Three trips to Bangkok in just under a year: bringing tacos
Taco and deli shop Miyoshiya opened a pop-up event in Bangkok in May 2024. The first time was for a preliminary inspection, and the second time was for the actual opening.
Then in November 2024, I found myself heading to Bangkok again. It was my third trip since the beginning of the year. It was my first time to be in the same place in such a short space of time. At the invitation of the director of the COMMONS Thonglor, a shopping complex that came to our event in May, I decided to travel there again to hold an event in the area, which is similar to Omotesando in Japan.
The same members as last time - editor Taku Takemura, who connects us with locals, Hideki Yamada of and recipe, who also handles recipes for Miyoshiya, and graphic designer Hiromi Asakura of Bob Foundation, who is in charge of design aspects including the venue decoration - travelled across the ocean for around seven hours to Bangkok.
The COMMONS Thonglor has an open terrace with a high ceiling, and this is the venue for this event. 
On the steps on the terrace, you can see people enjoying a meal or working with a cup of coffee in hand.
The COMMONS Thonglor is known for its sophisticated clientele, from locals to tourists. The rows of shops and frequent events are new and interesting. However, we felt that simply having Miyoshiya serve tacos in this facility would be insufficient. With this in mind, we decided to reach out to our colleagues across Japan who are developing unique initiatives.
It all started with the simple question, "Why not do a pop-up in Bangkok?" and after carefully explaining the details to each store and brand, a total of nine stores and brands agreed to participate.
The event will be themed around Japanese "festivals," and will feature a lineup including Coffee Shop Miharu from Hamamatsu City, Recycle Shop Spacey from Shizuoka City, ALL GOOD STORE from Osaka City, YOU CO., a brand that produces a variety of home decor items including products made from perforated board, Tokyo Sour Stand in Kagurazaka, Tokyo, bake shop LIM from Kinosaki Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and Nishikai Touki from Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, as well as Takemura's brand EL BURRITO'S SKATE AMIGOS and DAILY BOB, run by Asakura.
A moment of setup. Some of the fixtures were borrowed from the facility, but the construction was mostly done by the group themselves. 
They gathered in a room in an apartment where they were staying via Airbnb and began building the framework for their stall. 
Speaking of festivals, paper lanterns are a must-have. These were brought from Japan and lettered by Asakura on site. 
The parts are assembled on-site. The stall was designed by Matsumoto Ken, leader of the Hamamatsu DIY group "moc ollie." 
A "gate" was created in the center of the venue using paper lanterns, which served as an impressive photo spot.
A city where the country's culture remains strong. The more you dig, the more you discover a "Thailand" you've never seen before.
This time, our team was responsible for everything from setting up the venue to selecting the background music. As with the previous trip, friends from Bangkok came along, and it made me feel like Thailand was one step closer to me. But why is Bangkok so appealing? While sipping Chang beer during my stay, Takemura let slip an interesting observation:
"Like Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand is also actively adopting Western culture, but I think what makes this country so unique and attractive is that it is the only Asian country other than Japan that has not been colonized. Perhaps because of this, the culture that they have had since ancient times is still very strong and deeply rooted. Combined with the national character that is tolerant of other cultures, this is a unique mix of cultures that is interesting and appealing."
Of course, this is a personal perspective, but after three trips, conversations with local friends, and visiting many different places, it was a word I could understand with my whole body. The more I dig, the more I discover unknown aspects of Thailand, making it an interesting place.
The event was attended by locals, tourists, and people of all ages and nationalities. 
There were also many Japanese expatriates in the Thonglor area, so you might even be spoken to in Japanese. 
On the left is Taku Takemura. On the right is Pim, who makes bags in Thailand. We also received a lot of help from our Thai friends. 
Communication between the store and customers begins with the miscellaneous goods brought from Japan and the flavors that can only be found here. 
Asakura also made the cloth signs hanging above each stall, which were also brought from Japan.
Speaking to local people about business, it seems that to set up a corporation you need a Thai partner, and that there are rules that require a certain number of local people to be employed when running the business. Of course, this acts as a barrier to entry for new businesses, but it also helps to protect the lifestyles and culture of the country's people. While the country is experiencing remarkable economic development, the sight of rows of traditional food stalls and shops, perhaps thanks to this system, is also a big reason we visit Thailand.
Thanks to everyone's support, our pop-up event at "theCOMMONS Thonglor" was a huge success. This event led to an introduction from a Thai friend, which led to us holding a pop-up at a wine bar called "unscene."
I'm writing this in March 2025, on a plane traveling to the event. Just now, an announcement was made on the plane that we were preparing to land at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Sawasdee Khap, Bangkok. I can't wait to see what kind of "Thailand" I'll see this time.
