Raising the bar

With its rich culture and exquisite cuisine, Bangkok blends modern comfort with good value, drawing tourists from all around the world. Welcoming 32.4m travellers in 2024, the Thai capital claimed the title of the world’s most visited city. Just as investment in retail development during the current decade has exploded, so has hospitality. In the second quarter of 2025, six new hotels opened their doors in this vibrant yet congested hospitality landscape, adding 1,526 upscale rooms to the city’s hotel inventory. This means the latest hotels need to differentiate themselves – including their AV offerings – to attract bookings.

Adding to the landscape is the Grande Centre Point Prestige Bangkok in the exclusive Ratchaprasong district, recently opened by LH Mall & Hotel and marketed as “the height of elegance in the heart of Bangkok”. Set to draw a significant share of well-heeled Thai and overseas guests, the 509-room architectural masterpiece features an interior design reflecting Bangkok’s cultural heritage, symbolised by motifs, geometric patterns and touches of gold. The fusion of Thai opulence and Art Deco elegance is balanced by a more subtle yet widespread integration of futureproofed AV systems throughout its higher-level hospitality floors.

Targeting corporate functions, weddings and social events, Grande Centre Point Prestige Bangkok offers versatile venues ranging from small boardrooms to the 744m2 Prestige Hall. The architect has put a strong emphasis on natural daylight, allowing it to penetrate through floor-to-ceiling windows in selected areas. An inspiring atmosphere for guests, but a headache for the systems integrator tasked with installing the clearest displays and ideal room acoustics, as project sales engineer Romchalee Rungruangkitkrai from Vichai Group testifies: “As ever, the interior design overrides the AV technology requirements, but it should never lead to compromised AV quality,” he says.

Established in 1983 by Kittisak Sopchokchai, Vichai Group has grown over four decades to become one of Thailand’s leading AV systems integrators. One of its four business units specialises in the design and build of AV setups across most sectors including corporate, government, education, retail and hospitality. Vichai’s past involvement in the latter, including references at some of the best hotels in Thailand, has built deep industry expertise. This enables the company to execute hospitality projects effectively, benefitting end users who can be ensured of a professional service from day one in this buoyant category.

Commissioned to design, supply and install AV capabilities across the upper three levels (11, 12 and 15) of this prestigious property in 2024, the project team led by Chaiwat Chanta-aksorn was called to site to lay the infrastructure in March 2025. As ever, built-in flexibility, a solid return on investment and ease-of-use functionality were the main criteria of the design brief. The ability to transmit and manage audio, video and data anywhere over an AVoIP backbone became the cornerstone to fulfilling these three goals. An extensive Cat6 and fibre cabling infrastructure, including Dante and Adnet, serves as the foundation.

Incorporating 24 I/O capability, a 1U Q-SYS Core 110f processor lies at the heart of the AV control system. The networked Core interfaces with the audio, architectural lighting, curtains, visuals, camera tracking and OSC commands in the 11th-floor Prestige Hall grand ballroom. With an access code, technicians can view the AV parameters or presets from any of three Q-SYS wall panel touchscreens or a wireless iPad.

The divisible 31m x 24m space can accommodate up to 800 guests in theatre mode, 480 in a classroom setting or 600 as a cocktail lounge. Using IT-standard Layer 3 protocols and Ethernet switches, the software-based DSP solution provides audio networking integration via Q-LAN, together with all other data.

As a prelude to the Prestige Hall, the 11th-level pre-function area is equipped with Tannoy CMS ceiling speakers, Turbosound column speaker and subwoofer combinations, I/O and HDMI wall panels and a 5.1m x 2.8m P2.5 Unilumin video display. The main ballroom comprises two audio solutions. Powered by half-rack Lab Gruppen Lucia 240/2M amplifiers, a low-impedance ceiling speaker system consisting of 18 Tannoy CMS 603 6-inch models and six Tannoy CMS 801 8-inch LF speakers is geared towards events that have a provision for basic speech or gentle BGM. Event organisers also have the option to patch in a portable Turbosound Inspire column PA system for more localised events.

For the main events, L-R arrays of six QSC LA112 12-inch active cabinets per side feature full array optimisation and intelligent wireless communication between loudspeakers. The lower frequencies are extended down to 41Hz (–6dB) by four-per-side ground-stacked KS118 active subwoofers in cardioid mode. Together with QSC’s RapidDeploy rigging system, the mechanical design facilitates quick array assembly, while Automatic Wireless Array Recognition (AWARE) technology configures without the need to set switches or menus on each cabinet. Built-in Dante networking allows for array management using the QSC SysNav configuration app or the Q-SYS ecosystem.

