Search
My Kind of Town
Views over
Bangkok from al fresco
restaurant Sirocco at the
Dome are among the best
in the city.MY KIND OF TOWN
CHARLIE WINTERMAN PROVIDES AN INSIDER’S VIEW ON WHERE TO GO IN BUSTLING BANGKOK
FOR centuries, Bangkok has been a city of contrasts, seducing the traveller with its profusion of colours, sounds and sights. Today, at every corner, vintage Asia meets the modern metropolis. Glittering temples and gilded spires are mirrored in the silvery skyscrapers. Pseudo-Palladian condominiums tower over wooden stilt homes clinging to the edge of ancient klongs (canals), or perch precariously on the banks of the mighty Chao Phraya River.
Despite the best efforts of planners, this throbbing metropolis still barely has any defined centre. It has grown instead into a diverse hodgepodge of districts, all with separate identities and often disparate commercial interests. First-time visitors to the city may find Bangkok claustrophobically dense and frustratingly disorientating. The key is to practise what Thais call chai yen (“keeping one’s cool”).
‘‘First-time visitors may find Bangkok claustrophobically dense. The key is to practise chai yen, or ‘keeping one’s cool’‘‘
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
The most leisurely way to see Bangkok’s lively colours and architectural variety is,
Buddhism permeates
all aspects of life in Bangkok.without doubt, from a boat. The Royal Barge Museum – which is best accessed from the river – is certainly worth a wander as it houses gloriously ornate wooden vessels that exemplify the skills of local Thai craft smen.
Also along the river is Pak Klong Talaat, a 24-hour street flower market. Mountains of gold, pink, green, red and white orchids and other similarly exotic oriental blooms are all on sale for less than a few dollars a bunch. Overseas travellers who leave on late flights can easily pop into the market to pick up huge bouquets to take home.
an array of colours
at Almeta Silks. THE SILK ROAD
Perhaps even more colourful than the flower stalls is the little house on Sukhumvit Road’s Soi 23 that is home to Almeta Silks. This small boutique differs from almost any other Thai silk shop in that the fabrics can be tailor-made to a specific ply or hue. Chequered or shot silks can be created by combining two or more silk threads of your choosing, and silk can also be dyed to match an existing colour, so replacing upholstery is no longer a chore.
Unusually, Almeta also sells prét-a-porter clothes in washable, printed and pre-crinkled silk – plus a range of bed linen and silk by the metre. 
Robed monks board a
boat to travel the Chao
Phraya River.In late 2005, the label launched a brand-new collection of leisurewear and accessories by British designer Diana Von Cranach, which combines hot-pink, green, azure and tangerine silks with rattan, rubber or horn in a delicious range of sandals, hats, sarongs and silk-lined beach bags.
BOUTIQUE CHIC
Thai crafts and design have developed rapidly in the last few years, and a host of chichi outlets have opened. Hidden inside the waiting room of the Peninsula Hotel pier is the brand-new Modern East boutique. It stocks lime-green lacquer, sets of incense, and diaphanous beaded shirts and kaftans. Nearby, Four Sisters on Charoen Krung Road offers similar goods: gorgeous beaded handbags, funky lamps, elegant contemporary bamboo ware and some good ceramics, all made in Thailand.
Next to the Siam Society on Asoke Road, Libreria is a favourite for leather goods, fine books, bespoke stationery and everything else you would expect to find in the perfect walnut library. The shop even stocks quill pens and brushes alongside personalised embossers for envelopes or notepaper.
‘‘Buddhism pervades Thailand. On street corners or in markets, fragrant garlands are threaded by old folk as temple offerings‘‘
Anyone in search of really high-end antiques should make a point of journeying out to Amantee, a wonderful renovated Thai house crammed full of the most exquisite antiques from all over Asia. Treasures within include classic Chinese furniture, Tibetan objets d’art and some wonderful examples of Buddhist art that won’t be seen elsewhere.
ASIA IN ART
For a truly personalised souvenir of Thailand, visit long-time resident Louise Truslow in her studio. Here, the British-born artist works in a variety of media to capture unforgettable images of colourful umbrellas or Thailand’s saff ron-robed monks. Among her stacks of paintings, Louise will happily chat away about art and all aspects of Bangkok life, revealing many personal insights that will fascinate visitors.
PHALLIC FOREST
Many of Bangkok’s expatriate residents have been influenced by Thailand’s Buddhist culture, visible throughout the city in the form of dazzling statues and stunning wats (temples). On street corners or in markets, fragrant garlands are threaded by old folk as temple offerings.
