In Phuket Town the Thavorn Hotel, located quite centrally on Rasda Road (sometimes also called Ratsada Road, Rassada Road or whatever somebody prefers to transliterate the name into English) is an experience on its own.
Let me be perfectly clear: I am writing here about the old and original Thavorn Hotel, located -as mentioned- in Rasda Road.
Nowadays you also find hotels with names like "Thavorn Grand Plaza" (elsewhere in Phuket Town) and "Thavorn Beach Resort" (elsewhere on Phuket island). And who knows what more Thavorn hotels and resorts you will encounter in the future. There is nothing special about these new places. They are (probably good) hotels as you find thirteen in a dozen all over Thailand.
The old Thavorn Hotel, however, is unique. It is a sight not to be missed and has a proud history that is still shown proudly in a permanent exhibition (also called the "museum") in and around its lobby. Nobody will harm you if you just walk in to have a look. And if you follow my advice and do take a look there, do not forget also to visit the coffee shop, that can be reached either from the hotel lobby or from the street through its own separate entrance.
***
The Thavorn Hotel is one of the oldest hotel in Phuket Town (the Pearl Hotel is another very old hotel), and the Thavorn Hotel has a most remarkable history. It was founded somewhere in the beginning of the twentieth Century by the Thavorn Wong Wong family, a Phuketian family of Chinese origin. Some members of the family are pictured on the painting at the top of this experience. The picture is hanging above the front desk.
When you enter the lobby, with its magnificent staircase (see the picture at the bottom of this experience), you can already sense the great past of the place. Where does one find a staircase like that anyway, except in old Hollywood movies?
But not only the staircase is special for the Thavorn Hotel, also its elevator. It was the first elevator in Phuket province, and one of the first elevators in Thailand. This was such a "miracle" at the time, that tour operators in the wide surroundings organized tours to Phuket Town in these old days, with the elevator in the Thavorn Hotel as the main attraction! These tours were very popular. You will find a picture of one of those tours next to the (now modernized) elevator.
The Thavorn Hotel has seen many important visitors, including their majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, many politicians (Thai as well as foreign), (movie) stars and who not. Many of them can be seen on pictures in the permanent exhibition I wrote about. It would not surprise me if some of the major political decisions about Thailand were taken in the Thavorn Hotel. Descending the staircase you will see a frame with all the Prime Ministers since a long time.
***
One would expect, after the introduction above, that this hotel is a four star hotel. This is not true (any more), however. It is a one or two star hotel nowadays. The Thavorn family has lost most of its interest in it and prefers to make big money with its resorts, elsewhere on Phuket island. Most of the glamour of this particular, historic, hotel is gone now and the hotel is not even maintained as well as it should be. When we stayed there a few years ago, the air-conditioner was not working properly. Better stated: It was not working at all. When we called the front desk after we had become as red as lobsters because of the heat (around 2 a.m.), a typical example of Thai service was given to us: Despite the late (or -if you prefer- early) hour, within five minutes a hotel technician knocked at the door, and he was able to repair the refusing apparatus within fifteen minutes! So during the rest of the night we were able to regain our normal color.
Nowadays the Thavorn Hotel has two buildings: Near Rasda street is the main building -the original hotel- with air-conditioned rooms. In a second building, behind the main building, you find budget rooms, with just a fan for cooling and less luxury.
***
I strongly advise those of you who visit Phuket Town, to take a look in the hotel "museum". It would be even more advisable to stay for a few days in the Thavorn Hotel and taste the atmosphere of old Phuket instead of staying in a modern hotel with hardly any atmosphere of its own!
And as a bonus, if you have breakfast in the coffee shop of the Thavorn Hotel, you should order "khao thom moo" for breakfast there. I believe that you get the best khao thom in the whole of Thailand there. (See a picture of the coffee shop -photography prohibited- at the bottom of this experience).
***
Foreign tourists hardly stay in the Thavorn Hotel and the owners seem to have lost most of their interest in this magnificent piece of Phuket history. However, (ex-) Phuketians still prefer it to other hotels. During the Vegetarian Festival or during the Songkran holidays, the Thavorn is the first hotel to be fully booked. This gives me some hope that the Thavorn hotel will be available for some (or hopefully many) years to come.
