Back to Bangkok in 3 weeks!
 

Hi everyone,
I managed to find two weeks in February for my next trip to BKK. No plans yet to include any island and/or beach travel, but I am sure that either Pattaya, Phuket or Samui will be included for a few days.

I will probably be staying at Omni Towers BKK in a serviced apartment this time, but I do not have any reservation yet. My son will be there ahead of me and will have a room all ready for me when I arrive. I will stay wherever he stays! His choice.

This will be a very "small" buying trip, unless I see something that is a MUST HAVE as my web site projuect is still under construction. My computer guy has been very busy updating our family business site (that IS what we pay him to do everyday...) and I haven't been able to snatch him away for my little project very much. Anyway, I didn't have any holiday sales so my supply of purses and scarves is in pretty good shape. I promise to let folks know when the site is ready.

I've had a couple of emails from the Boathouse on Kata Beach Phuket, where I've stayed several times, and they really want tourists to return. They will reopen in mid-February. IF I can get a specific villa for a couple of nights, I shall go there and see for myself how Phuket is doing.

Has anyone been to Pratunam area in BKK for shopping? I'm just wondering if I need to spend some time there. What will I find? Is it just down the street from World Trade Center?

I hope everyone is enjoying a great new year, and that you all have plans for lots of travel adventures!

Carol

carol---i just wrote you a whole message and i lost it...damn..

lets see..

we too plan to go to the prat. mkt...anxious to hear your comments and those of others....i think it is like weekend/night markets...

make sure you get to the conrad for dim sum lunch this time and to baan khanitha on soi 23, sukhumvit....also gourmet gallery off of soi 39, sukhumvit...

how are you flying this time??...i am trying to get something different this time as we have always gone on northwest...i hate the early morning departure from bangkok (6) and the late night arrivals (12)...

heard from thai craft organization this am about their spring sales...have you ever attended one in the ambassador hotel? they are fantastic...i think their site is www.thaicraft.org......there is a listing of dates there--they too are having computer problems so it may not be updated at the moment...i do know they have one in may and one in june...but there are ones in the winter too...

also have you ever been to a jim thompson warehouse sale? they are really fantastic...i have a message in to them for the 2005 dates, but they have not answered as yet...

have a good trip and post as you have done in the past so we know what you are doing...

bob

Hi Bob,
Thanks for all the shopping and dining info. I'll have to keep all that in mind.

Looking forward to looking at new and unique items to bring back. I belong to an altruistic sorority and I always bring back little items that we can sell for about $3-5 and that I might pay .75 to 1.00 for. Hoping Pratunam might have something intesting.

I'm flying on United, as always, waiting to see if my upgrade using miles is going to come through. It really SHOULD as I've flown almost 65,000 miles on UAL last calendar year. Why they keep me waiting, I don't know. Grrrrr.... Anyway, hoping for a seat up in the hump of the 747 both from ORD and NRT. My only flight options seem to be arriving in BKK very late and departing from BKK at 7am. I agree, it's not such good timing, but I don't have a choice, unless I want to go around the world (via FRA) and pay a LOT more for a ticket! Gulp..

I'll hopefully be on line while in BKK and I'll try to post a daily report like I did when I was there last June July for a couple of weeks.

Again, thanks for the tips. I'm not sure about the dim sum. What, exactly, is it? I have some pretty strange food alergies and try to be careful.

Carol

have you checked this year flying eastbound?? it now seems quicker and in some cases cheaper,,,

Bob,
Many times when I would query UAL about ORD to BKK flights, the first option was to go through FRA. But the price was... YIKES!!!... very very high.

My son managed an around the world trip the first time he went to BKK as he missed his Chicago connection flying out of one of our "local" airports late due to fog. The next available flight that day to BKK went through Paris. On the return, he did the usual NRT to ORD. So he made it all the way around the globe but on an economy fare of about $800! I thought I'd be the first one to circumnavigate the globe in my family! Oh well...

I will be going back to Thailand probably in about October, so maybe I'll try eastbound that time...

Carol

pratunam market takes up just about the a whole district.. I think you should set up some contacts before you get into some seriouse shopping you can find almost anything there. but they specialize in NO name and boot leg items. I know someone who works there.. she curently works for a jeans wholesalers but once owned her own shop and worked at an antiques dealer in the area.. according too her BOBE market is the place too get some serious wholesale bargains..

lol.. I have absultuly NO businesman bone in my body.. kind of wish I did cuz I for some reason am frainds with many people in the garment industry including a salesman form jim thompson.

what kinds of ITems are you selling. have you ever taken a walk between Onut BTS station and the next station.. I remember seing many local shops (actually big shops) that sold spirit houses and other religious items. Note. I took that stroll about 2 years ago so not sure whats there now.

Orgy7,
This won't be a major shopping trip for me, but I'm very interested in visiting Pratunam to see what is there! IF I see something that I can't resist, I may buy, but only in limited quantities. I can probably take along one of my Thai friends to interpret for me. Is that a good idea?

I've been all the way to On Nut one time, but only got off the skytrain for a short stop, and then back on again. I've not walked that area. My interest is in purses and scarves, especially, and perhaps clothing items or unusual little trinkets that I can't find in the USA.

I love Jim Thompson silk purses. One of my favorite bags to carry is a very gorgeous one I bought at the "big" store, not at an outlet. I think I must visit the outlet on this trip.

Had a reply from Mom Tri's Boathouse that my big villa at their Kata Beach Villa Royale property is available... at the "summer rate" of about $355/night! Maybe if I get a small group together, we'll split the bill. I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. I thought maybe Phuket had "bargains"... this doesn't really sound like a bargain to me, although I know we paid about $550/night during peak season a couple of years ago.

Counting the days until I see BKK again.

Carol