On our latest visit to Bangkok we took the opportunity to check out a serviced apartment in Soi 11 – Citadines, just across the road from the venerable Federal Hotel. It’s quite a long trek into the soi – probably a good 500 metres from Sukhumvit Road, and 150 metres further in than the last serviced apartment we tried at the Grand President. They do offer a complimentary tuk-tuk to Nana BTS station between 0700 and 2000, though we never used it.

We booked a studio apartment, their smallest and cheapest offering (and cheaper still thanks to Agoda). Although it was their smallest, we reckoned it would be spacious enough – 30 square metres sounded reasonably generous.

Checking in was straightforward. We were in quite a hurry so nipped in to our apartment just long enough to dump our hand-luggage – we didn’t hang around to wait for the other bags to be delivered. Nevertheless, they arrived safely while we were out.

Our first impression was that, yes, the apartment was spacious enough for the price. Unfortunately, it was also immediately evident that the space wasn’t used as well as it might have been – something that became more and more difficult to ignore as our stay wore on.

The bed was described on Agoda as queen-sized. However, by modern standards it was far too small for two adults to sleep comfortably in (think of the tiny bed Eric and Ernie used to appear in on The Morecambe and Wise Show), although there was enough space in the sleeping area to accommodate a larger bed if they’d wanted to.

Ample space was given over to bathroom facilities. And yet there was a tiny, silly bath-with-shower, probably the smallest bathtub we’ve ever seen that didn’t have to be filled with hot water from a kettle. It had a good, powerful shower with a large head – almost large enough to be described as a rainshower – inside the bath. But it’s such a nuisance having to clamber in and out of a bath just to get a shower. The space would have been better used with a shower cubicle and a washbasin instead.

As it was, a large amount of space was devoted to a fancy washbasin outside of the WC/bath/shower room. On the other hand, there was no workspace to speak of in the kitchenette. A redesign could have provided a much more sensible use of the compact space.

The facilities were all clean and modern – as they should be, the Citadines properties are all new. There was a nice big wall-mounted flat screen TV and DVD player which could be run along tracks so you could watch from the sitting area or the bed.

There was supposed to be free WiFi throughout. Bizarrely, though, our room appeared to be in a black spot – we could make a connection in the lobby or the corridor on our floor, but lost it when we were in our room, so often had to fall back on the LAN cable. Even after the technician set up a WiFi repeater in our room, it would only work for a couple of hours or so before failing again – we had to keep deleting the connection and setting it up afresh.

Our rating: 3 out of 5

All in all, it wasn’t bad for the price but the problems with the WiFi, the shower inside the bath, and the silly little bed put us off so it’s unlikely we would return. This would be an OK place for a businessperson, but not recommended for a couple on holiday.

Soi 7/1 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110

Opening hours: 1500-late
Happy hours: 1500-1900

The Pickled Liver is one of Bangkok’s best British-style pubs. It moved recently from its former location on Soi 11 Sukhumvit to its new premises on Soi 7/1 Sukhumvit (go right into the soi and it’s near the end opposite Maxims hotel). Sometimes when a favourite haunt moves, the existing regulars may have a feeling that things have changed too much. That’s definitely not the case here! If anything, the pub has been upgraded now and also offers a much nicer outside seating area. (Don’t forget that in Thailand smoking is banned by law inside air-conditioned premises, so if you’re a smoker you’ll be glad of the outside option.)

I interviewed proprietor Nick Wetzel for British Expat and he said he was very pleased with the move and that the regulars were all happy with it too. I happened to be in Bangkok on my own for a few days and had no problem at all in going there unaccompanied, so apart from all the other attributes of the pub, I’d also say it was a good place for a woman traveller to go by herself. No hassles there at all. Also, the staff are very friendly and helpful, so you’re well looked after.

There’s always plenty going on at the Pickled Liver. They have a wide selection of draught and bottled beers, ciders and stouts as well as wine, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks. Plus there’s a menu of tasty pub food, such as fish and chips. You can find all the details on their website.

They have a pub quiz on Thursdays, live music on Fridays, sports on TV, plus darts and pool. They also cater for parties as well as having their own special events. Have a look at their website to see what’s on.

First up in the series is Nick Wetzel, who lives the dream of owning one of the most successful expat pubs in Thailand, the Picked Liver on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 in Bangkok’s popular Wattana district. But is moving to Thailand and buying a bar really all that simple? Read on and find out!

BE: What did you do before? Were you already in the hospitality industry or was this a completely new venture for you?

Nick: I left the UK and my home town of Sheffield at the tender age of 23, initially for Sri Lanka to work for three months as a trainee manager in a large garment manufacturing company. However it didn’t take long for me to realise that the expat lifestyle and Asian culture were for me. I actually ended up staying there for eight wonderful years until unfortunately my contract ended. The dilemma then, was: what to do next?

