Accommodation
Hotels
The hotel infrastructure of Thailand is nothing less than excellent. Hotel accommodation is available in all categories, from the most basic, cheap guest house to hotels that range top by international standards. And accommodation of all categories, right up to the top, cannot only be found in Bangkok but in provincial towns and tourist destinations as well.
For many years, Thailand offered hotel accommodation with international standards at prices far below international levels. This situation changed by the end of the 80’s. Prices for luxurious hotel rooms, at least in Bangkok, are meanwhile pretty much on an international level, closer to 200 US Dollars per night than to 100 US Dollars. In provincial cities or resort towns, however, one pays for the same standard only a bit more than half of what is common in Bangkok.
All five-star hotels in Bangkok have a wide array of facilities which typically include one Western and one Thai first-class restaurant, at least one swimming pool, a gym and all the amenities one could possibly expect from a five-star hotel. A large number of them is managed by Swiss or Swiss trained executives.
On the negative side one may say that some of the five-star hotels of Bangkok are fairly snobbish. This may not be felt by those who are visibly foreigners. But Thais seem to be treated with a certain amount of suspicion by some five-star hotels in their own capital - a fact that so far has only occasionally been taken as an insult against the Thai national pride.
It happened for example during the joint meeting of IMF and Worldbank in Bangkok in mid-October 1991. The Nation of October 16, 1991 reported that the drivers of a number of delegates to the IMF/Worldbank meeting were treated arrogantly by the staff of several hotels.
One must know in this context that these drivers were not just ordinary chauffeurs. To ensure that the high profile delegates would not be taken around by just any cab driver who probably could not even speak English or otherwise would give a bad impression of the country, the chauffeurs for the delegates, among them many finance ministers of industrialized nations, were specially recruited among junior and even some senior Thai bank executives. A large number of them held higher degrees in business administration and some were even PhD’s.
Even though they acted as chauffeurs during the IMF/Worldbank meeting, they actually belong to a social group that might frequent the hotels themselves or decide on the booking of convention or seminar facilities.
According to the Nation of October 16, 1991 these drivers have "complained bitterly at the insulting treatment they have received from staff at three of the city’s most prestigious hotels while trying to look after their charges. Similar incidents have been described by many local journalists who complained they had encountered rudeness and abuse by the hotel employees and security guards. A senior Finance Ministry official... joined in the criticism of the three hotels, decrying their lack of expected hospitality and rough manners. The Oriental Hotel was singled out for the worst incident, involving bad manners by security guards and employees... The two other hotels accused of poor treatment are the Landmark and Hilton International. Phornsri Luphaiboon, PR director of the Oriental, told reporters that she was not aware of the incident as she was somewhere else. ‘That sounds incredible. Our hotel has selected employees with polite manners. But if our investigation turns out to be true, the persons responsible for the abuse will certainly be sacked,?she said."
The bank executives alias chauffeurs complained in no unclear terms about the treatment they received at the Oriental. According to the Nation of October 16, 1991, the security guards of the hotel insisted they leave the lobby where they were set to meet the delegates. Described one of them: "They refused to listen to us and practically chased us out... When I asked them if I could wait in the lobby and order food or drinks, a guard retorted with sarcasm. ‘Do you think this hotel has a place for you people...?When we left the lobby to wait at the entrance, they came after us and yelled that we should wait outside the hotel compound."
According to the Nation, "it was not the only incident at The Oriental, renowned as the best hotel in the world for 10 years, as other chauffeurs reported similar bad treatment. Reporters from local newspapers... were subject to similar abuse. The hotel had given firm instructions to the guards that local reporters must not be permitted to enter through the front entrance, but through a door normally used for the delivery of supplies. A hotel employee was seen making an obscene gesture at a group of reporters."
In defence of the Oriental it must be said that they are of course concerned with the security of their guests (this author guesses) and this may entail inconveniences for some people. And as long as one has a Western or non-Thai look one cannot be mistaken by the guards. It also seems that non-Thai journalists are permitted to use a better entrance than the one for the "delivery of supplies".
But then, not all five-star hotels have to apply as rigorous methods in special occasions as the Oriental. Reported the Nation on October 16, 1991: "In contrast, the chauffeurs said other hotels like the Regent Bangkok had treated them with great hospitality, providing them with refreshments while they waited for the delegates."
