Side trip from Bangkok
 

I will be in Phuket over New Year's and am trying to convince my wife to extend our trip in Thailand 4 more nights.
We've been to Bangkok before so I was thinking of doing a trip to somewhere that can be easily accessed from Bangkok.

Here are priorities:
-Relatively cheap travel (<$100 USD roundtrip) and accomodations (<$75 USD a night)
-Less than 3 hour flight or ground transport
-No beaches (we'll have enough of that in Phuket)
-Maybe somewhere off the beaten track a bit


Some places that I'm considering flying into are:
Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
Luang Prabang (although flights are a bit too much)

Any feedback/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

less than $100 r.t. is hard....how about K/L malaysia...take air asia from bkk...

maybe chiang mai too..lots of less expensive places to stay there but at new years will be your problem with price everyplace...

Angkor Wat would be a good option. Plenty of good cheap hotels there. Flight would be your main issue.

What about non-flight options?

What are some interesting places that can be driven or trained to in a reasonable amount of time?

A small scenic village would be nice. I really like Mae Hong Son but it seems difficult to get to.

I suppose we could also explore (and shop) more of Bangkok since we were there for 3 days last time.

hua hin by car, bus or train

pattaya/jontiem via car or bus

some of the other places south of pattaya...

look at a map and then google them...

all are going to be expensive over new years however...

some of the locals may chime in with an option as well

Budget flight to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai using Air Asia, Nok Air or 12 Go...should be under $100.00 RT if you start watching for discounts now, especially Air Asia. Accommodation for under $75.00/night in either area is no problem, even in January.

i would suggest chiang mai! its such a beautiful place with lots to see and do... elephant camps, jeep or ATV touring, seeing the real villagers...

alternatively, you can go to Kanchanaburi, which is about a 2 hr drive from BKK. you can visit the River kwai and prison museums. you can also go to the tiger conservatory and touch and get pictures with real bengali tigers! there are lots of activities to do in that region as well, but you wont need 4 days for it.

good luck! (you'll enjoy either of those options - though i would opt for chiang mai for a full 4 days..!