Features

Bangkok: City of gold

26 Jan 2009 by Sara Turner

Bangkok has been battered by recent events but the land of smiles will emerge stronger, writes Karla Cripps.

After anti-government protests closed Bangkok’s two primary airports for more than a week late last year, stranding about 300,000 disgruntled travellers, industry analysts said Thailand’s powerful tourism industry would bear the consequences for years to come. The capital is indeed reeling. Shopping malls, pubs and temples lack the buzz created by the throngs of tourists who usually inundate the city during peak season. Nevertheless, travel industry professionals are quick to stress that Bangkok remains one of the world’s most exciting and vibrant cities and that the fundamentals are in place to get it back on track quickly. Damage assessment is the first step towards resurrection. The Tourism Authority of Thailand estimates that the airport blockades will lead to 130 billion baht (£2.5 billion) in lost revenue for the country’s tourism industry, as they took place at the worst possible time – the beginning of the five-month high season. Tourism accounts for an estimated 6 per cent of GDP in Thailand, and industry experts have warned that visitor numbers could fall by about seven million, a 50 per cent decrease. Full recovery, they say, isn’t on the cards for at least another two years. The country’s meetings and incentives industry, meanwhile, has been hit hard. Seen as one of Thailand’s most promising areas for expansion, in 2007 the MICE sector enjoyed 10-15 per cent growth and Bangkok hosted more than 100 international and regional events. It was expected to come into its own this year thanks to the city’s ever-broadening infrastructure, investments in new facilities and heavy promotional activities, but those aspirations have been scuppered for now. Several large events were cancelled as a result of the airport closures, starting with the seventh CNBC Asia Business Leaders Awards in November. “In Bangkok, all the five-star hotels are running at 10 per cent occupancy, which is very unusual. Some have had to shut down half of their restaurants,” reports Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, chief executive of Asia Plus Securities. “This year is basically a write-off, everybody knows it. The travel industry now has to work hard to prepare for next year’s season.” Fortunately, Thailand’s tourism trade has plenty of practice in recovering from crises – in recent years it has had to fight back against the SARS epidemic of 2003, the 2004 tsunami and, to a lesser extent, the military coup and New Year’s Eve bombings in Bangkok in 2006. Now it has launched a fresh campaign to bring the tourists back yet again. For those who aren’t put off by the recent turmoil, it might be a better time to visit than ever. Tour operators, hotels and airlines are offering 30-50 per cent discounts in an effort to salvage what’s left of the high season and lure people back. And some of these discounts will be available until October. Such incentives add to the sizeable list of reasons why Bangkok is well placed to bounce back. These include everything from low-cost domestic travel and its unique cultural heritage to its prime location between Hong Kong and Singapore – attributes highly attractive to many global visitors. Then there is the growth of the hospitality scene. In recent years, the city has attracted major investment in its luxury hotel sector, providing visitors with a wealth of top accommodation and fine-dining choices. John Gerrard is general manager of the Grand Millennium Sukhumvit, a five-star hotel that opened in 2007 in Bangkok’s busy Asok area. He acknowledges times have been tough since the airport closures, but he doesn’t doubt that the city will rebound quickly. “Like everyone in the city we’ve seen our occupancies drop. It’s been pretty tough,” Gerrard admits. “But we’re here for the long term. Downturns come, business swings up, then it swings down. It’s how you manage these issues that determines your success. It’s been unfortunate but Thailand has a habit of bouncing back.” Grand Millennium is one of several five-star hotels to open in the city in the past couple of years. Others are Accor’s Pullman Bangkok King Power, near Victory Monument, and the Centara Grand at the giant Central World Plaza shopping centre in the Siam/Ratchadamri area. These add to an already impressive list of luxury brands, including Mandarin Oriental, the Peninsula, Shangri-La and Four Seasons at the super-luxurious end of the scale, as well as other venerable names such as Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Lebua, Conrad and Marriott. Boutique hotels are proliferating as well, with Tenface, Dream Hotel, Le Fenix and The Eugenia among the new openings in recent months. More high-profile properties are also under development, such as the Radisson Hotel Bangkok Sathorn on Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Road, due to open in June; the St Regis Bangkok, due to open on Rajadamri Road in March next year; and Starwood’s W Bangkok, set to open in August 2011. W Bangkok is of particular interest to local property watchers as it will be an integral part of Sathorn Square, a mixed-use project that also includes a 70,000 sqm premium office tower and a variety of shops, centred on the historic Russian Embassy landmark. Bangkok’s serviced apartment market is also heating up, attracting growing numbers of tourists and business travellers for short and long stays. According to real-estate services firm Knight Frank Thailand, in the second half of last year an estimated 1,970 units of new serviced apartments entered the market, including Citadines on Sukhumvit 8 and Column Residence on Sukhumvit 16. Others are due to arrive in the next couple of years, including several more of The Ascott Group’s Somerset serviced residences. Although visitors to Bangkok are now spoiled for choice when it comes to luxury digs, many of these facilities aren’t as cutting-edge – or as generous – as their regional counterparts. A lot of the city’s five-star hotels still aren’t offering free wireless services, instead charging inflated prices for what has become a freebie in many hotels in Singapore or Hong Kong. Meanwhile, many of the established five-star hotels haven’t upgraded their rooms to include flatscreen TVs or multimedia docks – hardly cutting-edge technological advances these days. Travellers who consider these amenities essential should check ahead before making a reservation. Foodies, however, need not worry – in the past two years Bangkok’s culinary scene has really come into its own. New restaurants are opening weekly, but it’s the allure of dining in the sky that has truly taken off thanks to the growing number of eateries on the roofs and upper floors of the city’s skyrises. And it would seem the higher you go, the more expensive the prices. The two most talked about restaurants to join Bangkok’s high-flyers last year were Long Table, at the Column Residence on Sukhumvit Soi 16, a popular haunt for local Thai socialites; and Red Sky, at the new Centara Grand Central World Plaza. These add to established sky-high restaurants at the Dusit Thani and Millennium Hilton, and Saffron on the 51st and 52nd floors of Banyan Tree. Lebua’s the Dome is perhaps the most well known of the lot, featuring two al fresco restaurants that are among the priciest in the city. Meanwhile, Bangkok’s art and culture scene has undergone a much-needed makeover, finally providing visitors bored of plodding through its National Museum with a venue showcasing the country’s modern artists. After more than a decade of planning, the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre opened its doors in July last year. This 11-storey facility, measuring 25,000 sqm, incorporates gallery space, restaurants, art studios, an auditorium and a library. For better or worse there is also a large retail space, despite the centre being surrounded by four of the city’s busiest shopping centres. Transport infrastructure, while making great strides in recent years with the enhancement of expressways, flyovers and mass transit, remains a hit-and-miss affair. Plans to expand the city’s Skytrain and subway systems stop and start regularly, caught up in bureaucratic red tape, although the Skytrain already links a good portion of the city’s tourist areas. The city rail link to Suvarnabhumi International airport was supposed to open in 2007 but construction remains far from complete, making any estimates for a completion date speculation. Traffic remains the city’s biggest hindrance. Anyone who has spent an hour in the backseat of a taxi – or, worse, a tuk-tuk – without moving more than a couple of blocks can attest to this. The best indication of precisely how bad things can get is that traffic police are all trained midwives – they have umbilical cord clips in their possession should they need to jump into a car and assist some of the women who go into labour while stuck in the vehicle-clogged streets. Traffic issues and birthing concerns aside, Bangkok will rise again. “It is my every intention to restore the picture of Thailand that friends around the world used to know,” says prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. As for the airport blockades that tarnished the sheen of the “land of smiles, land of the free, land of opportunity”, he insists: “Those are the things of the past – they will never happen again.”

