Top 10 Budget Hotels in Bangkok

1.lbis Siam
Near Pratunam Market, near a BTS station – Ibis Siam’s spot on Rajaprarop Road is as convenient as it is bustling. The 179 rooms are clean and contemporary. Breakfast is served till midday. And a passion for up-to-date technology is embodied by free Wi-fi. A few minutes walk, to Rangnam Road, reveals a glut of good restaurants, a cinema and Santiphap Park.



2.Unico Leela
Smart, smiling staff work the bright, cream-marbled lobby. Chandeliers abound in an opulent restaurant. A swimming pool sits out back, yards from a bubbling Jacuzzi. And the warm exotic rooms are as they should be – well-equipped, uncluttered, eye-pleasing. In spite of its nifty but noisy location on Sukhumvit Soi 3, Unico Leela is dapper indeed.



3.Baiyoke Boutique Hotel
Looming in the shadow of the city’s tallest building, this urbane boutique is proof that the budget hotel can be bold and brash. Its slick white lobby has flourishes of glowing orange. Dark, chic rooms bristle with flat screen TVs and hip modern art. And the fast and furious Pratunam shopping area is on your doorstep. The most ultra-modern of our Budget Top 10.



4.Take a Nap
What happens when you combine 30 basic rooms, a location near Silom and eye-catching pop-art? ‘Take a Nap’, Bangkok’s trailblazing boutique inn, is what happens. Each room and dorm sports a funky one-off wall design, styles ranging from hyper-real evocations of the Grand Palace to kitsch depictions of fairytale forests. Flamboyant and functional.


5.Viengtai Hotel
On Soi Rambuttri, a charismatic road parallel to Khao San Road, this veteran is near the city’s historical sites. What its patrons seem to relish most, though, is its 200 spacious rooms, swimming pool and air of elegance being yards from the famous backpacker strip. Want to experience the area’s unruliness but not feel smothered by it? Viengtai Hotel is perfect.



6.Woraburi Sukhumvit
Its oriental open-air lobby is warm and welcoming – an embodiment of Woraburi Sukhumvit’s affable character. It continues, with the 123 rooms with mod-cons, the charming terraced restaurant, the stylish swimming pool. Oh, and lets not forget the complimentary tuk-tuk service. All this on Sukhumvit’s salacious Soi 4 – what is Bangkok coming to?



7.Hotel de Moc
Within the old city, this family-run establishment offers the perfect base for temple or Khao San Road fans. A free tuk-tuk runs to the backpacker neighborhood until 21:00, and classics like the Grand Palace are only slightly further. Fantastic. And that’s before you even consider the hotel itself: 100 plush rooms with private balcony, a swimming pool, Chinese restaurant and spa. Swoon.



8.Queen Garden
Need a place to crash after a rough landing? Flying out first thing? For in and out-going Suvarnabhumi airport travellers who don’t want to stray far, this is your ticket. It sits next to a sleepy river, with views onto a nearby Buddhist temple. Rooms are cheerful and facilities include a restaurant/bar with pool table. Location, though, is its true calling card.



9.Lub D
Raw industrial chic – exposed steel and brushed concrete – fills this trendy hostel in Silom. The result is funky and comfy: super clean dorms with big beds and private lockers, twin rooms with bunk beds, double rooms with en-suites. Free public Internet, a café and a cozy TV area heighten the appeal of this amiable alternative to the traditional backpacker dive.


10.Bhiman Inn
With its fort-like exterior and softly lit terrace restaurant, there is something quite Arabian about Bhiman Inn. With its spot on Phra Arthit Road, a trendy little street next to the river and minutes walk from Khao San Road, there is also something quite brilliant about it. Rooms are clean and roomy, and there’s a small swimming pool out back.


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Top 10 Useful Bangkok Tips

You know the sort. “Don’t talk to strangers’”, “look both ways when crossing the road”, “always wear clean underwear”. When you’re starting out in life – or a new city – there are a whole heap of tips it pays to remember. Written in a manner that aims to enlighten, not spoon feed, here are our top 10 useful tips for mastering this exciting, but potentially aggravating metropolis. Are we up to the task? Yes, we believe so. We aren’t wise old sages with long straggly beards, but we do know Bangkok.

