Graffiti is fast, direct and amazing. It’s completely different from what I studied at university, fine arts. There, creating work involved a long, drawn-out process. But with graffiti, I can make something great in just 30 minutes!

I couldn’t stop after doing my first graffiti. I would paint everywhere I went and it got me in trouble.

I had to move out from my apartment to get away from an angry, high-ranking soldier. I got very drunk and graffitied his home. The next morning, he declared he would hunt me down. Luckily, I was not around whenever he came looking for me.

Then I painted an abandoned wall in my neighborhood, and it turned out the plot belonged to that same angry man, too! Later, I found the stuff in my rental room had been moved and some stuff was missing without any sign of a break-in. That was it! I moved out to live with some friends in town.

I used to paint only random things that I thought were cool, or just my name, or my face. That’s why I used Alex Face as my alias.

Good graffiti connects with people. Spray paint is expensive so every baht must give something back to the people. I started to pick up on local problems and play with the environment around me to express my ideas.

People can be touched by street art. One time an aunty came up and asked me why I was painting a picture of a kid at a garbage dump. I told her I wanted to remind people that so many kids have been dumped like this, too. She was so moved that she just murmured her agreement and walked away sobbing. 

You reach points in your life when you don’t know what to do next. I was stunned when my girlfriend told me she was pregnant. I sat crying in the dark, my mind totally blank. I was happy to be having a kid but I was just this poor artist who couldn’t guarantee anything for them.

Taking a journey can give you strength. My girlfriend told me to travel up to Chiang Mai to meet friends there. It really helped. I regained my focus and realized I would have to work harder to make everything better for us.

My Mardi the Bunny character was actually inspired by my daughter. When she was just born, her face looked so grumpy, like she was thinking really hard or worrying about her future in this troubled world. I sketched her face and started creating Mardi, a little child who wears a ragged rabbit suit. Rabbits also symbolize being a victim in this world.

Painting on the street lets me learn more about life. People always come up to talk about what I am doing and how they relate to each place, especially in the slums.

Outsiders have this perception that the slum is a scary place, but it’s just like elsewhere, with families taking care of their kids or parents.

Everyone erects their own thin wall whenever they meet a stranger. But once you knock it down, you will find just how easily we can get to know each other.

Art can help calm people, including those who create it. I’m always frustrated every time I have to face selfish people in the city. But graffiti helps me relax as I can release my feelings and regain my optimism through the nice people I meet.  

I love that Bangkok is full of random things: signs, people, cars or drain holes. It’s not a perfect city. It’s like people’s lives. It might look like an ugly town to some but it’s a wonderland for me. If you can survive in it, you will have so much fun.

You can measure the freedom index of a city by its graffiti. A city with limited graffiti means there’s strict control on people’s actions. In Bangkok you can find street art and graffiti all over the place. Artists just ask permission from owners directly, then spray!

You don’t need to be rich to be generous. One time I was riding my bicycle to an area really far away in the Suanpueng district of Ratchaburi. I got stranded from the other cyclists and I was completely exhausted with no water left. I just threw my bike on the ground.

A man saw me, gave me water and even said I could stay the night at his place for free. He said “My house is really big. I built it myself. You can stay here as long as you want. I just live with my daughter.”

In fact, his house was a really, really small shack. It just seemed really big to him because he has a big heart. And more than that, he only had one arm—he built the house with one arm. Meeting him was one of the greatest experiences. I’ll never forget it.

I wish I could travel more. I would love to go to the Philippines to the areas that Typhoon Haiyan destroyed. I would like to do some graffiti there. It’s the least I could do try to lift their spirits. I’d need a big budget, though, and I just don’t have that much money.

Miracles always happen when you’re on a journey. It makes me feel so lucky to have been born a human. 

How did Gay the Rabbit start?

I just wanted to parody Jay the Rabbit, which was such a huge hit on Facebook last year. I chose to make him gay because I am gay, and I think most offices can’t simply be divided into hetero men and women. There must be gays, too. Also, the name fits perfectly. Although I don’t have great drawing skills, I think the important thing is the stories, which carry the message that gays also have parents, bosses, as well as both gay and straight friends, especially cha nee or girlfriends who they are very close with. 

Some people say you’re simply riding on the coattails of Jay the Rabbit’s success.

In the beginning, yes. But now, I think we’ve proved that we have our own content and fans who love our style. All of my gags are split between my gay friends’ experiences and my own. People don’t compare it with Jay anymore. I’m on good terms with Jay the Rabbit, too. 

What kind of jokes do people like most? 

It’s usually those about cha nee friends, dished out in a sarcastic but endearing way. Like how women try to pick up guys in a gay bar. Many people are familiar with these scenes, so they get the humor. When the jokes are too gay-specific, they’re less popular. This shows the diversity of our fans, 60% of our fans are women. 

What brings women here? 

I think they are curious. They want to know what gays are thinking. As you know, it’s hard to define who is straight or gay these days. So they come to collect knowledge about gay men. Some of them are also “Y-Girls” who fantasize about gay romances.

They also come here for a laugh. Reading the comments is a must—many of them are so hilarious. They’re often funnier than the original post! 

Can you name a particularly memorable comment?

I posted a gag about Gay the Rabbit being kicked out of home after his mom found out he was gay. I normally don’t post things in real-time but schedule them. When it went online, fans really came together to comfort Gay, like it had just happened. I checked the page hours later and it was overwhelming. Many people had shared their experiences of coming out to their parents with comments like “I also went through this,” “My mother didn’t talk to me for two years.” But the one that touched me the most was one guy who had already came out to his parents. He said he showed the post to his mom and they smiled about it together. 

Do you have these experiences with your family?

No. Well, not yet. They don’t know that I’m gay. My mom even tried to act as match-maker to get me hitched with her friend’s daughter. She drove me to the girl’s house. I was freaking out. Luckily the girl wasn’t around. I’ve since banned my mom from ever being a match-maker.

Visit Gay the Rabbit at www.facebook.com/iamgaytherabbit

JANUARY

Survival Games

B-Floor Theatre has had a great 2013, putting on the most engaging, stimulating and daring plays in town. It all kicked off with a witty and nerdy look at parasites in the Thai countryside that mixed contemporary dance, crowd interaction, physical theater, documentary and traditional puppetry.

The Vaccines

The scruffy Brit-rockers brought their second studio album, Coming of Age, to Moonstar Studio, and delivered a brilliant, high-energy performance. The Rubens were not bad either and Abhisit showed up.

Nua Mek 2

The finale of the TV series about a dead prime minister whose body is controlled by a necromancer is cancelled. Social media outrage ensues.

Siam Center

The long-standing mall finally reopened with scores of Thai designers, an industrial-chic food court and gimmicky “interactive” experiences that don’t really work. Particularly of note is The Selected, a shop stocked with local brands like Container, Timo, Gla and Laksmi Mantra.

Magnum Café

Although part of the Siam Center redesign, the ice-cream parlor deserves its own entry. In fact, judging by the Ananda-inspired Magnum selfies craze that ensued, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was the most important restaurant opening of the year. 

Snoop Lion

We’ve lost track of what Snoop Dogg calls himself these days, nor do we really care. His concert at the Together Festival was a letdown, with French duo Justice stealing the show.

Le Derriere

Q Bar restored a dose of intimacy to Soi 11 with this art nouveau absinthe bar mixing velvet sofas and crumbling walls. 

Your Heart For My Number

Luk Thung singer Yinglee's hit was as big as they get: 73 million views.

