Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [132]
The difficulty is finding your way around, since the city’s intense urban tangle sometimes makes orientation difficult. A good shopping companion is Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok, with annotations on all sorts of small and out-of-the-way shopping venues and à·làht (markets).
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Antiques
Real Thai antiques are rare and costly. Most Bangkok antique shops keep a few authentic pieces for collectors, along with lots of pseudo-antiques or traditionally crafted items that look like antiques. The majority of shop operators are quite candid about what’s really old and what isn’t.
River City Complex (Map; Th Yotha, off Th Charoen Krung; river ferry Tha Si Phraya) Near the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, this multistorey shopping centre is an all-in-one stop for old-world Asiana. Several high-quality art and antique shops occupy the 3rd and 4th floors. Old Maps & Prints offers one-of-a-kind rare maps and illustrations, with a focus on Asia. Although the quality is high, the prices are too, as many wealthy tourists filter in and out. Many stores here close on Sunday.
Ámantee (Map; 0 2982 8694; www.amantee.com; 131/3 Soi 13, Th Chaeng Wattana; 9am-8pm; access by taxi from Skytrain Mo Chit) Although well outside of the city centre, this ‘repository of Oriental and Tibetan art and antiques’ is well worth the trip. Consisting of several interconnecting wooden Thai houses holding a variety of classy items, the peaceful compound also boasts a cafe (open 9am to 5pm), accommodation and occasional cultural events. A Thai-language map for taxi drivers can be downloaded at the website.
House of Chao (Map; 0 2635 7188; 9/1 Th Decho; 9am-7pm; Skytrain Chong Nonsi) This three-storey antique shop, housed, appropriately, in an antique house, has everything necessary to deck out your fantasy colonial-era mansion. Particularly interesting are the various weatherworn doors, doorways, gateways and trellises that can be found in the covered area behind the showroom.
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ART ATTACK
Although Bangkok’s hyper-urban environment seems to cater to the inner philistine in all of us, the city has a significant but low-key art scene. In recent years, galleries seem to have been opening on a weekly basis, and Bangkok also acts as something of a regional art hub, with works by emerging artists from places like Myanmar and Cambodia. To find out what’s happening while you’re in town, pick up a free copy of the excellent BAM! (Bangkok Art Map). Some of the better galleries:
100 Tonson Gallery (Map; 0 2684 1527; www.100tonsongallery.com; 100 Soi Tonson, Th Ploenchit; 11am-7pm Thu-Sun; Skytrain Chitlom) Atmospheric gallery showcasing the work of domestic and international emerging and high-profile painters, sculptors and conceptual artists.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC; Map; 0 2214 6630; www.bacc.or.th; cnr Th Phayathai & Th Phra Ram 1; Skytrain Siam) This brand-new state-owned complex combines art and commerce in a multistorey building smack-dab in the centre of Bangkok.
Bangkok University Art Gallery (BUG; Map; 0 2350 3500; http://fab.bu.ac.th/buggallery; 3rd fl, Bldg 9, City Campus, Th Phra Ram IV; 9.30am-7pm Tues-Sat) This spacious new compound is located at what is currently Thailand’s most cutting-edge art school. Recent exhibitions have encompassed a variety of media by some of the country’s top names, as well as the work of internationally recognised artists.
H Gallery (Map; 0 1310 4428; www.hgallerybkk.com; 201 Soi 12, Th Sathon; noon-6pm Wed-Sat; Skytrain Surasak) Leading commercial gallery for emerging Thai abstract painters.
Jamjuree Art Gallery (Map; 0 2218 3708; Jamjuree Bldg, Chulalongkorn University, Th Phayathai; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, noon-6pm Sat & Sun; Skytrain Siam) Modern spiritual themes and brilliantly coloured abstracts from