Independent Thai dessert shop Madam Choops became an online sensation after it posted pictures of its colorful, homemade sweets resembling Buddhist amulets. Shortly thereafter, things went off the rails, and the shop caught some heat it never wanted. 

 

 

 

 

After more than a decade in business, chefs Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and Dylan Jones closed their pioneering fine dining restaurant Bo.lan for good, highlighting just how heavy a toll pandemic restrictions took on the city’s dining scene. 

 

 

 

The global golf and entertainment brand Topgolf announced it would open its first branch in Southeast Asia at Megacity in mid-2022—we still haven’t learned of its exact opening date yet, but everyone sure was excited about it.

 

 

 

When Monthon “Mint” Kasantikul, the figure behind I Roam Alone, a solo travel blog with millions of followers, went to Afghanistan as the country was descending into chaos, she divided the Thai internet. BK editor Craig Sauers wrote a piece explaining why her journey was so awkward and unfortunate. (You can check out her Afghanistan vlog here.) 

 

 

 

 

Kieran Tuntivate became Thailand’s first Olympic competitor in the 10,000 meter race at the Tokyo Games this year. We talked with the blazing-fast newcomer about his dreams of putting Thailand on the map in track and field. 

 

 

 

 

After nine years as chef de cuisine at Le Normandie, the French fine dining powerhouse at the Mandarin Oriental, Arnaud Dunand bid farewell this year. Now, he’s gearing up to open up his first restaurant, Maison Dunand. Juicy stuff!

 

 

 

 

This year, many hotels and restaurants tried to up their game by adding creative twists to traditional mooncakes. One Thai chef, however, went full galaxy brain, swapping the usual sweet or savory ingredients with a juicy beef wellington filling. 

 

 

 

When the Tourism Authority of Thailand launched a promo video to extol the reopening of the country, right as Covid-19 cases were peaking, it met a furious backlash. Almost instantly the video was taken down. 

 

 

 

Despite its initial promise to keep the old Scala structure intact, Bangkok’s most beloved theater Scala was recorded being torn down in November—another blow to heritage preservation efforts in Bangkok.