Forgot to mention that Beth and I had a massage at the Yogi center downstairs at the Royal Princess again. This time just as we were getting into the clothes they gave us, Beth said she wanted an oil massage. Having read about several types of these, I was game. This one was a standard massage with fragrant oil rubbed on. It cost 200 Baht more per hour. Regular 300 Baht, oil 500 Baht per hour. I did not like the massage as well. More rubbing and less bending and twisting. I would skip this and get the traditional Thai massage.

Back to dinner at the Piccola Roma. Beth got the Ravioli which was as good as we've ever had, including Rome.

After dinner, we alked along the river with the gathering throng. It was about 8:30 p.m.. There was a constant stream of people walking towards Tha Pae Road where it meets the river. The sky was full of floating lanterns. A majestic sight. When we arrived at the cucial iontersection, th road had been blocked off and it was jammed with people there were lots of people igniting the flaoting lanterns.

An explanation. These lanterns consist of a paper wrapping in the shape of a condom about 4 feet tall. At the base there is a criss-cross of wire in an "X" with a cicle of sticky paper at the center that had been soaked in something flamable. Attached to a spot on the wire was a string of fire crackers. These were launched by several people holding the paper up at a 90 degree angle to the pavement. The paper was unfurled and held by people so the bottom was 2 feet off the ground. Someone would then light the circle of sticky paper and a flame would burn. This flame gave off hot ait that rises fully inflating the paper. This hot air is lighter than the normal air and the whole contraption rises. Many groups of people were doing this in close proximity. I thought only of lawsuits and liability. One of the newbies decided we would launch one.

So, I bought one for 90 Baht, no bargaining and we tried to lauch it. A group of hapless farangs unable to accomplish a simple procedure. Several Thais came to our rescue, but we had managed to tear a hole in the top of the papare and the hot air escaped and it did not rise. A Thai woman came over with some wire. She cut it to the proper length with her teeth and then performed a repair of our f. lantern. The sticky paper continued to burn, but it diod not rise. The fire works ignitede while I was holding the paper causing great merriment among the gathering Thais. Finally, the lantern rose about 25 feet off the ground and quickly "floated" directly into a tree. We walked away rapidly, my mind filled with newspaper stories of a burning Chiang Mai.

Undeterred, we made our way to the river bank. The royal Princess had given us a Krathong and I was elected to lauch it in the Ping River. I tried and tried and tried to light the candle, but it kept blowing out. Eventually, a Thai woman came to my rescue with a Bic lighter. I hotfooted it to the launching spot, became quiet for a brief respectful moment and launched it. This was done by thousands of people in an amazingly orderly fashion. In the US, there would have been a riot. We wandered a bit and returned to the hotel. All-in-all it was a wonderful time. I suggest that if you're going to Chiang Mai in November, try to be there for this festival. It's great.

GPanda, Great posts! How did you get to and around on SKP road? Did you use Sergeant Kai? Hope Beth has a card or something for the name of the cotton shop where you bought the shirts. Also, silver stores. I have lots of other questions, but will wait 'till you get back. Looking forward to hearing about Phuket, the Royal M Yacht Club & restaurants there. Enjoy your last days in BKK!

Gpanda - you shoulda' been a writer! Your story about the flaming lanterns in CM has me laughing out loud (not so good when I'm out Fodor's at the office). Glad you didn't burn down the town - I'd like there to be something left for my visit in Feb ;-)

Gpanda,
great report, was waiting for it!
We ate in Grand Lanna too, and we enjoyed it as well. It was our first meal in Thailand. Did you go to Siam Celadon? We bought great tea set there.

Hilarious description of flaming lanterns!

sophia

CFW-When we flew into CM, we were met by Nooy (previously misspelled as Noi) from Sergeaqnt Kai. We had booked a 1/2 ay tour to Doi Suthep. However, she took us to a few stores on S-road before our official tour began. On the dedicated shopping day, I engaged a driver outside the hotel. I was up early (as always) and he was waiting across the street at 7:00 a.m.. He approached me and we bargained a little. I told him we would like his services beginning at 10:00 a.m.. He was very receptive. Later, there were many other drivers lurking about. I'm sure you could arrange with Sergeant Kai for a shopping day. It would probably be more expensive with him, but also probably more helpful.

cjackson-I have the "opportunity" to write legal briefs regularly. The chance to let inject humor is a welcome relief. AThanks for your support. The newbies keep scanning these reports for scurrilous comments about them.

