Bangkok 101 - September 2010

bangkok 101

september 2010 100 baht

Elephants In Between Photography by Brent Lewin

t h r o u g h elephants t h e e y e in s between of his kingdom

september 2010

HISTORY & CULTURE ■ SIGHTSEEING & EXCURSIONS ■ DINING & NIGHTLIFE SHOPPING ■ SPAS ■ LISTINGS ■ EVENTS CALENDAR ■ CITY MAPS & MORE

publisher’s

letter

September 2010

Until a few months ago, an elephant trudging along the congested streets, a mahout on its back and shiny compact disc dangling from its tail, was one of the most perverse yet captivating of daily sights in Bangkok. But in recent months the bedraggled elephant has been conspicuously absent from the Thai capital, the result of a crackdown by City Hall. Though we hope it remains this way, this month’s photofeature Elephants In Between by Asia old hand Brent Lewin catalogues the way things were and, he believes, may well be again. Having spent much time embedded with some mahouts and their companions, he’s elicited some of the most hard-hitting pachyderm portraiture of recent years, including some of elephants milling around an eerie, half-built housing community in a suburb 30km from the city. The full exhibition will show at foreign journo basecamp, the FCCT, until October and promises to shock and awe in equal measure.

Also in this issue, we examine in our Very Thai excerpt the Thais’ oral obsession with, not chilies, but Sugar, which you’ll notice, if you look closely at that sizzling wok, often sneaks unnoticed into even the savory half of the diet here. And while we’re chatting chow, this month’s 1 on 1, with Serge Bruttin from Sukhumvit brunchstop Crêpes & Co, focuses on dining but also touches on sightseeing and his yen for kite-boarding.

We also lead you on a series of adventures outside of the capital, beginning with Bang Krachao, a verdant peninsula of undeveloped land which sits just across the river from downtown and makes for a superb, if disorientating, daytrip. In addition, we’re also up north in a place that most visitors and expats have never heard of: Umphang, the gateway village for those seeking out Tee Lor Su, the country’s most majestic and famous waterfall by far. Other trips include an overthe-border jaunt to Phnom Penh and a barefooted saunter around Hat Wanakorn, a diminutive marine national park lined with swaying sea pines.

A bloated Metrobeat outlining all the key September events (including annual big-hitters like the Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music and World Gourmet Festival), not caters to mention a clutch of new restaurant, hotel and bar reviews kok 101 y sed, Bang what the ia b n n a u rounds off an issue brimming, as always, with up-to-theth d n re a o t n m r e r e d togeth earn fo Indepen minute tip-offs and savvy. Yes, rainy season’s here, but with It brings rs who y , writers, y travelle ated guidebooks. v ts v n e sa d si to re d this issue close at hand it needn’t be a damp squib. , y it ty c h f ig o o we e result

What i1s01?

Bangkok

Enjoy.

Mason Florence Publisher

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contributors Brent Lewin

Brent Lewin is a self-taught photographer residing in Toronto and Bangkok and a contributor to photo agencies OnAsia and Redux Pictures. His work largely focuses on the plight of the Asian elephant and their caregivers in Thailand, and been featured in publications such as National Geographic, The New York Times and Newsweek. His work with elephants has also been recognised by Pictures of the Year International, Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3), the International Photography Awards, and the FCCT Photojournalism Annual, among others. www.brentlewin.com

Philip CornwelSmith

Very Thai author Philip Cornwel-Smith is a writer, editor and curator specialising in culture and travel. He has lived in Thailand for over a decade, editing its first listings magazine and the Time Out Bangkok guides, updating Thailand: A Traveller’s Companion, presenting Noodle Box: Bangkok on Discovery Channel, and squeezing Bangkok into the city’s first mobile phone guide for Nokia. Born in England, he has also written for Eyewitness: Thailand and international magazines.

Howard Richardson

Food and travel writer Howard Richardson lives beside the Chao Phraya River in downtown Bangkok, from where he’s spent 12 years exploring the city as magazine editor and freelance writer.

He’s contributed to publications such as GQ, the BBC’s Olive magazine and the New York Times online, and written a monthly column on Bangkok events and trends in Sawasdee, the Thai Airways inflight magazine. He also wrote the travel guide Bangkok Step by Step, published by Insight Guides.

Brian Mertens

Author Brian Mertens helped spotlight Thailand’s new wave of textiles and furniture in his recent coffee table volume Bangkok Design. Previously he wrote Architecture of Thailand: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Forms. He writes on culture, travel and current affairs for such publications as New York Times, Art AsiaPacific and Forbes. A former resident of New York City and Tokyo, he has lived in Thailand since 1997, the year he won the Citibank Prize for Excellence in Journalism.

Tom Mintier

From covering the Vietnam War as an army photographer to heading up CNN bureaus in London and Bangkok, Tom Mintier is one of the most recognised and respected media figures in Thailand today.

An Emmy award-winning television news journalist, Tom covered many events live for CNN, including the 1989 student uprising in Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Currently a consultant at AMATA Corp and professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Tom continues to train local journalists.

Steven Pettifor

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 regular commentator on the local art scene, contributing to several international and domestic newspapers and journals. In 2004 he published the coffee-table book Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. When not art musing, he spends his time travel writing.

Korakot (Nym) Punlopruksa

N a t i v e - B a n g k o k w r i t e r, photographer and incurable travel addict, Nym believes in experiencing the world through food. She can usually be found canvassing the city for the best eats around. Nym has been a host for music and film programmes, a radio DJ, a creative consultant for television and a documentary scriptwriter. She is the author of several travel narratives, and her work appears in myriad magazines including ELLE, Elle Decoration, GM and Home & Décor.

Cheryl Tseng

An avid epicurean, Cheryl’s foodie credentials can be traced back to L.A., where she was a regular fixture at the tables of Wolfgang Puck and Nobu before their rise to culinary fame. She later brought her experienced palate to Bangkok, where she thrives on the new and delectable in the night-out culinary experience. Cheryl contributes to numerous magazines and her website, www.chicasia.com, gives the latest on Bangkok’s hippest venues.

Publisher Mason Florence Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jesda M.Tivayanond Associate Publisher Parinya Krit-Hat Managing Editor Max Crosbie-Jones Designer Narong Srisaiya Yuthtaya Sangnak Editorial Assistant Piyakwan Mettaprasert Strategists Nathinee Chen Sebastien Berger Contributing Writers Cheryl Tseng, Noy Thrupkaew, Steven Pettifor, Nick Measures, Joel Quenby, Korakot Punlopruksa, Liz Smailes, Leo Devillers, Philip Cornwel-Smith, Cassandra Beckford, Chirayu na Ranong, Ashley Simcox, Brian Mertens Contributing Photographers Jatuporn Rutnin, Christian Phongphit, Paul Lefevre, Ludovic Cazeba, Austin Bush, Leon Schadeberg, Marc Schultz, Niran Choonhachat, Frédéric Belge, Somchai Phongphaisarnkit,TAT Director of Sales & Marketing Jhone El’Mamuwaldi Sales & Marketing Manager Haluethai Wattanapathomvong Administrative Assistant Peeraya Nuchkuar Circulation Pradchya Kanmanee Published by Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd. 113 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330 T: 02-252-3900 F: 02-650-4557 info@talisman-media.com Designed by Letter Space T: 02-386-7181 F: 02-386-7182 letter_space2000@yahoo.com © Copyright Talisman Media Group Co., Ltd 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written, prior permission of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, which accepts no responsibility for them.

table of

contents snapshots

8 10 11 12 14 15 16 17

101 picks 1 on 1: serge bruttin events calendar metro beat history chronicle of thailand customs very thai: sugar

sightseeing 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

26 28 29 30 32 33 34 37 38 39 40 42

orientation riverside route101:rattanakosin route101: chinatown route101: charoen krung route101: sukhumvit route101: pathumwan siam and pratunam temples historic buildings kids in the city & shrines museums the great outdoors what next? day tripping day trip: bang krachao national parks: hat wanakorn upcountry festivals upcountry escape: umphang over the border: phnom phen

on the cover: Mahouts and their pet elephant wait stranded on the centre median of a main street in Bangkok.

september 2010

arts 44 45 46

54 55 56 57

contemporary art exhibitions photo feature: elephants in between performing arts cultural centres cinema reading & screening

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15

38

17

40

37

42

table of

contents

september 2010

accommodation 106 boutique bangkok

health & wellness 76

food & drinks 58 59 60 61 62 63 68

72 73 74 75 76 77 78

dining in bangkok meal deals thai cuisine thai sweets street eats thai restaurants neighbourhood nosh: soi rangnam dim-sum brunching tea late dining sweet treats all you can eat wine

nightlife 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96

one night in bangkok nightclubs bars with a view hotel bars bars jazz clubs live music nightlife areas pub crawling

108 109 110 111

body & beauty spas wellness centres medical tourism

98

sports

112 spectator sports 113 active sports

business 114 business 115 real estate

106

couses & services

116 cooking, meditation & thai massage, courses 117 making merit

reference 118 survival thai 119 contacts 120 getting around

108

shopping 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105

unique boutique stuff shopping tips bangkok design mall crawl chatuchak market markets sidewalks

114

117

Un til Sp di 30 ec Bo ni N ia ok ng ov l R pr on cre em ea om a d be d i o ma t w r, g er co ri. he e O de co n t a ffe O m u you 50 r PB s s 0 K1 ing tay Ba 01 th . ht e

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bangkok 101

m

a

Before dashing off to a tropical island or the mountains, scratch beneath the city’s gritty surface to discover gems that’ll keep you here longer.

We’ve compiled our Bangkok favourites here.

101 picks one night in bangkok

shopping

thai style

food heaven

open air

■ Chatuchak A huge, sprawling village of a market, selling everything under the sun. Cramped, steamy and lots of fun (p.103).

■ Making Merit Donate food to monks, release birds, or light incense sticks at a temple – and pray for good karma (p.117).

■ Beautiful Brunches L a ze a r o u n d w i t h friends, newspapers for those great late breakfasts (p. 73).

■ Dusit District Filled with lovely airy boulevards, a big zoo & Vimanmek Mansion’s gorgeous greener y (p.28).

■ Bars & Clubs Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old.

It’s fun to be a Bangkokian (pp.80-92).

■ Suan Lum Night Bazaar A pleasant evening market with arts, crafts and textiles. And a massive beer garden (p.104).

■ Thai Massage A cracking good time – though not for the faint hearted (p.108).

■ Food Courts Love cheap Thai food but love air-con more?

Get thee to a food court.

■ On the River Take an express boat up to Nonthaburi or explore the canal communities of Thonburi (p.19).

■ Cabarets Wow, she is beautiful.

Such a graceful dancer.

And what a figure!

Eh… what do you mean “he”? (p.83).

■ Siam Square All the young dudes head to this cradle of cool for the latest flicks and threads (p.102).

■ Thai Cooking Classes Learn to pound a proper paste like a pro (p.116).

■ Riverside Dining The Chao Phraya River makes for an awesome backdrop.And there are plenty of good restaurant options (p.20).

■ Cycling Tour Maybe not an obvious choice, but these tours are surprisingly popular (p.113).

■ High Attitude Bars Slinky cocktails at eight miles high. Not cheap, but well worth it (p.84).

■ Patpong A thin strip in the CBD jam-packed with market stalls and, er, go-go bars (p.105).

■ Thai Boxing The brutal, quintessentially Thai form of kickboxing (p.112).

■ Meal Deals Take advantage of special offers to eat at some of the city’s best restaurants (p.59).

■ Ancient City Cycle round the museum park of Muang Boran, and see Thailand in miniature! (p.34).

■ Dining Cruises Stuff your face as you wind your way along the Chao Phraya (p.59).

■ Panthip Plaza The ultimate computer-geek mecca. If you can’t find it here you just haven’t looked hard enough (p.102).

■ TCDC Cool, creative learning space for Thai designers (p.55).

■ Street Food Pull up a plastic stool and get ready to point and shoot (p.62).

■ Lumpini Park A huge green space in the heart of the city.

Perfect for jogging, picnics and boating on the ponds (p.32).

■ Carnivalesque Get wiggly on Khao San, jiggly at RCA or giggly on Soi 11 (pp.94-95).

■ Paragon Two of the swishest mega-malls you’re ever likely to encounter. Fancy a Ferrari? That’ll be the third floor (p.102).

■ Jim Thompson House & Silk Shop This former spook rebuilt the Thai silk trade then disappeared. Nice house though (p.28).

■ Affordable Gourmet Food If you prefer foie gras to fried insects, Bangkok needn’t break the bank (p.63).

■ Flower Market Close your eyes and inhale deeply. 24-hour marigold madness. (p.104)

■ Theatre TraditionalThai wooden puppet shows, classical Thai drama or breathtaking extravaganzas – no tux required (p.54)

bangkok 101

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1 on 1 Verdant all-day brunch stop, Sukhumvit Soi 12’s Crêpes & Co, has been serving delicious Pan-Mediterranean fare since 1996, and is without doubt one of the city’s culinary institutions.

The crepe-tastic menu’s strong Greek, Moroccan and Spanish leanings can be traced back to its proprietor, Serge Bruttin, who was raised in these countries by his Swiss-Bulgarian parents. The workaholic – it’s rare to go to Crêpes & Co and not see a smiling Serge – chatted to Bangkok 101 whilst taking a quick break in the restaurant’s delightful, palmfronded mini-jungle.

How does Crêpes & Co stay so popular?

Besides obvious reasons such as a unique concept, great food and service, there is only one secret recipe and that is “consistency.”

What are your favourite restaurants on Sukhumvit? And why?

Le Banyan on Soi 8 for classical French cuisine in a beautiful Thai house. Bo.lan on Soi 26 for exceptional and unusual Thai fine-dining. Cabbage & Condoms on Soi 12 for good Thai fare in a charming atmosphere. Bella Napoli on Soi 31 for a “no fuss pizza-pasta joint” with the best scaloppine Milanese in town. Also, Chesa Swiss restaurant on Soi 20, which is as reliable as a Swiss watch!

A fan of the streetfood? If so, what sorts and where from?

Definitely! My favourite streetfood spot is the seafood stalls in Chinatown.

Other than that I am a regular at many different stalls around town: the som tam gai yaang khao niao on Soi 12; the khao man gai on Rama 4, between Sukhumvit Soi 24 and Khlong Toey Market; the baami moo daeng on Soi 22; the numerous stalls at night along Sukhumvit Soi 38 when with friends; 10

Serge Bruttin On day-offs what will we find you doing?

Crossing the Chao Praya river to go cycling in Bang Krachao or in Queen Sirikit park. Maybe enjoying a relaxing massage and definitely going out for dinner, either in one of my favourite restaurants or on a “discovery mission” to a restaurant never tried before.

For a late afternoon long-tail boat ride on the canals. A sunset drink at the Sky Bar at State Tower for the view.

A muay Thai match in Lumpini (not in the front rows, which are for tourists, but rather in the back where the Thais gather and the atmosphere is as exciting as the show!). The Pak Khlong Talat flower market at night. Chatuchak for weekend shopping or MBK for the “Thai Shopping Mall Experience”. A half day trip to Muang Boran (Ancient City) in Samut Prakarn.

We heard you’re into kiteboarding. Tell us more.

For any boardsport lover, be it windsurfing, skating, skiing, wakeboarding or surfing it’s a must try.

Great sensations, high jumps and loads of fun, easy tricks to master with not so much effort. A big adrenaline rush is guaranteed!

If you had to pack up and leave tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

Riding my bicycle in backstreets of local neighbourhoods such as Klongtoey, Suan Plu or Yaoworat to soak up the atmosphere one last time, followed by a couple of hours of Thai massage and a tasty Thai dinner by the river.

Where can people have a go?

One of the best spots with reliable wind is Hua Hin from November to April.

During the rainy season, depending on the wind forecasts, Southern Thailand or Pattaya can also be pretty good.

There’s loads of useful information on www.kiteboardingasia.com.

Favourite venues for a night out?

In no specific order, Tapas in Silom Soi 4 for the consistently good worldhouse music they have played for so many years now; Bed Supperclub for the beautiful people scene; and Brown Sugar for an evening of great live jazz.

or the late night favourite, moo yang from the legendary Khun Ouan on Silom’s Soi Convent.

Where do you take Bangkok newbies? snapshots

Where do you go to escape to Bangkok?

It depends on the wind! bangkok 101

BigBang Fan Party

TCDC

september calendar Through Sept: Spirits TCDC, 6th Fl., The Emporium Shopping Complex | 02-664-8448 | www.tcdc.or.th | free See Metrobeat ‘Fairs & Exhibitions’

Wed 1 – Sun 5 & Wed 8 – Sun 12: Sa Ta Nee Shibuya-Sri Pra Ya Station No Space Gallery, RCA Block D | 081-700-0322 | www.nospacebkk.com | B350 See Metrobeat ‘Performance’

Tue 7 – Sat 11: 46th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair 2010

Indoor Stadium, Hua Mark | 02-262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B1,500 – 2,000 See Metrobeat ‘Pop & Rock’

Fri 24 - Sun 3 Oct: HomeWorks Expo 2010 BITEC Bangna | 02-1017916 | www.homeworks. co.th | free Everything your home needs, including the kitchen sink.

Thu 30 – Sun 3 Oct: 24th Annual Flower Show Swissôtel Nai Lert Park, Wireless Rd.| 02-2530123 | www.swissotel. com | B140 See Metrobeat ‘Fairs & Exhibitions’

bangkok 101

Concordian International School, 918 Moo 8, Tambon Bangkaew, Samut Prakarn | www.tedxkrungthep.info A day of insightful talks by leading Bangkok thinkers and doers.

Thu 9: Don Diablo Bed Supperclub Sukhumvit 11 | 02-6513537 | www.bedsupperclub.com Electro house from a Dutch DJ big in the blogosphere.

Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani | 02-5045050 | www.bangkokgemsfair. com | B100 See Metrobeat ‘Fairs & Exhibitions’

Sat11:Visit Korea Year Charity Concert

Sat 4: TEDx Krungthep

Sat 11 – Sun 24 Oct: Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music

Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadaphisek Rd., Huay Kwang| 02-262-3456 | www.thaiticketmajor.com | B400 – 10,000 See Metrobeat ‘Music & Dance’

Tue 14: Jin Matsuno and Benjamin Loh Goethe Institut, Sathorn 1 | 081-682-8000 | B500 See Metrobeat ‘Classical’

Sat 25 – Sun 3 Oct: PTT Thailand Open

Mon 6 – Sun 12: 11th World Gourmet Festival

Four Seasons Hotel, Rajdamri Rd. | 02-1268866 | www.fourseasons. com/bangkok | lunch B1,100++, brunch B2,800++, dinner B4,750-5,500++ See Metrobeat ‘Food’

Thu 9: BigBang Fan Party Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon | www.eversensebigbanggirl.com | B6001,500 South Korean hip-hop boyband performs to delirious teenage girls.

Fri 17 – Sun 19: Asia Fitness Convention 2010 Bangkok Convention Centre, Centara Grand at Central World | 02-748-7881 | www.asia-fitness.com | visitor: free, workshop B8,290 – 12,990 See Metrobeat ‘Sport’

Thu 30: Layo & Bushwacka!

Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani | 02262-3456 | www. thaiticketmajor.com | B300 – 4,500 See Metrobeat ‘Sport’

Bed Supperclub Sukhumvit 11| 02-6513537 | www.bedsupperclub.com House and breakbeat spun by the London producer duo.

TRADE FAIR VENUES Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) New Ratchadapisek Rd, | MRT QSNCC | 02-229-4253 | www.qsncc.co.th IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Pakkred, Nonthaburi | 02-504-5050 | www.impact.co.th Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) Bangna-Trad Rd, Bangna | 02-749-3939 | www.bitec.net

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Mon 6 – Tue 5 Oct: 12th Annual Central International Watch Fair 2010 Central Chidlom and other Central stores | 02793-7420 | www.central. co.th | free See Metrobeat ‘Fairs & Exhibitions’

Thu 9 – Sun 24 Oct: Manorah and Best Friend of the Snake 100 Tonson Gallery, Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd. | 02-684-1527 | www.100tonsongallery. com | free See Metrobeat ‘Art’

Sat 18: Children’s Puppet Show The Japan Foundation, 10th Fl. Sermmit Tower, Sukhumvit 21 | 02-2608560 | www.jfbkk.or.th | free See Metrobeat ‘Children’

Thu 30 – Sun 3 Oct: Thailand Mobile Expo Showcase 2010 QSNCC | 02-734-7707-9 | www.thailandmobileexpo. com | free The latest mobile gadgetry, including – hopefully, surely? – the iPhone 4.

Trade Fairs Performance Live Music Shopping Festivals/Events Food & Drink exhibition Sport Nightlife

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metro beat

The pick of Bangkok’s hottest news, trends, events and openings,

by Howard Richardson.

Music & dance The Bangkok International Festival of Dance & Music brings global productions to the Thailand Cultural Centre (02-247-0028) from September 11 to October 24. September highlights include several performances from Russia’s Novosibirsk State Opera Theatre, Ballet Company and Symphony Orchestra.

Among them are the operas Prince Igor (Sept 11) and La Bohème (Sept 13); a concert of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 and Beethoven’s Ninth (Sept 12); and the ballet La Bayadère (Sept 15).

There’s also Sangre Flamenco by the Neuvo Ballet Espanol (Sept 19), A Christmas Carol by the UK’s Northern Ballet Theatre (Sept 25) and Fiesta the Night Away by Cuba’s Kings of Salsa (Sept 28 and 29). For full schedule see www.bangkokfestivals.com. Tickets are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

food Top chefs descend on Bangkok for the 11th World Gourmet Festival from September 6 to 12, at the Four Seasons hotel (02-126-8866). Michelin-starred cook meisters include the likes of Douglas Keane (Cyrus Restaurant, California) Anthony Demetre (Arbutus and Wild Honey, both in London) and Matteo Vigotti (Ristorante Novecento, Meina, Italy). The chefs host two dinners each, and there’s a blowout Sunday brunch with samples from all.

performance Indie singer Gene Kasidit leads readings of stories based on “the similarity within the difference between Thai and Japanese society”, in Sa Ta Nee Shibuya-Sri Pra Ya Station at No Space Gallery (081-700-0322, www.nospacebkk.com).

Stories include The Grilled Fish, Hajiko and Yutsuya Kaidanetc; other readers include Out-Egg Akjiratikan and Bubble Korakot. Performances are from September 1-5 and September 8-12. Tickets B350.

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pop & rock K-Pop fans will trek to the Indoor Stadium, Hua Mark on September 11 for the Visit Korea Year Charity Concert, featuring Seoulbased pop stars the Brown Eyed Girls, F Cuz, Seeya, Norazo and MC Junho. Get tickets (B1,500B2,000) from Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

art Manorah and Best Friend of the Snake is a solo exhibition by Sakarin Krue-on at 100 Tonson Gallery (02-684-1527) from September 9 to October 24. The mixed-media show consists of video art, paintings, photographs, and objects from the video. One of the country’s most respected artists, Sakarin last year appeared in the Thai Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, following an earlier showing in 2002. The exhibition runs Thursday-Sunday, 11am-7pm. Admission free.

classical Jin Matsuno and Benjamin Loh perform a violin and piano recital on September 14 at the Goethe Institut (02-287-0942) in a programme that includes Brahm’s Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op.100, Mozart’s Sonata in E minor, KV. 304 and Dvorak’s Humoreske in G. Tickets are B500 (B250/ students) at the door, or call 081-682-8000.

children The Japan Foundation (02-260-8560) presents a children’s puppet show by the theatre group Ichigoza, from Yokahama on September 18. The performance features three stories, Gin no Ono Kin no Ono (‘Golden Axe, Silver Axe’, based on one of Aesop’s fables), Guri to Gura (a popular Japanese children’s book) and Harapeko Aomushi (‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, a book by Eric Carle). Free entry.

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bangkok 101

Food & drink

sport The Asia Fitness Convention has workshops by workout gurus like Jim Stoppani, Joe Friel, and Carrie Ekins from September 17-19, at the Bangkok Convention Centre, Centara Grand. See www.asiafitness.com for full details.

The PTT Thailand Open tennis tournament at Impact Arena (02-504-5050) from September 25 to October 3 features two reigning Grand Slam champions in French Open and Wimbledon winner, and World No1, Rafael Nadal and US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. The heavy hitters also include Olympic champion Fernando Gonzalez and the fastest riser in 2010’s world rankings, Ernests Gulbis, currently No28.

Tickets, from B300, are available at Thai Ticketmajor (02-262-3456, www.thaiticketmajor.com).

fairs & exhibitions The 7th National Herb Expo at Impact Arena (02-504-5050) from September 1-5 has short courses and demonstrations on local treatments and a tour of medicinal herb gardens. See www.natherbexpo.com for more information.

There will be lots of glitter at the 46th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair 2010 from September 7 to 11 at Impact Arena (02-504-5050), when over 1,000 companies gather with handcrafted, contemporary, traditional and urban jewelry, plus precious and semi-precious stones. Tickets B100.

Flower arrangements and edible gardens will combine with floral haute couture and pastry with flowers, as fashionistas, horticulturists and chefs gather for the 24th Annual Flower Show, from September 30 to October 3 at the Swissôtel Nai Lert Park (02-253-0123). If flowers don’t do it, there will be fortunetellers too.

The 12th Annual Central International Watch Fair 2010 is a showcase of not-cheap wrist-wear from the Swiss exhibition BASELWORLD 2010. It’s all Piaget, Corum, Muller and Montblanc at Central Chidlom and other Central stores (www.central.co.th) from September 6 to October 5. Don’t be late.

As advertising creatives know, nothing sells like fear, which is something the new exhibition Spirits: Creativities From Beyond explores at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre (02-6648448, www.tcdc.or.th) until November 21. It examines the profit potential in traditional beliefs combined with modern technology, including thoughts from people who “bridge the spirit world and the world of business”. Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am-9pm. Free admission. bangkok 101

In The Mood For Love

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 detailing, with Japanese on-cloth calligraphy, vintage tables and repro antique lamps.

The 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 low-slung 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), WHERE 9/9 which is best enlivened by Sukhumvit Soi 36, the chef’s smoky soy sauce.

02-661-5076 OPEN Other options include sliced Daily 5pm-late rare duck breast with hits of (last food orders wonderfully aromatic yuzu 10:30pm) PRICE kosho relish, and not-so$$-$$$ good squishy chicken balls.

The loud enough funky electro soundtrack keeps conversation lively, making this cute bar-restaurant a good place to linger over sake and cocktails. And it’s just 50 metres from Thonglor Skytrain.

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Snapshots ee

history

Grand Palace

B

angkok became the capital of Thailand in 1782, when the royal court relocated from the city of Ayutthaya, which had been left in ruins following years of conflict with the Burmese. After settling temporarily on the western banks of the Chao Phraya River in Thonburi, the capital moved again, this time to the area of Rattanakosin in present-day Bangkok.

Almost entirely surrounded by water, the new location was easier to defend against potential attacks. The final move marked the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty. Rama I named the new capital Krung Thep (City of Angels) in reference to the past glories of Ayutthaya, and he ordered the construction of two of the Kingdom’s most illustrious religious monuments, Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, to consolidate the new capital’s ruling status.

During the subsequent reigns of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and his son King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the city developed rapidly, culminating in the modernisation and explosive growth of the 20th century. After visiting European capitals, Rama V moved the royal family to the leafy enclave of Dusit.

The modern architectural monuments built in this neighbourhood include the Thai Parliament Building, the impressive marble Wat Benchama Bophit and the enormous teak Vimanmek Mansion.

Greater Bangkok now occupies nearly 1.5 square kilometres and is home to some 12 million residents.

Rattanakosin remains the spiritual centre of the city, graced by the dazzling splendour of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and nearby Wat Po. Modern downtown Bangkok stretches southeast of Rattanakosin and looks very much like many other Southeast Asian capitals, with gleaming skyscrapers, deluxe apartment projects and lots of snarled traffic. The core of the new city encompasses the Sathorn/Silom

14

districts and Sukhumvit Road, which include upscale shopping plazas and leafy public parks. These major downtown neighbourhoods are connected by the BTS Skytrain and the MRT subway systems. These gradually-expanding public transpor tation networks, with their

bright, snaking trains carrying wideeyed tourists and weary commuters alike, have not only helped relieve the city’s notorious traffic congestion and pollution, but given this City of Angels a modern, 21st-century feel.

Take a deep breath Thais rarely call their capital ‘Bangkok’ but instead refer to it as ‘Krung Thep’ (City of Angels), an abbreviated version of the full ceremonial and official name. This can be translated as ‘The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.’ It is no surprise that The Guinness Book of Records registered it as the world´s longest name for a capital. snapshots

bangkok 101

28 September 2006: Suvarnabhumi International Airport (finally) opens

chronicle of thailand

Fate of Don Muang Airport uncertain

The futuristic-looking, glass and steel structure of Suvarnabhumi International Airport opened to much fanfare – and a certain amount of controversy due to allegations of corruption. The airport promised to pave the way for more passengers to pass through the Thai capital, but officials were uncertain what to do with the old Don Muang Airport. Some suggested that it be transformed into a convention centre or be used for other nonaviation purposes. Other insisted Bangkok needed two airports, although the sites would have to be linked by high-speed transport for passengers to connect international and domestic flights. There were also suggestions that Suvarnabhumi become a separate ‘Aero-tropolis’, bestowed with concessions for investors.

Critics, meanwhile, complained that Suvarnabhumi had been riddled with corruption, citing the US contract for its X-ray baggage security system.

Suvarnabhumi also reportedly had ‘cracks’ in its runways, cramped floor space, a sweltering passport-control zone, a lack of toilets and other woes.

‘You can spend millions building an airport, but you cannot afford to provide luggage carts?’ snapped one miffed passenger. But officials hailed its opening as proof that Bangkok was an increasingly popular destination and ‘transport hub’ for Southeast Asia.

Thaksin Shinawatra, who championed Suvarnabhumi before he was toppled as prime minister eight days earlier, was unable to share in its glory, although he was a driving force behind its completion.

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 vivid eyewitness account of Thailand’s development through the major news events of the last 64 years. Alongside a grandstand view of events as they unfolded 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. In each issue, we serialise a news story that sheds light on this month in history.

Chronicle of Thailand – EDM Books | B1,450 | editor-in-chief Nicholas Grossman | www.chronicleofthailand.com bangkok 101

snapshots

15

Snapshots

customs

F

oreign visitors to Thailand are not expected to understand all the intricate subtleties of Thai customs, but by learning something about them and trying to incorporate them into your behaviour, you will show respect for local people and avoid some potentially embarrassing situations.

In Thailand, two institutions take on particular importance: the monarchy and religion.

Did you know?

Every day has a corresponding colour in Thailand, and throngs of locals will don a yellow shirt to show their respects and celebrate the 80th birthday of the King, who was born on the yellow-themed Monday.

The Monarchy Thai people love their king with deep reverence for the monarchy. By way of proof, portraits of their majesties are displayed in most shops and businesses. Like anybody else, you are expected to be respectful towards members of the royal family.Therefore, stand quietly when the national anthem is played, which happens daily at 8am and 6pm in parks and other public places.

Social hierarchy Age, social rank, lineal descent, salary and education are all considerations for social conduct. Such hierarchy is demonstrated 16

at every moment of the day, even the way of greeting.Thais don’t usually shake hands but rather wai (a prayerlike gesture with hands clasped in front of the face).This action means ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ but also shows respect and humility.The higher the hands are raised, the more respect is being paid.

Losing face Thais are known to be patient and calm. Being jai yen (coolhearted) is highly admired in Thai culture. Any impulsive reactions that may show annoyance (i.e. raising your voice) are considered unseemly, counterproductive and can make you ‘lose face’.

Losing your temper should be avoided; things will work themselves out much better if you remain calm. Practise the words mai pen rai (meaning “never mind”).

Body parts The head is considered to be the most sacred par t of the body while the snapshots

feet are the lowest, hence the most impure. For this reason, it is impolite to pat or touch somebody on the head (this applies even to children) and it is particularly rude to point your feet at somebody or to place them on a table or a chair. Pointing the finger at other people is also considered impolite – best to gesture with an open hand.

Temple Etiquette

As temples and Buddha images are considered sacred, certain rules of respect should be followed when visiting temples: ■ dress properly (long trousers or dresses, covered shoulders) ■ remove your shoes at the entrance of temple buildings ■ don’t step on the threshold ■ don’t sit pointing your feet towards a Buddha image ■ avoid touching Buddha images or chedis (funeral monuments) ■ be considerate when taking photographs ■ Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by women. So, if a woman gives something to a monk, she must first pass it to a man or put it on a piece of cloth

bangkok 101

very thai Philip Cornwel-Smith

Sugar

A nation full of sweetness

T

hais seem disposed towards sweetness, in language, personality, sentiment, colour schemes and, crucially, food.

Thai sugar consumption is about the highest per capita in the world. Perhaps that languid ability to doze in the most uncomfortable positions is down not only to heat, work or digesting sticky rice, but also due to bloodsugar energy mounting until the inevitable collapse.

Thais balance flavours in both food and life. Flatterers are dubbed pak waan (sweet mouth) and dainty women sao waan (sweet maidens), in contrast to sassy sao priao (sour maidens), and people who are stingily khem (salty) or sorrowfully khom kheun (bitter).

In food, this balance seems a model of moderation until you realise it means that sugar gets added to everything.

Even savouries can’t be sweet enough. Curries are ladled with coconut milk, brown palm-sugar’s used everywhere, and even dried slivers of pork, beef or squid come saturated in syrup. Calorie counters look on aghast as the wok-handler clacks, tings, sizzles and scrapes a healthy stir-fry, then heaves in handfuls of sugar. Once at the table, most lunches get laced with lime, vinegar, chilli and fish sauce plus further granules of glucose.

To keep the sugar rush going, a colour-enhanced rainbow of puddings and candies tempt, though often with a saline tang. Typical Thai desserts are cubed and wobbly, sliced from trays of gelatinous variations on the coconut/palm-sugar/bean theme, often combined with sticky rice. The sugar addiction also extends beyond traditional treats to newer imported nibbles, from sweetened movie popcorn to chocolate bars made waxy so they don’t melt. Tea, coffee and fruit shakes, too, receive glugs of evaporated milk, and a final swirl of sweetened condensed milk.

Thai frames didn’t fatten into mass obesity until Western fast food captured the popular imagination and its franchises muscled out indigenous outlets. Now everything’s so over-sweetened you can literally inhale it. Just as vaporised chilli oil stings the eyes, atomised sugar with a plasticised aroma hangs in the air of convenience stores, cinema foyers, and mall kiosks flogging flavoured pretzels.

You could almost cut this cloying cloud with a knife, and if you could it would make a nice Thai snack.

bangkok 101

snapshots

Photo by John Goss

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, author Philip Cornwel-Smith guides readers on an unconventional tour of the quirky everyday things that make Thailand truly Thai. From the 60-plus mini-chapters, we present a different excerpt each month. Prepare yourself for the sideways logic in what seems exotic. Snap up a copy at any good book shop.

Very Thai – River Books l B995 l hardcover, with photos by John Goss and Philip Cornwel-Smith 17

Sightseeing

orientation

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18

– steel towers, snarled traffic and snaking expressways – that is Modern Bangkok.

Silom and Sathorn are busy business arteries linking the riverside’s old colonial style mercantile buildings and posh hotels to the city’s green lung, Lumpini Park. Seething Sukhumvit Road and its branching sois (where internationals tend to live, work and play) offer few sights but untold opportunities for drinking, dining and debauchery. And Pathumwan (p.24) is

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meared over the flat, floodprone Chao Phraya river plain, Bangkok at first appears about as organised as a bowl of spaghetti.

The fact that there isn’t one all-singing, all-dancing city centre doesn’t help matters. Delve in though and you’ll discover a sprawling megalopolis with a series of distinct neighbourhoods that have evolved over the centuries and have different, tourist-luring attributes.

On the west side of the river, glimpses of the Venice of the East survive down the criss-crossing canals of former capital Thonburi. On the east, historic monuments like the Grand Palace are sprinkled like gold dust through former royal HQ Ko Rattanakosin (p.20) – the city’s most revered neighbourhood by far. Fringing it are the old shophouse communities of Phra Nakorn and Banglamphu, the latter of which includes backpacker ghetto Khao San Road. South of Ko Rattanakosin is the city’s congested, chaotic and must-see Chinatown.

And crowning Banglamphu is royal and government enclave Dusit with its grand, tree-shaded boulevards a la 19th Century Europe.

When temple fatigue strikes head east for the urban hurly burly

where it’s at for shopping, be it at glitzy mall or gritty market.

All these neighbourhoods (and the city’s intermittently interesting ‘burbs) can be reached using the city’s roads. But the Skytrain (BTS) and Underground (MRT) networks are better allies – whiz above or below the gridlocked streets in fridge-cool comfort!

When these can’t help you (when heading from downtown Bangkok to the Old City for instance) hop on a river expressboat, accessible via Saphan Taksin Skytrain station (see opposite). Alternatively, seek out a pier along smelly Klong Saen Saeb (p.120) and clamber (carefully) aboard one of its zippy boats.

Other tips include avoid scammers (p.26), carry small change and, if visiting temples, dress properly.

In a city as potentially aggravating as Bangkok, it’s also worth planning.

Do you really want to be traipsing round temples all day? Exactly. For ideas check out the following Route 101’s – these itineraries introduce the most notable sights in the city’s most colourful neighbourhoods. Don’t follow them to the letter however – getting hopelessly lost as you wander down one interesting looking sidestreet after another is half the fun.

Riverside

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Silom & Sathorn sightseeing

bangkok 101

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the riverside

N16-N30 Head north and concrete seques into greenery as expressboats sprint up to their terminus at Nonthaburi, a charming provincial town.

N13 : Phra Athit Bkk’s young bohemians pensively sip coffee in the cute shophouse cafes that line this leafy old street. There’s a quiet park and the hedonistic madhouse that is Khao San Road is around the corner.

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N15 :Thewet Feed the catfish, peruse a flower and wet market, or dine overlooking the nearby Rama VIII suspension bridge. Stately royal district, Dusit, is a short taxi ride away.

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N9 : Tha Chang Thai icons ahoy! Turn left for Wat Mahatat and the Amulet market.

Walk straight ahead for the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang. Hungry?

The pedestrian area in front of the jetty is packed with old-school food stalls.

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N1 : Oriental The old western quarter. Admire neglected neoclassical edifices and Oriental object’s d’arts at OP Place, then take tea at Bangkok’s most illustrious hotel, the Mandarin Oriental.

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N6 : Memorial Bridge/ Saphan Pood Venture left for decrepit godowns (warehouses) teeming with veg and flowers; i.e. Pak Klong Talad, the 24-hour fresh market. Head straight for Bangkok’s Little India, Pahurat. At night there’s a clothing market popular with teens.

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N2 : Sri Phaya On the left is River City: 4 barren-floors of SE Asian antiques, ethnic reproductions, tailors and tat. To your right, the Royal Orchid Sheraton.

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N8 :Tha Tien Lovely King Rama V-era shophouses sell dried fish but Wat Po – home of the reclining Buddha – is the main attraction.

Wat Arun (p.26) looms large on the far bank. Catch a cross-river ferry to it for B3.

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N10 : Wang Lang Wat Rakhang, the macabre Forensic’s Museum, a teenfashion clothing market and Patravadi Theatre (p.54) are all in the vicinity.