The old beautiful dining room has been converted to a kind of modern restaurant about five years ago, but the lobby is still in its old glory an the museum is still intact, be it that in the older days the exhibition was mainly concentrated in the old dining room, whereas it now has been moved to some less important rooms behind the lobby, but the main thing is that it still is there.
A typical Thai detail from the past is that at the entrance of the (former) dining room there was a sign, stating that Thai Government Officials were good for a 10% reduction. And this sign -including the numbers- was only written in the Thai alphabet. The sign has gone now, but maybe the reduction has remained? Who knows, and who cares!
I advise you, reader with an interest in the history of Thailand, to visit the Thavorn Hotel on Rasda Road in Phuket Town as soon as you can. Who knows what unwise decisions may be made by the owners for the sake of "progress" in the future. The Thavorn Hotel is a precious little piece of Thai history that should never, but could any day, disappear!
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Otherwise close this window to return to the experiences index
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In Phuket Town the Thavorn Hotel, located quite centrally on Rasda Road (sometimes also called Ratsada Road, Rassada Road or whatever somebody prefers to transliterate the name into English) is an experience on its own.
Let me be perfectly clear: I am writing here about the old and original Thavorn Hotel, located -as mentioned- in Rasda Road.
Nowadays you also find hotels with names like "Thavorn Grand Plaza" (elsewhere in Phuket Town) and "Thavorn Beach Resort" (elsewhere on Phuket island). And who knows what more Thavorn hotels and resorts you will encounter in the future. There is nothing special about these new places. They are (probably good) hotels as you find thirteen in a dozen all over Thailand.
The old Thavorn Hotel, however, is unique. It is a sight not to be missed and has a proud history that is still shown proudly in a permanent exhibition (also called the "museum") in and around its lobby. Nobody will harm you if you just walk in to have a look. And if you follow my advice and do take a look there, do not forget also to visit the coffee shop, that can be reached either from the hotel lobby or from the street through its own separate entrance.
***
The Thavorn Hotel is one of the oldest hotel in Phuket Town (the Pearl Hotel is another very old hotel), and the Thavorn Hotel has a most remarkable history. It was founded somewhere in the beginning of the twentieth Century by the Thavorn Wong Wong family, a Phuketian family of Chinese origin. Some members of the family are pictured on the painting at the top of this experience. The picture is hanging above the front desk.
When you enter the lobby, with its magnificent staircase (see the picture at the bottom of this experience), you can already sense the great past of the place. Where does one find a staircase like that anyway, except in old Hollywood movies?
But not only the staircase is special for the Thavorn Hotel, also its elevator. It was the first elevator in Phuket province, and one of the first elevators in Thailand. This was such a "miracle" at the time, that tour operators in the wide surroundings organized tours to Phuket Town in these old days, with the elevator in the Thavorn Hotel as the main attraction! These tours were very popular. You will find a picture of one of those tours next to the (now modernized) elevator.
The Thavorn Hotel has seen many important visitors, including their majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, many politicians (Thai as well as foreign), (movie) stars and who not. Many of them can be seen on pictures in the permanent exhibition I wrote about. It would not surprise me if some of the major political decisions about Thailand were taken in the Thavorn Hotel. Descending the staircase you will see a frame with all the Prime Ministers since a long time.
***
One would expect, after the introduction above, that this hotel is a four star hotel. This is not true (any more), however. It is a one or two star hotel nowadays. The Thavorn family has lost most of its interest in it and prefers to make big money with its resorts, elsewhere on Phuket island. Most of the glamour of this particular, historic, hotel is gone now and the hotel is not even maintained as well as it should be. When we stayed there a few years ago, the air-conditioner was not working properly. Better stated: It was not working at all. When we called the front desk after we had become as red as lobsters because of the heat (around 2 a.m.), a typical example of Thai service was given to us: Despite the late (or -if you prefer- early) hour, within five minutes a hotel technician knocked at the door, and he was able to repair the refusing apparatus within fifteen minutes! So during the rest of the night we were able to regain our normal color.
Nowadays the Thavorn Hotel has two buildings: Near Rasda street is the main building -the original hotel- with air-conditioned rooms. In a second building, behind the main building, you find budget rooms, with just a fan for cooling and less luxury.
