AsiaLIFE Thailand 3

St. Andrews International School Sathorn Sukhumvit 107 Green Valle

11 2012

Issue 3

26 front

www.asialife.asia

06 News & Events 16 Dispatches

food

17 Street Smart: Soi Chan 18/7 20 Q&A with Dave Bell 22 Photo Essay: Hua Lamphong

on the cover

26 Going Underground

storyboard

32 Freedom to Walk

46 Blind Drunk Challenge 48 Oji 49 A Taste of New Orleans

style & design

50 Surreal Art in a Bag

back

56 The List

54 Connoisseur: Tequila 78 Spotlight 85 The Two Of Us

34 New Age Urban Sports

86 Pub Quiz

36 Cultured Dance 38 Riding the Crime Wave

getaways

40 Destination Honk Kong 42 A Day in the Life of Marunouchi 44 Fit for a King

44

50

Cover Art Direction Johnny Murphy Photography Nick McGrath Model P7even

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note from the editor Oh From specialising in robotics to becoming director of this lifestyle magazine, Oh has never shirked a challenge. After gaining her master’s in mechanical engineering from Masachusetts, she worked for four years in Boston before returning to Bangkok to be a corporate consultant. A stint in Cambodia, where she developed inter alia an ice cream parlour, introduced Oh to AsiaLIFE. She loved it so much she just had to buy it, becoming a partner in the group and eyeing its development throughout ASEAN.

Mark Bibby Jackson One of the great things about this city people often take for granted is that you can actually walk around it. In the other regional cities I've worked at – HCMC, Phnom Penh, Hanoi – the pavements are lined with stalls and vehicles that bar the progress of any but the hardiest traveller.

So this month AsiaLIFE has decided to take to the streets of Bangkok. Don't worry, we will not be establishing our own roadside stall on Sukhumvit selling all sorts of nefarious goods, which I admit has driven me on numerous occasions to take to the street – by foot. Instead we talk to the people who are painting the city red, and all the other colours under the rainbow.

When you see paintings on derelict walls, what do you perceive – art or vandalism?

In our cover story, Yvonne Liang talks to the street artists, DJs and dancers who are giving this town a distinctly urban edge. You may not agree with what they have to say, but there again they do represent the voice of the next generation, don't they?

Keeping with the urban vibe, Yvonne also talks to the people who have brought parkour to Bangkok. Parkour is where stuntmen and women go leaping across rooftops and over railings in movies. It's part of her article on alternative ways to keep fit other than just walking on the treadmill.

Which neatly brings us to Yvonne’s third article this month – I drive her hard – about two women, Tanny Chientong and Ali Weiner who will walk from Bangkok to Myanmar to highlight the issue of trafficking around the world as well as raise money for charities such as the Dream Project Foundation.

This month also sees one of the capital’s major music events, the Culture One Festival. We profile it including giving a run down of what you can find on the various stages.

We also talk to Tom Vater, the man who is spreading crime fiction across the region.

All this plus trips to Tokyo and Hong Kong, a photo essay on Hua Lamphong station and a Q&A with Dave Bell of Charley Brown's and I’m sure you’ll agree this is a bumper edition.

As always, if there is anything you would like to share with us, please email me at: mark@asialife.asia.

Follow AsiaLIFE on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/asialifemedia.

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Group Editor-in-Chief / Director Cambodia: Mark Bibby Jackson mark@asialife.asia

Director Thailand: Nattamon Limthanachai (Oh) oh@asialife.asia

Associate Editor Thailand: Yvonne Liang

Regional Creative Director: Johnny Murphy johnny@asialife.asia

Sales Thailand: Radhika Vitthayagovit (Rina) rina@asialife.asia

Photo Editor Thailand: Nick McGrath nick@asialife.asia

Linny Vo (Linny) linny@asialife.asia For advertising and marketing enquiries please contact: 087 933 1112 or 08 9200 9404

AsiaLIFE Group Group Director Sales & Marketing / Director Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia Managing Editor Vietnam: Chris Mueller Sales Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia

Managing Editor Cambodia: Ellie Dyer Art Director Cambodia: Steve Tierney Sales Cambodia: Sorn Chantha Chantha@asialife.asia

Next time you're in Cambodia or Vietnam, check out the latest issue of AsiaLIFE or download it from www.asialife.asia

NEWS ThaiCraft Fair

Over 60 craft groups from villages nationwide will participate in the ThaiCraft Fair at the International School Bangkok's elementary school on Nov. 10 from 9.30am to 3pm, and subsequently at the Church of Christ in Thailand building on Nov. 17 from 10am to 3pm. For more information, visit www.thaicraft.org.

Traces of Thought

Five art teachers from Rajamangala University of Technology, Thanyaburi will tell their personal stories through art at Gallery V64 from Nov. 29 to Dec. 21.

Entitled Traces of Thought, the exhibition features the works of

EVENTS

Pinktober

Komkrit Sawatdirom, Narupon Buranabunyay, Thosaporn Suthum, Sorayut Duangjai and Narakorn Sittites, with the opening night from 6pm to 11.30pm on Nov. 29.

Blithe Spirit

English-speaking men and women of all nationalities (minimum age 18) are invited to audition for the Bangkok Community Theatre’s March 2013 production of the dinner theatre comedy Blithe Spirit.

Directed by Mark Sobels and produced by Anna Khendry and Bonnie Zellerbach, this classic Coward comedy turns misadventure into mayhem and madness. BCT is looking for a cast of five women and two

Hard Rock Café Bangkok and Bangkok Young Professionals joined forces to host the annual Pinktober event, celebrating women and bringing awareness of breast cancer issues.

The event raised over B104,000 for the Queen Sirikit Breast Cancer Foundation. Two cheques for B20,000 were presented to the breast cancer foundation on behalf of Hard Rock Café, Asia Pacific University and Garuda Indonesia. Partygoers also made personal donations through charity auctions.

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Beyond Burma

men. Auditions will take place in the British Club at 1pm on Nov. 11. If you cannot make it then, but are still interested in auditioning, contact Mark Sobels on 080 935 3014 or at msobels@yahoo.com.

Reaching the World

Art exhibition Beyond Burma curated by Shireen Naziree will be shown from Nov. 10 to Dec. 8 at Thavibu Gallery, with an opening reception on Nov. 10 at 5pm. The exhibition will feature new media works of four artists from Myanmar – Phyoe Kyi, Kaung Su, Phyu Mon and Nyein Chan Su, together with paintings by eminent artist San Minn. Themes that run through the artwork relate to the country’s liberation from colonialism.

Thavibu Gallery is open from 11am to 7pm, closed Sundays.

Walkway to the Future

Mark Kent (left), Iain Colledge (right)

St Andrews International School, Sukhumvit 107 campus held its International Day on Oct. 12, celebrating the cosmopolitan nature of the school’s enrolment. UK Ambassador Mark Kent and school principle Iain Colledge cut the ribbon for the new walkway from BTS Bearing to the campus which will make access to the school both convenient and safe. Students dressed up in international costumes, sang songs and sampled the eclectic fare on offer representing cuisine from around the globe.

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Bangkok’s first international festival for writers will be held at Chulalongkorn University (Maha Chakri Sirinhorn Building) from Nov. 5 to 6. The writers’ summit is presented by the 2012 South East Asian Writers Awards, Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Association, and the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. A group of 80 authors, translators, publishers, emerging writers, literary scholars from 20 countries will be present at the two-day summit. A full list of readers and speakers is at: apwriters.org/ asia-pacific-writers-supports-se-a-write-festival. Registration costs B1,600 per person.

Culture ONE

Bangkok's International Outdoor Dance Music Festival Culture ONE 2012 is returning for its fifth Anniversary on Saturday Nov. 17 at Lakeside, Bitec Bangna, Bangkok. Five stages have over 30 artists bringing music from house to trance, electro to dupstep and indie pop to rock. Door opens at 3pm. Tickets (B1,500 to B4,000) are through: www. we-booking.com, True Shop, and Call Center 02 900 9999 Press 4. For more information visit: www.culture-one-bkk. com or www.facebook.com/ CultureONE, tel. 089 497 8422. (For more details of the programme turn to page 47).

Concert Notes

The Bangkok Charity Orchestra conducted by Chulayuth Lochotinan will perform at K Village on Sukhumvit Soi 26 from 4pm on Nov. 3. All proceeds from the B800 cover charge will go to support the

charity Seeing Is Believing.

On Nov. 5, the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Somtow Sucharitkul will perform Mahler’s Symphony No 10 in F sharp minor at the National Theatre from 8pm. Tickets are B1,000 with a 50 percent discount for students and seniors.

D&M Music Studio presents

Simply Barbra

Music lovers can experience the magic of Barbra Streisand and relive the timeless songs of Frank Sinatra in 12 unforgettable shows performed at The Living Room this month.

Created and performed by acclaimed New York cabaret artist, Steven Brinberg, Simply Barbra is a loving spoof of a living legend, that has even received praise from Ms. Streisand herself. It will be staged from Nov. 15 to 18 and Nov. 22 to 25, followed by Simply Barbra & Frank from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. Show (B1,700) and show plus dinner packages (B3,300 to B3,500) are available for both events with the dinner starting at 6.30pm and the show at 8.30pm. For reservations, call: 02 649 8353 or email: dining.sgs@ luxurycollection.com.

three concerts this month.

The first is a flute and piano recital by Linda Chatterton and Matthew McCright on Nov. 21.

This is followed by a two-piano recital by Tetsu Mashiko and Masaki Nishihara on Nov. 24.

And finally The Hirsch-Pinkas Piano Duo will perform a recital on Nov. 25. All concerts are at the Siam Ratchada Music Auditorium Fortune, starting

at 7.30pm. Tickets cost B500 (B250 students). This month’s Young Musicians - Old Masters Series concert will be on Nov. 28 from 7pm at the Goethe Institute Auditorium. Tickets cost B100 (B50 students).

Rogue Beer

Importer, distributor, and curator of craft beers, Beervana, held its inaugural

event – the Rogue Thailand Release at BREW Beers & Ciders, Seenspace @ Thonglor 13. The event featured free craft beer flights of Rogue’s entire Thailand collection.

Many more samplings from the world of craft beer are in the works, so look out for Beervana’s starting lineup, including brews from Rogue and Andersen Valley breweries

Sunset Sundays

– two of America’s leading craft brewers. For more information, contact Beervana, at sip@ seekbeervana.com or call 02 108 0387. (Turn to page 46 for our blind tasting of the beers).

Thai Select Premium

Siam Kempinski’s Sra Bua Restaurant by Kiin Kiin recently won the Thai Select Award in the category of Thai Select Premium from the Thai Government. Andreas Herzig, the hotel’s director of food and beverage, received the award from Boonsong Teriyapirom, Minister of Commerce. According to the Siam Kempinski Hotel, this year was the first time the Thai Government gave the Thai Select award to Thai restaurants within Thailand.

Watercolour Workshop

The St. Regis Bangkok is reintroducing Sunsets Sundays every last Sunday of the month from 5pm to 9pm at The Pool Bar on Level 15. Unwind to the sounds of DJ Coran and live music with exclusive drink offers, while taking in some of the city’s most spectacular sunset vistas. Entrance (with two cocktails) is B480 net. For more information or to make a reservation, call: 02 207 7700 or email: fb.bangkok@stregis.com.

Louise Truslow will hold a oneday workshop in watercolours at the British Club on Nov. 16. Suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh their skills, the workshop costs B2,400 including lunch and refreshments. For more information, email: louise@ louisetruslow.com.

Kraak Porcelain

The Siam Society will host a lecture by Maura Rinaldi entitled Kraak Porcelain: An Item of

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Pavée Amour

Trade on Nov. 20 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are B200, but the lecture is free for members and students. Siam Society, Sukhumvit Soi 21.

International Dance Festival

Presented by the friends-ofthe-Arts foundation Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the twelfth annual International Dance Festival will take place from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1. For a detailed schedule, visit Friendsof-the-arts.info/.

At the FCCT

Following the successful launch of Amour collection designed

by ShuQi, Frédérique Constant takes a glamorous twist in 2012 for its Pavée Amour collection, available in limited editions of 888 pieces. The new models have a pavé set of diamonds in the centre and mother of pearl outer ring finishing.

For more information, call 02 255 6648-9, 081 999 7799, or visit: frederique-constant.com.

Roma Amor

The highlight of this month’s talks at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) is renowned British writer, journalist and broadcaster, Simon Winchester, who will deliver a full-length set-piece talk on ‘The Role of Kindness, Luck and Good Fortune in the Making of a Writing Career’ on Nov. 12 at 8pm (B300 for non-members).

Also, featured this month are a screening of Mindfulness and Murder by director Tom Waller on Nov. 6 at 8pm; an evening with Chalerm Yubamrung Deputy Prime Minister & General Paradon Pattanathabutr Secretary General of the National Security Council on Nov. 7 at 8pm; the Asian premiere of the movie Montauk Chronicles with a Q&A on Nov. 8 at 6.30pm; and an evening with Amitav Ghosh on Nov. 22 at 8pm. For more information, call the FCCT at: 02 652 0580-1, or email: info@ fccthai.com.

Khmer Wings A photography exhibition by renowned Italian fashion photographer Mino La Franca will be exhibited at La Lanta Fine Art from Nov. 3 to 30. In the exhibition, La Franca presents social photographic artwork as a protest to the cultural crisis in Italy during the past 20 years. An artist reception will be held on Nov. 3 from 5pm to 7pm. Call 02 204 0583 or 02 260 5381 for more information. Open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 7pm.

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Bed Supperclub presents an exhibition and live performance painting by two of Cambodia’s most prolific urban street artists, Peap Tarr and Lisa Mam, on Nov. 24 from 7pm to 8.30pm. The duo mash-up a combination of Khmer and contemporary art creating a truly eclectic style with a rich

palette of images and colours.

Experience their art up close and personal, created live in Bed Supperclub’s White Room while enjoying a three-course dinner (B1,200 net) or a fourcourse dinner (B1,650 net).

Artwork will be displayed at Bed Supperclub through to Dec. 8. (For more about Peap and Lisa, see The Two of Us – page 85).

Safe Place in the Future?

An art exhibit curated by Somsuda Piamsumrit and Worathep Akkabootara, featuring the works of 12 local and international artists will run at The Jim Thompson Art Centre from Nov. 22 to Mar. 3, 2013. Entitled Safe Place in the Future?, the exhibition reflects the artists concerns about the dangers humans face in the world today through sculpture, interactive media, documentary films and photography.

The Beginning or The End

ATTA Gallery presents a group exhibition The Beginning or The End by international artists from Nov. 21 to Jan. 5, 2013 with an opening reception on Nov. 21 from 6.30 to 8.30. The gallery will also take this opportunity to celebrate its second anniversary and the official launch of its new exhibition space. For more information visit: attagallery.com.

Ploenchit Fair

This year’s 55th Ploenchit Fair will be held on Nov. 24 at the Bangkok Pattana International School from 10am to 9pm.

Organised annually by the British Community in Thailand Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN), the fair supports a range of diverse charity projects in all regions of Thailand, promoting self-sufficiency and improving the lives of the needy.

Fun, family friendly activities include a Ferris wheel, carousel,

New Chef at Meridien

Transpo’s giant wave slide and a bungy. Bumrungrad’s Father Christmas will be paying an early visit to the fair for the kids, while adults can enjoy over 60 shopping outlets at Petticoat Lane with charity stalls selling clothes, gifts and cosmetic products, as well as an array of international cuisine. For more information, visit: www. ploenchitfair.org.

Niu’s Jazz Fizz Festival

Le Méridien Bangkok announced the appointment of Chef Attapol Naito Thangthong as its new executive chef. With many years of culinary experience with international five-star hotels in Egypt and restaurants in Australia, Attapol has as insight into different cooking cultures. Following his return to Thailand he worked at numerous five-star hotels including Sheraton Pattaya Resort & Spa.

Niu’s on Silom will be celebrating its fifth anniversary with nine days of jazz from Dec. 7 to 15. The festival kicks off with the Joseph Marchione Quartet playing covers and originals by the US saxophone ace and concludes nine days later with a scintillating party

vibe and jam by Niu’s jazz family, featuring Dan Phillips, Mauro Monti, Rustem Galiullin, Hong Techatananan, Oh Viriyapark, Pisut Prateepasana and a host of others.

In between, vocalist Rydsma, ex-Dizzy Gillespie guitarist Jerry Byrd, the Silpakorn Jazz Acapella, Keith Nolan’s Love Gone Wrong and Lookpad will play a mix of Latin, blues and traditional jazz all accompanied by chef Marco Cammarata’s great food. Dec. 13 sees perhaps the culinary highlight of the festival with Cammarata presenting a five-course wine dinner consisting of a degustation menu paired with classic wines for B2,500 net.

For more information, visit: www.niusonsilom.com.

A Woman's Dream of the Night Sky

A solo exhibition of cast acrylic collage prints by Lisa Moses entitled, A Woman’s Dream of the Night Sky, will be on display at the Garden Gallery, Neilson Hays Library from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2, with the opening reception on Nov. 3 from 6pm to 8.30pm. Curated by Jaffee Yee, part of the proceeds go to The SOLD Project, whose mission is to prevent child prostitution. For more information, please contact Jaffee Yee at: 081 922 9063 or email: jaffeeyee@gmail.com.

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Phnom Penh & HCMC News Download the current issue of AsiaLIFE HCMC and AsiaLIFE Cambodia online at: www.asialife.asia.

Paris and HCMC

Zan Doan left Vietnam when he was 14 years old. He spent the next 20 years near Paris, and when he came back to Ho Chi Minh City in 2007, he discovered a metamorphosed city, vibrant with noise and light. His experience as a painter enabled him to see the city under a new guise. He is particularly concerned with the idea of space. He plays with this concept in the composition of his paintings, where we can see frantic crowds of people and motorbikes juxtaposed with calm space. See them for yourself in his solo exhibit Ho Chi Minh City and Paris at VinGallery, 4 Le Van Mien, Thao Dien, D2, with an opening on Nov. 24 from 6pm to 9pm.

Record-Breaking Dance Popular Cambodian television show Loy9 has received official certification that a huge

synchronised dance event, which provided its series one finale, has set a new world record.

The event saw hundreds of Loy9 fans participate in the linedance known as The Madison.

It was declared a world record by officials at Guinness World Records. The 929 participants danced for a full five minutes, more than doubling the number of the last attempt.

Nobel Visit

Prof. Harald zur Hausen, the 2008 Nobel Laureate for Medicine, will visit Ho Chi Minh City as a keynote speaker in the fourth ASEAN event series ‘Bridges-Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace’. His talk, facilitated by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation, is themed ‘Cancer prevention as a challenge for global health’ and will take place at 2pm on Nov. 28 at the Vietnam National University. Professor zur Hausen

is the second Nobel Laureate visiting Vietnam this month, after Prof. Roger B. Myerson’s address on ‘Leadership, democracy and local government’ in Hanoi. For more on the free Bridges events, visit: Peace-foundation.net.

Late-night Motown

A new upstairs bar Artisan Cocktails opened opposite Ho Chi Minh City’s Sheraton Hotel with smoked glass, Motown, 70s beats and an electric terrace.

Besides blues, enjoy soul, funk, and disco every Saturday from 11pm till very late. Daily happy hour from 6pm to 9pm means 50 percent off cocktails and 30 percent off champagne, wine, spirits and appetisers. Open daily 6pm to 3am, with later closings Thursday to Saturday. 59 Dong Du, D1, HCMC.

Dutch Classical Concert Jan Stulen will lead an evening of world-class music at Ho Chi Minh City’s Opera House on Nov. 27 at 8pm. Together with the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, the conductor will perform works

by Brahms, Schubert and Bizet.

Stulen is in Vietnam to teach a series of conductor master classes to the winners of 'So You Want to be a Conductor'. He also will present a workshop for business professionals on Nov. 23, using music as a metaphor.

The concert with the theme ‘Nurturing the music talent of tomorrow’ is organised by the Dutch consulate and Dutch Business Association Vietnam, with sponsorship from Bai Tram Hideaway Resort. For inquiries, email: info@dbav.org.vn.

Cancer Run

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is holding its sixteenth Terry Fox Run on Nov. 25 to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Last year, 12,300 people joined in. To register, visit: canchamvietnam. org.

A New Shakespeare

Saigon Players say they’re not spoofing Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream with their latest original production, Miss Summer's Night Cream. In

Cambodia Mourns King Father

Photo by Yoki Coco

The Kingdom of Cambodia joined together last month to mark the passing of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died in Beijing aged 89. Hundreds of thousands of Cambodians lined the streets as his remains were returned to Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace from China on Oct. 17. A national week of mourning was declared, with a funeral set to take place around three months after his death. Leaders from Vietnam, Thailand and Laos were among those who travelled to Phnom Penh to pay their respects to the former king.

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it, Shakespeare's favourite fairy, Puck, is up to his wings in trouble while trying to protect his beloved King Oberon. Everyone wants to have a happy Christmas in the magical fairy forest, but can Puck overcome all the obstacles? The antics, audience participation and fun on stage will amuse children four and up, while the adults can enjoy the verbal humour.

Performances begin at 5.30pm Nov. 24 to 25 and Dec. 1 to 2 at Snap Cafe, 32 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien, D2. Tickets are from saigonplayers@gmail.com.

Youth Flea Market

The first Saturday of each month, a youth flea market opens at 4 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3, HCMC from 1pm to 10pm. Friends hang out, buy clothes, share food, and enjoy entertainment at the free market, organised by the Youth Culture House.

Christmas Fair

Prepare for the festive season by attending the Women’s International Group’s annual Christmas fair on Dec. 9 from 10am to 5pm. A total of 70 vendors will sell a variety of handicrafts, jewellery and other potential prizes at the InterContinental Hotel in Phnom Penh. Children’s entertainment will also be provided, with games, clowns and an opportunity to visit Father Christmas. Admission

costs $3 and is free for under12s. Proceeds from the day will go towards projects that support vulnerable women and children in the Kingdom.

Gangnam Style From Seoul to Eton, K-Pop’s breakout tune creates a global dance craze

Charity Ball

The twenty-second Annual Saigon St. Andrew's Charity Ball will be held at the Park Hyatt Saigon on Nov. 17. Traditional Scottish band Face the West will perform, as will Merlion Pipes & Drums from Singapore. Tickets ($145) include a five-course gourmet meal, unlimited drinks, and a night of dancing and the traditional haggis ceremony.

A Clear Pulse

A Clear Pulse, a photography exhibition by Ayako Kimura, will be held at Phnom Penh’s Craft Peace Café on Street 392 from Nov. 17 to Jan. 13. Kimura’s images capture ordinary objects and moments in everyday life to explore ideas of familiarity, revealing unseen elements. The Japan-born photographer feels that amid the rapid development of the capital “there is a loss of the ordinary beauty and moments which I am attempting to capture in my photographs.”

An opening event will be held from 2pm to 5pm on Nov. 17.

The gallery is open from 9am to 6pm, but closes on Mondays.

For more information visit ayakography.com.

Cuban Mobility As Havana relaxes exit visa requirements, will more and more Cubans say hasta la vista to the island?

Taliban Outrage Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai shot in the head by extremists for advocating female education

King Father Love Following Norodom Sihanouk’s passing, Cambodians commemorate his life en masse

The Voice Does the popularity of the Thai TV show programme indicate an explosion in local musical talent?

GOING UP GOING DOWN Jimmy Savile

More Budget Flights

Icon of British children’s television embroiled in abuse claims following his death

Spanish Football Are the Spaniards losing their dominance? France denies The Red Furies a World Cup qualifier win

Newsweek Print Edition The digital domain vanquishes another, as US-based news outlet opts for online-only format

Low-cost carrier VietJetAir last month added a fourth airplane to its fleet and launched a route linking Ho Chi Minh City with Hai Phong with one round trip daily. At the launch ceremony in Hai Phong, Vietnam’s Transport Minister Dinh La Thang thanked VietJetAir for “contributing to the development of the economy and tourism in this northern city” for the Year of National Tourism. The airline also will start flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hue on Nov. 22; Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh on Nov. 15; Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc on Dec. 20; and Hanoi to Dalat on Dec. 7, for a total of nine domestic routes by the end of 2012.

Lance Armstrong Livestrong or Livewrong? Allegations of doping mar the seven time Tour de France winner

Drink Driving The recent arrest of celebrity drink drivers could signify that Thai authorities are taking this social problem seriously

asialife Thailand 11

OPENINGS Wine Connection Deli

Opened towards the end of September, the latest in the Wine Connection dining franchises is similar to the K Village branch, just without the steaks. The Deli focuses on pizzas, pasta, salads and deserts, with lots of cold platters including mix and match options – choose yourself and pay per 100g. Naturally there is also the chain’s trademark well-priced wines on display as well. Designed for expats and locals who live in the area, the Deli offers set breakfast for B190 as well as a la carte options.

Wine Connection Deli Mille

MONLADA

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Malle, Unit 101-2 G/F Mille Malle Project, 66/4 Sukumvit Soi 20, Tel: 02 663 4517.

Open from 8am to midnight.

Lounge Panorama 4, 4/5 Rajadamri Road, Pathumwan, Tel: 02 100 9898. Open Monday to Sunday from 5pm to 1am.

Making Zense

Vintage Style with a Twist

The recently re-launched Zense features international cuisine by five restaurateurs – Thai food from White Café, Italian from Gianni, Japanese fusion from Kikusui, contemporary fusion from To Die For, Indian from Red and desserts from Zense Patisserie. Several events such as its grand opening and the official after party of ELLE Fashion Week have already taken place here.

Zense Gourmet Deck &

Local socialite and fashion designer, Monlada Pongpanit, recently opened her second MONLADA store at Zen, Central World. Her clothes capture a vintage style with a modern, feminine twist. She also has a range of menswear, eveningwear and swimwear.

The first MONLADA store is at Seen Space, Thonglor 13.

MONLADA G/F, Zen Department Store, Central World 4,

El Osito

4/5 Rajadamri Road, Tel: 08 7015 5555.

Small Bear

The sister restaurant to Mexican diner, La Monita Taqueria, next door shares a similar dining concept. Translating as “small bear”, this two-storey Spanish restaurant serves pizza, made to order sandwiches and, of course, tapas. Dishes include a Reuben sandwich packed with homemade corn beef, Basque pintxos of shrimp in light aioli topped with anchovies, and tortilla Española con chorizo. A selection of Spanish wines is also available.

El Osito, 23-24 Mahatun

Plaza, Ploenchit Rd., Tel: 02 650 9581. Open from 11.30am to 11pm, closed Sundays.

More Crêpe

Claiming to serve home-style French crepes and galettes for lunch or dinner, Breizh has a wide range of both savoury and sweet crêpes including a délice crêpe with hazelnut ice cream, pineapple and homemade salted butter caramel sauce, and an ocean galette with fresh red tuna, garlic cream, tomatoes and onions.

Daily specials feature dishes such as wild pig rosemary herb with mashed pumpkin and black pepper sauce (B169).

Breizh Crepes, Thanya Shopping Park, Bldg. B, 2/F, 735/2 Srinakharin Rd., Tel: 02 108 6090. Open from 10am to 10pm.

A Bit of Kitche

Offering Italian cuisine at affordable prices, Kitche is one of Bangkok’s newest casual dining outlets. Dishes include baked aubergine with bacon and ham (B130), grilled white snapper with barley risotto, mushrooms and vegetable (B210) and pumpkin and feta salad with lime dressing (B140). Dine either in the warehouse inspired interior or outside. As for the name?

It’s a bit of a play on kitsch and

Kitche Café & Bar

also a reference to the abbreviation the team used to call their kitchen.

Kitche Café & Bar, Jatujak Green, Kampaengpech 3 Rd., Tel: 085 484 9033.

Shhhhh!

AsiaLIFE cover chef Julien Lavigne and his partners from Oskar’s Bistro have combined to open new Thonglor bar and restaurant, Gossip. The two-floor venue has a huge projector playing vintage movies onto the building. Expect international food abd cocktails created by mixologist Karol Ansaldi formerly of St. Regis’ Zuma.

Gossip, Thonglor Soi 15, Tel: 02 185 3093.

Bangkok Gets BASHed

An after-hours night club that aims to change the party scene in this city, be prepared to experience something that Bangkok has never felt before, with a glass steel retro NYC lift to take you up to the VIP seating on each floor for bottle service, a balcony-style (V.I.P. mezzanine) on the second floor overlooking the dance floor and DJ booth below. Facilities include five full bars, two dance floor areas, and two LED DJ booths that will control high-tech sound and lighting systems.

Julien Lavigne

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BASH, 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (next to The Australian Pub & BBQ).

Well Well

Despite its confusing name, wine bistro Wine We Well promises some great food such as lobster bisque with half a Boston lobster (B790) and duck confit (B390), alongside a selection of fine French wines (B950 to B16,000 per bottle). Wine by the glass (B180) is also available. If you just can’t make up your mind, try the Gourmet Fever with foie gras, l'escargot, prawns, mussels and frogs' legs (B850).

Wine We Well, G/F, Zone A, Crystal Design Center, 1420/1 Praditmanutham Rd., Tel: 080 205 1111.

Having a JAM

This newly opened cafe/bar/ gallery serving coffee and international food is designed as a casual place for people to exchange ideas or just hang out. The owners hope JAM will serve as a focus for people who want a tasteful urban refuge. The bar also serves cocktails.

JAM, 41 Charoenrat Soi 1, Sathorn, Tel: 083 545 1833, 02 673 9009. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 11.45pm.

Hola

Another Spanish tapas and wine restaurant opens in Bangkok – this time in Thonglor. The menu includes classics such as a Mediterranean salad, seafood paella and traditional Spanish desserts including homemade chocolate truffles.

Hola, G/F Eight Thonglor, Thonglor Soi 8, Tel: 02 713 8387.

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JAM Hola

Cambodia

Thailand

V ietnam

Crossing borders

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dispatches

Travel news from around the region and beyond

Early Christmas in Laos From October to December, stay at Villa Maly in Luang Prabang and experience Kamu Lodge at half price. In the heart of the still preserved city, Villa Maly bills itself as a residence, oasis and destination unto itself. Once the home of Lao royalty, today Villa Maly is a boutique hotel of tropical flora and rooms of subdued elegance that evoke yesterday’s aristocrats. Hike up Mt Phou Si for a view of the Mekong River, royal palaces, wooden houses, and Buddhist wats with saffron-robed monks. Book at Villa-maly.com or julien@appleasia.com.

A Complete Spa Six Senses Ninh Van Bay announced its Six Senses Spa is the first in Vietnam to launch a full professional and retail range of intraceuticals oxygen treatments, oxygen detoxification wellness programmes and beauty and wellness spa holidays, which come with oxygen infusion and inhalation therapies. Intraceuticals focus on facials, while the infusion of oxygen and vitamin enriched serums from botanical extracts maximises skin regeneration and moisture leaving the skin noticeably firmer and glowing with a visible lift. Visit Sixsenses.com for more about the Nha Trang resort.

Angkor Bike Ride and Marathon Thousands of bikers and runners will descend upon Siem Reap over the weekend of Dec. 1 and 2. Organised by Village Focus International & Terre des Hommes, the seventh annual Angkor Wat Bike Race and Ride will take place on Dec. 1 with proceeds going towards the fight against human trafficking and other forms of child exploitation in Cambodia. The following day the seventeenth Angkor Wat International Half-Marathon will take place, alongside a 10km run and family fun run. Both events will circuit the site of the UNESCO world heritage site. For more information about either event or to register, visit: http://www.villagefocus.org/bike/ or: http://www. angkormarathon.org/.

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Street Smart:

Soi Chan 18/7 Sometimes residential neighbourhoods have the best hidden gems when it comes to places to shop and eat. The district of Sathorn is best known for being the financial hub of Bangkok, but somewhere behind all the skyscrapers is Thanon Chan, which looks like a Chinatown copycat filled with food stalls and street side shopping. Yvonne Liang takes you on a tour of Soi Chan 18/7 (a.k.a.

Soi St. Louis 3). Photos by Nick McGrath.

Ochaya Tea Shop Soi Chan 18/7 Right as you turn into Soi Chan 18/7 you’ll see Ochaya tea shop on the left-hand side. A small café, most patrons come for take-away since it can only sit about six to eight people.

Drinks include taro flavoured milk tea (B40) with tapioca pearls (B45), honey lemon red tea (B35), and yoghurt strawberry green tea (B40). The shop

also serves both sweet and savoury waffles under a brand called Egg-E-Egg-Egg Waffle Hong Kong. It’s pretty tempting to have one since the whole shop smells like waffles, and how can you say no-o-no to a name like that? Open from 7am to 9pm.

Smart Form Office Furniture 10/3-4 Soi Chan 18/7 Across the street from Ochaya

is a very local furniture shop.

A far cry from the mega household store Ikea, this family version might hold you over if you’re looking for a few things for your home. Although the sign says office furniture, you can find a lot of household fixtures here. We found items such as a dresser (B4,500) for the bedroom, bedding (B490), ironing board (B280), mini-ironing board (140) and standing asialife Thailand 17

fan (B390). Take advantage of the fact that you’re shopping in a local Thai neighbourhood and negotiate a bargain just because you can. Open from 10am to 10pm.

Pin & Needle 10/6 Soi Chan 18/7 Next door to Smart Form is a toy shop called Pin & Needle.

We couldn’t find the store sign either, but you can’t miss the mountain of multi-coloured tricycles and baby strollers out front. Catering to babies and toddlers under six, this is the Thai version of Toys ‘R’ Us. Everything is wrapped in plastic, if you poke it you buy it? Prices seemed quite reasonable with toys such as the balloon racer at 18 asialife Thailand

only B20. Inside we also found some gift baskets ideal for a baby shower. Open from 10am to 10pm.

Pet Fish Shop 10/7-24 Soi Chan 18/7 To the left of Pin & Needle toys is a rather dingy looking pet store – fish only. The fish tanks are a bit murky so your purchase might be more of a rescue mission – think ‘Free Willy’. You won’t find anything close to a killer whale here, but you can certainly build a decent fish tank for your home.

In one corner you’ll find bugeyed goldfish (B20) and some cool-looking Siamese fighting fish (B20). There are also three types of water plants (B10)

available to complete your home aquarium. Open 10am to 10.30pm.

