KEY POINTS:
"In Bangkok at twelve o'clock they foam at the mouth and run. But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun." - Noel Coward.
Every night you stay at The Oriental in Bangkok, you'll find a card with inspirational quotes from the famous writers who once lay their heads on your pillow.
The hotel, built in 1876, is one of the oldest in Asia and was the first hotel in Thailand.
It was also the favoured haunt of literary legends such as Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, James Michener, Graham Greene and Noel Coward.
The suites the writers once lived and worked in are part of the hotel's Oriental Residence, and ten of the hotel's 34 suites are named after them.
Suites in the River Wing are named after writers such as Barbara Cartland, Gore Vidal, Wilbur Smith, John le Carre and Kukrit Pramoj.
Each suite is decorated according to the author's preferences.
The Barbara Cartland Suite is pink, feminine and romantic, while the John le Carre Suite has an English masculine quality.
Over afternoon tea in the Authors' Lounge you can peruse the writers' books surrounded by handcrafted furniture, tropical plants and photos of old Bangkok.
Louis Thomas Leonowens, son of Anna Leonowens (Anna and the King of Siam) was once the hotel's proprietor.
Thai silk tycoon Jim Thompson was also a one-time owner of the hotel with a group of business partners.
For 130 years, royalty and distinguished travellers have followed the Chao Phraya River through the heart of Bangkok to the hotel's grand doors.
These days you can hire a boat and watch the bustle of daily life along the canals - fishermen plying their trade; clothes being washed and hung out; babies lying in the sun; verandahs full of pot plants; kitchens filled with pots and pans; food being delivered by floating marketeers and over-priced souvenirs being delivered to tourists on hired boats.
The hotel runs a cultural programme, featuring leading academics discussing topics such as Thai customs and traditions, religious beliefs, festivals, music, dance and celebrations, art and architecture and contemporary Thailand. The Bamboo Bar is famous for live jazz played by visiting American artists in a jungle-style decor.
I visited the Bamboo Bar for a nightcap after a traditional dance performance and dinner at the Terrace Rim Naam on the opposite bank of the river.
It's a surprise to find people sitting next to you smoking cigars - courtesy of the adjoining Cigar Divan - as you're looked after by Thai hostesses.
If you're up to it in the morning, the newly opened Ayurvedic Penthouse has introduced a range of yoga programmes, from lively group sessions to one-on-one workouts to private sessions.
*Diana Plater was a guest of The Oriental, Bangkok, flying Qantas to Bangkok.
-AAP
