Trip Report - Part 1 - Bangkok
Dec 13th, 2005 | 02:15 AM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Trip Report - Part 1 - Bangkok
Trip Report SE Asia - Part 1 Bangkok Hotels
I am not a writer, have never prepared a trip report and didn’t plan to this time. However, many on this board have been extremely helpful to me and good or bad I felt I should relay my experiences. My only problem is I am stuck with the gift of gab and this will be much longer than it should be. Please ignore the minute you get bored. Another reason for the report, I will not mention names but I was nearly threatened by a certain person who loves the Marriott and hates the Royal Orchid Sheraton.
Flew Business Class on Air France using FF miles and also left from Europe so the flight was not nearly as long. Arrived BKK approx 4:30pm and did not have arrangement made for a limo. The line was a mile long and the counters had a 45-60 minute wait for their 800 baht taxi. We went upstairs to departures and I knew the taxis would not use meters but the first one I stopped asked for 300 baht plus tolls. I thought that was very fair and he whisked us off to the Sheraton Royal Orchid in no time flat!
Royal Orchid Sheraton was an absolute delight. My room was a good size, gorgeous view of the river, airy and light feeling with the beige walls and carpets. I am a member of SPG and Sheraton does a good job of upgrading when possible however I am not sure if I got one. The room was definitely recently renovated. There was a lovely bowl of fruit in the room. The entire staff was gracious as I was to find of all Thai hotels. I enjoyed having two pools, one in with the garden views and the other on the river.
In the evening they were preparing for the upcoming holiday Loy Krathong and we saw parades of decorated boats and klongs riding up and down the river. Quite lovely. Got a private klong tour for 1 hour at River City for only 600 baht and we finished at the Grand Palace.
Think I should mention our experience since I am sure it happens all the time. We took the klong on a Sunday and arrived about 10am. We walked through the small market in the direction of the Grand Palace and were stopped by a young tuk tuk driver who informed us that he would gladly take us anywhere we would like to go since we were two hours too early for the Grand Palace. He explained that Sunday the Palace was closed until noon since the King spends time with his family. Sounds good to me but I was a bit annoyed that they let me be dropped off there since it wasn’t open. We were on the side street and the gates did look closed. There was an elderly gentlemen dressed in a suit who came to us to ask if he could help since we looked “lost”. I told him we wanted to go to the Grand Palace and he also told us a similar story about the King spending time with his family on Sundays. Of course he happened to own a fabric shop and would be happy to take us there at no cost to “kill” the two hours. I was annoyed and figured we would just take the local water taxi back to the hotel. At the river there is an info booth and I asked which taxi to take back, he told me it was 14 baht and asked if I enjoyed the Palace. Upon hearing my story he was furious and sent us back as the Palace was open. We saw the tuk tuk driver and told him we were telling the police (just a scare) and he told me that he just found out that the King’s family left and the Palace was now open. We arrived to see that approximately 5000 people made it there before us. I hurt my neck looking for the “sucker” sign that must have been on my back.
We are not big eaters and unfortunately do not really care for Thai food. Both of us were sick with the flu at one time or another so we didn’t try many of the suggested restaurants. We did have dinner in the hotel at ETC since they had a buffet. One of the items was lamb chops made to order and we kept the chef quite busy. We had most of our food, cocktails etc at the 5 star hotels so it was somewhat pricier than it could have been but we enjoyed travelling first class. Also ate in the Thai restaurant on the second floor, Thara Thong and that wasn’t bad. Drinks at the Oriental, Peninsula and a small restaurant in River City. I know most people love Thai food so just consider us the execption.
