Have fun - not following the Asia board so often these days, but still check in from time to time.

Travel is an adventure! Hubby and son and Lat (son's Thai GF who has been here for the summer) were scheduled to fly ORD-NRT-BKK today at 12:30. We live 3 hours from Ohare, so had planned a 7:30am departure from home for their flight...me driving them to Chicago and then returning home...only to drive back again for my own BKK flight on Wednesday.

So anyway, I had set my phone alarm for 5:00am to allow time for DH to finish packing and get on the road on time. The sound of emails on my phone (near my pillow) woke me up at 3:15am. It was United Airlines. Seems the flight to Tokyo would be delayed by 5 hours due to a typhoon! Yikes! Just what you want to read at 3:15am, right? That would mean a missconnect onward to Bangkok. I got out of bed and called the United 1K phone number. Thank goodness for status.......

During my nearly one hour conversation, I found out that today's Tokyo flights from DEN and SFO had been cancelled, and that the ORD flight was also likely to be cancelled as well. Time to make alternate plans. During my nearly 1 hour conversation I had succeeded in booking a 6:20pm ORD-LHR, but the onward LHR to BKK flight could not be SECURED. Thai airways wants 24 hours to confirm a res..... could be a big problem. BUT I was told that the check-in agent at Ohare could indeed secure seats and we "should" be OK.

Long story short... we headed for Ohare at 8:15am. HOURS before the 6:20 London flight. Turns out to be a good thing though. We spent about 45 minutes at check in and DID manage to secure the LHR-BKK flight for DH, DS and GF. All set to go (in about 6 hours). ��

Time to kill. Shopping at the Chicago Fashion Outlet just a mile or so from Ohare, lunch in the food court, and then a stop at Binny's Beverage store to buy some wine to take along to Bangkok. Still room in suitcases.....

So at about 4:10 I'm dropping the trio off at Ohare and heading back home, another 3 hour drive. I made a stop for gas about 1.5 hours down the road and checked the status of the London flight, thinking the trio should be boarding. NOPE!!!!!!! LONDON flight delayed to 8:40pm due to late arriving aircraft. Good thing there was a 4 hour layover in London... which will now be 2 hours or less.

I got back home to the 'burg BEFORE the trio left for London. We were messaging back and forth after I got home. Everyone in good spirits in spite of the complications. Thanks to the wine and snacks in the United Club lounge!

Hope they make it to Bangkok on the current itin, which gets them there on Tuesday morning 5:30am rather than the original Monday night 11 pm (which got delayed with a typhoon).

This is a business trip with a meeting scheduled Tuesday! I hope the crew can keep their eyes open.....��

Weather looks good in Tokyo for MY trip......

Travel is an adventure! Sorry for the long post.

Carol

I hope there are no more snags for them - or for you!

Thanks Kathie. Me too! They made it to London and are going to arrive in Bangkok in about 7 hours...the Good Lord willin'! I will be happy to see their first photos from Column apartment, for sure.

Packed and ready! I leave for Chicago after work. I'm doing a park sleep and fly tonight and will head to Tokyo Wednesday. No more typhoon, thank goodness.

How long does the park, sleep and fly you are using allow you? Researching for February 35 day trip, and driving from Motown to Chicago (flight was $1000 less PER PERSON!)

I picked the Renaissance this time. It only allows 7 days free. There are some that allow 2 weeks. You need to look at each one to see what the policy is. I wanted Marriott points/night stay this time, otherwise I like booking the Ohare Hyatt Regency.

Ginger50, another option that I've used (2 actually) are not park sleep fly, but just park and fly. Blue Sky parking and Pre-Flight parking. Both very close to OHare (across the road from each other) and they shuttle you back & forth.

Blue Sky is a small garage (all inside). I love returning from a trip to NOT having to scrape snow and ice off my car in winter. Pre-Flight is a large 4-5 story parking structure. The top floor is the least expensive per day. I like to park at Pre-Flight and do their non-refundable booking. I wait until just a few days before my travel, when I am certain that I will travel, and then book the parking at the cheapest rate.

There is yet one more large parking structure in the same location as the other two I have mentioned. Wally Park is the name. Never have tried that one, don't know the price.


Not sure which option would work best for you... perhaps Pre-Flight or Blue Sky, because you will pay a rather hefty price for each of your extra days beyond the park sleep fly rate. Pre-Flight can be had for roughly $8-10 per day, at the last-minute non refundable rate. They do fill up though, so you might check to see if you can get your required dates.

Made it to Bangkok! I love waking up to the gorgeous city view from our panorama suite. It's good to be back!

Going to the Pickled Liver tonight to see friend Lee Shamrock ( musician) and will also meet someone from Marriott in the DC area who is in Bangkok on Marriott business, first time. There will be a new hotel opening near Emporium... not much for details yet...opening in November. Largest in Asia??? Will see what I can find out.

C

Marriott near emporium??

Yes. Marriott Marquis. Opening November....?

Glad you made it to Bangkok. I hope you do get some info on the new hotel as they'll probably have some really good intro rates! I still haven't done the accommodations for two out of my three weeks in Bangkok yet, so who knows, maybe I could do some days in the new hotel if the price is right.

