Bangkok Trip Report (Long but in Chapters)
 

Chapter 1 - Prelude

My wife and I spent the last 3 weeks in Thailand and, given all the great information I have received from folks on this board, I figured I'd try to return the favor. As a bit of a caveat so that you know the context, I worked at the U.S. Embassy for 2 years in the late 1990s and my wife is originally from Thailand - so this likely shapes my outlook and this trip report somewhat.

Rather than chronologically going through the trip, I've decided to break it up into topics.

I hope you'll enjoy!

Shade

Chapter 2: Where to Vacation – Thailand or Hawaii

The first real question was where we’d take our long vacation this year and eventually narrowed it down to Thailand and Hawaii. I have lived in both for several years and my wife is originally from Thailand. Ultimately we chose Thailand, largely to visit family but in part because, for me at least, Thailand offers incredible bargains (food, hotels, shopping, events) while I always found Hawaii to be very overpriced. To be sure, Hawaii can be much more relaxing and carries less baggage than Thailand or Bangkok. That said, Thailand is much more diverse and interesting. So off we went!

Chapter 3: How to Get There and Back

I ended up using 180,000 United miles for 2 x roundtrip business class tickets on Star Alliance. If you ever have trouble finding award seats on line, simply call your airline. Given there are 4-5 Star Alliance airlines that fly into Bangkok, and we were not picky about the routing, it was easy to get saver award tickets.

The outbound flight was TG 791, which is a direct flight from JFK to BKK – 17 hours in total! Now I will say that while I don’t like flying, I was looking forward to the Thai flight given the reputation for quality service. Was I wrong! The fist problem was at check-in where TG refused to honor our e-ticket by saying they do not accept any e-tickets. What a complete joke. Had they been filming an airline show, I’m confident as I would have been on tv later. I am a frequent flyer who has seen about everything, but I was livid. I had to go all the way back to another terminal and then back to TG. Once on board, the service was on par with United – meaning quite poor overall, particularly given we were in Business Class and that area was only 1/3 full. In short, the hosts and hostesses essentially disappeared for most of the flight and did not provide any service whatsoever. Very disappointing. That said, the seat was outstanding and flattened into essentially a full bed. At 6’7’’, I found it very comfortable. They also whirr whenever adjusted so to some degree there was a constant whirr in the cabin as folks adjusted and readjusted positions to get completely comfortable. The food was solid. The IFE quite good once you figured out how to operate it. Movies on demand, which is key for a 17-hour flight. Landed an hour or so early at around 3:30 in the afternoon, which was outstanding. Compare this to NH or UAL where we would have landed at 11:00 at night given the stops. All in all, I was happy.

NH in business class
All Nippon in business class was, put simply, in many ways the opposite of Thai Airways. The seats were quite poor for the class, but the service impeccable. On the seats, the recline was only about halfway making it tough to sleep – although better than coach. We did manage to get an Exit row with no seats in front so there was unlimited leg room. The hostesses were incredibly polite and attentive – a real change after a full year on United and the one Thai flight. The flight, of course, goes through Narita on the way back to IAD so it’s much longer than the TG flight. Plus, it left at midnight which was strange. All in all, a better experience than the Thai flight however.

Chapter 4: Lodging

We gave a lot of thought as to where to stay while in Bangkok (we stayed with family while in their province but were in Bangkok for a total of 2 weeks). After making reservations through Asiarooms.com for the Landmark, we canceled those and settled on the Mayfair Marriott serviced apartments. Note…I still haven’t received my refund from Asiarooms in spite of an immediate confirmation. So, I’ll never use them again.

The choice between serviced apartments or a hotel, particularly in Bangkok where the value of top tier hotels is excellent is an interesting one. In short, we know our way around Bangkok very well so didn’t think we’d need the tourist support a hotel would provide. Plus, we wanted a bit of quiet that we knew the serviced apartments would provide. That said, next time I’d opt for the high end hotel as the apartment makes you feel more like you’re living in Thailand as opposed to on vacation (e.g. no huge breakfast buffet, etc.) On the Mayfair Marriott:

Room – incredible for the price ($100 a night all in). Essentially a beautiful studio apartment that must have been ~65 m^2. Simply immaculate. Several televisions; a separate bedroom; rooms are completely noise-proofed; great bathroom; kitchen; etc.). Great.

Staff – solid, but not up to par with the top tier hotels. Polite, friendly, competent.

