The Thai Song Greet hotel was just one of many similar places you could find around Bangkok (and much of Asia) right through the 70's. This one became popular with budget travelers primarily because Tony Wheeler gave it prominent mention in South-East Asia on a Shoestring; probably because it was so close to Hualamphong Railway Station, just a few steps away on the north side of Rama IV. It closed years ago, a victim of urban renewal in the vicinity of the train station.
The ground floor had a restaurant that always looked like a jumbled mess, dominated by a great wok with a roaring fire underneath. The cook was a tall and large Chinese man who wore massive grey walking shorts and a wrinkled white singlet. He cooked up a variety of foods, including eggs and toast for travelers who couldn't stomach noodles for breakfast. I have fond memories of watching him make coffee using a great long filter that looked like an old gym sock. In spite of the current popularity of Nescafe packets, you can still get coffee made this way if you make a bit of effort.
Up one flight of stairs was the hotel's reception desk. On the wall behind the desk was a board full of padlocks and keys. After you'd paid in advance you were given a padlock and matching keys along with your room number. You used the padlock to secure your room; on the inside at night and the outside when you were out.
Most of the rooms were up more flights of stairs. Each room had a wash basin and mirror just outside the door, in the corridor. Inside the room was a bed covered by a single sheet and a thin blanket. Above was a noisy ceiling fan. A door in the back opened up on a bathroom with a toilet and cold water shower.
The ceilings in the place were very high, three or four meters. The walls were concrete, but the concrete part only went up two or three meters. Above this was a wire mesh of the sort called "chain link" in the States. I suppose this allowed for better air circulation, but it also allowed for terrific noise circulation; the disadvantage of which will become clear.
I first arrived in Bangkok on a hot Summer night in 1977 on a flight from Rangoon. I made my way to the Thai Song Greet and by the time I arrived I just wanted some sleep. I stepped out of my room to brush my teeth and wash my face in the basin when a spidery whore jumped up on my back, locking her arms around my neck, her legs around my chest, her mouth parroting in bad English all the wonderful things she was prepared to do for me that evening. I finally pried her off my back and sent her back to her cackling colleagues who spent the entire night telling jokes and giggling out loud.
I never stayed again at the Thai Song Greet.
It's interesting to note that time (1977), Tony Wheeler's first choice for budget accommodation was the Malaysia, famous for it's bulletin board. This board was the Asia Trip Advisor for the 70's; a place where you could get the latest information on travel conditions throughout the region.
Finally, the 1977 editions of "Shoestring" make no mention of Khao San Road. This was long before entrepreneurs began opening guest houses aimed specifically at the budget traveler.
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Photographs and text copyright Michael Newman and William Garsden: 2024