We’re in a cab on the way to meet Chuvit Kamolvisit and his entourage somewhere in Din Daeng. They’re launching a new website (www.chuvitonline.com) to help get the former massage parlor kingpin’s anti-corruption message across to voters. We’re simply relieved to be able to follow him. A slip down a hill in Nakhon Si Thammarat a few days before left him hospitalized with a bad back and put a brake on his energetic campaigning. 

On the drive across town we tell our cab driver who we’re going to see and ask him what he thinks about the larger-than-life character. “Chuvit stands for repentance,” muses Palangkul Rahotarn. “Considering his past, he’s now become a better person.” Would he vote for him though? “Possibly. I like him. He’s straightforward.”
Repentance and straightforwardness are traits Chuvit has played off ever since he blew the whistle on corrupt police back in 2003 and entered the media spotlight. He’s still a big draw, as we realize when we spot the ranks of cameras outside the Internet cafe where the press con is taking place. We call Thepthat Boonpattananon, or Aum, one of Chuvit’s loyal army of assistants, to find out where to go. The candidate is doing a quick walk about up the street and is surrounded by a good-natured mob of supporters, journalists and students keen to get their photo taken with him.

Chuvit seems in buoyant spirits with little sign of the injury, taking time to stop and chat to store owners before dashing to pose for photos, always happy to pull the trademark grimace that has made his posters so popular. Eventually he’s steered over to the cafe and the waiting reporters. A quick demonstration of how the site works and a few sound bites and the press con is over. While most of the reporters head to lunch, Chuvit does an interview with a TV reporter from China News wanting his thoughts on the election. He’s also been contacted by NHK and has an interview with Agence France Press on the next day at 2pm. Aum, who is responsible for getting the press to follow him shows us a thick notebook that’s filled with scribbled meetings, numbers and contacts. He admits his candidate’s reputation helps. “It’s easy to get people to follow him because of who he is.”

While Chuvit continues his interview we are busy trying to persuade Khun Ke, another assistant, to give us a few minutes of his time. She’s pretty reluctant: “With his injuries and all, maybe we can schedule another time?” After promises that we won’t keep him long and that we’re happy to do it over lunch, she finally relents, ushering us to the nearest khao man gai restaurant.

After helping clear a table we finally find ourselves sitting down for some uninterrupted time with the man himself. He’s remarkably relaxed in these relatively lowly settings and, perhaps more surprisingly, equally at ease switching between Thai and English, a legacy of his time studying in the US. For the most part, the conversation is focused on the election. Why is he running for office again after two failed attempts at becoming Bangkok Governor and a brief stint as an MP (he was thrown out of parliament over a technicality relating to his membership in the Chart Thai Party)?

“Because I watch TV and read the newspapers and I laugh. I think I’m living in a comedy. Thai politicians act like Thai people are very stupid. They don’t do things for the Thai people. They just monopolize everything and take all the money for themselves.” His aims, he says, are rather different. He wants to make a difference, or, as he puts it, he wants “to be a pain in the ass,” for the existing order. Of course his distrust of existing politicians is a line we’ve heard before, but as the head of a party with just 11 nominated candidates, does he really think he can bring about any major changes? “I don’t want to be on the executive. I want to be the opposition. I want to be the public eye in parliament, and use the media to tell people what’s really going on.”

As for his rather unusual campaign posters, he says, “I deliberately take this negative approach, this angry face in my posters. I am not an actor, an artist or even a politician. I want to show society that I am different.”

He also thinks it’s an essential tactic for a party like his, one operating on a very small budget. “I can’t reach millions of people by campaigning on the streets for 45 days but I can tell millions of people about society’s problems with a website, and through my posters,” he continues.

When asked about his opinion on the outcome of the elections he demonstrates his trademark honesty: “Thais aren’t very educated about politics, so it’s easy to attract them to vote for you. Every politician, every party is promising populist policies, but the government will end up bankrupt soon. I think Pheu Thai will get in because they have the political machine, they have the majority. But they’ll have to compromise because of Thai society. There are so many groups that have power outside of government.”

