Thailand Help

Tefral

Seeing as Thailand seems to be a popular destination im hoping the good people of boards could help me out with booking a holiday there.

I dont really want to go to a travel agent as they rip you off compared to doing it yourself so want to see if i can get some ideas.

Basically I want to go between 26th May - 9/10th June for 2 weeks.

Myself and the OH will be going and we are into everything from sightseeing to lounging around.

Ideally I would like to get there and lay on a white sandy beach for a week and then on the second week do some travelling around (island hoping etc)

So any places you guys could recommend or to stay away from etc.

Ive heard that Phuket and Ko Samui are places to avoid is it really that bad? It seems like Phi Phi might be the place I should go for the first week to relax a bit?

Im thinking Bangkok -insert destination-insert destination - etc - etc - Bangkok so i need to fill the time between them

ebbsy

Try Chang Mai.

Airlines = China Airlines, Thai. You get what you pay for. Using budget Asian airlines can be risky, they are prone to cancellations and major delays. Pay a bit more if you can.

Bargain for everything. So "gee baht?" (How much)

D'ont lose your temper.

Higher demonination foreign notes = better exchange rates.

Enjoy.

Kamjana

ebbsy wrote: »

Higher demonination foreign notes = better exchange rates.

I have heard this on here before and how is it even possible,where are you getting it from?

5 x €20 = €100 , 2 x €50 = €100 , €100 is one hundred Euro no matter what notes you use,and it is all the same exchange rate.

ebbsy

Kamjana wrote: »

I have heard this on here before and how is it even possible,where are you getting it from?

5 x €20 = €100 , 2 x €50 = €100 , €100 is one hundred Euro no matter what notes you use,and it is all the same exchange rate.

I have never understood it myself, and I've been there 11 times. Thailand is a different planet.

Some Jewellery shops over also give a very good rate of exchange, believe it or not.

From into-asia.com :

If you are exchanging cash, US dollars and GBP sterling seem to have the best exchange rate but lots are currencies can be exchanged. The higher denomination notes always get a better rate of exchange. Make sure any US$50 and $100 notes are in pristine condition with no defects, or they will likely be rejected as counterfeit. Get the most recently dated notes you can as these stand the highest chance of being accepted

Kamjana

ebbsy wrote: »

I have never understood it myself, and I've been there 11 times. Thailand is a different planet.

Some Jewellery shops over also give a very good rate of exchange, believe it or not.

From into-asia.com :

If you are exchanging cash, US dollars and GBP sterling seem to have the best exchange rate but lots are currencies can be exchanged. The higher denomination notes always get a better rate of exchange. Make sure any US$50 and $100 notes are in pristine condition with no defects, or they will likely be rejected as counterfeit. Get the most recently dated notes you can as these stand the highest chance of being accepted

Ive been there a lot more than 11 times i have even lived there for a while,and not once when i used an exchange was i given a different rate because i used a 50 instead of a 20,and i have used all Euro notes,so that quote you used is wrong,simple as.

gebbel

Etihad via Abu Dhabi to BKK would seem to be the best option for flights at around €640 return per person for your dates. I would then spend one or two days in Bangkok when you arrive. It's not everybody's cup of tea but for me it is one of the most fascinating cities on the planet. You could visit the Grand Palace, and the temples of Wat Pho and Wat Arun in half a day. Depending on where you stay, you could incorporate this into a trip on the Chao Phraya river by water taxi...an experience in itself. For the rest of the day you could visit one or more of the massive shopping malls they have...such as MBK or Siam Paragon for some shopping. Later on I would recommend a visit to the Lebua at State Tower in Silom.....head to the 63rd floor to the Sirocco Skybar....have a cocktail and enjoy the magnificent views of the city below. Get a Thai Massage. Eat street food where the locals go (yes I mean it!) and take a walk in Lumpini Park....watch Thais jogging, doing aerobics and meditating in the middle of the chaotic city outside!

Then it's time for sunshine and beaches so you could go to Koh Samui, 1 hour by plane from Bangkok. I would avoid Phuket (and therefore Phi Phi I'm afraid!) in June as it is the beginning of the monsoon season, as well as being the most expensive place in Thailand. From Koh Samui, you can visit Koh Phangan and Koh Tao for diving etc. Do a cooking course. Visit walking street at Fishermans village. More massage and shopping. Great food everywhere. Koh Samui is also not everybodys thing, but the weather will be great and it's not expensive. There are good beaches. We had a blast there. It gets some bad reviews here but harshly so in my opinion.

2 weeks goes fast and you don't have the time to see it all. So concentrate it and enjoy.

Others may have other recommendations. It's a top spot whatever you hear.

Sonnenblumen

Get to a genuine off the beaten path island: Koh Yao Noi. Small island, relatively remote and not over run with tourists. Stay here: Niramaya, an absolute oasis. Expensive but divine. Lots of more local accomodation options available to suit other budgets.

2 days in Bangkhok is plenty, Koh Samui is awful. Full of back packers and sex tourists.:o

mosstin

ebbsy wrote: »

Try Chang Mai.

Airlines = China Airlines, Thai. You get what you pay for. Using budget Asian airlines can be risky, they are prone to cancellations and major delays. Pay a bit more if you can.

Bargain for everything. So "gee baht?" (How much)

D'ont lose your temper.

Higher demonination foreign notes = better exchange rates.

Enjoy.

Not sure if you're talking long-haul flight or internal but Air Asia are a fantastic airline for internal flights in Thailand. Super safety record and ridiculously cheap prices.

tvercetti

Full Moon Party is on in Koh Phangan on June 5th, you will hear lots of different stories and experiences but if your on Samui or Tao, your can get a boat to Koh Phangan for the night and experience for yourself.

Koh Tao is cheap for diving, the diving is better on the west around Phi Phi and Koh Lanta but more expensive. I did my open water on Koh Tao, I would recommend it.

I didn't mind Koh Samui, great place to hire a scooter and explore the island, the roads are good there unlike Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, some waterfalls and things to be seen.

Rai Leh is worth looking up if your interested in rock climbing, its on the west coast, not much else going on there otherwise.

Koh Lanta is a nice relaxed island, nice beaches, good roads for scooter hire.

Koh Phi Phi is a good party island, nice day trips etc available.
Never been to Phuket.

All these places with be packed with backpackers, if you want to avoid them, you will have to get off the beaten track.

I'm not sure on the weather that time of year but will be pretty important.

Kanchanaburi is a nice place a few hours west of Bangkok by the river, no beach but Erawan waterfall is awesome and nearby.

Tefral

Thanks so much or the replies. Ye have given me loads to think about.

If ye have anymore ideas or thoughts keep em coming

ebbsy

Kamjana wrote: »

Ive been there a lot more than 11 times i have even lived there for a while,and not once when i used an exchange was i given a different rate because i used a 50 instead of a 20,and i have used all Euro notes,so that quote you used is wrong,simple as.

I d'ont think you have been there once. It is very common in Thailand.

Kamjana

ebbsy wrote: »

I d'ont think you have been there once. It is very common in Thailand.

Ha ha yeah ive never been there,and its not very common there,where were you getting different rates?

shar01

+1 Kanchanaburi

Better known as Bridge over River Kwai.

Would recommend U Inchantree hotel. Excellent views at night up to the bridge.

Would recommend taking train up rather than back to Bangkok. The train back to BKK is usually late and the area around Thonburi at night ain't great.

Air Asia are great for internal flights.

Loved Chiang Mai aswell. Very relaxing.

cc181187

sorry for hijacking this thread but could someone recommend a hotel in bangkok city centre for a couple of days, only there for 4 on the way to aus and just wanted something reasonable in the city centre so can get all the sights in and not too expensive, thanks

gebbel

Bangkok does not have a distinct city centre as such. In terms of where to stay, most advice would be in either the Sukhumvit or Silom districts. We have always chose Sukhumvit. It is on the BTS Skytrain line so that gives the essential flexibility to move around, although there are many parts of the city that the BTS does not pass through (because there are only 2 lines). Nonetheless, Sukhumvit has a lot going on with plenty of pubs, restaurants, legit massage shops and street stalls. On the seedy side however, Sukhumvit is also the location of Nana Plaza, one of Bangkok's infamous prostitute areas, Patpong is the other one and that is in Silom.

To answer your question, I can recommend 2 hotels that were cheap but decent...you can google them.....first one is called SilQ and the other is called Le Fenix. Both in Sukhumvit a short walk from Nana BTS. Also check out agoda.com and sawadee.com, both websites are reputable and have hundreds of hotels in Bangkok at keen rates so you can choose whatever suits.

