| |
|
|
 |
|
One thing there is no shortage of in Thailand is
maps… Big ones, small ones, pocket sized ones. You
know the sort of thing… The immediately disposable
giveaways probably most functional in the rainy season
as an alternative to the umbrella you didn't think
you'd need to bring. Usually found at your guesthouse
reception, these maps feature places you already know
about or wouldn't really want to visit. Invariably,
they carry countless adverts for "Rahiv's and Sanjay's
Bespoke Tailoring Shop", restaurants offering the
best Pork Knuckle this side of Baden-Werttemberg (or
even Lower Saxony), and diving lessons from the local
Swedish diving school (why are there so many in Thailand?).
They are often a pointless exercise that contribute
nothing to the quality of your visit… unless of course
you are talking about Nancy
Chandler Maps.
Created by Nancy Chandler Graphics, and turning the
genre on its head, Nancy Chandler Maps are no throw
away irrelevancies, but items visitors to Thailand
cherish and actively seek out to purchase. Advert
free and uninfluenced by 'tea money', they act as
a surrogate guidebook, which they often rival for
pertinent information. Nancy Chandler Maps are not
only useful, but they are the sort of thing people
take home as souvenirs. This month saw the organization
cross into KhaoSanRoad.com territory with a detailed
map of "Khao San Road & Old Bangkok". Before the Bloods
and Crips kicked off a turf war, we sat down for a
powwow with Nima Chandler, who researched the map.
Here's the result:
KSR: Nima - thanks for meeting us like this.
First of all, why don't you give us an overview of
Nancy Chandler Graphics and its history?
Nima Chandler: My mother Nancy Chandler founded
the company in 1974 when she produced the first detailed
map of Bangkok, initially meant to be for expatriates.
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
Nima Chandler (left)
with Cameron Cooper (formerly
Farang Magazine) and Rachelle Ziegler (then Sales
Manager)
|
|
|
|
|
| Handrawn and handletttered, it included
special little craft outlets, the only western supermarket,
English langauge bookshops and the like about town,
while also trying to make some sense of the chaos that
were the Sunday Market (then at Sanam Luang near Khao
San) and Chinatown. All much the same as was what we
do today, although Bangkok has grown immensely since
then. |
| |
| KSR: So, you've lived in Thailand
all your life? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: It has been home
since I was one, the chaos of the city something I thrive
on. Visiting the US, I am always amazed at the lack
of street food vendors, loud music, mega malls around
every corner... It's much too quiet and sane for me
there. |
| |
| KSR: And you have maps for Bangkok,
Chiang Mai, Suan Lum Night Bazaar… how do you research
your maps? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: We clip and file
anything we read or see of interest year round. Come
update time, we collate all notes before setting out
to research specific areas, then either walking or driving
up and down streets, keeping one eye open for things
on the list, another eye open for things not on the
list. One thing you'd never want to do is walk behind
me in the Night Bazaar or Chatuchak Weekend Market as
every stall gets a once-over before I head home with
my notes to pick and choose what might be of interest
to the visitor or expatriate. |
| |
| KSR: It must be an ongoing task
updating them? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: In a city like Bangkok,
it's exciting. There's always new places to visit, old
places to toast for surviving, and closed places to
keep an eye on to see what comes next. Each city map
does take about 6 months to properly update, which is
why we only do so every year and a half normally. Luckily
I have help now, with my assistant Manapiti Ramasoot,
who calls around to confirm hours and the like, while
also taking on some of the on foot and road research
as well. |
| |
| KSR: …and now Khao San Road...
what drew you to Khao San? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: We added
an inset map of Khao San to our Map of Bangkok back
in 2003. I personally loved the color of the area, its
vibrancy and energy, not to mention all the great bars,
shopping and attractions of the area. (As my mother
jokes, there weren't many bars on her map at all until
I joined her in the business. When I did, Khao San was
not an area to be overlooked for all it had to offer
nightlife lovers.) Since then, we've held several fun
scavenger hunts in the area and I've co-hosted several
wild hen's nights and Khao San pub crawls for expatriates
that rarely tour this part of town. Pictures would be
provided, but my friends would not speak to me if I
shared, sorry. |
| |
| KSR: We have to say
it's a totally detailed little map - everything you
need is there and it's going to be really useful for
people visiting the area. How long did it take to research?
|
| |
| Nima Chandler: Approximately 6
weeks. We had just updated our Map of Bangkok so our
notes were pretty up to date before we focused on the
area in more detail. We then spent 2 weeks of researching
on foot in the area - I actually moved to a hotel on
Phra Athit for the week - hunting down places we'd heard
about but had yet to pinpoint for the map, after which
it took another 2-3 weeks to map, index and double-check.
Nancy meanwhile was working on all sorts of sketches
to go with the map - of backpackers looking for hotels,
shopping, drinking, etc - which sadly never made it
onto the map for lack of space! Hopefully, we'll be
able to use them in another format in the future. |
| |
| KSR: Most people who come to KSR
leave and come back again after a couple of weeks and
say "I hardly recognized the place"! Isn't keeping your
map of Khao San and the area relevant going to be a
particular challenge given how quickly things change
here? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Our website offers
free updates online, something we started years ago
with our other titles. Updated at least once a month,
we highlight great new additions, mention places that
have closed and things to keep an eye out for, as well
as list upcoming events people might be interested in.
