PARADAi is a multi award winning chocolate maker in Thailand, making bean to bar chocolate. They source their beans from Nakhom Si Thammarat, Chanthaburi, Trang and Phuket and turn these into micro batches of everything from milk to 100% chocolate bars. These bars they sell in their architecturally stunning cafe which has plenty of seating for visitors, of which there are many. The menu is simple: choose one of their chocolates, each one available for tasting, and they will turn it into a hot chocolate for you. I highly recommend also ordering a few of their bonbons, many celebrating Thai flavors. Plan to spend as much time as you can at PARADAi, not just because their space is gorgeous and products are delicious. Their shopfront is located in the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, home to not only interesting art exhibitions but dozens of other small shopfronts featuring small brands selling everything from arts supplies to records.
The area around Paradai is a shopping paradise with huge malls: MBK Center, Siam Square One, Siam Paragon…. If you feel you are ready to escape, find the canal a block away from Paradai and hope on. For only a few dollars, and absolutely no traffic, you will be transported through residential neighbourhoods, historic houses, and specialty markets. the canals are an inexpensive, quick and fascinating (and calm! the boats are not busy) way to get around the city.
PARADAi: Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, 939 Rama I rd, Bangkok. Open 10am to 8pm, closed Mondays. Instagram