1.Buy a good map
Bangkok can be confusing. The shifting street names, the winding river, the expressways to who-knows-where, the lack of clearly distinguishable neighborhoods. Sometimes it all seems like the work of a sadistic urban planner, one who derives particular pleasure from thwarting tourists. The solution? Arm yourself with a decent map with street names in English and Thai. If Bangkok is a mean-spirited labyrinth, consider this your faithful compass.

2.Barter, but nicely
The first rule of Bangkok shopping: if there’s no barcode or set price, get haggling. It’s expected. However, instead of adopting a confrontational “give me it for this price, now!” attitude, try the gracious, smiley “what’s your best price, my friend?” approach. Why? If not because you’re polite, then do it because a smile here goes further than a sneer. Aim to chip anything from 10-40% off the quoted price. And by all means, walk away if the price is disagreeable – more often than not you’ll be called back for last ditch negotiations!

3.Drink lots of water
This tip, of course, applies even to the Antarctic. But packing a supply of the wet stuff in Bangkok’s sticky, stifling heat is even more crucial to your well-being. Our unscientific rule of thumb: drink more than you sweat. Fortunately you are never more than a few paving stones from a drinks vendor. Always make sure bottled water is sealed. For a change, take your chosen tipple modern Thai-style, in a small plastic bag with handle and straw. Its quirky but, as you’ll find when rummaging around markets, also convenient.

4.Beware Scammers
It begins with a polite stranger: “the Grand Palace is closed this afternoon”. You thank them and tell them where you’re from. Then, before you’ve even had a chance to shake their hand, you’re gripping the sides of a tuk-tuk as it whizzes towards temples your guidebook has never heard of, and (drum roll) pushy gem stores. The morale of this all-to-common scam? Savour contact with the locals but, please please, beware the shysters. The general, but by no means universal, rule of thumb: a Thai who approaches you in the street is after more than a chat.

5.Try an organized Tour
A tour reaches the parts that other ways of seeing Bangkok cannot. Yes, pounding the streets with just a trusty Lonely Planet in hand, does appeal to the intrepid in us. And, admittedly, a road trip around Bangkok’s bordering provinces does demonstrate a plucky buccaneering spirit. But ask yourself: are you here to enjoy Bangkok or what? A tour is inexpensive and easily arranged (just book and show up). No logistical headaches, no getting lost, just a wonderful day out that peels back another exciting layer of The Big Mango.




6.Plan ahead
Unlike Rome or Paris, Bangkok is not an eminently walkable city. Rather, making the most of this daunting sprawl of crowds, commerce and culture takes planning… Work out what you want to see, where they are (refer to ‘Buy a Good Map’), then work out a logical route. Taxis are likely to be unavoidable, as is a bit of footwork, but wherever possible use our favourites: the waterways, underground and Skytrain. Sight-wise, don’t bite off more than you can chew – Bangkok’s flavours are best savoured slowly.

7.Use BTS & MRT habitually
There are smoke-belching tuk-tuks, hair-raising motorbikes and thrilling canal boats. But when it comes to getting around, the Skytrain and underground are easily your most agreeable option. How did Bangkok ever manage without them? The first soars above traffic, as if sent from above, while the latter whizzes, mole-like, beneath it. Both offer arctic air-conditioning and are in our opinion the best inventions since the wheel – not least because they’re much quicker. Get yourself a day or week pass and hop aboard.

8.Taxi Tips
Bangkok specialises in world-class traffic jams, so taxi rides are risky. However, follow these tips and your journey needn’t be temper-fraying: (1) Avoid rush hour. (2) Insist your driver switch his meter on. If he refuses, get out and find another – they’re usually plentiful. (3) Finally, make sure you leave nothing behind. There’s nothing worse than watching your gaily-coloured taxi whiz off into Bangkok’s haze, carrying with it your valuables.

9.Carry a photocopy of passport
Whether it be an impromptu demand from a local policeman or a request from security at one of the city’s swanky nightspots, carrying ID is a must in Thailand. The fact that you are 25 but look like you’re pushing 40 doesn’t matter – proving who you are is a day-to-day formality, something the Thais are finicky about. Instead of dragging your passport around with you, and with it the constant fear of losing it, take a photocopy.

