With its chandelier-adorned lobby and sharply dressed clientele, the pastel-colored Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, has been a glamorous anchor along the Chao Phraya River since 1876. Now it is preparing to celebrate its 150th year with a bevy of culinary reimaginings worth packing a suitcase for. French chef Anne-Sophie Pic is taking over the kitchen at the Michelin-starred Le Normandie, while the Cantonese-inflected China House will see a top-to-bottom reno of its colonial-style space. Baan Phraya, in a traditional Thai house that once served as a cooking school, showcases regional cuisine with ingredients grown in the property’s herb garden. After dinner, shimmy over to Bamboo Bar: The moody, wood-accented joint has been hosting some of the world’s best jazz musicians since the 1950s.
This article appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.