Bangkok Things to do...please advise
 

My husband and I have been to BKK last year at this time and did Grand Palace, Wat Po, Emerald Buddha/Reclining Buddha, and a type of veggie/flower market...but I don't think THE market that everyone talks about, MBK, and Tailor.

We are an early 30's couple that enjoys most things, except we don't drink...so bars etc. are really our thing. We will be there (Feb)for 2.5 days on the front end of our trip and 2 days on the back end of our trip. We have a guide that we like and have used before that really made the experience and history come to life for us. He is cheap and speaks great English. I know that there are people who aren't big fans of guides...but the guide thing really works for us, plus we really like our guide. He really lets us run the show in how much time we want to spend and bypassing the places they make the commission etc.

With that information and the research I have been doing on Fodor's...these are the things we would like to do this trip.

1. Klong Tour
2. Wat Arun
3. Jim Thompson House
4. Night Market
5. Weekend Market (we will be there on a Sat.)
6. Amazing Bangkok Cyclist's tour
7. Flower market at night
8. The walk through Thornburi (beginning at Wat Prayoon and ending at Wat Arun
9. Floating market, old capital, and "tiger temple"
10. Eat at Bedsupper Club and Face

We are staying at Peninsula for the first 2 days and I think the Marriott and Miracle Grande the second two days on the end of our trip. (We got to Phuket in between)

Can you help me organize these activities into things that make sense and go together? I am aware that I can't do everything, but with a guide and who helps us stay fresh and with transportation I think I am in good shape.

Thank you very much!!

1 day-- leave early for floating market. This will pretty much be a full day. Dinner followed by flower market

1 day- Weekend market -- be there very early. In the afternoon take a klong tour that includes Wat Arun.

1/2 day -- Jim Thompson House

1 day -- cyclist tour. Bed Supper Club in evening

1 day -- thorburi walk. Night market if it's still open

travelmom

Tell the waiter/waitress at Bed you don't drink. They have a special non-alcohol menu (as there are 5 Thai holidays when alcohol can't be served). They've actually put quite a lot of thought into it. We didn't know this and our waiter kept handing us the drinks menu; when we told him he blushed 5 ways to Sunday and ran off to get the other menu.

If you do Jim Thompson you should be able to work in a few hours in the nearby malls. MBK is close by, as is Siam Paragon, Discover, etc. Avid shoppers won't think that's enough but at least it's a taste.

travelmom,
Your trip sounds similar to mine scheduled for March. BKK before and after 10 days in Phuket! Can't wait. However, my husband and I, also in our 30s, have never been to Thailand. Will you please email me contact information for your english speaking guide so that we might use him and also let us know the approximate cost and other details for a guide. Thanks for your help and have a fantastic vacation!

These suggestions are wonderful. I appreciate all the help from all who post.

As for the guide (BWM) his name is Ron (actally Roongtham)his email address is: [email protected]. We got him as our guide last time because his friend Tan (who is mentioned on this board) was busy. What lucky find! He was great. Very informative, but not overly informative. We really liked him. I think you can book him directly through this email address.
On our trip this time we will do a mixture of Tan and Ron.

Where are you staying in Phuket?

please reread what you wrote about drinking...haha.. we all got your point however..


you have a lot but lets see what i can make of it...

i would submit this list to your guide and see what he suggests...

the floating market requires at least part of a day until 1PM if you start at 6:30AM...

klong tour, wat arun and barge museum can be done in 2-3 hours...get the penn to call a boat for you...flower market is not far either....have the hotel tell the boat man exactly what you want to do...have him leave you at flower market for a walk around...

jim thompson and mbk are very near to each other

i would choose either the walk tour or the bicyles, but not both....1/2 day each probably---i would skip both actually....too hot and not enough time...

tiger temple is out this time i think...not enough time....

let mbk and night market be your weekend market experience....make sure to go to suan lum nite market as it closes this year for good...

yuou will love bed, but make a res early.... about 30 days in advance, although many say this is not necessary

RmhKK- that is pretty funny about the drinking part! :)) Maybe it is a way to tell if people really read everything you type. :)

