The Faster Lane / Tyler Brûlé
Return to the fold
If you’ve been following various versions of this column for the past few decades (first in NZZ am Sonntag, then the FT Weekend, over to The New York Times and then back to the FT Weekend), you’ll know that I go through phases with certain cities. There have been the Copenhagen years, the Los Angeles days, on and off moments with Paris (currently on) and Beirut bounce-backs. There is also a group of cities that have become part of my work and personal life: Tokyo, Lisbon, Stockholm, Helsinki, Milan, Geneva and Hong Kong. And then there’s Bangkok, which has stormed back onto the scene with such force that it feels like a return to the particularly intense relationship that I had with the city in the early 2010s.
After a quick visit to Milan and a very easy, elegant summer party at Sant Ambroeus on Monday, I set off for Bangkok with my colleague Ariel on Tuesday evening. A Lufthansa A350-900 got us there smoothly and, with no queues at border control, we were in the car and on our way in 10 minutes – checked luggage included. The traffic on the way into the city from Suvarnabhumi Airport is always a different matter, however, and on Wednesday afternoon it wasn’t quite co-operating. We nevertheless made it to our first meeting right on schedule, albeit without the budgeted window for a quick refresh. We presented ourselves as vibrant and full of energy, and the client was none the wiser.
In a week that saw the release of our 2023 Quality of Life Survey it was curious being in Bangkok. It’s a city that challenges so many of our preconceptions about liveability but also reminds us that it’s liveable on a different set of terms. The pavements are jagged and difficult to navigate in even the best footwear, the power and telephone cables bundled on lampposts are an eyesore, the air quality is frequently oppressive and Google Maps’ estimated journey times are almost certainly wrong but somehow it all works out with a bit of patience, common sense and planning. As Thailand eagerly awaits a new government, businesses in Bangkok are preparing to introduce projects and initiatives in alignment with the anticipated change in political leadership.
On Thursday evening we hosted a party (pictured) for our readers, clients and friends of both Monocle and our hosts from Chanintr Craft, the Bangkok-based design retailer and distributor. After an evening of drinks and bites I catalogued an array of new launches and smart ventures; one of my favourite discoveries was a concept by a renowned Thai developer. The project aims to re-establish the living room as a social hub, considering the limited entertaining space in modern apartments – an ironic twist, indeed.
If you have reached the middle of the year and find yourself needing a business boost, a steamy summer visit to Bangkok might be exactly what you need. With any luck, you’ll return with a fresh sense of purpose and renewed determination.
