rhkkmk

I RECEIVED SUCH NICE COMMENTS ON MY TRIP REPORT LAST MARCH FOR ITALY THAT I DECIDED I WOULD ATTEMPT ONE ON OUR 30 DAY TRIP TO S.E. ASIA...HERE GOES...

we are two 60 year olds who travel 3-4 times per year overseas...fodors.com has become a passion for me and i look at it at least twice daily and add info where i can be of help to people and write down things where people have been a help to me...

i began the planning for this trip to asia about 11 months ago...it was our 6th trip to thailand in the last 9 years...yes, we do love it....what do we love: the people are simply #1...the food is great (thai and all other varieties) and cheap comparitively, shopping has to be the best in the world and also cheap...its exotic, fun and interesting every day....the sites are simple in one place and magnificent in another...you have a feeling that it simply is a genuine place...

i have several prejudices about accomodations and restaurants and you will see them here--sorry... i also am a terrible speller so bear with me...i will proofread before sending and i will do this report in several installments over several days....

here goes...

we live in boston, ma, usa....we are 60 and have 2 grown kids...this is background to better understand where we are coming from...i am a retired banker, with a small part time job and my wife is a full time RN at an Harvard Teaching Hospital in Boston (she gets lots of vacation time based on years of service)..... the report..

we left needham, ma about 9:15 AM on may 22, 2004 in the care of our driver Hedley---he keeps trying to get us to go visit his homeland, the mauritius islands...thanks to all of you taxpayers we can now reach logan airport in about 25 minutes with the new ted williams tunnel which is the major part of the "big dig" which thankfully is winding down after 10 years or so of disruption....
we fly Northwest Airlines to Asia...they have very quick service which routes us through either Detroit or Minneapolis and then Narita (tokyo) and then on to Bangkok...total travel time about 30 hours with the two one hour + stops from our house to the bangkok hotel...
the flights were all right on time...they now load up very early and are ready to go before departure time...we always pick seats in rows 63-66 as they are the only 2 seaters on the 747's which fly the long legs...there is also a large space between the window seat and the window, where karen (my wife) has been known to lay down in...its also good for packages and general storage....keep it a secret please....i stay up late 90 days before the flight (first day to reserve seats) to call N/W to reserve these seats....
as usual i got them...
on the first flight my seat 63A was broken---back would not stay upright some of the time...i have had this seat before and had the same trouble--year and 1/2 ago....N/W CEO please note this when you read my report !!!... the longest flight is minneapolis to narita and on may 22 that was 11 hours and 54 minutes...UGH !!! food was tollerable--enough said...on the first leg of the trip: bos-minneapolis they sold food for $10--small salami finger sandwich or caesar salad ...we had brought nice thick ham and swiss sandwiches with us knowing this...
there were 3 movies on the flight...somewhat current...the flights were very full...there was a fair amount of turbulance on all of our flights this trip???
karen slept on the floor after a sleeping pill...i dozed on and off...no movies for me...
the flight from narita to bkk is 6 hours and 10 minutes...very easy connection in both places...so we arrive at bkk at midnight...
it is usually a busy time in immigration but we seem to be the first plane to arrive that night...we have landed, docked are through immigration and customs in less than 45 minutes...
we depart customs, and the AAC limo company is holding a sign for us to see...i had prearranged with them to pick us up and take us to the marriott resort and spa on the river...
AAC Limo (also called bangkok limo and [email protected] or telephone 0-2982-4900)...the fare is about 1500B but they have a discount program at the moment for about 1260B or $31.50 round trip...the marriott charges $36++ one way...

++ in this report refers to the added costs of 10% service and 7% tax.. all hotels and some service agencies apply these costs to everything you purchase....

so we are whisked to the service desk to pay (cash preferred)---atm near-by...and into the mercedes for the 1/2 hour ride to the hotel at a very fast speed....

we use these cars rather than a taxi on arrival and departure because there is lots of trunk space...bangkok taxis are toyota corollas and have small trunks (boots)....

we are in our room at the marriott at 1:30AM...we did walk around to see what if anything had changed since we were last there...all the same basically...bed at 2:30AM...didn't even touch the fruit plate...

