A sneak peek at Bangkok's remarkable 'Tree House' hotel
At the western end of Samphawut Road, next to the Bang Na Nok temple is a small pier, from which boats ferry pedestrians and motorcyclists across the river to Bang Ka Chao.
Popularly known as the "Green Lung of Bangkok," this almost-island (it’s connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus), is lapped by the Chao Phraya river on three sides.
In recent years, a number of homestays have sprung up that offer weary Bangkokians a weekend respite from the hectic city. These are mostly simple affairs: basic wooden A-frames built on former farming land, though the better ones come equipped with modern conveniences such as air-conditioning and flat screen TVs.
However, there have never been any true hotels on Bang Ka Chao –- until now, that is.
A Wi-Fi-equipped swallow's nest
The Bangkok Treehouse is a 12-suite property filled with mangrove palms and lamphu trees, which attract fireflies. Guests will arrive via a dedicated shuttle boat across the Chao Phraya, disembarking onto a floating pontoon overlooked by the hotel’s gourmet organic restaurant.
Each standard suite is divided into three levels (living room, bedroom and roof deck), offering views of the surrounding river, mangroves and coconut plantations.
Inside, the rooms are comfortable and cozy, with all the expected mod-cons (TV, DVD, Wi-Fi), and optional air-conditioning.
Out the back, looking down on the natural swimming pool, is the Tree House itself. The towering twin structure built around the site’s largest tree, a lamphu, was designed to resemble a swallow’s nest –- though judging from the initial conceptual drawings, it could just as easily have been inspired by the tree villages of Avatar.
The ABCs of green
One imagines the green message central to James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster was not lost on Jirayu. To encapsulate his environmental initiatives for the hotel, he created his own "Green Alphabet."
For instance, A stands for “A kilo of trash removed from the river for every booking you make with us”; F is for “Food at the Bangkok Tree House is organic, fresh and 100 percent ‘artificial anything' free”; and Z is for “Zero waste goal. We follow the ‘Six Rs’ of sustainable living: Refuse, Refuse, Refuse, then Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.”
Of course, environmental leanings don’t guarantee room bookings, which is why Jirayu is also relying on the charms of Bang Ka Chao to attract guests.
On a half day’s ride on one of the hotel bikes (complimentary for guests during their stay), guests can visit a floating market, organic farms and orchards, Thai cooking schools, handmade incense workshops and ancient temples built by Mon immigrants more than a century ago.
It’s certainly a bold plan, albeit one backed up by green credentials and an impressive track record. Although his last job was as assistant to the former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij (kicked out of office along with the rest of the Democrats), Jirayu has always been into hospitality -- something he learned from his mother, who runs the Old Bangkok Inn. The Treehouse is very much his own project though.
And according to Jirayu, there’s one final reason why the project is guaranteed to be a success: “I’ve already promised my girlfriend that we will get engaged here on November 11. If it’s not finished by then, the wedding could be off.”