Emtravel-Beth and I did not go to Siam Celadon. 2 of the newbies did and they were impressed. I don't think they bought anything there. Maybe the only place they didn't buy something. I do recommend the other ceramic place beginning with a "P". I was much more taken with their stuff. There was a series of large standing vases that was stunning. 1 newbie did buy a set of square plates there. Beth almost bought a lamp to be shipped, but she did not pull the trigger.

The next day we caught an 11:20 plane direct from Chiang Mai to Phuket on Thai Air. There are 1 or 2 of these a day that don't make you go through BKK. We were dropped off at the airport by Nooy, who assisted in our check-in. We were sad to leave her.

Easy 2 hour flight to Phuket. Picked up by East-West Siam. Slightly more expensive than the hotel, but the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club (hereinafter "RMPYC") had been very slow in responding to my E-mail and aI went with a sure thing. As always, the drive down the island of Phuket was slow, passing lots of malls and new construction. All of it tourist dominated.

The RMPYC is in Nai Harn Beach near the South-Western tip of the island. CFW and everyone. We loved this hotel. It was very luxurious without being snooty. Our Deluxe rooms were spacious and the patio area is very usable, especially in the morning. The bathroom is great with a wonderful step down ceramic shower/bath that is very spacious. I do note that the rug was a little worn, but this minor drawback was the only negative in the entire place.

The beach is very nice with a stunning view. You can take a ride on a Zodiac to go snorkeling (equipment provided). When you get an attendant to set up your lounge chairs, have him use 2 umbrellas to provide more shade. The sun is very hot. 1 newbie burned from the reflection from the sand. We all loved this hotel.

Sounds wonderful...did you have dinner at the hotel? Heard the restaurant (can't remember the name) was delicious. Any other restaurant recommendations in Phuket? Did your driver recommend shops to you on your dedicated shopping day in CM? How did you find the cotton store there? Did your driver join you for lunch at Grand Lanna? If not what did he do while you were eating? I know, I sound like the newbies, but I am one!

andy---greetings from london---yuou are pathetic---i can see you trying to set those torches off!!! no you cannot do it at the 4th celebration from the cambridge side next july....
great report...looking for more...and of course the towers...kathie is away and must be about ready to resurface...she must have been gone over 3 weeks by now
bob

Geez, with everyone on this forum traveling who is going to mind the fort? Gpanda - anxiously awaiting the next installment.

I think I meant either "mind the store" or "hold down the fort" above.

In Narita on a 3 hour layover. Smooth so far.

CFW-Our drivewr did take us to one cotton store on S-road without direction. It was actually nice and low key sales. Mostly, Beth had done much research in various guide books, Fodors (of course), Frommers and Time Out. If you read the Shopping sections carefully, you can distinguish which stores are most suited to your taste. No, the driver did not have lunch with us. Essentially, he hung out just waiting for us. This was his major occupation during the day. Remember, he often gets "Tea Money" for bringinb Farangs to the store. We had several meals at the restaurants at The RMPYC. There are 3. The main one, the Quarterdeck is on the second floor. It's open on 3 sides and has a beautiful view of Nai Harn Beach and the cove. The food is good, but not spectacular. This is where the American Breakfast is served. We ate there for 3 dinners. All items were good. We also ate at the Promenade, the restaurant down on the beach. It's also quite good with lighter fare. The Roast Beef is presented in a very French fashion. We did not eat at the Italian restaurant even though it looked good.

Craig-mixing metaphors is hardly a rare phenomenon. I'm ofetn guilty. I do note that someone is needed ti mind the fort when the cavalry is out and about.

Bob-My head is full of images of celebrating Loy Krathong in Cambridge. Exactly how many munincipal ordinances would I be violating if I were to attempt to laucnh a floating lantern. In retrospect, I wish I had bought one to bring home, even though I'm not sure the sticky flamable paper ring would have passed security measures. I'll have to try to build one on my own. That will be comical. Do you have any suggestions as to from where I should attempt to lauch it next November?

What a great trip report, and we share a taste in Bangkok hotels!

Have just returned two days ago from Thailand, and was particularly interested in your description of the Loy Krathong lanterns, since I now realise that there are regional variations. You clearly had the safety version!

We were on the Andaman coast for Loy Krathong and the lanterns there were made of the same material as standard Thai carrier bags - just thin red and white or blue and white stripe plastic. Additionally, nothing so sophisticated as paper dipped in flammable liquid, we just had real candles strapped in place.

So the 'plastic bags' are very light and move with every breath of wind. And the naked candle does the same.......quite a few of the ones we saw never made liftoff having long since disappeared into flames.

And the ones that did make it then proceeded to drip molten candle wax down towards all those upturned faces. Amazingly I never heard anyone yelp with pain, so perhaps all their bad luck really had floated away with the Krathongs.

