HOT Magazine, July 15, 2015

ISSUE 7, VOLUME 03, JULY 15, 2015

Luxury Living & Exclusive Lifestyle

H T MA AZINE Hua Hin, Bangkok

HOT MAGAZINE

MALI SHOW HOME NOW OPEN CHRIS CRAKER PART 2 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

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Issue 7, Volume 03, July 15, 2015

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Contents 9 Mali’s show house is now open 12 Let’s Meet Christoph Trocker 14 Let’s eat Mama Mia Restaurant 18 Sileni Wine Dinner at The Sheraton Hua Hin Resort 22 Hot Around Town 32 Let’s brunch Sunday Brunch at McFarland House 36 Interview with Chris Craker Part ll

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40 HOT Magazine announces Media Partnership 44 Let’s Go Ubon Ratchathani 50 Miss Perfect Angel 54 Snow Town, Bangkok 58 Let’s Stay, Bangkok Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit 24 64 Let’s Check in ART BOX

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68 Shoes can make everything all right 72 Benefits of buying Pre-owned 77 Hua Hin’s Best Buys

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Media Partner of the

Thailand Property Awards 2015

Dear Reader, Welcome to Issue 7 Volume 3. We start this issue by taking you to Mali. Mali is the 8th housing development from the multi-award winning Orchid Palm Homes. After successfully selling out their 7 prior developments they are now embarking on their newest and showing off their completed show home. Find out all about Mali and Orchid on page 9.

Food is fully covered in this issue and we’re pleased to begin by introducing you to the Hyatt Regency’s Executive Chef Christoph Trocker on page 12, Mama Mia’s delightful Italian food on page 14, the Sheraton’s Sileni Wine Dinner on page 18 and finally on page 31 we take you to the Hyatt again for their acclaimed Sunday Brunch at McFarland House.

Page 36 will take you to the last half of our two part interview with Chris Craker, an affable and charming man who’s had a huge impact on the music business for over 25 years and continues to do so.

Our Let’s Go feature this month takes us to Ubon Ratchathani up in Isan. Rich in history and scenic beauty, it’s sometimes referred to as the Grand Canyon of Thailand, that’s on page 44.

Beauty and Charity, two things that go very well together. On page 50 we take you to the Miss Perfect Angel Beauty Pageant where the proceeds are used to build temples.

We’ve all heard of thinking “outside the box” but on page 64 we take you to a place where they thought “inside the box” and came up with a creative new market called ARTBOX. A perfect place to “check-in”.

Shoe’s. Some women just can’t have enough of them. On page 68 we introduce you to Khun K, a Thai shoe designer who won the prestigious Jimmy Choo Award, (the only Thai to do so) and who fashions the footwear for Thailand’s most famous beauties, that’s on page 50.

And with that, we would like to thank you for picking us up and we hope you enjoy the read.

Tanya Siri Vijitsomphong HOT Magazine tanya@hothuahin.com

Luxury Living & Exclusive Lifestyle

Edited and published by HOT Hua Hin Co. Ltd. +66 (0)94 562 4560, +66 (0)94 054 0900 info@hothuahin.com Contact us to find out how to get the most for your advertising baht sales@hothuahin.com www.hotmagazine.website

Although all materials are published in good faith and based on information solicited to us at the time of publication, the publisher takes no responsibility for any errors, loss or omissions that may occur.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in full or in part without the previous written consent of HOT Hua Hin Co. Ltd. All materials copyright.

All rights are reserved.

Managing & Creative Editor Tanya Siri Vijitsomphong tanya@hothuahin.com Graphic Design & Layout WebbOn Media Production info@webbon.se Photographer Birdy – Watthano Photography Follow us on facebook for more pictures and upcoming events facebook.com/HotMagazineHuahinBangkok

Luxury Living

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July 15 - August 15 , 2015

Mali’s show house is now open

L

uxury by design. Three simple words, when used to express a brand identity, hold enough power to impact the sales of any large multinational company.

Orchid Palm Homes. Three simple words that have long been synonymous with “luxury by design” launched their latest project – Mali Residence – much to the delight of all concerned. Following on from the outstanding success of the Orchid Palm Residence and The Views developments, this is the eighth project by the multi award-winning and arguably the most recognised and respected developer located here in the beautiful seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand.

Having proven themselves over the past ten years, it comes as no surprise that as winner of Thailand Property Awards Best Boutique Developer 2014, their latest project launched just seven months ago, is well underway and receiving justifiable and deserved attention from buyers.

Mali Residence, when completed, will offer 66 luxury pool villas spaciously designed on 33 Rai of idyllic countryside, and including an exclusive Community Area with a large BBQ and picnic space alongside a fenced children’s play park.

Ideally situated a short drive from the centre of Hua Hin; close enough to the bypass to be convenient, but far enough to enjoy panoramic mountain views.

With beaches and golf-courses on the doorstep, Mali Residence continues to offer its residents the best of the best in Hua Hin.

Offered in four unique styles - Villa Jasmine, Villa Orchid, Villa Maya and Villa Leelawadee - the villas exemplify the indoor/outdoor living experience with stylish layouts including covered terrace areas and beautifully landscaped gardens that promote outdoor living, perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying an alfresco meal in Thailand’s tropical climate.

The high-end construction and exceptional finishing – such as the stylish vaulted bathroom ceilings, the ‘floating’ ceilings in the living area with recessed lighting – together with many other high-spec features, continue our theme of luxury by design.

Villa Orchid is the smallest of the four designs, with a combined living area of 167sq.m. The main living area, which includes a modern, functional and highspec European style kitchen, is open plan giving an feeling of great space for relaxing & entertaining. The master bedroom, with en-suite, opens onto the terrace and pool area. The second and third bedrooms share a bathroom.

Villa Jasmine offers the most spacious (304 sq.m) of stylish living space, with an L-shaped, open plan layout. The master bedroom and en-suite bathroom, include a spacious dressing room and large, contemporary bathroom, together with terrace access. Bedrooms two and three, also en-suite, offer terrace access and a Balinese outdoor shower, respectively.

With a large swimming pool and waterfall feature, built on an 800sq.m plot, this villa has everything and more!

area of 193 sq.m. The open plan design opens onto a large, covered terrace of 40 sq.m. The master bedroom with ensuite and a large walk-in closet area has terrace access. Bedrooms two and three, also en-suite, offer terrace access and a Balinese outdoor shower, respectively.

Villa Maya offers three ensuite bedrooms in a combined living area of 223 sq.m, designed such that all bedrooms enjoy access to the terrace and swimming pool.

The living area of the house, including a kitchen, dining and sitting room, is a square-shaped open-plan design, with access to the large covered terrace. The master bedroom also includes a dressing room.

For the team at Orchid Palm Homes, it’s not all about the sale. From the outset, we aim to ensure that every part of the process is as easy and straightforward as possible. The sales team work very closely with local and regional property partners, preferred suppliers and the in-house property management team, giving buyers an unrivalled, end-toend customer-centric experience. For example, all buyers are provided with a unique login/microsite, whereby they can view their home being built from groundwork to finishing – it’s the little things that make a big difference.

Buying a home on one of Orchid Palm Homes developments means buying with confidence, safe in the knowledge that you are working with a professional who has an outstanding track record of meeting - and exceeding - expectations time and time again!

A smaller, similar design to Villa Jasmine is Villa Leelawadee, offering a living

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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L et’s Meet Christoph Trocker What is your full name and age?

Christoph Trocker, 36 Years old What is your current Job Position?

Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. How long have you lived in Hua Hin or been coming to Hua Hin? I have been living in Hua Hin for 1 Year and 9 month What did you know about Hua Hin before you moved here?

I have been to Thailand several times before on vacation before I start my new job assignment, but unfortunately never been to Hua Hin. Before moving here, I knew that it was the summer residence of the King is located here and as well is very famous for their white beaches and a Holyday destination especially for golfers What do you like most about your profession?

I love cooking for other people, being creative, I can do both of that. At the same time i can get to know new dishes, spices, people, cultures and countries all over the world.

What do you like least about your profession? The busiest times in a hotel are public holidays, so i work when all other are off or on holiday. This is not always easy when you have a partner or a family. I am working in an amazing environment where others spend their holiday - but come to think of that, that’s positive!

What do you like most about Hua Hin? Hua Hin is a small, nice, clean and safe town compared to other areas and cities in Thailand. The best of it is on my days off here I feel like myself is on holydays here What is your favorite restaurant and why?

As i spend most of the time in the hotel, i know our Hyatt Restaurants are the best.

I really like Mc Farland House, because it’s right at the beachfront and you can enjoy a good glass of wine and a meal in a beautiful environment direct at at thet beach. But as complete contrast to that, i also enjoy the rich variety of food stands at the Cicada Market just outside the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. They have great food there.

What do you like to do in your free time and why?

I spend the time with my Swiss wife, who i met here in Hua Hin. Taking a 15 Minutes’ drive to the house of my

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July 15 - August 15 , 2015

Parents-in-laws, where i can relax, have a swim in the pool, drink a beer and switch off my head completely for a few hours.

What would you recommend to newcomers to do in Hua Hin and why?

I would recommend they drive up to Monkey Mountain at soi 88. Enjoying the sunset with a terrific and the best view over Hua Hin. When you are at the right time there you can enjoy all this with around 200-250 monkeys what surrounding you. It’s just a hill for me compare to the alps what I have in my hometown direct in front of my house but at least it reminds me somehow to home Tell us a surprising fact that the public might not know about you?

When i was young, i was rather wild boy and teenager and I did many kind of

extreme-sports what I exceed sometimes over my limit. Over the years I came on a count of away 67 bone fractures. Its sounds a lot but all health very well What is the most outlandish thing you have ever done and why?

It’s for myself also but mostly for all my friends and Family back home outlandish I guess that I left my beautiful small hometown in Austria when I was 18 and over all these years worked and still moving around the world with my Job. In my early years I wanted to have more experience outside of Austria, then Europe, after middle east I am in Asia now and who knows where I move next, I guess my life was until now very outlandish and continue,……..

L et’s eat

HOT MAGAZINE RECOMMEND

Mama Mia Restaurant

T

he HOT Magazine team got a flavourful taste of exquisite Italian cuisine in its review for July’s “Let’s Eat” section.

Italian food is abundant in Hua Hin, so you could probably wonder why we would have chosen to highlight Mamma Mia over the rest. The reasons were enlighteningly clear by the end of our venture at this marvellous restaurant, so do read on and find out why Mamma Mia is a place you absolutely must go to if you are fan of premium Italian food.

Across the evening, our team was given five primordial reasons for which we urge everyone to visit: The first one was the classy decoration, the ambience and the general feeling of warmth. We walked in to some classy 90’s Italian ballads and this immediately

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set the scene amongst the classic white tablecloth, the red and fancy chairs, stylish and bold salt shakers and postmodernist as well as cubist paintings.

The staff are all very friendly and willing to help, to the point where they asked us to let them know in advance next time we went so that they could find a suitable parking space for us as they do for all of their customers.

The second reason already provided us with a taste of the palate. In the form of a wonderful Prosecco and a fruity red wine, we were granted a classy transition towards the third reason to visit Mamma Mia: The starters which were presented in formidable style. After a portion of delicious complementary bruschetta brought with homemade pate and salsa, we were brought an elongated plate

of pan seared Hokkaido scallops with green a bell pepper salad in vinaigrette.

