Take us with you, Carol?

Looking forward to yet another report...

Craig, there are quite a few last minute first class seats available! Come on over!

Hi Carol,

If you can get me one of those $2.50 tickets, I will close the shop and join you there!!

I am very jealous, but very pleased for you at the same time.

At which Beach will you be seeing in the New Year?

Shane, we have rooms with Marriott points at Hua Hin (first time there) Marriott Resort. We've been to Pattaya the last 3 years and decided to try a different location this year. I'm sure it will be lovely.

We stayed at the Marriott Hua Hin a few years ago and really liked it. It is on the nicest part of the beach, a short tuk-tuk ride or pleasant 20 minute stroll from the centre of town.

If they are still there, try some of the restaraunts on the old pier near the Hilton. You sit along the end of the pier on the waters edge. There were several to choose from, they all seemed similar.

Reasonable food..Nothing fancy..Fabulous location. From the front door of the Hilton, head North perhaps a hundred meters.

Thanks for the info, Shane. The pier sounds lovely. We will also probably have a car, so we can drive around Hua Hin a bit.

Hoping for upgrades to nice beachview rooms, since I just made Platinum with Marriott last month, in Amsterdam.

Have a wonderful time, Carol! I wish I was back in the nice, warm weather of Bangkok!

Have a great trip. We will think of you as we sit here in the cold of New England. Over New Years, we are having the daughter of our Thai Jeweler stay with us. Her main comment is "It gets so cold here!"

Have great holidays and we will follow along.

and my very best wishes to you as well.... i wish we were all spending new years at khao lak...

Have a good flight and trip. We will be at Adelphi Suites beginning Jan 2 for a week and hope we can meet up at some point.

Oh how I wish i was in BKK, BUT I will "settle" for Bali
Have a fabulous time Carol, look forward to the on the ground report.

Choa Lay is a GREAT seafood place in Hua Hin. It's one of the restaurants on stilts.

Thanks, smeagol, for that suggestion. DH doesn't eat seafood, but I'll bet he could find something else on the menu that would appeal to him.

Well..... travel is an adventure!! The morning started with a phone call from United, saying that my flight to Hong Kong is delayed by 1hr or so. They suggested I leave at noon on the flight to Narita instead. First class all the way. Well....... that was not going to happen. DH is flying to BKK TOMORROW, doing a park sleep fly tonight after dropping me at OHare..... and he is not a fast-packer. I told the agent that there was NO WAY I would be at OHare for a flight at noon, since I'm three hours away from the airport. I said I will keep what I have, and hope I make my connection. I will have 45 minutes (give or take) which should be enough. A squeaker, no doubt, but I don't have to go back 'out' and come back 'in' as I'm just transferring from UA to Thai.

Anyway, the adventure begins. I'm sigging in the international first class lounge at OHare, and my 747 is right outside the window. Let's just GOOOOOOOOO.... okay???

Snacks, coffee (I'll have champagne on the plane), a bit of internet, writing in my journal, and posting here. I'll be boarding in about 15 minutes from now.

Wish me luck in HKG... (but I do love that city and would not mind having to fly onward the next morning..... Haha

We saw snow on the drive up here this morning. Not alot of it. The trees were absolutely beautiful. DH got out his camera and took a half dozen or so photos of them. There were frosty white... so pretty!

I hope to meet up with you, yestravel, at Adelphi. We get back from Hua Hin on the 2nd, probably mid day. I'll keep an eye out for you! (and you do the same... I'm nearly 6' tall, short pixie-ish hair (brown). I always do breakfast around 9, and I like to read my newspapers in the lobby afterwards.

Carol

Oh Carol I aspire to have as many holidays as you.Do try Choa lay it's fab.

And I aspire to have as many frequent flier miles as Carol. Hope all you Bangkok bound travellers have a wonderful holiday there. I hope you make your connection in Hong Kong, Carol.

Bon voyage Carol, Jo and I will have to wait until june 2012 to be in Hua Hin we did stay at the Marriott last time, very nice, this time we will try the Hilton, then will be on our way to siem reap to pick up AMA 7 days river cruise to saigon. We will stop in bangkok for one night to go see Maeng at her new place. Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee.

Hello, or should I say sawasdee kah!! I made it to Bangkok several hours ago. I dropped everything and went to see Maeng, of course. No shrimp tonight (or chili either) as I was full from eating on the plane(s).

Well, we got to Hong Kong just fine, and there was a gate agent there, with my name on a sign. He told me to go directly to gate 40 because my BKK flight would be starting to board. (I wondered about my two checked bags)....

I made it through security check quickly, grabbed a small cart for my carry-on bag, which was a little bit heavier than when I started out, thanks to some quick duty free shopping at ORD.

The flight on Thai was 2 hours and 25 minutes. Since I had slept almost all the way to Hong Kong, I opted to stay awake on this flight and read/work crossword/sudoku. No problem staying awake.

The Thai flight was on a 747, I believe their 'new' version. The seats are very spacious indeed! Nothing crowded about it in any way. The seats don't have the big screen TV like United has. UA wins hands down on gimmicks! The UA food was really quite good. Thai's was better. Anyway, this 'new' Thai 747 had a smallish pop-up TV. I didn't see anything I wanted to watch, so popped it up to have a look, and then just stuck with the map feature.

The meal on UA started with yummy crab cakes, seafood bisque, and then a great salad. (enough for me... no entre ordered). I had a sundae for dessert though. I had the fresh fruit plate and yogurt, just prior to arriving in HKG. No mid-flight snack as I was sleeping.

The meal on Thai (again, I did not order entre) started with smoked salmon and a little spring roll sort of thing with mushrooms. Delicious! (oh, and the DOM was flowing freely) Then there was a tuna sashimi and small salad. Everything was super tasty. I had a sorbet with fresh fruit for dessert. That (and another glass of DOM) was quite enough, thank you.

Now for the Thai service!! Exceptional!!! positively exceptional!!! We arrive at BKK, and our gate is waaaaaay out beyond the south 40. It would be a very long walk (with heavy carry-on) to get to Fast Track (I was given a FT card). But no.... just as the first class passengers stepped off the plane, we were directed to airport carts (tuk tuks) and were DRIVEN to immigration. An agent was there to take care of each passenger/couple/family from first class. The agent saw me through immigration (he carried my carry-on) and then got a cart for my baggage. Remember, I had two checked bags.

The first class passenger bags came down the conveyor belt, and all first class passengers were on their way out the door, before anyone else was even at the immigration counter yet. Mind you, ONLY first class passengers' bags came down the conveyor. Not mine.

The agent asks me, didn't I check two bags? I said, yes, but my connection in Hong Kong was short, and maybe my bags did not make it. Another agent then walks up to where we are waiting, and says... I'm sorry, we have to go to baggage and fill out a report. Your bags will arrive tomorrow. I say no problem. I thought that might be the case, given the short time in Hong Kong.

On the way to the baggabe 'claim' counter, another agent came up and told us (I now have TWO agents taking care of me) that my bags did INDEED arrive in Bangkok, and that they were on their way down the conveyor.

Yes yes yes. There they came. JUST MINE. No one else's. By this time, other passengers from the HKG flight were beginning to arrive at carousel 10 to collect their bags. Imagine, only my two came down the conveyor. The (first) agent whisked them onto the baggage cart, and took me through customs and out to a taxi. He helped but my bags into the trunk of the taxi, and I was on my cay into the city in almost record time.

THAI wins hands down for service upon arrival in Bangkok!!!

Now, that said, DS Brad also flew into BKK on Thai, from PEK. He did not get the treatment I got, other than getting Fast Track. His arrival gate was not waaaaaaay out past the south 40. But he still thought Thai was great. He was nearly astounded when I told him all they did for me (as well as all the other first class passengers from my HKG flight).