FEBRUARY

Vogue

The BTS ads, the huge launch party, the months of anticipation, Vogue almost set itself up to be a letdown. Not only was the inaugural issue’s cover plain weird, but they followed it up with other monstrosities such as the photoshopped Naomi Campbell debacle.

“And you’re happy to pay B380 for a rocket salad?”

Chef Duangporn “Bo” Songsiva, of Bo.lan, who won Asia’s Best Female Chef award from Veuve Cliquot, is tired of people complaining about expensive Thai food.

“People love each other less because of the internet.”

Sawika “Pinky” Chaidej, who was embroiled in a sex scandal as she was starring in the steamy Jan Dara movie.

BUKRUK

The Bukruk Street Art Festival showcased some of the most exciting and accessible art this city has ever known, from four-story-tall graffiti around Ratchatewi to a moody exhibition inside BACC. It was also Mamafaka’s crowning moment, alongside Alex Face and P.7. Later in the year, Mamafaka tragically drowned in Phuket, at the age of 34.

B2.2 trillion

Cost of the government’s new infrastructure projects, which would come under heavy criticism as the year rumbled on.

Jan Dara 2

The second and final installment of ML Bhandewanop Devakul’s remake of the erotically-charged novel (and film) Jan Dara 2  was somehow even worse than part 1. Mario Maurer’s mustache certainly didn’t help.

Fingering

A tomboy on a quest to better pleasure her partner. Starring internet idol Emmy Dewa.

“Thai fashion labels are run by rich kids who oversee both the design and business.”

Kullawit “Ford” Laosuksri, who quit Elle for the launch of Vogue Thailand, on the state of Thailand’s fashion world. 

Paramore

They shot to global fame for their song “Decode” on the Twilight soundtrack, which might explain why no one at BK actually went to see them.

Hotel Art Fair

Bangkok’s best galleries took over the Maduzi hotel for two short days, exhibiting their art in the luxuriously decorated rooms. Suitably boozy, the launch party mixed the arty and the hiso, reminding the latter of just how cool art can be.

Craft Beer’s Second Wave

Technically, Beervana landed in Bangkok in 2012. But early 2013 saw the craft beer trend spreading to just about everywhere, and diversifying, with beer pairing dinners at Little Beast, draft beer from Brewerkz landing at Smith and Hopsession bringing in Danish brews Mikkeler, Bogedal and mead.

Thee Oh Sees

The first of many excellent gigs put on by the Popscene boys this year.

Chef’s Tables

Park Society, Beaulieu, Smith, Water Library—one of the big new trends for 2013 was eating in the chef’s kitchen.

MARCH

MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra

The incumbent is reelected governor, beating Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen by 1,254,111 votes to 1,074,677, despite exit polls that announced just the opposite. DJ Suharit (Suharit Siamwalla) captured the imaginations of Bangkok’s cool kids but not their votes.

เดี่ยว 10

Season 10 of comedian Nose Udom's one-man show made the booking system blow up. It was sold out within hours.

Independent Coffee Shops

Another trend that blossomed in 2012 and went into overdrive in 2013 with Casa Lapin, Ceresia and One Ounce for Onion all notable openings.

25

Years since Coca-Cola was last the number 1 soft drink in Thailand, a spot it reclaimed in February thanks to the Est-Pepsi feud.

63%

Voter turnout for the gubernatorial election, a 12 point improvement over the 2009 election.

0

Days “Mu Ham” is sentenced to jail for ramming his Mercedes into a bus stop, killing one woman and injuring two others. 

Appia

Jarret Wrisley of Soul Food Mahanakorn on Thonglor teams up with Chef Paolo Vitaletti to open a trattoria doing “Roman-style family recipes." The result is one of the best openings of 2013.

Top Tables

And this year’s winners are, in order, Nahm, Le Beaulieu, Quince, The Water Library Thonglor, Bo.lan, Eat Me, Gaggan, Mugendai, Issaya and Supanniga.

Paste

Chef couple Bongkoch Satongun and Jason Baily dare to bring their personal touch to Thai cuisine, making for tasty and delicate results. 

9am-4pm

Time during which the MRT shut down escalators to save energy as temperatures soared and Burma struggled to keep up with its neighbor’s skyrocketing gas consumption. Global warming is upon us, and it is sticky.

APRIL

Tim Hetherington: Infidel

A combination of documentary footage and photographs from the Oscar-nominated filmmaker, who was killed in a mortar attack in Libya in 2011. A haunting exhibition that was beautifully set up, it also coincided with the WTF Festival, a smashing two-day party commemorating the bar-slash-gallery’s three-year anniversary.

Boundary

After premiering at the Berlin Film Festival last year and being selected as the opening movie for our own Salaya Documentary Festival, Boundary is the latest film to get banned and then censored. Director Nontawat Numbenchapol is made to mute some dialogue before it can finally be screened.

Opposite Mess Hall

There were pop-ups, the WTF birthday nibbles and then finally Jess Barnes, having quit Quince, opened his little bar-slash-restaurant for real. It was packed from day one, but BK still wrote about its awesomeness again and again and again before concluding in the actual review, “Yeah, it’s really good, but kinda pricey.” Opposite probably changed dining in Bangkok forever, though. Not only is there now a burger truck in Soi 38 (Daniel Thaiger), but these are the places Bangkokians are excited about, not the latest swanky restaurant with sexy waitresses and three different foie gras appetizers.

Sol’s New Soul 

Opened a few years ago, the intimate Sol Space (entry is usually limited to 150 tickets) suddenly had a revival in 2013, hosting experimental Berlin-based electro musician Kangding Ray in January, Dirty Beaches in February to Japanese noise-rock provocateurs Melt Banana in April.

“I was shocked.”

Pongsathorn “Puak” Jongwilas on Pee Mak’s incredible success at the box office.

gCircuit 

Songkran has become synonymous with shirtless ladyboys getting fined B500 by the cops and gay guys from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore paying B3,200 for a chance to do the same at gCircuit, the electronic dance music party which danced and soaked its way through Imperial’s Queen’s Park, Sofitel So, Zen and Renaissance. 

The Radio Dept.

The Swedish dream pop band takes over a Sonic Ekkamai that's jam-packed with Bangkok's finest looking indie-folk. 

B1 Billion

Revenue it generated in movie theaters.

B50 million

Cost of making and promoting ghost comedy Pee Mak Phra Khanong.

MAY

“So many temptations could have led me astray.”

Baitoey R. Siam, telling BK about living alone in Bangkok, just as “Rak Tong Perd (Nan Oak)” reached four million YouTube views in six days.

Dodos & Deftones

Two big bands back to back at Centerpoint Studio only five days apart. Bangkok is really rocking!

“The page didn’t grow gradually. It was an instant hit.”

The anonymous creator of Jay the Rabbit, a humorous character appearing in comics on Facebook (446,000 today) telling BK about Jay’s meteoric rise to social media stardom.

Makkasan Hope

The State Railway, looking to alleviate its B100 billion debt, announces plans to redevelop the 500-rai acre plot next to the Makkasan Airport Link station. A group of concerned citizens under the name Makkasan Hope fight back for the development to include a park and throw a big concert to raise public awareness. Read our cover story on the matter.

Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit 

"It’s too far," people told the cool, Indian brother-and-sister duo behind this venture when they snapped up a piece of land by Sukhumvit Soi 57. Three years later, Thonglor has boomed and a rooftop venue, Octave, was the only thing missing in the ‘hood.