A beautifully crafted dish, it combined consistency with melt-in-the-mouth softness. Striking flavours from the pepper were excitingly balanced by the smoky aftertaste. Then came some classic steamed mussels with garlic and lemon, which were wonderfully fresh, slightly spicy, wonderfully tangy and veritably exquisite. All of this was accompanied by the selection of homemade breads that were brought to us, of which the focaccia and the classic bread sticks stood out.

The Fourth reason to dine at Mamma Mia was brought to us in the form of a flamboyant main course: a large triangular dish of nicely rounded edges presented us with a selection of ravioli filled with spinach and fresh ricotta

in butter Julienne of zucchini and pink pepper sauce. The flavour was as complex as the dish sounds: Incredibly creamy, aromatic through the cheese, balanced, with a great combination in tangy and soft tastes and impeccably al dente. Then came the rigatoni pasta with melted spicy sausage, cherry tomato and ricotta cheese. This was a very special dish, soothing, crafted greatly to balance the tomato and the ricotta and if that weren’t enough, the parmiggiano grated right in front of you provided it some intensity in the flavour. Then came the heavy guns, in the form of a large and juicy grilled Wagyu strip loin steak served with roasted potato and spinach.

Tender, creamy, flavourful, smooth…

We’d run out of adjectives to describe it, it was truly special and was made even

better by the warm mushroom sauce that was brought on the side. Next and last, was the sautéed lamb rack served with heart of artichokes and roasted potatoes. Brought directly from New Zealand, exquisitely balanced and tender selection of meat provided us a true taste of heaven, with a glorious almost tangy aftertaste, this dish granted us a true pampering of the senses.

But we couldn’t have left Mamma Mia without being given the fifth reason to definitely come back in the near future: The desserts. A brilliantly aromatic tiramisu culminated a wonderful evening with its intensity, its permeating coffee flavour, a flavour that turned to chocolate and ended in a liquor hinted taste which made the tongue feel mellow. A juicy and succulently moist

base balanced a creamy and fluffy top, a veritable spectacle of textures. The dessert ended with a beautiful treat: a sweet, strong and scented limoncello, which put the dinner to rest. Tangy and very easy on the throat, it rounded it all off.

Mamma Mia is definitely a place worth visiting for those with a fine palate.

We’ve given you five, do you really need another reason?

Mama Mia 032 512 250 8/4 Naresdamri Road

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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Smart House

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Prices start at 5.9M European Fitted Kitchen - UPVC double glazed windows & doors Invertor air Conditioners - LED Lighting - Expandable fly screening Full Furniture Package - Under roof & Over ceiling insulation - Alarm System UPVC Rain Guttering - Electric gate - Fully landscaped garden Granite Terrace & Driveway - Swimming Pool

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QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM DEPOSIT TO COMPLETION

Sileni Wine Dinner at The Sheraton Hua Hin Resort

O

n Saturday July 4th, Sileni Estates winery from Hawke’s Bay New Zealand teamed up with the Sheraton’s Australian Executive Head Chef Leonard Faust to create a special wine dinner that was thoroughly enjoyed by all those in attendance.

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equal assortment of fine Sileni wines.

The origins of the Sileni Estate winery go back to only 1998 when they bottled just 4,000 cases their first year. Fast forward to 2015 and they are bottling 700,000 cases and have won world-wide acclaim.

Chef Leonard started everyone off with a Chili & Salt Crusted Tiger Prawn which was accompanied with shaved fennel, champognon mushroom and asparagus salad with a raspberry vinaigrette and parmesan cheese tuille. This was followed by a wonderful Jerusalem artichoke soup with a seared Alaskan scallop and truffle oil. The Main course was char grilled 150 day grain fed beef tenderloin medallions served with pan seared foie gras, baby root vegetables and sauce verte.

After pre-dinner socializing while enjoying Seleni’s Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc guests took their places at the Sheraton’s award winning InAzia Restaurant in anticipation of a delicious five course meal lovingly paired with an

Next to appear was a fine assortment of cheeses with a baguette and date compote. To cap off the special night Chef Leonard prepared a Chocolate Sphere with passion fruit ice cream and pistachio brittle.

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

The Sileni wines that accompanied each course were their Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2013, Chardonnay Hawk Bay 2012, Merlot Hawk Bay 2012, their Pinot Noir Hawke’s Bay 2013 and finally with desert, their Late Harvest Semillon Hawke’s Bay 2011.

At the end of the evening the kitchen staff responsible for preparing the night’s fare were applauded thunderously with further applause given upon hearing that wine dinner’s at the Sheraton will be a monthly event.

Contact the Sheraton at 032 708 000 to find out more about their upcoming special wine dinners.

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HOT AROUND TOWN

ANANTARA’S FOUNDER’S DAY The presentation of AHH activity on Minor Founder day 2015 at Baan Nern Payom School, Beung Nakorn branch is located about 60 kilometers south west of Hua Hin district, it takes one and a half hours to reach there by road.

Because it is in a deserted area with poor communication, the people have had very little contact with the outside world.

There is no electricity or tap water for daily use by the children and residents.

At present the school has 28 male and 25 female students and 2 government

teachers.

The young students are deprived of the necessities of life, as parents earn little income from working in the pineapple orchards nearby. They cannot afford to eat good food and wear worn out clothes.

Besides, it is almost impossible for them to finish Prathom level schooling (equivalent to Junior High).

Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa set up a CSR event called “Anantara Garage

Sale” to raise funds and donations from our team members. It was very successful, as the donation money from this activity amounted to 79, 219 baht, which helped us buy new student uniforms, shoes, and socks, improve and re-paint activity rooms and replantupgrade water tanks. Equally we were able to provide them with tasty lunch by the Anantara Team. The highlight of this year is the “Anantara Chicken Farm” which we are building for school in order to provide them with eggs for lunch!

AWARD FOR PUTAHRACSA Recognized for many years as one of the Best Restaurants in Hua Hin, the Oceanside Beach Club & Restaurant has again been awarded for the “Best Restaurant 2015 from Thailand Tatler”.

Mr. Manuel Lang (General Manager, Middle), Khun Wittawat (Executive Chef, Left), Khun Nuch (Assistant Food & Beverage Manager, right) and Putahracsa Team members ensure that Oceanside continues to provide a high standard of customer service and maintains high quality food standards.

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July 15 - August 15 , 2015

VANA NAVA HUA HIN INVITE DONATIONS FOR CHILDREN Welcome back to school! Vana Nava Hua Hin invites you to donate student uniforms, education equipment, books and necessary items to the Border Patrol Police School of Prachuapkhirikhan, Petchaburi, Ratchaburi and the nearby area. Get a free complimentary photo when you share your generosity with them. The donations start from now until September, 30th at Vana Nava Hua Hin.

HOT AROUND TOWN STRIKES GOLD WITH TRAVEL LIFE AWARDS Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa has become the first resort in the Western Chapter of Thailand to receive the prestigious Gold Award by Travelife for constantly providing new opportunities, and improving its local community, the environment and the quality of life in the holiday destination.

implementing environmental and social management strategies. It is extremely satisfying to achieve such a prestigious award, which underlines Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa and all the team and associate’s constant commitment towards environmental sustainability in the hospitality sector.”

This is an impressive accolade for Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, as it is the only resort to be presented with Travelife accreditation, as well as the recent success of ISO 9001 and 14001 recertification. The driving force behind Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa’s successful application was Mr. Sitthirat Hothongkam, Hotel Manager.

Asked for his comments, Mr. Sitthirat said: “We have been passionate about

To achieve Gold, the highest Travelife accolade, Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa has demonstrated a very high commitment to sustainability including encouraging others to get involved, constantly seeking out new opportunities for improvement, actively communicating its progress to others as well as producing regular progress reports on the way it manages local community relations.

DUSIT THANI HUA HIN FOOTBALL ACADEMY WELCOME STANLEY MENZO Dusit Thani Hua Hin and Dusit Thani Hua Hin Football Academy were delighted to once again welcome Stanley Menzo, the legendary Dutch goalkeeper, to the hotel and football academy recently. Stanley, who represented the Dutch national team at a World Cup and a European Championship, also made over 300 appearances for Ajax Amsterdam, picking up a UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup during that time.

Stanley was at the hotel to continue offering his advice on football matters to help the Dusit Thani Hua Hin Football Academy make further progress and in appreciation, was presented with a team shirt by team coach and ex-professional Steve Barbe to add to an extensive collection of footballing mementoes.

MALI SHOW HOME PROPERTY On Friday evening July 3rd Orchid Palm Home’s held a grand opening party for their newly completed show house in their 8th and newest development called Mali.

Invited guests included vendors, the real estate community and friends.

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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HOT AROUND TOWN

ANYTIME ANYWHERE MEETING AT HYATT REGENCY HUA HIN Hyatt Regency Hua Hin offers the ‘Anytime Anywhere’ meeting package to help clients organise a memorable meeting or event that involves the endless preparation and countless moving of pieces. Just two and a half hours away from Bangkok city centre, the resort provides the flexibility for guests to arrange the meeting at the resort practically anytime and anywhere.

With a special meeting package starting from THB 7,900* per person (based on twin share), Hyatt Regency Hua Hin can accommodate any meeting, conference or event to perfection.

Whether it is a sunrise meeting at the beach front lawn, a sundowner conference at the poolside or a ‘red eye’ webinar at any of the resort’s versatile event space, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin will help the guests put all of the pieces together.

The Anytime Anywhere meeting Package includes: • One night accommodation in the Hyatt Guestroom with a daily breakfast buffet.

• Use of meeting room up to 8 hours, anytime & anywhere within the resort.

• Full day meeting package with coffee/tea, two coffee breaks and lunch.

• Set or buffet dinner with soft drinks.

• A one hour open bar including beer, wine and juices. *Terms and conditions apply For any enquiries, please contact the sales office at Hyatt Regency Hua Hin on + 66 2254 1234 email: huahin.regency@hyatt.com 24

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

FOODPANDA BRINGS DELICIOUSNESS TO HUA HIN Strengthens Number 1 position in the Online Food Delivery Market in Thailand foodpanda, the leading global online food delivery marketplace, has announced its service expansion to Hua Hin, Prachuab Kiri Khan Province and south of Petchburi, becoming the fourth city in Thailand after the company’s success in Chiangmai and Pattaya.

Collaborating with Hua Hin Butler, a leading food delivery service provider in the area, their expertise will bring exciting new experiences to food aficionados with a greater choice of restaurants, dishes and even better service.

Alexander Felde, Co-Founder and Managing Director of foodpanda stated, “Hua Hin has always been a charming resort destination where local residents as well as Thai and international travelers come for the outstanding local restaurants. This demand is growing in areas outside Hua Hin proper as well. foodpanda sees this as an opportunity to provide an incomparable food delivery experience in partnership with Hua Hin Butler, bringing the best of what Hua Hin has to offer from 40 restaurants to customer doorsteps.