Now, DH is on his way here. I called him as my taxi was pulling away from BKK. He said the United called him this morning and said that the HKG flight was running late (again) and that he should to the usual ORD-NRT-BKK routing, on UA. So that is what he is doing right now. He will be here in another 10 hours or so.

I went straight away to Side Pocket, as I said, to see Maeng. She will be selling the bar in early January. Evelyne, I will have to keep you posted on where she goes next, as she was telling me about her 'next' project! She does have something planned.

Isis... Maeng says that she saw you and Russ. So glad you two took the time to stop by and see her. Hope to see you in the next few days, while we are all here in BKK together!

NYwoman, Maeng is preparing for the arrival of your son. He will have a room all arranged. Not to worry!

Maeng and I played pool together. I've not played in YEARS but I still won 2 out of 3 games. I think Maeng 'let me win' haha!

I'm wide awake (3am) and am unpacked. I need to run downstairs to 7/11 (next door) and get a few things. They are open all night, so I won't have any trouble getting what I need. Tomorrow I'll go to the bigger super market and pick up some basics.

Great to be back in BKK. Weather is fabulous!!! (The Thais think it is cold...)

I'll be in touch. In the meantime, sawasdee kah, and have a great evening!

Carol

I am a proofer... you'd think I'd proof my own tying! That should be 20 hours, and DH will be arriving, not 10! There are other typos as well, but maybe you figure those out... haha.

Off to 7-11.

Rise and shine, Carol! (BKK time.)

Now, welcome back to the City of Angels. (And many thanks for your years of supporting the Thai economy, as well as your most recent efforts supporting our fine home of Singapore - and flying SQ business class!)

BTW, was it cherished TG607 F you flew in from HKG? I haven't flown her in that class for work for awhile, but always joyous times up front with those gracious Thai FAs. (But, Carol, you travel so heavy! Don't believe I've checked bags since the old mountaineering days - then, I'm just a non-shopping inclined business traveller.)

As always, have fun, shop 'till you drop, and should you desire something new (I think), check out the terrace bar at the St. Regis 'round sunset. As of ~ fortnight back, fine as ever.

Best,

macintosh (robert)


... Thai -- Smooth as Silk ...

Macintosh, yes it was, indeed, 607. A lovely flight. Not a long one (not nearly as long as the 15+ hours from ORD-HKG.

My DH wanted me to pack a 3rd suitcase so I could bring some of HIS stuff... I nixed that idea. I could have made it with only one checked bag, personally, but there were all these Christmas gifts for friends, plus a pool cue, plus plus plus. I can't travel light!

So, you say welcome back, macintosh. Does that me you are also in BKK at this time?

Carol

Glad to see you have made it "back home".

Reading the details of your journey I found myself reflecting back to our last flight to Bangkok. Cattle Class on Jetstar with self catered chicken sandwiches (Vegemite and Cheese for the kids)and having to plead with the stewardess for a second small bottle of water!!!

Your daily updates will give me something to look forward to.

Did you get that copy of Microsoft Office installed onto your netbook? It really is easier to edit in "word" first, particularly for lengthy posts. I have a spare "key-code" for Office 2010 and would be happy to email it to you if you require it.

for what you "paid" for the flight they should carry you like cleopatra...

Bob... I "paid" 70,000 miles and $2.50! No need to carry me like Cleopatra.... (nice thought though)
Shane, I do have word (Ofc 2010). And you are right. I really should type my report in word, then edit, then post. I get lazy though. I like to scroll up and down the thread to see if there are questions I should answer.

Adelphi Breakfast was great. I stopped to visit with the doorman and front desk staff, and told them about my Thai experience last night. They all smiled. They are very proud of their country and its reputation.

Bob, I was thinking more of the "Queen of Sheba" and being hand fed grapes....But I also like your Cleopatra analogy.

I will have to try and get to the "pointy-end" one day.

that would be peeled grapes

Bob - LOL!

Yesterday is a bit of a blur. Shopping for a few groceries. Lots of items still in short supply! I was surprised. Villa Market has no (and cannot get?) paper towels!

Thought I'd get my milk and dairy at 7-11, but NO. They do not have yogurt in stock, and milk in any containers larger than a small single serving is non-existent. Villa had it, but I didn't want to haul it down the soi, all the way back to my apartment on soi 8.

DH made it in last night, around 1am. He's awfully chipper this morning. I slept almost all day yesterday. He's up and about! Good for him!

I feel much more human today, and will venture out after I do some reading on another proofing job I'm doing. Here I am, again, during Christmas vacation in Thailand, having to proof read a manuscript!! Deadlines. I don't line deadlines.

Carol

(Did I say that the weather here is fabulous?)

let brad do the proofreading!!

It is going to snow here on Christmas day , and you are rubbing in the Fabulous weather. Oh well, enjoy . We are all jealous. Have a fab holiday and say hi to everyone for us.

I got my pixie haircut freshened up a bit (my favorite stylist in BKK is named OD). He always says "better" when he is done cutting. I could not agree more.

Sorry about the comment about the weather... I just might bring it up again, as today looks to be another gorgeous one.

K, I'm off to Platinum today, I believe. I'll think of you as I fill my basket at the jewelry store, Coco Banana.

DH and I had take out pizza from Via Vai last night. I figured that would be the case. We are both still jetlagged a bit, and having pizza, wine, and a movie on the TV sounded good. They seem to be running a flurry of James Bond movies.

DH played pool yesterday, while I got my haircut and then did some shopping at the Gourmet Market at Paragon. I am also spending time proofing (Bob, Brad would NOT be good at this job at all).

My friend Pong invited me to a Christmas Walk sort of thing, going on around Phloenchit BTS station. We went to that BTS station, and asked about the location of the walk. Turns out is was ONE NIGHT only, and that was LAST NIGHT, so we missed it. Oh well.....

So off to Maeng's for a bit of food and conversation.

Right now I have a quiet apartment for doing my proofing. DH is still sleeping. So, back to work!

Following along! We'll be back in Bangkok three weeks from today--I'm finally, kind of, letting myself get excited.

Oh, have we been lazy today! We (I) did some laundry and ironing, and then we left to go up to the 16th floor pool to lounge around while the maid came in to clean. Now we are watching pool on the TV and I'm back to my proofing.

Didn't make it to Platinum today..... no big deal. We came to BKK to relax, and that is what we're doing!

Tonight, quiz night at the Pickled Liver! We'll be The Simpsons team. (Bet we don't win)

It has been rather overcast all day, but there has not been any rain. It does feel just a bit warmer and more humid. I'm not complaining. There is no SNOW here!

enjoy the days

Enjoy Bangkok. It's a good place for doing lots of things and a good palce for relaxing and doing not much.

>>>Macintosh, yes it was, indeed, 607.<<<


Well done Carol - TG607 F is sweet. And, should TG606 F ever be in your future, fine rides back to HKG - and yes, I'll always be partial to those pre-TG F flight full-body massages at the BKK Royal Orchid Spa. (And, while we're at it, the few times I've flown TG 676/677 F (NRT-BKK) for work, always very special. For more than a few reasons, will always be a Singapore Airlines loyalist, but will say TG F on certain sectors truly delivers.)

Glad you're back at Adelphi. Should a Jan/Feb return be a possibility for you, don't hesitate to enquire for a frequent guest rate. I'll be back at the BKK St. Regis for 2/3 day meetings those months and the Peninsula for Valentine's Day with the loved one. Both properties came through with frequent corporate/leisure rates well below their comparable website listings.

