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The World Hum blog already beat me to the punch on this one, but it’s worth mentioning again that Thomas Swick has written a story about Bangkok’s great Atlanta Hotel in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — and I’m quite certain that I’m the “acquaintance” from the story that initially suggests he stay there.
Swick isn’t the only person I’ve sent to what is possibly the best, most idiosyncratic budget hotel in Southeast Asia. Indeed, everyone who’s ever asked me for hotel advice in Bangkok (including, it occurs to me, Jim Benning of World Hum) has gotten a recommendation to visit the quirky little guesthouse off Sukhumvit Road. Lonely Planet Thailand legend Joe Cummings first pointed me in the direction of the Atlanta in 2000, and I haven’t returned to the less-colorful dives of Bangkok’s more famous Khao San Road since then. And if you’ve ever heard me tell one of my many Bangkok stories in person, odds are the Atlanta is involved somehow.
Swick’s story (which is the first of two parts) does a nice job of capturing the weirdness of the Atlanta (though one has to go there in person to truly appreciate the place), and can be found here.
June 3rd, 2004 at 4:49 am
My girlfriend was recently staying at The Atlanta in Bangkok and was blown away by how it was like an island of abstinence floating in a sea of sex. I think she was there meeting Thomas Swick at the time, who was the one who reccommend she stay there. Funny how the word goes around. I just wanted to write and say I enjoy crusing around your site when i’m bored, lot’s of good stuff to read. I really liked you’re story ‘Native eye for the tourist guy’, funny as hell.
I’m living in New Zealand now, at the beach in Muriwai on the North Island. If you’re in that part of the world ever drop a line and come visit, free place to stay, i’ll take you on a surfing safari around the North Island if you’re into that, if not, we can drink beer.
June 3rd, 2004 at 8:32 am
Cheers, Chris — I’ll give you a holler if I ever get out to that part of the world!
June 3rd, 2004 at 8:46 am
You did indeed recommend The Atlanta to me Rolf, and I thank you for that.
It really is a great place.
-Jim
June 8th, 2004 at 11:45 pm
Rolf,
Looks like the team is going to head to the Atlanta later this week. I’ll keep you posted on their reaction.
J
June 29th, 2007 at 6:05 am
I had the pleasure of staying at the Atlanta during several visits to Bankock 1976,7.
What a wonderful experience it was. The staff, everthing was superb, beyond fault.
Malcolm.
September 17th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Did you know The Atlanta is even recorded for posterity in ‘literature’?
I wrote part of my novel, ‘THAI GIRL’ there and so couldn’t help but include it. I’ve called it ‘The Georgia’ but it’s thinly disguised.
In MY THAI GIRL AND I which is autobiographical I didn’t have to disguise it at all.