Thailand: So Little Time, So Much To Do
 

Hello World!!

I have just booked flights from London to Bangkok from 26th December 2006 to 13th January 2007 (Woohoo!!) – largely on the back of the experiences of my friends and what I’ve read on forums like this! I have been so amazed and excited reading about all of your travels and just wish I was as adventurous (and brave!). But I have broken the habit of a lifetime and decided to look beyond the old faithfuls of Spain and Greece, which are about the full extent of my travelling experience plus three months in Sydney on secondment from work where I didn’t really do much travelling/sight-seeing… Anyway my girlfriend, who is as poorly travelled as me, has happily agreed to accompany me. I really want this to be a trip to remember so I plead with you to help me, a novice, put together an action plan. So excited! Thank you all in advance.

Please note that we would like to spend some time in the North, Bangkok and the beach – so many beaches though, how do you chose?! Ashamedly we are quite touristy and want to do things like a day at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre and enjoy the one or two nights partying (not with a capital “p” though).

Over to you…

I know you will love Thailand! I rarely go back to the same place twice in one year or even twice in a lifetime! I was just in Thailand in Feb. for 3 1/2 weeks and I am returning in Nov. for the same length of time (although I will spend part of that time in Laos).

In order for us to help you we should know a bit about your interests and budget.

You may consider:

Bangkok: At least 5-6 nights total but a week would be ideal

Chiang Mai: 3-4 nights, staying at the Baan Orapin

A beach location or two

You may want to put together a loose itinerary and then post it for review. Some folks on this forum return year after year and will have lots of feedback.

Cheers!

Ok, you want time in Northern Thaiand, at a beach and in Bangkok. Depending on your priorities, you can decide how to balance that time. I figure you have perhaps 17 days on the ground in Asia.

Bangkok: If you've been reading this board, you know that many of us love Bangkok. There are lots of things to do and see, plus fabulous food and fabulous shopping. People often like to split their Bangkok time between the beginning of the trip and the end of the trip, as you fly in and out of Bangkok. No doubt you've seen lists of must-dos in Bangkok, so I won't repeat that here. I'd recommend not fewer than 5 days in Bangkok and consider more,

Northern Thailand: You have lots of options as to how to spend your time. Chaing Mai, CHaing Rai, Pai, Mae Hong Son... there are many places to visit. You can do a loop by hiring a car and driver. You can also spend more than one day at the Elephant camp, do you fancy being a mahout? Do you want to trek? Think about what kinds of activities you want.

In December/January the Phuket side of the peninsula has great weather. So cross Koh Samui, Koh Chang, Koh Tao, etc. off your list and instead do research on Phuket, Krabi, PhiPhi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lak, etc. Think about whther you want a secluded place (downside, you are captive to your resort) or a lively place with lots of closeby options for dining and drinking (downside, more crowded, more touts) or someplace in between.

tell us a little about your budget and we can help more....do you want to be nearer to shopping or sightseeing or a fabulous pool?? in bkk there is no central location...

one note, upon arrival it may take you 2 days to unwind from jet lague, etc, so plan to lay a bit low on day one and even day two....they are sort of lost days...for this reason i always want to be near a huge swimming pool or near to the beach...

most flights arrive at late nite so this is a bit of a pain as well...

internal flights on bkk air and thai air and the discounters (often unreliable) are quick and cheap...r.t to phuket is only about $125. US...

give us some more direction and we will go to town for you

a great hotel site is: www.huahin.20m.com, but unfortunately their winter rates are not posted yet...

Since you've been to Spain and Greece you have probably been to some lovely beaches and since you want this to something VERY different I would divide the 17 days by spending 6-7 days in Bangkok, 3 days in Chiang Rai, 2 or 3 days in the Chiang Rai/Golden Triangle area and the remaining 2 or 3 days at at a beach.

Yes do tell us your budget, don't worry, there are some millionairs here but most of us go for nice/value, when 'we' travel around we spend between B 1,400 to 2,000 and always stay in comfort.
Deciding your besch time is actualy very important as you are in the highrest price time of the year, so think with care about whether you want to pay to be right on the beach or if you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk to save yourselves a lot(!)-Imprtant factor to think about.

