Bangkok 101 jul13 by Talisman Media

publisher’s letter

t’s been another busy month for us at Bangkok 101. We went and checked out one of Bangkok’s most talked about new places, Opposite Mess Hall, before going back to one of our favourites places, Gaggan, only to find that the menu is still as surprising and delicious as ever. We also tucked in at The Kitchen Table at W Bangkok, Fat Bird and L’Appart, which is one of the best-looking places we’ve been to recently. We also tried our hand at parkour – with limited success – before going behind the scenes at the Playhouse Theatre, which we’ve been telling our friends about ever since. We’ve also been hitting the road, exploring the burgeoning art scene up north in Chiang Rai before kicking our heels in Cambodia. Sure, we went to Angkor Wat, like every other visitor, but then we went off the beaten track, cruising around the provinces on the back of a motorbike, falling in love with lok lak and hitting up the country’s only vineyard. Our photo feature for this month showcases an upcoming exhibition called 180 Photographs, marking the long-standing friendship between Thailand and the USA by inviting photographers from those countries to submit snapshots of life in the other. It has produced some striking vignettes and, in particular, the images from Thai photographers taken in the USA are impressive. The exhibition opens this month so check out our photo feature for more details. After such a busy month, we felt entitled to an afternoon’s indulgence at The Peninsula Spa and the treatment there knocked our socks off. All this and our 101 archive and extras can be found online at bangkok101.com. A couple of clicks is all it takes to keep in touch with what’s happening. If there’s something you feel we’re not covering but should, then please drop us a line at info@talisman-media.com.

Enjoy.

? What is

Bangkok 101 Independent and unbiased, Bangkok 101 caters to savvy travellers who yearn for more than what they find in weighty, dated guidebooks. It brings together an authoritative who’s who of city residents, writers, photographers and cultural commentators. The result is a compact and intelligent hybrid of monthly travel guide and city magazine that takes you on and off the well-worn tourist track. Bangkok 101 employs the highest editorial standards, with no fluff and no smut. Our editorial content cannot be bought. We rigorously maintain the focus on our readers and our ongoing mission is to ensure they enjoy this great city as much as we love living in it.

Mason Florence Publisher

bangkok101.com

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Contributors

publisher

Mason Florence editor-in-chief

Dr Jesda M. Tivayanond associate publisher

Parinya Krit-Hat editor

Tom Sturrock contributing editor

Bangkok-born but internationally bred, Dr Tom Vitayakul has a background in communication and branding but now runs his family’s boutique hotel and Thai restaurant. An avid traveller and a bon vivant, he has contributed to magazines including Lips, Lips Luxe and the Bangkok Post ’s the Magazine, and has also helped edit several books on Thai subjects.

Very Thai author philip cornwel-smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in the areas of culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for more than a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first phone guide for Nokia.

Food and travel writer howard richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s gone the extra mile exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer. He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine.

Max Crosbie-Jones editorial assistant

Chaweitporn Tamthai strategists

Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger contributing writers

Gaby Doman, Urasa Por Burapacheep, Luc Citrinot, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Leo Devillers, Korakot Punlopruksa, Isabelle Kallo, Sarah Cuiksa contributing photographers

Dejan Patic´, Jatuporn Rutnin, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat, Frédéric Belge, Somchai Phongphaisarnkit group director sales & marketing

Jhone El’Mamuwaldi

director business development

Itsareeya Chatkitwaroon account executive

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

Native-Bangkok writer, photographer and incurable travel addict, korakot (nym) punlopruksa believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for TV and a documentary scriptwriter. Her work appears in magazines, including Elle, Elle Decoration and GM .

Pailyn Jitchuen

director sales and marketing

Nowfel Ait Ouyahia circulation

Pradchya Kanmanee published by

Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd Bangkok 10330 T 02-252-3900 | F 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com

AVAILABLE AT:

bangkok101.com

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No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.

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CONTENTS

b a n g k o k 1 0 1 Pa r t n e r s

city pulse 6 metro beat 10 metroplates: opposite mess hall 12 best of bangkok: one giant leap 16 out & about: where the magic happens

s n a p s h ot

20 tom’s two satang 22 very thai 23 chronicle of thailand

Sightseeing 24 historic homes and shrines 26 museums

t r av e l 28 phi ta khon

food & drink

94 unique boutique:

30 up-country now

58 food & drink news

spoonful zakka cafe,

32 hotel deals

60 meal deals

hardcover

34 up-country escape:

61 restaurant reviews:

96 market watch

chiang rai

the kitchen table, fat bird,

97 jj gem: defy

CMY

38 over the border:

gaggan, l’appart

cambodia

67 street eats: sawang

wellness

68 eat like nym

99 spa review:

a r t & c u lt u r e

69 cooking with poo

the peninsula spa

42 exhibition highlights

70 sweet treat

46 feature: chalood’s

72 neighbourhood nosh:

comm u nit y

mural painting and

soi convent

100 making merit:

retrospective

74 restaurant listings

sarnelli house

52 photo feature:

nightlife

reference

180 photographs

80 nightlife news

102 getting there

82 review: spasso

104 maps

84 nightlife listings

112 my bangkok:

51 cheat notes

bangkok 101

bobby chinn

july 2013 100 baht

shopping xxxxxxxxx

92 new collection:

| xxxx

dd+pp

xxxxxxxxxxxx | Food & drink

xxxxx | Shopping xxxxx

on the cover Photographers from the USA and Thailand have submitted images of life in the other. Check out p52

july 2013

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AW APS Bangkok 101 Jul13.pdf

6/17/13

9:12 AM

CMY

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metro beat

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by Howard Richardson

ROCK AND POP

Jennifer Kim Singer Jennifer Kim, one of the judges and vocal coaches on the TV show The Voice Thailand, performs two 45th Anniversary Concerts at Royal Paragon Hall (Fl5 Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-610-8011) on July 27-28. Tickets from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) are B1200-B3000. One-time Boyzone frontman, Irish singer Ronan Keating returns to Thailand with a night at Impact Arena (99 Popular Rd, Pakkred, 02-504-5050, impact.co.th) on July 10. His Ronan Keating Fires Live Tour comes on the back of last year’s release Fires, his first solo album in six years. Among the new material, there are sure to be outings for old hits like When You Say Nothing At All. Tickets are B2500 to B4500 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com).

Killswitch Engage American metalcore band Killswitch Engage fly into Bangkok for a one-off gig at Hollywood Awards (72/2 Ratchadapisek Soi 8, 02-246-4311), where they will promote their latest album of six, Disarm The Descent, on July 29. The title track from their 2004 album The End Of Heartache was Grammy-nominated for Best Metal Performance. Tickets (B1500) are limited to 1000 and available from the call centre at 081-310-3457. Thailand’s obsession with the ukulele continues with a visit by Jake Shimabukuro, rated the number one player in Hawaii, the country of Iz Kamakawiwo’ole, whose version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow did much to popularise the instrument. Shimabukuro released his latest album Grand Ukulele last year, produced by Alan Parsons (Abbey Road, Dark Side Of The Moon). It features a rock rhythm section with a 29-piece orchestra. He’s solo for this show at Scala Theatre (Siam Square Soi 1, 02-251-2861) on July 3. Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com) have tickets Jake Shimabukuro from B1000-B3000. 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Virtuoso US guitarist Steve Vai – side man for the likes of Frank Zappa, Ozzy Osborne, Whitesnake and David Lee Roth – was a founder of G3 with fellow guitarist Joe Satriani. He brings his own band to CentralWorld Live (991 Rama 1 Rd, 02-6407000, centralworld.co.th) on August 6, pushing last year’s album The Story Of Light. Tickets are B1,490 and B2490 from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com).

Steve Vai

NIGHTLIFE Bangkok’s most iconic nightlife venue, the tubular space-age pod that is Bed Supperclub (26 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-6513537, bedsupperclub.com) waves a final goodnight when it closes its doors on August 31. Those who remember Bangkok when Bed opened 11 years ago will thank it for brightening the city with its pioneering mix of music, food, performance and art in a single venue, plus a few cracking international DJs. bangkok101.com

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SPORT

Manchester United Bangkok pitches will resemble the English Premier League this month with four teams in town for clinics and exhibition games. First up, young hopefuls aged seven to 16 can get professional coaching at the West Ham United Soccer Training Camp. The team’s youth programme is legendary, having previously brought through players such as Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand. The camps (priced B4400 and B8500) are divided into morning and afternoon sessions at Grand Soccer Pro (22 Sukhonthasawat Soi 28, Lad Phrao, 087-547-5553) on July 1-5 and 8-12. For the full information see bangkoksoccerschools.com. Later in the month, Thai fans will be among the very first in the world to see two top teams with new managers. Runaway Premier League winners Manchester United will play one of their opening games under new boss David Moyes, following the resignation of Alex Ferguson at the end of last season. They’re up against the Singha All Star team on July 13 (tickets B1000-B4000), with star players such as Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, and Wayne Rooney (if he’s still at the club) turning out. See manutd.com for updates.

Liverpool

Four days later, manager Jose Mourinho – the so-called ‘Special One’ – leads Chelsea out, following his return from Real Madrid in the close season. The Blues also play the Singha Thailand All-Star XI, on July 17, hoping to add to their Europa League triumph in May. Tickets are B800-B3000. Chelsea have promised “the strongest available squad”. And on July 28, five-time European Champions Liverpool are also here, against a team still to be announced at press time (tickets B500-B5000). Follow progress of their tour on Twitter (@ThaiLFC) or visit lfctour.com. All games are at Rajamangala Stadium (2088 Ramkhamhaeng Rd, 02-318-0940-4) and all tickets are available from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). bangkok101.com

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La Sylphide

DANCE AND THEATRE Dancers Erina Takahashi and Yosvani Ramos and director Stephen Beagley, all of the English National Ballet, will lead a full-length production of La Sylphide by the Bangkok City Ballet at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-2470028) on July 6-7. Also on the programme are Contemporary Pieces performed by Nutnaree Pipithsuksunt, revisiting her home town from her regular slot with Ballet San Jose. Tickets are B1200 and B500 for students.

Unwrapping Culture

B-Floor Theatre B-Floor Theatre presents (In) Sensitivity, a new work for three performers by dance movement therapist Dujdao Vadhanapakorn Boonyai, at the Pridi Banomyong Institute (Sukhumvit Soi 55, 086-787-7155) this month. Dujdao, who wrote and directs the piece, says it explores why: “Thai people are not very good at dealing with intense emotions... if we don’t allow ourselves to feel, we cannot learn about the problem right in front of us”. The 12 shows, described as “minimalist, interactive and experiential”, run from July 18-30. Entry is B450. Call 089-167-4039 for reservations. 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Until August 25, 100 Tonson Gallery (100 Soi Tonson, 02684-1527, 100tonsongallery.com) hosts Unwrapping Culture, a contemporary performance by Pichet Klunchun. The dancer and choreographer employs a contemporary interpretation of traditional Thai dance theory and this is the first airing of the work outside a theatre. Show times are mainly Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 2pm. Tickets are B1500 (B800 for students). “Silence is Fun”, say the organisers of Pantomime in Bangkok, which brings artists from South Korea, Thailand and Japan together at the Muang Thai Life Assurance Auditorium (250 Ratchadapisek Rd, 02-274-9400) on July 4, 6 and 7. Tickets range from B800 to B1200, available at Thai Ticketmajor (02262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com). bangkok101.com

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FOOD AND DRINK

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his modern French cuisine at Singapore’s Les Amis, which he co-founded, and at restaurants he owns in Shanghai and Taipei, Justin is now based back in Singapore helming Sky on 57 at Marina Bay Sands. The restaurant Park Society at the Sofitel So Bangkok (2 North Sathorn Rd, 02-624-0000) adds to its glorious city views across Lumpini Park with a special four-course menu called Being on Top, priced at B4900. It’s available until July 31. Diners can fill up on dishes like pan-seared scallop and lobster tortellini with Champagne foam and caviar and then repair to the openair deck for a cognac. The same hotel is also now offering a choice of three picnic baskets (Asian, Italian and French) to enjoy either at its 10th floor poolside Solarium Oasis Lawn or as take aways into Lumpini Park. They’ll even throw in a bicycle (you have to return it). Baskets can be ordered on 02-624-0000 at least six hours in advance.

Justin Quek One of Asia’s best-known chefs, Justin Quek actually started his career at Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental (48 Oriental Avenue, 02-659-9000, mandarinoriental.com/bangkok). Now he returns to the hotel to present a series of showcase dinners at Lord Jim’s restaurant from July 8-13. Already celebrated for

The annual American Independence Day Picnic at KIS International School should be a great day out for kids and parents alike. The fun runs from noon to 8pm on July 6, with entertainment including family games, bands, stalls, hot dogs, ribs and apple pie. Contact the American Chamber of Commerce (02254-1041) for details. Tickets are B300 at the door, B200 in advance, with children under 12 admitted free.

CLASSICAL To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Elysee and the Franco-German friendship, a classical concert, The Music of the Four Elements, will be performed on July 17 at the Sofitel So Bangkok. Four composers have been selected for this performance: two Germans, Bach and Telemann and two French, Lully and Rameau. Tickets range from B500-B1200 and it is advised to book in advance. See concert@fourelements.com. The Thai Cultural Centre will host a Thai-Brazilian concert on July 3 and entry is free. Brazilian pianist Paulo Zereu, and Thai violinist Paye Srinarong (from Vietrio), will play a varied programme of Thai and Brazilian music, including masterpieces of jazz, bossa nova and classical music of both countries. Contact cultural@brazilembassy.or.th for more information. Bangkok Opera continues its Mahler cycle with a performance of Symphony No 8 in E flat, conducted by Somtow Sucharitkul at the Thailand Cultural Centre (Thiem Ruammitr Rd, 02-2470028) on July 24. The work is known as ‘Symphony of a Thou-

ART AND DESIGN The exhibition Mural Painting: Retrospective looks over five decades of work by national artist Chalood Nimsamuer at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (939 Rama I Rd, 02-214-6632, bacc.or.th) until August 18. They have a fantastic track record with their choice and execution of exhibitions and this show incorporates installations, drawings, paintings, and Chalood’s latest collection, Mural Paintings. bangkok101.com

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Bangkok Opera sand’ because of its large vocal and instrumental demands, which will be met by a combination of choirs and orchestras, including the Orpheus Choir of Bangkok, the Fairhaven Singers from Cambridge, England and the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra. International soloists include Grace Echauri, Nancy Yuen and Phillip Joll. Get tickets from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, thaiticketmajor.com), priced B300-B5000.

This year’s international festival Granshan, which promotes the development of non-Latin typefaces, will be held at various Bangkok venues from July 18-August 31. Highlights include displays of the winning competition entries at the Goethe Institut (18/1 Soi Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1, 02-287-0942, goethe. de/bangkok) from July 18-August 31, and works combining typography and music in an exhibition called TypoLyrics from July 27-August 25 at Brown Sugar (469 Wanchat Junction, Phra Sumen Rd, 085-226-5880, brownsugarbangkok.com). J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 9

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hot plates

Opposite Mess Hall by Howard Richardson

ollowing several pop-up restaurants together, chef Jess Barnes and Chris and Som, owners of the art bar WTF, have opened a full-time restaurant in their alternative venue across the alley, now named Opposite Mess Hall. Jess has made waves around Bangkok since launching the Italian restaurant Grossi in 2009, mainly for his philosophy of simple AussieEuro food focused on local and less-used ingredients. He arrived at Opposite following another high-profile opening as head chef at Quince in Phrom Phong. The Mess Hall menu continues the theme with lots of salads, light dressings and dishes like smoked bone marrow dumplings with beef broth, pumpkin and fermented daikon (B240). The emphasis on local and unpopular cuts keeps the price down, too, with no mains here over B320. After climbing the narrow concrete steps past walls clad in corrugated iron, customers come into a tiny wedge-shaped room with a working man’s vibe of barbershop tiles and mechanics’ lamps that double as makeshift chandeliers. There are just seven tables and three counter tops of reclaimed, unvarnished wood, including one in front of an open kitchen where cooks buzz around the ladles, storage jars and bunches of hanging garlic. For starters I grabbed drinking snacks of house pickled fruit and vegetables with chilli salt (B80), and a delicate steamed Chinese bun (B160) filled with fried tempeh, kimchi, sesame and sriracha mayo, and scamorza cheese. It’s tasty, sloppy, salty, slightly spicy, and great with a beer (B140 for local and B240 for US craft) – a better option throughout than the poor-quality wines by the glass (B280). These are the only thing I didn’t like about Mess Hall, and the problem could be they’re organic, which limits choice and ratchets up the price to poor value. A market-led blackboard menu (B140-B320) supplements the seven mains, from which I took a flakey fresh roasted Kingfish wing. Already glutinous from its generous bone, it’s served on a squid ragu cooked with pork belly that adds sticky, meaty depth. It was so good, I could have eaten two. For dessert, check out the rich chocolate tart (B150) with light, wafer-thin shortcrust pastry topped with salt caramel and poached plums. Mess Hall, for the record, is also a plum.

OPPOSITE MESS HALL

[MAP 3/Q10]

27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02-662-6330 oppositebangkok.com | Tues-Sun 7pm-1am

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ONE GIANT LEAP The popularity of parkour epitomises shifts in Bangkok’s fitness trends.

BY GABY DOMAN

ention parkour to most people and they’ll have ideas of leaping from building to building, running along rooftops and general daredevil feats of fitness. These ideas stem from the marketing of the sport, which have included Jump London, a Discovery Channel documentary on the more extreme side of the sport and viral YouTube videos of young male and female practitioners of parkour – called traceurs and traceuses, respectively – flipping across skyscrapers, running up cranes with startling fluidity and grace. Although the marketing has succeeded in spreading the word of parkour, it’s also led to a fair few misconceptions about the sport, says Chris Sotiriou, director at Parkour Generations, Asia. “Doing lots of crazy things creates a buzz but parkour

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best of bangkok is much more than jumping buildings,’’ he says. ‘‘The training has a strong benefit for the whole body and mind. It’s a very complete workout using no equipment – just the environment around.” His assurance that I won’t be jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper doesn’t stop me from being petrified when I go along to try out the discipline for myself. Using the lay-out of Benjakiti Park for our obstacles, our instructor Johan leads us through a warm-up of stretching and planks and then some variations on crawling along the concrete. After 10 minutes, I’m soaked through with sweat and my quads burn with the effort. “Well, that was the warm-up. Now on to something a little harder,” Johan says. While parkour may be nothing new in Europe, it’s still finding its way here in Thailand. Two years ago, the noncompetitive sport was little-known in Asia until Stephane Vigroux, who learnt his craft from original parkour founder, David Belle, introduced it 14 months ago. One of Parkour Generation Asia’s directors, he’s watched the sport develop an impressive following and attention from both the fitness and entertainment industries. Parkour Generations Asia’s team of six full-time members offer accredited classes of both indoor and outdoor parkour, catering to all levels as well as ‘youth academy’ classes for 10-19 year olds. The team has even begun teaching in local schools, proving parkour’s status as a safe and effective exercise for all. The four 90-minute weekly classes held in Bangkok are just the start of parkour’s part in Bangkok’s rapidly expanding fitness scene. The timing couldn’t be better. Bangkok’s fitness scene is undergoing a revolution. Big, chain facilities are falling out of favour and smaller independent gyms and classes are filling the void by following the functional fitness trend. People don’t want to trudge along on treadmills when they could get the same lean bodies from climbing, jumping and generally having fun with their workouts. Parkour’s obstacle-based workout makes use of the surrounding environment. Classes focus on developing running, jumping and balancing skills and Johan helps us hone these by getting us to jump, without a run up, over our partners, who are planking on the concrete, vault over medium-height brick walls, balance along high marble walls, leap from concrete bollard to concrete bollard and hang like a monkey from metal piping. Or, at least, try. What sounds like a great sport for showing off actually has a very gentle ethos behind it: to work in harmony with the environment. In its most simple terms, it is a way to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. With adequate training, this should look easy. However, during my class, I huff and puff and have no grace at all. We work on our fluidity with a silent walk through the park, which is an awful lot harder than it sounds. As we creep over walls, one behind the other, I can’t help but wonder what we must look like to passersby. But there’s no denying the workouts are effective; just look at the physiques of those who’ve reached the top level of this sport. The levels of physical fitness needed to really make an impact may be intimidating but as well as being an extreme sport for adrenaline junkies with a level bangkok101.com

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alternative fitness The Lab Hoist kettlebells above your head, hoist your body weight up using a TRX suspension trainer, pull yourself up on the indoor climbing frame and flip bulky tractor tyres. They call their gym ‘the playground’. See tbtlab.com. Flow House Even if you’ve never surfed, Flow House has expert trainers on hand to teach you the basics of flow boarding. Before you know it, you’ll be riding the waves and giving your abs a good work out. See flowhousebangkok.com. Pole Dancing at RumPuree Dance Studio If functional fitness isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a little escapism will appeal? RumPuree offer both striptease classes and pole dancing, which provide full body workouts. Perspex heels optional. See rumpuree.com. july 2 0 1 3 | 1 3

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of fitness most of us can only dream about, Sotiriou insists it’s a sport for the rest of us as well. “It’s a sport,” he says. “Everyone starts somewhere, and the fundamentals of jumping, running and climbing are a place everyone can start.” Despite his assertions anyone can do it, I find it very challenging indeed, despite being fairly fit. After class, Johan explains to me that the secret is to really commit to doing your best rather than saying: ‘I can never make that jump’. Although parkour is certainly gaining a more accessible reputation, Sotiriou is keen to point out that while anyone can attend classes, it will challenge your limits, so don’t expect an easy ride. “You’ll get stronger and you’ll face challenges, but you’ll do it in a safe environment,” he says. “Nobody has ever been injured in any of our classes.” But, as well as the obvious physical benefits to a workout that incorporates both power and strength training, traceurs are keen to point out the mental benefits. Learning your body’s limits and redefining your idea of what is and is not possible are often cited by traceurs as some of the mental shifts that occur with regular practice. “Learning to run, climb and jump and improving on these basic skills helps to build confidence in your physical and mental abilities. It makes you feel as though more is achievable,” Sotiriou says. I’m not sure I left the session feeling more empowered but perhaps that’s because I chickened out of, well, most of the jumps.

parkour generation asia

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10/95-97 Sukhumvit Soi 13 | 086-041-3321 pkgasia.com | Classes Mon 7.30pm-9pm, Tues & Thurs, 7pm-9pm

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where the

magic happens

Behind the cartwheels and feathers and all the madcap pageantry of Bangkok cabaret theatre there’s also plenty of hard work, ambition and funny stories.

he feature dancer emerges slowly from what looks like a glittering acorn at the back of the stage, clad in a skintight white body-stocking festooned with turquoise feathers. Amid the opening strains of Pure Imagination – from Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory – backing dancers flutter in from the wings decked out in phra ratcha niyom, traditional Thai formal dresses. This colourful, slightly baffling scene occurs at the Playhouse Cabaret Theatre, underneath the Asia Hotel, during the first of two nightly shows. As the song finishes, the dancer bows and rushes off-stage. The curtains part and the scene changes into a Vegas-style party. Christina Aguilera’s Can’t Keep A Good Girl Down blasts out and a full ensemble of dancers, some in dresses – others in snappy gold waistcoasts – writhe, strut, tumble and carthweel across the stage. It’s high1 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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BY TOM STURROCK

tempo, high energy stuff, which soon segues into a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal, where the lead, wearing a dreadlocked wig, breaks out a morethan-passable moonwalk. There are 14 numbers in all – Rihanna’s Umbrella gets mixed with Singin’ In The Rain, pirouetting showgirls sharing the stage with Gene Kelly lookalikes in trenchcoats. And I’m pretty sure Tina Turner makes an appearance in there as well. The man behind all this fun and frivolity is Ramon Vizmanos (bottom, far right), the Playhouse’s Filipino choreographer who has led many lives himself – having lectured in tourism and hospitality, worked in airport antibomb security and been employed as production designer and stuntman in films. Today, though, he is wearing his dance instructor’s hat bangkok101.com