10.Carry a Hotel card with Thai directions
It’s simple. It isn’t rocket science. But this ingenious device, little more than a piece of card with your hotel’s address written on it in Thai, will save endless how-do-we-get-home headaches. Flash it beneath the eyes of your chosen driver and watch how his shrugs of utter incomprehension instantly change to reassuring nods. Brilliant.


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Top 10 Leisure Activities in Bangkok

Since Bangkok is choc'a'bloc of places to see and things to do, choosing an activity to fill your day can be a daunting task. Handpicked by the city’s connoisseurs, here are our Bangkok Top Ten Leisure Activities to get you started. From a picnic at Dusit Zoo to people watching at Khao San Road, the list encompasses every definition of a leisure activity. Pick and vote for your favourite!

1.Picnic at Dusit Zoo
A classic favourite among the locals, not only does Dusit Zoo provide home to some 1,600 animals, it’s also a great ground for picnic and other family activities. Ideal for a family day out, the zoo features well-maintained landscaped gardens and beautiful flowers. A delicious variety of food is also available at the park’s cafeteria if you happen to forget your basket. Covering a total area of 188,800 square metres, the zoo is also in close proximity to some of the city’s attractions like the Throne Hall and the Statue of King Rama V.

2.Bowling
Bangkok’s shopping malls seem to have a penchant for three things, movie theatres, karaoke and bowling alleys – all of which are usually found bundled together under some franchised Cineplex. Movie theatres and karaoke aside, bowling provides a light form of exercise as well as hours of competitive fun. With sophisticated venues complete with strobe lights, glow-in-the-dark pins, balls and lanes, in-house DJ, not to mention food and drinks, bowling in Bangkok is a fun-filled leisure activity suitable for people of all ages.

3.Yoga in the Park
Known to provide a deep sense of relaxation for the body and mind, yoga is an effective antidote to the stress brought on by the hectic lifestyle Bangkok dwellers face on a day-to-day basis. Although there are several yoga studios offering a wide spectrum of practices in the city, to maximally benefit from it, ditch the stuffy studio and head to the nearest park where you can inhale fresh air while doing a series of ‘Sun Salutation’ poses under the actual sun. If you’re a newbie, it’s best to do it under the supervision of a guru at Lumpini Park (sessions available at a nominal fee in the park’s Palm Trees area from 18:00 to 19:30).

4.Thai Cooking Class
If you’re a die-hard Thai food fan, why not learn how to cook it while you’re in Bangkok? Cooking classes are offered throughout the city, especially in hotels and cooking schools. Classes normally last half a day and will introduce you to basic preparations, types of ingredients and in some, a visit to the local market is also included. You’d be surprised how simple the seemingly complicated dishes like ‘tom yum goong’ (hot and sour shrimp soup) and ‘gaeng kiew wan gai’ (green chicken curry) actually are to prepare.

5.Afternoon Tea
This long cherished tradition of sipping proper English afternoon tea and nibbling on bite-sized tipples has made its way to Bangkok’s leading hotels. Authentic scones, clotted cream, finger sandwiches, pastries along with fascinating Chao Phraya River scenery (at Riverside hotels) make for a wonderful tonic for fatigued sightseers. If you’re looking to ward off that nagging afternoon hunger, this is a not-to-be-missed and elegant experience.



6.River Cruises
Get up close and personal with Bangkok’s splendid landmarks like the Grand Palace and the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) while cruising along the majestic ‘River of Kings’. Feel the cool breeze in your face while exploring riverside lifestyles and a network of ‘khlongs’ (canals), either on a swift long-tailed boat or tranquil converted rice barge. Trips to the city’s neighbouring provinces like Nonthaburi and Ayuthaya are also available.

7.Thai Massage
It’s hard not to mention Thai massage when it comes to leisure activities. Available pretty much everywhere from streets to five-star hotels, this ancient form of body kneading – said to date back over 2,500 years to the time of Buddha – is quite similar to yoga in terms of physical and mental benefits. The only difference between the two, however, is all required for Thai massage is to lie down and breathe while having some of your 27,000 ‘sen’ (energy lines) loosened by an adept hand – talk about true leisure!