“If you don’t compromise in politics, then you get a war. Last year no one would compromise. But now, I think there will be a compromise.”

It’s clear from the anxious expressions on the assistants’ faces that we’re talking for too long and they clearly want to get him back to the office. But as he finishes his soup we do have chance to ask him why he bothers. If he believes the politicians are all looking after each other, why spend days pounding the streets and spending millions of baht just for an outside chance of getting into government?

“Sometimes I don’t know,” is his frank response. “This is the fourth time I’ve run a campaign and if I don’t get in, well I’ve wasted another B100 million.”
“Maybe I should just buy a yacht, a Rolls Royce or go and blow the money on a trip to Europe. After all, I can’t change the whole world. I’m no superman,” he admits. It’s then, just as the assistants swoop in to clear away the bowls that we perhaps get a glimpse of the real reason he’s running.

“I just want people to remember me,” he says before standing and heading off for some final photos with a crowd of young students who’ve been waiting patiently.
A silver van with a big number five on the side pulls up and Chuvit and Ke jump in. We decide to take a look at the campaign HQ, set in a beautiful old Thai house at the back of Chuvit Gardens. The small group of friends and family that make up his team are sitting out on the veranda having a smoke and chatting, while Khun Ke and Aum hit the phones and Chuvit takes it easy inside. A white board in the corner shows the plan of action for every one of the campaign’s 45 days while photo boards show where Chuvit’s already been. According to the schedule, he supposed to hit a market later, but his bad back is clearly catching up with him, and the outing is cancelled, ending our day on the campaign trail.

It’s all been a little manic, and far too brief, but at least we got to spend some time with him. He’s clearly very clever and very different from the slightly jokey persona he presents to the world and, we have to admit, we can’t help liking him. He’ll need over 250,000 votes to get a place in parliament but, whether he achieves it or not, we do think he’ll succeed in his real aim: people certainly won’t forget Chuvit Kamolvisit. Nick Measures with Natthanun Prasongchaikul

It is 11am on Wednesday, June 15. Chitpas Bhirombhakdi and her campaign crew are in front of a jeans shop next to Petchburi Road, waiting for the rest to arrive. Everyone is wearing light blue Democrat polo shirts sporting the party’s number 10. The MP candidate herself sports a polo in a darker shade of blue, matching trousers, pink Converse sneakers and a ponytail. When she sees us, she smiles brightly, greets us and then goes over to sit on top of an ice box. You’d never guess this casual 26-year-old is the daughter of Singha Corporation’s executive vice president Chuntinant Bhirombhakdi and ML Piyapas, an aristocrat close to HM the Queen.

It has been two years since the Singha heiress resigned from her position in the prime minister’s secretariat, over a scandal where she had been distributing copies of raunchy Leo beer calendars outside Government House. Now, as the Democrat candidate for the Dusit Ratchatewi constituency, she aims to one day become the first female prime minister of Thailand, with July 3 just the first of several election campaigns on her path to Government House’s highest office.

She speaks to us in English, with a hint of a British accent from her school days abroad. “I’m just trying the best I can,” says the King’s College graduate. “I can’t predict anything right now because everything comes down to the last week before election.”

Her aim is to cover the whole area of the constituency at least twice before the election. “I’m a new face. I have to work twice as hard,” she says.

We pause when a man wearing a red shirt conducts a one-man protest, taunting Chitpas and her crew with a Yingluck poster. The crew laughs it off, but we ask her if she finds it difficult when red shirts show up at her walk-abouts.

“Not really,” she says. “I respect that. Obviously, different people have different beliefs and opinions. If they have a question to ask me, I’m willing to answer.”
The sun is scorching at 11:30am as the last of the crew arrives, and Chitpas heads into Petchburi Soi 31 to start campaigning. She stops by all the shops that line the soi, along with Senator Poosadee Wansekumhaeng, and wais the sellers, customers and passersby, while her crew hands out flyers. People are polite and seem to be in awe of her beauty. Some people even shout out to tell her how beautiful she is.

