Guru By Bangkok Post's pick of the most exciting products, activities, food and travel to indulge in.
JOIN
Three treatments / Spa InterContinental / Jan 1 to March 31
Treat the body and skin with a two-hour journey of revitalisation in InterContinental Bangkok’s sanctuary of serenity. Spa InterContinental beckons with a 120-minute course of three treatments assembled into the Cherished Therapy experience. Exfoliation is the focus of the first half hour when a sweet clay scrub is performed with ingredients including rice milk, vanilla oil and apricot kernel. The regeneration is followed by a 60-minute aromatherapy massage. Third is a 30-minute rose quartz Gua Sha facial massage. Visit the hotel’s website.
Year-end wellbeing / Rakxa Integrative Wellness
The new Rakxa Aesthetic Programme at Rakxa Integrative Wellness enhances beauty by promoting inner health. The Rakxa Hormonal Rebalance Programme addresses hormone imbalances by supporting the body’s natural regulation, enhancing physical and mental balance, relaxation and energy flow to promote circulation, tissue oxygenation and cell regeneration for hormonal health. The three-night Well Relaxed Programme offers a short yet impactful wellness experience focused on rejuvenating body and mind. Visit the website.
Winter’s best / GranMonte Vineyard and Winery / Until Jan 12
GranMonte Vineyard and Winery is hosting a Winter Festival offering daily tours with wine tasting. Discover the vineyard in winter in Khao Yai. End the tour with a curated tasting of the winery’s best wines, paired with artisanal cheeses sourced locally from Khao Yai. The Winter à la Carte Menu is served daily at VinCotto Restaurant and presents a seasonal menu. The “Wine & Cheese Tables” are where Thai artisanal cheeses from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Khao Yai are paired with GranMonte’s finest wines. The Live Music and Grill is held every Saturday among the vines. The Pop-Up Craft Cocktail Bar will be held on Dec 21 and offers GranMonte wines combined with spirits. Craft Saturdays will be held on Dec 21 and 28 and offer wine-themed keepsakes. Wine Under the Stars will be hosted on Dec 28 where a star-filled sky tour will be guided by an astronomy expert. The GranMonte Shop is offering hampers and gift sets for the season. Accommodation at GranMonte Wine Cottage has been renovated rooms with views of the vineyard. Visit the website.
Beachside countdown / Pattaya Countdown 2025 / Dec 29-31
Pattaya Beach will be transformed into the "Carnival Of Happiness" for the three-day Pattaya Countdown 2025. A line-up of Thai music acts will perform free concerts, including Slot Machine, Bodyslam, F.Hero, Jeff Satur, Urboy TJ, Joey Boy, Proxie, Tree Man Down and more. Register to attend via the Peep Share app for a chance to win prizes or catch the live broadcast of the countdown event via the Mono29 channel on Dec 31.
Major munch / Merry & Munch In Chula Soi 5 / Until Dec 29
Foodies have until Dec 29 to check out “Merry & Munch in Chula Soi 5” for an eating spree with delicious offerings from 40 popular shops curated by GrabFood in addition to snapping cool shots with festive backdrops and joining exciting activities. Visitors can go on a selfie spree at a Christmas tree adorned with favourite dishes from GrabFood, a 20-metre light tunnel display and art installations by two rising artists NewYear and Sahred Toy. At the “CU Gift Market”, browse through unique crafts from Chulalongkorn University students and enjoy mini-concerts by noted artists and student bands. "Merry & Munch in Chula Soi 5" takes place at Suan Luang Square, Chula Soi 5 from 4-10pm.
Spread the joy / Say It With Galaxy / Until Jan 5
Join the "Say It With Galaxy" campaign at CentralWorld's Central Court and you can spread joy and well wishes this festive season via four-storey-tall LED screens until Jan 5. Visit Samsung's photo booth, take photos with friends or your loved ones, decorate them, write well-wishes and see them be transported onto huge LED screens. During the campaign, existing Samsung users will receive privileges via Galaxy Gift while new Samsung users will receive exclusive perks.
STAY
New lounge / V Villas Hua Hin
V Villas Hua Hin has opened a new beach lounge called Akoya. Perched on a raised platform on Hua Hin beach, the new outlet is surrounded by a manicured beach-side lawn, lush tropical greenery and uninterrupted seaside views. Like its counterpart in Phuket, Akoya Beach Lounge will feature a creative mixology menu. Visit the resort’s website.
STUFF
New branch / Italasia
Italasia has opened the Italasia One Bangkok, its 36th branch at One Bangkok. The showroom spans more than 70m² and the design is inspired by yesteryear Rama IV Road, which was called “Thanon Trong”. Italasia One Bangkok focuses on a Grab & Go concept as it's packed with an array of premium imported products from beverages from all over Asia, Italy, France, Spain, Australia and Chile. Besides drinks, the store features tableware brands such as Alessi, Luzerne, Wedgwood, WMF, Cutipol, Chilewich, as well as Schott Zwiesel.
