The BigChilli September 2012 by The BigChilli Co., Ltd.

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FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT IN BANGKOK

September 2012 08 INSIGHT News, letters, monthly planner, and more 28 COVER STORY How concert promoter Rock N’ Rolla aims to shake up Bangkok’s live music scene 36 SCHOOL REPORT A round up of news from Bangkok’s best international schools 41 EXPAT WOMEN An interview with Catherine ‘Cat’ Bowers, founding partner of CatandNat.com 51 GOURMET A round up of all the best restaurant deals and gourmet events in Bangkok 70 PERSONALITY How Bob Coombes brought Choice Foods to fruition 80 MUSIC SHOCKER EMaxmilian Wechsler investigates the murky world of music copyright 85 WHAT’S ON Exhibitions, peformance, sport, networking - we’ve got this month’s best events all wrapped up 95 SOCIAL Last month’s best events in pictures 111 DIPLOMATS The Ambassador of Timor-Leste tells his amazing story 120 MOTORING We test drive the new Toyota Fortuner 3.0V 2WD 123 TRAVEL Deals and news from Thailand’s hottest destinations

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The risks in playing someone else’s music

VERY little in life is free – and that includes music. Yet all around town – in pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and airports – it’s taken for granted there’ll be music to entertain us. We also listen to bands, sing with friends in karaoke lounges, and play music at parties and events. Music is a crucial element in advertising, and just think how dull television and movies would be without background music.  What many people do not realize, or choose to ignore, is that the music they play or listen to belongs to someone else. They have created it in the same way an artist paints a portrait or a tailor makes a suit, and they are perfectly within their rights to expect payment for its usage.  The whole question of music copyright is explored in depth in this issue of The BigChilli (see page 80). It turns out that many establishments are regularly breaking the law by failing to acknowledge the ownership of the music they play. As the law stands now, they are only permitted to play the latest hits of Lady Gaga, the classics sounds of Tamla Motown or the opera of Andrea Bocelli in a public arena after first paying for the privilege.  Policing copyright protection in Thailand is obviously extremely difficult, given the huge number of venues where music is played. Fines and penalties are severe and reports of corruption are never far away.  But as any musician will tell you, infringement of their copyright is tantamount to theft. And there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be dealt with in the same way as any other felony.

Temporary happiness on the Skytrain

BANGKOK’S commuters will be relieved to know that the trains on the BTS Sukhumvit line will be soon extended with the addition of a fourth carriage. At present, they face an almighty squeeze at both ends of the working day. Stations are regularly overwhelmed, possibly dangerously so, by the sheer mass of travelers waiting to get to the office or home. And there are moments when tempers not surprisingly flare because of all the pushing and shoving. For a while, though, commuting will be less uncomfortable for thousands of people. It is just a temporary fix, however, and

not a solution to the problem of crowded trains. The efficiency and popularity of the Skytrain continues to attract huge development along its routes; this is currently especially true of Sukhumvit, which is seeing dozens of towering condominiums being built near its stations. This will obviously draw more people on to the Skytrain. The opening next year of a new BTS line in the western suburbs is not going to help much either since it is linked directly to the existing routenet, resulting in even more commuters being sucked into the central areas of the city. Until the government gets serious about zoning and city planning, instead of leaving Bangkok’s destiny in the hands of market forces, it’s clear that the crowding is not only here to stay, but is also likely to get worse.

Wake-up call for IFAs

STARTING next year, the UK government has decreed that independent financial advisers (IFAs) will no longer be able to take commissions from customers buying their products, such as life insurance, pension and investment policies. Called the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), the new regulations will also force IFAs to pass tough new exams. Henceforth, their earnings will come from charging clients for advice. The aim of the RDR is to rid the financial services industry of sales people who push products that earn them the highest fees rather than working in the best interests of their clients. Of course, this legislation is applicable only in the UK but it will also serve as a wake-up call for IFAs working elsewhere.

Thailand without Thaksin

IT is impossible to know what Mr Thaksin Shinawatra is up to these days, but as time goes on it seems increasingly that his influence over the political scene here is on the wane. The former prime minister is not getting the headlines he once commanded and the sight of protesters on a recent visit to the US might have unnerved him and made him consider that his popularity is not universal after all. And it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the major players in Thailand’s surging economy have made it clear that a return here anytime soon would have a deleterious effect on business. It is, of course, too early to write off Mr Thaksin as a spent force, but the country is certainly doing fine without him.

TheBigChilli

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Publisher Colin Hastings editorbigchilli@gmail.com MANAGING Editor Adam Purcell adambigchilli@gmail.com Editor Nina Hastings ninabigchilli@gmail.com Sales & Marketing Manager Rojjana Rungrattwatchai sendtorose@gmail.com Account Executive Thana Pongsaskulchoti thanabigchilli@gmail.com Accounting Manager Saranya Choeyjanya fatcatbigchilli@gmail.com Art & Production Arthawit Pundrikapa, Jaran Lakawat Photography Mini Bike Gang and WJ Contributing Writers Anette Pollner, Johanna DeKoning, Maxmilian Wechsler, Paul Hewitt

Our online handle is ‘thebigchillimagazine’. Simply type this into Facebook’s search box, find the image of our magazine, then just click add.

We are now on Twitter. Find out what’s happening around town, which events to attend, parties to be seen at, and read all the juicy gossip! Follow us at ‘TheBigChilliMag’ No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from The BigChilli Co., Ltd. The opinions and views of the writers are not necessarily the views of the publishers. All details are deemed correct at the time of print, the publisher, the editor, employees and contributors can not be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may occur. The editor reserves the right to accept, reject or amend any submitted artwork, photographs, illustrations and manuscripts. The BigChilli welcomes unsolicited contributions but assumes no responsibility for the safe-keeping or return of such materials damaged or lost in transit.

The BigChilli Company Ltd., 1/7 5th Fl. Room 504, Siboonrueng Bldg. 2, Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel: 02 233 1774-6, 02 266 7141 Fax: 02 235 0174 e-mail: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com AD Amontre_May11.indd 1

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INSIGHT INBOX

letters It’s your

ER LETT HE OF T TH MON

PASSPORT PROBLEMS ■ THE story about passport

fraud (BigChilli 08/12) was an interesting read, especially the revelation that Thailand is a passport fraud hub. I, for one, know only too well the problems that can arise from having a passport stolen. Five years ago I had a bag stolen in a coffee shop on Sukhumvit. I lost money, work notes, and, worst of all, my British passport. I arranged a new one at the embassy and thought that my problems were over. However, several months later I was shocked when 600 pounds suddenly disappeared from one of my bank accounts in England. I called the bank and told them there must have been an error. Their response? To tell me that there was no error because they had records saying that I personally had set up a direct debit at one of the bank’s branches in the UK – by using ID! I had been in Thailand the whole time so the only explanation is that a crook set up the payment using my old passport, possibly with a modified picture. After sending the bank evidence to prove I was here, it still took me six months to get my money back; an utter nightmare. The obvious moral of my story: keep your passport safe! Harvey, Bangkok

SHE’S A STAR ■ THANKS for the introduction to Dara Loy (BigChilli 08/12). After reading the story, and checking out her debut music video on your website, I went to watch her perform at Conrad Bangkok’s Diplomat Bar with a group of friends and we were not to be disappointed. Put simply, she’s wonderful. Her captivating voice and bubbly personality really lit up the room; I hope that her career takes off and that she gets all the success she deserves. Music lover, Bangkok

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TELLING IT LIKE IT IS

■ THE August interview with Ambassador James Wise proves once again that you can always count on an Aussie to never mix his words. Most ambassadors shy away from questions about politics (especially the Thaksin issue), but not Ambassador Wise. His candor is refreshing, and he should be applauded for it. Paul, Bangkok

MORE FINANCIAL ADVICE ■ FURTHER to your story about ‘Thai-

land’s economic cops’ (BigChilli 07/12), and the letter from Jim (BigChilli 08/12), here is my tip for handling unsolicited phone calls from ‘financial’ companies. It works best if you have a speaker phone and a magazine or newspaper you’ve been meaning to read to hand. Take the call. Even answer the usual “how are you today?” stupid and pointless question nicely. Start reading newspaper/magazine/writing emails. Let the caller ramble on. IMPORTANT – do not actually listen to what they say. Every few minutes say something like ‘’sorry, didn’t catch that” or “sounds interesting.” My record is 45 minutes. When they run out of steam, they invariably wish to end their pitch with a call to action: “Can we meet,” or whatever. At that point, say: “No, I am not interested.” They will keep pressing, keep saying “no.” Trust me. It is very satisfying when they realise how much of their time they have wasted and then slam the phone down on you! John, Bangkok

SHARE YOUR VIEWS AND POST CLASSIFIEDS – FOR FREE! ■ THE new BigChilli Forum is now up and running, giving you the chance to share your views about expat living and post classifieds for free. So if you have a condo to rent, a car to sell, are looking for a job, or simply want to sound off about life in Bangkok, here’s the place to do it. www.thebigchilli.com.

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INSIGHT NEWS

Raja’s Fashions move to new Sukhumvit location ■ AFTER 30 years based on Soi Nana, Raja’s Fashions – the expa-

triate community’s favourite tailors – has relocated to a new ground floor premises on the main Sukhumvit Road between Sois 6 and 8. Run by the ubiquitous Bobby Gulati and his father Raja, the shop beloved by members of many foreign chambers of commerce in Bangkok will continue to offer made-to-measure suits, tuxedos shirts and other accessories for both men and women from its new location. Next year, Raja’s Fashions will celebrate 50 years in business. The father-son team and their staff are keen fund-raisers for local charities, especially in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce, providing scholarships, libraries and water tanks for the less privileged. Raja’s Fashions 21st annual charity golf tournament will be held in February 2013. Bobby, who’s known for his amazing ability to remember the names of customers new and old, says he’s settled quickly and easily into the new shop. As always, he’s on hand with a handshake, smile and offer of a drink. The building that previously housed Raja’s Fashions on Soi Nana has been turned into a beer bar by the new owners. Raja’s Fashions. www.rajasfashions.com email: rajas@ksc.th.com Tel. 02 253 8379, 02 253 8389

‘Soul Searching’ gets the chop Obituaries ■ TRAVEL-trade journalist Imtiaz Muqbil has

lost his long-running column ‘Soul Searching’ in the Bangkok Post after it was recently “terminated” by one of the newspaper’s senior editors. No reason has been given for ending his fortnightly freelance article. Muqbil’s final column, which was due to appear in the Bangkok Post on July 22, took the usual format of a political commentary and focused on the recent mass killing at the opening of a Batman movie in the United States. It carried the headline ‘Home-grown terrorism: One swamp the US cannot drain.” The article failed to appear after being “pulled by the paper’s Sunday Editor Paul Ruffini,” according to Muqbil’s own website Travel Impact Newswire. His axing prompted a sympathetic response from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand, whose website described the Indian-born journalist as a “shrewd and brilliant writer and truth-teller.” The site continued: “Imtiaz Muqbil has obviously been greatly feared by the Establishment as his regular column Soul Searching in the Bangkok Post was abruptly terminated, without any explanation whatsoever. “This is symptomatic of a trend emanating from the Bangkok Post of being more pro-America, pro-Israel and anti-Arab and anti-Muslim as witnessed by its increasingly pandering to forces spreading Islamophobia.”

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Muqbil, 56, who holds a Diploma from the London School of Journalism, which specializes in long distance learning courses, is well known for his anti-US/West and antiIsrael views. He moved to Thailand in 1978. In the column ditched by the Bangkok Post, Muqbil speculates whether a society which is incapable of solving violence at home can ever be a global champion of peace, stability and the common good. “Such societies can only implode and self-destruct,” he concludes. “Even while US rightwing neocons and Judeo-Christian fundamentalists ridicule Islam as a ‘religion of violence,’ the US itself is immersed in a far more deep-rooted culture of systemic violence.” For this, he blames the gun lobby, which he somehow links to the “equally powerful” Israeli lobby and says that both are “major financiers of the US political establishment.” One comment left on Muqbil’s website asked: “While you lambast US cultural values, or lack thereof, would you care to remind us how the Muslim world views the globe in terms of its own ‘good guys vs. bad guys narrative?’ “To give you a hint: Good guys: Muslims. Bad guys: the rest of the world, especially those evil global conspirators the Jewish Zionists. “Why don’t ya do a bit of ‘soul searching’ yourself before you expect others to do the same?”

• NIGEL OVERY, CBE, former Chief Executive of the Inchcape Group in Thailand, passed away recently in Pattaya. Nigel, who first came to Thailand in the early 1950s, was a former chairman of the British Club, and British Chamber of Commerce. He was 81. • GARY WORTHINGTON, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Bangkok South, passed away whilst awaiting emergency surgery in Bangkok. Born in Blackpool, UK, Gary was 75. • STEVE EATON, also known by his nickname ‘Swampy,’ passed away in Perth, Australia. A member of the British Club Bangkok for 20 years, he was also Chairman of the Bangkok Gentlemen Spoofers for much of that time, a founder member of the Mutton Club, and an avid supporter of the Balut Section. He was 55.

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INSIGHT NEWS

Want to interact with your favourite magazine? Check out our new look website!

■ THE BigChilli website recently underwent a digital makeover and we’re so happy with the results that we thought we’d brag about it here. Still a work in progress, the website will just keep getting better every day – filled with more juicy pictures of Bangkok’s best parties, and more videos of events, musicians, and personalities on our brand new BigChilli TV. Exciting events and promotions will be posted on the site’s What’s On pages, and we even plan to feature additional content on top of our usual features – extended Q&As, audio clips and the like. If you want to read the latest issue of The BigChilli you’ll find our emag waiting for you on the website’s homepage. Click

on the top banner and you’ll even be directed to Issuu.com, our online newsagent, where you can also read back copies for free. Best of all – we’re shifting the focus of the website to be less about us and more about you, our readers. We want to give you a platform where you can share your thoughts, comment on stories, and easily get in touch with us and other expats. The new BigChilli Forum is perfect for this, allowing you to sign in as a member and share your views and post classifieds – for free! We look forward to interacting with you. The BigChilli

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JARGON BUSTERS

Hello… it’s all office waffle

Top 10 most hés annoying office clic • It’s a no-brainer

THANKFULLY, the English language is • Thinking outside in a constant state of change, with words the box and phrases falling in and out of popularity and usage at a fairly rapid rate. Otherwise • At the end we’d be stuck with some truly nauseating of the day jargon and clichés, prompting anyone with • It’s a win-win a love of the language to run to the nearest situation bathroom. With most of this waffle being heard • Touch base regularly in offices and boardrooms, a • Going forward survey was recently conducted in the UK in • 110 per cent interests of long-suffering workers to find the most hated business jargon phrases. • Close of play Take a peek at the list on the right. • It’s on my radar These are deemed the 10 most cringeworthy. • Flagging up Ugh, Ugh, Ugh! The sooner they disappear from use, the better. Unfortunately, there are many other cringeworthy words and gobbledygook phrases screwing up office conversations these days. Here is a selection of horrors that get under the skin of the BigChilli: • Flesh out • No worries • To be honest • Wow factor • Ticks the boxes • Throwing the bay out with the bath water • Usual suspects • Oh my God • Hello! • Like… • Seamless integration • Blue sky thinking • The wheels fell off • Get a handle • Level playing field • Paradigm shift • Pressing the flesh • Let’s run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it • Window of opportunity • Absolutely • Value added proposition • Maximum leverage • Lessons have been learned • At this moment in time • I’ll run that past X and see what he/she says/thinks Do you have a most hated phrase? Let us know at thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

• Kick it into touch • Growing the business organically • Pushing the envelope • What is our learn from this • What are you bringing to the table? • Get a life • Walk me through that • Learning curve • Engaging with someone (instead of speak) • Uber • Sans • Embedded • Pear shape • Hit the ground running • Human Resources • Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

QUOTE of the month

“Investment banking is an organised scam masquerading as a business. It is defined by endemic conflicts of interest, systemic amoral behaviour and extreme avarice. Many of its senior figures should be serving prison sentences or disgraced.” Will Hutton, writing in The Guardian newspaper

ROAD RAGE

Those selfish queue-jumpers

ETTING stuck in endless traffic jams is frustrating enough, but it’s made much worse by a selfish breed of motorists who believe they have the right to jump the queue and push their way between other cars, as often happens on exits from the Expressway. It’s not only a dangerous practice, especially as offenders tend to drive at high speed, but it also reeks of arrogance and disrespect. Is their time more valuable than drivers who are prepared to follow traffic etiquette and form an orderly queue? Of course not. Other roads notorious for dangerous and annoying queue jumping include the link between Sukhumvit and Rama IV, which runs parallel to the railway, and Nana Soi 4.

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Fat people: Anything to do with the chemicals they feed the animals we eat? BIG ISSUE

AST food and booze are widely blamed for the explosion of fatties in the western (and, increasingly, the eastern) world. Burgers, pizzas, sweet drinks and alcohol are piling on the pounds and kilos. Overweight people are everywhere you look. They’ve actually become the norm. But it wasn’t always this way. A couple of generations ago, being obese was certainly not common. Of course, people back then probably exercised more than they do today. And it’s true that most of us these days do consume bigger meals more often. But is there another reason for this epidemic of fatness? Could it be also due to all the chemicals massively used nowadays by the food industry? After all, factory-produced animals like chicken, pigs and cows are all fed (or injected) with ingredients specifically designed to pile on weight quickly. And as the end consumers, we also get to ingest this cocktail of chemicals. The ‘experts’ will deny any link, of course, but as people of their ilk have proved so many times in other surveys, you can hardly take them seriously. Interestingly, some years ago, salmon farms in Scotland fed their stock with supposedly highly nutritious pellets since the fish themselves had no access to their natural food. After a while, the salmon tasted less like fish and more like chicken. The obvious explanation was the pellets contained a high portion of chicken – and the salmon tasted like their feed. As they say, you are what you eat.

Whinge of the month

Motorcyclists who think the sidewalks are a racetrack to beat Bangkok’s traffic.

Would you call your kid Ferrari? KIDDY CARS Or Dodge?

HE Thai woman who decided to name her sextuplets after her favorite car brands may have launched a trend. Her brood, three girls and three boys, are called Audi, Fortune, Porsche, Mini, Volkswagen and Fiat. It’s an eclectic and fairly modest list. Someone more affluent giving birth to six kids at the same time might be tempted to call them Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati, Rolls, Bentley and Aston. There’s a nice ring about most of them. Possible alternatives include Pagani, Maybach, Lamborghini and Koenigsegg, though the last two are a bit of a mouthful. For something less exotic, even downright ordinary, there’s Ford, Datsun and Honda. Cars like Lada, Zil and Skoda, with their association with the former Soviet Union, may not be popular too. Meanwhile, there are plenty of car names to avoid if the kids are to grow into adults without hang-ups. For example, Midget, Escort, Rapier and Dodge do not give off good vibrations. Phantom, Ghost, Iron Duke, Stag, Gremlin and Hotshot are not exactly attractive either. And you’d better steer clear of Swinger, Willys and, believe it or not, Light Dump. Whatever happened to Peter or Paisarn?

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INSIGHT BUSINESS ADVICE

How product placement works Want to boost your brand? Then get your product in a TV show or movie. Kittima Sethi, a PR consultant at Brand Now, explains the magic of subliminal advertising

■ I WAS watching an Indian drama on cable TV when I noticed one of the leading characters holding a bag of a popular brand of Indian chips during one scene. She held on to that bag throughout the five-minute scene and even mentioned its name. She talked about how her life was full of twists and turns, much the same way as the shape of this chip. Now that was well scripted! That drama is watched not only by millions of Indian households but also audiences around the world. Imagine the brand exposure that was created from this single scene. This is called product placement, when a company pays for its product to be featured on television or movie to increase or reinforce brand awareness. This form of advertising is common and I am sure many of you have come across this in movies. Close up shots of leading actors driving a particular brand of car, wearing a particular model of watch or sunglasses or carrying a particular brand of bag is all so very common. Several seconds or a minute of this exposure can lead to an instant boost in sales and interest in the product. This is also why many luxury companies offer clothes, shoes and accessories for movie stars to wear during music and movie awards. Some even pay a presenter to wear their clothes during a TV show. Media are quick to mention the name of the designer and magazine pages are splashed with photos of these stars and the products. Product placement also serves as a

secondary source of income for movies and TV shows. Several satellite TVs do not allow advertising and many digital recording videos (DVR) offer ad-skipping features, which enables viewers to black out ads on the TV shows that have been recorded. This makes product placement even more attractive to advertisers. As viewers we do not realize this subliminal advertising. Certain products are featured more than others and these usually include automobiles, electronic gadgets, alcohol and beverages. Sports events, video games and concerts also feature product placements. Some of the successful product placement campaigns include the following: Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo shoes that are constantly featured in Sex and the City; in the American comedy series Modern Family, one episode revolved completely around how one of the actors wanted only an Apple iPad for his birthday and viewers watched the family standing in the Apple Store lines trying to get the product. In the US, the Brandcameo Product Placement Awards tracks product placement and brand appearances in every film that tops the US box office. Several awards in different categories are announced annually. Their 2011 Award for Overall Product Placement went to Apple, whose products appeared in 17 (or 42.5%) of the 40 films that were number one films at the US box office in 2011. The 2011 Award for Product Placement Achievement in an Oscar-Nominated Film went to The Help, which featured two brands. The first was

Coca-Cola, which has bottles in a scene which sees characters share a heartwarming moment of racial transcendence. The second is Crisco, where the actress Minnie says it is “the most important invention since they put mayonnaise in a jar.” One of the ways to measure the success of product placement is brand recall. Others are sales, traffic into the store (if it is a retail product), and tracking social media conversation on that product or brand after the product placement has taken place. There are rules and regulations on what types of products can be placed in TV shows, where it is allowed and how they can be featured. These vary in different countries. However, companies have to exercise caution when they are weaving products into the shows. Overdoing product placement campaigns may deter consumers who are quick to notice. Companies also need to lay out an effective product placement strategy to ensure that the product is relevant to the movie or show’s content. This may include either featuring the brand or product briefly on the show or having it scripted into the story. Kittima Sethi may be reached at kittima@brandnow.asia. She is now off to watch the next blockbuster, keeping an eye out for some creative product placement.

TheBigChilli

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BUSINESS SOFITEL BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT

FRENCH FLAIR ON SUKHUMVIT Blending French and Thai cultures to superb effect, The Soﬁtel Bangkok Sukhumvit opened in April and has fast become one of the cityʼs hippest hangouts. Here, the hotelʼs GM, Christophe Caron – whoʼs also Vice President, Soﬁtel South East Asia & India – talks more about the hotel and its main attractions One of the biggest challenges we faced in opening the property was the fact that we had to do it in just four months. When we came into the hotel at the end of November 2011, it was basically a concrete shell – so we had to do everything from scratch. No mean feat considering most five-star hotels usually have a set-up period of 12 to 18 months. How did we manage it? Well, we brought in talented staff from other Accor properties in Thailand, and were lucky to have around 60 staff members join the hotel from other Sofitels, so they really knew the brand. Many of these also held executive positions, so we really brought in a lot of talent. Sofitel is a luxury brand with French flair, French DNA. And we operate to a philosophy which revolves around three pillars – Design, Gastronomy and wine, and Culture. Looking at design, here in Thailand we take French elegance and blend it with Asian culture. This is what gives each Sofitel its own unique, contemporary look. Regarding gastronomy and wine, it’s something that French people are passionate about, it’s very much part of the French culture. At Sofitel we don’t to impose our culture, but we very much bring our passion to the table.

dining restaurant, Voila! We also have excellent pastry and bread, and what are probably the best croissants in Bangkok. Voila! offers what we call a ‘cuisine on stage concept.’ This sees all kinds of international cuisines cooked in front of guests at cooking stations. You can enjoy French casseroles and meats, Japanese sushi, Italian pizzas, and much more. We also plan to add an organic corner featuring all kinds of organic meats, vegetables, fruits and cheese. Our L’Apart restaurant and bar is creating a buzz in Bangkok. It’s designed to resemble a typical French apartment, so guests can feel like they’re drinking or dining at a friend’s home. They can sit in the library, lounge or terrace and enjoy delicious French and Thai cuisine from an open kitchen, plus Champagne at excellent value for money. Breathtaking views and nightly DJ add to the offerings. As for Culture, the hotel has a real focus on hosting cultural events – art, music, dance etc. Visit Le Bar, for example and you won’t find the usual entertainment as seen at many other hotels. Here we have a real emphasis on top quality local musicians.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit has a team of three French chefs headed by our Executive Chef, Aurélien Poirot, who came from Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. The chefs all have Michelin star experience and they use their talents and French flair to cook the best of Thai products with a French approach.

Chai Blues and his band take to the stage at Le Bar every Friday and Saturday night from 9pm-midnight (Khun Chai is an amazing guitarist; the real Jimmy Hendrix of Thailand). You can also catch jazz funk by Neung Jakkawal Band on Wednesdays, and Salsa rhythms with Siam Cubano on Thursdays.

