Getting There

Yasothon is 531 kilometers from Bangkok—that means a 7-hour drive on Mitraphab Rd. You can also take a bus from Mochit Bus Terminal (02-936-2852/-66, www.transport.co.th): the fare for an air-con VIP bus is B599 one-way.

Stay Here

J.P Emerald Hotel (36 Prapa Rd., Muang, 045-724-848/-55. www.jpemeraldhotel) is probably the only “starred” accommodation in Yasothon. Located on the bank of the Chee River, close to government offices, the hotel offers clean rooms decked out with standard facilities.

Eat Here

Sok Lek Ong Chai 4 (Whittaya Thamrong Rd.) prepares raw beef Isaan style, with a very sour red sauce. However carnivorous this specialty may sound, we’re just as impressed with the vegetable baskets, brimming with vibrant greens under the harsh Northeastern sun.

See This

The Ban Khum Singha Tha community, located by Wat Singha Tha, has gorgeous shophouses, some with elaborate decorations, not unlike Phuket Town.

For more travel info, contact TAT call center 1672 and http://tiny.cc/huys6

How did you end up in Pattani?
I’m not a photojournalist. I do more artistic projects. And I don’t really choose a subject; I choose a destination. The other places I had covered were in Japan and this was my first time in Thailand. I was curious about the South because I had this image from the media of bombings, death, things like that. I had no idea of the South’s culture or history. I was driven by my curiosity.

How long did you stay there?
I was there several times, for about four months overall. I started in Yala and from there I bought a bicycle and went through Pattani and Narathiwat. Then by chance, I found some locals who showed me a very old house, they called it the palace. I was eventually invited by the family there to live with them and stayed a couple months.

This exhibition covers just the house?
Yes. There is an Islamic shaman and healer staying there but it’s a large compound which used to belong to a raja. So you see the people coming to visit him, living around the house. It’s very intimate. It shows the culture, the superstitions, the Malay culture, the Chinese culture.

Where you witnessing poltergeist-like exorcisms?
It’s a very intense atmosphere but not particularly scary. These people are actually very friendly. I think I presented that. But I saw incredible stories. One son who was a drug addict and stole from his parents. A woman abandoned by her husband. Villagers who had relatives arrested by the army for two years, without trial, and they don’t know how to get them back. A woman who couldn’t walk at all from a motorcycle accident. She had been at the hospital. She was carried to the shaman by her husband and one day she was able to walk. I think he has real abilities to heal but it wasn’t only magic, he does massage.

Could you feel the political tension living there?
There were young guys staying, in a separate part of the compound. They would enter from underneath, through a different staircase. One morning, the military stormed into the house and took them. But you don’t hear much. In the South they have a kind of law of silence, like the mafia in Sicily. But I wouldn’t want to discuss the army on the record. Let’s just say it’s not just what you see on the surface. My work is not a political statement, though. I try to give a different view of the South. Of course, you can dig deeper. You can look at the history behind the pictures and it goes back hundreds of years, before the area was annexed by Siam.

Admittedly, touring the Khmer temples of Northeastern Thailand is a pretty geeky holiday. But even if you’re not an architecture buff, you should visit Isaan’s southern provinces and these old ruins provide a common thread—or simply an excuse—to travel through them all. As with all great road trips, it’s not about the destination, it’s all about the journey: getting lost in rice fields, losing all cell coverage, rolling down your window to interrupt a farmer’s labor for directions and zipping past Isaan’s beautifully decorated trucks. It’s also a destination far off the beaten track. At some of the smaller temples, you’ll often be the only visitors so that, even at the height of Songkran, you won’t be rubbing shoulders with Bangkokians.

ITINERARY

The temples run through Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) and the provinces bordering Cambodia (from west to east: Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani). Unfortunately, that means this itinerary takes you from A to B, and doesn’t form a loop. Ideally, we recommend you fly to Ubon Ratchathani, rent a car, and drive it all the way back to Bangkok. Before leaving, stop by a bookstore and get yourself a good road map of Isaan.

The flight

Both Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com) and Air Asia (www.airasia.com) fly to Ubon. At the time of writing, we were still finding B3,500 roundtrips on Air Asia for Songkran, although prices will definitely have gone up by the time you read this (or be much lower if you book for later this year). Thai Airways was B5,300 but rates there do tend to change more slowly.

