hotel costs drop after jan 2...

we will be at the Conrad hotel jan 1-4.

consider the anantara riverside hotel, a fav of ours.

Tong--tours by tong-- google her... best to telephone to secure reservations. easy access all around town without wasting time...outside town too.

Have a great trip Bob (and Karen).

SCdreamer, sounds like we are right behind you - will be curious what you think of SCair as we are doing the same thing - also going to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi area. I hope you will keep a trip report log so we may learn from your experience.

Bon voyage and happy holidays, Bob and Karen. So pleased you are returning to your beloved SEA and I can’t wait to hear about Phu Quoc in particular. Exciting!

Should be fun to follow along - especially with you having Laurel & Hardy accompanying you! Enjoy.

interesting itinerary - have you ever been outside Bangkok?

Have you?

Look forward to following your travels, Bob and Karen. I hope to get back to Thailand, and maybe Vietnam, next fall/winter.

Looking forward to your travel logs, have always enjoyed them, this is "owlwoman", I'm back....Was in Thailand last year around the same time, loved, loved, loved the country, the people, the food....we hired a private tour guide for a day in Bangkok and her name was Nina too, she was excellent. We didn't do a car/driver as I enjoy taking local transport, so we boated, walked and used a pedi-cab (that was a trip in itself) and we were very pleased. The traffic was horrific, can't imagine covering as much ground as we did if we were using a driver......

Yes we have enjoyed many parts of Thailand and SEA...

We arrived in bkk this morning to a cooler than normal day.

More tomorrow.

Ah, you have arrived! I look forward o reading about your adventures.

Also happily following along from cold, rainy, drab Boston while cooking cranberry bread, Canadian wild rice, applesauce from local apples, squash/sweet potato soup, etc.

Enjoy your travels and please do continue to inspire us with detailed reports!

Our warm regards to the BKK Anantara Riverside where we have spent various memorable times thanks to your early recommendation when the property was still a Marriott. Stopped back there for a drink in the riverside bar when we were there last January 2017. Looking forward to your report on the new construction.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy travels.

Lots to report but for today.... very very busy at todayshopping...local Jim thompson hotel shop... Jim thompson main store, Jim thompson outlet... silk and cotton overload.

Rat's son nut was our driver for 10 hours today around bangkok. He is 34, very personable and fun. We had an SUV.

More later on our flats and meals..

s/b flts.

Back to the beginning.

Easy bus ride to Boston Logan Airport. Swift checking at Emirates. No chance of an empty seat between us, but ended up with a small young Asianguy who was very nice. Long 12 hour flt to Dubai.

Love wheelchair service as you get head of the line privledges.

Change to an A-380 with a free seat between us in 2nd row of economy. 6 hour flt.
PERFECT...

Landed on time and in a taxi in exactly 1 hour. Driver used meter-- about 350 B. Took odd route which took forever, maybe 1.5 hrs to Anantara Riverside Hotel.

Greeted as a remembered guest by staff and Head of room operations.

Nice room on 7th floor overlooking river, small balcony.

B and V arrived about 12:30.

Had some quick lunch in UNO, the bakery/coffee shop. Took taxi to River City Mall for massage and initial visit to the tailor for women--JS Thai Silk. Took Sheraton boat to Taskin pier and then Anantara boat back to hotel. Simple dinner at UNO again.

Totally fried so we hit the beds.

Thank you sleeping pills, great sleep. Simple pastry breakfast in rooms.

At 10, Rat's car came for us. Her 34 year old son, Nut, was our jovial, well spoken and smart driver for the day. Comfortable van.

First up a return to River City to see Penny at JS Thai Silk. Wrong... Started off at Jim Thompson Main Store so B/P could see full priced offerings. Had a nice Thai food lunch there. Next up was Jim Thompson Outlet on soi 93, Sukhumvit. Spent quite a while there getting fabrics for Penny to make things, etc.

Time to head to Lord Jim Restaurant at the Oriental for the fab lunch buffet-- more later

That night we had a res for dinner at Biscotti at the Anantara Siam Hotel (former Four Seasons)--K's fav.

As usual the dinner was delicious and B/P were very impressed. Exhausted we took a taxi back to our hotel. Great sleep...

Friday saw us up at a decent hour....Pastry in the room. We opted not to have the big buffet breakfast for this hotel stay, btw.

Great swim in the pool this AM. Practically had the pool to ourselves.
Refreshed totally our driver came for us at 11:45. We had a 12:15 res at The Lord Jim Restaurant at the Oriental Hotel. Daily they serve a delicious buffet lunch, heavy on the seafood-- $55 ++.
I had two plates of the freshest sushi/sashimi, shrimp in at least 4 different preps, salads of seafood, frais grais, European cheeses, more sushi/sashimi, very spicy warm beef, cold cuts, European Tuscany bottled water, followed by tons of desserts and tea. I chose not to have any of the warm roasts: beef, ham, lamb, etc.

We had perfect seating at one of the large picture windows overlooking the river. When making a res, just ask for this seating.

Following lunch we visited several shops along Oriental Lane, spending quite a while at Lim Silver shop where the ladies bought up a storm.

From there we went to soi 4 Sukhumvit to the Nana Hotel where K's jewerler is relocated. They were closed. We were however able to make a date with them for Sunday at 10.

Headed instead to the famous MBK shopping center for B/P's first introduction to this madhouse. Spent only about 1 hour there. Girls did on 1 of 7 floors.

Back to our hotel-- heavy traffic--for dinner at the Brio Restaurant--pizzas and beer--- still full from lunch.

Today, Saturday Rat will come for us at 11. Another shopping day. B/P are loving the varied shopping. They could not believe the quality and prices of the silver items from yesterday.

Glad you are settled in and enjoying. Here in New England it is cold and the sun has nearly set at just after 4 PM. Thailand sounds appealing.

When we were last in BKK in January, they were of course still in the one year period of mourning for the King and there were striking, enormous black billboards everywhere as well as shrines to his memory in all the hotels, etc. Now that the funeral is passed, I am curious about what one observes.

Meanwhile, the funeral triggered a fresh outpouring of floral tributes at the King Bhumibol Adulyadej memorial plaque near his birthplace here in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Looking forward to your take on the new construction behind the Anantara Riverside.

Fond memories of your repartee with Gpanda on past trips.

M/A--- in reference to your question, there is a distinct lack of ANY signs, pictures, etc of the royal family... a few new pics of the new king, but that is all---nothing like in past years.

Following with passion keep it coming!