If you took a peek inside Prince Theatre last year, you would have seen layers of thick dust that covered nearly everything. Piles of garbage were visible in the rundown space inside a small alley in Bang Rak, on Charoen Krung; the century-old building had been neglected for seven years, its walls peeling paint and its gloom palpable following its lowest point as a porn theatre in one of Bangkok's most iconic markets. The box office and torn posters were reminders of its former function.
But last month, after about a year of renovation, the building was reopened as Bangkok's only ex-theatre hotel, now called Prince Theatre Heritage Stay. The new property, besides its business, aims to promote public awareness of the history, importance and conservation of this bustling neighbourhood that has been under continual change, physically and psychologically.
