Leaving New York in 2 weeks and flying to Bangkok. I will have 10 days to travel and have made no plans.

Any suggestions of where I should go? Would love some non-touristy locations!

How is the weather there in late July - I imagine hot and steamy

Then if you made no plans - why are you going to Bangkok?

Get a guidebook and decide what YOU want to do - what you like, what interests you! Which you should have done before you paid for your airline ticket! It's your trip, not mine!

Sandi
If you had no suggestions then why reply?

As a matter of fact, I have several travel books -- I was posing the question to those who have visited Thailand before and could OFFER HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS.

Would love to hear from anyone who has "Something" to say.......

#1 pick you hotel carefully in bkk---the river side is best....

it is hot and you have to go slow...lots of water and swimming...

10 days is not a long time in thailand..i think i would stay 5 days in bkk, then go for 3 days to either chiang mai (1 hour flight) and slightly cooler there...then i would go to hua hin (beach area) a 2.5 hour drive south of bkk for 2 days and then home...

alot depends on your interests: historical, shopping, beach, nature

as you know from your reading...bkk is not like going to italy or spain....it is unique...the countryside does not hold too much for the traveller except in certain areas and your time is short...
let us know what you decide

chill out kasia.. Sandi is actualy correct..

well at the least post what your likes and dislikes are.

I mean do you like zoo's. whaterparks snake farms.. sex shows. history, clubing ..

like i've said over the years on this forum I and others would be of better help if the questions were more spacific..

I'm in and out of bangkok . so I can help you out a bit.. I will be in again on july 16 for a couple of months.. imagration willing.

I just saw a feature on a korean station that had a restourant in bangkok with has the FLYING CHICKEN show.. It's a show where the put a roaste chicken on a caterpolt and waiters in unicycles catch them on a plate.. i guess I will do some reaserch too find the famouse place... of course I've yet too find the worlds biggest resteraunt witch is also in town..

Before you read me the riot act, and as "orgy7" mentions, you say nothing about your likes or dislikes. Are you male or female? Do you want budget or expensive. Do you want to travel by air or train through the country?

What I might like to do/see on holiday might not be what someone elses wishes to do, nor how much money someone has to spend.

There are way too many people who see an airfare or a price for a tour and if it fits their budget "they go" and have no idea where they are, what they're doing at the destination. I have a friend who is a tour guide, for areas all around the world, from budget to very expensive and he has at least one person/couple per trip who did just that - it fit their budget and there they are "totally oblivious".

And since "ogy7's" response, you still haven't provided any info on what it is that you've read in those guidebooks that interest you. Post some info of substance and I'm sure someone will have some ideas.

As to the weather - BKK is always hot and steamy as is most of Thailand (except the highlands in winter months).

Kasia,

Although some of the replies sound like they come from people who use the Europe forum often, some of us would be glad to help. Yes, it would be helpful to have more info from you, however here are some suggestions.

If you have 10 full days I would not stay in Bangkok more than 2 or 3. See the royal castle, tour the markets and get out of there. I've traveled all over Asia and the world and was not that impressed with Bangkok. (besides being ripped off by taxis, drivers and others)

Do go up to Chiang Mai. Do a tour to the elephant camps, ride one + raft a river. It's fun. Go to the night market and eat on the river. (Good Views is a decent place)

Fly from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Stay in Patong Bay, it's loud, leud and fun!) Rent a jeep, drive on the "wrong" side of the road, and tour the island. Enjoy the beaches, food, nightlife/transvestites, etc. If you golf, play a round. Lots of diving/snorkeling tours. (find out what's included - we went on one and they provided masks; fins were extra!!!!) Lots of good places to eat as well.

Sorry, not familiar with any real non-touristy locations. Haven't found them yet.

Enjoy!

Michael

Thank you all for your replies.

As suggested, I will tell you a litle about who we are and what we like:

I'm 32 and my husband is 38. Looking to experience the culture & landscapes of Thailand. Would like to see 3 distinct areas. Want to visit some of the main historic sites but also would like to venture off the beaten path as well. We are not big on tour groups as we like to explore on our own. We enjoy shopping and great food! Not into the crazy nightlife as I have that here in NYC Want to end the trip with a few days at a beautiful beach area.

