When I think of Bangkok, I think of a vibrant, busy, fast-paced city by the river that thrives under the warm sun and is surrounded by breathtaking architecture. I can taste the cold, refreshing water of fresh young coconut, I can smell the scent of authentic holy basil spilling out onto the streets from the plethora of restaurants, and I can see all the tuk tuks unashamedly waving their way in and out of traffic. Bangkok is large. It is loud. It is full of life. It’s always on the go. And yet, nestled amongst all that chaos is a serene, peaceful oasis along the Chao Phraya River called The Siam.
For a special mom-and-dad getaway, the beau and I whisked off to Bangkok for 4 days for some much needed alone time. He had been incredibly busy at work for most of the year, and I had been balancing work and solo parenting. We were both burned out, missing romance, and so the beau suggested we visit Thailand for a bit of a reset. I had never been to Bangkok, and the beau had always wanted to bring me there, so we settled on Bangkok as our getaway destination.
THE SIAM
You’re probably wondering why we chose another fast-paced city for some quiet time when we already live in a fast-paced city. When researching spots to visit in Thailand, The Siam continually popped up. Intrigued, I decided to look more into this stunning hotel. The main hotel was going to be under renovations during the time we would be visiting, so the only options for rooms were the private pool villas. We jumped at that opportunity, which was an opportunity for us to have our own private space and relax.
Prior to our arrival, I was connected to our concierge that would be our personal concierge for our visit. He asked me if I had anything in mind for our visit, and I replied that the beau and I were enthusiastic tourists, wanting to see as much of iconic Bangkok as possible but to also explore some less well-known spots. He made some excellent recommendations for some temples that would be less busy than the more popular spots, and after I asked his opinion on the restaurants I wanted to try with the beau, he said they were excellent and went ahead and made reservations for us himself. He even secured us the best tables.
After arriving on a short flight from Hong Kong, we whizzed our way through Bangkok’s notorious traffic for one hour before finding ourselves stepping foot into a heavenly spot in the Dusit District (and just a stone’s throw down the road from the royal family’s current residence). We felt like royalty ourselves after emerging from the hotel’s Mercedes and into a lush paradise of magnificent greenery and decor in black and white. As we entered the lobby that felt like a luxurious greenhouse, I was handed an ice cold towel as a reprieve from the heat and humidity, along with my first glass of rosella, or Nam Kra Jeab, which is a refreshing healthy drink commonly served in Thailand. I instantly became obsessed with it, and it was the perfect way to welcome me for my first visit.
Within minutes, we were escorted to our private courtyard pool villa, bypassing the main building which was under a month-long renovation. This meant we were unable to see their iconic and Instagram-famous atrium, but we will just have to come back to see it for ourselves next time. Despite the main building being renovated, it did not have any impact on restaurants, the spa, or even our room noise. You wouldn’t have even known they were renovating.
As soon as the beau and I entered our villa, we gasped. We have seen our fair share of hotels around the world over these many years, and we have certainly been lucky to call ourselves the guests of some pretty impressive places, but this villa was absolutely breathtaking. Just behind the two large entry doors was a very comfortable outdoor seating area, complete with a table and chairs along with a dreamy outdoor daybed. A winding staircase led up to a private rooftop deck with some chaises for uninterrupted sunbathing. Back down below, underneath the uncovered sky, was our own private swimming pool complete with several fountains alongside it providing a comforting white noise. Beyond the pool were steps that led up to a pair of gorgeous sliding doors that opened up into our indoor space. A large bedroom and the dreamiest of bathrooms awaited us. This entire villa itself felt larger than our Hong Kong apartment, and of course we couldn’t help ourselves but envision if our little bean had come along with us. She would have loved it. But this was mom and dad’s romantic trip away, so now we needed to just enjoy ourselves.
Dining at The Siam
We mostly ate outside of the hotel during our stay, but our first lunch and our last dinner was at the hotel’s famous restaurant Chon Thai. Not long after checking in, we quickly changed out of our airplane clothes of sweatpants and into more tropical attire of flowing dresses for me and linen shirts for him. We walked through the luscious courtyards of The Siam as we made our way to the riverbank, where Chon Thai is perfectly located. While the Chao Phraya River is well-known for being a busy river, the frequent activity did not affect the peaceful atmosphere of Chon Thai. With the midday temps already soaring, we chose to sit indoors for lunch in the much desired AC, but the large windows still gave us the feeling as if we were outside anyway.