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out & about

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to audition new dancers for the Playhouse. He can quickly separate those who with potential from those without, although experience has taught him even those with two left feet may still have something to offer. “I’ve been teaching for almost 30 years so if they stand and move a little bit I can tell if they can dance,” he explains as we wait for the first applicant. “Sometimes these new dancers don’t really have a background but that’s not so important if they put their hearts into it. If they can dance a little bit, then we can train them. They’re mostly students, 19 or 20 years old. I always ask them if they have any other skills we could incorporate into the show as well. “I can always take something special and add it to the show – it’s like a recipe. Can they do a back flip or a forward flip? For guys, can they breakdance?” That’s not to say that Ramon is after bells and whistle only. His new recruits undergo training to ensure they can step in at the last minute and fill any role in the show. “We do real dancing – we don’t just walk around in a big costumes,” he says. “We’re showing talent so we try to train them the proper way. I give them some ballet, jazz, hiphop and tap. We expect them to be able to do all of it.” Perhaps naively, I had not at this point grasped that the vast majority of Ramon’s cast are ladyboys. And so the first applicant arrives – Mai, a shy, long-limbed 17-year-old still in high school. She takes to the stage and is immediately joined by two of Ramon’s dancers who, without putting it too bluntly, are patently men in drag. There is no concealing my surprise. The penny drops. Mai begins nervously but she’s not without some moves. The other dancers encourage her as they go through a couple of quick numbers, Ramon pausing to demonstrate a quickfire eight-step which Mai then makes a decent fist of repeating. After the audition, Ramon, as promised, asks her if she has any other skills that he can use in the show. Without hesitating, Mai falls into the splits. Ramon nods, impressed. “She’s still in high school and did gymnastics when she was young,” he explains afterwards. “She can be trained – not all dancers can do the splits.” It is as this point that I sheepishly reveal my complete ignorance of what has been going on. “That girl, Mai,” I begin. “She was a girl, right?” Ramon grins. The fact that I couldn’t tell – and I really couldn’t; Mai looked every inch a spindly teenage girl – is further confirmation that she’s worth hiring, splits and all. “People always ask: ‘How many girls are there?’ There’s none,” he says. “I know they’re not ladies so it’s easy for me – the first thing is always the feet.” Later, I meet David Paul Shrubsole, the Playhouse’s managing director. In an Australian accent barely diminshed by many years abroad, he admits he is from Adelaide “a million years ago”. David’s background is in hair and make-up for musical theatre companies, have worked in productions of Cats and Miss Saigon before coming to Thailand to look after visiting VIPs. The Playhouse has only been in Bangkok since last year but David has been in the industry for much longer. bangkok101.com

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out & about

“We’ve been doing this for a long time and we always had a passion to come back to Bangkok,” he says. “I’ve always been focused on where we want to be long-term.” Cabaret, of course, has a reputation for being slightly schlocky, high-kitsch with lots of fluff and feathers. But David takes the business very seriously and is adamant people’s perceptions can be changed. “We’re based on passion and developing young performers,” he says. “It’s an ensemble and it’s not just men in dresses. Cabaret can be like that sometimes and we all just get lumped together. We’re not saying we’re better or smarter – this is the Playhouse and this is what we do.” That said, running cabaret theatre in Thailand with a cast of ladyboys hasn’t been all smooth sailing. After some prodding, David recalls a couple of incidents where not all went according to plan. “One night, during the show, I turned to Ramon and said, ‘Gee the effects look good’,” he says. “That was because the lights were on fire! “Another night, we were doing a show and there was a 1 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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pond in front of the stage as part of the set and on the first number, our feature dancer was so excited that she just ran straight into it. First number. That was great.” And, naturally, there are places where there simply isn’t the demand for this kind of cabaret. “Up in Chiang Mai – they’ll never be ready for it,” David says. “You can’t go up there selling sequins and feathers – all they want is cymbals and clicking frogs.” Anyone who’s seen Showgirls or Black Swan knows about backstage rivalry in dance troupes. It invites the question: are ladyboys better behaved or worse? “We’re very strict – we don’t tolerate any nonsense,” David says. “If we did, it would be like Showgirls. They’d rip each other’s dresses off before they got to the wings. ‘‘We teach a core international work ethic. We travel with them, take them out and we’re proud to be seen with them. But they know that when they’ve got a show, they have to be there on time, ready to be on stage.” If there is, in some quarters, an uneasiness about this industry, David is unfazed. “I run hotels and sit on boards and when people ask me bangkok101.com

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out & about

CITY PU LSE

what I do, they’re quite surprised when I tell them I’ve got a bunch of ladyboys,” he says. “But often my bottom line is better than at their Toyota factory. “The challenge is to change people’s minds, getting people in the real world to understand that we run a sensible business.” And, as David points out, the Playhouse show is demanding. There are 14 numbers and the performers are in every one of them, in and out of velcro costumes with a 15-minute turnaround before the second show. “Ramon chooses people who are committed from the heart,” he says. “We have those who waft in and waft out and do a song or the divas in the big coats but that’s not what we’re all about. We certainly don’t need another Diana Ross.” Tina Turner will no doubt be relieved to hear it.

playhouse theatre

[MAP 8/j12]

Asia Hotel Bangkok, 296 Phayathai Road | 02-215-0571 playhousethailand.com | Shows at 9.30pm and 11pm

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nature nurtures religion

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ToTwmo ’Ssatang

Join Bangkok-born but internationally bred aesthete Dr. Tom Vitayakul as he gives his own unique take on Thailand and its capital. Each month he tackles a different aspect of the local culture – from art and festivals to 21stcentury trends – in a lighthearted yet learned manner

On FAITH

s a Sino-Thai urbanite, when asked about my faith, I often tick the box stated “Buddhism”. The truth of the matter is more complex than pigeonholing, though. Buddhists in Thailand have curious collections of beliefs – a unique mix of superstitions, religions, and rituals. Like many aspects of Thai cultures, we have picked and chosen which best suits us and blended with our own to create a new entity. Our natural environment has also shaped our psyche. Thailand may be one of the few countries where Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism have been practised by the same group of believers. Before formal religions, the people in Suvarnabhumi area, the centre of Southeast Asia, believed in Animism. Spirits or ghosts exist in our surroundings. Natural elements such as earth, water, wind, and fire plus plants and animals are where spirits inhabit. Their energy can be felt, harnessed, and given good or bad outcomes. Even humans’ own energy from male and female genitalia or their powers are believed to bring fertility and prosperity to the community. Talismans and totems were built and revered. Each house and building in Thailand has a spirit house for respecting Phra Bhum Chao Thii, the Spirit of the Land. Most hill tribes in the north still believe in Animism. Thais in many regions practise Animist rituals to ask for rain. Then Hinduism came with its myriad Gods and Goddesses that represent natural elements and their benefits. Like Greek mythology but with fewer characters, Hinduism can be viewed as either a monotheistic or polytheistic religion. Some theologians say that the trifecta of the most powerful Gods – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – are all one and the same but appear in different guises for various purposes. Perceived as one universe, each symbolises the natural cycle of creation, protection, and destruction. These, in turn, become a part of Buddhist teaching. Each Hindu God has their shrines and followers that represent their powers and energy. Influenced by Khmer court practices, Hindu and Brahministic rituals are still present in Thai royal and religious ceremonies and daily offerings.

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Arriving over two millennia ago, Buddhism brought the Dharmachakra or the Wheel of Truth. Similarly to what major Hindu Gods represent, the Lord Buddha realised that our state of being from birth to death is also the condition of nature. Worldly existence shows that nothing lasts forever (impermanence); all things suffer (dissatisfaction); and nothing possesses its own body (not-self). This sums up the law of nature from its essence, not its elements. Many Buddhist teachings and philosophy were realised through observations in nature. For reaching higher spiritual realms, the physical world has taught us how to respect cyclical nature. Karma rolls like the wheel—what goes around, comes around. Coming from an agrarian society, Thais easily accepted the transitions and blending from Animism to Hinduism and Buddhism. Confucianism then came with our Chinese ancestors. Like Thais, they believe in the hierarchy of nature, such as respecting the elders and parents, paying homage to the ancestors and studying and working hard to gain a better living. Confucian customs such as righteousness, propriety, integrity, loyalty, knowledge and filial piety became codes of conduct among Sino-Thais. So now we combine spiritual beliefs, soulful rituals, and superstitions all together. Like Hindus, we chant, pray, light incense, candles, and oil lamps, offer flowers or garlands, and pour water. We practise meditations yet ask for blessings from monks and predictions from astrologers. It is not surprising to hear that some sociologists call Bangkokians ‘Chinese Hindus’. While most Thais still work in agriculture and live close to nature, the urbanised Thais are more detached and have lost their beliefs in the essence of natural law. We try to control our environment and hardly blend with the seasons. We only select what are beneficial to us and believe in supernatural entities which detract from true Buddhist faith. Universal truth is so near to us yet we pursue favours from Gods at various shrines. In Thai, the word for nature is Dharmachati – the birth of truth. Where else should one seek for it? J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 2 1

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S N A P S H OT S

very thai

life

OF a longtail the innovation behind bangkok’s water taxis

ust as hooking a motorbike to a rickshaw created the tuk-tuk, so bolting an Isuzu pick-up engine to a boat made the reua hang yao. Named ‘longtail’ after a trailing drive shaft that can reverse or churn through 270°, the long, sleek craft is tailored to cramped shallow waterways. Made of takian wood lacquered with go-faster stripes, the hull tapers like a scimitar to a raised, needlesharp prow. Its roof displays the telltale arc of all Siamese boat canopies, only made of deckchair-hued plastic rather than bamboo, thatch or galvanised iron. The passengers shelter behind plastic sheeting to avoid spray as the unmuffled engine rips through turbid khlong or salty shoreline, scattering swimmers and rattling nerves as the sound reverberates off cliffs and buildings. Serving as bus or taxi, large and small longtails weave deftly between barges. The humped carapace of a fully loaded barge resembles a beetle swimming, with eyes painted on the stubby bow, and water lapping at the gunwales. Most handsome among these cargo vessels are the twin-ruddered reua iamchun (salt boat) and dumpier reua kracheng (rice barge). Formerly inched along by punt, and later by outboard longtail propeller, these takianwood tubs have since been recast in iron.

> Very Thai

River Books | with photos by John Goss & Philip CornwelSmith | B 995

Very Thai – Everyday Popular Culture is a book that almost every foreigner living in Bangkok has on their bookshelf, a virtual bible on Thailand’s pop culture. For page after colourful page, city resident and author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus minichapters, we present a different excerpt every month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic, and snap up a copy of Very Thai now at any good book shop. 2 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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chronicle of thailand

S N A P S H OT S

april 9, 2007:

stampede for amulets ends in tragic fatality

‘Magical’ Jathukhma talismans becomeDRUG wildly popular national craze

OUST

armed fo

50-year-old woman was killed and dozens of people from injured when a crowd stampeded during the sale of Chiang Rai Thai forces a popular talisman, which supposedly brings good against drug lord Khun fortune and wealth. More than 10,000 people had camped his 200-mule opium ca overnight by a school compound in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, waiting to buy the Jathukham Ramathep amulets,Several thousand by planes and helicopte which gained a huge following for their claimed magical stronghold at Ban Hin T qualities and rising market value. (SUA). At least 1,000 re The fatal incident had no effect on the insatiable appetite as fierce fighting flared for Jathukham amulets, with the temple making and selling them fully booked until the end of the year for incantations. After Thai and SUA a truce proposal put for Huge numbers continued to flock to the Wat Phra Ma-hathat Tinsulanond stated: “A Buddhist temple, the source of the amulets. The amulets narcotics trafficking, fac were said to be pumping 100 million baht into the Nakhon continue its drive again Si Thammarat economy each week. Nearby hotels were destroyed.” It was estim completely booked every weekend. However, some found the ‘Jathukham craze’ to be of the region’s heroin. T distasteful. Several leading monks criticised the fad asextensive headquarters contradictory to Buddhist values, saying it was driven and equipment as casu In July, Khun Sa’s by financial greed. revered monk Phra Payom Kalayano troops, fought against t introduced ‘Jathukham’ cookies to mock the craze and side of Doi Lang mount “bring back people’s consciousness”. Chronicle of Thailand is the story of Thailand during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Beginning on the day he was crowned, 9 June 1946, the book presents a vivide eye-witnessaccount of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events and quirky aspects of daily life that just happened to make the news, the book features thousands of rare and fascinating pictures and illustrations, representing one of the most comprehensive photo collections of Thailand ever produced.

> Chronicle of Thailand

EDM Books | editor-in-chief

21 January Nicholas1982 Grossman | B1,450

journey into the

EDM Books | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | B1,450

Chronicle of Thailand is the story o Adulyadej. Beginning on the day h presents a vivid eye-witness accou major news events of the last 64 y as they unfolded and quirky aspec the news, the book features thous illustrations, representing one of t Thailand ever produced.

still life in moving vehicles

future

t some point during the conversation with a taxi driver today, he casually mentioned that he was a fortune teller. Before I knew it, he pulled his cab off to the side of the road and carefully studied the palm of my hand. I felt relieved when all of his predictions about my future turned out to be favourable. His final words of advice were that I should massage the palm of my hand every day. If it brings me all the money, romance, and good health that he foresees, I’ll rub it until it falls off.

> Chronicle of Thailand

Chiang Rai provinces. T displaced hundreds of v Border Patrol Police. In Sa’s new base on Doi L constructed 200 buildin

CiTy vS. COUNTRy This cabby literally wears two hats. He dons a baseball cap when he’s driving his cab and puts on this straw hat when he’s farming. This is not uncommon in Bangkok as many cabbies here come from the countryside to drive a taxi between rice plantings and harvests, or when extra income is desperately needed. I asked the driver of this taxi which job he prefers and he told me that he would much rather do farming than drive in this city full of traffic jams and crazy people. Visual artist and academic, Dale Konstanz snaps photos of the sacred decorations and other bits and bobs he finds in Bangkok taxis, then writes about them on his blog, Still Life in Moving Vehicles (http://lifeinmovingvehicle.blogspot.com). Published by River Books, the spin-off book, Thai Taxi Talismans, is available at bookstores around town for B995. J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 2 3

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SIGHTSEEI NG

listings

HISTORIC HOMES ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall [map 8/F8] Uthong Nai Rd, opp Dusit Zoo Tue -Sun 10am-6pm | B150 Located at the tail-end of Dusit district’s stately ceremonial boulevard, Ratchadam noen, this stately parliamentary palace was built during the reign of Rama V and completed by Rama VI. Cast in white Carrara marble, it is still used for the ceremonial opening of the first parliamentary session. Influenced by Renaissance architecture, the interior is decorated with detailed frescoes by Italian Galileo Chini of royal ceremonies and festivities. Out front stands a statue of King Rama V still worshipped today.

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE [map 4/A3] 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-216-7368 jimthompsonhouse.com | 9am-5pm B100 / B 50 students American Jim Thompson was the Princeton graduate and former spook who revived the hand-woven Thai silk industry before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit his tropical garden home beside a pungent canal: six traditional teak houses from around the country kept exactly as he left them.

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE [map 5/H8] 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | 02-286-8185 Sat-Sun 10 am-5pm, Mon-Fri by appt B 50 / B 20 kids Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s mostloved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens is a terrific example of Thai architecture.

VIMANMEK MANSION [map 8/F8] 139 / 2 Ratchawithi Rd | 02-281-1569 9:30 am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms spread over three floors overlook a beautiful garden.

SUAN PAKKAD palace [MAP 8/K11] Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 suanpakkad.com | 9am-4pm | B100 A former market garden that was converted into a residence and garden by Princess Chumbot. Consisting of five reconstructed Thai wooden houses, Wang Suan Pakkard pays testament to her dedication to collecting Thai artefacts and antiques.

ERAWAN SHRINE [map 4/G5] Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan BTS Chit Lom Don’t expect serenity here. This is one

of Bangkok’s busiest intersections: the crowded shrine to the Hindu creation god Brahma and his elephant Erawan is filled with worshippers lighting incense, buying lottery tickets and watching the traditional dancing group.

GANESHA SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside CentralWorld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd A prayer in front of this pot-bellied gold elephant – the son of Shiva and Parvati – is said to help get the creative juices flowing, as well as protect you from harm. Aside from marigold garlands, bring bananas, ripe mango or sticky rice-flour Thai desserts – Ganesha has an eternal appetite.

TRIMURTI SHRINE [map 4/G3] Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store | Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is in the doldrums then this shrine is for you: at 9:30 pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.

SHRINES THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW [map 7/D10] Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang Tha Chang Pier | 02-222-0094 8:30am-4:30pm | B 400 Bangkok’s most beloved temple and top tourist site is a fantastical, mini-city sized royal complex enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls. Building began in 1782, the year Bangkok was founded, and every monarch subsequent to King Rama I has expanded or enhanced it. Today, despite being able to visit many sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – the “Westerner in

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listings

a Thai hat” – is worth seeing, and there are some state halls and rooms open to visitors.

WAT ARUN [map 7/B13] Temple of Dawn, Arun Amarin Rd 02-465-5640 | watarun.org 8am-5pm | B 20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered in colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of the Khmer home of the gods.

WAT PO (reclining buddha) [map 7/D12]

Chetuphon, Thai Wang Rd 02-226-0369 | watpho.com 8am-noon, 1pm-9pm | B100 The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. Originating in the 16th century, it houses the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand as well as the greatest number of Buddha images.

WAT MAHATHAT [map 7/C8] Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Maharat Rd 02-221-5999 | 9am-5pm | Free An amulet market is situated near this 18th century centre of the Mahanikai monastic sect and an important university of Buddhist teaching. On weekends, market stalls are

set up on the grounds to complement the vendors of traditional medicines.

WAT RATCHANATDA [map 7/K8] Mahachai Rd | 02-224-8807 9am-5pm | free This striking temple on the corner of Ratchadamnoen and Mahachai Road features the bizarre Loha Prasat, a multitiered castle-like structure with 36 steel spires. Climb the spiral staircase to the top for good views of the Old City and its many temples.

WAT SAKET [map 7/L8] Chakkraphatdiphong Rd 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat on a small hillock is worth the hike up 318 steps for the views of Chinatown to the south and the Old City to the north. The hill is all that is left of the fortifications for a large chedi that Rama III planned to construct on the site that gave way under the weight. Rama V later built a smaller chedi on top.

WAT SUTHAT & the GIANT SWING [map 7/H9] Bamrung Muang Rd | 02-222-9632 9am-5pm | B 20 Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to excellent examples of bronze sculpture. The city’s iconic Giant Swing, where brave men used to swing up to great heights to

SIGHTSEEI NG

catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth during annual harvest ceremonies, sits out front.

WAT TRAIMIT [map 6/L3] 661 Mittaphap Thai-China Rd, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8am-5pm | B 20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha. Its worth has been estimated at over US$10 million.

MUSEUMS – IN TOWN BANGKOK DOLL MUSEUM [map 8/L11, 12]

85 Soi Ratchataphan (Soi Mo Leng). Ratchaprarop Rd 02-245-3008 | bangkokdolls.com Mon-Sat 8am-5pm | free Since opening in 1956 the Bangkok Doll Museum has continually attracted tourists, students and aficionados alike with its remarkable collection of hand-made Thai dolls. Founded by Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol after she completed a doll making course in Japan, it showcases collections of dolls produced by a small team of artisans in the atelier out back, and clad in traditional costumes based on designs lifted from museum originals, temple murals and illustrations from antique books.

bangkokian MUSEUM [MAP 5/E3] 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya Pier | 02-233-7027 Sat-Sun 10am-4pm | free Smack in the middle of Bangrak, one of the most traditional districts of the city, find this oasis of four traditional Thai houses, one of them lovingly converted into a private museum by the compound’s charming owner, Ms Waraporn Surawadee. She decided to dedicate the place to the memory of her family and bygone daily life of Bangkok everymen – and open it to the public. While visitors shouldn’t expect breathtaking

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listings

revelations here, the displays are nevertheless surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques and ceremonial items.

Madame tussauds [map 4/C4] 6th F, Siam Discovery Centre Rama 1, Phaya Thai Rd BTS National Stadium | 02-658-0060 madametussauds.com/Bangkok 10am -9pm | B 800 / B 600 kids Probably the best thing about Bangkok’s version of Europe's famous waxwork museum is the line-up – it’s clearly designed to keep tourists and locals alike snappy happy. About as common as international sporting legends, world leaders in sharp suits, pouting Hollywood A-listers, and sequined global pop stars here are wax likenesses of Thai and regional musicians, soap stars, sportsmen and women.

MUSEUM OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS [MAP 2/E12] Supalai Grand Tower Bldg Rama III Rd 02-653-5555 | tillekeandgibbins.com Mon-Fri 10am-4pm ( App required for textile and computer collections) In 1989, Thailand’s oldest international law firm, Tilleke & Gibbins, decided to convert their evidence of counterfeit goods into educational tools for law students. To help spread the word about the perils of buying fake it's open to Joe Public too. Over 3,500 items – from Ferrero Rocher chocolates to antimalarial tablets and a fake Ferrari motorbike – are neatly laid out, forgeries next to the originals.

Museum of Siam [map 7/D13] 4 Samachai Rd | Rajini Pier 02-622-2599 | ndmi.or.th Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | Free A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-the-kids discovery museum, located in a beautifully restored former government building that dates back to the 1920s. Design company Story Inc! delivered the conceptual design with 2 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

pop graphics and interactive games galore. Entertaining highlights include dressing up as a 20th-century nobleman, blowing up Burmese soldiers on elephant-back with a canon and mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a touch screen.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM [map 7/C6] 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang 02-224-1333 | thailandmuseum.com Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B 200 | no photo Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artifacts from all of Old Siam's main historical periods, encompassing the Lanna, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms up to the present day. Thai culture is well documented in sections on dance, music and drama. The first example of Thai literature and the Thai alphabet, inscribed by King Ramkhamhaeng on a black stone during the Sukhothai period, is also displayed.

RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL [map 7/K7] 100 Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, next to Wat Ratchanatda | 02-621-0044 nitasrattanakosin.com | Tue-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm | B100 This multimedia museum a short walk from Khao San Road offers a skillfully abbreviated introduction to an area that many admire, but few truly understand: Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok’s glittering birthplace. Wandering its eleven rooms – free of relics but rich in models, dioramas, interactive videos, text and audio clips in Thai and English – brings the area’s hardto-fathom history, arts, architecture and traditions into much clearer focus.

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM [map 7/B4] 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd | Thonburi Railway Pier 02-424-0004 | 9am-5pm B 30 / B100 photo / B 200 video This collection of ornate royal barges,

some of which are up to 50 metres long, is housed on the Thonburi side of the river in a series of elaborate sheds near the Pinklao Bridge. The barges are best seen in action during rare ceremonial processions on the Chao Phraya where the colourful crews can number up to 64, including rowers, umbrella holders, navigators and various musicians.

MUSEUMS – OUT OF TOWN ANCIENT SIAM (MUANG BORAN) [map 1/F6] 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd, Samut Prakan province | 02-709-1644 | ancientcity.com B 500 / B 250 kids / B1500 private guide in English for two hours Samut Prakan province’s Ancient Siam crams reproductions of over a hundred of the Kingdom’s most venerable palaces, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses into a huge map-of-Siam shaped plot of land only an hour’s drive from the capital. Don’t come expecting a tacky themepark. Its late founder, eccentric culture preservationist Prapai Viriyahbhun, demanded that every replica look and feel like the real thing.

THAI FILM MUSEUM [MAP 1/E5] 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya Nakorn Pathom province nfat.org 02-482-2013-15 | Sat-Sun tours: 10am, noon, 3pm; MonFri: by appointment | Free The good folk at the National Film Archive of Thailand are fighting to preserve the country’s meagre film heritage, whether it be by restoring ragged reels of 16mm film to their former glory, screening rare films in its cinematheque, or guiding anyone interested around their museum. Film fiends will love inching around this space, modelled after the old Sri Krung film studio and filled with old cameras, props and costumes. bangkok101.com

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20/06/2013 17:30

phi ta khon

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phi ta khon

dan sai D

an Sai is a tiny town in northeastern Loei province consisting of one main street fronted by a string of nondescript shops, a few restaurants and a guesthouse that more resembles a garage. For 362 days a year, even lost tourists don’t show up here. Yet the other three days of the year, Dan Sai plays host to one of Thailand’s most bizarre and colourful festivals, the wacky Phi Ta Khon (July 10-12). Offering locals and visitors the chance to party and let their hair down before the rains come, Phi Ta Khon, which translates roughly as “ghosts follow villagers”, takes its origins from both Buddhist and animist rituals. The first day features an extremely boisterous parade that makes its way to the main temple in town. In the other direction, from the District Office, come hundreds of people dressed in costumes made from rags and colourful scratches of cloth, as well as elongated masks made from huat (sticky rice containers) with hideous expressions and outrageous colours, along with cowbells, tin cans, and other noisemakers tied around the waist to keep the spirits at bay. Almost everyone carries a palad kid (phallus icon), which gets waved, thrust, and prodded into everyone’s face, eliciting laughter and lots of flirting banter from all involved.

Getting there: The nearest hub to Dan Sai is Loei, accessible by bus from Bangkok’s northern bus station. Alternatively, fly or take the train to Udon Thani and catch the bus to Loei (three hours) from there. From Loei, it’s a one-and-ahalfhour bus ride to Dan Sai, with several buses to Dan Sai daily.

