THAILAND – Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Hotel // The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Lushious, luxurious, legendary – the Mandarin Oriental is a real institution in the Bond movieverse and the right place to wish goodnight after a glass of Phuyuck.
Why Bond was here
James Bond (Roger Moore) got a death threat – a golden bullet with his number on. Sent by no one else than world-class assassin Fransisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). Bond trails him to Thailand and now, with the help of field agent Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), wants to bring him down. The two MI6 agents meet at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok – and discuss their plans over a glass of “Phuyuck” at the hotels terrace restaurant.
James Bond, not too enthusiastic about his glass of “Phuyuck”
How you gonna get there
The Mandarin Oriental opened in 1876 as “The Oriental” and is one of Bangkoks oldest hotels and till today a high-end address. It is situated at the eastern banks of Chao Phraya river close to the city center. Every Taxi or Tuk-Tuk driver will know the way – but you can also easily get there by public transport. The closest metro station is Saphan Taksin some hundred meters south. From there you can either walk or take a river boat. Many public boats roam Chao Phraya, a trip costs only 15 Baht and you can get off at any pier. It is the fastest and cheapest way to move in Bangkok. The pier in front of the Mandarin Oriental is called after the hotels original name: Oriental.
Good to know
During filming the crew stayed at the hotel and got treated like royals. The history book at the front desk tells the tale, that Christopher Lee couldn’t sleep in his bed at first. He was just to talk for the small Thai-style beds, the management had to extend the mattress. In the guestbook, Lee then noted: “…with my profound thanks for a memorable and comfort stay.” A sharp contrast to the accommodation down at Phang Nga Bay: The area wasn’t touristic back in the 70s, James Bond Island had no visitors at all. Lee and Roger Moore stayed in a brothel in Phuket Town and had to carry their own warm water in buckets from a neighboring village. But the Mandarin Oriental is a different story.
We enjoyed a relaxed afternoon at the Mandarin Oriental and had coffee at the beautiful “Author’s Lounge”. The small cafe in the famous Author’s Wing offers pastries, sandwiches and tea. A guitar player fills the room with gentle music, white-painted raffia chaise lounges breathe teatime spirit. Right outside the Author’s Wing is the small garden in front of the terrace where the filming took place on the green. Nowadays you can’t sit on the grass anymore – but the Italian restaurant “Ciao Terrazza” offers dinner just next to the garden. Just don’t ask for a glass of “Phuyuck” – the wine doesn’t really exist but was made up just for the movie.
Unfortunately this time we weren’t able to talk to anyone of the staff who was there during the filming. Nonetheless it was a lovely experience to breath the “colonial” charme of old times. If you can, reserve a table in advance and enjoy a proper teatime with a selection of homemade pastries.
© 2019 HuntingBond (1,3), © 1974 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. The Spy Who Loved Me (2)