Not looking for a Budget trip but also do not want to go 5*.

As I mentioned earlier, we have a total of 10 days to spend in Thailand (I know... not that long). From my readings, I think I have an idea of where we would like to visit:

BANGKOK - Plan to stay 2-3 nights in BKK. Will that be enough time to see most of the "main" attractions (Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaeo, Jim Thompsons House, Floating Mkt)? Would like to stay along the river. Want to spend approx $100/night. Would love Hotel Reco's.

CHIANG MAI - From BKK we were thinking of heading North to Chiang Mai for 2-3 nights. I suppose the landscape will be quite different than that of BKK. Interested in exploring the Old City. Would like to take a day trip to EITHER Lamphun,Lampang or Chiang Dao. Which offers the most to see/do?

Southern Peninsula - We would like to end our trip in the Southern Peninsula. Looking for a beautiful beach area that is not too overdeveloped.
Would love to go to Krabi or Ko Pi Pi but weary of the monsoons on the west side. During this time of year, I was told the weather might be better in Koh Samui?

Once again, thank you all for your responses -- I'm really looking forward to my trip (leaving in 1 week!)

Hi

I think Bangkok is worth a few days...it is an interesting city filled with contrasts. If you want to go south then you can go to Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and so on. It depends on what you are looking for. Phuket is crowded with tourists but you can have a lot of fun there. We had a great stay at Chaweng beach at Samui...we had a bungalow on the beach and it was beautiful. Karbi (or Ao Nang) is a lot more quiet compared to Samui/Phuket and you can find some really nice beaches in the area.

I'm sure that you will find some great places in Thailand. It is a wonderful destination

I have posted trip reports and pictures from my trips to Thailand on my homepage www.gardkarlsen.com. Maybe you can find some useful information there

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

From your message, it appears you do not have your internal flights within Thailand arranged yet. You should first probably look at getting flight reservations for Chiang Mai and Phuket/Koh Samui. There are not a lot of direct flights each day to these destinations from Bangkok, and so to keep to your itinerary you should make sure you can fly in and out on the days you are planning. This is esp true with return flights from Phuket and Chiang Mai to Bangkok, where there are only about 2-3 direct daily flights.

For Bangkok, 3 nights would be the minimum, IMO. Don't forget the Weekend Market which is much better than the floating market, IMO. The floating market was very touristy the last time I went many years ago and from what I hear is only gotten worse. I would recommend you hire a long tail boat and driver for a few hours and exploring the klongs of Bangkok on your own. Try to include a trip to see the royal barges in their boathouse, unless you are lucky enough to be there the one or so time a year when they are in use by the King on the river (check with your hotel).

Hotels in your budget on the river would be the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa (used to be called the Marriott Royal Garden Riverside) and the Sheraton Royal Orchid. (Both Marriott and Sheraton have other hotels in the city which are off the river, but you are right to stay on the river, much for convenient, and you get a real picture of Thailand life by seeing it go by you on the river.) Also take a look at the Peninsula, a beautiful luxury hotel which has been offering very good deals, about US$150 from what people say here. It would be more than worth the extra $50 per night IMO. (Much as I love the Marriott Riverside, the rooms in the Penn are truly luxurious, and the location is better.)

Phuket/Krabi is in the middle of the rainy season now, average rainfall for the area is about 11 inches in July. While this may only mean one day of rain, the other thing the rainy season does is increase the wind which makes the sea a bit rougher; this would be a factor in getting to and enjoying the areas around Phi Phi. You might consider Koh Samui instead. However, to confuse you more, June and July in Koh Samui can also be rainy; not like the rainy season there which is in the late fall, and not the amounts of rain which Phuket/Krabi get in June and July, but you can get rain there as well. Between the two, Koh Samui is better in July, but just keep in mind that it may also rain a bit there.

