The BigChilli
  • Home
  • ONLINE MAGAZINE
  • News
  • Promotions
  • Features
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • What's on
  • Social Events
  • The BigChilli TV
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Social Media
    • Pricavy Policy
  • Contact us

Mrs District of Columbia 2022 Gift Thongpia Hughes, Thai-American Beauty Queen

26/3/2023

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
During the past two years, there’s been an unprecedented explosion of Asian American beauty queens, capped by an Asian American Miss USA/Miss Universe (crowned on 14 Jan), so it is special that we were visited by Mrs District of Columbia - the first Thai-American to represent the US capital.
 
For a few weeks during the recent Christmas/New Year holidays, Thailand was visited by the reigning Mrs District of Columbia (Washington DC), from the Mrs America Pageant. 
 
In this sense, she has bust through the ‘bamboo ceiling’ of American beauty pageants. So this crown is quite a notable accomplishment for Asian Americans, and serves as a marker for Thai representation abroad. 

Read More
Comments

The ‘a-ha’ moment that inspired Marisha to launch a new career publishing children’s books

26/3/2023

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Born: 
 
Quebec City in Canada.
 
Age:
 
I’m 54, though I feel like I’m going on 34!
 
Education:
 
A Bachelors in Sociology, with a minor in Environmental Studies at McGill University in Montreal, followed by a Masters in Environmental Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal and a second Masters in International Development from Tulane University’s School of Law.
 
First language - French or English?
 
At home we spoke French, though I learned to speak English very early on.
Family:
 
My family is in Canada, and a bit in Costa Rica. I also have in-laws in the United States and Japan, and even a niece in Bangkok.
 
First job and career:
 
My first job was working as a guide on whale-watching ships and at a little marine museum along the St. Lawrence River. That job sparked such a passion in me that I have been working on water-related issues ever since!
 
I have had the privilege of working with high-level policy networks on water security in Japan and throughout Asia-Pacific. I have had assignments with the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, the High-Level Panel on Water and Disasters, the UN-Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, among others.
 
As hydrological systems are changing right before our eyes, water security is a cause that I continue to be whole-heartedly devoted to. While our societies have accomplished so much in terms of water supply, sanitation, irrigation for food security (to name a few of the water-related issues), climate change is spurring a race for water security and we need to be doing a lot more, now, for our children’s future water security.

Read More
Comments

Thammachart Seafood’s quest to find, catch and deliver the best products pays off

26/3/2023

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The search for quality fresh and frozen seafood that meets the most rigorous standards of sustainability, and satisfies the high expectations of Bangkok’s diners, is a constant challenge for Bangkok’s chefs.
 
 With its global network of approved suppliers and partners, Thammachart Seafood has become the go-to choice of a long list of local culinary figures.
 
They include Chef Wilfrid Hocquet of Blue by Alain Ducasse, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Iconsiam, Gerard Villaret Horcajo, Chef de Cuisine at Michelin- starred Elements at The Okura Prestige Bangkok, and Daniel Masters, Executive Chef of The Standard Bangkok Mahanakorn,
 
The company’s products can also be found on the menus of Mandarin Oriental, Four Season, Capella, The Waldorf Astoria, and Anantara Siam. Restaurant customers include Michelin-starred Suhring, Le Normandie and Chef Table Le Bua.

Read More
Comments

The Boy in the well

26/3/2023

Comments

 
Picture
Matt Kelly and B.B. King

by Greg Beatty

In a long and event-filled 
career spanning electric blues to the psychedelic era, 
Matthew Kelly has played with some music’s legendary figures, including B.B. King, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, 

Albert Collins, Bobby Bland, Luther Tucker and Mel Brown and more. But his biggest claim to fame was performing with the Grateful Dead, one of the most respected rock bands of all time. Now happily settled in Pattaya, Matthew can still be persuaded to turn out for the occasional gig, as he did recently at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club
T​he Royal Varuna Yacht Club, Thailand’s premier sailing venue located two hours’ drive south of Bangkok, seemed the most unlikely place to find Matthew Kelly.
Decades ago Kelly played blues harp on three Grateful Dead albums and in several of the group’s New Year Eve concerts. Before that he was the only white guy in otherwise all-black bands, 

Read More
Comments

KCG & Lexicon vie for SHL supremacy With two forwards down, pre-season favourite Aware lost its luster early on Photos by Tadamasa Nagayama

1/3/2023

Comments

 
Picture
As we skate into 2023, KCG & the Lexicon Lumberjacks are the favourites to capture the Siam Hockey League championship trophy with KCG on top of the leader board by two points. Shrewd drafting by captains Jesse Starosta of KCG and Justin St. Denis of Lexicon have set their teams up for successful seasons.

