Bangkok’s Hidden Gems - A Three Hotel Journey

Thailand’s capital boasts countless ‘big attractions’ but move away from the well-beaten track and you will find some hidden gems: how to extract venom from a snake for example (do not try at home!) and the story of Jim Thompson, the US millionaire who disappeared without a trace leaving behind one of the biggest brands in the world!

I was in Bangkok at the invite of three hotels – The COMO Metropolitan, the Ad Lib and the Avani+ Riverside, giving me a unique opportunity to sample the vibrant, 24-hour ‘City of Angels’ from three very different perspectives.

First stop…….

The COMO Metropolitan – 5* Hotel: Business District

Christina Ong and her daughter, Melissa, have several things in common: they are among the richest ladies in Singapore and they have both lent their names to a hotel group: welcome to the COMO!

The apocryphal story goes that Mrs Ong senior couldn’t find a hotel that she liked, so she decided to buy one and give it her own unique style. Now, COMO Hotels and Resorts is an international brand with properties all over the world from Bhutan to Miami including, of course, Bangkok.

However, although located in the city’s business district, the profile of this 21-year-old hotel has shifted and, these days, around 60% of its guests are tourists. Sophisticated simplicity at its finest, the 169-room spacious, airy property, which opened in 2003, boasts four 11th floor penthouse suites with private lift access.

But, dare to comment on the stunning ‘laminate’ floors and you will be swiftly told that they are all oak and that none of the bathroom products contain chemicals! A very classy backdrop.

I was in an 8th floor 54m2 Metropolitan ‘standard’ room but, by any other name, it might be called a ‘Junior Suite’ with its Bose audio system and yoga meditation chair, a nice precursor to your massage or daily fitness class in the second floor Shambhala Wellness Centre: ask for Sonya. She’s been there 20+ years and is even requested by the Ong owners!

Brilliant, not forgetting the first-class dining at the hotel’s Michelin starred Nahm Restaurant.


COST

Rates at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok range from £100 for a City Room to £870 for a COMO Suite. Rates may vary with the season and are subject to VAT (7%) and service charge (estimate 7-10%). Details: https://www.comohotels.com/thailand

What Can I Visit Near The Como Metropolitan?
The BTS Skytrain / Metro System are both brilliant and £1 (45bt) will get you a long way with one-way journeys costing around 30p. Buses are similar and they still have conductors so don’t try and pay the driver!

“I’ve read To Kill A Mockingbird," I said, having spotted a young woman reading Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel about racism and prejudice in America’s Deep South. Soon we were in conversation and sharing stories and a coffee. She and her friend were Danish and travelling for three months.

“Any recommendations?” I asked and was soon on my way to the Jim Thompson House and Museum where I was fascinated to learn about the privileged American who fell in love with Thailand, re-located and almost single-handedly saved the Thai silk industry from extinction.

But then he went to Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands and, like London’s Lord Lucan, mysteriously disappeared never to be seen again.

However, his legacy remains: The Thai Silk Company lives on with worldwide distribution and his ‘museum home’ is a joy to visit.

En route back to the hotel I could not resist the Thai Red Cross’s Bangkok Snake Farm where you can see some incredible specimens, learn about how venom is extracted from snakes – demonstrations do take place – and its research and breeding programme, all linked to the production of anti-venoms for use in Thai Hospitals. Fiendishly fascinating for just a £4 entrance fee (200bt)

Next stop…….

AD LIB HOTEL – Condoms & Coup D’états’!

As well as being a potent symbol of fertility, Hindu mythology maintains that an ‘undying’ Banyan Tree will be the only thing to survive the deluge when everything that exists dissolves into a ceaseless sea.

It is somewhat reassuring to know that the Ad-Lib Hotel off one of Bangkok’s main arterial highways, the Sukhumvit Road, boasts its very own tree, still growing after 40 years. As for the ‘potent symbol of fertility’, this beautiful boutique hotel leaves nothing to chance, making condoms available in each bedroom alongside the milk and cashew nuts!

But Hungarian General Manager, ‘Bo’ is a pragmatist to the end, volunteering that Bangkok’s nearby nightlife still offers many ‘alternatives’ for men, women and, perhaps, those who are not sure what they are! “They (the condoms) are probably needed. Right?” she smirks.

The perfect GM for this gorgeous property….

…..she has been working diligently for two years on behalf of its owners, the Vongkusolkit's, heirs to Thailand's 'sugar' empire and one of the country's richest families.

Within walking distance of both Nana and Ploen Chit BTS Skytrain stations, the Ad Lib opened in 2014, literally days after the military coup in which the Army seized power.

It now has 68 rooms, up from 48, and was fully renovated and extended in 2023, now boasting a mixture of 25m2 to 35m2 rooms including two which are 'accessible'.

The Executive Club in the ‘library’ lounge, serves cocktails and canapes 5pm-7pm, there’s a salt water swimming pool – better for the skin apparently – and, at just four floors, I have to say that I genuinely loved the intimacy of this hotel which attracts 25–35-year-olds in search of ‘authentic’.

Natural woods and greenery abound: complete relaxation from a buoyant neighbourhood that’s full of life but the hotel, located in a quiet, private alley? Couldn’t hear a pin drop! So chilled and relaxing.

COST
Rates at the Ad Lib Bangkok range from £90 for a First Category Superior Room to £220 for a Premier Suite Room with jacuzzi and terrace. Rates may vary with the season and occupancy.

