Crew Recount Terror of Tsunami That Dumped Ferry in Village

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5 October 2018, 11:14

On Thursday, an Indonesian men carry car tires past Sabuk Nusantara 39 which was swept ashore by the tsunami in Wani village on the outskirt of Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo: Dita Alangkara / Associated Press

WANI, Indonesia — The captain and crew sailing the Sabuk Nusantara ferry to new owners on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi got the task done and then some.

The hulking red and yellow ship was bounced like a basketball as a massive earthquake rocked the region and it landed in front of a row of houses in the village of Wani, dumped by tsunami waves that the crew say were a towering 15 meters (50 feet) or higher.

A week after the magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami hit central Sulawesi, the captain and 20 crew of the ferry remain on board, waiting for an assessment team to arrive and decide if the ship, its propeller jutting over the waterfront, can be put back to sea.

In interviews on the bridge, the captain, second-in-command and petty officer recounted minutes of chaos and sheer panic as at least 10 other vessels twisted and collided and the rapidly retreating tide — a sure sign a tsunami is coming — sucked the Sabuk Nusantara away from the pier.

“It was just sudden,” said the vessel’s second-in-command, Jona Johanes. “We felt the ship was like a basketball being bounced” as the quake rocked the region.

The double disaster that struck the city of Palu and other settlements killed more than 1,550 people, left about 70,000 homeless and wiped away buildings along Sulawesi’s coastline. The city of 380,000 people has experienced days of lost power and water, dry gasoline stations and a slow dribble of aid.

The ferry, built in 2014, was docked outside Wani because the state-owned company that owns it was delivering it to a new owner. That was also serendipitous because there were no passengers on the 63-meter (208-foot) -long vessel.

Captain Edy Junaidi said the tide retreated about 7 meters (23 feet) immediately after the quake and he thought the tsunami wave was 10-15 meters (33-50 feet) high. Petty officer Imat, who uses one name, said 20 meters (66 feet) and Johanes estimated it at 15-20 meters (50-66 feet).

Their accounts exceed the highest estimates of disaster officials, who said the wave could have been 6 meters (20 feet) or higher based on a man who survived by climbing a tree. A tsunami warning issued after the quake predicted waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet).

Johanes was in his cabin turning on the TV when the quake hit just after 6 p.m. on Sept. 28. There was “extreme shaking” and the light bulb fell out and the air conditioning unit plunged to the floor, he said.

By the time he reached the deck, a huge wave was approaching and the pier had collapsed.

In the preceding one to two minutes, the panicked crew had donned lifejackets and released all of the ship’s mooring lines except one — the head line at the front of the ship — which was stretched incredibly tight as the tide rushed out, forcing Imat, the petty officer, to let it go.

“There is no doubt as a human being of course I’m panicking,” said Imat. “But we have to realize that this is a natural phenomenon. It’s the will of God and we are chanting God is Great. But without forgetting our position, our duty,” he said.

To the crew, the sudden drop in water level was bewildering and it seemed like the Earth was rising.

“I saw the ground getting higher and higher. It was so high. Then I saw the pier had collapsed. It was chaotic. I could see a wave, a dark high wave. I cannot imagine that,” said Imat.

“The ship was driven all the way back and only then did I realize that it was the water that had gone down,” he said.

Johanes, at the bridge when the wave hit, was bracing for a collision with the broken pier.

“I was holding on. I thought we were going to be thrown when we hit the pier. Then I just realized we weren’t thrown. We were flying,” he said.

The time that elapsed between the tide retreating and the tsunami hitting was “just a matter of minutes,” Imat said. “Maybe it was 3-5 minutes. It was really fast.”

At first the crew didn’t realize they’d been dropped on land because the ship remained surrounded by water after being lifted and pushed forward by the surging sea.

In retrospect, it was a “smooth” landing and the ship appeared completely undamaged, Imat said. The captain, Junaidi, estimated the ferry now lies about 50 meters (yards) from its original position at the dock.