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101

Though tall ships no longer sail into Bangkok, its churning river – the Mae Nam Chao Phraya – remains important to city life. Long tails, tug boats and pleasure cruisers ply the water, while sunburnt temples, neoclassic buildings, mottled warehouses, stilt homes and a fair few modern monstrosities (hotels, office blocks etc) look on. The best way to encounter all this is by expressboat, which courses a 33km route from Wat Rajsingkorn in the south to Nonthaburi in the north. Fares (usually no more than B13) are payable on board, and during rushhour the boats thronged with office-workers, students and saffron-robed monks. Read up on most interesting piers here then hop aboard! For more about routes, fares and timetables click on to www.chaophrayaboat.co.th

bangkok 101

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Saphan Taksin Accessible via the Skytrain’s Saphan Taksin Station. Alight here for shuttle boats back to Mandarin Oriental, Pennisula and Millenium Hilton hotels.

Or if staying in Silom, Sathorn or Sukhumvit.

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sightseeing

19

Sightseeing

Rattanakosin

route 101 Whether your stay in Bangkok is for a few hours, a few days or more, absolutely any itinerary should include the ‘old city’ of Rattanakosin.

From exquisite temples to ancient Thai massage, it’s all here.

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elcome to Rattanakosin Island: birthplace of modern Bangkok and spiritual epicentre of the Kingdom.

King Rama I located the capital here in 1782 because he thought it would be easier to defend than previous site Thonburi. Rows of peeling old shophouses and glittering temple complexes – all gently curving roofs and soaring spires – pepper this hallowed area hemmed in by a bendy stretch of the Chao Phraya River and man-made canals.

Start off at Wat Arun (p.26), also known as the Temple of Dawn. Though it actually predates the Rattanakosin era, it’s a cornerstone of Thai history. To get there, ride the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin

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then, once at the river, jump on an express boat heading right, upriver (ask someone to point one out). Get off at Tha Tien pier and catch one of the numerous boats that cross to the other side. Wat Arun, with its soaring central Khmer-style spire, is easy to spot.

After admiring the sweeping panoramas from the top, cross back to Tha Tien pier and make your way to the city’s oldest temple complex, Wat Po (p.27). Here, see the immense reclining Buddha and have your muscles deknotted at the famous Thai massage school.

Your temple initiation over, now head north for the granddaddy of Bangkok sights: the Grand Palace (p.26) and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (p.26). Ignore the touts telling you it’s closed, and take plenty of time to boggle at the imagination that could give rise to such an ethereal royal complex (note: the B300 ticket is also valid for Dusit’s Vimanmek Mansion, p.28). Getting into this Thai culture stuff? Then exit and head A^_d Bec 9^ec IWf^Wd north across ancient ceremonial park, Sanam Luang, veer left and delve into the National Museum (p.30).

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Depending on your body and foot fatigue, you will probably nR W oa isu d tK find it is early evening. The rest of your evening is up to you asa tR oa d BANGLAMPHU – Rattanakosin has plenty of options. A good place to unwind over a drink or a meal is at one of the artsy eateries near the AWe IWd He WZ ad Ro Ratcha fort, along Phra Athit Road. Alternatively, grab a beer and some an :[ceYhWYo damno aw S Cedkc[dj en Klan g Road on kh pad thai noodles with the backpackers on Khao San Road. Back Na Luk Luang Road near Wat Po, cocktail bar Amorosa, with its picture-postcard J^_fiWcW_ views over the river of lit-up Wat Arun, is another failsafe old F>H7 D7A>ED IWe 9^_d] 9^W city walking tour closer. =_Wdj Im_d]

20

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Renaissance-style train station. Head straight on from Exit 1 and cross over a couple of roads and the canal until you hit Mittraphap Thai-China Rd. Down here you’ll find one of the most imposing temples in Bangkok, Wat Traimit Witthayaram (p.27) and, 50m further on, the Odeon Circle Gate, an enormous structure that serves as the entrance to Chinatown proper. Turn right and check out the San Chao Poy Sien shrine, before crossing over onto Yaowarat Rd and exploring the Thian Fah Foundation complex.

Continue along Yaowarat and, when you’re suitably disgusted/ impressed by all the restaurants advertising bird’s nest and shark’s fin delicacies on Yaowarat, duck down Yaowaphanit Rd. Then turn right onto Sampheng Lane (officially Wanit 1

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aowarat as it is known locally is a sprawling, neon-lit enclave of tiny lanes, fabulous food, incense-shrouded Chinese shrines and wiry old men sitting on plastic stools staring through thick-rimmed glasses.

It’s a fantastic place just to wander around during the day, stuffing your face with weird fried things and trying to figure out just what the hell is being displayed in those pharmacy windows. And at night Yaowarat Rd itself, Chinatown’s main stretch, comes alive when fold-up-table restaurants spill out over the pavements, and a million and one gold shops, with their ridiculously ostentatious facades, flick on their neon switches.

The best way to get there is by the underground. Take Exit 1 from Hua Lamphong MRT and on your right you’ll spot Bangkok’s main,

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cHINATOWN

Rd). This narrow wholesale shopping treasure trove used to be full of opium dens and brothels, although there’s not much more illicit than Hello Kitty hairclips and schoolbags on offer now.

Emerging like a new born calf onto Ratchawong Rd, you’ve got a choice to make. Head left towards the river to explore the old colonial-style warehouses and catch a river taxi from Ratchawong Pier; jump in a cab and mumble “Pak Khlong Talad” (p.104) to explore the 24-hour flower market; cross the road and continue the market mayhem as Chinatown segues into Little India with all its fabric shops and samosa stalls; or turn right and head up to the other main Chinatown artery, Charoen Krung Rd.

As you approach Charoen Krung you’ll cross over Yaowarat Rd, passing the Grand China Princess hotel on your left. Turn left when you hit the main drag and walk about 500m to get to Nakhon Kasem, the old Thieves’ Market (p.104), or turn right and cross over to visit the wonderful Mangkorn Kamalawat temple complex. Opposite the temple, about 20 metres on, there’s a tiny, jam-packed lane, Soi 16, that connects with Yaowarat Rd.

If you’ve timed it well, when you come out of Soi 16 (Yaowarat Rd Soi 6) night will have fallen and the neon-lit optical orgy that is Yaowarat Rd will be in full flow. Squeeze past all the chestnut vendors and satay grillers and slip into an appealing restaurant or find a table at a streetside eatery like T&K Seafood to give your feet a wellearned rest.

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21

Sightseeing Lumpini Park

route 101

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he Sathorn/Silom area personifies Bangkok’s split personality. The white-collar crux of Bangkok’s business world by day, this bustling area kicks it up a gear after office hours, with a jiving scene of clubs, expat pubs, some very shady characters, and one oh-so-notorious little lane.

Set the alarm and beat the sun to the punch; there’s much to be done today. Take the MRT to the Sam Yan stop. Walk towards Silom and take a venomous venture into the Snake Farm (see p.32) and watch wranglers extract poison from serpents. If you dare you can even pet a cobra or kiss a python! If you’re still alive, continue on for a nice stroll in Lumphini Park, Bangkok’s largest public open area.

If it’s the weekend take a taxi into the past with former P.M. Kukrit’s Heritage House (see p.28).

By now you’re probably famished, so go back down Convent Road, a tree-shaded soi peppered with Mexican, Japanese, Italian and various other foreigner-orientated eating establishments. After filling up follow the throngs of office workers into Soi Lalai Sup (“the soi that melts your assets”), squeezing through the chaos, hunting down bargains on clothes, gifts and other knick-knack paddywhacks.

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Further down Silom on Thanon Pan, you will come across Wat Mahamariamman. Referred to by locals as Wat Kaek, it is the most famous – and colourful – Hindu temple in Bangkok, incense-shrouded rituals performed here daily at noon.

Right across the street is Kathmandu Gallery featuring great photo exhibits, and also Silom Village which is a nice spot to pick up some handicrafts.

Just before sunset hits, head up to the top floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel and grab a clubby bar chair at the aptly titled Moon Bar (see p.85).

Two hundred metres above the pavement, this bar’s main attraction is the completely unobstructed 360° Bangkok panorama.

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1. Snake Farm 2. Lumphini Park 3. Soi Convent 4. Soi Lalai Sup 5. Wat Mahamariamman 6. Lumphini National Boxing Stadium 7. Suan Lum Night Bazaar 8. Patpong

The night is still far too young.

Cab it to Lumpini National Boxing Stadium (see p.112) around the corner, which will guarantee adrenaline rushes.

For something less violent, Suan Lum Night Bazaar (see p.104), a pricier but less sweaty version of Chatuchak, is just seconds away. The Joe Louis Puppet Theater (see p.54) here is great for a cultural show. There’s also a good beer garden.

Time to think about wrapping the day up. If you’re a jazz-lover a class act can always be found at Niu’s on Silom, as can superlative Italian food and service. Or, if wine’s your thing, head to suave oenophile hangout Opus. If you’re looking for something more youthful and hip, the bars and clubs in Silom Soi 4 will suffice. If you’re gay, look no further than same-sex central, Silom Soi 2. And if you’re feeling frisky and don’t mind being harassed by aggressive touts, immerse yourself in the decadent not-so-underworld that is Soi Patpong. Here jaded street vendors sell cheap trinkets and knockoffs yards from grubby girly bars. Be careful around here and do not follow strangers offering you free shows. But don’t hold back, because whatever you choose to do in this part of town at this time, you’re most likely to wake up with absolutely no recollection of it.

bangkok 101

Sukhumvit

get your shopping fever quietened with the bevy of established, worldclass designers here, an interesting alternative is the Thailand Creative ike Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and Design Center (TCDC) on the Sukhumvit Road is a futuristic 6th floor, which continually stages thriller – a flawed, frenetic, yet thought-provoking, and usually free, often compelling urban streetscape. exhibitions. Afterwards, a jaunt among Hotel, condominium and office blocks the modern sculptures, trim greenery smother its skyline, while down below and cooing pigeons of adjoining a Who’s Who of world races moves Benjasiri Park will remind you there’s anonymously amongst them. Along its more to life than luxury brands. hi-octane main stretch traffic, pollution

Shopaholics should probe Thong and noise assail the senses, while down Lo, staking out this unabashedly its many flanking sois calmer, more minted neighbourhood for designer serene atmospheres unfold. clothing, jewellery, furniture and

Get a quick jump on the day books. Or, should you be toying with with a morning stroll around the lake in Benjakitti Park. Located adjacent to quick shot of culture. On Asok Road matrimony, wedding garb. Hop on the Queen Sirikit National Convention (the unofficial “border” die-hard over to J-Avenue, Bangkok’s little slice Center, which hosts world class expos Sukhumvit dwellers rarely cross), of neon Tokyo. Once dinnertime rolls weekly (see calendar p.11), it is easily it’s an organisation dedicated to the around check out “Japan Town” in accessible via the centre’s MRT stop. preservation of Thai heritage, art and Thong Lo Soi 13, where a clutch of Next head to the Siam Society for a culture through study trips, lectures great Japanese restaurants like Uomasa and exhibitions. And out back is a lurk. stunning Northern Lanna teak house/ Finally, when it comes to ethnological museum.

Sukhumvit, nighttime is definitely the

After Asok, it’s on the Skytrain right time. Drinking, dining, dancing, and off to Phrom Phong station. Here debauchery – it’s all here. Perfect for you will find the cultural epicentre a puff on a shisha pipe, Sukhumvit of upper Sukhumvit, that shrine to Soi 3 is Bangkok’s very own Little nouveau riche Thai consumerism, Arabia. Those looking to see how >WfW IfW Emporium. While you can easily the city’s young upper crust like to Ph par-tay should head to one of the et ch ab ur jumping joints along Thong Lo or i '$ 8[d`Wa_jj_ FWha Rd . ($ I_Wc IeY_[jo Ekamai. Sukhumvit Soi 11 – home of )$ ;cfeh_kc nightclub veterans like Bed Supperclub *$ @#7l[dk[ F>;J9>78KH? Th and Q Bar (p.82) – meanwhile draws 7cWh_ on gL 8ekb[lWhZ oS oi the international clubbers. Looking for Soi Prom 20 -mitr I^WZ[i :_lWdW e\ H[jhe D[ij the best of Sukhumvit’s beau monde :_l_d[ 9^[Wf 9^Whb_[Êi haunts? Then head on up to Long Su 4 kh um Table (p.84): a cocktail at this 25th KecWiW vit Rd M[ij_d 2 Tho DWd] B[d floor design bar, with its movers and ng Lo Soi 10 shakers and electric panoramas, is not 9e\\[[ 8[Wdi Xo :We BWlWdW IfW easily forgotten.

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23

Sightseeing

route 101 BACC

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Then head back south to Phetchaburi Road and turn right. After a few minutes’ walk, on the other side of the road is the computer geek paradise of Panthip Plaza. Chockful of gadgets and some highly suspicious software, Panthip is worth visiting but it is truly a place where the ‘buyer beware’ motto should be kept in mind.

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lthough much of Thailand’s biggest shopping complex CentralWorld was burned to the ground by arsonists at the tail-end of the recent political protests, the nearby Siam Square and Pratunam areas are still Bangkok shopaholic central. From the chaos of the shop4-all places like the Mahboonkrong Center (MBK) and the Pratunam clothes market to the elegance of Siam Paragon Mall and Central Chidlom shopping centres, the range of goods is staggering. And, hidden among these mammoth malls and markets are some very Thai activities that should not be missed.

Start the day off with a visit to a popular spot if you wish to pray for good fortune from the four-faced Hindu God Brahma. On the corner of the junction with Ploenchit Road and Ratchadamri, the Erawan Shrine is renowned for bringing good luck.

Then cross over Ploenchit Road and head north up Ratchadamri Road.

Just after you cross the khlong (canal) is another major junction with Phetchaburi Road. On the other side of this road is the legendary Pratunam clothes market (see p. 105), reputedly the largest market of its kind in Thailand.

Jim Thompson’s House (see p.28).

Thailand’s second most popular tourist destination is a wonderful, meditative place to wander around and perhaps indulge at the café. Take a right out of here and turn left at the end of the soi.

Walking toward Siam Square and on the left corner of the junction, between Rama I and Phayathai Road, you can’t miss the sinuous concrete curves of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Called the “Guggenheim meets a shopping mall” by our very own art critic, this is Bangkok’s new modern-art scene central.

Next up is Siam Paragon. This up-scale shopping and entertainment complex houses scores of great dining options, a world-class cinema complex and an impressive array of luxury and high street fashion bands from around the world. On a tight budget? Don’t worry. Every night (except Mondays) after 9pm, the footpaths along Siam Square on Rama I Rd transform into a mini-Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Bangkok teenagers and young adults alike war over cheap but trendy T-shirts, jeans, dresses, accessories, brand new (and sometimes secondhand brand named) leather goods like bags, wallets, and shoes. Choose wisely if you opt for secondhand items.

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Sightseeing

temples THE GRAND PALACE & WAT PHRA KAEW (map A3, #10) Na Phra Lan Rd, near Sanam Luang | 02-222-0094 | daily 8:30am-4pm | B350 includes entry to Vimanmek Mansion | dress respectfully The granddaddy of all Thai sights. Don’t let the touts who mill around outside put you off a visit to this, the Kingdom’s most beloved keepsake – a fantastical 218,400m² royal complex that comes enclosed by quaintly crenulated whitewalls, and at night sparkles like the jewel in some Oriental fairytale.

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 stunning sights on its grounds, much of it remains off-limits. Though King Bhumibol now holds court at Chitralada Palace, in the northern district of Dusit, the Grand Palace is still used for major ceremonies or royal functions.

The Chakri Mahaprasat Hall – colloquially known as the “Westerner in a Thai hat” due to its blend of Thai and European architecture – is worth seeing, and there are some state

Wat Arun

The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew

rooms and halls open to visitors.These include the Amarin Vinitchai Throne Hall, where the King still delivers his birthday speech, and a small weapons museum.

The highlight is the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist relic – and the ornate temple purpose-built to house it, Wat Phra Kaew, where hundreds pay their respects each day. Completed two years after the capital was moved from Thonburi to Rattanakosin in 1784, this forms the north-eastern corner of the complex. The Emerald Buddha was discovered in 1434, when lightning is said to have struck a chedi in Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand. It was originally covered in stucco which peeled off over time to reveal the brilliant green stone beneath. After being moved around Northern Thailand by a succession of Thai kings and then taken by the Lao to Vientiane, Rama I retook the statue in 1779 and placed it at the centre of his new capital.

Apart from the amazing architecture, gilded statues and the majesty of the temple, the walls of Wat

Phra Kaew’s cloisters feature examples of Thai mural art documenting the life and travels of the Buddha and scenes from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana epic. Remember to dress respectfully as a strict no shorts or sleeveless shirts policy is enforced.

WAT ARUN (map A3, #12) Temple of Dawn | Arun Amarin Rd | 02- 465-5640 | www.watarun.org | 8am- 5pm | B20 Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn, one of the city’s most important and beguiling religious sites. Before being moved to Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha was temporarily housed here. The five-towered structure is covered almost entirely in pieces of colourful porcelain and designed as a representation of Mount Mehru, the Khmer home of the gods. The temple is believed to have been named by Rama I on his first sunrise visit, but in contrast with its name, it is best visited at dusk when the setting sun forms a stunning backdrop.

วัดอรุณราชวราราม ถ.อรุณอัมรินทร์ ผั่งตะวันตกของแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา

Beware!

Bangkok has its share of brilliantly choreographed and well-practised street scams, often active in the area around the Grand Palace. Typically these involve being “befriended” by a seemingly straight-up local, and with true sophistication they often result in travellers not reaching their intended destination, but instead visiting an alternative temple and eventually a jewellery outlet. The bottom line is, if anyone, no matter how official they may appear (and this includes uniformed guards!), tells you that the palace or Wat Pho, for example, is closed, you are likely being set up. Our advice: politely decline any such offers and proceed directly to the actual ticket booth (presuming, of course, that you have arrived during official opening hours).

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bangkok 101

ban

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The Giant Swing

WAT SAKET (map B3, #7) Chakkraphatdiphong Rd, Sattruphai | 02-233-4561 | 7:30am-5:30pm | B10 Raised on a small hillock, and thus referred to as the Golden Mount, this wat offers great 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 built a smaller chedi on top, which was subsequently expanded to house a Buddhist relic inside. The temple is worth a visit for the view if you are prepared to hike up the 318 steps.

วัดสระเกศ ถ.จักรพรรดิพงษ์

WAT MAHATHAT (map A3) Tha Prachan, Sanam Luang, Mahratch 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 daily vendors of traditional medicines and herbal potions.

Wat Mahathat is one temple in Bangkok where courses on Buddhism are given in English.

วัดมหาธาตุ ท่าพระจันทร์ สนามหลวง

WAT SUTHAT and THE GIANT SWING (map A-B3, #8) Bamrung Muang Rd, Phra Nakhorn, | 02-2229632 | 9am-5pm | B20 Surrounded by perhaps the greatest concentration of Buddhist supply shops in Bangkok, Wat Suthat is one of the most important Buddhist centres in the kingdom and home to some excellent examples of bronze sculpture, a blend of Thai and Chinese-style mural art and a 14th-century Sukhothai period statue. The wat used to be the site bangkok 101

for annual harvest ceremonies where brave men would swing up to great heights to catch a bag of gold coins in their teeth. However, the practice proved a bit too dangerous and was banned in the 1930s. Today the huge red structure, named the Giant Swing, still stands in front of the temple.

วัดสุทัศน์ ถ.บำรุงเมือง พระนคร ตรงข้ามเสาชิงช้า

WAT BOWONIWET VIHARA (map A3) Phra Sumen Rd, Banglamphu | 02-281-2831-3 | all day long | free Home to the res- pected Maha Makut Buddhist University, this temple is par ticularly important to the monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty as Rama VI, Rama VII and the present king were all ordained as monks here.

วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร ถ.พระสุเมรุ

WAT BENCHAMA BOPHIT (map B2, #3) 69 Rama V Rd, Dusit | 02-6287947 | 8am-6pm | B20 This white Italian Carrara marble wat dates from the 19th century.

Alms are brought here by generous Buddhist families in the early mornings. วัดเบญจมบพิตร ถ.พระราม 5 WAT RATCHANATDA (map B3) Mahachai Rd, Phra Nakhorn | 02-2248807 | 9am-5pm | free This temple, a centre for buying amulets, features the bizarre multitiered Loh Prasat.

Collecting amulets sightseeing

is popular in Thailand and many believe these miniature images of Buddha possess spiritual powers, protecting the wearer and bringing good for-tune. วัดราชนัดดา ถ.มหาชัย พระนคร WAT TRAIMIT (map B3, #13) 661 Hua Lamphong, Charoen Krung Rd | 02-623-1226 | 8am-5pm | B20 Housed safely in this unassuming Chinatown temple is the world’s largest solid gold Buddha.

Weighing over five tonnes and standing over three metres high, its worth has been estimated at over US$10 million.

วัดไตรมิตร หัวลำโพง (เยาวราช)

WAT PO (map A3, #11) Reclining Buddha | Chetuphon/Thai Wang Rd | 02-226-0369 | www.watpho.com | 8am-noon, 1-9pm | B50 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 Po is also the centre for traditional Thai medicine and a learning centre for Thai massage, where you can both enjoy and learn this ancient healing art. The 45m-long statue depicts the Buddha entering nirvana and is impressive both for its size and the mother-of-pearl detail on the soles of the feet, a blueprint revealing the 108 auspicious signs of a genuine Buddha.

วัดโพธิ์ ถ.เชตุพน

27

Sightseeing

historic buildings JIM THOMPSON’S HOUSE (map C3, #16) 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | BTS National Stadium| 02-2167368 | www.jimthompsonhouse.com | daily 9am-5pm | B100 (B50 students) One of the things to do in Bangkok is visit the home of Jim Thompson, the American businessman largely responsible for the global popularity of hand-woven Thai silk. Found in a sun-dappled tropical garden, beside a pungent canal, this complex of six traditional teak houses from around the country is testament to his commitment to preserving regional art and culture. Each brims with art and antiques rescued from around Asia: everything from limestone Buddha torsos to a cat-shaped porcelain bedpan. Free tour guides discuss these exquisite treasures and the much-mythologised life of the man himself. There’s also a shop selling his trademark designs, an art gallery and a café.

บ้านไทย จิมทอมป์สัน ซ.เกษมสันต์ 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ

M.R. KUKRIT’S HOUSE (map C4,#20) 19 Soi Phra Pinit, Sathorn Rd | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-2868185 | Sat, Sun & Holidays 10am – 5pm, weekdays by appt. only | B50 (B20 kids) Kukrit Pramoj was one of Thailand’s most-loved statesmen of the 20th century. A natural all-rounder, he was a poet, a writer and even served as prime minister in the 1970s. His peaceful abode with its lovely gardens, now on show to the public and off the tourist trail is a terrific example of traditional Thai architecture. บ้านหม่อมราชวงศ์คึกฤทธิ์ ซ.พระพินิจ สาทรใต้​้

VIMANMEK MANSION (map B2,#1) 139/2 Ratchawithi Rd, Dusit | 02-281-1569 | daily 9am-4pm | B100 The world’s largest teakwood building was originally built on the island of Koh Si Chang, in 1868, and then moved, piece by piece, to Bangkok for use by King Rama V. Its 81 rooms, spread over three floors, overlook a beautiful garden. Inside, many of his acquisitions from international trips are on display, including possibly the first bathtub in the kingdom, antique photographs and fine porcelain. Regular tours in English are held throughout the day. พระทีน ่ ง่ั วิมานเมฆ ถ.ราชวิถี เขตดุสติ WANG SUAN PAKKARD (map C3, #15) Si Ayutthaya Rd, Ratchathewi | BTS Phaya Thai | 02-245-4934 | www. 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. Of note are the examples of Buddhist and Hindu art, the ceramics from old Ban Chiang and the delightful lacquer pavilion depicting scenes from the Ramayana. วังสวนผักกาด ถ.ศรีอยุธยา ราชเทวี ANANTA SAMAKHOM PALACE Throne Hall (map B2, #2) Uthong Nai Rd, Dusit, opp Dusit Zoo | 8:30am-4pm | B50 This stately parlimentary palace was built during the reign of RamaV 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. พระทีน ่ ง่ั อนันตสมาคม ถ.อูท่ องใน ดุสติ

Jim Thompson:The Man behind the Mystery Check this out for a CV: a Princeton graduate and former US spook turns Bangkok socialite, silk revivalist and Asiaphile antiques collector before disappearing mysteriously in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in 1967. Jim Thompson’s strangerthan-fiction life story makes for a twisting, ultimately tragic tale.This, along with the sheen of his famous silks, his entrepreneurial skills and impeccable taste, has made him Thailand’s most famous farang (westerner).Today he’s a brand gone global.You can visit his stunning home (see above), buy his trademark fabrics in Argentina or Australia, and read a slew of gossipy biographies peddling myths that only seal the legend. But it’s perhaps at Ban Krua, the Muslim silk-weaving community found near his home, where his legacy is most lasting. Here the cottage industry he resuscitated continues to thrive – a testimony both to the skill of the weavers who live there, and the visionary American who believed in them.

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bangkok 101

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Kids in the city

Negotiating Bangkok with kids needn’t be the nightmare many parents presume.The single biggest plus point is that Thais absolutely adore children, meaning there are always people around ready to help out. Skytrain guards will drop what they’re doing to help you haul that stroller down the stairs and waitresses will gladly whisk junior off for a tour of the kitchens while you enjoy a coffee.

Most of the big shopping malls (see p.102) have play areas set aside for kids, with two of the best being Kiddy Land, which has slides, a ball pit and a balloon room on the 6th floor of CentralWorld; Jamboree on the 3rd floor of Emporium; and the huge indoor playground Funarium (see below). Plus, of course, most of the shopping malls have cinemas and enough ice-cream stores to sate a homesick Eskimo.

There are also a fair few attractions that appeal to wee ones.The city’s parks (see p.32) offer a chance to let off steam, especially Rot Fai Park near Chatuchak Weekend Market (p.103), where you can rent bicycles; and Dusit Zoo (p.32) is a sprawling, chaotic afternoon’s worth of fun. Although expensive, Siam Ocean World (p.32) is a great way to entertain the kids while you shop at Paragon department store. And if you’re sticking around town for a while, Bangkok Dolphins (www.bangkokdolphins.com) offer swimming classes from three months old.

Funarium (map D4) 111/1 Sukhumvit 26 | 02-6656555 | www.funarium.co.th | 8:30am-8:30pm | kids: B180/300; adults B90 Basically 2,000m2 of slides, ball pits, trampolines, obstacle courses, cycling tracks and basketball courts, with a decent café and a small branch of Mothercare.

ฟันเอเรียม สุขุมวิท 26

SHRINES

Apart from the many Buddhist temples across the city, there are lots of small shrines where devotees pay their respects to Hindu deities, Animist spirits and even errant spooks. Many of the most famous – and visited – are centred around Ratchaprasong, the mall-cluttered central district. Here it’s not unusual to see a Thai wai a God while on their way to the Gucci store.

ERAWAN SHRINE (map C3, #17) Ratchadamri Rd, near Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-252-8754 | 6:30am10:30pm | 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, which bangkok 101

performs for a nominal fee. Fancy making an offering? Buy a set from the surrounding stalls, and starting with your back to the main entrance walk around it clockwise, offering 3 incense sticks, a candle, garland and a piece of gold leaf to each of the four faces.

พระพรหมเอราวัณ ถ.ราชดำริ

Ganesha Shrine

TRIMURTI SHRINE (map C3) Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store, Ratchadamri Rd If your love life is ailing then this shrine is for you: at 9.30pm each Thursday it’s rumoured that Lord Trimurti descends from the heavens to answer prayers of the heart. To maximise your chances of meeting your dream beau you should offer nine-red incense sticks, red candles, red roses and fruit.

Alternatively, you could try saying hello to the person next to you.

GANESHA SHRINE (map C3) Outside Centralworld and Isetan Department Store, Ratchadamri Rd Perhaps the most recognisable Hindu deity, a silent 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.

พระตรีมูรติ หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์ sightseeing

พระพิฆเนศวร หน้าห้างอิเซตัน ศูนย์การค้าเซนทรัลเวิลด์

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museums THE NATIONAL MUSEUM (map A3) 5 Chao Fa Rd, Sanam Luang| 02-2241333 | www.thailandmuseum.com | Wed-Sun 9am-4pm | B200 Previously a palace during the reign of Rama V, the National Museum features extensive displays of Thai artefacts from the 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 on display. Free English tours are given on Wednesdays (about Buddhism) and Thursdays (on art/culture) which start at 9:30am.

Photography is not allowed inside the museum galleries.

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์สถานแห่งชาติ ถ.เจ้าฟ้า ใกล้ทอ้ งสนามหลวง

MUSEUM OF SIAM (map A3) 4 Samachai Rd., Pra Nakorn | 02622-2599 | www.ndmi.or.th | Tue-Sun 10am-6pm | free A truncated history of Thailand unfurls through this down-with-thekids discovery museum, taking in prehistoric Suvarnabhumi, the foundation of Ayutthaya and the country’s modernisation. Design company Story! Inc delivered the content and conceptual design, replacing the usual ‘don’t touch’ signs and turgid text with pop graphics and interactive gizmos galore. Among the many edutaining activities, highlights include dressing up as a 20th century nobleman, mapping out the borders of your own Siam using a vibrant touch screen and firing cannonballs at Burmese war-elephants.

Tellingly, the place teems with the usually museum-shy – Thai teenagers.

Afterwards, enjoy the polished teak floors, open-sided corridors and elegant Renaissance stylings of this gorgeously 30

Museum of Siam

restored former government building, designed in the 1920s by Thailand’s best-loved resident Italian architect, Mario Tamagno.

สถาบันพิพิธภัณฑ์การเรียนรู้ แห่งชาติ ถ.สนามไชย

ROYAL BARGE MUSEUM (map A3) 80/1 Rim Khlong Bangkok Noi,Arun Amarin Rd,Thonburi | 02-424-0004 | 9am5pm | B100 (photo B100, video B200) This collection of 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. Beautifully and ornately decorated, these magnificent long craft were completely renovated and restored to their former glory by the present King, who also commissioned the newest boat for his golden jubilee in 1996.

พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือพระราชพิธี ถ.อรุณอมรินทร์

BANGKOKIAN MUSEUM (map B3-4) 273 Charoen Krung Soi 43 | 02-2337027| www.bma.go.th/bmaeng/bangrak | Sat&Sun 10am-5pm | free Bangrak is one of the most traditional districts of the city, bustling with traffic and markets. Smack in the middle of it, 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 revelations here; the displays can nevertheless be surprisingly fascinating. They include antiques, traditional household utensils and items used in ceremonies.

The real highlight is the owner herself who is willing to give you a highly personalised tour (if you call ahead), filled with anecdotes about a city long since vanished.

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์ชาวบางกอก เจริญกรุง ซ.43

Bangkokian Museum

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Oddball Museums

Rattabakosin Exhibition

RATTANAKOSIN EXHIBITION HALL (map B3) 100 Ratchadamnoen Klong Road, next to Wat Ratchanadda | www.nitasrattanakosin.com | Tues-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm | 02624-0044 | adults B200, kids B50 This brand new multimedia museum tackles a part of town we all admire but few understand – Rattanakosin island, Bangkok’s glittering birthplace. Once you’re done oggling the Grand Palace and Wat Po etc, it’s a great place to expand your knowledge of this most hallowed part of the city beyond that pithy paragraph in your guidebook. Wandering its seven rooms – free of relics but rich in dioramas, interactive videos, text and audio clips in Thai and English – brings the area’s hard-to-fathom history, arts, communities and traditions into much clearer focus. Learn about its creation in 1782; ancient royal ceremonies; fine performing arts like lakhon nai (court drama); evolving architectural styles and much more. Also includes an observation balcony with views over the old city.

นิทรรศน์รัตนโกสินทร์ ถ.ราชดำเนินกลาง

bangkok 101

It’s not all Buddhist art you know. Several museums in and around Bangkok delve into Thailand’s wacky and idiosyncratic. Definitely the most macabre, the Si Quey Forensics Museum revels in pickled body parts and cadavers of serial killers. A close second, the Corrections Museum uses lifelike models to recreate the rough justice meted out to crims in the not so old days (you’ll think twice about that sly toke after a trip here). Also in central Bangkok, the Museum of Counterfeit Goods displays 1,500 of Thailand’s best forgeries. As long as you call ahead (and don’t use it as a means to spot that fake handbag on Patpong the next day), you’re welcome. On the outskirts, the weekends only House of Museums is a two-storey sprawl of retro curiosities. Finally, if you’re a cinephile interested in Thailand’s New Wave, learn about the heritage that inspired your Pen-Eks and Apichatpongs at the Thai Film Museum in Nakhom Pathom. By appointment on weekdays, here you walk among recreated film sets, old 16mm cameras and waxwork figures of Thai cine heroes.

Si Quey Forensics Museum (Official Name ‘Siriraj Medical Museum’) 2 Prannok road, Bangkoknoi | www.si.mahidol.ac.th | 02- 419-7000 ext 6363 | Mon-Sat 9am – 4pm | B40

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์การแพทย์ศริ ริ าช ถ.พรานนก Corrections Museum 436 Bangkok Remand Prison, Mahachai Rd., Samranrat, Phra Nakhon | Mon-Fri 9am - 4pm | 02-226-1704 | free

พิพธิ ภัณฑ์ราชทัณฑ์ เรือนจำเก่า ใกล้กบั สวนรมณีนาถ

Museum of Counterfeit Goods Supalai Grand Tower Building 26F, Rama III Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-653-5555 | www.tillekeandgibbins.com | by appointment only

อาคารศุภาลัยแกรนด์ทาวเวอร์ ถ.พระราม 3

House of Museums 170/17 Moo 17 Soi Klong Po 2, Salathammasop Rd., Taweewattana | 089-666-2008 | http://houseofmuseums.siam.edu | Sat-Sun 10am – 5pm | B30

บ้านพิพธิ ภัณฑ์ ซ.คลองโพ 2 ศาลาธรรมสพน์

Thai Film Museum 94 Moo 3 Bhuddhamonton Sai 5, Salaya, Nakorn Pathom| www.nfat.org | 02-482- 2013-15 | weekday: appointment only, weekend tours: 10am, noon, 3pm | free

หอภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ 94 หมู่ 3 ถ.พุทธมณฑลสาย 5 sightseeing

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Sightseeing

the great outdoors

FLORA LUMPINI PARK (map C4) Entrances on Rama IV Rd, Sarasin Rd, Witthayu Rd and Ratchadamri Rd | free Want shades of green instead of drab slabs of grey? For most in the city Lumpini Park, the inner city’s largest green lung, is the solution. Busy as soon as the sun rises and again around sunset, Bangkokians of every ilk take advantage of the relative cool and quiet to practice Tai Chi, do aerobics, hold hands or jog around the picturesque lakes. Other activities include taking a pedal boat out onto the water for a quick spin. The most reliable entrance is the one near Silom at the corner of Rama IV Road and Ratchadamri Road, at the front of which a statue of King Rama VI stands sentinel. สวนลุมพินี เข้าได้ทาง ถ.พระราม 4

ถ.สารสิน ถ.วิทยุและ ถ.ราชดำริ

RAMA IX ROYAL PARK (off map) Sukhumvit 103 Rd, behind Seri Center, Pravet 02-328-1972, 02-328-1395 | 5:30am-7pm | B10 This 200-acre park features a small museum dedicated to the king, set amongst pleasant botanical gardens with lots of soothing water features. สวนหลวง ร.9 ถ.สุขุมวิท 103

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(หลังเสรี เซ็นเตอร์) ประเวศ

Rama IX Park

CHATUCHAK and QUEEN SIRIKIT PARKS (map C-D1) 820 Phahonyothin Rd, Ladyao Sub-district, Chatuchak | 02-2724358~9 | 5am-6:30pm | free These two parks situated not far from the mayhem of the weekend market offer some respite. Chatuchak Park hosts some art exhibits and a collection of old railway engines and ancient automobiles. Nearby, Queen Sirikit Park has a pretty botanical garden with lotus ponds.

สวนจตุจกั รและ สวนสมเด็จ พระนางเจ้า สิรกิ ติ ์ิ 820 ถ. พหลโยธิน จตุจกั ร

FAUNA DUSIT ZOO (map B2) 71 Rama V Rd, opp. Chitralada Palace, Dusit | 02-281-2000 | 8am-6pm | adults B100, kids B50 The city’s main zoo, situated to the north of Rattanakosin, is home to a large selection of mammals, reptiles and other animals. Spread over a large park, there’s also a lake to paddle around. สวนสัตว์ดุสิต 71 ถ.พระราม 5 QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE (Snake Farm) (map C4, #18) 1871 Rama IV Rd, Thai Red Cross, Henri Dunant | 02-252-0161~4 ext.120 | Mon-Fri sightseeing

8:30am-4pm, Sat-Sun 9:30am – noon (Shows at 11am & 2:30pm) | B200 A centre for developing antidotes to poisonous snake bites, this research facility is also open to the public.

The idea behind this is to educate visitors about the dangers of poisonous snakes in Thailand and what to do with the victim of a snake bite.

There’s an informative slide show followed by a display of live venom extraction from some of the deadliest serpents in the kingdom. สถานเสาวภา (สวนงู)

ถ.พระราม 4 สภากาชาดไทย

Siam Ocean World (map C3) B1F Siam Paragon, 991 Rama I Rd | 02-687-2001 | www.siamoceanworld. com | 10am-7pm | B650/850 Such a pity that this tourist attraction – reputed to be the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia – operates a dual pricing policy. If you’reThai you pay B350; if you’re not you pay B850. This irritating iniquity aside, there’s certainly fun to be had inside, with 8m-high tanks, glass-tunnel walk-throughs and shark-feeding shows – although a ride on a glass-bottom boat to see sharks and rays costs extra and is wholly unremarkable. Reckon on an hour to get round the whole thing. สยามพารากอน ถ.พระราม 1 bangkok 101

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Stood rapt in front of the Grand Palace? Check. Got your neck clicked at Wat Po? Check. Survived the scam artists? Just about. Ok, now you’ve lost your sightseer ‘L’ plates it’s time to explore some less tourist-thronged Bangkok addresses.

what next?

1 For a cycle around the parts most tourists never reach, give Spice Roads (www.spiceroads.com) a shout.

Alternatively, borrow a bike for free from one of 8 counters scattered around the Old City, courtesy of the Bangkok Metropolitan Association (www.bangkoktourist.com).

2 Volunteering is a great way to give back to this city we all get so much out of. Don’t know where to look?

Idealistic expat initiative In Search of Sanuk (www.insearchofsanuk.com) signposts ways you can have fun helping people.

3 Did Jim Thompson’s? Gorgeous but groaning with tourists? Fortunately it’s not the only stilted teak house oasis in town. Suan Pakkard Palace offers a similarly beguiling set-up off the tourist trail; as does M.R. Kukrit’s House (p.28). Other teak fetishists swear by Amantee (www.amantee.com) out in the northern suburbs.

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4 Just across from MBK mall, the Guggenheim-like Bangkok Art & Culture Centre lures in dandyish creative types (and the odd curious shopper) with its mixed-bag line-up of Thai contemporary and itinerant global art.

Want to know where the best Thai art is at? Then pop a copy of our Bangkok Art Map into your totebag on your way out.

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5 Tour company Smiling Albino (www.smilingalbino. com) offers well thought-out, culturally-attuned excursions in and around the capital. Definitely its most intriguing is its two-day rollick through authentic old neighbourhoods and markets reminiscent of Bangkok circa 1910.

6 Housed in a beautifully restored old government building only five minutes stroll from Wat Po, the Museum of Siam (www.ndmi.or.th) traces the evolution of the Thai people in a funky, hands-on fashion. Touch-screen videos and interactive gizmos galore replace the usual dusty relics and stress the country’s multiculturalism and modernisation.

