The Baiyoke Sky Hotel, a monster building

Video #1 - Room 7404, Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok

Video #2 - dinner outside on the deck, 

Bangkok Sky Restaurant, Bangkok

Video #2 - View West from the Bangkok Sky Restaurant, Bangkok

Video #3 - View South from the Bangkok Sky Restaurant, Bangkok

 Video #4 - Window crew removing anti-glare film, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, as seen from the Airport Skytrain line,
Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, as seen from the Pratunam Market area, 
Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, phad thai in the coffee shop, a mere 19 floors up, 
Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, sunset from an outdoor terrace,
Bangkok Sky Restaurant, Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, peering over the edge and 75 floors down,
Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Pratunam Market area from an open terrace,
Ratchathewi District, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, bedtime in Room 7408, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, industrial looking sunrise, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, window crew member, Bangkok

Baiyoke Sky Hotel, window crew member, Bangkok

IN THE MIDDAY LIGHT the Baiyoke Sky Hotel looked almost menacing. This post-modern creature rose 85 storeys, far above the Ratchathewi District, dwarfing any surrounding buildings. In the shadow of Thailand's highest building was also the Pratunam Market, a chaotically busy neighbourhood known for it's cheap clothing. On first sight, at the beginning of the trip, i viewed it in disbelief, having just arrived from Vancouver. After a series of flights i could see the soaring monster from my budget hotel. 

With the trip now coming to an end, a night in the Baiyoke Sky Hotel started to appeal to me. It seemed like a novel last sleep in Asia so i went online. Of course i felt a little guilty too. Staying at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel felt a little pretentious, even excessive, at least by my sometimes thrifty standards. What really intrigued me though, was the promise of spectacular urban views, not any perceived luxury. 

With my flight home to Canada the next day (February 20th), i left the Marvin Suites and took a taxi to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. I stepped into a crowded elevator, packed with members of a Siberian tour group and we ascended to the 19th floor. At check in, i decided to update from a Sky Zone (46-68 floors) to a Space Zone Superior Room (74th floor), so that i could experience being even higher then high. Room 7408 turned out to very comfortable, but one could quibble that the spacious quarters looked a tad faded, perhaps even frayed, here and there. The view of course was breathtaking, even if it was through floor to ceiling windows that were covered with a film made up of a screen of fine black dots. This was meant, of course, to reduce the glare of the sun.

Suppertime was approaching so i took the elevator up to the 76th floor, and the Bangkok Sky Restaurant. Here one could sit outside and view the city while eating dinner. Outside i had a table right at the edge of the open terrace. When i held my iPad over the edge, the top of the concrete and glass parapet was at chest height. One could look straight down, 78 floors down to be exact. It took a little while to overcome the slight nausea and of course i was terribly careful not to let go of the little tablet device, while making video clips. Being some 9.3 million people, metro Bangkok seemed huge. The cityscapes gradually faded away, in the distance, in a thick cloud of pollution. The buffet was the biggest i had ever seen and stretched around the inside of the floor, on three sides of the elevator shafts and kitchens. There was trays and steamers of food lined out, like a culinary procession, with a bewildering array of choices. It included a variety of fantastic seafood, including jumbo prawns and little mussels. There was Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Western fare as well as a huge variety of desserts and fruit. It was far beyond too much. 

Night fell and i returned to my room, feeling rather full from the International Buffet and eager to just lay low till bedtime. The next morning i woke up, after a good sleep, just as the Eastern sky was turning light. Sunrise came in a palette of slightly acidic hues, shining through the pollution. I took an elevator upstairs to have breakfast, which was once again another gargantuan buffet. As i did not need to check in for my flight till mid-afternoon, i had hours left before the departure for Taipei. Here in my room, i could now hear clanking sounds, coming from above, A swaying cable or two, came into view. Soon a team of workmen descended on a platform, outside the windows. They were removing the anti-glare film on the window surfaces. 

By noon, i was back outside, dragging my suitcase across the pavement in the ferocious heat and humidity, with a walk of a few minutes to the nearest Skytrain station. The airport was next.

Some technical information:
Architectural height: 304.0 meter (997 feet)
Floors above ground: 85
Number of hotel rooms: 673
Start of construction: 1990
Completion : 1997

Lonely Planet review, which points out some negatives – they have a point :
Baiyoke Sky Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand - Lonely Planet

Overview of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel :
Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

Baiyoke Sky Tower Reviews - Bangkok, Thailand Attractions - TripAdvisor

International Buffet at the  Baiyoke Sky Hotel :
International Buffet at Bangkok Sky Restaurant - Special Offers