The BigChilli Aug 2014 by The BigChilli Co., Ltd.

FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT IN BANGKOK

August 2014 08 INSIGHT News, letters, gossip and more 14 EXPAT ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS Recent nominations in focus 22 BIG CHANGES AT THE DSI An exclusive interview with Pol Gen Chatchawal Suksomjit 27 GOURMET A round up of all the best restaurant deals and gourmet news in Bangkok 53 EXPAT WOMEN Health, shopping, people, advice and ﬁction 62 COVER STORY Bangkok’s best vintage shops 72 DRUGGED AND MUGGED IN PATTAYA Maxmilian Wechsler investigates 77 WHAT’S ON Discover what to do this month with our round up of art, performances, sport and more 89 SOCIAL Last month’s best events in pictures 105 DIPLOMATS The Hungarian ambassador talks about his role in Thailand 111 HUA HIN Deals, news and dining 125 PATTAYA Find out what’s hot on the Eastern Seaboard

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The management and staff of BigChillli would like to wish Her Majesty The Queen best wishes, good health and happiness on the occasion of her birthday. Disclose the cost of water before serving it

ONE of the most unpopular gimmicks now widely employed by the restaurant industry is the serving of water to their customers. Once, a glass of ordinary water was automatically placed besides a guest’s plate. And it was free. That’s no longer the case. Instead, customers are usually asked soon after arrival whether they’d prefer “still or sparkling” water. Sometimes, especially in the smarter restaurants, the name of a fancy imported brand is mentioned. Rarely, however, is a menu showing the cost of this beverage handed to the customer. Staff in some restaurants are obviously instructed to keep the water glasses reasonably full, which requires additional bottles to be brought to the table without the say-so of the customer. So it’s not exactly surprising that many people feel they’ve been unfairly treated when their final bill is presented and it includes a substantial amount for an item, or maybe more, whose cost may not have been revealed to them. It doesn’t help either that the same item can be easily purchased in a supermarket for far less. Yes, the same pricing strategy can be applied to wine, but with wine you always get a menu. Besides, we’re talking about water here, something so basic that it was once always provided at no cost.

Poor students will suffer by visa crackdown

THE crackdown on visas for foreign nationals is clearly going to have a major impact on the teaching of English in Thailand – at a time when the need for English language skills has never been greater. While it is perfectly understandable for this country to rid itself of illegal workers and overstayers, such a ban should be across-the-board and not aimed specifically at westerners, particularly those who have remained here thanks to their out/ in border runs and who generally do a grand job in teaching English to poor students in equally poor provincial schools. If the real aim of the crackdown is to ensure that these teachers have proper work permits and visas, the authorities should also bear in mind the additional costs to the schools in the form of

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higher salaries and extra administrative fees. Neither the schools nor the parents are likely to have the resources to absorb these additional costs. So, who suffers? The children, of course. And when it’s time for them to look for jobs that require language skills, they will be overlooked in favour of people who can speak English. Or, in other words, those foreigners who will be automatically permitted to live and work here when the greater East Asian Community (EAC) comes into being next year. For it is clear and plain that the Philippines, Burma and even Cambodia are putting real emphasis on teaching English in their schools. And Thai people are in danger of losing out in the rush to brush up their language abilities.

Good news, bad news of tourism

WHO’D work in tourism? Talk about an up-and-down business. One piece of good news always seems to be followed by bad news. The beach-clearing that has rid Phuket’s beaches of their unsightly vendors and restored them more or less to their original pristine state is obviously very welcome. So too is the crackdown on rogue taxis and tuk-tuks. Then comes along the widely reported news that some of the elephants used to amuse tourists were rounded up illegally from forest reserves. This was followed by the derailment of the Orient Express near Kanchanaburi in which a number of foreign passengers were injured – the latest in a run of failures for the State Railways of Thailand, which counts on tourists for a major portion of its income. But at least now there’s a genuine effort to clean up the country’s tourism performance. Hopefully the achievements will outweigh the setbacks by a long shot. And then the tourism industry can breathe more easily.

EXPAT ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS – SEND US YOUR NOMINATION

DON”T FORGET to send us your nomination for the Expat Entrepreneur Awards. If you are a foreign-owned or managed SME, or know of someone who is, and employs less than 50 people, get them involved by downloading a form from our website www.thebigchilli.com. It’s free and there are absolutely no obligations – and you may win a great prize. The aim of this initiative is to recognize the contribution expat companies make to the Thai economy.

Publisher Colin Hastings editorbigchilli@gmail.com MANAGiNG editor Adam Purcell adambigchilli@gmail.com editor Nina Hastings ninabigchilli@gmail.com AssistANt editor Chutinanta Boonyamarn nanbigchilli@gmail.com sAles & MArketiNG MANAGer Rojjana Rungrattwatchai sendtorose@gmail.com AccouNt executive Thana Pongsaskulchoti thanabigchilli@gmail.com AccouNtiNG MANAGer Saranya Choeyjanya fatcatbigchilli@gmail.com Art & ProductioN Arthawit Pundrikapa, Jaran Lakawat PhotoGrAPhy Mini Bike Gang, David Heischrek and WJ coNtributiNG Writers Anette Pollner, Elli Curotta, Johanna DeKoning, Judith Coulson, Maxmilian Wechsler, Paul Hewitt, Sasithorn Danwirunhawanich

Our online handle is ‘thebigchillimagazine’. Simply type this into Facebook’s search box, find the image of our magazine, then just click add.

We are now on Twitter. Find out what’s happening around town, which events to attend, parties to be seen at, and read all the juicy gossip! Follow us at ‘TheBigChilliMag’ No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from The BigChilli Co., Ltd. The opinions and views of the writers are not necessarily the views of the publishers. All details are deemed correct at the time of print, the publisher, the editor, employees and contributors can not be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may occur. The editor reserves the right to accept, reject or amend any submitted artwork, photographs, illustrations and manuscripts. The BigChilli welcomes unsolicited contributions but assumes no responsibility for the safe-keeping or return of such materials damaged or lost in transit.

The BigChilli Company Ltd., 1/7 5th Fl. Room 504, Siboonrueng Bldg. 2, Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel: 02 233 1774-6, 02 266 7141 Fax: 02 235 0174 e-mail: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com Strip_AD_Foodland_Feb14_M4.indd 1

1/29/14 11:45 AM

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Inbox|Have your say

Inbox Insight

SUKHUMVIT’S NOT FOR KIDS

■ WHO the hell brings their kids out on Sukhumvit at night? (‘Showtime on Sukhumvit.’ bit.ly/SBnFqv). That’s just as bad as doing it in Vegas, but Vegas shouldn’t be shut down; those parents should be lectured. People come to Bangkok for fun. Sukhumvit and Patpong are where the nightlife are. Just like Meatpacking in NYC or West Hollywood or Testaccio in Rome – it’s meant for adults. And likely, in your home country, you can buy viagra and dildos. Why are you prude about it now? If you don’t want it, don’t buy it. Sure, crack down on the serious Schedule I drugs that are being sold, but why give the guy a hard time who is experimenting with transgenders? Live and let live! Farang tourist

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BEWARE FAKE WHISKY ■ VERY informative article (‘Scotch on the Rocks.’ bit.ly/1rvVaHO). I’ve drunk some whisky in the UK tonight, under the assumption it was original. I will trace the brand next time I see the bottle (at a friend’s house). He said he “bought it cheaper” at a certain store. The label on the back was covered with a white sticker which had “Made in Italy” written on it, plus a bar code. It looked suspicious, but I only saw this after I had already drunk the whisky. Now my teeth/gums are hurting a lot and I am worried. I will save some of the whisky and ask Trading Standards to investigate. I do think more needs to be done to identify fakes, as well as price fixing. Thank you for the interesting read. John, UK

LMIM NOT THE ONLY CULPRIT ■ PLEASE remember that the present scandal isn’t just about those who lost due to the LM Ponzi scheme (‘Desperate plight of senior expat investors.’ bit.ly/Uf0x2h), it’s also about expat investors who were mis-sold totally unsuitable insurance-wrapped high-risk funds offered by offshore financial companies through expat commission-hungry salesmen. Along with the illegally-working salesmen, the product providers knew exactly what was going on. A number of investments within these poor-performance funds have also collapsed, and criminally high, originally undisclosed charges are further eroding the values of those still active. Losses may not be as dramatic as those resulting from the LM collapse, but are equally devastating for those involved. Monks, Bangkok

‘CIGARETTE POLICE’ AT IT AGAIN ■ THESE mutts recently got me as well (Back on Bangkok’s streets – the ‘cigarette police’ who target foreign litter bugs.’ bit.ly/1rvVO88 bit.ly/1rvVO88). I told them I would not pay the B2,000 ‘fine’ and they conveniently showed me the ATM next to the table. I told them I had no money in the ATM and that I could not pay. The so-called officer then asked how much I had in my wallet. Getting tired of this, I told him I was a police officer myself, and he then asked for my ID. I’m kicking myself now because I should have just asked to speak to the real police. Instead, I paid the thief the 700 baht I had on me and left. I have now noticed these pathetic individuals follow ONLY foreigners and no Thais and it makes my blood boil. I fully intend to report this because it is grossly unfair and a blatant rip off of the very people that help the Thai economy. Glenn, Bangkok

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Drugged and robbed in Thailand Insight

News|Crime

Pattaya hit by wave of drugging robberies ■ AT least one case a week of ‘knockout robbery’ in which the victim is given potentially lethal drugs is being investigated by police in Pattaya. The problem is highlighted in the BigChilli story appearing on page 72 of this issue of the magazine. Our investigation reveals that the actual number of cases might be higher, but some victims of these drugging robberies are reluctant or refuse to contact the resort’s authorities. The easy availability of the drugs used by the perpetrators is also revealed. This is especially true in Bangkok, where criminals buy substances that are actually banned by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most of the victims are male, and some cases resulted in a fatality. Below is an unofficial list compiled by the BigChilli of robberies involving drugs that have been reported in Pattaya and other destinations in Thailand.

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(Some cases reported to police) No. Date 1. Apr 2012 2. Apr 2012 3. May 2012

Location Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

Pattaya Bangkok Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Lampang Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Ban Saray Pattaya Koh Samui

May 2012 May 2012 June 2012 June 2012 June 2012 June 2012 July 2012 July 2012 July 2012 Aug 2012 Sep 2012 Sep 2012 Oct 2012 Oct 2012 Nov 2012 Nov 2012 Nov 2012 Nov 2012 Dec 2012 Jan 2013 Jan 2013

25. Jan 2013

Phuket

26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

Feb 2013 May 2013 Aug 2013 Sep 2013 Sep 2013 Sep 2013 Sep 2013 Sep 2013 Oct 2013 Oct 2013 Oct 2013

37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

Nov 2013 Dec 2013 Dec 2013 Dec 2013 Dec 2013 Dec 2013 Dec 2013

Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Bangkok Bangkok or Pathum Thani Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya

44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

May 2014 May 2014 May 2014 May 2014 June 2014 June 2014 July 2014 July 2014 July 2014

Pattaya Pattaya Khon Kaen Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya Phuket Pattaya Pattaya

Victims Suspects South Korean man Thai woman or transgender British man Thai woman 3 Bangladeshi men Thai woman (1 found dead) Israeli man Thai woman South Korean man Thai transgender Israeli man Thai transgender Israeli man Thai woman 2 Thai men Thai man Thai man 2 Thai women Iraqi man Thai woman Australian man Thai woman German man 3 Thai men Australian man Thai woman British man Thai woman Thai man Thai woman Italian man Thai woman German man Thai woman British man Thai woman Russian man Foreign transgender Russian man Thai transgender Australian man Thai woman or transgender Russian man Thai transgender and Russian woman Russian man Thai transgender Thai woman Foreigner (hotel receptionist) and Thai male (security guard) Thai woman 2 foreigners (hotel receptionist) 2 Turkish men 2 Thai women Kuwaiti man Thai transgender 2 Pakistani men 2 Thai transgenders British man Thai woman Italian man Thai woman Omani man Thai transgender German/Iranian man Thai woman German man Thai woman 2 Omani men Thai woman Thai woman Thai man Japanese man Thai woman and son German man New Zealand man Russian man 2 Turkish men Russian man Thai transgender Thai woman (hotel receptionist) Thai woman Australian man Thai woman UAE man 2 Indian men Italian man Thai woman German man Swiss man

2 Thai women Thai transgender Thai transgender 2 Thai women Thai transgender Thai man Foreign man Middle-Eastern man 2 Thai transgenders Thai man 2 Thai women or transgenders 2 Thai women Thai woman German man 2 Thai women Thai woman

Expat Recognising the foreign community’s contribution to the Thai economy FOR the first time, companies established in Thailand by the country’s expatriate community will be recognized for their creativity, ingenuity, excellence and proven success in The Expat Entrepreneur Awards 2014. Supported by The BigChilli magazine in conjunction with BNOW, Bangkok’s networking community group, the Expat Entrepreneur Awards 2014 will highlight the contribution foreign operated businesses make to Thailand’s economy. Awards will be presented in a variety of categories to recognize the amazing diversity of these enterprises. If you are an expatriate entrepreneur with a business story worth telling, or you know someone whose company deserves recognition, please let us know.

Download the submissions form at thebigchilli.com

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ting a r b e l Cebusineesns ce l excel

Entrepreneur Awards 2014

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Expat

Insight

Business|Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Awards 2014

Recent nominations Town & Countr y Property Cees KC Cuijpers, CEO

■ SERIAL entrepreneur Cees has been living and working in Thailand since 1997. He set up Town & Country Property in Pattaya eleven years ago, and has since then steered it to become one of the city’s leading realtors specializing in property on the Eastern Seaboard. Altruistic to the core, Cees is passionate about raising funds for impoverished children and, through his popular monthly networking group, Movers & Shakers (which he founded in 2009), has raised millions of baht for children’s charities in Thailand. His latest venture, Impulse Thailand, will be a networking mixer jointly promoted by some of the kingdom’s leading event organizers. www.TownCountryProperty.com

Vivaldi Seasons Joseph Henry, Founder

■ FOUNDED in Bangkok in 2004 with a Southeast Asian regional network of partners, Vivaldi specializes in integrated PR, digital and social media development. The company’s strength lies in the creation of powerful content-driven strategies that communicate clients’ messages across all digital and non-digital platforms in an integrated way. Print, broadcast, events, on-line, strategic initiatives and B2B/ B2C communications – all channels are leveraged and integrated seamlessly and simultaneously for the delivery of a client’s message. www.vivaldipr.com

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Class Act Media Simon Samaan, Founder

■ CLASS Act Media started in 2009 publishing a small monthly magazine. In early 2011 it started publishing ‘The Phuket News,’ a weekly English newspaper, and has since grown to include ‘Live 89.5,’ Phuket’s most listened to English radio station; ‘Novosti Phueketa,’ Thailand’s only weekly Russian newspaper; ‘The Phuket News TV,’ weekly English TV; ‘Phuket Ticket Master,’ Phuket’s only online ticketing solutions for events; as well as a host of other publications and services including ‘The Phuket Colouring book’ and ‘The Phuket FC match guide’. www.thephuketnews.com

Insight

Business|Entrepreneurs The Accidental Butcher Steve Craig, Founder

■ OPENED in June 2013 on Ekkamai Soi 10, The Accidental Butcher is based on the traditional butcher shop of days gone by. Aussie butcher Steve Craig offers premium quality pasture fed meat (Australian Angus beef and lamb) plus a range of premium sausages and smoked bacon all made in house without the use of fillers or preservatives. With a focus on customer education, Steve and his team sell products based on the preferred cooking methods or desired results of their clients, just as they do with the restaurant chefs they work with. www.theaccidentalbutcher.com

ISIS Private Company Limited Gaurav Kejriwal, Founder

Theodoré International The Kirn family, Founders

■ ESTABLISHED in 2004 by importing caviar, today Theodoré International brings in a wide range of food products from China, Australia, and Europe and has a real focus on sustainable seafood. Earlier this year the family opened its first warehouse, an impressive facility on Sukhumvit 71, which not only offers state-ofthe-art storage (vegetables, seafood and meats each have their own cold rooms and dedicated preparation areas) but also an onsite dining room where the Kirn family regularly hosts dinners, featuring their products, for Thailand’s top chefs, restaurateurs, and suppliers. www.theodore-international.com

■ A YOUNG Indian with a “can-do“ attitude, Gaurav came to the “Land of Smiles” more than a decade ago and has made it his home ever since. He worked in the IT sector (including multinationals like Price Waterhouse Coopers and IBM) for over 12 years, before he quit the corporate world to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. His passion in the field of hospitality led him to venture into the food business and, in 2010, Bangkok’s first Indian Fast Food outlet – SARAS – was born. A new umbrella organization, ISIS, was established to capture the various elements of the organization into one entity. Gaurav’s vision is to build a strong brand image and take SARAS globally as an “International Vegetarian Fast Food chain.” He strives towards “excellence in food making” so that there will never be any compromise on quality or consistency. www.isis.co.th www.saras.co.th

If you are an expatriate entrepreneur with a business stor y worth telling, or you know someone whose company deser ves recognition, please let us know at thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

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Insight

Events and activities|Living in Bangkok

Living in Bangkok – and feeling right at home Cycling has taken off in Bangkok. The www.bicyclethailand.com English website covers everything from cycling clubs and events, where to buy equipment and offers suggestions for rides in Bangkok and beyond. One place to cycle clear of traffic is on the newly-opened 23-km cycling track that circles around Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Get the most out of your life in the city with these events and activities ■ MOVING to Bangkok doesn’t mean you have to give up your favourite interests from home. Bumrungrad International Hospital’s popular fair for expats, Living in Bangkok, returns on September 13 with another superb round-up of the people and organizations that make living in the city an enjoyable experience. In anticipation of the event, here we present some other good resources for enjoying your favourite pursuits and pastimes from home.

International arts & films The Bangkok Art & Culture Centre hosts contemporary international art festivals and exhibitions, films, music and theater. The Neilson Hays Librar y hosts exhibitions for international artists and authors. The Japan Foundation hosts art and cultural events and shows Japanese films every Friday. Alliance Française exhibits French art and photography and screens films every Wednesday. Catch a German film at The Goethe Institute. House RCA cinema shows art house and indie films from all over the world. The World Film Festival of Bangkok, running from Oct 17-26, will show 80 short and feature-length films. The EU’s 2015 film festival is slated for May/June.

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Sports & Recreation Pick your favourite team sport from home and Bangkok probably has it. The local Australian Rules Football League plays on the campus of the New International School of Bangkok. The Thai World Hockey League ice hockey season runs September to May. The Bangkok Cricket League offers three divisions of play. Join a rugby squad through the Thailand Rugby League, find a soccer/football team with the Bangkok Soccer League (BSL), or do some slow-pitching via the Bangkok International Softball League. Pollution aside, Bangkok is a good running city. Consider joining a running club like the Hash House Harriers & Harriettes. Check schedules for fun runs happening most weekends on English websites including www.jogandjoy.com and www.runthailand.org. The popular Bangkok Marathon returns on Nov 16, 2014, one week after Nov 9’s Banyan Tree 16th annual Vertical Marathon – a 61-floor ascent covering nearly 1,100 stairs.

With dive spots like Koh Phi Phi and the Similan Islands mere hours away, sign up for one of Bangkok’s many certification courses. Instruction typically starts in the swimming pool before open-water diving off Pattaya.

Live here and learn You’re in a new city, why not learn something new! If you’re an aspiring chef, Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinar y School offers single short courses all the way up to the six-course Grand Diplôme program, covering Thai and European cuisines, all taught in English. You can learn to speak Thai, of course – or choose just about any language. Courses are offered year-round at Alliance Francaise, Japan Foundation and Goethe Institute, and there are also reputable companies that offer instruction in several languages – Berlitz, ProLanguage and ECC are among the best known. Both Executrain and NETsolutions offer computer and IT courses in English for professional development-minded individuals.

Save the date: Living in Bangkok 2014 brings together people, organizations and resources that make living in Bangkok more fulfilling for expats and their families. The event takes place on Saturday, September 13 from 9am-5pm at Bumrungrad International Hospital, Sukhumvit Soi 3. Admission is free, and a complimentary shuttle bus service runs all day from BTS Nana station (exit 1) along Sukhumvit Road. www.bumrungrad.com/livinginbangkok www.facebook.com/LivinginBangkok

Insight

Business|Branding

Why internal communications can make or break your business By Kittima Sethi

■ HOW often have you walked into a restaurant or a hotel only to find out that you knew more about the services they had to offer than the employee you were talking to? During one of our family holidays to Pattaya, we had to wait for almost 45 minutes at a lobby of a hotel to checkin, despite being informed that we had priority check-in when we booked online. When our check-in turn finally came, I asked the staff if she could double check that the room had an extra bed for my second son as per my email request. She looked at her monitor and said there was no request. Annoyed, I showed her the print out of my email exchange with the staff. I enquired why we were not given priority check-in and she gave me a stumped look, saying she hadn’t heard

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about any “priority check in” and brushed it aside, mumbling that it must have been a promotion by the online department. “Oh, that online department never tells us what they offer guests and we never really know what’s happening,” she said. I just sighed and our family checked-in to our room. Twenty minutes later, the staff came and hurriedly set up the extra bed. We saw a note in the hotel room that said anyone who stays for two nights can receive a special internet rate. As we were there for three nights, I called the reception to enquire. She said she was unaware of the special rate and that she would get back to us. “It must be a new announcement,” she said. Another sigh. We decided to have dinner at one

of the hotel’s restaurants after we saw a poster advertising a special children’s menu. At the restaurant, we asked for the children’s menu and the waitress told us there was no such menu and we had to order from the main menu. I asked to speak to her manager who then apologized, saying “Oh, she is new staff.” By the end of the trip, we decided we would never return to this hotel. Clearly, the hotel was experiencing poor internal communications, which resulted in poor customer service and one disgruntled guest. So what lessons can organisations learn from this situation? Invest in an internal communications program for your organization. Remember that internal communications is crucial for your business. Sometimes companies get so caught up in external communications (including PR activities and marketing programs) that they forget that one of the most influential and largest audiences is inside their company: the employees and stakeholders. A good internal communications program not only affects a company’s operational and organizational success, but also has an impact on external communications and investor relations. Employees are keys in creating a positive image of the company. This is why it is important to maintain a regular flow of information to keep them well-informed and engaged about any changes or movements within the company. Let me share with you some tips to keep your employees informed and customers happy.

Make sure your employees are trained and informed Ensure that employees are well informed and trained not only in their role and contribution to the company and their clients, but also about the company’s values. Employees should be informed regularly

about any changes within the company. Always make sure that the employees have been internally briefed before communicating anything externally to the public. Be open with them and encourage two-way communication. A strong internal communication programme makes employees feel a part of the business, dedicated to making the company a success and less likely to leave.

ees through a variety of ways: weekly or town hall meetings, newsletters, emails, memos, video emails, notice boards, sms, etc. Some companies organize team building activities and retreats. Find out which is the most effective channel to communicate to your employees and keep them updated about internal issues. Be creative with the use of social media and new technologies.