“Hungry people in Hua Hin can enjoy various dished from Pizza, Thai food, Steakhouse to Scandinavian food. Our partnered restaurants include well-known international chains, including McDonald’s, Subway, as well as popular local favorites: Electric Mango, Prime Steakhouse, Da Mario, S&S Indian Restaurant and Mekong café. The Coffee Club and other restaurants will be available in the near future.

And we’re growing fast, aiming to include 100 top restaurants very soon.

What’s more, we’re offering special free delivery for every order placed via the foodpanda mobile app until end of July.”

With this expansion, foodpanda is now number one in online food delivery in the country. foodpanda Thailand has more than 300,000 unique visitors to their website per month and more than 450,000 app downloads.” foodpanda is now working with more than 700+ restaurants in Thailand to deliver deliciousness to key areas in Bangkok including Sukhumvit, Asoke, Sathorn, Thong Lor and Silom, as well as in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and now Hua Hin. Visit http://www.foodpanda.co.th or download the foodpanda mobile app available on all mobile platforms including iOS, android, Windows, Nokia X and Asha, to have your favorite dishes delivered right to your door today. foodpanda is the leading global online food delivery marketplace, active in 40 countries. The company enables restaurants to become visible in the online and mobile world and provides them with constantly evolving online technology. For consumers, foodpanda offers the convenience of ordering food online and the widest range of cuisines via the web or the app. foodpanda, hellofood and Delivery Club operate in 40 countries across five continents. www.huahinbutler.com

HOT AROUND TOWN CHIEF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND TOURISM SERVICES CENTER OF STATE RAILWAY OF THAILAND VISITED CENTARA GRAND BEACH RESORT AND VILLAS HUA HIN Peter Nilsson, General Manager of Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin received a memorable souvenir bell from Monthakarn Srivilasa, Chief Public Relations and Tourism Services Center of State Railway of Thailand during her visit at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin. For further information, please contact: Tel: +66 (0) 3251 2021-38 Fax: +66 (0) 3251 1014 Email: profficechbr@chr.co.th www.centarahotelsresorts.com

AVANI BANGKOK RIVERSIDE CELEBRATES OFFICIAL ‘TOPPING OFF’ CEREMONY AVANI Bangkok Riverside today celebrated its official “Topping Off” ceremony, attended by senior executives from Minor International (MINT) including William E. Heinecke, Chairman and CEO, Dillip Rajakarier, MINT COO and CEO of Minor Hotel Group, along with Nikolaus Priesnitz, General Manager of the new hotel.

The executives met on the roof of the 26-storey hotel for the ceremonial completion of the building, with an impressive back drop of Bangkok’s skyline and the Chao Phraya River.

When it opens later this year, AVANI Bangkok Riverside will be the first new build hotel in AVANI’s upscale portfolio, and the second hotel to proudly fly the AVANI flag in Bangkok. Located just 15 minutes by luxury shuttle boat to the heart of Bangkok and opposite Asiatique, the city’s largest night market, the property has been purposely designed to show off all of the brand’s signature hallmarks and will be a smart and trendy lifestyle destination featuring contemporary accommodation, restaurants and bars, multipurpose meeting space and the Riverside Plaza.

gym. For a great day out exploring the capital, AVANI’s guided ‘local experiences’ will make it even easier to take in the iconic sights and get a true taste of local life.

A choice of four restaurants and bars will showcase AVANI’s focus on good honest food. Skyline will offer an international gourmet breakfast, followed by a la carte and buffet dining throughout the day and evening. Up on the 26th floor at Attitude Roof Top Bar & Grill, guests will be able to tuck into contemporary favourites and grilled specialties, along with enjoying sundowners or poolside drinks, all whilst taking in spectacular river and city skyline views until late at night. The Long Bar will serve refreshments in the lobby and for round the clock drinks and snacks to eat in or grab on the go, The Pantry, a delightful designer deli, will be open 24 hours a day.

AVANI guests who are looking for additional lifestyle, dining and entertainment options, can stroll to the hotel’s Riverside Plaza where an incredible choice of 60 restaurants, bars

and shops will please every taste.

Catering for all kinds of social and corporate function, AVANI Bangkok Riverside will boast 4,500 square metres of multipurpose meeting and event space, offering one of the most versatile, state-of-the-art facilities in Bangkok with a total capacity for 1,500 guests, 80 exhibition booths and 11 meeting rooms.

Meeting venues on the tenth floor will impress business guests with exceptional city views, including Bangkok’s highest and one of the largest luxury Grand Ballroom’s on the river, which can be divided into four spaces with the unique option of opening up onto a show kitchen.

AVANI is the vibrant upscale brand launched by Minor Hotel Group in 2011. Offering relaxed comfort and contemporary style in city and resort destinations to guests who value the details that matter, AVANI was launched in response to an increasingly influential group of discerning travellers who appreciate good design and excellent service, but also demand great value.

Blending genuine hospitality and relaxed comfort with a passion for design, contemporary style and modern lifestyle essentials, AVANI offers all the details that matter for a seamless stay that always leaves a great impression.

From leisure time to productive business, family friendly attractions and romantic gestures, the AVANI experience is created with all guests’ needs in mind.

AVANI Bangkok Riverside will offer 249 guest rooms including 25 river view suites, all located on levels 12 and above to wow guests with fantastic river views.

Guests will be able to swim and sunbathe with a stunning city skyline and river view, or work-out in the fully equipped

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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HOT AROUND TOWN SPECIAL OFFER

INDULGENT WEEKEND GETAWAY FOR A LUXURY STAY AND BRUNCH AT ANANTARA BANGKOK RIVERSIDE RESORT & SPA Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa offers a “Weekend Escape” package for a luxury stay and sumptuous brunch at a serene tropical resort by the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Located in 11 acres of tranquility set in the midst of lush greenery, Anantara Bangkok Riverside is the only true resort escape in the luxury of timeless elegance and endless perfection in Bangkok.

The exclusive package allows Thai and Expat residents to experience a weekend luxury stay and an indulgent Mai Tai Sunday Brunch at Trader Vic’s, a Polynesian-style and Pacific Rim inspired restaurant. The package price starts at THB 6,800++ for a Deluxe Premier Room with an upgrade to a river view room and THB 8,880++ for Junior Premier Suite with an upgrade to the river view suite.

The exclusive benefits of the package include: One-night stay in luxurious

SPECIAL OFFER

accommodation Sumptuous Mai Tai Sunday Brunch with extensive buffet and free flow of artisan Mai Tai cocktail series; aged, infused, twisted and classic. Also includes the opportunity to learn how to make Mai Tai from our resident mixologist, Ron Ramirez Guaranteed early check in at 11.00 am Guaranteed late check out at 04:00 pm The above package is valid for stays on Saturday nights and until 30th September 2015.

At Anantara Bangkok Riverside, attractive accommodations are matched by superb lifestyle facilities with a state-of-the-art fitness centre, inspired by a garden view. Pop into the Jim Thompson boutique, located within the resort. Spend lazy days at the generous outdoor pool, Jacuzzi and swim-up bar, surrounded by swaying palms, blooming

burgers for your enjoyment. Don’t miss out on this mouthwatering fare available daily from 12:00 – 22:00hrs

Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, our chefs combine fresh and flavorful seasonal ingredients to create classically delicious fare with an innovative twist.

Savour various burgers and complement your meal with a signature cocktail, local craft beer or fine wine from the carefully curated wine list.

Sundara Lobby Lounge, located on the 1st floor, offers light snacks and drinks, refreshing cocktails and soothing sounds of our Live Band in the evening. Home made pastries and cakes are available in the afternoon.

During the months of July and August Sundara lounge will be featuring various

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

Terms and Conditions apply. For more information or reservations, please call 02 476 0022 Ext. 1503 – 1506 or email bangkokriverside@anantara.com

SAVOUR VARIOUS BEST BURGERS AT SUNDARA LOUNGE

Hamburgers date back to the late 1900’s and almost every person on earth has had one. Whether it is beef, pork, chicken, fish or vegetables, burgers are one of the most consumed foods today.

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nature and the Chao Phraya River just steps away. Little ones can play at the children’s club or be taken care of by a babysitter, leaving parents free to indulge and explore. Mai Tai Sunday Brunch at Trader Vic’s becomes one of Bangkok’s best brunches by the river for delicacies of eastern and western styles.

The grand buffet dishes up the most popular and refined creations from Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisine. Seafood lovers are regaled by a fresh selection of coveted oysters, crabs and shrimps. Live cooking stations deliver made to order individual choices.

The feast concludes with a parade of desserts that range from pure decadence to traditional treats, culminating in a mouthwatering banquet from start to finish.

Match or log onto our high-speed WiFi connection and get some work done. Or just order a beer and a light snack, and enjoy our contemporary live band in the evenings.

Hours: 10.00 pm - Midnight For information or reservations please call 032 708000 ext. 4101 or email: fb.huahin@sheraton.com

HOT AROUND TOWN SPECIAL OFFER

DELICIOUS TIGER PRAWNS AT DALAH RESTAURANT Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas invites you to sample its delicious tiger prawns from the hand of our experienced chef,who has created marvelous food for over 20 years. “Tiger Prawns” has been picked among the favorites in the month of July & August.

This time our chefs at Dalah is preparing something for the real Crustacean Lover - meaty and tasty Jumbo Tiger Prawns. Try them in mouthwatering dishes such as the Grilled

BECOME THE TRENDSETTER FOR ‘MAI TAI SUNDAY BRUNCH’ AT TRADER VIC’S Indulge with a leisurely Sunday Brunch in five star luxury, at a city resort that feels more like an exotic island hideaway. Trader Vic’s at Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa presents the artisan Mai Tai collections crafted by renowned resident mixologist, Ron Ramirez on its legendary Sunday Brunch. A journey of endless Mai Tai cocktails begins with the first stop at ‘Mai Tai Fountain’ welcoming friends and families to be the trendsetter. With exciting live cooking stations and an extensive buffet of exquisite delicacies from world’s flavours, Mai Tai Sunday Brunch perfectly matched with the wide range of ‘24-Hour Cold Infused Mai Tai’ made by Peppermint, Wild Berries, Earl Grey, ‘Twisted Mai Tai’ with Margarita, Blue Hawaii, Mojito and Pina Colada, and ‘Aged Mai Tai’ in a Polynesian oak barrel paired with

SPECIAL OFFER

Tiger Prawn, served with fresh artichoke cream soup, white wine and Ebiko or poached tiger prawn with haricot bean cream sauce served with buttered potatoes. These are a real treat!

Don’t miss out on this mouthwatering fare at Dalah restaurant available daily from 11am – 10pm.

For information or reservations please call 032 909900 ext. 3124 or email: dalah@shhr-huahin.com

SPECIAL OFFER

variety of chesses.

Make sumptuous selections from an international banquet that features a sensational array of fresh seafood, a delicious variety of Thai specialties and exciting world flavours, enhanced by made to order dishes at live cooking stations. Magnificent desserts and cheeses round off a fancy meal. Relax to the sounds of the fantastic resident band, while little ones are kept happily entertained with fun games by the brunch nanny.

Enjoy the fabulous Sunday with Mai Tai Sunday Brunch inclusive of Mai Tai cocktail collections, soft drinks and juices at THB 1,999++ per person.

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Sunday Brunch is available from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm.

For more information or reservations, please call 02 476 0022 Ext. 1416 or email riversidedining@anantara.com.