Bob, it seems to be some hotels that have not agreed rates, as you know the rates are fixed once posted so I guess they make sure they get final deals and not have those loussy changes, anyway we are just about to book trips out of town over Christmas and new year and the rates are showing for the places we want to stay.

Sorry fatboykings, just a little side-tracked there!
Anyway let us know budget, as already said there are budget airlines that are real cheap, but One-2-Go is not realy 'budget' but does have cheap fares.

You will have a great time!
First thing, find yourself a good map so when we mention places to can check where they are.

With your time, you'll be able to do three locations without being rushed. I strongly recommend that you not try to squeeze in four or more. Bangkok is a must. Length of stay should depend on whether you are city people or not. If you like London, you'll love BKK. Reading that Greece and Spain are your usual haunts, I'm inferring that you like beaches. Phuket, Krabi or Ko Lanta fit weather=wise. For third spot, you should choose either Northern Thailand or Angkor Wat (in Cambodia). Both are an hour flight from BKK. If you're nature people, N.Thailand. If you like ancient ruins, AW should not be missed. AW is truly amazing.

We will be glad to assist with hotels, but you should mention any budget considerations. Generally, hotels are much cheaper in Thailand than Europe.

Our flight lands in BKK at 06:50 and we were thinking about flying straight to Chiang Mai as there’s a flight (Thai Airways) at 09:20 – is that enough time to get through customs, etc? We then planned (well not actually planned but thinking about… you know what I mean!) to spend 5 nights here. First day getting over the flight with a Thai Massage at the Oasis Resort (yet another gem I’ve picked up on here!). We have been quoted BHT 1,900 per night at the Baan Orapin – this place seems to be a firm favourite on this board! Day#2 Sight seeing – do we need a driver? Day#3 we want to do the One Day Manhout Training Course at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang. Day#4 Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle daytrip arranged by Chiangmai Tours (Sergeant Kai?). Day#5 Doi Inthanon National Park – definitely need more info on this though.

Then to a couple of beaches for a week – Phuket for 3 nights (one night in Patong just to experience the pandemonium!) and to Krabi for 3 nights (including day trips to Phi Phi and kayaking through the cave of Ao Thalane) and finally two nights recuperating on Koh Lanta which sounds nice and have been quoted BHT 2,500 per night at the Narima Bungalow Resort. It looks and sounds good but your advices would be welcomed!

Then fly from Krabi to Bangkok for 4 nights!!

Any recommendations of where to stay in Phuket, Krabi or Bangkok - £50/BHT 3,000 a night.

So first impressions?

my favorite bkk location is the marriott resort and spa on the river...it would be about 70 pounds per nite from the discount sites or less..

for less money would be majestic grande on soi 2, sukhumvit....or one of the serviced apartments like centre point...

look at that hotel site i gave to you above for all locations...

Yes, almost 4 hours is plenty of time to clear immigration and customs.

Your plan seems well-balanced. Personally, I would subtract one day from CM and add it to BKK. We love BKK and its energy. In truth, some find it hot and polluted. There's little way of knowing until you experience it. Also, many on this forum stay on the river in BKK. It's a little more pricey than other spots, but the river is a nice respite from the frenetic pace.

Arriving on 27th december good idea to book with Thai, which airline are you flying into Bangkok on ? if you are flying longhaul with Thai they will check you and your baggage all the way through to Chiang Mai and they take care of you, i.e usualy have your name on board as your flight arrives and direct you through to lounge for your connecting flight, you do customs and immigration in Chiang mai.

