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"In Bangkok at twelve o'clock they foam at the mouth and run. But
mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun." - Noel
Coward. Every night you stay at The Oriental in Bangkok,
you'll find a card with inspirational quotes from the famous
writers who once lay their heads on your pillow.
The hotel, built in 1876, is one of the oldest in Asia and was
the first hotel in Thailand.
It was also the favoured haunt of literary legends such as
Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, James Michener, Graham Greene and
Noel Coward.
The suites the writers once lived and worked in are part of the
hotel's Oriental Residence, and ten of the hotel's 34 suites are
named after them.
Suites in the River Wing are named after writers such as Barbara
Cartland, Gore Vidal, Wilbur Smith, John le Carre and Kukrit
Pramoj.
Each suite is decorated according to the author's
preferences.
The Barbara Cartland Suite is pink, feminine and romantic, while
the John le Carre Suite has an English masculine quality.
Over afternoon tea in the Authors' Lounge you can peruse the
writers' books surrounded by handcrafted furniture, tropical
plants and photos of old Bangkok.
Louis Thomas Leonowens, son of Anna Leonowens (Anna and the King
of Siam) was once the hotel's proprietor.
Thai silk tycoon Jim Thompson was also a one-time owner of the
hotel with a group of business partners.
For 130 years, royalty and distinguished travellers have
followed the Chao Phraya River through the heart of Bangkok to the
hotel's grand doors.
These days you can hire a boat and watch the bustle of daily
life along the canals - fishermen plying their trade; clothes being
washed and hung out; babies lying in the sun; verandahs full of pot
plants; kitchens filled with pots and pans; food being delivered by
floating marketeers and over-priced souvenirs being delivered to
tourists on hired boats.
The hotel runs a cultural programme, featuring leading academics
discussing topics such as Thai customs and traditions, religious
beliefs, festivals, music, dance and celebrations, art and
architecture and contemporary Thailand. The Bamboo Bar is famous
for live jazz played by visiting American artists in a jungle-style
decor.
I visited the Bamboo Bar for a nightcap after a traditional
dance performance and dinner at the Terrace Rim Naam on the
opposite bank of the river.
It's a surprise to find people sitting next to you smoking
cigars - courtesy of the adjoining Cigar Divan - as you're looked
after by Thai hostesses.
If you're up to it in the morning, the newly opened Ayurvedic
Penthouse has introduced a range of yoga programmes, from lively
group sessions to one-on-one workouts to private sessions.
Source: New
Zealand Herald
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