Possible Embarrassment Ahead

[Limbo]

Loo-krung (children of a farang-Thai couple) are still very popular. There is hardly a popular series on television without one of the actors being halfbreed.

But what about their parents?

A good friend (foreigner) married to a Thai wife went with her, accompagnied by their three year old daughter to Bangkok to visit a trade-fair. Together they run a firm with more than forty employees.

After a car ride of about 11 hours their story got almost biblical dimensions:

There was no place in the lodge!

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

This was their welcome to Bangkok. Extremely embarrasing, especially for the Thai wife of my friend. To be refused a room in your own country ...

Standing there, tired after a long journey with a sleeping child on your arm.

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo

[Neeranam]

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

No.

Would your friend's wife happen to be from Isarn? Is she dark-skinned. Does she wear a lot of gold? Some good hotels do discriminate against Isaan "nouveau riche".

[chico]

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

No.

Would your friend's wife happen to be from Isarn? Is she dark-skinned. Does she wear a lot of gold? Some good hotels do discriminate against Isaan "nouveau riche".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that's the nicest paraphrase, I've seen in a long time!

[Heng]

Strange, I've seen more than a few of these bargirl/falang couples at the Oriental Hotel and Shangri La, no problems at all I think if they are families and not just two people who just met out front somewhere 5 minutes ago.

[Nepal4me]

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a hard time imagining this scenario. There is nothing more common at hotels in Thailand than a farang man with his Thai wife/girlfriend/bar girl. There are some hotels that don't want bargirls coming in but over the years living here and traveling here, I've never seen a problem. Unless of course you're impolite, maybe that was real reason for the lack of hospitality. Thai people are the most friendly and hospitable you could ever find. If you have a Thai wife, Issan or otherwise and you both are polite (and don't look like trash), you should virtually never have a problem. Something is missing from this story.

[Limbo]

I have a hard time imagining this scenario.

... Nepal4me wrote.

And that applied to them too. That's why it was so shocking to them.

Unless of course you're impolite, maybe that was real reason for the lack of hospitality.

... Nepal4me assumed.

If I only for one second would have thought that this might have been the case I wouldn't have started this topic. We are talking about well-behaved, well-dressed, soft-spoken and succesful businesspeople in their forties.

Something is missing from this story.

... Nepal4me seriously thinks.

I hoped you could answer that question, I can't.

The answers of Neeraram and Heng indicate that there is no general policy concerning this in Bangkok hotels (thanks for your replies).

What would you think would be the most strategic approach:

That the foreigner calls the hotel first with the question 'my wife is Thai, do you welcome us as guests?'

Or:

That the Thai lady calls the hotel first with the question 'my husband is foreigner, do you welcome us as guests?

Limbo.

[Dragonman]

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a hard time imagining this scenario. There is nothing more common at hotels in Thailand than a farang man with his Thai wife/girlfriend/bar girl. There are some hotels that don't want bargirls coming in but over the years living here and traveling here, I've never seen a problem. Unless of course you're impolite, maybe that was real reason for the lack of hospitality. Thai people are the most friendly and hospitable you could ever find. If you have a Thai wife, Issan or otherwise and you both are polite (and don't look like trash), you should virtually never have a problem. Something is missing from this story.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Over the last 5 years I have travelled to various parts of Thailand and stayed in at least 50 different hotels. Sometimes me and my Isaan missus(also before we were married), sometimes with our nephew which we permanently take care of, sometimes with various members of my wife's family and sometimes with friends of my wife, some of whom are bar girls. Nobody as even blinked an eyelid and we have all been treated extremely well. The Baiyoke was in fact one of the hotels we all stayed at.

[Gary A]

I too have never had a problem staying at any hotel with my Thai girlfriend/wife.

[Nordlys]

I too have never had a problem staying at any hotel with my Thai girlfriend/wife.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me neither. Except once my wife (then a GF) was asked to produce her Thai ID when checking in with me at Novotel Siam.

[cobra]

Never really heard of any issues with others in similar circumstance,

Begin and end everything with a sincere smile,

Like the old Indian in The Outlaw Josey Wails said to Clint Eastwood, .... it's good to have an edge ...

[mpdkorat]

Loo-krung (children of a farang-Thai couple) are still very popular. There is hardly a popular series on television without one of the actors being halfbreed.

But what about their parents?

A good friend (foreigner) married to a Thai wife went with her, accompagnied by their three year old daughter to Bangkok to visit a trade-fair. Together they run a firm with more than forty employees.

After a car ride of about 11 hours their story got almost biblical dimensions:

There was no place in the lodge!

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

This was their welcome to Bangkok. Extremely embarrasing, especially for the Thai wife of my friend. To be refused a room in your own country ...

Standing there, tired after a long journey with a sleeping child on your arm.

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Never had a problem checking into a hotel with any Thai girl, Issan or otherwise.

[Gazza]

I've been all over Thailand and stayed in all budget ranges of hotels, resorts, GHs etc. with a GF (not BGs but some have been mistaken for being one) . Never had a problem in any of them. Even when enquiring at the reception desk with our clothes dripping wet from riding through storms and looking like we both have bad hair days due to wearing helmets all day.

Edit: The above does not involve staying anywhere in Bangkok.

The only time I could possibly have had a problem in Bangkok was when I wanted to stay at the TT Guest House near Hualampong train station. I saw a sign inside saying that no Thais were allowed. Maybe they made an exception in my case because my wife was visably pregnant because nothing was ever said by the Thai staff.

Edited September 18, 2005 by Gazza

[Crossy]

I've not actually had a problem, BUT we (my wife) have noticed signs in several hotels in the 50-80 $US price range indicating 'no Thais'.