7 Once the city is licked, time to see what marvels lurk just outside it. Popular daytrips close to home include Bangkrachao, a lush peninsula of undeveloped land just across from Bangkok’s Klong Toey district; and Ko Kret, a man-made island in the river famous for its snacking, temples and kilns churning out cheap pottery. See Daytrips (p.34) for more. bangkok 101

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Sightseeing Lop Buri

Uthai Thani

day tripping

Chai Nat Nakhon Ratchasima

Ang Thong Saraburi

Suphan Buri

It’s easy getting around in Thailand, and there are plenty of worthwhile excursions within easy reach of Bangkok; some one-day affairs, others overnight. Organise a trip yourself or book through your concierge or a local travel agent.

AYUTTHAYA The capital of Siam from the 14th to 18th century, Ayutthaya was one of the richest cities in the East, until it was plundered by the Burmese in 1767 and its ruins left to nature. Today a Unesco World Heritage Site, its remnants – all Khmer-esque stupas, crumbling bricks and Buddha faces entwined in tree roots – make a wonderful daytrip. The 85km journey is best done by river. The major hotels organise trips (usually to Ayutthaya by coach and then back by boat), while independent tours run from River City.

Many combine the trip with a visit to the Bang Pa-in Summer Palace.A former royal garden retreat, this presents a mélange of different architectural schools, mostly reflecting King Rama V’s love for all things European. Once at Ayutthaya, hop on a bike and scoot round highlights like Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Ratburana at your own pace. .

LOPBURI Lopburi’s illustrious ruins date back over 1,000 years and can done on foot. During the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries) the city was known as Lavo until the Khmers took over the region during Angkor’s 10th century heyday. The Thais took control during the powerful Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. And in the 1600s, King Narai made the city the second capital and fortified it against the Dutch navy 34

Ayutthaya

Kanchanaburi

Nakhon Pathom

Koh Kred

Pathumthani

Nakhon Nayok

Sa Kaeo

Nonthaburi Bangkok

Ratchaburi

Samut Sakhon Samut Songkhram

Samut Prakan

Chachoengsao

Chon Buri

Phetchaburi

threatening Ayutthaya. The remnants of the palace he built now serve as a public museum. The city is also littered with crumbling wats (temples) blending Khmer and Thai styles. Watch your belongings: the most famous – threeprang shrine Phra Prang Sam Yot (a prang is a spire-like vault) – is home to some mischievous macaque monkeys.

monuments and buildings. Built by the same benefactor, the smaller Erawan Museum features a towering threeheaded elephant sculpture. Inside are antiques and a stucco chapel, but most Thais come for the fantastical gardens and to pray for good luck at the esteemed shrine.-

NAKHON PATHOM The star attraction in this ancient Thai town is the 120m high chedi (or stupa), the tallest in the Kingdom, which was erected on the site of a 6th-century version.

Situated around 55km west of Bangkok, the town is widely thought to be the oldest in Thailand, but apart from the chedi there are few clues as to its history.The other big draw is the Rose Garden, a picturesque 70-acre park featuring botanical gardens and mock-Thai village cultural shows.

KANCHANABURI Made famous by the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi town is a popular weekend getaway, offering great scenery and a host of river-based activities. Most foreigners are attracted by the area’s history – namely the “Thai Burma Death Railway,” built

by POWs under Japanese occupation during World War II. Riding the railway is possible with three daily trips from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok. The lush countryside around Kanchanaburi is home to many of the country’s most impressive waterfalls, with nearby Erawan National Park offering great trekking.

SAMUT PRAKAN Just down the road – 29km away – Samut Prakan has three big draws.The Crocodile Farm offers daily croc wrestling and elephant shows.

Muang Boran (the Ancient City) is an open-air museum park featuring over 100 replicas of landmark Thai temples,

KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK Home to wild elephants, deer, boar, tigers and innumerable species of birdlife, Khao Yai (2½ hour’s drive from Bangkok) is one of Thailand’s most impressive national parks. Hike through the jungle to altitudes of over 1,000m. Hire a

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guide as it’s easy to get lost – the park is over 2,000km2 in size, and local maps are not to be trusted. Fancy staying the night? There are state-run bungalows in the park and luxe resorts nearby. Wine lover? Some of Thailand’s top wineries – Chateau des Brumes, Granmonte Estate, PB Valley – are also in the vicinity.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KORAT) Both a silk and trade hub, Nakhon Ratchasima is the country’s largest province and home to Korat, its second largest city.The moated town with city gates is rewarding; and the countryside has a surfeit of Khmer ruins left over from the Angkor period, the best being in the recently restored Phi Mai Historical Park (60km north of Korat). Pak Thong Chai (30km north of Korat) is Thailand’s leading silk village.

And for horse-riding and the chance to milk cows, visit Farm Chok Chai, a working farm popular with Stetsonwearing agro-tourists.

KOH KRED Highly recommended, this ickle car-free island sits on a kink in the Chao Phraya River and is home to a Mon community renowned for their ancestral red-clay pottery skills.

Seriously sleepy during the week, the palm-clad place goes into commercial overdrive on weekends. Bangkok cityslickers stroll its narrow footpaths, past working pottery warehouses, old Buddhist temples and homes selling hand-finished ceramics and tasty Mon kanom (snacks). By the time they’ve gone full circle, a few hours later, they’re smitten. Take a regular express boat up the Chao Phraya River to Nonthaburi and hire a long-tailed boat (B500 approx). Alternatively, on Sundays, the Chao Phraya Express ferry offers a guided tour for B300 (www. chaophrayaboat.co.th). bangkok 101

SARABURI Though often overs hadowed by neighbouring Lopburi, this central province, 108km north of Bangkok, still packs a thrill or two. Its 1½m-long Buddha footprint makes Wat Phra Putthabhat one of the most important temples in the region.

And caves, like Tham Phra Pothisat, draw crowds thanks to their beautiful stalactite formations and Buddhist bas-reliefs, as does Chet Sao Noi Waterfall. The main attraction though is definitely out in the fields – from Nov-Jan bright sunflowers blanket the land, providing vibrant photo opportunities galore.

PHETCHABURI Sacred Buddhist caves, neoclassical palaces, a quirky provincial market town – there’s more to Petchaburi province than the beach resort town of Cha Am. Best savoured over a long-weekend, sights include Wat Yai, a beautiful 17th century temple complex; and the stalactite and sculpture strewn Tham Khao Luang cave. To the west is also the scandalously underrated Kaeng Krachan National Park, where camp sites, butterfly and bird watching, water rafting and a stunning reservoir fringed by undulating hills await.

CHACHOENGSAO An hour’s drive to the east, Chachoengsao rarely make the travel guides but is popular with locals.

Smothered along the banks of the Bang Pakong River, the town boasts the temple Wat Sothon and 100-year old market Talad Baan Mai, where vendors flog traditional delicacies from within wooden King Rama V-era shophouses. Renting a boat to go see the old teak and stilted houses that line the sightseeing

sides – and the dolphins who migrate here between Nov and Feb – is also popular.

RATCHABURI Ratchaburi’s Damnoen Saduak floating market is the hokiest in the land. But “The Land of the Kings” does have other qualities: unspoilt klongs (canals), hot stream Bo Khloung, the cascading Kaew Chan waterfall, and stalagmite and stalactite caves. For artsy-boho types there’s also the Suan Silp Baan Din Arts Centre, staging performances of old Thai arts and workshops. And at Wat Khanon temple, NangYai puppetry (an evocative but dying artform where puppet silhouettes are projected onto fabric screens) survives. Performances are on Saturdays.

CHON BURI When it comes to this industrialised province on the eastern seaboard, we say skip Pattaya, Thailand’s Sodom-onSea, and head for Koh Si Chang, a small fishing island a mere 40-minute/B40 ferry hop across the Gulf of Thailand from Si Racha Town. King Rama V loved it there; and after a few hours exploring its hillside temples, summer palaces and pebbly beaches, so will you. On the way home, Baen San is a local, bucket-and-spade beach; and Talad Nong Mon, in Chonburi town, offers toothsome regional snacks like khao lam (sweet sticky rice in bamboo tubes).

SUPHAN BURI This is where it all went down: where the legendary King Naresuan fended off Burma and rid Thailand of foreign occupation, freeing it from the Pegu Kingdom way back in 1592. At the Don Chedi, 30km from central Suphan Buri, there is a statue erected in his honour, as well as an exhibition hall and museum. Other draws include the Thai Rice Farmer’s Museum, Bueng Chawak Aquarium (64km out of town), and ancient temples dating back almost 1,000 years.

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Sightseeing

NEARBY ISLANDS/BEACHES

No time to jet down to Koh Samui or Phuket? A handful of beach resorts and islands close to Bangkok are perfect for last-minute escapes.These span the gamut from lonely beaches offering the odd reggae shack and driftwood sign, to cosmopolitan beach resorts that have adopted the ‘built it and they will come’ philosophy with mixed results.

■ PATTAYA/JOMTIEN Most famous for its seedy nightlife, Pattaya’s been trying – well, sort of – to re-establish itself as a family destination.

Hundreds of hotels and eateries ensure competitive prices; and while the surfeit Koh Chang of self-enclosed resorts means it’s easy for those with kids or a sleaze intolerance to avoid the girly bars, sister beach Jomtien is still a better option.

■ KOH CHANG A large jungle-clad hilly gem that’s been found by the deluxe hotel industry.

Spending the night in hammocks is impossible, but fantastic beaches are still here, some hiend touristy, some budget backpacker-y. Catch a bus from the Ekkamai bus station (approx 5 hours) or fly here with Bangkok Air via Trat (approx 2 hours).

■ KOH SAMET A retreat for hip Thai youngsters who invade the island to

FLOATING MARKETS

Amphawa

Floating markets offer an idyllic taste of the Bangkok of the days of yore.

The experience depends largely on which market you choose. n DAMNOEN SADUAK Considered “the” floating market for visitors, this bustling stretch of waterway 100km southwest of the capital is two hours by car or bus, plus a 1530 minute boat ride. Arrive before the horde of tourists descend upon the market at 9am – it closes up midday. For a less-crowded option, head south to Talat Khun Phitak via water taxi from the pier on the east side of Khlong Thong Lang.

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spend days swimming in clear waters and nights sipping Thai-whisky buckets or playing the guitar on the superclean beaches. It’s worth booking ahead on weekends and public holidays, lest you want to be a source of amusement as you trudge up and down the beach desperately looking for an overpriced room.

■ HUA HIN/CHA-AM The royal summer residence town receives hordes of Thai families and package tourists. The long beach is satisfying, and is dotted with plenty of top-notch resorts like Chiva Som, the Evason, Hyatt Regency, Hilton and more. The piers filled with seafood restaurants are more of an attraction, as is the addictive night market. Nearby Cha-am is Hua Hin’s smaller, less developed sister.

Coach loads of Thai townies come here on weekends to fly kites, ride ponies and generally lark around in the ocean.

■ KO SI CHANG Located a cheap 45 minute ferry journey from Si Racha Town, in Chonburi province, scenic Koh Si Chang is seldom visited by foreign tourists. More fool them – though its more of a sightseer island than a sunbather island, it’s got picturesque lookouts, King Rama V era palaces and Chinese temples to explore.Those wanting to overnight can pick from a few cheap resorts and bungalows.

GETTING THERE By bus: to Damnoen Saduak from the Southern Bus Terminal every 40 minutes from 6am (02-435-5031 or 434-5558). n TALING CHAN For a kinder, gentler introduction to the world of floating markets, Taling Chan is a destination often overlooked on most tourist itineraries.

Built by former Bangkok governor Chamlong Srimuang in 1987 to honour HM the King’s 60th birthday,Taling Chan also offers live performances of traditional Thai music from 11am-2pm. The market only opens on weekends from 9am-4pm, so make sure to plan accordingly.

n AMPHAWA Night owls can have a slice of floating market action too. This one – only open Friday to Sunday – sets up at 4pm, allowing the luxury of a lie-in. This little-known treasure is not often on the itineraries of the tourists who flock to more famous markets. Make sure to take a boat down the canal after dusk, when the lights from the riverhouses gleam and the fireflies come out to play, especially during the rainy season.

GETTING THERE By car: Drive one hour south from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram.The market is nearby Wat Amphawan Jatiyaram.

GETTING THERE By bus: Take bus #79 or #83 to Taling Chan district (02-424-5448 or 02424-1712).

Damnoen Saduak

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featured daytrip

By Dave Stamboulis

Bang Krachao

N

ow most people consider the words Bangkok and nature to be an oxymoron, but then again, most folks havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been to Bang Krachao. Bang Krachao is a vast area of green space just across the Chao Phraya River from Klong Toei.The area is also known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the lungs of Bangkokâ&#x20AC;?, due to the unusual shape the forest takes if seen from a plane, but perhaps also due to the fact that it is the breathing area for a city that is heavily congested, polluted, and overdeveloped.

Originally a settlement for ethnic Burmese Mons, Bang Krachao is made up of orchards and gardens, with a population of only 40,000 residents. A strict local planning code which prohibits things like high rise buildings and factories has kept the area in its pristine state. Just a five minute ferry ride over from the pier in bustling Klong Toei, it is rather strange to look back at megalopolis Bangkok, at a view featuring skyscrapers, a giant portrait of the King, and lots of busy urban goings on, while feeling like one is on a small island somewhere in the south, or perhaps out on a rural country road somewhere up north.

From the Bang Krachao pier, bicycles are available for rent, a perfect way to explore the small raised embankments and elevated pathways that meander around the area. Some of the narrow walkways go through small villages with homes built on wooden stilts, and all having a sense of feeling how Bangkok must have looked fifty or one hundred years ago.

Tourists are very far and few in between out here and residents give a very warm reception to visitors.

Some of the walkways travel through large swaths of jungle forest, broken getting There up by mangrove swamps and coconut palms, and then pass orchards of mangoes, Bang Krachao is accessible from the banana, and areca nut trees. For mountain bikers looking for a close weekend Klong Toey Pier at Wat Klong Toei escape from the city, Bang Krachao is as good as it gets, and as the walkways are Nok Temple. Take the MRT to Klong very narrow, with no railings or side protections, and one needs to concentrate Toei, and a bus or taxi from there to to avoid meeting the mangrove face on. the pier. It is 5 baht to cross the river

For those who want something more leisurely, just a kilometer down from the on a small boat. Once across, bicycles ferry pier, the 200 rai Sri Nakhon Kuenkhan Park is a giant oasis of trees, lakes, and can be rented for 100 baht a day, or shaded pavilions perfect for family outings.The park has walking trails, bike paths, and one can walk to the Sri Nakhon rents out bikes, kayaks, and paddle boats at reasonable prices.There are several food Kuenkhan Park and rent bikes and vendors and drink stops interspersed throughout the park, and once again, even the kayaks for 20 baht an hour. thought that Bangkok is just across the river seems very far away.

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Sightseeing

national parks

E

asily Thailand’s most untramelled tourist assests are its national parks, of which there are no less than 116 dotted all around the country. They’re a refreshing escape from breakneck Bangkok life, not to mention the hokey hill-tribe tours and Westerner-thronged (and thonged) beaches that most tourists make a beeline for. In addition to hiking trails through the forest, most offer a host of eco-tourism activities: waterfalls you can splash around in, streams raft upon and campsites snooze under the stars in.

There’s one out there for every taste, from marine national parks in the deep south offering great diving amid technicolour corals, to remote forest reserves in the far north blessed with misty mountains, severe rock-scapes and bracing ‘Winter’ temperatures. Debatably the best all-rounder (and definately the most visited and easily accessible) is Khao Yai, a tropical rainforest fringed by wineries, golf courses, cattle ranches and resorts, and only an hour and a half ’s drive northeast of the big smoke.

Entry for foreigners usually costs B200, though expatriots with a copy of their work-permit with them pay the same as Thais: B40. www.thaiforestbooking.com has them all covered, even includes a foreigner-friendly bungalow or campsite booking system. Below we spotlight one each month perfect for right about now.

Hat Wanakorn National Park

Small though it might be at 38km², the rewards of Hat Wanakorn – a marine national park in Prachuab Khiri Khan province, a 90 minute drive south of Hua Hin – are many. Roughly 7km out to sea there are two small islands within the bounds of the park, Koh Jaan and Koh Tay Sri, where fisherman’s bamboo huts cling precariously to the cliff face, swifts nest in the caves, and shallow coral reefs make for decent snorkelling. Boat trips cost B500 per person, though there is a B4,500 minimum, so you need to muster 9 people if you want to pay that price.

Camping along the seashore, beneath the Casuarina trees that stretch along Hat Wanakorn’s slender 7km long beach, is also popular. These lofty, gently swaying sea pines provide ample shade, their pine leaves and cones, which litter the beach floor, a comfortable carpet on which to saunter around barefooted, and the sea breezes are lovely. Should you crave your creature comforts, bungalows are also available, though these should be booked in advance through www. dnp.go.th, especially if you’re going on the weekend. Chilling out, playing or picniquing on the beach could easily fill your time here, but the interior of the park demands some attention too. Not least three nature trails, ranging from 2km to 6km in length, traverse the park’s mixed deciduous forest, where rare butterflies and birds, like the Blue-throated Bee Eater and Red-wattled Lapwing, lurk; tour guides can be arranged at the visitor centre.

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sightseeing

Price Entry fee: Adult B100, Child B50 Camping: B30 per person (bring your own tent) Bungalows: B1,000/2 people, B2,000/4 people, B2,500/10 people Getting There From Bangkok, take Petchkasem Rd (National Highway 4) until you reach kilometre marker 345. About 200 metres after it there’s a sign pointing to Hat Wanakorn National Park. bangkok 101

upcountry festivals

Thailand is a vast area adorned with year-round festivals that are surely not limited to the capital city. Many, if not most, nationally celebrated events originate in other provinces and the chance to go to the root of these annual festivities should not be passed up.This month don’t limit yourself to the wonders of Bangkok. Instead go out and explore the endless possibilities of Thailand.

3 – 6 September Korat Orchid Festival, Nakorn Ratchasima

5 September Trang Grilled Pork Festival

Thailand’s biggest province – the gateway to Issan – has an astonishing abundance of things to see and explore up its sleeve, from national parks and Khmer ruins to cattle ranches and faux-Tuscan villages (we kid you not, check out www.primo-posto.net). This annual Orchid festival, beside the Thao Suranaree Monument in Korat town, may seem a bit of a footnote in comparison, but should still make for a fun little diversion for flora lovers. There’ll be orchid everything – new species on display, the best lookers in competition, and, at the flower fair, thousands of the exotic bloomers all hoping you pick them.

Call the TAT’s Nakorn Ratchasima on 04-421-3666 for more.

Locals in the southern province of Trang, down by the Andaman sea, believe their roast pork is just a little bit special.The reason?

It’s fermented with herbs and then roasted whole on a special grill, a process that imparts the crispy skin and tender meat with a flavour that’s unlike any other.

It’s available year round, but at this annual festival in front of Trang town’s city hall you can chomp the stuff on the cheap while also taking in parades, an OTOP fair and competitions ranging from luk thung danceoffs to a grilled pork cooking showdown. Call the TAT Trang office on 075-215-867.

Until November 30 Dreams of The North, Chiang Mai

11 – 25 September Chui Chai, Hua Hin

Treading the boards at Hua Hin’s arts theatre this month are the Pichet Klunchun Dance Company, a troupe fusing classical Thai dance khon with a contemporary sensibility.

Fresh from high-profile performances in New York, they’ll interpret Nang Loi (Floating Lady) – an episode from the Thai Ramayana epic that tells of demon maiden Benyakai and her transformation into the wife of Rama, Sita – on three consecutive Saturday evenings. Tickets (B500-1,000) are available from Total Reservation (www.totalreservation.com, 028335555), or direct from the Vic Hua Hin (www.vichuahin.com, 032-827-815).

Subtitles in English will be provided and students get a 50% discount.

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18 – 19 September Thailand International Swan Boat Races, Ayutthaya

Now in its 23nd year, the Swan Boat and Long Boat races have been held throughout the history of Thailand.This frantic event sees competitors from all over the world race in this annual event, during which swan boats are propelled along by 22 paddlers, and traditional long boats by 55 paddlers.

The race takes place in front of the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.

Call the TAT Ayutthaya office on 035-246-076~7 for more. sightseeing

A showcase of contemporary Thai jewellry at one of Chiang Mai’s most adorable boutique hotels, the Lannastyle Tamarind Village. From now until late November the hotel’s store will be awash in pieces by (apparently) sought after brands like Saprang, Flow, Mono, Fontips and Aztique, alongside objects more closely associated with ancient northern Lanna culture.

Highlights include up-and-coming designer Neeranuj Wongwasin’s just launched ‘Tribal’, a collection of handcrafted, one-off pieces inspired by the rich costumes and adornments of northern Thailand’s hilltribes. www.tamarindvillage.com

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Sightseeing

upcountry escape

Out in Umphang

Text and photos

by Dave Stamboulis

T

he roads to and around Umphang are not even listed on a majority of maps of the country, and the majority of Thais one asks have never even heard of the place outside of the famed waterfalls of Tee Lor Su. I figured that was all the more reason to go there.

Umphang lies in an isolated region along the Burmese border. To the south, stretching all the way to Sangkhlaburi is the Thung Yai Naresuan National Reserve, which encompasses the biggest wildlife corridor in Southeast Asia, home to tigers, wild elephants, gaurs, sloth bears, and many other wild animals.

To the west is the Burmese border, inhabited by Karen rebels fighting against the military junta in Myanmar.

The only access into Umphang is from the north. A 165-kilometre road road is now paved, running from Mae Sot, over several mountain ranges.

The journey into Umphang is half the fun of being there, as the road snakes around thousands of tight curves in the midst of gorgeous pristine mountain scenery. The roller coaster road has been dubbed the “Sky Highway,” which is a lot better than its former moniker of “The Death Road,” so called because

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of guerilla banditry that plagued the area several decades ago.

Umphang is a sleepy town, more akin to a large village, built on the confluence of the Mae Klong and Umphang Rivers. It has lots of rickety wooden houses, several small markets, and is populated primarily by Karen. In fact, the name Umphang comes from the Karen word “umpha,” a bamboo container in which Karen traders going to and from Burma used to carry their valuables in.

There are a handful of resorts and trekking agencies in Umphang, and they can arrange trekking and rafting trips into the gorgeous countryside.

Most journeys head down the Mae sightseeing

Klong River by raft, aiming for Tee Lor Su waterfall, famed as being the biggest and most beautiful falls in Thailand. During the rainy season, a sturdy rubber raft is the way to go (and highly necessary for safety), but during lower water levels (during the mid November-February cool season, which is also a more pleasant time for hiking), a simple raft made out of bamboo poles is a cheaper and actually more enjoyable method of travel.

Traveling down the Mae Klong, one is surrounded by lush jungle, the silence broken up only by the occasional rapids and abundant birdcalls. Kingfishers dart from trees and hornbills can be heard in the treetops above. bangkok 101

After visiting some scenic hotsprings and rainbow covered falls, one arrives at the entrance to Tee Lor Su waterfall in about three hours. The falls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the park rangers are vigilant about keeping the area clean. No paper, plastic bottles, cigarettes, lighters, soap, or shampoo are allowed past the forest checkpoint on the trail leading to the falls, and thus the area remains immaculately preserved.

The falls are multi-tiered, some plunging down from some 400 metres above the base, and are about 300 meters wide. The various waterfalls roar down fern draped limestone cliffs, and several of them have large pools bangkok 101

beneath them, suitable for swimming in. There is an immense campsite set in the forest below the falls, where most people spend the night before continuing on.

From the falls, one can visit Karen hill tribe villages such as Ban Kho Tha, where spending the night in a traditional homestay is possible. The villagers here do most of their agricultural work with elephants, and one can have the rare opportunity to spend the night in a place without electricity, internet access, or even cell phone coverage (although there is one television run off a solar cell that is charged up for three hours of viewing on Saturday nights!).

sightseeing

Travel Tips: Umphang can be reached via a fourhour songthaew (share taxi) ride from the border town of Mae Sot, which has bus connections to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, and elsewhere, as well as minivans to Tak (where one can continue to Phitsanulok to catch the train).

In Umphang, there are several tour operators who can arrange treks.

The bigger operators, such as Umphang Hill Resort run standard packages, while smaller operators like Napha will put together more personalized packages, and arrange guides for individual travellers. Costs run about 2,000-4,000 baht and up depending on the type of trekking or rafting trip one desires, all inclusive (National Park fees, food, guides, accommodations, transport, and a day of rafting). All the tour operators also offer accommodation, mostly fairly simple, ranging in cost from a few hundred up to 1000 baht. It is recommended to get to Umphang on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own and tour from there, as hefty fees are added on to begin the tours in Mae Sot. n Napha Tour 115 Moo 1 Sukhumwattana Road, Umphang,Tak, 63170 | Tel. 055561287, 081-8558754 | www.naphatour.com n Umphang Hill Resort 59 Moo 6.Umphang,Tak Province.

63170 | Tel.055-561063, 055-561064 | www.umphanghill.com Getting There

By Car: From Bangkok, take Paholyothin Road (highway route no.1) to Route no.32. Drive passed Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sigha Buri, Chainart and Nakorn Sawan and switch to Route no.1 again.Then drive past Kam Peang Petch and on to Tak. After this approximately 5-6 hour journey, use the Umhang-MeklongMae Chan Route to reach Umphang.

By Bus: Buses depart daily from BKK to Tak from Mo Chit 2, on Kam Paeng Petch Road. More information at www.transport.co.th 41

Sightseeing

over the border

T

he one-hour flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh can be a somber pilgrimage for those who’ve seen The Killing Fields. Other mythologies spin Cambodia’s capital into a Wild, Wild East riddled with delinquents and prostitutes, where lawlessness prevails. But the new Phnom Penh is rapidly globalising and increasingly chic, hosting an emerging class of SUV-driving Khmer nouveau riche – while still maintaining that smoky underbelly which gives all good cities soul.

One must pay respects to history first. Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Pol Pot’s secret prison where tens of thousands were tortured and killed. The signs reminding you that laughter isn’t allowed are redundant here; it’s difficult to vocalise anything as you view the galleries of stark blackand-white mug-shots of ‘processed’ prisoners. However, while the horror is unspeakable, at least some semblance of justice has at last been served: the man who ran it, the notorious Comrade Duch, was prosecuted back 42

PHNOM PENH: From Bleak to Chic

in July. A 17km drive out of Phnom Penh will take you to Choeung Ek, the best known of the Killing Fields sites, where a memorial stupa filled with skulls and rags marks the place where more than 8,000 bodies were discovered after the Khmer Rouge fell.

Back in town, the National Museum affords a less gut-wrenching glance back at the ancient Khmer empire. If you can’t visit Angkor, the temple fragments here at least provide a glimpse of its celebrated cultural legacy. To purchase Khmer antiques, Hanuman Antiques and Arts on Street 222 is a prime peruse. If

sightseeing

you’re lucky, the knowledgeable owner will be in and can brief you on exactly what that weirdly-shaped stone thing is and when it was made.

Once you’ve shaken the pathos, you’ll find there’s a lot of pleasure to be had in Phnom Penh. Spend happy hour at the FCC Bar and Hotel perched on a stool at one of the windows overlooking Sisowath Quay, where you can witness hawkers, monks and families strolling the riverfront. Later, hit the uber-chilled Elsewhere Bar among a clutch of attractive eateries on gentrified Street 278, where the Phnom Penh literati and NGO-types enjoy dips in the pool (if you spend a minimum of $5, though they aren’t likely to check) as well as free Wi-Fi.

If you really need to experience the thrill of a weapons check, there’s always heavily hyped Heart of Darkness (Street 51). Dangerous or plain dingy? You decide. Better-dressed clubbers are more at home at the recently opened White Cambodia, a slick, spacious, Bed Supperclub-like nightspot opposite the InterContinental bangkok 101

GETTING THERE n Thai Airways

2 daily flights | 02-356-1111 n Bangkok Airways 1 daily flight | 02-265-5678 n Thai AirAsia 2 daily flights | 02-515-9999

Hotel on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard.

The rise of art and cuisine culture has propelled Phnom Penh into “Chic City” status. You’ll find both on Street 240 next to the Royal Palace, where a cluster of cafes offers fusion fare and boutiques sell silks and Southeast Asian art. Street 178 near the riverfront is another art nexus and home to fine art galleries such as Asasax Art Gallery and the famous Reyum Gallery. Other venues where you can both ogle art and assuage appetite include Two Fish Gallery and Café on Street 278 and Java Gallery and Café on Street 274.

Nothing embodies Phnom Penh’s new global vibe better than its incredible range of cuisine. Romantically-lit Khmer Surin on Street 57 boasts excellent Thai and Khmer dishes, while Metro Café on the riverfront does AsianWestern tapas in style. Traditional and new Khmer fare with an Angkor-era atmosphere can be found at Malis on Street 41. If you’re craving a proper wood brick oven-baked pizza, look no further than leafy, villa-front garden at Luna d’Autunno, on Street 29.

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DISCOVER n Hanuman Antiques & Art 13B, St 334 | 855-23-211-916 | www.hanumantourism.com n National Museum Ang Eng (St 13), corner St 184 | 023-211-753 n Reyum Gallery 47 St 178 | 855-23-217-149 | www.reyum.org n Asasax Art Gallery 192, St 178 | 855-23-217-795 | www.asasaxart.com.kh n Two Fish Gallery and Café 9 St 278 | 016-368-700 | www.twofishgallerycafe.com n Java Gallery and Café 56 E1 Sihanouk Blvd | 023-987-420 | www.javaarts.org STAY n Raffles Hotel Le Royal

For accommodation, you could splurge on the classical Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the riverside Hotel Amanjaya or the business-traveller friendly InterContinental Phnom Penh (all $100+US/night). Better value can be had at one of the smaller boutique hotels springing up along the quieter streets, such as The Pavilion, on Street 19, which offers lovely colonial architecture, free Wi-Fi and a tree filled oasis of a garden surrounding the pool ($50-$80US/night). If you like the friendly vibe, trendsetting owner Alexis de Suremain also offers another brace of quality local boutique options: Kabiki on Street 264 is dedicated to families and The Blue Lime, complete with its concrete furniture and solar-powered water heating, can be found on Street 19z (just off Street 19) just across from the Royal Institute of Fine Arts. sightseeing

92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh | 85523-981-888 | www.phnompenh. raffles.com n Hotel Amanjaya 1 Sisowath Quay, Corner St 154 | 85523-219-579 | www.amanjaya.com n The Pavilion 277, St 19 Khan Daun Penh | 855-23-222-280 | www.pavilioncambodia.com EAT & DRINK n FCC Bar and Hotel 363 Sisowath Quay, next to the Royal Residence | 063-760-280, 063-760283 | www.fcccambodia.com n Elsewhere bar St 51, corner St 254 | 023-211-348 n Khmer Surin 11 St 57 | 855-23-363-050 n Metro Café at the Corner of Sisowath Quay & St 148 | 855-23-222-275

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Arts

contemporary art Steven Pettifor

W

hat could be a better memento of a stay in Thailand than hanging an original piece of contemporary art in your home? Bangkok’s shops and markets teem with nostalgic Buddhistinfluenced paintings and sculptures, but there are also numerous commercial and non-profit galleries that exhibit the fruits of Thailand’s growing artistic presence.

Bangkok has a small, vibrant and highly resourceful contemporary art circle, which is slowly beginning to make waves within the international art arena, aided to some extent by the Western ar t world’s recent penchant for all things Asian. The trend has been for ambitious installation and multimedia projects, proving popular with the younger generation of artists.

Spirituality and Buddhism have been, and still are , major themes in contemporary art, whether coming from neo-tr aditionalist painter s including Thawan Duchanee and Chalermchai Kositpipat, whose late 20th-centur y paintings resurrect traditional perceptions of the Thai identity – as pure, harmonious, Buddhist, monarchist and patriotic – or aromatic meditative installations during the 1990s by the late Montien Boonma.

Away from the spiritual, the economic collapse of 1997 has fuelled many local ar tists to question the effects of globalisation upon the Thai populace. A return to an innocent agrarian existence became one common call, while more contentious artists like Vasan Sitthiket highlighted their disdain for national policies through faux-political electioneering. Conceptual photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom satirised local urbanity’s consumerist obsessions with his engaging Pink Man series.

Ironically, as leading artists question the ceaseless and unconditional absorption of all things American and

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H Gallery

European, many of Thailand’s freshfaced generation of artists are infatuated with the street-style, urban iconography of pervasive Asian cultures like Japan, Korea and increasingly China.

An indicator of the growing profile of Thai art could be in the proliferation of new commercial galleries that have opened in the last couple of years, with Bangkok gaining over a dozen new venues in different areas across the city.

These include artist -run spaces such as printmaker and sculptor Thavorn Ko-Udomvit’s grey cube Ardel, and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s hotbed of young conceptualists at Gallery VER. While Thailand’s ongoing political debacle has complicated ar tistic planning, the decade-plus wait for the new Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, opposite MBK shopping mall, is over.

For news of its exhibitions, performances and the like log on to www.bacc.or.th GALLERIES The majority of contemporary art on view in Bangkok is produced by domestic practitioners, several of whom are now receiving significant international exposure, though there is ar ts

an increasing number of regional Asian artists displaying their works, at prices often cheaper than in countries like Singapore, China and Vietnam.

Whether hoping to peruse some emerging local protagonist, or purchase something a bit more com- mercial or traditional, one thing’s for certain – prices for art in Bangkok are more realistic and reasonable than overinflated, fashionable ar t centres in America, Europe and increasingly China.

You’ll soon realise that the city doesn’t have a concentrated artistic enclave; rather, there are small pockets of galleries, auction houses and antiques shops randomly dispersed throughout the city. Commercial galleries are spread across town and a little route planning is advised before embarking on a day of gallery musing. On the following page is a selection of noteworthy galleries about town.

Steven Pettifor is the editor of the Bangkok Art Map (BAM!), and author of Flavours: Thai Contemporary Art. He is available as a consultant to art buyers; stevenpettifor@hotmail.com bangkok 101

Enjoy these selected highlights from the current issue of the Bangkok Art Map. BAM! is a free-folding city map containing the latest information and critical insights into Thailand’s burgeoning contemporary arts scene. Grab a copy and participate in the promotion of art in Thailand.

art exhibitions

20:20 Akko Art Gallery 919/1 Sukhumvit Rd (btw Soi 49 & 51) | 02-259-1436 l Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | www. akkoart.com | BTS Thonglor Opened in 1990 on Sukhumvit Road, Akko Art Gallery is quite possibly the city’s longest surviving commercial art space. As well as surviving for two decades, the gallery also deserves credit for being Bangkok’s first Japanese run gallery.Titled 20:20, this anniversary exhibition is a showcase by 20 of the most significant artists to display their creativity at the gallery since its debut. Of the Thai artists on display, several have since become recognised names during the last two decades, including outspoken artist Vasan Sitthiket, neo-traditional artist Panya Vijinthanasarn, as well as Maitree Parahom, and Thaiwijit Peungkasemsomboon. With many of the capital’s galleries fleeting in shelf life, Akko’s 20th birthday celebration is a rare and noteworthy occasion for Bangkok galleries. Until Sep 18

Breaking Out of the Cocoon, Growing from the Rice

4x8

Jim Thompson Art Centre 6 Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | 02-216-7368 | 9am-5pm | www.jimthompsonhouse.com | BTS National Stadium Multi-disciplinary artist Montri Toemsombat first worked with Jim Thompson back in 1999 when he made art from discarded, supposedly useless silkworm cocoons which were turned into raw semi-wearable fleeces. Eleven years later, Montri is back with the silk company using a diversity of natural materials to create engaging artworks, this time supported by artists Santiphap Ingong-ngam, Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, and Jarunun Phantachat. Until Sep 19

Kathmandu Photo Gallery 87 Soi Pan, Silom Rd | 02-234-6700 | Tue-Sun 11am-7pm | www.kathmandu-bkk.com l BTS Chong Nonsi German photographer Peter Nitsch presents a simple yet fascinating series of photographs that look into the basic concrete environments for city dwelling in Bangkok. Despite the exhibition’s textual support pushing a rather European perspective as to the rise of Asian urban development, the series of uniform confined boxes highlight the personalised blurring of commercial and living spaces in Asian cities.

Until Sep 26

Spirits: Creativities from beyond

Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC) F6,The Emporium, 622 Sukhumvit Rd I 02-664-8488 I Tue-Sun 10.30am-9pm I www.tcdc.or.th I BTS Phrom Phong Colourful mythologies and superstitions pertaining to ghosts and the paranormal are prevalent in Thailand, with many tales of spooky phenomena successfully crossing over from popular folklore into commercial successes as horror flicks and pulp fiction.

Tapping into the culture of fear, Gallery 2 at the TCDC is staging a haunting, spinechilling presentation of otherworldly creativity.

Until Nov 21

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ar ts

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Mahout Wan poses with his elephant Cola at an abandoned housing development in Bang Bua Thong, Thailand. The project was abandoned when the developer went bankrupt during the Asian Economic Crisis in 1997. What remain are concrete foundations where many Thais squat and live for free. In one section five rice-growing families from Buriram Province stay with their 10 domesticated elephants.

Elephants In Between Photography by Brent Lewin

S

ince 2007 I have been documenting the plight of Thai elephants and their caregivers. Once a symbol of honour, dignity and the engine of rural development, many of these once proud creatures have been left on the fringes of Thailand’s modern economy and have come to represent the failures and inequity of the country’s economic development.

My work in this area is mainly informed by the experience of the mahouts of the Gouey, an ethnic minority from the northeast, or Isaan, that was the first to capture wild elephants in the region. Many of these mahouts have scraped a living by walking their elephants down from the village of Ban Ta Klang, in Surin province, to Bangkok to beg for food on its noxious streets.

As things stand, the introduction of tough fines earlier this year by the current governor of Bangkok has resulted in elephants disappearing from Bangkok’s streets. This is a positive step, but little more than a band-aid solution to a complex problem. Over the past 20 years this has happened numerous times, only for the elephants to return. Also, many of these mahouts are now walking their elephants in neighbouring towns and provinces instead.

The selection of pictures you see here, taken from exhibition ‘Elephants In Between’, therefore represents the way things were in Bangkok until very recently and, history shows, will very likely be again until a lasting nationwide solution to the elephant’s plight is found. Until then, Thailand’s elephants and their mahouts will remain ‘in between’, in a sort of limbo between their traditional roles and the country’s rapidly changing economic landscape.

Brent Lewin www.brentlewin.com

Mahouts Ooau, left, and her boyfriend Wan pass a homeless woman while walking in the tourist area of Sukhumvit in Bangkok. They are part of a group of several mahouts from a village in Surin province that used to come to Bangkok to walk the Sukhumvit and Patong areas offering tourists the opportunity to feed their pet elephants sugarcane for a couple dollars.

Mahout Ooae washes her pet elephant Boopae before heading off for a night of work on the streets of Bangkok.

E l e p h a n t s In B e t w e e n

Elephants bathe in a lake in the village of Ban Tha Klang. The village is almost exclusively inhabited by the Gouey people who once specialized in capturing wild elephants. The Gouey caught their last elephant in Thailand in 1970 and have been keeping them as pets ever since.

An elephant climbs into a truck at the abandoned housing development in Bang Bua Thong, Thailand.

Mahout Bang poses with his pet elephant Beepoe at a temporary camp in Bangkok.

E l e p h a n t s In B e t w e e n

An elephant scratches its head on a wall at the abandoned housing development in Bang Bua Thong. Many of the elephants are covered in white concrete residue from scratching themselves on the walls of the unfinished homes.

After a night of work mahout Wan leads his girlfriend Ooau and their pet elephant Boopae back to their tent in a patch of field near Rama 9 road in Bangkok.

