Street Smart Sukhumvit Dedicated to Sukhumvit, Bangkok's longest road! Here you'll find unique LOCAL knowledge not available in your typical, tired guidebooks PLUS pics, reviews, link and events - all about Sukhumvit! Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 3 0 73 4533

Articles from Street Smart Sukhumvit

Doo Ba Doo - Sukhumvit 2008-02-07 03:02:18 Doo Ba Doo's music video titled "Sukhumvit", dedicated to - what else - my beloved Sukhumvit Road~!!Lyrics:??????????? ????????????????????????dteun dtae chao kap rot wae dterm nam man sak nitWaking up in the morning, taking a ride to fill up some petrol.???????? ????????????????????????dtong-ka-yan tam ngaan haa ngern liang-doo chee-witGotta work hard, getting money to look after my livelihood.???????????? ??????????????????yoo laat-praao bpai tam ngaan tee soo-koom-witI am staying in Ladprao, but working in Sukhumvit.??????????? ?????????????????????????lerk ngaan laew ok bpai wae gin kaao yen sak nitAfter work, I would go out to have something for my dinner.??????????? ?????????? ...

Spirit Houses in Sukhumvit 2008-02-05 10:25:45 As mentioned in "Superstition and Spirituality in Sukhumvit" (click HERE to check out the pics), many Buddhist Thais still adhere to their animistic beliefs. One example of this devotion can be seen in the prevalence of "spirit houses". A spirit house is traditionally designed after Thai temples, built to shelter spirits who will guard the area/property. Not confined to just guard houses, a spirit house can be found practically anywhere - guarding a shop, a gym, a forest... even naughty places like massage parlors cannot afford not to have their own spirit houses~!! (The fact that these are naughty places means they actually NEED all the "extra" help they can get heh heh~!!)Called san phra phum in Thai, a spirit house's precise location is typically decided by a Brahmin priest, who will advise on the spirit house's erection day. Traditionally, the spirit house is also accompanied by a group of servants (who will serve the spirits). Its color usually reflects the birthday color of the ...

Ingenious UV Protection on Sukhumvit~!! 2008-01-31 23:26:00 So there I was, sweating my butt off in a TAXI and cursing the high temperatures (“Aw, hell, is it SUMMER already~?! It’s not even April yet~!!!), when I noticed that my TAXI driver’s attire (around the sleeves) was a bit “unusual”.   What in the world is that white flappy thing~~~?!?!  Only when he moved his arm did I realize what it was:   It turned out to be a very resourceful and ingenious “UV protection” for the dear driver’s delicate skin~~!!!! Who says that men never give a shit about their appearance~~~?!?! NOT Thai men, who are already 100% SECURE with their own brand of masculinity~!!! Secure enough to know that REAL MEN: 1). Moisturize 2). Carry combs3). Aren't threatened by the color pink4). Get manicures AND pedicures 5). And yes, are aware of the damage UV light can wreak havoc on skinI gotta give kudos to this guy… He’s got all the bases covered: "Can't touch this, UV~!!!""Can't touc ...

Sukhumvit's Own WHITE HOUSE~!! 2008-01-27 14:18:20 I ain’t exaggerating when I say that one can find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING on Sukhumvit. Case in point: feast your eyes on this bona fide replica of the WHITE HOUSE. Yes, that world famous White House located in Washington D.C. Owned by an extremely wealthy Thai-Chinese man named Mr. Saengchai, Sukhumvit’s White House actually has its own Statue of Liberty AND the Big Ben PLUS the Eiffel Tower. (it’s got an elevator inside, too~!!) The White House sits on a huge plot of land inside a Sukhumvit 38 sub-soi named soi Saengchai (yes, the man OWNS the freakin’ soi~!!) and overlooks three low-rise apartment buildings inside a complex called “Sunshine Court” (the Thai last name “Saengchai” sounds a little bit like the word “Sunshine”, get it~??). Being inside Sunshine Court, one will quickly forget that it’s actually located in noisy and busy Sukhumvit. Palm trees sway in the warm breeze. The blue swimming pool is inviting for ...