TASTE OF DELICIOUS “CHINESE CUISINE” AT INAZIA RESTAURANT Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa offers an extensive a la carte menu of Cantonese and Szechuan cuisines as well as some inventive creations of Chinese menus.

Every menu at the InAzia Restaurant is carefully prepared by talented and professional chefs, approached with traditional and modern method of Chinese culinary art. Each of the dishes is distinctively presented to the highest possible standard. Scrumptious and incomparable tastes are the restaurant’s assurance to every guest, sampling delightful selections such as Szechuan seafood soup, sweet horseradish prawn salad and many more.

Don’t miss out on Chinese cuisine specialties, available throughout July & August 2015 only at InAzia restaurant For more information or reservations please call 032 708000 ext. 4303 or email: fb.huahin@sheraton.com InAzia our Pan-Asian specialty restaurant lets you experience Thai, Indian and Japanese cuisine at its best in an elegant atmosphere. InAzia is located on the 1st floor, offering indoor and Al fresco seating. The adjoining 10° Wine Cellar holds a fine selection of champagnes, Old and New World Wines.

Hours: 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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HOT AROUND TOWN ROTARY CLUB OF ROYAL HUA HIN’S JUNE INSTALLATION DINNER On June 19th the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin celebrated the turn of the Rotary year. Rotarians, their families and many friends of the club met at the Amari Resort & Spa and enjoyed a marvelous party with a delicious cuisine, wine, beer, music and fun, and, as always, the humorous moderation of Past President Brian Anderson.

Two members were the focus of the event: Richard Jones, the club’s President of the Rotary year 110 (2014/2015), and the incoming President, Christoph Leonhard. President Richard gave a wonderful acceptance speech and underlined the teamwork and success of the past year, before he officially passed the presidency to his successor Christoph, the elected President for the next 12 months.

Shortly after, the audience was excited about the emotional maiden speech of Christoph who expressed the motto of Rotary Year 111: Be a gift to the world.

He explained this theme, which will guide all Rotarians through the upcoming year and beyond, with quoting Rotary International President Ravindran, who used many examples why and how Rotarians should give their passion, potential, talents, expertise, and, above all, themselves to those in need – by being a gift to them.

Rotarians and guests also welcomed some special guests. There was District Governor Quanchai Laohaviraphab who got many invitations from other Rotary clubs of his District 3330, and who chose to attend the Installation Dinner of the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin. Assistant Governor Larry Amsden came on a long trip from Phuket, whereas Past District Governor Alex Mavro of District 3350 came from Bangkok.

Presidents and members from the Rotary Clubs of Bangkok South, Bang Kapi, Pranburi and, of course, from the local Thai Rotary Club Hua Hin joined the event as well as members of the Rotaract organization of France and the Rotaract Club of Webster University.

Another long journey was made by Rotarian Arwind from our sister club RC Bandar Sungai Petani in Malaysia.

And last but not least: there was the mom of Hua Hin, our well-known Lizzy who brought many friends with her.

It was an unforgettable evening, thanks to all attendees, and thanks to a great organization and perfect service.

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HOT AROUND TOWN ANDREW STOCKS BIRTHDAY On Saturday June 20th at the Amari Hua Hin, Mrs. Connie Heinecke invited friends and family to a breakfast in honor of Power of Love’s Andrew Stocks 45th birthday.

Honored guests included Bill & Kathy Heinecke, Connie’s son and daughter in-law along with Lizzy who works beside Andrew in raising funds for the Power of Love’s soon to be opened Children’s Home.

Guests were entertained with traditional Thai music and dance, a special dance by the power of love team and were graced with beautiful songs from well-known locals Maria and Chris. In appreciation guests donated 20,000 baht to the Power of Love’s children’s home project.

NLP GOLF HOT Magazine recently sat down with Khun Pahk Akkaramas, Managing Director of NLP Golf School to find out about his golf school here in Hua Hin. HOT Mag: Khun Pahk, your golf school is called NLP, what does that stand for?

K. Pahk: NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and breaks down like this; Neuro is your Nervous system through which the experience is received and processed through your five senses. Linguistic stands for language and nonverbal communication systems through which your neural representations are coded, ordered and given a meaning.

Programming is the ability to organize our communication and neurotically systems to achieve specific desired goals and results.

In other words, the meaning of the communication is the response you receive. Your positive thinking supports your goal. Negative emotions come from the limiting belief of past experiences which doesn’t help you reach your goal. The language patterns are designed to program your mind to achieve your desired outcome.

HOT Mag: What is NLP Golf School teaching?

K. Pahk: At NLP we focus on six elements; golf fundamentals, specialty shots, game plan, your mental game, proper club fitting and your physiologic condition.

Also we use NLP to get your potential from your unconscious mind. Build up your positive belief with NLP techniques.

Deleting negative emotions and limiting beliefs. Our motto is “Win Your Mind … Win Your Game” HOT Mag: Why should golf enthusiasts hire NLP to improve their game?

K. Pahk: Because, we believe that Neuro-Linguistic Programming works well with golf. Are teaching methods are very simple. Technology is mechanics and NLP is mental language. Students will get both to achieve the best outcome.

Also, our curriculums are approved by ministry of education.

HOT Mag: What facilities and services do you have at your NLP Golf School?

K. Pahk: At NLP we have the SNAG course which stands for “Starting new at golf”. We have a drive Simulator with swing analysis software, a putting green, chipping green and bunker.

We also have facilities for custom club fitting and of course an area for our NLP training sessions. We are the only golf school in Thailand that uses the NLP method. We invite all golfers and those wanting to start playing the game to come by for a trial. We are open every day from 9am to 8pm. Give us a call to schedule an appointment at 081 909 0330, 090 969 4222 or email us at nlpgolfschool@gmail.com.

Mr. Pahk Akkaramas, Managing Director of NLP Golf has been involved with the game for almost 25 years. He has taught golf for 10 years and for 8 years worked for PING Golf Thailand Distributor.

Other experiences include; -National Thailand team coach for 3 tournaments: 49th Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Championships, USA, 38th Annual Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, San Diego USA, 3rd JJGA International Boys Junior Championship, Japan -Thai golf magazines columnist.

-Guest teacher for golf management program at Ramkamheang University.

Khun Pahk is a certified NLP practitioner and master practitioner.

Professional golf instructor “Pro Toon” Khun Nuttapong Rianrungruang -Golf Academy Of America, San Diego -Titleist Performance Institute Certified Level1 (TPI) -Club maker certified, Golf Academy Of America -Golf Instructor, Thailand Professional Golf Association -Bachelor’s degree of Faculty of Sport Science, Chulalongkorn University

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L et’s brunch

HOT MAGAZINE RECOMMEND

Sunday Brunch at McFarland House

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D

r. George Bradley McFarland was the son of Presbyterian missionaries who left the United States for the tropics to join the Church of Christ in 1860. His distinguished career began at the age of 25 when he returned to Bangkok after studying in the United States.

He was immediately appointed the Superintendent of Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok and was subsequently appointed as Dean of the Royal Medical College, the government’s first medical school.

Dr. McFarland spent 16 years working on his acclaimed McFarland Thai-English dictionary which was first published in 1941 and is still available today thru Amazon.com. After years of dedicated work in Thailand, he was granted a pension and the title of Phra Ajvidyakom

by His Majesty King Rama V. He was also given 4.5 rai of land in Hua Hin where he built his holiday home.

It is on these original floorboards from George’s holiday home that guests enjoy the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin’s Sunday

Brunch at McFarland House. Executive Chef Christoph Trocker has put together a splendid buffet highlighting Thai traditional dishes along with items more in line with Mr. McFarland’s heritage and everything in between.

Sunday brunch is meant to be a long and lazy affair, not to be rushed. As such there are many Appetizers to enjoy before even thinking about main courses.

Personal favorites included the freshly chucked French fin de Clair oysters, the sushi, and their smoked salmon and snapper. You’ll also find a full salad bar and several soups.

Being a brunch you will find the obligatory egg station along with a “live station” where you can have seared foie gras and poached sea bass prepared in front of you as you wait.

Their BBQ station was popular serving rock lobster, large prawns, lamb and beef tenderloins. Thai and international dishes plus pasta and side dishes were plentiful and contained in a long row of serving trays waiting to be consumed.

A favorite of any brunch is the deserts and here you are not left wanting. Trays, trays and more trays of Thai sweets and international deserts allow you to be very choosy. Several different ice creams along with an assortment of international cheeses round out the Hyatt’s Sunday food fest.

Sunday brunch at McFarland house is as decadent as it is relaxing. One can only hope that the sales of George’s ThaiEnglish dictionary were big enough to allow him a similar Sunday experience.

Sunday Brunch at McFarland House Every Sunday 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM THB 1,800 net per person, including a bottle of sparkling wine per two person, home-made lemonade and iced tea THB 1,500 net per person, including home-made lemonade and iced tea - THB 750 net for children aged 6-12 +66 (0)3 252 1234 huahin.regency@hyatt.com

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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Interview with Chris Craker Part ll

C

hris Craker has operated at the very forefront of the music industry for over 25 years.

He produced the soundtrack for last year’s wildly successful movie “Interstellar” staring Mathew McConaughey and Ann Hathaway.

Chris also recently produced the score for “The Little Prince”, a Paramount movie which debuted at the famous Cannes Film Festival this May. Chris was the youngest member of the London Symphony Orchestra making his debut at the early age of 22 playing the clarinet. At the age of 28 he decided he wanted to explore other avenues of music. He bought his first digital tape machine and learned everything he could about the music recording business. He received a huge contract quite quickly with a record company.

He later set up his own record label, Black Box, and went on to release over 100 albums before selling the business.

He was headhunted to become the

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General Manager and Senior Vice President of the International Division of Sony BMG Masterworks, maintaining offices both in London and New York.

Chris has produced ten recordings in Thailand featuring the compositions of His Majesty, King Bhumipol Adulyadej, which was an absolute career highlight for him. Further, in the summer of 2006, Chris produced two albums specifically in honor of the His Majesty’s 60th Anniversary on the throne – one featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the other featuring arrangements by Privy Councilor, HE Rear Admiral Mom Luang Usni Pramoj with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Chris is also a published author having written 3 books on music that were translated into 7 languages.

In 2008 Chris built his own recording studio called Karma in the picturesque fishing village of Bang Saray, 20 minutes from Pattaya. Karma quickly gained the

reputation as the finest studio in South East Asia.

Chris splits his time between London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Thailand, undertaking high profile production, supervision/management, composition, conducting and recording projects.

Russ Downing, Managing Director of HOT Hua Hin Property, had the pleasure of meeting Chris and sat down with him at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort to discuss his amazing adventure in the music industry. Following is the 2nd part of his two part interview, the first appearing in our June 15th issue.

Russ: What does your job as a music producer entail? I would imagine you must have very good hearing.

Chris: I’m pretty good but as we get older we naturally loose the higher range, it’s why I surround myself with really talented music engineers as well so we all join in on these projects and have second opinions. But in

addition to hearing I think I listen to things differently than other people, it’s something that all music producers and sound engineers have to do. We have to listen critically and understand the emotional response of the musician your recording while at the same time have the foresight to cut, paste and edit things together from what you are doing live time in the studio with the artist.

ways to re-group and re-monetize the industry so that musicians, composers and songwriters can still get paid. The situation now is yes you can download music for free but it is stealing. Fifteen years ago you would have never thought of going into Tower Records and taking an arm full of CD’s and walking out but that’s exactly what’s happening now on the internet.