Tefral

Can anyone tell me what the weather will be like at the end of May?

sombaht

May is supposed to be the start of the rainy season, but over the past number of years the rainy seem to get pushed out until June/July. Even if it does rain, and it does tend to bucket down bigtime, it is usually short lived, it wont ruin the holiday.
One hotel you might want to check out is Siam City Hotel.
http://www.siamhotels.com/siamcity/
Granted it is expensive by Thai standards but the location is ideal. You are within spitting distance from 2 Skytrain stations, yet far away from the Nana Plaza/Soi Cowboy strip that runs along Sukhumvit.
As for exchanging higher denomination notes, yes you DO get a better rate if you exchange notes of €100 denomination and above. Notes of €5/€10/€20/€50 all get the same exchange rate.
If you want beaches you will have to head South, Koh Samui/Koh Tao are nice and ideal for island hopping, Phuket I feel is nicer, but more expensive. There are nicer hidden away type beaches but if its your first trip to Thailand stick to the main resort until you get a feel for the place, Thailand is . . . different (in a good way )
Either way whatever you choose, enjoy the trip, and don't forget to smile over there.

Regards,
sombaht

chainsawman

cronin_j wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what the weather will be like at the end of May?

April and May are the hottest month of the year in Thailand.. Hope it helps.. September and October are the raining season but still humid and warm..

chainsawman

gebbel wrote: »

Etihad via Abu Dhabi to BKK would seem to be the best option for flights at around €640 return per person for your dates. I would then spend one or two days in Bangkok when you arrive. It's not everybody's cup of tea but for me it is one of the most fascinating cities on the planet. You could visit the Grand Palace, and the temples of Wat Pho and Wat Arun in half a day. Depending on where you stay, you could incorporate this into a trip on the Chao Phraya river by water taxi...an experience in itself. For the rest of the day you could visit one or more of the massive shopping malls they have...such as MBK or Siam Paragon for some shopping. Later on I would recommend a visit to the Lebua at State Tower in Silom.....head to the 63rd floor to the Sirocco Skybar....have a cocktail and enjoy the magnificent views of the city below. Get a Thai Massage. Eat street food where the locals go (yes I mean it!) and take a walk in Lumpini Park....watch Thais jogging, doing aerobics and meditating in the middle of the chaotic city outside!

Then it's time for sunshine and beaches so you could go to Koh Samui, 1 hour by plane from Bangkok. I would avoid Phuket (and therefore Phi Phi I'm afraid!) in June as it is the beginning of the monsoon season, as well as being the most expensive place in Thailand. From Koh Samui, you can visit Koh Phangan and Koh Tao for diving etc. Do a cooking course. Visit walking street at Fishermans village. More massage and shopping. Great food everywhere. Koh Samui is also not everybodys thing, but the weather will be great and it's not expensive. There are good beaches. We had a blast there. It gets some bad reviews here but harshly so in my opinion.

2 weeks goes fast and you don't have the time to see it all. So concentrate it and enjoy.

Others may have other recommendations. It's a top spot whatever you hear.

Etihad website offerred €639 return but if you go and look on Skyscanner.com you will find cheaper €614 on same Airlines Etihad..

sombaht

Actually May to Oct is the rainy season. However if holidaying in the south you can expect the rainy season to start a little later. Temps will still be up around the low to mid 30s. the rainy season will not ruin a holiday, in fact you will probably welcome a downpour as a chance to cool down.

Cheers,
sombaht

chainsawman

sombaht wrote: »

Actually May to Oct is the rainy season. However if holidaying in the south you can expect the rainy season to start a little later. Temps will still be up around the low to mid 30s. the rainy season will not ruin a holiday, in fact you will probably welcome a downpour as a chance to cool down.

Cheers,
sombaht

Been there myself 15 times and owned two condo/Aparment, longest stay was three months.. Agree that Thailand had more rain than ever before.. Rains a lot in September and October, does rains in July and August but not much, been in there in May last year and 2005 but not a day of rain ...

sombaht

I suppose May-Oct are the "official" rainy season months. And last year the rainy season ran quite late and with devastating effects. When I was there in July last year it rained only 5 times in the 3.5 weeks I was there, and on each occasion it was late in the evening.
Lived there 10 years ago, never remember it raining as much back then, or maybe I'm looking back with rose-tinted specs

Cheers,
sombaht

Tefral

Right thinking of May 26th Fly Eithad to Bangkok and just straight on an air asia flight to Krabi.

