Maybe we'll be on the same flight out of JFK as we are also going mid-February. We also took that flight this past February. It arrives late afternoon, Bangkok time. You probably won't get much sleep on the way to Bangkok as it is mostly during New York daytime hours. So plan on having a light snack when you arrive and then getting some sleep. You will not be 100% the next day so plan on taking it easy. This past February, we flew to Cambodia early the next morning after we arrived and toured all day - we wouldn't want to do that again - it was exhausting, especially with the heat.

I assume your kids get a week off. Are you planning on taking extra days or is the nine days, eight nights Saturday to Sunday? Keep in mind that in order to get 8 nights in Thailand you would have to leave on Thursday and return the following Saturday (there is no Sunday flight). The return flight leaves at 1 AM so you really wouldn't have a full night on your last night in Thailand. The return flight arrives at JFK at 6 AM the same day. You will able to sleep on that flight but you will still probably need the rest of the weekend to recover.

You could easily spend all of your time in Bangkok. Under the Saturday to Sunday scenerio you would leave JFK at noon on Saturday and arrive BKK at 5 PM on Sunday. That gives you 5 full days in Bangkok. As I said before, if you were willing to depart JFK a day or two earlier, you could buy some extra time.

We have been to Thailand in July and the weather did not disrupt our vacation - an occassional downpour but otherwise not bad. It is really really hot all the time, especially in Bangkok. With the amount of time you have, Phuket is not an option in February. If you go in July, Koh Samui is the better beach option as it is rainy in Phuket.

If you do choose to go to Bangkok for the week, the Marriott Resort on the river would be a good choice. It has a great pool and has been repeatedly recommended on this forum.

8 days is short, but you say you have a full 8 days on the ground in Thailand. If so, do it. (I've done 1 week to Asia trips a number of times.) Everyone is different as to jetlag. And if you are on the non-stop Thai flight (JFK-BKK), that will make the flight easier.

With just eight days, I agree with your thought to stay in Bangkok the whole time. No doubt Bob will recommend the Marriott, which has a great pool area and is on the river. As you know, we can recommend zillions of things to do, places to eat, spa treatments, etc. With that much time you can also do a day trip or two.

Thank you.

What kind of day trips? Do they all require flights?

Although I posted after Kathie, her post appears before mine for some reason so take note. The common day trips are all by car, bus or boat. The two most common are Ayuttya/Ban Pa In summer palace (out by bus, return by boat) and the floating market (1-1/2 hours by car).

I meant to say that Kathie's post is after mine so you might not have seen it.

Yes, we must have been typing at the same time, Craig. Kanchuburi was the other day trip I thought of, and it might be of more interest than Ayutthya for the kids. It would be a full day driving trip.

take a few extra days...
so the kids will miss a couple of days.. no big deal (in my opinion).

I am taking my kids (8,4) away this october. it's over a 1 week holiday vacation + 2 weeks out of school/kindergarden time.

I'd spend the whole 8 in Bangkok. Happy Travels!

the only hotel for you in bkk, imo, is the marriott...perfect for everyone but best for families in your situation....the only negetive is that they will want you to have two rooms, although i suspect you could crowd into one room....would not be pleasant...

you can do it nicely in one week if you stay in one place...moving from one area to another takes 1/2 day minimum and for all intents really takes the whole day....

so go to bkk and pick either the marriott or the sheraton---marriott is better for you really...why?? the pool is the best in bkk and the area is large and kid friendly....the attached mini mall has burger king, mcdonalds, small shops, a drug store, a bank...some activities for the kids...ice cream....a perfect family place....i have suggested this place to many families and not one has not loved it 100%....

the price in feb will be about $135-140 per nite inclusive of breakfast for 2 and tax/service using one of the discount hotel sites....
i prefer: www.huahin.20m.com but their prices are not available for another couple of weeks...i just paid $136 from asiaroom.com for nov....same price as february....

there is tons to do in bkk and great food at reasonable prices...

i have a restaurant listing if you want it just ask: rhkonthailand@msn.com

outside of town there are two or three places to go for day trips....you might like the floating market with a private driver....

a klong tour is a must in bkk....long tail boat ride through the canals of thornburi....about 400 B per hour and takes 2-3 hours....go in the afternoon...a riverside hotel would arrange a boat for you or get one at taskim pier---end of the skytrain...

