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That’s a Wrap, All Thai Drama Stereotypes in 13 Episodes

“Stupid Cupid the Series - Parody of Thai drama”

This is a blog about stereotype, again. So first thing first, let me recap the stereotype meaning so all of us will be in the same ground.

The Urban Dictionary meaning:

Stereotype

A stereotype is used to catergorize a group of people. People don't understand that type of person, so they put them into classifications, thinking that everyone who is that needs to be like that, or anyone who acts like their classifications is one.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=stereotype

Example: A stereotype of Asian people is to be good at math. The truth is no, not all Asian are good at math. People of other nationalities are also good at math.

The TV series “Stupid Cupid” (Nam Tar Kam Ma Thep) is the product of this postmodern era. It is a parody of Thai drama that claimed itself as a very very Thai style drama. The series itself is mocking both the media producer in the drama industry and the audience. It shows every possible element in Thai drama that you can expect to see. It’s a cliché. In which in the long run, it becomes a stereotype of the drama.

Some postmodern aesthetics that you’ll find in this series:

1. Bricolage – The series appeared once about seven years ago as a short clip in the movie “Bangkok Traffic Love Story.” The studio wants to continue on this project as an actual TV series.

2. Intertextuality – The most prominent elements in the series. It refers to hundreds of Thai dramas in a funny way. A parody indeed.

3. Blurring of Boundaries – The traditional way of Thai drama is mixing with the new way of TV series. It represents Thai drama in a new way.

4. A society of Spectacle – It’s either that the character is super rich in the series or they are extremely poor. The acting is exaggerated that you’ll never see this in real life.

Stupid Cupid story plot is not different from other story out there. The great grandmother of the wealthy family got sick. The greedy daughter-in-law and her daughter feels threaten that they will not get to own the heritage by the innocent girl in the house. In which the grandmother had arrange the marriage for that girl and her own grandson. Lastly, the grandson also hates that girl.

If this is normal drama, we all know that in the end the grandson and the girl will fall in love no matter how much they hated each other in the beginning. The greedy people will soon get trouble into themselves. In the end, everyone will be smart even though they could have been since the fifth episode.

But this is not a normal drama, it’s a parody. First let’s identify each character’s characteristics. They exaggerated the acting that we can clearly know what type of person they are playing as because it’s a stereotype.

1. The lead actor – Chavee

Charming, rich, live in a big mansion, trust everyone except the right ones, and dislike the lead actress in the beginning.

2. The lead actress – Araya

Beautiful, innocent, mistreated by the lead actor and his family, always minor comparing to the lead actor, and they come in soft makeup.

3. The envious people – Didi, Cholly, and The daughter-in-law

They always sounded in a high-pitched and loud voice. They want either the lead actor or the entire heritage. They come in a vibrant and heavy makeup, usually red lip.

This exaggeration gives us something more than just a funny program to watch. It reflects the Thai society. We judge each other by the way they look. It’s not necessary that a person who wears soft makeup is innocent and those who wear red lipstick is bad. But it has become the stereotype of those characters already.

It also promotes the gender inequality too. Most of the time, female character got fooled and tricked by the envious people. The only way they will be safe is from the protection of the male character. The media portrays women as a very fragile sex.

Lastly, I think it’s time for us to be aware of what we are exposed to. The media have the power to control our minds. Seeing these stereotypes will make people believe that it must be true in the real world, the hyperreality!

#jm204

Fitting in to standout?

In this media saturated era, it’s hard to deny that media has become a big part in our daily life already. “The mass media dominate our sense of reality,” as we’ve learned in class :p. By seeing the stereotypes, the activities in the media that the celebrities had done, and many more that is going on in the media.

Stereotypes = to think that similar things/people are all the same, or share the same traits.

An example for a stereotype in Thailand?

“A land of smile.” You see here that this is a very famous saying about Thailand. It is considered as our selling point. When in fact, people are all different, and we cannot smile 24/7. So this is the idea about stereotypes, it overgeneralize everything.

As for the topic today, I want to talk about the stereotype related issue. I think that people today tries to “standing out” of the crowd by “fitting in.” We, the people, want to be unique, one of a kind, to be recognized. However, to be accepted in the society, being unique is sometimes risky.

If you are different, it’s more easy that you will be judge. And if you are not strong in your standpoint enough, you are likely to transform to be like the mass. People will soon be all the same, fitting in the stereotype that the media show to us.

For example is the K-pop phenomenon. Letter K comes from Korea (South Korea). It has dominated Thai’s trend since about ten years ago. One great example is in the music industry. The Thai record label “Kamikaze” was released and becomes teen’s trend setter.

The song lyrics contains Thai, English, Korean, and Japanese language. It is very postmodern, where things get jumble together. We consume it without really knowing the real meanings, though it makes us enjoy.

Their fashion is also playing a big part in this trend. The singer dressed like Korean and Japanese fashion. Their hair was really significant. It was so hit that almost every teenagers back then used to do that hairstyle too.