When the room is combined, a Unilumin UDAII P2.5 LED display measuring 15.36m x 5.28m (WxH) behind the main stage captures the attention of guests. Providing 32:9 single, 16:9 divided or triple presets for split screen presentations, 4K video is routed from Lumens CaptureVision and ViewSonic X100 media processors. When the room is divided, two Seemax 300-inch motorised screens on the adjacent wall are paired with ceilingmounted Epson 20,000-lumen laser projectors. A Midas M32R Live digital console with a Klark Teknik DN32-Dante expansion card provides mixing operations for both divisible sections.

Three Minrray UV430E 4K PTZ cameras (30x zoom) provide the main visual inputs, and a Lumens VC-TR60 4K PTZ model enables AI auto tracking for the speakers and performers via the Q-SYS network. Room flexibility is enhanced with the addition of eight Vave AVIP-J1G HDMI-over-IP wall plates hosting visual inputs and outputs in addition to RJ45 connections, enabled by Vave encoders, decoders, a video control unit and a multiview processor. With a choice of handheld, bodypack, ME2 lavalier and ME3 headset transmitters, 12 channels of Sennheiser EW 300 G4 wireless microphone receivers are reinforced by UHF wireless antennas and boosters can be used for speeches and performance.

Venue flexibility has been maximised by installing patch panels with various inputs and outputs throughout. Analogue audio and HDMI visual signals from the ballroom can be transmitted over the network to any output in the hotel. “The hotel demanded a high degree of flexibility, including the ability to easily transform into an international conferencing room,” says Rungruangkitkrai. “Up to 42 TOA TS-821 wireless gooseneck microphones are enabled by 18 TS-907 wireless transmitters and seven antenna distributors for placement in a variety of layouts including loop, u-shape or classroom mode.”

On the 12th level above, six flexible meeting rooms can be accessed for executive events and workshops via a long prefunction area. Prestige 1 and Prestige 2 are 480m², 400-capacity and 264m² , 210-capacity theatre-style venues, respectively, whereas Prestige 3 through to Prestige 6 are intimate 100m² rooms for up to 70 guests. Here, the same combination of technologies deployed in the Prestige Hall are repackaged on a smaller scale. TOA wireless gooseneck conference microphones combine with Audio-Technica System 20 Pro microphone systems as audio sources for output through Tannoy CMS ceiling speakers. Minrray 4K PTZ 20x zoom cameras and Wolfvision wireless presentation systems project onto Seemax 200-inch motorised LED screens via ceiling-mounted Epson 10,000-lumen laser projectors. Once again, AMX wall panel touchscreen controllers and iPads provide ease-of-control benefits. “The creation of a customised graphic user interface to match the hotel’s design is central to the success of any modern-day installation,” continues Rungruangkitkrai. “By programming presets in the Q-SYS software for the hotel technicians, we have significantly simplified their workload.”

As the building is devoid of 13th and 14th levels owing to Chinese superstition, the 15th level is directly above level 12. This is the Terrace zone where a pavilion sits in a 590m² rooftop garden. Networked by Q-SYS digital audio transmission, the 45m² naturally lit venue is ideal for private gatherings and is equipped with Audio-Technica System 20 Pro Dual handheld mics, Minnray PTZ cameras connected to the 12th level below and wall panels providing HDMI visual and audio I/Os. The garden area is reinforced by 10 Sonance weatherproof garden speakers, and a Q-SYS wall panel touchscreen controller provides AV management.

Working closely with an AV consultant, architect, interior designer and general building contractor, Vichai Group ran a military-like operation to complete its contract ahead of schedule. This included the recruitment of separate subcontractors for cabling, terminations and other works on all three levels. “We scheduled all the works with the general contractor and marked the locations to the subcontractors for the speaker and lighting hook points,” explains Rungruangkitkrai. “Obstructions including fire hydrants, overhead beams, AC systems, water pipes, electrics and other infrastructure features were common. Our main challenge is to provide functionality for the client, for whom we always create the best possible outcome.”

As guests and hotel critics highlight the intelligent integration of AVoIP networks and state-of-the-art visual systems, the Prestige Hotel is currently Vichai Group’s best reference to date. The pressure is on, however. In a city experiencing rapidly rising demands, the group’s next hotel project will need to surpass this landmark.