How to get there
Thaï Airways International
Ten weekly flights from Paris for Thailand's national airline. First and Business class have been refurbished and now offer lie-flat seats. In Bangkok, Thai Airways offers its Premium passengers a traditional massage area in its lounge.
Internet : www.thaiairways.com
Air France-KLM
The carrier operates a daily flight from Paris CDG 2 in a Boeing 777-200 with three flight classes, Affaires Premium, Voyageur Premium and Voyageur. The flight is extended to Phnom Penh.
Internet : www.airfrance.fr
Alternatives : Bangkok has the best connections in South-East Asia from Europe: via Frankfurt, Vienna or Zurich with the Lufthansa group; via London with British Airways; via Copenhagen and Helsinki with SAS and Finnair. All the Middle East carriers also serve it via their respective hubs.
Hotels
The Penninsula Bankok
Set like an island on the Chao Praya River, opposite the Shangri-La and the Oriental, the Peninsula is a monument to the glory of the Thai hotel industry. The proof: the hotel keeps appearing in the top ten of the world's best establishments. Discreet, the service is equal to its 370 elegant rooms, without ostentatious luxury, and an interior garden that shelters visitors from prying eyes.
333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan
Tel: +66 (0)2 861 2888
Fax : +66 (0)2 861 1112
E-mail : pbk@peninsula. com
Internet : www.peninsula.com
Chatrium Riverside Hotel
You stay here not only for the incredible view over the river, but also for its large rooms (60 m2) with desk and kitchenette area. An ideal hotel for business travellers. The Silver Waves Chinese restaurant is one of the most renowned in the city.
28 Charoenkrung Soi 70, Bangkholame
Tel: +66 (0)2 307 8888
Fax : +66 (0) 2 307 8899
E-mail : info.chrb@chatrium.com
Internet : www.chatrium.com
Le Meridien Bankok
A contemporary hotel in the heart of the Silom district. Fans will appreciate the circular bed rooms and the Vista rooms, located at each corner of the hotel and offering a 90° view of the metropolis. The Bamboo Chic restaurant serves Eurasian fusion cuisine.
40/5 Surawong Road, Bangrak
Tel: +66 (0)2 232 8888
Fax : +66 (0) 2 232 8999
E-mail : reservations.lmbkk@lemeridien.com
Internet : www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien
Vie Mgallery Hotel
A four-star boutique design hotel with 154 rooms, under the MGallery banner, close to the Siam Paragon mall. The Vie Pool Bar offers al fresco wines and cocktails.
117/39-40 Phaya Thai Road
Tel: +66 (0) 2 309 3939
Fax : +66 (0)2 309 3838
E-mail : info@viehotelbangkok. com
Internet : www.viehotelbangkok.com
All Seasons
Located in an old building dating from the 1960s, this colourful, designer three-star hotel is right in the centre of the business district. The All Seasons is adjacent to the Alliance Française and its very pleasant café dating from 1912.
31 South Sathorn Road
Tel: +66 (0) 2 343 6333
Fax : +66 (0) 2 343 6335
E-mail : contact@allseasonssathorn. com
Internet : www.allseasons-sathorn.com
Restaurants
Blue Elephant
The famous name had to be present in Bangkok. Setting and refined Thai cuisine.
233 South Sathorn Road
Tel: +66 (0) 2 673 9353
Internet : www.blueelephant.com
Sra Bua by Kin Kin
Thai cuisine reinvented in all its forms by a Michelin-starred Danish chef, at the Siam Kempinki hotel. Booking recommended.
991/9 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan
Tel: +66 (0)2 162 9000
E-mail : reservations.siambangkok@kempinski.com
4 boys
Looking for authentic French flavours? This is an address not to be missed in the fashionable Thong Lo district.
1/F, Oakwood Residence, 113 Thong Lor 13
Tel: +66 (0)2 713 9547
SkyBar
The price of a glass of wine is high, in keeping with the location of this open-air bar on the 63rd floor of the State Tower. An unusual experience in the Thai capital... The Dome at Lebua, 1055 Silom Road
Tel: +66 (0)2 624 9555
Information
French Embassy (chancellery and consulate) 35 Charoenkrung 36
Tel: +66 (0)2 657 5100
E-mail : ambassade@ambafrance-th.org
Internet : www.ambafrance-th.org
UbiFrance - Economic Mission in Bangkok Charn Issara Tower 1 (25th floor), 942 Rama IV Road
Tel: +66 (0) 2 352 4110
Fax : +66 (0)2 237 6162
E-mail : bangkok@ubifrance.fr
Internet : ubifrance.fr
Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce
152 Indosuez House, 5th floor, Wireless Road, Lumpini
Tel: +66 (0) 2 650 9613-4
Fax : +66 (0)2 650 9739
E-mail : director@francothaicc.com
Internet : www.francothaicc.com
Thailand Tourist Office in France
90 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 53 53 47 00
E-mail : tatfr@wanadoo.fr
Internet : www.tourismethaifr.com
Discovering culture and design
A few hours of freedom in the Thai capital? The most beautiful museum in the heart of the city, near Siam Square, is the Jim Thompson House, an American madly in love with Thailand, its arts and its silk. Nestling in a huge garden, this magnificent old mansion is packed with antiques.
Nearby, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre offers temporary shows and exhibitions that give a flavour of contemporary Thai art.
On Saturday and Sunday, design enthusiasts will face both the crowds and the blazing sun at Chatuchak Market, the world's largest flea market. The more pleasant top floor of the Gaysorn Plaza shopping centre offers a glimpse of the talents of Thai interior designers.
Practical guides
Bangkok CartovilleGallimard (2011): Very practical and compact, it allows you to discover the Thai capital district by district.
BangkokLe Petit Futé (2011): The latest guide to Bangkok details all the addresses and good tips in the capital.
ThailandGuide Voir (2010): Richly illustrated, this is a goldmine for learning all about the kingdom.