Note: Chiang mai to Phuket - only 1 non stop per day, it's Thai. That flight gets booked months and months ahead for that time of year. if you are doing BKK-CM-Phuket-BKK then check their special pass ticket, cheaper for those 3 sectors, call Thai in your home country and they will tell you all ( note : You do 'not' have to fly longhaul with them to get the deal, you can fly in any airline, it makes good sense moneywise to use that pass deal on the routing you are thinking of ).

hey, patong used to be by hometown ! It's fun and lively, don't try and move around too much, 3 days Phuket, 3 in krabi and then 2 on Koh lanta might be rushing it a lot, I would cut out Koh lanta, note you are traveling over the absolute 2 busiest weeks of the entutire year, not just for tourists but for Thai people too, so you need to plan with care. Hotel prices are also at their absolute peak! There are nice reasonable priced places in south patong a short walk to beach like Dunagjitt resort and Coconut Village if you are looing 3 star mid-price range, but remember highest price time of the year.

http://www.phuket-luxury-hotels.com if you are looking upmarket, http://www.patong-beach-hotels.com for Patong, unless you are looking for top luxury Coconut Village is good value and has large grounds and nearer to south part of Patong. If you want the 'tops' in Patong then the Impiana Cabana. If you want close to nightlife and the center then Thara Patong is good. Try www.beachsiam.com for ideas for Krabi, Koh lanta etc.

Actualy for peak weeks Coconut Vilolage at between USD 55-75 ( actualy for a normal room in UK pounds 29-39 or 34-37 for a deluxe ) is a bargain. It has been around for years, as I say 3 star range but the large grounds, nice pool, walking ditance to restaurants and bars yet away enough to be 'non-hectic' is in my opinion a good choice, it's comfortable and easy location

http://www.r24.org/patong-beach-hote...llage/details/

Sorry have not heard of narima on Koh Lanta, but new places coming up all the time.

since when is a person from OZ having patong as his hometown????????????????

Home is where your heart is !! Obviosuly no Country & Western fan !

hahaha....at least you have a sense of humor...too much karoake for you

Does this mean that those of us with no heart, also have no home?

Over the passed few weeks I have become a Google connoisseur researching here, there and everywhere but there’s just so much to see and do in Thailand. But… I’ve finally managed to put together an itinerary. Please critique and let me know your thoughts. I also need help with some good ‘value’ hotels in Krabi (Ao Nang) and Bangkok – BHT 1000 – 3000 a night would be super!

26/12/2006 – FLYING (LGW – BKK – CMX)
27/12/2006 – CHIANG MAI, BAAN ORAPIN
28/12/2006 – CHIANG MAI, BAAN ORAPIN
29/12/2006 – CHIANG MAI, BAAN ORAPIN
30/12/2006 – PHUKET, SALATHAI RESORT
31/12/2006 – PHUKET, SALATHAI RESORT
01/01/2007 – PHUKET, SALATHAI RESORT
02/01/2007 – PHUKET, SALATHAI RESORT
03/01/2007 – KHOA SOK NATIONAL PARK, OUR JUNGLE HOUSE
04/01/2007 – KHOA SOK NATIONAL PARK, OUR JUNGLE HOUSE
05/01/2007 – KRABI ???
06/01/2007 – KRABI ???
07/01/2007 – KRABI ???
08/01/2007 – KRABI ???
09/01/2007 – BANGKOK ???
10/01/2007 – BANGKOK ???
11/01/2007 – BANGKOK ???
12/01/2007 – BANGKOK ???
13/01/2007 – FLYING (KBV – BKK – LHW)

It's a lot of beach time, but assuming this is what you're seeking, the intinerary sounds good.

we can help for bkk but we have to know more what you want....near to what??

centre point serviced apartments are in your price range probably...

majestic grande is also

davis hotel also

grnad president on soi 11??, sukhumvit

pratnum (sp) princess

next month go to www.huahin.20m.com to look at their winter pricing for hotels....you can look now for reference but the prices are lower now---maybe 15-20% lower now

Do note that you have opted to spend the majority of your time at the beach. Your Thai cultural experiences will be necessarily brief stays in Chaing Mai and Bangkok. If you have more interest in Thai culture, you'll need to rebalance your itinerary.

I dont think it is unbalanced at all. you have khao sok in the middle of phuket and krabi.. i think it looks ideal. if i were you i would stay at ko lanta (narima) instead of krabi. that way if you want to day trip you have lots of options, being in the middle of phi phi, krabi, ko ngai, ko jum... i have been told that lanta is spectacular and a much better option than krabi. have a look at the lonely planet thorn tree forum and also tripadvisor for some info - a good person to contact re ko lanta is susannah bachman of lanta longtail - she has been really helpful with helping me decide my itinerary in that part of thailand. www.lantalongtail.com - we are staying at the narima at the end of december and cant wait.