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T R AV E L

up-country now

July 3-7 Miss Hard Rock Pattaya Ladies, put your Hard Rock Cafe shirt on. This is a competition to perform your music, whether it’s pop, rock, or jazz, in front of an assembled crowd. The competition is not about appearance, but skills, attitude and ability to put on a show. There are different rounds, requiring contestants to dress as a rock star and then appear in a swimsuit – OK, so appearances count for something. And the final round is Q&A so let’s hope at least one of them volunteers to bring world peace.

Until July 7 Fancy fish contest for Royal Trophy There’s no need to go to any aquarium to see the fancy fish – there are contests for various different species: Siamese fighting fish, goldfish, pompadour, and the Flower Horn fish. The event will be held at Future Park Rangsit in Patum Thani. In the event, you’ll see other weird and exotic fish. Moreover, other marine organisms will be showing, such as blue fancy little shrimp or crayfish for eye candy. For the first time, the Royal Trophy from the Princess will be presented to the winners.

July 17-21 Phuket Race Week Sponsored by the Cape Panwa Hotel, this international regatta will host six classes of sailing races in and around Phuket Island’s Chalong Bay. Spanning four days and five nights, there will also be glam beachside regatta parties open only to participants, featuring free-flow beer, wine and spirits. Fees for boat entry are B12,000 and B4,200 for crew tickets. If you are keen to race, register online at phuketraceweek.com.

July 20-21 Hyatt Open Golf enthusiasts should swing down to the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin over this weekend, as they’ll be able to compete in an amateur yet competitive tournament and then retreat to a luxurious guestroom at the nearby Hyatt Regency Hua Hin afterwards. A two-night stay, welcome dinner, two rounds of golf (including golf cart and caddy), awards luncheon and complimentary transfers starts from B17,900 for one player and B24,800 for two. To reserve a place or find out more, call 02254-6200 or email reservations.to hrhuahin@hyatt.com.

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up-country now

T R AV E L

July 21 Pattaya International Marathon Joggers from all over the region will flock to the hedonists’ haven for the Pattaya International Marathon. This annual lungburner includes various classes of race (half-marathon, quarter marathon, wheelchair etc) and kicks off on Beach Road beside CentralFestival Shopping Centre before the blazing sun rears its head. Check out pattaya-marathon.net for the times, entry details and more information.

July 22 Asanha Bucha A national holiday for Thailand and a common practice for Buddhists nationwide, this is when Thais give alms in the morning, listen to monks chanting, and light the candle ceremony in the evening. The importance of Asanha Bucha is that it marks the first time that Buddha introduced the faith to the world. It’s a day for paying respect and for adhering to Buddhist teachings.

July 22-23 Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival In the temple courtyards of this Isaan city, men sharpen their knives and carve impressive Buddhist sculptures, from great big Garudas to representations of Lord Buddha himself. These are then paraded through town and presented as merit-making offerings. The festivities, which kicked off in late July, centre around Thung Sri Muang Park and the Ubon Ratchathani National Museum and will climax on August 3 with the street parades. Some of the wax sculptures will be on display for another week or so too.

Until July 31 Tropical Fruit Fair There’s some weird-looking fruit in this part of the world, especially the tropical fruits that are grown in Trat, Southern Thailand. The event is to support agriculture and to publicise Thailand’s tropical fruits. The fruits selected for this event are the freshest and tastiest. Visitors will have a chance to sample the fresh fruit still on the branch, while there are also road trips for further sightseeing.

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T R AV E L

hotel deals

July 10-13

Phi Ta Khon Special Package Loei Palace Hotel Charoenrat Road, Amphur Muang Loei | 04-281-5668 | mosaic-collection.com/loeipalace/ The promotion includes two nights accommodation in a superior room, inclusive of breakfast for two people, wi-fi internet access, early check-in and late check-out and a round-trip transfer to Dansai district. A one-day tour package to see Phi Ta Khon festival is included. Rate starts from B4978 per two nights for two people.

Until July 31

Free spa treatment for Business Plus Package Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok 567 Rachaprarop Rd, Makksan | 02-625-1234 | centarahotelsresorts.com/cwb

Enjoy a complimentary 40-minute head and shoulder massage or one 40-minute foot massage. Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok offers complimentary spa treatment for guests who stay for two consecutive nights on the under business plus package. The offer is available for a deluxe, deluxe family residence or a deluxe one-bedroom suite.

Until Aug 31

A boathouse resort Imperial Boat House Beach Resort Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui | 07-742-5941 | imperialhotels.com/imperialboathouse/

Ahoy! Imagine staying in a boathouse on an island of Koh Samui. Set off to a tranquil beach, experience resort like in an environment of a sailor. A poolside terrace including breakfast for two is B4500 net. A honeymoon suite is priced at B5300 net. And a boat suite priced at B6500 net all include breakfast for two.

Until Sep 30

Pavilion Escape Sheraton Pattaya Resort 437 Phra Tamnak Road Pattaya, Chonburi | 038-259-888 | sheratonpattayaresort.com

Getaway in the beautiful and lavishly deluxe pavilion room in Pattaya. Package, pricing starts from B7500 per room per night, includes a accommodation in a deluxe pavilion garden view or deluxe pavilion ocean view, a daily buffet breakfast at Elements restaurant, a welcome drink and fruits on plate, and free high-speed internet access.

Until Sep 30

Summer Specials Dusit International Dusit Thani Building | 02-200-9999 | dusit.com

Description Book online now and choose to stay in any Dusit hotel or resort to receive 35 percent credit no your total accommodation. Upgrade to a suite for only B1500. Plus you can enjoy a bonus of 35 percent discount on massage treatments at any of the hotel spas during your stay.

Until Dec 19

Luxurious Villas and Residences Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai 51/4 Chiang Mai-Sankanpaeng Road | 053-888-88 | mandarineoriental.com/chiangmai

Indulge yourself amid this picturesque northern Thai landscape. The resort is decorated in tradition Lanna style and a luxury pool villa package, for a minimum stay of three nights, priced at B48,499 per night, includes daily American buffet breakfast, private round-trip airport transfer, a Thai lunch set at Le Grand Lanna restaurant and a complimentary drink at Horn bar for two.

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Art adventures

in the

north

Chiang Maiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deep-seated atmosphere of tradition conceals a vibrant art scene. BY MAX CROSBIE-JONES

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up-country escape

T R AV E L

ne’s first impression of Chiang Rai is likely to be of a provincial city that looks much like the rest. Certainly this ancient town, with its low-rise modern shophouse architecture, doesn’t live up to its grand billing as the first capital of King Menrai’s Lanna Kingdom and a place on the cusp of 750th anniversary celebrations. I had heard rumours, however, that Chiang Rai is on the cusp of turning from a rural backwater into something more edgy and exciting. And, on a recent trip spent in culture vulture mode, this proved accurate – from its cafe culture to its crafts and neo-traditional art scene, this city really does have a lot more to offer than merely old temples and tourist bric-a-brac. The first hint of this – Chiang Rai’s artistic spark – comes unexpectedly. Not while browsing one of the city’s cutting-edge galleries – although spaces like Angrit Gallery and 9 Art Gallery are both worth checking out – but while making my way to the city’s popular nightmarket, of all touristy places. Its form: an ornate gold-leaf clocktower shimmering in the middle of an otherwise drab roundabout. “Come back at 7, 8, or 9pm,” advises a local walking past. We do just that, only to be treated to a gaudy fiveminute light and sound show during which music plays, multi-coloured lights flashes and a mechanical lotus flower emerges from its bowels. Intrigued by this nightly spectacle, the next morning we drive out to see a modern Buddhist temple called Wat Rong Khun built by the same local artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat. Arriving at its location on the town’s outskirts, we’re again dazzled, this time by the sight of a blindingly white wat that appears to have been dusted in icing sugar or frozen in a blizzard. To enter it you cross a bridge over a pair of giant fangs and a sea of tormented, hell-bound hands. And once inside you’re taken aback at the sight of some of the strangest temple murals ever conceived. New York’s smouldering Twin Towers, Doreamon, Batman and Neo from the Matrix are just a few of the modern icons to be spotted in a wild and flaming orange depiction of hell. Riddled with allegorical allusions to Buddhism and Thai culture at large, it’s a structure that looks very Disneyland on Ice at first but takes on more significance the more you explore it. So unique is it that it’s also led to Chalermchai, one of the leaders of neo-traditional Thai art, being J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 3 5

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up-country escape

Baan Dum

The Clocktower dubbed “the Frank Gehry of Northern Thailand.” That’s a bold claim that’s hard to square on a flying visit. What becomes clear at our next stop, Baan Dum, however is that he has stiff competition in the shape of Tawan Duchanee, another famous local visionary who dabbles in different artistic mediums. Located just outside the city, his Black House, as it’s known, has a more tranquil artists retreat-like air, but is similar in its contemporary takes on tradition. There’s a colossal black teak pavilion that looks conventional out front but walk through it and you find yourself in a tree-studded garden compound dotted with outhouses (some smaller Lanna-style pavilions, others bulbous chedi-like capsules with steel doors) filled with Duchanee’s collections. Buffalo skulls, animal skins, and well-endowed wooden statues abound, offering a glimpse into his unconventional tastes. As we discover, these two artistic storehouses – both must sees – are just the tip of Chiang Rai’s cultural riches. Equally striking, but much more affordable, avant garde pieces can also be found at Doy Din Dang Pottery. Founded by Japanese-trained ceramicist Somluck Pantiboon, this studio buried in the forest makes for a fascinating stop. Visitors can see potters at the wheel, talk crafts with him and his Japanese wife, and buy the beautiful finished products, with their organic forms and naturally uneven, vibrant glazes. If museums are more your thing, then also head for the Mae Fah Luang Cultural Park. Founded by late Princess Mother in 1977, it was originally set aside for a hilltribe 3 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Wat Rong Khun student program but later also became a repository for Lanna artifacts. As well as botanical gardens teeming with rare species and the odd rotting spirit house, there are three buildings to explore. Hor Kaew features rotating art exhibitions and teak wood artefacts; Hor Kham Nooy is lined with old murals; and the biggest, Hor Kham, displays some of the finest examples of sacred Lanna-design in existence – ancient temple gables, palanquins candle holders and Buddha images from Lampang, Nan and Phayao. Walking around this historical park – our last cultural discovery in a long weekend of them – does two things. Firstly it helps connect the dots between Chiang Rai’s neo-traditional art scene and its hoary past. Secondly, it reminds us to never judge a book by its cover.

STAYING THERE: Since the Le Meridien opened last year, Chiang Rai’s other offerings have been playing catch-up. The city’s first and only five-star, it’s a sprawling chic Lanna-style resort with 159 rooms, all spacious, contemporary and, with their subtle Lanna detailing, stylish. But the real headline feature here is the hotel’s location, right on the banks of a quiet green stretch of the Kok River. Features include landscaped gardens, man-made lake, tiered infinity pool, and tranquil river backdrop. Also on the grounds are two giant century-old rain trees, the aura of which is only enhanced by the folk tale, about a Burmese princess and Lanna Prince. bangkok101.com

20/06/2013 17:27

Hot Summer Specials Stay at any Dusit hotel or resort and receive 35% credit on your total accommodation towards dining or massage treatments. Make your stay feel even more special and upgrade to a suite for as little as 1500 THB. Offer is valid only for stays until 30 September, 2013. Book now at:

Email: booking @ dusit.com • Tel: +66 (0) 2636 3333

Destinations: Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Korat, Pattaya, Phuket Philippines: Manila • U.A.E.: Abu Dhabi, Dubai • Egypt: Cairo • Maldives Photograph Dusit Thani Bangkok bangkok101.com

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Flavours of the

KHMER Bask in the glory of Angkor Wat before hitting Cambodiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provincial backroads. BY SARAH CUIKSA

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over the border

T R AV E L

ust before the sun rises over Angkor Wat, the most imposing temple at Angkor Archaeological Park, the crowds muffle their chatter. The silhouettes of its five towers against the oranges and pinks of the Cambodian morning sky become more distinct. The misty atmosphere and breeze bring a welcome chill and dawn illuminates the feathery cirrus clouds that drape over the temple. Cameras click, lights flash. Then, just as the decorative impressions of the temple’s sandstone bas-reliefs come into light, I make my exit. “You miss sunrise!” says Narin, the tuk-tuk driver I have hired for the day. I explain to him my mission: experience the temples without the crowds. Narin smiles, nods and suggests an itinerary – he has done this before. He takes me first to Preah Khan, northeast of Angkor Thom. Preah Khan was built in the late 12th century by King Jayarvaman VII, one of the most revered kings of the Khmer empire. The temple was built on the site of one of Jayarvaman’s greatest victories in battle and functioned as a city, monastery and university. At its height, Preah Khan housed almost 100,000 officials and servants. Today, wild vegetation grows over the temple’s rubble. It’s deserted and the early-morning sun casts shadows over towering headless dvarapalas, temple guardians. They stand along the outermost enclosure, which once protected the bustling capital from attack. Now, lush green moss grows over laterite engraved with dancing apsaras. It’s the hot season in Cambodia, and the sun is already scorching. A shady back corner of the temple offers relief and sweeping views of Preah Khan’s towering centre. A teenage Khmer boy sits in a doorway, painting. He and I are the only ones here, enjoying nature’s sound effects, the tranquil atmosphere and the occasional solicitation from vendors. “Hey lady! You want cold drink?” asks a young girl on the path leading out of the temple. I order a coconut and hand her a dollar. She grabs a cleaver, makes four slashes into the coconut, creating a lid, sticks in a straw and presents it to me. Five minutes and approximately 14 ounces of coconut water later, I give the coconut back. She takes the cleaver and hacks the coconut in half. Then she slices off an edge, carving a spoon out of the shell, and hands the split coconut over. I scrape the silky, refreshing coconut meat into my mouth. “Cambodia food,” the girl says. “I’ll take two,” I reply. But one cannot live on coconuts alone. Famished after a full day of temple-trekking, I eagerly await my first taste of Khmer cuisine. Siem Reap’s Old Market, the main eating and drinking zone, feels like a southeast Asian New Orleans; French colonial facades line the streets and, with countless restaurants to choose from, I pick the one with the comfy-looking streetside seats. Jazz plays overhead, accompanied by calls from idling tuk-tuk drivers, while ceiling fans circulate humid air and the scent of pungent spices. The dinner crowd hasn’t arrived yet; the restaurant staff banter as they wait. One of Cambodia’s most popular dishes is lok lak, the Khmer version of Vietnam’s bo luc lac (Vietnamese

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Angkor Wat

Preah Khan

Lok lak shaking beef), served with the ubiquitous Angkor draft, a fried egg, rice and a peppery, cilantro-garlic sauce. I first taste the beef, dipped in equal parts gravy and the accompanying sauce. My eyes bulge; the beef, gravy and sauce weave together flawlessly. Garlic, for sure. Sugar, undoubtedly. Soy sauce and pepper. A dash of red wine. Is that a hint of lemongrass? After testing the variations – and nearly licking the plate clean – it’s clear that Cambodian food extends far beyond the humble coconut. But Cambodian cuisine, landscape and people aren’t truly reflected by what you find in Angkor. Real Cambodia is experienced in the provinces. This aim lands me in the front seat of an old Toyota Camry. Behind me, there are four children, three women and two men, with two more passengers in the driver’s seat. We share a taxi for the 180km trip from Siem Reap to Battambang, Cambodia’s second-largest city and a perfect base for exploring rural areas. J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 3 9

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over the border

A glittering wat

Life moves slowly The sleepy riverfront city is studded with French colonial architecture: fragments well-preserved, portions dilapidated, all of it endearing in that Asian way – window shutters hang open and clothes dry on balconies. Knowing a bit of Khmer is useful here, as little English is spoken outside of hotels, restaurants and the friendly “hellos” from giggling children. My motorbike driver for the day, 21-year old Saphoarn, doubles as a receptionist at my hotel. He wears a clean and freshly pressed shirt and a wide grin. “I love to be motorbike guide for foreigner,” Saphoarn says, eager to practise his English. By the time we reach our first stop, a modern wat with peculiar sculptures, Saphoran has given a course on Battambang history. Inside the wat, a group of little girls wave and repeatedly shout. I learn “hello” is the only word they know and they’re thrilled to use it. They see my camera and let me take their photos – they’re thrilled when I show them the shots and giggle when I say sa’at - “pretty” – in my mispronounced Khmer. Back on the road, we pass more glittering wats and villages – there are thatched-roof homes on stilts, each with a hammock and, more often than not, someone relaxing in it. Life moves slowly here. We arrive at Phnom Banan Vineyards, Cambodia’s only winery, where several short rows of pruned vines stretch out alongside a terrace. Although grapes don’t grow naturally in this equatorial climate, they’re succeeding here, the air thick with the scent of fermentation. For US$2, I sample a selection of red wine, brandy, 4 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Friendly locals grape juice and ginger-honey. The dry red wine is aromatic, grown from Shiraz grapes. The pale brandy is poured generously; its strength raises goosebumps even in the sweltering heat. After the last strong drop disappears from my glass, Saphoarn and I set off again. We drive down soft dirt roads, bare-boned cattle grazing alongside. At Wat Phnom Sampeou, a gold pagoda stands on a mountain high above the city. Seven hundred dizzying stairs take me to the top, where I take in astounding 360-degree views. Mountain clusters soar to the south and trees polka-dot the pancake-flat fields to the north. Thunder rolls in, followed by rain, and I watch the lightning draw closer. I head down to the caves, where greenery envelops caverns that hold heartbreaking secrets – the Khmer Rouge regime used to bludgeon and bury victims here. As the rain slows to a drizzle, I make my way back to the veranda to enjoy one last look at the view. An old man seated there, smoking a cigarette and staring at the horizon, points to a patch of the sky where the vivid arc of a rainbow stretches. “Rainbow,” he says with a toothy grin. I sit beside him and we watch the rainbow brighten. Then I remember Saphoarn – it’s been two hours and he must be waiting. On our ride back into town, Saphoarn asks me why I didn’t stay for the sunset. I tell him I’m happy to watch the sunset from the back of the motorbike; I’ve seen the rainbow and, in Cambodia, sunrise and sunset aren’t nearly as memorable as all that occurs between. bangkok101.com

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Collection of Dr. Wudhipong Kittitanasuan at ardel gallery

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a r t

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a rare opportunity With so few dedicated local art patrons, art aficionados are rarely given to access to private collections of Thai art. Running a successful engineering firm, Dr Wudiphong Kittitanasuan has been collecting Thai art for over 15 years, with his extensive collection featuring works by familiar local luminaries such as Chatchai Puipia, Vasan Sitthiket, Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, Chalermchai Kositpipat, Chalood Nimsamer, along with rising talents like Lampu Kansanoh. His collection can be seen at Ardel Gallery of Modern Art (99/45 Belle Ville, Boromartchonnanee Rd, 02-4222092, ardelgallery.com) from July 11-19.

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exhibitions

Trans-structurity

338 Oida Gallery [map 8/m17] 4F 1028/5 Pongamorn Building Rama 4 Rd Sathorn | 090-198-8749 Wed-Sun 1pm-5pm and by appointment | 338oidagallery.com

Until August 6 Aside from being preoccupied with trying to get a Pattaya Biennale to materialise, conceptual artist Thasnai Sethasaree is holding a rare solo exhibition. Focusing on notions of fear and how such emotion is manipulated to serve certain political agendas, the Chiang Mai based Thasnai employs several media including twisted wire frame sculptures.

Happiness in simplicity Sombat Permpoon Gallery [map 3/d9] Sukhumvit Soi 1 | 02-254-6040 9am-8pm | sombatpermpoongallery.com

Until August 25 Award-winning silkscreen artist Pongsiri Kiddee returns with his latest series of pattern layered prints that are grounded in the structures and geometry of Buddhist architecture. His delicate impressions appear abstract when viewed up close, but as one steps back hazy temple outlines gradually take form.

web Weaving in the Green Jim Thompson Art Centre [map 4/a3] 6 Kasemsan soi 1, Rama 1 Rd | 02-216-7368 9am-5pm | jimthompsonhouse.com

Until December 1 A part of the Jim Thompson Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing efforts to preserve traditional manufacturing and craft techniques, this weekend workshop trip out to Nakhon Ratchisma teaches the art of weaving using wooden looms. Natural dyeing is also taught as visitors create their own handbags, scarves and headdresses. The instructional weekend getaway (B5500) includes transport, accommodation and meals.

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exhibitions

A R T & C u lt u r e

I Wonder a Wonderland Koi Art Gallery [map 3/k7] Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 02-662-3218 10am-7pm | koiartgallerybangkok.com

July 4-31 Feline fantasy can be used to describe the escapist surreal paintings of young female artist Prang Vejjajiva. Living just round the corner from Koi Gallery, Prang is the daughter of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, with the family connection sure to generate media interest. A graduate from Chulalongkorn University, Prang’s uses a pastel palette and her playful imaginativeness to interpret the feline character.

Delirium & Obsession Tang Contemporary Art [map 5/d5] F5, Silom Galleria, Silom soi 19 | 02-630-1114 Mon-Sat 11am-7pm | tangcomtemporary.com

Dates This exhibition brings together five of Thailand’s most interesting emerging artists in Chusak Srikwan, Prasert Yodkeaw, Preeyachanok Ketsuwan, Tawan Wattuya, and Yuree Kensaku. Aside from common country, the diverse gathering is based upon a shared preoccupation in the nurturing of individual creative realms.

3rd Eye Trilogy: The New Dawn

Serindia Gallery [map 5/b4] OP Garden, Unit 3101, 3201, Charoen Krung soi 36 | 02-238-6410 | TueSun 11am-8pm | serindiagallery@gmail.com

Dates Also known for running his own art space RMA on Sukhumvit 22, photographer Piyatat Hemmatat’s new threepart series is inspired by the mystery and beauty of staring into a camera lens. Piyatat looks beyond the mechanics and technique to capture abstractions between image formation.

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Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that girl? A retrospective at the BACC explores the calming power of an old master and his young muse. BY MAX CROSBIE-JONES

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exhibitions

ho is she? Walking through Chalood’s Mural Painting And Retrospective, a visual autobiography of the career of Chalood Nimsamer now on at the BACC, this is the question that comes to mind. In most of the hundreds of drawings that dominate this retrospective, a young woman with her eyes almost fully shut and a peaceful demeanour stands within scenes of semi-abstract rural life. In a recent Bangkok Post article, Nimsamer, now frail at 84, says the inspiration for the serene girl that appears in so many of his drawings and paintings was his cousin when she was little. However, looking back at his sixdecade-long career – and noting a certain similarity between the woman’s bob haircut and his own – it’s pretty clear that she symbolises him, eyes closed in a state of bucolic bliss. Unlike other prominant neo-traditional painters who have drawn inspiration from Buddhism, such as Thawan Duchanee and Chalermchai Kositpipat, Nimsamer’s career has always been spurred on by his mediations with nature. “Back in the 1950s and 60s, many Thai artists adopted a nostalgic sense of the countryside and a revival of Thai tradition as ways to express national identity,” wrote Apinan Poshyananda in his scholarly 2006 essay, Six Decades of Thai Art. “The artists’ choice of materials such as tempera, gold leaf, mahogany, teak, handmade paper and bronze indicated an emphasis on the local and the indigenous. bangkok101.com

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A R T & C u lt u r e

Scenes of fishing villages, rural landscape, women working in the fields and local festivals were their favourite subjects,” he wrote. Alongside artists such as Sawasdi Tantisuk and Tawee Nandhakwang, among others, Nimsamer is considered a pioneer of this school. Over the decades, as the debates between neotraditionalists and the avant-garde over how Thai art should develop raged, Nimsamer has, when not teaching at Silpakorn University, experimented with a range of styles and techniques in his atttempts to depict his homeland.

“it’s pretty clear she symbolises him, eyes closed in a state of bucolic bliss” Start the show clockwise, our preferred method, and you find yourself in a room of early works that prove as much. Created between 1955 and 1962, these range from monochrome woodcuts to thick-lined paintings such as Rural Life, Tempera and Gold Leaf — an experimentation with gold leaf that won him first prize in the 7th National Exhibition of Art in 1956 — and undeniably cubist, postimpressionist or abstract works. Nimsamer, who trained at Silpakorn under Professor Silpa Bhirasri, the father of modern Thai art, actually J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 4 7

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graduated in sculpture. One of his most best known works in the medium, Preoccupation — a sinuous, bare-breasted women — is also on display. Nearby, there are also large photos from the series that the show’s curators, Pakorn Klomkliang and Sutee Kunavichayanont, believe is one of the first examples of conceptural peformance art in Thailand: 1982’s Rural Environmental Sculpture, in which the artist posed alongside pieces of bamboo, coconuts and other found countryside objects. The rooms that follow (or precede, depending on which way you tackle the circular layout) showcase Nimsamer’s pared-down, naive signature style — and introduce you to that recurring motif: the young, blouse-clad lady. There is a brief sojourn into the Buddhist realm, namely the Dharma Silpa series from 1987-96, in which the nature-inspired patterns are replaced with Buddhist ones. But in most of the series on display — Visual Poetry, Daughters, Sculpture in Landscape and Meditative Drawing, among others — she looks content amid the landscapes of her homeland.

