I had a cool opportunity to visit Bangkok, Thailand with my day job a few weeks back. We had a conference there and needed representation from my department and I of course was not going to say no! The trip was a week, but I truly was working and did not get to leave my hotel too much. But there were a few highlights that I thought were worth sharing on this brief blog post about Visiting Bangkok Thailand.
Flying Eva Air
If you recall some years backs I flew Eva Air while visiting Taiwan, their homebase. I knew that Eva Air had a great direct flight from Houston to Taipei and then I could hop over to Thailand with a short 3 hr flight. I was able to fly business class, and for a 14 hour overnight flight, it was a dream.
Always take the welcome champagne
The seat were the popular lay flat seats allowing me to have some of the best sleep ever on an airplane. We received Ferragamo amenity kits and Jason Wu pajamas for the flight. The meals were also amazing. I picked my meals ahead of time online because I am extra, but this allowed me more options. For most of the meals I picked Asian cuisine. To me, the few Western meals I picked were not as good as the Asian meals so keep that in mind as you select your courses.
Eva Air’s Signature Cocktail
I also visited the lounges at the Bangkok airport and Taipei airport. I assumed the Eva Air lounge in Taipei would be amazing since that is where they are based. It was mid and very packed. Bangkok however? That was a very nice lounge. I was the only guest inside for a bit which was great.
Bangkok Eva Air Lounge
Where I Stayed
Marriott Marquis Lobby
Our work activities were at the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park and thankfully I was able to stay there too. This hotel was bustling with large travel groups, airline employees and tourists from all over the world. It was not close to a lot of the popular tourist activities in Bangkok in my opinion, but it was a nice hotel with great amenities. In addition to the great restaurants, more on that below, there was an excellent spa offering Thai spa treatments. Great views from their upstair bars and all around great service.
Their rooftop is great!
Spa Room at the Marriott Marquis
What I Ate
Sadly, but also not sadly, I only ate at the hotel. This is generally boring for me on a trip (like when I was in the Dominican Republic), but on this occasion it was kind of a win. Again, I was here mainly for work so we had scheduled group dinners and activities in the hotel. Other days, by the time we were done with our work activities it was too difficult to get to a restaurant so we picked one at the hotel. BUT, this hotel had the best restaurants I’ve ever had in a hotel. So many good options!
Goji Kitchen + Bar
When I was scoping out the hotel before arriving the buffet stood out to me and it did not disappoint. The only hotel buffet I can compare this too, is one in Las Vegas, but BETTER. For breakfast, they had offerings for each type of culture. Americans basically eat dessert for breakfast whereas, breakfast in Asia feels like lunch to me. I decided to go with Asian style breakfast and loved it all. For lunch they had a sushi station, meat station station taco station and so much more. You really could eat there every day.
Akira Black
Billed to us as a Michelin Star restaurant, Akira Black is actually a concept from a Michelin starred chef. The chef has opened up restaurants with his name around the world primarily in tourist locations or hotels. But still, as the resident of a city without Michelin Star restaurants, I will take the opportunity to visit one. My fish entree was forgettable, however the wagyu tacos were excellent!
Siam Tea Room
After finally getting out to the see the city, I came back to the hotel parched, hot and tired. I hoped to try the Chinese restaurant on one of the upper floors but it closed early. I made my way to the Thai restaurant which was billed as an “a la carte” spot during off hours. Truly undersold what you can experience here. The food was so good! I ordered a soup with fried soft crab and spring rolls. The flavors/spices that you get in Thailand are just next level. Nothing compares.
What I Saw
I basically had just one day to visit sites in Bangkok and with the heat, I was only going to make it so far. On top of being very hot, Thailand has rules about attire when visiting their temples and important sites. You must be covered up. No shorts, no shoulders exposed for men and women. I respect it! However, this means that you are in long pants and long sleeves in the heat. So with that said, I only made it to these two sites.
The Grand Palace Bangkok
This is just one of the buildings on the property. There are temples, areas with art and so much more.
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Terminal 21 Mall
Located walking distance from our hotel, Terminal 21 Mall had a bit of everything. Local vendors selling unique items made in Thailand plus stores you see at home as well. I wouldn’t call it a must stop during your visit, but if you are nearby it wouldn’t hurt to stop by.
Takeaway
The tourism part of my trip was brief, but still enjoyable! I think the highlight to me would be the massage and Thai food, all of which I got at my hotel. If I return, it would likely be for personal travel so I would do things a little different of course, but it was still a great experience.
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