Rise of the Provinces

Khon Kaen’s nightlife is becoming legendary for its non-stop partying students—try U Bar and Rad Bar. Udon Thani’s retail options rival Bangkok’s malls (thanks to a newly minted Lao middle-classes crossing over the Mekong)—try Central Plaza and UD Town. There’s even talk of giving Pattaya a special status a la Phuket—and Chiang Mai, too, could get an administrative overhaul to deal with its growing sprawl. Despite the floods, it seems 2012 could mark the beginning of the end of Thailand’s single city focus.

H&M

While people around the world were going crazy about Marni for H&M, not to mention Lagerfeld, Lanvin and Versace, here in Thailand, we’re left sulking in front of our computer screens. (Oh Uniqlo, how quickly we’ve forgotten you.) But H&M has now announced on their Facebook that they are coming to Thailand this year! Finally, a chic-and-cheap fashion salvation is at hand. Rumor is the shops will be at Paragon and Mega Bangna (next to IKEA).

More Sustainable Food

There’s great promise for greener eating in Bangkok. One of the leading hotel groups, Peninsula, recently ceased to serve shark fins at all their hotels and others have followed, such as Shangri-La. (It should be noted that Banyan Tree stopped serving shark ages ago.) But it’s not just seafood. Jess Barnes, chef of soon-to-open Quince, recently cooked for us at Opposite using a locally-reared pig and organic produce. Chef Ian Kittichai is growing his own veggies at Issaya. And more restaurateurs are buying local products. Our full story at bit.ly/wkzfq9.

Polycat and Brown Flying

Synth-pop band from Chiang Mai, Polycat will release their first studio album this month. The first promo single “Tha Ter Kid ja Leum Kao” made it to number 2 on the Fat 40 chart while their latest release “La” is last week’s highest entry. Also, Believe Records will be bringing us 90s-rock-inspired band Brown Flying, another band we tip to be big this year. Indie rock is still hot!

Cocktails 3.0

Beer and cocktails fight back as the huge wine boom continues to steamroll Bangkokians drinking habits. Of course, cocktails already got a resurrection two years ago when venues like Hyde & Seek, WTF and Soul Food Mahanakorn started doing some really great (and potent) drinks to ease you into your meals—an art hitherto unknown to Bangkok (except maybe at Eat Me). But the trend remained fairly tame and manly, with a strong focus on classics that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of Mad Men. 2012 seems to bring back color, theatrics and a touch of molecular nonsense to mixed drinks. Take the “Imoo,” created especially for Sunset Sundays at St. Regis bar: it mixes green tea and topped with coconut foam. Or check out the molecular offerings at the W XYZ Bar at Aloft Hotel, like the Raspberry Martini Ravioli or the Apple Crumble. But our favorite mixologist du jour is Italian Mirko Gardelliano, at Water Library (The Grass Thonglor 12, 02-714-9293).

Southeast Asian Sounds

Last year, DJ Maft Sai brought the Cambodian Space Project to Bangkok, a new exploration of our near-neighbor’s music scene (even if the band is only half Cambodian). This year, the collective Delicate Group, is bringing in electronic band Bottlesmoker from Indonesia, who recently headlined at an experimental music festival in Philippines called Fete de la WSK. The guys behind Delicate Group also happen to be one half of the band Space 360 playing at Hanoi Sound Stuff Festival in Vietnam. All good signs of rising standards and greater variety in our local music scene. That and the fact that we’ve already seen a growing number of hip and relevant inter indie groups playing Bangkok this year, including The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the Black Keys, with Summer Camp coming soon—and it all suggests a very healthy musical future.

Even Better Beer

Beervana is coming. While the wine renaissance continues to rage, there’s thankfully plenty of good news for those who prefer their liquor in a pint glass. We’ve already done a story (see http://tinyurl.com/6pd4hju) about the new wave of exciting imported ales now available at a growing number of specialist beer bars in the city and the trend sees no sign of abating. One of the recent pop up restaurant events at WTF featured home-brewed beers by Siam Brewing that used traditional Thai ingredients like toasted coconut, palm sugar and black sticky rice and it seems like there’s a growing army of brewers bending the laws to bring us distinctive home craft offerings. If you fancy making your own, check out www.homebrewasia.com for helpful tips. If you’re too lazy to DIY, don’t worry, we have it on very good authority that the next few months will see a new importer offering up some exciting new options that move away from the usual Belgian and German ales in favor of intriguing craft beers from stateside. And, no we don’t mean Budweiser.

Myanmar

We’ve actually been saying Myanmar is hot for over a year, now. And now it’s too late to go. The astonishing, almost-overnight transformation of Burma from repressive regime to come-one-come-all destination is great for the Burmese, not so great for tourists who like to visit destinations lost in time. Seats on Air Asia, Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways are constantly selling out, and hotels are fully booked. ‘My suggestion for the next 2-3 years, if you want to travel at an acceptable price, is to travel during low season, from May-Sep,” says Laurent Kuenzle, Group Managing Director of Asian Trails. BK’s itinerary: Swedagon in Yangon, the Sea of Pagodas in Bagan, Inle lake and the pagoda of Kyaithiyo.

Moo Eyewear

Her debut collection was featured in Vogue US, a pretty serious credential for Moo Piyasombatkul. What’s all the fuss about? The Central Saint Martin’s graduate applied her skills at crafting jewelry to glasses, turning out sophisticated artworks mixing baroque ceramics and vintage eyewear. Picked up by Lady Gaga as well as other global celebrities, Moo Eyewear is already sold in London, Hong Kong, LA, Seoul and the Middle East. But Bangkok is stuck on the waiting list. Come home, Moo!

Sathorn

With neatly paved sidewalks, gleaming high-rise towers, great public transport (thanks to the BRT and the BTS), and the first Dean & Deluca in Southeast Asia, Sathorn practically feels like Singapore already. And with the opening of the Sathorn Square mixed-use complex, the uber-fashionable W Bangkok Hotel, and upcoming MahaNakorn condo (set to be Bangkok’s tallest, and perhaps most beautiful), the area is set to continue its upscale urbanization.

Trang

Beaches in Thailand are also beyond saturation. But before you give up entirely on the coasts and islands, push a little further down South to Trang. You’ll surprised by the number of unspoiled beaches and islands to be found in this peaceful province. And thanks to its strong local culture (and TAT’s lack of interest), the powdery beaches and emerald seas are blissfully quiet. To get there, Air Asia (www.airasia.com) and Nok Air (www.nokair.com) fly between Bangkok and Trang daily.

Sunday Parties

Sunday chill-out sessions have always been a mainstay of gay and beachside clubbing scenes—except here in Bangkok, despite our beach-like weather and 51% gay male population. No more. After Confidential Sunday (Bed Supperclub) launched in Sep last year, two followers, with very different styles, have joined the Sunday is a Party Day movement. Kolour Sundays (Viva & Aviv, River City Shopping Complex, 23 Yotha Rd., 02-639-6305) takes a nice sunset spot by the Chao Praya River and adds a healthy dose of upbeat electro mixes from resident DJs. While the Sunset Sundays at St. Regis (159 Ratchadamri Rd., 02-207-7777) offers panoramic city views from the 15th floor, poolside lounging, soft n’ groovy house tunes and five new cocktails from talented mixologist Joseph Boroski.

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