With elections now just two days away (Jul 3), the long weeks of campaigning are coming to a close. Weeks that involved daily canvassing on the sois and markets of Bangkok, facing die-hard fans and bitter sceptics—not to mention the elements. We followed five candidates in an effort to discover what it takes to win your vote: beaming smiles, promises or just being from the right party.

It is 11am on Wednesday, June 15. Chitpas Bhirombhakdi and her campaign crew are in front of a jeans shop next to Petchburi Road, waiting for the rest to arrive. Everyone is wearing light blue Democrat polo shirts sporting the party’s number 10. The MP candidate herself sports a polo in a darker shade of blue, matching trousers, pink Converse sneakers and a ponytail. When she sees us, she smiles brightly, greets us and then goes over to sit on top of an ice box. You’d never guess this casual 26-year-old is the daughter of Singha Corporation’s executive vice president Chuntinant Bhirombhakdi and ML Piyapas, an aristocrat close to HM the Queen.

It has been two years since the Singha heiress resigned from her position in the prime minister’s secretariat, over a scandal where she had been distributing copies of raunchy Leo beer calendars outside Government House. Now, as the Democrat candidate for the Dusit Ratchatewi constituency, she aims to one day become the first female prime minister of Thailand, with July 3 just the first of several election campaigns on her path to Government House’s highest office.

She speaks to us in English, with a hint of a British accent from her school days abroad. “I’m just trying the best I can,” says the King’s College graduate. “I can’t predict anything right now because everything comes down to the last week before election.”

Her aim is to cover the whole area of the constituency at least twice before the election. “I’m a new face. I have to work twice as hard,” she says.

We pause when a man wearing a red shirt conducts a one-man protest, taunting Chitpas and her crew with a Yingluck poster. The crew laughs it off, but we ask her if she finds it difficult when red shirts show up at her walk-abouts.

“Not really,” she says. “I respect that. Obviously, different people have different beliefs and opinions. If they have a question to ask me, I’m willing to answer.”
The sun is scorching at 11:30am as the last of the crew arrives, and Chitpas heads into Petchburi Soi 31 to start campaigning. She stops by all the shops that line the soi, along with Senator Poosadee Wansekumhaeng, and wais the sellers, customers and passersby, while her crew hands out flyers. People are polite and seem to be in awe of her beauty. Some people even shout out to tell her how beautiful she is.

From time to time, Chitpas wipes the sweat from her brow with a tissue as campaign trucks with faces of Chitpas and Abhisit pass by, playing look tung-style Democrat songs.

It is noon and a man comes to take photos with Chitpas, holding up his hand in a gesture of support. “My family will vote for you. You’ve got 30 votes,” he says. Later at a noodle stall, a woman gives Chitpas a bunch of pink roses. “You’ve got seven votes,” she says.

The crew decides to have a lunch break and we talk to an old woman selling fruits, who has just been greeted by Chitpas.

“I’ll be voting for the Democrats anyway,” she says. “Their campaign promises are good. They give school tuition, they give money to senior citizens. Abhisit gives us many things.”

We then point out to the many campaign cards from different parties she has posted on the wall beside her. “I just stuck them there. But I like the Democrats and I like the Prime Minister.”

After lunch, we talk to one of Chitpas’ assistants, Narissararat Srichantamitr. “I’m confident that she will win,” she says. “I see how much effort she puts in. She can get a lot of campaigning done in one day and walks a lot. People have also responded to her well. She may get criticism and people may say she’s young, but they see how well she can answer their questions.”

Despite her young age, it seems like Chitpas has been preparing for this moment for a long time. She tells us, “I’ve always been interested in politics since I was very young. But I’ve only had the opportunity to see politics from a management point of view, rather than actually working with the people. I try to tell them it’s probably time to let a new generation come in and have more involvement in politics.”

She switches to Thai, “As the government, we always get blamed whenever there are problems. I try to explain [our work] the best I can although I understand that people are frustrated. Campaigning can be tiring but there’s only three weeks left. I won’t give up.”

It is nearly 2pm. Chitpas and her crew walk to Chumchon Jarurat Tonsai, a slum down the road. The heiress does not look uncomfortable as she, Senator Poosadee and their crew navigate through the labyrinth of cramped homes, while cats and dogs scattered everywhere. They stop by a kindergarten and Chitpas greets the children, whose faces are all covered in talcum powder. She then goes to sit on a bench and check her BlackBerry. After a while they head out.