Breakfast – the food was good, but the buffet was much smaller than what you’ll get in a hotel. That said, whenever we ate there were only 3-4 other patrons so you’re not waiting in any lines either.

Location – Halfway down Soi Langsuan which is near the point were Sukhumvit becomes Ploenchit. I know there is a long-standing discussion between Sukhumvit vs. the River. If you’re going to be doing a lot of shopping, I’d go with Sukhumvit. If you’re mainly visiting historic sites and temples, go with the River.

Gym – equipment was world class (on par with the gym I use back home at $170 a month) and there was a solid range of machines. Top notch all the way. At most, saw two other people in the gym at the same time. I used it a lot. A great addition.

Laundry – I had thought the room would have a washer and dryer, and I’m sure the larger rooms do, but ours did not so we had to use the laundry room near the gym. 100 baht for washing and 100 baht for drying. Very expensive by Thai standards, but a good deal given how fast we were going through clothes.

*Pool – incredible. It’s on the 25th floor and is a covered, outdoor tile pool that overlooks the city. Simply incredible and beautiful.

Overall – solid with no complaints, but next time we’ll probably go for a hotel

Shopping – Men’s Suits
Okay, let’s stipulate that Bangkok offers some of the best shopping bargains in the world. Below are some highlights.

My favorite place to shop in the world, by far, across about 20 countries visited, is Rajawongse (Jesse and Victor’s) Clothier on Sukhumvit near the Landmark hotel. Jesse and Victor have been in the business for years and, legitimately, make suits for leading government officials such as President Bush 41 and 43, Tom Ridge, essentially the entire U.S. embassy, etc. You get something between a MTM and bespoke suit for $250 (not a typo). The material and craftsmanship is on par with the top end suits you’d see on Wall Street (Kiton et al). It is, without doubt, one of the best bargains anywhere and a tremendously fun shopping experience. Choose your fabric. Choose your options and customizations. Get a world class suit. I have been a client of Jesse and Victor’s for the past 10 years. Never a single disappointment. This trip, I bought 4 wool-cashmere suits with 2 x trousers each; 15 shirts; a navy blazer; and a sports jacket. Everything was perfect. Immaculate. I love going here each trip to Thailaind. Simply love it.

Below is a USA Today article on this clothier:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...9-tailor_x.htm

Chapter 5: Shopping – Jewelry

Like high end suits, there are a lot of options in Bangkok and, in my opinion, like the suits I have a long-standing preference – in this case for Venus Jewelry on Wireless Road between the U.S. Embassy and the Lumpini Night market. Great service and an incredible selection, plus the ability to do high-quality custom work. I’m sure there are cheaper stores, but when in Thailand I prefer not to take risks and only want quality. Venus is great and my wife found the perfect ring and pendant to remember the trip by.

Restaurants – Rang Mahal

Rang Mahal is a high end Indian restaurant located on top of the Rembrandt Hotel on Sukhumvit 22 or so. My wife and I went for the shared, fixed meal which was quite good and cost about $75 all in. The view was incredible and are table was at the floor to wall windows. That said, about 20 minutes into the meal we were essentially joined by a table of 4 Japanese tourists who were so incredibly loud that it ruined the entire meal. Not much the Rang Mahal could do, but very annoying for us and essentially everyone in the local vicinity. Moreover, the Rembrandt is a complete dump and located near a row of massage parlours…so we won’t go back to this one in spite of good Indian food.

Restaurants – Sirocco

Near the river is Sirocco which is located on the roof / 63rd floor of the State building. I had steak and my wife had seafood. Incredible food and the service was the best service I have received anywhere…hands down. The kind of food and service I had only read about before. I was amazed. My wife was all smiles from the beginning. Incredible views. We paid $125 all in. The best dining experience I have ever had.

Restaurants – Bed Supper Club

Okay, so I know most of you have been to or at least read about Bed Supper Club. Located on Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bed Supper Club is housed in a white post-modern tube. Inside, you eat food on beds that are, actually, very comfortable and fun to eat on. The food was fantastic and actually better than I had expected. The service, to be fair, was off by Thai standards but who cares…that’s not the point of the place. Toward the end, there was an artistic type show. The place is all about creativity. Pretty fun and I would go back. All in we only paid about $60 which was an incredible bargain.