Seafood Street Stall Corner of Soi Chan 18/7 Section 4 Further into the street you’ll come across a local street food stall with a sign that’s completely in Thai – look for the number “59”. The direct translation is “Baked prawns with glass noodle for 59 baht”.

They also have sautéed crab meat, clams and mussels. Street food is taken to another level at this seafood spot that takes up an entire corner of the pavement and more. It’s more a restaurant with no roof. Don’t worry if you can’t speak Thai, just point at the options available in front

of the stove. These pros know what they’re doing. With ten pots cooking at the same time business here must be good.

Open from 4.30pm to late.

20 Baht Store 106 Soi Chan 18/7 Continue another 100m and you’ll see the 20 Baht Store marked by a pile of colourful plastic goods on the doorstep.

The sign claims that everything is B20. We found a dustpan for B25, but we’re not complaining.

It’s always fun to see what’s worth B20 like earphones decorated with strawberries and lady bugs. We were a bit sceptical of the Double D batteries and the kitchen knife set. But the teddy bear lounge chair made for

mobile phones seemed harmless and kind of cute. Open 9am to 9pm.

S+L Restaurant 33/4 Soi Chan 18/7 Section 5 Cross to the other side of the street to find S+L Restaurant.

This eatery has been around for nearly 30 years, serving up some of the best Thai cuisine in town.

S+L is one of those restaurants where the owner is there all the time to chat with you and make sure everything’s alright. It’s got that home cooked taste we all crave for. Some local favourites are the spicy coconut milk with chicken ‘tom kagai’ (B95), fried meat with glass noodles ‘pad jab chai hai lam’ (B95) and green curry with chicken ‘gang kaew

wan gai’ (B95). Open 11am to 9.30pm.

Bangkok Grill 105 Soi Chan 18/7 Hop on back to the right-hand side of the street where you’ll find BKK Grill. This popular steak joint has been expanding ever since it opened. Locals come here for western fare such as steak, soup, salad and spaghetti – some come with a spicy local flair. Dishes include spaghetti with pork/beef/chicken sauce (B69), BBQ pork spareribs (B149), New Zealand striploin (B239), local striploin steak (B129) and salmon steak (149).

Desserts are also available, but the main attraction is the steak.

Open 11.30am to 11.30pm.

D.Cup Cafe 302 Soi Chan 18/7 Section 22 Further down the street is the newly opened D.Cup café. A charming space with white lace curtains and wooden tables, the Thai owner spent time in Australia so his café has a lot of western influence. Chef’s specials include spaghetti carbonara (B95), fried chicken wings (B65), crispy wonton (B50) and garlic bread (B60).

On some days you may find fresh fruit for sale. Open from 10am to 9pm.

Okashi-Ya 324 Soi Chan 18/7 Continue on into the soi and you’ll see a brightly-lit store called Okashi-Ya. A slice of

Korea and Japan combined it has the same Oreo (B98) cookies and Pocky (B35) sticks that you see at the supermarkets, but with Japanese words on them. Here you can buy souvenirs for your friends without even travelling abroad. Korean food items include ramen (B35), seaweed (B38), and Market O Real Brownie (B150). We recommend the icy smooth Melona ice cream bars (B35) in melon, strawberry, mango and banana flavours.

Open 11am to 9pm, Mondays (6pm to Get directions 9pm). asialife Thailand 19

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Dave Bell

UK expat and manager of Charley Brown’s Mexicana, Dave Bell tells Yvonne Liang how he partnered up with friends to give Bangkok the best of Mexican cuisine. Photo by Nick McGrath.

How did you get into the Bangkok restaurant business?

I owned and ran restaurants in the UK when I was younger. I moved to Thailand in 2002 supposedly for a year but ended up making a life here. Being from an F&B background, I met other people in a similar line of work.

One of my friends was opening a bar and asked me to manage it. To be honest, I wasn't keen on getting back into the late nights and a hectic schedule, but I soon remembered why I loved the business so much – I enjoy meeting people. And where better to meet people than over great food and drinks?

What challenges do you face running a restaurant here?

The first problem is finding ingredients. We try to use local ingredients to replicate an authentic taste as much as possible.

We could import everything, but then we'd be forced to increase prices. Mexican food is delicious, filling and usually inexpensive.

There are some items that we need to import – Australian beef, Haas avocados to name a couple – but that's because the local varieties just aren't up to scratch.

And the perennial problem for all restaurants is finding good staff. I feel particularly blessed – the majority of my staff have been at Charley Brown's for more than five years. They know their roles well and are willing to go the extra mile to make a guest happy. One thing that Bangkok lacks is a catering staff recruitment service or website.

Everyone I know in this line of work has the same problem.

How did you revitalise Charley Brown's Mexicana?

Well, Charley Brown's has always done well. We're 20 years old this year and that's a major achievement. However, at the end of 2009, I sat down with my business partners (Liz and Gordon Ellard of Bangkok Dolphins fame) and discussed ways to give the restaurant a fresh, modern look. Apart from the obvious new interior, we redesigned the menu to include a selection of lighter dishes.

We changed the wine list and added some innovative cocktails. Everyone knows us for the best margaritas in Bangkok, but we also make sangria every day and our Chocolate Martini is fantastic – it comes with a Ferrero Rocher instead of an olive.

But Thailand has so many great attractions and things to do, I'm never bored. I scuba dive in Krabi, surf in Phuket – and now Flow House in Suk 26 – I've skydived in Chonburi and rock climbed in Chiang Mai.

What opportunities has Bangkok offered you?

Bangkok is a village of 15 million people. Everyone seems to know everyone. I have friends from all walks of life. And that means there's always someone able to help or who knows someone who can help. For example, the other week I needed 10 red and white ponchos for a Mexican Independence Day party. I made one phone call and found someone who was more than happy to lend them to me. And of course, I'm ready to return the favour whenever I can.

What are some of your favourite restaurants in Bangkok?

There are so many incredible restaurants it's difficult to know which to choose. I'm worried I'll miss someone off the list and offend them. I was at Antonio's last week which is such a friendly place. I love Le Bouchon for its hidden location and authentic Parisienne atmosphere. Crepes and Co for leisurely brunches. Vanilla at Paragon for lunch and great cakes. Agalico for coffee and peace and quiet. And finally Bed Supperclub for innovative food and drinks and creative floor shows – even after ten years they are still ahead of the pack, I'm just amazed they aren't full every night for dinner.

What is the best part of living/ working in Thailand?

I work pretty much all the time.

I have one day off a week and maybe ten days' holiday a year.

What are your future plans for Charley Brown's?

We've been talking about opening another restaurant for a couple of years now. We've looked at premises in Hua Hin and some other locations in Bangkok, but we haven't really seen one that felt right. And just recently we've been talking about opening a Mexican Delicatessen in conjunction with one of our suppliers. It's still early days yet so we'll see how that pans out.

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Photo Essay:

Hua Lamphong Recommended to check out Hua Lamphong Railway Station, celebrity-entertainment photographer Kristian Dowling spent a few hours over a couple of days documenting the comings, the goings and resting of people at Bangkok's central station.

He found it to be an intriguing place – a central hub for many people passing through Bangkok.

As Dowling normally focuses on celebrities and the entertainment industry, this kind of work allowed

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him total freedom to express himself without any of the restrictions usually imposed in that line of work.

His passion for photography started on the street. Restricting himself to only one fixed lens without a zoom and using manual focus and exposure, Dowling finds that placing restrictions on his gear forces him to concentrate on the experience and achieving pictures that best represent what he is feeling and seeing at the time.

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From Bangkok’s streets to the city’s nightclubs, a mix of street artists, dancers and DJs are bringing a contemporary and distinctly urban scene to Thai youth. Yvonne Liang and Mark Bibby Jackson talk to some leading proponents to discover the opportunities and challenges for the capital’s underground artists, and what the future holds for those showing that there is another way. Photos by Nick McGrath.

asialife Thailand 27

“We have freedom but we always have to be aware of who we are”

H

is face hidden behind a mask, a can of spray paint in his right hand, local street artist p7even sprays onto a clean surface. A vacant lot in central Bangkok, all around him are street paintings by Bangkok’s many urban artists – his own piece is a brown bear. But this is not how he likes to work.

“I always get permission first for my paintings,” he explains. Painting by day means he can provide greater detail to his paintings than under the cloak of night. He has only donned the mask for our photoshoot.

An artist and designer by training, p7even decided to turn to street painting 10 years ago to move his collection “out onto the street”. He has been colouring the streets of Bangkok ever since with relatively little hassle.

“I have not had problems with the police,” he says. “I like to paint during the day so the police can see me. They ask me sometimes what I’m painting and the police have no problem.”

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Although he is constantly trying to experiment with new styles – mixing acrylic, spray paint, markers and pencil – he is still fully aware of the limitations that his culture places upon him.

“We have freedom but we always have to be aware of who we are,” he says. “Paying respect to people, places, and sensitive issues like the religion and royal institutions is very important as this country raises you that way,” he says.

Maybe this is one reason why Thai street art has a distinctly apolitical feel to it, something which p7even attributes to artists being more focused on developing their own style than to make overt political statements.

Still he believes there is more freedom for street artists in Thailand than in many countries in Asia and even in the US or Europe.

“Lots of street artists come to Bangkok because they can work on their art more freely here in public spaces,” he says. Social media sites, such as Facebook, has allowed

artists to share their work on an international scale, often inviting other artists to come to Thailand to “jam” together on a collaborative piece of art.

Art for the People

Street painting is a lot more open than traditional forms of art, where works are generally locked away from the public within galleries or museums. For Chip Seven, this is one of the main attractions of the genre.

“It's for anyone, and everyone who's paying attention to see,” he says. “That's the interesting thing about painting in public.”

Specialising in mixed media urban contemporary street art, he believes that Bangkok is a wonderful place for public art, partially due to Thailand’s healthy tradition of public art in Buddhist pagodas.

“It's young, but growing fast,” he says.

“This country has a long history of artistic elegance as far as murals that tell important stories via wall paintings, and I'm sure that

“It's more important to get a handbag from Siam Paragon than go to an art gallery”

will extend into the future.” Predicting an influx of new faces and talent, he claims to have noticed a significant change in the public’s appreciation of art in Bangkok in recent years.

“I think it’s about the acceptance and wider openness among audiences and consumers,” he says. “You can see that we now have many kinds of art galleries which specially support one kind of art. People are getting to know the different kinds of art that they may be not familiar with.”

Bangkok’s street artists are beginning to get some recognition, both inside Thailand and overseas.

In addition to appearing at several openings and performing live paintings, p7even’s works have featured in exhibitions in Singapore and at the Underground Pub and Gallery in Cologne, Germany. However, it was the pieces he had commissioned by the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre that gave him most pleasure.

“It was a dream, but something I never thought would happen,” he says of the phone call he received asking if he would like to contribute two pieces to the new gallery.

Local visual artist, radio DJ and drag performer Pan Pan Narkprasert agrees there are relatively few restrictions placed upon artists in Thailand, but he feels that, like just about everywhere else in the world, they are driven by financial necessity.

“Artists who are amazing sometimes don’t sell,” he says. Art is driven by the same rules of supply and demand as other elements of the economy. “Where there is more demand there is more art in general. There is less demand for it here.”

For him, the problem stems from a basic lack of appreciation of art by the public.

“It's more important to get a handbag from Siam Paragon than go to an art gallery,” he says. “In Thailand we are more consumers than creators.”

You get the sense that his question is

more than rhetorical when he asks, “instead of buying something why not create?”

Dancing in the Streets

As a dancer, Narkprasert is better known by his drag queen name Miss Pangina Heals.

He is often seen performing at nightclubs such as Bed Supperclub, Levels and the new Bash, as well as waacking competitions in Singapore and Malaysia, and the recent Pinktober at Hard Rock.

But it is not just on the stage that he performs.

“You have to live the street in you,” he says. “I practice my dance while walking. It’s like an act of meditation. My mind is constantly thinking about creating art.”

It is only when he is in this creative state that he can truly find himself. “You must really understand the art to understand yourself,” he says.

Like Chip Seven, he feels that Thai society is still evolving in its appreciation of asialife Thailand 29

“The dance becomes soulless, empty, like aerobics” underground dance forms such as waacking – where dancers flail their arms around and then hold a pose.

“I do feel the world around me is changing because I can go out in public wearing a white Afro,” he says.

Whether this greater acceptance of underground dance – and fashion – has led to an improvement in quality is a moot point.

Hip Hop dancer Kitty K. Maryteres, better known as Sign from the D MANIAC crew certainly believes so.

“Over the past four years new generations of dancers and dance crews have improved the quality of dance in Thailand,” she says.

“I see more international styles of dance in Thailand. Some local dance crews are also joining international competitions to bring Thailand to the world stage.”

But has this improvement come at a cost?

“Overall, people have really lost the idea of soul – it’s all about a fad, about what’s 30 asialife Thailand

popular,” says Narkprasert. “In dance, they don’t get into the core meaning of the music. The dance becomes soulless, empty, like aerobics.”

According to him, the dance of the 70s, 80s and 90s had “soul”. This came from the struggle performers had in order to create.

“Today we have become too comfortable,” he says.

Perhaps this is inevitable in a business that has to reinvent itself every few years.

Even waacking is arguably a re-hash of the Soul Train dancing of the 1970s.

“It’s all a circle,” says Narkprasert. “Once everyone catches on to it, the soulfulness and originality becomes empty again. It becomes the whore of people's needs and over-demands.”

In the meantime he is just happy that his audience – a mix of “drag queen lovers, art lovers, club kids, mutual survivors, people that go through the same struggles, and gays” – should enjoy his work.

“It's the greatest thing in life to make someone feel okay about themselves,” he says. “While the haters are hating I'm creating.”

Maryteres agrees that dance as an artform is well received in Thailand.

“People love to watch something fresh and artistic,” she says. “Art is in everyone’s soul and they will always need it to make them smile and feel fulfilled in their hearts.”

We Need Some Education

Perhaps more than street art and dance, DJing represents the every day conflict between artistic values and commercialism the keenest.

Although DJ Spydamonkee has been spinning decks for 17 years, you won’t find him turning to commercial tracks. Instead he sticks to “mostly old school 90s hip hop, 80s hits, funk beats, dance hall and Thai classic dope tracks”.

He views the current scene as shallow –

“So we DJs have the power, not the crowds”

something he attributes in part to a lack of knowledge about music and in part to the ease of becoming a DJ nowadays. “Almost anyone can claim to be a DJ,” he says.

Echoing Narkprasert’s view of a lack of soul, DJ Spydamonkee says that Thais lack the individuality to choose their own style of music and instead revert to the tried and tested commercial tracks they know will work with their crowd.

“As long as they have a good time it’s good,” he says is the prevailing attitude.

This leads to a lack of choice for the consumer.

“Everywhere plays the same tracks because they think it will make money,” he says. “So, people have no choice to choose their own likes.”

He really isn’t even sure what the current music trend is on the streets of Bangkok.

It’s all confusing and unsubstantial.

“There are so many tiny genres of music now,” he says. “A little bit of this plus that

and DJs suddenly come up with a name for their hype without knowing where it really came from.”

DJ CleoP is more optimistic about the direction Thailand’s music is heading.

“It has been moving at a fast pace and towards a great direction,” she says. “We have more International Artists/DJs coming nowadays which will help the local music scene. In the end it will be us who can either learn from them or remain a spectator in our own country.”

Not that the current situation is without hope, even for a seasoned cynic like DJ Spydamonkee.

“There's some people who keep good sounds, dope tracks going on the under and much love for those heads who appreciate sounds,” he says.

DJ CleoP believes it is for people like her to lead their audience rather than to pander to their wishes.

“It actually comes back to the artists and

DJs,” she says. “We have to educate. We don’t cater to our audience based on what they like to listen to. We have to brand ourselves. So we DJs have the power, not the crowds. Not crowds who request songs.

That’s whack and disrespectful.”

For DJ Spydamonkee, it’s a bit like going back to school. Audiences like “to see what the DJ can do rather than listen to tracks they can sing along to. It’s just like a classroom.”

Back at our wall, the photoshoot over, p7even leaves the scene of his art. Quite how long it will last he does not know.

What with people placing advertising hoardings and the pressure of development inside the city there is an inevitable impermanence to his art. However, so long as there are walls left for him to spray and people willing to let him do it, he will continue to take his work to the street. The reason for this is the simplest of all.

“I love my work,” he says. “I just love it.” asialife Thailand 31

Freedom Walk

Tanny Chiengtong (left), Anthony Kinglsey (middle), Ali Weiner (right)

Kristie Kenney, the US Ambassador to Thailand, and former US Presidential candidate Howard Dean will be among walkers from around the globe trekking to Myanmar to highlight human trafficking this month. Yvonne Liang talks to Freedom to Walk’s co-founders Tanrak ‘Tanny’ Chiengtong and Ali Weiner. Photos by Nick McGrath.

W

hen Chulalongkorn University law graduate Tanrak ‘Tanny’ Chiengtong shared her idea of walking across Thailand to highlight human trafficking issues with her friends, most of them thought she was “nuts”.

It was her friends’ reaction that made Chiengtong realise the walk’s potential to draw attention to significant issues she cared about.

“I have always loved to explore places by walking,” says Chiengtong. “Freedom to Walk came about because I thought that walking across Thailand would be an interesting way to see the country.”

Like Chiengtong, Ali Weiner has a passion for helping those in need. The couple became friends while volunteering in Thailand’s flood relief efforts.

“Human trafficking is the cause that brought me to Thailand,” says Weiner who wrote her senior thesis in Political Science at Yale University on trafficking. “It is also a crime that deprives an individual of their basic right to freedom. By exercising our own freedom of movement, we are hoping to draw attention to the millions of people around the world who cannot exercise theirs.”

Freedom to Walk is a global campaign with people coming from ten countries to walk from Bangkok to Myanmar during Nov. 3 to 18. The aim is to raise

USD$100,000 (B3,000,000) for five beneficiary organisations as well as educating the corps of walkers about human trafficking, allowing them to catalyse direct action in their home communities after the walk.

Both women stress that human trafficking is not just a problem in developing countries, nor is it exclusive to the sex industry as is commonly perceived.

“We’ve selected these beneficiaries to draw attention to the fact that no matter where you live, human trafficking is not a crime that is happening far away – it is happening in every country in the world and across countless industries,” says Chiengtong. “Often, people understand trafficking as a crime that happens only to women, and only for sex. Women (and men and children) are trafficked for sex worldwide, and the crime is an egregious violation of human rights and basic dignity.”

The Freedom to Walk duo selected their five beneficiaries after many months of speaking with respected experts in the field about who was doing crucial, transparent work.

In North America (USA), the Walk will support the Polaris Project. Donations will go towards the National Human Trafficking Resource Centre, a 24/7 hotline that connects survivors of human trafficking.

In Europe, the Walk will help La

Strada International and their network of organisations across eight Eastern European countries who are working to combat trafficking and championing the rights of migrant women.

The Thai beneficiary will be The Dream Project Foundation's DREAM home. This takes care of approximately 40 children in northwest Thailand who are at high risk of, or are survivors of, trafficking for sex and labour.

According to Anthony Kingsley, president of the Dream Project Foundation, the current condition in Myanmar is still bleak despite the many positive signs in the country over the past year.

“As Myanmar will still have a large amount of rural poor wanting to migrate within or leave Myanmar for better prospects, there is high potential for exploitation of this group that are without legal citizenship or awareness of potential risks,” says Kingsley. “Unfortunately, as the border begins to open we’ll most likely see the trafficking problem get worse before it gets better.”

Bangkok-based walker Rishab Krishna Shrestha has decided to join the Walk for all 15 days.

“I'm interested in understanding more about the psychological aspect of those who do human trafficking as well as of the trafficked men, woman and children,” he says. “I want to know more about how both

sides think, and how they solve the problems they face.”

Pan Roque, an undergraduate student in Social Science at Mahidol University will also be walking for all 15 days.

“I think the ability to empathetically understand social issues like this adds urgency to the issue at hand,” she says.

“I hope to be able … to share [my experience] with others in my community, so that the issue of human trafficking gets the attention it deserves in our consciousness.”

Freedom to Walk has also garnered participants from overseas. Haley Cohen from Buenos Aires is a correspondent for the Economist. She will join the walkers for eight days.

“I feel I cannot ignore the terrible predicaments faced by so many people less fortunate and less free than myself,” she says.

“I want to educate myself about the plight of trafficking victims, and help attack the problems surrounding trafficking as best I can.”

Cohen is realistic as to what to expect from the walk.

“A deeper understanding of trafficking and the context surrounding it, an appreciation for the Thai countryside, new friends who share my values,” she says before adding “and lots of blisters.”

For more information about the walk, visit: www.freedomtowalk. org/ asialife Thailand 33

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New Age Urban Sports Bangkok is a city of choices. We all know about the great variety in dining, shopping and nightlife alternatives, but how about working out? Yvonne Liang explores some options you may not have considered before. Photo by Nick McGrath.

You can always sign up for a gym membership or even jog through one of the many parks within the city such as Lumpini or Queen Sirikit. If you live in a condominium, we bet you have access to your own gym and a decent swimming pool at your disposal, but for those looking for something less routine than a work out, there are a plethora of international trends making their way into Bangkok.

Since opening in September of this year, Flow House has been making waves on social media with visitors showing off photos and videos of themselves trying the FlowRider. This machine creates a continuous sheet of gushing water that runs over a curve to stimulate the exhilarating experience of surfing. You no longer have to wait for swells or an ideal surfing environment, but instead you can practice surfing kilometres away from the beach.

“It’s a great aerobic workout, covering all muscles,” claims Dave Bell, a regular patron of Flow House. “But it’s so much more fun and engaging than running on a treadmill for an hour.”

Recommended for those that are within the 13 to 29 age bracket, this new form of urban sport has already proven to be a popular past time for Bangkokians. According to Bell, at weekends the venue becomes awash with birthday parties and young children queuing up for a ride that often sends them flying off their bodyboards or flowboards.

“It’s all good fun and totally safe because the bottom of the sheet wave is like a trampoline so you just bounce off,” he says.

“Of course there will be some scratches and bruises along the way, but as the saying goes, ‘no pain no gain’.”

Originally from France, Parkour free running sport has also found a base here for citydwellers to train in Bangkok’s urban environment, jumping over railings and from tops of buildings.

You’ve probably seen parkour in movies where stuntmen jump over rooftops and traverse urban obstacles such as railings or fire escapes. This urban sport has been gaining credibility and popularity throughout the world. And earlier this year, Parkour Generations Asia landed in Bangkok led by director Stephane Vigroux, who was trained with parkour founder David Belle in his teens.

“The sport trains practitioners to navigate any environment in the swiftest and most fluid way possible,” says Vigroux.

The Parkour Generations Asia main indoor studio is currently at FIT Studio, but classes are also run in the open, keeping with parkour’s urban outdoor origins. Vigroux’s team also teaches children and teenagers at schools such as Bangkok Prep, St. Andrews and Shrewsbury.

Besides being able to impress your friends with the skills of Hollywood stuntmen, there are potential physical and emotional benefits, maintains Vigroux.

“The exercise supports muscle strengthening and improves overall equilibrium and dexterity,” he says. “Parkour can also teach you to gain control of your mind and overcome any mental obstacles you may be faced with.”

It seems like yoga has been around for ages – we’ve all bent backwards for sun salutations thanks to trend-setting celebrities like Madonna – but have you ever practised your

asanas while suspended from the ceiling. Yoga Fly was developed by Patricia Duchaussoy, the founder and owner of the Pilates Station Bangkok.

“Your body is able to release tension from the back and decompress the spine in way that is most beneficial,” says Duchaussoy. The sessions are conducted on a seven-yard long aerial-silk swing, made of a smooth and stretchy material.

A combination of holistic fitness methods such as traditional yoga, pilates, dance and aerial acrobatics, some compare the experience to swinging in a playground and the feeling of actually flying.

“An acrobatic exercise in trust – trusting the instructor to know what they were doing, your own body to be able to carry out the instructions and the hammock-y fabric that hung from the ceiling to not break,” is how Karina Qian described her first Yoga-Fly experience. “But it was super fun, and at times essentially felt like flying. It was also very relaxing to wrap yourself in the fabric at the end like a cocoon, and rest.”

Flow House Bangkok A-Square, Sukhumvit Soi 26, Tel: 02 108 5210, www.flowhousebangkok.com. Open everyday from 10am to 10pm.

Parkour Generations Asia FIT Studio, 884-886 Phloenchit Rd., Mahatun Plaza Emporio Place, 93/305 Sukhumvit 24, Tel: 081 001 2390, www. parkourgenerations.com Yoga-Fly 3/F Ten/Ten Building, 593/2 Sukhumvit Road, Tel; 02 662 3341, www.pilatesstation.co.th asialife Thailand 35

Cultured Dance Now in its fifth year the Culture One Festival continues to champion a different musical message.

Words by Ben Ashby. Photos by Nick McGrath. ...................................................................................................

This month will see the latest installment of what is easily Bangkok's largest dance music festival. Featuring an intriguing line up of international DJs from the fresh and exciting to the semi-legendary, this year’s Culture One Festival will be the biggest yet – stretching over 12 hours. There will be four dance stages covering everything from techno to trance and dub step to deep house.

The line up (see box for more details) is packed with some of the hottest names on the global dance scene from Dutch progressive-trance project Dash Berlin and American trance DJ Sean Tyas to British electro outfit 808 State and Rowetta Stone alongside iconic dancer Bez from the Happy Mondays.

Putting this all together is Nita ‘Amp’ Dickinson and Apichart ‘Tui’ Chaikaew, who are perhaps best known as the people behind the city's leading underground music venues Club Culture, Café Democ and quirky bar Dickinson Café in Phra Athit.

The duo have been pioneers of the local dance scene for over 15 years. Tui founded the iconic Café Democ while Amp started out working at Ministry of Sound during its brief stint in Bangkok at the start of the Millennium.

Kindred spirits they recognised their love of the same styles of music and a potential gap in the local nightlife market.

“We saw that this was a niche market that had room to grow,” says Amp. Ministry of Sound’s closure in 2001 led them to join forces and create Club Astra in nightlife hot spot RCA where they had two years bringing in underground music DJs from around the globe. “Unfortunate-

36 asialife Thailand

ly, the crowds there were just too mainstream to get what we were doing,” recalls Amp. Looking for somewhere new, they stumbled upon a former Thai theatre and restaurant whose traditional décor became the inspiration for the name Club Culture. “The place looked like a temple inside, it really represented what we were trying to do, marrying Eastern culture with Western musical styles,” says Amp. It was with the move to this site that the first Culture One took place in 2007, in a bid to raise awareness of dance music in general and the underground sounds being offered up by Club Culture more specifically.

The first Culture One drew around 1,000 people but the audience of festival goers has steadily grown with over 4,000 punters heading out to BITEC in Bangna in February last year to watch the likes of Faithless and Marco Bailey spin their stuff.

Still it’s not been easy, Club Culture has had to move twice since that inaugural event, first from the temple to a rather derelict looking townhouse near Democracy Monument and most recently to a new, as yet unopened venue, in Silom Plaza.

Despite the growing crowds putting on the festival also remains a risky business, especially since they stopped seeking major sponsors last year so they could have more control over the event. Amp isn’t convinced that the local underground music scene has moved that far forward either.

“It’s difficult, politics has played a part, early closing, age restrictions, they certainly haven’t helped,” says Amp, pointing to the fact that you have to be 21 to get into Thai

clubs. “By then people have been going to local pubs listening to cover bands, they’ve kind of made their minds up what they like musically.”

Still the rise of the internet is starting to make a difference, with young Thais able to access a far wider range of musical genres through YouTube, social networks and music blogs. There are certainly more clubs opening and more nights dedicated to underground music like trance, dubstep and techno. As proof of this changing mindset, this year has already seen the Heineken Sensation dance event sell out.

Amp welcomes the increased competition.

“It’s all good, it’s better for the scene if more people are interested, we just need to make sure that we keep doing something unique,” she says.

There are certainly plenty of firsts about this year’s Culture One, not least the main stage, which will be run by the world famous God’s Kitchen who are bringing in their whole team, including six lighting guys to man their Boombox, a giant 16 metre by 8 metre DJ booth that incorporates striking visuals and cutting edge 3D mapping technology. The lineup also features a host of DJs making their Bangkok debut – a conscious decision by the Club Culture team.

“We’re always looking for emerging artists. It’s not about who they are but about the vibe that they bring,” says Amp. This is perhaps truer than ever for 2012, with the arrival of a new fifth stage devoted to live indie music. It’s organised by another group who’ve been pushing their own brand of music. The fun and sweaty Popscene events are now well known on the local scene for

their dedication to indie rock tunes and for their important role championing new unsigned local bands.

These nights were born out of the frustration of Thai-Brit band the Standards. Formed five years ago the group was finding it increasingly difficult to find venues that would let it perform its in your face brand of high tempo Brit Pop. “No one understood what we were about, that we didn’t want to play covers just do our own stuff,” says Matt Smith the enigmatic lead singer of the group.

It was through Popscene that the band first came across the Club Culture team and have now played numerous gigs and events at their venues. Matt is quick to appreciate the support that Amp and co have given them and other club promoters in pushing their musical agendas. “They understand and help push the grassroots – they’ve always been prepared to give people a chance,” he says.

Smith will be responsible for managing the Popscene stage at Culture One, an eclectic mix of local and international bands headlined by former Mercury Prize nominees Young Knives.

“They might not be the most popular,” he says of the lineup.

“But they are all very good at what they do.”

Indeed, that seems to sum up the spirit of Club Culture and what the Culture One Festival is trying to achieve – to open the ears and minds of young Thais to new sounds by committed artists. Music they might not otherwise get to experience.

"We choose music that aims to appeal to the different generations, it covers different genres," says Amp. “The idea is that they all come together as one."

Culture One Festival Fact file Date: Sat, Nov. 17 Doors Open: 3pm Venue: Lakeside, BITEC, Bang Na, BTS Bang Na. Tickets: Standard: B2,000 (Pre-Sale), B2,500 (on the door) VIP: B3,000 (Pre-Sale), B4,000 (on the door) Available from: True Shops, or call 02 900 9999 or via www.we-booking.com

Godskitchen Boombox Stage (Main Stage) Dash Berlin (Holland) Sean Tyas (Us) Arctic Moon (Poland) Graham Gold (UK) TLTcrew (trance music lovers in Thailand) – feat: Jonnie B, Hypeviper, V.I.N.N.I.E, DJ Fiske, Dj Chrisking FAC 51 The Hacienda Stage 808 State (UK) Graeme Park (UK) Rowetta Live PA (Happy Monday) Bez Vibe Provider (Happy Monday) Timmy Vegas VEGAS (UK) G2G – feat: DJ Gimmie, Funkpheno, Soundelement Feat: Dawn Dusk, DJ Coww, DJ Mee, DJ Deva, MC Maz Popscene Stage Young Knives (UK) The Standards (UK/THAI) Brett Newski & The Corruption (US/Vietnam) Free Deserters (Malaysia) Paranoid City (Philippines) Class A Cigarettes (TH)

Mattnimare (TH) Polar Bare Knuckles (TH) + DJ Yark Culture Bass Stage Bare Noize (UK) F.O.O.L. (Sweden) Asian Trash Boy (France) DJ Dragon (HomeBassCommunications) (TH) Trusthesound Records Feat: DJ Jstdaft Filthysolid! Feat: Dj Masta Infect, Neon Boiz, Tiry Fs Fomo Crew: DJ Dudeanimal Overdoser Crew: Skinny Mark, Zuper L Vrt Crew: DJ Talltrash Feat.Thomas Tung Rave&Glow Crew: DJ Taidy, DJ Monkeybeat, DJ J.A.M.E.S Bangkok Dub Network Feat: DJ Love Buzzz, Sirius 41 The Evolver Crew Feat: V.E.G.A (USA), Vincent Smith (UK), Dizzie The DJ (Bermuda) Pyshead Community Stage DJ Nin & Panpsy: DJ Center Goa Gummy: Psyhead Community Psyga Mushroom: Aztech Sound Of Mayan DJ U-Taa: Ganja Tree Records, Xulu Prod. (USA)

asialife Thailand 37

Riding the Crime Wave Everyone has a good book in them so they say, Asia’s first Englishlanguage crime publishing house looks set to put that adage to the test.

Words by Mark Bibby Jackson. Photo by Chatti Phal.

38 asialife Thailand

The setting is hardly classic noir.

A Bangkok sports bar just before noon, my source has a bottle of water in front of him, I a cup of black coffee. Our conversation flows naturally rather than being weighted down with unspoken innuendo. Then again we are here to talk about crime fiction rather than create it.

“Most of the books are terrible,” writer Tom Vater says of the spate of books he calls ‘bargirl genre’ on sale in book shops in Bangkok and across the whole region. “They are badly printed, the fonts are awful and the stories are just these endless sob stories about the bargirl scene here.”

As a great reader of crime fiction himself, Vater felt there must be something better. So, together with publisher Hans Kemp, the seasoned author decided to establish Crime Wave Press — Asia’s first English-language publishing house devoted to crime fiction.

The two were working together on Sacred Skin, a nonfiction book about Thailand’s tattoo industry, when they came up with the idea.

“What me and Hans thought was print book sales are going down, eBook sales are going up, and a new publishing house that has a little bit of a maverick attitude …. can offer something to authors that can really write,” he says.

Vater refers to traditional publishing houses as “dinosaurs” struggling to get to grips with new technology such as eBooks, although he adds that such technology has its own pitfalls.

“The problem with eBooks is that there is no gatekeeper,” he says. “Anyone can write a

book now, format it and put it on Amazon. The quality is often rather low.”

This is where Crime Press comes in — to sort the wheat from the chaff — publishing a select series of crime thrillers under a label readers can trust.

The aim is to publish 20 titles over the next few years, either as eBooks, print on demand or conventional print publishing.

Though only launched officially last month at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali, where he participated in three sold out panel discussions, Vater is already receiving two to three manuscripts a week – all of which he reads himself.

Some, however, do not fit into the specific genre of the publishing house.

