Did you know? · Bangkok
Bangkok fun facts
Things you might not know about Bangkok. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated October 2026
A hotel of 1887
The Oriental, now the Mandarin Oriental, opened its doors on 14 May 1887 in a building designed by the Italian firm Cardu and Rossi; electric light arrived in 1891, and The Bamboo Bar became the city’s first jazz bar after the hotel reopened in 1947 (the hotel’s own history).
Drinks in the clouds
Sky Bar, on the 64th floor of State Tower, is 247 metres up (lebua.com). King Power Mahanakhon’s observation deck, with its glass-floored SkyWalk, is at 314 metres (kingpowermahanakhon.co.th).
A star for street food
Jay Fai, a street-food kitchen on Maha Chai Road, holds one MICHELIN star in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026; two Bangkok restaurants, Sorn and Sühring, hold three.
The first stadium
Rajadamnern Stadium describes itself as the world’s first Muay Thai stadium (rajadamnern.com).
Questions and answers
When did the Oriental hotel open?
On 14 May 1887 (the Mandarin Oriental’s own history).
How high is Sky Bar?
247 metres, on the 64th floor of State Tower (lebua.com).