Chalood’s Mural Painting And Retrospective

Until August 18

Bangkok Art & Culture Centre [Map 4/b1] 939 Rama 1 Rd | 02-212-0945 bacc.or.th | Tues-Sun 10am-9pm

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The Stylish

New Way to Sleep in Bangkok

seven design hotel 3/15 Sukhumvit 31 Bangkok 10110 t: +662.662.0951 f: +662.662.3344 e: info@sleepatseven.com www.sleepatseven.com

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cheat notes

mastering muay thai Joe E Harvey | B796

As the numbers of foreign pugilists flocking to kickboxer training schools across the Kingdom suggests, Muay Thai is one of the world’s fastest growing martial arts. And behind every sporting phenomenon, a glut of how-to-master manuals always follows. With over 200 colour photographs, diagrams and easy-to-follow, detailed breakdowns of all the basic movements, strikes, defences and intricate combinations, this chunky effort will have you thinking you’re the next Tony Jaa in no time. One caveat, though: if you’re looking to learn about the sport’s history, rituals and notions of honour, as well as its techniques, look elsewhere – there is no mention of the strangely hypnotic wai kruu ceremony that precedes fights. An excellent illustrative book, then, about muay thai: the speed, strength and cardio-vascular improving sport – not muay thai: the ancient artform.

navigating the bangkok noir Chris Coles | B500

Love it or loathe it, Bangkok’s notorious nightlife industry is infamous around the world. It is into this netherworld that American artist and filmmaker Chris Coles explores. Using an exaggerated cinematic approach, Coles uses expressioniststyle watercolour paintings to portray the City of Angel’s vibrant yet upsetting nightlife, using thick bold lines and clashes of colour to blur the lines between real emotion and performance art. One question continually arises: what’s really behind those smiles? Unlike the exhibition that accompanied this work, the book answers that question with clarity as Coles provides background stories and anecdotes about his subjects. Neither callous nor demanding sympathy, this book allows you to navigate one man’s ambivalence to the self-proclaimed ‘Land of Smiles’.

A R T & C u lt u r e

THAILAND AND WORLD WAR II Direk Jayanama | B995

Though its role was peripheral, and it never wanted to get involved, having declared a position of neutrality early on, Thailand didn’t emerge unscathed from WWII. Not only did it have to cede some of its sovereignty to the Japanese, after its warships landed here on December 8, 1941, its image was also tainted by its declaration of war against the Allied powers. Why it did so and the answers to many, many more wartime geopolitical questions (including why it tried to join the Axis powers) are buried deep within these detailed memoirs by then Thai Foreign Minister, Direk Jayanama. Written in 1966, the master diplomat’s diary-based account also spans his involvement in the Free Thai Movement and the post-war years, most intriguingly Thailand’s entry to the United Nations. A tough read? In parts. An important one? Undoubtedly.

King of the White Elephant (Phra Jao Chang Pheuk) Pridi Banomyong | 1941 A thinly veiled message to Western powers before the advent of World War II, this English-language B&W addresses the age-old Thai-Burmese conflict, with a different bent. It it posits a benevolent and progressive Thai king who grapples with a Burmese invasion and larger philosophical questions. Its director, brilliant statesman Pridi Banomyong, was the father of Thailand’s WWII resistance to the Japanese and to its transition toward democratic governance, but was forced into fleeing the country after being accused of Communist, anti-royalist conspiracy. The movie is occasionally quaint and hammy but is nevertheless important. bangkok101.com

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from the

other side An exhibition celebrating 180 years of friendship between Thailand and the USA invited photographers from one country to submit images depicting life in the other. WORDS BY TOM STURROCK

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his year marks the 180th anniversary of the ThaiUSA friendship and, this month, an exhibition celebrating that relationship opens at Central World. Curator Hossein Farmani, working with the US Embassy, has compiled 180 images – 90 from Thai photographers capturing American life and 90 of the reverse. “I’ve always felt photography brings people together,” Farmani says. “It’s a great way to promote something and bring something to light. “My goal was to show how similar we all are but also how different the cultures are – there’s beauty in that.” Farmani runs the Rooftop Gallery in Thong Lor and, although he works primarily with professional photographers, he was surprised by the quality of submissions he received. “I didn’t expect it,” he says. “Some of the shots from Thai photographers were amazing, really striking. Thailand has been travelled so much that we knew the photos of Thailand would be good.”

After sifting through nearly 700 entries, Farmani was also impressed by the cross-section of the images. Although there were the requisite images of the Statue of Liberty or of Thai islands, Farmani insists the images, on the whole, broke the mould. “There’s been a real mixture,” he says. “Although I really wanted to portray Thailand as a more modern country. “One of my favourite photos come from a photographer who was on a film set. But a lot of the photographs taken outside of Bangkok still focus on that more traditional side of Thai life.”

The 180 Photographs exhibition will take place at Bangkok Central World, July 19-21, Chiang Mai Central Airport Plaza, July 26-28, then Chulalongkorn University Arts and Culture Centre Exhibition Hall, Aug 1-Sep 13. Admission is free. See 180photographs.com

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AROy snapper relaunch

Having proudly represented New Zealand in Bangkok’s dining scene since it opened, Snapper (1/22 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 02-651-1098; snapper-bangkok.com) is expanding its brief beyond its selection of seafood to incorporate a range of other Kiwi products, including beef, lamb and venison. They’ve already got a wine list bulging with New Zealand imports and completed a major refurbishment earlier this year.

Black Summer Truffles

Black summer truffles are hard to resist and No.43 Italian Bistro (Cape House Serviced Apartments, soi Langsuan, 02-658-7444, capehouse.com) together with Chef Sebastien Schneider has a six-course tasting menu until July 6. It’s prepared and served by the chef himself, and the choices include the delicious porcini mushroom cappuccino with truffle essence.

Vintage Cocktails

Vintage cocktails like Old Fashioned Flowers, Mint and Gin and Golden Madonna are being revived at The Glaz Bar (Plaza Athenee Bangkok, Wireless Rd, 02-650-8800) every Friday evening from 5pm-9pm. Mixologists will present eight cocktails, rarely mixed, to be included in the vintage cocktail menu.

seafood delights

You’ll find all kinds fo seafood at The Square Restaurant at Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit (Ploenchit Rd, 02-305-6000). Their ‘From Sea to Square’ offer allows seafood lovers to choose their favourite fish throughout the month of July. They’ve got a selection overflowing with swordfish, sea bass, barracuda, red snapper, and king mackerel so this is your one-stop shop for a seafood fix.

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FOOD & DRIN K

meal deals

Ongoing

Dim sum Buffet Millennium Hilton Bangkok [MAP 5/B2]

123 Charoennakorn Road | 02-442-2000 | Bangkok.hilton.com Come and experience all you can eat dim sum in a open kitchen at Yuan restaurant. There are more than 40 dim sum to choose from creative or contemporary Cantonese cuisine. Dim sum includes steamed pork dumpings with crab roe, steamed buns Shanghai-style, wok-fried prawns with XO saurce. Buffet is B999 net per person, including tea.

Ongoing

Hand-pulled noodles Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park [MAP 4/K4] 952 Rama 4 Rd | 02-629-6900 | crowneplaza.com

Be amazed by authentic hand-pulled noodles. Chinese master chef Lam Kok Weng reveals his culinary specialties inspired by his hometown in Singapore. La Mian or homemade hand-pulled noodles are made into a variety of selections, such as beef in brown sauce, stir-fried with crab meat and wok-fried with sliced abalone.

Ongoing

Business lunch set Dusit Thani Bangkok [MAP 5/L6]

The Dusit Thani Building, Rama 4 Rd | 02-200-9999 | dusit.com D’Sens French Restaurant at Dusit Thani Bangkok offers a new business lunch set menu from Chef Christian Ham. The exclusive menu set includes a three-course lunch priced at B950 and a two-course priced at B800. The new special menu, for B900, offers two courses, including a non-alcohol drink or a glass of wine.

Ongoing

Limitless A la Carte Sunday Lunch Oriental Residence [MAP 4/K6]

110 Wireless Road | 02-125-9000 | oriental-residence.com Mandopop restaurant offers a limitless a la Carte for Sunday lunch. The A la Carte’s specialties include fried woo kok with prawn, shrimp dumplings (shu mai), scallop ha gao, tenderloin beef in black ppepper sauce, Hong Kong-style kong pao chicken, and pan fried garoupa. Available from 11.30am-2.30pm. It’s B1,188 and an additional B688 for free flow of wine, beer and cocktails.

Until Aug 31

half-price Sunday Brunch Novotel Bangkok Platinum [MAP 4/G2]

220 Petchaburi Road | 02-160-7100 | novotelbangkokplatinum.com The Square restaurant offers Cantonese cuisine, Thai cuisine, international dishes, and grill station. Highlights include crispy pork, sweet red pork, roasted duck and dim sum. Seafood selection offers prawns, crabs, cockles, rock lobsters, oysters, and New Zealand mussels. Their brunch priced is B699, which includes juices, coffee, and tea.

Until Aug 31

All-you-can-eat Lunch Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit [MAP 3/S10] 2 Sukhumvit Soi 57 | 02-797-0000 | marriott.com

57th Street restaurant offers a modern all-day dining experience, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Enjoy a buffet lunch and indulge yourself with Japanese specialties, Indian curries, and carvery cuts. At 57th Street restaurant, you’ll even find super-charged street food. Their buffet is B457.

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review

FOOD & DRIN K

the kitchen table

- Stylishly simple There are certain challenges in running a flagship restaurant at a hotel – the constant turnover and the need for a broad, accessible menu are the most obvious. Even though these demands limit The Kitchen Table’s scope to be flamboyant, it still manages to deliver satisfying fare in a laidback, beautifully designed space. The emphasis on design comes as no surprise – it is, after all, a virtual trademark of W Hotels. At The Kitchen Table, the wide, high-ceilinged entrance forks into the buffet in one direction and the seated dining area in the other, all of it bathed in an amber glow. The cocktails (B300) ensure an impressive opening – the Mango Mojito and Tangerine Caipirinha are pleasant, balanced variations on well-known drinks, with enough fresh fruit to give them some zing without going overboard. There’s a sprawling menu that ticks several different boxes yet none of the dishes seem like afterthoughts and the presentation is, across the board, stylishly simple. Highlights include the seafood ceviche (B550) and the bpuu nim tort prik, or soft-shell crab (B480). In both dishes, plenty of thought has gone into seasoning – although packed with flavour, neither sacrifices the essential seafood taste. bangkok101.com

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There’s more to come – the prosciutto pizza (B480) is simple enough but perfectly cooked, it’s thin crust breaking apart precisely the way woodfired pizza should. The chicken tagine (B520) is rich and aromatic, losing none of its distinctive north African flavour despite the uncertainty of the rolling breakfast-becomes-lunchtime-becomes-dinner service. And the lamb cutlets (B800) perfectly exemplify The Kitchen Table’s approach and its success: offering a familiar dish in a familiar way but making sure it is properly executed. The desserts (B300-350) are perhaps the high point – they achieve a seriously memorable fine dining standard and would themselves be worth the visit. Restaurants that attempt to cater to all tastes risk spreading themselves too thinly but The Kitchen Table revels in its flexibility. It’s customer-driven and, in the best and tastiest way possible, allows its customers to remain happily and indulgently in their comfort zones.

the kitchen table

[MAP 5/G7]

2/F, W Bangkok, 106 North Sathorn Rd 02-344-4000 | whotels.com/Bangkok | 9am-10pm

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review

fat bird - Shophouse chic Restaurants owned by groups of friends are common in Bangkok, especially among the young and affluent in need of a spot to hang out in the evenings anyway. However, often the concept doesn’t quite fly. Sometimes it’s a bad kitchen, eyesore interior design or woeful drinks; and sometimes the whole enterprise is nothing more than a vanity project – the owners too busy airkissing friends to really bother with the customers. Fat Bird, though, appears to be avoiding these pitfalls. In one of Soi Ari’s few remaining shophouses, just a short walk down from Salt, this cosy bar-restaurant is hip but not off-puttingly so, with a cosmopolitan vibe and welcoming staff. The decor is a mash-up but has a charm to it. A small glasshouse of potted plants yields to a wall of mirrors on one side and a wall of recycled light wood covered in framed, Tumblr feed-style pop art images on the other. Other highlights include the bar, lit by the warm, overhead glow of old liqueur bottles that have been converted into lampshades, and the tsotchke-filled upstairs area with outdoor terrace. 6 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Alongside your standard Thai-style pastas and smattering of rice dishes are a few suprises. Our two salads, for example, were bigger than expected: wild looking mounds of greens drizzled with a tangy dressing. Especially good value was the grilled chicken liver cherry salad (B220), which was so large we couldn’t finish it. Appetisers range from straightforward offerings, such as calamari (B180) and hash browns (B140), to more adventurous, such as the saab salmon (B220), which takes its cue from the north eastern laab and packs a lemongrass and dill kick that might be too strong for some. There are mains, too, most of them hearty European. Suckers for a good hot pie, we plumped for the home-style chicken stew pie (B180) and were not disappointed. It more than lived up to the promise of its golden pastry exterior. Those of you who plan on treating Fat Bird for what it undeniably is – a Soi Ari port of call that ticks a few boxes – will be pleased to hear that the drinks and music pass muster too. Served in Mason jars, the cocktails (B200-260) strike a good balance between fruity and boozy, and on our visit the playlist skipped effortlessly, enjoyably from Grimes to Grease.

fat bird

[MAP 8/l6]

36/9 Soi Ari (Phahonyothin 7, oppsite Ari Soi 3) 085-924-1565 | facebook.com/fatbird | 6pm-midnight

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review

FOOD & DRIN K

gaggan - Bold creations Indian cuisine, perhaps more than any other, has been pigeonholed, locked into a narrow idea of heavy curries and spicy tandooris. It’s an inadequate concept, of course, and Gaggan Anand, through his stunningly unique restaurant in Langsuan, makes one of the most urgent cases for these definitions to be reconsidered. It’s ‘progressive cuisine’ anchored in Indian flavours but these lines gets blurred pretty quickly once you’re through the culinary wormhole. The reality is that, at Gaggan, flavours can be drawn from anywhere – as long as they work, there’s little formal structure about what’s allowed to go together. Perhaps the most interesting way to experience Gaggan’s always delicious, often offbeat repertoire is through one of the tasting menus (B1600, B2600 or B4000). One of the more surprising combinations comes out relatively early – it’s called Viagra, freshly shucked French oysters served with kokam nectar and Indian mustard ice cream, and somehow works despite ingredients that don’t intuitively go together. The Egyptian Secret uses foie gras, red onion chutney and raspberry powder to equally stunning effect, the flavours so well-judged that your taste buds are pulled in different directions in one mouthful. There’s the truffle mousse with a pepper infusion and king prawns with fennel Kachumber and charcoal oil. Each dish is wildly imaginative and often hard to process initially. It’s challenging food but, one after another, they prove unerringly delicious. bangkok101.com

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In a nod to those who might have reservations about this kind of experimental food, there’s the Fusion Called Confusion, which combines Atlantic lobster with a coastal curry. On paper, that sounds like the lobster taste doesn’t stand a chance but, sure enough, in the mouth, they’re both there, distinctly present on different parts of the tongue. For those who just want a damn fine curry, Gaggan has that covered as well. The apparently simple Who You Calling Chicken (B390) in fact has outstandingly refined flavour and a heart-starting pepper aftertaste. As for the desserts, try The Big Mango (B300; above) indeed, watch the staff prepare it in the kitchen, freeze-drying chocolate and mango powder into an edible snowball. Be warned: after a visit to Gaggan, there may be no going to back to your garden variety chicken korma.

gaggan

[MAP 8/l14]

68/1 Soi Langsuan | 02 652 1700 eatatgaggan.com | 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11.30pm

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review

l’appart - We’ll always have Paris It is the prerogative of restauranteurs to try to maximise their space, to squeeze as many tables in as possible to boost their covers when busy. L’Appart, on the top floor of the Sofitel on Sukhumvit, goes the opposite direction, embracing the aesthetic of a Parisian apartment with such conviction that you could ride a bicycle, balancing a baguette on the handlebars, between some tables. The result is that L’Appart has one of the most gorgeous, interesting spaces in Bangkok. The cliches of restaurant decor have been thrown overboard – a meal here feels like you’ve been invited for a fabulous dinner party at a successful friend’s immaculately furnished penthouse with amazing views of the skyline. There’s a library and a dining room and one of the snazziest open kitchens around. And, most importantly, the food delivers with bells on. Chef Jeremy Tourret may be every inch the French master cook but that hasn’t prevented him taking some intriguing chances, adapting a traditional cuisine to create an adventurous and often surprising menu. The absolute staples are still represented – frog legs with leek and truffle (B480) and a spectacular bouillabaisse (onion soup) with rock fish, puff Japanese pearl and rouille sauce (B550; right).Tourret has dialled down the salt for the Asian palate, with the added benefit of making room for the more complex flavours he has included. He takes it to the next step in the mains. His pan-fried 6 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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snow fish comes with cauliflower mousseline and Madras curry (B1300) – that’s right, curry. In a French restaurant. It seems risky and may outrage traditionalists but it is testament to Tourret’s technique and imagination that it works – the cauliflower balances the curry so the delicate taste of the snow fish – among the best – is never overwhelmed. And while people might be unexcited by the prospect of roast chicken, it’s a different dish when it comes stuffed with goat cheese, comfit zucchini and organic tomatoes (B900), each mouthful an opportunity to unpick and savour the winning combination. Stick around for the dessert, particularly the lemon tart with vodka and basil leaves (B380), before indulging in a cheese platter and wandering out to the balcony to wish your place was as nice as L’Appart.

l’appart

[MAP 3/g9]

32/F, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Soi 085-924-1565 | sofitel.com | 7pm-midnight

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street eats

FOOD & DRIN K

sawang

- Must be baamee Baamee noodles are one of those ubiquitous Bangkok dishes you can find on most streets. Rather than taking you to an ordinary rendition of these thin yellow egg noodles, this month we’ve decided to introduce you to one of the champs of Bangkok’s baamee noodle world – Sawang. Step out from MRT Hua Lumphong station’s Exit Four, look for the fluorescent green light and you’ve pretty much arrived at baamee (egg noodle) heaven. Originally located on Sawang Road near Rama IV, where the shop borrows its name from, Sawang has resettled twice in the Hua Lumphong area during its 50 years in the soup-slurping business. Running the show are two generations of the Satirapanyakul – founding father Papa Chan and his daughter Khun Aim-Orn, the family member entrusted with Sawang’s secret recipe. To warm up, begin with a plate of juicy kanom-jeeb, pleated pork and shrimp dumplings known as shumai in mainland China (B20-40). As for bowls of baa-mee – each of which are available haeng (dry) or nam (with broth) – the variation to try, if you can afford it, is the famous red crab claw, baamee puu. The cost of this rare and prohibitively pricey (in local street food terms) dish is between B150-300 depending on the size. bangkok101.com

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Or if you’re allergic to the steep price or the crab claw itself, other options include the giow goong (shrimp wonton soup) and baamee moo daeng (noodle with barbecued red pork), both B50-100. If you’re in the area, pop by to taste what many locals consider the definitive baamee. And if you’re thinking of making a trip specially, call ahead – as true perfectionists, the owners of Sawang don’t open at all if they can’t find a sufficiently fresh pork bone for their divine soup stock.

SAWANG

[MAP 5/g1]

336/3-4 Rama 4 Rd 02-236-1772 | 5pm-11pm

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ealtike

Nym

Our roving eater Nym knows her local grub inside out – and thrives on the stories behind the dishes. Each month, she takes an offbeat tour in search of the city’s next delectable morsel

Rad Na

n China Town, the night shift arrives as soon as the sun sets, and the street food vendors arrive to set up their stalls. I like to visit for the rad na, which is a gravy sauce over noodles, and the best stall is set up next to the busy seafood corner. It’s a straightforward choice if I’m in Chinatown at night. This rad na food cart is called Jey Aun and it’s run by a husband-and-wife team – he works behind the flaming grill with a giant wok while she takes customers’ orders from a high stool on the other side of the counter. They cook one big batch at a time – each round serves maybe 30 dishes. If you miss out, you’ll have to wait for the next, while sitting back and taking in the streetscape around you. This stall is best-known for its rad na and its pad se-ew, which is a fried noodle dish in the wok with eggs, dark soy sauce, kale and soft pork meat. But I am madly in love with rad na, even though it’s not really everybody’s cup of tea. Most of my farang friends say

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the texture is strange – it’s not exactly soupy but the noodles are wet. There’s a gravy sauce and it’s all cooked with great skill in the enormous wok, adding corn starch, pak khana or Thai hale, eggs and marinated pork. The high heat of the flame fires up the wok to precisely the right temperature, which is crucial is getting the taste and texture just spot on. The dish arrives on the table with the ‘flavour engine unit’, otherwise known as seasonings. Most of the time, I add a half-spoon of the vinegar and fish sauce and a small dust of dried chilli and sugar, before combining the gravy sauce and pak khana in one bite. Jey Aun Rad Na is open every day except Monday from 6pm until the noodles are all gone, which is usually about 11pm or midnight. It’s set up between the old-school Broadway Hotel and the famous Seafood corner on Yaowarach Rd. bangkok101.com

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Cooking with Poo Stop sniggering at the back! Poo is actually the nickname of one of the citys most indemand cooks, Saiyuud ‘Chom-Poo’ Diwong. A long-time resident of Bangkok’s Klong Toey slum, Poo runs her own cooking school as part of the Helping Hands initiative, a community self-help program she started with other residents. The profits help street businesses get on their feet. Each month we bring you a recipe from her cooking book, copies of which are available via her website cookingwithpoo.com.

Pomelo salad (Yam Som-O)

COOKING WITH POOSaiyuud Diwong | UNOH Publications | 112pp | www.cookingwithpoo. com | Aus $20

ingredients • 2 cups of water • 100g chicken or prawns • 1 tbsp palm sugar • 1 tbsp fish sauce or a pinch of salt if you don’t want a fishy taste • 4 tbsp tamarind sauce (don’t use if you are using grapefruit) • 1 tsp chilli paste • ½ a pomelo or 1 ripe pink grapefruit (peel and

separate flesh into small pieces) • 1 tbsp deep fried onion (crispy) • 1 tbsp deep dried garlic (crispy) • 2 tbsp dry fried coconut (crispy) • 2 tbsp peanuts (chopped) • 2 tbsp cashew nuts • 10 mint leaves

preparation Pomelo Salad is often referred to as ahaan chawwang, in other words, the food of the Royal Family. It has many ingredients, many of them quite expensive, so you won’t find this dish in street stalls, and it is scarce in our community.’ Despite this, when the opportunity to eat it arises, most Thai people consider it a delicious treat. This recipe serves four people.