Enjoy your time in Thailand! I'll most likely be home in Singapore for work and holiday with extended family, before flying back to SFO for work/second home in early Jan. (Via SQ2, for now.)

Warmest holiday greetings to you, your family and all,

robert

Relaxing and not having a schedule is the best plan! But needing to proof an 1800 page tome is going to have to fit in there where ever I can squeeze in the time! Guess what I'm spending most of my time doing.......

But, hey, I'm doing it in BANGKOK, not at home in cold Illinois.

Carol, cant you "out-source" it? You are in the right part of the world for it.

If you must do it yourself, take it to Lumphini park and sit by the lake with a small bottle of Gin and a large flask of tonic.

By the way, I loaded the Kindle with lots of Caleb's favorite books last night and just wrapped it up. I leave for Melbourne in about 12 hours. Kerry and the kids have been there since Monday....2 days off will be heaven.

Shane, I'm sure the Kindle will be a big hit. It looked really neat. Mike (my office geek) loved it. He thought he just might have to get one for himself.

Re: outsourcing... no way. You have to have a very serious understanding of the English language to do what I'm doing. You can't do spell checker. And the file is a PDF so I'm making notes on the side and then emailing them to the author. The file is on my laptop, not a hard copy. I prefer a hard copy, but 1800 pages is a bit costly to print out!!!

I made it to MBK and Platinum Mall today. The scarves that I wanted were not available now. Drat! That's one of the things you realize when you buy items here. There is a good chance that you will NOT see the same thing again the next time.

A great tuk tuk ride from Platinum back to Adelphi. Always a thrill! Dangerous.... probably.... but I still LOVE it.

Now back to my reading.

I like the thought of an Asian proof reading an English document. It may not be perfect, but it would make for a really fun read. Just take Thai street signs for example!!!!

If you loaded the document onto a Kindle, you could take it anywhere. Between that, a small notebook and that flask of G and T, you would get the job done in no time.

Anyway, be careful with the tuk-tuk rides but if you really want a hair-raising experience, try the motor-cycle taxi's.

Most of all, have a wonderful time in Bangkok....between all that proofing.

Aww Carol - you're there and I'm here. We'll have different Christmases, that's for sure - me, in the midst of low-life in Mumbai - you in the midst of much the same in Bangkok. There's quite a difference. lol.

BTW - yup, it's me. I'm slowly fighting back from a mega-hack attack - courtesy, I suspect of a certain Burmese web-mafic king - [I made the mistake of clicking on a link someone sent me - own up Kathie lol]. My hotmail account has been blocked, apparently now sending porn to every country in the world and I can't prove who I am to get it back [I opened it 15 years ago - God only knows who I was pretending to be then.. so all my records, passwords, e-mails and addresses are gone. The lot.

Which is just making life difficult.

That's why I'm 'dogster1' for the time being.

Carol...so what did you buy at Coco Banana? Have a Merry Christmas over there. Have a Singha for us.

...I like the thought of an Asian proof reading an English document. It may not be perfect, but it would make for a really fun read. Just take Thai street signs for example!!!!...

OMG, you are so right! Kindle...? Nah... gin and tonic... I'll take either red wine or a cold beer instead. But the suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, Shane. Anything to speed up this process (1800 pages).

Dogster1, so sorry to hear of your problem. My own email was hacked a while back, and it was sending out a message asking for money because I was 'locked in a hotel room' (more or less) in Surrey England, and they would not let me leave until I paid my bill!! Ugh... hackers.... a hex on all of them.

So, Mumbai, Bangkok... we ARE doing the Christmassy thing a bit differently than the norm, I'd say... Enjoy yours! We plan to enjoy ours as well. Details just ahead.

K, there were a few pairs of earrings that caught my eye. Other than that, nothing in particular at Coco Banana. I will plan a return visit before going back home, however, as they always add new items. Who knows, maybe those jeweled scarves will come back... (hope so).

It is Christmas Eve day here in Bangkok. At 6am it is still dark outside so I cannot report on the weather just yet, but I would suspect today will be like every other day since my arrival.... beautiful!!!

I'm up doing some proofing while it is still quiet (DH is still sleeping) and the TV is not turned on!

The plan is to leave soi 8 between 11:30 and noon. DS will rent a car and come pick us up. We go to Ban Bueng, to the weekend house of our dear dear friends, Lars and Pong. Lars is Danish, and for the last 3 Christmas Eves, he has prepared a more traditional Danish meal for us. This time, we are doing a PIZZA and WINE day!!! Love it!!! Lars is the bestest chef ever. His pizza is to die for. (well, all of the things he cooks are fantastic, really) Very thin crust, great fresh home made sauce, fresh cheeses and meats, etc. Yum..... I won't go on and on.... just trust me... you would LOVE to be here for this day of feasting!

Anyway, we spend the night, and then drive back into Bangkok sometime on Christmas Day early afternoon. Maeng has not been mentioning her Christmas Day dinner... and since business is not so good at Side Pocket, I have the feeling she is NOT cooking this year. Dogster, mcbeanie... I so recall the last couple of years... what fun, at the Pickled Liver Christmas Day dinner. This year.... not happening. I think we will go to a nice hotel buffet somewhere in the city. Hopefully we can find an empty table somewhere... I shall report back and let everyone know what turns up. It is possible that Nick is doing a dinner at the NEW PL location. We do not have an invite, and I'd bet his tables are fully booked, so we'll have to pass on that one.... this time.

Hey, Shane, I DID the hair-raising motorcycle taxi ride a couple of years ago, in 6pm traffic, city center (Silom) for about a 15-20 minute ride. Aaaaaarrrrggggghhhhh.... NEVER AGAIN! (thanks for the memories of that ride... I'll take my tuk tuk anytime). And K, I'll take Tiger Light over Singha.

And now back to my work!

Carol

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah (sp), Seasons Greetings, and all of it, to everyone in fodorville.

I'm sorry to hear you've been hacked again, dogster. My email account I've had since the 1980s was hacked for the first time while I was in Burma. It sent out spam for a Canadian pharmacy selling viagra! I guess it goes well with the porn spam your account is sending, dogster, so maybe they are related.

Carol, enjoy Hua Hin!

Thanks Kathie... I'm sure we will enjoy Hua Hin. We are going there next Saturday, for the New Year festivities.

Carol...Beth LOVED the jewled scarf. I have used mine several times. They are fun.

Merry Christmas Carol........well it is already in "our" parts of the world

How was the Pizza?

Merry Christmas one and all. The day has arrived here in Ban Bueng Thailand. Everyone else is still sleeping after the big Christmas Eve party. Soooo much fun!

As has been posted on facebook, DS got his Avis rental, and earned a ticket within the first five minutes of leaving the Avis office!!! He went the wrong way (the signage is in Thai only) along Phloenchit Road, where you turn onto the highway. He did not make that highway turn, so he got pulled over. Lat spoke with the police officer (ahem... paid the police officer) and they were on their merry way once again.

Brad has decided that we will NOT rent to go to Hua Hin next weekend. Good idea!

Anyway, the drive to Ban Bueng (it's on the way to Pattaya) is about 1 hour 20 minutes. We arrived at the weekend house at the appropriate time, and were offered a glass of wine. Lars was preparing lunch (a Danish lunch) which was delicious. The combination of this sandwich may sound a bit strange, but trust me.... it tasted fantastic. Lars had prepared a roast pork (with the skin very crispy) and sliced it for sandwiches. The bun was swabbed with mayo, then the small slices of roast poek, then red cabbabe (YUMMMMMM) on top of that, topped off with cucumber pickle slices. First time for this combination for me... and it was just super! Lars is a real chef.

