1.) Pick a Theme, Any Theme

For a sense of occasion, there’s nothing quite like a theme to help you sort out how to decorate your place, pick your drinks and encourage your guests to dress up. Poon Panichewa, owner of Meeting Room-The Asian Gastro and PR manager for various fashion brands, says, “Dress codes work for small parties, but forget those beach or cowboy themes, this year is all about something easy but requiring creativity, such as salary man, hip-hop on the beach or choom thang sieng thong (luk toong).” See #14, page 10, for places to rent the perfect costume. Here are our top theme ideas:
• Prohibition Chic. Every one else is doing it, so why can’t you? Inspired by the period from 1920-1933 when alcohol was banned throughout the United States, it’s the era of debauched drinking dens (speakeasies) and the Jazz Age—think Boardwalk Empire and The Great Gatsby when it comes to the dress code. Prohibition-era cocktails are all about making homemade moonshine palatable but for something a bit more elevated try the Sidecar with Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice, in a 3-2-1 ratio.
• Naughty Nineties & Noughties. Why is it Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan get to have all the trashy fun? This party theme is all about the atrocious pop we love (even better if it’s from the 90s and early 2000s), wearing very little clothes and behaving very badly. Email events@asia-city.co.th and we’ll even tell you where to get male strippers if you promise you’re not the Department of Special Investigations. Drinks? A big bowl of sweet boozy punch to get everyone trashed ASAP.
• Luk Toong. Maft Sai’s Isaan funk has become the obligatory soundtrack for every hip party in town. Head to his molam mecca of a shop on Sukhumvit Soi 51 to stock up on ZudRangMa compilation records, or do your own crate digging for rare luk toong vinyl in China Town or Mae Mai Pleang Thai (G/F MBK, Rama 1 Rd., 02-898-0500/-2. www.maemaiplengthai.com). Order Isaan (try Somtam Jaykee, page 8), hand out pah kao ma to your guests and bring out the chilled rice wine. What doesn’t kill you make you stronger, right?

2.) Cue Up the Perfect Playlist

Electro

Neon Tiger (Child’s Play)
• “Dear New York” (original mix) by Firebeatz & Schella
• “Sidewinder” (original mix) by AC Slater
• “Epic” (original mix) by Sandro Silva & Quintino
• “Analogital” (Hard Rock Sofa Remix) by Marco V  
• “Must Be The Feeling” (South Central Remix) by Nero

Indie-Pop-Rock

Note Pongsuang (Dudesweet)
• “Wait & See” by Holy Ghost!
• “Tribulations” by LCD Soundsystem
• “Take a Walk“ by Passion Pit
• “Bad Girls” by M.I.A.
• “Wild World” by Mr. Big

Club Circuit

DJ Tony Preeda (gCircuit)
• “Somebody That I Used To Know” (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix) by Gotye feat. Kimbra
• “Dirty Thinking” (Mateo Cortes Yes Remix) by Miguel Picasso, Kristen Deva
• “Feed The Fire” (Jesse Garcia Club Remix) by Katherine Ellis, The Studiopunks
• Let’s Have A Kiki (Nick Bertossi Big Room mix) by Scissor Sisters

3.) See the Green Fairy

Absinthe is a serious alcoholic beverage made from the grand wormwood plant and mixtures of herbs which gained popularity during the 19th century amongst Bohemian intellectuals. It’s sometimes called The Green Fairy for its green color and high alcohol content of up to 70%, which gives it a hallucinogenic quality. There’s more to it than gobbling shots, though, so here’s the proper way to drink it:
• Get yourself a bottle of absinthe (real absinthe has wormwood infusion)
• Make sure you have a perforated spoon, sugar cube and cold water
• Place the spoon with the sugar cube on it on the absinthe glass and pour about 6oz of cold water on the sugar cube until the absinthe starts fade in color
• Use the spoon to dissolve the sugar cube into the absinthe
• Drink slowly to savor the taste

4.) Carve Balls

The coolest thing in bartending is to serve single malt whiskies with fist-sized balls of ice in them. While the nec plus ultra is to chop the ball out of a block of ice, you can also just use simple balloons filled with water and chuck them in the freezer. Make sure you clean out the balloons first—they’re not really designed to contain food. The advantage of an iceball over icecubes is that it melts more slowly, allowing your whiskey to keep cool without getting watered down too quickly.

