By Amanda Mookjai | Bangkok Correspondent
Club Squeeze in Nonthaburi opened its doors to industry insiders and local media on February 22nd, 2013. The theme, One Night in Bangkok, was a huge success, and the creative development of Bom Sinlapacharn, a well-known design and public relations guru as well as the new director of nightlife correspondence for one of the top entertainment firms in Bangkok.
Sinlapacharn, who's mother is a native of the Chicagoland area, studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago and received a degree in business management. After graduation in 2009, he moved to Thailand to learn about his roots and found a very special calling: nightlife. "I was born in Bangkok to a Thai father and a Swedish-American mother," Ari commented. "However, my parents moved to the States after my mom finished a dissertation in the Northeast. Growing up in Naperville, I didn't get a very strong sense of my roots, which made me feel out of place."
Bom stated that he originally chose to return to Thailand to gain a strong sense of his culture and language. "Before I arrived to Bangkok, I was set on doing 'typical Thai things', like become a monk or something," Bom commented with a smile. "But being in Thailand for nearly 4 years now makes me appreciate the diversity in activities in one of the most exciting cities in Asia, and for the opportunities I've received I'm thankful."
Club Squeeze in Nonthaburi opened its doors to industry insiders and local media on February 22nd, 2013. The theme, One Night in Bangkok, was a huge success, and the creative development of Bom Sinlapacharn, a well-known design and public relations guru as well as the new director of nightlife correspondence for one of the top entertainment firms in Bangkok.
Sinlapacharn, who's mother is a native of the Chicagoland area, studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago and received a degree in business management. After graduation in 2009, he moved to Thailand to learn about his roots and found a very special calling: nightlife. "I was born in Bangkok to a Thai father and a Swedish-American mother," Ari commented. "However, my parents moved to the States after my mom finished a dissertation in the Northeast. Growing up in Naperville, I didn't get a very strong sense of my roots, which made me feel out of place."
Bom stated that he originally chose to return to Thailand to gain a strong sense of his culture and language. "Before I arrived to Bangkok, I was set on doing 'typical Thai things', like become a monk or something," Bom commented with a smile. "But being in Thailand for nearly 4 years now makes me appreciate the diversity in activities in one of the most exciting cities in Asia, and for the opportunities I've received I'm thankful."
Bom helped develop the concept behind Squeeze. His business partner, Mike Percy, is a long-time friend of Bom's and together they launched the trendy and very fashion-forward spot 20 minutes outside of the city center.
The concept, which fuses trance music with eclectic Thai pop, is a new phenomenon that is slowly but surely making its way into the hearts and souls of Thai - and farang - youth. The scene, mostly a 22-30 crowd, attracts young and affluent Thais. "The foreigners haven't quite found our spot just yet," Bom mentioned. "I'm pretty sure after PdM writes about us, more folks will flock (our) way."
The industry-only event brought notable rising stars of Thai fashion and lifestyle magazines, including journalists, photographers, and writers. Models for local brands, such as Cheeze Magazine, were also in attendance, including 20 year-old Siriya, pictured above.
"We don't just want Squeeze to be another hi-so club for affluent kids with daddy's money," Bom jokingly stated as he picked at his cold noodle dish. "We want to do something different. I want to make Squeeze more about the music and less about a specific scene."
Squeeze is more of a hidden Thursday evening affair rather than a big Saturday party. Nestled in between a vegetarian eatery and an Indian restaurant, it is a bit of a challenge to find the boutique venue if one wasn't specifically looking for it. "We are working on getting more exposure," Bom joked. "Heck, we should probably start with a sign, a big one."
As we observed the evening's developments, which wrapped up quite early for a Friday night, we appreciated the diversity in hosted bar spirits (vodka, whiskey, champagne, wine) as well as the crowd. While the evening was meant for media insiders, models and their friends were also invited, which made the evening interesting.
Club Squeeze is located on Pracharat Road, Soi 13, next to Aladdin's Good Eats and Kharma Restaurant. The best nights are Wednesday nights when a hosted bar from 10pm-11pm is available.
Club Squeeze is located on Pracharat Road, Soi 13, next to Aladdin's Good Eats and Kharma Restaurant. The best nights are Wednesday nights when a hosted bar from 10pm-11pm is available.