5th time in Thailand - my suggestions
 

After reading so many messages and getting such great suggestions, I thought I owed everyone a little of my own insight.

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Thailand - his first, my 5th time.

While in Bangkok, we stayed at the Peninsula. Highly recommend it but it does not feel very Thai and if you are looking for a more "Thai experience" I would suggest the Regent - now a Four Seasons. However, I loved being on the river and our room was great with a wonderful buffet breakfast each morning. The Peninsula also had much more of a laid back, and relaxing feel compared to the snobby Oriental and the over populated Shangri-La.

In Phuket - we stayed at the Chedi bc everyone on-line here raved about it. And for good reason - it was delightful! We booked a hillside for $200 US and they upgraded us for a beachside bc the hotel was not full. So, if you book hillside, which will save you a good deal, there is a chance you can get upgraded - at least in March when it seemed to be less crowded. We went to James Bond Island with a tour that we booked in Patong for 650 baht per person. We took the 1/2 day tour and we were glad we did not do the full day which only really gives you twice the amount of time at each spot. Didn't really need more time and it was nice to wake up late, enjoy breakfast, and lay on the wonderful beach for an hour before the tour. The only thing bad about the Chedi is the 300 baht cab ride to and from just about anywhere.

And one last bit of advice - if it is your first trip in Bangkok, go to the floating market one day and visit Ayuthaya. We booked a driver to Ayuthaya at the airport tourist deck for 2000 baht and the day lasted 6 hours. We were able to say when we wanted to leave and he picked us up at the hotel. For the floating market, we took a taxi and paid for him by the hour. We are not big into tourist groups and bus trips - so for a cheaper cost for both we were able to have our own driver. Speaking of bad tour groups - when I was in BKK in '01 we went to the Rose Garden - I would skip that one. It was attached to our floating market tour - I much prefered a private driver like we did this past time.
Restaurants BKK - Spice Market (The Four Seasons); Baan Kalthip (I think - it is close to the US embassy); Lemongrass. We thought the Celedon was overrated. For a great view of the city and drinks - although very expensive for Thai standards - Vertigo,on top of the Banyan Tree hotel was amazing! 70 stories in the air in open-air. Safety standards would probably not allow this in the states - but we loved it.
In Phuket, we ate mostly seafood spending 2 nights in Patong for dinner and our last at the Banyan Tree's Saffron. Saffron was really wonderful - highly recommend.
Tailors - I have been to the same tailor 3 times now. Reasonable prices and really nice work. My husband had 2 suits made for $250 each and about 4 nice button down shirts. I had 2 thai silk dresses made for about $100 each. The name of the tailor is Golden Wool. I will have to post the address later. It is really close to the Oriental Hotel.
I hope this info is helpful - if anyone has any other questions - let me know.

if you want a more thai experience I'd suggest sleeping under a tin roof house on a mat.

actually the four seasons is known for having a verry biutifull thai decor. and you can buy your own copy of any furniture or itam in the hotel.. actually acording too a leading travel wirter in the US. you can buy furniture from most hotels aournd the world..

BeccaD- did you use the Sky train? Did you purchase the three day tourist pass?
Were there machines in the stations to change bills into coins? I have read that the ticket machjines only take coins?

Nice report, BeccaD.

<i> For the floating market, we took a taxi and paid for him by the hour. </i>

Do you remember the hourly rate?

<i>We booked a driver to Ayuthaya at the airport tourist deck for 2000 baht and the day lasted 6 hours. We were able to say when we wanted to leave and he picked us up at the hotel.</i>

I booked mine through the hotel. From 8:30am to 5:00pm (my choice) cost only 500 baht. Maybe one explanation is that mine was a standard, though comfortable, sedan. Maybe yours was a cushy Benz.

I wrote that I paid 500 baht for the driver to Ayutthaya. Wrong! That was the tip. I don't have a record of what we paid for the trip itself.

They have change boots in skytrain stations.You punch in the zone you are traveling to and pay about 30 to 40 baht-$1 each way.If you stay at the Oriental, they take you by boat to the train station.

Mike,
We paid 2000 baht for the Ayuthaya trip - just a basic toyota- but it worked out great. For the floating market, we just had a regular taxi driver and he charged 200 baht per hour. We looked into renting a car from the Peninsula - but give me a break - way too expensive.