Unfortunately, nowadays this trend is not as popular as in the past anymore. Back then, Kamikaze was the stereotype for Thai’s kid. It was so cool during that time. We think that if we be like them, we will be recognizable. Whoever follows the trend was somewhat cool. However, everyone just starting to become alike each other, becoming like what we see in the media. Then what’s the difference? When will people stand out?

To conclude on this topic, are we fitting ourselves in to standout?

My answer is yes. We are heavily influenced by the media and people around us. We follow the trend consciously and unconsciously. Consequently, it shapes not only your appearance but also your attitude. So my opinion toward this is that we must always be aware of what we see in the media. We can choose what to consume and what to follow.

#jm204

Mcdonaldization: I’m lovin’ it (?)

The principles behind one of the largest fast-food chain Mcdonald’s is described as Mcdonaldization. The concept of rationalization is the key to Mcdonaldization. To rationalize means to put things in a reasonable and efficient ways.

There are four dimensions on how to look at these principles which are:

1. Efficiency – to optimize, make the most production in the cheapest price.

2. Calculability – quantity over quality, things that can be counted such as size rather than taste.

3. Predictability – knowing what to expect from a product, no surprise.

4. Control – using non-human production, everything is automatically controlled.

Now let’s look into the example that suits with Thai people.

7-eleven is a franchised convenient store in Thailand which is under CP All Public Company Limited. It does not originated in Thailand yet it has the most number of stores compared to other convenient store here. It is very successful here in Thailand since it is omnipresent. Like literally everywhere you go must have 7-eleven nearby. Some small alleys even have more than one store.

There is an explanation behind this great success of cause. 7-eleven has Mcdonaldized Thai’s society already. In fact, CP All Company also done it in a bigger scale too. They did not only aim at Thai market but to the world’s market.

Let’s look at each dimension on how 7-eleven have done this.

1. Efficiency

Originally, 7-eleven doesn’t have their house brand. They act as a middleman who buy things from producer and sell it individually. Later, there are lots of products from CP Company that sells in 7-eleven.

But things doesn’t end with that, 7-eleven started to produced their own house brand and sell it along with others in a cheaper price (since it is their own brand so they can sell it in their own shop in a cheaper price).

They don’t need to worry that their products won’t have a place to sell because they have their own store. They can optimize their production fully.

2. Calculability

In a rush hour, 10 minutes before classes start, or when you want an easy meal on a trip, I’m sure that 7-eleven’s food must come into your mind. The strength is their fastness. Most of their food is microwaveable. That means it will only take few minutes for our food to get done.

When I see long lines of people in the canteen, I often choose to go in 7-eleven for food instead of lining up. That is because I was certain that I would be able to have my lunch faster.

3. Predictability

There are 7-eleven stores all around Thailand. I know exactly want I want and what I will find when I go into the store, anywhere. It is predictable. It is certainty.

They are always on for us, this is strength. They open 24 hours a day. I know where I can get a food if I am hungry at 3 in the morning.

4. Control

Products are ready to be sold. The only work sellers need to do is getting the cash in and heating the food. The sellers do not need to think, just work.

By using machines, everything is calculated. There are fewer chances for error to occur. We are sure that with the same amount of money, everyone will get their products fairly.

The downside

Being fast is good but not always the best. The food that is microwavable uses many preservation chemicals and techniques so that they will be able to stay in the fridge longer. It is very unhealthy and we should not consume it frequently.

Until now you probably have the answer whether you lovin’ the Mcdonaldized society or not. As for me, I have to admit that I grow up with this kind of society. I don’t hate it but I wish I could experience more traditional things.

Updates*

The Effect

7-eleven produced variety of food that is similar to Thai’s local food such as pork and sticky rice, Thai desserts, and fusion food like sticky rice burger. They allow consumers to experience the sense of local conveniently.

It is a way to promote Thai food to the next level. They make the food preservable, so exporting them to other countries would be an easy thing.

However, it also kills local and small businesses too. Big company like 7-eleven have greater power in many aspects. For example, 7-eleven promote their new products and services in the mass media like TV and radio advertising. People consume these media everyday so they are more likely to feel familiar to it.

#jm204

9 Gag vs. 9 Gag in Thai: Online Piracy Case

As promised this week I am back with an article about the online piracy in Thailand.

First, let me introduce you to the word “piracy.” The word piracy, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, means the act of illegally copying someone’s product or invention without permission.

In simple word, it is an act of robbery.

So today I will talk about the online piracy case that occurred about three years ago. I know that it is a bit too old to talk about this case now, but I think this is the most significant case that I’ve seen. It raised the awareness in a worldwide scale. Sadly, Thai people still have little awareness in piracy act.

9 Gag is an online platform and social media website where users can generate their own content. People share funny jokes using pictures, meme, and many other media. It raised more popularity since they joined Facebook. The spread of 9 Gag in this famous social media has gone viral around the world.

I got introduced to 9 Gag through my friend’s shared post in the Facebook in the late 2011. It became famous and viral for Thai users within few weeks.

