What’s fuelling the growth of luxe, boutique hotels in the Asia-Pacific region?

Southeast Asians are getting better educated, savvier and more urbanized. As travelers get more experienced, they want to experience the adventure of lesser known brands. Also, the rise of no-frills carriers over the past 10 years has encouraged travel to short haul destinations, allowing people to spend more on nicer accommodation.

There is a tendency these days to brand any new small hotel as “boutique.” What defines a proper boutique hotel?
The word “boutique” is a little overused these days; at Mr & Mrs Smith we define it in four ways:

1) It has to be boutique scale–as a rule of thumb there are less than 50 rooms at most of the hotels in our collection; intimacy and privacy are big components of this. Of course, there will be some exceptions to this.

2) Boutique Style: We’re a style arbiter; we’re very keen on style with a purpose featuring both function and form. We use good textiles, good art and bespoke furniture.

3) Personalized, attention-to-detail service.

4) Sex appeal. The getaways we feature have an X-factor that appeals to couples and are intrinsically romantic destinations.”

Mr & Mrs Smith is one of the world’s leading boutique hotel experts. The Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique Hotel Collection: South East Asia ($50) is the latest addition to their collection and offers detailed insights into some of the finest boutique hotels in the region. Available at major bookstores. Log on towww.mrandmrssmith.com for more information.

BK: What brought you to Bangkok?
Michael: My daughter was going to live here with her grandparents, so I came here to be near her and ended up finding work as a teacher.

BK: What does HOPE do?
Michael: HOPE Worldwide (Thailand) (www.HOPEwwthailand.org) runs programs at Nontapum Home for disabled orphans and girls rescued from trafficking, teaching them basic computer skills. It’s not much. They basically have nothing and they are trying to do great things, so I wanted to help them get more funds and sponsors.

BK: What gave you the idea for the Walk of Hope?
Michael: The idea behind the walk was simply to promote awareness of HOPE’s projects, raise funds and get some sponsors. The walk from Bangkok to Chang Mai is 730kms long. It was my first time, and I had no idea what I was doing.

BK: How many kilometers did you walk a day?
Michael: Only about 30 because we set up stands and reached out to the local community to teach them about what we are doing along the way. People have been amazing; 90% of the time we stayed for free at schools, temples, and even some resorts.

BK: What is your source of inspiration?
Michael: I read this quote every day of my walk: “When you seek happiness for yourself it will always elude you; when you seek happiness for others you will find it for yourself.”

BK: Did you succeed?
TK: Yes. We’ve not only made lots of people aware of HOPE, we even got quite a few big-name sponsors, like Adidas, Air Asia and Toyota on board.

BK: Do you plan to do this again?
TK: No, my knees are not very good, and I may even need surgery on them. I still want to help, but I need to find other ways to do it, so I am always thinking of other projects.

BK: How can others help?
TK: I think you know yourself when or how you can help. There comes a time when you think, “I can help, I should be doing this,” and as soon as you have this feeling, act on it. Don’t think, don’t try, just do. Carissa Devine

Donations can be made to HOPE Worldwide (Thailand) via Kasikorn Bank, Rangnam Branch, Account no. 052-2-7800-2.

I grew up in Angthong and played with friends in the rice fields. I used to throw a clothes hanger as a boomerang except, well, it never came back.

My new friends ridiculed my rural accent when I moved to study in Bangkok in fifth grade, but they finally stopped because I got very good grades.

I had a dream to get in to Suankularb Wittayalai School because I felt the school’s colonial building was the most beautiful construction I had ever seen. So I put all my energy into getting accepted there, and I made it.

Life at school was like a miniature model of the real world. It was really diverse, with sons of politicians and rich families down to the children of janitors. It was worth all my hard work to become part of this community.

Our educational guidance system is a failure. The counselors don’t really show students that there are many choices for them, even for students who only love one thing. Like me—I love the arts so I thought I should only enter an arts faculty, which is not necessarily true.

I couldn’t get into Silpakorn University, which was my first choice, but I was still able to get into King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. I met my senior, Jatutthapong “Pueng” Rumakom (guitarist)there, and we later formed Armchair together.

He chose me to be the singer after I got drunk at a junior year reception party and took over the microphone.

I never thought Armchair would be this successful. I didn’t even graduate from college. At that moment I blamed others but I realize now that it’s also my fault.

I have no regrets. I can live on my own. I have been able to work in the arts without graduating, whereas only 10% of my friends who did finish school are working in fields that they studied in.

I don’t believe that higher education will necessarily make an ace of you. It also depends on experience.

Now I plan to go back to study to get a degree for my parents as I promised. It’s my responsibility to give it back to them.

My love is like a journey. The path may not always be beautiful, but the destination is worthwhile.

It’s a bit ridiculous that so many people do their weddings so extravagantly. It’s really ill-spent money. I would invite my guests to do something nice together, like this one couple I saw on the internet that invited all their guests to do reforestation.

Bangkok is really “nua” [“delicious” in Isaan]. It might be stinky but it’s delicious.

Thai belief systems are quite weak. People are impressionable, and when an idea is put before them, they start to believe it and finally, it grows into this massive power.

