This Century-Old House in Bangkok Is Now a Thriving Tourist Spot
It's a restaurant, wellness hub, and apothecary, all rolled into one.
(SPOT.ph) Bangkok is known as a vibrant city that never sleeps. It's where you can find delicious food and amazing massages at practically every corner. It is also well-known for mixing the traditional with the ultra-modern—just check out the colorful and sparkling architecture. Tucked in a quiet side street in Bangkok’s old town and just a hop and skip away from tourist hotspot Khao San Road is a century-old colonial house with a storied past and a promising future. It's called Baan Ya Hom Zantiis and functions as a restaurant, wellness hub, and apothecary. While the structure has been around for decades, it opened as it is now in 2020.
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A Bangkok Tourist Spot With Century-Old History
The wooden house is the home of the Bunyaratvej clan, whose family patriarch Khun Dej has some knowledge of aromatic medicine, a traditional formulation that uses fragrant herbs (e.g. pollen, agarwood, sandalwood, musk), particularly the Ya Hom Tra Mah (Horse) brand. This was passed on to Khun Boonrawd, who became known as Doctor Boonrawd.
Construction of the structure started towards the end of the reign of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn), but was interrupted by the First World War, and was finally completed in 1922, during the reign of King Rama VI.
Their factory and store were located in the same compound. However, there came a time when factories were banned from the area, and so they transferred to the Dao Khanong district. No one lived in the house for 40 years until Donchai Bunyaratvej, a member of the fifth generation, decided to renovate it to pay homage to Thai heritage and innovation, and called it Baan Ya Hom Zantiis.
Most of the old teak wood has been retained along with many antique furniture and bric-a-brac.
Baan Ya Hom Zantiis as a Purveyor of Thai Heritage in Modern Times
After going through the arch and gates, you’ll walk through a huge parking area to get to the ancestral house, which has now kept up with the times through air-conditioning. You then go up a few steps and leave your footwear outside the glass doors.
The veranda, which has tables and chairs, reflects the Ya Hom apothecary roots. The wall is lined with cabinets and herbs in glass jars on display.
The main dining area, on the other hand, exudes a cozy vibe, owing not only to the cushioned sofas but also to the aromatherapy wafting through the air and splashes of yellow accents on the walls. You can immediately settle down on one of the cushioned seats to examine the menu, but it may be hard to not explore the rest of the house's ground floor.
There are other dining areas, a piano, and a souvenir shop with locally produced scarves and bags. There are many antique items to catch your fancy, like bureaus adorned with interesting pieces and items from in-house bath and aromatherapy brands Zantiis and Sukonta. There are also sketch artworks depicting Tanao Road street scenes from the early 1900s adorning the walls.
Going down a few steps leads you to the bar and cafe; then, finally, the BYH & Co. Apothecary. Light blue and blue are the pervading hues here, with the floors tiled in black-and-white. The artesian well from the original house can be found here and it is still functional today. There is a sink in the apothecary area for you to try the hand soap variants, and two walls are covered with shelves and cabinets with the company’s different brands: Ndol Natural spa product line; Sukonta aromatherapy products; and Zantiis organic fragrances and skin care products.
The wall of the wooden staircase is lined with apothecary elements, including wooden drawers, glass containers, clay pots, and kettles. On the huge walls hang framed black-and-white photographs of Thai people and places from a century ago.
One large room—formerly the main bedroom—is a private dining area that can accommodate 25 persons. It's particularly inviting with its large windows that let in natural light and fresh air.
The second floor is predominantly home to the spa: Zantiis Retreat Massage and Herb Healing, where you can choose from a host of Thai therapeutic massages. In one room, there are four cushions in a row on the floor—with curtains separating each—for Thai body massages, the adjacent room has two cushioned reclining chairs for Thai foot massages, and another room has a solo massage table. There are two bathrooms where you can change into a matching cotton pajama top and bottom for your traditional Thai massage (THB 350 for one hour).
A Feast of Heirloom Recipes
Not only are the dishes here predominantly traditional Thai, but they are also therapeutic, especially with the use of herbs and spices that have proven benefits for overall health and well-being. The recipes have been passed down from Donchai‘s grandmother and mother; and the desserts are his mother’s creations.
Servings are for sharing. Some of the signature Thai dishes are spring rolls (THB 95), som tum (THB 180), pomelo salad (THB 220), deep-fried shrimp cakes (THB 180) for starters; tom yum kung (THB 280), chicken stew with turmeric (THB 120), rice with stir-fried chicken and basil (THB 130), Baan Ya Hom fried rice and pork rib soup with Chinese herbs (THB 200), and pad thai (THB 220) for mains. Then, end with a Thai coconut pudding set, which includes three kinds: pandan, taro, and topped with yellow beans (THB 130). If it’s extra hot out, you can opt for a cup of fresh coconut, Thai tea, or fresh milk ice cream (THB 90).
At the cafe-bar, you can have some refreshing natural and healthy drinks Kopi Teh, which is a mix of iced Thai milk tea with drip coffee (THB 120), house affogato (THB 120), boba purple sweet potato latte (THB 120), as well as fruit or fruit with yogurt smoothies (starting at THB 110) and different flavors of Italian soda (starting at THB 60).
By renovating and reviving his family’s ancestral house into a center of holistic health and well-being, Donchai Bunyaratvej achieves his goal of paying homage to Thai culture and family tradition. But more than that, he is able to show other entrepreneurs that old structures can be revitalized to suit the needs of the present and future generations. And after it survived the worst of the pandemic, Baan Ya Hom Zantiis is now a beacon of creative reuse and entrepreneurial spirit.
Baan Ya Hom Zantiis is at 156 Thanon Tanao, Wat Bowon Niwet, Bangkok, Thailand. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.