E l e p h a n t s In B e t w e e n

The foot of mahout Jazz rests near the ear of her pet elephant Ma Meio in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. Mahouts often use their feet to control, or drive, their elephants.

Decorated street elephant Gamlai prepares to head out for an evening of work in Bangkok.

In November 2009, Gamlai was killed after being hit in a vehicle collision on a highway as her mahouts were transporting her back to Surin.

An elephant climbs a staircase at the abandoned housing development in Bang Bua Thong.

Elephants In Between will show at the Foreign Correspondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club of Thailand (Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building, 518/5 Ploenchit Road | BTS Chidlom | 02-652-0580 | www.fccthai.com) from September 3 to October 15 and is sponsored by boutique hotel resort group Anantara, which is heavily involved in elephant welfare up in Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Golden Triangle.

Arts

performing arts

RAM THAI (Thai traditional dance)

Siam Niramit

Bangkok’s performing arts scene may not throb like in other cities, but look under the surface and you’ll find it there, beating to its own rhythm. No, there aren’t many plays, stage shows or performance pieces being staged, and sometimes it’s as if mainstream pop and rock acts are the only things that captivate the masses. Still, fans of the performing arts can find diamonds and everybody will appreciate the low ticket prices. For more information on what’s happening, visit these sites for event information: www.thaiticketmaster.com, www.bangkokfestivals.com, www.bangkokconcerts.com

Theatres

Aksra Theatre (map C3) King Power Complex 8/1 Rangnam Rd, Phaya Thai|BTS Victory Monument | 02-677-8888 ext 5678 | Tue-Fri 7pm, Sat-Sun 1pm&7pm In this spectacular new 600-capacity theatre, lined with fabled wood carvings, bear witness to hypnotic performances by the Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek (Aksra Small Puppets) troupe. Intricate Thai puppets, given life by puppeteers swathed in black, act out Thai literary epics. Family entertainment of the most refined kind.

โรงละครอักษรา คิงพาวเวอร์ คอมเพล็กซ์ ถ.รางน้ำ

PATRAVADI THEATRE (map A3) 69/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amarin Rd, Thonburi | 02-412-7287~8 | www.patravaditheatre.com Outside of university art departments, this is one of the few places in Bangkok to see contemporary performing arts. Its founder, the well-known Patravadi Mejudhon, created not only a theatre, but an entire arts complex, comprising classes, artists’ residencies and international exchanges.

Performers are trained in classical as well as modern traditions; and the shows are world-class.

SIAM NIRAMIT (map D2) 19 Tiam Ruammit Rd | 02-649-9222 | www.siamniramit.com A breathtaking, record-breaking extravaganza, hailed as “a showcase of Thailand”. Using hundreds of costumes and amazing special effects, more than 150 performers journey whirlwind-like through seven centuries of Siamese history. Up to 2,000 guests experience this spectacle nightly; eyepopping poignancy to some, detached fantasia to others.

สยามนิรมิต ถ.เทียมร่วมมิตร

NATIONAL THEATRE (map A3) 2 Rachini Rd, Sanam Luang | 02-224-1342, 02-225-8457~8 Along with the National Museum, the imposing theatre forms an island of high culture. Classical Thai drama, musicals and music performances – all elaborate affairs, sometimes strange to foreign eyes and ears – are staged on a small side stage and the open-air sala. The season runs from November to May, but you can catch classical Thai dance and music on the last Friday and Saturday nights of each month.

Traditional Thai theatre and dance takes many forms. The most accessible is khon, which depicts scenes from the Ramakien (the classic Thai epic based on the Hindu Ramayana), in graceful dances. Originally reserved for royal occasions, it’s now performed mainly for tourists in five-star hotels or at cultural shows across the city. At the Erawan Shrine (p.31), pay the colourful troupe a couple of hundred baht to see them perform. When visiting Vimanmek Mansion (p.28), don’t miss the performances there.

More popular amongst Thais is ligay, a lively blend of comedy, dance and music, often with contemporary subject matter. Due to its improvised nature, non-Thais find it very difficult to follow. Puppet theatre, which nearly died out, has made a comeback at the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and Aksra Theatre. It also borrows heavily from the Ramakien (as do most soap operas on Thai TV), substituting human dancers with paper and wire puppets dressed in elaborate costumes.

There are regular performances of contemporary theatre in Bangkok, predominantly at the Patravadi Theatre and the Thailand Cultural Centre. Also, though more influenced

by Broadway than indigenous dance, don’t miss Bangkok’s gender-bending ladyboy cabarets (p.83).

โรงละครแห่งชาติ ถ.ราชินี สนามหลวง

โรงละครภัทราวดี ถ. อรุณอมรินทร์

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TCDC (Thailand

Creative & Design Centre)

Perhaps the most active players on Bangkok’s arts scene are its cultural centres.These ensure that the scene stays booked with top-notch exhibitions (conventional and experimental) and performances from the world of visual arts, drama, dance, music, fashion, film, design, literature and more. The foreign contingent regularly put on events showcasing international talent. Ring up, check their websites or just drop by to find out what’s on.

cultural centres

Alliance Française (map C4)

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his hip design learning and resource facility, plonked atop the Emporium shopping mall, aims to stimulate creativity and innovation among young Thai designers.

Everyone, however, is free to attend its workshops, talks by prominent international designers and exhibitions.

These are particularly WHERE 6F,The Emporium good at opening your Shopping Complex, mind and eyes to Sukhumvit 24 (map D4) BTS curious international Phrom Phong, 02-664-8448, design concepts; be it www.tcdc.co.th OPEN Vivienne Westwood’s 10:30am-9pm closed Mon fearlessly nonconformist fashions, or Le Corbusier-influenced Modern Thai architecture.

Don’t miss permanent exhibition, “What is Design?” a look at how 10 countries have interpreted their cultural uniqueness to create 20th century design classics; or a peek at the swish, state-of-the-art library. With over 16,000 rare books, a large selection of multimedia, even a textile centre, this is where the city’s fresh-faced art, fashion, design and film students rush to the day before their final paper is due – only to end up distracted by the obscure arthouse DVDs and glossy tomes on modern Scandinavian architecture. Fortunately in-centre café Kiosk, with its strong Italian coffee and all-day-brunch, is on hand to keep the Kingdom’s next big things on track.

ดิ เอ็มโพเรียม ชอปปิ้ง คอมเพล็กซ์ สุขุมวิท 24

29 Sathorn Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-670-4200 | 10am6pm close Sun | www.alliance-francaise.or.th

สมาคมฝรั่งเศสกรุงเทพ ถ. สาทรใต้

BRITISH COUNCIL (map C3)

254 Chulalongkorn Soi 64 Siam Square, Phaya Thai Rd, Pathumwan | BTS Siam | 02-652-5480 ext 108 | www.britishcouncil.or.th

บริติช เคาน์ซิล สยามสแควร์

Goethe Institut (map C4)

18/1 Goethe, Sathorn Soi 1 | MRT Lumphini | 02-2870942~4 ext.22 | 8am-6pm | www.goethe.de/

สถาบันเกอเธ่ 18/1 ซ. เกอเธ่ สาทร ซ. 1

Japan Foundation (map D3)

Serm-mit Tower, F10, Sukhumvit Soi 21 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-260-8560~4 | Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm | www.jfbkk.or.th

เจแปน ฟาวน์เดชั่น ชั้น 10 อาคารเสริมมิตร สุขุมวิท 21

Check also: ■ Bangkok Music SocietY (BMS) 02-617-1880, www.bms.in.th ■ Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, 02-223-0871-5, www.bangkok symphony.net ■ The Belgian Club of Thailand (BCT) www.belgianclub-th.com

BACC (map C3) 939 Rama I Rd, Pathumwan | BTS National Stadium | 02-214-6630-1 | Tue-Sun 10am-9pm | www.bacc.or.th The eleven-storey Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) structure is engulfed by neighbouring shopping malls and looks out towards the city’s elevated skytrain.The Guggenheim meets a mall, the parabolic white concrete design has an interior defined by a circular atrium accentuating smooth curves around which exhibitions are hung. Potentially an important player in Thailand’s contemporary cultural development, the centre plans to nurture a scope of creative fields including theatre, film and design, with the upper levels boasting 3,000sqm for hosting art.

Combine a trip here with a shopping assault at the nearby malls, which it’s linked to via a raised concrete walkway.

หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแห่งกรุงเทพมหานคร แยกปทุมวัน

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Arts

APEX Lido and Scala (retro 1960s) Siam Square, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | Lido 02-252-6498, Scala 02-251-2861, โรงภาพยนต์ลโิ ด และสกาลา

cinema

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angkok boasts world-class, stateof-the-art movie theatres showing the latest Hollywood and Thai blockbusters. A select few cinemas, notably House and Lido and the city’s cultural centres (p.55), screen less common independent and international films. Thai films are usually, in downtown Cineplexes at least, shown with English subtitles; foreign films with subtitles in Thai. Seats are reasonably priced at around B100-180. The best place to check screening times is on the daily-updated www.movieseer.com.

Please

Thai Cinema

stand while the king's anthem is played in respect to Thailand’s beloved monarch.

Noy Thrupkaew

Judging from the city’s movie posters, Bangkok visitors might assume that Thai filmic fare is limited to elephantine historical epics, maggoty horror flicks and the offerings of culture-colonising Hollywood. But sandwiched in-between the mainstream movies are a number of idiosyncratic indies that are winning a name for Thai cinema abroad.

Thailand’s most internationally renowned director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, has made a career out of bending genres, as in his bewitchingly strange Cannes-winning feature, Tropical Malady (Sat Pralad, “Strange Beast”, is the original title). Other Thai filmmakers have emulated Weerasethakul’s border-transgressing ways, steeping Thai tales in Western cinematic influences, or working with international backing.

Despite Thai film’s increasing acclaim, impatient distributors often pull small pictures within days. Audiences eager to support emergent cinema should track movies at the Thai Film Foundation’s website www.thaifilm.com or at Thai film critic Anchalee Chaiworaporn’s www.thaicinema.org, and gallop to theatres soon after opening day.

cinema dine

If you don’t fancy watching a movie at the local cineplex or on your living room couch, there’s another option that falls snugly between the two. Monday is Cinema Dine night at Bed Supperclub (p.84), where staff serve a three-course meal by creative chef Cameron Stuart ! (B1,450 net, drinks not included), plus gourmet popcorn and Thai cocktails for B100, while you watch a classic or cult flick. All this while reclining on fluffy white divan beds to eat: the perfect position for watching a movie.This month’s Original or Remake? theme offers you the chance to watch old movies that Hollywood recently rehashed, beginning Sept 6 with the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans starring Lawrence Olivier and Maggie Smith. 1960 heist romp Oceans 11, starring Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. etc, then screens Sept 13, before Disney’s cult 1982 science fiction film Tron, the retro-futuristic reimagining of which is out soon, shows up Sept 20. Last up, on Sept 27, is the 1962 version of mind-manipulating, commie bashing political thriller The Manchurian Candidate featuring Frank Sinatra. Films start at 9:30pm. 02-651-3537, www.bedsupperclub.com.

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สยามสแควร์ ถ. พระราม 1

HOUSE (Boutique art film cinema) Royal City Avenue (RCA), Petchaburi Rd | 02-641-5177 เฮ้าส์ อาร์ซเี อ ถ. พระรามเก้า Krungsri IMAX Theater (features the world’s largest movie screen) 5th Fl., Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd | BTS Siam | 02-129-4631 สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1 PARAGON CINEPLEX 5th Fl., Siam Paragon, Rama | Rd l BTS Siam | 02-129-4635-6 or Movie line 02-515-5555 สยามพารากอน ถ. พระราม 1 SF CINEMA CITY MBK (VIP Class) 7th Fl., MBK Center, Phaya Thai Rd | BTS National Stadium | 02-611-6444 มาบุญครองเซ็นเตอร์ ถ. พญาไท SFX CINEMA CITY Emporium (Cineplex) 6th Fl., Emporium, Sukhumvit 24 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-260-9333 เอ็มโพเรียม สุขม ุ วิท 24 Major Cineplex Sukhumvit 1221/39 sukhumvit Rd., North Klongtan | BTS Ekkamai | 02-381-4855 เมเจอร์สข ุ มุ วิท

ใกล้สถานีรถไฟฟ้าบีทเี อสเอกมัย

Major Cineplex Ratchayothin 1839 Phaholyothin Rd. | BTS Mochit, MRT Paholyothin, then taxi | 02-5113311 เมเจอร์รช ั โยธิน ถ.พหลโยธิน SFX Emporium

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reading & screening

In Print

Bangkok is home to an eye-popping array of excellent bookshops, small, large and sprawling. Just head for any major mall – Siam Paragon, Emporium, All Seasons Place, CentralWorld or Central Chitlom, to name a few (see mall listings on p. 102) – and look for chain favourites like Asia Books, Kinokuniya, B2S, Nai-In or Bookazine. Plenty of other stand-alone local book stores across town offer the latest in print, new and used.

Tone Deaf in Bangkok

By Janet Brown | ThingsAsian | 155pp | B450 Expats are a notoriously grumpy bunch; corner some and it won’t be long before tales emerge of how the bureaucracy, pollution or ex-wife(s) turned the love affair with Bangkok sour. How refreshing then to read this collection of personal essays by American Janet Brown, a middle-aged bookseller who swapped sedate Seattle for blistering Bangkok in the mid-90s – and loved it. She struggles with Thai tones, falls for her Thai teacher, discovers durian, Songkran and the joys of bus-hopping.

None of which is going to set the local, expat-penned literary world alight. However, this book did win us over. Partly it’s Brown’s eloquent, often lyrical style and nifty turn-ofphrase. Mostly it’s her yearning to understand life in Bangkok, whereas most writers in this male-dominated, often smutty genre are simply out to enjoy it. Plaudits too to photographer Nana Chen.

On DVD

Thai theatres are notorious for their rapid turnover rates, making DVDs one of the best ways for visitors to explore Thai film. Thai DVDs are readily available in Mang Pong outlets in major malls, but before purchasing check the back for English s u b t i t l e s a n d DV D r e g i o n compatibility, if you don’t have an all-region DVD player. Englishsubtitled versions are also often available as exports from Hong Kong at websites such as www.hkfilm.com or www.yesasia.com. bangkok 101

WOMAN, MAN, BANGKOK Scott Barmé | Silkworm Books | 273pp | B625 Though it hails from the dusty halls of academia, this superb book will delight anybody interested in modern Bangkok’s DNA. In it a gifted researcher traces the sociocultural issues of 1920s Bangkok (absolutism, proto-feminist issues like polygamy and prostitution, social equality) using the newspapers of the day as his main source. Of the many things you learn, perhaps the most interesting is just how vocal the press was in those last years of absoluterule; how its news often championed the rights of wronged women while its cartoons caricatured the venal ruling elite, usually with impunity. There’s also a fascinating chapter about how the city’s cinemas were places of romance, solicitation and class tension as well as entertainment. The analyses of the cartoon satires of the day can be heavy going. But still, this is the best book on early 20th Century Siam’s popular (as opposed to royalist) culture we know of.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING TODAY BERTIE? THAILAND Jo Rattigan & Sammiiii | 24pp | B485 (www.bertieandfriends.com) Is this illustrated kid’s book about a purple panda who visits Thailand cashing in on the Kingdom’s pandamania? Hard to say. If it is though, it’s a far more engaging cash-in than the Panda Channel, an oh-so-soporific Thai TV station broadcasting the captive life of Lin Ping, the first panda cub born here. Like most kid’s books, it’s so out-there it’s hard to shake the niggling suspicion that the author puffs the funny stuff. After chomping a bowl of (surely LSD-laced?) worm cereal, Bertie feels a bit funny in his tummy, jumps on his rainbow trampoline (a “glittering paradise of possibilities”) and is transported to a Thailand so lurid your eyes ache. But trippy panda psychedelica aside, this is a sweet, if slight, little tale perfect for bedtime reading sessions. By the time little Bertie has scooted around the Kingdom and is safely tucked up in bed, your little sprog will be sleeping as soundly as he is.

Ploy Pen-ek Ratanaruang | 2007 | $10.5 | www.ethai.com Centred on a jetlagged husband and wife’s physical and romantic inertia, Ploy fell prey to the censors that have thwarted Thailand’s art cinema in recent years. However, this is one movie you may initially wish got snipped a bit more: Pen-ek’s take on The Seven Year Itch has the tryingly languid pace of 2004’s Last Life in the Universe but lacks its dark, offkilter charms. But persevere, for behind the lulling score and slightly bogus plot – husband invites Ploy, a Lolita-like 19-year-old he befriends in the hotel bar, back to the hotel room where his wife sleeps – lies a mature, beautifully helmed, touching mood piece about relationships and their “expiry date”. Using Freudian dream-twists, a strong cast (including Lalita Panyopas and Ananda Everingham), and a racy subplot about a hotel barman and maid, Pen-ek speaks slowly but intelligently about the married couple in transit, not just from one place to another, but also, so it seems, from lovers to companions. ar ts

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Food&Drinks

dining in bangkok

Ascott Sathorn

Food is of the utmost importance here. Locals have been known to brave the beast of Bangkok traffic and make cross-town journeys with the sole purpose of sampling a bowl of noodles at a famous local shop.

Thais often ask each other “Gin Kao Leu Yung” or “Have you eaten rice yet?”. This shouldn’t be understood in the literal sense, but almost as another way Thais say hello. It’s how Thai people socialise. Whether the occasion calls for family, friends, business, or anything in between, there’s usually food nearby. The Thai dining experience requires that all dishes be shared - real evidence of the importance of dining to the Thai sense of community.

A

taste of Bangkok doesn’t just stop at Thailand’s world-famous national cuisine; flags of all nationalities fly here, and the results can be amazing. Tom yum soup and creamy curries can be found alongside seared foie gras, crispy tempura and heart-stopping steaks. It won’t be a challenge to find some culinary dynamite for your palate. You’d be better off compiling a list of what the city doesn’t have on offer.You’re bound to eat very well, whether it is at the sexiest, high-end locales, or at the origin of most local food - the streets, where you can get a very tasty, hearty meal at a nondescript stall, or even crackling grasshoppers and worms!

Fantastic food is also available round the kitchen clock, although choices narrow as it gets closer to midnight. Many restaurants have closing times at 9pm or earlier.

However, plenty of them feed late-night appetites (see p.75). If you really want to bump elbows with the locals and get to the heart of things, Bangkok’s street food culture doesn’t acknowledge the concept of time, with some vendors even carrying on into the wee hours. If a business can survive by trading when everyone is asleep, then it must be good, right?

So whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, slightly picky or a try-anythingonce daredevil, you’re in for a non-stop gastronomical journey.

BANG FOR YOUR BAHT

The price guide to the right indicates what you can expect to pay per-person for a meal, not including drinks. Many restaurants run special deals so don’t be shy when asking about promotions, especially at lunchtime when many of the more upmarket restaurants offer set-menus at great prices. Lastly, to avoid any nasty surprises be sure to read the menu carefully. When prices are followed by “++”, the so called “plus plus”, this means 10%) and government tax (typically 7%) will be added to your bill.

$ under B400 $$ B400 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000 – B2,000 $$$$ over B2,000 a service charge (typically

Butt Out

Smokers beware. Lighting-up indoors is forbidden at all air-conditioned restaurants and bars citywide – you risk being fined B2,000 (US$60), and subjecting the restaurant owner to a lashing B20,000 (US$600) penalty. Exempted are outdoor areas, and, in practice, many Japanese and Korean restaurants.

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meal deals

8th Anniversary Menu, Bed Supperclub

Shanghai Food Festival, Novotel Bangkok

To celebrate its 8th birthday, the dining and clubbing spaceship on stilts is offering its 3 course menu by Chef Cameron Stuart for B888 instead of the usual B1,450.

Offer excludes beverages, runs Sundays through to Thursday only, and ends October 30. 02-651-3537

Chocolate Sets, Pullman Bangkok King Power

Moon Cakes, Mandarin Oriental Mooncake madness hits this month, with most bakeries rustling up batches of these puck-shaped cholesterol bombs eaten in honour of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Debate rages about where the tastiest can be scored, but a safe bet is the Mandarin Oriental, which is serving a range of innovative and traditional varieties in lavish gift boxes until Sept 22. Deliveries available. 02659-9000 ext 6812

Two master chefs from the Novotel Atlantis Shanghai will prepare a slew of dishes for this Shanghainese foodathon running Sept 16-22. There’ll be dishes like marinated black carp, wok fried river eel and thin sliced braised veal shank, as well as a worldclass harpist strumming traditional Chinese ditties at dinnertime. 02-209-8888

River Dining Cruises

Chocolate gluttons should make for the Pullman Bangkok’s Glen Bar this month – in this grey marbled design bar you can feast on a chocolate set comprised of top-grade cacao from around the world for only B450 nett. Includes tea and is available from 2-6pm each day. 02-680-9999

Grand Pearl

A cruise along the legendary Chao Phraya can only be topped by combining it with exquisite Thai food. Although touristy, a gastro-cruise is one of Bangkok’s most romantic outings, the chance to take in the river sights while getting stuffed. Most riverside hotels offer lunch and/or dinner cruises, some on large, modern ships seating hundreds (ShangriLa) or on smaller, refurbished antique rice barges (Apsara, Manohra, Oriental).

Whether you are looking for a peaceful romantic sojourn, traditional dance shows or a blaring disco dinner buffet, you won’t be disappointed. Cruises range from B700 to B1,700 pp, depending on how well you dine, and last two to three hours. Most include a full buffet or set dinner. It’s wise to make advance reservations.

Manohra

bangkok 101

■ CHAO PHRAYA CRUISE 02-541-5599 | www.chaophrayacruise.com ■ GRAND PEARL CRUISE 02-861-0255 | www.grandpearlcruise.com ■ HORIZON CRUISE The Shangri-La | 02-266-8165-6 | www.shangri-la.com ■ LOY NAVA 02-437-4932 | www.loynava.com ■ MAEYANANG The Oriental Hotel | 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com ■ MANOHRA CRUISES 02-477-0770 | www.manohracruises.com ■ WAN FAH 02-222-8679 | www.wanfah.com ■ YOK YOR 02-863-0565 | www.yokyor.co.th

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Food&Drinks

Yum Ta Krai (spicy lemongrass salad)

thai cuisine

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Did you know?

he chance to sample some authentic Thai cuisine is one of the best reasons to visit (and linger in) Bangkok. Its astonishing variety of flavours and textures, which comes from a marriage of centuries-old Western (namely Portuguese, Dutch and French) and Eastern (think Indian, Chinese and Japanese) influences, ranks Thai as one of the best cuisines in the world.

The traditional Thai way of living unified people with their environment. Meals were communal events uniting families with the seasons. Rice is the main staple, accompanied by myriad curries and side dishes made from local ingredients.The pre-industrial custom of wrapping foods in natur al Eating is a materials per sists communal t o d a y ; l a b o u rand intensive desser ts social affair in or savoury mousses Thailand. are wrapped in banana leaves and the tops of coconuts are chopped off for a quick and refreshing elixer. Eating is a communal and social affair in Thailand. Once Thais sit together, they automatically take care of one another. No Thai dish is an independant one; they’re all meant to be shared.

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Thai beliefs about the cooling and heating properties of different foods – particularly fruits – are influenced

by Chinese concepts of yin and yang. Excessive consumption of heating fruits like durian (the fetidly fragrant “King of Fruits”) can lead to fever, cold sores, and a sore throat, according to traditional beliefs; overindulgence in cooling fruits like pears can result in dizziness and chills.

So if you are feasting on durian, make sure to eat plenty of mangosteen, the cooling Queen of Fruits, to balance everything out.

food & drinks

Thai Food 101 ■ Popular Thai Dishes Here’s a sampling of great local dishes to look for – and it’s just the tip of the iceberg: Tom yam goong........spicy shrimp soup Tom kha gai.....chicken in coconut soup Phad thai............Thai-style fried noodles Mu/gai sa-te.........pork/chicken skewers Som tam.......spicy green papaya salad Yam nua.......spicy beef salad Gai yang..........grilled chicken Phanaeng............curry coconut cream Kaeng phet pet yang.........roast duck curry Kaeng khiao wan gai.....green curry chicken Phad kaphrao.........stir-fried meat with sacred basil Gai phad met mamuang himmaphan .......stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts ■ Drinks Most street vendors offer a range of normal drinks but there are always some surprises available. Try any of these liquid specialties when eating on the streets.

Nam ma prao.......................coconut juice Nam krajeab .............rosella flower juice Nam matoom ....................bael fruit juice Nam ta-krai ...................lemongrass juice Nam tao hoo.................hot soy bean milk Cha yen............................Thai iced tea with

condensed milk bangkok 101

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thai sweets Kanom Thai

The word Kanom is much too schizophrenic to be summed up as Thai desserts. Although most anything that’s sweet will be categorized as a Kanom, anything that you would normally snack on would be considered one as well; a pack of chips or crackers would qualify.

You may not be too familiar with traditional Thai desserts as you’d often have to go to specialty stores or stalls to find them. Restaurants often omit them from the menu, partly due to the specific ingredients and preparation time required and also because it isn’t customary to have a dessert to end your meal.

To the uninitiated the sights of shocking green foods of any kind may scare you off but this is only a reflection of the age-old traditions of using ingredients, like pandan and coconut, which are indigenous to this region and provide to its intense colours.

‘Polamai’: Thai Fruits

It’s often a strange land for foreign eyes, but weirdness is all relative. To you those fuzzy, furry, spiky, hairy, sometimes humongous obscure items are just downright bizarre. But to the locals well, it’s just good ol’ healthy nutritious fruit. Having unfamiliar names like rambutan, mangosteen and durian only lends to the mysterious, perhaps even scary, stigma surrounding Thai fruits. Fruits are often eaten as a snack or transformed into a dessert, or featured in meals.

Particularly coconuts. Street carts patrol the sidewalks with ice-chilled offerings of seasonal fruits. However these vendors don’t exactly uphold hygiene standards, so proceed at your own discretion. All fruits are almost always available year round in supermarkets, but some are better at certain times of year. Here’s a look at what and when to eat.

Jicama (Man Kaew) Known as the jicama or yam bean this plant originated in Latin America but has become very widespread in Asia. Often incorrectly referred to by Thais as a fruit, the man kaew is actually a vegetable. Like most Thai fruits, they are eaten raw, or dipped in a salt and sugar mix, but keep in mind that aside from the root, the rest of this plant is incredibly poisonous and has been commonly used to kill insects. Man kaew is often found in savoury dishes like soups, curries, and stir fries as well and is known to have a string of medicinal uses. Some believe that it helps relief aches and pains, fevers, as well as high blood pressure. Since it is made up of almost 90% water, the man kaew is also a great thirst quencher.

Try This!

Kanom Taan

These fluffy yellow cakes are made from Sugar Palms (Taan is the Thai word for sugar palms). The yellow pulp of the ripe palm is mixed with starch and sugar, before being steamed in small pandan-leaf cups.

It is usually served with shredded coconut on top.

Try also: Kanom Krok – Mini coconut cream hotcakes Kanom Bueng – Crispy crepes with coconut whip filling Thong yip/Thong yod/Foi Thong – Golden Egg Pinches (Yip)/Drops (Yod)/ Shreds (Foi)

Try also: Coconut (Ma-Praow), Guava (Farang), Banana (Kluay), Papaya (Malakor), Mangosteen (Mong-Koot), Durian (Tu-Rian), Mango (Ma Muang), Rambutan (Ngoh), Lychee (Lyn-Chee) bangkok 101

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street eats

Street Food Hotspots

S

treet food is a central ingredient in the stew of Bangkok’s culture.

So much so that if you took away the city’s rot khen (mobile vendor carts) it would begin to taste rather bland. Some open for lunch only; others open all night. Though common to every street, knowing which carts sell what, when and where is a skill many Bangkokians pride themselves on. Short on time? Then make for one of the following hotspots, where clusters of vendors sell good feeds for pocket-change.

ealikte

Nym

Our roving street-food 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 next delectable morsel.

From roadside vendor stalls to hidden restaurants, serious foodies would be well advised to follow her trail.

Thai Crepes

One of my all-time fave Thai snacks is khao kreep pak mor: a sort of crepe made from a mixture of flour that’s cooked over the rim of a steamed pot.

The crepes texture should be soft as a piece of silk, while the filling inside should be flavourful and firm.

It’s not too difficult to find at your local Thai supermarket but finding a really well done rendition is a challenge here. Fortunately, while stumbling just recently around the food market at Bangkok’s Tha Chang Pier with distinguished British food photographer Jason Lowe, we came across just that.

Here, we found an uncle and aunty skillfully making the fresh crepes over a steamed pot, then shaping them into dainty white parcels using a flat wooden spoon. Both being fearless streetfood snackers, we wasted no time, each wrapped one in green leaves and proceeded to pop it into our mouths.

It was love at first bite! Breaking through the soft thin texture of the crepe, we meet with a flavourful filling comprised of minced pork, crunchy sweet turnip and shards of broken peanuts.

It was the culinary highlight of our day spent seeking them out – so much so that we ordered a box (B20-25!) each and took it home. If in the area I highly recommend you do the same.

Getting there Tha Chang Pier is close to the Grand Palace. If you’re coming from that direction this little stand is located on the right side of the pavement beneath the shade of an umbrella and frangipani tree.

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Sukhumvit Soi 38 Directly beneath BTS Thong Lo station, the mouth of this soi fills up with food vendors selling late-night delicacies to revellers. Sample the delicate, hand-made egg noodles, or Hong Kong noodles; and never head home without trying the sticky rice with mango.

Surawong A long row of street vendors offers special noodle dishes along this street near Patpong Night Market. Be sure to try the stewed chicken noodles in herbal soup in front of the Wall Street Building. Stalls are open from 10pm until 4am.

Corner of Silom/Convent Road The stalls at the mouth of Soi Convent are popular with inebriated night crawlers; but it’s the B10 sticks of moo ping (grilled pork) served by one rotund, Zen master vendor that are justly famous. Go before the bars close (about 2-3am) to avoid the queues.

Pratunam Midnight khao mun gai (Hainanese chicken rice)! There are two shops at the intersection of Pratunam (on corner of Petchaburi Road Soi 30); the first one is brighter and good, but if you like your sauce authentic – with lots of ginger – go to the second one. Also, try the pork satay with peanut sauce.

Chinatown Shops fill the streets after dark.There’s an amazing range to sample, but a must-try for seafood fans is the vendor at the corner of Soi Texas.

A bit farther on the other side of the street you can get delicious egg noodles with barbecued pork. For dessert, try fantastic black sesame seed dumplings in ginger soup next door.

Soi Rambutri (near Khao San Road) Many a hangover has been stopped in its tracks after a pre-emptive bowl of jok moo (rice porridge with pork) from the stall in front of Swenson’s.

Popular among tipsy Thai teenyboppers, this is just one of Soi Rambuttri’s many late night food stalls. bangkok 101

restaurants

Mango Tree Signature

THAI Mango Tree Signature (map B4) OP Garden, Charoen Krung Soi 36 | 02238-6400 | 11:30am-11pm | $$-$$$ MangoTree, a long time Bangkok stalwart, opened this signature branch in 2009, in a 60 year-old wooden house a stone’s throw from the tourist dollars at the Oriental hotel. There are two monthly changing menus, one straight Thai, the other modern Thai signature dishes. We took the latter, with mixed results. For starters, there’s a nice clean bite to sous vide sliced duck breast larb salad, well presented on curls of cucumber and sprinkled with roasted rice and dried chilli powder; and pomelo salad with a torched prawn (raw, but seared on one side) has the unusual tasty and textural touch of ‘Thai dressing’ jelly. The cream of tom yum river prawn soup – a near traditional French bisque – was good, but left us wondering where it could go with a little more boldness (some prawn meat would help, too). On the other hand, main courses – a dry and dull lamb shank and a bland chicken roulade, more akin to sausage – were puzzling after such an encouraging start. Mango Tree has a sweet setting and there’s something chefly trying to get out here, but a lack of consistency in execution, and perhaps vision, lets it down.

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LE LYS (map C4) 148/11 Nang Linchi soi 6 (Soi Keng Chuan), Sathorn | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-287-1898~9 | www.lelys.info | noon-10:30pm | $ Though it sounds French bistro-ish, Le Lys is actually a Thai restaurant – a very distinctive and welcoming one. Run by a disarmingly friendly Thai-French couple in their fifties, it’s a true insider’s secret, even more so ever since they’ve relocated to a quiet soi just off Nang Linchi. Old fans will not be disappointed: the spacious 1960s house features a lush garden, outdoor dining patio with gazebo and chunky wooden bar, an indoor dining area strewn with family keepsakes, plus the much loved pétanque court, where Rique-sipping cliques gather on weekends. Patti and Phillip still dish out those cheek-y kisses after your second visit. Even more importantly the inexpensive Thai food still tastes like it’s been made with love and includes dishes you won’t find everywhere else: like the mieng salmon (cubes of deep fried salmon that you wrap in betel leaves with herbs), the sour-spicy wingbean salad with shrimp and boiled egg, and peppery soft-shell crab. Turn down Nang Linchi Soi 6 and it’s about 100 metres down on your right.

Suea Non Kin (map D3) 231/2 Sukhumvit 31 | BTS Asoke| 02662-1779 | Mon-Sat 5pm-Midnight | $ Finding this new restaurant/bar set in a revamped old house is a bit of a chore, but one glance and its obvious many hip and artsy locals have already made the discovery. This cozy joint, full of vintage armchairs and adornments featuring the wild cat, was established by three owners all born in the Year of the Tiger, its name roughly translating to “a tiger that sleeps all day but always gets it prey”. The simple Thai menu is a collection of dishes the owners have enjoyed from around the country, like deep fried fish wantons from Samut Sakhon, and smoked pork rib from Khao Yai, while the spicy sour soup with pork and the fried mackerel smothered in chilli sauce will both definitely have you roaring from the heat. The outdoor patio is perfect for sipping on one of their 13 signature “Tiger” cocktails, while the singer-less live band on Fridays and Saturdays may entice you to test your vocal chords.

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Le Lys

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Polka Dot Cafe

TONGUE THAI (map B4) 18-20 Charoen Krung 38, Bangrak | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-630-9918~9 | 11am-2pm, 5pm-10:30pm | $ Ignore the goofy name, and wind your way through the riverside streets near the Oriental to this charming two-floor shophouse, wee-decorated with rustic, old-Siam objects d’art.

In a neighbourhood dominated by nosebleed-priced hotel dining, Tongue Thai offers a welcome alternative – affordable farang-sized portions of zesty Thai food, without the farangsized taste. Take your time to page through the huge menu, and you’ll find culinary representatives from all the major regions of Thailand – try the Isaan appetizer combination, with its tangy sausage and chilli spiked green papaya salad. Also recommended: the huge helping of soft-shell crab stir-fried with curry powder, which replaces the graininess of many restaurants’ versions with an addictive savoury smoothness. Tongue Thai is proud of its unapologetic approach to Thai spicing, so make sure to inform the staff of any chilli susceptibilities from the very beginning.

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international Polka Dot Café (map C2) 1 Floor, Aree Garden, Aree Samphan 11 (Paholyotin Soi 5, opposite The Ministry Of Finance) | 02-617-3204 | BTS Ari | Tues-Sun 5pm-1am | $$ The stream of customers entering this wee Ari newcomer suggests it’s still in its honeymoon phase, and yet we’re confident Polka Dot Café can outlast the hype – though aiming squarely for hip, its international/Thai nosh is also hearty and delicious. In a cozy glass rectangle spanning the entrance into slick black-steel community mall, Aree Garden, baby-faced waitstaff whisk plates from the eponymous polka dotted bar to seven close-nit tables as tunes picked by the owner (a female drum & bass DJ no less) drift through

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the pipes. Though their inexperience shows, everything from the wedges with sour cream & mentaiko mayo to all-day brunch fare like the poached eggs with asparagus and smoked salmon comes out looking tasty and well-crafted. And proves to be just that – we hunkered down on a pan roasted duck breast with mash, among other rich dishes, and savoured every comforting morsel. Is it worth slogging across town for? No, not really; but if in the vicinity – and Ari’s cachet among hipsters dictates that you should be – Polka Dot’s a satisfying dinner stop in a cool hood. Kudos too for the decadent dessert and cocktail menus – both among the best we’ve encountered in this price bracket.

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NANG KWAK (map E4) The Third Place, Sukhumvit 63 (Thong Lor Soi 10) | BTS Thong Lor | 02-7147938 | www.nangkwak.com | 11am – 2pm, 5:30pm - 1:30am | $$$ Named after the Thai goddess of prosperity, (Nang Kwak translates to“the lady who beckons”), this stylish restaurant, located right smack in the middle of Bangkok’s hippest soi, is owned by a local celebrity couple and will quickly reel you in with its sense of sophistication and intimacy. A favourite haunt for young hipsters and local bigwig politicians, a wall covered with hundreds of miniature statues of the aforementioned goddess welcomes you inside where you can choose to dine on the ground floor café or ascend to the rooftop terrace which comes equipped with a sweeping view of the bustling activity on Soi Thong Lor. The menu is dotted with classic Italian-French bistro staples like tea-smoked duck breast salad, and a hearty rack of lamb. Some dishes feature a few Asian flairs with winning dishes like the spaghetti with grilled river prawns that comes drenched in a creamy sauce laced with velvety shrimp paste, all of which comes with a more than reasonable price tag.

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The Seafood Bar

The Seafood Bar (map D3) 41 Somerset Lake Place, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 02-663-8863 | Tue-Sat 6pm11pm; Sun 6pm-10pm; Sat-Sun noon3pm | $$$ (unless you go for lobster) The food’s simple here – no fancy foams or emulsions – and the décor is just a notch up from café – Formica topped tables touched up with overhead pin lighting, a few strategically placed curtains and blue lights to evoke the ocean – yet these get-in-and-eat qualities are perfect foils for an excellent seafood dinner.

Nisqually Sound, Belon, Fine de Claire, and a full 17 other varieties of gnarly oyster are displayed on beds of ice at the seafood bar, where you can choose to sit and eat, eyeing Alaskan King Crabs and live lobsters brooding in bubbling tanks. The menu comes

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with oyster tasting notes, like a wine list, plus a handful of starters and main fish courses. They get the seafood in fresh every Tuesday and Friday from Bali and the US and re-print the menu daily depending on what’s left.

We took a fresh spring roll stuffed with smoked gindara (Japanese Black Cod) and grilled mango made slightly acidic by a lime marinade – delicious with a mildly spiced peanut dressing on the side – and a main course of firm, meaty Bali Monkfish cooked with a spicy crust and perfectly paired with a half rasher of pork belly and a bed of white beans. There’s a small, almost all-white wine list and two desserts.

And that’s it. Simple genius. A great little restaurant.

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french AUBERGINE (map C4) 71/1 Soi Sala Daeng 1/1 | BTS Saladaeng, MRT Silom | 02-234-2226 | Mon-Sat 11am-2:30pm, 6pm-11:30pm | $$ Poised on a quiet sub-soi between casual Saladaeng and the elegant hotels of Sathorn, Aubergine splits the difference and comes out cozy and classy. A beautifully preserved home with modern touches – warm yellow walls, a curvaceous bar, generous outdoor seating, and chic private rooms. The food is traditional, but not stodgy – Aubergine boasts tantalizing French and Italian. The Lobster bisque is light and tastes like pure concentrate of the sea – potent, rich, but playing on the tongue. Handmande pastas provide such excellent counterpoints to fresh sauces – a robust fish ragout cut with the nutty assertiveness of rocket, for example. Meat entrées are conceived and executed with similar care. The lamb rack is one standout – tender, smoky, and accompanied by a meltingly rich gratin dauphinois and a delectable ratatouille. A fine wine list and sophisticated, not-too-sweet desserts round out the offerings at Aubergine, where haute can be homey after all.

