After almost a year of planning with y’all, my husband and I made our first trip to Thailand. We spent 17 nights in Bangkok, Kata Beach and Phuket. The trip definitely had its ups and downs, but all in all was a lovely experience. In repayment of your great advice, we thought we’d share our two cents on journeying in Thailand.

SOME BACKSTORY:
My husband and I are 30 and 31, both in education, and this was our first trip to Asia. We are history and culture buffs, so we tried to plan around that (why Kata/Phuket you ask? See below). We went Aug.3-21, not ideal times, but considering our occupations, the only time we could get away for such a stretch. We traveled from Providence, via JFK to Bangkok on Cathay. First part of the trip was at the Marriott Bangkok (riverside), followed by the Sawasdee Village in Kata, the Marriott in Phuket (timeshare, was a gift) and the Peninsula. Yehaw! Great, great, great hotels.

Some of you might remember my panicked message 12 hours before we left for JFK, asking for info about weather in Chiang Mai. We originally planned to spend 6 nights there, but at 5 pm the night before we departed, we saw a link to The Nation describing intense flooding in CM. To quote, they mentioned “unprecedented flooding” actually, that left tourism in “tatters.” Not what you want to see literally hours before leaving! We contacted the hotel where we were staying, who confirmed the river had flooded its banks and that they were unsure about the weather for the short term, as a typhoon was blowing across China towards the north of Thailand. Not wanting to have our trip hit such a potential snag, we made a last minute decision to cancel our plans in CM. We are not sure if that was the best decisions, but sometimes you make choice with incomplete info, and do the best you can. We called the Bangkok Marriott, extended our stay a few days, and then decided to go to Phuket earlier, and stay in Kata as it was more accessible to the rest of the island. That much “beach time,” in retrospect was not needed, but again, we weren’t planning on typhoons!

We were off. I’ve decided to break this down in categories of the Good, the So So and the Ugly instead of chronologically. I think my experience might be a bit different than other travelers, in that it wasn’t smooth and lovely at all points, but I think those experiences might be helpful to other novice travelers. So here goes:

THE GOOD:
Marriott Resort and Spa, Bangkok: Fantastic hotel. I know everyone raves about this place, and it is for good reason. We stayed in a full river view room (after being moved from a not so nice room. Dark and with a view of a garage. Don’t be afraid to ask to relocate). The staff are unbelievably friendly, especially the breakfast crew and the housekeepers. The second morning, after we switched rooms, we got confused and to went to the wrong room and tried the door. Seeing us perplexed, the housekeeper, who we didn’t think we’d ever seen before, gently said “Madame, you are in room 426. It is around the corner” How did she know?!

The breakfasts here by far were the best of the trip, including the Peninsula (sacrilege, I know!) Great variety, excellent pastries. They come around and hand out croissants, so you can binge on flaky goodness without leaving your seat. I loved taking the water taxi across. I know some people think it is a hassle, but that wasn’t our experience.

The Peninsula: What more can I say? I loved this place. We lucked out with a “corner room” that allowed you to see straight up and down the river. The bathroom is excellent as was all the bells and whistles with lights/music/curtains. Being our anniversary, they sent up a chocolate cake which magically appeared while we were out one evening. Turn down service is a treat. You really feel special here. We totally splurged on car service back to the aiport, which is totally out of character for us but divine nonetheless. Newspapers, water, and a porter from the Peninsula at the airport waiting to check you in. What! Crazy!

Tong: There seems to be a bit of drama since we left regarding Tong. We are NOT tour people – have never used a driver in our lives – but her service was invaluable. We had her for two days, one for a Bangkok city tour and another out to Ayutthaya, and they were the highlight of our trip. She is very friendly, speaks great English, and is a walking encyclopedia of Buddhist knowledge. Our first day, she took us to the Flower Market, amulet market, Grand Palace, Wat Po, Jim Thompson house and on a klong tour. What I liked about her is that I was never afraid she was going to take me somewhere I didn’t want to go, for “tea money.” We didn’t do any shopping on either day and she never made mention of doing any. Our understanding of these historical sites would have been much less without here. That is my honest, unbiased opinion. Not trying to butter anyone up.

Must take a break for now. Jet lag is catching up. More tomorrow.

Thank you for sharing your initial experiences, LAchica! I appreciated your first installment, and look forward to the others.

I also appreciate your honesty in sharing with us the 'the good, the so-so, and the ugly'.

You will find, unfortunately, that many persons here on this board treat Thailand as a modern-day version of the Holy Land, whisper its name in hushed tones, and vociferously criticize those who don't see it as the ne plus ultra.

Please don't let them discourage you here: tell it like you saw it!

Once again, thanks for sharing.

Great report so far. Looking forward to more. I see that you are from Providence - are you coming to the Boston GTG in October?

Yes, Thank you. I was hoping to hear from someone having a recent stay at the Marriot. Trying to make hotel choices...yikes!? Also I am thinking of hiring Tong for a day, so to hear positive feed back is great. Looking forward to Chapter 2.