I dont know whether to stay a day in Krabi or head straight to Phi Phi.

I plan on staying there until 2nd June and then heading to Ko Phangan for the full moon party thats on on the 5th. maybe stay there until the 6th, hit Ko Samui then until maybe the 8th and then head back to bangkok via asia air on the 8th for a day and catch my flight home on the 9th.

Can someone tell me am I doing too much. I am quite looking forward to just spending one week relaxing and exploring some of the islands and then heading across to have a bit of a party and more exploring.

Im consious of the fact that i need a break too and that i might be trying to squeeze too much in.

What ye think?

chainsawman

cronin_j wrote: »

Right thinking of May 26th Fly Eithad to Bangkok and just straight on an air asia flight to Krabi.

I dont know whether to stay a day in Krabi or head straight to Phi Phi.

I plan on staying there until 2nd June and then heading to Ko Phangan for the full moon party thats on on the 5th. maybe stay there until the 6th, hit Ko Samui then until maybe the 8th and then head back to bangkok via asia air on the 8th for a day and catch my flight home on the 9th.

Can someone tell me am I doing too much. I am quite looking forward to just spending one week relaxing and exploring some of the islands and then heading across to have a bit of a party and more exploring.

Im consious of the fact that i need a break too and that i might be trying to squeeze too much in.

What ye think?

I have never been at Ko phangan or Ko Samui or Phi Phi, heard they are very beautiful, even though i have visited Thailand 14 times, Playing Pool tournament is the reason why i had no time to visit those beautiful island, Will plan sometime.. Anyway, I must point out that your two weeks visit to Thailand is bit short, three weeks or more would be better because Jet lag will cost you a day or two.. But to each of his own.. Enjoy the holidays..

sombaht

Its a lot of island hopping and air-time to squeeze into a 2 week trip.Bangkok is definitely worth at least 2 full days. After that I would pick Koh Tao over Samui, get in some snorkelling or SCUBA. If you absolutely have to go to a FMP fair enough, but from what I heard they have deteriorated over the past few years. Just going by what others have said, never been to them myself. If you have a few days left I would try and squeeze in a trip to Chiang Mai, completely different to the beaches of the south.


Cheers,
sombaht

BenEadir

I lived in Thailand for a few years and if you really want luxury I'd recommend staying in the JW Marriott Beach Resort in Phuket – It’s absolutely amazing, a real once in a lifetime kind of place. It won’t be the cheapest 5 star there but it really is out of this world and the best value for money in my opinion. I’ve been there and can vouch for it. Check out http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hktjw-jw-marriott-phuket-resort-and-spa and the customer reviews on TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1223683-d519702-Reviews-JW_Marriott_Phuket_Resort_Spa-Mai_Khao_Phuket.html

If you're going to Bangkok once you've been to the temples etc spread your wings a little and go visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market. It's one of the last stops on the BTS (Think overhead Luas) so a bit out of the city centre but with 5,000 stalls it's well worth it. Everything you can possibly think of is for sale there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatuchak_Weekend_Market

Also, use Bangkok as a base to spend 2-3 days in Kanchanaburi (See http://www.visitkanchanaburi.com/home.htm) which is only 3 hours drive from Bangkok and well served by private buses and tour operators. It’s an amazing place and the site of the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. If I was going again I would spend 2-3 nights in the Jungle Rafts Hotel which is truly unique. It’s far from 5 star but is comfortable and a quite unique experience if you are up for a little adventure. See http://www.riverkwaijunglerafts.com and reviews here http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297924-d507135-Reviews-River_Kwai_Jungle_Rafts-Kanchanaburi_Kanchanaburi_Province.html.

