Kasayapi Boutique Hotel – Thonburi’s Hidden Gem
Bangkok has more than its fair share of outstanding boutique hotels, each with its own unique story, character and design. If you’re looking for somewhere serene and cozy to stay in Bangkok’s Thonburi area, then look no further than Kasayapi Boutique Hotel.
Located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River on a tract of land belonging to the Xuto family, Kasayapi is only a ten-minute walk from Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and right next to the MRT Itsaraphap station, which is scheduled to open in August 2019.
Family pictures with Kasayapi Xuto, whose name is used to name the hotel. | Credit: Stephanie Wang
Founded by two sisters, Amornratana and Kanyaratana Xuto, and inspired by their family home, the hotel ensures that guests feel perfectly at home while getting the hang of Thonburi’s cultural life.
Amonratana “Noom” can still recall how her mother, Kasayapi, raised her four children in a house designed by their architect father who ensured it had adequate natural light, air flow and ventilation.
“My siblings and I grew up seeing our parents welcoming family members, friends and her colleagues, both foreigners and Thais, at our house. They came to meet up and enjoy themselves on countless occasions. These fond childhood memories have inspired us to build a hotel where we can also welcome guests to enjoy the same, wonderful experiences we had when we were young,” said Noom.
A hardwood door marks the entrance that leads guests to a small garden that affords a sweeping view of the main building with béton brut concrete walls, which provides a modern touch to the décor that contrasts with wooden Thaistyle exteriors.
Talented designers Piya Muangprae and Somboon Wangmunphol from HUB Architecture and Design preserve the family’s childhood memories by adorning the main building with perforated walls and ceilings to allow natural light to enter. The spacious lobby also serves as an open-air dining area for breakfast and is inspired by the family’s original house inherited from their grandparents.
Bedroom on the ground floor | Credit: Stephanie Wang
The hotel has only ten bedrooms, all spacious and unique in design. “One of my inspirations was to introduce the Thonburi neighborhood to our guests, so all ten rooms have been designed with different themes, each telling a story about an iconic building or area in Thonburi,” said Noom.
The headboard resembles the roof design of Thonburi Palace. | Credit: Stephanie Wang
One of the Deluxe King rooms on the ground floor is decorated with graphics of Thonburi Palace, also called Phra Ratchawang Doem of King Taksin the Great. The palace is open to visitors only once a year because the palace is in the grounds of the Royal Thai Navy headquarters. The headboard resembles the roof design of that palace. The room has a luxurious ambience, amped up by hardwood custom-made furniture.
The bedrooms are a mix of smooth floor tiles and concrete and have wheelchair access thanks to a gentle slope at the threshold. This is to make sure that the hotel welcomes everyone and is accessible to all by installing handrails and providing easy access for wheelchair users.
Stairs leading up to the second floor with perforated metal artworks of Wat Arun and the royal barges. | Credit: Stephanie Wang
The stairway leading up to the second floor is decorated with perforated metal artworks of royal barges on display on both sides of the concrete walls. There’s also a gorgeous perforated metal replica of Wat Arun at sunset on the second-floor landing. The dimly lit art pieces – made from sheets of metal cut into Thai patterns and painted black – lend a modern touch to the hotel’s Thai style décor.
The second floor hosts seven Superior rooms, one of which features décor in the theme of “Royal Barges”. There are also exquisite wood carvings displaying familiar Thai patterns that go well with the clear-glass window offering a panorama of the lush garden below. The Kudi Cheen room comes alive thanks to its vibrant red Chinese decor and art objects symbolizing the Chinese community living in Thonburi alongside Thais and Portuguese back in the days.
Noom’s painting of Tossakan mask. | Credit: Stephanie Wang
The next room is adorned with Noom’s painting of a khon mask of Tossakan (aka Ravana, the demon king in the Ramayana epic), a fitting tribute to the traditional Thai puppet shows at Baan Silapin (the Artist’s House) at Klong Bang Luang Market.
Kasayapi is a boutique hotel in every sense: intimate and cozy with every inch of the hotel displaying fine details and every well-thought-out design telling a story of its own. The Xuto sisters have not only turned their childhood memories into a reality, but they have also done a great job by presenting the relatively quiet Thonburi neighborhood and its story to the outside world through art and design.
Kasayapi Boutique Hotel
102/1 Itsaraphap Road, Soi Itsaraphap 32, Bangkok Yai
Tel. 02 891 1191
www.facebook.com/kasayapithonburi/
