Bangkok with Gusto (Part I)

Red Oven Restaurant at Sofitel So Bangkok

My memory of my first visit to Bangkok was starting to cloud over, having happened almost ten years ago. I remember being booked in a tourist class hotel, making friends with a group of gay tourists who became constant company throughout the trip, getting the shock of my life in Pat Pong (that warren of street hawkers, raucous bars and raunchy sex clubs), haggling for a sarong at the night market, visiting Ayutthaya and being very tired from the long, long walks.



With my folks traveling with me this time, together with my brother and my niece JM, the pace was decidedly more sedate. We wanted to eat well, sleep well and shop every chance we got. Since my niece was with us, we made the obligatory visit to some temples to give her a whiff of Thai culture.



How cool is this ceiling?

This trip had quite a few wins in my book, convincing me that this bustling city certainly deserves a third look.

1. Sofitel So Bangkok


 The chic reception-area-cum-bar

I first read about Sofitel So Bangkok in Daphne’s Blog. I remember being completely taken by the photographs because of the hotel’s design aesthetic. An ambitious stab at multicultural, yes, but it works. As a collaboration between Monsieur Christian Lacroix and contemporary Thai designers, the hotel brought the best of Thai and French sensibilities, even a hint of Scandinavian. It could easily have gone wrong in the hands of lesser artists.

Some may be put off by the hipster vibe, but it is elegantly executed and not overly young. My brother, ever sharp when it comes to good fashion, couldn’t resist asking a male staff where he can buy his very chic breeches. Unfortunately, it is an exclusive design for So Bangkok by Monsieur  Lacroix.






The room deserves similar coveting. From Daphne’s blog, I knew to avoid the Earth room with its shocking blue walls that’s clearly not to my taste. I specifically requested for Water or Metal. The latter was cheerfully accommodated. The room was a cocoon of white on white with deft dabs of gray. I was in love, and so was JM, especially when she saw the flat-screen and Apple TV. She grabbed the remote and Blue-tooth enabled keyboard from the office table and pounded away, switching easily from TV viewing to web surfing to perusing the menu and checking our bill.



The bathroom was so immaculate, I could have slept on the floor. One press of a button and the bathroom curtains are drawn.


Same goes for the bedroom, which opens to a lovely view of Lumphini Park.


So Bangkok’s Chocolab.




If I was traveling alone, I’d probably be in the hotel the whole day, swimming in the pool, sipping margaritas at the roof deck and doing all the lazy things I’d like to do when I travel.