We do have all French produce as well, as you’ll see in our extensive cheese and wine cellar in our all-day-

189 Sukhumvit Road (near Nana BTS station) ☎ 02 126 9999  sofitel.com

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BUSINESS RAMADA PLAZA MENAM RIVERSIDE BANGKOK

DOCTOR’S MIND, HOTELIER’S HEART: DR. PICHAI TANGSIN The Managing Director of Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Bangkok tells us how he made the switch from the medical industry to the hotel trade, and reveals the strategies heʼs implementing to ensure the hotelʼs long term success Operating a hotel is very different to working in medicine. What made you decide to move into the hospitality industry? My family is a hotelier family. My dad built his first hotel even before I was born. When I was young, I spent quite some time in my dad’s second hotel which is not far from my house. I played under the hotel reception desk, and ran up and down the hotel staircase, plugging in and out many long cables of the old fashioned telephone operator machine to connect the outside calls to the guestrooms, and then watched the long paper roll being punched by the incoming telex signal – that’s my old good days. I spent about ten years in my medical profession – four years as clinician and hospital administrator, and another six years in public health administration and planning, with a year for my Master Degree in Health Planning in Heidelberg, Germany in between. After ten years of public services, I confident that the charms of Bangkok and felt that I’d like a new business challenge. Thailand’s famous hospitality will continue to bring in a lot of demand for hotel What were the biggest challenges you faced in moving from the medical indus- services. Our location is also certainly an advantage; Bangkok is the Venice of the try to the hospitality industry, and how East so the beauty of the waterways is a did you overcome them? unique feature of the city. Since I worked the last several years in planning and administration, not as a specialist, running business is not so different What are your hotel’s highlights? The hotel is situated in quite a big from what I had done. I and my wife also started our own small business while I joined plot of land, 5.5 acres, with 250m. of river the hotel as executive director. It’s nice to run frontage. We are on the Eastern side of the river so our guests can enjoy the great sunset the business mostly by your own hands. I views every evening, either from their learned a lot from our own business before guestrooms or from our famous riverside I was assigned to take care of the hotel as its terrace restaurant and bar. The hotel is well Managing Director two years ago. enclosed for the privacy of our guests, but In 2008 you oversaw a major renovation we are just a short walk from the biggest of the hotel worth more than B500 million. Night Bazaar in Asia, Asiatique the RiverHave you always had a clear vision of how front. We offer regular shuttle boat services to Saphan Taksin BTS station so our guests you would like to develop the hotel? can get to anywhere in downtown Bangkok We knew that Bangkok would be a very easily. major hub in Southeast Asia, and we are

Have occupancy levels this year been favourable? This year is favourable so far and much better than last year, when we had the floods. We are expecting 70-80 per cent occupancy for this coming high season (October-February). With new hotels opening in Bangkok every month competition for guests is fierce. What strategies are you implementing to ensure that your hotel remains successful? The new supply of hotel rooms is mainly from Sukhumvit, Ratchaprasong area. Because of the scarcity of riverside land and many building restrictions imposed by New Building Codes, the supply of luxury riverside hotels has still not increased, so we are quite better off than downtown hotels in this regard. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary last year, so we are still 25 years young and still have a lot of energy to move ahead. We will start building a state of the art convention hall next year and will have it ready for late 2015. We just reopened our newly renovated executive club floors with eight beautifully renovated terrace suites, where our guests can have a BBQ dinner in the luxurious comfort of their own suites. For the riverside industry as a whole, luxury riverside hotels and major riverside attractions are now working together to provide a smooth service platform for guests of each hotel so they can move easily between each place. I am sure that with this closer collaboration, the riverside hotel industry will gain momentum and command prime attention from both the leisure and MICE market. Want to know more about Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Bangkok? You can read the full interview with Dr. Pichai Tangsin in the features section of thebigchilli.com

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ON THE JOB MARCOM

MAN WITH A PLAN: VACHIRA LELAVONGTAEVA The Marcom Manager of The AETAS Hotels & Residences talks work and life in Bangkok Hotels have had a big impact on my life. When I was growing up I ate most of my meals in hotel restaurants, and I fell in love with the glamour of it all. I was so familiar with the hotel environment that it came to the point that I realized that my perfect career would be in the hotel industry. Marketing Communications is a very creative career. You get to invent beautiful artworks, supervise hotel photo shoots, conduct media photo shoots, entertain local and international celebrities, and publish advertisements in the world’s most famous magazines. What’s not to love about my job? Established two years ago, The AETAS is a relatively new brand. Looking at the overall picture, we couldn’t be happier with the popularity of the hotels and the residence. Taking everything into account, we have done superbly well financially and commercially. The only way to go from now is up! I think guests are most appreciative of a hotel stay when they feel that the service they receive has been carried out genuinely and authentically, and this is exactly what we offer at The AETAS. Outside of work, I am an avid foodie and I usually spend my Saturday nights in Bangkok’s finest restaurants. My parents introduced me to gourmet food as a kid and I can’t thank them enough for teaching me all about the culinary world. Some of my favourite restaurants in Bangkok include Lord Jim’s, Tables, The Reflexions, Fireplace Grill, Honmono Sushi, Ban Klang Krung, and Convent Duck Noodle. I think the ultimate dining experience in Bangkok is at Le Normandie, where I’ve been a patron for 20 years!

Alongside food, I’m also passionate about supercars. I drive a Porsche Cayman R, which I consider to be one of the best Porsches ever engineered, and one of the sexiest cars ever assembled. I have loved Porsche since I was a kid, and to own such a wonderful car at such a young age is absolutely phenomenal. I love quality motion pictures, and my favourite director is Woody Allen. Some of my favourite films are Almost Famous, Annie Hall, Scent Of A Women, The Godfather I & II, Taxi Driver, and Heat. It’s a real shame that we are now seeing a gradual decline in cinema with so much junk being released. But there are still some rare gems out there, such as the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. My number one love in life is family. Family is the most important aspect of life. I think that if you take care of your family then nothing bad will happen to you. In my opinion, only those who truly love their family are successful in life. Within the next five years I aim to hold a Director of Marketing Communications position. In ten years time, I am probably going to be in Maranello driving the latest V8 Ferrari down the long road listening to the roaring sound of the world’s finest piece of machinery. I hope. I hope. For more info about The AETAS Hotels & Residencies visit:  aetashotels.com

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INSIGHT PROFILE business, and moved into the logistics business with a friend named Stan Griffin, who had started DHL here. • He stayed with DHL until 1990, when through a bitter fall-out with the parent DHL company, Griffin’s widow (Stan died in 1988), Alex and his other partner, Dave Daly, left to set up a rival logistics company called GDM (using the first  initial of their last names to form the company’s acronym). DHL is also an acronym for the first initials of the last names of its three founders: Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. • Explaining the courier business here, Alex says “It’s not about brand, it’s about who you are, it’s who the secretary sees, she sees Somchai the messenger, and she’s using your company because she likes Somchai, not the brand. We kept all our messengers; we didn’t lose any of our staff. But the war between DHL and us hit the industry hard and probably set it back ten years. (By the way, at that time, FedEx and UPS were making enormous profits stateside and didn’t see Thailand as a particularly valuable area; they were eventually forced to expand by customer demand).”

“The popcorn isn’t hot” How these few words made a 13-year-old American determined to speak Thai. Today, 57 years later, he’s still here – fluent in Thai and with an unrivalled grasp of this country ■ ALEX MAVRO had been in Bangkok for eighteen months and had refused to learn Thai, longing to return to Vietnam, a country that enchanted him. But when his buddy named David Morris recognized those words while the two were waiting to buy popcorn at a kiosk in the parking lot of the Plaza Hotel, Alex chastised himself, saying inwardly “If he can learn this language, so can I.” Alex first came to Southeast Asia in 1955 as a seven-year-old. His father, due to his French-language skills, was posted to Saigon as an extension of the Marshall Plan. The family was based both in Saigon and Phnom Penh before taking root in Bangkok. Alex fell so in love with Vietnam that at age eleven he ran away from home trying to get back to Saigon. Eventually adjusting to life in the Land of Smiles, Alex graduated from ISB in Bangkok then through ROTC earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Florida at Gainesville in political science (Asian Studies). He owed the Air Force six years, and since he was fluent in French, Mandarin and Thai they shipped him off to Thailand where he spent his entire tour of duty as a civilian-military liaison at various air force bases in northeastern Thailand. In 1976, Alex was one of the few servicemen to be separated in place, meaning he didn’t have to go back to the US to muster out of the service.

• GDM eventually agreed to be taken over by TNT, but Alex was kept in place to make sure the transition was smooth; problem was he was used to being his own boss, and didn’t take very kindly to being told what to do by those far less experienced in the business so he only lasted a couple of years with TNT, before setting out on his own to do consulting work in corporate social responsibility.

• Alex’s first civilian job was as a diving instructor; he’d teach the students at pools in Bangkok and then take them out to Pattaya for the actual dives. He then moved into the security business, becoming Operations Manager for MPA, the first private security outfit in Thailand, which guarded everything from embassies to the airport. But he soon grew tired of the security

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• Then in September of last year Alex was approached by Chulalonghorn University to become the Chief of Operation for the Sasin Centre for Sustainability. He was to work with academics to set up a series of courses so that MBA students could pick up a Major in sustainable development during their two years at Sasin. Alex explains sustainability in this context as teaching people to manage their business operations so that their overall impact is positive, and doesn’t take away anything from the world, but hopefully adds something to it. With the world having finite resources, he says it’s very important to imbue this mindset in the business community, especially the young business community. Another important part of Alex’s life is his work with the Rotary Club. In 1995, he was invited to a Rotary meeting; you have to be invited by a member to attend one. He’d been to a meeting before and hadn’t been impressed, but at his friend’s persistence (he said his club didn’t have a courier) he went, this time to a different club, and his experience was totally different; he was

smitten, he’s been a member ever since. But not only is he a member, he’s the first farang Rotary District Governor in Thailand’s history. There have been farang heads of local clubs before, but to be a governor you need to be fluent in Thai, and be able to read and write Thai too, which Alex can. Alex’s club, Bangkok South, stretches from Rama IV to the River, and has 108 members (it’s the biggest in Thailand). Most clubs have between 50-100 members and there are 300 clubs throughout the country. Clubs are broken down into districts and Rotary likes to see 50-100 clubs in a district. Alex’s District (Central) spans 11 Thai provinces and has 85 clubs, including five clubs in Cambodia. Only four of these speak English, one speaks Japanese, one Mandarin and four Khmer. Rotary is a service organization made up of volunteers (usually professional businessmen) who have time to devote to doing service and helping the disadvantaged. It’s not just about donating money though, but time as well, e.g. a carpenter, accountant, or IT expert all have skills that can help Rotary with the projects it’s working on. And each club has its own projects depending on the needs of the area where it’s located. Alex has made a tremendous journey in his five-and-a-half decades in Thailand. Few foreigners can speak Thai as well as he can and few foreigners have a better grasp of Thai culture than he has; Rotary is lucky to have him. For more information about Rotary in Thailand and District 3350, or about District Governor Alex Mavro, email: district3350@gmail.com   AD Rainead_Sep12.indd 1

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BUSINESS ROCK N’ ROLLA

It’s only rock n’ roll, but they like it Noel Gallagher

By Adam Purcell

How concert promoter Rock N’ Rolla aims to shake up Bangkok’s live music scene Santi ‘Freddy’ Smith

“ROCK music should be gross: that’s the fun of it. It gets up and drops its trousers” – well, at least that’s how Bruce Dickinson, lead vocalist of English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, once famously described his particular brand of music. His tongue-in-cheek statement captures the essence of what most people love about rock music – it’s no nonsense, it’s anti-establishment, it’s take off your tie, forget your worries, act like a teenager, and just jump around for the hell of it. Rock music is a blast. And, unless you’re called Prince Harry and your every move is scrutinized, what’s to DJ Shadow stop you from joining in the fun? “I’ve always loved rock music,” says Santi ‘Freddy’ Smith, leaning over a table and slurping on a very strong iced coffee. “There’s just something so magic about it. Something raw. I remember the first time I heard U2 and the sound of the guitar – it

changed my life. From that moment on, I dreamed of working in the music industry.” Sometimes dreams do come true. Freddy’s certainly did – in 2009, together with his close friend Narongsak Thongvatavanich, Freddy set up the Rock N’ Rolla Corporation

and quickly set about arranging concerts here in Bangkok. Among them: a gig by famous rock band Deep Purple, standalone shows by top DJs Fatboy Slim and DJ Shadow, and two music festivals called ‘Sonic Attack.’ The first, held in 2011, was headlined by American heavy metal band Anthrax, and the second, held this April, was headlined by English ’90s favourites Suede. This month, the company is bringing in former Oasis lead-guitarist Noel Gallagher for a one-night gig at BITEC (see page 88). For a young company to bring in such big name acts in such a short space of time is impressive. But Freddy, who prior to launching Rock N’ Rolla worked for over 10 years as General Manager in the security division of PCS, readily admits he already had some good contacts on his side. “My younger brother, Siripol “Bob,” is the Director of Jack Sound Studios (JSS), a production services company owned by Jesada “Jack” Pattanatabut.” Anthrax Set up around 30 years ago, JSS has worked on many world class shows in Thailand and the region. And I mean huge shows. Acts like Michael Jackson, Sting, The Manic Street Preachers. “For a long time my brother and I had talked about collaborating on a music project. And our joint dream was to start bringing bands into Thailand that you don’t normally see here but which are loved in the

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West – bands like Bullet For My Valentine, Two Door Cinema Club, and Anthrax. “We knew that the big companies wouldn’t touch these bands because they want to make huge profits, millions of baht. And bands like this don’t bring in that kind of cash. But we didn’t think about the money – we simply put our passion for music first. “We realised that many interesting bands are always flying from Europe and America to play in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. But why not Bangkok? Why not stop off here on the way? So we saw the possibilities and studied the market for a couple of years. Then, Narongsak and I, in association with JSS, set up Rock N’ Rolla. Having JSS as a production partner is a key element to our success.” A key aspect of Freddy’s job is being in touch with overseas band agents. The reason he’s slurping a strong iced coffee when we meet him is because he’d been up most of the night before speaking to an agent in America about the possibility of bringing a “massive band” over here. “The only issue is money,” says Freddy.

Suede

Money is a huge issue for new concert promoters such as Rock N’ Rolla. Once a band gets big – think U2, Aerosmith, Coldplay proportions – unless you’re a big company like BEC Tero with lots of capital and many years’ experience arranging concerts behind you, raising funds to bring them in is nigh on impossible. “It sounds dumb,” says Freddy, “but the only way to bring in acts like that as a new promoter is to be lucky enough to catch them at the start of their careers. “Take Lady Gaga, for example. Her agent actually approached me before she released her first album. Back then it would have cost me less than 50,000 US dollars to bring her in to play here. One and a half years later, her price is over a million!” The thing about the big bands and artists, of course, is that they are proven to pull in large crowds, so shelling out to bring them here is bound to result in a profit. When Lady Gaga played in Bangkok in May this year, such is the

pulling power of her quirky pop hits, she almost filled the cavernous Rajamangala Stadium. That’s a lot of baht. When you’re a newer concert promoter dealing with lesser known bands, though, such guarantees don’t exist. Yes, the bands you’re bringing in may cost less, but if nobody buys tickets to watch them, you, as the concert promoter, have to foot the bill.

We love all kinds of music and are open to anything – pop, classical, jazz – as long as it’s high quality, we’ll do it. “The good thing is there are people willing to pay for good alternative music in Bangkok,” says Freddy. “You just have to bring in the right bands and make the right judgement. Noel Gallagher, for instance. His show is proving to be a magnet; it’s going to be huge.” Fatboy Slim Right now, though, Freddy says Rock N’ Rolla is just taking things one step at a time. And while they cannot compete for big shows such as Lady Gaga at the moment, they have a five year plan which they hope will culminate in South East Asia’s biggest ever music festival. “At this festival we will bring together local and international bands for a two-day festival, much like we did recently at Silverlake in Pattaya, but on a much bigger scale. It will be a family friendly affair with good security – after all, after ten years in the business I know a lot about that, and for all of our shows we invest heavily on security – and it will really put us on the world music map.

“I can’t tell you how we’re doing it, but we have already put the wheels in motion.” But what about in the interim? “Well,” says Freddy, taking a long, final slurp on his iced coffee. “We’re working on bringing in acts like Skrillex (the American electronic music producer and singer-songwriter), and I’d love to bring in Two Door Cinema Club from Ireland. I saw them play at Glastonbury and thought they were amazing. “First, though, I have to speak to the motorcycle taxi drivers near our office,” he says with a laugh. “That’s one good way to know if you’re onto a winner. If they nod and say: ‘Skrillex, sure, I’ve heard of him.’ Then I know we’re sure of a crowd and I feel less worried about spending the money. “Seriously, though, we’re just going to work hard on producing good shows. And it doesn’t only have to be rock music. We love all kinds of music and are open to anything – pop, classical, jazz – as long as it’s high quality, we’ll do it. “Ultimately, we’re a fast growing company, and, like rock and roll, we’re here to stay. And yeah, we rock n’ roll!” For more info about Rock N’ Rolla see: www.rocknrollacorp.com

Narongsak Thongvatavanich

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INSIGHT MUSIC

Noel’s Wonderwall

I took quite a bit of time off after the last Oasis tour. I could have retired I suppose but what would I do? Write songs for f*******Adele or summat, or the X Factor? My wife was getting annoyed at me being round the house, so I went back to the studio and I ended up recording thirty-eight songs, and you know, they all sounded good to me. I played them to a few people and they were saying, oh wow, you’re a genius, and I was saying, yes I know!

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will perform in Bangkok on September 20. Here are Noel’s thoughts ahead of the gig I genuinely wish with my hand on heart that this was an Oasis record, because I’d be getting to play stadiums and it would be all f****** super cool and great and ever ybody would say wow! Aren’t they great again, you know! But unfortunately we broke up so it’s a Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds record. The main thing is the record is good. I love it. I think it’s some of the best songs I’ve written.

Being in a band is like being in a marriage where we all decorate the house. There’s a kids’ room, there’s a guys’ room, and all that s***. When you’re a solo artist, it’s your house. You can do whatever you want.

I’m a bit trepidacious that I have to be a front man because I’m not really a front man, do you know what I mean? I never really wanted to be a front man. I dreamt of being a guitarist like Pete Townshend, but I never dreamt of being f****** Paul McCartney, ever. And now it’s landed on me, I’m kind of a bit like – how do I learn to do this? I haven’t got any moves. I can’t juggle. There are no clowns on stage. But I hope that the songs will be enough for people to just sit and listen.

I’ll either come off stage at one of my gigs and go you know what? I think I’m better than Elvis, I think I’m that good that I’m up there now with the Beatles. Or I’m going to come off stage and go this is s***. I don’t want anything more to do with it. I want to go home. Expect to be somewhere in between the two, and I’ll go, yeah it’s alright.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will perform at BITEC Bangna on Sept 20. Tickets range B1,000 to B3,000 from Thaiticketmajor.com

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INSIGHT Q&A

Keane to impress

The England chart toppers are bringing their piano rock tunes to Bangkok on October 4. We spoke to the band’s front man, Tom Chaplin, about what to expect So your Asian tour gets under way this September taking you to Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and then here to Thailand. Looking for ward to it? Yes, we’ll be incredibly busy from the sounds of it! We’re excited to be going back to some places after a long time but also to be visiting new places. It’s such an exotic and interesting part of the world, so I’m sure we’ll have a great time.  You last performed in Bangkok six years ago. Happy to be coming back? I’m pleased that people still know and appreciate our music in Thailand. We were made to feel very welcome on our last visit, so it’s a pleasure to come back. So you haven’t been here on holiday since then? No, but I read The Beach by Alex Garland and have really wanted to come and immerse myself in the beach culture ever since. It’s just a matter of finding the time! What can we expect from your show? A beautiful and emotional journey through all of our records! We want our fans to leave their troubles at the door and get lost in the music for a couple of hours.

Do you still get a buzz when you go on stage? Yes, definitely. There’s a lot of waiting around and travelling in the day to day life of a band, so it’s great to finally get on to stage and do the thing that we’ve come to do. I think one of the main things that keeps us going is the connection that we make with the many fans that we have all over the world. Is playing for crowds in Asia different to back home? If so, how? Not especially. Every crowd and every night is different, although I would say that English crowds tend to be a little more reserved. Your latest album, Strangeland, is much more rooted in your earlier sound than 2008’s experimental Perfect Symmetr y. Some of the harsher critics say this is a step backwards for the band rather than a step forward – what do you think? I don’t think we’re that bothered by what critics think – after all, we invented the sound of Keane with the first record, so we’re entitled to revisit that style of doing things! Perfect Symmetry was a very ambitious record and the type of songs that we had for

this new record just didn’t require that kind of production. What or whom is your biggest inspiration? I spent a lot of time listening to Queen and trying to imitate Freddie Mercury’s every move when I was a kid. I think that his voice and his exuberant performing have been the single biggest influences on the way that I perform! As a band do you have a set goal or band philosophy? Not one that I can think of. If anything, to keep doing things differently each time... What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Having 5 number one albums in the UK. Playing Live 8 in London. Hearing our songs on the radio for the first time. Travelling the world. It’s hard to put anything first but there have been many great highlights. What can we expect for the future of Keane? I have no idea! We’re touring this record well into next year, so I guess we’ll decide what to do once we’ve got through that. For concert and ticket details see page 89

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INSIGHT CALENDAR

September planner Networking, tradeshows, performances, and sport here’s the month ahead planned and charted

5 6 7 8

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

AustCham: Sundowners, Banyan Tree, 6pm

A Night of Scottish Comedy. Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok. See p.88

Thursday

AMCHAM: Joint AMCHAM & TICC Young Professionals Networking, Koi, 7pm

Friday

13 14 15 16 Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair. (Sept 13-17) at IMPACT. FTCC: LAC Breakfast Talk, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, 7.30am FTCC: YP Workshop and Networking event, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit

Thailand Furniture Grand Sale. (Sept 15-23) at QSNCC.

Guangdong Products Show. (Sept 14-16) at IMPACT.

The ibis Koh Samui Trophy. Bophut Beach. See p.90

River Kwai International Half Marathon. Kanchanaburi. See p.90

21 22 23 24 Friday

AMCHAM/AustCham/BCCT: Joint Eastern Seaboard Networking, Amari Orchid Ice Bar, 6pm

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Joe Bonamassa. Siam Pavalai Theatre. See p. 88

Thailand Open. (Sept 22-30) at Impact Arena. See p.90

Princess’ Cup Samui Island Marathon. Koh Samui. See p.90

29 30 Saturday

AustCham: AFL Grand Final Day 2012, 9am

Sunday

Scatter Her Enemies. The British Club. See p.89

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1 2 3 4

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Bangkok Wedding Fair. (Sept 1-9) at IMPACT.

Tuesday

BCCT: BCCT CSR Briefing (Child Protection & Teach for Thailand), HSBC Boardroom, 8.15am

Fashion and Jewelry Fair. (Sept 1-9) at IMPACT.

BCCT and FTCC: European Networking Night, Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn, 6.30pm

Bangkok Furniture Fair. (Sept 1-9) at IMPACT.

BCCT: Special BCCT Luncheon (Bank of Thailand), The Conrad Hotel Bangkok, 11.45am

9 10 11 12 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

AMCHAM: Professional Women: An Insider’s View of NGOs, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 6.30pm

AMCHAM: Social Networking, Glow Pratunam, 6pm

14th International Festival of Dance and Music. (Sept 10-14) at Thailand Cultural Center. See p.88

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Quiksilver Open Phuket Thailand. (Sept 12-15) at Patong Beach. See p.90

Wednesday

Thursday

17 18 19 20 Thailand International Logistics Fair. (Sept 19-22) at BITEC. TFIC Furniture Outlet. (Sept 19-23) at IMPACT.

AMCHAM: Joint Energy/ Food&Agri/BusEcon: AEC 2015 Treats or Opportunities, noon

Booka Shade. Bed Supperclub. See p.88

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. BITEC. See p.88

25 26 27 28 Tuesday

Wednesday

AMCHAM: Monthly Luncheon: Lady Gaga. Rajamangala Index of Economic National Stadium. SeeFreedom, p.88. noon www.Thaiticketmajor.com

AMCHAM: Laos Business Chapter: Jim Roberts Heritage Foundation, noon

Performance

Sport

• AMCHAM: American Chamber of Commerce. www.amchamthailand.com • BCCT: British Chamber of Commerce. www.bccthai.com • AustCham: Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce. www.austchamthailand.com • FTCC: Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce. www.francothaicc.com

Thursday

Friday

AMCHAM: Santa Fe ChariBowl Tournament, Major Ekamai, 6.30pm

Networking

Tradeshow

• FCCT: Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. www.fccthai.com • BITEC: Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center. www.bitec.co.th • IMPACT: Impact Convention Center. www.impact.co.th • QSNCC: Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. www.qsncc.co.th

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INSIGHT SCHOOL REPORT

A-star success at Shrewsbury

THE 2012 Graduating Class at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok has achieved excellent results in their A Level examinations. More than a third (35 per cent) of all exams were passed at an A* grade (up from 26 per cent in 2011), while 81 per cent of all exams were awarded a B grade or above. This figure compares to an A* pass rate of 17.4 per cent at independent schools in the UK and 6.4 per cent in the UK as a whole. Nine students gained four A* passes, which secured their places at some of the world’s leading universities. Siriwimol (Joy) Phophichitra, who also scored an A on top of her four A*s, will this year take up a place at the University of Cambridge reading Natural Sciences. She will be joined at Cambridge by Soe Naung (Calvin) Khaing and Kwannpat (Pop) Songvisit, who will both read Economics, and Kantamete (Ken) Vanichchokij, who will read Chemical Engineering. Taking up places at Oxford University will be Nicha (Cherry) Wongphanlert and I-horng Huang, who will both study Engineering. Among the other students who gained four A* passes were Panuvit (Frank) Bunrittiphol, who will be heading to Imperial College London to study Chemical Engineering and will be joined in London by Priyanka Shanbhag and Lumsum Tanthasatian at UCL, who will be studying Economics and Engineering with Business Finance respectively. Shrewsbury’s Head of School Sirin (Lee) Charasyosvuthichai also gained four A* passes. She will study Economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, while Bunyada (Mos) Laoprapassorn will be studying Economics at Harvard.

KIS students win university scholarships

KIS International School is celebrating after 92 per cent of its students earned a full IB Diploma this year. KIS students also achieved four points higher average total marks than other IB Diploma students in the world, and 45 per cent of its students earned total marks that placed them in the top four per cent of all IB Diploma students across the world. KIS graduates who applied for scholarships at overseas universities received on average 50,000 US Dollars worth of scholarships each.

Harrow celebrates its best grades yet

HARROW International School students are celebrating an impressive set of A Level and IGCSE grades from this summer’s examination session. Graduating Year 13 students achieved the highest number of A* grades than in any previous year at the school. Of the 245 grades attained by these students, a total of 60 A* grades were achieved. Fifty-three per cent of the IGCSE grades achieved by the Year 11 students were either A* or A. This compares to 30 per cent when compared to the average A* and A grades achieved across all independent schools in the UK. The vast majority of Harrow students secured their first choice university course with Rachakan Wasontakorn (Oh) from Keller House entering Christ College Cambridge to study Physics, and Nattapoom Asavaroengchai (Phoom) from Sonakul House heading to Stanford to study Bio-medical Engineering.

