The city hugs the coast, and the waterfront includes the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, upon which bright red and yellow umbrellas dot every visible stretch of sand.
As he clowns around for a photo shoot in front of the giant fiberglass animals adorning his restaurant compound off of tony Thonglor Road, Tan Passakornnatee is sporting vivid yellow pants and a polka-dot shirt, his customary style for addressing college students or business groups.