8.Deities Walking Tour
Not only is Ratchaprasong known for its ample offering of hotels and shopping malls, it is also home to six unique shrines – all linked to Hindu traditions. If you have about 30 minutes to spare and would like to see a curious contrast between a superstitious and modern Bangkok, take this leisurely Deities Walking Tour, a downloadable podcast tour that guides you to all six shrines located in what’s dubbed ‘Bangkok’s Shopping Street’. Complete with brief history, directions and tavelling tips, this walking tour commences at the highly revered Erawan Shrine before finishing at the Ganesh Shrine.

9.People Watching
With millions of visitors from all over the world each year, Bangkok inevitably makes for an ideal place to ‘people watch’. And where could be more interesting to do so than famous backpacker melting pot, Khao San Road? Immortalised in the Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Beach’, this former rice-trading centre is where the locals and foreign travellers collide head-on, resulting in a mishmash of fascinating cultural diversity and a wide spectrum of human antics. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a seat, get a drink and enjoy the show!

10.Cycling in Koh Kret
One of Bangkok’s most charming hidden secrets, Koh Kret, a former refuge for the Mon tribes for over 200 years, is an idyllic islet located in the Chao Phraya River boasting amiable locals, and a well-preserved gentile way of life. With no car traffic on the island, it’s both safe and fun to explore on bicycle. Pedal along the scenic routes shrouded in lush green leaves with traces of Mon culture and architecture peeping through. There are also ample opportunities to shop for handmade pottery, earthenware, lovely home decorative items and delicious local specialties like deep-fried flowers and chilled rice in aromatic water.


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Top 10 Shopping Experiences

The variety of shopping experiences in Bangkok goes far beyond a stroll in a mall or a morning spent browsing a market. Shopping in Bangkok is a day-and-night activity that runs parallel with the best in the West, while also giving a flavour of the cultural uniqueness of the East. Work your way through these ten entirely different experiences, and you’ll soon come to realize why Bangkok is such a famous shopping hub. Don’t forget to vote for your favourite!

1.The Market Experience(Chatichak)

The market of all markets, Chatuchak Weekend Market is the ultimate. You will be amazed by its sprawling size, but perhaps even more so by the unbelievable variety of wares. Stumble across anything from vinyl records, beads, suits of armor to a live seahorse! Haggling is allowed; in fact, it is encouraged. Just do so politely. Possibly the most exhilarating, chaotic and lively shopping experience that can be had anywhere in the world.


2.The Shopping Mall Experience
In a city blessed with some of the world’s most sumptuous malls, how do you choose? Do you want bargains galore? Go to MBK. After the biggest and most trendy? CentralWorld is your ticket. How about classy? Make your way to The Emporium. Of course, if glamour makes you go wobbly at the knees, you will already have found Siam Paragon – the epitome of high-class Bangkok.


3.After-Dark Shopping Experience
In most cities nighttime means closing time. Not so, here in Bangkok. Come dusk, Khao San Road teems with unkempt travel wear. And Patpong Market’s tarpaulin covered stalls – each brimming with counterfeits or exotica - don’t even kick into life until the area’s office workers are tucked up in bed. Just two examples, among several, of Bangkok’s love affair with the after-dark shop.


4.Funky Shopping
This is an excursion all of its own for the young at heart. If modish describes your style, ZEN will blow you away! ZEN, proclaiming itself to be the ‘largest lifestyle trend megastore’ takes up a big section of the very big CentralWorld, consisting of six floors of urban youth orientated delights. Also in the category of funky, places like Manga, Q Concept and Fly Now on the ground floor of Centralworld, turn shopping into a multi-dimensional experience.


5.Thai Crafts
For the most comprehensive overview of traditional Thai crafts, OTOP is an excellent starting point. Here you can appreciate the spirit, effort and pride that go into the making of these products, coming to you from all the corners of Thailand. Other places to pick up quality handicrafts in Bangkok are the Narayana Phand Pavillion and Chitralada shops.


6.The Department Store Experience
Imagine a place full of quality items, both imported and domestic; a place where shop-hopping is obsolete, and every ilk – fashionista, bargain hunter, or house-wife – is catered for. Nice isn’t it? Well in Bangkok they are called department stores. Open-plan, and spread over many gleaming floors, these retail realms offer the opposite of street commerce – they’re calm and whisper quiet. They’re also not shy about price slashing.