GO TO THAILAND YOU WILL LOVE IT AND SO WILL THE KIDS....

Wow, the information you gave me is invaluable.

Yes, we would leave a couple of days before the February school break. That would mean depart on a Thursday and return the following Saturday. I think that is about 8 nights, though a 1 a.m. return flight seems awful. On the ThaiAir website I can't figure out if they are consistently using military time or "regular" time. Thus, I'm not sure on the departure times of the non stops from NYC to BKK, or the return. I tried calling the airline but maybe it was early in the a.m. because I got into some endless muzak.

On the Marriott hotel, that seems great, although so does the Shangri-La. I think they may not be that different in price, but I haven't checked the discount sites you mentioned. If so, is the Shangri-La way more "Thai" and also upscale? My wife and I would prefer that. Probably the kids too. Also, the Marriott site says 2 kids under 12 are OK in the same room. We generally do that. First reason is cost and second is that the kids will not sleep in a separate room. (Don't ask; that is one big family issue.) Thus, we have actually had the situation where we have moved beds into our room. Alternatively, we take a suite and put them in the living room.

Finally, for those who have flown the Thai non stop, I assume it is way better than stopping somewhere and, is it the case that by hour 14 you want to jump out the emergency exit door? And, is the jetlag completely debilitating? We are probably middle of the road on jetlag; it affects us but doesn't knock us completely off. Yet, BKK is an entire day difference, does that mean you can't function for a few days both coming and going? Thanks.

Jet lag is a very individual thing. Some people are really debilitated by it, others are not. If you are a melatonin responder, you may be able to quickly re-set your internal clock with melatonin. There are lots of tips on let lag on this board, you can do a search for jet lag.

The Shangri-La is more upscale than the Marriott (and the price will be higher). Both are along the river, which is the right location for you. You could opt for a suite in either place.

The non-stop on Thai will make a difference in your jet lag I expect. When you stop somewhere (I always have to stop at Narita) it does interfere with sleep, and makes it harder to adjust times. Take books, games, etc, on the flight. There will be movies shown non-stop.

With kids, you should look into taking an Amazing Bangkok Cyclist tour. We did this with our kids and it was one of the highlights of our week in Bangkok. Very easy physically, and you get to see many areas of Bangkok...pedalling right thru markets, travelling by boat to the rural side of the city, and stopping for snacks in little neighborhoods.

You could get away with 5 full days in Bangkok and 3 in Chiang Mai(8-19 degrees cooler than Bangkok in Feb.) where the kids would really enjoy the Elephant Conservancy in Lampang. They can even ride an elephant for a 1 hour trek. They treat the animals very well. A day to visit the hill tribe inhabitants is very interesting with a guide/driver like Poon, Ratt's sister, or Kai (I read he is very good, we enjoyed 4 days with Poon)and a trip to an amazing temple Doi Suthep (3 hour trip including 1+ hour at the temple) and a bit different type of night market than those in Bangkok. If you are there on a Sunday they have a special larger market from 4PM to around midnight.Just a thought.

I'll repeat some of what I said above because I think you missed it.

The 1 AM BKK - JFK flight is on Saturday morning. It is good because you will go right to sleep and when you wake up the flight will be half over. Reserve your hotel room as if you were staying another night. Most hotels will not give you late checkout past 6 PM but its worth it to pay for the extra day so you can nap or take a shower before you depart. For the 1 am departure, you will leave your hotel at about 10 PM.

The flight times are as follows:
depart JFK noon, arrive BKK 5 PM (the next day)
depart BKK 1 AM, arrive JFK 6 AM (the same day)

If you take it easy on your first full day in Bangkok, you should be fine. Your first full day will be Saturday if you depart JFK on a Thursday.