From time to time, Chitpas wipes the sweat from her brow with a tissue as campaign trucks with faces of Chitpas and Abhisit pass by, playing look tung-style Democrat songs.

It is noon and a man comes to take photos with Chitpas, holding up his hand in a gesture of support. “My family will vote for you. You’ve got 30 votes,” he says. Later at a noodle stall, a woman gives Chitpas a bunch of pink roses. “You’ve got seven votes,” she says.

The crew decides to have a lunch break and we talk to an old woman selling fruits, who has just been greeted by Chitpas.

“I’ll be voting for the Democrats anyway,” she says. “Their campaign promises are good. They give school tuition, they give money to senior citizens. Abhisit gives us many things.”

We then point out to the many campaign cards from different parties she has posted on the wall beside her. “I just stuck them there. But I like the Democrats and I like the Prime Minister.”

After lunch, we talk to one of Chitpas’ assistants, Narissararat Srichantamitr. “I’m confident that she will win,” she says. “I see how much effort she puts in. She can get a lot of campaigning done in one day and walks a lot. People have also responded to her well. She may get criticism and people may say she’s young, but they see how well she can answer their questions.”

Despite her young age, it seems like Chitpas has been preparing for this moment for a long time. She tells us, “I’ve always been interested in politics since I was very young. But I’ve only had the opportunity to see politics from a management point of view, rather than actually working with the people. I try to tell them it’s probably time to let a new generation come in and have more involvement in politics.”

She switches to Thai, “As the government, we always get blamed whenever there are problems. I try to explain [our work] the best I can although I understand that people are frustrated. Campaigning can be tiring but there’s only three weeks left. I won’t give up.”

It is nearly 2pm. Chitpas and her crew walk to Chumchon Jarurat Tonsai, a slum down the road. The heiress does not look uncomfortable as she, Senator Poosadee and their crew navigate through the labyrinth of cramped homes, while cats and dogs scattered everywhere. They stop by a kindergarten and Chitpas greets the children, whose faces are all covered in talcum powder. She then goes to sit on a bench and check her BlackBerry. After a while they head out.

At this point we stop following them. Chitpas is going to continue campaigning down the road and then go to a military base. As the music from the campaign truck fades away, we ask a nearby Isaan food seller her views on the Democrats: “Honestly, I don’t like them,” she says. “It’s been two years and they can only do 30 percent of what they promised. Not even the Prime Minister can do anything and the economy is still bad. [Chitpas is] pretty, but I don’t know if she can actually do anything.” That’s the thing with new candidates, the only way to find out, is to give them a shot. Sasinipa Wasantapruek and Aimmarin Siritantitam

Read the finale of the Campaign Trail series: Chuvit Komolvisit: The odd one out.

With a location right in the central business district, City Viva offers opportunities for worktime lunches, shopping sessions and some after-work wining and dining choices as well. The façade looks pretty similar to J-Avenue, but upon entry, you’ll be reminded of Palio in Khao Yai and a bit of Siam Square.

The food establishments cover everything from health foods and burgers to wine bars and beer bistros. Pordee Come (3/F) offers exotic drinks, like sugar-free teas extracted from water lily, butterfly pea, West Indian jasmine, and torch ginger flowers. They also do salad rolls (B89) with their original herbal dressing. The seating area is a bit too tiny, though, so take-away is also recommended. As for those who prefer heartier food, there’s Jurgen’s (3/F), a tiny burger stall that does a small menu of the classic pork (B99), beef (B109), and fish (B99) patties. You can order extra toppings like cheese (B10), sauteed onion (B10), or bacon (B20). A set of pork or fish burger, french fries, and soft drink is B139 and a beef set is B149. The signature here is a recipe of sauerkraut sauce, perfected over many years of house party cooking. Too bad there’s no seating area at all.

