Showing 1 - 10 of 13
The fifth Meliá in Thailand
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 13/10/2025
» Meliá Pattaya Hotel, the fifth Meliá in Thailand, is a 12-storey building on Pattaya Sai Song. Grand Sole Pattaya has been given a major glow-up and emerges anew as Meliá Pattaya Hotel. Had I not been told, I would have thought it was a new property built from the ground up.
"Summer Sonic Bangkok" recap
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 10/09/2024
» Summer Sonic Bangkok took place on Aug 24-25 at Impact Challenger Hall, featuring 50 international artists, as well as indie Thai acts. The two-day music event took over two halls of Impact Challenger. One is dedicated to various activities, sponsor booths, a food corner and a stage for local acts. The other is for the main stage.
Tiny and cosy
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 06/11/2023
» 'PPAL49 X Sardine @Scope Promsri' is a joint effort between PPAL Cafe, the homeware brand Sardine and the luxurious condo Scope Promsri on Sukhumvit 49.
Nitori's first branch to open Aug 31 at CentralWorld
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 29/08/2023
» Japanophiles in Thailand rejoice! Another major brand from Japan is setting up shop in Thailand. Following a two-hour pre-opening on Aug 26, furniture and home furnishing brand Nitori will open its flagship store on the fifth floor of CentralWorld on Rama I Road on Aug 31.
A staycation for pawrents
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 29/10/2021
» Standing 40-storey tall amid leafy surroundings, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok celebrates its first anniversary this month. An oasis in the city where you (and your pet) can escape to for a green respite.
Afterlife wish list
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 05/02/2021
» Chinese New Year next Friday is a special one since it'll be the first time it's approved as a public holiday in Thailand by the Cabinet. We may as well make it a tradition, given the huge population of overseas Chinese here. As a third-generation Thai with complete Chinese ethnicity, I grew up with a lot of quirky traditions that my Thai Thai friends may not be aware of. Burning paper offerings on important occasions like Qingming Festival or CNY is at the top as it's a gesture of taking care of departed loved ones in the afterlife with creature comforts. Over the years, I've seen the evolution (and irony) of paper offerings from banknotes with 12 digits (hyperinflation much?) to treadmills so ama and agong can stay in shape. Here are a few of the most creatives offerings for your entertainment:
Amari anew
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 31/01/2020
» Amari Pattaya, which underwent major renovations last year, now offers the new Amari Suites and original-but-fully-rejuvenated Amari Tower. It immediately gives guests a sense of arrival with its vast and spacious lobby at Amari Tower. The receptionists work with their backs to a huge and beautiful wall panel created by Italian artist Alex Turco. It shows different shades of blue, fitting to Amari Pattaya's beachside location. Look above and you'll see a very long rattan chandelier that resembles the clouds. Living up to its family-friendly status, a counter is dedicated to a children's check-in. Yep, you read that right. A young guest who's below the age of 12 can "check-in" and receive vouchers and small gifts. Gimmicky, definitely yes. But it should make the kids feel special and welcome. And who wouldn't like that?
For the (curious) records
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 13/09/2019
» It seems like not a month goes by without Thailand being recognised on a global scale. Recently, Bangkok beat Paris and London as the most visited city in the world for 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, according to a MasterCard ranking. Thailand's capital hosted 22 million overnight travellers. In the midst of the flattering and not-so-flattering world titles Thailand has received, you may not be aware of the times we receive recognition for rather peculiar feats. If your curiosity is piqued, allow me to present the strange/cool world records in the Land of Smiles.
Summer Memes
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 26/04/2019
» Welcome to one of the hottest days of this year! You may not know that yesterday and today are the most sizzling, according to Rangsit University's Climate Change and Disaster Center. Oh, and if you want to have fun in the sun, tomorrow is the date when the sun shines at Thailand at 90 degree angle, according to National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand. #funfact.
Thai-style Maths Problems
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 01/03/2019
» How good are you with numbers, dear readers? Let's put you to the test in this mathematics quiz which -- and I can't state the following sentence strongly enough -- has not been inspired by any real-life incidents. (Cough cough cough, sorry almost choked there!) They are completely fictional, purely for your entertainment. The answers are at the end. No cheating!