Thanks again
J

fantastic...i look forward to more...glad you liked the marriott...now you know why i push it so much...
looking forward to reading more..

bob

Thanks for taking the time to write a report...and I'm sure we all have had the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences...I have had lots of them...it's all part of the travel experience. However, it's like anything else in life...how one handles the ugly will depend on whether it ruins or doesn't ruin a vacation. Looking forward to your next installment. Happy Travels!

Welcome back! Great start to your report. I just loved our stay at The Peninsula...they really make you feel special.
How much was your klong tour? Prices seem to be going up lately.
Anxiously awaiting the rest of your report.

Aloha!

Thanks for the positive feedback! It is nice to process the trip this way.

Easywalker: your comments were just what I wanted to hear. I was a bit hesitant about posting, because it does seem like folks have seamless trips to Thailand. We had bumps along the way. Regardless though, they didn't slow us down.We are pretty go with the flow people.

Hawaiian traveler: the klong trip cost 700baht for 3 people. I take it this was a good price. We were on the pier another day, and a couple was trying to get a boat for 850, and the driver wouldn't budge. I assume we got the good price because Tong negotiated it.

Next installment coming up!

More good experiences-

Bangkok Subway and Sky Train: I lived in DC for a while, and thought I knew good public transport. Bangkok’s is superior. The Sky Train is a snap to use. Trains come every few minutes and get you lots of places. The subway may be even better, in that the stations are air conditioned and they are cheaper than the train. Both are super clean and feel very safe. We were in Bangkok for 8 days, and managed to only use the train, water taxis and subway; taxis were only used to the airport. Cheap and convenient.

Food Halls: We went to the Central Chit Lom Loft and the food hall at the Siam Paragon. Cheap food from all over the world. Definitely the places to go if you want to test drive a lot of cuisines at low cost.

Aquarium at the Siam Paragon: Surprisingly fun. The aquarium is filled with cool fish, great set up, and captions all in English. A good activity for a rainy day.

Spa at Face: We had great coffee scrubs and massages at Face. Wow! The setting is divine and so private. We has our treatments in individual teak houses filled with great little details. The ladies were very friendly, and you felt like they were truly happy you came by. Note: the scrub is not for the meek. They scrub everywhere!

Cooking Class at the Marriott, Phuket: If you are staying out here, and want to splurge, they offer a GREAT cooking class. It begins at 8 with a trip to a locale market. The chef (who was very sweet and spoke excellent English) shows you around and points our all types of ingredients. Next, they take you to breakfast at the buffet back at the hotel, which is included in the price. The rest of the day is spent cooking. We made four dishes: chicken in coconut milk soup, red curry chicken skewers, laab, and sea bass with lime and chili sauce. They have a teak house set up with the eight cooking stations. The space is super if you like to cook. They have all kinds of high end tools use and each person (not couple) cooks each item themselves. Then you get to each your goodies, and they pour beer and wine. Definitely a highlight.

Dim Sum at the Chinese restaurant at the Penn: Very inexpensive and fun way to nosh your way through many Chinese favorites. Nice tea service and very friendly staff.

Ayutthaya: We took a trip out here right before we left Bangkok, and it was great. There are many, many wats to see. I highly suggest traveling with a guide, as there are many details that could be easily overlooked if you are not well versed in Thai history. It was nice to see another area of Thailand. If you go on the weekend, there are many Thais making merit in various ways, which is interesting to see.

Chachuchek Market: Can you really go to Thailand and not visit this market? We are not shoppers, and didn’t buy that much, but it is a cultural experience. Bring water, patience and lots of small bills. I wouldn’t even try to navigate with a map; it is just too twisty. Enter the market down by the subway entrance (not the train) for lots of antiques and souvenirs. Make sure to designate a meeting place if you are traveling with others, in case you get lost. And buy whatever you want as soon as it piques your interest. Chances are you won’t be able to find it again should you double back.

Dinner at the Sawasdee Village hotel restaurant (Kata Beach): I would say this is the best meal we had in Thailand. The restaurant itself is very beautiful. If you walk in fro the hotel side (you can also enter through the street) you walk over a moat filled with candles and lotus. Lovely! The food was very tasty: Pomelo salad, tom yum goong, prawns in tamarind sauce and stir fried veggies. Friendly service too.

i'm getting very excited for the not so nice....haha

how much did the cooking class cost??

Your report is wonderful. Please keep it coming. I'm also a big fan of the Peninsula in BKK, and yes, the pick-up at the airport is sooooooo smoothe!

Carol

I'm enjoying your report. Glad you liked the spa at Face - one of my faves!

Very enjoyable. We too have experienced many of the things you have reported on. I too am very interested in your so so and Ugly.... We sort of fell in love with Thailand and will be back again in Jan/Feb 07, however, there really are things I think we overlook (not too many things) in order to enjoy our visit. Am real curious what your uglys were. I've never shared mine, but they stay with me in my memories.
Sue

Bob- The cooking class was $150 US. Very expensive as cooking classes go, but it basically includes all your meals for the day, so you recoup that expense. They take you to breakfast, you prepare a four course lunch, and if you are staying in a time share they pack up the leftovers (which there were many) so you can heat them up for dinner. It was our splurge, and worth it.

