Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [146]
SILOM VILLAGE
Map
0 2234 4448; www.silomvillage.co.th; 286 Th Silom; mains 150-350B; 6-10pm; air-con 76, 77, 177, 504, 514, 547 & MB12, ordinary 77, 162, 163 & 164; Surasak exit 3
More relaxed than most dinner-show venues, Silom Village delivers comfort, accessibility and decent dinners. Picky eaters swear by the crispy pork and cashew chicken, and witnessing the demonstrations of Thai dance and martial arts (7.30pm and 8.45pm nightly) will strike one ‘to do’ off the itinerary.
STUDIO 9
Map
0 2866 2144; www.patravaditheatre.com; Patravadi Theatre, 69/1 Soi Wat Rakhang, Thonburi; shows 7.30pm-midnight Fri & Sat; cross-river ferry from Tha Maharat
Thailand’s only modern-dance theatre combines highbrow entertainment and dining in its delightful riverside location. Performances are plucked from a diverse menu of music, dance, puppetry and theatre; check ahead of time to see what’s in store.
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GÀ·TEU·I CABARET
Joining the sacred temples and longboat tours of Chao Phraya River, gà·teu·i (ladyboys) are a recent addition to the itineraries of many visitors to Bangkok. This largely takes the form of gà·teu·i cabaret, in which convincing ladyboys take to the stage with elaborate costumes, MTV-style dance routines and rehearsed lip-synching to pop hits. Calypso Cabaret (Map; 0 2653 3960/2; www.calypsocabaret.com; 1st fl, Asia Hotel, 296 Th Phayathai, Siam Sq; tickets 900-1550B; shows 8.15pm & 9.45pm; Ratchathewi exit 1) and Mambo Cabaret (Map; 0 2294 7381; www.mambocabaret.com; 59/28 Th Yannawa Tat Mai, Greater Bangkok; tickets 800-1000B; shows 7.15pm, 8.30pm & 10pm; Chong Nonsi exit 2 & taxi) do family- and tourist-friendly shows of pop and Broadway camp.
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CINEMAS
Hollywood movies are released in Bangkok’s theatres in a timely fashion. But as home-grown cinema grows bigger, more and more Thai films, often subtitled in English, fill the roster. Foreign films are sometimes altered by Thailand’s film censors before distribution; this usually involves obscuring nude sequences. Film buffs may prefer the offerings at Bangkok’s foreign cultural centres, listed below, or other private institutions occasionally delving into film, such as Saladaeng Café by Jim Thompson (Map; 0 2266 9167; 120/1 Soi Sala Daeng 1, Lumphini; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 4), which has begun screening old Thai and English black-and-white movies nightly from 6pm to 10pm in its outdoor Sala Casa, or Bed Supperclub’s Popcorn Paradiso art-film nights on Mondays from 9.30pm. Tickets (600B) to the latter include two drinks and gourmet popcorn.
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THE FILM SCENE
'Cinemas in Bangkok aren’t generally that much different than those in the West. In fact Thai cineplexes have more comfy seats – and the ticket is certainly much cheaper. My favourite theatres in town are Siam and Scala (opposite). They’re the only remaining stand-alone, palace-style cinemas that offer an alternative to the plasticity of modern multiplexes.
In general, Thailand makes a lot of horror and comedy films, though the quality is hardly consistent (see Ghosts & Gags, Click here, for more on the Thais' love of horror and comedy). At the same time, we have quite a few art house directors who are well known internationally and who are expanding the horizons of Thai film. I like the films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Wisit Sasanatieng, and my favourite Thai films are Black Silk, by Ratana Pestonji; Tropical Malady, by Apichatpong Weerasethakul; and Monrak Transistor, by Pen-ek Ratanaruang.
I wouldn’t recommend most foreign films shot in Bangkok, as they don’t do justice to the city. They tend to exoticise the place and the people, especially films like The Beach and Bangkok Dangerous.'
Kong Rithdee, aged 36, lives in Bangkok and is a film critic for the Bangkok Post.
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The shopping-centre cinemas have plush VIP options (see boxed text opposite), while Lido and Scala