Russ: In addition to playing and recording you’re also a writer.

The record industry was unbelievably slow in spotting that that was going to happen and I remember those discussion very well. The first downloading site that popped up was Napster. Eventually a major company bought them thinking that if they owned the company it would stop the problem but of course there’s a smart kid in the Philippine’s who can knock out a site the next day so the Genie was out of the bottle and the industry hasn’t recovered.

Chris: Yes, I write both words and music. A friend of mine who works at an advertising agency in London said to me that I should write a book that gives insider tips on what a person should listen to if they like this particular song or that particular opera. I thought it was a good idea. He said to write an introduction and he would send it to a friend of his who runs Trans World Publishers. In a few days I knocked out the introduction of what the book would be and did the chapter headings of what I thought a book like that should have.

Trans World signed the book on the spot and that was the start of my writing career in 1991. My first book was called “Get into Classical Music” and it was a fun easy to read paperback that came out with a CD so you could listen to things I was referring to and then go and expand your collection thereafter. That was quite a big success and kept me in Jaguar cars ever after. I followed that with “Get into Opera” which was demystifying opera and introducing people to it in a user friendly way, same story, paperback book with CD and then the next year I wrote “Get into Jazz”. The books were translated into 7 different languages including Mandarin and Spanish so we covered all the main languages around the world.

Russ: How long would it take you to write a book?

Chris: That’s an interesting question really because all during that time I was really busy producing records, it was my absolute busy busy years. I limited myself to a month and I would just take that month out. The first one I went down to my Uncle’s house out by the coast in South England and was writing two to three thousand words a day. It was the same story for the other two books, I just really focused for a month.

Russ: Last night with friends we were discussing how so few people buy music anymore now that you can download most everything for free or you can join a website like Spotify and pay a monthly subscription fee. From your standpoint being so entrenched in the music business, what are your thoughts on this?

Chris: Well, the whole music industry is in total free-fall at the moment and I’m very fascinated by that and am actively involved in trying to find

People’s ability to earn money in the music industry now has been severely hampered. Musicians who were selling millions or tens of millions of records in the 80’s and 90’s are ok but I fear for younger musicians and younger bands who are just coming up today and are finding it much much harder to make it. So I am figuring out ways with other people around the world to create unique content, linking recordings to merchandise so when you buy a t-shirt then you get access to content that we don’t ever put up on the net, obviously then other people can then load it in lower qualities but we are trying to make more bespoke products that one does pay for with a regular item like a live concert ticket or a t-shirt. We’re trying to change the habit of people who are just getting music for free. People aged 8 to 20 have grown up in a culture of not paying for music so they won’t.

Jay Z has launched a site called Tidal which is a music streaming site a little like Spotify and with this model he’s trying to make more fair and transparent deals with the artists who sign up to stream via his site. At the moment you can still legally buy music from iTunes which is great and there are more than 200 digital platforms around the world where you can buy music from but Apple has the absolute lion’s share of that market. The biggest streaming site is Spotify which has a free service with adverts which generates some money for the rights holders and then a paid site where you pay around ten dollars a month for complete access with no adverts. Hopefully people will move over and pay for that as they do cable or satellite TV. We do get TV channels for free with advertising but if you want premium content like HBO then you have to pay a monthly subscription fee.

Hopefully this will be the way the music industry goes.

However, the contracts the artists

signed were never built to accommodate this type of system so currently the money that is earned goes to the record label and not the artist or the songwriter.

There is a lot of angst among artists and song writers right now as to how that whole program will be worked out but contextually the industry is in free-fall, it needs a big shake up and I’m very happy to be part of that team of people who are trying to make those changes.

Right now the main way musicians make money is by playing live and selling merchandise. Just this morning at breakfast I was wearing a Rolling Stone’s tour t-shirt and it was commented on by a few people because it’s an interesting item of clothing and not one you would buy at a shop but can buy at the gigs.

This particular one was two to three thousand baht but it was really high quality and had all the famous lip logos that had been used throughout the whole history of the Rolling Stones.

Russ: Getting back to your Recording Studio Karma, what’s currently happening there?

Chris: Right now one of Thailand’s top bands called Slot Machine is recording, they are on the BEC Tero music label. During discussions 6 months ago with Brian Marcar and Neil Thompson from BEC they wanted to take Slot Machine internationally so we knew that one, we had to do the album in English as well as in Thai and two we had to have some story behind it. I brought in Steve Lillywhite who’s famously produced U2, the Rolling Stones, Dave Mathew’s Band and many many others and he spent five weeks at Karma recently making that record and now the band is back doing the Thai versions of those songs. It’s great that companies like BEC Tero are seeing the big picture and want to export the best of Thai artists outside of the country.

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Chris with Mark Osborne, Director of the Little Prince Russ: Are the bands recording at Karma primarily Thai bands?

Chris: No, they’re predominately international bands, about a 65 /35 split. We’ve had bands like Jamiroquai, Placebo, Bullet For My Valentine, Young Guns, and people like Jimmy Paige float in from time to time. We just recently made the new Libertines record which is really going to turn heads and be a ground breaking project as it’s their first return after eleven years.

Russ: I had read that Jimmy Paige had been to Pattaya recently.

Chris: Yeah, he comes to Thailand quite frequently, he loves it here and pops in to see us. One of the first albums I ever bought was Led Zeppelin 2 and I never dreamt as a fourteen year old boy that I would meet the guy let alone hang out with him.

Russ: The movie Interstellar was a 2014 smash hit grossing over six hundred and seventy million US dollars. You produced the soundtrack for that film.

How did that come about?

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July 15 - August 15 , 2015

Chris: That was the first big soundtrack that I was invited to produce the score for and it was a massive honor to work with Director Christopher Nolan who’s famous for the Batman trilogy and Inception and Hans Zimmer the composer who’s probably one of the most brilliant and talented film composer’s ever. The music score for Interstellar was so integrally essential to the whole concept of the movie and Chris Nolan was hands on with it as well. He attended every recording session that we did, which is very unusual for a Director to do that but he was really really keen that the music would be distinctly different from any other music that has been done for a film. We had the force of a full 90 piece symphony orchestra, a 30 piece choir, four grand piano’s playing at the same time and most importantly Roger Sayer playing the church organ which is a unique sound in this score.

We approached the whole thing in a very innovative way. Hans didn’t want anything to sound completely normal.

He always wanted to shock and create

new textures so it was a hell of a lot of fun making that soundtrack. We recorded for weeks at Air Studios in London and then mixed it in Los Angeles and I did some post production work here at Karma in Thailand as well.

Russ: When producing a soundtrack, what does that actually entail?

Chris: Well it entails getting every single cue down and getting the best performance out of the orchestra and giving the conductor and orchestra guidance on how we texturally want it to sound, how we need it emotionally to be played so you’re giving a lot of artistic direction from the control room.

Then it’s fitting the music to the picture at the end of it all and then dissecting it and choosing seventy minutes to go on an album. Then it’s working on the Blue Ray’s, CD’s, Deluxe CD’s, remixes and directors cut versions of some of the tracks which we launched exclusively on iTunes, so it’s quite a long and involved process, it took a good 3 or 4 months of my life on that one project.

Russ: When you’re doing something new like this, creating new textures and such, how do you know this is what you want?

Chris: You have to be completely creative and listen to what the director’s wishes and concepts are.

Hans responded by writing the most incredibly emotional music for what was essentially a space movie with a very strong humanistic family thread in it.

The whole thing was spiced up a little bit by the involvement of the scientists Kip Thorne and Steven Hawking who had a very active role in working out the time dimensional complexities when traveling through galaxies and the length of time that goes by when you enter black holes.

At the premiers I had the pleasure of having quite in-depth conversations with those guys.

The story behind the movie Interstellar has become so “culty” so quickly that we decided to do a live show calling it Interstellar Live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It sold out in a day

and a half. The concert was basically showing the film live in the hall with the full symphony orchestra playing the soundtrack. We took the soundtrack off of the movie and just plugged in the dialogue and the sound effects so that was quite a complex mix situation in a live concert setting. We preceded that with a one hour talk by Chris Nolan, Hans Zimmer, Steven Hawking and Kip Thorne which was really fascinating, there was a standing ovation for a quarter hour at the end of it all. It was so popular that we had offers in from all over the world to tour that and without giving too much away I’m sure people around the world will be experiencing that in 2016.

A couple of months earlier we had done two shows at Hammersmith Apollo in London called “Hans Zimmer Revealed” which was the greatest hits of Hans Zimmer in one show. With a band, an orchestra and a group of singers they performed everything from Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, Inception, Lion King, the Dark Knight movies, Gladiator,

Pirates of the Caribbean and more. It was also ridiculously received so we are touring that as well in 2016.

After Interstellar Hans asked me to also produce the sound for the Little Prince which we recently debuted at Cannes and then screens in France in July and globally after that.

Russ: Do you have any future movie projects ahead?

Chris: Yes, it looks like the next one is going to be Inferno which is the 3rd in the Divinci Code trilogy with Ron Howard directing, Tom Hank’s starring and Hans Zimmer writing the score.

I’m the luckiest guy in the world really to be working with some of the finest artists in classical music, Jazz and now films and along the way working with crazy pop and rock and roll bands, I feel very blessed.

Russ: Thank you Chris for sharing your fascinating life with us.

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HOT Magazine announces our Media Partnership with the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show

H

OT Magazine is thrilled to announce its media partnership with the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show which runs from Thursday the 26th to Sunday the 29th of November.

With great support from the government, the private sector, local and international press, the ‘Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show’ has been able to deliver booth displays of a variety of products and services across the industry. On display last year, included yachts from the very top global brands, gadgets and technical equipment, boat manufacturing facilities, the newest technology and gear in water sports. On top of this, there were plenty of lifestyle and luxury products on show, including super cars, hotels, condominiums and a great presentation of food and beverages from well-known vendors. Over the four days, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show hosted evening cocktail and networking parties, seminars, free cruises on a private yacht, and extreme water sport displays to the delight of its nearly 6,000 visitors.

This year’s show located at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club has an expected attendance of over 7,000 people who will tour 105 booths and yachts with a total exhibition area of 13,386 square meters.

Now in its 4th year, the show aims to be an attraction for leisure and marine tourists in Pattaya, and a supporting platform for the growing marine industry in Thailand and throughout South East Asia. HOT Magazine looks forward to bringing you the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show show in our December 15th issue.

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L et’s Go

Ubon Ratchathani

S

ometimes one chooses to go to places, not because of the stereotypical appeal towards the white sandy beaches and the young coconut shells but because of the wonderful amalgamate of rich history.

At these times the perfect destination to vacation in gathers culture, strong fascinating tradition, enthralling history and great sightseeing that and great sightseeing that is even more appealing when we’re revealed the stories behind them. One of those destinations in Thailand is Ubon Ratchathani,.

