Bangkok Restaurant Makes Most of Flooding
A restaurant in Thailand has become an unusual attraction after offering to serve its customers in knee-high water following the country's recent floods.
Chaopraya Antique Café in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, opened in February 2021 in a riverside location that the owner believed would be great for business. But a severe storm and heavy rains have raised the river's water level, and now the restaurant floods daily at high tide.
After already being closed for several months because of COVID-19, the flooding could have been a disaster for the restaurant. But by staying open, it instead became a tourist attraction for customers who wanted a new and exciting dining experience.
In fact, it's become so popular that customers have to make a reservation.
"This is a great atmosphere. During this flood crisis this has [become] the restaurant's signature attraction," 24-year-old Siripoj Wai-inta said as he ate his food with water up to his shins.
Videos on social media show customers enjoying what owner Titiporn Jutimanon calls "hot-pot surfing," where diners quickly jump out of the way of waves created by boats passing by on the river.
"It turns out the customers have a great reaction," said Jutimanon. "So a crisis has turned into an opportunity. It encourages us to keep the restaurant open and keep customers happy."
Best of all, he says, it means he can keep his staff happy by keeping them employed.
