funkmonkey

Hi Folks,

Thanks to the pillars of this forum, our Thai vacation will begin on Xmas day. So, its BKK, Krabi, & CM. Just a few details that I need help on:

1. Going from the US with camera, iPhone, IPad etc, what electrical accessories do I need? Voltage converter? Plug adapters?
2. Best place to exchange $ to THB: BKK/Suvarnabhumi itself or here in the sweet USA?
3. Good place to get SIM card - someone had mentioned BKK/Suvarnabhumi Airport.
4. My wife's b'day falls during our stay in BKK. Any bakery recommendations on Sukhumvit?
5. Day-trip Excursions in CM: Is the White Temple worth it or just a tacky trap? Elephants are out and so are trips to see rural natives in habitat. Any recommendations other than the national park?

Am trying to hit some of the eating spots featured in the exciting Anthonmy Bourdain documentary. Any restaurant ideas? my sons want to drown themselves in local cuisine.

That;'s it for now. I'm sure there will be a Ch. 2.

Kathie

1. You will need plug adaptors, but most hotels have ones you can borrow. If you do much traveling, buy a couple from Amazon.

2. Never, never, never buy foreign currency in the US. best way to get Thai Baht is via ATM, but only if your bank doesn't charge awful fees. Big banks in the US usually charge $5 per use for foreign ATMs plus 3% foreign exchange fee. Nonetheless, it's better than buying foreign currency in the US. You can carry in US dollars - US$100 bills get the best exchange rate. You will get better rates in the city than at BKK if you are exchanging dollars for Baht. If you plan to do more traveling, consider opening an account at a credit union or through your brokerage - my brokerage refunds any foreign ATM charges, they have no charge for using an ATM, and their foreign exchange fee is a mere 1%. Also, know what your credit card will care you to use it in a foreign country. Most charge 3% on foreign exchange, but there are plenty now available with not currency exchange fee. (Also, always have any charges made in local currency - do not succumb to the idea that someone is doing you a favor by putting your charge through in dollars.

4. There is a fabulous French bakery in the FACE complex (has two restaurants, spa, bakery, chocolatier) look at www.facebars.com

5. From CM, the one day trip I highly recommend is to Doi Suthep. I like to go first thing in the morning. The whIte Temple is a long way from CM - closer to CR. I wouldn't do a day trip there from CM, but it is up to you.

dgunbug

We thought the white temple was amazing. If you go to chiang rai, try being there on a Sunday. We thought the night market there was even better than the one in chiang rai. I have heard there is also a black temple, but am not certain it exists.

khunwilko

There might be some useful stuff on here....

20 things to think about.......

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...g-thailand.cfm

kmkrnn

All thai ATMs now charge an 180 B per transaction fee... I take out $300-400 each time to spread the costs... I find atms to be the best method for getting cash, and they are everywhere...

Get a SIM card at any 7-11 and have them load it and add $$ to it... They also are found everywhere.

The Jw Marriott at soi 2, Sukhumvit has nice cakes... Many of the 4-5* hotels have bakeries.
Restaurants will provide one at meal service also... Nice restaurants that is.

An adapter is all you need--multiples as you may charge numerous things at same time... Many hotel sockets have built in us plug slots-- marriotts, Sheratons and others, but not in CM probably.

Have a great time

MaloBalo

@ Fx - the exchange rate at BKK is roughly .5 to 1.5 BAHT worse than in the city. As kmkrnn mentioned, _ALL_ ATMs charge 180B transaction fee, plus you will usually get a better rate exchanging directly at sight. That being said, I'm not sure how comfortable you are carrying $ in your pockets.

@ Sim Card - some operators hand them to you once you grab your luggage and head towards the outside/rail connections. In our case it was TRUE. Grab them (spares you the 300 Baht in most cases for the purchase of the card), top up literally in any "real" shop and off you go.

khunwilko

Cards cost about 50 baht or a free.- what changes the price is the package accompanying it. If you have an internet package - this will =save you money on internet - you phone a/c is prohibitively expensive)
however beware of the phone packages that accompany any card pushed at you on arrival, they often have packages o them you either =don't want or need.
the problem here is that there a dozens of different packages and rates on all three major providers....... you need to check call rates - duration of call, cost for internet access etc etc...
you may be able to change your package later - or discard it....

lauren_s_kahn

I never needed an adapter for any of my electronics during my current trip.

I took a van trip to the White Temple and Chiang Rai in one day from Chiang Mai. It would have given me more options to stay overnight in Chiang Rai, but it worked on the van tour.

Get money from the ATM and, yes, they all charge 180 baht per transaction (about $6 US).