7.The Chinatown Experience
There is something oddly kitsch, charming and nostalgic about Bangkok’s Chinatown. Walking through the many little streets you might find yourself in a market, a shophouse-lined backstreet or a crowded space jam-packed with hawkers of every ilk. Along with many gold shops, you’ll also find sacks of roasted chestnuts, sequins, feather boas, eccentric virility boosters and martial art weapons.

8. Pantip Plaza
An aspiring techno-geek? Then Pantip Plaza is your heaven on earth. Looking for a new mobile, notebook or the latest gadget? That’s right, Pantip. Packed from floor to ceiling with stalls and shops selling all kinds of computer and electronic paraphernalia, make sure to allow enough time to explore this bustling, indoor IT mall.


9.Flower & Fresh Produce Market
Among the many fresh produce markets in Bangkok, the jewel without a doubt is the Pak Khlong Talad Flower Market. The colours, fragrances of jasmine and the sight of garland weavers busily at work makes for a dazzling sensory experience. Prepare yourself for a really late-night experience, but one worth staying up for.


10.Antiques & Collectibles
There is a huge market for reproductions in Bangkok, which can be a collector’s nightmare. If the real thing is what you’re after, you will be interested in OP Place, next to the Oriental Hotel. A historical landmark in its own right, the contents are simply to die for. Close by is the Rivercity complex, equally well-known for prized collectibles.


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Top 10 Best Bangkok Tours

1.Bangkok City & Temple Tour with Grand Palace
Bangkok has hundreds of temples, each with thousands of reflective surfaces that dazzle. So what makes this temple-orientated tour the number one? Is it because it introduces you to three of Bangkok’s most dazzling, Wat Trimitr, Wat Po and Wat Benjabophit?

Well, only partly. It also takes you to Thailand’s foremost religious site, The Grand Palace; wowing at the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew, a tiny green jade icon that, though only 18 inches tall, towers above all others in its holiness. Everyone should, no, MUST experience it.


2.Ayutthaya Tour by River Sun Cruise
Some tours are jam-packed full of facts, sights and history – so much, in fact, you barely have a moment to yourself. This day trip to Ayutthaya, Siam’s war-ravaged former capital, sails straight in at number two because it has plenty of substance but doesn’t test your staying power.

A morning spent exploring temple ruins is followed by an afternoon on board a luxury cruiser. The hard work well and truly over, all that’s left to do is laze happily on deck, only the memories, river breezes and Bangkok’s bristling skyline for company. Wonderful.

3.Manohra Dinner Cruise
Bangkok has plenty of dinner cruises. But only Manohra has the three ‘R’s: the river, the romance, and, most uniquely, a 50-year-old rice barge. Made of delicate restored teak wood, it’s easily one of the most distinctive boats plying the water, and hands-down the best for a one-of-a-kind supper.

Guests glide up-river, past seminal city sights like Wat Arun and the Grand Palace. No windows, no air-conditioning, just the cooling breeze and a candlelit table spread with an appetizing selection of classic Thai dishes, all beautifully arranged and presented.

4.Bangkok Floating Market
Ok, so the Floating Market is hardly authentic. It’s a cultural show, staged so tourists can see how Thais used to buy and sell fresh produce at river markets. However, for its colours and chaos alone it remains a sight no one should miss.

Small thin canals teem with longboats piled high with fresh produce, each one jockeying for position, and paddled by a lady ready to stop and bargain at a moment’s notice. This visual vibrancy, as well as its popularity and iconic status, helped it barge effortlessly into our number four spot.

5.River Kwai Tours
There’s more to the River Kwai than elegiac WWII sights. And this tour around Kanchanaburi, a lush unspoilt province bordering Burma, proves it. Visits to the Death Railway, the Bridge over the River Kwai and the memorial museum, are tastefully juxtaposed with thrilling doses of back-to-nature: undulating mountains, rugged landscapes, as well as activities like elephant rides and tiger temples.

Very few tours manage such a gratifying combo, both thought-provoking and adventurous - a well deserved winner of our number five spot.