Not so long after the emergence of 9 Gag to Thai people there come along a page “9 Gag in Thai.” This page translates original posts from 9 Gag into Thai language. It has gone viral within a short period of time in Thai social media users.

Note: I followed both pages during that time. Later I found that 9 Gag in Thai is a repetition to 9 Gag page, so I think it’s quite dull and boring which lead me to unlike the Thai version.

Just translating the joke seems to be okay. It reduces the language barriers for country that English is not the first language. It also make 9 Gag becomes more well-known too.

But it didn’t end like that. 9 Gag in Thai start to have sponsored posts and started to look alike business. A page called “9 Gag in Thai Store” rises and makes the situation worse. Although 9 Gag in Thai and 9 Gag in Thai Store didn’t relate each other, these two use the name “9 Gag” to do business.

That is when the backfire started. Overseas people start to question these pages that plagiarized the posts and use the name 9 gag in an unauthorized way to gain profits for themselves.

People were calling out for rights to the original to 9 Gag page and other plagiarized work. 9 Gag in Thai had to make a post about their stand point that they just want to make it easy for Thai people to understand with no means to do business. However, this incident does not really raised Thai’s people awareness about piracy act.

Everything seems to end happily after all but I think we should all be aware that piracy still exists. We still think that it’s okay to copy their post as long as we have good intentions.

The computer crime act might need to be use seriously to this kind of action because it really ruins Thailand’s reputation. We like to just let things like this sweep off easily so maybe it’s time to do something to show that it’s not okay to copy. Starting from yourself, don’t support their posts by clicking like or share. Once the public stop giving interest to them they will soon disappear.

We also need to advocate people who share these things to stop and introduce them to the original one instead.

I just hope that we will learn more from the past experience and don’t repeat it again. Being called a nation that likes to copy isn’t entertaining at all.

Source: http://tech.mthai.com/software/13580.html

#jm204

The smart Bill, stick man who preaches humans.

“It’s annoying, but I’m too nice to say that. Problem solved! Be like Bill.”

We all know that one friend, Bill. I have seen Bill everyday on my Facebook feeds for the past two weeks, and I think everyone who does on social media probably have seen him too.

Bill is a stick man.

Bill wears grey beanie.

Bill comes with a short caption like this.

Most importantly, he is more than correct that we should be like him.

Bill is a stick man meme who’s in the spotlight right now. Is Bill real? Does it really matter whether he’s real or not? I think everyone is Bill (hahahahah). I mean everyone has Bill’s sense about the things he says. Bill teaches online etiquette that we all know.

Why Bill is the bomb?

Well I think Bill is pretty straight forward. He says things like, “Bill does not play Candy Crush, Bill has his own life.” That is pretty much a nice way of saying, “get a life.” We all have that one friend (or friends) who constantly sending Candy Crush’s invitation all day long. If not, maybe it’s you (lol).

Playing Candy Crush is not bad, receiving invitations every hour is annoying. People will start to think that all you do is play games.

Now it’s even more entertaining since we can enter our own name instead of Bill. We can tell people how smart we are and they should be like us.

The meme is also ironic as its nature too. Many people do what Bill says. Does reading the meme will change our way? Meh, I don’t think so. The things he say are not bad, it just annoying things that people do.

I think Bill is just like other Internet trends. Now it’s the peak of this meme, but he will soon be forgotten. Bill is being popular and overused. Soon netizens will be like, “nope, I don’t want to be like Bill.” Until that time, let’s have fun with Bill.

Thai social media vs. Bill

Thai people are sensitive to trendy things as usual. We also enter our names and see what it’s like to be like ourselves. I also did hahhahahaha.

However, only a small portion of my friends in Facebook is jumping in this trend. I think the language also plays a big part. As a country that English is not the first language, there are still language barriers.

However again, I think Thai version of Bill might release in few days since things like these have happened before. Many famous Internet trends have been translated to Thai language and become a big hit like the originals. Example is 9GAG, the world’s famous meme and joke page on Facebook. A few months later, the page 9GAG in Thai was established. It translates gag from 9GAG to Thai, and becomes a big hit for Thai people. It is plagiarism and I will write more about 9GAG’s case in the following blog.

My point is changing language is both good and bad in the same way.

You know what’s good.

You know what’s bad.

Be yourself.

#jm204

Town Tree

“Dining in the garden”

It’s time for restaurant and food review again! Nature lover would be pleased for this restaurant. As I approach the restaurant, all I can see is green. It is filled with so many trees. The restaurant is in the glass house. There are trees everywhere, both outside and inside the glass house. It is a little hideaway place from a polluted city. The garden is decorated like an English garden.

Inside the dining area, the walls are painted white on the bricks. On the white wall, the name “Town Tree” was painted up there. The tables and chairs are made from wood. The decoration looks clean to the eyes. All of the trees and plants are real. This is a restaurant for nature lovers.

The restaurant serves Thai food and some fusion food as well. The taste is real Thai style but it’s not too spicy. They also serve coffee and bakery as well.