You will arrive home early in the morning on Saturday if you take the Saturday flight. It will take the rest of the weekend to recover.

We did this flight last February. We have also flown to Thailand via Tokyo. It is definitely better to fly non-stop. If you connect, most flights arrive at BKK late at night and depart BKK very early (6 AM) in the morning - this means you don't get much sleep on the night you arrive and on the night you depart.

I would recommend also looking at the Peninsula, as it is one of the finest hotels in the world and not all that expensive - the pool is not that large though. I would choose the Marriott over the Shangri-la for the pool since that is important to you. Also, the Shangri-la gets a lot of tour groups.

I would not bother to try to fit in Chiang Mai. It will take the better part of two days to get there and back. The Thursday - Saturday itinerary you are considering will give you 7 full days in Bangkok (Saturday to Friday).

Singapore Air flies nonstop our of Newark (we are doing it in December). Their flight leaves at 11 pm and arrives in Singapore 6:40 am (you then take another flight to Bangkok arriving there at 10:10. We are traveling straight to Bangkok, then spending a few days in Singapore on the way back (there is no charge for this "stopover" holiday). The flight for Newark leaves Singapore at 12:30 pm and arrives Newark 5:30 pm.

The advantage to this is you get another day abroad (we are limited by school vacations).

peachy, I don't see how the Singapore Air flight gives you "another day" abroad, as you still deal with crossing the international date line, and the flight through Singapore takes longer to get to (and from) Bangkok.

If everyone is going to be in the same room, you might look at getting a suite. The Royal Orchid Sheraton has reasonable prices for suites and junior suites. they have "discount" on their website for AAA or AARP. The pool at the ROS is very good. in fact there are two pools. The rooms are not fancy, but the location is excellent, right on a river ferry stop. You might also inquire of the Marriott concerning a suite. The extra room might prove relaxing, especially considering that BKK can be frantic and ungodly hot.

Go to Joe Louis Puppet Theatre at the Suan Lum Night market. Buy tickets at the theatre at 6 for the 7 o;clock show. There are several nice restaurants adjacent. After the show explore the market. It's very calm compared to the other night markets. The goods are nice and prices competitive. You can take in a Thai boxing match nearby. I saw the boxers warming up at the edge of the market.
I don't know why so few people mention this venue. I had a great time.

you are 4 people. Get a two-bedroom serviced apartment. Then at least you'll have space and save on food since you can cook some meals. Happy Travels!

If you get a serviced apartment you won't be on the river and on such a short vacation you won't want to be cooking meals.

Save Singapore for another time.

Re: Singapore Air route.

Anything that gets me another vacation day would be great but....

I checked the Singapore Air fares. Out of Newark, with a stop in Singapore, the fare is about $2,000+ more than Thai Air. Out of JFK the fare is only $800 more but, it is 2 stops, Frankfurt, then Singapore then BKK.

Craig...I wasn't referring to them cooking some huge meals...but they do have kids...and kids get hungry at weird hours and especially with the jetlag and all. When my best friend and her teenage daughter met me in Bangkok, I remember she said that her daughter would wake up in the middle of the night...due to jet lag...and be wide awake and hungry and order room service. It would have been a lot cheaper to have had a kitchen where she could have gone in and maybe made a cheese sandwich or something else light....like all of the varieties of cup a soup. Her room service bill was quite high. Plus, if the kids get stomach upset, it's nice to have a kitchen. Of all of the serviced buildings on moveandstay.com, there must be a few on or near the river. Isn't Centre Point Silom on the river? Happy Travels!

sheraton is a possibility and the pool is the 2nd best to the marriott, but i repeat my marriott suggestion as i think the kids will feel more at home there....the pool, the staff, the mini-mall....

the sh-la is more upscale and very grand, and also huge....the pool area is not well situated really and not good for kids....i would not take my grandchildren there...not relaxed enough....

penn is very nice, but i feel the same way about it....both of these hotels are adult style hotels, imo....some fodorites, like kim japan, have had good luck with the penn with a kid, but generally it is not the kind of place that kids could relax in....

a regular room at the marriott or sheraton or sh-la would work with kids with a rollaway situation or a fold out sofa, but the room will be cramped....a suite might be a better option....full suite, not junior

Ok, just a few more questions please:

The more I read the more people write about the smog, heat and humidity in Bangkok. I live in NYC so I am ok with general city life, and love cities but, does this make it "crazy" to travel to BKK in February and stay in the city for an entire week with the intent of seeing and doing much but also spending serious time pool side with the kids?

