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City Heat ||Getting
from Point A to B | Sightseeing
in Bangkok
Shopping
in City of Angels | Bangkok
Activities | Day
Trips Outside of Bangkok
City Heat
After checking into the City of Angels your next delight will be
checking out the light, sights and sounds of the city. Benjarong
here lists places to go, what to know, who to see and where to eat
in this monthly feature... City Heat.
 Drinks
and Live Music
Several of the city's drinking spots use live music to attract
customers. The Bamboo Bar at the Oriental Hotel (02-659-9000) is
featuring the legendary Monica Crosby until the end of November.
She takes audiences on a trip down memory lane by singing jazz and
R&B favorites from the past, beginning at 22:00 each night except
Monday. The Fabb Italian Restaurant and Jazz Café (02-658-6200)
in the Mercury Tower on Ploenchit Road has a swinging resident jazz
group that performs each evening from 20:00 onward. The décor
is light and modern and the Italian food is great. The Witch's
Tavern (02-391-9791) on Soi Thonglor (Sukhumvit Soi 55) is another
spot that uses good music to lure fun lovers into its lair. Purpose
built to resemble a Victorian era pub, the music, which starts at
21:00 every evening except Sunday, varies depending up the group
playing. On Sundays there is a jam session beginning at 17:30 that
lasts until closing time. For general music and a view of how Thais
enjoy themselves, the Saxophone Pub & Restaurant (02-246-5472)
ranks high on everyone's list. Open from 18:00 until 02:00
every day, it features different kinds of music each night of the
week. Located near Victory Monument, it is inexpensive and always
a good time.
Cooking
Lessons
Everyone seems interested in learning to cook Thai and several hotels
have organized classes to help turn desire into reality. The venerable
Oriental Hotel (02-659-9000) has been conducting lessons for fifteen
years and has several options available. Other hotels with well-known
cooking classes are the Landmark (02-254-0404), the Royal Orchid
Sheraton (02-266-0123), the Dusit Thani (02-236-9999), and the Shangri-la
(02-236-7777). It is important to call as far in advance as possible
as most of the hotels require a minimum number of students to register
for the classes to be conducted. The lessons usually include a lunch
that often uses food prepared by the students.
Irish
Pubs
For a bit of the Emerald Isle while in Bangkok visit one of the
city's Irish Pubs. All three of them have Guinness and Kilkenny
on tap and each has its own personality. Shenanigan's (02-266-7160)
on Soi Convent near Silom Road is a favorite after work watering
hole, features some great pub food and has live music several nights
a week. O'Reilly's (02-632-7515), just around the corner
on Silom Road near the Saladaeng Skytrain stop, is more of a tourist
hangout. It is a great place to unwind while watching sports events
on the giant TV screen. The Dubliner out on Sukhumvit near Soi 22
is a trendy, always packed place with some of the best food (pub
or otherwise) in Bangkok. The décor in all three places is
authentic and the blarney is guaranteed topnotch.
Sunday
Buffet Brunches
Count yourself lucky if you are in Bangkok on a Sunday. There's
a war going on these days and the major hotels are pulling out all
of the stops to lure the Sunday Brunch Bunch to their buffet tables.
The classiest of the lot is found at the Colonnade Restaurant (02-287-0222)
at The Sukhothai Hotel. At 1500 baht++ it's not cheap, but
the selection is fantastic and includes things like live jazz and
unlimited amounts of foie gras. For those with kids, several hotels
have children's activities. The Shangri-la Hotel's Maenam
Terrace (02-236-7777) not only entertains them with clowns and a
magic show, it even has a special buffet table where they can collect
their own kid friendly food. Local expats often head for Coco's
at the Novotel Lotus (02-261-0111) on Sukhumvit Soi 33. The food
is great, the ambiance relaxed and laid back and the 495 baht++
price tag includes unlimited amounts of sparkling wine.
