The 34th floor may not sound like so high, but in an area with no other skyscrapers to challenge it, the Peninsula Hotel Bangkok's Helicopter departure lounge might as well be in heaven. Named "Paribatra" after HRH Prince Paripatra Sukhumbhand, Prince of Nakorn Sawan, the Pen's helilounge is one of those sweet secret spaces often heard of a city, but rarely visited. The only ways to access this one? You must either book a helicopter flight transfer for a grand chunk of change or rent out the place for a private function with others who appreciate aviation history; in other words, it's hardcore.

We managed to sneak around the helilounge recently, and though the helipads remained out of reach (for now), we did sink our heels into the rich carpeting, get up close with jet engine parts as wall decoration, and drink in what may be the best view in Bangkok, of Bangkok. You see, The Peninsula sits on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, opposite like 90% of the central district. Therefore, The Peninsula is essentially gazing over at the metropolis, with the helilounge winking.]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-18T10:21:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/6/101515/253

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is massive, and this is something that must be experienced the understand. From the moment you step into the check-in area of BKK, it's all space and all filled with fellow travelers. Perhaps your eyes are drawn to the lines of counters for exotic airlines, or perhaps you're distracted by the numbers of western tourists dressed like they just crawled out of a rice paddy, but regardless there's one huge focal point smackdab in the center of the terminal: a Reliquary Urn of the Lord Buddha.

Kind of like the rest of the airport, it's giant and shiny. The multi-tiered golden reliquary is also surrounded by a garden of Thai flora, and it's pretty much the most ideal photo backdrop in the airport as evidenced by the flow of people posing in front of it. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-06T12:01:04-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/4/132437/353

Flying domestic in Thailand through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport? You've got one choice for grabbing some food in the terminal, and we're not kidding. It's McDonald's.

We spotted this airport food nook after stepping off a Bangkok Airways flight into BKK from HKT (Phuket) last week, and were shocked by their less than appetizing catchphrase: "The Only Restaurant in Domestic." Well, that may be right but the threat of it doesn't mean that we're going to give into a burger and McDs sundae when we're supposedly in the capital of awesome food. Where's the Pad Thai to go, at the very least?!

[Photo: Jaunted]]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-04T14:15:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/20/917/09703

Following a harrowing last-minute upgrade and 11.5 hours in so-so Biz Class from SFO to NRT, we were finally ready to experience the updated seats and in-flight entertainment on United's 747 from Tokyo-Narita to Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi.

That may sound like a reasonably short flight, but nu uh—that's another 6.5 hours of flying, which makes it totally worthwhile to have a nice seat and a nice TV and a nice meal for this last leg of a very long, very tiring journey.

We've already dug into the meals here, so now let's discuss the finer points of the seat and service in Biz Class on this 747: ]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-21T16:00:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/19/13228/2641

No warm nuts. No warm nuts! How dare an airline take away the pleasure of a little warm nuts before a long flight? Answer: when it's United between Tokyo-Narita and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.

Following a $600+ upgrade to Business Class, an 11.5-hour flight from SFO to NRT and some filet mignon, we were excited for a little more local fare on the 6 hour and 30 minute flight. And we got it. Kinda. If Trader Vic's-recipe dishes can be considered thusly.]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-19T13:49:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/9/1/74553/71200

Nothing beats skipping the rental car counter in favor of a high-speed rail link to downtown, and that’s why we’re excited to hear that Bangkok just opened dedicated service from Suvarnabhumi Airport to downtown.

As with any public works projects there were tons of delays, cost overruns, and other hassles; however, the train finally opened up last week, linking tourists, business people, and everyone else with easy access to the airport. The plans were first approved back in 2003, and it was actually supposed to open along with the airport in 2006; it certainly has been a long time coming. ]]> kjb 2010-09-01T08:36:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/3/103544/874

Suvarnabhumi Airport has finally reopened, though it promises to be a total disaster in the near-term as hundreds of thousands of tourists try to flee Bangkok. The eight-day standoff illuminated how important airports are--and how their closure, for whatever reason, can cut off entire countries from the outside world.

For every inconvenienced tourist, it seems, there was a FedEx package that couldn't get through. The International Herald Tribune reports that ritzy hotels had to shake up their menus without fancy imported food available and orchid growers had to dump inventory on the domestic market, at one-third the price they're used to getting. Japanese restaurants ran out of sushi, and wine reserves were going fast because people "don't have much else to do these days" the food and beverage director of the Four Seasons told the newspaper.

But perhaps the most globalized industry of all, tourism, took the biggest hit, with officials predicting a 30 to 40 percent drop in vacations this holiday season. Worries about the future of the $17 billion-a-year industry--both because of the airport closure and the on-going political crisis--even forced the country's central bank to cut its interest rate by a full point Wednesday. As the head of Thailand's tourism office told a local paper: "Even the tsunami was over in just one day."

Related Stories:
· Bangkok Feeling the Pain of Isolation [IHT]
· Bangkok Airport Resumes Operations [NYT]
· Bangkok Airport Crisis coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: JasonDGreat]]]> pbb 2008-12-03T10:39:43-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/