Make your messages clear

Talk to your customers

Messages should be clear, consistent and credible. Do not complicate messages. Make sure messages are coming from one department and not multiple departments or else employees will be confused. Communicate both good and bad news. Employees should not be hearing about their companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news from a third party. Inform employees first before making any public announcement so that you give them the opportunity to ask questions or raise any concerns they may have.

Companies should be proactive and inform their customers about any kind of changes within the company including products and services. If you want to build trust and credibility, then send your clients information so that they hear it from you first.

Develop multiple channels to communicate with employees. Strip Coffe Club_Aug14_M4.pdf Companies canAD_The communicate to employ-

Personal interaction While there are many tools listed above for internal communications, the most effective internal communication is faceto-face meetings and group interactions. In addition to sending emails and video emails, business owners and senior executives should also communicate directly with employees 1their 7/23/14 9:13 as AM much as possible.

Encourage employee feedback This is a great way to gain constructive feedback from your employees not only about you as an employer but also about their co-workers and supervisors. This encourages employees to feel that their opinion counts and motivates them, leading to more committed and productive members of staff. Having a good internal communications program is like having a good internal PR program which will enhance your external PR. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast-paced and ever-connected world, it is only a matter of hours for an internal communication to become public. Remember that the internal image of a company is reflected in its external image and this is often experienced by not only the products and services provided but also the employees. Kittima Sethi is a PR Consultant with Brand Now Co. Ltd., and when she is not busy assisting clients in developing an effective internal communications program, she can be contacted at Kittima@brandnow.asia

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Insight

Feature|Crime busters

Crackdown on criminals

DSI: Thailand’s answer to the FBI The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is undergoing radical changes following the recent appointment of Police General Chatchawal Suksomjit as its new Director General. In this exclusive interview, the police chief outlines his plans for the DSI and how it will target some of the country’s most difficult and complicated criminal cases, including those involving foreigners By Maxmilian Wechsler

“THE changes are necessary to make the DSI a strong, proactive civilian law enforcement agency on a par with international organizations like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Australian Federal Police,” said Pol Gen Chatchawal. “Enhancing the DSI’s capability should lead to the arrests of big-time criminals in Thailand.” Many of his remarks were directed at foreign lawbreakers, especially these involved in organized crimes like passport fraud and financial crimes. The latter include ‘boiler rooms,’ or call centers, selling questionable investments using high pressure tactics. The appointment of the new DSI chief has been welcomed by his peers and colleagues, who readily acknowledge his experience in leading criminal investigations and his work on the suppression of human trafficking. Established in October 2002 under the Ministry of Justice, the DSI operates independently from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and investigates the nation’s most complicated and sophisticated criminal cases. The DSI is often referred as the Thai FBI. In fact, representatives of the FBI, as well as the US Secret Service and some other foreign entities, were advisers

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of Pol Gen Noppadol Somboonsap (now retired), the first DSI Director General, long before the agency was formed. The DSI headquarters is on Chaeng Wattana Road in Bangkok. Here and at Regional Operation Centers in ten regions of Thailand, the DSI employs about 1,200 men and women. The locations of these centers are: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chonburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Pathom, Surat Thani, Songkhla and Pattani. DSI staff consists of highly qualified officers chosen from police, customs and revenue departments, as well as prosecutors, accountants, lawyers and public servants from a variety of other government agencies. The 11th floor of the DSI HQ in Bangkok, where Pol Gen Chatchawal has his office, was a beehive of activity on the day of our interview. Since taking on the job he’s been kept very busy with the fine points of the DSI’s work. He explained that this was not to make a show of changing everything to demonstrate his authority, but because of the intensive streamlining process now going on. This includes consolidating almost 20 departments at the headquarters and ten

Regional Operation Centers. Asked how it felt to wear a suit instead of a police officer’s uniform, he looked surprised and a bit amused, and then laughed. The DSI spokesperson and foreign relations officer also laughed, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere that prevailed during the one-hour interview. Pol Gen Chatchawal then expanded on his vision for the DSI and his desire to bring it into compliance with international law enforcement standards. “By ministerial regulation, our mission is to prevent, suppress, and control serious crimes which affect the economy, society, security and safety of Thailand and its citizens, and also foreigners, in the country. We will enforce the laws of the land equitably. “We do this by monitoring and investigating criminal activities and bringing criminals to trial. It means tackling corruption and transnational organized crime as well.” Under the Special Case Investigation Act, the DSI is empowered to conduct investigations into “special cases,” defined as complicated criminal cases committed by influential persons or organized criminal groups. This includes crimes perpetrated by those who possess and abuse knowledge of sophisticated technology

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Feature|Crime busters

in their criminal conduct and that require innovative forms of investigation. “Our mandate is to dismantle organized crime syndicates that cause serious harm to public order, morale, national security, international relations or the country’s economy,” said Pol Gen Chatchawal. He admitted that he was a little surprised when appointed to lead the DSI. “I must confess that I never imagined that this day would come. I have always regarded the DSI with great interest because of its mission, and I believe the knowledge and experience I gained during my police career makes me suitable and well prepared to lead the agency. “In the past the DSI investigated some cases and issues that really didn’t ‘belong’ to it,” he added. “For example, some cases that involve political figures, and this caused some resentment and bitterness against the DSI from the public. “Also in the past, sometimes the standard was low in comparison with wellknown foreign law enforcement agencies. This must change. I will concentrate on criminal cases within the scope of DSI’s authority according to the DSI Special Case Act.”

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Pictured left to right: Maxmilian Wechsler; Pol Gen Chatchawal; Khun Suchaya Mokkhasen, DSI’s Foreign Relations Officer; and Mr Paisith Sungkahapong, Director of Anti-Human Trafficking Center and DSI spokesperson.

Pol Gen Chatchawal said that another crime on his priority list is government procurement fraud, which involves the bidding processes for jobs being rigged in favour of certain companies. This encompasses 36 types of crimes, including those listed under the Foreign Exchange Control, Government Procurement Fraud, Consumer Protection, Trademark, Currency, Bank of Thailand, Public Company, Anti Money Laundering, Copyright, Board of Investment, Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality, Patent, Security and Exchange Commission, Revenue

Code, Customs, Liquor and Tobacco, and Anti-Trafficking in Persons acts. “I want all DSI officers from now to concentrate on pre-investigation of criminal cases – gathering information, collecting intelligence and evidence through various communication channels, undercover work and the use of informants,” said Pol Gen Chatchawal. Asked if there will be an influx of foreign criminals following Thailand’s integration into the ASEAN Economic Community next year, he said: “We are well prepared and on the lookout for foreigners who wish to come here to commit crimes or who commit offences in their home countries and then come here. “We recently formed an ASEAN centre which is under the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime,” he added. “We also coordinate with other Thai law enforcement agencies and concerned authorities such as the RTP and Anti-Money Laundering Office. Moreover, we continue to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies of many countries, including Australia, the United States, People’s Republic of China, Spain, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan and all ASEAN nations.”

He added, however, that the role of the ten Regional Operation Centers will to put emphasis on gathering information and intelligence, which includes surveillance. After completing preliminary investigations, they will report their findings to headquarters in Bangkok. “For example, in a case concerning tax evasion, if they find there’s something shady going on then they will send the report to the headquarters to decide whether to accept it as a special case or not. If it is accepted, the case will be assigned to the DSI’s Tax Bureau to conduct a full investigation.” The Pol Gen said that some of the cases referred to DSI might not fall under its mandate. These would be forwarded to the RTP or other relevant agencies. “We will concentrate on investigating all criminal activities listed under the DSI Act. However, we will also put a lot of emphasis on some crimes not specifically listed. For example, forest encroachment, because this has a big effect on the wellbeing of society and on national security. We will also put a lot of emphasis, resources and effort into combating human trafficking. This is a very important issue for us,” Pol Gen Chatchawal stressed. “The suppression of human trafficking violations is an enormous task but we will do our best to deal with this problem. ‘Influential persons’ will be increasingly targeted.” Pol Gen Chatchawal said that another crime on his priority list is government procurement fraud, which involves the bidding processes for jobs being rigged in favour of certain companies.

“As for political cases, we should keep a distance from these. We don’t want the DSI to be accused of taking sides as has happened in recent years. We won’t look at which political affiliation or group the suspect belongs to but what kind of crime is committed. If the case affects national security it will be investigated by the DSI, but overall my policy is to not take sides. We will not consider the person but the crime,” Pol Gen Chatchawal stressed. Politicizing the DSI further damaged the reputation of the DSI. Pre-occupation with those cases in the past meant a shortage of staff for other tasks.

High priority crimes

“Regarding transnational crimes, our main focus will be to combat terrorism, which is a very serious crime affecting the public. We will combat this type of crime with colleagues from foreign law enforcement agencies. We will also concentrate on economic crimes and human trafficking, both areas where cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies is also vital. “Another major focus is passport fraud because it is related to crimes like human trafficking and terrorism. “Economic crimes, including intellectual property violations are also very important because they affect the financial security of Thailand. We are cooperating with the Customs Department as well as the Department of Intellectual Property under the Ministry of Commerce to fight violations.

“We are cooperating and coordinating with many sectors and organizations to suppress the car fraud (also known as the grey car market). As for financial crimes, we cooperate with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our foreign counterparts in cases involving boiler rooms and other financial frauds committed by foreigners based in Thailand. “I would like to stress that economic crimes committed by foreigners in Thailand are on my priority list as well.”

Help for foreigners

Foreigners based in Thailand are welcome to contact the DSI to lodge a request for assistance by phone, in person or by email, especially when they have been unable to receive assistance from other law enforcement organizations. “We will help anyone who calls our call centre or comes to us in person, whether they are Thais or foreigners,” said Pol Gen Chatchawal. “We are willing to help foreigners not only in what are regarded as special cases but also for routine issues. The complaint centre is located on the ground floor of the DSI building in Bangkok where we also provide legal assistance. The call centre number is 1202 and the website is www.dsi.go.th.” “Our officers will screen the complaint and if we can help then we will act immediately. If it is not our responsibility then we can refer the matter to the relevant agencies and we will monitor and follow up the situation.” Complaints made at regional offices will be forwarded to the headquarters as well.

Pol Gen Chatchawal in focus ■ AFTER attending the Royal Police Cadet Academy in Nakhon Pathom for four years, Chatchawal Suksomjit started his career at the Royal Thai Police (RTP) in 1977 and held many positions there since. A reputation for excellence brought him the titles of Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, and finally Deputy Commissioner General of the RTP before being appointed Director-General of the DSI. He has also played a key role in drafting and improving laws designed to protect society’s most vulnerable citizens, including the Anti-Trafficking Persons Act B.E. 2551 (2008). He served as Director of the Children, Women and Family Protection and Anti-Human Trafficking Center of the RTP and on the Board of Improvement of the Criminal Procedure Code, Office of the Council of State (Krisdika). Pol Gen Chatchawal is the sixth Director General of the DSI.

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Insight

Personality|Profile

Meet the GM: Klaus senniK From living under curfew in Afghanistan to battling floods Thailand, The General Manager of Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside Hotel has enjoyed a fascinating career. Here he reveals a few trade secrets… In the past five years we have faced a number of challenges, including the floods of 2011 that caused so much damage throughout the country. At our hotel we faced a roundthe-clock battle to keep out the flood waters from the Chao Phraya River. The hotel’s engineering team worked miracles to keep the water pumps running and we remained open for guests throughout the crisis. It was a magnificent team effort that relied upon coordination and trust at every level of our management structure. We’re part of the Bangkok Riverside Marketing Partnership (BRMP), an exciting collaboration between eight popular, well-established hotels that enjoy prime positions on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. We are pooling our knowledge, expertise, experience and, importantly, our enthusiasm to promote our properties to both domestic and international leisure and business travellers.

I was inspired at a young age by a German TV programme featuring the popular Dutch chef Clemens Wilmenrod, whose culinary creations gave me the idea to train as a chef. After serving my apprenticeship in Germany I landed my first job in 1977 at the InterContinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. A very interesting start to my career, I lived under curfew for 12 months during the Russian invasion and occupation. I joined the Siam InterContinental Hotel in 1982 and I had five very interesting and rewarding years at this iconic and much-loved property. I returned to Bangkok in 2010 after working in markets as diverse as Indonesia, Australia, Kenya, Hong Kong, Dubai and Malaysia. For me, Thailand will always be number one. The hotel industr y in Thailand, since I first came here in 1982, has changed beyond recognition. Back then, there was a very limited choice of four and five star hotels for local and international travellers. Today we see a tourism industry making a substantial contribution to Thailand’s GDP, employing hundreds of thousands of Thai people both directly and indirectly. We see record numbers of business and leisure travellers visiting these shores every year – possibly as many as 30 million in 2015. They need hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, conference rooms and – importantly – well-trained staff to meet their demands.

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We have exciting plans in place to further enhance the reputation and brand of the Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside. The hotel’s new rooftop venue (17th floor) with herb garden will specialise in serving Thai cuisine that features our home-grown products. It will be partially covered with stunning views of the city and the river. Our Sunset Terrace, with some 285 metres of river frontage, will be a fantastic and highly flexible venue for business networking and social events. We are also enhancing our credentials as an environmentally-friendly hotel by embracing the policies adopted by the Wyndham Hotel Group (of which Ramada is an integral part). We’re working very hard to reduce our carbon footprint and we have adopted wide-ranging ‘green’ measures to reduce power consumption, improve water management and increase our effectiveness in waste management and recycling. Being a GM is a demanding role but also hugely satisfying. It is such a pleasure to read positive online reviews from our guests – and I always reply personally. Work/life balance is important and we must all find time to switch off and relax. I am fortunate in being able to rely upon my managerial team in my absence. Sundays for me are very special. I like to unwind and if I’m in Bangkok it’s always nice to find a new café or restaurant tucked away from the more popular areas of the city. Read the full interview with Klaus on thebigchilli.com

Gourmet p Wine and restaurant news

Sample rare Thai flavours at Suan Bua Restaurant this month. Page 28.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooking A round up of this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best gourmet deals. Yummy! Page 28

Meet the chef Meet the Executive Sous Chef of Siam@Siam Design Hotel and Spa Page 38

Recipe

Rich rewards are yours for the tasting in this easy to make dish Page 40 TheBigChilli

Gourmet

Dining|News

What’s Cooking

Bangkok’s hottest dining deals and news

Friday night seafood UNTIL AUG 20 AT PARTY HOUSE ONE

Seafood buﬀet deal

AVAILABLE NOW AT ATELIER RESTAURANT

A ‘COME-four-pay-two’ deal is now offered on Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Hotel’s popular King Crab & Seafood Buffet (served every Fri and Sat from 6.30pm-10.30pm), which features King crab’s legs, Live Fine De Claire oysters, New Zealand mussels, Tiger prawns, Atlantic salmon, Rock lobster, squid, and more deep sea fare, alongside a slew of international meat and vegetable dishes. B1,500++ per person including free-flow wines, beer and soft drinks. Grand Millennium Sukhumvit, 30 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke) Rd. 02 204 4020 grandmillenniumskv.com

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Rare Thai ﬂavours

UNTIL AUG 31 AT SUAN BUA THAI RESTAURANT

CENTARA Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok’s signature Thai restaurant, Suan Bua, is giving diners the rare opportunity to taste Sangyod rice, which is grown in Phatthalung province where it’s normally reserved for festival times and dished up to honoured visitors. Try this germinated brown rice fried with shrimp paste and deepfried Thai mackerel; fried with crab fat sauce and crab meat; or boiled with pandan leaves and a choice of condiments. All dishes are B320++.

SIAM@Siam Design Hotel’s Friday night seafood buffet is being offered at the special price of B1,400 per person this month. Ensuring you get plenty of bang for your buck is a sumptuous selection of oysters, caviar, mussels, sea snails, reef squid, Alaskan king crab, and much more. Available 6.30pm-10.30pm. Live band from 8pm-10pm. Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, 865 Rama I Rd. 02 217 3000 siamatsiam.com

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Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok Hotel, 1695 Phahonyothin Rd. 02 541 1234 ext. 4068 centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/cglb/

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A taste of American pie

UNTIL AUG 20 AT THE BANGKOK BAKING COMPANY

GRANNY Smith apple pie, Pumpkin pie, Cherry pie, and Key lime pie are just four of the traditional American pies currently on offer at JW Marriot Bangkok’s Bangkok Baking Company. Baked fresh daily and bursting with fruits, these pies start at B130 per slice; full pies at B1,100. Drizzle with custard and indulge. JW Marriott Bangkok, 4 Sukhumvit Rd, soi 2. 02 656 7700 ext. 4170 marriott.com/hotels/travel/bkkdt-jw-marriott-hotel-bangkok/

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New wine buying experience

AVAILABLE NOW AT WINE CONNECTION, SOI CONVENT

TRY before you buy – that’s the new concept at Wine Connection’s newly renovated shop on Convent Road, Silom, where over 60 different wines are now available for tasting by wine dispenser, starting at only B15 per 30ml. Utilizing an easy to use card system, you simply choose your wine, press the button and enjoy your tasting. In addition, the shop also has a professional French Sommelier to give advice and help you with your wine selection. A large selection of cheeses enhances the wine tasting experience. Wine Connection, Ground Floor, Sivadon Building 1, Convent Rd, Silom. Open 10.30am-10pm 02 631 1715 wineconnection.co.th

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Gourmet

Dining|News

Wine and cheese night AS an extension of its global signature wine program, Sheraton Social Hour, the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers now offers a wine and cheese event held the third Friday of each month. Held at Sambal Bar & Grill, this month’s event (Aug 15) will feature a selection of gourmet cheeses paired with free-flow South Australian Wines such as Ironbark Shiraz and Ironbark Chardonnay. B599++ per person. 6.30pm-8.30pm. Free shuttle boat service from Saphan Taksin BTS. Sambal Bar & Grill, Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, 2 Captain Bush Lane 02 266 9214 royalorchidsheraton.com

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Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition OCT 1-2 AT GRAND HYATT ERAWAN BANGKOK

THE seventh annual ‘Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition’ will be held at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok on 1-2 October, 2014. Featuring two days of examinations held in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, the event will be capped with a Grand Wine Tasting and Cocktail Reception where the winner and two runners-up will be announced. The event, hosted by Wine Today Magazine, is contested by sommeliers from top hotels around the kingdom. Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Rd. thailandwinetoday.com

☎ 02 254 1234

A meeting of culinary cultures UNTIL AUG 31 AT MADUZI HOTEL BANGKOK

A FIVE-course feast featuring French delicacies prepared and decorated in the Japanese Kaiseki style is the flavour of the month at Maduzi Restaurant by Yuya. Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner that combines taste, texture, appearance and colours of food in perfect balance. Highlights of Maduzi’s menu include “Chutoro” tuna belly tartar with Yuzu citrus pepper served with petit ginger soup; Catch of the day and French foie gras served with truffle flavored Daikon radish consomme confit; and A-4 Grade Iwate Wagyu tenderloin roast served with seasonal vegetables. The menu is available for dinner every Mon-Sat. B2,000+ per person. Maduzi Hotel Bangkok, 9/1 Sukhumvit soi 16. ☎ 02 615 6400 maduzihotel.com 30

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New on the scene

Vesper FORGET wine and craft beer, carefully considered cocktails are the next big thing in Bangkok. Vesper, on Soi Convent (a short walk from Silom BTS station), provides plenty of evidence of this thanks to its superb selection of quality and innovative cocktails, including a range of barrel-aged concoctions you won’t find elsewhere in Thailand (try the barrel-aged Manhattan B420). Owned by Chotipong Leenutaphong (co-owner of Little Beast Gastro Bar) and his wife, Debby Tang, Vesper was created with serious cocktail drinkers in mind, and to achieve this aim the duo teamed up with renowned London-based mixologists Fluid Movement (who own the groundbreaking Worship Street Whistling Shop) to create their menu. The cocktails aren’t the only highlight here, though. There’s also an extensive menu of Italian and Spanish inspired eats split between tapas, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, pastas, and grilled meats and seafood. Highlights include the El Diablo burger (Wagyu beef, roasted bell peppers, spicy gorgonzola. B480) and Seafood paella (B790 for two to share). A two-course set lunch is available daily at B380++. Aperitivo Hours between 5-7pm every day offer a choice of classic cocktail served with homemade Italian tapas at B300++. Open for lunch Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm; and dinner Mon-Thurs 5.30pm-midnight, and Fri-Sat 5.30pm-1am. vesperbar.co

Gourmet

Dining|News

Best of New Zealand AUG 8 AT PARK SOCIETY

NICK Honeyman, Executive Chef of Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour, is coming to town to showcase his signature take on New Zealand cuisine for one night only at Park Society, Sofitel So Bangkok. Expect a five-course dinner paired with Craggy Range wines. B3,500 per person. Starts 6pm. 2 North Sathorn Rd. ☎ 02 624 0000 soﬁtel.com

So Amazing Chefs 2014 OCT 16-19 AT SOFITEL SO BANGKOK

THE third edition of the annual So Amazing Chefs event, held at Sofitel So Bangkok, will once again bring together nine top chefs from around the world for four days of gourmet dining and cooking demonstrations at the hotel’s restaurants. Chefs returning this year include Alain Caron, based in Amsterdam, Christophe Paucod, heading to Bangkok from Japan, Didier Corlou from Vietnam, Patrick Jeffroy from Brittany, maitre-chocolatier Stephane Bonnat, also from France, and Sofitel So Bangkok’s Paul Smart. Making their debut and adding to the high profile nature of the event are truffle expert Daniel Hebet plus chef-owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant, Laurent Peugeot, both from France, as well as Tokyo-based pastry chef consultant Stephane Vieux. Expect more info in next month’s issue. 2 North Sathorn Rd. ☎ 02 624 0000 soﬁtel.com

Chef's

specials Culinary worlds combine SEPT 5-6 AT THE OKURA PRESTIGE BANGKOK

Overseas talent and oneoff menus in Bangkok

THE Okura Prestige Bangkok’s two top chefs, Shigeru Hagiwara from Yamazato restaurant, and Thomas Jakobi, the hotel’s Culinary Director, will join forces next month to host a two-night dinner event called The Living Kitchen. Held at the hotel’s Elements restaurant, the event will see the chefs cooking up a six-course menu in an open kitchen, and, with an emphasis on combining Japanese tradition with Western modernity, will see each chef taking turns to serve their own signature dishes. Menu highlights include Chef Hagiwara’s seafood impressions and grilled alfonsino, and Chef Henry’s duck foie gras and Progression of Wagyu MB 9. The menu is available for dinner on Sept 5-6. B3,800++ per person. 6pm-10.30pm. Lumpini, 57 Wireless Rd. ☎ 02 687 9000 okurabangkok.com

1001 Nights Food Festival

AUG 8-24 AT SIAM KEMPINSKI HOTEL BANGKOK

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AUTHENTIC Arabic cuisine with a modern twist will be on offer at Siam Kempinski Bangkok’s Brasserie Europa when guest chef Sudqi Naddaf, from the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, takes control of the kitchens for a two-week stint. Expect to tuck into White fish in clay pot, Tabouleh (Arabic salad with fresh vegetables, herbs and onions), Hummus (chickpea dip), Falafel (deep-fried chickpea with herbs), grilled meats and warm homemade pita breads, all available in an all-you-can-eat style. Daily buffet dinner (7pm-midnight) is B2,400++ per person (inclusive of free-flow non-alcoholic beverages, Arabian tea and coffee). 991/9 Rama 1 Rd. ☎ 02 162 9000 kempinski.com

Pics|Events

Gourmet scrapbook Gourmet

Last month’s foodie functions in focus

Wine dinner on the river

A NIGHT of fine wines and gourmet Thai cuisine was enjoyed by a large group of diners aboard Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Apsara dining cruise. Arranged by Siam Winery, the event featured the winery’s award-winning Monsoon Valley wines paired with a fivecourse menu of regional favourites. On hand to explain more about the wines was Siam Winery’s winemaker, Suppached Sasomsin.