Pre-season favourite Aware lost its luster early on when two of its top forwards were lost: Corry Day to injury and Oleg Kabakov to suspension. The league’s fourth squad, Siam Mandalay, has had a rough go it, winning only one game to date.
A third of the way through the season, KCG’s Jan Isaksson leads the league in scoring with 14 points, followed by Aware’s Kim Aarola and KCG teammate Nick Lampson with 12 points. Interestingly, all three players are luk-kruengs, mixed Thai and foreign background.
Fourth and fifth place in the scoring race belong to Mike Freeson & Tomas Stastny of Siam Mandalay. These two players are not used to losing, indeed in the last COVID-cut short SHL season their team, the Novotel Spitfires, dominated the league. Alas, with a new season and a new draft the squad lost its two best defensemen Ken Kindborn to Lexicon & Christoph Anliker to KCG and they haven’t recovered.
Stastny comes from Slovakia’s most celebrated hockey family as he is the son and nephew of former NHL stars Anton and Peter Stastny, and his cousin Paul is currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. 
An early candidate for the SHL’s rookie-of-the-year award is KCG’s keeper Dominik Vollenweider who leads the league in saves and save percentage. His play has been phenomenal at times, causing opposition players to wonder “who is this guy” after he has foiled scoring chance after scoring chance.              
SHL games take place at the Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena on Soi 19, Rama 9 Road from 8:30pm onwards on Sunday nights. You can get league updates by listening to Dom Dumais’ podcasts, sponsored by the BigChilli magazine at: www.siamhockeyleague.com.
The games are also televised on www.thailandTV.tv and produced by Keith Mueller. The SHL would also like to thank Zack Block for his excellent work as both a podcaster and play-by-play announcer over the last few years. Zack is returning to his home in Louisiana where hopefully he will find some games to broadcast in the Bayou.     
Comments

The Blue Dolphin car ferry offers an alternative Pattaya to Ko Samui route

19/1/2023

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Targeting travelers based in Bangkok and Pattaya, the RoRo ferry offers a comfortable overnight 
cruise to Ko Samui

The ferry leaves Chuksamed Pier, Sattahip, close to U Tapao
 international airport, at 5pm and arrives in Ko Samui at about 8am 
the following morning.
I nstead of flying Bangkok Airways to Ko Samui, one of the most expensive domestic routes in Thailand, travelers now have the option of taking The Blue Dolphin, a 8,952-ton passenger and car ferry, from Sattahip, some 40 minutes from Pattaya, to the popular southern island.
Operated by Seahorse Ferries, the ferry can carry up to 586 passengers, as well as 100 private cars, trailers and motorbikes. Ramp doors are located at bow and stern.
The overnight journey leaves Chuksamed Pier, Sattahip, close to U Tapao international airport, at 5pm and arrives in Ko Samui at about 8am the following morning.
The cost of a one-way passenger ticket for an airline-style seat starts from 2,500 baht. More luxurious accommodation is available, including VIP (2,800 baht), Comfort (3,300 baht), First (8,000 baht), Suite (10,000 baht), Premier (12,000 baht) and Family (14,000 baht).

Read More
Comments

Bruce’s reluctant challenge – cycling from the bottom to top of the UK

19/12/2022

Comments

 
Picture
“Let me be clear,” announced Bruce when I interviewed him for this article “although I class myself as a sportsman (some people in Bangkok might dispute this claim!!) cycling is not a sport I particularly enjoy and, indeed, I need a very strong reason to get on a bicycle.”
I​n fact, Bruce’s motivation to undertake this trip this trip from bottom to top of the UK trip came from Taiwan.  The summer before last he was asked to make a three-month business trip to Taiwan for Mazars. 
Having had to endure strict quarantine for the first two weeks on arrival, he was then released onto the streets of Taipei simultaneously as it entered a complete lockdown for the first time. 
Bruce had planned to tour Taiwan by car in his spare weekends but then found that a Thai-based international driving license is not valid in Taiwan. 
With a long weekend looming and literally nothing to do, eat, or see in Taipei he borrowed a bike and took a train (only passenger in the compartment) to Hua Lien, the start of a 200km coastal ride down a beautiful stretch of the East Coast of Taiwan. 
With almost every hotel restaurant or guest house shut it was a real ‘Lonely Planet’ experience, but Bruce enjoyed it so much he then spent the next five weekends completing the cycle of the perimeter of Taiwan – some 1,200kms.
This Taiwan tour gave Bruce both the inspiration and confidence to tackle the UK’s famous ‘Land’s End to John o’Groats’ challenge, or in his case, cycling from the southern tip of the country to its most northerly point.
Having recently retired after working for 35 years in Asia, he felt that this would be a great way to rediscover the UK, get really fit, as well as raising money for the Bangkok-based Beaumont Ruam Pattana school in Chaiyapum, a cause close to his heart.
Bruce spent three months planning the trip using around 200 ordinance survey maps to ensure that he never had to use a main road once.  It meant that the route he chose was 1,730 km, about  200km longer than the more conventional routes, but of course a lot more interesting. 
The whole route was then put on Kamoot software. There were many added and unexpected benefits too. The scenery was much more stunning throughout the trip than he had expected. 
Bruce also managed to reconnect with a lot of friends around the world and gave a daily update to more than 100 people that was full of many beautiful pictures and interesting discoveries on the journey. He also met, and in some cases stayed with, old and new friends along the way. In the end it was a job not only well done but also very enjoyable.


