Platinum was good but JS thai silk was better...shirts for mr (JT cottons), 2 shirts for K. (JT also-- white with long tail in back), hand woven short jacket for K with old coin buttons, 2 add'l shirts for K made from Balinese single ikat fabrics. P&L had a bunch of stuff... P&K also a bunch of stuff incl 2 dresses for K.

Lots of jewelry, both from SJ and Thai Stone...

Some silver jewelry from Lim and BillT's shops. Along new rd...

Shoes and more shoes...

How do you get it all home??? Do you pay excess baggage? I should have given you a shopping list,

It's sound like you all had fun shopping in Bangkok. Is there anything left on your "to buy" list?

Yes, just some stainless steel serving pieces....

It all fits in our bags (2 total).

Sad day....leaving the Anatara and Peter and Linda. It has , again, been great fun traveling, shopping and eating our way thru Bali and Thailand. We have done our share to help the economy in both places. Lots of laughs and meeting fun Fodorites in both places. Safe stay for your last 2 days and homeward travels. We expect a report on Zonnotti.
Karen

We loved, loved, loved our time with P&L!!!!!! Vietnam here we come 2015??

Karen- I expect a fashion show of your purchases (both clothes and jewelry) at our next GTG. Safe travels home.

Hopefully one of these days our paths will cross with P&L and C&J and you guys in SE Asia

We had such a good time with you all in Bali. Hopefully we can hook up with you and P&L again in the future. But it won't be in Vietnam or in 2015 as our next long trip will be in February 2016 to align better with Jeane's schedule - considering South Africa, New Zealand, maybe South America or a return to Australia.

Did I mention that K, Kathleen and Pat all had glasses made by tong's husband Chang at Sangtong Optical, 191 Chakrapong Rd, which is near one end of khao San rd. K got a bright blue frame which looks great with the gray hair.

One day while doing fittings with Penny, we had lunch at Room with a point of view on the 2nd floor of river city... Great view of the river activities thru their huge windows.. Good food too.


we were joined for several meals by Lcuy (Lucy) from HI on her way home from Cambodia where she teaches as a volunteer for the PLF foundation in Siem Reap. sadly she fell the other day in bkk and ended up at Bumragard Hospital at 2AM. She is better now and on her flts home today.


Our 9 days in Bkk passed quickly and we did not do one touristy visit... no GP, no JT House, no Wat PO, no floating mkt... Just shop, eat, laugh and enjoy our friends and everything that great city has to offer.

Yesterday, we flew via NOK Air to Phuket, where I rented a small SUV Toyota, slightly bigger than a rav 4, from Pure Car Rentals--- Toyota Avanza automatic, 7700 B for 6 days, all inclusive except gas. Very comfortable for 4 people including 3 big suitcases and 4 carry ons. We drove north about 1.25 hours to Khao Lak, where we are at the JW Marriott Resort, Khao Lak. we have been here many times before. We received an overwhelming welcome from many, including the GM, director of operations, front office manager. Felt like a Royal welcome.

I requested and we received one of our preferred rooms (3030), a direct pool access room, 3 steps down from our terrace to the 3.1 kilometers of lagoon that snakes around the resort. First order of business was to take a cooling off swim... Water is warm and comfortable but still refreshing. The tropical platings, flowering trees and shrubs are just magnificent all around this place.
Pat and Kathleen were also given a pool access room but at the other end of our row of rooms.

Kathleen just came for this I-Pad as the elephant that daily visits the property is out by the beach and K wants to take pics... More later.

It is a fab sunny day here today and the girls are enjoying the sun out by the beach... I am enjoying our chaise and the a/c of our room..

Lat night we ate here at the hotel and enjoyed pizza, cannalonis , Caesar salad, pasta with salmon, ravioli so plus all had ice cream. A live band played nice music all during our meal... The meal was preceded by drinks in the bar, complimentary because of my marriott status.

This is the kick back (part II) of our trip.

K loved her morning by the beach... We all met up at the pool bar at 1:30 for a lunch... OMG, my fresh pineapple smoothie was fantastic... Btw, platinum gets me a 20% reduction in food prices.

An easy afternoon is planned with a swim in the lagoon later, then drinks followed by a drive in to town for dinner.

Sound wonderful and sorry we couldn't join with you guys!

Good thai dinner in town tonight--some thai favs: shrimp yellow curry, chicken and cashew, steamed rice, thai basil chicken, pineapple chicken...fried banana and banana pancakes, both with honey.. Ice cream... An amazing 1100B meal-- less than $10 each.. Booze at hotel before leaving..

We MISS the Gomes !!!!!!!'

Quiet day at the resort... Swim, eat, swim, relax..

Another quiet day around the resort... Swims, beach lounging, pool bar for lunch.

Later today the hotel hosts a small night market (every Sunday). We will take it in and then decide where to eat tonight: in hotel or in town.

Some of you might be interested in the value of gold scrap in Thailand in comparison to USA.

K's scrap value for her bag of items is in excess of $3000. In Thailand. Our jeweler friend at home estimated it at about $2100. Gold price was about the same on both days.

Bob, belated thanks for the info on the laundry by the Anantara. Our room rate ended up including 4 complimentary pieces of laundry each, enough to get us by.
We just left the Marriott in Khao Lak before you arrived & see why you like room 3030. We had room 3010 across from the kids pool. While not terrible we would preferred to have had room 3015 or higher. It was noisy one day but on & off rain kept the kids away and it was quiet.
Hope it isn't raining for you.

Thanks Scott

Bob, is K's scrap gold 14k, 18k, or Thai gold? Just curious. Sounds like you got a good price.

Hello from Virginia Beach area, but this is business. No beach time. Heading back to Illinois in a matter of hours.

It was a mix of gold... The very heavy bracelet was 18, most of the rest 14... Bought in Thailand, Italy, Egypt and turkey.