Democracy is not just the leadership of a large group of irrational people who shout at the top of their voices about what is right or wrong.

Thai people are afraid to think differently. They seem to wait for others to love something before they start to like it. It’s as if they were afraid to look stupid. But if you aren’t willing to look stupid, then you will never know that there could be a new world. Like when Galileo was the only one who believed that the world wasn’t flat [sic].

We’re so lucky that we have the king to teach us to live on our own. Who would ever want to flee from Thailand like that fugitive?

Everyone has to be aware that this is our home. Then we will take care of every place like it is our own.

Happiness is living sufficiently and not using up your future happiness. Believe in what you do. Even if [pursuing] it is exhausting, it’s worth it in the end.

My dad was into photography when I was younger. He had his own dark room and I was one of his favorite subjects. I would pose for him, pretending that I was smoking and this was when I was only two to three years old. It became a passion at a very early age.

When I was studying in Paris, photography became an obsession. Paris is such an amazing place, and is very inspiring. On the weekends my best friend and I would go out to take pictures of everything and anything. We would take photos in cemeteries. We had an attraction to cemeteries and I don’t know why.

I took part in a big photography competition in 1996, won and told myself that this will be my life. It was organized by the French Foto magazine, the Museum of Creative Arts and Tate, a big fashion brand, and I won first prize. So then I told myself that this is it, I will become a photographer—quit everything else.

I took a one-year intensive course in Europe Spéos Paris Photographic Institute. It was an amazing school that was taught by the top professionals in the industry. They weren’t just full time teachers; they were actually people who practiced the craft. I took the course to reinforce my knowledge.

I am constantly being shaped. I think if you don’t reinvent yourself, you are dead. I get bored very easily, everyone around me knows that.

If you put me in the middle of Africa to live with a tribe for a week, I will be able to adapt easily. Except maybe for the toilet part. I am very adaptable and I love that. I think it comes from my side of getting bored easily; I need to be a bit uncomfortable to be comfortable.

The outcome of photography in Asia is more reserved. Not in the sense of the photographers or the subject matter but in terms of the distance in the end result. It is less in your face.

Actors are great subject matters because they hate it when I ask them to be themselves. They are very interesting to shoot because once they let their guard and mask down they have to think about who they are. And usually they don’t know how to portray that person and they get very uncomfortable. I like that.

I don’t think I am a fashion photographer but I know I am a people photographer. At the same time, I am shy myself; so it is always an exercise for me to move forward and break that barrier.

I am very bad at faking. I wish I could be fake sometimes because when I don’t like someone, it shows.

Southeast Asia is a “Kodak” continent. Everyone here is taking pictures all the time and there’s this big lack of understanding that photography is an art form. Just because you have a camera does not make you a photographer.

I have felt drained and uninspired at times. I feel this everyday, but you got to snap out of it. Knowing yourself is the most important thing. Only you can get out of it and no one else will pull you out. There’s no point hating or blaming the world. If you look for people to bring you back to the path, you can dream on.

We are called Miami Horror because … when I was a kid growing up in Miami in the '80s I saw a lot of strange things. I also think it is a very visual name; both words subconsciously or consciously have associated visuals.

If we called ourselves San Francisco Comfort it would be … a bit silly. But we are from Melbourne and this joint is … one of the best cities in the world, check it out!

Our music is best described as … disco influenced pop pyschedelia.

But people consider our music … synth pop. I think they are behind the times.

Our debut album, Illumination is … the hardest thing we have ever done.

We say we are influenced by … Daft Punk, Pink Floyd, Air, Michael Jackson and Supertramp.

But what we are really influenced by are … photos, stories and movies.

I prefer … life over death.

2010 was … a big year for us in Australia.

2011 is going to be … a big year for us overseas.

2020 is … when we will be back in Babylon and time will start again.

Our gig at Zirca will see … some amazing things from us.

What I want to say right now is … can’t wait!

Miami Horror debuts on Jan 21, 10pm at Zirca, #01-02/05 Blk. C The Cannery, Clarke Quay, River Valley Rd., 6333-4168. $25-28 includes two drinks.

How long have you been doing this?
It has been 18 years now and I’ve been based here for 3 years. I moved around a lot over the years. It isn’t an easy job.

When did you decide that this would be your career?
I left school when I was 12 years old and the first job I ever had was as a tailor. I had this friend who was working behind the shop and he was a locksmith. So I learned from him for about 3 years before I decided to set off on my own. It wasn’t easy because the government was strict about licensing. That’s how I started off—working from a van going from house to house, offices to offices to make a living.

What’s the biggest challenge in your profession?
Learning about the different brands of keys in the market is ever challenging. Each key has their own make and I need to make sure I am up-to-date with the latest kind of keys out there.

So what makes a good lock?
People make a common mistake when buying locks. Bigger is not always better. Some of these big locks are made from really poor materials.

What has been your most memorable experience?
When my make-shift store caught fire about 3 years ago. I came to my store one morning and saw only the remains of it all burnt and charred. Apparently a kid threw his cigarette butt and my store caught fire. I lost about $10,000. I also caught people attempting to break into the drawers of my store. I am a locksmith, of course they couldn’t steal anything.

How does one make a living from being a locksmith?
A day at a time. I make about $2,000 to as high as $3,000 a month. Enough to feed myself and my children.

Can you open just about anything?
Yes, I can. Nothing is kept locked forever.

What’s Modular Aesthetics?
It stemmed from the notion that all great things usually consist of smaller important components, which we call modular. This idea applies to how we work as a group. We focus on an individual’s strength but, at the same time, we all chip in and help each other to create something amazing. Our artworks are inspired by the seemingly insignificant primary forms found in inanimate objects as well as living creatures.

Who are you guys?
There are six of us and we each specialize in interactive art, new media visual art, sound and visual, photography, fashion and product sculpture.

Can you tell us about this exhibition?
Since our group has members from so many different backgrounds, we want to combine their skills and see what we can achieve in this exhibition. Each one of us is assigned what we call an assistant artist, and that’s where sharing and contributing comes into play.

What can we expect to see at the exhibition?
Since it’s all experimental, I can’t really say what you’re going to see, which I think makes it even more appealing. Although the artists are different, our artworks are subtly connected. That’s the essence of this exhibition.

What’s your contribution?
I come from a field of visual art, so my piece will be a fusion of modular and primary forms which together create optical illusion art. Most of my creations will be projected on the wall.

What’s next for Modular Aesthetics?
We all agreed that we will put out 2-3 exhibitions every year to show the group’s progress. Our ultimate goal is to make new media become synonymous with the name Modular Aesthetics.

Nada and his first exhibition "Modular Aesthetics" at Sol Space

Technique and medium: Stoneware and porcelain.

Can you tell us about this exhibition?
This exhibition is about the important issues in life, issues people ignore every day. It is about how we decide what is important in life, how feel when we are passionate, how we approach death. There will be about 70 stoneware hearts, a dozen “Turn On” bums and 45 porcelain skulls in the show. The butterflies, 5,000 of them hanging from the ceiling, symbolize the beauty and the glory that link all our emotions and all of our lives.

Why did you choose to work with ceramics?
Ceramics are very physical. You create an object that, though delicate, will last longer than you or me–it contrasts with the fleeting nature of the emotions the pieces express. Ceramics are also very technical–not every artist can choose ceramics. I have a degree in Ceramic Arts and you need years of practice to make the best use of it; the textures, the forms and the colors that I can achieve are unique. Ceramics mix science and magic, the science of heat and minerals, the magic of mixing glazes. It is constantly exciting.

Your last exhibition Turn Me On also featured a series of buttocks, is that your personal favorite subject to portray?
Live, Love & Let Die is a continuation from my last two shows; Exploring Love (2009) and Turn Me On (2010). The point is not the object, it is the emotion. The bum is the part of the body that you feel easy teasing people about. There’s a fine line between sexiness and vulgarity. In my last show, I wanted to turn people on sexily without being rude or vulgar. You can touch your friend’s bum without getting a slap back. You can look at someone’s bum and say nice bum or sexy bum without feeling rude, but if you stare at her breasts and say nice boobs… Imagine what you will get.

Keeping up with Nino Sarabutra at Live, Love & Let Die exhibition

What’s your job?
I try and persuade the customers to buy more beer in order to increase sales.

Why did you pick Khao San?
I like it. You get to meet a lot of people and a lot of foreigners. You practice speaking English.

Why do they like Khao San?
There’s a lot of stuff to buy, and it’s a good tourist area.

Anything you don’t like about the area?
It can be a little expensive.

Have you seen any crazy/ weird things at night around here?
I think drunk farangs are really crazy! They get really rowdy and a little too touchy. Parisa Pichitmarn

What are you looking forward to on your visit to Singapore?
This will be my second visit. There’s a lot of freedom and I’m attracted to that and being able to use the acoustics of a fine hall, the volume of an electric guitar. I don’t have to worry about anyone else and everything seems to connect.

What inspired your latest album, National Ransom?
We place a lot of trust in people, financial institutions and politicians, but there’s a sense of fear and uncertainty which all of us experience in one way or another. But it’s not about proposing a solution or apportioning blame. It’s slightly mysterious, why your mind lingers in a certain place. And some days you feel things to a greater or lesser extent. I think it’s second nature to reflect on that. It was only after I’d written several of them that I felt they hung together in a common thread. It took me 11 days to record. I had a clear idea of the mood of each song, and when it was combined in an ensemble, it turned out better than I could have ever dreamed.

What’s the creative process like for you?
I tremendously admire people who write songs and edit, but for me, the less self-conscious I am about it and the less I question it, the better. Spontaneous composition is where my art is revealed.

What do you enjoy most, the process of writing, recording or performing?
I’m quite happy with just performing, because performance is always evolving. I don’t want to be reheating the same old formula. It’s also about how you combine different songs and juxtapose them in an interesting way. I like to use the emotion of one song to set up the mood of another.

Catch the gifted Elvis Costello in action on Mar 7, 8:30pm, at the Grand Theater in Marina Bay Sands, Galleria Level, 10 Bayfront Ave., 6688-8868. $90-210 from Sistic.