The Oriental Bangkok is written by Andreas Augustin and
Andrew Williamson. It is a volume in the series about the most famous hotels in
the world.
The team behind the book consists of four persons:
The team behind the book consists of four persons:
** Andreas Augustin is an Austrian writer, who was born in 1956. He is the author
of several books about famous hotels around the world, including Sofitel Hanoi
Metropole
(2001), The Savoy London (2002), The Caledonian Edinburgh (2003), and The
Imperial New Delhi (2007).
** Andrew Williamson is a British writer, who studied
history at St Anne’s College in Oxford. He is the author of The Golden Age of
Travel (1998).
** Chancham Bunnag helped compile an early biography
of the Oriental, An Oriental Album. She was of great help in researching this
book.
** Michelle Chaplow is a British freelance
photographer. She contributed some of her portraits and still shots for this book.
The first edition of The Oriental Bangkok was
published in 1996. Since then it has been revised several times. The latest
edition (which has 160 pages) was published in 2013. This edition is under
review here.
The book begins with a preface, signed by Andreas Augustin. The main text is
divided into eleven chapters, which follow a chronological line from the
foundation around 1876 until the beginning of the 21st century. Here is the
table of contents:
Chapter 1 – ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH GOVERNESS
Chapter 2 – THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT
Chapter 3 – GRAND HOTELS OF THE 19TH CENTURY
Chapter 4 – THE RIDDLE OF THE ORIENTAL’S OPENING
Chapter 5 – JOSEPH CONRAD
Chapter 6 – THE CONCEPT OF TRAVEL
Chapter 7 – WHEN NIJINSKY DANCED
Chapter 8 – MODERN TIMES
Chapter 9 – IN ARTISTIC HANDS
Chapter 10 - ITALTHAI
Chapter 11 – NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD
At the end of the book we find a section called “Who’s Who at the Oriental” and
an epilogue. There is no bibliography, no index.
Each chapter is illustrated with numerous pictures, drawings and maps. For obvious reasons old photos are in black-and-white, while all new photos are in colour. The illustrations are excellent. Text and illustrations complement each other very well.
The authors did a lot of work while preparing this book. They looked through memoirs written by people who lived and worked or travelled in Asia during the 19th and the 20th centuries. Some of them are quoted in the book. They also searched for articles about the hotel and ads by the hotel published in newspapers and magazines. Some of them are quoted in the book.
The History of the Oriental
The English governess mentioned in chapter 1 is Anna Leonowens (1831-1915). King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, hired her to teach his children English. She worked as a teacher in Bangkok for five years (1862-1867).
Each chapter is illustrated with numerous pictures, drawings and maps. For obvious reasons old photos are in black-and-white, while all new photos are in colour. The illustrations are excellent. Text and illustrations complement each other very well.
The authors did a lot of work while preparing this book. They looked through memoirs written by people who lived and worked or travelled in Asia during the 19th and the 20th centuries. Some of them are quoted in the book. They also searched for articles about the hotel and ads by the hotel published in newspapers and magazines. Some of them are quoted in the book.
The History of the Oriental
The English governess mentioned in chapter 1 is Anna Leonowens (1831-1915). King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, hired her to teach his children English. She worked as a teacher in Bangkok for five years (1862-1867).
Her name is controversial in Thailand because of the
memoirs that she published a few years later. As the authors explain, “her
memories proved to be rather a mix of fantasy and reality.” Several films based
on her memoirs have been made in the west. They were all banned in Thailand
“due to their real historical inaccuracies and the perceived disrespect to the
monarchy” (pp. 18-19).
Anna and her son Louis Thomas Leonowens (1856-1919)
never stayed at the Oriental, but they saw it as they arrived on a boat from
Singapore in 1862. When Louis returned to Bangkok in 1881, he would often
visit the bar of the Oriental (pp. 54-55).
“The Land of the White Elephant” – chapter 2 – is a
brief history of Thailand. In this way the history of the hotel is placed in a
social, economic and political context.