Din Thai Fung opens second branch

CHINESE restaurant chain Din Thai Fung marked the launch of its second restaurant in Thailand, at Bangkok’s Central Embassy, by unveiling an exclusive new menu of 14 dishes and also by teaming up with Citibank to offer special promotions for diners (until Sept 14, Citibank cardholders receive 10 percent off the restaurant’s signature Steamed chilli crab dumplings).

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KEBAB AND BIRYANI

Gourmet

Pics|Events

Sustainable caviar celebrated

GOURMET food importer Theodoré International marked America’s National Caviar Day (July 18) by hosting a special dinner featuring the products of Vivace – the world’s only producers of natural ‘no kill’ caviar. Using a unique farming method which involves massaging the female sturgeons (an endangered species) to obtain their eggs, Vivace’s team gets its caviar without having to kill the fish – an approach that is as fascinating as it is admirable. Special guest on the night was Dr. Angela Köhler, who explained more about the caviar collecting process to an appreciative audience of Bangkok-based chefs, restaurateurs, and food suppliers.

Dining with an astronaut

TOURISM and hospitality professionals at Skal International Bangkok, part of the global travel industry networking organisation, welcomed Thailand’s first astronaut to be, Khun Pirada Vechavijit, as guest speaker at a luncheon held at the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok hotel. Khun Pirada, a Space Technology Engineer at GISTDA (Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency) in Chonburi, is training for her historic space flight next year on board the Lynx Mark 11 sub-orbital spacecraft. She landed her seat in space against intense competition from more than 500,000 applicants in 62 countries. She is one of just 23 young men and women selected to become space travellers in 2015.

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Making Mooncakes at Conrad

CONRAD Bangkok launched the 2014 edition of its annual Mooncake Festival by inviting foodies to join a cooking class hosted by Master Chef Jacky Chan at Liu Chinese restaurant, where they learnt how they could make their own versions of the revered dessert at home. Mooncakes are now available at Conrad Bangkok until Sept 8.

TRULY THE BEST

LEBANESE RESTAURANT

IN TOWN and the only place to enjoy lebanese wine

Ban Silom, Silom Soi 19 call 02 2669081, 086 0600484 Sukhumvit Soi 24 call 02 261 9816-7 Samui, Prana Resort, Bophut call 077 246362 www.nadimos.com

Gourmet

Chef in focus|Siwametr Boonyarittiwong

Your cooking philosophy? To cook every dish as though I’m cooking for my family Your alltime favourite restaurants? Floating Market food stalls

SERVING UP

Siwametr Boonyarittiwong

The Executive Sous Chef of Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok on his favourite food and chefs

Curry or caviar? Oh! You can’t compare these…but let’s say “Caviar,” because it’s French Your favourite lunch? A simple bowl of noodle soup; street food suits me, too

Most used cookbooks? The Escofﬁer Cookbook and Larousse Gastronomique… Still searching for a new one!

What attracted you to French cuisine? The artistic presentation of the dishes. I also love the history of French cuisine and my school, Institut Vatel

Best meal you’ve ever had? My favourite meals are the ones I cook to enjoy with my family

What would you be if you weren’t a chef? Haha! I would be a food critic

Best advice you’ve ever received? Whatever you do, just don’t lose your passion!

Your signature dish? Lobster bisque Your favourite chefs? Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Grant Achatz, Gordon Ramsay

About the chef

Favourite non-French cuisine and dish? Chinese Cuisine: Dim Sum and noodles

■ SIWAMETR Boonyarittiwong is the new Executive Sous Chef of Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok. A graduate of the highly-regarded B.B.A. in Hotel Management at Institut Vatel, France, he kick-started his culinary career seven years ago and has since built up an impressive resume working for hotels such as Grand Hyatt Erawan; Somerset Suwan Park View, Bangkok; and Novotel Montﬂury, Cannes, France. Standalone establishments he’s honed his skills at, meanwhile, include Café Lenôtre, Bangkok and Bonjour French Restaurant. A specialist in French cuisine, he prides himself on presenting traditional dishes with contemporary ﬂair. 865 Rama 1 Rd, Wang Mai (Nation Stadium BTS)

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☎ 02 217 3000 siamatsiam.com

Dining|Recipe

Recipe of the month Baked lobster with cheese

Baked lobster is always delicious – especially when its drizzled with melted cheese. Cook your own at home by following this simple recipe from Narapong Kongcome, Executive Chinese Chef of Shanghai Mansion Bangkok Ingredients (Serves 2) • 1 large Phuket lobster • 10g butter • 50g fresh milk • 100g mozzarella cheese • 100g cream • 20g parmesan cheese • A pinch of salt • 10g snap pea • 10g red bell pepper • 10g Shimeji mushroom

Method 1. Carefully clean the lobster and cut it in half before leaving it aside on an oven tray. 2. Heat up a wok and melt the butter. 3. Gradually add in cream, milk, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally to avoid lumps. 4. When smooth and creamy, liberally pour the cheese sauce over both halves of the cut lobster evenly.

5. Bake the lobster in the oven at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden brown. 6. In the meantime, pan-fry chopped onions, chopped red bell peppers, snap

gcom Chef Narapong Kon 40

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beans and Shimeji mushrooms until aromatic. 7. Serve the lobster on the plate topped with pan-fried onions, red bell peppers, snap beans and Shimeji mushrooms.

SPECIALISING in creative Chinese cuisine, Chef Narapong takes traditional dishes and presents them with gourmet flair. What he doesn’t change, however, are the flavours. His 17 years’ experience working in the culinary industry (15 years in Thailand, two in Singapore) has taught him that, to create a truly memorable dish, you should let the ingredients do the talking. This means a real emphasis on bringing out the rich flavours of each ingredient he uses. Always a bonus, in our book. Try his tasty dishes for yourself at Red Rose Chinese Restaurant & Jazz Lounge, Shanghai Mansion Bangkok. Shanghai Mansion Bangkok. 479-481 Yaowaraj Rd.

☎02 221 2121 .shanghaimansion.com

cut out and keep

Gourmet

"For A Healthy Life Style"

1. 2. 3. 3.

Gourmet

Guest review|BB&B

Swiss tastes at Chesa Venison and monk fish headline a fine dining experience at this longstanding expat favourite

OR the thirteenth consecutive year, the gourmands of Bangkok Beefsteak & Burgundy assembled at Chesa to admire the staff and enjoy one of the highlights of the group’s dining calendar. It was a full house of 22 diners including just three old friends of the Club. Thomas offered complimentary glasses of Moscow Mule (which is not, by the way, the first silly vodka drink. That distinction belongs to the Blue Monday, first identified in the English Savoy bar book of 1930) to accompany extremely tasty canapés featuring ox-mouth salad, cheese and other unidentified morsels in tiny tartlets. This was followed by Charles Steiner NV Brut (Barossa Valley, Australia), and a cacophony of sound as diners sought to register their presence at the crowded bar. Once inside the dining room, we were presented with an amuse bouche, a slice of scallop on a skewer with a tasty sauce (too little sauce said someone in jest), and more glasses of Charles Steiner NV Brut, eventually followed by White asparagus with foie gras crème brûlée. The early birds pecked at the asparagus (and a piquant dressing – cherry tomato

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vinaigrette) then the crème brûlée. Most diners, however, enjoyed the dish even more in reverse order. Jock Tulloch had selected 2012 Barton & Guestier Chablis (France) to pair with this and, as our eloquent wine spokesman Andrew MacDowell reported, this proved to be a great choice. Mark Guthrie (our witty erudite American food spokesman of the day) also found the dish to be appropriately ‘quite’ delicious. Another pause ensued whilst some members clamored for attention and we all continued to savour the Chablis. The wait was more than amply rewarded with Bacon wrapped monk fish medallion on barley and bell pepper risotto with a marsala sauce. The barley risotto was a delicious surprise and the cheese flavoured wafer added just the right extra touch. The monk fish was firm, tasty, and went well with the bacon wrapping. With everyone safely back from their smoking break, we were served 2008 Cabutto Barolo, Tenuta La Volta Vigna La Volta (Piedmont, Italy) to accompany Marinated venison fillet, cooked in sous-vide style, on forest mushrooms with burgundy reduction. Both wine and food were truly excellent, with the marinated venison cooked to perfection; we have to thank both Rene and Thomas for the efforts they made to procure both the monk fish and the venison (as

Bangkok Beefsteak & Burgundy

the Customs had elected to suspend all airfreighted food imports from the EU that week in order to ‘take stock’). Next came Baked camembert with aged balsamico and once again our hosts and chefs demonstrated their skills and innovation. The tasty cheese was further enhanced by a number of condiments, including pine nuts, walnuts, figs and raisins. With this, we drank Zuccardi Q Malbec 2009 (Argentina) which had been bought by the Club some time ago at a very attractive price. It turned out to be a good match for that inspired choice of cheese as well as good value. To conclude what was one of the best meals we have enjoyed over the past 13 years at Chesa, Rene chose Custard tart with fresh dark cherries to accompany a very special 2009 Sauternes (Bordeaux, France). As is our wont, we capped the afternoon with extended applause for the kitchen team and tangible expressions of gratitude for K. Nuut and her hardworking and skillful staff. 5 Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: 02 261 6650 www.chesa-swiss.com

Gourmet

Dining|News The Landmark Bangkok ATRIUM Restaurant’s popular international lunch and dinner buffet will be on offer for B2,800 per person (dine-four-paytwo!); and Dim Sum Lunch Buffet at Sui Sian for B990++ per person. Every table will receive a complimentary teddy bear and a box of chocolates. 138 Sukhumvit Rd. 02 254 0404 ext. 7777 landmarkbangkok.com

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Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside THE Terrace @ 72 is offering its international lunch buffet at B813 for two, and dinner buffet at B1,060 for two. Every mum will also receive a complimentary 15 minutes massage at Massira Spa and a complimentary health check up at the Thonburi 2 hospital.

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2074 Charoenkrung Rd. 02 688 1000 ramadaplazamenamriverside.com

Hua Chang Heritage Hotel Bangkok VISIT Miss Siam restaurant and you’ll find a Family Seafood set priced B4,500 (serves 3-4 persons. 11am-10.30pm). Every mum will receive B1,000 cash back, a jasmine garland, and a complimentary drink.

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Phayathai Rd. 02 217 0777 huachangheritagehotel.com

Mother’s Day treats Where to take mum for a meal to remember on Aug 12

Soﬁtel Bangkok Sukhumvit

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok THREE dining options await here – a gourmet brunch at Tables at B3,500++ per person (includes award-winning Prosecco and premium wines, beers, and soft drinks); a Special Mother’s Day menu at Erawan Tea Room (B1,100++ per person including soft drinks); and a Mother’s Day Brunch at The Dining Room (B2,250++ per person, including soft drinks. Available Aug 10-12).

☎

494 Rajdamri Rd. 02 254 1234 bangkok.grand.hyatt.com

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Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld FIFTY Five restaurant will offer its popular Champagne Surf & Turf Brunch at the special price of B4,255++ per person (11.30am-3pm).

A GOURMET international brunch buffet is on offer at Voilà! priced B2,200 per person with soft drinks and juices, B3,750 per person with wines and alcoholic drinks, and B4,650 per person with Champagnes, wines and alcoholic drinks (go as a group of four and mum dines for free, or receives a voucher for the next brunch). Alternatively, enjoy a sharing dinner set menu at L’Appart for B2,200++ per person (mum dines for free when accompanied by a minimum of two paying adults).

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189 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 13-15. 02 126 9999 soﬁtel-bangkok-sukhumvit.com

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999/99 Rama I Rd. 02 100 6255 centarahotelsresorts.com/cgcw/

Soﬁtel So Bangkok TUCK into an international feast at Red Oven priced B1,700++ per person, or B2,000++ per person with free-flow wine and soft drinks (12pm-2.30pm). Every mum receives a half lobster and a voucher to redeem a gift at Chocolab.

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2 North Sathorn Rd. 02 634 0000 soﬁtel-so-bangkok.com

Gourmet

Review|Flann O’Brien’s

Review

Flann O’Brien’s on the rise

Expat pub chain offers more than just a ‘look’ of the Irish

TIME was all Irish themed pubs from Dublin to Delhi all looked the same. Faux-rustic designs with green walls and Guinness posters, rusty antiques, and maybe even the odd bit of taxidermy. But not Flann O’Brien’s. Taking its cue from Ireland’s contemporary bar-scene, Bangkok-based Flann O’Brien’s steers clear of clutter to offer a fresh and modern take on the tried-and-tested international Irish pub template. And it’s proving popular, too. Since opening its first branch at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, in February 2009, the brand has gone on to open three more branches in the capital – including a large, high-ceilinged venue at Asiatique The Riverfront; a hip hangout frequented by celebs and VIPs at Eight Thonglor; and, after taking over what was formerly O’Reilly’s, a prime spot on Silom Road next to the BTS station. The latter of these is about to be given a makeover to bring it in line with Flann O’Brien’s

look and philosophy. “Some people have joked we want to be the McDonald’s of Irish pubs,” says the pub’s Group Director, Liam Herrity, a quick-witted Irish fellow who delivers one-liners with the ease of a seasoned comedian. “But while we’re certainly a fast growing brand, one which we’re looking to franchise in the region, we have a real focus on personalized service and high quality food. And our customers are loving it…Wait a minute. Isn't that somebody else’s slogan?” The pub’s own slogan is actually ‘No Stranger at Flann O’Brien’s; just friends you haven’t met yet!’ And meet them you will – over international beers and wine, as well as a food menu brimming with popular international eats like Fish and chips (B375) and New Zealand lamb chop (B495), Irish favourites such as Lamb stew (B399) and Beef and Guinness pie (B495), and even a few local snacks (try the Roasted pork

neck salad B205). A kids’ menu is also available with all dishes at just B145. “The menu we provide is the same at each of our pubs.” explains Liam. “We offer pub favourites made with quality ingredients, and our lunch promotion is unrivalled – 50 percent off all food from 12 noon till 2pm every day.” As well as being a great spot for lunch, dinner, viewing live sports, and just hanging out with friends, Flann O’Brien’s pubs are also well geared to hosting networking functions. Especially the Thonglor venue, which boasts a rooftop terrace that can host 300 guests, and the Asiatique branch, whose sprawling open-plan room can easily accommodate 500 people. “Basically, we’ve carefully designed Flann O'Brien's so that it offers something for everyone,” says Liam. “No matter which of our pubs you visit, you can be sure to receive the same great service, delicious food, and cold international beers on tap.”

For more information about Flann O’Brien’s and its various outlets see flann-obriens.com

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Gourmet

Review|Octave

Review

Octave Lounge and Bar

Bangkok Marriott Sukhumvit’s rooftop restaurant hits all the right notes

AS the highest lounge and bar in the Thonglor district – and the only in the area to offer 360 degree views – Octave Lounge and Bar is a must visit for anyone planning a night out in this hip area of town. And not just because of the stunning views. Inspired by New York apartment terraces and set over three floors, this multi-zone outlet features a restaurant, a private dining room, a bar and a rooftop lounge, and offers a wide selection of innovative cocktails (start at B395 per glass), craft beers (start at B290 per bottle) and fine international wines (start at B390++ per glass), plus an exciting new menu of creative Asian tapas, sushi and sashimi, and top-grade grilled meats. As is the case with tapas-style dining, many of the dishes on offer are just perfect for sharing. Kick-start a meal with the Chilled seafood platter (B2,100++) and

you’ll know exactly what we mean – this hearty option features two oysters, tuna tartare, king crab leg, salmon and tuna sashimi, and eight California rolls. Tuna Tataki (B440++) is another great option, featuring perfectly seared tuna with a crispy coating of herbs and a delicious accompanying sauce; and the Octave mini Wagyu burgers (B410++), made with the finest imported Australian beef, always go down a treat. Other highlights include the Wagyu Beef Udon Noodles (B430++), and, for dessert, the Mango Sticky Rice Pippette (B220++). The best way to enjoy an evening here is to start with a meal on the 45th floor before heading to the rooftop to cap your night with a cocktail or two. Here, subdued neon lighting, comfy seating, and chilled-out house music combine to

create a laidback atmosphere that perfectly enhances the splendid views of the city. When you consider that most of the clientele are Thonglor denizens – arguably the city’s tastemakers – you know you’re in one of the hippest spots in town. Visit Octave on a Monday night and you can enjoy 30 percent discount on food and drinks. Signature cocktails are buyone-get-one-free every night from 5pm1am; and every Tuesday there’s 20 percent discount on signature and seafood platters plus premium wines and Champagne. Ladies Night, every Wednesday, offers two-for-one cocktails and a free dessert buffet, while Fridays are perfect for an indulgent wind-down after work – 20 percent off Moët & Chandon Champagne and free oysters with every bottle ordered. Octave Lounge and Restaurant is open daily 5pm-1am.

The Octave Rooftop Lounge and Bar (45th floor), Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57

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☎ 02 797 0400 :marriott.com

Gourmet

Review|RR&B

Review

RR&B

Landmark’s classy steakhouse reaches new heights

UNDER the artful direction of the Landmark Bangkok’s veteran Executive Chef Philippe Gaudal, the RR&B today occupies top ranking amongst the city’s best steakhouses. But even that accolade doesn’t do full justice to this classy restaurant, for RR&B is much more than a steakhouse; it’s also an extremely good all-round dining venue, with lots of really interesting dishes to satisfy the pickiest of gourmands. While the RR&B is certainly very good at steaks – Japanese and Australian Wagyu reign supreme – the menu also features an impressive selection of seafood, notably the Maine lobster and Braised snow fish, as well as chicken, duck, and pork main dishes. And its generous rack of roasted Australian lamb (B1,500) comes with a delicious creamy corn relish and rosemary jus. For something somewhat lighter, you may want to try Strozzapreti, a handrolled pasta served with lamb ragout (B850), or the Risotto of seafood (B600).

Foie gras plays a major role in Chef Philippe’s culinary offerings, making a welcome appearance as a terrine, panfried with kumquat and classic bigarade sauce, in a chicken soup and in the beautifully presented Millionaire salad (B1,500), a hearty combination of smoked lobster, scallops, oyster and panfried foie gras. One of RR&B’s many highlights includes three appetizers using Paolo Parisi’s famous Italian eggs, a rare treat that sees these farm-raised goodies poached in two different ways and accompanying slow cooked duck leg (B450-500). Other eye-catching starters include the Smoked eel and foe gras teriyaki (B850) and the extremely generous Grilled seafood platter (B2,700). Most guests, however, choose this restaurant for its steaks. The Wagyu beef cheek and tenderloin (B1,650) is among the favourites; so too are the Steak au poivre (B2,200), the Australian beef tenderloin ‘Tournedos Rossini’ (B2,200)

RR&B, 31st floor, The Landmark Bangkok.

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and the T-bone (B2,900) featuring tenderloin as well as a strip loin. The choice of steak connoisseurs is, of course, the Wagyu ‘Ohmi’ beef from Japan, which, though a notch or two more expensive than its Australian equivalent, is simply divine. For those with a healthy appetite, the 1,500gr Tomahawk rib bone lives up to its billing as Bangkok’s biggest steak. But don’t worry, at B4,500 it’s designed to be shared. Recommended side dishes (B160) include Creamed spinach, Asparagus spears and the heavenly Black truffle potatoes. Chef Philippe has been with the hotel for a total of ten years and he has stamped his creativity on RR&B in so many ways. Always ready to introduce a new dish to replace one that may have lost some of its past popularity, this affable Frenchman has put together a menu that never fails to surprise and delight. His kitchen and waiting staff match the quality of the food, and the view from this rooftop restaurant is stunning.

☎ 02 254 0404 :thelandmarkbangkok.com

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Expat WOMEN p Put your feet up and indulge

Retro, repro, vintage, and antiques - the trends and fashions of bygone eras are yours to buy in Bangkok. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where to find them. Page 62.

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Enjoy the latest slice of fiction from the Bangkok Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Writers Group Page 54

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Hot new products and stores demanding your attention Page 60

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Nutrition expert Judith on the benefits of drinking enough water Page 68 TheBigChilli

Expat Women

BWWG|Monsoon Midnights

Monsoon Midnights Special places in Bangkok, as experienced by the Bangkok Women’s Writer’s Group Dear reader Welcome to ‘Monsoon Midnights,’ a brand new series of stories by the Bangkok Women’s Writers Group. The storytellers of the BWWG come from all over the world but they all have a special place in this city, somewhere surprising, obscure and unexpected, as yet undiscovered. Follow us to these hidden places right here, month after month.

NIGHTFALL OVER BANGKOK THERE are some very high places in Bangkok. Places where you can look out and see the city like an interactive map spread out beneath you. Tonight, the moon is hardly visible in the thick air, swirling with toxic particulates that stick in the throat. As if to resist dirt through colour, a host of white towers stand in the sediment of the Bangkok air. But tonight I am not drawn ttoo the hotels, the apartment buildings, the offices of international ccorporations, orporations, places that conduct the sometimes glorious and ssometimes ometimes very messy business of life. Tonight there is a strong pull towards those other towers, those where people don’t go to sit at desks or run around in corridors or eat their dinner while watching TV and shouting at the dog. Tonight I am pulled by a faint but insistent rhythm that I can feel down in my very bones, slowly, painfully, through stops and starts, not knowing where this journey goes and what I will find when I get there, with the stuttering and stumbling rhythm of a failing heart, to the whitest of white towers, where people lie still in sterile rooms on crisply clean beds, aired, fed and monitored by cool white machines, looking nowhere but inside, drawing their breath in and out with excruciating effort or already sighing their time away under the pressure of a ventilator. Staff walk down the corridors on soft shoes, reading notes, suggesting procedures, administrating the dying. Relatives slip in and out. Can the dying hear? Some say yes, hearing goes last, so maybe it is good to talk to them, though what they might be interested in is hard to tell. Can they feel the presence of those everyone calls ‘loved ones’ although who knows who the dying loved in life? Before being breathed on by chilly white machines? Or are they perhaps already looking towards other dimensions, places beyond attachment to friends, stories, places beyond families even? If so, what might those places be?