Feel exhausted, all this planning... need a holiday!!! Ok, Baan Orapin, Suk 11 and Our Jungle House have been booked in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Khao Sok respectively - so nearly done! (Phew!!). Please can you help me solve the Phi Phi vs Koh Lanta debate? We were siding with the latter and ready to book up at the Lanta Long Beach Resort (???) but then tonight we read a few reviews that said Koh Lanta is perhaps too sedate for us i.e. What what is there to do in the evenings? Can we combine both Koh and Phi Phi over 4 nights (2 nights at each) as we are flying from Krabi to Bangkok? Thanks in advance!

We are staying at Ko Lanta (3 nights Narima & 3 nights Lanta Long Beach Resort) over New Years. From what I hear Long Beach isnt sedate. We were thinking of going to Phi Phi but I have heard it is more backpackerish than Lanta. We are early 30's and love a few drinks, but not likely to stay out til dawn. If you post a message on tripadvisor.com, there is a forum memeber called mosegrisen who spends a lot of time on Lanta, they may be able to help you out. Thorn Tree forum at Lonely Planet has a few recent posts on Phi Phi and Lanta as well... My impression is Phi Phi gets a younger crowd and lanta is more mixed... could be wrong though.

PS from Khao Sok it is realistic to go through phuket to phi phi for 2 nights then onto Lanta but then you only really have the one full day at each place... i would base yourself in one place (lanta is more central to everything) and day trip to the other...

Thanks Reeta! We tried to book Narima but they are fully booked - Already! I think we'll stick with Koh Lanta for 4 nights and use it as a base to see other islands if we can drag ourselves off of the beach. Thanks

wow! ok well a couple of places i would suggest is lanta long beach (book through sawadee - cheapest).. or there is a new one called mango house.. website should be up and running soon and the guy is going to send me the info once he has it up.. if you like I can pass it on... I found a small write up on it and it sounds gorgeous. the write up says:

Mango House on Fisherman's Pier in Lanta Old Town - a quaint and charming 100 hundred year old fishing village on Lanta's south-west coast - is a new-concept mini-hotel cum haute B & B. Emerging from a row of renovated timber Chinese shop-houses on a pier directly facing the fantastical island views of southern Phang Nga Bay, the new community will eventually host a series of upmarket, private access villas and suites, and a waterfront seafood restaurant and wine bar in keeping with the historic cultural landscape of the area.

"The Mango House concept follows a trend based on discreet, 'home away from home' mini-hotels now to be found in some of Europe's most fashionable neighbourhoods," says developer Duane Lennie.

"Many people now, when they travel, do not like to stay in large impersonal hotels so the mini-hotel idea is a great alternative".

http://www.kolantamagazine.com/artma...icle_105.shtml

Let me know if you want the details he sends... or his direct email address.
What dates are you in Lanta?

Oh and I found this write up also from the same website:

Two new, "alternative" accommodations will be added to the Best of Ko Lanta booking system on this website after March 15th: Mango House in Lanta Old Town and Sang Kha Ou Resort close to the Sea Gypsy village, both located on the cultural west coast of Ko Lanta.

Mango House is a unique home stay situated in Lanta Old Town – an historical port village that once served as a merchant harbor for the ancient silk trade between China and India.

Built over the sea in a renovated 100-year old Chinese shop house, Mango House features the original charm of the teak wood structure that once served as a government run opium den.

Spacious, boutique-style suites with dark wood work and rich silks provide simple, elegant comfort and views of seven tropical islands or village street life.

Sang Kha Ou is a truely unique resort located at the on secluded west side of the island a paradise for those wanting to escape the tourists.

Choose from Boat Houses, Tree Houses and Rock Cave suites. Close to the beach and the island's best launching point for daily cruises to the numerous local islands.

I couldnt find any contact details for Sang Kha Ou, and never heard back from this website when I enquired. I have heard from someone who was just on Lanta who said they had a look at it and it was great. That might be another option

xx