rjgfam

Hi I'm taking my daughters to Thailand for a week in last week of June/or first week in July 2017 for graduation present.

They like adventure, and authentic culture not so much city or museums!

Budget about $7,000-$8,000

Can you help me create an itinerary?

Immensely grateful

Happy Holidays!!

Lisa

rhkkmk

I just returned to usa yesterday from Thailand, our 20th trip.

girls always love shopping so Bangkok is the place for that...Platinum Fashion Mall is a great place for that.

make sure your hotel always has a good pool. we love the anantara riverside hotel for that. Marriott sukhumvit Park is also a very nice hotel.

be more specific about what type of an adventure you want.

thursdaysd

"girls always love shopping" - how sexist, also not true. Might be truer to say Americans always love shopping, except that is also a gross generalization.

Have you checked the weather for that time?

MmePerdu

"girls always love shopping" - how sexist, also not true."

I'd say "not always true" but certainly a good suggestion, just in case they do. And I suspect it is true more often than not. My granddaughters certainly have fun shopping and they're very normal. It might be interesting to see a Thai mall, even if they didn't buy anything.

I (and they may) prefer the big markets that have more Thai goods, like Chatuchak, rather than the western-style malls. But haven't been there for a decade. Rhkkmk, what can you tell us about that these days?

Kathie

In just a week, you will want not more than two locations. It is hard to know what to recommend to you as you have given us such general information. Pick up a good guidebook and do some reading and decide what places call to you the most. We are glad to be helpful, to answer questions, but we don't plan people's trip for them.

rjgfam

Thank you but not very helpful. And Kathie, I did not ask anyone to plan my trip. I merely asked what kinds of adventures or things can be experienced in Thailand. I have three guidebooks. I don't need you to tell me to buy them. Guidebooks are packed with ideas, and since I have only 8 days, this is usually a good forum where people give wonderful suggestions of what worked for them and what did not.

Please please please; it's ok to not have anything to add or suggest. But only write me a note if you do.

Thank you and again Happy Holidays!

PS My girls don't care for shopping ��

MmePerdu

I guess we've been told.

It's also, by the way, OK to not respond when you don't like the suggestions. That silence works both ways.

Kathie

rjgfam, I'm sorry if my post offended you. But when you write "Can you help me create an itinerary?" with no information on where you plan to go in Thailand, that sounds like "plan my trip: to me.

Since you already have guidebooks, tell us where in Thailand you want to go.

Personally, I think Bangkok is a must-visit place, both logistically and because it is the center of Thai culture. Since you are interested in the culture, you will want to visit the Grand Palace and some of the major wats: The Emerald Buddha, Wat Po and Wat Arun at a minimum. Also, depending on your interests, I'd suggest some house museums, like the Jim Thompson House and the Suan Pakkard Palace. A stop at the Erawan Shrine would also interest those looking for a cultural experience.

You could spend the whole time in Bangkok, but you could add one other destination, either in the north or a beach area, depending on your interests. There are endless options for "adventures" but we need more information to be of assistance.

crellston

The north of Thailand offers lots of opportunities for trekking, notably around Chiang Dao, north of Chiang Mai and also in the hills around Chiang Rai. Soppong and Mai Hong Sorn have reasonably accessible Ethnic minority village for a taste of the "authentic" culture you seek. There are such villages closer to Chiang Mai but I would not advise patroniszing these as they are certainly not authentic and are more akin to human zoos. The one problem is that it would be the weather. It is the height of the rainy season. Doesn't rain all day but you need a bit of luck to get some sunny days.


Another though would be to head to one of the gulf coast islands which have great weather at that time of year. Koh Tao or Koh Phangnan offer some of the best diving in the region. If your daughters are not Divers, a PADI open water course and a few fun dives could be done in 4 days. The remainder of your time you could spend in Bangkok. Stay somewhere near the river or in Chinatown for some local colour. Some of the markets there are an adventure on their own! No need to set foot in a museum but there are a few temples worth seeing, boat trips into te maze of canals that is Thonburi.

rjgfam

Thank you so much Kathie and Crellston.

So Bangkok is a must for the culture. I will look into the gulf islands as well!

Do you think we can manage with our budget?

Kathie

Dies your budget include airfare to/from Thailand? That will be the biggest expense. Check airfares and tell us what will be left after you pay airfare. In general, Thailand is very reasonably priced.

rjgfam

That would be about 5 or 6000 after air fare.

Kathie

5 or 6000 what? US dollars? Canadian dollars? Euro? GBP?

crellston

Assuming your currency is usd, that equates to $750 per day which would be plenty for accomodation (assuming two rooms) , food and transport - shopping is clearly not a consideration

I suggest checking out www.booking.com for an idea of the rates for the type of places in which you would like to stay.

rhkkmk

sorry I participated

MmePerdu

No good deed goes unpunished, rhkkmk.

simpsonc510

I would suggest that you consider the option of a serviced apartment for your stay in Bangkok. We arrived here just last night and have settled in to our usual 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath apt at Column Tower (Sukhumvit soi 16). There are oodles of apartment options and locations all around Bangkok. We enjoy having the space of an apt over a hotel room. Consider proximity to the sky train as a primary concern as traffic can be a bear in this big sprawling city.