Now we have flights and hotels and are working on a daily itinerary. I noticed lots of people use guides/drivers in BKK and Chaing Mai. I would love some of the contact info. to make arrangements.

Thanks for much for all the help to date!

We enjoyed Julie of Julie Taxi in Bangkok immensely. She took us to the floating market and then to Wat Traimit and Wat Ben. Website: www.julietaxi.com

And we loved Sergeant Kai in Chiang Mai. Can't recommend him strongly enough! His website: http://www.chiangmaitours.com/index.html

I've written about both in my trip report on this board not too far down (After all that planning and agonizing, Karen and Julie finally did it)
Good luck!
Karen

may i suggest magical routes....they provide exceptional services with a licensed guide... i believe i mentioned them to you before in another thread...

[email protected]

gal and cherry are the owners...

Thanks Karen.

I read your trip report and am taking lots of ideas from it. It has made me even more excited to go and has made me realize exactly how much more planning I have to do!

I am going to contact both Julie Taxi and Sergeant Kai.

Thanks so much!
Jenn

Jenn,
We just returned from our first trip to Thailand and after reading so much about drivers/guides on Fodor's I was worried that we'd be lost in BKK without one. In my opinion they're not necessary. Public transportation is widely used, available, clean and cheap. Great, free, maps are everywhere and the metered taxis are also inexpensive and everywhere. Granted, we didn't have the time to leave BKK for "nearby" ventures, so if you're up for that then maybe it's useful. What ever you decide, don't let it stress you. Efficient transportation is everywhere and fantastic guides are at most sites for just a few dollars. I hope you have as much fun as we did. Thailand is amazing and we're already planning to go back.

We just got back from Thailand... we used Tong, who is a licensed guide in Bangkok.. I can't rave enough about her... she was amazing... we love detailed info and she is jam packed with it... and she's one of the nicest, kindest, sweetest people I've met... you can contact her through Ratt

We used Sergeant Kai in Chiang Mai, who we also enjoyed very much... he took us to all of the sites that I had mentioned, but also set up things for us that were completely un-asked for, but very much appreciated!

I'll be writing a lot more detail in my trip report that is currently in-process... it's "Honeymoon in SE Asia Trip report"

I agree with the last post that a driver/guide is not "necessary" in BKK - you can definitely get around, and see everything without one... many people speak English there (especially around the tourist sites)... but I will say that our guide enhanced our trip by more than I could have imagined. I learned more about the tourist sites than I ever could by using a guidebook, and I learned so much more about the culture of the Thai people themselves... but again, more about that to come in the trip report in the next day or so... Ken

We are visiting Thailand for 6th or 7th time this year and for the first time we are hiring guides for Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Our feeling from reading reports on this website and others is that when you have been a few times, a guide will allow you to get deeper below the surface of a city or area and its culture.

We are spending a number of days with Tong, who Lori (offwego) used recently and recommended. Laurie (laurieco) is using Tong's services in the next few months too. Her email is - [email protected]. I have been emailing with her for the past few weeks and she has some fantastic and unusual ideas and is very very flexible. On top of showing us around the sites and taking us to make merit, she has already been around a number of dressmakers to help me find someone to make my dream wedding dress in a relatively short amount of time and is making many wonderful suggestions for the gifts for our guests - more unusual favours I guess. Her written English is fantastic - puts all my language skills to shame, she has a great sense of humour and is very enthusiastic about her city and culture. Can't wait to actually meet her in August!

In Chiang Mai, I think we are going to use Sergeant Kai but we haven't booked yet so interested to hear othe recommendations.

Ken - I think you posted after I started writing my recommendation for Tong (had lunch half way through writing it!) - really interested to read your report further!

My wife and I just finished a day with Tong. She is just fantastic. It isn't necessary to contact her through Ratt. You can ontact her directly.

It's all a matter of preference. I don't use drivers or guides in Bangkok unless I am going out of town. I used Julie Taxi to go to the Prasart in November and then on to an out of the way antiques store. Otherwise I use a combination of public transport (water taxis and the Skytrain) and taxis. I just like being more indeppendent.