Sukhumvit Fair planned for December

THE American School of Bangkok will host this year’s edition of its popular Sukhumvit Fair on Dec 1. Held at the school’s campus on Sukhumvit 49 from 3pm-6pm, this fun fundraiser features performances by ASB students and teachers; children’s games and prizes; an exclusive shopping arena; a raffle draw; cartoon mascots; a kiddies’ land; live music and band, and some tasty international cuisine. The event is open to the general public and the admission is free. Portions of the net proceeds generated from the event will be forwarded to local charities in Bangkok. For more info email: info@asb.ac.th www.asb.ac.th/skfair

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SCHOOL REPORT HOT TOPIC

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS: AN EDUCATIONAL GOLD RUSH Keele University explores the rapid rise of international schools and what this means for parents THE international schools market is a competitive one. From humble beginnings, the last two decades have seen an explosion in the number and nature of international schools, more recently many prestigious educational brands from across the globe have joined the educational gold rush. Initially arriving on the education scene to meet insufficient capacity and insufficient quality in local provision (both in Thailand and overseas), international schools tended to be funded by benevolent locals or wealthy expatriates. These pioneering international schools, filled with the sons and daughters of the nouveau-rich and the children of well-heeled expatriates, were founded on the hopes and dreams of a select minority. As gateways to overseas universities and as strongholds for the perpetuation of family wealth, the early international schools sought to import educational prestige and quality of provision; few were run for profit. More recently, as the benefits of economic growth have percolated into the middle classes, these early schools have struggled to keep up with demand. Consequently, ‘educational entrepreneurs,’ attracted by promises of safe and sustainable returns, have scurried to the international schools market – ten years ago there were 2,584 international schools globally, today there are nearly 6,000. With a student population of 3 million and employing almost 300,000 teachers, the global international school market is worth some £24bn (ISC Research, 2012). The ownership structure of these international schools, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, varies significantly. From sole-proprietorships and partnerships through franchises to corporations and co-operatives, the breadth of ownership mirrors the scope of curricula offered, students taught and markets served. With the increasing market presence of educational groups such as Cognita, GEMS and Nord Anglia (who, combined, own over 130 schools worldwide) the internationals schools market is rapidly shifting from one based on ad hoc, discrete, localised not-for-profit offerings to a more corporatised model of strategically planned, centralised and professionalised for-profit provision. Indeed, the for-profit international school, is a phenomenon in its own right. When Dulwich embarked on what has been described as an ‘opportunistic hyper-capitalist experiment’ and opened in Phuket in 1996, it was the first British private school to make a foray into overseas territories. Today it is almost de rigour for British (and increasingly American) private schools to loan their name and brand to locally financed overseas outposts. Carrying with them the prestige of their famous Western namesakes, these schools promise a quality internationally-orientated education. But often at a price; contextually they are often amongst the most expensive in their market (and significantly more expensive than local options). Some of these franchise schools choose to maintain a direct

association with the overseas institution, others pay a royalty to their namesake. In return for these royalties, varying degrees of quality assurance, support and guidance are offered; for some, so long as the royalty flows, it is very much hands off; for others, there are regular and rigorous checks and balances. In short though, whilst the pursuit of profit varies between schools and between school groups,

the bottom-line for many international school Heads is that the bottom-line matters. The paradox of this model of education is, of course, that many of the great institutions that have lent their names to commercial operations overseas are, in their home countries, charities. Used to maintain scholarship funds and to improve the facilities of their UK and US bases, overseas expansion is a way of generating revenue away from the tight regulations governing the activities of charitable trusts. For parents, the advantage of competition is, of course, choice. According to ISC Research in Bangkok alone there are over 100 international schools. Across Thailand as a whole that number reaches 161. The challenge though is that no two schools are alike. Every school has a unique management structure, and a unique (and often changeable) relationship with its owners and/or franchise partners. Moreover, every school also has a unique interpretation of its host curriculum and a unique culture – the question on parents’ minds should not be which one is ‘best’, but rather which one is right for my child. For both teachers and parents, recognition by an accrediting agency (CIS, WASC, COBIS) is a good minimum benchmark. As ever, word-of-mouth and personal recommendation carry the most weight. The international schools market is a competitive one, but more than ever the buyer must beware. Do your research, compare, contrast and, both teachers and parents, be careful – the rush for educational gold has brought with it as many cowboys as it has purveyors of pedagogical quality. For teachers interested in learning more about international schools Keele University now offers a Thailand based PGCEi and an MBA (Education). See www.keele.ac.uk for more details.

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Expat WOMEN  Put your feet up and indulge

Chinese expat Catherine ‘Cat’ Bowers talks about the ups and downs of expat living. Page 46.

Health

How an eating disorder threatened a young girl’s life Page 42

Shopping

Homemade soaps, Ikea deals, watches and more. Page 44

Agony aunts

Professional counselors Anette and Johanna help readers with problems Page 48 TheBigChilli

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e v o L r o Dying f EXPAT WOMEN FEATURE

By Christine Allen

How past events triggered an eating disorder that threatens a young girl’s life

■ TUK is a petite 25-year-old graduate

from a well-known Bangkok university. She lives at home with her parents, her younger brother and sister, and is lively, witty and exceptionally intelligent. With her good looks, she’s popular with both sexes. But no one knows that Tuk is also troubled. Deeply troubled. For the past seven years, Tuk has suffered from severe eating disorder syndrome, notably anorexia and bulimia. It’s a secret she has either hidden from her family and friends, or vigorously denied when questioned about her constant lack of appetite and her slowly shrinking frame. Today, Tuk weighs a mere 41 kgs. Luckily, at least in the reasoning of a mind warped by the self deception eating disorders invariable cause, she can convince others that she’s not underweight by pointing out that she’s “about right” for her height.

F 42

Finally, she’s beginning to believe this terrible self-abuse threatens her very existence. It’s dawned on her that if she can’t overcome the effect of anorexia and bulimia and begin to eat normally, she may end up doing herself irreparable physical damage, or worse. Still, she’s desperate for a solution. “I do understand that I don’t eat enough, and I’m always making excuses not to eat,” confesses Tuk, “but the problem is I feel terribly guilty when I do eat properly. And I don’t know why that should be.” She then relates how she often goes to bed feeling hungry. “The trouble is, I wake up several hours later really starving, so I go downstairs to the fridge and gorge myself on whatever’s there. By the time I get back to bed, I’m not only too full to sleep but I’m also overwhelmed by a feeling of

guilt. It’s then that I make myself throw up. At least I can sleep then,” she says. Her admission has a positive slant, for it demonstrates that Tuk is finally tiring of denying to herself, and to others, that she actually suffers from one of modern society’s most pernicious and under-reported diseases. By slowly opening up and telling friends she has a problem, says a doctor with a long list of anorexia and bulimia victims, Tuk may be on the road to recovery. But it may take time, a long time, with plenty of setbacks, he warns. But the question everyone who knows Tuk wants answered is how could a woman so clever and apparently extrovert end up with such a debilitating condition? Like many other sufferers, it’s hard to pinpoint the moment or reason that triggered her eating disorder. Tuk herself thinks it may have occurred when she

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split up with her university boyfriend at the age of 19. He was a popular student, who also worked part-time as a model. To keep the shape demanded by modeling agencies, the boy would take “slimming pills” that were little more than laxatives. In fact, such pills were widely used by students to stay fashionably slender – and Tuk followed the trend. So when her boyfriend left her for another girl, Tuk reasoned that the split was due to her not looking good, or slim, enough. She had let herself down. She felt bad about herself, that she wasn’t attractive enough. The solution, or so her flawed logic told her, was to be physically perfect. And that meant losing weight. Personal cries for help, along with fashions and fads, are usually blamed for the onset of eating disorders. But in Tuk’s case, there may be another reason that dates back to her childhood, which may have combined with adolescent setbacks, including the split with her boyfriend, to cause her seven-year battle with anorexia and bulimia. Tuk was born into a prosperous Bangkok family. Her father is a high ranking civil servant, while her mother runs a small business. As both her parents were busy with work, the responsibility for raising Tuk was left mainly to her maternal grandmother. It was an idyllic upbringing, for Tuk was surrounded by love and undivided attention by her doting grandmother. Whatever the young girl wanted she got. There was never a word of rebuke. Thus, when her grandmother passed away, this intelligent seven-year-old was completely devastated, not fully grasping what had happened but

deeply confused by the loss. Her parents tried to fill up the gap, of course, but their hectic schedules meant that Tuk was often left alone, both physically and emotionally. The situation worsened not long after when her father was discovered having an affair – it explained his long absences from home and Tuk’s life. The revelation was nevertheless of scant comfort to the youngster. Tuk’s mother, meanwhile, looked for consolation for her husband’s betrayal in her work. Already known for her dedication to the company, she suddenly became obsessive once her husband’s infidelity was uncovered. She even appointed a Personal Assistant to help her cope with the extra workload. All this merely pushed Tuk deeper into a world of her own. Contacts with her father were rare, which was bad enough. But now she, along with just about everyone else, had the additional problem of having to go, quite literally, through the newly appointed PA in order to see her mother. Left alone for many hours a day with only an uninterested maid for company, Tuk became increasingly introspective and withdrawn. Despite the fun and friendships she made later at university, Tuk still craved the attention of her family, especially her mother. Over the years, the pair had succeeded in building a relationship of sorts, though it often focused on Tuk arguing with her mother, especially over Tuk’s frequent socializing. At the same time, Tuk continued to be massively resentful of the people who had come between her and her parents – her mother’s PA and her father’s minor wives. In an attempt to get that much sought after attention, Tuk waged a battle that even she herself was not fully aware of. First she started to lose weight. Then she began making references to the drugs that some of her peers were flirting with, insisting that she kept well way from them herself. When this didn’t catch her parents’ attention, she considered alternative tactics. Among them were her solitary vacations. Saving money from her generous family allowance, Tuk would head off by herself, first to destinations within Thailand, and later overseas. She was invariably secretive, giving away little information to her parents about her escapades, companions or motives, preferring instead to let them stew in their own thoughts. When not travelling, she had a string of jobs, went out with many boys and even considered

same-sex relationships. Still lacking that attention she craved, Tuk took her dieting to a new and more dangerous level. When that didn’t work, Tuk attempted to take her own life. In reality, it was only a half-hearted bid but she ended up in hospital for almost a week. That was enough to bring her genuinely distressed mother to her bedside, while a brief appearance by her father merely served to underscore an obvious indifference to his daughter’s wellbeing. About the same time as her suicide bid, Tuk made friends with some people who were far worldlier than the group she normally hung out with. Older and wiser, they regularly reassured Tuk that whatever ailed her was common and superficial. Slowly, Tuk grew in confidence, and even would openly admit her eating disorder. With her approval, the friends booked an appointment with a doctor who specialises in helping people overcome anorexia and bulimia. But typical of someone suffering her disorder, Tuk eventually made up all sorts of reasons not to see him. Not long after, Tuk landed the job she had particularly wanted and suddenly her dark world lightened significantly. Indeed, with her friends’ encouragement, she began eating more sensibly and gained weight. Best of all, she realized that the extra kilos had actually improved her looks. For a while, Tuk was far more settled. With a new boyfriend, meaningful work and renewed self-confidence, she started to get closer to finding that inner peace she had always craved. Then, just as she was undergoing a recovery of sorts, she triggered yet another crisis. Without warning she quit her job. It was yet another move designed to gain attention. Her exasperated boyfriend tired of her behavior and gradually lost interest. Today, Tuk is trying to piece her life together again. It’s going to be a long haul, for her dieting persists and her unexplained away days continue. Looking back, Tuk believes her plight was triggered by her over-indulgent but well-meaning grandmother, and exacerbated by family problems as well as peer pressures. She claims that many other young girls are facing similar personal upheavals and says that eating disorders are far more common than generally accepted. In Tuk’s case, she is smart enough to acknowledge the insidious clutches of anorexia and bulimia. With luck and time, she may have the inner strength to get back to a normal life.

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EXPAT WOMEN SHOPPING

Talking

Shop Hot products and stores demanding your attention

SOAPY TREATS FROM SOAP KITCHEN ■ FOODIE turned soaper ‘Soap Kitchen’ launched in Bangkok this month with a line of premium homemade soaps that smell good enough to eat. Soap Kitchen is an online soap store that was inspired by a passion for soap making and food. The soaps are typically made from organic food ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, honey, toasted tea leaves, fresh milk, and rolled oats. The innovative soapers even plan to introduce special edition soaps made with seasonal ingredients. Highlights of the menu include “The Breakfast Soap,” dubbed ‘a morning treat for your skin,’ which is made with fresh rolled oats and milk, and scented with chocolate; and “ButterBar,” an insanely nourishing soap loaded with the natural goodness of Shea butter and extra virgin olive oil, and scented with vanilla and lavender. Our reigning favourite though is “An Apple a Day,” an apple crumble soap (yes, APPLE CRUMBLE) topped with cinnamon sugar chips and loaded with jojoba oil. Looks good enough to eat, and smells delicious too – but don’t forget it is a soap! For soap menu, updates, and events visit: www.facebook.com/soapkitchen. Tel: 081 735 5795 email: mysoapkitchen@gmail.com

BREO’S ROAM TWIST ■ THE UK’s watch and accessories maker Breo has launched a fun and quirky addition to its classic Roam watch range called The Roam Twist. Comfortable on the wrist, the watch has been designed with adventure and water sports in mind, so if you find yourself stuck in a torrential downpour in Bangkok, don’t worry – the watch is fully waterproof. Featuring a wrap around strap, the digital watch is available in six colours. The watch is available at all Breo counters at leading department stores nationwide, priced B1,400.

TRUE BLUE AT IKEA ■ IKEA has launched a limited design collection called True Blue. Created in India, and inspired by, you guessed it, the colour blue, the collection features inspired items such as The BURGSVIK tray table, which is made from hammered brass, and The BJERREDE rag-rug, which is made from recycled waste. Other highlights include the BACKAMO table with a builtin cloth, and the BOHÅKAN armchair which is both austere and soft at the same time. The collection is available now, while stocks last.

360 DEGREE TRAINING FROM ADIDAS ■ ADIDAS has launched a new range of training shoes called adiPure 360, which it says is a multi-directional and multi-purpose training shoe. Multi-directional? Well, yes. With both a men’s version and a model especially for women, the adiPure 360 is designed to let your feet move as nature intended and help you get the most out of your workout by helping to help build natural strength, agility and balance – and designed to make muscles work harder during exercise. We haven’t had chance to try one out yet – but if we do and we end up with buns of steel, you can be sure we’ll be singing the shoe’s praises here in a future issue. The shoe is available at adidas sport Performance Concept Store, Super Sports, and authorized dealers nationwide, priced B3,690.

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EXPAT WOMEN Q&A

She’s a character: Catherine ‘Cat’ Bowers Chinese expat Cat, founding partner of the popular web-publication catandnat.com, talks about the ups and downs of expat living and what she’s learnt during her 17 years in Thailand What do you like most about Bangkok/ Thailand?   The people are what make Bangkok and Thailand stand out in the world. In general, the ordinary people here are warm hearted, honest, and generous by nature. What are the biggest challenges for an expat woman here? That depends on whether the subject is aimed at expat wives or independent expat women. I think most expat wives would agree that there are limited activities and few part time jobs available. Of course one could always volunteer to work for various charitable organizations if one is capable of communicating in Thai. As for single expat women, I have been told that their social life can be challenging at times. As the mother of two children, how do you juggle work and looking after the kids? Luckily my children are quite grown up; my son is at university in London, and my daughter is at a boarding school in England. I only worked part time when they were younger. My priority has always been family and children. Would it have been possible to be a mother and writer back in the UK or Hong Kong? Probably not, especially if we were living in the UK as household helpers are costly and hard to find. What are you currently working on? My friend Natayada na Songkhla and I started a web-publication www.catandnat.com back in 2010. Our aim is to share our views and opinions on living in Thailand with the English speaking population in this country. Two years on, we now have followers from as many as 150 countries globally.

Photo by Luecha Kajornnetikul

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Apart from your family, what do you miss most about your home countr y? Well, unlike others, I don’t really know where I belong. I was born in Shanghai, but I left there to go to Hong Kong when I was eight. When I was fourteen, my parents sent me to boarding school in England. I then worked in London after my education. After my son was born, we moved to live in Hong Kong for three years before coming to live in Thailand. We have been living here for 17 years now, so I have actually lived in Thailand longer than anywhere else in the world.

admire women who are highly intelligent, articulate and beautiful.

What clubs and societies do you belong to? We are members of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, a wonderful oasis in the middle of a big city. I am also a member of the Hong Kong Ladies Group. I feel I need to practice my Cantonese

Your favourite restaurant, bar/pub, hangout joints? My favourite restaurant is Lord Jims, I like the Bar@494 at the Grand Hyatt Erawan, and I tend to hangout at the Four Seasons Hotel the most.

What are your main hobbies? I enjoy reading and socializing in my spare time. What trait do you admire most in people? I admire people who are strong, intelligent, outspoken, and articulate. Any unfulfilled ambitions, or regrets? No, I feel very blessed that I have a happy family, and we live comfortably.

Bangkok has definitely changed for the better. The city has been voted as one of the top cities in the world in recent years by international travelers and I can definitely see why. Over the past 17 years, I have also seen tremendous amount of developments in infrastructure in other places in Thailand. from time to time as I don’t have much chance to chat in any of the three Chinese dialects I speak. Do you have a lot of friends here, and are they more numerous than back home? Are they mainly from your home countr y, or do you mix with other foreign nationals and Thais? I have many friends here, and most of them are Thais. Due to the length of time I have lived here, I have got to know many Thais. I actually have more Thai friends here than expat friends. However I do enjoy mixing with people of all nationalities. Do you ever feel threatened or intimidated by the beauty of Thai women? No, I don’t feel at all threatened or intimidated by beautiful women of any nationality. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all have different opinions when measuring beauty. However, I do

Your favourite five-star hotel and boutique hotel? The Oriental Bangkok is my favourite five-star hotel and The Sukhothai is by far the smartest boutique hotel, albeit a largish one. Your favourite place for a haircut or beauty treatment? I go to the RBSC ‘Shampoo’ salon to have my hair done, and I always have DIY beauty treatments at home. Favourite place to buy clothes? I like to buy my clothes at K-Village. I have a couple of favourite boutiques there. Your favourite weekend destination? Hua Hin. I usually stay at the Intercontinental. Do you have a life motto? I don’t have a life motto as such, but I would like to quote ancient Chinese

philosopher Lao Tzu: “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.” Can you honestly say you understand the Thai way of life and doing things? Yes, I think so. Being Chinese it is easier for me to understand since we do things in a very similar manner. Given that you’ve been here for 17 years, has Bangkok changed for the better or worse? And what about Thailand as a whole? Bangkok has definitely changed for the better. The city has been voted as one of the top cities in the world in recent years by international travelers and I can definitely see why. Over the past 17 years, I have also seen tremendous amount of developments in infrastructure in other places in Thailand. Do you speak, read/ write Thai? I can speak enough Thai to communicate, but I am rather ashamed to admit my Thai is not as fluent as it should be after 17 years. Thai or English food? I enjoy both. Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life here – especially in view of your children’s future? I can see myself spending the rest of my life here especially when thinking ahead about age related health issues. However, as my children are more likely to live elsewhere I haven’t ruled out the possibility of having to leave Thailand one day.

About Catherine CATHERINE was born in Shanghai, China and was educated in the United Kingdom. Before coming to Thailand, she worked for Morgan Stanley at the London and later at their Hong Kong office. She also worked as a real estate agent at Headland Homes in Hong Kong. In Bangkok, she worked for 10 years as a contributing editor for Thailand Tatler, and she is well known as Cat from the Cat and Nat column that used to appear in The Nation. Catherine and her writing partner Natayada na Songkhla launched www. catandnat.com in September 2010. She is married to an Englishman and they have two children.

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EXPAT WOMEN PROBLEMS SOLVED

Ask the experts Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

Real Problems Real Solutions

Expat life getting you down? Don’t suffer in silence. Send in your problems and get advice from professional counsellors Anette and Johanna • Anette Pollner Adv. Dipl. Couns., is one of seven international counsellors at NCS Counseling Center in Saphan Kwai. She trained in London and the US and worked as a staff counsellor at Bart’s Hospital in London.

Work’s changed for the worse

really am at my wits’ end. I work for a large international corporation, and for most of my working life, things were fine. I was promoted several times and also changed departments twice, and most of the time I enjoyed my job, got on well with my colleagues, and I felt my work was appreciated by my boss, whoever he was at the time. But now everything is different. The atmosphere in my present work group is full of fear and suspicion, and my colleagues have never responded to my attempts to be friendly. My boss calls me in on a regular basis because he is dissatisfied with my work, and lately I myself can feel that my performance has been affected. Last week I discovered that there was a department meeting to which I had not been invited. And when I looked into the bookings of the meeting room, I realised that this was not the first time. This partly explains my problems: important information was withheld from me. Now I ask myself: what did I do to alienate people so much? How did I turn from a nice guy to a failure on every level? And, what can I do to change all that? If I don’t, I may lose my job. Every help appreciated. Harold, 44, from the US

Anette says: ■ Dear Harold What an awful situation to be in! First of all let me say that if your work history is the way you describe it, it is very unlikely that you mysteriously changed overnight from a team player to someone who deserves to be hated on sight. On the contrary, it sounds more as if you have fallen into a toxic work environment, with all that goes with it: exclusion, intimidation and even bullying, both by your present boss and your colleagues. It also sounds as if that toxic environment has existed for some time, and those who have survived in it have adapted. The fear and suspicion you feel seem to me like survival symptoms. Unfortunately, the symptoms don’t stop there. Many employees report that one of the most disturbing results of workplace harassment is feeling de-skilled and losing some of their former productivity. This is a vicious cycle because now the accusations by your boss seem to have some truth in them, while in reality they were caused by his behaviour towards you. It is the nature of bullying to escalate over time. And you are right to be alarmed by the recent turn of events. What was previously perhaps ‘only’ an unpleasant atmosphere is now dangerous to your well being, your career and perhaps even to your employment. Unfortunately, since your boss is part of the problem, talking to him will not achieve much. Right now, your priority has to be to protect yourself. That means looking after your health and organizing your personal support system. Then, you need to develop an exit strategy. Of course, it would be best for the company as a whole if that department became less toxic, particularly since it already affects overall productivity. But since all this has been going on for a while, the management has had a chance to do something about it and, for whatever reason, didn’t.

You don’t need to sacrifice yourself for the company by becoming a whistleblower, although in the worst case scenario that might be your only way out. Just to prepare for that scenario, it is usually recommended that you take notes of events such as your exclusion from meetings, accusations against you, etc. in case you need to make a formal complaint and involve HR. If taking your issue to management doesn’t appeal, your best option is probably to get out while you still feel relatively confident and before your performance suffers to a point where it seriously affects your career.

Friend’s daughter cause for concern

y friend’s daughter, Amanda, is about 14 years old. About two months ago, she went to youth group and made friends with kids from a difficult family background, and who – as was later discovered – have emotional issues leading to self-cutting behavior. Amanda now spends a lot of time meeting these kids and, at the same time, she has started to withdraw from her parents. Today, her mother discovered a few fresh, shallow cuts on Amanda’s wrist. At first, Amanda refused to talk about this, but pressured by her shocked mum, she vaguely mentioned some issues in her past, and says she feels best understood by the other two ‘cutting’ kids and doesn’t want outside intervention. How can the parents keep the communication lines to their daughter open, as she doesn’t want to talk about these issues? How can parents balance the desire to not break their daughter’s confidence and the need for outside intervention? Should the parents ignore their daughter’s wish and contact the other parents/a counselor? Ferdinand, 37, from Singapore

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• Johanna DeKoning MS is the Clinical Director of NCS Counseling Center. She trained in the Netherlands and Australia.

Johanna says: ■ THE issues you address are concerns for many parents and also many wonder what to do. First of all, it is “normal” for a daughter at the age of 14 to withdraw from her mum. For mothers this is painful, but it is part of individualisation – becoming your own unique person, and that needs a lot of space. The most important thing right now is to just love the daughter. Express appreciation to her, let the child know that you are available to talk but do not pressure. Sometimes a mother can share a bit of her own teenage years. The daughter mentioned vaguely that she has issues from the past, but does her mother know what she refers to? To keep the communication lines open: parents should be open and honest, sharing their love and concern. If they observe a new cut, they should address it. Teenage daughters need their fathers when they become a young (and beautiful) woman. He could let her know that he is proud of her for who she is (not only her grades). If the situation becomes dangerous to the daughter’s health, parents may have the responsibility to break her confidence. They could ask the daughter if she understands the reason why her friends are cutting and tell her that they need to protect her. Another idea could be to invite the friends to come over for “a party” and address the

topic that evening, perhaps even inviting a counselor, if they feel they cannot handle it. They could try to build a relationship with the friends, as often loneliness, low self esteem, and wanting to belong are all part of the reasons behind cutting behavior. This usually works much better than trying to prevent the daughter making contact with her friends. So what could be the next steps? If the mother entrusted this story to you, maybe you could approach Amanda and share your concern for her. Just talk about your conflict between keeping confidentiality and feeling the burden that someone needs to protect her. Explain that if you didn’t talk about it at all, would that not be just letting her “stay alone in her misery?” This is something you really would not want to do as you do care for her and her friends. You could also ask Amanda what her opinion is. If she knows one of her friends wants to damage herself, would she do nothing or would she take action? I do hope my response gives you some direction. If Amanda becomes more and more closed off I would suggest intervention by a professional counselor. Amanda could come alone, but if Amanda does not want this, a family therapy session (or a session with Amanda and her parents) could also be helpful. In such a session it is not Amanda that is the problem, we would look at the whole family system and try to understand it.

Contact info Web: ncs-counseling.com Email: anette.p@ncs-counseling.com, Tel: 02 279 8503 Send your problems to: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

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Gourmet p Wine and restaurant news

Indan curries cooked over a slow and steady fire are the order of the month at Rang Mahal. Page 52

What’s Cooking A round up of this month’s best gourmet deals. Yummy! Page 52

Meet the chef We speak to Crowne Plaza Bangkok’s Head Chef Lam Kok Weng Page 64

Dining out

Our favourite restaurants reviewed and listed Page 76 TheBigChilli

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GOURMET NEWS

What’s Cooking

Bangkok’s hottest dining deals and news

So Amazing Chefs 2012 Sept 25 – 29 Sofitel So Bangkok

■ SOFITEL So Bangkok has invited 12 internationally renowned chefs to lead a five-day gourmet event that offers both cooking classes by the masters and the opportunity to taste their combined skills in lunches and set-menu dinners. The highlight of the event, on Sept 27, will be a “Culinary Showdown” featuring nine chefs, each at their own cooking stations. Here, guests will get a close-up view of the culinary maestros

at work, while Thai celebrity chefs will judge each chef ’s creations. All proceeds from the Showdown will be donated to the CCF Foundation under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to help needy children. Participating chefs include: Stephane Bonnat, Voiron, France; Sebastien Bouillet, Lyon, France; Alain Caron, Amsterdam, Holland; Pierre-Yves Lebihan, Houston, USA; Didier Corlou, Hanoi, Vietnam; Christian Echterbille, Houston, USA; Marc Friederich, Paarl, South Africa; Patrick Jeffroy, Brittany, France; Chris Salans, Bali, Indonesia; Paul Smart, Bangkok, Thailand; Romain Valicon, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Nicolas A. Vienne, Bangkok, Thailand. All 12 chefs belong to the event’s partner, “Village de Chefs,” the site through which members, French or French-speaking professionals working abroad, share their experiences for the enrichment of French gastronomy throughout the world. Rama IV Road,

☎ 02 624 0000 : sofitel.com

Buffet lunch deal Until Oct, The Hourglass Restaurant

■ HEAD to the ‘East Meets West’ international lunch buffet at The Hourglass Restaurant, The AETAS Lumpini, Sathorn, on a weekday, and you’ll get 15 per cent discount. Visit on a weekend, and you’ll get 25 per cent discount.The buffet features an extensive blend of international dishes from fresh seafood on ice, sushi, parma ham, smoked duck breasts and Dim Sum, as well as various Asian dishes.The usual price of the buffet is B549 per person.

☎ 02 618 9555

53 Soi Ruamrudee, : aetashotels.com

Awadhi style cuisine Until Sept 31, Rang Mahal

■ ALL this month, Rang Mahal restaurant at Rembrandt Hotel will offer a special ‘SHAM – E – AWADH’ menu focused on the Awadhi style of cooking, or the art of cooking over a slow and steady fire.The slow-fire cooking lets the juices absorb into the solid parts and contribute to the greatest taste. Menu choices include Deep fried jumbo prawns, Tandoor charred-onion flavored chicken, Goat shanks and chops slowly cooked on an ‘ANGEETHI’

Real Thai tastes Sept 17-27, Suan Bua

(traditional Indian braise) and much more. All dishes will be prepared and presented in an authentic style.

