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      IconSiam: Heritage in the Making

      December 18, 2018

      Best of Bangkok shopping mall Christmas tree photo

      Bangkok Sparkle

      December 17, 2018

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      Miss Universe 2018 Pageant Contestants at Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant

      December 14, 2018

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      Chef Vichit Mukura

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      Out and About rhythmic gymnastic kid photo

      Kidding Around

      January 4, 2019

      Out and About

      An Interview With David Robinson

      November 5, 2018

      Out and About

      Gimme a Break!

      May 10, 2018

      Out and About

      Football Fever

      May 9, 2018

  • RESTAURANTS
    • Restaurants Chef Chumpol Jangprai photo

      Breaking Bread with Chumpol Jangprai

      January 7, 2019

      Restaurants Red Oven SO Sofitel Bangkok food photo

      Seafood Lovers’ Dream Come True at SO Sofitel Bangkok

      January 4, 2019

      Restaurants Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Restaurants New Year Eve Brewski party photo

      Christmas is Coming Up at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok

      December 12, 2018

      Restaurants EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

  • Nightlife
    • All Feature Club Report Music Scene Nightlife News Reviews bars clubs Cocktail Lounges rooftop bars
      bars Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      Club Report Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Best of Bangkok New Year Eve Brewski party photo

      Christmas is Coming Up at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok

      December 12, 2018

      bars EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Feature Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Feature

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Feature

      Zest Bar & Terrace

      July 6, 2018

      Feature

      I’ll Drink to That!

      June 1, 2018

      Club Report Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Club Report

      This month’s DJ events turn Bangkok into one big party venue

      October 6, 2016

      Club Report

      The DJ Booth

      August 31, 2016

      Club Report

      The DJ Booth

      July 25, 2016

      Music Scene Imagine Dragons

      Just Imagine

      October 13, 2017

      Music Scene

      Jazz Wednesdays

      March 20, 2017

      Music Scene

      The Rock Philosopher

      September 29, 2016

      Music Scene

      The Rock Philosopher

      September 7, 2016

      Nightlife News EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Nightlife News Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Nightlife News

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Nightlife News

      Jay Sean at LEVELS

      September 5, 2018

      Reviews Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      Reviews EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Reviews Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Reviews Family Sunday Brunch Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi table photo

      Latest Recipe

      December 7, 2018

      bars Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      bars EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      bars

      Top Bangkok Riverside Bar Views

      November 15, 2018

      bars

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      clubs

      Mojjo Lounge Bar

      July 3, 2017

      clubs

      Nervo in Phuket

      December 6, 2016

      clubs

      Beach Club@Pullman G

      August 19, 2016

      clubs

      Flow House Bangkok

      June 2, 2016

      Cocktail Lounges Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Cocktail Lounges

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Cocktail Lounges

      The Diplomat Bar

      December 29, 2017

      Cocktail Lounges

      Revolucion Cocktail

      July 14, 2015

      rooftop bars

      ABar

      January 29, 2018

      rooftop bars

      Octave Rooftop Lounge

      October 5, 2017

      rooftop bars

      The sky’s the limit

      February 27, 2017

      rooftop bars

      ThreeSixty Lounge

      July 15, 2016

  • LIFESTYLE
    • Lifestyle News all day tattoo shop front photo

      All Day Tattoo Studio Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      Lifestyle News Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      Raining Stars in Bangkok

      November 14, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      A Bright Idea

      June 29, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      Summer Hill Celebrates Grand Opening With Full Occupancy

      April 5, 2018

  • ART & CULTURE
    • All Art & Culture News Books & Film Exhibitions Feature Photo Feature
      ART & CULTURE Pawit Mahasarinand photo

      BACC… To the Future

      January 17, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Old Bangkok Fabrizio La Torre photo

      Memory Lane: A Walk Through Old Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Hugh Maynard acting photo

      An Interview with Hugh Maynard

      January 15, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Art & Culture News Hugh Maynard acting photo

      An Interview with Hugh Maynard

      January 15, 2019

      Art & Culture News Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Art & Culture News

      Desperation Versus Happiness in Art

      October 30, 2018

      Art & Culture News

      An Interview with Megan Ross

      October 16, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      August 31, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      July 31, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      June 29, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      June 1, 2018

      Exhibitions Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Exhibitions Bruce Gundersen Art