The guys enjoyed playing pool for a while. Lars and Pong have a standard sized table in a room just for playing pool. I don't know who won, in the end, but it was all fun. The wine continued flowing.

Little daughter of Lars and Pong (4 year old Angelee) kept asking about the presents under the tree. She finally got to open ONE of them, while Lars began preparing for pizza making.

DH is another wanna be chef. He watched (camera in hand) and got photographic memories of how Lars makes his dough and home made sauce and prepares all of the various toppings. We ended up with 5 different pizzas for dinner, each one, one at a time, being served piping hot out of the oven.

Vegetarian was first, followed by salami, followed by seafood, followed by ham, and lastly, fresh buffalo mozzarella with mushrooms and peppers. And more wine, and more wine. We had brought a huge dbl magnum bottle (or something like that...HUGE) from the Napa Valley, 2007, which went quickly. I wish all of you could have shared in the fun with all of us here. (You would LOVE the weather even if you don't care for pizza and wine on Christmas Eve)

Angelee finally got to dig into the packages under the tree. Each one was opened with surprise and delight. I had picked out a pink party dress in Zurich a few weeks ago, which Angelee proceeded to strip down and put on, right there by the tree, as she was so excited about her new dress. So cute!

I know Lars and Pong are not posters here on fodors, but I just want to say how much we have enjoyed their friendship over the last 10 years or so. We attended their wedding, here in Bangkok, back in about January of 2005 or so... and have now watched their sweet little daughter become a very bright young girl. A lovely family!

And now I'm going to do some more proofing before the gang wakes up. I'm the only one awake here. When the sun comes up, I get up! The birds are singing. Windows are open. The air is fresh and fabulous! The coffee is hot,and I'm ready to work.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Addendum.... I THOUGHT I was the only one up! Pong has just arrived back home from the market! I did not know she was gone! She goes every morning, 6:15, with her neighbor, to buy fresh goods, and then shares with the monk who comes by at ten minutes to eight. I will go with her this morning, out to the end of the driveway, to give the monk some food and say a prayer. How lovely! I just had to share!

Carol,

Good idea not to drive in Hua Hin over the New Year as traffic will be very, very bad.

As of today very rough sea with very little beach left at high tide.

Just tagged a photo showing the sea and beach condition a few meters from your hotel.

Thanks, hanuman. I just saw that photo on facebook. We are not swimmers, so that is not a problem. Maybe things will calm down at the beach before this Saturday. Hope to see you in Hua Hin. Hello to Dang and Mony!

Glad you are having a great time Carol. Sorry to hear you have both been hacked Dogster and Kathie. One of my emails I have had for years was hacked a couple of months ago, such a pain.

I forgot to report you yesterday (Christmas Day)... which was very calm and nice!! Weather can only be described as gorgeous.

I had reported earlier about getting up early, and thinking I was the only one up at that hour, but then did merit making with Pong, who had gotten up earlier to go to morning market.

The rest of the crew started waking and coming downstairs around 8:30. Then it was not so peaceful and quiet anymore. I had to give up proofing at that time.

Lars re-heated the remainder of the pizza (YUM) and also made a tasty western style omelet. He also brought out a bowl of a bread-spread with dill, mayo, shrimp, and I'm not sure what else. It was also very tasty. Needless to say, we all ate until there was nothing left!

Time for some conversation and then a Danish cartoon movie with English subtitles. Soooooo funny!!!! OMG!!!!! And no, I don't know the name of it. But it kept us in stitches. Not PC in any way shape or form.

We got into our rental car about 1pm for the drive back into Bangkok, which was uneventful, other than trying to use the Garmin and making a wrong turn.... you get the idea. Travel is an adventure. We were on soi 8 by 3:30. Not too bad.

We discussed the possibility of doing a Christmas buffet somewhere (fancy) but opted to have some simple salads instead. No one was very hungry!! We found an Italian restaurant on the lower (food court) level at Paragon. The caprese salad was good (but does not compete with the one here on soi 8 at Monsoon!!!).

We looked at movie options in the gold class theaters upstairs, but decided to go back to soi 8 and relax. Brad and Lat took in a movie... don't know which one, but I'm sure the seating in the theater (unbelieveably nice) made up for any blah blah blah movie they might have opted to see. DH had wanted to see the newest "Dragon Tatoo" (don't know its full name) movie, which doesn't come here until Jan 5. We go home on that day, so he will have to see it on satellite after we get home!

It's the day after Christmas here, and I was up at 6 to continue proofing while the TV is NOT turned on! No special plans today, other than a run down to MBK.

I'll report back in later. (sorry if this is a very boring trip report... to those of you who come here to see sights everyday)

Carol

Not boring for me Carol. It's nice to hear what you are up to. All the little bits of being in Bangkok and around are still interesting to me.

Pook, I now understand your photo on facebook. I had no idea about the storms off shore near Hua Hin, until reading the BKK Post this morning at breakfast! Wow!! The news reports that it will be over on/by Wednesday, so we should be OK for Saturday thru Monday midday.

MaryW, thank you for that kind thought. When I come to BKK, I come not as a tourist, but as someone who justs wants to 'live here' for a couple of weeks at a time! 'Living here' is different than visiting and seeing sights... IMO anyway.

I think DH and I will be off to MBK in a while. He is enjoying a cigar and TV, and I'm on the internet and will do some more proofing until he says he is ready to get up and go! Even in this somewhat chaotic city (and especially in Sukhumvit where we always 'live') a person can just relax and chill!! If you want adventure, it's out there!

DS will be off to AVIS to return the car, around noon. He said I could ride along, but I think I'm not interested. He is still mulling around the idea of renting a car for the Hua Hin trip, but due to never having driven there, and the promise of some really heavy traffic problems, I think a van and driver might be a better option for us. $2500 baht, for a van, according to 'my' doorman here.

Oh, before I forget, or did I mention already, that the 4th anniversary of this hotel was celebrated in the lobby the other day. Monks came. There was chanting, merit making, etc. I was here for the celebration two years ago, on the 2nd anniversary. Nice to see my home away from home still doing a good business, and the same people still working here. Must mean it's a good place to work!

We are still following along Carol. Anything good at MBK?

Hi K, I didn't buy anything there. I'm looking for very specific watch bands (in leather) for a vintage Rolex. I saw them in Singapore, (for $117 each, with NO buckle) and was hoping I might find them here in Bangkok. I'll bet someone here would MAKE some for me that would fit my little watch. Anyway, still looking. DH was looking at Canon camera lenses and flash attachments, but did not buy yet. He needs to take his camera into the store(s) with him to make sure stuff fits (and works).

I think it must have been about 70 degrees at breakfast this morning.... maybe, just maybe, 75, but I doubt it. So nice! Going outside is a delight. Last year we had some rather warm days (with a little humidity maybe) but this year has been awesome weather here. The highs can't be much more than 85-88, and with little or no humidity. I wish it could be like this in April!

I need to do a bit more proofing and then hit the sack. I get up about 5:30 to 6 in the morning to read. Today I had several hours to myself in the afternoon, while the guys played pool. I can get a lot more done when the TV is not competing for my attention. haha

Enjoy your day. Hope it isn't too wintry where ever you are!

We tried Mexican food tonight. Sunrise Tacos at the new Terminal 21. Not too bad. Michaelbkk told me it was not too bad, so we opted to try it. They do need to work on the taste of their margaritas (too sour) and also their home made chips don't quite cut it. But the guacamole and queso were both quite tasty. So were the nachos and enchilades. As with almost all cooking here, everything is fresh, not canned. That always makes a difference.

Carol, I went to that mexican restaurant last month. I thought it was pretty good, especially the quesadillas!

