Looking to break up flight to Thailand
 

I’m planning on traveling to Thailand in the next year. I’m not sure how much time I will take but I definitely want to break up the flight as I will lose my mind on a flight over 15 hours.
does anyone have any suggestions on the best places to stop for a day or two enroute from the NY/Philly area?
Mom open to anywhere as I love to travel and am still quite new to it.

You could fly via someplace like London, Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt. Probably more options via Europe or someplace like Dubai

Go to Kayak to determine what air routes are available from your preferred airport. Then, check out the layover cities to see if any of them appeal to your sense of adventure. Then go directly to the airlines website to see if you can book a flight with a long layover.
You may also want to check out the layover airport website. A number of major layover airports offer city tours for long layovers. Also, I would avoid France and other countries that are prone to strikes.

I have had quite a few flights from the US to Asia. In particular Thailand and the Philippines. I read most of the time, but being older I grew up reading novels my whole life, even in grade school. So a long flight is not boring if I have a book to read. (I always have extra books to read with me!) But for long flights do get up and walk around a bit to lessen the chance of blood clots - deep vein thrombosis!

When I run the numbers a flight with a long break in between add to the final cost. One option, if flying the cheap seats, for the cost of a flight that is more expensive plus the cost of hotel and transportation - you could apply the difference for a Business Class or First Class upgrade and do the whole trip without a break. Get the pampering, get the seats that turn into beds, get your meal served on china instead of TV dinner type meals. Plus first on and first off and your frequent flyer points might be higher too.

Just an opinion.

For a first time visit to Thailand my suggestion is to choose an airline that has an arrival time Bangkok during the day or at least early evening. This way, my opinion, you can adjust to the time changes easier. Also since you pay full price for a decent hotel room no matter what time you arrive you might as well get your money's worth out of your hotel expense. With a day or early evening arrival you have more transportation choices to choose from. You can drop off your bags at your hotel, clean up and go out for a meal or drink or two.

I adjust to the time changes easier by quickly putting my time on Thai time as soon as possible. This means I do not sleep in late first morning. Up and at it and out of the hotel by 8 a.m. (Breakfast, walk, scope out the area. For me, I choose an area with malls, restaurants, bars, supermarkets I can walk to.)

Good luck.

Recommend Air Korea from JFK to ICN, non-stop. Then after some rest fly on to Chiang Mai Thailand, also non-stop. Great service, tasty food, sweet girls in the aisles, free food and beer in ICN Air Korea lounge, etc.