Training collection / H&M Move x Zlatan Ibrahimović
H&M Move will develop a performance-driven training collection co-developed by football icon Zlatan Ibrahimović. The collab blends Ibrahimović's expertise in sports with H&M Move's commitment to innovation and style, resulting in a collection that embodies strength, performance and fashion. Key pieces include versatile shorts in multiple lengths for various training needs, high-performance training tights, a selection of performance-driven T-shirts and engineered mesh tanks, a tracksuit in multiple colours, a padded vest with a V-neck closure and training accessories like high-length training socks, towels and over-sized water bottles. The "Selected By Zlatan" is in stores and online.
Meeting spaces / Lenovo
Lenovo recently launched the Lenovo ThinkSmart Core Gen 2, one of the first AI-optimised compute device purpose built to run video conferencing room systems. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor1 with an integrated NPU, the ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 is for AI-heavy meeting room workloads, all in a protected and user-friendly solution. For a complete room solution out of the box, ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 Full Room Kit is a single-SKU option that adds the intelligent ThinkSmart Bar 180, enabling Intelligent Speaker functionality. Installation and deployment are a snap and ample ports allow for quick and easy connection to different devices. Visit the website.
Festive flavours / Häagen-Dazs
Brave brain freeze to try two festive limited-edition flavours from Häagen-Dazs. An old favourite Red velvet cheesecake makes a comeback while a Mint chocolate flavour makes its debut. They come in kaleidoscopic packages, available as pints or mini cups at Häagen-Dazs shops and leading supermarkets.
EAT
River dining / Okura Cruise
Prepare to embark on a voyage of culinary distinction as The Okura Prestige Bangkok launches the "Okura Cruise". The river cruise offers two culinary journeys: "Seasonal Kaiseki" and "Teppanyaki". The Okura Cruise will depart from Asiatique the Riverfront daily. Visit the hotel's website.
White truffles / Red Sky Restaurant / Until Jan 31
Red Sky Restaurant has unveiled a white truffle seasonal menu, available until Jan 31. Chef de cuisine Luca Russo has created a menu celebrating the aroma and flavour of white truffles. Dishes include Fassona tartare, beef tartare with a robiola cheese drop, hazelnuts and white truffle; Low-temperature cooked egg nestled in potato mousseline with porcinis and white truffle; Scallops with Parmesan fondue; Handmade tagliolini with Hokkaido butter and white truffle; and Lobster risotto. Visit the website.
Seasonal menu / Salathip Thai Restaurant / Until Dec 30
Savour the flavour of Thailand’s prized grouper, prepared with the finest local ingredients from across the country at Shangri-La Bangkok’s Salathip Thai Restaurant. Thai chef de cuisine Yanavit Theerasomboonkun has curated a menu that showcases the grouper in three dishes: Deep-fried grouper marinated in yellow turmeric served with Garcinia Schomburgkiana Pierre salad from Nakhon Nayok; Grouper Thai spicy and sour curry with green taro stalk and Virginia creeper from Nakhon Si Thammarat; and Sautéed grouper with ancient dry curry and Elateriospermum Tapos Blume from Bantad Mountain Rage. Available until Dec 30 for dinner. Visit the hotel's website.
Chocolates and cognac / Cocoa XO
Reach new heights of indulgence on the 57th floor of Centara Grand at CentralWorld with Cocoa XO’s unique Chocolate Chocolatier Buffet. Cocoa XO, in partnership with Rémy Martin Cognac and Cacao Barry, is offering an unmatched chocolate and cognac pairing. Guests are invited to indulge in an array of 49 artisanal chocolates. The selection includes decadent pralines, velvety ganaches, luxurious cakes and an innovative Cognac-infused soft serve ice cream. The expansive open-air lounge is where one can enjoy exclusive Rémy Martin Cognac cocktails at the Cognac Bar, all while soaking in the spectacular panoramic views of the skyline. Visit the hotel's website.
Inaugural branch / Ralph’s Coffee
American fashion brand Ralph Lauren has recently launched its first Ralph’s Coffee on the 1st floor of CentralWorld's Beacon Zone. It will offer Ralph’s Coffee special blends — Ralph’s Roast, Espresso and Decaf — made from beans from South America and East Africa along with classic American-style desserts, including Old-fashioned chocolate cake, New York cheesecake, Homestyle carrot cake and Ralph’s brownies. To mark its opening, the shop will offer a special menu featuring Thailand-exclusive Gingerbread latte and Gingerbread apple tea, for a limited time during the festive season. An array of Ralph’s Coffee merch such as signature tote bags, sweaters, caps and coffee mugs is also available. Ralph’s Coffee represents the timeless American spirit of the Ralph Lauren brand through its warm and classic interiors.