How old is the hotel? This question is discussed in chapter 4, “The Riddle of the Oriental’s Opening.” The answer is: nobody knows for sure.
How old is the hotel? This question is discussed in chapter 4, “The Riddle of the Oriental’s Opening.” The answer is: nobody knows for sure.
A newspaper article from 1863 mentions “a boarding
house for sea farers at the river,” but the name of this boarding house is not
mentioned. It could be the Oriental. There was no other boarding house at the
river at that time.
In 1865 a fire destroyed several buildings along the
river, including the Oriental. This time the name of the hotel is mentioned in
a contemporary source. So it must have been founded at least five or ten years
before that date. But when?
The authors explain:
“During the 1970s the board of the hotel decided to
end the uncertainty. They agreed that it would be questionable, not to say
inauspicious, to use the burning of The Oriental in 1865 as it’s [sic] founding
date. 1976 heralded the opening of the new River Wing and so, putting history
to work, the hotel was declared a hundred years old.”
This is the official answer: the hotel was founded in
1876, and this is no exaggeration, because it is older than that. The 125th
anniversary of the hotel was celebrated in 2001, and next year, in 2016, it can
celebrate its 140th anniversary.
The Oriental is sometimes called the Mandarin
Oriental. Why? The answer can be found on page 111. In 1972 the Oriental
entered into a partnership with Mandarin International Hotels. Since that year
the Oriental has been a part of the Mandarin chain, which operates five
star-hotels all over the world.
Many famous people have stayed here: actors, authors, businessmen, politicians as
well as royalty: kings and queens, princes and princesses. A list of famous
visitors is available in the section called Who’s Who at the Oriental, pp.
138-149.
The list is long and varied. From Graham Greene to
Michael Jackson to Queen Elizabeth II of England. One frequent visitor was the
English playwright Noël Coward (1899-1973), whose impression of the hotel is
quoted on page 35:
“There is a terrace overlooking the swift river where
we have drinks every evening watching the liver-coloured water swirling by and
tiny steam tugs hauling rows of barges up river against the tide. It is a
lovely place and I am fonder of it than ever.”
You can still sit on this terrace and have a drink
while you watch the river and the traffic on it. It is still a lovely place. If
you have been there, just once, you will understand why Noël Coward was so fond
of it.
Flaws
I like this book, but not everything is as it should be. There are flaws here and there. I am a bit surprised about it, because this is not the first or the second edition of the book. The flaws do not concern the history of the hotel. They concern the background information which is offered to give the account a broader perspective. Here are some examples:
(1) A footnote on page 36 mentions Anna Leonowens:
Flaws
I like this book, but not everything is as it should be. There are flaws here and there. I am a bit surprised about it, because this is not the first or the second edition of the book. The flaws do not concern the history of the hotel. They concern the background information which is offered to give the account a broader perspective. Here are some examples:
(1) A footnote on page 36 mentions Anna Leonowens:
“In 1867, Anne went to live
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she became involved in women’s
education, and was a suffragette and one of the founders of the Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design… After 19 years she moved to Montreal.”
This passage is not quite accurate. Anna left Thailand
in 1867, but she did not go straight to Canada. For a while she lived in the US.
In addition, she travelled a lot. In 1881, she visited Russia. Only then did
she move to Halifax where she was one of the founders of the local college
(which was founded in 1887). According to the book, she moved to Montreal 19
years after 1867, i.e. in 1886. But this is not true. She moved to Montreal 19
years after 1881, i.e. in 1900.
(2) For 12 years (1881-1893) the Oriental was owned by
three businessmen from Denmark: Hans Niels Andersen, Peter Andersen, and
Frederik Kinch. The names appear on pp. 35, 44-45, and 54-55. The first of them
is the most famous of them. However, in Denmark his first and middle names are
never used. He is known by his initials: H. N. Andersen.