the marriott resort and spa is simply our favorite all around hotel in bkk....it consists of 3 5-7 story buildings in a horse shoe around a large garden with huge pool area....the propety is right on the river, which has lots of interesting traffic....attached to the hotel is a small mall with lots of conveniences: mcdonald, burger king, laundry services, a few restaurnats, swensons ice cream, drug stores, a bank, bakery, jewerly stores, tailors, etc... the pool area is the best in bkk...
the hotel has a number of very good restaurants: polynesian, chinese, american, japanese (benni-hana), bar, poolside, bufet al-fresco...there is a world class spa too and tennis and work-out facilities...
they provide a boat shuttle service every 15 minutes to the sky train---the major new (4 years old) transportation facility in bkk (subway opens in july, 2004)...this is a real plus having this shuttle and its free...runs roughly 6AM-11PM...
the rooms are nice but not lavish...the beds are very comfortable...the hotel has an american owner...the floors have all recently been changed to a dark wood from the green carpeting that had been there for several years...very clean feeling---one never knows about rugs????
we prefer the middle building (the one with the lobby), but we also like the one on the left as you face the water...all the rooms are basically the same....most have a river view...most have a balcony...we never use the balcony---its too damn hot....
the a/c is fabulous...you need it...
room service breakfasts are 350B-450B ...

currently the baht is 40 (june, 2004) to the us dollar...

we eat a small breakfast usually in the room...that is if we haven't a room that comes with breakfast...there is a bakery on the lower level where i go to get fresh pastry each morning and karen makes her coffee in the room coffee maker...about 85B for 4 pastry...

I SHOULD TELL YOU KAREN ALWAYS SAYS I AM CHEAP...

we do not like a large breakfast by the way...we find it slows us down...but we do have it if it is included...

so now it is monday morning---you loose a day travelling in that direction...

we are out at the pool by 9:30...our sleep clocks are all messed up...we seat ourselves under our favorite tree (white flowers with a lovely smell)...the plan is to take an easy day...
shortly we meet a family from Zimbawbe in africa...they are very nice and we chat about their home conditions---they are white and this is not a good time for them....

lunch is slated to be poolside....our favorite soup is gone from the menu so we decide on an alternative and share a chicken satay (skewered char-cooked meat) and lots of cold bottled water (110B for an evian---but we get the local bottled for far less)...$19.70 for the lunch...not bad, not good either....remember food is generally very cheap in thailand except at hotels...

about 1PM the clouds have started to appear in the cloudless sky and we have had enough sun for our first day...its in the low 90's with the ever present high humidity...the pool water was refreshing but not cool...i think that they cool it slightly from the intese sun...

we wander out to the mall after getting dressed...our room is on the 4th floor of the main building (a non-smoking floor)...perfect in every way except that at times you can smell smoke---usually times when people would be in their rooms...it must come through the air handling eqpt...not bad just annoying...

we drop in to our favorite tailor: jack at monet il sarto...he is on the 2nd floor of the marriott mini mall overlooking the parking lot...he greets us as an old friend...we really don't need anything but i decide on a new wool sports jacket...i also have interest in a new summer robe, but none of the fabric catches my eye....he will look around for something appropriate...i am measured up and we set a date in a day or so for the first fitting...from there we check out eye glasses, but the sales person turns us off and we walk....
jack had told us about an internet site just up the road from the hotel on the same side of the street as the hotel...about a 5 minute walk....50B ($1.25) per hour...quite fast and easy to use and get to....hotel charges 195B++ for 15 minutes...

we go back into the hotel and decide to ask about "family rooms" for two fodorites who asked me questions and i said i would check it out for them...the marriott has no such thing in bkk...no double/doubles or the like...they suggest adjoining rooms or a larger suite...we look at a deluxe suite but it is quite costly and not all that appropriate...

we decide to go over to river city shopping center (the marriott boat formerly went there but it no longer does) so we took a taxi... 70B for the taxi, 100 with a good tip...the driver is a nice young man who engages us in conversation and mentions that his wife works at the hotel and that he is available for special hires...we take his card (we use him later the day before we leave for home)...he is Mr Somphet Gunthon...his cell is 0-6040-9893...he owns his new toyota corolla yellow and green cab (owner driven cabs)...he charges 250B per hour around bkk and slightly more for gas outside....his english is good and he is very pleasant and agreeable...more about him at the end of this report....