Shirako Shock on Sukhumvit~!! 2008-01-23 15:34:23 Y'all know that I'm quite adventurous when it comes to my foodies.So when the Japanese manager of the "Japanese Kitchen Yoka Yoka" asked me if I cared to try shirako, I was game for it."What is shirako?" I asked my dining companion, who was also Japanese. He furrowed his eyebrows and claimed ignorance.So I turned to the restaurant manager for some explanation.The manager thought for a while and answered, "Erm... You know cod fish?""Yea, I've heard of it, but I've never tried it," I said."It's very special," he added. "Do you want to try?""Sure, why not," I agreed. "I am always looking for new culinary experiences heh heh~!!"********************At first glance, it didn't look much (and I was actually kinda disappointed). It came with sauce, salt and a slice of lemon; and I thought it resembled shrimp tempura.I took my first bite, chewed and paused. So did my dining companion.The first thing I noticed was that the texture was extremely soft and creamy, like yoghurt... way tooooo so ...

Pai Klai Klai, "Hello Bangkok" trucks~!! 2008-01-22 05:50:00 As a longtime Sukhumvit resident, I like to consider myself as pretty tolerant and adaptable. I take traffic in stride. I can feign ignorance and bliss when a fat, sweaty, hairy farang beside me is stinkin' up the whole BTS car. And yes, I CAN sit sidesaddle on the back of a motorcycle in tight skirt and high heels while counting loose change/sending SMS/applying lipstick~!!But the arrival of the intrusive, noisy, mightily annoying "Hello Bangkok" advertising trucks with HUUUGE-ass TV screens mounted on the back is reeeeally testing my patience (and the decibel limit of my eardrums... PLUS giving me premature wrinkles).I first encountered these intolerable vehicles one morning a few weeks ago while in a TAXI. Since then, I've been regularly bothered, attacked and molested on Sukhumvit Road by these monstrous things blasting various ads and yappy small talks which I'm sure add absolutely NOTHING to the well-being and happiness (not to mention health) of the good people of Sukhumvit. ...

Gorgeous FACE in Sukhumvit~!! 2008-01-21 13:52:28 THIS is the place you take your guests/lover(s)/biz associates to if you wanna impress and send them to a NIRVANA bathed in mysterious golden lights, decorated with precious antiques and surrounded at all sides with expensive teak~!! Oh, and the food ain't half bad either~!!The FACE in Sukhumvit 38 is built like a traditional Thai compound house for the wealthy. Anybody who has visited the Jim Thompson House (pictured right and below) would notice that a Thai traditional compound house is usually raised (to avoid the seasonal floods) and has an open-plan feel (which serves to let air circulate, thus keeping the rooms cool). Sometimes there's an open space which connects all the different rooms in the middle of the compound. All within one glorious compound, the FACE houses a Thai restaurant called Lan Na Thai, a northern Indian restaurant called Hazara, a (nameless) spa, a Face Bar, a function hall called Buddha Hall, and a pastry shop and cafe named Visage (which also means "face" i ...

OZONO Pet Paradise 2008-01-19 12:57:55 A slice of hi-so Sukhumvit life. Ozono (at the end of Sukhumvit 39) is a posh complex consisting of a massage shop, a daycare center, two hotels, and a walking park, PLUS boutiques. ALL FOR YOUR FOUR-LEGGED PETS (dogs and cats).No wonder the names of the different shops are pet-inspired - "Petropolitan" is the dog hotel, while "Cat Societe" is both a cat hotel and lounge (which also sells feline accessories). A big park ("Petropolis") is available for your pooch to take walks (and if you're too lazy to walk your own dog, you can hire a dog-walker too~!!).Luckily, the Ozono complex hasn't forgotten its human customers (after all, THEY are the ones paying heh heh). Humans can relax with a massage, or enjoy a nice cup of coffee at Coffee Berry, or chomp on steaks at Elite Grill. Desserts are available at Tuscanini.All of this ain't cheap, of coz. A one-year membership costs 20,000 baht. Damn, if you can actually afford this much just for your animal companion... LEMME BE YOUR PET, too ...

Alitta.net 2008-01-18 11:49:00 Alitta is the nickname of a Thai university girl who dreams of becoming a writer. Check out her blog to get a glimpse of her daily life and observation about living and growing up in ...

Sukhumvit Doodles 2008-01-15 10:01:03 Graffiti Galore on Sukhumvit~!! ART makes the world go round~~!! streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com sukhumvitbangkokthailand ...

