BillT's BKK Trip Report
Jan 16th, 2010, 03:10 AM
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BillT's BKK Trip Report
Day 1-
Departure from Houston to Minneapolis. Flight was nearly full but otherwise fine. I found Minneapolis airport easy to navigate. It has a nice shopping mall and getting from domestic gates to the international gates was a breeze- no going thru security again. I notice a high number of Asians in this airport.
next flight - to Narita- we thought we had the middle seat open - but alas it turned out to be a cattle car- so much for the airlines hurting! Northwest flies old 747's and the attendants are all members of AARP! Not much fun in this group - a bit on the grouchy side. OK here is where I make my comment that one reson the US airlines are suffering is their service- lousy- the Asian airlines beat them by a mile! They just know how to serve - its in their genes!
The food however was not bad, I actually enjoyed the food they served- so at least they have improved in that area. We had FF miles to use up and that is why we are flying Northworst...uh I mean Northwest.
Last flight to BKK was on a nice new Airbus and we had the two seats -aisle/window which made a big difference. We landed on time but there was not gate for us so they had to bus us off the plane and to the terminal. The immigration lines were very long. We got our bags and Rat met us at Gate 3- the meeting point for all. 30 minutes to mthe hotel.Checked into our Royal Club room at the Plaza Athenee- very nice hotel and room. About 45 sq meters and a very spacious and modern bathroom- a must fort Olive.
We finally go sleep by 3 am. It was up at 7 am and out the door at 9 am for our buffet breakfast. The food was very good at the buffet- plenty of choices- made to order eggs and other items. Noodles and fried rice were excellent as were the dim sum. I had the shrimp soimai.
After brerakfast it was time to hit the streets. We did the Thai Craft Fair as this was the only opportunity we would have to do it. We walked to the skytrain and got to the fair in short order.An interesting fair with many booths - however we did not find anything that we wanted to purchase. prices here are fixed.
Then it was on to Siam Paragon to shop and also to buy some fruit Olive was looking for and found in their gourmet market -Longkong I believe its called. Next we headed to MBK and did some shopping- Olive bought a purse there and some socks.. By this time it was about 3 pm and we were starting to feel the jet lag. so back at the hotel after a skytrain ride.We had the afternoon tea in the club lounge and then back at the room we rested. I stopped down for the evening happy hour and then retired back to our room.
Day 1 is in the books. Weather- warm but not too hot, a bit windy at times and some clouds later in the afternoon.
Departure from Houston to Minneapolis. Flight was nearly full but otherwise fine. I found Minneapolis airport easy to navigate. It has a nice shopping mall and getting from domestic gates to the international gates was a breeze- no going thru security again. I notice a high number of Asians in this airport.
next flight - to Narita- we thought we had the middle seat open - but alas it turned out to be a cattle car- so much for the airlines hurting! Northwest flies old 747's and the attendants are all members of AARP! Not much fun in this group - a bit on the grouchy side. OK here is where I make my comment that one reson the US airlines are suffering is their service- lousy- the Asian airlines beat them by a mile! They just know how to serve - its in their genes!
The food however was not bad, I actually enjoyed the food they served- so at least they have improved in that area. We had FF miles to use up and that is why we are flying Northworst...uh I mean Northwest.
Last flight to BKK was on a nice new Airbus and we had the two seats -aisle/window which made a big difference. We landed on time but there was not gate for us so they had to bus us off the plane and to the terminal. The immigration lines were very long. We got our bags and Rat met us at Gate 3- the meeting point for all. 30 minutes to mthe hotel.Checked into our Royal Club room at the Plaza Athenee- very nice hotel and room. About 45 sq meters and a very spacious and modern bathroom- a must fort Olive.
We finally go sleep by 3 am. It was up at 7 am and out the door at 9 am for our buffet breakfast. The food was very good at the buffet- plenty of choices- made to order eggs and other items. Noodles and fried rice were excellent as were the dim sum. I had the shrimp soimai.
After brerakfast it was time to hit the streets. We did the Thai Craft Fair as this was the only opportunity we would have to do it. We walked to the skytrain and got to the fair in short order.An interesting fair with many booths - however we did not find anything that we wanted to purchase. prices here are fixed.
Then it was on to Siam Paragon to shop and also to buy some fruit Olive was looking for and found in their gourmet market -Longkong I believe its called. Next we headed to MBK and did some shopping- Olive bought a purse there and some socks.. By this time it was about 3 pm and we were starting to feel the jet lag. so back at the hotel after a skytrain ride.We had the afternoon tea in the club lounge and then back at the room we rested. I stopped down for the evening happy hour and then retired back to our room.
Day 1 is in the books. Weather- warm but not too hot, a bit windy at times and some clouds later in the afternoon.
Jan 16th, 2010, 04:14 AM
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Thanks for the update. The NW/Delta flights to Narita are always full. Should they have had Ladyboys as attendants? Lots of planes land around 11:30 pm and immigration can be slow.
We liked the Plaza Athenee a lot. Take an early morning walk to Lumphini Park. It's a blast.
