The Life and Times of CS in BKK
 

First of all, thanks Sandra (mcbeanie) for the suggestion of the title of my new "live" from BKK thread. I didn't really want to go with the same old boring sort of title that I've used so many times in the past.

I left on UA on Thursday at noon, from ORD, on the nonstop to NRT. It is now Friday afternoon, and I'm sitting in the NRT Red Carpet Lounge as I type. Another 6hr flight, and I'll be touching down in BKK once again. Trip #17.. but who's counting! I think this is solo trip #4. It's yet another SHOPPING trip.

I flew in business class from ORD to NRT. I did a buy-up at the gate (actually I did the buy-up in the Red Carpet at ORD). I know, Don (rizzuto), it's pathetic that airlines would sell business class seats at the last minute... and some of us relish the idea of paying up just so we can get a good meal and then SLEEP! And sleep I did! Almost all 13hrs of the flight. No movies, no map watching, just sleep, and one light meal. It really was glorious.

I expected to see lots of folks in face masks at NRT (H1N1, you know) but I haven't seen anyone yet. Last time I came over, there were quite a few people wearing them. We shall see what BKK looks like.

I'll be in touch with fellow fodorites here, as I shop my way around BKK, Chiang Mai, and maybe even a little bit on Samui.

Bob, I'll try to remember to check on Kinnaree for your GTG in BKK in NOV.
Sandra, I plan to look at both Venus and SJ Int'l, if time doesn't get away from me.

Please remind me if there is anything else I'm supposed to be checking on for anyone! I'll do what I can. 12 days on the ground is going to go very quickly.

Enjoy your day! I plan to enjoy mine, once these dreadfully long flights are over.

Carol

Shop 'til you drop. Have a great time. We expect ongoing updates about your progress. Never once have you risked the imposition of a penalty.

Have a great time Carol. I am hoping you find a great new shopping area that Beth and I can drag Bob and Andy to. We have been having BKK weather here in the NE. Bob keeps reminding me that I don't complain about it when I am in BKK.

for me you can do the following: have a great time!!

Just returned from a day at MBK. To the Sat market tomorrow. Daughters having a good time. Bought a T shirt for myself. Looking forward to a nice Face massage soon. Enjoying the Conrad. Hope You have a good time here.

loving the "on the ground" updates keep em coming.

Carol, were the biz seats the upgrades, lay-flat seats? They are telling me that the 777 from SEA-NRT will not be new seats, but the 747 from NRT-BKK will be for our November trip.

Have a great time, Carol!

I thought I heard you passing over us yesterday,lol. Have a great time! Where's Brad?

Aloha!

I'm in the States for a couple months.

See you at the Hawaii GTG next month.

carol, have a great trip. you are so lucky that you can snooze for sooo long on a plane. say hi to maeng for me.

kathie, the 747s that i've flown from nrt to bkk recently have the lay-flat bed. while i don't sleep, i love the comfort, and the continous avod. the seats also have a regular 110 plug.

... welcome back to Bangkok, Carol! (And do hope you remembered to book a 'double room' at your favourite Adel. Suites, for those occasional tender times with those fun-loving Aviva masseuses. ... (Quite possibly, less than one-third your age.) And, if you do go with Aviva, please tell the lovely 'owner' Kuhn 'P', that Khun Robert says, 'thanks for the memories'.)

Speaking of massages, I have a mission for you, Khun Carol: now, rumour has it, last visit, you and your billiard loving son, Brad, 'bar fined' a couple of lovelies from Annie's for 'short-time' pleasure at a restaurant. (Perhaps the first 'G-Rated' Annie's 'foursome' in quite some time.) If you think of it, do give those Annie's 'owners' a hello from the occasionally Singapore/Thailand-based, Khun Robert. Mind you, it's been a 'few' years since I've frequented Annie's. (Was always partial to Aviva, Thonglor, a certain 'soapy', and yes, Khun 'A's women.)

Keep up the good work, Carol: this trip, do remember to turn it up a notch with drinks in the SGS 'Living Room' with my all=time cherished after-work Bangkok waitress (the one who looks like Zhang Ziyi); hitting 1K with UA (you're gonna love those 'SWUs' and 'CR-1's); and finally, going all the way and falling forever in love with yes, Singapore Airlines. Do a one-day SQ J turnaround, BKK-SIN, shop till you drop at Changi, and fly back to your Bangkok room ... (and that Aviva masseuse)...

macintosh (robert)


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

She just called from the Adelphi, so she made it.

