKLED LIVER [Map 3 / C 5] Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 | BTS Nana 02-254-3484 | 2 pm – 3 am

THE ROBIN HOOD [Map 3 / L 6] PB Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-3390 10 pm – midnight

bangkok101.com

SILOM AREA

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

SUKHUMVIT AREA

Sukhumvit Road, a haven for expats, is jammed with joints catering to ale aficionados. Beside BTS Phrom Phong station, The Robin Hood [Map 3 / L6] offers daily happy hour and drinks specials, including draught Kilkenny and Guinness, as well as live music and sports. Even so, it can sometimes seem a little sedate. Down a nearby alley is The Royal Oak [Map 3 / L6], whose oak-panelled walls and low ceilings give off a cosy feel. The Londoner [Map 3 / L6] is a vast subterranean hideaway that brews its own real ale and lager, has good food and a regular house band. Opposite is the ever-popular Dubliner [Map 3 / K7], a three-storey edifice. Though slightly pricy, the superb food (try the sausages), live music and Guinness pull in the punters. Up the road in the shadow of Asok BTS, is The Black Swan [Map 3 / G6], a proper British booze abode. No bands. No happy hours. Just snug escape offering a warm atmosphere and a wise-cracking landlord. Tucked down a pedestrian sub-street of Soi 11 lined with international restaurants is The Pickled Liver [Map 3 / C5]. A shrine to soccer and suds, the décor is unfussy with a focus on big screen sports. But with friendly staff and daily happy hour it’s not just the sport that makes it worth a visit. Finally, Hanrahans [Map 3 / C7] offers a genuine reason to be seen in Nana. Light and airy it ticks all the right boxes with regular music, special drinks deals and daily happy hour. APRIL 2012 | 91

Though you wouldn’t guess it from the youthful verve of its latest collection, Theatre is one of the oldest fashion houses in town, with 27 years of stitching under its belt. It was 1985, the era of the brat pack and shoulder pads, when fledgling Thai designer Sirichai Dajaranont, or ‘Jom’ to his friends, opened his first Theatre shop. Combining subtly sexy elegance with ethnic accents and an innate sense of fun, Jom’s clothes and accessories quickly captured the attention of the city’s trend-savvy men and women – and have been doing so, season in, season out, ever since. Back in December 2009, Theatre marked its 25th anniversary with a gala show in which Thai celebs graced the catwalk wearing some of the best dresses Jom, a skilled dressmaker, has crafted over the years. But normally the label isn’t much concerned with looking back – new collections keep Theatre fresh and centre stage. The label's Spring/Summer 2012 offering, Paradise Collection, is inspired by a recurring fixation: Jom’s travels. Bold lines, patterns and colours spring forth from these cotton and hi-tech fabric pieces ranging from sporty board shorts and long-sleeved tees for the guys, to loose, bohemian top pieces for the girls. While past collections have mined everything from German opera to Impressionist painting, this one is less post-modern and referential, tethered to the here and now. And yet, it’s still totally in keeping with the label’s preoccupation: clothes that brim with attitude, joie de vivre and colour. available at:

3 F, Siam Center | Rama I Rd | 02-251-3599 2nd F, Central City Bangna | Bangna-trad Rd | 02-361-0733 rd

Paradise collection by theatre Spring / Summer 2012

www.theatrebangkok.com

colour me good

NEW COLLECTION: ‘paradise collection’ by theatre

SHOPPING

The chonabod UNASHAMEDLY BAAN Nok

Unique boutique

by Max Crosbie-Jones

nly at The Chonabod would a t-shirt scream ‘I love Baan Nok!’, an in-your-face way of saying “I’m a Thai country bumpkin and proud of it!” For this and lots of other charming little reasons, this bijou boutique run by a bohemian folk art and graphic design collective has been one of our all-time favourites ever since we stumbled across it on Phra Athit Road back in 2010.

Now at a new location, a wood-shuttered shophouse on Samsen Road, it remains a treasure chest of things 100% Thai-made. One wall is full of "This bijou T-shirts, shoulder bags, cloth screen boutique prints, pillowcases, mugs, aprons, has been a pha khao ma scarves, notebooks, favourite calendars and more – all appearing ever since we under the Siam Ruay label. Featuring stumbled graphic designs and fonts adapted across it." from old-school Siamese alphabets, flags, prints, maps and adverts, these make awesome souvenirs or gifts. Not only are they affordable, unlike most of the stuff sold in the Khao San area they’re not mass-made and offer a sincere, homespun take on the local vernacular. The same can also be said of the more whimsical items which litter the store: handmade toys and folk art, mostly. Hanging mobiles strung with crude yet cute flying elephants, monkeys and pigs dangle from the rafters, while tables are loaded with primitive yet ingenious old Thai toys made using coconut shells, palm leaf, bamboo and hemp (and the odd length of string or rubber band). “Nearly all this stuff I commission from different villages up in north Thailand, where elderly craftspeople still have the wisdom needed to make them,” says Khun Tangnet ‘Pooh’ Takrudkaew, the female founder of the Poom-Din label this lot appear under. Highlights include a toy naga (serpent) made from teak segments held together without nails, wooden pop-pop guns, coconut shell turtles that run, and a pull-string monkey door bell. Long live The Chonabod!

The Chonabod

[Map 7 / G 3]

131 Samsen Road (near Samsen Soi 3) 089-494-5669 | the-chonabod.blogspot.com 11 am – 8 pm | prices B 20 – B 2,000

ร้านชนบท ถ.สามเสน (ใกล้ สามเสน ซ.3) 94 | APRIL 2012

bangkok101.com

SHOPPING

S H O P P I N G | J J market

JJ Gem of the MOnth by Pattarasuda Prajittanond

Kaew kham If you’re looking for authentic hill tribe attire or ethnic-style decorations, then head to Keaw Kham. The owner of this small shop, textiles expert Sasivimol Jaisert, devotes her spare time to hunting down quality made weaved products ranging all the way from North Thailand up to China’s Guizhou province. As a result of Jaisert’s dedication, Keaw Kham is full from floor to ceiling with hanging and dangling accessories, apparel and decorations, including many non-traditional items you wouldn’t normally expect to find, such as pillow cases, gloves and even welcome mats.