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• Boil water in a pot and add chicken and cook until cooked (approximately 10 minutes) • Drain water, let cool and tear chicken into small pieces • Put palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, chilli paste in to a small bowl and mix • Gently mix pomelo, onion, garlic, coconut, peanuts, and chicken in a bowl • Add palm sugar mixture and garnish with cashews and mint leaves

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FOOD & DRIN K

sweet treat

Let Them Eat Cake

This dessert shop, on the ground floor of Mille Malle on Sukhumvit Soi 20 with an air-conditioned section and an outdoor terrace, is decked out with 18th-century French decor and signature desserts. Nothing fancy, the place is simple, yet gives off elegantly modern vibes. The place is mostly set in black, white and grey tones, which bring out the colours of the desserts when served on the dining table. The appearance is likely to spur the curiosity of most passersby and a brief glimpse inside reveals a refrigerator stacked high with colourful patisseries and desserts. A eclair-like dessert, a choux primavera (B150), is not as common as other choux. The choux is filled with elderflower Chantilly cream, assorted with blueberry sauce on the bottom half while the top half is covered by red crispy cookies crust. Nihonphilia (B155) is served in a small see-through glass with chestnut cream, dark chocolate ganache in a crosspattern and a matcha green tea mousse on the top layer. If you are a nut-eater, this one might be your favourite. A bouncy pudding-like Le CafĂŠ Maroc B165, served in a dice design, is a coffee mousse and mocha ganache with a round biscuit brownie hidden inside. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dessert with a taste of coffee, not too strong and a little bittersweet. The hot chocolate (B180) comes by the pot, has intense flavour is very creamy. And maybe you can end your tea break with a teapot (B180). 7 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Let Them Eat Cake

[MAP 3/L11]

G Floor, Mille Malle Sukhumvit 20 | 02-663-4667 10am-11pm | facebook.com/letthemeatcakebkk

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FOOD & DRIN K

neighbourhood nosh

soi convent

There’s something for every palate an every budget on this bustling Silom cross-street With its glut of streetfood stalls and foreigner-orientated restaurants, leafy Soi Convent is one of the most reliable and eclectic eating strips in town. By day, this is the realm of the seriously hungry white-collar worker, especially at lunchtimes, when they pour from the adjacent towers; and by night, an international mix of night owls can be found trawling the streets in of street bites or a pleasant indoor setting. Starting at the food-stall-less Sathorn Road end, Beccofino is a more intimate outlet of the huge Italian trattoria over on Soi Thonglor. A hop and a skip further, at the back of a square that’s also home to one of our all-time favourite Thai massage joints, Ruen Nuad, is upmarket Thai restaurant Naj. Put on some smart digs and head here for an evening of dolled-up Thai food served on fine china. After these there’s a food lull of a hundred metres or so – the middle of Soi Convent is occupied by an upmarket international school and a church – before you reach the vicinity of Eat Me, a modernist restaurant cum-art gallery where audacious fusion food is served beneath local modern art or out on an open-air terrace. Also on Pipat Soi 2 is Sam’s Fish and Chips, a townhouse turned restaurant where the eponymous owner serves succulent slabs of John Dory. Molly Malone’s is an expansive Irish-themed boozer that does a good line in bangers and mash, steak and kidney pies and other hearty pub stodge. Recommended is its Sunday Roast (12-7pm), during which you can hunker down on unlimited roast lamb and beef, pork loin and crackling and Yorkshire puds etc for only B399. 7 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Next door, amble into air-con Thai restaurant Bua for zero interior flair but a meal that, by our measure, scores a respectable six out of ten in the tangy taste department. Much less of a tourist trap is Hai Somtum, a bustling, nofrills Isan (northeastern) joint with grubby white tiling and garish strip-lighting. Must-try dishes: the gai yang (grilled chicken), laab ped (minced duck spicy salad) and somtum (spicy papaya salad). Neighbouring it are two newcomers, Tub Tim and Zaap Express, both of them also cheap and cheerful, no-frills Thai restaurants. Flanked by a branch of Japanese chain restaurant Zen on one side, and a Starbucks that’s good for people watching on the other, Coyote is a slightly kitsch Mexican restaurant. Also, tucked down a grubby little soi (80 metres from Silom Road on the right) is esteemed French restaurant Indigo, which has a romantic courtyard, intimate Thai house setting and a strong following, as well as Indian curry house Himali Cha Cha.

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Eat Me

Naj

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listings Red Pepper

Blue Elephant

THAI BLUE ELEPHANT [MAP 5/D7] 233 South Sathorn Rd | 02-673-9353 blueelephant.com | 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm Ever since the Blue Elephant Group opened its restaurant here, Thai food connoisseurs have been filling this styling place up night after night. Here the setting alone – a striking century-old mansion – sets this branch apart. A few step from the Surasak BTS station, the classy interior combines colonial décor, wicker chairs and tones of fresh flowers into an ideal spot for romantic tête-à-têtes. Their just revamped menu is faultless, and so is the service. While popular with tourists, the number of satisfied Thai customers who dine here can only be a good sign. Many dishes have been globalised, Western ingredients transforming them into something extraordinary. Foie gras with tamarind sauce, scallops mangosteen salad and the massaman lamb are musttries. Likewise more traditional dishes, many of which – like the tom jew (beef in herbal soup) for instance – use recipes and ingredients from the Royal Palace. Pair them with the hefty Thai wines. Aspiring chefs should consider their on-site cooking school.

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Cabbages & Condoms

CABBAGES & CONDOMS [map 3/h10] Sukhumvit Soi 12 | 02-229-4610 cabbagesandcondoms.com | 11am-11pm Cabbages & Condoms is a bit like a pleasingly off-kilter Disneyland – fairy lights, traditional musicians, and an explosion of condoms. Condom lampshades, condom sculptures, condom wall-hangings are all part of the restaurant founder’s campaign to make the prophylactics as common and shame-free as cabbages. The restaurant help fund Thai senator Meechai Viravidaiya’s whirlingly imaginative approaches to health and development issues – silk weavers from one of the senator’s projects display their craft at their looms, brown-rice crackers from another initiative appear on the table. In only the food were similarly inventive. Although fresh and served in hefty, affordable portions, the cuisine is somewhat deracinated, lacking Thai food’s customary kick and sass. Still, it’s dining for a good cause, a fun environment for a large party, and an adept kitchen for those with dietary restrictions – bring friends who are just wading into Thai food.

PHUKET TOWN [map 3/r7] 160/8 Soi 6 Thong Lor | 02-714-9402 10.30am-10pm Marked out by a distinctive bright yellow

frontage, coloured glass windows and a hand-painted mural of its namesake, Phuket Town stands apart from anything else Thong Lor has to offer for another reason: its food. Run by Phuket native Ketsakorn ‘Kitty’ Kiattikul, the menu reflects the island’s colourful heritage, a mixture of Thai, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British and French influences – not to mention the Malays, from whom the island takes its name (‘Bukit’ means hill in Bahasa Melayu). A converted shophouse, the restaurant’s exterior resembles a classic Phuket Peranakan home; dwellings known for their ornate touches and Sino- Portuguese influence. Although spice levels have been adjusted (read diluted) for Bangkok tastes, the menu retains a faithful array of southernstyle dishes and ingredients. Indeed, to ensure that authenticity is retained, Kitty’s mum – who still resides in Phuket – sends up shipments of hard-to-find fish, herbs, vegetables and spices twice a week.

Red Pepper [map 3/k11] Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18 02-261-7100 | 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm One of the Rembrandt Hotel’s four familyfriendly restaurants, Red Pepper offers a pleasant blond-wood dining room, lined with

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listings red pepper watercolours and overlooking Sukhumvit Soi 20. On first glance, the menu reads like all the touristy others: stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts, tom yums etc. Look again, though, and the odd educationin-spice awaits. Dishes in this sassy vein include the tom saep nua, a Northeastern soup with a satisfying lime-tart meets chilli kick and lumps of fall-off-the-bone beef shank. We also recommend the som tum set – while the papaya salad is a touch sweet, the sticky rice and grilled chicken it comes with is so moist and tasty you’ll be fighting over the scraps. The soft-shell crab in yellow curry also get the thumbs up, as do desserts like the hot banana fritters in ice cream. It felt a tad lifeless on our visit, but Red Pepper’s Thai food is not, making it a good choice for a quiet, informal and inexpensive dinner.

ROSABIENG [map 3/f8] 3 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-5868 11am-11pm The shorts-clad tourists sitting in cheapish chairs might make you look for another restaurant. Ignore that first impression, however, and you’ll be rewarded with some of the best Thai food around Nana. A Bangkok classic, the simple converted house and its large patio is home to expat and Thai diners in search for straightforward, outstanding local cuisine and a jovial atmosphere. Even the poppy live band playing nightly surprises with their quality. It’ll take some time to browse the humongous menu which seems to list every Thai dish ever invented. Luckily, the choice – and the pace at which the dishes arrive at your table – doesn’t affect the quality. Even Thai food critics tuck into the low-cost classics

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Vientiane Kitchen

steeped in authenticity on days off. Kids will love the koi pond and the ubiquitous train toys, while total Thai food beginners shouldn’t be ashamed to request the picture menu and learn “mai phet!: (not spicy).

NORTHERN THAI (ISAN) Vientiane Kitchen [map 3/s11] 8 Naphasap Yak 1 Sukhumvit Soi 36 02-258-6171 | vientiane-kitchen.com noon-midnight While tom yum goong and green curry may have formed a vice-like grip on Thai food in the world’s consciousness, those in the know savour the fresh and fiery offerings from the northeastern region of Isaan. The barn-like Vientiane Kitchen, in upper Sukhumvit, takes Isaan’s close ties with Laos as its cue for an earthy showpiece restaurant that throws live music and dance performances into the mix. Don’t come expecting high-backed loungers and silk napkins: Vientiane Kitchen wears its bamboo furniture and ramshackle layout with pride. Simple grilled chicken and nam prik chilli dips are the stars here – true ambassadors of the region – while there’s something

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alluring about folding up chunks of snakehead fish and noodles into lettuce packages and washing it down with one of Asia’s finest brews, Beer Lao. Meanwhile, a huge centre-front stage hosts entertaining musicians and traditional dance routines from graceful, painted lovelies. It’s not a gourmet venue by any means, but it’s still a fun, affordable night out,

BAAN SOMTUM [map 5/d6] 9/1 Soi Srivieng, nr Sathorn Road 02-630-3486 | 11am-10pm Love somtum? If so your ship has come in: this smart new Isaan restaurant serves a staggering 22 types of Northeastern papaya salad. There’s porkneck somtum, salted egg somtum, even a Luang Prabang somtum (yep, we’re intrigued too). Any good? Let’s just say that we tried the somtum pu ma… and marvelled at its fiery tang and legs of horseshoe crab. As for the other Issan dishes – all 80 of them – the kitchen seems just as skilled at the deep-fryer and soup pot as it is the pestle and mortar. The golden-fried tub tim fish is sublime, the gaeng hed poh (spicy popping-mushroom soup) beguilingly spiced, and the laab tod a deep-fried, crackling variation on the minced meat salad and just one of several playful signatures. Best of all are the pocket-friendly prices – though the owner pays inner-city rents she charges the same as at her other branches in the ‘burbs.

HAI SOMTUM [map 5/j6] 2/4-5 Soi Convent, off Silom Road 02-631-0216 | Mon-Fri 10:30am-9pm, Sat 10:30am-8pm Hai Somtum couldn’t be much plainer

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if it tried – laminated tables sit beneath florescent lights and whirling overhead fans – and yet it’s one of the best places in downtown Bangkok for proper, noholdsbarred Isan food. And we’re not the only ones who think so – it’s packed with office workers every weekday lunch and dinnertime. Clearly they all know what we’re now telling you; that what this drab temple to sticky rice lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with plates of moist, crispy-skinned grilled chicken, tart minced meat salads (laabs) and other Northeastern staples, all briskly served by effi cient staff for just a shade above streetfood prices. These alone are enough to warrant a visit, but the real reason we keep coming back here is the green papaya salad, or somtum. The menu here offers almost every known variation of the spicy-soursweet cult dish; a dedicated station, piled high with shredded green papaya, blithely knocks them out in a pestle and mortar up front.

AMERICAN Bangkok Burger Co [map 3/s6] Unit 103, G/F, Opus Building, 139 Thong Lor Soi 10 | 02-715-9407 | bangkokburgercompany.com | 11am-11pm Bangkok’s best is a big boast to make. With its large number of visiting tourists and resident expatriates, innumerable restaurants here tout their burger as the best in town. Stepping into this competitive arena comes the latest contender: Bangkok Burger Co. The first thing you notice is the restaurant’s smart logo, a simple yet stylish black, white and yellow design featuring the name

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Bangkok Burger Co

stamped over a map of Thailand. It’s one of those memorable names that it’s hard to believe no-one else came up with before. The logo, concept, and design, are the brainchild of the British managing director and founder of the Bangkok Burger Co., Jim Moroney, who has previously achieved notable success in the United Kingdom with The Living Room chain of restaurants. Despite the apparent competition here, he saw a niche in the market for a place that only served burgers, and was geared towards a Thai, rather than expatriate market.

Firehouse Pub & Restaurant [map 3/e7]

3/26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3643 firehousethailand.com | Tue-Sat 11:30 am3am, Sun 11:30am-midnight In recent months, we – like many – have been diligently reading the Bangkok Burger Blog (bangkokburgerblog.wordpress. com), the first blog dedicated to the city’s burgeoning burger scene. It’s an entertaining read penned by the Hamburglar, an unidentified expat who scours the streets in search of the good and the bad, and then reports his comically pedantic findings (“the bun to patty ratio was a bit off,” etc) to his

An An Lao

readership. Firehouse’s come in several guises, from racks of three mini-burgers (B260) to the Australian Black Angus beef (B280) and even a Breakfast Burger (B275), but the one we’ve always opted for is the Premium (B195). For that competitive price tag you get a 180g patty made from 100 percent Thai-French ribeye beef served with crisp lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise in a nice looking bun, plus a tin can stuffed full of golden potato wedges.

chinese An An Lao [MAP 8/P17] Sukhumvit Soi 26 | 02-261-8188 ananlao.com | 11am-10pm You’d struggle to call An An Lao’s canteenlike setting pretty, but no one cares, a tribute to the quality of the food. The Thai-Chinese owner Khun Roongnanpa and her family hail from Betong, a mountainous district in the South’s Yala province; and it is the not-too-puritanical style of Chinese cooking that they grew up with down there that has made An An Lao such a fixture among families, businessmen, expats, even celebrity masterchef McDang. The steamed betong chicken is the one that no table spread

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Mrs Balbir’s

China House should be without (and the reason why a backlit chicken logo looms large over the entrance). Served in a garlic and soy sauce, initially you’re taken aback by the toughness of the lean, free-range meat (KFC chicken this ain’t); but most are won over by its flavour and sinewy goodness. Coming in a close second is the peking duck, which is An An Lao’s best seller (and loss-leader) due to its price-tag: B350 for the whole bird. You get two dishes: a plate of wafer-thin, deep red skin served with steamed flour sheets, cucumber sticks and sticky hoisin; and the meat served separately in one of four ways, from deepfried with garlic to stir-fried with bean sprouts. Fowl isn’t the only thing that’s full-on delicious here. There are other, less lauded signatures such as the lightly wok fried, satisfyingly crunchy watercress in oyster sauce. There is also kao yok, thick slices of steamed pork belly interspersed with slices of just as thick taro. Doused in a sweet brown gravy thick with black bean pickles and Chinese spices, it’s a delicious, gratifying dish that we mopped up with hot, pillow-soft slices of mun thow (steamed Chinese bun). Soup-wise, we recommend the hua pla puak mor fai (fish head’s soup with taro). Clogged with chunks of tender (but bony) fish, it was one of the most beguilingly flavoursome soups we’ve tasted in a long while.

China House [map 5/b4] Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue | 02-659-9000 | mandarinoriental .com | Noon-2:30pm and 7pm-10:30 pm The Oriental Hotel stands for all things grand, and the reopening of the China House lives up to its glory. A few steps from the hotel entrance, Bangkok’s most elegant and posh Chinese eatery recently underwent an extensive renovation, juxtaposing it colonial exterior with a contemporary yet classical, pure art deco interior. Harking back to the opulence of 1930s Shanghai, the rooms are awash in bright reds and yellow (think Shanghai Tang). Period furniture has been reupholstered with fine cowhide, rich velvet and decadent horse hair, while exquisite calligraphy featuring Tang poetry celebrates bangkok101.com

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the pleasure of eating and drinking. The menu, designed by Jereme Leung, one of world’s most prominent Chinese chefs and fleshed out by resident Chef Kong Khai Meng, is replete with modern interpretation of classical Chinese cuisine. This being the Oriental dining does not come cheap, but the lunch-only dim sum menu is surprising bargain, most dishes only costing 100 or 120 baht. Definitely not your conventional all you can buffet, the choices incorporate a wide range of China’s regional varieties: classics like fresh shrimp dumplings with seasonal greens (they say you haven’t eaten here without sampling these) and shrimp and pork dumplings flavoured with salted duck eggs. The selection of ‘bygone’ dim sum (seldom seen since the 1960s and 70s), includes luscious Cantonese-style steamed egg pudding. There’s even kid’s dim sum, cutely shaped as birds, rabbits and fish. Other selections like crispy, chicken red curry filled man tou buns fuse traditional Chinese dim sum with Thai cuisine exploring the tastes on the borders of these two great world cuisines.

INDIAN Mrs. Balbir’s [map 3/f9] 155/1-2 Sukhumvit Soi 11/1 | 02-651-0498 mrsbalbirs.com | Tue-Sun (closed on Mon) 11.30am-11pm There may be progressive new curryhouses stealing the limelight, but Sukhumvit’s Mrs Balbir’s still has a loyal following among the city’s vindaloo-scoffers, especially those in the traditional camp. Inside, the fresh creamwhite dining room, with its marble floors, tall-back patterned velvet chairs, and furniture and finishes redolent of a Maharajas neo-classical palace, is an unexpectedly upscale setting for this gritty part of town, but the real coup here is the good old-fashioned cooking. Scan the menu and you’ll find no mention of fancy-smancy state-of-the-art techniques whatsoever. No sous-vide, foams, emulsions or dishes that involved a blow torch or nitrogen oxide and man in white coat and goggles. Instead, friendly J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 7 7

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listings Enoteca Italiana

La Bottega Di Luca

Himali Cha Cha namesake owner, Vinder Balbir, a local celeb and former TV chef who divulges her secrets at her popular cooking classes upstairs, offers unswervingly traditional North Indian made using recipes and spice blends that she’s fine-tuned over the years.

HIMALI CHA CHA [map 3/l9] Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 02-259-6677 himalichacha.com | 11am-3.30pm, 6pm10.30pm In a city bloated with half decent restaurants, sometimes it takes a backstory to set you apart. Fortunately for this Indian old-timer with four branches scattered around the city, they have a good one: its Bangladeshi-Indian founder, Mr Cha Cha, spent the early 1940s, those turbulent years before India gained independence from British rule, cooking for the Mountbattens. The menu features curryhouse staples aplenty, from thick dahl to refreshing lassis and ramsmali desserts, as well as Mr Cha Cha’s battalion of North Indian signatures. Starters are solid. Lightlyfried onion bajis; crispy-on-theoutside, softon-the-inside mutton shami kebab cutlets, etc, all served with fresh, tangy dips and chutneys. Slowcooked curries, meanwhile, like the Bengali fish and Mutton Chutni Walla, are of the thick and strongly spiced but not too oily sort. And the soft, piping hot nan bread makes the perfect vessel.

international CRÊPES & Co [Map 8/L14] 59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, Ploenchit Road, (also 88 Thonglor Soi 8) | 02-652-0208 crepesnco.com The business itself is a uniquely Bangkokian success story. It was founded nearly 20 hyears ago in a ramshackle warehouse at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 12, a family business which quickly expanded and became more ambitious. The crepe may be French in origin, but the flavours and ingredients here take in the entire sweep of the Mediterranean, borrowing heavily from Morocco and Greece, in particular. The menu bulges with savoury options – try the 7 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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eggplant caviar – but it’s the desserts that attract a loyal after-dinner following. You can keep it simple by going for the Crepe Jospehine (B170), which is a straightforward combination of sugar and lemon zest. But if you’ve got a major sweet tooth, you’ll likely move on to the serious stuff, like the Crepe Framboise (B290), served bulging with vanilla ice cream and lathered in rich, tangy raspberry sauce. These creations are big enough to share – or you can have one all to yourself if you have a real craving. Going down the list reveals some eye-popping desserts – try the Crepe Mango Coconut (B195), which somehow works despite the unusual pairing of fresh mango and coconut slices, or the Coupe de Fraises (B170), with strawberry, vanilla and chantilly. The real show-stopper, though, is the Flambe Calvados (B290), which comes out rinsed in apple liqueur and filled with sauteed apple and rum raisin ice cream. And then they set that baby on fire.

italian ENOTECA ITALIANA [map 3/k9] 39 Sukhumvit Soi 27 (enter from Soi 29 or 31) 02-258-4386 | enotecabangkok.com 6pm-midnight A small bar, arch shapes, and exposed brickwork; arty posters, a blackboard menu, a seven-table slice of northern Italy in downtown Bangkok. Chef Stefano Merlo arrived here with a respect for tradition and a flair for theatrics following spells at the Michelin starred Le Canlandre, in Padua, and the Tokyo branch of Enoteca Pinchiorri, another Michelin stalwart, in Florence. His six-course tasting menu (around B1,400 and only available for the whole table) offers the chance to try a wide selection of dishes. The opener – a tidbit of luxury carbonara sauce, cleverly served in a hollowed egg shell, and eaten with a teaspoon – is followed by black ink cappuccino, in which cubelets of tender slow cooked squid in its own ink are topped with creamy whipped potato. Presented in a glass jug, it resembles blackcurrant fool, with equally comforting tastes and textures.

Later, there’s saffron risotto flecked with the strong dark flavours of liquorice; rich suckling pig intriguingly balanced by coffee-laced chestnut puree; and the hotcold rush of chocolate foam served on crushed ice seasoned with rum.

LA BOTTEGA DI LUCA [map 3/p8] Terrace 49 Building, Sukhumvit Soi 49 02-204-1731 | la.bottega.di.luca@gmail.com Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 5.30pm-11pm, deli hours Tue-Sun 10am-8pm When a restaurant is born of a deli, one thing you can count on is that the goods are fresh. And here, in this trendy, architecturally unique lifestyle complex at the corner of Sukhumvit 49/1, the Italian deli downstairs is the direct supply link for the restaurant above. The cosy dining space with wooden floors has nine tables looking out of glass walls to an outdoor terrace complete with lush leather sofas. The menu is simple, a nofrills selection featuring a healthy sampling of homemade pastas, fresh-baked breads, pastries and more. Stand-outs include grilled scamorza (smoked mozzarella cheese) wrapped in speck ham and topped with sautéed mushrooms. The Risotto di Luca, is the chef’s own take on what Italians do best with rice, in this case with a delicate crust of aged black truffle cheese and a lightly-spiced pancetta. Save room for the chocolate mouse with grappa, a dessert and digestive in the same tender bite. On weekdays housewives from the nearby Japanese enclave near Thong Lo flock for the smartly-priced lunch sets (B390).

JAPANESE In The Mood For Love [MAP 3/S11] 9/9 Sukhumvit Soi 36 | 02-661-5076 5pm-midnight | facebook.com/InTheMood. Bangkok With decor inspired by the film of the same name, In The Mood For Love has a more feminine layout than many Japanese diners. Half-moon booths of flowery banquettes and armchairs lend a parlour feel, and there’s a warm mix of old-time Eastern and Euro bangkok101.com

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Senor Pico’s

Thang Long detailing, with Japanese on-cloth calligraphy, vintage tables and repro antique lamps. T he long room, with a bar at one end, is given extra width with a full streetside facade of windows and, opposite, a ‘shattered mirror’ wall that throws fragmented reflections of the small sushi bar, busy with chefs. Overhead, it’s a posh warehouse of lowslung fans and bamboo birdcages hanging from a corrugated roof. Billed as traditional Japanese with modern signature dishes, the menu starts with ‘Originals’, including California-style rolls, like Sweet 16 (eel, spicy tuna and strawberries), which is best enlivened by the chef ’s smoky soy sauce.

MEXICAN Senior Pico’s [map 3/k11] Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18 | 02261-7100 | rembrandtbkk.com | 5pm-1am Standing outside the Rembrandt Hotel you’d never guess it was home to Bangkok’s first and best known Mexican: a lively, carefree little joint where sprightly Latin melodies come served with a rich array of fajitas, enchiladas and suchlike. And while it can be quiet early on, the place usually picks up when the Uruguayan house band

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begins shaking the maracas at 8pm (except Mondays), especially on weekends. Start with the Azteca – a mango-based margarita that will quench your thirst and loosen up those two left feet. The friendly staff suggested the enchiladas, chicken breast in poblano sauce, and juicy and meaty pork ribs barbeque (B300– 650), all of which was endearingly sloppy but undeniably tasty. Portions are large, not leaving much room for dessert, which is just as well because by this stage you’ll probably be chacha-ing upfront with the waitresses.

vietnamese Thang Long [map 8/L14] 82/5 Soi Lang Suan | 02-251-3504 11:30am-2pm & 5pm-10:30pm Here on one of Bangkok’s swankiest restaurant strips sits the city’s coolest Vietnamese joint. And suddenly, after an expensive makeover, it’s even cooler (or is that cooler-than-thou?), with black slate, wood, iron latticework and deep house toons now filling this moody, faintly cubistinspired two-leveller. Diners can elect to sit in this dim, yuppie cocktail lounge like setting, eating by candelight, or go al fresco

Xuan Mai on the streetfront patio – a parcel of sexy bliss on cool winter nights now punctuated by a big copper water sculpture. The fare is neo-Vietnamese, staples like chao tom and banh xeo outnumbered on the slick pictorial menu by Thai-tongue pleasing fusions like soft-shell crab, as well as the odd FrenchVietnamese dish.

