What an amazing couple of months it had been: I stayed in luxurious resorts, budget hotels, met with dignitaries as well as wonderful people from several rural provinces, I had been given nothing but love and I had been welcomed wherever I had traveled. Now living in a country where people are so much more isolated in their houses, behind closed doors, I had in Thailand made an amazing amount of new friends and met people that I probably will have a very hard time forgetting. I feel truly blessed and honored for the times and memories created in Thailand.
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 1: The Preparation (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 2: The flight (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 3: The arrival (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 4: The first morning (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 5: Big C (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 6: Bangkok (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 7: 200 THB to heaven (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 8: Bangkok - Ubon Ratchathani (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 9: Being a celebrity in Thailand (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 10: From Sisakhet to Sakon Nakhon (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 11: Sakon Nakhon (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 11-B: Coffee Love at Sakon Nakhon (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 12: The long drive to see the King (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 13: Hua Hin Inbox (opens in a new window).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 14: Returning to Kanchanaburi (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 15: The luxurious resort (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 16: LiT Bangkok Hotel (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 17: Nearing the end (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 18: Departure for Norway (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 19: The two forgotten hotels (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 20: Back to work again… (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 21: The new dawn starts right here (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 22: The homecoming (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 23: A world away (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 24: Hello sir… (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 25: Prachuap Khiri Khan - Hua Hin (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 26: Hua Hin - Bangkok via Had Chao Sam Ran beach (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 27: Coffee’s Love at Petchaburi (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 28: Ayutthaya (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 29: Returning to Sakon Nakhon again! (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 30: The very odd resort experience (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 31: How spicy do you like it? (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 32: Hua Chang Heritage Hotel (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 33: Kanchanaburi (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 34: Km38 (opens in a new tab).
To read: My Pride, My Thai part 35: Not for sale (opens in a new tab).
Back in Bangkok, it was time to spend a week with meetings, relaxation, and off course, some sightseeing. The last base in Bangkok for this time would be a 5-star hotel I would come to truly love, despite it being in an area of Bangkok I had not ventured so often. The hotel I’m now talking about is located at the bank of Chao Phraya River, the River of Kings, and just a short shuttle boat ride away from Sathorn Pier. The Chatrium Riverside would be a place I would fall in love with, and often think of returning to again.
I was assigned a room approximately half way to the top, a room with river views. It turned out to be just perfect for me. With the bed located next to a giant floor-to-ceiling window, I would each night felt asleep with the balcony door open, enjoying the light breeze and sounds of the river, and river traffic. When I think back at this time in Bangkok, this is THE memory which I found the most soothing. Once a seaman and a Captain, I belong next to water I guess.
The service at Chatrium was absolutely excellent in every single sense of the word, and even though, the welcome home feeling I got at for example The Lit Bangkok Hotel earlier on was deeply missed, the views of the river made it a really hard match to beat. Imagine having a gigantic riverside condo in Bangkok? Now, that is something to seriously consider when I one beautiful day haul ashore the first price in a lottery which I still do not play.
The pool was busy but great. I made sure to take advantage of the pool as soon as it opened in the morning, before the crowds moved in. The morning swim took my memories back to a wonderful time of my life, when a pool was a natural part of the many various condominiums I used to call home while still living in Bangkok. I could really get used to that life again I think.
My perhaps greatest worry about the location of this hotel prior to arriving was that it was located a bit away from the areas of Bangkok I would normally roam, but those fears had no merit whatsover. Throughout the day, there is a free hotel shuttle boat departing frequently between the hotel and Sathorn bridge, which also has a BTS skytrain station.
I know and I can guarantee everyone that I will be back again here really, really soon. They have played their cards well and this will quickly become, if not already, my new favourite hotel in Bangkok.