Kaew Kham

Section 26 Soi 1; 02-272-5879

Antiques and Collectibles 1, 26 Art and Gallery 7 Books 1, 27 Ceramics 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25 Clothing, Accessories 2 – 6, 10 – 26 Handicrafts 8 – 11 Food and Beverage 2 – 4, 23 – 27 Furniture, Decorations 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 Misc 2 – 6, 22, 25, 26 Pets and Accessories 8, 9, 11, 13 Plants and Tools 3, 4

Jatujak Market

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

Taking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as Chatuchak) quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully-blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix they desire. ตลาดนัดจตุจักร 96 | APRIL 2012

The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover B1,950 The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual interpretation of Bangkok’s world famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

APRIL 2012 | 97

SHOPPING

S H O P P I N G | M arkets

DAMNOEN SADUAK [map 1 / D 6] Damnoen Saduak | Ratchaburi Province 7 am – noon (most crowded at 11am) 02-435-5031 or 434-5558 getting there by bus: to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal ประตูน้ำ� every 40 minutes from 6 am Considered “the” floating market for Ratchada Night Market [map 8 / Q2] visitors, this bustling stretch of waterway parallel with Ratchadapisek-Ladprao 100km southwest of the capital is two intersection | MRT Ratchadapisek / hours by car or bus, plus a 15-30 minute Ladphrao | Fri & Sat Nights boat ride. Arrive before the horde of (busiest on Saturday) tourists descend upon the market at 9am Vendors at this teen-thronged Saturday flea – it closes up midday. For a less-crowded market flog retro and secondhand stuff, option, head south to Talat Khun Phitak via from art deco lamps and ghetto blasters to water taxi from the pier on the east side of vintage. Flashlight essential. Khlong Thong Lang. ตลาดนัดกลางคืนถนนรัชดา ตลาดน้ำ�ดำ�เนินสะดวก Ratchaprarop Rd | BTS Ratchathewi 9 am – 7 pm A short walk from CentralWorld, this teeming sidewalk is famed for its cheap bulk clothing deals on textiles, jeans and more.

Markets & SIDEWALKS

Silom Road / Patpong [map 5 / J, K 5] Silom Rd | BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom 6 pm – late (2 am) Silom Road gets going between 6 pm and 2 am, when stalls catering to tourists set up here and along the notorious strip of sleazy gogo bars known as Patpong.

TALING CHAN [map 2 / A8] Khlong Chak Phra canal Taling Chan district | 8 am – 5 pm 02-424-5448 or 02-424-1712 getting there by bus: take bus # 79 or # 83 to Taling Chan district For a kinder, gentler introduction to the สีลม/พัฒน์พงษ์ world of floating markets, Taling Chan is a destination often overlooked on most Khao San Road [map 7 / F, g 5, 6] Sukhumvit Road [map 3 / D – g 6] tourist itineraries. Built by former Bangkok Kao San Rd | 4 pm – late governor Chamlong Srimuang in 1987 to Every evening (except Monday) baby-faced Sukhumvit Rd (start around Sukhumvit entrepreneurs splay out their funky wares Soi 4, Nana) | BTS Nana / MRT Sukhumvit honour HM the King’s 60 th birthday, Taling Chan also offers live performances of all along the legendary budget traveler strip. 6 pm – late (2 am) The touristy trinkets and pirate DVDs start traditional Thai music from 11am-2pm, and ถ.ข้าวสาร around Soi 4 near BTS Nana station, on is lined with boats preparing and serving both sides of the major thoroughfare, and authentic Thai delicacies. The market only PAK KHLONG TALAD opens on weekends from 9am-4pm, so stretch nearly to Soi 19. (Flower Market) [map 7 / E 14] make sure to plan accordingly. ถ.สุขุมวิท Chakphet Rd | Phra Nakorn ตลาดน้ำ�ตลิ่งชัน A round-the-clock hive of floral activity bristling with blooms carted in from around TALAT ROT FAI AMPHAWA [map 1 / D6] (THE TRAIN MARKET) [map 8 / L 3] the country. Kamphaeng Phet Rd | MRT Kamphaeng Amphawa | Sumut Songkhram province ปากคลองตลาด Phet | Sat & Sun 6 pm – midnight Fri 1 pm – 10 pm; Antique lovers and retro-mad hipsters flock Sat – Sun& holiday noon – 10 pm KHLONG THOM [map 6 / C, D 2] to this plot of State Railway department getting there by car: drive one hour south Cover Luang Rd, Worachak Rd, land to bargain for collectibles, reproduc- from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram. Suapa Rd and Charoen Krung Rd tions and vintage fashion. Even if you're out The market is nearby Wat Amphawan MRT Hua Lamphong | Sun 8 am – 6pm to shop, it's a great place to hang out. Jatiyaram Long before there was Ratchada or Talad Night owls can have a slice of floating marตลาดรถไฟ Rot Fai, there was Khlong Thom: the origiket action too. This one – only open Friday nal Saturday night flea market. to Sunday – sets up at 4Âpm, allowing the THEWET [map 8 / D 8] ตลาดคลองถม luxury of a lie-in. This little-known treasure Samsen Rd | 6 am – 7 pm is not often on the itineraries of the tourNot far north from the flower market is the ists who flock to the more famous marNAKHORN KASEM [map 6 / D, E 3] riverside plant market. The street is lined kets (although you'll find plenty of the Thai between Charoen Krung Rd and with small shops selling a wide selection of equivalent). The old wooden houses that Yaowarat Rd | MRT Hua Lamphong tropical potted flora. line its sides are treasure troves of cute Thai 9 am – 8 pm (some shop close on Sun) knickknacks, t-shirts, postcards and snacks. Known locally as the “thieves market”, this เทเวศน์ Make sure to take a boat down the canal smallish street-side market in Chinatown after dusk, when the lights from the riveroffers a curious blend of second-hand houses gleam and the fireflies come out to goods, the odd antique, and a random Floating markets play, especially during the rainy season. assortment of household appliances. While the fancy designer, air-conditioned malls of Siam grab much of the attention, when it comes to shopping in Bangkok, there’s no better way to discover the local retail experience than by heading to one of the city’s many interesting markets or sidewalks.

นครเกษม Pratunam [map 4 / F 1] Between Phetchaburi Rd and 98 | APRIL 2012

Market Focus

by Annette Heile

Floating markets offer an idyllic taste of the Bangkok of the days of yore. The experience depends largely on which market you choose.