Things you can do while staying there include:-
a. Visiting the bridge over the River Kwai – pretty obvious but quite amazing, really puts the movie in context. See http://www.seat61.com/Bridge-on-the-River-Kwai.htm & there are local war museums and amazing war cemetery’s etc. Really amazing to imagine young men from Europe out here in the 1940’s being used as slave labour to build a railway.
b. Take a guided trek up along the Hellfire pass, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfire_Pass and http://www.hellfirepass.com. It is possible to visit the Erawan Waterfall http://www.visitkanchanaburi.com/erawan.htm in the morning , followed by a visit to Hellfire Pass and its museum in the afternoon, and then catch the train back to Kanchanaburi to cross the famous bridge around sunset.
c. Visit the Tiger temple - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/tiger-temple.htm
d. White water rafting – “Kanchanaburi Province : On the western border, Kanchanaburi is a popular adventure destination thanks to its mountainous terrain, covered with forests and crisscrossed with a network of rivers. Jungle rafting can be arranged from a mountain pass to the stunning Lawa Cave, a two-hour journey. Bamboo and inflatable rafts are also available for a trip down the Songkalia in Sangkhlaburi.” See http://www.thai-tour.com/eng/rafting.html
e. Elephant Trekking – organise locally.

Hope that gives some of you a few alternative ideas.

Ben

Tefral

I booked my flight over with Etihad from Dublin. By far the cheapest.

I need to stay one night in Bangkok to get the first flight to Phucket the next morning. Im wondering if you guys had any information on a good hotel to stay in where we could walk out into the street for an hour or two before hitting the hay for the night, but also close enough to the Airport?

I booked my accomodation in Phi Phi for a week and then plan on flying from Krabi to Ko Sumui for the second week to get in the Full Moon Party in koh phangan, is it worth spending one night in Rai Ley beach in Krabi?

I havent anything booked in either Samui or Phangan so im wondering if you guys have any recommendations there?

So basically what im looking for is advice on:

1. Hotel close to Bangkok airport but also close to some hustle and Bustle
2. Is it worth staying one night in Rai Ley beach?
3. Accomodation recommendation for Full Moon party and Ko Samui

Plankton1

cronin_j wrote: »

So basically what im looking for is advice on:

1. Hotel close to Bangkok airport but also close to some hustle and Bustle
2. Is it worth staying one night in Rai Ley beach?
3. Accomodation recommendation for Full Moon party and Ko Samui

Railey is gorgeous - white sands, a place called Last Bar which is chilled out and the local staff sit and chat with you, pure relaxing.

We stayed in Coral Bungalows for full moon, which isn't beside the full moon beach but has a brilliant pool party of it's own the night before.

sombaht

cronin_j wrote: »

I booked my flight over with Etihad from Dublin. By far the cheapest.

I need to stay one night in Bangkok to get the first flight to Phucket the next morning. Im wondering if you guys had any information on a good hotel to stay in where we could walk out into the street for an hour or two before hitting the hay for the night, but also close enough to the Airport?

I booked my accomodation in Phi Phi for a week and then plan on flying from Krabi to Ko Sumui for the second week to get in the Full Moon Party in koh phangan, is it worth spending one night in Rai Ley beach in Krabi?

I havent anything booked in either Samui or Phangan so im wondering if you guys have any recommendations there?

So basically what im looking for is advice on:

1. Hotel close to Bangkok airport but also close to some hustle and Bustle
2. Is it worth staying one night in Rai Ley beach?
3. Accomodation recommendation for Full Moon party and Ko Samui

With regards to the airport, both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang are quite a ways out from the city, not much hussle and bussle that is farang friendly in either of these areas really. Be worth it to head into Bangkok and book a hotel somewhere more central. In terms of getting back to the airport next day, if flying from Suvarnabhumi, the Sky Train now operates a rail link to the airport. Just double check you are flying out from Suvarnabhumi.

Cheers,
sombaht

Tefral

sombaht wrote: »

With regards to the airport, both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang are quite a ways out from the city, not much hussle and bussle that is farang friendly in either of these areas really. Be worth it to head into Bangkok and book a hotel somewhere more central. In terms of getting back to the airport next day, if flying from Suvarnabhumi, the Sky Train now operates a rail link to the airport. Just double check you are flying out from Suvarnabhumi.

Cheers,
sombaht

You had me second quessing myself there, my flight to Phuket says:

Bangkok (BKK)
Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Mon 28 May 2012, 0845 hrs

RadioClash

Rai Ley is amazing. Probably one of the most spectacular beaches in Asia. Watch out for the monkey's trying to nab your food/fags, little feckers!

Regret not spending more time up north, totally different scene to the buckets and UV paint type stuff in the south.