River city...for those of you who do not know this shopping mecca....it is a 5 or 6 floor building on the river right next door to the sheraton orchid hotel...it is from here that lots of tours begin...many river boats stop here... the first two floors of the building are general merchandise and a large display area with changing shows...the top floors are most antique shops (high end)...
karen's favorite silk shop is on the ground floor right across from the info desk at the sheraton end of the building....it is JS Thai silk...its a small shop but ms yai takes good care of us and we are always very pleased with their custom work...karen looks at their materials and ideas for this year and says we will be back later in the week...ms yai greets us like a part of her family....she is a plain woman, but her style sense is good and she understands just what karen wants and often makes little suggestions about tailoring items which enhance the outfits....
we look around river city a bit and are starting to tire...

while there i decide to visit the sheraton to ask about family rooms too, but the woman there was abrupt with us and only suggests adjoining rooms or a suite--no offer to view any rooms...they have no family rooms...exactly my impression from past visits to this hotel...abrupt!!!! more later on them....
from there we walk over to oriental lane which is in back of the oriental hotel just down the river about a 10 minutes walk---that sounds easy but try it in that heat and humidity...and on your first day....nothing that catches our eyes there...we are tiring fast...
from there we head to robinsons dept. store, just next to taskim pier (terminus for the skytrain and location of the marriott boat pier)...in the basement is a large grocery store where we buy some beer, water (the marriott and most of the world class hotels do provide you at least 2 bottles of bottled water daily in your room---water in thailand is not drinkable from the tap) and snacks to take to the room...
back to the hotel by hotel boat...its so lovely to ride on the river...a new touch this year when you are heading back to the hotels is that the boatman hands out lovely ice cold face clothes to cool and wash yourselves from heat and city grime....after that he gives each person a chilly cold bottle of water....very nice touch...all done with a smile of course....we just love this hotel and its people....

we may have swam again but i did not write it down...

we had planned to eat out front as i call it....i had devised a master eating plan for lunches and dinners in bkk....karen laughed at me and gpanda told me i was very organized---i think he was being kind---he really thought i was anal and he is of course right---

eating out front means the thai family restaurant on the ground level of the mini mall....it's name is: Kaew Sabeoy or something similar....in the past we have really liked the food...this time we found it to be quite tasteless...we were however tired....we had chicken and cashew (our test dish to see how we compare thai/chinese restaurnats), lemon chicken, one water, one very large beer, 2 white steamed rice, 1 asparagus and shitite mushroom dish and shrimp and pea pods....it was 511B + or about $14....good but not delicious...
we bought some cake from the marriott bakery and took it to the room (after 6 or 7PM the bakery marks things down---20 or 30%)....

early to bed exhausted (king bed with lovely bed clothes)....a day we did just what we wanted....not much but relaxing after a long day of flights....

i'm falling asleep and must stop here for today....more tomorrow....it will move quicker i hope...

bob

bizzyb

Bob, thank you for the great detailed information. We are leaving on Friday for Bangkok and I have been reading this forum for months in preparation. We are also staying at the Bangkok Marriott (on your recommendation here).
Looking forward to more before we leave.
Thanks again.

rhkkmk

BIZZ--i probably will post twice tomorrow if i find the time...if there is anything of particular interest before you leave send me an [email protected]

we love the marriott as you can see...we must have stayed there 10 or more segments....once we spent 13 days in a row there...its in particularily great shape at the moment...

bob

BillT

Bob- great report- keepum comming. Please give me more info about what they had at the Jim Thompson Outlet Store the opne at the end of the sky train line. (Couldyou have walked from the skytrain to get there?). Want to know if they had purses, wallets, etc.
(By the way- the answer to your question as to why Teddy keeps getting elected- well... besides being "American Royalty" he can really bring home the bacon for Ma. i.e. Big Dig!)

JamesA

Brilliant, I've been looking forward to this!

rhkkmk

billT---you could walk from the skytrain at on nut, but we took a cab both times we went there...as i see it it is too hot to walk more than a block or so to anywhere you do not have to walk to....i would say that it was maybe a half dozen blocks from the skytrain to the end of soi 93 maybe a bit more and then the store was only down the soi about 2 city blocks on the right.. it is well marked with a classic jim thompson sign...they have the whole building---maybe 6 stories...

