My goodness, Bob. You've been busy typing since I last looked at this thread yesterday.
Great report, as always. Many people on fodors.com ask about the NWA airline hotel, so you should give your two cents on that subject! I will not add it to my list of river hotels. My fave will still be the Penn.
Tell us a bit more about tongue thai. What's the decor, and what did you have to eat?
Carol

Bob-- so would your jeweler do a necklace and a pair of ear rings in 18K gold with no stones? Would they help come up with the design etc? I assume their prices would be good for the workmanship.

gloria---they would do anything you asked them to do it it was possible...karen has had a heavy braclet made, like a small necklace with no problem...one question they often ask is how heavy you want it?? how many grams of gold and they charge accordingly...the workmanship cost is small in all cases...they never mention it much...we did see some pave diamonds set this last visit and she said the workmanship was expensive because of all the stones to be set...not our cup of tea...

both mr lee and espcially amporn are good with designs...we always have some idea of what we want...together karen and mr lee or porn draw a picture and it always comes out looking just like the picture...if you have a picture they can make an excellent copy...we have used pics from brochures and tiffany catelogs with no problems...

carol...tongue thai...karen did not write what we ate but it was standard thai fare...they have a very good spicy cashew chicken, crispy morning glories salad for veggie, mixed veggie with oyster sauce...fried bannana blossoms..some shrimp dish, which was tasty...more to come on our next visit..

the room is rectangular...it has white walls with dark trim...there is a shelf around the ceiling displaying various items of curiosity---flea market stuff, so you will be all set...there is large modern art on the walls...in short it is very attractive...there are maybe 15 tables...the service is fast and friendly...its a must for you...directly behind OP...1/2 block in from new road...have you ever spent any time in this area...lots of great shops and some not so great ones...lim silversmith, thai home store, expensive shops in OP...silvershops along new road and tons of other shops, including high end antiques and broonze shops---cast horses, etc...worth an afternoon of looking..

Bob
Will definitely add tongue thai to the restaurant list. Son will want to try it also.
I've spent a small amount of time along OP and that area, going to and from skytrain station. It really isn't my favorite shopping venue. I much prefer the sukhumvit area with MBK, Central Chitlom, Nari Phand, Pratunam, etc.
Did I tell you that I went to your jeweler and asked about my jade elephant pendant? They really could not help me, without taking the gold off the elephant. I really didn't want that to happen... so I'm still carrying it around, along with an amethyst/diamond pendant. I hope to see something in Chicago tomorrow (although much more expensive!!!) in the way of sturdy (ie STIFF) gold, such as omega necklaces, to put these pieces on. Hubby leaves for Zurich from ORD so I shall have a day of shopping. A lovely break from the constant work on the book!!! Yippeeeeeee!!!

Winter in BOS... I'll bet it's not quite as bitter as Illinois. I look forward to any GTG! Let me know and I shall then look at my travel plans. I know that we will be back in Germany and Switz in late Nov/early Dec, perhaps a New Years cruise, BKK for a late Jan wedding, and then Vegas in Feb. Hopefully something can be arranged.

Carol

Thanks for the Tongue Thai reco. I will definitely put it on my restaurant list for my next trip especially since it's walking distance of the hotel.

Hold up after reading 100+ posts on this thread I have found something that fits my needs. LOL

rhkn.. where is that jewler (sp) of yours located.. having an earing made and fixing my busted up jostens high sckool ring is something I would like too do.. hmmm is it that place in nana?

orgy---re-read the 100 pages above and you will find where the jewerler is.....yes its in the nana hotel lobby, soi 4 sukhumvit...just on the right after the gas station on the corner...

carol---why don't you put a IL GTG together...there are lots of people on fodors from that area?? but come to ours also...i'm going to see craig and probably gpanda later in the summer and i will bring it up to them about having a boston GTG earlier...

Sunday
slept in until 8:30...down for an "awful" breakfast...went for a swim and about 11 took a taxi via victory monument to the sky train station...took 10 minutes just to get around the rotary at the monument...2 stop lites---that's bkk....

we bought our first one day skytrain pass for this trip...100B per person for unlimited usage for that day, not for 24 hours...

off to the rembrandt hotel for the indian buffet...delicious, just as the first week of our trip...

we took the rembrandt tuk tuk to the end of the street and then the skytrain to emporium....i just thought we would look around as we had not been there yet this trip...

we entered the mall directly from the skytrain on the 2nd level and headed for the central escalator...there were lots of people about...
i thought i heard someone call my name, but no it couldn't be, and then i heard it again and so did karen....i stepped aside and let people pass and looked back...then a man said "roberto?"...i looked at him, but did not know him...karen said who is that?...i approached him and said... I'm sorry but i don't think i know you...he said something that i could not hear in the noise of the mall...then he said it again...

