At the edge of Bangkok

Food, literature, music, performances, creative workshops and social discussions -- all of this in the picturesque neighbourhood of the capital. Bangkok Edge, branded as the city's first "ideas festival", will rock the old town area of Tha Tian from noon to midnight on Feb 13 and 14, with a wide variety of activities.

As the area around Tha Tian has enjoyed a revival of late, with its old shophouses renovated and restaurants and shops added, this once old-fashioned district has attained a discreet vibe of cool. The festival will take place at three iconic venues along the riverside: Museum Siam, Chakrabongse Villas and Rajini School.

Opting for a modern temple fair theme, the Bangkok Edge festival will blend contemporary and imaginative ideas into one weekend. The area around Tha Tian pier, one of Bangkok's most historic places, will be full of sound and colour. The great thing about the event is that every activity is completely free.

"In the old town zone, visitors can go for a walk at Wat Pho and the Grand Palace first, then return to listen to jazz music, sit back and sip a beer, join a cartoon drawing workshop, enjoy the views of sunset by the Chao Phraya River and enjoy a concert," said MR Narisa Chakrabongse, director of Bangkok Edge. "Everyone can choose to do what they like."

The programme offers talks with thinkers and writers from Thailand and all over the world. Taking into account the old city's setting, the spirit of the festival is focused on heritage, conservation, gentrification and the environment. These ideas and more will be examined and explored by a range of experts and thinkers.

Apart from the talks, Bangkok Edge will offer a variety of workshops for participants to unleash their creativity. Writing workshops will be run by Claire Keefe Fox, author of newly-launched Siamese Tears, the husband and wife team of Tim and Virginia Webster, author and photographer of Yangon Echoes, and many more.

In addition, food enthusiasts will enjoy demonstrations by Robert and Morrison, authors of the award-winning Burma Cookbook, or learn how to make classic Thai dishes from Chef Bo, or Duangporn Songwisawa.

Up on the screen, there will be film screenings of Y/our Music, a documentary on the rural and urban sounds of Thai music directed by Waraluck Hirunyasettawat and David Reeve. 

In the evening, visitors can enjoy the music played by well-known musicians Hugo, Greasy Cafe, Ornaree, Paradise Bangkok Molam International and Palmy.

When you want to take a break, you can relax in the peaceful grounds of Chakrabongse Villas, with a two-day pass that costs 500 baht. There, you can enjoy one of the best river views in Bangkok or a glimpse of some of the most sought-after coins from the Dvaravati Period to the reign of King Rama V.

If you are lucky, you will be among the 30 Chill Pass holders chosen to join each of four daily exclusive tours inside Chakrabongse House, the home of the late royal author Prince Chula Chakrabongse.

"What will visitors get from this festival? First of all, it is free. Optionally, you can buy a Chill Pass to visit Baan Chakrabongse where you will be able to peruse an old coin exhibition, enjoy nice views, relax, stroll and listen to jazz," MR Narisa, the only daughter of the prince, suggested.

Even without the Chill Pass, hungry revellers who choose to enjoy a variety of delicacies and beverages from the food trucks and booths in the food zone at Baan Chakrabongse's car park will be able to hear the sounds of Thai classical and jazz music played by bands in the villas' octagonal pavilion.

According to the festival director, the motivation for organising such an all-in-one festival was inspired by her favourite literary festivals abroad.

"I like to go to literary festivals and others such as Womex [World Music Expo showcase festival] in England, so I think Thailand should have such a thing as well. I want Bangkok to host a festival like Jaipur Literature Festival and Ubud Writers Festival and add something like temple fairs," MR Narisa, who also runs River Books publishing house, said. "I want Bangkok to have more fairs of this kind. If this one is successful, I will try to make it an annual event."

Visit www.bangkokedge.com.

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Schedule

SAT | Feb 13

Liveable City Museum Siam @ Glass Room 1

12.30-1.30pm
Discussion: Our Bangkok - How Should it be? Led by Saranarat Kanchanavanit
Four leading environmentalists and thinkers discuss how to create a liveable city that celebrates diversity, is inclusive and resilient, and able to face oncoming challenges.

2-3pm
Discussion: Gentrification - Who benefits?
Writer Hyun Bang Shin and sculptor Jakrapan Vilasineekul discuss gentrification, which is an increasing issue in cities throughout the world, especially in Asia.

3.30-5pm
Discussion: Protecting Urban Community Heritage: The Tha Tian Challenge
Experts Pimpraphai Bisalputra, Pinyo Traisuriyathamma, Sudara Suchaxaya and Paravi Wongchirachai talk on how to protect the heritage of urban communities by using the Tha Tian area as a case study.

5.30-7pm
Discussion: Is Bangkok “really” a gay paradise?
Five LGBT rights advocates with intimate knowledge of lives in the Thai LGBT community will share their personal experiences and well-studied perspectives.