Timely report, no penalty
We liked the Plaza Athenee a lot. Take an early morning walk to Lumphini Park. It's a blast.
Timely report, no penalty
Jan 16th, 2010, 07:22 AM
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good start....sorry you did not find anything at craft fair....karen always buys a million things there....in fact this year she bought several pieces of very nice sterling jewelry among a ton of other things...
glad you like the PA.. i knew you would...
have fun
glad you like the PA.. i knew you would...
have fun
Jan 16th, 2010, 03:33 PM
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Well I think if we had ladyboys instead of that flight group it would have bit a whole lot more fun!
Today - Sunday if we have the energy we will attack the weekend market. Tonight Dinner with friends at Banyon Tree.
Today - Sunday if we have the energy we will attack the weekend market. Tonight Dinner with friends at Banyon Tree.
Jan 17th, 2010, 06:32 PM
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We had a very enjoyable evening with Pook and his lovely daughter.
Day 3-
Today we are heading out to the silver shops behind the Oriental hotel. Last night Olive had her first massage at our hotel. We use a woman that we used on our last trip who is very experienced. Olive will have her massage daily from 3-5pm- full body and facial.
Day 3-
Today we are heading out to the silver shops behind the Oriental hotel. Last night Olive had her first massage at our hotel. We use a woman that we used on our last trip who is very experienced. Olive will have her massage daily from 3-5pm- full body and facial.
Jan 18th, 2010, 07:26 PM
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i told him i thought he was right up there with the grand palace and jim thompson house, only without the glitz....
seriously pook, all of us appreciate your frequent posts here and your willingness to share with this community---oh yes and your friendship of course...
seriously pook, all of us appreciate your frequent posts here and your willingness to share with this community---oh yes and your friendship of course...
Jan 19th, 2010, 03:27 PM
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Day 4 - Tuedasy Jan 19-
Breakfast as usual. This day Olive has her massage from 11am to 1 pm. Sunum gives her a different massage each day and has already relieved Olive of a number of ailments. I headed out on my own to Pratunum Market- on my last trip I only explored the Pratunum builidng complex. This time I headed across the stree to the market stalls- here I found the shopping to be much better. Also bargaining was not a problem here and I even found the fruit that Olive was unable to find at the other marketsa in town (this fruit called Atis is out of season now in BKK- which explains why its hard to find). I spent a few hours going thru all the stalls here. On my way to the market I stopped to view a Chinese new year celebration replete with dragons, dancers, and some sort of queen/bride like woman and her court. Its a bit early for Chinese new year. One thing I'm noticing here in BKK- a lot of the women and some men are spoting jackets, sweaters, tights, etc. Ok its mid to high 80's with some humidity and its not cool in terms I understand so why are these folks in jackets? Ok my guess is two fold- 1) Its their winter and they are breaking our their winter garb- temps be dammed and or 2)they want to be fashionable. But I digress... back on the sky train to the hotel. I like riding the skytrain for 2 reasons- 1) I get to see more of the city from above and all the different people that board the trains and 2) its very predictable as to how much time it will take in travweling from A to B. Taxis - might just get stuck in traffic and burn up a lot of time and in some cases these taxi drivers don't always know how to get there- again more time wasted.
Dinner this evening is with a family friend who is an executive with SONY here in BKK. We ate at Baan Khanitha-it was very good. The ambiance is very Thai, we had chicken in pandan leaves, shrimp balls on sugar cane sticks, pork in red curry sauce and crab fried rice.
We have also been contacted by another Fodorite- Ken Sato who indicated that he will be in BKK next week so we are hooking up for lunch on Jan. 28th - place TBD but I'm thinking of the Dim Sum buffet at the Liu restaurant at the Conrad Hotel for that.
Another relaxing day in the land of smiles is in the books.
Breakfast as usual. This day Olive has her massage from 11am to 1 pm. Sunum gives her a different massage each day and has already relieved Olive of a number of ailments. I headed out on my own to Pratunum Market- on my last trip I only explored the Pratunum builidng complex. This time I headed across the stree to the market stalls- here I found the shopping to be much better. Also bargaining was not a problem here and I even found the fruit that Olive was unable to find at the other marketsa in town (this fruit called Atis is out of season now in BKK- which explains why its hard to find). I spent a few hours going thru all the stalls here. On my way to the market I stopped to view a Chinese new year celebration replete with dragons, dancers, and some sort of queen/bride like woman and her court. Its a bit early for Chinese new year. One thing I'm noticing here in BKK- a lot of the women and some men are spoting jackets, sweaters, tights, etc. Ok its mid to high 80's with some humidity and its not cool in terms I understand so why are these folks in jackets? Ok my guess is two fold- 1) Its their winter and they are breaking our their winter garb- temps be dammed and or 2)they want to be fashionable. But I digress... back on the sky train to the hotel. I like riding the skytrain for 2 reasons- 1) I get to see more of the city from above and all the different people that board the trains and 2) its very predictable as to how much time it will take in travweling from A to B. Taxis - might just get stuck in traffic and burn up a lot of time and in some cases these taxi drivers don't always know how to get there- again more time wasted.