JW Marriot - rooms were lovely, a bit larger than the Royal Orchid but I did prefer staying on the river. I did not like this part of Bangkok. Call me fussy (I am) but it turned me off to see all the people sitting in the streets eating, many people begging etc. Also my husband was running a high fever so I was on my own somewhat. If I returned to Bangkok I would only stay on the river. Ate in the Steakhouse and it was ok but quite expensive. For 300 baht I got an excellent haircut in the small mall across from the Marriott in a shop called Scissors. My husband also had a haircut somewhere on Wireless Road - 100 baht - excellent job. Went to the Jim Thompson House and also Wat Po - enjoyed both. Saw the elephant walking down one of the streets and realized I was in the midst of the tourist area.
In Bangkok also stayed one night at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel. I would give this a definite thumbs up with one exception. Housekeeping must learn to clean bathrooms better. Were given a nice room, room was clean and quite attractive but the bathroom was quite dirty. Asked to change rooms, stated my complaint and was moved to another room which was better but still could use a good scrubbing. The room itself was clean and quite large. The bathroom is well lit, separate shower, full tub with TV etc. Ate at the Japanese restaurant and it was very good. Not a sushi eater but there was plenty to choose from. Had many, many selections and you could choose your own food to be stir fried which included seafood, pork, veal, beef etc. Shabu Shabu was excellent as were quite a few of the dishes including the wonderful maple nut ice cream. I think the buffet was only about 500 baht per person. Nice décor in the dining room.
. . . Now, despite my complaint about housekeeping , I must tell you the most impressive part of my stay. I had booked the room through Sawadee for approx $60 including breakfast and free airport shuttle. This was booked months ago and I never bothered to reconfirm. My flight from Ho Chi Minh arrived about one hour late and there stood the driver from the Miracle Grand holding up a sign for us. I was shocked. I never expected him to be there and we were the only couple he was picking up. It is only about 10 minutes to the airport but this was most impressive. They also held some luggage for one week at no charge. Worth a stay if you need to be near the airport but speak up if you think something is wrong - they do seem to care very much.
I am not a writer, have never prepared a trip report and didn’t plan to this time. However, many on this board have been extremely helpful to me and good or bad I felt I should relay my experiences. My only problem is I am stuck with the gift of gab and this will be much longer than it should be. Please ignore the minute you get bored. Another reason for the report, I will not mention names but I was nearly threatened by a certain person who loves the Marriott and hates the Royal Orchid Sheraton.
Flew Business Class on Air France using FF miles and also left from Europe so the flight was not nearly as long. Arrived BKK approx 4:30pm and did not have arrangement made for a limo. The line was a mile long and the counters had a 45-60 minute wait for their 800 baht taxi. We went upstairs to departures and I knew the taxis would not use meters but the first one I stopped asked for 300 baht plus tolls. I thought that was very fair and he whisked us off to the Sheraton Royal Orchid in no time flat!
Royal Orchid Sheraton was an absolute delight. My room was a good size, gorgeous view of the river, airy and light feeling with the beige walls and carpets. I am a member of SPG and Sheraton does a good job of upgrading when possible however I am not sure if I got one. The room was definitely recently renovated. There was a lovely bowl of fruit in the room. The entire staff was gracious as I was to find of all Thai hotels. I enjoyed having two pools, one in with the garden views and the other on the river.
In the evening they were preparing for the upcoming holiday Loy Krathong and we saw parades of decorated boats and klongs riding up and down the river. Quite lovely. Got a private klong tour for 1 hour at River City for only 600 baht and we finished at the Grand Palace.
Think I should mention our experience since I am sure it happens all the time. We took the klong on a Sunday and arrived about 10am. We walked through the small market in the direction of the Grand Palace and were stopped by a young tuk tuk driver who informed us that he would gladly take us anywhere we would like to go since we were two hours too early for the Grand Palace. He explained that Sunday the Palace was closed until noon since the King spends time with his family. Sounds good to me but I was a bit annoyed that they let me be dropped off there since it wasn’t open. We were on the side street and the gates did look closed. There was an elderly gentlemen dressed in a suit who came to us to ask if he could help since we looked “lost”. I told him we wanted to go to the Grand Palace and he also told us a similar story about the King spending time with his family on Sundays. Of course he happened to own a fabric shop and would be happy to take us there at no cost to “kill” the two hours. I was annoyed and figured we would just take the local water taxi back to the hotel. At the river there is an info booth and I asked which taxi to take back, he told me it was 14 baht and asked if I enjoyed the Palace. Upon hearing my story he was furious and sent us back as the Palace was open. We saw the tuk tuk driver and told him we were telling the police (just a scare) and he told me that he just found out that the King’s family left and the Palace was now open. We arrived to see that approximately 5000 people made it there before us. I hurt my neck looking for the “sucker” sign that must have been on my back.