On page 55 we are told that Andersen was ready to sell
the hotel, if he could get a good price, because he wanted to return to
Denmark. The text continues:
“Andersen was happy to sell. He returned to Denmark in
1897 to found the East Asiatic Company along with I Glückstadt, the founder of
Landmans-banken [sic]. Today it is the largest company in Denmark with branches
all over the world.”
This passage is most unfortunate. H. N. Andersen and
Isak Glückstadt founded the East Asiatic Company (EAC) in 1897, but Glückstadt
was not the founder of Landmands-banken. It had been founded in 1871 by G. H.
A. Gedalia (1816-1892) and Glückstadt (1839-1910) was the first director of the
bank. He served from 1872 until his death in 1910. In 1976, Landmands-banken
changed its name to the Danish Bank. In 1990, it swallowed two other banks,
after which it became the largest bank, and the second-largest company, in
Denmark. It still is.
Under the leadership of H. N. Andersen, the EAC became
a large company, but things began to go downhill after World War Two. In 1993
all shipping activities of the EAC were bought by Maersk Shipping, the largest
company in Denmark, which has branches all over the world. The EAC is still in
business, but these days it is merely a shadow of its former self.
(3) H. N. Andersen appears again on page 87: “… on New
Year’s Eve 1937, H N Andersen died in his native Copenhagen at the age of 85.” New
Year’s Eve is 31 December. But H. N. Andersen died on 30 December.
(4) On the next page we are told the name of the
country was changed in 1939, from Siam to Thailand, “meaning free country.” The
name Thailand does not mean Free Country, it means the land of the Thais.
(5) On pp. 89-90 we hear what happened in early 1942
when the Thai government under Phibul Songkhram decided to side with Japan in
the Second World War. Seni Pramoj, Thailand’s ambassador in Washington, DC, met
with US Secretary of State Cordell Hull and told him that he had an unpleasant
duty. He had to give him Thailand’s declaration of war against the US, but he
did not want to do it. Cordell responded: “Forget it, Seni, I will not accept
them.”
The story about Seni and the Thai declaration of war on
the US is famous. It is found in several accounts. But a closer inspection reveals
it is a myth. For details, see Thailand’s Secret War by E. Bruce Reynolds
(2005, 2010), pp. 19-20.
(6) On page 100 there is a picture of Kukrit Pramoj, who
is a brother of Seni Pramoj. According to the caption Kukrit Pramoj was Prime
Minister of Thailand “for 13 months.”
This is not true. Kukrit Pramoj was Prime Minister of
Thailand from 14 March 1975 to 12 January 1976, i.e. a period of ten months,
not 13 months. In the age of the internet, it is quick and easy to check this
fact. I wonder why the authors did not do this.
(7) On page 111 there is a cross-reference to pp. 118-120. The cross-reference
is wrong. The correct reference is pp. 116-118.
Conclusion
As stated above, I like this book and I want to recommend it, but I am disappointed to see the flaws I have mentioned here. I cannot understand why they were not discovered and corrected after the first or the second edition of the book. Because of these flaws I cannot give it five stars, but since I like it, I will give it four stars.
PS. Full disclosure: I have never stayed at the Oriental, because I live in Bangkok. But I have visited the place several times. I enjoy the terrace by the river as much as Noël Coward did when he was there.
As stated above, I like this book and I want to recommend it, but I am disappointed to see the flaws I have mentioned here. I cannot understand why they were not discovered and corrected after the first or the second edition of the book. Because of these flaws I cannot give it five stars, but since I like it, I will give it four stars.
PS. Full disclosure: I have never stayed at the Oriental, because I live in Bangkok. But I have visited the place several times. I enjoy the terrace by the river as much as Noël Coward did when he was there.
If you have stayed at the Oriental, this book will be
a wonderful souvenir. If you have never stayed there, you can still enjoy this
book while you think about what it would be like to be a guest at this establishment.
I know I do.
***
Andreas Augustin and Andrew Williamson,
The
Oriental Bangkok,
The Most Famous Hotels in the World, 2013, 160 pages
***