      Bruce Gundersen

      December 11, 2018

      Exhibitions

      Desperation Versus Happiness in Art

      October 30, 2018

      Exhibitions

      Bangkok Biennale Beyond Bliss – Ecstasy of Truth

      October 16, 2018

      Feature Old Bangkok Fabrizio La Torre photo

      Memory Lane: A Walk Through Old Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      Feature

      A Cultural Performance Like No Other

      September 12, 2018

      Feature dance Bangkok

      Movers and Shakers

      October 30, 2017

      Feature Imagine Dragons

      Just Imagine

      October 13, 2017

      Photo Feature

      Fashion Freeze Frame

      May 3, 2017

      Photo Feature

      Moving Images

      March 31, 2017

      Photo Feature

      3 amazing Thai female artists

      March 2, 2017

      Photo Feature Teeratat Numkaew at Kalwit Studio & Gallery

      La Fête Galleries’ Night

      January 30, 2017

  • TRAVEL
    • Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      August 31, 2018

      Travel News

      GLOW Ao Nang Krabi

      April 5, 2018

      Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      March 28, 2018

      Travel News

      24-hour Flash Sale At The Emerald Cove Koh Chang

      October 3, 2017

      Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      September 27, 2017

  • COLUMNS
    • All Bizarre Thailand CHew On This Historic Bangkok Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings Making Merit Now/New/Nest Now/New/Next Tom’s Two Satang
      Best of Bangkok Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      CHew On This Street Food vendor Bangkok photo

      A Moveable Feast

      January 9, 2019

      Art Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      COLUMNS Kaeng Kari Nai Yong by Mr. Yong outdoor photo

      Chinese Thai Curry in Chinatown

      December 24, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Bangkok Noir: The Telltale Art

      September 15, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Whale Watching

      August 7, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Edible Insects

      July 12, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      The Thai Way of Death

      June 18, 2018

      CHew On This Street Food vendor Bangkok photo

      A Moveable Feast

      January 9, 2019

      CHew On This

      Boat Noodles at Victory Monument

      October 31, 2018

      CHew On This

      At Your Service, Or Not

      October 16, 2018

      CHew On This

      Taking to the River

      September 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok Iconsiam outdoor photo 3

      IconSiam: Heritage in the Making

      December 18, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      JJ Mall: Shopping Nostalgia for the 60s, 70s and 80s

      October 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      Bangkok’s other ‘intangible heritage’

      September 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      The Joachim Grassi Effect

      August 24, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      A Day at the Stadium

      October 10, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      Leave the Night On

      August 31, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      Treasure Hunting

      August 12, 2018

      Making Merit

      New Year, Old Traditions

      March 28, 2018

      Making Merit

      Pachyderm Parade

      February 27, 2018

      Making Merit Trimurti Shrine

      Lover’s Landmark

      February 14, 2018

      Making Merit

      Second-Hand Treasure Troves

      November 27, 2017

      Now/New/Nest Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      Now/New/Nest Bruce Gundersen Art

      Bruce Gundersen

      December 11, 2018

      Now/New/Nest Angkrit Ajchariyasophon photo

      Angkrit Ajchariyasophon

      December 6, 2018

      Now/New/Next Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      Now/New/Next

      Zaiyu Hasegawa

      October 10, 2018

      Now/New/Next

      Tawn Chatchavalvong

      September 1, 2018

      Now/New/Next

      Josean Alija

      July 31, 2018

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Thailand

      December 26, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Bangkok

      November 22, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang Ayutthaya

      On Ayutthaya

      October 16, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Ending Particles

      September 24, 2017

  • CITY GUIDE
    • Restaurants
    • Nightlife listing
    • Shopping
    • Sightseeing
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Temples
    • On The Block
Top Posts
Newly renovated Moon Bar at Banyan Tree is...
Front Room
Karmakamet Conveyance
The Bar at The House on Sathorn
Valentine’s Experiences Outside The City
Valentine’s Deals Around Bangkok
Chinese New Year Gathering Locales
Silavadee Pool Spa Resort – Koh Samui
Gaja Korean Gastrobar
BACC… To the Future
All Day Tattoo Studio Bangkok
Memory Lane: A Walk Through Old Bangkok
An Interview With Michael Bridge

Bangkok 101

  • HOME
  • WHAT’S ON
  • BEST OF BKK
    • All Best of Bangkok My Bangkok Out and About
      Best of Bangkok Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      BEST OF BKK rhythmic gymnastic kid photo

      Kidding Around

      January 4, 2019

      Best of Bangkok Iconsiam outdoor photo 3

      IconSiam: Heritage in the Making

      December 18, 2018

      Best of Bangkok shopping mall Christmas tree photo

      Bangkok Sparkle

      December 17, 2018

      Best of Bangkok Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      Best of Bangkok Iconsiam outdoor photo 3

