The art of running a small hotel in Phuket
V in the bar area of his little guest house.
Thanat Sompongphanich – better known as “V” – originally came to Phuket from Bangkok with a commission to paint murals for the Phuket Mining Museum, particularly depicting the streets of old Phuket Town during the tin boom of a century ago.
Now V has found himself a home in those same streets, in Soi Romanee, to be precise. Soi Romanee in those days was the city’s entertainment quarter, where tin miners (mostly immigrant Chinese) would blow their hard-won wages on booze, gambling and women.
It was a great deal for the mine owners, who were also often the owners of the bars, gambling dens and brothels of Soi Romanee. They would pay the miners and, within hours, a lot of that money would flow back into their hands.
These days, Soi Romanee is very different, however. The end of the tin boom and the shift to tourism in the 1970s saw the raucous night life of the little street dwindle. Over the past few years, however, it has seen a revival, this time with the opening of small craft shops, cafés, bars and, in V’s case, a small guest house called Rommanee @9 Be My Guest. It’s easy to find – Soi Romanee is a short street.
This is no big hotel. Upstairs are just two rooms with air-conditioning and three with fans. They’re for small budgets; the former cost B550 a night and the latter B350. The rooms, as you might expect at those prices, are basic, but clean.
The place is also a showroom for V’s artistic talents. Paintings cover most of the walls, upstairs and down. Some are by him, some by his look nong, or assistants. All are definitely worth a look. One wall is a showcase for the photography of a friend.
If you like motorbikes, you’re going to be fascinated by his pride and joy, a Triumph Speed Twin made in 1952 and in mint condition.
Or just drop in any evening; there are usually people there for the pleasure of good company over a few drinks. And if the company gets too good, you may need to check whether one of the rooms upstairs is free.