goods: on the first and second floor it is fabric...the first floor seems to have mostly upholstery type fabrics and fabrics for the home....the second floor has more of theis plus dress fabrics and a few odds and ends...the third floor has a smattering of all JT goods....we went our first week and returned on our fourth week and there was a huge difference on that 4th week in what was there....maybe 25% different...
there were stuffed toys, placemats, tablecloths, bedspreads, rugs, some purses (maybe not the most current), mens and womens clothing, a few kids clothes, pillow covers, lots of tote bags, fabric in rolls, napkins, hankies, t-shirts...there was silk and cotton selections
all in all there was a very good selection....nothing in comparison to the big warehouse sales but adequate

karen managed to spend a couple hundred dollars....savings seem to be at least 40% and in many cases more...

you really missed out....

the outlet on surawong has only fabric, but a very nice collection....if you were decorating a new house, it would pay for you to go there just for the savings---it would pay for your trip...

hope this helps

bob

Craig

Bob, I can't wait for the next installment. We leave for a 2 week road trip (Southeast US) on Saturday morning. I am going to try to avoid going on line for the whole two weeks, leaving my trusty laptop behind. This to me is part of being on vacation - although I will be tempted, knowing that future installments of your trip report are sitting on Fodor's waiting for me to read them .

rhkkmk

PART II

Tuesday 25th

we were up early...i had a bad sleeping nite--nightmares---don't eat rich chocolate before bed..

pastry and coffee and tea in the room..

we swam from 8:45 until about 10...changed and then off to town...we took the marriott boat to taskim (the end of the skytrain), a 15 minute ride....what a lovely way to start a day--a ride upstream on the chao pay. river...we bought a one day sky train pass---100B each..normally rides average from 35-45B each...we took the sky train to sala daeng (s-2 station) and walked from there to the jim thompson main store at the junction of rama IV and Surawong---or maybe we took a cab??....cab rides start at 35B and that last for quite a while until it increases by 2B increments....very cheap all around...
we looked around and did some price shopping...
our plan was to have lunch there in the wonderful cafe on the second floor...after our look around it was time to eat...karen had a delicious pasta with bacon combo (140B) and i had similar but pasta with mushrooms and sundried tomatoes (140B), plus we had water...very filling, but of course we had room to add one of their delicious desserts--we split a chocolate noir (a choc. steamed pudding/cake like combo with an apricot filling---i know, didn't i learn about chocolate from the nite before??)--the total bill was 410B or about $10.25---great lunch for that price

we walked down surawong to #149 where there is a JT outlet...this store is clearly marked with the JT classic brown sign out front...it is a two story shop...on the first floor there is fabric, mostly for the home and on the second floor there is fabric for clothing mostly, including many silks...fabulous buys....you must know that JT is about as expensive as it gets in BKK, so it may seem expensive to some....my wife sews and is used to american prices so for this quality it is cheap....she thinks the price reductions were at least 50% and in some cases significantly more...we bought a couple of pieces of fabric including a lovely piece of silk for karen's youngest sister...she is a concert string player and always needs "dress-up" stuff to wear on stage--this was a 3 meter piece of lavendar silk...we saw another piece which we will e-mail her about and return to purchase it if she wants it...she did of course want it....the 3 meter piece was about $30-35...

we left this JT outlet and walked through patpong I or II to silom road to get the skytrain to on nut so we could visit the other JT outlet...nothing doing in patpong...it's time is nite time....bad boys/bad girls...enough said...

it was a pleasant walk, but hot of course...we did stop in a shop or two to look around...

at on nut, we decended to the far exit on sukhumvit rd...there was a sign, or we knew for some reason, that soi 93 was 800 meters, it could easily have been 800 miles for the heat experience...we popped into a 7/11 and got a cold water, and to cool off...we continued down soi 93 for about 3-4 minutes and there we found the JT outlet on the left side...this store has both fabric and general JT merchandise...on floors one and two it is fabric primarily...very lovely stuff, not outlet style stuff at all....reductions were generally in the 50-70% range...the 3rd floor was general merchandise: clothing, bags, scarfes, placemats and napkins, some limited kids stuff, stuffed animals, rugs, tablecloths, bedspreads, t-shirts...don't go expecting to find anything in particular as you will be disappointed...go expecting to find bargains...karen managed to spend a couple of hundred dollars there...they accept cash, trav. cks and credit cards and do participate in the VAT refund scheme...we returned there again at the end of our trip and there had been about a 25% turnover in merchandise, so it changes often...there were many ex-pats in there buying so they often stop by to see what's new....

