What is a good activity for Bangkok on a morning right before we catch a flight for Chiang Mai? We have to leave for the airport from the Peninsula around 11:30am, so it would have to be pretty short. (On the day before, we are doing a city and temples tour, a dinner cruise, and getting a massage.) The concierge recommended a tour by long tail speedboat. Any opinions?

i think that the long tail boat would be a great thing to do...make sure that the hotel bellman tells them the exact time you need to be back to the pen pier!!!! make sure price is set before you leave as well....

shopping at river city shopping center just across the river from the pen in quite nice....

spend the morning at the pool and have another massage in the middle of your swimming.....we always have our hairsut at the pen---it includes a marvelous head and shoulder massage....

sit in your room and watch the river traffic---its fabulous....

have breakfast in your room that last morning its lovely looking out on the river while you eat from way up high---by the way when you check in ask for a room as high up as possible....

a walk around the neighborhood opposite the hotel--there are a couple of churches, a school which always has some outdoor activity, an interesting muslim community is in the area with a hug mosque....

mad dash over to the jim thompson store (the main store on surgoniswee {spelled incorrectly}) using a taxi --have coffee on the 2nd floor or an early lunch before catching a cab back to the pen boat....make sure you have an hotel card to give to the driver...get from the front desk men....

have a blast

you will find the pen's limos very efficient to the airport and the drivers could not be nicer....very quick as well...allow plenty of time...

i debated saying this but i will say it anyway.....i would skip the dinner cruise....food is only fair and you won't see all that much....i'd take the time to a really nice restaurant or see more of bkk....jesters in the pen is great, so are the restaurants in the shangra-la and oriental, jsut across the river....or have a real bkk experience and go to harmonique on soi 34 off new road, just across the river...

sorry i had to add this hope you don't mind...

well just walk around the nighberhood and pick up some noodles and eat like the locals and if thier is a park around try some thai chi.. most shops don't open up till about 11AM

I think the long tail boat is a good idea, you can see a lot in 2 hours or so. A good itinerary would include:

1. the Royal Barges (sitting in their boathouse, still very impressive)
2. Temple of the Dawn (if you don't see it the day before)
3. A ride through the smaller klongs on either side of the river to see small temples, markets, people's homes along the klongs
4. A ride up the river to see the Grand Palace from the water

As for the dinner cruise, I agree that if you are going on one of the larger boats I don't think they look like that much fun. However, some of the dinner cruises are on much smaller converted rice barges that have maybe 10 tables. I have taken the one from the Marriott a few times and enjoyed the evening; it is pretty to see the river at night.

Breakfast outside at the Penn on the terrace along the river is a great way to start both of your days there, you can just sit and watch the life blood of Thailand go by, with boat "buses" full of monks and school children and laden bargesyI could (and have) sit there all dayy.

There is a Jim Thompson outlet in the Penn which has plenty to offer IMO, no need to go to the main shop unless you want fabric. There are lots of good gifts. His house is worth a visit, although with time and traffic you could not do both a klong tour and the house.

just to be contrary we disagree about jim thompson...the main store is far superior to any hotel shop, including the one at the pen and makes a nice retail excursion....far more to choose from in a lovely setting...