Gloria Will definetly tell Ratt hi from you though I think I will have to ask her husband to pass the message since I think he will be the one taking us around. The Sala Rim sounds great especially since it's in the Oriental I'm glad to hear good things about the hotel since it's at the end of our 5 week trip. It is always nice to end on a good note.

Missed your last question. We are leaving Oct 13th to Hong Kong but will arrive in Bangkok on Nov 8. Have received a tour text from Ratt. She has listed a lot of places I can't find in my guide book and left out a few places I said I did want to see. No mention of Prasart Museum. Hope she will take us there. She also talked about picking us up at the airport even though I thought she had agreed to pick us up at the ship. I hope my email back clears things up but I thought I was very clear. Oh well I always like an adventure. I never worry as long as I have a credit card and an atm card.

Bob was right when he said Ratt had a problem with Mr. Prasart when she took me there -- not her fault and not really his fault but a misunderstanding that upset both of them. Anyway she probably will not return but that doesn't mean her husband won't. One thing though -- I loved the Prasart Museum but it takes a very long time (at least half a day) and with all the other things you want to do and see it may not be a good use of your time.

Looking at your itineray here are some general time they will take:

Grand Palace Temple - 3 hours
Reclining Buddha - 2-4 hours
Marble Temple - 2 hours
Chinatown - 2-3 hours
Vimanmak Palace - 3 hours
Jim Thompson's House - 2 hours
Suan Pakkard Palace -1 hour
Prasart Museum - 4 hours plus1 1/2 hours to get there and back
(Floating market and River Kwai- 1 very long day

Plus you MUST do the klong trip with at least a stop at Wat Arun which is another 3 hours.

Diane-- another thing. Make sure you take the time to enjoy the Oriental -- a fabulous place, shop and have wonderful meals. Don't overbook.

At the Oriental -- you will discover that having breakfast on the Verandah (on the river) will be a high point of your trip. It's a wonderful experience. Also have high tea in the author's lounge and soak up the history. The restaurants at the hotel are all wonderful and their are excellent restaurants in the area. At the hotel China House has the best Peking Duck I have ever had in my life. Also Lord Jim does an incredible lunch buffet and a superb dinner in a fabulous setting. Normandie is enormously expensive by thai standards but is supposedly one of the top restaurants (french) in asia. it is very formal. It's actually my least favorite restaurant in the hotel because it feels the least asian not just in food but in ambience and atmosphere. I feel like I could be in any great french restaurant anywhre in the world. Others however love it.

Calypso Cabaret at the Asia Hotel - its a great show, inexpensive ($25), the theather is cozy so every seat is a good seat. Lots of singing and dancing , great costumes, its female impersonators- its very classy well done- you will have a ball. Bring your camera. Bangkok Bob gave it a big thumbs up!

Another really fun and unique evening out/dinner is Bed Supper Club and the food is superb.

glorialf/carol et al.
Can someone refresh my memory about the dinner hours of Bed on the weekend? I know I read a thread somewhere but now can't find it quickly. Thanks

For the best and most current informtion on Bed Supper Club check out their website www.bedsupperclub.com (I think). You can also make reservations on it.

Here is what I hope we can do. I guess we should have planned a longer visit
Tuesday arrive in Bangkok hotel by 1pm(I hope)
Go to Cotton House
Klong tour
Day one tour Wednesday
GrandPalace SuanPackard Palace Jim Thomson House
Day 2 Thursday
Floating Market
What Bang Kung
Royal Thai Handicraft
Day 3 Friday
Vimanmak Palace Wat Benchamubopht Marble Temple Chinatown Baan Baht Village (monks Bowls?)
WatPo Day 4 Saturday
PrasartMuseum Weekend Market
Leave Bangkok Sunday at 2am ( have no idea what to do till 2am)
Will use Ratt for all days except Klong tour which if it doesn’t work
Out for lst day may tag on last day. I guess I can book tour through hotel.
It is a packed itinerary but this may be our last visit. Getting old for those long long flights. Gloria your time estimates helped a lot.. If you see any flaws in this agenda let me know. Thank you Thank you Thank you

I'd skip the weekend market and move Wat Po to that day.

What to do until 2AM. First ask the Oriental if you can keep at least one of your rooms until 10PM. That would help.

Then have a wonderful dinner -- if you're like me you won't run around on a travel night but will eat at one of the hotel restaurants -- either the riverside buffet, China House or Lord Jim.

then you can people watch in the lobby. ;-) You'll probably leave for the airport at around 11.

diangolf:
Good plan for the days but you will have some evenings to fill in. Again I think you would really enjoy the Calypso Cabaret.Its casual- you don't need to dress up. Go for the cocktail show- 8pm I believe. It's right on the skytrain in the Asia Hotel so getting to and from is easy.

Thanks Bill
Calipso is definitly on my list for one night. Perhaps the night we leave since we won't be going till 2am and have a lot of time to fill in. Perhaps I should post this on a new topic but we are trying to decide which part of the great wall we are going to when we're in Beijing. We were at Balding many years ago but it really sounds touristy now. One of the people in our party can't get around very well (we hiked the steps when we were there) Is there another part of the wall that she could manage that is not lined with people trying to sell you things.