      IconSiam: Heritage in the Making

      December 18, 2018

      Best of Bangkok shopping mall Christmas tree photo

      Bangkok Sparkle

      December 17, 2018

      Best of Bangkok Miss Universe 2018 group photo

      Miss Universe 2018 Pageant Contestants at Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant

      December 14, 2018

      My Bangkok

      An Interview With Thanaruek Laoraowirodge

      December 5, 2018

      My Bangkok

      Zymone Gill

      September 9, 2018

      My Bangkok

      Chef Gigg Kamol

      August 23, 2018

      My Bangkok

      Chef Vichit Mukura

      August 5, 2018

      Out and About rhythmic gymnastic kid photo

      Kidding Around

      January 4, 2019

      Out and About

      An Interview With David Robinson

      November 5, 2018

      Out and About

      Gimme a Break!

      May 10, 2018

      Out and About

      Football Fever

      May 9, 2018

  • RESTAURANTS
    • Restaurants Chef Chumpol Jangprai photo

      Breaking Bread with Chumpol Jangprai

      January 7, 2019

      Restaurants Red Oven SO Sofitel Bangkok food photo

      Seafood Lovers’ Dream Come True at SO Sofitel Bangkok

      January 4, 2019

      Restaurants Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Restaurants New Year Eve Brewski party photo

      Christmas is Coming Up at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok

      December 12, 2018

      Restaurants EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

  • Nightlife
    • All Feature Club Report Music Scene Nightlife News Reviews bars clubs Cocktail Lounges rooftop bars
      bars Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      Club Report Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Best of Bangkok New Year Eve Brewski party photo

      Christmas is Coming Up at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok

      December 12, 2018

      bars EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Feature Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Feature

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Feature

      Zest Bar & Terrace

      July 6, 2018

      Feature

      I’ll Drink to That!

      June 1, 2018

      Club Report Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Club Report

      This month’s DJ events turn Bangkok into one big party venue

      October 6, 2016

      Club Report

      The DJ Booth

      August 31, 2016

      Club Report

      The DJ Booth

      July 25, 2016

      Music Scene Imagine Dragons

      Just Imagine

      October 13, 2017

      Music Scene

      Jazz Wednesdays

      March 20, 2017

      Music Scene

      The Rock Philosopher

      September 29, 2016

      Music Scene

      The Rock Philosopher

      September 7, 2016

      Nightlife News EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Nightlife News Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Nightlife News

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Nightlife News

      Jay Sean at LEVELS

      September 5, 2018

      Reviews Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      Reviews EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      Reviews Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Reviews Family Sunday Brunch Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi table photo

      Latest Recipe

      December 7, 2018

      bars Blue Parrot restaurant and bar Bangkok photo 2

      Blue Parrot

      January 7, 2019

      bars EatMe Restaurant New Year Countdown

      Free-Flow Bubbly & Six-Course Dinner for Eat Me’s New Year Countdown

      December 11, 2018

      bars

      Top Bangkok Riverside Bar Views

      November 15, 2018

      bars

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      clubs

      Mojjo Lounge Bar

      July 3, 2017

      clubs

      Nervo in Phuket

      December 6, 2016

      clubs

      Beach Club@Pullman G

      August 19, 2016

      clubs

      Flow House Bangkok

      June 2, 2016

      Cocktail Lounges Christmas Afternoon Tea Buffet Anantara Siam Bangkok

      Festive Cheer Arrives to Bangkok’s Most Prestigious Address

      December 11, 2018

      Cocktail Lounges

      Tropic City’s New Cocktail Menu: Volume 2

      October 11, 2018

      Cocktail Lounges

      The Diplomat Bar

      December 29, 2017

      Cocktail Lounges

      Revolucion Cocktail

      July 14, 2015

      rooftop bars

      ABar

      January 29, 2018

      rooftop bars

      Octave Rooftop Lounge

      October 5, 2017

      rooftop bars

      The sky’s the limit

      February 27, 2017

      rooftop bars

      ThreeSixty Lounge

      July 15, 2016

  • LIFESTYLE
    • Lifestyle News all day tattoo shop front photo

      All Day Tattoo Studio Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      Lifestyle News Christmas Turkey cheese

      Christmas Eve Buffet Dinners at Sheraton Hua Hin Pranburi Villas – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