At this point we stop following them. Chitpas is going to continue campaigning down the road and then go to a military base. As the music from the campaign truck fades away, we ask a nearby Isaan food seller her views on the Democrats: “Honestly, I don’t like them,” she says. “It’s been two years and they can only do 30 percent of what they promised. Not even the Prime Minister can do anything and the economy is still bad. [Chitpas is] pretty, but I don’t know if she can actually do anything.” That’s the thing with new candidates, the only way to find out, is to give them a shot. Sasinipa Wasantapruek and Aimmarin Siritantitam

Read the finale of the Campaign Trail series:
Chuvit Komolvisit: The odd one out.

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City Viva is the CBD’s newest community mall. By Natthanun Prasongchaikul and Ubonwan Kerdtongtawee

With a location right in the central business district, City Viva offers opportunities for worktime lunches, shopping sessions and some after-work wining and dining choices as well. The façade looks pretty similar to J-Avenue, but upon entry, you’ll be reminded of Palio in Khao Yai and a bit of Siam Square.

The food establishments cover everything from health foods and burgers to wine bars and beer bistros. Pordee Come (3/F) offers exotic drinks, like sugar-free teas extracted from water lily, butterfly pea, West Indian jasmine, and torch ginger flowers. They also do salad rolls (B89) with their original herbal dressing. The seating area is a bit too tiny, though, so take-away is also recommended. As for those who prefer heartier food, there’s Jurgen’s (3/F), a tiny burger stall that does a small menu of the classic pork (B99), beef (B109), and fish (B99) patties. You can order extra toppings like cheese (B10), sauteed onion (B10), or bacon (B20). A set of pork or fish burger, french fries, and soft drink is B139 and a beef set is B149. The signature here is a recipe of sauerkraut sauce, perfected over many years of house party cooking. Too bad there’s no seating area at all.

For a proper, sit-down dining experience, there’s V2 Beer and Wine Garden (3-4/F, 02-676-9669. Open daily 5pm-midnight), which also offers outdoor seating options overlooking the busy traffic on Narathiwas Road and daily live music. The whole floor is decorated with white furniture and astroturf. A wine list starts at B690 a bottle, and cocktails start at B99. Nice! The food menu is comprised of a few Thai standards. Bloc Beer and Bistro (3/F. 02-676-9595. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-1am) does an extensive list of Belgian beers and Western comfort food served in a laid-back and slightly grungy atmosphere. The signature highlights are: the Bloc fried rice (B155) and their custom brewed Belgian beer, Bloc (B180). On tap are Leffe, Hoegaarden, and Stella Artois (B220/pint). For a more romantic experience, try Wine Fusion (G/F. 02-676-9576. Open daily 10am-midnight) which does Thai and Western food and some inexpensive wines by the glass.

Apart from dining, there are lots of shops covering lingerie, apparel, imported designer gear, shoes, fashion accessories, aroma products and even toys and gadgets. T-Sum (2/F), sells both in-house designed garments and other imported accessories from vintage earrings to designer scarves. There are some perfumes and cosmetics on the shelves as well. Prices range from B600 to B3,000, and best of all, you can try and bargain. Viva La Ville (2/F) imports most of their clothes, bags, and shoes from France, Japan, and USA. They have a wide variety of products from Miu Miu wallets (B12,500) to gorgeous heels (from around B1,290). Prices range from B990 for Mina green dress, to B18,500 for a Louis Vuitton Damier handbag. At Aromantra (3/F), you can buy all kinds of body care products like lotions, shower gels, essential oils and candles, with prices ranging from B149-499.

If neat gadgets turn your head, Taeta (3/F) sells all kinds of gizmos, like a digital slate clock (B2,990), an iPhone zoom-able lens attached with a tiny tripod (B1,200), and a Nikon lens coffee mug (B890). MD Shop (3/F) stocks Korean brand Marianne Kate gift products, and prices range from B300 to B700. There’re also some cute accessories like the iPhone and iPod diary cases (B890), flip flops (B1,500), and some cosmetic bags. You’ll definitely want to visit Len Kong Len (3/F), an endearing toy shop that’s not only for kids. The highlight pieces are the digital cameras with built-in games (B6,500), and a casino set consisting of cards, dominoes, chess, checkers, dice, and chips which all come in a cute dice-like box (B2,500). We also love the DIY Lomo kit (B1,500), the mini popcorn maker (B3,200), the stuffed dolls from Singapore and other childish playthings. Prices start at B40.

