Beachside in Bangkok

Published on October 26, 2007

Suwannee "Sung" Leelaprachakul, owner of A Day in Summer Coffee Shop on Arun Amarin Road near Wat Arun, is easily inspired by the changing colours of the sky.

"I have always wanted to open my own coffee shop," says Suwannee whose day-job includes taking care of her family's business of trading construction components. "I have seen lots of white and blue (interior design) themes recently, so when it came to my own space, I told my designers that I wanted my coffee shop to be colourful, to take people to faraway places like tropical beaches complete with a colourful bar and Latin tunes. The only thing that my shop does not have is alcoholic drinks."

A Day in Summer opened six months ago. It is located in an old commercial building that has been renovated and brightly painted in blue and orange and adorned with patterned and batik fabric tailored into covers of puffy pillows and couches. Some chairs are in the form of swings, which can be swung on cable chains attached to the sides. The place is not air-conditioned, but there is good ventilation and natural wind.

At the place's colourful bar, rows of syrup bottles are lined up instead of alcoholic drinks. Sung is also a master of drinks, too, because she used to sell the famous Taiwanese-style pearl milk tea on Convent Road on Silom where she also enlisted other smoothies and fruity concoctions to match the tastes of her customers. That's why the menu here consists of many smoothies, most are yoghurt-based, and typical coffee and tea drinks served in similar spaces like this.

"I am a coffee lover," says Sung. "And when I was seeking the coffee beans for my shop, I became some sort of an expert. I am lucky enough to have met a coffee bean dealer whose love for coffee is reflected in the quality of his roasted beans. We just order from him and we use the standard coffee-making recipes of Italy to make our coffee drinks."

Hot and cold coffee drinks range from cafe latte, cappuccino, Americano and more. The prices are Bt40 to Bt65 per glass. For those in the mood for something cold, we recommend Sung's refreshing fruit shakes with yoghurt (strawberry and lychee are good) at Bt40. Something simple and foolproof like lime and honey or lime and soda drinks are also available for just Bt35.

"This is my family's building, so I do not have to pay rent and thus I can lower the prices of my drinks," says Sung. "I know it is a bit far from the centre of the town, but no one gets rich from selling coffee anyway. Anyway, I prefer doing what I love."

Sung's love also expands into a snack menu that includes freshly made waffles served with cream and syrup, ham and cheese sandwiches and crab stick salad (Bt55 to Bt65), just in case someone working on their laptop needs a quick fill.

A Day in Summer is located near Wat Arun. For those who are familiar with going to the temple by boat, you might want to walk towards Arun Amarin road and experience the small and lovely community on Wang Derm Street quietly tucked away at the back of the temple. And if you need a refreshing break after the walk, you can always drop by at A Day in Summer.

Wireless Internet is available for free, and there's free parking at kerbside until 3pm.

A Day in Summer

Arun Amarin Road

Near Wat Arun Soi 3, and the entrance to Wat Arun

Daily, 10am to 10pm

(02) 891 0756

Sirin P Wongpanit  

The writer can be reached at www.ohsirin.blogspot.com.