Has anyone visited Thailand?

[Daisy]

We are thinking of going to Thailand for our next vacation this spring. If you've been here, would you mind giving me some advice and/or recommendations?

Although I haven't bought my Lonely Planet Thailand yet :) , we're initially thinking of staying two weeks and visiting Bangkok and Phuket. I've seen pictures of the JW Marriott Resort and Spa Phuket and it looks amazing, so we are considering staying here as well. I've traveled enough to know that I want to stay at an American or other known chain. ;)

I've also started to read up on the tsunami rebuilding effort and it looks like Phuket (or most of it) is rebuilt and ready for my tourist dollars. :D

Thanks in advance!

[greenbunny]

emmjay has. She's really helpful, you could PM her.

[MaineBelle]

I was there last August. It is a fascinating country to visit. The people there are very warm and friendly. Everything over there is cheap, and the food is delicious. We spent 5 or so days in Bangkok and then traveled to Phuket, PhiPhi and Krabi. In Bangkok, we did a lot of the touristy things - We visited the Grand Palace, took a Klong tour - a tour along the canals and waterways of Bangkok, went to a giant open air market...

Our favorite restaurant in was a place called Patara. We stayed at a place called the Silom Serene in Bangkok, it was a nice botique hotel for $60 a night in the Silom area. This is near the notorious PatPong Rd. - which is now a large tourist hub more so than a seedy red light district. We booked it through - www.asiahotels.com - (we used this sight for a lot of our travels through Asia and it was always reliable and gave good rates).

I would just caution, that the Thais love to make a buck off of tourists. So just read up the lonely planet guide, and be informed - make sure they turn the meter on when you get in a taxi, don't take the first guy who offers you a ride at the airport, go out to the metered taxis, etc.

As for Phuket, I only stayed in Patong and Karon Beach Area. I didn't care for Patong - too overcrowded and touristy - it was fun to go for a day, but it wasn't relaxing enough to stay there. The hotel you mentioned looks beautiful, but I am not familiar with that beach area. I think it is great that you are willing to go spend your dollars there. I don't know if you are into Scuba, but we did some great diving out of Phuket.

We took a ferry from Phuket to Krabi and stayed at Sunrise Tropical Villas in the RaiLay beach area. It was super cheap for our own bungalow, all we did there was eat, lay on the beach and shower in our own private outdoor shower area - we loved it!!

OK - can you tell from how much I went rambling on, that we really enjoyed our visit to Thailand. Good luck in your planning, let me know if you need more info...

[emmjay]

Hi - I spent a couple of months in Thailand in 2003, but I was on a pretty low-end budget, so I don't know much about nice resorts! :) Also I didn't get to Phuket, so I can't help you there either. Actually I do know that the Mandarin Oriental and the Shangri-La Hotels in Bangkok are supposed to be two of the very best hotels in Thailand (esp. the Mandarin Oriental). I saw the Shangri-La hotel from the outside and it looks freaking awesome.

In terms of general Thailand info:
- Baan Khanitha (means 'good kitchen' in Thai) is a fantastic restaurant in Bangkok. I believe there are two locations, but the one I went to is on Sukhumvit Soi 23 - it's in a cool house and the food is amazing. Any cab driver will know where it is, esp. if you tell them Sukhumvit Soi 23.

- Right next door to Baan Khanitha is Rasi Sayam, a craft store with high-end crafts and beautiful hand made things from all over Thailand. Gorgeous stuff in there.

- DO NOT DRINK CHANG BEER! Seriously. If you want beer, stick to Singha. Just keep in mind that it is about 8% alcohol or more, so don't drink too much!

- Some good dishes to try are tom yam soup (spicy/sour shrimp and lemongrass soup) and som tam (spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya).

- In terms of the language, women end their sentences by saying "Kha" - you say it with the emphasis at the beginning then falling off, like "KHA-aaa". Men end their sentences with "Khrup" (just pronounced "crup").

Some useful phrases:

Sawahdi kha/khrup - hello
Khap khun kha/khrup - thank you
Aroy - delicious
Aroy mag - very delicious
Sanuk - fun
Sanuk jing-jing! - Really, really fun!

Have a fun trip! The Thai people are so nice, and it is a wonderful place to take a vacation - you will have a great time! :)

[Daisy]

Wow ladies, thank you so much for the quick and super useful info! I just got back from the bookstore and bought the Lonely Planet Thailand and the Eyewitness Travel Guide on Thailand (I like getting these for the pictures :D ).

