Historic hotel

Historic hotel

TRAVEL
Historic hotel
The Old Customs House. (Photo: Panupong Changchai)

The 130-years Old Customs House in Bang Rak will soon be renovated into a luxury hotel.

Located on a 4.7-rai plot of land on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, the property, which is also known as Rong Phasi Roi Chak Sam is owned by the Treasury Department. It was built in the late 19th century or during the reign of King Rama V.

The Old Customs House comprises three main buildings including the landmark structure which is a three-storey building with a four-storey-high central hallway. It was built in the Palladian architecture, holding a concept of symmetry, clarity and order. At that time, the Customs House was known as one of the most modernised properties.

In 1954, the Customs Department moved its office to its present headquarters in Klong Toey. The property was rented by the Bang Rak's Marine Police station and later by the Bang Rak's Fire Police station before being closed down for years due to the safety issue.

In May, the Treasury Department signed contract with U City, a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings, for a 30-year lease. U City plans to invest 3 billion baht to renovate the historical buildings and turn them into a luxury hotel.

Before the renovation process starts, the company last week signed a contract with the Fine Arts Department for an archaeological and architectural project. The department will conduct a filed research to record all details of the building including construction materials, design and architecture. The information will be used for the restoration process.

The luxury riverside hotel is scheduled to open in 2025. The project is aimed at enhancing tourism in Bang Rak district.

AIRLINES UPDATE

- Emirates has joined hands with its partners to offer a free two-night stay in Dubai.

The promotion will last until Oct 22 for passengers who will travel either from Bangkok or Phuket from now until Dec 25 and for staying until Dec 27. The passengers can choose to stay either at Rove at the Park or Rove Healthcare City for Economy Class, or Address Hotel Downtown or Address Dubai Mall for First and Business Class passengers.

The offer is on a hotel room-only and single or double-occupancy basis, with up to one child under 12 years old sharing the same room for Economy Class travel and up to two children under 12 years for Business Class or First-Class bookings. The offer includes taxes and is subject to availability.

Visit emirates.com.

- Thai Vietjet will launch direct flights between Bangkok and Udon Thani, starting on Nov 25.

The flight will depart from Suvarnabhumi airport at 7.30am and will arrive in Udon Thani at 8.40am. The return flight will take off from Udon Thani at 9.10am and will arrive in Bangkok at 10.20am.

The airline will fly additional flights on every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The flight will depart from Bangkok at 4.25pm and will arrive in Udon Thani at 5.35pm. The return flights will leave Udon Thani at 9.20pm and will arrive in Bangkok at 10.30pm.

To promote the new route, the airline also offers 10 baht promotion tickets excluding taxes and fees until Oct 19 during 12am and 2pm on its website at vietjetair.com.

HOTEL DEALS & UPDATE

- Dusit D2 Khao Yai launches "Delightful Winter School Break" package. Available until Oct 31, the promotion price is 3,900 baht a night for staying from Sunday to Friday in a Deluxe room. The rate includes breakfast for two adults and one kid, a set of afternoon tea, a family dinner set and one outdoor activity.

Visit www.dusit.com/dusitd2/khaoyai.

- The Bangkok-based Onyx Hospitality Group has signed a management agreement with Metropoly Holdings, a Hong Kong-based property development and investment company, to open Amari Niseko in Hokkaido.

The hotel will be the first hotel managed by Onyx Hospitality Group in Japan. It will be located in the mixed-used development project Aruku-zaka Street. The hotel will feature 126 rooms including one-and-two-bedroom suites, restaurant and bar. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2024.

Onyx Hospitality Group has a portfolio of almost 50 properties in seven countries. The group has set a target of having 99 hotels within the next five years.

Visit onyx-hospitality.com.

- Angsana Laguna Phuket has opened the Angsana Convention and Exhibition Space.

The hall has a total space usage at 1,500m² and it can accommodate 225 to 1,500 guests. The facility can serve the growing market of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions and can support grand gala dinner events, weddings, fashion shows and product launches.

The hotel also has certified meeting professional and certified incentive specialists to offer assistance.

Located on Bang Tao beach, the property features 371 rooms and suites with the sizes starting from 40m² to 226m², swimming pool, spa, fitness, restaurants, bars, Kids Club and golf course.

Visit angsana.com/en/thailand/laguna-phuket.


Email karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th if you have any comments to share.

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