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The living don’t know. But they are there. Relatives who rarely visited in life are now in attendance at death’s door. Do the dying know they are so honoured? Do they enjoy a final turn in the spotlight? They don’t say. Maybe they would prefer to be left alone, in their final hours and days. Maybe they would prefer the company of those they preferred in life, even if they are not relatives, even if they are cats and dogs, even if they are characters from soap operas. But nothing is now done by the dying. Those relatives who rarely visited have the right to decide, over life and death, over night and day. Over the final dose of air pumped down the chilly white machine. Tonight’s story teller, Tracey Martin, meets me in a sterile white corridor. She has been waiting a long time, outside one such dying chamber, waiting for her story to emerge. I join her quietly and we wait together. Waiting is what happens here. Then, slowly as if they were themselves exhausted, the heavy doors open, and we slip in. To find a crispy white bed, and a relative. Come with us and see what unfolds…

Life Support By Tracey Martin He does not know this part of Bangkok well. And tonight, as he looks down from the eighteenth floor, it is just lit up buildings, larger than life adverts and the headlights of cars inching along, as though the city had a life of its own, without people. Not like the machines in the room. They emit rhythmic beeps because his mother’s heart is still beating, because her chest rises and falls faintly and slivers of breath still pass through her parched lips. He doesn’t want her to die, but feels it would be better than this half-existence, broken only by her eyes flicking open now and then, the startled look she gives him, as though she had almost let go but then remembered something unfinished that was tormenting her. He’s been taking it in turns with his sister to sit with her for weeks now. She’d mailed him the schedule as soon as his mother was admitted. He’d replied that some days it would be difficult, he had meetings organised, a trip up country. Couldn’t it be a bit more flexible? ‘No’, she’d replied. ‘ What could be more important than your mother being seriously ill, maybe dying? She’s eightyseven. You’re the boss. Rearrange things.’

So he had. It was the family business and people remembered his mother. They sympathised. But he imagined them talking behind his back when he left the room. ‘His father never had a day off in his life. Dropped dead on the factory floor. The young one’s heart’s not in it.’ He’d done everything his father wanted, gone into the business, b usiness, married the right woman, produced two sons. His ffather ather had been proud of him. Yet still he felt that in some way hee had failed. h His mother was more difficult to read. When he was young, she took him with her to the hospital, the orphanage, the safe house for girls. People petted him and said how handsome he was, but he’d never liked the smells, the noises or the general untidiness. His father’s business was predictable, cheap raw materials, cheap land, cheap labour. He didn’t have to deal with people much. He had others to do that for him. As he got older he made excuses and the trips with his mother became rarer. Once he took over the firm, he gave her money for her charitable activities, but the visits ceased. He thinks he hears a noise and turns away from the window. His mother’s eyes are open again. He moves towards, her, leaning over her face so she can see him. Her eyes are deep wells, black holes that suck him in. ‘Mae?’ The surface of her face ripples as though she is agitated or perhaps it is just his shadow passing across it. He takes her hand, squeezes it and thinks he feels a faint response. ‘What is it, Mae? Tell me.’ Nothing. She continues to stare at him for a few more minutes, then her eyes snap shut. The machines continue to bleep. He lets go of her hand and paces round the room. How long is this going to go on? He decides to go for a walk. It won’t be for long. She probably isn’t even aware of his presence. ‘Mae, I’ll be back soon,’ he whispers. Then he turns and slips out of the door, past the nurses, who give him corporate smiles, into the glass lift down to the shining steel and glass

he Bangkok Women’s Writers Group, founded in 2001, and led by Anette Pollner (who also writes the recurring ‘moon intro’ stories in this series in her famous neo psychedelic style), is where creative women from all over the world meet to workshop their writing in a supportive and inspiring environment. Many of our members are published and prize winning authors, but we are open to all women who are passionate about writing, including complete beginners. The BWWG has published a Thai English language bestseller, ‘Bangkok Blondes’ and various pamphlets. We regularly give readings around town and have been part of international festivals and cultural exchanges. Please contact bkk_writers@yahoo.com for more information. This month’s storyteller, Tracey Martin, works for international development organisations and is mostly a poet (with an MA in Poetry). Her poems have been published in Aesthetica, Poetry Life, and Poetry Society News. Tracey has lived in Thailand for 20 years. She translates Thai poets and leads workshops on “Poetry in Thai” at the London Poetry Translation Centre.

lobby, past the coffee franchise and the fast food outlet. The doorman bows as he opens the door and he walks out into the humid night. He declines offers of taxis and walks quickly towards the road, then takes the first right. He has no idea where he is going. He just wants to disappear into the city, lose himself in its sounds and smells and sights. The hospital is state-of-the-art, more like a five star hotel than a place where people are suffering, recovering, dying. It looms up like a great ocean liner, dwarfing the buildings around it as they huddle under its shadow. But unlike the hospital, where everything happens behind closed doors, the streets are busy with people, talking, walking, drinking, having their hair cut. Stalls selling noodles, satay and grilled chicken clog the pavement. Groups of office workers sit drinking beer, laughing loudly and calling for snacks. The air shimmers with smoke from deep pans of oil and steam from vats of soup. After the white walls and clinical lighting, his senses are overwhelmed. He realises that he is hungry but the choice of food bewilders him. In the end he goes for kao tom, his childhood comfort food. He remembers his mother spooning it into his mouth before he went to school. And how she presided over huge vats of it at the orphanage, ladling it out into the children’s dishes. She had a word and a smile for each child. The teachers ushered them away quickly, uncomfortable with the khunying who insisted on serving the children herself. The rice soup makes him sweat. He wipes his forehead with his starched cotton handkerchief and pays the stallholder, waving away the change. As he walks towards the quieter end of the street, he sees a girl sitting on the pavement. She looks about eighteen. Her face is grubby but somehow luminous and her clothes are faded but neat. There is a small plastic bowl in front of her. When someone approaches her, her eyes are pleading, insistent, her hands reach out so that they almost touch the person’s clothes. When they pass by without looking in her direction, her expression changes instantly, like an actor when she leaves the stage. Her eyes go blank and her hands fall

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Expat Women

BWWG|Monsoon Midnights

to her side. He never gives money to beggars. He rarely even sees them these days. He drives or is driven everywhere. Perhaps that is why he is particularly struck by this one. Or perhaps it’s because he’s still thinking of his mother and her daily round of charity, the way she always stopped to speak to the dirtiest, most unprepossessing child. He goes up to the girl and puts a handful of coins in the bowl. Again he thinks of his mother and, instead of keeping his eyes down, he looks straight at her. Her eyes are as deep and empty as his mother’s. He feels compelled to speak. ‘Where do you come from?’ He sees the surprise in her eyes, but she responds, naming his home province, the place where his father made his fortune. ‘What’s your name?’ he asks, as though he might know her. Now she looks suspicious. ‘What’s yours?’ she retorts. Her accent is unmistakable. He gives her his name in full When she hears the surname, her face changes again. She picks up the bowl and throws his coins across the pavement. Then slowly and quite deliberately she spits on his polished leather shoes. He should be angry but, to his surprise, a great wave of guilt and remorse floods his body. Sweat pours out of him and his legs feel rubbery. He almost sinks down on the pavement next to her. He blurts out, ‘ I’m sorry! I’m sorry!’ too loudly, so that for the first time people in the street turn to look at them, wondering what is going on. He bends down and scrabbles around picking up as many of the coins she threw away as he can find. He thrusts them into her hand, doesn’t wait to see her response. He runs back towards the hospital, through the lobby and into the lift, down the corridor and into his mother’s room. The bleeps have stopped. There are a couple of nurses quietly moving the machines away from the bed. His sister is

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sitting at his mother’s side. He looks at his mother and knows she is dead. He moves towards her. His sister turns round. ‘Where were you?’ she hisses. ‘You were supposed to be here! It was your turn.’ He says nothing. He continues staring at his mother. She looks more peaceful than she has for weeks. If she weren’t dead, he’d say she was happy. ‘You’re never here when you’re needed,’ his sister continues. ‘You never cared.’ It’s as if their mother’s death has released all the things she’s wanted to say for years. ‘And if you think you’re going to get everything,’ she’s almost snarling now. ‘you wait. I’ll fight you every step of the way. Mae hated the way you sucked up to Father. Couldn’t you see she despised everything he stood for? ‘ She stands up and glares at him, holding her handkerchief to her mouth. He doesn’t say a word. She turns and leaves, the frightened nurses following her. He sits next to his mother and holds her hand, which is still warm. ‘I’m sorry, Mae,’ he says, ‘for everything. I’m sorry it took your death to make me understand.’ He bends over to kiss her one last time. He reaches for her hand. There is something there, a scrap of paper wedged between her palm and the bedcover. He trembles as he gently lifts her hand and picks it up. The words are written in pencil in spiky, uneven capitals. ‘GO NOW’ He considers all the possible and impossible explanations for how it came to be there. He goes through all the things the two words could possibly mean. He chooses the ones he wants to believe. ‘Thank you, Mae,’ he says. He hurries to the window. To his surprise there is a small side panel that he is able to open. He breathes in deeply. The air still smells of exhaust fumes and street food and he can hear the rumble of the traffic. His mother is dead but the city is full of life. And so is he. He is overwhelmed by all the choices he has. He takes another deep breath then flings his phone and his car keys out of the window. When he runs down the corridor and jumps into the lift, the nurses are shocked to see that he is smiling. Most people die just before dawn. There are theories about that. Some say that the vital signs run lowest as the night runs late, others say that with the arrival of the new day the dying can finally let go. ‘The world is still turning. I’ve done my best to hold on, but now the world can go on without me.’ For me this time will come, too, but not tonight. Tonight I breathe the air while the moon still shines, the dank, speckled, toxic Bangkok air, and drink it in like champagne. Breathing is a much underrated delight. Nothing, but nothing is as good as air, filling up your lungs and flashing oxygen around your system. Breathe while you can! And hope you are still here to breathe when the moon returns, and when we return to our journey here next month, when I visit our next story teller, waiting for me already, somewhere, in an undiscovered corner of the city. Let me take you on that journey! Anette Pollner, leader of the BWWG

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Education |News

School Report Hua Hin International School to open next year

HUA Hin International School (HHIS), the first fully accredited international educational institution in Thailand’s central province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, will open its doors for students in August 2015. The partnership comprises former directors of, and current advisers to, the well-respected St. Andrews Group of International Schools in Thailand, including Graham Sullivan, long-time head of Bangkok Patana School and now managing director and project manager for (HHIS). The UK native has more than two decades of experience in Thailand, having earlier worked as a Headteacher and Inspector of Education in his home country.

programme comprises Early Years development followed by Primary, Middle and High School. An International Baccalaureate Diploma programme likewise will be available to age 18. Construction is being undertaken in three stages, beginning with Early Years/Primary facilities and progressing through each educational stage. At full completion, the school expects to be registered as IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Examination Centres. A launch event for Hua Hin International School will be held at the InterContinental Hua Hin hotel on the evening of Mon Sept 1, 2014. www.huahinschool.com

Hua Hin International School’s campus will spread across 18.5 rai of tropical countryside adjacent to Black Mountain Golf Club. The thoughtfully designed site can accommodate up to 1,000 children from ages two to 18. In addition to well-equipped classrooms, the educational facilities include a library, an information/ communication technology suite and art and music rooms. Among the school’s many recreational facilities are sport fields and courts, swimming pools and purpose-built adventure play equipment. Hua Hin International School will follow the UK curriculum for students up to 16 years old. The educational

IPN Event thailand.operationsmile.org

Medical Miracles Making Smiles!

Top tips for positive parenting

You can bring the smile of a lifetime to a child’s face for as little as 15,000 Baht with a donation to Operation Smile Thailand. We are part of a worldwide medical charity that provides free reconstructive surgery to children born with disfiguring facial deformities.

THE International Parenting Network (IPN) will gather on August 26 at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand to hear guest speaker Krista Manton share her top tips for positive parenting. During the talk Krista will explore effective strategies for playing, interacting and communicating positively with children and teens, and will cover topics such as ‘Understanding the language of behavior,’ ‘Teaching our children the “new language” of behavior,’ ‘Making a connection during play,’ and ‘Self-care for the parent.’ 6.30pm-8.30pm. Free for IPN cardmembers; B600 for nonmembers (includes presentation, handouts, light dinner, one glass of wine and soft drinks). Tel: 081 826 2399 www.ipnthailand.com

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Although a relatively inexpensive & simple surgery, it remains out of reach for the poorer families living in rural Thailand. With your help we can reach out a hand and touch a heart. We guarantee that by changing a child’s life, you will change your own. Please join us now.

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Beauty|TAT

Expat Women

Thailand Extreme Makeover: The ﬁnal three Tourism Authority of Thailand’s initiative to boost medical tourism in the kingdom has reached its final stage. Cast your vote, and you may win a prize ■ THAILAND’S aim to become the Medical Hub of Asia is certainly not without credence. According to the BBC, medical tourism in Thailand is growing at a yearly rate of 16%, and the foreign medical services sector is expected to make a whopping 100 billion baht by 2015. What the industry needs to reach these figures, of course, is savvy promotion. And this is exactly what the TAT has provided with its ‘Thailand Extreme Makeover’ program, a unique online initiative which, when it was launched in March, offered women around the globe the chance to win free cosmetic surgery in Thailand. “The response was immediate and over a thousand women applied to qualify for the surgery,” explains Khun Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT’s Director of Marketing Information Technology Group. “In

unique views,” says Khun Kiatphaibool, “and this has resulted in between 150,000surgery has not totally changed my 200,000 actual medical visits to Thailand.” life, but it has boosted my confidence The TAT has been very active the and restored my youth.” past few years promoting medical tourism in Thailand, and Khun Kiatphaibool says Ma Charrybel: “I received wonderful the TAT has definitely seen trends treatment from the medical experts at Yan Hee change. Hospital. And I thoroughly enjoyed my trips with the “While medical tourists used to other two candidates. Thank you to the TAT for offering come mainly for plastic surgery, this amazing program to all women.” now they also come for skin treatNadir: “The plastic surgery has given me a pretty and ments, anti-aging treatments, young face and I’m very happy with the results. I’m so dental surgery and optical thankful to the TAT for giving me such a memorable and Lasik,” she says. wonderful experience.”

1 Kimberly: “The plastic

partnership with experts from Yan Hee Hospital, we reviewed each application, interviewed shortlisted candidates via web cam, and then selected three finalists.” These finalists – Miss Kimberly Bischoff, 37, from the USA; Miss Ma Charrybel Jacinto, 30, from the Philippines; and Miss Nadir Vilalva, 42, from Brazil – were then flown to Thailand last month to undergo facial cosmetic surgery at Yan Hee Hospital’s renowned Plastic Surgery Center. Whilst in the kingdom, the trio also enjoyed TAT funded trips to famous tourist attractions such as The Grand Palace, Rose Garden Riverside, Mini Siam-Pattaya, and Pattaya Floating Market. Videos of these visits were posted on the Thailand Extreme Makeover website, where they garnered impressive traffic. “To date the website has more than 198 million impressions and 20 million

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Khun Thapanee Kiatphaibool

“Thailand is well-known for the high quality of its medical and healthcare services, and we now have 40 medical institutes accredited to the JCI (Joint Commission International), an international standard. Factor in reasonable fees – often much cheaper than in the west – and Thailand is a very attractive proposition for medical tourists.” The finalists of the Thailand Extreme Makeover program were certainly impressed with their results. And they still have more rewards to look forward to. “Now we need to select an overall winner,” explains Khun Kiatphaibool. “Basically, the contestant who receives the most online votes will receive US$5,000 and a luxurious holiday package to Thailand. The runners up, meanwhile, will both receive luxurious accommodation packages. “Readers can cast their votes on our website until September 30, 2014, and we will announce the winner on October 7, 2014. Everyone who votes will have the chance to win a prize from the TAT – so don’t miss out!” www.TourismThailand.org/ThailandMedTourism www.ThailandExtremeMakeover.com

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Expat Women

Shopping|New products

DESIGNER GOODS FOR LESS

GOOD COFFEE IN AN INSTANT ■ EVERYONE knows that the best cups of coffee require skill, patience, and a good brewing machine. If you’re short of time though, your next best option is to grab a decent instant coffee. UK-based hot beverage company Cafédirect has just brought its freeze-dried Medium Roast instant coffee to the Kingdom, and, thanks to an expert blend of medium roasted Arabica and Robusta beans hailing from Central America, South America and Eastern Africa, it has a balanced, smooth flavour that may even surprise instant coffee sceptics. B339 for a 100g jar. Available at all leading supermarkets nationwide www.cafedirect.com

■ WANT to bag some designer clothes and accessories at a fraction of the usual price? Check out Basement of Samantha at Eight Thonglor. This boutique specializes in preowned clothes and accessories from street brands up to premium brands, and all products are in great condition and sold at wallet-friendly prices (think Tory Burch Clutch at B5,500, instead of B12,000). B floor, Eight Thonglor. Open daily 10.30am-8pm. Tel. 02 715 9484 facebook.com/basementofsamantha

Talking

Shop Hot products and stores demanding your attention

THAICRAFT FAIR RETURNS SHADES OF VOGUE ■ VOGUE Eyewear’s Autumn/Winter 2014 collection for women may be three months into its release, but these everyday fashion accessories are good for any season and suit almost any face shape. Check out the Charlotte Ronson collection, which is inspired by Vogue Eyewear’s Global Ambassador, Eva Mendes, and has lace details on the front of the frames as well as on the temples. Available now at all leading retailers.

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■ THE new season of ThaiCraft Fairs kicks off this month on Sat Aug 16 at Jasmine City Building (at entrance to Sukhumvit Soi 23, near Asok BTS). Browse and buy beautiful, handmade products from the villagers who create them – all sold through Fair Trade – and visit the skillful team at ‘Friends ‘N’ Stuff’ to learn how they work with kids at risk in SE Asia. Visitors can also create their own bracelets from recycled rice paper. 10am-3pm. www.thaicraft.org

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By Sasithorn Danwirunhawanich

ETRO ETAIL Y50 ONE of the best-known vintage retailers in Bangkok, Y50 offers a wide range of antiques imported from Scandinavia plus antique reproductions and a restoration service. Ceramics, sculptures, furniture, and instruments are all available, and affable owner Pramet Sritongkul is usually on hand to explain more about each item. Visit Y50â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chilled-out hangout (with live music from 6pm-2am) on Ekkamai 21, or head straight to the main warehouse on Sukhapiban 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a rabbit warren of vintage goods.

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Soi Ekkamai 21 (Soi Chamchan) and Warehouse on Sukhapiban 5 Soi 46. Open daily 9.30am-6pm. Tel. 02 711 5629, 081 373 0980 www.facebook.com/pages/Y50/133459946743798

TUBA A LIVE museum of sorts, this two-storey restaurant and bar brings to mind an American frat house, albeit one that’s been crafted by a design major who loves all things retro. Statues of Superman, Darth Maul, and the Incredible Hulk stand sentinel near the entrance, and the whole venue is decked out with quirky paintings, vintage lighting, and furniture of all descriptions. Best of all, most of what you see is for sale. A boozy cocktail and food menu offering Thai and international eats (try the Tuba Freedom Fries and Laab Moo Tod) means visiting here, whatever the night, is always great fun. Tuba also operates another shop, opposite the restaurant, which offers more vintage furniture. Ekkamai Soi 21 Open daily 11-1am Tel: 02 711 5500

PAUL’S ANTIQUES WHILE Paul’s Antiques specializes in furniture from Thailand and Myanmar, with many beautiful and rare items on offer, to say it just offers old collectables from these countries would be doing it a disservice. The shop also offers antique reproductions from many different eras, custom made furniture (from reclaimed Teak wood), a restoration service, and interior design. Many of the products can be viewed on the shop’s website. Soi Sukhumvit 13 Tel. 02 253 9025, 081 638 1702. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm www.paulsantiques.com facebook.com/Paulsantiques

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WOODEN SUBMARINE LIKE Machine Age Workshop (see page 66), Wooden Submarine specializes in vintage Americana. The focus here, though, is on work wear and accessories from the 1920s-1970s. Beginning life at Chatuchak weekend market, followed by a short stint at Cabochon Hotel, WS now has a new home on Thonglor 13. While smaller than its previous location, the store doesn’t scrimp on offerings and is brimming with collectables and hip, hard-to-find clothing. Homeplace Building, Thonglor 13 Tel. 081 255 2866. Open daily 12am8pm facebook.com/woodensubmarine

8MUSIQUE DIGITAL downloads may dominate the music industry, but the rich sonic depth offered by analog recordings can never be surpassed by MP3 players. Keep your vinyl records free of dust, and the sound you hear coming from your speakers will be as close to the original recording as you can get. Pong, the owner of 8Musique at Eight Thonglor, has long been passionate about vinyl records and this shows in his enthusiasm for his business – always on hand to introduce new artists as well as commend the old – and the rich collection of music he offers: chillout, jazz, electronica, indie, and rock, from many eras. B floor, Eight Thonglor Tel. 02-7138366 Open daily 11am-9.30pm www. facebook.com/pages/8Musique/311579032282608 64

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THE VINTAGE STORE OFFERING a decent collection of certified pre-owned, vintage designer, and collectible pieces from some of the world’s biggest labels, TVS certainly lives up to its philosophy of giving its customers “a unique piece of history.” Fans of haute couture will be delighted with the handbags, jewelry, heels and accessories on offer, with brands such as Chanel, Hermès, YSL, Christian Dior, Celine, and Emilio Pucci all represented. G floor, Eight Thonglor Tel. 02 713 8548. Open daily 10.30am-8pm facebook.com/ facebook.com/TheVintageStore

BANGKOK PICKERS COMMUNITY TEN friends who share a mutual love of all things antique are the brains behind this low-key but well-stocked shop on Charansanitwong 38. Setting up business around a decade ago in what was once a car garage, like engineers tinkering around with a battered old motor, they faced plenty of trial and error to get things running smoothly. However, with a talent for discovering old, valuable items, business is now ticking over nicely and the group offers an extensive collection of Chinese and Thai crafts, wooden furniture, window frames, and paintings by local artists. Charansanitwong 38. Open daily 10am-8pm TheBigChilli

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MACHINE AGE WORKSHOP STOCKED with furniture and artifacts popular during Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second Industrial Revolution (late 1800s to mid-1900s), this lofty warehouse on Ekkamai Soi 15 is a veritable treasure trove of chairs, lamps, tables, storage solutions, and decorative items typical to the period. These items, shipped from New York, can be bought or rented on a short or long term basis. A small onsite coffee shop serves light bites like BLT sandwich (B260) as well as superior cups of joe, and most of the equipment the staff uses is for sale. Instagram fans will be in heaven with the photo ops on offer. Soi Ekkamai 15 Tel. 02 381 8596. Open Tue-Sun 10am-7pm www.machineageworkshop.com facebook. com/pages/Machine-Age-WorkshopBKK/662153447168141

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AGAIN & AGAIN LOVINGLY restored vintage clothing and accessories from USA, Europe and Japan are the hallmarks of this boutique owned by Marie Claire’s fashion editor, Masiri Tamsakul. Designed to change consumer’s perceptions towards the terms ‘vintage’ and ‘secondhand,’ the shop is divided into women’s, men’s, and accessories sections, and thanks to careful cleaning and considerate repairs (if needed), all items look brand new. Prices start at B1,000. Market Place, Soi Thonglor 4 Tel: 086 626 6965. Open Mon 11am-8pm, Tue-Sun 11am-9pm www.vintageagainandagain.com www.facebook.com/againandagingshop

KEEP ON SPINNING Expand your vinyl record collection by visiting one of these well-stocked shops Hidden Tracks Records

M Place, Thonglor 13 Tel: 085 970 0076. Open daily 11am8.30pm www.hiddentracksrecords.com, www.facebook.com/ HiddenTracksRecords

Record Hunters

4th ﬂoor Fashion Mall, Victory Monument Tel: 089 818 3045. Open daily 11am-8.30pm www.recordhunter.net www. facebook.com/Recordhuntershop

Fat Black Record

CDC, Rama IX Tel: 02 102 2444 www.facebook.com/ Fatblackrecordbkk www.fatblackrecord.com

Hall of Fame

Thanya Shopping Park, Srinakarin Tel: 081 844 9709 www.facebook.com/pages/Hall-ofFame-HOF/102652903192403 www.hof-records.com Have we missed your favourite shop? Let us know at thebigchilli.com TheBigChilli

Expat Women

Health|Drinking water

Great health on tap More than just a resource, water is a life source. But do you drink enough of it? By Judith Coulson

■ THE human body consists mostly of H2O and, to function properly, our cells, tissues and organs – including the brain – all require an adequate intake of this vital substance. Not surprising, then, that in a hot climate like Thailand’s, where even the shortest of walks can see us breaking a sweat, we can end up feeling lousy and fatigued – classic signs of dehydration.