More questions - what airline did you fly to get there? How long is this flight, 18-20 hours? And, did you fly domestically? If so, on what airline?

I'm so excited to go and to start planning. Thailand seems like it will give us a really good mix of culture, sites, and relaxation.

I'm going to take notes on your posts now. I knew I could count on the CC girls! Thanks so much again!

[emmjay]

I actually flew to Malaysia from New Zealand and then went overland to Thailand so I don't know about the flights. But my friend who lives in Bangkok usually takes United back and forth from the U.S. - I think because of frequent flier miles. He connects in Tokyo or Hong Kong and then goes to NY or CA, I think.

I know Singapore Air and Cathay Pacific have great reputations for having high standards of service and comfort if you can find a flight on one of those airlines.

I love those Eyewitness Travel Guides! The pictures and diagrams are so cool! :)

ETA - I just thought of something else. If you want to go to the Palace in Bangkok you have to wear covered shoes, long pants and something with sleeves (no tank tops). When you get there, don't let anyone tell you that the Palace is closed and that you should go to another temple in the meantime - 9 times out of 10 it's not closed, and even if it is, just go do your own thing until it opens again. Otherwise you'll end up in some silk or jewelry shops with high pressure salespeople.

[MaineBelle]

We flew to JFK to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific - a very long flight (16 hours or so)! And then we took Thai Air to Bangkok, if I remember correctly.
We flew on Bangkok Air (www.bangkokair.com) to Phuket - the fare was pretty cheap ($50 or something). This was a good airline - they even served ice cream on board! Since we didn't have a set schedule, we booked those tickets in a travel agency in Bangkok with no problem.

I reinforce what emmjay says - If you want to go to the Palace in Bangkok you have to wear covered shoes, long pants and something with sleeves (no tank tops). When you get there, don't let anyone tell you that the Palace is closed and that you should go to another temple in the meantime - 9 times out of 10 it's not closed, and even if it is, just go do your own thing until it opens again. Otherwise you'll end up in some silk or jewelry shops with high pressure salespeople.

Take any unsolicited tourist information with a grain of salt!!

Some pictures...
Bangkok's famous backpacker district (Khao San Road)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e356ba4d00000016108AcOWjJw0aNp


A view along the canals of Bangkok:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e354ba4f00000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

Wat Arun in Bangkok:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e3533b7800000015108AcOWjJw0aNp

The Details on these temples are incredible:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e35f3b7400000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

Shots from the Grand Palace:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e35d3b7600000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e3593b7200000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

[MaineBelle]

The beautiful PhiPhi Island. It is so sad what happened to the people there.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e34cba5700000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

We went on canoe/kayak tour out of Phuket. They served the most delicious Thai food on the boat:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e0d47b6600000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

A beach on Krabi
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d624b3127cce9317e0de7b6c00000016108AcOWjJw0aNp

[Daisy]

emmjay and MaineBelle - thank you again for your responses! I've heard a lot of good things about Cathay Pacific - they always seems to get good reviews from the travel magazines. I think we're going to try to get at least one plane ticket with miles (we have a ton on United and American). MaineBelle - I can't believe it was so cheap for you to fly to Phuket! How great is that! Thank you so much for posting photos. Phi Phi Island looks incredible, we may have to add that to our list as well. I can't wait for all the yummy food too!

The Lonely Planet suggested that many travelers to Bangkok only need a couple of days for their visit. If this is true, then DH and I will definitely be able to visit more than two cities/places.

Also, I think we're pretty set on going in March.

I'm up to the shopping chapter in the LP and things seem so cheap! I can't wait! :D

Thanks again, any other advice/recommendations or photos is gladly appreciated!

[emmjay]

If you're looking for another part of Thailand to visit, you could consider Chiang Mai in the north. You can take either a flight or an overnight train there from Bangkok - northern Thailand is very different from the south, both topographically and culturally.