I was never big on Thai cuisine before moving to Asia, in fact I hardly ever ate it at all. I was always nervous to try it because I’m allergic to nuts (including peanuts) and coriander/cilantro, and both are very common in Thai cuisine. However, after moving to Hong Kong, the beau encouraged me to try more of it as it is one of his favorite cuisines and he knew best about what would be safe for me. In recent years, I’ve eaten more and more Thai food, but I have to say that after my visit to Thailand, I’ve actually become a bit obsessed with Thai cuisine. One of the reasons for my latest obsession happens to be because of Chon Thai.
For our first meal in Bangkok, we settled on raw seafood salads, phad see eiw (rice noodles with egg and chicken), and the most amazing phad kapraow gai (spicy wok-fried chicken with garlic, holy basil, and chili) I’ve ever had. Their phad kapraow gai was so good that the beau said it was probably the best one he’s ever had, and he’s had so so many over the years. I fell in love with it as well, and I already knew it would be something we would have to order again. There was also another dish that blew my mind at Chon Thai, and it was their jasmine rice ice cream for dessert. I know what you’re thinking – rice flavored ice cream? Trust me – it’s amazing! And at The Siam, their jasmine rice ice cream also has hints of jasmine flower as well. It was so sinfully delicious that I neglected my usual choice of chocolate.
We also ate all our breakfasts at Chon Thai as well. Usually I like to indulge in room service for breakfast because I like to eat while I get ready for the day, but after having the most amazing lunch at Chon Thai, we also chose to have our breakfasts there too. From devouring a magnificent French toast, Khao Tom Kreung (boiled rice soup with ginger, spring onion, and chicken), and even Turkish Cilbir, nothing we ate for breakfast disappointed us.
On our last night in Bangkok, we had hoped to dine outside under the stars. I wore a stunning strapless gown and the beau dressed up as well, but Mother Nature had other plans. Instead of a starry night, we got a bit of a stormy one. While the stars and the moon did not light up the night sky, lots of lightning sure did. The rain came pouring down, which was extremely refreshing after a scorchingly hot day, but not great when you’re dressing up for dinner and hoping to eat outside. Regardless of the weather, we still donned our best and went to Chon Thai for our last dinner in Bangkok. Instead of sitting outside, we sat inside as we watched the romantic rain pour down while streaks of lightning lit up the sky. We made sure to order the phad kapraow gai and jasmine rice ice cream for our last night in Thailand.
Leisure at The Siam
When the beau and I were not busy frolicking around Thailand taking in as much of the Thai culture as possible, we indulged in some leisure time at The Siam. With the both of us typically running busy lives with work and parenting, finding time to ourselves can be a rarity. The idea of sitting by the pool and enjoying a tropical mocktail while reading a book or engaging in some uninterrupted conversation sounded heavenly. We would usually spend our mornings exploring Bangkok before retreating back to The Siam after lunch, when the humidity and infamous heat would reach their peak.
The Siam has one of the most beautiful pools I have seen at a hotel. Surrounded by draping greenery on one side and the bustling Chao Phraya River on the other, it proved to be the best spot to unwind after playing tourist in the mornings. Even Thailand’s famous water monitor lizards would pop up to say hi while we were at the pool. With a fresh coconut or passionfruit mocktail in hand, it was the perfect quality time the beau and I needed for a few hours. On our last morning in Bangkok before our afternoon flight back to HK, the beau booked me in for a much-needed 90 min Thai massage at The Siam’s Opium Spa to release some tension.
A Romantic Stay
The beau and I continue to talk about our visit to The Siam often. I can easily see why it is considered one of the best hotels in all of Thailand, but especially in Bangkok. It is the only hotel in the entire city with the romantic pool villas we got to stay in for 3 nights, and it is one of the few hotels right on the Chao Phraya River that has its own private boat to take you to multiple spots throughout the city.
While the beau and I missed little bean very much and we plan on returning with her one day, we absolutely loved our one-on-one time together in Bangkok. The Siam went out of their way to make sure our trip was as romantic and adventurous as possible, while also being the most perfectly serene home away from home for two busy parents. To say we left refreshed would be an understatement. We cannot wait to come back to The Siam.