The key to staving off these symptoms, of course, is simply to drink enough water. But how much is ‘enough’? As a rule of thumb, infants should consume 1.5 ounces of water per pound of body weight. Children 4 -7 years about 1 litre per day; children 7-10 years old about 1.5 litres; and everyone aged over 10 should consume up to 2 litres (or 8-10 large glasses) of water a day. Drink enough water, and you can expect to enjoy the following benefits.

Drinking water keeps you young Drinking plenty of water is great for your skin. If you don’t drink enough water, you’ll suffer from dry skin, and you’ll likely use more creams and lotions to moisturise. However, creams and lotions don’t tackle the root of the problem. Drinking plenty of water keeps your skin moisturised and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will try to retain it in order to conserve resources. This retention makes your skin puffy and can even lead to bloating.

Drinking water helps you lose weight There’s a reason why most diets and fitness programs ask you to drink a lot of water. One of the benefits of drinking water is that it helps you lose weight. Water suppresses your appetite, so you don’t eat as much. Drinking plenty of water

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also prevents fluid retention, because your body won’t try to retain water if it’s getting enough. Drinking water also helps your body burn stored fat. If you’re not drinking enough water, your liver will be forced to help your kidneys detoxify your body. When you drink plenty of water, your kidneys don’t need any extra help, so your liver will be able to metabolize stored fat more efficiently. Drinking water flushes toxins from your body and prevents constipation.

Drinking water helps you build muscle Another benefit of drinking water is that it makes your muscles stronger. That’s because water carries oxygen to the cells of your body, including those of your muscles. Drinking plenty of water enables your muscles to work harder and longer before they feel tired, and this can help you build muscle.

Drinking water makes you smarter Drinking water can increase your cognitive function. Your brain needs a lot of oxygen in order to function at optimum levels. Drinking plenty of water ensures that your brain gets all the oxygen it needs. Drinking eight to ten cups of water per day can improve your levels of cognitive performance by as much as 30%! Drinking plenty of water also supports nerve function. It ensures that your body’s electrolyte levels remain high enough to allow your nerves to relay messages to and from the brain in the way they were meant to.

Drinking water is good for your joints One of the lesser known benefits of drinking water is that it helps keep your joints strong, healthy and lubricated. Your joints need moisture in order to remain strong and flexible, so that your movements are smooth and pain free.

Water and dehydration Water regulates and controls the natural pH balance of the body, and is revitalizing, hydrating, oxygenating and detoxifying. Symptoms of dehydration: • Increased thirst or hunger • Dry mouth and swollen tongue • Weakness • Dizziness • Palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding) • Confusion • Sluggishness/fainting • Inability to sweat • Decreased urine output/ urine is dark yellow, brown

Preventing dehydration People living or working in hot climates, taking part in sports or other strenuous physical activities, spending eight or more hours in air conditioned rooms, or who are recovering from illness, should increase their fluid intake to at least 10 to 12 glasses. A high consumption of coffee, fruit juice or soft drinks, as well as a diet high in sodium and sugar, can lead to dehydration. Hyperactivity, lack of concentration, headaches, migraines, and other chronic pains can all be reduced if children and adults drink enough plain water and avoid dehydration. Judith Coulson is a Medical Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach who specialises in drug free disease prevention and health promotion, for individuals and executive teams. Contact Judith@coulson-holding.com for individual Food and Lifestyle Analysis and Consulting.

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Expat Women

Advice|Problems solved

Ask the experts

Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

Expat life getting you down? Don’t suffer in silence. Send in your problems and get advice from professional counsellors Anette and Johanna

Husband’s mother too clingy to bare

his mother, she would be lonely and sad. He doesn’t even want to go out with me anymore because he says his mother would feel ‘left behind.’ So when can we talk? Only in our bedroom at night after his mother decides to go to bed? But by then my husband is also ready to go to sleep and I am left only with my thoughts. What can I do?

I’ve been married for seven months now, and my partner, Bern, and I Angie, 29, from China currently with his mum. Her husband died just before we were married and we moved into her home to help her adjust to life. Our plan was to quickly get a place of our Dear Angie, own, but seven months later we are still here. I’ve tried many times to start looking for our own ■ You are in a difficult situation, but so apartment, but I never get anywhere. is Bern. He is most likely torn between We have our own bedroom (my husband’s old room), his mother and you, his wife. But but the rest of the house belongs to his mother. because his living situation is not much When I was working, things were ok, but not ideal. I different to the way it was before he got left the house at 7.30am and would come home around married, he doesn’t feel the same urge 7pm. We would all eat together, watch TV and go to sleep. to do something about it. In a way, he My mother-in-law cooked the meals and ran the houseis in his comfort zone. You are not. You’ve given up your own hold, including cleaning our bedroom. place to marry him and find yourself in a very uncomfortable I never felt comfortable with that and told her several situation. Your suggestion to move out means that Bern has to times, but she insisted, and Bern did not mind. I now leave his comfort zone, which is unsettling for him, even more have one locked drawer and I keep the key, but my mothso, knowing his mother will not approve of it. er-in-law finds this ver y strange. If you want to address your situation, I suggest you ask Bern if After living on my own I now feel I have returned to a the two of you could go away together (but without his mother!) for parental situation where the mother controls everything. All a few nights. The best time would be when other members of the my possessions are packed up in boxes and they are in the family are visiting so that your mother-in-law is not alone. You can attic. start with strengthening your relationBern obeys his mother. I feel we are ship with Bern by asking him how you becoming less and less a couple and somecan both unite to ‘care for mother.’ times I feel I’m an unwelcome extra in my After this you could express husband’s close relationship with his mother. your need for a space of your own. I told Bern that we cannot live like this forevAsk him if he can come up with some er. He says he would like to have children, but I ideas. Ask him what he thinks could am worried that his mother would take over. be done about the living situation The last two months I have been out of work so that you have more space and and have spent a lot more time in the house. Whatfreedom while at the same time ever I do, my mother-in-law will redo it ‘better.’ Our considering his mother’s needs. bedroom is tiny. The bathroom is shared with other Draw Bern out, so he can do most members of the family, who come and stay whenever of the talking. they like. The living room and the kitchen belong to It could also be helpful to tor my mother-in-law, so what am I supposed to do? I am attend marriage counselling tonical Direce li C e th g MS is he trained in th S a DeKonin bored to death and want to get out. gether. Your marriage is young; • Johannounseling Center. of NCS C ds and Australia. I told Bern my dream is to have our own place. address your issues now, and it Netherlan I want to decorate it myself and put my own things may be a great investment for on display. But Bern now says that we cannot leave the years to come.

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Devastated by the Ukraine crash

I’M not sure what’s happening to me. Like ever yone, I saw the terrible news of the plane crash in Ukraine, and I was shocked and sad. But unlike ever yone else, I can’t seem to snap out of it. On the contrar y, I seem to have increasing feelings of grief and loss. And although I don’t personally know anyone affected by the tragedy, I find myself cr ying at the TV. I also get flashbacks to a motorcycle accident that I had here in Thailand a few years ago, which nearly killed me. The accident left me in pain for many months, but although I was ver y disoriented for the first few days, I didn’t feel anything much emotionally, I just wanted to resume my previous life. But now I feel ver y afraid of dying, so much so that my bike has stayed off the road, which is ver y unusual for me. Last week I fell into a tailspin. I cried for hours, and couldn’t stop. I don’t understand: I never cried when my father died a few years ago, I was the one who coped and organised ever ything while others broke down. And now this – What has happened?

Roy, 51, from the US

Dear Roy,

■ Of course it is impossible to know exactly what is going on from a letter, but the symptoms you describe are usually linked with mild to moderate PTSD. The accident that nearly killed you, which is now producing frightening flashbacks, is a classic scenario. The symptoms you are currently experiencing (excessive emotion, delayed grieving) could be triggered by the tragedy you saw on TV. But it also seems you are generally disconnected from your feelings. This is something that predates the traumatic event of the accident, but it could well have been caused by other events earlier in your life. If this disconnection is your usual response to emotional upheaval, it may (perhaps ironically) be easier for you to release your feelings at a public event where many people show grief. This was a well-documented phenomenon at, for example, the occasion of Princess Diana’s death, where people described their reaction in almost identical words to yours. Other people allow themselves to cry in the cinema or when reading sad books. If your flashbacks are frequent and severe, and if you feel that your emotions are uncontrollable, then I would advise you to seek a professional diagnosis and professional help. If indeed

you were diagnosed with PTSD (which is impossible to tell right now), there are well established treatments that can help you to manage and eventually live with your condition. You sound as though you have several unfinished grieving processes that have been either interrupted or not even started. I wonder what you were (and perhaps still are) afraid of when you engage with your sadness? What are your feelings about your own death? Was the experience of the motorcycle accident too overwhelming? How do you feel about this delayed grieving? Do you miss your father and if so, what do you miss most? Many people find that sadness following a big loss can be a very healing experience, and that their fear of grieving has held them back from reaching a deeper understanding about themselves and the world around them. Sadness is not a ‘bad’ feeling at all. Sometimes it is the only emotion appropriate to the experience. Maybe you could try to explore your feelings about the accident and your near-death experience in a similar way to how I suggested you could approach your father’s death. Following your emotions to their most precise source can clarify things and will make you feel less helpless. If the feeling gets too overwhelming, I would urge you to get professional help. If your main issue is delayed grieving, counselling will almost certainly make a big difference for you. The tragic death of so many people in that airplane is terrible, shocking and heartbreaking. Maybe your very natural response to • Anette Pollner of seven internatiAdv. Dipl. Couns., is one it can open the door for a Counseling Cente onal counsellors at NCS life that is more connected trained in London r in Saphan Kwai. She staff counsellor and the US and worked as a to your emotions, not just at Bart’s Hospita l in London. now but every day.

Contact details: ncs-counseling.com, anette.p@ncs-counseling.com, Tel: 02 279 8503 Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

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Insight

Feature|Investigation

Drugged and mugged in Pattaya Robberies continue unabated, but the source of the drugs seems to be a long way from the resort

N epidemic of ‘knockout robberies’ is raging in Pattaya but it remains virtually unnoticed by the mainstream media. Although Pattaya-based newspapers or websites occasionally report such incidents, they rarely generate much interest – perhaps because it’s been going on for decades and the impact has been lost. In the last year almost one case per week was reported in the resort. It’s likely that many others go unreported because victims are embarrassed and don’t want any publicity. Some victims may not survive to tell their stories, and their deaths may be reported as drug and alcohol overdoses.

A search through the archives of local media sources reveals the amazing number of crimes of all types perpetrated in Pattaya. It’s no wonder the resort’s police station is easily one of the busiest in Thailand in terms of the number of complaints filed. Most of the victims of drugging robberies are foreign males and most of the suspected perpetrators are Thai women or transgenders. Thai on Thai incidents are not unknown.

By Maxmilian Wechsler

There have even been cases reported in Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui where foreigners drugged hotel receptionists and ransacked safety deposit boxes (see page 10). Such crimes can easily turn into manslaughter or murder. The drugs used by the assailant are potentially deadly and an overdose is a very real possibility, especially when mixed with alcohol or if the victim has a medical condition. If the authorities are serious about tackling this problem, their first step should be to halt the unregulated sale of the psychotropic substances and other drugs used to render the victims unconscious.

Chance meeting foils crook One European man who was drugged and robbed in Pattaya told The BigChilli what happened. His story is fairly typical except for a most unusual ending. “After befriending a Thai lady at an open bar early in the evening, we ended up in my hotel room. She quickly called room service and ordered coffee. After it arrived she poured some in my cup, and the last thing I can remember is that she added three spoons of sugar. After drinking it, I passed out almost immediately. “I woke up 18 hours later on the bed with my clothes on, covered with vomit. “My old Omega watch, an 18K gold chain and 2,000 baht in cash were missing. Luckily, I kept my passport, and other valuables were in a hotel safety deposit box.

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Desirel and Dezodone, may be added as well. Suicidal thoughts are listed as side effects of alprazolam, diazepam, trazodone and other drugs used by the criminals. The pills are crushed into a powder, or dissolved in water, and put in alcoholic or other drinks. This makes the victim fall asleep so the thieves can steal anything of value, and sometimes this comes to millions of baht. One has to wonder how many of the unexplained deaths of foreigners in Pattaya can be linked to these

I felt dizzy, miserable and disorientated for about an hour. After recuperating a little I informed the receptionist and was directed to the local police station where I made a report. Expecting that there was little chance to recover the stolen items or arrest the woman, I packed and moved to Bangkok. It took me almost a week to recover. “In the meantime I went to see a doctor who said after an examination that I was lucky to be alive. If I were suffering from a serious health problem like a heart condition, I would be dead. “The doctor told me the amount of drugs the woman put in the coffee must have been very high because of the symptoms I developed. He said that people who drug others in order to rob or rape them will use higher amounts of the substance to make sure the victim falls asleep fast and stays out for a long time, so they have enough time to escape and hide.” Fortunately the man recovered fully, By Colin Hastings and that would have been the end of the story except for a strange encounter he had on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok two weeks after leaving Pattaya. “I saw the woman who drugged me. I knew it was her even though she was wearing a wig, I grabbed her and held her until a police patrol arrived. “After showing the officers the police report from Pattaya, they took her to the local police station where I met her Thai husband. He apologized for what his wife did and promised to make restitution for my losses. He said his wife was trying to

Wander down Sukhumvit and you’ll find many stalls like this with all kinds of drugs available.

help him pay the instalments on his motorcycle. He asked me to drop the charges against his wife. “Honestly, I didn’t care about what I had lost, but considering that she could have killed me, I refused to drop the charges. Anyway, this wouldn’t have been possible because the two charges against her were very serious. Since she confessed, the ordeal was over for me.” Criminals also use Xiemed and Valium to drug people. Other substances are sometimes used. To purchase Xiemed or Valium on Sukhumvit is easy and anyone can do it. This is most likely where the knockout robbers in Pattaya or anywhere else get their drugs. One reason why the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of alprazolam and diazepam over the counter is to prevent the kind of misuse that is happening now. Some criminals sometimes prepare a cocktail consisting of different drugs and add it to a victim’s drink when the opportunity arises. Besides a benzodiazepine such as alprazolam or diazepam, antihistamines such as hydroxyzine (Atarax) and Chlorophen Maleate are often added. Trazodone, a tetracyclic antidepressant marketed as

crimes. Incidents of foreigners falling or jumping off a balcony are regularly reported, and usually declared suicides. Usually no suicide note is found, however. The BigChilli made several purchases of Xiemed and Valium on Sukhumvit. After pointing at a sign offering the drugs, the vendors – often from Myanmar – only ask “how many tablets?” After the price is agreed on, the vendors step away and pick up the items from a pouch or plastic bag hidden under a nearby stall selling fashion or other items. The price for 1.0mg Xiemed and 10.0mg Valium was 300-350 baht for a blister pack of 10 tablets, depending on the stall. The expiration date for Xiemed bought on different days from different vendors was identical.

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Insight

Feature|Investigation

he sellers said that the Xiemed is made in Thailand and Valium in Karachi, Pakistan. This is printed in English on the blister packs as well. After one purchase at a stall between Sois 3 and 5 from an Asian man, a Thai woman sitting nearby approached the vendor. The man said in good English: “This is my boss, she controls several stalls here.” The woman, who has been operating in the area for over 15 years, wasn’t amused at what he said and scolded him in Thai. Before his boss interrupted, the man said that most customers buying drugs for erectile dysfunction, Xiemed and Valium are Europeans, Arabs as well as Thais.

Valiium and Xiemed are both sold illegally on Sukhumvit Road.

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Pharmacists say no to drugs While psychotropic drugs are readily available on the streets of Bangkok, when The BigChilli visited several pharmacies in Bangkok none would sell Xiemed or Valium. They all said they didn’t have the drugs and they were only available at hospitals on prescription.

Some pharmacists said that if they were caught selling the drugs the punishment could be a very high fine or even a jail term. Atarax, Chlorpheniramine maleate, Desirel and Dezodone are sold legally in many pharmacies and they are quite cheap. Blister packs of Atarax and Desirel containing 10 tablets, for example, sell for about 20 baht and 60 baht respectively in one pharmacy. The head of pharmacy and a cardiologist at one large Bangkok hospital were both shocked to learn that Xiemed and Valium are sold on Sukhumvit Road by many vendors. The cardiologist said that he only prescribes these medicines to patients who really need them. “An excess of such drugs can land a user in ICU or the morgue because of heart failure or other conditions,” he said. “Most victims who survive an overdose will feel unwell for several days and experience nausea.” The medical professionals couldn’t say whether the drugs sold on the street are real or fake without testing them. “If they are fakes then they could be even more dangerous because they might contain more deadly ingredients,” the

cardiologist said. Both suggested that the FDA be notified, and they seemed confident that action against the sellers would follow. The hospital sells alprazolam on subscription but for a fraction of the price on Sukhumvit. They don’t have diazepam. A pharmacist at another major Bangkok hospital was also shocked that Xiamed and Valium are sold on the streets. He also said that the FDA should be informed and the culprits arrested. This hospital has both alprazolam and diazepam on subscription, but for much, much cheaper than on the street. No matter what names they are marketed under, alprazolam and diazepam are strictly regulated in most countries around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands. The drugs are included under the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances as Schedule IV. Anyone selling these controlled substances in Thailand without a prescription is subject to penalties, as is anyone in possession of them unless a prescription is produced.

Investigation in Pattaya When The BigChilli looked for Xiemed and Valium in Patttaya they were nowhere to be found on that particular afternoon. Maybe this is different during the night. A few stalls on Beach Road display sex aids and erectile dysfunction drugs, but no signs advertising these two drugs were visible. None of several pharmacies visited in Pattaya had Xiemed or Valium in stock either. They all said the drugs were available only on prescription. However, they did offer sleeping pills like Desirel and Dezodone. Our team bought a few blisters of Desirel and Ezodone in two pharmacies for 100 baht and 180 baht respectively – for some reason much more expensive than in Bangkok. However, the pharmacists told us to be careful and take only one or two tablets before going to bed and not to drink alcohol. They also warned that side effects are possible. When asked about who is buying these drugs, they said nothing.

Desirel and Dezodone, both legal medicines, are sometimes used to render victims unconscious.

An internet search revealed that trazodone appears to be a rather naughty substance. Marketed for depression, some reviewers said it is an effective sleeping pill. Trazodone is not popular with Bangkok pharmacists. Those who sold it to us warned of side effects. One pharmacist working for a large drug store chain said that his company does not sell drugs containing trazodone because they are “bad for people.”

Policeman’s perspective Pattaya policeman said on condition of anonymity that the drugging and robbing of tourists in Pattaya is large scale. “In some cases we have arrested suspects far away from Pattaya, often in their home province where they have taken the loot. “Thai women and transgenders are the main perpetrators of this crime. They will put various kinds of sleeping tablets into drinks. They prefer a drunken foreigner because it is easy to slip something into his drink. But some foreigners as well as Thai men drug women and then rape them,” the policeman said. “The police are genuinely worried about this type of crime committed by criminals who work alone, in pairs or groups. They use various medicines sold on prescription as well as over-the-counter medicines to drug people. The victim might be unconscious within seconds and could remain so for many hours or even days. Often when we are called to the scene of a drugging, we find the victims incapable of communicating or doing anything at all. In such cases we call an ambulance. “The criminals will drug young and old people without regard for their health. A number of drugged people, mainly foreigners, have died in Pattaya.

The criminals will drug young and old people without regard for their health. A number of drugged people, mainly foreigners, have died in Pattaya. After committing a crime the thieves will usually leave Pattaya for a while. Some cases aren’t reported to the police because the victim – a married man for example – doesn’t want anyone to know he was with another woman.” The officer also mentioned that a campaign to reduce all types of crime in Pattaya is currently underway. “We have already arrested many suspects,” he said.

Dangerous drugs on Sukhumvit A story titled ‘Showtime on Sukhumvit’ in the June issue of The BigChilli (visit: bit. ly/SBnFqv) exposed a number of illegal activities going on along Sukhumvit Road including the open display of sex aids and various medications to treat erectile dysfunction. Several stalls also had small boards advertising Xiemed and Valium for sale, but no pills on display. Both can be used to drug people. A few days after the story was published the sex aids which had been displayed for years disappeared from all but one or two stalls. Most vendors thereafter displayed only photos or catalogs of these items. As for the erectile dysfunction drugs, only a few packages were now shown in

each stall instead of the large number of boxes before the story appeared. Stalls had large signs with the large boards (or small ones that have the same design), meaning it comes from the same source. These two drugs contain alprazolam and diazepam, respectively, which are psychotropic or sedative hypnotic drugs classed as benzodiazepines. Alprazolam is marketed under brand names like Xanax or Xiemed while diazepam is most commonly sold as Valium. Lorazepam is another commonly used benzodiazepine. They are all classified by Thailand’s FDA as category 4 psychotropic substances and strictly regulated under the Psychotropic Substances Act B.E. 2518 (1975). Unfortunately, the demise of the sleaziest category of street stalls on Sukhumvit Road seems to have been shortlived. A recent survey revealed that 31 stalls between Soi 1 and Soi 21 were displaying erectile dysfunction drugs in a large quantity – definitely an increase from a few weeks ago. Five stalls were also displaying small models of sex toys. Twenty one stalls still have signs offering erectile dysfunction drugs, Xiemed and Valium. One seller from Myanmar claimed that the Xiemed and Valium available on Sukhumvit are genuine but some of the erectile dysfunction drugs are fake and smuggled from neighbouring countries but, of course, we couldn’t verify this. One stall displaying erectile dysfunction drugs is a particular disgrace as it is located between the Terminal 21 shopping mall and the entrances of the MRT and BTS stations. Thousands of commuters and shoppers pass by it every day.