And, I have pictures too! :D

Village in Northern Thailand:
http://images.snapfish.com/3446486323232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3243%3E%3A%3B4%3E3%3B3% 3EWSNRCG%3D3232893%3B6%3B44%3Cnu0mrj

Market in Chiang Mai:
http://images.snapfish.com/3446486323232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3A4 %3DXROQDF%3E23237%3A2%3C599%3B9ot1lsi

Woman weaving in Northern Thailand:
http://images.snapfish.com/3446486323232%7Ffp3%3B%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E23237%3A2%3C5895%3Bot1lsi

[emmjay]

Off the coast of Koh Lanta (near Krabi):
http://images.snapfish.com/3446486323232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3243%3E%3A%3B4%3E3%3B3% 3EWSNRCG%3D3232893%3B687%3A9nu0mrj

Buddha statue in Ayuthaya (former capital, a few hours from Bangkok)
http://images.snapfish.com/3446486323232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3A4 %3DXROQDF%3E23237%3A2%3C5%3A3%3C8ot1lsi

Another Buddha statue that has been taken over by a tree, also Ayuthaya:
http://images.snapfish.com/3446489923232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3A4 %3DXROQDF%3E2323754%3A3%3B75%3Bot1lsi

Bugs to eat in Bangkok:
http://images.snapfish.com/3446489923232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3A4 %3DXROQDF%3E2323744%3A8%3B4%3B4ot1lsi

[MaineBelle]

PhiPhi was devastated by the tsunami, so I'm not sure if they are back up and ready for tourism. If you and your DH are interested in history, I would recommend a side trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see all the temples of Angkor. It was such an interesting place to visit. We went for just 3 days from Bangkok and it was plenty of time for us. We had a great time touring and climbing through all of the ruins from the temples of the Khmer culture. amazing!

[tlew12778]

Thai Airways is part of the Star Alliance and they have a direct flight from NY to Bangkok. I just saw it on their website today.

Are you planning on organizing everything yourself or do you want to do a tour? We are thinking of going next April on honeymoon but I am thinking of just buying into a tour. I am sure I can get better prices by organizing it myself but I don't think I want to be that stressed out on HM IYKWIM. Anyway I thought that this (http://www.honeymoonthailand.com/) website had pretty reasonable prices. A 14 day tour is around $1100 USD, plus airfare to Bankgkok.

As for Phi Phi, the Rough Guides guide has a Tsunami addendum that you can see here (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~lucyrid/). It lists the hotels that are still closed and when they will re-open, in addition to the ones that are already opened or were not damaged.

[Daisy]

Hey girls,

Thought I would post an update on our plans -

We're still thinking of going to Thailand in March for two weeks. We've been playing around with airfare options because we would like to have a 2-day stop in Hong Kong (preferable on Cathay Pacific), but the price is too high - $2k a ticket. Even if we got one ticket with miles, I refuse to pay that much, especially if I can get a Bangkok roundtrip ticket for around $800. So it looks like we'll likely fly China Airways, which I've heard good things about. They, by far, have the shortest flights from where we live, and the most frequent.

I think we'll spend around 4 days in Bangkok and the rest in Phuket. We're pretty set on the JW Marriott Resort and Spa Phuket too. We'll book a separate flight on Thai Airways for this. We were thinking of spending time on the Phi Phi islands, but not all of the resorts have been rebuilt and I'm super picky about where I stay. So we'll probably do a couple of day trips over to those islands. We want to see the James Bond island too. :)

tlew12778 - we're definitely planning the trip ourselves and we'll likely fly there with miles (at least one ticket anyway). We're on the west coast, so it'll be easy to get a flight to Bangkok (with a stop likely in Hong Kong or Taipei). DH and I just rented James Bond, The Man With the Golden Gun - it takes place in Thai islands - definitely rent it. Planning a wedding and a big vacation/honeymoon is a lot of work - especially at once!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

I went there in July-August of '04. I definitely agree with the other's advice so far. I am just going to ramble random thoughts for a bit!!

Definitely go see the palace!! We stayed in Bangkok and Pattaya during my trip. My grandpa resides there 1/2 of the year which really helped because some of his friends have wives that speak both Thai and English.

I loved the shopping in Bangkok! Another thing that is a lot of fun to see is the Transvestite Caberet Shows! I went to Tiffany's in Pattaya and it was so gorgeous!!

Be prepared for the prostitution in Bangkok. We had many 3 am knocks offering services, and spotted many old geezer men w/ 16-30 yr old women. It is just common there. Also be ready to be hit on... a lot! Everytime we walked past a beer bar we heard "Hey Sexy Lady!!" or cat calls from both men and women!!

Definitely get a massage. I just did the head, hands, and feet for $3 b/c I was scared they may offer a "happy ending". I was so relaxed that I gave the girl a $5 tip! Try getting an $8 massage in the states!!

