Hi all. We have a trip planned in December to Koh Lanta (4 nights) and Bangkok (2 nights). I have 2 main questions.
1. Speed boat transfer from Koh Lanta to Krabi Airport? Any recommedations, concerns?
2. Where to stay in Bangkok? (or where NOT to stay?) We plan to do a day trip up to Ayutthaya, although I haven't arranged this yet. I am also looking at a night tour via tuk tuk for eating and sightseeing.
Any thoughts on either of these?
Thanks in advance!

" Where to stay in Bangkok? (or where NOT to stay?) We plan to do a day trip up to Ayutthaya, although I haven't arranged this yet. I am also looking at a night tour via tuk tuk for eating and sightseeing.
Any thoughts on either of these?"

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Only 2 days for Bangkok? Short overall trip if flying long distance.

In Bangkok there is no one location that I would not stay. Even if in an area with nightlife you are under no obligation to enter a pub or other bar. In the Nana-Asoke are there are good restaurants, malls, shops, supermarkets and travel agencies for tours. There is nightlife in this area.

Bangkok is a big city! From no single location can you walk to everything. (Not in a reasonable amount of time.) For Bangkok my advice is to choose a location where you can use city rail service to get to some places. Meter taxis are cheap when you pay the meter fare! Pay a flat rate you pay more than the meter fare. (Google search will give you links and posts for how to use taxis in Bangkok.)
UrbanRail.Net > Asia > Thailand > Bangkok Metro

There are shared tours that you can sign up for in person through your hotel tour desk or close by travel agencies. But only 2 days limits you. For a shared tour usually you choose a tour one day and get picked up next day from your hotel. Do you have 2 full days in Bangkok?

Siam area Bangkok will give you malls and restaurants to walk to in your free time while out on tours during the day. Also access to Skytrain rail service too. (Some city tourist sites close up evening anyway so a hotel next to them will have you paying for taxis to go shopping, etc.) Hotels with private bathroom, A/C, hot water, TV and refrigerator from around $20-30 (USD) to over $200 USD per night. Big variety of hotel prices. In Thailand you use their currency for day to day spending.
Bangkok Area Guides - Everything you Need to Know about Bangkok Areas

There are private tour guides that you can book who will do a custom tour for you. By the way, tuk-tuks show up frequently in scams to avoid.


Can't help you with Koh Lanta - Krabi. (Maybe steal a day from here for Bangkok. Better choice is to add a few more days to your Thailand trip.)

Good luck.

Two nights is one full day so I would forget about a trip to Ayuthaya which would take a whole day.

If you really only have the two nights for Bangkok, I would stay near the river. Which hotel largely depends on your budget. You could pay $300 pn for the Shangri La or Peninsula or $30 pn for somewhere like the New Siam Riverside. Getting to the main tourist sites like Wat Po, The Grand Palace, Wat Arun is both easy and fun by public boat.

I would avoid the lower Soi Numbers of Sukumvit Rd around Nana etc as the nightlife is all a bit seedy - think middle age westerners and young thai bar girls.

We have done a few speedboat transfers over the years, Koh Tao, Koh Lanta etc. We lived to tell the tale, but safety aspects did concern me at the time. I advise getting a seat in the middle rather than the front or back if you want to avoid a high speed soaking!

I think Seat61.com probably has some info on transfers - also on getting to Auyuthya by train - the best way IMO. An alternative is to get a tour which will often go one way by bus, visiting Bang Pa In and the other by boat down the Chao Praya.

Thank you both for the information. We are visiting my son in Singapore before and after our Thailand "side" trip, thus we decided to spend 4 days beach (it's 20 degrees with 6 inches of snow where we are right now!) and just do a quick pass thru Bangkok. We are doing a day tour up to Ayutthaya and are doing an evening tour in Bangkok.
Should we be concerned about food poisoning in either location?
We are staying at the Prince Palace Hotel, Damrongrak Road, Mahanak, Pomprab Sattrupai, Bangkok. Appears to be close to several temples, shrines?

"Should we be concerned about food poisoning in either location?"

No!

" Should we be concerned about food poisoning in either location?"

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I am a little more careful with what I eat. If I don't like the smell or how it looks I don't eat it! (After over 20 plus years in and around this area I don't need to experiment anymore.) I prefer some food courts to street vendor food. Why - because they have water for cooks to wash their hands off! Also malls with food courts have washrooms for YOU to wash your hands off! (I can live off fried rice in just about anywhere in Asia!)

Will you get sick - probably not. Some tourists who claim eating food made them sick might have gotten sick because their hands were not clean! Lots of things you touch before handling food you stuff in your mouth can be contaminated. So, use some wet-wipe type moist tissues to clean your hands off immediately before touching any food will help you not get sick!

Good luck.

" Should we be concerned about food poisoning in either location?"

FYI
Do a Google check for airplane tray tables and seat back pockets, seat belts and headrests if you want a scare. (Baby diapers changed on the pull down trays, old stinky diapers stuffed in seat back pockets and leaking. Etc.)
https://www.today.com/news/oh-no-fil...vel-1D79826980

I tend to be the hand sanitizer queen (I'm a nurse, I see germs...) Thank you both for the information! I will wash my hands and eat!