BANGKOK’S LEISURE BIOSPHERE 

Roy Watts introduces us to the leisure biosphere of
energetic Bangkok, springboard to a city filled
with historic, culinary and cultural fascination. 

Arriving at the Bangkok Airport you are immediately caught up in the energy of a dynamic powerhouse. The Meccano-chic architecture of stainless steel beams and glass panels creates an overwhelming sensation of space, efficiency, and mechanical savvy. This energy typifies Bangkok itself which is essentially a business destination, but is also a springboard to the wonderful resorts for which Thailand is famous. It is a city filled with historic, culinary and cultural fascination, and it is desirable to find a comfortable base from which to maximise the time spent in transit or chasing deals. 

 

For me this was the Pathumwan Princess Hotel, which boasts a range of facilities rarely seen elsewhere. It is built atop an entire city block, along with the internationally renowned MBK Mall to which it is linked – giving instant access to some 2,000 shops ranging from exotic to the eccentric. There are seven cinemas, a bowling alley, hundreds of restaurants, and all the usual fast food troupers like Mc Donalds, Dunkin Donut and the ‘Colonel’. 

 

This is a shopping emporium like none other. Reaching over seven stories, there is something for everyone, and for all tastes - from classic to kitsch. But most amazing of all is the range of culinary options. On the 5th floor is the sophisticated 5th Avenue International Food Hall, where hungry gourmands can circumnavigate the globe by visiting stylishly presented food centres all offering traditional meals from around the world.  Italian, Dutch, Greek, Indian, Indonesian, and of course many variations on a Thai theme – all contribute to a bacchanalian spread.  

 

One floor up is another sprawling food court catering for simpler food tastes along the lines of  those found in South African malls, but featuring local cuisine. 

 

Need a new suit - no problem - I saw at least three tailors with impressive stock ranges ready to deliver one within 24 hours.  As it happened I bought a very good pair of jeans from a hole in the wall for a fraction of the cost back home. And it was modified to an exact fit by an in-house tailor within 30 minutes.

 

What makes the ‘Princess’ unique is the range of amenities on offer, creating a completely self-contained accommodation biosphere. A sparkling full size pool is set in a club like atmosphere surrounded by attendants, waiters and masseurs (this is a nation of people who knead people).

 

There is also a jacuzzi 
bubbling away in the corner. 

 

On the other side of the building is an enormous slab supporting a couple of tennis courts, two squash pavilions, a badminton hall and a jogging circuit. 

 

 The gymnasium is crammed with all the latest equipment, whilst an atmospheric health spa and a beauty salon will pamper the ladies.

 

 

If the range of classy restaurants in the MBK Mall is insufficient, there are two authentic Korean restaurants backed up by an Indian eatery situated on the spacious hotel mezzanine level. All of this situated at the epicentre of one of the world’s most frenetic cities.

 

 

 

This was also an introduction to Thailand’s amazingly low accommodation tariffs which specify room rates rather than per person charges (although single occupancies incur a levy). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booking on line secures a comfortable suite at approximately R1200 – that’s R600 a head for a couple. An extra R580 would provide an executive unit with an adjoining lounge and a small kitchen adding a useful self-catering aspect. And sitting majestically atop 29 stories of bustling good service is the Presidential suite currently available for R5350, with a p.p. rate divisible by the number of occupants. These were of course off season rates, a period which just happens to coincide with our miserable winters.

 

The MBK hotel and shopping complex was developed 19 years ago, so the décor lags slightly behind current design trends. In recognition of this the management is planning a complete overhaul and refurbishment for 60 of its executive suites. But until this is a ‘fait accompli’, the choice lies between one of the more fashionable alternatives, or settling into very comfortable lodgings that are a cross between a Sandton shopping mall and a country club.

 

Finally, herewith confirmation that Bangkok’s reputation for traffic nightmares is well deserved. The solution lies in utilising the excellent Skytrain and underground transport systems running with Swiss watch efficiency. Happily, the ‘Princess’ is a brisk walk away from the Siam Aerial Railway Station which links into the underground network at several points down the line.