Roasted Pork Salad

Pork roasted with black pepper serve with green salad. The highlight of this dish is the salad dressing. It is like a salad cream with spice, a little bit spicy. It is Thai style salad. The taste is not too light. The pork comes in big portion, not just a decoration for the salad.

Spaghetti Sai-Oua

“Sai-Oua” is Thai northeastern style sausage. It is made from minced pork mix with Thai spices. It is very tasty and spicy. This dish combines spaghetti and Sai-Oua together. I must say it is very yummy. It might be too spicy for foreigners but it surely worth to give it a try.

On the way out, they told us to take the small tree home. It was so lovely and considerable of them to give this to the customers.

I asked my grandmom to be my model with the tree. lol

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage(Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#jm20215 #bkkdestination

JJ Market

Following my previous blog post about The Train Park, this week I will brought you to the market besides it. JJ Market comes from the word Jatujak Market (or Chatuchak Market) is the biggest weekend market in Thailand. The market is open on Saturday and Sunday, and Friday evening.

What can you find here in JJ Market? Let’s talk about what you won’t find, it’s easier. JJ Market sells every possible thing you can think of. Clothes, home decorations, plants, food, pets, and so on. Each of those categories has their own section with tons of shops.

The famous section for foreigners is where they sell Thai souvenirs. You can find anything related to Thai culture and Thai products such as silk scarf, hand crafted wood, and Thai herbs product. It is cheap comparing to other places that also sell these stuffs. They also come in variety of selection to choose. It is also a good place for Thai people to buy souvenirs for other people too.

I believed that JJ Market is already in foreigner’s guide book to Thailand but it’s a Bangkok’s destination that you surely don’t want to missed, for both Thais and foreigners.

Even for me, I have been to JJ Market every now and then but not really often. The shops are the same throughout all year. It’s always crowded and hot, that’s the disadvantage of this market. For me, I only visit JJ Market during winter although winter here in Thailand is not that cold. I found it better than in summer where temperature reaches 40 Celsius degrees. Good news for non-smoker, it is illegal to smoke in JJ Market! It is completely banned all over the market to keep a fine atmosphere in this crowded space.

Right now I am into street photography so I love to go out and shoot some photos. JJ Market is one of the best choices that I always wanted to go. There are lots of people here and it’s really diverse. Street photography requires you to be quick because things usually happen in a second; a big market like this gives me lots of opportunities to take a snapshot. There are also many street shows that will entertain you.

Last week there’s a promotional show for the new Train Market on Kaset-Nawamin Road. They comes in a drums parade and walk along the market main street. It really brightens up the atmosphere of the market that seems gloomy from the rain. A cool parade like this is easy to get an attention from people. Moreover, many people joined the parade and dance along with the drum beats.

My favorite part of this market is FOOD! Food is everywhere. You will never get hungry while you shopping. The traditional Popsicle is my favorite. They put sweet drinks such as Cola and Red soda in to the stainless bowl. Below the bowl is the ice. They use ice to make the Popsicle within few minutes.

JJ Market can be access by BTS Mor Chit, MRT Kamphaeng Phet, and other public transportations such as buses and vans.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage(Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#bkkdestination #jm20215

1 of a Kind

“Vintage Nordic Furniture & Café”

1 of a Kind is a vintage furniture shop and a café. The shop’s description is “a vintage Scandinavian furniture concept store & café.” The style and decorations of 1 of a Kind is inspired by Northern Europe regions. Moreover, they also sell Scandinavian furniture. It is like a shop for collectors because things that sell here are all vintage and extraordinary. It is “one of a kind” because you are likely will not be able to find things like these anywhere else.

From outside, it looks like a warehouse, which is actually true. The warehouse is where they store furniture and cool items. In front of the warehouse there is small glass house which is a café section. They serve a fusion food, mostly Italian style with a fresh brewed coffee and a homemade bakery too.

Hungry? It’s time for food review!

Tom Yum Goong Spaghetti

This is a MUST TRY dish. They use two river prawns which are so big and tasty. The tom yum sauce is the best. It is creamy and the taste was just right, not too spicy. I would recommend all tom yum goong lovers to try this. I have been coming back to this for many times already.

1 of a Kind Iced Coffee (1OAK)

It’s the signature coffee here. It’s a milk coffee, similar to latte but with its own unique taste. It comes in both hot and iced coffee. They put brown sugar syrup at the base to add sweetness to the drink.

Blueberry Cheese Cake

Once we are done with the food then it’s time for dessert! 1 of a Kind serves homemade bakery with lots of selection. I ordered blueberry cheese cake this time. The blueberry is fresh, not a canned ones. The cheesecake is also good.

Here comes the highlight of 1OAK, the furniture showroom. Actually it’s not just furniture but it’s every cool things you probably not going to find it anywhere else. Some of them are for sale, while some of them are for showing only. It’s a library full of rare items, one of a kind, as the name stated. I like the fact that you don’t know what you will find here. It’s about finding the unexpected!