6.Siam Niramit
Packing all the splendour of the Land of Smiles into an 80-minute stage show is no easy task. But Siam Niramit succeeds – and spectacularly. How so? Try the world’s biggest stage, a cast of hundreds, and bags of Thai finesse. For these joy-bringing efforts, we happily award it sixth place.

The first act describes how Siam became a cross-roads where civilizations met, the second how karma binds the Thai people, the last how religious ceremony earns Thais merit in this life. Spellbinding stuff.

7.Khlong Tour

Bangkok’s ‘khlongs’ (canals) aren’t mere remnants of the past. Many are still functioning transport arteries that play a significant role in city life. Rather than the noise and smell of central Bangkok’s famous Khlong Saen Saeb, this morning tour focuses on the more scenic waterways of Thonburi.

A long-tailed speedboat glides you past floating kitchens, mobile shops and all kinds of colourful river scenery, before stopping at the enchanting Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun). The trip ends with the Royal Barges Museum; for most, the impressions last a lot longer.

8. Bai Pai Cooking School
Ever wished you could cook your favourite authentic Thai dish at home? Our eighth favourite tour equips you with the know-how to do just that. At the Bai Pai Cooking School, qualified Thai chefs impart their culinary wisdom in an easily digestible fashion.

Classes are hands-on and never more than ten people. Instructors emphasise the importance of seasonality, fresh ingredients and presentation. Pad Thai? Your favourite curry? These are the dishes you perfect and get to devour. No wonder everyone leaves smiling.

9.Jim Thompson House
One for silk, antiques and culture lovers. Jim Thompson, an American ex-military officer, almost single-handedly revived the craft of Thai silk-weaving. But he disappeared mysteriously in 1967, leaving behind not only a flourishing industry, but also some lovingly restored teak houses.

This popular tour begins amidst his collection of rare Asian art and antiques, before you are then whisked to nearby Suan Pakkad Palace, a complex of impressive teak houses once belonging to Princess Chumbot. A tour guide explains the mysteries of what is an enriching excursion.

10.Floating Market Cycling Tour
A cycle tour is the best way to explore corners of Bangkok that most tourists never know exists, let alone discover. With little more than the clank of your bicycle gears, a cool breeze and the waves of locals for company, there’s nothing jaded or cynical about a two-wheeled adventure.

Take our tenth top tour, for example. After the floating market, you peddle past fruit orchards, old temples and ancient army garrisons, heading further back in history and culture with each forward turn of the wheel. Where most tours our somewhat limiting, this one is a true revelation.

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VAT Refund for Tourists in Thailand

Who can claim VAT refunds?

A VAT refund can be claimed by any non-Thai
visitor who has not been in Thailand for more than
180 days in calendar year, and who is not a crew
member of an airline; and departs Thailand by
air carrier from an international airport.

How to claim a VAT refund

1. VAT refund only applies to goods taken out of
Thailand within 60 days from the date of purchase.

2. The goods must be purchased from stores
displaying the "VAT REFUND FOR TOURISTS" sign.

3. On any day, goods purchased at a participating
store must not be less than 2,000 baht and the
total amount of goods purchased, including VAT,
must not be less than 5,000 baht.

4. At each store ask the sales assistant to
complete 2 VAT refund forms (P.P.10) and
attach the original tax invoice to the forms.

5. Before departure, present your purchases to
Customs and Revenue officers for inspection in
order to obtain VAT refund at the departure
lounge after check-in and passport control.

6. In case the VAT refund exceeds 10,000 baht,
you can either present your claim to the Customs
and Revenue officers at the VAT Refund Office
or drop it in the box at the Refund Counter or
mail it from your home back to the Revenue
Department of Thailand.


How will the refund be paid?

You can choose to receive your refund by :

Refund amount not exceeding 10,000 baht,
receive cash in Thai baht, draft, or credit to credit
card account.
Refund amount exceeding 10,000 baht,
receive refund in draft, or credit to credit card
account.

The following fees apply to refund requests :

For cash refund, a fee of 100 baht.
For draft refund, a fee of 100 baht plus draft issuing
fee at the rate charged by banks and postage fees.
For credit to credit card account refund, a fee of 100
baht plus money transfer fee at the rate charged by banks.