ตลาดน้ำ�อัมพวา

bangkok101.com

SPIRITUAL MATTER the amulet market Other spiritual paraphernalia for sale here: colourful posters and postcards of Ganesh and other Hindu deities, and wooden phalluses with magical yantra diagrams inscribed on them. In the shops up and on tables along the outer walls of adjacent Wat Mahathat (a temple famous for its Buddhist university and international meditation center and retreat), Tha Prachan Road, near the old town’s Sanam Luang, is home you’ll also find golden statues depicting Ganesh, Buddha and to Bangkok’s most famous. Seven days a week, come rain or revered monks. come shine, vendors erect tables or lay out blankets under the trees that line this old shophouse lined street, and display You don’t have to believe in their power, nor be an expert on amulets to enjoy a stroll along this sidewalk market. The earthy charms offering help in a range of personal matters. magic charms make quirky souvenirs and the street a veritaWhether you want to drive more customers to your shop, ble goldmine of photos ops. Keep strolling along Tha Prachan become more attractive to the other sex, or finally have the and around the corner, along the Northern end of Maharat baby you’ve been longing for, there’s an amulet here for you. Road, you’ll find slightly more conventional salves for your Most popular though are the amulets said to provide protecwell-being – boxes and jars filled with assorted pills and tion from mishap, with bas-relief images of the Buddha or pastes. If the amulet has failed to work its magic, here you can revered monks being the most popular. When blessed by a let traditional Thai and Chinese medicine cure you. venerated monk, these are said to be even more powerful in ตลาดพระเครื่อง ท่าพระจันทร์ (ใกล้ท้องสนามหลวง) protecting the wearer. If there were such a thing as DNA of the soul, the Thais’ would contain big strands of Buddhism intertwined with smaller segments of Hinduism, Animism and superstition. Two of the most colourful manifestations of this – Thailand’s spiritual complexity – is the amulet and the markets that flog them.

Prices? The figurine, tablets and miniature sculptures can cost as little as B20, but the mightiest amulets can fetch prices of ten thousand or even one hundred thousand baht. The tiny differences that give the amulet its power and market value are detectable only by trained eyes. Much easier to spot are the connoisseurs who wander the street, stopping only to peer through tiny magnifying glasses at what may or may not be the perfect specimen. bangkok101.com

Amulet market [MAP 7 / C 7]

Tha Prachan Rd, between Sanam Luang and Maharat Rd | 8 am – 6 pm

APRIL 2012 | 99

WELLNESS

W E L L N E S S | S pa

bangkok OASIS FOUR HAND MASSAGE Signature treatment

being spa

Massage & Spa Bangkok probably offers more places to indulge in massage than any other city on earth. In each issue we help you find the best rub-down for your baht, there’s no need to break the bank in order to get a good treatment.

BEING SPA [MAP 3 / P 4] 88 Sukhumvit 51 | BTS Thong Lo │ 02-662-6171 | www.beingspa.com 10 am – 8 pm | $$$ A serene courtyard pond leads the way into Being, one of the Sukhumvit area’s best neighbourhood day spas. This thoughtfully converted, two-storey house accommodates 12 private treatment chambers fashioned with rustic wood floors and tasteful ethnic décor, as well as rooms with shower beds, needle jets and a floral bath. Being’s host of revitalising treatments range from 30 minute body scrubs (using everything from coffee beans and seaweed to Thai herbs and pepper) to more comprehensive, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hour spa packages combining various medleys of massages, baths, facials, body wraps and scrubs. Recommendable is their signature fusion massage, the Being Ultimate Body Massage (1900 baht), a 90 minute rubdown blending aroma therapy oil massage with stretching and bending elements of traditional, medium pressure Thai massage.

body tune

experience, dispense with the whale-song chakra fiddle-faddle, and wrap it up into a convenient, accessible package – a concept that has proven popular, since Body Tune boasts two other busy branches in Sukhumvit and Phaholyothin. With its streamlined, massage-only menu and stable of 30 therapists, you won’t find any crystals or rose petals in this joint, yet the end result is just as refreshing. Got some knots which need a little extra attention?, Drop in early when the beds are free and the therapists are revved up ready to go. Remember to switch off those mobile phones! บอดี้ทูนสาขาสีลม ถ.สุริยวงศ์

Crystal Spa [MAP 8 / T 18] 1541 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Phrakanong 02-382-2244; 02-382-445 www.crystalspathailand.com 10 am – 10 pm | $$ Clamber down the steps of BTS Phrakanong station’s exit 3 and you’ve pretty much arrived at this small inner-city spa. If you’re a regular in these parts you’ll know Crystal’s look well – lots of warmtoned woods and muted silks, silk-clad staff with orchids in their tied-up hair, low-lit corridors that make you feel sleepy before you’ve even taken your shoes off. Thai massages are done in quasi-public but thick curtains guarantee some privacy, while foot massages happen in ultra-comfy upholstered armchairs. Compact treatment rooms come with little telephone-cubicle sized herbal steamers and hydrotherapy บีอิ้งสปา สุขุมวิท 51 baths, both good for relaxing your aching muscles pre-rub. As well as body and facial BODY TUNE [MAP 5 / K 5] treatments, manicures and pedicures, lots 2nd F, Yada Bldg | Silom Rd of inexpensive packages are offered. Our BTS Saladaeng / MRT Silom ruling fave: the slightly kinky/painful sound02-238-4377 | www.bodytune.co.th ing, but in fact utterly dreamy Aroma Hot 10 am – midnight | $$ Appearances will deceive at this hidden Candle Massage. gem of a massage institution set just a คริสตัลสปา ติดกับรถไฟฟ้าพระโขนง short stroll from the Skytrain steps. An unassuming glass door leads to a surpris- PALM HERBAL RETREAT [MAP 3 / Q 1] ingly welcoming reception area, the portal 522/2 Thong Lo Soi 16 | BTS Thong Lo to the therapeutic journey you are about 02-391-3254 | www.palmherbalspa.co.th to undertake. Body Tune is a very clever 10 am – 10 pm (last appointment 9 pm) concept; take the best of the luxury spa $$ 100 | A PRIL 2012

Palm herbal retreat

Although warm and inviting, with large, clean, finely decorated rooms, the interior of this small spa deep in Thong Lor won’t strike anybody as extraordinary. What will strike you is the innovative menu with an Ayurvedic slant (which a lot of other spas have copied from) and the therapists’ expertise. The retreat’s facials and massages are the crowd pullers. You’ll feel relaxed after a Four Elements Aroma Massage, but nothing beats their Palm Ayurveda Massage, an invigorating blend of Thai and sports massage that is truly effective. After you’ve tried one of these, you’ll be ready for one of the retreat’s well-priced packages. An instant favourite. ปาล์มเฮอร์บัลรีทรีท ทองหล่อ ซ.16 HAPA SPA [MAP 3 / B 4] 20/4 Sukumvit Soi 3 | BTS Nana 02-651-0966 | www.hapaspa.com 10 am – 10 pm | $$ Wedged between multi-story condos and weirdish hotels, Hapa’s location stands out insofar as you’d never expect a professional spa in an alley off Afro-Arab Nana. A long, glass-walled building draws in the uninitiated through its unique circular entrance and purple-tinged salon to metal boxes. Inside your own private bunker, a stylish, serene setting includes mini gardens, soft purple and cream tones and beds accommodating even the longest-legged Westerner. The extensive menu features the signature Aromatherapy massage, organic body scrubs and other tasty-sounding body delights, plus infrared thermal sauna, all executed by cheery, competent therapists.

