The Oriental – Bangkok, Thailand (English)

Author's Notepad

I have been ‘Wai-ed’ into The Oriental. Not many things are more typical of Thailand than that charming and universal greeting, the ‘wai’. Both hands raised, palms joined, to a position lightly touching the body somewhere between the chest and forehead.

Slowly, the doors swing shut behind me. Bangkok’s heat turned into pleasant coolness. A string quartet is playing. I recognise the piece. It is called ‘Winter’, from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’. It’s good to know winter in a safe distance. Here, in Bangkok, the outside temperature is just above 30°C.

Have you noticed the tame crane (a Sarus Crane Antigone, by the way) standing to the right on our cover picture? Today, The Oriental has a pair of them standing in the Authors’ Wing’s garden. I like to visit them (sometimes they have feathered friends coming by for afternoon-water). They represent everlasting harmony, as the Sarus pairs for life, the death of one partner leads to the other pining to death.

The Oriental in Bangkok is situated at the Chao Phraya River, the mother of all waters. The Oriental itself is the mother of all hotels, certainly of Asia. Dating back to humble beginnings in 1860 as a guest house and 1863 for the first time under the name Oriental Hotel, it is among the oldest surviving hotels of Southeast Asia.

Please enjoy our account about its history. Since the mid 1980s we are researching it, adding to it year after year, with stunning results. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you.

Andreas Augustin

The Making of ...

In the early 1860s, a seafarers' home at the river Meinam in Siam, the 'Kingdom of the White Elephant', opened its doors. Over 150 years later it has become the most famous hotel of modern Thailand and one of The Most Famous Hotels in the World®.

With over 460 (some never before published) photographs and illustrations, this new book by Andreas Augustin is the new 'Grande Dame' of the Edition Raconteur, the grand format in the library of hospitality.

'The Oriental' — a book full of exciting tales and entertaining stories, is available now!

Andreas Augustin presents
The Oriental, Bangkok
in the library
the Most Famous Hotels in the World — Edition Raconteur

Thanks to Amanda Hyndman, who encouraged this new edition.

Among all the people who were involved in this and the original editions of this book were: Kurt Wachtveitl, Mark S Bradford, Melvin J J Robson, Norbert A Kostner, Dr Parichart J Suksongkroh, Jonas A Schuermann, Noppawan Phahulrat, Rabieb Boonkunch, Virochana Mochachandra, Supatana Atorn-Phtai, Jørgen Kamstrup, Susanne Worsfold, Phenkhae Chattanont, Anne Arunie, Yasmin Nissen, Herta Tschurlovits, Julie Zhou, Chaturong Siewsutha and Mimi Berlingieri who shared her favourite anecdotes with us.

We thank the late Chancham Bunnag for her valuable research and information. We are also especially grateful to Pornsri Luphaiboon, to hotel manager Marcus Bauder and to Ankana Kalantananda who helped so much with all her golden memories.

We are very grateful to the late HSH Professor Prince Subhadradis Diskul for his kind advice concerning the history of the Kingdom, we keep fond memories of the late Gavin Young, who told us his Oriental stories. So did the author Harold Stephens.

Last but not least many thanks to the public relations department and to Mayuree Laolugsanalerd, guest relations director, and all the others who have contributed so generously to this book and who are not mentioned by name.

Photographs and copyright for all pictures not specially marked: By Michelle Chaplow, Aniwat Aeulek and the hotel’s archives;
20th Century Fox, Fotografische Sammlung Museum Folkwang, Andreas Augustin Collection, famoushotels archives, Collection Melinda Maire Sandberg, The Malcolm McDonald Collection, Tate Collection, The New York Times, Library of Congress Washington, Nationalbibliothek Wien.

Researching editors: Andrew Williamson, Carola Augustin

All rights in this publication are reserved. This book and no part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the copyright owner.

© 2016, Andreas Augustin (aa@famoushotels.org)

The Most Famous Hotels in the World® www.famoushotels.org

Library title: Augustin, Andreas. The Oriental Bangkok, The Amazing Tale of Bangkok’s Legendary Hotel. A Chronology. Vienna. 2016. Edition Raconteur. The Most Famous Hotels in the World®.

ISBN: 978-3-900692-52-0