In the middle of the 19th century, when Thailand was still known as Siam, a rest house for foreign seafarers was established on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It was to become one of the world?s greatest hotels: The Oriental. Over the years, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok has consistently garnered global recognition as the best hotel in the world, famed not only for its excellent facilities but also for its legendary Oriental service that is delivered by a team of talented and dedicated colleagues, many of whom have been with the hotel for over 20 years. I knew personnaly the former GM Kurt Wachtveitl, now 80 years old, who was manager of the hotel for 40 years;