“We had 120,000 words on Satanism the other day,” he says.

“Non-fiction.”

Satanic verses aside, Crime Wave will consider any full manuscript (preferably 80,000 to 100,000 words) relating to crime fiction that has an Asian angle.

Vater is particularly keen on receiving novels based in China or Japan, as Crime Wave seeks to prove its credentials on a panAsian rather than an ASEAN basis. The publishing house is based in Hong Kong.

In addition to having their book edited by Vater, authors benefit from the network of connections developed by Kemp during his 10 years in publishing books, such as the popular photography title Carrying Cambodia, produced under the Visionary World label. At the time of our interview Kemp was at the Frankfurt Book Fair promoting Crime Wave’s current publications.

'...print book sales are going down, eBook sales are going up, and a new publishing house that has a little bit of a maverick attitude …. can offer something to authors that can really write”

One of the first books published by Crime Wave is Vater’s own work, The Cambodia Book of the Dead, a crime mystery set in 2001 – the year Vater first visited the country. He believes that Cambodia, like Thailand, affords great opportunities for crime writers.

“It makes an excellent backdrop for … crime novels with a dark, twisted tale because there are plenty of things in Cambodia which are dark and twisted,” he says.

Recently Crime Wave sold the international rights for The Cambodia Book of the Dead to British publishing house Exhibit A, while another of its books, The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu will be published in Spain early next year.

“We’re really pleased that our first two titles have been picked up straight away,” Vater says. “The industry is taking note of what we are doing.”

Written by Nick Wilgus ten

years ago and set in Thailand, the latest book published under the label is a reissue of Mindfulness and Murder, part of the Father Ananda series. Negotiations are also underway with the view to publishing a thriller about Phnom Penh and another one set in Thailand at the time of the Vietnam War, according to Vater.

With the recent explosion of fiction labelled Asian Noir, including Christopher G Moore’s compilation of short stories entitled Bangkok Noir, the launch of Crime Wave seems particularly well-timed.

However Vater is quick to point out that most of these works are whodunnits or crime fiction that technically belong more to the tense Hard Boiled detective fiction of American authors such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett in the 30s and 40s than to the Noir fiction popularised by subsequent writers such as David Goodis, Jim Thompson and James M Cain.

“The term Asian Noir … seems to suit more the backdrop of those countries … than the actual literature itself,” he says. “In the Noir of the 40s and 50s the main protagonist is usually a loser for whom life will get worse throughout the book and then everything will collapse.”

Then Vater adds, with a smile totally out of keeping with the fiction he adores, “but Asian Hard Boiled doesn’t sound as good, maybe.”

Those interested in submitting a manuscript for consideration by Crime Wave Press, should visit: http://www.crimewavepress.com/

asialife Thailand 39

Destination

Hong Kong

Ellie Dyer takes a trip to the Asian mega-city Hong Kong to experience the sights, smells and sounds of one of the world’s biggest metropolises.

The distinctive smell of dried fish permeates Wing Lok Street in old Hong Kong. Dried oysters, sea cucumbers and scallops fill bags outside small shops where elderly traders sit behind large scales to weigh and examine goods.

The narrow road — known for its seafood and bird nest specialties — is alive with shoppers, commuters and the odd tourist, offering an insight into daily life in one of Asia’s mega-cities. But above the street-level hubbub lies a reminder of modern Hong Kong.

Giant gleaming skyscrapers loom over even the smallest of alleyways.

Rich in history and tradition, Hong Kong is a city of contrasts. Symbols of the 40 asialife Thailand

city’s past — including the more than 150 years of British control that ended in 1997 — are easily spotted beneath the iconic modern day towers.

In Hong Kong’s central district, located one train stop away from Wing Lok in Sheung Wan district, lies one such remnant — St John’s Cathedral. Set in a leafy enclave, the building’s foundation stone was laid during the British colonial expansion of the 1840s.

Over the next century and a half, its stone walls witnessed the growth of Hong Kong from a small town to today’s financial metropolis, including almost four years of Japanese occupation during the dark days of World War Two. Another historical remnant

is the Peak Tram. Conceived

by Alexander Findlay Smith in 1881 as a way to speed up the city’s development, the funicular railway winds its way up through Hong Kong’s steep hills to ‘The Peak’. At its conception, the tram provided a replacement for the sedan chairs carried uphill by unlucky 19th century servants.

The tramway opened to great acclaim in 1888. A Daily Press article reported that “the novel means of locomotion excited great interest among the Chinese” when “an opportunity of a free trip was offered to all those who chose to avail themselves of it”.

Nowadays, it is tourists who avail themselves of the transport, braving the steep ride to

the top during which skyscrapers appear to balance at a precarious 45-degree angle.

Shopping centres and restaurant complexes are major attractions of the modern day hilltop, but the stunning view over the harbour more than 400 metres below remains breath-taking. A short hike around the top on a junglelined footpath is a great way to make the most of a rare sense of calm in the city. With few other people in sight, birds and butterflies can be spotted along the path, while the din of Hong Kong remains a dull murmur echoing up the hillside.

For tourists who prefer a taste of the future over the past, Hong Kong does not

Photos by Ellie Dyer

disappoint. Escalators carry city residents up and down the hillside’s mid-levels, allowing some to hop off at the bustling Soho district, where expats can be seen making the most of Happy Hour cocktails in sleek, modern bars. A trip to the party district of Lan Kawi Fong is a must-do for partygoers and people-watchers alike. A bevy of small bars line winding hillside streets, pumping out music and catering for businessmen and women who want to unwind after a hard day’s work.

Those searching for a less boozy side to the city also have much to experience. A ride on the star ferry from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) — where designer fashion

brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton are housed in luxury surrounds — provides an opportunity to examine the iconic skyline from afar, while bobbing up and down on the waves. Near the TST ferry hub, visitors can attend free nightly light-shows where lasers beam from atop buildings accompanied by music, for a spectacular, if somewhat surreal, sight.

Just a 20-minute walk away lies the tallest building in town, the International Commerce Centre. Visitors can ascend 393 metres in around a minute to see dizzying panoramic views of Hong Kong at the building’s Sky 100 observation deck. By night or day, it offers a spectacular bird’s eye view of the city’s surrounds.

Those searching for a less boozy side to the city also have much to experience

Tranquillity can be found at Hong Kong’s botanical and zoological gardens. Manicured flower beds and refreshing fountains feel a world away from the traffic-dense streets.

Only the whooping call of the Siamang gibbons, one of many animals housed within the grounds, breaks the peace.

With so much to see and do, a proper exploration of Hong Kong could take a lifetime.

Even a few days in the city are enough to get a taste of a metropolis that has a personality all of its own.

How To Get There: Emirates fly five daily flights from Bangkok to Hong Kong. The airline currently has fares for B9,000 net. For more information, visit: emirates.com. asialife Thailand 41

A Day in the Life of

Marunouchi With barely less than a day to spend in one of the largest cities in the world, Mark Bibby Jackson decides to invest his time in the financial district of Marunouchi and the wonderful Imperial Gardens to its west.

M

y preconceived perception of Tokyo was one of skyscrapers, neon signs and sushi. But by midday on my first day in this metropolis of some 13 million people, I found myself sat in an oasis of calm surrounded by a small pond, herbaceous borders and ancient trees. I could have been in London if it were not for the humidity.

A short walk from Tokyo Station, the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace stand on the site of the former Edo 42 asialife Thailand

Castle that dates back to 1603 when the Tokugawa Shoguns founded their capital here.

Covering some 210,000 square metres, the gardens were part of a regeneration project for the Imperial Palace and opened to the public in 1968.

Entering through Otemon Gate, the first noise that greets me is that of young children practicing their martial arts in a small pagoda partly secluded by some hedges. Opposite the small Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru

Shozokan) exhibits Yamaguchi Soken hanging scrolls from the mid-Edo period of the 18th century. A small building ahead is the first of many bansho dotted throughout the gardens. These were sentry posts for the samurai that protected the Emperor and the Imperial Palace.

However, it is not the many historical relics but the beautiful ornamental gardens that draw my attention. More like a London Park than New York’s Central Park, they provide a

perfect respite for the weary office worker.

Even though she works just around the corner, today is the first time that Nadisa has visited the gardens. “I have come here because I find it very relaxing,� she says.

Nadisa reminds me of my pre-Asian existence when I used to slip off from the office at lunchtime for a leisurely stroll around St James Park to eat a sandwich and watch the pelicans. There are no pelicans here and the sandwiches have

Photos by Mark Bibby Jackson

morphed into sushi rolls, but many office workers have joined Nadisa to take advantage of this oasis of calm in the heart of the city. The soft rumble of the distant traffic is a reminder of the world that awaits us outside.

A steep slope (Shiomi-zaka) leads from the Ninomaru (second citadel) area of the gardens to the Honmaru (inner citadel) area. The remains of a tower allows a perfect vantage point to look down upon Ohoku, a manicured lawn where in Imperial times the Honmaru Gotun Palace was situated. Then you could see all the way to the sea from here, something I find hard to envisage as I cast my eye upon Tokyo’s sprawling city landscape.

Droves of tourists and families are taking advantage of the picnic-friendly environment.

Kyoko Tsukahra, 74, lives about an hour from Tokyo. She visits the Gardens at least once or twice a year.

“I want to walk around the Imperial Gardens,” she says.

“It is a very calm and beautiful place. I like it very much.”

The gardens lie to the west of Marunouchi. Meaning “inside the circle”, its name refers to a

time when the area lay within the outer moat of the Imperial Palace. Now one of the city’s main financial districts and the headquarters for Japan’s three largest banks, the district is seeing something of a revival as a cultural and culinary centre.

At the heart of this lies Marunouchi-Nakadori. A tree-lined street that would not look lost in Manhattan, designer clothes shops nestle beside streetside bistros. With tapas seemingly de rigueur here, it is even easier to forget you are in the Far East rather than Upper East Side.

The art literally spills out onto the street with bench sculptures and miniature gardens invigorating the well-trod pavements. To the rear of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, itself a beautiful red-brick building dating back to 1894 with a wonderful café attached to it, is Brick Square. At least on this sunny day, the small, enclosed garden is full of office workers enjoying an extended — it is 3pm by now — lunch. Wine bars, waffle shops and yet more tapas indicate there is more to Tokyo cuisine than raw fish and glutinous rice.

The night before I had arrived

by taking the Tokyo Monorail from Haneda Airport to the main Tokyo Station, changing at Hamamatsucho. As droves of commuters stood taking photographs of the admittedly impressive structure, my stereotype of Japanese behaviour — largely based on tourists in London and American movies — became reinforced. It was only later I learned my visit coincided with the grand reopening of the station that had been kept under cover for five years. The project had restored the 98-year-old station to its pre-war beauty.

So, as the sun begins to set I return to the station to reacquaint myself with the hordes gathered outside, this time with my camera in hand too.

It is the first time I have seen more people gathered outside a station than huddled inside on over-crowded platforms and concourses.

Although, Marunouchi may lack the array of nightlife options as Roppongi or Shinjuku, it does have a post-work wining and dining atmosphere appropriate for a financial district.

By-passing the inviting restaurants, such as Garb and Trattoria Pagliaccio that draw

me in with their siren offers of vintage wines and tuna steaks, I head for Kanpachi, a sushi restaurant that has been recommended by the local tourist centre. Located at the base of the Kunigiwa Shopping Mall, Kanpachi is empty as I enter. My total absence of Japanese proves a problem as I point at various fish hopeful that I have ordered octopus and tuna. The miso I am confident about. The fish come as anticipated, but the soup has a school of baby clams buried in its depths. This does not detract from the overall experience.

Leaving far from replete — after all this is Japanese cuisine — I walk to neighbouring Cava.

Over a glass of Japanese malt whisky I chat with one of the managers, Tony, who has spent a few years in New York. The main attraction of the place is the cheap prices — all its drinks are 380 yen ($5).

“It’s popular with local people after work,” he says.

Right on queue, a group of office workers come in and order a round of cold Asahi. Whether it’s London, Tokyo or Bangkok, it seems there is one thing everyone fancies after a hard day’s work. asialife Thailand 43

Fit for a King

On his first visit to Tokyo, Mark Bibby Jackson finds the Palace Hotel a right royal place to rest a couple of nights.

44 asialife Thailand

ew hotels reflect the changing nature of Tokyo better than the Palace Hotel, which re-opened in May this year. The hotel stands on the same site as the Hotel Teiko, a state-owned and government-run hotel that launched in 1947. It began operations as the Palace Hotel in 1961 before being closed in 2009 as part of a $1.2 billion redevelopment.

Located close to the Imperial Palace and Gardens, the hotel’s design concept is to create a “grand residence” incorporating the modern with the old.

One example is the Royal Bar, which utilises the same counter as the original Palace Hotel. In the 60s, chief bartender Kiyoshi Imai was known as ‘Mr Martini’ and his bar carved to the perfect height for enjoying 007’s favourite tipple.

The first view I see from my suite’s balcony is of Tokyo’s dramatic nightscape, but upon awaking, I notice the Imperial Gardens to my right. It is an unusually green vista for this most modern of cities. The gardens also played a significant role in the hotel’s design, created by Australian Terry McGinnity.

McGinnity apparently spent hours walking through the gardens to find inspiration. This is demonstrated by the use of traditional Japanese scenery throughout the hotel, from the stone clad exterior to the leaf motif of the carpeting and down to the fine details of the ten restaurants and bar.

The counter at the Lounge Bar Privé is shaped like a bayleaf, a reminder of the park just outside. The external environ-

ment also forms a strong feature in the design of the 290 rooms, all of which afford views over the gardens as well as the city’s skyscraper townscape.

On one morning I am shown around the hotel’s ten dining alternatives. Here the Palace is certainly aiming for the stars — Michelin ones, having partnered with Patrick Henriroux, who runs the two-star La Pyramide in Vienne, France, and Shinji Kanesaka, owner of Ginza’s two-star Sushi Kanesaka. The hotel even has tempura and teppanyaki restaurants that prove popular with local office workers for lunch.

Perhaps the most unusual element of the hotel is the Evian Spa Tokyo, on the fifth floor. It is first of its type in Japan and only the second outside of France worldwide. With each of the five treatment rooms and spa suite named after an Alpine peak, I take a dip in the internal pool to find a bottle of Evian placed beside my lounger.

However, it is in the bedroom that hotel’s ultimately succeed or fail. And here the Palace demonstrates imperial infallibility.

After a luxuriant bath I crank up the air con and wrap myself up in the Imbari bath towels, renowned throughout Japan for their quality, before heading for my welcoming bed. The hotel literature claims the linen has a 300-thread count. Before I can count that far, I find myself falling asleep. New York may be the city that never sleeps but, at least at the Palace Hotel, Tokyo affords the most peaceful rest.

Palace Hotel Tokyo www.palacehoteltokyo.com

46 asialife Thailand

Blind Drunk Challenge

Fed up with the regular beer imports, AsiaLIFE editor Mark Bibby Jackson contacted craft company Beervana in order to take a blind taste challenge to see if Americans know how to brew decent ale. Photos by Nick McGrath.

Being a Brit I come from a land where ales are served warm and full of flavour, so it’s hard to acclimatise to a country where the only distinction between beers is how cold they are. Therefore the arrival of Anderson Valley and Rogue beers from California and Oregon respectively — even though they come from the other side of the Pond — is something to be welcomed. So, I offered to don a blindfold and put my taste buds to the hops test. Nine beers were served to me unseen and I marked them out of ten.

Beer #1 The first beer smelt like a stout or an English brown ale, although it had a more fruity flavour than a traditional British stout. Awarding it 7/10, I was shocked to discover it was American Amber Ale by Rogue.

The tasting notes said “toasted sweetness meets moderate hop bitterness with some caramel and toffee notes”. Most of this passed me by. Still, it was a tasty enough brew.

Beer #2 I thought the next beer up was a Samuel Adams or, at any rate, an American red ale. Thanks to its soft malty taste, I could have got stuck into this one if there was not some serious drinking ahead. Another 7/10, this was Poleeko Pale Ale by Anderson Valley brewery. The notes talked of “aromas of pink grapefruit and lemon zest combined with mild maltiness reminiscent of English biscuits” but my simple palate has never been a fan of tasting notes, even in wines.

Beer #3 The third beer was the first of two failures for me. Lacking in aroma and with a mild taste, it reminded me of an English light ale, which I have never really

taken to. With a flat 5 from me, the St. Rogue Red Ale is not one I’ll be rushing back to.

Beer #4 The fourth made up for the disappointment of the previous brew. Although I couldn’t detect much aroma, it had a distinctly flatter taste and was one of the better beers on offer. But not even half-way through the experiment and I had started to lose faith in myself. Beginning to doubt my first impressions, I thought it was a red ale, only later to discover it was a pale ale. Still, the Hop Ottin’ IPA

by Anderson Valley received an 8/10 and is a name I shall remember.

Beer #5 I believe chocolate should be eaten, not drunk, and have never been a fan of chocolate stouts traditionally wheeled out at Christmas time. The chocolate smell of beer number five was overwhelming. Despite there being a strong stout flavour, it definitely was not for me.

Chocolate Stout by Rogue received a generous 4.

Beer #6 By the time the next beer arrived I was still reeling from the

taste of chocolate. That was my only excuse for awarding the Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue a mere 6/10. With a fruity aroma and a full hoppy flavour, it was slightly more carbonated than the first few beers but also had more taste. In hindsight it should have received 7 out of 10 as well.

Beer #7 My host Brian Bartusch from Beervana informed me that the next brew, Hazelnut Brown Nectar by Rogue, was his best seller in Bangkok. It’s easy to see why. The initial impression of burnt aromas was replaced with a flavoursome yet flat taste. A stout with a caramel

essence was my call. In fact it was an “American twist on a traditional European Brown Ale with a strong hazelnut aroma that introduces a rich, woody brew with butterscotch and coffee notes”. Although I hate to follow the crowd, it was my favourite and polled 9/10.

Beer #8 The last two drinks suffered from being at the end of an intensive session. My taste buds shot to bits, I felt that the penultimate beer was a red ale

similar to the second. Another pleasant tipple, the Boont Amber Ale by Anderson Valley received another 7.

Beer #9 The final beer was Beervana’s other best-seller alongside the Hazelnut Brown. A bland but eminently quaffable ale was my verdict, giving it a diplomatic 7. In truth it was at least one beer too far my taste buds. Next time I shall give the Dead Guy Ale by Rogue better attention.

After the tasting, my blindfold was removed in order to sip the beers once more, but this time with the label to help me. It was surprising to discover the first ale was not a stout or brown ale and even more of a shock to find the third ale was not red. Those ales with most flavour tasted similar after the blindfold was removed, though I sense that some of the more subtle traces lie more in the tasting notes than in my undiscerning taste buds.

As for an expert’s opinion, Brian Bartusch is clearly a man of the people, preferring the two beers that are his best sellers. “For me the Dead Guy is the most drinkable at any time and it always makes me happy, while the Hazelnut is a little bit something special,” he says. “It has organic hazelnut extract added to it, so it’s not a traditionalist beer, but I think they balance it well. But in two weeks I’ll have a different favourite.”

Overall, with the exception of the Chocolate Stout, the quality of the beer was surprising. There’s more to Uncle Sam’s beer than a gaseous bottle of Bud. For more about the availability of Rogue and Anderson Valley in Thailand, visit: www.seekbeervana.com/home/ asialife Thailand 47

Oji

Oji Sushi lives in a tough neighborhood. Sharing a pavement with the much-hyped Salt and walking distance from Pla Dib and Fuji Japanese, the sushi restaurant has contenders in every direction. Words by Emma Rosenberg.

The space is tight, yet the feeling is cold – black and white photographs of irrelevant subjects, white walls, black furniture, and lighting fit for an interrogation room. The unlikely voice of Justin Timberlake, circa his Britney years, reverberates through the chilled air.

The overwrought style is nothing we haven’t dealt with before – an inevitable claptrap for expats riding the Bangkok high-life. However, Oji is not the pet project of a hi-so Thai with an expendable income, but 48 asialife Thailand

rather the collaboration of two old friends with a penchant for Japanese cuisine. The menu is dominated by sushi, with a few noodle and teriyaki options. The smoked salmon salad (B169), deconstructed sushi on a pile of greens, makes a pleasant yet modest starter.

The quirky names for the sushi rolls suggest a creativity that falls flat on the plate. In beauty and the beast roll (B289), the beast is smothered by the beauty – the fresh tuna and eel enveloped by the clutching

arms of crunchy tempura and a “special sauce”. The mango BFF roll (B279) is dessert for dinner, the coupling of mango and eel sauce too sweet to be platonic.

The Italian roll (B229), a festa of mozzarella cheese, white fish and asparagus is confusing. Bold flavours bump heads and topple over each other, leaving you with full stomach and a deep uncertainty as to what you have just eaten. The waiters seem just as lost, which is unexpected given the size of the place.

Maybe the chefs will take a hint from the décor, adopting the “less is more” school of thought. In the meantime, opt for the sashimi (B338 for nine pieces, B1,098 for twenty-one pieces). Served on a bed of bamboo, these are as soft as a baby and excellent when accompanied with a dash of wasabi.

Oji Sushi, 111/1 Phaholyothin 7 (Soi Ari, between Soi 3 and Soi 4), Tel: 080 209 0323. Open 5pm to 11pm, closed Wednesdays.

A Taste of New Orleans It was AsiaLIFE Cambodia’s long-time art director, Keith Kelly, who introduced me to the Cajun food. Hailing from New Orleans himself he explained that they have a whole different type of food down there. As such, Bourbon Street – Bangkok’s only Cajun and Creole restaurant – had much to live up to.

Despite all the tasty Cajun offerings we opted to start with an American classic – buffalo wings, glazed with a spicy sauce and served alongside a homemade blue cheese dressing (B160). The tangy and slightly sweet sauce went excellently with the savoury blue cheese sauce. The wings were not at

all overcooked as is so often the case, and the eight-wing portion was generous.

For our mains we headed down south. The blackened red fish (B335) is based on Paul Prudhomme’s recipe. The standout dish of the night, the fish was delicate yet the spicy Cajun seasoning dusted on it enlivened the flesh and left a tingle on my tongue – invigorating my taste buds. Even the dirty rice had oodles of flavour – far removed from its steamed white cousin.

Being a Monday we decided to pair this with some red beans and rice (B210) – a traditional New Orleans Monday dish and all-you-can-eat special at Bourbon Street on this day. The

Now in Ekamal, the original restaurant Bourbon Street flourished for 24 years at Washington Square, Mark Bibby Jackson tries some good ol’ Cajun fare.

Photos by Nick McGrath. ultimate in comfort food, the red beans reminded me of the Central American food I adore.

Yet the Andouille sausages in its midst gave the stew more body and flavour. Both dishes came served with some corn bread.

The deserts were two more New Orleans classics – bread pudding (B120) and bananas Foster (B170). I found the latter’s banana liqueur and rum sauce a trite overwhelming, but the bread pudding was a great dish.

So much lighter than an English bread pudding, the pineapple, raisins and cinnamon made this dish distinctly morish. The pecan praline Bourbon sauce is great for people with a sweet tooth, but we preferred to com-

bine it with the almost Devonian, creamy vanilla ice cream that came with the bananas Foster.

Washed down with a perfectly respectable Santa Helena cabernet sauvignon (B190/glass, B960/bottle) and with impeccable service, Bourbon Street is a good alternative for both groups and also single diners, who can prop themselves up against the bar and chat with the regulars.

No doubt this Bourbon Street will prove as much a mainstay of the Bangkok restaurant scene as it precursor did for the previous 24 years.

Bourbon Street, 9/39-40 Soi Tana Arcade, Sukhumvit 63 (Ekamai), Tel: 02 381 6801-3. asialife Thailand 49

Surreal Art in a Bag

Rouge Rouge designer and Istituto Marangoni Milan fashion graduate, Duang Wannaporn Poshyanonda’s fascination with Surreal Art is evident throughout her Privé Bag collection.

From the Magritte bowler clutch to Dali Eye and lip clutches, nothing produced by one of Thailand’s most sought after designers could be described as ordinary. The latest in her collection, the Guy Bourdin hand clutch, was launched in September.

Rouge Rouge promises products that are high in quality and totally unique.

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52 asialife Thailand

Art Director: Johnny Murphy PhotographY & STYLING: Nick McGrath Venue: V64 gallery Website: rougerougebag.com/rougerouge Follow RougeRouge on Facebook at: facebook.com/RougeRougeThailand

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Photo by Nick McGrath.

Connoisseur IT'S OK TO LIKE NICE THINGS

Tequila To many drinkers, tequila is a cheap signal of the beginning of the end, the night’s first step down a sloppy, blackout-ridden road. But in reality, tequila has a long and rich history and a sophistication that challenges the likes of fine cognac, scotch, and wine. Tequila exports have soared around the world in recent years, a popularity suggesting the drink can no longer be written off as cheap swill for bandidos and college kids crav-

ing a quick buzz.

Tequila was the first distilled drink and commerciallyproduced alcohol in North America. Its origin goes back to the Aztecs, who used nectar extracted from the agave plant in rituals and ceremonies. In the sixteenth century, when the Spanish conquistadors ran out of the distilled liquor brought from Europe, they began experimenting with agave to create mezcal. Most was produced in

the small town of Tequila, which lay on an important trade route that spread the drink throughout the Spanish colonies. Mezcal can be made from five varieties of agave, but after 150 to 200 years, a new version appeared that was made just from the blue agave. Thus, tequila was born.

Today’s tequila adheres to strict guidelines. First, it can come only from Mexico. It also must be made from blue agave

"Like a good bottle of cognac or whisky, highend tequila is designed to be savoured, not downed in shots with lime and salt" and contain at least 51 percent extract from the plant. Highend tequilas are made with 100 percent agave. If the agave percentage isn’t printed on the bottle, chances are it’s from one of the many knock-off tequila companies.

There are three types of tequila – blanco, also called silver, which doesn’t undergo an aging process; reposado, or middle aged, which is kept in white oak barrels for six to 12 months; 54 asialife Thailand

and anejo, or aged, which is preserved for at least 12 months.

The longer the tequila is aged, the smoother the flavour.

One of the highest quality, and most expensive, tequilas is the Herradura Seleccion Suprema. Created in 1990, this tequila is for the true connoisseur and is widely considered the best in the world. It’s aged for four years, giving it a delicate and complex flavour. But it doesn’t come cheap, costing from $250 to $500 a bottle.

Like a good bottle of cognac or whisky, high-end tequila is designed to be savoured, not downed in shots with lime and salt. In some regions, tequila is often paired with sangrita, a sweet, sour, and spicy drink typically made from orange juice, grenadine or tomato juice and hot chillies. Drinkers alternate between equal-size shots of tequila and sangrita.

In 2002, an official tequila glass was approved. The slender glass has a tall stem designed to “lift fine tequila to the level it deserves, to accord it the appreciation and respect of which it is worthy,” according to Riedel, the company that makes the glass.

As with many drinks, the only way to know you have found a truly great tequila is by tasting it. So next time someone suggests tequila shots at the bar, don’t cringe at the idea of how the night might end – enjoy the fiery liquid that is said to embody the essence of Mexico and its people.

Asiana Airlines (OZ) 18/F, Ploenchit Centre, Sukhumvit Soi 2 Reservation/Ticketing: 02 263 8333 www.asiana-gsa.com

Bangkok Airways (PG) Bangkok Airways Bldg, M.14, Viphavadee Rangsit Rd. Ticketing: 1771, Head Office: 02 265 5678 www.bangkokair.com

listings

hotel & travel

British Airways (BA) 21/F, Charn Issara Tower, 942/160-163 Rama 4 Rd. Tel: 02 627 1701 www.britishairways.com

AIRPORT INFORMATION Airport Express Service from 5am to 12am. Fare is B150 per person. Level 1, near entrance 8.

Don Mueang Domestic Airport Call Centre: 02 535 1305

Public Transportation Center Shuttle Bus (24 Hours Services) Tel: 02 132 9532 Suvarnabhumi Airport Call Center: 02 132 1888

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES Air Asia (AK) (FD) (QZ) 1/F, OSC Bldg, 99 Moo 5 Kingkaew Rd. Call Centre & Reservation: 02 515 9999 www.airasia.com

Air Berlin (AB) 17/F, Overawed Bldg., 849 Silom Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 267 1202/4 Air France (AF) 20/F, Vorawat Bldg, 849 Silom Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 635 119 www.airfrance.co.th

escape

Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) 11/F, Ploenchit Tower, 898 Ploenchit Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 263 0606 www.cathaypacific.com

Emirates (EK) 2/F BB Building 54, Sukhumvit Soi 21 Reservation/Ticketing: 02 664 1040 www.emirates.com Etihad Airways (EY) 11/F, Tonson Tower, 900 Ploenchit Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 253 0099 www.etihadairways.com Eva Airways (BR) 2/F Green Tower, 3656/4-5 Rama IV Rd, Reservation/Ticketing: 02 269 6288 www.evaair.com

Jetstar Airways (3K) (JQ) 3/F Charn Issara Tower 1, 942/160-163 Rama lV Rd. Tel: 02 267 5125 www.jetstar.com KLM Airlines (KL) 20/F Vorawat Building, 849 Silom Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 635 2300 www.klm.co.th

Lao Airlines (QV) 491/17 G/F Silom Plaza, Silom Rd. Reservation/Ticketing: 02 236 9822/3

Scheduled to open Dec. 1, Regent Phuket Cape Panwa promises to offer luxury in a stunning location. Cape Panwa is a secluded bay on the lesser-known southeastern tip of Phuket, populated by rubber and palm plantations with plus lush hills that provide magnificent views of the Andaman Sea. Designed to harmonise with its tropical surroundings, the Regent features its own private beach, a 55-metre infinity pool, and two signature restaurants. Nearby attractions include old Phuket Town, with its quaint Sino-Portuguese shop houses, and Phuket Aquarium at the Marine Biological Centre. For more information, visit Regenthotels.com/EN/Phuket or call 07 620 0800.

Award-winning destination spa, The Barai, is offering a pay-two-nights-get-one-free deal. A stay at the Barai Suites next door to Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, comes with eight exclusive residential spa suites and 18 exotic treatment rooms near the beach. With architecture to match, on offer are extensive

56 asialife Thailand

Thai Air Asia (FD) 1/F, OSC Bldg, 99 Moo 5 Kingkaew Rd, Tel: 02 515 9999 www.airasia.com

Malaysia Airlines (MH) Unit 332, 3/F All Seasons Place, Wireless Rd. Reservation: 02 250 6568-74 Ticketing: 02 250 6560-7 www.malaysia-airlines.com.my

Qatar Airways (QR) Unit 2102, 21/F, 388 Exchange Tower Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 259 2701/5 www.qatarairways.com

BANGKOK–DELUXE

Singapore Airlines (SQ) 12/F, Silom Centre Bldg., 2 Silom Rd, Reservation: 02 353 6000, Ticketing: 02 353 6030 www.singaporeair.com/th

Thai Airways International (TG) 89 Vibhavadi Rangsit Head Office 485 Silom Rd. Reservation: 02 280 0060 www.thaiairways.com Tiger Airways (TR) 1091/173-174 7/F, Unit 702 S. Group Tower, Soi Petchaburi, 33 New Petchaburi Rd, Tel: 02 649 9688 www.tigerairways.com Turkish Airlines (TK) 3/F, C.P. Tower, 313 Silom Rd Reservation/Ticketing: 02 231 0300/7 www.thy.com

Vietnam Airlines (VN) 10/F Wave Place Bldg, 55 Wireless Rd. Reservation: 02 655 4137/40 www.vietnamair.com.vn/vnhome.htm

DOMESTIC AIRLINES

Nok Air (DD) 17/F Rajanakarn Bldg, 183 South Sathorn Rd. Call Centre: 02 900 9955 Reservation/Ticketing: 1318

Banyan Tree Bangkok 21/100 South Sathorn Rd.Tel: 02 679 1200, www.banyantree.com Claiming to be a sanctuary for the senses, the Banyan Tree has spectacular views of Bangkok’s cityscape from its lofted Vertigo Bar. Those with no head for heights can enjoy the elegant guest rooms and spa facilities.

Conrad Bangkok All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 690 9999 www.conradhotels.com Conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok’s business hub, the Conrad Bangkok offers a combination of modern luxury and innovative design. Enjoy jazz at the Diplomat Bar or practice your Pilates on site.

Dusit Thani Bangkok 946 Rama IV Rd, Tel: 02 200 9000 www.dusit.com The granddaddy of Bangkok’s luxury hotel scene, with over 40 years of service, the 500 plus rooms and suites and eight signature restaurants, make this a popular place for travellers and locals alike.

Four Seasons Bangkok 155 Rajdamri Rd, Tel: 02 126 8866 www.fourseasons.com/bangkok A mainstay for up-market travellers with almost 400 rooms, suites and cabanas as well as Biscotti and Madison restaurants and M Spa. Noted for its lavish Sunday brunch.

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok 494 Rajdamri Rd, Tel: 02 254 1234 www.bangkok.grand.hyatt.com Opposite the Erawan shrine, the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok has 380 rooms and suites and six dining outlets offering plenty of choice to its guests.

take flight with travel promotions around the country

Natural Beauty

Extra Night Free

Lufthansa Airlines (LH) 18/F Q. House Asoke Bldg., 66 Sukhumvit Soi 21, Tel: 02 264 2400 www.lufthansa.com

spa treatments, signature massages, yoga sessions, and fitness and lifestyle programmes. Valid for Sunday to Thursday, bookings are from Nov. 15 to Dec. 20.

Reserve with the offer code BAR008 at 02 254 6200 or Thebarai.com.

Celebrate the Festival of Lights

Enjoy one of Thailand’s most cherished events of the year, the Loy Krathong festival in Chiang Mai from Nov. 26 to 29.

Thousands of bright Khum Loy light up the Chiang Mai night sky while countless Krathongs gracefully float on the Ping River.

Exotissimo is arranging a 4 day / 3 night stay for B18,500 (based on two adults sharing), excluding flights. For further information call: 02 633 9060 or email: infobkk@ exotissimo.com.

Romantic Getaway

If you’re looking for a beachside getaway, Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort & Spa is offering a romantic trip. The package, available until Dec. 20, includes accommodation in a room or villa, daily breakfast for

two, round trip airport transfers, romantic dinner for two at Tree Tops, including a bottle of wine, complimentary internet access and late check-out until 4pm. For more information or reservations, call 07 796 0333 or email: lawanasamui@anantara. com.

Rejuvenation Package

Escape the pressures of city life with a 'LUXSA' massage and healthy lunch or dinner at Hansar Samui. The Rejuvanation Package (for two) includes private roundtrip airport transfers, three nights stay in a Seaview or Seaview XL room, cocktail and local fruit basket upon arrival, daily a la carte or buffet breakfast for two, a LUXSA spa lunch menu for two featuring natural cuisine and tea-pairing, 90 minutes LUXSA massage treatment, a romantic private dinner for two, nightly turndown treat, early check-in/late check-out. Offer available from now until Dec. 19 starting from B26,900.

For more information and other deals, call 07 724 5995 or visit http://www.hansarsamui.com/.

Grand Millennium Sukhumvit 30 Sukhumvit Soi 21, Tel: 02 204 4000 www.millenniumhotels.com Towering above Asoke, the Grand Millennium Sukhumvit has several restaurants, a jazz bar on the first floor, and a well equipped spa for in-city pampering.

Imperial Queen's Park 199 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Tel: 02 261 9000 www.imperialhotels.com 37-storey hotel comprising of two towers and over 1,250 well-appointed guest rooms just off Sukhumvitk, with a fine selection of restaurants producing classic Chinese specialties, seafood and Thai favourites.

InterContinental Bangkok 973 Ploenchit Rd., Tel: 02 656 0444 www.ichotelsgroup.com Conveniently located at Chitlom BTS Station, the Intercontinental is a short walk away from Bangkok's shopping district. Even if you're not checking in, the international restaurants and relaxing spa make this a go-to spot for locals.

JW Marriott Hotel 4 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 132 1888 Situated right on Sukhumvit Road, the Marriott is well known for its many dining venues, including the New York Steak House and several Japanese restaurants.

Park Plaza 16 Rachadapisek Rd, Tel: 02 263 5000 www.parkplaza.com/bangkokth Modern hotel has 95 contemporary rooms, including 35 deluxe corner rooms and Café on 2 interactive restaurant. The cuisine is a mix of Mediterranean and Thai, and the rooftop has a bar, pool and fitness centre.

Pathumwan Princess 444 MBK Center, Phayathai Rd Tel: 02 216 3700 www.pprincess.com Sitting adjacent to MBK Center and opposite Siam Square, this award-winning luxury hotel with a chic urban motif has Korean and Italian dining outlets as well as Tantara health spa and a 9,000sqm fitness centre.

Rembrandt Hotel & Towers 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Tel: 02 261 7100 www.rembrandtbkk.com Newly renovated hotel and serviced apartments located close to Asoke, has numerous dining outlets including Indian Rang Mahal, Mexican Senor Pico Mexican and ThaiRed Pepper restaurants. Also has a pool and fitness centre.

The Landmark Bangkok 138 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 254 0404 www.landmarkbangkok.com Complex houses the 414-room Landmark Hotel including Club floor plus a threelevel shopping plaza and multi-storey car park with space for 600 vehicles. Wide range of dining options include Chinese, international, gourmet Rib Room Grill and English-style pub.

Lebua at State Tower State Tower, Silom Rd, Tel: 02 624 9999 www.lebua.com All the 357 suites have views of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River. Those with a head for heights should visit the rooftop Scirocco Bar with its sweeping views.

Hotel Muse Bangkok 55/555 Soi Langsuan, Lumpini Tel: 02 630 4000 www.hotelmusebangkok.com Hotel dedicated to fashion and the arts, each of the 170 guest rooms reflect the elegance of Rama V yet with a contemporary and sometimes playful twist.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Charoenkrung Soi 40, 48 Oriental Ave, Tel: 02 659 9000 www.mandarinoriental.com Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the Mandarin Oriental has been an inspiration to a host of world-renowned

writers from Joseph Conrad to Somerset Maugham and John Le Carre´. Voted the world’s best hotel by readers of influential magazines.

Metropolitan by COMO 27 South Sathorn Rd, Tel: 02 625 3333 www.comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok A cool and contemporary east-west aesthetic with modern Oriental accents is combined with award-winning cuisine, a holistic spa and Bangkok's most chic lounge bar.

www.arunresidence.com Seven-room boutique hotel has great views of Wat Arun across the Chao Praya river as well as a small café on the ground floor which serves breakfast.

Dream Hotel 10 Sukhumvit Soi 15, Tel: 02 254 8500 www.dreambkk.com Ancient Siam meets modern, five-star decadence as playful hotelier Vikram Chatwal's avant-garde destination blends the mystique of the East with the essence of the West.

The Okura Prestige Bangkok 57 Wireless Rd, Tel: 02 687 9000 www.okurabangkok.com This 240-room hotel occupies thirty-four floors of the glass-clad Park Ventures Ecoplex Building. Its thinning shape is inspired by the wai, the traditional Thai hand greeting.

Four Points by Sheraton Sukhumvit Soi 15, Tel: 02 309 3000 www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoint New upscale Bangkok hotel a five-minute walk from Asok BTS with 68 stylish guest rooms and suites, an exclusive rooftop bar with views of Sukhumvit and one of the best beer vaults in town.

Plaza Athenee Bangkok 61 Wireless Rd, Tel: 02 650 8800 www.plazaatheneebangkok.com This Royal Meridien Hotel has seven dining venues including The Reflexions French restaurant and the Rain Tree Café which serves a popular Sunday Brunch.

Ramada Encore 21 Sukhumvit Soi 10, Tel: 02 615 0999 www.ramadaencorebangkok.com With 188 well-appointed guest rooms, the Ramada Encore takes is geared towards business and leisure travellers.

All bedrooms are fully equipped with free high-speed internet access and a generous working area.

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G 188 Silom Rd, Tel: 02 238 1991 www.pullmanbangkokhotelg.com Stylish five star hotel boasts 345 exquisite rooms and suites and tremendous city views as well as some cutting edge restaurants and bars, including Scarlett Wine Bar. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 649 8888 www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com Located on Sukhumvit close to Asok BTS, this five-star hotel has an excellent Sunday brunch with jazz trio. Rooftop pool and garden terrace offer good alfresco dining options.

Sofitel So 2 North Sathorn Rd,Tel: 02 624 0000 www.sofitel.com Designed by Thai architect Smith Obayawat, the hotel features works by Pongthep Sagulku and Vitoon Kunalungkarn. Enjoy the Manhattan-like views over Lumpini Park’s tree tops, complete with soaring skyscrapers.

The St. Regis Bangkok 159 Rajadamri Rd, Tel: 02 207 7777 www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/ bangkok Experience Bangkok’s splendour from a premier location along Rajadamri Road, with seven dining outlets to choose from.

The Sukhothai Bangkok 13/3 South Sathorn Rd, Tel: 02 344 8888, www.sukhothai.com Fuses the feel of the ancient city of Sukhothai with modern functionality. Dining options include a chocolate fantasia.

BANGKOK–BOUTIQUE

Aloft Bangkok 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 207 7000 www.aloftbangkoksukhumvit11.com A true one-of-a kind hotel that rattles the cage of convention. Located on Sukhumvit 11 at the heart of Bangkok’s thriving entertainment district, the hotel is close to Nana BTS. Aloft features all the high-tech facilities including free WiFi in every room and all public areas.

Anantara Bangkok Riverside 257/1-3 Charoennakorn Road, Thonburi Tel: 02 476 0022 www.bangkok-riverside.anantara.com Situated on 11 riverside acres of gardens, Anantara blends the thrill of urban living with tropical luxury. Imparted with Thai tradition, this exotic Bangkok resort offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy metropolis.

Arun Residence 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Tel: 02 221 9158-9,

Ramada Hotel & Suites 22 Sukhumvit Soi 12,Tel: 02 664 7025 www.ramadasuitesbangkok.com Boutique hotel provides an usual retreat in the heart of the city for business and leisure travellers. A variety of rooms and suites offer views of the Bangkok skyline, over Benchakitti Park Lake and the hotel’s tropical gardens. Fully-equipped suites for long-stay guests.

Siam@Siam 865 Rama 1 Rd, Tel: 02 217 3000 www.siamatsiam.com Hip boutique hotel has a daring contemporary design and a friendly atmosphere, as well as a rooftop champagne and wine bar with great views of the city.

BANGKOK–BUDGET

Baan Dinso 113 Soi Silp, Dinso Rd, Tel: 02 622 0560, www.baandinso.com Restored, late 1920s townhouse with nine rooms, and oodles of charm, tucked down a tiny soi in the heart of the old city.

All the rooms come with cable TV, air-con and fridge, although only the five double rooms have bathrooms but communal washing areas are spotless.

Baan Mango 97 Sukhumvit Soi 8, Tel: 087 822 9382 Guesthouse can be rented for TV, cinema, audio-visual, photo shoots, private parties, networking, parties, product launches as well as overnight stays.

Bangphlat Resort 77/1 Charansanitwong Rd, Bangphlat Tel: 02 885 5737 www.resortbangphlat.com A row of 30-year-old two-storey Thai wooden houses conserved and converted into an urban resort amidst Bangkok.

Loy La Long 1620/2 Song Wat Road, Chinatown Tel: 02 639 1390, www.loylalong.com Seven wooden, colour-coded rooms designed by Jurathip Intrasai make this an eclectic hang-out.

Lub d 4 Decho Rd, Suriyawong, Tel: 02 634 7999, www.lubd.com Voted as one of the 17 coolest hangout hostels by the Observer, Lub d has four types of rooms including dorms. Has another hostel in Siam Square as well.

BANGKOK RESIDENCES

Oakwood 15 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Tel: 02 612 5777, 113 Soi Thonglor Soi 13, Tel: 02 713 9500, www.oakwoodasia.com

Global chain of serviced apartments has studio to three-bed apartments in four locations in Bangkok. The Sukhumvit 24 branch boasts 112 modern and fully equipped apartments while in Thonglor, there are eight floors of serviced apartments. Also has residences in Garden Towers Bagna and Sukhumvit Soi 18.

Oriental Residence Bangkok 110 Wireless Rd, Lumpini, Tel: 02 125 9000, www.oriental-residence.com Epitomising casual elegance and traditional luxury, Oriental Residence Bangkok offers refined accommodation surrounded by a lush enclave in the centre of the city. The fine service attracts business and leisure guests alike to this Bangkok serviced residence.

TRAVEL COMPANIES Backyard Travel United Centre Building; 323 Silom Rd www.backyardtravel.com Travel company that offers 16 tours throughout Thailand, visiting Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket Island and promising authentic local experiences to provide a deeper, personalised tour of this distinct country.

BOOK-IT MN 54 K-Village, G/F Bldg. B, 93-95 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Tel: 02 661 2965, 081 401 8886 www.bookit.co.th, info@bookit.co.th Travel company specialising in corporate and group bookings as well as providing air tickets, hotels worldwide, travel insurance, visas and tours. Welcoming walk-in customers, Book-It provides a reliable service at competitive prices. Open from 10am to 8pm.

Exotissimo Travel Thailand 22/F Smooth Life Tower, 44 North Sathorn Rd, Silom, Tel: 02 633 9060 www.exotissimo.com infobkk@exotissimo.com Leading travel agency and preferred choice for expats living in Bangkok, Exotissimo can organise any holiday from day trips in Bangkok to exciting holidays covering multiple countries with your family. Exotissimo specialises in exploring Asia with experienced staff that can handle any request.

Footsteps in Asia 605, Tonson Bldg., 50 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd, Tel: 02 168 7467/68 www.footstepsinasia.com Independent tour company offering trips around Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam including cycle tours, full-moon parties and tailor-made tours.

Remote Lands 25/12 Sukhumvit Soi 16, Tel: 02 260 7584, www.remotelands.com Ultra-luxe boutique tour operator offering bespoke tours throughout Asia, from popular destinations such as China and Vietnam to less visited countries like Bhutan, Laos and North Korea. Works with the region’s finest hotels, resorts and villas, as well as providing private jet, yacht and helicopter charters. Open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Smiling Albino 2098/414 Ramkamheng Rd, Tel: 02 718 9561, www.smilingalbino.com Adventure tourism company offering tours in Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam, whether it's motorcycling over hills in northern Thailand, or dancing with villagers in the Himalayas.

Spice Roads Cycle Tours 14/1 Soi Promsri 2, Sukhumvit Soi 39, Tel: 02 712 5305, www.spiceroads.com Cycle tour company started by passionate cyclists in 1995 now offering tours throughout Thailand and 17 other countries. Ideal for discovering cultures, fabulous food and the camaraderie that results from travelling with interesting people.

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www.fatgutz.com With the best fish and chips in town, you might imagine Fat Gut’z reeking of vinegar, but far from it. A contemporary design mixes up some great cocktails along with music to match. Open from 6pm to 2am.

listings

food & drink BAR RESTAURANTS

The Australian Pub & BBQ 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 651 0800 www.theaustralianbangkok.com Claims to be the first pub in Thailand to have a bunch of Aussie beers such as Crown Lager, VB and Coopers at just above freezing point in the specially made fridges. Nine flat screen TVs and two big screens keep Aussie sports fans happy as does the Sunday Barbie. Open from 10am to 1am.

Bourbon St. Restaurant & Oyster Bar 9/39-40 Soi Tana Arcade, Ekamai Tel: 02 381 6801-3, www.bourbonstbkk.com This popular bar cum restaurant serving cajun and creole cuisine as well as all-day breakfast has recently moved to Ekamai, with a boutique hotel upstairs.

Fat Gut’z 264 Thonglor Soi 12, Tel: 02 714 9832

feast

HOBS G/F Penny's Balcony 522/3 Thonglor Tel: 02 392 3513,www.hobsbkk.com If you like your beer to carry more punch than a Chang or Singha then House of Beer is the place for you. Around 40 Belgium beers, including Leffe on tap, tempt you to become a Trappist monk.

Also has some decent food including the Belgian classic moules frites. Open from 11am to 2am.

Hyde & Seek Gastro Bar 65/1 Athenee Residence, Soi Ruamrudee, Wireless Rd, Tel: 02 168 5152 www.hydeandseek.com Imagine Mad Men coming to Bangkok and you have Hyde & Seek. Enjoy American and European comfort food in between the Martinis, and watch Thailand’s HiSos come out to play. Open from 11am to 1am.

Iron Fairies 394 Sukhumvit Soi 55, Thonglor Tel: 08 442 5808 www.theironfairies.com An iron workshop converted into Thonglor’s popular jazz wine bar. Monkey nuts on the floor, crowded tables and rocky chairs make for the perfect combination.

Grab a glass of wine and one of their famous burgers, and soak up the jazz and unique atmosphere. Open from 8pm to 2am, closed Sundays.

Niu’s on Silom 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Road, Silom Tel: 02 266 5333 / 4 www.niusonsilom.com One of the few true jazz and blues bars in Bangkok, Niu’s has live music each night while the upstairs Concerto Restaurant serves the highest quality Italian cuisine.

Will be open lunchtimes from September.

No Idea 8/3-4 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Tel: 02 663 6686, www.noideabkk.com Gastropub and café set on two floors with a wide arrange of beers and wines as well as excellent food, including great burgers. With lots of wood throughout, No Idea is a great pace for dinner, watching some sport or listening to the live bands on Friday and Saturday nights.

Open 10am to 1am.

Soi 8 Pub and Restaurant 25/4 Sukhumvit Soi 8, Tel: 02 653 3144 www.soi8.net One of Bangkok's most successful pub venues. Situated close to Nana BTS station, it offers good food and a great selection of local and imported draft beers with live sports and music. Open from 8am to 1am.

Tenderloins 7/8-9 Sukhumvit Soi 33, Tel: 02 258 4529, www.tenderloins33.com Claiming to be a sports bar and steakhouse, the food at Tenderloins has moved more into the American bracket, although the sports still remain Australian, as burgers and hot dogs vie with the excellent steaks. The set lunch represents excellent value for money.

After You Desert Café Thonglor Soi 13, Tel: 02 712 9266 Popular café set in Thonglor renowned for its Shibuya honey toast and other sweet delights. Can get very crowded at peak times. Open from 7am to midnight.

Bitter Brown Asoke Court, Sukhumvit Soi 21 Tel: 02 261 6535 A genuine oasis set amid the hustle and bustle of Asoke. Enjoy a quiet coffee while everyone else is stuck in the traffic. Open from 8am to 9pm, closed weekends.

Bkk Bagel Bakery 518/3 Maneeya Center North, Ploenchit Rd., Tel: 02 254 8157 www.bkkbagelbakery.com New York-style bagel bakery and deli in the heart of Bangkok, serving homemade bagels, made fresh daily and daily specials on the deli/sandwich menu.

Open from 8.30am to 6.30pm, (to 3.30pm weekends).

Café Tartine Athenee Residence, 65 Wireless Rd, Tel: 02 168 5464, www.cafetartine.net Offering breakfast, soups, sandwiches, make-your-own salads and naturally tartines and quiche, Café Tartine focuses on using high quality ingredients. The food has a homemade feel. Open from 8am to 8pm with free WiFi and parking.

Coffee Beans by Dao 47 Sukhumvit Soi 12 (Ekamai) Tel: 02 713 2506

broaden your palate with promotions around town

New Lunch at Niu’s

Starting last month, Niu’s on Silom is serving set lunches on weekdays from 11.30am to 2.30pm. A two-course pasta set lunch (B350 net) includes a choice of two salads or two soups, plus one of six pasta dishes, while the executive set lunch (B480 net) involves a choice of two courses, plus coffee or tea. The executive luxury set lunch (B680 net) involves a choice of four courses, plus coffee or tea. Drinks including house wine and cocktails (B220) are also available.

From 2.30pm to midnight the restaurant will serve a la carte and special promotions.

Niu’s on Silom, 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Rd., 02 266 5333-4, or email: reservation@ niusonsilom.com.

featured guest chef from Nov. 20 to 24, 6pm to 10.30pm. Diners can enjoy simple preparations of imported and local fish, shellfish and oysters including a free flow selection of premium oyster imported from Washington, Alaskan king crab, lobster, and New Zealand mussels (B1,500net for food, plus B700 for free flow wine). As the visit coincides with Thanksgiving Day, Delta Airlines is giving two diners airfare plus four nights’ accommodation at a world-class hotel in Seattle.

Parkview Restaurant at Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 22, Tel. 02 261 9000 (x 5938, 5945).

Rembrandt Festivals

Siam Kempinski Hotel is introducing its first open-air BBQ at Brasserie Europa every Friday evening starting Nov. 2. Guests are invited to enjoy international grill dishes from Thai-style grilled pork neck, rock lobster or black-peppered sirloin steak. The buffet has a wide variety of offerings for B1,700++/adult and B750++/child.

Brasserie Europa, Siam Kempinski, Tel: 02 162 9000.

The Rembrandt Hotel is celebrating Divali with a special set menu of northern Indian specialties for B1,199 net at Rang Mahal restaurant. The hotel will also be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with a set menu for B899, and Loy Kratong on Nov. 28 for B1,100 net. Finally Flavours restaurant will be showcasing Scandinavian food and live jazz from Nov. 24 to Dec. 2, 6pm to 10.30pm for B899 net.

Rembrandt Hotel, 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Tel: 02 261 7100

Seattle Seafood

Michelin Chef at Trader Vic’s

Friday Night BBQ

This November, Parkview Restaurant presents Seattle’s Anthony Pane as its

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CAFES

Anantara Bangkok Riverside’s Pacific Rim restaurant Trader Vic’s is hosting Michelin

star chef Nicolas Isnard from Nov. 14 to 21. The chef is preparing a special six-course dinner for B3,600 net. Guests wishing to step into the kitchen of the Michelin Chef can sign up for a three-course cooking class at Trader Vic’s kitchen on Nov. 17 for B3,500 net.

Trader Vic’s Restaurant, Anantara Bangkok Riverside, 02 476 0022 (x 1416)

Wine Mad Manhattan

Any day of the week, guests can wind down at JW Marriot’s Manhattan Bar, including a wide variety of wines from around the world starting from B99 net and a selection of four tapas items for B100 net.

Manhattan Bar, JW Marriot Ploenchit, Tel: 02 656 7700 (x 4230).

White Truffles and Pio Cesare Wines

From Nov. 10 to 30, Chef Daniele Cason is pairing some special truffle dishes with great Pio Cesare wines at Biscotti Italian restaurant. For both lunch and dinner, Cason will prepare an impressive menu using white truffles from Piedmont in his wine dinner for B7,500 net or an a la carte menu with price ranges from B1,200 to B4,500 net per dish.

Biscotti, Four Seasons Hotels Bangkok, Tel: 02 126 8866 (x. 1229 and 1230).

Has a large menu featuring Thai and international cuisine as well as dozens of cakes and pastries. Truly a place with something for everyone, leave room for dessert. Open from 11am to 8pm.

The Coffee Club 1239 Unit B, G/F Major Ekamai, Sukhumvit Rd., Tel: 02 381 2736 m.coffeeclub.com.au This sleek and modern café is more than just your everyday coffee and sandwich pit stop, it also serves all-day western cuisine along with some local dishes.

The menu includes beers and wines.

Open Sunday to Thursday from 6.30am to 10.30pm, Friday and Saturday until 11.30pm.

Chu 2/F Floor Exchange Tower, 388 Sukhumvit Road, Tel: 02 663 4554 www.facebook.com/chu.bkk Very contemporary coffee bar ideally located just across the pedestrian link from Asok BTS that offers great coffee, hot chocolate, pastries and more substantial bites, such as paninis. Excellent place for meeting up with friends or just gearing yourself up for the rush hour battle of Asok. Open from 7.30am to 9.30pm (Mon-Thu) and from 11am to 8pm (Sat / Sun).

Dean & Delucca 92 Naratiwasrachanakarin Rd, Silom, Tel: 02 234 1434 1/F ParkVentures Ecoplex, 55 Wireless Rd, Tel: 02 108 2350 1/F Sathorn Square Office Tower, 98 North Sathorn Road, Tel: 02 108 1414 www.deandeluca.com International chain of coffee houses with branches in the US, Japan, the Middle East, South Korea and now Thailand that has excellent coffee, pastries and cheese, as well as selling some kitchen accessories. Much more sophisticated than Starbucks.

Gastronom Café & Bakery G/F Yunomori Onsen & Spa, A Square, Sukhumvit Soi 26, Tel: 02 259 6138.

Bo and Dylan of Bo.lan restaurant have opened this café with specially trained coffee baristas decorating cappuccinos with fun images such as local favourite cartoon character Doraemon. Open from 11am to 10pm. haPpy Beans Sukhumvit Soi 23 Tel: 08 8884 6869 Small shop features gourmet soybean desserts, with both modern and traditional handmade Asian inspired soybean curd delights, as well as healthy and nutritious soymilk with fruity ice blends, and other specialties such as fluffy soypancakes with homemade jam.

I Wane 1975 14 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 664 0350 www.iwanne1975.com Japanese bakery that serves very western looking pastries and coffees. Does have a range of Japanese dishes as well such as Yaki Soba and Katsu curry rice.

Open from 7.30am to 9.30pm.

Mr. Jones’ Orphanage Seenspace, Thonglor 13, Tel: 02 185 2378 Dessert shop featuring recipes from Amy Hipkin that were published in How to be a Good House Wife in 1902. Pages from the cookbook decorate the ceiling of this fairy-tale eatery, which feels like a lifesized dollhouse, with mini chalkboards providing friendly reminders such as ‘Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.’ Open from 11am to 11pm.

Sofa Café 101/1-2 Ekamai, Tel: 02 711 5171 Quaint hole-in-the-wall bar situated on Ekamai with an eclectic mix of ornaments, good coffee and some excellent vibes.

CHINESE

The China House Mandarin Oriental, 48 Oriental Avenue Tel: 02 659 9000 Ext. 7650-1 www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/ dining/restaurants/china_house/ Inspired by the vibrant 1930’s Shanghai Art Deco period, this two-storey colonial building has been transformed into an avant-garde culinary destination, reminiscent of old world opulence. Executive Chinese Chef Andy Leong Siew Fye brings over a decade of award winning culinary experiences to a brand new a la carte Cantonese menu.

China Town Scala Shark’s Fin Restaurant 483-5 Yaowarat Rd, Tel: 02 623 0183-5 We know it’s a horrible trade, but if you have a taste for shark’s fin this is the place to go. There are other options, including fried fish, crab and suckling pig, but it’s hard to escape the 'fin'. Open from 10.30am to 2am Huasenghong Yaowarat Rd, Tel: 02 222 7053, 02 222 3563-5 Paradise Park, Tel: 02 787 2329 Sukhumvit Soi 101, Tel: 02 730 5141 Popular chain of well-priced Chinese food that is in a department store close to you.

Je Ngor 541/9 Maha Set (Charoenkrung Rd.), The original of the multi-outlet Chinese chain looks like a hole-in-the-wall establishment but inside it is bristling with Chinese spice. Open from 11.30am to 2pm and 5.30pm to 10pm.

Liu Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Rd Tel: 02 690 9999 A neo-classic Chinese restaurant that blends the culture, traditions and cuisine of old China, including Cantonese, Shanghainese and Sichuan dishes, with new and contemporary interpretations.

Enjoy Liu's signature dish Dong Po Pork, stewed pork belly with black soy sauce served with Chinese buns, succulent duck dishes to seafood. Open from 11am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 11pm.

The Mayflower Dusit Thani Hotel, 946 Rama IV Road Tel: 02 200 9000 (x2799) The grandiose European interior lined with Chinese antiques, leaves guests in no doubt that this is one of Bangkok’s finest Cantonese eateries, with an a la carte menu as well as daily set menus.

Also has six private rooms. Open from 11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to 10pm.

SBL Restaurant 710-714 Wangburapha Tel: 02 225 9079 www.sblrestaurant.com Serving traditional Taechew food since 1954, Somboonlarb was initially a small shop selling food to the Chinese people in the Yaowaraj area. Of these dishes, the Taechew sukiyaki is still on the menu.

Refurbished in 1997, the new style is a mixture between classical Chinese and fine Italian. No MSG. Sui Sian 10/F The Landmark Bangkok, 138 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 254 0404 (x4908) www.landmarkbangkok.com/suisian Authentic Cantonese dishes prepared by award-winning Hong Kong chefs, including 10 signature dishes such as deep-fried salmon spring roll and stirfried giant prawns with salted egg, in a 180-seat restaurant with eight private dining rooms. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm.

Summer Palace Mezzanine Level, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Road

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Tel: 02 656 0444 Renowned for its traditional Cantonese specialties by Dim Sum master chef, Summer Palace is ideal for special occasions with its 140-seat dining room and 10 private rooms. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Tang Jai Yoo 85-87 Soi Yaowaphanit, Yaowarat Rd. Tel: 02 224 2167 Open-air seafood restaurant in the heart of Chinatown with whole crabs, lobsters, fresh fish as well as roast pig skin. Open from 11am to 2pm, 4.20pm to 10pm.

Xin Tian Di Level 22, Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park 952 Rama IV Tel: 02 632 9000 With a stunning view of the Bangkok city skyline, Xin Tian Di is a good option for either business or a family get-together in one of its seven private rooms. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm.

Yim Yim 89 Yaowaphanit Rd, Tel: 02 224 2203/5 Around for some 80 years, Yim Yim is a Chinatown institution. Ignore the décor and gloomy low ceilings and enjoy the great food. Famous for its chicken soup, a flavourful broth and its raw fish. Open from 11am to 2pm, 5pm to 10pm.

FRENCH

4 Garçons 113 Thonglor 13, Sukhumvit 55 Tel: 02 713 9547 www.4garcons.com A journey for gourmands, Le Quatre Garcons mixes classic French chic with a modern twist. For simple French cuisine without any pretension and a touch of je ne sais quoi, this is the place. Open from 11.30am to midnight.

La Colombe d’Or 59 Sukhumvit Soi 8, Tel: 082 489 6164 www.la-colombedor.com Thailand's oldest independent French restaurant has been serving its patrons for 23 years. Famous for its pressed duck, enjoy traditional French cuisine and ambience. Open from 6pm to late, and for lunch on Saturday / Sunday.

Le Bouchon 37/17 Patpong Soi 2, Tel: 02 234 9109 One of Bangkok’s most authentic bistros, this small bar has only seven tables but buzzes with more atmosphere than many grander affairs, offering simple, home French country cuisine. Open from 12pm to 3pm, 7pm to 11pm, closed Sunday lunch.

Le Normandie Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Charoenkrung Soi 40, Tel: 02 659 9000 www.mandarinoriental.com Marbled foie gras, roast Sisteron rack of lamb and line-caught sea bass, the menu at Le Normandie is almost as exclusive as its high-society clientele. Formal dinner has a jacket only dress code but the lunch sets can offer some surprisingly good deals. Open from noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to 11pm.

Le Petit Zinc 110/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 259 3033, www.le-petit-zinc.com Chic bistro with a distinct art nouveau feel set on the bend of Soi 23 just after Giusto. Choose between sitting on the wood-decked terrace or inside in air-con comfort. Open from Tue-Sun 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to midnight (Sundays 11.30 to midnight), closed Mondays.

INDIAN

Mrs. Balbir's Fine Indian Cuisine 155/1-2 Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 Tel: 02 651 0498, www.mrsbalbir.com One of the first Indian restaurants in Bangkok, Mrs Balbir is still one of its

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finest despite the increasing competition.

Open from 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm, closed Mondays.

Indus 71 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Tel: 02 258 4900 www.indusbangkok.com Bringing Indian cuisine to the world of fine dining, Indus mixes the contemporary with historical Moghul, alongside its cocktail lounge and outdoor garden terrace. The cuisine is Kashmiri-inspired Mughalai, modified by using fresh local ingredients. WiFi is available on request.

Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 11pm.

Rang Mahal 26/F, Rembrandt Hotel, 19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Tel: 02 261 7100 (x7527) www.rembrandtbkk.com/dining/rangmahal Named after a famed pavilion within Delhi’s Red Fort, Rang Mahal’s menu has an appropriately regal air with food covering the sub-continent’s Mughlai, Nawabi and frontier cuisine, alongside service to match. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 11pm.

INTERNATIONAL

Above Eleven 33F Frasers Suite Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 207 9300, www.aboveeleven.com Nikkei, the Peruvian-Japanese fusion food arrives in Bangkok at this most contemporary restaurant, equipped with outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls and central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds. Open from 6pm to 2am.

The Bar & The Restaurant 24th Avenue, Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 082 222 7474 Classy champagne lounge and restaurant rolled into one, the Bar has an incredible selection of signature Moët & Chandon Champagne cocktails, whisky, cognac, Armagnac and fine wines, while the Restaurant delivers French and Italian cuisine featuring imported ingredients such as lobster, foie gras, black truffle and caviar. Open from 11am to 1am.

Be Your Guest 24 Sukhumvit Soi 53 (Thonglor) Tel: 081 637 9047, www.beyourguest.asia An oasis in Thonglor, La Villa Be Your Guest is a Mediterranean-style villa with private garden and swimming pool that serves gourmet French and Thai food as well as offering outside catering, private chef at home and French and Thai cooking class in French, Thai and English. The 600sqm venue is ideal for private parties, business dinners or birthdays.

The Bistro 33 22 Sukhumvit Soi 33, Tel: 02 260 3033 www.thebistro33.com Contemporary dining venue offering bistro cuisine including a wide range of steaks and pizzas and an extensive selection of wines in a casual and elegant atmosphere. Its quiet, tucked around the corner location and generous gardens makes this a great option for private parties and events.

Crepes & Co. 88 Thonglor Soi 8, Tel: 02 726 9398 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1 Ploenchit Rd., Tel: 02 653 3990-1 www.crepes.co.th Serving its particular blend of crêpe, pasta, salads and more substantial dishes since 1996, Crepes and Co has become one of the city’s most favoured institutions. The original Soi 12 outlet might have closed, but the franchise has expanded across town, down the coast to Hua Hin and even to Shanghai. Open 9am to 11pm (Sunday from 8am).

Eat Me Restaurant Silom 20m off Convent Rd (in Soi Pipat

street gourmet

Roasted Duck Noodles In Thailand, duck is as common as chicken. Duck noodle soup or ba mee bped (B40) is a staple dish that locals enjoy for lunch or dinner. The food stalls are easily identified by roasted duck hanging behind a glass window. It normally consists of yellow egg noodles topped with roasted duck meat. You can have it with soup or dry “haeng”. Portions can seem small, so if you have a healthy appetite try ordering a special “pi-set”

which means you want extra noodles (B50). Served dry, the noodles may be tossed with fried garlic, scallions and white pepper for flavour.

The broth is made of duck bones, galangal, coriander root and some aromatic herbs. Though already tasty on its own, you may consider adding some vinegar chilli sauce which makes a great dipping sauce for the duck meat. You can also enjoy it with some dried chilli flakes.

2), Tel: 02 238 0931 www.eatmerestaurant.com Sleek Australian-owned restaurant and lush garden vie for your attention in this popular expat hang-out. Rotating exhibitions feature both Thai and international artists. Food is modern, international and ‘regional’. Open from 3pm to 1am.

Strong emphasis on health food, from the fresh fruit, muesli and wholegrain breads for breakfast to the pick-me-up shot of pure wheatgrass. The wholesome menu is equally appealing or you can try from the selection of energising juices or organic wines. Open from 6am to 9pm.

El Gaucho 8/1-7 Sukhumvit Soi 19, Tel: 02 255 2864 Two-storey Argentinean steakhouse includes an outdoor terrace and can sit up to 180 diners, serves the finest quality steaks, including tenderloins, tender lamb chops and rib-eye steaks. Open from 4pm to late.

Greyhound Cafe 2/F Emporium, Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 664 8663 4/F Central Chidlom Tel: 02 255 6964-5 J-Avenue, Thonglor Soi 55 02 712 6547 G/F Siam Centre Tel: 02 658 1129-30 Reliable chain of contemporary restaurants that has been serving a good selection of Thai and international dishes in an unobtrusive atmosphere for 11 years. Also has a catering branch.

