I can't thank everyone enough for all the advice. Kathie, I have read your report and looked at your beautiful pictures online. Craig and Gpanda, thanks for all your help too!
Okay, we decided we are not going to the beach and are thinking of adding another destination.
I'm sorry to keep bugging everyone, but I prefer to get "real-world" experiences from Fodorites versus reading an outdated book.
So my next set of questions are:
Northern Thailand or Cambodia? We like to eat where the locals eat and we enjoy shopping and some sight seeing, but we are not ones to do a tourist excursion. If that helps you have a reference point for where to recommend for a second stop on our trip.

Is 10 days on the ground enough to see two destinations or should we extend our trip by two more days?
Lastly, I thought the rainy season ended in September? We are going from October 16th-28th, will we have a lot of rain in Bangkok or is it more prone to the beach areas during that time of year?
Kathie, I believe you bought some jewelry any recommendations would be greatly appreciated too.

We are sticking with our Premium Class seats as every inch helps when you fly that far. gtCraig,if Royal Silk wasn't $5,000 a person I would do it, however, that takes money out of my shopping bucket which is a major "no-no".
Thanks so much and if anyone ever needs advice on France or Italy let me know as we travel to both countries twice a year and would welcome the opportunity to "repay" you for all your help.

Thanks again,
Sherri

Sherri - we did northern Thailand about 7 years ago. The Anantara, which has been mentioned by many on this forum didn't exist back then but that is where I'd stay if I went today. It is in a rather quiet rural area of Thailand. There is the opium museum nearby and there are a number of excursions you can take or not. There are elephants on the resort grounds. Several on this forum have enjoyed the cooking school. You would be pretty much limited to dining at the resort.

Alternatively, there is Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. People on this forum tend to either love it or hate it. You have a much better chance of getting your shopping fix here - I particularly like the crafts villages on the outskirts of town. There is also a night market which I am not real crazy about but some think its great. An excursion to the elephant camp is worthwhile as well as a visit to Wat Doi Su Thep. Lots of dining options here.

Siem Reap, Cambodia exists for tourists visiting Angkor Wat. There are many, many dining options and 2 or 3 markets worth perusing. If you are not interested in seeing temples on a very grand scale this is not your place, however. Most visitors spend their mornings visiting temples. They take a break of about 3 hours from the heat of the afternoon and resume visiting temples late in the day. This is usually done with the services of a guide and driver.

If you can spend more time on the ground then do it. SE Asia is best savored at a slower pace than you might be used to. Weatherwise, October is a transition month but it will not ruin your stay in Bangkok.

You can "repay" us by doing a trip report when you return.

If you can add two days, you should do it. You will be a tourist, wherever you go, NT or C. In Siem Riep, the town near Angkor Wat, it is a complete tourist experience. The entire place is geared towards tourists. Nothing is real Cambodia. One goes for the incredible experience of viewing the temples. If you use Ponheary as a guide, she can take you to see a school and the children.

On the other hand, in Northern Thailand, you can observe people carrying out their daily lives. Note however that most of the hill tribe visits are canned tourist attractions. My son and his wife did have a three day trek arranged through Sergeant Kai during which they walked to villages that were off the beaten path.

If you like ruins, go to Cambodia. If you like some interaction, go to Northern Thailand. Both are wonderful. You will have a great time in either.

I absolutely agree with Gpanda - if you can add two days to your trip, by all means do it!

There is no right or wrong answer as to whether to go to northern Thailand or Angkor. Both are well worth the trip. Choose one for this trip, save the other for the next trip.

Angkor is stunning and unforgettable. We spent a week there and didn't see all of the accessible temples. The small town of Siem Reap has grown tremendously as there as been as influx of visitors to see Angkor. We visited in 2001, and I would estimate that there are now 4x as many hotel rooms in Siem Reap as there were then. I have to say I don't quite understand Gpanda's comment about none of it being the real Cambodia. Certainly those living in Siem Reap are well off in comparison to Cambodians in other parts of the country because of the inflow of tourist dollars, but they are still very poor. The infrastructure of the country is still in ruins from the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. And the people - well, as you know there are people to interact with everywhere. You'll need to hire a driver (and perhaps a guide as well) for the temples, which will give you an opportunity to get to know someone in Siem Reap at a different level than one often does in travel. If you think you might be interested in visiting Siem Reap, do buy Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor (the new edition has a long subtitle which I cannot remember). It is excellent preparation for visiting Angkor and will give you enough info and detail to help you decide. It takes aminimum of three full days just to see the so-called major temples. You'll also want time to visit a school with Ponheary or Dara. Take a look at www.theplf.org for info on a charity started by a Fodorite.

If you opt for Northern Thailand, you'll have to decide just where - the Golden Triangle area (my favorite) or CHaing Mai (not my favorite) or other areas of Northern Thailand like Pai or Mae Hong Son, etc. Chiang Mai used to be considered the shopping mecca, but no longer. Prices are the same as Bangkok and with only one exception I can think of, the variety of merchandise is not as good. Twenty years ago a visit to the "craft villages" (really factories) meant you could find unusual merchandise at lower prices than in Bangkok. No more. If you read my most recent trip report, you'll have read my "complaints" about CM.

The Anantara at the Golden Triangle is a gorgeous resort in a beautiful area. Ther e are many things to see and do in the area, as well as many things to see and do at the Anantara. They have a cooking school and we took a great class from them. They have a small elephant camp (a division of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center) on teh grounds, they have a really wonderful spa.

Yes, I do buy jewelery in Bangkok each trip. I've been buying from Lily at SJ International for 20 years. phone 02-2432446 or 02-2432447 or 02-2411875. They are located at 125/8 Sawankhalok Road, Dusit, Bangkok.
Call them for hotel pick up (and they will take you back to your hotel as well). Ask for Lily and tell her Kathie from Seattle sent you and you'll get great prices.

Do get yourself a general guidebook to Thailnd, as it will give you history and cultural info we don't have the time to supply you with. I;ve always been fond of the Insight Guides for this purpose, but choose your favorite.

As Kathie says the crafts villages outside Chiang Mai really are factories for the most part. That's actually part of the experience. Seeing the tremendously intricate and detailed process of making lacquerware is a great way to spend some time before making a purchase. The same goes for the process at the silk and umbrella factories. I really don't know much about prices - everything is so cheap in Thailand anyway - if you see something you like, buy it as you may or may not see it again.

If you're going to Chiang Mai arrange to be there on Sunday for the "Walking Market" A street is closed off and items that you don't see at the daily night market are sold. There are three Wats along the street where food vendors set up in the court yards. I am careful about streetfood but if you see it cooked you'll be ok. There are many Thai customers as well as tourists.

I always enjoy shopping in Chiang Mai, and did so (on a quick one-day flight from BKK) just two months ago. CM is no longer the bargain center, I have to agree. In some cases, prices were higher than in BKK! I was surprised! But I will probably continue to visit CM just because I see different things, and in some cases, cheaper than anywhere else.

If you are shopping in BKK, I'll repost my shopping marathon post. Just let me know! BKK shopping is awesome.

Have a great time!

Carol