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Y O U R U L T I M A T E W H A T ’ S O N G U I D E F O R A U G U S T 1 4

What’s on pArt pPerformance pSport pFootball pMovies & Albums pBooks

Catch American electrofunk revivalists !!! (Chk Chk Chk) performing at PlayYard. Page 80.

Volleyball

Thailand hosts Brazil, Dominican Republic and the USA this month Page 82

Charity run

Join TBCA’s mini marathon and help a good cause Page 82

King’s Cup Anantara’s Elephant Polo tournament trundles in to town Page 82

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What’s On|Exhibitions

Art

Memory

7/8 14/9

14/8 21/9

UNTIL 15/9

APPLE and Microsoft may be darlings of the digital world, but there’s no denying that the world’s smartest computers are actually the biological ones we have ensconced in our skulls. Celebrating the memory storing capabilities of our good-ol’ grey matter, artists Sompong Panawannakul (oil paintings) and Udom Innupat (coloured chalk drawings) delved into their past to bring to life, through the medium of art, happy moments from their lives.

Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, lobby level (23rd ﬂoor). Available for viewing daily 10am-8pm. 02 100 1234 Ext: 6753-55

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#IMWTK

338 Oida Gallery Bangkok, 1028/5 Pongamorn Building 4th Floor, Rama 4 Rd. Open Wed-Sun 1pm-5pm and by appointment. 090 198 8749  oidagallery.com

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ARTIST, musician and songwriter Manasawin Nantasen, aka Tik Shiro, turns his attention inwards for his latest collection of sculptures and paintings, which explore the people, places and events which have shaped his artistic output. In keeping with the exhibition’s title, several of the artworks contain Shiro’s hair. The exhibition opens on Aug 7 at 6.30pm. Ardel’s Third Place Gallery, Sukhumvit 55, Thonglor Soi 10. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm (closed Mon) 02 422 2092  ardelgallery.com

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16/8 18/9 Plant, Delicacy, Delight

CREATED by Boonmee Sangkhum and Vipabhon Nilubon, this exhibition inspired by nature features two distinct disciplines – Sangkhum’s dark, Mezzotint prints, and Nilubon’s watercolour paintings. A visual clash, maybe, but when has nature been anything but diverse? Ardel Gallery of Modern Art, Boromrachachonnanee Rd. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm (closed Mon). 02 422 2092  ardelgallery.com

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UNTIL 31/8

AN abbreviation of the sentence “Inquiring minds want to know” – a hash-tag used widely on social media by users posting questions in their statuses or posts – #IMWTK sees Chitti Kasemkitvatana exploring his own creative process, showing how the knowledge he gains from books, articles, and everyday life ultimately shapes his artworks. In re-reading and re-interpreting the past, he doesn’t indulge in nostalgia, but recalls past events in the premise that no one can become what they cannot find in their own memory. The exhibition opening will be held on Sat 12 July from 3pm-4.30pm.

Tik Shiro’s DNA

A Chant of Seasons

Nature of Mind

UNTIL 31/8

THE instability of the human mind is the focus of Suporn Kaewda’s latest solo exhibition, which explores how thoughts and feelings are shaped by external forces such as materialism, globalization, and capitalist desires. His abstract lithon pencil drawings on canvass feature dark, moody lines and atmospheric, liquid-like ripples – so expect pareidolia aplenty (like when people see faces in clouds, or the Virgin Mary on a piece of burnt toast). DOB Hualamphong Gallery, Rama IV Rd. Open Tues-Sat 10.30am-7pm; Sun 10.30am-5.30pm (closed Mon) 02 422 2092  ardelgallery.com

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CHINESE photographer Lu Jun has picked up several awards for his abstract artworks, which see him weave together photographs of ink moving through water – a process he calls ‘Digital ink and wash.” While his work takes its cue from one of China’s most well-known art forms – traditional landscape painting – his process, of course, is wholly contemporary. Check out La Lanta’s website for details of the opening reception. La Lanta Fine Art, 245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31. Open Tues-Sat 10am-7pm. 02 204 0583  lalanta.com

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What’s On|Performance

Stage 26/8

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)

PUT on your dancing shoes and expect to shimmy up a storm when these American electro-funk revivalists bring their energetic live show to Bangkok. Organized by Popscene, which has brought in renowned bands such as The Cribs and Thee Oh Sees, this is another great coup for Bangkok’s evolving music scene. Support on the night from popular local indie-punk band Tabasco. PlayYard, Lad Prao Soi 8 Tickets: B650 a ticket on the door only

13/9 26/10

17/8 The Aristocrats

MIXING everything from ’70s fusion and progressive rock to groove metal and instrumental rock, The Aristocrats has a diverse musical palate and a love of salacious double-entendres – ‘Boing! We’ll Do It Live’ (the band’s December 2012 live album) being just one example. Part of a promotional tour in support of The Aristocrat’s second studio album, 2013’s Culture Clash, the Bangkok concert will be preceded by a guitar workshop hosted by the band. Aksra Theatre King Power. Workshop 4pm; Concert 8pm Tickets B900-B1,500 :thaiticketmajor.com

Clown the Musical

LOVE, hope and tragedy are just three of the themes explored in Mahidol University’s latest musical production – the tale of a marquis, Gavin Plan, who’s kidnapped as a baby and disfigured by his captors. A few years later he escapes and finds a new home in the carnival – happy times which the past threatens to shatter. Performances are conducted in Thai.

27/8 30/8

Music Auditorium Mahidol University Salaya. Shows on Aug 27,28 & 30 at 1pm and 7pm; on Aug 29, at 7pm only. Tickets range B300-B2,500 :clownthemusical.com

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Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance & Music

NOW in its 16th year, Thailand’s largest annual performing arts festival returns this September with another genre-hopping programme of concerts, operas, classical ballets, contemporary dances, and even some jazz. Performances by UK-based swing band The Jive Aces, China’s National Acrobatic Troupe, Cirque Eclipse; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra are just three of the highlights. Find the full programme at www.bangkokfestivals.com. Thailand Cultural Centre Main Hall, 14 Thiam Ruam Mit Rd. :thaiticketmajor.com

11/8 12/8 Dan no Ura

LOOSELY adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese novel The Tale of the Heike Kwaidan, Somtow Sucharitkul’s new opera brings to life the tale of the Battle of Dan-no-Ura, a major naval battle of the Genpei War, and features one long scene that takes the audience through the mélée to zoom in on the battle’s most important events. Starts at 8pm. Thailand Cultural Centre Main Hall. Tickets range B500-B3,000 :thaiticketmajor.com

What’s On|Movies & Music

Screen 21/8 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

THE heroes in a half shell return to the big screen in a reimagining of their mutagen-soaked beginnings. Megan Fox stars as April O’Neil, while Arrested Development’s William Fichtner suits up as the terrifying Shredder. With director Michael Bay at the helm, expect extravagant action with bangs and booms galore.

LUCY

28/8

FRENCH director Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional, The Fifth Element) continues his knack for creating tough female action heroes with this sci-fi thriller about a drug mule, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), who – much to the chagrin of her captors – is accidentally infected with a drug that enhances her abilities to kick their asses.

12/8

22 JUMP STREET

SIN CITY 2: A DAME TO KILL FOR

21/8

BASIN City’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more notorious inhabitants in this second adaptation of stories from Frank Miller’s neo noir graphic novels. Co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez, the movie boasts an ensemble cast, with Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Lady Gaga among the big names.

AFTER making their way through high school (twice), officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are now dispatched to college where they face the rigours of parties, sports, and girls, while investigating crazy new party drug WHYPHY (Work Hard Yes Play Hard Yes).

Movie screenings are subject to change. Keep up to date at majorcineplex.com

MEMORY LANE

New albums STEVE AOKI Neon Future (Release date: Aug 12)

THE VINES Wicked Nature (Release date: Sept 2)

BASEMENT JAXX Junto (Release date: Aug 26)

RYAN ADAMS Ryan Adams (Release date: Sept 6)

TY SEGALL The Manipulator (Release date: Aug 26)

INTERPOL El Pintor (Release date: Sept 9)

THE KOOKS Listen (Release date: Sept 2)

KAREN O Crush Songs (Release date: Sept 9)

TOPPING THE UK CHARTS AUGUST 1974

1. Osmonds – Love Me For A Reason 2. Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting 3. John Denver – Annie’s Song 4. Donny & Marie Osmond – I’m Leaving It (All) Up To You 5. Andy Kim – Rock Me Gently 6. Johnny Bristol – Hang On In There Baby 7. Sylvia – Y Viva Espana 8. Alvin Stardust – You You You 9. KC & The Sunshine Band – Queen Of Clubs 10. Cockney Rebel – Mr Soft

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What’s On|Outdoor fun

Sport 10/8

FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix

15/8 17/8

THE Intercontinental Round of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix will see Thailand host Brazil, Dominican Republic and the USA for two days of competition at Indoor Stadium Huamark. After winning Gold Medals in both the Asian Championship 2013 and Southeast Asian Games 2013, Thailand’s talented team is on a successful roll which they hope will take them to the Grand Prix finals, to be held in Tokyo on Aug 20-24. Tickets range B100-B300 : thaiticketmajor.com

14/9 Mizuno River Kwai International Half Marathon

Bangkok Post International Mini Marathon

NOW in its sixth year, this popular run offers a 10.7km mini marathon, 5.2km micro marathon, and a 3.5km walk/run. The course starts and ends at CentralWorld and takes participants past Lumpini Park and on to Convent, South Sathorn, Wireless, Petchburi, and Payathai roads, and back to Rama 1 road before heading to the finish line. : goadventureasia.com

Elephant Polo in Bangkok

27/8 31/8

THE 33rd edition of Thailand’s oldest road race will once again see a maximum of 1,500 international racers tackling a scenic course which begins and ends in front of the River Kwai Village Resort. Don’t have the stamina for a half marathon? You can always opt for the 10km course which runs alongside the main event. : goadventureasia.com

Mini marathon for AIDS awareness

AFTER twelve years of wowing crowds in Hua Hin, Anantara’s annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament is now trundling to Bangkok. Held over five days at the Siam Polo Park (at VR Sports Club on the outskirts of the city) the event will feature 16 teams encompassing over 50 players, including local television stars, supermodels and professional polo players. An Opening Parade, Children’s Day, and Ladies Day add to the fun. Since the event’s inception, over $US750,000 has been raised and donated to projects that better the lives of Thailand’s wild and domesticated elephant population. Accommodation deals and a programme of events can be found at : anantara.com : anantaraelephantpolo.com

TO promote awareness of HIV/AIDS, as well as raise funds for children and adults affected by the virus, The Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS (TBCA) will hold a mini marathon on Sun, Aug 31, at the Vachirabenjatas Park in Bangkok. The event starts at 5am and entry is either B299 or B599 per runner. Every applicant will receive a T-shirt and, after completing the marathon, will be presented with a running medal. : tbca.or.th

31/8

TheBigChilli

What’s On|Soccer

Football Focus BY PAUL HEWITT

Mui makes his move

TEERASIL Dangda finally made his long-awaited loan move to UD Almería of Spain on July 9. The deal was signed months ago, but the Spanish club didn’t require him until their pre-season got underway. “Mui” arrived in Spain with the deserved reputation of being the best Thai striker of his generation, and there is always that concern that he won’t live up to the hype and fail to really show the Spanish what we know he’s capable of. Well, so far – and it is still very early days – such worries are misplaced: the mercurial Mui (whose nickname lends itself so well to alliteration), has

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scored three goals in Almería’s first two pre-season friendlies. On July 22 he scored twice in a 5-0 victory over Águilas and three days later he followed up by scoring the winning goal

in a 2-1 victory against UCAM Murcia. Yes, the opposition wasn’t the strongest – UCAM play in Spain’s third tier and Águilas in the fourth – but the fact is he has hit the ground

running and, as they say, you can only beat what is put in front of you. And Teerasil has a real chance of making an impact at Almería. The Andalusians escaped relegation from La Liga by a point last season and have made wholesale changes to their squad. Mui is one of five strikers newly arrived at the Juegos Mediterráneos Stadium. It’s not as if he has arrived at a club with an established forward line which picks itself. Goals for Mui in pre-season could well result in competitive first-team appearances once the new season gets underway. It doesn’t really bear dredging up again, but this opportunity for Mui is far removed in motive and character from his last overseas assignment. That was in 2007 when a former Thai prime minister, whose name escapes me, brought the then 19-yearold Teerasil over to Manchester along with Suree Sukha and Kiatprawut Saiwaeo. It was, of course, a rather shameless publicity stunt by Manchester City’s owner as the trio had literally no chance of playing for City: they couldn’t get work permits owing to Thailand’s low FIFA ranking. Teerasil was duly shipped out by City to Grasshoppers Zurich reserves, where he did at least make a handful of appearances. Whilst still technically a City player, he returned to Thailand in 2008 for a second spell at Rajpracha (I recall watching him play for Rajpracha during that time. He scored in a 2-1 win at Korat in August 2008. How strange it seemed to watch him play in Thailand’s third tier in front of two hundred spectators when only months earlier he had been on the back pages of newspapers from Bangkok to Manchester). The whole sorry City episode came to a close when

the Abu Dhabi takeover went through in autumn 2008; Teerasil joined Muangthong and, 76 goals in 156 appearances later, Mui is ready to try his hand in Europe again. But before he fully focuses on the upcoming La Liga season, he has some final business to conduct in the Land of Smiles. Having flown out to Spain and played two matches in mid-July, he flew back to Thailand on July 27 with his new teammates. The reason: Almería are playing two courtesy friendlies in Thailand as part of the deal that took Teerasil to Spain. On August 6 they will play in the south against League 1 side Phuket, but the game that will really capture the attention of fans and media alike will be an emotional return to Muangthong for Mui when the Twin Qilins take on Almería on July 30 at the SCG Stadium. Of course, by the time you read this that match will have been played and Mui will be back in Spain, but the occasion promises to be a special one with a sell-out crowd predicted and Teerasil utterly the centre of attention as never before. Naturally, every move Mui makes in Spain is being reported on feverishly back in Thailand. Innumerable Twitter accounts give running commentaries during matches, and footage of his goals is broadcast all over the breakfast news in Thailand the next day. It brings back memories of two other notable Thai players attempting to carve out a career in Europe.

“Every move Mui makes in Spain is being reported on feverishly back in Thailand.” In 1999, Kiattisak Senamuang (“Zico”) was signed by Steve Bruce for Huddersfield Town. But a complete lack of first team appearances didn’t put off the Thai media. A friend tells me that Thai radio would even do live commentary on the Terriers’ Central League reserve matches in which Zico featured! He returned after a year with no first team starts to his name, and, like Mui would later, found Rajpracha a useful springboard to relaunch his career. His itchy feet again took him out of Thailand, but he stayed closer to home and enjoyed a very successful autumn of his career in Singapore and Vietnam. Ten years after Zico arrived in West Yorkshire, it was Teerathep Winothai (“Leesaw”) on the move as he signed for Lierse of Belgium. Again, I well remember Thai sports channels showing highlights of Lierse reserve games. At that time, Leesaw was very much the golden child of Thai football; the pretty poster boy who had the football world at his feet. But that gold lost its lustre in a Belgian winter, and a chastened Leesaw returned to Thailand. Subsequently, he has bounced from club to club and never really seemed like the force he was before his Flemish foray. Undoubtedly, there can be a comic element to some of these ‘Thais Abroad’ transfers. But Zico, Leesaw and Mui should all be commended for ascending to the level where European clubs actually notice them, and for taking on the challenge of experiencing life in places such as West Yorkshire and Antwerp; places which must have seemed completely alien to the young Thais. And we are left wondering, would today’s generation of young, professional Thai players take a similar gamble and leave the cosy, moneyed world of the TPL? Many would argue that the National Team would be in far better shape if they did.

Book of the month

Painted in the Tropics HOW many men dream of living on an exotic island in the Pacific, surrounded by beautiful bare-breasted women and feasting on tropical fruits to the distant sound of gamelan music? The French painter Gauguin achieved this dream when he sailed away to Polynesia and Tahiti in 1895, but since then few men have managed to emulate him. One man who did realise this dream was the Swiss artist Theo Meier, who left his home in Basel, Switzerland in the 1920s with an easel on his back, and after visiting Tahiti, the New Hebrides and China, finally settled in Bali in 1935. For the next 23 years, Theo painted the gorgeous women and lush landscapes of this verdant land, while also studying and authoring a book on gamelan music. Having survived the Japanese occupation and the sponsorship of the new Indonesian President Sukarno, Theo finally decided to leave the island in 1958 and move to Thailand. During his post war years in Bali, Theo Meier had become friendly with the Thai Prince Sandith Rangsit, who was a regular visitor to the island, together with a number of his Thai and farang friends. Prince Sandith assisted Theo in the move to Bangkok, and with his new Thai wife, Theo finally settled in a classic teak house on the banks of the Mae Ping River in Chiang Mai, where his house guests included many celebrities, including Sir Paul Getty and Roman Polanski. A regular visitor to Theo was the writer Harold Stephens, who shared many memorable meals with the artist over the next 20 years. Since his death in 1983, Theo Meier’s paintings have become highly collectable, portraying as they do, all the richness and colour of life from a bygone era, and canvases that sold years ago for a few hundred dollars, now command prices of more than one hundred thousand dollars. “Painted in the Tropics” is a great read which will appeal not just to art lovers, but also to anyone interested in the story of a man who pursued his dream and lived a life which most can only dream about. – Roy Howard “Painted in the Tropics”, by Harold Stephens. Published by Wolfenden Publishers. Available from Asia Books, Amazon and all good bookstores. TheBigChilli

Feature

Sport|On the ice

Playing ice hockey – in Thailand! Photos by Naz Brown

Canada’s most popular sport has a surprisingly rich history in Bangkok, with NHL players regularly gracing the city’s rinks. Geraldo La Portage reports

BANGKOK = ice hockey. Next we will be dog sledding and building igloos on Sukhumvit, right? Well, for a number of hardy expats the above equation is a reality. Every Thursday night, the Flying Farangs discard their laptops, tablets and iPhones and leave the worries of the business world behind as they grab their sticks and skates, head to The Rink at Central Grand Rama IX, lace up their blades, and compete with some of Thailand’s best players. Most foreigners cannot believe they can play hockey in Thailand and this means very few of them have equipment (it’s usually not on their “must bring” list when they are packing to come to Asia). As a result, these expats are sent scrambling for protective gear once they learn that they can play the world’s fastest game in Bangkok. Luckily, one of the Thai players, Sakchai “Jeab” Chinanuvatana, manages a pro shop in the rink and is able to supply many of the players with their equipment needs. Canadian Craig O’Brien founded the Farangs. A mechanical engineer by trade,

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he has since returned to Canada, but when he first hit Don Muang’s tarmac he set off in search of an ice rink instead of heading to the usual tourist haunts of Pattaya or Patpong. He lived for the game, and his zeal rubbed off on his teammates, many of whom had never taken the game so seriously in their lives. From petroleum engineers to investment consultants, teachers, journalists, deep-sea divers, stamp collectors, and hotel executives, the professions of the players run the gamut. But for a few hours every week, they can pretend to be Sydney Crosby all over again, and have fun doing it. The players themselves are a diverse mix coming from places as far afield as Helsinki, Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo. But the bulk of the foreigners come from – yeah, you guessed it – Canada. You remember the old adage, “You can take a Canadian male out of a hockey rink, but you can never take the

hockey rink out of a Canadian male.” Well, it’s so true. Jogsports (a company founded by Flying Farang Scott Whitcomb) and the Farangs host an international all-in hockey tournament in late October and an Oldtimers tourney (over 35) at the end of March. Teams have come from as far away as Russia, Finland, Canada, and the Czech Republic but the regulars are Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.

Thailand is represented by the Flying Farangs and Thai teams such as Canstar, and the Warriors. Pandoo Nation, a team made up of primarily ex-NCAA players, won the last Land of Smiles tourney (the 19th) defeating the Siberian Bears 6-2. To get there, they defeated the Kreuz Subsea Sharks, a team made up of primarily Junior A players from Canada, in the semi-final. Those two teams fought it out for the Hong Kong championship earlier in the year, with Kreuz prevailing though they were bolstered by ex-NHLers Wayne Primeau and Todd Warriner. In Bangkok, Subsea did have ex-NHLer Tyler Sloan, but he wasn’t enough to cope with Pandoo’s speed. Ex-NHLer Francistek Kucera, who played for the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1992 Stanley Cup final, played for the Old Boys Pilsen Indians in the Rec divison, while another ex-NHLer, recently retired defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, showed up for the closing party. Spacek was captain of the Buffalo Sabres for a while, while Kucera won gold with the Czech team at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 and was involved in the Jaromir Jagr to Washington deal.

In 2012, current Chicago Black Hawk Johnny Oduya came to train and play with the Farangs during another NHL shutdown. Oduya not only led the Farangs to win their first home tournament championship, but five months later also set up the Stanley Cup winning goal for the Black Hawks in their six-game series victory over the Boston Bruins. Although the game with its myriad of rules and infractions can be difficult to understand, there is a growing base of support for the sport here in Bangkok. Unfortunately, as hockey equipment is very expensive, only the children of rich or middle-class Thai families can afford to play. But it is hoped that with the growing popularity of the sport,

more and more Thai kids will become interested in the game, and more ways will be found to subsidize equipment purchases. The Farangs have faced quite an odyssey since they first laced up the blades at the Mall IV rink across from Ramkamhaeng University in 1995. That rink was shut in 1997 and turned into a cineplex. The team moved out to the Imperial Samrong, where it stayed until 2001, then that rink also closed. The Farangs shifted base again and ended up at the much smaller Imperial Lat Phrao (now the Big C Lat Phrao). This was about half the size of a normal facility. During that period, the Farangs staged their international tournaments at the full size Kad Suan Kaew complex in Chiang Mai (now also closed). Then in March of 2004, the Farangs were finally given permission to skate at the CentralWorld Plaza, a rink they have coveted for a decade. Unfortunately, the old rink manager had an aversion to ice hockey so they never got in the door, but when the Central Group recently took over management of the shopping centre, they agreed to give the Farangs a chance.

“Sometimes it was like a war zone, they’d cheap shot us, and we’d retaliate – a lot of blood and stitches. But now with Whitcomb mixing the teams, the Thais and Farangs are getting to know one another.”