If you really want undeveloped and beautiful beaches, you might consider going to the east coast of Malaysia instead. You could fly to Hat Yai (Kota Bahru would be better, but no direct flights from Bangkok), rent a car and drive south. I have posted on the east coast before, run a search.

We stayed at the Peninsula and at the rate of about $150/nite you can't beat it. Each room is at least a Jr. Suite (and very large bathrooms) and all face the river. Certainly worth considering.

You need a full day to do Grand Palace, Wat Po, Jim Thompson House, and Wat Arun at sunset. The second day you can do the floating markets (Damneon Saduak), but be prepared to leave early (we were on our way at 6:30am, 1-hr drive south of BKK, then into a longtail to the market. We were early enough that some vendors were still setting up, then the crowds of bus-tour tourists arrived. Surprisingly, it could have been worse. We were back at the hotel after lunch and had the afternoon for ourselves.

Traveling north to Chiang Mai or south to Phuket, Ko Samui - get on the Thai Airlines site and check their flight schedules which will give you an idea for planning departures and returns. Coming from CM to Phuket or Ko Samui most flights do connect in BKK. From what I recall there are more flights to/fr Phuket then the other islands. Each flight/leg of flight averages about $50 + tax - also check on the Thai Airpass which might work for you depending on the number of flights you have to take.

Yes, it is wet season this time of year - you'll likely have thunderstorms in BKK (don't last long, but streets do flood) as well as the southern islands - but these can be one full day of storms, or brief showers, or none at all.

While up north in Chiang Mai area, we visited Doi Suthep and the many industries around the area, but did not spend overnight here (Night Market), rather about 30 miles north at an eco-lodge (certainly different from the 5* Peninsula) voted the best in Asia. Managed by the Lisu Hilltribe people, basic accommodations but best mattresses, linens, including dinner and breakfast - the best night sleep in our 2-wks in SEAsia.

You might want to check their site:

www.lisulodge.com

You'll have to choose for yourself whether you stay on Ko Samui or Phuket; the latter bigger than the former where we stayed, but can't comment on Ko Samui.

If you haven't booked other than your hotel in BKK, they can arrange the rest of your trip, or recommend a local travel agent who can do it for you. However, with so little time in BKK it might be adviseable to ask your BKK hotel what they can book, prices, flights and if what they offer suites your needs, have them arrange all - then you'll be set once you arrive.

Enjoy your trip.

If you have just 10 days I would try and not do 'too much'. Either you are wanting beaches or treks/jungle or a bit of both. Although Bangkok is an amazing city if you just want to have a good break from work then I would just head to a nice island, relax, enjoy the sunshine, the foods, have a laid back time.
If it's your first trip I would go to places where you have the chance to experience Thailand without feeling 'lost'.
Koh Samui is popular this time of year with good weather. Plenty of accommodation from cabins/cottages to luxury resorts. Bangkok Airways flys about 10 times a day, takes just over 1 hour.
If you want to mix your stay with some eco-adventures then head to Kanchanaburi/River Kwai, just a few hours from Bangkok.
Stay on one of the River rafts, enjoy the jungle! Elephant ride etc. After a few days you can head off to a beach.
In most places you will find temples, local markets, and have the chance to get familiar with the country and people.
Thailand is all things to all people, you can enjoy the vacation that 'you want' that 'you' have worked for! Don't be put-off by people who tell you what you should do and where you should go. If you want to laze on the beach then fine. Unless you are into big cities I would not spend much time in Bangkok. For about $30-40 a night you will get a decent a/con hotel and you can pick up the brochures, chat with the travel desk and get some ideas on what you want to see and do.
Good luck and have a great time!

Correction for the poster who said there were only 2-3 direct flights per day on main routes!
Thai Airways flies 9-10 x daily BKK-Chiang Mai and 12 x daily BKK-Phuket, plus BKK-Phuket 3 x daily with bankok Airways plus 1 x daily Phuket Air. Bangkok Airways flys about 10 x daily to Koh Samui.
It's wet in the South so stick with the Gulf area, Koh samui probably your best bet, try Bophut Beach area. I have just had good reports on Peace resort which is reasonable price.

James(BKK)