2010 Holiday season on Bangkok
 

I'm almost finished with my day's work, and then I can go home and finish packing. DH and I will leave at 7am for ORD for our flight to BKK for the holidays. Our DS will join us there within the next week. This will be our 3rd year in a row to spend both Christmas and the New Year in Thailand. Since all of my family members are no longer living, and we see DH's only brother daily, as he works for us, we now feel able to be gone at this time of year. We did only the New Year in Thailand (Phuket) a couple of times..2001, 2001, having had to be home for Christmas with aging parents/sibling, etc. and always said that when the time was right we would like to go for a longer holiday. Well, we've now been able to do that and it's really lovely.

We are returning to our favorite serviced apartment building, Adelphi Suites, on soi 8 Sukhumvit. It feels like home away from home. It is close to our many Thai and expat friends whom we have come to know over nearly 10 years.

I'm flying in first class tomorrow (on UA) and my DH has a paid upgradeable economy ticket, which we hope will clear to biz class tomorrow. Fingers crossed. I got a phone call this morning from UA Global Services, inviting the two of us to check in at the GS lounge, not at first class check in. Wow... this is a first! I've maintained 1K with UA for a second year in a row, so maybe this is their way of saying "thank you"... we'll enjoy it for sure!

I will be doing my usual reporting 'live' from Bangkok. So looking forward to NO SNOW and freezing winds that 'go right through you' like we are having here right now.

Catch you guys later. Come along for the ride, if you like!

Carol

(oh, I'll be seeing some fodorites once again on this trip, to include dogster, mcbeanie, and hopefully hanuman and michaelbkk, if available!)

Dear Carol,
Enjoy enjoy... even the flight part sounds great. As always, I'll be following along and reading, right up until we also leave from ORD to BKK, virtually passing you in the air!.

Looking forward to your exploits.
Sue

Thanks, Sue. Maybe we'll get the chance to meet there on another trip... hope so anyway.

I can see a couple of minor typos... that should be Holiday Season IN Bangkok; and the years on Phuket were 2001 and 2002.

Is anyone else in the city during the holidays this year?

Carol

>>>2010 Holiday season 'on' Bangkok<<<


...yo ho ho, 'simpson'! (And, as always, many thanks Carol, for spending funds in Thailand - my fine firm, and many others, appreciate those contributions. And, don't forget spending money in sweet SIN - and yes, fly SIA.)

Good Luck with hitting UA Global Service 'jack pot'! This multi-year UA 1K has yet to be so annoited to such lofty GS status. (But I'll still take my rather lowly SQ PPS in a heartbeat - ongoing personal/professional reasons, yes.)

Now, BKK 2010 holiday and potential precious 'GTG' : as of now, good chance of ~ 7pm 'Living Room' meeting this Sunday at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. I'm in town for two days of work before on to SIN for family/work and St. Nick, then Bali for New Year. 'Drinks on me' and the chance to meet some special SGS friends/colleagues. (No 'pickled liver' for me this trip - been awhile - but rumour has it, that Annie's massage parlour is still extant? All the best to Dr. J, Khun M, crew.)

Safe and smooth UA flights to you, and, as always, kindly consider turning it up a notch with SQ R/F/J, SQTalk.com and late-night, in-room massage treatments with kind-hearted masseuses. (Quite possibly, well less than one-third your age - mind your manners.)

macintosh (robert)


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

Robert- What are you on, man?

Carol, I will, of course, be following along on your Bangkok trip. We didn't have nearly enough time in Bangkok this trip, so I have to make up for it somehow!

bon voyage....i actually thought that you had left today...

enjoy every minute of your time, as i am sure you will....i look forward to my daily dose of reporting from soi 8...

i will remind tong about the errand you are doing for karen...thanks again....

tell maeng i am sorry we did not make it there...hopefully next time...

keep the boys in line!!

no cheating at trivia night

Yes Bon Voyage Carol. Look forward to seeing you and Brad again in Bangkok! Ps. We will be on holiday from Dec 25th until Jan 2nd.

Hi, Robert! Took your advice and flew SIN 61 from Houston last week ~ will be in (and out) of BKK until January 3 ~ then back on SIN 62. Interesting flight, I must say!

