Shraddha

My friends and I are going to Bangkok and Phuket during September. Will I regret going during rainy season?<BR>What are some of "can't miss" items in Bangkok and Phuket? We're planning on staying at the Grand Hyatt in Bangkok and then the Marina Phuket. Are they good choices?<BR>How should we get from the airport to the Hyatt in Bangkok?<BR>Any other good tips?

Mike

I like in Hong Kong and travel to Bangkok and Phuket frequently. From the airport in Bangkok to the Grand Hyatt the easiest thing for you to do is hire a private car to take you. At the airport in Bangkok, you will first go to immigration(be sure you fill out your arrival card), you will go down the escalator to get your luggage. From there you exit left into the arrival hall. You can change money here. You will be hassled by lots of people want to take you into town. I always go to the counter at the end that says private car and pay them 500 baht to take me to my hotel. This is more expensive than a cab but you don't have to put up with the hassle of wondering if you are going in the right direction. The Grand Hyatt Erawan is pretty centrally located. It is not on the river which is good in my opintion and it is very near the skytrain which is the best public transportation to use in Bangkok. Signs and instructions for using and purchasing tickets are in English and they have a customer service booth. If this is your first time to Bangkok, I would recommend taking a tour that includes the Grand Palace, Wat Po and a ride on the river. If you are there on a Saturday or Sunday you can go to the weekend market which is a huge outdoor crafts and goods market. Lots of locals go here. You can take the skytrain to the Mo Chit station and walk to the market from there. Patpong night market is worth seeing for buying souvenirs and seeing the seedy side of Bangkok. Anytime you want to buy a souvenir from a street vendor, do not pay full price. Everything is negotiable. I would not pay any more than 50-60% of the price you are first quoted. <BR>In Phuket, I recommend that you take sea khayak tour of Phang Na bay and see the limestone cliffs and the james bond island. You will only canoe for about and hour so don't worry about paddling all day. Let me know if you have any other questions. I would ask my hotel in Phuket to arrange transportation from the airport to the hotel.

Margo

It is easy in Thailand, just book your first couple of nights in Bangkok. Every hotel lobby, street and corner has travel and tour operators. The 'great' thing about travel in Thailand is that when a poster in an agents window says ' 2 nights in Chiang Mai including transfer, flights, hotel and breakfast' for xxx Baht, that 'is' what you pay, none of this 'from as little as', the prices are what you pay.<BR>Grand Hyatt in Bangkok and Marina (Cottages ? I guess ) are both excellent choices. Taxi from Phuket airport to Kata/Karon about 500 baht, see what the hotel will offer.<BR>Phuket Fantasea and Phuket Simon Cabaret are must sees in the evenings, go to Patong Beach for the thrill of seeing all the bars and crazy night life antics, very similar to Patpong in Bangkok. Taxi from Bangkok Airport to Hotel about 200-300 baht.

Shraddha

Thanks everyone, you were a great help. I really appreciate it.

Veronica

You should look at the Phuket Gazette website, it has tons of information and news about Phuket.<BR><BR>www.phuketgazette.net<BR><BR>Very handy