Xuan Mai [map 3/r5] 351/3 Sukhumvit 55 (near Thong Lor Soi 17) 02-185-2619 | xuanmairestaurant.com Tue-Sun 11am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm Quickly setting into its new location, former FBI agent and unintentional chef Meyung Robson’s popular Vietnamese restaurant has left the former homey confines of Soi 13 for the main stage of Thong Lor. Small, friendly and delicious, this homey restaurant has an army of followers that will surely be migrating along with Meyung. Spring rolls are definitely the way to start and the featherlight, deep fried Imperial rolls still had us salivating the next morning. The ridiculously tender tamarind braised pork with rice was delicious, but despite being a Vietnamese restaurant, you’ll be doing yourself an injustice if you don’t save room (be warned: portions are massive) for the brilliant passion fruit crème brulee.

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Nightlife Bye-bye Bed

Word has aleady travelled around Bangkok but Bed Supperclub (Sukhumvit 11, 02-651-3537, bedsupperclub.com) will be officially closing its doors on August 31. Bed’s lease has expired and its owners have indicated they will look for another location but that may take a while. So enjoy it while you can – it has, after all, been a wild ride.

Bangkok Boat Party

Ahoy! Bring your pirate hats and set sail for the Bangkok Boat Party. The boat will be setting off from Saphan Taksin on July 13 at 10pm sharp. Dance until you drop at the indoor bar and lounge, although the top deck is also waterproof. It costs B700 for early bird tickets, while the second release batch will be B900. All tickets include two drinks.

Big Ass at Zaleng

Thai hardcore punk band, Big Ass, will give live performance at Zaleng Edition (Ratchada Soi 4, 090-985-4735, facebook.com/zalengpub) on July 6. Big Ass initially started as pop/rock but shifted styles to hardcore rock, as illustrated by their hit tracks such as Len Kong Soong (‘flirt with woman beyond your reach’) and Kon Mai Ow Taan (‘thank you for loving me the way I am’).

gone fishing

Kyoto Jazz DJ and music producer of Kyoto Jazz Massive are coming to Fish (3FL Cosmic Café, 081-696-4487, facebook.com/fishatcosmic) on July 19. Expect tracks played in nightclubs of Japan. Shuya Okino, DJ Kawasaki and friends will join the night presenting their latest work, a new Kyoto Jazz Massive track called Mystery of Ages. B200 for entry.

live at aloft

Live music this month continues as a regular fixture at WXYZ Bar (Aloft Sukhumvit Soi 11) with bands performing every Saturday night at a venue already renowned for its cocktails. There’s an emphasis on unearthing new talent, which is entirely in keeping with the way Aloft positions itself as cuttingedge and tech-savvy.

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review

spasso - Still going strong -

here’s no shortage of hotel bars in Bangkok but Spasso, on the ground floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan, at the junction of Sukhumvit and Rajadamri Rd, has been around for 21 years and remains a favourite among visitors and expats looking to let their hair down. By day, it presents as a sedate Italian restaurant but after hours, after it transforms into a club and cocktail bar, it really hits its stride, revelling in its energetic, uninhibited atmosphere. The lay-out is unconventional – an openplan foyer and dining area narrows into a dancefloor, flanked by two wide horseshoe-shaped bars. It has the effect of funnelling all the action between the bars and on to the dancefloor, where you may see some audacious maneouvres attempted, with varying degrees of success. Spasso is not so much for Bangkok scenesters – its selling point is that it’s fun and slightly wild and the live band does its best to whip partygoers into even higher spirits, the singer taking to the floor during some songs. At the bar, all the classics are accounted for, along with some signature cocktails that are worth a look (all B350). The Kumquats Smash, blending gin, Grand Marnier and single malt whiskey, manages to pack a boozy punch while simultaneously refreshing. And the Dolci Martini, with cognac, Baileys, espresso, white chocolate and mascarpone, is an indulgent sipper. If you’re entertaining a group, perhaps at one of the tables that form a ring around the dancefloor, and don’t 8 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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want to run low on daiquiris and Long Island Iced Teas, grab one of the pitchers (B1200). Spasso doesn’t pretend to reinvent the formula – after 21 years it probably doesn’t need to – but that does little to stop its regular crowd enjoying themselves.

spasso

[MAP 8/l13]

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajadamri Road | 02-254-1234 bangkok.grand.hyatt.com | 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-2.30am

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listings

Bed Supperclub

Nightclubs BASH [map 3/F8] 37 Sukhumvit Soi 11 (entrance next to the Australian Pub | bashbangkok.com | Midnightvery late | B300 including one standard drink Open till “very late”, Bash is brash. American owner Daryl Scott, a well-known club scene figure, has spliced strands of global clubbing DNA with the usually sleazy after-hours club concept. There are burlesque dancers ranging from midgets and robots on stilts to cross-dressing whacker Pan Pan (the shows bring to mind risqué superclub Manumission at times); the fixtures and furniture are of the very glam sort (gleaming Louis IX furniture, etc); and the DJs are often big names. Head up the stairs lined with misshapen mirrors and you’ll find three floors of fun, two of them taken up by the main room and the mezzanine which overlooks it. In the LED-wrapped booth here, DJs spin mainly house and techno, while on the top floor it’s mainly hip-hop. However, they do mix things up, with a different theme every night.

BED SUPPERCLUB [map 3/C4] 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-651-3537 bedsupperclub.com | 7:30pm-1am It’s set to close next month but, with its uber-modern oval spaceship design, Bed Supperclub has been a hugely successful hybrid, and a Bangkok icon: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past eight years, Bed has attracted a fashionable crowd, and with its à-la-page white interior is definitely a place to see and be seen. The food is world-class on the cosy restaurant side, and the sleek design extends to an all-white bar on the club side. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over top-notch talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Big-name DJs tend to spin on Thursdays. Enjoy it while you can. 8 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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DEMO [map 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) 02-711-6970 | 8pm-1am | Free Easily the grittiest discoteca in the swish Thong Lor area is Demo: a squat former tenement building turned graffiti daubed brick warehouse. Featuring a terrace and bar outside, and lots of dark corners inside, not only does it look like a venue you’d find in East London or some other hipsterville; it sounds like one, too: instead of the usual mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast zeitgeisty nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system.

Funky Villa [MAP 3/R1] Thong Lor Soi 10 | 08-5253-2000 | 6pm-2am The name Funky Villa conjures images of roller-blading babes in bikinis, all partying at a Hugh Hefner-owned villa in the Med. The reality’s different. Steer your way through the fairground-sized car park, past the BMWs and chic lounge-deck area, and you’ll hit a swish one-storey house, more posh than funky. Some of Bangkok’s gilded youth chill on sofas and knock pool balls around in the front room; but most hit the fridge-cool dancehall to boogie away the week’s woes to live bands and hip-hop DJs. Forget about edgy sounds – here it’s all about getting down with the CEOs of tomorrow.

GLOW [Map 3/G5] 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | 02-261-3007 glowbkk.com | 6pm-1am This boutique club / bar challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of underground electronic pleasures. An intimate, stylish cave is decked out in dark walls, funky seating, innovative lighting and a dramatic bar. The music palette changes night-tonight but always excludes hip-hop (hurrah!). For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool website.

MIXX DISCOTHEQUE [MAP 4/H4] President Tower Arcade 973 Ploenchit Rd mixxdiscotheque.com | B350 | 10pm-late Located in basement annex of the Intercontinental Hotel, Mixx is classier than most of Bangkok’s after-hour clubs, but only slightly. It’s a two-room affair decked out with chandeliers and paintings and billowing sheets on the ceiling lending a desert tent feel. The main room plays commercial R&B and hip hop, the other banging techno and house. Expect a flirty, up-for-it crowd made up of colourful

Route 66 characters from across the late-night party spectrum. The entry price: B350 for guys, B300 for girls. That includes a drink and, as long as things go smoothly, the chance to party until nearly sunrise.

ROUTE 66 [Map 8/Q12] 29/33-48 Royal City Avenue | route66club.com B200 foreigners incl. drink / free for Thais Rammed with hordes of dressed-to-kill young Thais on most nights of the week, ‘Route’, as it is affectionately known, is RCA’s longest surviving superclub. There are three zones to explore (four if you count the toilets – probably the ritziest in town), each with its own bar, unique look and music policy. ‘The Level’ is the huge, alllasers-blazing hip-hop room; ‘The Classic’ spins house and techno; and Thai bands bang out hits in ‘The Novel’. Route is not a good place to lose your friends but can be a blast if you all get crazy around a table, be it inside or out on the big outdoors area. One sore point: unlike the locals, foreigners are charged a B200 entry fee (but get a free drink).

TAPAS [Map 5/J 5] Silom Soi 4 | 02-632-7982 tapasroom.net | 8pm-2am On the groovy little enclave of Silom Soi 4, Tapas is a party institution and one of the few mixed hang-outs on a heavily gay strip of lively bars and clubs. For more than 10 years it’s been pumping out excellent house music and live, bongo-bangin’ percussion sets as well. Multi-levelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Weeknights are very quiet, but weekends are always hopping from about midnights onwards. And if it’s not, there’s the outside terrace: a good spot for cocktails and some of the best people watching in town. The tipples are mixed strong, and watching this soi’s comings and goings an eye-opening experience to say the least. bangkok101.com

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listings

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Q Bar

THE CLUB [Map 7/F 5] 123 Khaosan Rd, Taladyod | 02-629-1010 theclubkhaosan.com | 6pm-2am B 100 (incl. one drink) The walk-in crowd of young Thais and backpackers must surely be amazed to find they’ve entered a techno castle on Khao San Road. The sky-high windows and raised central DJ turret lend a fairytale vibe, while the lasers, visuals and UV lighting hark back to mid 1990s psy-trance raves. Music-wise, it’s a loud, banging house serving up the full range of 4/4 beats, usually cranium-rattling electro house and techno. The drink prices are kind to your wallet and UV glowsticks handed out for free.

Q BAR [Map 3/C4] 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-252-3274 qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-1am Long-standing, New York-style night spot Q Bar is well-known for pouring stiff drinks (there are over 70 varieties of top-shelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with big name international DJs appearing regularly. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife twelve years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and a recent top-to-bottom renovation giving the venue a maximalist style injection. Now, there’s more room to dance and more lounge space, especially at QUP, the more downtempo upstairs area. Some relative solitude and a pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found up here and on the outdoor terrace, which is perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack. Ladies get free entry on Wednesday nights – and two free drinks!

hotel bars & clubs BARSU [map 3/F6] 1st F, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit 250, Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 bangkok101.com

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CM2

St Regis Bar

barsubangkok.com | 6pm-2am The informal yet sleek and minimally styled BarSu features the tagline ‘eat, play, dance,’ and appeals to the over-30 Bangkok crowd who feel disenfranchised by the city’s current nightlife offerings. To this end, there are five live bands for each night of the week. Comprised of students from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Jazz, Tenon Round’ are a gifted young quartet who perform every Tuesday from 8pm10pm. The other bands, JazzPlayground, PO8, Rhythm Nation and Hot Gossip, play from Wednesday to Saturday respectively. In between sets, the multi-talented DJ D’Zier spins an infectious blend of house, r&b, soul, latin and whatever else keeps you movin’. As well as creative cocktails (our pick: the tom yum yum - a cold cocktail version of the iconic hot and spicy soup), a ‘Night Bites’ menu of delicious premium finger food is also on hand to keep those energy levels up.

International / Thai food and a huge cocktail list are served, as is what they claim is Bangkok’s biggest pour – all drinks feature double shots for no extra charge. Currently the entrance fee is B550 (two drinks included). However ladies during the popular ‘Ladies Night’ every Monday and Thursday girls get in free, plus two standard drinks. Stalk their Facebook page for news of their popular monthly theme parties and drinks promotions.

CM2 [map 4/D5] B1 F, Novotel Siam Square, 392/44 Siam Square Soi 6 | 02-209-8888 | cm2bkk. com | 10pm-2am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s subterranean party cave still packs them in sixteen years after it first opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties. The big and quite 1980s disco looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) complex has lots of lounging space facing the dance floor, plus a sports bar with pool tables, smoking room, and an Absolut Vodka Lounge. It’s mainstream all the way. DJs play what the crowd wants, when they want it, usually the latest electro, funky house or hip-grinding R&B tune, while the live bands from Canada, Europe and Asia perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition. Currently that includes the impressive Crush Crew, who perform their renditions of modern hip-hop, R&B and other charting hits daily except Tuesday from 10:45pm onwards.

ST REGIS BAR [map 4/G 7] St Regis Bangkok Hotel, 159 Rajadamri Rd | 02-207-7777 | stregis.com | Mon-Fri 10am-1am,

Sat-Sun 10am-2am At 6:30pm each day a butler struts out on to the terrace of The St Regis Bar, a saber in one hand, a bottle of Moet & Chandon in the other. He then flicks at the collar until ‘pop!’, the cork flies off and bubbly spurts gently out on to the terrace. Come for this, stay for the view. Stretching along a plate glass window, the rectangle venue – with its suave masculine vibe, long bar, clubby sofas and high-ceilings – eyeballs the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club. It’s a lovely spot at sunset, even better on every second Sunday afternoon, when you can spy on the horseracing with a fine malt whiskey in hand.

Bars with views Above Eleven [MAP 3/C4] 33rd Fl Fraser Suites Sukhumvit Hotel, 38/8 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-207-9300 aboveeleven.com | 6pm-2am A west-facing 33rd floor rooftop bar with beautiful sunsets, Above Eleven is a winning combination. The outdoor wooden deck bar with glass walls for maximum view has a central bar, dining tables, lounge areas and huge daybeds for parties to slumber on. Tip: choose a seat on the north side – it gets windy to the south. There’s a great view, an impressive J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 8 5

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listings MOON BAR [Map 5/K8]

Long Table cocktail list, an electro soundtrack with special DJ nights on Wednesday (Salsa), Friday (Hip Hop) and Saturday (House), and this is Bangkok’s only Peruvian restaurant, a cuisine with a bit of worldwide buzz. It will suit the adventurous.

AMOROSA [Map 7/C12] 4th F, Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Rd (near Wat Po) 02-221-9158 | arunresidence.com | 6pm-1am Amorosa is a sultry, Moroccan-style balcony bar offering balmy river breezes, sour-sweet cocktails and a so-so wine list. The showstopper, though, is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, guests gaze out from its balcony terrace on to the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn, on the banks beyond. Go before sundown and enjoy watching the sun sink slowly behind it. Or come later, when amber floodlights make it glow against the night sky.

LONG TABLE [Map 3/H8] 25th F, 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 02-302-2557 | longtablebangkok.com 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing that draws Bangkok’s nouveau riche to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar. There’s also the trend-setting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes the medieval banquet bench look positively petite. However, it’s what happens at the end of the room that propels this place deep into the nightlife stratosphere. Where the long table ends, a tall plate glass window and huge poolside patio, complete with bar, begins. Out here, 25 floors up, you can glug signature ‘long-tail’ cocktails or new latitude wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hairtousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. It’s definitely a Sukhumvit high point. 8 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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61st F, Banyan Tree Bangkok, 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | banyantree.com 5pm-1am This is one place that will get you closer to the moon. The open-air bar lets you take in the urban Moloch from up-above in smart surroundings. With stunning 360° views, the hotel’s rooftop has been turned into a slick grill restaurant; one end is occupied by the bar. Nothing obstructs your view here, almost 200 metres high up. It’s the perfect spot for honeymooners – take a seat on the smart sofa stations, sip on a classy Martini or a yummy signature cocktail and feel romance welling up. For voyeurs, the telescope and binoculars come in handy. Glamour girls and unwinding business guys feel right at home here, too. Stay until the wee hours, nibble on sophisticated snacks, take in the light jazz – and never ever forget your camera.

NEST [Map 3/C4] 9th F, Le Fenix, 33/33 Sukhumvit Soi 11 02-305-4000 | lefenixsukhumvit.com 5pm-2am An all-white and urbane open-air oasis on the ninth floor of the sleek Le Fenix Hotel, Nest is a loungey and laid-back spot on weekdays and early evenings, with couples enjoying signature martinis and upmarket nibbles from the comfort of Thai-style swing beds and Nest-shaped rattan chairs. But on weekends, a more up-for-it crowd ascends, especially during special party nights. These include Mode, a shindig every second Saturday of the month that pumps hip-hop and house beats rather than the usual smooth Balearic sounds. What are the views alike? With buildings looming above you, not below you, here you feel part of the cityscape rather than detached from it.

RED SKY [Map 4/F 3] 56th F, Centara Grand at CentralWorld Rama 1 Rd | 02-100-1234 | centarahotelresorts.com | 5pm-1am Encircling the 56th floor turret of CentralWorld’s adjoining Centara Grand Hotel, the al fresco Red Sky offers panoramas in every direction. Just before sunset is the time to come – plonk yourself down on a rattan chair or oversized daybed and wait for the lightshow to begin. When daylight fades and the city lights up like a circuit-board, a live jazz band kicks in and Bangkok takes on a glam cosmopolitan aura.

Upscale bar snacks like slow-cooked baby back pork ribs and martinis, cocktails and wines are on hand to keep you company while your eyes explore the scenery. It’s not cheap, but the daily happy hours (buy one get one drink on selected wine, beer and cocktails from 5pm-7pm).

The Speakeasy [MAP 4/J6] Hotel Muse, 55/555 Lang Suan Rd 02-630-4000 | hotelmusebangkok.com 6pm-1am One of the newest al fresco rooftop bars, The Speakeasy has several sections, all radiating from the Long Bar, which you enter from the elevator. As the name suggests, the complex evokes the glamour of Prohibition Era USA, with fusion Deco details, mirrored wall panels and carved wood screens. Everything’s distressed, the parquet floors unvarnished – it’s a well-oiled joint with a warm, lived-in feel. On the wooden deck Terrace Bar people fill the lounge areas and tall tables that hug the classical balustrades overlooking Lang Suan. A long international snack menu stands out for decent portions at reasonable prices; spirits (from B 270) include luxury cognacs and malts; wines are B300-B600 a glass, while cocktails (from B 290) include home-made vodka infusions.

threeSixty [map 5/b2] Millennium Hilton, 123 Charoennakorn Road 02-442-2000 | hilton.com | 5pm-1am High above the glittering lights of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, ThreeSixty is the only Bangkok venue to enjoy unhindered views over the entire, dazzling metropolis. It also hosts live jazz musicians every day, all year round. A private glass lift takes guests all the way up to the 32nd floor which boasts panoramic vistas from its 130m tall, circular lounge. Guests can feast on a range of miniature culinary experiences, from foie gras to caviar or risotto, or sip on fine wines and cocktails as the sun sets in a blaze of colour behind Wat Arun. Just as gently, the soft lounge lights come on to create an atmosphere of casual intimacy. As the first stars appear from every corner of the sky, the city’s coolest jazz sounds will set the mood which true aficionados will not be able to resist.

SKY BAR / DISTIL [map 5/C5] 63rd F, State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd 02-624-9555 | thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Sky bar – attached to Med restaurant bangkok101.com

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listings

Apoteka Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it. Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond premium liquor and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. Adjacent to Asian seafood eatery Breeze, Ocean 52 sports yet another stunning view from the 51st – 52nd floors. These places are definitely not spots for the casual beach bum, so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smart casual dress code is enforced.

BARS THE ALCHEMIST [map 3/e8] 1/19 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 083-549-2055 Facebook: thealchemistbkk | Tue-Sun 5pmmidnight Fitting somewhere between Soi 11’s swank cocktail bars and the rickety dive bar aesthetic of the legendary Cheap Charlie’s, which it neighbours, The Alchemist is a stylishly stripped down drinking hole. Nothing more, nothing less. We approve, and so too, it seems, do the punters. Not only does it attract the spill-over from Cheap Charlie’s, it also draws a loyal crowd of its own, who savour the intimate atmosphere, occasional live music, proper his and her toilets (Cheap Charlie’s are infamous for their dinginess) and, above all, drinks prices. Currently rocking the drinks list are assorted martinis (dry, passionfruit and espresso), classic cocktails, random shooters, and some of the best mojitos you’ll find on this end of Sukhumvit.

Apoteka [map 3/e8] 33/28 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 090-626-7655 apotekabkk.com | Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 3pm-midnight As you may have guessed, the name is based on an outdated word for pharmacist and the place is meant to emulate a 19th bangkok101.com

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century apothecary. Unsurprisingly, it has an old-school feel. There are high ceilings, red brick walls and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being projected onto the wall. Indoor seating is a mix of tall tables with studded chairs, and long tables for larger groups along the main wall. Large cases filled with vintage colored bottles of medicine flank the bar. The outdoor seating is mellow – a wooden patio with some cozy furniture that could be a nice place to curl up on a date or meet some friends for a smoke and a beer. Drink selection includes a nice selection of beer (the Framboise Ale at B250 is delightful), Heineken for just B135, and custom cocktails cost you B230. Keep your eyes peeled for the whisky and cigar lounge: a room hidden off to the side of the staircase. With muted green brocade on the walls, low leather couches, and Johnnie Walker in glass cases, this space is available for private parties or just chill sessions.

Badmotel [MAP 3/R6]

331/4-5 Soi Thonglor | 02-712-7288 5pm-1am | facebook.com/badmotel The name Badmotel may conjure up something kitsch and grimy but, in fact, this three floor bar and restaurant is extremely sparsely decorated and painted a bright white, giving it the feel of a pre-decorated house. The top two floors can feel a little lacking in atmosphere, but the ground floor’s buzzing bar and tree-lined garden make a very pleasant spot to sip on the venue’s ‘Creation Cocktails’, all B220. The imaginative drinks menu includes locally inspired must-tries like the Hahaha Martini (made from Ketel vodka, homemade chilli liqueur, galangal, cumin powder and pickled grapes), Teenager’s Iced Tea (made using traditional Thai tea with four sprits and liqueur) and the Never Say Never (a rumbased cocktail served with Thai dessert condiments). The venue lends itself well to gathering a few friends and sharing a few dishes, and at around B200 for most Thai dishes (we recommend the very spicy duck confit larb, B150), it’s affordable enough to sample a selection.

BARLEY BISTRO [map 5/h5] 4/F Food Channel, Silom Road | 087-033-3919 daily 5pm-late | barleybistro.com Hidden up some stairs at the Food Channel, an enclave of franchise-like restaurants, Barley Bistro is slick and snazzy. The design is chic (blacks and greys, white-on-black stencil art); the drinks funky (lychee mojitos, testtube cocktails etc); the food new-fangled (spaghetti kimchi

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etc); and the clientele wholesome (Thai office workers mostly). Do check out the open-air rooftop. Though not quite worthy of our ‘Bars with a View’ section – it’s boxed in by buildings – it’s littered with cooling fans, huge bean bags and funky barleystalk sculptures and good for postwork/ pre-club cocktails.

BREW [map 3/Q6] Seen Space, Thonglor Soi 13 | BTS Thonglor 02-185-2366 | brewbkk.com | Mon-Sun 4pm-2am It wasn’t so long ago that the beer selection here was comprised entirely of the ubiquitous local lagers and the Heinekens and Carlsbergs of this world. The fact that it doesn’t anymore is largely thanks to Chris Foo, the owner of this beer bar tucked away on the ground floor of Thonglor Soi 13’s happening mini-mall Seenspace. Depending on what time of year it is, Brew stocks between 140 and 170 bottles of ales, lagers, ciders, you name it. Currently, the setting in which you sip them is hip in Thonglor circles. That’s not so much down to Brew’s tiny interior, with its exposed piping and bar flanked by kegs of beer and brick walls, as the buzzing outdoor area it shares with futuristic cocktail bar Clouds and the nautically themed Fat’r Gutz.

CAFÉ TRIO [map4 / H6] 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | BTS Chit Lom 02-2526572 | 6 pm-1 am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sun of the month Cafe Trio is just about the only bar worth seeking out on Lang Suan Road. Tucked down a narrow alley just off the upmarket residential street, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars – a true neighbourhood place. Cafe Trio overflows with plush couches, the lighting delightfully soft, the music always subdued. The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and has plastered the walls with her Modiglianiesque, Vietnamese inspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and head 50m down the road.

CHEAP CHARLIE’S [map 3/D6] Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight This joint is a Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety hole-in-the-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest Sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 8 7

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listings Moose

tourists in-the-know to fill up on B 70 beers and pocket-change G&Ts before heading off to eat and party – though don’t be surprised if you end up here all night. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little sub-soi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.