5.) Get Into the Fold

For some extra table style, try folding your paper napkins into this lotus shape. It’s not very difficult but it looks pretty fab.

6.) Sit Back and Relax

Can’t even be bothered with replating a food delivery? Get these guys to come in and handle the whole thing.
• I Do Catering
6 Soi Ari Samphan 9, Rama 6 Rd., 02-279-4980. www.ido-catering.com.
These guys organize everything, from event planning down to menu preparation, be it a high tea or a BBQ party.
• Greyhound Catering
27/1 Sukhumvit 53, 02-252-3403/-5. www.greyhoundcafe.co.th.
Trendy and dependable, Greyhound caters to all occasions with an offering of different packages (cocktails, food-in-the-box, buffet).
• White Cafe Catering
207 Ladprao 115, Bangkapi, 02-734-0514/1331/0906. www.whitecafecatering.com
Run and owned by Benya Nadakwang, who’s been cooking for more than 25 years and is now behind the edgy White Cafe in Thonglor, these guys are experts in modern Thai food but can also do plenty of fusion options.

7.) Order In

Can’t afford the catering? Dial F.O.O.D. and watch your problems disappear.

• Somtam Jay Kee
137/1-2, Soi Polo, Rama 4 Rd., 02-251-2272.
Nothing spells party quite like a sumptuous Isaan feast. Order their specialties: fried chicken and a variety of somtam, of course.
• Food By Phone
02-663-4663. www.foodbyphone.com
Log on to their website where you’ll be spoiled for choice with an enormous selection of food from various city restaurants, categorized by type, from Mediterranean to Isaan and vegetarian.
• Zabbver
02-655-6000, www.zabbver.com
The only company that delivers baan-baan dishes from old-favorites, like Rad Na Jae Fai, Guay Jub Nai Lek and Pad Thai Thip Samai, direct to your door. Regular members (from B2,500) get to order between 10am-10pm, while premium members (from B15,000) get a 24-hour service. Charges are deducted from member fees.
• Food Panda
02-643-5336, www.foodpanda.co.th
Food Panda delivers from over 100 restaurants, from Pizzazo Bistro and Masala Art to Joke Mee Please. Enter your sub-district, see what’s available in your area and get your cash ready.
• ChefsXP
1767, www.chefsxp.com
What’s so good about ChefsXP is that they have an expansive list of tasty restaurants and they consistently charge lower mark-up prices than the other competitors (and it’s only B60 for delivery to all areas).

8.) Say it with Flowers

Nothing says special occasion like flowers (yes, really). Fill that space with lilies, birds of paradise or roses. Here are our picks of the top florists.
• Ruern Boossaba. 16 Sukhumvit Soi 21, Wattana, 02-661-7767/8, 085-199-2904.
• Close to Nature. 2/F, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-269-9992.
• Atelier. 1/F, The Okura Prestigue Bangkok, Ploenchit Rd., 02-687-9000.

9.) Serve Them a Proper Drink

If you’re afraid that your homemade cocktails could spell disaster or cause serious brain damage, why not hire a bartender for the night? We asked around and found out that reputable bartenders normally expect around B1,500 per night. But if you want to surprise your guests with a celebrity bartender, prepare to splash out a lot more cash. We spoke to Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn, co-owner of Roof by Muse and a mixologist for Diagio’s premium liquors, who said, “If you want to hire a celebrity bartender, expect to pay at least B25,000 for a night. But if they’re professional, but not yet a celebrity, rates should be around B3,000.” And of course, you could always go to a bartending school like Bartender Course School (02-653-9373), which offers cocktail-making courses as well as bartending moves.

10.) Play, Drink, Repeat

We’ve played all the following games and lived to regret it. Enjoy.

