Thailand: practical guide and good addresses

Formalities: Passport valid for six months from the date of entry into the country.
Area code: + 66.
Time difference: +5 hours in summer, +6 hours in winter.
Currency: Baht (THB). 1 € = 40.4 baht (May 2012).
Best season: The rainy season extends from June to October. April and May are generally the hottest months...
Group size : The country is particularly well equipped in terms of hotel infrastructure, meeting rooms and convention facilities. In Bangkok alone, there are virtually no limits to group size. For Chiang Mai, if you opt for a small hotel in the historic centre, the ideal is around thirty people. For larger hotels, anything goes.

 

 

Thaï Airways operates one flight a day between Paris and Bangkok during the summer, increasing to 10 flights a week in winter. Departure from Paris at 1.40pm and arrival the following day at 6am. Flights are operated by Boeing 777-300ER in two-class configuration, with seats reclining to 170° in business class. The service is friendly and the meals offer a first taste of Thai cuisine, without the overload of spices. The return flight is overnight, departing Bangkok at 00:05 and arriving in Paris at around 7:00. Since 2011, Thaï Airways has also been offering three weekly flights between Brussels and the Thai capital.

Tel.: 01 55 68 80 00

Internet: www.thaiairways.fr

 

Air France is offering three flights a week this summer between Paris-CDG 2 and Bangkok, departing at 2pm and arriving at 6am. Departure from Bangkok at 10:10 for an arrival in Paris at around 17:00. The flight is operated by Boeing 777-300 ER in three classes, including Voyageur Premium.

Tel.: 0 820 320 820

Internet: www.airfrance.fr

 

Nok airThai Airways is the only airline to offer its services from Don Muang airport, which is closer to the city centre. The airline has therefore privatised part of the international terminal, offering free WiFi and coach transfers for certain passengers. The airline offers flights to some fifteen cities, including four daily services to Chiang Mai.

Phone: +66 2 900 99 55

Internet: www.nokair.com 

 

 

National Tourist Office of Thailand 90, av des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris.

Tel: 01 53 53 47 00.

Internet: tourismethaifr.com

 

 

 

 

One of the two Bangkok hotels, along with the Dusit Thani, to fly the Thai flag, the Sukhothai holds a special place in the city's hotel industry. The hotel has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary and still exudes a real sense of serenity. Its architecture, designed by Kerry Hill and inspired by the ancient capital Sukhothai, certainly has something to do with this, as does its sense of sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Stepping out of the urban jungle of surrounding buildings, you have to cross a shady alleyway covered in frangipani trees to reach the reception hall. After that, it's all local art and contemporary design, Buddhas and stupas, state-of-the-art rooms and suites nestling in the greenery... 13/3 South Sathorn Road

Tel.: +66 (0)2 344 88 88

E-mail: info@sukhothai.com

Internet : www.sukhothai.com

 

First and foremost, there's the roof... Or the terrace, the cocktail bar, the restaurant, whatever you want to call it... Whatever the case, Red Sky is instantly recognisable with its gigantic fluorescent red horseshoe overlooking one of the capital's financial districts from the top of its 55th floor. The whole of Bangkok flocks here for aperitifs, where the most creative martinis in the city are said to be served. Then there's the hotel, with its nine restaurants, 505 rooms and suites, executive floor and decor that discreetly asserts that this is Thailand and not somewhere else. And then, adjacent to it, there's a gigantic shopping mall and an equally impressive 10,000 m2 convention centre. 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan

Phone: + 66 (0)2 100 1234

E-mail: cgcw@chr.co.th

Internet: www.centarahotelsresorts.com

 

"Life is beautiful"... This is the slogan under which the Sofitel Sukhumvit opened its doors last April, close to shopping centres and entertainment venues. And it's true that life is beautiful in this 345-key hotel. Everything is clean, precise, obvious... This object, this piece of furniture had to be there and not elsewhere. As a result, the whole place exudes a touch of chic, of the 'French way of life' in a busy city, a world away from the Haussmann aesthetic. The rooms are equally spacious and luxurious, opening onto a wall of glass overlooking the lights of the city. The hotel offers six bars, lounges and restaurants, including the Appart, a warm and inviting concept of a dining room set up as it once was in a kitchen at the top of this tower inspired by the Art Deco style. There are also 12 meeting rooms, for 9 people up to 800 for cocktails. 189 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 13-15. Klongtoey Nua, Wattana

Phone: + 66 (0)2 126 99 99

E-mail: H5213@sofitel.com

Internet: www.sofitel.com  

 