CLOUDS [Map 3/Q2] 1st F, SeenSpace, 251/1 Thong Lor Soi 13, 02-185-2365 | cloudslounge.com The third bar by Australian Ashley Sutton – the mad scientist of Bangkok’s bar scene – is, as we’ve come to expect, something entirely unexpected. Evoking a future where ‘there are no more natural resources’, this slim concrete shell at the rear of hip lifestyle mall SeenSpace has a living tree encased in glass in one corner, and concrete blocks, topped with lumps of translucent leafencasing acrylic, for tables. Vodka-based cocktails (B 280) by New York mixultant Joseph Boroski are prepped by ‘NASA technicians’ in white overalls; and the food offerings tasty misshapen pizzas, cooked in a gas-oven behind the bar and served in steel trays. A lively crowd-puller with indoor and outdoor seating, the result is enjoyably bizarre: think space-station drinking hole.

FACE BANGKOK (map3/S7) 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38 | 02-713-6048 facebars.com | 11.30am-1am Jim Thompson, move over. Face’s visually stunning complex is reminiscent of Jim’s former mansion, with Ayutthaya-style buildings and thriving flora, it’s just bigger and bolder. The Face Bar is a dimly-lit place that summons deluxe drinkers with its cosy settees, ambient soundscape, and giant cocktails. Though often empty, the big drink list will stop your body clock pretty fast. The two restaurants – Hazara serving Northern Indian and Lan Na Thai serving traditional Thai – are full of fab all-Asian decor; they’re romantic and inviting, but you might be let down by the tiny portions, and the flamboyant prices. Stay in the Bar and order from the snack menu instead. And have another Japanese Slipper.

FAT GUT’Z [map 3/Q2] 264 Thong Lor Soi 12 027-149-832 | fatgutz.com | 6pm-2am This sleek saloon is packed nightly with beautiful people, there to listen to live blues, indulge in carefully crafted drinks, and, perhaps, catch a glimpse of its in-demand 8 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Face Bangkok owner, Ashley Sutton, the Australian behind the legendary Iron Fairies. Unlike his first bar, Fat Gut’z displays a less obvious sense of whimsy – here, the random fittings and industrial decor are replaced by straight lines and black-coloured, modern furnishings. It all feels rather serious, until you open the drinks menu. Sutton brought in master New York mixologist Joseph Boroski to create 16 unique cocktails (B285 each), all named after famous WWII shipwrecks. This nautical theme loosely ties in with the short menu, from which the most popular dish is, of course, the fish ‘n’ chips (B320 for one person, B600 for two).

quality beers in the world are brewed in Belgium – and it’s been that way since Belgian monasteries started doing so in the Middle Ages.House of Beers, in the corner of Penny’s Balcony on Thong Lo, offers all sorts of them, from pale ales, like Leffe Blonde and Hoegaarden, to esoteric, doubly fermented specials, like Kwak, plus fruit beers. The liquid refreshment also comes augmented by Belgian fries and Tapas-style bar snacks, like steamed mussels in various sauces. It’s all served up a Euro-style café, which although petite, is decorated with woods and warm colours.

FIVE Gastronomy & Mixology

65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee 02-168-5152 | 11am-1am | hydeandseek.com This stylish downtown gastro bar is a deadringer for those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pickmeup cocktails and good food that doesn’t break the bank. Heading the kitchen is Ian Kittichai, the brains behind the successful Kittichai restaurant in New York, while the bar is helmed by the boys behind Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgian-influenced décor has paneled walls, clubby chairs and a large central bar, where snacks like beer battered popcorn shrimps and baby back ribs glazed with chocolate and chilli go well with fancy, custom-made cocktails or Belgian ales. Outside, there’s a spacious terrace with swing seats and a mini-maze of tea plants to partition dining areas.

[MAP 3/O9]

Room 103, K Village, Sukhumvit Soi 26 088-524-5550 | facebook.com/fivebkk 6pm-1am daily Five brings a welcome wand blast of gothic whimsy to K Village, an otherwise aesthetically uninspiring community mall. Its owner, Pattriya Na Nakorn, invited bar entrepreneur Ashley Sutton to work his magic with a vacant plot on the ground floor. And, completing her dream team is Joseph Boroski, the same New York based cocktail ‘mixologist’ that Sutton uses. His bars always engage the day-dreamy part of your brain and this black magic themed one is no different. Think clanking pulleys, monumental iron piping and flickering candles. Indeed, even the staff look like they’ve stumbled off the set of Harry Potter. Creepily-monikered eats include fried bat wings (herb-coated chicken wings).

HOUSE OF BEERS [map 3/r6] Penny’s Balcony, Corner of Thong Lor Soi 16 02-392-3513 | 11am-midnight If you fancy something that suits your palate a little more than the limited selection of Thai beers, there are ubiquitous, crowded “Irish” and “British” theme pubs or several sprawling German beer gardens around town. But the most varied and numerous

HYDE & SEEK [Map 4/L5]

Moose [MAP 3/S3] Ekamai 21 | 02-108-9550 facebook.com/moosebangkok Tucked away behind Tuba and up a shabby looking staircase, Moose is one of the most talked about new bars in the city. The same team behind Cosmic Café and Sonic have revamped this warehouse-sized space into the latest retro-inspired hipster bar. Brick walls, a small tree here and bangkok101.com

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listings there, flickering candles and an alarming number of mounted animal heads create a relaxed, living-room-esque ambience. A DJ spins unobtrusive tunes while authentic and delicious Thai food, such as salted pork neck (150 baht) and southern style curry (B160) ensures the bar consistently draws a young, local crowd who know their food. Cocktails are just as appealing. The refreshing Smirnoff vodka-based Melon Cooler and the fresh mango and Tanqueray gin-based Yellow Submarine is thick like a smoothie and strong, like any great cocktail.

OSKAR BISTRO [map 3/D5] 24 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-255 3377 4pm-2am; kitchen open until 11:30pm Lively Oskar has the electro music and low ceiling cellar dimensions to qualify as clubby; and, with a dominant central bar, it’s perhaps more brasserie than bistro. The food choice includes sandwiches, the Oskar burger (wagyu beef – what else?), pizzas and a section of cocottes. Almost all are under B300, which for food of this surprising quality is a steal. Most people come here though not for the food but for a pre-club libation or two: be it glass of wine (from B145 a glass), imported bottle beer, or reasonably priced cocktail. Close to Bed Supperclub and Q Bar, its own ambient, loungey sounds crank up as the night matures, and – although there’s no dance space – many of the mixed Thai-farang crowd are happy to linger. It’s a good meal and drinks option for a date or business, but also a lively pick-up joint without the pressure of full-on dress-to-kill. Book ahead if you want a table.

SALT [MAP 8/L7] Soi Ari (near Soi 4) | 02-619-6886 6pm-midnight Worth heading to Soi Ari for, Salt is a hipster-luring gastro bar with a post-modern finish. Seating is either out on an outdoor terrace or in a minimalist concrete shell – a former condominium sales office no less – with a bar at the far end and lots of raw marble, stone and wooden furniture. Behind them sits an old wooden house which is used to project digital animations on and offers extra seating. This is the sort of ubertrendy space that the editors of Wallpaper* and other design bibles kneel down and kiss the floor at, but what makes Salt is the global cuisine that’s coming out the kitchen, from fresh sashimi platters to generously dressed thin-crust pizzas cooked in a proper wood fire. Creative concoctions like the Bangkok Mule (a long glass of Mekong bangkok101.com

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rum, brown sugar, ginger ale and diced raw lemongrass) are the work of one of the mixologists from Soi Ruam Rudee’s designer cocktail bar Hyde & Seek.

SHADES OF RETRO [Map 8/s14] Soi Tararom 2, Thong Lor | 081-824-8011 3pm-1am | Cash only Hipster attic, here we come – Shades of Retro is a hidden Thong Lor spot awash in neo-nostalgia and stuffed with vintage furniture, vinyl records, old rotary telephones. A combo furniture storecafé,Shades provides a quiet hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd by day, funpeople-watching at night, and nice jazz at all times. Curl up on a nubby couch, flip through a Wallpaper* magazine and soak up the atmosphere, which flirts with being too ironic for its pants. A cool, friendly crowd and bracing cocktails or coffee served up with popcorn thankfully humanises the hip customers.

Spot On Beach Bar & Lounge [MAP 3/R6]

139 Thonglor Soi 10 | BTS Thonglor | 082-4880169 | www.facebook.com/SpotOnBeachBar | Mon - Sun 5pm – 2am Spot On attempts to recreate the charms of a laid back beach bar right in the heart of Thong Lor. The concept – some may callit a gimmick – is that of a sun-downer bar beachfront bar, complete with sandcovered floor. Other seaside-y touches include decking, tables that double up as tanks, chilled out music and some over-enthusiastic fans which, if you close your eyes, could well be a coastal breeze ruffling your ‘do (don’t panic, there’s air con, too). Patrons are welcome to kick off their shoes and slip on a pair of the bar’s flip flops or simply sink their toes into the fine white sand near the bar. Or, if you don’t fancy that idea, you can enjoy the beach vibe from the comfort of the decked area, where you can sink into a sofa in the open air section overlooking the street below. The extensive menu, showcased on iPads, includes some experimental and tasty options such as Mango Daiquiri, Spice Me Up (a not-very-spicy mix of vodka, triple sec, chilli and brown sugar) and The 7 Deadly Sins (tequila, gin, vodka, contreau, cognac, peppermint, sparkling wine and pineapple juice).

TUBA [Map 8/S14] 34 Room 11-12A, Ekkamai Soi 21 02-711-5500 | design-athome.com | 11am-2am Owned by the same hoarders behind

Viva & Aviv furniture warehouse Papaya, Tuba is a Bangkok classic: room upon room of haphazardly arranged kitsch, all of which you’re free to skulk through at your leisure. Some come here to snag a comfy sofa, retro sign or goofy tchotchke. Others come for the big menu of Italian and Thai dishes tweaked for the local palate. But for us, it works best as a bar, as the setting and generous happy hours (buy one get one free between 5-8pm daily) mean there really are few cooler places to kick back with a sweet cocktail in hand (or two hands in some cases – the glassware can be that big!). A word to the wise: one glass too many and you may leave with more than you bargained for. Another caveat: smokers are allowed to puff away.

VIVA & AVIV [map 5/C2] River City-Unit 118, 23 Trok Rongnamkhaeng, Charoen Krung Soi 30 | 02-639-6305 vivaaviv.com | 11am-midnight, later on weekends Viva Aviv reminds us of one of the hipper bars along Singapore’s Clarke Quay. Not only does it have the bar tables and stools jutting across a riverside promenade, inside there’s also a hip designer interior in full effect. Think tropical maritime chic meets dashes of outright whimsy. While the owner, Khun Ae, is responsible for this rustic look, the bar is being looked after by the cocktail designers behind popular gastrobar Hyde and Seek. Their ‘Rough Cut’ Signatures, many of them underpinned with rum (tequila is so last year, apparently), come in slightly cheaper than over at Hyde & Seek, B250. Food is also served; our favourite dish the risotto-filled croquet balls with yoghurt dip.

Water Library @ Grass [map 3/q2]

Grass Thonglor, 264/1 Thong Lor Soi 12 02-714-9292 | Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am Aside from its upmarket, inventive set menu dining on the first floor restaurant, The Water Library also has three lounge and wine bar areas downstairs with funky food, J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 8 9

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listings

cocktails and live music at not audacious prices. A set menu of three cocktails paired with tapas bites at B790 is a pleasant surprise to many, and their wine list starts at a mere B900 a bottle. Water Library is one-to-watch on the regional drinking and dining scene. The very talented mixologist Mirko Gardelliano was Germany’s Cocktail Champion in 2003, while the wine bar chef Urs Lustenberger worked with Michelin three star chef Juan Amador. This operation has a small cool bar, all black and glass, and opposite through full wall windows a clubby wine bar with just three tables, leather chairs and sofas and wine racks. Between is an outdoor space, covered against the rain, where on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9pm a live band plays at low enough volume to chat. The list of 600 wine labels they claim is the biggest selection in town and their 33 cocktails use infusions of herbs and spices, plus alcohol perfumes that add both theatre and aroma.

WONG’S PLACE [Map 8/L17] 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen, Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | 02-286-1558 Mon-Sat 10 pm-late It’s amazing how Wong’s Place stays in business. It’s not near any public transport; opens when it wants, closes when it wants; plays crackly videos from Top of the Pops in 1985; has a couple of serve-yourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers, hipsters, creative Thais and professional barflies who have been coming here for years and regard owner Sam as a kind of benevolent dictator, knowing better than to take advantage of the beer fridges honour system. Come before midnight and it’s usually pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom – and sit back to watch the night unfold.

WTF [Map 3/Q6] 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 | 02- 626-6246 | wtfbangkok.com | Tue-Sun 6pm-1am This tiny shophouse – signposted by graffiti on a corrugated tin wall in the street opposite – has a bar on the ground floor, decked out with mirrors along one wall, old Thai movie posters on the other, and found items like wooden screen doors and chairs. It works. The Thaifarang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual 9 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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WTF bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo and feta salad.

LIVE MUSIC ADHERE the 13TH [Map 7/G3] 13 Samsen Rd (opposite Soi 2) 089-769-4613 | 5pm-midnight | Funky, jammy, bare – one of Bangkok’s coolest hangouts is nothing more than an aisle packed with five tables, a tiny bar and instruments. It’s a joint you’d expect to find on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, except for the unibiquitous Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), this down-to-earth, bohemian hang-out packs ’em in nightly. On weekends, young Thais, expats and tourists spill out on the sidewalk when the joint is jumpin’. The resident band churns out cool blues, Motown and Janis Joplin; Georgia, the city’s only true Blues Mama, has a voice and figure to match, and would never sing Hotel California.

Le Bar de l’Hôtel [Map3/G9] Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 189 Sukhumvit Road (btw Soi 13-15) | 02-126-9999 | BTS Nana or Asoke | Daily 11am-midnight Hotel lobby bars are as safe and predictable as Justin Bieber. Which makes the Sofitel Sukhumvit’s introduction of Chai, one of Bangkok best blues guitarists, particularly welcome. And neither have they stuffed him in a suit. Dressed in jeans and T-shirt, his shaggy ZZ Top beard on full display, Chai throws the sleepy cool of Howling Wolf. And when he cranks up the guitar it sounds like grating steel. For these gigs, running every Friday and Saturday, Chai calls his band the Blues Delivery, a seven piece line up of guitar/vocals, sax, trumpet, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion. The only thing missing from a traditional blues night is the grungy venue. Le Bar is hotel chic: an intimate 38-seat venue with a laid back vibe

Raintree and slouchy sofas and cushions. Other music nights with special deals include the Neung Jakkawal Band every Wednesday (cocktails from B199net) and Siam Cubano, with Salsa on Thursdays (six oysters and free flow sparkling wine, B1499 net).

THE ROCK PUB [Map 4/C2] 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phaya Thai Rd, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi therockpubbangkok.com | 9:30 pm-2 am If Def Leppard, Aerosmith or Wayne and Garth were in town you’d find them reliving the glory years here, at Bangkok’s very own Castle of Rock. A tacky faux-turret exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride you’ve stumbled on, while inside local metal bands sporting Brian May hairdos and crotch-hugging jeans thrash out note-perfect renditions of everything from Black Sabbath to Sweet Child O’Mine and Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. Fans of the extended drum interl ude or lightening fast guitar solo will not be disappointed – or able to resist doing the Devil’s Horn.

RAINTREE PUB [Map 8/K10] 116/63 34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd 02-245-7230 | raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age timecapsule. Raintree hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970’s folk protest music and soundtrack for Thailand’s politically disaffected. On a stage decorated with the movement’s trademark buffalo skulls, two artists strum nightly: a longhaired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30 pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11 pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring. bangkok101.com

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listings Sonic

Chinese and German grub (especially the deep-fried pork knuckle and sausage), and, not least, the famous Fong Nam houseband. It’s laidback early on, but by 10pm, when the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam songs are at full pelt, everybody is on their feet and the place going bananas.

Jazz clubs SAXOPHONE PUB [Map 8/K10] 3 / 8 Phaya Thai Rd | 02-246-5472 saxophonepub.com | 6pm-2am Just a stone’s throw from the Victory Monument Skytrain Station, this cozy, unpretentious place is a Bangkok landmark when it comes to solid live jazz and blues. Attracting youngish Thais and the odd foreigner, the spacious joint can pack up to 400 people on its homey, low-ceilinged, woodfilled floors. Each night, two talented Thai bands belt out a musical feast of sincere jazz, jazzy funk and R&B while the crowd feasts on hearty Thai and Western fare. All the local live music scene greats have played here and many still pop by when they can.

Sonic [MAP 3/T2] 90 Ekamai (Sukhumvit Soi 63) | 02-382-3396 facebook: sonic.ekamai | 6pm-2am Hip, mural-splattered Sonic is dedicated to bringing you assorted musical jollies. Not the same old Thai bands or David Guetta wannabes, but nights that sit at the more alternative end of the spectrum, with a tilt toward the indie side, making them popular with hip Thai students. There’s a big semioutdoor seating area with DJ booth, an indoor bar and deeper in is the main room. On quieter nights stools and tables fill this high-ceilinged, warehouse-like space with a bar in one corner and funky brass lamps dangling overhead, but for gigs and other crowd-pullers they strip it bare. Since it opened, Sonic has blasted its way into the affections of the city’s hard-to-please nightlife clans with a string of unusual live gigs and themed nights.

TAWANDAENG GERMAN BREWERY [MAP2 /E11]

462 / 61 Rama III Rd, Yan Nawa district 02- 678-1114 | tawandang.co.th The one place that every taxi driver seems to know, this vast, barrel-shaped beer hall packs in the revelers nightly. They come for the towers of micro-brewed beer, the Thai, bangkok101.com

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Diplomat Bar

BAMBOO BAR [Map 5/B4] The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave 02-659-9000 | mandarinoriental.com Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in one of the city’s most sophisticated hotels, the 50-year-old bar oozes class, sophistication and style. Reminiscent of a tropical film noir-setting, it features a jungle theme – bamboo, palm fronds and furry patterns. Small and busy, it’s never theless romantic and intimate – balanced by the legendary Russian jazz band that’s been on the stage here for ages. Monday through Saturday nights catch the sultry sounds of their current resident songstress, Cynthia Utterbach. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bar tenders and served by a superb staff. Ideal for a boozy night on your honeymoon. A definite big Bangkok must.

Brown Sugar [Map 7/J5] 469 Phrasumen Road | 089-499-1378 brownsugarbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Little over a month after it closed down, one of Bangkok’s oldest cosiest jazz venue was back with a new, bigger location near Khao San. Now a restaurant and coffee house by day, it morphs into a world-class, jazz café-style haunt where renditions of bebop and ragtime draw an audience of locals and visitors by night. Its exterior is impressive, resembling a ritzy old cinema house. And inside, it’s huge, with a daytime coffeeshop up front, a versatile 200-seater ‘Playhouse’ upstairs, and the big, openplan jazz pub and restaurant out back.

DIPLOMAT BAR [Map 4/K7] Conrad Bangkok | 87 Witthayu Rd | 02-6909999 conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu 6pm-1am; Fri-Sat 6pm-2am An architecturally striking hotel bar, mixing a funky, stylish décor with soft teak sofas and an arresting chandelier hanging over the massive round bar. Bronze silks and wood dominate this dark, contemporary,

but always relaxed place. A boozy, highprofile crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buy-oneget-one-free Happy Hour from 4-7pm (standard drinks only). It’s very hip among the diplomatic corps – because Witthayu is stuffed with embassies – trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for people-ogling. But the main attraction here is definitely more aural than visual and exceptional jazz acts are de rigueur, given the discerning crowd..

THE LIVING ROOM [Map 4/F6] Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd 02-649-8888 | thelivingroomatbangkok.com 9am-midnight Perhaps the cosiest of all Bangkok’s luxury hotel bars, the leather couches at The Living Room are so snug it’ll be hard to get up again once you’re seated. It’s a stylish place, and the usually middle-aged patrons live it up on great wines, champagne and strong cocktails in a quiet way. The highceilinged foyer offers perfect acoustics for the fabulous jazz band. Be prepared to be well-entertained. World-class talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport.

Niu’s on Silom [Map 5/E5] 2nd F, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am This New York-style lounge – with its hot jazz, old leather armchairs and roses on candlelit tables – has a house band with some of Bangkok’s better local talent. They provide the backbone for various international acts who perform regularly. There’s also a jazz jam every Sunday and occasional concerts featuring established overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfor table for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concer to Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available. J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 9 1

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DA+PP Words by Gaby Doman

A+PP is the playful little sister to Dapper, with a lower price point and a little bit more of a sense of humour. The brand has all the hallmarks of a cutesy Thai fashion brand; the woodland creature prints, the country gentleman short-suits, the collared dresses and the obligatory hats. While it may not be the most ground-breaking in design, it sure is adorable. Listen up, hipsters on a budget; DA+PP has all the coloured brogues, turned-up trousers and shapeless dresses you could possibly want. Unoriginality aside, the collection is an appealing one. Who couldn’t find a space in their wardrobe for a fox-print shirt dress or a pencil skirt with a hunting dog painting on it? The latest collection takes the idea of an eccentric British hunter and gives it a sugary twist. As well as the woodland animal prints, there are plenty of cardigans, checked detailing, faux shoulder patches and a lovely line in loafers. The colour palette is equally huntsman-inspired, with earthy browns, mustards, navy blue, khaki and burnt orange dominating the collection. Each piece is highly wearable and, if you can’t afford to invest in highly trendy pieces that’ll be out of fashion faster than you can whip them off the hanger, DA+PP is a safe bet, with timeless pieces you can wear year-in, year-out and style in numerous different ways: slinky pencil skirts, high-waisted shorts and button-through dresses make up the bulk of this smart-casual label. Despite this whole hipster look becoming a little bit tedious, there’s no denying DA+PP do it well – much better than some of the other designers still championing this look. The pieces are pretty, well-made and very reasonably priced. We also can’t deny that we’re coveting, among other items, the navy blue knee-length coat with toggle button detailing and anything with the hunting dogs on it. But, we are starting to get to the point where we feel Thai designers can’t simply rely on tailored shorts and a colourful pair of shoes to pass for style anymore. Come on, Bangkok; step up! We know you can come up with something more inspiring!

available at: Siam Centre, CentralWorld, Zen, The Mall Bang Kapi and CentralPlaza outlets Check da-pp.com

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SHOPPING

unique boutique

Spoonful Zakka Cafe L

angsuan Road, realm of the white collar worker and aimlessly roaming expat housewife, hides a place where you can cool down, enjoy a brew and also shop. Stocking everything from kitchenware to stationery to clothing (all of it registering in the red on our cuteometer), Spoonful Zakka Café is a stylish space that owes its philosophy to the Japanese design and fashion phenomenon known as zakka. In a nutshell, this term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance – objects that make daily life that little bit easier and, also, stylish. Writing in the New York Times about the trend back in 2001, Kaori Shoji remarked that “the value of a zakka is also measured on the atmosphere of the shop where it was bought,” and also that “it’s impossible to step into any of them and not feel transported into an extremely posh and private museum”. This most definitely applies to Spoonful, with its eclectically stocked shelves lined with everything from cartoon stamp seals (B115) and knitted shoulder bags to Scandinavian style wooden spoons and forks (B45-60) and umbrellas imported from Japan. Once you’ve finished fondling all the slightly corny, yet highly practical, trinkets and gifts, definitely be sure to check out the on-site cafe. This was founded on the belief that a good cup of tea (B145) or homemade scone (B160 for two pieces) is just as important to good living as a pretty notebook or roll of patterned masking tape. One bite of their matcha (green tea flavoured) scones should be enough to convince you they’re on to something. 9 4 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Spoonful Zakka Café [MAP 4/J6] Unit 201 The Portico, Lang Suan Rd 02-652-2278 | spoonfulzakka.com

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unique boutique

SHOPPING

Hardcover I

t’s been all doom and gloom for books and those who cherish them in recent years. However, the opening of Hardcover last month over at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre proves that there might just be life in the old dog yet. Founded by Shane Suvikapakornkul from Serindia Gallery and Publishing, this gleaming new store is an importer of art tomes from home and abroad, most coming in over the B1000 mark. Many, if not all, of the world’s leading art publishers are represented here. From Prestel Publishing’s catalogue, we leafed through contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals as well as slickly produced books full of North Korean and Chinese political propaganda posters. We were also drawn to the selection of cool illustrative and graphic art books by UK publishers Nobrow located on a shelf near the door – and Taschen’s breezeblocksized James Bond 007 Archives. It’s not just imported fare, either. There are plenty of regional and homegrown publications up for grabs too: out-of-print Thai exhibition catalogs that Shane has clearly been hoarding; signed copies of National Artist Kamol Tassananchalee’s new compilation of watercolours, Under the Eastern Sky; and more coffee-table books on contemporary Thai architecture than the next Duangrit Bunnag could possibly need. Unsurprisingly, Serindia’s own catalogue is also well-represented. Our picks: the excellent 30 Heritage Buildings of Yangon, which traces the modern history of Myanmar’s former capital through its crumbling colonialera architecture; and its latest release Art of Southeast Asian Textiles, which is a compendium of top Bangkok law firm Tilleke & Gibbins’ prized, museum-quality textile collection. Whether Hardcover can find its niche in spite of the growing popularity of admittedly rather sexy digital reading experiences such as the iPad and Kindle is not clear, but this much we do know: art book fetishists will find it hard to resist a purchase.

