Posted on Wednesday, 21 October 2015

No matter how many times I fly into Asia from the west, I'm never quite prepared for the jet lag. I've read and tried all the tricks to minimise its effects – the main one being to stay awake until night falls – but I always give in to sleep several hours too early.

Five Star Excuses

The best way to make jet lag less unpleasant is, quite simply, to stay in a nice hotel. This theory was all the excuse I needed to book a five-star room in the Thai capital. But the decision was made even easier when I discovered my old friend Joaquin was visiting Bangkok – staying in the Berkeley Hotel Pratunam to be precise. And yes, I browsed it online and found it did indeed have the requisite five stars.

What's more, there was an online promotion which secured me a superb room for 2,800 baht – just over £50.

Jet-Lag

Having taken the Sky Train (BTS) from the clean, spacious and futuristic Suvarnabhumi Airport, I alighted at a Ratchprarop station and was enveloped by Bangkok's hot, humid atmosphere. I quickly hopped into a bright pink air-conditioned cab for the short trip to the Berkeley. Normally I would have walked in order to get a sense of the local geography, but I was exhausted after my journey which had originated in Madrid and transited through London.

Feeling increasingly disoriented from the time zone shift and the stuffy Bangkok weather I was glad to enter the Berkeley's vast, air-conditioned lobby. I was greeted at the desk by an immaculately dressed Thai lady whose warm smile did not waver in the face of my rather dishevelled (and non-five star) appearance.

Taking my passport she quickly checked me in and directed me to the appropriate floor. My room was brightly lit with a big double bed. Sumptuous carpets, clever modern art prints, widescreen TV, marble en-suite shower with shiny taps: it had it all. It looked as good as any of the handful of five-star hotels I had stayed in before.

Part of me was thinking about the expansive pool on the roof, but a larger part of me was thinking about sleep. I knew the best thing to do would be to stay up until about 11pm, but that would mean 12 hours of coffee and TV – and feeling generally odd.

I lay on the bed to see how soft it was. It was very soft indeed. Predictably, I drifted to sleep. Around four hours later I woke up, fully clothed, still feeling groggy.

Joaquin and Isabella

Checking my emails on the (rather laggy) Wi-Fi connection, I found that my Spanish friend Joaquin had suggested meeting in the bar downstairs in half an hour. I quickly showered and changed, then headed for the lift.

It had been four years since I had worked with Joaquin in Essex. The man standing before me was much trimmer – and actually looked younger. What's more he was accompanied by a beautiful Galician named Isabella; I had thought he was travelling alone.

Spanish Inquisition

We sat down and took a drink in the bar. Joaquin had not been in Bangkok for 15 years, while it was Isabella's first visit. Neither of them were enamoured by the Thai capital. They found it rather dirty and smelly. They were also having problems with the spicy food (Spaniards don't do spicy). Such problems, I assured them, were normal after a long period in Europe. But one gets used to the smells – and eventually finds them kind of exciting. They pumped me for information about Bangkok, or as the locals call it, BKK.

The couple planned to live in Thailand for a few months, and Bangkok, naturally, was their first stop. In two days they were flying south to the famous beaches of Phuket. Having been in Bangkok many times before, I decided to show them the best of the city.

Sky Bar, Lebua

With my jet-lag at bay for the time being, I suggested we visit the Sky Bar on top of The Lebua at State Tower – another very expensive hotel. In truth, I had never actually been to the Sky Bar before, but I had met many tourists who recommended it as a Bangkok ‘must-do'.

Floor 64

Made famous by the movie Hangover Part II, the Sky Bar affords spectacular views over central Bangkok. We dressed in our smartest clothes (no t-shirts, shorts or flip-flops allowed) and took a cab to The Lebua. Inside, smartly dressed hosts guided us through the marble foyer to a gleaming lift. A lift attendant pressed the applicable buttons and we watched as the display rose from 0 all the way up to 64!

Less than a minute later the doors opened and more smiling, beautifully-dressed hosts showed us out into the breezy night air.

We were led out of a huge circular structure with faux Roman columns, then across a marble landing to ornate balustrades overlooking the snaking Chao Phraya River. A million lights twinkled, streams of cars raced through the metropolis like some glittering urban lifeblood – red lights going one way, white lights going the other.

After taking a few photos of the astonishing view, we skipped down a set of steps, past an empty dining area, to a glowing circular bar surrounded by people. Here we ordered some rather expensive drinks. One of the gracious hosts was only too pleased to take photos of us with Bangkok's tallest skyscrapers in the background; perfect if you need a little Facebook attention.

Unlike the t-shirt-wearing characters in the movie Hangover Part II, everyone here was dressed as if attending a film premiere or the ballet!

I could see my two Spanish companions were warming to the Thai capital. To me, it is surely one of the most exciting cities on the planet. And, as I explained to Joaquin and Isabella, there was so much more for them to do on their last day: The Grand Palace, the Floating Market, shopping at the vast MBK and Paragon department stores – not forgetting a host of stunning temples.

I would show them round, I said.

But first I had to get some sleep.

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