This Private Riverside Villa in Bangkok Comes With Thai Cooking Classes and a 65-foot Saltwater Pool

"Conceived by Thai-Filipino couple Kirati Thepsoparn and Irma Go to fill a gap in Bangkok’s hospitality scene for traveling families, this canalside villa in Bangkok Noi reimagines three traditional stilted wooden houses into a single family-focused retreat. After purchasing dilapidated structures along the khlongs, the owners collaborated with vernacular Thai artisans to preserve the spirit of the original buildings—repurposing hardwood floorboards into furniture, reusing old window grills and doors, and keeping the original spirit house for offerings—while adding modern comforts: a breezy dining room with a 20-seat table, a library lounge, a spa and fern-fringed garden, a 65-foot saltwater pool, a kid-friendly lounge, and four upstairs bedrooms with lofty bathrooms finished in jewel-hued tiles and traditional earthen scoop showers alongside spacious rain showers and freestanding tubs; the two front bedrooms are decorated with intricately painted ceilings. One of the original houses was reconstructed as a moody backyard cocktail lounge. Rates start around $3,500 per night (rising to about $6,000 in high season) for up to eight guests and include airport transfers and a two-hour guided boat tour of the canals; on-site activities feature massages, lotus-folding workshops, chef-led Thai cooking classes, sunset drinks with views of Wat Suwannaram across the canal, a welcome dinner (notably the plump, garlicky river prawns), and daily breakfast. Its name roughly translates to "Auspicious Pavilion." - Chris Schalkx Chris Schalkx Chris Schalkx is a Dutch writer and photographer based in Bangkok and Taiwan. He writes about travel, sustainability, and design — preferably all three combined. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines