Is it haunted?

The footsteps are almost certainly the building itself. Bangkok's humidity does a number on old wood, and those halls are full of it. The elevator thing is just standard for any place that hasn't been rewired since the 80s, you get used to it living here. Next time you're there, ask the front desk staff about the hotel's history over a coffee at the ground floor cafe, some of them have been working there for decades and have better stories than any ghost.

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I've lived near that area for years and the elevator thing is just standard Bangkok building code, or lack thereof. Some of those vintage hotels rewired their systems in the 90s with parts that were already old then, so the panel ghosts are just electrical hiccups. The footsteps are more interesting though, those old wooden floors expand and contract like crazy in the humidity and it sounds exactly like someone walking. If you really want to test it, go back during Songkran when the whole building is damp and you'll hear the place groaning like it's alive.

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Honestly, the elevator stopping on nonexistent floors is the most Bangkok thing about your story. I've stayed at the old Rattanakosin Island hotels and the wiring in those places is held together with prayers and electrical tape. The footsteps could just be the building settling, but if you were near the pool area on the ground floor, some of those rooms used to be storage for old theater props from the 60s. I wouldn't say it's haunted, but I also wouldn't stay in room 307 at the Old Bangkok Inn if you're jumpy.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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