Blame it on the sunshine. Blame it on the oppressive tropical heat. Blame it on the boogie if you have to — there’s no doubt Bangkok has an affinity with keeping cool.
We aren’t exactly producing Winter Olympians en masse, but Thai students have dominated the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in recent years.
Tickets are hard to come by every time Disney on Ice comes to town, and cinemas were packed with would-be Elsas and Annas (and Kristoffs, I guess) when the singalong version of Frozen landed in January.
Between the pester power of pre-teens singing “Do you want to build a snowman?” and the desire to escape a “rainy season” of 35C, anywhere icy is bound to be attractive.
It’s one thing to seek out air-conditioned comfort, it’s quite another to go crazy about sub-zero temperatures. A surprising number of ice-skating rinks are scattered around town, snow falls from the ceiling of restaurants, and now there is a theme park designed to be a winter wonderland — Snow Town at Gateway Ekamai.
In the past, the only place Bangkokians could easily touch snow was at Dream World, an amusement park on the outskirts of the city. For 150 baht (on top of the park fee), you could escape the scorching heat and bask in the sub-zero temperatures of an artificial cavern replete with fake penguins, glowing ice crystals and giant snowmen. Though it was always kind of dirty and damp, Dream World helped you forget, for a bit, that you lived in the constant heat of the tropics. You could take photos, go sledding and push your little brother down the hill — all good fun.
Now an icy blast has come to the centre of the city, so Brunch decided to see just how cool Snow Town is.
HOKKAIDO AT HOME
Snow Town is located on the fifth floor of Gateway Ekamai, a Japanese mall off the Ekamai BTS station. The venue’s entrance doesn’t show much: there’s a few bear statues, a candy stand and if you’re lucky, a polar bear mascot hanging around.
A day pass with shoe rental costs 250 baht for adults and 230 baht for children; a half-hour pass costs 200 for adults and 180 for children. If you want to go on the snow, you’ll need the shoes. Socks, if you forget to bring them, cost 50 baht.
Inside, you’ll be presented with almost too many options for things to do. Like its name suggests, Snow Town attempts to offer more than just snow — there’s a largish snow playground in the middle and the actual “town”, which consists of Japanese restaurants and concept shops housed in European facades. (Identity crisis or delightfully fusion? You decide.) Temperatures hover between a cool 12-15C, so it’s chillier than the average mall but easy to walk around without a jacket.
For something that’s supposed to be the main attraction, the playground is a little underwhelming. There’s one small, steeper hill towards the back and a slightly larger one up front for sledding. The only “falling snow” comes from a plastic pipe that continuously spouts thick flakes. The flakes are thicker and harder than actual snowflakes, so standing under the snow for prolonged periods of time can be somewhat painful. And wet.
The snow on the ground is also quite thick, so while you could probably gather a snowball to fling at someone, building a snowman would be pretty difficult.
The ground does, however, have a satisfying crunch.
The most fun you’ll have on the playground is sledding from the hill. Plastic sleds, along with some buckets and shovels, have to be rented for 100 baht. If you’ve never sled before, two supervisors are on hand to make sure you get on right and hold onto the ropes.
John, 14, and Jacob, 11, were having a great time during their vacation from Taiwan, hurling snowballs at each other, filling up their sleds with snow and sledding down the hill over and over again. John said he had never seen snow before. “I think the sledding is the most fun.”
Pla, 20, was there with her boyfriend, taking a lot of photos by the snow. “I saw my friends posting about it and I wanted to come see it for myself,” she said. “The place is kind of small though. I want more space for snow, more toys, and something that’s a bit more exciting and scary. A bit too kiddy for me.”
Tassanee Jantana, 49, took her seven-year-old daughter, Pang Pond, donning hats and scarves just for the occasion. “She said she wanted to come so I brought her, and bought a scarf just for her as well,” Ms Tassanee said. “The snow probably isn’t like real life, but my daughter is having a lot of fun.”