Well played.

“There is corruption, injustice and they take advantage of good people.”

Wuttipat Krasaensith, telling BK why he joined the anti-government protests and chose to wear the Guy Fawkes mask.

Sala Rattanakosin

Half of the renovated four-story building is dedicated to wining and dining, making the place a “restaurant with guestrooms.” Décor is minimal black and white. Food is Thai. The views of Wat Arun are stunning.

James Jirayu

Which clean cut Khun Chai will win your heart? Rewatch all five chapters of Suparpburut Juthathep to find out­—definitely the biggest TV hit of the year.

4G

Finally. It’s here. Now you can blame the fact that your internet is still painfully slow on your provider, instead of the government.

Guy Fawkes

The masks go viral. Pheu Thai threatens to ban them. Now if only Yingluck had known that the British terrorist who attempted to blow up the parliament (and the king ironically) was the start of something much, much bigger...

JUNE

Buffalo’s Heart

Maitree Siriboon, another internationally recognized artist, this time in the field of visual arts, takes an affectionate look at Thailand as a farming nation undergoing rapid change. 

High on Rice

The government bought a lot of rice, but it doesn’t know how much—a few hundred billion baht worth? 

Unwrapping Culture

No cultural overview of our city in 2013 would be complete without celebrated choreographer Pichet Klunchun. Unwrapping Culture was his most political show of the year, a solo performance at Tonson Gallery that fiercely criticized Thailand’s inherent violence versus its mask of politeness. 

Jet Set Monk

A video of monk Wirapol "Naen Kham" Sukphol on a private jet with bling-y sunglasses, state-of-the-art headphones and luxury leather bags goes viral. As the story unfolds, pictures of him having sex and tens of millions of baht in his bank accounts are revealed. The monk has still not returned to Thailand to face justice.

IT City

The digital business scene really took off this year, with Ardent Capital and Rocket Internet funding a bunch of tech startups, Thais taking to online shopping en masse and co-working spaces like Hubba and Launchpad popping up all over town.

Paradoxocracy

Given the touchy subject matter, we expected Pen-Ek Rattanarueng’s doco to be a bit more thrilling. But there’s just so many academic talking heads our short attention span can take. No wonder this film didn’t get banned.

“Bangkok is a much more interesting place to launch a digital e-commerce business than, say, Singapore.”

Dr. Adrian Vanzyl, CEO of Ardent Capital, talking to BK about why his digital venture capital company chose Bangkok as its base.

Talad Rodfai

One morning, bulldozers from the SRT showed up and that was the end of the beloved vintage market. A new location was offered, but was soon plagued by gangsters trying to run the show. Eventually it moved behind Seacon Square way out on Srinakarin Road.

Night Shift

Artists like Ohm Panphiroj and P7 show off Bangkok’s dark underbelly in an exhibition at Rooftop Gallery that celebrates nightlife.

“It’s grown really fast as more girls discover we are a gay couple.”

@theo_akira and @gusbanana, who together have over 233,000 Instagram followers, telling BK about the Y-Girl phenomenon which saw “girls” become obsessed with gay boys. Later that year, Tood Diary would prove just as successful.

“Girls are the ones that ask guys to have sex with them and they do it at home with their parents in the house.”

Songyot “Yong” Sukmakanan, the director of the hit TV series Hormones, telling BK about the research he did before starting the show.

JULY

“With a patchy plot, several simply unbelievable scenes and lots of forced dialogue, it’s hard to feel an emotional connection with the characters,”

BK’s Thitipol Panyalimpanun writes of Sarawat Mha Bha, the directorial debut of Chalermchatri Adam Yukon, the son of Prince Chatrichalerm Yukon (Suriyothai, King Naresuan).

Iron Fairies Moves

Twice the size and only a few shophouses down from the original, Ashley Sutton’s mad ode to fairies and ore mining opens its doors. Perhaps not as intimate, it still manages to retain much of its whimsical charm.

Rayong Oil Spill

Parts of Koh Samet get covered in crude oil, wildlife dies off, tourists pack up. One month later, when we first returned, Samet was still recovering. When things started to look all cleaned up, reports of water contamination and dying sea life popped up.

Ice Ice Baby

A picture of Hormone's actress Sutatta “Punpun” Udomsilp, 16, doing ice goes viral. Punpun goes on to win an award for her contributions to society from the Thunva Maharaj Foundation.

Thanaphop “Tor” Leerattanakajorn

The young actor shoots to fame from his starring role in the runaway cable TV smash Hormones, in which he’s cast as Pai, a hot-tempered student who is involved in crime, fights and sexual conquests. The series quickly becomes a teen favorite, garnering more than a million views for each episode on YouTube. As for Tor, he’s the new teen heartthrob, appearing in a music video for Getsunova and gracing numerous magazine covers.

Cloud 47

The food isn’t all that great. The service is atrocious. But the views are amazing and the prices perfectly reasonable, unlike Sirocco or Vertigo.

The Aston Dining Room

Chef Zra Jirarath leaves the Crystal Design Center to open an even more ambitious restaurant both in terms of its jungle-meets-industrial facade and its set menu of molecular cuisine.

Sexy Pancake Heats Up

A rural response to Mae Baan Mee Nuad? The Sexy Pancake facebook page launches in May and by July has gone viral with over 600,000 likes. The cross-dressing laborer who likes to strike sexy poses against rice paddies, tractors or buffalos now has over one million fans.

“Don’t give up, even when things seems hopeless.”

Vithaya Pansringarm, speaking to BK about his role in Only God Forgives, for which he began to train two years before shooting could begin.

Riding the Brunch Rocket

Of all the new café-cum-brunch spots to have popped up all over town, Rocket is one of the best executed, with a classic décor, tasty sandwiches and single-origin coffees. At roughly the same time, Tribeca launched in Thonglor, with a cool décor and lackluster brunch offerings. Riding on the coattails of Hyde & Seek and Smith, and soon joined by Opposite, then Quince, these standalones had Bangkok drowning in Hollandaise in 2013.

AUGUST

Whitespace

Having packed up their digs at Lido in Siam Square, the gallery from David Mayer’s architecture and interior design company Whitespace (the masterminds behind the design of hip venues like Tribeca Restobar and Mellow) reopens in Sala Daeng Soi 1, curated by Maitree Siriboon.

Pawn Shop

Closeups of Noi Pru shouting back at a ghost can only get you so far. Better luck next time, director Pharm Rangsi, who should release another ghost flick, Sayong Songbuntud, early next year.

Tang Wong

Director Kongdej Jaturanrasamee follows up his first indie film, P-047, with a comedy, which follows four high-school boys who, in praying that they achieve their dreams, promise to repay their good fortune by doing a Thai dance. 

Transaction

A highly conceptual, interactive production from Thanapol “Dtam” Wirunhakul, which blends economics and contemporary dance.

Sonic Bang

It was a really random event with little or no sense of atmosphere outside the individual stages but the fantastic Secret Disco and crowd-pleasing performances by the likes of Pitbull and Jason Mraz toppled by a pop masterclass by the Pet Shop Boys made it one of the events of the year best music.

Porn in Parliament

Democrat MP Nat Bantadtan is busted oggling naked ladies on his phone. Then more porn pops up on the projector in parliament. The events are unrelated, though, clearly just a side-effect of the massive amounts of porn being browsed by MPs on any average day.

