Wow, it’s September, already? 2007 is slipping by fast! Get ready for the heavy rains to start coming down with a vengeance, and, of course, for your monthly quiz to test your knowledge of current events. (read more...)

BARSU

The bar itself may not appear to be a tapas kind of place, but indeed there is a tapas menu created by a two-star Michelin chef. Funky food and electric cocktails go well together with the cool crowd and decent enough music (on some nights, at least). Plus, if you go at the night time, free food! (read more...)

Sixteen of the city’s top markets duke it out for the right to be called Bangkok’s best bazaar. Photos by Prasit Kongdang (read more...)

Dear Mr. KIA: I wanna be a rock star but there’s no way I’m going to humiliate myself by joining AF. Sure, they get famous fast, but only because they’re exposing their lives on TV, definitely not because of their talent. My band and I want to be known for our music, not for some phony reason. We’re pretty good at what we do but I still think we need a little bit of help before we start cranking out a demo. I was wondering if there are any classes out there that are geared towards training you to become a kick-ass rock band? Thanks Mr. KIA and you’ll be the first to get a backstage pass to our sell-out concert—Don’t Mock My Rock. (read more...)

Back on stage after a year off, Malene Mortensen and her band return to Bangkok (see +music, page 16) for the third time with her sultry bluesy style. At the ripe age of 25, she’s already recorded two albums. (read more...)

Out with casual sex, in with high-tech self-gratification

Fear of HIV, your wife threatening to cut it off and feed it to ducks if you stick it into a stranger, or just a lack of partner(s)—there are many reasons a boy might want to have a little solo action. (read more...)

If you’ve ever purchased a lottery tickets, you’ve met someone like Nongluck Saetung, 67. You can catch her every day, on Silom Road, peddling little numbered scraps of paper that can make big dreams come true. (read more...)

A dozen things to do in Shenzhen

Before 1979, if you traveled to Shenzhen, the capital of Guandong Province, you would find a charming fisherman’s village. But that postcard perfect quaintness radically changed after China’s then-leader Deng Xiaoping declared, “To get rich is glorious,” and decided to make this mainland area, which is located near Hong Kong, the first special economic zone in China. Nearly 30 years later, it’s a city bursting with energy, populated with 8.3 million busy city-dwellers, tall buildings and malls. Fake Louis Vuitton bags have replaced the fishing nets, but beneath the industrial and commercial surface of Shenzhen, it’s an affordable and exciting getaway. (read more...)

Komgrit Triwimol’s 2005 directorial debut, Peuan Sanit, brought instant fame to Sunny Suwanmethanont. Unlike most new stars, after making a name for himself, he remained low-key to the point of near-invisibility. (read more...)

Five savory sites explore the best eats in Bangkok and beyond

Word-of-mouth buzz is often a better gauge for judging service-oriented businesses, like restaurants, than advertising, PR or reviews from snooty newspapers or magazines (except of course, BK’s, which you can always rely on). To find some off-the-beaten-path grub, ditch your clipped articles and pocket sized food guidebooks and go online for some first-hand reviews written by real deal food fanatics who feel compelled to share their opinions with the world through their blogs and websites. So if you want another source of reviews with personality, visit these sites and learn where you can find the yummiest treats. (read more...)