What led you to become an expat in Thailand?

Initially I thought about returning to the UK, but after around a second decided against that idea! Instead I thought I’d come to Thailand, with the intention of possibly opening a bar. I had come to know and love Thailand on many holiday trips over the years from Sri Lanka and an extra incentive was that my sister was already living here and working as a teacher.

So the adventure began!

Do you have any advice for others who want to live the dream and buy a bar in Thailand?

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my time in Asia is to be very careful who you trust when it comes to business and money. I have had painful experiences with fellow expats, Thais and Sri Lankans, you have to be absolutely sure you know what you are entering into. You have to realise that you’re not in your homeland and things just don’t work the same way. Some things are easier to achieve, but many things can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible. So you have to learn a new way of thinking and most of all to be patient!

I was fortunate in the fact that I took my time to get to know Bangkok and particularly the expat community over six years before I finally found the Pickled Liver. If I had just arrived here and had opened a bar straight away, I believe it probably would have failed. Establishing contacts is absolutely crucial.

Do you see yourself ever returning to live in the UK? If you did return, what are the main things you would miss from Thailand?

Leaving the UK was the best thing I have ever done, although you never know for sure you will be successful or even happy in another country. I would recommend anyone to take the plunge, rather than thinking of excuses why you can’t give it a try.

Do you have time for any hobbies? How do you like to relax?

Unfortunately when you own and run a bar you find that most of your time is taken up! I used to enjoy scuba diving, but since taking over the Pickled Liver, that hobby has taken a back seat.

What was your most scary (or fun) experience of being in Thailand?

What I enjoy most about owning a bar in Bangkok is the wide variety of people you get to meet. I would say in my six years at the old bar and the new one [note: the Pickled Liver relocated in 2011] I have met just about every nationality there is. One of my fondest memories of my time here in Thailand and in particular in the Pickled Liver has to be Christmas Day 2010. What was going to be a small Christmas dinner for a few select family members and friends turned into a full turkey dinner for over 50 people. Although very stressful trying to get all the details right, the day went really well and everyone loved it. However, the best was yet to come, when my friend walked in after dinner fully attired as Santa Claus. I will never forget the looks on all the Thai children’s faces, it was pure magic!

What’s the most memorable meal you’ve eaten? Where and why?

My most memorable meal would have to be the one I had at the Tsu Nami Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant at the Marriott Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 2, where you have your own chef who cooks the meal in front of you. It’s not cheap, but we all like to treat ourselves sometimes.

Is there anything you’d like to add about the Pickled Liver and your plans for that?

The Pickled Liver is now located at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 opposite Maxims Hotel and I tried to keep the atmosphere of the old bar with an upgraded feeling. The great majority of the regulars have been very pleased with the outcome.

Many thanks to Nick for taking the time to share his experiences with us. It’s been interesting to learn that there may be more to running a successful bar than first meets the eye. If you’re thinking of trying it, I hope you find Nick’s advice useful. And if you’re not planning to start a bar but are simply looking for a great pub, then head on over to the Pickled Liver. You can read more about it on the Pickled Liver website, plus we have a feature about it here on British Expat.

Would you like to be interviewed on British Expat? You don’t have to be rich or famous – just doing something interesting. Please do write in if you’d like to take part.

Can you imagine spending two-and-a-half hours making up your face to a strictly-laid-down pattern and getting dressed in an elaborately embroidered and decorated costume – for a performance lasting a quarter of an hour?

That’s exactly what two members of the Singapore-based Chinese Theatre Circle did for their audience during a recent show at The Pavilions pool villa spa resort in Phuket recently, as a showcase for The Pavilions’ Passion for Music programme. We know, because we were lucky enough to be in the audience that evening.

It was the first time either Kay or I had seen a Cantonese opera performance, and we weren’t sure what to expect, although the notes we were given beforehand told us that the duet we were to hear, The Parting Song of Love, was a gem of Cantonese opera.

The story’s a very sad one. A Chinese princess is rescued from drowning by a warrior from a barbarian state. The couple fall in love, and marry. But the Emperor of China soon hears about the marriage and threatens that he will send his armies to invade the barbarian state if the princess does not immediately return to China – without her husband.

Neither of us speak Cantonese, so we weren’t able to appreciate the full beauty of the performance. (Indeed, we wouldn’t have known what was going on without the programme notes.)

Not only that, but there’s a good deal of symbolism and significance behind costumes, make-up, gestures and movements. Take for instance the pheasant tail-feathers in the barbarian warrior’s head-dress in our photos: they show he’s a military leader. Meanwhile long cloth sleeves – known as water sleeves – are used for expressive effect to show the elegance and tenderness of the female characters, as you can see from the princess’s costume. Make-up also helps identify characters; at a very basic level, men’s eyebrows are usually drawn thicker than women’s, though there are of course many more layers of sophistication than that.

But even without knowing about the traditional symbolism – or even the title of the duet – it was clear enough that the couple were lovers expressing their anguish at being forced to part. And the singing, the music, and the acting all made for a beautiful and touching spectacle.

The Chinese Theatre Circle was founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife couple Leslie and Joanna Wong, who for the previous 14 years had been in charge of a Cantonese clan association’s cultural activities and had taken the clan’s opera shows to unprecedented heights of success for a local troupe. That same year Mrs Wong became the first Chinese opera artiste to be awarded Singapore’s prestigious Cultural Medallion.

Since then the Chinese Theatre Circle has performed to audiences all over the world, including particularly notable performances of The Poet Emperor Li Yu and A Costly Impulse in Beijing – the latter of which was broadcast across China to a viewership of 700 million.

If you did your sums a couple of paragraphs ago you’ll have realised that the Chinese Theatre Circle is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Sadly, though, we’ve read in the Straits Times that the company is facing funding difficulties – young Singaporeans, presented with a plethora of entertainment choices, aren’t so devoted to Cantonese opera as the older generations, and government grants to boost the traditional arts have largely passed the Circle by. There’s also the question of who will take on the running of the Circle when the Wongs, who are both now in their seventies, finally retire.

Let’s hope their problems find a happy resolution soon – it would be a real loss to Singaporean and Cantonese culture if this wonderful opera company had to close.

You can read more about The Pavilions’ Passions programme here:
The Pavilions, Phuket: Passions

As a marketing ploy, Madame Tussauds have some of their figures strategically placed in Bangkok’s biggest and best shopping malls. Previously I’d only seen Liverpool FC figures, which didn’t interest me at all. They were big crowd-pullers, though. Liverpool are hugely popular in Thailand! As are Manchester United. The Thais like the colour red – it’s a lucky colour.

Anyway, one day we went into the Siam Paragon mall and there was Jackie Chan. Now you’ve got my attention! I’m a huge fan of that guy. Having previously ignored the footballers and other figures of no interest to me, I absolutely couldn’t resist the offer of posing for a photo with Jackie. And it was free! I took my turn in the queue and Dave got some photos of me with the star. Great fun!

I didn’t think that much about it at the time, but they had hooked me! I felt as though I had actually met him and was on a bit of a high afterwards. This is the real attraction of Madame Tussauds. And because you know they’re not real you don’t feel overwhelmed or tongue-tied by being in the presence of such super-heroes.

Thus the seed was sown. We must visit Madame Tussauds. It took us a few months before we were travelling through Bangkok again, but this was something we just had to do.

It’s rather expensive at THB 800 (about £16) for an adult ticket and most people take around an hour and a half to enjoy their experience. It would be an expensive outing for a family group. Children’s tickets cost THB 650 (about £13). Included in the ticket price is a guide book which provides some very interesting information about Madame Tussauds, its history, and facts about how the wax figures are made. You also get a voucher for a free souvenir photo. (More about that later.)

At first it’s a bit disconcerting because there are all these famous people standing around and some of them look so real you expect them to move. Sometimes it even seems as though they are watching you. Creepy! I declined the opportunity to visit Hannibal Lecter behind bars as I was too scared that it might be a trick and he’d shout, “Boo!” and jump on me.

We went at a fairly quiet time – around 6pm on a weekday evening. This was good because we didn’t have to battle with crowds to have our turn at mingling with the celebs. It was also good because we were able to take many photos without being disturbed by other visitors, or indeed getting in other people’s way.

The exhibition is divided into different rooms. First there is the Royal room. As you’d expect, out of respect for the highly revered Thai Royal Family, these figures are roped off out of public reach. Look but don’t touch! But you can take photos and there’s lots of interesting information about the Chakri Dynasty too.

Then you move on to a much more touchy-feely experience. The History room is next. Here you can “meet” people like Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, several Asian politicians whom I’d never heard of, Princess Diana (eh?) and other notable historical figures. By the way, Princess Diana was a giant compared to me. Yes, I know that wax shrinks so they make the models 2% larger than life, but even so, I felt like a small child when standing next to her.

Then you move on to the Leaders room. Here you can meet global leaders, sit in Obama’s chair at the “resolute desk” in the Oval Office and use his telephone. This is quite fun so I won’t tell you what happens and spoil the surprise for you. You can also don an ermine robe and a crown and sit on a throne while Queen Elizabeth II stands by serenely ignoring you. I gave Chairman Mao a brief greeting and moved on. Again there were several Asian leaders that I hadn’t heard of before.