Maya

This new Indian restaurant on the 29th floor of the Holiday Inn Sukhumvit 22 serves up North Indian cusine by Chef Ramneek Singh Lamba and a great view.

“What good has this education system done for us? I don’t see anything.”

Student activist Nethiwit “Frank” Chotpatpaisan, speaking to BK about Thai schools as his crusade against the system’s rigidity gained increased attention. By November, he was awarded the Human Rights Youth Award by the National Human Rights Commission, but refused to accept it, suggesting it go to a victim of the lese majeste law instead.

Haus 20 Design and Dine

One of the founders, Anucha “Off“ Ochareon, introduced us to Rat Records with his electro-punk project Dot’s electrifying single “Another Lie,” which shot up the Fat Radio top 40 chart earlier this year. The second artist on the roster is Part Time Musicians, a folk trio who caused a stir with their latest release, “Would You Mind?” featuring Chladni Chandi. What really seals the deal for us, though, is the Rat Records’ HQ-cum-rockin’-live-venue Haus20 Design and Dine, one of the coolest places to catch indie gigs in Bangkok this year.

Simple.

After working at Bo.lan and Appia, young chef Natcha Chatlaong has struck out on her own with this organic grocers-slash-café-slash-restaurant. 

“The feeling was, ‘What the hell is this place?’”

Sanya Souvanna Phouma speaks to BK about the rise and fall of Bed Supperclub, which closed on Aug 31 after 12 years of operation. Its closure prompted an outpouring of grief on our Facebook page as we broke the story.

SEPTEMBER

Justin Bieber

We’ve never heard of him but apparently he’s famous in America and drew quite a crowd of teens at Impact.

Booze Tax Hike Announcement

The amnesty we could deal with, the amendment we could accept, but this, Yingluck, really pissed us off. Don’t touch our drink!

B1 million

Amount pop star Baitoey R Siam was paid to perform at two parties for exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong.

Pun Pun Bike Sharing

Bangkok finally gets a bicycle rental system just like those hiso cities like Paris and London. Now if our office buildings could get showers, things would be perfect. Oh, and do you remember the water bottle scandal in the wake of Car-Free Day, when pictures were posted showing how tree-hugging bicyclists were horrible litterers? Their response: “There weren’t any bins.”

Somchai Ninsri

This December’s Thailand’s Got Talent winner, a meatball seller from Pattani, was criticized as winning because of his humble background. And so was the first TGT winner, who composes songs to bring peace to the South.

Mae Wong Dam Protests

These massive protests were clearly a portent of things to come. And, here too, the mostly Bangkokian and middle-class protesters got what they asked for: the government discarded the proposal by the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to build the dam.

Derailments

This was a bad year for trains in Thailand. And in September, the 114 derailments (thus far) were blamed on a damaged painting of a locomotive at the State Railway of Thailand headquarters. Apparently fixing the painting didn’t help, since Governor Prapat would actually derail himself a couple months later while on board a PR tour meant to show the press everything is now fixed.

OCTOBER

Karaoke Girl

This blend of documentary and fiction by director Visra Vichit-Vadakarn won the Emerging International Filmmaker Award at London’s Open City Docs Fest 2013 for its sensitive and gripping portrayal of Sa, an escort girl who works in a karaoke bar to support her family upcountry. We gave it four stars, too.

The Remains

B-Floor veteran director Teerawat “Kage” Mulvilai introduces a series of political plays performed in collaboration with Thammasat University’s students to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the student uprising of Oct 14, 1973. 

105

Cars towed during the first three weeks of the police's policy to fix traffic.

On the Tightrope

Jitti Chompee puts on his most elaborate production yet, which sees Nathan Harrow and Leo Fabre-Cartier playing a saxophone and an oud (an Arabian stringed instrument) live, while Chompee’s dancers mixed khon and acrobatics.

Starbung Vs. Starbucks

Humble Muslim coffee seller Damrong Maslae attracts the ire of global corporation Starbucks for his green logo clearly inspired by the American mermaid. Threatened with a B300,000 lawsuit, Damrong didn’t budge at first, but finally settled out of court and changed his logo.

Kaze and Co.

The amount of Japanese restaurants to have opened this year is just insane. Kaze was one of the more notable arrivals. Its mix of marble and wood shows off a handsome sushi bar where the chef whips up lightly battered tempura and tender Kagishima beef.

“Haters are good at finding little things to hate.If you hate someone, even their breathing will annoy you.”

Kratae RSiam, speaking to BK about recent hate campaigns against her on social media, as she released “Tuet,” her latest single.

Tom Yum Goong 2

We love Tony Jaa, and we realize this is an action movie, and yeah the fights were kick-ass, but could Tom Yum Goong have been a little bit less moronic?

Rain

BK’s official bulletin: it rained, like a LOT in Bangkok this year.

Is Am Are

Three short movies directed by three new directors veteran actress and model Patsaweepitch Sornakarapa, Chulalongkorn film professor Ruksarn Viwatsinudom and Pagasit Pattarateranon.

Ku De Ta

With several clubs, restaurants and private rooms occupying the top two floors of Sathorn Square, Ku De Ta was one of the most hyped nightlife arrivals in years—and one of the most delayed. Ku De Ta's key selling point is its views although it is almost entirely indoors except for a small terrace for smokers. Eventually, there will be three restaurants, seven themed bars, two clubs and some private event spaces. Currently, only the first floor is open, though, with Ku Bar, Izakaya (a Japanese robatayaki and ramen bar restaurant), Signature (modern Asian dining), Club Lounge and Sound Garden (live band).

Fat Radio

The writing had been on the wall since they changed FM bands late last year, then postponed the Fat T-Shirt festival multiple times. Finally, money problems caused them to go off-air Oct 25 but they can still be heard online at www.vr1media.com

NOVEMBER

The Rocket

Screened at CentralWorld’s World Film Festival, set amid the picturesque rural landscape of Laos and starring Thai comedian Thep Phongam, the film follows the eventful quest of 10-year-old boy Ahlo (Sitthiphon Disamoe), deemed a jinx by everyone around him, to prove them wrong by entering a rocket festival with his own contraption. It won Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best Debut Film at the Berlin International Film Festival. 

Kook Khao

We got so fed up with hearing this single in every pub, but Cocktail did get 38 million views for their effort.

“I just wanted to use sex as a tool to communicate that uniforms are controlling our true identity.”

Sara Chuichai, aka Aum Neko, speaking to BK about the controversy she stirred by striking a sexy pose next to the statue of Pridi Panomyong, the founder of Thammasat, where she studies.

Lang Ling (The Aerialist)

Leng Rachanikorn Kaewdee, the winner of Thailand’s Got Talent 2012, blends acrobatic gymnastics with the tale of the Ramayana, featuring guest performers Katreeya English, Tanya Tanyares, Nook Sutthida, Ja Yossinee and the 2008 World Yoga Champion Ball Rattanapong.

“People never took to the streets this fast and with such big numbers. The parliament passed the bill on Nov 1 at 4:25am. The next morning, there were thousands of people on the streets.”

Manna Nimitmongkol, director of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT), talking to BK about his fight against crooked politicians. 

Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy

Drawing inspiration from a Twitter stream, Director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (36) latest film tells the story of high school senior Mary (Patcha Poonpiriya) as she struggles to come to grips with a number of strange events. 

Two Door Cinema Club

The long awaited (by Thai fans) and globally hyped indie trio cancels due to a sore throat. Thousands of hearts weep in the Bangkok night. But Bonaparte put on a spectacle at their out there gig at Cosmic!