Ubon Ratchathani is one of the four major cities that you will find in the Isan region which is Thailand’s largest region. Along with Khorat, Udon Thani

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and Khon Khae, they are known by their colloquial alias “The Big Four of Isan”.

Located in the north east of Thailand, it is the administrative region of the Ubon Ratchathani Province and borders both Laos to the East and Cambodia’s famous Preah Vihear region to the South.

The history of Ubon Ratchatani is quite interesting. Ubon Ratchatani is actually a fairly young city. But it’s the manner in which it was founded that evokes a sense of wonder. In the late eighteenth century, a young Thao (a title that was previously used to refer to Lord Steward in the Thai royal and noble society) founded the city.

Thao Kham Phong ran away from the Kingdom of Vientiane in what is today

modern Laos in order to escape the authority of King Siribunsan. Thao Kham Phong, who was a descendant of Phra Wo and Phra Ta, thus arrived to the former Kingdom of Siam (modern day Thailand) whilst Taksin the Great ruled the nation.

Thao Kham Phong would eventually go onto be presented with the title of “Phra Pathum Wongsa” and this allowed him to become the first ever ruler of Ubon Ratchathani. Thus under him in 1792, the province of Ubon Ratchathani was born too.

This wouldn’t be the end of Ubon Ratchathani’s struggle though, as French forces marched in during the midst of World War Two as payback for the Thais

having attacked French Indochinese posts (Modern day Vietnam). However, this illustrious city was able not only to hold on to its glory but to rapidly expand as a major hub in Thailand when the Japanese brought a large quantity of British prisoners of war, who built what is to day a historic memorial monument in Thung Si Meuang Park. Equally, pivotal elements for the development of the city included its commercial airport. Lao has a historical influence in the architecture of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religious sites, which today have a large essence from the Eastern country.

There are a large number of leisure activities when visiting Ubon Ratchatani.

Some highlights include a visit to the Pha Taem National Park, which is a beautiful

forest setting of fifty four square miles with a natural border between Laos and Thailand by the iconic Mekong river.

Featuring magnificent plateaus, weaving hills and imposing cliffs of sandstone formations, this park is carpeted in deciduous forests and wild flowers. But the most impressive features of this park are the prehistoric caves that include scores of paintings dating back to one thousand and two thousand years before Christ. Saeng Chan waterfall is another wonderful attraction of this iconic sight.

Peaceful and flowing, it is enough to put a smile on anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face any day.

The next must-do activity is one that is once again, covered in rich historical connotations. That is to visit the beautiful

village of Ban Pa Ao. This place infuses tradition and culture with wonder and amazement. The ancestors of the villagers here escaped Vientiane and settled there two hundred years ago, but did not reject their traditions. Thanks to this, the manner of crafting bronze ware and weaving beautiful silk by the inhabitants of Ban Pa Ao has remained true to their roots. This leaves it to be the one and only village in the whole of Thailand that confections its beautiful brassware and other objects with metal through wax molding techniques.

Another place worth visiting is the Woen Buek village, where a fascinating natural spectacle awaits. At a fateful intersection of waters, the mighty Mekong River meets the Mun River,

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which because of the color of the waters, grants a beautiful show of coalescence that is truly calming: the Mekong being of a crimson reddish brown, greets the tributary of the Mun, which with its blue dashes creates a delightful mix. The line where the separation takes place can actually be seen and boat tours to witness the beauty of Manam Song Si (“Song Si” literally translating to “Two Colours” in Thai) can be arranged from a number of upstream locations. The boat trip is a 46

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wonderful way to spend an afternoon, so try not to miss it.

As with all major areas of Thailand you cannot leave without savouring the culinary delights of this amazing place.

As is usual in Thailand, food is found all over the streets and establishments of the city and allows for it to be eaten at any place and during any time. Most outstandingly popular are the steamed buns with bamboo shoots, which infuse

an intense and flavourful combination of spices to the palate combined with the moist and soft touch of the fluffy exterior. If you want an option that will fill you for lunch or dinner however, then Khem Mak Nat is a must. This very typical dish consists of a catfish cooked in saline water and chopped pineapple, which truly answers for the customs and culinary traditions of Ubon Ratchatani.

Once you have filled your stomach the

next step is to probably go out shopping.

As usual in the rest of Thailand, Ubon Ratchatani has a large variety memorabilia to offer for the travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fond memories. Most special are the khit pillows, the hand-woven cotton, the basketry as well as the aforementioned silk products and brass and bronze metallurgic ornaments. These can be purchased in the many souvenir shops along the streets, be it from individual vendors or established businesses.

Try to go to Ubon Ratchatani between December and February to find the most accommodating climate, this will make it easy to travel without worrying excessively about the heat. As per transportation times and methods, Ubon Ratchatani is around eight to eleven hours from Bangkok by land, buses leave Hua Lumpong station and prices are affordable. Equally if you feel adventurous, you can always take the train, much cheaper, much noisier and

much more fun! But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a hurry to get there, try the direct flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport which currently fly there three times a day.

As a whole, Ubon Ratchatani is a truly marvelous and exciting place to visit: rich with history, filled with exciting natural beauty and boasting wonderful cuisine and culture.

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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Miss Perfect Angel

B

eauty pageants started in Scotland in 1839, the first one held by the 13th Earl of Eglinton, and won by the duchess of Somerset who was proclaimed “Queen of Beauty”. Ever since, and still today, the tradition of these pageants continues both in western and eastern countries.

These beauty contests are, and have many times, more today than in the past, been perceived as frivolous, shallow, superficial, trivial and petty competitions focused merely on good looks, on beauty; which is supposed to be “in the eye of the beholder” and “beauty, which is everywhere but not everyone sees it”.

These pageants are known to always target women, which has also caused critique and upheaval amongst feminists and protective parents. With time, and some would argue cunningly and shrewdly, these have evolved to have additional criteria for which women could be judged, for their talent, personality and intelligence. However, nothing seems to be as revolutionary as the following trending beauty competition which was recently held for

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the second time in Thailand; the Miss Perfect Angel Contest.

With only its name, you would think it was just one of the million beauty pageants held anywhere in the world, however, this is not the case. Â The Miss Perfect Angel Contest which was held on June 16th 2015 celebrates beauty and charity.

Money raised from the event, after expenses, is given to help build a monastery in San Francisco and to raise funds for the construction of the temple of wealth Bodhi Dharma vision.

The winner of the Miss Perfect Angel 2015 won a Cash prize of 50,000 baht and a golden crown with diamonds. Cash prizes were also given to the 1st and 2nd Runner Up as well as to the woman voted Miss Popular Perfect Angel 2015, Miss Photogenic Perfect Angel 2015, Miss Beautiful Skin 2015 and Miss Talent Perfect Angel 2015.

The event had it all, awards worth competing for, feasible and accomplishable objectives with outstanding morals and values, and of course, a little bit of guilty pleasure at the sight of beauty.

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Snow Town, Bangkok

I

t is finally here! What we were all looking forward to; the avid creation of a much awaited little break from the 365 hot summer days that vary only in levels of humidity in the capital of Thailand. To all the Thai population which may have at one point or the other thought: “What would it be like to live in…” Iceland, Canada, Norway, Denmark, or Russia… Your much awaited inexpensive answer is here to satisfy your senses.

Bangkok has a brand new tourist attraction aimed at all those little ones,

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teenage ones, young adults, adults, and elderly citizens who have never experienced an icy winter. It is for those who want to have a getaway which allows them to refrain from the excruciating heat we sometimes experience in this city. It is for the thousands of international students who want to get a taste of the refined Japanese cuisine which they may not have access to, to the Japanese people who may miss the taste of their typical dishes, and to all those who want to experience something new, original and exciting. The exotic getaway may be for a couple hours, or

perhaps even an entire day.

Snow Town is an incredible and authentic theme park that covers an area of 3,000 square meters and is located on the very accessible 5th floor of Gateway Ekamai in Sukhumvit Road. This winter theme park is one of its kind, with a complete Japanese ambience, which makes us feel like we are in Tokyo during its first snowfall; not only does it have areas with 30-40 cms of thick white and very realistic snow, it also has cute Japanese shops, fun and adventurous attractions such as snowboarding,

snowball fights, and sketching areas as well as restaurants where its visitors can enjoy sushi, maki, yakitori, sashimi, udon and all the delicacies Japanese cuisine has opened up to the world. You will travel to Japan in the blink of an eye, or travelling a few BTS stations away from you.

Its much awaited grand opening on the first of July, one of the hottest days of the month, was incredibly successful and made hundreds of children and their parents smile. This innovative theme park is incredibly promising, and it looks like it is here to stay for a very long time!

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Electric Mango Steak House & Grill - expect the unexpected

THB

499

m 6pm o r f y a d every

cob n o eob, corn w nc , n i o o t n potaatoor–wchoirte hite wine d e k t fored f red or w thbbaakesds p i o w d ith gla lass o rvdew e s , e v ied byd1by 1 g r e s , anpanie teak comopm s d e l l c c m gri cchhoiociec,ea, ac a r g 300 oouurr y y y b uuccee a s a s d n a and

Electric Mango Steakhouse offers superior quality dining with prime meat from Australia and America.

We grill all our meat great care and attention to ensure the best flavor. We offer great wines from around the world to accompany your dining experience, selected

by Thailand best Sommelier. Thai food is represented as well, and we put heart, honor and effort into giving ‘ you value for money when visiting us at Hua Hin Soi 112.

Feel free to bring the young ones, we have indoor and outdoor playground where they can enjoy before and after dinner. It’s all about happiness!

Reservation please call: 085 661 2445 or event@electricmango.club

Facebook: facebook.com/bancream.huahin, Located at the Grand night market, indoor zone Tel: 088-238-1868 LINE: beebee_161236

Be as beautiful as you desire

Before

After

L et’s Stay, Bangkok

HOT MAGAZINE RECOMMEND

Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit 24

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I

t’s been my experience that one of the big differentiators between a 4 and 5 star hotel is the level of service you receive from the hotels staff.

Four-star hotels provide quality service to patrons, frequently offering extras such as child-care services, poolside food service and a concierge to assist with making reservations or getting tickets. The staff at five-star hotels go out of their way to personalize each of those guest services, using the guests’ names and anticipating each guest’s needs.

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok on Soi 24 and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our choice.

We chose the hotel because of its location, being close to meetings we were attending (CBD) and within quick walking distance to the new EM District encompassing The Emporium, the EmQuartier and the soon to come EmSphere.

The hotel’s sales literature states that it is the perfect base for business and leisure travelers alike and that fit us to a T. Upon arrival and introductions we were whisked to the club lounge where drinks were served while the staff filled out the necessary paperwork. They say your first impression is your lasting impression. Our first impressions were of the friendly professionalism shown by the staff and that impression continued throughout the entire length of our stay with every staff member we encountered. Whoever is setting the example for the Hilton’s team members deserves to be congratulated.

Once the short paperwork was completed we were escorted to our room and were very pleased with what we found. We booked into their one bedroom King Executive Suite’s with Lounge Access. The suite was spacious at 77sqm’s, approximately 830 square feet, which consisted of a living and dining area, a large separate bedroom and a sumptuous bathroom with dual sinks, a large tub and separate rain shower.