Restaurants – Face

On Sukhumvit Soi 38 is Face, which has a bakery, and Indian restaurant, and a Thai restaurant. We went based largely on the recommendations from this board – choosing the Thai restaurant. Fantastic and arguably the best Thai food my wife or I have had in a restaurant (and that includes a Michelin-rated Thai restaurant in London, which was also great). The architecture, the service, the food…all superb.

Restaurants – Sala Rim Naam

Sala Rim Naam is located on the Peninsula side of the river but owned by the Oriental. It is literally right on the river and we had the lunch buffet (they also host a dinner that includes classical Thai dance). Man, the Oriental knows service. Everything was so perfect. The seats are inlaid into the floor creating more of a traditional Thai dining experience. The buffet was great. The view was great. The service was great. All in, we had lunch for about $60 which I actually considered a bargain given what we got. Primarily Thai food. Will definitely go back.

Restaurants – River Terrace Café at the Penn

I guess the River Terrace Café is the Penn’s response to Sala Rim Naam. In short, the one really bad purchase we made the entire trip. It was like a really bad knock-off and, after having had the buffet at Sala Rim Naam a few days earlier, a real, real disappointment. The service was attentive, but not nearly as polished as the Oriental’s. The real problem was the food. Awful by Thai standards. Imagine a buffet where the food is provided by a poorly contrived combination of Thai street vendors and you’ll have the RTC. When we got the check, I couldn’t believe it was about 800 baht more than Sala Rim Naam had been. Horrible. Bad enough it made me think twice about staying at the Penn next time, even though I realize this is an emotional and irrational reaction. My wife said the same thing.

Great info, Shade! Keep it coming! I will be printing out this report for our trip in Feb!

Restaurants – KFC

Okay, I know you’re laughing that I have thrown KFC into the list of restaurants...but they did develop a great innovation that essentially combines larb chicken with the colonel’s traditional chicken strips. Spicy even by Thai standards, but a good break from the high end restaurants and the larb chicken dish is worth a quick visit.

And hey...it was better than RTC at the Penn.

Shangri La dinner cruise

There are several dinner cruises in Bangkok and to be honest I didn’t do as much research as usual before settling on the Shangri La cruise. The cruise started at 7:30 in the evening and lasted 2 hours – going from the Shangri La to the Hanging Bridge and back. Thankfully, smoking was only allowed outside and even at that we didn’t have many smokers, if any, on the trip. Very professional and well done. The food was better than I had expected – if you go, try the beef stew and the shrimp! A romantic dinner for sure, but the river is actually more interesting and it’s easier to see the sights during the day. All in was about $75. Worth it, but not the restaurant highlight of the trip by any means. But okay…

Oishi – Sushi 2nd floor of Discovery Center

A legitimate sushi buffet located in the Discovery Center. Man, we ate a ton and the food was great. Not what I’d call a beautiful or interesting restaurant w.r.t. architecture, but so much good food and made to order at that. If you love Japanese food, go here. But realize that the experience is in the food and not the service or atmosphere. All in it was about $50 for the two of us. A great choice after a hard day of shopping.

Restaurants - Dim Sum at the Landmark

Went for Dim Sum at the Landmark for lunch on a friend’s recommendation. I find that dim sum in Thailand is much better than in the U.S. as it’s less oily. Solid food at a fair price, but something was missing for me. Maybe it was the overall atmosphere of the place. I think there are better dim sum places in Bangkok and, while we never made it there, I bet the Conrad is one of them. All in was about $40 for lunch.

Restaurants – Ninth Street Café

Located on Soi Lang Suan. As it was near our hotel we ate there several times. It is also in the “Thailand’s Best Restaurants 2005” guide. Excellent lunch restaurant if you’re around Soi Lang Suan.

By the way, for 395 baht the restaurant guide is a MUST BUY. Best purchase we made and a great, great, guide to some of the best restaurants in Asia. If you do nothing else, buy this guide if you’re considering eating top end in Bangkok. Aside from food reviews, also gives very useful information such as dress code, reservations recommendations, phone numbers, etc.

Okay, time for a break. I'll cover culture, temples, more shopping, health, transportation, etc. later.

In the meantime, let me know if you have questions or comments so far!

Shade

Great report, Shade. A few comments -- while the Sala Rim Naam is excellent for lunch I would not go for their dinner show. The food is only mediocre then as it is set up for groups and a show. Next time I would try the buffet at Lord Jim at the Oriental which is even better than the one at Sala Rim and probably one of the best eating experiences in Bangkok.