For a proper, sit-down dining experience, there’s V2 Beer and Wine Garden (3-4/F, 02-676-9669. Open daily 5pm-midnight), which also offers outdoor seating options overlooking the busy traffic on Narathiwas Road and daily live music. The whole floor is decorated with white furniture and astroturf. A wine list starts at B690 a bottle, and cocktails start at B99. Nice! The food menu is comprised of a few Thai standards. Bloc Beer and Bistro (3/F. 02-676-9595. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-1am) does an extensive list of Belgian beers and Western comfort food served in a laid-back and slightly grungy atmosphere. The signature highlights are: the Bloc fried rice (B155) and their custom brewed Belgian beer, Bloc (B180). On tap are Leffe, Hoegaarden, and Stella Artois (B220/pint). For a more romantic experience, try Wine Fusion (G/F. 02-676-9576. Open daily 10am-midnight) which does Thai and Western food and some inexpensive wines by the glass.

Apart from dining, there are lots of shops covering lingerie, apparel, imported designer gear, shoes, fashion accessories, aroma products and even toys and gadgets. T-Sum (2/F), sells both in-house designed garments and other imported accessories from vintage earrings to designer scarves. There are some perfumes and cosmetics on the shelves as well. Prices range from B600 to B3,000, and best of all, you can try and bargain. Viva La Ville (2/F) imports most of their clothes, bags, and shoes from France, Japan, and USA. They have a wide variety of products from Miu Miu wallets (B12,500) to gorgeous heels (from around B1,290). Prices range from B990 for Mina green dress, to B18,500 for a Louis Vuitton Damier handbag. At Aromantra (3/F), you can buy all kinds of body care products like lotions, shower gels, essential oils and candles, with prices ranging from B149-499.

If neat gadgets turn your head, Taeta (3/F) sells all kinds of gizmos, like a digital slate clock (B2,990), an iPhone zoom-able lens attached with a tiny tripod (B1,200), and a Nikon lens coffee mug (B890). MD Shop (3/F) stocks Korean brand Marianne Kate gift products, and prices range from B300 to B700. There’re also some cute accessories like the iPhone and iPod diary cases (B890), flip flops (B1,500), and some cosmetic bags. You’ll definitely want to visit Len Kong Len (3/F), an endearing toy shop that’s not only for kids. The highlight pieces are the digital cameras with built-in games (B6,500), and a casino set consisting of cards, dominoes, chess, checkers, dice, and chips which all come in a cute dice-like box (B2,500). We also love the DIY Lomo kit (B1,500), the mini popcorn maker (B3,200), the stuffed dolls from Singapore and other childish playthings. Prices start at B40.

Corner of Narathiwas Soi 6, 02-237-9150. www.thecityviva.com. Open daily 10am-10:30pm

1. The Ice Ball

“Regular ice cubes work but they melt fast and your whiskey will have a different dilution between your first sip and your last. Ice keeps ice cold, though, so one really big ice cube is better.”

2. Chill the Bottle

“Like vodka, you can actually chill whiskey. It changes the texture, and it removes some of the harshness associated with the alcohol. Unfortunately, it locks in a lot of the flavor, too.”

3. Add some ice-cold water

“Water opens up the flavors of your whiskey. And with this method, the amount of dilution remains identical from the first sip to the last. This is my preferred method.”

Extra Tip

“During tastings, pros will usually taste the whiskey neat first. Then they open it up with a splash of water.”

Top Whiskey Bars

The P&L Club Bangkok. Lobby Floor, The Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Road, 02-685-3898. Open Sun-Thu 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm.

Bar @ 494. Lower Lobby, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Road, 02-254-1234. Open Mon-Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 5pm-12am.

The Finishing Post. 23/F Crown Plaza Bangkok, 952 Rama IV Road, 02-238-4300. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm.

“It’s never quite clear what the relationship between Jack and Angelica is. Sometimes it’s love, sometimes it’s hate; it probably depended on who was writing the script that day.” Tom Long, Detroit News

“This installment is better than the last two, in the way that a broken leg is better than a punctured lung.” Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review

“Depp, grimacing, edges in and out of the action and seems irrelevant and bored most of the time.” David Denby, New Yorker

“Marshall deserves props for putting the ‘show’ back into the Pirates business. But face it, he’s polishing a giant turd.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“Cutlasses flash, music swells, mast sways, critic yawns.” Kyle Smith, New York Post