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Top 10 Bangkok Hotels near the Skytrain

Top 10 Bangkok Hotels near the Skytrain

Before 1999, Bangkok was synonymous with traffic and its byproduct, stress. But then something called the Skytrain – a raised, blissfully air-conditioned monorail snaking its way around the city – whizzed on to the transport scene. The traffic didn’t disappear – but it got better, much better. The following hotels are the cr?me de la cr?me of those lucky enough or wealthy enough to be close to it. Some require a few minutes walk, a few only a few paces, but we’ve been careful to ensure that all are here not merely by virtue of their position. The balance between price, flair, facilities, service and Skytrain-friendliness is what makes these gems gleam.


1.Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit The rich woods, marble and Thai silks. The 24-hour business centre with modern amenities like wireless Internet. The 420 scintillating rooms, sophisticated fine-dining and drop-dead gorgeous spa. Gracious staff. Not to mention a fantastic location on Sukhumvit Road, including a direct walkway to the skytrain. This is, hands down, among the best hotels in Asia.

2. Asia Hotel Everything from the 650 well-appointed rooms to the restaurants and gleaming lobby oozes classical elegance. But what guests love most about this populist favourite is being only one stop from Siam Square. That and the fact that if rooms were any closer to BTS Ratchatewi station you could literally roll out of bed and into an awaiting skytrain.



3. InterContinental Bangkok

Polished, worldly, professional, technologically astute – the Intercontinental is like the modern business executives who love staying here. For them, or those just wanting a luxury stay within strolling distance of upscale shopping malls and the Skytrain, this is the perfect package, all wrapped up in a swish coating of curved steel and glass.

4. Novotel Bangkok on Siam SquareWhether you’re here for business, nightlife or shopping, the Novotel excels at debatably the three most important factors in hotel decision-making - location, location and location. The coolest boutiques, the busiest shopping malls and the most central Skytrain station - Siam Square - surround this four-star blend of luxury rooms, restaurants, bars and superb hospitality.

5. Holiday Inn Bangkok

Is the Holiday Inn the shoppers’ dream hotel? This high-luxury, medium-cost urban hideaway sits in the shadow of some of Bangkok’s mall elite – CentralWorld, Gaysorn, Erawan Plaza. Had enough commercial commotion? Retreat to the entertainment, dining or pampering facilities. Or, even better, board a Skytrain at nearby Childom station for new city flavours.

6. The Westin Grande Sukhumvit This five-star is, simply put, rather grand. Alongside an absorbing ultra-modern look and a long list of extras (including the divine ‘Heavenly Bed’ and a ravishing spa), this service-obsessed hotel is only one minutes walk from BTS Asok Station. Whether in Bangkok for all-out business or a bout of unfettered leisure, or both, few can match it.

7. Dusit Thani BangkokWhen it opened back in 1970, The Dusit Thani was a landmark. And today, when it has 517 sumptuous rooms and suites, distinctive Thai motifs, eight signature restaurants, Devarana Spa and a Skytrain (and MRT) station up its sleeve? Put simply, it’s better. With each passing year this five-star is even more the earthly manifestation of its namesake – ‘a town in heaven’.

8. S15 Sukhumvit Hotel

With its chocolate and hazelnut browns against muted granite, marble, mirror and metal, it’s easy to mistake S15 for a showroom for the latest interior trends. But it’s more than that. Located in hyper lower Sukhumvit, this boutique marries its sexy post-modern looks with of-the-minute functionality and easy Skytrain connectivity. Frankly, we love it.

9. Pathumwan Princess

Abutting every bargain hunter’s favourite mall, MBK, this four-star hideaway is a big hit with the shoppers. Bring the family – beyond the 462 guest rooms there are some great facilities including a 9,000-square metre fitness centre, swimming pool and restaurants. The Skytrain station, just around the corner, is the icing on this sumptuous, yet inexpensive accommodation cake.



10. The Landmark Bangkok

After 20 years, The Landmark continues to enthrall with its competitive rates and compelling looks. Recently renovated, it packs in exotic rooms, sleek business facilities, a large fitness centre, charismatic pavilion swimming area and no less than nine international restaurants. Perhaps its biggest asset, though, is its location in front of BTS Nana Skytrain station – hectic yet helpful.

credit:bangkok.com

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