DAY ONEi
10.00: Clients keen to shake off the jet lag should head for Lumphini Park. It’s a great place for a stroll and will soon look even more spectacular as plans have been revealed for a massive makeover in preparation for its 100th anniversary in 2025. This will involve the addition of rowing lakes and a network of hiking and cycling lanes that will connect the park with the nearby Benjakitti Park.
11.00: Time for a caffeine (and cacao) fix at SO/ Bangkok, which overlooks Lumphini Park. The hotel is home to Chocolab, a cafe which stocks some of the world’s most prestigious chocolate brands. The cafe is famous for its chocolate- making workshops, and although these were suspended during the pandemic, they’re expected to return in time for summer 2022.
13.00: Clients shouldn’t slip off those walking shoes just yet, because it’s time for a stroll down
42 26 MAY 2022
Charoen Krung Road, which is Bangkok’s oldest. In 2017, the Thailand Creative & Design Center moved to this five-mile-long road, sparking its transformation into the capital’s creative district. It’s lined with galleries, bars, cafes and independent boutiques, many of which are tucked into traditional shophouses. It’s a fantastic people- watching spot and there’s plenty of delicious street food here too.
14.00: A great place to combine some retail therapy with a lunch stop is Charoen Krung’s Central: The Original Store – a tribute to the Central Trading Co store, which opened at this spot in the 1950s. Two years ago, Central Group, Thailand’s leading retailer, recruited Belgian minimalist architect Vincent Van Duysen to transform the original building, which is now a sleek masterpiece housing a bookstore, exhibition space, restaurant, cafe and bar. Souvenirs in the gift ship include stylish merchandise bearing the store’s original 1950s slogans.
17.00: Visitors with a head for heights will love the Mahanakhon SkyWalk, which opened in 2018 atop the Lego-like King Power Mahanakhon Building. The 360-degree views are a wonderful way to get a feel for the city’s layout. The highlight (excuse the pun) of this observation deck, 314 metres above ground, is the glass floor – daredevils don shoe covers to walk across a section of reinforced glass, 78 storeys above street level. For something a little less nerve-jangling, clients can grab a bite to eat at Ojo Bangkok, a Mexican restaurant on the 76th floor. It’s operated by one of the city’s newest hotels, The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon.
20.00: For dinner, it’s hard to beat St Regis Bangkok’s IGNIV, which opened in 2020 and bagged its first Michelin star in 2021. The menu is best described as Swiss-inspired cuisine with a Thai twist. Head chef David Hartwig has a passion for local ingredients, although we’re also huge fans of the pastries
prepared by sous-chef Arne Riehn, a baker and pâtissier who oversees the restaurant’s IGNIV Candy Store.
21.00: For nightcaps, it’s got to be the BKK Social Club at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (from £306 per night). The hotel opened in 2020 and is absolutely stunning, with a huge art collection and greenery-filled outdoor areas bordering the river. In April 2022, the BKK Social Club was rated 10th in Asia’s 50 Best Bars Awards. The drinks have an Argentine theme; we recommend the Hand of God, made with Ocho Reposado Tequila, Campari and Cacao Malbec Wine Cordial.
DAY TWOi
9.00: The greenery-lined Klong Ong Ang (klong means canal) is a great spot for a morning walk. It’s close to both the Khao San Road and the Chao Phraya River (Sam Yot is the nearest MRT station) and in recent years has been transformed by some of Thailand’s
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