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Le Café Siam (map D4) 4 Soi Sriaksorn, off Chua Pleng Rd | 02-671-0030 | www.lecafesiam.com | Daily 6pm-11pm | $$$ Chef Paul Quarchioni has some Bangkok history, from the short lived but highly regarded Hendricks to his stint at Le Normandie, in the Oriental hotel. He returned last year and bought Le Café Siam, which had always lacked a kitchen to match its very elegant setting.

The 1920s Thai house in its garden of palm trees on a quiet back lane charms you to a different place and time. The old timber frames with their trapezoid arches are well served by tasteful reproduction screens and cabinets. A mix of lamps – flea market cut glass and Asian silks – cast a muted orange glow around the seven-table room. Outside

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are a few more seats on the terrace, and upstairs a lounge for cognacs, desserts and private parties. The food is classic French with a few Euro twists served on a daily changing menu. Steamed seabass with caviar sauce; deep rich creamy lobster bisque; seared scallops with chorizo; lamb fillet with pommes purée and sugar snap peas – all meats perfectly cooked; sauces delicious.

A couple of dishes have imported heavyweight products like Maine lobster and wild pigeon, otherwise the pitch is towards sensible prices. You could get out with three courses for B1,200 nett, which for this standard of cooking is a bargain. One proviso: the soundtrack of low quality Bee Gees and Michael Bublé covers really doesn’t fit.

เลอ คาเฟ่สยาม ถ.เชื้อเพลิง

bangkok 101

ITALIAN Rossano’s (map D3) 167 Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Asok) | 02-260-1861 | 11.30am-2pm, 6pm11pm | $$$ Gennari Rossano was a pioneer when he opened L’Opera in 1983 as one of only two Italian restaurants in Bangkok.

After dropping from the scene over 20 years later, he returned in 2008 with the eponmous Rossano’s. It’s trattoria-bynumbers interior has all the indicators of homey Italian, from mock candle light on brick facades and curly wrought iron grilles, to beamed low ceilings, an open kitchen and opera through the pipes. You access the various rooms through open arches, past blackboard specials, cooked meats and cheese displays. The menu has the ingredients off pat – pastas, pizzas risotto, osso buco and saltimbocca. There’s a good veg-filled minestrone and scallops served in the half shell, baked with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms with rocket and mozzarella salad. For

bangkok 101

Rossano's

mains, an Angus steak tartare with all the trimmings is prepared tableside, desserts have tiramisu, panna cotta and liqueur affogatos (espresso with a scoop of ice cream and the liqueur of choice). Everything was decent

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apart from poor Australian lamb chops stuffed with foie gras and porcini; service was attentive and the patrons are happy: the place was packed on the Tuesday we visited. Plenty of parking.

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Neighbourhood Nosh: Soi Rangnam Ma dam O

Ma zz Ku anine Sea ang foo d

Itto Sho kod @B u ang kok Rai

ntr ee Pub

Wa t Baa er Bar nA jaan

ipa pP ar k San t

B-R est o

Mo bile Ste ak

Wi ne Pub

Pul lma n

S ea Baa sonin nB g an

Soi Ran gna g Po m wer

Kin

Ratchaprarop Rd.

Tid a Ma Esar l Isaa lika n nR ot De t

ng

Th ai R d.

BTS Victory Monument

Ph aya

Each month we stake out one of the city’s best neighbourhoods for eating out, and serve you the skinny in an easily digestible, bite-size format.

This tree-lined, fast-gentrifying soi is one long eating opportunity. From freewheeling streetfood carts to gritty Isaan joints and expat-orientated international restaurants, it’s a great place to indulge in an affordable culinary pick-and-mix. And easily accessed – just hop off the Skytrain at BTS Victory Monument, take the exit that leads into the Century Mall complex, head down the escalator and pop through the left exit.

In the evenings the top of Soi Rangnam bristles with noodle stalls and street food (including, by 7/11, one of the best moo ping, or grilled pork, stalls in town); but the first big-hitter is Tida Esarn. Its Isaan staples are popular with expats, mainly because of its amiable woodplank décor and English-language menu. However, the service is sluggish and the flavours outclassed by those at the cheaper Isaan Rot Det. In our opinion, this plain Jane serves the most unadulter ated Isaan food on Rangnam – if not all Bangkok.

ManyThais seem 68

to agree with us – in the evenings it’s often full. Sandwiched between them is yellow-wooded Mallika, a good place to sample tongue-scouringly-hot Southern Thai dishes.

Located adjacent to this trio is Seasoning, a good looker that serves disappointing Western food, and Baan Ban, a cute little shophouse cafe in white. Dwarfing it is the King Power complex next door: a monolithic duty free complex with a Pullman Hotel round the back. F&B venues at this sleek glass and steel hotel include the Wine Pub – a purveyor of top-flight wines and tapas-y nibbles at great prices. Every night there’s a different deal.

Back on the street, Mobile Steak is one of the sois newest additions, serving Japanese steaks and Thai in an air-con-chilled space, while Madam Ong is a hush-hush Vietnamese attached to the VP Tower serviced apartment. Further down, on a corner before the park, sits Rangnam’s most cosmopolitan eatery B-Resto. Pleasant evenings, over decent wood-fire pizzas and wines, can be had at this casual, glass-panelled modern Thai/Italian.

Walking past the park and a dodgy drive-in motel brings you to a parade that includes food & drinks

hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant Itto Shokodu, @Bangkok and Water Bar. The latter are loud, hot, openfronted Thai bars where locals sit at wooden stools, nursing watered-down glasses of whisky while they ogle live sports and/or the scantily clad beer ‘pretties’ (waitresses). Both serve ok Thai food, but we prefer Raintree Music Pub. Beloved by homesick northeastern folk, this plankwood timewarp serves tasty beer snacks and is one of the few places in town where wispy-bearded musicians still strum socio-political folk songs, or pleng peua chiwit.

Three restaurants do a brisk trade at Soi Rangnam’s far end: Baan Ajaan is a Thai restaurant with a daily chalkboard clearly designed to lure in foreigners; Mezzanine an al fresco café restaurant; and Kuang Seafood is, as the name and watertanks teeming with disgruntled lobster suggest, a good place to chow fresh sea creatures. bangkok 101

Sea g foo d

Cafe De Laos

MOO KATA: Thai-style

buffets make mealtime merry Oliver Benjamin

Isaan Eats

Isaan food, Northeast Thailand’s unadulterated cuisine, is everywhere. Bangkok’s streets teem with rot khen (vendor carts) and no-frills restaurants serving comfort foods to the city’s huge Isaan migrant population: dishes like laab (ground-meat salad), gai yang (grilled chicken) and som tum (green papaya salad). Not that they’re the only fans. Though many draw the line at nibbling insects, every strata of Bangkok society – from homesick taxidrivers through to their Prada-clad passengers – has its fans. Indeed, many rank this sweat-raising blend of Lao and Thai cooking (which uses sticky rice, fresh vegetables, chillis, herbs and whatever creature’s within grasp) as just about the best Thai culinary creation going. Almost every sidewalk has a lip-smacking Isaan kitchen (here gastrogems spring from the grittiest of setups), but a meal at one of the following will have you vowing that your days of tart-sweet Thai food are over. n Baan Somtum 9/1 Soi Srivieng, nr Sathorn Road | BTS Surasak | 02-6303485 | 11am-10pm | $ This squat but smart townhouse serves a staggering 22 types of somtum, as well as haunting Isaan soups, at pocket-friendly prices. n Café de Laos 19 Silom Soi 19 | 02-635-2338 | 11am-2pm & 5-10pm | $$ Who said you have to forgo ambience entirely? At Café de Laos you get a posh setting and rustic Issan nosh.You’ll pay more than you would streetside, though. n Isaan Rot Det 3/5-6 Soi Rangnam | 02-246-4579 | BTS Victory Monument | $ The best northeastern fare on Rangnam (a soi renowned for it) is served at this no-frills shophouse. Explosive som tum, crisp vegetables and lots of spice-flushed local faces. n Café Chilli Ground Floor, Siam Paragon | 02-610-9877 | www.cafechilli. com | $ Zingy Isaan delights with hi-so ambitions (think grilled lamb rack with nam jim jaew dip) meet air-conditioned mall.

Perfect for when a sweaty you won’t do. n Soi Polo Fried Chicken 137/1-2 Soi Polo,Th Withayu | 02-655-8489 | $ Golden-brown, succulent and blanketed in crisp-fried garlic, their gai thowd (deep fried chicken) is legendary. Also recommended: their catfish laab and tom saep soup. bangkok 101

It’s no secret that Thai people love to dine in big groups.

Whereas Westerners tend to order individual plates and might offer little tastes to our friends,Thais are suppertime socialists, with dishes being passed around willy nilly, or big pots fished into by all concerned.

One of the most interesting modes of communal chowing-down in Thailand is moo kata. Though it’s probably a remote descendant of Mongolian barbecue, and similar in some ways to Korean barbecue, it has evolved over the eons into something quintessentially Thai. No visitor should leave the country before engaging in one of these fun, frenzied communal cookouts, which are especially abundant in and around Bangkok.

Moo kata literally means “skillet pork,” though it’s a bit of a misnomer as pork is only one of the many foodstuffs that end up in the mix. The skillet itself is a sort of dome-shaped metal pan with a trough running around its outer edge – like a derby hat for a robot. The entire thing sits upon hot coals in the centre of the table and is laden with all variety of meats and seafood.

The trough is filled with hot water and rapidly becomes broth as the meat juices run down the side of the dome. Leafy green vegetables are dunked in the clear soup as well. No moo kata would be complete without a hunk of pig fat placed on top like a cholesterol cherry: it helps flavour the skillet and turns from white to black in the course of the evening.

Moo kata may be the best meal (usually dinnertime only) deal on the planet at anywhere from B70 to B140 for a delicious all-you-can cook smorgasbord. n Plathong Moo Kata Close to Century Movie Plaza, Phayathai Rd. | BTS Victory Monument, Exit 2 | 084-354-8282 | 5pm-midnight | B99++ n 36 Moo Kata Thong 1582/1 Sukhumvit Rd. Soi 50 | On Nut BTS | 02-7427288 | 4pm-midnight | B99++ 69

Food&Drinks

Korean Arirang (map C4) Sathorn Soi 12 | BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-635-4775 | 11am-10pm | $ Considering that the rabid craving amongst most Thais for anything Korean doesn’t seem like it will be slowing down anytime soon, Arirang, one of the more popular Korean restaurants in Bangkok, has no reason to hit the brakes either. After their success anchoring the front of Korea Town,\ they’ve now expanded to the Sathorn business district. Obviously abiding by the “if it ain’t broke” adage, this branch is almost a carbon copy of the original, from the wood-panelled walls, to the faux water-wheel. The same goes with the menu, with all the favourites available from bi bim bab, the traditional mixed rice served in a piping hot stone pot, to sam gye tang, a refreshing ginseng chicken soup.

Of course, not many patrons pass on firing up that table-top grill and charring some meats. The menu will

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satisfy all your carnivorous cravings with every cut of meat imaginable for your BBQ’ing purposes.

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japanese Maru (map E4) 95/5-6 Thong Lo Soi 3 | 02-712-5001 | BTS Thong Lo | Daily 5pm-Midnight In a city where Japanese food is just as, or arguably more, popular than the national cuisine it’s a shame that most people get their fix from tired chain restaurants in shopping malls. Maru, however, caters to those truly in the know. We can say from experience that their sushi rivals those served at the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market, whether it’s smooth cuts of salmon, or uni, the melt-in-your-mouth sea urchin roe, to the crown jewel, O-toro, extra fatty tuna belly. Of course, paying the bill isn’t as blissful as the eating, but believe us, this is one meal worth filling your piggy bank for. Tuck in at the counter next to the throng of salarymen and

food & drinks

simply ask for what’s fresh. Of course, there’s much more on offer than just raw fish, practically everything we sampled knocked us off our chairs, from grilled eel, to crunchy tempura and even small side dishes like the absolutely irresistible miso eggplant. Another point of interest is the toilet seats: hi-tech and heated like those commonly found in Japan.

มารุ ทองหล่อ ซ.3

bangkok 101

featured

restaurant

Rakuza From low-key izakayas to chaotic sushi chains, Bangkok has long had the full spectrum of Japanese eateries covered. Or at least we thought it did until we discovered Rakuza – a Japanese fusion fine-diner with a neon blue, club-like entranceway instead of the usual sliding wooden door. Inside this recent arrival, tucked near the back of Thonglor’s latest lifestyle mall, it’s not a Japanese restaurant as you know it. Downstairs has a clubby lounge vibe, with leather sofas and chairs nesting beside an open kitchen and bar serving Old World wines, umeshu, etc. Upstairs is geared towards dinner-dates, with well-spaced white linen tables filling a high-ceilinged room lit by a soft glowing chandelier. And there’s also an al fresco zone, though, it being rainy season, it’s not seeing much use yet. The food is as fancy and unconcerned with tradition as this slick glass and steel edifice that clearly cost mega-bucks would imply – Chef Yoji Kitayama, formerly of WHERE 264/1 Grass the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, trained in Thonglor, Thonglor(Sukhumvit traditional Japanese and modern Soi55), BTS Thong Lo, 02-714French, uses his versatility to push the 9897 OPEN Tues-Sun 6pmbounds of what Japanese cuisine is 1am PRICE $$$ and can be. Yes, there’s little plates of kozara (Japanese tapas) and standard sushi and sashimi, including Otoro tuna flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji Fish Market, to keep the old-school happy. But the real surprises here are the mains, which are more like French with Japanese touches than the other way round. On our visit, this included three Tajima Wagyu sirloin pinchos served with black truffle sauce, followed by a heavenly melding of meltin-the-mouth textures – rare grilled premium tuna, scallops and foie gras served with a balsamic soy sauce. This is exciting food – presented haute cuisine style, each dish left us revelling in the flavours and boggling at the ingredients and thought that had gone into them. Of course, there’s a pricetag to match, so best bring the plastic for this one.

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Mexican

Vietnamese

Vietnamese VT Nam Neaung (off map) Pradit Manutham Rd. Behind Palm Street Shopping Row | 02-935-6524 | 10am - 10pm | $ With its crystal chandeliers and plastic tablecloths, the décor may appear slightly confused (an oddly-eclectic soundtrack, which includes Christmas carols, only magnifies the effect) but the brightly-lit dining room at VT Naem Nueang is still a convivial spot in which to sample an extensive menu of hard to find – but reasonably priced – Vietnamese delicacies. Not everything at this Bangkok offshoot of the famous branches up in the

Northeast is a must-try (the goong pan oi – minced shrimp encasing a sugar cane and served with noodle balls and a pickled carrot relish – has, perhaps unsurprisingly, an overriding sweetness). But for most of VT’s clientele of mainly well-to-do Thais its naem nueang is the main draw. These grilled pork rolls are provided with sliced banana, chillis, garlic and mango, together with fresh vegetables and a sweet fermented bean sauce; wrapped in rice paper, these brilliant bite-sized parcels alone are enough to justify a rush-hour slog to this somewhat awkwardly-located restaurant.

วีทแี หนมเนือง ถ.ประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม

SUMMER PALACE dim-sum featured

In the InterContinental Bangkok’s ornate yet inviting Summer Palace, accomplished Cantonese executive chef Khor Eng Yew’s sharply defined dim sum menu is offered up a la carte. But why faff around with small fry when, for a mere B499, you can go for all-you-can-eat excess? The emphasis of his authentic, 40-plus selections – dumplings, wantons, pastries, buns and so forth, all made with ingredients from the mainland – ison quality as much as quantity. And for just a bit of extra wedge you can wash down your mouthfuls with superior infusions like chrysanthemum, oolong and green teas. Set in an elegant dining room of Chinese ceramics and traditional paintings, this is a bona fide gustatory treasure – unlimited top-notch dimsum for a modest sum.

Coyote (map C3) 1/2 Convent Rd, Silom | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-631-2325 | www.coyoteonconvent.com | 10ammidnight | $$ With its talented American chef, classic Tex-Mex nosh and slightly kitsch, margarita-fuelled atmosphere, Coyote is a place to party as well as to sample Mexican cooking. Among a traditional starter line-up, the crab taquitos are a definite standout. For a main course choose one of the platters – tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas and fajitas – and pick the fillers that best suit your palate. Add a little (or a lot of) spice from the infamous “Wall of Flame,” boasting over 50 hot sauces from around the world. Save room for dessert – the peach pecan chimichanga is out of this world. Don’t leave yet, Coyote’s relaxed vibe and kicking music will entice you to stick around and choose another frosty margarita from the over 75+ varieties, ranging from a medley of Thai fruit to daring experimental flavours like chocolate and bourbon. Girls enjoy free glasses of the stuff on Wednesday evenings, and often leave tottering precariously.

A second branch on Sukhumvit Road, near the mouth of Soi 33, dishes out the same on a bigger scale.

โคโยตี้ ซ.คอนแวนต์ ถ.สีลม

รร.อินเตอร์คอนติเนตัล ถ.เพลินจิต

WHERE InterContinental Bangkok 973 Phloenchit Rd. (map D3) BTS Chit Lom, 02-656-0360 OPEN daily lunch noon -2:30pm, dinner 6:30pm-10:30pm All you can eat dim sum Mon – Sat noon2:30pm (not served on Sun and public holidays) PRICE B499net 72

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runching is big in Bangkok. All five-star hotels and respectable cafés do them. Some are kid-friendly, others are strictly adult.You can get tipsy at some, while others focus on music. Curing a hangover? Need to eat al fresco? We offer you a sampling of Bangkok’s best.

brunching

featured

KUPPA

brunch

Kuppa brought the first dose of café chic to Bangkok when it opened ten years ago, and it remains one of the capital’s great success stories.

There’s no dedicated brunch here, in terms of either buffet fare or a special menu, but it’s one of the liveliest Sunday lunch hangouts in town, packed with families of all nationalities. The attraction is a well-designed, uncomplicated menu at reasonable prices and a smart but laid-back interior. The huge space has a large central wooden bar, blackboard menus, marble and wrought iron tables, paintings on brickwork walls and loads of light, diffused by Venetian blinds covering giant windows. It’s a design triumph that presses all the WHERE 19 Sukhumvit right buttons for the artsy middle-classes. They even Soi 16, 02-663-0495. BTS have their own coffee roaster. The menu is divided into Asoke, MRT Sukhumvit sections like sandwiches, salads, pastas, Thai, pizzas, OPEN Daily 10am-11pm, mains… with five to ten punter-friendly items in each. closed last Monday of the You might start with prawn and crab cakes, or a salad of month PRICE $$-$$$ Parma ham, chorizo and salami. Mains include grilled cod with kaffir lime on pea puree; crispy pork leg; or miso encrusted salmon on braised fennel, green tea noodle and nori, all at a mere B420. Among desserts is the world’s lightest cheesecake (unofficial). Nothing’s outstanding, but everything’s good, and well worth these prices. Kuppa proves it’s possible to have a successful restaurant that’s stylish and serves decent food at fair prices. It’s a very fine example of what Bangkok needs more of.

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or a break from the bustle of Bangkok, what could be more soothing than sipping a cuppa? Most upscale hotels and a growing number of stand-alone tea rooms serve afternoon tea. Some provide the traditional tray of sweets and savouries; others offer buffet or à la carte options for the hungry or the choosy. Mid-city or riverside, cosy or contemporary, whatever you choose, eat a light lunch or plan for a late dinner – these tea spreads are their own dose of decadence.

tea

featured

HIGH TEA

“What’s with the weather-beaten furniture?” you might ask on spotting the outdoor decking of this sliver-sized tea shop on Lang Suan Road. It’s a fair question but one that quickly evaporates on entering. Done out with brass telephones, Bianco Vermouth signs and other vintage curios, High Tea has a classy art deco atmosphere – a lovely change from the faux vintage look or sleek sterility of most Bangkok cafes. Sink into one of its leather sofas and pretend you’re in a continental café somewhere; leafy Lille perhaps or maybe a backstreet in Bruges. They don’t offer a tea-set, but the inventive can rustle one up by ordering off the tea menu and ordering in a sandwich or slice of delectable cake. These include the dark choc cake, a WHERE 45/4-8 Lang Suan Rd., sponge filled alive with oozing chocolate Lumpini BTS Chit Lom, 02goo and showered with white chocolate 254-5698 OPEN 11am – 1am shavings. For a cheesecake fix, consider PRICE $ the statuesque white choc, dribbled in naughty chocolate sauce, topped with an eye-popping cherry. Teas are served as they should be – loose leaf and in proper tea pots. For something different to the usual, try a more obscure concoction like green mint, love tea or the Courtisanes, a lyrical, palette perfuming blend of green tea, orange oil and yellow flower. They also do a scrummy, milky cha yen, or Thai style ice tea.

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High Teas ■ Café Gallery Unit 207, The Trendy Plaza, 10 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 13 | 086-5361275 | BTS Nana | www.the-cafegallery.com | daily 8am-9pm | $ ■ CHOCOLATE HIGH TEA IN A CLASSICAL KEY InterContinental Bangkok | 02656-0444 | daily 2:30pm-6pm | B390++ Mon-Fri, B450++ Sat&Sun ■ Diplomat Bar Conrad Bangkok, Wireless Rd. | 02-690-9999 | 2:30pm – 5:30pm | Single B410++, Couple B750++ ■ ERAWAN TEA ROOM Erawan Bangkok, 2nd Fl, 494 Ploenchit Rd | BTS Chit Lom | 02-250-7777 | Thai-style afternoon tea set daily, 2:30pm6pm | B220 net ■ Four Seasons Hotel Lobby 155 Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Ratchdamri | 02-250-1000 | 650++ (Mon-Fri) | B750++ (SatSun)| daily 2pm-5pm ■ HOLIDAY INN SILOM Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok, Silom Rd | BTS Surasak | 02-238-4300 | 3pm – 6pm | B380++ ■ Light High Tea Banyan Tree Bangkok, Lobby Lounge | 02-679-1200 | daily 1pm-5pm, B350++ ■ THE PENINSULA 02-861-8888 | daily 2pm-6pm | tea sets B450++ ■ LE MERIDIEN AFTERNOON TEA Plaza Athénée Bangkok 61 Wireless Rd |02-650-8800 | daily 3pm-5pm | 550 nett/ 1 person, 680 nett/2persons ■ LOBBY SALON The Sukhothai | 02-344-8888 | Mon – Thu 2pm -6pm | B800++ ■ Zest Bar & Terrace 7th Fl. The Westin Grande Sukhumvit 259 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Asok MRT Sukhumvit | 02207-8000 | daily 2:30pm-5pm | B390++ to B695++

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■ Sukhumvit Q BAR 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-252-3274 | www.qbarbangkok.com | 8pm-2am The ever popular Sukhumvit nightclub serves mighty tasty quesadilla, burgers, ribs, khao mun gai, beef jerky and schwarma and has a cool, al fresco terrace area perfect for enjoying them on with friends.

Took Lae Dee Foodland Supermarkets Nana Branch | BTS Nana | Sukhumvit Soi 16 Branch | BTS Asok | open 24 hours Means “cheap and good” and it is for the most part. Round-the-clock diner serves Thai and Western food and is attached to a supermarket that never closes either.

Sunrise Tacos 236/3-4 Sukhumvit (btw Soi 12 and 14) | 02-229-4851 | BTS Asok | open 24 hours | www.sunrisetacos.com A little take-out joint serving Mexican fare and margaritas “by the yard” where you can get a super-sized halfkilo burrito. The presentation is a bit sloppy but by now, so are you.

Royal Kitchen 912/6 Soi Thong Lo (opp. Soi 25) | BTS Thong Lo | until 1am | 02-391-9634| www.royalkitchengroup.com Congee, standard roast duck and BBQ pork along with a full Chinese menu.

■ Silom Eat Me Off Convent Rd In Pipat 2. | 02238-0931 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 1am Half restaurant, half art gallery with innovative Thai and Pacific Rim cuisine.

dishes like curried crab crêpes.

Ramen Tei 23/8-9 Soi Thaniya | Silom Rd | 02-2348082 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 2am Ramen noodles in Soi Thaniya.

Good Evening Restaurant 1120 Narthiwas-Ratchanakarin Soi 17 | 02-286-4676 | BTS Chong Nonsi | until 1am | www.goodeveningbkk.com Stylish Thai cuisine ■ Lang Suan Ngwan Lee Corner of Soi Lang Suan & Soi Sarasin | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-250-0936 | Until 3am This Soi Lang Suan stalwart is popular with clubbers; and the humdrum décor doesn’t distract from the reason why: excellent Thai/Chinese fare.

■ Khao San Padthai Thipsamai 313 Mahachai Rd (near the Golden Mountain) | 02-221-6280 | open 5pm3am | www.thipsamai.com If you’re around Khao San log in to this hole in the wall considered by most to have the best pad thai in Bangkok. And oh yeah, it’s probably the only pad thai with a website.

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hais usually have dinner fairly early, on average around 6-7pm so visitors to Thailand may be surprised by the early closing times at restaurants which quite often take their last orders around 9:30-10pm.

So what do you do when you’ve just come out of that show or late-night movie? Or what if all that club-hopping has gotten your stomach growling?

No worries, as there’s food to be had at all corners at all times.

Obviously most hotels have 24hour restaurants, pub kitchens usually stay open till midnight (see Pub Crawling p.96) and certain areas are bustling all night (see Street Eats p.62). But with all due respect to the above we’ve come up with a list of excellent, independent establishments where you can settle in and tuck into a meal ‘round midnight and beyond.

Mayompuri 22 Chakraphong Rd | 02-629-3883 | until 1am | www.mayompuri.com Garden dining amidst colonial architecture has both Thai and Western dishes.

Tom Yum Kung 9 Trokmayom | Off Khao San Rd. towards Police Station (Look for the big sign) | 02-629-1818 | until 2am | www.tomyumkungkhaosan.com Reasonably priced Thai food.

Coyote on Convent Sivadon Building | 1/2 Convent Rd | 02631-2325 | BTS Sala Daeng | until 1am Tex-Mex Fare with an endless list of margaritas.

The Old PraAthit Pier Restaurant 23 Phra Athit Rd | 02-282-9202 | until midnight Thai food on a wooden deck right beside the pier.

Bug and Bee18 Silom Rd. | 02-2338118 | BTS Sala Daeng | open 24 hours | www.bugandbee.com Four storey café offers up Thai and fusion

Silk Bar and Restaurant 129-131 Khao San Rd | 02-281-9981 | Food until 2am, Closes at 6am | Thai and International Food

bangkok 101

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Sunrise Tacos

Bug and Bee

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ookies, Cakes, Pies, oh my! Thais surely love it sweet, taking every opportunity to lace their foods with sugar or syrup whether it is noodles or teas. Kids even drink sweetened milk! So it’s no surprise that almost everywhere you look there are bakeries or sweet shops selling sugary, creamy, crusty goodies for all. Of course with everything there’s good and bad. Though it’s hard to complain about desserts in general one has to keep in mind that not all are created equal.

Rest assured the decadent little treats at these spots are surely from the upper crust.

desserts featured

Café Ubuntu

When Café Ubuntu launched just over a year ago, it was as an ambitious hybrid of coffeeshop, sandwich bar, furniture and t-shirt store. Some serious soulsearching clearly went down however, because since then it’s decamped to a smaller shophouse opposite its original location, just off Silom Road, and the sandwich bar, furniture and t-shirt store components have all been dropped. Not that it matters – the streamlined Café Ubuntu, with its wood plank paneling and bar, free wifi and upstairs area, is a cozy Silom coffeehouse with some rather ace cakes on side. A sweet lady named Khun Ching bakes around 5 or 6 up fresh each day, and then slides them lovingly into the small glass display case that sits on the wooden decking porch out front – a tactic clearly designed to lure in eagle-eyed passersby.

And a clever one, as they’re a seriously good Where Opposite Grand Terrace looking bunch, with everything from the Building, Soi Saladaeng 2, Bangrak, dark chocolate to orange cakes sporting Silom, 081-888-2308 Open Mona smooth, glossy finish that really gets the Fri 7am-10pm, Saturday 10am-8pm tongue wagging in anticipation. Best sellers (closed Sunday) Prices $ include the Orangeo, a cheesecake blending milky and orange creamcheese layers with an Oreo base. The crunch of the latter contrasts agreeably with the velvet-smooth creamcheese and the sticky, luminous, tongue-tingling citrus sauce drizzled neatly all over it. The Strawberry sponge cake is equally joyous – a fat, happy looking slab of sponge sandwiched in tangy strawberry filling, fluffy whipped cream and chunky halved strawberries. Brownies, toffee cakes and cupcakes, fresh-brewed coffeeshop tipples, and proper meals, should you be that way inclined, are also served.

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■ BAAN PRA ATIT COFFEE AND MORE 102/1 Pra Atit Rd | 02-2807878 | Sun-Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm ■ Cakewalk Natural Ville, 61 Langsuan Rd | 02-250-7050 | BTS Chitlom | daily 6am-10:30pm ■ CHERUBIN Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 02-2609800 | BTS Asoke | Tue-Sun 10:30am-7pm ■ Coffee Bean by Dao 20/12-15, Soi Ruamrudee, Ploenchit Rd | 02-254-7117-9 | daily 10am-10pm ■ Iberry Siam Square Soi2 | 02-6583829 | daily Sun-Thur 10am10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10:30pm ■ JIM THOMPSON’s HOUSE 6/1 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd | 02-612-3601 | BTS National Stadium | Tue-Sun 9am-6pm ■ Kakao Café 99/361-8 Sukhumvit soi 24 (opp. Camp Davis) | 02-6611777 | BTS Phrom Phong | daily 10 am-10pm ■ KIOSK 6F,Thailand Creative Design Center, Emporium Shopping Complex | 02-664-8702 BTS Phrom Phong | Tue-Sun 9:30am–9:30pm ■ KUPPA 39 Sukhumvit Soi 16 | 02663-0495 | BTS Asoke, MRT Sukhumvit | Tue-Sun 10:30am11:30pm ■ Mousses and Meringues 245 Sukhumvit Soi 31 | 02 662-1290 | BTS Phrompong | daily 10am-7pm ■ RUEN KHUN NOI 71 Sukhumvit Soi 4 | 02-2556049 | BTS Ploenchit | daily 10am-6pm ■ Saffron… just baked 86 Phra Athit Rd | 02-2814228 | daily 8am-9pm ■ Something sweet Sathorn 47/4 Soi Sathorn 8 Sathorn Nua, Silom | 02-235-4834 | BTS Chong Non Si | daily 10am-10pm ■ T42 4 Fl. Siam center Rama 1 Rd | 02-251-6197 | BTS Siam | daily 10am-9pm ■ THE ORIENTAL SHOP The Emporium, 5th Fl | 02664-8147~8 | BTS Phrom Phong | www.mandarinoriental. com | daily 10:30am-10pm ■ SEcret recipe La Villa, 1st Fl., Paholyothin Rd | BTS Aree, 02-613-0575 | www.secretrecipe.co.th | daily 10:30am-10pm

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Buffet Venues ■ TASTE Westin Grande Sukhumvit | 02-2078000 | 6am – 11pm | Breakfast B650++, Lunch 790++, Dinner B1,100++ ■ DINING ROOM Grand Hyatt Erawan | 02-254-1234 | Mon-Sat 12pm-2:30pm (3pm on Sat), Mon-Thu 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 6pm-10pm | lunch B780++, dinner Mon-Thu B1,150++, dinner Fri-Sun B1,499++ (seafood) ■ COLONNADE The Sukhothai 13/3 South Sathorn Rd | 02-344-8888 | noon-2.30pm | B980++ ■ ESPRESSO InterContinental Bangkok, Ploenchit Rd | 02-656-0444 | daily noon2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm | B790++ (lunch) B990++ (dinner) ■ Panorama Restauarant Pan Pacific Bangkok | 02-632-9000 | 6:30am – 10:30am, 11:30am – 2:30pm | Breakfast 695 net, Lunch 690++ ■ No.43 BISTRO Cape House Serviced Apartment, Gr Fl, 43 Soi Langsuan| 02-6587444 ext.285 | daily 6am-midnight ■ Lord jim’s buffet Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Oriental Avenue | 02 - 659-9000 | Mon-Sat noon-3pm sun 11:30am-3pm | B1,295 net (Mon-Sat) B1,648 net (Sun) Booking advised. Smart casual dress code.

■ THE BRASSERIE Holiday Inn Silom, 981 Silom Rd | 02-238-4300 | daily noon-2:30pm and 6pm-10:30pm | lunch B707 net, dinner B824net, Friday Seafood Night B941net ■ Orchid Café Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit | 02649-8888 11:30am-2:30pm & 6:30pm10:30pm | Lunch 760++, Dinner (Mon-Thu) 1,050++, Dinner (Fri - Sun) 1,250++ ■ Citi Bistro Pathumwan Princess Hotel 1st Fl., near MBK | 02-216-3700 | 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm | lunch B650net, dinner B1,300net

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angkok bites off way more than it can chew. We all know this is a great city for very high quality dining, but it’s also excellent for the gluttons among us, drawn to food in quantities. From street side moo krata joints that give you a sizzling skillet and let you loose on a pile of meat for less than B100, to the city’s ever-growing legion of fivestar hotels that offer up the utmost quality along with quantity, it’s a wonder how Thais stay in such good shape. Here is a sampling of Bangkok’s best eat-till-you-burst buffets.

all you can eat

featured

buffet

Café@2

Where The Conrad Bangkok, 87 Wireless Road, 02-690-9999 BTS Chidlom (then cab) Open lunch (Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm, B780++), dinner (Sun – Fri 5:30- 10:30pm, B1,099++), Saturday seafood buffet (Sat 5:30-10:30pm, B1,499++)

Despite the name, there’s nothing second rate about Café@2’s buffet – a good thing given the price-tag. This blonde wood firstfloor diner, curved commandingly around the atrium overlooking The Conrad’s lobby, offers a veritable feast of Pan-Asian and International cuisine. Grab an over-sized white ceramic plate and dive in – the fresh cooked pasta is worth a try; the sushi and sashimi melts in your mouth; the Indian mutton curry and nan-bread so-so; and the salads, anti-pasti and breads taste spring fresh. The stand-outs though are the hot dishes, which come in bite-size portions and include grilled salmon with Thai seafood sauce, and beef medallion with oxtail ragout and French beans. Those Anglo-Saxon Sunday roast trimmings – Yorkshire puddings, thyme roast potatoes, gravy – are also excellent, as is the Norwegian dill-marinated salmon, and the my-jaw-hit-thefloor breadth of the dessert station. Rustic apple crumble, Martini glass mousses, crème caramel, traditional Thai desserts like chao guay, and… oh, the torture!…a Mövenpick icecream stand ensure that nobody’s appetite gets out alive.

โรงแรมคอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

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wine

Siam Winery

‘New Latitude’ Thai wine

featured

BACCHUS

wıne bar

Owned by a Japanese sommelier with a keen penchant for style, Bacchus’s attractive list of 10 wines by the glass priced B220-390 changes every month. Think household names such as Los Vascoe, Illuminati, Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir and Penfold’s Bin 8. Matching the wines, an extensive WHERE 20/6-7 Ruam Rudee, snack and tapas menu ranges from Ploenchit (map C3) BTS Ploenchit, nibbles to more substantial Italian- 02-650-8986, www.bacchus.tv inspired dishes. A walk- in glass wine OPEN 5 pm-1 am cellar behind the bar joins an amazing collection of very rare whisky from both Scotland and Japan – East meets West for spiritual guidance. Despite the name, Bacchus is really more a restaurant than a wine bar.

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Thai cuisine is considered one of the world’s best, and deservedly so – fresh ingredients, complex flavours, and tangy, tongue-teasing dishes. One thing gourmets rarely expect to drink over a Thai meal is wine, for fear that the food’s piquancy would overpower any subtle flavours. But in recent years several Thai vineyards have sprung up; and they are fast beginning to make their mark in a market dominated, as one would expect, by the usual array of old and new world wines.

Thai-made “New Latitude Wines” are mostly blended from grape varieties like Shiraz, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a tendency towards light to medium-bodied dry wines, which balance well with the richness of spicy Thai dishes. Several Thai wineries are within easy driving distance of Bangkok – around two hours away.

Head for Hua Hin, or the favourable altitude, rich soil and microclimate around Khao Yai National Park.

Learn more at: www.thaiwine.org bangkok 101

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Bangkok Art

M ap

For the latest scoop on Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art scene, pick up a free copy of BAM! citywide at art galleries, cultural centres or from your hotel concierge.

From the publishers of

www.bangkokartmap.com

Nightlife

one night in bangkok

Q Bar

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angkok’s vibrant nightlife offers an almost infinite Cowboy (btw sois 21 & 23). And voguish but affordable amount of options – so much more than just the hotspots (all tall tables, live hip-hop and whisky-sippin’ naughty male’s One Night in Bangkok wet dream. urban youth) abound in the hot-to-trot sois of Thong A night out here can easily have you flitting between Lor and Ekamai (sois 55 & 63).

Northeast of the Sukhumvit conventional, cutting-edge and downright surreal, and usually in “Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major area, Royal City Avenue – or thoroughfare and its myriad RCA (p.95) – features a malla matter of steps, or, failing that, a short taxi ride. It’s little wonder that adjoining sois, hosts many of strip of megaclubs where hordes of young, flir ty Thais congregate, Bangkok pulls in so many revellers the city’s best nightspots.” especially on weekends. Other from across the city – and beyond.

Glitzy bars and cocktail lounges attract the well-heeled notable hot spots include Bang Lamphu, the hedonistic and fabulous for slick drinks and smart design. Innovative backpacker hub that is legendary Khao San Road (p.94), nightclubs thrill international clubbers with rave-scene/ and the bohemian café/bar scene on Phra Athit Road. hip-hop culture sounds. Folksy jazz, blues and rock venues The Chao Phraya River has yet to live up to its please live music fans. Alternatively, sports junkies and the true potential as a nightlife centre. However, many of homesick have pubs… heaps of them, many as welcoming the city’s top hotels (The Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La, and well-stocked as your local boozer. Want to party till Millennium Hilton & Royal Orchid Sheraton) offer fivesunrise or thereabouts? Despite party-pooping official star cocktails, riverside. Alternatively, for bird’s-eye views closing hours (most venues must shut between 1-2am), of the river and high-altitude cocktails, turn to p.84. On and as long as you’re cool with doing it in a louche back- the following pages we list the cream of the crop – from lounges to live music venues, wine bars to nightclubs – street style, you can.

The lively Silom/Sathorn commercial district is a to help you achieve that perfect night out. throbbing nightlife centre. From Irish-themed pubs to Patpong’s glaring go-go scene, right through to pumping DJs and bars-in-the-sky (p.86), there’s something for all.

Nightlife Nous The city’s gay scene is also busiest here, with the pink flag Want the scoop on Bangkok’s notoriously under-theflying proudest around Silom sois 2 & 4, and the sleazier radar nightlife scene? Keep your eye on these websites Surawong Road. and before long you’ll be tipping off the locals.

Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s major thoroughfare, and its n www.bangkokgigguide.com – jazz, rock, reggae… myriad adjoining sois host many of the city’s flashest all the live music bases are covered in comprehensive, (and debauched) nightspots. On Soi 11, Q Bar and Bed night-by-night detail here.

Supperclub (p.82) lead the way in international-style n www.lastnightinbangkok.com – club scene listings & nightlife. The more degenerate side of Bangkok nightlife post-party galleries. shines in Sukhumvit’s two adults-only streetscapes – n www.bangkokrecorder.com – their gossipy forum is Nana Plaza (off Soi 4), and the more carnivalesque Soi where news of upcoming DJ fly-ins often breaks.

