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bangkok 101

september 2011 100 baht

Through a Lens, Darkly

t h r o u g h through t h e e yae lens, s o fdarkly his kingdom

september 2011

metrobeat over the border LA COLOMBE Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;OR CHAMPASAK

food & drink TABCHANG

shopping ZUDRANGMA

publisher’s

letter

september 2011

Shutterbugs walking around with a bulky DSLR, a dinky point-and-shoot or a cameraphone in hand are an everyday sight here in Bangkok, a goldmine of offbeat photo opportunities if ever there was one. That said, we’d still loved to have seen the look on peoples’ faces as this month’s guest photographer, Brit David Procter, trawled our streets with his prized Rolleiflex 2.8F in hand. A vintage camera from the 1960s, it’s what shutterbugs know as a twins-lens reflex camera, the type that uses film (remember that?), requires the shooter to stare down through the top of it as they shoot, and fell out of favour about half a century ago. Starting p.40, ‘Through a Lens, Darkly’ hints at why this classic-cool designicon endures in snapper circles despite having being discontinued years ago – each of Procter’s clean and strong black and white portraits seems to stare into the soul of his city-dweller subjects. Back in the world of full colour, you’ll find everything from flower showers to ballet festivals brightening up our events calendar. Also worth checking out this month will be the many food stalls that go veggie as part of the Chinese Vegetarian Festival, a centuries-old tradition celebrated with famously gruesome rituals down on Phuket island (see p.29). If heading down there to see people roaming around with swords hanging through their lips doesn’t appeal, check out our other travel suggestions: a daytrip to Siam-shaped cultural park, ters the Ancient City; a beach holiday to Koh Chang; and a round-up k 101 ca , Bangko an what they d se ia of why Southern Laos’ Champasak province is ripe for a visit. b n u ent and er r more th Independ rs who yearn fo s. It brings togeth , Book excerpts span such disparate topics as the cremation k lle rs e o v o te a b ri tr e to savvy ighty, dated guid f city residents, w sult of revered Buddhist figure Buddhadasa Bhikkhu in this month re o e e w o h h T in w . d fin tors ho’s in 1993 (p.13); and the joy that Bangkok’s blind bands bring ommenta ritative w travel an autho ers and cultural c brid of monthly to our sidewalks (p.15). Interviews get the buzz from local y h h p off the photogra ct and intelligent kes you on and a ta p taste-makers, including graphic artist Lolay and designer Milin s the t y a m o lo th c p is a magazine Bangkok 101 em no smut. y it c d n Yuvacharuskul. As for our bread-and-butter – reviews – we’ve ack. , and guide a tourist tr h no fluff rously got an even more eclectic batch for you than normal, from new well-worn rial standards, wit bought. We rigo g o e it oin b g d t n e o o n st r highe restaurants that even in-the-know foodies won’t have heard of tent can readers, and ou orial con city r it t u d a o e re r n g u o is s O yet, like Lad Phrao’s Tabchang, to old spots and haunts you may enjoy th the focu maintain is to ensure they living in it. have missed. Truly, you’d be a few steps behind without us. e n v o lo si is e w m

What i1s01? Bangkok

as much

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher

contributors David Procter David Procter moved from London to Bangkok to take up a teaching position at an International school in 2003. Inspired by a new life in Asia he bought a camera to document his experiences, but combined with a passion for meeting people and finding stories he soon found photography becoming an ever increasing part of his life. David shoots mainly for pleasure whilst pursuing personal projects but he also undertakes commercial work and commissions. www.davidprocter.com

Philip Cornwel-Smith 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.

Howard Richardson Food and travel writer Howard Richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent 12 years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column on Bangkok events and trends in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine. He also wrote the travel guide Bangkok Step by Step, published by Insight Guides.

Brian Mertens

Mertens helped spotlight Thailand’s brave new wave of textiles and furniture in Bangkok Design. Previously he wrote Architecture of Thailand: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Forms. He writes on culture, travel and news for the New York Times, Art Asia-Pacific and Forbes. A former resident of NYC and Tokyo, he has lived in Thailand since 1997, the year he won the Citibank Prize for Excellence in Journalism.

Chris Menist Chris Menist is a writer, DJ and musician who has been based in South Asia since 2006. He is a regular contributor to Songlines magazine, and his writing has appeared in The Independent, The Observer, FACT and Straight No Chaser. If you like his column, check out his DJ partner Maft Sai’s record label ZudRangMa, either online at zudrangmarecords.com or at its shop, which has just relocated to a new location on Sukhumvit Soi 51, next door to WTF Bar.

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

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

Dave Stamboulis Greek-born but Californiaraised, 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.

Publisher Mason Florence Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jesda M. Tivayanond Associate Publisher Parinya Krit-Hat Managing Editor Max Crosbie-Jones Group Editor Simon Ostheimer Designer Narong Srisaiya Jarmmaree Janjaturonrasamee Senior Editorial Assistant Pattarasuda Prajittanond Editorial Assistant Amornsri Tresarannukul Strategists Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger Contributing Writers Tom Vater, Chris Menist, Howard Richardson, Noy Thrupkaew, Steven Pettifor, Korakot Punlopruksa, Leo Devillers, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Cassandra Beckford, Chirayu na Ranong Contributing Photographers Jatuporn Rutnin, Christian Phongphit, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Austin Bush, 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 Assistant Peeraya Nuchkuar Circulation Pradchya Kanmanee Published by Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330 T: 02-252-3900 F: 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com Designed by Letter Space T: 02-386-7181 F: 02-386-7182 letter_space2000@yahoo.com

© Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.

table of

contents snapshots 6 8 12 13 14 15

101 picks metro beat history chronicle of thailand customs very thai: blind bands

sightseeing 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

orientation riverside temples historical homes & shrines museums museum focus : museum of counterfeit goods parks & zoos kids in the city room 101 : loy la long

travel 26 27 28 30 32

hotel deals day trip : ancient siam upcountry now beach escape : koh chang over the border : champasak

arts

34 35 36 37 38 39 40

art 1-on-1 : claude estèbe exhibitions performing arts paradise found cinema books photo feature: through a lens, darkly

september 2011

food & drink 46 47 48 49 51 58 60 61 62 66

dining in bangkok meal deals thai fruit street eats featured restaurant river cruises brunch dessert restaurants wine

nightlife 68 69 70 72 74 76 78 79 80 81

one night in bangkok bar review: tuba clubs bars with a view hotel bars & clubs bars live music jazz clubs pubs nightlife areas

shopping 82 84 85 86 88

unique boutique: zudrangma mall crawl fashion 1-on-1: milin jatujak market markets

wellness 90 91

spas wellness centres

community 92 93 94

sports classes making merit

reference 95

On the cover: a local plays takraw on Silom Road during last year’s curfew

HOTEL PARTNERS

getting around

my bangkok 96

my bangkok: thaweesak ‘lolay’ srithongdee

E c B s a

S B P

F B

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S N A P S H OT S

101 picks

Before rushing off to a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand or the green mountains of Chiang Rai, scratch beneath Bangkok’s gritty surface to uncover these shining gems that’ll keep you here longer

SHOPPING

THAI STYLE

DINING

OPEN AIR

NIGHTLIFE

■ Jatujak A huge, sprawling village of a market that sells everything under the sun. Cramped, steamy and lots of fun (p.86).

■ Making Merit Donate food to monks, release birds and ﬁsh, or light incense sticks at a temple – and pray for good karma (p.94).

■ Sunday Brunch Make like the Thais do, and spend your Sunday by lazing around with friends and enjoying a late breakfast (p.60).

■ Dusit District Filled with lovely airy boulevards, a zoo and the historic Vimanmek Mansion’s gorgeous green gardens (p.22).

■ Bars & Clubs Sleep all day, party all night and never grow old. The City of Angels has a night out to suit everyone (p.69-81).

■ Pak KhlongTalad Pick up more pretty posies than you know what to do with at this 24-hour ﬂower market (p.88).

■ Thai Massage Though your body will thank you for it later, expect to be stretched to the limit by eager masseuses (p.93).

■ Food Courts Love cheap Thai food but love air-con more? Then these shopping mall stalls make for an excellent alternative.

■ River Boats See a different side of Bangkok and take a boat up north to Nonthaburi or explore the Thonburi canals (p.17).

■ Cabarets With performers that ooze grace, poise, and, ahem, Adam’s apples, you won’t see a better show in town (p.76).

■ Siam Square Bangkok’s young and hip gather at this cradle of cool to watch the latest ﬂicks, and pick up stylish threads (p.84).

■ Thai Cooking Learn how to pound paste like a professional at one of the many Thai cooking classes held around town (p.93).

■ River Dining With plenty of restaurants lining its banks, the Chao Phraya River makes for an awesome dinner backdrop (p.58).

■ Cycling Tour Although unexpected, touring by bike can be one of the best ways to explore Bangkok and its surroundings (p.92).

■ Sky-high Drinks Become a high-ﬂier for the night and enjoy a cocktail while looking down on the glittering Bangkok skyline (p.72).

■ Patpong Always busy, this small strip in the CBD is packed with market stalls and go-go bars.

■ Thai Boxing Place your bets and watch the brutal yet noble art of Muay Thai, or kickboxing (p.92).

■ Meal Deals Take advantage of these special offers to eat at the city’s best restaurants (p.47).

■ Ancient City Cycle round the fun museum park of Muang Boran and see Thailand in miniature (p.27).

■ Dining Cruises Enjoy a ﬁne meal and even better views as you gently travel along the Chao Phraya (p.58).

■ Panthip Plaza Without doubt this is the ultimate computer geek mecca. If you can’t ﬁnd it here, you haven’t looked hard enough (p.84).

■ TCDC Often hosting workshops and talks, the Thailand Creative & Design Centre fosters Thai designers (p.36).

■ Street Food Order up a dish, sit down on a plastic stool and prepare to taste the core ingredients of Bangkok life (p.49).

■ Lumphini Park This huge green space in the heart of the city. is perfect for jogging, picnics and boating on the several lakes (p.22).

■ Twist & Shout Whether you get wiggly on Khao San, jiggly at RCA or giggly on Soi 11, there’s a danceﬂoor for you (p.81).

■ Central Chidlom Features seven ﬂoors of fashion, shoes and accessories, plus some of the best dining in town at the Food Loft (p.84)

■ The Jim Thompson House This former CIA spook rebuilt the Thai silk trade from scratch, then disappeared. (p.19).

■ Affordable Gourmet Dining If you prefer foie gras to fried insects, the city has plenty of affordable ﬁne dining (p.51).

■ Flower Market Located close to the river, this magical 24-hour market offers much more than just fragrant surrounds (p.88).

■ Thai Theatre Traditional Thai wooden puppet shows, classical Thai drama or breathtaking extravaganzas – no tux required (p.36).

september 2011

snapshots

CMY

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8/11/11

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TH 7ORLD 'OURMET &ESTIVAL Eight Chefs, Seven Countries, Seven Days, One Hotel The 12th World Gourmet Festival at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok September 5th - 11th 2011

S N A P S H OT S

metro beat

Our man about town Howard Richardson presents the lowdown on what’s on and what’s in. Read on for the picks of Bangkok’s hottest news, trends, happenings and openings, plus all the essential events you can’t afford to miss

NIGHTLIFE

POP & ROCK Loud and proud, the Metal Zone Open Air Tribute Concert at JJ Mall on Sept 2 has Tornado, Harley Band and Bastard to head a roster of nine bands dedicated to the legacy of Led Zeppelin. Tickets are B600 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, w w w.thaiticketmajor.com) . The Bangkok Music Marathon, on Sept 10 at Impact Arena (02-504-5050), features 12 hours of rock from noon to midnight, with over 20 bands, including the ubiquitous Modern Dog, Scrubb and The Richman Toy. Tickets from Thai Ticketmajor (02-2623456, www.thaiticketmajor. com) cost B500-B1,500. Rockers Linkin Park play their third Bangkok concert on Sept 23 at Activ Square, Impact Arena (02-5045050). The gig is part of the Thousand Suns World Tour to promote their new album A Thousand Suns, with tracks like ‘Blackout’, ‘Robot Boy’ and ‘Burning in the Skies’. Total Reservation (02-833-5555, w w w.totalreser vation.com) have tickets from B1,000B3,000.

DINING Eight international chefs take over the kitchens at the Four Seasons Hotel (02-1268866) from September 5-11 for the 12th annual World Gourmet Festival, a weeklong celebration of all things gourmet. The Michelinhonoured Ivo Adam, from Seven, in Ascona, Switzerland and Anthony Demetre, of Wild Honey, in London, join chefs from as far apart as China, Canada and Argentina. There are lunches and dinners to enjoy, plus wine and tea tastings and cooking demonstrations. For the full menu see www.fourseasons.com. 8

september 2011

Bed Supperclub (02-651-3537, w w w. b e d s u p p e r c l u b . c o m ) hits the month running with Major Lazer frontman Skerrit Bwoy on Sept 8, followed by Germany’s Moguai, from the Mau5trap label, who’s in town on the 15th. There’s a monster two-room event on the 22nd with hip hop giant Grandmaster Flash and dance star Eddie Halliwell, whose sets – according to Mixmag – “feel like the closing party of the end of the world”. And the monthend has Mr Mike, who had hits with ‘Put Your Hands Up in the Air’ and ‘Pump It Up’, on Sept 28. DJ Sidney Samson, known for the international hit ‘Riverside’ and remixes including Kylie Minoque’s ‘Get Outta My Way’, seems to have played everything in his time, from Hip Hop to House, Latin to R&B. So it should be a mixed bag at LED (02-203-1043) on Sept 8. Tickets are B800.

SPORT Andy Murray, Robin Soderling and Gael Monﬁls, all in the world’s top seven, serve up a feast of tennis at the PTT Thailand Open at Impact Arena (02-504-5050) from Sept 24-Oct 2. Part of the ATP Tour, Thailand’s premier tournament also features previous winners Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Gilles Simon. Tickets, available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor. com), are B300-B900 for qualifying rounds, rising to B800-B4,500 for the quarter ﬁnals onwards.

CHARITY The 15th Aerobics Marathon on Aids raises funds for charitable causes at the Amari Watergate (02-653-9000) on Sept 18. The three hour aerobics session will be joined by celebrities and include contests in categories such as best dancer, most creative costume and the biggest team. Tickets are B300.

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EVENTS

DANCE & THEATRE The Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music has 17 productions at the Thailand Cultural Centre (02-247-0028) between September 9 and October 16. The event starts with Swan Lake on Ice (Sept 9-11), with other highlights of the month being the Mariinsky Ballet Company (formerly known as the Kirov) from St Petersburg, who will perform three shows accompanied by the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra – Le Corsaire (20th and 21st), the Mariinsky Ballet Gala (22nd) and Don Quixote (24th and 25th); Introdans contemporary ballet from the Netherlands on Sept 28; and the Flying Superkids gymnastics team from Denmark from Sept 30-Oct 2. Ticket prices vary, but generally run from B700-B2,200. Details available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

FILM The Pre-Nouvelle Vague Weekend at the Alliance Francaise (02-670-4231) from Sept 16-18 is a showcase of films that presaged the Nouvelle Vague movement following World War II. The five movies are L’Atalante (dir: Jean Vigo), French Cancan (Jean Renoir), Le Diable Boiteux (Sacha Guitry), Une Vie (Alexandre Astruc) and Les Dernieres Vacances (Roger Leenhardt). All are in French with English subtitles. Admission free. See www.alliance-francaise.or.th for screen times. The oldest existing Thai film The King of the White Elephant by Pridi Banomyong will be shown by the Thai Film Archive in Salaya (02-482-2013) on Sept 25 to celebrate its 70th anniversary. The anti-war film was originally screened in New York and Singapore, as well as Bangkok and was hence made in English. A DVD edition dubbed into Thai is also being released. In addition, they’ll screen all competition entries from the recent 15th Thai Short Film and Video Festival throughout September. Not all Thai language films have English subtitles. www.bangkok101.com

The Wedding Fair at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit hotel (02649-8353) on Sept 3 promises wedding planners, designers, photographers, dressmakers, flower guys and caterers, plus special package deals for couples booking a wedding at the fair. The National Museum Volunteers’ Annual Reception is a chance for people to meet and see the work of an organisation that promotes the country’s art, history and culture through study groups, workshops and excursions. All are welcome at the Dusit Thani Hotel on Sept 20, where there will be a “surprise cultural performance”. It runs from 9am-noon, admission free. For more background see www.museumvolunteers.bkk.net. The Swissôtel Nai Lert Park (02-253-0123) blooms from Sept 29-Oct 2 with its 25th Silver Jubilee Flower Show. Unusually for a flower show, they promise “heart-pounding activities” among the one million flowers covering all hotel areas and including a floral Naga (water god) with underwater displays. There will be celebrity garden creations, a dog and owner matching outfi ts competition, and a free tree with every ticket, which are B120 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www. thaiticketmajor.com). The Nai Lert heritage home will also be open to the public for the first time.

CLASSICAL The Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute Orchestra presents the Dvorak Cello Concerto and Symphony No 5 by Sibelius at Mahisorn Hall, SCB Park on Sept 29. The cellist is Luigi Piovano, the conductor is Leo Phillips, and tickets are B300-B800 from Thai Ticketmajor (02262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

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september 2011

S N A P S H OT S

FASHION

RESTAURANT

People who look at their watches for more than just the time will love the Central International Watch Fair 2011, where they say the featured 180 brands are worth “more than 5,000 million baht”. Tick them off – Sarcar, Maitres du Temps, Louis Erard… they’re out in force at the Event Hall, Central Chidlom until Sept 27.

LA COLOMBE D’OR

ART Contemporary Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak, known for her “delicate, sensible and passionate” depiction of breasts (there’s a huge example on the wall of Opus wine bar on Thanon Pan), exhibits Body Borders: Paintings at three galleries until Sept 25. Catch her at 100 Tonson Gallery (02684-1527), H Gallery (081-310-4428) and the Art Centre, Chulalongkorn University (02-218-2964). The 28 sculptures under the collective title Finding Abstraction at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (02-214-6632) until September 18 are by the National Artists Chamruang Vichienket, Nontiwat Chantanapalin, Inson Wongsam and Khemarat Kongsook. The exhibition Re-Reading Khun Chang Khun Phaen continues at the Jim Thompson Art Centre (02-612-6741) until Sept 30. It examines the famous Ayutthaya period folk tale through various media including digital photography, costumes, films, cartoons and performance art. There are also rare illustrations by Hem Vejakorn based on the tale, which was subsequently reworked by high literary figures including King Rama II and Sunthorn Phu, Thailand’s most famous poet. On sale is an English translation by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit. Free admission. Up on the 7th floor of the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (www.bacc.or.th, 02-2146630) until October 16, Emerging Patterns features paintings by 29 young southern artists from the four provinces of Songkla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Some onehundred works will showcase the on-going trends and current thinking of these emerging talents on the southern seaboard. 10

september 2011

The ‘Golden Dove’ replaced the fire-ravaged Le Banyan in May, with a fresh lick of paint, French-themed photos, and large windows overlooking a lush garden, where the new owners plan a terrace. The bar at one end has a cool blue light, rattan backed chairs and chunky old bar stools. The new place retains Le Banyan’s signature pressed duck, and the press itself, centre stage, sits like an instrument of medieval torture. White linen completes the theme of casual fine dining. We start with seafood soup, served with a side of prawn, scallops and rouilletopped croutons, which was spicy and densely flavoured (although better straining would improve texture and remove bits of shell), and lobster bisque, killed by acrid burnt lobster meat. Mains were pretty good, though – grilled tiger prawns with lobster custard on sautéed spinach, and a meaty roast lamb rack, both perfectly cooked, although the dry, lumpy pommes purée could do with time on the mouli. The restaurant aims to build its top-end wine range, but there’s a good choice under B2,000, and house wines (from B230 a glass) include Gewurztraminer and an easy drinking Syrah-Merlot. Careful shopping might see you out of here for B1,000 before tax; the ambiance is good; and wines affordable. With a touch more kitchen vigilance La Colombe d’Or could be a decent pick.

ลา โกลอมบ ดอร ถ.สุขุมวิท 8

WHERE 59 Sukhumvit Soi 8, 02-253-5556, www.le-banyan.com OPEN Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight (last orders for main courses 10pm) PRICE $$$

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S N A P S H OT S ee

history

Grand Palace

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

september 2011

encompasses the Sathorn/Silom districts and Sukhumvit Road, which include upscale shopping plazas, leafy public parks and vibrant bar and restaurant scenes. These major downtown neighbourhoods are connected by the BTS Skytrain and the MRT subway systems. The gradually-

expanding public transportation networks, with their bright, snaking trains carrying wide-eyed tourists and weary commuters alike, have not only helped to relieve the city’s traffic congestion, but also given the City of Angels a modern, 21st-century feel.

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

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chronicle of thailand

28 SEPTEMBER 1993: REVERED BUDDHADASA BHIKKHU CREMATED

he body of Phra Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, one of Thailand’s most revered spiritual figures, was cremated at Wat Suan Mok in a simple ceremony according to his last wishes. The monk died on 8 July at the temple, shortly after being flown from Bangkok where he had been treated at Siriraj Hospital for more than a month. He was 87. Regarded as a modern reformer of Buddhism, Buddhadasa was seen by his admirers as a shining light for religious practitioners in Thailand and abroad. While more traditional monks were accused of overvaluing ceremony and supernatural belief, Buddhadasa was revered for focusing on ending suffering through the practice of generosity and selflessness, which his supporters saw as the essence of Buddhism.

Buddhadasa established Suan Mokkhabalarama (The Grove of the Power of Liberation) in 1932 as a centre for vipassana (insight) meditation. Many foreigners studied Buddhism under his guidance. Buddhadasa’s progressive viewpoints, including his call to ‘drag humanity out from under the power of materialism,’ caused some to label him a communist in the 1960s. But the widely revered Buddhadasa continued to strive to unite all religions under a common cause. In his view, “Those who have penetrated to the highest understanding will feel that the thing called ‘religion’ doesn’t exist after all.” About a thousand monks from all over Thailand, along with some 30,000 laymen, gathered at the temple in Surat Thani to attend the ceremony.

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 eyewitness account 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. Every month in Bangkok 101, we serialise a major news story that sheds light on this month in the history of the Kingdom. Chronicle of Thailand – EDM Books B1,450, editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman, www.chronicleofthailand.com www.bangkok101.com

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september 2011

S N A P S H OT S ee

Sanam Luang

customs

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

DID YOU KNOW?

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

THE MONARCHY Thai people love their king, and have deep reverence for the monarchy. in general. By way of proof, portraits of their majesties are displayed in most shops and businesses. Like anybody else, you are expected to be respectful towards members of the royal family. Therefore, stand quietly and still when the national anthem is played, which happens daily at 8am and 6pm in parks and many other public places. SOCIAL HIERARCHY Age, social rank, lineal descent, salary and education are all considerations for social conduct. Such hierarchy is demonstrated 14

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

LOSING FACE Thais are known to be patient and calm. Being jai yen (cool-hearted) is highly admired in Thai culture. Any impulsive reactions that may show annoyance (i.e. raising your voice) are considered unseemly, counterproductive and can make you ‘lose face’. Losing your temper should be avoided; things will work themselves out much better if you remain calm. Practise the words mai pen rai (“never mind”). BODY PARTS The head is considered to be the most sacred part of the body while the snapshots

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

Temple Etiquette

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

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very thai

BLIND BANDS BRINGING JOY TO THE STREET Their blindness adds piquancy to the fact that most popular music deals with pain or loss. “They can play many styles, from luuk thung (folk) to luuk krung (urban ballads),” says Jirapat Jetnipit of the Thailand Association of the Blind. “But they’re most likely to play hits, so they know the public would give some money.” Encountering a blind band is a life lesson. A triumph of beauty over pain, of spirit over body, of talent over intolerance, they perform a true social service. Blind buskers more than play the blues; they really live it.

Photo by John Goss & Philip Cornwel-Smith

umper-to-bumper vehicles aren’t the only kind of Thai street jam. In an impromptu musical jam, trios play sidewalks, ten-piece bands gig by the roadside, lone a cappella minstrels serenade stalls. Pavement players may be a common sight across the world, but in Thailand there’s a difference: most of the wanipok (buskers) cannot see. Blind musicians cover every age, region and genre, from folk to rock to ballad. Some sightless soloists rove, waving a cane or gripping a sighted assistant. Head swaying like Stevie Wonder, the singer phases poignantly in and out of microphone range. The busker or assistant sling an amplifier around their neck, or support it on a pole, while one of their hands holds out a cup. Static groups make the best music, gleaning donations into a large steel box. Guitars, chime bells, pipes and drums turn the sidewalk into a stage, typically under a footbridge. Wired to amps and large speakers, the Electone synthesiser perches on plastic stools. Usually women star on vocals, while a male keyboardist plays extrovert lead, grinning like an Asian Ray Charles. At the simpler end, you might find faint melodies emanating from an elderly couple folded onto a tiny patch of paving.