Firehouse Pub & Restaurant 3/26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 651 3643, www.firehousethailand.com If you like burgers, Firehouse is the place. From racks of three mini-burgers to an Australian Black Angus beef, it even has a Breakfast Burger. Smother with cheese, mustard and pickle, or for the more daring top with avocado and gorgonzola. Open from 11.30pm to 3am (to midnight Sunday), closed Monday.

Gaggan 68/1 Soi Langsuan, (Opposite Soi 3) Tel: 02 652 1700 www.eatatgaggan.com The creation of El Bulli trained chef Gaggan Anand, this fashionable eatery has an ever-changing menu with fresh produce. The tasting menu is a good option for those who have yet to experience molecular gastronomy at first hand.

Open from 6pm to 11.30pm.

Glow The Metropolitan Bangkok, 7 South Sathorn Rd, Tel: 02 625 3366 www.como.metropolitan.bz

Kitche Jatujak Green, Kampaengpech 3 Rd., Tel: 085 484 9033 Offering Italian cuisine at affordable prices, Kitche is a casual dining outlet with dishes such as baked aubergine with bacon and ham, grilled white snapper with barley risotto and feta salad with lime dressing. Dine either in the warehouse inspired interior or outside.

Open from 11am to 9.30pm Tuesday to Thursday, to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday, and to 10pm on Friday and Sunday, closed Monday.

Little Beast 44/9-10 Thonglor Soi 13, Tel: 02 185 2670 A gastrobar serving contemporary American small plates and inventive drinks led

by Chef Nan Bunyasaranand. A place to hang out, enjoy the food and drink well into the night. Open from 5.30pm to 1am, closes at midnight Sunday.

Mezzaluna 63/F The Dome at Lebua, 1055 Silom Rd, Tel: 02 624 9555 www.lebua.com Spectacular views of the Bangkok skyline unfold from Mezzaluna perched at the top of the Dome in Lebua Hotel.

Inside ornate chandeliers and string quartet provide an ambience designed for haute cuisine and the food does not disappoint. Open from 6pm to 10.30pm, closed Monday.

Minibar Royale Citadines Bangkok, 37/7, Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 261 5533 www.minibarroyale.com The simple black and white interior gives this diner a retro art deco feel. The menu is slight and simple with the set menu scoring high on value though slightly less on quality. Open from 11am to 1am.

Outback Steakhouse 6/F Siam Discovery Centre, Rama I, Tel: 02 658 0202 www.outback-sea.com Featuring contemporary decor, a celebration of original Australian art and imagery reminiscent of the Australian Outback, this steakhouse emphasises the quality and freshness of its food, and is a relaxing place for family and friends to dine. Open from 11am to 10pm.

The Oyster Bar 394 Narathiwas Soi 24, Tel: 02 212 4809 www.theoysterbarbangkok.com Especially for crustacean lovers, the Oyster Bar has a vast range of fresh seafood, including oysters from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America and Japan, Alaskan king crabs and New England clams, washed down with a fair selection of house wines. Open from 6pm to 10pm (til 10pm Sundays), closed Mondays Pla Dib 1/1 Areesampan Soi 7, Rama 6 Tel: 02 279 8185 Renovated house has been turned into this popular Ari local with dishes that are best shared with your fellow diners. Unashamedly fusion, larb sits beside pizza, sushi and soft shell crab on the menu.

Open from 5pm to midnight.

Quince 4 Sukhumvit Soi 45, Tel: 02 662 4478 One of the newest eateries in town, at Quince you can be certain the food is made with the freshest and finest of ingredients. Named after the quince – a perishable fruit that needs care and attention – chef Jess Barnes cooks up home-styled dishes within the modern yet comfortable setting of a 1950s styled home. Open from 11.30am to 1am.

The Roof Restaurant Siam@Siam, 865 Rama 1 Rd, Tel: 02 217 3000 www.siamatsiam.com Thailand’s first stone grill alfresco restaurant designed to accommodate private dining and various parties or functions of up to 130 seated guests. The Roof offers a variety of international dishes freshly cooked on volcanic stones. This multi-level restaurant provides every seat on the roof top with remarkable angles of Bangkok by night. Open from 6pm to 11pm.

A deliberate attempt to replicate the chilled vibe of an East Coast cafĂŠ, Roast has an indie American menu which it by and large succeeds in delivering. Open from 10am to 10.30pm.

Salt Soi Ari (near Soi 4), Tel: 02 619 6886 This restaurant-cum-bar has a postmodern glean and a menu which screams of the global cuisine appearing from its rear kitchen, from fresh sashimi platters to the thin-crust pizzas cooked in the wood fire. Open from 6am to midnight, closed Sundays.

Seven Spoons 11 Chakkrapatipong Road Tel: 08 4539 1819 Tumbledown Chinese shop house with four tables including a sewing machine and plastic taxidermy mounted to the wall, the atmosphere of Seven Spoons is homely without becoming cloying. Falling somewhere between Mediterranean and international, the cuisine is born from an era of organic seitan and free-range chicken. Open from 6pm to midnight.

Smith 1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49 Tel: 02 261 0515-6.

Backed by the people behind Hyde & Seek, Smith is heavy on the meat – even down to the heavy duty butcher’s aprons the servers wear. Vegetarians are accommodated, but this really is an establishment for people who like their pound of flesh. Open from 5.30pm to 1am (kitchen closes at 11pm).

Tony Roma’s Unit G 21, G/F Siam Paragon, Tel: 02 610 9311 Terminal 21, Room SH-4-012, No. 2, 88 Sukhumvit Soi 19, Tel: 02 108 0790 With nearly 200 restaurants in 32 countries, Tony Roma’s has brought his special recipe ribs all over the world.

Also has a selection of steaks, seafood, salads and cocktails. Open from 11am to 10pm (to 10.30pm in the Siam Paragon branch).

Whale’s Belly 2/F 41 Boulevard Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 39 Tel: 02 160 0333 www.facebook.com/whalesbelly Dine in the Whale’s Belly with its curved ceiling designed to make customers feel underneath the blue ocean and sparkling stars. Has a selection of fresh seafood and premium products and a contemporary French and Italian cuisine ideal for pairing with both new and old world wines. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Wine Connection Deli & Bistro G/F K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tel: 02 661 3940 The wine connection owners have practically made it their mission to make a glass of vino affordable to the Bangkok middle classes. The K Village branch has an excellent deli and wine shop as well as serving a wide range of steaks and other mains. Open from 7.30am to 1am.

RR&B 138 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 254 0404 www.landmarkbangkok.com Located on the rooftop of the Landmark hotel and with breathtaking views of the Bangkok skyline, RR&B specialises in steakhouse favourites, from its Ferrarired open kitchen. Open from 6pm to 11pm (Mon to Thur), and to 11.30pm Fri / Sat, from 12pm to 2.30pm (Sun)

Wine Connection Deli Mille Malle Unit 101-102 1/F Mille Malle Project, 66/4 Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: 02 663 4517 / 02 663 4518 More like a smaller version of the K Village branch, but without the steaks, than the tapas inspired Rainhill branch. The Deli specialises in pizzas, pasta, salads and cold platters including mix and match options – choose yourself and pay per 100g. Aiming for local residents in the area, it has a range of breakfast including a la carte. Like K Village has a wine shop and deli attached to it. Open from 8am to midnight.

Roast 2/F Seenspace, Thonglor Soi 13 Tel: 02 185 2866 www.roastbkk.comÂ

Wine Connection Tapas Bar & Bistro G/F, Rain Hill, Sukhumvit 47 Tel: 02 261 7217

The Rain Hill Wine Connection branch has a strong focus on tapas as well as a wider range of wines than the other branches. With a livelier atmosphere too, this is the place to go in order to get connected with your fellow wine aficianados.

Has a wine shop to the rear rather than a deli on the premises. Open from 7.30am to 1am.

ITALIAN

Antonio’s 26 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 02 662 1001 This Italian diner has a very loyal following largely due to its daily specials menu and top-notch imported ingredients. Open from 6pm to 11pm.

Bar Italia Gaysorn G/F 999 Ploenchit Road, Tel: 02 656 1188-9 www.gaysorn.com A hip haven for hungry shoppers, Bar Italia has a selection of Italian appetisers, mains, pasta, pizza and sandwiches, as well as great coffee. Open from 11am to 8pm.

Basilico 8 Sukhumvit Soi 33 Tel: 02 662 2323 15/1 Sukhumvit Soi 20, Tel: 02 663 6633 34 Phaholyothin Soi 7, www.basilicopizza.com Central wood-fired oven give this pizzeria chain an air of authenticity and enough popularity to see the formula repeated around town. For the non-pizza eater there is also a range of pastas and other Italian dishes as well as 40 different wines.

Biscotti Four Seasons Bangkok, 155 Rajadamri Rd. Tel: 02 126 8866 www.fourseasons.com/bangkok One of Bangkok’s most popular Italian

restaurants, Biscotti serves up good yet simple Italian fare in a casual atmosphere. The express lunch menu with an antipasti buffet is popular with business people while the a la carte dinner invites a more intimate occasion. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm.

Concierto 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Rd., Silom Tel: 02 266 5333 / 4 www.niusonsilom.com Excellent Italian restaurant set above Niu’s on Silom, one of the few genuine jazz venues in Bangkok. If the music doesn’t tickle your fancy, then try some of the most original Italian treats upstairs, before retiring down below for some mellow notes to accompany your grappa.

Will be open lunchtimes from September.

Gianni’s 34/1 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road Tel: 02 252 1619 Cosy Italian trattoria that sparked the trend in genuine Italian restaurants. Excellent food and service still make Gianni stand out from the crowd despite the ever-increasing competition. Open from noon to 2pm and 6pm to 10.30pm.

Giusto 16 Sukhumvit Soi 23 Tel: 02 258 4321 www.giustobangkok.com Restaurant and wine bar which serves some of the finest Italian cuisine and wines in an elegant setting. Occasionally invites chefs from the region to showcase their talent. Open from 11.30am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 11pm.

La Bottega di Luca 2/F The Terrace 49 cnr. with Sukhumvit Soi 49/1 Tel: 02 204 1731 www.labottega.name Multi-award winning Italian restaurant by Luca Appino that provides rustic Italian

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Bangkok’s Original Cabaret Bar

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cuisine infused with influences from the Mediterranean. Has a cozy indoor space and outdoor terrace furnished with leather sofas and high tables. Also has a private dining wine room available for up to 14 guests. Open from 11.30 to 2.30pm, 6pm to midnight, closed Monday lunch.

imbibe

Limoncello 17 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Tel: 02 651 0707 Look no further for excellent wood-fired pizzas than this small diner tucked away just off popular Soi 11 with over 50 types of pie. Also has salads and pizzas in an atmosphere that feels very Italian.

Open from 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm.

Pomodoro 5/F Emporium, Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 259 8395 www.pomodorogroup.co.th Chain of Italian restaurants that serves Italian food made with the freshest ingredients as well as doing catering.

Also, has outlets at Siam Square and on Sukhumvit Soi 5.

How to Store Wine

By Darryl Bethea You did your research. The wine you purchased has a 90-point rating, your friends and family are excited to open it up and enjoy. But then you’re having trouble with the cork.

It cracks, breaking in half.

Finally, after tasting the wine, you are disappointed. What happened? How can this wine be so dull and lifeless? The answer could be in the storage method and temperature.

When storing wine, the positioning and temperature are crucial. First, wines should be kept at an even temperature, around 12C degrees. Too much heat will cause the wine to age prematurely, turn brown, and lose its fruitiness and life. A white wine kept too warm will darken, causing it to oxidise. Light, too, is an enemy. Too much will cause the cork to heat up and dry. Sparkling wines will lose bubbles and become flat in appearance and flavour.

The ideal wine storage area will have little or no natural light and no huge variations in temperature. Look at the relationship of the wine and how it is stored. That will give you a good clue about its contents.

Natural corks are porous and should be kept moist; dried corks will shrink and let air in.

Therefore, bottles sealed with a cork should be stored on their sides, labels facing up (once you store the wine, you don’t want to continually move it around.)

When serving, a full-bodied red wine will be best between 15C and 18C degrees, while

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a light-bodied version can be served slightly chilled at 13C degrees. White wines should be served cool or chilled, but not too cold because you will lose the aromatics and full flavour. The heavier dessert white wines can be served coldest (6-8C degrees), delicate and light wines around 7-10C degrees, and full-bodies whites at 10-13C degrees.

Sparkling wine is best around 6-10C degrees. When in the ice bucket or cooler, it should be submerged at a slight angle, so the wine at the upper portion of the bottle mixes with the colder wine at the bottom. Be careful not to keep it on ice too long. Many times the complexity of the wine and the palate experience can be ruined if the wine is over-chilled.

If you are serious about your wine, a wine cabinet with one or two temperature zones is a great investment. The ideal temperature will vary according to the origin and age of the wine, though many new world labels will indicate best temperatures. A few degrees Celsius can change flavours even from the same bottle, in one sitting. So the best thing to do is experiment to find the right balance.

Darryl Bethea is Group Sales Manager for Fine Wines of the World (09 3378 5005) and is a certified sommelier from the Court of the Master Sommeliers. Contact Darryl at 09 3378 5005 or email Darryl@ finewinesasia.com.

Rossano’s 116 Sukhumvit Soi 21 Tel: 02 260 1861 The antipasti alone make a trip to Rossano’s worthwhile. Decorated to represent an Italian style taverna, Rossano’s is a refreshing change from the minimalist modern interiors possessed by many new restaurants in Bangkok.

This is a place without a lot of frills but is for people who like good food. Open from 11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to 11pm.

Rossini’s Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Soi 13 Tel: 02 649 8888 www.rossinisbangkok.com With a creative menu inspired by Michelin star chef, Alfredo Russo, and resident chef, Stefano Merlo, diners can experience Italy’s rich culinary heritage and the finest contemporary cuisine in the setting of a Tuscan villa at Rossini's.

Zanotti 1/F, 21/2 Saladaeng Colonnade Condo, Saladaeng Rd, Silom Tel: 02 636 0002 / 0266 www.zanotti-ristorante.com Up-market Italian diner that has been consistently serving excellent Italian dishes for a number of years. The décor is beginning to show its age, but the quality of food and service remains at the highest level. Open from 11.20am to 2pm and 6pm to 10.30pm.

JAPANESE / KOREAN

BonChon Chicken 2/F Seenspace, Thonglor Soi 13 Tel: 02 185 2361 Hailing from the South Korean city of Pusan, BonChon serves up healthy chicken with little grease and even less fat, coated in either soy garlic or spicy soy garlic. Open Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 11pm, Friday / Saturday 11am to midnight.

Drinking Tea Eating Rice 3/F Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 690 9999 Featuring a Teppanyaki table, sushi counter and tatami rooms, this restaurant serves traditional Japanese food with a special focus on fresh sushi, sashimi, oysters, French lobsters and Kobe Beef. Has an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet at weekends. Open from 11.30am to 11.30pm.

Isao 5 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 02 258 0645-6 www.isaotaste.com A fusion sushi bar which gives traditional Japanese cuisine an international twist, it is the brainchild of chef Isao, who used to run the Green Tea Japanese

Restaurant in Chicago. Open from 11am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10pm.

Zuma 1/F, The St Regis Hotel Bangkok, 159 Ratchadamri Rd, Tel: 02 252 4707 www.zumarestaurant.com The contemporary Japanese restaurant that has proved so successful in London has opened up in Bangkok, and you can tell from the solid rock of the grill counter to blocks of stone at the sushi station that these guys are here for the long run. Zuma delivers an elegant, yet informal, dining experience based on the traditional izakaya style of eating and drinking. Open from 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm, the bar stays open to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

MEXICAN / TAPAS

Charley Browns Mexicana 1/23 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 651 2215 Mexican restaurant that has been pumping out quality food and margaritas for over 20 years on the small pedestrianised sub-soi 11. Has almost nightly specials – on Sundays get a free complimentary kids meal with each adult meal ordered, 50 percent off for sports clubs members on Mondays, half-price margaritas and sangria on Tuesdays, three for two on light bites and appetisers on Wednesdays, and 20 percent off food for teachers on Thursdays. Open 11.30am to midnight, from 5pm on Mondays.

Coyote 575-9 Sukhumvit Rd. (Near the corner of Soi 33) Tel: 02 662 3838 www.coyotebangkok.com Margarita bar cum Mexican and southwest grill restaurant spread over two floors has much of the décor imported from the USA and Mexico. Its tequila collection is the largest in Thailand and over 75 different margaritas served.

Open from 11am to 1am.

La Monita Taqueria 888/26 Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 650 9581 The five tables, bench seating and window bar creates the informal atmosphere of a little Mexican diner – even the food is served in plastic baskets.

The orange interior provides a warm atmosphere for some tasty food. Open daily from 11.30am to 10pm.

Spanish on 4 78 Silom Soi 4, Tel: 02 632 9955 www.tapascafebangkok.com If you like your tapas to come small on price as well as quantity, Spanish on 4 will fit the bill. Jamon iberico, patatas bravas, paella and tortilla: you know the formula by now, but it never ceases to be fun. Open from 11am to midnight.

Tapas Café 1/25 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 651 2947 www.tapasiarestaurants.com On the same sub-soi as Cheap Charlies, this tapas bar makes for a good pit-stop for those who want some food with their drink. The menu changes frequently but the sangria keeps on flowing regardless. Open from 11am to late.

MIDDLE-EASTERN

Al Majlis Tearoom Praduu Spa Club 83/8, Soi Charoenchai (Ekamai 12) Tel: 02 392 2345 www.almajlis-tearoom.com Replete with shisha pipe and mint tea, Al Majlis has a lanterned garden and tearoom, providing a genuine Moroccan ambience. The food includes that all-spice favourite tagine. Open from 4.30pm to 1am, closed Sundays.

street gourmet

Nok Yoong, Maharat Road Tel: 02 221 9158-9 Excellent views of Wat Arun accompany authentic Thai cuisine and international fare at very reasonable prices. Open from 11am to 10pm.

Home Kitchen 94 Lang Suan Rd., Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 281 9228 This charming hole-in-the-wall restaurant is a bit of a steal with its excellent, flavoursome Thai food and good presentation.

Pandan Noodle in Coconut Milk This funny looking dessert can be off-putting with its green worm-like shape, but it’s worth a try. Pandan noodle in coconut milk or lod chong nam ga-thi (B15) is a traditional Thai dessert that you can find in street stalls and on dessert menus in local restaurants. It’s not an easy dessert to make for even the most skilled chefs. The slimy looking green noodles have a chewy texture that is made

from flour and pandan leaves.

It is normally served with a ladle of sweet coconut milk.

Sometimes it can be served with strips of jack fruit, an exotic fruit that has a strong flavour and scent that not all can handle. Some say that it originates from Singapore.

It is always served cold on crushed or cubed ice. Locals enjoy it throughout the day as it can be quite refreshing in the hot climate.

Beirut Lebanese Restaurant Ploenchit: B/F Ploenchit Centre, Sukhumvit Soi 2, Tel: 02 656 7377 Silom: 1/F Silom 64 Building, Silom Road Tel: 02 632 7448 Bumrungrad Hospital: 10A/F, Bumrungrad Hospital, Sukhumvit Soi 3 Tel: 08 4466 7576 Thonglor: Level 1, Eight Shopping Building, Thonglor Soi 8, Tel: 02 714 8963 www.beirut-restaurant.com Offering a unique dining experience with food made fresh daily, each restaurant offers a menu of Lebanese and Mediterranean prepared dishes that include a variety of appetisers, salads, soups, vegetarian items, grilled meats and poultry and combination plates.

www.baan-khanitha.com The second of Khanitha Akaranitikul’s two restaurants, features an art gallery exhibiting the paintings of both local and foreign artists as well as the award winning food. Open from 11am to 11pm.

Nadimo's Baan Silom, 651 Silom Soi 19 Tel: 02 266 9081 www.nadimos.com This much talked of Lebanese restaurant is the chosen place to sample Middle Eastern cuisine in Bangkok. All the classics feature on the menu along with some interesting specials for the more adventurous diner. Open from 11am to 11pm.

Bo.lan Essentially Thai 42 Soi Pichai Ronnarong Songkram Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tel: 02 602 9612 www.bolan.co.th Believing in following the cooking rituals practised in Thailand for countless years and by utilising the abundance of natural resources Thailand has to offer, Bo.lan takes full advantage of the fresh and seasonal produce available. Adopting the slow food philosophy it aims to promote the biodiversity of both wild and cultivated produces. Open from 6.30 pm till late, closed Mondays.

THAI

Baan Khanitha 36/1 Soi Sukhumvit 23 Tel: 02 258 4181 www.baan-khanitha.com The original of two award-winning Thai restaurants has been operating for more than 17 years, serving high quality authentic Thai food. Set in a traditional Thai house full of antiques and with an outside terraced area this is one of the foremost Thai restaurants in town. Open from 11am to 11pm.

Baan Khanitha & Gallery 69 South Sathorn Rd Tel: 02 675 4200-1

Blue Elephant 233 South Sathorn Rd Tel: 2673 9353 www.blueelephant.com Renowned for its Thai Royal Cusine, the Blue Elephant serves both traditional and fusion dishes served in carved fruit bowls, clay pots, and folded leaves, such as foie gras with tamarind sauce and lamb chop Kra Paow. Open 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30.

Cabbages & Condoms Sukhumvit Soi 12 Tel: 02 229 4610 Mr Condom’s restaurant has developed a strong international following due to its social cause. Lampshades, sculptures and wall-hangings made from condoms are part of the founder’s campaign to make rubbers socially acceptable. Open from 11am to 11pm.

The Deck Arun Residence, 36-38 Soi Pratoo

Issaya Siamese Club 4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Rd, Sathorn Tel: 02 672 9040 www.issaya.com Thai restaurant set in a 1920s building that formerly housed Le Café Siam, has a very relaxed garden ambience almost unique to Bangkok. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 1am (kitchen closes 10.30pm), bar open to 2am.

Thompson Restaurant and Wine Bar Jim Thompson House, 6/1 Soi. Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd. Tel: 02 612 3668 www.jimthompson.com Mastering the fine art of pairing classic Thai cuisine with old and new world wines, the décor is luxurious with iridescent Thai silks used throughout. The restaurant presents the very best in Thai cuisine and hospitality evoking memories of the legendary Jim Thompson himself.

Open from 9am to 11pm.

Lemongrass 5/1 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 258 8637 Set in a traditional wooden house just around the corner from The Emporium, this small diner has tasty Thai food at affordable prices hidden among the antiques.

Nahm Metropolitan by COMO, 27 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 625 3388 www.comohotels.com/metropoliatanbangkok Occupying the ground floor of the Metropolitan and overlooking the outdoor pool, this award-winning Thai restaurant is for serious gourmets. Renowned Australian chef, David Thompson values the strong, fresh flavours of traditional Thai cuisine, and he delivers surprising tastes and textures in his creations. There’s also a private dining room ideal for corporate or social events. Open from 12pm to 2pm (Mon. to Fri. only), 7pm to 10.30pm.

Naj 42 Convent Rd., Silom Tel: 02 632 2811-3 www.najcuisine.com Set in a building that dates back to the era of Rama V, Naj produces “exquisite Thai cuisine.” The décor is faultless with an outside terrace area and three floors of dining, the top one of which is for VIP guests. Naj has won awards for its cuisine. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 11.30pm.

Puangkeaw 108 Sukhumvit Soi 23 Tel: 02 258 3663 Reasonably priced and reliable Thai restaurant tucked around the corner from Giusto that has been serving its customers since 1985. In addition to the compact restaurant there is a small garden area. Open from 11am to 2pm, 5pm to 10pm (11am to 10pm Saturday / Sunday).

Ruen Malika 189 Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: 02 663 3211-2 www.ruenmallika.com

This large Thai teak house set on two stories oozes with a sense of tradition from the staff who greet you in their northern Thai costumes to the bowl of water in which you wash your hands before dining and the celadon in which the dishes are served. Ruen Malika specialises in Royal Thai cuisine.

Ruen Urai The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawong Rd Tel: 02 266 8268 Set in a 100-year old teak house and surrounded by lush gardens, Ruen Urai is an oasis of a Thai restaurant popular with travellers and locals alike. Open from 11am to 11.30pm.

Sala Rim Naam Mandarin Oriental Bangkok 48 Oriental Avenue Tel: 02 437 6211 www.mandarinoriental.com Located on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River to the Mandarin Oriental, this Thai pavilion offers a wide selection of Thai cuisine including a buffet lunch and special set dinner as well as al fresco dining on the Terrace Rim Naam.

There is also a performance of classical Thai dancing each night.

Salathip Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu New Rd. Tel: 02 236 7777 www.shangri-la.com A quintessential Thai dining experience beside the Chao Phraya River. Savour authentic cuisine in Thai-style teak pavilions while enjoying classical Thai dance performances. Open from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Somtum Der 5/5 Saladaeng Rd. Tel: 02 632 4499 Experience the unique taste of northern Isan somtum, with more than 20 varieties on offer, from tum pla tu khao mun (with grilled mackerel and coconut rice) to tum suo sakhonnakorn (with Thai vermicelli and white popinac seeds) and tum muo (with vermicelli, pla ra, pork roll and marinated raw pork sausage). Open from 11am to 12am, closed Sundays.

Soul Food Mahanakorn 56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55 Tel: 02 714 7708 www.soulfoodmahanakorn.com Part cocktail bar, part Thai restaurant, Soul Food believes that dining should be both satisfying and fun. It also has a strong heart, sourcing most of its produce from small farms in the northeast of Thailand. The rice is organic and fair trade, the meat is free range and the menu has seasonal daily specials.

Supatra River House 266 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arunamarin Rd., Tel: 02 411 0305 www.supatrariverhouse.net Converted into a restaurant in 1998, Supatra has a magnificent terrace overlooking the river as well as two dining areas, one of which is air-conditioned. Each Saturday night there is a performance of Thai classical dance by the Patravadi Theatre. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 11pm.

PUBS / SPORTS BARS

The Ball in Hand The Rajah Hotel Complex, 18 Sukumvit Soi 4 Tel: 081 917 8530 www.theballinhand.com Established in 2004, The Ball in Hand was Bangkok's first professionalstandard pool venue fitted out with 11 of the finest quality Brunswick pool tables, making it not only a playing environment of the highest standards, but also a showroom for Brunswick's vast product line. Has a full bar and food, as well as a

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master of mixology

sister venue, the Metro Bar which places a greater emphasis on cocktails. Open from 2pm to 2am weekdays and from 11am at weekends.

The Clubhouse 21/1-3 Soi 23, Sukhumvit Tel: 02 664 1376/7 Excellent Australian-owned sports bar and grill specialising in burgers, steaks and pub classics. Wine buffet each night from 6pm to 9pm with unlimited wine and beer and different specials each night of the week. Happy hour 3pm to 9pm. Open from 9am to 2am.

Duke of Wellington 101-103 Soi Suksavitaya, Silom Rd. Tel: 02 235 9518 www.dukepub.com An English pub in the heart of the Silom business district. With a full English menu, breakfast, Thai food, and a large selection of bottled beers and cocktails.

The Duke has four large screen TVs and a digital projector for live sports.

Giving Thanks for Beer

By Matt Myers November is upon us at MGM Grand Ho Tram and we are all knee deep in getting this wonderful property ready to open. Let me apologise in advance to all our friends, associates and loved ones. If we don’t respond to emails, text messages and Facebook notifications, we are truly sorry.

Opening a business is not easy and those of you who work in hospitality, run hotels/ restaurants, or own a business understand the challenges.

You can relate to being tired from working 70 plus hours a week, not sleeping or eating regularly for weeks on end.

For those who don’t have to deal with this kind of madness, you can enjoy a nice Thanksgiving. Generally, American Thanksgiving dinner is served around 2 or 3pm. Why? Because of American football.

You need to be able to get all that family stuff out of the way before the real enjoyment of Thanksgiving Day begins.

With American Football having this influence over Thanksgiving I found it fitting to do a food pairing that is about great beer. Belgian-style beers go well with the majority of Thanksgiving dishes. While most Americans drink lagerstyle beers, the Belgian variety can be a fitting pairing for the adventurous palette.

I recommend the following beers with your Thanksgiving favourites:

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• Maredsous 10 Tripel - Brewed by Duvel Moortgat (Belgium) - Honeysuckle nose, light burnt caramel, crisp with a short finish - Pairing: roast turkey and herb stuffing with gravy • Moa Noir - Brewed by Moa Brewing Co (New Zealand) - Dark chocolate nose, rich Vietnamese coffee with salted toffee finish - Pairing: deep fried turkey (crispy skin) • Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) - Brewed by Chimay (Belgium) - Big, heady beer with accents of burnt sugar, cinnamon and baking spices - Pairing: pumpkin pie • Erdinger Dunkel Weisbier - Brewed by Erdinger (Germany) - Another big, heady beer, with cocoa powder-maple nose. This beer has a nice honey finish with hints of cardamom - Pairing: glazed ham with pineapple

Give these pairings a try and customise your own celebration.

Matt Myers is the director of beverage for MGM Grand Ho Tram.

Durty Nellys 56-56/1 Ekamai Tel: 02 714 2692 www.durtynellysasia.com Located on up-and-coming Ekamai, this Irish pub has an extensive menu of Irish, British and European favourites, as well as live sports on multiple big screen TVs. Finnegans Irish Pub & Restaurant Sukhumvit Soi 4 Tel: 02 656 8160 Irish bar with a distinctly local feel to it as well as an extensive menu offering a selection of continental, Thai and Irish specials such as bacon and cabbage.

Happy Hour from 12pm until 8pm, open from 9am to 1am.

Hanrahans Sukhumvit Soi 4 Tel: 02 255 0644 www.hanrahansbangkok.com Set on three floors with a large outdoor patio and bar downstairs showing live sports, a middle floor lounge with comfortable leather Chesterfield sofas, pool table, and an open air roof terrace with decked flooring, heavy wooden outdoor furniture and tropical plants, Hanrahans serves western and Thai food. Open from 8am to 1am, kitchen closes 11pm.

The Londoner Brew Pub Basement of UBC II Building, Sukhumvit Soi 33 Tel: 02 261 0238-9 Famed for brewing Thailand's only pub-brewed English bitter and pilsner lager in its cellar - London Pilsner 33 and Londoner’s Pride Cream Bitter – the Londoner also has a selection of pub food as well as a multitude of screens for watching Premier League football. Open 11am to 1am Mulligans Irish Pub and Restaurant 22/22 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 255 5025 www.mulliganspubs.com Irish bar set on the ground floor of Citadines Hotel on Soi 11 serves good Irish and Thai food as well as some excellent cold beer. Open 6am to late.

O’Reillys 62/1-4 Silom Road Tel: 02 632 7515-19 www.oreillyspubbangkok.com A modern day take on an Irish bar, O’Reillys shows live sports on its big screens as well as live music from Lee Shamrock on Monday nights and Beatles tribute band, The Betters on Thursdays.

Wednesday night is quiz night.

Pickled Liver Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 Tel: 02 651 1114 www.thepickledliver.com

Popular British pub and sports bar that serves pub grub, good Thai food and some devilish Indian curries. Thursday night quiz and Friday night music are particularly popular with expats. Happy hour from 3pm to 7pm. Open from 3pm to late.

The Pintsman Basement United Centre Bldg, 323 Silom Rd, Tel: 02 234 2874 www.thepintsman.com With 10 beers on tap, including Leffe Brune, Hoegaarden and Kilkenny the Pintsman and around 40 imported bottled beers with a definite Germanic Belgian leaning, it’s clear why customers ask for the Pintsman. Each night has a special theme, sometimes with live music.

Robin Hood 507/1-3 Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 Tel: 02 662 3390 www.robinhoodbangkok.com A rustic English tavern located just across the road from the Emporium with wooden floorboards and classic long bar.

Downstairs gets filled up with punters here to watch live sports, so those looking for a piece of privacy should retire to the mezzanine level which also has a pool table. Serves pub grub alongside international and Thai favourites with live music every Wednesday. Open from 9am to midnight.

Royal Oak 595/10-11 Sukumvit 33/1 Tel: 02 662 1652 www.royaloakthailand.com Outside decking on this relative quiet sub-soi provides a good place to chew the fat with a mate over a pint. On the same site as the first British pub in Bangkok, the Oak still has an authentic air with live sport each week. Open from 10am to 1am.

Witches’ Tavern Thonglor (between Soi 8 & 10) Tel: 02 391 7170 www.witch-tavern.com Established in 1988, the newly modernised Witch’s Tavern serves traditional English dishes plus Thai and international cuisine with live bands playing most nights.

VEGETARIAN

Anothai 976/17 Soi Praram 9 Hospital, Huay Kwang Tel: 02 641 5366 Small restaurant in a far northeast suburb of the city where the owner uses his own vegetables grown on his farm.

Many of the pan-Asian dishes are vegan.

Open from 10am to 9.30pm, closed Wednesdays.

Khun Churn G/F Bangkok Mediplex, Sukhumvit Soi 42 Tel: 02 713 6599 The capital’s version of the Chiang Mai veggie classic has been transformed from green fields to a sterile shopping mall. However, the same meat-free renditions of Thai favourites appear on the menu in all their faux brilliance.

Na Aroon Ariyasom Villa, 65 Sukhumvit Soi 1 Tel: 02 254 8880 www.ariyasom.com This hotel restaurant has a great and varied vegetarian menu, including some most original dishes using fresh organic vegetables and fruit. Some fish dishes have slivered their way onto the menu, along with western dishes. Open from 6.30am to 11pm.

Rasayana Raw Food Cafe Rasayana Retreat, 57 Soi

Sukhumvit 39 Tel: 02 662 4803-5 www.rasayanaretreat.com Located in Bangkok and Pattaya, the Raw Food Café aims at those who take up vegetarian diet for health reasons.

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, wheatgrass juice, and tonics and enzyme drinks make giving up meat less arduous. Opens from 10am to 8pm.

WINE BARS

494 B/F Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Road Tel: 02 254 1234 Bustling wine bar in the basement of the Grand Hyatt hotel, gets packed in the evening largely due to cheap wine by the glass during its noon to 10.30pm happy hour. Open from noon to midnight (from 5pm Sundays).