Beer Pong

You need: plastic cups, a big table, ping pong balls.
1. Set up ten beer-filled plastic cups in a triangle on each end of the table.
2. Split into two teams. One member of each team takes turns bouncing a ping-pong ball into the other team’s cups.
3. You get the ball in a cup, the other team has to drink the contents.
Drunken Jenga
You need: a Jenga (a bunch of wooden blocks of identical size). Get it at Toys-R-Us (6/F, CentralWorld, Ratchadamri Rd., 02-613-1400).
1. Prepare a shot of vodka (or any other liquor of your choice).
2. Play the game as you normally would.
3. Whoever topples the tower, takes the tipple.
Stab-A-Pirate
You need: a Stab-A-Pirate (also from Toys-R-Us).
1. Prepare a shot of booze.
2. Take turns stabbing the barrel.
3. Whoever gets the pirate, drink the shot.
Warning: this one gets you drunk pretty fast.
Never Have I Ever
You need: honest friends.
1. A group of players sit together in a circle with one starting the game by saying what they’ve never done.
2. Anyone that has done what the first person has not must drink.
3. The game continues around the circle, but if no one takes a drink, the person who said “they have never...” must drink.

11.) Champagne Sabering

Surprise your guests by showing that you can saber a bottle of champers just like the top bartenders. Read the following tips from Cha Cha, bartender at The St. Regis Bar—carefully now, so that no one loses an eye.  
• What kind of champagne? At the moment we use Domain Chandon Sparkling but when we have special requests or events we use Moet Chandon.
• What type of bottle? The bottle has to be made of good quality materials because the cheap ones will make the glass shatter.
• Which part of the bottle do you saber? The neck of the bottle, at the spot where the seam of the bottle meets the head of the bottle. It’s the weakest point.
• Any special techniques? Chill the bottle upside down. It must be extremely cold. Take off the foil from around the neck. Unscrew the wire cage over the cork and bottle head. Hold the bottle at 45 degrees and slide hard at the neck of the bottle. The high pressure inside the bottle will force the cork to fly off.
• Does the length of the saber matter? No. Some people use short swords. It depends on one’s proficiency.
• How do you make the champagne foam fizzle out? Shake the bottle slightly before sabering.

12.) Get Laid

Is your party full of singles just itching to hook up but too shy to do the work? Here’s how to socially lubricate them.

• 7 minutes in Heaven
​You’ll need one bottle and lots of people. Just hope they’re good kissers.
​1. Gather around in a circle.
​2. One person starts the game by spinning a bottle twice until the bottle stops pointing at ​two people of the opposite sex.
​3. The two chosen spend seven minutes in a closet (or a room) to do, um, whatever they please.
​4. Once they’re out they get to spin the bottle for the next two.
• Strip Twister
​You’ll need the Twister (try Toys R’ Us) game and an equal number of men and women.
​1. Determine a penalty for players who’ve lost all their clothing and split into men’s and women’s teams.
​2. Two players play in each round as a teammate spins for their partner.
​3. When a player fails to move to a spot, that player removes one piece of clothing and is replaced by a teammate.
​4. Play continues till there’s one player left with only one piece of clothing. Others without clothes can continue after the predetermined penalty is applied.
• Flip, Sip or Strip
​Trust us, this game is simple and no matter what, you’ll end up either drunk or naked.
​1. Three or more players take turns flipping a coin and guess if it’s head or tails.
​2. If they guess correctly, they pass the coin to the next player, if they guess wrong, they either take a shot or remove a piece of clothing. The real fun part is you can’t choose the same option twice in a row.
• Suck and Blow
​The name says it all, a quick and easy way to break the ice with the opposite sex.
​1. Five to six players gather around in circle switching positions between men and women.
2. One player starts the game by holding a card to their mouth by sucking in air and passes the card to the next player by blowing out.
​2. The game continues until someone drops the card (meaning you’ll get some lip action), that person then takes a drink.

