US rapper Fatman Scoop, who topped charts in Europe with Be Faithful two decades ago and later contributed to hits by other artists, has died.
29.08.2024 - 08:17 / lonelyplanet.com
Aug 28, 2024 • 0 min read
Bangkok’s nightlife reflects just how dynamic the city truly is. Whether you want to sip cocktails 50 floors up, dive into Asia’s liveliest LGTBIQ+ scene or explore the indie music scene, the Thai capital has an eclectic mix of venues that cater to every taste, budget and style.
Here’s our pick of must-visit spots when the sun goes down and the neon flickers on in Bangkok.
Best for craft cocktails with a Thai twist
Opening days/times: Tue-Sun, 5pm-midnight
Neighborhood: Charoenkrung
Ranked number 18 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2024, Mahaniyom is an essential destination for anyone looking to explore Bangkok’s dynamic cocktail scene. The bar team expertly riffs on Thai flavors, often focusing on a single ingredient and exploring it in multiple creative ways – an approach that has earned accolades for sustainability, too. Think dried squid and squid ink in a savory mescal-based drink, or brandy and red wine combined with browned butter, beef fat and blue cheese foam. The cocktails are inventive, the design visually stunning and the experience a must for all fans of good drinks.
Best for drag shows and a LGBTIQ-friendly space
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 5pm-1am (or later)
Neighborhood: Silom
Led by Chakgai Jermkwan, aka Drag Race Thailand alum M Stranger Fox, this raucous nightclub is all about letting your hair down and having fun. The Stranger Bar puts on high-octane drag shows starting at 10pm each night – now in a larger space at the end of Silom Soi 4, the heart of Bangkok’s LGTBIQ+ district. The move to new digs has nearly quadrupled the size of the venue without sacrificing the cheeky, close-up performances that put it on the map in the first place, and it remains a safe space for everyone to let loose. If you’ve never experienced drag, The Stranger Bar is a great place to do it.
Best for riverside vibes with zero frills
Opening days/times: Mon-Sun, 11am-11:30pm
Neighborhood: Riverside / Sathorn
This ramshackle dive bar has become a riverside institution. There are absolutely no frills here. The seating is cheek-by-jowl, the wood beams groan beneath you and you’re going to sweat. But there’s something about sitting beside the Chao Phraya River with a cold beer or glass of wine and watching the boats go by that’s hard to beat. No other riverside bar offers the same combination of location (beside the Shangri-La hotel), affordability (drinks start at about US$3) and energy (a jolly mix of expats, travelers and locals). Plus, the food – especially bites like larb moo tod (deep-fried pork balls) – is great.
Best for clubbing and creative shows
Opening days/times: Tue-Sun, 9pm-2am
Neighborhood: Sukhumvit
Among Bangkok’s crowded cast of nightclubs, Sing Sing stands out for its
US rapper Fatman Scoop, who topped charts in Europe with Be Faithful two decades ago and later contributed to hits by other artists, has died.
I love to travel. Luckily, between work and personal trips, I'm on the road for about two weeks of each month.
A residential cruise ship that was supposed to travel around the world has been stuck in Northern Ireland for the past three months.
Clarksville, a historic district of Austin, Texas, has lately emerged as a stylish dining and shopping enclave. Among the area’s most compelling new businesses is La Embajada, a design shop housed in a 1923 Craftsman bungalow. Combining the hospitality and interiors expertise of its founder, Raul Cabra — who has designed tableware for some of Mexico City’s most celebrated restaurants, including Rosetta and Pujol — La Embajada presents a refined, regionally diverse selection of Mexico’s artisanal offerings. A series of small rooms display vintage and contemporary furniture, from stately midcentury armchairs and 1970s glass sconces to a minimalist agave fiber rug by the Oaxaca-based textile artist Trine Ellitsgaard. The house is also an actual residence. Cabra often stays in the bedroom up the creaky stairs, and he’s recently made it available for short-term stays (bookings include a daily basket of baked goods from Austin’s Swedish Hill). Guests can purchase the room’s handmade décor, such as a pair of sleek bedside lamps in milky white onyx, a 1960s La Malinche dresser and a bedspread from a Michoacan manufacturer that once supplied Herman Miller. Downstairs, glassware, candles and gifts fill a section modeled after a typical general store in a small Mexican town. But La Embajada’s heart is its inviting kitchen, where visiting chefs cook elaborate meals and staff prepare ice cream and coffee. In another twist, every bespoke detail — including a hammered copper sink, caramel-colored tiles and waxed pine cabinets — can be custom-ordered for one’s own home.
Collective Hospitality, a Singapore-based firm, has acquired most of the business assets of Selina, a hostel brand focused on young travelers.
The thing about Hawaii cruises is that there’s no bad time of year to take one. Thanks to its year-round sunshine and warm weather, Hawaii will be there for you whenever you’re ready to set sail.
Aug 27, 2024 • 5 min read
It’s a steamy May morning in Thailand’s lush Khao Yai National Park, just a two-hour drive northeast of Bangkok, and the tok-tok call of a gecko sounds as I stand on a balcony overlooking the GranMonte wine estate. Among its holdings are 7 guest rooms and 40 acres of vineyards at the edge of a tropical jungle, all baking in the 80-degree heat. The winery’s workers protect themselves from the sun, wearing wide brimmed hats and long-sleeved layers as they prune the vines that tangle and twist around dozens of constructed frames. Later in the year, the grapes that they bear will become bottles of Grenache, Verdelho, and Cabernet Sauvignon—all of them with roots, literally, in Thai soil.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Scarlett Kiaras-Attari, a marketing executive and education content creator who moved to the UK for her studies. It has been edited for length and clarity.
During the Gilded Age, Rosecliff in Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer home of Theresa "Tessie" Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress.
Few properties are so inextricably associated with their location as Gleaneagles, where days are composed of traditional clay pigeon shoots on misty moors and fireside whisky tastings. This year marks 100 years of the Scottish estate, which has celebrated by collaborating with the British outdoor brand Barbour and releasing a Rizzoli tome devoted to its glamorous history (royal escapades included), all while planning a centenary ball that will take place this fall. Walk the line between country chic and laid-back glamour with soft creams and pinks that will look as at home in the glen as in the plum-colored American Bar.
The luxury and lifestyle hotel sector continues to be the bread and butter for Hyatt.