***
I strongly advise those of you who visit Phuket Town, to take a look in the hotel "museum". It would be even more advisable to stay for a few days in the Thavorn Hotel and taste the atmosphere of old Phuket instead of staying in a modern hotel with hardly any atmosphere of its own!
And as a bonus, if you have breakfast in the coffee shop of the Thavorn Hotel, you should order "khao thom moo" for breakfast there. I believe that you get the best khao thom in the whole of Thailand there. (See a picture of the coffee shop -photography prohibited- at the bottom of this experience).
***
Foreign tourists hardly stay in the Thavorn Hotel and the owners seem to have lost most of their interest in this magnificent piece of Phuket history. However, (ex-) Phuketians still prefer it to other hotels. During the Vegetarian Festival or during the Songkran holidays, the Thavorn is the first hotel to be fully booked. This gives me some hope that the Thavorn hotel will be available for some (or hopefully many) years to come.
The old beautiful dining room has been converted to a kind of modern restaurant about five years ago, but the lobby is still in its old glory an the museum is still intact, be it that in the older days the exhibition was mainly concentrated in the old dining room, whereas it now has been moved to some less important rooms behind the lobby, but the main thing is that it still is there.
A typical Thai detail from the past is that at the entrance of the (former) dining room there was a sign, stating that Thai Government Officials were good for a 10% reduction. And this sign -including the numbers- was only written in the Thai alphabet. The sign has gone now, but maybe the reduction has remained? Who knows, and who cares!
I advise you, reader with an interest in the history of Thailand, to visit the Thavorn Hotel on Rasda Road in Phuket Town as soon as you can. Who knows what unwise decisions may be made by the owners for the sake of "progress" in the future. The Thavorn Hotel is a precious little piece of Thai history that should never, but could any day, disappear!
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Otherwise close this window to return to the experiences index
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A Thailand Experience by René Hasekamp (Thavorn)
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In Phuket Town the Thavorn Hotel, located quite centrally on Rasda Road (sometimes also called Ratsada Road, Rassada Road or whatever somebody prefers to transliterate the name into English) is an experience on its own.
Let me be perfectly clear: I am writing here about the old and original Thavorn Hotel, located -as mentioned- in Rasda Road.
Nowadays you also find hotels with names like "Thavorn Grand Plaza" (elsewhere in Phuket Town) and "Thavorn Beach Resort" (elsewhere on Phuket island). And who knows what more Thavorn hotels and resorts you will encounter in the future. There is nothing special about these new places. They are (probably good) hotels as you find thirteen in a dozen all over Thailand.
The old Thavorn Hotel, however, is unique. It is a sight not to be missed and has a proud history that is still shown proudly in a permanent exhibition (also called the "museum") in and around its lobby. Nobody will harm you if you just walk in to have a look. And if you follow my advice and do take a look there, do not forget also to visit the coffee shop, that can be reached either from the hotel lobby or from the street through its own separate entrance.
***
The Thavorn Hotel is one of the oldest hotel in Phuket Town (the Pearl Hotel is another very old hotel), and the Thavorn Hotel has a most remarkable history. It was founded somewhere in the beginning of the twentieth Century by the Thavorn Wong Wong family, a Phuketian family of Chinese origin. Some members of the family are pictured on the painting at the top of this experience. The picture is hanging above the front desk.
When you enter the lobby, with its magnificent staircase (see the picture at the bottom of this experience), you can already sense the great past of the place. Where does one find a staircase like that anyway, except in old Hollywood movies?
But not only the staircase is special for the Thavorn Hotel, also its elevator. It was the first elevator in Phuket province, and one of the first elevators in Thailand. This was such a "miracle" at the time, that tour operators in the wide surroundings organized tours to Phuket Town in these old days, with the elevator in the Thavorn Hotel as the main attraction! These tours were very popular. You will find a picture of one of those tours next to the (now modernized) elevator.
The Thavorn Hotel has seen many important visitors, including their majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, many politicians (Thai as well as foreign), (movie) stars and who not. Many of them can be seen on pictures in the permanent exhibition I wrote about. It would not surprise me if some of the major political decisions about Thailand were taken in the Thavorn Hotel. Descending the staircase you will see a frame with all the Prime Ministers since a long time.