"Kuranosuke--fodors"...i said, oh my god...i can't believe this...here a man has picked me out of 20 million people in a mall in bkk and i have never seen or met him before....we talked for several minutes....we talked about where he had eaten, where he was staying, how often he comes to bkk, and a million other things...what a coincidence....he said he had seen us the day before at the thai craft show and had spoken to me but i ignorred him...rude!!! i think i now remember that, but am not sure...anyways, this was a complete surprise and a delightful one...

i have concluded that he looked at my published pictures last year on shutter-fly and just remembered me...i am hard to forget, so i am told...never mind andy, we don't need your 2 cents worth....!!!

in any case, this made my day!!...

we walked around the mall for a few more minutes and then back on the skytrain to the end of the line at on nut stop...from there we hailed a taxi for the short ride to soi 93---Jim Thompson Outlet....this was the day...karen was buying the upholstery fabric she had travelled 10,000 to get----never mind all the other items she purchased from JT and elsewhere...

we started looking on the first floor and saw some of the things we had seen before, but wanted to go to the other fabric floors first before making a final selection...it ended up that we purchased 3 pieces...one 9 meter piece...one 5 meter piece and one 3 meter piece...two were at the end of the bolt and there was not enough to leave so they sold the last meter to us at 1/2 price...the fabrics were a steal and we figured we saved perhaps 50-60% off the retail price...some of the fabrics are still available in the main store at full price...

after the fabric selection karen purchased a number of general merchandise items on the 3rd floor... great savings there....i.e. 2 mens polo shirts marked 1900 B were on special for 300 B each; one pink silk elephant at 300 B that was 650 B in the regular JT shops...almost all items appear to be first quality...

the staff packed the fabric very carefully for us so as to minimize the space needed in our luggage...it is heavy and takes a fair amount of room....we had inquired as to shipping costs and they were quoting $100-150...

taxi back to the skytrain...the JT doorman is very helpful in getting you a taxi and giving the driver directions...

we got off the train at central chitlom...there was a special sale in the 2nd floor clearance area, but every person who lives in bkk was there so we went back to the train and to victory monument...taxi to the hotel...we had quite a few packages so had to go to the hotel even though we wanted to say out at sukhumvit for dinner...

we had a quick swim...

we took a taxi back, to soi 23, sukhumvit to Le Delat Indochine for dinner...the building is a charming old thai house...the food is vietnamese...

the waiters all had colonial costumes on and the decoration was fantastic...there are several small rooms...we ate in the main hallway...the service is excellent and the food is dramatic...an example is their fried fish...the fish is presented to you in a position as if it were swimming...it is held erect by scallion posts which rememble palm trees...hard to describe but very dramatic...it is called fried carp fish...it is one of their specialities...the price is moderate...they use lots of greenery in their service as they grow it themselves...

one small item is that they put a small stool beside each lady to put her purse on....have never seen that elsewhere...this is a restaurant to add to everyone's list...karen did not record the cost...

after dinner we walked back to the skytrain through soi cowboy, one of bkk's main adult entertainment areas...tons of girls and bars...

from the skytrain we took a taxi to the hotel...no traffic this nite...

bed

Bob
We went to La Dalat Vietnamese on soi 23 summer of '04 trip and really did not enjoy it at all. Vietnamese food just isn't our thing, I guess. Glad you and others enjoy it though. To each his own...

I'm not near Chicago so doubt that I would try to organize a midwest GTG. Chicago would be an ideal place to have it, but I'm not inclined to start it, as I don't know all the ins and outs of the city. I get there once in a while for shopping, and everytime we travel on a plane we leave from ORD. Does anyone else want to jump in and organize something??? Chicago is a great city. Maybe some other fodorites would like to fly/drive in and join "us."

roberto; glad you liked le dalat indochine. i really like the duck shaped water pitcher. when you're feeling a bit more adventurous, i know of a great restaurant in chinatown, and opens at sundown. they were highlighted in the thai air magazine last month.

great report.

monday june 13...

up late-ish...i screwed up the safe while i was putting something away and had to have the staff and security come to fix it...

we had the "breakfast" for the next to the last time...

took the 10 o'clock boat to river city...we left a pink piece of cotton we had gotten the day before at JT for ms yai and the girls to make karen an additional blouse...

we took a taxi to the gaysorn plaza, via the sheraton doorman....we had read that the 3rd floor had very nice shops and in the past we had never gone above the 2nd floor---the floor numbering is odd so check out all the floors...on the other 2 floors it is all designer shops which hold no interest for us....we found several nice shops...karen bought 3 pairs of sandles for 550B each...similar ones in the markets were 199 and 299 B we were to learn later...Ayodha shop on the 3rd floor was particularily nice and we bought some pottery there and a couple of other things...the owner is very nice as well...celedon style pottery but with a modern flair...

