Bangkok's 'best of the year' gift guide

Shopping in Bangkok can be incredibly tedious. Especially around the holidays. There may be markets and malls on every street corner, but most are all peddling the same imported brand names or mass-produced ‘local’ handicrafts.

That's not to say that the city isn't full of great gifts too. You just have to know where to find them. Here are some of the best, most decidedly Thai items in a wide range of categories, from fine wine to fitness.

Album of the year

“Tales” (Various artists, by Spicy Disc)
“Tales” isn't just an awesome disc with 12 new songs from Thai indie music talents such as Yai Monotone, Ball Jarulove, Good September, Sqweez Animal and Rashomon. The artists also share the stories behind the songs and their lives in a nice pocket book that accompanies it. 

Price: 350 baht, available at music stores nationwide

Chronicle of Thailand, published by Editions Didier Millet

A very big book

"Chronicle of Thailand" (Editions Didier Millet and Post Publishing)

Thailand's hottest history book, "Chronicle of Thailand" recaps all of the major events of the last 60-plus years as they were reported through the Bangkok Post. The book's 444 pages are jammed with more than 1,800 photographs, illustrations and cartoons, as well as 2,300 headline stories on economic booms, economic crashes, sporting triumphs, national tragedies, entertainment highlights, style makers and more.

Price: 1,450 baht at bookstores nationwide

Fashion for him

Anything by 27 Friday/27 November

As we saw during Elle Fashion Week 2009 and the Thai brand's private runway show last month, 27 Friday’s  latest collection was inspired by the colors and spirit of Thailand’s northeast. Designer and owner Chanachai Chariyathana added traditional Issarn motifs to blazers, t-shirts, above-the-knee shorts and other accessories for the rather daring collection, dubbed “Isaan in Town.”

3F, Siam Center, Rama 1 Road, BTS: Siam. Tel +66 (0)2 658 1703

Fashions by Sretsis

Fashion for her

Anything by Sretsis

Girlie, elaborate, delicate and colorful -- Thai fashion brand Sretsis certainly knows how to dress women. Sretsis’ latest collection, Metamorphosis, takes a bit of a garment transformation journey, featuring its usual satin and ruffles but with some new architectural-inspired structures.

2F, Gaysorn Plaza, Ploenchit Road, BTS: Chidlom. Tel +66 (0)2 656 1125

Cool gadget

Pinhole Camera

Go old school with a pinhole camera, which lets light sneak through a tiny hole in its black box to create an image on film placed inside. There are some DIY versions out there, but we think it's easier to just buy one that's ready to go. Pinhole cameras vary depending on brands and quality, with prices going from as little as 1,000 baht right up to to 15,000 baht. Availabe at Fotoguffy, see CNNGo listing for contact details.

Products by Doi Tung

Thai-made treats

Royal Project gift basket

The pre-made gift baskets that line Bangkok's supermarket floors can be pretty pathetic, many featuring items that essentially say “I don’t really give a damn about you” like detergent or instant noodles. Siam Paragon's Gourmet Market lets you tailor make your own with gifts from Thailand’s royal projects, including Phufa and Doi Tung. Proceeds help fund His Majesty the King’s charities nationwide.

Available until Dec 29 at Hall of Mirrors, M/F, Siam Paragon and until January 5 at Gourmet Market, G/F, Siam Paragon, BTS: Siam. Tel +66 (0)2 610 8333

Thai wine

Monsoon Valley White Shiraz

Many diners believe that wine and Thai food just don’t pair well. Wrong. Thai winemaker Siam Winery’s blended rosé Monsoon Valley White Shiraz gives off a sweet aroma and taste that's tailor made to compliment the herbs and spices in Thai cuisine. It's won several awards including the gold medal from the Vienna AWC International Wine Challenge and is available at most fine restaurants and Thai retail outlets that sell wine.

Retail price: 420 baht/bottle

Powerbock shoes by Madhop

Extreme toy

Powerbocking Shoes

You may have already spoted teenagers hopping around on weird-looking shoes at Siam Square and wondered what in tarnation those crazy kids were up to. They're actually powerbocking. Alexander Bock and his Powerskip brand claim to have invented and own the patent rights to these elastic-like fiber-glass stilts that enable wearers to jump high and freely. But there are plenty of other widely recognized brandnames -- Madhop, Skyrunners, Air Trekkers, Fly Jumpers and PowerStriders -- out there too. Shops claim that even a 5-year-old kid can also enjoy this extreme sport, provided they are fully equipped with safety protection and under parental supervision.

Price: 5,530-8,330 baht at Madhap (tel +66 (0)2 252 7400) and 6,500-8,000 baht at NewExtremeSport.com.

Fitness splurge

Power Plate

Okay, it’s pricey -- running from 200,000-400,000 baht for a single piece of equipment -- but apparently Power Plate is a surefire way to a hot body. It’s now popular among Bangkok's elites in five-star gyms like the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The device's vibration system is said to stimulate the user’s body to burn more calories, develop muscles, heal injuries and, best of all, reduce workout times by two-thirds.

Power Plate Studio, 4F, CentralWorld, BTS: Chidlom. Tel +66 (0)2 646 1960

Ripple tables, by Apirat Boonruangthaworn

Home decor

Ripple tables

Named Silpakorn University's Designer of the Year 2009, Apirat Boonruangthaworn was so taken by rain drops falling into a pond that he created a set of three round tables made of transparent acrylic that, if you place them overlapping each others, look like a pond's ripples. The table set received the Demark Award 2009 from the Department of Export Promotion.

Price: From 10,000 baht at Practika (5F Central World, tel +66 (0)2 255 6336)

Luxury membership

i-sawan Residential Spa & Club

Now this is a fine gift for the lady in your life, whether she's your wife or your mom. On the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, i.sawan is an exclusive sanctuary for those who expect five-star pampering and flawless services. (Don't we all?) The residential spa and club sits in a peaceful garden and offers a range of spa treatments, salon services and a fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art instruments -- including the above Power Plate. 

Price: Membership from 12,000 baht for six months

Nike's RED laces

Gift that helps a good cause

Nike (RED) Laces

Nike is the latest brand to go RED as part of the "The Global Fund" to fight AIDS/HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. With its “Lace Up, Save Lives” campaign, Nike will donate half of the profits from lace sales to The Global Fund, while the other half will go to programs that educate people about AIDS through football.

Price: 150 baht at Nike Shop, 1F, Siam Center, BTS: Siam

An International Affairs graduate who became a staff writer at BK Magazine, Top has a strong interest in lifestyle trends, networking and traveling, all of which he contributes to the magazine he's working for as well as his blogs and tweets.

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