Can we eat most places without getting sick? Bottled water is fine but, must we be on guard and avoid salads, etc., at most restaurants? We are very into food. Are the night markets off limits for eating?

And, Thai Air non stop is now pricing at about $1050 per adult. Is that a good fare? Premium economy is almost $600 more, ouch. Anyone know a great consolidator? Alternatively, Thai Air told me the tkts are fully refundable for a $75 cancellation fee. That seems pretty amazing to me, since my job can mean I have to cancel on a couple weeks notice. Thanks again for taking the time with me.

I really don't think the smog is that bad in Bangkok compared to some other third world cities. The main concern is the heat, which means you will have to do things at a slower pace than you are accustomed - no big deal really. Just know that you need to allow more time than you think to get around Bangkok. Staying there for a full week will allow you to do that without feeling rushed.

Bangkok has reasonably priced great restaurants of all types - a foodie's dream really. While we generally stay away from salads, it is not a hard and fast rule with us. We had an awesome soft shell crab lettuce salad at Biscotti, an Italian restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel. The standards at the better restaurants are high. The main concern is how the lettuce is washed. I have never gotten sick in Thailand. I do avoid street food i.e. any food that is sold where employees can not wash their hands. I am not certain whether such conditions exist at the Suan Lum night market but if they did, I would avoid eating there. I don't know of any other night markets worth visiting with children.

Bottled water is a must. Many on this forum also brush their teeth with it. You generally get a couple of bottles in your hotel room. Ice is manufactured with purified water so you don't usually have to worry about ice in drinks.

$1050 sounds like the average price for the direct flight. If PE seats are available on the day of your flight, you may be able to upgrade then for less than $600. I don't know that I'd take that risk - it seems that this flight is becoming pretty popular. As far as the $75 cancellation charge goes, Thai's ticket policies have always been quite flexible.

I don't know if it would be any use but you might want to check out Emirates, they have 3 flights per day from JFK to Dubai, 2 of them are non stop, the other stops in Hamburg, so the 2 non stops to Dubai ( great airport to transit thru ) and then they have 3 to 4 onwards to Bangkok, from Dubai to Bangkok is about 5 hrs 45, so JFK-Dubai-BKK is quite fast, might be worth thinking about.

That's at least 3 per day Dubai-BKK.
Etihad start non stop JFK to Abu Dhabi from end October and they also fly onwards to Bangkok ( about same flying time as from Dubai ) but not as many flights as Emirates, but it's 2 per day from Sbu Dhabi I think from about November time.

we are very strict with our eating and thus have never had any issues....we never eat at the markets nor at food places along the street and thus have never in 9 trips had any food problems...

a few general rules are: only bottled water, except maybe in upscale restaurants, although we never did this (table water) until the last two trips....this includes brushing your teeth...no problem with showers however, although we keep our mouths shut....general rule: "if it not cooked especially for you, or peeled by you, don't eat it"... we shy away from buffets for this very reason, except at breakfast...karen is leery of how long things might have been sitting around, etc...
we avoid all ice, regardless of what they tell you....

we rarely take salads for the reasons craig has listed, but that crab salad he speaks of is karen's very favorite...a regular green salad we never order...we can have all the salads we want at home....

i have never seen any smog in bkk....it is exhaust pollution and that kind of uncomfortable air you have in nyc during those hot and humid july/august days---those unbearable days you will remember from this past july....personally it is the humidity that bothers me rather than the heat, although that is not far behind....for this reason it is mandatory that we have a nice pool with plenty of shade (many hotel pools have little or no shade, especially the ones with roof top pools)

you will be fine in bkk and so will the kids....you just have to take things slowly....plan to do one major thing or maybe two per day and then go back to the pool or to some a/c place like the aquarium for the other part of the day....