Thank you for the info on the guide. My husband and I are staying at the Marriott Phucket resort timeshare next door to the JW Marriott. Do you know anything about these hotels and what to do in this area. If you will indulge me one more question I was curious what your thoughts were regarding the two BKK Marriotts. We have been debating between the Marriott resort and the JW BKK. Are they equally accessible to the sights to see or would you choose one over the other? Should we plan on even using the Sky Train or just hoof it? Sorry for the long choppy message but thank you very much for your help.

rmhkk- those suggestions sound great. My husband is totally stuck on the Chatuchak market on Saturday. It is in this book I gave him two years ago called "1,000 Places to See Before you Die".:)
However, the Suan Lum market sounds great and something we should try and hit as well.
I made the reservations at Bed and it sounds fun. About how much per plate so I know how to budget? What are the popular things there?

One beautiful thing is that we will be back...we have a timeshare in Phuket. So whatever we can't hit this trip can be done later.

Have you ever done the bike tour? Is it all it is hyped up to be? What do you even see?

BWM-
Small world...we are owners at the Marriott in Phuket. We bought last year and are coming for the first time to use our timeshare. Are you owners, trade in, or on preview package?
As for Phuket, we had an AMAZING time...hence the timeshare purchase. Our favorite things to do included:
1. John Gray Sea Canoe tour (hongs by starlight) We loved it so much we are doing it again this trip.
2. PhiPhi Island trip. I can't remember the tour company, but we found them for a great deal in Patong.
3. 1/2 day at the Mandara Spa!
4. Windsurfing at the beach at the Marriott.
5. Relaxing at the Pool and having the most unbelievable poolside service I have ever encountered.
6. We ate at a floating restaurant in Phuket town with the girl who sold us the timeshare. She said that the owners had never see Americans there. However, funny thing is that the restaurant was rocking to Anne Murray. Guess she is big there. :))
7. Night Show at Phuket FantaSea

We also went to Krabi for rock climbing and KoLanta to stay at the Pimalai...HEAVENLY!
I could go on forever...

One thing I wasn't a fan of was Patong. I grew up near San Diego and have visited Tijuana many times. I told my husband, "This is just like going to Tijuana." Which isn't a positive thing for me. However, many people like it and the exciting nightlife. The Marriott is about 45 min. by Taxi to get there. For me, that is a plus..But for others it is a negative. To each his own...but you may really like it.

As for the BKK Marriott's, RHMKK (Bob) is the expert on the Riverside Marriott and has stayed there many times. We stayed there for one night on our last trip. I liked it and it served as a good place at a good price ($120 for a fairly big room, two double beds, and big buffet breakfast) When we went to the MBK, we took the book across the river (free) and caught the sky train to the MBK. Pretty easy to do.

As for the JW, I believe that it in a totally different area. In fact, someone mentioned the JW to us when we were looking for a hotel that wasn't too far from the airport and easy freeway access. Bob may have better details for you.

The other guide we use is named Tan [email protected]. She responds to email pretty quickly. She just quoted us 800 Bht for 1/2 day (4 hours max.) and 1,500 Bht for full day (8 hours max.). For long trips it is 200Bhat per hour...which includes a guide/transportation etc. You may get a better rate if you have more than two people.

Please feel free to email with any other questions.

Travel mom13 - There was just another thread asking about the bike tours. I think this should take you there:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34744756
I also wrote a trip report in Jan of 2005- something about Lcuys Bankgkok & Japan trip in the title!

I'm not sure but I think thornburi is one area we bicycled in, and if so, you wont need to do the walk if you take the bike tour. It was very residential and green, totally different from Bangkok on the other side of the river.

