My wife and I will be taking our three kids (ages 14, 12 and 7) to Thailand in March 2009. We will start by staying in Bangkok at the Mandarin for 5 nights. Then we have 5 more nights to spend before leaving for Singapore.

We would clearly like to see as much of Thailand (outside BKK) as possible, but recognize that 5 nights is not a long time. We also have other "big" trips planned for the future (e.g. Australia), so this may be our one shot at seeing Thailand.

CM and CR both sound great, but so do Koh Samui and other parts of the south. I am assuming it's wildly optimistic to get a taste of both in 5 nights, right?

If we had to choose between north and south, which one would you recommend?

Is 5 nights too much time to spend in Bangkok? If we cut that back to 4 nights, would the additional night (6 nights) make going both North and South feasible?

Finally, any recommendations for upscale resorts outside BKK? Since this is our one shot, we don't mind hiking our budget for lodging.

Thanks!

Are you staying at the Mandarin hotel OR the Mandarin Oriental hotel? If it's the Mandarin hotel and this is your first time visiting Bangkok I would strongly suggest a change in the hotel!

I would spend 2 or 3 nights in Bangkok at first and your final night in Thailand again in Bangkok. This will give you a chance to see the city, get used to the heat and time changes and arrange some train rides or plane rides to other place.

A final night or two in Bangkok will set you up for your ride back home. This way you won't have to worry about any connecting flights breaking down or being late and you miss your ride home. You can also get some last minute souvenirs and possibly a dinner cruise.

For tours in Bangkok find the nearest travel agency (there is lots of them) and check out their list of tours. Travel agencies act as tour brokers. Tour company picks you up at your hotel and returns you there at the end of the tour.

Some tours you might take are the popular "Bridge on the River Kwai,", Auytthaya, Floating Markets, national parks and dinner cruises.

I am not personally hot for beaches, to me you if you only want beaches then see one closer to home and cheaper too! In Thailand I think tourists should see the things that make Thailand so unique. Ride the elephants, see the national parks, stuff that you don't see back home! Thailand is warm all over, you an even get a tan in Bangkok and Chiang Mai!

You can take an overnight sleeper train up to Chiang Mai. This will save you paying for another night in a hotel and you get to try something different. Get your ticket a couple days ahead of time if you want to do the train.

On any tour or when you are away from your hotel for a few hours always bring some TP with you and some wetwipes. Not all toilets have TP in them or a way to clean your hands. Sunblock and ball cap will keep the sun from cooking you.

In Chiang Mai you can get tours to many places such as the Long Neck Women villages, hill tribes, Golden Triangle tour to Chiang Rai and other selections. Like Bangkok you find the nearest travel agency and see what they offer - pretty simple. Some hotels have a tour desk, they are good for information, usually private travel agencies are cheaper though. I would do Chiang Rai only as part of a day tour. More to do in Chiang Mai in the evenings.

You might fit in a couple days at a beach by flying from Chiang Mai. Another beach, Jomtien, is pretty close to Bangkok (abut 2 hours by bus or taxi.)

Good luck.

I would definitely not spend so much time in BKK. But do a day trip to Ayatthuya there...shopping, temples, floating market etc. I MUCH prefer the islands and the north (CM) is great for adventure. I agree that Chiang rai may not have enough to keep the kids occupied.

The answer depends on your kids. If they like beaches a lot, then go south. If they like mixing with people, go north. The south is tourist-dominated. It's sort of Thailand-light. The north has its own identity and culture. Both are enjoyable, so you probably can't make a bad choice.

I agree you should pick one and not try to do both.

For adults and kids, I'd opt for north -- I think you would see more 'real' Thailand. CM and CR offer Long Neck and other hill tribes, elephant rides, white water and bamboo rafting, boats along the Ping River, hiking, and a much quieter style. CM and CR have more tuk-tuks and motorcyle taxis than BKK, which I think the kids would enjoy (okay, we're in our 50s and enjoyed them!). Head to CR and take a long tail boat on the Mekong River and the Golden Triangle. In CM, stay at Baan Orapin; owned by a Thai couple, educated in Arizona; they have a teak house built by his grandmother; 2 story, 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen. Also have hotel rooms, but the house would be wonderful for a family. Plus wonderful hospitality! And along the Ping River. Thailand is just marvelous. Happy Travels.

Here's Baan Orapin's site:
http://baanorapin.com/

Also, from CM is Doi Suthep, the most important wat in northern Thailand. Beautiful!! A taxi or tour company can take you there. We hired tour companies in CM with great success; the hotel tours will be higher priced. With 5 of you, you may have your own tour as they use small vans.

Also, from BKK if you have time for the River Kwai (day trip) it is quite interesting and may be educational for the kids (and adults, too).