from there we took a cab back to the marriott---the doorman at JT hailed the cab for us and instructed the driver where we needed to go...the driver was one of those unknowledgable drivers and unfamiliar with bkk in the larger sense...he made out fine, but put us in a terrible traffic situation and the ride took well over an hour--even with that the ride only cost 200B--$5...we just sat back and took it all in....i should note here that many traffic lites in bangkok take forever to change...maybe 3-4 minutes in some cases...its frustrating...plus the motorcycles and tuk tuks jut in and out of traffic and head up to the front of the line and hold things up when the lites do change...

we swam....i went for my first jacket fitting with jack....i hate the fabric when i see it made up...i must have been in a bad mood---its all that chocolate....

we went out and did internet ---15 min. for 10B...our kids love us to keep in touch when we are away...

we had some beer in the room

we took a taxi from marriott to harmonique restaurant....it is located on soi 34, new road....new road is the road parrell to the river and one major block in town from the river...the soi is right next to the main bkk post office on new road and is well posted....there is a huge decorated archway at the entrance to the soi...there is a huge mosque in this area and the arch leads into it i believe...

harmonique is a uniqe experience...it is thai food....the food is great but the service is often slow--not the serving of the food, but the ordering, especially if you need more time to review the menu and the paying at the end...we always sit in one of the a/c rooms--there are two i believe --in there you sometimes are forgotten...the dining is a combo of these rooms and open air and other regular rooms with a miss-mash of weird asian decorations seemingly thrown up on the walls and in the corners...its eccletic to say the least...

we were not disappointed...the food was fabulous...we started with spring rolls..we ordered fried morning glories with garlic---absolutely delicious and a huge portion (it would be similar to spinach with garlic only there is more structure to the greenery), 2 bottles of water, lemon chicken, red curry shrimp, cashew chicken (our tasting dish), sticky rice and steamed rice...the bill was 555B+ or about $14....it was fabulous...slow bill..the old ladies just take their time...

we took a taxi to the hotel...they will summon one for you...67B+

we were in bed by 10:30

i was wide awake at 3:30AM so got up and did some organizing and paperwork...

a perfect day!!!

rhkkmk

PART 3

Wednesday

could not sleep, up by 6AM..out to the pool to sit for a while alonE while karen was still in bed...pastry fresh from numero uno--the hotel pastry shop, cum mini snack bar/bar....89.88B incl ++
breakfast in the room

out for a swim
boat to skytrain...another one day pass..took train to nana stop...this area for those of you who do not know is a major "entertainment area"... if you have not seen your vietnam-era uncle for some months you might find him here in the company of a young thai girl or boy....they are everywhere...
the reason why we go here is that our jewerler is located in the decadent Nana Hotel lobby...its located on soi 4, sukhumvit rd, just behind the gas station....

the jewerler is fabulous and we have been dealing with them for 10 years and our best man has been dealing with them since vietnam times....

the company is Thai Stone Jewerly and it is located at the back of the hotel lobby...it all is quite dark and shabby really...

we usually see Amporn, a lovely middle-aged thai woman who has great ideas and understands exactly what karen wants...

we buy mostly custom made jewerly from them....mostly yellow gold set with stones...they do have readi-made stuff in the case as well....

we had been in contact with Porn, as she is know, before our arrival; because i remember that in spring she and the owner and some of the other staff (they are all related i believe)go outside bangkok to an area where international military forces meet for exercises annually....they set up a shop in a hotel and sell jewerly to the troops...they have been doing this for years...in any case she had answered us back to say that in fact she was going away and would not return until the first week in june but that mr lee in the shop would be glad to assist us...

so we arrived at the shop and began our converstions with mr lee...he is a affable man about 40 or so....we had always seen him in the small shop but never dealt directly with him....he seemed to understand exactly what karen wanted...this was largely a pricing exercise as she had several things in mind and we had orders from friends and family for other things, some of which needed cost approvals before we could proceed...we also took with us a number of repairs to be done, which we left with him....we did all of this and wrote down estimates and told him that we would think about the prices and contact the individuals who needed to approve their purchases....more later on specifics...

i need to stop now as i am told we need to go grocery shopping...

MORE LATER...

lisa

Can't wait to hear the rest -- particularly interested in what you have to say about Anantara & anywhere else you went -- please continue!

rhkkmk

lisa---anantara is way at the end so you will have to wait...i will tease you by saying it is fabulous!!!