What’s better than Batman? It must be a BATMAN PINBALL MACHINE! Sorry to over exaggerate it but it’s the first time I’ve seen it here. This is the coolest item so far, never thought I will found it here. They have new items every now and then, following their fans page will help you keep an updates about their stock.

They surely are the figure collector. This Godzilla stands out among other furniture. It is almost 3 meter tall with a very big body. They are also figures from famous movie like Star Wars too.

Vintage lovers make sure you got this shop in your list. It is fun to look around and search for unique things. All food lovers should never miss this place too. They cook exquisitely in each dish. The ingredients they use are in finest quality.

You can choose to dine inside the glass house or outside at the balcony. There, it has a minibar outside in an open air area. The surroundings are decorated with figures and lots of trees. Inside, it’s like we are dining in a vintage house with a sound from the record player. It is truly where style meets deliciousness. J

Directions: Rama 9 soi 46 or 48 , (Opposite the Nine) Bangkok. Opening hours: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. // close on Wednesday.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage(Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#jm20215 #bkkdestination

BACC

“Bangkok Art and Culture Centre”

An art space locating in the heart of Bangkok city? Definitely worth your time to check it out! Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, in short BACC, is Bangkok’s art gallery that is open for everyone. The idea was raised by people whom support art and wanted an art space rather than a shopping mall. With people’s power and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, BACC was born.

Art is not alienated anymore. This building serves as a destination for intellect, making art accessible to everyone. Creative ideas could be met here; exhibitions could have its appearance here, including music, poetry, drama, film, and novel.

Thanks to: http://www.bacc.or.th/

The building is significance in its structure. The cylindrical shape makes it easier for people to explore the building’s interior. It is separate into two sections which are the exhibition hall and the shops. There are art exhibitions on every floor, but the main exhibition space is on floor 7th-9th. While the stores in here are pre-chosen as relevant to art concept, you could find many unique stores here.

On the 7th-9th floor, the path up there is in a spiral shape. You will get to walk around the circle-shaped building to enter the exhibitions on each floor.

The exhibition that is ongoing on the 7th floor right now is Proximity Part II. It is one of the coolest exhibition I’ve visit here. It is not just painting but it involves many kinds of visual arts.

These videos are screening to the wall and the headphones are hanging down from the ceiling. You need to take time within yourself in order to understand the art; I really like the concept behind this. Wearing the headphones will cut you out from outside disruption and let you go deep in the art work.

This piece impressed me a lot because it feels like an interactive work. Although they don’t let us touch the head on the floor, but it works in accordance with the video that is showing. It shows people’s reaction toward this head mask. Many of them trample it, while some toss it around with their friends.

This wall painting is standing out by its red color and the size of it. I’m still figuring out what’s the artist wants to convey to us, but I thinks that’s the thing about art, it’s meant to be interpret in many ways.

This is one of my favorite exhibits so far. It’s a miniature man with a looking out action from a plastic box. On the top of the box there is a disco light shining out. The direction that the man is looking out is to the outside of the building where you can see the mirror’s reflection in this picture. The disco lights shines not only in the box but the area around the box too. It is fun to play with and you can even get cool pictures here. I think with the light shining on us, it let us go deep into the work and get the feeling of the tiny man inside.

The exhibition “Proximity Part II” will be showing from today until 13th December 2015. It is a collaboration exhibition from BACC and inSPIRACJE International Visual Art Festival ’13 muz.’

It is place that worth to have a visit if you’re in Bangkok. It is locating in the corner of Pathumwan Intersection opposite the MBK Shopping Centre. Bts National Stadium Station reaches here. Most importantly, it is free of charge!

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#jm20215 #bkkdestination

ArtBox Thailand

“Chapter 8 The Halloween Party”

It has been a trend during these several years about the flea market. The idea of this kind of market is to make use of a free space and turns it into a “happening space.” It is a temporary event, usually exist on weekends, where many online and offline stores gathered. Most of the stores are online stores in which they do not have a physical display so a temporary event like this fits their needs. It is a channel for them to promote their shops, making it looks credible for customers. The buyers also get a chance to see the real products too.

Artbox Thailand is a container market. As cool as it sounds, the theme for the exhibition is also different in each time they organized this market. The key concept of Artbox market is to make fullest use of the space and have different themes in each time.

Thanks to: http://www.artboxbkk.com/

With the cool concept of this market, I can say without any hesitation that Artbox market is a big hit in this era. The success is already shown in the times that this event had occurred. This is the 8th time (30 Oct-1 Nov) that this market happened already. They got the target consumers as the new generation people and they understand what we need. Social media is everything now. A cool container market with a cool concept? Definitely worth sharing!

Location is everything. The first place where they exhibited this market was at Airport Link Makkasan. It is accessible from both APL Makkasan Station and MRT Phetchaburi Station. There are also plenty parking space for those who brought their own cars. The second place, which is ongoing right now, is at the parking lot of Queen Sirikit Ezy Park. It is right where MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre Station is.

This week’s theme is Halloween party! The shops are decorated in spooky themes. Many people come out with Halloween’s costumes. Many stores have a special scary menu for this week.