You might want to read my blogs on my ongoing trip to Thailand for hints on what you might like doing:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-thailand.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-thailand.html

I think it would be a shame to leave Thailand without doing something that involved elephants. You can choose from the options.

Insofar as the hill tribe people are concerned, the place near the elephant camps North of Chiang Mai is terrible, but I did go to one other one that was a real village--as opposed to a commercial place--and the tribeswomen sold weaving at a cooperative. We were not pressured to buy at all (unlike the aforementioned despicable place where there is high pressure). I bought a very nice scarf for 250 baht (about $8). What they do is put the weaver's name on the item and that person gets the money. I bought there because the atmosphere was right. I was taken there on a day trip to Doi Inathon (the highest mountain in Thailand). I almost wasn't going to get out of the van at the village but then I realized it was a real village.

Kathie

Lauren, where are you from that you didn't need adaptors for Thai electrical outlets? I'm from the US, and we always need adaptors, though as someone mentioned many large hotels in Bangkok have an outlet or two in each room with US-style plugs.

simpsonc510

I always have a few adaptors, but not a converter. If you travel with hair appliances the converter is a good idea.

The best rates I have found for exchanging U S dollars is on Sukhumvit at soi 7/1. The name is Vasu Exchange. Easy to find as it is just below Nana skytrain station.

I bought my SIM card on 4th floor of MBK Mall. Many to pick from! Mine is with DTAC.

I will 2nd the bakery at the front of the J W Marriott on Sukhumvit at soi 2.

Doi Inthanon is a great day trip out of CM. Along with this beautiful location, on the same road, is the highest point in Thailand, plus a few waterfalls.

Marija

Great to see you posting, Carol! Welcome back.

Kathie

Carol, good to see you back!

lauren_s_kahn

I am from the US and have not used any adapters except for one for a European hairdryer I own. I just plugged everything directly to the sockets. Most Thai sockets I have experienced take US plugs directly.

Yes, Doi Inthanon is a great day trip. The van tours are very reasonable if you want day tours out of Chiang Mai. Except for the trekking (I have a bad back and would not want to get involved with that), I've done them all.

I have not yet really been to Bangkok. I will "do" Bangkok before I go home. I just spent one night there when I arrived and my friend took me to the Jim Thompson House. Because I have spent so much time in Chiang Mai, I will have done most of the general activities that people do everywhere in Thailand (having clothes made, going to markets, buying those damn little wooden frogs, etc.). In Bangkok I want to see the large Buddha and the Royal Palace complex. Because I will be going to Siem Reap for 5 nights beginning on Dec. 16, I am thinking in terms of doing the Bridge on the River Kwai side trip out of Bangkok and NO MORE SHOPPING.

lauren_s_kahn

Correction: I just checked my European hair dryer and it plugs right in too without an adapter. Most plugs will take the round continental European plugs or the US type flat prong plugs. However, I was told to bring my European hair dryer because American ones would need an adapter, so I brought the European hair dryer I own (finally bought one after burning out two American dual voltage models). My European hair dryer is dual voltage and set to 240 and works. Because it is so warm here and my hair was cut very short before the trip, I have not used it much. Next time, I probably will just leave it home. I always have my haircut very short before long trips so I can avoid the problem of searching for someone to cut my hair who does not make a mess of it. I have a plugged in device that you can plug a lot of electronics into. It will take 2 or 3 prong US plugs and it looks as if it would take 2 or 3 prong plugs from Europe as well. The only problems possibly would be British plugs and definitely Australian. And that is my view on plugs and sockets in Thailand. Now, if you are staying at hostels, you might have a different experience. I am bringing my little bag of plug adapters to Cambodia and Burma with me because who knows in those places?

MaloBalo

Lauren, don't miss Wat Arun afterwards, it's just beautiful. Going at 5pm, walk up, enjoy the views and wait for sunset to see it illuminated afterwards - just magnificent.

lauren_s_kahn

Thanks for the tip.

I have seen a lot of wats. After Cambodia, more wats will probably fall lower down on the list, but we'll see.

internetwiz

Wat Arun is totally different than the temples in Siem Reap. Even if you can't walk up the steps there, it's worth the trip across the river to visit.

Kathie

Yes, all of the wats in Bangkok are vastly different from the Cambodian wats.

Since you are visiting the Grand Palace, do visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is on the grounds. When you say you want to see the "Big Buddha" are you referring to the Reclining Buddha (Wat Po)? I think Wat Tramit, the Golden Buddha is well worth a stop as well.

khunwilko

bear in mind that just about any electrical gizmo or adapter will be available from just about any of the local supermarket/electrical shops...even 7/11s.

lauren_s_kahn

As I said previously, all my electronics and hair dryer just plugged into the sockets without further ado. I had no need for adapters.