One more thing I forgot on the phone: The guy from Omaha e-mailed about the car & asked how far we are from the Amtrak Station.

I'm here!!! (as Brad says)...
I've just been to Pickled Liver where I surprised Maeng. She knew I was coming, but not exactly when. Such a delightful person. She is all excited about going to Koh Samui with me next week for a couple of days. She is all smiles, as always. The PL was quite busy!

Good news, Brad, concerning the car. SELL IT!!

Something new has been added to security at BKK. When you come up the ramp to enter passport/immigration, you now must walk in a single file line, where there are video cameras taking pictures of everyone entering. Wonder why? Are they expecting something???

Kathie, the lie flat beds WILL be on the NRT to BKK flight. Lucky me, I had one from ORD to NRT. They are really great! I flew "backwards" and it was not a bother at all. I did not upgrade on the shorter NRT-BKK flight. I had an aisle seat in economy+ that was OK. I had already slept about as much as I was going to! We were flying around a typhoon in Taipei, so we had a few bumps. The flight attendants had to take their seats maybe four different times on the 6hr flight. But I have been on bumpier rides, so it was tolerable.

Adelphi feels like home. I'm back in one of their biggest apartments (if you stay here, it's the --01 room numbers). The view is of Soi 6 and the Sukhumvit Grande Hotel (was called Sofitel for a short time). The staff at the desk welcomed me "home" again. They are all very kind here.

I have my nibbles from the 7-11 next door, the TV is on, and I'm hopefully going to unpack and then fall asleep.

Maeng comes at 10 in the morning to go to Chatuchak!! Hope the shopping is good! MJS... maybe we'll be there at the same time! Have fun shopping. I'll be at MBK, probably tomorrow afternoon sometime.

I'll be posting regularly. Enjoy your day!

Carol

Carol-
I'll be following along.

Are you sure that wasn't a thermal imaging scanner for the swine flu at the airport? We noticed one in Hanoi, though not in BKK.

That's what it is. It measures body temperature.

Carol: I thought about you in the air yesterday, and I am envious since our trip is still 7 weeks away. Everything is ready except the packing, and I'm really last minute on that.

We are booked into the Adelphi Suites beginning October 7. Will you please stop at the desk and ask them to put us in a "01" room if possible. We have booked an executive one-bedroom for a week, but will probably extend it once we are there and see how much we like it. The idea of an escalator to the BTS is wonderful since I am still have intermittent problems with my knee. But the cortisone shots have help -- A LOT!

Have a great time -- and let Maeng know that we will be at the PL to meet her sometime in October.

Take care,

Sandra (McBeanie)

McBeanie,
I think you will like Adelphi. It is one of the best locations for Sky Train users in the city. And you get a much bigger and newer room for the money than you will find from the competition.

I'll be in town in October as well. Maybe I'll see you there?

Brad:

That is something we will look into. When Carol was in Houston the first part of July, we met for coffee at her hotel and had a very nice visit. We have a lot in common other than Thailand.

We will leave IAH the end of September but are going to Phuket for about 10 days before going back to BKK and the Adelphi.

Keep in touch about October.

Sandra (McBeanie)

Now I'm curious... imaging machine? Maybe. Does an imaging machine look like a video cam?? That's what it looked like to me. That would make sense. I have seen a few people in face masks around BKK, but not as many as I saw at NRT back in April/May!

AO... your idea of a day-jaunt to Singapore really sounds appealing. But I don't think I'll make it on this trip. I'll see how it goes. That would add some miles to my "almost 1k" status this year w/Star Alliance. I doubt it would be enough to put me over the top though. But I really appreciate the suggestion.

So, AO, if you used to frequent Annie's, did you also frequent the Tequila Pub, by any chance? My dear friend, Dr Jack, used to be a co-owner. Maybe you two know each other???

Gotta go get breakfast and then off the JJ! My mind is in a fog right now (jet lag) but hopefully I get some good deals.

Carol

Thermal Imaging.

Different temperatures are different colors. I think blue/green is cool, red/yellow is hot.

It can tell if you have a high temperature.