bangkok bulletin

joel quenby reveals bangkok’s latest news

 STREET STYLE

Thai designers are joining the likes of Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton as part of a new initiative by the upscale Gaysorn Bangkok shopping mall (www.gaysorn.com).

The mall's second-floor Urban Chic Street zone showcases over 15 top thai fashion brands, including everything from established local labels like Greyhound (left ) to emerging brands like bridal specialists, Kai's Boutique. Kai's latest ready-to-wear collection is for more than just weddings though - its semi-formal evening dresses feature chiff on and lace in easy-to-wear pastels.

 QUICK CHANGE

Originally slated to take place in January this year, it was recently announced that the Bangkok International Film Festival 2007 is now scheduled to run on 19-29 July at Central World, the new downtown shopping and lifestyle complex. Bouncing back from the change in timing, the event, which screened mostly international movies in previous editions, will focus on Asian cinema this year. Log onto www.bangkokfilm.org

ROOM RENDEZVOUS

 Think all hotel rooms look the same? Then head to Bangkok's trendy new 600-million baht Siam@Siam Design Hotel & Spa (www.siamatsiam.com) opposite the National Stadium. Called an "urban art gallery", the building's 203 rooms all feature slightly diff erent artworks, furniture and fittings made of materials such as concrete, steel and wood.

 It is too big to qualify for boutique status, explains sales manager Paprika Chantabully, but it has all the charms and individuality of a hotel half its size.

Groups that are larger than two will love Siam@Siam's spacious family rooms. They come fitted with three beds, meaning you don't have to pay for an extra crash-pad. 

 Also be sure to check out the roof-top restaurant, Eat Twenty Five, which offers high-resolution binoculars so diners can indulge in a spot of voyeurism.

1.5 MILLION

That's how many books reading junkies can expect at the Thailand Book Tower (TBT) , a "book city" on Sathorn Road which o? ers nine levels of stores dedicated to thai-language reading on Sathorn Road. With 6,000 square metres of space, there are di?erent genres of bookshops (from kid's stu? to classical literature) on each floor. There are also co?ee shops and a food court. Plans for a sizeable foreign-language library on the eighth floor should bear literary fruit later this year. Open from 10am to 9pm.

Tel +66 (0)2 236-7575, www.thailandbooktower.com

ARSY'S BARSU

Since the mid-1980s, Belgian Fabrice de Barsy has been a pioneer in the heart of the Southeast Asian nightlife scene, conceptualising and presiding over celebrated nightspots across the region.

BarSu, a chic and elegant lounge in the basement of Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, is his first installment in Bangkok ( www.barsubangkok.com ).

Here, the veteran of Asia's grown-up playgrounds opines on house music, Bed Supperclub and Mariah Carey.

Where do you like to go out in Bangkok?
I'm a fan of Bed Supperclub. I also like to go to the clubs on Royal City Avenue, Sukhumvit, to see how locals like to party, so I can attract them to my club. For great jazz, there's Saxophone ( see Jazzing It Up, page 90 ), which goes by the same name as a jazz joint I used to run in Singapore.

And BarSu's concept includes a ban on house music and hip hop?
Yes. Sometimes we do play a bit of house, but rarely. We're more into soul, funk and rock. It's very selfish, but I just play what I like and hope others share my taste - and it seems that they do!

You're known to have celebrity friends. Who are the nicest stars you've met so far?
Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana, because he's just so humble.
I still keep in touch with him; he said that when I go to San Francisco, I can stay at his house. I had a great time speaking to Mick Jagger in French when I met him at Sky Bar in the State Tower. Mariah Carey was the most surprising. She wasn't at all arrogant, like I'd been warned.

What future projects do you have lined up?
There's a great bar at the Goodwood Hotel in Singapore and I'm really interested in that. I'm also looking at doing something in India, China, Vietnam and Burma. So watch this space!