“We all panicked,” said Johanes. “We have a plan to abandon the ship but we are waiting for the captain’s instruction. The captain managed to calm us down,” he said.

“If it is necessary we will abandon the ship but at the end the ship didn’t go anywhere. After 30 minutes we saw solid ground around us. We realized it’s not ocean around us. It’s solid ground,” he said, days later still absorbing the ordeal the crew endured.

They cracked dark jokes about their experience and seemed content to wait on a vessel that has none of the deprivations of the nearby villages.

“We can go down from the ship but where can we go? There’s no market around. The shops are still closed,” said Johanes. “And a few days ago there was looting around this area. So we don’t know where to go if we go to the ground.”

Come Home to Southern Thai Food at ‘Klangsuan’

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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5 October 2018, 11:03

Finding an unpretentious yet stylish restaurant serving homey portion sizes at reasonable prices in Asok is rare. For it to serve authentic southern Thai food is even rarer. In that tiny interval of probability, there’s Klangsuan.

A low-key restaurant serving Chumphon province food and passed around by word of mouth, Klangsuan opened July 2017 deep in Soi Sukhumvit 22. In an interview with Khaosod English, owner Nuttavut “Tum” Mandrananda, 39, talked about growing up to the sound of chili dip being pounded, the sharp scent of turmeric curry being boiled and how the restaurant is an ode to his family.

“I know people are having fun with fusion food right now, but I want to bring back childhood nostalgia,” Tum said. “I’m cooking like my grandma did, staying faithful to the things she made for me growing up.”

For Tum, and many diners, Klangsuan spells nostalgia and childhood, a homecoming to filling and delicious homestyle food.

LRG DSC04219 — Nuttavut “Tum” Mandrananda.

From Grandma, to Mom, to Son

Tum grew up averse to everything related to cooking. Growing up, he saw his grandmother struggle as she hawked food and ran a small eatery with his mother in their native Lang Suan district in Chumphon.

“Cooking was always something I tried to run away from. I wanted to be an artist, so I became a freelance photographer and went to Australia to work. I was searching for myself. All the while I didn’t go close to Thai food,” Tum said of his three-year stint from 2007 to 2009.

Unlike many Thais who work overseas in the food business, the closest Tum went to touching food was waiting tables in a bar and delivering catering. But it was one night in a pub, chatting to farangs, that he decided it was time to stop running.

“They were asking about what I had back home, so I talked about my grandma’s shop. Then, they said, ‘if I were you, I wouldn’t come here to struggle. I’d go back home, help the family out and pass on the tradition,’” Tum said. “Farangs really give credit to chefs and people that can feed others. So that changed my perspective.”

Tum came back home to reconnect with his mother, Ngam-nit Mandrananda, 65, – and memories of dishes by granny Cha-leaw Mee-sombut, who died in 2001 at 75, came rushing back.

DSCF3381 — Clockwise from top: khua kling moo (฿150), kaeng som Klangsuan (฿350), a bowl of vegetables, half of an order of miang pla kraben waan (฿120) and khai palo koo rak (฿200) around a bowl of rice.

“There was something surreal linking me to cooking old tin and wood house. It’s like how the kid is an artist when their parents were, because they’re used to seeing wrists flicking brushes,” Nuttavut said. “I remembered the little tips my mom said to herself while cooking, like not putting liang [melinjo] leaves while boiling coconut milk.”

He saw his childhood in a new light as his mom taught him her trade.

“My mom never told me to go into cooking. She said it was a hard job with many problems. You have to chop things repetitively every day until your hands crack,” Tum said. “I realized then that I had been selfish. I experienced the difficulties my mom went through in running her shop to raise me, like going to the market at 3:30am. It got emotional.”

Tum then decided to open Klangsuan, (a dialectal name for a house garden) to pass on his grandmother’s dishes.

Image from iOS 2 — Sataw kao pad kapi (฿180 with prawns) and kaeng som Klangsuan (฿350).