Carol, welcome back tomorrow. We flew in from Luang Prabang today, and surprisingly we are exhausted. More later on this delightful country!

We are staying at the Bliston Residences (Suwan Park View) on Soi Tonson, and feel right at home. Call when you get settled.

Hanuman, I hope we can meet this trip. Tongtip sent me her contact # earlier, saying they would be back in BKK the middle of December. We will have dinner with her and Peter one day before we leave.

Later, Sandra (McBeanie)

Have a great trip Carol. Looking forward to the updates. less than 2 weeks since we were in BKK but missing it already.

Well, mcintosh (Robert) AKA askOksena, I shall certainly try to be at the appointed place at the appointed time. As you are a mystery person here in fodorville, I shall be pleased to be the first (?) to say hello. I've been the 'first' to meet several mysterious fodorites, you know. I guess I'm not a scary type...

Sandra, glad you made it back to BKK safely, and are once again settled into your apartment. I will call you the the first opportunity, probably sometime Saturday, after I visit the weekend market.

Well... checking in at GS reception was just that.... checking in at GS reception. I guess I had anticipated a speedy check-in (we did get that) and then maybe a special GS 'lounge' invite? A girl can always hope.... right? That did not happen. It was simply a speedier check in than the first class line 'outside' in the main hallway. But, we'll take what we can get! DH was impressed at how quickly we were checked in. And then we skipped to the front of the passport/boarding pass checkin line.

DH is #7 on the upgrade list... he's still in the running according to the lady at the Red Carpet Club. Fingers crossed. We opted to visit the RCC by our B16 gate rather than hoof it over to c concourse to visit the int'l first class lounge. This one is just fine. Much busier, but still comfortable, quiet, and plenty of coffee and breakfast items. We're happy... The RCC lady told me something about seat availability that I had not consdered when watching and hoping for DHs upgrade. They will move UA personnel who are booked on the flt (4 of them, I think) from their biz seat to an empty seat in first class. The RCC lady said that no one was on an upgrade to first class list. That surprised me...

We had quite a bit of snow last night (3" or more) so the roads were a bit iffy when we started out this morning. But, things got better, and we sped right along once we hit the east-west tollway, which is better maintained. Chicago did not get the snow we got. We're set for an on-time departure.

More later...

have a good flight...and welcome to bkk...just think you get there sooner than others as you are at the front of the plane....go way to the right at immigration and you will probably be moved to the seniors/diplomatic line, the last on the right... no waiting...

Hope you have (probably "had" when you read this) a nice flight, Carol. Looking forward to your reporting as always.

Welcome to Bangkok, Carol! Wish I was there with you...

Have fun, eat well and tell Maeng we say hi!

Carol are you here yet? There's a "cold" front over most of Thailand right now so enjoy.

If Brad is with you tell him that tomorrow, Saturday 18th, they will close down Ratchadamnoen Ave and the Red Bull formula 1 team will be tearing up the asphalt. Should be fun starting around 1.00PM.

Dog arrives Phuket Dec 19, en route to BKK. Run. Hide.

We're here!!! Yes, I arrived first, as I was in first class lol. DH got his upgrades all the way to BKK so he was happy. I have been to the PL to say hello to Maeng. She looks well, although she has a blood clot in her leg and is being treated for that. She works too hard!!

Tomorrow, Chatuchak and there is a Thai Craft Fair on soi 23 Suk that I want to check out at some point.

It was 70 degrees upon landing. Unheard of for landing in BKK!! We have windows open in our apt!

Now, time for some sleep, if I can manage. I slept quite a bit on the flights over here. Had time for a quick shower at NRT in the UA int'l first class Red Carpet Club. We had been delayed leaving ORD today, mechanical problem, so I only had about 20 minutes to make use of that shower. It did feel great though!

Time to sleep.

Carol

have fun

I'm gonna try to be there on Wednesday night or Thursday night.

We have our Christmas Eve invite for dinner in Ban Bueng. Can't miss that!

C- I saw the specific Haagen daz you frequent a couple weeks ago and thought about you :)

BTW, if you go to Paragon, go have lunch at Coffee Bean by Dao. The Thai food there is not bad.