Music and volume controls were located in the bathroom as well as an electronically operated shade that opened allowing views of the Em District from the bathtub. The suite also had dual 42” HDTV’s as well as a home theater system.

Having lounge floor access allowed for a more relaxed breakfast environment, afternoon tea and evening cocktails. It’s worth the extra amount you pay to have these privileges.

The hotel has a total of 280 spacious deluxe guest rooms and suites including wheel chair accessible rooms. Their presidential suite is 137 sqm , approximately 1,475 square feet on the 23rd floor with panoramic views of the city. The exquisite 3-room suite features a large master bedroom, living room, dining or conference table and a full bath with a window-lined tub.

Dining is exceptional at the Hilton Sukhumvit with three restaurants in-house. Scalini is a traditional Italian-American restaurant where you can indulge in “comfort foods”. Chic and relaxed, with a focus on fine foods and highquality ingredients, this restaurant has a feature

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staircase, a vibrant open kitchen, tempting charcuterie and extensive food and wine displays. Here you can dine on freshly made pasta dishes or treat yourself to a delicious, rustic handmade pizza prepared in their live interactive kitchen. Local Thai and Asian specialty items can be enjoyed during both the buffet breakfast period as well as from the a la carte menu.

The menu at their popular restaurant Mondo showcases tapas dishes with influences and flavors from all over the Mediterranean and Asia.

Mondo features an open kitchen, a charcuterie and cheese tower adorned with delicious meats and cheeses as well as a bench-mounted, manually operated meat slicing machine. They offer an outdoor deck that features a whisky cabinet along with a unique whisky tasting table.

In the evening it’s nice to enjoy a drink from their outdoor whisky bar.

The Hilton’s pool is located on the top floor of the building where you will also find their pool bar restaurant called Lapse. Here you can order refreshing cocktails and light snacks while you soak up the sun by the infinity pool. Serving a range of beverages, this relaxed and informal bar is the perfect place to enjoy an evening view of the city’s skyline. Also on the top floor you’ll find the Hilton’s fully equipped fitness center.

When it comes to business the Hilton offers The Summit which combines a contemporary penthouse setting with support from dedicated Hilton team members. The summit is the ideal space to host both small and medium-sized functions. With Bangkok’s skyline as a backdrop, this destination meetings floor redefines urban events with three state-of-the-art venues spanning 55-72m2 each.

For hosting big events the Hilton’s Ballroom is Ideal for gala dinners and large parties, the Ballroom features a 384m2 large daylight foyer, as well as a 64m2 boardroom.

Our stay at the Hilton Sukhumvit was exceptional on every level. Several days after checking out I was asked to complete a quick on-line survey rating my stay. When completed I was asked if I would like to share my experience on Trip Advisor which I happily did. When finished and sent I looked at other Trip Advisor comments about the Hotel and was pleased to see that while almost everyone raved about the hotel the majority of the comments were about the staff and how great they were to interact with, which totally mirrored our experience.

If you travel to Bangkok frequently for business or pleasure, The Hilton Sukhumvit makes an ideal home away from home.

Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Khlong Ton, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand TEL: +66-2-6206666 FAX: +66-2-6206699 Email: bkksu.info@hilton.com

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EARLY BIRD RATES TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW UNTIL 7 August 2015 FOR ONLY THB 5,700 OR THB 55,000 FOR A TABLE OF TEN.

Luxury Living & Exclusive Lifestyle

L et’s Check in

HOT MAGAZINE RECOMMEND

Art Box Exhibition Market in Bangkok

I

f there is one thing that Bangkok is not in a shortage of it’s places to shop. From high end ultraluxe shopping malls to street side shopping stalls there is no shortage finding a place to spend your baht.

Those on the other side, doing the selling however have a difficult time making their shop or mall standout from all of the rest. Recently a group of

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Bangkok residents spent countless hours pondering this question when it finally came to them. Instead of “thinking outside the box” as were always told they decided to “think inside the box”, with the box being shipping containers.

Their new idea was to create an outdoor exhibition market entirely out of real shipping container which they called ARTBOX.

ARTBOX is unique in that it’s only open a few times a month for 3 days at a time. Each opening is called an episode and each episode has a different theme. Episode 4 runs from 31 July to August 2nd with the theme “When I was young.” Episode 5 runs from the 7th to the 9th of August with the theme “Magic of color.”

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ARTBOX is big with over 300 stalls in the fashion zone and 100 stalls in the cafĂŠ zone. They also host mini concerts and have a beer garden. The market is geared to attract urban hipsters looking for a constantly new experience.

One of the secrets of ARTBOXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success is its location. When you have been working throughout the week the last thing you want to do is be stuck in traffic trying to get somewhere. ARTBOX is easily accessible using the Airport Link and getting off at Makkasan station.

To find out when ARTBOX is open next and to learn its episode, check out their webpage, artboxbkk.com or their facebook page, facebook.com/ Artboxbangkok.

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GREEK TAVERNA î&#x20AC;&#x201E;e only Greek Restaurant in Hua Hin

ri am

lley A n a h Praep

resd Na

5

Soi 5

ey All

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7

Soi 5

Authentic Greek Food Nice Atmosphere Affordable prices Wide selection

Adress: 58 Naresdamri Road, Hua Hin www.facebook.com/greektavernahuahin Tel: 098-463-3622

Shoes can make everything all right

I

n 1998 a show debuted on HBO about four female New Yorkers, three in their 30’s and one in her 40’s who, despite their different natures and ever-changing sex lives, remained inseparable and confided in each other.

Starring Sarah Jessica Parker (as Carrie Bradshaw), Kim Cattrall (as Samantha Jones), Kristin Davis (as Charlotte York), and Cynthia Nixon (as Miranda Hobbes), the quirky series had multiple continuing storylines that tackled relevant and modern social issues such as sexuality, safe sex, promiscuity and femininity, while exploring the difference between friendships and romantic relationships.

The show was called Sex in the City and was hugely popular spawning two feature films.

Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) was the star of the show and if there was one thing she taught us it was that a great pair of shoes could make everything all right.

In fact there’s scientific proof buying new shoes makes you feel better. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, releases good feelings throughout the body. Drugs and other highs emulate this sensation. That’s why many people are hooked on such temporary releases to chase that feeling. Studies indicate that shopping, especially for shoes, releases large amounts of dopamine into our brains, the cause for that feelgood feeling Carrie Bradshaw spoke of.

Carrie made many shoe designers famous but one instantly became a household name after the season three episode aired where Carrie, running for a Staten Island Ferry, stopped and proclaimed “I lost my Choo”. The “Choo” was from designer Jimmy Choo. Jimmy first rose to fame when it was discovered on Princess Diana’s passing that 80% of her shoes were designed by Jimmy Choo.

Back in 2011 Jimmy Choo shoes was celebrating their fifteenth anniversary and announced that they were releasing Icons, a capsule collection of 15 shoe styles yanked from the company’s archives. The shoes included the Feather, which Carrie Bradshaw lost on the Staten Island Ferry and the Macy (a classic neutral party sandal).

They were available only at Jimmy Choo shops, and cost $850 to $3,785. Imagine the Dopamine release you’d get from a purchase like that!

Jimmy Choo was born in Penang Malaysia into a family of shoemakers. His family name is Chow but was misspelled on his birth certificate as Choo. His father taught him how to make shoes and he made his first pair at age 11.

Choo graduated from Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney (now part of the London College of Fashion) in 1983. Choo worked part-

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time at restaurants and as a cleaner at a shoe factory to help fund his college education.

After graduation Choo began work at a shop in Hackney which he opened in 1986 by renting an old hospital building. His craftsmanship and designs were soon noticed and his creations became featured in eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue. Patronage from Diana, Princess of Wales from 1990 further boosted his image.

In 1996 he co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with British Vogue magazine accessories editor Tamara Mellon. In April 2001, Choo sold his 50% stake in the company for £10 million. He has since concentrated his work on the exclusive Jimmy Choo Couture line produced under license from Jimmy Choo Ltd. If you are a “shoe-aholic” then there is no better place for you to be than in Kuala Lumpur for the MISF, the Malaysian International Shoe Festival. Jimmy Choo is very involved in the festival and appears yearly where he gives out the Jimmy Choo Award which is awarded to the designer winning the Malaysia Footwear design competition.

Khun K.

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At the 2013 Malaysia International Shoe festival, Thai shoe designer Oneruk Sittiwong or Khun K as he is known, won the Jimmy Choo award for his shoe entry where he intricately hand engraved his shoes using the same techniques that were used in the Temple carvings from the period of Rama 1 to Rama 5.

Khun K is the only Thai to win this prestigious award and has gone on to do great things here in the Kingdom.

He has his own successful shoe brand called ONELOVE and was tapped to design the shoes for Miss Thailand Universe in 2013 and 2014 and all of the shoes for Miss Thailand World when she goes to compete in the Miss World Competition on December 19th in China.

Khun K is graciously donating his Jimmy Choo Award winning shoes to be used as an auction item to raise money for Rescue Paws at the HOT Magazine CDL Gala Night and Beach Fashion show being held on Saturday July 18th at the Hua Hin Hilton Ballroom.

Jimmy Choo Award-winning shoes Designed by Khun K.

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If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re into shoes then these award winning shoes deserve to be yours. Just think of the Dopamine release youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get when yours is the winning bid at the auction. For tickets to the CDL Gala Night and Beach Fashion show presented by HOT Magazine email us at info@hothuahin.com

Jimmy Choo Designed by Khun K.

July 15 - August 15 , 2015

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Should you buy pre-owned?

By Russ Downing

L

ast month I wrote about my client’s experiences in buying a home in Hua Hin. Quite frequently the type of home they originally thought they wanted was not the one they signed on the dotted line for. Whether it was more expensive than what they had originally in mind or it was a new home versus used or vice versa.

What I’ve learned over the last almost ten years in the property business here in Hua Hin is that it’s best to keep an open mind and explore all of your options before making that big decision.

In last month’s article we looked at the advantages of buying a new home. This month we’ll focus on the advantages of buying a pre-owned property.

MOVE IN RIGHT AWAY In Hua Hin there are only a couple of

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developers that are building homes on “spec”, without waiting for a buyer. The normal scenario here is you view one or more show homes and then pick the plot that you would like your house built on making any design changes along the way. The disadvantage is that you have to wait six months to a year to move in.

When buying a pre-owned home you can usually move in right after the purchase contract process is complete, which is usually 30 days or so.

ACHIEVE A LARGER DISCOUNT A big perk of buying a resale home is that the purchase price is usually more negotiable with a pre-owned home than it is with a new home from a developer.

Popular developers with a proven track record don’t feel the need to discount because they know they will sell out based on their good reputation. A

private homeowner on the other hand just wants to sell his one home and move on, consequently it’s normally easier to achieve a descent discount.

PEACE AND QUIET A common fear of buyers purchasing in a new development is that they can’t be guaranteed how long they will be living on a building site. If you’re buying a home to use as a holiday home, when that holiday finally rolls around you don’t want to be floating in your pool listening to jack hammers and pile drivers. Almost all resale homes are in fully finished developments. Which leads into another benefit of buying a resale, you most always know what the development is going to look like when it’s finished, because it is finished. A finished development that is planted out with nice landscaping has character and charm which is lacking in developments with continued construction.

