Picture marhas 1Bangkok - a place to calm down? Yes, I found that very quiet hide away in this hectic town. It's surrounded by the daily life of old Bangkok, called Banglampoo. It has a courtyard filled with tropical plants inside. And the ladies, that run this small hotel, have a green heart. They serve organic vegetarian food. So follow me, if you want to know more...
Behind these doors...
... you find a peaceful gem. Phranakorn Nornlen is different from the traditional lodging, you know from the tourist hotels, it's not a luxury boutique hotel. It's authentic Thai. The employees have personality and are very charming and helpful. They do a lot to feel you like a guest and not just a paying customer. You will not have TV in the room but wireless internet also in the garden.
Appease the spirits
Behind the entrance you meet the Spirit House of Phranakorn Nornlen. Most houses have a spirit house. Offerings are left here to appease the spirits and protect the house from problems.
Green oasis
Where breakfast will surprise you
Vegetarian - if you are afraid or fond of this word: you will be delighted by the organic breakfest served ad Phranakorn Nornlen. And this is the place to enjoy it. Breakfast changes every morning, there is no menue card, you enjoy the daily surprise. Thai rice soup with fresh herbs, pancakes, omelettes, bread, delicious freshmade fruit juices and more. I have not seen this quality on many hotel breakfast buffets. And if you want to enjoy more authentic thai food, you go out to the small soi, that leads to the hotel, and find the food vendors, where the local people get their evening meals. Of course also Phranakorn Nornlen serves you some food during the day as fine sandwiches, fruits, etc.
Walls with butterflies
Picture Phranakorn NornlenDon’t expect a five star hotel, don’t expect that all the rooms look as big as the one you see. But expect character, clean rooms, unique handpainted walls with flowers and butterflies. There’s no TV, but a CD player. The rooms on the upper floor have balconies. The beds are firm as Thais are used to. I slept very well, even if the air condition is a bit noisy.
The wall
Nice decorLie down for a Thai Massage
Just beneath the courtyard you find a pavillon with a sitting area (some PCs with free internet, books) and some mattresses where you can lie down for a Thai massage. And you will definitively feel in paradise.
See Banglamphoo from the rooftop
They are great
It's time to show the team that ran Phranakorn Nornlen at the beginning (photo from 2008).
One of the team members, Noon, has later founded with her family Pak Chiang Mai, another jewel among the Boutique Hotels up in the North of Thailand.
Back to Phranakorn Nornlen: Here is their homepage Phranakorn-nornlen.com They wrote about themselves:
"What filled this home with liveliness is a 'heart' in each staff at our home. We are a team of 9 people, believing in opening opportunities to working youths who are seeking for experiences, rarer to find nowadays in this competitive world. A few communication problems might show up… but knowing not that you can play a part in being their language teachers. We might not be able to provide you with every services available in other hotels but we guarantee with our passion in everything we do. When you are away from your home, there is nothing better than knowing someone that you can rely on. We want to be your friends!"
Of course you shold also see what guests write. So go to Tripadvisor.com
See more details in this video
How to find them
See download for Google Map and Google Earth
In Bangkok you cannot expect that taxi- und tuktuk-drivers easily find the Phranakorn Nornlen hotel. Thats why they offer this map which contains also Thai writing. The Hotel is on Soi Thewet 1. The Soi leaves from Krung Kasem Road - beneath the Seven 11-Shop. You see on the map, that it is not far from Thewet Pier on Chao Phraya River. This Pier should be known also by Taxi Drivers. Or south of it is Rama VIII Bridge, that should be known too. Another idea how to get home: Ask the taxi driver for the Wisutkasat Road and the Best Western Swana Hotel. There you cross the road to the other side and take the little side road in front of you, It's Soi Thewet 1 and leads you to Phranakorn hotel.
From Phranakorn Nornlen you can walk in seven minutes to the Thewet Pier and get boats to Bangkoks main sights as The Grand Palace, The Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Si Rattanasasadaram) and Chinatown.
See more impressions on Instagram.
This has been published on 15 February 2008 and updated on 29 May 2019.
Discover more in Bangkok:
#MyKrungthep - Your Guide to Bangkok
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