***
One would expect, after the introduction above, that this hotel is a four star hotel. This is not true (any more), however. It is a one or two star hotel nowadays. The Thavorn family has lost most of its interest in it and prefers to make big money with its resorts, elsewhere on Phuket island. Most of the glamour of this particular, historic, hotel is gone now and the hotel is not even maintained as well as it should be. When we stayed there a few years ago, the air-conditioner was not working properly. Better stated: It was not working at all. When we called the front desk after we had become as red as lobsters because of the heat (around 2 a.m.), a typical example of Thai service was given to us: Despite the late (or -if you prefer- early) hour, within five minutes a hotel technician knocked at the door, and he was able to repair the refusing apparatus within fifteen minutes! So during the rest of the night we were able to regain our normal color.
Nowadays the Thavorn Hotel has two buildings: Near Rasda street is the main building -the original hotel- with air-conditioned rooms. In a second building, behind the main building, you find budget rooms, with just a fan for cooling and less luxury.
***
I strongly advise those of you who visit Phuket Town, to take a look in the hotel "museum". It would be even more advisable to stay for a few days in the Thavorn Hotel and taste the atmosphere of old Phuket instead of staying in a modern hotel with hardly any atmosphere of its own!
And as a bonus, if you have breakfast in the coffee shop of the Thavorn Hotel, you should order "khao thom moo" for breakfast there. I believe that you get the best khao thom in the whole of Thailand there. (See a picture of the coffee shop -photography prohibited- at the bottom of this experience).
***
Foreign tourists hardly stay in the Thavorn Hotel and the owners seem to have lost most of their interest in this magnificent piece of Phuket history. However, (ex-) Phuketians still prefer it to other hotels. During the Vegetarian Festival or during the Songkran holidays, the Thavorn is the first hotel to be fully booked. This gives me some hope that the Thavorn hotel will be available for some (or hopefully many) years to come.
The old beautiful dining room has been converted to a kind of modern restaurant about five years ago, but the lobby is still in its old glory an the museum is still intact, be it that in the older days the exhibition was mainly concentrated in the old dining room, whereas it now has been moved to some less important rooms behind the lobby, but the main thing is that it still is there.
A typical Thai detail from the past is that at the entrance of the (former) dining room there was a sign, stating that Thai Government Officials were good for a 10% reduction. And this sign -including the numbers- was only written in the Thai alphabet. The sign has gone now, but maybe the reduction has remained? Who knows, and who cares!
I advise you, reader with an interest in the history of Thailand, to visit the Thavorn Hotel on Rasda Road in Phuket Town as soon as you can. Who knows what unwise decisions may be made by the owners for the sake of "progress" in the future. The Thavorn Hotel is a precious little piece of Thai history that should never, but could any day, disappear!
If you entered the site here, choose from the menu at the top
Otherwise close this window to return to the experiences index
Do you like this site?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
In Phuket Town the Thavorn Hotel, located quite centrally on Rasda Road (sometimes also called Ratsada Road, Rassada Road or whatever somebody prefers to transliterate the name into English) is an experience on its own.
Let me be perfectly clear: I am writing here about the old and original Thavorn Hotel, located -as mentioned- in Rasda Road.
Nowadays you also find hotels with names like "Thavorn Grand Plaza" (elsewhere in Phuket Town) and "Thavorn Beach Resort" (elsewhere on Phuket island). And who knows what more Thavorn hotels and resorts you will encounter in the future. There is nothing special about these new places. They are (probably good) hotels as you find thirteen in a dozen all over Thailand.
The old Thavorn Hotel, however, is unique. It is a sight not to be missed and has a proud history that is still shown proudly in a permanent exhibition (also called the "museum") in and around its lobby. Nobody will harm you if you just walk in to have a look. And if you follow my advice and do take a look there, do not forget also to visit the coffee shop, that can be reached either from the hotel lobby or from the street through its own separate entrance.
***
The Thavorn Hotel is one of the oldest hotel in Phuket Town (the Pearl Hotel is another very old hotel), and the Thavorn Hotel has a most remarkable history. It was founded somewhere in the beginning of the twentieth Century by the Thavorn Wong Wong family, a Phuketian family of Chinese origin. Some members of the family are pictured on the painting at the top of this experience. The picture is hanging above the front desk.
