Joe Cummings

This May, the hot and grimy streets of Bangkok will transform into a rousing parade of vintage and custom motorcycles, mounted by an inspired mashup of leather and tweed, boots and bustiers, grinding asphalt together with a commitment to vital causes. Once again, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride returns to Thailand’s capital, combining style, camaraderie and a common mission. Motorcycling enthusiast Mark Hawwa founded the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in Sydney, Australia in 2012, and it has since grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Inspired by an image of Don Draper from Mad Men – straddling a classic 1957 Matchless G3LS while impeccably suited – Hawwa created a themed event that in the intervening years has both reshaped the image of motorcyclists and raised awareness for prostate cancer and men's mental health. Today, DGR unites more than 500,000 riders across 900 cities in 121 countries, and has raised over USD $50 million for men’s health through its charity partner, Movember. Bangkok, which hosted its first DGR in 2016, has become a key city on the global DGR map. This year’s ride on Sunday, May 18, 2025, is shaping up to be its most impressive yet.

Tucked into a narrow shophouse on Chinatown’s Songwat Road, this latest venture from Chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakijr – better known for her boundary-bending fine dining venue Potong, only five minutes’ walk from here – glows with the burnished charm of a bygone era and a reverence for tradition. The 70-year-old structure sets the tone with faded window shutters, creaking wooden stairs, and exposed-brick interior walls. In a nod to the neighbourhood’s youthful grit, a vibrant three-storey graffiti mural by street artist JecksBKK displays a girl in space buns, Chinese tunic, jeans and sneakers, slyly promoting Takabb, a classic Thai-Chinese herbal lozenge. Inside, industrial light fixtures dangle over rough-hewn tables and padded banquettes arranged in small clusters divided among the three floors, an arrangement that promotes a casual sense of exclusivity. There’s an ambience of cheeky nostalgia without kitsch – a delicate balance that mirrors Chef Pam’s approach to food. The concept behind Khao San Sek – Thai for ‘sacred milled rice’, the stray grains that fall to the floor during milling and are blessed by monks for use in warding off evil spirits – is the celebration of five holy-grail ingredients representing Thai cuisine’s primary flavour spectrum. These culinary building blocks – rice, chili, coconut, fish sauce, and palm sugar – divide dishes on the menu into sections accordingly. Lest this sound a bit academic, in practice Khao San Sek feels looser, funkier, and mo