      December 13, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      Raining Stars in Bangkok

      November 14, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      A Bright Idea

      June 29, 2018

      Lifestyle News

      Summer Hill Celebrates Grand Opening With Full Occupancy

      April 5, 2018

  • ART & CULTURE
    • All Art & Culture News Books & Film Exhibitions Feature Photo Feature
      ART & CULTURE Pawit Mahasarinand photo

      BACC… To the Future

      January 17, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Old Bangkok Fabrizio La Torre photo

      Memory Lane: A Walk Through Old Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Hugh Maynard acting photo

      An Interview with Hugh Maynard

      January 15, 2019

      ART & CULTURE Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Art & Culture News Hugh Maynard acting photo

      An Interview with Hugh Maynard

      January 15, 2019

      Art & Culture News Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Art & Culture News

      Desperation Versus Happiness in Art

      October 30, 2018

      Art & Culture News

      An Interview with Megan Ross

      October 16, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      August 31, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      July 31, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      June 29, 2018

      Books & Film

      Film News & Screenings

      June 1, 2018

      Exhibitions Bangkok Art Biennale art pieces photo 4

      BangkoK Art Biennale

      January 9, 2019

      Exhibitions Bruce Gundersen Art

      Bruce Gundersen

      December 11, 2018

      Exhibitions

      Desperation Versus Happiness in Art

      October 30, 2018

      Exhibitions

      Bangkok Biennale Beyond Bliss – Ecstasy of Truth

      October 16, 2018

      Feature Old Bangkok Fabrizio La Torre photo

      Memory Lane: A Walk Through Old Bangkok

      January 16, 2019

      Feature

      A Cultural Performance Like No Other

      September 12, 2018

      Feature dance Bangkok

      Movers and Shakers

      October 30, 2017

      Feature Imagine Dragons

      Just Imagine

      October 13, 2017

      Photo Feature

      Fashion Freeze Frame

      May 3, 2017

      Photo Feature

      Moving Images

      March 31, 2017

      Photo Feature

      3 amazing Thai female artists

      March 2, 2017

      Photo Feature Teeratat Numkaew at Kalwit Studio & Gallery

      La Fête Galleries’ Night

      January 30, 2017

  • TRAVEL
    • Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      August 31, 2018

      Travel News

      GLOW Ao Nang Krabi

      April 5, 2018

      Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      March 28, 2018

      Travel News

      24-hour Flash Sale At The Emerald Cove Koh Chang

      October 3, 2017

      Travel News

      Upcountry Now

      September 27, 2017

  • COLUMNS
    • All Bizarre Thailand CHew On This Historic Bangkok Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings Making Merit Now/New/Nest Now/New/Next Tom’s Two Satang
      Best of Bangkok Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      CHew On This Street Food vendor Bangkok photo

      A Moveable Feast

      January 9, 2019

      Art Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      COLUMNS Kaeng Kari Nai Yong by Mr. Yong outdoor photo

      Chinese Thai Curry in Chinatown

      December 24, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Bangkok Noir: The Telltale Art

      September 15, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Whale Watching

      August 7, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      Edible Insects

      July 12, 2018

      Bizarre Thailand

      The Thai Way of Death

      June 18, 2018

      CHew On This Street Food vendor Bangkok photo

      A Moveable Feast

      January 9, 2019

      CHew On This

      Boat Noodles at Victory Monument

      October 31, 2018

      CHew On This

      At Your Service, Or Not

      October 16, 2018

      CHew On This

      Taking to the River

      September 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok Iconsiam outdoor photo 3

      IconSiam: Heritage in the Making

      December 18, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      JJ Mall: Shopping Nostalgia for the 60s, 70s and 80s

      October 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      Bangkok’s other ‘intangible heritage’

      September 10, 2018

      Historic Bangkok

      The Joachim Grassi Effect

      August 24, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings Wat Paknam photo 4

      Wat Pak Nam

      January 10, 2019

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      A Day at the Stadium

      October 10, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      Leave the Night On

      August 31, 2018

      Joe’s Bangkok by Joe Cummings

      Treasure Hunting

      August 12, 2018

      Making Merit

      New Year, Old Traditions

      March 28, 2018

      Making Merit

      Pachyderm Parade

      February 27, 2018

      Making Merit Trimurti Shrine

      Lover’s Landmark

      February 14, 2018

      Making Merit

      Second-Hand Treasure Troves

      November 27, 2017

      Now/New/Nest Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      Now/New/Nest Bruce Gundersen Art