☎

Sukhumvit Soi 18, 02 261 7100 ext. 7532 :rembrandtbkk.com

■ IF you like fish, you’ll love this promotion at Suan Bua Restaurant. During the dates above, Suan Bua restaurant at Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok will offer a special menu featuring dishes such as Stuffed squid with spicy minced shrimp salad; Grilled exotic ground fish meat topped with seafood and black pepper sauce; and Crispy small river shrimp and sea shrimp with Thai sauce. Set menus are available at B750++ per set.

☎ 02 541 1234 ext. 4202 :centarahotelsresorts.com 52

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Yummy Weekend Brunch

Mooncake treats

■ CRAVE restaurant at Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 is now offering its weekend brunch at just B600 per person. Served on Sat and Sun from 12pm-3pm, the brunch features Rock lobster, New Zealand mussels, oysters and Asian food such as sushi, crab sticks, Akami tuna, prawn tempura, BBQ pork buns, and much more. Offer ends Oct 31.

■ CONRAD Bangkok’s Liu Chinese Restaurant is currently offering four distinct mooncake ﬂavours, namely Durian with yolk, Lotus seeds with yolk, Custard with yolk and Mixed ﬁve nuts with yolk. Each mooncake weighs 80 grams and is B 99 per piece. Mooncake gift boxes are available in a set of four at B390 or opt for a luxurious box of eight at B1,688.

UNTIL SEPT 30, CONRAD BANGKOK

EVERY SAT AND SUN, CRAVE

Sukhumvit 11,

☎ 02 207 7080 aloftholtels.com/bangkoksukhumvit11

Stonegrill special

☎

UNTIL SEPT 31 HIIRAGI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

87 Wireless Road, 02 690 9999 deli@conradbangkok.com

■ ENJOY sizzling meats cooked on a heated stone right at your table with this fun dining promotion at Hiiragi. A Stonegrill set starts

Korean cooking class AVAILABLE NOW KONGJU KOREAN RESTAURANT

■ WANT to learn how to make Korean food? Then take yourself along to Kongju Korean Restaurant, Pathumwan Princess Hotel. Korean Cuisine Specialist Hanna Kim now conducts cooking classes for B2,500 net per person. Price includes three traditional Korean dishes, cooking class recipe booklet, apron, and a picture to remember your day.

☎ 02 216-3700 ext. 20230

444 MBK Center, pprincess.com

at just B1,190++ and features Japanese mixed fruit salad, cream soup and garlic rice, followed by a hot stone with a choice of Beef, Pork, Chicken, Tiger Prawn, Scallop and Seabass, and a dessert of Blueberry Cheese Cake.

☎

333 Srinakarin Road, 02 366 0505 novotelbangnabangkok.com

Four Corners of Thailand

UNTIL SEPT 31, THE SQUARE

■ TAKE a gourmet tour of Thailand’s four regions with a wide variety of special dishes available this month as part of The Square’s International Buffet selection. Options include delicacies from all four regions such as Ho Mok Pla, Phat Kraphao, Traditional Som Tum, Kaep Mu and Khua Kling. B899 baht++. Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, novotelbkk.com.

☎ 02 209 8888

Seafood buffet Mediterranean Seafood UNTIL SEPT 31, WINE PUB

■ ALL this month, Wine Pub at Pullman Bangkok King Power is offering a special Mediterranean seafood menu starting at the special price of B180. Menu options include Trout, Sardine, Sea Bream, Live Atlantic Brown Crab. Special dishes include Gazpacho a la Andalusia, Mejillones a la marinera, Paella a la Marinera and many more. Served 6pm-10pm. 8-2 Rangnam Road,

☎ 02 680 9999 pullmanbangkokkingpower.com

EVERY FRIDAY, PARTY HOUSE ONE

■ THE newly renovated Party House One at Siam@Siam Design Hotel & Spa is now offering is Friday Night Seafood Buffet at just B1,499 per person. Price includes a glass of wine. Offer ends Nov. 865 Rama I Road,

☎ 02 217 3000, siamatsiam.com TheBigChilli

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GOURMET NEWS

Gourmet travel

Samui Fine Dining Festival returns

New on the scene Buono Bistro ■ DESIGNED to a ‘romantic-yet-casual’ concept, this elegant Italian restaurant and wine bar has opened its doors at Promenade shopping mall, Ramindra Road, offering top quality Italian eats in a stylish atmosphere.

FROM a glittering gala launch dinner on Sept 1 to the flavoursome finale on Oct 31, Samui’s finest restaurants and a group of international chefs will unite once again in the name of culinary innovation. Every day, each participating restaurant will present an individual fine dining menu paired with wines. Menus will range in price from B2,200 to B4,000. Restaurants, hotels and resorts who have come together to put Samui on the fine dining map include AKARYN Samui, akyra Chura Samui, Banyan Tree, Beach Republic, Da Pasquale, Dining on the Rocks, Four Seasons, Full Moon, Intercontinental, Le Jaroen, Le Meridien, Le Salon

The menu includes homemade pastas and sauces, imported seafood, pizzas from a wood ﬁred oven, and a wide range of Italian and European dishes such as Ossobucco, Saltimbocca, Risotto, Ravioli, Lamb chop, Foie gras, Beef cheek, Grilled cod, Baked Canadian lobster, and more. A decent selection of international wines is on offer, plus a good range of signature cocktails. Buono Bistro, Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Promenade, Ramindra Road. Open 10am-10pm. 02 947 5775, 080 8104188 thebuono.com info@ thebuono.com facebook.com/thebuonobistro

☎

Little Backyard

de Ti, Nikki Beach, Olivio, Orgasmic, Prego, Red Snapper, Renaissance Resort, Rockpool, Sui Kin, The Barge Fine Dining, The Dining Room, The Edge, The Five Islands Restaurant, The Height, Tree Tops, W Retreat and Zazen Restaurant. The first Samui Fine Dining Festival ran for one month and was judged a success by local and international food writers, participating outlets and discerning tourists. Organisers this year have elected to run the festival for two months, and believe the appetite exists to make this extended moveable feast a permanent fixture in the international food festival calendar. This year also sees 26 restaurants taking part, up from 16 last year. More info on samuiﬁnediningfestival.com

■ TUCKED away on Ekamai 22 in a leafy garden, Little Backyard certainly lives up to its name. Sink into one of the comfy banquettes inside and you’ll feel miles away from the bustle of nearby Ekamai. Specializing in homemade food, Little Backyard serves all day breakfasts, sandwiches, and cakes. A specials menu changes daily and features items such as Spaghetti pork Bolognese, Lasagne, and Thai homemade dishes like Massaman Curry. There’s also a good selection of coffee, tea, and fruit shakes to enjoy. Take a good book, and you could easily spend a few hours here. 1023/49 Ekamai 22 (inside the Soi, take the ﬁrst right at the junction, then follow the road till you see Taw See School on the left, Little backyard is straight after the School). Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm; Sat-Sun 1pm-9pm (closed Mon). 02 713 3261

☎

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GOURMET NEWS

Business Ideas

Steve the Pie-maker brings his Yorkshire expertise to Bangkok

■ THE aroma makes you go weak at the knees. Apart from new-born babies and fresh bread, nothing on this planet surely smells better than pies. Especially when they’re straight from the oven. It’s intoxicating. And that’s the overwhelming sensation when you drop by the British Pie Shop, a humble hole-in-the-wall operation run by Steve Mines on Soi Yen Akart, just off Rama 4 Road. Steve, a self-taught pie maker from Yorkshire in northern England, turns out just about every pie imaginable, from the traditional like pork, chicken & mushroom, steak & kidney and cauliﬂower cheese to the exotic such as chicken curry, green curry, chicken kiev and panaeng-chicken. He also bakes a range of sweet pies,

sausage rolls, hot cross buns, breads and even cooks his own mushy peas. Yet another item probably unique to Steve’s shop is liquor, which is a traditional East End pie and mash sauce similar to parsley. The most expensive item on the menu is 130 baht and cheapest is a mere 35 baht. With Steve dividing his time between his original pie shop in Khao Lak in southern Thailand and the Bangkok outlet, he’s taught his staff how to cook the pies and bread that adhere to authentic recipes from the UK. And the ﬁrst batch emerges piping hot from the ovens every day, beginning 11.30am. He also maintains a freezer packed to the gunnels with his products. Steve ﬁrst came to Thailand on

holiday in 1999, but stayed on to work in the diving business in Phuket during the high season and returned to his job as a tour guide in the South of France during the quieter periods. Settling here permanently in 2003, he began making pork pies a year later as part of the effort to rekindle the tourist industry in southern Thailand following the tsunami. “A friend wanted them for his dive boats, so I set up the Shires Pie Company in Phuket to supply him with fresh pies,” says this one-time local government Housing Officer & Presiding Officer on elections from Ripon, near the city of York. Steve also viewed a pie shop as a way of avoiding the same trap that many foreign entrepreneurs fall into here. “I had seen so many friends lose their health and money down the years running bars so I thought I would try another route with a pie shop.” His joint venture Bangkok shop opened last year but had to close soon after due to the floods that hit the city. “My staff went home and our biggest customers at the nearby international schools left town.” Now fully operational once again, the British Pie Shop is luring customers from the expatriate community as well as Thais who cultivated a taste for pies while studying overseas. Catering at rugby matches and large scale team building events are further source of business. A man of many talents, including the ability to read and write Thai, Steve is looking at the possibility of moving permanently to Bangkok to expand his business. Which is good news for us city dwellers because it means we can look forward to more of that wonderful aroma and exquisite taste of freshly baked pies.

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REVIEW AMONTRE

AMONTRE RESTAURANT AND BAR

– Steak and berries on one side; a Switzerland raclette on the other. Dip the steak in the melted mozzarella cheese and the results are heavenly. If you’re not too keen on beef, though, you can always flavour and flair. try the Gindara boiled rice Chef Wanchai’s hotel (B280++), which is basically experience shines through in both a gourmet version of popular the taste and presentation of his Th ai favourite Khao Tom, with dishes, which look like they’ve a subtle mix of ginger and been prepared in the kitchens of a pickled plum, and topped with five-star hotel. But the difference caviar. Th e Roti green curry here, of course, is that you’re not (B100), which comes wrapped paying hotel prices. with a generous filling of You can, for instance, tuck seafood and mozzarella cheese, into a bowl of Caesar salad for is also worth a look. just B140++, Cold cuts platter For dessert, don’t miss for B350++, and a delightfully the Blueberry crumble with messy Le Deluxe Burger, which vanilla sauce (95++ baht). It’s features a huge meat patty topped a comfort food treat, bursting with Swiss cheese, strawberries, with berries and topped with a and foie gras, for just B260++. homemade crumble that’s light A recent addition to and buttery to boot. the menu, and a must try Lunch isn’t the only for starters, is the Horse good time to visit Amontre. D’Oeuvres Short Drop by in the evenings and (B120++). This features a you can mingle with young selection of shot glasses filled professionals from nearby with either Prawn salad with prawn, which blends eastern offi ces and enjoy great deals pomelo, toasted coconut and western fl avours to great too. Daily from 6pm-10pm, and chilli dressing; or effect. Another dish which you can enjoy two-for-one Fried sour pork and perfects this balance is the Foie draught beer, house wine, and garlic. It’s a real gras fried rice (B160++), which cocktails. And, starting this tongue zinger. has a delicate blend of foie gras month, selected wines are buy Another and minced beef and is topped one bottle, get one free. newcomer, and a with a Th ai omelet fused with 55 South Sathorn Road good follow up to organic Italian sweet basil. (next to Fraser Suites) the shots, is the One of the menu’s most Lobster Tom Yaam ☎ 02 359 9667-8 popular items is the Teppan  amontre.com (B160++), a hot and cheese steak (B480++), which (www.facebook.com/pages/ sour lobster bisque comes served in two parts AMONTRE/31254601865) soup topped with a tiger

Great value comes as standard at this hip hangout on Sathorn IF you’re looking for a good lunch or dinner option in the Silom or Sathorn area, look no further than Amontre. For here, top quality food at reasonable prices is the order of the day. Developed from the simple wish to “just give people a good time,” Amontre is a trendyyet-casual restaurant with a real emphasis on good food. Ingredients from the owners’ own organic farm add plenty of freshness to dishes, and the expert hand of Chef Wanchai Chatchotianan, who has over 13 years’ experience cooking in top hotels in Thailand, ensures the international cuisine and fusion fare on offer has plenty of

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GOURMET NEWS

Bangkok Beefsteak & Burgundy The BB&B dining group enjoys a lunchtime treat at Artur, the elegant gourmet steakhouse

ETURNING to Artur’s exclusive restaurant for a third time in three years, we found no less than seven guests in attendance along with 13 regulars notwithstanding the rival claims of the European holiday season and the Olympics. We were entertained in great style. The proceedings started at the bar with Steak Tartar on toasted country bread prepared by Artur himself served along with Champagne Duval Leroy Brut Rose. Jock Tulloch and Brian Sinclair-Thompson (respectively wine and food spokesman) were introduced along with visiting overseas members from B&B Singapore and Adelaide. The party fitted exactly into the dining area leaving little space for the proverbial shoe horn; one or two smokers seemed to need assistance to extricate themselves before they could be released from the window seats and take up ‘that foul weed.’  Even the amuse bouche (Slightly marinated jumbo scallop and tuna tartar with oyster leaf) provided an original and tasty second introduction to the dining proper. Our second wine (Tulloch Verdelho 2008, Hunter Valley, NSW) is a Club favourite and once more it took little encouragement from Jock Tulloch to extol its virtues. It proved to be a good match for our first course, Terrine of foie gras with Muscat de Beaumes de venise gelée (the beads of raspberry reduction and horseradish added both colour and piquancy). There followed Delicately creamed seafood soup flavoured with saffron and oyster jus (and an oyster for good

measure) served with La Fleur D’Acacia Chablis 2010, making it two French wines in a row. Yet again a good pairing of food and wine earning high praise from Brian, who was making his first appearance at one of our lunches. The main course, Chausson of confit of duck with chanterelles and a delicate foie gras sauce, put Chef Raphael to the test which he passed with flying colours. Our first red of the day, (Le Corte IGT Chianti 2004, Italy) had been featured by the Club on a previous occasion, and was enjoyed by the drinkers once again. However, the Nefertari Shiraz 2002 (Barosso Valley, SA) making its very last appearance on our table possibly eclipsed the Sangiovese and with it came Ripened brie stuffed with black truffle with walnuts on toasted country bread, a pairing it was difficult to improve upon (according to the author’s taste, at least). An apple and kiwi flavoured Pre-dessert espuma was followed by Vacherin, a dessert made with meringue filled with vanilla and strawberry ice cream, topped with whipped cream, fruits, and a star anise flavoured sauce. This was accompanied by one or two glasses of Malvoisie du Valais 2010, (Cave St-Pierre, Switzerland), the perfect end to a very special meal. Full marks were awarded to Artur, Chef Raphael, and an enthusiastic and professional band of servers. 9 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road

☎ 02 658 6288

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Food to avoid? Crocodile meat. The stickiness and oiliness Favourite wines? of its meat is difficult to Definitely Penfolds. properly cook. And I don’t Their reds go great want to kill an animal as with tasty dishes , g n e W k big as a o Lam K like medium i crocodile! Xin Tian D f, e rare lamb. h C d Favourite bar: a e H I only drink on Favourite food? special occasions, Favourite Shrimp! Its taste so don’t really go Most influential restaurant? and texture is to bars. chef? Tang Jai Yoo. exceptional. Chef Lee Kok Kong, A Chinese whom I worked with restaurant for two years when in Yaowarat I first started my that’s always career. crowded.

GOURMET MEET THE CHEF

P U G N I V SER

Favourite herb? All Chinese herbs. They have wonderful aromas which capture the hearts of chefs and diners alike.

Best way to create a meal? The secret ingredient is happiness. I always prepare myself to be happy and fresh before cooking any meal. I believe my happiness can be transferred through a delicious well prepared meal.

Favourite sauce? X.O. sauce because it blends easily with all the dishes I make.

Chinese passion ■ BORN and raised in Singapore, Chef Lam was introduced to a wide variety of cuisines at a young age, but it was Chinese food that had the biggest impact on his palate, and his heart. “Chinese herbs are so versatile,” he says, “and as a youngster I just couldn’t enough of their flavour and aroma. I loved seeing how they were cooked, and how chefs would blend them for different flavours. So I guess I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a chef and cook good Chinese food using such wonderful ingredients.” Now 20 years into his career, Chef Lam Kok Weng has honed his Chinese recipes to perfection. Proof of this was recently seen when he became one of the Winning Challengers on the Iron Chef Thailand TV show, which gives chefs just one hour to prepare and cook a multi-course meal around a themed ingredient – in this case, goby fish, which Chef Lam prepared alongside a wide variety of aromatic Chinese herbs. If you saw the show and were keen to try the creations for yourself, the good news is that now you can. Chef Lam has introduced a new special menu at Xin Tian Di which features all of his Iron Chef dishes. Details on the right!

The taste of victory ■ HOT on the heels of his success on Iron Chef Thailand, Chef Lam has introduced a new menu featuring his award winning dishes. These include: Deep-fried goby fish and prawn mousse served with Chinese herbs infused sauce; Double boiled sliced goby fish and Chinese herbs in superior bouillon; Baked goby fish in Japanese mayonnaise; and Fried-rice with goby fish and X.O. sauce served in steamed pumpkin. Dishes are B2,000++ per set. Located on the 22nd floor of Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park, Xin Tian Di is a great venue for family or group meals. Alongside the new menu you can enjoy classic Dim Sum or modern Cantonese dishes such as Wasabi Prawns and Wagyu beef with pepper. Xin Tian Di Chinese Restaurant, Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park, 952 Rama IV Road. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, and 6pm-10.30pm. 02 632 9000 952  info-bkkcp@ihg.com

☎

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GOURMET Q&A signature cocktails, including the popular “Mekong Green Mix,” or MGM, which is a mix of Mekong whisky with herbs and spices. It has a distinctive Thai-taste which I’m sure you’ll love. When did you ﬁrst realize you had a talent for making cocktails? I never consider myself to be a ‘talented’ bartender because I think anybody can be good at this job and make good cocktails – all they have to do is work hard, practice and put their mind to it. Experience helps too, of course, and I now have plenty of that. What do you like most about being a bartender? Getting to meet people from all walks of life and hear their stories. Working behind a bar you really get to learn a lot and absorb a lot of information from people. The creative aspect is a treat too, especially when

Bar Banter

someone tells me that they really like one of my cocktail recipes – which can’t be found anywhere else in Bangkok! I also love the challenge of being a Lobby bar manager. I love organizing everything just right so that the Lobby

This month: Prapaipit ‘Pom’ Somboon Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok’s Lobby bar manager takes a break from mixing drinks to share a few trade secrets When did you ﬁrst join Rembrandt Hotel and what made you decide to work there? I joined the Rembrandt Hotel in 2001. I’d been looking to get some hotel experience and was fortunate enough to get the job here. Working at the Lobby bar is great fun – every day I get to meet new people, and getting to experiment with new cocktail recipes is another bonus.

What are the Lobby Bar’s highlights? Well, our Lobby bar hosts some of the best jazz musicians the city has to offer, including saxophonist Dr. Pathorn Srikaranonda (who is the youngest member of HM the King’s Au Saw Friday Band) and pianist Billy Alcordo. Both are amazing and talented musicians who are well worth listening to. We also serve many exclusive

bar runs to the high standards expected by the Rembrandt. What nights are best to visit the bar and why? Our daily “Happy Hours” from 5pm7pm are always good. And for jazz music lovers, there’s live music every Mon–Thurs from 7pm-10.45pm, and every Fri–Sat from 7pm-11.45pm. So every day is a great day to visit Rembrandt’s Lobby bar. Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 18 ☎ 02 261 7100  rembrandtbkk.com

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GOURMET NEWS

Gourmet scrapbook

Last month’s wine events in focus

Sheraton’s Social Hour arrives ■ DESPITE heavy rains and bad traffic, many wine lovers made their way to the Lobby Lounge of The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers to celebrate the launch of the Sheraton Social Hour. The new program offers guests and wine lovers weekly tastings of premium wines at over 240 Sheraton hotels around the world, and its debut in Bangkok showcased Australian red and white wines from Peter Lehmann’s vineyard, provided by Central Retail Co., Ltd. Mr. Vincent Ong, Brand Management Director of Sheraton and Westin Hotels & Resorts for Asia Pacific, flew in especially to preside over the launch event.

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Dinner ■ CHAMPAGNE and Billecart-Salmon were paired to delicious effect in a special dinner at The Reflexions Restaurant, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien Hotel. Special guests at the event included Ron Batori, President BB&B; Sebastien Papin, BillecartSalmon Brand Ambassador Asia-Pacific; and Nuntiya Hame-ung-gull, General Manager of Gourmet One Food Service (Thailand).

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GOURMET PERSONALITY

Bob’s choice – four decades of importing food

By Colin Hastings

How a veteran expat known for speaking his mind has succeeded in one of the most competitive businesses in Thailand for more than 40 years

THEY don’t make them like Bob Coombes anymore. An expatriate all his adult life – 10 years in Australia followed by 40 years here in Thailand – Bob is one of those increasingly rare individuals who has succeeded, often against the odds, in building a successful company in extraordinarily challenging circumstances in a foreign land. It’s not a unique record, but it is certainly impressive. He looks every bit the long-term expat too. Even though he’s now in his seventies, he’s still a mini bull of a man, always well turned out, never fails to wear a tie during long office hours, sports a huge white beard that unsurprisingly leads to comparisons with Father Christmas, and has a ruddy complexion that bears witness to a serious joie de vivre. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly and is famously not shy about speaking his mind. But after four decades in an industry known for its fierce rivalry and shady dealings, Bob now boasts a depth of knowledge that is matched by few, if any other foreign entrepreneurs. So he can be forgiven for the occasional lapse of diplomatic charm, even though his directness can be unsettling for the uninitiated. Bob’s definitely a one-off, much like his company, Choice Foods. Over the years, all manner of competitors have come and gone, but Choice Foods has stayed the course, often against the odds. Today, it is one of Thailand’s leading importers and distributors of quality food products, with a turnover of more than more 300 million baht a year. At a recent exhibition and party at the Grand Hyatt Erawan to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary, no less than 28 of his overseas suppliers attended, at their own expense. “I was chuffed,” says Bob, sitting in his head office in Sukhumvit 71. “It shows the respect they have for Choice Foods and the work we do for them in Thailand.” Born in Brentford, London, he left the UK aged 21 to start a new life in Australia, where he ended up working for Rank Xerox in Sydney. He first came to Thailand on holiday in 1969, liked what he saw and decided to stay. Although he loved the life here, he missed the food he’d enjoyed back in Australia. “My solution was to bring in my own, and improve on what was available,” he says.

Choice Foods opened in 1972 and initially targeted the small handful of hotels around in those days: Narai, Erawan, Oriental, Hyatt Rama, Dusit, and President, along with a few minor establishments. Quickly building a reputation, Bob then began to supply Bangkok’s top restaurants of the time, such as Chez Suzanne, M’ Lord, Nick’s No 1, Two Vikings and Fireplace Grill. Working out of the Sriboonruang Building on Convent Road, Choice Foods had the first of many ‘firsts’ on its hands when it began to fly in chilled beef and oysters from Australia. The city had not seen or tasted anything like it. Other ‘firsts’ included salmon from Scotland and, later, Alaska. The company then introduced lamb from Australia; it also became the first food supplier to operate refrigerated vehicles, other than ice cream vans, in Thailand. And it was the first company to open branches in the provinces. Today, Choice Foods is represented in Phuket, where Bob’s son Jay oversees two service offices, as well as Ko Samui, Pattaya and Krabi. It’s only a matter of time before Hua Hin is added to the list, says Bob. Some other business ventures have been less successful, and remain a distant memory. Bob’s ‘Happy Hamper’ delivery didn’t catch on for all kinds of reasons, while his chain of Angus steak houses in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, though popular during the ’80s and ’90s, eventually closed. In the past, Choice Foods had a global shopping list that included products from US, Canada, Scotland, France, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Malaysia and Indonesia, but tends these days to focus on two countries – Australia and Spain – for its supplies. Aside from its mainstay beef and lamb, the company imports fish, salads, avocadoes, cheese, hams, olive oil and a wide variety of fruit. Using local pork of “export quality,’ it also produces its own range of bacon and sausages under the supervision of Master Curer Robin Wallbank, a Brit from Lancashire, who’s been with Choice Foods for more than 20 years. Customers are a veritable who’s who in Thailand’s hospitality and catering industry, including hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and flight kitchens. He can be scathing about some of his competitors and declares, in typically frank fashion,

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Thailand is not a beef country. Wagyu beef from Australia is twice as tasty as from other countries, and half the price.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; TheBigChilli

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GOURMET PERSONALITY (Left): Master Curer Robin Wallbank has been with Choice Foods for more than 20 years; (Right): Bob with his son, Jay

that there are some businesses he refuses to deal with because of their alleged involvement in “shady dealings.” “We won’t touch them. We’re above all that. “Our policy is to deal with people we know, to get to know their thinking, their philosophy and to understanding their needs and requirements. We are not interested in those who have no passion for what goes on the plate.” Over the years, he’s seen a huge transformation in tastes, propelled mostly by the explosion in fast food outlets and franchise operations here. The quality of food served in standalone and hotel restaurants has improved significantly thanks to the quality of the products now available. “These days, you can get fresh fish from the North Sea, and chilled beef from Australia. lia is twice as tasty as from other countries That wasn’t the case in the past.” “and half the price.” Although beef has gained a much Misrepresentation, once a major higher profile than lamb in recent headache for the Thai catering industry, years, due in part to the popularity of is slowly disappearing, he believes. ‘Wagyu’ beef products, lamb outsells “In the past, people were fobbed off beef by some distance. “It’s the duty,” with products carrying false classificaexplains Bob. “Lamb has no duty; beef tions, especially on beef. Now hotels is taxed at 50%.” should be able to verify the source of He’s realistic about the effectivea product by studying the cartons it’s ness of the Thai-Australian free trade delivered in from overseas. agreement (TAFTA), saying that it does “Unfortunately, many smaller not always live up to its title, especially businesses buy meat by the piece, so in regard to agricultural products. they can’t refer to the packaging.” Bob on steaks “There are restrictions on the import Bob is scathing about corrupof melons and potatoes from Australia, tion in his line of work.”In keeping with “WITH more and more restaurants in Thaiand both have huge potential here. land offering good steak – and I don’t mean every other industry in Thailand corthose places that charge as little 300 baht “Strangely, though, lots of cheap ruption is strong and prevalent – and for a bit of old boot – here’s some advice. melons, potatoes and table grapes do don’t forget, it’s the consumer who Ask for the animal’s background and breedreach the Thai market, but I have no ends up paying the bill.” ing (genetics), and always insist on it being idea where they come. Despite his age, Bob has no plans cooked by charcoal. “Nevertheless, Thailand is still the “Also ask if it is imported or local, natuto retire. Instead of hobbies, he prefers ral grass-fed or grain-fed Angus Hereford or third most important import market of to save up his spare time to travel. Wagyu, Steer or cow. Ask if hormone growth foodstuffs from Australia. But it would He’s shortly off to Barcelona to attend promoters have been used in feeding. A good be great to get those restrictions lifted.” a food fair and thereafter to Burma establishment will be able to answer these When it comes to meats, Bob for a cruise down the Irrawaddy. With questions, and you have the right to know. knows his stuff. To help explain why “Cooking must be charcoal, by which I a wife, daughter and son in Australia, mean real wood, number one charcoal,* not certain parts of Australia produce bethe’s a frequent visitor there, and often lava rocks heated by gas which leave an oil ter quality meat than others, he reachreturns to the UK, which he still loves residue on the meat. The charcoal must be es for a map and draws an imaginary to visit. extremely hot and the meat turned only once. line across the country to highlight the He’s also announced that Choice It will take no longer than six minutes for a most fertile areas in terms of rainfall one inch thick steak. Then rest it for an equal Foods will henceforth donate 0.5% of amount of time. Eat with salad or a good and temperature. “These produce the sales to Operation Smile, a charity that baked spud (no foil) and accompanied by a best quality beef and lamb,” he notes. caught his imagination last year when it good heavy red wine and suitable bon vivant Through frequent visits Down held a fun ‘Fight Night’ in Bangkok. “It’s company. Perfection!” Under, he’s also learned much about my way of returning some of the good animal husbandry, from feed to the *Bob is importing a charcoal-powered oven luck and enjoyment I’ve had during from Spain called a Josper charcoal broiler, ticks that can affect the quality of the my 40 years in Thailand to people for which he says gives unbelievable results. meat, in order to find the best sources. whom a little money will mean so And because Choice Foods has much,” he says. been dealing with Australian farms lonAfter 50 years as an expat, Bob is ger than any other Thai company, his unlikely to change his status anytime company gets the pick of the choice. soon. Bangkok remains home and He’s dismissive of Thai beef, saying supplying quality foods his life. “Thailand is not a beef country,” and  choicefoodsthailand.com reckons that Wagyu beef from Austra-

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Recipe of the month By Miss Kitty (eatblogsleep.com)

Traditional and delicious pizza

REAT for lunch or dinner and perfect for sharing, pizza is quick and simple to make and, with the right ingredients and careful cooking, the results are always delicious. Here are a couple of recipes that are bound to go down great with your friends. My personal favourite is the Mediterranean Lamb Pizza, which uses leftovers from a roast lamb dinner to make the most delicious Mediterranean inspired topping which I secretly love more than the actual roast dinner itself. For all pizzas I use my standard rye dough for the crust which provides a crisp but chewy base with a bit of oomph.