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Nightlife

nightclubs

Bed Supperclub

Clubbing in Bangkok? Stand-alone clubs are required by law to close at 1am, though many manage to stay open later; officially hotel nightclubs can stay open until 2am.

The legal drinking age is 20. All patrons must carry proof. No ID, no entry. No joke. And as of late, smoking inside bars is a no-no.

Q BAR (map D3) 34 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-2523274 | www.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 topshelf vodka!) and its strong music policy, with international DJs leading the way. Q Bar raised the ‘bar’ for Bangkok nightlife nine years ago and is still going strong, with a flirty crowd every night and many big name guest DJs. Best nights: Sunday’s Gin & Juice hip-hop party, Wednesday’s Block Party with hip-hop & funk classics (ladies enter free), and Friday’s Houseduction.

Upstairs at Q a chic, remarkably different vibe resounds in the bar/lounge, especially on Mondays when jazz music rules the speaker system (and the downstairs dancefloor takes a rest). Some relative solitude and a choice pick ‘n’ mix of the expat and jetset scene can usually be found here and on the outdoor terrace, perfect for a breather, people watching and a late evening snack (including tasty meat wraps from a shawarma station).

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TAPAS (map C4) Silom Soi 4 | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom | 02-632-7982 | 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. Multilevelled, with a dark, Moroccan feel, it’s easy to chill here, whether lounging or dancing your tail off! Like Soi 4 in general, weeknights can be hit-ormiss, but weekends are always hopping. ทาปาส สีลม ซ.4 808

BED SUPPERCLUB (map D3) 26 Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02651-3537 | www.bedsupperclub.com | nightly 7:30pm-1am ‘Bed,’ with its über-modern elliptical spaceship design, is a successful hybrid: fine dining on what may be the world’s largest sofas on one side, and an adjoining bar on the other. For the past seven 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, where bartenders blend cocktails using everything from local herbs to cutting-edge foams and sorbets. Bed has talented resident DJs and brings over topclass world talent (including some very eclectic art) for special events. Tuesday’s hip-hop party Pop Champagne packs ‘em in while Wednesday’s Model Night throbs with Latin house music. Big-room house and mash-up hip-hop rules on Friday, and Sunday mixes 80’s pop hits with house music.

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Calypso

Demo

Cabarets DEMO (map E4) Thonglor Soi 10 (next to Funky Villa) | BTS Thong Lo | 02-711-6970-1 | 8pm1am | free (except one-off parties) Is Demo a sign of clubs to come in Thonglor? Or just a blip on the slickly gentrified area’s cookie-cutter nightclub factory line? Time will tell. In the meantime, we strongly suggest you check out this ramshackle tenement building turned gritty warehouse. Not only does it look like a venue you’d find in shabby, hipster-heaving East London. It sounds like one too: instead of mainstream hip-hop and live-bands, Demo’s DJs blast trendy nu-disco, house and electro through a kicking sound-system. And when they do go hip-hop, on Wednesdays, they keep it old-school. Further boosting its streetcool hip quotient, 1980s Brooklynstyle graffiti covers the brick walls and a vintage white Toyota Celica gleams in one corner. They offer a huge range of (quite expensive) beers, shots and cocktails and, though it’s only recently opened, weekends are already packed out with an international crowd.

เดโม ทองหล่อ ซ.10

808 (map D3) RCA, block C | 02-203-1043 | MRT Pra ram 9 | www.808bangkok.com | 9am-late This slick nightclub – all imposing red lighting, exposed brick and steelcladding – has been a hit with clubbers bangkok 101

ever since it landed on RCA in 2007.

The reason: the consistently worldclass line-up. Grandmaster Flash, James Lavelle and Derrick May to name but a few global DJ giants, have all rocked this post-industrial warehouse, aided in no small part by the ear-drum/ body/table rattling sound-system (watch that drink dance!). Head up to the balcony for a comfy leather perch, or gyrate with the diehards on the dancefloor. Entrance prices vary depending on who is gracing the decks that night.

เอท โอ เอท อาร์ซีเอ บลอกซี

GLOW (map D3) 96/4-5 Sukhumvit Soi 23 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-261-3007 | | 6pm-2am This boutique club/bar/lounge challenges Bangkok’s biggies when it comes to delivering innovative music from the world of 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-to-night, with deep-house and electro looming large and no hip-hop (hurrah!). Foxy coyote girls, dancing on the bar, make queuing for drinks here something of a guilty pleasure. For details and regular updates, check Glow’s cool and up-todate website.

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nightlife

MAMBO (map C4) 59/28 Rama 3 Rd | 02-294-7381-2 | show time 7:15pm, 8:30pm, 10pm (please reserve for 10pm) | B800, VIP B1,000 The mother of Bangkok drag cabarets, tongue-in-cheek Mambo is still going strong, thanks to its fab ensemble of the city’s most glam kathoey giving their all amid rather drab décor. The very popular show is somewhat mainstreamy, but its professionalism keeps you entertained. The gals are so good they’ve even toured London.

Be prepared for mimed pop tunes, Broadway evergreens, glitz and big, big melodrama.

แมมโบ ถ.พระราม3

CALYPSO (map C3) Asia Hotel | 296 Phaya Thai Rd | 02-216-8937| daily 8:15pm & 9:45pm | www.calypsocabaret.com | B1,200 (includes 1 drink) Bangkok’s biggest drag show cabaret features more than 50 kathoey (ladyboys) in a gender-bending and dazzling show twice a night. The show’s a rollercoaster of fun: envisage Madonna and Marilyn mimes, Nippon kitsch and the Paris Folies. Their Spice Girls are frighteningly good. Calypso offers an intriguing blend of the comic, the sexy and the bizarre. Don’t be afraid to take the kids along.

คาลิปโซ่ รร.เอเชีย ถ. พญาไท

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bars with a view

Fed up with Bangkok’s fume-filled streets? Fancy a breather? Take to the skies. Bangkok offers a clutch of dramatic high-altitude bars (both indoor and outdoor) from where to survey the glittering skyline below.

Panorama

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am A beacon over Bangkok’s night sky is ablaze. Picture a gorgeously moody, sexy place with world-class jazz, awesome cocktails and hear t-stopping views. Sprinkle this with the fact that you’ll be par t of the international trendsetter scene just because you’ve managed to cross the Chao Phraya.

Sound inviting? Head over to the Millennium Hilton and take the glass elevator to the 32nd floor. Up in a glassed-in, UFO-like construction 130 metres high, Three Sixty perfects a circle. Soft couches and smooth cocktails enhance a dizzying view: Bangkok’s downtown and a row of riverside hotels spread out in front of you. Good thing this place doesn’t revolve. It’s a grown-up crowd which values Osetra on blinis with their drinks. Pure Post-Millennium Magic. And do check out the hotel lobby.

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Balco (map B4) 5th FL River City Shopping Complex, Yota Road, Charoen Krung 30 | Si Phaya Pier | 084-928-6161 | 6pmlate, closed Mondays If coasting along the Chaophraya River on a dinner cruiser leaves you wanting, after disembarking the boat at the River City Shopping Complex, pop up to Balco Bar on its rooftop.

This airy alfresco hangout offers farreaching views of all the action on this busy waterway, a good mix of friendly locals and tourists, and soothing music from bossa nova tunes to house beats as the night rolls on. Reasonably priced drinks (beer B80, cocktails B180, whiskey B1, 200) include interesting cocktail choices created by the bar’s owner. If your favorite drink is off the menu, request it and they’ll be happy to mix it for you. A good place for lovebirds and flocks of friends to sit back on the funky nest-shape chairs or couches, catch a breeze and that memorable Bangkok riverscape.

บัลโค ศูนย์การค้าริเวอร์ซิตี้ nightlife

Long Table (map D3) 48 Column Bldg, Sukhumvit Soi 16 | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-3022557-9 | www.longtablebangkok.com | 11am-2am Top-end Thai food isn’t the only thing drawing Bangkok’s in-crowd to this impossibly swish restaurant-cum-bar in droves. There’s also the trendsetting twist: a sleek communal dining table so long it makes a 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 fine wines with the best of high-flying Bangkok: a glitzy hotchpotch of celebrities, models and power players; hair-tousling breezes; and – best of all – widescreen city vistas. A Sukhumvit high point.

อาคารคอลัมน์ สุขุมวิท ซ.16

Panorama (map C3) Pan Pacific Bangkok, Rama IV Rd | BTS Saladaeng | 02-632-9000 | www.panpacific.com | 11.30am2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm Ideal for interminably hot or drizzly nights, the Deck Bar is a low-slung little bar counter found in the partitioned area at the rear of the Pan Pacific’s upmarket Panorama restaurant.

Perfect for pre-dinner, the wine-list here is a facsimile of the restaurants (i.e. expansive and top-notch), and on cool nights the windows are open to the night air and a 23rd floor view across Bangkok. Plonk yourself on one of its stools, order in a scotch and some fancy tapas, and let your eyes wander across the grounds of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and up over downtown – not quite breathtaking, but still very Bangkok.

รร. แพนแปซิฟิค ถ.พระราม 4

bangkok 101

V9 (map C4) 37F Sofitel Silom Hotel | 188 Silom Rd BTS Chong Nonsi | 02-238-1991 | 6pm-2am Smart V9 is a funky space, one-third comfy bar, one-third slick restaurant, one-third huge wine retail shop. Oenophiles undergo orgiastic experiences once they walk past the dozens of wine crates lining the entrance. All of the wines can be bought at supermarket prices and consumed on the premises with no corkage fee.The in-house Sommelier’s pairings are exquisite, with 15 house wines to tempt you by the glass or short carafe.The French food served up is faultless (try their snack trees), as are the cocktails – dozens of signature blends in a long menu. It’s all very Sex and The City, especially on Friday & Saturday nights.The music is good, and the view through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls wrapping V9 is heart-stopping – that’s what really counts. Perfect for those rainy nights.

รร. โซฟิเทลสีลม ถ. สีลม

MOON BAR (map C4) 61F Banyan Tree Hotel | 21/100 South Sathorn Rd | 02-679-1200 | www.banyantree.com | 5pm-1am As the name suggests, 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. Banyan Tree’s Moon Bar is a romantic hideaway. 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 telescopes 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.

Amorosa

SKY BAR / DISTIL (map B3-4) State Tower, 1055 Silom Rd | 02624-9555 | www.thedomebkk.com | 6pm-1am High fliers hankering after a taste for the dramatic can head over to The Dome at State Tower. Among the world’s highest outdoor bars, Skybar – attached to Med restaurant Sirocco – offers panoramic views of the city and river below, earning its popularity with visitors new to the City of Angels and those intent on rediscovering it.

Indoor-outdoor Distil boasts a roomful of comfy sofas, beyond-premium liquor Distil

สเตททาวเวอร์ ถ. สีลม

AMOROSA (map A3) Arun Residence Hotel, 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Young, Maharat Road (near Wat Po temple) | 02-221-9158 | www.arunresidence.com | 6pm-1am Balmy breezes, soft Latin Jazz, sour-sweet cocktails and passable wine list: all the ingredients for an agreeable open-air bar are in place at the Mediterraneanish Amorosa.The show-stopper though is the view: perched on the roof of a four-storey boutique hotel, it overlooks the weaving Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun, the stunning Temple of Dawn. Go before sundown and gaze out as the sun disappears behind it.

Or come later, when spotlights make it glow amber against the night sky. Wat Po is just around the corner, so a tipple here is an easily attainable – and fitting – reward after a day of temple hopping.

And if you fall for the view, the hotel’s restaurant,The Deck, and 6 lovely suites mean you can prolong the love affair.

อรุณเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ประตูนกยูง ถ.มหาราช

รร. บันยันทรี ถ. สาทร

bangkok 101

and The Dome’s signature breathtaking view. These places are definately not spots for the casual beach bum; so be sure to leave your flip-flops and shopping bags at home – a strict smartcasual dress code is enforced.

nightlife

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hotel bars & nightclubs

Zuk Bar

Bamboo Chic

CM2 (map C3) Basement, Novotel Siam Square, Siam Square Soi 6 | BTS Siam | 02-255-6888 | www.cm2bkk.com | 6:30pm-2am The Novotel Siam Square Hotel’s party cave par excellence still packs them in over a decade after it opened, especially on weekends when it heaves with tourists and nocturnal beauties.

Gone is the old karaoke complex, making room for pool tables and lounging space overlooking the big and quite 1980s looking (black and metal and neon lighting rule) dancefloor. It’s mainstreamy all the way. DJs play Club 18-30-style dance-pop and bubbly live bands perform as if every song is a potentially life-changing audition (Simon Cowell would be impressed).

Cheesy? Maybe, a bit; but still a fun (and always eye-opening) experience.

International and Thai food, as well as a whopping great cocktail list that includes some made with Amaltery’s alcoholic ice-cream, is served.

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Bamboo Chic (map C4) Le Meridien Bangkok 4F, 40/5 Surawong Rd | 02-232-8888 | BTS Sala Daeng | www.lemeridienhotelbangkok.com | 6pm-1am Dim-tones and giant chandeliers set the tone for haute Sino-Nippon cuisine at Bamboo Chic: Le Meridien hotel’s dashing designer resto-bar.

But Bangkok’s jetset have also taken a shine to what’s being served over at the arresting lime-florescent bar – innovative cocktails like the Kyoto martini: a delectable blend of dry gin, midori, dry vermouth and lemon juice, served in a fishbowl glass. Highwattage smiles and slick service rounds off this voguish venue, as apt for postwork or pre-dancefloor tipples as it is a swanky dinner. Just steel yourself for a blast of cognitive dissonance on arrival… Patpong, the neon sleazepit cum night market, is Bamboo Chic’s unscrupulous neighbour.

Zuk Bar (map C4) The Sukhothai, South Sathorn Rd | MRT Lumpini | 02-344-8888 | MonSat 5pm-1am, Sun noon- midnight Hotel guests and clued-up suits enjoy zesty cocktails, creative canapés and an air of ultra-sophisticated tranquillity at this classy hotel bar. Drinks are on a par with the rooftop bars (in price and panache), but here you’re paying for the understated exoticism of it all: the sultry look, mood and service.

The barely lit interior, with its dim nooks and raw silk couches, is perfect for heart-to-hearts. The underlit outdoors area, flanked by huge oriental jars and cooled by overhead fans, a sociable spot where a ring of plump divan sofas invite you to plant your posterior. Quietly solicitous lady staff clad in silk serve while a DJ from Tues to Sat spins soulful tunes.

รร.สุโขทัย ถ.สาทรใต้

รร.เลอ เมอริเดียน กรุงเทพ ถ.สุรวงศ์

CM2 CM2

nightlife

bangkok 101

Spasso

BARSU (map D3) Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-649-8358 | www.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, house, hip hop and techno are banned; in-house DJs spin soul, funk, rock, vintage 70s, 80s and world music.

An audacious dining concept features a menu of sophisticated bar snacks created by a Belgian two-star Michelin chef. In all fairness, calling this premium fare “bar snacks” is doing it a disservice: it’s finger food designed to be shared – sushi, sashimi, tapas and “wapas” (world tapas) – although not finger food as you know it. Ladies get a free standard drink on Wednesdays and the chance to win a bottle of Baileys.

รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14

Barsu

Club 87 Plus (map C3) Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-690-9087 | 6pm - 2am Bigger, sleeker and sexier, the Conrad hotel’s recently relaunched flagship nightspot has targeted its audience from the get-go. Don’t be expecting minimalist jungle or Ibiza-style foam par ties, but if you like to cut a little rug to tunes from the 80s and 90s, this joint should do just fine. The main draw here is the band, Citybeat (Tues-Sun, 10pm-2am). They know how to get a party going with their tried and tested repertoire of funked-up pop classics. DJ 90 provides the soundtrack for the daily buy-one-get-one-free Happy Hour (6-9:30pm), and takes centre stage on Monday evenings. Thursday is Ladies Night and Sunday’s Latin.

There’s also a nifty new smoking lounge adjoining the venue.

โรงแรมคอนราด ถ.วิทยุ

bangkok 101

nightlife

SPASSO (map C3) Lower lobby, Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, 494 Ratchadamri Rd | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-254-1234 | www.bangkok.grand.hyatt.com | noon2:30pm, 6:30pm-2am After going strong for more than a decade, the mother of all live venues still doles out fantastic Italian food and cool bands.The food is so good lunches and brunches teem with high society types.Thai execs and bubbly after-work expats turn up from 7pm onwards to tuck into simple-soundings but firstclass Italian specialties; it’s a pretty good value, especially considering this is a five-star hotel joint. Whatever you’ll try, have it with what must be Bangkok’s best sangria. Come 10pm, diners thin out when the live band starts pumping out high-energy songs which get the dance floor heaving with a mixed, grown-up crowd – weekend nights can see people queuing up to get in.

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bars Hyde & Seek (map C3) 65/1 Athenée Residence, Soi Ruamrudee | 02-168-5152 | BTS Phloen Chit | 11am-1am | $$ Two bright lights of Thailand’s F&B scene opened this stylish downtown gastro bar: a dead-ringer for one of those chic London haunts that draw the after-work crowd for pick-me-up 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 fuelled

by Chanond Purananda, a partner in Flow, the cocktail consultancy that inspires much drunken fun around the region. The sleek, Georgianinfluenced décor has panelled 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 the beginnings of a minimaze of tea plants to partition dining areas. Hyde & Seek is a rare entry into the still huge market for high quality at middle prices, and swarms with the rich and powerful looking most nights, so best book ahead.

แอทธินีเรสสิเดนซ์ ซ.ร่วมฤดี

Hyde & Seek

WTF

WTF (map E4) 7 Sukhumvit Soi 51 |BTS Thonglor | 02626-6246 | BTS Thong Lo | www.wtfbangkok.com | Tues-Sun 6pm1am (gallery open from 3pm) “It’s just like a bar in BarcelonaBerlin-Brooklyn” (take your pick), say punters when they enter WTF. The 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 apparently salvaged from an old Czech café. It works. The Thai-farang owners (an art manager, hotelier and photographer by trade) have made a good fist of cocktails (from B130) with rye whiskies and unusual bitters in the mix, while plates of tapas consist of Thai and Euro choices such as Portuguese chorizo, feta salad and pork fried-rice steamed in lotus leaf. It’s more intimate and much, much smaller, but WTF definitely owes a DNA strand or two to Raindogs, the creative social club that shutdown earlier this year. And that’s a good thing. Just like it, there are occasional live gigs, edgy art exhibitions (in two bare white rooms upstairs), and, on busy nights, a mix of local indie hipsters, journos and art-scensters to chew the fat with.

CAFÉ TRIO (map C3) 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan | 02-2526572 | BTS Chit Lom | daily 6pm-1am, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundays Tucked into a narrow alley off Soi Lang Suan, this cozy jazz bar & art gallery is a welcome alternative to Bangkok’s raucous pubs and haughty lounge bars.

Café Trio is overflowing with plush couches, the lighting is delightfully soft, and the music is always subdued. The tranquil atmosphere helps to make it a true neighbourhood place.The vivacious owner and bartender Patti holds court nightly and the walls are plastered with her Modigliani-esque, Vietnameseinspired paintings – have a few drinks and don’t be surprised to find yourself taking one home. Resident regulars come for live jazz (often toward the end of the month). For drinks, expect to pay what you would at better known, yet more generic, venues. The service is laid-back, like the bar in general. To find it, look for the Chinese restaurant across from Starbucks and 50m down the road.

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CHEAP CHARLIE’S (map D3) Sukhumvit Soi 11 | 02-253-4648 | Mon-Sat 5pm-12:30am This shabby open-air streetside joint is a real Bangkok institution, bringing the charm of a rickety island hole-inthe-wall bar to one of Sukhumvit’s swankiest sois. A no-brainer meet-up spot, Cheap Charlie’s draws crowds of expats, NGOers and tourists inthe-know to fill up on B70 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. CC’s is the kind of place where it’s easy to fall into conversation with other patrons; whether it’s because you’re sheltering from a rain shower together or end up sharing one of the few tables. Its location is a winner, situated as it is on a cool little subsoi (first on the left as you walk down from Sukhumvit) packed with restaurants and a short walk from hallowed Bangkok gin-palaces Q Bar and Bed Supperclub.

ชีพ ชาร์ลีย์ ถ.สุขุมวิท 11 (ซอยแรก)

THE IRON FAIRIES & CO (map E4) 394 Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) | 084520-2301 | BTS Thong Lor | www.theironfairies.com This recent arrival injects a healthy dose of creativity into the city’s nightlife scene and is probably the coolest bar in Bangkok right now. It’s an oddball cross between a curiosity-cum-antiques shop — yes, you can actually buy the eponymous iron fairies themselves — and homage to the 1920s. Walls are daubed black, silent movies are projected on the walls upstairs, an in-house magician tours the tables impressing inebriated revellers with his slight of hand, and Doris Day classics are belted out from the castiron spiral staircase. The venue has the labyrinthine otherworldliness of a Terry Gilliam set with a touch of the bordello.

Beers start from B120 a bottle, a wellmixed dirty martini goes for B280 and the burgers, which are served pinned to a wooden chopping board with a steak knife, are divine.

ดิไอรอนแฟรี่ส์แอนด์โค ซ.ทองหล่อ

bangkok 101

The Iron Fairies

PHRANAKORN BAR (map A3) Soi Damnoen Klang Tai, Ratchadamnoen Rd. | 02-622-0282 | 6pm-1am When Khao San Road’s obnoxious bars wear thin – and they do – flee in search of this cool, multi-level boozer tucked just off Ratchadamnoen Road. It’s an old favourite of local art students, mostly for its indie/80s/90s worshipping playlist and mellow trestle-and-vine rooftop offering splendid views, over rickety old-city rooftops, towards the floodlit Golden Mount temple. The booze and Thai food is also cheap as chips, as is most of the modern art hanging on the second floor. Tried to find it before but failed? You wouldn’t be the first.

From the Burger King end of Khao San Road, turn right onto Ratchadamnoen, right again and it’s down the first soi on your left hand-side. In the evenings there’s usually at least one vintage VW beetle parked outside.

พระนครบาร์ ซ.ดำเนินกลางใต้ ถ.ราชดำเนิน nightlife

WONG’S PLACE (map C4) 27/3 Soi Sri Bumphen/Soi Ngam Duplee, near Malaysia Hotel | 02286-1558 | MRT Lumpini | Mon – Sat 10pm till 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 serveyourself beer fridges and is not much bigger than a living room. Put it this way: if you’re looking for a chocolate Martini and a plate of tapas, you’re in the wrong place.Yet it attracts a fiercely loyal crowd of expat journalists, English teachers 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 pretty dead (the Wong’s Place at the wong time?). Come after the other bars close – it’s a mere hop skip and a jump from Silom –and watch the night unfold.

วองส์ เพลส ซ.งามดูพลี

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jazz clubs

Bamboo Bar

THE LIVING ROOM (map D3) Sheraton Grande, 250 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit | 02-6498888 | www.sheratongrandesukhumvit. com | 10am- 12:30am 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 high-ceilinged foyer offers perfect acoustics for the fabulous jazz band.

Be prepared to be well-entertained.

World-class talents are booked in continuously, guaranteeing top-notch jazz and always a warm audience rapport. Currently The Living Room plays host to Trio Live, performing every Tuesday jazz clubs through Thursday nights from 9pm to 11:45pm, plus Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 12:15am.

You can also catch them during the Sheraton Grande’s legendary Sunday DIPLOMAT BAR (map C3) Jazzy Brunch.

Conrad Bangkok, 87 Witthayu Rd | BTS Ploen Chit | 02-690-9999 | รร.เชอราตัน แกรนด์ สุขุมวิท www.conradbangkok.com | Sun-Thu ระหว่างสุขุมวิท 12 และ 14 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am An architecturally striking hotel bar, The Living Room 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, high-profile crowd fills the Diplomat Bar nightly, especially during the elongated, buyone-get-one-free Happy Hour from 4-7pm (standard drinks only). Very hip among the diplomatic corps (Witthayu is stuffed with embassies), trendy guys in suits and glitzy society ladies – ideal for people-ogling. But the main attraction here is more aural than visual and exceptional jazz acts are de rigueur. รร.คอนราด ถ.วิทยุ 90

nightlife

BAMBOO BAR (map B4) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave | 02-659-9000 | www.mandarinoriental.com | Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am This Bangkok landmark is a symbol of past glories of the East. Situated in the city’s most fabled hotel, 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 nevertheless 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. Everybody’s sipping on faultless cocktails, mixed by skilled old-school bartenders and served by a superb staff. A definite big Bangkok must. รร.โอเรียนเต็ล ถ.โอเรียนเต็ล

bangkok 101

Niu’s on Silom

THREESIXTY (map B4) 32F Millennium Hilton Hotel |123 Charoennakorn Rd | BTS Saphan Taksin | 02-442-2000 | 5pm-1am Dizzying 32nd floor views across the Chao Phraya. Bangkok’s downtown flickering in front of you. Well worth crossing the river for, Threesixty is Bangkok’s most jaw-dropping jazz venue. Since July its dressy crowd has been soaking up that camera-grabbing panoramic alongside the sounds of Micki L Murphy. Her sultry renditions – spanning jazz to bossa nova to RnB – make this glassed in, flying saucer-like construction seem gorgeously moody.

And the wan blue lounge lights, soft couches and smooth cocktails help.

Requests are welcomed. รร.มิลเลเนี่ยม ฮิลตัน ถ.เจริญนคร Niu’s on Silom (mapC4) F1-2, 661 Silom Rd | 02-266-5333 | www.niusonsilom.com | 5pm-1am This New York-style wine bar – 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 international guest vocalists, and trumpeter Steve Lowry and guitarist Dan Phillips, who rotate nightly. There’s also a jazz jam every bangkok 101

Sunday and occasional concerts featuring overseas visitors. Niu’s is a class act, but still casual, comfortable for beers or brandy; and you can eat bar snacks or dine formally in the impressive Concerto Italian restaurant upstairs. Outside seating also available. นิวส์ ออน สีลม บ้านสีลม BROWN SUGAR (map C4) 231/20 Sarasin Rd | BTS Ratchadamri | 02-250-1826 | Mon-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 5pm-1am Sarasin Road, bordering Lumphini Park, hosts a strip of teeming bars. The best one is definitely this long-standing, smoky jazz club.The joint evokes a jazz haunt of yesteryear with dark woods, tight benches and a tiny stage. Newsweek called it ‘Asia’s Number One Spot’ and to prove the point, it’s packed every night. If you care for seats, arrive early, before the brilliant band starts at 9pm.

You can have some decent pub grub, but it’s pricier than one might assume from the look of the haunt – same goes for the strong drinks. Sunday nights are the best – it’s the night off for most hotel bar singers, who all congregate here to let their hair down and jam with local pros.

บราวน์ ชูการ์ ถ. สารสิน

nightlife

Niu’s on Silom Jazz Club Is Bangkok’s newest and brightest jazz club location, Where you can enjoy live performances daily, which include International musicians and some of the hottest local musicians.

Niu’s on Silom Jazz Club

Wine Bar & Restaurant 661 Floor 1-2 Silom Road (cnr Soi 19) Tel: 0 2266 5333-4 Daily 5pm-1am; Free valet parking reservation@niusonsilom.com www.niusonsilom.com

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AD HERE THE 13TH (map A2) 13 Samsen Rd, Bang Lamphu | 089769-4613 | 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 Chang beer. North of Khao San Road (ask for ‘Ad Here’, once in the quarter), the 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. People from around the globe drop in for a quick jam; you’re bound to meet more nationalities than you can list. Down some crazy cocktails, or do theThai-style whiskey-soda-ice thing, along with some super-cheap booze munchies. An insider’s must.

แอดเฮีย 13 ถ. สามเสน บางลำภู

OVERTONE (map D3) 29/70-72 RCA Zone D | 02-2030423 | www.overtone.tv | Closed Mon/Tues Overtone has what every venerable rock club needs: a wall of fame. And it’s a good one. Megadeth and Jimmy Page have both graced Overtone with their straggly-haired presence, as has pretty much every lightening fingered axe-grinder in the Kingdom. Not bad 92

for a live music cave tucked along RCA, a club-strip that usually does a good line in brash hip-hop superclubs.

Inside, bands rock out while vintage Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster guitars, presented like hallowed museum pieces in backlit wall alcoves, look on. The orange-themed décor is a little more suave than your average rock dive, but the steady line-up of hard rock acts intermingled with the odd night of jazz, indie, blues or ska one of the most intriquing in town.

Check their website for the latest.

โอเวอร์โทน ถ.อาร์ซีเอโซนดี

Nomads 106-108 Silom Soi 4, 02-266-3552 | Tue-Sun 5pm-late A live music bar a few minutes from Sala Daeng Skytrain could be just what the doctor ordered. Nomads is a beer and boogie joint with a friendly owner and nightly bands including long-time favourites the Soi Dog Blues Band and the Fugitives, a sax and trumpet-led five piece doing soul, funk and jazz.

Sundays is a band jam, with everyone welcome, while the Tuesday open mike is a more acoustic opportunity to try out your new songs. The small square room is right at the end of Soi 4. Beers start at B90, cocktails from B100 and there’s a snacky menu of dishes like wings, spaghetti and spicy Thai salads.

Brick Bar (map A2-3) 265 Khao San Rd, Taladyod, Phranakorn | 02-629-4477 | Mon-Sun 7pm1am | free entry (Mon–Thu), B150 incl. 1 free drink (Fri-Sat) Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge shopping arcade, this dark and airy redbrick vault features benches downstairs, an upstairs terrace for people or band watching and plenty of nooks and crannies to party in. A magnet for young live music lovers, it’s jumping most nights of the week with freshy 20-somethings out to catch some of Thailand’s biggest ska, reggae, funk and blues bands, many of whom play their own material. Perfect for friends who’ve just hit town.

บริค บาร์ ถ. ข้าวสาร

Bangkok Rocks (map D3) The Key Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 19 | BTS Asok | www.bangkok-rocks.com | 6pm-late Covers of Hendrix, U2 and Santana are the staples from rotating bands at this new bar dedicated to live “classic” rock music. There’s potential in the decent acoustics, a mezzanine with good views of the stage, and beers and wine that start at B100. The downsides are a lack of character in the small boxy room of featureless white walls, and a soulless soundtrack. The Saturday night band we saw, 61 Highway, were competent but a little too harmless to drag across town for. This is a drop-in beer and boogie spot if you’re in the area, but Bangkok will only truly rock here if they attract stronger acts.

รร.เดอะคีย์ สุขุมวิท ซ.19

โนแมด สีลม ซ.4

Overtone

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Brown Sugar

bangkok 101

Raintree Pub (map C3) 116/63-34 Soi Ruamjit, Rang Nam Rd | BTS Victory Monument | 022457230, 081-926-1604 | www.raintreepub.com | 5pm-1am This rustic Thai ‘country’ bar is a sort of all-wooden, pre-consumerist age timecapsule. Raintree hosts musicians playing Pleng Peua Chiwit (Songs for Life), the once phenomenally popular 1970s folk-protest music and soundtrack for Thailand’s politically disaffected. On a stage decorated with the movement’s trademark buffalo skulls, two artists strum nightly: a long-haired singer croons plaintive songs at 8:30pm, a grizzled band steps up at around 11pm. Owner Porn Pimon opened Raintree 19 years ago and has changed little since. And why should she? The people are friendly, the beer snacks cheap and tasty, and the music, made famous by household names like Caravan and Caribou, often soul-stirring.

ร้านจามจุรี ซ.รางน้ำ อนุสาวรีย์

Parking Toys (off map) 17/22 Soi Maiyalap, Kaset-Navamin Highway, Bang Khen (pier 135-136 on left hand side) | BTS Mo Chit (then taxi) | 02-907-2228 | 6pm-1am It’s quite unusual for a business to go out of its way not to be noticed, but Parking Toys seems to do just that. With a dark, dismal exterior, the venue’s “We Accept Visa” logo is surprisingly larger than the actual bar sign. Once you finally do manage to get inside the ex-garage, it’s a sensory overload. Wall-to-wall retro furniture becomes instant eyecandy, while chairs without upholstery dangle from the ceiling. But if the funky furniture creates the space, the live music definitely defines it. Here, there is a band for every alternative music lover; in just one weekend night you can catch reggae root, electronic, rockabilly, and metal – now that’s what we call a variety pack. It’s a hike, but well worth it. So get off your couch and sit on someone else’s – the secret’s out!

ปาร์คกิ้งทอย ซ.มัยลาภ เกษตรนวมินทร์

Parking Toy

Tawandaeng German Brewery (map C4) 462/61 Narathiwat Rama 3 Road | 02-678-1114 | www.tawandang.co.th | If there’s one place that slaps you round the chops and screams “you’re in Thailand!” it’s Tawandang.

This humungous, barrel-shaped beer hall with decent micro-brewed beer takes its cue from Deutschland. But the live music and unchecked sanuk up to 1,600 lary revelers enjoy here each night here is something very Thai. Its laidback early on, with everyone chomping on plates of the famous deep fried pork knuckle and German sausage, among other decent Thai, Chinese and German dishes. By 10pm though, when bellies are full, the lager’s kicked in and the Thai/Western pop, luk krung and mor lam performances by the famous Fong Nam houseband and guests are at full pelt, everybody is on the feet and the place going bananas. Tipsy tourists clink glasses with every stranger in reach, while middle-aged mums shake their tooshes beside ladyboys. Great, goofy, love-for-Bangkok reaffirming fun. Reservations a must for big groups.

โรงเบียร์เยอรมันตะวันแดง พระราม 3

THE ROCK PUB (map C3) 93/26-28 Radchatewee, Phayathai Road, (opposite Asia Hotel) | BTS Ratchathewi | www.therockpubbangkok.com | 9:30pm-2am If AC/DC or Def Leppard were in town you’d find them reliving their glory years here. A tatty faux-castle exterior, visible from the Ratchatewi BTS Station, makes you wonder what kind of weird, 1980s theme-park ride it is you’ve stumbled on, while inside house bands with Brian May hairdos thrash out everything from Van Halen to Motorhead covers. Bands get going at 10pm weekdays, 9:30pm on weekends, as they have done for the past 22 years.

เดอะ ร๊อคผับ ถ.พญาไท

TITANIUM CLUB & ICE BAR (map D4) Sukhumvit Soi 22 | BTS Phrom Pong | 02-258-3758 www.titaniumbangkok. com | 6pm-1:30am Well folks, and now for something different. Picture this: congenial hostesses clad in Bangkok-Zeitgeist ao dai. A gifted all girl rock ‘n’ roll band, Unicorn, jamming six nights a week (with two male bands filling in for them on Sundays). Bangkok’s widest selection of vodka – 70 varieties to choose from.An intimate atmosphere, especially in The Vodka Room, chilled to a nipple-raising minus 10 degrees. Not exactly a place to bring Mum, but a fun night out on the slightly wild side.

ไทเทเนียม ไอซ์บาร์ สุขุมวิท ซ. 22

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nightlife areas

Hemlock

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Khao San Road

The streets around Khao San Road – that famed budget travellers’ mecca – are buzzing with a frenetic mix of dek naew (trendy teens) and bronzed backpackers. Found at the rear of the Buddy Lodge complex, Brick Bar [1] is a red brick cavern where young locals bounce along to excellent live ska. A few doors down, Lava Bar [2] is a dark hip-hop dungeon, while Sunset Street [3] is an architecturally interesting conglomerate of bars, but mostly attracts sweaty backpackers. Down the alley opposite, Zest [4] focuses on live Brit Rock, while Hippie De Bar [5], tucked down another alley, is a retro-cool cocktail house. More full-on, The Club [6] is a popular techno palace offering free UV glowsticks and a huge dancefloor. Just off the strip, Gazebo [7] is an open-sided rooftop featuring live reggae, hubbly-bubblies and DJs till the wee hours. For a more laid-back, cool evening, head to nearby Phra Athit Road, lined with trendy hole-in-the-wall bars, cafés and restaurants. Often compared with NYC’s Greenwich Village, it’s a favourite for young Thais going “beat” and the odd expat. Stop for a cheap caffeine intake at Coffee & More [8] in a beautifully restored colonial mansion. Elegant Hemlock [9] is invaded nightly by artsy folk, drawn to the eclectic Thai food at 1 6 3 2 rock-bottom prices. Minimalist but friendly Joy Luck Club Burger kHao sanroad rd Khao San [10] also deserves a mention.

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In recent years these parallel boulevards have embraced sweeping gentrification and emerged as upmarket playgrounds for the young, studiously cool zeitgeist follower, be they celebrity, model, arty type, uni student or slick professional. Aside from their surfeit of luxury condos, boutique lifestyle emporiums, designer spas and restaurants both are studded with trendy nightspots catering to a predominantly Thai clientele. New ones pop up every few months, as if to keep hipsters on their toes and match that season’s colours. For now Muse [1], FunkyVilla [2] and Demo [3] – three giganto clubs on Thonglor Soi 10 – are all the rage. Meanwhile, scattered about are old-timers like Song Saleung [4], a recently refurbished and often heaving live music joint, and Shades of Retro [5] – a combo furniture-store café and hangout for the writer/designer/artiste crowd. Ekkamai’s main drag and side-streets are even better endowed party-wise. Curvaceous Curve [6] and glamorous Jet Metropolitan [7] are big, top-shelf joints offering the usual failsafe blend of live Thai music and DJ’s spinning R’n’B. As the scene stands both are big draws, though the crowds are so gleefully fickle that could change in a Bangkok minute. Track them to the cool club of the moment. Or try two that have achieved longevity: nightclub Nunglen 4 BTS Thong Lor [8] and scruffy little bar Happy Monday [9]. Pretty Soi 55 (Thong lor) young things bounce along 5 to Thai tunes in the former; 1 2 while media types (25+) 3 hobnob while enjoying low6 8 key indy-rockstar DJ sessions Soi 63 (Ekkamai) (May T from Modern Dog 7 9 etc) and slouchy sofas in the BTS Ekkamai latter. nightlife

bangkok 101

ROYAL City Avenue (RCA)

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For a night of clubbing, Thai twenty-something style, jump in a taxi and say “RCA” to your driver. On arrival, follow the stream of high-heeled and well-coiffed onto Royal City Avenue: a flash, brash, neon-charged nightlife strip much cherished by the city’s dressed-to-kill urban youth. Boasting a slew of swish bars and sprawling split-room clubs – many elbow room only after 11pm – it offers the perfect adventure for indecisive club-goers. Go in and out as the mega-decibel music takes you (making sure to flash your ID card as you go), as most venues have no cover charge and flaunts a different genre of music. Hip-hop haven Slim [1] is never short on crowds gettin’ jiggy to Biggie, while other room, Slim Live, offers live music in a more sane setting, and glam alter-ego, Flix [2] bangs out bass-thumping trance and house. Next door, slick granddaddy Route 66 [3] seethes with spaghetti-strapped students and baseball-capped boppers, who flit between its three glam zones and outdoors chill-out zone. Despise radio rap? For edgier dance-music (and funkier Thai/farang crowds) hit 808 [4], a red-brick warehouse with a crisp sound system and sets by global DJ gods. And opposite sits Cosmic Cafe [5], where indie types catch up with pals and nod appreciatively to live bands. Few foreigners venture further, but they should: Old Leng [6] is a rickety wooden pub great for warm-up drinks; while music cave Overtone [7] hosts some of the best rock, reggae or blues nights in town. There’s also Zeta [8], a live-music bar with a girls-only policy. Seriously: no men, gay men, drag queens or peeping Tom’s allowed.