Protests

The protesters are back! And we’ve never seen so many of them since May 2010! But wait. They’re not in red. And they have whistles, now. What was definitely new this time around was also the protest selfies trend on Facebook, showing that expert duck pouts and political convictions are not mutually exclusive. Also, let’s not forget that it worked. Both the constitutional amendment to make the senate elected and the amnesty bill to bring Thaksin back home were shelved. In December, Yingluck even dissolved the parliament.

Wild Nothing

Concert promoters extraordinaire Have You Heard? mark their second anniversary with four bands from four countries: Part Time Musicians (Thailand), Veronica Falls (UK), Last Dinosaurs (Australia) and the buzzing dream pop prince Jack Tatum aka Wild Nothing. 

The Cribs

The British garage band, led by twins Gary and Ryan Jarman makes its Bangkok debut with some new material as well as old crowd favorites like "Men's Needs" and "Hey Scenesters." With the crowd surfing and top-notch performance, the temperature quickly rose, leading Gary to peel off his t-shirt, Justin Bieber-style.

“Administrations want people to be stupid.”

Thida Thavornseth, leader of the Red Shirts, speaking to BK about her opposition to the amnesty bill.

Inhabitation

This group exhibition curated by Dhanainun Dhanarachwattana showcased the works of emerging photographers Rasiguet Sookkarn, Withit Chanthamarit, Soopakorn Srisakul, Tawatchai Pattanaporn and Dhanainun Dhanarachwattana. It defined a generation of contemporary Thai photographers and their vision of everyday Thailand, without the usual archetypes.

The Isthmus 

Written and directed by two university film lecturers, Sopawan Boonnimitra and Peerachai Kerdsint, and starring Sangthong Gate U-Thong, it tells the story of a mother, Da, who after her Burmese maid dies, sees her eight-year-old daughter mysteriously lose her mother tongue and speak only Burmese. Sa takes her little girl to a Burmese doctor in Ranong where they encounter a different world within the Burmese community.

"Sorry I had sex"

Boy Pakorn has sex with some woman in Korea—your garden-variety consensual straight adult sex in bed—and is forced to apologize for being such a huge disappointment.

Bangkok Betty

Ashley Sutton’s latest creation has a back story that conjures up 1940s America, its pin-up girls, love of chrome, and the young nation’s fondness for weapons of mass destruction. Hence, its decor is meant to evoke a bomb factory, with deadly chrome cylinders of all sizes the recurring motif.

DECEMBER

Hiso Markets

It started with the farmer’s market at Bo.lan, then Big Bite at Maduzi, Spring Epicurean at Spring Summer and a bunch of themed markets at K Village. Finally, with property developer Sansiri doing their own thing at San Samran bridge, we had three gifty, crafty and foodie markets on the same weekend. How gentrified you’ve become, Bangkok, with all your sourdough and homemade terrines.

#prayforthailand

It must be the cooler weather, as protesters get mystical in their fight against the government.

Big Mountain

The biggest out-of-town music festival in the country saw 200 Thai and international artists playing to a crowd of over 14,000 revelers. Our top picks: Austra, Prince Fatty and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Yellow Fang

The much-loved indie trio finally release an album, The Greatest, which actually deserves its title. And the rocking launch party, with glam-pop prince Mac DeMarco, was a fitting celebration.

Being a chef wasn’t my first choice. I had to help my stepmom at Sa-Nguan Sri restaurant, in Ploen Chit. I dreamed of being a diplomat as I was inspired by the diplomats who always ate at our place. So I studied diplomacy at Ramkhamhaeng University. 

At the time, I sold cigarettes illegally with my friends at pubs around Bangkok and we got caught. I had to pool all my savings, about B600,000, to pay the fine. I was so depressed. So when I got an offer to work at a restaurant, I just took it. 

It was Blue Elephant in Copenhagen. I had this small hope that if I went, I might be able to continue my diplomatic studies at Oxford. 

Don’t depend on others; you should be able to do most things yourself. The abbot at a Thai temple in Denmark told me this. I was asking for advice after I was offered the chef position at Blue Elephant for another five years. I was reluctant to accept as I wanted to continue my education. I finally said yes because I felt the job really suited me. 

Being on top can give you cold feet. I was appointed chef at just 19 years old and had to manage staff who were all at least 10 years older than me. It was hard to gain their trust. And when you’re the boss, who can you ask for advice? 

Being observant and showing attention to detail are my ways to gain people’s trust. 

You don’t need to do everything better than others but you must know more than others. I finally came back to work at Blue Elephant in Thailand for another six years, before founding Thai Cuisine Connections (TCCC), which gives advice to restaurants abroad.

I was nearly burnt to death. My worst kitchen nightmare happened five years ago with a gas leak at a fair where I’d set up a mobile kitchen. When I tried to stop the leak, a big fireball engulfed me and my colleagues. My face and hands were all burnt. Luckily it was not that serious. But I could smell my burnt flesh. I’m still scared every time I hear a loud bang.

Cooking is meditation for me. I can fully concentrate and enjoy being creative at the same time. Serving people good food is like making merit, too.

Taste is everything with food. Participating in Iron Chef reinforced my opinion that no matter how fast you can make something or how good looking your dish is, it’s worth nothing if it’s not delicious.

Namprik platu is my favorite dish. I’ve always enjoyed eating chili paste with fried mackerel. It’s a nostalgic thing from when my mom used to make it for me. When I do it, I mash the fish meat into the rice like pet food. It’s superb.

I welcome the arrival of Michelin chefs in Bangkok. I’m sure that we are one of the top cities for gastronomy, so I think it will be good to see more restaurants get inspired to go to the next level. 

Mass production destroys the attributes of Thai herbs. I grow all my own basil, sweet basil and lemongrass because they’re so much more aromatic. 

It’s terrible that Thai people don’t have much chance to consume our great quality products as they’re all exported. We only get the normal products to eat here. But I will use the very best ingredients at my new place, Siam Wisdoms. Many people are doubting my ambition because these ingredients are expensive, but I will prove them wrong.

The best Thai restaurants in the world can’t be anywhere else but in Thailand. We have everything here to create the greatest Thai food. 

Thai fine dining isn’t just putting good looking pad Thai on a plate. There might not be that much difference in taste between a B50 or B500 pad Thai, but fine dining must combine great service, atmosphere, the very best ingredients and, of course, the chef’s creativity.

I have no doubt that some street food stalls are truly delicious, but they don’t have the same atmosphere as a fine dining venue. So it’s all about choice.

Thai food is about rounded-flavors. For me, it’s not about which recipes are the authentic ones, as all families have their secret recipes, especially at aristocratic homes. 

Food is alive. It changes over time. Thai food is a dynamic mix of Chinese, Indian and Khmer cuisines, cultures and traditions. The climate is also a factor. Because the weather is hotter here, it makes people crave sweetness.

I love to collect cookbooks. The oldest one that I have is a French cookbook from the 18th century, while the earliest Thai one I have is Mae Krua Hua Pah, which was first written in 1908.

I dream to open a Thai cooking school that can be one of the best ever as I will gather the great Thai chefs to teach there.

There is no reaching the summit in this profession. New generations always come up, and they have more passion, so you need to keep advancing yourself.

What did you do before?

I used to work in a company as a marketing officer but I quit after eight years to become a taxi driver. I just got bored in the corporate system and wanted to do something where I could meet people directly. Driving a cab you meet different kinds of folk, from high to low class: construction workers, white collars, celebrities and even politicians. I could have gone on doing that for years.