we sometimes do something in the AM after our swim, then go out to lunch and then return and spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool ....this will accomodate the kids well too....for this reason i think the full 8 days in and around bkk would work well for you rather than going off someplace else...take it slow and see lots but in a leisurely fashion...

btw....there will be a fodors GTG in boston on oct 7 if you have any interest....lots of the regulars from this board will be in attendance....let me know if you would like to come: rhkonthailand@msn.com

bob

As for smog, heat, and humidity...although I'm from L.A., I have been in N.Y. during the heat of the summer and don't see any difference in the weather situation in Bangkok as compared to N.Y. in August. Now, sometimes the smog can be stronger than other times as in any major city. I just got back three days ago and the air was very clean. However, while in Bangkok for three weeks in Dec/Jan there was definitely more smog although I have been there many times before, the same months, when there was hardly any. So, I wouldn't worry about that at all.

As for food and water...some folks are really strict. I'm strict to a certain point, but not obsessed with it. I brush my teeth everyday in tap water and although I drink bottled water...as I do a lot at home,too, I have drunk tap water, on occasion at restaurants...and have been fine. If you're nervous about it, then drink only bottled water.

As for food, I eat uncooked vegetables all of the time...lettuce,tomatoes, etc and rinse them off under the tap water in my apartment...But, again if that makes you nervous, then stay away from uncooked vegetables and peel fruit...like the old rules of traveling within Europe.

I always get some kind of stomach quiezziness upon arrival...but it doesn't last that long and has never slowed me down too much. The system just has to adjust and then I'm fine. Usually the stomach problems come from eating too much...as the food in Bangkok is great.

As I mentioned before...with 8 days, I would stay in Bangkok the whole time. Why run around? It's a vacation. Plus, moving around alot exhausts one's system and your system might end up down and then you might end up sick. Southeast Asia is not Europe. It can't be done on some,"If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium" type of schedule.... I vacation in BK twice a year and have been going there since the 90s and nothing major has happened to me. Plus, there's always Bumrungrad hospital...the number 1 international hospital in the world. So, by staying in BK, at least you will have excellent medical care if it's needed. Happy Travels!

Sounds like a fun trip you are planning. You have already gotten some great advice, but I will chime in too.

- Flights from NY: The Thai non-stop is a great flight at a great price. The standard economy seats are MUCH better than economy seats on a regular flight. The kids will be very happy with the video games and movies on demand system.
I wouldn't bother springing for the premium economy.

- Jet lag: not bad at all on this Thai non-stop. My husband is usually a cranky traveller, but neither of us was effected by jetlag on either leg.

- 8 days in Bangkok: I will be the dissenter here and say that is too much. I like BKK very much, but that is too many days, especially when there are other areas (North or Beach) to exlpore. I work in NYC and would not want to spend my entire vacation in another big city.

There are plenty of day trips to take outside of Bangkok. But, I still think it would be good to use Bangkok as the base. HAppy Travels!

There are plenty of day trips to take outside of Bangkok.I still think it would be good to use Bangkok as the base. HAppy Travels!

Forget the negatives about BKK. A New Yorker will love it. A few simple precautions and the food is as safe as NYC. Avoid street food (we always eat it without problems, but with kids, better safe than sorry), bottled water and skip raw food (we always eat this too, but BSTS).

Put your anxieties aside. This will be a great trip. Just go ahead and book the Thai Air flights. Agonizing over the small details, i.e., saving $50-100 per ticket, will drive you crazy. $1050 per is a good price. You might be able to find a lesser price, but it will undoubtedly involve one or two stops. This will subtract from your time on the ground. The small savings are not worth the missed time.

