Hotel or resort on the Chao Phraya

[craighj]

Hello all

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I have a question, hopefully you may be able to answer for me.

I'm looking for a decent hotel or resort on the Chao Phraya river.

I have some family coming over in February and I want to give them a few days over looking the Chao Phraya, something different rather than go to a beack resort.

I have been to a few hotels on the river in Bangkok, all quite nice but I'm looking for something a little more local. Maybe close to Ayutthaya, a little bit more Thai.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks

Craighj

[FalangBaa]

Do any of your family have sensitive noses? If so, I don't recommend staying at the riverside or even within 1 or 2 blocks of it. The Chao Phraya river is one of the most foul-smelling I have encountered in my travels around the world so far. It's also far from attractive, being a dirty brown colour and filled with debris. Local infrastructure in the immediate river area is also not so good. Step outside your hotel and you might well have trouble finding a decent restaurant or other service shops (e.g. massage, 7-11) which is never the case if you reside on Sukhumvit. Therefore, riverside hotels not only tend to be more expensive than they should cost due to their "premium" location next to the (stinky) river, you'll also end up spending a lot more on taxis to get to the areas where your services, shopping and other attractions are located. I would not recommend staying there myself, unless you're a real river enthusiast.

[craighj]

Thanks FalangBaa

I actually live and work in Thailand, Bangkok. Have done for a number of years.

Certainly understand what you are saying, although not everywhere on the Chao Phraya has the same issues.

My idea is to have a local Thai experience for some family members rather than a traditional tourist one on an island.

I was hoping that one of the TV members may have found a jewel along the river somewhere.

Anyway, I'll keep looking and see what I can find.

Craighj