My home city Bangkok has, in my opinion, become a real hub in South East Asia for exciting new dining, drinking, shopping, and hanging experiences. I put this to a highly connected community, who are fast onto new global trends, supported by a fast growing middle class who are enthusiastic about discovery. The Bangkok I grew up in, is certainly not the Bangkok it is now, but I am so pleased to see that the Thai identity has not been diluted despite economic growth. Yes, malls are sprouting up left. right and centre but we are also seeing colourful pockets of the city blossoming – like Soi Nana in Chinatown (a little street in old Chinatown that used to be strictly industrial shop housing), or the Charoen Krung area just down the road.

Entrepreneurialism is definitely in the Thai DNA, and I wasn’t surprised to see a mushrooming of new bars, hotels, restaurants, stores, and brands, catalysed by the internet generation. So I have set off with my pals at 2 Magazine to discover some of the hidden gems that speak to an audience who are hungry to unbottle inspiring new experiences. We are on a mission to dig up the cool cultures that drive them all. This is “Cocktails with Ponytail…”

– Lauren