For those visitors who feel they are too cool to re-create scenes from Frozen, Snow Town does provide a few other options: there are several Japanese restaurants and cafes, as well as game areas where children can have their faces painted and play dress-up. Many of the restaurants, such as Nihonichi, are branches of restaurants based in Hokkaido.
Sketch Town, an interactive lab designed by Japanese art collective teamLab, is also worth checking out: children can draw items, such as cars, sleds or houses, and have them scanned into 3D drawings. The drawings then show up on a wall, and can move and make noises upon contact.
Apart from offering a space for people to frolic in fake snow, Snow Town also hopes to become an event space, said marketing manager Kitima Numakhokesong.
“We want to hold activities that haven’t been done before in Thailand,” Ms Kitima said.
Next month, the space will host a Santa convention, with multiple Fathers Christmas coming from a foundation in Denmark. In October, the company has planned a mall-wide scavenger hunt based on Detective Conan, a popular Japanese anime. Competitors will be asked to collect clues and answer questions on each floor of the mall.
Ms Kitima said the design and theme of the mall could also change throughout the year. Though Snow Town is targeted towards children for now, it could take on an edgier design for teens and other mall-goers in the future.
selfies in the snow: Clockwise from left, Pla makes sure to capture the memories with her boyfriend; the snow is a little harder than the natural stuff; John and Jacob from Taiwan race down the hill; Jacob collects snowflakes in his sled; and the right shoes and equipment are essential for Snow Town.
THE COOL PLACES
Snowfall House
Siam Square, 4th Floor
Open 10am-10pm
Tel: 02-002-4022
This Korean shaved ice spot in Siam Square is snow-themed, with flakes of ice falling from a corner of the ceiling into little piles of snow. We hear that the Mango Yoghurt Bingsoo and the Chocolate Bingsoo are among the best items. Expect a wait, however, as the place is extremely popular and can get crowded.
Titanium Club & Ice Bar
Sukhumvit Soi 22
Open 8pm-2am
Tel: 02-258-3758
If alcohol’s more your thing, you can knock back a few shots at Titanium Club & Ice Bar, which specialises in flavoured vodka. The venue also offers regular entertainment from its in-house all-girl rock band. Just remember it’s in Soi 22.
Ice Skating Rinks
And in case you want to move a bit more, you can always go skating at one of Bangkok’s many rinks.
1) Imperial World Ice Skating
The only venue with an Olympic-size rink and facilities, Imperial World Ice Skating is a good fit for more serious skaters. The rink also hosts ice skating competitions.
250 baht per session, including skate rentals. 50 baht entrance fee for non-skaters.
Rink has two sessions on weekdays: Noon-2.45pm, and 1.35pm-8.30pm.
Weekend sessions: 9am-2.45pm and 1.35pm-8.00pm.
Imperial World Samrong, 5th Floor
999 Moo 1, Sukhumvit Road, Samrong Nuea, Muang Samut Prakan, Samut Prakan 10270
Tel: 02-380-4230
2) Open Ice Skate
A fairly large rink on the fourth floor of the mall that is, as advertised, open. Mall-goers can peer down from above to check out your moves.
50 baht per session on weekdays, 200 baht per session on weekends
Imperial Lat Phrao, 4th Floor
2539, Lat Phrao Road, Wang Thonglang
Open 11am-9pm
Tel: 02-934-9252
3) The Rink
With branches at Central Plaza Grand Rama IX, Central World and Fashion Island, The Rink is convenient for a mall-goer who doesn’t want to go out of their way to spend time on the ice.
Generally 220 baht for 60 minutes, but price per session and opening hours vary depending on the branch.
4) Sub-Zero Ice Skating Club
Part of the Blu-O and Major Bowl trio, Sub-Zero Ice Skating Club is geared towards more fun ice skating, with a few more bells and whistles such as DJs and lights.
Branches at Mega Bangna, Esplanade, Major Cineplex Sukhumvit-Ekamai.
Prices and opening hours depend on the branch.
