The Asia Hotel Lobby

[DJ Pat]

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What a place. I've been here several times over the years and it seems to be stuck in a timewarp. Even the girls at reception are the same. I've had many friends stay here when the airline usually chucks a hotel in, and the place holds the world record for the huge number of yawning package tourists that can be seen sitting in reception.

There's the unoriginal transexual cabaret show downstairs that the hotel prides itself in just to keep up the stereotypical experience for all the novice Bangkok tourists and the box office always has a long queue so that's no bad thing, or maybe it's because the Asia Hotel is located in a crap area that's just that extra metre out of walking distance to anywhere remotely interesting.

The silk and materials shop to the side of reception seems to do a roaring trade selling absolutely nothing as I have never seen a customer in there in my entire miserable life.

Their money exchange chart still shows the British pound at 68 baht, and the same horse-faced lady still scowls when you enquire as to why they have an out of date exchange rate posted up on the peeling wall.

Upstairs you have a jewellry store that seems to sell <deleted> all as most tourists have been forewarned of all the scams so avoid it like chicken, and the sparsely stocked sweet / newspaper shop have never ordered any more than three Bangkok Post newspapers for fear of going bankrupt.

And ahh...to the buffet they have to the left of this great lobby, which isn't a million miles away from Victoria Station in London in terms of design and layout. Pots of steaming soups, curries and your usual fare such as beef stroganoff and chicken fricasse, as well as weiner schiznel and cream of corn soup with crutons. The two piece band are as ancient as old sandwiches and churn out the same organ-panpipes versions of favourites such as 'Top of the world' and 'Horse with no name'...Whilst a group of gleeful tipsy jetlagged Norweigen tourists applaud energeticly.

They also have a relaxing 'bar' area up two steps opposite the buffet in which the smokers are allowed to partake in their nasty habit, and they serve a delicious mix of cocktails, spirits and overpriced beers. They have an internet area where you can even pay up to 60 Baht for 15 minutes of painfully slow connection.

Their mezzanie level is completely overrated and you can get lost if you don't watch it. Barging through the wrong door can lead you to a set of steps that leads you up to some godforsaken place where you can't get back from without being discovered by a cleaner, who will most probably be as lost as you. Other than the fact that this hotel boasts a 'Skybridge' to the BTS, I fail to see the attraction for a pricey 1800 Baht per night.

Outside is the usual array of baggy-eyed touts flashing dog-eared pictures of a massage parlour that was demolished a decade ago, whilst another will repeat the terrible "Where you go" phrase that's surely gotta be changed by law nowadays. When I was seeing a girl that worked at the Asia years ago, I would walk with her to work and despite these touts seeing us on a daily basis, on my way back out I was constantly haranged by them. Gold shops, tailors, ganja, young lady, I was offered them all.

The Asia Hotel, one of those 'institutions' we'll all come across at some time or another.

[Polly]

I actually got lost in that upstairs bit when some friends of my were her for the AIDs conference. I know exactly what you mean. I thought it was the Hotel California ('you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave')

[DJ Pat]

Imagine being stuck in there after closing time.

[Rinrada]

About 2 years ago K.wife and her mate (philipino)got a deal with British Airways including 5 free night in the Aisa Hotel.Lon-Bk-Lon.(I was heading out to Bangers a week later on another carrier)

They both bailed out however after one night since they reconed it was the dirtist place they ever stayed and the management attitudes were "terre-bell"

A real rip off and of course she is Thai

[IamMaiC]

I stayed there one night My dad got me a room along with my wife and her mom and dad separate of course

My wife liked it but we were not their long that night and up until 12 pm the next day, then the big mistake when coming back to bangkok for three days i stayed at the nana hotel

guys if your married or have a GF never stay at the nana.

[DJ Pat]

Everyone at some point has had some dealings or experiences of the place, both good and bad. My mate swears by the place and won't try elsewhere. Dunno why...