Whether to book ahead has a lot to do with exactly when you are going and how choosy you are about where you stay. At higher end places, you'll save a substantial amount by booking ahead in my experience.

You mentioned Chiang Mai... some people love it, some don't. I'm in the don't category. Consider going farther north to the Golden Triangle area (you fly into Chiang Rai). Check out the Anantara at the Golden Triangle.

If you have any interest at all in Angkor, considering going there before it gets more developed.

I much prefer the non-scheduled/regulated vacation. But, that said, since you say you will be going sometime in the November to February timeframe, I'd want to book ahead any special hotels you particularly would like to try on this trip. You might also go ahead and book your BKK-Phuket-BKK flights and hotels, as these will fill up due to the peak season on the island.

I love spur of the moment decisions about where to dine... you say you will probably like street food. But be sure to try some of the other little restaurants and pubs along the Sukhumvit sois (streets) as well. I'm always recommending that newbies visit The Pickled Liver (soi 11) for Maeng's garlic shrimp, for example. Making friends is sooooo easy to do at the Pickled Liver. You will feel like family after your first visit. Tell Maeng you are an internet friend of Carol and Brad and you'll be warmly greeted!

I'm sure you will have a great time in Thailand.

Carol

Thank you folks for all this food. I have been spending all day planning from the front to the back of my trip. Still uncertain about the middle part, but feeling solid on the direction.

I will have more questions in the near future, just need to settle on the time, End of November or First of February. When I decide that, I will be back with more, I am sure.

Just one woman's recent 2-day experience, but I thought Phuket sucked (can I say that on Fodor's?). And I like beaches. Wall-to-wall cheesy T-shirt shops, bad Italian restaurants, lots of post-tsunami cheap hotel construction and sunburned Aussie/Kiwi drunken-soccer-hooligan types. Went to three small islands about 30 minutes by boat for 1/2 day of snorkeling: murky water, dead coral. Let others herre suggest a better beach experience. Liked Ko Samui much better.
Dogster, you are a paragon among non-sexists, especially for an Australian. But don't say "gal."

LA... were you staying on Patong beach? Sounds like it. I avoid that section of beach, much prefering Kata or Kata Noi.

No 'gal'? Is that offensive LA? lol. I can't tell anymore. O.K. I'm under advisement.

BTW, to answer a previous question - no, I'm not a writer, professionally or otherwise. I'm practicing on you guys.

i have a simple restaurant listing for bkk if you are interested, ask me: [email protected] --- no street food

deciding on angkor wat might be a next decision cause you would need to carve out about 3-5 days for that, then you could fill in around the edges...bangkok air is the way to get to siem reap (AW)...

i suggest a minimum of 5 full days, or more, in bkk...there is lots to do, especially if you like to wander... the temps will feel like DC on its worst summer day...

i too am doing that korean air flt from DC---looking forward to it and the layover in seoul---i'm staying at the hyatt that nite...

most of us prefer hotels along the river, but i think you might prefer something in the middle of town....or go first to the river to recoup from the flight and stay at the end along sukhumvit or wireless more in the middle of the "action"... given your $$ you can stay almost anyplace...

there are tons of places to stay at all price ranges...i prefer a place with a pool to recover from bkk heat...its the only thing that really cools my whole body....

some of the big places you might look at are: on the river--
royal orchid sheraton, shangri-la, hilton, marriott resort and spa, oriental, peninsula
in town places: four seasons, intercontinental, jw marriott, sheraton grande, plaza anthenee, westin, anyon tree, metropolitan...

smaller places: davis, eugenia, old bangkok inn, and thousands more....

this will get you started...

Dbarks,

Good genes, I'll say!!! I am in my 60's and act as if I was in my 30's but no one would mistake me for that age.

I travel by myself, last year did Korea, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. This year am planning, Singapore, Laos, Burma and Thailand. My itinerary is more or less set in terms of how long in each country, with the flights or transportation fixed. The interior travel time is a bit more flexible. I do try to read and plan beforehand but somehow, plans change on the fly. To me the greatest asset you can have is flexibility,stuff happens when you travel, unpredictable things that you have no control over. Just go with the flow.

By choice more than necessity I stay in less luxurious hotels. Often they are owner operated, this way I meet people of all kinds and end up having really interesting experiences. It is not that I am fearless, rather unafraid I'd say.

On those occasions where the upscale hotels have been the accomodation, the majority of guests are businessmen and/or couples who are enough unto themselves. For me totally uninteresting but comfortable stays.

As my trip reports show I eat street food and in restaurants,
have actually been accused of traveling just to eat. Not an inaccurate description, after all that is how I live.

Good advice, do less places and stay longer in each. Last year I didn't get to the beaches I had planned on, this year I WILL get my snorkeling time in Thailand, don't know where yet.

Have fun planning, and keep in mind that on the road, the best online trip companion is Dogster.

LA, Phuket is a huge island and so has beaches of every sort - busy, honky-tonk, sleazy types like Patong and quiet isolated beaches as well. Would you please say which beach you were at? And what month were you there? Spring/summer waters are murky, having been stirred by the monsoon. Specific info on where/when you were at Phuket will be helpful to dbarks. Saying "Phuket sucks" has its charm, but is not as useful as specific info.

PS your description of your Phuket experience would also apply to Kuta in Bali... it seems there must be one beach area like that at each location.

nywoman, we think alike! I don't act (or look) my age either! I often travel solo, to Bangkok. I, too, stay in "simpler" places rather than the mega hotels. I prefer being close to the shopping along Sukhumvit. I've stayed along the river 3 times (once at the Oriental, twice at the Penn) so I know what many on this board find charming about being on the river. It's just not my cup of tea! Too far from all of my favorite haunts!! Too far for me to haul my shopping bags!!

My trip reports are always "live" from Bangkok. I report on my shopping adventures and chats/dinners with my friends who live there. I typically stay in Bangkok for a couple of weeks at a time, maybe jetting off to Phuket or Samui or Chiang Mai for a couple of days somewhere in the middle of my stay. Being flexible is, indeed, a necessity when you travel!

Carol

I have posted my next set of questions in http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-questions.cfm

It looks like November is the time.

And who is this Tong?

Carol/Kathie,
I was at Patong, yes, but also hit Kata and Kata Noi, also package tour, touristy beaches. Drove all around the island; not my cup of chai. We were there in late April, so no monsoon murkiness. Hell hot weather may have attracted excursion-fare types in low season. I'm trying to remember the off-shore islands we went to for a half-day snorkel trip. Think one of them was Kata Noi (45 minutes out), plus two nearby. The coral was dead dead dead. Beer cans and snorkel equipment littering the bottom. I'm assuming the more outlying isles are better. Sorry about the "sucks" comment. Right, not helpful. Just trying to warn dbarks away from such places in hopes someone can steer him to more idyllic sands.

Dogster, gal raises the hairs on the back of my neck, but I know lotsa "gals" who don't mind it. If you're not a pro, you're a natural. Very rare. I used to edit all types of "writers." I know the difference.

dbarks
Tong is a terrific tour guide in Bangkok. Very sweet. Very warm and friendly and helpful... but also very BOOKED UP because she does such a great job showing people around her city and surrounds.

many of us have used tong as a guide and hardly anyone has had a negetive thing to say about her....most of us consider her to be a friend...


www.tourwithtong.com

she is very hard to get....we have her only for 1/2 day and we asked a couple of months ago....and that is in november too...she is giving up her day off

You might find this check-list useful.....

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...g-thailand.cfm