A Siamese twin treat of music and magic
Iam currently writing this piece while observing flowers in full bloom during the French Spring. I am in a culinary mood, inspired not by nouvelle French cuisine, but by an exquisite tom yum goong at Michelin star-revered resto Sukho Thai in Paris.
One bite and flashbacks turn to the musical beats of last month’s Pattaya Music Festival, where a celebration of all things Thai—food,- music and more—served as sizzling highlight. It is my first time to this fabled land—party Pattaya, to put it simply (not wildly) and to party hop has been second nature to me. So hop I did to various stages set up within the island, like a Boracay station hop-two-three, only three times more massive! It also felt like a Zouk Out at Silosa beach, Sentosa, Singapore. Or a fete dela musique, Thai style—meaning yummy, hot and spicy!
The Pattaya Music Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to this part of the region annually, and this forms part of the tourism dollars that gets poured into the kingdom’s aggressive campaign to get the word out to show the world that they are truly “amazing.” What was amazing to me while experiencing all the actionwas how our Thai bros used a party, a festival of music in this case, to serve as a bridge between cultures.
The whole island pulsated with music—from the various stages to the side streets and even in every market booth and street booty—music was blasting out of speakers an out of everywhere! I jammed with Thai rappers and then sang with
Korean crooners before I skipped beats with Japanese DJs—music makes the world go round, and at Pattaya, the world is as round as it gets.
At Dusit’s hot, new property, the hip and happening D2 Pattaya, where the waves inside emulate the waves outside, my sparring Events Incorporated co-host Sam Oh learned how to make tom yum-tini, one hot cocktail to spice up your spirits! Looking around the D2 property,I could already foresee the future of Pattaya—a destination for the global nomad who loves the seductive sun-sea-sand-and-salivate combo, where one is always spoilt for choice.
From Wet To Dry
And speaking of choice, that is what we got when we started shooting our episodes while shopping at the Pattaya Floating Market. To get some quiet time, I opted to act as gondolier, channeling a Venice vibe to the whole Easter equation, as I paddled along the waters of Pattaya while being entertained by the buffet of treats from trinkets sold in the stores to the food served by vendors on their boats. Everything is here—as they say, whatever floats your boat!
From one market to another, from wet to dry, we stormed the Chatuchak weekend market to get random inspirations for décor and giveaways, and what we got was more than a basketful of creativity—that is what the
Thai people have plenty of, not to mention an aggressiveness to promote their culture and resiliency in times of crisis. This from what I have observed from the Thai people—it is what propels them forward. Instead of complaining, they couple it with action. At the Suan Lum Night Market, Samcontinued the action, focusing on her uninterrupted shopping, as did the whole Pinoy QTV team in search of the best finds for mom, dad, kuya, ate, everyone! With shopping available till late each day, somehow clubbing was ruled out of the equation. Or at least they thought.
Clubbing or not, the next day’s treat proved to be worth the while, an aperitif which proved to be a main course climax as we were treated to the best seats in the house for Siam Niramit, a Nayong Pilipino type of park slash performance art venue that is your crash course in Thai culture. Here you see the way the Thai peeps lived when it was still a boat town—like an Asian version of Venice. These days, these towns still exist, but it is harder to find in cosmopolitan Bangkok, now a capital for commerce, not to mention a mecca for Pinoy’s favorite pastime, shopping.
Razzle Dazzle, Music And Magic
At Siam Niramit, traditional Thai characters greet you and transport you into their magical kingdom where everything is elaborate and golden. “Sawasdee krab,” a bow of respect with clasped hands greeting the guests, immediately makes one feel welcome and warm. And then the show. One act after another, a spectacular, spectacular production of lights, sounds, set, special effects, dancers, actors and musicians — manages to razzle dazzle in a most unadulterated “edu-tainment” form while teaching a history lesson.
With a cast of 75 performers, two elephants (onstage!) and goats, too — Siam Niramit is a must-see for every visitor to Thailand. I am officially placing my nomination for it to be part of the 1000 Things to Do book series, alongside going to a Turkish hammam and visiting the Taj Mahal (Thai Airways flies to New Delhi, too by the way).
My latest BKK sojourn had its fitting finale with a dessert option of having a one-on-one private royal Thai cuisine class with master chef Ajorn Sissamon, who has cooked for the Thai royal family for 35 years and has published books on the matter. She’s the star of the Royal Thai resto at the Amari Watergate, alongside amiable hotel general manager André Peletier.
I had a date with hot-Thai Paula Taylor, who’s been dominating both the boob tube and the billboards with her product endorsements. That one hot day at Amari Watergate in Bangkok, Paula had just finished filming a Hollywod film that was shot in the city. So expect her to soar higher—this girl’s career is recession proof.
The Pinoys that we are, we ended our trip with a mad dash for more treasure hunting around the endless malls surrounding Watergate (now I know why this Amari hotel is a Pinoy favorite). Sam even bought another giant bag to fit in all her finds, while I was happy to take home more memories of music and magic from one of my favorite destinations in the world.
(Thai Airways flies double daily to Bangkok, except Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For more info call (+632) 812-4218 or log on to www.thaiairways.com.)