Hardcover: The Art Book Shop

[MAP 4/B4]

3rd Floor, Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama 1 Rd 02-214-3155 | 11am-8pm Tue-Sun | hardcoverartbookshop.com

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market watch

Saphan Phut

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

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If it all gets too much, take time out from shopping and go for a stroll over the bridge itself, sit down for a late-night snack; or head over to the next door Pak Khlong Talat– the famous Flower Market. Ehile you may have already visited this historic part of town during the blistering heat of day, it’s now time to see it in a completely new light.

saphan phut

[MAP 7/g15]

Take Chao Phraya Express Boat to Saphan Phut / Memorial Bridge stop (N6)

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jj gem

SHOPPING

defy Jet black walls, gold gilt frame display cases and one very creepy skeleton mannequin. Defy, with its three branches scattered around JJ, is clearly not your average girly jewelry store. To complete your emo rock chick makeover, this rebellious version of Harry Winston is a must visit, flogging chunky gothic pieces made from brass, such as skull or moose’s horn rings, and bullet or axe pendant necklaces. Each one is a snip, costing only in the B250-350 range. You know where you can go stick your diamonds. Here at Defy brass is a girl’s best friend.

defy Section 2 Soi 1 086-809-9973 | thedefy.com

Jatujak Market

Forget designer malls. Jatujak weekend market is Bangkok’s true paragon of retail. This is shopping as survival of the fittest: only those with finely tuned consumer instincts shall persevere. The rest can go and get lost – literally aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which thousands descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, Jatujak (also spelled as Chatuchak) quickly outgrew the confines of the insect world to become much more than the sum of its disparate parts. These days, young Thai designers take advantage of the low onsite rent to punt their creative wares; if you so desire, you can peruse piles of customised Zippos that once belonged to American GIs; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section particularly supports the theory that Jatujak has evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for obviously illegal activites). All this can be a bit overwhelming at first, but persevere and a semblance of order should begin to crystallise from the chaos. Go in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat and the crowds. Or come for a leisurely browse on Friday before the real deluge hits; although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fully blown, unadulterated Jatujak fix. bangkok101.com

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> The Jatujak market of Bangkok Amber House Books | hardcover | B1,950

The Jatujak Market of Bangkok presents photographer Simon Bonython’s visual inter pretation of Bangkok’s world-famous weekend market, giving particular emphasis on candid snaps of the general public and the characters who work there. In spite of the dark alleys and typically poorly lit stalls, Simon avoided using a tripod or flash, making for spontaneous, natural shots that capture the heat, buzz and colour of this labyrinthine treasure trove. J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 9 7

20/06/2013 13:30

WELLN ESS

treatment Hapa

Pranali

Chivit Chiva

Chivit Chiva Massages & Spa [Map 4/F5]

16/1-2, Sukhumvit Soi 19 | 02-253-0607-8 chivitchivaspa.com | 10am-11pm

Enter this soothing spa, close the door to Bangkok behind you and wave the chaos of the Asok intersection area goodbye. At this top-notch day spa, there are five spa rooms and four Thai rooms, all simple yet exotic, some with private shower. All 12 staff are expertly trained and the menu of available treatments is extensive, featuring facials, body, foot and oil massages, spa packages as well as more funky treatments such as stone massages. They also offer a variety of body scrubs with everything from coffee to seaweed, salt and apple. The B1600 baht oil massage is splendid, your 90-minute professional massage including a choice of your favourite oil scent, a private massage room with a shower attached and a bathrobe.

HAPA SPA [map 3/D8] 20/4 Sukumvit Soi 3 | 02-651-0966 hapaspa.com | 10am-0pm

Wedged between multi-story condos and weirdish hotels, Hapa’s location

Pimmalai 9 8 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

098-099_wellness.indd 98

stands out insofar as you’d never expect a professional spa in an alley off Afro-Arab Nana. A long, glass-walled building draws in the uninitiated through its unique circular entrance and purpletinged salon to metal boxes. Inside your own private bunker, a stylish, serene setting includes inspired mini gardens, soft purple and cream tones and beds accommodating even the longest-legged Westerner. The extensive menu features the signature Aromatherapy massage, organic body scrubs and other tastysounding body delights, plus infrared thermal sauna, all executed by cheery, competent therapists. The all-natural house products are for sale, just as is a wide selection of organic teas and healthy drinks.

PIMMALAI [Map 2/H11] 2105/1 Sukhumvit Rd (between Soi 81 & 83 02-742-6452 | pimmalai.com | 10:30am-10pm

This traditional Northern Thai house is almost a stereotype in its authenticity. Tropical foliage harbours a tall teak and red-brick Lanna structure, inviting in its combo of simplicity and intricate trimming (translate that into high ceilings, pottery and bamboo).

Refreshingly simple, airy rooms proffer a calming background for convincing treatments. The short menu contains the absolute classics (plus ear candling, which we love; other favourites are the Eye Treatment and the Scalp Massage). Nana – Pimmalai’s owners must be goodhearted souls not out for any profit. Plan to spend a whole day here, enjoying several treatments. In between, browse the spa shop, buy sarongs and the whole range of intriguing Pimm bath and body products. Fret not about the location – Pimmalai is minutes away from a BTS Station. An absolute must – one of our all-time favourites, in fact.

PRANALI WELLNESS SPA [MAP 4/D4] 3rd F, Unit 334, Siam Paragon | 02-610-9596 pranaliwellness.com | 10am-9pm

The lonely walk, to the pin-drop quiet end of Siam Paragon mall’s third floor, is worth it. Award -winning Pranali delivers ancient techniques in what resembles a shiny Zen spaceship (albeit one that’s landed next to a Martha Stewart furniture store). Past the storefront selling Pranali’s luscious takehome ointments, milkyglass corridors lead to seven private treatment rooms, each named after one of the seven chakras (Visuddha, Anahata etc). Beside your massage bed, tassels of fibre-optic lighting or artinstallation like bamboo arrangements– not to mention mystical muzak – lend a serene, futuristic quality. Many, eager to get back to the shops no doubt, opt for a warp speed foot rub or facial; but Pranali’s well worth a linger. Spa costs $ :: under B600 $$ :: B600-B1000 $$$ :: B1000-B2000 $$$$ :: B2000+

bangkok101.com

19/06/2013 17:46

treatment

WELLN ESS

indulge at The Peninsula Spa I

f you spend most of your time in Bangkok on the eastern side of the Chao Praya river, it’s easy to forget about the attractions across the water. Suffice to say, a session at the Peninsula Spa in Klongsan makes the trip across the bridge entirely worthwhile. Throughout, opulence is fused seamlessly with a relaxed, welcoming approach – en route to the treatment room, the hotel’s grand interiors give way to an outdoor walkway that snakes along the pool. The suite is even more impressive – a walk-in sauna and bath prepared in advance. There are a range of massage and facials to choose from but it all starts with a foot-cleansing ritual, conducted by a softly spoken masseuse with a virtual shopping trolley of scented oils. The holistic body massage is B3800 while the facials treatments start at B2700 – the attention to detail justifies the price tag. It’s all custom-designed – the focus of the massage as well as the scented oils used – but begins with a bowl of eucalyptus oil under the nose. The oils, combined with some truly impresive technique, deliver that toe-curling sensation of hot and cold at the same time, conjuring a feeling of deep-seated relaxation and weightlessness that goes all the way to the eyeballs. It’s a remarkable experience and an absolute highlight among treatments available in Bangkok.

the peninsula spa

[MAP 8/e17]

The Peninsula Bangkok, 333 Charoennakorn Rd 02-626-1946 | peninsula.com | 9am-9.30pm

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making merit

comm u nit y

sarnelli house:

Protecting the most vulnerable

ven charities in and around Bangkok struggle to make ends meet but for Sarnelli House its mission – caring for orphaned, abandoned, abused and HIVinfected children – is made all the more precarious by its location in the poor northeastern province of Nong Khai. Formed in 1999 by Father Michael Shea, an American Redemptorist priest, Sarnelli House is made up of six different houses in three separate villages near the Mekong River. Together they house a total of 160 children, of which 60 are HIV-infected. Some are orphans infected by their mothers; others were raped by infected adults. Over the years Father Shea has seen children being brought in by their dying parents, family members that are unable or unwilling to look after them, and Thai Social Services. Some were born in prison, others have been found wandering – or even working – the streets. 1 0 0 | j u ly 2 0 1 3

100-101_community.indd 100

Sarnelli House provides an education, health care, food and shelter and lots of love to all of them. Over the years, relationships with schools and hospitals in Isan have been nurtured to ensure they live as full and normal a life as possible. The Nongkhai District Hospital and Khon Kaen’s Sirinagarind Hospital, for example, provide anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to the HIV-infected kids that need them. And all children well enough attend the nearby Rosario Witthaya Catholic School. However, the majority of Sarnelli House’s funding (paying its Thai staff, the maintenance of buildings, vehicles, provision of food, school fees, uniforms and any other costs) is Father Shea’s responsibility, and relies on the goodwill of donors. Log on to their website’s ‘Support’ page for details on how you can become one or, better still, sponsor a child. bangkok101.com

19/06/2013 17:44

making merit

Sarnelli House also welcomes volunteers, but only during school holidays, when the kids have free time on their hands. If you are interested in volunteering during these times please send your current CV and two letters of recommendation. You will also be required to have a police check. Playing with and keeping the children company will be one of your main roles but you will also be asked to help dish out the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food, fold their clothes, help them with their homework, run English classes, play sports and games, and supervise them on school outings, among other duties. If donating money or your time and energy isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t possible, you can also just pop by for a visit when up in Nong Khai though you should email or phone ahead. bangkok101.com

100-101_community.indd 101

comm u nit y

sarnelli house 8/1 Moo 1 Viengkhuk, Muang Nongkhai 042-436-941 | sarnelliorphanage.org

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getting there 102-103_gettingaround.indd 102

Benjasiri park

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RAIL

Chatuchak Park / BTS Mo Chit stations. Subway fares range from about B15 to B 39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th

SKYTRAIN (BTS)

Airport Rail Link

The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams. Fares range from B 15 to B 55; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) are available. BTS also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th

SUBWAY (MRT) Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20 kms from Hualamphong (near the central

railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6 am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5 – 7 minutes. The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom / BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit / BTS Asok and MRT

RIVER

EXPRESS RIVER BOAT Bangkok’s vast network of inter-city waterways offer a quick and colourful alternative for getting around the city. Express boats ply the Chao Phraya River from the Saphan Taksin Bridge up to Nonthaburi, stopping at some 30 main piers altogether. Fares range from B 9 to B 32 depending on the distance, while tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier, depending on how much time you have. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30 am and 6 pm. Crossriver services operate throughout the day from each pier for just B 3.

CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Phan Fa Leelard bridge, on the edge of the Old City, and zip east to Ramkhamhaeng University. However, you have to be quick to board them as they don’t usually wait around. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B 9 to B19. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find.

ROAD BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B 5 and B 7.50 – B 23. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).

MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport. Easily recognisable by their colourful vests,

102-103_gettingaround.indd 103

A 28 km long monorail links the city’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, with three stops in downtown Bangktok and four stops in the eastern suburbs. Trains run from 6am to midnight every day and follow two lines along the same route. The City Line stops at all stations (journey time: 30 minutes) and costs B15-45 per journey. The Express Line stops at downtown stations Makkasan (journey time: 13-14 minutes, trains leave every 40 minutes) or Phayathai (journey time: 17 minutes, trains leave every 30 minutes), the only one that intersects with the Skytrain. One-way Express Line tickets cost B90 while roundtrip tickets are available at the promotional fare of B150.

motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups. Fares should be negotiated beforehand.

TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered,

air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B 35 (for the first 2 kms) and the fare climbs in B 2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the meter on. No tipping, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B 5 or B 10 is common. Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to and from the airport, passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the queue outside the terminal, an additional B 50 surcharge is added.

TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines. A 10-minute ride should cost around B 40.

19/06/2013 17:42

Map 1 Greater Bangkok A

Greater Bangkok & the Chao Phraya Map 2 >

L MYANMAR

Uthai Thani

UTHAI THANI

CHAI NAT

Chiang Mai

LOP BURI

Nakhon Ratchasima c

Nakhon Ratchasima

Pattaya CAMBODIA Koh Samet Koh Chang

NAKHON RATCHASIM A

SARABURI

Andaman Sea

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

Koh Samui

AYUTTHAYA

Phuket

PATHUM THANI 5

1 2

MALAYSIA

PRACHIN BURI

f c

RATCHABURI

VIETNAM

Gulf of Thailand

Krabi

NAKHON NAYOK

NAKHON PATHOM

Ubon

Bangkok

ANG THONG

KANCHANABURI

Udon Thani

Lop Buri

Kanchanaburi

LAOS

THAILAND

SING BURI

SUPHAN BURI

SA KAEO

BANGKOK f a

SAMUT SAKHON

CHACHOENGSAO

SAMUT

1 PRAKAN

SAMUT SONGKHRAM

CA M BODI A CHON BURI

Phetchaburi

Ko Sichang

PHETCHABURI 8

Pattaya RAYONG

Cha-am

CHANTHABURI

Rayong Hua Hin

Ko Samet

Muang Chantaburi

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN 10

Trat

Gulf of Thailand

M YA N M A R

Ko Chang

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Ko Kut

20 km 20 miles Country Border Boarder Crossing Province Border

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Sightseeing a

Bang Krachao b Rose Garden Riverside c Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo d Ancient Siam (Muang Boran) e Safari World f Rama IX Royal Park

floating Markets Damnoen Saduak 2 Amphawa 1

Museums 1

Erawan Museum 2 House of Museum 3 Thai Film Museum 4 Museum of Counterfeit Goods

night bazaar 1

Asiatique The Riverfront [free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier everyday 4.00-11.30 pm.]

Nightlife 1 2

Parking Toys Tawandang German

Hotels 1 Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa

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Nâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;

Tanya Tanee

PAK KRET

Don Mueng

Don Mueng Int. Airport

Ko Kret

Sai Mai

Royal Irrigation Dept.

Lak Si

Rajpruek

The Legacy

Northpark

Khlong Sam wa

Royal Thai Army Sport Center

Thanont

Chatuchak Bang Sue

Bang Phlat

Bueng Kum

Huai Khwang

Saphan Sung

Bang Kapi

Pathumwan

Bangkok Yai Wongwian Yai

Bang Rak

Khlong San *

Thon Buri 1

Chom Thong

Bang Kholaem

Lat Krabang

Suan Luang

Khlong Toei

Sathorn

60th Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park

Krungthep Unico Kreetha Grande

Watthana

Lumpini

Wang Thong lang

DinDaeng Ratchathewi

Mini Buri

Navatanee

Phayathai

Taling Chan

Khan na Yao

Mo Chit

Dusit

Bangkok Noi

Panya Indra

Lat Phrao

Chatuchak

Bang Sue

Bang Bon

Bang Khen

MUENG NONTHABURI

Phasi Charoen

Prawet Yan 2 Nawa

Rat Burana

Phra Khanong 4

Phra Pradaeng

Suan Luang Rama IX

Suvarnabhumi Int. Airport

Bang Na

Summit Windmill

Bearing

Bang Khun Thian

Mueang Kaew

Thung Khru

Green Valley

PHRA SAMUT CHEDI

SAMUT PRAKAN

Bangpoo

Gulf of Thailand

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Map 3 Sukhumvit Road A

Phra Ram 9

Ram

a IX

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m9 Prara ital Hosp

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RC A ange R ing

Driv

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1 0 6 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Arts & Culture 1

Japan Foundation 2 Koi Art Gallery

Sukhumvit

malls 1 2

Robinsons Terminal 21 bangkok101.com

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Sukhum

BTS Silom Line

Emporium

Soi 24

Canal Boat

Markets

Sukhumwit

Tai

ana

s re

300 m 1 328 ft

Marriott Executive 3 Attic Studios 4 La Lanta Sukhumvit Park 12 Grande Centre Point 5 TCDC (Thailand Terminal 21 Creative & Design 13 Sofitel Bangkok Centre 6 Nang Kwak Sukhumvit 14 Le Fenix 7 WTF 15 Radisson Sukhumvit 8 The Pikture Gallery 15 Marriott Bangkok 9 We*Do Gallery 10 RMA Sukhumvit

i 39

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Clubs 1

Q Bar Bed Supperclub 3 Insomnia 10 Glow 24 Demo 26 Levels 27 Funky Villa 2

pubs 11

The Hanrahans The Pickled Liver 13 The Robin Hood

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The Royal Oak The Londoner 16 Black Swan 15

Nightlife 4

Long Table 5 Beervault 6 Diplomat Bar 7 The Living Room 8 Cheap Charlie's 9 Barsu 19 WTF 17 Alchemist 18 Club Perdomo

The Iron Fairies

21 Clouds

Fat Gut'z Shades of Retro 25 diVino 28 Le Bar de L'Hotel 29 W XYZ 30 Face Bar 31 Marshmallow 32 Oskar Bistro 33 Tuba 34 Sonic 35 Apoteka 36 Water Library 23

Gossip Bar

Above Eleven

38 Nest

Embassies IN

India

IR Iran LK

Sri Lanka

PH Philippines

Qatar Ukraine NO Norway QA UA

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Map 4 Siam / Chit Lom A

5 Soi 3

Soi 31 Soi 33

Soi 25

Soi 29

Soi Tonson

Henri Dunant

Soi Lang Suan

Soi Nai Lert

Soi 2 Soi 3

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

Soi 4

Soi 3

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Soi R

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Soi 6

Soi 5

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Soi Chit Lom

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Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi 23

Soi 19

Soi 15

Soi 27

Soi 32

Soi 30

Witthayu Bridge

Exp

Soi Kaesem San1

Saeb

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Soi Kaesem San 2

Soi 17

Khlong San

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National Stadium

Prathunam

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Srapathum Palace

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Soi 20

Ratchathewi 2

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Cha

Phetchaburi Soi 18

Phetchab

Soi 22

Soi 13

Soi 4

Soi 5

Chulalongkorn University Area

Hotels 1

200 m 1 000 ft Canal Boat BTS Silom Line BTS Sukhumvit Line Railway Airwalk Market

Pathumwan Princess 2 Novotel Siam 3 Siam Kempinski 4 Baiyoke Sky Hotel 5 Amari Watergate 6 Novotel Platinum 7 Grand Hyatt Erawan 8 The Four Seasons 9 The St. Regis 10 InterContinental 11 Holiday Inn 12 Swissôtel Nai Lert Park 13 Conrad Bangkok 14 Centara Grand at CentralWorld 15 Hotel Muse 16 Okura Prestige

Arts & Culture 1

BACC – Bangkok Art and Culture Centre 2 Tonson Gallery

Sarasin

Soi 6 Soi Ruam Rudi

Soi 7

Sarasin Lumphini Park

Sightseeing

malls

Embassies

MBK 2 Siam Discovery 3 Siam Center 4 Siam Paragon 5 Panthip Plaza 6 Platinum Fashion Mall 7 CentralWorld 8 Zen @ CentralWorld 9 Pratunam Center 10 Gaysorn 11 Erawan Plaza 12 The Peninsula Plaza 13 Amarin Plaza 14 Central Chidlom 15 All Seasons Place

Jim Thomson House b Museum of Imagery Technology c Madame Tussads d Queen Savang Vadhana Museum e Siam Ocean World f Ganesha and Trimurti Shrine g Erawan Shrine h Goddess Tubtim Shrine

Nightlife a CM2 b

Red Sky Bar Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar d P&L Club e Café Trio f Hyde & Seek c

Switzerland

BR Brazil FI Finnland ID Indonesia KH Cambodia NL Netherlands NZ

New Zealand

QA Quatar UA Ukraine UK

United Kingdom

US USA VN Vietnam

Shopping 16 17

Siam Square Pratunam Market

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kho

t are akh

Th aya

ong

Royal Bangkok Sports Club

t nan Du He

8 Than Tawan Soi 6

Soi 11 Yaek 3

Lumpini Park

Thaniya

Sala Daeng l

Convent

St. Joseph School

Silom

Soi 5

Soi 7

14 CA

Sala Daeng 1/1

Sala Daeng 1

Soi 6

Soi 8 TW

Soi 4

Patpong 1 Patpong 2

4 Soi 1

Soi 3

Soi 7

Soi 10

Soi 12 Soi 9

5 o 12

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Chulalongkorn Hospital

Sala Daeng

Trok Klue

nr y

Sap

Naret Soi 14

Decho Soi 9

or n S oi 1 1

Surawong

Chong Nonsi

So i S a

Cha

Soi S Soi 11

Soi 1 8 Soi 16

Soi 13

Soi Phra Phinit

Suan Phlu Soi 1

Suan Phlu – Sathron Soi 3

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104-111_map.indd 109

AU Australia BE Belgium

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J U LY 2 0 1 3 | 1 0 9

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Map 6 Yaowarat / Pahurat (Chinatown & Little India ) A

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1 1 0 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

104-111_map.indd 110

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bangkok101.com

20/06/2013 13:29

Map 7 Rattanakosin (Oldtown) A

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104-111_map.indd 111

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M Y B A N G KO K

Bobby Chinn Half-Egyptian, half-Chinese and born in New Zealand, Chef Bobby Chinn has spent much of the last 18 years in Vietnam but is a regular visitor to Bangkok, having fallen in love with it heat, smells and food on his first visit nearly 30 years ago. Along with filiming his TV show and undertaking chairty work, Bobby has two restaurants and travels frequently throughout Thailand.

Where is your favourite place for a drink in Bangkok? I have been a regular at Q Bar since its inception. I am a creature of habit. Part of the charm for me is the constant evolution of the place and it's a well-run operation with friendly staff. Where is your favourite place to eat out in Bangkok? I generally like to eat on the street, literally any street. For me it's a sign of the high quality of street food Bangkok has to offer. You might find a place that might make a better version but, on the whole, the quality of the food makes it one of the true street food capitals of the world. What do you think makes Bangkok's food and drink scene distinctive? It's the incredible mix of Thais and expats. The designs and the concepts that come out of this place are very hip, contemporary and people here seem to know how to live it up, even when times are tougher. There is an energy that is pulsating and it's real and true and even when I am tired I still make an effort to go out and be part of it all. Bangkok is thriving with great operators, mixologists, chefs, designers with a receptive, discerning clientele, which combines to makes it one of 1 1 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Chatuchak market the most exciting culinary destinations in Asia. What are your favourite aspects of Thai cuisine? I love the bold flavours. The ingredients that are used are also fresh with perfection. From the simplicity of a mango sticky rice to the contrasting textures of a perfectly cooked pad thai, or the accompanying sauces of fish cake. I do not eat fried chicken anywhere but in Thailand I breakdown all dietary concerns because I know that it will deliver everything that a person is looking for in a fried chicken. Spicy papaya salads whipped up on a street corner with a motor and pestle is part of a dining experience that I love, trust and cherish. Anyone who has hung out with me over a week might get bored of the dishes I order and reorder day after day from different vendors.

Where do you shop in Bangkok? It depends. I like to walk around Paragon, the World Trade Centre and many central stores because I like to beat the heat and just walk around. If I have friends that meet up with me, I like to go to the night markets and occasionally the antique flea market out the outskirts of town, like Chatuchak. Where do you go for an ultimate Bangkok experience? I generally pick up Bangkok 101 and that gives me all the updates that I need to know. Then my friends and I figure out what we do later. I like to get my teeth cleaned at the BNH hospital, then get a massage across the street at Ruen Nuad and walk through Pat Pong for a bite of street food. If I go out, I have people showing me the latest places. Where do you go to relax? I often get taken out to show off Thailand's latest restaurants and concepts and generally feel a lot of inspiration from the many talented people that are doing cool things. I find comfort in Indian food because I was brought up in the UK and the food was really bad but to have a restaurant like Gaggin that is cuttingedge is like a gem for me because I wouldn't be able to find a similiar restaurant of that calibre anywhere. bangkok101.com

22/06/2013 12:58