travelmom,
Small world is right! We are owners and purchased it, sight unseen, while on vacation last summer in Spain at another wonderful Marriott timeshare that was a trade-in on my mom's ownership. We purchased because her timeshare has worked beautifully for her travels, especially to Hawaii, but being from CA you might not think of HI the way we do being from Maryland! So, we're booked 3/4-11 in phuket and will be in BKK prior to for 4 days but haven't planned the days after phuket before leaving for HI. (We decided to travel all the way around the world, why not?!?! That far from home, just keep on going and gain a day crossing the international date line!) We were hoping to go to Phi Phi Don, so thanks for that promotion! I've read several postings about the John Gray night tour and your backing puts it on the things to do list! Thanks for letting us know actually prices. The relative terms people use here are just that, relative for them! Numbers people numbers, please! It really does help with the planning, you know? If you return prior to our leaving, please let us know any last minute details you discover, or if you really can go on and on, please do... LOVE to read others' suggestions, fun way to learn, get excited, and ease some anxiety about our first trip to Thailand! Congrats on your pregnancy! Read it on the cycling post! When you went before did you get the Hep A vaccine? Or any other shots. I know it would be difficult now that you're prego! Thanks again for all the info, I'm going to go now and look up the Bed Supper Club?!?! BTY, Bob sold us on the riverside already!

Bed's prix fixe on the weekend is either 1600 or 1800 baht per person plus whatever you drink (alcoholic or non) -- when they have prix fixe there are no choices -- it's a set menu and they ask you to arrive at 8:30 as there's only one seating. I would use their online reservation form to book as they've been doing private parties lately and the whole supper side can be booked up to a month in advance -- they'll suggest other dates if the ones you want are booked.

The night we were there the bathrooms were flooded so their were young men holding cards that said "Ride to the bathroom" -- you went down the steps and a tuk tuk driver with furry white seat covers drove us over about 15 speed bumps to a hotel bathroom and back.

T-Mom-you did not mention Chinatown. It would be easy to do Chinatown first and then the Thonburi walk. You could walk between them or I suggest you take a quick, cheap cab. You'll be doing enough walking.

If you're going to the Night Market, make sure you go see Joe Louis Puppet Theater. It's right there and it's wonderful. For Chatachuk, be sure to have a Nancy Chandler Map. She's got a plan of the market that brings order to chaos.

the weekday price for the bed menu is 1090 each...there are a choice of 3 items in each category...3 course i think....on the weekend the menu is slightly more but i did not think as high as mentioned above but there is no choice and it is 4 courses....the food is fantastic....i would call it basically western food...this price is exclusive of drinks and they can be quite expensive, but fun....you will love it...

i have not done the bike trip but it sounds fun, except for the heat part... i have often read about it here and the dutch guys who run it seem very nice...

the marriott on phuket is fantastic...we have only stayed in the hotel part but did have a tour of the timeshare which is fantastic...they are doubling the size adding a whole other section of units for timeshare...
we rented a car for a day and that was a perfect thing to do...no taxis...

This is all great info!

Travelmom, does Roongtham also have a driver available? We are interested in making a trip out to the floating market very early in the morning before the tour buses arrive.

I am not interested in Ratt as it seems that she is too busy these days and has disappointed quite a few people lately.

Thanks!

Euro- Ron got a driver for us last time. Actually, Tan (who we had originally booked with- who hired Ron to take her place when she wasn't able to do it last minute) booked the transportation. It was a Mercedes van and fit four adults very comfortably. They included the transportation (our tour was four hours and picked us up from the airport and dropped us off at the airport) in our total price.

I also thought I would post a thread about the JW Marriott in Phuket where someone in much detail reviewed all aspects of the hotel and timeshare units. There was a lot of information I didn't know about.
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27

rhkkmk-
I remember when you did the Marriott in Phuket last year. I'm glad you liked it. Did you eat at the restaurants there? Which ones were your favorite/least favorite? What were the basic prices?

We ate at the breakfast buffet once and liked it and the Cafe for lunch once and lunch was ok. Most of the time we ate at the little Deli downstairs and got fruit, rolls, pizza, sandwiches etc.

Did you eat at any outside restaurants? I have heard great things about Mom Tri. Anything else? We did one restaurant in Patong that was recommended by the hotel...way too touristy and gross expensive food. I think I blocked the name from my memory :)

travelmom, what did Ron charge? I emailed him several days ago but I haven't heard back.

Thanks!

Tamara

If you are going to go to the Floating Market I would definitely try to go to the Tiger Temple in the afternoon.

It was one of the highlights of our trip in December. I will never forget being able to pet the tigers.