13.) Harness the Powerof Science

Bas Petchpradit, mixologist at WOOBAR,
W Bangkok, gives us an easy recipe for a molecular cocktail you can make yourself.
Jasmine Martini Jelly
• What you need: Gin 400ml, syrup 40ml, two drops of jasmine flower extract, five packs of gelatin.
1 Pour all of the gelatin into water and add two drops of jasmine flower extract.
2 Once the gelatin starts to soften, separate the gin into two parts, one 90ml and one 410 ml.
3 Pour the 90ml gin into a bowl before placing it above a pot of boiling water to allow it to heat up.
4 Mix together the heated gin with the rest of the gin, syrup and gelatin in a mold, add some fruits for more flavors and put in the fridge until it turns jelly-like.

14.)  Look the Part

Ditch your elegant evening wear and dress the part for the festive party with our picks of the best costume shops around town.

Dreambox Costume
What: Fancy, super heroes and movie characters.
Highlight: An array of international and superhero costumes.
Price: Rent starts from B300, deposit from B150.
Where: Soi Preedeepanomyong 26, Sukhumvit Rd., 02-715-3547. www.dreamboxcostume.com
PR Fancy
What: Fancy, international, superheroes and movie icons.
Highlight: Wide range of fancy costumes that come with countless complimenting accessories.
Price: Rent starts from B700 for three-day rental, B1,000 deposit.
Where: 488 Soi Petchburi 18, Petchburi Rd., 02-656-5831. BTS Ratchathewi.
Petchchor
What: Fancy and international costumes.
Highlight: Retro and international costumes that are all about the details.
Price: Rental starts from B400 for three-day rental, deposit from B300.
Where: Twin Condo (next to Asia Hotel), Happy Land 2 Rd., 081-617-1277.
Grandview Fashion
What: Fancy, international, night dresses, pretty costumes.
Highlight: Sequined costumes; they even have ones that’ll turn you into a promo pretty.  
Price: Rent starts from B1,500, deposit from B1,500.
Where: Between Soi Ladprao 85-87, Ladprao Rd., 02-538-8325.
M Shop
What: Fancy costumes
Highlight: A wide range of bodysuits.
Price: Rental starts from B500, deposit from B300.
Where: 1096 Petchburi Soi 37, Petchburi Rd., 086-062-3084.

15.) Get Rid Of Your Bad Red Wine

You can’t prevent your guests from bringing bad wine to your party. But at least you can turn it into something drinkable. Make sangria.
• What you need: A bottle of red wine, peach syrup, strawberry, green apple, apple juice, watermelon, and lime juice.
• How to: Dice all choppable fruits and throw a handful of each into a big bowl with red wine. Add syrup, apple juice and some lime juice, according to taste. Leave it in the fridge for around two hours. When serving, always place the sangria bowl on ice so that it’s chilled even without ice. Top with a splash of ginger ale to add some fizz.

16.) Screw Doing the Dishes

1 Chopsticks and plastic forks, B60 each from Daiso (Try Siam Square Soi 3, 02-654-6303) 2 Compostable bagasse sugarcane plates, B32/10 pieces, 3 cups, B25/10 cups from Gourmet Market (Try G/F, Siam Paragon, 02-690-1234) 4 Paper napkins: yellow, B99/50 pieces; green, B69/30 pieces; red, B74/30 pieces from IKEA (Mega Bangna, 02-708-7999)

17.) And Screw Cleaning Up For That Matter

Don’t ruin your delicate hands, hire a third party to do the job.

COIT
482 Soi Sainamthip, Sukhumvit Soi 22, 02-743-1250. www.coit.co.th.
With half a century experience and branches in the US, Canada and Thailand, they can de-soil anything from curtains and Persian carpets to sofas and cushions. They normally visit your place before quoting the price which falls between B8,000-B20,000.
Cleaning 24
67 Soi Huamark 9, Huamark, Bangkapi, 081-347-4863, 02-732-1700. www.cleaning24.co.th
These guys can make your place look new again within a day. The professional team will clean everything from the floor to the ceiling. Prices roughly start from B50 per sq meter.
Four Hands Maintenance
46/82 Moo 12, Nuanphaka Village, Nuanchan Rd., 02-510-2571, 02-944-6362. www.fourhandscleaning.com.
Four hands are surely better than two when it comes to cleaning. With all-round cleaning services, they send a cleaning crew equipped with high-quality machines to wipe away every trace of grime. Prices start from B3,000.