Bangkok

"Hands down I would stay at The Siam Hotel. It's on the river. It's a very small hotel, with 30 rooms. It’s chock-a-block full of memorabilia from the turn of the century in Thailand. It's near the Grand Palace and all the wonderful things that are surrounding the Grand Palace."

The Siam Hotel

"I still take a long-tail boat down thekhlongs [canals] on the west side of Bangkok and have it stop at every single one of thewats[temples]. These temples are overgrown and have been there since the 1700s. To get there by way of a long-tail boat, private hire is like $20 an hour. Head to Jack's Bar in Charoenkrung, and you can get one from there. Otherwise most hotels can help arrange — there is no one company that is best known."

Jack’s Bar

"I just went to the National Museum Bangkok, and it has redone its decorative arts wing. They have the most amazing Thai puppet display now, it's mind-boggling. Even if you're not a fan of puppets and whatnot, just the attention to detail and artistry is great."

National Museum Bangkok

"Just outside of Chatuchak, there's a place called the Red Building. Everybody knows it, it's just a really ugly building, but inside is probably 300 vendors of all different things, from antique Swedish chess to Thai railroad maps to memorabilia to photographs of the King of Thailand. I highly recommend it, it’s a great place to go."

Chatuchak Market

A spur-of-the-moment decision led Bill Bensley to pack up his life in the US and hitchhike to Singapore straight after graduation. It was the beginning of an adventure that has taken him to Hong Kong, Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam and even the Congo, honing a unique brand of architecture and design that embodies sustainable sensibilities and methods. Calling Bangkok home since the 1980s, he runs a studio there, and in Bali, with an international reach. Now, he’s a celebrity in the world of hotels and design.

As a landscape designer and architect — not to mention an artist in his own right — Bill Bensley has carved a niche as one of Southeast Asia’s premier creative talents.

Bangkok with Bill Bensley

Landscape Designer & Architect

Discover exceptional places with exceptional people

Bill Bensley

Landscape Designer & Architect

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Bill Bensley

Landscape Designer & Architect

Popular Gems

Curatingtravel,creativitycommunityand culture

As Seen in

Curatingtravel,
creativitycommunity
and culture