Weird (and Amazing) Stuff Found in Sukhumvit - PART 6 2008-01-15 00:20:00 Hide~!! Run~!! Burn more joss sticks at the altar~!! Slaughter some sacrificial chickens~!! DO SOMETHING~!! ANYTHING~!! The aliens are coming to Sukhumvit~!! *************************************************************** It is really such a pity that after I’d paid a substantial amount of baht for this hi-so Italian restaurant in Thonglo, I found out that the meal wasn’t what I thought it was: Hmmmm... I must be getting old… Coz I swear it felt like some sorta "meat" on my tongue instead of cloth and wood and who knows what else… (Or perhaps the fancy-schmancy "Caldirola Rosso" wine I drank literally washed over my senses...) *************************************************************** This is so cute. I’ve passed the English pub called “Robin Rood” at Sukhumvit 33/1 many times, but I’d never gotten a chance to take a pic of its adorable themed tuk-tuk: Lookin’ great, my good sir~!! ********************** ...

THANK YOU, Japanese Husbands~!!! 2008-01-12 01:00:00 I have raved and posted an “appreciative” blog entry dedicated to the Japanese housewives of Sukhumvit who are OH-SO-WONDERFUL in keeping the economy afloat (read it HERE). I guess it’s inevitable that sooner or later someone would point out, “Heeeey~~ what about the Japanese HUSBANDS~?! They’re working themselves to the bones and YOU went ahead and offered thanks to their WIVES who are simply in charge of spending their hard-earned moolah~!! BAH~!!” Apologies, my dear ojisans~!! Please excuse my lapse of judgment. No one can blame the Japanese for being lazy, and the Japanese working husbands of Sukhumvit are no exception. They’re usually up at the crack of dawn and don’t return home until it’s late at night (or early morning, depending on how you look at it). And of course, they surrender a huge chunk of their paycheck - if not all - to the Queen of the Castle, mighty Guardian of the Purse Strings (and that’s why no one shou ...

Yet ANOTHER Farang Beggar on Sukhumvit 2008-01-08 01:40:00 Perhaps it’s a sign that times are getting harder.I was enjoying a late dinner at the famous Sukhumvit 38 outdoor eatery (khau man gai, somtam and baami noodles~!!) when I was approached by a farang woman. I couldn’t understand what she was talking about at first; I couldn't catch whether she was speaking Thai or English. After a while, I realized she was phuut phaasaa angkrit (speaking English), just with a VERY THICK Eastern European accent. I should’ve guessed, since she was extremely pale, with blue eyes and hair the color of straw. She claimed she was a volunteer from Poland for the International Vedic Association, a vegetarian school in Hua Hin for poor Thai kids. She has only been in Thailand for 8 months, and she was looking for financial donation for the so-called veggies school. Right away warning bells started to ring in my head. “Not ANOTHER farang beggar,” I groaned inwardly. She quickly showed me a small folder with a stamped ...

Escudo (between Thonglo 13 and 15) 2008-01-03 14:53:32 I've lost count of how many times the popular pub/disco Escudo has been closed and re-opened, closed and re-opened again. So I wasn't surprised when it was closed again... and re-opened again last month (December). SIGH~!! Unfortunately, on the night my friends decided to check out the "newly re-opened" Escudo, I didn't have any IDs with me (for those who don't know, you must be at least 21 years old to enter a pub/bar/discotheque here in Bangkok). I offered to quickly go back home and pick up the damn thing, but my friends would have none of it. "I'll get you in," vowed B from Chiang Mai. I was skeptical (because from what I know, the pitbulls guarding the sacred entrance of Escudo were a strict bunch), but I was also curious how B was gonna accomplish this "Mission: Impossible", so I kept my mouth shut and just tagged along. When we emerged from the lift on to the fourth floor of Duchess Plaza (where Escudo is), everybody whipped out their ID cards, was quickly ...

New Year, New Group 2008-01-01 03:23:00 As soon as y’all fully recover from all the boozin’ and eatin' and partyin’ to welcome the year 2008... please check out this new group created by none other than the saintly, silver-tongued, chewy gooey, sweet-as-a-lamb Cap’n~!! ---------->   Called MartiniThai (it’s a play on words – it sounds like “maa tii nii”, which in Thai means “come here”, get it? – good thinking, Cap~!!), this group is dedicated to everything amazing and wonderful about Thailand, the Land of Smiles~!!   The group's still a work in progress, but already it's got blog entries, VDO clips, music, pics, notes, links, an extensive calendar, and recipes.     (Yea, I know it’s a lame-ass group pic; and no, you don’t get to whine/bitch/make any smartass comments about it UNLESS you become a member first~!!)   So please go to http://martinithai.multiply.com and check it out. I’ve alread ...