randipellmar

Looking to travel in a small group or independent guided tour with 2 couples (4 adults) over the holiday weeks 2014, approx 2 weeks.

Looking into Asia Transpacific Journey and Pacific Delight Tours.

Bangkok, Chiang Seen, Thaton, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai and Phuket
5 star accommodations...Anniversary trip of a lifetime.
Please, respond with comments on tour operators if you have first hand knowledge and suggestions on holiday period travel tips eg. weather and activities

Hanuman

Weather wise it's the best time to visit Thailand but the most expensive as well for accommodations. I suggest you do an independent tour and hire a guide + car in Bangkok and Chiang Mai vs buying a tour package.

5 star accommodations for Bangkok include the following;

Mandarin Oriental *on the river
Peninsula Hotel *on the river

For Chiang Mai:

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi
137 Pillars House
Four Seasons Mae Rim *outside of town, about 30 minutes drive.

If you want you can combined the Four Seasons tented camp with any of the Four Seasons Mae Rim.

Expect cool nights in Chiang Mai while Bangkok will be pleasant with lower humidity and not so hot.

randipellmar

Thank you...at the very beginning of planning.
will review your suggestions!

rhkkmk

skip the tour and arrange things yourself with our help for a cheaper and superior trip.. book hotels early for best pricing and availability..

read some of our trip reports for tips..

hanuman lives in bkk and is very helpful.

in bkk I prefer the peninsula on the river, and the plaza anthanee, st regis, four seasons, renaissance and others mid-town.

I do not like chiang mai..

the anantara and 4 seasons near chiang saen are lovely.

I prefer the ritz or amari vogue at krabi vs anything at Phuket, except the jw Marriott.

my beach fav at the moment is jw Marriott at khao lak 1 hr north of phuket

Kathie

It's a lovely time of the year to be in Thailand. However, you are traveling at the most expensive time. You are wise to be planning now for 2014 (even though you can't make reservations yet). There is absolutely no need for a tour. If you can plan a trip to Europe, you can plan a trip to Thailand - indeed, it is easier. There aren't many places where you would want/need a guide, but if you do it is easy to arrange. Going through a company will make everything more expensive. Tour companies like Pacific Delight typically put you in mediocre hotels that are not conveniently located.

Hanuman has given you some good suggestions for hotels to start looking. If you want to visit both the Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai areas, the Four Season package combining the CM location and the tented camp would be unforgettable.

You are trying to cover a lot in a mere two weeks (can you add a few days?). Hanuman did not make a recommendation in Phuket, but the Amanpuri is a favorite of his. Another Phuket Option is Mon Tri's Villa Royale - one of the named suites.

loribarber1

We spent three weeks in Thailand this February. We went to Bangkok, Chiang Sean, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Koh Phangan. We arranged everything ourselves - no tour operator - and it was easy. We stayed at a mix of high end and moderate hotels. Here the nicer properties that we liked: Bangkok: http://www.comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok, Chiang Rai (near Chiang Sean http://goldentriangle.anantara.com/ - Anantara is incredible - you can also meet elephants there, Chiang Mai http://www.dusit.com/dusit-d2/. If you would like to see what we did in Thailand, here are our blog posts: http://latitudeb.com/chiang-mai-thailand/, http://latitudeb.com/golden-triangle-thailand/, http://latitudeb.com/bangkok/.

AnnGlobalTravel

Two weeks look good.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel (3 nights)
Bangkok, city temples, Jim Thomson and day trip to Ayutthaya.

Fly to Chaing Rai. Anantara Golden Triangle (3 nights)
Day trip to around Burma and Laos border, full day mahout training with anantara elephant camp.

Overland to Chiang Mai and lodging 137 Pillar House (3 nights)
City temples, touring of hill tribe villages, cooking class, craft distric..

Fly to Phuket. Amanpuri for (4 nights)
Best private white sandy beach, Yach cruise to Phang Nga Bay and near by island...