We are not big eaters and unfortunately do not really care for Thai food. Both of us were sick with the flu at one time or another so we didn’t try many of the suggested restaurants. We did have dinner in the hotel at ETC since they had a buffet. One of the items was lamb chops made to order and we kept the chef quite busy. We had most of our food, cocktails etc at the 5 star hotels so it was somewhat pricier than it could have been but we enjoyed travelling first class. Also ate in the Thai restaurant on the second floor, Thara Thong and that wasn’t bad. Drinks at the Oriental, Peninsula and a small restaurant in River City. I know most people love Thai food so just consider us the execption.
JW Marriot - rooms were lovely, a bit larger than the Royal Orchid but I did prefer staying on the river. I did not like this part of Bangkok. Call me fussy (I am) but it turned me off to see all the people sitting in the streets eating, many people begging etc. Also my husband was running a high fever so I was on my own somewhat. If I returned to Bangkok I would only stay on the river. Ate in the Steakhouse and it was ok but quite expensive. For 300 baht I got an excellent haircut in the small mall across from the Marriott in a shop called Scissors. My husband also had a haircut somewhere on Wireless Road - 100 baht - excellent job. Went to the Jim Thompson House and also Wat Po - enjoyed both. Saw the elephant walking down one of the streets and realized I was in the midst of the tourist area.
In Bangkok also stayed one night at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel. I would give this a definite thumbs up with one exception. Housekeeping must learn to clean bathrooms better. Were given a nice room, room was clean and quite attractive but the bathroom was quite dirty. Asked to change rooms, stated my complaint and was moved to another room which was better but still could use a good scrubbing. The room itself was clean and quite large. The bathroom is well lit, separate shower, full tub with TV etc. Ate at the Japanese restaurant and it was very good. Not a sushi eater but there was plenty to choose from. Had many, many selections and you could choose your own food to be stir fried which included seafood, pork, veal, beef etc. Shabu Shabu was excellent as were quite a few of the dishes including the wonderful maple nut ice cream. I think the buffet was only about 500 baht per person. Nice décor in the dining room.
. . . Now, despite my complaint about housekeeping , I must tell you the most impressive part of my stay. I had booked the room through Sawadee for approx $60 including breakfast and free airport shuttle. This was booked months ago and I never bothered to reconfirm. My flight from Ho Chi Minh arrived about one hour late and there stood the driver from the Miracle Grand holding up a sign for us. I was shocked. I never expected him to be there and we were the only couple he was picking up. It is only about 10 minutes to the airport but this was most impressive. They also held some luggage for one week at no charge. Worth a stay if you need to be near the airport but speak up if you think something is wrong - they do seem to care very much.
Dec 13th, 2005 | 03:29 AM
#2
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 33
Am so sorry you had the experience of being told the Palace was closed when in fact it wasn't. Your experience is a lesson to all of us: do your homework! The fact of touts telling tourists that sites are closed is mentioned in every guidebook I've looked at and has also been mentioned several times on this board. Sorry you didn't see it - but for the rest of you: Don't fall for this ploy! (Glad you had a good time anyway!)
Dec 13th, 2005 | 06:00 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,546
Likes: 0
We walked out of ROS just wanting to walk up the street on the left to the internet place. A taxi driver approached us, saying where did we want to go. I said, just a walk on the street. He said it was closed. I said, why. He said, holiday. We just walked past.