The drive

Thai Rent a Car’s Khon Kaen office will deliver to Ubon Ratchathani for B2,500, and allow you to drop the car off in Bangkok for an extra B1,605. The car’s daily rate starts from B1,620 a day. (So this 3-day trip would cost you B8,965 without fuel.) Call the Khon Kaen office at 087-505-0507. www.thairentacar.com

Budget has an office in Ubon but the charge for a drop-off in Bangkok is B3,210 while daily rates start from B2,040—which also comes out to B9,330 for three days. 1-800-283-438, www.budget.co.th

If you can’t or don’t want to drive, you’ll have to sign up with a tour agency. Many offer Khmer temple tours with drivers and guides. Try Chai Tour, 02-212-8431 (packages start from B8,600), Asia Trails, http://tiny.cc/Kz5ek (four-day trip is US$1,673 for one person, US$1,762 for two people and US$2,055 for three people) or Exotissimo, 02-636-0360 (a nine-day Isaan package starts from around B100,000 per couple. Customized itineraries available upon request).

UBON RATCHATANI - SISAKET

Staying in Ubon

Ubon is a quiet and charming town. It’s crown jewel is the Tung Sri Muang temple’s library. We also recommend lunch on the little rafts by the river. If you decide to stay in Ubon, there are plenty of cheap options you can check out by driving around. For something more comfortable, hole up at the Tohsang City Hotel, (251 Palochai Rd., 045-245-531. www.tohsang.com) for around B1,200/night.

Around Ubon

The region is also home to Khong Chiam, a village on the Lao border, surrounded by gorgeous national parks. For our story on that area, visit http://tiny.cc/lo5r1. If you have time, do build in a couple nights there, but for the purpose of this story, let’s assume you’re off to Sisaket directly, leaving in the early afternoon.

Preah Vihear

From Ubon Ratchathani, use highway 2178 and 221 via Amphur Warin Chamrap, Samrong, Benchalak, and Kantharalak to the Preah Vihear National Park (100 km, 90 min).

Preah Vihear, along with Phimai (Korat) and Phanom Rung (Buriram), is one of the top three Khmer temples on the Thai-Khmer temple trail for its sheer size. Its numerous structures and water basins cover four different levels, with the most impressive architecture at its summit.

As you know, Preah Vihear is in a disputed area. To find out if it is open and to sleep over at the park, contact Khao Phra Wihan National Park at 045-61-9214 or the Department of National Parks at 02-562-0760.

Staying in Sisaket

If you’re in no mood to rough it at the Preah Vihear National Park (or in no mood to get bombed in your sleep), there are a couple of options in town. Drive to Amphur Muang Sisaket (110km, 100min). Boonsiri (1191/3 Vigitnakorn Road,  045-622-222 www.boonsiriboutiquehotel.com/), as it’s new, is surprisingly decent for merely B400 a night—if you can take all the pink and floral prints. The other hotels in town are also 4-8 story affairs but tend to be older and fairly drab. The only place with a bit of character is the wooden house at the foot of Baan Kaew Ruen Kwan. It’s the same owners so contact them and ask to stay at Baan Apa (B1,000 night, 1478/1-30 Vijitnakorn Rd., 045-643-133/4).

Eat

Eat by the railway tracks (that’s true in a lot of these small towns), where you’ll find numerous stalls and some concrete tables. You buy your food at the stalls, sit at the tables. It’s not really self-service because the beer girls will clean the table for you, mix your drinks and then (at least ours did) refuse to take a tip. In other words, with

SISAKET - SURIN - BURIRAM

Around Sisaket

There are two temples close to town, on your way to Surin: Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai and Noi (big and small). Mr. Big’s name is well-deserved as it’s the biggest complex in the province. It’s also surrounded by more recent Buddhist temples so there’s a lot to see. The smaller Kamphaeng temple is the more charming though. It’s on very quiet temple grounds, where monks live in huts, bordering a pond, and is somewhat overrun by vegetation, making it all the more romantic.

Surin

About halfway between Amphur Muang Sisaket and Amphur Muang Surin (96km, 90min) is at Prasat Hin Sikhorapum. It features some of the most beautiful sculpted lintels in the region and a couple of its five prang still have complete roofs, mostly thanks to restorations from Laotian invaders in the 15-16th century—hence their hybrid style.

After Surin, you’ll find Prasat Baan Plai, which still has two prang standing but not much carving to show for itself. Nearby is Prasat Baan Phluang, which is almost the opposite: just one edifice but incredibly intricate stonework.

Buriram

You should be able to time your arrival to catch the sunset at Prasat Hin Phanom Rung. It sits on an extinct volcano, commanding sweeping views of the countryside surrounding it. It’s a big complex, with a long pathway connecting two groups of buildings. The architecture and the carving is superb thanks, in part, to 17 years of restoration work. This one should definitely make it onto the World Heritage list very soon. 5km from there is Prasat Mueang Tam which is another well-preserved complex with two libraries, an inner enclosure, ponds and an outer enclosure, not to mention more beautiful carved lintels.