Wine Connection Tapas Bar & Bistro G/F, Rain Hill, Sukhumvit 47 Tel: 02 261 7217 The Rain Hill Wine Connection branch has a strong focus on tapas as well as a wider range of wines than the other branches. With a livelier atmosphere too, this is the place to go in order to get connected with your fellow wine aficianados. Has a wine shop to the rear rather than a deli on the premises. Open from 7.30am to 1am.

Zaks Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 651 0212-4 Once you get over the concept of a “wine cocktail pub” you will surely enjoy this wine bar and restaurant on throbbing Soi 11. Has a generous outdoor terrace area as well as a contemporary interior where you can enjoy the wellpriced wines.

nightlife BARS & LOUNGES

See bar restaurant listings for more popular watering holes.

Amorosa Arun Residence, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Rd., Tel: 02 221 9158 www.arunresidence.com Overlooking the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, and with balmy breezes, soft Latin Jazz and cocktails Amorosa is a great venue for a sundowner. Open from 6pm to 1am or later if you book a room.

Apoteka Bar 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 08 3720 5586 www.apotekabkk.com This multi-roomed luxury bar and gastroeatery has a 19th century apothecary, opium den and laboratory as well as a 20m wide terrace incorporated into its design. Both food and drink are contemporary but with an old medicinal twist using western and eastern ingredients.

Open from 5pm to 1am.

Beer Vault G/F Four Points by Sheraton, Sukhumvit Soi 15,Tel: 02 309 3255 www.beervaultbangkok.com Put your feet up after work with a cold beer and simple snacks. The Beer Vault has a great range of international and local beers with 97 bottled beers and six beers on tap, as well as a few handcrafted beer cocktails. Open from 3pm to midnight.

Brew G/F Seenspace, Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor) Soi 13,

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Thonglor 8 Thonglor building, ground floor, 88 Thonglor Soi 8 Tel. (662) 726 9398 or 726 9399

Tel: 02 185 2366 www.brewbkk.com Claims to stock the largest selection of draught and bottled beers anywhere in Thailand. With over 140 varieties, its encyclopedic collection contains brews from across the globe, including dozens of microbrewery brands. Also has a wide range of imported cigars and a variety of bar snacks and deli-counter platters with a pan-European influence.

Cheap Charlie’s Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 253 4648 Doing what it says on the can, Cheap Charlie’s has become an institution for those expats and tourists who like their beer cheap. Situated on Soi 11’s hip sub-soi, customers spill out onto the street where striking up a conversation with the person next to you is mandatory.

Open from 5pm to midnight.

Clouds G/F SeenSpace, Thonglor Soi 13 Tel: 02 185 2365 Another venture from Ash Sutton, Clouds is hidden behind a shopping mall off a side-soi. The place’s popularity with HiSos shows that the Australian entrepreneur has not lost his Midas touch although this creation might make you believe you’ve left your spaceship parked outside on the double yellow lines. Open from 6pm to 2am, closed Sundays.

The Dome Lebua at State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 624 9555 www.thedomebkk.com.

Almost as death-defying as the heights are the number of bars and restaurants located within the dome. Those with no head for heights should stay within the indoor restaurants Mezzaluna and Breeze, but daredevils should head straight to the Skybar with its quite breathtaking view down to the mere mortals below. Has

anyone thought of filming Batman here?

Open from 6pm to 1am, the Skybar closes during stormy weather.

Face Bar 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38, Tel: 02 713 6048 www.facebars.com Chic and trendy, Face is a stunning bar famous for its cocktails. A place where you can socialise in the great tradition of resting places for traders along the silk route, talk, chill out and drink with friends and fellow travellers or just relax on one of the raised Chinese beds.

Gossip Thonglor Soi 15, Tel: 02 185 309 Julien Lavigne and his partners from Oskar’s Bistro have combined to open a new Thonglor bar set on two floors with a huge projector playing vintage movies onto the building, with cocktails created by mixologist Karol Ansaldi formerly of the St. Regis’ Zuma.

Hardrock Café 424/3-6 Siam Square Tel: 02 658 4090-3 Hardrock.com “Where good times are only as far away as your next electric slide step,” claims Bangkok’s branch of the global music, dining and partying franchise. Expect lots of fun and some solid music with a live band playing from 9.30pm each night.

Open 11.30am to 1am.

Leapfrog Bar and Restaurant Ramada Encore Bangkok 21 Sukhumvit Soi 10 Tel: 02 615 0999 www.ramadaencorebangkok.com Enjoy Bangkok’s skyline from this rooftop bar and restaurant, with fine, intimate dining, from Californian fare to tapas-like specialties and a more relaxed and casual atmosphere later in the evening. Open 4pm to 1am.

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Nest Le Fenix Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 255 0638 www.lefenix-sukhumvit.com Le Fenix’s rooftop lounge bar attracts top DJs, musical acts and partygoers from across the city. An intoxicating combination of lounge lizard, beach bar and innovative urban jungle hotspot, you can just laze back and enjoy the view. Open from 5pm to 2am.

recipes

Oskar Bistro 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 255 3377 www.oskar-bistro.com Next to Bed Supperclub, Oskar is the definitive late-night dining option, with pizzas, merguez harrissa, and Asian classics as well as a large selection of martinis, long drinks and mojitos. Open from 6pm to 2am.

The Roof Champagne & Wine Bar Siam@Siam, 865 Rama 1 Road Tel: 02 217 3000 www.siamatsiam.com Offers a fine drinking experience with views overlooking Bangkok’s fantastic skyline. Open from 6pm to 0.30am.

Scarlett Wine Bar and Restaurant Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, 188 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 238 1991 Another rooftop bar with an outdoor terrace offering great views of the city’s skyline, but this time with a Michelin-star menu to boot. The tapas menu is great for sharing and can be washed down with some old world wine or a classic cocktail. Open from 5pm to 2am.

Tuba 34 Ekkmai Soi 21 / Thonglor Soi 20 Tel: 02 711 5500 www.design-athome.com A bar, restaurant and furniture showroom all in one – why not? No complaints about not being able to find a seat, at Tuba you can even take one home with you. Two-for-one happy hours from 5pm to 8pm, decent Thai food and free WiFi make this a hit with the young Ekkamai and Thonglor crowd. Open from 11am to 2am.

Pan Fried Scallops Serves 6

Ingredients 30 scallops 300g Jerusalem artichokes 200g black truffle 6 egg yolks 35g extra virgin olive oil 6g salt 2g pepper 4g celery cress Method of Preparation Cook Jerusalem artichokes in salted water for 20 minutes.

Mince them, add the diced truffle, extra virgin olive oil,

salt and pepper.

Cook the egg yolk with some pieces of truffle and salt for 20 minutes at 75C in a vacuum bag.

Sear the scallops on a stick pan until the surface is crispy and coloured.

To Serve Serve with a spoon of Jerusalem artichoke salad as a base and some drops of egg yolk.

Finish the plate with some celery cress.

Recipe provided by Chef Carlo Valenziano of Jojo Italian restaurant, The St. Regis Bangkok, www.stregis.com/bangkok.

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WTF 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 Tel: 02 626 6246 www.wtfbangkok.com A small shop front with the entrance signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite, WTF has a bar lined with mirrors on one side and Thai film posters on the other. Decent cocktails, a tapas menu and occasional live gigs and art exhibitions with an edge, WTF is certainly a bar with attitude. Open from 6pm to 1am, closed Mondays. Gallery open from 3pm.

Vertical & Moon Bar 61/F Banyan Tree, 21/100 South Sathon Rd. www.banyantree.com Vertical is a sophisticated rooftop grill featuring fresh seafood and premium steak while Moon Bar has panoramic views of the city, where you can gaze at the stars while sipping an invigorating cocktail. Open from 6pm to 11pm (weather permitting), Moon Bar open to 1am.

Music Venues

Brown Sugar 469 Phrasumen Rd, Banglamphu Tel: 089 499 1378 www.brownsugarbangkok.com The reincarnation of Bangkok’s 27-yearold jazz and blues haunt is very different from its granddaddy. Borderline grunge has metamorphosed into a slick, cosmopolitan jazz café. You decide which one you prefer. Open from 5pm to 1am.

Check Inn 97 Sukhumvit Road (between

Sois 5 & 7) Tel: 02 252 6706 Mama Noi is as much a Sukhumvit institution as the Inn itself, having worked here for 47 years, when she was not hosting Bob Hope. The Inn has stood at this place since most around was paddy fields, and has live cabaret music every night of the week including a big bash featuring some of the capital’s best expat musicians on the last Sunday of each month.

Niu’s on Silom 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Rd., Silom Tel: 02 266 5333 / 4 www.niusonsilom.com One of the few true jazz and blues bars in Bangkok, Niu’s has some of the best live jazz music in town each night as well as some special nights in a appropriately darkened ambience.

Parking Toys 17/22 Soi Maiyalap, Kaset-Navamin Highway Tel: 02 907 2228 Like an aesthetic Tardis, Parking Toys seems almost non-descript from the outside but inside is all sensory overload.

The wall-to-wall retro furniture and unupholstered chairs dangling from the ceiling match the eclectic nature of the music – from reggae through electronic and rockabilly to metal. Open from 6pm to 1am.

Tawandaeng German Brewery 462/61 Narathiwat, Rama 3 Rd. Tel: 02 678 1114 www.tawandang.co.th House band Fong Nam plays this cavernous Thai-German beer keller that can seat over 1,000 diners. Tawandaeng brews its own beer to go with the German sausage and pork knuckle. When the band’s not playing, a cabaret of hip hop, ballet and magic will give your night a little Oompah. Open from 5pm to 1am.

NIGHTCLUBS BASH 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 After hours night club with a glass steel retro NYC lift to take you up to the VIP seating on each floor for ‘Afterhours’ bottle service, a balcony-style (V.I.P. mezzanine) on the second floor overlooking the dance floor and DJ booth below.

Facilities will include five full bars, two dance floor areas, and two LED DJ booths that will control high-tech sound and lighting systems.

Bed Supperclub 26 Soi Sukhumvit 11 Tel: 02 651 3537 www.bedsupperclub.com Bangkok’s prime club since 2002, Bed is designed like a spaceship and unashamedly white. Dine on one of the plush white beds with a friend or do your own thing in the club room, practically anyone who has been anyone has been to Bed. Hell, we even had our pre-launch party there. Open from 7.30pm to 1am.

Closed for refurbishment in September.

Levels Club & Lounge 6/F, Aloft Hotel, 35 Sukhumvit Soi 11 Tel: 02 082 308 3246 www.levelsclub.com Situated in the heart of Bangkok, Levels Club hosts a world-class nightlife experience within an amazing audio-visual environment. Open from 9pm to 2am.

Q Bar 26 Soi Sukhumvit 11 Tel: 02 252 3274 www.qbarbangkok.com Like Bed, Q Bar has been a mainstay of the Bangkok club scene for over ten years now and attracts a similar expat / tourist crowd. International DJs and a renovation or two have helped to keep Q Bar fresh. Open from 8pm to 3am.

listings

culture CLASSES Attic Studios 45/4 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 083 301 1314 www.attic-studios.com Workshop-studio established by Scottish artist Elsie Evans holds classes in life drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media as well as classes for children.

Bangkok Photo School Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Rd., Tel: 084 907 3330 www.bangkokphotoschool.com Photographic classes, tours and workshops led by professional travel photographer Gavin Gough.

Photography School Asia 4/F DOB Building, 318 Rama IV Rd. Tel: 081 363 1859 www.jonathantaylor.net Evening classes, workshops and photography trips for all levels by photojournalist Jonathan Taylor.

CINEMAS

Major Cineplex Tel: 02 515 5555 www.majorcineplex.com SF Cinema Tel: 02 268 8888 www.sfcinemacity.com

CULTURAL CENTRES

Alliance Francaise 29 Sathorn Nua Rd., Tel: 02 670 4200 As well as promoting French culture, the Alliance has regular collaborative events and an interesting and varied cultural programme.

Goethe Institut 18/1 Soi Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1 Tel: 02 287 0942-4 www.goethe.de/bangkok Holds regular concerts and screenings of films in German as well as holding German language classes. Open from 8am to 6pm.

DESIGN

P’Tendercool 48-58 Charoen Krung Soi 30 Tel: 02 266 4344 www.ptendercool.com Art deco building houses a warehouse devoted to the most amazing crosscultural table designs. Open from 10am to 6pm, closed Sundays.

Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC) 6/F Emporium Shopping Complex, 622 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Over 26,00 design-related books and multimedia are available to members from the TCDC’s library at the top floor of the Emporium. Holds symposiums and workshops. Also, has a great little café next to it. Open from 10.30am to 9pm, closed Mondays.

GALLERIES

Art Gorillas 2/F Lido Bldg., Siam Square Soi 3 Tel: 02 658 3975

www.artgorillas.com Small gallery exhibiting the eclectic works of emerging Thai artists.

Baan Khanitha & Gallery 69 South Sathorn Rd Tel: 02 675 4200-1 www.baan-khanitha.com The second of Khanitha Akaranitikul’s two restaurants, features an art gallery exhibiting the paintings of both local and foreign artists as well as the award winning food. Open from 11am to 11pm.

Bangkok Art & Culture Centre 939 Rama I, Tel: 02 214 6630-1 www.bacc.or.th Eleven-storey arts centre with over 3,000sqm of exhibition space encompassing a broad range of artistic events.

Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) Penthouse Maneeya Centre, 518/5 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 652 0580-2 (x11) www.fccthai.com As well as being the drinking hole of choice for journalists popping into Bangkok from around the region, the FCCT has regular photojournalist exhibitions and talks by journalists and non-journalists alike. Open 10am to 11pm.

H Gallery 201 Sathorn Soi 12, Tel: 081 310 4428 www.hgallerybkk.com One of Asia’s leading venues for regional and international art. Established in 2002, the gallery has established a programme of exhibitions and installations aiming to generate critical dialogue on contemporary art in the global context. Open 10am to 6pm (Tuesday by appointment).

Jim Thompson Art Centre 6 Kasemsan 2, Rama Rd. Tel: 02 216 7638 www.jimthompsonhouse.com Exhibitions of leading local and international art and crafts are shown within the museum. Open from 9am to 5pm.

Koi Art Gallery 43/12 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 02 662 3218 koiartgallerybangkok.com A cutting-edge art gallery and creative space that features emerging contemporary Thai and foreign artists. Open from 10am to 7pm.

Tel: 02 233 1731 www.neilsonhayslibrary.com Set in the historic library, the Rotunda features exhibitions by both expat and local artists, creating a perfect place to escape the city’s hectic bustle.

Serindia Gallery OP Garden 4-6 Soi Charoen Krung 36 Tel: 02 238 6410 www.serindiagallery.com A gallery of fine arts and photography run by the publishing house, presents year-round exhibitions of works by international artists and photographers with an emphasis on the Himalayas.

Open from 11am to 8pm, closed Mondays.

Thavibu Gallery Suite 308, 3/F Silom Galleria, 919/1 Silom Rd. Soi 19 Tel: 02 266 5454 www.thavibu.com Gallery devoted to the best of contemporary art from Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. Also publishes books. Open from 11am to 7pm, closed Sundays.

night out on the town.” Open from 3pm to 8pm, closed Mondays.

PERFORMING ARTS

Patravadi Theatre 9/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amarin Rd., Siriraj Tel: 02 412 7287-8 www.patravaditheatre.com/ The Patravadi Theatre and Performing Arts School teaches classical Thai dances, singing and puppetry, as well as ballet, jazz, piano and classical dance.

THEATRE

Aksra Theatre 3/F King Power Complex, 8/1 Rang Nam, Phaya Thai Rd. Tel: 02 677 8888 (x5602) Six-hundred-seat theatre hosts the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek troupe as they perform Thai puppet theatre. Excellent entertainment for the kids. Performances at 7pm (Tuesday to Sunday), with extra performances at 1pm on Saturday / Sunday.

V64 143/19 Changwattana Soi1 Tel: 02 973 2681 www.v64artstudio.com A 30-studio space for artists to create work that can be viewed by the audience, gallery, exhibition space and café. V64 Art Academy offers art courses. Open from 9am to 6pm.

National Theatre 2 Rachini Rd. Tel: 02 224 1342 Classic Thai drama, music and performance staged occasionally from November to May at an outdoor stage.

Classic Thai masked dance (khon) is performed at 5pm on the last Friday of each month. Theatre open for visitors from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.

Warp 54 Studios Charoen Krung Soi 30 Tel: 081 867 5002 www.warp54.com Teakwood warehouse where Belgian artist Christain Develter creates his vivid oil paintings of Asian characters with a distinct pop art reference. Also has events ranging from dance performances to gourmet sit-down dinners.

Open by appointment only.

Sala Chalermkrung 66 Charoen Krung Rd. Tel: 02 623 8148 www.salachalermkrung.com Former cinema houses performances of classic Thai masked dance (khon) on Thursdays and Fridays from 7.30pm.

The theatre is known to put on Thai pop concerts too.

WTF Bar & Gallery 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 Tel: 02 662 6246 wtfbangkok.com Gallery set on two floors above this popular café-cum-bar has become one of Bangkok’s most popular art hangout spots. As the organisers say “Seeing art should be as easy as a

Siam Niramit 19 Tiam Ruammit Rd. Tel: 02 649 9222 www.siamniramit.com With over 150 performers showcasing seven centuries of Siam history, you are sure to be in for quite a spectacle.

With a capacity for an audience of up to 2,000 each night at least you should be able to get a seat.

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La Lanta Fine Art 245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31, Tel: 02 204 0583 or 02 260 5381 www.lalanta.com Focuses on contemporary art in Asia, featuring internationally acclaimed artists as well as high potential young talent. Open from 10am to 7pm, closed Sunday, Monday.

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) 499 Moo3, Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd. Tel: 02 953 1005-7 www.mocabangkok.com Imposing 18,000sqm building set on many floors has both permanent and temporary contemporary Thai art exhibitions as well as films and events.

Open 10am to 6pm, closed Sundays.

National Gallery 4 Chao Fah Rd., Tel: 02 281 2224 Permanent collection of some of the finest examples of contemporary Thai art. Also has talks by Thai artist in the annex. Open from 9am to 4pm, closed Monday, Tuesday.

Rotunda Gallery & Garden Gallery Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Rd.,

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COOKERY CLASSES

Amita Thai Cooking Class 162/17 Soi Wutthakat 14, Wutthakat Rd., Tel: 02 466 8966 Half-day hands-on Thai cookery classes set on the bank of the Chao Phraya river culminates with a four-course meal. Pickup time approximately 8am to 8.30am.

Blue Elephant Cooking School 233 Sathon Tai Rd., Tel: 02 673 9353 www.blueelephant.com/cooking-school The school offers courses from novices to professional chefs in the art of Thai cooking, including a five-day private course. Programmes start at 8.30am and 1.30pm each day.

Oriental Hotel Thai Cooking School Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue (Soi 38, Charoen Krung Road).

Tel: 02 659 9000 www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/ leisure/cooking_school Separate hands-on cookery lessons, preparing different dishes are held each day, apart from Sundays, at the Mandarin Oriental from 9am to 1pm, followed by lunch.

DANCING

BIDA (Bangkok International Dance Academy) 2/F Peninsula Plaza, 153 Rajdamri Rd. Tel: 02 253 9529 www.bidadancebangkok.com Specialising in Latin dance, BIDA also has lessons in waltz, jazz, ballet and even line dancing in addition to the standard cha cha, samba and tango. Open from 10am to 8pm.

Dance Center School of Performing Arts 53/3 Sukhumvit Soi 33, Tel: 02 259 8861 www.dance-centre.com Focusing more on ballet and contemporary dance than some of the other dance schools in Bangkok, the centre also has lessons in tai chi and yoga as well as jazz and hip hop.

day of the week for beginners and more advanced dancers.

FITNESS

Aspire Club 348/2 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 229 4114 www.theaspireclub.com A private, exclusive training experience designed for achieving phenomenal results with services including personal training and golf fitness.

California Wow 4/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 02 627 5999 State-of-the-art fitness studio boasting over $1.5million worth of equipment. In addition to a cycling studio, yoga, pilates and kickfit, the gym also has an extreme Group X studio for fitness fanatics.

Open from 6am to 11pm, from 8am at weekends.

Cascade Club Level 6 and 7, The Ascott Sathorn 187 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 676 6969 Health club that provides a personal health plan for members as well as yoga and pilates lessons. Those not wishing to take their exercise too seriously can always go to the Mediterranean bistro and wine bar.

The LAB 3/F RSU Tower, cnr. Sukhumvit Soi 31, Tel: 02 662 1618 www.tbtlab.com An exciting concept new, the studio is kitted out with state-of-the-art fitness training equipment from Olympic bars, kettlebells and TRX suspension trainers, to free form tools including big tyres, ceiling ropes and gymnastic rings. Qualified coaches create programmes designed for strength training, high intensity intervals, speed training and weight loss.

True Fitness Exchange Tower, Tel: 02 663 4999 www.truefitness.co.th Set on five floors and spreading over 7,000sqm, True Fitness is the largest fitness centre in Bangkok. It offers members the most comprehensive fitness, yoga and spa facilities as well as True Café, where members can compare their bulging biceps. Sister centres at Central World and the Esplanade.

GOLF - BANGKOK

Alpine Golf and Sports Club Tel: 02 577 3333 www.alpinegolfclub.com Bangkok Golf Club Tel: 02 501 2828 www.bangkokgolfclub.com

La Rueda Dance Studio Soi Sukhumvit 18, Tel: 02 261 9669 www.larueda-ds.com A fun place to learn Latin dances, including Dominican bachata and Cuban salsa in a friendly atmosphere. Has classes for all levels every day of the week. Also arranges social events.

Bangpoo Golf & Sport Club Tel: 02 324 0320-9 www.bangpoogolf.com

Le Studio Art of Dance Room 9C,9/F Times Square Building, Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 250 0005, 084 211 4408 Classes in ballet, salsa, ballroom, waltz, jazz, hip hop as well as ballet classes for children.

Kiarti Thanee Country Club Tel: 02 707 1700 www.kiartithaneecountryclub.com

Rumpuree World Dance Studio 96-502 Amarin Plaza, Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 08 1430 6684 www.rumpuree.com Dance school with a distinctly global feel to it – Egyptian belly-dancing meets Argentinean tango. Has dances every

Riverdale Golf Club Tel: 02 501 2789 www.riverdalegolfclub.co.th

Green Valley Country Club Tel: 02 312 5883-9 www.greenvalleybangkok.com

Pinehurst Golf & Country Club Tel: 02 516 8679 www.pinehurst.co.th

Summit Windmill Golf Club Tel: 02 750 2112-20 www.summitwindmillgolfclub.com

Thana City Golf Tel: 02 336 0567-8 www.thanacitygolf.com

GOLF - PATTAYA Bangpra Golf Club Tel: 038 341 149-50 www.bangpragolf.co.th

Khao Kheow Country Club Tel: 038 318 000 www.khaokheowgolf.com St Andrews 2000 Golf & Country Club Tel: 038 030 660 www.standrews2000golf.com

LEISURE / CLUBS

Bangkok Hash House Harriers http://bangkokhhh.org/ The Bangkok Hash runs every Saturday, at 5pm in the summer and 4.30pm in winter. Details of the run are published on the website. The run is male only.

Bangkok Hash House Harriettes http://bangkokharriettes.wordpress. com/ Details of the female equivalent of the Hash can be found at the above blog page.

Bangkok Pool League http://www.bangkokpool.com/ Bangkok’s pub-frequenting expats do love their game of pool. The Bangkok Pool League has regular inter-bar 9-ball and 8-ball competitions arranged in leagues. For details of the bars involved visit the above website and then buy your nearest landlord a pint.

British Club 189 Suriwongse Rd., Bangrak Tel: 02 234 0247 www.britishclubbangkok.org With over 1,000 members from over 40 countries and having celebrated its centenary in 2003, the British Club Bangkok can rightly claim to be the social and sporting centre for the English-speaking expat community. Cricket, rugby, football, squash, golf, badminton and hockey are included in the sports available here, in addition to the fitness centre. The club also has frequent events as well as more social activities in the Verandah Café and Churchill Bar.

The Capitol Club 99/397 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 661 1210 www.thecapitolclub.com At the heart of the Capitol Club is the Fitness Dome where a 10m high rockclimbing wall takes centre stage as well as state-of-the-art cardiovascular and resistance machine. Members can also join in classes in yoga and play tennis and squash or relax in the Ananda Spa and pool. Open from 6am to 10pm.

SPORT

Ice Planet 7/F Siam Discovery Center Tel: 02 658 0071 Ice skating rink in the heart of Siam has classes for all would-be skaters from children to adults as well as general figure skating.

Bangkok Fight Club 2/F 235/3-5 Building, opposite Rutnin Eye Hospital, Sukhumvit Soi 21 Tel: 089 885 1112 Bangkok Fight Club offers training in, Muay Thai, mixed martial Arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Kempo karate and street self-defence. Open from 9am to 9pm.

The Racquet Club 6/8 Amara 3, Sukhumvit Soi 49/9 Tel: 02 714 7200 www.rqclub.com With an emphasis on family, corporate and group activities, the Racquet Club has a wide range of facilities from tennis, squash and badminton to futsal and snooker. The complex also has a large gym and swimming pool in addition to a 13-metre rock climbing wall.

Bangkok Ultimate Tel: 089 120 8223, 081 854 4510 One of the fastest growing sports in the world, Ultimate Frisbee is like American Football only played with a Frisbee rather than a ball. Games are played at the Army Base located 200m past the Veterans Hospital on Vihavadi Rangsit road.

Le Smash Club 499/213 Soi 64 Rama 3 Rd. Tel: 02 678 2472 www.lesmashclub.com Le Smash Club and Tennis Academy has seven top class Plexipave courts (the same surface as the US Open Championships) and an international coaching team offering a complete range of training programmes from mini-tennis (4-6 year olds), children’s tennis school (6-18 years old), adult tennis coaching, holiday tennis/ sports camps, private tennis coaching as well as monthly tennis tournaments, leagues and ladders.

Sub Zero Ice Skate Club 4/F Esplanade, Ratchada Rd. Tel: 02 354 2134 9/Floor Major Cineplex Ekamai Tel: 02 391 1944 2/F Mega Bangna Tel: 02 105 1581 www.majorbowlhit.com/ice-skate/ Like Ice planet, this club offers lessons for all ages as well as general figure skating at various rinks around town.

Bangkok Casuals League www.bkkcasualsfootball.com A great way to socialise, the Bangkok Casuals has 18 teams in two leagues.

If you want to do more than talk a good game then click on the website above. Fortunately the league is sponsored by Bangkok Hospital just in case there are a few too many Vinny Jones moments.

Old Bangkok Bangers www.oldbangkokbangers.com Rugby team has training every Wednesday (7pm) at NIST International School (Sukhumvit Soi 15) and on Sundays from 4.30pm at the Patana International School (Sukhumvit Soi 105). For more information, or to join, contact: oldbangkokbangersrugby@ gmail.com.

Siam Cricket Club http://siamcc.org/ Bangkok cricket team formed by a bunch of cricket mad expats in 2004 plays in the Bangkok cricket league, as well as going on occasional tours. For more information, or to join, visit the above website Thailand Tigers Australian Rules Football www.thailand-tigers.com Bangkok’s very own Aussie Rules team plays regular tournaments against other footy teams in the region. For further details contact Saul Morgan on 085 369 2997.

Thailand Tigers Netball Club http://tigersnetball.blogspot.com/ It’s not just the guys who get all the fun, the Tigers netball team plays in the national netball league as well as going on tours, sometimes with the footy team. For more information, email: thailandtigersnetball@gmail.com.

YOGA

Absolute Yoga (Thonglor Studio) 3/F RSU Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 02 6621733-4, 19/F Liberty Square Building, Soi Convent, Silom Rd. Tel: 02 6311996-7, 086-318-6554 F/4 Amarin Plaza Bldg Tel: 02 252 4400 www.absoluteyogabangkok.com Offers one of the most comprehensive variety of yoga styles and classes to meet the needs of all levels of practitioners. Classes include hot yoga, Vinyasa, hot flow, hatha, ying & yang, Anusara, pilates and yoga pilates. All are taught by certified and qualified instructors.

Has seven studios around Bangkok.

Iyengar Yoga 3/F, Fifty fifth Plaza, Soi Thonglor Tel: 02 714 9924 www.iyengar-yoga-bangkok.com The first accredited Iyengar yoga studio in Thailand has classes at five separate levels as well as for children. Classes from 8am to 8.30pm, see the website for the schedule.

Yoga Elements Studio 23/F Vanissa Bldg., 29 Soi Chidlom Tel: 02 655 5671 www.yogaelements.com Several classes based around the principles of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga from 7am to 8pm.

Yoga Fly The Pilates Station, 3/F Ten/Ten Building, 593/2 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 662 334 ww.yogafly-bangkok.com Learn how to practice yoga while lying in a hammock. Combining the benefits of the world’s finest fitness methods such as traditional yoga, pilates, dance and aerial acrobatics, it’s a workout that integrates the full body and mind in a holistic way.

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listings

health & beauty BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Bodyshop G/F Siam Paragon, 991/1 Rama I Rd. Tel: 02 610 7745 Popular UK company with its heart in the right place has a selection of skin care, fragrances and general beauty products for both men and women.

Boots Unit 207, 2/F All Seasons Place, 87/2 Witthayu Rd. Tel: 02 251 1617 Unit 2, 1F Amarin Plaza, 496-502 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 256 9946-7 Has a wide range of beauty products from the UK, often with an attractive buy-one-get-one-free discount policy.

Erb G/F & 4/F Siam Paragon, 991/1 Rama 1 Rd. 5/F The Emporium, 622 Sukhumvit Soi 5/F Central Chidlom, 1027 Ploenchit Rd. 2/F The Myth Shop, Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 255 5872-3 Thai company that uses local products in the development of its beauty products for skin, bath and body and even for the home. Has now expanded globally but still retains its essential Thainess.

THANNnative 5/F Siam Discovery Centre Tel: 02 658 0550 3/F Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 1424 3/F Star Dome Zone, The Emporium Tel: 02 664 7677 www.thannspa.com Products aim to soothe and calm the mind by using natural plant extracts in all its beauty products.

DENTAL

Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC) 157 Ratchadapesik Rd. Tel: 02 692 4433 / 02 245 0055 Siam Square 205/2-3 Phyathai Rd. Tel: 02 658 4500 / 4774 www.bangkokdentalcenter.com Equipped with the latest dental and medical technology, BIDC has over 20 treatment rooms with 35 dentists and can carry out the full range of orthodontic and dental treatments.

Bangkok Dental Hospital 439/4-5 Naratiwatrajnakarin Rd., Silom Tel: 02 636 9092-5 www.bangkokdentalhospital.com Boutique dental clinic offers a holistic approach to dental surgery such as dental implants, braces, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and dental surgery.

Bangkok Smile Dental 32/5 Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke Road) Tel: 02 664 2800 Ploenchit Bransh, 546/2 Ploenchit Rd., (opposite British Embassy) Tel: 02 251 4982 www.bangkoksmiledental.com Has an in-house dental lab with equipment from USA, Switzerland and Germany and experienced dental technicians offering treatments including dental

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implants, teeth whitening, dental crowns and bridges, dentures, gum treatment, root canal treatment and oral surgery.

Parkour, page 34

Denta-joy Fifty Fifth Plaza, Thonglor Soi 2 Tel: 02 789 3033 / 02 390 2772 The Avenue, Chaengwatthana, Don Muang, Tel: 02 573 7177 / 02 982 5841 Room 4017 4/F Seacon Square Shopping Center Tel: 02 789 3033 / 02 721 9266 www.dentajoy.com Has 40 US-trained and locally certified dentists and specialists providing a range of oral health care needs. All the utilities are American Dental Association certified systems.

Dental Hospital Bangkok 88/88 Sukhumvit 49, Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 260 5000/-15, 02 260 5028/-30 www.dentalhospitalbangkok.com Private modern dental clinic provides complete dental services, such as composite white filling, ceramic veneers and inlays, braces, microscopic root canal treatment, crowns, bridges and dental implants.

HAIR & SALON

Cut & Curl Gaysorn Plaza Lobby Zone, BF-07/1 Phloenchit Rd., Tel: 02 656 1184 Central World F Zone, 4 Ratchadamri Rd., Tel: 02 613 1065 www.cutandcurl.co.th Established in 1984 to provide hair salons in shopping malls, Cut & Curl now has 11 branches throughout Bangkok.

In 2005 it set up its own academy.

IDA Art of Hair Dressing Rain Hill Sukhumvit Soi 47 Tel: 02 261 7003, 085 112 4477 Hairdressers conveniently located in the Rain Hill complex for those who want a glass of vino after their precious curls have been snipped away.

Panipa Hair & Beauty Ekamai 19 Tel: 02 392 6218 90/2 G/F Sathorn Thani Building, North Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 233 9255 The Riverine Place 9/280 Moo 7 Phibulsongkram Rd. Tel: 02 965 2807 www.panipa.com Series of hair salons around Bangkok with an emphasis on the latest styles from London and Paris – where Panipa herself used to work in top salons. Uses L’Oreal, Kerastase, Wella, Schwarkkopf and Paul Mitchell products.

Shiseido Professional Thailand Sukhumvit Branch The Emporium, 2F Plaza Zone Tel: 02 664 8544 www.shiseidopro.co.th One of the most famous hair products in the world, Shisedo has its own salon in the Emporium. At least here you can be sure the products are genuine.

The Lounge Hair Salon K Village 93, 95 Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tel: 02 665 6020-1 www.theloungehairsalon.com Run by one of Thailand’s top models, Metinee “Lukkade” Kingpayome, along with two of Thailand’s Top Fashion Hair Stylists Somporn "Kai" Tirin and Porntep "Rang" Wanpate, The Lounge is an intimate boutique where clients can relax and possibly celebrity spot.

Tony & Guy Room 111, 1/F 989 Siam Discovery Centre, Tel: 02 658 0128-9 For nearly 50 years TONI&GUY has dominated London’s hairdressing scene and now its in Bangkok. All the hairdressers are fully qualified, having passed the TONI&GUY Diploma, which includes six weeks intensive training on all the company’s methods and

techniques at one of its international academies.

