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Meet the man who puts the bling in Bangkok

Kate Ferguson is dazzled at the city’s Sofitel So.

I’m sitting at breakfast, watching the busy streets of Bangkok whirr below, when out of nowhere a Thai man donned in glitter and a red jacket sidles up next to me.

“I made these for you,” he giggles as he graciously hands me a giant bouquet of white roses, delicately wrapped in white and silver satin. “They are my favourite”.

It’s by far the biggest and most glorious bouquet of flowers ever given to me by a man with no romantic intentions.

Welcome to the grand character that is So Paul.

“They made me a uniform but I’m allowed to accessorise,” he muses as he points to the glitter embroidery lining his jacket arms, belt, prescription glasses and bouffant.

Before his days in the hotel business, 39-year-old Paul Boonrungreung lived in London for 20 years, where he ran his own fashion boutique.

A regular in London’s nightclub scene, he says he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Alexander McQueen and helped style Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga.

But nearing his 40s, he says he felt the pressure to “settle down”, so he returned to his home of Bangkok to be close to his family.

While working in a local restaurant, Paul was spotted by Sofitel So Bangkok general manager Gilles Cretallaz.

“He tried to convince me to come and work for him five times, I said no and no and no and no and no,” he says.

“But eventually I fell through because he’s very charming, he’s very pushy and he’s very smart.”

So Paul has been at Sofitel So Bangkok since its inception, and is guest relations manager.

A wood-themed room at Sofitel So Bangkok. Picture: Kate Ferguson

The hotel’s interior fits So Paul. Designed by Christian Lacroix, it’s unashamedly grand, theatrical and graceful.

“Well, I am the hotel’s mascot,” he says with a cheeky smile.

The 238-room hotel is also very grand. It’s the brainchild of Thai resort owner and visionary Verawat Ongvasith, who collaborated with five Thai designers. Each room is dedicated to one of five elements — water, earth, wood, metal and fire.

The hotel is on the corner of North Sathorn and Rama IV roads and overlooks Bangkok’s Lumpini Park. It has views over both sides of the city and a rooftop bar.

As for So Paul, this year he was Thailand’s sole recipient of the Accor excellence award — the company’s annual recognition of exceptional employees. “One of my favourite things is helping guests co-ordinate their outfit,” he says. “You have to be yourself and if you aren’t, bring it on.”

Kate Ferguson was a guest of Sofitel So Bangkok. See sofitel.com/sobangkok.