Pizza Dough Ingredients • 1 cup ‘00’ bread ﬂour • 1 cup light rye ﬂour • Good pinch of salt • 1 teaspoon raw caster sugar • ¾ cup warm water • 1 x 7g sachet active dry yeast

2. Combine the crushed garlic and olive oil and brush over the base of the pizzas. Top with the onions, lamb, pumpkin, fetta and grated pecorino and cook until the crust is golden and crispy. 3. Slice and serve!

Pepperoni & Parmesan Pizza

cut out and keep

GOURMET NEWS

Remove from oven, top with the grated parmesan and then cook until the parmesan turns golden brown. 4. Cut and serve!

Chilli Garlic Prawn Pizza

Method 1. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water, stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 2. Mix the yeast mixture into the ﬂour and knead until smooth. 3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise until the dough has doubled in size. 4. Divide the dough into two equal size balls and roll out, ready to use.

Mediterranean Lamb Pizza

Ingredients Ingredients • 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, washed and dried • Extra-virgin olive oil • Salt & pepper to taste • 1 clove garlic, crushed • Handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and dried • 200 grams thinly sliced pepperoni • 100 grams parmesan cheese, ﬁnely grated

Method

Ingredients • ½ cup caramelised onions • Leftover roast lamb • Leftover roast pumpkin • Fetta cheese, cubed • Pecorino cheese, grated • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method 1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius. 2. Coat the base of a medium size fry pan with olive oil and cook the cherry tomatoes over medium-high heat. When they begin to pop and split open, season with salt & pepper and then use a fork to squash the tomatoes and form a light ‘sauce’. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves and remove from heat. 3. Seal the pizza base with olive oil and then spread with the cherry tomato sauce. Top with the pepperoni and bake until the pepperoni starts to go crispy.

• 20 raw green prawns, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1 small red chilli, finely sliced • Handful of roughly chopped parsley • Dried chilli flakes, to taste • 100 grams parmesan cheese, finely grated • Salt & pepper to taste

Method 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees celsius. 2. Using half the olive oil, half the garlic, half the parsley and the red chilli, marinate the prawns for 15 minutes. 3. Use the remaining olive oil and garlic to brush the pizza base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 4.Top with the marinated prawns and then sprinkle with dried chilli ﬂakes. Bake until the pizza starts to turn a light golden colour. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the parmesan. Return to oven and bake until the base is crispy and the parmesan has turned a beautiful gold colour. 5. Sprinkle with the remaining fresh parsley, cut and serve.

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GOURMET DINING OUT

Where to eat

Your ultimate dining companion

Recommended restaurants and bars American cuisine

French cuisine

Great American Rib

•

Ribs, pulled pork and BBQ chicken, staples in the Southern United States, are the specialities at this casual spot. Accompaniments include cornbread, curly fries and coleslaw. Although there is an a/c dining room, most people opt for the authentic picnic tables outside, cooled by giant fans. Portions are gargantuan, the management amiable and the beer never stops ﬂowing: an ideal spot for the entire family to spend a casual night on the town – American style. Sukhumvit Soi 36, midway between Sukhumvit Rd and Rama IV Rd (BTS Thonglor) Tel: 02 661 3801

Harvey

•

Harvey features Californian cuisine served up in sleek, modern and decidedly posh surroundings. California is noted for its wide variety of fresh fruits and produce, and an equally wide variety of ethnic groups. The developing cuisine from this state reﬂects this diversity, making it a fusion lover’s delight. The menu ranges far and wide, but most dishes are memorable and well presented. This is rapidly becoming one of the city’s most popular spots. Drop-in and see what all the excitement is about.

Thonglor Soi 9, 300m from Soi Thonglor (BTS Thonglor), Tel: 02 662 9911

Bourbon Street

•AFTER 25 years in the same

Le Vendome

•The quality of Bang-

kok’s French restaurants has improved immensely in recent years and Le Vendome is one of the big reasons. The pleasant setting includes a garden, and private rooms for special functions. If you are looking for signal French food served with élan and presented with pizzazz, this is where you’ll ﬁnd it. Although relatively expensive in the evening, the set lunches are a fantastic bargain at around Baht 500. Try them once, and you’ll be back in the evening for the Full Monty. Sukhumvit Soi 31, just past the Soi Sawasdee junction (BTS Phrom Phong – but it’s a hefty walk), Tel: 02 662 0530

Reﬂexions

•Reﬂexions offers con-

temporary French food in modern surroundings. It’s open for casual lunches and relaxed, but mildly elegant, dinners. There is live music from 19.00 – 22.00 each evening to add ambience. Don’t expect traditional French dishes, the menu is contemporary with a great deal of emphasis placed upon presentation. The service is efﬁcient and friendly.The entertainment and atmosphere make this a good place to spend the entire evening.

Plaza Athénée Bangkok, Wireless Rd, 200m from Ploenchit Road (BTS Ploenchit), Tel: 02 650 8800

D’Sens

•This restaurant puts to

location on Sukhumvit 22, Bourbon Street Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Boutique Hotel recently relocated to Soi Ekkamai. Bourbon Street remains Bangkok’s only 100% owned and operated American restaurant with the specialty of the house being famous Louisiana “Cajun/Creole” dishes. Highlights of the menu include Boiled “live” crawﬁsh, Blackened redﬁsh, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Blackened crab cakes and many more “New Orleans” favorites. If you haven’t tried this cuisine, Bourbon Street is a must visit.

rest arguments Bangkok is a backwater restaurant town. Dusit Thani Bangkok has teamed with Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, operators of a two-star Michelin restaurant in Montpellier, France, to create D’Sens. Located on the top ﬂoor of the hotel, the restaurant is lavishly decked out in red and has beautiful views of Lumpini Park and the city. The food, as expected, is expensive, but superbly executed and presented. The wine list at 550 bottles is one of the most extensive in the city.

Soi Ekkamai (near Ekkamai BTS station). Tel: 02 381 6801-3 email: info@bourbonstbkk.com www.bourbonstbkk.com

Dusit Thani Hotel, Junction Silom and Rama IV Rds (BTS Saladaeng or MRT Silom), Tel: 02 200 9000 ext. 2449

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Italian cuisine

International cuisine The Dubliner

Rossini’s

•Great food with a prominent Italian chef at the

helm. The Sheraton takes this restaurant seriously and insures the quality is always ﬁrst rate. The setting is that of an elegant Italian farmhouse with an open hearth. Not the sort of place to go dressed in shorts and a T-shirt for pizza and pasta. This is a restaurant to take that special someone you are trying to impress. The menu is a mix of traditional and contemporary dishes. The latter vary with the season, the ingredients available, and the whims of the chef. Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, 250 Sukhumvit Rd (BTS Asoke or MRT Sukhumvit) Tel: 02 649 8888

Biscotti •At Biscotti, great

Italian food is prepared under the watchful eye of diners and an Executive Chef from Italy – almost half the dining room is ﬁlled with a massive open kitchen. Located in the middle of Bangkok’s business and shopping action, Biscotti offers a set lunch with a buffet for appetizers and desserts plus a cook-to-order main course. In the evenings, things are more subdued and formal and you should gussy up a bit. Biscotti is noted for its excellent wine list, numerous special wine dinners and exemplary service.

•Sukhumvit’s oldest Irish Pub

is a great place to sink a few beers with friends. More than just a pub that serves food, it is a fully ﬂedged restaurant whose kitchen staff adapted their culinary skills to preparing and presenting traditional Irish favorites, dishes with an international ﬂavour, and a range of Thai specialties. The pub’s atmosphere lends itself to a casual approach to dining, but the menu range is far from casual. 440 Sukhumvit Rd, Tel: 02 204 1841-2 www.dublinerbangkok.com

Jameson’s

•Offering an extensive selection

of hearty, traditional pub grub, Jameson’s is a great place to enjoy an authentic taste of the West. Burgers, ﬁsh and chips, and spicy hot wings score good marks here. For brave diners, there’s also the pub’s ‘Hot Wings Challenge.’ This offers prizes to anyone who can eat eight spicy chicken wings in under ten minutes.. Other draws at the pub include four pool tables, 12 widescreen TVs, and the Minus 5 Ice Bar, where you can sip vodka in a large freezer room.

Jameson’s Irish Pub and Minus 5 Ice Bar Bangkok, Holiday Inn Bangkok, 931 Silom Road, Tel: 02 266 7703-5, email: info@jamesons-bangkok.com www.jamesons-bangkok.com / www.minus5bangkok.com

Four Seasons Hotel, Ratchadamri Rd (BTS – Ratchadamri), Tel: 02 250 1000

Opus

•Set inside a

wonderfully renovated villa on Pan Road, this delightful wine bar and restaurant serves top class Italian cuisine and boasts a walk-in wine cellar with over 500 different Italian labels – easily the largest selection in Bangkok. Owned and managed by Italian wine-expert Alex Morabito, formerly of Zanotti, the restaurant is classy and sophisticated yet it still retains a homely atmosphere. Chef Christian Martena, who honed his skills working at Spain’s three Michelin Star restaurant El Bulli, brings talent, creativity and experience to the kitchen, and he creates a wide range of contemporary Italian cuisine which wows all of the senses. 64 Pan Road, Silom (BTS: Surasak). Open daily 6am – midnight. Tel: 02 637 9899 email: info@wbopus.com www.wbopus.com

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9/4/12 3:42:31 PM

GOURMET DINING OUT

Mexican cuisine

Indian cuisine Indian Host

Coyote Bangkok²

equila, Margaritas and Mexican food are what this place is all about. The tequila collection is the largest in Thailand and over 75 different margaritas are served. The menu is diverse and not only possesses the requisite Tacos, Enchiladas, and Burritos, but also more elaborate items like Empanadas Carnitas - cornmeal pastries stuffed with spicy pork and a roasted tomato salsa. Although popular at lunch, the Coyote really howls in the evening when the after work crowd stumbles in for margaritas and a bite to eat. The best news is that there are now two branches – one located on Convent road, and one near the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 33. Coyote on Convent: Convent Road, about 100m from Silom Road, (BTS Saladaeng) Open daily 11.00 - 01.00 Tel. 02 631 2325 www.coyoteonconvent.com Ladies Night on Wednesday, 6-8pm and Saturday 10-midnight. Coyote Sukhumvit: near the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 33 (BTS Phromphong) Open daily 11.00-01.00 Tel. 02 662 3838 www.coyotebangkok.com. Ladies Night on Thursday, 6-8pm.

Thai cuisine Ana Garden Restaurant Bar and Grill

•Ana Garden has been provid-

ing delicious Thai and barbecue food for more than 10 years. There are plenty of daily specials and drinks promotions to tempt you here. Sit back and enjoy the unique atmosphere created by a lush, tropical rainforest setting and you’ll feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city. For an evening of escapism and ﬁne food, head to this restaurant and you will not be disappointed. Make a night of it and follow up your meal with boozy cocktails in the restaurant’s ‘Groove Kitchen’ nightclub. 67 Thonglor between Soi 1 & 3, Sukhumvit Road 55, Tel: 02 391 1762 email: anagarden55@yahoo.com www.anagarden.com

Baan Khanitha & Gallery

•Baan Khanitha, an award-

winning restaurant, has made its mark by rigorously insuring its food is consistently well-prepared. A wide variety of Thai dishes are offered, many reﬂecting the taste of owner Khanitha Akarnitkul, formerly a designer of women’s clothing. Classics are the Yam Som-O (spicy pomelo salad with shrimp and chicken) and Pla Krapong Phad Khee Mao (stir-fried sea bass with chili, hot basil, and eggplant). There is an art gallery on the site and ample parking. A sister restaurant can be found on Sukhumvit Soi 23.

South Sathorn Road at Soi Suanplu (MRT Lumpini), Tel: 02 675 4200 www.baan-khanittha.com

•If you’re looking

for authentic Indian cuisine, this is the place for you. The menu follows traditional North Indian recipes with dishes that are rich in ﬂavour and aroma. There’s a wide range of exotic curries, succulent Tandoori meats, mouth watering vegetarian dishes and much more to please you here. Set over three ﬂoors, Indian Host has a warm atmosphere and the service is spot on. Home deliveries are also available.

Sukhumvit Soi 22, (between BTS Asoke and Phrom Phong) Tel: 02 260 1115-6 email: PR@indian-host.com, renu@indian-host.com www.indian-host.com

Hazara

•Elegant drinking

and Indian dining in culturally interesting surroundings, created by a company with outlets in Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing and Jakarta. The serene setting is an eclectic mix of wood, artifacts, plants and Thai inspired architecture. The menu specializes in items from Northern India, including numerous dishes from the tandoor oven. Before dinner, most patrons have a drink in the nearby bar that also services a delightful Thai restaurant. Hazara is ideal for those seeking a peace haven from Bangkok’s excesses while enjoying a memorable meal. Sukhumvit Soi 38 (BTS Thonglor), Tel: 02 713 6048 www.facebars.com

Indus

•A large bar, enter-

tainment and restaurant/coffee shop complex featuring Indian and Kashmiri food. The décor attempts to create a feel for the Indus Valley Civilization. The food is excellent and includes some great curries and a signature Chicken Tikka Kati Roll. Thai and snack items are also available in the coffee shop. DJ music and cocktails are available in the entertainment area. If you are looking for a complete night on the town with Indian overtones, this is a good choice. Sukhumvit Soi 26, 400m from Rama IV Rd, 1200m Sukhumvit Rd just past Four Wings Hotel (BTS Phrom Phong, then taxi) Tel: 02 258 4900

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FEATURE MUSIC SHOCKER!

IF YOU’RE PLAYING MUSIC IN YOUR RESTAURANT, BAR, HOTEL, OR EVEN YOUR OFFICE,YOU COULD BE

BREAKING THE LAW

HERE’S WHY…

ALMOST anywhere you go in Bangkok – malls, department stores, restaurants, outdoor markets, small shops, bowling alleys, and especially entertainment venues like pubs or discotheques – you’ll hear music, recorded and performed live. It’s a way of life here. But what few people outside the business know is that copyrighted music cannot be played legally in a commercial setting without the permission of the copyright holder, which, under the 11994 994 Copyright Act, normally involves the payment of royalties. The payment of these fees has opened an opportunity for ccorrupt orrupt officials and imposters to extort money from businesses b usinesses playing copyrighted music. In some cases TVs, computers, sound systems and other equipment are seized in lieu of payment. Shaking down businesses under the guise of copyright protection has been going on for years and has developed into a lucrative occupation. The criminals see it as an easy way to make money and considering the many thousands of locations playing copyrighted music all over the country, it is extremely difficult to eliminate. Law enforcement officers say that to avoid problems with the copyright owners and to minimize profits of the criminals, anybody playing copyrighted music outside their homes should pay royalties. That’s unlikely to happen, of course. Besides, copyright holders as well as the extortionists are more likely to go after big venues.

HISTORY OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION IN THAILAND

THE first copyright laws were introduced in 1892 during the reign of King Rama V, who proclaimed that the Royal Library Committee had the sole authority to copy and publicize the Royal Decree. In 1901 the first step was taken toward protecting all authors and their works with the Ownership of Authors Act. In 1931 the Act for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works was put into effect, protecting for the first time scientific, artistic and foreign works. Almost 50 years later, in 1978, the Copyright Act included protection for additional categories of materials, and also increased penalties for infringement. The Act was revoked and replaced by the 1983 Copyright Act. This Act was in turn replaced by the 1994 Copyright Act, which is still in effect. In 1992 the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) was created under the Ministry of Commerce to oversee and cooperate with all relevant IP agencies in Thailand and abroad. The Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (IP&IT) was inaugurated on December 1, 1997 in Bangkok. This court has a nationwide jurisdiction to adjudicate cases concerning IP and international trade.

Maxmilian Wechsler investigates the murky but highly lucrative world of music copyright

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BANGKOK SURVEY

TO FIND out whether business owners in Bangkok are aware that infringement of music copyright laws could lead to fines or arrest, we sent two Thai reporters to conduct an informal survey. Out of 65 locations visited, 34 of the proprietors or staff surveyed refused to answer. Only nine places said they do pay royalties to different copyright owners. The remaining 22 said they know they should pay royalties but don’t, even though some confessed to being visited by officials on this matter. Most people said they can’t afford to pay the royalties. Seven people said they had been approached by “extortionists” without saying who they were. The reporters said they had the impression that all of those interviewed know about the law but most ignore it. They added that most of the people contacted were generally uncooperative; some initially suspected they were being targeted for money.

CALLS TO DIP AND MPC

PAYMENT of royalties and related information is available through the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Copyright Office, Tel 02 547 4633 and 02 547 4634. Meanwhile, a “collecting management organization” known as MPC Music Co (www.mpcmusic.co.th. Tel 02 641 52113) is solely responsible for collecting royalties for international music in Thailand. Over 30 other organizations collect royalties only for Thai music. A senior executive of MPC said his organization is a nonprofit company set up to collect public performance royalty fees for the use of international musical and sound recording works. In a written memo, he said: “We are looking after both copyrighted musical works for song writers and composers as well as recorded works for major labels like Sony Music, EMI, Universal Music and Warner Music. We have more than 800,000 songs declared and registered legally abiding to the laws and regulations of the Ministry of Commerce. “We are the first and longest collecting society set up in the world. We work closely with the DIP and try to regulate the management and unify the collecting society in Thailand. Currently, there are 32 collecting companies established in Thailand.

covers computer programs, literary works and databases. Also the rights of the performers were added among other laws to protect the copyright owners. The penalties for violators were also increased,” explained the officer, adding that it is “very hard to say” what establishments are the biggest music copyright infringers because it is so widespread in Thailand. “Unfortunately, the copyright law in Thailand allows the injured party to negotiate a settlement with the offender out of court. This is not possible in other types of IP violations covering trademarks and patents, in which the offender is always sent before the court. “Hopefully, when the next copyright act comes along – and a new one is needed for other reasons as well– it won’t allow negotiation. This practice breeds and encourages corruption. Every infringer prefers to pay instead of facing the judge and having a criminal record. The present Copyright Act is 18 years old and technologies have advanced; it is outdated,” said the officer.

We can also seize CDs and music DVDs they are using. The police may also seize equipment like television sets, monitors, speakers and other sound and video equipment, karaoke machines, computers and so on.

OFF THE RECORD WITH A POLICE OFFICER

A POLICE officer involved in the suppression of intellectual property infringements for many years at first agreed to speak on the record and even to have his picture taken, but after few questions he changed his mind and requested anonymity. The officer said that music and other copyright violations are enforced in Thailand by the local police, the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) and by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). “The authorities – mainly police – have increased suppression efforts of copyright infringement since the 1994 Copyright Act came into effect. This law is different from previous laws in that it

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FEATURE MUSIC SHOCKER!

Ofﬁcial MPC Tariffs A few examples of the company’s current charges Category

Tariff

Karaoke 1 to 10 monitors 11 monitors up

B5,000/monitor/year B2,500/monitor/year

Chain restaurant 201 seats up 101-200 seats 61-100 seats 1-60 seats

B35,000/year B25,000/year B15,000/year B10,000/year

Bar/Pub/Lounge/Discothèque 101 seats up 61-100 seats 31-60 seats 1-30 seats

B35,000/year B25,000/year B15,000/year B10,000/year

Hotel/Hospital Minimum charge (Room rate) B7,000 up B6,000 - 6,999 B5,000 - 5,999 B4,000 - 4,999 B3,000 - 3,999 B2,000 - 2,999 B2,000

B6,000/year B550/room/year B500/room/year B400/room/year B300/room/year B250/room/year B150/room/year B100/room/year

Fitness Center/Spa Minimum charge B10,000/year, and B40/square metre/year Office/lobby/swimming pool/Beauty - Hair Salon Minimum charge B5,000/year, and B20/square metre/year

“As for live performances, whether it is an individual or band, they also need permission from the rights owner to perform their music. Theoretically, if they don’t have permission the police can arrest them (upon a request from the injured party) and also seize their instruments and other equipment. However, it is highly unlikely this will happen in Thailand because the authorities don’t like to take an action that might result in a disturbance or even a riot. “Imagine if there are thousands of fans in a concert hall or stadium, if police arrest the performers on the stage in the middle of the song. But according to the law, it is possible. “To collect evidence we can copy the illegally played music at the establishment on a CD or thumb drive and present it to the court. We can also seize CDs and music DVDs they are using. The police may also seize equipment like television sets, monitors, speakers and other sound and video equipment, karaoke machines, computers and so on. I can’t tell you what is done with it afterwards. “However, this is actually up to the discretion of the police officers, because they have other alternatives for collecting evidence as I already mentioned. Sometimes the authorities don’t really want to seize the equipment, which might be difficult to remove from the premises, but the copyright owner might insist that they do so. “The copyright owner or his/her representative who possess the power of attorney must inform the authorities about the alleged infringer and accompany them to the location. They have absolutely no right to enter the premises on their own and detain anyone or confiscate any equipment,” the police officer stressed. A search warrant isn’t needed if it is a public place, he added. Penalties for playing copyrighted music without permission in a public place range from 20,000 up to 200,000 baht. If someone commits a second offence within five years after being discharged, he or she is subject to double the prescribed penalties. “If the offence is committed for commercial purposes the offender is subject to imprisonment of six months up to four years, or a fine from 100,000 up to 800,000 baht, or both.” The policeman said the relatively steep fines and prison terms are meant to discourage and reduce the infringements, but added that he doesn’t think this is the actual case, perhaps because of the right to negotiate. The copyright law also covers pirated CDs and music DVDs sold on the street and elsewhere, but in this case the copyright owners have to be present during the raid. “Music older than 50 years is in the public domain and anyone can play it, anywhere. But do you think that patrons at Patpong and big discotheques like to listen to hits from the 1950s or 1960s? I don’t think so. “The music companies have a trick to get around the 50-year clause. Maybe one or two years before the copyright expires, they will use other artists to record the new version of the same song or music and from that time it will be protected for another 50 years. “It should be noted that under the law you cannot play copyrighted CDs or music DVDs you have bought from a store in public, but only in the privacy of your home,” said the officer. “Concerning extortionists, in most cases they won’t say that they are the authorities, or the copyright owner or their representative. They will say, ‘If you don’t pay me then I will return with the police.’ “Everyone who plays copyrighted music in public should pay royalties as this is the law but very few actually do. Some small shops or vendors selling

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food, for example, couldn’t survive if they had to pay royalties, and maybe half of these don’t know anything about royalties. “The music companies want money, so they won’t get involved with people who are poor and can’t pay. Therefore, the copyright owners go after the big venues which have money.” The policeman said that if the music copyright infringement occurs in the metropolitan Bangkok area or the five adjoining provinces of Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathon, Samut Sakhon and Nonthaburi, then the case go to the Central IP & IT Court. If the offence is committed in other provinces the provincial courts will handle it. He said that under the current Copyright Act the classification of infringements include: Literary works, computer programs, dramatic work, artistic work, painting and drawing, sculpture, lithography, architecture, photographic work, musical, audiovisual and cinematographic work, sound recording, performances, broadcasting work, reproduction, adaptation, publication, communication to the public and publication.

VIEW OF POLICE COLONEL KRISADA KANCHANA-ALONGKORN POLICE Colonel Krisada Kanchana-alongkorn is involved in the suppression of IP infringements at the ECD. He said that local police officers have the jurisdiction to enforce copyright laws but the owners must report violations to the police themselves. The Colonel also confirmed that the Copyright Act covers live performances. He said that police normally seize music DVDs, TV sets and so on, but probably not sound equipment which is fully installed and hard to remove. When asked if there is any type of music that can be played without breaking copyright laws, the Colonel said: “Strictly speaking, there should not be any copyrighted music played for commercial purposes. It really depends on the copyright owners whether they are serious to protect their rights and benefits.”