If true chic is recognised in simplicity and detail, then clearly this Sofitel So is right up there. Everything is noble, uncluttered, without fuss. What's more, the hotel, which occupies a thirty-storey tower, exudes a relaxed atmosphere, an almost reassuring calm in the centre of bustling Bangkok. This pinnacle of contemporary urbanity is the result of the combined talents of no less than five Thai designers, as well as Smith Obayawat, a renowned architect, and the great French couturier Christian Lacroix, who worked around the five elements of feng shui: water, earth, wood, metal and fire. The 238 rooms and suites? All open onto a glass wall overlooking either the skyline or Lumpini Park. They are equipped with an Apple Mac Mini solution, a 40-inch LCD screen and a free mini bar... When it comes to dining, Sofitel So is not to be outdone, with five restaurants and bars, including the chic Park Society & Hi So, set on the roof, which offers extravagant private cabanas in addition to its classic tables. 2 North Sathorn Road, Bangrak.

Tel. + 66 (0)2 624 00 00

E-mail: H6835@sofitel.com

Internet : www.sofitel.com

 

 

For its exceptional cuisine, for its equally exceptional setting and, incidentally, for its cookery classes. 233 South Sathorn Road. Kwaeng Yannawa, Khiet Sathorn

Tel: +66 (0)2 673 9353-8.

Internet : www.blueelephant.com

 

Because it can be made private and, above all, because it is set in a delightful garden. 6/1 Soi Kasemsan 2 Rama 1 Road

Phone: +66 (02) 612-3601

Internet : www.jimthompson.com

 

Enjoy a gourmet meal on the Chao Phraya River, aboard a former rice barge.

Phone: +66 (0)2 437 49 32

Internet: www.loynava.com

 

For the unique atmosphere of this market where everything and anything is sold, but also for the authenticity of the delicious local cuisine.

 

 

 

 

The hotel's strength lies in its location in the modern part of the city, but just a stone's throw from the historic quarter, and above all in its proximity to the famous night bazaar, surrounded by a large number of restaurants and entertainment venues. Its 383 rooms and suites live up to the chain's reputation, and the convention centre and meeting rooms are particularly suited to large groups. The spa offers a wide range of massages and treatments. There is also an excellent Italian restaurant, Favola, which offers a welcome break from the spice of Thai cuisine. 108 Chang Klan Road, Tambol Chang Klan, Amphur Muang

Phone: +66 (0) 5325 3666

E-mail: lemeridien.chiangmai@lemeridien.com

Internet : lemeridien.com/chiangmai

 

A small, relaxed and very welcoming hotel, located within the walls of the historic square, beautifully built in the Lanna style of northern Thailand and perfectly suited to the needs of a group. The silk-panelled teak rooms are spread over three levels around a charming patio. The restaurant, meanwhile, offers very respectable international cuisine. 55 rooms and villas. 21, Soi 2, Ratchamanka, Moon Muang Road

Phone: +66 (053) 20 9030

E-mail: info@denagahotel.com

Internet: www.denagachiangmai.com

 

With its head on the block, you'd swear that this luxury boutique hotel, located right in the centre of the historic city, was built within the walls of a former convent. However, it is only six years old and has already pocketed a large number of awards, including one of Condé Nast Travel's '116 best new hotels in the world' when it opened... Here again, the 26 rooms and suites, all decorated with extreme refinement, open onto a patio overlooking a tree-lined garden. The public areas - lounge, bar, reception, library - just like the rooms, are a talented blend of contemporary design and antique objects and furniture. A real success story. The quality of the 'Gourmet' restaurant is also to be commended. The Rachamanka is also a member of the Relais et Châteaux chain. 6 Rachamankha 9, Phra Singh

Phone: 66 (0) 5390 411

E-mail: reservations@rachamankha.com

Internet : www.rachamankha.com

 

 

For the excellence of its Thai, Myanmar and Tai Yai cuisine. Address: see above

 

For a sumptuous riverside dinner in a 19th-century house. 25, 27, 29 Charoen Raj Rd.

Phone: +66 (053) 248 601-2

Internet: www.thegallery-restaurant.com

 

 

- Boat trip on the khlongs.
- Chinatown and its flower market.
- Chatuchak market.

 

Chiang Mai
- Shopping at the night bazaar and Sunday market.
- Shopping on Chiang Mai - Sankampaeng avenue leading to the craft villages of Borsang and Sankampaeng.
- Thai cooking lessons. - A full day in the company of elephants.

 

 

Go vacation Thaïland. 7th floor, Vorawat Building. 849 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10 500.

Phone: + 66 02 267 1202-4

E-mail: info@go-vacation.com

Internet : www.go-vacation.com

 

Traveller's libraryGallimard (2011)

Green GuideMichelin (2012)

Lonely Planet (2012)

Guide seeHachette (2010)