HOSPITALS

Asoke Skin Hospital 18 Asoke-Dindang Rd., Huaikhwang Tel: 02 246 5111 www.skinhospital.co.th Thailand’s first skin care hospital specialises in dermatologic laser treatment as well as facial plastic surgery and hair and scalp solutions.

Bangkok Hospital (Bangkok) 2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchaburi Rd. Enquiries: 02 310 3344 Emergency: 02 310 3456 www.bangkokhospital.com Bangkok Hospital Group is the largest hospital operator in the country with 13 network locations throughout Thailand and the largest ambulance and medevac fleet in southeast Asia.

One of the premier cosmetic plastic surgery clinics in Bangkok, its team of internationally trained doctors and nurses perform a wide range of plastic and cosmetic surgical procedures, including fat removal, breast and nose augmentation, face lifts and eyelid surgery.

Paolo Memorial Hospital Phaholyothin Road Tel: 02 271 7000 (x11218) www.paolohealthcare.com A 260-bed, multi-specialty private hospital using state-of-the-art scientific methods and equipment, with a separate heart and liver centre.

Praram 9 Hospital 99 Soi Praram 9 Rd., Tel: 02 202 9900 www.praram9.com Multi-specialty hospital noted for its cardiovascular and kidney transplant institutes. Has pre-wedding and stroke screening programmes.

Bangkok Hospital (Pattaya) 301 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Road, Km. 143, Banglamung, Chonburi Tel: 1719 www.bangkokpattayahospital.com The Pattaya branch of the Bangkok Hospital has more than 100 specialists, fully trained nurses, well-trained staff and high technology medical equipment.

Rutnin Eye Hospital 80/1 Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Asoke) Tel: 02 639 3399 www.rutnin.com/eng Thailand's first ophthalmology hospital has full-support facilities including an outpatient clinic, day surgery unit, three operating theatres, and an in-patient unit.

BNH Hospital 9/1 Convent Rd., Silom Tel: 02 686 2700 www.bnhhospital.com Formerly known as the Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital, BNH provides the highest quality medical service with specialists and general practitioner doctors, from consultation and diagnosis, through to planning and executing treatment, following-up of results and post-operative card.

Samitivej Children's Hospital 488 Srinakarin Road Tel: 02 378 9000 www.samitivejhospitals.com Thailand’s leading children's hospital, Samitivej offers highly specialised services, such as adolescent psychiatry, down syndrome, weight control and paediatric snoring. It has developed a reputation for its bone marrow transplant and neo-natal intensive care services.

Bumrungrad Hospital 33 Sukhumvit Soi 3 Appointments: 02 667 1555 Emergency: 02 667 2999 www.bumrungrad.com Founded in 1980, today Bumrungrad is the largest private hospital in southeast Asia, with 554 beds and over 30 specialty centres, state-or-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic and intensive care facilities and the world’s largest private sector outpatient clinic including 150 translators in more than 10 languages.

Samitivej Sukhumvit 133 Sukhumvit Soi 49 Tel: 02 711 8181 www.samitivejhospitals.com With 270 beds, 87 examination suites and over 1,200 caregivers, Samitivej Sukhumvit has a comprehensive range of facilities and services from cosmetic to tertiary care. The hospital's range of high-technology medical equipment, complemented with its team of specialists has successfully performed complex surgery from open heart to liver transplant.

Naravee Aesthetic Center 16 Udom Suk Soi 30, Sukhumvit 103 Tel: 08 4499 4470 www.naraveesurgery.com

Vejthani Hospital 1 Ladprao Road Enquiries: 02 734 0000

Hot Line: 08 5223 8888 www.vejthani.com Hospital specialises in heart surgery, total joint replacement surgery and plastic surgery.

the therapists receive formal training at of the Banyan Tree Spa Academies. Try the innovative Rainmist experience – a combination of steam bath, rain shower and massage.

Vibhavadi Hospital 51/3 Ngamwongwan Rd Tel: 02 561 1111 www.vibhavadi.com/english With over 300 physicians Vibhavadi Hospital has centres of excellence in cardiovascular surgery, orthopoedics, and plastic surgery.

CHI, The Spa Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Tel: 02 236 7777 www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangrila/health-leisure/chi-the-spa Drawing inspiration from the origins of the Shangri-La legend – a place of personal peace, enchantment and wellbeing – Chi’s award winning therapies include a variety of Asian and Thai options using pressure points, Thai sen (or meridian lines) salts, clay, oils and herbs.

Yanhee Hospital 454 Charansanitwong Rd. Tel: 02 879 0300 www.yanhee.net Specialises in a wide range of cosmetic and plastic surgery from breast augmentation to facelift, and tummy-tuck to liposuction, as well as in transexual surgery.

OPTICAL

Better Vision Emporium 3/F Emporium, 622 Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 664 8536 Sells a range of glasses and sunglasses with designer brands, as well as performing eye tests. Has other branches around town.

Isoptik Room 407 4/F, 494 Erawan Bangkok (Grand Hyatt Erawan) Tel: 02 251 0457 / 081 538 4200 www.isoptik.com Has a large range of designer glasses and sunglasses.

TRSC International Lasik Center 6/F U Chu Liang Building, 968 Rama IV Rd., Silom Tel: 02 733 2020 Private-sector ophthalmic surgery centre specialising in the surgical correction of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism using a surgical method called LASIK. Open from 8.30am to 8.30pm, until 5pm Sundays.

PHARMACIES

Boots Unit 207, 2/F All Seasons Place, 87/2 Witthayu Rd., Tel: 02 251 1617 Unit 2, 1F Amarin Plaza, 496-502 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 256 9946-7 An institution in its native UK, Boots has sprung up all over Bangkok like a bad rash, fortunately the pharmacy is the perfect place to go to cure rashes. Reliable products at good prices.

South East Pharmacy 207-9 Sukhumvit Road Soi 15 Tel: 02 252 8241 Expat-friendly and helpful pharmacy that stocks pharmaceutical products you can rely on.

Vitoon Pharmacy 246/1 Pradipat Rd. Tel: 02 279 9259 Cheap wholesale pharmacy which has a very wide range of pharmaceutical products. If you can’t fine it anywhere else, then go to Vitoon.

Watsons 2/F All Season Place CRC Tower 87 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 975 5959 Hong Kong chemist has a chain of pharmacies across Bangkok selling reliable products.

SPAS

Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok 21/F Thai Wah Tower II, Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 679 1052-4 www.banyantreespa.com For those who like their massages on a lofted perch, Banyan Tree’s twenty-first floor provides the perfect location. All

Devarana Dusit Thani Hotel 946 Rama IV Rd. Tel: 02 636 3596 At Devarana, all treatment rooms provide privacy with double rooms available for those who wish to share their spa experience. The hotel’s chefs also provide a comprehensive healthy selection of spa food that incorporates the daily essential vitamins and minerals required for a well-balanced meal plan.

Open from 9am to 10pm.

Divana Spa 7 Sukhumvit Soi 25, Tel: 02 661 6784 www.divanaspa.com Tucked down one of the smaller of Sukhumvit’s sois, the spa is housed in a post-modern Thai house. With the scent of orange essential oil oozing from its pores, Divana has private spa rooms set on two floors providing excellent massage treatments as well as steam rooms. Open from 11am to 11pm, from 10am at weekends.

Health Land 55/5 Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Asoke) Tel: 02 261 1110 www.healthlandspa.com While the settings are grand and luxurious, Heathland’s services are priced at the same level as in general massage centres rather than high-end hotel spas.

Originally intended as a health centre, Heathland now has a complete spa service, offering sauna, Jacuzzi, facials and body polishes in addition to its massages. Has other branches in Srinakarin, Sathorn, Pinklao, Ekamai, Chaeng Wattana and Rama 2.

King & I 2/1 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Tel: 02 252 5248 Despite its cheesy name, the King & I provides an excellent massage at affordable prices. The rooms might be a bit close together but shut your eyes and let all that pent up tension float away.

Mulberry Spa Sukhumvit Soi 23, Tel: 02 664 1888 Up-market spa and beauty parlour set back from the main street around the corner from the sirens of Soi 23.

In addition to the standard massage treatments, it has hair treatment using Shiseido products and promotional packages. Open from 9am to 10pm.

The Oriental Spa Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue, Tel: 02 659 9000 (x7440) With 19 private suites, The Oriental Spa is exclusive and luxurious with treatments that blend ancient and contemporary techniques and philosophies from around the world. Each uses 100 percent pure essential oils and herbs.

Phothalai 28 Soi Yothinpatta 3, Praditmanuthum Rd. Tel: 02 508 1238-49 Thai wellness centre that offers massage, body treatment, and facials as well as a number of other programmes including yoga, cookery classes and fruit carving.

doctor in the house

When in Bangkok Get a Check Up

By Ruben Toral Recently I came across another article listing the ‘Top 10 Things To Do And See in Bangkok’. As you would expect, it had all the usual suspects – shopping at Chatuchak Market, having cocktails at Vertigo, getting a massage at Wat Po. It read like something that the folks at TAT put together – a manual for the uninspired traveller.

This list, and others like it, fail to recommend one of the most famous attractions Bangkok has to offer – the annual medical check up. No city anywhere in the world offers a better product or a better deal on health check ups than Bangkok. It is one of the reasons that Thailand is such a popular medical tourism destination.

In any other country, you would have to book your annual medical check-up with your doctor weeks – if not months – in advance, and if you were lucky you would get your test results back five to 10 days later.

Not so here. Bangkok’s top private hospitals have taken the lowly annual check-up and elevated it to an art form.

No appointment is needed.

As long as you have not eaten 12 hours prior to the check up you are good to go. A comprehensive check up typically includes a physical exam, blood tests, a cardiac stress test, chest x-ray, mammogram (for women) and abdominal

ultrasound. The exam will alert you to any major medical issues, like tumours, and also gives you important information about cholesterol and sugar levels in your blood.

It’s quick and you get your results the same day. The check up takes around five hours with nurses escorting you from station to station so you won’t get lost. When complete, you are presented with a check up report that summarises everything you need to know in a neat little booklet.

A comprehensive check up costs in the range of B15,000 to B17,000. That’s a real bargain when you consider a similar medical check up in the USA, Hong Kong or Singapore can cost three to five times as much.

With top private hospitals seeing as many as 200 check up patients a day, centres can resemble a factory line more than they do a medical clinic and the time you see with an individual doctor is limited, but it’s still a great product and far superior to anything else in the market at that price. It’s what Amazing Thailand is all about.

Ruben Toral is a healthcare marketing consultant based in Bangkok and former Group Marketing Director for Bumrungrad International. He is the founder of Medeguide, an online doctor directory at: www.medeguide.com

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listings

family ACTIVITIES

Aksra Theatre 3/F King Power Complex, 8/1 Rang Nam, Phaya Thai Rd. Tel: 02 677 8888 (x5602) Six-hundred-seat theatre hosts the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek troupe as they perform Thai puppet theatre. Excellent entertainment for the kids. Performances at 7pm (Tuesday to Sunday), with extra performances at 1pm on Saturday / Sunday.

Ancient City 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd., Bangpoo, Samut Prakan Tel: 02 709 1644 Miniature replica of Thai’s cultural history spread over an enormous area of land.

A trip here is both fun and illuminating – and not just for kids.

Attic Studios 45/4 Sukhumvit Soi 31 Tel: 083 301 1314 www.attic-studios.com/junior-workshop Workshop-studio established by Scottish artist Elsie Evans gives art classes for children (age 6-9 and 10-16) on Saturdays.

Bangkok Dolphins Sukumvit 49/9 Racquet Club Wattana Tel: 02 712 9297-8 www.bangkokdolphins.com Programmes aimed at educating parents to teach their children to swim in confidence as well as swimming courses for all levels of swimmers from toddlers to adults. The club also arranges pool and garden parties as well as holiday camps.

Dream World 62 Moo.1 Rangsit-Nakornnayok Rd., Km. 7, Thanyaburi Tel: 02 533 1447 Amusement park for children of all ages with big lots of big rides.

Dusit Zoo 71 Rama V Rd., Chitrlada district Tel: 02 281 2000 Thailand’s national zoo has many animals from around the world.

Funarium 111/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tel: 02 665 6555 Large new children’s playground suitable for children under the age of ten with rollerblade park, sand pit, paddling pool and bicycle circuit.

Gymboree Play & Music Head quarters 145, F/1-3 Racquet Club 3 Bldg., Sukhumvit Soi 49 Tel: 02 762 7890 www.gymboree.co.th/en/index.php Based in the Racquet Club, the Gymboree has classes for children from 0 to 5 years in music and art as well as organising birthday parties.

Ice Planet 7/F Siam Discovery Center Tel: 02 658 0071 Ice skating rink in the heart of Siam has classes for all would-be skaters from

children to adults as well as general figure skating.

Iyengar Yoga 3/F, Fifty fifth Plaza, Soi Thonglor Tel: 02 714 9924 www.iyengar-yoga-bangkok.com The first accredited Iyengar yoga studio in Thailand has classes at five separate levels as well as for children. Classes from 8am to 8.30pm, see the website for the schedule.

Le Smash Club 499/213 Rama 3 Rd. Soi 64 www.lesmashclub.com Tel: 02 678 2472 Le Smash Club and Tennis Academy has training programmes for mini-tennis (4-6 year olds) and children’s tennis school (6-18 years old) on its plexipave courts given by its international coaching team.

Safari World 99 Panyaintra Rd. Tel: 02 914 4100 An hour’s drive to the northeast of Bangkok this safari has the Big Five animals and flamingos, as well as an animal show.

Siam Ocean World B1-B2 Floor, Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 02 687 2000 The biggest aquarium in Southeast Asia right in the heart of Bangkok has an underwater tunnel as well as plenty of fish, which kids can go and feed.

Siam Water Park 101 Sukhapibarn 2 Rd. Tel: 02 919 7200 www.siamparkcity.com Has x-zone, family world, fantasy world and small world (for kids under 130cm) as well as the biggest water park in Asia.

Sub Zero Ice Skate Club 4/F Esplanade, Ratchada Rd. Tel: 02 354 2134 9/Floor Major Cineplex Ekamai Tel: 02 391 1944 2/F Mega Bangna Tel: 02 105 1581 www.majorbowlhit.com/ice-skate/ Like Ice planet, this club offers lessons for all ages as well as general figure skating at various rinks around town.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Anglo Singapore International School Sukhumvit 31 Campus: Sukhumvit 31, Klongtan Nue, Wattana Tel: 02 662 3105, 02 662 3106 Sukhumvit 64 Campus: Sukhumvit 64 Bangchark, Prakanong Tel: 087 694 1654, 090 970 9564 www.anglosingapore.ac.th Singapore Curriculum from Kindergarten to Junior College level.

Ascot International School Ramkamhaeng Soi 118 Sapansung Tel: 02 373 4400 www.ascot.ac.th British Curriculum for early years to secondary school.

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Bangkok Prepa & Grammar School 23 Sukhumvit Soi 53 Tel: 02 260 7890 www.bkkprep.ac.th English national curriculum from nursery school to Year 13.

Bangkok Patana School 643 Sukhumvit Soi 105 Tel: 02 398 0200 www.patana.ac.th British Curriculum from primary to secondary school.

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The British School Bangkok Ltd 36/ 36-1 Sukhumvit Soi 4, Klong Toey Tel: 02 656 9961 www.bsbangkok.ac British based curriculum from age 2-11.

Bromsgrove International School 344 Mu 12 Ramkamhaeng 164 Rd, Minburi Tel: 02 540 7122-3 www.bromsgrove.ac.th English national curriculum from early years to secondary school with boarding school.

Charter International School 36 Chaloem Phrakiat Ratchakan Thi 9 Road, Prawet , Prawet Tel: 02 726 8283-4 www.charter.ac.th British Curriculum from nursery school to Year 10.

Concordian International School 918 Moo 8, Bangna-Trad Highway Km. 7, Bangkaew, Banglplee Samutprakarn Tel: 02 706 9000 www.concordian.ac.th International Baccalaureate curriculum for early years to diploma programme.

Garden International School Rayong 188/24 Moo 4, Pala-Banchang Road, Tambol Pala, Amphur Banchang, Rayong Tel: 038 880 360-3 www.gardenrayong.com England and Wales Curriculum from foundation, to secondary school.

Harrow International School 45 Soi Kosumruamchai 14, Kosumruamchai Rd., Sikun, Don Muang Tel: 02 503 7222 www.harrowschool.ac.th British Curriculum from primary to secondary school.

Heathfield International School 10/22 Moo 4, Sukhapiban 3 Road, Ramkhamhaeng 132/1, Saphansung Tel: 02 372 2679-80 www.heathfield.ac.th British Curriculum for early years to secondary school.

International School Bangkok (ISB) 39/7 Soi Nichada Thani, Samakee Road, Pakkret Tel: 02 963 5800 www.isb.ac.th American Curriculum from elementary school to high school KIS International School 999/124 Kesinee Ville, Pracha-Utit Road, Huay-Kwang Tel: 02 274 3444 www.kis.ac.th International Baccalaureate curriculum from early years to Grade 12.

New International School of Thailand (NIST) 36 Sukhumvit Soi 15 Tel: 02 651 2065 www.nist.ac.th With support from the UN, NIST has received International Baccalaureate certification from primary school to diploma programme.

The Regent's School, Bangkok 601/99 Pracha-Uthit Road, Wangtonglang Tel: 02 957 5777 www.bangkok.regents.ac.th Extended English National Curriculum, IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma from early years to secondary school.

Ruamrudee International School 6 Ramkhamhaeng 184, Minburi

Tel: 02 791 8900 www.rism.ac.th American curriculum and International Baccalaureate curriculum from preschool to Grade 12.

Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok 1922 Charoen Krung Road, Wat Prayakrai, Bang Kholame Tel: 02 675 1888 www.shrewsbury.ac.th National Curriculum of England and Wales from early years to sixth form.

Singapore International School of Bangkok Pracha-Utit Campus: 498/11 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 39 (Tepleela 1), Wangthonglang, Wangthonglang Tel: 02 158 9191 Ekamai Campus: 154 Sukhumvit 63, Soi Ekamai 14 Tel: 02 714 4097-9 www.sisb.ac.th Singapore-based curriculum from nursery school to secondary school.

St Andrews/Cognita International Schools Thailand Sathorn Campus: 9 Sathorn Soi 4, North Sathorn Road, Bangrak Tel: 02 632 1995 Sukhumvit 107 Campus: 7 Sukhumvit Soi 107, Bangna Tel: 02 393 3883 St Andrew's International School, Green Valley Moo7, Banchang-Makham Koo Road, Banchang, Rayong Tel: 038 03 0701 admissions@standrews-schools.com www.standrews-schools.com ww.cognitaschools.co.uk Comprises of three campuses, all owned and operated by British educational management organisation, Cognita UK. Sathorn is a primary specialist campus, centrally located in Bangkok with Sukhumvit 107 and Green Valley Rayong offering education right through to graduation in the I.B Diploma. The Green Valley Rayong campus runs a dual curriculum programme with the Dutch Stream. The education programmes are broadly based on the National Curriculum for England. The student body is comprised of over 50 nationalities and all teachers hold teaching degrees and third of our teachers hold masters degrees.

(IB and CfBT Accredited).

St Stephen's International School Bangkok Campus: 998 Viphavadi Rangsit Road, Lad Yao, Chatuchak 02 513 0270-1 www.sis.edu/bangkok National Curriculum of England and Wales from early years to sixth form.

kids corner

PARENT ASSOCIATIONS

The International Parenting Network (IPN) 11 Moo Ban Pakamas, Pattanakarn Rd., Kwaeng Suan Luang Tel: 02 382 4175, 089 225 4114 www.ipnthailand.com Bangkok Mothers and Babies International P.O. Box 1078, Suanphlu www.bambiweb.org

PRESCHOOL

Australian International School Bangkok Early Childhood Centre 164 Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: 02 604 575 www.australian-isb.com Harrow International School 185/45 Soi Kosumruamjai 7, Si Kan Don Muang Tel: 02 503 7222 www.harrowschool.ac.th KIS International School 999/124 Kesinee Ville, Pracha-Uthit Rd. Huay Kwang Tel: 02 274 3444 www.kis.ac.th MulberryHouse International Pre-School 7 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini Sub-district, Pathumwan District, Tel: 02 684 5900 www.mulberryhousepreschool.com New International School of Thailand (NIST) 36 Sukhumvit Soi 15 Tel: 02 651 2065 www.nist.ac.th/

St. Andrews

Social Skills

By Gemma Jones Have you ever been on a bus or on a shopping trip and noticed a parent completely ignoring their child? Isn’t it infuriating? It is crucial that all parents and carers interact and communicate with their children. What makes it worse is that these activities provide the perfect opportunity to do so.

Even if it is imperceptible at times, children pick up on everything you say and do. They are most likely to mimic and learn from their main carer’s actions and speech, which is why it is very important to give your child plenty of positive attention — speak clearly to them and explain things.

It is never too early to start doing this. Even if it seems odd to be constantly talking to a three-month-old baby, do not refrain from doing so.

Children begin to take things in before they can communicate verbally.

Babies, in particular, learn through their senses. It is important to keep all five stimulated. Sing and talk to them as much as possible and remember that, even though babies may not respond every time, they are still soaking everything up.

Once they are a little older, it is a good idea to teach them emotions. For example, show how laughing means happy and crying means sad.

Seeing your child comfort others when they are upset is an amazing sight and should be motivation enough to work on this side of their personality.

It is important to take children to places where

they have the opportunity to socialise. Playgroups, a playground, or a friend’s house are perfectly good settings.

They will help your child get used to being in the company of others.

You may find that some of the children will bicker or complain that another child has taken his or her toy, or some other heinous crime, but this is normal behaviour and gives you the opportunity to teach both right from wrong and how to share.

Being a good role model for your children is of the utmost importance in helping develop social skills. Always make a show of using your own manners by saying “please” and “thank you” in a very pronounced way. After all, this is how you teach your children to be polite.

Parents or carers who always communicate with their children are helping their development a great deal.

Parents often know what their offspring want without them saying anything, but encourage your children to ask for things before they receive them. Small, almost imperceptible, steps such as this encourage children to communicate, help develop their language skills and build their social repertoire.

Gemma Jones has been working in childcare for more than 10 years. She holds an NNEB diploma in nursery nursing and is currently a principal at Cambridge Child Development Centre in Phnom Penh.

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living BUSINESS GROUPS / CLUBS

The American Chamber of Commerce 7/F GPF Witthayu Tower A, 93/1 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 254 1041 www.amchamthailand.com AMCHAM has over 650 company members comprising over 1,800 professionals including companies, non-profit organisations, and individuals. AMCHAM provides American businesses and businesspeople with a venue for the exchange of ideas as well as frequent networking events.

Austcham 20/F Thai CC Tower 889 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 210 0216-8 www.austchamthailand.com Acts as a contact and information point for Australian businesses in Thailand, Australian businesses wishing to trade with or invest in Thailand and for Thai enterprises interested in doing business with or in Australia. The monthly first Wednesday sundowner is a major networking event. A list of members is available online.

British Chamber of Commerce Thailand 7/F, 208 Wireless Road Tel: 02 651 5350-3 www.bccthai.com The oldest foreign chamber, the largest non-Asian foreign chamber in Thailand and the largest British Chamber in Asia.

In 2011, the BCCT had a membership of approximately 600 including 550 companies with nearly 2,700 individuals.

Membership is open to companies of all nationalities and sizes. The third Thursday of the month is networking night.

British Women's Group Bangkok info@bwgbangkok.org www.bwgbangkok.org The BWG has been providing a network for expatriate women for more than 40 years in Bangkok. By joining the BWG, you will be able to attend its regular monthly events which are usually held on Thursdays, and also take part in a variety of day time activities. Regular events include bridge, a photography club and book club.

Foreign Correspondence Club of Thailand Penthouse Maneeya Centre, 518/5 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 652 0580-2 (x11) www.fccthai.com Membership is open to any journalist or photographer working in Thailand as well as correspondents working overseas.

The drinking hole of choice for journalists popping into Bangkok from around the region, the FCCT also has regular photojournalist exhibitions as well as talks by journalists and non-journalists alike. Open 10am to 11pm.

The Lighthouse www.lighthousebkk.com The premier social networking organisation in Bangkok for people involved in property development, including engineering, construction, architecture,

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real estate, investment, law, and related fields. The Lighthouse Club Bangkok raises money for various charities such as schooling for the children of construction workers.

money matters

Rotary Club Secretariat Club address: 975 President Place, Room 1711, Ploenchit Rd., Tel: 02 656 1634 www.rotaryclubofbangkok.org Founded in 1930, Bangkok’s Rotary Club is involved in many philanthropic activities including flood relief, polio immunisation, working with HIV children and English teaching.

CONSULTING

APM Group F/7 2 Ploenchit Center, Sukhumvit Soi 2 Tel: 02 656 9310 www.apm.co.th Established in 1992, APM specialises in human capital management, organisational development and assessment consultancy services.

Baker Tilly Thailand Level 21/1 Sathorn City Tower, 175 Sathorn Soi 3 Tel: 02679 5400 Suite 4/5, 10/F RSU Tower 571 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 662 3415 www.bakertillythailand.com The world’s eighth largest accounting firm, Baker Tilly provides high quality, independent accountancy and business services.

Broadgate Financial 2811 Level 28 Central World, 999/9 Rama 1 Tel: 02 264 5706 www.broadgatefinancial.com One of Southeast Asia’s most diverse corporate consultancy and financial advisory groups, Broadgate specialises in a range of financial services including offshore investment, private banking, insurance, commodity trading, construction and property development.

Coreharbour Ltd. L/9 Zuellig House, 1 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 231 8437 www.coreharbour.com From portfolio management to savings and retirement services, Coreharbour has over 15 years experience in the financial services industry. Coreharbour specialises in investment, insurance, retirement and legal services.

Executive Homes Thailand 25/12 Sukhumvit Soi 16 Tel: 02 260 7585 www.executive-homes-bangkok.com Professional real estate agent with experienced staff that has a range of apartments and houses to rent and buy around Bangkok and further afield.

Open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Fame Placement 12831/F Room G /340 Payatai Plaza, Payathai Rd. Tel: 02 612 9536-8 www.fameplacement.com Recruitment company has staff with over 20 years professional experience from diverse commercial and manufacturing backgrounds within multinational companies. Was awarded the title of the best recruitment and search company in Thailand by the Ministry of Labour in 2011.

Grant Thornton 18/F Capital Tower, All Seasons Place, 87/1 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 205 8222 www.grantthornton.co.th A worldwide leader Grant Thornton blends local knowledge and expertise with international experience specialising in assurance services, business risk analysis, executive recruitment,

Property Rises

By Judy Blair Property has been a key driver of economic success in countries as varied as the US, UK, Ireland and Spain in the past decade, but since the credit crisis first hit America in 2008, the fragility of such a strategy has been exposed.

Ireland and Spain are still continuing to see their house prices fall, with Ireland suffering a drop of more than 14 percent in property prices, according to the Knight Frank Global Price Index. Despite this, the movement of global prices overall is starting to head in the right direction. In the strongest performance for global property since 2009, the Index has shown a rise of 1.1 percent in the second quarter of this year.

Prices in 25 out of the 55 countries included in Knight Frank’s figures are currently rising at a faster rate than they were a year ago, suggesting that, at least for some, the property slump could be starting to end.

In the first quarter of 2012 the US saw house prices fall by 1.8 percent on average.

But just three months later, it had risen by 6.9 percent.

Closer to home, Far Eastern property prices have shown a decent level of performance with Hong Kong (7.3 percent) and Malaysia (6.1 percent) doing particularly well.

Falling prices are bad news for those who already own property, but if you are looking at property as an investment it can be a great benefit to

you. It is also important to consider whether you have enough protection for your investment. London has very strong protection for foreign investors, and there are some appealing benefits too, such as no capital gains tax if you are non-resident in the UK. Tying your money up in physical property has its drawbacks though, so property funds are a great way to get exposure to the sector without a large initial outlay.

You can also access a range of international markets in one go, which can give you better returns.

The top performing property fund over the last year is international property fund, the Multilect Investec Preserver Pension Securities Property Trust, which has returned more than 42 percent. This type of return would have been impossible to get by investing in property directly.

There is a lot to consider when you buy an investment property, so before you make any decisions about investing in bricks and mortar, you should take some advice from the experts.

Judy Blair is Marketing Director of Infinity Financial Solutions, which provides impartial, tailor-made, personal financial advice to clients in Southeast Asia. Should you wish to contact Judy, please send an email to: jblair@infinitysolutions.com or visit www. infinitysolutions.com.

management consulting and corporate finance.

ISM Technology Recruitment Ltd. 25/Floor Unit B Paso Tower, 88 Silom Rd. Tel: 02 634 3800 www.ismtech.net Established in 1991 as Thailand’s first IT-only placement agency, ISM has become the leading choice for companies looking to find and interview a pool of pre-screened candidates to match a specific technical job description.

MBMG Group F/26 75/56 Ocean Tower 2, Sukhumvit Soi 19 Tel: 02 665 2534-9 www.mbmg-international.com MBMG Group is not authorised to provide financial and investment advice in Thailand. However, it works closely with multi-award winning and top-ranked global money managers – Scott Campbell and Martin Gray of MitonOptimal Guernsey (MOG), whose funds have outperformed the MSCI world index by as much as 240 percent over the last 10 years.

Opus Recruitment Ltd. Abdulrahim Place, 21/F 990 Rama 4 Rd. Tel: 02 636 2323 www.opusasia.net Focusing on executive search, Opus tailors its work to the client’s specific requirements, resulting in the recruitment of the best-qualified candidate. It works with its clients to identify their needs and then develop a strategy tailored according to the specifics of each assignment.

Pacific 2000 8/F M Thai Tower, All Seasons Place, Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 654 0300 www.pacific2000.com Started operations in Thailand in 1998 to assist international and regional companies search and select personnel at middle to high management levels. Has built up business partnerships with some 100 multinational companies.

RSM Recruitment 26/F Sathorn City Tower, 175 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 670 9002 www.rsmrecruitment.com Part of RSM International, the world’s sixth largest organisation of international accountants and business advisors, it specialises in accounting and finance, IT, HR, legal, sales & marketing and general management recruitment.

Siam City Law (SCL) F/20 Rajanakarn Building, South Sathorn Tel: 02 676 6667-8 www.siamcitylaw.com Provides general business law services, such as corporate, securities, banking and finance, corporate recovery services, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), litigation and dispute resolution, taxation, labour, expatriate services and real estate.

EMBASSIES

Australian 37 South Sathorn Rd. Tel: 02 344 6300 www..embassy.gov.au Open from 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday except for public holidays.

Cambodia 518 / 4 Pracha Uthit Rd. Tel: 02 957 5851-2 camemb.tha@mfa.gov.kh Open from 8.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday except for public holidays.

Canada 15/F Abdulrahim Place, 990 Rama IV Tel: 02 636 0540

www.gc.ca Open from 7.30am to 4.15pm Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 1pm Friday.

China 57 Rachadapisake Road, Din Daeng Tel: 02 245 0088 www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/ Open from 8.30am to 12pm, and 1pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday European Union 19/F Kian Gwan House II, 140/1 Wireless Road Tel: 02 305 2600, 02 305 2700 Open From 8.30am to 4.30, Monday to Friday.

France 23/F CAT, Soi Maungkae, Charoen Krung Road Tel: 02 657 5100 Open From 8.30am to 12.30pm, 1.30pm to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm Friday.

Germany 9 South Sathon Rd. Tel: 02 287 9000 www.bangkok.diplo.de Open from 7am to 3.40pm Monday to Thursday, 7am to 1pm Friday.

India 46 Soi Prasarnmitr, Sukhumvit Soi 23 Tel: 02 258 0300-6 http://indianembassy.in.th Open from 8.30 to 1pm, 1.30pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Indonesia 600-602 Petchburi Rd. Tel: 02 252 3135-40 www.kbri-bangkok.com Open from 8am to 12pm, 1pm to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Japan 177 Witthayu Road, Lumpini Tel: 02 696 3000 Open from 8.30am to 12.00 pm, 1.30pm to 5.45pm Monday to Friday Laos 520,502/1-3 Soi Sahakarnpramoon, Pracha-Uthit Rd. Tel: 02 539 6679, 02 539 6667-8 www.bkklaoembassy.com Open from 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Malaysia 33-35 South Sathon Road Tel: 02 629 6800, 02 629 6836 Open from 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm Monday to Thursday, 8am to 11.30am and 2pm to 4pm Friday.

Myanmar 132 Sathon Nua Road Tel: 02 234 0278, 02 233 7250 VISA section: 02 234 4789, 02 233 2237 Open from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm Monday to Friday New Zealand M Thai Tower, 14/F, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road Tel: 02 254 2530 www.nzembassy.com/thailand Open from 8am to 12pm, 1pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday Philippines 760 Sukhumvit Rd., Sukhumvit Soi 30/1 Tel: 02 259 0139-40, 02 258 5401 www.philembassy-bangkok.net Open from 8am to 12pm, 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Singapore 29 South Sathon Rd. Tel: 02 286 2111, 02 286 1434 Open from 9am to 12pm, 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.

South Korea 23 Thiam-Ruammit Road, Ratchadapisek Tel: 02 247 7537-9 Open from 8.30 am to 12pm, 1pm to 4pm Monday to Friday.

United Kingdom 14 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 305 8333 Consular: 02 305 2505 Open from 7.45am to 12pm, 12.45pm to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 7.45am to 1.15pm Friday.

United State of America 120-122 Wireless Road Tel: 02 205 4000 Open from 7am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm Monday to Friday. Consular Section / Non-Immigrant Visas: Open from 7am to 9am. Immigrant Visas: Open from 1pm to 3pm American Citizens Services: Open from 7.30am to 11am and 1pm to 2pm.

Vietnam 83/1 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 251 5836-8 Consular Section: 02 650 8979 Open from 8.30am to 111.30am, 1.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

FOOD / WINE

Tel: 02 258 1917 www.casapagoda.com Began in 2003 by a young creative team in Belgium, the Casa Pagoda travels around the globe to create unique collections. Combining different European styles of furniture and accessories with Asian flair, Casa Pagoda offers home furnishings of casual elegance and exceptional craftsmanship – from sofas, club chairs and occasional tables to bookshelves and dining sets – all at affordable prices. Open from 11am to 8pm, closed Sundays.