Walker, beware.
Walker, beware.
Dec 13th, 2005 | 06:51 AM
#4
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
When we were leaving the Grand Palace, we got in a cab and got the "meter broken" line. We immediately got out, went around the corner from the Palace, and found a metered cab. Of course, the original cab driver followed us while we walked around the corner for awhile...
In most of the tourist areas, there are pleanty of people willing to take advantage of tourists. That is why this board is so great! You learn about what to avoid before you go.
In most of the tourist areas, there are pleanty of people willing to take advantage of tourists. That is why this board is so great! You learn about what to avoid before you go.
Dec 13th, 2005 | 06:55 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
A couple of years ago, we were going to the Grand Palace, got off the water taxi and headed for the entrance. A tuk-tuk driver stepped in front of us to tell us the Palace was closed. I laughed. He laughed, and he waved to us as we went into the complex.
Dec 14th, 2005 | 05:19 AM
#7
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
Thanks for taking the time to write your report. We, also, are Starwood members and always stay at the ROS. Glad you found it to be pleasant. My guess is that all but the truly obsequeous enjoy their stay at the ROS.
The GP closed scam is quite commmon. I'm glad it only cost you a little time and not an obnoxious detour. You did exactly the correct thing by getting out of the Taxi that would not use the meter. Most will.
The GP closed scam is quite commmon. I'm glad it only cost you a little time and not an obnoxious detour. You did exactly the correct thing by getting out of the Taxi that would not use the meter. Most will.
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Dec 15th, 2005 | 06:34 AM
#11
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Just to share my experience with GP. Last year in Bkk we planed to hire Taxi to go to GP from our Byokie Sky Hotel.
Outside hotel was a driver, asked us where we were going, he said he will take us to GP for 300 Bhats. We sat in his cab and he started to explain to us that on our way we will stop somewhere to see something. I said that this is our last day in BKK and we were leaving tonight so I don't have a time to see what he wanted me to see. I was firm with him. He got out and stop a blue and red Taxi for us, told him we were to pay 300, and we went with him. By the GP he wanted 400 Bhats, I said he agreed for 300, but he said no 400, so I gave him 400 and was happy that we didn't have any other problems. Back to the hotel we hire green and yellow cab and paid 200 (metered). And GP was spectacular, glad we went to see that.
Maggie
Outside hotel was a driver, asked us where we were going, he said he will take us to GP for 300 Bhats. We sat in his cab and he started to explain to us that on our way we will stop somewhere to see something. I said that this is our last day in BKK and we were leaving tonight so I don't have a time to see what he wanted me to see. I was firm with him. He got out and stop a blue and red Taxi for us, told him we were to pay 300, and we went with him. By the GP he wanted 400 Bhats, I said he agreed for 300, but he said no 400, so I gave him 400 and was happy that we didn't have any other problems. Back to the hotel we hire green and yellow cab and paid 200 (metered). And GP was spectacular, glad we went to see that.
Maggie
Dec 15th, 2005 | 06:52 AM
#12
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
hmm metered cabs sound like the only way! This reminds me of a story (and off "Asia topic"
: my parents visited Egypt years ago and were similarly warned about agreeing to fixed prices before accepting a service. They did so before taking a camel ride, confirmed, reconfirmed the exact price with the camel guy. After it was all done, sure enough he asks for 2x the agreed price. He proceeded to claim, that yes he had agreed to the price for HIMSELF, but that the camel also needed to be paid since he did all the work!
: my parents visited Egypt years ago and were similarly warned about agreeing to fixed prices before accepting a service. They did so before taking a camel ride, confirmed, reconfirmed the exact price with the camel guy. After it was all done, sure enough he asks for 2x the agreed price. He proceeded to claim, that yes he had agreed to the price for HIMSELF, but that the camel also needed to be paid since he did all the work!
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