      Bruce Gundersen

      December 11, 2018

      Now/New/Nest Angkrit Ajchariyasophon photo

      Angkrit Ajchariyasophon

      December 6, 2018

      Now/New/Next Shane Suvikapakornkul photo

      Shane Suvikapakornkul

      January 8, 2019

      Now/New/Next

      Zaiyu Hasegawa

      October 10, 2018

      Now/New/Next

      Tawn Chatchavalvong

      September 1, 2018

      Now/New/Next

      Josean Alija

      July 31, 2018

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Thailand

      December 26, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Bangkok

      November 22, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang Ayutthaya

      On Ayutthaya

      October 16, 2017

      Tom’s Two Satang

      On Ending Particles

      September 24, 2017

  • CITY GUIDE
    • Restaurants
    • Nightlife listing
    • Shopping
    • Sightseeing
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Temples
    • On The Block
BEST OF BKKOut and About

Rival Roasters

written by Bangkok101 September 28, 2017

Two writers visit two different Bangkok-based roasteries, each of which offers specialized cupping and roasting courses

RED DIAMOND

Are you a coffee nerd? Do you know the elevation of where your coffee beans were planted? Then a coffee cupping course at Red Diamond (733 Sangkhom Songkhro Rd) may just be for you.

The first thing to know about a coffee cupping course is what it is not. It’s not an excuse to sip premium coffees from around the world. It is a course, meaning it is trying to educate you on sensory appreciation of coffee—why certain coffees may taste a certain way—and possibly train you to become a coffee judge.

The course takes place in classrooms, and some of the tasting involves solutions or esters to familiarize your taste buds with both flavours and off-flavours. In this regard, it is similar to wine or beer appreciation classes. Red Diamond is the new kid on the block in Bangkok, offering a cupping course (B4,000) along with a basic barista course (B4,500), as well as advance brewing (B8,000) and roasting (B8,000) courses.

Nicholas Haw, a barista originally from South Africa, said the backbone of Red Diamond is teaching and roasting for other companies, but the space on the corner of Sangkhom Songkhro and Pradit Manutham roads, right underneath the Ekkamai-Ram Intra Expressway, does a blistering business as a café as well.

The café has two levels, enrobed in concrete and mesh metal fencing. It features big sliding warehouse doors and pounds hip-hop. There are large containers, bags, and even test tubes of coffee beans everywhere in the building, as well as more machines related to coffee than one would think is humanly possible to acquire. Upstairs customers can play vintage video games under old industrial light fixtures, and the baristas wear one heat-resistant black glove, à la Luke Skywalker.

As should be obvious, Red Diamond wants to be fun, but it is also deadly serious about coffee. The company has its own coffee farm in Chiang Rai and you can drink award-winning cups of coffee from around the world at the café, with espressos starting from B120.

“We are not coffee snobs here,” said Haw. “Our goal is to promote education and appreciation, not stop people from going to the coffee shops they like. The quality of coffee shops in Bangkok is very good in general. There are a few poor ones, but the market will weed them out.”

The arrival of Red Diamond in Bangkok shows that specialization for coffee has reached its apex in the capital, similar to the evolution of whiskey, wine, and chocolate culture. Coffee has been popular in Chiang Mai for a while, owing mostly to the beans they serve being produced in the hills of the North.

“Chiang Mai has a healthy coffee culture, but it’s kind of a monoculture—they use only Thai beans,” remarks Haw as he slowly pours hot water from a fake copper pot into a coffee filter placed on a scale. “In order to improve their coffee there, they need to open up to other kinds of coffee beans, and invite in outsiders to share their knowledge. Thai growers have recently started to enter international coffee competitions and have had decent results. No market in the world has ever reached global prominence without opening up to outside competition and testing its products.”

Most of the students in Red Diamond’s coffee courses are enthusiasts, according to Haw; people working in the coffee business and even some farmers who want to be able to assess how they can produce a better bean. The tastings take place in a “laboratory”, often with all the lights off save one red bulb, similar to a photographer’s darkroom (or the entrance to a whorehouse). It could be a literal interpretation of the phrase “blind taste test”, or perhaps the beans are light-sensitive.

Students will learn about the factors that can make aroma volatile, of which there are multitudes. Yes, the elevation of the coffee farm does affect the enzymes in the bean, which plays a part in the aroma produced. The enzymatic elements in coffee beans are lighter in molecular weight than other components, so they rise quicker than other aromas.