Dinner this evening is with a family friend who is an executive with SONY here in BKK. We ate at Baan Khanitha-it was very good. The ambiance is very Thai, we had chicken in pandan leaves, shrimp balls on sugar cane sticks, pork in red curry sauce and crab fried rice.
We have also been contacted by another Fodorite- Ken Sato who indicated that he will be in BKK next week so we are hooking up for lunch on Jan. 28th - place TBD but I'm thinking of the Dim Sum buffet at the Liu restaurant at the Conrad Hotel for that.
Another relaxing day in the land of smiles is in the books.
Jan 19th, 2010, 10:15 PM
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Day 5 - Wednesday
Breakfast at 8:30 - there is always something different at this buffet. They vary the Thai noodles and pastries. I like their har gow and sui mai.
Today we venture out for the Temple of Dawn. This was one attraction that we never made it to during our previous 2 trips. It will also be the first time we used the water taxis.
We took the skytrain and then looked for the express boat (Orange flag) at the central pier.You have to be quick to get a seat as there always seems to be a large crowd here. Also you do not want to sit along the side of the boat as you get water spray in your face at times. Now if that is not an issue for you- then its a great seat because you get a great view and the breeze coming off the water. I got conflicting info about how to pay. We just boarded the boat and there was a lady that comes thru shaking her change thigamagig- you pay her. I was not sure how much so for the both of us I gave her 40 and she returned 14 so it was 26 for the both of us. The express boat does not stop at every pier- you must pay attention to what boat you get on to be sure it stops where you want to get off.
Its a nice ride - maybe 20 mintes or so and you are at Wat Arun - but across the river from it. You transfer over to the cross river ferry. You pay the attendant on the pier - 3 baht each and you go thru a turnstyle and then into the ferry which takes you across in 5 minutes or so.
You pay nothing as you walk into the grounds. Now there are these picture things where you can stick your face thru and yes you too can be a Thai princess- but look to the bottom of this thing and you will see that it costs you 40 baht for this priviledge. I had seen pictures of this temple but nothing prepares you for seeing it in person - simply amazing the detail and artwork involved in these buildings. Now to get up close to the temple you need to buy a ticket - 50 baht each. We did and went in. You can climb the steep - I mean steep steps- that go way way up the structures. I went up one flight that was enough for me. We took pictures and then after touring the site went back to take the ferry across. This time you pay to get out - not much I think it was 5 or 8 baht. We rode back to the skytrain and the took the train back to the hotel. Olive gets here massage at 3-5 pm , then we plan to head out to Siam Paragon and have Japanese food at the Fugi restaurant there in Paragon. After that we may visit a few stores in the area.
Weather today was very good- somewhat cloudy and the temps were maybe mid 80's humidty not oppressive- a good day to be out visiting temples.
Breakfast at 8:30 - there is always something different at this buffet. They vary the Thai noodles and pastries. I like their har gow and sui mai.
Today we venture out for the Temple of Dawn. This was one attraction that we never made it to during our previous 2 trips. It will also be the first time we used the water taxis.
We took the skytrain and then looked for the express boat (Orange flag) at the central pier.You have to be quick to get a seat as there always seems to be a large crowd here. Also you do not want to sit along the side of the boat as you get water spray in your face at times. Now if that is not an issue for you- then its a great seat because you get a great view and the breeze coming off the water. I got conflicting info about how to pay. We just boarded the boat and there was a lady that comes thru shaking her change thigamagig- you pay her. I was not sure how much so for the both of us I gave her 40 and she returned 14 so it was 26 for the both of us. The express boat does not stop at every pier- you must pay attention to what boat you get on to be sure it stops where you want to get off.
Its a nice ride - maybe 20 mintes or so and you are at Wat Arun - but across the river from it. You transfer over to the cross river ferry. You pay the attendant on the pier - 3 baht each and you go thru a turnstyle and then into the ferry which takes you across in 5 minutes or so.
You pay nothing as you walk into the grounds. Now there are these picture things where you can stick your face thru and yes you too can be a Thai princess- but look to the bottom of this thing and you will see that it costs you 40 baht for this priviledge. I had seen pictures of this temple but nothing prepares you for seeing it in person - simply amazing the detail and artwork involved in these buildings. Now to get up close to the temple you need to buy a ticket - 50 baht each. We did and went in. You can climb the steep - I mean steep steps- that go way way up the structures. I went up one flight that was enough for me. We took pictures and then after touring the site went back to take the ferry across. This time you pay to get out - not much I think it was 5 or 8 baht. We rode back to the skytrain and the took the train back to the hotel. Olive gets here massage at 3-5 pm , then we plan to head out to Siam Paragon and have Japanese food at the Fugi restaurant there in Paragon. After that we may visit a few stores in the area.
Weather today was very good- somewhat cloudy and the temps were maybe mid 80's humidty not oppressive- a good day to be out visiting temples.