“Four hands are better than two” could be the motto for the signature treatment at this spa, which offers guests a double dosage of pampering with the ‘Four Hands Massage’. As the name suggests, two members of the team skilfully apply your preferred pressure simultaneously on both the upper and lower parts of your body. Resistance is futile: you’ll find aches and pains deliciously melting away as your therapists work their combined massage magic. It might even be too much for visitors still reeling from the sheer abundance – and privileged pricing – of spas in the Kingdom. Calm and relaxation aren’t words that spring to mind when one thinks of Sukhumvit Road. But in the bucolic, picturesque surrounds of the luxurious Bangkok Oasis Spa, jasmine scents, soothing music, wood décor and “aesthetic” vases of reeds combine to impart the feeling of being at one with nature. And there is nothing quite like showering outdoors, in the natural sunlight of your own private suite. Bangkok Oasis is a link in a chain of sumptuous day spas that started up in Chiang Mai. You’ll find the perfect combination of expert consultation and soothing hands – with the option of an extra set, if you like. โอเอซิสสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.31 getting there

bangkok oasis spa [map 4 / R 3] B64 Sukhumvit soi 31 (Soi Sawasdee) BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-262-2122 www.bangkokoasis.com | 10 am – 10 pm | B 2,500++

ฮาป้าสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.3 Spa costs

$ under B600 $$ B600 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000-2,000 $$$$ B2,000+ All credit cards accepted unless otherwise noted bangkok101.com

bangkok101.com

A PRIL 2012 | 101

getting there

RAIL

SKYTRAIN (BTS) The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 40; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5 – 7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom / BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok and MRT Chatuchak Park / BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th

RIVERSIDE BANGKOK by Dejan Patic

Airport Rail Link A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B15-45 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150 as part of a drive to increase passenger numbers. http://airportraillink.railway.co.th bangkok101.com

ROAD

BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops). MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep groups. As with tuk-tuks, fares canal boats operate from Phan Fa should be negotiated beforehand. Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng TAXI Bangkok has thousands of University. However, you have to be metered, air-con taxis available quick to board them as they don’t 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the usually wait around. Canal (khlong) first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in boats tend to be frequent and cost B 2 increments. Be sure the driver around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought switches the meter on. No tipping, onboard. Note that the piers are a lit- but rounding the fare up to the neartle hidden away, which makes them est B 5 or B10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is sometimes difficult to find. baggage. For trips to and from the EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s airport, passengers should pay the vast network of inter-city waterways expressway toll fees. When boarding offer a quick and colourful alterfrom the queue outside the terminative for getting around the city. nal, an additional B 50 surcharge is Express boats ply the Chao Phraya added. River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge three-wheeled up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some TUK-TUK Those 30 main piers altogether. Fares range taxis (or samlor) are best known as from B 9 to B 32 depending on the tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr distance, while tickets can either of their engines. A 10-minute ride be bought on the boat or at the pier, should cost around B 40, but always depending on how much time you bargain before boarding. Beware: if have. Boats depart every 20 minutes a tuk-tuk driver offers to deliver you or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. anywhere for B10, it’s part of a setup Cross-river services operate through- that will lead you to an overpriced out the day from each pier for just B 3. souvenir or jewellery shop.

RIVER

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 1 0 3

REFERENCE

reference | B angkok city M ap 1 / 2

Map 1 Greater Bangkok A

UTHAI THANI

CHAI NAT

Udon Thani

SARABURI

PATHUM THANI 5

RATCHABURI

SAMUT

2 SAKHON

Khlong Sam wa

Thanont

Panya Indra

Lat Phrao

Khan na Yao

Bueng Kum

Chatuchak

Mini Buri

Navatanee

Mo Chit

Pattaya Phasi Charoen

CHANTHABURI

Ko Samet

Chom Thong

Trat

Gulf of Thailand

Bang Bon

Bang Rak

Khlong San

Thon Buri

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN

Saphan Sung

Bang Kapi

Pathumwan

Wongwian Yai

Muang Chantaburi

Huai Khwang

Ratchathewi

Bangkok Yai

Rayong 9

Wang Thong lang

DinDaeng Bangkok Noi

RAYONG

Phayathat

Dusit

Taling Chan

Ko Sichang

Cha-am

Bang Kholaem

Watthana

Lumpini

Lat Krabang

Suan Luang

Khlong Toei

Sathorn

60th Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park

Krungthep Unico Kreetha Grande

Prawet Yan 2 Nawa

Rat Burana

Phra Khanong 4

Phra Pradaeng

Suan Luang Rama IX

Suvarnabhumi Int. Airport

Bang Na

Summit Windmill

Bearing

Bang Khun Thian

Ko Kut

Ko Chang

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Royal Thai Army Sport Center

Chatuchak

Bang Phlat

CA M BODI A

M YA N M A R

Bang Khen

CHACHOENGSAO

CHON BURI

Bang Sue

SAMUT

Hua Hin

Sai Mai

MUENG NONTHABURI

SA KAEO

1 PRAKAN d

PHETCHABURI

The Legacy

VIETNAM

Bang Sue

SAMUT SONGKHRAM

Phetchaburi

Lak Si

MALAYSIA

PRACHIN BURI

BANGKOK f

f c

Rajpruek

Gulf of Thailand

Krabi

NAKHON NAYOK

NAKHON PATHOM

Royal Irrigation Dept.

