A journey into the heart of another culture and country is always amazing. However, what can be even more stunning (and sometimes more than a little tear-jerking when you are feeling homesick!), is a blend of your own and another culture. Thailand has seen so many millions of European visitors over the years that it can be difficult to remember what country you are in simply judging by architecture and cuisine. The Democracy Monument is a great example of the adoption of Western values.
Designed by an Italian-born Thai citizen who later adopted the Thai name Silpha Bhirasi, it was supposed to be the equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe. Wat Ratchabophit is a temple built by King Rama V, with a European style gothic architecture interior, and just up the road in Sukhumvit, there are European-style pubs and bars to be found wherever you turn.
Sukhumvit accommodation has also evolved to help ease the transition for European visitors – we look at the best European or fusion style hotel rooms in Bangkok.
At Chateau de Bangkok hotel, the name is a dead giveaway as to the style of the hotel room in Bangkok. Thai teak is one of the most famous design elements of the country, and here it blends with European style layouts, furniture and color schemes to provide a luxurious feel with a touch of Asian exoticism.
Traditional Thai hospitality blends with European decadence in this Bangkok hotel, with services even in the lower-priced rooms such as daily maid service, free newspapers, automatic wake-up calls, and a laundry and valet service.
The rest of the hotel also blends European and Thai sensibilities seamlessly. The restaurants at Chateau de Bangkok hotel are Italian and internationally themed, but the chefs are even happy to make Thai dishes that don’t appear on the menu.
Thai flexibility is expressed in the ability to order food from one restaurant at the other, and the nationally famous service standards are blatantly evident. The pool is a stunning rooftop one, with poolside Thai massages available, and the fitness center blends hi-tech European design with stunning panoramic views of Bangkok.
The Davis Bangkok hotel, like Chateau de Bangkok, is located in Sukhumvit and provides seamless fusion accommodation. Considered a boutique hotel, the hotel includes the Gallery Cafe and Club 88, both European style establishments. The mostly European (with a twist of Thai) rooms are large and spacious, and include modern facilities like in-room broadband and European style baths.
It is immediately evident from both the name and the facade, that the Heritage Baan Silom Bangkok hotel blends the European tastes of its guests with its Thai environment. The Thai elements of the architecture here date back to the neo-colonial period of the 1950s, but the hotel itself is equipped with all the trappings of the noughties. The hotel rooms in Bangkok are housed within the Baan Silom Lifestyle Arcade, where Baskin Robbins, Starbucks and Auntie Annes can be enjoyed.