This is a fizzy soda drink from Cha Maa Cafe. It comes in apple with grape flavored plus lychee jelly and pipo. The taste was hard to describe since it comes in a varieties of flavors but I would recommend you to try. The eye ball jelly makes this look way scarier with the red jelly on top as a blood. This drink costs 50 baht which I think it’s pretty reasonable when it comes in this bucket size. It’s a good choice to celebrate this festive season.

IG: chamaa_cafe (https://instagram.com/chamaa_cafe/)

This is a cheesy fries. Not to be cheesy but I think I found one of the best cheesy fries in town. (Disclaimer: No, they do not paid me to write this. lol) They put serious amount of cheese on top of this not just a decorations. This bacon cheesy fries are yum! I mean literally, this week I had two dishes from this shop already. The only concern for me is that it costs 100 baht for 1 dish. It is quite expensive comparing to others fries store. For a student with no income earned by myself like me, it is a bit over the budget to purchase it constantly.

IG: ifry_ifry (https://instagram.com/ifry_ifry/)

This is Taiwanese XXL chicken from Chiken Hour store. The chicken size before cutting is way bigger than two human’s hands so it was called XXL chicken. This store also sells a XXL squid which is way bigger than the chicken. I’ve tried the XXL chicken topped with cheese. It was fried in a perfect manner that the skin was golden crisps. I think it is too big for someone like me who wants to try many different foods though. The price of this chicken is 99 baht, still a very reasonable price.

This fancy presentation ice cream is from Jaywalk Café. It is basically a vanilla ice cream topped with cakes, Pocky, waffle, and whipped cream. The vapor comes from the dry ice in the bottom of the cup. It is so photogenic; hence the taste has nothing fancy. The price is 90 baht in which I think it’s ok to try but I’m probably not going to have it again.

IG: jaywalkcafe (https://instagram.com/jaywalkcafe/)

Once I’m done with eating now it’s time to take some photos! They put 2-3 container boxes on each other and let people go up. They charge 5 baht as a renovating expense which is understandable. Getting on top of the container let us see the atmosphere of this market. It is a good place to snap some photos and make your friends jealous!

Artbox market is operating @MRT Queen Sirikit on:

Chapter 8: 30 Oct-1 Nov (ongoing)

Chapter 9: 6-8 Nov

Chapter 10: 13-15 Nov

Chapter 11: 25-29 Nov

Chapter 12: 4-6 Dec

Thanks to artbox_th Instagram (https://instagram.com/artbox_th/)

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#bkkdestination #jm20215

WWA Café x Chooseless

“Café x Fashion”

WWA is a café plus fashion shop that originally based in Siam Square. This stylish shop serves all day breakfast in a hidden spot in Siam Square.

Chooseless from a shop name Cocue, is a fashion boutique in Siam Square too. The two shops are nearby each other.

They partnered up and open its second branch in Ekkamai, with a bigger space to play around. The decorations will blow your mind. It is not fancy, like elegance or anything. It looks “unfinished” with a sense of vintage furniture and a bit of loft style. The walls are made of raw concrete. Everything in the shop is unique, even you order the same menu you might possibly get serve with a different kitchenware. All the tables and chairs were also came in different set. It is fun to walk around and find interesting details of this café.

The café is operated by international workers. I skimmed through the kitchen and saw English chefs along with Asian chefs. The waiter and waitress were mainly Thais but some also seems like they are half-caste too. This café is like a melting pot where people from different nations come and work together. They were all nice and help us in explaining the menus too.

One other significant thing is that everyone who works here dressed up stylishly. It was not just great, but it was very chic, cool, and reveals sense of fashion. The waiter wears a skirt with pants underneath. While the waitress wears cool design dresses. All of them are in black and white. It looks neat and clean. One thing that they all wear the same is sneaker. I think it’s a brilliant idea to wear it so no one would slip or fall over in the shop.

Here is some sneak peak of the dishes I ordered. I’m not going to say anything much because honestly I went there about a month ago, it’s too long for me lol. The proportions of the main course were good, not too big for people who want to eat more than one dish. The iced-latte came in a rectangular-shaped glass with syrup.

The atmosphere is pretty chill. The waiter told me that feel free to walk around and take a photo on both 1st and 2nd floor. The second floor is where Chooseless section belongs. It’s like a fashion wardrobe with many styles to choose. Many cool items can be found here not just clothes. It’s like a vintage collector’s collection. Even on some chairs there are price tag attached on it so it really make me wonder that do they actually selling those too.

I would recommend this café for people who want a relaxing place to eat and just chill around. It is peaceful if you want some time for yourself such as reading or studying. Overall, it’s a must-try shop in this café era.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter), http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#Bkkdestination #jm20215

Hua Lamphong

“Bangkok Railway Station”

“Hua Lamphong” is an unofficial name for Bangkok Railway Station. The origin of this nickname is still a mysterious; there are many stories which cannot be proved. Nowadays, traveling by train is not so popular because there are other ways that are cheaper and/or faster. But the train station is still here to do its work, getting people back home and make memories for the journey.