ENJOY A LARGER LAND PLOT Larger land plots are another advantage in buying pre-owned. In Hua Hin, land prices have and will continue to rise. It’s not unusual now to see new homes in the 8+ million baht category sitting on land plots of 550 square meters or less. Only just three years ago if you were paying that much for a home you could expect at least 800 square meters of land. New projects now face ever higher land prices and those costs are shared by all of the new buyers in that project.

ENJOY THE DEVELOPMENT’S AMENITIES WITHOUT WAITING It’s not true of all new developments but a lot of new projects will build the amenities at the end of the project cycle instead of at the beginning. That communal swimming pool, club house and fitness center you bought into is expensive and developers tend to wait until they have made the majority of their profit before they invest in those big ticket items, which helped sell their project to begin with. With a resale home all those amenities are already in place.

NEW HOME SNAGS ARE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF A new home consists of tens of thousands of parts and with any new home you are going to have a few problems or snags. If a home has been lived in for a few years then all those initial snags should have been taken care of by the builder before the original owner accepted the home.

ENJOY THE CONVENIENCE OF BEING CLOSER TO TOWN As mentioned earlier, land prices continue to increase in Hua Hin. To make homes affordable developers are having to buy their land further away from Hua Hin’s center where land prices aren’t as high. Older homes were built when land prices close to Hua Hin weren’t as expensive. That’s why you’ll find older homes closer to Hua Hin center. This can be quite important to older people looking for a home in Hua Hin.

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IMMEDIATELY ENJOY YOUR LUSH TROPICAL GARDEN With Hua Hin’s wonderful climate, plants, flowers and trees grow quickly.

Nonetheless, a tropical garden that has been allowed to grow and mature for several years will always be more lush and lovely then a garden that was just planted.

New or used? From my experience in the Hua Hin property market the bottom line is this; find a house you like, consider its pros and cons — objectively, as well as emotionally — and think about the compromises you’re willing to make.

The more logically you approach buying a house here in Hua Hin, the more you’re going to love living in it for a long time to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Russ Downing is Managing Director of HOT Hua Hin Property and has for the last 8 years headed up the Hua Hin judging team for the Thailand Property Awards, widely seen as the Academy Awards for the Thailand Property Sector. Russ’s articles have been translated and re-printed in a large popular Chinese magazine and he has had 3 of his luxury listings chosen for the Wall Street Journal’s “House of the Day” feature with near worldwide exposure in the WSJ’s U.S., European and Asian editions as well as on-line. If you are looking to purchase a home in Hua Hin contact Russ at 084 387 5699 or russ@hothuahin.com.

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July 15 - August 15 , 2015

HUA HIN’S BEST BUYS

Beds : 3 Land area : 800 m2

Hua Hin West

13,400,000 THB

Hua Hin West

Baths : 4 Living area : 247 m2

9,400,000 THB

#AG-B112

#AG-B114

Beds : 3 Land area : 500 m2

Hua Hin West

Countryside

Baths : 4 Living area : 160 m2

7,300,000 THB

#AG-B113

• Located approx. 15 minutes South of Hua Hin Center • Euro Kitchen, Air Con, Fans • Pool, garden, shuttlebus

• Located approx. 15 minutes South of Hua Hin Center • Euro Kitchen, Air Con, Fans • Pool, garden, shuttlebus

• Located approx. 12 minutes West of Hua Hin • Euro Kitchen, Air Con, Fans • Pool, garden, shuttlebus

Beds : 3 Land Area : 1000 m2

Beds : 4 Land area : 750 m2

Beds : 3 Land area : 532 m2

Hua Hin West

Baths : 3 Living area : 287 m2

10,500,000 THB

Contryside

#AG-B94

Khao Takiab

Baths : 4 Living area : 242 m2

19,500,000 THB

Near beach

24,950,000 THB

#AG-V163

• Located 10 minutes north of Hua Hin • Euro Kitchen, Air Con, fans • Large pool, covered entertainment area

• A 3 minute walk to a great beach • Less than 10 minutes to Hua Hin Center • Private, large pool with gardens

Beds : 3 Land area : 785 m2

Beds : 3 Land area : 424 m2

Baths : 4 Living area : 220 m2

Hua Hin North

Baths : 2 Living area : 194 m2

Baths : 2 Living area : 179 m2

Beds : 3 Land area : 2,072 m2

Baths : 4 Living area : 350 m2

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HUA HIN’S BEST BUYS Hua Hin South

Countryside

#AG-B80

8,900,000 THB

Countryside

#AG-B80

• 10 minutes South of Hua Hin Center • Close to 2 great beaches and 2 golf courses • Euro kitchen, Air con, Pool Beds : 3 Land area : 648 m2

Hua Hin West

9,000,000 THB

City

#AG-B86

Hua Hin North

Countryside

Baths : 3 Living area : 299 m2

9,900,000 THB

Hua Hin South

Baths: 4 Living area : 180 m2

10,750,000 THB

#AG-B100 • Located approx. 10 minutes West of Hua Hin • Built by one of Hua Hin’s premier builders • Euro kitchen, Air cons, large covered terrace

Baths : 4 Living area : 250 m2.

11,000,000 THB

#AG-B89

Countryside

Hua Hin West

#AG-B76

• 5 minutes West of Hua Hin • Euro kitchen, air con and fans throughout • Pool, spa, carport, shuttle bus service Beds : 3 Land area : 650 m2

Beds: 3 Land area : 690 m2

Beds : 3 Baths : 3 Land area : 1,600 m2 Living area : 230 m2.

Beds: 3 Land area: 716 m2

Hua Hin West

Hua Hin South

Countryside

12,800,000 THB

#AG-V30

Countryside

Baths: 4 Living area: 252 m2

12,900,000 THB

#AG-B110

• Located approx. 10 min. South of Hua Hin Center • Lg. homes with large 5 X 20 meter pool • Euro kitchen, Air cons, large covered terrace Beds : 4 Land area : 1,120 m2

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Baths : 5 Living area : 300 m2

June 15 - July 15 , 2015

Beds : 4 Land area : 800 m2

Baths : 6 Living area : 230 m2

Beds : 5 Land area : 1000 m2

Baths : 4 Living area : 395 m2

HUA HIN’S BEST BUYS Hua Hin South

Countryside • Located approximately 15 minutes from Hua Hin • Ocean & mountain views, Euro kitchen • Air Cons, Pool, Sala, Garden

Khao Takiab

Beach • Located approximately 5 minutes from Hua Hin • Amari w/beach club/ 2 large pools • Fitness, 4 restaurants, furnished

Khao Tao

Beach • Located approx. 15 minutes South of Hua Hin Center • 180 degree ocean view, Hotel Amenities • Fully furnished / turnkey

7,800,000 THB

Khao Tao

11,220,000 THB

#AG-B104

Beachfront

#AG-A58

Beds: 2 Baths: 2 Living area: 225 m2 Land area: 840 m2

• Located approx. 15 minutes South of Hua Hin Center • 180 degree ocean view, Hotel Amenities • Modern/High Rental Returns

Beds: 2 Baths: 2 + 1 Living area: 187 m2

5,950,000 THB

Khao Takiab

6,250,000 THB

#AG-A56

Near Beach

#AG-A55

Beds: 1 Baths: 1 Living area: 44 m2

2,950,000 THB

#AG-A57 Beds: Studio Baths: 1 Living area: 48 m2

• Located approximately 5 minutes from Hua Hin • Amari w/beach club/ 2 large pools • Fitness, 4 restaurants, furnished

Khao Tao

Beds: 1 Baths: 1 Living area: m2

21,950,000 THB

Beachfront

#AG-A58

• Located approx. 15-20 minutes South of Hua Hin • Ocean & beach views, Oceanfront pool • Euro kitchen, Air cons, large covered deck

Beds: 5 Baths: 5 Living area: 250 m2

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HUA HIN’S BEST BUYS Hua Hin West

#AG-V164

21,000,000 THB

Modern Asian style best describes this beautifully designed and well-built two storey modern stately residences. Located on a preferred plot within a small upscale development, this large home offers 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms in 520 square meters of living space with plenty of room for luxurious living and entertaining. The oversized master suite includes a large outdoor terrace for enjoying views of the ocean and islands in front of you as well as an exquisitely designed master bath and walk-in closet. Accordion style doors are used throughout the residence allowing the outside to become inside and the inside to become outside. The L shaped house design surrounds a large 5 X 10 meter swimming pool. Upstairs on the terrace is a spa tub for enjoying the scenery that surrounds you. This home comes fully furnished, includes maid’s quarters and is on a land plot of 750 square meters which includes lush mature tropical gardens.

Beds: 3

Baths: 4 Living area:

Hua Hin North

#AG-V167

520 m2

Land area: 750 m2

28,000,000 THB

Hua Hin West

#AG-V165

24,900,000 THB

Location, location, location. Situated mere minutes from town is this large 5 bedroom home tucked in an out of the way location. All bedrooms are en-suite and most have built in wardrobes. The European kitchen is fully outfitted including a dishwasher. Around the corner is a dining room, a spacious lounge and a cloak room.

Two large 3 X 13 meter covered terraces with fans are the perfect place to enjoy the solitude and views this home radiates. The swimming pool is large, 5 X 12 meters with a Jacuzzi and there is a two car covered car park with electric gate. This home is fully air conditioned, has an alarm system and is being offered partially furnished.

Beds: 5

Baths: 5

Hua Hin West

Living area: 420 m2 Land area: 800 m2

#AG-V139

100,000,000 THB

Located in arguably Hua Hin’s best address, the Palm Hills Golf & Country Club, this newly remodeled two storey, three bedroom golf course home is a perfect retirement home or holiday oasis. Sitting on a large land plot of 2,400 square meters and benefiting from 500 square meters of living space this property is truly luxurious.

Complete with a 5 X 10 meter swimming pool, and a full time maids quarters this home comes fully furnished and includes two lifetime memberships to the Palm Hills Golf Club and separate Fitness facility. The owner is willing to subdivide the land reducing its size from 2,400 square meters to 1,440 square meters which will then decrease the selling price.

Beds: 3

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Baths: 5 Living area: 500 m2

June 15 - July 15 , 2015

Land area: 2,400 m2

Beds: 9

Baths: 11 Living area: 1,769 m2

Land area: 3,200 m2

HUA HINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST BUYS Hua Hin North

Beds : 6 Baths : 7 Land : 1,600 m2 Living : 700 m2

#AG-V164

60,000,000 THB

Located in Palm Hills,

Hua Hin North

#AG-V162

69,000,000 THB

Approximately 20 minutes from Hua Hin, this spectacular golf course estate consists of the main house, 2 guest houses and a helipad. Within the main house there is an exceptionally large living room, a library, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, two half-bathrooms, a dining room, a wine and food cellar, a pond with a wet bar, a pool (thirtythree meters at its widest and deep enough for diving), a lanai with outdoor shower, and a sala for meditation. There are 2 guest houses with 5 additional bedrooms.

Beds: 10 Baths: 10

Living area: 1700 m2

Land area: 4800 m2

Beds: 5

Baths: 5

Living area: 775 m2 Land area: 4.800 m2

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09-4562-4560 (Thai) 08-4387-5699 (English) E-mail: info@hothuahin.com