Room rates are net per room per night inclusive of 10% service charge and 7% government tax. Details here or email: enquiry@adlibhotels.co for further information and bookings.


In & Around The Ad Lib Hotel – What’s Happening?

The Ad Lib is within walking distance of both the Nana and Phloen Chit BTS Skytrain Stations which will rapidly move you around this sprawling city as does the Metro underground.

The two ARE linked but remember, each operates independently so you will need separate tickets. Have some cash AND a card with you.

En route to Nana station I bumped into Geordie, Sheila and her extended Newcastle family. “It’s our fourth anniversary,” she said, “since he proposed and I didn’t accept!”. Everyone cheered until the ‘family friend’ chipped in.

“I’m travelling round the world selling merchandise for big name pop bands,” said the anonymous fellow. “Me and him (Sheila’s brother!) are just back from New Zealand but, whatever you do, don’t mention me, the social (DSS!) will stop my disability payments!”

With so much still to see, we said our goodbyes. Bo had told me to make a whistlestop visit to Hua Lamphong Station, purely for its amazing history and architecture…..

….and then I just kept moving and moving, exhausted by the searing midday sun, passing through Chinatown...

...past The Democracy Monument, countless markets and eateries, finally taking breath at Wat Suthat, home to the giant ceremonial Great Swing, before making the short walk to another gem, Wat Suket (Golden Mountain).

You can almost become blasé about Thailand’s ‘temples’ - there are so many of them - but each is amazing.

And, to finish your day, take an early evening stroll around Benjakiti Park with its amazing skywalk, and head back to the Ad Lib via the chaotic nightlife of Sukhumvit Road.

The perfect tonic for an evening of rest!

…..and finally, my travels took me to the doorstep – or should I say quayside – of my final property, The Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel.

This spectacular 250-bedroom property on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River, is everything you might want for ‘the glam life’ and must be an Instagramer’s Heaven! Your best arrival method is probably via the Chinese-style junk shuttle boat which picks you up at Central Pier for the 15-minute sailing to the hotel.

There the 11th floor check-in features not only courteous staff but the hotel’s very own ‘candy store’ where you can indulge your sweet tooth…

…. before partaking of relaxation on the 26th floor. There you will find an infinity pool, views to die for and have complete confidence that it is the place to be SEEN, at least in the bar restaurant of the very same name!

The culinary offering is spectacular and the nighttime views? I hate to use the acronym but OMG! They have to be among the best in Bangkok.

For the less ostentatious you can partake in dinner, or breakfast, at the equally inviting Skyline Restaurant.

This is a stylish hotel – it only opened in 2017 – the personification of class if you like, and certainly a place to plant your bags for a few nights if you either want to chillout completely or, possibly, charge your batteries ready for the next destination, be it in Thailand or back home to overcast blighty!

COST
Prices start from £99 per night based on two adults sharing an Avani River View Room. Hotel and booking details here

What Can I Visit Near The Avani+ Riverside Bangkok?
Acting on best advice I saved the ‘Big Three’ temples for the Avani+ because of ease of access via the Chao Phraya River: Wat Phra Kaew (Grand Palace / Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho and Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn). It was good advice!

These places are hugely popular, hence my 6am alarm call: breakfast at 6.30am, depart the hotel at 7.45 and on to the first hotel boat shuttle at 8am to Central Pier for the onward water taxi connection to Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace where, at 9.15am, the place was already rammed. Tarry not!

But, miss these three and you do so at your peril. They are truly spectacular and it’s not hard to understand why they are among the most visited attractions in Thailand, let alone Asia.

It’s been said that wars have been fought over the jasper Emerald Buddha, clothed in gold, but now sitting majestically and peacefully in the Grand Palace and, at Wat Arun you will see, at its heart, the five spectacular stupas, or towers, each pointing towards the heavens: breathtaking.

Later, if you purchase a drink at one of the bars across the river – possibly The Deck at Arun Residence – you are assured of some of the best views of Wat Arun by night.

Bangkok has so much to offer and, even after seven days in the capital, I merely scratched the surface. But the Tourism Authority of Thailand has pitched the country perfectly under the banner ‘Amazing Thailand’. I couldn’t agree more: Bangkok never ceases to amaze!

FAST FACTS
Jim Thompson House Museum. Exit 1 of ‘National Stadium’ Skytrain station. About £4.50 entrance fee. – https://jimthompsonhouse.org/
Snake Farm
https://touristbangkok.com/bangkok-kids/childrens-entertainment-attractions/the-snake-farm-queen-saovabha-memorial-institute/

USEFUL WEBSITES
Tourism Authority of Thailand: https://www.tourismthailand.org/
Fanclub Thailand Newsletter: https://fanclubthailand.co.uk/
Free things to do in Thailand: https://uk.hotels.com/go/thailand/bangkok-free-things-to-do

THREE HANDY HINTS
Take your Smart phone. Download Google Maps and both the Bangkok Metro and Skytrain map apps first. You will navigate the city so much quicker. And carry an extra phone power pack with you!
Take cash AND cards to Bangkok. My Starling Bank card was great with no bank charges but I still needed some cash. Change a little Thai Baht (currency) at your UK Post Office but, preferably, change in-country (46bt to the £1 rather than 39bt in Leeds!)
Take a photocopy of your passport and carry this with you instead of the real thing. You’ll need it at Bureau de Changes. If you lose it, it doesn’t matter.