You must have gotten your share of drunks.

Yes. The worst is when they run away without paying.

So how did you become a driver at U Drink I Drive?

I saw this commercial on very late at night on Channel 3. So I just applied. I’ve worked here for four months now.

Did you have to train before driving your customers’ high-end cars?

Taxis are all Japanese so I was sent off to Limousine Express, which is the partner of the company, to try my hand at driving expensive European autos like Mercedes, BMWs or MINIs.

Any favorites?

I love both Mercedes and BMW. I love the SLK most, both in terms of maneuverability and speed. BMW is kind of more fun to drive, though, as the acceleration usually has more kick than Mercedes. 

Where are the hottest spots?

Fallabella. I must pick up a customer there at least once a night. It’s always crowded. Other hotspots are around Thonglor Soi 10 and Ekkamai, at places like Funky Villa, MUSE, Nanglen. Many of our customers have already gotten busted for drunk driving before so they don’t want to get in trouble again. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest. I have 3-5 customers from 9pm-5am. 

Any memorable customers?

This one girl, who was so drunk the guys at RCA told her she was too drunk to drive home and called me. I drove her back to her condo. She was barely able to walk straight so I asked her if she’d be OK and if she needed me to take her stuff back to her room, like her laptop and bags. I ended up having to carry everything—including her. That’s our service. We treat customers like our family. And we also have small camera attached to our ear, so friends or family of the customers can monitor the situation, too. So the next day, she asked her friends, “How did I get home?” And they told her about U Drink I Drive. She was really surprised and intrigued so she called us to find out about the service.

Any message for those who are still drunk driving?

If you plan to drink, just use public transport. It’s the best option. But for ladies, I understand that there is safety issue, so ask a friend to drive you home or just call us. 

Rates are B500 for 0-5 kilometers, B550 for 5-10 kilometers, B600 for 10-15 kilometers, up to B1,500 for 50 kilometers. 091-080-9108 or  www.udrinkidrive.co.th 

Can you explain how the process works? 

Five performers eavesdrop on conversations within the event and steal—or borrow—people’s words. Then they uploaded those collected lines in real-time on the exhibition’s Facebook page. The performers also took turns to read them out loud on an amplifier to the crowd.

What inspired you to come up with this idea?

I had worked on performance art before, and I wondered, why should performance art be done at all when society already pressures us to perform all the time. What’s the use of it? The work here serves as a feedback loop to the existing performance. It’s performed performance, with action that doesn’t act. My interest is in what art can do, to be critical.

What do people take from it?

The work offers people a moment to step back and re-examine things out of context. Not only that, the exhibition features many works that make bold political statements, but there are also politics within the viewers. It’s like watching a DVD and the disc stutters. That moment kind of pulls you out of the moment. It’s not a moment of enlightenment, but of being lost. 

So it’s not really about making a statement.

Actually, I think my work annoyed the attendants at the time; it was like bothersome flies. There’s a comedic side to the performance because, in fact, it can be deemed cruel or even antagonistic as you had people drinking, chatting in front of the politically-serious art. But our work doesn’t look to criticize what people did on the day. It’s just a concept. Instead of putting a mirror somewhere, we take the mirror to people. 

What can we read into the words collected?

We had a wide range of words from “I’ll have beer,” “fatter,” “looks like your sister” to “yellow shirt is below. The red shirt is up there.” But even simple lines like “congratulations,” “great work” or “hi, how are you?” are a form of politics. 

Dek Hi-So: Selfies BBQ

It’s a Sunday afternoon; the sun is shining through your Tom Ford sunglasses and there’s a spring in your step. It’s the perfect weather for an outdoor BBQ party at your daddy’s seven-bedroom house in the Sukhumvit ‘hood. Your elite group of friends roll over from Thonglor in their new Audi Q5, or Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition, heck, even a humble Mini Clubman. You're no snob. Snarky girlfriends walk in with their new Balenciagas, dressed in American Apparel Disco Pants and cropped tops. Guys show off their Tod's and Ralph Lauren polo shirts. This BBQ will be the talk of the town. 

Hipster Party: House Gig Chic

Too broke for Stone Free ‘cos you blew all your cash on a ticket and an overpriced hostel for Laneway Festival in Singapore? Not to worry, a friend of a friend knows the organizers and… Anyway, wasn’t it a blast at Clockenflap in Hong Kong? You bumped into [insert band name here] at the after-party and they said they’d love to come play Bangkok this weekend! No venue? Sounds like just the excuse for a house party. OK, maybe Tegan and Sara won’t turn up, but here’s how to get things stylishly swinging at home.

Q&A Somrak Sila, WTF Bar & Gallery Owner

What makes the best house party? Lots and lots of booze, cushions and a bit of improvised lighting.   If you could invite any band to perform at your party, who would it be? Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes. I just saw them recently. Their energy is massive—it’s like seeing an evangelical preacher.   Top 3 tracks for a rocking house party. 1. “Home” - LCD Soundsystem 2. “Home” - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros 3. “Bangkok” - Alex Chilton 4. "Need You Know" - Cut Copy 5. Any track by Sound of Siam

Maft Sai,  DJ and Zudrangma Records founder

What makes the best house party? Good sound system, music and friends.   If you could invite any band to perform at your party, who would it be? Locally, The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band with Waipod Petchsuphan or Chaweewan Dumnern. Internationally, Hailu Mergia & The Wallias Band.   Top 3 tracks for a rocking house party. 1. “House Party” - Fred Wesley 2. “Porry” - Sorry Bamba 3. “Zoumana” - Horoya Band National 4. "Freedom Sound" - Skatalites 5. "Kao Mai Rak Rao Rhok" - Sroeng Santi

Why did you dump Sathorn district to live in the old town?

I’ve always wished I was born 100 years ago. It’s a beautiful era. That’s why I always love to travel around to nostalgic towns like Luang Prabang in Laos, Bagan in Myanmar and Hoi An in Vietnam, where I got married to my wife. We both love old towns. When I started building The Siam Hotel in Dusit district, I realized that our family owned an old building in the old town, too. It’s right in front of Rommaneenat Park. It used to be the office of my family business but was abandoned and became derelict. No one had lived there for more than 60 years.

How has your family adjusted to the area?

It’s really easy. Apart from the inconvenience of renovating the house while we’re living here, we don’t have anything to complain about. If you ask my kids [six and four years old], who were used to living in a condo in Sathorn, they’ll say they never want to move anywhere else. Though my house sits right on the main street [Mahachai Road], I’m so comfortable. If people look up to my window on the second floor, they might see me walking around in my underwear!

Is it convenient?

I’m lucky that my workplace, The Siam, is close to my house and also close to my kid’s school. So we can be at both places within 20-30 minutes in normal traffic. But it’s a bit tricky to get into the city. I don’t really go to the city center unless I have work there. I haven’t been to Thonglor in ages.

What is the great charm of the area?

This area was once the Sukhumvit of Bangkok. For someone like me, who used to live in New York, it’s the Bangkok version of Soho. It’s bustling during the day but in the evenings, it’s really peaceful—not only my house, the whole district. I love the fact that when I walk down the street, I see people sitting in front of their houses chatting to each other. I often have a chat with my neighbors. It builds trust in the community, seeing the faces of the people around you. That’s what we need in Bangkok. We’ve lost this.

How do you feel about the arrival of the MRT?

I think it will benefit everyone. It will save people time—time we should spend on other things we love, like family. I’m lucky now that this area doesn’t have too much traffic, though.

What are your favorite places around the area?

There are many. For eating, Seven Spoons and Brown Sugar are my favorites. At Seven Spoons, I love their tapas appetizers, which are both good and cheap. I also enjoy strolling around Saphanlek where there are toys and games for sale. I always stop to sip coffee at SOHO Coffee—good coffee for just B35. But my favorite place in the area is Klong Thom Market. I walk around there every weekend looking for antiques and old stuff to add to my collection.

What’s so charming about your neighborhood?

Things don’t change much around here. The bars on Phra Arthit might change but my neighbors are mostly the same people I’ve been saying hello to since I was a kid. It’s not as hectic as along Sukhumvit. You can also enjoy the arts very easily, here: from temples to museums, classical Thai music and even the cute old lifestyle of people on my soi. I’m really lucky living here.

What’s made you appreciate art so much?

I was raised in a family of artists. My great grandfather was one of the first people who took care of the Fine Arts Department. There have been Thai dancers, musicians and writers in this house. Basically, this neighborhood has been my place of learning.

You had an office life before; was it hard commuting into the center of town?

The hardest part of living here might be getting around. I used to work in Silom and my record for being on time wasn’t too pretty. Public transport is not punctual, though public boats are your safest bet. But even when I had an office life, the good outweighed the bad by far. Going to the park—watching old people exercising, foreigners juggling, smelling the river [which doesn't stink here] and listening to the waves lap the bank. The parks are essential. It’s where locals meet and interact.

Do you miss being in the city?

Only when I want to see a movie. One thing you really don’t have in the old town is luxury­—but not everyone needs it. For me, I have to trek a bit further for a slice of cheesecake as the nearest mall, Tang Hua Seng, offers only khao mak [fermented rice].

What are your favorite things to do in the old town?

I recommend going to the National Museum. Not so many Thais visit the place. It’s not trendy but it’s got a very charming vibe with its big lotus pond. It’s very quiet there. Taking a boat on a canal tour is also one of my favorite things to do with my dad. Thais don’t know much about it, but it’s amazing.

Favorite eating spots?

Khao Gaeng Raan Pen on Rambuttri Road and Aa Aisa’s khao mok nuea [beef with biryani rice] and guay tiew gaeng [noodles in curry]. For more proper places, I usually go to Escapade Burgers & Shakes for their burgers or Seven Spoons. The food is so delicious there and you’ve got some good bars, great jazz and top coffee just around the corner.

What’s behind the sense of community here?

I think it has been built from the beginning. During certain festivals, we do some activities together, like making merit. During the film festival, people even open up their homes for screenings. It’s like we’ve preserved the culture of a village. People have respect for each other. If someone wants to change their place into a guesthouse, they would come tell us directly. I think that’s pretty rare. I think it’s because there are hardly any new faces moving in. In the city, people might just move in for the short-term, so they don’t have that sense of attachment. Here, we know there’s a story we all share and we’re proud of it.

What are your neighbors like?

If you grew up here, you can choose to be anything you want. You can be yourself. This freedom allows for lots of different characters and personalities.

Have you ever thought about moving elsewhere?

We were once offered lots of money for our place. But there’s nowhere we could get a house like this. The biggest tree in our house, my dad planted it when he was a kid and it’s grown up with him. I've planted one myself, too.

BK ASKS

What do you like most about your neighborhood?

Michael Biedassek    co-founder of Bangkokvanguards,   lives near Dinsor       I like that we have building regulations in the area, which mean that there’s no skyscrapers and you find old buildings dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Then there is the village atmosphere, with certain people being known for specializing in specific crafts such as the production of utensils or Buddhist sculptures. It’s a rich community that keeps growing organically.

Chanod Tangsin   28, business owner, lives in Pom Prap Sattru Phai        Nothing is new here and that‘s what’s charming about it. Also, no place is isolated. Everything is close by so it’s easy for me to wander around to places like Tha Prachan, Tha Tien and Klong Thom. There is a drawback to living here, though, which is the lack of parking spaces if you need to drive.

Sidtrun Santichaikul    28, photographer, lives in Tha Tien       Even though I have had to move a bit further down the road due to the construction of a community mall, what makes the place home   is the familiar backstory and faces. The buildings may age but the sense of community remains unique as Tha Tien was the first shophouse community built in Bangkok. We all know each other and our community is similar to what you might find in the countryside.

VipaVi VienRavi   33, brand consultant, lives in Banglamphu       The vibe in old town is very unique. You've got a beautiful road like Ratchadamnoen with one side being the old European-style buildings and the other side the temples. The area mixes hip Bangkok with the distinctive traditional culture. I'm right also in the middle of every big festival, from New Year to Songkran and it's such fun.

What do you like about your neighborhood?

Life is very diverse in the old town. I love walking down the street because you know you are always going to see different people, from prostitutes in dodgy dark corners to hi-sos in those hotels by the river. Many people bike but I don’t. You see more of what’s going on around you when you walk. I can stop at any building I want to take a look up close or walk down any soi I want to explore. If you live in places like Ladprao, it’s really difficult if you want to just stroll around and the vibe is totally different.

Do you think the MRT will have any impact on people’s lives?

I think we already have decent transportation: buses, boats and tuk-tuks. I can get to the MRT or BTS in about 20 minutes. With the MRT coming, it will be even more convenient, but knocking down the really old buildings in Yaowarat is not the way it should be done. Those buildings should be preserved and the MRT built a better way.

What’s the rent of this shophouse?

B20,000 a month. It costs a fortune living here as you have to fix so many things due to the buildings being pretty old. The worst problem is the termites.

What are your favorite places?

I find the Khao San area a bit boring, but I like the night market behind Wat Chana Songkram. The vibe is very chill and the space is much bigger. For hanging out, I recommend Babble & Rum at Riva Surya. It's by the river, quiet and the food is not expensive. Khao Tom Fa Mui is a great choice for late-night people. Just make sure you don’t miss the moo krob tord gluea [fried pork with salt]. We also have a good izakaya here at Musashi Bar while Adhere is one of the few places you can find real blues bands in town.

What do you like most about your neighborhood?

I grew up in a family who loves eating. So this place is heaven for me. The food here is cheap and the quality is great. And we’ve got plenty of parks, places where people can connect with each other. It’s perfect for dating, too.

Why did you choose to live on Phra Sumen Road?

We’re lucky that everyone here is against transforming the area into a loud and drunken nightlife area like Phra Arthit. We share the same interest of admiring the culture in the area, so we have pretty unique places like Passport Bookshop, Dialogue, Brown Sugar and lots of little cafes. 

How long have you lived here?

Ked: I was born here. My parents lived here selling salapao (Chinese bun) for 10 years.

Em: I moved here nearly 10 years ago from the Ramkhamhaeng area.

How do you get around?

Ked: We both use public transport. As you can see, it’s hard to find parking here.

Em: I have no plans to buy a car. I think it’s really convenient living here. It’s near important places like The Grand Palace or Sao Chingcha [Giant Swing] and even the BMA Office. You will never get lost. Everything is so close at hand.

What do you like most here?

Ked: I work in the city center at Ploenchit. Having to travel to such a bustling area, when I reach home I really appreciate how peaceful it is. It’s a slow life, here. I love that the neighbors know each other. I also love that buildings here are low-rise. I’m able to walk and see a clear sky filled with iconic attractions like the Giant Swing.