We just sat and thought of all the law suits you'd get in the US and all the regulations they'd breach in the UK whilst we enjoyed the spectacle.

This is such a great thread. The report and the repartee keep me coming back every day for more.

Our first trip to Aisa is coming up in Feb. and this website has played a major role in the planning. Fifteen days between Bangkok, Siem Reap, Railay Beach Krabi and Bangkok again for final shopping. Hope to contribute something useful to this site when we return.
Many thanks to all.

SueJ-I read in the Bangkok Post that they pulled 1 1/2 million Krathongs out of the Chao Phraya river the next morning. Did they launch Krathongs into the Andaman Sea? It would seem to be harder than launching into a river.

BrendaFaye-You'll have a great time. I'm sure you've read this, but I'll repeat, "Don't try to do everything one-after-the-other, without downtime in between". One of the things that makes Asia special is that it is both fascinating and relaxing. It can be very hot. If you become as taken as we, you'll be back ands you can do some of the things that you missed.

Back to chronology. I forgot to mention that one of the newbies flew from CM to BKK, stayed at the Amari Airport and flew home on 11/29/04.

Arrived RMPYC at about 3:30 p.m. and immediately hit the beach. Beth stayed and saw the sunset and reported that it was stunning. There was a message from Seacanoe that our guide would be unavailable for our bike trip on 11/30/04 and they wanted to reschedule. I thought Beth and I would discuss over dinner, but Seacanoe followed up with a telephone call and given the choice, Beth decided to do the bike trip on 12/1/04. Ominous foreshadowing music is appropriate here.


We had dinner at the Quarterdeck, a restaurant at the RMPYC. Beth and I had Thai food, good, but not great. The newbies had pasta. Coconut ice cream for dessert.

The next two days were essentially the same. Up early, a run on the local roads. Each day I noticed the same people out exercising. A few farangs riding bikes, two young Thai men running intervals and 3 muslim women walking for exercise. It was interesting to see them walk with the same determination as those at home, but with the addition of head scarves.

"American Breakfast". I consumed untold quantities of fresh fruit, eggs and bacon. It was not pretty. The newbies were appalled. Hah!

Out onto the beach. I had picked out the lounge chairs at the end of my run, but the beach never got completely full. My obsession remains from past vacations with early rising Europeans comandeering the best spots. One time on the Mayan Riviera, the only spots by 9:00 a.m. wre next to the garbage cans. I'm up early anyway, so who cares. I snorkeled around using the hotels equipment. A few nice fish, but not like in the keys. I didn't have the desire to go to one of the prime snorkeling spots. Lunch at the Promenade, the beach restaurant of RMPYC. Quite good and light after embarassing myself at breakfast. At about 3:00 p.m., I went to the open lobby area and smoked a cigar ( bought at Gaysorn Plaza in BKK as noted above). Then I went down and got a massage from the beach masdsage ladies. These were actrually much better than the usual beach massages. There is a dedicated massge place and the women have a few items such as towels and Tiger Balm. I was glad because I avoided springing for the massage at the hotel spa. Cost differential. Hotel, 2500 Baht for 1 hour 15 minutes. Beach massage was 400 Baht per hour. If you get a massage every day, the difference adds up fast.

On the second day, Beth and I and one of the newbies went to dinner at Mon Tri's Boathouse in Kata Beach. At about 11:00 a.m., I had the desk at the RMPYC make reservations for us for 7:45 p.m.. The timing detail may have been crucial. We also arranged for a driver at 7:00 p.m.from the hotel for 350 Baht.

We rode over to the Boathouse (about 15 minutes) and asked to look at their hotel rooms. We saw a suite and a superior. The suite was great. Very roomy and right on the beach at the second floor level. It wowed us. The superior was very nice, but paled in comparison to the suite. Big surprise. The suite was about $325 per night and the superior about $195. Both with an additional 17% added on. We had booked the deluxe rooms at the RMPYC for $185, inclusive and upon reflection thought that the RMPYC was a better deal. Also, the beach at the RMPYC seemed nicer, i.e., not as congested. I do note that Kata Beach has a fair amount of commerce and plenty of shops to wander through. Nai Harn Beach does not.

After looking at the rooms, Beth and trhe newbie browsed the gift shop. Several items were purchased.