VIEW OF FORMER MUSIC COMPANY STAFF SPEAKING anonymously, a former employee of a large Thai music company explained what happened when its inspectors turned up at entertainment venues in Bangkok and the provinces. “Most of the karaoke outlets, restaurants and lounges know about the copyright law and that they have to pay royalties, but most of them won’t pay. There are many such places all over Thailand. “Inspectors are sent to investigate those identified as violators. If they can’t produce a royalty payment license, or refuse to pay the royalties – which is usually the case – they get a warning. Inspectors can’t arrest anyone or seize any equipment; only the police can do that. “If it is a small venue, our manager will usually let them play our songs without paying. He doesn’t want to prosecute them if they are poor. However, for a large establishment, he will contact the local police with a request to arrest the offender. “Venues that pay the royalties are given an official CD or DVD (various packages and prices are available), which can’t be obtained anywhere else. They will also receive a certificate to confirm they have paid the royalties. “When one of the inspectors began to report fewer offenders and the amount in royalties went down, the manager got on the case and discovered that the inspector was taking bribes from various places. He was fired immediately. It also turned out that the inspector was working with a policeman. They split the bribes 50 – 50.”

Warning notice issued by Department of Intellectual Property

THE Department of Intellectual Property has received a number of complaints from entertainment venues about groups claiming the right to take legal action against unlicensed usage of international music in popular tourist destinations like Pattaya and Phuket. Working in teams of at least five people, these gangs say they are authorized by the international music copyright owners. If the venue refuses to pay royalty fees, they are taken to the police station where a compromise fee is discussed. The DIP says those targeted should be prepared thus: 1. Ask for evidence of a complaint being filed with the police, and the nature of the charge. 2. Ask for evidence of authorization and check that the Power of Attorney (POA) is time valid and allows them to file charges. 3. Ask for the title of the song and its music label whose copyright is alleged to have been infringed. 4. A police officer must take part in the arrest. 5. Shoot a video of the arrest and those involved. (More information can be found at: www.ipthailand.go. th) International representatives registered with the Central Committee on Price and Service as of March 2012 include: 1. MPC Music Co., Ltd.: 800,000 repertoires 2. RKT Publishing Co., Ltd.: 106 repertoires 3. IP Management Co., Ltd.: 58 repertoires 4. KT Publishing Co., Ltd.: 10 repertoires For further information, contact the Copyright Office on Tel 02 547 4633 and 02 547 4634

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Jokes ENTERTAINMENT HUMOUR

HTS THOUG E OF TH MONTH

HYPNOTIST’S SLIP UP

THE town fathers were looking for a way to increase attendance and participation at their regular meetings. One member suggested bringing in a hypnotist. The officials agreed, a famous hypnotist was hired, publicity distributed, and everyone was pleased. A few weeks later the meeting hall was packed, and the townspeople sat fascinated as the hypnotist withdrew a pocket watch. The hypnotist began chanting, “Watch the watch, watch the watch, watch the watch...” The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth, light gleaming off its polished surface. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed the swaying watch, until suddenly the hypnotist’s fingers slipped and the watch fell to the floor. “Crap!” said the hypnotist. It took three weeks to clean up the town hall.

1. Jam wrapped in sponge? That’s how the Swiss roll. 2. My partner was furious with me the other day. I put a stick in a non-stick pan. 3. I’ve opened a new restaurant called Karma. There’s no menu, we just give you what you deserve. 4. The local football team I play for have told me a top Spanish side wants to sign me. I don’t know if it’s Real or not. 5. I just bumped into the guy who borrowed my Tippex and never gave it back. Unfortunately, he blanked me. – Gary Delaney

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

MONKEY SS BUSINE R sees a visitor

A ZOOKEEPE the throwing 10 dollar notes into you are hat “W . ure los enc y monke . per kee the doing that for?” asks lies rep y,” oka it’s “The sign says says the visitor. “No it doesn’t,” lies rep s,” doe it s “Ye . per kee the the visitor. “It says, ‘Do not feed. $10 fine.”

JOKE OF THE MONTH

A WOMAN went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large beautiful parrot. There was a sign on the cage that said 20 baht. “Why so little,” she asked the pet store owner. The owner looked at her and said: “Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of prostitution, and sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff.” The woman thought about this, but decided she had to have the bird anyway. She took it home and hung the bird’s cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something. The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said: “New house, new madam.” The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought “that’s not so bad.” When her two teenage daughters returned from school the bird saw them and said: “New house, new madam, new girls.” The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh about the situation. Moments later, the woman’s husband, Jim, came home from work. The bird looked at him and said: “Hi Jim.”

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

A WOMAN has a problem with her closet door. Every time a bus passes by, it keeps falling off. So she calls a repairman. The repairman arrives and sees that the door does indeed keep falling off every time a bus passes. “OK, I’m going in,” he says. “Just shut the door behind me.” He steps into the closet, at which time the woman’s husband comes home from work, opens the closet and finds the repairman. “What the hell are you doing here?” asks the husband. “Well, you’re not going to believe it,” replies the repairman, “but I’m waiting for a bus!”

Send your jokes to thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

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Y O U R U L T I M A T E W H A T ’ S O N G U I D E F O R S E P T E M B E R 1 2

What’s on pArt pPerformance pSport pFootball pMovies & Albums pBooks

England’s piano-rock outfit Keane are coming to town on Oct 4. Page 89

High Flyer

Noel Gallagher’s High Flighing Birds to perform on Sept 20 Page 88

Maroon 5

The American funk-rockpop band is returning to Thailand this month Page 89

Blues Legend Catch award-winning guitarist Joe Bonomassa playing live in Bangkok Page 88

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WHAT’S ON THE ARTS

Exhibitions

SEPT 8 – OCT 5 LA LANTA FINE ART

PORTRAIT OF MYANMAR

BURMESE artists U Tin Win and Khin Zaw Latt present a series of portraits featuring Burmese locals from all walks of life. U Tin Win’s paintings depict tribal people whose livelihood and cultural values remain largely intact despite the country’s rapid influx of external influences. Khin Zaw Latt, meanwhile, presents his views of Burmese people through a series of urbanized individuals. Their expressions convey glimpses of hardships and frustrations with undertones of hope and aspiration. 245/14 Sukhumvit Soi 31. Open Tues-Sat10am-7pm. 02 204 0583  lalanta.com

☎

OCT 16 – NOV 25 ARDEL GALLERY UNTIL SEPT 30 ARDEL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

BURNING SUNLIGHT

SEPT 20 – OCT 20 NUMBER 1 GALLERY

TEMPTING PASSION, VANISHING EMOTION

OBESESSIONS, temptations and dreamlike states are just three of the concepts explored in this quirky new series of paintings by Thanasatith Kongsatith. Characters borne from the artist’s imagination show how various life experiences have left their mark on his mind, which is laid bare here through his art. 919/1 The Silom Galleria, Silom Road, Soi 19. 02 630 3381 email: info@number1gallery.com  numberonegallery.com

☎

BURNING Sunlight by Anurak Thangsomboon presents mixed media sculptures exploring both natural and manmade forms. Through his works, Anurak also reflects on his own life lessons and contemplates the importance of sharing emotions. Boromratchonnee Road. Open Tues – Sun 10.30am-7.30pm (closed Mon). 02 422 2092  ardelgallery.com

☎

WAY OF LIFE: NATURE/ CULTURE

THERE’S plenty to feast your eyes on at this exhibition featuring painting, sculptures, prints and mixed media by four different artists. Srijai Kuntawang’s series brings Lanna lifestyle and culture to life; Opas Chomchuen’s paintings explore how life is shaped by nature; Somsak Phromchak’s sculptures deal with childhood memories and experiences; and Ammarin Kuntawong’s series of prints present northern Thailand in all its glory. Boromratchonnee Road. Open Tues – Sun 10.30am-7.30pm (closed Mon). 02 422 2092  ardelgallery.com

☎

UNTIL SEPT 30 THE ROTUNDA AND GARDEN GALLERY

DIARY OF A TIME TRAVELLER – A FRENCH ODYSSEY

A LOVER of history, art and antique curiosities, Thailandbased Singaporean artist Ellen Chia combines these three loves to create a French-themed time travel diary account – through the eyes of an owl historian apprentice – on canvas. She employs a variety of mediums such as acrylic paint, vintage found objects and paper ephemera to transport her viewers to 19th century France, lending much fun and quirkiness to her works of art. Neilson Hays Library, 195 Surawong Road, Open: Mon - Sun 9.30am-6pm 02 233 1731  neilsonhayslibrary.com

☎

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dimos

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WHAT’S ON PERFORMANCE

10 hot choices SEPT 20 BITEC, BANGNA

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS 1 SEPT 10 – OCT 14 THAILAND CULTURAL CENTER

14TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DANCE AND MUSIC

NOW in its 14th year, this superb annual festival brings together dance troupes and musicians from all around the world for a series of performances at the Thailand Cultural Center. The varied programme includes operas, ballets, modern dance, jazz, symphony orchestras and popular music. Highlights this month include the breathtaking stage show by the 60-strong Virsky National Dance Company, Ukraine (Sept 10 and 11); hot street-dance routines by Blaze from the Netherlands (Sept 14 and 15); a performance of the Ramayana by India’s Orissa Dance Company (Sept 17); contemporary dance shows by Quasar Dance Company, Brazil (Sept 19), Baltic Dance Theatre, Poland (Sept 21), and Spellbound Dance Company, Italy (Sept 23); a performance of Carmen by Carmen Opera, Russia (Sept 27); a concert by Chelyabinsk State Symphony Orchestra, Russia (Sept 28); and a performance by Madame Butterfly Opera, Russia (Sept 29).  bangkokfestivals.com

FORMER Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher is bringing his critically acclaimed solo project to Bangkok for a one-night only performance at BITEC. Singles from the band’s eponymous debut include “The Death of You and Me”, “If I Had a Gun...,” “”Dream On”” and “Everybody’s on the Run.” At the concert, he may even play a couple of Oasis tunes too. Read our interview with Noel on page 30. Tickets range B1,000 – B3,000  Thaiticketmajor.com. Show starts 7pm

3 4

SEPT 22 SIAM PAVALAI THEATRE

JOE BONAMASSA

TAKE note, blues fans. Award-winning blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa is coming to town with his touring band for a one-off gig here in support of his brand new solo album “Driving Towards The Daylight,” which debuted at number one on the (US) Billboard Blues Chart. You can download the album’s title song for free at www.jbonamassa.com/bangkok Tickets range B2,000 – B4,000  Thaiticketmajor.com

SEPT 17 BED SUPPERCLUB

BOOKA SHADE

GERMAN House duo Booka Shade is bringing its high energy live show to Bangkok for the second year running at Bed Supperclub. Expect nothing less than one huge party brimming with atmospheric electro beats. Entry is B1,000 (includes two drinks)

7 OCT 5 REMBRANDT HOTEL BANGKOK, SUKHUMVIT SOI 18

A NIGHT OF SCOTTISH COMEDY

HELP raise money for The Gift of Happiness Foundation and have a great laugh at the same time at this special comedy night arranged by the Bangkok Scottish Business Group. Taking to the stage to serve up a belly full of laughs are top Scottish comedians Raymond Mearns and Gary Little. Tickets for the event also include pre-show appetizers and an extensive four-course dinner buffet (including some Scottish faves) at the break. Plenty of beer and wine will be available at reasonable prices, soft drinks are free, and there’s no corkage charge.

Tickets: B2,750 per person; B25,000 per table of 10. For bookings, email: andrew.sloan@wctcoltd.com.Doors open 6.30pm. Show starts 7.15pm. For more info:  facebook.com/ScottishComedyNightBangkok

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OCT 4 STUDIO MOONSTAR, STUDIO 8

KEANE

ENGLAND’S piano-rock outfit Keane certainly knows how to pen a catchy tune. The band’s fi fth studio album, “Strangeland,” was released in May this year and it immediately shot straight to the top of the charts – just like its predecessors. Expect to hear singles from this album as well as the band’s back-catalogue such as “Everybody’s Changing,” “Somewhere Only We Know,” and “Spiraling.” See our interview with the band’s frontman, Tom Chaplin, on page 32. Tickets: B1,800  we-booking.com

☎ 02 900 9999 ext. 4 10 OCT 18 – 21

IMPACT EXHIBITION HALL 2

DISNEY LIVE: MICKEY’S ROCKIN’ ROAD SHOW MICKEY, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and many other famous Disney characters take to the stage for a live musical adventure that the kids are sure to love. Performances in English will be held on Oct 19 and 20.

Tickets range B900 to B2,000  Thaiticketmajor.com

30 SEPT THE BRITISH CLUB, SILOM SOI 18

SCATTER HER ENEMIES

THE Bangkok Music Society, in cooperation with Payoonnoi Entertainment, presents a programme of songs and dance music from 17th century Britain, celebrating 100 years of Britain’s transition from a nation at war to a nation concerned with trade and prosperity. The concert features Eugene Eustaquio (tenor), Allyson Briner and Dorothea Hill (altos), Kamol Buranakul (violin), David Wilson (viola da gamba) and guests. Tickets: B200, (B100 for BMS Members and Students). Show starts 7.30pm. 084 9168 118 (Prince)

☎

OCT 13 THE BRITISH CLUB

THE COUNTRY WIFE 8 OCT 8 IMPACT ARENA, MUANG THONG THANI

MAROON 5

THE American funk-rock-pop band is returning to Thailand for the third time, this time in support of its latest album, “Overexposed.’ With bags of charisma and plenty of dance-floor-friendly tunes behind them (think “This Love” and “Moves Like Jagger”), they’ve proved a big draw for Thai fans and at time of writing the concert organizers had already sold 10,000 tickets. Tickets range B1,000 to B4,500  Thaiticketmajor.com

HOT on the heels of its successful ‘funny nunny’ musical “Nunsense,’ the Bangkok Community Theatre returns with a performance of William Wycherley’s hilariously bawdy classic Restoration comedy, “The Country Wife.” While it was written over 350 years ago, the play’s themes of sexual freedom, gossip, double standards and hypocrisy are as relevant today as they were in the 17th Century. Expect lots of laughs and a fun night out. A pre-show buffet will be available featuring traditional British dishes.

☎

Tickets: B800. 081 937 3600 email: bctcountry@gmail.com  bct-th.org

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WHAT’S ON sport

Thai Premier League

Soccer pundit Paul Hewitt examines what’s happening in the world of Thai football

Big ground, no fans: How it’s all gone wrong for BBCU

HOMELESS Big Bang Chula United (BBCU) touched a new low at the end of August when just 295 people turned up to watch their home match against TTM Chiang Mai. BBCU’s paltry crowds seem even sparser than they might elsewhere as the team originally from Chulalongkorn University plays its home games at the 50,000 capacity Rajamangala Stadium. Mathematicians among you will note that that ‘crowd’ of 295 (“crowd” doesn’t really seem the right term – maybe “informal gathering of 295”) represented a stadium 0.59% full, or, more appropriately, 99.41% empty. Their average home attendance at the time of writing is 990, but even that figure is slightly misleading as only three of their 10 home games have been watched by a crowd higher than that figure; the visits of the well-supported Chonburi and Bangkok Glass distorts the figure. Take them out and the average is nearer 500. So why do the Pink Panthers (yes, really!) have so few fans and what’s to be done about it? The club has always been a small one, but they could usually count on around 1,000 turning up when they were known as Chulalongkorn University FC and then Chula United and played home games at the Chulalongkorn Stadium. They also had a partisan, noisy and reasonably numerous away support. The problems started a couple of years ago when there was a falling out between the football club and the university. The differences culminated in Chula United, as the club was then known, being evicted and then relocating to the Army Stadium in Din Daeng. Fans were lost owing to the

Photo courtesy of Thaileaguefootball.com

move and by the bizarre, but apparently lucrative, rebranding of the club to Big Bang Chula United Football Club. Resplendent in a luminous pink kit, the team is followed around the country by a dozen or so “pretties” – part of a sponsorship deal with a modelling agency. Furthermore, the arrival of Chamchuri United in the Regional League Bangkok Division has also had an effect on crowds as Chamchuri is now seen as the league representative of the university. The club plays its home games at Chulalongkorn University, and it’s the natural team to support for any disenfranchised former fans of Chula United/BBCU and for the Chula students. Despite BBCU’s ‘uniqueness,’ they have met with success since the split from the university. Automatic promotion was achieved from Division 1 last year under the excellent coaching of Kiatisuk ‘Zico’ Senamuang. But promotion brought an immediate headache as the club had to vacate its Army Stadium ‘home’ as TPL regulations prohibit two teams in the same division from ground-sharing – Army United, of course, being the tenants of the Army Stadium. So the club had the less than straightforward task of finding a stadium in Bangkok that wasn’t used by any other TPL side and one that met all TPL stadium regulations. The only two contenders in Bangkok-proper were the two national stadiums Suphachalasai and Rajamangala. Sensibly, Suphachalasai with its smaller capacity, central location and excellent transport links was the club’s first choice. But the stadium’s operators, the Department

of Physical Education, refused the club use of the stadium on the grounds that it already hosts so many events throughout the year, there just isn’t room in the schedule for thirty-four league matches plus extra cup matches. Ironically, one of those events is the traditional Chulalongkorn v Thammasat student match. That rebuff left the cavernous concrete environs of the Rajamangala as the club’s only choice, and the paucity of support which followed the men in pink to Hua Mak was no less surprising than the team’s toils on the pitch in 2012. Zico was fired halfway through the season with the club in relegation danger – a danger which has in no way eased since then. At the time of writing the team is third from bottom with little sign of an upturn in form. They’ve only won twice at the Rajamangala this season, and one of those two victories was way back on the opening day, and they have the second-worst goal difference in the league. Financially, the club’s situation seems unsustainable. Gate receipts of around 50,000 baht per match don’t cover one player’s wages for one month. All other funds have to come from sponsors, TV money and private benefactors. Relegation would make the club even less attractive, but at least they would be able to escape their Rajamangala prison. But a return to Chulalongkorn seems totally out of the question for a club which has now completely lost its identity. Though many dislike ‘franchise football,’ a complete name change and a move away from Bangkok may be the club’s only path to long-term survival.

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f o a i d a t S k o k g n a B

part

The Suphachalasai Stadium

THE Suphachalasai is the only stadium in the capital which can carry the title historic; the only stadium with stories to share. Whilst all around the city reaches for the sky, Suphachalasai remains unmoved. The North Stand façade – the oldest part of the ground – is exquisite. Mullioned windows, wooden shutters, heavy wooden gates, subtle columns – its values, both architectural and sporting, are clear. It sits well back from the road, well away from the hyperbolic narcissism of its ostentatious newer neighbours. Everything about this stadium is everything 21st century Bangkok is not: austere, tasteful, understated, traditional, restrained, venerable, spacious and classless. It’s fair to say I quite like the Suphachalasai. Within the stadium all is plain and

neat. The main stand, a single-tiered affair with a flat cantilever roof, originally only extended as far as the 18 yard line at each end but was extended to meet the North and South ends in the mid-sixties. In 2007, new red seats – metal, unusually – were fitted throughout the main stand. The other three sides of the ground are identical to each other in height and depth. The northern end of the ground, to the left of the main stand, is topped by a rather dated electronic scoreboard. This end continues round to the popular eastern side which in turn extends round to the rarely used southern end – which carries a much newer scoreboard. All three sides are uncovered and are fitted with red bench seats which went in at the same

time as the main stand seats. The gaps between each bench seat, the profusion of stairways which separate each block and the large seat-less areas around each vomitory have reduced the capacity from 35,000 to nearer 20,000. The stadium is rectangular in shape but with curved corners. This enables one to be far closer to the action than at the Rajamangala. At each side, the edge of the athletics track almost touches the front of each stand but is separated from doing so by a very well-maintained hedge which continues round to each end.  Though the Suphachalasai lacks the drama of the Rajamangala, its good sight lines, accessibility and history have ensured its continued use despite its current status as “Thailand’s other national stadium.”

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WHAT’S ON OUTDOOR FUN

Sport

SEPT 22 – 30 IMPACT ARENA, MUANG THONG THANI

THAILAND OPEN 2012

THIS popular annual tournament returns this month with more of the top names in tennis. Leading the field, competing for $608,500 in prize money, are world number eight Janko Tipsarevic; 2009 champion Gilles Simon; crowd favourites Fernando Verdasco, Gael Monfils, and Richard Gasquet; and the two hottest young stars in the game: Australia’s Bernard Tomic and Canada’s Milos Raonic (pictured). Tickets: Start at B300  Thaiticketmajor.com

SEPT 16 KANCHANABURI

SEPT 12 – 15 PATONG BEACH, PHUKET

QUIKSILVER OPEN PHUKET THAILAND

OVER 300 surfers from all around the world are expected to take part in this year’s Quiksilver Open Phuket Thailand competition, which is now the final stop on the 2012 Asian Surfing Championship circuit. Alongside all the action on the waves, the event will also feature surfing clinics, BMX and skate shows, fashion shows, and nightly beach parties. For more info:  surf.quiksilver.com

SEPT 23 KOH SAMUI

PRINCESS’ CUP SAMUI ISLAND MARATHON

WITH a prize pool of over 3 million baht spread across all race categories, the third edition of the Princess Cup marathon is expected to attract around 3,000 racers to the island. The marathon will start and finish at Nathon Pier. Other race categories include Half marathon, Quarter marathon, Student run, and Fun run. For more info:  goadventureasia.com

SAT SEPT 15

Arsenal v Southampton Aston Villa v Swansea City Everton v Newcastle United Fulham v West Bromwich Albion Manchester United v Wigan Athletic Norwich City v West Ham United Queens Park Rangers v Chelsea Reading v Tottenham Hotspur Stoke City v Manchester City Sunderland v Liverpool

RIVER KWAI INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON

THE 31st edition of Thailand’s oldest road race will once again see around 1,500 international racers turning up to tackle the scenic course which begins and ends in front of the River Kwai Village Hotel. Don’t have the stamina for a half marathon? You can always opt for the 10km course which runs alongside the main event. For more info:  goadventureasia.com

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

SAT SEPT 22

SEPT 15 BOPHUT BEACH, KOH SAMUI

THE IBIS KOH SAMUI TROPHY

PART of the Amazing Thailand Adventure Race Series, the fourth edition of The ibis Koh Samui Trophy is set to attract 100 teams from around the world. Divided between running, cycling, kayaking and swimming, the race will see competitors hike and run through unspoiled jungle, paddle and swim on the turquoise waters of the gulf of Thailand and cycle over hills with spectacular views on the ocean. Two divisions are on offer: Adventure (short course) and Extreme (long course), so there’s something to suit competitors of all levels of fitness. The event will be capped with a gala dinner.  ama-events.com

Chelsea v Stoke City Liverpool v Manchester United Manchester City v Arsenal Newcastle United v Norwich City Southampton v Aston Villa Swansea City v Everton Tottenham Hotspur v Queens Park Rangers West Bromwich Albion v Reading West Ham United v Sunderland Wigan Athletic v Fulham

SAT SEPT 29

Arsenal v Chelsea Aston Villa v West Bromwich Albion Everton v Southampton Fulham v Manchester City Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur Norwich City v Liverpool Queens Park Rangers v West Ham United Reading v Newcastle United Stoke City v Swansea City Sunderland v Wigan Athletic

SAT OCT 6

Chelsea v Norwich City Liverpool v Stoke City Manchester City v Sunderland Newcastle United v Manchester United Southampton v Fulham Swansea City v Reading Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers West Ham United v Arsenal Wigan Athletic v Everton

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WHAT’S ON SCREEN AND STEREO

Movies & music SEPT 6 DRAMA

ON THE ROAD

JACK Kerouac’s seminal pseudoautobiography finally heads to the big screen thanks to director Walter Salles Jr. (The Motorcycle Diaries) and producer Francis Ford Coppola. The tale is semi-based on the author’s trips across America. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, and Kirsten Dunst.

SEPT 27 CRIME DRAMA

END OF WATCH

JAKE Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as young Los Angeles police officers Taylor and Zavala as they patrol the city’s meanest streets of south central Los Angeles. Giving the story a gripping, first-person immediacy, the action unfolds through footage from the handheld HD cameras of the police officers, gang members, surveillance cameras, and citizens caught in the line of fire.

SEPT 20 SCI-FI

DREDD

SEPT 13 SCI-FI HORROR

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION

THE Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. Continuing her hunt for those responsible, Alice (Milla Jovovich) embarks on a global chase which culminates in a mind-blowing revelation that forces her to question everything she once thought to be true.

MEANER, darker and gorier than Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 outing as Judge Dredd, this reboot does for the franchise what Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy did for the Batman series – make it more appealing for grownups. Karl Urban stars as the much feared, mask-wearing instant executioner, who is out to rid the city of a dangerous drug epidemic.

Movie screenings are subject to change. Keep up to date at movieseer.com

MEMORY LANE

NEW MUSIC COMING OF AGE THE VACCINES

THE English indie rockers promise to follow up their well received 2011 debut, ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?,’ with a more intimate record bursting with character. Includes the singles ‘No Hope’ and ‘Teenage Icon.’ (Release date: Sept 3)

BATTLE BORN THE KILLERS

FOUR years on from the release of their experimental ‘Day & Age,’ The Killers are back on the scene with an album that looks set to recapture the sound and magic of the band’s 2003 debut, ‘Hot Fuss.’ Includes the single, ‘Runaways.’ (Release date: Sept 17)

THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE P!NK

AMERICAN pop-punk princess P!nk takes on the concept of love in all its forms on her sixth album. Expect a gamut of emotions ranging from fear and joy to anger and passion, all tackled in her trademark style. Includes the single, ‘Blow Me Out.’ (Release date: Sept 17)

TOPPING THE UK CHARTS SEPT 1982

1. Musical Youth – Pass The Dutchie 2. Culture Club – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me 3. Dire Straits – Private Investigations 4. Jam – The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow) 5. Fat Larrys Band – Zoom 6. Shalamar – There It Is 7. ABC – All Of My Heart 8. Mari Wilson – Just What I Always Wanted 9. Pinkees – Danger Games 10. Adam Ant – Friend Or Foe TheBigChilli 93

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WHAT’S ON BARGAINS GALORE

Tradeshows Sept 1 – 9 IMPACT

Bangkok Wedding Fair

range of products from Guangdong Province, China. Among the offerings are furniture, household items, lamps and lighting, consumer electronics, automobiles, and toys. www.guangdongshow.com

WEDDING planners, caterers, photographers and all related businesses/services showcase their wares and offer special Sept 15 – 23 promotions. Open each day QSNCC 11am-9pm. www.worldfair.co.th

Sept 1 – 9 IMPACT

Fashion and Jewelry Fair

Thailand Furniture Grand Sale

YOU’LL find tons of furniture and home décor items on sale at unbeatable prices here. CLOTHES, accessories, and jewelry from many international Open each day 11am-9pm. brands go on sale at this popular www.bangkokfurnitureshow.com fair. Open each day 11am-9pm. Sept 19 – 22 www.worldfair.co.th

Sept 1 – 9 IMPACT

Bangkok Furniture Fair

FIND all the gear you need to deck out your condo or home at this big sale featuring furniture to suit all tastes. Open each day 11am-9pm. www.worldfair.co.th

Sept 13 – 17 IMPACT

BITEC

Thailand International Logistics Fair

THIS comprehensive fair features logistics products and services from Thailand and beyond. www.logisticsfair.com

Sept 19 – 23 IMPACT

TFIC Furniture Outlet

ENJOY big discounts on a wide range of furniture designed by Thai entrepreneurs. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. BRINGING together more than www.thaifurnitureclub.or.th 1,000 companies from around Oct 4 – 7 the world, this event features QSNCC contemporary, traditional, and urban jewelry, as well as precious Mobile and semi-precious stones. Showcase Entry is B100. MOBILE phones and accessories www.bangkokgemsfair.com from many of the world’s top brands go on sale here. Meet Sept 14 – 16 the leading mobile operators IMPACT and distributors and take Guangdong advantage of lots of special Products Show promotions at the Brands Zone, and try out tons of apps HEAD here to find a wide

Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair

and programs at the Software Zone. Catch up with the latest peripherals such as earphones, speakers, phone cases and etc at the Hardware Zone. Open each day 10am-8pm. www.thailandmobileexpo.com

Well you’ll find plenty to please you at the Luxury Festival, which features watches, jewelry, wine, yachts, speedboats and much more. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

Oct 6 – 14 IMPACT

Furniture Festival

LOOKING to deck out your home or condo? You’ll find furniture of all descriptions, and for every budget, at this large scale fair. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

Oct 6 – 14 IMPACT

Beauty, Spa, Health and Sport Festival

HEALTH buffs and fitness fanatics can take advantage of deals on all kinds of sporty and health boosting products here. Spa packages and beauty deals will also be on offer. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

Television and Electronic Oct 16 – 21 BITEC Festival Bangkok TELEVISIONS and electrical goods from some of the world’s International leading brands will be on sale Gift Fair and here. Generous discounts International and deals are sure to pack in Houseware fair the crowds. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

Oct 6 – 14 IMPACT

Wedding Festival

FIND everything you need to plan the perfect wedding, with a large number of companies offering clothing and decorations, photo and catering packages, and much more. Open each day 10.30am-9pm. www.unionpan.com

Oct 6 – 14 IMPACT

Luxury Festival

A SHOPAHOLIC’S dream come true, this big fair offers everything from gifts, toys, and decorative items, to home textiles, flowers, and small electrical appliances. www.bigandbih.com

The details: • Impact Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani, 99 Popular Road, Banmai Subdistrict, Pakkred District, Nonthaburi. Tel: 02 833 4455 www. impact.co.th • BITEC, 88 Bangna-Trad Road (Km.1), Bangna, Bangkok. Tel: 02 749 3939 www.bitec.co.th • Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, 60 New Rachadapisek Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok. Tel: 02 229 3000 www.qsncc.co.th

ENJOY the finer things in life?

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Social  Last month’s best events in pictures

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SOCIAL LAST MONTHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST EVENTS

SOCCER SENSATION

The annual Alex Forbes Memorial Trophy was played at the pitches of Bangkok Patana School, where the England team reversed a recent decline to emerge easy 4-0 winners.

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BREATHE AND STOP ASIA TOUR Hip hop fans were out in force for the Bangkok edition of adidas all originals’ “Breathe and Stop” South East Asia Tour. Held at LED nightclub, RCA, the event saw legendary US DJs Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest/Lucy Pearl), Shortkut (ISP/Beat Junkies/Triple Threat), and Maseo (De La Soul) join top Thai artists and dance crews to put on a thrilling show.

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SOCIAL LAST MONTH’S BEST EVENTS

MOVERS AND SHAKERS AT CONRAD BANGKOK

Executives and socialites from Bangkok and beyond ﬂocked to Conrad Bangkok’s Club 87 Plus for the July edition of the popular Movers & Shakers charity networking night. Mixing business with pleasure, the events are great fun, and a source of great contacts. The event was sponsored by the Tulip Group. For the date and location of the September event see: www.moversshakerscharity. com

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SOCIAL LAST MONTHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST EVENTS

SIPS AND NIBBLES AT AMBAR

amBar Bangkok launched its new Sips & Nibbles promotion with a fun party offering, you guessed it, sips and nibbles. A crowd made up of journalists, artists and socialites enjoyed chomping on tasty Tapas and drinking cocktails (two-for-one, under this promotion!) until late. Sips and Nibbles will be held daily, 8pm-11pm, until December.

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SOCIAL LAST MONTH’S BEST EVENTS

25 DEGREES OF CELEBRITY FUN

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G celebrated the grand opening of its 25 Degrees Burgers, Wine and Liquor Bar with a ‘Celebrity Night Party’ attended by Bangkok celebrities such as Chanintida Jantrubaksa, Nattapol Chulangkul, Avasada Pokmontri, Nuchanat Raveesangsoon, Thitipong Lorprasert, and Onchuma Durongdate.

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AD Bourbon St_May12.pdf 1

5/2/12 6:46:56 PM

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SOCIAL LAST MONTH’S BEST EVENTS

PARTY HOUSE ONE RETURNS IN STYLE Siam@Siam Design Hotel & Spa unveiled its face-lifted and improved Party House One Restaurant and Bar with a huge party featuring free-ﬂowing drinks, lots of tasty food, and a live band belting out dance-inducing renditions of international pop and rock hits.

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SOCIAL LAST MONTH’S BEST EVENTS

BACCHUS’ BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT There was double the fun at Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant when owner Khun Tan threw a big party to mark not just two years of owning the property, but also her birthday. Live music, an open bar, and sparkling atmosphere ensured everyone had a great time.

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Every Monday Buy 1 Get 1 Free TOP PLACE IN TOWN

Christie’s Club Happy Hours 5pm. to 9pm. Beer B90/drink

Good time Great atmosphere Stylish venue

Catwalk Model Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 1/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33 Tel. 02-258-5730, 02-258-5728 www.christies-club.com

é ÅÑº ÊØ¢ÁØ ÇÔ· 33 FOR TAXI : ¤ÃÔÊµÕ¤ AD Christie_May12.pdf 1

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SOCIAL LAST MONTH’S BEST EVENTS

ROTARIANS CELEBRATE Rotary Club of Bangkok South recently celebrated the 51st Anniversary of receiving its Charter from Rotary International with their annual Club Birthday lunch at the Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park.

GERMAN GATHERING AT RAMADA German executives were out in force when the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce (GTCC), led by Chamber President, Karl-Heinz Heckhausen, held a networking party at Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside’s Neo Lounge.

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SPORTING DAY OUT FOR NOVOTEL

Novotel Bangna Bangkok’s new GM, Mr. Prasert Boonchu, put plenty of fun into work when he organized a sports day and ‘Temple Fair’ night party for the hotel’s staff and associates.

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TWO POPETORN IN CONCERT

A large crowd of music lovers made their way to Long Table for a mini concert by Thai singer Two Popetorn. Hosted by Grey Goose Vodka, the event also featured Thai celebs Janesuda Parnto and Natthaset Poonsapmanee as special guest bartenders.

MAXVALU CELEBRATES CP DEAL MaxValu marked its deal with CP to exclusively stock the company’s new Kurobuta Pork products with a special ceremony at the MaxValu branch at Gateway Shopping Mall, Ekamai. The products were introduced by Thai TV star Songkran Taechanarong and his wife, Taksaorn.

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Diplomats p Meet the people uniting nations

His Excellency Anil Wadhwa talks about Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s links with Thailand. Page 116

Timor-Leste

The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ambassador shares his amazing story Page 116 TheBigChilli 111

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DIPLOMAT TIMOR-LESTE

From freedom fighter and political prisoner to ambassador By Maxmilian Wechsler

H.E. João Fretas de Câmara, Ambassador of Timor-Leste, tells his amazing story

PICTURE a freedom fighter living in harsh conditions in the mountainous jungles of Southeast Asia. He’s arrested three times by the Indonesian military and on one occasion imprisoned at Jakarta’s Cipinang top security prison, serving a term of more than seven years after being charged with subversion. Later, this same man is appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in its capital city of Dili. From there, he takes up the position of ambassador of his new country to the Kingdom of Thailand. These are not the highlights of a script for a new Hollywood movie, but major milestones in the life of His Excellency João Fretas de Câmara. Mr. Câmara chose a life of sacrifice and personal risk in the resistance movement that finally saw Timor-Leste gain its independence on August 8, 2002. Now he is in the midst of another struggle to bring prosperity to his people and secure his country its proper place in the world community. His chief focus as ambassador is to see Timor-Leste admitted to ASEAN as its 11th member.      “Our country has been progressing rapidly in all directions. Following the presidential election held in March and April, we have a new president. On July 7 we held parliamentary election with a new government appointed and sworn in on August 8, 2012,” said Mr. Câmara.  Asked about the activities of the government during the past five years, he said the major achievement has been in terms of oil management exploration. He is proud of the fact that the government of Timor-Leste is rated very highly in the Revenue Watch Index, which measures government disclosure practices in the extractive sector. “Our government is probably the most transparent in the region,” he said. This interview with the ambassador was the second occasion he’s talked with The BigChilli, the first being shortly after he took up his post in June 2008. At that time there were only a few chairs at the embassy, and Mr. Câmara got around the city mostly by taxi. Now the mission is fully furnished and equipped. His official car is not a Mercedes-Benz or BMW as most ambassadors use, but a Toyota Camry the embassy bought in October 2008 and which does the job with no complaints from the ambassador.

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Ambasssador in the making João Fretas de Câmara was born in June 1955 in Lepo village, in what was then called Timor Portuguese. He finished primary school in 1968 and senior high school in 1974. Soon after, his world and his life would turn upside down, as he describes in his own words below. “After the invasion of my country that actually commenced in August 1975 by Indonesian troops coming by land, with paratroopers landing in Dili on December 7, I joined the resistance struggle and went to the jungle the next day. There I spent almost four years as a political officer (not a soldier) with the newly formed Armed Forces for the National Liberation of Timor-Leste (FALINTIL).”   “I was captured by Indonesian soldiers in August 1979 and taken back home. I was lucky not to be jailed. At that time the Indonesian military tried to approach people fighting them in the jungles and bring them back to their villages instead of jailing them. “I managed to get a scholarship from the local Indonesian government in Dili to study in Jakarta, but because I continued to engage in underground activities for independence, I was arrested in September 1986 and sent to a Military Detention Cell and submitted to intensive interrogations. As they didn’t have any evidence against me, I was released after 25 days. “Following mass killings in Dili by the Indonesian security forces on November 12, 1991, I led a peaceful demonstration of Timorese students against the government which led to my arrest by the military intelligence in Jakarta on November 19, 1991. “At that time I was a member of a clandestine underground political youth organization called OJECTIL (Timor-Leste Catholic Youth Organization). Our aim was to continue in the political resistance against the Indonesian government and to achieve independence for Timor-Leste. “I was accused of subversion and sentenced to 10 years in Cipinang prison. Because the political situation was evolving fast, I was released on February 21, 1999, after serving seven years and three months of the sentence. “When the former president and the current prime minister of Timor-Leste, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, was captured in Dili in November 1992 and sent to Jakarta, we stayed in the same prison. We met there many times but lived in different cells. He was released 11 days before me.

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DIPLOMAT TIMOR-LESTE “I was fortunate to be arrested in Jakarta because I wasn’t tortured as were those jailed in Timor-Leste. At the beginning the Indonesians treated us badly, but as soon as the International Red Cross and other organizations began making regualar visits, we were handled much more humanely. This was not the case for prisoners in East Timor, who were mistreated because no foreigners could access them.” After his release in May 1999, Mr. Câmara started working at the office of the Portuguese Embassy in Jakarta. At that time, Portugal was the administering power for Timor-Leste and there were negotiations between Portugal and Indonesia under the United Nations (UN) mediation to find a solution for the country’s future. Mr. Câmara stayed in Jakarta until July 2001, when he was called back to Timor-Leste to work from March 2002 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Initially he served as director of legal affairs and in 2005 became director of regional and multilateral affairs. He was secretary general of the MFA from September 2006 to May 2008. Shortly afterward he was nominated to be ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, and arrived here a month later.  “I came here to set up the embassy on June 4, 2008,” recalled Mr. Câmara. “It wasn’t my first visit to Thailand. I was here for the first time in 2003 for a human rights conference. The second time was in January 2008 for a UN meeting.

Thai, Cambodian and Laos PDR foreign and other ministries. As for the multilateral, I have to look at invitations coming from ESCAP and other international organizations. Besides that I have to attend official events from all embassies and other national and international organizations.” Mr. Câmara said the length of his stay in Thailand is not strictly stipulated as the MFA Statute of Diplomatic Carrier is still in the process of ratification by the Timor-Leste Parliament, but he expects it will follow the international norm of three to four years. He responded to a list of questions supplied beforehand by The BigChilli, in no particular order.   “I can speak Portuguese, English, Indonesia, Tetum – this is our unified national language. We actually have 33 dialects. I speak some but not all. Portuguese is the official language with Indonesian and English as working languages. “As for my hobbies, often after I wake up I go running. I also like swimming and many types of physical exercise. Sometimes I go out during the weekend with my family.   “I like many things about Thailand, particularly the people, the food and the many places for touring and sightseeing. The locations and the views are just fantastic. So far, I don’t have any disappointments here. “I travel up-country quite often both for official and private visits. Among other places, I have visited Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Lopburi and Singburi. The last two were official visits to see projects. I also went with a group of ambassadors and Thai officials to the border with Myanmar to inaugurate a school in February 2010. “I travel normally three to four times a year to Cambodia and to Laos PDR, according to my annual schedule, but sometimes I get an unexpected invitation. Luckily both countries are not far from Thailand, only about an hour’s flight,” Mr. Câmara said. Asked what he considers his biggest achievement as ambassador, he paused and said it was a work still in progress. “My biggest achievement would be to convince everyone to accept TimorLeste into ASEAN.   “What I have already achieved and am very proud of is bringing 106 students here with scholarships supported by the Timor-Leste government. I selected ten universities for them, including Assumption, Bangkok, Chulalongkorn, Mahidol, Kasetsart and Thamasat Thai Chamber of Commerce University.” He added that one of his primary duties is to protect citizens of Timor-Leste in Thailand. “Now we have 106 students here, and protecting them is my duty.” Mr. Câmara said his other main duties are “to represent my country and do my best to be present in every official activity, including negotiations for the mutual benefit of Thailand and Timor-Leste, and reporting to my country on the evolution of the situation in Thailand.”

I was fortunate to be arrested in Jakarta because I wasn’t tortured as were those jailed in Timor-Leste. At the beginning the Indonesians treated us badly, but as soon as the International Red Cross and other organizations began making regualar visits, we were handled much more humanely. This was not the case for prisoners in East Timor, who were mistreated because no foreigners could access them. Family, duty and life in Thailand “The embassy has two diplomats, including myself and four Thai nationals,” said Mr. Câmara, adding quickly that this “doesn’t include my wife, Ivia Lay de Câmara. She is very happy in Thailand and she helps me a lot, especially when I am on duty abroad. I am also ambassador to Cambodia and to Laos PDR. She represents me at official receptions and at other functions as well. “We have one daughter and two sons. My wife is very active in various women’s organizations and also studies at Assumption University. I graduated from there with a Master of Management Organization Development degree in January 2011,” said the ambassador.  “I am very busy every day. I receive invitations concerning both bilateral and multilateral affairs. The former are from the

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Bilateral relations

“This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of bilateral relations and His Majesty the King of Thailand extended his cordial

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congratulations and best wishes to the president and people of Timor-Leste. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also sent a congratulatory message to the president of Timor-Leste. “Jullapong Nonsrichai, deputy minister for foreign affairs, was designated by the Thai prime minister to represent Thailand at our 10th anniversary celebration of independence, which took place on May 20. The celebration coincided with the swearing-in ceremony of our new president, also a former freedom fighter, José Maria de Vasconcelos. “Timor-Leste and Thailand established diplomatic relations on May 20, 2002 and ever since these have been excellent,” said Mr. Câmara. “Thailand has provided support to Timor-Leste in many different areas, such as agriculture, health, security, defense and education. Thailand has been supportive of our citizens who come for training in many areas. Also, the Thai government sent military and police officers to the UN mission in our country. Many have returned home, but some are still there,” said the ambassador, adding that at the end of this year the UN will withdraw its peacekeeping force from Timor-Leste. “So far, the only industries we have are oil and gas and coffee,” Mr. Câmara said. “We have signed a memorandum of understanding with PTT. The company is working with the Timor-Leste Secretary of State for Natural Resources to create and prepare conditions to set up an oil refinery and LNG storage facility along the southern coast. “In 2011 the volume of bilateral trade between Thailand and Timor-Leste reached more than US$16 million. An agreement signed between our Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry with the Kingdom of Thailand has resulted in Thai ships operating in our waters and bringing fish to Thailand.” Mr. Câmara says that as yet there are no official cultural or social exchanges between the two countries, but he sees a lot of potential as there are many similarities. “My wife has also been involved in various social activities. She has introduced here our traditional dances, dress and so on. “As for official visits, in February Foreign Minister Zacarious Albano da Costa paid a visit to Thailand, as a guest of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yingluck at the Government House. They discussed bilateral cooperation and the strengthening of ties between the two countries. In particular, Mr. Da Costa requested Thailand’s support in making Timor-Leste’s dream of joining ASEAN a reality.

ASEAN and Timor-Leste Mr. Câmara is keen to press the case for Timor-Leste in ASEAN and was pleased to report on the considerable progress being made. “We submitted a formal application to join ASEAN in March 2011. A working group was set up during the ASEAN summit last November in Bali to study the application. The Working Group still has two meetings scheduled for September and early November. We should most likely know the results of the working group’s findings during the ASEAN summit to be held in November in Phnom Penh.” Mr. Câmara says there is much reason to be hopeful as all ASEAN members, with the exception of Singapore, have voiced approval for Timor-Leste’s immediate acceptance into the regional grouping. Singapore has said it has no objections to Timor-Leste being accepted eventually, but feels that the country needs more time to prepare itself before becoming its member. But Mr. Câmara sees no reason to wait. “We started preparations for joining ASEAN even before we gained our independence. In fact, our former President José Ramos-Horta even wrote a letter far before we restored our

independence in 2002. I, along with my colleague, Mr. Roberto Soares, a former ambassador to Singapore, personally delivered the letter to the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta. “Even though all countries except Singapore support us in joining ASEAN now – a nine to one ratio – the group goes by the consensus principal: If one member raises objections the others have to wait until that member accepts the application.”

Tourism “Timor-Leste has big potential for tourism and we are in the process of creating the right conditions for this sector. There are a few hotels in Dili and in other districts, but we have to develop more. In the future, I will ask more Timorese to come here and to study tourism in Thailand. We have some foreign investors coming in, especially from Korea, Japan, Singapore and China,” Mr. Câmara said. “We have lot of foreigners coming to Timor-Leste for holidays from many countries, including Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. Our beaches are very clean and our seas have many species of fish that are not seen elsewhere. “Tourists can obtain a visa on arrival at the airport. As for security, you are safe anywhere in Timor-Leste. I can assure you of that!” Mr. Câmara also mentioned that the population of Dili is about 150,000 and the whole country has around 1.2 million people with over 90 per cent of them Catholics. He complained that the increase of cars in Dili has resulted in increasing traffic and pollution.

A brief history of Timor-Leste WHAT is now the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and before commonly known as East Timor was colonized by the Portuguese and Dutch in the middle of the 16th century. The Portuguese missionaries who arrived spread the Catholic faith throughout the island. Disputes between the Portuguese and Dutch ended in an 1859 treaty which gave the western part of the island to Holland and the eastern part to Portugal. During World War II, the Japanese military occupied Portuguese East Timor. Thousands of Timorese fought bravely and many died while fighting with allied forces that included Australian commandos. Following the defeat of the Japanese, East Timor declared independence from Portugal on November 28, 1975 and was invaded by Indonesian military forces a few days later. Indonesia then declared the island its 27th province. A struggle for independence followed for over 20 years, resulting in an estimated 200,000 deaths. On August 30, 1999, in a UN-supervised referendum, the majority of Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia.

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DIPLOMAT H.E. Anil wadhwa THE appointment of His Excellency Anil Wadhwa as the new Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand is one of many reasons the historically robust relations between the two countries seems set to flourish further.   “I want to improve the relationship between India and Thailand in all spheres, especially on the economic side, and to make sure the standing in the society of the Indians here is improved and always kept high,” said the seasoned diplomat. The 55-year-old who began his ambassadorial duties here last November has been a member of the Indian Foreign Service since July 1979. He holds a master’s degree in history and is fluent in spoken and written Chinese, English, French and Hindi. Since coming to the Kingdom he has taken Thai lessons whenever his busy schedule permits.   This is Mr. Wadhwa’s third ambassadorial appointment, the first being in Poland from 2004 to 2007, followed by the Sultanate of Oman from 2007 to 2011. Among his many diplomatic postings are stints as Third Secretary in the Commission of India, Hong Kong (1981-1983); First Secretary (Disarmament) at the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva (1989-1992); and Joint Secretary, Central and Eastern Europe, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi (20012004).

meeting. In the evenings there is usually a reception. This is the normal life of an Ambassador,” said Mr. Wadhwa, who since taking his post here has been on official visits to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Phuket.   “Concerning my official duties, every day there is some business with United Nations agencies which are based here in Bangkok. The main focus for me is on trade and economic relations between India and Thailand. I am also devoting a lot of attention to the summit meeting to be attended by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and India. It will be held from December 19-22 in New Delhi to commemorate the 20th anniversary of relations between India and ASEAN. “As a result we are doing a lot of what we call ‘marker events’ – organizing seminars for business, getting cultural events organized, getting writers or photographers together and similar kinds of activities to commemorate the anniversary. This keeps us very busy,” said the Ambassador, who will also attend the summit. India and Thailand established diplomatic relations in August 1947 through the exchange of envoys. The representation was elevated to ambassadorial level in October 1951. “The first Indian Embassy here began operations on Phayathai Road in the mid-50s. In late 1960s we moved to Sathorn Road near the

Indian Ambassador continues to build on traditional links By Maxmilian Wechsler

Asked for his favourite posting so far, Mr. Wadhwa answered like a true diplomat. “It is very difficult to say because each has its own specialties and charms. I will say that wherever I have been, I really enjoyed myself,” he said, adding that the weather in Poland is quite cold compared to Oman, Thailand or to India. “The summer there was very pleasant and actually I like cold weather because it makes you more energetic.” Mr. Wadhwa is married to Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in the same year as her husband and like him also has a distinguished service record in India and abroad. Currently the Indian Ambassador to Japan, she has also served as Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia and Qatar. They have two sons.

Mr. Wadhwa and Thailand

Mr. Wadhwa, who first visited Thailand in the 1990s on holiday, described his daily routine. “In the morning I look at the local, international and Indian press. Then I might have a morning event scheduled, otherwise I will just come to the office, look at correspondence and take care of various tasks. Sometimes we have negotiations, so I will attend these, or there is a UN

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Sri Mariamman Temple (Wat Kaek) and in 1980 moved again, to Sukhumvit Soi 23. There’s an Indian Consulate in Chiang Mai which was inaugurated in October 1972.   “We are going to renovate the Embassy soon and also build residential flats for our Embassy staff on our vacant plot of land nearby. We have 75 people working at the Embassy, about 25 Indian nationals and the rest Thai-Indians and Thais,” Mr. Wadhwa said.

A time-tested relationship

“There is a strong historical and cultural affinity between our two nations. Sanskrit is our common bond. The old Pallavan script influenced the Thai script. There is also a strong linkage through religion, especially Buddhism,” said Mr. Wadhwa, noting that many Thais also pray to the Hindu deities Brahma and Ganesha. Buddhism spread in Thailand through other countries in South West Asia and has Indian origins and linkages. “Architecture in Thailand has a lot of Indian influence,” the Ambassador said.  As a result of this long contact there are a great number of people in Thailand of Indian origin. “We estimate that there are

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170,000 Indians and people of Indian origin in Thailand who have Thai nationality, of which about 100,000 are Thai Sikhs, as well as about 70,000 born in India.   “Any Indian born in Thailand can apply for an Indian passport, but can’t hold dual nationality. We don’t allow that. They have to choose whether they want to be a Thai or an Indian citizen. However, we have a system called Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) that allows a person of Indian origin the right to enter India as often as they want without a visa, and some other special privileges with regard to buying property or working, but not the right to vote. So anyone holding this card just shows it and their Thai passport to enter India. The person’s wife and children can get the OCI card, and if you marry an Indian girl you can get this card as well.” Mr. Wadhwa remarked that in the past Indians in Thailand were chiefly known as money lenders, but this business has given way to real estate, textiles and other areas. He said that there are 32 Indian associations in Thailand, which the Embassy is trying to bring under one umbrella organization so that they can easily keep in contact.

Humming on all spheres

“The relationship between India and Thailand is very good in all spheres,” said Mr. Wadhwa. “During the past decade or so the political relationship has grown because we have had at least 12 prime ministerial visits from both sides and a number of high-level ministerial visits.   “The last such visit was by the Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in January, when she was the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations. During the visit, six agreements in the

“Business between Thailand and India is going very well. Bilateral trade increased by US$2 billion last year, to a total of $8.2 billion. Both countries have set a target of doubling this amount by 2014.”

areas of defense, science and technology, cultural and academic cooperation and trade and commerce were signed. It was a very successful and beneficial visit for both countries. “This positive trend will continue and we expect that Prime Minister Yingluck will visit India again for the ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit in December. It will be a large event attended by around 1,000 people, including a number of heads of state.”   Mr. Wadhwa said that things are also going very well in the sphere of business. Bilateral trade increased by US$2 billion last year, to a total of $8.2 billion. Both India and Thailand have set a target of doubling this amount by 2014.         “Indian investment in Thailand is altogether about $2 billion,

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DIPLOMAT H.E. ANIL WADHWA but Thai investment in India is only about $100 million. We have about 40 large and 40 smaller Indian companies in Thailand. That number is increasing quite rapidly, with many companies opening liaison offices in Thailand because of the ASEAN Economic Community which is coming online in 2015. They are very much interested in using Thailand as a gateway to ASEAN. “We are investing in Thailand mostly in the manufacturing sector – products like steel, chemicals, fertilizer, carbon black and automotive components. We have a limited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and very soon we will have completed a comprehensive FTA between our two countries. “Thais are investing in India mostly in the services sector. Many Thai hotel chains are opening up in India, including Dusit, Amari and Majestic Capital chains. The Lemon Tree Thai restaurant chain is opening in 10 India cities,” Mr. Wadhwa said. Major Indian exports to Thailand include jewelry, metal ores, iron, chemicals, electrical appliances, machinery and parts, pharmaceuticals, buses and trucks, plastic products and fabrics. Some items India imports from Thailand are polymers, steel, auto-parts and accessories, gems, chemical products, rubber, cosmetics, air conditioners and parts, fabrics and insulated wire and cables.