Em: I like the city planning, here. It’s clearly defined: block after block. It’s like nowhere else in Bangkok. You can walk along the street and see beautiful buildings. Everyone knows each other and there are always shops open on the street for late-night street food, so I feel safe walking here.

Any cons of living here?

Em: Yes, the protests. As you know, this is a place with a long history, especially regarding politics. As such, Democracy Monument is always one of the main places people gather to protest. It’s quite hard to get around at these times. Other than that, it’s really a pleasure to live around here.

Have you ever thought of moving to the city center?

Ked: I considered buying a condo to get to work easier, but then I thought of what we have here: the buildings, the parks, the people. It’s really warm and welcoming. So, I ditched that idea.

How do you feel about the arrival of the MRT?

Em: We love it. It’s going to be great for people and tourists to visit here. I don’t think it will change the sense of community that much, because many people who live here come from families who have lived here for generations. It’s hard for them to sell up and move out.

What’s your favorite place in the neighborhood?

Ked: I love Lan Kon Meaung for its cheerleader troupes practicing their routines, old people doing their tai chi... I also love Phra Athit Road: it’s not modern like Sukhumvit but it’s got a real charm. My favorite food is Siriporn Pochana which is just across from my house. Their tomyam pla is superb. Its tangy sourness perks me up every time.

Em: My favorite place for shopping here is Klong Lod. I can find anything there: fabric, vintage bags, classic glasses, antiques and even plants.

What do you make of the changes in your area?

It’s completely changed from how it used to be 30 years ago. Tha Tien used to be one of the most bustling markets in town as it sat right on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. The old times here were so great. My family business went really well: our kitchenware and cleaning items were in great demand. But when convenience stores arrived, our business, as well as those of our neighbors, didn’t do so well. When I came back from Australia, I decided to open a small café called Food Route as I learned how to bake while I was abroad. There are many tourists who go to Watpo Thai Traditional Massage School in my soi on Maharat Road so it really fits the bill.

Is it hard to get around from here?

For cars, yes. The traffic is bad. So my first choice is the Chao Phraya Express Boat. It’s so convenient as I just walk to Tha Tien Pier then hop out at Sathorn Pier to get into the city.

What’s the charm of living here?

It’s the sense of community. People have lived here for generations. Grandpas knows grandpas, parents know parents and, of course, kids play together. It’s really hard to find in today’s society. Those old people who moved out because their children live elsewhere still come back to chat with their old friends. It’s a real bond.

What do you think of the arrival of the MRT?

I'm really scared that it will become another Khaosan Road. I like that the MRT is coming but the community here must be strong in order to retain its charm. What’s the point of turning this place into a street of endless guesthouses and cafés? We should retain our identity as a residential area with small shops owned by people who live in the area.

What are your favorite local joints?

It’s mostly food places. I recommend Kim Leng at Kok Wua junction. It’s a small baan-baan restaurant that’s a real hidden gem in the area. I love their mee krob [fried crispy noodle]. Another one is Farm to Table near Flower Market. I love their black sesame ice-cream and green tea float. There’s also the Yen Ta Fo Nai Auan near the BMA office. It’s superb. As I’m running a restaurant, I love to buy ingredients at Trok Mo Market. Everything there is so fresh and bursting with flavor.

What’s your routine like living here?

Now it's strawberry season, so for fruit suppliers like me, we sleep from 5pm-1am. The products arrive at 2am, which if you are sleeping, is the loudest hour. Some shops open normal hours so Pak Klong Talad is literally a place that never sleeps. Say you come back home drunk at 3am and try to sneak in quietly—the next morning, your parents will hear all about it from the neighbors anyway.

Have you ever thought about moving elsewhere?

I once thought about moving to a condo after finishing my Master’s Degree but once I realized how much my parents love living here, I started to like it, too. I took on my parents’ business after starting to help them during the economic crisis. Once I learned how exhausted they were, I couldn’t not help them.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Riverside cafes are always my venue of choice. But if you visit the area and have the energy, it’s a really great place for a walking tour to visit the temples. You should start from the Grand Palace, City Pillar, Wat Suthat, Wat Pho and Wat Chana Songkram, then take the shuttle boat across the river for Wat Rakhang and Wat Arun before coming back for Wat Kalayanamit and San Chaopho Suea.

And your favorite food?

Jae Pom on Saphan Lek. Their beef noodles are amazing. The price starts from B80 but you get a really big tender chunk of beef. Do go early as they’re all done by around 1pm.

What are the problems living in Pak Klong Talad?

Parking is a troublesome. We can’t park our cars in front of our houses like elsewhere because there are vendors set up on the street. We have to park at a monthly rental spot on the riverside or sometimes across the river. The traffic is pretty bad here, too, especially at Chinese New Year or Valentine’s Day. A few years ago, the two were on the same day­—the traffic was nuts. It’s a hectic place but it’s home for me.

1. Escapade Burgers & Shakes

This tiny shophouse with an equally petite courtyard out the back serves up the homemade liquors of mixologist Karn Liangsrisuk and the juicy burgers of chef Van Rohitratana. We recommend a beef burger (starts from B180) with homemade ketchup. 112 Phra Athit Rd., 087-363-2629, 081-406-3773

2. Food Route

Tucked deep in the old town, this small café serves a variety of tea and coffee with homemade baked cakes and cookies. Coffee here starts from B50 and cakes include the Yakult pipo cake (B75) and coconut cake(B70). They also offer homey organic dishes. 320/10-11 Maharat Rd., 02-622-1921

3. Seven Spoons

This eatery, now in a bigger space, serves up healthy and delicious, homey and hippie American meals such as a quinoa salad with grilled vegetables and feta (B260) or razor clams with tarragon butter (B290). They are now also open for lunch with a menu that includes the delicious tempeh wrap with mixed greens, roast eggplant, tomatoes and green chutney (B160). 22 Chakkrapatipong Rd, 02-629-9214  

4. Dialogue Coffee and Gallery  

Set in a 100-year-old house, this coffee shop and art gallery serves up drinks and snacks: cappuccino (B50) and quesadilla with meat sauce (B90), plus some wine (from B140 by the glass). 533 Phrasumen Rd., 084-754-8799

5. Babble and Rum

Make the most of its location right beside Phra Arthit pier by heading to the outdoor terrace at sunset for the full package: comfort food (smoked salmon and avocado salad, B290), tasty cocktails (candy-flavored vodka, melon syrup, lime juice on top of jelly, B280) and views that take in the river and two bridges (Pinklao and Rama 8). Riva Surya, 23 Phra Athit Rd., 02-633-5000 

6. Sheepshank

The folks behind Seven Spoons bring us this sophisticated boat house where you can sit back and enjoy river views while noshing on dishes like the seafood paella with Spanish saffron (B320). Phra Athit Rd., 02-629-5165

7. Farm to Table

This organic café not only grows their own vegetables, in Phu Chee Fah, but turns them into ice cream with flavors like sesame, green tea and wheat grass (B35 per scoop). Order it as an affogato (scoop of ice cream with espresso shot, B80) or stick with the iced latte or green tea (B45). They also do daily lunch specials. 179 Asdang, Wongburapapirom, 02-115-2625

8. Bamsha

This old-school shophouse serves up coffee, exhibitions and events like poetry readings, painting classes and live folk music. Food includes their signature Bamsha burger (B150) to go with their drip coffee (from B60). 507 Prasumain Rd., 084-160-0052