Thailand

Bangkok

The Arts

Bangkok-based DJ Pam Anantrungroj often weaves through a range of influences in her sets, steering from soulful disco to boogie, and jazz-funk to house. Her mission on the dancefloor is to provide ravers with an uplifting soundtrack.

If you're in the country, you may recognise Anantrungroj from her sets at renowned festivals and venues in the region such as Wonderfruit, Karma Klique, Studio Lam, Decommune, Siwilai Sound Club and Beam. Or, perhaps, via her residency at The Standard Hotel and regular show on Durian Radio.

As someone who's connected to the music scene, we reached out to Anantrungroj for her local expertise. If you're a solo traveller – or even within a group – here are 10 places suited to someone looking to explore.

Beautiful gallery space hidden in the creative district, Charoenkrung. The building was restored from a more than 120-year-old Chinese school's structure. I love the big skylight in the middle of the space. ATT 19 fuses together multidisciplinary programmes with an exhibition space, antique retail, vintage clothing retail, restaurant and cafe. You can spend the whole day there. The exhibitions rotate usually [every] one to three months in which the creative director, Mook Attakanwong, intends to give this platform to upcoming young local emerging artists.

I'm always impressed with the exhibitions at the Jim Thompson Art Center. Early in February, I went to see the show ‘Dreamday’ by Mit Jai Inn; he created 74 sculptures displayed on a long table where the audience could actually bring any pieces home. The architecture here is stunning with a combination of concrete, brick and mesh facade. If you walk all the way to the rooftop, you will find a hidden kushiyaki place (BBQ) but an Isan version called Larb Siab.

Benchakitti Forest Park completed its expansion recently in 2022, which makes this park really the lung of central Bangkok. It's a very dense city so I love to come here to relax and breathe in nature. The landscape is beautiful here, you can bike, run or walk. The old tobacco warehouses, which were located here previously, have been restored into basketball, ping-pong and pickleball courts.

You cannot miss the nights at Studio Lam! The club offers parties with various genres and music throughout the week, ranging from luk thung, dub, reggae to house, electro and techno. You will get to see local and international talented DJs, artists and bands. Come on Wednesday for a live set, you might get to see amazing molam shows from bands like Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band and Toomturn Molam Group, or Isan Psychedelic show from Khontan & The Hymmapan Express.

Just a few steps from Studio Lam, you can find this amazing record store. It's owned by the same owner of Studio Lam; Maft Sai who is a legendary DJ in the scene globally. You can dig rare stuff here especially in Thai funk, molam, luk thung, world grooves and South East Asia's sounds. If you're a music lover, you should definitely visit this place. The staff always give really good knowledge and recommendations. The aesthetic of the shop also makes the store a super special place.

One of my favourite places to dig in Bangkok, it's hidden in the middle of Thonglor. It's located on the second floor of this house compound that has many shops inside. I found the interior of this house so interesting with all the antique decorations and suddenly you find this really cool record store! The owner of this store is a very experienced DJ and selector: Gon Loha. My friends and I found a lot of great gems here and they are in mint condition! Records here are very well selected.

Clutch can easily be someone's new favourite bar in town. The bar is located inside this restored warehouse in Taladnoi, which just reopened late 2023 after being abandoned for more than 20 years. The space is so stylish with the contrast of the raw structure of concrete and warehouse elements. Beautiful DJ decks with three turntables, which is pretty crazy! Dancing under the disco ball with perfect lighting in this space is taking me back to places like New York City. The cocktails are also really nice here with some local twists.

Baan Rim Naam has been my favourite spot for years. It's a very special space by the river owned by this talented couple; one designer who keeps renovating and upgrading this beautiful space, and another one who cooks delicious food from the kitchen. I love coming here for sunset and enjoying a live set performed by young local artists. This place is so charming and always has a special spot for me.

This is the highest point of Bangkok, with such an incredible view of the city. The Standard Hotel has been hosting many big lineups, this is another place not to miss!

This is a newly-opened spot in town and a sister restaurant of my favourite one: Charmgang. It's a very vibrant and fun spot [that takes] inspiration from colourful shophouses' interiors. With the team's creative minds in the culinary scene of Bangkok, this restaurant features tapas plate sizes that are designed to complement drinking experiences, especially with wine. Some of the dishes take inspiration from Southern Thai-Chinese recipes. Charmkrung is a fun and casual place for unique Thai cuisine and curated drinks. I'm very excited to taste more of Charmkrung!

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