Cultural and people-to-people exchange The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) opened in September 2009 on the 27th and 28th floors of Jasmine City Building, Sukhumvit Soi 23. The ICC organizes cultural events such as painting and photographic exhibitions, seminars and other cultural events related to India. The centre also conducts yoga, sitar, tabla and dance classes by trained experts. Muay Thai centres have opened in Bangalore and Mumbai inspired by the popularity of the sport in Thailand. The Indian junior women’s hockey squad that visited Thailand not so long ago finished second in the 6th Junior Women’s Asia Cup tournament. “A lot of Indians are coming here in organized trips to play golf. We don’t have any active collaboration as such but we take part in tournaments in each other’s countries. This helps to increase tourism. “About one million Indian tourists visited Thailand in 2011. They usually come with families, rarely alone. Indians like Thailand. They think it is good value for money and they enjoy their stay here. What’s more, they don’t complain about the country after going back home. We have 154 flights arriving in Thailand every week. This includes all airlines. Few if any Indians are coming here for medical tourism because India itself is a good destination for medical tourism. “On the other side, there were between 60,000 to 80,000 Thais visiting India in 2011, up from about 40,000 in 2010.” Mr. Wadhwa stressed that India is also dedicated to maintaining and strengthening its ties and cooperation with other ASEAN nations, including Myanmar. “The friendship between India and Myanmar is excellent. As with Thailand, it is a country with which we also have a long and historical relationship. Myanmar used to be a part of the British Empire and the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, is buried in Yangon and we maintain his memorial in Yangon. We also have many Indians who have been living there for centuries, some of them the descendants of traders during the British time who were dealing in timber and other things.”

Indus and Rang Mahal Indian restaurants in Bangkok). There are also some very nice places for entertainment like movie theatres, and some nice parks I love to go to. I enjoy going to ballet and other dance performances. About the only thing I don’t like is the traffic, which is sometimes too heavy.” Among his most memorable experiences during his relatively short time here was when he presented his credentials to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn on May 6, 2012. “Another was in March when Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn inaugurated the photo exhibition of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a respected Indian philosopher and poet, held at Chulalongkorn University’s Art and Culture Building, and afterwards performed anointment for the signboard of the Indian Study Centre. The Princess also watched the ‘Chitrangada’ Odissi dance-drama that pays homage to Tagore. The event was attended by about 1,000 people. “Another memorable event was the visit of Prime Minister Yingluck to India in January, which I organized and joined. Every time the Thai Prime Minister or Foreign Minister visits India I must go beforehand and receive them at the airport,” the Ambassador explained. His hobbies include watching movies, reading, listening to music of every kind, and playing golf and tennis.

Living the good life in Thailand

The busy Ambassador IN addition to the diplomatic postings mentioned in the text, Ambassador Wadhwa has also served as: Second Secretary / First Secretary in the Embassy of India, Beijing (1983-1987); Under Secretary / Deputy Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi (1987-1989); UN Disarmament Fellow in Geneva (1989); Counsellor in Embassy of India, Beijing (1993-1993); Director/Joint Secretary on deputation to the Provisional Technical Secretariat, and later the Technical Secretariat, for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague (1993-2000).

“I like my life in Thailand very much. For one thing, there are many good restaurants and eating spots (he especially likes

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FEATURE MOTORING

Toyota Fortuner 3.OV 2WD Engine type Transmission Fuel capacity (liters)

Price: 1,362,000 baht 3.0 Diesel 5 A/T 65

New Fortuner leaves drivers high and dry – in a good way Providing safety, style, and comfort, Toyota’s new Fortuner 3.OV 2WD is already a big hit in the Thai market. Maxmilian Wechsler took it for a spin to see if it lives up to the hype

THE Toyota Fortuner gained fame in Thailand during last year’s floods because it enabled families to safely evacuate their homes and, thanks to its generous space, take their prized possessions with them. Most important, though, this SUV is able to navigate deep waters – perhaps one of the reasons why there continues to be such a high demand for the Fortuner locally. “You can drive this car through 70 centimeters of water, which is very

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appealing to many of our buyers after the 2011 floods,” said Piya Airn-in, fleet sales manager of Toyota Muangnont who arranged for me to test drive the new Fortuner 3.OV 2WD. As I had no plans to personally check the accuracy of that claim, I had to take his word for it. What I do know after giving the car a good workout, though, is that this SUV is a beauty. Toyota began selling the first of its Fortuner models in Thailand in 2005. The

third generation 2012 Toyota Fortuner was officially launched in Thailand in July 2011. Toyota offers a choice of two diesel engines, a 3.0 liter which produces 163hp and a 2.5 liter delivering 144hp, as well as a gasoline engine version with a 2.7 liter engine and 168hp. In all there are seven versions of the Fortuner sold in Thailand, all locally produced. The Fortuner 3.OV 2WD I took out is a seven-seater diesel with 5-speed automatic transmission.

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“It is a family car and the best-selling Fortuner in Thailand,” said Mr Piya. “People like this particular version because of the good price, safety, low fuel consumption and comfort. It is also well equipped and has the good workmanship Toyota is known for.” Mr. Piya said one of the Fortuner’s strong points is its high resale value compared to other SUV brands, especially if it is diesel. This is something most Fortuner owners are well aware of before they buy the car. Mr. Piya said that buyers are mostly males over 35 who drive it in the Bangkok metropolitan area. “About 70% of our customers order diesel. The most popular colour is white pearl, followed by black. The interior is beige in all models except the Fortuner 50th Anniversary version, which has a black interior and purple and white exterior,” Mr. Piya said. He also mentioned that at his dealership the Fortuner is the third best selling Toyota, after the Vios and Vigo models. The Altis comes in at fourth place. “The only complaints we get from our customers is that they must wait a long time for delivery. The waiting period is four to six months depending on the ver-

sion, because we have so many on order,” said Mr. Piya. Other dealers contacted by The BigChilli have the same problem with deliveries. According to Mr. Piya there are 122 Toyota dealers, 33 of them in Bangkok.

On the road As I collected my silver Fortuner 3.OV 2WD from Mr. Piya at his Rama V showroom (the head office of Toyota Muangnont is at Sanambin Nam in Nonthaburi), I noticed it had only 10 kilometers on the clock. When I brought it back four days later, the reading was around 2,000 kilometers, and after spending quite a bit of time on the road in this SUV my verdict was very positive. It is much improved over the last model, which was not bad at all. From the outside the new 3.OV 2WD looks more stylish than its predecessors and the interior is more luxurious and better equipped. Here is a list of some exterior changes incorporated into 2012 Fortuner: New radiator grille with a lot of chrome, changed front bumper, new headlamps, new design for the air scoop on the bonnet, new roof rail, new design for

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FEATURE MOTORING rear bumper and tail lamps, auto on-off headlight, halogen projector headlight and rear view camera. As for interior changes, these include new seats, new backlight for the instrument console, new steering wheel, Bluetooth with microphone, cruise control and AM/ FM/ 1 DVD with 6.1” touch screen. A few years ago, after testing a Fortuner with diesel engine, I swore I would never buy one. In fact, after driving out of the gate of the dealership I made a quick turn and brought the car back. I couldn’t stand the noise and vibrations inside the cabin. It was like driving a tractor. This is absolutely not the case with the 3.OV 2WD diesel. The ride was smooth; the cabin, quiet. What I liked most about my latest Fortuner experience was sitting up high and having a good all round view of the traffic; it gives a real sense of security. In general many people like to drive SUV’s because of the security factor. Besides the better

vision there is also the fact that if you have an accident you are less vulnerable to injury than someone driving a small sedan. What I also liked was the steering and maneuverability, engine performance, touch screen controls, spacious cabin, large side mirrors, easy-to-find switches, the audio system, and dark wood inserts inside the cabin. As for the negatives, I had some difficulty controlling the car in high winds. All in all, at 1,362,000 baht this face-lifted Fortuner is quite reasonable, although some may prefer to wait until 2013, when a more extensively reworked Fortuner will probably be released.

Toyota Thailand turns 50 Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT) celebrates its 50th anniversary in October this year and the company has a lot to cheer about. The iconic Japanese car maker is one of over 50 offering its models for sale in Thailand, and it is easily the bestselling

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brand here, as can be verified by a quick survey on any road in the country. When Toyota Thailand was first established in 1962, the company only imported passenger cars and multi-purpose vehicles. The first assembly plant was opened in 1964, and there are now two more. Toyota has plans to add another two assembly plants in Thailand to meet the growing demand for its vehicles here and abroad. Toyota vehicles and auto parts made in Thailand are exported to 114 countries globally. According to a Toyota representative, in 2011 the company sold 290,061 passenger and commercial vehicles, down from a total of 326,007 units in 2010. Addressing the lower 2011 sales, Kiochi Tanada, TMT president said: “Last year’s automobile market struggled against devastating natural disasters, including the tsunami in Japan and the major floods in Thailand, which affected the company’s domestic production.”

Piya Airn-in, fleet sales manager of Toyota Muangnont

Other car manufacturers reported a similar downturn. However, there has been a dramatic increase in Toyota sales so far this year. Between January and June 2012, Toyota sold 241,245 units, with 105,485 passenger and 135,760 commercial vehicles. At a recent press conference, Mr. Tanada said: “Toyota’s first half-year sales show a growth of 54.3%, representing a 39.8% market share, with a 70.7% increase in commercial vehicles and a 37.4% increase in the passenger car segment.” He said the growing domestic sales were assisted by government subsidies to car buyers as well as strong demand in the market. Mr. Tanada said that from January to June 2012, Toyota exported 204,554 units, a 50.3% increase compared to the previous year.

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Travel

p Deals and news from Thailand’s hottest destinations

Hilton Hua Hin Spa’s new package deal is a true stress buster. Page 126

Mate’s Rates

Friends or family visiting Bangkok? Let them know about these deals! Page 138

Hua Hin

Read more about the town’s best resorts and restaurants Page 126

Pattaya

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TRAVEL BANGKOK

Bangkok

and Beyond

Samui Jazz Festival 2012

THE third week-long Samui International Jazz Music Festival opens on Sunday Oct 14 at the Amari Palm Reef on Chaweng Beach. Dedicated to the theme of Tropical Jazz, it will feature a series of concerts by international artists, plus a chance to enjoy delicious food and fine wines. Starting of the festival will be a preview concert of Paulette McWilliams, a Chicago native who’s performed with artists like Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross. She’ll then perform a full concert on Oct 20. Other highlights of the festival include Koh Saxman meets Beets Brothers - Tribute to the King; Peter Beets Trio; and Changton Kunjara & Friends. Concert tickets are B500 per person. From Oct 12-22, Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui is offering the following deal: Two-nights’ accommodation in a Superior Room at B10,200 (exclusive of VAT and surcharge). Includes breakfast for two, roundtrip Samui airport transfers, late check-out of 3pm, and a choice of either free entrance for the festival’s opening night on Oct 14 or B500 credit for drinks. www.samuijazzfestival.com www.amari.com

Flower spectacular at Nai Lert Park Bangkok

FLOWER fans are in for a treat at the Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Bangkok next month. From Oct 4-7, the hotel’s annual floral exposition will feature spectacular International floral exhibitions by foreign exhibitors, as well as garden decoration displays from Thailand’s most famous condominium developers. Each day you can enjoy fortune telling by seven renowned fortune tellers, and on Oct 5 a mini concert from Thai singers and top celebrities will be held at 7pm. Each night during the event, French chef Olivier Limousin from the Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon Restaurant in London will cook up an exclusive dinner at Nai Lert Park Heritage House. An international gourmet buffet by four global guest chefs from Swissôtel in China, India, Japan, and Australia will also be available. The proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation Thailand, Home for Disabled Babies (Bann Fuengfah), Banbanglamung Social Welfare Development Center for Older Persons in Chonburi, and Siriraj Hospital and Lerdsin Hospital. Entry is B120 baht per person. 2 Wireless Road. Tel. 02 253 0123 or 02 867 7000 www.swissotel.com

Crowne Plaza Resort opens in Phuket

The Sea Koh Samui launches early bird offer

HEADING to Samui? Book your stay 30 days in advance at The Sea Koh Samui Resort and you’ll get 25 per cent discount on accommodation, free daily breakfast, 20 per cent discount on spa treatments, and 10 per cent discount on F&B. Rates start at B3,150 Baht per night. Offer ends Dec 23. Minimum two-nights’ stay required. Book online at www.TheSeaSamui.com or email book@TheSeaSamui.com and quote Early Bird.

CROWNE Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach Resort is now open for business in the secluded Makham Bay, Cape Panwa. Offering a private 200-meter stretch of beach and amazing views of the Andaman Sea and surrounding twin islands of Tapao Yai and Tapo Noi, the resort is equipped with a total of 224 rooms with nine different categories on offer, all of which feature interiors of rich wood and intricately handcrafted finishings, including private balconies and plush posturepedic beds. Thirteen two-storey Andaman Loft Pool Suites each boast a private living area, private Jacuzzi, dining space and a terrace that allows guests to step directly into the resort’s large beachfront lap pool. Drinking and dining options include Biscuit bakery-café; Splash pool bar and beach barbecue; Lobby Lounge; Patio Al Fresco Italian restaurant; and all-day dining venue Mosaic. Other facilities include a spa, and water sports center offering kayaking and windsurfing. The first Resort in Asia opened by IHG, the hotel is located a 50 minutes’ drive from Phuket international airport and 10 minutes from Phuket Town. 8/88 Moo 7, Sakdidech Rd., Vichit, Muang, Phuket 83000 Tel. 076-302-960 www. crowneplaza.com

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TRAVEL

HUA HIN

Hilton introduces new spa deal ■ THE Spa at Hilton Hua Hin has launched a new package deal called ‘Asian Thai Ritual.’ The two-hour treatment features a Tamarind scrub, Thai massage, and Herbal bath, at B3,000++ per person, or B5,500 per couple. For more information and reservations, please call 032-538999 or www.thespa.huahin@hilton.com

Villa Maroc cuts its weekday rates

Ready, set, charge! Elephant Polo comes to town ■ ANANTARA Resort’s popular annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament returns this month with five action-packed days of fundraising competition from Sept 12-16. With teams coming in from all over South East Asia and beyond, this year’s competition will feature around 30 elephants and their trainers – who, in the name of the game, must pound around the 100-metre pitch, on elephant back, using three-metre-long mallets to whack the ball. Alongside all the action on the pitch, the event also features an Elephant Orchestra, Elephant Painting, and an auction of paintings and polo memorabilia at the end of the week. All profits go to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Northern Thailand, which provides welfare for more than 4,000 wild and domesticated elephants. During the tournament the hotel will offer special accommodation deals. www.anantaraelephantpolo.com

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■ THE Moroccan-styled Villa Maroc Resort is now knocking B3,500 of its usual room rates for guests who book accommodation between Sundays and Thursdays. Under the deal, rooms start at B6,500, and include breakfast for two and in room mini bar with non-alcoholic drinks. Offer ends Oct 31. Tel: 032 630 771 www.villamarocresort.com

Enjoy a great deal at Mondo Vino

■ WANT to enjoy good wines in a cozy atmosphere? Then head straight to Mondo Vino. A true community hub, this wine bar pulls in the who’s who of Hua Hin’s expat community with a wide selection of International wines and light Italian bites. There are plenty of deals to enjoy too, including Sparkling Saturday, which offers free-flow Prosecco, red and white wines, and pass around parmesan cheese; Sunday Chill, which offers a free-flow selection of six bottled Belgian beers served with homemade pizza; and Relaxing Saturday, featuring a variety of red and white wines with the best Italian food in town. There’s also a Daily Special of 14 red and 14 white wines by the glass, from B85-B395. You can keep up to date with the promotions at: www.mondovino.co.th

Fajita Mania Festival at Dune Hua Hin ■ UNTIL the end of October, Dune Hua Hin Hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant is offering its selection of steak and shrimp fajitas for the special price of B595++ per dish. Enjoy a platter of grilled imported steak, or sizzling tiger prawns, mixed with sautéed bell peppers, onions, and a special blend of spices, topped with Monterey Jack cheese and wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Dips include guacamole, tasty salsa and fresh sour cream. Tel: 032 515 051-3 or email: md@dunehuahin.com

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REVIEW BLACK LOTUS RESORT

BLACK LOTUS RESORT Own or rent your own luxury villa at this splendid resort on the outskirts of Hua Hin ANYONE looking to get their hands on a slice of luxury real estate in Hua Hin should look slightly out of town towards the hills. Here, in a lush tropical grove, a luxury villa project called Black Lotus is fast

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emerging offering 17 luxurious pool villas, with resort-style facilities, available for rent or on a ‘fractional ownership’ basis. Fractional ownership basically means you can buy weeks of ownership of a pool villa and

Among the resort facilities are a Spa offering Thai, Swedish and herbal massages, facial treatments, and crystal rubs; a hair and nail salon; a tennis court; a well-equipped gym; and a Clubhouse with a restaurant serving international and Thai food. Upon request, meals can also be enjoyed in the privacy of the pool villas. Located in front of the restaurant, a 25 meter halfOlympic size swimming pool with sunken bar is surrounded by palm trees and shaded Salas. effectively have your own ‘home Every Saturday from 11am, the away from home’ in Thailand. pool area plays host to an IbizaUnder the umbrella of the Regal style brunch where a fun-loving Thailand Group of companies, crowd enjoys the restaurant’s Black Lotus villas include food and the bar’s creative everything a family could cocktails. Other fun events need on a tropical holiday. include regular barbeques and Fully equipped and furnished, live music performances. each has a private swimming At B145,855 per week of pool and nicely landscaped lifetime ownership, offering gardens, high ceilings, floor an installment option of 10% to ceiling sliding doors, and upfront with 36 installments neat environmentally-friendly with no additional interest, features such as solar powered Black Lotus is not only a heaters and large underground bargain but your share of a water tanks. home in paradise for a lifetime. A team of housekeeping staff with gardeners and Black Lotus, 58 Naresdamri engineers make sure the Road, 77110 Hua Hin. villas and common areas are ☎ 08 1705 5625 (English, Thai), impeccably taken care of, and email: info@blacklotus.asia service staff is on hand to fulfill  blacklotus.asia all guests’ needs.

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SOCIAL

HUA HIN

Sheraton Hua Hin hits five in style

SHERATON Hua Hin Resort & Spa celebrated its 5th anniversary with a “White & Gold Glamour” party attended by more than 150 guests, including Grande Asset Hotels & Property Public Company Limited’s management and owners, celebrities, well-wishers, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ leaders, media and hotel guests. Entertainment on the night was provided by the Nontri Orchestra Wind Band, who mesmerized the crowd with a superb performance. An auction and lucky draw was also held to raise funds for UNICEF Charity and the Starwood Associate Relief Fund.

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SOCIAL

HUA HIN

Glamour Havana at Hilton Hua Hin

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa and Hua Hin Entertainment Company last month joined forces to hold the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first modeling and fashion show. Called Glamour Havana Night, the event was held at the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s White Lotus Restaurant and featured a sumptuous buffet, live music, and a glamorous fashion show hosted by Natalie Glebova (Miss Universe) and Ning Kamala (Miss Thailand). Special guests on the night included Lena Christensen, Piacher Christensen, and saxophonist Woody Widowaha. DJ Bobby Richard kept the party going between performances, and the night ended with a sizzling demonstration of Spanish Flamenco Dance.

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TRAVEL

HUA HIN

Hua Hin Where to sleep Baan Bayan

The Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin

■ This fine resort features one of Hua Hin’s finest examples of early 1900’s architectural style. The beachfront resort has been faithfully restored to its former glory by the family who once lived there. Guests staying at Baan Bayan can experience the glory of a bygone era in its colonial style structure, yet without sacrificing the modern day comforts and amenities. It has 21 rooms comprising of three suites, 10 sea view rooms and 16 rooms with views of the courtyard or tropical garden.

■ Located in the heart of Hua Hin right next to the beach, this luxury hotel combines comfort and convenience for the perfect escape. Each suite is well-furnished in stylish décor and each has its own private swimming pool. General facilities include a fitness center, a swimming pool, steam rooms, spa, library, and meeting functions. Rocks Restaurant serves up a wide range of international dishes and local favourites, while the beachside bar, and the cigar and whisky bar, mix up some excellent cocktails.

119 Petchkasem Road. Tel: 032 533 544

97/2 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin Tel: 032 516 600

Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas

Putahracsa Hua Hin

■ Set within 13 hectares of landscaped gardens, the property dates back to 1923 and is one of Southeast Asia’s most renowned hotels. The luxurious colonial-era beachfront resort features 207 beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites, each one offering comfort and convenience. The Pool Villas include four Deluxe Spa Villas with queen sized twin bed, lounging area, bathroom with rain shower, and oversized Jacuzzi bathtub. Refined dining is available at Sala Thai, Hagi, the Railway Restaurant, and Palm Terrace. Guests can unwind in the Elephant Bar or Satchmo Club.

■ This stylish resort skillfully marries Mediterraneaninfluenced villa accommodation with the best contemporary Thai interior design flair to create a unique experience. Putahracsa is a secluded sanctuary with 36 SilkSand rooms bordering a magnificent swimming pool and mini beach. Interiors emphasize the ‘sleek and chic’ approach to modern design. The Oceanbed Villas are truly exceptional, providing some of the highest quality accommodation and service in Hua Hin. The resort features a day spa, and superb dining opportunities at Nahb Talay and Oceanside.

1 Damnernkasem Road, Hua Hin. Tel: 032 512 021-38

22/65 Nahb Kaehat Road. Tel: 032 531 470

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

Evason Hua Hin and Six Senses Spa

■ This imposing resort in the centre of Hua Hin is regarded as one of the best family hotels in the region. Accommodation features comfortable rooms and suites, providing guests with a living space that exhibits contemporary Thai design flair and good in-room amenities. There are also 11 Spa Suites available. The award-winning White Lotus on the 17th floor of the Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa offers sky-high dining at down to earth prices.

■ This resort-spa is situated at the heart of 20 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and faces the Gulf of Thailand. Pool villas and guest rooms are connected by a series of wooden walkways that meander between lush greenery. This is a retreat for those seeking time to relax and recharge. In The Restaurant guests can sip exotic cocktails, ice-cold beer or boutique wines while watching chefs cook and construct creative appetizers. The award-winning Earth Spa is one of the most visually striking in Thailand.

33 Naresdamri Road. Tel: 032 538 999

9/22 Moo 5 Paknampran Beach, Pranburi. Tel: 032 632 111

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TRAVEL

PATTAYA

Hard Rock Hotel offers room and dinner deal

STAY two nights or more at Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya and you’ll qualify for its new ‘Summer Breeze’ deal, which includes daily buffet breakfast for two and one free dinner for two (plus one soft drink per person) at Starz Diner. Rates start from B2,850++ per room per night on Sun-Fri and from B3,234++ per room per night on Sat. Book now till 30 Sept for stays until Nov 30, 2012. Tel: 038 428 755-9, www.hardrockhotels.net

More music for Havana Bar

HOLIDAY Inn Pattaya’s retro-Cuban-style bar, Havana Bar, now kicks off its weekly music sessions (Wed, Fri, and Sat) at the earlier time of 6pm with live acoustic music. The bar’s popular house band then follows playing a wide range of international rock and pop hits. Daily Happy Hours from 7pm-9pm offer two-for-one drinks. On Wednesdays, this offer is extended till midnight. www.dining-experience.com/pattaya

Dicey Reilly’s introduces exclusive magic show

TOP-class magician Howard Posener now performs his unique brand of close-up magic exclusively at Dicey Reilly’s Irish pub every Friday from 8pm-10pm. Howard walks the bar, performing his tricks for guests at the bar or at their tables, so a perfect view is guaranteed. www.diceyspub.com

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Amari Orchid Pattaya appoints new Executive Chef

AUSTRALIAN national Leonard Faust has joined Amari Orchid Pattaya as its new executive chef. Faust brings with him a wealth of both hotel and restaurant experience which stands him in good stead for the role at the hotel, which also features the award winning Mantra Restaurant & Bar plus the popular sports bar, Tavern by the Sea. Prior to joining the property, Faust held Executive chef roles at the Majestic Grande Bangkok, Marriott Courtyard in Hua Hin and the Paradise Boutique Beach Resort, Phuket. Before coming to Thailand, he headed up the brigade at two of Sydney’s most prestigious culinary attractions, Morgan’s and the Boulders on the Rocks restaurants. www.amari.com

Bavarian Festival at Oasis Restaurant

OASIS Restaurant at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, Pattaya is getting into the mood for Oktoberfest this month by serving up a wide range of typical Bavarian fare such as Crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut, Semmelknödel round poached or boiled bread dumplings, and Weisswurst (a typical Bavarian sausage made with veal and pork eaten with sweet mustard). Best of all, you’ll be able to wash down your grub with plenty of the finest German beer. The restaurant is open daily 6am-11pm. Tel: 038 301 234 ext 4261 www.centarahotelsresorts.com

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TRAVEL BANGKOK

s ’ e t a M s rate

amily f r o s d Frien kok? g n a B visiting now about k Let them e deals thes

• Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom: Until

Dec 31, the hotel’s ‘City Break’ promotion offers special rates of B1,710++ per night when booking a minimum of two nights stay. Rates include breakfast. Tel: 02 206 9100 email: H7172-RE@accor.com

• GLOW Trinity Silom: Until Sept 30, an

‘Advance Purchase’ package offers 10% discount on Deluxe Room rates to anyone who books 14 days in advance. Rates start at B1,980. Tel: 02 231 5050 email: rsvn.silom@glowbyzinc.com

• Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok: Until Sept 30, the hotel

promises to offer the ‘ultimate club level experience’ to guests booking Club Deluxe rooms or suites. The ‘Ultimate Club Package’ starts at B5,250 net per night for a single Club Deluxe room and B5,750 net for a twin sharing room. Rates include breakfast, two hours daily use of the Club meeting rooms, drinks in the Club Lounge, and more. www.centarahotelsresorts.com/ package/CGLB_UltimateClubExperience.asp

• Aloft BangkokSukhumvit 11: The hotel’s

• Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel: Until Sept 30, the

hotel is offering special ‘Sweet Suite Summer’ rates which include Imperial Club Lounge access, exclusive breakfast, canapés and pre-dinner drinks in the Imperial Club Lounge, late check-out, and 30% discount for all restaurants. Rates are B3,555 for Premier Suite; B4,055 for Premier Suite (twin), Premier Corner Suite (single); and B5,055 for Premier Corner Suite (twin). Must stay minimum two nights to qualify. Tel: 02 261 9000 Ext 4000 email: reservation@imperialhotels. com

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‘One Night in Bangkok’ package features room rates starting at B2,570++ per Chic Room and B2,871++ per Urban Room, and includes a lunch buffet for two persons, two daily cocktails at wxyz (sm) bar, late check-out, and a free entry to Bed Supperclub and Q bar. Promotion ends Oct 31. Tel: 02 207 7000 www.alofthotels.com/bangkoksukhumvit11

• Marriott hotels: Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite members checking into rooms at participating Marriott International hotels in Asia-Pacific can now receive a complimentary upgrade to a suite. Participating brands include JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Asia Pacific. For more info: www.MarriottRewards.com/Suites

• Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok: A ‘Relax and Recharge Package’

is now available at B5,100++ per room per night including breakfast for two and 3pm check-out. Minimum stay two nights. Offer ends Dec 31, 2012. Tel: 02 207 8000 or email: rsvn bangkok@westin.com

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THAILAND

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