It’s sort of surprising that the Oriental allegedly has given a shabby treatment not only to the white-collar drivers of IMF/Worldbank executives but also to local journalists. After all the Oriental praises itself as an author’s hotel. One of their food and beverage outlets is named Authors?Lounge. In the hotel’s price list it says: "Over it’s 114 years of existence, it has acted as host and inspiration for such great writers as Joseph Conrad and Somerset Maugham." They have named Authors?Suites after Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, James Michener and Noel Coward and Deluxe River Wing Suites after Graham Green, Barbara Cartland, John Le Carre, Gore Vidal, S.E.A. Write and Wilbur Smith.
They also offer an Authors?Residence, though certainly no local reporters will likely ever have the opportunity to derive some inspiration from living there as it costs 70,000 Baht - per day, not per month. Sure, most local reporters are not of the caliber of those whose names were borrowed for the suites, but that the Oriental would tell them to use the delivery entrance instead of the front door is hard to believe.
Bangkok’s Silom Road Area
Most five-star hotels in Bangkok are in the Silom Road area, especially off New Road where can be found the Oriental as well as the Royal Orchid Sheraton which has tried for years to take the place of the Oriental as Bangkok’s best hotel, and the Shangri-la (for details on single hotels, please see the Bangkok chapter).
The Silom Road area is the most convenient area to stay for those visitors to Bangkok who have a number of bank dealings to proceed as Silom Road is where most large Thai banks have their headquarters. (Some Silom bankers might no longer recommend the Oriental.) Aside from banks, gem traders as well as the priciest antique shops are in the Silom Road area, as well as Patpong, infamous for live sex shows.
While the Silom Road area is convenient in as far as the distances to the headquarters of banks are short, a definite disadvantage is the incredible air pollution found there. This author has found it worst on New Road which has heavy traffic of diesel buses which emit a black smoke, and racing two-stroke engine motorcycles which emit a rather blue smoke - a cocktail always good for migraine.
Five-star hotels in other parts of town, though not located as close to the bank headquarters, often have a surrounding which is less polluted (but not exactly fresh country air).
Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road Area
The Sukhumvit Road area is were most middle class hotels of the Thai capital are concentrated. It’s also the preferred area for foreign residents (see below). There are many decent rooms available at less than 1,000 Bath per day (for lists of hotels, please see the Bangkok section). While Sukhumvit Road itself also has bad air pollution, it doesn’t seem quite as bad as in the Silom Road area, probably because the area is not as built up as the Silom Road area. Furthermore, many hotels are in side streets, so-called Sois, and as many of them are dead-end streets, they do not have much traffic.
One of the better Sukhumvit Road area hotels, the Ambassador, is interesting beyond what it offers in rooms. The parking lot actually is a small zoo with many exotic birds in large cages, among them parrots and even some name-sakes of this book. Furthermore, the hotel has an international fast-food mall with an excellent selection of low priced dishes from all over the world - a prime choice for those who want to eat well but budget their money. Nightlife in the Sukhumvit area is said to be less hard-core than at Patpong off Silom Road.
Bangkok’s Siam Square Area
The Siam Square area has a number of five-star and a few middle class hotels. Certainly for tourists but probably even for businessmen the area is more pleasant than the Silom Road area. In Bangkok, the best shopping (and this does not mean the most expensive) is around Siam Square; most sightseeing sites are reached easier from here than from the Silom Road area.
In general, tourists should give much more consideration to buying modern consumer products in Bangkok than is the case so far. Clothes and footwear are much, much cheaper than for example in Hong Kong. For high quality clothes, the Siam Square area has a number of excellent department stores, and for bottom price clothes, there is Pratunam Market.
It must be noted that Thai shopkeepers and sales staff are much more civilized than those of Hong Kong - with respect to manners as well as the aim to give a customer a fair deal. While there are black sheep among Thai shopkeepers, it’s not like in Hong Kong’s Tsim Tsa Tsui where most shopkeepers attempt to overcharge unscrupulously the first moment a customer believes any of the promises they make.
For those unfamiliar with Bangkok or even the Orient, shopping at the department stores around the Siam Square is not only pleasant but safe as well. There is no danger of being cheated at Siam Square department stores as they have fixed prices and cater mainly to locals. For details on shopping, please refer to the Shopping chapter; for the lists of hotels in the area, see the Bangkok section.
Continued
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