Unfortunately, this also only lasted for a short time (nine months) as in January 2005 the CentralWorld Plaza closed its rink as well, opting to make better use of the space surrounding the arena. Luckily, the Farangs were able to bounce back to their old home in the Imperial Samrong arena, where they stayed until January of 2012 when they moved to their new home, “The Rink,” on the seventh floor of Central Grand Rama 9. The Farangs used to compete in the Bangkok Hockey League, which was a league that ran for two years (19992000) and featured teams like the Polar Bears, a squad filled with ferocious Thai females. But the league came to a halt when Samrong was initially shut down. The league was revived in the fall of 2004 as the Thai World Hockey League (TWHL) by Flying Farangs Scott Whitcomb and Scott Murray. With teams like the Klong Toey Whalers facing off against the Ding Daeng Jets and Sukhumvit Stars, it was a huge success and is now in its tenth season (www. jogsports.com). The major difference between the old league and the new one is the teams

are mixed. Before, the Farangs would face off against Thai teams and inevitably all hell would break out. “Sometimes it was like a war zone, they’d cheap shot us, and we’d retaliate – a lot of blood and stitches,” says Flying Farang captain, Scott Murray. “But now with Whitcomb mixing the teams, the Thais and Farangs are getting to know one another. You’re a lot less likely to run someone, or throw a punch, if you know the person.” And the quality of the Thai players has gone up considerably with the MVP of the first league being Tawin “Thor” Chartsuwan, and many of the top players in the league now being Thai. The Farangs garnered a lot of publicity earlier in January of 2005 when they staged a tsunami relief game and

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Feature

Sport|On the ice

raised over US$50,000 for the Thai Red Cross. Spearheaded by veterans Greg Jones and Robert Kennedy, the game pitted the World All-Stars against Team Canada, and the World stormed back in the final minutes to win the hard-fought contest 7-6. With the National Hockey League embroiled in a bitter labour dispute, the game made the headlines of most sports pages back in North America and made prime time on the three major Canadian TV channels. The gist of the reporting being while the professional players were too greedy to play at all, the Flying Farangs were paying to play and raising money for tsunami victims as well. One of the highest profile players to lace up against the Farangs was Neal Broten, who brought a team over from the USA a couple of years ago to compete in the Chiang Mai tourney. After being part of the famous gold-medal “Miracle on Ice” squad in Lake Placid back in 1980, Broten suited up for one short of 1,100 games in the NHL, playing 17 NHL seasons. He popped in 289 goals and had 634 assists for 923 points. He won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, captained the Minnesota North Stars and his is the only sweater the Dallas Stars have ever retired. The Farangs have also laid claim to having had the most beautiful Zamboni (resurfacing machine) driver. A couple of years ago in Chiang Mai, Khun Tu, the Rink Manager there, also drove the arena’s machine. But when she

drove it, she dressed to the nines, with evening gowns, high heels and even an occasional tiara; some people came to the games just to see her resurface the ice. There was one occasion where 6’6” Farang Bjorn Turmann hi-fived her as she took the turn on the corner boards. This immediately caught on and lovely Khun Tu drove the length of the boards hi-fiving Farangs, spectators and opposition players – quite a

moment in sporting history. So it seems that the holler “he shoots, he scores” will not be restricted to the rinks of Europe and North America anymore, and the Farangs will continue to play a major part in spreading the gospel of ice hockey in Southeast Asia. With new rinks opening in Hanoi, Udon Thani and Phnom Penh, the sports of ice skating and ice hockey are

growing; long-term diehard fans in Bangkok hope to one day have a Southeast Asian Hockey League, feeding professionals to the National Hockey League. For further information on the Flying Farangs, contact Scott Murray flyingfarang@yahoo.com or visit www. flyingfarangs.com. Ball hockey (played with ice hockey sticks on a tennis court) is practiced by the Thai Stix at the British Club, every weekend (contact John Stevens at bkkballhockey@gmail.com).

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Social p Last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best events in pictures

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Social|Last Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Events

CentralWorld in the Groove

CENTRALWORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S hip new hangout, Groove, officially launched its fashionable array of restaurants, bars, and trendy shops by throwing a celeb-filled party, the highlights of which were a special exhibition by renowned Los Angeles-based contemporary artist, Gary Baseman, and a live concert by Burin Boonvisuth.

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12 years of Bath and Bloom

LUXURY soap and lotions maker Bath & Bloom celebrated its 12th anniversary with a Gala Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok. On the night, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owners announced the launch of their seasons-inspired special collection, All Year Round. Koh Mr Saxman also took to the stage for a performance.

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WINE ON TAP

Wine Connection’s ﬂagship store on Convent Road, Silom, showcased its new taste and buy concept by inviting oenophiles to experience the shop’s new pouring system, which offers servings of wine starting at just B15. Complementing the wines on the night was a selection of delicious cheeses.

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SPARKLING NIGHT AT TAPAS Y VINO

SPANISH tapas and seafood paired with sparkling wine from world-renowned Cava producer Freixenet, Spain, set the scene for a great night of partying at Grand Millennium Sukhumvitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sparkling Night at Tapas Y Vino. Music by DJ Nice Blue Sky fuelled the party late into the night.

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Back To The FuTure aT LeveLs

Levels Nightclub & Lounge, Sukhumvit Soi 11, celebrated its second anniversary with a “Back To The Future” theme party showcasing two of the nightclub’s most popular shows plus the launch of two new performances – “Champagne Baby,” a burlesque show inspired by Diita Von Teese, and “Future Babes,” featuring the club’s glamorous dancers dressed as space vixens. Find full details about the shows at www.facebook.com/levelsclub.

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cooL By The pooL

SOFITEL Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa resort launched its first pool party in spectacular fashion with a two-day event that featured a mini concert by Thaitanium as well as a disco headlined by DJs Fred Jungo, Mendy Indigo, Eddy Frampton, and KC.

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ROYAL CELEBRATIONS AT THE BERKELEY

THE Berkeley Hotel Pratunam’s founder, Mr Worawit Weeraborwornpong, along with his wife, Mrs Patchara Weeraborwornpong, celebrated the hotel’s ﬁrst anniversary by inviting their friends and family to join a VIP party at the Mayfair Grand Ballroom. The occasion also marked Mr Weeraborwornpong’s reception of the Royal-Decoration “The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn.”

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GREAT KABAB FACTORY OPENS WITH A FEAST

THE Great Kabab Factory celebrated its grand opening with a cocktail party featuring free-ďŹ&#x201A;ow wines and unlimited servings of kababs, mouth-watering tikkas, dals, biryanis, Indian breads, delicious desserts, and many more tasty treats. Located at the Majestic Grande Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 2, the new restaurant is open daily 6pm-11pm.

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Social|Last Month’s Best Events

Hugo & J Montonn at Hard rock JUICY burgers and room-rattling riffs were the ingredients for a great night out when Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok marked America’s Independence Day with a concert by Hugo & J Montonn. The event was packed with Thai celebrities such as Da Endorphin, Tul Apartment khun Pa, and Jaab The Richman Toy.

PowderPuff goes gangster

NEW Bangkok-based events organizer Powderpuff recently brought a slice of Los Angeles to Grease, Thonglor, with a party inspired by the city’s gangster subculture. Partygoers embraced the event’s ‘Lean Like a Cholo’ theme by arriving dressed to their gangster best, and they were rewarded for their efforts with a night of non-stop Trap music spun by DJ Monster P, DJ Secret Weapon, DJ Ketchupboyz, YourVillian, DJ Marcb, DJ Tantany, and Bangkok-based group Kraytel.

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Red CaRpet FaRewell

NOVOTEL Bangkok on Siam Square’s owners and management hosted a “Red Carpet Farewell” party for Asita Vimolchaichit, the hotel’s popular Executive Marketing and E-commerce director who left the property after 20 years of service last month.

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Roadhouse BBQ tuRns 8

Roadhouse BBQ on Surawong Road celebrated its eighth anniversary in boozy and delicious fashion with free-flow drinks and a generous spread of American eats.

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Social|Around town

Thailand Privilege Card Teams uP wiTh mJeTs

Thailand Privilege Card Co., ltd. (TPC), operators of the world’s first national membership program, Thailand elite Card, signed an mOu with private aviation company mJets to provide elite Card holders with exclusive privileges for chartered jet travel. under this mOu, mJets agrees to offer private jet service with special discounts for elite Card members. TPC allows mJets members and their guests to use its Privilege lounge at suvarnabhumi airport.

Celebs PainT fOr elePhanTs

in preparation of its 13th annual Kings Cup elephant Polo Tournament, which will be hosted in Bangkok for the first time this month (see page 82), anantara hotels, resort and spas joined elephant Parade to launch a special silent auction featuring elephant models painted by celebrities such as woody wuthithorn milintachinda, Cindy bishop, Kae Chollada mekratri, Took Chanokwanan rakcheep, Tanya engtrakul, and many more. all the celebrity designed elephants will be displayed at the King’s Cup elephant Polo pitch prior to the final auction at a gala dinner held at Anantara bangkok riverside on aug 29.

wsaT On The mOney

The women secretaries & administrative Professionals association of Thailand (wsaT), led by its president Panitta ariyavicha, held its “46th annual Ordinary general meeting 2014” at dusit Thani bangkok, where financial guru and advisor Kawin suwantragul took to the stage to talk about money.

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Social|Around Last Month’s town Best Events

Thai airasia X launChes new rOuTes TO JaPan LOW-cost long-haul flight carrier Thai AirAsia X held a press conference to announce its new direct flights from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Tokyo narita international airport and Osaka Kansai international airport. both routes will start operating on sept 1, and promotional rates will start at just B2,990 per flight. www.airasia.com

iCOnsiam breaKs grOund The owners of iCOnsiam, a riverside retail and luxury residential complex being built in bangkok, marked the start of the project’s construction by inviting press and industry experts to learn more about what the complex will offer. Covering over 750,000 square metres, iCOnsiam will feature two retail complexes and two residential buildings – one with 70 floors, the other with 40 floors – as well as attractions such as southeast asia’s longest on-land multi-media water-andfire feature, and a museum of treasures celebrating Thailand’s heritage. more info at www.iconsiam.com.

PlayhOuse brings The TOys

new toyshop Playhouse opened in fun fashion with a celeb-studded fancy dress party where it showcased its line of international toys. Located on the third floor of siam square One shopping center, the store is stocked with disney products, marvel and designer toys, and also has a play area offering activities such as painting and storytelling.

leT’s relaX OPens new branCh

leT’s relax day spa, managed by siam wellness group, held a small gathering to celebrate the opening of its 8th branch, located at siam square One shopping center. designed in contemporary fashion with an earthy colour scheme, the new branch offers aromatic hot stone massage, Thai massage, foot massage, aromatherapy oil massage, and many more stress-busting treatments.

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Diplomats p Meet the people uniting nations

HE Excellency DĂŠnes Tomaj The Hungarian Ambassador looks back on his tenure in Thailand. Page 106

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His Excellency Denes Tomaj|Hungary

Diplomats

Hungarian Ambassador closes impressive career in Bangkok By Maxmilian Wechsler

IF you picture an ambassador as someone who always wears a dark suit and sees the city from the back of a black limousine, meeting His Excellency Dénes Tomaj may come as a shock. The emissary of Hungary in Thailand can often be seen strolling along Sukhumvit Road wearing shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers. On several times I have run into him so attired at Bei Otto bakery and restaurant inside Soi 20, and if I hadn’t also seen him dressed to the nines at various diplomatic functions I would swear he was just another laid-back, happy tourist in the Land of Smiles. Mention of these encounters at Bei Otto elicited a broad smile from Mr Tomaj. “I like to walk on the street in my shorts and see how the locals live, how they sit on the roadside eating and taking photos,” he said. But while he comes across as an unpretentious, regular sort of fellow, his background and diplomatic credentials are truly impressive. At the end of the interview Mr Tomaj revealed that this is the last assignment in a distinguished career. He was born 65 years ago in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, where his parents settled after the Second World War. His mother is from Transylvania, a region in central Romania, and his father came from an area of Hungary near the Austrian border. “They met in Transylvania and ended up in Budapest after my father came home from the Soviet Union, where he was a prisoner of war,” said Mr Tomaj, who speaks Russian as well as Hungarian and English fluently, along with some Dutch. “I grew up in Budapest, and studied at the University of Economics specializing in international relations. When I finished my studies I applied for a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and since 1972 I have been working for the Foreign Service. That’s when my diplomatic career started. In our system we have alternate postings. After one posting abroad, we have one at home. “After two years at the MFA I was posted to Bangladesh, where I spent more than four years. Then I went back to Budapest where I worked in two different departments at the ministry, and then I was posted to Nigeria. I was there for about four years and then came back to the ministry again and spent six years at home, which was quite a long time. “In the period of the late ’80s and early ’90s we had fundamental political and economic changes in Hungary. The new government appointed me as Deputy State Secretary. I was responsible for relations between my country and nonEuropean nations except the United States and Canada. I was in charge of Africa, Asia and Pacific, Australia and Latin America. “In 1993 I was posted to the Netherlands as ambassador and spent five years there. It was a very exciting time because

of a lot of political events involving our two countries, like the accession of Hungary to NATO and the European Union. “I went back to Hungary to the same position as Deputy State Secretary, but the areas I was responsible for changed a little. In addition I was looking after the United States, Canada and Western Europe, so apart from the former Soviet Union and middle European countries, everything was in my portfolio. “I completed a four-year term and was posted to Canada as ambassador. When I returned to Hungary after four years I was given the post of Director General of Development Cooperation. After four years in that position, I was posted to Thailand in December 2010. The ambassadorial term is usually four years. All in all I’ve spent almost 21 years working abroad.” Mr Tomaj said that after the recent elections in his country, there was a reorganization of the MFA and some new activities were brought under the ministry, among them external economic relations. Therefore, it is now called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations. Other assignments Mr Tomaj has taken in his 42-year career include Permanent Representative to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague. “I arrived in Thailand for the first time in 1976. At that time I was posted to Bangladesh as attaché. We got acquainted with a representative of Thai International Airways in Dhaka. He proposed that my family and I visit Bangkok. We agreed and spent a few days here. After that we passed through Bangkok a few times. We often went shopping and made a lot of trips to various sights around the capital,” said Mr Tomaj, who married his wife Ildikó in 1974. Their son, Balázs, was born in Bangladesh and daughter, Zsófia, was born in Hungary. “As I was responsible for bilateral relations with Thailand, I was also in this country with our president in 1993 when he came here at the invitation of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. I was back here with the president for an unofficial visit in 1999, and I came here on my own as the Deputy State Secretary for foreign affairs for consultations twice. “There is a long history of relations between Hungary and Thailand. In 1872 the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Siam started to work on a treaty on trade, navigation and amity. The treaty was signed in 1874. This can be considered in a way as the start of the bilateral relations between the two countries. “HM King Chulalongkorn [Rama V] visited Hungary when he toured Europe. The first Austro-Hungarian delegation was opened in Bangkok in 1913 at what is now the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. If you go around the old building there’s a plaque commemorating the hundredth anniversary of this event.

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Diplomats

His Excellency Denes Tomaj|Hungary

“So as you see, before the First World War the AustroHungarian Empire had diplomatic relations with Siam, but when Thailand entered the war in July 1917 the relations were cut. I suspect that Thailand was pushed into a situation where they declared war on Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire,” ventured Mr Tomaj. “Much later, in 1973, Hungary as an independent country established formal diplomatic relations with Thailand and for a time our ambassador in Tokyo was looking after Thailand. “We opened an embassy in Bangkok in 1983 and a Thai embassy was opened in Budapest in 1988. After that, in a relatively short period of time, we had a lot of visits from the Thai royal family. HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn visited Hungary in 1989, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn came in 1994, HRH Prince Chulabhorn Walailak visited Hungary in 2000, 2005 and 2006. The Thai royal family has been very kind to visit us. Our president made a state visit to Thailand in 1993,” Mr Tomaj added. “So there’s a lot of history in our bilateral relations, especially in the past 10-15 years when there has been a very positive tendency toward cooperation. We’ve identified some issues which are important for both of our countries, like water management. Budapest is on the banks of the Danube River, and we know very well the devastation of floods and we know something about how to manage and prevent them. “It is not by chance that Hungarian President János Áder was invited to attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Chiang Mai last year. Earlier the Thai deputy prime minister was invited to attend the Water Summit in Budapest, but because of the floods in Thailand he couldn’t come.

“The foreign ministers of our two countries have met four times in the past three and a half years. There is an intensive dialog taking place between high-level officials, resulting in increasingly substantial economic and trade relations. “Bilateral trade between our countries was about US$500 million in 2013. Thailand exports a bit more to Hungary than vice-versa due to the character and size of the two economies. “We are very much in favor of further development of bilateral relations as we regard Thailand as a middle power in the region and one that has a lot of influence. Both our countries have a well-developed automobile industry. Spare auto parts are a big aspect of bilateral trade. We export fully assembled cars as well, like Audi and Mercedes Benz. We are also importing and exporting IT products. “We export household products and delicacies, like the foie gras served in many restaurants and hotels in Thailand. In fact we export about 20 tons of goose liver to Thailand each year. One Hungarian company attempted to export Hungarian salami but the Thai public

The thermal water lake of Hévíz

Party spirit

The Heroes’ Square at Budapest

The Palace of Arts, Budapest

Oenophiles will find plenty to please them in Hungary

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The real taste of Hungary

The Széchenyi Thermal Bath in Budapest A Hungarian invention — Gömböc, a convex three-dimensional homogeneous body

identifies salami with Italy, so ours was not widely accepted.” Ambassador Tomaj and the rest of the Hungarian embassy staff recently moved to a new location in the super-modern Park Ventures Ecoplex Building on Wireless Road. “There are four Hungarian diplomats here including myself. I have a deputy who is in charge of political matters, a consul and an economic and trade attaché. We also have three colleagues who are in charge of the administrative and financial part of the work. We have seven Thai employees, including secretaries and drivers. They can’t speak Hungarian but I think maybe they can understand a lot because they seem to listen to us when we speak in Hungarian. “My day usually starts with two routine tasks. The first is to get acquainted with developments in Thailand by reading the local English-language newspapers and the other is going on the internet to see what is circulating on Thailand in the media. The embassy is an office and we have official duties; one is to make reports and give suggestions to our government and to different ministries. As ambassador I am also responsible for embassy financial matters, security and so on. “An important element of the job,” Mr Tomaj continued, “is to liaise with Thai authorities and officials and Thai society in general. In the daytime I often visit different ministries and institutions, going for lectures, presentations, exhibitions and so on. There are always receptions, dinner invitations or we invite guests. So my workday sometimes ends late in the evening. This goes on every day. Sometimes I am very busy and sometimes less so.” Other major duties of the embassy include issuing visas to people wishing to visit Hungary and safeguarding the interests of Hungarian tourists and residents in Thailand. “We issued visas at the embassy for about 3,000 Thais to visit Hungary last year, but according to records many more Thais entered Hungary on Schengen visas good throughout the EU. About 18,00020,000 Hungarians visit Thailand annually. This is a very popular

destination for our nationals and they usually enjoy their stay very much. “We don’t know how many Hungarian nationals reside in Thailand. There are about 200 registered with our embassy but we think it is two or three times that many. In extreme situations, a tsunami for example, it helps to be registered with the embassy because we can then look out for our people in an affected area. “There’s no Hungarian airline flying to Thailand now. In the past our flagship carrier Malev had direct flights between Budapest and Bangkok, but unfortunately the airline went out of business in 2012. We hope that Thai International will one day make flights between our capitals. “In comparison with other counties where I have been posted, such as Bangladesh and in Nigeria where I was a junior diplomat, I now have a higher level of contact with the local people. In former times people viewed Hungary differently, and ideologically it was different. “Hungary as a member of the former Soviet bloc wasn’t welcomed on many occasions. Fortunately this has changed. “Now in Bangkok my colleagues and I are very active, especially as we are also accredited to neighboring countries. I am also in charge of relations with Myanmar and Laos. Sometimes I go for a couple of days to accompany Hungarian delegations visiting these countries. When I come back I have a lot of papers on my table,” said Mr Tomaj, smiling. “I also get out of Bangkok and travel within Thailand as much as possible. I am accredited to Thailand and not to Bangkok. If we want to get a realistic picture of the Thai people, the conditions they live under and the development of the country, then I have to go out, sometimes professionally and sometimes as a tourist. My wife enjoys these trips also. “I like Thailand very much on the whole,” said Mr Tomaj. “It has a very vivid atmosphere and the people are very kind. It is easy to work with the Thai MFA, other ministries or with

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Diplomats

His Excellency Denes Tomaj|Hungary when he has the chance. “If I know in the morning that I don’t have to go out for a function or meeting outside where it is required to wear a suit, I will just wear light trousers and a longsleeve shirt to the office. Of course, I have a suit in my office for any ‘emergency.’ Despite the tropical climate, this is the expectation. You have to show a certain level of formality. When I go to the MFA or other ministries, all my male colleagues wear suits. It is a show of respect. “Women ambassadors are allowed more variety in their attire than their male colleagues. On the other hand, if a male ambassador wears the same suit many times no one will notice, but if a lady appears in the same dress two or three times, someone will notice. Women are more careful and innovative in combining different elements of their dress.” For relaxation, Mr Tomaj likes to watch sports on television. “I also like photography and I’ve taken thousands of photos

Sailing at Lake Balaton

HUNGARY IN BRIEF HUNGARY, a landlocked country in Central Europe, is situated in the Carpathian Basin with Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, and Slovenia to the southwest. It covers 93,030 square kilometers and has a population of about 10 million, with more than 1.7 million living in the capital, Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and the Schengen Area. Its many sights include Lake Balaton, the largest freshwater lake in Europe with an area of 592 square kilometers. Budapest has a lot to offer to visitors with its famous landmarks, among them the Hungarian Parliament Building, Buda Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Hungarian State Opera House, Chain Bridge and Fisherman’s Bastion. Beautiful old towns such as Székesfehérvár, Györ, Debrecen, Veszprém, Miskolc, Szombately, Eger, Esztergom, Sopron and Siófok are also well worth a visit.

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the Royal Thai Police. There’s respect for those who want to cooperate with the country. I love Thai food and in particular its freshness. Here everything is freshly made. “I also like the natural landscape here. For Hungarians coming from a landlocked country the sea is a great adventure. I like very much to be on the beach,” Mr Tomaj said, adding that he had visited Koh Chang and Krabi with his family. They also like to visit historic sites such as Sukhothai. “I have had many good experiences while travelling outside Bangkok. I really enjoy trips organized by the Thai MFA. They have taken us every year for two or three days to different parts of the country. These are itineraries that wouldn’t be available for the average tourist. Some aren’t even listed in the travel guides. During one such trip we visited a Royal Development Project in Chiang Mai. We went to the top of a hill where a former opium producing area had been converted to a modern agricultural project. We saw beautiful strawberry fields where opium was grown before.” As mentioned earlier, Mr Tomaj likes to dress casually

The Royal Palace and the Chain Bridge in Budapest

here. One day, I would like to select the best photos and to create an album, for myself only. For exercise as well as enjoyment I regularly play tennis with my wife and sometimes jog.” Asked about disappointments during his tour of duty in Thailand, Mr Tomaj paused for a moment. “I had hoped that we could go a little faster in developing the relations between our countries, but there have been a lot of circumstances which prevented this. I am not dissatisfied, but at the beginning of my assignment I hoped for more progress in bilateral relations.” Another minor disappointment is that there is no place he can go to dine on his native cuisine. “You can find almost any kind of kitchen in Bangkok, but unfortunately, there is no Hungarian restaurant. About 12 years ago there was an attempt to open a Hungarian restaurant, but I think because of a bad location on the third floor, it wasn’t accessible and it failed,” Mr Tomaj said. “I think Thai people would enjoy Hungarian dishes because we also like spicy food. Maybe one day someone will try again to open a Hungarian restaurant here.” Summing up his term as his country’s ambassador to the kingdom, Mr Tomaj said: “The past four years I’ve spent in Thailand has been a very interesting period of time. A lot of important things happened, not only in Thailand but also in Myanmar and in Laos. It was a great experience. “The circle is closing. I came to Thailand the first time about 40 years ago as a tourist and I really liked it. We were pleased to come back again over the years and I was delighted to be posted in Thailand. This is my last posting before retirement and I am happy that my diplomatic career will end here.”