My first train ride was more than ten years ago. I traveled with my family to Chiang Mai in the northern part of Thailand. I remembered that it was so cool. The seat can be transformed into a bed at night, because the ride took about ten hours. It was so tired to stay in the train for such a long time, but it was worth it. I just love journeys and the way we travel is what makes it memorable.

Last New Year, I decided with my friends to go on a trip to Hua Hin. We discussed for a little while on how to get there and decided to take the train. We want to make this a “hipster trip” lol. Hipster was a trend for a while; it was used to called non-mainstream things. We are not a hipster wannabe but we just thought that train was very original and it would make this trip more interesting.

I think the train could be more popular if there are easy ways to buy the ticket. I looked up the schedule online (which was pretty convenient) but the only way to but the ticket is that you need to go to the station. Luckily, the stations are prominent and easy to access so it was not a big deal. The ticket from Hua Lamphong to Hua Hin was about 300 baht, but the rate was varied. It depends on the time and which kind of train you are traveling with. There are even free trains services with no air condition.

I get to the station around 5.30 in the morning; the train will be leaving at 6 a.m. As usual, Thailand is well-known for lateness in everything. We got lots of time to walk around the station and took photos. I love the feeling inside the station; it was so old yet very classic.

It took about 5 hours to arrive at Hua Hin. It was such a long ride comparing to car. It takes about less than 3 hours if we take the car but we didn’t regret it. The slow pacing train makes me calm and has more time to be with myself. I enjoyed the ride because I get to appreciate the path more than the usual car ride. I see people’s life along the train’s track.

I would recommend all my readers to visit Hua Lamphong even if you don’t plan to go anywhere. It is very to access. Bus, taxi, and subway reach the train station. It’s a nice place to have some photo tour and it’s also near china town. So you could have a one day trip around this area of the old Bangkok.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter), http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#jm20215 #bkkdestination

Dieaw 11

ALERT: SPOILS INCLUDED!

This week’s topic is kind of specified for Thai people because what I am going to talk about is Thai’s stand-up comedy. It’s a must-see show for Thai people that is famous nationwide. However, reading my blog doesn’t require any Thai language skills, so you can keep scrolling down.

Udom “Note” Taephanich is a middle-aged man who started off his career as a stand-up comedian 20 years ago. Back then, it was a new thing for Thai people because stand-up comedy was not popular and even unknown for Thai people. He was called crazy, foolish, insane, and so on when he came up with the idea of a stand-up comedy show. Who would pay for a ticket to come and see you talk? I am sure everyone would think like this in that time. Note proved them wrong. Twenty years ago he struggles to have his show, today people begged him to open more rounds for the show.

Note’s product illustrated by himself.

He is the one and only Thai stand-up comedian. The only one people will think of if you ask them to name a stand-up comedian in Thailand. There are others, who used to do a talk show like Note, but it’s not the same and they didn’t success like Note (to be honest). “Dieaw 11” can be translated as single microphone show episode 11. The word dieaw is Note’s trademark of his show in which it comes from the word “dieaw microphone” meaning single microphone. The name says it all; he will be the only man on the stage, and the only one who talks.

Photobooth outside the show hall. The head figure is Note’s trademark.

Moving to the show, Dieaw 11 is Note’s 11th talk show. His talent led his way to this success. He got a perspective to look at a normal story and make fun of it. This time, I think he has moved to the new level of talk show. He was not just hilarious but his stories were also thought-provoking.

There is one thing that he talks about and left me thinking about it until today. Note keeps saying in his show that he is getting old and already become a middle-aged man. He calculated how long his life will last. If he get to live for another 20 years, that’s will equivalent to about 8000 days. Sleeping take away half of it, so he got 4000 days. What do we do in 4000 days? Playing smartphones? His words really shook me off.

I looked back onto myself and started thinking what I am doing in a day. The first thing I touch when I wake up is phone. Turning the alarm clock off and checking for notifications. I am always online during the day because we got Wi-Fi and 3Gs everywhere. Then before going back to sleep, phone is the last thing I touch. Smartphones become part of our life already.

I am not criticizing smartphones uses because I am using it too. I am just thinking that is this what I want to do for the time of my life? Everyone has their own answer, and I have mine too. Then I realized another thing that Note address to us. His stories mean more than just a joke and he himself is more than just a stand-up comedian.

The show hall. The show ends but memories remain.

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#BkkDestination Jm20215

Vachirabenjatas Park

“Train Park”

This is the second park I’m blogging but trust me I’m not a sports girl. Vachirabenjatas Park, or Train Park, got all kind of visitors. Many people come to this park not to exercise but to take pictures. Yes, you heard it right; Train Park is a famous destination for photographers. I bet that many of amateur and professional photographers must have been here.

Why this park?