Phuket

Ubon

Northpark Koh Samui

AYUTTHAYA

Don Mueng Int. Airport

Ko Kret

Andaman Sea

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Don Mueng

Pattaya CAMBODIA Koh Samet Koh Chang

NAKHON RATCHASIM A

Bangkok

KANCHANABURI

Tanya Tanee

THAILAND

Lop Buri

LAOS

Nakhon Ratchasima

ANG THONG

PAK KRET

Nakhon Ratchasima c

SING BURI

Kanchanaburi

Chiang Mai

LOP BURI

SUPHAN BURI

MYANMAR

Uthai Thani

Greater Bangkok & the Chao Phraya Map 2 >

Mueang Kaew

Thung Khru

Green Valley

20 km 20 miles Country Border Boarder Crossing Province Border

1 0 4 | april 2 0 1 2

Sightseeing a

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

floating Markets Damnoen Saduak 2 Amphawa 1

Museums

Nightlife 1 2

Parking Toys Tawandang German PHRA SAMUT CHEDI

Hotels

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

SAMUT PRAKAN

Bangpoo

Gulf of Thailand

bangkok101.com

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 1 0 5

REFERENCE

reference | B angkok city M ap 3

Map 3 Sukhumvit Road

i6 Ek

Ph ng

ai gY

iya

iE kk

Soi

ae ai

Kluaynamthai an

IVan ma h Rang C ae S i

hic

7 ha

Kluaynamthai

Embassies IN

India

IR Iran LK

aw a

–S

a iS

g en

a iS

aw a

So ha

ae So

S oi

i So

hic

Phra Khanong

Vasant

So 42

42 i Ta

So i So

Phra Khanong

Soi

i Ta

ang

bangkok101.com

Long Table 5 Beervault 6 Diplomat Bar 7 The Living Room 8 Cheap Charlie's 9 Barsu 19 WTF 17 Tokyo Joe's 18 Club Perdomo 20 The Iron Fairies 21 Clouds 22 Fat Gut'z 23 Shades of Retro 25 diVino

Ekkamai

0–

–

Nightlife 4

Science Museum

Ekkamai

0–

i Su

The Hanrahans The Pickled Liver The Robin Hood The Royal Oak The Londoner Black Swan

Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit Vasant

Science Museum

Soi 3

–

pubs

Soi

Sukhumvit

Soi

–S

oi 5

61 oi 7 – S Soi 5

hab

–S

Thong Lor

38 oi34 SoS i

Soi 3

Q Bar 2 Bed Supperclub 3 Insomnia 10 Glow 24 Demo

ett

hab

Lor

oi 5

–S

63 oi –S 9 ai 5 oi am kk a – S iE So Chan un

ett

ana

adi

Soi

on kT

Tho

Pad

Thong Lor

Clubs

e Ya

4 oi

ai gY

on kT

e Ya

4 oi

a kk

3 or

Lo ong

11 9/ i4

ae 0Y

Mit

on Th

a kk

aro

m ka

aro

oi 1

ae 0Y

Soi

ai S

5 oi 5 1 – S oi 5 S

oi 5

bangkok101.com

6 19

–S

Sukhumvit

Soi

adi

Japan Foundation 2 Koi Art Gallery 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta 5 TCDC (Thailand Creative & Design Centre 6 Nang Kwak 7 WTF 8 The Pickture Gallery

Markets

Soi A

Robinsons 2 Terminal 21 3 Emporium 1

Arts & Culture

asem

itr

udi

malls

ang

Lor

Niwet i Methi asem Soi K ri Soi A

his

isa

Pad

i Su

hi Niwet Soi Met Soi K

Lo ong

Tho

Soi So

iY ag

6–

tch isa

Ra so

m Benjakiti it Park r

his

6–

tch

iY ag

r Lo

Soi Methi Niwet

udi

Conrad Bangkok 2 Sheraton Grande 3 Seven 4 JW Marriot 5 Rembrandt 6 Four Points 7 Aloft Sukhumvit 11 8 Ramada Encore 9 Imperial Queen’s Park 10 Westin Grande Sukhumvit 11 Marriott Executive Sukhumvit Park 12 Centre Point

am Ekk

nasan

– Ban

Soi 30

Soi 28

Soi 26

Rua

Benjakiti Park

Hotels

1 i5 So i 45 So

43 9 Soi Soi 4

41 7 i4

Soi Methi Niwet

Soi 30

Benjasiri Park

Lor

ong

oi 1

Sukhumvit Soi 24Bannasan – Soi 28

Soi 26

2–

Benjasiri Park

ai S

Cha

ne haro

Phrom Phong Soi 24

ida

3 5

2–

8i1 i 1So

Soi

41 Soii 35 So

Phrom Phong Asok

i4 S3o9 Soi 7 ng - Soi 3 43 Soi

39 Soi 7 ng - Soi 3 33

Pho

15 13

Soi

31 So Soi 35

i 23

-So

Soi

mit

33 Soi i 27 So

y 3 bo

san

Soi

am Ekk

9/1 lan Soi K

ai So

om Phr

it Pra

Soi

Soi C

i5 ai So Ekkam it 22 23 8 e Suk eM on n r ro a a h h i3 SoaimCai 3 Thong Loroi8C ama S Ekk Ekk

