| The Oriental Bangkok, the world-renowned luxury | | | | legendary figure entered the scene. Jim |
| hotel, is the | | | | Thompson, the American who later made his |
| oldest hotel in Bangkok, has a legacy of famous | | | | name in Thai |
| writers and a | | | | silk, became one of the owners of the Oriental |
| long and famous history. She celebrates her | | | | and a resident as |
| 130th anniversary | | | | well.Thompson with five others, foreigners and |
| this year.Two Danish sea captains founded the | | | | Thai, pooled their |
| Oriental in | | | | funds in an attempt to revive the hotel. Owing to |
| 1865 during the reign of King Rama IV when | | | | personal |
| Thailand opened up to trade as a result of the | | | | differences, Thompson left the group a year |
| Bowring Treaty | | | | later.The hotel went through a second major |
| signed ten years earlier.The founders saw the | | | | construction when the |
| need for a hotel by the Chao Phraya to | | | | Garden Wing was |
| cater for the seafarers and traders who sailed | | | | completed and opened in 1958. In 1967 there |
| upriver. They | | | | was another change in ownership. It was then |
| didn't realize then that the hotel they started | | | | that Kurt |
| would one day be | | | | Wachtveitl became General Manager.The turning |
| a celebrated luxury hotel graced by the rich and | | | | point came in 1974 when Jardine Matheson set up |
| famous.Unfortunately the original building is no | | | | |
| longer standing. | | | | the Mandarin Hotels Group and bought a 49% |
| The history of the Oriental Bangkok, the first | | | | stake in the |
| hotel in the city, | | | | Oriental Bangkok. This provided the impetus for a |
| is taken from 1876 when the old wing was | | | | major |
| built. This building is still there.The tradition of | | | | expansion with the new 376-room wing, ballroom |
| famous writers dates back to 1888, when | | | | and multi- |
| Konrad Korzeniowski, a Polish merchant navy | | | | level car park.The new River Wing |
| officer, sailed | | | | opened in 1976, with suites |
| up the Chao Phraya and docked next to the | | | | honoring Barbara Cartland, John le Carre, Gore |
| Oriental Hotel. | | | | Vidal, |
| Nicknamed "Polish Joe" by his shipmates, he later | | | | Graham Greene and Norman Mailer. John le Carre |
| became | | | | was said to |
| known to the literary world as Joseph | | | | have finished "The Honourable Schoolboy" here.In |
| Conrad.Others were to follow in Conrad's | | | | 2006, after another major facelift, the Oriental |
| footsteps. In 1923, Somerset | | | | Bangkok |
| Maugham, an English writer stayed at the Oriental | | | | celebrates its 130th anniversary with Kurt |
| Bangkok | | | | Wachtveitl still at |
| and wrote the children's tale, "Siamese Fairy | | | | the helm after 39 years, backed by his faithful |
| Tale" while | | | | and long-serving |
| sitting in the river terrace gazing out at the Chao | | | | staff.At a 130, the charming grand dame still |
| Phraya.Noel Coward, another English writer, | | | | holds court by the |
| stayed at the Oriental | | | | Chao Phraya. The tradition of famous writers |
| Bangkok in 1929. Conrad, Maugham, Coward and | | | | lives on.The Oriental Bangkok is an |
| the | | | | icon that evokes memories of authors like |
| American, James Michener, four literary giants, | | | | Conrad, |
| became the | | | | Maugham and Michener.This article first appeared |
| founding fathers of the Authors' | | | | in Tour Bangkok Legacies, |
| Wing. The Oriental suffered damage, disrepair | | | | a historical travel site on renowned places |
| and looting during | | | | preserved for |
| World War II, when it was taken over by the | | | | posterity, the momentous events surrounding |
| Japanese army. | | | | these places and |
| After the war, Allied officers waiting to return | | | | the legendary figures who left these legacies in |
| home made the | | | | the landscape of |
| hotel their living quarters.In 1945, another | | | | Bangkok. |