The Food

The attention is in the details: 80 percent of the ingredients are Chumphon-sourced. Nuttavut insists the lemongrass from his hometown is softer and more fragrant than those in Bangkok. Mackerel must be fished from the Gulf of Thailand, not the Andaman Sea, for firmness. Cumin is only from Lang Suan district and he uses coconut sugar, not white sugar. Coconut milk must be fresh, not boxed. All curry pastes are made in-house and some of the veggies are grown in the garden by the restaurant.

“If I run out of chili, I say so and have to tell the customers that I can make them something else. It won’t taste the same if I run out and get chili here,” Nuttawut said.

I’m cooking like my grandma did, staying faithful to the things she made for me growing up

It’s near impossible to miss when ordering at Klangsuan, unless you dislike southern food. The miang pla kraben waan (฿120) are 12 betel leaves with shredded rays and lemongrass, a sweet opening to the wild spiciness of the khua kling moo (฿150) of roasted spicy pork and kaeng som Klangsuan sour yellow curry (฿350), generous in its mackerel and crunchy bamboo shoots.

The spiciness builds up until cloaked by the coconut milk soup with prawns (tom kati hua maprao, ฿180). The sparks of heat in the mouth is extinguished in one go with the sweetness, like how a gust of wind blows out all the lights in a candle-lined Tibetan cave.

LRG DSC04235 — Kaeng som Klangsuan (฿350).

When things are getting too sweet, turn to the dish of sataw khao phad kapi (฿160 with pork belly, ฿180 with prawns.) It brings to mind better versions of hot seaside summers, with crunchy, fresh, stir fried stink beans. The kapi paste used is sharper and fishier than usual shrimp paste since it’s made of krill.

Again, extinguish excess spice with the Southern-style five-spice Chinese soup, khai palo koo rak, sweeter than usual egg-and-pork palo dishes (฿200.) Take a palate-cleansing, crunchy break with the complementary vegetables of Asiatic pennyworth and spherical green and purple eggplants.

In a world of fad foods and calorie counting, it’s nice to simply slurp down sweet and spicy without a care.

LRG DSC04238 — Khai palo koo rak (฿200).

Other than the lunch office crowd in the fern-and-polished concrete space, the clientele is largely family-oriented, like the restaurant’s story.

“Actually, there’s a lot of elderly. They’re past the point of eating fusion food with fancy plating in small portions,” Tum said. “This 70-year-old granny who came to eat khao yum [rice salad] said it immediately made her think of cracking wild tamarind seed pods for her mom as a child.”

One can tell that the food at Klangsuan isn’t meant to trick, show off or even impress one with showmanship. It’s food to nourish you, making you reach for different flavors, and switching them up if things get too hot or too sweet. The food tastes what a southern granny, if you had one, would have made for you to eat until you’re stuffed. The food tastes like love.

LRG DSC04258 — Tom kati hua maprao (฿180).

Photos by Jintamas Saksornchai

Klangsuan is open 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm on Tuesday to Friday. It opens 11am to 10pm on weekends. The restaurant is closed on Monday. It’s reachable by a short taxi or motorcycle ride into Soi Sai Namthip 2 in Soi Sukhumvit 22 from BTS Phrom Phrong, BTS Asok, MRT Sukhumvit or MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

LRG DSC04249 — Sataw kao pad kapi (฿180 with prawns).

Hundreds of Foreigners Arrested in Record Raids

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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5 October 2018, 11:02

Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpan, right, at a Friday press briefing with foreigners arrested from across country.

BANGKOK — Police on Friday said hundreds of foreigners were arrested in another round of national raids targeting schools, hotels and restaurants.

A record 369 foreign nationals were arrested Thursday night from 337 locations, including in the capital’s Huai Khwang district, in an operation the immigration chief said was a joint effort between various law enforcement sectors. Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpan began leading the campaign when he was deputy commander of the tourist police.

He said 96 were captured for overstaying their visas, 131 for illegally entering the country and 142 for petty crimes.