If you are going somehwere outside of CM, you will want a driver.

Bella, wow - Tong told us that she had been emailing a client and mentioned the wedding dress!! I didn't realize that was you!! She started discussing it when we were talking about going to tailors for a couple of jackets/shirts for me... I can't rave enough about Tong.. aside from being an unbelievably knowledgable guide, she is incredibly sweet and caring... she actually just emailed me a few minutes ago to find out how we were doing and to see if we made it home yet! And, if you like Thai food, she is the best person in the world to go around BKK with... she took us to several local places for some amazing food experiences... and she kept buying us snacks along the way - for example, she got us snacks for our klong tour - pineapple with a dry sugar/chili dip, and green mango with a shrimp paste dip... fantastic... we broke a lot of the "tourist rules" of bkk while we were with her... local food stands, ice, you name it... and we were fine.. we never got sick once over our entire trip.

I can't wait to hear about your experiences with her!

If you have any questions... don't hesitate to ask... Ken

Hi Ken - yes I am the lady with the wedding dress!

Ken and Jerry - so pleased to hear you had a good time with Tong. Looking forward to reading further about where you went with her.

I have to say, she is an amazing lady - she has really been out and about scouting dressmakers for me and also really coming up with lots of suggestions for the wedding etc. Her emails are so wonderfully chatty and thoughtful as well. I can't wait to meet her.

Bella, Sergeant Kai is fabulous. We also had been to Thailand before and had used other guides but he is very special. He really knows and loves northern Thailand & took us to local places that we would not otherwise have seen, including an incredible coutry market and some hilltribe villages that were totally untouristy, where he knew people. He has a great sense of humor, is a real people person, and seems to genuinely enjoy helping visitors to experience his country and its people. You can't go wrong with him and he will tailor where he takes you to your interests.

re-reading & "coutry" - should have been country. Didn't want anyone to think we went to a poultry market!

Has Ratt fallen out of favor in Bangkok and her sister Poon in Chiang Mai? They promised tht we would have them personally not one of their new guide/drivers. We do not want to save $20/day and not have someone with a fairly extensive amount of knowledge and comfortable well maintained cars. Ratt is 2800Baht/day for 10 hours and 260 BAHT for additional hours.
We plan to day trips out of Bangkok-floating market, waterfalls and craft villages and in town to marble biddha, etc. and in Chiangi Mai,vist "real" hill tribes, Lampang Elephant Conservatory, Genting Highlands etc.

CFW, I totall agree about Sergeant Kai... he took us to several places we would have never seen, and hadn't even known about, but after getting to know us, thought we'd find interesting. He truly is a people person - such a genuine, wonderful person. You can tell right away how much he loves his country, people, and sharing it with his clients.

I recently have booked time with Ratt, she is picking us up at the airport and the following a full day of site seeing, Floating Mkt and Rose Garden,etc. She has told that she was not available, but would send a Ms. Mint in her place and that she was very competent. I recall that someone on this forum had used Ms. Mint, would like to get any feed back on this person as to likes or dislikes. Appreciate any comments.

Hi Stan - I think the difference is that Ratt and Poon are drivers not guides, those who have used them have pointed this out. Tong and Sergeant Kai are guides.

I recently used Tong. She was such a wonderful person. My Thai friends and I toured with her and impressed. she also taught them real buddhist rituals.. unbelievable! she knows what many locals dont know! and she's very flexible for any kind of clients.
Peppersalt, I've heard that Mrs. Mint is Tong's friend. Sometimes they worked together. I think she's not bad.

Yes, I have read that but after Ratt and Poon doing this for a number of years would one expect that she is 100% a driver and 50+% a reasonably knowledgeable guide. Also they have spent quiet awile in there trade in Bankok and Chiangi Mai.

Are the guides like Tong,etc. significantly more expensive and are they willing to put in 10-11 hour days at reasonable fees?

For example, I planned to use Ratt for 4 days including 2 10 hour days plus 2 hours or so at night and maybe 8-9 hours on the other 2 days. The same with Poon except that was to be for 3 days in Chiangi Mai.