Song Kran in Thailand

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Sawasdee Bangkok.

Contributed by John Harris.

The arrival on Suvarnabhumi Airport was smooth as silk with Thai Airways (Airbus A 380): 36 degrees, hot, humid, a perfect day.
Back to Asia and a lovely invitation by the Sofitel So Bangkok in the city of Angels.

Forget about the “must-see” experiences. For sure it is nice to take a look at the Grand Palace, eat some thai food, make a Chao Phraya river cruise and go for a hot walk on the Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Bangkok Thailand : Spirituell

But there are some fashion news: Bangkok’s top new venues, some old favorites that continue to impress and a sneak-peek of some upcoming openings we’re looking forward to you. For example, thai fashion, watch out for Ek Thongprasert’s Spring/Summer collections, Bangkok’s yearning for luxury couldn’t be more apparent, but besides big brand boutiques are some talented local designers earning global praise as well.
Thai designer Akarasantisook won the top prize at the Mango Fashion Awards in Barcelona. Fashionistas paradise.

Back to our place The Sofitel So, the city’s first truly urban design hotel, a masterpiece of high fashion dedicated to the high life inspired by legendary couturier Mr. Christian Lacroix.

Offering an unparalleled discovery experience and an extensive range of benefits. In a design-driven hotel, Club Signature is, as the name suggests, exemplary of Sofitel So Bangkok’s taking interior design to a new level that heightens guests’ experience and enhances their lifestyle choices.

Giving it a unique ambience is the creative flair of Mr. Christian Lacroix. Known for his dramatic creations for Hermes, as well as his own haute couture line, he has designed everything from lifestyle products, perfumes to stage costumes for The Metropolitan Opera in New York.
He has drawn on his inimitable personal touch of French elegance, theatrical flair and fantasy to produce a surprising ambience created out of imaginative patterns, rich textures and vibrant colours that combine to offer a surprising interplay of images and motifs of old Siam and 19th-century France. Most eye-catching of all is a huge surreal art piece that greets guests as they enter and in which figures in historical French dress are finished with heads of flowers typically found in Thailand. Having lived in the region for 3 years, I know a few things about the design of luxury in Asian hotels. Relaxing? Definitely. Exciting? Sometimes.

Part of the problem with the design of these type of hotels is that they pitch to their market. Travelling suits make up a large proportion of the clientele at large luxury city hotels, and whether they are staying for two nights or two weeks, the designers of the buildings tend not to tax their journey-jazzed guests with too many style curveballs. They have meetings to attend, products to sell, presentations to give. Down-time is of the essence.

All that looks to have been thrown out of the window by the designers who worked under the artistic direction of a certain Christian Lacroix of Sofitel So Bangkok, a startling new venue in a buzzing city that is on the up in so many ways.
sofitel 2 bangkok

As a travel destination, Bangkok is an exciting city, the location is perfect for visiting other parts of South East Asia, thx to Sofitel, the city just got prettier.

Cream marble out, dark wood in. Curves for corners. Chocolates, greys and blues. Something interesting to catch every glance. Here is a place where the stay is an experience. The So Club is located in the hotel’s 25th floor, guests find not only a world of fashion and style, but also a world of ease with a remarkable array of complementary facilities.
Created by Sofitel as a label, Sofitel So personifies its designer hotels vision, the latest addresses and resolutely contemporary. Blending design and pleasure, style and soul, each Sofitel So address aims to express the essence of the destination. A concept that combines Sofitel art de vivre and personal style entrusted to an international name from the world of fashion, the arts or design.

Conceived as a story, each address is a new chapter.

The book opened with Sofitel So Mauritius and continues with Sofitel So Bangkok.

Bangkok is always an inspiration.

Chao Praya BKK

Sofitel Bangkok 3

My favourite bar:

Woo Bar@W Bangkok

Try some street food:

Thai Crab Curry

For Foodies:

Sra Bua a fine-dining restaurant that serves cutting edge Thai cuisine unlike any you will have ever seen before. Well-known Thai favourites have been turned inside out, and every dish is a treat for the eyes – as well as the taste buds. Located on the ground floor of the Siam Kempinski Hotel, Sra Bua restaurant has high ceilings and Thai antique embellishments. The restaurant’s name means lotus pond and a central feature of the restaurant is an ornate water feature decorated with lily pods and lotus flowers. The most coveted table in the house sits under the beautifully carved teak roof in the left hand corner of the dining room, but there are also some cosy booths if you want a little more privacy.
The chef who designed the menu has a passion for Thai cooking, and runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen. Henrik Yde-Andersen has now left the restaurant in the reliable hands of chef Morten, who used to work in Kiin Kiin as well, but visits regularly to ensure his vision appears on every plate. The menu changes every quarter, but signature dishes and favourites remain. We start with a trio of ‘nibblings’. The soy-roasted cashew nut meringue was crunchy on the outside with a chewy centre and the soy masked any taste of sugar. The lotus root was flavoured with kaffir lime was sweet and tangy, and the final amuse-bouche was a rich, smoky tomato and chilli dip served with a prawn cracker.

Finally: James Bond was here….

Living in style.