The concierge recommends: Bangkok

By COLIN MOORE

Where else would you build an international hotel in Bangkok, the Venice of the Far East, than on the banks of its major waterway, the Chao Phraya River, the River of Kings?

From the expansive rooms of the Royal Orchid Sheraton, which has just had a $NZ7 million makeover, you can watch the annual royal barge procession and the daily river traffic of water taxis, ferries and huge barge trains carrying the city's produce.

Most intriguing are the narrow river taxis which are possibly more Bangkok than the Tuk Tuk, the three-wheeled taxis, and certainly more noisy. They are powered by an odd inboard-outboard contraption. A flat-bladed prop flails near the water surface or is lifted clear by the driver to manoeuvre.

When you tire of watching the river traffic, SR Somchai, the concierge at the Royal Orchid Sheraton for the past 12 years, advises that the best free attraction in Bangkok is the Vimanmek Teak Mansion in the Chitlada Palace grounds. The 81-room mansion is the world's largest golden teak building.

If money is burning a hole in your pocket, Somchai suggests a visit to the best paid attraction in the city, the Chatuchak weekend market where you can buy everything from a pet to an antique.

For the best restaurant he recommends the Seafood Market at Sukumvit 24.