If possible rent a fishing boat! My grandpa has a friend that owns a fishing company and he had one of his men take us out. It was soooo relaxing. We went past Monkey Island, which had a ton of little monkeys all over it. We went out to Swimmers Island. The water was the clearest I have ever seen it. I could look off the dock of the boat and see straight into the water... All the little fishes, and you could just jump right in!!

Another touristy thing you have to do is see the elephant show!! They are so adorable. My grandma goes there every year and 15 years later she still has to see the elephant show every time!

Some Cultural things:

Never show the bottom of your feet. It is considered very insulting
When you meet someone or are introduced put the palms of your hands together, bow your head and say Sah-wuh-dee. It is the most respectful/common way to say hello.

Be ready for the crazy roads!!! There are I think 5 million mopeds on the road and they zip in and out of traffic. The laws are very different there. If you get hit by a car it is your fault for allowing it. It's not like the US.

Recycling is huge there! Don't be suprised if you see people turning in their cocacola bottles at 7/11. Also many places are eager to make a quick buck. Buy all batteries and other items in the original packaging. Many stores will sell you used batteries.

Well that is all that I can rack my brain for right now. I hope you found his all as useful info!

[Secret_Squirrel]

We went to Bangkok last January. It was a surprise trip and we only had 5 days, so we spent in BKK and Rachanaburi (River Kwai country) and Ayuttaya. We loved Thailand! DH and I plan to go back soon to see Chiang Mai and the beaches in the south.

We flew Northwest business class. I have no complaints about the airline. The flight was about 18 hours with an hour layover in Tokyo. Each seat in all classes had their own entertainment screen with movies, games and music. It wasn't bad (but ask me again when we go back in coach ;) )

In Bangkok, english is everywhere so if you don't know any thai, don't feel intimidated. Even the Skytrain (elevated rapid transit) announcements are in english. Most people speak enough to get by, and if not, communicating via the international language of pointing and charades is not hard. The Thais are very good-natured people and very polite. They won't make you feel like an idiot for not knowing the language.

I found that learning "no, thank you" is very helpful with pushy street vendors. It's mai, khup kum kaa. "I do not want" is mai ow.

Speaking of the Skytrain - it can be the best way to get around town. Bangkok traffic is worse than you can imagine and, while the taxis are cheap, it's no fun to sit in traffic. Look for alternatives to cars - skytrain, river ferry and canal boats. We talked to some Irish tourists who complained about sitting in a taxi in front of their hotel for 25 min in a traffic jam, but our hotel was 1 block from the skytrain and we flew over all that.

Be sure to make certain your taxi driver turns on the meter before leaving. Drivers often try to talk you into a flat rate, that is always higher than what the meter would by.

Tuk-tuks (open carts on mopeds) may look cute, but the diesel fumes are pretty harsh. They're not really fun.

The food is to die for. We didn't have a bad meal anywhere. The pineapple was so sweet. The meals we ate at the local cafes were better than some of the guidebook recommendations (Lemongrass was over-rated. Cabbages and Condoms (a portion of proceeds funds health programs) was very pretty at night with lights dangling from trees. Dinner for two with appetizer and four drinks came to $35 w/tip).

The Oriental Hotel has a first-class dinner with traditional Thai dancing that was wonderful. We had cocktails in the Bamboo Bar (very British colonial) and took a resort ferry across the Chao Praya river. It feels magical. The food was excellent. We spent more on that one evening than we did for our entire hotel stay! (which isn't saying all that much, as our hotel was pretty cheap. It was around $90 pp for dinner and show, beverages extra).

In contrast to the splurge at the lux Oriental, most of the trip was on a budget. The day before we took the 3rd class train to Ayuttaya (less than $1) and drank Singh outside a cheap guest house after touring the ruins. We enjoyed that, too. The streets are full of activity - cooking, bike riding, kids playing and dogs everywhere.

There were two places my guide book let me down:
1) Ayuttaya - it recommended we rent bicycles and pedal between the sites. It was way too hot and spread-out for us, and we're not in bad shape. Hire a driver.

2) If you are leaving the airport by taxi, make sure you have small baht for the toll road. The toll booth doesn't make change and we ended up paying a lot more for tolls than we needed because we didn't have small bahts.

Other than that, the guide book was right on. There will be people trying to sell things to you or scam you, but if you inform yourself ahead of time, you won't have a problem.

Have a great time!