When you enter the lobby, with its magnificent staircase (see the picture at the bottom of this experience), you can already sense the great past of the place. Where does one find a staircase like that anyway, except in old Hollywood movies?
But not only the staircase is special for the Thavorn Hotel, also its elevator. It was the first elevator in Phuket province, and one of the first elevators in Thailand. This was such a "miracle" at the time, that tour operators in the wide surroundings organized tours to Phuket Town in these old days, with the elevator in the Thavorn Hotel as the main attraction! These tours were very popular. You will find a picture of one of those tours next to the (now modernized) elevator.
The Thavorn Hotel has seen many important visitors, including their majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, many politicians (Thai as well as foreign), (movie) stars and who not. Many of them can be seen on pictures in the permanent exhibition I wrote about. It would not surprise me if some of the major political decisions about Thailand were taken in the Thavorn Hotel. Descending the staircase you will see a frame with all the Prime Ministers since a long time.
***
One would expect, after the introduction above, that this hotel is a four star hotel. This is not true (any more), however. It is a one or two star hotel nowadays. The Thavorn family has lost most of its interest in it and prefers to make big money with its resorts, elsewhere on Phuket island. Most of the glamour of this particular, historic, hotel is gone now and the hotel is not even maintained as well as it should be. When we stayed there a few years ago, the air-conditioner was not working properly. Better stated: It was not working at all. When we called the front desk after we had become as red as lobsters because of the heat (around 2 a.m.), a typical example of Thai service was given to us: Despite the late (or -if you prefer- early) hour, within five minutes a hotel technician knocked at the door, and he was able to repair the refusing apparatus within fifteen minutes! So during the rest of the night we were able to regain our normal color.
Nowadays the Thavorn Hotel has two buildings: Near Rasda street is the main building -the original hotel- with air-conditioned rooms. In a second building, behind the main building, you find budget rooms, with just a fan for cooling and less luxury.
***
I strongly advise those of you who visit Phuket Town, to take a look in the hotel "museum". It would be even more advisable to stay for a few days in the Thavorn Hotel and taste the atmosphere of old Phuket instead of staying in a modern hotel with hardly any atmosphere of its own!
And as a bonus, if you have breakfast in the coffee shop of the Thavorn Hotel, you should order "khao thom moo" for breakfast there. I believe that you get the best khao thom in the whole of Thailand there. (See a picture of the coffee shop -photography prohibited- at the bottom of this experience).
***
Foreign tourists hardly stay in the Thavorn Hotel and the owners seem to have lost most of their interest in this magnificent piece of Phuket history. However, (ex-) Phuketians still prefer it to other hotels. During the Vegetarian Festival or during the Songkran holidays, the Thavorn is the first hotel to be fully booked. This gives me some hope that the Thavorn hotel will be available for some (or hopefully many) years to come.
The old beautiful dining room has been converted to a kind of modern restaurant about five years ago, but the lobby is still in its old glory an the museum is still intact, be it that in the older days the exhibition was mainly concentrated in the old dining room, whereas it now has been moved to some less important rooms behind the lobby, but the main thing is that it still is there.
A typical Thai detail from the past is that at the entrance of the (former) dining room there was a sign, stating that Thai Government Officials were good for a 10% reduction. And this sign -including the numbers- was only written in the Thai alphabet. The sign has gone now, but maybe the reduction has remained? Who knows, and who cares!
I advise you, reader with an interest in the history of Thailand, to visit the Thavorn Hotel on Rasda Road in Phuket Town as soon as you can. Who knows what unwise decisions may be made by the owners for the sake of "progress" in the future. The Thavorn Hotel is a precious little piece of Thai history that should never, but could any day, disappear!
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Otherwise close this window to return to the experiences index
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![Tavorn Hotel in its glory days](JavaScript:openPopWin("experiences/experiences6-01.jpg", 660, 510, "", "cen", "cen"))
![Staircase in Thavorn Hotel](JavaScript:openPopWin("experiences/experiences6-02.jpg", 660, 510, "", "cen", "cen"))
![Coffee shop of the Thavorn Hotel](JavaScript:openPopWin("experiences/experiences6-03.jpg", 660, 510, "", "cen", "cen"))