The Ámantee is a
treasure trove
of Asian antiques within a
renovated Thai house.Thais also borrow many rituals from animism and Hinduism. In one leafy corner of Bangkok, under a sacred tree, lie dozens of lingam (phallic images) in all shapes and colours, left by hopeful parents-to-be as tokens of devotion to Tup Tim, the Goddess of Fertility. It is thought that the larger the item, the greater the chance of its donors bearing children. The result is a veritable forest of large male genitalia, which represents a unique cultural phenomenon and characterises the weird and wonderful nature of Bangkok!
CITY SPAS
It is fair to say that Thai cultural traditions have in some ways brought us the spa culture for which Bangkok is so famous today. For centuries, the Thais have practised rigorous massage as a form of curative medical therapy known to improve circulation and relaxation.
If you arrive in Bangkok feeling burnt out, it’s time to relax. The city undoubtedly boasts some of the world’s best spas. Devarana Spa, at the newly refurbished Dusit Th ani Hotel, takes pride of place with its mix of sheer luxury and distinctive modern Thai style that echoes through the classical chedi silhouettes in its long, labyrinthine corridors.
Bangkok’s forest of
lingam;
a luxurious
spa suite at
Devarana;
artist Louise
Truslow
in her gallery.A truly authentic traditional Thai massage is less easy to find these days. However, the JW Marriott’s spa on Sukhumvit Soi 2 offers a marvellous therapy using a pungent herbal poultice that is heated and stamped along the body’s pressure points. The warm herbs permeate the skin and relax sore muscles – an absolute treat for anyone with back pain.
DINNER DATE
Anyone who knows Bangkok will testify that it’s possibly the world’s greatest dining room. Every day except Mondays, the side streets are jammed with food stalls cooking up soups, noodles or fish balls, all for a few baht. If you want to try a genuine taste of Thailand but are a little timid about the hot spices, head to Harmonique behind Wat Meung Kee; their wonderful Thai dishes are not as explosive as those sold on the street stalls. This charming wooden house is also bursting with bric-a-brac and mementoes of the last century, providing a glimpse of how wealthier Thai homes looked more than 50 years ago.
For stunning views and a taste of what modern Bangkok has to offer, join the well-heeled local set on the 64th floor of State Tower. High above the city there is a group of restaurants and bars all offering spectacular panoramas. Collectively known as “the Dome”, the various venues pride themselves on providing top-class cuisine that includes modern Mediterranean and very fine Italian food, as well as some innovative Thai-influenced dishes.
From the Dome’s al fresco rooft op restaurant, Sirocco, the place that Thais call the “City of Angels” glitters like a million stars fallen to earth. The Chao Phraya River shimmers a dull copper far below and, as night falls, Thailand’s capital – both modern and old – shines for all to see.
CONTACT DETAILS
Almeta Silks, Sukhumvit Road Soi 23, tel +66 (0)2 258-4227; Amantee, 131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi, tel +66 (0)2 982-8694/5; Devarana Spa at the Dusit Th ani Hotel, 946 Rama IV Road, Silom Road, tel +66 (0)2 636-3333 (hotel) or +66 (0)2 636-3596 (direct), open 11am-8pm daily; Four Sisters, Charoen Krung Road Soi 49 (also Charoen Krung Road Soi 30 at the Gallery Café), tel +66 (0)2 234-0053 (Thai only), open 10am-7pm except Sundays; Harmonique, Charoen Krung Road Soi 34 (AKA Soi Wat Meung Kee), Bangrak, tel +66 (0)2 237-8175, open 11am-10pm daily, except Sundays; J W Marriott, Sukhumvit Road Soi 2, tel +66 (0)2 656-7700 (hotel); Libreria at the Siam Societ, Sukhumvit Soi 21, tel +66 (0)2 661-6480, open 9am-6pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and 12-5pm Sundays; Louise
Hang out with Bangkok’s
trend-setters at the
Sky Bar, part of the
award-winning
Sirocco restaurant at
the Dome.
Truslow, 140/5 Soi Kengchuan Soi 2, South Sathorn Road, tel +66 (0)1 985-4045, open by prior appointment; Modern East at the Peninsula Hotel Pier Lounge, Soi Wat Suan Plu, off Charoen Krung Road (opposite the Shangri-la Hotel), tel +66 (0)2 630-7040; Pak Klong Talaat flower market, Maharaj Road near Saphan Phut (Memorial) Bridge, open 24 hours; Royal Barge Museum, Klong Bangkok Noi, tel +66 (0)2 424-0004, open 9am-5pm daily; Sirocco at the Dome, 1055 Silom Road, Bangrak (there are two entrances), tel +66 (0)2 624-9555; Tup Tim Shrine (Phallic Forest), near the back entrance to the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Bangkok, Wireless Road (AKA Wittaya Road)
Bookmark This Post
