Tong not available - any recommendations for a differnet guide?
 

Hi All

As the title says Tong is booked ont he 17th Jan 2007 but has offered one of her other guides ( no specific names) . Have any of you used one of Tong's other guides and can you recommend them?

We are booking a guide for one full day - is there anywhere we should definitely not miss??

Tks!

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Where are you going?

kaneda:

Tong works out of Bangkok.

There is a running debate between Tong and Ratt but while Ratt is a driver first and a very knowledgeable guide (but not certified as a guide)she may be available. Her car though several years old has a terrific A/C unit and a 10 hour day local to BK-up to 20 mile or so radious- is ~2600 for a 10 hour day. If you gp to the floating market as part of your day then she charges 300-400Baht for gas.We used her for four 12-13 hours a day and with 20+% gratuity it cost us ~$90/day.

I think that any guides that Tong recommends would be good. We had Tong's husband who isn't a guide and were really happy with him.

I am in Bangkok now and used Jai as a tour guide. He works with Tong. Highly recommended. Also used Charlie who also works with Tong the day before yersterday and he was quite decent.

H

Thanks guys
Tong reverted and suggested Tom so I see from above that he is good? We are in B'kok for 2 and 1/2 days so we decided to get Tom for one full day and shop for the other..

Tks again

Indecisive: We found it much easier and comfortable to use the driver/guide for shopping if you plan on going to 3-4 plaza/malls. You remain in A/C all the time and you have a place to leave purchses between stops. For $65-$80 including a generous gratuity if earned for a 9-10 hour day it is really worth it, in my opinion.

I would use a driver/guide for out of town trips only. For sights within the city and shopping the combination of shytrain/subway/ferry should take you to most places. If not taxis are cheap as long as it is not in rush hour where you might get caught in traffic jams.
As for gratuites a 10% tip is sufficient for a driver/guide. After all you are in a country that tips very little, not like back home. I much prefer to tip the lower paid people more like maids, waitresses/waiters and taxi drivers.

Hi, How does one go about tying to book Tong or Ratt. We are in bkk a couple of times in late Jan. and early feb. and would like a car and driver for a couple of days..Thanks....er

To Eckardt

Tong's email address is:

[email protected]

We have booked her for January 24 and 25 - her availability in late January was getting pretty slim when we booked over a month ago.

Regards

Liz

Ratt's email is [email protected] or [email protected].

Her full day rate (10-11 hrs.) was 2500Baht in April '06. I think if you mention Stan Kase for we used her for 4 days in April for 10-14 hours a day plus a return to the airport on our way to Chiangi Mai all for $400 USD including a 15% gratuity.Two days were to destinations 30-50 miles out of BK. The other 2 were for shopping in several malls and 1 night market and on a Sat. at 9:30 for the opening of the weekend market. If you are there on a Sat./Sun. don't get there before 10 for 1/3 of the vendors do not open until 10 AM while others are open at 7 AM. Ideally get there at 9:45-10 and in 2 1/2 hours you will have seen enough for the heat of the day get's to you by 1PM.
She also followed up on some items we had designed (porcelain tea pots and cups) that we had hand painted that are $350-$500 in US were $70USD/tea pot and she sent pictures she took at the studio after we left when they were finished to insure we were satisfied before she shipped them to us. She is a "class act" though she sometimes speaks too fast and we have to remind her to slow down then it is "cool".

Thank You both very much, I will see what I can do...er

I have tried both e-mail address's for Ratt and have received a mess. saying they could no deliver, is this because her e-m box is too full or is somewhere else? Thanks....er

Did you use the whole address, or just click the link...the blue link doesn't include the whole address. You need to put the rat_ before bangkok in both addresses because fodors doesn't activate the whole link due to the _ used between rat and bangkok.

No I didn't, and thank you will re-try....er