More than 70 Chinese, Indians and Ghanaian were rounded up from Ratchada and Sutthisan areas for selling goods, as foreigners are not allowed to work in retail.

Surachet said the ongoing operation has seen almost 2,300 foreigners arrested and banned from entering Thailand in 35 raids.

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Netizens Pan ‘Rude’ Vogue Interview With Princess (Video)

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2018, 18:20

BANGKOK — One of King Rama X’s daughters gave an interview to Vogue Thailand in the magazine’s single camera format, answering many questions about her personal life, though some netizens panned the interviewer’s lack of formality.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari told Vogue Thailand about her pets, hobbies and working inspirations in a video released Thursday, which some internet users criticized due to the casual style in which she was interviewed.

“So rude. Even though you asked to use common language, shouldn’t you be more polite? Where are your krups? This is totally inappropriate. Even if her highness doesn’t mind, but this is the first instance. There will be second, third and fourth ones,” Facebook user Narongdej Kritsanawarit commented on the video.

On Thursday, the official H.R.H Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana page responded to the drama and asked people to stop fighting over the issue.

“On this page, even though she’s not the admin, all the content and posts are from her. What’s more, she reads all of the comments,” the Thursday afternoon post read.

Some netizens said that being offended for the princess wasn’t appropriate.

“She’s royalty and couldn’t care less, but it’s the commoners that are getting offended by this and that. Come on, they discussed what the interview was going to be like before filming,” user Ronnakit Harita said.

The interview was in the same “73 Questions” single shot video format popularized by Vogue and used with fashion icons and celebrities worldwide such as designer Donatella Versace and pop artist Lady Gaga. The video, posted on both the princess’ and Vogue Thailand’s page, gained more than 4 million views combined.

But unlike interviews of other celebs, the interviewer asks if he can forgo using royal words reserved for Thai royals at the beginning of the video.

“Your royal highness, I, Kullawit Laosuksri, would like to ask your permission to do an interview with you for Vogue Digital. Kindly, allow us to humbly use ordinary language during this interview,” he said.

Kullawit Laosuksri, 50, is the editor-in-chief at Vogue Thailand, and is seen in photos with the princess.

In the interview, the princess, 31, answers personal questions for almost 7 minutes.

“Of course, sea. I love ‘Under the Sea’ because I’m Ariel,” she says in a response to whether she prefers the sea or the mountains, referring to the main character in the Little Mermaid cartoon.

She prefers Paris to Milan and loves to eat at Toyo restaurant there. At home, she likes to lounge around in big, fluffy cartoon slippers. The princess – designer of her Sirivannavari clothing brand – describes herself as persevering, determined and hardworking.

She didn’t answer questions about who she last chatted with and what her favorite number was.

“Sorry, I can’t tell you. People might use that for lottery,” she said.

A medaled equestrian – clinching a silver medal for team dressage at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games – she also answered questions about horse riding.

“I fell off a horse and broke my leg. I had three screws in my left foot,” she said, detailing one horse riding injury. Asked who her favorite horse was, she said, “I can’t say. They would sulk.”

In the video, she also plays with a little puppy she holds, calling it her “super baby” and with Homey, her Yorkshire terrier who she says likes to eat rose apples.

She is currently reading Anna Karenina, spends a lot of time exercising, takes coffee with sugar, dislikes beef and likes to vacation in Greece.

Commission Unveils 3 Proposed Bangkok Election Maps

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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4 October 2018, 17:42

Elementary school students participate in a mock election to learn about democracy on July 22, 2017, in Samut Songkhram province.

BANGKOK — The Election Commission on Thursday unveiled three new proposed electoral constituency maps for Bangkok.

The three are being subjected to public feedback before one is adopted for the next general elections expected in February next year.

Under the new election law for members of parliament, the number of MPs in Bangkok was reduced from 33 to 30, requiring constituencies to be redrawn.

Vichuda Mekanuwong, commission director for Bangkok, said Thursday that political parties and the public could offer feedback for 10 days from now until Oct. 13.