HUA HIN

Cha Am • Pranburi • And beyond...

Treat your loved on to a weekend to remember at X2 Kui Buri Resort. Page 112.

News & deals

Hua Hin’s hottest promotions and deals await inside Page 112

Music & food

The popular Culinary Classics night returns to the Dusit on Sept 5 Page 112

Social

Around 80 guests had great fun at La Paillote’s Bastille Day celebrations Page 118 TheBigChilli 111

Hu aH i n

N ews and Deals

Centara launches family rates

LOOKING for a good weekend escape with the kids? The Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin may be just the ticket. Until the end of October, the resort is offering a ‘Short Break Family’ package with rates starting at B5,650++ per night for a Deluxe room (must stay a minimum of two nights to qualify). Rates include daily breakfast and free tickets to Santorini Water Park for two adults and two children under 12 (or three adults). ☎ 032 512 021 :centarahotelsresorts.com/package/familybreak-hua-hin

Summer retreat in Pranburi THE luxury Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas has launched a ‘Summer Delight’ accommodation package which offers its splendid rooms at just B6,900 per room per night. This rate includes complimentary breakfast buffet, plus B1,000 F&B credit per room per night, and B1,000 of spa credit per stay. Offer ends in October. ☎ 032 909 900 :sheratonhuahinpranburi.com

Romantic escape in Kui Buri

Golfers play for less this month

Culinary Classics returns to the Dusit

IF you want to treat your loved one to a weekend to remember, look no further than X2 Kui Buri’s new ‘Bed, Bubbles & Beyond’ package. Available for booking until Sept 30, and valid for stays until Oct 31, this great deal offers rates starting at B5,900 per night for a Deluxe Garden Villa and B6,900 per night for a Deluxe Pool Villa (stay between Mon-Thurs and the rates are B1,000 cheaper). The package includes daily Champagne Breakfast for two, and a choice of surprises for each night of your stay, including free minibar, an afternoon wine & tapas set, a 60-minute massage for two, or a three-hour tour of Prachuap Khiri Khan city. A minimum stay of two nights is required for long weekends. ☎ 032 601 412 :X2LOBBY.com

HUA Hin’s reputation as a golfing paradise will be given a boost this month with the return of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s annual Hua Hin Cha-am Golf Festival. Arranged in partnership with the Phetchaburi – Prachuap Khiri Khan Golf Course Association and ten leading golf courses in the region, the festival will see the participating golf courses each offering special rates until Oct 5 (B1,000-B1,800 per person per round, depending on the course). Golf competitions will also take place every Sunday, ranging in price from B1,600 to B2,400 per person, again depending on the course. :huahingolffestival.com

THE ninth edition of Dusit Thani Hua Hin’s popular Culinary Classics event will be held on Sept 5 in the hotel’s Napalai Ballroom. Korean-born New Zealand residents Tina Kim (piano), Stella Kim (violin) and Sally Kim (cello) – aka The Trinity Trio – will perform Mendelssohn’s classic Piano Trio No.2 in C Minor alongside modern compositions such as Gareth Farr’s Ahi and Paul Schoenfield’s Café Music. B500 per person (ticket only); B1,400 per person for ticket and post-concert Thai Market Night dinner buffet; and B1,600 per person for ticket and post-concert four-course Italian dinner set. ☎ 032 442 100 :dusit.com/dusitthani/huahin/ default-en.html

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H u aHin D ini ng out Azure

New late brunch at Azure Review

Finally, a Sunday dining experience which really has golfers and fans of the snooze button in mind

THE sumptuous Sunday brunch at InterContinental Hua Hin’s Azure Restaurant has just been given a gourmet makeover with the addition of more mouth-watering grilled dishes and a bubbly extra – a complimentary bottle of Chandon for every two diners. What’s more, the feast is now held from 1pm-4pm and priced a very reasonable B1,700++ per person. Designed with golfers, late-risers, and indulgent types in mind, this new late brunch – more of a ‘Linner’ (lunch/ dinner), if you want to get technical – is held under the moniker of “Chill & Grill

Chandon Brunch buffet” and, just as you’d expect from a restaurant of Azure’s caliber, features a splendid spread of foodie favourites made using the highest quality local and imported ingredients. Pan-fried foie gras, grilled grainfed beef, and classic seafood paella are all served piping hot from live cooking stations, while sushi and sashimi are prepared a la minute from the choicest cuts of fish. Delicious homemade crepes are fried up at a dessert table, and there’s even a variety of tangy and sweet homemade ice creams to choose from. Located poolside at the front of the

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, 33/33 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin

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resort, where alfresco seating is artfully arranged overlooking the beach, Azure boasts a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere that’s bolstered by DJs spinning bossa nova and acoustic tunes such as Let’s Stay Together, My Girl and Just The Way You Are. Take a towel and swimwear and you can make the most of your visit by taking a leisurely swim between courses. There’s no hard and fast dining rules here – simply an emphasis on giving guests a relaxing experience fueled by good food and wine, as well as InterContinental’s superior service. Advance booking is recommended.

☎ 03 261 6999 :huahin.intercontinental.com

H u aHin D ini ng out Hi gh Zo e

Review

High Zoe Restaurant

International eats at great value for money make this out of town restaurant well worth a visit

LUXURY villa project Black Lotus may be best known for its spacious and private accommodation, but it’s not the only reason to venture to this slice of paradise in the hills. Pay a visit to the project’s High Zoe restaurant and you’ll find a decent selection of international eats at great value for money, as well as daily deals too good to miss. Located at the front of the project, the restaurant features a modern dining room decked out with paintings of classical music, as well as a poolside terrace which looks out over Black Lotus’s lovingly manicured gardens. Any day you visit you can select from the restaurant’s regular a la carte menu, which is loaded with international staples

like Lobster soup (B159+), Chicken salad (B229+), and Pork chop with veggies (B379); sharing platters for two to three persons such as the American BBQ platter (B699+) and Mixed seafood (B999+), as well as local eats like Pad Thai chicken (B179+). Visit on a Sunday for the Pizza and ice cream buffet, and you can enjoy an-all-you-can eat feast, with free-flow soft drinks, followed by an afternoon of lounging by the pool, for just B499 per person (12pm-5pm). With games such as table tennis, pool, and table football on offer, this option is perfect for families looking for a great day out together. Monday nights at High Zoe are Ladies’ Nights, with free-flow wines

Black Lotus, 58 Naresdamri Rd.

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for all ladies at just B299 per person (6.30pm-10.30pm); Tuesdays offer buyone-get-one free on all starters, Thai food and desserts; while Wednesdays see Homemade margherita pizza served with a glass of wine for just B350. (5pm10pm). Cocktail lovers should drop by on a Thursday night when classic blends are B99 per drink; lovebirds on a Friday, when a three-course candlelit dinner with one bottle of wine is B999 per person; and seafood fans on a Friday, when a BBQ buffet featuring all kinds of deep sea delights is served up for just B999 per person. Well worth the 5km trip out of town!

☎ 032 510 106 : facebook.com/black.lotus.huahin

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All in French taste at La Paillote A CROWD of around eighty diners, including 30 French expats, ventured to La Paillote restaurant to enjoy its annual Bastille Day celebrations. French cuisine and fine wines set the perfect atmosphere for the occasion, which commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789.

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Golfers party at Centara THE Centara World Masters Golf Championship closed in fine fashion with a gala prize giving dinner party at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. The tournament, for male and female club golfers aged 35 and over, attracted more than 500 participants from 23 countries, representing 193 golf clubs. It was the largest event of its kind ever played in Asia. All scores are on the tournament website: www.ThailandWorldMasters.com, which will also soon feature information about the 2015 event.

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Accommodation

Hua Hin Where to sleep The Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin ■ Located in the heart of Hua Hin right next to the beach, this luxury hotel combines comfort and convenience for the perfect escape. Each suite is well-furnished in stylish décor and each has its own private swimming pool. General facilities include a fitness center, a swimming pool, steam rooms, spa, library, and meeting functions. Rocks Restaurant serves up a wide range of international dishes and local favourites, while the beachside bar, and the cigar and whisky bar, mix up some excellent cocktails.

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa ■ This imposing resort in the centre of Hua Hin is regarded as one of the best family hotels in the region. Accommodation features comfortable rooms and suites, providing guests with a living space that exhibits contemporary Thai design flair and good in-room amenities. There are also 11 Spa Suites available. The awardwinning White Lotus on the 17th floor of the Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa offers sky-high dining at down to earth prices. 33 Naresdamri Road. Tel: 032 538 999

97/2 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 516 600

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin ■ Set within 13 hectares of landscaped gardens, the property dates back to 1923 and is one of Southeast Asia’s most renowned hotels. The luxurious colonial-era beachfront resort features 207 beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites, each one offering comfort and convenience. The Pool Villas include four Deluxe Spa Villas with queen sized twin bed, lounging area, bathroom with rain shower, and oversized Jacuzzi bathtub. Refined dining is available at Sala Thai, Hagi, the Railway Restaurant, and Palm Terrace. Guests can unwind in the Elephant Bar. 1 Damnernkasem Road, Hua Hin. Tel: 032 512 021-38

Evason Hua Hin and Six Senses Spa ■ This resort-spa is situated at the heart of 20 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and faces the Gulf of Thailand. Pool villas and guest rooms are connected by a series of wooden walkways that meander between lush greenery. This is a retreat for those seeking time to relax and recharge. In The Restaurant guests can sip exotic cocktails, ice-cold beer or boutique wines while watching chefs cook and construct creative appetizers. The award-winning Earth Spa is one of the most visually striking in Thailand. 9/22 Moo 5 Paknampran Beach, Pranburi. Tel: 032 632 111 122

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Villa Maroc Resort Pranburi ■ Inspired by Morocco’s distinctive architecture, Villa Maroc combines Thai beachside living and service with some of the most luxurious furnishings from the North African Kingdom, making it a unique addition to Southeast Asia’s accommodation scene. The resort is located in Pranburi approximately 30 kilometers south of Hua Hin town. You can tuck into European, Middle Eastern and Thai cuisine at Casablanca, enjoy cocktails and shisha pipes at the Sisha Bar, relax in bliss at Sherazade Hammam & Spa, and much more. 165/3 Moo 3 Paknampran, Pranburi, Tel: 032 630 771 email: rsvn@villamarocresort.com

Baan Bayan

■ This fine resort features one of Hua Hin’s finest examples of early 1900’s architectural style. The beachfront resort has been faithfully restored to its former glory by the family who once lived there. Guests staying at Baan Bayan can experience the glory of a bygone era in its colonial style structure, yet without sacrificing the modern day comforts and amenities. It has 21 rooms comprising of three suites, 10 sea view rooms and 16 rooms with views of the courtyard or tropical garden. 119 Petchkasem Road. Tel: 032 533 544

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Hua Hin

Where to eat ■ A NEW Italian kid on the block, this casual bar and eatery serves innovative Italian food with authentic tastes as well as an extensive selection of Italian aperitifs and wines (by the glass or bottle). Cosy and stylish, the restaurant boasts a delightful garden which is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner with a loved one. All in all, Italian foodies are bound to find something to delight them here.

Molina Italian Wine & Cuisine

Address : 123/46, Nongkae, Hua Hin, Next to Cicada Market. Tel : +66 89 505 1006 Email : mattana_minx@hotmail.com

■ Set in the beautiful Putahracsa Hua Hin resort, this relaxing beachfront restaurant offers a great selection of international food, drinks and music. You can tuck into seafood with piquant Thai sauces or devour huge slabs of meat fresh from the grill. The Jumbo Tiger prawns, Rock lobster, and New Zealand lamb chops score particularly good marks here. Other bonuses include a great sea view, and a long list of delightfully boozy cocktails. Open 5pm onwards.

Oceanside Beach Club Cocktails

22/65 Nahb Kaehat Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 531 470

■ This chic all-day-dining restaurant at the Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin offers a delectable selection of Italian and French favourites together with other international cuisines and local favourites. Designed to enhance a visitor’s holiday experience, this eatery provides a relaxing atmosphere and great a nice view out over the beach. The breakfast buffet is priced at 600 baht. If you stop by in the afternoon, Pavlova is a must to accompany an English Afternoon Tea set. Open 6.30am - 11pm.

Rocks Restaurant

97/2 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 516 600

6 PM - 8 PM th 17 AUGUST 2014 FREE FLOW OF FOOD /Molina.HuaHin Strip AD_Molina_Aug14_M4.ai 1

089 505 1006

WINE 123/46 Nongkae, Hua Hin Beside The Cicada Market

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Tr a vel

D ea ls and Promotion s W Retreat Koh Samui: Valid for booking

s ’ e t a M s rate

family r o s d n Frie land? i a h T g visitin now about k Let them e deals thes

until Aug 31 and stays completed by Mar 2015, the hotel’s ‘Red Hot Deal’ offers rates starting at B18,000++ per night, inclusive of daily breakfast for two. ☎ 077 915 999 :wretreatkohsamui.com

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok: Until October, the ‘Family

Treats Package’ offers rates starting at B4,184++ per night for two adults and one child. Package includes daily breakfast, one Thai Set Dinner for two adults and one child (per stay), B500 F&B credit, and late check-out. ☎ 02 307 8888 :chatrium.com/chatrium_hotel

Centara Grand at CentralWorld: Until Sept 30, the ‘Family Discoveries’ package, suitable for two adults with up to two children under 12, offers rates starting at B4,920 per night for a Superior World room inclusive of daily breakfast buffet, an automatic upgrade to a Premium World room (subject to availability) and daily bedtime cookies and milk for the kids. One extra bed or baby cot can be provided at no charge. ☎ 02 100 1234 :centarahotelsresorts.com/package/ family-discoveries-bangkok.

X2 River Kwai Resort: Good deal for couples, here. Until the end of October, a ‘River Romance’ package offers rates starting at B6,200 per night for a PoolXide Cabin and B7,200 per night for a LuXe Cabin (Mon-Thurs). Package includes two glasses of bubbly upon arrival, daily Champagne breakfast, one romantic river dinner for two and more. Add B1,000 per night for stays between Fri-Sun. ☎ 021 687 533 :x2resorts.com/resorts/river-kwai

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Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui: Available now,

a ‘Bounce Back Spa Package’ offers rates starting at B25,650++ for three-nights in a Deluxe Thai Village. Package highlights include a round-trip transfer from Samui Airport, and a special set of spa treatments. ☎ 077 300 306 :amari.com/palmreef

Indigo Pearl Phuket: Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside: A ‘Ramada 60

Years Anniversary’ deal offers rates at B3,600 per night for a Deluxe room inclusive of breakfast buffet for two, free upgrade to Plaza Suite, Wi-Fi, late check out and B600 F&B credit. Valid until Aug 31. ☎ 02 688 1000 :ramadaplazamenamriverside.com

The Okura Prestige Bangkok: Until Oct 31, the

‘Okura Special Package’ offers rates starting at B6,700++ per night for two. Receive a room upgrade to Deluxe Corner Room when booking a Grand Deluxe Room for two or more consecutive nights (includes a choice of daily international breakfast buffet or Japanese set breakfast). Online booking only. ☎ 02 687 9000 :okurabangkok.com

Until Dec 25, the hotel’s ‘Art of Sleep’ offers a week-long escape (eight days-seven nights) in its Suites for B49,500 for two, inclusive of daily in-suite Chandon breakfast, a daily 30-minute evening massage for two, late check-out at 6pm, round-trip airport transfer, and more. Shorter ‘Art of Sleep’ experiences are also available in two, three, and four nights upon request. ☎ 076 327 006 :indigo-pearl.com

COAST CO PATTAYA

Kok Chang • Wong Amat • Jomtien • Bang Saray • Sattahip • Rayong Holiday Inn’s Havana Bar and Terrazzo offer tempting deals for each day of the week. Page 126.

News & Deals

The Eastern Seaboard’s hottest dining and hotel promotions Page 126

Treat mum

Enjoy a quirky Mother’s Day dining experience at Benihana Pattaya Page 126

Luxury villa

Enjoy celebrity style treatment at Cape Dara’s Top Star Compound Page 128 TheBigChilli 125

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N ews and Deals

Rayong Marriott lays on treats for mums IN celebration of Mother’s Day (Aug 12), Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa is offering two special treats for mums. From Aug 9-11, an international dinner buffet will be served at C-Salt Restaurant for just B899++ per person, and lunch buffet on Aug 12 at B890++ per person. Swing by the Lounge on Mother’s Day, and you’ll also find a special High Tea set on offer for B350++ person (2pm-5pm). ☎038 998 000 :marriott.com/hotels/travel/ bkkrr-rayong-marriott-resort-and-spa

Mother’s Day dining with a twist Seven days of deals at Havana Bar & Terrazzo FOODIES and cocktail fans will find plenty to please them this month at Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Havana Bar & Terrazzo. Its latest promotion, held under the concept of ‘Be Surprised Every Day,’ runs Mon through Sun and offers a different deal on each day. On Mon, signature cocktails are B180 per glass; on Tues, traditional and signature pizzas are B279; on Wed, selected drinks are buy-oneget-one-free for groups of two women or more; on Thurs, selected pasta dishes with a glass of house wine or beer are B450 per person; on Fri, Italian cheese and cold cuts are paired with selected wines for just B890 per person; on Sat, signature Mojitos are B159 per glass; and, on Sun, all diners get a chance to win 50% discount off their bill. ☎038 725 555 :facebook.com/HavanaBar.Pattaya

LOOKING for somewhere different to treat your mum on her special day? Swing by Benihana Pattaya, sit at a Teppanyaki table, and watch in delight as the chefs juggle their utensils with the dexterity of circus clowns. Gimmicky it may be, but it’s also lots of fun, and the charbroiled meats are delicious. Mum eats for free when dining with a group of three or more people. Teppanyaki menu starts at B460. ☎038 412 120 ext. 1395 :benihana-of-tokyo.com

Spa treatments for men WHO said spa treatments and facials are just for girls? Head to Amari Pattaya’s Breeze Spa and you’ll find a wide range of special treatments designed with men in mind. Until the end of the month, a free 30-minute facial treatment is on offer to any man who books a 90 minute massage. B2,400 per person. ☎038 418 418 :breeze-spa.com

Pattaya Property Showcase THE second annual Pattaya Property Show will be held at the Dusit Thani Pattaya on Oct 3-5. Over 55 property developers are expected to showcase their portfolios at the event, giving buyers and investors a great opportunity to learn about the region’s hottest properties, compare locations and negotiate prices. Open from 10am-6pm. Free entry. :pattayapropertyshow.com

Friday feast at Oceana THE best way to kick-start any weekend escape to Pattaya is with a feast, and this is exactly what you’ll find on offer every first and third Friday of the month at Centara Grand Phratamnak’s Oceana restaurant – which serves up a hearty spread of international cuisines, carved prime ribs, international cheeses and homemade desserts. B1,700 per person (add B900 per person for a glass of Prosecco and free-flow selected wines and beers). Available 6.30pm-10pm. ☎038 306 337 :centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/cgpx

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Pa ttay a Wh ere to stay

Top Star Compound at Cape Dara

Resort’s new pool villa offers luxury accommodation at its best EXCLUSIVE villa retreats aren’t just the reserve of A-list celebrities like Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson. Head to the North of Pattaya and you, too, can enjoy your own slice of luxury far from the madding crowds. Located on a private beach and surrounded by lush vegetation, Cape Dara Resort’s brand new Top Star Compound offers one of the most exclusive accommodation experiences in the whole of Pattaya. Just think – your own three storey villa (855sq.m, no less!), each floor decorated in contemporary style with floor-to-ceiling windows offering striking views over Pattaya Bay. A large wooden terrace, with an infinity pool, is the perfect spot for sundowners; a wellmaintained garden with its own fire-pit is primed for hearty barbecues; and, thanks

to its large skylight, the villa’s master bedroom is ideal for stargazing. Adding to the magic of this extraordinary accommodation, which features five bedrooms and can accommodate up to 15 guests, is the superior service – an exclusive private chef and butler are guaranteed with every booking, so this means fabulous breakfasts for every day of your stay, plus a choice of seven themed dinners every night. Afternoon High Tea by the pool is also a real treat. Anyone wishing to leave the comfort of the villa for an hour or two can take advantage of free transportation to and from anywhere within 100km of the resort. Take your own car, and you’ll even receive private valet parking. For more information about rates and reservations, please call 038 933 888. Go on, treat yourself!

256 Dara Beach Soi 20, Pattay-Naklua Rd.

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☎ 038 933 888 :capedarapattaya.com

Downlo our dig ad edition ital for

FREE!

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Just for fun

Entertainment|Jokes

Humour Bon mots from the mouth of a pro. This month: Milton Jones

On work

On life

• If they make it illegal to wear the veil at work, bee keepers are going to be furious. •The pollen count, now that’s a difﬁcult job. Especially if you’ve got hay fever. • Overall, I’d say my career as a photographer has been a bit of a blur. • Easiest job in the world of course: Australian psychiatrist, “Gday Gday how you doing… no worries… next.”

• My uncle was a very cruel man. He knew I lived in a bungalow, yet every year at Christmas, I always got a slinky. • The other day, I lost my doormat. Fortunately, I keep a spare under a giant bunch of keys. • I’ve just ﬁnished my book, The AntiClimax. The ﬁrst part was good… • Have you noticed how all pine forests smell of air-freshener?

On travel

Random thoughts

• Reading between the lines is dangerous if you’re waiting for a train. • Toilets on trains are rubbish, especially the one right at the front. The attendant in there gets so cross. • I’ve certainly tried to pull out all the stops today – so apologies if you’ve been hit by a bus. • Recently on a ﬂight to America, all the way across my wife was going, ‘Why don’t you get an upgrade, why don’t you get an upgrade?’ It took a bit of time, but in the end I got a better wife.

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• I was mugged by a man on crutches, wearing camouflage. Ha ha, I thought, you can hide but you can’t run. • Old ladies in wheelchairs with blankets over their legs, I don’t think so…retired “mermaids.” • I don’t know if you’ve ever fallen asleep whilst eating a plate of cauliflower, and then woken up, and thought you were in the clouds. • I’ve been diagnosed with attention deficit di… look at those lights.