Gpanda

This is exactly the detail and insight that we have come to love and expect from Bob and Karen. It both reminds me of past experiences and promises new ones. As a fan of the Royal Orchid Sheraton, the foreshadowing does not bode well. Abrupt, indeed.

rhkkmk

i just lost a whole section i had typed...damn it...

here goes again...

after we left the jewerly store we wandered around the corner to the JW Marriott hotel where we have often stayed....i wanted to see the new Bangkok Baking Co which had opened at the front of the hotel on sukhumvit...it really is just a repositioning of the old bakery/ice cream parlor from near the lobby...it has taken space formerly part of the main dining area on the ground floor...

while over there we notice the new security as cars approach the hotel...they are stopped by police/security people and barracades...they search in the trunk and open the rear and front doors of the auto, plus they use mirrors under the car--looking for bombs i guess...we felt it was about as effective as the usa airport screening...by the time you are this close to the hotel you could blow up the place....go figure...i guess it is appearances that count....we felt perfectly safe on this entire trip...i have forgotten to mention that the marriott resort and spa has a similar situation but theirs is just after you enter the property and away from the hotel proper....

we used the restrooms at the marriott and crossed over the elevated bridge to the plenochit center....it is a medium sized shopping center next to the hotel...there is a good grocery store in the basement...
karen wanted to look at Piklik, a small shop that sells white cotton garments...men's, women's and children...we did not buy anything this time...
back to the marriott to get a cab to soi 23 where we were to have lunch at Baan Khanitha...this is a great thai restaurant that we have intended trying on at least two previous trips ...we had no reservation, but should have...the place was jammed but they fit us in....

the first cab we got into was a red and blue cab...not our favorite situation...his meter was rigged...by the time we reached the end of soi 2, maybe 500 yards...the meter had already changed twice...i instructed him firmly to pull over....we should have been able to go about 1/2 mile before any change in meter...we got out and walked away without paying---he knew why...

we decided to take the skytrain to asoke...we walked back to nana stop and got on....

sorry i have to stop here...will continue with more this evening...

rhkkmk

andy--they wouldn't dare be abrupt with you!!!!

Kathie

As you noted elsewhere, Bob, we all have different experiences. As someone who has stayed in the Towers (usually suites) for the last 20+ years, they wouldn't dare be abrupt with me, either! lol

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

emtravel

rhkkmk,
enjoyed your report. We are going in October to BKK (hope it will not be that hot!). Will be staying at Royal Orchid Sheraton, we have very little time in Bkk, total 2.5 days.
Do you think shopping near Sheraton area will be enough? We will be in Hong Kong before that and in Chiang Mai, so Bangkok will be afterwards.

Re JT - does it make sense to go his museum or we can shop at Sheraton outlets?

thanks! Looking forward to the rest.

rhkkmk

in my report i will be getting to the jim thompson house shortly, but i will tell you that it has jumped to the top of our list of attractions, right up there with the grand palace....

shopping---depends on what you want and need...river city has lots of shops and so does the sheraton and near-by the oriental has loads too...it would not be enough for us, but again it depends on your needs...

more info after i have dinner in about 30 minutes...

rhkkmk

ok so now i can continue...

we took the sky train from nana to asoke..from there we got a taxi down soi 23 to the restaurant...they have a door man who came running to the taxi with an umbrella as it had started to rain a bit---not just an umbrella, but a patio table umbrella..."do you have a reservation?" were we in trouble?? you often get that question when no one is in the dining room, but in this case it was nearly full...they could accomodate us...woof...we had a lovely table near by a window overlooking some of the garden...this is a lovely old thai house with a somewhat open framework style...there are not many tables and there were at least two large groups...there were quite a few ex-pat wife types with lovely clothes and lots of cheek kissing... and of course glasses of lunch wine...maybe too many glasses...we had pork and ginger, and cashew chicken, plus water..this was preceeded by complimentary hors d'oeuvres...this interesting sampling was a large round dish with several smaller dishes on it...there were whole peanuts, dried shrimp, hot chopped peppers, chopped onions and maybe one or two other items, plus a hot sauce...they explained how to eat it...there were small round pieces of green leaves, about 3 inches across...one crimps them slightly to make a sive like structure and then add bits and pieces from the dishes and eats it in one bite in my case...very tasty and a nice introduction to the main courses...final bill 623B, about $15.50...a lovely lunch...MAKE SURE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS...both for lunch and dinner...a must return place...