There are many factors that this park is famous. First, it must be beautiful. The beauty of this park is naturalness, it’s not man-made. The trees were not fancy but it has beauty in its own way. Second, the location is easy to access. The Mor Chit Bts station is nearby the park as well as other kinds of public transportation. You can also park your own car there with the fee of 20 baht. Lastly, the park is really big. There are plenty of spaces for everyone to enjoy. This is why this place is famous for picture taking. You can take picture as much as you wish without interrupting other people.

The park is famous for biking in which you can bring your own bike there or rent it. The renting rate is very low because it is a famous activity there. There are proper biking lanes separated from the walking lane, so you don’t need to worry about an accident.

For me, I go there to relax and to take photos. I like to practice my photography skills so I always find new places in Bangkok to take photos (currently my main blogging topics). I tagged my friends along with me to be my models. One of the friends that went with me is also interesting in photography so we really enjoyed the time there.

I would recommend the visiting hours of the park to be around 4-6 P.M. to see the sunsets. The weather is not too hot and the park is not too crowded. During winter, the weather was really nice. Although Thai’s winter last for several weeks but it’s still a great place to visit.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter),http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

- All pictures belong to me. -

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#BkkDestination JM20215

Tinee Eatery Workshop

“Because We Love Food”

I love to explore new places in Bangkok, especially places to eat. I have been to many cafés in these past few years. I’ve got to say that the place I’m writing in this article is unique in its own way. Tinee Eatery Workshop is not just a café and restaurant, it’s a cooking class!

cr. Tinee Eatery Website

The workshop’s concept is “Let’s Cook like a Pro.” You will learn everything from the start until an end. They will teach you that cooking is fun and you yourself can nail it! For Workshop II Course, the menu covers from entrée to dessert as shown below.

Tinee’s Workshop II

1. Entrée: Potato Croquette

2. Bake: Muffin

3. Bake: Acacia

4. Main: Lasagna

5. Dessert: Tiramisu

6. Dessert: Apple & Berry Crumble

Check out http://www.tinee-eatery.com/workshop-ii-entree/ , for more information on the available course.

Nothing is better than a good coffee, unless it’s coffees. I love to hunt down for new, fresh, and non-franchised coffee spot around the city. The green star brand is good but I get bored already because we can find it everywhere :P . A café and restaurant like this is a perfect match people like me. I rarely drink hot coffee but I’m crazy for iced-coffee. I was at the shop with my mom in which she ordered latte. It comes with the steamed milk on top portraying a picture of a leaf. Just the smell of it is really good and indulging. My mom doesn’t like her coffee sweet; she said this cup is a little bit too sweet for her but stills good in overall.

Another cup is my iced caffe latte. It comes in a plain glass, no fancy decorations, but it sure worth the wait. The coffee is already sweetened with syrup. I got to say that they already put it in the right amount because that taste was just right! The smell of the coffee is good just like the other cup.

Tuna Nicoise Salad

The highlight of this is the freshness of the vegetables along with the tasty tuna. It’s a simple dish, but I’m sure it will make people crave for more. I love the marinated tuna the most, recommended for those who love raw fish.

Egg Florentine

This is not just an egg benedict; the special thing is the matching taste with smoked salmon and fresh salad. The hollandaise sauce is very yummy. I got to say that it perfectly wraps everything up and make this dish complete. I found it hard to eat due to the fact that the egg was stacked so high. It was topped on the baguette which the crust was very crispy. It gets a bit messy, so be careful when you try to eat them. Overall, the taste wins the hardness and I finished all of it.

S’Mores

Desserts are girl’s best friend. We always have a room in our tummy for it. I have been craved for S’mores for this past three years. My first time having S’mores was four years ago in the United States of America. I had it when I went on camping in a bonfire night. When I got back to Thailand, S’mores weren’t popular due to the fact that Thailand is ultimately hot, we don’t have any bonfire. I don’t hesitate to order S’mores when I saw it on the menu.

I was a little upset, to be honest. It comes in a hot pan with cookies as a base. I expected it to come with graham cracker like the ones I had before. Although when I give it a try, it was actually decent. The marshmallow was so good and I loved it the most. They also put chocolate ice-cream on top to balance the hotness of the cookies. It’s very sweet in my opinion, so people who do not like sweet-overload should watch out.

I would say that this is S’mores inspired dessert. I recommend that it’s worth a try.

Note: this plate takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. Consider ordering it before you finish you main dish.

Tips: No owned car parking lots by the restaurant. Limited parking space in the nearby alleys. Consider using public transportation.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

Links to more Bangkok destinations are in my homepage (Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter), http://warisapana.tumblr.com/

-All pictures belongs to me, or else stated.-

Stay tuned for more places in this Bangkok city!

#BkkDestination JM20215

Neverland Siberians (True Love Cafe)

Thailand is too hot for Siberians? Neverland Siberians let you play with them and it’s also a cafe.

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

#BkkDestination #jm20215

Chalerm La Park

A cool park for those who loves graffiti and of cause, exercise.

Tips: Just 5 minutes from BTS Ratchathewi. Always better to have a company with you, especially girls :).

Location: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z01yao0eh0mw.kLu-aW6QVl8I&usp=sharing

#BkkDestination #jm20215

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