after shopping we went to the 2nd floor and had lunch at Senses...we had eaten there last year and enjoyed it quite a bit...thai and western--800B...

from there we went next door...around the corner really, to the craft market...we don't really consider it a craft market, but they call it that...its name is Narayana Phand center...its several floors of thai made goods...the prices are reasonable...we bought quite a few items there...much like the nite market or the weekend market, but it has a/c and is very clean...there is plenty of staff to assist...don't miss the basement level where there seem to be all individually owned shops or stalls...good buys....some western sizes also...

we walked back to gaysorn and took a taxi to the villa market area near to soi 35, sukhumvit??? may be soi 33??

we were heading to the outlet shop for the fatima workshop...this workshop is located in another part of the city...it is a school and workshop to employ women who are down on their luck and need a trade...they teach them to sew productively...they make many different children's items...we went specifically to buy our new grand daughter a couple of smocked dresses...they are 700 B to 900 B depending on the size and maybe more for large sizes...that's less than $20 for the sizes we wanted and karen said that if you could get them at home they would be way over $100 and perhaps nearer to $200...if you have 2 weeks they will custom make items for you with your choice of fabrics and smocking details and colors...they also have items like quilts, mobiles, cloth books, dolls, christening dresses, etc...we find this shop has a better stock than does the workshop...

back to the hotel...it took 40 minutes from the skytrain to the hotel because of the traffic...can't be two miles...

we had a swim....

this is the nite all fodorites have been waiting for....WILL BOB LIKE BED SUpPERCLUB OR NOT????

we took a taxi to bed supper club which is on soi 11, sukhumvit in back of the ambassador hotel...we had seen it on saturday when we were heading to the craft fair...it is easy to see....an all white oval building sitting up on a stand...looks very strange...it looks like white fabric...

in any case, we took our passports as required--to prove our age---in case they are blind...we are 61...RESERVATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL, unless you are michael jackson or bill clinton...gpanda--how do you like me pairing those two??

we entered this all white showcase, not knowing what to expect...yes there are beds down both sides of the main room and on the balcony--they are about 40-50 feet long and maybe 6-8 feet wide and have all white sheets on them and tons of comfy pillows and a bed type table...we are seated at the far end of the lower level on the left...quite a few people are there already when we arrive, after 8:30PM...there is music playing and there are projections on one wall over the entrance door...the dj is right in front of us...

karen jumps right up on to the bed... i struggle a bit...i find that it is easiest if i enter from the side as i am sitting next to the far wall and there is a space and a girder which i can use to assist me...i can also leave a leg hanging over the side of the bed for comfort...

in the center of the floor there are what appear to be two blocks of ice standing about 6 feet high each and maybe 2-3 feet square...

there are all kinds of lighting...it is constantly changing colors and moving around...i think the dj controls this as well...

after a while the projections are more animated...i am too dumb to understand them...twenty something stuff...probably sex orientated...i might be able to figure that out???

a waiter appears and sits down on our portion of the bed...he presents this evenings menu...the menu is fixed price---1090 B each...drinks are extra...the first menu is the drink menu...karen orders wine and i order beer, althogh there is an extensive drink list...

we start to talk to the girl and guy next to us...he is american from CA, of course...she is thai and his former girl friend's sister...figure that out....she is totally bored with him and spends most of her time on the cell phone...he is interesting to a point...we have little in common...he is 30 something but pretending to be 20 something..he is quite full of himself...he is from CA--remember...

the waiter returns with our drinks...he asks if we could order our dinners now...you order your complete dinner at one time, including dessert...no problem...

about this time two men move into place near to the ice...the guy next to us explains that every nite there is some form of entertainment and this nite it must be ice sculpture...he tells us of the events in the past, some quite bizzare...

using only hand tools they begin to sculpt...

our menu:

there are 3 choices for each of the 3 courses...on weekends there is a set menu of 4 courses for more money...

karen: spinach and mushroom salad--artfully presented, followed by seared encrusted tuna, rare....bob: smoked salmon salad also beautifully presented, followed by filet of lamb and pasta, also rare on the meat...we both had soft centered chocolate cake surrounded by very fresh berries served on a bed of several sauces and ginger ice cream...total bill 2640 B..

an excellent meal and delicious and artfully presented and served...they took their time between the first two courses and did not serve dessert until you asked for it...

during dinner 2 masseurs circulated around the room offering on the spot mini massages to patrons..they jumped right up on the bed and started their work if you agreed...one man, one woman...

the ice guys were making progress...final product...a mythical horse that was made in two seperate sections and then molded together...great sport...

we were by far the oldest people there but that did not matter, and we blended in...it was a very mellow crowd...there was picture taking...i did not bring my camera because i was sure i had read that they were not allowed...mostly the patrons were couples, but there were singles and male/male and female/female...all are welcome...

taxi back to the hotel after a wonderful evening...thank you carol and others for encouraging me....i would have skipped it if i thought i could get away with it....