Isismonroe just gave me directions to get to a 'mini Platinum' sort of mall. Gotta go there! Easy to get to... I think. I also want to go to the new mall that is two stops on the MRT from ASOK, at Rama 9? Anyone else been there yet? It supposedly opened in November.

mcbg1, I'll have to try the quesadillas sometime. I'm usually an enchilada sort of person though.

Weather is fabulous again!!! I can not believe the weather we are having here this year. PERFECT in every way.

Carol, do say hello to Isis for me. It's been ages since I've seen her.

She is reading along here... just not jumping in on the conversation. She will know that you said 'hi'. I wish we were meeting up, but that isn't going to happen. She and Russ have been here since early December, but are heading for Bali. Had hoped to have dinner together at some point, but not this trip.

Hi Kathie,
Enjoyed your Burma report and Cheryl's photos

Will try to do BKK musings later

Carol, you've got mail

Hi, Isis, so good to see you again. I'm glad you enjoyed our Burma report!

Isis, I'm so sorry I was away from my computer all day, or we most certainly could have had dinner together. It's my fault for not checking emails when I got back from my mall run. I am sure there will be another time though. Do enjoy Bali!

Well, the mall (it's called Union Mall) that is a mini version of Platinum was interesting (and easy to get to) but I prefer to stick with Platinum. I know my way around Platinum (sort of...) and can more easily find what I might be needing/wanting there. Platinum has more glitz and more lighting. Union is a bit more dark inside. Still the same sort of small individually run stalls. Mostly clothing, shoes, and handbags. There was a big Karaoke place on the upper floor (I think you go in the little rooms to sing and practice your karaoke... maybe tape yourself???). There were numerous food options, including the more common ones that you see in malls. Lots of stalls were closed. I don't know if the owner just wasn't there yet, or if the mall had a lot of empty spaces. I probably will not go back here.

I also made it to the new Central Plaza mall, located at Phra Rham 9 MRT station (connected to mall basement level). Nice! I had expected to see a big Central store, given the name Central Plaza. There was, however, no Central. There was a very nice Robinsons though. I enjoyed this mall. Not as glitzy as Paragon and Central World or Terminal 21. Not as big either. It reminds me a little bit of the Central mall in Pattaya, and also the one in Hua Hin (don't know name). I would go back to this mall, I think.

DH and I made a run to MBK to pick up a couple of items there, and then headed to Via Vai for dinner. What a great evening to sit in the outside air and dine, while listening to the jazz music playing (live band).

No proofing tonight, just sleep!! We get up early tomorrow to go to the printing company factory. One of our newest publications is printing right now, so we get to see it hot off the press, as they say.

Pook says that the crazy Hua Hin weather and high water have calmed down a lot. That's good!

Today was really most enjoyable. DH and I left soi 8 at 9:15 to catch up with DS and two members of the staff of the printing company city center office location, for our trip to the printing factory.

Bangpoo (also spelled Bang Pu) is a good hour from city center of Bangkok, by taxi, and we had two stops along the way to the factory there. We stopped at the 3-headed elephant Erewan Museum for a look around. I have been inside the elephant before, so I let the others (all of whom had not been there) go inside. I, instead, wandered around the very peaceful gardens on the property.

We got to see the beach at Bangpoo, which has many many water birds. We took a motorized cart out to the end of a pier (where there could be lunch if we were interested) and saw the landscape. No sandy beach here, just reeds and birds. I was thinking that lunch on this pier might be fish-only, and since DH does not eat fish or seafood, he might go hungry.

So we went to the golf course country club instead. There is a beautiful course right by the huge manufacturing estate that encompasses much of Bangpoo. We sat outside at a table and watched golfers practicing their swing before setting off on the 18 hole course. A beautiful setting for lunch!

Finally, the printing factory. The process is very state of the art. The machines they use are really quite incredible. Very hi-tech, computerized, 4-color (?)... very interesting.

We saw the pages of our next publication 'hot off the press' as they say. The book should be finished in the next two weeks or so.

The trip back into city center was partly taxi (as far as to the new BEARING BTS station) and then skytrain the rest of the way. Traffic was beginning to get very heavy, and it was going to take quite a bit of time to make the drive by car. DS had a pool tournament to make, in about an hour from then, so he would be there in plenty of time by taking the BTS instead of a taxi. One of the office staff did stay with the taxi driver all the way back into the offices in the city. I'd bet it took at good 50-60 minutes or more.

We are relaxing tonight (left over Via Vai pizza in the fridge) and some wine (oh, and more proofing!).

Tomorrow is quiz night at PL, and we will have dinner with our Danish/Thai friends at Indigo, which I have mentioned before on Fodors. It is a very good restaurant!!

have fun in HH this weekend.... anxious to see how you like marriott

Hello Carol,
Haven't been on Fodors for a few weeks, since Bob and Karen returned home, then thought Oh it's time for another Carol trip to Thailand for Christmas/New years. Just enjoyed reading about your 1st class flight over and your time in BKK, now Hua Hin. I'm envious as usually at this time of year, I'm getting all set for our Jan/Feb trip to Thailand but alas will not be coming this Jan.
Other than the shortages of milk etc in stores, have you noticed other ways that the flooding has impacted your day to day visit?
I noticed too that Pook is still in Hua Hin, does that mean that he and family have not yet been able to move back to their BKK home?

I love to come along on your travels to Thailand with you, have a wonderful time at the Marriott for your New Years celebration.

Greetings to all the regular Fodorites on the Thai (Asia) board.
Sue

Hi Sue... glad you are 'coming along' on this journey, but sorry to read that you will not be coming over in Jan/Feb.

Re: the milk shortage, that was only the first day or two. Now the shelves are full. I can get what I want at 7-11 and at the usual markets I frequent. It is no longer a problem. I can't think of anything that is impacting day-to-day life here in the city center. Have I mentioned that the weather this year is positively glorious!! This is the 4th year in a row for our holiday trip. This is the best year, weatherwise. We were here a couple of times at this time of year in the early 2000s as well, but arrived just after Christmas and stayed thru the New Year. I don't recall it being quite this nice then, either.

Off to breakfast in about 10 minutes. We eat outside in the morning, on the terrace overlooking soi 8. The temp must be in the mid 70s this time of day. Oh, and did I say sunny?

(sorry to rub it in)

Carol



Pook will be in Hua Hin for the new year festivities, but I believe he is in his condo along the river (by Saphan Taksin BTS) right now. It will take a long time and a lot of work to refurbish the house. I'm sure work has started, but not sure what the time frame is for it being finished. The water had just finallly receded very recently, if I read correctly what Pook was saying. I don't know if they plan to fully restore the house to what it was, or to a lesser degree.

Dinner at Indigo was fabulous last night. The tab for five of us (including 3 bottles of French red wine) was just over 10k baht.

We all started with salads, and there was a foie gras with toast points to share. Entrees included a couple of steaks, a ravioli, a seafood pasta, and a plate of fresh steamed seafood with rice. For dessert, we had a 4-cheese assortment plate with bread/crackers.

When we arrived, we almost had the place to ourselves (6:30), but by the time we left, after 9, the place was really busy. There were no empty tables.

Indigo is an excellent restaurant. I hope some of you will add it to your list of must-try places. I think you will like it. You can dine inside or out (we opted for inside).

The location is in Silom area. Take the BTS to Saladaeng, and then walk down soi Convent to Molly Malloy's. Across from Molly's is a very small soi (hardly room for one car) and Indigo is down that small soi, on the right. There is a sign for Indigo, on soi Convent, right at the entrance to the small soi.

Hope some of you will try it!

Tonight we will have Mexican food (free 5:00 buffet on Fridays???). I will have to get the name later, as it escapes me now.

Enjoy your evening. I'm planning on a relaxing day here in BKK, doing some laundry before we head to Hua Hin tomorrow, and a shampoo right here on soi 8 at Tub Tim, my friend Ya.

Yesterday's shopping at Platinum was good. I never did find the exact scarves I wanted as they do not have them anymore. (I asked) But I did buy an assortment of colors of yet another scarf with a bit of bling. Fun... not for warmth, only for stylish look! I also bought some charm bracelets in 6 different basic colors.

K, I bought one of those "brass knuckle" handle jeweled evening bags for a friend at home. Same shop where Bob had trouble with a chair........ I'm not sure they remembered me? Maybe...

Another tuk tuk ride back to soi 8. My friend Pong thinks I am a teenager for riding in the tuk tuks. haha She says she will not ride them on the major streets, only up and down her soi, to get to Sukhumvit. I will admit, there is a certain thrill in zigging and zagging in and out of the traffic.

DH and I just finished a tour of two kinds of suites at the brand new Centrepoint located at Terminal 21. It has been open 2 months now. The place was really busy today!

The price is more than twice what we pay at Adelphi (but the AS is 4 years old and not brand new and modern. We liked the light coming in from the huge windows in both the living/kit and the bedroom. The kitchen we saw was for "long term" stay (the Japanese in particular will rent an apartment for one year at a time, with companies paying for it). The long term rental has a washing machine and mostly complete kitchen. The bathroom has a tub and separate shower stall. The toilet is the fancy Japanese style that 'does it all'... those who have tried one will know what I mean.

The studio was arranged very nicely. A good option for just oe person. Again, lots of light coming in. There are electronic curtains that you can raise and lower to keep light out if you don't want it.

The one bedroom suite is smaller than what we have at AS. It does have quite a bit of closet space, which is nice.

I'm torn... I like the modern style, but want a washing machine! DH says he can wash his things in the tub! (he does that in Europe a lot)

Just wanted to report in about this tour. Those of you who like staying at Centrepoint properties might want to check out this new one. The girl who showed us around said that it is a good idea to CALL and get rates, because they can be negotiable!

I once had a very err... unusual experience with one of those Japanese toilets. I think the details should remain private... all I can say is: be careful which buttons you press.

All the bathrooms in the Terminal 21 mall are 'special', plus every floor has a different theme. I think it's the only mall where the bathrooms should be visited. LOL

Dogster, DH says you are so right! He totally agrees with you. And yes, I enjoyed the heated seat at Terminal 21 just this evening.

Las Cabos on Sukhumvit soi 14 (about 25 yds into the soi on the left) was reallg great. Yes, there was free food (tex mex) and we bought 3 pitchers of Patrone margaritas (yum)...l now I HAVE to go to sleep for a while (smile).

Tomorrow, we are off to Hua Hin at 11am. I shall report in after we have arrived there.

Carol

Carol we cannot make HH and we are in Chiang Mai - please read message in Facebook.

Enjoy Hua Hun, and have a Happy New Year. We will have our THai visitor with us...May take her into BOS and the first night celebration. Let us know how the fireworks are.

Well, the Marriott has probably not been renovated or given a face lift, Bob. But the resort is still lovely. We have beachview rooms (6th floor of the tower) which should give us a nice view of the fireworks tonight. The gala dinner is going on down on the ground below our door (not on the beach side). We will not be attending, and we were not urged to attend. The dinner is not mandatory (maybe because I booked the rooms with points).

Traffic was unreal! We had a driver who was on the road, on the side of the road, everywhere he thought he might get ahead of somebody else. It took over 3 hours to get here.

The beach is really nice here. It is a beautiful expanse of white sand and surf that goes on for miles. The Marriott is in a busy section of the beach, with shopping and dining options within easy walk, just outside the resort gate.

We walked down to the Market mall. I'm pretty sure Maeng and I visited this mall when we came down here for the day a couple of years ago. They have Haagen-Dazs (so we of course had ice cream). There is a stage and live music just outside the mall, on the front step area. There are tables and chairs set up for a big party tonight. Food and beer and music for the countdown.

Platinum level gets us our choice of red or white wine and a plate of cheeses and grapes/apples. It was nice! We also got a bowl of fresh fruit to much on during our stay.

Hua Hin is crowded. I'm sure the Marriott is nearly full for the new year weekend. Our rooms would command a pretty hefty price if we had paid in baht rather than using points. And in order to use points, I had to book back in about July. I booked gardenview and was upgraded upon checking in, to beachview.

I'm going to ask a travel agency about maybe taking the train back to Bangkok on Monday. Something different!

Happy New Year everyone. Pook, so sorry you will miss Hua Hin. I did see your posting on facebook. We will catch up with you another time. Please give Dang my best.

i can't believe they have not upgraded the rooms....
we loved staying there. the resort is compact and that section of the beach is really nice... i remember i got a bad sunburn the first day on the beach so spent the rest of my days in the pool under the shade of a grass roofed hut, which allowed you to be out of the sun, but yet still in the pool.

we knew the F&B mgr there from the bangkok marriott so we got extra nice service.

i love it that the market mall is closeby offering lots of restaurants and shops to meet your needs.

we still prefer the hyatt as the best hotel ioo in HH... we have not visited the IC however... the sheraton is nice but is too far out of town...

We were hoping to see all of the fireworks from our balcony, but they are displayed on the 'city side' instead, so we stood outside our door, above the 'hi-so' gala going on below. There were displays all around the area. Better than what we could see at Pattaya, I'd say, but I wish we could have been sitting on the balcony to watch them! Can't have it all, I guess. The sky was full of lucky balloons, starting after about 10pm.

I had my coffee on the balcony this morning at 7:30. The rest of the crew are sleeping in. DH and I were up until about 12:30. Don't know when the others stopped partying, as they went down to the mall scene about 11:15 last night.

I about went into shock, at 8am, when the song to the King was played very LOUDLY here at Marriott. Was that a wake-up call or what??!! Do they do this EVERY morning at 8, or only on New Years Day? I guess I'll find out tomorrow at 8... hahaha Anyway, it was a loud blast of music (short version) that caught me off guard.

Today, lounging, maybe some shady pool time, some shopping at the mall, and then I think we are eating dinner at the Caio restaurant tonight, beachside table. That's the plan, at least.

I'm not sure how far away the pier is from here? We are new to Hua Hin so will probably just stay in the immediate area on this trip. I'm sure that there is a lot more to see and do, but we are only here for 2 nights, and we want to just relax around here today. I might try to work in some proofing (UGH) as well. I feel guilty... (NOT)

I think I will venture down to breakfast. Not sure who else will be awake enough to have something to eat before the buffet closes at 10:30.

Happy New Year to you all. It's already well into 2012 here, and my friends in the USA will be celebrating in a few hours. I hope it isn't too terribly cold where you all are partying! It is lovely here in Hua Hin!

Carol

it is 9:49 now and i don't think i will make it....foggy here so no boston fireworks for us tonight...

we have a bkk friend here for the weekend and have enjoyed showing her around boston...

enjoy the rest of your time in HH, you will be back but next time try the hyatt---a little further away from town but a much nicer and bigger land area.... they have lagoons like khao lak but not as long..

Happy New Year Carol. We are an hour ahead of you so well into the day now. Happy New Year to all the other Fodorites too.

Hope you enjoy Hua Hin. We've stayed there many times and liked it a lot. Haven't been for a few years though and I imagine it's grown a lot. Time for a return visit I think.

Just finished breakfast here. I liked the variety! DH joined me, coming down about 20 minutes or so after I had gone to breakfast.

Bob, I 'almost' needed a brief nap in order to stay awake for the fireworks. Gettin' old ain't so fun.

Mary, since I'm more or less a newbie to Hua Hin, I can't say how much it may have grown. It is certainly a busy place! I had pictured something a bit 'sleepier' but was pleasantly surprised. Maeng and I did not get down by the beach at all on our day trip down here, from BKK.

BTW, Maeng has been told by her doctor to stay home, out of the pollution, for a week. She is having throat problems. She has had this problem in the past. Hope to see her at least once more before heading back home on Thursday.

My upgrade to biz cleared from BKK-NRT the other day. I've been cleared for NRT to ORD since booking my ticket. DH is riding in the front, thanks to MY MILES. Think if I smile and bat my eyelashes that the agent, at checkin, will let ME ride up front too??? haha (first class is not full yet)

Some fabulous news.... just found out on the United site that after the United + Continental 'adjustment' of miles earned, I'm a one-million- miler on UA!! Yippee! My DH is really happy about this, because I can 'give' him a lifetime star alliance gold status because of being a 1MM. He's already asking me when he would get his card! haha

I love a day when there is nothing but relaxing on the schedule. We did just that! We ambled down to the beach for a short visit (mostly in the shade) after breakfast so that our room could be serviced by the maid.

I did some proofing work, yes, even though this is vacation time. I spent time on the balcony enjoying the view and watching the crazy guys who do 'surfing' with a kite! OMG!

We had a wonderful dinner here at Marriott tonight, at CIAO restaurant, which is located beachside. We had pastas, pizza, caprese salads, a white tomato soup (wow), and a couple of bottles of red wine. The tab was 6200baht, which included a 10% service charge. Well worth the price. The service was slightly lacking, but I will not complain. They gave us a table, even though they were 'fully booked' tonight for dinner. Could it be my new Platinum status???

We have 2pm check out tomorrow, and will then get a taxi-van back to Bangkok. Wishing we were staying here another night, but I'll remember this next year. We want to stay longer!

Time for sleep. Such a lovely lovely time in Hua Hin!! I'll be back here, for sure. And yes, I'll stay here at Marriott again.

glad it is all working for you...

Sounds like a nice relaxing time. The pie is a short taxi ride into town for next year... As others have said there are sone nice fish places on the pier and I am sure DH could get something other than fish. Happy New Year

Carol, I had the same new year's gift from United. I signed in to gift my status to Cheryl, but it won't let me do it yet. Maybe tomorrow - lol. SHe's also anxious to get her status before a business trip later this month.

I think it will take some time before the gifting option is offered. Maybe within the first 6 weeks? If you read on flyertalk, they are slowing down processing, and you maintain your current status until, I believe, end of March. But that should not stop them from offering the new MMers the option of gifting sometime before end of March.

I'm ready whenever they are!

(congrats to you!)

Carol, I was able to gift my status to Cheryl this evening. So take a look, you may be able to sign up your husband now!

I know that last year's credentials are good until the end of March, but I expect they will get out those new cards soon. My status, of course, has been updated online and we'll see how long it takes for Cheryl's new status to show.

Kathie, where was that option offered when you signed in? I'm going to take a look right now.

Found it! Got DH enrolled.

Back to Bangkok in about 15 minutes. It is overcast here right now, but the horizon is clearer than we've seen it since arriving. There is rain and flooding in the deep south of the country. Hopefully the drive today is not on wet pavement. I was going to explore the idea of taking a train back, but the scheduling just wasn't optimum for this trip.

Happy New Year Carol. This trip sounds like a really nice holiday, even if you did have work to do -better doing it there than being in Illinois, though overall it's been quite mild here for this time of year. We are out of here on Thursday - driving with the "kitchen sink" -bikes, golf clubs etc to Florida.

I think you are headed back here shortly, Enjoy your last few days in wonderful BKK. Thanks for another fun accounting of your 26th trip there. Phew, have you ever added up all the miles you've flown to BKK and back? and that doesn't even take into account your European trips.
I'm Platinum for life with American Airlines and am just getting close to my 3,000.000 mile mark with them which gets me 4 upgrades, system wide.

Sue

Sue, I'm a light-weight with UA compared to your status with AA!

It's overcast here this morning. I'm off to breakfast shortly and then another trip to Platinum. I bought scarves the other day, which I handed out to the girls where DS's girlfriend Lat works. Lat did not get a scarf.... so, naturally, I need more of them! And then there is this handbag that may or may not (still) be calling my name. We shall see. I really have not done any shopping on this trip, so I just might go home with one checked bag! OMG... that's unheard of!

DS and DH went to see the Dragon Tatoo movie last night. I opted not to go... movies nowadays do not have any interest for me whatsoever. They are all too violent, too scary, or just plain too stupid!! What ever happened to just a good story? (this is only my opinion)

Enjoy your Monday evening. My Tuesday morning is just getting warmed up!

Hello, yestravel. Your note was delivered to me at breakfast just a short time ago. I'm glad you are now here at soi 8. Welcome to AS! I will be in touch.

I'm showing yestravel around PLATINUM Mall in about 45 minutes! Should be fun. Yet another fodorite to connect a name with a face. Always interesting.

Have fun shopping.

Hi! Great meeting u, Simpsonc, and certainly appreciated the quick shopping tour...not sure i have ever seen anything quite like those malls-unreal! Overview of the sky train was useful. This am we're off with Tong. And yes, always so nice to meet up with another fodorite, they r always so helpful.

Good morning, yestravel. I hope you have a great time in BKK and all around S E Asia on your fabulous trip. It was nice meeting you as well. Glad you enjoyed a couple of my favorite shopping places here! Getting to 'know' the skytrain is always a plus, given BKK's traffic situation. So glad I could help you get acclimated, just a tad.

Have fun!

My last day in the city... several "appointments" today, if you want to call them that. Firstly, Pong and I will meet up at 10:30 to travel to the Silom Noon Market and have lunch. I have no idea what I'll see there that will be a 'must have' at this point. I've been to this market a couple of times with Maeng (who remains ill, at home) and know that there are items of interest. We shall see.

I want a quick shampoo when I get back to soi 8, with Ya at Tub Tim. And lastly, I will be getting a lesson on playing pool from 'Tree' who is an excellent player herself. Not sure what she can teach me in two hours, but she has been asking to do this since my last trip here in October. So, today, 4-6pm... a pool lesson! I'm sure it will be interesting and fun in any case. Surely a few laughs, as I'm not a good pool player. But I'd love to know how to beat my two guys!

Ladies... you would enjoy the Silom noon market! It is very different from the Platinum and MBK malls. It is more like a weekend market with small stalls, many of them outside. The are numerous smaller hallways that you walk in, make a U-turn, and then walk back out on the other hallway.

I did not make it back in time for a shampoo, having time only to sit and take a quick rest before going to play pool. I'll be on my way to see Tree in utout 10 minutes. I'm rather pooped after 4 1/2 hours of walking and shopping, but I will not disappoint Tree!

We have our taxi van arranged for early tomorrow morning. I hope to get a few hours of sleep tonight...

It has been another lovely holiday trip to Thailand. A bit of relaxing, a bit of shopping, some beach time, time with friends... I look forward to returning in April.

carol, exactly where is the noon market on silom??

Bob - the Sois around the BBL HQ building.

I don't know the street names at all, but it was right close to the skytrain. We got off the stop after Saladaeng and worked our way back through the market. I think Maeng and I started at Saladaeng station. Anyway, it was a good market. Lunch was some very delicious Thai food.

Now we are getting ready for our taxi van to the airport. I will see if UA will move me up to first class with DH! (not holding my breath on this one)

If it's the one I am thinking of it's not far from silom village. Sort of half way between there and saladang station.

Checking my notes, we had lunch at a place called Trinity Food Mall, which is right in the middle of the market. I believe there are other buildings named Trinity in the area?

so its a religious area??

Hey Carol, safe trip home, hope you get to move into the pointy end - still can't make out how dh got there on your miles and you didn't!

Anyway, thanks for "taking me along" on another great trip to Thailand. I really do get the feel and flavour from your reports so keep them coming for those of us who only get to visit every two years. Hey I think that I've convinced dh for another SE Asia trip this time next year so will start out by getting the FF BZ tks with miles 320 ish days out.

Fly safe and relaxed and, sip some champagene for me. I'll be spending tomorrow night at the Nashville Marriott sipping free white wine from my renewed Platinum status, on our way to Florida.

Thanks again.
Sue

Sue, an explanation of DH in first class... He had enough miles for a ONE-WAY first class ticket. I gave him miles for the trip home. I need to start building my elite qualifying miles again, with UA, since they reset to zero on Jan 1. I do over 100,000 miles in a year, and want to maintain that status level with UA. I had the FF miles, but did not want to fly on a free ticket, so I bought a one-way "y" fare (full fare) which got upgraded to biz all the way home. I smiled nicely, reminded them that I was so kind to my husband, and told them that I just crossed the million mile threshold... but same answer... "no, but thank you for your loyalty" when I asked about moving up to first class. UA, you (sort of) let me down. But I do like the upperdeck, so I'll be just fine. I like the international first lounges (we're at Narita right now) and can use them since DH is flying in first, and we're flying together.

Bob, it's a religious experience shopping sometimes, just ask K. (no disrespect to my fellow fodorites)... (my home church has Trinity in the name)...

We landed about 45 minutes early at NRT coming from BKK. The flight was somewhat bumpy. Old style 777, so my biz seat was not the lie flat with big screen TV on demand. I made do... I did sleep for maybe a couple of hours.

We had eaten at the Thai first class lounge in BKK so I said I did not need the breakfast they were serving. I went to sleep instead. I did have that thing they call a 'sandwich' an hour before landing. Oh, and I had a mimosa... ah, how nice. Think I'll have another one (or two) on the long haul.

About the Thai first class lounge in BKK... I do like how quiet that lounge is. I do like that they have plenty of food and beverage options. I don't like the idea that they really don't want you to serve yourself, preferring that you place an order for items you want and they deliver it to your private table/area/room, where ever you happen to be seated. It means you have to wait. If you are on a bit of a tight schedule, which we were this am, it can eat up your precious time to have to wait to eat something! I like the 'rooms' but they were all filled this morning, so we were in our own nice quiet window area, with seating for about 6 people, and we were it. We ate cereal, fruit, sandwiches, and coffee. If I had gotten to serve myself, I'd have gotten more watermelon and less papaya.... oh well.......

I think NEXT TIME I might opt to go into the Thai Spa instead of the lounge. It looked like there was seating in there. I don't need a massage or spa treatment, but the seating looked like something I might want to further explore. And a shower at the airport would also be a nice possibility, meaning I could sleep in an extra half hour in my comfy bed in the city!
So has anyone spent time in that Spa? It appears to be for
both first and biz class ticket holders. What about Star Gold, should I not be upgraded to biz? Ken, I'm betting you have been in the Spa, if you are reading along here.

Sue, would love to catch up with you in FLA, but don't know if our times/paths cross. I'm in the St Pete area from February 8-15.

Time for a shower and a change into 'winter' clothing and shoes. Fit Flops won't do in Chicago! Gotta have socks and tennies. At least we won't find a blizzard this time. Last year....... what a winter!!!

Left DS in BKK for another 5 days or so. Loose ends to tie up, re: publishing projects.

Oh, playing pool with Tree was actually fun. She beat me horribly, but I did win two games against her. She taught me a few things, but I'm pretty hopeless... DS and DH will continue to beat me when I play them. Oh well...

Carol

Carol,

TG Spa is for both 1st and business class passengers. However, first class on TG flights will entitle you to a 1 hour massage session while business class and Star Alliances passengers(in both 1st and bus) are only entitled to a 15 - 20 minutes foot or back massage.

I believe the seatings in the spa are only for people waiting for their spa appointment as well as for the after spa tea.

The 1st class lounge, as well as business class, get really busy at night as most of Thai flights with 1st class services are flown then.

Welcome home, Carol!

Hanuman is spot on with info regarding that rather fine BKK TG Spa. I've had the pleasure of savouring full body massages at the spa on only a few occasions before flying off to Hong Kong and Tokyo for meetings and/or connecting to SFO bound flights : TG606 F (BKK-HKG) and TG676 F (BKK-NRT).

And, when flying business with TG and 'up front' with SQ and UA, I've experienced some great head, neck, shoulder, calf, foot massages as noted by Pook. These particular treatments, most enjoyable and a bit of a PG-rated 'Thai threesome' : one masseuse massaging calves and feet, with partner weaving her magic, shoulders up. Upon completion of noted massages, always most serene with tea, water and Thai version of 'energy bar', if so desired.

Thanks again Carol, for your ongoing financial support of the Thai economy. Upon your return to SE Asia, perhaps a flight to our fine home of Singapore via yes, SQ business class. I'll be curious to hear if your BKK 'home' of Adelphi Suites is offering a decent frequent guest rate for you; I ask because the St. Regis and Peninsula have been most competitive with corporate/leisure rates for my BKK return later this month and mid-Feb for meetings (and Valentine's Day).

Many thanks for your always enjoyable reports and hope the jet lag treats you kindly. I'm currently scheduled for flying back to Asia tomorrow night out of SFO via SQ1; a fine flight for sleeping (and special crews).

robert


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

We're back home in our own town once again. It's nice that there is not a wintry snow to greet us!

Hanuman and Robert, thanks for the information about the TG Spa. I could see folks sitting around inside, but it makes sense that they might be waiting for their spa appt or enjoying tea. I'm not a massage type person, so I will stick to the lounge.

Robert, I appreciate your thoughts on competitive corp rates from St Regis and Peninsula. They are big corporations with hotels worldwide. I doubt Adelphi Suites can/would compete. They often have a full house, so I don't expect them to give me any special deals, even though I am a steady customer. Maybe I should be expecting/hoping for more from them??!! Anyway, their location is pretty hard for me to improve upon. I doubt very much that I switch to Centre Point, for example, though I think that a number of fodorites would really like the new place connected to Terminal 21 (Sukhumvit at Asok). I am loyal to AS, but I'm always on the lookout for something else that offers me the same sort of location and space!

carol, get on the next plane to lv, as you bet correctly. yes, i've been to the thai airlines spa, and it was fantastic. hanuman told me about it. i had the 20 min. foot massage. it was excellent, very soothing, and relaxing. and a very nice lounge.

btw, a few years ago, i stayed at the trinity hotel on silom, and i've been to the market of which you speak. i'm not shopper, so my reaction to the market was, to quote kui lee, "ain't no beeg thing brudda".

btw, looking for a few rupees.

Ken, I'm not on the next plane to LV, but will be going there in less than two weeks. Will that be soon enough?? haha

Men don't usually appreciate a market like the noon market like women do, I'd guess. It's mostly stuff for women!

Carol, welcome home and thanks for taking us all along again!
What is the minimum stay they will allow at the Adelphi Suites?
Do you have to stay for weeks at a time or do they do 3 to 5 days?

Ken, going to ask an angel if he has any spare rupees for you later this evening.....you know where.

Aloha!

You can stay for as little as one night at AS. Does this mean you might want to stay there?