Not sure if this is a get-out in case they don't like the look of you or what.

This has actually been discussed before (a while ago now, can't find the thread), it was mentioned that sometimes Thais will book a double room and fill it to bursting with family, obviously hotels don't want that.

[astral]

Never had a problem staying a hotel with my Thai wife and son.

She can usually get a better price than I do!!

[Superfly]

Would your friend's wife happen to be from Isarn? Is she dark-skinned. Does she wear a lot of gold? Some good hotels do discriminate against Isaan "nouveau riche".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The hotels listed by the op can hardly be called "good hotels", more like 2-2.5 star hotels with pretentions of being 4 star.

I've never had a problem staying in good hotels in BKK with my dark-skinned Isarn wife. (She doesn't wear any gold though).

One time I did try to book a room for my wife only (when she was travelling back to Thailand by herself) and called the Byoke and was told that they do not accept reservations for Thai nationals. Fine, I sent her to the Erawan Hyatt instead where she was treated very well.

[Guest RealEstateBroker]

OK, my first post.

I travel every week all over Thailand and have a very dark Issan wife. I started to say brown/black but very dark is better. Now, in all my travel I have never had a problem or comment from any hotel at check in regarding a very white farang (me) and my wife.....ever. I understand enough thai to get the situation and my very dark thai girl wife speaks all most perfect english and hears the comments from the hotel staff....she has never heard a bad comment from the staff of a hotel checking in a farlang/bg unless the mouth of the bg is bad.

[Nepal4me]

I think we are all saying the same thing, there is no problem.

[Boo]

KS Road has a strict no thai guest policy & I know of a couple of thai/farang couples that have had issues in hotels in BKK. These are normal people, who IMO are polite, well mannered etc.

Sometimes the staff just don't like you, sometimes it is an unadvertised hotel policy & sometimes it is just bad luck. Possibly the firt couple of hotels were genuinely fully booked & the one who blatently turned the thai wife & child away was one of the bigoted hotels but a combination of all, meant a very bad experience.

[Roobar]

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a hard time imagining this scenario. There is nothing more common at hotels in Thailand than a farang man with his Thai wife/girlfriend/bar girl. There are some hotels that don't want bargirls coming in but over the years living here and traveling here, I've never seen a problem. Unless of course you're impolite, maybe that was real reason for the lack of hospitality. Thai people are the most friendly and hospitable you could ever find. If you have a Thai wife, Issan or otherwise and you both are polite (and don't look like trash), you should virtually never have a problem. Something is missing from this story.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Something is definitely missing from this story.

[Nepal4me]

Troll perhaps???

[Boo]

Err doubt it;

Limbo

Senior Member

Group: Moderators

Posts: 504

Joined: 2003-12-18

Member No.: 6,305

[peter991]

Limbo: I am sorry to hear about your problems. I make a phone booking when I arrive at BKK Airport for a hotel in similar price range for myself (Aussie) and my Thai b/f. Never had a problem yet.

From my experience, BKK hotels are the most accommodating yet. Nobody blinks an eyelid and they automatically assume we want a room with a double bed.

Peter

[The Skipper]

Maybe I didn't catch it but is the gentleman dark skinned?

Thai can very very bigoted.

[bkkbound04]

never heard anything like it....

i've stayed at 5* hotels in bangkok with the gf and thai friends from my gym

never had a problem

[PETERTHEEATER]

Before I drove for 11 hours to BKK I would have made a hotel reservation in advance.

Loo-krung (children of a farang-Thai couple) are still very popular. There is hardly a popular series on television without one of the actors being halfbreed.

But what about their parents?

A good friend (foreigner) married to a Thai wife went with her, accompagnied by their three year old daughter to Bangkok to visit a trade-fair. Together they run a firm with more than forty employees.

After a car ride of about 11 hours their story got almost biblical dimensions:

There was no place in the lodge!

First they tried the Pratunan Park Hotel. They were rudely told that there were no vacant rooms and the staff turned their back on them.

The Byoke Sky Hotel gave the same story, but in a more polite way.

The First Hotel offered hope. My friend went in alone, asked for a room with a big bed so that the daughter could sleep inbetween them. They had, no problem at all.

Untill his wife and daughter came in. Also that room was suddenly gone!

This was their welcome to Bangkok. Extremely embarrasing, especially for the Thai wife of my friend. To be refused a room in your own country ...

Standing there, tired after a long journey with a sleeping child on your arm.

Is this a general policy in certain categories of hotels in Bangkok (these hotels charge around 2500 Baht for a room)?

Limbo 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[britmaveric]

No problems here either w/Thai gf. Very odd.

[Scott]

A few months ago, a close friend had a problem similar to this. He had friends from overseas coming to visit and he and his fiancee wanted to stay at the hotel with them. He made reservations in advance, but was told by the hotel he and his fiancee could not have a room. They explained (and they were very courteous) that it was the hotel policy that unless they had a valid marriage license, they couldn't give them a room. It had something to do with a policy about preventing human trafficking. Fortunately, for them, this was weeks in advance of the visit, so they went to another hotel, where they had no problem. By the way, the guy's wife wasn't with him when he was making the reservation at the first hotel, so it didn't have anything to do with skin color etc.

[toyicebear]

Never had a problem, in bangkok or any othet part of Thailand....We have always been treated politely at every hotel.... ;-)

[mrbojangles]

Never had a problem, in bangkok or any othet part of Thailand....We have always been treated politely at every hotel.... ;-)

Ditto, me and the Mrs have never had any problems, anywhere. In fact, i send her in alone, to do the negotiating

[Duality]

is your friend a sourkraut by any chance? could explain alot.