Ya know, you just can't go wrong with Thailand!!

i agree that it depends on the kids and i think they would prefer the beach....

lots of great places to choose from: hua hin, samui, or on the other side phuket, krabi, khoa lak...

they might like the elephant training camp outside of chiang mai however...

in HH i suggest the hyatt hotel or slightly more remote the new sheraton, north of town...

in phuket the meridien is very very nice....in krabi either the sheraton or the amari vogue...

as a family i think you would prefer the marriott resort and spa in bkk the best....much better than the oriental for kids....unless your kids are perfectly behaved and never want to run around or raise their voices....think little lord fontliroy (sp) types....

if i were you i would go to HH and the hyatt....make sure breakfast is included in your rate...

We all have different opinions...I have a 15yr old and our favorite place in BKK is the Shangri La - it is on the RIGHT side of the river - so you don't have to cross the river everytime you want to go some place. Foot massage places are very close, shopping very close, BTS (skytrain) a block away - so you can take that everywhere and be fast and safe. Things to do in BKK in order
Wat Po - Reclining Buddha,
Grand Palace - go at 8 in the morning, get English guide INSIDE front gate - tour is one hour
Take klong boat private tour off the dock of the Shangri La - one hour
Have Sunday brunch at either Shangri La or Marriott Resort
Have buffet lunch at the Oriental one day
Have lunch on the river terrace at Oriental - pomelo salad a must.....hamburgers for kids
not expensive.
Central Dept Store - top floor has a Food Loft - GREAT place for dinner, then take BTS to Paragon and see a movie - cheap, all seats reserved, and they sing the King's Anthem before each movie - great cultural experience - theatres are nicer than any you have ever seen in US.
Paragon also has alot of stuff for the kids - check it out online,
Go to Jim Thompson house - again BTS, take one hour tour and then have lunch outside there,
MBK - very very large Thai shopping center - take BTS to National Stadium stop -every floor is just amazing!
Food Court on several floors
I like Oishi garlic fried rice and gyoza.
Foot massage places in MBK also but not as nice as the one close to Shangri La - don't pay more than 250 baht for 60 minutes and don't go in if they are outside begging you to go in...don't go to foot massage place if you have to go upstairs. Kids love foot massages!
NORTH - Chiang Mai - do a search for tour guide - Sergant Gai (GUY)- he is great, will meet you at the airport, speaks perfect English have used him many times - stay one night - Yang Come Sum Hotel - close to night market - beautiful clean - have Sergent Gai take you to a Thai hilltribe school - it is an amazing experience your kids won't forget. If you take first flight out, the first day you do the school and second day (fly late that day back to BKK) you can go to the Elephant place where the elephants paint and you can take a trek on them. He is about 1500 baht per day plus petrol. Another option for CM/CR is Four Seasons....check it out online....I personally did not care for CR and was starving because I couldn't/wouldn't eat the food there.
Always remember - expats eat at hotels.....you can always count on a decent meal and menu at the top hotels. We loved the bakery at Marriott downtown Soi 2.
Beach - we always stay at the Marriott in Phuket....beach is not one to lay on or swim in - not as pretty as the photo's - beaches that are in photo's are the ones that are on islands that have no hotels!
Phi Phi Island has beautiful beaches but you fly into Krabi and take a boat there. Any hotel that is located on a beach that has a town or shopping close by is going to be not as nice as you want it to be...lower your standards and you will enjoy any island you go to...if you are going to a beach, bring suntan lotion with you or plan to buy a bottle when you get to BKK. Nivea is my favorite lotion. Buy bug lotion when you get here - do not bring with you. It is formulated for the tropics and what you buy in the US is not.
Take BTS to Chatachuk or JJ Market - on a Friday, Sat or Sun...go early - 8:30 or 9. Again, just an experience and local shopping - it is suppose to be the world's largest market - who knows.
See what is happening at IMPACT - if there is anything going on there you might want to stop in. If you are a doctor, go to Bumrungrad and Samitivej Hospital- they are so nice compared to the US.....
In 10 days you have time to go to CM and south in my opinion...do not book your flight with your US flights.
Book separately....Check out prices on Air Asis, Nok Air, Bangkok Air...you purchase tickets for each way - there is no discount for a round trip fare. Very easy to book online yourself.
Have a great trip!

A lot will depend on your arrive and departure times assuming both are from Suvarnabhumi Airport. If your flight arrives late at night you will have 4 days in bkk as the 5 day you will be traveling. If you have an early departure you will want to stay in bkk the night before. With 5 people, your best transportation option will be to hire a mini van. I think northern Thailand is "More Thai" however I love the beaches down south. Hua Hin is only a 2 hour car ride from bkk. Pattya and Jomtian are also about 2-3 hours from bkk but not the best for families. I like the overnight train to Chang Mia as it saves you the travel time. The flight from bkk to Chang Mia or Pukent is just over an hour, but from the time you leave your hotel in bkk till you get to your hotel you have lost 4-5 hours. Have you looked into flying to Singapore from Pukent? Have Fun
http://www.phuket.com/activities/family.htm
http://thailand-traveler.com/hotels/...-_Family-Hotel