Indoor Workshops Museum Siam @Glass Room 2

1-2pm
Workshop: Bangkok Dok Duang
Siam Life, a group of designers who have turned their inspiration from Thai traditional art and culture into modern design, will lead participants in a workshop to create beautiful patterns from rubber stamps.

2.30-4pm
Workshop: Writing Oral History
Authors Virginia Henderson and Tim Webster who wrote the book, Yangon Echoes The Social Resource Memory will help participants generate, explore and celebrate the fruits of oral history research.

4.30-5.30pm
Workshop: Everyone Can Draw: How to Unlock Your Natural Creativity”
Thai-American artist/illustrator Kathy MacLeod will inspire older children and grown-ups to create their own stories and illustrate them. Pens, colours and paper will be provided.

Asian Stories @Rajini School

1-2pm
Author Kevin Kwan will talk about his book, Crazy Rich Asians, a novel about three rich Chinese families and gossips, backbiting and scheming. The talk will be led by Sirinthorn Chandraprasert, former editor of Hello magazine.

2.30-3.30pm
Author Jung Chang will talk about her works. Among them is Wild Swans: Three Daughters Of China, which has sold more than 13 million copies and been translated into 37 languages, and Dowager Empress Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China, which details the many decades of the empress’ rule and how she brought an empire into the modern age until its collapse in 1908.

4-5pm
Bangkok Noir Expat authors Christopher G. Moore, John Burdett and Jim Algie will discuss how their literary mysteries can serve as a bridge to understand different cultures and people. They will chat about everything from Hollywood movie deals to the changing nature of crime and expat life in Thailand.

5.30-6.30pm
Hyensoe Lee, who penned The Girl With Seven Names and whose TED talk has been seen by over 5 million people, will give an insight into her own life and works. It is about her escape from North Korea to freedom to her coming of age, education and how she rebuilt her life twice in China and South Korea.

Outdoor Workshops

1-2pm
Flower Origami Workshop by Rajini School

2-3.30pm
The Art of Thai Cooking
Duangporn Songvisava, or Chef Bo, who won the title of Best Female Chef at the 50 Best Restaurants in Asia Award in 2013, will showcase the art of Thai cooking at this workshop. She has opened Bo. Lan restaurant with her partner, Dylan Jones, and is working on her new restaurant project in the old town area of Tha Tian.

4-5pm
Tea Brewing Workshop
Tea expert Kenneth Rimdahl will talk about tea in Thailand, its history and what tea leaves are grown here and also show how to brew tea in both Chinese and European styles.

SUN | Feb 14

Liveable City Museum Siam @ Glass Room 1

12.30-1.30pm
Is Myanmar still at a fork in the road?
Dr Ma Thida, a writer, surgeon and former political prisoner, will be in conversation with Philip Sherwell, Asia Editor of The Daily Telegraph, about Myanmar’s hopes, prospects and challenges.

2-3pm
Sudah Shah in conversation with Emma Larkin
Emma Larkin and Sudha Shah will discuss Sudha’s literary journey across Myanmar and India in search of King Thibaw, the last king of Burma’s Konbaung dynasty.

3.30-4.30pm
The Trouble With Rivers
Panitta Wongkiat, Victor Mallet, Premrudee Daoroung and Philip Sherwell will talk about problems happening to the rivers of Asia, which are often overfished, blocked, diverted by dams, polluted and poisoned with human and industrial waste.

Indoor Workshops Museum Siam @Glass Room 2

12.30-1.30pm
Photobook Workshop
Xavier Comas, will use his own book project, The House Of The Raja, as a case study for participants to learn about the fundamentals of interior book design and photography editing. They will be able to become their own editor, choose the right format, sequence and design a layout.

3-4.30pm
Creative Writing - Historical Novels Workshop
Author Claire Keefe-Fox will help participants discover the power of their own words, write their own story and create their own characters.

5-6pm
Workshop by sculptor Jakrapan Vilasineekul

Asian Stories @Rajini School

1-2pm
Where is Bangkok’s Leading Edge?
Four Bangkok creatives, led by author Philip Cornwell-Smith, will lead a thought-provoking session to examine creativity in film, fashion, music and street art, from edgy to fashionable and mainstream.

2.30-3pm
A panel of four persons from different professions, including author Kevin Kwan, editor Gwen Robinson and academic Thitinan Pongsudhirak and H.B. Shin will examine the growing affluence, shifting demographics and emerging priorities of a region in flux.

4-4.30pm
Sea Write Award winner Veeraporn Nidhiprapha will talk about her award-winning book A Blind Earthworm In A Labyrinth.

6-7pm
Architect Duangrit Bunnag will talk about his work and project in “Bangkok Manifesto”.

Outdoor Workshops

1-2pm
Fruits and Vegetable Carving Workshop by Rajini School

2.30-3pm
Myanmar food cooking demonstration by famed chefs Robert Carmack and Morrison Polkinhorne

4-4.30pm
Thai traditional massage workshop