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 60plus 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 goodbook shop. Very Thai – River Books l B995 l hardcover, with photos by John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith

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snapshots

september 2011

SIGHTSEEING The Giant Swing

orientation

Cha

Thewet & Dusit

hr a

Ko Rattanakosin

hray

Chinatown

THONBURI

Siam Square & Pratunam

Sukhumvit Chaophraya

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GREATER BANGKOK

city – steel towers, snarled traffic and snaking expressways – that is the face of modern Bangkok. Silom and Sathorn are busy business arteries linking the riverside’s old colonial style mercantile buildings and posh hotels to the city’s green lung, Lumpini Park. Seething Sukhumvit Road and its branching sois (where internationals tend to live, work and play) offer few sights but untold opportunities for drinking, dining and debauchery. And Pathumwan

meared over the flat, floodprone Chao Phraya river plain, Bangkok at first appears about as organised as a bowl of spaghetti. The fact that there isn’t one all-singing, all-dancing city centre doesn’t help matters. Delve in though and you’ll discover a sprawling megalopolis with a series of distinct neighbourhoods that have evolved over the centuries, and which all have different, intriguing tourist-luring attributes. On the west side of the river, glimpses of the Venice of the East survive down the criss-crossing canals of former capital Thonburi. On the east, historic monuments like the Grand Palace are sprinkled like gold dust through former royal HQ Ko Rattanakosin – the city’s most revered neighbourhood by far. Fringing it are the old shophouse communities of Phra Nakorn and Banglamphu, the latter of which includes backpacker ghetto Khao San Road. South of Ko Rattanakosin is the city’s congested, chaotic and must-see Chinatown. And crowning Banglamphu is royal and government enclave Dusit with its grand, tree-shaded boulevards a la 19th century Europe. When temple fatigue strikes head east for the urban hurly burly of the

is where it’s at for shopping, be it at glitzy mall or gritty market. All these neighbourhoods (and the city’s intermittently interesting suburbs) can be reached using the city’s roads. But the affordable Skytrain (BTS) and Underground (MRT) networks are much better allies – whiz above or below the gridlocked Bangkok streets in fridge-cool comfort. When these can’t help you (when heading from downtown Bangkok to the Old City for instance) hop on a river expressboat, accessible via Saphan Taksin Skytrain station (see opposite). Alternatively, seek out a pier along pungent Klong Saen Saeb and clamber (carefully) aboard one of its zippy boats. Other tips include avoid scammers (p.19), carry small change and, if visiting temples, dress properly. In a city as potentially aggravating as Bangkok, it’s also worth planning. Do you really want to be traipsing round temples all day? Exactly. For ideas check out the following Route 101’s – these itineraries introduce the most notable sights in the city’s most colourful neighbourhoods. Don’t follow them to the letter however – getting hopelessly lost as you wander down one interesting looking sidestreet after another is half the fun.

Riverside

Pathumwan& Lumphini

Silom & Sathorn sightseeing

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the riverside

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

N13: PHRA ATHIT Bangkoks young bohemian types pensively sip coffee in the many cute shophouse cafes that line this leafy old street. There’s a quiet park and the hedonistic madhouse that is Khao San Road is around the corner.

d. tR hi At ra

Na Phra Lan Rd.

Ratchada

mnoen K

Kalayang Matri Rd.

lang Rd.

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

Royal Grand Palace

Charoen Krung Rd.

ai Rd. Sanam Ch

d. ng R i Wa Tha Wat Po

Pak Klong Talad

Pahurat

Ra t

KL PHR AO A P BR OK ID GE

Millenium Hilton

Wongwian Ya

Rd.

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

ch aw on

N6 Wat Arun

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det

Phra

Cha

o Ta

ksin

Peninsula

Wongwian Yai

Krung Thonburi Rd. KrungThonburi

Som

SAPHAN TAKSIN The hotel pier here is accessible via the Skytrain’s Saphan Taksin Station. Alight here for shuttle boats back to the Millenium Hilton, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and Marriot. Or if staying in Silom, Sathorn or Sukhumvit.

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

Chinatown

Rd. arat Mah

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

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

Amulet Market

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

N13

Wat Mahatat

N8: THA TIEN Lovely King Rama V-era shophouses sell dried fish but Wat Po – home of the reclining Buddha – is the main attraction. Wat Arun (p.19) looms large on the far bank. Catch a cross-river ferry to it for B3.

N15

N10

Ratc hada mno Sana en N m ai Rd Luan . g

N10: WANG LANG Wat Rakhang, the macabre Forensic’s Museum, a teenfashion clothing market and Patravadi Theatre (p.34) are all in the vicinity.

RA GE PHRID ET B D O M LA SO K N PI

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

N1 TAK S

IN B

Shangri-la

RID

N1: ORIENTAL The old western quarter. Admire n e g l e c t e d neoclassical edifices and Oriental object’s d’arts at OP Place, then take tea at Bangkok’s most illustrious hotel, the Mandarin Oriental.

SapanTaksin

sightseeing

september 2011

SIGHTSEEING

temples

setting sun forms a stunning backdrop.

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร ผัง่ ตะวันตกของแมนำ้ เจาพระยา

their teeth.

THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW (map A3, #10) Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang| 02222-0094 | daily 8:30am-4pm| B350 includes entry to Vimanmek Mansion | dress respectfully Bangkok’s most beloved temple (and top tourist site) is a fantastical, mini-city sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls. Building began in 1782, the year Bangkok was founded, and every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The highlight is the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist relic – and the ornate temple purpose-built to house it, Wat Phra Kaew, where hundreds pay their respects each day. Remember to dress respectfully as a strict no shorts or sleeveless shirts policy is enforced.

WAT SAKET (map B3, #7) Chakkraphatdiphong Rd, Sattruphai | 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Hike up its 318 steps and this wat offers great views of Chinatown to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V built a smaller chedi on top, which was subsequently expanded to house a Buddhist relic inside.

WAT RATCHANATDA (map B3) Mahachai Rd, Phra Nakhorn | 02-2248807 | 9am-5pm | free This temple, a centre for buying amulets, features the bizarre multitiered Loh Prasat. Collecting amulets is popular in Thailand and many believe these miniature images of Buddha possess spiritual powers, protecting the wearer and bringing good fortune.

พระบรมมหาราชวัง และ วัดพระแกว ถ.หนาพระลาน (ใกลสนามหลวง)

WAT ARUN (map A3, #12) Temple of Dawn | Arun Amarin Rd | 02- 465-5640 | www.watarun.org | 8am- 5pm | B20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important and beguiling religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The fivetowered structure is covered almost entirely in pieces of colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of Mount Mehru, the Khmer home of the gods. The temple is believed to have been named by Rama I on his first sunrise visit, but in contrast with its name, it is best visited at dusk when the 18

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วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ

WAT MAHATHAT (map A3) Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Mahratch Rd | 02-221-5999 | 9am-5pm| free This 18th-century centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect is also an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are set up on the grounds to complement the daily vendors of traditional medicines, amulets and herbal potions. Courses on Buddhism here are available in English.

วัดมหาธาตุ ทาพระจันทร สนามหลวง

WAT SUTHAT and THE GIANT SWING (map A-B3, #8) Bamrung Muang Rd, Phra Nakhorn, | 02-222-9632 | 9am-5pm | B20 Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to some excellent examples of bronze sculpture, Thai and Chinese-style mural art and a 14th-century Sukhothai era statue. The wat used to be the site for annual harvest ceremonies where brave men would swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in sightseeing

วัดสุทัศน ถ.บำรุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงขามเสาชิงชา

วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร

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

วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำโพง (เยาวราช)

WAT PO (map A3, #11) Reclining Buddha | Chetuphon/Thai Wang Rd | 02-226-0369 | www. watpho.com | 8amnoon, 1-9pm | B50 The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Originating in the 16th century, it houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand as well as the greatest number of Buddha images. Wat Po is also the centre for traditional Thai medicine and a learning centre for Thai massage, where you can learn this ancient healing art.

วัดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน

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JIM THOMPSON’S HOUSE (map C3, #16) 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 | www.jimthompsonhouse.com | daily 9am-5pm | B100 (B50 students) The home of Jim Thompson, the American businessman largely responsible for the global popularity of Thai silk, is a must see. In a sundappled tropical garden beside a pungent canal, six traditional teak houses brim with the art and antiques he rescued from around Asia: from limestone Buddha torsos to a cat-shaped porcelain bedpan. Regular group tours led by silk-clad female guides introduce you to these exquisite treasures and the life of the man himself. There’s also a shop selling his trademark designs, an art gallery and a café.

บานไทย จิมทอมปสัน ซ.เกษมสันต 2 ตรงขามสนามกีฬาแหงชาติ

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE (map C4,#20) 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-286-8185 | Sat, Sun & Holidays 10am – 5pm, weekdays by

appt. only | B50 (B20 kids) Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s most-loved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister in the 1970s. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens, now on show to the public and off the tourist trail is a terrific example of traditional Thai architecture.

บานหมอมราชวงศคึกฤทธิ์ ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต

VIMANMEK MANSION (map B2,#1) 139/2 Ratchawithi Rd, Dusit | 02-2811569 | daily 9am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved, piece by piece, to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms, spread over three floors, overlook a beautiful garden. Inside, many of his acquisitions from international trips are on display,

historic homes including possibly the first bathtub in the kingdom, antique photographs and fine porcelain. Regular tours in English are held throughout the day.

พระทีน่ ง่ั วิมานเมฆ ถ.ราชวิถี เขตดุสติ

WANG SUAN PAKKARD (map C3, #15) Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi | BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 | www. suanpakkad.com | 9am – 4pm | B100 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard pays testament to her dedication to collecting Thai artefacts and antiques. Of note are the examples of Buddhist and Hindu art, the ceramics from old Ban Chiang and the delightful lacquer pavilion depicting scenes from the Ramayana.

วังสวนผักกาด ถ.ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี

SHRINES Apart from all the Buddhist temples, Bangkok is also studded with small shrines dedicated to Hindu deities, Animist spirits and even errant spooks. ERAWAN SHRINE (map C3, #17) Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-252-8754 | 6:30am10:30pm | BTS Chit Lom The swarming 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. Fancy making an offering? Buy a set from the surrounding stalls, and starting with your back to the main www.bangkok101.com

entrance walk around it clockwise, offering 3 incense sticks, a candle, garland and a piece of gold leaf to each of the four faces.

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำริ

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

พระตรีมูรติ หนาหางอิเซตัน ศูนยการคาเซนทรัลเวิลด sightseeing

GANESHA SHRINE (map C3) Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store, Ratchadamri Rd Quite possibly Thailand and the world’s most recognisable Hindu deity due to its distinctive appearance, a silent prayer in front of this potbellied 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, Ganesha is thought to be partial to bananas, ripe mango and sticky rice-flour Thai desserts, so make sure you prepare the correct foodstuffs accordingly.

พระพิฆเนศวร หนาหางอิเซตัน ศูนยการคาเซนทรัลเวิลด

september 2011

SIGHTSEEING

The National Museum

museums THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (map A3) 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang| 02-2241333 | www.thailandmuseum.com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B200 Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artefacts from the main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also on display. Free English tours are given on Wednesdays (about Buddhism) and Thursdays (on art/culture) which start at 9:30am. Photography is not allowed inside the museum galleries.

พิพธิ ภัณฑสถานแหงชาติ ถ.เจาฟา ใกลทอ งสนามหลวง

MUSEUM OF SIAM (map A3) 4 Samachai Rd., Pra Nakorn | 02-6222599 | www.ndmi.or.th | Tue-Sun 10am6pm | B300 (free between 4-6pm) A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-thekids discovery museum, taking in prehistoric Suvarnabhumi, the foundation of Ayutthaya and the country’s modernisation. Design company Story! Inc delivered the content and conceptual design, replacing the usual ‘don’t touch’ signs and turgid text with pop graphics and interactive gizmos galore. Among the many edutaining activities, highlights include dressing up as a 20th century nobleman, mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a vibrant touch screen and firing cannonballs at Burmese war-elephants. Tellingly, the place teems with the usually museum-shy – Thai teenagers. Afterwards, enjoy the polished teak floors, open-sided corridors and elegant Renaissance stylings of this gorgeously 20

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restored former government building, designed in the 1920s by Thailand’s best-loved resident Italian architect, Mario Tamagno.

สถาบันพิพิธภัณฑการเรียนรู แหงชาติ ถ.สนามไชย

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM (map A3) 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi,Arun Amarin Rd,Thonburi | 02-424-0004 | 9am5pm | B100 (photo B100, video B200) This collection of royal barges, some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians. Beautifully and ornately decorated, these magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former glory by the present King, who also commissioned the newest boat for his golden jubilee in 1996.

พิพิธภัณฑเรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร

BANGKOKIAN MUSEUM (map B3-4) 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43 | 02-2337027| www.bma.go.th/bmaeng/bangrak | Sat&Sun 10am-5pm | free Bangrak is one of the most traditional districts of the city, bustling with traffic and markets. Smack in the middle of it, find this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, one of them lovingly converted into a private museum by the compound’s charming owner, Ms. Waraporn Surawadee. She decided to dedicate the place to the memory of her family and bygone daily life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to the public. While visitors shouldn’t expect breathtaking revelations here; the displays can nevertheless be surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques, traditional household utensils and items used in ceremonies. The real highlight is the owner herself who is willing to give you a highly personalised tour (if you call ahead), filled with anecdotes about a city long since vanished.

พิพธิ ภัณฑชาวบางกอก เจริญกรุง ซ.43

Museum of Siam

sightseeing

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museum focus

uying the latest knock-off shoes or purse might appear like a harmless activity; after all, Bangkok’s markets are seemingly filled with an inexhaustible supply; but why then do we take furtive glances at these illicit products – could it be a matter of guilt? Thailand’s oldest international law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, reckons so, which is why it opened the Museum of Counterfeit Goods in 1989. Instead of letting their evidence of infringed goods gather dust in the firm’s internal archives, senior partner David Lyman, whose parents moved to Thailand in 1949, decided to use them as educational tools. Over the years, the firm’s legal efforts to control the production and distribution of pirated goods in Thailand have greatly expanded the Museum’s varied collection. Altogether, there are more than 3,500 items in the voluminous collection, organised into 14 separate categories. Many of these, including items in the clothing, footwear, watches and eyewear, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes, electrical devices, office supplies and stationary, and copyrighted works, may seem familiar to the visitor. However, its is the remaining categories of goods – pharmaceuticals and drugs, food and household products, alcohol and cigarettes,

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MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS ■ MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS Tilleke & Gibbins, 26/F Supalai Grand Tower, 1011 Rama 3 Road, 02-653-5555, suthatip.a@tillekeandgibbins.com; tillekeandgibbins.com/firm/ community/museum automotive parts, and tools – that contain the most startling items, including a fake Yamaha guitar, a Ferrari motorbike (of which only one real version was ever made), and even Ferrero Rocher chocolates. The damage caused by counterfeit products goes beyond business and criminality – there can be dire health consequences for the buyer too. For instance, a fake Viagra pill can last a whole day or longer (rather than the usual four hours), possibly causing irreparable damage; while the shiny veneer of a high-powered sports car can conceal a chassis of broken down parts – liable to fall apart at fast speeds. For this very reason, Tilleke and Gibbins’ devote time to training people to identify genuine from fake. Besides counterfeit goods, the firm also has a rare collection of traditional and ancient Asian textiles, while a corner of the office is dedicated to showcasing the old typewriters and computers used sightseeing

■ OPEN Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Appointments required for the textile and computer collections. ■ GETTING THERE Catch a taxi from BTS Asok or Chong Nonsi stations since the birth of the firm. If you wish to view either, an appointment must be made at least 24 hours in advance (see contact details below). While its location off the beaten tourist track means it doesn’t see too many drop-in visitors, the museum regularly hosts school groups and company-organised outings, there to learn more about fair legal and ethical business practices. It’s a shame as the fascinating exhibition deserves more attention from the general public, offering an eye-opening experience that would make even the thriftiest customer think twice. Krittana Khurana

พิพิธภัณฑสินคาปลอม และเลียนแบบ ถ.พระราม 3

september 2011

SIGHTSEEING

parks & zoos FLORA BANG KRACHAO Bang Krachao, Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan, 02-461-0972. Daily 6am-8pm Often referred to as the ‘Lung of Bangkok’, it’s almost hard to believe that this oasis of lush orchards and mangroves is just opposite the concrete jungle of Klong Toey. Included in this park is the 200-rai Suan Klang Central Park with a large pond where you can rent paddle boats for 30 baht. Or rent cycles for the same rate and ride a bike around the park then head down to the Bang Nam Pueng Floating Market.

บางกระเจา พระประแดง

JATUJAK & QUEEN SIRIKIT PARKS (map C-D1) 820 Phahonyothin Road, Ladyao, Jatujak, 02-272-4358. Daily 5am6.30pm. Free These two parks situated not far from the mayhem of the weekend market offer some much-needed respite. Jatujak Park hosts some art exhibits and a collection of old railway engines and ancient automobiles. Nearby, Queen Sirikit Par k has a pret ty botanical garden.

สวนจตุจกั รและ สวนสมเด็จ พระนางเจา สิรกิ ติ ์ิ 820 ถ. พหลโยธิน จตุจกั ร

LUMPINI PARK (map C4) Entrances on Rama IV, Sarasin, Witthayu and Ratchadamri Roads. Free The biggest and most popular slice of green in Central Bangkok. Busy as soon as the sun rises and again around sunset, Bangkokians of every ilk take advantage of the relative cool and quiet to practice Tai Chi, do aerobics, hold hands or jog around the picturesque lakes. Other activities include taking a pedal boat out onto the water for a quick spin. The most reliable entrance is the one near Silom at the corner of Rama IV Road and Ratchadamri Road, at the 22

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front of which a grand statue of King Rama VI stands watchful guard.

สวนลุมพินี เขาไดทาง ถ.พระราม 4 ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำริ

RAMA IX ROYAL PARK (off map) Sukhumvit 103 Road, behind Seri Center, Pravet, 02-328-1972. Daily 5.30am-7pm. B10 This 200-acre park features a small museum dedicated to the king, set amongst pleasant botanical gardens with soothing water features.

สวนหลวง ร.9 ถ.สุขุมวิท 103 (หลังพาราไดส พารค) ประเวศ

ROSE GARDEN RIVERSIDE (Suan Sampram) (off map) 32 Phet Kasem Road, Yai-Cha, Sampran, Nakhon Pathom, 03-4322544; www.rosegardenriverside.com 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.

โรสการเดน ริเวอรไซด สวนสามพราน ถ.เพชรเกษม

SARANROM PARK (map A3) Intersection of Rachini and Charoenkrung Roads, Phra Nakhon. Daily 5am-8pm. 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, featuring a glass house, and royal bugle pavilion.

สวนสราญรมย แยกราชินี ถ.เจริญกรุง

FAUNA BANGKOK BUTTERFLY GARDEN (map D1) Kamphaeng Phet 3 Road, Jatujak, 02272-4359. Tue-Sun & Public Holidays 8.30am-4.30pm. Free This dome-enclosed sanctuary houses over 500 species of butterflies fluttering freely in the mazes of the landscaped gardens, with their wild flowers, canopied benches, ponds and waterfalls. Besides butterflywatching, visitors can picnic or rent sightseeing

a bicycle for around B30.

อุทยานผีเสื้อและแมลงกรุงเทพฯ สวนรถไฟ ถ.เพชรเกษม จตุจักร

DUSIT ZOO (map B2) 71 Rama V Road, opposite Chitralada Palace, Dusit, 02-281-2000. Daily 8am-6pm. Adults B100, children B50 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 for rent.

สวนสัตวดุสิต 71 ถ.พระราม 5

QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (SNAKE FARM) (map C4, #18) 1871 Rama IV Road, Henri Dunant, 02-252-0161-4 ext.120. Mon-Fri 8.30am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9.30 am-12pm (shows at 11am & 2.30pm). B200 A centre for developing antidotes to poisonous snake bites, this research facility is open to the public. There’s an informative slide show followed by live venom extraction from some of the deadliest serpents in the kingdom.

สถานเสาวภา (สวนงู) ถ.พระราม 4 สภากาชาดไทย

SAMPHRAN ELEPHANT GROUND & ZOO (off map) Petkasem Road Km 30, Samphan, Nakhon Pathom, 02-295-2938; www.elephantshow.com. Daily 8.30am5.30pm. Adults B550, children B350 Apart from The Elephant Theme Show, watch the Crocodile Wrestling Show or ride on an elephant’s back through the tropical gardens and waterfalls

ลานแสดงชางและฟารมจระเขสามพราน ถ.เพชรเกษม สามพราน

SIAM OCEAN WORLD (map C3) B/F Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Road, 02-687-2001; www.siamoceanworld. com. Daily 10am-7pm. B650-B850 There’s fun to be had here, with 8 metre high tanks, glass tunnels to walk through, and shark-feeding shows. A ride on a glass-bottom boat to see sharks and rays costs an extra fee.

สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1

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KIDS IN THE CITY Negotiating Bangkok with kids needn’t be the nightmare many parents presume. The single biggest plus point is that Thais absolutely adore children, meaning there are always people around ready to help out. Skytrain guards will drop what they’re doing to help you haul that stroller down the stairs and waitresses will gladly whisk junior off for a tour of the kitchens while you enjoy a coffee. Most of the big shopping malls (see p.84) have play areas set aside for kids, with two of the best being Kiddy Land, which has slides, a ball pit and a balloon room on the 6th floor of CentralWorld; Jamboree on the 3rd floor of Emporium; and the huge indoor playground Funarium located off Sukhumvit. Plus, of course, most of the shopping malls have cinemas and enough ice-cream stores to sate a homesick Inuit. There are also a fair few attractions that appeal to wee ones. The city’s parks (see opposite) offer a chance to let off steam, especially Rot Fai Park near Chatuchak Weekend Market (p.88), where you can rent bicycles; and Dusit Zoo is a sprawling, chaotic afternoon’s worth of fun. Although expensive, Siam Ocean World is a great way to entertain the kids while you shop at Paragon department store. If you’re sticking around town for a while, Bangkok Dolphins (www. bangkokdolphins.com) offer swimming classes from three months old. FUNARIUM (map D4) 111/1 Sukhumvit 26 | 02-6656555 | www.funarium.co.th | 8:30am-8:30pm | kids: B180/300; adults B90 Basically 2,000sqm of slides, ball pits, trampolines, obstacle courses, cycling tracks and basketball courts, with a decent on-site café for lunch and a small branch of Mothercare.

ฟนเอเรียม สุขุมวิท 26

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sightseeing

september 2011

SIGHTSEEING

room 101

In every issue, we put our heads on the line to bring you the very best of Bangkok hospitality, uncovering the newest hostels, B&Bs, hotels, and various other cool lodgings that you need to check out on your next stay in this, the City of Angels

WHERE 1620/2 Song Wat Road (inside Patumkongka Rachaworawiharn Temple) Sampanthawong, Chinatown; 02-639-1390; www.loylalong.com PRICES B1,000 (for dormitory bed)-B4,200

LOY LA LONG GO WITH THE FLOW

ur stay at this four-month-old hostel right on the Chao Phraya River was hardly uneventful. While trying to find it we were snarled at by mad dogs after a wrong-turn down a scuzzy backalley, and later that evening a flood (our stay coincided with a river surge caused by Tropical Storm Nock-ten) forced us to roll up our trousers and wade barefoot through Wat Pathumkongka, the Buddhist temple, it sits at the rear of. Don’t let these mini-misadventures put you off though. Despite these hiccups, Loy La Long ended up being one of our most memorable sleepovers in a long while, from the friendly welcome and Old Bangkok meets colourful Bohemia design right down to the quirky location and the tale of how it came about. Disillusioned with their careers in Bangkok’s advertising world, arty thirtysomething couple Khun Si and Khun Air were looking for a way out, a new start. It wasn’t until one day, while travelling on one of the river’s expressboats, that Khun Si spotted it – an abandoned teakwood shell perched over the river and with a ‘For Rent’ sign dangling off it. Less than 10 months, but a lot of hard graft, later and this old fish-sauce handling plant is now a two-storey dark teak stunner with two terraces perfect for watching the river’s pleasure cruisers, long-tails and rice barges glide, cough and putter past while you kick back on a flowery floor cushion. You enter via a plant-lined passage into a rustic, open 24

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living space cooled by river breezes and strewn with funky knickknacks and recycled woods. But it’s the seven colour-coded rooms here, with their eccentric layouts and design flourishes, that really look the part. The Green Room, for instance, has a beautiful sinuous, Gaudi-style resin bathtub, plus a recessed cubbyhole where you can lie back and watch TV. Peel back its curtains and there’s the river, churning just a few feet below you. Location is another of Loy La Long’s standout features – a 10 minute walk north, east or south brings you to a river pier, the gritty heart of Chinatown, or another river pier respectively – as is the kitchen serving good, hearty Thai grub and cooked breakfast. During the day, especially rush hours, waves slap and slosh beneath the stilted two-storey structure (“I can tell whether it’s the weekend or a weekday just by listening to their strength and frequency,” says Khun Si), but at night the river is all quiet, the city’s night lights dance on its rippling surface, and you truly feel lucky to be here. Indeed, so adorable and oasis-like is Loy La Long that days are blurring into weeks for some guests, while locals looking for a holiday from their own city have even been known to check in on weekends. Our advice: book in advance. While the high water levels should have receeded by the time you read this, we still predict a flood. Max Crosbie-Jones

sightseeing

ลอยละลอง ถ.ทรงวาด

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sightseeing

september 2011

T R AV E L

hotel deals

Whether you’re thinking about taking a trip ‘upcountry’ to the jungles of the north, heading on a trip to the little travelled northeast, or planning a weekend on an island in the sun, we’ve uncovered the best of this month’s hotel deals

Until Sep 30 Drink, Dine and Gain a Stay Holiday Inn Pattaya, 038-725-555; dining-experience.com/pattaya Experience the tastes of original Italian recipes and a variety of cuisines at the Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Havana Bar & Terrazzo, a unique retro-Cuban style lounge bar. Spend more than T4,999 net per receipt/meal/table and gain a one night stay in one of Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Ocean View Rooms. Combine the modern-contemporary comfort with the added bonus of panoramic views of Pattaya Bay including daily buffet breakfast for two at Café G.

Until Oct 31 Best Package Guarantee Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, leMéridien.com/chiangrai; www.AirAsiaGo.com Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort and AirAsiaGo, the one-stop travel website, have joined forces for the Best Package Guarantee, which includes the best rates for one round trip plane ticket on AirAsia, and two nights of accommodation at Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort in a beautiful Deluxe Garden View Room with complimentary breakfast, starting at B4,999 per person, inclusive of tax, based on double occupancy.

Until Oct 31 Blossom Package The Dewa Koh Chang, 02-2616364, rsvn@thedewakohchang.com; thedewakohchang.com The Dewa Koh Chang is offering couples accommodation, meals, transport, and leisure activities on a retreat to beautiful Koh Chang. The three day/two night programme package starts at B13,000 nett per couple sharing. It includes two nights accommodation in a Deluxe room, daily breakfast, one welcome barbeque seafood dinner, one Thai set lunch, and a full-day snorkelling trip or 60-minute aromatic therapy massage.

Until Oct 31 Centara Chiang Mai Special Centara Hotels & Resorts, 02-1011234 ext 1; centarahotelsresorts.com/ package/AmazingThailand.asp At Centara Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai, located on the edge of the Night Bazaar, guests staying for three nights pay for only two, with rates beginning at B1,250 for a Superior room. At Away Suansawan Chiang Mai, located in a garden estate in the Mae Rim Valley, guests staying for two nights pay for only one night, with rates beginning at B1,450 for a Standard Garden room.

Until Oct 31 The Ultimate Golﬁng Experience V Villas Hua Hin, 02-309-3939; v-villashuahin.com V Villas Hua Hin brings you the very best way to unwind in style after you polish your golfing skills at the Banyan Golf Club, a world-class championship golf course. V Villas Hua Hin is a sophisticated retreat designed for discerning guests. The resort features 13 exclusive villas, each with an inviting living space, welcoming bedrooms, spacious en suite bathrooms, and a secluded garden with pool.

Until Dec 20 Amazing Two Island Experience Anantara, 02-476-1130; anantara.com Enjoy an indulgently diverse getaway, with a hotel package that whisks you from Koh Samui across the Gulf of Siam to then experience the charms of Koh Phangan. Divide your time between the Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa, and the Rasananda Phangan Island Resort & Spa. With breakfast, sea and land transfers all included, this special package invites you to stay longer and soak up the tranquil island life with Anantara. Rates range from B15,250 to B17,700.

september 2011

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daytrip

ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN)

nly have a day to see the whole country? Fear not: Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of its most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a lush, map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a shoddy theme-park filled with hollow fiberglass sculptures and plasterboard backdrops. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Khun 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. Journeys through this gorgeously rendered 3-D history book spotted with mirror-like ponds, fantastical topiary, mythical sculptures and cute wooden bridges begin with sights from the country’s south; like the bulbous stupa from Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Phra Mahathat and Petchaburi’s Tiger King’s Palace. Just one of many buildings you can explore, this delicately ornate teak construction contains a Buddhist altar and a collection of gilded scripture cabinets. www.bangkok101.com

Heading north from here, the park fans out to the east, north and west in the same way the country does. Highlights are many, but really the joy of Ancient Siam is in impulsively swerving in the direction of the next pretty stupa, statue, sala or shrine that catches your eye from above the tree tops. That said there are some must-sees. In the park’s centre, the Dusit Maha Prasart Palace is a simplified version of the one in Bangkok’s Grand Palace. Nearby, the imposing Sanphet Prasat Palace has the distinction of being a replica of a building that no longer exists, as the original from Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767 by the Burmese. Other highlights include Wat Chong Kham (an original templemonastery that once housed Shan monks in the North’s Lampang province); the Pavilion of the Enlightened (a rambling multi-roofed construction that hovers over a lake to the west of the park); and the Floating Market. With its stilt teak houses pitched over the water, the latter is a near tone-perfect evocation of what one would have looked like 150 years ago. Soak up the painterly scene over some Thai grub from its restaurant. Sprawled over 240 immaculate travel

acres, Ancient Siam is all but impossible to explore by foot; but this isn’t a problem as the park has smooth, gently meandering tarmac roads and myriad wheels for hire. You can hop on a tram-car, hire a bicycle, drive your own car, or even cruise around in a golf cart (see Getting Around). A tip: be aware that art mimics life at Ancient Siam. Just like the country itself, this heritage park’s northernmost corners take longer to reach and see less visitors but are no less rewarding. Set aside a whole day if you really want to “do” Siam in a day – even if you’re flooring it in your golf cart, like we were, you’ll need it. Max Crosbie-Jones

เมืองโบราณ จ.สมุทรปราการ

n ANCIENT SIAM 296/1 Sukhumvit Road, Bangpoo, Samut Prakan; 02-709-1644; www.ancientcity.com | B400 adults / B200 kids / private guide in English B1,500 for 2 hours n GETTING THERE By Car: Take the expressway as far as the Samrong-Samut Prakan Exit. Turn to the Samut Prakan Intersection. Turn left along the old Sukhumvit Road (towards Bangpoo) until you get to km. 33. The Ancient City is on the left. september 2011

T R AV E L

BATHING BUDDHA CEREMONY

upcountry now

It’s easy to see that Buddhism is an important part of Thailand. The same can be said about rivers, which have been an indispensable part of Thai life for centuries. The Bathing Buddha Festival, to be held in the northern province of Petchabun September 2529, unites these two elements. Visitors can expect spectacular processions, cultural performances, and the highlight and namesake of the event, the bathing of the main Buddha image from the provincial city’s Wat Traiphum temple in the local river, the Pah Sak, by the governor. Petchabun is known as the ‘city of plants and crops’ and the ritual aims to keep it that way by inducing a big harvest. Call 1672 for more.

BOAT RACING It’s a big month for boat racing, a tradition dating back to the Ayutthaya Period. Up in Phitchit province (about 350km north of Bangkok), 40 traditional long-boats manned by as many as 55 paddlers will surge up the scenic Nan River on September 3-4. Accompanying these splashy races in front of Wat Tha Luang temple will be an OTOP fair and a free concert. The weekend after, September 10-11, another stretch of the Nan will host yet more, this time in front of Phitsanulok province’s Wat Phra Sri Mahathat temple. Later in the month, Narathiwat province, in the deep south, will also host its own variation featuring ko-lae, traditional fishing vessels used by the South’s Malay communities. It’ll take place September 2125 at the mouth of the Bang Nara River, in front of Narathiwat City Hall. Call 1672 for more.

SPORTS Steely-eyed fi tness freaks taking part in the third Ibis Koh Samui Trophy 2011 will run, paddle, cycle and swim their way through the island’s palm-studded jungle, turquoise waters and undulating hills. Drawing teams from across Asia, the three-day event kicking off September 17 will also include a sponsor expo, parties, a trophy presentation and gala dinner. More at www.kohsamuitrophy.com.

ELEPHANT POLO

GOLF Running until the end of S e p t e m b e r, the 10th Hua Hin/Cha-am Golf Festival is offering green fees of only B800 (excluding caddy and golf cart rental fees) at ten courses. You can also join a two-day tournament for B2,000, and take advantage of overnight rates of B990 and B1,990 at hotel partner properties. For more details, contact the TAT Phetchaburi office (03-247-1005), or Prachuap Khiri Khan office (03-251-3885). Alternatively, log on to the ‘Events Calendar’ page at the TAT’s news website, www.tatnews.org, for a full list of participating golf courses.

For its 10th anniversary the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament is decamping from Chiang Rai to its original home, the royal seaside town of Hua Hin. As always, the week-long event from Sept 5-11 pairs hi-so luring dinners and charity events with the main competition, which sees international teams going trunk to trunk to win the coveted King’s Cup trophy. The website www.anantaraelephantpolo.com has it all, including details on the accommodation/VIP access package being offered by the main sponsor, the luxury resort Anantara Hua Hin. 28

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PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL

PAI PHOTO CONTEST

Away from its enticing sandy beaches, Thailand’s largest island hosts its own unique culture, combining Portuguese and local sea gypsy influences with a sizeable Thai Muslim population (here, mosques outnumber Buddhist temples) and a dash of Chinese tin-miner heritage. During the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (Sept 27-Oct 5 this year), it is this Chinese influence that comes to the fore as tourists head there to witness the century-old spectacle – and eat the food – accompanying the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. While this religious vegetarian festival, said to originate from the early 1800s, when a visiting Chinese opera troupe who had fallen sick made a full recovery after practicing God-pacifying ritual vegetarianism, sounds harmless enough, newcomers should prepare to be shocked. After opening with pole-raising rituals at shrines around the island, the festival hosts eye-poppingly gruesome street processions. These feature participants committing bloody acts of ritual self-mutilation such as climbing on ladders made of razor blades, piercing cheeks with steel skewers, or walking on hot coals. Known as ma song, these people are said to be “possessed” by the gods and are thought to be either fighting off coming doom by trying to extend their lives, or have been chosen by the gods due to their superior moral qualities. To ward off evil spirits, insistent drumbeats and fireworks accompany their trance-like marches. Aside from these hellish mind-focussing displays – shots of which make newspapers the world over – supplicants observe 10 rules for the duration, including refraining from sex, alcohol, and, of course, meat. A highlight definitely worth partaking in, vegetarian food is sold on the fringes of the processions – look for the stalls with yellow flags and Chinese or Thai script in red. The schedule for this year’s round of street processions is as follows: Sapam Shrine (Sun Sept 29), Samkong Shrine (Mon Sept 30), Ban Tha Rve Shrine (Tue Oct 01), Bang Neow & Cherng Thalay Shrine (Wed Oct 02), Jui Tui Shrine (Thu Oct 03), Kathu Shrine & Yokkekeng Shrine (Fri Oct 04), Sui Boon Tong Shrine (Sat Oct 05). Call the TAT, on 1672, for more details. www.bangkok101.com

To help promote Pai in the rainy season, when it’s all lush and green, the governor of Mae Hong Son is asking visitors to take part in the Capture Green Pai Contest. Submit up to three of your best photos of the area’s scenery, lifestyles, culture, arts or traditions by September 30 and you could win a B100,000 cash prize. You’ll also be able to enjoy discounts of up to 50% at homestays and hotels in the area. You can download an application form in Thai or English from www.slowstylepai.com or call 085-0377188. In addition, visitors this month will be handed a Pai passport for collecting stamps at sights in the area. Collect a few and enter it in the lucky draw and you could win air tickets, jewellery, free hotel nights and other prizes. Winners will be announced October 1.

RECOMMENDED HOTEL

The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa 076-335-600; reservation.phuket@westin.com; www.starwoodhotels.com Located on the beautiful east coast of the island, The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa boasts the latest in modern conveniences and facilities, as well as sweeping views of stunning Siray Bay from all rooms. Book their limited time ‘Fresh Start’ offer and receive one night’s stay in a Superior Sea View or Deluxe Sea View with private outdoor balcony, and buffet breakfast for 2 persons. Book by October 15 for stay until October 31 2011. Rates start from B3,000++ per room per night.

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september 2011

T R AV E L

beach escape

KOH CHANG

How to Avoid Resort Fatigue

y day four at a beachfront resort in Koh Chang I was starting to wonder what the pool-side lounge chairs were made of. It had to be either quicksand or fly paper because I couldn’t tear myself off the damn things. I was in Koh Chang, an island with arguably the best beaches in Thailand, and I was spending all day at a poolside bar, sipping umbrella drinks and practicing my back float, which is akin to the back stroke but requires even less energy. Koh Chang means ‘Elephant Island’ in Thai, a nod to the shape of its headland. The west side of this verdant jungle-clad isle is spotted with resorts that the ‘fly and lie’ tourists, who enjoy jetting to places in search of nice spots to lie down, love. But after a few days I was starting to wonder what lay beyond my maze of perfectly fluffed pillows and terry cloth robes. It was a classic case of resort fatigue, casting doubt on the proverb ‘you can’t have too much a good thing.’ I decided right then and there to put down my pina colada and actually

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explore the third largest island in Thailand. Ok, ok – I finished the pina colada and then spent two more days at the resort doing nothing, but then I snapped bravely into action. I rented a motorbike from the hotel, for B200 a day, and embarked on my journey to see the more uncharted Koh Chang. The island is approximately 270km² in total, home to seven different villages, all connected together by a horseshoeshaped road that twists and undulates its way down the east and west coast. My first stop took me almost as far

south on the west side as you can go, to the fishing harbour of Bang Bao. Bang Bao is essentially one long covered pier, lined on either side with rickety floating guesthouses and restaurants, and with a pretty white lighthouse thrusting above the bay at its far end. Along the narrow enclosed walkway, shops hawk their wooden puppets, miniature elephant statuettes and other tourists-snaring bobbles. The view over the water is stunning, and there are a daunting number of options for fresh seafood, making it Klong Plu Waterfall

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a choice spot for a sunset dinner of grilled shrimp, fish, crab or lobster. For guests looking to stay a while, there are plenty of affordable and clean accommodations on the pier: Flower House, Chowlay, Boo Guest House, Buddha View, to name a few, with rates hovering around B1,000 per night. Our pick, Chowlay, offers a wide view of the peninsula, hot showers, wi-fi, queen sized beds, a book library and two-person wooden swings secured along the deck, overlooking the water. Internet cafes and massage parlours are also available on the all-purpose walkway, so you really never have to venture past the boundaries of the Bang Bao boardwalk (putting you in danger of ‘boardwalk fatigue’!). I had to get out of there before I was hooked. Bang Bao whetted my appetite for the fishing village aesthetic, so I crossed over to the east side of the island to check out Salak Phet, on Salak Phet Bay. I was immediately struck by the eerie lack of tourists. It could have been a different country than resort-lined Klong Prao beach where I’d begun. The shore is dotted with mangroves, but there is no beach to speak of. Houses perched above the sea on stilts. A row of wiry middle-aged men hunched over the dock, squatting as they fussed with their fishing line, in an effort to achieve just the right slack to fool the fish into biting. Others napped beneath the shade of the houses, and older women, dressed just in the traditional Thai sarongs wrapped like bath towels across their chests, bustled about hanging laundry up to dry. Nobody offered to give me a henna tattoo, sell me a laser pointer, or give me foot scrub. Nobody took much notice of me at all. It was refreshing. This window into more authentic, less-contrived Thai island life is worth a night’s stay, but in the offseason the upkeep is slack, so there is definitely the feeling of roughing it. It was a ghost town – empty streets, run-down restaurants, a volley ball www.bangkok101.com

The Dewa

Amari Emerald Cove

net untied from its posts, whistling as it flapped loosely in the breeze. Salak Phet Seafood and Resort (03955-3099, www.kohchangsalakphet. com) was the most upscale place we found to stay in the area, with 25 rooms available, ranging in price from B1,100 to B4,250 depending on the quality of the room and the season. Ivory Resort, Urai’s Place and The Saengsawang Homestay are smaller more boutique options offering rooms at lower rates. Koh Chang has a lot more to offer than just lounge chairs, and I had to get out into the thick of it to start uncovering all the odd and interesting activities the island has on hand. Playing with elephants, chucking hand grenades, shooting guns – both real and paintball, practicing my golf swing at the driving range, talking a local into showing me his fishing tricks, eating the biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen, rope swinging on an empty beach; all this went down within one madcap day of driving around Koh Chang. Imagine what you could do with a week. Merritt Gurley travel

n STAY The Dewa (24/1 Klong Prao Beach, 039-557-339, www.thedewakohchang. com) is an off-beat four-star option. Made entirely of natural materials, including thatched roofs and naked cement finished architecture, the resort has an earthy and rustic feel. The 40 deluxe rooms and 19 private beach villas all have views to the sea, but with varying levels of access. The deluxe rooms are laid out in a connected circular network, with the bedroom taking up one half of the pie, and the fabulous threetiered bathroom with over-sized tub accounting for the rest. The extra long pool, with spraying fountains and a classic Thai not-tub (does everything a hot tub does with the exception of getting hot), offers a refreshing reprieve from the raw bake of the Koh Chang sun. There is a bar nested inside the pool so you can splash around while you sip on icy cocktails, blended to perfection by the highly-skilled bartender. If you feel like seeing some sand, there is also a sprawling white beach out front, with private lounge chairs. Just down the road from the Dewa, the Amari Emerald Cove (88/8 Klong Prao Beach, 03-9552000, www.amari.com/emeraldcove) is beautifully-appointed, with a walkway winding through a carp pool peppered with lily pads. The 165 rooms and suites each offer views of either the sea to the west or the jungle-covered hills to the east. The interiors are decorated in a tasteful Modern Thai style, furnished in earthy tones of yellow, red and orange, mirroring the sky before nightfall. The sunsets from the spacious balcony only is worth the trip. And if watching the sunset is too stressful for you, you can have your worries rubbed away with a Thai massage in the open-air sala at Breeze Spa. The coast in front of the Amari is not as sandy as the Dewa, but the pool is stunning, with an impressive marble statue reclining into the tradition Thai wai at one end, and spanning 50 metres. september 2011

T R AV E L

over the border

CHAMPASAK 5 Reasons to Go Now

isitors to Laos have rocketed from 700,000 in 2000 to 2.5 million in 2010 in the past decade. While this surge is welcomed by most, the distribution is hardly equitable: the vast majority still head for the capital Vientiane, the UNESCO heritage town Luang Prabang, or the karst-studded backpacker floptown of Vang Vieng and skip the south of the landlocked communist country completely. And it’s not just tourists who have a disconnect with the region. At the 2011 Mekong Tourism Forum back in May even some of the travel-industry folk who are working to promote the Greater Mekong Sub-Region admitted to being puzzled when they heard the location for this year’s meeting, Laos’ southernmost province Champasak. As all were agreed by the end, though, this knowledge gap needs addressing. While the province’s 4,000 Islands (a thrilling stretch of the famous regional river) has been luring in backpackers for years, Champasak has recently been diversifying and tweaking its product in an effort to broaden its appeal. The once rickety infrastructure has been improved, border-crossings are a lot easier, cultural sights have been spruced up, and new attractions keep arriving. In short, this emerging province is all set to welcome you. 1. Pakse Champasak’s modest provincial city, with its absorbing café culture, friendly locals, and location beside the sluggish Mekong, is no longer just a gateway into Laos’ Deep South, but increasingly a destination in-itself. Roaming its safe, simple streets one senses that Pakse is now on the 32

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radar of investors (shop parades and a casino were going up on our visit), but still clings to its lowkey charm (think Chiang Mai 20 years ago). There are lots of hotels that make good bases scattered around, but our pick is Street No.5’s Pakse Hotel (+856-3121-2131, www. hotelpakse.com). Built by the last King of Southern Laos, Chao Boon Oum, in the fifties, this converted former cinema is a humble throwback to the days of French Indochina with a rooftop patio bar great for sundowners. When not enjoying the cheap massages and restaurants nearby, Pakse is the place to tee-up your onward trip, be it to the 4,000 Islands (the wild, rocky stretch of Mekong River most backpackers head to for some Beer Laofuelled R&R); the pre-Ankorian hillside temple Vat Phou (see below); or the lush Bolaven Plateau, with its stunning waterfalls, ethnic minority villages and coffee plantations. 2. Vat Phou After centuries buried under sediment the UNESCO protected Khmer ruins of Vat Phou, which ramble up a lush hillside a few km from the pretty riverside town of Champasak, are now ready for the visitors they deserve. Walking, past its two barai (man-made ponds) flanked by lush grass, up the weathered ceremonial stone road that leads to its sacred natural linga is an eerie experience,

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especially as not that many tourists make it here. Yet. Daniel Davenport, the Fedora-donning Aussie behind a forthcoming book on the little-known site, believes tourists will soon be making their way from Angkor Wat to Vat Phou by land in the same way that Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims did over a millennia ago. Rather than heading back to Pakse afterwards, spend a night in the calm riverside town of Champasak, with its lone main road lined with working shophouses and the occasional, peeling French-colonial-style royal palace (also built by the last King). The most upmarket hotel on it is the Inthira (www.inthirahotels.com), a 14-room boutique housed in a restored, two-storey French colonial building. “It annoys me when people say Champasak is boring,” says its manager, Alexandre Tsuk. He and his staff, all locals who grew up in the area, make a point of leading guests on walking tours around town in an effort to prove otherwise. 3. Treetop Adventures Zip-lining isn’t new. Adrenaline-seekers have been doing it in Pattaya and Chiang Mai, among other spots around the region, for some time now. However, Laos’ top adventure trailblazers, Green Discovery (www.greendiscoverylaos. com), recently launched a new version that’s winning rave reviews from everyone intrepid enough to try it. On paper the idea is the same – you glide like a flying squirrel from platform to platform – but the scenery and build-up here is something else; after trekking by foot deep into Dong Hua Sao, a protected area of evergreen forest and coffee plantations, you spend the day whizzing along cables cast across deep ravines, a roaring waterfall and swaying treetops sometimes almost within touching distance. Truly an experience to gloat about, the two or threeday adventure also includes a stay in an Evok village-like tree-house that can only be reached by – what else? – a zip-line. It’s also notable for its eco-tourist credentials, as a portion of the proceeds goes towards conservation of the area and local villagers are employed as guides. 4. Rooms with A View Champasak has a clutch of properties with memorable natural settings. On the edge of the Bolaven Plateau, the heart of Laos’ coffee-growing industry, the rustic Bajiang Resort (+856-3125-1294) flows around a wide, u-shaped waterfall called Tad Pha Suam. Also in the vicinity, less www.bangkok101.com

than an hour’s drive from Pakse, the decade-old Tad Fane eco-resort (+856-205531400, www.tadfane.com) sits beside the eponymous waterfall. From its wooden restaurant you can see – and hear – it thundering down a lush 200 metre deep gorge. As for staying beside the Mekong, if you fancy something a bit more special than the budget guesthouses at Si Pha Don, the 4,000 Islands, consider the La Folie Lodge (www. lafolie-laos.com). Located just across from Champasak town, on the banks of the dirt-track ringed island of Don Daeng, this neat tropical resort backs onto the river’s wide, sandy banks. Easily Champasak’s most exclusive and scenic accommodation option, tour company Mekong Cruises (ww.vatphou.com) also now offers three day/two night voyages aboard a floating wooden hotel with aircon cabins and an open-deck. Cruises depart from Pakse. 5. Connectivity with Cambodia Not so long ago Champasak was widely considered a dead-end on the overland traveler trail, with many put off even trying to head into North Cambodia by stories about unreliable border crossings. No longer – these days you can snag a visa on arrival at the border and steam by bus straight into Laos’ southern neighbour. Is it worth it, though? More and more travelers are saying “let’s find out”. One of the reasons why are the recently launched ‘Mekong Discovery Trails’: a 180km long network of governmentapproved ecotourism routes through North Cambodia’s impoverished Kratie and Strung Treng Provinces, both of which are home to some of the most unspoilt and least populated stretches of the Mekong. Designed to benefit and provide interaction with poor local communities, each of these free trails explores life along the river and throws up opportunities for kayaking, Irrawaddy dolphin spotting, mountain biking, horse carting and trekking. You can download pdfs of the trails at www. mekongdiscoverytrail.com. Max Crosbie-Jones n GETTING THERE Option 1: Travel to Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province by bus or plane. From there head to the border crossing at Chong Mek. Buses to Pakse are available. Option 2: Fly to Pakse, via Suvannaket, with Laos Air (www.laoairlines.com). Visas are available on arrival. Prices depend on where you’re from, but hover in the US$25-40 range.

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art 1-on-1

Bangkok is a hotbed of creative energy, be it in the ﬁelds of fashion, music, entertainment, or art. Each month we meet with a talented artist, local or international, currently exhibiting in the capital to discuss their work and views

Claude Estèbe A French scholar in Japanese visual culture, Claude Estèbe has staged several exhibitions as an independent curator and photographer both in Japan and Thailand. Currently he is teaching at Paris’ University of Oriental Languages and working on a study of Japanese radioactive monsters movies, or Gojira and Kaiju eiga. In his latest photo exhibition Tukata – Post Industrial Venus, on view at Toot Yung Gallery until October 15, he explores the modern image of femininity through the defects he finds in the no name tukata (dolls) mass-produced in factories across the region.

I love to approach seemingly ‘light’ subjects and explore them seriously

“This exhibition is about femininity, modernity and economic globalization in Asia”.Tell us more… In fact, rather than femininity it’s about the image of femininity, especially in the mass media. Why dolls? I find it fascinating than even in the smallest objects you can find fragments of different cultures in a weird balance. Close-ups of a simple doll, I found, could make her look American, Chinese, Thai, traditional, modern, cute or weird. When I see a poorly made doll with cross-eyes or reds lips painted on the bottom of the chin, I also think of tired female workers stressed in a factory somewhere in suburban China. How has your background as a scholar in Japanese visual culture informed your art? It gave me a global comprehension of what photography is. Now, when I chose my subjects, I’m wondering “what could make these pictures still interesting in 150 years?” My work has this “visual history” background but as an artist I also love to approach seemingly ‘light’ subjects and explore them seriously. Where are these tukata (dolls) from? I bought all the tukata in Thai markets and stores but many of them were made in China. Actually there are 3 main categories: American-style ‘Barbies’; the middle size ones, which are more or less inspired from the British doll Sindy and Japanese doll Licca, and finally the smallest ones (about 13 cm) made in Thailand. The latter are the most interesting to me as these are made in small factories in smaller numbers 34

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and differ from one to another due to material constraints. Cheap plastic can differ greatly from one series to another in texture, grain, deepness, colour. Some could find the results plain ugly, but I find them fragile and eerie. Your Diva series, with its facial close-ups, focuses on the classic Asian aesthetic. How so? When we think of fashion doll, the first image is the Barbie doll with is American aesthetic. But the dolls I chose are produced for the Asian market and have other characteristics. Most of these have a golden necklace and earrings, and there is often a tiara than reminds us of beauty pageant contests and even traditional dancing Apsaras outfits. The eyes are often bigger too, a Japanese influence that even Barbies are copying now. And the mouth is quite different too, smaller than the American type and never showing the teeth. What are ‘Global fairies’? The smallest tukata made in Thailand are about 13 cm high and remind me of the fairies in Celtic legends (like Tinker Bell in Peter Pan) as well as the Apsara dancers you find protecting sacred Banyan trees and shrines in Thailand. For me they look like global fairies of our times, helplessly witnessing nature’s changes and gradual destruction. What is your aim for this exhibition? Instant archeology. Often the most obvious things in a civilisation are not well documented. And these days the tiniest objects, even mass produced, change so quickly that they disappear before we even notice them. I first started this series four years ago, and already many of the dolls are archeological remains in a way. Max Crosbie-Jones Tukata – Post Industrial Venus by Claude Estèbe runs from September 3 to October 15 at Toot Yung Gallery WHERE 19 Prachathipratai Rd, 084-914-5499, www.tootyunggallery.com OPEN Tue-Sun 2pm-8pm www.bangkok101.com

Enjoy these highlights from the current issue of the Bangkok Art Map (www.bangkokartmap.com). BAM is a free city map containing insights into Thailand’s always creative arts scene

exhibitions

Until Sep 10 The Return of May May Lotus Arts de Vivre Gallery, 41/21 Rama III Rd, Chongnonsee,Yannawa | 02-294-1821-3 | www.lotusartsdevivre.com The daughter of National Artist and architect Sumet Jumsai, Siriprapha or May May as she is better known, exhibits in Thailand after an absence of several years. A fine art graduate from Goldsmiths in London, May May’s new painted works appear similar to a previous series wherein she created numerous contemplative Rorschachlike blotted abstracts.

Until Sep 15 Silent Images Pikture Gallery, 47/1 Sukhumvit Soi 49| 02-662-8359 | Tue-Sun 10am-7pm | www.thepikturegallery.com | BTS Thonglor Bangkok-based Pakistani photographer Soofia Asad exhibits the works from her recent residency at Pikture’s Artist@Work project. With a business background in marketing, Asad turned her hand to photography in 2009. The focus of her residency has been upon issues and experiences regarding women in society.

Until Sep 16 See Food Creative House, Unit 211, L Fl, 399 Interchange Bldg, Asok | 02-611-2798 | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | www.creativehousebkk.in.th | BTS Asok Promising young Thai artists Verapong Sritrakulkitjakarn and Suwit Maprajuab present mixed media installation, woodcut prints and oil painting to critique contemporary consumerism as well as questioning the country’s approach to an education system. The two issues have become pertinent subjects within Thai art.

Until Sept 18 Finding Abstraction Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama I Rd, Pathumwan | 02-2146630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am-9pm | www. bacc.or.th | BTS National Stadium With commissions for large-scale sculpture few and far between, it is rare to see comprehensive exhibitions of three-dimensional art in Thailand. Finding Abstraction is a showcase of 28 nonobjective forms by three of Thailand’s National Artists: Chamruang Vichienket, Nontiwat Chantanapalin, and Inson Wongsam, along with Artist of Distinction Khemarat Kongsook.

Until Sep 25 Burqa – 2010 Kathmandu Photo Gallery, 87 Soi Pan, Silom Rd | 02-234-6700 | Tue-Sun 11am-7pm | www.kathmandu-bkk.com l BTS Chong Nonsi Hailing from Pattani province in Thailand’s restive south, 28-year-old Muslim woman Ampannee Satoh was a student of photography in France at the time of the country’s burqa ban. Featuring her donning the controversial garment in front of French landmarks, as well as ancient Roman structures, her nine colour images subvert stereotypes about veiled Muslim women.

Until Dec 29 Sooksunt’s World: g23, SWUNIPLEX Fl2-3, Srinakarinwirot University, 114 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 02-649-5000 #5005 | Tue-Sun 11am-6pm | www.g23.swu.ac.th | BTS Asok A peer of National Artist Tawee Ratchaneekorn, Sooksunt Muennirut was an arts student and then teacher during the turbulent political period of the early-to-mid 1970s. Imprisoned for being subversive against the government, Sooksunt’s art is passionate towards social causes and injustices affecting his fellow countrymen.

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arts

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performing arts

Our performing arts scene may not throb like in other cities, but look under the surface and you’ll ﬁnd it there, beating to its own rhythm. For more information try www.thaiticketmaster.com or our own website www.bangkok101.com.

Cultural Centres

Aksra Theatre

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.

On Now!

Theatres

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

โรงละครอักษรา คิงพาวเวอร คอมเพล็กซ ถ.รางน้ำ

NATIONAL THEATRE (map A3) 2 Rachini Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-224-1342, 02-225-8457~8 Along with the National Museum, the imposing theatre forms an island of high culture. Classical Thai drama, musicals and music performances – all elaborate affairs, sometimes strange to foreign eyes and ears – are staged on a small side stage and the open-air sala. The season runs from November to May, but you can catch classical Thai dance and music on the last Friday and Saturday nights of each month.

โรงละครแหงชาติ ถ.ราชินี สนามหลวง

september 2011

Bangkok’s 13th International Festival of Dance and Music runs Sept 9-Oct 16. Flick to p.9 for more. PATRAVADI THEATRE (map A3) 69/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amarin Rd, Thonburi | 02-412-7287~8 | www.patravaditheatre.com Outside of university art departments, this is one of the few places in Bangkok to see contemporary performing arts. Its founder, the well-known Patravadi Mejudhon, created not only a theatre, but an entire arts complex, comprising cla sses , ar tis t s’ r esidencies and international exchanges. Performers are trained in classical as well as modern traditions; and the shows world-class.

โรงละครภัทราวดี ถ. อรุณอมรินทร

SIAM NIRAMIT (map D2) 19 Tiam Ruammit Rd | 02-649-9222 | www.siamniramit.com A breathtaking, record-breaking extravaganza, hailed as “a showcase of Thailand”. Using hundreds of costumes and amazing special effects, more than 150 performers journey whirlwind-like through seven centuries of Siamese history. Up to2,000 guests experience this spectacle nightly; eyepopping poignancy to some, detached fantasia to others.

สยามนิรมิต ถ. เทียมรวมมิตร arts

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE (map C4) 29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng |02-6704200 | 10am-6pm close Sun | www.alliancefrancaise.or.th

สมาคมฝรัง่ เศสกรุงเทพ ถ. สาทรใต

BACC (BANGKOK ART AND CULTURE CENTRE) (map C3) 939 Rama I Rd, Pathumwan | BTS National Stadium |02-214-6630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am9pm | www.bacc.or.th The upper levels of this eleven-storey Guggenheim-like behemoth boast 3,000sqm for hosting art; the lower ones art-related shops and galleries.

หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแหงกรุงเทพมหานคร แยกปทุมวัน

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

สถาบันเกอเธ 18/1 ซ. เกอเธ สาทร ซ. 1

JAPAN FOUNDATION (map D3) Serm-mit Tower, Fl 10, Sukhumvit Soi 21| BTS Asok | 02-260-8560~4 | Mon-Fri 9am7pm, Sat 9am-5pm | www.jfbkk.or.th

เจแปน ฟาวนเดชัน่ ชัน้ 10 อาคารเสริมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 21

TCDC (THAILAND CREATIVE & DESIGN CENTRE) 6F, The Emporium Shopping Complex, Sukhumvit 24 (map D4) | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-664-8448 | www.tcdc.or.th | 10:30am9pm close Mon Attend free workshops, talks by prominent international designers and exhibitions. Facilities include a state-of-theart multimedia library and a textile centre.

ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปง คอมเพล็กซ สุขมุ วิท 24

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Each month the crate-digging DJ duo behind 'Paradise Bangkok', Chris Menist and Maft Sai, delve into the more obscure corners of the Kingdom’s music. Their label 'ZudRangMa' showcases the best of Thai music: zudrangmarecords.com

paradise found

Back in Europe: Part 1

hange is always difficult, and moving is possibly one of my least favorite things. Thus, much as it’s good to be back in the country of my birth, it’s slightly odd also, be it readjusting to climate, food or body language. One constant however, and one that always assists my mental health when faced with life changes (as far as I’m concerned at least) is music, and more specifically, vinyl records! As I write this, the large collection of luk thung, molam, Vietnamese, Yemeni, and Indonesian vinyl I acquired during my time in Thailand has docked in Felixstowe and should be winging its way back to me later this week. Fingers crossed it’s survived its six week voyage. In addition to this, it’s also nice to have been reunited with my not small collection of discs I stored in my parents’ garage once we departed this sceptered isle back in 2006. You might think it odd, but bringing the two collections under one roof and finally linking up the last five years I’ve spent abroad with my previous existence in the UK, will be an important moment. Speak to anyone who is serious about collecting music, and they will, on balance, be able to place their hands on an LP or single and give the background to where it was purchased, maybe some specific attached memory, as well as some info about the band/artist. Thus, coming across a small forgotten pile of Ethiopian records took me back to a brief trip to Addis, where I interviewed Mulatu and Mahmoud Ahmed, and was assisted in my vinyl search by a young man called Mengistu, who continued to post me records via DHL, www.bangkok101.com

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even after I’d returned home. Similarly, when I finally get to go through my Thai shipment, so many of those discs are going to tell the story of ‘Paradise Bangkok’, all the numerous tall tales associated with hunting down the elusive tracks, running the parties with Maft Sai, and the many happy memories associated with mine and my family’s time in Thailand. However, this is not about mere nostalgia. It’s about what happens next. Myself and Maft Sai will be playing our first European gig on September 10th, at a warehouse in East London, at the Soundway event ‘Dancing Time’. As well as DJing with label boss Miles Cleret, The Cambodia Space Project will be playing live as part of the line-up. CSP is a band from Phnom Penh, updating the classic Cambodian sound revived by the ‘Cambodia Rocks’ comps, and bands like Dengue Fever. By the time you read this, they will have also played a gig with Maft Sai in Bangkok, prior to gigging round Europe for a month. In a similar vein, myself and Maft will be playing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland during September and October, seeing if the Paradise Bangkok formula can adapt to the chilly climes of Europe. Hence the time I’m spending going through the vinyl archives, drawing from tunes I used to play out in London, and how they will slot into the music that has provided the soundtrack abroad for the past few years. Drawing from, and blending, these past experiences, will most likely determine how this ongoing project unfolds in Europe, and, God-willing, back in Asia in the coming months. Chris Menist september 2011

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APEX SCALA (retro 1960s) Siam Square Soi 1, Rama 1 Road, 02-251-2861. BTS Siam.

cinema

angkok boasts world-class, state-of-the-art movie theatres showing the latest Hollywood and Thai blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House and Lido and the city’s cultural centres (p.37), screen less common independent and international films. Thai films are usually, in downtown Cineplexes at least, shown with English subtitles; foreign films with subtitles in Thai. Seats are reasonably priced at around B100-180.The best place to check screening times is on the daily-updated www.movieseer.com. Please stand while the king's anthem is Thai Movies Noy Thrupkaew played in respect to Thailand’s Judging from the city’s movie posters, Bangkok beloved visitors might assume that Thai filmic fare is limited monarch.

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

On DVD

Thai theatres are notorious for their rapid turnover rates, making DVDs one of the best ways for visitors to explore Thai ﬁlm. Thai DVDs are readily available in Mang Pong outlets in major malls, but before purchasing check the back for English s u b t i t l e s a n d DV D r e g i o n compatibility, if you don’t have an all-region DVD player. Englishsubtitled versions are also often available as exports from Hong Kong at websites such as www.hkﬁlm.com or www.yesasia.com.

september 2011

โรงภาพยนตสกาลา สยามสแควร ถ. พระราม 1

HOUSE (art house) Royal City Avenue (RCA), Petchaburi Road, 02-641-5177.

เฮาส อารซเี อ ถ. พระรามเกา

KRUNGSRI IMAX THEATER 5/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 02-129-4631. BTS Siam.

สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1

MAJOR CINEPLEX RATCHAYOTHIN 1839 Phaholyothin Road, 02-511-3311. BTS Mochit or MRT Paholyothin, then catch a taxi.

เมเจอรรชั โยธิน ถ.พหลโยธิน

MAJOR CINEPLEX SUKHUMVIT 1221/39 Sukhumvit Road, 02-381-4855. BTS Ekkamai

เมเจอรสขุ มุ วิท ใกลสถานีรถไฟฟาบีทเี อสเอกมัย

PARAGON CINEPLEX 5/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 02-129-4635 or Movie Hotline 02-515-5555. BTS Siam

สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1

SF CINEMA CITY MBK (VIP Class) 7/F, MBK Center, Phaya Thai Road, 02-611-6444. BTS National Stadium.

มาบุญครองเซ็นเตอร ถ. พญาไท

CITIZEN DOG Wisit Sasanatieng, 2004, B99 Unlike Amelie, to which it is frequently compared, Citizen Dog serves up enough earthiness – a chain-smoking teddy bear, the nasty joys of sex on the bus – to keep its fantastical aspects from going fey. The much-ballyhooed second feature by film-festival darling and Tears of the Black Tiger director Sasanatieng, Dog shows off its creators’ incredible visual sensibility – his Bangkok is candy-colored, whimsical, magicalrealist benevolent. Country boy Pod moves to the big city, falls for a moony maid, and takes up taxi driving to chauffeur her around. Sadly, Pod’s adventures with freaky fares are more compelling than the love story, made insufferable by the female lead’s hair-rendingly bad acting. Actors’ lack of range also unfortunately keeps the film from delving into the blacker aspects of the script – the protagonists read more like a collection of quirks rather than characters. Visual verve gives this one some spark, however, if not a full flame. arts

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Bangkok is home to an eye-popping array of excellent bookshops, large and small. Just head for any major mall – Siam Paragon, Emporium, CentralWorld or Central Chitlom – and look for a branch of Asia Books, Kinokuniya, B2S, or Bookazine SIAMESE MEMOIRS THE LIFE & TIMES OF PIMSAI SVASTI Ping Amranand, Amulet Production, 200pp, B550 More than three decades following his mother MR Pimsai Svasti’s tragic death, Ping Amranand has finally helped complete her unfinished autobiography. As the first female Thai Oxford graduate, as well as an ardent writer and avid gardener, Svasti paved the way for modern Thai women in many ways. With close ties to the King (she had royal lineage), her personal accounts vividly capture Buddhist philosophy, culture, and the Thai way of life during the mid 20th century. However, more than merely sharing her personal accounts, Svasti’s flashbacks to the past give us raw and insightful glimpses into the political and social events that changed Thailand as a nation. Reflecting the turbulent upheavals of the 20th century, her life stories take us through the landmark 1932 coup, which led to Siam becoming Thailand, the abdication of King Rama VI, World War II, and ultimately, her own tragic murder in 1977. As much the story of a Kingdom as a celebration of one woman’s remarkable life, Siamese Memoirs is a representation of Thai history that has seldom been seen before. Krittana Khurana

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books

NAVIGATING THE BANGKOK NOIR Chris Coles, Marshall Cavendish, 128pp, B750 Though the Amazing Thailand adverts, with their images of exotic, scenic nature and warm, friendly Thais, holds some legitimacy, Bangkok’s notorious nightlife industry is infamous around the world. It is into this dark dimension that American artist and filmmaker Chris Coles dives in with his book, Navigating the Bangkok Noir. Using an exaggerated cinematic approach, Coles uses expressionist-style watercolour paintings to portray the City of Angel’s vibrant yet upsetting nightlife, using thick bold lines and clashes of colour to blur the lines between real emotion and performance art. One question continually arises: what’s really behind those smiles? Unlike the recent exhibition of his work, this book answers the question with greater clarity as Coles provides background stories and anecdotes – without disclosing a full biography – for the subjects of his paintings. At the same time, there is an arresting disjunction at play here, between a mythical narrative and the bleaker, raw reality that is so apparent on the streets. Neither callous nor demanding sympathy, this book allows you to navigate Cole’s ambivalence to the selfproclaimed ‘Land of Smiles’. Krittana Khurana

arts

september 2011

P H OTO F E AT U R E

Soldier, CentralWorld

Through a Lens, Darkly photography by David Procter

Commuter, Lumpini MRT Emerging British talent David Procter shot these black and white portraits using a Rolleiflex 2.8F, an old twin-lens reflex camera from 1961, whilst wandering the city’s streets. For this Bangkokbased semi-pro, the Rolleiflex is an inspiration in itself, being beautifully engineered and possessing optics which rival most modern lenses. “Its leaf shutter is almost silent and there is always a level of intrigue when I use it to photograph people,” he says.

This intrigue stems from the shooting method. With a Rolleiflex you shoot from the hip as opposed to holding it to your eye and covering your face. As a result the photographer and subject maintain eye contact throughout, enabling an exchange, a rapport that’s absent with modern cameras. “It’s all about taking time with the person who has invited you to share a moment of their life,” he says, “and that’s what a Rolleiflex does beautifully.”

www.david-procter.com

P H OTO F E AT U R E

Refuse collector, Pracha Uthit Road

Takraw players, Patpong

P H OTO F E AT U R E

Market trader, Sampeng Lane

Locals on the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday, Klong Toei

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dining in bangkok

ood is of the utmost importance here. Locals have been known to brave the beast of Bangkok trafﬁc and make cross-town journeys with the sole purpose of sampling a bowl of noodles at a famous local shop. Thais often ask each other “Gin Kao Leu Yung” or “Have you eaten rice yet?”. This shouldn’t be understood in the literal sense, but almost as another way that Thais say hello. It’s how Thai people socialise. The true Thai dining experience requires that all dishes be shared with everyone at the table; real evidence of the importance of dining to the sense of community.

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Spring Summer

A taste of Bangkok doesn’t just stop at Thailand’s world-famous national cuisine; flags of all nationalities fly here, and the results can be amazing. Tom yum soup and creamy curries can be found alongside seared foie gras, crispy tempura and heart-stopping steaks. It won’t be a challenge to find some culinary dynamite for your palate. You’re bound to eat very well, whether it is at the sexiest, high-end locales, or at the origin of most local food - the streets, where you can get a very tasty, hearty meal at a nondescript stall, or even crackling grasshoppers and worms. Fantastic food is also available round

food & drink

the clock, although choices narrow as it gets closer to midnight. Many restaurants have closing times of 9pm or earlier. However, plenty of them feed late-night appetites. If you really want to bump elbows with the locals and get to the heart of things, Bangkok’s street food culture doesn’t acknowledge the concept of time, with many vendors carrying on into the wee hours. If a business can survive by trading when everyone is asleep, then it must be good, right? So whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, slightly picky or a try-anything-once, you’re in for a nonstop gastronomical journey.

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Every month we scour the city to ﬁnd Bangkok's best restaurant promotions, so that you never have to miss out on a great dining experience; whether it be a candlelight dinner by the Chao Phraya river, brunch in a ﬁve-star setting, or a once-in-a-lifetime Michelin quality meal

meal deals

Sep 5-11 12th Annual World Gourmet Festival Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 02-126-8866, reservations.thailand@ fourseasons.com Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is delighted to announce the 12th Annual World Gourmet Festival, to take place at the Hotel from September 5th to 11th, 2011. Since its inception, the festival has grown in prominence to feature an extraordinary lineup of some of the best chefs from across the globe, coming together for a week-long celebration of outstanding food and superb wines.

Sep 11-18 Vietnamese Food Festival The Square at Novotel Bangkok Fenix Ploenchit, 02-305-6060; novotelbangkokploenchit.com For one week only, from 11 to 18, September as part of Vietnamese Food Festival at The Square, dinner buffets will feature a special Vietnamese corner. Among dishes prepared by visiting chef Vo Tung Lam of Novotel Nha Trang, will be Hanoi prawn cake, sautéed seafood with shitake mushroom, braised ox tail with green pepper and Vietnamese fresh hand roll. The price for buffet dinner at The Square starts at B760++.

Sep 16-25 Feast of the Pharaohs The Square at Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, 02-209-8888; novotelbkk.com Experience a feast of delectable fragrant cuisine from Egypt during the Egyptian Food Festival at the Square. Expertly prepared by guest chefs Yaya el Nahass and Abdel Atif from the five-star Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers & Casino, flown to bangkok just for this occasion by Etihad airways, highlights include lentil soup, oriental mezzeh, oriental sausage, khalta rice with nuts and raisin, semolina with lamb shank and vegetables, and rokak dough with ground beef.

Sep 20-24 Alex Atala La Scala,The Sukhothai Bangkok, 02-344-8888; sukhothai.com Filled with energy and creativity, Alex Atala, chef and owner of the prestigious D.O.M. Gastronomia Brasileira in Sao Paolo, has become known in Brazil and around the world for thoroughly exploring the culinary possibilities of local Brazilian ingredients, uniting its classic basis to completely new techniques. Atala and his chef team will present new Brazilian cuisine from 20 to 24 September at La Scala, The Sukhothai Bangkok. Selected wines available.

Ongoing Chef Janmejoy Sen Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 02-6498888; luxurycollection.com/bangkok A master of India’s culinary arts; Chef Janmejoy Sen has over two decades of experience and an exceptional culinary pedigree that has seen him work with some of the most revered chefs in India. Chef Sen’s cuisine entices diners at the Orchid Café’s exquisite buffet, and at the spectacular Sunday Jazzy Brunch which features a special selection of his favourite recipes including items from the Tandoor oven, his regional Indian favourites and signature dishes.

Until Oct Greek Culinary Festival Crêpes & Co., 02-653-3990; crepes.co.th Start indulging yourself with a wide choice of Crêpes & Co.’s ever favorite “Greek Mezze”; think of ingredients such as olives and its ﬂavourful oil, feta cheese, garlic, eggplant, and marinated meats. The total Greek meal experience wouldn’t be complete without baklava, an irresistible dessert made from ﬁlo dough, walnuts and syrup. It’s not to be missed with Greek coffee served the original way, along with a glass of ouzo, the traditional Greek aniseed drink, to whet your appetite or digest your meal.

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food & drink

september 2011

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Kanom Thai

thai fruit

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

Thai Fruit (polamai)

Try This!

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

KANOM CHUN Like a Thai Jello, it is made of Tapioca flour, sugar and, what else, coconut. Chun, the Thai word for floors or layers, is clearly reflected in these lil’ green squares consisting of nine thin sheets that can be peeled off and gobbled individually, or just bite into the damn thing if you’re impatient.

Custard Apple

Known as noy na in Thai, the custard apple is one multi-functional fruit. Obviously it’s good for eating, even though its bumpy skin might not be much to look at. When ripe it turns a yellowish brown and has a creamy, custard-like ﬂesh. It can be made into a sweet drink and has been used as a milk substitute. Other interesting known uses for the fruit and its tree include using the bark to treat skin diseases, as well as on the gums to treat toothache. The leaves are believed to be able to heal tumors while the unripe fruit has been used to combat against diarrhea and dysentery. They have also been used in dyes and inks. If that’s not enough for you, the seed oil’s methyl ester levels meet the US requirements for biodiesel! It surely sounds like a custard apple tree might be a pretty sound investment.

Try also: Coconut (Ma-Praow), Guava (Farang), Banana (Kluay), Papaya (Malakor), Mangosteen (Mong-Koot), Durian (Tu-Rian), Mango (Ma Muang), Rambutan (Ngoh), Lychee (Lyn-Chee)

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food & drink

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restaurant

RUNG REUNG

review

Starving in Sukhumvit? Fancy something more authentic than one of those air-conditioned design restaurants that dominant the dining scene here? A mainstay of more than 50 years, Rung Reung is one of Sukhumvit’s trustiest shophouse kitchens; an authentic treat amidst Soi 26’s towering high-rises and swanky restaurants. For three generations this family business, run by tom yum connoisseur Khun Chalermsak, has been serving hot bowls of tom yum noodles filled with fish balls and ground pork, heart, liver and other innards. During Rung Reung’s peak hours, between lunch from 11am-1pm each day, you can see him spicing up bowls of the delicious piquant noodle soup while his daughter, Nantana, works alongside him. Waits for a table during these times can be long (many opt for take-away; others call ahead), but this is still the best time to come as the flavours Khun Chalermsak imparts each bowl is, frankly, unmatched by his helpers. When you do finally get a seat and order your bowl in, consider snacking on Rung Reung’s fried fish skin, and sipping one of its drinks. Longan juice, Thai black iced tea, or O-liang (Thai Coffee) are just a few choices. Also, if you’re afraid of being assaulted by spice, don’t be afraid to speak up. Say mai ped and they’ll go easy on the chili; say mai sai krueang nai and they’ll spare you the offaly bits that many foreigners find off-putting. Krittana Khurana

street eats

WHERE 9Rung Reung, Sukhumvit Soi 26; 02-258-6744 OPEN 8am-4:30pm

รุงเรือง ถ.สุขุมวิท 26

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food & drink

september 2011

&D Fo OoOdD & rDi nRkI N K

Street Food Hotspots

SUKHUMVIT SOI 38 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, hand-made egg noodles, or Hong Kong noodles; and never head home without trying the sticky rice with mango. CORNER OF SILOM/CONVENT ROAD The stalls at the mouth of Soi Convent are popular with inebriated night crawlers; but it’s the B10 sticks of moo ping (grilled pork) served by one rotund, Zen master vendor that are justly famous. Go before the bars close (about 2-3am) to avoid the queues. PRATUNAM Midnight khao mun gai (Hainanese chicken rice)! There are two shops at the intersection of Pratunam (on corner of Petchaburi Road Soi 30); the ﬁrst one is brighter and good, but if you like your sauce authentic – with lots of ginger – go to the second one. Also, try the pork satay with peanut sauce.

ealikte

Nym

THAI CREPES

One of my all-time fave Thai snacks is khao kreep pak mor: a sort of crepe made from a mixture of flour that’s cooked over the rim of a steamed pot. The crepes texture should be soft as a piece of silk, while the filling inside should be flavourful and firm. It’s not too difficult to find at your local Thai supermarket but finding a really well done rendition is a challenge here. Fortunately, while stumbling just recently around the food market at Bangkok’s Tha Chang Pier with distinguished British food photographer Jason Lowe, we came across just that. Here, we found an uncle and aunty skillfully making the fresh crepes over a steamed pot, then shaping them into dainty white parcels using a flat wooden spoon. Both being fearless streetfood snackers, we wasted no time, each wrapped one in green leaves and proceeded to pop it into our mouths. It was love at first bite! Breaking through the soft thin texture of the crepe, we meet with a flavourful filling comprised of minced pork, crunchy sweet turnip and shards of broken peanuts. It was the culinary highlight of our day spent seeking them out – so much so that we ordered a box (B20-25!) each and took it home. If in the area I highly recommend you do the same.

CHINATOWN Shops ﬁll the streets after dark. There’s an amazing range to sample, but a must-try for seafood fans is the vendor at the corner of Soi Texas. A bit farther on the other side of the street you can get delicious egg noodles with barbecued pork.

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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

GETTING THERE Tha Chang Pier is close to the Grand Palace. If you’re coming from that direction this little stand is located on the right side of the pavement beneath the shade of an umbrella and frangipani tree.

food & drink

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restaurants

restaurant

JOJO

review

Rising over stately Rajadamri Road, and the green turf of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, stands The St. Regis Bangkok, the city’s latest, greatest word in hospitality. Towering 47 floors above street level, the 227 room property features a butler service, the first Elemis spa in Thailand, and a branch of Zuma; of London, Hong Kong, and Dubai fame, the latter coming soon. However, ahead of that highly anticipated dining opening, another restaurant is already making waves on the capital’s culinary scene. The concept at JoJo is fine dining Italian, serving “Premium products and traditional recipes that set us apart from the competition,” according to F&B Manager Steffen Opitz. Much like the look and feel of the rest of the hotel (the cocoon-like spa aside), the design is modern contemporary, with splashes of understated glamour. In JoJo this is represented by a palette of earth tones topped by an iridescent crystal chandelier. The smartly divided space offers diners choices between relaxed high tables, more formal chairs, or a seat at the bar. Once you’ve made your decision, the Las Vegas-raised Italian restaurant manager Massimo Zaretti is ready to talk you through the menu, and its selection of simple traditional dishes, albeit made with some of the world’s best ingredients. One particular standout is the fettuccine alfredo (B320); perfectly al dente pasta served tableside in a wheel of Castelmagno cheese – with origins dating back to the 13th century, only 6,000 are produced every year. However, if you only order one cheese dish, you have to ask for the Burrata cheese with rocket salad (B800).

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WHERE The St. Regis Bangkok, 159 Rajadamri Road, 02-207-7815; stregis.com/bangkok BTS Ratchadamri OPEN 6am-10.30am, 12pm-3.30pm, 5.30pm-midnight PRICE $$$

This magically uncomplicated blend of mozzarella and cream was without doubt the highlight of the night – a solid shell encased a creamy centre that was deliciously divine. Though we could have happily finished right then and there, we’re glad we went with Zaretti’s recommendation to try the pizza al tartufo (B600), a deceptively light tasting thin-crust pizza with truffle, montasio and mozzarella cheeses, and potato. Indeed, aficionados will be in cheese heaven, with more than 30 exquisite varieties stored in a small cooled space attached to the wine room – itself a design piece. Other dinner highlights include the carbonara tradizionale (B280), prepared the traditional Italian way without cream; the veal ossobuco (B820 baht) with thick saffron rice cream and cremolata relish; and ovenbaked seabass (B980) with lemon jam, stir-fried pak choi and saffron rice. Indeed, when it comes to ordering it’s difficult to make a wrong choice – our only advice though would be to make sure you don’t over order, and save room for desserts such as the Tuscany apple tart (B300). JoJo is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an al fresco dining area coming soon. Simon Ostheimer

รร. เดอะ เซนต รีจิส ถ.ราชดำริ

food & drink

september 2011

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restaurants

restaurant

INDIAN CHAAT review Sukhumvit 23 is one of those Bangkok streets that make no sense. With at least a handful of roads sharing exactly the same number, tracking down an address becomes nigh on impossible – even with good directions. That’s how, as the sun was setting on a weekday, we found ourselves walking up the wrong road in search of dinner. Overcome by hunger, we eventually gave up the hunt, and settled instead for a meal of roadside Thai. Many times, we would have left it at that, and moved on to the next restaurant review – but the word of mouth about a place selling sub-continental sweets at startlingly low prices just wouldn’t go away. And so, on the following weekend, armed with a map and cell, we ﬁnally found our way to Indian Chaat. In Hindi, the word ‘chaat’ means lick, and is the colloquial term used for snacks, the only type of food on the menu at Indian Chaat. The restaurant is the brainchild of an expatriate Indian family with a simple aim: to produce the most authentic Indian snacks found in Bangkok at the capital’s most reasonable prices. They have been startlingly successful in a very short amount of time, having already secured contracts to supply some of the best hotels and restaurants in town, according to Raj, the scion of the family. Raj is who you’ll probably be greeted by when you arrive, an friendly young man with an Arabic-style goatee – the result of his growing up in the U.A.E. The surroundings are simple but functional, with red tablecloths and a sprinkling of artwork on the walls. By the entrance is a glass display cabinet where the traditional sweets are kept, a tempting array that includes ras malai (sugary balls of paneer soaked 52

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in clotted cream and flavoured with cardamom, B20) and the brownish-red coloured gulab jamun (deepfried milk product soaked in a sugary syrup, B15). On the main menu is a true smorgasbord of flavours. If, like us, you’re not completely up to speed with your Indian snacks, Raj and his team are happy to make suggestions. That’s how we ended up with an order of pani puri (also known as golguppe, B50 for six pieces), traditional street food that consist of hollowed out, deep-fried dough balls that you make a small hole in, fill with potato, onion, chick peas and sauces, and then devour in one, taste-exploding bite. Following this excellent beginning, were equally delicious servings of paneer pakora s(deep-fried cottage cheese, B70), samosas (B10 each), and papri chaat (puri covered with yoghurt and sweet tamarind chutney, B50). Everything was ridiculously good, and at prices that meant we weren’t afraid to keep ordering. Alongside an order of sweet lassi (B50), and a smattering of sweets to takeaway, our entire bill came to under 700 baht – a steal no matter what way you count it. Satisfied in every way, we bade Raj a fond farewell, and promised to come back soon – glad that we had persevered in our hunt for what is surely one of the best value meals in Bangkok. Simon Ostheimer

อินเดียนจารค ถ.สุขุมวิท 23

WHERE 59/4, Sukhumvit Soi 23 (opposite Smart School and next to Robinsons School of Music, close to where the road joins Soi 31), 02-259-7900; indianchaat.blogspot.com

food & drink

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restaurant

TABCHANG review This six-month-old restaurant is worth doing battle with Ladphrao’s insane rushhour traffic for. Tabchang might just be the best new Thai restaurant of 2011 in fact. Housed in a beautiful anomaly – a tall, opensided pavilion set back from Soi 71, peppered with modern Thai and antiquey-touches, and fringed by lawns, a pond and a gnarled Banyan tree – the setting is sumptuous. One can imagine the characters from old folk epic Khun Chaen Khun Phaen strolling idly beside the fish pond, while we can see the wooden decking that lurches over it being a hit come cool season. What really marks Tabchang out though is its ancestral Siamese food, dating back to the late 18th century and slow-cooked in accordance with the architect owner Supada Rattagan’s four rules of cooking. These are: (1) only use the best, most authentic ingredients; (2) only use Thai cooking methods; (3) only use Thai cooks; and (4) don’t compromise your flavours for anyone. This attention to detail continues on the menu, where long lines of flowery Thai script sit above even longer blurbs detailing the dishes and regional produce (To name just a smattering, the raw palm sugar is from Wangtarn; the salted egg from Chai-yaa; the organic rice from Saphanburi). This ambitious stack of cards would all come tumbling down if the food were no good. But it is – very good. We opened with a dish new to us, mu krong krang, wokfried pork nuggets coated in the aforementioned palm sugar (delicious, chewy), and a yum som-o salad (fresh, spicy and super sour due to the breed of polemo used). Of the curries we plumped for the beef massaman (an old family recipe). And for a soup, the pork rib stew with Chamuang www.bangkok101.com

leaves from Chantaburi (the sour star of our table). Other highlights included a rich, fluffy khai jeow (egg omelette) sprinkled with sano (Japanese blossoms) and pork crackling and made with duck eggs (the way they used to be); and satar pak kapi – the famously bitter stirfried bean dish from the South. Here it’s served with pork belly not prawn (again, the way it used to be). Desserts are less unusual – mango sticky rice, deep-fried bananas, iced seasonal fruits, etc. And drinks range from earthy flower pollen juices to homemade yaa dong (herb-infused moonshine) served with fingers of bitter raw mango. Our advice: try it. An exotic and modestly priced journey back through the recipe books, the only thing that wasn’t excellent at Tabchang was the service, which is a bit abrupt and short on polish, closer to “local-style” as Supada admits. Book ahead, especially if there’s a few of you, so she has time to get her staff and stoves fired up. Max Crosbie-Jones

ทับชาง ถ. ลาดพราว

WHERE 1 Nakniwat 41, Ladphrao 71, Ladphrao Road; 081-812-2868; www.tabchang.com OPEN 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-12pm PRICE $$$

food & drink

september 2011

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restaurants

restaurant

UNCLE JOHN

review

A year ago a new shophouse restaurant opened up on Suan Plu Soi 8. No big deal. It happens all the time in this neighbourhood, a roughand-ready streetfood hotspot that’s particularly tasty in the evenings. Quickly, though, it became clear that Uncle John is not your ordinary mom and pop hole-in-the-wall. Every evening the eponymous Uncle John stands at a compact outdoor kitchen stationed in front of the warm orange interior, calmly sizzling steaks, dicing vegetables, finetuning his sauces and soups, apparently oblivious to all the comings and goings around him. Impressed by his zen-like demeanor, we ventured in, enjoyed his food and found out his story. A chef at the nearby luxury Sukhothai Hotel by day, Uncle John uses his five-star skills to recreate the magic here, in a next-to-zero frills setting, and for quite a bit cheaper, at night. The rest is history. From a slow trickle of customers when he first pulled back the shutters, word has spread, particularly among expats, groups of whom sit inside and outside on stools, waiting for their food to arrive as they chat over a cold Leo beer or sweet glass of wine. And wait you must. As Uncle John cooks up everything himself the waits can be long – often half an hour or more. Still, if you don’t have to be somewhere in a hurry, it’s worth it. Though he’s upped his prices a bit recently you won’t find a lobster bisque this good for B129 elsewhere, even in this town. Dishes we keep coming back for include the seabass fillet with ratatouille and side of creamy, garlicky mash potato (B229); and the succulent grilled duck breast with gratin potatoes and blueberry orange sauce (B269). Others swear by Uncle John’s salads, steaks, pastas and specials board. Fine-dining touches like fancy plating are included, while others, like starched napkins, slick service and spotless toilets aren’t. All this adds up to make Uncle John the place in Sathorn to enjoy fine haute cuisine whilst in your flipflops, not to mention one of the most inspiring shophouse kitchen success stories in town. To avoid long waits (and burning Uncle John out – we worry about him, we really do), try and come along early or mid-week, when the place isn’t so busy. Max Crosbie-Jones

WHERE Suan Plu Soi 8 (fourth shophouse down on the left); 081-373-3865; OPEN 6:30pm-10:30pm PRICE $$

อังเคิล จอหน สวนพลู ซอย 8

september 2011

food & drink

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restaurant

CURRIES & review MORE BY BAAN KHANITHA Curries & More is a contemporary update of traditional favourite Baan Khanitha, which has branches on Sathorn and Sukhumvit 23. Befitting its location off Thong Lor (it’s only a few minutes walk north of the BTS station), Curries & More is split into three distinct venues: restaurant, wine bar and lounge, and dessert café. These are spread across two buildings, which occupy the large site of a former garden residence. The restaurant is set in the old house, subtly renovated to extend the dining area, but retaining the comfortable feeling of being at home. Next to it is the wine bar, a two storey structure built on top of the former swimming pool, while the café sits just off the main road. The large site means there’s ample parking space, while shade and atmosphere is provided by the mature trees that dot the property – remarkably, not a single one was removed during building; the design was instead built around them. The restaurant décor is simple yet classic, with parquet floors and a warm colour palette accentuated by black and white French photography and delicate Thai art. The menu, meanwhile, contains a host of local and Western favourites with an occasional touch of fusion, such as the unusual but pleasing the tom yum-flavoured Caesar salad (B230). We also enjoyed an excellent northern-style gaeng hang lay (pork curry, B240++) served with roti, and wished we’d ordered the inventive yin-yang spinach and ricotta ravioli (B290), which was served to a neighbouring table. www.bangkok101.com

For dessert, exhibitionists should go with the mango ﬂambé crepe served with vanilla cognac ice cream (B190), though we wouldn’t have changed our orders of perfectly made strawberry-drizzled panna cotta (B160++), and an incredible molten chocolate soufﬂé with vanilla ice cream (B190). If you’re not quite ready to head home, then head over to the wine bar for a glass or two (house wines B250 by the glass and B500 by the carafe), or the signature red and white sangrias (B790 per carafe, enough for four people), which you can enjoy on the quiet terrace, sat underneath lantern-lit trees. Simon Ostheimer

เคอรีส แอนด มอร บาย บานขนิษฐา สุขุมวิท ซ.53

WHERE 31 Sukhumvit 53, 02-259-8530; curriesandmore.com BTS Thong Lor OPEN 11am-11pm PRICE $$

food & drink

september 2011

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restaurant

restaurants

THE HUB

review

Back in May a hip, funky new hotel called the Ramada Encore opened up on Sukhumvit Soi 10, and bought an all-day restaurant called The Hub with it. Accessible from Soi 10 via a staircase, the basement level venue, with its moody black colour scheme softened by bold red modern ﬂourishes and furniture, makes a nice escape from Sukhumvit’s hurly burly. But the real reason we’re already fond of is its lunch buffet. Pairing the usual suspects – salad bar, sushi rolls, small desserts, etc – with Asian noodles dishes done ‘your way’ and proper homemade pastas by Executive Chef Bunmee, it’s a fresh and ﬁlling spread. And very good value indeed, especially this month – B290 net for two (normally B290 per person). Prefer a light snack or one-dish meal? The Hub also has wheeled out a globe-trotting à-la-carte menu comprised of pizzas, burgers, cheeses, and heartier hot plate dishes like the Mediterranean Chicken Rolls (B320). The boiled chicken is soft, the gravy non-greasy and the spinach cream cheese and mousseline croquettes both worthy sides. Also decent are the salads, like the Tomato & Mozzarella (B240), which starred a piquant and tangy pesto and balsamic dressing; or the Salmon and Tuna tower (B340), with its surprising textures and triangular shape. If you fancy ending things on a sweeter note, desserts like the blueberry cheesecake with vanilla ice-cream (B160) are also worth ordering. As they would admit, hotel venues like this have their work cut out. With its easy-to-access location and head-turning buffet deal, though, The Hub could easily become a focal point for those after a good, inexpensive feed when in the area. See you there at lunchtime. Pattarasuda Prajittanond

รร.รามาดา อังคอร ถ. สุขุมวิท 10

WHERE Ramada Encore Bangkok, 21 Soi 10, Sukhumvit Rd, Klongtoey; 02-615-0999; www.ramadaencorebangkok.com BTS Nana, Asoke MRT Sukhumvit OPEN 6am-midnight PRICE $$

september 2011

food & drink

www.bangkok101.com

Did you know?

Meat’s Out

BANGKOK VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL Saunter down any food-seller street on the last few days of this month and you’ll notice strings of yellow bunting dangling across many a stall and restaurant front, cheerful signs that the annual tetsakan kin jay (vegetarian festival) has rolled into town. With centuries-old Taoist Chinese origins down in Phuket, this nine day event spanning Sept 27 to Oct 5 reaches its climax on the southern island’s streets, with participants partaking in ritual acts of self-ﬂagellation (head to p.29 to read about them, we don’t want to put you off your dinner). But here in Bangkok, thankfully for the fainthearted these grotesque marches are absent, with many followers merely opting to cut meat out of their diets. Anyone, even the atheists among you, can join them. Lots of Thais do just that, as the festival’s aims of achieving holistic wellness chime with many Buddhists. For the duration it’s not hard to spot them, bypassing their favourite crispy pork belly or guay jup nam sai (offal in

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The Chinese Vegetarian Festival begins at the start of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar, and coincides with the autumnal equinox. Why? For the superstitious Chinese and Thais nine signiﬁes good fortune. Nine not just a lucky number in Chinese but also for Thais? The Thai word for number 9 (kao) is a translation/sign for progress or improvement.

peppery broth) stall in search for something tofu or mock meat-based. Even that Thai kitchen staple, ﬁsh sauce, gets swapped for soy sauce and mushroom-based equivalents. Though city-wide, the best place to get your teeth into tetsakan kin jay is Chinatown. As well as feasting on the myriad meat-free dishes prepared and sold at yellow-ﬂagged carts and shops stationed all over – from Charoen Krung road to Talad Noi and Yaowarat Road itself – here you’ll be able to witness the vibrant rituals associated with the practice of jay, including the festival opening, when white-clad devotees raise a lantern pole, and place candles around each of the Nine Emperor Gods. Head over to Chinese temples such as Lengnoeiyi on Charoen Krung Road, or the Tai Hong Kong shrine at the Sam Yan intersection to catch these. You’ll also be to take in live Chinese opera performances; many of the stages scattered around will blare well into the night. Krittana Khurana

food & drink

september 2011

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river cruises

RIVER DINING CRUISES

A cruise along the legendary Chao Phraya can only be topped by combining it Grand Pearl with exquisite Thai food. Although touristy, a gastro-cruise is one of Bangkok’s most romantic outings, the chance to take in the river sights while getting stuffed. Most riverside hotels offer lunch and/or dinner cruises, some on large, modern ships seating hundreds (ShangriLa) or on smaller, refurbished antique rice barges (Apsara, Manohra, Oriental). Whether you are looking for a peaceful romantic sojourn, traditional dance shows or a blaring disco dinner buffet, you won’t be disappointed. Cruises range from B700 to B1,700 per person, depending on how well you dine, and last an average of three hours. Most include a full buffet or set dinner, though this should be conﬁrmed ahead of time. It’s also wise to make advance reservations. Manohra

september 2011

food & drink

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For further information or to make reservations, contact 02-476-0022 ext. 1416, manohra@manohracruises.com or visit their website www.manohracruises.com

cruise

MANOHRA review CRUISES For tourists and out-of-towners, one of the must-do activities in Bangkok has been to take a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. Unfortunately, for many this means being shepherded onboard a boat with hundreds of other camera toting passengers, and being fed from a buffet while out-of-tune crooners do their best to distract you from the main attraction – the stunning heritage architecture that lines both banks. However, there are some companies out there that are doing it right. One such example is Manohra Cruises, which runs daily dinner (and sunset cocktail) cruises on two converted antique rice barges. To ensure all guests receive the personal touch, seating is limited to 40 only; with full waiter service and two set menus to choose from, either nine (Gold: B,1990++ per person), or seven (Silver: B1,400++) courses. The menus (which alternate to give repeat diners variety) are designed to provide a taste of elegant traditional Thai fare, including dishes such as the appetiser of mieng kham, where you ﬁll edible chapu leaves with a selection of roasted coconut, shallots, lime, ginger, peanuts, shrimp and chilli. There’s also salmon pad samunprai – seared salmon ﬁllet with mixed Thai herbs – and gaeng kiew ped yang – green curry roasted duck. Dinner is accompanied by your selection of drink (not included in the price). Your journey along the ‘River of Kings’, as the Chao Phraya is fondly known, begins at 7.30pm nightly from the Manohra pier at the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa, which is easily reached via the hotel’s free shuttle boat from the public www.bangkok101.com

pier (and BTS station) at Saphan Taksin. To go with your menu, diners are presented with a souvenir booklet that contains a map and detailed information on the sights along the way. Interestingly, it was not that long ago when a decision was made by the city government to light up riverside landmarks at night – presumably dinner cruises before then were simply pleasant meals enjoyed on a dark river. Highlights for us included the Holy Rosary Church, built in 1786 by Portuguese Catholics; the Memorial Bridge, opened in 1932 to celebrate 150 years since the founding of the Chakri Dynasty by King Rama I; and, probably the most photographed temple in Thailand, Wat Arun, better known worldwide as the Temple of Dawn. While the most prominent attractions are pointed out to you, you’re mostly left alone to enjoy the sumptuous cuisine, stunning surroundings, and good company. If only all Bangkok dinner cruises were like this. Simon Ostheimer

มโนราห ครูซ ถ.เจริญนคร

food & drink

september 2011

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brunch

No matter if you’re looking to cure your hangover, chill out to live music, enjoy a ﬁne feast, have fun with the family, or simply soak up the sun, the 'City of Angels' serves up a brunch to suit all tastes; here we present some of Bangkok's best

brunch

CHAMPAGNE review SURF & TURF Brunches are like life itself – you need to aim high if you're to stand out. The Centara Grand Hotel’s biweekly version, held on the first and third Sunday of every month at finedining venue Fifty Five, does just that by pairing it’s vertiginous 55th floor views with a decadent surf and turf (seafood and meat) theme and free flow Lombard Champagne. At a wallet rinsing B2,955++, it’s one of the priciest in town, but it's also one of the classiest. One of the first things you notice is the very correct service. Waiters here tuck you into your table, fold out your napkins, and possess a borderline telepathic gift for knowing exactly when to top up your glass of bubbly (or wine, beer, water or orange juice). The second thing you notice is the star of the spread – a gargantuan chilled seafood island topped with ice sculptures. Claws of Maine lobster, Alaskan King Crab, among other premium imported fruits of the sea, sit beside ice trays of freshly shucked Fine de Claires and Tsuaskaya oysters. Most tend to find themselves gravitating towards it, and returning once or twice more, before the urge to take things slower and enjoy those two dovetailing Sunday brunch pastimes, indolence and conversation, kicks in. Fortunately, the standing menu on your table and roaming food trolleys mean you can enjoy both without interruption. Menu choices of note include sumptuous egg dishes like the eggs benedict, and Périgourdine eggs baked in a casserole dish with foie gros, truffle and creamed mushrooms. Also a don’t miss, the ‘surf and turf ’ selection offers seafood like Alaskan sole or Rockefeller, or meats like Roast Australian Lamb Loin or Wagyu MS4 Sirloin, cooked-to-order with your choice of sauce and sides. Food trolleys you should beckon over as they rumble slowly past include the roast beef, smoked salmon and iberico ham ones. The one still haunting our dreams, though, is the one stuffed full of soft, hard, aged, goats and stinky blue imported cheeses. Rounding proceedings off were two very drinkable Australian wines – a Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, and a Wyndham Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – and a dessert bar featuring a berry buffet, ice creams, Valrhona chocolate, mousses and tarts. Luring in mostly couples and groups of Bangkok’s affluent dining cognoscenti, this is one you should defiantly book ahead for. Way ahead. Some are going to wince at the price, especially the sober (it’s going to be tough to recoup your value with refills of fresh orange juice); but serious boozers will find its money well spent, especially if they take full advantage of those long 11am-

WHERE Fifty Five, Centara Grand at CentralWorld, 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan; www.centarahotelsresorts.com; 02-100-6255 BTS Chidlom PRICE B2,955++

3pm session times. Max Crosbie-Jones

รร. เซ็นทาราแกรนด ถ.พระราม 1

september 2011

food & drink

www.bangkok101.com

dessert

desserts

review

MONT NOM SOD Fresh milk, thick bread and Thai custard – that’s all they serve at this shop near the Democracy Monument. And yet it’s the busiest dessert stop in town. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense – until you’ve tried it. Mont Nom Sod’s been serving the above since 1964. During that time they’ve got it down to a fine, if disorderly, art. Walk in and you’ll likely find a scrum of customers, all queuing impatiently behind one of five counters, waiting to be served by one of the many waitresses who don’t speak English but are well versed in the language of point and smile. Each counter has a specialty – one sells baked items, one their famous fresh milk, another bottled milk and so on. By far the busiest are those nearest the door serving steamed bread with little boxes of sankayaa (coconut egg custard), or lightly buttered toast slathered in your topping of choice – sankayaa, taro, chocolate sauce, peanut butter etc. What’s remarkable about all this, and explains why the seating area is heaving with Thais, day in, day out, is the softness of the fresh, inch-thick bread. And the glossy, sweet, buttery, frankly to-die-for sankayaa that goes so darn well with it. Wash it down with a cup of their fresh, sweet milk with ice. Local, cheap, utterly sublime, this is it: the dessert shop you’ll be raving about all holiday.

มนตนมสด ใกลเสาชิงชา

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food & drink

WHERE 160/1-3 Din- Sor Rd., near Giant Swing, 02-224-1147,02-224-1989 OPEN Sun – Thu 2pm – 11pm, Fri – Sat 2pm - midnight PRICE $

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restaurants THAI REFLECTIONS (map C2) Soi Ari 3, Paholyothin 7 | BTS Ari | 02-2703341 | 11am – 12am | $ A Soi Ari staple, Reﬂections is housed in a charming, white Modern Thai townhouse done out with day-glo furnishings and out-there art. Its kitsch, but it works, thanks partly to the whimsical garden out front. Here, plastic mangoes dangle from the bushes and a light-box contraption swirls magical dots of light over everything. Soaking up Soi Ari’s calm, 70s-in-suburbia vibes over a brew here, while cars coast slowly home to their gated old-money townhouses, is a great way to escape the rat-race for an hour or few. Sealing our fondness for Reﬂections is the proper Thai food, ranging from pleasantly astringent soups to delicious spicy steamed seabass and fresh, tangy Thai salads. A tasty insider’s tip.

รีเฟลคชั่นส ซ.อารีย 3

SUEA NON KIN (map D3) 231/2 Sukhumvit 31 | BTS Asoke| 02662-1779 | Mon-Sat 5pm-Midnight |$ Finding this restaurant/bar set in a revamped old house is a bit of a chore, but one glance and its obvious many hip and artsy locals have already made

september 2011

Reflections

the discovery. This cozy joint, full of vintage armchairs and adornments featuring the wild cat, was established by three owners all born in the Year of the Tiger, its name roughly translating to “a tiger that sleeps all day but always gets it prey”. The simple Thai menu is a collection of dishes the owners have enjoyed from around the country, like deep fried ﬁsh wantons from Samut Sakhon, and smoked pork rib from Khao Yai, while the spicy sour soup with pork and the fried mackerel smothered in chilli sauce will both deﬁnitely have you roaring from the heat. The outdoor patio is perfect for sipping on one of their 13 signature “Tiger” cocktails, while the singer-less live band on Fridays and Saturdays may entice you to test your vocal chords.

เสือนอนกิน สุขุมวิท ซ.31

food & drink

WANAKARM (map D3) 98 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 02-258-4241 | Mon-Fri, Sun 11am-midnight, Sat 5pmmidnight | $ A little piece of Thai culinary history, Wanakarm is set in a sprawling house that may trigger flashbacks to earlier, homier times. Seated behind a gracious garden area, the house is full of unpretentious, clunky wooden tables, a lumpy sofa or two in the private rooms – and food that tastes like it’s made by Mom. Whoever is at the deep-fryer deserves a standing ovation – everything crunchy and calorieladen, from filler-free shrimp cakes to explosively crackly Vietnamese spring rolls, is beautifully done. Curries are thick with fragrant, long-stewed herbs, and flaky-tender roti make the perfect accompaniment. The fried chicken is

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Dean&Deluca

juicy from it marinade, and the skin will have diners scrapping over the crunchy bits. Those looking for an elegant setting should head elsewhere, but if you’re up for excellent Thai food in enormous portions look no further than Wanakarm.

เรือนอาหารวนคาม ซ.ประสานมิตร สุขุมวิท 23

INTERNATIONAL DEAN & DELUCA (map C4) MahaNakhon Pavilion, Chong Nonsi | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-2341434 | Mon-Thurs, Sun 7am-11pm, Fri-Sat 7am-12am | $ Expect to be seeing a lot more of Dean & Deluca: the gourmet food chain from New York plans to roll out a couple of huge market halls here in the next couple of years. In the meantime though, you can enjoy their fine sandwiches and cups of excellent barista brewed coffee in this posh, scaled down café version located beside the Mahanakorn Project, the luxury skyscraper that’s set to be Thailand’s tallest on completion. In this tall, bright car-showroom-like space with soft grey tones you can browse a slim selection of these high-end artisanal treats, before ordering in a chunky sandwich, like the best-selling (but ever so slightly messy) avocado and goat’s cheese bagel, or perhaps a fresh simple salad. There are also decadent picture-perfect pastries and cupcakes. While it’s simply-flavoured foods may seem bland to some Thai palates, the lunchtime queue of Chong Nonsi-based office workers prove there’s clearly a big market for just that.

มหานครพาวิลเลียน ใกลบีทีเอสชองนนทรี

SALT Soi Ari (near Soi 4) | 02-619-6886 |6pm-midnight (closed Tuesdays) | $$ Recent Soi Ari addition Salt has been buzzing ever since opening earlier this year. Seating is either on an outdoor terrace or in a minimal concrete and plate glass shell – a former condominium sales ofﬁce – with a bar at the far end and hip raw marble, stone and wooden furniture ﬁnishes. Behind them, an old wooden house offers extra seating and is used as a backdrop for striking visuals. Salt hit www.bangkok101.com

food & drink

september 2011

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while you bask in nightlife noise and neon. This big, upbeat restaurant is ideal for the chatty afterwork nosh or prelude to a big Friday night – and the generous happy hours help: from 11am till 7pm they offer buy 3 pay for 2 tapas, and buy 1 get 1 free jugs of Sangria.

สแปนิช ออน 4 สีลม ซ.4

it off with Ari scensters on day one, but what keeps them coming back is the global cuisine, from fresh sashimi platters to generously dressed thincrust pizzas cooked in a proper wood fire. There are also humungous salads (try the green sesame ginger salad), and a Thai-influence at work in dishes like the excellent Seasalt Carpaccio, a big plate of raw fish drizzled in a seriously spicy-tart dressing. Service can be sluggish, but the well-seasoned food and artisanal cocktail list (by one of the mixologists from Soi Ruam Rudee’s designer cocktail bar Hyde & Seek) more than makes up for it.

ซอลท ซ.อารีย

SPANISH SPANISH ON 4 (map C4) 78-80 Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Deang | 02-632-9955 | Sun-Thurs 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am | $$ This offshoot of Sukhumvit Soi 11 hit Tapas Café transplants the same convivial formula to a livelier location on gay-friendly club-and-ﬂirt- strip Silom Soi 4. In its four-storey building, formerly hip-hop club Speed, Chef Xavier rustles up the same not-too-salty dishes, only with his own unique touches. Must nibbles include the patatas bravas (fried potatoes) and deep-fried calamari – two bestsellers that both star their superlative garlic mayonnaise. There’s also paella; imported iberico ham; and, most interestingly, weekly specials like the sautéed mushrooms with a white wine and garlic smack. Sit inside the modern orange-accented building for a more intimate dinner; out front to ogle the parade of mostly gay bar cruisers 64

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food & drink

JAPANESE MISAKI (MAP E4) Face | 29 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 38 |02713-6048 | BTS Thong Lo | Tue-Sun 11:30am – 11pm | $$$ Watching skilled chefs prepare and plate sushi is surely one of the more pleasant ways to while away the time between ordering and eating. At Misaki, within the Face restaurant/ bar venue, the experience is positively serene. The décor here is unmistakably Face – huge Buddhist sculptures and rich, earthy tones – but there is a cosiness and conviviality all its own. Descending the steps to Misaki’s intimate, but not quite cramped, dining room feels rather peculiar – almost as though you’re being shepherded into a hush-hush wife-swapping party – but any disappointment at not dining in the venue’s justly-celebrated teak house soon evaporates. Fresh otoro (premium tuna belly) and yellowtail mark out the modestly-priced sushi combo (B490++) as something of a bargain on a high-end menu and the simple yakitori starter (B190++) is a dish so juicy and ﬂavoursome, one wonders why grilled chicken can’t always be this good.

CMY

มิซากิ สุขุมวิท ซ.38

Misaki

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champagne 2011_170x240.ai

8/15/2011

11:18:07 AM

CHAMPAGNE SURF & TURF BRUNCH, C

1ST AND 3RD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH

BAHT 2,955++ PER PERSON

WITH FREE FLOW OF WORLD RENOWNED LOMBARD CHAMPAGNE

CMY

For further information call dining reservations 02 100 6255 Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld 999/99 Rama1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand T (0)2 100 1234 F (0)2 100 1235 E diningcgcw@chr.co.th www.centara.co.th

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wine

wine bar

WINE PUB

review

Four years on and the Pullman Bangkok’s Wine Pub is still the busiest hotel wine bar in town. What lures all the classy grownups (affluent white collar Thais, mostly, with a smattering of expats and tourists) in to this hip windowless establishment, hidden deep in the sleek bowels of this five-star? Some of the best value food and wine deals in town, that’s what, from Tuesday’s All-You-Can-Eat-Pasta, to Thursday’s 5 Cheese & Cold Cuts, and Saturday’s popular All-You-Can-Eat Tapas, all three of which throw in a bottle of house plonk (other promotions vary). These creative offers, available from 6pm-10pm each day, have won over the city’s bon viveurs, not just because the vino and grub is of a good provenance, but also because those prices are straight-up. All of the daily promotions here are priced at B990 net, minus the crafty “++’ ' (service charge and government tax) mark up – always a sore point at settle up time. Another feature is the dark, very upmarket setting, spotted with close-nit high tables and intimate private booths and soundtracked by slowly building lounge and nu-disco tunes from DJ Baptiste. Recommended is the Cheese & Cold Cuts platter, while those who aren’t left salivating at the prospect of that evening’s deal can choose off an à la carte menu featuring everything from the rich, flavorful lobster bisque soup with puff pastry topping (B290), to house specials, like grilled snow fish (B790) and agreeably spiced BBQ pork spare ribs (B690). A tapas menu with sets of three, six or nine dishes – as well as a 16-dish tapas tree option – is also available. Serious gluggers should also direct their attention towards the striking central glass cabinet, overseen by wine-savvy staff and loaded with countless new and old world bottles, including 24 by the glass. Having tapped into the locals’ love of a good deal, the Wine Pub is wisely sticking to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ formula, but recent tweaks have included the addition of organic wines from vineyards across Europe and Australia. Should your skill at pairing plonk with pongy imported cheeses be somewhat lacking, you can now also learn from the masters at their often sell-out wine and cheese classes, held on the last Monday of each month.

WHERE Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel, 2nd Fl. BTS Victory Monument, 02-680-9999, www.pullmanbangkokkingpower.com OPEN Mon-Sun 6pm-2am

รร. พูลแมน บางกอก คิงพาวเวอร ถ.รางน้ำ

september 2011

food & drink

www.bangkok101.com

food & drink

september 2011

NIGHTLIFE

one night in bangkok

Our team of party animals scour the city to ﬁnd the hottest gossip and news, uncovering the latest openings, events, offers and performers that will be lighting up the city this month. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to head into the night

Coming Soon: Catalana

The owners behind popular eat and drink spots Coyote and The Australian Pub, among others, should be cutting the ribbon on new Sukhumvit Soi 11 tapas and wine bar Catalana later this month. With a modern design “derived from Barcelona Chic and the sublime, sometimes surreal design of Antoni Gaudi”, it’s set to feature rarely seen ﬂourishes like chainmail curtains sweeping from high ceilings, off-beat furnishings and oddly curved banquettes. The food will be a mix of traditional tapas, like sautéed chorizo, and ‘notso-traditional’, like blood sausage in cider, as well as classic paellas, cold cuts and cheese platters. As for the all important wine list (and we’re pleased to hear there’ll be one – many of Bangkok’s new wine-bistros haven’t bothered), it’ll feature 12 by the glass and 200-plus bottles, mostly Spanish. Sangria fans will also not be disappointed, with traditional red and white versions both promised.

Lush: Green Nights Out

Props to party organizers Lush for staging one of the best and biggest shindigs of 2011 so far back on August 20. During the Friday night event a thousand plus clubbers swarmed the top floors of Sukhumvit Soi 22’s Imperial Queens Park Hotel, which had been split into multiple banging DJ arenas, including an Ibiza-like outdoor one on the helipad. Since starting out two years ago, Lush has made a name for itself by putting on bashes of this sort every few months. What also marks it out from the city’s other party crews is the corporate social responsibility side of things. Though an apt name for these parties packed full of very drunk people, ‘Lush’ actually refers to the outfit’s green credentials. All the power for their PA, lights and air-con systems comes from renewable energy sources and profits go to grassroots charities. Find out about them and upcoming parties on Facebook (www. facebook.com/lushparty) or by calling 08-5247-8008.

Get Down to Africa

Pop-up event space Opposite (Sukhumvit Soi 51, www. oppositebangkok.com) will host a DJ evening of West African dancehall, psychedelic and other sounds hailing from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal and Benin on September 3. Inspired by the work of Malick Sidibe, a photographer who chronicled exuberant young life in Mali during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, it’s sure to be a night for dressing up and getting down. Guests who dress with afro-style stand a chance of winning Opposite privileges; and Phum (from Thai band Apartment Khun Pa) will also perform a live set with his friends. The entry price, B250, includes a beer. 68

september 2011

nightlife

www.bangkok101.com

bar

TUBA

review

WHERE 34 Room 11-12A, Soi Cham Chun (Ekkamai Soi 21); 02-711-5500; www.design-athome.com OPEN 11am-2am every day

Tuba is one of those eclectic places that deﬁes categorisation – a furniture store meets bar meets restaurant that could slot happily in our shopping, dining or nightlife sections. Some use it as a place to snag a comfy sofa, vintage sign or goofy tchotchke. Others roll up for the food tweaked for local palates. But for us, Tuba works best as a bar, as there are few cooler places in town to kick back after work with a lurid cocktail in hand (or two hands in some cases – the glassware can be that big!). Owned by the same hoarders behind Lad Phrao’s Papaya, a furniture warehouse beloved by the city’s retro fetishists and ﬁlm prop buyers, this sprawling two-storey treasure trove features room upon room packed full of vintage eye-candy. A Superman statue, portraits of King Rama V, Lucian Freud-style nudes, huge bauble lamps, tiny gnome lamps, art deco lamps – it’s all here, along with a million and one other bits and bobs you can’t take your eyeballs off. Thanks to the random, ever-changing assemblages of kitsch each corner has a different feel. And if you grow attached to that Yoda statue or nude portrait, all you have to do is wave your plastic at the waiter and point. www.bangkok101.com

If Tuba’s ﬁrst big surprise is this kitsch grandpa’s attic, the second is the food. It isn’t bad at all, with tons of Italian pasta and pizzas dishes, plus lots of Thai and Thai twists, like the excellent salmon chae nam pla (raw salmon topped with a caustically spicy line-based dressing), featuring on the huge menu dressed up like a black tuxedo. Look around and pretty much every table will be enjoying a couple of them between animated conversation and swigs of their pick from the extensive drinks list. Ranging from beers to tangy-sweet signature cocktails served in suitably kitsch and eclectic glassware, the best time to enjoy them is during the well-known Happy Hour (5-8pm everyday), when they’re all buy one get one free. During it the Tuba faithful saunter in and quickly pounce upon their favourite nook, so it’s worth reserving a table in advance if there’s a group of you. Another caveat that anti-smokers should bear in mind: punters are allowed to puff away at Tuba, and many seem to come here to do just that. Max Crosbie-Jones

nightlife

ทูบา ถ.สุขุมวิท 63 (เอกมัย 21)

september 2011

NIGHTLIFE

clubs Bed Supperclub

BED SUPPERCLUB (map D3) 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-651-3537; www.bedsupperclub.com. Daily 7.30pm-1am 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 a-lapage white interior is deﬁnitely a place to see and be seen. The food is worldclass on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side, where bartenders blend cocktails using everything from local herbs to cutting-edge foams and sorbets. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-notch talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Tuesday’s hip-hop party Pop Champagne packs them in while Wednesday’s Model Night throbs with Latin house music. Big-name DJs tend to spin on Thursdays, house and mash-up hip-hop rules on Friday, and Sunday mixes 1980s pop hits with house music. It’s time to go to bed.

เบด ซัปเปอรคลับ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

september 2011

Before you go clubbing in Bangkok, know that stand-alone clubs are required by law to close at 1am, hotel clubs at 2am. The legal drinking age is 20, and all patrons must carry proof. No ID, no entry, and absolutely no smoking inside Q Bar

Route 66

CLUB CULTURE (map B3) Ratchadamnoen Klang Road (behind Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall), 089497-8422; club-culture-bkk.com.WedSat 8pm-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 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 คัลเจอร ถ.ราชดำเนินกลาง (หลังนิทรรศรัตนโกสินทร)

THE CLUB (map A3) 123 Khaosan Rd,Taladyod, Phranakorn 02-629-1010,www.theclubkhaosan. com, B100 (incl. 1 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 nightlife

lend a fairy-tale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to the halcyon days of trippy 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. Dancers entertain on Friday and Saturday nights. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.

เดอะคลับ ขาวสาร

DEMO (map E4) Thonglor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa), 02-711-6970. BTS Thong Lo. Daily 8pm-1am. Entrance free. Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thonglor area is Demo – a former tenement building turned grafﬁti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d ﬁnd in East London or some other hipster-ville. It sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hiphop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.

เดโม ทองหลอ ซ.10

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GLOW (map D3) 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 | www. glowbkk.com | 6pm-1am This boutique club/bar challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of underground electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes night-tonight but always excludes hip-hop (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool website.

โกลว สุขุมวิท ซ.23

INSOMNIA (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 12 (between Times Sq/ Soi 12) | www.clubinsomniagroup.com A spin-off from the Pattaya night palace of the same name, Insomnia is one of Sukhumvit’s busiest afterhours joints. LED lasers twirl around a huge main room with a giant disco ball at its centre, while DJs spin electro house out of a throbbing mounted speaker system. Some shady ladies and their hangers-on do head here (do we need to spell it out?), but unlike most of the competition, Insomnia is not overrun with them and attracts some cool sorts too.

อินซอมเนีย ซ. สุขุมวิท 12

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Q BAR (map D3) 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-252-3274; www. qbarbangkok.com. BTS Nana. 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife nine years ago and is still going strong, with a ﬂirty crowd every night and big name guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday’s Gin Q Bar & Juice hip-hop party, Wednesday’s Block Party with hip-hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Friday’s Houseduction. Upstairs at Q a chic, remarkably different vibe resounds in the bar/lounge. Some relative solitude and a choice pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found here and on the outdoor terrace, which is perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack (including tasty shawarmas).

คิว บาร ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ. 11

ROUTE 66 (map E3) 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue; route66club.com. Entrance free for Thais, B200 foreigners (including two drinks) Rammed with groups of dressed-to-

nightlife

kill young Thais on weekends, ‘Route’, as its affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, all-lasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands play in ‘The Novel’. It’s not a good place to lose your mates after one too many but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area.

รูท 66 อาร ซี เอ

TAPAS (map C4) Silom Soi 4, 02-632-7982. BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom. Daily 8pm-2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4, Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. 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 hit-or-miss, but weekends are always hopping.

ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4

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NIGHTLIFE

bars with views

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

AMOROSA (map A3) Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Road (near Wat Po temple), 02-221-9158; www.arunresidence.com Daily 6pm-1am Romantic 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 show-stopper 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.

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช

LONG TABLE (map D3) 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-3022557-9 | www.longtablebangkok.com | 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing drawing Bangkok’s in-crowd to this impossibly swish restaurantcum-bar in droves. There’s also the trendsetting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the medieval banquet bench look positively 72

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petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature “long-tail” cocktails or fine wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

อาคารคอลัมน สุขุมวิท ซ.16

MOON BAR (map C4) 61F Banyan Tree Hotel | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | www. banyantree.com | 5pm-1am As the name suggests, this is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar is a romantic hideaway. With stunning 360 degree 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 nightlife

cocktail and feel romance welling up.

รร. บันยันทรี ถ. สาทร

NEST (map D3) Le Fenix 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-305-4000 | www.lefenixsukhumvit.com | 5pm-2am 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 laidback spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket bar food from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include MODE, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike, you ask? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape rather than detached from it.

เลอฟนิกซ สุขุมวิท ซ.11

PANORAMA (map C4) Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park, Rama 4 Road, 02-632-9000; panoramabangkok.com. BTS Saladaeng. Daily 11.30am2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm Ideal for rainy nights, the Deck Bar is a low-slung little bar counter located in the partitioned area at the rear of the Crowne Plaza’s upmarket Panorama restaurant. Perfect for pre-dinner, the wine-list here is a facsimile of the restaurants (i.e. expansive and top-notch), and on cool nights the windows are open to the night air and a 23rd ﬂoor view across Bangkok. Plonk yourself on one of its stools, order in a scotch and some fancy tapas, and let your eyes wander across the grounds of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and downtown’s thrusting skyscrapers.

รร. คราวน พลาซา ถ. พระราม 4

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RED SKY (map C3) Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Road | BTS Chit Lom/Siam | 02-100-1234 | www.centarahotelresorts.com | 5pm1am 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 back pork ribs, and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company while your eyes roam the scenery. Daily happy hours (50% off selected wines, beers and cocktails between 5-7pm) and prompt, smooth service make the experience all the more enjoyable.

รร.เซ็นทาราแกรนดแอท เซ็นทรัลเวิลด ถ.พระราม 1

SKY BAR / DISTIL (map B3-4) State Tower, 1055 Silom Road, 02-6249555; www.thedomebkk.com Daily 6pm-1am High ﬂiers hankering after a taste for the dramatic can head over to The Dome at State Tower. Among the

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Red Sky

world’s highest outdoor bars, Skybar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond-premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Despite having just featured prominently in The Hangover Part II, these places are definitely not spots for the shabbily attired; so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced.

สเตททาวเวอร ถ.สีลม

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel | 123 Charoennakorn Road | BTS Saphan Taksin |

nightlife

02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am A beacon over Bangkok’s night sky is ablaze. Picture a gorgeously moody, sexy place with world-class jazz, awesome cocktails and heartstopping views. Sprinkle this with the fact that you’ll be part of the international trendsetter scene just because you’ve managed to cross the Chao Phraya. Sound inviting? Head over to the Millennium Hilton and take the glass elevator to the 32nd ﬂoor. Up in a glassed-in, UFO-like construction 130 metres high, Three Sixty perfects a circle. Soft couches and smooth cocktails enhance a dizzying view: Bangkok’s downtown and a row of riverside hotels spread out in front of you. Good thing this place doesn’t revolve.

รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ.เจริญนคร

september 2011

NIGHTLIFE

hotel bars & clubs BARSU (map D3) Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 | www.barsubangkok.com | 6pm-2am The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu features the tagline “eat, play, dance,” and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, house, hip hop and techno are banned; in house DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s, 80s and world music. An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated bar snacks created by a Belgian two-star Michelin chef. Joining this premium ﬁnger food is a menu of creative cocktails priced at B400 net, live music every Friday and Saturday from 10pm (the B699 cover charge includes two drinks), plus a slew of specials. Drinks between 5:308:30pm on weekdays go for B250 and include free hors d’oeuvres, and ladies enjoy drinks for just B150 net per glass each Wednesday from 9pm.

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด สุขมุ วิท ระหวางสุขมุ วิท 12 และ 14

BEERVAULT (map D3) Four Points by Sheraton, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 15 |BTS Asok | 02-304-3200 | www.fourpoints.com |11.30am-12pm Only 80 count ‘em paces from Sukhumvit Road, this snazzy glass and brick box with a colour-changing LED column dangling over its central bar, serves 48 bottled brews and six on tap (as well as wines to keep the ladies happy). Most hail from Belgium, making the BeerVault the ﬁrst serious downtown alternative to the ever popular Belgium beer bar, Hobbs, over on Thonglor. Thanks to its streetfront location, it feels more approachable than your usual bleak hotel bar; and as well as decent happy hours between 5:30-7:30pm, there’s a free salad bar.

St. Regis Bar

CM2 (map C3) Basement, Novotel Siam Square, 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam | 02-209- 8888 | www.cm2bkk. com | 10pm-2am | facebook.com/ conceptcm2 The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in fourteen 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.โนโวเทลสยามสแควร สยามสแควร ซ.6

ST. REGIS BAR (MAP C3) 12th Floor, St. Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Rajadamri Road | 02-207-7777 | www. stregis.com | 10am-1am (weekdays), 10am-2am (weekends) At 6:30pm 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. Said to have originated in Napoleon’s era, this highfalutin ritual is a tradition stretching way back to the early days of the original St. Regis in New York. Indeed, it’s not the only one. Yet another are the Bloody Marys, which the hotel chain claims to have invented in 1934 (the one to try is the Siam Mary, Bangkok’s own spice-infused version). 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 horse-racing with a fine malt whisky in hand.

รร. เดอะ เซนต รีจิส ถ.ราชดำริ

BeerVault

รร. โฟรพอยทส บาย เชอราตัน ถ.สุขุมวิท 15

CM2

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nightlife

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NIGHTLIFE

bars

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 ginpalaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.

Calypso

ชีพ ชารลีย ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก)

Clouds

CAFÉ TRIO (map C3) 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | 02-2526572 | BTS Chit Lom | 6pm-1am; closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month Tucked into a narrow alley off Soi Lang Suan, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – 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 the walls plastered with her Modigliani-esque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and 50m down the road.

คาเฟทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน

CHEAP CHARLIE’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02253-4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety holein-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 inthe-know to ﬁll up on B70 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 76

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CLOUDS GF SeenSpace,Thonglor Soi 13, Sukhumvit Soi 55 | 02-185-2365 | BTS Thonglor | $$ Having shaken up Thonglor’s bar scene with his ﬁrst two concoctions, Australian Ashley Sutton’s latest is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where “there are no more natural resources”, Clouds – a slim concrete shell walled in by a plate-glass wall covered in square tiles – features a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with rubber tree leaf-encasing acrylic, for tables. Oddball cocktails (B280) 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. It’s yet to pull big crowds, but the result is enjoyably bizarre, part ultramodern mausoleum to nature, part space-station drinking hole.

คลาวด โครงการการซีนสเปซ ซ.ทองหลอ 14

HYDE & SEEK (map C3) 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee | 02-168-5152 | BTS Phloen Chit | www. hydeandseek.com | 11am-1am | $$ This ﬂash downtown gastro bar with a spacious outdoors terrace draws the after-work crowd for pick-me-up cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind New York’s successful Kittichai, while the bar is fuelled by regional cocktail consultancy Flow. 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 nightlife

MAMBO (map C4) 59/28 Rama 3 Road, 02-294-7381. Show times 7.15pm, 8.30pm, 10pm (please reserve for 10pm). Price B800, VIP B1,000 The mother of Bangkok drag cabarets, tongue-in-cheek Mambo is still going strong, thanks to its fab ensemble of the city’s most glam kathoey giving their all amid rather drab décor. The very popular show is somewhat mainstreamy, but its professionalism keeps you entertained. The gals are so good they’ve even toured London. Be prepared for mimed pop tunes, Broadway evergreens, glitz and big, big melodrama.

แมมโบ ถ.พระราม3

CALYPSO (map C3) Asia Hotel, 296 Phaya Thai Road, 02-216-8937; calypsocabaret.com. Daily 8.15pm & 9.45pm. Price B1,200 (includes 1 drink) Bangkok’s biggest drag show cabaret features more than 50 kathoey (ladyboys) in a gender-bending and dazzling show twice a night. The show’s a rollercoaster of fun: envisage Madonna and Marilyn mimes, Nippon kitsch and the Paris Folies. Their Spice Girls are frighteningly good. Calypso offers an intriguing blend of the comic, the sexy and the bizarre. Don’t be afraid to take the kids along.

คาลิปโซ รร.เอเชีย ถ. พญาไท

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glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, artisanal cocktails or Belgian ales.

แอนธินีเรซซิเดนซ ซ.รวมฤดี

THE IRON FAIRIES & CO (map E4) 394 Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 084- 520-2301 | BTS Thong Lor |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 ﬁlmset. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours the tables, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the cast-iron spiral staircase. Beers start from B120 a bottle, a wellmixed dirty martini goes for B280 and the burgers, served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, divine.

ดิไอรอนแฟรี่สแอนดโค ซ.ทองหลอ

SHADES OF RETRO (map E4) Soi Tararom 2,Thong Lor | BTS Thong Lor | 081-824-8011 | 3pm-1am | cash only Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thonglor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture

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store-café, Shades provides a quiet hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd by day, fun people-watching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, ﬂip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which ﬂirts with being too ironic for its pants. A cool, friendly crowd and bracing cocktails or coffee served up with popcorn humanizes the hip, thankfully.

เฉดส ออฟ เรโทร ซ.ธารารมเฉดสออฟเรโทร ซ.ธารารมย 2 ทองหลอ

WONG’S PLACE (map C4) 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen/Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | MRT Lumpini | 02-286-1558 | Mon-Sat 10pm till late It’s amazing how Wong’s Place stays in business. It’s not near any public transport; opens when it wants, closes when it wants; plays crackly videos from Top of the Pops in 1985; has a couple of serve-yourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Yet it attracts a ﬁercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers, hipsters 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 pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?).

nightlife

WTF

Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom – and watch the night unfold.

วองส เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี

WTF (map E4) 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 |BTS Thonglor | 02- 626-6246 | BTS Thong Lo | www. wtfbangkok.com | Tues-Sun 6pm- 1am (gallery open from 3pm) 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 apparently salvaged from an old Czech café. Occasional leftﬁeld live gigs, art exhibitions (in two bare white rooms upstairs), and a mix of local indie hipsters, NGO workers, journos and art-scensters to chew the fat with, make this one of the hippest and most cerebral drinking holes in the city.

ดับเบิลยู ทีเอฟ สุขุมวิท ซ.51

september 2011

NIGHTLIFE

live music AD HERE THE 13TH (map A2) 13 Samsen Rd, Bang Lamphu | 089769-4613 | 5pm-midnight Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except for the Chang beer. 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 บางลำภู

BRICK BAR (map A2-3) 265 Khao San Rd, Taladyod, Phranakorn | 02-629-4477 | Mon-Sun 7pm1am | free entry (Mon–Thu), B150 incl. 1 free drink (Fri-Sat) Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge shopping arcade, this dark and airy redbrick vault features benches downstairs, an upstairs terrace for people or band watching and plenty of nooks to party in. A magnet for young live music lovers, 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.

บริค บาร ถ. ขาวสาร

COSMIC CAFE (map E3) RCA Block C (opposite LED) 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 danceﬂoor. 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, 78

september 2011

Raintree Pub

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 คาเฟ อารซีเอ

RAINTREE PUB (map C3) 116/63-34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 022457230, 081-926-1604 | www. raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This all-wooden timecapsule hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970s folk-protest music and soundtrack for Thailand’s politically disaffected. On a stage decorated with the movement’s trademark buffalo skulls, two artists strum nightly. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring.

รานจามจุรี ซ.รางน้ำ อนุสาวรีย

PARKING TOYS (off map) 17/22 Soi Maiyalap, Kaset-Navamin Highway, Bang Khen (pier 135-136 on left hand side) | BTS Mo Chit (then taxi) | 02-907-2228 | 6pm-1am Inside this ex-garage out in the northern suburbs it’s pure sensory overload. Wall-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 just one weekend night you can catch reggae root, electronic, nightlife

rockabilly, and metal. It’s a hike, but worth it.

ปารคกิ้งทอย ซ.มัยลาภ เกษตรนวมินทร

SAXOPHONE PUB (map C3) 3/8 Phaya Thai Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 02-246-5472 | www.saxophonepub.com | 6pm-2am 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 Thai bands belt out sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare.

แซกโซโฟนผับ ถ.พญาไท

TAWANDAENG GERMAN BREWERY (map C4) 462/61 Narathiwat Rama 3 Road | 02678-1114 | www.tawandang.co.th | The one place that every taxi driver knows, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the micro-brewed beer, the Thai, Chinese and German grub, and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, everybody is on their feet and the place going bananas. Great for large groups, but reserve ahead for the best tables.

โรงเบียรเยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3

www.bangkok101.com

BAMBOO BAR (map B4) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave | 02-659-9000 | www. mandarinoriental.com | Sun-Thu 11am1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am Situated in the city’s most fabled hotel, the former Oriental, the 50-year old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical ﬁlm noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s nevertheless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident. Everybody here sips on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by superb staff. A deﬁ nite big Bangkok must, even if just the once.

Bamboo Bar

jazz clubs

รร.โอเรียนเต็ล ถ.โอเรียนเต็ล

BROWN SUGAR (map C4) 231/20 Sarasin Rd | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-250-1826 | Mon-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 5pm-1am Sarasin Road, bordering Lumphini Park, hosts a strip of teeming bars. The best one is deﬁnitely this long-standing, smoky jazz club. The joint evokes a jazz haunt of yesteryear with dark woods, tight benches and a tiny stage. If you care for seats, arrive early, before the brilliant band starts at 9pm. You can have some decent pub grub, but it’s pricier than one might assume from the look of the haunt – same goes for the strong drinks. Sunday nights are the best – it’s the night off for most hotel bar singers, who all congregate here to let their hair down and jam with local pros.

บราวน ชูการ ถ. สารสิน

DIPLOMAT BAR (map C3) Conrad Bangkok, 87 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit | 02-690-9999 | www. conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am An architecturally striking hotel bar, mixing a funky, stylish décor with soft teak sofas and an arresting chandelier hanging over the massive round bar. Bronze silks and wood dominate this dark, contemporary, but always relaxed www.bangkok101.com

place. A boozy, high-proﬁle crowd ﬁlls the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buy one-get-onefree Happy Hour from 4-7pm (standard drinks only). Very hip among the diplomatic corps (Witthayu is stuffed with embassies), trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for peopleogling. But the main attraction at the Diplomat Bar is more aural than visual.

รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

THE LIVING ROOM (map D3) Sheraton Grande, 250 Sukhumvit Road, 02-649-8888; sheratongrandesukhumvit. com. BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit. Daily 10am- 12.30am Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s luxury hotel bars, the leather couches at The Living Room are so snug it’ll be hard to get up again once you’re seated. It’s a stylish place, and the usually middle-aged patrons live it up on great wines, champagne and strong cocktails in a quiet way. The 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. Currently The Living Room plays host nightlife

to Trio Live, performing every Tuesday through Thursday nights from 9pm to 11:45pm, plus Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 12:15am. You can also catch them during the Sheraton Grande’s legendary Sunday Jazzy Brunch, a veritable institution.

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด สุขุมวิท ระหวางสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

NIU’S ON SILOM (mapC4) F1-2, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 | www.niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am Located not far from the Chao Phraya, this New York-style wine bar – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for international guest vocalists, and trumpeter Steve Lowry and guitarist Dan Phillips, who rotate nightly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring overseas visitors from across the jazz world. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for both beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concerto Italian restaurant upstairs. Pleasant outside seating is also available.

นิวส ออน สีลม บานสีลม

september 2011

NIGHTLIFE

pubs

Balcony Humidor

pub

review THE ROBIN HOOD With a prime spot in the ex-pat enclave around Phrom Phong BTS it is no surprise that this pub has a loyal band of merry regulars. It keeps them happy by following an unfussy formula of affordable beers, dark wood décor and live sports on 12 screens. Split over two ﬂoors, the open plan downstairs offers ‘faux Tudor’ patterned bench seats or heavy wood tables to sit and sup an imported beer whilst stills from various Robin Hood movies remind you where you are. Upstairs the mezzanine has a more intimate lounge feel, with a pool table, comfy leather sofas and oak paneled walls. Whilst a little clichéd it still does enough to stand out from its rivals. For a start, the all day, every day 2 for 1 deal on spirits is not to be sniffed at and they also claim to serve the coldest beer in Bangkok. Punters can also enjoy regular live music. Opt for soul, pop and rock on Thursdays or the frankly bizarre if very entertaining human jukebox on Fridays. Armed with just a keyboard he claims to know over 1,000 songs. The international/ Thai food is also worth a try with weekly specials and classics like toad in the hole and ﬁsh and chips.

เดอะโรบินฮูด สุขมุ วิท 33/1

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 Lobby level, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Road | 8am-1am | 02-656-0444 CLUB PERDOMO BANGKOK 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 | www.clubperdomobangkok. com | 6pm-midnight LA CASA DEL HABANO The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue | 02-267-1596 | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm, Sun and public holidays: noon-6pm | www.pacificcigar.com

WHERE Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-3390-3 OPEN 9am-midnight 80

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nightlife

P&L CLUB GF Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 10am-11pm, Sun: noon-6pm | 02-685-3898 www.bangkok101.com

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

BTS Surasak SATHORN ROAD

THANIYA

PATPONG

SILOM ROAD

1 CONVENT ROAD

SURASAK ROAD

Pubs 101

SILOM AREA PUBS

BTS Sala Daeng

Silom area

SUKHUMVIT AREA PUBS

www.bangkok101.com

SOI 39

SUKHUMVIT ROAD

BTS Asoke

SOI 22

SOI 12

BTS Nana

SOI 6

SOI 4

SUKHUMVIT ROAD

SOI 35

SOI 11

SOI 13

SOI 33

SOI 33/1

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

BTS Phrom Phong

nightlife

september 2011

SHOPPING

unique boutique

As cliches go, “shop till you drop” could have been writtern after a demanding spending spree in Bangkok’s sweltering heat. There’s something for everyone in this town, however unique your tastes may be. Here, we cover them

ZudRangma Records

here’s a new record shop in town! This is good news for the vinyl junkies of Bangkok and even for their possibly less enthusiastic girlfriends or strictlyipod-sporting buddies, who can sit next door and enjoy a coffee while their partner digs for the ultimate rare edition. Strictly speaking, it’s really just the location which is new. The shop and concept were initiated over a year ago, when DJ Maft Sai (of club night Paradise Bangkok fame – the shop’s name echoes his record label) sniffed out a niche for creating a record shop that wasn’t just a record shop; it would also function as a communal meeting place, an urban watering hole if you like. Featuring more space and a better location, the new store has something of the retro cafe-cum-bookshops of urban Britain along with a relaxed warmth. There are retro fi ttings and bespoke wooden shelves, some of which appear to be recycled crates, with enough space left to showcase Maft Sai’s proudest purchases on the walls. The original plan was to include the café corner aspect from his original shop too, but Maft Sai says its position next door to hip bar WTF (possibly alongside the need to accommodate a ‘lorry-load’ of 45 singles at short notice!) removed the need for this. As for the music (as opposed to ‘musak’) selection this continues to grow, with enough LPs and 45s sourced from the old town markets of Thailand and her neighbours to please an anthropologist. All the much loved tunes played out at the Paradise Bangkok nights are here – the raw luk thung, molam and 82

september 2011

other obscure Asian gems – as is the city’s most farreaching selection of African, world music and reggae. While much easier to find than the previous location, this shop is still removed from the main Sukumvit street-scape, which Maft Sai sees as a good thing. “You don’t want to make it too easy for people to find this kind of place… it’s still hidden enough for people to seek out!” he says, in typical mock-antagonistic style. Back in his early twenties, this driven music revivalist, with his slender frame and dapper dress sense, could be found zipping around at the cutting-edge of London’s music scene. Today, however, he’s slowed down a bit and has a more bohemian outlook – he states his priority as being to provide a relaxed space which encourages the sharing of musical knowledge. He wants the shop to be a platform for discovery, the beginning of a journey, if you like, for people to follow their own musical trails. Asked to wrap up in a sentence why should people come to his shop, he says: “To search for music like they would for the best Thai street food!” Indeed! Having been there, we can safely say that ZudRangMa HQ ‘hits the spot’ in much the same way as a good somtum. Sarah Menist

สุดแรงมา ถ.สุขุมวิท 51

WHERE 7/1 Sukhumvit 51, Wattana (next door to WTF); 08-8891-1314; www.zudrangmarecords.com BTS Thonglor OPEN Mon-Sun 2pm-9pm

shopping

www.bangkok101.com

SHOPPING

Visitors to Bangkok will be amazed at how prevalent mall culture is in the weave of modern Thai society; malls here are not just places to shop for designer labels; there are also restaurants, cinemas, bowling, aquariums and much more

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

BTS National Stadium

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

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE

MAJOR HOTELS 1 Pathumwan Princess 2 Novotel Siam 3 Amari Watergate 4 The Four Seasons 5 Grand Hyatt Erawan 6 Intercontinental 7 Holiday Inn 8 Conrad 9 Plaza Athenee 10 Royal Orchid Sheraton 11 The Oriental 12 The Peninsula 13 Shangri-La 14 OP Place

Elevated rama 1 rdWalkway

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

u ri roa

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

BTS Siam

phetb

Phaya Thai road

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

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

SIAM PARAGON BTS Siam This gigantic shopping complex is legendary among Bangkok hi-sos. It’s also home to Siam Ocean World aquarium, too. 3

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

Ratchadamri road

E R AWA N B A N G KO K BTS Chitlom Posh boutique mall adjacent to the bright Erawan Shrine.

5 6 7

BTS Chitlom

chidlom

lang suan road

rd.

september 2011

d. ya r S i phra

kru ng

To Emporium shopping mall, get off at BTS Phrom Phong

charoen

EMPORIUM BTS Phrom Phong Very chic mall with the most amiable atmosphere, thanks to its airy architecture. Make sure you pay a visit to TCDC, the neat Thailand Creative Design Center.

ver

BTS Ploenchit

ra ri

phy

chao

WITTHAYU road

CENTRAL CHIDLOM BTS Chitlom Seven floors of clothes, shoes and accessories from all the major labels, plus some eye-catching Thai designers. The Food Loft is one of Bangkok’s best food courts.

phetburi road

ploenchit road

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

GAYSORN BTS Chitlom All-white interior features glitzy, top-class brands – expect the likes of Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy.

s u rawong

JEWELRY TRADE CENTER A treasure trove of gleaming gems and priceless souvenirs. 13

silo

shopping

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Demand around the world for unique-to-Thailand fashion is on the rise. In celebration, each month we cross-examine one of the talented designers driving this trend, be it a rising star with a point to prove, or a powerhouse style icon

fashion 1-on-1

angkok-based designer Milin Yuvacharuskul graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with a B.A. in Fashion Design with Printed Textiles, later working in the U.K. as a stylist, designer, and columnist for clients ranging from magazines to commercials to films. She later moved to New York to study Trend Marketing at the city’s Fashion Institute of Technology, interning at Jill Stuart. In late 2008, Milin moved back to Thailand to start her own eponymous label. The signature style of Milin Milin collections are based on three keywords: elegance, sensuality and rebellion. Their designs are meant for the modern Thai woman, a combination of intriguing cultures.

“As a designer, I’m always finding ideas, no matter what I’m doing”

Milin Yuvacharuskul Creative Director & Designer, Milin How did you get your start in the fashion world? As a child, art class was always my favourite at school. I loved to paint and draw. However, I didn’t think about fashion until I enrolled on a summer course in England while I was in grade 10. It was here that I learned about style and tailoring, and it directly led me to applying to the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. What did you learn from your internship at Jill Stuart? One of the things I most admire about Jill Stuart is her ability to create a global brand. I’ve learned that fashion isn’t only about art – it also needs marketing and business savvy. As an intern, I did everything they asked of me. I made coffee, photocopied, and filed papers until I was allowed to become involved in the production process. I learned about all the small but important details you need to know as a www.bangkok101.com

designer, such as picking trends, producing shows, and choosing models. Mainly, being an intern taught me that learning in the real world is just as important as studying in class. What inspired your Autumn/ Winter 2011 collection? The collection is called ‘Stage of mine’ inspired by Milan’s la Scala Opera Theatre, where the elaborate costumes and sets tell much of the story, and the audience is also part of the spectacle. I describe the story of an ambitious girl who is desperate to reach the top no matter what; the dream we all share of being a star. What’s been the biggest difficulty in your career? Maintaining a balance between my personal life and work. As a designer, I’m always finding ideas no matter what I’m doing – I could be out shopping, watching a movie, or even on holiday, but I’m always observing shopping

the people and scenery, wondering how I can incorporate them in my designs. I think about it all the time. How does living in Bangkok inspire your designs? I particularly like how we have high-rise buildings and ancient temples side by side, simultaneously influenced by the future and past. I love the city’s mix of cultures. Favourite other Thai label? Sretsis – who I admire for their inspiration, work ethic and identity. Favourite places to shop? Siam Paragon and Siam Square. Interview by Pattarasuda Prajittanond Milin Showroom: 17 Sukhumvit 61, 02-381-4456, info@milin.com; www.milin.com. Siam Paragon: 1/F, 991/1 Rama 1 Road. Emporium: 1/F, 622 Soi Sukhumvit 24. september 2011

SHOPPING

jatujak market

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

Buy the Book

aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, citysized 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.

ตลาดนัดจตุจกั ร

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 more spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. The Jatujak market of Bangkok, Amber House Books, B1,950, hardcover 86

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shopping

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WHERE Section 1, Soi 36/1 lock 146-147 | 084-015-3273 | www.jrdlamp.com

JJ Gem

of the month SOMNUK LAMP This month’s JJ Gem started out selling old, King Rama V era glass lamps to collectors at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang, the public green in front of the Grand Palace. But when demand for these illuminating antiques based on European or Moroccan designs outstripped supply, the owners moved into making reproductions instead. Today, Somnuk Lamp is where JJ goers head to add an elegant, old-world glow and brassy finish to their home or business, with faux-antique, factory-made lamps of all shapes, patterns, hues and sizes dangling chaotically from its rafters. There are also freestanding table-lamps and wall-lamps on sale, as well as a selection of mock-vintage home décor items, like shelf brackets, mirrors, door knobs, brass fans and fully-functioning gramophones. Local or international shipping is available, but only for wholesale orders unfortunately.

JATUJAK MAP

1 n io ct

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14. Clothing, miscellaneous 15. Pets and accessories 16. Clothing, miscellaneous 17. Ceramics 18. Clothing, miscellaneous 19. Ceramics 20. Clothing, miscellaneous 21. Clothing, miscellaneous 22. Home utensils and décor, furniture 23. Clothing, miscellaneous 24. Home utensils and décor, furniture 25. Home utensils and décor, furniture 26. Antiques

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1. Books, antiques, collectibles, food & drink 2. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 3. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 4. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 5. Second-hand clothing 6. Second-hand clothing 7. Art, food & drink 8. Handicraft, home décor and miscellaneous 9. Pets and accessories 10. Clothing, accessories, miscellaneous 11. Pets and accessories 12. Clothing, miscellaneous 13. Pets and accessories

Chatuchak Park Station

Mo Chit Station

september 2011

SHOPPING

markets

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 and souvenirs – although, with prices naturally tilted towards the tourist end of the scale, robust bargaining skills are definitely essential here.

Talat Rot Fai

สีลม/พัฒนพงษ

TALAT ROT FAI (THE TRAIN MARKET) Kamphaeng Phet Road | Mrt Kamphaeng Phet | 6pm-midnight Saturday and Sundays This retro-inflected flea market just around the corner from Jatuchak Weekend Market is well worth the trip, for its hipster vibes and camerafriendly setup as much as what’s sold there. Hundreds of antique hounds and retro-mad dek neaw (teen hipsters) flock to this plot of State Railway department land on Saturday and Sunday evenings to browse and bargain for vintage collectibles, reproductions and fashions. And yet, the chance to pick up a beat up old Michelin Tyre sign, a vintage BMX, or a smelly pair of old trainers is only part of the appeal – flanking Talad Rot Fai is a row of decommissioned train carriages. You can take a stroll through them at your leisure, even kick back on the dusty seats with a cold beer or rocket soda. Backing up the carboot side of things is Rod’s: a railway warehouse turned 20th century antiques wonderland. And there are lots of snacks and drinks stalls (retro-inflected, naturally), many of them operating out of customised VW vans. Hop aboard, while you can.

ตลาดรถไฟ

RATCHADA NIGHT MARKET Saturday Nights | In the area from BTS Parking lot to The Criminal Court – Ratchadapisek | MRT Ratchadaphisek or MRT Lat Phrao 88

september 2011

Vendors at this nighttime (and teenthronged) flea market flog all sorts of retro and secondhand stuff, from art deco lamps and ghetto blasters to Polaroids and vintage clothing. Somewhat like a country fair, it’s open-air and most wares are laid out on the ground, so expect to squat a lot. Besides the used items, lots of handmade products, such as paintings and women’s accessories, also squeeze into this small-city sized market; as does a live band, lots of local food and a mini motor show of classic cars and bikes (nope, those VW vans and pastel-coloured Vespas aren’t for sale unfortunately). It’s still worth the trip, but bring a flashlight and your bargaining skills.

ตลาดนัดกลางคืนถนนรัชดา

SILOM ROAD/PATPONG Both sides of Silom Road, just off Sala Daeng BTS station, offer day and night time shopping, but it really gets going between 6pm and 2am, when stalls set up here and along the notorious strip of sleazy gogo bars known as Patpong. This is a bizarre but uniquely ripe set-up that sees vendors plying busy nightly trade on the doorsteps of the bars concurrently plying an open trade in flesh; and young families rubbing shoulders with a motley crew of pimps, johns and scantily clad strippers. Among the illicit booty of pirated DVDs and designer knockoffs, the market actually does offer some decent local crafts, t-shirts shopping

KHAO SAN ROAD Along every budget traveller’s favourite sidewalk, stallholders do a sterling trade in ‘novelty’ T-shirts and cigarette papers, not to mention phoney degree certificates, driving licenses and press passes. And yes, if you must, you can still get your tie-dye and fisherman’s pants, your hair dreadlocked, or eat B20 noodles from a polystyrene plate. However, these days post-millennial Khao San has been gentrified into somewhere new, sometimes bearing scant resemblance to its humble past as a tropical haven for wandering hippies. And you’ll find no better proof than night times here, when whole mounds, suitcases and racks of young-at-heart stuff are splayed on the street for sale.

ถ.ขาวสาร

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

ปากคลองตลาด

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

เทเวศน

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memorial Bridge Night market

hile Memorial Bridge (aka Saphan Phut) Night Market isn’t much more than throngs of tented stores and make-shift tables selling cheap goods, the regal backdrop is incomparable. Built in 1932 during the reign of King Rama VII (and dedicated to his predecessor King Rama I), the brightly-lit Memorial Bridge, known in Thai as Saphan Phut, soars majestically over the Chao Phraya River, as a motley crew of barges, hotel boats, longtails, and cruise ships pass underneath. In the evening, the scene becomes more ethereal, as the bridge is bathed in a halo of light, while Wat Po and the Temple of Dawn glow in the near distance. Take your time before heading to this night market, as it’s not until after dinner (usually eaten around 6pm) that the market gets busy. If you’re up for a culinary adventure, take a taxi down to Chinatown first before making your way over to the Memorial Bridge Night Market. The famed Yaowarat Road boasts an array of excellent Chinese-style street food and restaurants. Starting underneath the Memorial Bridge and then stretching further north along the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, by 7.30pm the streets are filled with shirtless men setting up make-shift shops from which to display their merchandise, though it’s not until 8.30pm that the market fills up with pedestrians and vehicles. As if navigating the mazes of stalls and traffic isn’t dizzying enough, the bizarre variety of things for sale – from counterfeit kicks to CDs to pet rabbits – is bewildering, with street artists are on hand to draw your caricature. If it all gets too much, take time out from shopping and go for a stroll over the bridge itself; sit down for a late-night snack; or head over to the next door Pak Khlong Talat – the famous Flower Market. In sum, while you may have already visited this historic part of town during the blistering heat of day, it’s now time to see it in a completely new light. Krittana Khurana

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shopping

■ GETTING THERE Option 1: MRT to Hua Lumphong then taxi to Memorial Bridge / Tha Saphan Phut Option 2: Skytrain to Saphan Taksin BTS / Central Pier and take Chao Phraya Express Boat to Saphan Phut / Memorial Bridge stop (N6). See www. chaophrayaexpressboat.com

september 2011

WELLNESS

spas

MANDARA SPA (map B4) Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa, 257/1-3 Charoen Nakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-476-0021 ext 1563 | www.mandaraspa.com | $$$$ A fifteen-minute free shuttle-boat ride from the Skytrain, this spa may seem a bit out of the way – but that’s the point. Hidden away in a tropical garden, Mandara seems miles away from the urban choke of Bangkok… until you walk into the reception area’s squall of staff and customers. Reservations are a must here. Treatments are uniformly excellent, with some Indonesian touches like a lulur scrub and Balinese massage, and the sports massage is a true deep-tissue marvel. Rooms are spacious, some with garden views and baths the size of small ponds. The crush of customers at reception sometimes results in communication lapses about medical issues and massage preferences – just speak up, however, and technicians will adjust expertly and accordingly.

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 BANGKOK OASIS SPA (map D3) 64 Sukhumvit 31 (Soi Sawasdee) | BTS Asoke, MRT Sukhumvit | www. bangkokoasis.com | 02-262-2122 | Daily 10am-10pm | $$ Calm and relaxation aren’t words that spring to mind when one thinks of Sukhumvit Road. But in the bucolic, picturesque surroundings of this luxurious spa, jasmine scents, soothing music, wood décor and “aesthetic” vases of reeds combine to impart the feeling of being at one with nature. A link in a chain of up-and-coming day spas with therapists imported from Chiang Mai, the signature treatment here is the “four hands” massage, with two members of the team applying pressure simultaneously on both the upper and lower parts of the body. Resistance is futile: aches and pains will deliciously melt away. It might even be too much for visitors still reeling from the sheer abundance – and privileged pricing – of spas in the Kingdom.

แบงคอกโอเอซิสสปา ซ.สวัสดี (สุขุมวิท 31)

อาคารลิเบอรตี้สแควร ถ.สีลม

SPA COST

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

รร.แมริออทรีสอรทแอนดสปา ถ.เจริญนคร

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

wellness

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Urban lifestyle taking its toll? Fear not for there are plenty of wellness centres around ready to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Lock it all out and feel free to throw away the key to the rest of the world as these holistic havens will pamper you to the edges of hedonistic bliss. TRIA INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS (map D3) 998 Rimklongsamsen Rd, Bangkapi | 02660-2600 | www.triaintegrativewellness. com | 7am-10pm Embrace your wellness at this urban retreat. With state-of-the-art equipment coupled with expert specialists, Tria is ready to carry out its philosophy of caring for what it believes to be the three most crucial health components – the elemental, structural and emotional states. These three elements, when integrated will provide complete harmony and true wellness for you.

ศูนยสขุ ภาพองครวม TRIA (ตรัยยา) ถ.ริมคลองสามเสน (หลังโรงพยาบาลปยะเวท)

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

ไฮโดรเฮลท เอราวัณแบงคอก ถ.เพลินจิต

S MEDICAL SpA (map C3) 2/2 Phakdi Building,Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-253-1010 | www.smedspa.com | 10am-10pm The world of science and art collide ensuring you get a fully-ﬂedged treatment as eastern traditions are combined with western technology to lift you up physically and mentally. The highly qualified staff consists of certified

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physicians, psychiatrists, dermatologists, gynaecologists and many other -gists ensuring you the most skilled and efficient service available.

เอสเมดิคัลสปา อาคารภักดี ถ.วิทยุ

RASAYANA RETREAT (map D4) 57 Soi Prom-mitr, Sukhumvit 39 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-4803-5 | www.rasayanaretreat.com | 9am-8pm Specialists in deep cleansing programmes and hydrotherapy colonics that leave you refreshed and reborn and also a little bit lighter. Also the Raw Food café at Rasayana is definitely worth stopping by as they promote raw fresh foods using organic fruits and vegetables to help your body stay as clean as possible.

รัสยานา รีทรีทต ซ. พรอมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 39

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

อมฤต ศูนยสขุ ภาพตนตำรับอายุรเวท ศาสตร ทองหลอ ซ.8

BANGKOK MEDIpLEX (map E4) 2/70 Sukhumvit 42, Phrakanong | BTS Ekkamai | 02-713-5555 | www.bangkokmediplex.com | 9am – 8pm Visible from the Ekkamai Skytrain Station, this gleaming steel and glass fronted lifestyle mall comprises 35 leading healthcare centres and trendy medi-lifestyle stores. There’s a clinic offering live cell therapy (a treatment to repair weak cells), a traditional Chinese medicine centre, a chiropractic centre, top notch eye-care and Thailand’s first organic supermarket. Ample parking.

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

แบงคอก เมดิเพลกซ สุขมุ วิท 42 wellness

september 2011

COMMUNITY

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

Muay Thai Institute

september 2011

MUAY THAI VENUES

Muay Thai

LUMpHINI BOXING STADIUM Rama IV Road, 02-251-4303. MRT Lumphini. Fights Tue & Fri from 6.30pm-10.30pm, Sat 5pm8pm, 8.30pm-midnight. B1,000 B1,500, B2,000

สนามมวยลุมพินี ถ.พระราม 4 ติดกับสวนลุมไนท บาซาร

RATCHADAMNOEN STADIUM Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, 02-281-4205, 02-280-1684. Fights Mon, Wed, Thu 6.30pm-11pm, Sun 5pm-8pm, 8.30pm-midnight. B1,000, B1,500 ,B2,000

เวทีมวยราชดำเนิน ถ.ราชดำเนิน

sunrise. And head to any park in the city around 5-6pm and you’ll spot large groups of office workers, kids and the elderly doing a hi-energy, Jane Fonda style workout in synch with blaring pop-techno songs and an enthusiastic coach clad in spandex. The best places for the free classes are the centrally located Lumphini Park and the smaller Benjasiri Park (next to The Emporium, Sukhumvit Rd, BTS Phrom Phong). Others, a bit off the beaten path, include Rommaninat Park (Siriphong Rd, near the Giant Swing), Saranrom Park (Thaiwang Rd) near the Grand Palace and Santiphap Park (Soi Rangnam). Never mind the possibility of fainting – simply join in. BOWLING Bowling is a favourite pastime among Thais. Most shopping malls have topof- the-line tenpin alleys on-site and many of these teeter dangerously close to being a nightclub with full bars and closing times after midnight. During after-hours, bowling alleys often have a DJ blasting thumping tunes, and they’ll often kill the lights and ﬂood the halls with black light for a particularly psychedelic experience. Great spots to get your bowl on include trendy Blu-O at Siam Paragon and Esplanade, which also has platinum rooms for rent for your own private area and lane for community

your party. Also worth mentioning is the Major Bowl atop posh J-Avenue in Thong Lor, and also SF Strike Bowl in MBK, by National Stadium BTS. CYCLING SpICEROADS 14/1-B Soi Promsi 2, Sukhumvit 39, 02-712-5305, 089- 895-5680; spiceroads.com This company has been organising bicycle tours across Southeast Asia for over 12 years, and it offers extraordinary day tours in the outskirts of Bangkok. The eye-opening Cycling SpiceRoads daytrips take you to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Koh Kred, around Bangkok’s old city, Chinatown or along atmospheric canals through Bang Krachao, an unspoilt rural peninsula just across the river. They usually start early in the day (pick-up from your hotel is included). The rides, organised throughout the week, are demanding but fun. Groups are held small (two to 16 participants), but private tailormade itineraries are also possible, even for seriously adrenalineparched mountain bikers who are up for a technical 30km nailbiter. SpiceRoads also offers two-and three-day trips around Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya and in the Mae Khlong Delta south of Bangkok; it also organises much longer trips in other parts of Thailand. www.bangkok101.com

No reason to limit yourself to just tom yam goong and phad thai – each session includes four innovative dishes; the selection changes daily. Perfect for tourists on a short Bangkok stint.

บลู เอเลแฟนท ถ. สาทรใต (รถไฟฟาสุรศักดิ์)

MEDITATION CLASSES Baipai

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

รร.สอนทำอาหารไทยใบพาย ถ.นนทรี

BLUE ELEpHANT (map B4) Thai Chine Building, 233 South Sathorn Road, 02-673-9353; blueelephant.com. Prices from B2,800 The class offered at this classy restaurant is very hands-on and easy to follow. The morning class is preferable since it starts with a visit to the Bang Rak market with the chef, where you’re shown the ingredients you’ll use later. Equipped with apron, knives and wok, each student works at a personal cooking station in a spacious kitchen after short, informative demonstrations. Lunch consists of your own cooking plus additional dishes. www.bangkok101.com

INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST MEDITATION CENTRE (map A3) Wat Mahathat, Na Phra Lan Road, 02-222-6011; mcu.ac.th/mcu/eng. Free This is the most traditional, noncommercial meditation class, based on Vipassana (‘insight’) mindfulness. For Buddhists, meditation is essential to cleanse the mind and accomplish clarity and inner peace. Close to Sanam Luang, the atmospheric temple complex is the teaching centre of Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of Thailand’s highest seats of Buddhist learning. Daily classes conducted in English (1pm-4pm, 6pm-8pm, 7pm-10pm) are mixed; you’ll find monks, locals and tourists here. Participants can stay on the compound in simple, quiet rooms; complimentary meals are provided. Bring offerings of ﬂowers, a candle and nine incense sticks for the opening ceremony. Donations are accepted. Retreats of three or more days are available as well, which are perfect for a serious, but short stint into the world of Buddhist meditation.

สำนักกองกลางวิปสนา วัดมหาธาตุ ถ. หนาพระลาน

MASSAGE CLASSES WAT pO THAI TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL (map A3) 2 Sanamchai Road, 02-622-3551, 02622-3533; www.watpomassage.com. Daily 8am-5pm. B8,500/30hrs Any good spa therapist will have undergone their training in traditional Thai massage at this temple school. Constructed in a concealed building away from the tourist-infested but peaceful Wat Po temple grounds, the instruction area is more functional than stylish, but the efficient course run by competent instructors more than makes up for the missing luxury. Thai massage, an ancient form of healing, uses pressure application community

classes on the various body meridians. Your costudents will mainly be Thai and Japanese, along with the odd Westerner. The 30hour course can be completed in five, six or ten days; a foot reﬂexology course and other instruction are available too. The tired tourist can also get Bangkok’s best Thai massage in fan-cooled, opensided salas for just B360/hour.

โรงเรียนแพทยแผนโบราณ วัดพระเชตุพน ถ. สนามชัย

CHIVA-SOM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY (map E4) Modern Town Building, 87/104 Ekamai Road, Sukhumvit Soi 63, 02-711-5270; chivasomacademy.com. BTS Ekkamai. Prices from B9,000 Asia’s premier training centre for spa and holistic therapies offers intensive courses covering all aspects of spa-ing, from anatomy and Thai massage to stress management. Held in peaceful surroundings and conducted by skilled international instructors, half the time is spent on theory and practice, the other half is filled with case studies. The academy takes its instruction seriously; all students receive internationally accepted accreditation on completion of courses. Prices range from B9,000 (two-day reiki course) to B59,000 (spa development course). Most courses are too long for a usual holiday (two to four weeks), but there are one-week courses in reﬂexology and shiatsu.

ชีวาศรม อินเตอรเนชันแนล อะคาเดมีโมเดิรนทาวน 87/104 ถ.สุขุมวิท 63

Wat Po

september 2011

COMMUNITY

making merit

Even if you’re only visiting Thailand for a short time, there are plenty of worthwhile local causes you can become involved with. Every issue we highlight the work of a worthy charitable organisation, and provide details on how you too can help

TOYS FOR THAILAND

ike most of us, Sasha Bilar watched with shock on TV as the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami became apparent worldwide. Wanting to help in any way she could, she thought of all the children left homeless and orphaned by the natural disaster, and decided to found charitable organisation Toys for Thailand. The concept was simple: families were encouraged to donate their unwanted toys to the charity, which were then distributed to needy children. From its early beginnings sending unwanted playthings, Toys for Thailand has since expanded its remit to providing tangible goods and services for orphaned, abandoned, and refugee children living in remote villages, reasoning it can help youth more by improving their future opportunities and providing a quality educational environment. The Rom Klao School Pangtong Development Centre in Mae Hong Son (one of the King’s Royal Projects), was the first that Bilar and Maria Miller, the foundation’s codirector, approached to donate instructional materials,

playground equipment and vocational supplies, as well as partner with on green and sustainable projects. The Toys for Thailand project has since been expanded to incorporate schools across the northern border area, with a total of 12 to be targeted. Through this work, they hope to develop the living conditions of ethnic minority children from the Aka, Hmong, Shan, Pa-O, Muser, Karen and other tribes. There is also a pilot project currently underway called Small World Mae Hong Son, which is aimed at promoting the importance of hill tribe culture to foreign tourists and other Thais, and thus raising their status as well as helping to conserve unique local traditions. Among the many activities at Small World Mae Hong Son, tourists can purchase local products, or volunteer to teach lessons that can provide local children with future vocations, such as mushroom farming, vegetable gardening, and art classes. However, if you are unable to visit in person, Toys for Thailand still takes donations of toys, tools, blankets, clothes, cameras, computers and books.

TOYS FOR THAILAND 083-152-9858; http://toysforthailand.org; sbilar@toysforthailand.org WHERE TO DONATE Bangkok Drop-Off Center: Konthathip Veraprawat, 081-702-1492, konthathip.v@thaiairways.com Chiangmai Drop-Off Center: Go Chiang Mai Tour, 185/7 Changklan Road, Changklan Muang, 053-818-644, s.somlim@gmail.com 94

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community

www.bangkok101.com

REFERENCE

Bangkok’s heaving traffic is legendary, presenting a constant challenge for residents and visitors alike. However, river and canal boats, along with the BTS skytrain and MRT systems, offer some reliable alternatives to getting jammed on the roads

getting around

6am-midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: half an hour) and costs B15-45 per journey; the Express Line stops at downtown station Makkasan only and costs B150 (journey time: 15 minutes). Until the end of 2011, as part of a drive to increase passenger numbers, express trains will also whiz between the airport and the last stop, Phayathai, the only one that intersects with the Skytrain, at half hour intervals (journey time: 18 minutes). The price for this promotion is B90 one-way, B150 for the roundtrip. Is the rail link worth using? That depends on where you’re coming from or heading to. Even if you’re staying centrally, you’ll find that an extra journey by taxi, tuk-tuk, skytrain or foot, and with luggage in tow, is probably necessary. http:// airportraillink.railway.co.th

time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5.30am and 6pm. Cross-river services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B3.

RIVER CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Banglamphu across the city to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to baord them as they don’t usuallt wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find. Pick up a handy route map from any pier.

TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B35 (for the first 2kms) and the fare climbs in B2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B5 or B10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B50 surcharge is added.

RAIL SKYTRAIN The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B15 to B40; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) is available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th SUBWAY Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5-7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom/BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit/BTS Asok and MRT Chatuchak Park/BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th Airport Rail Link A 28-km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangkok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from www.bangkok101.com

EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers altogether. Fares range from B9 to B32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much reference

ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B5 and B7.50-B23. 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 groups. As with tuk-tuks, fares should be negotiated beforehand.

TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10minute ride should cost around B40, but always bargain before boarding. Beware: if a tuk-tuk driver offers to deliver you anywhere for B10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. september 2011

M Y B A N G KO K

crowds, the buskers, the fashion spotting. Another place is Klong Thom Market, which kicks into life late every Saturday night on the streets near Chinatown. It’s more of a ﬂea market than JJ, with tons of second hand goods for sale, and a very Thai energy and atmosphere.

Thaweesak ‘Lolay’ Srithongdee Ask a hip local to name some whitehot Thai artists, and one of the first names likely to pop out will be Thaweesak Srithongdee, a graphic artist better known simply as ‘Lolay’. Inspired by where he lives and travels, his cartoonish figures and other pop artworks sit near the top of contemporary Thai cool. Many, such as his giant, seated alien girl sculpture, which some of you might remember from its tenure outside the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, just across from MBK shopping mall, have toured the world. He has an exhibition on at Thavibu gallery (Suite 308, Silom Galleria; www.thavibu.com) this month; check out his edgy blog, lolaytoon.exteen.com, for more. Best place for a drink I’m not really a nightlife fan as I don’t drink. Coffeeshops and ice cream parlours are ‘my’ kinds of drinking spaces, as they’re great places for me to hothouse ideas, read books and chat with friends. My favourite: Baan Pra Athit’s Coffee & More. I can sit here for hours, enjoying their luscious cakes and good coffee. 96

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Best place to eat I love good food but am not too fussed about aesthetics or atmosphere. Hemlock, an artsy Thai restaurant on Phra Athit Road, does an excellent pad thai with shrimp, as well as a traditional central Thai dish I love called gaeng noppakao (nine vegetable spicy soup). I also like Ruen Mae Louis, on the ground ﬂoor of Fortune Town, with its mix of Southern and Central Thai cuisine. Best place to take visitors Straight to Tha Chang river pier, near Sanam Luang, for a little adventure cruise on the Chao Phaya River by long-tail boat. I’ll show them the riverside scenery of the old town, followed by some of the piers of neighbouring Nonthaburi province, like Wat Chaloem Phra Kiet. After that, I’ll take them back to Bangkok by Chao Phraya Express Boat for an evening stroll around Sanam Luang. Best place to shop Besides fulfilling nearly all shoppers’ needs, I love the sideshow aspect of our weekend market Jatujak – the mybangkok

Best place to relax My best friend and I like to explore around Woeng Nakorn Kasem as we’re really into music and it’s the famous area for long-established music instrument shops. When it comes to clearing my mind and thoughts, though, I usually hang out at Rot Fai Park. Here you can cycle around, enjoying the fresh air, green lawn and lush trees. I also like Putthamonthon Park, on the outskirts of Bangkok; it’s an enormous, wide open space great for an afternoon of exercising, fish feeding, snoozing or picnicking. Best place to impress a date (or girlfriend) I’ll take her for an amble around Old City districts like Charoenkrung, and then on to historic shopping mall, The Old Siam Plaza. Then it’s over to Chinatown, or Yaowarat, before we head to Memorial Bridge for a romantic view of the sunset. Best place for a real Bangkok experience Wat Po temple, Tha Chang pier, Tha Pra Chan pier, Rama VII Bridge, Chinatown, Memorial Bridge and the 24-hour ﬂower market, otherwise known as Pak Klong Talad. THE SHORTLIST Coffee & More: 102/1 Phra Athit Road; 02-280-7879 Hemlock Art Restaurant: 56 Phra Athit Road; 02-282-7507 Klong Thom Market: Mahajak Rd. (Between Yaowarat Road and Jaroenkrung Road) Rot Fai Park: Behind Jatujak Park, Kampaengpetch Road www.bangkok101.com