Ekkam

e Suk 20 haron Thong Lor 8 11 g Lor n o h T

9/1

Mit la Soi K

Soi 4

om Phr

h 4 T

So1i3C 11 Lor g Lor hong Thon 4 T / 9 4 Soi 9 or gL on Th 7 Soi 49/3 or gL on Th

Soi 4

Soi

Soi S

m Mit ro om i Ph Phr So

u aro

49/

1 Si m ro Soi 49/3 Ph

ng L

i9 ai So Ekkam ii7 aihSao 24 aErkoknaemC h Soi C

Soi

Tho

om hr

Soi

L ong

it Ch ai rom Ch So hrom iP So h iP

i9 ai So r 16 Ekkam25 ng Loi 7 ho ai So kkTam E Prani

iP i

Pra oi Su

anm

Sukhumvit

–S

Soi

m Sa

r 16

49/

vit

49/

m hro

hum

vit

Suk

hum

i So

2 1

Si m ro Ph

k Yae

Suk vit

m hro

ras

anm

y bo

–S

es pr

om hr

Soi iP

ras

vit

vit d i wa n S Sa ho Soi

i So

3 /1

um iP

m hro

hum

Soi

So4

P oi

4 aek 31 Y

Soi Ch

Suk

adt

vit

dti

h uk –S3 ng /1 Po i 49 So

vit

vit So

wa i Sa

rom

1 hum

Saw

hum

vit

Soi

g–

n Si

n Po

oi 3 Suk

Soi

aek 1Y

Pho

rom

Soi

S vit umn Si ukPhho SSoi

oi 3

Soi

vit S

vit

Suk iP

BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line

Rua

Canal Boat

hum

Suk

23 Soi vit hum 31 Suk Soi vit hum Suk 23 Soi

vit

So 10 21

vit

4 o i1 –S SoSio10

oh ak

Soi

1 000 ft

2 hum

Soi

es pr

k Yae

1 oi 3

dti

Suk

16 Asok

m Sa

Sukhumvit

Nana 7 9 3

wa i Sa

12 2

m khu

Sukhumvit

o –S

rm aleTai CNhana

–S

Soi 1 0

–S

i So

oi 3 1S S 2 LK 2 oi 1S it 2 mv

–S 12 Soi oi 6 S

Soi 6

200 m

1 0 6 | april 2 0 1 2

ida i Pr Ta oi ana –S N i 8 oi So – S i4 So uk

Pho

hum

t Sin

vit

5 6

Nana

oh ak

Subway Line

i 23 -So mit san ana Pra atth iW So

Railway

um ukh

Soi

9–

ot ai Y

Suk

ot ai Y

Suk

Pho

gra –S

1 6

ad ngr10

Phloen Chit

Khit

thin

Soi

run

Bum

ale

Som

Phloen Chit n Ch oe Phl

yuh thaC

Soi

Central Chid Lom

ana

oi 3

Loe

Wit

Sukhumvit

i Lo

Soi

i Lo

Soi

vit

Soi

hum

Soi

Suk

Soi

Swissotel nai 6 lert park

tch

ont

Bum

ital

osp

gra

run

Soi

International School

Soi

rad Soi

Bum

run

thin

Nana

Soi

Bum

Eye

Soi

ana

Asoke

i ur

vit

et Ph Nana

tch

hum

Eye

Suk

Soi

International School

Soi 36

at ach n Bur iyako a Ch

Asoke ri abu Phetchaburi tch

oi 3

Phe

vit S

kasa

Soi 39

Mak

hom

Nik

t Phueri engab phatch Phetchaburi Kam Phe

15 A s o oi 23 Soi S vit hum Suk 13 Soi na ai 23 Ch ha Soi att vit uam iW hum iR So Suk So 9– i1 an 11 So Ch Soi ri ng o n t 15 Sae i kM oi 9 S So o1i5 Aso vit SoSi um kh Su 3 7 i1 Soi So vit 13 um Soi kh ai 1 Su 5 i1 Ch Soi So am vit Ru i um So kh 1 Su t Sin 1 an Loe 11 i1 Ch So Soi Soi ng 3 vit Soi Sae u1m5 43 i h i k 9 Soi So SuSo Soi ea vit Nu um ana kh Su iN 3 7 o S i1 Soi Soi 41 So vit um kh 1 3 Sui 36 So i1 5 i1 Soi Soi vit So So vit ital vit hum hum osp um Suk Suk dH kh 1

Soi

Soi 41

Soi 39

Soi

Phe

eng

hum

pha

Suk

Kam

Soi

Sri Lanka

PH Philippines

Qatar Ukraine NO Norway QA UA

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 1 0 7

REFERENCE

reference | B angkok city M ap 4 / 5

Map 4 Siam / Cit Lom

Hotels 1

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

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

Arts & Culture 1

BACC – Bangkok Art and Culture Centre 2 Tonson Gallery 1 0 8 | april 2 0 1 2

t are

Phra

malls

Embassies

MBK 2 Siam Discovery 3 Siam Center 4 Siam Paragon 5 Panthip Plaza 6 Platinum Fashion Mall 7 CentralWorld 8 Zen @ CentralWorld 9 Pratunam Center 10 Gaysorn 11 Erawan Plaza 12 The Peninsula Plaza 13 Amarin Plaza 14 Central Chidlom 15 All Seasons Place

Nightlife a CM2 b

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

Switzerland BR Brazil FI Finnland ID Indonesia KH Cambodia NL Netherlands NZ New Zealand QA Quatar UA Ukraine UK United Kingdom US USA VN Vietnam

