We eventually pull up to the Orient Hotel and I was expecting an old grandiose 19C building, but instead we were in front of a bland 1980s looking hotel – fearing that the lady-boy loving cab driver had taken me to the wrong place, I was about to kick off, when the car door opened and a very smart bell boy peered in and welcomed me to the Mandarin Oriental. Sawadee-krap!
I paid the driver, and gave him 200 Baht for a tip, not realising how much that was, but thinking it was something on the lines of 40p – I was pretty sure the rough conversion was divide by 500. The concierge and hotel staff we falling over themselves at all the new arrivals, bowing with their hands together under their chin and singing “sawadee-krap” continuously. Love it, and am very glad I booked this place.
We complete check-in in the hotel room (fabulous, room overlooking the river) and I relax with room service (tom yaam goong and a spicy pomelo salad) and take a look at the guidebook again to get my bearings. Kerrie has sent a few messages via email to make arrangements for tomorrow: meeting at the Grand Palace at 9 am (!) and ending up with cocktails and dinner in one of the fancy skyscraper hotels. I am a bit shocked at the early start, but I guess to avoid the crowds and heat, this is necessary.
I check the exchange rate and realise that I am a factor of 10 out, so my salad and soup that I thought had cost about £2 actually had cost me £20. Woops.
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