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Sukhumvit Soi 11

On the global nightlife radar Bangkok now registers a strong, steady bleep. And this buzzing soi – with its cosmopolitan collective of hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs tucked off Sukhumvit Road – is one of the reasons. Go here tonight and you’ll rub shoulder straps with hedonist expats, slinky Singaporeans and the odd urbane local, among many other breeds of clubber. Would they all be here if it weren’t for Q Bar [1]? Unlikely.This beat lounge was the first to bring international design, DJs and drinks to the club scene – and, against the odds, 10 years later it still is. Just around the corner is the other Soi 11 superstar, Bed Supperclub [2]: a spaceship-like club-cum-restaurant that attracts a dressy international crowd every night. Many just rock up at one of these, ID card in hand, at around 11pm.

Better, though, to make a night of it and start out early evening. Kick off with bargain al fresco beers at Cheap Charlies [3], a countrified bar only a tad bigger than a broom cupboard. Nest [4], a 1 breezy rooftop bar atop the sleek Le Fenix hotel, is a more upscale option 4 offering laid2 Bed Supperclub back, bird-nest seating and music that matches (think Sade’s Smooth Operator). Not quite the racy, subterranean 5 Bangkok you were after? Then sheepishly make your way 3 to the backend of the Ambassador Hotel’s basement carpark, where thumping after-hours nightclub Climax (5) lures in the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly till the wee hours.

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pub Balcony Humidor

Cigar Lounges

THE AUSTRALIAN PUB & BBQ

If you’ve never made it Down Under, The Australian is Bangkok’s next best thing: an expansive pub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 offering toilets for “blokes” and “sheilas”, Socceroo cheerleader waitresses in scandalously short skirts, and pine weatherboard walls hung with Aussie icon portraits. Plus, it serves all things antipodean – everything from imported Aussie grog to live cricket, copies of The Age to tasty tucker like VB-battered fish & chips. Sip a schooner in the quiet upstairs mezzanine. Or enjoy the already buzzing open-plan downstairs from a LCD TV-flanked pine Where 37 Sukhumvit booth, table or up at the Soi 11, Klongtoey Nua, 15m-long bar. Apparently 02-651-0800, www.theaus the longest in Thailand, this tralianbangkok.com Open features a novel ice trough 9am-late BTS Nana that keeps your brew cold.

Not only that, it extends out onto the large streetside patio: a great spot for people and sport watching, and where friendly Chef Dane holds a barbie on weekends. Beers are a tad pricey (B160 a bottle won’t win over Soi 11’s cheap charlies) and, yes, the décor verges on kitsch Aussie themepark. Still, all things considered, The Australian makes a sunny change from the dour Irish and Pommie pubs that prevail here, and a nifty spot for pre-club tipples. Oh, and the Filipino 7-piece are spot-on – check out their stomping INXS rendition if you don’t believe us (at 9.30pm, not Sun).

Cigar lounges are slowly catching on in Bangkok, with a handful of venues now providing outstanding facilities for lovers of quality coronas and fine figurados. As well as cigars from Cuba, Ecuador and beyond, the lounges typically feature luxurious leather sofas, rich wood accents, discreet staff and stellar selections of wine and single malt whisky.

Some, like Club Perdomo, operate on a members-only basis, with membership granting access to their worldwide network of lounges.

Others, like the Balcony Humidor & Cigar Bar at the InterContinental hotel, are open to guests and the general public.

The members-only Pacific Cigar Company opened its first lounge, La Casa del Habano, at The Oriental hotel in 1997, and now operates another four venues in Bangkok, as well as one in Pattaya. One of PCC’s more interesting venues is the P&L Club which incorporates a traditional barber shop and what is billed as Thailand’s largest collection of single barrel malt whiskies. n Balcony Humidor & P&L Club Cigar Bar Lobby level, InterContinental Bangkok, 973 Ploenchit Road | 8am-1am | 02-656-0444 n Club Perdomo Bangkok 3/1 Sukhumvit Soi 28 | 02-661-3220 | www.clubperdomobangkok. com | 6pm-midnight n La Casa del Habano The Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue | 02267-1596 | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm, Sun and public holidays: noon-6pm | www.pacificcigar.com n P&L Club GF Conrad Bangkok, All Seasons Place, 87 Wireless Road | Mon-Thu: 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 10am-11pm, Sun: noon-6pm | 02-685-3898

ออสเตรเลี่ยนผับ สุขุมวิท ซ.11

Club Perdomo

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Pubs 101

Silom AREA PUBS

Hidden among the salacious delights of Silom Road, you will still find some of the “grand old men” of libation locales. O’Reilly’s [1] is a slightly dingy affair whose décor matches its demeanour – grizzled, but down-to-earth. Even so, it’s popular due to nightly drinks specials, live music, and an outdoor seating area to view the exotic sights of Silom. Just down the street is The Barbican [2] a multi-level contemporary concoction of granite and steel where the mixed crowd of expats and locals enjoy superior food and a wide choice of imported beers. Molly Malone’s [3] offers a real taste of Ireland. Drop in during their extended happy hour (5pm-9pm) for live music and multiple big screens for sport. Friendly staff and excellent food (especially their Sunday roast) means this place is always busy. Opposite the infamous Patpong stands The Duke of Wellington [4]. Its open plan layout makes it a bit sterile, but it does have good beer, a daily happy hour 4pm to 9pm and uninterrupted views of the four screens for sport. Jameson’s [5] sat under the Holiday Inn in the heart of the gem district is the newest kid on the block. It’s a cavernous place but still packs in the punters thanks to fantastic happy hours, including ladies’ night on Tuesdays featuring Margaritas for a ridiculously cheap B29 a glass.

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Sukhumvit AREA PUBS

bangkok 101

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Sukhumvit Road, a haven for expats, is jammed with joints catering to ale aficionados. Beside BTS Phrom Phong station, The Robin Hood [13] offers daily happy hour and drinks specials, as well as live music and sports. Even so, it can sometimes seem a little sedate. Down a nearby alley is The Bull’s Head [12], whose oak-panelled walls and low ceilings give off a cosy feel. It’s notable for a top jukebox and occasional comedy nights featuring international stand-ups. Sundays it’s “Toss the Boss”; call the flip of a coin right and the pub pays for the round. The Londoner [11] is a vast subterranean hideaway that brews its own real ale and lager, has good food and a regular house band. Opposite is the ever-popular Dubliner [10], a three-storey edifice. Though slightly pricy, the superb food (try the sausages), live music and Guinness pull in the punters. Just around the corner, behind the old Mambo Cabaret, Bourbon Street [9] backs up its Cajun/Creole dining with a well-stocked bar and good atmosphere. Up the road in the shadow of Asok BTS, is The Black Swan [8], a proper British booze abode. No bands. No happy hours. Just a snug escape offering a warm atmosphere and a wise-cracking landlord. Tucked down a dead-end street of Soi 11 is The Pickled Liver [7]. A shrine to soccer and suds, the décor is unfussy with a focus on big screen sports. But with friendly staff and daily happy hour it’s not just the sport that makes it worth a visit. Finally, Hanrahans [6] offers a genuine reason to be seen in Nana. Light and airy it ticks all the right boxes with regular music, special drinks deals and daily happy hour.

BTS Phrom Phong

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■ Bourbon Street 29/4-6 Sukhumvit Soi 22 | BTS Asoke | 02259-0328-9, 02-2594317 | 7am – 1am ■ HANRAHANS Sukhumvit Soi 4 l BTS Nana l 02-255-0644-5l daily 9am-1am ■ JAMESON’S Holiday Inn Silom, Gr. Fl, 981 Silom Rd, BTS Surasak, 02-2667703-5, daily 10am1am ■ MOLLY MALONE’S Convent Rd, Silom | BTS Sala Daeng | 02-2667160 | daily 9am-1am ■ O’REILLYS 62/1-4 Silom Rd | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom l 02-632-7515 | daily 9am – 2am ■ The BARBICAN 9/4-5 Soi Thaniya Rd | 02-234-3590 | BTS Sala Daeng MRT Silom | daily 11:30am – 1am ■ THE BLACK SWAN 326/8-9 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Asok | MRT Sukhumvit | 02-2294542 | daily 8:00am – midnight ■ THE BULL’S HEAD Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-259-4444 | daily 11:30am – 1am ■ BULLY’S Sukhumvit Rd, btw Sois 2 & 4 | BTS Nana | 02-656-4609 | daily 11am-1am ■ THE DUBLINER 440 Sukhumvit Rd | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-204-1841/2 | daily 9am-1am ■ THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON 323 Silom Rd | BTS Sala Daeng l 02-234-2874 | daily 10am-1am ■ THE LONDONER Basement, UBC II Bldg.

Sukhumvit Soi 33 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-261-0238/9 | daily 11am-1am ■ The Pickled LIVER Sukhumvit Soi 11 | BTS Nana | 02-254-3484 | daily 2pm – 3am ■ the robin hood Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-3390 | daily 10pm-midnight 97

Shopping

shopper scene

As clichés go, “shop till you drop” could have been written after a demanding spending spree in Bangkok’s sweltering heat. And while we’re dispensing mindless platitudes: there’s something for everyone in this town, however peculiar your peccadilloes may be. For locals, conspicuous consumption in one of the myriad swish mega-malls is the name of the face-gaining game, while foreigners often prefer to dig for buried treasure at the bustling street markets. Whatever your angle, stamina is a must, especially when it comes to pressing sticky flesh with the perspiring masses at the sweltering citysized jumble sale that is Chatuchak Weekend Market. So brush up on your bargaining patter, arm yourself with Nancy Chandler’s invaluable shopping map - and prepare for sheer retail overload.

UNIQUE boutique

SuperrZaaap

In a smart new, brick-lined shop on Siam Square Soi 10 sits Superrzaaap: a portal back to the neon legwarmer-loving 1980s/ colourful clothes store. Aside from being strewn with old-school ghetto blasters, Atari consoles and electro records, it’s also the best place in town to pick up funky club clobber. Sift through their clothing racks and you’ll find electro streetware labels like Dim Mak and Ed Banger, imported from the US and Europe. And also, more intriguingly, their own cheaper, limited edition range of loud, neon-tinged WHERE Siam Square Soi 10, clothes and accessories. Clearly in thrall near Etude House shop, Rama I to American streetculture, these may Rd. BTS Siam, not be at the vanguard of Thai fashion, www.superrzaaap.com or push any distinct Asian aesthetic. But OPEN 12:30pm – 8pm they certainly will make you stand out the next time you’re rocking the tiles at hipster nightclubs like 808 or Club Culture. Picture oversized tees emblazoned with dope statement-making graphics, his and her Superzaaap jackets straight out of a Bratpack teen movie, caps with smiley faces, and day-glo Ferris Bueller shades. And, because raving is a way of life, not just a wardrobe, they also sell party props – think neon glow sticks – throwback toys and retro and nu-school electronica: everything from Yellow Magic Orchestra to banging Steve Aoki CDs.

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bangkok 101

stuff Want to find the best deals in town? Read on and we’ll tell you where to go and what to buy. Not the global brands you can find anywhere, or the tat you will soon regret ever having wasted your money on, but the cool, home-grown “stuff” that Bangkok is justly famous for.

Papercut & The Pencil Sharpener

Silk/apparel Thai silk only started getting international attention quite recently, but quickly became renowned for its thickness and lustrous sheen. Jim Thompson is the legendary American silk revivalist who – with the help of a small community of weavers – pioneered the modern industry. Since then the brand has branched out from ties and cushions into a fully-fledged fashion label that even dabbles in Zen furniture design, as you’ll see if you visit one of their many sleek stores. LP Silk and Shinawong are two exporting wholesalers who can be trusted to fix you up with the whole nine yards (or more). n Jim Thompson Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Jim Thompson House Museum; Surawong Rd | www.jimthompson.com n LP Thai Silk Silom Village Trade Centre, 286 Silom Road | 02-234-4448 | www.lpthaisilk.com n Shinawong No C500 , C501 Ayudthaya Soi 8 Suan Lum; No27, 6F MBK Centre| www.shinawong.com Handicrafts Beyond triangular pillows and woven shoulder bags, there are hordes of native trinkets up for grabs, with stiff competition keeping prices down.The main markets all bristle with goodies made from bamboo, coconut, rattan, wicker, wood and water hyacinth. As does Narayanaphand, an indoor bazaar offering ceramics, hand stitched fabrics and artisan goods; Silom bangkok 101

Village; and the 6th floor of mazy MBK. The monthly, OTOP-approved ThaiCraft Fair is a place to pick up that bulrush basket for less (while ensuring its maker also gets a fair price). For Celadon and Benjarong ceramics (a form of Thai porcelain originally made for royalty), try one of Siam Ceramic Handmade’s showrooms. n ThaiCraft Fair Third floor, Ambassador Hotel’s Tower Wing, Sukhumvit Rd Soi 11 | www.thaicraft.org n Narayanaphand InterContinental Hotel GF, 973 Ploenchit Road | BTS Chidlom | 02-656-0173-4 n Siam Ceramic Handmade Room 325-326, River City Shopping Complex F3; 202 Sukhumvit Soi 10 | www.thaibenjarong.com

Fashion Spotted the local trendies yet? Then you’ll be wondering where it is they get their cool indigenous fashions. Several malls and markets around town act as little fashion hatcheries, giving you the chance to snap up dazzling pieces by local up-and-comers. Section 3 of Chatuchak, for starters, is jammed with fecund fashions. Here, amidst piles of vintage and aisles packed with kids who know how it wear it, you’ll find next season’s trends. Suan Lum and Siam Square are also spotted with dainty designer boutiques; while youth-orientated shopping mall Siam Centre and Gaysorn offer homespun high fashions by labels like Jaspal and Greyhound.

Jewellery/gems Some of the world’s best lapidaries are based here, stocking cut and uncut domestic and regionallymined precious stones. The best local jewellers can also turn wondrous tricks with gold, silver and platinum.

Assuming, that is, you can find them – the city is, sadly, alive with shysters out to lure you away from legit dealers and into an intricate gem scam. There are a few diamonds in the rough, though.

Lambert Industries, with their friendly and reliable service, has been coming up with the goods for 35 years. n Lambert Industries (807-809 Silom Shanghai Bldg 4F, Silom Rd Soi 17, 02-236-4343).

OTOP: One Tambon One Product One of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s more laudable legacies is his instigation of OTOP, a government initiative that markets handicrafts made in one of Thailand’s 7,000 tambons (subdistricts). These quality gifts, snacks, handicrafts, toys, gems, textiles and jewellery, can be purchased at fairs at the city’s exhibition halls, Narayanaphand and the monthly ThaiCraft Fair. By choosing OTOP products you’ll be helping preserve local crafts and ensure that the villager who made them can earn a fair living.

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Antiques Thai, Burmese and Cambodian antiques are among Asia’s finest – but all that glitters ain’t gold, so you’ll often be hard-pressed to find the real deal among the look-alikes. Unless, that is, you’re willing to shell out, in which case you’ll love the River City Complex, the sprawling, mother-of-allantique centres (p.102). Auctions are on the first Saturday of each month with viewings the preceding week.

Alternatives include period antique centre OP Place (p.102); Amantee, a gorgeous Thai house offering Oriental and Tibetan antiques on Bangkok’s outskirts; and L’Arcadia. And who can say what treasures the dustier straits of Chatuchak and Chinatown hold in store for the determined? n Amantee 131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi, 10210 | 02-982-8694-5 | www.amantee.com n L’Arcadia 12/2 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 23 | 02-259-9595

Aromatherapy & Spa One of Bangkok’s more fitting titles is “Spa Capital of Asia”. The following slick local product lines should get you fragrant, gooey and purring with pleasure in next to no time. Panpuri offers Asian-inspired sensory purification – pricy but wonderful combinations of holistic spa-inspired treatments and products. Worldly mixtures for washing, moisturising, cleansing and relaxing can be found at Thann; while Karmakamet specialise in long-lasting lotions, gels, incense and candles that create the perfect bridge between scent and soul.

Finally, Anyadharu offers health-imbuing natural oils, bath body gels and perfumes that are designed to give you much more than just a whiff of indulgence. n Anyadharu Chatuchak (Section 3); Isetan (MBK F4) | www.anyadharu.com n Karmakamet CentralWorld F2; Chatuchak Market, Section 2, Soi 3 | www.karmakamet.co.th n Panpuri

Shopping Tips

n Bargaining: This is a way of life when shopping on the streets in Bangkok. The key is not to act too interested. They know you can find it further down the street, and if they want to make the sale they’d better be prepared to drop their price. If they ask B500, offer B350. You might get it for B380-400. Don’t be shy: it’s expected. Most importantly when haggling over price: keep a smile on your face and a cool head.

n Counterfeit Stoners: Bounders running gem scams are ubiquitous on Bangkok’s streets.

Beware anyone (tuk-tuk drivers especially) offering free rides to nearby “stockists” – they’re conmen on the make. The TAT provides quality assurance through the Jewel Fest Club; look for their ruby-ring logo on shop-fronts.

n Keep it Real: As elsewhere in Asia, counterfeit goods abound in Bangkok. From the latest DVDs to luxury brand clothes, watches, handbags and fragrances, it’s all here – at a fraction of the price. But, tempting though it may be, remember that the quality never matches the original and you’ll struggle to get refunds. Perhaps scarier, you risk getting busted at customs back home; and by purchasing fake goods you inadvertently sponsor organised crime. So, just keep it real.

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Duty Free – Duress Free Much more civilized than sprinting through the long corridors of Suvarnabhumi is a visit to King Power.

At this glassy, space-port like complex on Soi Rang Nam (BTS Victory Monument, then catch a free tuk-tuk from Century Plaza), you can do your duty-free shopping at your own pace, days (instead of minutes) before your plane takes off. Peruse products such as cosmetics, clothes, computers and more – all at tax-free prices. Find what you want, order it and it will be waiting for you at the airport on your way out.

Just be sure to bring your air ticket and passport. www.kingpower.com Paragon F1; King Power Duty Free; Central Chidlom F4; Gaysorn F7 | www.panpuri.com n ThanN Central Chidlom F4; Central Ladprao F5; Isetan Plaza (CentralWorld) F5; Siam Discovery Centre F5; Emporium F4 | www.thann.info n VAT: Look out for signs advertising “VAT Refund or Tourists”. At these places, they should have the paperwork (ask for a PP10 form) to enable you to claim back 7% on purchases when you leave the country on an international flight. The deal is you have to spend at least B2,000 at the same store on any given day, and you can only claim back on totals of B5,000 or over. It’s worth doing if you have a department store blitz, or fancy splashing out on electronics, jewellery or other expensive goods.

Have your passpor t and tickets with you when you buy, and prepare to have your purchases, PP10 forms and receipts inspected when you claim back at the airpor t VAT refund counter. Be aware: if you are making big purchases and not paying VAT, you aren’t guaranteed quality products. For more info, check out www.rd.go.th

bangkok 101

TINNART NISALAK of Jim Thompson

bangkok design Brian Mertens

J

im Thompson Fabrics bears the name of its founder, the American architect who famously disappeared in 1967. But the creator of most of its textiles today is a Thai, Tinnart Nisalak, whose acclaimed designs decorate penthouses, palaces, and resorts around the world. He cites the influence of his mentor, Jack Lenor Larson, one of the giants of modern textile design, whose Manhattan studio employed Tinnart in the 1970s. Larson had been a friend and collaborator of Thompson himself, so eventually recommended Tinnart to apply his talents at Jim’s firm back home in Thailand.

Tinnart, like Larson and Thompson, has a passion for collecting, which in turn inspires his designs. His home is filled with antique baskets, ceramics, lacquer wares, ornamental plants, tropical fish, bantam roosters. He begins the design process by gathering images and found objects like leaves, then pinning them to a cork board to create a collage of colours, patterns and textures – the raw ingredients of imagination.

Over the years he has created a huge oeuvre as head of a large team responsible for two annual collections, each with up to 15 designs in 30 colours, or some 600 individual fabrics a year, many in silk. His designs are characterized by warmth, refinement and focus on detail. Tinnart himself is friendly, easy-going and optimistic, which is reflected in designs that are fresh and accessible. Like his mentor, Tinnart is attuned to clients’ tastes, and he designs to please. “Designing textiles is like cooking. You put in colours in the right proportions just like using salt, pepper and spice. I take a big stripe of red, add a little line of orange and some green, all in the right balance. Except no one can tell you what’s right. It’s all intuition.”

CONTACT: www.jimthompsonfabrics.com Bangkok Design:Thai Ideas in Textiles and Furniture is the first book to explore Asia’s new wave in design creativity. Award-winning author Brian Mertens profiles 36 of Thailand’s top designers, showing how they translate their own culture and experiences into unique furnishings that have won international awards and museum exhibitions. Typically handcrafted from natural materials, the best contemporary Thai designs celebrate wit, warmth, sustainability and alluring form.

Bangkok Design – published by Marshall Cavendish – B1,200 - hardcover, written by Brian Mertens, with photos by Robert McLeod.

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Shopping

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isitors to Bangkok will be amazed at how prevalent mall culture is in the weave of modern Thai society. Malls are not just places to shop for designer labels; there are restaurants, cinemas, bowling, aquariums and more! Bangkok’s retail mall epicentre is around the Siam and Chit Lom areas.

mall crawl MBK BTS National Stadium Perpetually packed shopper’s paradise; a mind-boggling, onestop bargain. Always busy, on weekends half of Bangkok’s teens converge here, hunting for the latest mobile phones and more.

SIAM DISCOVERY BTS Siam Light, pleasant and never too busy.

Inside it’s international hip young brands (Diesel, Replay, Armani Exchange) and impressive interior stores (Loft and Mae Fah Luang).

JIM THOMPSON HOUSE

BTS National Stadium

MAJOR HOTELS 1 Pathumwan Princess 2 Novotel Siam 3 The Four Seasons 4 Grand Hyatt Erawan 5 Intercontinental 6 Holiday Inn 7 Conrad 8 Plaza Athenee 9 Royal Orchid Sheraton 10 The Oriental 11 The Peninsula 12 Shangri-La

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SIAM CENTER BTS Siam The mall that started it all in 1973 hauls in trendy teens and young adults who shop for Euro-fashion and innovative local brands like Jaspal and Soda.

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SIAM SQUARE BTS Siam Bangkok’s heart for trendsetters, this maze of narrow streets has heaps of tiny boutiques carrying local up-and-comers, gastrogems and indie cinemas.

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PANTHIP PLAZA Bangkok’s one-stop shop for any and all computing needs: hardware, software and gadgets. It’s a loud, brash mecca for technogeeks.

SIAM PARAGON BTS Siam This gigantic shopping complex is legendary among Bangkok hi-sos.

Home to Siam Ocean World aquarium, too.

ERAWAN BANGKOK BTS Chid Lom Posh boutique mall adjacent to the Erawan Shrine.

Think Burberry.

RIVER CITY Four well laid-out floors of stores selling antiques, plus ethnic and tribal ar t from Southeast Asia, with a bit of the South Pacific, Indonesia, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan thrown in.

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OP PLACE This fine objets d’art shopping plaza across from The Oriental Bangkok corresponds well to the classy hotel.

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EMPORIUM BTS Phrom Phong Ver y chic mall with the most amiable atmosphere, thanks to its airy architecture.

Look for TCDC, the neat Thailand Creative Design Center.

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C E N TRAL CH I T LOM BTS Chit Lom Seven floors of clothes, shoes and accessories from all the major labels, plus some eye-catching Thai designers. Food Loft is Bangkok’s deluxe food court.

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ALL SEASONS PLACE BTS Ploen Chit The sleek mall in a skyscraper complex is known more for its battery of eateries than its shops although the high-end retail range is impressive – art galleries, cigar shops, tailors and Euro-fashion.

GAYSORN BTS Chid Lom All-white interior of glitzy, top-class brands – expect Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy.

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bangkok 101

chatuchak weekend market

Forget designer malls. JJ 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 get lost – literally.

JJ Gem

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aking a wrong turn’s almost a given in this sprawling, city-sized marketplace, upon which zillions descend every weekend, to trade everything from Burmese antiques to pedigree livestock. Originally a flea market, 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 during ‘Nam; and tasty pickings conveniently punctuate every which way. Additionally, the exotic pet section supports the theory that JJ has somehow evolved its own diverse eco-system (albeit one that periodically gets busted for peddling endangered species).

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, with many stalls opening for business on Friday, you can come for a leisurely browse before the real deluge hits - although only the weekend gig gives ardent shopaholics the fullyblown, unadulterated fix.

ตลาดนัดจตุจกั ร

Chatuchak Map Rd .

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The Victorian Frontier town pharmacy look of essential oil company Karmakamet, with its dark wood shelves and chandeliers dangling overhead, provides an elegant atmosphere in which to sniff their nostalgically packaged smellies. Scented glass-candles, perfume diffusers and herb sachets with drawstring cloth pouches are among the best-sellers for the home; while bodily pampering includes massage oils, shower gels and soaps bars like ‘The Embrace’, a luscious orange blossom and mint blend. Helpful staff are on hand to advise if you’re having trouble selecting an aromatherapy oil to go with your new oil burner (our favourite: ‘moonlight’, a romantic blend of Indian jasmine, Sumatran ylang ylang, rose geranium, English lavender and cedarwood).They have not one but two stores at JJ.The one by the MRT station is by far the biggest and has a teashop and adorable little seating area out front. n Store 1: Section 2, Soi 3 | 02-618-7047 n Store 2: Exit no. 2 (beside MRT Kampangpetch Station) | 02-272-5281 14. Clothing, miscellaneous 15. Pets and accessories 16. Clothing, miscellaneous 17. Ceramics 18. Clothing, miscellaneous 19. Ceramics 20. Clothing, miscellaneous 21. Clothing, miscellaneous 22. Home utensils and décor, furniture 23. Clothing, miscellaneous 24. Home utensils and décor, furniture 25. Home utensils and décor, furniture 26. Antiques

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bangkok 101

KARMAKAMET

1. Books, antiques, collectibles, food & drink 2. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 3. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 4. Hip fashion boutiques, plants, food & drink 5. Second-hand clothing 6. Second-hand clothing 7. Art, food & drink 8. Handicraft, home décor and miscellaneous 9. Pets and accessories 10. Clothing, accessories, miscellaneous 11. Pets and accessories 12. Clothing, miscellaneous 13. Pets and accessories

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markets

NAKHORN KASEM Known locally as the “thieves market”, this smallish street-side market in Chinatown offers a curious blend of second-hand goods, the odd antique, and a seemingly random assortment of household appliances.

As its nickname would suggest, ample bargains await patient, eagleeyed shoppers - though don’t expect a receipt, let alone a refund.

นครเกษม

Ratchada Night Market Fri-Sat Nights (busiest on Saturday) | parallel with RatchadapisekLadprao intersection | MRT Ratchadapisek or Ladphrao Vendors at this nighttime (and teen-thronged) flea market flog all sorts of retro and secondhand stuff, from art deco lamps and ghetto blasters to Polaroids and vintage clothing. Somewhat like a country fair, it’s open-air and most wares are laid out on the ground, so expect to squat a lot. Besides the used items, lots of handmade products, such as paintings and women’s accessories, also squeeze into this small-city sized market; as does a live band, lots of local food and a mini motor show of classic cars and bikes (nope, those VW vans and pastel-coloured Vespas aren’t for sale unfortunately). So worth the schlep, but bring a flashlight and your bargaining skills!

PAK KHLONG TALAD (Flower Market) Wake up and smell the roses, as next to Saphan Phut (Memorial Bridge) lies Bangkok’s main flower market, a 24-hour hive of floral activity bristling with blooms carted in from around the country. Horticulturalists and those with a well developed olfactory sense will enjoy strolling around these fragrant surrounds.

ปากคลองตลาด

THEWET Not far north from the flower market is the riverside plant market.

The street is lined with small shops selling a wide selection of tropical potted flora. It’s easiest and most scenic to access Thewet by river taxi, thus evoking the waterborne glories of the days when Bangkok was hailed as “Venice of the East”.

SUAN LUM NIGHT BAZAAR (map C4) The official (read: tourist authorityrecommended) civic night bazaar is far more manageable than JJ - and mercifully less sweaty and intimidating.

In fact, as Bangkok markets go, this amiable though sanitised effort probably ranks as the most consistently civilised – and its lively food court and expansive German beer garden offer extra incentive to linger. Bear in mind, however, that the market is mainly geared to separate tourists from dollars, with the standardised mix of crafts, textiles and knick-knacks offered at inflated prices. Don’t take that as reason not to come, because wandering round “Suan Lum” makes for a pleasant early evening stroll, before moving on to the nearby entertainment zones. In fact, endeavour to visit while you can: Lumpini Night Market’s days are numbered, after the powers-thatbe auctioned off its multifarious charms to make space for yet another redundant addition to the city’s obsessive collection of modern shopping malls.

สวนลุมไนท์บาร์ซาร์

Thewet

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sidewalks

Sidewalks are where it’s at for cheap presents to take back home. Oddities unfound in other lands, funny T-shirts, wooden carvings, paintings and much more crowd the side streets of the city. Most of the stuff on offer can be picked up in the malls and markets – but where’s the fun in that? And why pay more? Bargain!

Khao San Road Along every budget traveller’s favourite sidewalk, stallholders do a sterling trade in “novelty” T-shirts and cigarette papers, not to mention phoney degree certificates, driving licenses and press passes. And yes, if you must, you can still get your tie-dye and fisherman’s pants, your hair dreadlocked, or eat B20 noodles from a polystyrene plate.

However, these days post-millennial Khao San has been gentrified into somewhere bearing scant resemblance to its humble past as a tropical haven for wandering hippies. And you’ll find no better proof than night times here, when whole mounds, suitcases and racks of young-at-heart stuff (frayed t-shirts, handbags, polka dot dresses etc) are dragged down and splayed on the street for sale by the city’s babyfaced entrepreneurs.

ถ.ข้าวสาร

Silom Road/Patpong Both sides of Silom Road, just off Sala Daeng BTS station, offer day and night time shopping, but it really gets going between 6pm and 2am, when stalls set up here and along the notorious strip of sleazy gogo bars known as Patpong. This is a bizarre but uniquely ripe set-up that sees vendors plying busy nightly trade on the doorsteps of the bars concurrently plying an open trade in flesh; and young families rubbing shoulders with a motley crew of pimps, johns and scantily clad strippers. Among the illicit booty of pirated DVDs and designer knockoffs, the market actually does offer some decent local crafts, t-shirts and souvenirs – although, with prices naturally tilted towards the tourist end of the scale, robust bargaining skills are essential here.

สีลม/พัฒน์พงษ์

bangkok 101

Silom Soi 4

Sukhumvit Road The choices start around Soi 4 near BTS Nana station, on both sides of the major thoroughfare, and stretch nearly to Soi 20. In amidst the streetfood shacks and fortune tellers, you’ll find its mostly bogus tat all the way – polyester football shirts, DVDs, blown-up prints of long-tail boats moored on idyllic southern beaches. Although, right past Soi 6 is a group of deaf merchants who are always eager to find you something nice to remember beloved Thailand by. Velvet oil painting anyone?

Spreading out from the base of the looming Baiyoke Sky Hotel, it attracts a multinational mix of fasttalking traders, all on the make, and continues around the intense indoor fashion market, Platinum Fashion Mall, where everything is available at discounted rates for bulk orders.

Buy three or more and save yourself anywhere from B150-300 per item.

ประตูนำ้

ถ.สุขมุ วิท

Pratunam A ten-minute walk from CentralWorld, this sidewalk is famed for its bulk clothing deals. Loaded with knock-offs, and crowded with tourists shopping for all things casual, you’ll find textiles, fabrics, fancy dress (Catwoman mask ensemble anyone?) and great jeans at affordable prices (never pay more than B600!). shopping

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Accommodation

boutique bangkok

In each new issue Bangkok 101 brings you the best of Bangkok’s new breed. Each month we uncover those quirky, elegant, or downright luxurious lodgings that fit under the trendy boutique hotel banner.

LUB D SIAM SQUARE Frankly, it’s hard to see how this new branch of funky hostel Lub D can fail.

No, let’s go one further – it can’t. Local design company Design Lab have taken the blueprint that has made the original Silom branch such a popular hang-out among the flashpacker fraternity, tweaked it, enhanced it and transplanted it to a far superior location right infront of National Stadium skytrain station (i.e. within spitting distance of Siam Square). It’s sickeningly well-placed in other words, especially for you serial shoppers. Here it’s possible to be snug in your squeaky clean dorm room one minute, and trotting around MBK or Siam Square or the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre fresh as a daisy only a few later.Then there’s the hip industrial design, which if anything is even more fetching than the original branch’s. The blocky, raw grey concrete exterior, with its chic little seating area, cuts a striking figure, while inside is all plastic furnishings, splashes of colour and foliage. Especially eye-catching is the open-sided atrium with Where 925/9 Rama 1 Road, multi-colour metalwork and a vertical garden Pathumwan, 02-612-4999 towering to the fourth floor. Choose from four, BTS National Stadium www.lubd.com swipe-card accessed accommodation types – Price B750 for a dorm room, up to dorms (communal and womens-only), econoB2,400 for a double deluxe (30% off twins, econo-singles and double deluxes – all throughout September) done out with primary colour schemes and cutesy wall stencils pointing out points of interest, including the local ladyboy show. The econo-twins and singles afford privacy for pals or bedfellows; the pricier double deluxes throw LCD TVs and en-suites into the mix. And how do the shared bathrooms fare? With a coterie of cleaners seemingly on constant duty, you’ll struggle to find cleaner in this town. Though breakfast isn’t included, perks include free Wi-Fi and internet, a communal theatre room with a 55” inch TV and giant beanbags, and use of a guitar sitting in the lobby. In anticipation of all those bags of shopping you’ll be hauling back from Siam Square every night, travellers can also also leave excess baggage in a luggage room free of charge for up to two months.

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H e a l t h & We l l n e s s

body & beauty

B

angkok offers more places to indulge in massage than any other city on earth. A great Thai massage can cost just B100 per hour, while posher spas can easily cost 10 times that. Like any place else, spa value can be gauged by the quality of the therapists, oils, atmosphere and so on. In each issue we introduce several local spas in different price categories to help you find the best rub-down for your baht (see p.109 for this month’s listings) – no need to break the bank to get a good treatment. Reservations are always recommended.

Thai-massage

What could be more quintessentially Thai than the world-renowned practice of traditional Thai-style massage? Known in Thailand as nuad pan boran – literally ‘ancient style massage’ – Thais have been practising this time-honoured, therapeutic custom for over 2,500 years, dating back to the life of Buddha. Traditional Thai massage is performed without oil, with people typically wearing light-weight, loose-fitting pyjamas. By way of acupressure points that stimulate muscles and nerves, and assisted yogic stretching, skilled Thai massage practitioners employ their hands, elbows, knees, as well as their own body weight, to apply various degrees of pressure and mobilisation to different parts of the body.

This ancient form of healing can do wonders for all of the body’s organic systems by helping to align and balance the energies of the body. By enhancing blood circulation, Thai massage can help to break down and release toxins trapped in the body, in turn strengthening the immune system.

Though Thai massage can at moments be a bit painful, the after-effect is not one of fatigue, but calm. Common remarks are of relief to aching muscles, an increase in flexibility and higher general energy levels. Others report better sleep, a decrease in stress and an overall boost, both on a physical and emotional, as well as a spiritual level.

signature treatment

Jao Ying Aroma Signature

Curved around the second floor of the boldly designed Baan Rajprasong condominium, the Princess Wellness Spa offers top-end treatments in a sleek setting. Each of the 7 treatment rooms at this 1,000 m² one-stop-shop is named and themed after an Asian princess and has its own signature treatment. While the décor is a little lackluster the same can’t be said for the treatments or service here: we opted for the Jao Ying Aroma Signature (a 90 minute scrub, massage and body wrap medley) and loved every luxuriant second. Got coarse skin?

Not for much longer you don’t: it Where 2F, Anantara Baan kicks off with a gentle exfoliation Rajprasong Serviced Suites Bangkok, using a fragrant Jasmine Rice 3 Soi Mahardlekluang 3 Rajdamri scrub. Next, a satisfying Jasmine Road, Lumpini, 02-2531106-07 Oil body massage employs all BTS Ratchadamri Station manner of long, penetrating but Price B10,000 nett never painful Swedish strokes before blurring into a marinating body wrap. A focused, top-to-bottom oil lotion rub makes a relaxing finale. Therapists are communicative and thoughtful (“are you cold?” ours asked before adjusting the air-con). And, while the jungle-meetsChinese-Orchestra soundtrack gets a tad tiresome, it’s worth enduring – you emerge feeling soft, supple and revived, with a clear head as well as a tasty orange-citrus scent.

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typical SPA cost range

$ under B600 $$ B600 – B1,000 $$$ B1,000-2,000 $$$$ B2,000+ Credit cards accepted unless otherwise noted Hapa Spa

HAPA SPA (map D3) 20/4 Sukhumvit Soi 3 | BTS Nana | 02-651-0966 | www.hapaspa.com | 10am-10pm | $$$ Wedged between multi-story condos and weirdish hotels, Hapa’s location stands out insofar as you’d never expect a top spa in an alley off Nana. A long, glass-walled building draws in the uninitiated through its unique circular entrance and purple-tinged salon to metal boxes. Inside your own private bunker, a stylish, serene setting includes inspired mini gardens, soft purple and cream tones and beds accommodating even the longest-legged Westerner.

The extensive menu features the signature Aromatherapy massage, organic body scrubs and other tastysounding body delights, plus infrared thermal sauna, all executed by cheery, competent therapists. The all-natural house products are for sale, as is a wide selection of organic teas and healthy drinks. Service, atmosphere and treatments are all five-star, the prices are budget, especially when you inquire about ever-changing promotions or decide to go for a package. A favourite.

HARNN HERITAGE SPA (map C3) Siam Paragon, 4th Fl | BTS Siam | 02610-9715/6 | 10am-9pm | $$$ Before you drop from shopping at the monster mall that is the Paragon, stop in here for a spot of soothing.

An extension of the high-end Harnn beauty product line, this tiny spa is all Thai, all the time, and offers excellent, traditional therapies. Done up entirely in black stone, the rooms are small but high-ceilinged to compensate for tight quarters. Despite the excellent layout, however, rooms can feel cramped and crypt-like. Once a treatment begins, any claustrophobia melts away – the signature package, which includes a thorough sesame scrub, a very relaxing oil massage, and a hot sesame compress applied to key meridians on the body, is a very complete pampering session.

Staff are wonderfully professional and personable. Done relaxing? Pick up some Harnn products to continue the spa experience at home.