Shopping 16 17

t nan Du He Thaniya

Patpong 1 Patpong 2

Soi 4

St. Joseph School

14 CA

Sala Daeng 1/1

Sala Daeng 1

Soi 5

Soi 7

Silom

Soi 6

Soi 8

Soi 9

Soi 13

or n S oi 1 1

So i S a

Lumpini Park

Sala Daeng l

Soi Phra Phinit

Suan Phlu Soi 1

Sathorn Nuea Sathorn Tai

5 MY

MX GR

DE DK

Suan

Phlu 6

Ph Suan

Soi Nantha

lu 8

Siam Square Pratunam Market

Hotels 1

bars with views

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

Arts & Culture 1

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

Shopping 1

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

AU Australia BE Belgium

200 m

BT Bhutan

1 000 ft

CA Canada DK Denmark GR Greece FR France MX Mexico

River Ferry River Cross Ferry BTS Silom Line Subway Line Market

MM Myanmar PT Portugal SG Singapore TW Taiwan

Sightseeing a

bangkok101.com

AT Austria

MY Malaysia

bangkok101.com

Embassies

DE Germany

Immigration Office

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

4 Soi 1

Chulalongkorn Hospital

5 o m 12 n BT

Convent

Pan

Soi 11 Yaek 3

Surawong

Chong Nonsi

Sala Daeng

Trok Klue

8 Than Tawan Soi 6 Soi 5

Soi 3

Soi 10

as Naradhiwind Rajanagar ra

Soi 9

Decho

Soi 14

nr y

Sap

Naret Soi 13

Soi 11

Soi 2 2 Soi P/2 – Prach radit um

Sam Yan

Lumphini Park

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

Soi S

aya

ong

Phr Soi

Sarasin

Chulalongkorn University

Suan Phlu – Sathron Soi 3

Rat

chit

Naradhiwas

Soi Nom

int Lo

aro

Soi 13

Soi Phiphat 2

roen

Soi Santiphap

u i se – S a t h

Charo

Sa 63

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

akh aN

Ma Soi 2

Soi 3

k 3

Soi 1

2 8

Soi 1

kho Na So tho

ung en Kr Charo

Suras t

un Kr n ar oe Ch

7 d

So i 51 i5 3

Phloi

suri

Iam

Pramuan

chai

Silom

i5 1 0

Kam

Hua Lamphong

Surawong

Cha

Soi 38 Soi 40

Soi Puttha Os

Maha Se

Soi Sukhumvit 1

Soi Nai Lert

46 KH

Sarasin

Chulalongkorn University Area

Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi 7

Saphan Taksin

run

ang

sway

hon Nak Cha

Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi Tonson

Soi Lang Suan

Henri Dunant

Ratchadamri

Soi 6

Soi 5

Soi 4

Soi11

Soi 3

Soi10

Soi 2

Soi 1 Soi 8

Phaya Thai

Witthayu

Soi 5

Soi 6

S So oi 5 Ch i 61 9 aro en K

Soi 4

Soi 5

Soi 3

Rak–

Soi 4

Soi 3

Rud

Ratchadamri

idg

Soi 2

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

SathornSo

uam

NZ QA

Soi R

Soi Lang Suan1

Soi Mahatlek Luang 3

Soi Mahatlek Luang 2

Soi Saw

Trok Ph et

Soi 32

Oriental

Taksin

Tak s

mvit

hith

ukhu

Soi Mahatlek Luang1

Phloen Chit 16

b 5 c

Soi 39

Soi 30

Post

Bang

Dumax

Phloen Chit

Chit Lom FI

Si Phraya

1Wat Suwan

ng P

Rajamangala University

g 11 7

Wat Muang Khae 1

Soi S

Soi 7

2 c

Si Phraya

Dua

Soi 9

Siam 16 Siam Square

Th. Witthayu

Soi Som Khit

Soi Chit Lom

c 10 11

w ress

Ratchaprarop

Wat Pathum Wanaram

4 e

Nai Lert Park

2a Khlong San

roen

12 h

5 Soi 3

Soi 31 Soi 33

Soi 25

Soi 29

Soi 23

Soi 19

Soi 15

Soi 17

Soi 27

Soi 32

Soi 30

Chit Lom

Exp

Soi Kaesem San1

Witthayu Bridge

ohn Nak

Soi Kaesem San 2

14 b

c 2

National Stadium

Prathunam

Rama I 5

Srapathum Palace

lerm

Sa Khlong San

Hua Chang Bridge

Soi 22

Soi 20

Ratchathewi

uri

Marine Dept.

Lat Ya

Cha

Phetchaburi Soi 18

Phetchab

Soi 13

Soi 7

C N

Rajanagarindra

Soi 12

Soi 1 8 Soi 16

Soi 14

Soi 15

pres

G 4

te E x

Rat

Soi Wanit 2

2 n d Sta

en Ra

Silom / Sathorn Map 5

Snake Farm M.R. Kukrit’s House A pril 2 0 1 2 | 1 0 9

REFERENCE

reference | B angkok city M ap 6 / 7

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

Ya i k ko

Wat Kanlayannamit

So iW at Ka nla ya

ata hip

ok nN Dam

noe

Wat Liap

Market Tot Phimai Market

Memorial Bridge

cha Rat ng

Bat

Wo rach ak

ng A ng O

Soi B an

Khlo

lon

apho

Yao w

ara

aro

Bor iph at

Chai Phir

Maha

Burapha

Boriphat

Chai Maha

Dinso Unakan Siri Phong

Fuang Nakhon

Dinso

t 7

Cha kph e Pak Khlong t

Luan

hit

im uk

Wat Wat Bophit Chakrawat Phimuk

wat kkra Cha

Son

gW at

mW at

Phi

ren

g 13

Ya ow a

Anu

won g

aw on g

bangkok101.com

i So

bangkok101.com

Khlong Lot

Set

Rajinee

g lon Kh

1 1 0 | april 2 0 1 2

an thak

tch

n ari Am un Ar

Phahurat

Chinatown Gate at the Odient Circle

Phra Phi Phit

Museum of Siam Soi

Wat Arun (Temple of the dawn)

Che

Royal Theatre

Thip Wari

Wat Saket

Ma ha Ch an k

Wat Arun

n pho

Soi Sirip at

Ch ak kr aw at

Market

Tha Tien

Ban Mo

Railway

Chalermkrung Theatre 2 Samphanthawong Museum 3 Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre

at har Ma

Subway Line

Wat Pho

Lan Luang

Muang

Rommaninat Park

Soi Sa Song Soi Long Tha

Saw

Phan Fah Leelard

Bumrung

Sam Yot

Trok Phan um

Saphan Phut

River Cross Ferry

Rat

Soi Siric hai 2 Soi Siric hai 1

Charoen Krung

River Ferry

ng i Wa

Tha

Ta l

Arts & Culture

Soi Phra ya Si

mran

Wat Suthat

n kho

ng Rak

g Tai

Soi Sa

Giant Swing

1 000 ft

Damro

Klan

City Hall

Trok Sukha1

Ratchabophit

noen

Wat Ratchanatdaram

uang

Wat Ratchabophit

Saranrom Park

200 m

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

Trok Nava

Trok Sukha 2

Grand China Princess Bangkok Shanghai Mansion 1

Grand Palace

Wat

Bumrung M

i Sanam Cha

Hotels

Saranrom

Trok Ratchanatdaram Sin

Tanao Phraeng Nara

Phraeng Phuthon

Wat Ratchapradit

Democracy Monument

Mahannop

hrut

Lak Mueang

Tro k

Dam

Trok hep T Sath hida ien Ram

K Trok

ei Na Hap Pho

Wat Phra Kaew

Chao Phraya

Pra cha T

ha e Ka iC Tr ok

ng ho Bunsiri

aitri

Markets

lang Tai

g Nuea

Klang

Ch ak ra Ka Ph sem et

kr aP

noen K

Na Phra Lan

Tha Chang

noen Klan

noen

Soi Silipakorn

Soi Dam

k Khro lonSgake L ot W at T

Kalayana M

Temples

Soi Dam

Sanam Luang

Sri

D Din

Wat Rakhang

aos

isut

Maharat

Wat Mahathat

g ae n

S ap

Bowonniwet ViHara

a Dam

Silpokaorn University N

Ratch

a Ch

ap h

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

Trok W

ut an P h t Phu han S ap

e pir Em

i1 So Y P

Wang Lang

han

Phu

Sa p h

Princess Mother Memorial Park

it Tr i M ang

Maharaj Ph r

Tha Din Daeng

Memorial Bridge

Th S oi

Thammasart University

ais

Tan i

an T ula

Amulet Market

iW or

Sam

ur han

Ch aiy aphun

Trok Itsaranuphap

Ma ngkon

National Museum

Buranasat

National Arts Gallery

National Theatre

Wat Chana Songkhram

ee Rachin ng Atsada

et i Ph

Marine Dept.