All of the above was prelude. Dinner at the Boathouse was incredible. We were taken to the premier table in the joint. A 4-top overlooking the beach. The early reservation from the desk at the RMPYC may have played a part in that. While the view was superb, the food was even better. We had the Thai appetizer plate for 3 and got to sample several wonderful tastes. I had the king prawns, perfectly done. The rack of lamb was also very good. Engorged, we split one dessert among the 3 of us. I can't say enough about this restaurant. If you're in Phuket, make sure you eat there at least once, even if it's a long cab ride. It's definitely worth the time and effort.

Yes, Krathong were launched into the Andaman Sea! We had dinner at a small beach restaurant and they provided Krathong for everyone (I'd actually helped the family who owned the restaurant make some in the afternoon, which was very fiddly but great fun). The tide was high, and on the beach that we were on that always means a bit of surf.

So the options were either to launch it yourself by going right into the water well past your waist, or to let one of the waiters who had been 'volunteered' for the task take it past the surf for you.

We had been operating a two-person beach cleaning operation throughout our stay (it's amazing the effect on a relatively clean beach of taking two empty carrier bags when you go for a late afternoon walk, and making sure you bring them back full of rubbish). On the day after Loy Krathong there were a huge number of Krathong on the beach. The traditional ones made of Banana stem don't really present a problem and they will just decompose, but what we had not realised is that many of them are based upon a disc of polystyrene. So it was more than a two carrier bag day in terms of clearing up!

My wife, Daughter and I have just got back from Thailand - it was absolutely awesome.

We can't understand why more families don't go. We had helpf from www.thailand4kids.com - their website is a bit simple but their eBook 'A Guide to a Family Holiday in Thailand' was fantastic, just the information we needed.

We stayed in Bangkok for a few days and then headed up to Sukhothai (Stayed at Lutus Village)

A wonderful wonderful experience.

Gpanda, great report. I'm just back, still recovering from the jetlag and posting my report in little chunks on separate threads for the places I visited this trip (Singapore, KL and Lombok).

How did you like the Towers? I noted that you mentioned eating breakfast in the Towers Lounge. I like the quiet of the Lounge, but did you know that you also have the option for having breakfast downstairs with a full buffet where you can eat bacon and eggs and many other things to your heart's content? Did you go to the cocktail hour with drinks and canapes? Did you send piles of clothes to the laundry for free? Did they give you a room in the Kathie wing?

Welcome back Kathie-I was waiting for your return before posting on the Towers. I look forward to your response to my post.

As mentioned previously, we decided to stay in the Towers after reading Kathie's many positive posts. We arrived at the hotel at 1:00 a.m.. At that time, there is no "in room" check-in, so we checked in at the reception desk. We were given Room 2533. This is exactly the same as the deluxe room in which we had previously stayed except it was one story higher. I do note that we booked using Starwood points and did pay with cash. We like these rooms, but I was disappointed that a "Towers Room" was not more luxurious. I had booked a Junior Suite room for one of the newbies, using a Seniuor Discount (available with an AARP card even though I'm "only" 52) at $75 per night. The junior suite was very nice and very roomy. It was a significantly better room than ours.

We did take breakfast in the Towers lounge on the 26th floor each morning. This is a very good continental style breakfast. (Kathie, I did know wqe could go downstairs, but I figured I'd pig out at breakfast in CM and Phuket and I could hold back in BKK.) The view over the Chao Phraya each morning at breakfast was quite restful.

We thankfully used the free laundry (6 pieces per person per day). It was great and very prompt.

I used the internet many times. You were allowed one hour per day free, but they never asked for my room number and did not keep track. I did not abuse the privilege.

Beth really enjoyed the cocktail hour, with hors d'ouvres. She had a campari and soda. I was always engaged in massages or the like. When I did go up there during cocktail hour, I did n ote that it was well-attended.

When we came back after Phuket, it was in the afternoon and we did check in at the lounge. This is no big deal, one way or the other because I've never seen the reception desk in the lobby swamped with guests.

Overall, the Towers is very nice. It is very comfortable to have the extras. I did the math, and I don't believe the extras are worth the extra cost at the rack rate, but if you can get a deal, the cost differential may be reduced to a small enough figure to make it worthwhile. We always use Starwood points, so it's free, just more points. By my calculations, the extra points for the towers reduce the value of each Starwood point to about 2 1/2 cents each from 4 cents each for the deluxe room alone.

Beth really liked the Towers and we will probably stay there again.

Gpanda, I can't disagree with your comments. I don't think anyplace is worth the "rack rate." I generally stay in a Towers Suite, and can get it for slightly less than half the rack rate by calling the Starwood 800 number. At that price, it's a bargain given the amenities I use (I always max out the laundry allowance, have breakfast and evening drinks and canapes in the Club in place of dinner, up to an hour of free internet ...)

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip!