march 2013 100 baht
Cabaret photography by Simon Kolton
publisher’s letter ife is a cabaret for the girls (who used to be guys) working at Pattaya’s two main cabaret revues, Alcazar and Tiffany’s. Night in, night out, thousands of tourists hop, camera in hand, from huge coaches to watch these surgically-enhanced wonders of the modern age saunter around in glittering costumes and outrageous headdresses. The work of French photographer Simon Kolton, this month’s photofeature, Cabaret (see page 52), captures these ladyboys not in front of the curtain, but behind it – where the glam images of femininity they project on stage (and, in some cases, the clothes) are stripped away, revealing their sense of humour and their humanity. Elsewhere, this month we’re all about new night spots. First up, we hang with the green fairy at Q Bar’s Le Derrière and bring you BarHopper’s Delight: a roundup of all-the-rage new drinking holes. Our other focus is art, with coverage of the scene ranging from an update on BUKRUK, the ongoing street art festival we were hotly anticipating last month, to exhibition reviews and artist profiles. Among them is a topical group-show, 100% Shark, that’s aiming to wean local diners off shark-fin soup for good; and an interview with Miti Ruangkritya, a rising photographer whose photos of the late 2011 floods manage to be serene and unsettling at the same time. Meanwhile, in our travel section, our resident heritage culture fanatic Luc Citrinot shows us a side of Lampang that tourists rarely see – the backstreets where well-preserved wooden mansions and villas hark back to the northern town’s heyday, when it was a multicultural hub of the old teak trade. Heading over the border, Dave Stambolis takes us to Southern China’s Yunnan, which he reckons is “possibly the most diverse travel destination in Southeast Asia.” Remember folks, all this – plus the 101 archive and extras that didn’t make the print edition – can be found online at www. bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks is all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. Also, if there’s something we’re not covering but you feel we should be then please let us know at info@talisman-media.com.
Enjoy.
Mason Florence Publisher
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What is Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in weighty, dated guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. Bangkok 101 employs the highest editorial standards, with no fluff, and no smut. Our editorial content cannot be bought. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers, and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.
ja n ua ry 2013
Contributors
publisher
Mason Florence editor-in-chief
Dr. Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher
Parinya Krit-Hat managing editor
Max Crosbie-Jones editorial assistant
Bangkok-born but internationally-bred, Dr. Tom Vitayakul has a background in communication and branding but now runs his family’s boutique hotel and Thai restaurant. An avid traveler and a bon vivant, he has contributed to magazines including Lips, Lips Luxe and the Bangkok Post’s the Magazine, and has also helped edit several books on Thai subjects such as Bangkok Found and Architecture of Thailand.
Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first phone guide for Nokia.
Food and travel writer howard richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent 12 years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.
Adul Waengmol Chaweitporn Tamthai strategists
Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers
Elizabeth Preger, Gaby Doman, Urasa Por Burapacheep, Luc Citrinot, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Leo Devillers, Korakot Punlopruksa, Diana Pajkovski contributing photographers
Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat, Frédéric Belge, Somchai Phongphaisarnkit director of sales & marketing
Jhone El’Mamuwaldi
director of business development
Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon account executive
Pailyn Jitchuen
director of digital media
Nowfel Ait Ouyahia British-born writer-artist steven pettifor stopped over in Thailand 13 years ago on his way to Japan, but never left. An authority on contemporary Thai art, Steven is a commentator on the local art scene, contributing to international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published coffeetable book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. When not musing, he is often found travel writing.
Native-Bangkok writer, photographer and incurable travel addict, korakot (nym) punlopruksa believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for TV and a documentary scriptwriter. She is the author of several travel narratives, and her work appears in magazines including ELLE, Elle Decoration and GM.
circulation
Pradchya Kanmanee published by
Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd Bangkok 10330 T 02-252-3900 | F 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com
© Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.
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CONTENTS
table of city pulse
food & drink
6
59
10 12 16 16
metro beat le derriere bar-hopper’s delight bukruk street art festival 100% shark
60 62
67 68 69 70 72 74
s n a p s h ot 20
tom’s two satang very thai 23 chronicle of thailand 22
nightlife
Sightseeing 24
route 101: khlong saen saeb 26 historic homes & shrines 27 temples 28 museums
81 84 86 87 89 90
t r av e l 30
32 34 36 40
food & drink news meal deals restaurant reviews: angelini, saffron, toro sushi street eat: yum naem convent eat like nym cooking with poo sweet treat: mont nom sod neighbourhood nosh: pratuu pee restaurant listings
91
tattoo mayhem at wat bang phra upcountry now hotel deals upcountry escape: lampang over the border: yunnan
nightlife news nightclubs hotel bars & clubs bars with views bars live music jazz clubs
shopping 92
new collection: theatre unique boutiques: urface, sop moei arts 97 jatujak market 97 jj gem: karmakamet 94
a r t s & c u lt u r e 44
exhibition highlights interview: miti ruangkritya 48 exhibition focus: parade 51 reading & screening 52 photo feature: cabaret 46
wellness 98 99
massage & spa spa review: refresh 24
comm u nit y 100 making merit: hub sai dek
reference 102 getting there 104 maps 112
my bangkok: natasha patamapongs
bangkok 101
march 2013 100 baht
CABARET | City pulse
100% Shark | Food & drink
Angelini | shopping
Theatre
Cabaret photography by Simon Kolton
march 2013
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on the cover a katoey, or ladyboy, performer at Pattaya’s Tiffany’s cabaret show lights up the stage.
H o t e l Pa r t n e r s
CCI ITTYY PPUULLSSEE
metro beat
by Howard Richardson
POP & ROCK Dallas band Memphis May Fire, variously described as melodic metal, post-hardcore and “southern rock with no reservations”, headline at Hollywood Awards (72/2 Ratchadapisek Soi 8, 02-246-4311) on March 8. Featured tracks will come from their three albums, including Challenger, which reached 16 on the Billboard Charts, while the bands Dreams of Mad Children, Clearly in Pain and No Goats No Glory are among a long list of support acts. The event runs from 9pm-2am; entrance is B800-B1,000. Seven-piece “girl-idol band” Berryz Kobo kick off a strong month for Japanese imports with shows at Siam Pavalai Royal Grand Theatre (5F Siam Paragon Mall, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-6108011, www. royalparagonhall.com) on March 9. There are two concerts (2pm and 6pm), with tickets priced B3,500-B4,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). If you buy tickets for both concerts you are invited to “a special hand shaking event”. For more info, see www.berryzkoboliveinbangkok.com. There’s New York hardcore by Sick Of It All at The Rock Pub (Hollywood Street Building, Phaya Thai Rd, 081-666-4359, www.therockpub-bangkok.com) on March 10. Tracks from the last album Based On A True Story should lead the night, with 6 | m a r ch 2 0 1 3
songs like ‘Dominated’, ‘The Divide’ and ‘Lowest Common Denominator’, plus new tracks from an album due later this year. Show time is 8pm. Tickets are B1,000. Acoustic guitar duo Takuya Imura and Yoshinori Tokuoka, better known as Depapepe, appear with special guest Singular at the Bangkok Convention Centre (Central Plaza Ladprao, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd, 02-541-1234) on March 23. Fan favourites should include ‘Start’ from the album Let’s Go. Get tickets (B800-B3,000) from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). If the songs ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ and ‘YMCA’ get your juices flowing, then The Big 80s Rewind Festival could be just the place. Rick Astley, Belinda Carlisle, Village People, Tony Hadley and Johnny Hates Jazz will all be at BITEC (km1, 88 Bangna-Trad Rd, 02-749-3939, www.bitec.co.th) on March 29, available at the price of B1,000-B6,000, payable to Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com). Instrumental rock band Mono have an unusual feature in that every member at some time plays glockenspiel, along with guitars, synths and drums. Takaakira Goto, Yoda, Tamaki Kunishi and Yasunori Takada have released six albums to date, the most recent being last year’s For My Parents. Catch them at the National Theatre (Rachinee Rd, 02-224-1342) on April 3. Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com) have tickets priced B800-B1,200. bangkok101.com
UK indie band Bloc Party strut their stuff at Bangkok Convention Centre (Central Plaza Ladprao, 1695 Phaholyothin Rd, 02-541-1234) on March 24. The guitar-based quartet led by vocalist Kele Okereke show punkBritpop influences in their four albums to date, including the appropriately named Four, released in 2012. New songs are also being aired on this tour. Advance tickets are B1,700 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com) or B2,000 on the door.
Legendary Thai protest band Carabao, banging on relentlessly since forming in 1976, are at Thunder Dome, Muangthong Thani (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, www.impact.co.th) on March 31 in a show titled The Legend of Carabao: Believe In Bao Believe In Wave. We expect a bit of everything from Songs For Life to Latin, Country Rock to Reggae. Tickets, available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com), are B1,000-B2,500.
CLASSICAL The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra marks its milestone 30 years of concerts with a performance at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-247-0028) on March 10. The programme, conducted by Michel Tilkin, with Siripong Tiptan on violin, includes Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont, Op. 84, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op. 26 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27. The concert is at 2pm, with tickets available at B400-B2,000 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).
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JAZZ & BLUES Apoteka Bar (Sukhumvit Soi 11, 083-7205586) now has live music nightly except Sundays with a Blues-RootsFolk theme. Regular performers are Celtic Colours, The Danny California All Star Band and Keith Nolan’s Love Gone Wrong. Word has it that a branch of Apoteka will also soon open on Thonglor.
There’s live jazz every night at Niu’s on Silom (661 Silom Rd, 02-266-5333, www.niusonsilom.com) with a changing schedule on Fridays. This month’s highlights are the Joseph Marchione Quartet (Mar 1), the Dan Phillips Quartet (Mar 8), ex-Dizzy Gillespie guitarist Jerry Byrd with a quartet (Mar 15) and the Jakob Dinesen Quartet on Mar 22. Admission free. Jazz, Blues and Gospel singer Cynthia Utterbach warms the vocal stool at the Bamboo Bar, in the Mandarin Oriental (48 Oriental Avenue, 02-659-9000, www. mandarinoriental. com/bangkok), nightly except Sundays until June 30, backed by a mainly Russian quartet. As well as working in several stage shows and releasing two albums, the singer also wrote music for and performed in the film Rosenstrasse, a Golden Globe Award winner in 2002. m a r ch 2 0 1 3 | 7
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metro beat
ART Twelve artists analyse how art, culture, and philosophy influence each other in A Study of Buddhist Philosophy and Creativity in Contemporary Art in the main gallery on floor 7 of the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02214-6632, www.bacc.or.th) until May 5. The organisers say the project aims “to pass on Buddhist teaching to people that will lead to the creation of more love and faith in today’s society.” Meanwhile, two floors up, the BACC has over 400 drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations in the exhibition Thai Cartoons and Abstract Illustrations by artists Raj Loesuang and Somboon Hormtientong until May 12. Both are free to enter.
THEATRE
Bangkok Community Theatre stages the classic comedy Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward as dinner theatre for six nights on consecutive weekends March 14-16 and March 21-23 at the British Club Bangkok (189 Surawong Road, 02-234-0247, www. britishclubbangkok.org). Tickets are B1,200 from bct.th.org@ gmail.com or 087-529-3188. See www.bct-th.org for full details. School’s out, and this year’s big cryogenic spectacle, Disney On Ice! Princesses And Heroes, sees Tinkerbell unfold eight fairytales at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-5045050, www.impact.co.th) from March 22-25. From Sleeping Beauty to Aladdin, Cinderella to Snow White, we’re promised “high-energy music, glittering sets and dramatic choreography”. There are shows at 11am, 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are B600B2,000 (for rink-side box seats) from Thai Ticketmajor (02-2623456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).
They say “Up to 73 million sharks are killed each year to meet the demand for shark fin soup, and global shark populations are now in catastrophic decline.” Hence, 100% Shark, a campaigning photography, installation and information exhibition at WTF (7 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-626-6246, www.wtfbangkok.com) until March 22. The works include shark finning photos from Paul Hilton’s winning series at the World Press Award 2012, animal activist Jirayu Ekkul’s underwater photography, and an installation reflecting “the mindless consumption culture of the controversial dish”. The bar opens Tuesday-Sunday, 4pm-10pm. Admission free.
HEALTH & WELLNESS The spa COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, at the Metropolitan hotel (27 Sathorn Tai Rd, 02-625-3355, www.comohotels.com/ metropolitanbangkok) introduces Wellness Month throughout March, with a variety of programmes available to members, hotel guests and Bangkok residents. Visiting specialists include raw food expert Diana Von Cranach, who will give classes working on Thai and Balinese menus, and musculo-skeletal therapist Rohan Quarry Day. Local specialists will also be on hand to cover disciplines such as Face Yoga, Yoga for Urbanites and Strengthening the Core through Pilates. 8 | m a r ch 2 0 1 3
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FAIRS
FESTIVALS Following the recent increase of street art in Ratchadamnoen, there’s now an official festival, Art Street @ Ratchadamnoen, promoted by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture. It runs until April 28 outside Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre, a new venue that will open for exhibitions, workshops and art markets in August. Along with visual arts the festival also has poetry recitals, sock and finger puppet workshops, traditional theatre, and song and dance performances every weekend from 3pm to 8pm. Admission free. Get more information and a schedule in English in Thai at www.facebook.com/artstreetatratchadamnoen.
They expect over 1,000 fashion, textile and leather exhibitors at the Bangkok International Fashion Fair & Bangkok International Leather Fair 2013 at Challenger 2 Impact (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, www.impact.co.th) from March 13-17. Only the last two days are open to the public. Also at Impact, on the same dates is the Thailand International Furniture Fair 2013, which the organisers predict will be the most comprehensive furniture exposition ever staged in Thailand. Again, the last two days are public. The National Book Fair & Bangkok International Book Fair 2013 set out stalls at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (60 Ratchadaphisek Rd, 02-229-3000, www.qsncc.co.th) from March 29-April 8. The opening day runs from 6pm-9pm, subsequent days open at 10am. For more information see www.thailandbookfair.com.
DANCE Choreographer Jitti Chompee leads the 18 Monkeys Dance Theatre in a performance of Lieber Adzio at the Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Art (254 Phaya Thai Rd, 02-218-4802) on March 16 (7.30pm) and March 17 (2pm and 7.30pm). The choreography, set to music by Dirk Haubrich, is inspired by the absolute love portrayed in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. Tickets are B500, B300 (under-27 or dance/theatre artists) and B200 for students. Get more information from www.goethe.de/bangkok.
SPORT
Billed as “the world’s largest floating book fair”, the ship Logos Hope is is manned by Christian volunteers of over 60 nationalities. It’s docked in Klong Toey port until March 11 selling a range of books aimed at educational, professional and personal growth, and promised at a fraction of retail prices. The fair is open Sun-Mon 2pm-9.30pm, Tue-Sat 10am-9.30pm. Entrance is B20 (under-12s free if accompanied by an adult). Learn more at www.facebook.com/logoshopevisitbangkok.
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The ice hockey 2013 IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia is at Central Plaza Grand Rama 9 (701 Ratchadaphisek Rd, 02-1034750, www.therink-icearena.com) from March 16-24. The ten teams involved were unconfirmed at press time, but previous years have included the likes of the UAE, Hong Kong and Malaysia. For updates see www.iihf.com.
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hot plates
Le Derrière by Howard Richardson
e Derrière is an absinthe, champagne and oyster bar positioned in the rear of Q Bar, but the cheeky name is also a pun, as ‘Q’ is the pronunciation of ‘cul’, another French word for ass. And, yes, it is trés cute. They scored Buddha Bar designer Bruno Tanquerel to fashion the interior, sourcing all furniture from French flea markets. Apart from the beautiful rhomboid patterned ceramic floor – which was locally made to a traditional French design – everything is imported and authentic, from the 100 year-old ‘zinc’ bar through to the 50 yearold balloon-backed chairs and the classic painted wall panels, circa 1920. On the bar, beneath the soft orange glow of tasselshaded lights, sits the star of the absinthe ritual: a traditional absinthe fountain. Shaped like an old oil lamp on a metal stand, its clear glass bulb is loaded with water and ice. Absinthe is poured on top, which then drips through narrow taps over a sugar cube, through ornate holes on an absinthe spoon, and into your glass. Le Derrière has several absinthe cocktails (B350-B450) and ten absinthes (B350-B690/glass), including French, Swiss and Czech and what manager Benoit Raynal says is the world’s strongest, Hapsburg, from Bulgaria, at a mind bending 89.9°. They also have Authentique, made by Pernod, a company originally formed as an absinthe distillery in the 19th century. Standard cocktails run from B190; there are 13 wines by the glass (from B230, B1,300/bottle) and a choice of eight champagnes. Grab a bottle to enjoy with oysters (B80 apiece) on the developing small snack menu, which also has foie gras, cheeses and saucissons. Absinthe was famously banned for several decades for being hallucinogenic, but modern research shows it was never hallucinogenic, merely potent. That might deflate the legend slightly, but at least we know we’re enjoying the effects in all their original glory, like Degas, Van Gogh, and the rest of Bohemia. And, as one section of Le Derrière is open to the night sky, you can also smoke … and do many things your mother warned you about.
คิวบาร์ สุขุมวิท 11 Le DerriÈre
[Map 3/ E7 ]
Q Bar Bangkok, 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11| 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | OPEN Daily 9pm-3pm 1 0 | m a r ch 2 0 1 3
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out & about
Bar-Hopper Delights Bored of Bangkok’s bar offerings? Expand your horizons with three of the city’s latest venues. Words by Gaby Doman.
Badmotel
The name Badmotel may conjure up something kitsch and grimy but, in fact, this three floor bar and restaurant is extremely sparsely decorated and painted a bright white, giving it the feel of a predecorated house. The top two floors can feel a little lacking in atmosphere, but the ground floor’s buzzing bar and tree-lined garden make a very pleasant spot to sip on the venue’s ‘Creation Cocktails’, all B220. The imaginative drinks menu includes locally inspired must-tries like the Hahaha Martini (made from Ketel vodka, homemade chilli liqueur, galangal, cumin powder and pickled grapes), Teenager’s Iced Tea (made using traditional Thai tea with four sprits and liqueur) and the Never Say Never (a rumbased cocktail served with Thai dessert condiments). The venue lends itself well to gathering a few friends and sharing a few dishes, and at around B200 for most Thai dishes (we recommend the very spicy duck confit larb, B150), it’s affordable enough to sample a selection.
แบดโมเท็ล ทองหล่อ ซ.15 Badmotel [MAP3 / R6] 331/4-5 Soi Thonglor | 02-712-7288 | 5pm-1am | facebook.com/badmotel 1 2 | m a r ch 2 0 1 3
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Grease
This new four-floor bar is so new that nobody seems to have discovered it yet. On entry, be prepared for every member of staff to find out how you heard about the venue. Once you get over the feeling you’ve gate-crashed someone else’s party, it’s easy to feel at home. Each floor has its own theme, from Amy Winehouse, the sleek wine bar and restaurant to Cry Baby, the casual lounge floor where the walls are lined with pop art pics of babies crying and the tables stacked with Kerrang magazine. The other floors include a roof top bar and a club with low-ceilings carpeted in blinking LEDs. The floor-of-choice seems to be Cry Baby, the only level with other guests the night we visited. While the atmosphere is relaxed and the dubstep and reggae beats are sure to put you in a chilled out state of mind, the drinks prices could ruin your buzz; signature cocktails, such as the Biscuit & Butter (Pamparo rum, butterscotch liqueur, Malibu, pineapple juice, lemon and vanilla syrup) are a staggering B340 while classics and house pours are B260.
กรีส สุขุมวิท 49 Grease
[MAP3/P8]
Sukhumvit 49 | 02-662-6120 | 5pm-1am | facebook.com/greasebkk
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out & about
Moose
Tucked away behind Tuba and up a shabby looking staircase, Moose is one of the most talked about new bars in the city. The same team behind Cosmic Café and Sonic have revamped this warehouse-sized space into the latest retro-inspired hipster bar. Brick walls, a small tree here and there, flickering candles and an alarming number of mounted animal heads create a relaxed, living-room-esque ambience. A DJ spins unobtrusive tunes while authentic and delicious Thai food, such as salted pork neck (150 baht) and southern style curry (B160) ensures the bar consistently draws a young, local crowd who know their food. Cocktails are just as appealing. The refreshing Smirnoff vodka-based Melon Cooler and the fresh mango and Tanqueray ginbased Yellow Submarine is thick like a smoothie and strong, like any great cocktail.
มูส เอกมัย 21 Moose
[MAP3/S3]
Ekamai 21 | 02-108-9550, 082-580-9314 | facebook.com/moosebangkok
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Street Art
Renaissance
A graffiti dream team recently came, sprayed and conquered as part of BUKRUK, Bangkok’s first festival dedicated to the art form. Words by Max Crosbie-Jones; photos by Gabriel Camelin. ast month, we were in a tizz about the imminent arrival of BUKRUK, Bangkok’s first ever street art festival. The opening party was, as we expected, a blast, but the bit we were always most excited about was the street art part: an open invitation to 27 of Thailand and Europe’s most cutting-edge artists to create a graffiti wall path that runs north from Siam Square towards the Ratchatewi area and then doglegs down Khlong Saen Saep canal. We were right to have been excited… After a sweaty week of spray can rattling and brush painting in Bangkok’s unforgiving heat back in mid-February, the paint is now dry and the pieces public property, yours to ogle and critique as you see fit. From Mamafaka’s giant one-eyed monster and Alex Face’s costumed baby, both of which now brighten up a derelict plot of land beside BTS Ratchathewi station, to Dan Botlek’s witty plays on perspective at Siam Square’s old Scala cinema, this is bad-ass street art of the highest order. Hopefully, this will be around for some time to come (given the city’s overzealous demolishers and the fact they could be painted over them at any time, though, don’t count on it), but what we can assure you won’t be is Bukruk’s second half: a free indoor exhibition at the Bangkok Art & Culture Center. Running until March 17 on the fourth floor, this is a 400m² pop-up concept store that was designed to bring the street into the gallery along with 1 6 | m a r ch 2 0 1 3
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the street art. It’s a “swarm of noise, insects, recycled materials and people” as the organisers put it, with it a layout that mimics the nature of the city’s soi. Paintings, sculptures, prints, illustrations and prints – everything on display has its own side street-themed aisle. Again, well worth seeking out if you haven’t already.
BUKRUK Until 17 March 4th Floor BANGKOK ART & CULTURE CENTRE (BACC) [MAP4 / b4]
939 Rama I Rd | 02-214-6630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am-9pm | BTS National Stadium For more information, including a map plotting where the graffiti art is located, visit www.bukruk.com bangkok101.com
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Saying No to
Shark Fin Group art show “100% Shark” is looking for our 100% support for sharks in need, reports Veronica Lu. t’s probably Jaws soundtrack composer John William’s fault, but sharks are considered enemy number one by many – a creature from the deep that we shouldn’t feel too guilty about exterminating when we get the chance. However, this mindset is wrong, say the organisers behind an exhibition, “100% Shark”, that's channelling the power of art to reveal the issues surrounding the number one cause of their demise: shark fin consumption. Seamas McCaffrey, the coordinator behind Fin Free Thailand, the campaign that prompted the show, says, "we're hoping this exhibition will help Fin Free reach a new crowd, to get artists and writers thinking about how they can support the cause for sharks. After all, art plays such an important role in the consciousness of this city.” Two of the campaign’s ambassadors, students Namsai Sethpornpong and Pavin Sethbhakdi, have a strong message about the cruelty of shark finning, the wastefulness, and the future of our oceans. "Sharks are caught and their fins brutally cut off while they are still alive. Their finless bodies are then thrown back into the sea where they then endure a slow painful death," explains Namsai, speaking at the exhibition press conference. Pavin adds, “73 million sharks are being killed each year – if they were people, that would be a quarter of the US or the whole of Thailand." Namsai continues, "killing this many sharks is not about feeding hungry people. Sometimes as little as 3-4% of the shark is taken, the rest is thrown back. With hungry people in the world, this wastefulness is truly shameful. On top of that, the ocean food chain is being disrupted. Sharks are the top predators in the ocean. If you take them away, then the medium-sized fish will be overpopulated and eat up all the small fishes. If there is no small fishes to eat all the algae, then our ocean will be a sea of slime," explains Pavin. Four local and international artists feature in the show. One of them is Jirayu "Tour" Ekkul, a Thai artist whose underwater photography inspires wonder and awe of these magnificent creatures. Shot locally in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman sea, viewers get a chance to see sharks in their natural habitat, free and beautiful the
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way they were meant to be. An experienced deep sea diver, Ekkul has swum amongst them often and sees it as a privilege. "The feeling when you encounter one is breathtaking," he says. Unfortunately the depletion of sharks has been all too evident to divers like Ekkul. "Shark sightings have decreased significantly compared to the last ten years," he says. Accompanying Ekkul’s work is photojournalist Paul Hilton's award-winning 'Shark Fin', a set of images of freshly sliced shark fin drying on rooftops in Hong Kong's Kennedy Town district. The staggering sight of tens of thousands of dismembered shark fins captured in these photos is enough to get the message across."My aim is to show that we, as consumers, truly can make a difference with the daily choices we make. It is in our power to save this remarkable species," says Hilton. Sipakorn Kungsapichart is another local artist whose work will be shown. His video 'What Shark Fin Soup Really Tastes of...' also brings the reality of shark finning starkly to light. "Most people don't know the truth behind and inside shark fin soup. We wanted to communicate this information and bring these facts closer to home through the objects and graphics on screen. By the end of this short journey, people should know enough to not buy shark's fin soup," says Kungsapichart.
ดับบลิวทีเอฟ สุขุมวิท
'100% Shark' Until March 22 WTF GALLERY & CAFÉ [MAP3 / Q10] 7 Soi 51 Sukhumvit Rd I 02-662-6246 I Wed-Sun 3-10pm I www.wtfbangkok.com I BTS Thonglor bangkok101.com
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tom’s two satang
ToTwmo ’Ssatang
Join Bangkok-born but internationally-bred aesthete Dr. Tom Vitayakul as he gives his own unique take on Thailand and its capital. Each month he tackles a different aspect of the local culture – from art and festivals to 21st century trends – in a light-hearted yet learned manner.
On reading s a big bibliophile, I couldn’t have been happier when Bangkok was designated the World Book Capital 2013 by UNESCO. However, since our city is hardly a literary mecca and the Thai people nowadays don’t read as much, I can’t help but wonder why it was selected. According to a 2000 survey by the Thai Library Association, Thais only buy two books and read five books per year on average and spend only 40 minutes a day reading. This begs the question, why are we not bookish? While our literacy rate is quite high for a developing nation (over 90%), our compulsory education level is only Grade 6. I think that’s probably too low if we want our fellow countrymen to gain a higher understanding of today’s global dynamics. Is this why most people read melodramatic novels and cartoons whereas moralistic tales and self-help books are only for yuppies? Old and new novels are forever being remade as TV drama series and movies, the only difference being new casts. It makes me wonder, are we Thais stuck in a vicious cycles in our learning process or are we entertained by seeing history repeat itself over and over? Most of our best-selling books are hardly SEA Write Award Winner material. Most are concerned with beauty, money and ego — good combinations for a thriller. How to look your best; how to make lots of money; and ego-stroking celebrity tell-alls seem to fly off the shelf. Books on Buddhism and Dharma are also popular. Gastroporn is loved by foodies. SEA Write Award-winning books’ subjects are usually too tortured or obscured for most readers. Having said that, once in a while a gem is found and becomes famous, like “The Judgment” by Chart Korbjitti, the winning book in 1982. Serious authors rarely become household names. However, before the existence of SEA Write Awards, throughout our history Siam has produced a great number of classical literatures. Several of our Kings penned poems and stories. King Rama II was one of the most renowned literati, as was his court
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poet, Soonthornpu, and his works are celebrated still today. King Rama VI composed essays, songs and even translated Shakespeare’s plays into Thai. Our current King Rama IX also wrote several bestsellers and one was even turned into a gloriously illustrated book and a performance. In the olden days people were more poetic and able to banter in rhymes. During the reign of King Narai, courtiers and even commoners were able to speak in verse. What has happened since? Why isn’t the average Thai poetic anymore? Looking through older magazines and books, words seemed to play a more important role than illustrations and photographs. Writers and editors focused more on precise choices of words and substance than slick photos and stylish layouts. Back then people had more time to read even though there were fewer publications. Now there is too much to read, too many sources. Quantity has outdone quality. Now, in the digital age, knowledge is easily at our finger tips but personally, I want to re-awaken intellectual pursuits the old-fashioned way — to encourage people to read books. I want to inspire everyone to investigate the world, to discover surprises, to delight oneself, to empower one’s mind, and even to find oneself lost in the page. It wouldn’t be that hard. Despite a lack of support from the government, publishers are still publishing. New books arrive in stores on a daily basis, and new magazine titles appear. National Book Weeks are held twice a year, in April and October. Book lovers flock to buy piles of books at bargain prices. Thailand’s best authors give talks, sign books and meet fans. Our literary culture seems to be alive and well for a few short weeks but then vanishes until the next fair. If only we could make that passion for the page last. After all, if reading is nourishment for the mind, then you are what you read.
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very thai
Drink in a
Bag How Thais quench their thirst
ost drink vendor trolleys filter their tea and coffee through a sock. Ordered hot, it comes in a cup. Decanted over ice, it can be taken away – in a bag. Shaved ice chills the tea or coffee while it’s poured into a handled plastic bag. Gloops of condensed milk further sweeten the brew before handover. Stick in a straw – plus another for your friend – and you’re off. Same goes for juices, shakes and sodas. Suited to mobile modern lifestyles, the pendulous bag makes a steady vessel while on the move. Just don’t try to sit it down… look for a hook! “Until two or three decades ago almost every Thai drank from a metal bowl,” recalls cultural pundit Paothong Thongchua. “The metal depended on your class.” Just as people share food, they supped from the same container, as some older Thais still do. Fashion and concern about germs led to cups of glass, ceramic or plastic, though you can still spot the aluminium bowl-like cup, especially upended upon a communal tub of iced water. The public drinking fountain has never caught on. People see them being used as standpipes for washing hands, dishes and much else. But since Thais prefer their drinks shared, they still happily sip from the same metal cup or plastic bag.
> Very Thai
River Books | with photos by John Goss & Philip CornwelSmith | B 995
Very Thai – Everyday Popular Culture is a book that almost every foreigner living in Bangkok has on their bookshelf, a virtual bible on Thailand’s pop culture. For page after colourful page, city resident and author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus minichapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and snap up a copy of Very Thai now at any good book shop. 2 2 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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chronicle of thailand 26 March 1967:
Thompson vanishes in jungles of Malaysia
Disappearance of ‘Silk King’ sets off frantic DRUG search, triggers wild rumours
OUS
arm
illionaire American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson disappeared in the jungles of central Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, prompting police to Rai Thai use tracker dogs to hunt for him. Thompson, 61, had arrived in Chiang the area drug lord on 23 March after flying from Bangkok to Penang and travelling onward against by road. his 200-mule op Three days later, on Easter Sunday, Thompson set off alone on a walk from the Several tho cottage where he was staying, which belonged to Singaporean friends. When by never planes and h Thompson failed to return for dinner, his hosts notified the police. He was stronghold at Ba seen again. (SUA). At least 1 Theories initially focused on the possibility of wild animals or kidnappers. as fierce fighting Some observers suggested that the disappearance might have been political because Thompson had served as an intelligence officer in the United States’After Thai a truce proposa Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Thompson’s Thaia Silk Tinsulanond Company offered a generous reward for help in finding him. The massive search sta narcotics traffick was hindered because no one had any idea in which direction he had walked. continue Officials later dismissed suggestions by a British-born ‘mind reader’ who its drive destroyed.” said Thompson might have committed suicide. The most likely explanation they It wa of the region’s h said was that he had fallen into an aboriginal animal trap (a pit with a spike) and extensive headq was buried by local tribes people when they discovered what had happened. On 4 April, the official search ended after 300 policemen and over 100 and equipment a In July, Khu volunteers failed to find any clues. A resident of Thailand since 1946, Thompson troops, had recognised the potential of Thai silk and almost singlehandedly made it fought a side of Doi Lang world-renowned. 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 vivide eye-witnessaccount of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events 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.
> Chronicle of Thailand
EDM Books | editor-in-chief
21 January Nicholas1982 Grossman | B1,450
Thai Police Tchotchkes
hen I saw these ceramic knickknacks that resemble cops in a taxi, I knew right away that the driver was somehow associated with the Royal Thai Police. As it turns out, he had just retired from the force last year and was driving a taxi to stay out of trouble and to make some extra cash. Then he mentioned that I can give him a call if I ever get into any trouble myself, so I took his phone number. You never know when you might need some help from short guys with little round spectacles and no necks. bangkok101.com
> Chronicle of Thailand EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450
Chiang Rai prov displaced hundr Border Patrol Po Sa’s new base o constructed 200
Chronicle of Thailand is th Adulyadej. Beginning on t presents a vivid eye-witne major news events of the l as they unfolded and quirk the news, the book feature illustrations, representing Thailand ever produced.
still life in moving vehicles
CiTy vS. COUNTRy
This cabby literally wears two hats. He dons a baseball cap when he’s driving his cab and puts on this straw hat when he’s farming. This is not uncommon in Bangkok as many cabbies here come from the countryside to drive a taxi between rice plantings and harvests, or when extra income is desperately needed. I asked the driver of this taxi which job he prefers and he told me that he would much rather do farming than drive in this city full of traffic jams and crazy people. Visual artist and academic, Dale Konstanz snaps photos of the sacred decorations and other bits and bobs he finds in Bangkok taxis, then writes about them on his blog, Still Life in Moving Vehicles (http://lifeinmovingvehicle.blogspot.com). Published by River Books, the spin-off book, Thai Taxi Talismans, is available at bookstores around town for B995. M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 2 3
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101
Klong Saen Saeb by Annette Heile
tinky and filthy but also extremely handy – that’s how we would sum up good old Khlong Saen Saeb, a manmade canal that cuts West to East (or East to West, depending on which direction you’re coming from) across the city, from the Old town all the way past the central shopping districts to the Eastern suburbs. In a city once dubbed the ‘Venice of the East’ it’s surprising that there are so few waterways to remind us of the way things were. And honestly, Khlong Saen Saeb won’t change that perception, evoking little of the romance of estuaries old. What it lacks in floating markets and old ladies paddling little long-boats though, it makes up for with convenience – travelling in one of its long-tail taxi boats, a diesel engine spluttering away at the back, is a great way to beat Bangkok’s notorious traffic. Not only is it fast, efficient and cheap (if noisy and smelly), it’s also a great way of exploring sights you might otherwise have not seen or even knew existed. Start your tour at the pier beside Phan Fa Leelard bridge, where the end of the old city, or Rattanakosin Island, is marked by the Mahakan Fort. Don’t hop aboard just yet, though. Before hand there’s a sight worth visiting, namely Wat Saket [1], a temple complex with a 80 metre high artificial hill. Climb to the top, the Golden Mount, for memorable city views and a cool breeze. And on the way back to the pier afterwards, admire the craftiness of Boriphat Road, with its woodwork shops selling intricately carved doors and other wooden bits and bobs. Once aboard (see box), the first stop is Bo Bae [2], a wholesale market and the place to go if you are looking for undergarments or teddy bear pyjamas by the dozen. Alternatively, get off at Sapan Hua Chang for a visit to the famous Jim Thompson House [3] and the art centre that’s 2 4 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
part of the complex. Get off the boat, turn right and walk along on the canal footpath for 250 m – the former home of the Thai silk industry’s savior is 20 m into the lane on your left and well signposted. Peckish already? The restaurant here makes for an excellent lunch stop. Back on board and heading east you will whiz past the Sra Pathum palace [4] on your right, the residence of HRH Princess Sirindhorn, well hidden behind trees and outer palace buildings on the canal side and enclosed by Siam Paragon shopping mall on the other. The next stop is busy Pratunam pier [5], with its easy access to the central shopping district. Walk south to get to CentralWorld or explore the Pratunam area north of the canal, with its wholesale fashion malls and markets, plus Pantip Plaza, a mecca for tech geeks. Piers get a bit more niche from here on. The one at Wireless Road (Witthayu in Thai) gives you easy access to the beautiful gardens of the Swissôtel Nai Lert Park hotel [6]. In the back of them sits the Tubtim Shrine, where people come to ask for fertility and in return offer phallic objects – small and large – to the shrine’s goddess. Travel further east to Nana Nua pier, walk down Nana Road and you will find yourself in Bangkok’s gritty Little Arabia [7], with its heaving sidewalks and eateries serving authentic kebabs, tabouleh and other Middle Eastern delights. Alternatively, disembark at Asok [8], and you are only a 10-minute-walk away from Sukhumvit Road and the upmarket residential and shopping areas around it. Rather than continue – there are more stops to explore – this is a good spot to call it a day and reward yourself with a foot massage at the nearby Healthland spa [9] (55/5 Sukhumvit 21 Soi 1 | 02-261-1110 | www.healthlandspa.com). After a long day spent hopping on and off boats, your feet will thank you for it.
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"what it l acks in floating m arkets and old l adies paddling longtail boats, it m akes up for with convenience" Wat Saket [Map 7 / L 8] Bo Bae [Map 8 / F 11] Jim Thompson House [Map 4 / A3] Sra Pathum Palace [Map 4 / C, D, 3] Pratunam Pier [Map 4/ G2] Swissôtel Nai Lert Park [Map 4/ K 3] Little Arabia [Map 3 / A 4] Asok Pier [Map 3 / H5] Healthland Spa [Map 3 / H8]
HOW TO HOP ABOARD (SAFELY)
There’s a knack to using these noisy diesel boats: as soon as it’s docked, grab one of the ropes tied around the side, step on to its rim and haul yourself inside carefully. Where do you pay? Once you’ve set off, a crew member in blue sweatshirt and helmet will inch around the boats rim to collect your fare (B10-20)... but not before he or she’s ducked to avoid that fast approaching bridge. Experiencing a bit of splash back? Those draw string ropes are there for a reason: to pull up the tarpaulin protective sheeting with. Boat services operate 5:30am-8:30pm daily. Be quick when getting on and off as the boats don’t stop for long. Note also that the boat might skip a stop if no passenger is waiting at the pier or indicating to get off – use the stop buttons on the ceiling if necessary. bangkok101.com
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upcountry now
tattoo Mayhem at
Wat Bang Phra Perhaps the most bizarre – and certainly the wildest – upcountry festival on the calendar this month is the Wat Bang Phra tattoo festival. This will be held on March 23 at a rural temple in Nakhorn Chaisri district, some 40 kilometres from Bangkok, famed for its previous abbot, who specialised in giving and activating talismanic tattoos which are said to protect the wearer from harm and bestow good luck. Luang Phor Pern died several years ago, but Wat Bang Phra continues on his traditions, climaxed by this annual temple fair held every March. Young men make up a majority of the blessed, especially those who are involved in dangerous occupations, such as drivers, labourers and those with links to the mafia, as the tattoos are supposed to work very strong charms once activated, not to mention offer an inexpensive form of life insurance. To say that the crowd is somewhat akin to a heavy metal rock show attended by a bunch of parolees might not be too far from the truth. In the early morning hours, the faithful sit cross legged on mats in front of a platform which has a large statue of Luang Phor Pern. According to tradition, once the tattooed start going into trances, their sak yant (tattoos) “wake up,” and begin calling to their monks up on the stage. The men then begin to act like the tattoos depicted on their backs and chests. Lizards crawl on their bellies, hermits inch along like old men, birds flap their wings and screech, and then there are the tigers the wat is most famed for, who growl, roar, and eventually charge in a frenzy towards the stage. Security bruisers grab the entranced as they rush forward, and pat their ears to help calm them down. At the end, the faithful climb aboard buses home, convinced that they are safe and that their tigers are back in their cages, at least for another year.
Getting there:
Take a van to Nakhon Pathom province (Nakhon Chai Si district) from Victory Monument. Tell the driver to drop you off at ‘yaek thana’ junction. Cross the bridge to the Tesco Lotus on the other side, and then catch a motorbike taxi or tuk-tuk to Wat Bang Phra. Estimated price: B100.
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upcountry now!
March 1-10 Chiangkhan Film Festival The pretty Isan village of Chiangkhan, with its rows of teakplank shophouses tracing the banks of the Mekong River, is hosting a week-long free film festival. At cinemas both indoor and outdoor, movies in which the popular retro tourist attraction has a cameo, such as Kru Baan Nok and Sabaidee Luang Prabang, will be screened alongside a hundred other movies from home and abroad. Independent film-makers will also be attending. Films will be screened between 7pm and midnight. www.chiangkhanfilmfestival.com;
March 1 - April 3 Korat’s Thao Suranaree Festival Up in Korat, the gateway to the northeast, twelve days of parades and performances in the provincial city of the same name will mark the memory of Thao Suranaree, the wife of a local deputy governor who became an unlikely folk hero when she rallied citizens against Laotian invaders back in the early 1800s. The festivities will unfold around her statue.
March 1 - April 30 3rd International Samui Fine Dining Festival As far as holiday destinations go, Koh Samui is one of the top dogs when it comes to fine-dining. This two-month festival is a chance for the foodies among you to try sixteen of the island’s best restaurants, as each one is serving a special 6-course menu that shows off their cooking chops. Menus cost B1,9004,900, with no hidden extras. See the website for the line-up, menus and booking info. www.samuifinediningfestival.com
March 2-3 Yala Dove Festival If you’re looking for somewhere coo-l to take your bird, then head down to the Deep South, where Yala province is hosting something called The ASEAN Barred Ground Dove Festival. According to the press release, major highlights include a dove-cooing and red-whiskered bulbul singing competition, and the location Yala’s Suan Kwan Muang park. For more info, get someone Thai to call the TAT’s Narathiwat office on 07-352-2411.
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March 13 National Thai Elephant Day Thailand’s national icon is so beloved that they even get their own day. To mark the occasion elephant camps across the land will give their resident jumbos a big feed, including – our pick – the Four Seasons’ Tented Camp, up in Chiang Rai’s Golden Triangle region. Here you’ll be able to join the elephants on their day off, as they enjoy a leisurely bath, a Buddhist ceremony to banish bad fortune, and a buffet lunch. Rates per tent per night start at B79,000 and include lavish extras. reservations. thailand@fourseasons.com, 02-650-2650
March 15-17 Art of Salt Festival Great piles of imaginatively-styled salt will pop up in nearby Phetchaburi province between these dates. Though on paper it doesn’t sound much fun, we’re assured that the artworks fashioned from huge mountains of the stuff will be impressive, plus there will be the chance to learn about salt panning and try it yourself. There’s also a salt spa nearby that you can try. Precise location: Highway 2021 (25km mark & 41km mark).
March 17-20 9th World Thai Martial Arts Festival Over 300 Muay Thai boxers from 30 countries will flock to the ancient capital, Ayutthaya, to pay respect to their master’s and Muay Thai folk hero, Nai Khanom Tom. More importantly, you’ll be able to watch them pummel each other in their quest to win cash prizes and a belt, not to mention learn about the history and techniques of this ancient combat sport. The location: the Nai Khanom Tom Monument, at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Stadium. www.aitma.de
March 22-24 Pattaya International Music Festival Details are scant, but expect three days and three nights of live music by both Thai and international musicians, both on the beach and the streets of Pattaya. Like all the best things in life, it’s free. Check Facebook: Pattaya Festival for the full list of musicians and schedule as and when it’s announced.
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hotel deals
Until March 31
Opening Offer Regent Phuket Cape Panwa Sakdidej Road, Cape Panwa, Phuket Island | 076-200-800 | www.regenthotels.com
To celebrate it’s opening this slick new Phuket resort is offering a stay in a Pavilion room for B6,750, a suite for B9,100 or a pool villa for B15,750 (per night; minimum stay of three nights). The promotion includes breakfast for two, complimentary use of iPad and WiFi, non-alcohol mini bar, and shuttle service to Phuket town. Pool villa guests also get 24-hour butler service and Regent Club access.
Until March 31
Escape to Elegance Royal Cliff Grand Hotel 353 Phra Tamnuk Road, Pattaya, Chonburi | 038-250-421 | www.royalcliff.com/luxury-hotel
This month at Pattaya’s Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, B5,500 per night buys you an upgrade to a grand club sea view room, welcome drink, breakfast buffet for two, complimentary tea and coffee facilities, hi-speed internet access, as well as a 10% discount on all treatments and food and beverage. A minimum stay of two consecutive nights is required.
Until March 31
Romance Getaway The Dewa Koh Chang 24/1/1 Klong Prao Beach, Koh Chang, Trat | 039-557-339 | www.thedewakohchang.com
The Dewa Koh Chang’s romance package includes two nights in a deluxe 54 sqm room, as well as a 60-minute aromatic therapy massage, sparkling wine, a shuttle to and from the must visit Klong Plu waterfall, two hours kayaking and free Wi-Fi. The packages start from B13,000 net per couple and is not available to groups.
Until March 31
Party Package V Villas Hua Hin 63/39 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin | 032-616-039 | www.v-villashuahin.com
Perfect for getaways with up to four friends, the very private 2 or 3 bedroom pool villas a the V Villas Hua Hin are now available for B23,600 a night. Extras include: breakfast, high tea, a BBQ dinner with chef for four, karaoke system, a 10% discount on food and beverage, and a 30% discount on spa treatments.
Until Oct 31
Stay 1 Night Free 1 Night Furama Chiang Mai 54 Huay Kaew Road, Muang Chiang Mai | 053-415-222 | www.furama.com/chiangmai The Furama Chiang Mai, which comes surrounded by Doi Suthep’s mountains, is offering a special buy one get one free package for two persons. The package starts from B4,000 for a superior room inclusive of breakfast for two, roundtrip airport transfer and a 10% discount on food and beverage for all of its restaurant outlets.
Ongoing
Stay 3 Pay 2 Rachamankha Hotel, Chiang Mai 6 Rachamankha 9, Phra Singh, Chiang Mai | 053-904-119 | www.rachamankha.com
The Old City’s Rachamankha is offering three nights for the price of two on all its room types. The offer includes à la carte breakfast, mini-bar, and complimentary WiFi. Say that you read about the deal in this very magazine when booking for stays in April and you’ll also receive complimentary airport transfers. Email sales@rachamankha.com or call 053-904-119.
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upcountry escape
The Other Side of
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While its slow pace and Lanna-style temples are the main attraction, this quaint northern city is also a living museum that transports visitors back to the early 20 century and its teak-trade past. story and photos by luc citrinot. ew Thais wouldn’t recommend a trip to Lampang. Thanks to its gentle, slow pace of life, many liken this little northern city to Chiang Mai in the eighties. But beyond its laidback atmosphere, most visitors come to admire its famous Lanna temples, such as Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, located on the outskirts. Or to visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC), an initiative supported by His Majesty the King. Sadly, however, few people take time to notice the jewels Lampang has to offer in its city centre. Beyond its old temples and traditional Lanna-style teak wood houses, it hides dozens of villas and mansions inspired by the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, some of them open to the public. Many of these stand as reminders of the wealth of Lampang at the end of the 19th century, when the city was a regional hub of the teak wood industry, attracting traders not only from all over Siam but also China and neighbouring, British-ruled Burma. Running parallel to the Mae Nam Wang River, where boats used to load or unload their precious cargo, Thanon Thalad Khao street thrived on the buzz of trade from the late 19th century up until 1916, when a new rail station opened a couple of km away from the city centre. The street, which is also known as Kad Kong Ta Road, served as the regional headquarters of the large international companies who had received trade concessions for exporting teak wood, such as Bombay Burmah, East Asiatic, Siam Forest and British Borneo. The street was said to be extremely cosmopolitan, the trading community comprised of British, Burmese, Shan, Indians and Chinese as well as caravans coming from Yunnan or Shan States. Opulent mansions are what remain from those glory days, with at least a dozen of them dotted along Ka Kong Ta and its adjacent streets. Five of these have received a prestigious award from the Association of Siam Architects, or ASA, one that acknowledges the outstanding preservation work. The first to be distinguished with one of these awards was Baan Sainanon, on Praisani Road, back in 2005. Once owned by a wealthy Chinese Merchant, the circa 1919 mansion with its prominent gable and balcony is clearly inspired by Art Nouveau architecture, bearing details reminiscent of the Glasgow School of Art. Just as remarkable is the Moung Ngwe Zing Building – a favourite motif for photographers thanks to its white-painted façade and delicate wood carvings. Entirely made from teak, the house was formerly home to a rich Burmese merchant who used to be the head of the British Forestry in Burma. Its Burmese origin is reflected in the intricate balconies and wood sculptures that grace it’s façade. Today, it serves as a coffee shop, an art gallery bangkok101.com
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and an architecture information centre. Inside, a large map displays all the most historical mansions in the area, no less than fifteen of them (a booklet is also available but only in Thai unfortunately). Standing only a couple of metres away, Baan Chantarawiroj is another eclectic building mixing Chinese and Burmese architectural details. Baan Kanchanawong, one of the street’s oldest houses just across from the Moung Ngwe Zing building, is yet another. Built in 1905, this white walled gem has a verandah and balcony decorated with intricate floral motives. Thanks to its strong community spirit, Ka Kong Ta turns into a pedestrian area during weekend night markets. As the sun drops down over the Mae Nam Wang river, houses light up while hundreds of stalls pop out, selling not only the usual plastic goods but also local handicrafts, second-hand objects, musical instruments, Lanna-style lanterns and of course, food, food and food. The scent of crispy rice, Northern-style noodle soups and marinated pork loins are just some of the scents you can expect to be drawn in by. The market draws locals and tourists alike until late, while young couples and teenagers have a romantic moment under the arches of the nearby Rachadaphisek bridge, which dates from 1917. Other architectural jewels await your discovery in other parts of the city. The rail station, for example, is another example of German-style Art Nouveau; and near the station are two villas, one standing derelict amid a 3 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
huge garden, and the second, a country-style mansion built in 1930 to host the Siam Commercial Bank but today a museum. Between the rail station and the city centre, the Gibbon Cafe is another example of an amazing Art Nouveau villa, with an ornately detailed façade. The best way to discover Lampang is to rent a bike and just explore street by street, corner by corner. Or to take a ride on one of Lampang’s famous, colourful horse carriages. Yes, it is touristy, but it’s an experience that only adds to the charm of this old Lanna city.
Going there:
Lampang is 130 km south of Chiang Mai, and accessible by non-stop flights from Bangkok with Bangkok Airways. There are also direct bus and train services from Bangkok. It takes approximately six hours to reach Lampang by road and eight to ten hours by night train.
Sleeping there:
There are plenty of guest houses and simple but comfortable hotels along the River. R-Lampang Guest House is famous among Thais and offer spotless rooms in an old house. A few minutes away from the river in a quiet neighbourhood across from Wat Pratu Pong temple, Auangkham Resort offers beautiful gardens, nice rooms and an hospitable welcome.
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TA N ATC H A I
BANDASA K
Go, Said the Bird 7 March - 28
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over the border
The Treasures
of
Yunnan Story and photos by Dave Stamboulis
unnan is possibly the best kept secret and most diverse travel destination in Southeast Asia. It is far away from the maddening crowds and prices of Shanghai and Beijing, and home to some of the most amazing landscapes and collection of ethnic minorities in all Asia. While pleasant Kunming is known as the ‘city of eternal spring,’ due to its elevation and southern latitude, meaning not bone cold in the winter or an oven in summer, the rest of the province is wildly diverse. The northern areas receive snowfall and frozen temperatures for five months, while the Xishuangbanna region bordering Laos in the south is best visited over Xmas and New Years, when the subtropical heat and humidity are most bearable. While an entire guidebook rather than a short feature might be the only way to pay homage to all of the treasures of Yunnan, here are some of the top highlights that might inspire you to start making travel plans: Yuanyang, a mountainous area located in the southeast, near the Vietnamese and Lao borders, is home to one of the world’s true natural wonders. Inhabited by several ethnic minority groups, it recently was named one of the top twenty most beautiful places in China due to its beautiful scenic location and exquisitely sculpted rice terraces, which plunge hundreds of metres down the mountainsides.
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The Hani (Chinese version of the Akha) people who inhabit the region have crafted an intricate system of irrigation channels and mountain walls with their bare hands for over a thousand years to create an agricultural lifeline and manmade natural wonder. Especially in the winter months, from November to March, the dazzling terraces are flooded with water to prepare for the coming planting season, and the effect is a photographer’s dream, with the pools reflecting the clouds, sunrises, and sunsets. In addition to the rice terraces and scenic walking paths that connect the stunning scenery and quaint villages, the local Hani, Yi, and other neighboring hill tribes are worthy of a visit themselves, providing a look into a rapidly disappearing lifestyle. All colorfully dressed, the ethnic minorities cling to their traditions, hold bustling markets, and seasonal festivals to celebrate their harvests and planting cycles. Moving further north, throngs of mainland Chinese tourists make their way to the ancient cobbled streets of Dali and Lijiang, pretty temple towns that have traditional architecture and are also home to minorities. The Naxi dominate Lijiang, famed for being a matriarchal culture and for building highly advanced irrigation systems. The Chinese government was duly astounded when a mega earthquake flattened the city in 1996, yet most of the Naxi buildings survived. UNESCO was impressed as well, designating the entire area as a World Heritage Site, including the nearby dramatic Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the Yangtze River runs amok amidst deep canyons. Four hours north of here, the area becomes a high plateau ringed by mountains, and is inhabited by Tibetans, allowing one to get a glimpse of Tibetan life without having to go to this heavily restricted and permit needing country. The Chinese, in their continued Disneyfication of the area, chose to rename the town of Zhongdian “Shangri La,” trying to recreate and put a tourist face on Hilton’s famous novel and mythical paradise. While the turning of places
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like Lijiang and Zhongdian into a giant amusement park has tarnished some of Yunnan’s other worldliness, you don’t have to go more than an hour or two from Shangri La to reach the Meili Snow Mountains or Kawa Karpo as they are known to the Tibetans, considered the second most sacred mountains for them after Mount Kailash. The trekking, traditional culture, and breathtaking scenery here rivals anything one will find in the Himalayas, and it is here that some of Asia’s longest and deepest rivers, the Mekong, Yangtze, and Salween, all meet, plunging miles to the bottom of abyss-like gorges, watched over by 6,000 plus metre ice capped mountains. Kunming itself makes a great base, is a modern and clean city with beautiful parks and some vibrant food and party spots up around its large university. The city, with its excellent climate, is relatively free of the extreme pollution, congestion and noise that plague most other towns of the same size in Asia. From Kunming, one can access Lijiang, Yuanyang and Shangri La all within a day’s travel, and the bus and train connections from here to all points are excellent. For those in search of something a little warmer, the southern part of Yunnan known as Xishuangbanna, is more akin to Thailand and Laos, subtropical, humid, and inhabited by the Dai people, whose language and culture will be familiar to anyone who lives here (Xishuangbanna is understandable in Thai as ‘Sip song pan na’, or 12,000 rice fields”). Songkran and its wild wet New Year is celebrated here just as exuberantly as in Thailand. So make a pilgrimage to Yunnan and spread the word, but ever so quietly.
Getting there
Thai Airways and China Eastern Airlines have daily flights from Bangkok to Kunming. During high water levels, Jinghong in Xishuangbanna is reachable by express boat from Chiang Saen, and can also be reached in a long day by bus from Chiang Kham via Luang Nam Tha in Laos. Within Yunnan, excellent domestic bus service goes everywhere, and Shangri La, Dali and Lijiang all have airports. Trains run from Kunming to Dali
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Mimetic Scene by Kiatanan Iamchan 4 2 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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Arts & Culture
There’s lots of new art out there this month – much of it on the streets. Last month, fifteen European and eleven Thai street artists were invited to create a graffiti wall path in and around the Siam Square area as part of BUKRUK, Bangkok’s first street art festival. Well worth checking out, their pieces are now complete, gracing walls and derelict old buildings, while the indoor part continues until March 17 at the Bangkok Art & Culture Center (see p.16 for more). The other big news is that Silom Galleria, a gem-trade orientated mall, has relocated its six art venues to a dedicated Art Galleria on the fourth and fifth floors. Galleries who have made the move include big names such as Thavibu, Number 1 and the Chinese-owned Tang Contemporary Art, the latter of which is re-launching with the solo exhibition, Good Luck, by emerging ChiangMai based artist Chatchai Suphin. Other exhibition picks include group exhibition 100% Shark (see p.18 for more); photographer Miti Ruangkritya’s Imagining Flood (p.46); Tada Hengsapkul’s controversial photo series Parade (p.48); and Simon Kolton’s Cabaret, a fly-on-the-wall photo series taken backstage at Pattaya’s famous transvestite shows (p.52). If none of those pique your fancy, see overleaf for more exhibition ideas or pickup a copy of our free sister publication BAM, or the Bangkok Art Map, which covers the lot.
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exhibitions
Inner Soul
Koi Art Gallery [MAP3 / K8] 43/12 Soi 31 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-662-3218 | 10am – 7pm | www.koiartgallerybangkok.com | BTS Phrom Phong
Mar 8 – 31 One of the founders behind the large suburban art atelier V64, Attasit Pokpong has developed a seductive signature style that has made him highly marketable both in Thailand and overseas. His bright-lipped polished portraits of Asian women have parallels to successful Chinese painters of a similar ilk, but the proximity and luminescence of his subjects lend his bold canvases a certain distinction.
Peaceful Wrath
Artery Post-Modern Gallery [MAP5 / D5] 2/2 Soi 19 Silom Rd | 02-635-3133 | Mon-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun by Appointment | www.arterybangkok.com I BTS Surasak
Mar 15 – Apr 12 (Opens Mar 15 7:30pm) Chinese artist Bei Na’s colorful abstractions rhythmically layer organic and geometric patterns as metaphors for truth and illusion. She creates intricate juxtapositions that struggle for a balance balanced which evolve from a spiritual journey towards her elusive search for eternal beauty and natural harmony.
Echo
Chulalongkorn University Art Centre [MAP4 / A7] Centre of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Rd | 02-218-2965 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-4pm | www.car.chula. ac.th/art | BTS Siam
Until Mar 16 Sujin Wattanawongchai presents a series of structured yet ambiguous text layered paintings pertaining to specifi c memories or everyday instances in the artist’s personal history. With over 20 new artworks on display, his semi-abstract patterned configurations explore notions of time and space, identity and belief.
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Mimetic Scene
DOB Hualamphong Gallery [MAP6 / M3] 2F DOB Building, 318 Rama IV Rd | 085-482-3566 | Tue-Sun 10am-7pm I MRT Hualamphong
Until Mar 17
Following on from his 2010 exhibition Metropolitan Tales a Ardel Gallery, painter Kiatanan Iamchan returns with his lates series of whimsical acrylic compositions that are loaded with references to contemporary human behaviour. A gold medal award winner at the 55th National Exhibition of Art, Kiatnan’s surreal ironic caricatures focus on our growing insecurities.
Downfall
BANGKOK UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY (BUG) [MAP2 / F10] Bangkok University Gallery Bldg, Kluai Nam Thai campus, Rama IV Rd | 02-350-3626 | Tue-Sat 10am-7pm | http://fab.bu.ac.th/buggallery
Until Apr 5 As the city rapidly swells with concrete edifices, Jessada Tangtrakulwong’s laments the felling of a familiar tree with weighty symbolism to collapse and resurrection. His dramatic and atmospheric installation of a shadowy ode to a fallen tree has environmental undertones as to man’s indifference to towards nature’s preservation.
Holy Production
100 Tonson Gallery [MAP4 / J8] 100 Soi Tonson, Phloenchit | Thu-Sun 11 am-7 pm | 02-6841527 | www.100tonsongallery.com Rd | BTS Chitlom
Until Apr 7 Superstition, animism and the consumptive worth of protective talismans is a topic already established in artist Jakkai Siributr’s recent creations. Now Prateep Suthathongthai plunders similar themes in his series of reworked amulet imagery that ponder interpretative value and speculative demand. While the artist’s critical intent appears aimed at Thai society, such themes are also pertinent to the art market.
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interview
Miti Ruangkritya on
Imagining Flood hen news first broke that Bangkok would be overwhelmed by floods in November 2011, panic spread and all manner of frantic preparations unfolded. Though the centre remained dry, the sense of dread that hung over the city deepened, as Bangkok became an island encircled by waterlogged houses, streets and motorways. “It is this sense of fearful anticipation that first drew me to the project,” says Thai photographer Miti Ruangkritya when speaking of the inspiration behind Imagining Flood, a series of dream-like night photography shot during the floods now showing at Kathmandu Photo Gallery. The emerging talent, who gained an MA in photojournalism from London’s University of Westminster and has been exhibited in London, Paris and Singapore, explains why he chose to capture the sense of foreboding rather than the panic.
Please explain the title. The title reflects the psychology of fear felt by the people of Bangkok, including myself. It is about the moment of waiting for something to happen. Were you affected by the floods personally or just there to document them? I was living in Udomsook at the time when there was a real possibility of the area being flooded. “It is the sense of waiting and fear that first drew me to the project.” Please explain more. There was a constant fear from the media regarding the possibility of the flood reaching inner Bangkok. Discussions with friends and families only heightened the perceived danger. In some way or another you could not escape the fact that someone you know is being affected by this event. During this period I took an assignment with Le Monde that put me directly in touch with people who were being affected. It is the combination of these factors that led me to start the project. 4 6 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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“I wanted to capture the sense of stillness within the dread.”
Why did you choose to shoot it at night? In contrast to the frenetic images that were being presented within the media, I wanted to capture a sense of stillness within the dread that had been brought about by the floods. Through the dream-like atmosphere of the imagery, I wanted to create scenes as if they had been conjured in the mind of the viewer, tracing that sense of fear within the imagination and subconscious of the viewer’s perception. I like the sense of stillness and the surreal quality that night time images often present, which I think would have been very difficult to capture when the city is fully operating during daytime. There’s a sense of mystery about the night time as well; I like the drama you can create within the shadows. Have you seen the movie “28 Days Later”? Your series reminds me of the opening scenes of that in that there’s a dichotomy – there is something threatening about a motionless, empty Bangkok and yet also strangely enticing. Yes, I can certainly see the link regarding the contrast of beauty and tragedy within this reference. From first viewing, images in the series may look like beautiful surreal landscape shots. Not until the viewer takes a closer look do they realise the context in which these images have been produced. Scenes shot in the series were certainly quiet but not peaceful in a sense that in all these areas; water has been clogged up for weeks producing a foul smelling stench. Under a hot and humid night it can be quite overpowering. Why has it taken a while to be shown in Thailand? There are not many outlets for this kind of work that I know of in Thailand, although Chitti Kasemkitvattana discovered my project through Facebook when it was first produced and kindly exhibited ‘Space Shift’, a related series that I made during the Flood in 2011 & 2012, as part of ‘Messy Sky’ Magazine and ‘Temporary Storage #01’ respectively. The series has already been shown at Noorderlitch, Singapore and the Photo Phnom Penh festivals in 2012. In past series you have tackled Thai politics. How does bangkok101.com
this series tie them, if at all? All my work has always been a personal reaction and observation towards my surroundings. I would not say I am an overtly political person, although since returning to Thailand I feel that political issues are impossible to escape – be it through the media, social networks or even at the dinner table with friends and families. Which other photographers are you a fan of? When I first started photography 6 years ago Manit Sriwanichpoom’s satirical book ‘Bangkok in Black & White’ gave me a lot of inspiration to go out and shoot. In recent years, Jim Goldberg’s exhibition ‘Open See’, which revolved around displaced people, still leaves a powerful emotion on me. More recently, Vivianne Sassen’s books have also been a favourite. There is a strangely surreal quality about her images, which I cannot pinpoint. Antoine D’Aagata has also been inspiring at the workshop at Angkor Photo and during the time I assisted him in Pattaya. I learnt to become more open and flexible to the visual narrative and method of working. What are you working on next? Right now I am working on a limited edition, self-published zine with photographers, graphic designers and a filmmaker. Hopefully it will be completed by the end of this year. My own project in the zine will be series of portraits of street ‘Poles’ geared towards bringing to the forefront, this abstract and often overlooked aspect of the city. Which galleries do you frequent in Bangkok? Messy Sky, Kathmandu, BACC and H Gallery.
Imagining Flood March 2 - April 28 Kathmandu Photo Gallery (MAP5/E5) 87 Soi Pan, Silom Rd | 02-234-6700 | Tue-Sun 11am-7pm | www.kathmandu-bkk.com l BTS Chong Nonsi M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 4 7
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exhibition focus
Naked Truth Tada Hengsapkul explicitly reveals the deformity of Thai society in his latest show. Words by Siriwat Pokrajen.
nce in a while, there comes an exhibition that isn’t easy to digest. On one wall, there’s a series of distorted images of common folks in an act of worshipping something sacred. Opposite it on another wall are a picture of a freshly urinated on criminal code, a portrait of a topless, laughing man named Sayan who was responsible for the urination and a found object – a crumpled piece of red paper – that comes with the title Happiness According to Sayan. “My work is based on contemporary politics,” explains Tada Hengsapkul about his Parade exhibition currently on display at H Gallery. “I want to point out all the mistakes happening in Thai society.” In fact, without help from the exhibition statement, one can be left wondering how these photos, a soundless video and pieces of paper come together in a cohesive theme and what is indeed being paraded. “To parade is to show, to show off, and typically demand veneration,” wrote Brian Curtin, the show’s curator. “Gleefully pushing at the limits of what it means to parade, Tada revels in the implications of bombast and the rhetorical in order to expose the capacity of signs, symbols and performance to render one mute and unthinking.” Truth be told, most viewers might need a bit of an explanation, if not a back story, to grasp the visuals in front of them. Authority, superstition and propaganda – these are the topics common in Tada’s work, though they’re not always easy to detect. In one explicit image of a man holding his self-mutilated penis, Hengsapkul, who’s become known as a nude photographer in recent years, actually alludes to the powers that be in Thai society, in addition to addressing a folk superstitious belief that this abnormal modification to the male genitals can give more pleasure to the female sex. Calling Thai leaders dickheads, Hengsapkul says candidly, “their appetite for sex [and power] is as 4 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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perverse as this.” The picture is titled Ruled in Bed. And in case you haven’t figured it out, it’s us, ordinary men and women, who are constantly gang-raped. Another good example of a work that requires amplification is the series he did with Sayan, a homeless man in Nakhon Ratchasima, the artist’s hometown. Inspired by the story of his subject, who was shot in the head by a policeman and has lost his memory, Hengsapkul asked the man to piss on the code and write the word ‘happiness’ (in Thai) on a piece of red paper. While the first task is natural to humans and animals, the second one proved too difficult for some reason and so Sayan decided to crush the paper to portray his happiness instead. With all the shocking and numbing effects of the images on parade, there’s actually a right amount of loudness and silence inside the works. Of course, pictures like the disfigured sexual organ, a naked man wearing a white gown usually worn by Brahmans at religious services and a matched pointed headgear, plus sunglasses and holding a rifle, or another naked man who was painted red from head to toe and sitting by a window where an election campaign poster is used as shades, seem to scream for attention. bangkok101.com
Yet, those that are more muted can’t be overlooked. There’s a picture of a small empty advertising boarding stranded somewhere by a rural road. As you read its title, Feels So Good Not Seeing You Again, you can’t help but laugh before feeling solemn again, as you realise there are hundreds of billboards, ten times the size of that boarding, awaiting you outside the gallery. Frustrated with his social environment and believing art should also have function, Hengsapkul is transitioning to more social work, wanting to work with people and communities and then create art. “Art can be a waste,” the artist says. “And art alone can’t always change society. I’m bored with art without function. I now want to create something more purposeful.”
PARADE Until 31 March H Gallery
(MAP5/F6)
201 Soi 12 Sathorn Rd | 081-310-4428 | 10am-6pm, Tue by appointment | www.hgallerybkk.com I BTS Surasak M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 4 9
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reading & screening
Dead Drunk
COOL! BANGKOK
THE MODERN THAI HOUSE
Paul Garrigan | Maverick House | pp256 | B405
Greg Lowe | Marshall Cavendish Editions | 216pp | B520
Robert Powell | Tuttle | 224pp | B1,255
The West has The Priory; Thailand has Wat Thamkrabok – a temple in Saraburi province where a regimented diet of Buddhism and vomit-inducing herbal potions are used to combat addiction. It’s a last chance saloon for Thais craving sobriety (as well as foreigners and even drug-loving rock star Pete Doherty, who numbers among the few Wat Thamkrabok failures), a fascinating oddity that dishes out its unique brand of rehab for free. This account by a former patient recounts the daily grind as he, an alcoholic, and other addicts make a sacred vow to leave their poison behind and battle the spiritual and physical pains of acute withdrawal (there’s little medical assistance and certainly no Valium-assisted recovery here). But first there’s the story of how he ended up there, a sorry tale that begins with a childhood spent drinking the dregs in Irish pubs, and ends with near meltdown in rural Thailand. It’s written in a simple, direct style and, like the bottle, pretty hard to put down.
Whether Cool! Bangkok really is the “essential guide to what’s hip and happening” is up for debate (one could argue that publicly authored apps like Foursquare are now much more ‘happening’ than printed guide books). However, its title still hits the spot. British author Greg Lowe has penned capsule reviews of over 130 clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels that stand out for their individualism. A few Thai chains and ‘inter’ brands made the grade – fashion houses Greyhound and Kloset among them – but the vast majority are standalone businesses that don’t take orders from anyone other than the free spirits that run them. Exuberant headlines and crude yet enticing snaps lend a raw, almost scrapbook feel to proceedings. And throughout the hip quotient remains dauntingly high. Cool, us? You’d better believe it.
Thai architecture has come a long way in the past fifty years, and this new coffetable book proves it. Focusing on the “sophisticated and sensitively designed” architecture of the last decade or so, it features extended, picture-driven profiles of 25 houses ranging from main residences in Chiang Mai and Bangkok to vacation homes down in Phuket. It also includes examples of ‘three-generation houses’, which are uniquely Thai compounds in which an extended family live together, albeit in different dwellings. Modern Thai architecture is the result of a “negotiation between foreign architectural ideas and local content,” as one of the many exciting architects featured in the book, Duangrit Bunnag, puts it. And, with many of the houses featurved fusing outside influences such as Le Corbusier and Bauhaus with echoes of traditional Thai design (think steeply pitched roofs and verandas, etc), this beautiful book serves as a great introduction.
suriyothai Chatrilerm Yukol | 2001 | B199 This bloated white elephant of a film isn’t good so much as grandiose – but it makes an interesting study of that old historic wound, the sacking of Ayutthaya by the Burmese more than two hundred years ago. One of the top-grossing Thai films of all time, this three-hour hog boasts royal intrigue, blood-spurting executions, big ol battle scenes, and acting of such stiffness that it seems that the entire cast is dreaming of leaving behind their woodenness to become real live actors some day. Fans of bloated epics such as Troy won’t be disappointed. At the heart of the film is the beloved Queen Suriyothai, brave Amazon, elephant-rider, martyr of the Siam resistance. After you’re watched Suriyothai, pay a pilgrimage to Ayutthaya and feel the burn. bangkok101.com
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Cabaret photography by Simon Kolton
veryone who goes to one of Pattaya’s ladyboy and transvestite revues leaves with an appreciation for the heightened glamour – and medical magic – that goes into them. Phenomenally popular, drawing busloads each night, these well-oiled spectacles entertain audiences with an elaborate mélange of tail-feathers, peacock headdresses, cheek-bone enhancing makeup and state-of-theart surgery. After initially heading down to the infamous resort city to document the sleazy nightlife, French photographer Simon Kolton recently managed to gain backstage access at both of the big ones, Alcazar and the better-known Tiffany’s. The result is a series that captures the showboating and the crude and rude behaviour that you might expect to find, but also the odd moment of introspection and vulnerability. Initially meant for a book project and curated by Toot Yung Gallery’s Myrtille Tibayrenc, ‘Cabaret’ will be on show at Chez Pepin restaurant until March 30.
Cabaret
Until March 30 Chez Pepin
[MAP5/K8]
186/4 Suan Plu Soi 1(Sathorn Soi 3) | facebook.com/lepagepepin
FOO D & D RI N KS
a signature dish at the Sukhumvit Soi 20’s Banyan Tree’sPan Saffron Peter’s (p.61) (P.62) 5 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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food & drink news
AROy NEW OPENINGS
Silom got its own outlet of Sunrise Tacos (114/19-20 Silom Rd, 02-632-8588, wwwsunrisetacos.com) last month, right on the corner of Soi 4. With an eye on the late night crowd they’re open daily 24-hours and serve breakfasts from midnight. All the usual Tex-Mex fare is here, including lunch specials with soft and crispy tacos (B119++, including a soft drink), allyou-can-eat from 2pm-7pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, beers from B90++, tequila from B95++ and wine at 595++/bottle.
The Bird Cage, a small outdoor tree house space at Q Bar (34 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-252-3274, www.qbarbangkok.com) is due to launch a pop-up restaurant concept this month. Several Bangkok restaurants (Quince and Bo.lan are rumoured to be in the pipeline) will prepare food for around eight people, with a wine and cocktail drinks menu to accompany designed by Q Bar. By reservation only. Chefs Jason and Bee, one Australian the other Thai, have just opened a slick new Thai restaurant that goes against the pervasive revival of tradition. Paste (Soi Sukhumvit 49 | 02-392-4313 | www.pastebangkok.com) will serve ‘modern Thai’ food, or “classically inspired, contemporary Thai-style Asian interpretations,” as they put it. They add that, “we believe it‘s important to have a healthy disdain for some practices whilst embracing other favourable ones”, and that the food will be “crisp, herb laden, permeated with unique, clean Thai flavors.” Should make for an interesting meal – and contrast to the hyper-traditional heavyweights, Nahm and Bo.lan (see below). Review coming soon.
Five Bangkok Restaurant’s Make Asia’s Fifty Best
Two of the city’s restaurants made the top 10 in San Pelligrino’s 50 Best Restaurants Asia 2013 list, the winners of which were announced in Singapore late last month. David Thompson’s Thai restaurant Nahm came in at number three, while the contemporary Indian gastronomy of Gaggan earnt it the number ten spot. Other Bangkok restaurants that ranked were Eat Me, Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin at the Siam Kempinski and Bo.lan. One of the latter’s chefs, Duongporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava, also won ‘Best Female Chef’ on account of her dedication to preserving the rich culinary landscape of her homeland“. A strong showing for Bangkok, all round.
Quince to get a New Chef
This month’s shock news is that Quince (Sukhumvit Soi 45 | 02-662-478| www.quincebangkok.com) has lost its head chef Jess Barnes. Chefs come and go all the time of course, but Barnes, an Aussie all about straight-forward food and sustainable sourcing, was very much billed as the creative force, so it’s a surprise to see him move on less than one year after opening. One food writer thought he may have became disillusioned by the continuing shift from local produce, but according to one of the popular restaurant’s main partners Sanya Souvannaphouma, Barnes is just moving on to launch his own food consultancy firm. “We wanted someone to be onsite and hands-on,” he adds. A new chef starts soon.
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meal deals
On March 31
Bunny Brunch Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square [MAP4 / D5]
Siam Square Soi 6 | 02-209-8888 | www.novotelbkk.com
Easter Sunday brunch at The Square restaurant will include the usual international buffet featuring salads, sushi, sashimi, fresh baked breads and cuisines from India, Europe and America. However, expect the most attention to be lavished on the chocolate bunnies, eggs and other treats. Price: B950++ per adult; half price for kids age 12-16; free for children under 12 when accompanied by two paying adults.
Ongoing
Barbecue Selections Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit [MAP3 / H10]
250 Sukhumvit Road | 02-649-8888 | 7pm-10pm | www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com In a relaxed poolside setting hunker down on barbecue delights such as Lebanese shish tawouk skewers, lamb chops, sausages, Norwegian salmon steaks and more, all accompanied by salad, fresh fruits and ice cream. ‘Barbecue under the Stars’ also features the cuisine of Chef Janmejoy Sen, a master of India’s culinary arts. Two barbecues items cost B1,400 net per person and 2 hours free flow beer with barbecue B1,700 net per person.
Ongoing
Señor Pico Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok [MAP3 / K11]
19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Sukhumvit Road | 02-261-7100 | www.rembrandtbkk.com The Rembrandt’s Señor Pico is now a scene of Mexican Mayhem every Thursday. Try three different premium tacos with your choice of shredded confit of duck with chipotle, crispy snapper or crispy pork belly and spicy Habanero for just B899 net. The food comes paired with three different tequilas. Another enticing deal: free margaritas and sangria for ladies (when they order food) on Tuesdays (7-9pm).
Until March 31
Buy 1 Get 1 Free Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit [MAP3 / F8] 23/2-3 Sukhumvit 13, Sukhumvit Road | 02-645-4999 | www.radisson.com/bangkokth_sukhumvit
Asqu bar, on the ground floor of the hotel, is inviting people to get closer by liking their Facebook fan page, following them on Twitter, or checking-in on Foursquare. Do any of the above and you’ll get be offered buy one get one on any beverage. Also, go on Wednesday between 2pm-4pm and you’ll get a complimentary cocktail.
Until Oct 31
Happy Hours Ramada Hotel & Suites Bangkok [MAP3 / H11]
22 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Klongtoey | 02-664-7025 | ramadasuitesbangkok.com Boccone Trattoria, with its menu of Italian inspired international cuisine, offers a buffet breakfast, plus a full à la carte lunchtime and dinner menu that includes an extensive selection of wines and drinks. Currently the restaurant has a buy one get one deal on all its drinks during the happy hours, which run 5-7pm daily.
Until March 31
Italian Business Set Lunch Dusit Thani Bangkok [MAP5 / L5]
946 Rama IV Road, Bangkok | 02-200-9000 | http://www.dusit.com/
Italian restaurant il cielo currently has a lunchtime two course set menu for B550++ per person, or 3-course for B600++ per person. The set includes fresh crisp salads and beef Carpaccio with shaved parmesan, a choice of main courses and a fine selection of Italian cheeses or a tempting dessert. Citibank cardholders get an exclusive dine three pay two on this deal.
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Angelini
- a gem on the river Angelini’s gargantuan proportions – all statuesque pillars and three-storey picture windows – are in keeping with the sweeping riverside setting. Yet the restaurant sports a casual tone, with generous plain wood tables free of linen, and a simple tile motif that repeats throughout, increasing in size from floor to pillars, to the overhang on the open kitchen and the ceiling, where a translucent glow instills a fabric quality to flat, square light shades. Diners’ chat bounces around the room on bright acoustics, along with swing era pop standards from the pianist and singer playing on the ground floor. There are seats down there, although most people sit on the mezzanine or beneath the palm trees on the more romantic terrace, overlooking a floodlit pool and the rumbling Chao Phraya. Chef Omar Ugoletti – schooled as a boy in his father’s pizzeria – arrived at the end of last year after a stint as chef de cuisine at Cépe Restaurant, in The Ritz Carlton, Beijing. His well-drilled staff know something about the food they serve and make sensible suggestions for accompanying wines. An impressive 29 labels by the glass (B350++-B1,260++) include sparklers and desserts, with interesting choices such as the Moscatel-Gewurz blend bangkok101.com
of Torres Vina Esmeralda (B520/B2,600++) and Chianti Classico Peppoli (B580/B2,900++). A leisurely stroll through the menu starts in the Garden of Lobster (B720++), a light, fresh plate of contrasting leaf colours to enhance tomato jelly, beads of salmon roe and meaty pink lobster flesh. Move on through a terrine of foie gras (B580++) served inside a slice of baked apple, the surface caramelised with a touch of sugar, and on the side a mini foie gras sandwich. For a good main course there’s melt in the mouth beef cheek (B720++), slow braised in a rich, sticky Barolo wine sauce and served with creamy polenta and tuber vegetables, and, to end, a white chocolate mousse with citrus and mint granite (B280++) decorated with fresh berries and cocoa spaghetti. Located beside Saphan Taksin, Angelini is a cinch to get to by boat or skytrain, and the expressway is nearby if you’re coming by road.
รร.แชงกรีลา กรุงเทพฯ ซ.วัดสวนพลู Angelini
[MAP 5/B5]
The Shangri-la hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu | 02-236-9952 | www.bangkokriversidedining.com | 6:30pm-10:30pm M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 6 1
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SAFFRON - as fragrant as it sounds No two ways about it, The Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Saffron has been overshadowed by the competition. Not only does this upscale Thai restaurant sit only a few floors down from the hotel’s stunning rooftop al fresco venue Vertigo, it’s also located in a part of town blessed with some of the city’s most feted Thai restaurants. Maybe it’s just the luck of the draw, or maybe Saffron needs to shout about its own talents a little louder. After all, this is the original, flagship Saffron in a whole fleet of them now located in Banyan Tree Hotels around the world. Another feather in its cap: the head chef, Renu Homsombat, has been here for over a decade and, in that time, has moved the restaurant away from its emphasis on Royal Thai cuisine towards more experimental terrain. For example, while dedicated to making sure the Thai flavours still sing loud in each dish, she likes to dabble in European techniques and styles of presentation. Unexpectedly, the dishes often surprise. Take the khong wang ruam (B770): this tray of appetizers is about as thrilling an opener as a Thai food fanatic could hope for – a real table-pleaser. Think sticks of pillow-soft chicken satay; a banana leaf salad studded with fat, juicy prawns; crunchy-soft spring rolls; some deep-fried bitter leaf; as well as a selection of tangy, spicy or sweet dips to go with them. Delicious stuff. 6 2 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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If you can find space for another salad, the yum pla salmon is even more of a treat: huge hunks of seared Tasmanian salmon dressed up coriander and mint, crisp pork crackling and a spicy citrus dressing. A dazzling contrast of textures and tastes. Mains are also a testament to Saffron’s high quality control, with dishes we tried and can recommend including the moo ob narm phueng (B470), which are roasted, peppered pork spare ribs glazed in a black pepper and honeycomb sauce; and the pla krapong, fried sea bass with salted egg. As for the soups and curries, our chicken green curry (B500) was a good, delicate, fragrant rendition, while the tom saep nua (B330), spicy beef soup, walked off with second prize (first prize goes to the khong wang ruam). Its standout feature: the beef is braised Australian short rib, and so more tender (and less cartilage-y) than normal, disconcertingly so at first. We could go on (honourable mentions: the deep fried squid with black ink sauce; and the closing tray of obscure petit four) but to do so would be labouring the point – Saffron has the talent to compete with the best of them. The flavours are assertive; the balance between flair and tradition well-judged and executed; and the quality of the ingredients first-rate. Add the slick, attentive service and the compelling setting – 51 floors above ground you can see for miles – and it’s a wonder this restaurant doesn’t rate more highly.
รร. บันยันทรี ถ.สาทรใต้ Banyan Tree Bangkok
[MAP5/K,L8]
FL 51-52 | 21/100 South Sathon Rd | 02-679-1200 | MRT Lumphini | www.banyantree.com bangkok101.com
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Toro Sushi by Chaweitporn Tamthai
- a little slice of japan Does Thonglor really need another sushi bar? Probably not, and yet Toro Sushi, a small cozy joint, is a new addition that we welcome with open arms. Easily to spot, it’s located on the second floor of No.88, a small community mini-mall located down a soi connecting Thonglor Soi 5 and Soi 9. Rather old-fashioned looking, with slats of light wood and bare bulb lighting like the one used in Japanese markets, there’s nothing at all fancy about it – and in a city where style to often strongarms substance that’s part of its charm. The same old-school approach extends to the food. There’s lots of sushi on the menu, but little in the way of the fancy sushi creations you find at your heaving chain equivalents. Starters include chawanmushi (B80), steamed egg custard served warm. Another light opener is the Engkawa sushi (B120 per piece). Though it looks a little oily, the lightly grilled flatfish, rice and accompanying sour ponzu sauce add up to very moreish mouthfuls. A decent side perfect for chomping on in between sips of your hot or cold sake (which starts from B300 per 300ml) is the shira ou kara age (B190), which are little fish deep fried and lightly salted. 6 4 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
As well as sides and sushi, fresh sashimi boats are also served, the most expensive being the Sashimi Moriawase 7 (B1900) featuring seven different kinds: otoro, akami, hamachi, salmon, mandai, Saba and Japanese scallops. The meat is fresh, the wasabi sauce reeks of quality, and the rice has a mild smooth taste. But what really stands out over and above all of them is the melt-in-your-mouth Otoro sashimi. Worth every baht? That might be pushing it, but there’s no doubting the quality of fish they serve here. Reservations are recommended if you want to sit at a table, not the sushi bar. Check Toro Sushi’s Facebook for promotions and updates – this may be a traditional restaurant, but it’s not stuck in the dark ages.
โตโร่ ซูชิ ในซอยเชื่อมทองหล่อ ซ.5-9 Toro Sushi
[MAP3 / R8]
No.88 in soi connecting Thonglor 5 to 9, Sukhumvit 55 | 02-712-8447 | http://www.facebook.com/torofreshsushi | Mon-Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm
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CUISINE ART
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street eats
Yum Naem Convent
eeding hungry people both in the afternoon and after work, Yum Naem Convent is loaded with spices and ingredients – enough to make you cry for water in fact. Located on Soi Convent, opposite Saint Joseph Convent School, between 12pm and 4pm, and by BTS Chong Nonsi from 5:30pm to 8pm, this small, simple food cart is easy to spot – just look for the queue so long it stretches to other food stands. Yum, or boldly-flavoured Thai salads, are its specialty, four different types of them to be precise. Yum naem sot (B35) might taste a little weird to foreign tongue at first, as its main component is naem, slightly sour and tangy fermented north or northeastern-style pork sausage that has been shredded and mixed together with fresh veggies, toasted sticky rice, nuts and spices. Be warned: it’s spicy and tart. Less likely to split opinion down the middle, yum mamuang, or mango salad (B35), is a crowd-pleaser. The combination of raw, unripe mango and lime gives it a distinctive sour taste. Meanwhile, yum sam krob (B50) has three ingredients, all crunchy: pork crackling, cashew nut and dried shrimp. Last but not least, the best seller (and usually the first dish to sell out) is yum pla duk fu (B35), or crispy deep-fried catfish. bangkok101.com
While these are the dishes, the biggest lure of this most common of common looking food carts, though, is the yum sauce that goes into them: a mixture of fish sauce, salt, lime and chili. Of course, as is common at street food stalls, everything is fully customisable with different levels of saltiness, sourness, sweetness and spiciness. We recommend going for mid-level spiciness, because otherwise the taste might blow your socks off.
ยำ�แหนมคอนแวนต์ ซ.คอนแวนต์ Yum Naem Convent
[MAP5 / H6]
Soi Convent (Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm), BTS Chongnonsi in front of Mcdonalds (5:30pm-8pm) M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 6 7
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ealtike
Nym
Our roving eater Nym knows her local grub inside out – and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the city’s next delectable morsel …
Chinatown’s Cockles Bar
n a recent food-foraging visit to China Town’s main street, Yaowarat, my friend and I opted to duck down a little lane rather that eat with everyone else at one of the famous seafood corners. We were on a hunt for one of my all time old favourites, cockles or hoy khrang louk, and quickly enough we found some: big fat, healthy looking specimens winking at us from a little street food cart. The three bright red plastic stools lining the front of the bar were empty, so we quickly seized them. This stall is a simple one, with only one man behind the bar, a son in the IT business who helps out his parents. According to him, the secret of their success is consistency: high-quality fresh cockles paired with flavoursome sauces – nothing more, nothing less. After placing our order, he proceeded to drop a generous handful in the boiling hot water pot. Then, while they were cooking, he spooned two types of 6 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
sauces in the little cup. “This one is spicy and juicy like seafood sauce,” he said, “and this is our unique one blended with peanuts.” Out came the open cooked cockles, and we just forked them out from the shell, one by one, slowly and gently. How were they? Worth the wait (which wasn’t long). Both of us enjoyed the combination of spicy sauce and peanuts sauce mixed in together in one bite. Not everyone is a fan cockles – their bloody look or their taste. However, if you count yourself as a fan, then this is yet another food stop worth seeking out.
หอยแคลงลวก ถ.เยาวราช Cockles Bar
[MAP6 / F3]
Down Soi Texas, off Yaowarat Road. After turning in to the quieter soi, past the busy seafood joints on both corners, walk about 100 metres. The cockles bar is on the left hand side. Open: 6pm- midnight. bangkok101.com
cooking with poo
Cooking with Poo Stop sniggering at the back! Poo is actually the nickname of one of the city’s most in-demand cooks, Saiyuud ‘Chom-Poo’ Diwong. A long-time resident of Bangkok’s Klong Toey slum, Poo runs her own cooking school as part of the Helping Hands initiative, a community self-help program she started with other residents. The profits help street businesses get on their feet. Each month we bring you a recipe from her cooking book, copies of which are available via her website www. cookingwithpoo.com.
Custard in Pumpkin (Sang Kaya Fak-Tong)
สังขยาฟ ักทอง
Mostly eaten in Bangkok, this dessert may sound unfamiliar, but it is worth a try, as the sweet pumpkin mixed with the custard makes for a delicious treat.. ingredients 4 eggs 200g palm sugar a pinch of salt 200g coconut milk 2 pandana leaves (not essential) 1 medium sized pumpkin approx 500g
COOKING WITH POOSaiyuud Diwong | UNOH Publications | 112pp | www.cookingwithpoo. com | Aus $20
Preparation •Break eggs into a bowl •Add sugar, salt and coconut milk •Use a pandana leaf in the palm of your hand and squeeze the mixture together for 5 minutes This releases the flavor of the pandana leaf into the mixture. Throw out the leaf afterwards. *Note: If you can’t get any pandana leaves use your hands (with gloves) and mix the mixture together • Drain the mixture through a sieve and discard excess mixture •Place the drained mixture into 4 small bowls. If you are placing it inside the pumpkin prepare your pumpkin buy cutting a square hole at the top and scooping out the seeds. Pour the custard into
it, then cover and steam until pumpkin is tender. This varies according to the pumpkin used between 40–50 minutes • Get a saucepan steamer and place the bowls inside (if you only have a small steamer pot, you may have to cook one at a time) • Steam the custards for 20 minutes • If all the water has evaporated, the custards are ready. *Note: If you place the custard in a large bowl, the cooking time will increase
MAJELLA WINE DINNER AT PRIME 28 MARCH 2013 | THB 3,500++ PER PERSON Meet Peter Lynn, Wine Maker & Owner of Australian Majella Wine at PRIME, 1 night only Blue Fin Tuna Tartar Majella Riesling 2011 Spicy Seafood Broth The Musician 2011 Lacquered - Veal Tenderloin Majella Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Cheese Plate Majella Shiraz 2010 Crispy Choux - Vanilla Ice Cream Surprise by our Sommelier
For more information and reservations call 0 2442 2000 Open daily: 6.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m.
3rd floor, Millennium Hilton Bangkok 123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600 T: +66 (0) 2442 2000 Ext: 2064 E: bkkhi.informations@hilton.com, hilton.com, hilton.co.th Hiltonbangkok
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sweet treat
MONT NOM SOD
resh milk, bread and Thai custard – that’s pretty much all they serve at this shop near the Democracy Monument. And yet it’s the busiest dessert stop in town. Quite honestly, it doesn’t make sense – until you’ve tried it. Mont Nom Sod has 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 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, sublime, this is it: the dessert stop you’ll be raving about all holiday.
มนต์นมสด ใกล้เสาชิงช้า 7 0 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
MONT NOM SOD [MAP7 / H8] 160/1-3 Din- Sor Rd., near Giant Swing | 02-224-1147, 02-224-1989 | 2pm – 11pm bangkok101.com
C no ha Fren w mp ch in a clu gn de e d
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neighbourhood nosh
FOO D & D RI N KS
Pratuu Pee The ‘gate to the underworld’ might sound like a rather unpleasant place for a spot of roaming and feasting, but ignore the area’s macabre history and your stomach will thank you for it.
Wat Saket
5
6
1
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7 Mahachai Road
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A couple of steps from Jok Samranrat, Thip Samai (3), a crowded double-width shophouse, is widely considered the plus ultra of pad thai kitchens and even has its own website (www.thipsamai.com). Do we agree? Rather than award the trophy ourselves, why not try both the Loong Par and Thip Samai variations and decide for yourself. If money is no object walk past the little coconut ice cream stall, and pop by Je Fai (4). This gritty little storefront is famous for its jok haeng, or dry seafood porridge (200B) as well as its very pricey menu. Some ladna talay (noodles in sticky sauce with octopus and giant prawn) will set you back B260, for example, and a crab omelet an exorbitant B600. Still, if the food were no good, it wouldn’t have survived – Je Fai’s cooks are some of the best in the business. For some dessert, the little Som Wang (5) cart is an excellent choice, serving tapioca balls in warm coconut milk with corn and coconut meat. What makes it distinctive it here, though, is having it with salted egg. Nearby, Paa Som (6) smokes sticks of satay pork on a traditional charcoal stove, and on the right of that,
4 8
Bumrung Muang
otorious for being the route through which the corpses of plague victims were hauled before being burnt at nearby Wat Saket, a practice that ended in King Rama IV’s reign, Pratuu Pee is a well-known culinary attraction among Thais and in-the-know expats. The big draw are its ageing garage-style shophouses, with their tatty open storefronts, furiously sizzling woks, old-family recipes, and slightly curt but efficient staff in aprons. Start off with Loong Par (1), a 40-year-old shophouse serving pad thai. The first of two on the strip that dish up this popular stir-fry noodle and bean sprout dish, this one stands out from other sugary local renditions with hints of spice instead. Prices range from B35/50B/70B. Nearby Jok Samranrat (2) is a great spot to a develop a taste for jok, or boiled rice porridge. Most take it with pork and egg, be it salted egg, potash preserved egg, soft-boiled, or have them all in your super-egg bowl (60B). You’ll also find here kanom bueng, crispy pancake stuffed with sweet yolk threats, and, piled up in front of the shop, a range of other Thai sweet treats all wrapped in banana leaf, as is the traditional way.
Thip samai
9
10
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som wang
to guay jub
Ooh Look Chin Pla (7) dishes up bowls of noodles featuring their secret-weapon: fishballs. Walk away from this clutch towards Samranrat Junction and on the corner you’ll find locals huddled over steaming bowls of yen ta fo (rice noodles in a reddish soup) and tom yum noodles at Tee Yen Ta Fo (8). With its juicy homemade fried fish and shrimp balls, its worth joining them but be sure to tell your waiter mai ped (no spicy) if you’re spice tolerance is set to low.
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Cross the junction, walk straight and you’ll hit Heng Gi (9), a revered shophouse that has been serving classic flat noodles and red BBQ pork for 80 years. Walk even further and you’ll find perhaps Pratuu Pee’s finest: To Guay Jub (10). At first glance these might look like fairly typical bowls of guay jup, or big square noodles in clear peppery broth, but the taste sensation and steady stream of customers prove otherwise.
ประตูผี
GETTING THERE [MAP7 / K8]
Tell your taxi or tuk-tuk driver ‘Pratuu Pee’ and they should know it. Otherwise grab an express boat at one of the pier’s along Khlong Saen Saeb and disembark at the last Old City stop, Panfah Pier. From there, walk over the bridge and take a left past the white fortress onto Mahachai Road or, if you’re worried about getting lost, take a tuk tuk.
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KHIN LOM CHOM SAPHAN
THAI KHIN LOM CHOM SAPHAN [MAP7 / G2] 11/6 Samsen Soi 3, Samsen Rd | 02-628-8382 | www.khinlomchomsaphan.com | 11am-2am Bangkok’s white collar workers flock to this open-air riverside restaurant with, on a busy night, the bonhomie of a German beer hall. Smart white pavilions provide shelter during tropical squalls; otherwise, wait for a table on the breezy wooden terrace with photogenic views of monolithic Rama VIII Bridge. It’s convivial and it’s casual. Feast on the succulent Thai-style seafood, quaff beer, and raise a cheer – as the locals do – when the live acoustic music hits the spot. Food-wise, there’s a hundred-plus dishes all worth trying, dishes like the sprightly yum sam sub (prawn, oyster and squid salad), and pla krapong neung manaw (steamed tender monkfish in a spicy lemon sauce). A sweet yet faintly tart gaeng som bpuu khai (soft crab in a compulsive tamarind soup) also impressed. Two caveats: orders taken from foreigners are marked thus and the kitchen tones them down accordingly (if you like the unholy sweats, tell them); secondly, bring your camera.
กินลมชมสะพาน สามเสน ซ.3
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Supanniga Eating Room
SOI POLO FRIED CHICKEN [MAP4 / L9] 137/1-2 Soi Polo, Withayu Road, Lumphini | 022-655-8489 “The best in town.” “Whips KFC’s butt!” Thais love raving about food, and yet rarely does a dish get as much love as the super tasty fried chicken at this cheap Thai restaurant near Lumpini Park. At lunchtimes office workers come to get their fix. We’ve seen them, licking their lips as plates of the tender, golden-brown stuff showered in deep-fried crispy garlic are ferried in from the kitchen a few doors down; giving the evil eye when they arrive at the next table. And there’s more. Though the chicken, best eaten with fingerfuls of their spot-on sticky rice, gets the column inches, other notable dishes include the nam tok salad with big strips of beef, and the fat, juicy tod man pla (fish cakes). Some dishes, like Isan classic som tum (spicy papaya salad), come out too sweet by our reckoning. But it’s nothing a bit of clumsy Thai can’tput right, and besides, there’s none of the grittiness (i.e. offal-y bits) or car fumes you find beside the street. Don’t expect anything lavish: the closest this air-conditioned shophouse comes to decoration is a couple of bored looking
BAAN SOMTUM
waitress “pretties”.
ไก่ทอดซอยโปโล ถ.วิทยุ Supanniga Eating Room [MAP3 / R7] 160/11 Thonglor (between Thonglor Soi 6 and 8, Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 02-714-7508 | facebook.com/supannigaeatingroom | 02714-7508 | 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11:30pm For his latest venture, Eh Laoraowirdoge, the young restaurateur behind upscale Isan restaurant Somtum Der, decided to stop reminiscing about his late grandma’s home-cooked meals and bring her recipes to a three-storey Thonglor shophouse instead. She hailed from the East coast’s Trad province, where the cooking is “more seaside” as he puts it, before moving to Khon Kaen in the northeast. Net result: a menu like nothing else in town. Served on stylish blue-and-white flower-pattern crockery, dishes include appetisers such as ma hor, sunny mouthfuls of minced pork and peanut paste served on tangerine slivers (B90), and pu jah, devilled crab shells filled with crabmeat and pork (B230). Even more surprising are the dishes that make up your main spread. The yum nua lai is a tart salad featuring chewy morsels of beef shank and deep-fried garlic (B150), while the
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fiery nam prik khai pu with boiled veggies (B190) is made with crab meat and roe and, unusually, no shrimp paste. Then there was a mild and sweet curry – the moo cha muang (B170) – that “not many Thais know about”. Starring slow-cooked, fall apart pork and sour boiled leaves, our spoon would not stop gravitating towards it. Many ingredients are sourced from Trad, including the shrimps, black pepper and the nam pla, or fish sauce. We found it imparting an earthy saltiness to the ka lum tod nam pla, or fried Chinese cabbage (B120); the deep fried pla too, or mackerel (B160); and a meal on a plate, the khao pad nam prik pao pla salid, fragrant stir-fried rice with crispy leaf fish and salted egg (B160). Obscure yet approachable, not to mention modestly priced, Supanniga’s menu is exciting, the stuff that essay-length food blog posts are written about.
สุพรรณิการ์ อีทติ้งรูม ซ.ทองหล่อ (ระหว่าง ซ.6 – 8)
Northeastern Thai (Isan) BAAN SOMTUM [MAP5 / D6] 9/1 Soi Srivieng, nr Sathorn Road | BTS Surasak | 02-630-3486 | 11am-10pm | $ Love somtum? If so your ship has come in: this well-turned-out Isaan restaurant serves a staggering twenty two types of the Northeast’s iconic raw papaya salad. There’s porkneck somtum, salted egg somtum, even a Luang Prabang somtum. Any good? Let’s just say that we tried the somtum pu ma… and marvelled at its fiery tang and legs of horseshoe crab. As for the other Isan dishes – all 80 of them –the kitchen seems
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just as skilled at the deep-fryer and soup pot as it is the pestle and mortar. The goldenfried tub tim fish is sublime, the gaeng hed poh (spicy popping-mushroom soup) beguilingly spiced, and the laab tod a deep-fried, crackling variation on the minced meat salad and just one of several playful signatures. Best of all are the pocket-friendly prices – though the owner pays inner-city rents she charges the same as at her other branches in the ‘burbs. For assertive, flavourful Isaan food in a bright, clean townhouse setting, Baan Somtum is a no-brainer. Plentiful parking too.
บ้านส้มตำ� ซ.ศรีเวียง
Southern thai Khua Kling Pak Sod [MAP3 / R 3] 98/1 Thong Lor Soi 5 (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 02-185-3977 | 11am - 2pm; 5:30pm - 9pm This Southern Thai restaurant, decorated in antiques, family heirlooms and Gustav Klimt prints, is a family affair. The Englishspeaking son and daughter work here in their spare time, Aunty is on cooking duties, and the family matriarch sits at her wooden desk, in front of a huge photo of her late husband looking dapper in his youth. More importantly, the food is superb – colourful, intense, made with love. The menu lists twenty one Southern dishes, most of them family recipes. Dishes that won’t leave you dabbing your brow include the bai leang pad khai (stir-fried bai leang leaves with egg; B120), a mild, simple dish that sooths the inevitable mouth burn; and the moreish moo oong (B140): a sweet, brown, smooth curry primed with fatty strips of pork and fragrant with star anise. Dishes that might include the
Khua Kling Pak Sod
khua kling moo (a dry, fragrant pork curry flecked with fine strips of kaffir lime leaf and tiny birds eye chills – watch out!; B150); and the tongue-scouring hot kaeng lueang pla (the classic fish and bamboo shoot yellow curry, B180). Should you want to mix things up a bit, half the menu is devoted to Central Thai food, all of it well done – but for us this is a place to delve into the flavours of the Deep South. The welcome is warm, the prices reasonable, and the slow-cooked food bold and fresh.
คั่วกลิ้ง ผักสด ทองหล่อ ซ.5
american 25 Degrees [MAP 5 / G5] Ground floor, Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, 188 Silom Road | 02-238-1991 | www. pullmanbangkokhotelg.com The interior of this ‘bordello meet’s burger bar’ includes a long wooden bar, oversized leather winged chairs, vintage black and white photographs and rich red, floral print satin wallpaper. A plush 1960s pastiche, Betty Draper on one of her saner days would not look out of place staring vacantly into space here. One thing to note is that the signature burgers, as well as the build your
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own option, come sans sides, so the prices here do start to rack up quite quickly. Arriving first, the Number One was a handsome, hefty specimen. On releasing it from its brown paper wrapping and biting into its golden bun we hit a layer of caramelized onion, crescenza, gorgonzola, bacon, arugula and thousand island dressing. In future we’d probably swap the gorgonzola for a less assertive cheese, as it was a tad overpowering, detracting from the succulence and flavour of the soft, mediumdone patty. The ingredients in the Number 2 – roasted tomato, burrata, crisp prosciutto and pesto – sound a little more low-key and subtle, so we might give that a whirl next time. There are other options too, like the Number 4, which pairs yellowfin tuna with a crispy fried onion (solid not spectacular), and, if you’re not bothered about burgers, grilled sandwiches and beast’s like the sonoran hotdog (B330). This almost foot-long frankfurter came bacon wrapped and buried in tomato, pinto beans, onions, mustard and garlic aioli. Messy yet enjoyable.
รร.พูลแมน แบงกอก โฮเต็ล จี ถ.สีลม
french LA COLOMBE D’OR [MAP3 / G11] 59 Sukhumvit Soi 8 |02-253-5556 | www. le-banyan.com |Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight (last orders for main courses 10pm) | $$$ The ‘Golden Dove’ replaced the fire-ravaged Le Banyan, with a fresh lick of paint, French-themed photos, and large windows overlooking a lush garden with terrace. The bar at one end has a cool blue light, rattan
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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 rouille topped 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. Careful shopping might see you out of here for B1,000 before tax; the ambiance is good; and wines affordable.
LA COLOMBE D’OR
Elements is an imposing space, where heavy ship’s lanterns loom overhead from a high ceiling lined with the inevitable exposed piping. The décor is predominantly black and brown, low lit, with full wall sculptures of black charcoal at each end of the room that – as well as providing an arty backdrop – apparently filter out cooking smells from the open kitchen. To wind down grab a sake cocktail (maybe ‘sakura’, with plum wine, cranberry, and syrups of rose apple and sakura, B350++) as you choose from a list billed as ‘modern logical cuisine’, which they translate to me as the use of seasonal produce. The menu is divided into à la carte, with main meat courses largely in the B900++-B1,500++ range, and four tasting menus, including a vegetarian option (B1,200++). We opted for
ลา โกลอมบ์ ดอร์ ถ.สุขุมวิท ซ.8
international Elements [MAP4 / L5] Fl25 The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Park Ventures Ecoplex, 57 Wireless Rd | 02-6879000 | BTS Ploenchit | Daily 6pm-10.30pm
Elements
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La Table de Tee
the five-course Moments set (B2,400++), starting with excellent quality gravlax and lightly smoked tuna with wasabi vinaigrette and soy jelly. Other dishes included a mushroom infusion poured over sautéed mushrooms, hazelnuts and thyme flavoured croutons; and slow cooked wagyu done two ways, as 24-hour sous vide short rib, with truffle mash, celeriac and apple, and beef cheek hachée. All are plated on off-kilter tableware for a little visual flair. Finish with “a modern interpretation” of tiramisu with mascarpone cream and amaretto ice cream served in a tuile. The coffee element arrives as a couple of tiny jelly squares. Champagne (B1,280++) and dessert wines feature among 19 choices by the glass (B280-B700++) on a list divided by grape rather than region. Take a glass (or the whole meal) outside to the good-sized deck, which benefits from an unobstructed view towards northern Bangkok, at least until the new Central Embassy mall and the Noble Ploenchit condominiums are built.
รร.โอกุระ เพรสทีจ กรุงเทพ ถ.วิทยุ La Table de Tee [MAP5 / L6] 69/5 Sala Daeng Rd., Silom | BTS Sala Deang, MRT Silom | 02-636-3220 | www. latabledetee.com | Tue–Sun 6:30pm10:30pm | B900 per person At at the ripe young age of 25, Chatree ‘Tee’ Kachornklin returned home with six years of experience under his belt at London’s Michelin-starred Roussilon restaurant, where he climbed his way up the ladder, from kitchen hand to sous chef. Rather than work for a hotel, this fresh-faced Northeasterner, with a little help from a financial backer, instead made his Bangkok debut with a restaurant far bolder and more ambitious than its modest and intimate setting suggests. It’s shtick: no à la carte menu, but rather a six-course tasting menu that changes each week. A few years on and not much seems to have changed – except for the fact that Tee and his small team now have a fiercely loyal following that proves the bangkok101.com
Mezzaluna
critics, who wondered whether a chef’s table concept could work here (including us), wrong. The secret of its success is the passion of Tee’s cooking – not to mention the price (B900) and the element of surprise. His rotating menu blends classical French techniques with local ingredients sourced either from the Royal Project at Doi Kham or his family’s small farm up in Chaiyaphum. One week may be more Asian inspired, the next more Western – it depends on his mood or what’s in season. Highlights from our most recent visit included cauliflower and coconut veloute with sautéed tiger prawns, a mushroom risotto and the dark chocolate fondant. Put off by the lack of choice? Don’t be. Yes, it throws the dice every week, but that’s half the fun, and La Table de Tee a restaurant well worth gambling on.
ลาเทเบิลเดอที ถ.ศาลาแดง Mezzaluna [map5 / c 5] 63rd F, The Dome at Lebua | 1055 Silom Rd. | 02-624-9555 | www.lebua.com | Tue – Sun 6pm – 1am (Last order 10:30 pm)Our favourite view from the 200-metre high Mezzaluna is looking north along the meanders of the Chao Phraya River, past ancient temples towards the Grand Palace, but wherever you sit you get a stunning Bangkok panorama. The inside’s slick, too – a highceiling grandeur, where silk shades soften the light from ornate chandeliers, and a multitude of stout candles on slender metal rails send a cathedral flicker around the room. Add crisp white table linen, a string quartet, and huge faux Greco-Roman pillars outside the windows and you have an imposing, although comfortable, formality. You wouldn’t want to come here in a T-shirt and shorts, even if they didn’t have a dress code (which they do).Twin brothers Thomas and Mathias Sühring run the open kitchen, where Challans duck, Allaiton lamb and Nova Scotia lobster are typical of the items that make the store rooms. The mantra “top quality product” is much quoted in restaurant M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 7 7
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SMITH
circles everywhere, but at Mezzaluna they mean what they say. They have a choice of a three course menu (with four picks each of starters, mains and desserts, B 3,900++) or a six course tasting menu (B 4,900++), also available with a wine pairing (B 6,900++). Both change daily, according to the product in hand. The twins add subtle treatment to fine product and show great consistency and balance, both to individual plates and to the meal as a whole. This is one of Bangkok’s most impressive restaurants, and a shoe-in for special occasions.
รร.เลอบัว แอท สเตททาวเวอร์ ถ.สีลม SMITH [MAP4 /p6] 1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49 | BTS Thong Lor | 02-261-0515 | www.facebook/smith | Mon - Sun 5pm – midnight Smith is by the same dream team who brought us hit gastro-bar Hyde & Seek. Regional cocktail consultant Chanond Purananda is on tipple duties while the food is by Ian Kittichai and Peter Pitakwong: two celebrity chefs with sprawling CVs and serious cooking chops. Given the success of Hyde & Seek it’s not surprising that they’ve teamed up again. What is surprising is that they’ve gone for nose-to-tail dining – that scoffthe-whole beast food ethos that gained traction among adventurous, ethicallyminded foodies back in the UK almost a decade ago. The menu, stapled sheets of A4 paper on our visit, is in constant flux and features familiar cuts as well as strange ones, most sourced locally. Starters included steak tartare with crispy deep-fried capers and garden herbs, and braised pig’s tail with tuna and foie gros torchon, both garnished with edible flower blossoms. Our main: the verjus glazed pork belly (B350), cooked for three days and served alongside slivers of sweet plum, lentils and yet more edible flowers. Smith’s desserts and cocktails are getting less attention, but that’s not to say they’re a letdown. Banana splits, chocolate terrine, baked alaska and a variation on strawberries and cream, the Eton Mess, were the current sweet finishes. And 7 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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the drinks list is as extensive and full of surprises as you’d expect from the team behind Hyde & Seek. To name just one, the Garden of Good & Evil is a light blend of Hoegaarden, lychee and ginger that transports you to a garden in summertime Europe every time you swig it. There are also beers on tap (and four spare ones for groups who want to buy their own keg – “we give you four days to drink it,” says Chanond).
IMOYA
VEGETARIAN Saras [map 4 / J7]
39 Sukhumvit Soi 27 (enter from Soi 29 or 31) | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-258-4386 | www. enotecabangkok.com | 6pm-midnight | $$$ A small bar, arch shapes, and exposed brickwork; arty posters, a blackboard menu, a seven-table slice of northern Italy in downtown Bangkok. Chef Stefano Merlo arrived here with a respect for tradition and a flair for theatrics following spells at the Michelin starred Le Canlandre, in Padua, and the Tokyo branch of Enoteca Pinchiorri, another Michelin stalwart, in Florence. His six-course tasting menu (around B1,400 and only available for the whole table) offers the chance to try a wide selection of dishes. The opener – a tidbit of luxury carbonara sauce, cleverly served in a hollowed egg shell, and eaten with a teaspoon – is followed by black ink cappuccino, in which cubelets of tender slow cooked squid in its own ink are topped with creamy whipped potato. Presented in a glass jug, it resembles blackcurrant fool, with equally comforting tastes and textures. Later, there’s saffron risotto flecked with the strong dark flavours of liquorice; rich suckling pig intriguingly balanced by coffee-laced chestnut puree; and the hotcold rush of chocolate foam served on crushed ice seasoned with rum. A modest, casual restaurant, a smart menu, every dish a talking point; I haven’t had so much fun in ages.
Sukhumvit Soi 20 (near Windsor Hotel) | 02-401-8484 | www.saras.co.th | (home delivery via ChefsXP: 02-204-2001) Mon – Fri 8 am –10:30 pm, Sat – Sun 8 am – 11 pm Somehow Saras and its delicious Indian fast food, all of it 100% vegetarian, managed to elude our attention since opening back in early 2010. Secreted away down a little driveway on Sukhumvit 20, it’s a utilitarian canteen with solid wood furniture and a food court-like ordering system. The upside of this stripped down set-up are the prices. Roughly 350 plus dishes of pan-Indian – sit on the menu and nearly all come in well under B150. Even more intriguingly, the majority are the sorts of authentic down-home delicacies that sell in the tens of millions each day in their homeland but rarely seem to make it on to the menu of curryhouses either here in Bangkok or in the West. To name but a few, the dahi puchka are little cuplets of crispy puri (bread) filled with a potato and pea mixture, drenched in a cool and slightly tart curd, and topped off with herbs and a mild tamarind sauce; the chupa rustam kebabs tandoor-cooked little culets of heavily spiced potato with a surprise – mozzarella – waiting inside; and the mushroom momos, from the Indian-Chinese section, moreish gyoza-like dumplings served with a pickled tomato dip. More treats await, no doubt. If knowing what to plump for off the text menu proves tricky, then opt for one of their five thali sets. Available in Rajasthani, Gujarati and North India variations, these come served with their own unique array of vegetable and lentil dishes and different breads. Speaking of breads, one to try here is the kulcha, a more fragrant alternative to the usual naan. It’s also worth finding room for Saras’ freshly made sweets, all handsomely displayed in glass display cases. Only adding to the appeal of this no-frills shrine to authentic Indian vegetarian food – a detour-worthy must for the herbivores and intrepid food explorers among you – are the Jain menu and delivery, through www.chefsxp.com, options.
เอ็นโนติก้า สุขุมวิท ซ.27
ซาราส สุขุมวิท ซ.20
สมิธ ถ.สุขุมวิท 49
italian ENOTECA ITALIANA [map D3-4]
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meet the green fairy Photo courtesy of at Q Bar’s Le Derriere RED SKY BAR
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nightlife news
Nightlife two top djs at Bed Supperclub
Local promoters Champion Sound continue doing what they do best: bringing big-name DJs to Bed Supperclub on Thursdays. Confirmed for this month so far is Sandy Rivera on March 7, the US house DJ who, as ‘Kings Of Tomorrow’, has produced crossover hits such as ‘Young Hearts’ and ‘Finally’. The week after, March 11, US dubstep superhero Kill the Noise will drop by. Entry is B500 and B400 respectively including one drink, but only if you click ‘going’ on the Facebook event page, which is at Facebook: championsoundbangkok. Drum and bass fans will also be ecstatic to hear that UK legend Andy C is due to play here soon, although Champion Sound have confirmed nothing more than it will be at “a big venue with an insane sound system.”
Hard Rock Rocks Concert
Two Thai super groups, Songs for Life legends Carabao and hip-hop trio Thaitanium, will join forces on Thursday March 14 for an outdoor charity concert in front of Siam Square’s Hard Rock Café. Joining them will be the somewhat insensitively titled rock group Alzheimer. The gig, which is raising funds for an organ donor charity and deprived rural kids, will kick off at 6pm and tickets are B300.
Kolour Sundays Carnival
Not so much a nightlife event as a late-afternoon to sunset event, the first Kolour Sundays Carnival will bring “performers, stage effects, a few mascots and maybe even stilt walkers” to Sukhumvit Soi 26’s Flowhouse on March 17. As usual, the outdoor party will also offer you DJs, live music, smoking BBQs, drink specials and, if you’re not careful, a monumental hangover come Monday morning. The music starts at 1:30pm and should blast until around midnight. Organizers advise booking tickets online beforehand, but haven’t announced ticket prices yet. See Facebook: wearekolour for updates.
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night-tonight but always excludes hip-hop (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool website.
โกลว์ สุขุมวิท ซ.23 LEVELS [Map3 / E8]
Bed Supperclub
Nightclubs BASH [ma p3 / F8] 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (entrance next to the Australian Pub | midnight-very late | www. bashbangkok.com, Facebook: BashBangkok | B300 including one standard drink Open till “very late”, Bash is brash. American owner Daryl Scott, a well-known club scene figure, has spliced strands of global clubbing DNA with the usually sleazy after-hours club concept. There are burlesque dancers ranging from midgets and robots on stilts to cross-dressing whacker Pan Pan (the shows bring to mind risqué superclub Manumission at times); the fixtures and furniture are of the very glam sort (gleaming Louis IX furniture, etc); and the DJs are often big names. Head up the stairs lined with misshapen mirrors and you’ll find three floors of fun, two of them taken up by the main room and the mezzanine which overlooks it. In the LEDwrapped booth here, DJs spin mainly house and techno, while on the top floor it’s mainly hip-hop. However, they do mix things up, with a different theme every night.
แบช สุขุมวิท ซ.11 BED SUPPERCLUB [ma p3 / C4] 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3537 www.bedsupperclub.com | 7:30 pm-1 am With its uber-modern oval spaceship design, Bed Supperclub is a hugely successful hybrid, and a Bangkok icon: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past eight years, Bed has attracted a fashionable crowd, and with its à-la-page white interior is definitely a place to see and be seen. The food is world-class on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-notch talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Big-name DJs tend to spin on Thursdays.
เบด ซัปเปอร์คลับ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 bangkok101.com
Q bar
DEMO [map3 / R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-711-6970 | 8 pm-1 am | free Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipsterville; it sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking soundsystem.
เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ.10 Funky Villa [MAP3 / R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 | BTS Thong Lor 08-5253-2000 | 6 pm-2 am | The name Funky Villa conjures images of roller-blading babes in bikinis, all partying at a Hugh Hefner-owned villa in the Med. The reality’s different. Steer your way through the fairground-sized car park, past the BMWs and chic lounge-deck area, and you’ll hit a swish one-storey house, more posh than funky. Some of Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls around in the front room; but most hit the fridge-cool dancehall to boogie away the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs. Forget about edgy sounds – here it’s all about getting down with the CEOs of tomorrow.
ฟังกี้ วิลล่า ทองหล่อ ซ.10 GLOW [Map3 / G5] 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 | www.glowbkk.com 6 pm-1 am This boutique club / bar challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of underground electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes
6th Floor, Aloft Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 082308-3246 | 9pm-3am daily | www.levelsclub.com One of the newest clubs on Soi 11 (along with Bash) is drawing big crowds, especially during weekends and international DJ flyins. Located in the front annex of the Aloft Hotel, directly opposite Bed, entry is via a lift. Step out of it and you emerge out on to a semi-open air terrace lit by a glowing bar. Our favourite spot: the banquettes with a birds-eye view down over the soi. The rest of the club hasn’t made such a big impression on us, yet. At the far end of the huge main room, a DJ spins mainly house music in front of a tiered danceflooor spotted with tables and podiums. Dancers step up to get the crowd going. There’s also a low-ceilinged room at the back that opens up later. On Thursdays ladies get 3 free drinks, and Fri-Sat there’s a free bar until 11pm for B500, but the biggest reason for its success appears to be the lack of an entry fee.
เลเวลส์ รร.เอลอฟท์ แบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.11 ROUTE 66 [Map8 / Q12] 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | MRT Phetchaburi | www.route66club.com B200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as it is affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, alllasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. Route is not a good place to lose your friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry fee (but get a free drink).
รูท 66 อาร์ ซี เอ TAPAS [Map5 / J 5] Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng / MRT Silom 02-632-7982 | www.tapasroom.net | 8 pm-2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4, Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay
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strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. Multi-levelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Weeknights are very quiet, but weekends are always hopping from about midnights onwards. And if it’s not, there’s the outside terrace: a good spot for cocktails and some of the best people watching in town. The tipples are mixed strong, and watching this soi’s comings and goings an eye-opening experience to say the least. The B200 entry fee on Fridays and Saturdays includes a drink.
ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4 THE CLUB [Map7 / F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 www.theclubkhaosan.com | 6 pm-2 am B 100 (incl. one drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairy-tale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance raves. Musicwise, it’s a loud, banging house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually craniumrattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.
เดอะคลับ ข้าวสาร Q BAR [Map3 / C4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-252-3274 www.qbarbangkok.com | 8 pm-1 am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs appearing regularly. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Some relative solitude and a pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found up here and on the outdoor terrace, which is perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack. Ladies get free entry on Wednesday nights – and two free drinks!
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ST.Regis bar
hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map3 / F 6, 7] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250, Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 | www. barsubangkok.com | 6 pm-2 am The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu features the tagline ‘eat, play, dance,’ and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, there are five live bands for each night of the week. Comprised of students from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Jazz, Tenon Round’ are a gifted young quartet who perform every Tuesday from 8 to 10pm. The other bands, JazzPlayground, P.O.8, Rhythm Nation and Hot Gossip, play from Wednesday to Saturday respectively. In between sets, the multi-talented DJ D’Zier spins an infectious blend of house, r&b, soul, latin and whatever else keeps you movin’. As well as creative cocktails (our pick: the tom yum yum - a cold cocktail version of the iconic hot and spicy soup), a ‘Night Bites’ menu of delicious premium finger food is also on hand to keep those energy levels up.
รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท สุขุมวิท 12 CM2 [map4 / D5] B1 F, Novotel Siam Square |392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam | 02-209-8888 www.cm2bkk. Com | 10 pm – 2 am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dance floor, 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
CM2
live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially lifechanging audition. Currently that includes the impressive Crush Crew, who perform their renditions of modern hip-hop, R&B and other charting hits daily except Tuesday from 10:45pm onwards. International / Thai food and a huge cocktail list are served, as is what they claim is Bangkok’s biggest pour – all drinks feature double shots for no extra charge. Currently the entrance fee is B550 (2 drinks included). However ladies during the popular ‘Ladies Night’ every Monday and Thursday girls get in free, plus two standard drinks. Stalk their Facebook page for news of their popular monthly theme parties and drinks promotions.
รร.โนโวเทลสยามสแควร์ สยามสแควร์ ซ.6 ST. REGIS BAR [map4 / G 7] 12th F, St. Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Rajadamri Rd BTS Ratchadamri | 02-207-7777 | www.stregis.com
Mo-Fr 10 am-1 am, Sat & Sun 10 am-2 am At 6:30 pm each day a butler struts out onto the terrace of The St. Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out onto the terrace. Come for this, stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whisky in hand.
รร. เดอะ เซนต์ รีจิส กรุงเทพฯ ถ.ราชดำ�ริ
Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP3 / C4] 33rd Fl Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana 02-207-9300 | www.aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am A west-facing 33rd floor rooftop bar with
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ascends, especially during special party nights. These include MODE, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape rather than detached from it. Long table
beautiful sunsets, Above Eleven is a winning combination. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. There’s a great view, an impressive cocktail list, an electro soundtrack with special DJ nights on Wednesday (Salsa), Friday (Hip Hop) and Saturday (House), and this is Bangkok’s only Peruvian restaurant, a cuisine with a bit of worldwide buzz. It will suit the adventurous.
the speakeasy
deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature ‘long-tail’ cocktails or new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hairtousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.
อาคารคอลัมน์ สุขุมวิท ซ.16 MOON BAR [Map5 / K, l8]
4th F, Arun Residence Hotel |36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd (near Wat Po) 02-221-9158 | www.arunresidence.com 6 pm-1 am Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, sour-sweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper though is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its balcony terrace onto the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn, on the banks beyond. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky.
61st F, Banyan Tree Bangkok | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 www.banyantree.com | 5 pm-1 am This is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. With stunning 360° views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescope and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys feel right at home here, too. Stay until the wee hours, nibble on sophisticated snacks, take in the light jazz – and never ever forget your camera.
อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช
รร.บันยันทรี ถ.สาทรใต้
เฟรเซอร์ สวีทส์ สุขุมวิท สุขุมวิท ซ.11 AMOROSA [Map7 / C 12]
LONG TABLE [Map3 / H8] 25th F, 48 Column Bldg | Sukhumvit Soi 16 BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-302-2557-9 www.longtablebangkok.om | 11 am-2:00 am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing that draws Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar. There’s also the trend-setting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place
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NEST [Map3 / C4] 9th F, Le Fenix | 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 BTS Nana | 02-305-4000 www.lefenixsukhumvit.com | 5 pm-2 am An all-white and urbane open-air oasis on the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket nibbles from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd
เลอฟินิกซ์ สุขุมวิท ซ.11 PHRANAKORN BAR [map7 / G6] Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd. 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am Only a five minute walk from Khao San Road, multi-level Phranakorn Bar is an old favourite of local art students and creatives, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playlist and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop offering splendid views, over old-city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is cheap, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first. From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side.
พระนครบาร์ ซ.ดำ�เนินกลางใต้ ถ.ราชดำ�เนิน RED SKY [Map4 / F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | BTS Chit Lom / Siam | 02-100-1234 www.centarahotelresorts.com | 5 pm-1 am Encircling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan aura. Upscale bar snacks like slowcooked baby back pork ribs and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company while your eyes explore the scenery. It’s not cheap, but the daily happy hours (buy one get one drink on selected wine, beer and cocktails from 5pm-7pm).
รร.เซ็นทาร่าแกรนด์ แอทเซ็นทรัลเวิลด์ ถ.พระราม 1 The Speakeasy [MAP4 / J6] Hotel Muse | 55/555 Lang Suan Rd 02-630-4000 | www.hotelmusebangkok.com 6 pm-1 am One of the newest al fresco rooftop bars,
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The Speakeasy has several sections, all radiating from the Long Bar, which you enter from the elevator. As the name suggests, the complex evokes the glamour of Prohibition Era USA, with fusion Deco details, mirrored wall panels and carved wood screens. Everything’s distressed, the parquet floors unvarnished – it’s a well-oiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel. On the wooden deck Terrace Bar people fill the lounge areas and tall tables that hug the classical balustrades overlooking Lang Suan. A long international snack menu stands out for decent portions at reasonable prices; spirits (from B 270) include luxury cognacs and malts; wines are B300-B600 a glass, while cocktails (from B 290) include home-made vodka infusions.
รร.โฮเทล มิวส์ ซ.หลังสวน SKY BAR / DISTIL [map5 / C5] 63rd F, State Tower | 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | www.thedomebkk.com 6 pm-1 am Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely not spots for the casual beach bum, so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced.
สเตททาวเวอร์ สีลม
BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map3 / e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 083-5492055 | Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight Fitting somewhere between Soi 11’s swank cocktail bars and the rickety dive bar aesthetic of the legendary Cheap Charlie’s, which it neighbours, The Alchemist is a stylishly stripped down drinking hole. Nothing more, nothing less. We approve, and so too, it seems, do the punters. Not only does it attract the spill-over from Cheap Charlie’s, it also draws a loyal crowd of its own, who savour the intimate atmosphere, occasional live music, proper
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his and her toilets (Cheap Charlie’s are infamous for their dinginess) and, above all, drinks prices. Currently rocking the drinks list are assorted martinis (dry, passionfruit and espresso), classic cocktails, random shooters, and some of the best mojitos you’ll find on this end of Sukhumvit.
ดิ อัลเคมิส สุขุมวิท ซ.11 Apoteka [map 3/ e8] 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 090-626-7655 | www.apotekabkk.com, Facebook: ApotekaBangkok | Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5:pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-12am As you may have guessed, the name is based on an outdated word for pharmacist and the place is meant to emulate a 19th century apothecary. Unsurprisingly, it has an old-school feel. There are high ceilings, red brick walls and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being projected onto the wall. Indoor seating is a mix of tall tables with studded chairs, and long tables for larger groups along the main wall. Large cases filled with vintage colored bottles of medicine flank the bar. The outdoor seating is mellow – a wooden patio with some cozy furniture that could be a nice place to curl up on a date or meet some friends for a smoke and a beer. Drink selection includes a nice selection of beer (the Framboise Ale at B250 is delightful), Heineken for just B135, and custom cocktails cost you B230. Keep your eyes peeled for the whisky and cigar lounge: a room hidden off to the side of the staircase. With muted green brocade on the walls, low leather couches, and Johnnie Walker in glass cases, this space is available for private parties or just chill sessions.
อโปเตก้า สุขุมวิท11 BARLEY BISTRO [map 5 / h5] 4/F Food Channel, Silom Road | BTS Sala Daeng | 087-033-3919 | daily 5pm-late www.barleybistro.com Hidden up some stairs at the Food Channel, an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, Barley Bistro is slick and snazzy. The design is chic (blacks and greys, white-on-black stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food new-fangled (spaghetti kimchi etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air rooftop. Though not quite worthy of our ‘Bars with a View’ section – it’s boxed in by
clouds
buildings – it’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barley-stalk sculptures and good for postwork/ pre-club cocktails. Live bands play in the bar most nights.
บาร์ลี่ย์บิสโทร ฟู้ดชาแนล ถ.สีลม BREW [map 3 / Q6] Seen Space, Thonglor Soi 13 | BTS Thonglor | 02-185-2366 | www.brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am It wasn’t so long ago that the beer selection here was comprised entirely of the ubiquitous local lagers and the Heinekens and Carlsbergs of this world. The fact that it doesn’t anymore is largely thanks to Chris Foo, the owner of this beer bar tucked away on the ground floor of Thonglor Soi 13’s happening mini-mall Seenspace. Depending on what time of year it is, Brew stocks between 140 and 170 bottles of ales, lagers, ciders, you name it. Currently, the setting in which you sip them is hip in Thonglor circles. That’s not so much down to Brew’s tiny interior, with its exposed piping and bar flanked by kegs of beer and brick walls, as the buzzing outdoor area it shares with futuristic cocktail bar Clouds and the nautically-themed Fat’r Gutz. Due to Thailand’s head-smackingly high import duties, most bottles hover around the B240-260 mark.
ซีน สเปซ ทองหล่อ ซ.13 CAFÉ TRIO [map4 / H6] 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | BTS Chit Lom 02-2526572 | 6 pm-1 am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month Cafe Trio is just about the only bar worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Tucked down a narrow alley just off the upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – a true neighbourhood place. Cafe Trio overflows with plush couches, the lighting delightfully soft, the music always subdued. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has
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bizarre: think space-station drinking hole.
คลาวด์ โครงการการซีสเปซ ซ.ทองหล่อ 13 ESCAPADE [MAP7 / E3]
marshmallow
plastered the walls with her Modiglianiesque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and head 50m down the road.
คาเฟ่ทริโอ ซ.หลังสวน CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map3 / D6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-253-4648 Mon-Sat 5 pm-midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest Sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists in-the-know to fill up on B 70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little sub-soi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.
ชีพ ชาร์ลีย์ ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก) CLOUDS [Map3 / Q2] 1st F, SeenSpace | 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | BTS Thong Lo 02-185-2365 | www.cloudslounge.com The third bar by Australian Ashley Sutton – the mad scientist of Bangkok’s bar scene – is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of hip lifestyle mall SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leafencasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls; and the food offerings tasty misshapen pizzas, cooked in a gas-oven behind the bar and served in steel trays. A lively crowd-puller with indoor and outdoor seating, the result is enjoyably
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112 Pra-Artit Rd, Pranakorn | 08-7363-2629, 08-1406-3773 | Tue-Sun 12pm-12am www.facebook.com/escaburgersandshakes Unlike most bars in the Khao San Road area, the owners of this bohemian holein-the-wall, Khun Karn and Khun Van, are the sorts of locals you might actually strike up a conversion with. Karn, a former bartender at the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, mixes creative, tasty and strong cocktails to order for only B140-B200. Tell him your wildest alcohol-sodden fantasies and he’ll deliver you the tipple of your dreams in minutes. Van, meanwhile, rustles up lip smacking bar grub: hot dogs buried in jalapeno peppers and sizzling bacon; baskets of honey-glazed deep-fried chicken, etc. Perhaps the most memorable thing about Escapade, though, are its proportions: you have to squeeze past strangers to enter, a quirk which makes it more intimate than most.
เอสกาเพด เบอร์เกอร์ แอนด์ เชค ถ.พระอาทิตย์ FACE BANGKOK (map3/S7) 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | BTS Thong Lo | 02-7136048 | www.facebars.com | 11:30am-1am Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s former mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings and thriving flora, it’s just bigger and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that summons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails. Though often empty, the big drink list will stop your body clock pretty fast. The two restaurants – Hazara serving Northern Indian and Lan Na Thai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and inviting, but you might be let down by the tiny portions, and the flamboyant prices. Stay in the Bar and order from the snack menu instead. And have another Japanese Slipper.
เฟซแบงคอก สุขุมวิท ซ.38 FAT GUT’Z [map3 / Q2] 264 Soi 12, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lor) ] 027-149-832 | www.fatgutz.com | 6 pm-2 am This sleek saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious
sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named after famous WWII shipwrecks. This nautical theme loosely ties in with the short menu, from which the most popular dish is, of course, the fish ‘n’ chips (B320 for one person, B600 for two).
แฟท กัซ สุขุมวิท ซ.55 FIVE Gastronomy & Mixology [MAP3 / O9]
Room 103, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 BTS Phrom Phong | 088-524-5550 www.facebook.com/fivebkk | 6pm-1am daily Five brings a welcome wand blast of gothic whimsy to K Village, an otherwise aesthetically uninspiring community mall. Its owner, Pattriya Na Nakorn, invited bar entrepreneur Ashley Sutton to work his magic with a vacant plot on the ground floor. And, completing her dream team is Joseph Boroski, the same New York based cocktail ‘mixologist’ that Sutton uses. His bars always engage the day-dreamy part of your brain and this black magic themed one is no different. Think clanking pulleys, monumental iron piping and flickering candles. Indeed, even the staff look like they’ve stumbled off the set of Harry Potter. Creepily-monikered eats include fried bat wings (herb-coated chicken wings). And Boroski potions worth necking include the Prescription Brandy Suzerac: a strong, earthy mix of Italian brandy, lime, honey and cinnamon served in a small poison bottle. It’s not cheap, but Five casts an intoxicating spell.
ไฟว์ เควิลเลจ สุขุมวิท 26 HOUSE OF BEERS [map 3 / r6] Penny’s Balcony, Corner of Thong Lo (Sukhumvit 55) Soi 16 | BTS Thong Lo | 02-392-3513 | 11ammidnight If you fancy something that suits your palate a little more than the limited selection of Thai beers, there are ubiquitous, crowded “Irish” and “British” theme pubs or several sprawling German beer gardens around town. But the most varied and numerous quality beers in the world are brewed in Belgium – and it’s been that way since Belgian monasteries started doing so in the Middle Ages.House of Beers, in the corner of Penny’s Balcony on Thong Lo, offers all sorts of them, from pale ales, like
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Leffe Blonde and Hoegaarden, to esoteric, doubly fermented specials, like Kwak, plus fruit beers. The liquid refreshment also comes augmented by Belgian fries and Tapas-style bar snacks, like steamed mussels in various sauces. It’s all served up a Euro-style café, which although petite, is decorated with woods and warm colours.
เฮาส์ออฟเบียร์ หัวมุมซ.ทองหล่อ 16 HYDE & SEEK [Map4 / L5] 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee BTS Phloen Chit | 02-168-5152 | 11 am-1 am www.hydeandseek.com This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadringer for those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pickmeup cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgian-influenced décor has paneled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and a mini-maze of tea plants to partition dining areas.
แอนธินีเรซซิเดนซ์ ซ.ร่วมฤดี MARSHMALLOW [map3 / C5] 33/18 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-254-1971 Facebook: Marshmallow | 11 am-1 am Occupying the corner building where Sukhumvit 11 turns left towards Q Bar, this gastro bar has a raised terrace that wraps around its perimeter, beside tall steel and glass doors that are fully retractable. Dark wood-planks line the walls and pillars; there’s a metalwork-backed bar; and a bohemian touch, bird cage lamps, dangling over the tables at one end. Cocktails come in at a very reasonable B190; champagne and sparkling cocktails B 220; local beers B90. “Food was never meant to be the focus,” the partner Fred Jungo, a resident DJ at nearby Bed Supperclub, told us. However, judging by the dishes we tucked in to – a bright and fresh haloumi cheese salad, a slab of Australian tenderloin with mash and boiled veg (B 550) – it could become their forte. An affordable and brilliantly located (in Soi 11 clubber terms) spot for drinks and bites.
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tuba
OSKAR BISTRO [map3 / D5] 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-255 3377 4 pm-2 am; kitchen open till 11:30 pm Lively Oskar has the electro music and low ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. The food choice includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a section of cocottes. Almost all are under B300, which for food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most people come here though not for the food but for a pre-club libation or two: be it glass of wine (from B145 a glass), imported bottle beer, or reasonably priced cocktail. Close to Bed Supperclub and Q Bar, its own ambient, loungey sounds crank up as the night matures, and – although there’s no dance space – many of the mixed Thai-farang crowd are happy to linger. It’s a good meal and drinks option for a date or business, but also a lively pick-up joint without the pressure of full-on dress-tokill. Book ahead if you want a table.
wtf
THE IRON FAIRIEs [Map3 / Q2] 394 Thong Lor (Sukhumvit Soi 55), Thong Lor Soi 12 | BTS Thong Lo | 084-520-2301 www.theironfairies.com Bangkok’s most bizarre bar is a functioning iron foundry that just happens to serve booze. Drawing heavily from the steampunk genre, it has the labyrinthine otherworldliness of a Terry Gilliam film-set. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours the tables, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the cast-iron spiral staircase. Beers start from B120 a bottle, a well mixed dirty martini goes for B280 and the burgers, served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, divine. The moneyed Thong Lor set fill it nightly.
ดิไอรอนแฟรี่ส์แอนด์โค ซ.ทองหล่อ SALT [MAP8 / L7]
Soi Ari (near Soi 4) | 02-619-6886 6pm-midnight Worth heading to Soi Ari for, Salt is a ออสการ์ บิสโทร สุขุมวิท ซ.11 hipster-luring gastro bar with a post-modern TUBA [Map8 / S14] finish. Seating is either out on an outdoor 34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 | 02-711-5500 terrace or in a minimalist concrete shell – a www.design-athome.com | 11 am-2 am former condominium sales office no less Owned by the same hoarders behind – with a bar at the far end and lots of raw furniture warehouse Papaya, Tuba is a marble, stone and wooden furniture. Behind Bangkok classic: room upon room of them sits an old wooden house which is haphazardly arranged kitsch, all of which used to project digital animations on and you’re free to skulk through at your leisure. offers extra seating. This is the sort of uberSome come here to snag a comfy sofa, retro trendy space that the editors of Wallpaper* sign or goofy tchotchke. Others come for the and other design bibles kneel down and big menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked kiss the floor at, but what makes Salt is the for the local palate. But for us, it works best global cuisine that’s coming out the kitchen, as a bar, as the setting and generous happy from fresh sashimi platters to generously hours (buy one get one free between 5-8pm dressed thin-crust pizzas cooked in a daily) mean there really are few cooler proper wood fire. Creative concoctions like places to kick back with a sweet cocktail the Bangkok Mule (a long glass of Mekong in hand (or two hands in some cases – the rum, brown sugar, ginger ale and diced glassware can be that big!). A word to the raw lemongrass) are the work of one of wise: one glass too many and you may leave the mixologists from Soi Ruam Rudee’s with more than you bargained for. Another designer cocktail bar Hyde & Seek. caveat: smokers are allowed to puff away. ซอล์ท ซ.อารีย์
ทูบา ถ.สุขุมวิท 63 (เอกมัย 21)
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SHADES OF RETRO [Map8 / s14] Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor | BTS Thong Lo 081-824-8011 | 3 pm-1 am | cash only Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thong Lor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture storecafé,Shades provides a quiet hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd by day, funpeople-watching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, flip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which flirts with being too ironic for its pants. A cool, friendly crowd and bracing cocktails or coffee served up with popcorn humanizes the hip, thankfully.
เฉดส์ ออฟ เรโทร ซ.ธารารมย์ 2 ทองหล่อ Spot On Beach Bar & Lounge (MAP3 / R6)
139 Thonglor Soi 10 | BTS Thonglor | 082-4880169 | www.facebook.com/SpotOnBeachBar | Mon - Sun 5pm – 2am Spot On attempts to recreate the charms of a laid back beach bar right in the heart of Thong Lor. The concept – some may call it a gimmick – is that of a sun-downer bar beachfront bar, complete with sandcovered floor. Other seaside-y touches include decking, tables that double up as tanks, chilled out music and some overenthusiastic fans which, if you close your eyes, could well be a coastal breeze ruffling your ‘do (don’t panic, there’s air con, too). Patrons are welcome to kick off their shoes and slip on a pair of the bar’s flip flops or simply sink their toes into the fine white sand near the bar. Or, if you don’t fancy that idea, you can enjoy the beach vibe from the comfort of the decked area, where you can sink into a sofa in the open air section overlooking the street below. The extensive menu, showcased on iPads, includes some experimental and tasty options such as Mango Daiquiri, Spice Me Up (a not-very-spicy mix of vodka, triple sec, chilli and brown sugar) and The 7 Deadly Sins (tequila, gin, vodka, contreau, cognac, peppermint, sparkling wine and pineapple juice). Cocktails start at B220 and, though very tasty, do err a little on the weak side – even those on the ‘Hangover Tomorrow’ list.
สปอต์ ออน ทองหล่อ ซ.10 VIVA AVIV [map5 / C2] River City-Unit 118 | 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-639-6305 | www.
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saxophone pub
vivaaviv.com 11am-midnight, later on weekends Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar is being looked after by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum (tequila is so last year, apparently), come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250. Food is also served; our favourite dish the risotto-filled croquet balls with yoghurt dip.
อาคารริเวอร์ซิตี้ เจริญกรุง ซ.30 Water Library @ Grass Grass Thonglor, 264/1 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor 12) | 02-714-9292 | Mon-Sat 6:30pm1am Aside from its upmarket, inventive set menu dining on the first floor restaurant, The Water Library also has three lounge and wine bar areas downstairs with funky food, cocktails and live music at not audacious prices. A set menu of three cocktails paired with tapas bites at B790++ is a pleasant surprise to many, and their wine list starts at a mere B900++ a bottle. Water Library is one-to-watch on the regional drinking and dining scene. The very talented mixologist Mirko Gardelliano was Germany’s Cocktail Champion in 2003, while the wine bar chef Urs Lustenberger worked with Michelin three star chef Juan Amador. This operation has a small cool bar, all black and glass, and opposite through full wall windows a clubby wine bar with just three tables, leather chairs and sofas and wine racks. Between is an outdoor space, covered against the rain, where on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9pm a live band plays at low enough volume to chat. The list of 600 wine labels they claim is the biggest selection in town and their 33 cocktails use infusions of herbs and spices, plus
sonic
alcohol perfumes that add both theatre and aroma. Some are prepared tableside, such as Nitrogen Cuba Libre (7 year-old Havana Club rum, fresh lime, Coca Cola and Nitrogen).
วอเตอร์ไลบรารี่ แอท กราสส์ ทองหล่อ ซ.12 WONG’S PLACE [Map8 / L17] 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen, Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | MRT Lumpini 02-286-1558 | Mon-Sat 10 pm-late It’s amazing how Wong’s Place stays in business. It’s not near any public transport; opens when it wants, closes when it wants; plays crackly videos from Top of the Pops in 1985; has a couple of serve-yourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers, hipsters, creative Thais and professional barflies who have been coming here for years and regard owner Sam as a kind of benevolent dictator, knowing better than to take advantage of the beer fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s usually pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom – and watch the night unfold.
วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี WTF [Map3 / Q6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | BTS Thong Lo 02- 626-6246 | www.wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6 pm-1 am / gallery from 3 pm This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor, decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thaifarang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo and feta salad. Expect occasional live gigs, art exhibitions upstairs
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Nightlife
and a mix of indie hipsters, journos and artscensters to chew the fat with.
ดับเบิลยู ทีเอฟ สุขุมวิท ซ.51
LIVE MUSIC ADHERE the 13TH [Map7 / G3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089- 769-4613 | 5 pm-midnight | Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except forthe Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match, and would never sing Hotel California.
แอดเฮีย 13 ถ.สามเสน บางลำ�ภู COSMIC CAFE [Map8 / Q12] RCA Block C | Rama IX Rd | MRT Rama 9 The rebel in RCA’s ranks, Cosmic Café serves up a mixed diet of sonic eclecticism in a grungy, open-sided corner bar with outdoor seating and a small dance floor. On one night you might the place jumping to a rare live performance by mor lam legend Dao Bandon, on another a house band dishing out some surf guitar, ska, electronic or blues. The edgiest joint on the block, it draws a lively, musically discerning crowd, from skinny jeaned artschool hipster types to teddy boy expats. An insider’s must.
คอสมิค คาเฟ่ อาร์ซีเอ Le Bar de l’Hôtel [Map3 / G9] Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Road (btw Soi 13-15) | 02-126-9999 | BTS Nana or Asoke | Daily 11am-midnight Hotel lobby bars are as safe and predictable as Justin Bieber. Which makes the Sofitel Sukhumvit’s introduction of Chai, one of Bangkok best blues guitarists, particularly welcome. And neither have they stuffed him in a suit. Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, his shaggy ZZ Top beard on full display, Chai throws the sleepy cool of Howling Wolf. And when he cranks up the guitar it sounds like grating steel. For these gigs, running every Friday and Saturday, Chai calls his band the Blues Delivery, a seven piece line up of
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brown sugar
guitar/vocals, sax, trumpet, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion. The only thing missing from a traditional blues night is the grungy venue. Le Bar is hotel chic: an intimate 38-seat venue with a laid back vibe and slouchy sofas and cushions. Other music nights with special deals include the Neung Jakkawal Band every Wednesday (cocktails from B199net) and Siam Cubano, with Salsa on Thursdays (six oysters and free flow sparkling wine, B1,499 net). All bands play from 9pm to midnight.
โซฟิเทล แบงคอก สุขุมวิท THE ROCK PUB [Map4 / C2] 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phaya Thai Rd, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi www.therockpubbangkok.com | 9:30 pm-2 am If Def Leppard, Aerosmith or Wayne and Garth were in town you’d find them reliving the glory years here, at Bangkok’s very own Castle of Rock. A tacky faux-turret exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride you’ve stumbled on, while inside local metal bands sporting Brian May hairdos and crotch-hugging jeans thrash out note-perfect renditions of everything from Black Sabbath to Sweet Child O’Mine and Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. Fans of the extended drum interl ude or lightening fast guitar solo will not be disappointed – or able to resist doing the Devil’s Horn.
เดอะ ร็อคผับ RAINTREE PUB [Map8 / K10] 116 / 63 - 34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd BTS Victory Monument | 02-245-7230, www.raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age timecapsule. Raintree hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970’s folk protest music and soundtrack for Thailand’s politically disaffected. On a stage decorated with the movement’s trademark buffalo skulls, two artists strum nightly: a long-
Le Bar de l’Hotel
haired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30 pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11 pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring.
เรนทรีผับ ซ.ร่วมจิต ถ.รางน้ำ� SAXOPHONE PUB [Map8 / K10] 3 / 8 Phaya Thai Rd | BTS Victory Monument 02-246-5472 | www.saxophonepub.com 6 pm-2 am Just a stone’s throw from the Victory Monument Skytrain Station, this cozy, unpretentious place is a Bangkok landmark when it comes to solid live jazz and blues. Attracting youngish Thais and the odd foreigner, the spacious joint can pack up to 400 people on its homey, low-ceilinged, woodfilled floors. Each night, two talented Thai bands belt out sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare. All the local live music scene greats have played here and many still pop by when they can.
แซ๊กโซโฟนผับ ถ.พญาไท Sonic [MAP3 / T2] 90 Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) |BTS Ekamai 02-382-3396 | facebook: sonic.ekamai 6 pm-2 am Hip, mural-splattered Sonic is dedicated to bringing you assorted musical jollies. Not the same old Thai bands or David Guetta wannabes, but nights that sit at the more alternative end of the spectrum, with a tilt toward the indie side. There’s a big semi-outdoor seating area with DJ booth, an indoor bar and deeper in is the main room. On quieter nights stools and tables fill this high-ceilinged, warehouse-like space with a bar in one corner and funky brass lamps dangling overhead, but for gigs and other crowd-pullers they strip it bare. Since opening, Sonic has blasted its way into the affections of the city’s hard-to-please
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nightlife clans with a string of unusual live gigs and themed nights. See their Facebook page for the next.
โซนิค ซ.เอกมัย (ระหว่าง ซ.10 และบิ๊กซี) TAWANDAENG GERMAN BREWERY [MAP2 /E11]
462 / 61 Rama III Rd | Yan Nawa district 02- 6781114 | www.tawandang.co.th The one place that every taxi driver seems to know, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the towers of micro-brewed beer, the Thai, Chinese and German grub (especially the deep-fried pork knuckle and sausage), and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, everybody is on their feet and the place going bananas. Great for large groups, especially birthday par ties and office outings, but make sure you reserve ahead for the best tables nearest the stage.
โรงเบียร์เยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3 TITANIUM Club & ICE BAR (map D4) Sukhumvit Soi 22 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-258-3758 | www.titanium-club.com | 6pm-1:30am Well folks, and now for something different. Picture this: congenial hostesses clad in Bangkok-Zeitgeist ao dai. A gifted all girl rock n’ roll band jamming nightly. Bangkok’s widest selection of vodka – 90-some varieties to choose from. An intimate atmosphere, especially in The Vodka Room, chilled to a nipple-raising minus 10 degrees. Not exactly a place to bring Mum, but a fun night out on the slightly wild side.
ไทเทเนี่ยมไอซ์บาร์ สุขุมวิท 22
Jazz clubs BAMBOO BAR [Map5 / B4] The Oriental Bangkok | 48 Oriental Ave 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com Sun-Thu 11 am-1 am, Fri & Sat 11 am-2 am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, the 50-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 never theless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through
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Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident songstress, Cynthia Utterbach. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bar tenders and served by a superb staff. Ideal for a boozy night on your honeymoon. A definite big Bangkok must.
รร.โอเรียลเต็ล ถ.โอเรียลเต็ล Brown Sugar [Map7 / J5] 469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 www.brownsugarbangkok.com | 6 pm-1 am Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venue was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a world-class, jazz café-style haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. Its exterior is impressive, resembling a ritzy old cinema house. And inside, it’s huge, with a daytime coffeeshop up front, a versatile 200-seater ‘Playhouse’ upstairs, and the big, open-plan jazz pub and restaurant out back. Six house bands fill up the week, and on the last Friday or Saturday of each month they showcase an international act that’s passing through.
บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ.พระสุเมร DIPLOMAT BAR [Map4 / K7] Conrad Bangkok | 87 Witthayu Rd BTS Ploen Chit |02-690-9999 | www.conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu 6 pm-1 am; Fri & Sat 6 pm-2 am An architecturally striking hotel bar, mixing a funky, stylish décor with soft teak sofas and an arresting chandelier hanging over the massive round bar. Bronze silks and wood dominate this dark, contemporary, but always relaxed place. A boozy, highprofile crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buyoneget-onefree Happy Hour from 4 – 7 pm (standard drinks only). It’s very hip among the diplomatic corps (Witthayu is stuffed with embassies), trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for peopleogling. But the main attraction here is more aural than visual and exceptional jazz acts are de rigueur.
รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ THE LIVING ROOM [Map4 / F6]
the living room
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 middleaged patrons live it up on great wines, champagne and strong cocktails in a quiet way. The high-ceilinged foyer offers perfect acoustics for the fabulous jazz band. Be prepared to be well-entertained. World class talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport. Currently, pianist Randy Cannon and his trio play Wed-Thurs (9:15pm-midnight); The Cannon Brothers Friday-Sunday; trumpeter Steve Canon and his band play Mon-Tues (9:15pm-midnight), and pianist Tim Hedges plays with his trio Mon-Sat 6pm-8:45pm and also the hotel’s popular Sunday Jazzy Brunch. This month, “New York’s Diva”, Pucci Amanda Jhones, sings with the Randy Cannon Group Feb 2, 6 and 9 and Cherryl Hayes Feb 13-16 and Feb 20-23.
รร.เชอราตันแกรนด์ สุขุมวิท Niu’s on Silom [Map5 / E5] 2nd F, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 www.niusonsilom.com | 5 pm-1 am This New York-style lounge – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for various international acts who perform regularly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring established overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfor table for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concer to Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available.
นิวส์ ออน สีลม บ้านสีลม
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd BTS Asok / MRT Sukhumvit | 02-649-8888 www.thelivingroomatbangkok.com | 9am-12am Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s
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new collection
‘Black n’ White’ by Theatre
Words by Gaby Doman
available at: Amarin Plaza 2F Amarin Plaza Ploenchit Rd | 02-658-2299
Central Bangna 2F Central Bangna Bangna-trad | 02-367-0733
Siam Center 3F Siam Center Rama 1 Rd | 02-251-3599
www.theatrebangkok.com bangkok101.com
heatre never fails to produce and exciting and fun collection and its small cruise collection is no exception. Cruise collections are traditionally small and casual, perfect for those types with the money to go jetting off somewhere between seasons. Basically, it should encapsulate the perfect holiday wardrobe. Theatre’s collection has captured the vacation vibe perfectly, despite using an unusual cruise colour palate of black and white. The entire collection, for both men and women, is unadulterated monochrome, with not so much as a splash of yellow to lighten the look. But somehow the collection remains light and fun. Perhaps it’s because the black and white combo is a cheeky nod to sailor stripes (the collection is showcased in the look book accessorized with sailor hats), or perhaps it’s the ease of the silhouettes, the flowing fabrics and the overall suggestion of comfort. The men’s collection is dominated by voluminous harem pants, checked and dappled with black and white and somehow managing to steer clear of chef trouser comparisons. The slouchy slacks are teemed with striped sleeveless hoodies (black and white, of course) or graphic print single-breasted jackets. The jacket is a great balancing piece that helps the collection toe the line between casual, with its boxy midriff revealing cropped t-shirts, rolled-up shorts and loose-cut hoodies, and fashion conscious, creating a wellrounded cruise collection. The women’s collection is less inspiring, and less comfort-focused, with collared three-quarter length dresses and plenty of heavy-weight fabrics making for a pretty but suitcase friendly collection. However, the collection is just as rounded as the men’s in the sense you could pack the entire thing up for a mini-break and not need a single other garment. A sweeping floor-length skirt with a lace underskirt would make the ideal black-tie event statement piece, while horizontally striped A-line skirts with a visible tutu lining make a wearable daytime look (provided you’ve got killer legs and you’re careful when walking up any stairs), especially when paired with form-fitting casual t-shirts for ‘what, this old thing? I just threw it on…’ effortless style. Textures are the focus of the women’s collection, with lace and layers giving the collection a luxe finish. Best-sellers are bound to be an asymmetric white lace top and a calf length A-line skirt with black lace overlay which are feminine, fun and infinitely versatile. As a cruise collection, it’s surprisingly strong, and has certainly whetted our appetite for the upcoming year. M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 9 3
SHOPPING
unique boutique unique boutiques
URFACE
ver passed a stranger in the street and noticed you’re both carrying exactly the same bag? Not a nice feeling is it? Shop at Urface and such cringeinducing moments will be eradicated forever – this Siam Square stall flogs “insanely exclusive” bags featuring alllimited edition designs. Urface is not just run by rich kids trying to get richer; it’s the work of a trio of young and artsy go-getters who are trying to revive authenticity in a mass-produced world. Since starting in 2011, founders Joker, Mamafaka (yes, you read right) and Chubbychai – dabblers in street brand management, graphic design and fashion photography respectively – have produced and sold over 400 designs. Only a few are made from each print, each one coming with its own limited edition number and artist’s signature – plus the guarantee that it will “never” be reproduced, insists Joker. In other words, each bag is a one-off, whether it has been designed by the Urface crew themselves or as part of their artists’ series, a bi-monthly collaboration with a local artist, such as Note from indie party night Dudesweet, or graphic design and graffiti collective P7. All this keeps their celebrity-approved bags fresh and fun – and those awkward, keep-your-head-down moments in the street to a minimum. Variations on Urface’s brash, mobile and very practical pop-art include messenger bags, wallets and reversible tote bags, all of them made from canvas; prices range from B980 to B3,850. As for their store, it used to be on Siam Square Soi 10, but they just recently moved to a sterile white tiled, New York bakery-style kiosk located upstairs at the Siam Vintage fashion market.
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URFACE [MAP3 / D5] A13 Siam Vintage, Siam Square Soi 9-10 | BTS Siam |081-458-6778 |www.urfacestore.com, www.facebook.com/urfacestore| 12am7:30pm bangkok101.com
Sop Moei
Arts
he most ground-breaking of Bangkok’s many textile shops, Sop Moei Arts turns out luxurious takes on Thai tribal designs. Founded back in 1988 by Kent Gregory, this nonprofit organisation pays the Pwo Karen, a marginalized ethnic tribe from Sop Moei district of Mae Hong Sorn, to produce textiles and other interior furnishings woven and sewn by their skilled hands. Upon entering the compact showroom at the Racquet Club, you’ll be greeted with the fruits of their labour – wall-hangings made from wooden-loom woven silk and wool, puffy cushions, ornate table runners and serviettes, etc. There are also baskets in sundry shapes and sizes for sale, each one woven by a Pwo Karen tribesman using bamboo, rattan, tree fern stems and other natural materials they’ve harvested from the mountains. To increase their saleability in Thailand’s tribal-textile sodden market, Sop Moei Art’s designs are loose reinterpretations – not faithful reproductions – of traditional Pwo Karen and other regional arts and crafts. Thus, for example, traditional basket-weaving skills are used to fashion stylish wine bottle holders, and bamboo and old Pwo Karen blouses are the main materials in their chic new handbag collection. This is top notch ethnic homeware with modern design panache… and a conscience: 60% of revenue goes to the villagers and the remainder, after overheads, to a scholarship fund for Pwo Karen students.
สุข มุ ว ทิ 49 Sop Moei Arts
[MAP3 / O6]
104 Racquet Club, Sukhumvit 49 |02-714-7269 | www.sopmoeiarts.com | BTS Phrom Phong | 9:30am -6pm
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jj gem
KARMAKAMET he Victorian Frontier town pharmacy look of essential oil company Karmakamet, with its dark wood shelves and chandeliers dangling overhead, provides an elegant atmosphere in which to sniff their nostalgically packaged smellies. Scented glass-candles, perfume diffusers and herb sachets with drawstring cloth pouches are among the best-sellers for the home; while bodily pampering includes massage oils, shower gels and soaps bars like ‘The Embrace’, a luscious orange blossom and mint blend. Helpful staff are on hand to advise if you’re having selecting an aromatherapy oil to go with your new oil burner (our favourite: ‘moonlight’, a romantic blend of Indian jasmine, Sumatran ylang ylang, rose geranium, English lavender and cedarwood). They have not one but two stores at JJ. The one by the MRT station is by far the biggest and has a teashop and adorable little seating area out front.
KARMAKAMET JJ Market : Store 1: Section 2, Soi 3 | 02-618-7047 Store 2: Exit no. 2 (beside MRT Kampangpetch Station) 02-272-5281
Jatujak Market
Forget designer malls. Jatujak weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere The rest can go and get lost – literally. aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as Chatuchak) quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully-blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix they desire.
ตลาดนัดจตุจักร bangkok101.com
> The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover | B1,950
The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual inter pretation of Bangkok’s world famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 9 7
WELLN ESS TRIA INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS
HAPA SPA
HAPA SPA (MAP3/D8) 20/4 Sukumvit Soi 3 | BTS Nana | 02-6510966 | www.hapaspa.com | 10am-10pm | $$
Wedged between multi-story condos and weirdish hotels, Hapa’s location stands out insofar as you’d never expect a professional spa in an alley off Afro-Arab Nana. A long, glass-walled building draws in the uninitiated through its unique circular entrance and purple-tinged salon to metal boxes. Inside your own private bunker, a stylish, serene setting includes inspired mini gardens, soft purple and cream tones and beds accommodating even the longest-legged Westerner. The extensive menu features the signature Aromatherapy massage, organic body scrubs and other tasty-sounding body delights, plus infrared thermal sauna, all executed by cheery, competent therapists. The all-natural house products are for sale, just as is a wide selection of organic teas and healthy drinks. Service, atmosphere and treatments are all five-star, the prices are budget, especially when you inquire about ever-changing promotions or decide to go for a package. A new favourite.
ฮาป้าสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.3 SHIN SHIN Spa (MAP3 / Y6) L-floor Jasmine Resort Hotel, 1511 Sukhumvit Rd, Klongtoey-Nua | 02-335-5022 | BTS Phra Khanong | 10am8pm | www.shinshinspa.com | $$$
Located at the Jasmine Resort Hotel, Yunomori Onsen & Spa
SHIN SHIN Spa
on the same floor as the hotel pool and outdoor garden, the recently opened Shin Shin Spa offers modestly priced treatments in a clean, modern, minimally styled space. It’s not a big place by any means – there are two oil treatment rooms and a Thai massage room, and that’s it. However, Shin Shin’s size is no reflection of the quality on offer. In fact it has a couple of aces up its sleeve. First and foremost is the spa’s signature circular motion massage technique. This is said to increase blood circulation and aid the absorption of oils into the skin. Secondly, a ‘silk essence’ lends a, well, silkiness to some of the massage treatments, including our pick: Shin Shin’s self-titled signature treatment. This began with a fresh milky body scrub (B600++ for 30min) and closed with the Silk Essence Body Oil Therapy (B1600++ for 90min, and B2000++ for 120min), which paired silk essence with our choice of three massage oils, each one with its own purported benefits. Clearly in a safe pair of hands, we enjoyed the whole ritual immensely. As well as aiding absorption through the skin, the vortex massage doesn’t half feel good and we emerged relaxed and refreshed, not at all drowsy.
ชิน ชิน สปา รร.แจสมิน TRIA INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS (MAP8 /R12)
998 Rimklongsamsen Rd | 02-660-2600 | www.triaintegrativewellness.com | $$$
This top-notch spa connected to Piyavate Hospital offers a full-on “integrative” approach – a team of specialists from physicians to personal trainers, to bodywork therapists – restaurants offering healthy spa facilities and treatments, and even enough function space for group of 200. Bangkok has a few “medical spas” offering such approaches to Western-medicine and traditional therapies, but Tria is truly one of the best. Opt for extensive programs devoted to anti-aging, pre-natal care, 9 8 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
holistic detoxification, or even simpler aesthetic treatments, and you’ll get access to a gorgeous spa pool, an infrared sauna, a steam room, and Swiss and Vichy showers. Treatments range from massage to Ayurvedic treatments and Chinese Chi Nei Tsang therapy sessions. Our simple scrub and wrap was a delight – attentive, fully relaxing , and leaving us with glowing results – but we’d recommend springing for some of the more unusual and difficult-to find treatments, and leave yourself enough time to take advantage of the first-rate facilities.
ศูนย์สุขภาพตรัยยา หลัง รพ.ปิยะเวท Yunomori Onsen & Spa [MAP 3 / O9] A Square, Sukhumvit 26 | 02-259-5778 | www.facebook.com/yunomorionsen | onsen B450; onsen + 1 hr Thai massage B740; onsen + 90 min aroma body massage B1,190.
Yunomori isn’t an onsen (a Japanesestyle hot springs) in the strictest, most traditional sense of the word but rather the souped up inner-city version, with other facilities such as spas, restaurants and bars as well as pools to bath in. In the changing rooms, you strip off, lock away your belongings, take a deep breath and emerge, as naked as a newborn, into the baths (guys bare all, girls can wear disposable underwear). Once happy in your birthday suit, the bath hopping begins. We counted five, from the warm soda bath featuring water infused with CO2 to the near scalding jet bath and main onsen, both of which use spring water sourced from Ranong. Once you’ve soaked until you can soak no more, head out in your slippers and Japanese robe and explore Yunomori’s extras, including the on-site Thai massage area.
ยูโนโมริ ออนเซ็น แอนด์ สปา สุขุมวิท ซ.26 Spa costs $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1,000 $$$ :: B1,000-B2,000 $$$$ :: B2,000+ bangkok101.com
signature treatment
SIGNATURE HOT OIL MASSAGE ne of the Sukhumvit area’s biggest, this 25-room manor of rubdown magic is located just down the road from Emporium shopping mall, and thus does a brisk trade with upmarket shoppers, tourists and housewives. Instead of the done-to-death traditional Thai patina that prevails in spas here, this slick new-build has a jaunty vintage feel, with calming colours, and subtle Victorian-style skirting boards and furnishings. The menu is similarly understated and free of the usual overdone exotica, dabbling mostly in unflashy rubs and scrubs, though there are packages and a selection of Jurlique or Algoane facials available. Of the offerings, the hot oil massage is Refresh 24’s signature treatment and best combined, staff suggest, with a cereal compress (B600 extra). We’re inclined to agree. As much as we adore oil massages – here a superlative 90-minute snooze-inducer melding Thai, Balinese and other styles – we’ve never been fond of the glutinous layer of oil that’s often left on the skin afterwards, especially in this climate. So, we like the way the masseuse applies the oil in long, sweeping strokes, before padding away the excess with a hot compress, leaving you supple and scented, but not at all sticky. The rub ends with some intense pressured thumb work on the neck and shoulder area, followed by an exhilarating head massage.
รีเฟรช 24 สุขุมวิท24 Refresh 24 [MAP3/N11] 43 Soi Sukumvit 24, 02-259-7235~7, www.refresh24spa.com BTS Phrom PhongPrice B1,766 Signature hot oil massage (90 mins)/B696 cereal compress (30 mins) bangkok101.com
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making merit
Empowering Homeless Kids:
The Hub Saidek Foundation
hen neglected children from around Thailand run away from home and head to Bangkok, it is in the hope that they will encounter a better future. Sadly, the reality usually is that they walk off the train at Hua Lamphong, the city’s main railway terminus, head out on to the street… and stay there. Located just a short walk from the station, the Hub Saidek is a shelter offering support to these and other homeless and disadvantaged children. Founded in March 2011, currently the centre offers basic health and welfare services such as meals, clothing and medical checks. While they don’t provide overnight accommodation due to limited resources and space, they also offer recreational activities and something called the ‘Skills for Living’ programme: structured learning tailored to the needs of each child, the aim being to help reconnect them with the real world. 1 0 0 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
Runaway children arriving are classified into two groups. One is the child who has only recently abandoned their family, and so has more chance of being reunited with them. Typically in these cases the Hub Saidek will, with the child’s consent, try to contact the family for them. The second type has been on the streets for a long time and needs more than just advice – health checks, education, even counseling. On a typical day, the children gather at the shelter for a morning meal. Later on volunteers supervise activities such as football, life skills, drama and English classes. The aim is to stimulate their mental, physical and social development and also introduce structure, a semblance of normalcy to their lives. Lunch and dinner are also provided. Children are not restricted to stay in the centre – in fact, they can come and go as they please – but the Hub Saidek does keep a record on each kid. bangkok101.com
photography by Chanchai Wanantragul
Nighttime is when things get harder. With no one to care for them, the children have to stick together and look out for each another when sleeping. According to the staff, this is very important, as there are gangsters who, if they spot the kids, chase and beat them. Why? Even though the children at Hub Saidek rarely cause trouble, the gangster sees them as being ‘not one of their own’. If they get caught, it has even been known for the gangsters to take the children and sexually abuse them. How can we help these vulnerable children? The centre is open to corporate and individual donations of cash and equipment. Practical everyday items such as food, toiletries, toothbrushes, cleaning products and towels are all needed. Secondhand or used clothing, office and classroom furniture and classroom materials (books, games, toys, paints etc) are also gratefully received. The centre is still in its infancy, so if you can tell your friends or arrange a charity event or presentation that helps get the word out there, they would appreciate that too. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly of all, you can volunteer to help out at the centre. From assisting in tutorial sessions, to playing games, providing children’s entertainment and serving food, volunteering for as little as one hour a week has a big impact on both the services bangkok101.com
the organisation can provide and the lives of the children. Note: for child-safety purposes, all applicants must be willing to undergo a criminal history check and sign The Hub’s child safety code of conduct. เดอะ ฮับ สายเด ก็ หัวลำ�โพง
Childline 1387 The Hub Saidek also operates Childline Thailand: a 24hour emergency telephone service. Reached by dialing 1387, it links kids in need to important information and services, from advice on what to do if they are being abused to where they can find food and shelter in their area. The centre answers around 150,000 calls a year.
The Hub Saidek Foundation
[MAP6 / L2]
402-408 Maitri Chit Road, Pomprab District | 02-623-3814 | Sun-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am -8pm | http://thehub.childlinethailand.org
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victory monument Photographer : Walid Penpan 1 0 2 | M AR C H 2 0 1 3
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RAIL SKYTRAIN (BTS) The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 55; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th
ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).
SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5 – 7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom / BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok and MRT Chatuchak Park / BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th
Airport Rail Link A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B1545 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150 as part of a drive to increase passenger numbers. http://airportraillink.railway.co.th bangkok101.com
MOTORCYCLE TAXI
RIVER CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Phan Fa Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to board them as they don’t usually wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find.
EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers altogether. Fares range from B 9 to B 32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. Cross-river services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B 3.
In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups. As with tuk-tuks, fares should be negotiated beforehand.
TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in B 2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B 5 or B 10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B 50 surcharge is added.
TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10-minute ride should cost around B 40, but always bargain before boarding. Beware: if a tuktuk driver offers to deliver you anywhere for B 10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. M AR C H 2 0 1 3 | 1 0 3
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M Y B ANGKOK MY A N G KO K
Natasha Patamapongs Since forming in 2009, jazz sextet Mellow Motif have become one of the biggest bands on the scene, performing at festivals throughout Asia and releasing two albums with Warner Music Thailand. Though very much a group effort, with Eugene on piano, Ow on bass, Earth on drums, Sarit on trumpet and Ngaw on guitar, Mellow Motif’s greatest asset is arguably its vocalist, Natasha Patamapongs, or ‘Oong’. Known for her crystal clear voice, sense of rhythm and phrasing in Brazilian music, the young singer kindly spared a few moments for us in the run up to one of the band’s biggest gigs yet, the Java Jazz Festival 2013. www.mellowmotif.com
Best place to eat out? I am a huge fan of the coffee at Roast Coffee and Eatery (Seenspace Thonglor Soi 13 | Map 3/Q6). On a day that I crave Thai-style noodles for lunch I would always go to She Bar (Thonglor Soi 16 | Map 3/R6) for a noodle fix, as they serve the perfect Thai boat noodles. Best place to take visitors? I almost always take them to the Jim Thompson House (6 Kasemsan Soi 2, Rama I Rd | Map 4/A3) because of its culturerich atmosphere and convenient location. The Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center (939 Rama I Rd | (Map 4/B4) nearby always features new exhibitions and installations by Thai artists, so I also like to take them there for an easy, laid-back afternoon and some coffee. Best place to hear live music? If you want to hear some high energy music, all genres included, then Saxophone Pub (3/8 Phaya Thai Rd | Map 8/K10) is for you. The audience are very engaged, it has a great vibe, and is perfect for groups. On the other side of the city, Jazz Happens (Phra-Athit Road | Map 7/G3) is a good place to find jazz students from Silpakorn
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University experimenting with new tunes with their professors. It is not very commercial and most people who go there like it this way. Best place to shop? When it comes to malls, I like to go to Terminal 21 (Sukhumvit Soi 19 | Map 3/H9) It offers lots of things that you won’t find in the other commercial malls, as well as the comfort of walking in one. Best place to relax? I am always on a crazy, intense touring schedule, so whenever I am free from work I always go for a nice massage and pampering session at CT Spa Life (76 Sukhumvit Soi 26 | Map 3/Q13) a small boutique spa in Soi Sukhumvit 26 where I am a regular. Best place to take a date? Definately the Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (48 Oriental Avenue | Map 5/B4). The singers on rotation here are very good and the Russian band in residence is excellent. You feel very much at ease and most of the music is easy to digest jazz standards, plus you can make requests. Going there and opening a bottle of Chardonnay is my idea of a dream date.
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