Moving Pictures

We went to the movies tonight. More interesting than the movie we saw was the place in which we saw it.

The Siam Paragon is a 15 (or so) screen theater with five screens being something called "Ultra Screens." The regular movies in this place cost 180 Baht, but the movies in the Ultra theaters cost 600 Baht per person.. Less than $20 but still more than three times the regular price.

I really didn't notice much special about the screens. They are the old fashioned BIG screens, as opposed to the tiny screens you see in many of the multiplex cinemas in the US. But inside this normal size (big) theater is seating for just twenty couples. Each pair of seats is set ten or more feet from the nearest neighbor, and each seat is an electrically adjustable recliner. OH, and the seats are not the whole story.

When you arrive the ticket taker turns out to be your personal concierge. He seats you in a lounge and offers you a dizzying array of drinks that are (of course) included in your ticket price. In the lounge, you wait a minimum of 5 minutes, but really as long as you want to wait if you arrive early. One lady was getting a Thai massage. This is not an exageration, she was getting a massage in the movie lounge!

We arrived basically on time, so we got just the minimum lounge experience, but they seat you in the lounge even if you arrive a little late for the movie. You sit. Get a drink and some cookies and in a few minutes, they escort you to your recliner to enjoy the previews and eventually the movie.

Before you get too comfy, your concierge kneels at your feet and opens a sealed bag containing a pillow and a blanket. He hands you the pillow and covers you with the blanket before asking if you require anything else just now. Warm and comfy, you settle in to watch the flick.

It was really something. Too bad you missed the flick. What was that movie anyway???


oVo