Where to stay

You’ll need to drive to Nangrong: another provincial town, another host of soulless hotels. The Park Nangrong, just outside of town, is your cutest option and rooms start from only B700. 445/10 Praditpana Road, Nangrong. 044-633-778. www.theparknangrong.com

PHI MAI (Nakhon Ratchasima)

It’s roughly another 100km from Nangrong to Phi Mai. This temple is actually in town, which is fun because there’s food and other stuff to check out around it. The temple itself is probably the most charming in Thailand, with its serene Buddha images sitting under prangs with delicately carved lintels and its outer courtyards where tall, majestic trees soar amid the crumbling walls.

That’s it. You’re done! At this point you could complete your tour by going through central Isaan back to Ubon, through Khon Kaen, Roi Et and Yasothon, or head down to Bangkok and get a bit more Khmer culture at Lopburi on your way back. For our story on Lopburi, visit http://tiny.cc/5iufy. If you drive straight back to Bangkok, it’s a 270-km drive.

If you decide to stick around in Phi Mai, The Old Phimai Guesthouse has air-con rooms for only B350/night. 214 Mu 14 Chomsuda Sadet Rd., 044-471-918. www.phimaigh.com

Thai Khmer Temples 101
 

We’ve seen classic cocktails return. Now it seems molecular is getting hotter. Classic cocktails have never gone out of style and now, they’re getting new twists. This is why we now see this hot trend of classic cocktail reinterpretation. Molecular cocktails might draw the attention of the media and the public, but they’re complex to make and don’t wow guests either. Even in London, the best cocktail city in the world, there are only two bars that specialize in molecular cocktails. They’re mostly for bartenders to show off their skills or for competitions.

What’s the next big cocktail trend?
No one can predict the future, but I think that the next big trend will be “Bar Chef cocktails.” By this I mean that bartenders, just like great chefs, will be searching for the best ingredients (not only base spirits but also the sub-ingredients), studying them and creating cocktails that perfectly pair with food.

What do you think of drinking cocktails with food? What works?
Just like wine, all drinks go well with food. And in some ways, cocktails pair with food even better than wine. The key tastes of cocktails—sweet, sour, bitter, umami and ABV [alcohol by volume]—demonstrate a fantastic match with food tastes, such as sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami and spicy. From a health perspective, the alcohol destroys proteins and vitamins and must be supplemented with food, which also gives you a good reason to enjoy drinks with food.

A lot of cocktail consultants come in to new places, design the cocktail menu, train staff for a week, and then leave. What do you think of this?
Bar consultancy is now a hip trend. However, if you do it wrong, then that’s just fraud. To give an analogy, consulting is like raising a baby. It’s split into two parts. Before the bar’s opening is like being pregnant, and after the bar’s opening is like rearing the child. So to provide real consultancy, consultants should take care of everything from pre-opening to post-opening, until the bar is stable and well managed. I’ve seen many bars struggling when missing this balance.

You’ve written a lot about excellent single malts. Is that something you use in cocktails? Or should quality spirits only be had neat?
It’s up to you. Single malts can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in cocktails based on the tasting notes. Cocktails can enhance the beauty and strength of a specific single malt while hiding its weakness. However, expensive or aged whiskies with subtle difference are better just enjoyed with good water. In fact, regardless of the price, whisky is a mixture of 40% alcohol and 59% water, meaning that 99% [of every whisky] is the same. Customers make huge investments for that subtle 1% of difference. So to best enjoy the 1%, I recommend that you drink it with just water.

What’s your favorite drink?
I respect and celebrate the diversity of whiskies, and my favorites differ depending on the company that I’m with, the place and atmosphere. If I’m drinking alone, my top choice would be Talisker 18. I love the beautiful balance of its peat, smoky and dried fruits aroma.

Your two last performances of Chui Chai, at Patravadi and then the Alliance Francaise, were very different. What should we expect this time around?
I’m going a bit further. There’s a new scene never produced in Thailand, a duet. It’s part of the story of Chui Chai but in our previous performances we skipped it. It’s the scene where Hanuman rapes Benyakay. When I am in Thailand, every couple of days, in the news, I hear of a rape. And yet, no one talks about this. No one complains. Nobody thinks this is very important—this is crazy. That’s why I created this piece, and premiered it in Singapore. It’s something that’s been moving me for a long time.

So this staging of Chui Chai will be more personal and less political?
It’s still political. Rape is political. Politicians are all men. Laws are made for men.