i do not know why we did not come here before as our favorite bkk gift shop is right next door and we have been there many times....it is RASI SAYAM... SO WE LEFT THE RESTAURANT VERY HAPPY and proceeded to rasi...we met the owner who is an american...we had a nice chat...he is leaving the shop shortly to return to WI to take care of ailing parents...he has had it for 13 years i think he said...they simply have some of the nicest home furnishings: objects not furniture...they are not cheap but the quality is excellent...it tends to be natural things made from wood and grass...they get things from around thailand and also from some neighboring countries...
after he leaves he will turn the store over to a non-profit agency that he is associated with so it should continue in its present form for some time to come...we hope so...its on soi 23, about 2/3rds of the way down on the right...it you come to the university you have gone too far...
i only bought one small oval wicker box...he has beautiful hand woven shawls and skirt lengths as well as the furnishings...
this neighborhood has producded a one page map of attractions...ask for it...

we walked down soi 23 and visited Nandakwang at 108/3 sukhumvit, soi 23. in the past we have purchased lots of cotton items from them...last fall they changed their focus and do not have any of the usual stuff anymore so we only spent a few minutes there...now it is largely cotton clothing...near-by is Sinwatra silk co....this is a large shop offering many different kinds of silk goods...we did purchase on 3 meter piece of nubbly silk for karen's sister...about $35.
from there we walked back to the skytrain station and back to taskim and the boat to the marriott...
that nite we had been invited to the manager's reception...as marriott rewards silver (low level) FF participants, we are usually invited to this offering...they have it in one of the restaurants or bars...this time it was at 6:30PM in the elephant bar...last year we were very disappointed as the manager never mingled with his guests and we later found out he was a stiff in every sense of the word...the staff hated him...this was such a change after the previous manager, mike burchett, who everyone loved...we are to run into him later in this trip as the new GM of the bali conrad hotel...
anyways, the new manager is jonathan wigley, the youngest GM of a major bangkok hotel...he is charming and we had a great time talking to him... the reception was fantastic...the food was plentiful and very delicious...hors d'oeuvres of all sorts...booze flowed freely...this was a command performance from the staff and maybe there were 30-40 guests...written invitation specified "smart casual dress"...karen was allset as she had brought her favorite casual summer dress along--it has sea shells (real shells) sown all over it randomly---many people commented on it.....we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and jon insisted we have our picture taken with him...they later delivered a copy to our room...as regular repeat customers he was interested in our perspective on the hotel...we did not hold back with our enthusiasm for it...jon came from the landmark hotel in bkk....
after the reception i had another jacket fitting...i'm liking the jacket more, and karen says i have never had a jacket fit this well...i am large so nothing looks good on me...we changed our clothes and then
we headed for the shuttle boat..it pulled away as we approached...jon was there and yelled for them to come back but they did not hear him---i bet they got an earful the next morning...we did notice that after that nite they looked around a lot more before leaving--they ring a bell once before leaving....he offered us a drink from the pier-side bar but we refused...he had already given us more than enough...
we were off to one of our favorite bkk restaurants--Biscotti in the four seasons hotel...we took the skytrain to rachadami and the 4 seasons is right across the street..it was formerly the regent hotel...it is run by the same group that own the marriott resort and spa...biscotti is a modern italian place with an open kitchen...we have never had a bad meal there....we were early for our reservation so we decided to check out their pool area...basic...rectangular pool with very little shade area...we won't be staying there...
the hotel lobby is magnificent...it has very high ceilings which are painted...there is a huge flower arrangement as you enter the lobby...they had karen's favorite --lizzianthus (probably spelled wrong) on display this day...maut be 6-8 feet across the display...there are lots of chairs and sofas and you can eat there informally or have a drink...there was a piano player that evening...it was lovely..no maybe it was a trio playing--i forget just now...
our reservation was for 9PM...they did not have the table ready so we waited a minute or two...they were very apologetic...the room is a bit noisy, but it is fun noise..the kitchen is open and that adds to the noise and the head chef who is germantic of some type loves to yell and bang things...
we received lots of extra attention because the table had not been ready for us...they should come to the usa where reservations don't mean much any more...
i selected two appetisers for my dinner because i had eaten so much at the reception: i had delicious carpaccio and the most unusual minestrone soup--it was fantastic...karen selected herb encrusted sea bass with beans...we followed this with dessert...i had a lemon tart which was fantastic and very artful in presentation with 2 or three sauces under it...karen had a trio of iced offerings....they insisted we have some complimentary grappa---ugh...i hate it in italy and i hate it in bkk...1836B or about $46....exceptional dinner as always...
taxi back to the marriott--80B+
fell into bed at about 11....a great day all in all...