Happy Travels!

Fun time at the Pickled Liver last night! Heather is a lovely girl, maybe 35. Nice to meet a Marriott rep! Her first time to Bangkok. Her sister flew in from NYC to join her for about a week. She was happy to chat and thanked me for being a platinum. The new Marriott Marquis is the old Queens Park Plaza on soi 22. DS said he was there for a wedding reception a few years ago. This will be Marriott's largest property in Asia. Will have to try to drive by. Sounds interesting.

And yes, guenmai, I hope they have some nice tempting grand opening rates! Would consider moving closer to Emporium....

Dinner last night, before PL, was with Lars and family at a Mexican restaurant. We thought about trying The Mexican (soi 2) again, but reviews are still not so good for this new plsce which opened in November last year. We ate there during our holiday trip. Not very impressed....

La Monita at Mahatun Plaza (near Marriott Ren at Phloenchit sky train stop) is very much a "local" place with the bulk of the customers being Thai, dressed in their work attire, dining out after work on a Friday night. We ordered Thai style, to share. The nachos, tacos and quesadillos were very fresh and bursting with flavor, although it was better to eat them with a fork since the tortillas, shells, chips etc were a little bit flimsy for eating with the hands/fingers. Lars and DS enjoyed the flavor of the chicken and onions in their fajitas.

Even though the place was quite noisy, I would return if craving Mexican tastes in Bsngkok. Better than Sunrise Tacos or the Mexican place at Rembrandt Hotel on soi 18.

Did not try a margarita so cannot comment on their drinks. I was sooo jetlagged, one sip would have put me down for the count... haha.

Business lunch today at a favorite of ours, Hemingways, on Sukhumvit, across from Terminal 21. Love this place a lot!

And now some time for work. I am proofing again. Must get 600+ pages done asap for printing!

I have not exchanged money yet so cannot report on current rates.

We are in panorama suite at Column once agsin, but this is floor #31 rather than the better level #36. Will survive it..... but slightly disappointed. Main problem is the terrace needs repair, which they are currently doing. Not quite as private as we prefer, when workers are right outside our wall of windows and we need to close the drapes! Now, if I were rhkkmk, I would complain and insist on being moved up to 36... although this is not a Marriott... :)

I have complained for you---let's see if it does any good

Welcome home to Bangkok, Carol. I will be interested in this new Marriott, so look forward to your report on it.

Enjoy!

Thanks Bob! So far nothing... hahaha. Or as we say/write in Thailand, "555".

I saw a sneak peek video of the new Marriott. Wow! Just wow! It looks gorgeous!

Had a nice business lunch at Hemingways. Our Thai business associates announced that they will once again attend a trade show in Las Vegas in January that we will also attend. Lat will also be there, as an interpreter, as she will come home with us from Bangkok in January. Sounds like a great start to 2017!

After lunch DH and I returned to our apartment to work on his project.... we both fell asleep! Now I'm wide awake at 12:30am. Gotta love jetlag...NOT.

We are having a thunderstorm. Views from our wall of windows are stunning. Lightning flashing... oh, and they have now lit up the new Ritz in Silom. Should try for a pic if I can. Dancing lights of various colors. Impressive.

C

that new hotel is not listed on Marriott site yet so I doubt they will open in Nov.... we will check it out in dec.

Bob, I have seen the sneak peek photos. I think they will open in November as Heather (my new Marriott exec and FB friend) says they will. We shall see. I found a listing of it with an incorrect address on the location map. Oops... they show that it is located where Hyde is! I have been watching and waiting for Hyde for about two years. It is the new, yet to open, Hyatt property on lower Sukhumvit near the Sofitel (soi 13/15 area). I am hoping it will be like Marriott soi 57 with both hotel and serviced apartments. As much as I enjoy Column and the huge amount of space we have, it is setiously showing its age!! Ready for something new.

Carol, are you saying that there's a Ritz Carlton in Silom? I think I had heard of one coming, but didn't know that it had come. I might have to try it out. Yikes! Just too many new places to try out.

Day before yesterday, I decided to book my regular apartment in Raj..., for Week 1 as I didn't want to wait any longer to make some type of booking since bookings are filling up fast. Plus, I prefer to be in Raj..., in the beginning as I go to have my clothes made over by Tha Oriental and it's easier to get there from Raj... than from Suk... All of my clothes should be finished by the middle of the second week.

Week 2 is still up in the air, but I thought that maybe I could hotel hop for a week and then in Week 3, be back to my regular serviced apartment over in Suk. Plus, my best, Thai friend lives a few stops past On Nut, so being back in Suk... will be easier for her although she doesn't have a big problem coming to Raj... I might be moving around a lot. Back to my Old School ways. LOL! Now, let me look up the Ritz Carlton. Carol, you've re-created a hotel-hopping monster now. LOL!

Happy Travels!

OK. Looked up the Ritz Carlton and it seems that it's only the residence as it didn't pop up on Expedia. I remember reading about them building the residences, but didn't know if they would also have a hotel section. The Four Seasons is also building residences, but I hope they also add a hotel like the Four Seasons in San Francisco which has residences and hotel in the same main building.

Happy Travels!