Twin Lotus Hotel in Nakorn Si Thammarat, Thailand
Straining to speak my best Thai, I asked the man who looked the part of a manager, "How much discount do residents get off the walk-in rate?"
In near perfect english, he answered, "We are a business hotel. Our standard room is Bt 850."
That almost left me speechless .. even in english. Mainly because the hotel looked to be at least 4 star. In Bangkok it would have been Bt 2,500.
That was 10 or more years ago when the place was called the Lotus Twin Towers and I was in the early stages of my "Tour of the South" to gather information for a tour guide.
Some nasty weather kicked up while I was walking on a remote beach in Prachuap Province. It took a while for me to find shelter, but the rain and wind still worked me over a bit.
I kept driving south and when I got close to Nakorn Si Thammarat I could feel a bad cold coming on. Traveling solo with a bad cold or flu is no fun at all, so I needed to hole up for a few days to get well. Suddenly, the Lotus Twin Hotel loomed on the horizon.
My several days at the Lotus Twin turned out to be extremely pleasant despite my ailment. The rooms were spacious and excellent, quiet with a nice view. Every morning at breakfast, every member of the restaurant staff would stop by and say hello .. and ask how I was feeling.
By a quirk of weather .. again .. I stayed at the Lotus Twin on the return drive. A flash storm hit late evening and Nakorn Si Thammarat was the nearest port.
After a shower and an hour of rest, I needed food. The waitress brought some surprising news instead of a menu. "Khun Dawit, we not have menu tonight. Only buffet." Upon seeing my expression, she continued, "Tonight is Happy New Year."
I had lost track of the days. Groaning inwardly at the prospect of a monster bill for a "gala New Year's Eve party" I asked, "How much?"
"Bt 200, but you must pay for beer extra."
A bit relieved at hearing the price, I turned and looked around. "Where is the Buffet line?"
Rows of tables laden with food of all types stretched down the walkway on two sides of the restaurant. Cooks were busy making roti, pounding somtam, fashioning pastries and stir frying dishes I had never seen. "How late is the buffet open?"
"Until 2:00 AM."
'Can I eat Bt 200 worth of food in 6 hours', I wondered? Then I could feel myself grinning.
