onetwothreefourfive

Hi there. Reading the Thailand information on Fodors. Currently looking for a hotel. Prefer nothing more expensive than $150 USD/night. Suggestions are welcome.

Also, we will be there during the Christmas holiday. Can't wait.

We have friends who live in BKK. They are making some plans. Some plans include N. Thailand.

If you have WONDERFUL ideas/ suggestions, from YOUR perspective. We'd love to read more!!

Thank you!
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Kathie

Where are you planning to go in Thailand? It's hard to give hotel recommendations without that information.

As you know, you are traveling at the most expensive time of the year. You can avoid some of that by not going to a beach destination where the hotel prices will be very high and they are likely to have very expensive mandatory Xmas and NYE celebrations.

Browse a local Thai hotel booking website: www.sawasdee.com is one I often use. Note that tax and service charges add 17.7% to room costs, so check on whether that is included in the price. Also, the hotel breakfasts, which are often very lavish typically cost US$20 per person plus tax and service, so getting a hotel price that includes breakfast is usually a good deal.

onetwothreefourfive

Thank you!! So, we are hoping to see some agriculture to compare to US Ag. Our friends who live there, we haven't seen since (get this) 1993. We owe a trip, it is LONG overdue. So, let's see. The ticket is already purchased, but (moi)I put off setting up the hotel, b/c we weren't sure where we would stay. Apparently there is a lot to do, but personally, I'd rather take a few days to relax. We're reading a lot on fodors and lonely planet by this weekend. Hope to have more of a plan. First we might reserve a hotel for the entire week, and have that be the home base. The friends suggested 2-3 up in the northern part of Thailand. Reading more, we will have more of an idea to be more specific with the questions. Thank you for the link. Thanks for the tax info too.

onetwothreefourfive

Thank you!

simpsonc510

My home away from home in Bangkok is in the Sukhumvit area. I stay at Adelphi Suites on Sukhumvit soi 8. It is a serviced apartment building. It is maybe two minutes walk to get to the escalator going up to the sky train station (NANA). Great location. Helpful staff. I'm here right now, and will be coming back in mid-December for another 3-week stay.

Thailand is a lovely destination! I am heading home from here on Friday morning, after having been here my 29th time. The people are really lovely!!

myshofer

wow i love thailand. planning for a visit too.

galactus

If you book early enough, you get the Dusit Thani below 150 USD and that's a pretty good deal.

simpsonc510

onetwothree... An important thing to consider when booking in Bangkok is the proximity to the sky train (BTS). Taxis take forever to get around during much of the day/night time, as traffic is almost unbearable in the major parts of the city. The sky train zips along, above the traffic. It doesn't go everywhere you might want to go, but it is still a great way to get around! The subway (MRT) is also very useful (although I prefer using the BTS so I can watch the cityscape as it goes along.

onetwothreefourfive

Thank you!

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Guenmai

Yes, be near a skytrain station!

Happy Travels!

onetwothreefourfive

So, our friends in Germany recommended this website: trivago.com. It has a lot of hotels and many that are listed in several of these discussions. The gorgeous hotels are filling up around the holidays. Better prices than what I was finding at the websites last night. When we go, we'll update you on how our trip was.

I'm getting excited. (can you imagine?) Now we just have to find a dog sitter. I am not going to leave the dogs with a kennel.

onetwothreefourfive

After reading that we've paid a high price for the holiday travel/flight, hotel costs will be dropped immediately. It might have to be a hostel. Crappola.

Guenmai

www.agoda.com is one of several possible websites.

Happy Travels!

Guenmai

1/2/3/...I don't know why you feel that it has to be either a cheap hotel or a hostel. It's Bangkok and there are tons of accommodations. Think out of the box. Why not rent an apartment? www.airbnb.com.

Airbnb is located up in San Francisco and is well known. I just booked my apartments through them and paid in U.S. dollars. The charge has already been posted. Plus, by paying in dollars, I don't have to worry about currency fluctuations.

I also rent an apartment in Paris, through another agency website, and the owner is a New Yorker. I'm lucky that I can just mail her a check to New York, for her Paris apartment, and it's a done deal. She even mails out the keys to me before I leave home. Then I can arrive when I arrive and there's no check in or check out time.

I haven't used Airbnb before, as I usually stay in serviced apartments in Bangkok, although I stayed in hotels years prior to serviced apartments.

One of my best friends has used Airbnb overseas and has had really positive experience with their listed apartments and has booked again through them for an upcoming trip. He's used them quite a bit. Of course, one needs to be FLEXIBLE, and there are NO guarantees when renting apartments as to how they will be. But, at least, on Airbnb, the agency doesn't pay the apartment owner until after the renter has arrived to the apartment and settled in. The renter has 24 hours, I think it is, to contact them if not satisfied with the apartment or situation.

Plus, if you get an apartment, you get a kitchen and can have some meals at the apartment. I stay at either individually-owned apartments or serviced apartments on different continents and personally have had no complaints about any of them in the past. I'm adventurous and will give things a try and just stay positive and hope for the best.

Happy Travels!

Happy Travels!

Happy Travels!

rhkkmk

i disagree about being near the skytrain as a top priority.. the most impt thing to me is the comfort of the hotel and easy taxi access. skytrain is fast but often not in convenient places

onetwothreefourfive

Guenmai~how do YOU go about arranging serviced apartments? (not on airbnb)
Thanks!

Rhkkmk, when I looked the hotel you were in / recommended last night, I noticed it wasn't by the sky train. Hmmm. So, comfort of hotel? OR location location location?

I figure a good night's sleep is great, but the adventure of being there will be the BEST!

onetwothreefourfive

by they way, I'm so glad you both wrote. I decided today will be my day to book my reservation. Why not? 6 months before the trip I gave the airline $2 g's to reserve my economy seat. Why not loan the hotel some money for 2 months before I get there. lol. At least I'll have a place to land.

Thanks!!
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Hanuman

Most hotel booking sites, except the discounted sites, have full refund dates so why do you want to pay 6 months in advance? Also, most airlines tickets can be reserved without payment so why did you feel the need to prepay so far in advance?

simpsonc510

Airline tickets need to be paid in full within a couple days of booking or you lose your booking. That's MY experience, anyway.

Have you looked at "My home away from home" serviced apartment building, which is 2 minutes (or less) to the skytrain?? I always stay on Sukhumvit soi 8 at Adelphi Suites. It's not fancy. It is clean, the staff is very friendly and helpful, and I love the location. The price is reasonable when compared to other places suggested here. I book directly with the hotel. I do not pre-pay. I hold it with my credit card and pay when departing the hotel. I never have to prepay it. I can cancel if I need to, and do not get charged. I'm not sure what the last chance time is for a cancellation... usually 2-3 days ahead of arrival. You might read the fine print on that one.

Hanuman

Carol for me, when using a TA, most airlines I find will require the agent to issue the tickets about 2 weeks before the flight date. So you can book and change or cancel if something else better comes along.