Are the recent developments on the Thai-Cambodian border influencing you?
I’m thinking of doing a scene on this. But it’s sensitive. I’m not sure what I can do on stage about this. What I did at Patravadi was about what’s going on in Thailand. Now this is outside of Thailand. And the situation is unclear. Is this a game or is this real?

So you self-censor?
I show everything because people in Thailand don’t think very much of theater. They consider it just a spectacle. Before, there was nothing being produced that was political, nothing that serious. So no one from the government, no one from the Thailand Cultural Center comes to see our shows. And if they do see it, they don’t understand. For example, Ganesh was a very political, very powerful performance where I was talking very directly. But nobody [from the authorities] saw it. They worry about visual arts, painting, even music, but not what about what goes on in theaters or dance.

Will we see more of you here in 2011?
I’m going to tour Ninjinsky Siam in London and Pichet Klunchun and Myself in Switzerland and Brazil. I have a new premiere in Singapore in October, called Black and White Khon. Here, there’s no space to perform. There’s no theater in the BACC. If I want to perform at the Thailand Cultural Center, I need to sell B100,000 worth of tickets and find another B100,000 for the deposit. I need a star or some funny guy in my show to get that kind of money. There’s just no art space here. So I’m building my own theater on the Thonburi side of the river. It should open in May and I’ll try to premiere Ninjinsky Siam. We need a space for real classical dance, not some restaurant.

Isn’t that the National Theater’s role?
They only produce when they get a commission from the government or the head of some cultural department, when they need to celebrate this or that. Their full time job is teaching, not training as dancers, not being on stage. When they present on stage, how many hours have they practiced? A couple of times? Even if you’ve done a certain show before, you need 2-3 months of rehearsal. You need to practice every day. These are not real performers. They complain that no one comes to see their show. But compare them to ballet. The muscle, the jump, the body is perfect in ballet, and when ballet comes to Thailand, the tickets are B1,000-5,000 and it’s a full house. People don’t understand the story of the Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty any better than the Ramayana. People pay good money because they know what they will get, the high production, the dancers’ training.

Catching up with Pichet Klunchun at Chui Chai

How did the project get started?
It’s been four years since I started the gallery. We wanted to encourage locals, give them exposure. But I found there weren’t as many interesting local photographers as we hoped. Maybe because of our expectations; they’re probably too high. So we’ve had a lot of foreign artists. But then I looked into the problem. I looked at our education. We don’t have much about our own history of Thai photography. We teach photography in university. But what do they teach? Do they just keeping imposing knowledge from the outside? I’m not against knowledge but it means we don’t acknowledge our local talent, we don’t respect our own talent, we look down on it. So young local photographers copy the West. That’s the trend right now.

So there was more Thainess in S.H. Lim’s photography?
Not really. When you’re talking about Thainess or Thai-style we tend to look at Thai form, Thai patterns, things reminiscent of a temple. So I’m not sure there’s a Thainess in his photography. But his work can reflect a time, or a period. When you look at his work, you can see how he presents women. You can sense that Thai women were liberated after World War 2. And Thais embraced industrialization and freedom. You can sense a kind of innocence: fresh, pure and also naïve.

It brings perspective.
Yes. I look beyond the picture. I look at the thinking behind. Why? What makes people photograph that image? SH Lim didn’t have a formal education. He had inspiration, probably from movie posters, maybe James Bond films. He reflects that kind of time and aesthetic.

Who’s next in the Forgotten Thai Photographers series?
The next one is a famous national artist, who passed away in 2009. Rong Wongsawan actually started as a photographer but had no future in that field. So he turned to writing. As a photographer he worked for a political weekly, called Siam Rath Weekly. He photographed mostly the life of that period [1954-56]. People waiting for a bus, or going to the market—everyday life. One I really like is the Rama 5 bridge renovation. He was sent to cover it. It was the first bridge to connect the old city to the new city. In between these historic exhibitions, we will have local talent. And if it all works well, after Rong, we will have prints from original glass negatives from Phuket. And I’m trying to dig up more but it’s a lot of work. I’m not a historian. I have my own work as an artist. I hope a teacher or an academic who studies this will take over the project. I’ll give the project to anybody who really wants to do it. But since nobody started yet, I have to.

Is it also a conservation effort?
For S.H. Lim, we had to scan the negatives but they were badly damaged. I also found a family in Chiang Mai who owns glass plates of Rama V-period photography taken by a merchant. For Rongsawan, we’re working from prints. Before, nobody cared about the negatives and they were put in cupboards and left to rot. So we hope that reintroducing the old masters will encourage families to maintain the negatives and help people value the history and the aesthetic of the old photographs. The question is: do we really have a photographic history of this country?

Catching up Manit Sriwanichpoom at S.H. Lim