The reduction of MPs will set the ratio at one representative per registered population of 189,414.

The three proposed plans comprise different ways of dividing the constituency, but the Thonburi side of the capital – west of the Chaophraya River – will have 9 MPs in all three proposed divisions, while the Bangkok side will have 21 MPs.

Immigration Chief Vows Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Workers

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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4 October 2018, 17:16

Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpan, third from left, talks to foreigners arrested for illegally working in Thailand on Thursday at the Immigration Bureau.

BANGKOK — Police arrested dozens of foreigners Thursday for illegally working in Thailand as the newly-appointed immigration chief promised a tough crackdown.

Moving on from his almost-weekly ritual of rounding up foreigners overstaying their visas, Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpan today said 59 people – Thais and foreigners – accused of being involved in illegal employment were arrested in the capital’s Nana area and Khaosan Road.

Read: Cop Behind Foreigner Crackdown Gets Top Immigration Job

Thirty-five of those arrested were Burmese. There were also six stateless people, five Chinese, four Bangladeshis and a few from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria and Palestine. Four Thais were charged with illegally employing foreign nationals.

The foreigners would be revoked of their resident permits and deported, according to Surachet, who officially took over the commanding position Monday at the Immigration Bureau.

Maj. Gen. Kritsakorn Pleethanyawong, deputy immigration chief, said the stateless people would be put through an authentication process to determine their home country before being deported. He added that ethnic minorities would be sent back to their registered area, or assigned one, and barred from leaving.

Stateless people with resident permits have the same working rights as Thai people. However, they can’t work outside their registered area – or even leave – without authorization.

Surachet said he had instructed immigration staff countrywide to actively monitor foreigners residing in their areas and arrest those working illegally – including foreigners setting up businesses using Thai people as proxies to avoid tighter regulations.

In a related case, Surachet said two police officers from the bureau were under investigation for allegedly conspiring with those helping foreigners forge financial documents needed for resident and work permits. He vowed severe punishment for the two if found guilty.

Royal Petitioner Arrested Near Grand Palace

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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4 October 2018, 15:34

BANGKOK — Police arrested a businessman and handed him over to military custody Thursday before he could submit a petition to His Majesty the King’s aides.

The man, later identified as Suwaroj Chawanunthanaphokin, was arrested shortly after he arrived at the City Pillar Shrine and taken away in a police van. Suwaroj had said he would ask the monarch to remove junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha and replace him with a provisional government prior to the next election.

Chanasongkram Police Station chief Chakrit Chosoomuang would not divulge any details about the arrest other than saying Suwaroj is now under military authority.

“The soldiers took him away,” Col. Chakrit said, adding that soldiers accused Suwaroj of violating the junta’s ban on political gatherings.

In a Sunday interview with exiled reporter Jom Petpradab, Suwaroj said he planned to petition King Vajiralongkorn on Thursday to install an interim government in place of Gen. Prayuth to govern the country before the upcoming election, scheduled to take place in February.

Suwaroj attributed the idea to former prime minister Chavalit Yongjaiyuth, who proposed at a news conference last week that a “national unity government” be formed to steer the country from political conflicts.

Anti-coup activist Ekachai Hongkangwan expressed surprise at the news of Suwaroj’s arrest because he submitted a similar petition to the palace in November 2017 without any incident.

“It’s been almost a year now, but they never sent me any reply,” Ekachai said by phone.

Indian Court Allows Deportation of 7 Rohingya to Myanmar

By

Associated Press

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4 October 2018, 15:32

NEW DELHI — India’s top court on Thursday allowed the first deportations of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar since the federal government ordered their identification last year.

The Supreme Court rejected a plea by defense attorney Prashant Bhushan to let seven Rohingya live in India as they feared reprisal in Myanmar. They were arrested in 2012 for entering India illegally and have been held in a prison.

The Indian government plans to hand over the seven to Myanmar border guards later Thursday. It says it has obtained travel permits for them from Myanmar. On Wednesday, they were taken in a bus from the prison to the border town of Moreh in Manipur state.

“Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens,” Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph said, adding that they would not like to interfere with the government’s decision.

Government attorney Tushar Mehta told the judges that the government of Myanmar had given them certificates of identity and 1-month visas to facilitate their deportation.

Defense attorney Bhushan said the government should treat them as refugees and not as illegal migrants and send a representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to talk to them so that they were not deported under duress.

About 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a brutal campaign of violence by Myanmar’s military. An estimated 40,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in parts of India. Less than 15,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Many have settled in areas with large Muslim populations, including the southern city of Hyderabad, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, and the Himalayan region of Jammu-Kashmir. Some have taken refuge in northeast India bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Indian government says it has evidence there are extremists who pose a threat to the country’s security among the Rohingya Muslims who have settled in many Indian cities. India is fighting insurgencies in northern Kashmir and in northeastern states.

Superb World-Class Fusion Feast by Michelin-Starred Chef Akira Back (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

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4 October 2018, 14:42

A special night of superb world-class fusion feast by legendary Michelin-Starred Chef Akira Back at Akira Back Restaurant & Bar, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.

Come and feast on great tasting cuisine by legendary Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back who has designed a special menu inspired by his happy childhood memories and life journey. Food lovers will enjoy a long culinary journey to explore and savor Akira’s East-meets-West cuisine that’s cooked using top-quality ingredients. A special night of fine dining is set in an impressive atmosphere at Akira Back Restaurant & Bar, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.

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Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park – the posh, prestigious Marquis-branded hotel that’s Bangkok’s biggest – presents great tasting specially prepared cuisine by Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back. The chef has received widespread international acclaim for his East-meets-West brand of cuisine that is distinctive and unlike any other. Born in South Korea but raised in the United States, Chef Akira has created a new style of food that’s a fusion of fresh and elegant Japanese and Korean cuisines and fun American food. His cuisine reflects his happy childhood memories and his life journey through the passage of time.

In addition, Chef Akira Back owns Akira Back Restaurant & Bar, his first and only restaurant in Thailand, which is located on the 37th floor of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park. The restaurant presents contemporary cuisine in the style of Chef Akira that is both exciting and colorful. The restaurant is made up of a main dining area, a sushi bar, Omakase Bar and four private dining rooms offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the cityscape through floor-to-ceiling transparent glass window panes. The four private rooms altogether have a seating capacity of 100.

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For an impressive night on September 19, 2018, Chef Akira Back made a special appearance at the restaurant to stage a Chef’s Table and present a repertoire of his amazing dishes that are current bestsellers at Akira Back Restaurants & Bars the world over. These included Tuna & Eringi Pizza, which is one of his signature dishes. Presented in Chef Akira’s personal style, the crispy crust – topped with umami aioli, fresh tuna sashimi, micro shiso and white truffle oil – redefines the traditional concept of pizza.

Jeju Domi is a sashimi dish that Chef Akira ate as a child. Back then he didn’t want to try sashimi, so his father gave him a snapper with chojang sauce. This simple dish has been given special treatment with orange-infused tobiko rolled inside the snapper. Another sashimi dish, Salmon Tiradito, blends the style of Peruvian ceviche with a twist of charred mango, yuzu lemon and cilantro oil.

One of Chef Akira’s most famous dishes, AB Tacos, reflects his American heritage. This modern twist on the classic Tex-Mex dish features tacos stuffed with Korean-style wagyu beef bulgogi and topped with roasted tomato ponzu. Meanwhile, Jidori Chicken is his version of teriyaki chicken, cooked sous-vide and served with velvety potato purée.

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The special evening also showcased several inventive seafood dishes including Scallop in a Half Shell, sea scallops and their roe cooked under a charcoal robata grill and served with kimchi, bacon and a kochujang butter sauce; Una-Q, kabayaki-style unagi eel with seared foie gras and balsamic soy; King Crab Legs served with Chef Akira’s “Dynamite Sauce” and pickled shimeji; Pan-Seared Halibut; and Butter Poached Lobster with nori butter.