Chanintr Living Nai Lert Tower, 10/F, 2/4 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 655 0415 www.chanintrliving.com Sophisticated shop selling international brand name home furnishings as well as providing interior design services for some of the leading hotels in Bangkok.

Chic Republic 90 Soi Yothinpatana, Praditmanutham Rd. Tel: 02 514 7123 Furniture, lighting and home accessories shop aimed to suit a contemporary lifestyle, combining modern and classic designs from around the world in one chic mix.

Foodland Sukhumvit Soi 5 24-hour supermarket with imported and local food and groceries, as well as products catering to special diets such as sugar free, fat free, gluten free and organic products.

Goodrich Gallery 58 Ekamai Tel: 02 381 7778 With over 22 branches worldwide Goodrich has an extensive collection of interior carpets, fabrics and floorings, as well as its trademark wallcoverings.

Fuji Supermarket 593/29-39 Soi Sukhumvit 33/1 Tel: 02 258 0697-9 Japanese supermarket chain with four branches in Thailand, sells Japanese goods as well as having a very good deli.

IKEA Mega Bangna 38 Moo 6 Bangna-Trad km. 8.

Tel: 02 708 7999 The world’s largest furniture retailer arrived in Thailand in 2011, bringing its global brand of ready-to-assemble products with a Swedish functionality to the kingdom.

Gourmet Market Siam Paragon Emporium K Village Terminal 21 Has a good selection of meat, charcuterie, seafood and fresh products from all around the world, as well as gourmet Thai food and wines. Also has a pet shop.

Top Supermarket Central Chidlom Sukhumvit Soi 41 Small supermarket chain selling high quality and fresh products including goods from UK’s Waitrose supermarket.

Villa Market Sukumvit, Between Soi 33 & 35 Has been serving expats with essential goods at reasonable prices since 1974, with an excellent selection of cold meats, cheeses and wines. Another branch is located in the basement of Ploenchit Centre, Sukhumvit Soi 2. Open 24 hours.

Wine Cellar G/F Hotel S31, 545 Sukhumvit 31 Tel: 02 662 1355 Wine shop and bar in the lobby area of S31 hotel has a good range of inexpensive wines directly imported by the owners, as well as some cold meats and cheeses. Open from 11am to 11pm.

Wine Connection G/F, Rain Hill, Sukhumvit 47 Tel: 02 261 7217 G/F K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 Tel: 02 661 3940 In addition to being a great place to dine, the Wine Connection has a good stock of wine that can be bought either from its K Village branch or from the bottle shop at the rear of the Rain Hill branch.

HOME

Casa Pagoda Cnr. Sukhumvit & Soi 45

HOUSEWARE / SILKS

Almeta 20/3 Sukhumvit Soi 23 Tel: 02 204-1412 or (662) 258-4227 www.almeta.com Small shop, close to Sukhumvit, stocks over 1,000 different types of hand-woven Thai silk in a wide range of colours, as well as supplying silk to Kiwi designer Octavia Fox. It takes three weeks to custom-make your curtains and the shop will ship internationally. Also stocks a wide range of bedding and cushions, as well as silk wallpaper. Open from 10am to 6pm.

Jim Thompson 9 Surawong Rd. Tel: 02 632 8100 www.jimthompson.com When you think of Thai silk your mind immediately wanders off to Jim Thompson, the man who single-handedly revived the industry. Widely regarded as the best place in town to buy silk, this large showroom has an array of fabrics in various styles, as well as delicate silk cushion covers, ties, and wallets. The third floor of the showroom stocks the higher-end silks that Jim Thompson manufactures for Gaston Y Daniela, Elitis, and Sahco Hasslein.

ME (Modern East) 3/F Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 1127 Selling well designed houseware and clothing, ME has a few locations in Bangkok – each themed around a different colour. The Grayson Plaza branch sells only white and beige items, with white linen embroidered tunics and trousers, silver accessories and cushion covers.

Pasaya Flagship Store Unit 32-33, 3/F Siam Paragon Shop-

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ping Center, Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 02 610 9338-40 www.pasaya.com The flagship store sells bedding from sheets and pillows to duvet sets with a 420-thread count, and a rainbow of colours. Pasaya also retails silk fabrics and can make custom made curtains and bed sheets with an average delivery time of three weeks.

87/2 Wireless Rd. Tel: 02 654 1111 www.cbre.co.th Has an in-depth knowledge of properties available in Bangkok’s central areas, including condominiums and houses in new and existing projects and individual residential development land plots. Also advises tenants on leasing office premises in Bangkok.

MALLS

Colliers International 17/F Ploenjit Centre, 2 Sukhumvit Rd. Tel: 02 656 7000 www.colliers.co.th Global commercial real estate company formed more than 30 years ago in Australia has a diverse range of properties for sale or lease whether it’s an office, retail store, industrial space, rural property, hotel or development site.

Central World 999/9, Rama 1 Rd., Ratchaprasong Intersection Tel: 02 635 1111 www.centralworld.co.th When constructed, Central World was the third largest shopping complex in the world. It contains a shopping mall, department store, hotel, and office towers.

Open every day from 10am to 22pm.

The Emporium Shopping Complex Sukhumvit Soi 24 Tel: 02 269 1000 www.emporiumthailand.com Distinctly up-market shopping mall with a long list of the who’s who of international designers within its floors. The mall has its own Cineplex as well as the Thailand Creative and Design Center on the seventh floor, and a direct connection to Phrom Pong BTS Station. Open from 10am to 10pm.

How Executive Search Saves You Money

By Gary Woollacott My inspiration for this month’s column came from a client, although he may not be too happy after reading this. A while back I had visited him, trying to resuscitate a relationship that wasn’t doing so well, even though we had recruited his HR manager just a year before. As an aside, business relationships, like personal ones, need to be nurtured or they will die. This client was explaining why he didn’t need us, and how his HR manager was doing a great job with recruiting.

I found myself on the defensive, justifying our fees and what we do for them. Normally I have no difficulties in setting out exactly how we do things and why it is worth using a real headhunter (as opposed to recruitment firms that just place ads on internet job boards) to identify, qualify and acquire the best talent. I was struggling because he seemed to have every counter-point to my arguments.

And then he said something that allowed me to dismiss his case. He was proud of the fact they had found their man after he had interviewed 20 applicants. Twenty! Think of the time he spent reviewing CVs, preparing for, and conducting interviews. And if he saw 20, his HR manager probably met

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40 and must have reviewed 100 CVs. What a waste of their expensive managerial time. I don’t think his superiors would be impressed with their time management choices.

If he had engaged us, yes, he would have paid more.

But our job is to deliver a handful of candidates who are interested in and qualified for the position. Not 20 who have posted a CV on a job board because they are desperate to leave their current employer.

We go out and find the best candidates. These ‘passive candidates’ are usually very happy where they are and are only interested in a new challenge because we have taken the time to identify and call them. So if you are recruiting for a senior position — someone who is going to take the company forward and you need the best, not the desperate and dateless — then call us.

As usual, let me know if you have any particular topic you would like to see covered here.

Gary Woollacott is the CEO of Opus executive search in Vietnam and Thailand. He can be reached at +84 8 3827 8209 or via gary@opusasia.net.

Opus is a partner of Horton International.

Paradise Park 61 Srinakarin Rd., Nongbon, Pravet Tel: 02 787 1000 Paradise Park opened in 2010 to provide eastern Bangkok with shops, restaurants, and a cinema. Villa Market is on the ground floor, along with a food market serving Thai and international dishes and Laem Charoen Seafood that has fresh daily catch. Open from 10am to 10pm.

Siam Paragon 991/1 Rama 1 Rd. Tel: 02 610 8000 www.siamparagon.co.th Opened in 2005, Siam Paragon is one of the biggest shopping malls in Asia, with 40,000 sqm devoted to luxury retail shopping. Siam Ocean World is located in the basement and the top floor has a quite remarkable Imax cinema. Next door is the Siam Centre and Siam Discovery Centre. Open from 10am to 10pm.

Gaysorn Plaza 999 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 1149 www.gaysorn.com Opposite Central World, Graysorn Plaza boasts an array of luxury brands such as Burberry, Etienne Aigner, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, as well as local Thai designers. Open from 10am to 8pm.

Terminal 21 88 Sukhumvit Soi 19 Tel: 02 108 0888 With each floor decorated in the style of a different places – Rome, Paris, Tokyo, London, Istanbul, San Francisco and Hollywood – Terminal 21 has reinvented the concept of a shopping mall. The food floor on the fifth floor represents remarkably good value for money, and there is a cinema on the top floor as well. Open from 10am to 10pm.

REAL ESTATE

Acute Realty 216/65 L.P.N. Tower 15/F, Nanglinchee Rd. Tel: 02 285 4645 www.acuterealty.com One of leading real estate agents in Thailand since 2000, Acute offers professional real estate brokerage service, sale and project management, property consultancy and tenancy management for individuals, corporations and investors.

CBRE 46/F, CRC Tower, All Seasons Place,

Knight Frank 65/192 23/F Chamnan Phenjati Business Centre, Rama 9 Tel: 02 643 8223 www.knightfrankthailand.com A leading real estate service provider in Thailand, Knight Frank specialises in helping clients buying, selling or renting residential or commercial properties.

Urbaan Real Estate F/15, 209/1 K Tower B, Sukhumvit Soi 2 Tel: 02 664 2784 www.urbaanrealestate.com Sells and rents properties in brand new developments, through to luxury penthouse and duplex properties. As a Thailand based real estate agent, it specialises in Bangkok and Pattaya properties for sale and rent.

RELOCATION COMPANIES Asian Tiger Mobility 21/F 3388/74-77 Sirinrat Building Rama IV Tel: 02 687 7888 www.asiantigers-mobility.com Leading provider of international relocations, with 30 offices in 14 countries.

Each year Asian Tiger moves thousands of families to their new homes from every corner of the globe providing a comprehensive end-to-end service tailored to clients’ needs.

Crown Relocations 116/90-91 SSP Tower II, 24/F, Na Ranong Rd. Tel: 02 249 0219 www.crownrelo.com With 250 operations worldwide, Crown’s global team of almost 3,000 professionals delivers a full range of relocation services ranging from international and domestic transportation of household goods, online tracking, storage, transit protection, home and school search and a host of departure and destination services for relocating employees and private expats.

Santa Fe 207 Soi Saeng Uthai, Sukhumvit Soi 50 Tel: 02 742 9890/2 www.santaferelo.com A tried and tested partner for leading corporations, Santa Fe offers comprehensive relocation services from designing relocation policies to finding executive accommodation.

RENTAL CAR

Sawasdee Rent a Car L/L Interchange 21 Building, Sukhumvit Road (Asok) Tel: 02 661 6505 www.sawasdeerentacar.com Provider of short-term and long-term rental cars for both business and leisure travellers in Thailand since 2006. Offers a wide range of models from compact-size to full-size SUV with legal rental car insurance to ensure your comfort and safety when driving. Open from 9am to 5pm, closed weekends.

listings

fashion ACCESSORIES Again and Again Market Place, Thonglor Soi 4 Tel: 08 9486 5359 With a wide selection of costume jewellery – from chunky gems to show-stopping sparklers – Again and Again dishes up all manner of sparkly vintage items without you having to battle through any second-hand market. Open from 11am to 9pm.

Jude Smid www.judesmid.com www.facebook.com/judesmid Inspired by art, fashion and travel, Jude Smid Jewellery creates pieces that are timeless and luxurious, yet with a modern approach. The Jude Smid woman is independent, self-confident and adventurous. All the jewellery is made of high-end materials that enhance sophistication and elegance.

RougeRouge Surreal Space, 1/F Zen, CentralWorld, Tel: 02 258 4230 A collaboration between Wannaporn ‘Duang’ Poshyanonda and British designer Mark Ketteringham, RougeRouge’s bold and sometimes outrageous bags have been making a statement in the wardrobes of local celebs. Open from 10am to 10pm.

BOUTIQUE anr 3/F Siam Center, Tel: 02 252 2762 Acclaimed Thai fashion designer Anurak Thangsomboon has a range of stylish ready-to-wear clothes for both men and women. Fusing western sleek with the spiritualism of the east, anr is designed for today’s multicultural lifestyle. Minimalist and chic, the clothes are practical for everyday use. Open from 11am to 9pm.

Belle Gaysorn Plaza, Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 1109, 02 656 1110 The place to go for international designers, this designer boutique stocks Anna Sui, Cacherel, and Stella McCartney.

Cloud 9 2/F, Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Rd. Tel: 02 656 1428 Small boutique stocks top international designers including Orla Kiely, Tracy Reese, Trina Turk, Paper Denim and Cloth, as well as jewellery designer Erickson Beamon.

Code 10 G/F Siam Paragon Tel: 02 610 8312, 02 610 9794 Multi-brand boutique store showcases the latest seasonal designs by wellknown local brands. Also has a good collection of brooches, pendants, earrings and clutches for those who want to add some dazzle to their eveningwear.

Flynow 2/F Gaysorn Plaza, Tel: 02 656 1359 One of the leading lights in the local fashion industry, Flynow launched a small women’s collection back in 1983.

The avant-garde style appeals to those opting for a smart, sophisticated look.

Everything from classic modern dresses to accessories, such as leather bags, belts and shoes. Its offshoot brand Flynow by Chamnan caters to a younger and more moneyed clientele. Open from 10am to 8pm.

femme fashion

Kai Boutique 2/F Gaysorn Plaza, Tel: 02 656 2108 Thailand’s first haute-couture brand is not the place to go for casual everyday wear.

Dating back to 1968, the brand stands for quality crafting elegant, feminine eveningwear and devastating wedding dresses. Open from 10am to 8pm.

Keith Shannon www.mykeithshannon.com www.facebook.com/mykeithshannon Cool designs, lightweight state-of-the-art fabrics and a style that makes people look twice – that is the Keith Shannon way. Born in a Bangkok recording studio, the Keith Shannon brand has its own fragrance as well as classic jeans and t-shirts. A brand that says “attitude with individuality” Keith Shannon is strictly for men only.

MONLADA Seen Space, Thonglor 13 G/F, Zen Department Store, Central World 4, 4/5 Rajadamri Road, Tel: 08 7015 5555 Local socialite and fashion designer, Monlada Pongpanit’s clothes capture a vintage style with a modern, feminine twist. Also has a range of menswear, eveningwear and swimwear.

Sretsis 2/F Gaysorn Plaza, Tel: 02 656 1125 Renowned for their use of whimsical prints on delicate fabrics and nostalgic details, these sister designers, first came to the attention of New York fashionistas for their offbeat designs with a girlish twist. After making their name abroad, the designer pair brought their success home and opened their first boutique in Thailand at Gaysorn. As for the name, look at sisters in the mirror. Open from 10am to 8pm.

Zenithorial 2/F Gaysorn Plaza, Tel: 02 656 1064 With a strong emphasis on the individual, Zenithorial fuses dynamic cuts, sharp lines and vivid colours. Boring it is not, though minimalist it can be with mostly white, black and grey colour palettes setting the trend for classic menswear. Open from 10am to 8pm.

RETRO / SECOND-HAND

Chao Chan 1/F, Park Lane, Tel: 081 833 3655 If you are looking for secondhand Ralph Lauren shirts, Levis jeans from the 50s or tailor-made leather shoes, Chao Chan is the place. Open from 11am to 10pm.

Cocue Basics 1/F Baan Ekamai, Ekkamai Soi 21, Tel: 02 711 4783 A warehouse with the feel of a secondhand clothing store in London’s East End, Cocue sells old military jackets, vintage dresses and classic jeans. Also has a Siam Square outlet. Open from 1pm to 9.30pm.

It's Happened to be a Closet Siam Paragon, Tel: 08 1754 1791 English teachers look away, but this boutique scores many more points for its retro-style clothing and kitsch knickknacks than it does for grammar. Also has an adjoining café. Open from 10am to 10pm.

The Trapeze Swingers Soi Chana Songkhram Tel: 08 1908 1381 This two-storey shophouse hidden amid all the same same tourist shops along Khao San Road sells male and female clothing from the 60s and 70s with a few retro trinkets added to the melting pot.

Open daily 1pm to 9pm.

The Colour Purple

By Christina Yu The colour purple is a tricky little thing. It is always about to be fashionable but then, before you know it, it is so last year. It has something to do with the hues – the next season’s purple never matches what you bought on sale the last time purple was just about to be popular.

I searched my wardrobe for purple and honestly, the only outfit I loved was a Halston jersey evening dress bought in a second-hand shop in Miami – we are talking about 1970s fashion, when Halston was cool and used colour.

So what do you really need to know about purple? My advice is to avoid purple except in these situations: If you’re a 70s or 80s rock star, then purple haze, purple rain, purple pumpkin eater and deep purple are OK but, even then, not for wearing (what was Prince thinking when he came out in that purple suit singing ‘Purple Rain’?); Thai airways, but then again, this definitely did not date very well; Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland; The so-called metrosexuals who are considering whether to come out; Describing my prose.

Purple does not rhyme with any other English word so it is pretty useless in literature as well.

And do not be misled by those non-purple words that sound so alluring – lavender, lilac, aubergine, plum, mulberry and wine. These may be fine to smell, eat and drink but definitely not to wear.

The latest trend forecast is also trying to sneak purple back into fashion by labelling it “nocturnal violet”. Sounds cool but in fact, it is a very dark blackcurrant, almost the same as black. Do not be seduced into buying something in this colour, as this will not work with your current black wardrobe and it will be almost impossible to match with a top or bottom unless you buy the whole outfit.

You know I’m right. Go to any public place and look around to see who is wearing purple – definitely not the “in” dudes.

Purple is supposed to represent magic, mystery, royalty and, in part, wealth, so it goes well with gold. If you do wear purple, pair the outfit with gold jewellery, shoes and handbags. Otherwise, save purple for the name of your next rock band.

Christina Yu is the creative director and founder of Ipa-Nima, an award-winning accessories brand. Email your questions to Christina@ ipa-nima.com or visit Ipa-nima. com.

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Eat Me Restaurant

Bed Supperclub 10th Anniversary

Photos by Nick McGrath.

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Back to School at Le Petit Zinc

Pinktober at Hard Rock Cafe

St. Andrews

Beervana Launch at Brew

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soundfix album review

by Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

Taken By Trees

Miguel

Toy

Bat For Lashes

Ever since Sweden’s Victoria Bergsman guest sang on Peter, Bjorn and John’s 2006 hit Young Folks, she’s been one to keep an eye on. The former frontwoman of The Concretes has spent the past few years focusing on her solo career. Performing as Taken by Trees, Other Worlds is Bergsman’s third such album.

The cover shows her shadowy silhouette holding a conch shell to her ear and facing an ocean.

It’s an image that perfectly forecasts the album’s sound.

Gentle waves of breezy singing, jaunty seaside rhythms and production are as pleasant as a sunny day on the coast. And that’s just where Bergsman recorded, with studio space in the Hawaiian Islands.

You have to go back to the mid-1990s to see R&B so in vogue. But whereas critics’ darlings Frank Ocean and The Wknd have broken down R&B elements and rebuilt the genre with a contemporary, electronic approach, Miguel goes for more traditional smooth jams.

The retrospective outlook is refreshing. His crooning style recalls that of Usher — suave, sensual and with a killer falsetto — embellished with some lusty synthesiser and snares. Miguel’s second album looks to be the breakout that his 2010 debut didn’t quite become. The mix of velveteen vocals and electric guitar riffs on Arch & Point make it the catchiest number, whereas How Many Drinks? is old school R&B at its finest.

With a name like Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong, the band seemed doomed to fail.

And it did. But like a phoenix rising, the former group’s three members recouped, added two musicians and became Toy. The eponymous album serves up a mix of 1970s Krautrock and psychedelia, which sounds like a recipe for over-indulgence, but is somehow pulled off with flair.

My Heart Skips A Beat reveals the band at its most tender, sung

by Tom Dougall’s boyish voice over cinematic instrumentals.

The track is followed by another knockout, Strange, with a wink and a nod to the shoe-gazing genre. It seems a rebirth can work wonders.

It’s hard to believe that this is the artist who asked What’s a Girl to Do on her first album.

Five years later, Bat For Lashes — otherwise known as Natasha Khan — sounds like she knows exactly what she is doing.

Khan’s third album is her most polished yet. This doesn’t mean the singer-songwriter’s taken a hit on creativity, merely that she’s had time to mature and produce something cohesive.

Khan draws comparison to Kate Bush at her calmest, given the delicate voice and a penchant for eccentric lyrics and tone.

With this latest album, Khan may start commanding the critical attention and popular appeal she’s only flirted with on past efforts.

Other Worlds

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Kaleidoscope Dream

TOY

The Haunted Man

xoneFM top ten

endorsed

US TOP 10 rank title 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

One More Night As Long As You Love Me We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Some Nights Too Close Good Time Blow Me (One Last Kiss) Don't Wake Me Up Everybody Talks Die Young

artist Maroon 5 Justin Bieber Taylor Swift Fun. Alex Clare Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen P!nk Chris Brown Neon Trees Ke$ha

Australian TOP 10 rank title

1 2

Gangnam Style Sweet Nothing

3 4 5

Battle Scars Skinny Love Hall Of Fame

6 7 8 9 10

Try Wish You Were Here Diamonds Bom Bom I Knew You Were Trouble

artist Psy Calvin Harris feat Florence Welch Guy Sebastian Birdy The Script feat Will.i.am P!nk Delta Goodrem Rihanna Sam And The Womp Taylor Swift

UK INDIE TOP 10 rank

title

artist Adele Woodkid Example Public Enemy

5

Skyfall Run Boy Run Say Nothing Harder Than You Think The Feeling

6 7 8 9 10

Language Someone Like You Something Good Gangnam Style Set Fire to the Sun

1 2 3 4

DJ Fresh feat Ra Vaughn Porter Robinson Adele alt-J Chopper XXL Adele

Capsule Coffee

By Martin Ho There has been an upsurge in popularity for capsule coffee machines in Europe and the trend is slowly making its way to Asia. These machines use pre-packaged coffee that comes in small, sealed cups.

Instead of fumbling around with loose coffee, you simply add a little package into the machine, press a button, and wait for espresso to drip out of the spout. Coffee capsules are hermetically-sealed ground coffee that, despite their size, deliver a punchy flavour.

The machines used with the capsules pierce them and force hot water through the hole to make espresso; they contain just enough coffee for one shot.

Not only are these machines easy to use, but also they’re also clean, extremely convenient, and there are plenty of options well below $300.

However, like with printer toner, the manufacturers make their money on the coffee rather than the machines themselves, as the capsules’ shapes and sizes are specific to the machines they were designed for and are often not interchangeable.

My experience buying my machine in Paris was quite interesting. The shop I visited was glamorous, akin to a boutique on Fifth Avenue.

The staff were dressed up in nice suits and spoke with their noses upturned. This shop was replete with a spacious lounge for customers to take their time sampling over 15 different coffees and hot chocolates, which were all produced from capsules.

Once you’ve decided on the flavours you want to take home, you are expected to line up for at least 15 to 30 minutes if you haven’t ordered online, and the stores can be packed with hundreds of customers.

I don’t mean to make it sound off-putting, but rather enticing in that there is so much ceremony and elegance attached to such a product. I loved the quality of the coffee enough to buy 50 boxes of capsules, and I continue to harass my friends to bring me back more from their trips abroad where they sell my brand of choice.

Paris prices ran $5 for a box of 10 capsules to $130 for a box of 250.

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boxoffice

Cloud Atlas

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2

Skyfall

Rise Of The Guardians

This film explores how the actions of individuals impact on the past, present and future.

The kaleidoscope storyline leaps from an 1849 diary of an ocean voyage across the Pacific to a thriller about a murder at a nuclear power plant and the tale of a tribe living in postapocalyptic Hawaii far in the future. Everything is connected in this futuristic tale, starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving.

As one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

The latest in the ever-popular Twilight series starts with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) enjoying life after the birth of their daughter Renesmee. However, soon family bliss is threatened again, this time by a new menace. Vampire Irina (Maggie Grace) believes a child like Renesmee could challenge the power and existence of the Volturi. Expect lots of fangs and superhuman leaping as the Cullens – together with any allies (for that read werewolves) they can assemble – are preparing to fight an ultimate battle to protect their family.

Daniel Craig is back as 007 in the twenty-third Bond film.

This time his loyalty to M (Judy Dench) is tested as the past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Directed by Sam Mendes, Javier Bardem provides a Hispanic touch to the evil villain and Bérénice Marlohe and Helen McCroy compete for the love interest. Also features Ralph Fiennes in an MI6 role that could indicate the end of M.

As Christmas approaches so does a flurry of films targeting weary parents seeking 90 minutes respite. Rise of the Guardians is the latest release by the DreamWorks Animation team. When the evil spirit Pitch (voice of Jude Law) launches an assault on Earth, the Immortal Guardians team up to protect the innocence of children all around the world. The plot is largely irrelevant but expect some great animation and equally good one-liners with a voice list that includes Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin.

On General Release Skyfall (from Nov. 1) The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn : Part 2 (from Nov. 15) Cloud Atlas (from Nov. 29) Rise Of The Guardians (from Nov. 29)

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Information correct at time of going to press. Check cinema websites for screenings.

bookshelf Kevin Powers The Yellow Birds Little, Brown & Company

A Catch-22 for this generation, The Yellow Birds provides a literary window to the Iraq War frontlines. Drawing from his own experiences as a machine-gunner in Iraq, Kevin Powers — a first-time novelist with an academic background in poetry — portrays the everyday struggles and ironies of war.

The plotline follows 21-year-old Private John Bartle from 2003 to 2009, through the United States, Germany and Iraq.

A nonlinear format leaves readers to put together the pieces of a puzzle based on Bartle’s hazy memories of the war and the trauma he experiences both during deployment and after his return.

Hunter Davis (Editor)

Lois Lowry Son Houghton Mifflin

Lois Lowry published The Giver nearly 20 years ago. Written for young adults, the powerful novel features characters who come of age within a dystopian community. With its mature, thought-provoking themes, The Giver has become required reading in many schools. Written with the same sparse, stirring style, Son revisits the strange community and features a 14-year-old girl as the protagonist. Claire serves as a vessel, which the reader comes to learn is responsible for birthing. Although the community forbids parents from having any connection with their children — who are raised communally — Claire becomes determined to know her child.

The John Lennon Letters

Orhan Pamuk

Weidenfield and Nicolson

Alfred A Knopf

John Lennon imagined a world that was better than the one we have. Beyond his musical abilities, it was Lennon’s creative spirit that made him one of the most significant artists of the last century. Editor Hunter Davies — who wrote an authorised Beatles biography more than 40 years ago — presents a collection of Lennon’s hand-drawn postcards, love letters and rambles. These correspondences present a vision of the artist as a man, while also revealing how he incorporated art into his everyday life. As the lyricist behind Strawberry Fields and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Lennon’s writing is equally composed with clever wordplay and poetic sensibilities.

Silent House Not to be confused with a thriller film of the same title, Silent House is Orhan Pamuk’s latest work to be translated into English. First published in Turkish in 1983, the novel tells the story of a family gathering on the coast near Istanbul. As the impending military coup of 1980 looms, the family — an ageing mother, her three grandchildren and her husband’s son by a mistress — struggles to reconcile their own differences and confront the changing society around them. The winner of the 2006 Nobel Literature Prize, Pamuk delivers the story with compelling writing style.

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radar To the Future With Love

loveletterstothefuture.com This Greenpeace initiative provides a forum to address climate change.

Users can send in their own love letters to the future, in the form of videos, photographs or postcards. Some entries are awfully poignant, holding little hope for the future: “Silverback gorillas were incredible, human-like creatures. They looked at us like equals, but we were the lesser being.” In December 2009 during the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the top 100 love letters were sealed in a steel time capsule, set to be open in a century. Fingers crossed we heed Greenpeace’s message and stop some of the scarier prophecies from coming true.

Concerts From Every Angle

switchcam.com Switchcam makes life easy for anyone trying to watch concert footage through YouTube. Members of the site use YouTube footage to put together entire concerts in one stream, choosing the best audio and video sources to create a seamless experience. Simply search for an artist (all of the big ones are there), choose a show, sit back and enjoy. This ensures you won’t have to search for another song every time the current one ends, and any poorquality videos are eliminated.

Meet Your Inspiration

makers.com This website features documentary interviews with trailblazing women from the US, both household names and unknowns. AOL and PBS have sponsored the project, and there are dozens of videos available. By visiting the site you can hear the likes of Madeline Albright, Hillary Clinton and Katie Couric talking about their journeys to influence and the role of women in the modern world. The goal of these videos is to document the progress of women in America over the last few decades, and the stories discussed will surely inspire anyone.

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THE TWO OF US Artistic collaborators Peap Tarr, 36, and Lisa Mam, 22, will be bringing their distinctive brand of street art to Bed Supperclub on Nov. 24 in a live performance painting. Ellie Dyer talks to the creative duo about their work. Photography by Dylan Walker.

Lisa When I was young I always liked drawing and sketching but never took it to the next level. When I met Peap last year I started to feel as if I could really do this. We are both inspired by the same culture. I thought I might take a risk and do it, but just to have fun because I study dentistry at the University of Health and Science of Cambodia at the same time.

I’m going to have my bachelor’s degree this year. It’s a career that I love and part of my family history. My grandparents were royal doctors in the 60s, but after the Khmer Rouge I lost them. My dad continued for the next generation and is a doctor specialising in tropical disease.

I first met Peap through friends. When he said maybe I should paint with him, I didn’t expect it to get to this level. My parents were a bit surprised because I stopped drawing for a long time while doing my studies. I now have

Peap two careers — which is a lot of work.

At first, I felt ‘Oh my goodness, what if I do something wrong?’ But in my mind, I thought I should just do it. I took a really big risk painting live at the Chenla Theatre for the first time. You have no idea how nervous I was. After that, I got quite good. People liked it. It was like a test.

I paint women with their eyes closed because they represent serenity and compassion. Basically, women in Cambodia are all beautiful but I want to paint not just them but every woman. They mean something to the world.

My parents are proud of me and my mum supports me at everything. She comes to every event and even to one in Thailand. She’s a great person and my number one fan.

She wears my T-shirt to the market every day. Maybe after I complete my degree, I’ll take a year to have an adventure in art.

I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. My mum always gave me paper to draw on as she was in the academic field — she has a PhD in sociology and later on became a university lecturer.

We moved a lot when I was a kid, from the Philippines to Thailand and Singapore. I got to see a lot of different places.

But when I was going to primary school in Australia I saw lots of graffiti. It looked like a big cartoon on the wall. I got into that more when I went to high school. I did skating, and got into tagging.

When I was first painting, I drew quite colourful images.

But when I went to Angkor Wat in 1994 it opened me up.

I thought it was part of my culture. Growing up in New Zealand and Australia, people didn’t always know where Cambodia was. When I said I was half Cambodian, they thought I was half Columbian.

I wanted to show something

that came from my heart and represented who I was. When it comes from you, the ideas just flow. Things started to kick in for me in 2005, when I was put in an art show called art beats. At that time, I started coming up with my style — black and white, a mixture of New Zealand and Khmer style. One thing just led to another. I came back to Cambodia at the end of 2009 and again in 2010 to help my mum out. I did a live painting event at the night market and a year later I met Lisa. She had seen some of my stuff around and always loved art too.

When we linked, it just connected. I’ve painted with lots of people, but it was like finding yin and yang. It was like that missing piece of the puzzle. Lisa was, to me, amazing. The first evening we painted together she blew people away. I almost stood back at times to watch her.

From there on in, the rest is history.

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pub quiz Take a Bough

Depths

1) Ratty, Toad, Badger and Mole are all characters in which 1908 novel?

2) What was the title of the song that was a hit for Laurel and Hardy from the 1937 film Way Out West?

3) Which spy character did Michael Caine play in the 1960's films The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and The Billion Dollar Brain?

4) Which film featured the character Freddie Kruger?

5) What phrase connects a funeral service and the title of a number one David Bowie hit?

21) Which lake is the deepest in the world?

22) The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the world's oceans. In which ocean is it?

23) What was codename of Bob Woodward's Watergate contact?

24) What was the purpose of the IBM-developed computer Deep Blue?

25) ‘Smoke on the Water’ is a famous song by which band, who were once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band"?

6) What was originally billed as an "esteemed brain tonic and intellectual beverage" when it first appeared on the market in 1886?

7) What fruit is the basis of Calvados?

8) The letters ABV found on drinks containers are an abbreviation for what?

9) What is Adam’s Ale? 10) What drink, by European law, must come from the area around the Spanish town of Jerez?

AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark. No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © AsiaLIFE Media (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

When They Were Young 26)

Behind the Scenes - Photo by Nick McGrath

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Heights 16) What was the highest building in the world until 1930?

17) Angel Falls is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall. In which country is it?

18) In which US state is its highest mountain?

19) What is Africa's highest mountain?

20) Which country's highest mountain is the Grossglockner?

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30) 1) The Wind In The Willows 2) The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine 3) Harry Palmer 4) Nightmare On Elm Street 5) Ashes to Ashes 6) Coca-Cola 7) Apples 8) Alcohol By Volume 9) Water 10) Sherry 11) Dogs 12) A tail 13) Bill Sikes 14) Cat Stevens 15) Lee Marvin 16) The Eiffel Tower 17) Venezuela 18) Alaska 19) Kilimanjaro 20) Austria 21) Baikal 22) Pacific 23) Deep Throat 24) To play chess 25) Deep Purple 26) William Shatner 27) Christopher Walken 28) Ozzy Osbourne 29) William Shatner 30) Charlize Theron

11) What animal are the Canary Islands named after?

12) What does an Isle of Man Manx cat not have?

13) Which Dickens character owned a dog named Bull’s Eye? 14) Steven Georgi is now Yusuf Islam. By what other name was this singer known?

15) Who won the 1965 Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Cat Ballou?

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Pub Quiz Answers

In the Drink

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