Rajchawongse

o nM la n g aK

R at

s en

r ad

M it tr ph an So ng Saw at

i2 So Y

Phadungdao–Soi Texas

Y So i 9

Pl an g N am

So i 18

S oi 4

So i 16

So i 6

Soi 14 Soi 8

Y Soi 15 Soi Aner Keng

Y Soi 17

Y Soi 21 Y Soi 19

So i 21

on M an gk

So i 19

Su ap a Ratch awon g

Y S 10 CK S 12

Soi 17

Ch ak kr aw at

t C ha kp he

Ma ha Ch ak

Soi 8

Soi 10

ha r ap Bu

Lu ean Rit

6 i So

i3 So

4 oi

Y Soi 23

Trok

S oi

So i 15

So i 11

iP S ir

So i 13

h at rip

ai Ch ha Ma

an ak Ugn

n ho

g on

Th Ti

Rachi ni Atsad ang

w Ta

ang

ttr

R oi

an ulo

se g an Ka Lu g k un Lu Kr

Khlong Bangkok Noi

asa

Thonburi N11 Thonburi Railway Railway

i So

its

tK isu

2 oi

Phra Atith

i ttr

S ong W

a n it 1

ith

Y So i 3

S oi W

VII

a hr

m Ra

Phra Pin Klao Bridge

aro

en 3 h Ya ow a r at K r un g i7

g wo n

Rama IV

p sa Ka

A nu

Wat Saodung

ok Tr

Hua Lamphong

Pin ra Ph

i ar

it 1

t de m So ge rid

Pha

at hur

Sam peng Lane – Soi Wan

Y Soi 11

Hua Lamphong Central Railway Station

ray Ph

Yaow

t ar a

o ha

C et md

u han

gs Ran

itri

K 1

n ha

P ok

a iph

Rama VIII Bridge

Pin ra Ph

Charoen Krun g

t Yo

et md

a Ch

isu

ok Tr

Romaneenart Park

t P h ir

K h lo n

i S ir

Wa Thom

k Wor ac ha

Si Thamm athirat

Lua h at

Tri Ph e

Ph ra Po kk lao

itri

Ti Thong

Soi Mahannop 2

Tri Phet

M ai

Ba n D ok

h1u li n

Sida

S oi C

Ratcha Damn oen N ai

ra Tha

Na Ph

Map 7 Rattanakosin (Oldtown)

Rajchawongse

A pril 2 0 1 2 | 1 1 1

m y b a n g ko k

My Bangkok Chawadee Nualkhair Best place for breakfast I always try to make it to Go Pi Hia Thai Gi (there are two, one on Dinsor Road and the other at the Wisut Kasat intersection). I love their kai gata (baked eggs), but they also have dim sum and steak and eggs – anything I could ever want for breakfast.

When it comes to seeking out the best local grub, one of the handiest little books on the market is Bangkok’s Top 50 Street Food Stalls. Having eaten our way through it over the past six months, and being left hungry for more, we asked (ok, begged) its American-Thai author, mother of two and food journalist Chawadee Nualkhair, to divulge some more of her honest streetfood intel (if you ain’t hungry now, you soon will be!). For more, check out her blog: the aptly titled bangkokglutton.com.

THE SHORTLIST: So Nah Wang [map 7 / h8]

156/2 Dinso Rd, Phra Nakorn 02-622-1525; 02-224-2588 | 11 am – 11:30 pm Go Pi Hia Thai Gi [MAP 7 / J 9] 37 on the corner of Samran Rat Rd and Siri Phong Rd, Phra Nakorn 081-635-1056; 02-621-0828 | 7 am – 8 pm Uncle John [MAP 5 / K 9]

Suan Plu Soi 8 (4th shophouse down on the left) 081-373-3865 | 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm Aor Thor Kor [MAP 8 / L 4]

Kamphaeng Phet Rd, Jatujak │ BTS Mo Chit / MRT Kampaeng Phet 02-621-0828 | 7 am – 8 pm

Best place for lunch I love the Chinese swing area, especially Dinso Road. There is a great aharn tham sung (made-to-order) stall there called So Nah Wang, which makes my absolute favorite mee pad krachet (rice vermicelli stir-fried with acacia leaves): spicy, filling and quick (my favorite option is with seafood). They also do a delicious moo ob (baked pork) on rice. Best place for dinner I talk about this place all the time, so people are sick of hearing about it: Uncle John in Suan Plu Soi 8. Western-style street food is such a good idea, I’m jealous that I didn’t think of it myself. I order whatever is on the specials board, which gives the whole experience a little hint of danger. Best place for noodles I’ve had brief flirtations with other noodle stands, but the place I return to again and again is the bamee kai (egg noodles with egg) vendor on the corner of Ekamai 19, open from 8pm to late. I’ve heard people refer to this place as “Bamee Slow” because a wait for these noodles can last up to half an hour. The wait is worth it, though: silky noodles, crunchy greens and deliciously sweet red pork crowned with a barely-boiled egg. Best place for Isaan food I don’t really want to say. I’ve even avoided blogging about it. But here goes: it’s the one to the right of the entrance to Suan Plu Soi 3. Lots of people like it (so I’m not sure why I want to keep it a big secret), and everyone has his or her own favorite. My favorite is the jiao hon, or Isaanstyle sukiyaki – a spicy tom sap-like broth that comes with a platter of raw pork, chicken, liver, egg, vegetables, etc, that you cook yourself. It’s a dish that’s not that easy to find in Bangkok, much less on the street! Best place for desserts Nam kaeng sai (shaved ice desserts) is my favorite type of Thai sweet, probably because I am always sweating like a pig. The one in Suan Luang is really famous, but I prefer the one located in Sukhumvit Soi 38, because it has just as much variety with less of a crowd. That means I can umm and ahh as much as I like and take as much time as I please choosing what will go in my bowl. Best place for fresh produce Without question, if you’re cooking Thai food, it’s Aor Thor Kor. I think most people know it’s the best place for fresh produce, but don’t go there often it because it’s such a trek. My friend calls it the “Whole Foods” of wet markets – beautiful fruits and vegetables, obscure varieties of nam prik (chili paste) and gaeng (curries) ... you get the picture.

1 1 2 | april 2 0 1 2

bangkok101.com