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This was followed by Chef Akira’s mouth-watering 48 Hrs Wagyu Short Ribs – an elevated version of his mother’s short rib stew, which sees prime ribs slow-cooked for two days in a traditional Korean kalbi jjim marinade, and served with a sensational sauce made from the cooking process.

This exquisite tasting menu concluded with Chef Akira’s signature Sujeongwa AB Eggs and Chocolate Bonbons, that left a lasting impression on diners.

Chef Akira will be appearing at Akira Back, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, for three nights only from September 20-22, 2018. Each Chef’s Table event runs from 18.00 to 23.00 hrs and will be hosted by Akira Back himself.

Tables of six to twelve people are available in a private room, priced at THB 2,288++ per person including the full tasting menu. For food lovers, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

Akira Back Restaurant & Bar of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is open daily for lunch from 12.00-14.30, and dinner from 18.00-23.00. For more information and reservations, please call 02 059 5999 or email [email protected].

About Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park

The largest hotel in Bangkok and the first Marriott Marquis hotel in Asia Pacific, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is a new landmark in heart of the Thai capital. The resort offers extensive facilities, including more than 1,388 rooms and suites, over 5,000m² of function space across 37 venues, two swimming pools, the Quan Spa and a collection of restaurants and bars. Centrally located on Sukhumvit Road, in Bangkok’s vibrant business and entertainment district, the hotel is the perfect choice for all travelers to this pulsating city.

Bangkok Temple Bell to Lower Toll Volume After Condo Complains

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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4 October 2018, 13:25

Wat Sai’s bell tower and the luxury condominium Star View.

BANGKOK — A three-century-old Bangkok temple on Thursday caved in to a new luxury condominium residents’ demands to lower the noise level of its pre-dawn bell tolling.

Monks at Wat Sai temple decided to lower the decibel level of its 4am and evening bell tolls starting Thursday after Bangkok’s Bang Kho Laem district office filed a complaint saying the nearby upscale Star View condominium told them they were disturbed by the noise.

The 1.2-meter bell, on Rama III Road, is located atop a three-storey structure and rings rhythmically at 4am for up to 20 minutes. Phra Suthicharn Supatto, one of the monks at Wat Sai, said the bell rings twice a day during the three-month period of Buddhist Lent, with evening rings lasting 10 minutes after starting at 6pm. However, Phra Suthicharn said no nearby low-rise dwellings had ever complained.

Abbot Preecha Poonnalo on Wednesday said the temple won’t stop ringing the bell, but that he had instructed the monks to lower the noise. He also said the condominium had invited monks to perform a religious ceremony there before.

Suthicharn said the log used to toll the bell had been changed to a smaller one to lower the noise.

Actor Karunphol Tiansuwan, who resides at the new high-rise twin condominiums of 44 and 54 floors – priced upward of 7 million baht – said those choosing to reside there want privacy and have difficulties bearing the noise of the ringing as well as some religious rites delivered through loudspeakers.

Karunphol however wrote on his Instagram that residents there have a good relationship with the temple, and that only one person complained about it constantly.

Resident Tubtim Mallika also posted on Instagram saying she had never been disturbed by the bell or heard its sound. She said the person behind the pressure had now disappeared after condominium dwellers received criticism.

“It’s such a severe drama,” Tubtim wrote.

Rights activist Srisuwan Janya joined the fray. He said the pressure against the temple is tantamount to and “insult” against Buddhism and a violation of Article 206 of the Criminal Code that could lead to a maximum imprisonment term of seven years, a fine of up to 14,000 baht, or both.

“It is against the feelings of many Buddhists,” he said, adding that the temple has been around for 300 years and called the condo dwellers an “alien community.”

Buddhist scholar Suraphot Thaweesak meanwhile posted on Facebook on Thursday saying there is no right or wrong on the matter but that the two parties had to “adapt to cohabitate in a modern society.”

Additional reporting Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Jintamas Saksornchai

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