to be continued

rhkkmk

Thursday the 27th

up early again: 6:45...this is very early for us as we don't get up at home until about 9...

i did some paperwork--planning the day etc...pastry as usual for breakfast..its so fresh...
down to the pool for a swim...this pool is simply lovely and was the cleanest we had at any hotel on this trip...
we took the boat to taskim and then took the peninsula boat to their hotel and walked around a bit and checked out their new restaurant: Thalaythip..i think karen has spelled this incorrectly but who am i to judge...back to their dock and their boat to river city...
karen was ready to order her new clothing from JS Thai Silk...i think i had said earlier that this shop is on the ground floor of the center opposite to the info booth at the sheraton end of the building..."the girls" at the shop greeted us in their friendly way....karen selected a washable green thai silk for a suit....sort of an upscale running suit, but it is to have an oriental style jacket with frogs...she is to have a golden brown pair of heavy silk pants---later she will have them make a tailored shirt from a piece of cotton we purchased at the jim thompson outlet on surawong ($20 to make)...also a green silk blouse with 3/4 length sleeves and a large stand up collar...all of this, custom made, to fit her beautifully was $182.50 (7300B)..the cotton had cost about $12...so total about $195...fantastic....
we left there very pleased with out orders and a date to return in a few days for a first fitting...karen wants to suggest to all of you to plan on at least two fittings for anything you have tailored in bkk...all their products are made upstairs in their tiny shop....ms yai is a gem...

from there we took a boat to taskim and the skytrain to the national stadium stop (follow overhead signs to exit 2--at the bottom of the stairs is the lane to the house) on our way to the jim thompsom house (museum)...we had not visited there for a few years and we had heard that a shop for JT stuff and a restaurant had opened on the property....we were amaxed at how things had changed...all to the better...the jim thompson foundation has done a fantastic job in moving the place forward.....this is now one of the top places, a must do, in bangkok...it was interesting before but now they have enhanced the experience and we highly suggest that every visitor go there...tours take about 30 minutes and there is a pottery house with lovely displays...there will be a new restaurant shortly and there is a small cafe now....the house and grounds are substantially updated...maybe jim has returned from malaysia....
we walked back to the skytrain, noticing how much the neighborhood had changed...many small junk shops for tourists along the soi....train and boat back to marriott....
i went out to the internet to see what messages we may have...its so cheap at this place...hit the atm and dropped off some laundry at the place almost next door to the internet for pick-up after our return from samui...very cheap...maybe 20% of the marriott laundry cost....

we packed up a bit as we were leaving in the AM..

i had yet another jacket fitting..

took the boat and skytrain on our way to gallery gourmet restaurant off of soi 39, sukhumvit rd....this is a favorite place for western food...its light and has lovely prints on the walls...the thai lady who owns it spent some years in CA i believe...the food is very good and nicely presented...its a relaxing good place to spend the evening....it is located in an area of bkk where many ex-pats live so is a popular place...we originally found it in our favorite bkk tour guide: the treasurers and pleasurers of thailand by ron krannich---impact books

we were to meet our best man there who was vacationing in bkk from his home in hawaii....he had developed some stomach problems...he eats in questionable places in bkk...serves him right...
we last saw him a year and 1/2 ago also in bkk...we had a great meal and lots of fun conversations....all three had filet of beef, FF and veggies, one glass of wine, another mixed drink, water and 2 onion soups (this is a speciality...its unbelievable--have the one with the hat on it)3 delicious desserts---they have a table display of desserts as you enter.....2550B about $63 for the 3 of us....we left in two taxis which the restaurant called for us...our taxi was 135B, about $3.50...another perfect day....finished some packing and bed at a very late 11:30...
tomorrow we leave bangkok for the island of koh samui...our first visit there...

that's all for tonight...

Craig

This is a great report so far, Bob - makes us want to skip India next year and return to Thailand - so much to do!