Elevator filming guide in Bangkok V2

If you want to film elevators in one of the world's tourist destination...

If you want to find some nice elevators, which often mixed Japanese, Korean and Western brands and fixtures...

You come to right place!

Bangkok is a large city which can find many awesome elevators, despite older buildings which has less floors may not have elevators. (But filming escalators is OK right?)

Traffic jam may be troublesome, but public transportations can help you.

In the future it will be more convenient to go throughout city, not only Bangkok but also Greater Bangkok (Nonthaburi, Pathumthani, Samut Prakarn, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon) as well.

This guide can help you film elevators better.

General data about buildings in Bangkok

• Most buildings does not allow photography (?) (But not too strict). You should film with caution.
• If you want to film elevators there, try to use a phone to film them to avoid suspiction.
• You can exchange ID card in office buildings in weekdays at daytime. But if they ask something more, give up for filming is the best (unless you need to do something about a tenant.)
• Film elevators quickly (only one up and down) and hide under security camera (if present) is the best to avoid getting questioned, busted or called via intercom. (but I never got a call before //or my hearing is not good enough?)
• Do not try to start filming elevators at the lobby, it can raise a chance to getting busted.
• If elevators are busy and the take is bad...just leave a building and try again in the next day to avoid getting busted.
• If staff asked you to leave, do not attempt to film the same elevators...or you will getting busted.

Film elevators in hotels

• Please note that some younger filmers and the hyper ones may not be able to film them.
• In the entrance gate, security guards are always present but most of them don't care at all.
  • But sometimes they can ask you what are you doing, in this case you should give up.
• Most hotels have no barriers in the entrance, with an exception of resort-like ones (Like The Sukhothai Bangkok and Rama Gardens Hotel Bangkok) but they oftens not care about you.
• If you think you may getting questioned, just ride a taxi (or motorbike taxi, I have tried it), wait a tour group (or group of people) or enter a building when a car (or bus) is being driven in.
• And if you are getting questioned? Just tell him or her to go to a restaurant or a bar (But need to check opening hours first. Tell to go to a rooftop bar in the morning is not a good idea at all)
• Guestroom keycard lockout is very common in this kind of buildings, if you want to access guestroom floors, just ride with a guest and hope they will choose upper floors.
  • But some hotels have a rooftop bar, restaurant or rarely, meeting rooms. In this case, top floor is not locked (either only nighttime or all times)
  • Examples of buildings with keycard lockout and no public facilities in the top floors:
    • Grand Mercure Bangkok Fortune (Start from 2017) - From 10th floor onwards.
    • The Okura Prestige Bangkok (Start from 2014) - From 25th floor onwards.
    • Oriental Residence Bangkok - From 5th floor onwards.
    • Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (Main Wing) (Start from 2017) - From 3rd floor onwards.
    • and many more...
• In rare cases, glass doors or outside keycard reader are present instead of keycard reader inside elevators. In this case, you have to give up (unless you are lucky enough to enter the elevator).
• Start inside elevators and hide under security camera (if elevators have ones) is the best.
• Do not try smaller hotels and service elevators, you can getting busted easily.
• Hotel staffs and cleaners are mostly don't care you, just smile or ignore them. (But if they asked you then you need to give up)
• Elevators are busy during check-in (Around 2PM), check-out times (Around 11 AM), nighttime (when tour groups are coming) and breakfast time. If guestroom floors are locked (and no kind of facilities mentioned) then it's a chance to go to upper floors.
  • But if not, try to film elevators in afternoon is the best.

Film elevators in an office building

• Weekdays are the best day to film elevators in this kind of buildings. Just dress nicely. (But dressings may or may not help you in some cases)
• Like hotel keycard lockout, turnstiles are very common in this kind of the building. (With an exception of older office buildings)
  • In this case, you should find a tenant and drop ID card to staffs or security guards.
  • Some buildings may return your ID card and visitor card. If you going out from turnstiles, just drop into a turnstiles and they will open for you.
    • Examples of buildings with this kind of visitor card usage are Park Ventures Ecoplex, Empire Tower, Sathorn Square, AIA Capital Center and Bhiraj Tower at EmQuartier.
  • Some buildings' turnstiles are turned off when newly opened or in weekends. In this case, you can access main elevators easily.
• In rare cases, glass doors are used instead of turnstiles, but how to deal with them are the same.
• Keycard lockout from inside elevators are rare in this kind of the building. But destination dispatch elevators with keycard lockout is common for buildings which used them.
• If security guards or staffs did not questioned you, just move into elevators and start from inside. Also hide from security cameras are the best because security camera are always watched.
• In some office buildings, you can enter elevators without starting from lobby. Examples are:
  • Amarin Tower: Just going to 5th or 6th floor from Amarin Plaza and enter the office bank there, you will get both of Low Zone and High Zone.
  • SV City (Tower 1 and 2): Take the stair to retail zone (In LG floor) and you will find office bank (for Tower 1 and 2) there. Basement floor can also be able to access IT Professional Tower as well.
  • Sinn Sathorn Tower: Take the stair to the basement (There's a supermarket there) and you can access low zone elevators there.

Film elevators in retail buildings (Malls, department stores and community malls)

• Larger, air conditioned retail buildings usually not allowed photography. Just beware security guards are the best.
• Smaller community malls (and Terminal 21 Asok) usually allowed photography (and they have a nice photo spot to took them)
• They often have a security checkpoint in the entrance and check vehicle entering, but it's not a problem at all.
• Some older hypermarket (like Big C and Tesco Lotus) don't have passenger elevators, just only freight ones.
  • Examples of hypermarket type buildings that have elevators are Big C Extra Rama 4, Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri, Tesco Lotus Pinklao and Tesco Lotus Onnut.
• Elevators are often busy during weekend, especially the one that can access by Mass Rapid Transit (BTS, MRT and SRT) system, and malls that often be a hangout for people in nearby area. (Examples are The Mall Bangkapi, The Mall Bangkae and Future Park Rangsit).
  • Some community malls are less busy even in weekends, however.