Drinking with leopards, lions, horses and elephants by Prayer Trairatvorakul, Brooke Pearson, illustrations by Cheunpis Suwanbhanu

The upcoming Oktoberfest has us salivating; so many beers to choose from, so little time. It hasn’t always been that way. Thai beer didn’t even exist until about 70 years ago. And up until the 1990s, the real headache was not from the hangover, but from trying to drink something other than a Singha. Today, we’re awash with micro-breweries, foreign beers brewed locally (Heineken, Asahi, San Miguel, Tiger, Red Horse and Kloster), and truly local beers: Singha, Chang, Leo, Phuket Beer and Archa. So how did we get all of these party animals? (read more...)

Nothing beats an ice-cold beer to cool you down when it’s scorching outside. But who serves the coldest beer in town? We scoured the city with a handy thermometer to find Bangkok’s iciest brew.

Londoner Brew Pub

Pilsner draft: 16˚C, B220.

Cream Bitter draft: 14˚C, B130. The brewmaster insisted that they shouldn’t be served too cold, but this is still a far cry from the 6-8˚C he recommends.

Happy Hour: daily 4-7pm. Buy one get one free on house beer and cocktails. 

B/F, UBC 2 Bldg., 591 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-261-0238-9 (read more...)

Hi Mr. KIA, books-on-tape are more popular than ever (reading is so 20th century!), along with podcasts (who has time to actually listen to programs when they’re on the radio), and there are now audio versions of textbooks and instructional tapes, etc. I would like to ride this wave, by doing some voiceover work. I have done voiceovers for some radio ads, but I still feel that I need to develop this skill, and to perhaps learn some tips from the pros. Do you know any organizations here in the city that offer voice lessons that aren’t focused on singing, but specifically train people for this kind of commercial voice usage. I appreciate your suggestions.—Hear Me Out (read more...)

Though these two aren’t from a big fashion house, Sudar Sumranwanich (Ratn) and Anuchit Rachakaew (Timmy) are making it to the international stage at WOW 2007 (Montana World of Wearable Art Awards). On September 21, the final round will be shown at the TSB Bank Arena, Wellington, New Zealand, where the winners will be announced. Keep your fingers crossed for them and to find out who wins, check the announcement online after the show at www.worldofwearableart.com. (read more...)

With the Thailand Open starting this week, and the PTT Bangkok Open just around the corner—tennis fever is likely to strike. If you have caught the contagious urge to hit the hardcourt, here’s how to do it in style. (read more...)

Forget your preconceived notions about Japan, Fukuoka is relaxing and not so pricey by Andrew Hiransomboon

Most visitors to Japan are drawn to either the fast-paced and futuristic world of Tokyo or the elegant Zen and centuries-
old traditions exemplified by cities like Kyoto. But the ideal Japanese holiday has you doing a bit of both: one
minute you’re squeezing (or being squeezed) into a packed subway car, the next, camera in hand, you’re respectfully strolling
down a pebble path toward a miraculously preserved ancient temple.

In other words, most people’s Japanese vacations are full-on cultural experiences. Mt. Fuji: smile, click; check. Taxi with automatic door: check. Tea ceremony: click, check. Kaiseki, onsen, samurai, geisha, Roppongi… and you return with an album full of photos, tired feet and an empty wallet. (read more...)

Once a shy, unconfident girl who never dreamt of becoming famous, Khemapsorn Sirisukha (Cherry) has stepped graciously into the limelight. She is known for her nang-ek roles in many hit TV series like Dao Long Fah and Kaew Ta Pii. Back in 2000, the TV star first appeared on the big screen with Satang, and won a best supporting actress award. After a nine-year hiatus, Cherry is back with a big-budget, star-studded fantasy action flick, Opapatika, scheduled to hit theaters in October. (read more...)

Adam Nadel, 39, is a renowned New York photojournalist who has even been nominated for a Pulitzer. His first-ever exhibition in Asia, “SCAPES: Trace & Scar,” which will be shown at Teo+Namfah Gallery, features four series of landscape photographs: water, manmade landscapes, found images in subway stations, and a series of skyscapes, which are subtle Rothko-esque abstract images of post 9/11 NYC sunsets. (read more...)

Simon Goff, 30, has been in Bangkok helping prepare the recently launched Asian MTV Exit campaign, which aims to increase awareness of human trafficking and help prevent it. A related short documentary, narrated by Tata Young, will air on MTV (Sep 21, 23, 25). (read more...)

This month, Alliance Francaise Theater invites contemporary dances Klaus Fruchtnis, Philippe Saint-Paul and Olivier Vinkler. With more than 20 years of on stage experience, they will take you on a journey with their first collaboration work called In Transit. (read more...)

Tul Hiranyalawan is a photographer and a guest lecturer at Bangkok University as well as one of the most wanted bachelors, as selected by Cleo Magazine in 2006. (read more...)