สยามพารากอน

Harnn Heritage Spa

spas Dahra (map C4) Silom Soi 18 | BTS Sala Daeng | 02235-4811-2 | www.dahra-spa.com | 9am-10pm | Mon-Sat 11am-11pm (last appt. at 9pm) | $$ It’s a tribute to the glowing health of the local industry, or perhaps Bangkok’s status a regional spa hub, when a young-ish operation such as this one can offer a whopping 17-page treatment menu. That’s a whole 17-pages of slack-eyed indulgence, including the intriguing likes of the ‘Desincrusting Aromatherapy Facial’, which was a new one on me (though not literally), and ‘Chocolate Hydrotherapy’, which sounds somewhat self-defeating. I opted for a Shiatsu, which was mercifully nicer than it sounded. Seriously, though, the menu at this cute two-storey spa, which is tucked next to the Triple Two Hotel, is extensive enough to rival the choice offered by more upmarket establishments – and the damage is a mere snip by comparison. Plus, for each spa package sold Dahra’s eco-conscious Dutch owner plants a tree via PATT Foundation (www.plant-a-tree-today.org)

รร.ทริปเปิ้ลทู สีลม ซ.18

Dahra

ฮาป้าสปา สุขุมวิท ซ.3

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health & wellness

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H e a l t h & We l l n e s s

wellness centres YOGA & PILATES The Pilates Studio (map C3) 888/58-9 Mahatun Plaza | Phloen Chit Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-6507797 | www.pilatesbangkok.com Bangkok’s first dedicated Pilates studio also offers pre- and postnatal breathing classes, vinyasa yoga, and gyrotonic expansion in well-lit, airy studios. First-timer sessions (Wed & Sun, B400) include mats and towels. Check the website for schedules. พิลาธีสสตูดิโอ มหาทุนพลาซ่า เพลินจิต Yoga Elements (map C3) 29 Vanissa Bldg, Soi Chit Lom | BTS Chit Lom | 02-655-5671 | www.yogaelements.com | 7am-9pm (Mon-Fri), 9am-6pm (Sat-Sun) Bangkok’s first vinyasa / ashtanga yoga studio specialises in dynamic yoga techniques. The large practice studios are bright, quiet and ideal for small classes. Learning methods include four levels, so absolute beginners will feel at ease with popping ’round for an “Elements” class of the foundational techniques of breathing and body opening postures. Single classes are B500; you can simply drop by (check their website for schedules). โยคะ เอเลเม้นท์ 29 อาคารวานิสสา ซอยชิดลม (หลังเซ็นทรัลชิดลม)

Urban lifestyle taking its toll? Fear not for there are plenty of wellness centres around ready to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Lock it all out and feel free to throw away the key to the rest of the world as these holistic havens will pamper you to the edges of hedonistic bliss.

Tria Integrative Wellness (map D3) 998 Rimklongsamsen Rd, Bangkapi | 02660-2600 | www.triaintegrativewellness. com | 7am-10pm Embrace your wellness at this urban retreat. With state-of-the-art equipment coupled with expert specialists, Tria is ready to carry out its philosophy of caring for what it believes to be the three most crucial health components – the elemental, structural and emotional states. These three elements, when integrated will provide complete harmony and true wellness for you.

ศูนย์สขุ ภาพองค์รวม TRIA (ตรัยยา) ถ.ริมคลองสามเสน (หลังโรงพยาบาลปิยะเวท)

Hydrohealth (map C3) 494 Erawan Bangkok, 4th Fl, Phloen Chit Rd l BTS Chit Lom | 02- 250-7800 | www.hydrohealth.co.th | 10am-8pm The first hydrotherapy colonic centre in Thailand has some of the most innovative equipment around. The colonic procedure not only rids you of all the unwanted toxins in your intestine but has shown it can improve overall health and other conditions such as allergies and skin problems. The centre also has massage packages and infrared sauna, along with organic food and supplements available.

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ไฮโดรเฮลท์ เอราวัณแบงคอก ถ.เพลินจิต

S Medical Spa (map C3) 2/2 Phakdi Building,Wireless Rd | BTS Phloen Chit | 02-253-1010 | www.smedspa.com | 10am-10pm The world of science and art collide ensuring you get a fully-fledged treatment as eastern traditions are combined with western technology to lift you up physically and mentally. The highly qualified staff consists of certified health & wellness

physicians, psychiatrists, dermatologists, gynaecologists and many other -gists ensuring you the most skilled and efficient service available.

เอสเมดิคัลสปา อาคารภักดี ถ.วิทยุ

Rasayana Retreat (map D4) 57 Soi Prom-mitr, Sukhumvit 39 | BTS Phrom Phong | 02-662-4803-5 | www.rasayanaretreat.com | 9am-8pm Specialists in deep cleansing programmes and hydrotherapy colonics that leave you refreshed and reborn and also a little bit lighter. Also the Raw Food café at Rasayana is definitely worth stopping by as they promote raw fresh foods using organic fruits and vegetables to help your body stay as clean as possible.

รัสยานา รีทรีทต์ ซ. พร้อมมิตร สุขมุ วิท 39

Amruth Wellness Center (mapE4) Sukhumvit 55,Thong Lo Soi 8 | BTS Thong Lo | 02-715-9440 | 7am - 10:30pm Get treated for everything from sexual dysfunction to back problems at this fully-fledged Ayurvedic medical centre – Bangkok’s first. Every patient at this leafy garden townhouse gets a consultation with Keralan Doctor Baspin K., whether you’re in for a drop-in, dropout treatment, a yoga sesh or to embark on a life-changing panchakarma package.

Stocked with medicines imported from the Subcontinent, holistic highlights include a hanging massage and the head oil-dribbling odyssey that is a shiro dhara.

อมฤต ศูนย์สขุ ภาพต้นตำรับอายุรเวท ศาสตร์ ทองหล่อ ซ.8

BANGKOK MEDIPLEX (map E4) 2/70 Sukhumvit 42, Phrakanong | BTS Ekkamai | 02-713-5555 | www.bangkokmediplex.com | 9am – 8pm Visible from the Ekkamai Skytrain Station, this gleaming steel and glass fronted lifestyle mall comprises 35 leading healthcare centres and trendy medi-lifestyle stores. There’s a clinic offering live cell therapy (a treatment to repair weak cells), a traditional Chinese medicine centre, a chiropractic centre, top notch eye-care and Thailand’s first organic supermarket. Ample parking.

แบงคอก เมดิเพลกซ์ สุขมุ วิท 42

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M

edical tourism is huge business in Thailand; a billion dollar industry. In 2007, Bangkok’s Bumrungrad Hospital alone reckoned to have treated over 400,000 patients from nearly 200 countries. And while Bumrungrad may be the market leader, there are plenty of others – such as Samitivej, BNH Hospital and Bangkok Hospital – who are increasingly courting international trade.

The price is right Reasons for the popularity of travelling to Thailand for medical attention are manifold, but essentially come down to price. Healthcare in your own country may be prohibitively expensive, or maybe your insurance does not cover a procedure you need. Or maybe you’ve decided that for the same price as an operation in your home town you could fly to exotic Thailand, have the operation then recover on a warm beach with a mango shake in one hand and a paperback in the other.

When you consider that procedures like heart bypass surgery in the USA can cost anywhere in the region of $70,000, while in Thailand it’s be more like $15,000, the numbers start to make sense. Especially when you consider your doctor here is likely to be foreign trained anyway. And it’s not just major surgery that provides the draw. Cosmetic surgery such as breast enhancement and liposuction is readily available at attractive prices, as is dental work and Lasik eye surgery. In fact, you can grab a Botox shot while you cruise the Bangkok malls.

Four star treatment Some of the hospitals here have to be seen to be believed. When you walk into Samitivej Hospital, for example, the lush décor, cute cafes and chic boutiques give it an almost resort atmosphere. And back at Bumrungrad, once you’ve been met at the airport, sped through customs and situated in your private room, they have their own immigration department and

bangkok 101

a team of translators to take all the hassle out of your trip.

You have to do your homework, though. Is the hospital you’re considering properly accredited? What are your doctor’s actual qualifications?

Will you really be ready to go scuba diving only three days after a back operation? How soon after your operation is it safe to fly long-haul?

And what happens if complications arise when you’re back home in Tulsa?

These are all the kind of questions you should think about and take advice on before committing to treatment.

Teeth Whitening

medical tourism Recommended hospitals n Bumrungrad International

33 Sukhumvit 3 (Soi Nana Nua) | 02667-1000 | www.bumrungrad.com n Samitivej Sukhumvit 133 Sukhumvit 39 | 02-711-8000 | www.samitivejhospitals.com n BNH Hospital 9/1 Convent Road | 02-686-2700 | www.bnhhospital.com n Bangkok Hospital 2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchburi Road | 02-310-3000 | www.bangkokhospital.com

FEATURED medical treatment

Thailand has long been known as ‘The Land of Smiles’, a well-earned moniker for such friendly people, sharing their smiles at every chance.

Stay here any length and you’ll find it’s downright contagious. So if you catch yourself indulging in the ageold Thai tradition of smiling, and your teeth are less than pearly, perhaps a BriteSmile teeth whitening should be high on your agenda?

Fortunately it comes with a much more reasonable price tag than in the West. Also, in keeping with another Thai tradition – hospitality – most procedures, unlike the majority of dental visits, are completely painless. Teeth whitening involves lightening the natural color of teeth, but it is certainly not for everyone. The American Dental Association (ADA) offers some simple rules as to each tooth’s eligibility and of course always recommends consulting with your dentist first. Generally, the stains left behind by such things as coffee, smoking and red wine are a telltale yellowish (or burgundy in the case of the latter) and should be pretty easy to rectify; whereas brownish and grayish hued teeth (as well as bonding or front teeth with fillings) are increasingly more difficult to enhance. A consultancy will tell you what you can expect from a whitening before you decide to commit.

In keeping with Thailand’s medical practices, dentists here are welltrained – in most cases overseas. And the technology here is state-oftheart. As for service, we can guarantee you will get to practice your new smile before you leave the dentistry’s doors in ‘The Land of Smiles’. n BriteSmile Siam Paragon, 2nd Fl 02-610-9630-3 n Bangkok International Dental Center (BIDC) 157 Ratchadapisek Rd 02-692-4433 www.bangkokdentalcenter.com n Bumrungrad Hospital - Dental Center 33 Sukhumvit 3 (Soi Nana Nua) 02-667-2300 www.bumrungrad.com n Bangkok Dental Spa Bangkok Hospital 2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchburi Rd., 02-310-3336 www.bangkokhospital.com health & wellness

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Sports

sports MASTER MUAY THAI! Many a champ started out punching mitts at one of Bangkok’s many muay Thai schools. Some are livein training camps, others geared towards drop-in sessions, but all will train you up and teach you how to deflect – and deliver – the basic moves, be it kick, jab, elbow, foot thrust or standing grapple.

Beginners and female pugilists are welcome, though they often receive inordinate attention from the coming-of-age combatants. n Chacrit Muay Thai School Washington Square next to Sukhumvit Soi 22 | 02-260-5816 www.chacritmuaythaischool.com n Fairtex Muaythai RCA 149 3rd Fl. RCA Driving Range, Local Rd. | 02-203-1443 | www.muaythaifairtex.com n The International Muay Thai School 22/8 Moo 8, Soi 10, Pracharaj Sai1 Road, Bangsue | 02-585-6807 www.geocities.com/maimuangkorn/ eng_mai.htm n Muay Thai Institute 336/932 Prahonyothin 118 Vipravadee Road, Rangsit | 02-9920096-99 | www.muaythai-institute.net n Muaythai Sasiprapa 401 Soi Ladprao 130 Klongchan, Bangkapi | 02-378-0270 | www.muaythaisasiprapa.com

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THAI BOXING venueS Lumphini Boxing Stadium Rama IV Rd, next to Suan Lum Night Bazaar | MRT Lumphini | 02-251-4303, 02-252-8765 | Fights Tue & Fri from 6:30pm10:30pm, Sat 5pm-8pm, 8:30pmmidnight | B1,000 B1,500 B2,000) สนามมวยลุมพินี ถ.พระราม 4

ติดกับสวนลุมไนท์ บาซ่าร์

Fairtex

MUAY THAI (Thai Boxing) Thai boxing, or muay Thai, is very popular in Bangkok with most major bouts held at either the Lumphini or Ratchadamnoen stadium. This brutal but graceful martial art has been practised in Thailand for centuries.

Past kings are reported to have been champion fighters and one, King Naresuan, introduced the sport as part of military training in the 16th century. Due to the high incidence of deaths during combat, the sport was banned in the 1920s but reintroduced soon after under the more safetyconscious Queensbury rules. Bouts consist of three five minute rounds during which the fighters use every part of the body (except the head) to bludgeon the opponent into defeat.

Before the bout begins, a graceful and mesmerising ritual dance named ram muay is performed by both fighters to placate the spirits and show respect to the art and its teachers. Bouts are extremely boisterous, noisy affairs and should be witnessed for the spectacle alone. Be warned though, this isn’t the WWF, the blows are hard hitting, the blood real. spor ts

Ratchadamnoen Stadium Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue | 02-281-4205, 02-280-1684-6 | Fights Mon, Wed, Thu 6:30pm11pm, Sun 5pm-8pm, 8:30pmmidnight | B1,000 B1,500 B2,000

เวทีมวยราชดำเนิน ถ.ราชดำเนิน

TAKRAW (Kick Volleyball) Go to Lumphini Park (see p.37) on any given day and watch sweaty Thais combine the skills of volleyball, football and gymnastics. As many as two dozen men pair off to leap and dive through the air with one objective in mind: without using their hands, keep a rattan ball from hitting the ground on their net side. The diverse mix of players – tuk-tuk drivers, security guards and students – says much about the widespread Thai love of takraw, the most beautiful Asian game. Played since the 11th century, it has spread throughout the region, but nowhere is it played with as much relish as here, where it fills stadiums.The sport’s killer move, the somersault scissor kick, can send the ball hurtling back over the net at amazing speeds. Watch in awe. bangkok 101

Active Sports AEROBICS It might be hard to imagine, but every day, busy Bangkokians find the time for some energising aerobics – out in the open. Many practise graceful, meditative t’ai chi moves just after sunrise. And head to any park in the city around 5-6pm and you’ll spot large groups of office workers, kids and the elderly doing a hi-energy, Jane Fonda style workout in synch with blaring pop-techno songs and an enthusiastic coach clad in spandex.

The best places for the free classes are the centrally located Lumphini Park and the smaller Benjasiri Park (next to The Emporium, Sukhumvit Rd, BTS Phrom Phong). Others, a bit off the beaten path, include Rommaninat Park (Siriphong Rd, near the Giant Swing), Saranrom Park (Thaiwang Rd) near the Grand Palace and Santiphap Park (Soi Rangnam). Never mind the possibility of fainting – simply join in!

BOWLING Bowling is a favourite pastime among Thais. Most shopping malls have topof- the-line tenpin alleys on-site and many of these teeter dangerously close to being a nightclub with full bars and closing times after midnight.

During after-hours, bowling alleys often have a DJ blasting thumping tunes, and they’ll often kill the lights and flood the halls with black light for a particularly psychedelic experience. Great spots to get your bowl on include trendy Blu-O at Siam Paragon and Esplanade, which also has platinum rooms for rent for your own private area and lane for your party. Also worth mentioning is the Major Bowl atop posh J-Avenue in Thong Lor, and also SF Strike Bowl in good ol’ MBK. bangkok 101

Major Bowl

CYCLING SpiceRoads 14/1-B Soi Promsi 2 | Sukhumvit 39 | 02-712-5305, 089- 895-5680 | www. spiceroads.com This company has been organising bicycle tours in Southeast Asia for over 12 years, and it offers extraordinary day tours in the outskirts of Bangkok.

The daytrips take you to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Koh Kred, around Bangkok’s old city, Chinatown or along atmospheric canals through Bang Krachao, an unspoilt rural peninsula just across the river. They usually start early in the day (pick-up from your hotel is included). The rides, organised throughout the week, are demanding but fun. Groups are held small (two to 16 participants), but private tailormade itineraries are also possible, even for seriously adrenalineparched mountain bikers who are up for a technical 30km nailbiter.

SpiceRoads also offers two-and three-day trips around Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya and in the Mae Khlong Delta south of Bangkok; it also organises much longer trips in Thailand and its neighbours.

ICE SKATING SUB-ZERO ICE SKATE CLUB (map D2) Ratchadaphisek Rd, Esplanade 4F | MRT Thailand Cultural Centre | 02354-2134 This isn’t a boring sterile rink, more spor ts

like a nightclub on ice. Popular among youngsters, its 682m2 of fluorescent ice lights up at night when Sub Zero morphs into an “Ice Bar” with DJs and strobe lights blasting the floor. For the novice, there are pros on hand with lessons ranging from speed skating, figure skating, ice skating and even hockey. Lessons are B900-2,400 and the complex has a fully stocked pro shop if you want brand new blades of glory. Even if you just want to have a look there are bars ringside, and of course they are made of ice! And this is Thailand so of course there’s karaoke on-site.

TENNIS Lumphini Park Youth Centre (map C4) Soi Klang Racquet Club Sukhumvit Soi 49-9 (map E4) National Stadium Rama I Rd (map C3) Smash it down the line as tennis has become one of the most popular sports in all of Thailand, with local ace Paradorn Srichaphan bearing much of the responsibility for inducing hordes of Thais to pick up the racquet and start practising their serves. Many of the leading hotels offer an in-house court for you but if you’d like to get out among the people, there are quite a few public courts around town that you can use for free or for a small fee. Also towards the end of their respective seasons Bangkok hosts two tournaments, the ATP’s Thailand Open and the WTA’s Bangkok Open.

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Business

business In Bangkok on business? Rest assured it brings a lot to the table.

Convention centres, ritzy hotels, world-class wine-and-dine spots... it’s little wonder it’s a regional hub for MICE (Meetings and Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), especially when you factor in the myriad down-time attractions. We dig up all the basics so that you don’t have to.

Business Travellers Top on the list after you’ve touched down is, of course, a hotel.There are lots to choose from, in every location, but those that tick every business-traveller box include The Conrad, Sofitel Silom, Westin Grande and Sheraton Grande.

Bangkok’s traffic has a justifiably miserable reputation, but having a car at your disposal can be handy.

Try Limousine Thailand (www. limousinethailand.com). And if your hotel room isn’t cutting it as a makeshift office, then contact temporary office providers Regus (www.regus.co.th) or Servcorp (www.servcorp.net).

There’s rarely a quiet moment on the local trade fair scene. For a rundown, see www.thaitradefair.com. Or perhaps you’re considering staging your company’s big meet or team get-away here? If so, talk to the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (www.tceb.or.th).

They say it’s who you know – not what you know. To get your face out there, join one of the networking events hosted by Bangkok Young Professionals (www.mobyelite.com/byp) or others. If you’re short on business cards – and you will be after a night at the aforementioned – try one of the many one-stopshops at MBK shopping mall.

It’s also worth reading up on Thailand’s face-saving and, often quirky, business culture.Try Working with the Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy (White Lotus, B495).

Finally, note that any foreigner working, or doing business here, must have a non-immigrant B visa and a work permit. If your company hasn’t arranged both, go to www.immigration.go.th and find out what you need. Or contact a business solutions provider like Sunbelt Asia – they’ll do all the paperwork so that you don’t have to.

Starting Up Frequently voted one of the world’s best cities, it’s no surprise that so many look to set up shop in Bangkok. However, bear in mind that although Thailand opened it doors wide to foreign investment after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, it can still be a tricky place to establish a business.

The best advice is to find local experts to help you clear the regulatory hurdles. Business solutions provider Sunbelt Asia (www.sunbeltasia.com) offers everything from upfront legal advice to business brokerage and serviced offices.

Similarly, Bangkok Base (www.bangkokbase.com) is a 360° provider of business support. Chambers of commerce can also offer advice and assistance in finding partners.

There are also a few books on the market. One of the best is Philip Wylie’s How to Establish a Successful Business in Thailand. In it you will find the essentials on the minutiae of business in Thailand, from negotiating baffling bureaucracy and legal peculiarities to cultural codes and social etiquette.

Business spotlight

Millennium Hilton

Where 123 Charoennakorn Rd., Klongsarn, 02-442-2000 BTS Saphan Taksin Prices B650-1,700 nett/pax

The Millennium Hilton Hotel has a prime, prestige perch on Bangkok’s riverside.Those passing it cannot miss its striking, faux UFO-topped tower, while those inside it enjoy sweeping views out across the city. Though it’s not in the best spot for making downtown meetings (free shuttle boats whisk guests to the Bangkok side of the river), it’s undoubtedly a good choice for the business gettogether. Swish rooms, executive lounge, upscale restaurants, gorgeously moody sky-high jazz club – the Millennium Hilton has them all. More importantly, it has 10 state-of-the- art meeting rooms, all boasting wall-to-wall windows, and thus panoramic 30th floor river views. In addition to the heightened drama and sense of occasion these views add, each also features the gamut of cutting-edge meeting room technology, as well broadband access. Choose from two types: boardrooms for your executive, figure-crunching meeting, and multi-purpose rooms for less formal meetings or workshops.They also offer meeting planners and event organizers, and can lively up dull meetings with a quirky array of food and beverage breaks. Ice cream cone, anyone?

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Ideo Morph 38

Buying Property Many visitors decide they want to buy property in Bangkok: some because they fall in love with the city and all its eclectic idiosyncrasies; others because they jet in and out of the city on business and want more than a hotel room can offer.

Whatever the reasons, buyers can find a wide range of accommodation at very favourable prices. From simple US$18,000 studio apartments to lavish million-dollar condos, there are options to suit most budgets.

Non-Thai citizens looking to acquire property in the country will most probably be looking to purchase apartments rather than houses; as the law currently stands, foreigners are permitted to buy condos providing at least 51% of the building’s units are Thai-owned.

Land (and therefore houses) is a different matter.

Technically foreigners are not allowed to own land in Thailand, though if you are a foreigner married to a Thai citizen, then it is quite straightforward to draw everything up in your partner’s name. bangkok 101

real estate

Another method to acquire land is through a loan/lease agreement, whereby you loan money to a Thai citizen under a contract specifying they must use it to buy a property. Your Thai business partner will then buy the property and legally own the land. Simply put, you then get your lawyer to draw up an agreement giving you – the lender – a leasehold agreement on the property.

However you decide to approach the acquisition of property, be sure to shop around and proceed with caution.

Research the developers’ track record, the location, the average rate of return, and the likelihood of a super-skyscraper popping up and blocking that achingly beautiful view of the Chao Phraya River. Also, be aware that tales of relationships suddenly souring once deeds are signed are all too common.

The best advice is to exercise common sense and find local experts you can trust. International brokerage firm Sunbelt Asia (www.property.th.com) has plenty of listings and English-speaking consultants on hand, while Property Report magazine (www.property-report.com) will give you a good overview of the whole scene. business

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Courses&Ser vices

courses

apron, knives and wok, each student works at a personal cooking station in a spacious kitchen after short, informative demonstrations. Lunch consists of your own cooking plus additional dishes.

No reason to limit yourself to just tom yam goong and phad thai – each session includes four innovative dishes; the selection changes daily. Perfect for tourists on a short Bangkok stint. บลู เอเลแฟนท์ ถ. สาทรใต้

Baipai

COOKING CLASSES BAIPAI COOKING SCHOOL (map C4) 150/12 Soi Naksuwan, Nonsee Road, Chong Nonsi | 02-294-9029 | www.baipai.com No sitting back and just watching at this leafy two-storey townhouse. Shortly after being picked up from your hotel, passed an apron and given a brief demonstration of how to cook four dishes it’s over to you. Fortunately the breezy open-plan workshop, individual cooking stations and pre-prepped ingredients mean cooking here is no chore. Plus the staff are smiley and professional, as they answer your questions (“But what if I can’t find kaffir lime leaves?” etc) and ensure you don’t singe your spring rolls. Later you get to feast on the fruits of your labour – so do your research on the seven set menus if you’re allergic to tom yum. Some takehome recipes and a souvenir fridge magnet featuring a snap of you in action completes the four-hour morning or afternoon experience; one so palatable and productive and, gasp, fun that many come back for seconds.

รร.สอนทำอาหารไทยใบพาย ถ.นนทรี

BLUE ELEPHANT (map B4) Thai Chine Building, 233 South Sathorn Rd | 02-673-9353 | www.blueelephant. com | from B2,800 The class offered at this classy restaurant is very hands-on and easy to follow. The morning class is preferable since it starts with a visit to the Bang Rak market with the chef, where you’re shown the ingredients you’ll use later. Equipped with 116

(รถไฟฟ้าสุรศักดิ์)

THAI MASSAGE CLASSES WAT PO THAI TRADITIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL (map A3) 2 Sanamchai Rd | 02-622-3551, 02622-3533 | www.watpomassage.com | daily 8am – 5pm | B8,500/30hrs Any good spa therapist will have undergone their training in traditional Thai massage at this temple school.

Constructed in a concealed building away from the tourist-infested but peaceful Wat Po temple grounds, the instruction area is more functional than stylish, but the efficient course run by competent instructors more than makes up for the missing luxury. Thai massage, an ancient form of healing, uses pressure application on the various body meridians. Your costudents will mainly be Thai and Japanese, along with the odd Westerner. The 30hour course can be completed in five, six or ten days; a foot reflexology course and other instruction are available too.

The tired tourist can also get Bangkok’s best Thai massage in fan-cooled, opensided salas for just B360/hour.

โรงเรียนแพทย์แผนโบราณ วัดพระเชตุพน ถ. สนามชัย

CHIVA-SOM INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY (map E4) Modern Town Bldg, 87/104 Ekamai Rd, Sukhumvit Soi 63 | BTS Ekkamai | 02711-5270-3 | www.chivasomacademy. com | from B9,000 Asia’s premier training centre for spa and holistic therapies offers intensive courses covering all aspects of spa-ing, from anatomy and Thai massage to stress management. Held in peaceful surroundings and conducted by skilled cour ses & ser vices

Wat Po

international instructors, half the time is spent on theory and practice, the other half is filled with case studies. The academy takes its instruction seriously; students receive internationally accepted accreditation on completion of courses. The high but justified prices range from B9,000 (two-day reiki course) to B59,000 (spa development course). Most courses are too long for a usual holiday (two to four weeks), but there are one-week courses available in reflexology and shiatsu. ชีวาศรม อินเตอร์เนชันแนล อะคาเดมี

โมเดิร์นทาวน์ 87/104 ถ.สุขุมวิท 63

MEDITATION CLASSES INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST MEDITATION CENTRE (map A3) Wat Mahathat, Na Phra Lan Rd | 02-2226011 | www.mcu.ac.th/mcu/eng | free This is the most traditional, noncommercial meditation class, based on Vipassana (‘insight’) mindfulness. For Buddhists, meditation is essential to cleanse the mind and accomplish clarity and inner peace. Close to Sanam Luang, the atmospheric temple complex is the teaching centre of Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of Thailand’s highest seats of Buddhist learning. Daily classes conducted in English (1pm-4pm, 6pm-8pm, 7pm-10pm) are mixed; you’ll find monks, locals and tourists here.

Participants can stay on the compound in simple, quiet rooms; complimentary meals are provided. Bring offerings of flowers, a candle and nine incense sticks for the opening ceremony. Donations are accepted. Retreats of three or more days are available as well. Perfect for a serious, but short stint into Buddhist meditation.

สำนักกองกลางวิปัสนา วัดมหาธาตุ ถ. หน้าพระลาน

bangkok 101

Want to shore up your karma reserves? Even if you’re only visiting Thailand for a short time, there are plenty of worthwhile causes that rely on public support for their services. In each issue of Bangkok 101, we highlight the work of a local charitable organisation, along with details on how you can help.

making merit

o

The Surin Project

Though it sounds like a sinister genome experiment, this month’s Making Merit is about giving Thailand’s marginalised Nellies a helping hand. A well-established NGO called the Elephant Nature Foundation is looking for volunteers to help in the founding of something called The Surin Project: a 2,000 acre elephant park in Northeast Thailand’s Surin Province.

Once finished, up to 300 elephants will be able to roam free in natural habitat. That’s roughly 10% of the number now in captivity, either begging on city streets (a shameful practice that reduces an elephant’s life expectancy by 50%) or performing tricks at circuses that should know better. Meanwhile, their mahouts will be provided with an income as recompense for the money they used to earn begging, thereby encouraging them to keep their elephants at the park.

Opt to volunteer and over the course of one week you’ll help reforest a scrubland, degraded by decades of logging, into suitable elephant habitat. You’ll also be involved in community development. And, of course, have lots of time to feed and bathe the elephants and watch them enjoying their newfound freedom.

How to get up there? Conveniently, all groups meet in Bangkok and travel together to the project site.Transportation costs to and from the site, food, accommodation and activities, along with an English speaking guide and project leader are all included in the B12,000 volunteer fee.

You also have the option of travelling with the group for a second week of volunteering at the foundation’s original and well-known conversation project north of Chiang Mai, the Elephant Nature Park. It’s worth noting too that daytrips and overnights stays are also available here, all proceeds going towards keeping the place going.

Forthcoming Surin Project volunteer groups start in Bangkok on September 6th, September 20th, October 4th, October 18th, November 1st, November 15th, November 29th, December 13th, and December 27th and last for seven days and six nights.

For more information call the foundation on 053-272-855,contact them via email at surin@elephantnaturefoundation. org or log on to www.elephantnaturefoundation.org. Full details of what to bring will be provided to you on booking.

bangkok 101

cour ses & ser vices

117

Reference

survival thai Numbers 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 20 21 22 30 40 100 101 110 200 1,000 1,100 5,000 10,000 15,000 50,000 100,000 1,000,000

˘ soon nèung ˘ song ˘ saam sèe hâa hòk jèt pàet kâo sìp sìp èt ˘ sìp song yêe sìp yêe sìp èt ˘ yêe sìp song ˘ saam sìp sèe sìp (nèung) rói (nèung) rói èt (nèung) rói sìp ˘ rói song (nèung) phan (nèung) phan nèung rói hâa phan (nèung) meùun nèung meùun hâa phan hâa meùun ˘ (nèung) saen (nèung) láan

Basics yes no I you

châi / khráp / khâ mâi châi ˘ / (di)chán phom khun

Communication I don’t understand I can’t speak Thai never mind possible / impossible

mâi khâo jai phôot thai mâi dâi mâi pen rai dâi / mâi dâi

A

lthough it is not really necessary to learn Thai for a short stay in Thailand, as most Thais who deal with tourists speak some English, you will have an undoubtedly more enjoyable experience if you make the effort to remember a few words.

Basic Thai grammar is considerably simpler than the grammar in western languages. Sentences are reduced to the basic subject-verb-object format (no tenses, plurals, genders or subject-verb agreement).

The main difficulty comes from the fact that Thai is a tonal language, meaning that words can have different meanings depending on how they are pronounced. Five tones are used: low tone ( ` ), middle tone (unmarked), high tone ( ´ ), falling tone ( ˆ ) and rising tone ( ˇ ).

Did you know? khráp and khâ You should end your sentences with khráp if you are a man and khâ if you are a woman: this is the polite way of addressing people in Thailand. Both words are also used to say “yes”.

Thai script Thai script was introduced during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng in 1283, and has hardly changed since then.

Like English, the Thai language has an alphabet and is written from left to right. The main difference is that there are no spaces between words, no punctuation and no capital letters. Moreover, the Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 32 vowels.

Greetings and civilities

Adjectives and adverbs

hello / hi / goodbye how are you?

I’m fine and you? pardon? sorry / excuse me thank you (very much)

beautiful big / small expensive good here/there

hot / cold a little a lot / much / very

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sa-wàt dee sa-bai dee réu sa-bai dee láew khun lâ arai ná ˘ thôt kho khòp khun (mâak)

reference

˘ suay yài / lék paeng dee têe nêe/ têe nân rón / yen nîtnòi mâak

Transportation canal street, lane pier road temple

khlong soi thâa ˘ (th) thanon wát

to... please pai... mái > the ... hotel > rong raem ... ˘ > the airport > sa-naam bin ˘ > the train station > sa-taa-nee rót fai > the bus station > bo ko˘ so˘ ˘ ˘ > the police station > sa- taa-nee tumruat > this address > têe yòo née ˘ ... > the ... restaurant > ráan aahaan use the meter turn left / right go straight on stop here please

chái mée-têr ˘ lée-ow sáay/ khwaa trong pai jòt têe nêe

Shopping how much is it? an-née thâo rài that’s (a bit) too expensive paeng pai

Food rice fried rice water tea coffee spicy is it very spicy? not spicy without chilli delicious

khâo khâo pàd náam plào chaa kafae phèt phèt mâak mái mâi phèt mâi sài prik arròy

Questions where? when? what? which? (thing) where is / are...? how much / many?

˘ têe nai mêua-rài ˘ arai ˘ an-nai ... yòo têe nai thâo rài

bangkok 101

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Metropolitan Mobile Police 191 Crime 195 Traffic Control Centre 197 Fire 199 Tourist Assistance Centre 02-281-5051 Tourist Police 1155 Highway Police 1193 Medical Emergency 1669 LOST CREDIT CARD CALL CENTRES American Express 02-273-5544 (8am8pm) / 02-273-5522 (after 8pm) MasterCard 02-260-8572 Visa 02-273-1199 or 02-273-7449 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Bangkok Hospital 02-310-3000 BNH Hospital 02-686-2700 Bumrungrad Hospital 02-667-1000 Samitivej Hospital 02-711-8000 St. Louis Hospital 02-675-5000 Thai Nakarin Hospital 02-361-2727 Dental Hospital 02-260-5000/15 TELEPHONE SERVICES Bangkok Directory Inquiries 1133 Domestic Long Distance 101 International Long Distance 100 Overseas Subscribers Call 001 TOURISM OFFICES TAT Call Centre 1672 (8am-8pm) TAT Tourist Information 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Rd; 02-282- 9773, 02-2505500 | daily 8:30am- 4:30pm Tourism Authority of Thailand 1600 New Phetchaburi Rd | 02- 250-5500 | www.tat.or.th; www. tourismthailand.org Bangkok Tourism Division 171/1 Phra Athit Rd | 02-225-7612/4 | www. bangkoktourist.com IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT 507 Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Rd | 02-287-3101 | Mon-Fri 8am- 4pm EMBASSIES Australia 37 South Sathorn Rd | 02344-6300 | www.austembassy.or.th Canada Abdulrahim Place 15F, 990 Rama IV Rd | 02-636-0540 | www.bangkokinternational.gc.ca bangkok 101

Cambodia 185 Ratchadamri Rd | 02957-5851-2 | RECBKK@hotmail.com China 57 Ratchadaphisek Rd, Din Daeng | 02-245-7043/4 | www.chinaembassy.or.th India 46 Sukhumvit Rd Soi 23 | 02258- 0300/5 | www.indianembassy. gov.in/bangkok Indonesia 600-602 Phetchaburi Rd | 02-252-3135/40 Japan 177 Wireless Rd | 02-696-3000, 02-207-8500 | www.th.emb-japan.go.jp Laos 520, 502/1-3 Wang Thonglang Rd | 02-539-6667 | www.bkklaoembassy.com Malaysia 33-35 South Sathorn Rd | 026296800 | ww.kin.gov.my/perwakilan/ bangkok Myanmar 132 North Sathorn Rd | 02233-2237, 02-234-4698, 02-234-4789 | mebkk@asianet.co.th New Zealand M Thai Tower, 14F All Seasons Place, 87 Witthayu Rd | 02-254-2530 | www.nzembassy.com Philippines 760 Sukhumvit Rd | 02-259-0139/40 | www.philembassybangkok.net Singapore 129 South Sathorn Rd | 02-286-2111 United Kingdom 1031 Witthayu Rd | 02-305-8333 | www.ukinthailand. fco.gov.uk U.S.A. 120-122 Witthayu Rd | 02205-4000; www.usa.or.th/embassy Vietnam 83/1 Witthayu Rd | 02-251-5836 TRANSPORT PLANE Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport Call Centre 02-132-1888 Bangkok Airways 02-265-5555 | www.bangkokair.com Air Asia Suvarnabhumi International Airport A1-062 FG, Concourse A | 02-5159999 | www.airasia.com Thai Airways Int’l Suvarnabhumi International Airport F4, Row F | 02-356-1111 | www.thaiair.com TRAIN State Railway | www.railway.co.th Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) Rama IV Rd | Call Centre 1690 reference

contacts

Hua Lamphong

SKYTRAIN/SUBWAY BTS Skytrain Call Centre 02-612-2444 | www.bts.co.th MRT Subway Call Centre 02-354-2000 BUS Call Centre 02-576-5599 Northern & Northeastern Bus Terminal Phahonyothin Rd, Mor Chit Southern Bus Terminal Boromrat Chonnani Rd Sai Tai Eastern Bus Terminal Sukhumvit Rd (Ekkamai)

Surfing BKK There’s a million websites out there, all desperate for a good quick click – but these are the only ones we would take home to meet our mum. n www.1stopbangkok.com Everything you wanted to know about Bangkok but were afraid to ask. n www.thaivisa.com General, boring, immigration type stuff and an entertaining messageboard. n www.bangkokartmap.com Find out where the pretty pictures and free wine’s at. n www.paknamweb.com Blogs, blogs and more blogs. Everything from the Thai lottery to sizzling streetfood. n www.movieseer.com Popcorn? Check. Emergency sweater? Check. Showtimes?

Check here!

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Reference

getting around

B

angkok’s heaving traffic is legendary, presenting a constant challenge for residents and visitors to the city. River and canal boats, along with the BTS skytrain and MRT subway systems, offer some reliable alternatives to getting jammed on the road. Nonetheless, traffic remains horrendous, particularly mid-week. Below is a layman’s guide to inner-city transport options.

also provides free shuttle buses which transit passengers to and from stations and nearby areas. www.bts.co.th

ROAD TAXI Bangkok has thousands of metered, air-con taxis available 24 hours. Flag fall is B35 (for the first 2kms) and the fare climbs in B2 increments. Be sure the driver switches the metre on. No tipping is required, but rounding the fare up to the nearest B5 or B10 is common.

Additional passengers are not charged, nor is baggage. For trips to/from the airport, the passengers should pay the expressway toll fees. When boarding from the public taxi queue outside the terminal, a B50 surcharge is added to the metered fare.

TUK-TUK Those three-wheeled taxis (or samlor) are best known as tuk-tuks, named for the steady whirr of their engines.

They are popular amongst tourists and can be fun for short trips around town. A 10-minute ride should cost around B40, but always bargain before boarding. Beware: if a tuk-tuk driver offers to deliver you anywhere in town for as low as B10, it’s part of a setup that will lead you to an overpriced souvenir or jewellery shop. It would be wise to decline any such offers.

MOTORCYCLE TAXI In Bangkok’s heavy traffic, motorcycle 120

taxis are the fastest, albeit most dangerous, form of road transport.

Easily recognisable by their colourful vests, motorbike taxi drivers gather in groups by department stores, at the end of long sois or by tourist spots.

As with tuk-tuks, fares definitely have to be negotiated beforehand.

BUS Bangkok has an extensive and inexpensive public bus service. Both open-air and air-conditioned vehicles are available, respectively for B5 and B7.50-23 Pink-white mini-buses are a little more expensive (B25 per person) but seats are guaranteed. As most destinations are noted only in Thai, it is advisable to get a bus route map (available at hotels, TAT offices and bookshops).

RAIL SKYTRAIN The Bangkok Transit System, or BTS, is a two-line elevated train network covering the major commercial areas.

Trains run every few minutes from 6am to midnight, making the BTS a quick and reliable transport option, especially during heavy traffic jams.

Fares range from B15 to B40; special tourist passes allowing unlimited travel for one day (B120) is available. BTS reference

SUBWAY Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is another fast and reliable way to get across town. The 18-station line stretches 20kms from Hualamphong (near the central railway station) up to Bang Sue in the north. Subways run from 6am to midnight daily, with trains arriving every 5-7 minutes.

The underground connects with the BTS at MRT Silom/BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Sukhumvit/BTS Asok and MRT Chatuchak Park/BTS Mo Chit stations.

Subway fares range from B15 to B39. www.bangkokmetro.co.th RIVER (also see River Tourism on p.24) 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. Fares range from B9 to B32 depending on the distance. Tickets can either be bought on the boat or at the pier. Boats depart every 20 minutes or so between 5:30am and 6pm. Cross-river services operate throughout the day at each pier for the modest sum of B3.

CANAL BOAT Khlong Saen Saep canal boats operate from Banglamphu across the city to Ramkhamhaeng University. Canal (khlong) boats tend to be frequent and cost around B8 to B18. Tickets are bought onboard. Note that the piers are a little hidden away, which makes them sometimes difficult to find. bangkok 101