Working on the So-So/Ugly now. Post more soon!

THE SO-SO:
A disclaimer: These are our experiences. I know a lot of people have had positive experiences at the places I’ll describe. They just weren’t the right fit, at this time, for us. It’s funny though, both with the So-sos and the Uglies, neither did anything to spoil our vacation. Like when we lived in LA, I hated the traffic, but loved the culture, weather and opportunities there. So there are always some pieces that you overlook.

Marriott Phuket: This place is beautiful. That can not be argued. We stayed in a time share unit which is HUGE and has ever amenity. The gardens and grounds are lush and expansive. It is really a great facility, and we did enjoy our time there. A couple of things didn’t work for us though. 1) They nickel and dime you to death. Bottled water at the Italian restaurant was $5. Internet cost 195 baht per 15 minutes. Borrowing a DVD cost 300 baht a day. You are pretty much trapped there, so you don’t have a lot of wiggle room. We expected these types of things to be less costly. 2) we thought the food was just OK at the restaurants. We ate at the Italian, Japanese and Thai restaurants. Oddly, we found our Thai experience to be the worst. The food was a bit overcooked and they had strange “entertainment.” About 10 minutes into our meal, an elaborately dressed Thai woman comes around and serves cookies off of her head. Really! She was wearing a giant headdress, and would kneel down on the cement floor, wai until she was at our hip height, and the patrons took cookies from her head. Yuck! It felt creepy, especially considering the Buddhist taboo against touching heads.

Phuket in general: As I mentioned before, we had never planned to stay in Phuket for the length of time we did. The weather was pretty stormy much of the time we were there. The area definitely seemed designed for tourists. We got out and strolled around, visited Phuket City, Wat Chalong and took a drive which were all really interesting. The stretch of beach itself along the Marriott’s property was really, really dirty. I know it is a public beach, but we were surprised. But if you are not “beach people” and/or it is the low season, 9 days might be too long.

Food (but not breakfast) at hotels in general: We are not sure if the “B teams” were on considering it was low season, but we had some just fair meals at hotels. We ate a Numero Uno at the Marriott Bangkok, and found one meal to be unedible. We had some soup with shrimp that seemed that they’d been simmered for many many hours. We also ate a Jesters at the Penn, a set meal that came with our hotel package. Set meals we’ve had in the past usually include 2-3 options per course. The set meal here had almost no choice, including squid over butternut squash for the starter, pork neck (!?) or tuna encrusted in a brown mixture for the entrée and mango cake. Odd options. The service was a bit too close. We like attention, but it seemed too much. We also ate at Thiptara, and found it bland. Also be careful if you are mosquito prone, as we were munched up over dinner. Lovely setting though.

Jim Thompson House: The house and grounds are beautiful. Really. And the store offers beautiful products. The tour itself is a little lackluster. The women who guided us felt stiff and really scripted. I would still go there, but don’t expect a riveting tour. Leave yourself time to stroll around after.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report. I'm glad you didn't let the not so good stuff ruin your trip. We spent 3 nights in Phuket and that was too much for us! I wasn't impressed.

Sorry you had a mediocre/bad meal at Jesters. We ate there a few years ago and it was one to the best meals we've had. We didn't have a set meal though, we ordered a la carte.

Looking forward to the ugly. As much as I love Thailand (been there 5 times) I realize it's not without its warts.

LAchicha- we also live near Providence, but usually fly NW to Bangkok. How were the prices on Cathay and did you use a travel agent or consolidator? Did you fly or drive to JFK? We are considering Thai Air's direct flight from NY for next summer, but it might be more than NW.

Tnnc-
To answer your questions:
1. How were the prices on Cathay and did you use a travel agent or consolidator?

We went with Cathay because there prices were descent and the had such a good rep. We booked them ourselves. However, our experience with CP was terrible (they are coming up in the UGLY section). I'll be more detailed there.

2. Did you fly or drive to JFK?

We drove. There are no direct flights from PVD to JFK, only LaGuardia. We couldn't go the train/bus route, as we were arriving at 11:00 pm and no transport runs that time. We ended up renting cars one way. It was actually really easy. It was the most positively surprising part of the trip.

3. We are considering Thai Air's direct flight from NY for next summer, but it might be more than NW.

I would fly direct on Thai in a heartbeat. It was much more expensive than CP (about $600 per tix)but direct is better than connections. We flew Thai domestically and liked them a lot.

Let me know if I can be of more help. The whole getting to JFK/Bangkok was something we spent a lot time figuring out.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip in spite of some so-so experiences. In retrospect, I 'm guessing you would have gone somewhere else rather than extend your Phuket stay. But for your first trip, I expect it felt too overwhelming to choose another location.

I also think you are right about hotel restaurants usually not being the best. Indeed, I've never seen a good review of any of the restaurants at the Marriott Resort and Spa in Bangkok - even from Bob, for whom it is his favorite hotel in the world.

i love the thai restaurant in the mini mall attached to the marriott!!!

i also love jesters....