First-- the thai flight is fabulous. Definitely the way to go. Not only is it much shorter but you get in at a great time which reduces jet lag. I would spend the entire time in Bangkok. If you get there and discover you hate it (I love it but I do know those who don't) you can easily get on a flight to Chiang Mai -- Feb. is not low season but it isn't high high season.

Yes be careful about food. Do NOT eat street food (but then I wouldn't eat street food in NY either) and avoid salads or anything not peeled unless you're in a 5 star hotel or restaurant. Even then I'd avoid it. Why take a risk. That said I have been to thailand 19 times and have never gotten sick. It will be hot -- if heat bothers you hire a driver. Best money you can spend if you want to avoid the heat.

As for shangrila vs Marriott. There is nothing thai about the Shangrila. It is a huge international style hotel. Better located and more deluxe than the Marriott. Probably less personal. I dislike it -- but I dislike big hotels. It feels very cold to me. Others love it. Depends on what you're looking for.

I totally agree with Gpanda. I understand your concerns however I think you're stressing out over this too much. Go...have a great time... Happy Travels!

Some additional feedback please....

As I continue to think about a full week in BKK, I am wondering if I can easily add Hua Hin to the trip. (My other choice, Hawaii, is all beach, which might drive me crazy.) Hua Hin seems to have good/great hotels and a nice beach. Are they about same price as Bangkok deluxe properties? Some hotel websites say it is only "2 hours" by car from BKK. Others say around 4. Is it somewhere in between?

Perhaps we could do 4 nights in BKK and 4 nights or so in Hua Hin, heading from Hua Hin back to airport on Saturday later afternoon. Of course, that adds "time in a seat" to our return leg. If I budget about 4 hours for that return drive on a Saturday night is that fine? Thanks again.

none of us know how long the trip to the new airport will be but certainly 4 hours would be plenty of time.....we drove from the jw marriott on sukhumvit to the marriott in central hua hin in about 2.5 hours.....the limo drove very fast and he stopped once for about 10 minutes 1/2 way down...

its an easy drive once you get out of bkk....

price: sea side resorts are a bit more expensive than bkk hotels i find....but in the case of the marriott they are about the same price as i remember...
the hyatt for instance is about $140 in HH after nov 1 and about the same in bkk....there are many less expensive offerings in HH that are a higher quality than the same priced options in bkk...

take a look at this site which has all the major areas in thailand:

www.huahin.20m.com

the only place i do not suggest that you consider in HH is the hilton....i just find it ghastly, although reports are that the rooms are quite nice....

I will accept that going to CM is a squeeze but you can take a 9AM flight and arrive at about 10 and you are driving out of the airport before 11AM, On the return you do not have to leave CM until 7PM and will be in Bangkok airport at 8-8:30 (with a delay). Thay still give you 4+ hours of leeway and no luggage problemfor if you take Thai to and from CM you can check your baggage through to NY from CM and you will have little worries. I just think with the kids and the heat/humidity of BK the kids would like the change especially Lampang. It is not a circus but done so very well. I was unaware that premium economy has gone up from $400 to $600 in the 4 months since our last trip but if you really are concerned about jet lag and cannot extend the trip by 2-3 full days (that's what I would do) it may still be worth considering even though it is $2400 for your family.

If it were me (and, obviously it isn't), I'd opt to spend the time in Bangkok. You don't have a lot of time in Thailand and you will be contending with jet lag, why spend 8 hours or so of your vacation in a van going to/from Hua Hin or to/from Chang Mai? If you had more time, I'd suggest you add a few days somewhere outside of Bangkok. If you choose your hotel well in Bangkok, it will be an oasis in the city. There are lots of wonderful places for spa treatments, great restaurants, etc.

I've been to Hua Hin two or three times. It's a pleasant beach resort area with some very nice accommodations, many with wonderful spas. There are some good restaurants (they don't measure up to Bangkok, IMO) and a little sight seeing you can do. It's pleasant, but not uniquely Thai.

By the way, my first trip to Thailand twenty-some years ago was 9 days in Bangkok. I loved every minute, and immediately planned another trip to Thailand to see more of the country and to spend another week in Bangkok.