In short, if we've heard about or seen any changes,
they'll be noted online at www.nancychandler.net. |
| |
| KSR: Give yourself a plug - where
can people buy your maps on KSR? What's the current
price? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Nancy
Chandler's Map of Khao San & Old Bangkok is available
online at www.nancychandler.net and at bookshops in
the Khao San Rd area (including Shaman, Sara Ban, Bookazine,
Aporia, Moonlight and others). Our suggested retail
price is B 125* in Thailand. For those overseas, our
website offers the map at US$ 7.95* including delivery
by airmail (we don't believe in quoting one price then
adding on huge delivery charges without notice when
people go to check out). |
| |
| KSR: Most of the maps you find
around Thailand are merely excuses for advertising.
But of course, you don't accept advertising. So this
means you recommend everywhere you mention? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: No, we don't recommend
everything on the map - there's too much on the map
to do that. On our Bangkok and Chiang Mai maps, recommended
places are highlighted in the directories that accompany
the maps if not on the maps themselves. On the map of
Khao San & Old Bangkok, our favorites are generally
given a special mention on the map itself and within
the directory. For our nightlife listings, however,
we provide short descriptions, leaving the user to decide
what kind of scene they are into. For example, we're
not particularly keen on hip hop ourselves, but if you
are, you'll find a place you'll like on the map. You
can read between the lines too, as in the case of one
pub where we note "mind the drunken yobos" and another
we describe as with "loud live band 9pm on, chill earlier".
|
| |
| KSR: And you don't take 'tea money'? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: No 'tea money',
no free rooms, no free meals, no discounted drinks.
We usually don't mention who we are or what we're doing
either, unless contacting people by email. |
| |
| KSR: So what are the 'must do'
places on KSR right now? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Hmmm. What's 'in'
changes regularly and really depends on what kind of
crowd you're into - I love the streetside cocktail bars
which are located in front of what will be a big new
mall and hotel, in other words, a remnant of the past
likely to disappear soon. Thais meanwhile are currently
flocking to the streetside cafes and clubs on Rambuttri
just north of Khao San which has a flavor all its own
after dark. If I had to list five places that would
'surprise' the visitor to Khao San, they would include
a visit to the restored mansion that houses Starbucks
for a coffee, a browse for the most unusual title you
can find at Shaman Books (there are some truly bizarre
ones), a pre-party drink anytime from 6-8pm at the rooftop
Gazebo, dinner anywhere on the street, and then a few
more drinks at the Roof Pub on Khao San (great oldies
music and a buzzing crowd), the Old Phra Athit Pier
on Phra Athit (a much quieter, almost refined ambience
for the area) and/or the Ad Here blues bar on Samsen
(for the non-claustrophobic). |
| |
| KSR: And if you were writing a
back of an envelope itinerary for someone staying on
KSR, where are the key places they should visit in the
area? I am sure Wat Phra Kaew must be on the list? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: The Grand Palace
and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Po and Wat Arun are on everyone's
itineraries. Special suggestions we would make would
include: Sunset drinks and/or dinner at The Deck of
the Arun Residence, a wander down the back alleyways
to the simple shack-like riverside cafes near Tha Phra
Chan, maybe a wander through the crowds at the market
in front of Siriraj Hospital on the other side of the
river, for sure dinner in the Phraeng Phuton area at
Chotechitr. If you're vegetarian, we'd recommend May
Kaidee's and Rub Ar Roon. If you're a student, we'd
recommend a visit to Thammasat University's bookshop
and uni market. I could go on and on. In short, we recommend
personalizing your visit, something we believe our detailed
map enables people to do. |
| |
| KSR: What about little novelties
- markets, oddities… places people might not necessarily
read about in a guide book but should visit while they
are on KSR… got any suggestions? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Besides the many
mentioned above, wander by the Sor Vorapin boxing gym
when classes are in session - who knows, you might find
yourself signing up for a few hours of training. The
Lofty Bamboo crafts shop is our favorite relatively
new outlet, with great little hill tribe textile baby
shoes that jump off the shelves among other items. Sticking
your head in Nittaya Curry's shops for Thai kanom (sweets)
and snacks can also be a unique experience... |
| |
| KSR: So, what projects are coming
up… what new maps can we look forward to? |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Let's see. I am
supposed to be on holiday, resting up after updating
the Bangkok map and releasing the Khao San & Old Bangkok
map, but someone who shall not be named has us now toiling
away on a map for this very website... As for other
projects on the table, we'll let you know when we're
ready to announce! |
| |
| KSR: OK - well… good luck with
all of that and let us know how things work out. |
| |
| Nima Chandler: Will do. |
| |
| *Prices June 2008 |
| |
| See the map
of Khao San Road provided by Nancy
Chandler Maps. |