The cupping course also covers the three main types of coffee processing methods: wet, dry, and honey. Indonesia has its own method for processing coffee because it rains so much there. In that country they throw away the cherry—the fruit covering the bean—and put the beans out in the sun to dry as quickly as possible because they’ve already been exposed to so much moisture.

You might be surprised to know a typical cup of coffee is 98-99 percent water and only 1-2 percent coffee beans. The fine folks at Red Diamond are keen to fill you in on other information through their Intercof Academy courses, licensed by both the Specialty Coffee Associations of America and Europe.

Red Diamond is open from 11am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday. To find out more about the times and dates of upcoming courses, call 085 044 2662 or visit www.facebook.com/reddiamondcafe.

By Robin Banks


BIY COFFEE BAR

Although it’s centrally located—just a stone’s throw from the Hua Lamphong railway station—the recently opened BIY Coffee Bar is somewhat easy to miss, as it’s hidden away on the 2nd floor of the Prime Station Hotel (23/34 Tri Mit Rd). But if you’re a self-confessed coffee geek you probably already know about the café’s location and the fact that BIY, which stands for “brew-it-yourself”, is also a showroom for the online coffee equipment shop Beans Here.

The white-walled interior is minimal, to say the least, but large floor to ceiling windows at one end of the room let in plenty of daylight. And while you couldn’t exactly classify it as “cozy”, it’s bright and clean and what’s evident from the get go that the focus here is on coffee… pure and simple.

The man in charge is roaster and co-owner Sirichai ‘So’ Sakornvisava (above), who offers one-day roasting courses for B3,000 per person, as well as cupping classes which vary in price depending on the plantations being sampled. On a recent Sunday afternoon I attended a cupping class being offered for free—registration is essential however—which showcased coffees from three different farms in the Mae Hong Son region of Northern Thailand.

I was accompanied in the class by about a dozen other coffee enthusiasts—of all ages, but all were Thai—and while the course was given in Thai, Khun So speaks excellent English and was able to answer all my questions and explain to me the procedures involved in a proper cupping session.

The session begins with the coffee beans being weighed out into exact portions, then ground and put into plain transparent glasses (each covered by a glass saucer) that are then arranged on the two large tables being used for the tastings. While the water is being heated, the students walk from one set of cups to the other, briefly removing the saucer lid and deeply inhaling the aromas of the different beans, which in turn have gone through different preparation and roasting processes.

When the water has reached the correct and precise temperature, it is poured onto the grounds—again, in specific portions—and the coffee now steeps for four minutes. When the allotted time is up, students then take a spoon and slowly push away the top layer “crust” (bubbles and stray grounds) that has formed on the surface. Having done this three times we are then instructed to inhale deeply the true aroma of the brewed coffee.

Finally, after carefully removing completely the remaining crust and crema with our spoons, we then take a spoonful of unadulterated coffee and noisily slurp it into our mouths. The sound of a dozen adults making exaggerated suction noises is quite amusing at first, but Khun So explains that the slurping action aerates the coffee and enhances the ability to distinguish the flavours. After each taste students dip their spoon into glasses of clear water before trying the next coffee sample. And while novices like me swallow the finished product (cuz we just love coffee), the java purists have a paper cup close at hand and spit their sips out after “tasting” the brew.

For the beginner it might be difficult to distinguish too much difference between each coffee sample, and even So admits that the coffees we are sampling are all Arabica beans, grown in roughly the same region, but he adds that the different altitudes they are grown at, coupled with the different washing and roasting methods, do give some a rich, more robust flavour, and others a lighter more floral quality.

In the end it was an interesting and informative experience, but a far cry from a Sunday afternoon spent “enjoying” a perfectly prepared coffee, and finishing the entire cup. For that, you’re better off just ordering a slow pour coffee (B120) from the handful of roasts on offer each day—check the whiteboard behind the counter for the daily offerings—and if you “brew-it-yourself” you get a 20 percent discount. The minimal menu also includes a small selection of teas, as well as a few dessert-type sweets, and you can purchase bags of their roasted beans which the staff will grind to your coffee maker’s specifications.

BIY Coffee Bar is open from 10:30am to 6:30pm, Saturday to Thursday. To find out more about the times and dates of upcoming courses, call 084 514 2914 or visit www.facebook.com/biybybeanshere.

By Bruce Scott

Rival Roasters was last modified: April 9th, 2018 by Bangkok101
bangkokBangkok cafesBarista trainingBIY Coffee barCoffee roastingRed diamond
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