Jogging
Bangkok is not a friendly city for those who enjoy a good run. Exhaust
fumes, potholes and heavy traffic make jogging along roads suitable
only for those with suicidal tendencies. The most popular place
in the city for making the heart beat faster is Lumpini Park at
the intersection of Silom and Rama IV Roads. Open from 05:00-21:00
each day, it is always filled with people - including many of the
city's early rising movers and shakers - making themselves
healthier by navigating its 2.54 km circuit. Chatuchak Park, out
by the Weekend Market, is a good place for a run, but it is far
from the center of action. For those interested in walking or light
jogging, centrally located Benjasiri Park on Sukhumvit Road adjacent
to the snazzy Emporium Shopping Center is a good choice. At the
end of the day if you can't live without a run, you might be
better off selecting a hotel with its own jogging area. The Hilton,
for example, has a private jogging area that wanders through a beautiful
garden. Other hotels with places to jog include the Royal Orchid
Sheraton, the JW Marriott, the Pathuwan Princess and the Oriental.
Dining
at Home
Some of Bangkok's finest and most romantic restaurants can
be found in old homes that have been converted into dining spots.
Le Café Siam (02-671-0030) is in a class by itself when it
comes to romantic charm. A meal at this French restaurant is guaranteed
to make the heart grow fonder. Located on hard to find Soi Aksorn,
it is important to call for directions. For a Thai meal in a former
residence, try the excellent food in the charmingly outfitted Baan
Khanitha (02-258-4181) on Sukhumvit Soi 23. The artwork, place settings
and ambiance combine to make this one of the city's most charming
restaurants. The new kid on the block is the Mantra (02-632-1632)
on restaurant-rich Convent Road. The house has been virtually untouched
during its 120 years of existence. The fusion menu is reasonably
priced and has some excellent selections. Time will tell where this
place is going, but it seems poised to make an impact.
Beer,
Beer and More Beer
Maybe it's the hot weather and hot food, but Bangkokians have
an unquenchable thirst for the amber beverage with foam on top.
October is the month when the city starts setting up its outdoor
beer gardens. They spring up all over the place, but by far the
biggest of the lot is the mammoth affair set up outside the World
Trade Center. In addition to beer from a host of producers, lots
of beer friendly food is served, including things like whole barbecued
pigs. Much smaller, but lots of fun is the beer garden operated
by the Amari Boulevard Hotel. The beer is reasonable and there is
a 2-for-1 promotion from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm. A couple of blocks
away at the Ambassador Hotel there is a large beer garden in operation
that has live music and lots of opportunities for people watching.
Afternoon
Tea
If beer isn't your cup of tea, maybe you should try the real
thing. Several of Bangkok's hotels and restaurants offer afternoon
tea to help shoppers and sightseers recharge their batteries so
they can return to the field of battle. For those with a sense of
history, by all means go to the Author's Lounge at The Oriental
(02-659-9000) and have tea where the likes of Joseph Conrad and
W. Somerset Maughan used to sip and snack on delicious pastries.
Other nice places to stop are the lobby of the Lobby Lounge of the
JW Marriott (02-656-7700) on Sukhumvit Road; the Garden Lounge at
the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok (02-254-1234); and the at The Lobby
at the opulent Peninsula Hotel (02-861-2888) where the Chao Phraya
River serves as a breath taking backdrop.
Bangkok's
4th International Festival of Dance & Music
This month-long event at the Thailand Cultural Centre on Ratchadapisek
Road provides Bangkokians with a feast of music and dance from around
the globe. It started on September 12th and will finish on October
14th. On October 4th and 5th, Faust in Likay-style by the Janaprakal
Chandruang's Moradokami Theater Troupe will examine Faust's
struggle for wisdom and knowledge from a Buddhist perspective. The
WDR Big Band from Cologne, Germany will perform on October 11th,
presenting Colors of Siam, a celebration of Thailand. The next day,
The Eric Vloeimans Quintet from Holland and the Danish Hans Ulrik
Jazz Group, accompanied by singer Angelita Li will perform. On October
13th, Compania Adaluza de Danaza Spain, will present the last event
of the festival. Tickets are available from Counter Service Outlets
(02-631-1100) at leading department stores.
The grand ballroom of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (02-653-0333)
is increasingly becoming the site of significant cultural events.
On October 4th and 6th, La Boéhme, Giacomo Puccini's most
loveable opera, will be produced with the proceeds from the event
being donated to AGAPE home for babies affected with HIV/AIDS in
Chiang Mai. Tickets that include dinner at one of the hotel's
restaurants range in price from 1600 baht net to 2200 baht net;
viewing the opera along is 1000 baht net. There is a 20% discount
for Sheraton Grande Club members.
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