Corner of Narathiwas Soi 6, 02-237-9150. www.thecityviva.com. Open daily 10am-10:30pm

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We speak to Diageo’s single malt expert Alex Whang on how to keep your precious spirit cool. Here are his tips:

1. The Ice Ball

“Regular ice cubes work but they melt fast and your whiskey will have a different dilution between your first sip and your last. Ice keeps ice cold, though, so one really big ice cube is better.”

2. Chill the Bottle

“Like vodka, you can actually chill whiskey. It changes the texture, and it removes some of the harshness associated with the alcohol. Unfortunately, it locks in a lot of the flavor, too.”

3. Add some ice-cold water

“Water opens up the flavors of your whiskey. And with this method, the amount of dilution remains identical from the first sip to the last. This is my preferred method.”

Extra Tip

“During tastings, pros will usually taste the whiskey neat first. Then they open it up with a splash of water.”

Top Whiskey Bars

The P&L Club Bangkok. Lobby Floor, The Conrad Hotel, 87 Wireless Road, 02-685-3898. Open Sun-Thu 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-11pm.

Bar @ 494. Lower Lobby, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Road, 02-254-1234. Open Mon-Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 5pm-12am.

The Finishing Post. 23/F Crown Plaza Bangkok, 952 Rama IV Road, 02-238-4300. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm.

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Directed by Rob Marshall; starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush

“It’s never quite clear what the relationship between Jack and Angelica is. Sometimes it’s love, sometimes it’s hate; it probably depended on who was writing the script that day.” Tom Long, Detroit News

“This installment is better than the last two, in the way that a broken leg is better than a punctured lung.” Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review

“Depp, grimacing, edges in and out of the action and seems irrelevant and bored most of the time.” David Denby, New Yorker

“Marshall deserves props for putting the ‘show’ back into the Pirates business. But face it, he’s polishing a giant turd.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“Cutlasses flash, music swells, mast sways, critic yawns.” Kyle Smith, New York Post

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Super 8

Editor's Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

In this drama-meets-sci-fi flick, J.J. Abrams carefully recreates the summer of 1979 when kids played with walkie-talkies, cassette tape Walkmans wowed everyone and video editing involved cutting strips of film with a blade. In this atmosphere, Super 8 combines family drama, lighthearted romance, friendship saga and a violently homesick alien in a film that’s ultimately unoriginal but still a pleasant experience.

Opening Date: 
Tue, 2011-06-21
Images: 
Author: 
BK staff

Apinya Peungjai, 34, has been selling accessories every Tue-Fri on Silom Rd. for 5 years. This month, though, things are especially cramped and hectic as campaign posters, busy office workers and sellers vie for space on the busy sidewalk.

Do the posters affect you in any way?
Yes, a lot. Since the posters have been put up here, I make a lot less money. People stop just to look at them for a laugh instead of looking at my accessories.

How much do you have to pay for this stall?
To the city police officer, B1,500 a month, and I can only sell from Tuesday to Friday. They don’t let us sell on Mondays, and I have to stay with my kids on weekends. I sell from 6:30 to 9:30am in the morning, and from 5 to 9pm in the evening.

Is this enough for a living? Do you do anything else?
No, this is the only business we have; both my husband and I. We make around B70,000 to B80,000 a month and we spend B50,000 on the products. We have to manage the money very carefully: with four people in the family, B20,000 is very little. I have to pay for my two children’s school fees, then B8,000 for nursery after school because they are very small and we are both working till 9pm, gasoline to drive here, food, home, and other essentials for living.

Do you want to do anything else?
Not right now. I feel that this is making a lot more money for me. That’s why I decided to put all my time into this business.

Where do you live?
Prachauthit, around Rama 2; it’s very far away from here. I have to drive here every day to sell my stuff because I believe I can make the most money here. But I’ve never thought about moving here at all. The city is always too busy.

Do you have any trouble selling here?
Well [in a lower voice], you see the kao moo daeng shop there? Sometimes when there are a lot of customers at my stall, they will pretend to be watering the plants from above, to splash water on my customers. They have a young daughter and, in the past, they sent her over to ask for the prices of all my items. Then, they opened their own shop selling the same stuff that I do. My friend used to sell orange juice beside their shop and, guess what, they started selling orange juice too.

Anything else?
Sometimes people steal. It is hard to oversee the whole stall when there are a lot of customers. Some people will just pick an accessory up, put it in their purse and walk away. I don’t usually realize something is missing until it’s too late. One customer who had already bought three bags from me took a B2,000 bag and said she would come back to pay for it. But it’s been days and she’s not back yet.

What would you like to tell Bangkokians?
We have to eat on Mondays too, why can’t we do our business on Mondays? Interview by Natthanun Prasongchaikul

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