New hotels in the city

Grand Millennium Sukhumvit

Located on Bangkok’s busy Asoke Road, this five-star property (pictured above and left) opened in October 2007. Adjacent to both the subway and Skytrain stations, its 325 rooms and suites are modern yet unmistakably Thai in style, and feature up-to-the-minute in-room technology. There are six restaurants offering international and regional cuisine, but what sets this hotel apart is its rooftop putting green. 30 Sukhumvit, 21 Asoke Road; tel +66 2204 4000; millenniumhotels.com

Pullman Bangkok King Power

This five-star hotel, which opened in late 2007, has an eclectic yet classy style. Close to Victory Monument, it may be a bit off the tourist trail but there is a Skytrain station nearby. Its 386 rooms and suites offer high-tech features and contemporary Asian décor. Part of the King Power Duty-Free Complex, guests can enjoy direct access to numerous boutiques, while five dining venues serve Thai and international cuisine. 8/2 Rangnam Road, Thanon-Phayathai; tel +66 2680 9999; pullmanbangkokkingpower.com

The Eugenia

While much of the city focuses on modern design, The Eugenia is making a name for itself by offering guests the opposite. With its old-world architectural style, this 19th-century colonial-style house offers only 12 suites filled with antique furniture and fittings. There is a swimming pool and Thai sala (pavilion) in the rear courtyard, as well as a café, library and lounge. 267 Soi Sukhumvit 31; tel +66 2259 90179; theeugenia.com

Tenface

Perhaps best described as a boutique serviced apartment, Tenface sits on Bangkok’s Wireless Road (also known as Embassy Row) and opened its doors last year. Its design has a contemporary Asian feel but what makes this pricey property special are some of the amenities on offer, including a prepaid Skytrain card, a local SIM card and an iPod Nano with dock. Tenface’s Wanara restaurant serves traditional Thai recipes with classic Western culinary twists, and the cellar offers a selection of Old and New World wines. 81 Soi Ruamrudee, Wireless Road; tel +66 2695 4242; tenfacebangkok.com

Centara Grand at Central World

Attached to the Central World shopping metropolis, the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre (pictured below) has become a much-talked about venue in the city since opening in September last year. This iconic building, inspired by the shape of a blooming lotus, features 505 rooms and suites kitted out with the latest technology, while there are nine restaurants and bars on the premises including Fifty Five and Red Sky, an outdoor rooftop venue that boasts impressive views across the city. Meeting facilities also include a 6,000-seat convention hall. 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan; tel +66 2100 1234; centarahotelsresorts.com
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