Read More
Comments

How Chef Matteo maintains Rossano’s legendary reputation for traditional fare

19/12/2022

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Bangkok’s best-known Italian restaurant continues its tradition for Cucina Tradizionale
For almost 40 years, Rossano’s has been delighting Bangkok diners with its traditional Italian cuisine. More recently this legendary restaurant has been reaching new heights thanks to the masterful culinary skills of Executive Chef Matteo Verini, who joined Rossano’s three years ago after working for some of Thailand’s leading hotels.
From classic Spaghetti Bolognese and Risotto Porcini mushrooms to the chef’s weekly specials and the restaurant’s favorites such as Maine Lobster, Prime Lamb Ribs, and the famous Australian ‘Wagyu’ Tomahawk, Rossano’s cuisine under Chef Matteo menu is not only awesome in its diversity but also unapologetically traditional, yet innovative and always exciting.
Indeed, the Rossano’s continues a tradition that dates back to 1984 when Gennari Rossano opened L’Opera, Bangkok’s original Italian restaurant, which raised his homeland’s cuisine to a new level in Thailand.
Today, the restaurant has a new look, a Tuscan-style country house, light and airy, pastoral and cozy, but its owners and chef have remained steadfastly faithful to Gennari Rossano’s values of Cucina Tradizionale in its food selection and preparation.
Chef Matteo and his 14-strong team produce a long list of dishes that lean towards the cuisine of northern Italy, where he was raised in a family of skilled cooks. The many different varieties of pastas, breads and desserts served at Rossano’s are all homemade.

Read More
Comments

PROFILE: Tamara Demeo

19/12/2022

Comments

 
Picture
Italy-born wine merchant talks about the 1,000-plus grape varieties grown in Italy, a legendary wine taster who rarely if ever gets it wrong and why after 20 years here she has no plans to leave Thailand

​Born:
Trieste, Italy
 
Age:
49
 
Family:
In Thailand, husband, three cats and two dogs; various people in Italy.
 
Where do you live in Bangkok?
Sukhumvit Soi 4
 
Education:
Italian literature at university, then attended a management course about food and wine production organized by the Italian Government in 1990 aimed exploiting the potential of tourism gastronomy in north east Italy. Also, AIS Sommelier and AIBES Bartender.

First job:
Lifeguard
Picture
I started as a sommelier at Zanotti, the owner was the one that ask me to stay in Thailand (I was on holiday) as he was looking for a sommelier for his restaurant.
What brought you to Thailand?
I cancelled a trip to Madagascar; Thailand was the replacement.

Where do you work?
I’ve worked for Texica since 2014 and for Premium Food since 2019.  They’re sister companies that provide a great selection of Italian wine (Texica) and an endless international selection of fine ingredients (Premium Food). Hotels and restaurants account for about 90% of our wine sales. Of those, 70% are red wines and 30% white.

Tell us more about Texica:
Texica was established in 2010 for the purpose of importing and distributing Italian wines and also to promote Italian culture through cuisine, music and tourism. We have the largest Italian wine portfolio in Thailand, representing 34 mostly family-owned Italian wineries and 220 different wines using local grape varieties. There are more than 1,000 different grape varieties in Italy, and we cover about 100 of them – some well-known, some less so.
  Our key business partners include Ferrari, Bottega, Marchesi di Barolo, Castello di Bossi, Renieri, Li Veli, Cordero di Montezomolo and others.

Read More
Comments

The BigChilli 22nd Anniversary

19/12/2022

Comments

 
Picture
Picture
We’re celebrating another milestone in the life and times of The BigChilli, Thailand’s original expat magazine.
Launched in November-December 1999 as a Voice for the country’s booming international community, we’re still going strong after 22 years.
While other publications have come and gone during that period, The BigChilli continues to entertain, inform and sometimes even exasperate our expat audience, now many times bigger than when we first started.
It hasn’t always been easy, and we’ve had our setbacks, including Covid, but we’re proud to still be here, a magazine worth reading. 
Comments
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Attractions
    Business
    Crime
    Dining
    Diplomats
    Expat Women
    Fashion
    Feature
    Gourmet
    Health
    History
    Hotels
    Hot List
    Hua Hin
    Insight
    Motoring
    Patpong
    Schools
    Special Discs
    Sport
    Steak
    Technology
    Travel


    calendar of events


    Picture
Picture
About  |   Emag  |  Subscribe (print)  |  Newsletter |  Contact Us  | Advertise 

FOLLOW US

CURRENT ISSUE

2019 - 2021 so Far

The BigChilli July 2020
Jan 2021
FEB 2021
March 2021
April 2021
May 2021
June 2021
August
October
November 2021
December 2021
March- April 2022
Copyright © 2018 The BigChilli Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
No. 8/2 FMA Group Bldg., 4th Floor, Room 401
Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Tel: 02 635 5085 Fax: 02 635 5086  email: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com

  • Home
  • ONLINE MAGAZINE
  • News
  • Promotions
  • Features
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • What's on
  • Social Events
  • The BigChilli TV
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Social Media
    • Pricavy Policy
  • Contact us