LAST NITE AT ROYAL RIVER---THANK GOD...

kur---strange you should mention the water pitcher...i thought we should have one of those...our toilet brush sits in a ceramic container shapped like a swan, so they could be a pair...we got that years ago at Ka Da We in berlin...

i would love to know the rest. in china town for a next trip...send it directly to me: [email protected] met a couple at the marriott who are german/swiss....they eat often in china town on the main street...they told me i could not miss the restaurant...it is the one called sharks fin...well several days later we were driving through china town and about 100, or maybe 1000, restaurants on the main street have sharks fin at the top of their name...

carol...what was it you didn't like about le delat?? i did not find the offerings that different from thai places or chinese places...i would come to your GTG...

Tuesday MOVING DAY...and the start of our last few days in bkk...back to the marriott..

we were awake very early for some reason....dread of the breakfast??

we had arranged for somphret to pick us up at 10AM and drive us to the marriott...he was there right on time...his info is contained earlier in this report...good driver...

we would be using him for most of the day...he would drive us to the hotel, stop on the way to pick up some left laundry at soi 59, then we would check in, visit jack quickly and have some quick lunch and then leave the hotel at about 12:15 as we were due at the Prasart Museum, outside of bkk, by 1PM...

at check in we were offered an upgrade opportunity to a junior suite... extra cost $40 per day...i usually do not accept these proposals...but we had had such meager service and comfort at the royal river, i decided i could payout the extra $250 for the 6 nites...it made the room only about $125 per nite....we were put into room 347...no view but a very nice room with extra space and a wonderful bathroom and a sofa and some other extras...we liked it...

we dashed over to jack and in 5 minutes had ordered a cotton robe for karen's dad for father's day....the day we arrived home...done...

we had seared tuna sandwiches for lunch at uno on the lower level...quite good tuna steaks...588 B...

somphret was at the hotel door at 12:10...

i had earlier gotten him a map and brochure of the directions for the museum...he had done his homework...he told us that at the most it would take 40 minutes....it took about 30-35 as there was no traffic...i do not think a taxi would be the best way to go there...i don't think they would master the location...it is secluded on side roads...we made one wrong turn at the last minute, just before the museum's street...

we were early...the gate was not open and we were unable to raise anyone...we telephoned and a man opened the gate shortly...the car was not allowed into the complex....i did note in a picture at the end of the tour that they had allowed the queen to drive in when she visited a few years ago...seems to be some prejudice here...

the man who opened the gate was a youngish thai man who was very welcomming and very animated...we enjoyed our time with him as he was to be our guide...we were the only guests that day....

i should exlain the museum briefly as i understand it...

a wealthy thai man decided many years ago that he wanted to preserve thai/asian heritage...he started collecting thai objects at age 12...he is now about 60 i should guess...he has ammased quite a collection...
the museum is located on approx. 8?? acres outside of bangkok in huamark, bangkapi..it is a very tropical setting with many buildings (about 20), some small and one or two quite large...it seems that his life's work now is this museum and the manufacture of reproductions of many of the museum's collection...these are sold at the museum and at a shop in the peninsula plaza next to the hyatt hotel in bkk..i am guessing that he also sells elsewhere but i am not sure of that...

the museum is open to the public but only by appointment...they try to limit visitors to no more than 12-15 per day...most are private parties, like us....i called the shop to make my reservation several weeks in advance, but it can also be done by internet i believe...

tel: 253-9772

the collection is of items from pre-historic to modern times, but most items pre-date the 20th C... there is suclpture, inside and out, bronze, marble, metals, gold, wood, stone,---every substance you can imagine...everything has been carefully restored where necessary...it is artfully displayed...the gardens and water areas are beautiful...some of the buildings are magnificant and well restored or copied...the guide refered to pre and post prasart items...it became a joke with us...the largest building is european and contains some of the best of the collection, and especially the smaller items..it has a/c...

i would not suggest going on a rainy day if you could help it...by the way you have to take your shoes off when entering many of the buildings..

this turned out to be one of the hightlights of our trip and we thank those fodorites who suggested it to us....

at the end of our tour, we were greeted in the lounge by mr prasart...he was informally dressed and had obviously been working with some of his employees around the museum that day...he was unable to spend more than a few minutes with us...we had a nice chat and he offered to autograph a copy of his book on the museum if we wished to buy one...about $50...it is a beautiful book and very heavy...it was published about 10 years ago i believe...

the museum contains not only thai but cambodian and other asian items...strangely one item that was pointed out to us was an urn that was bought in paris from the estate of the shah of iran...c. 1950's or 60's...

the guide spoke excellent english...there is also a female guide who we also met...

back to the marriott after a wonderful tour...paid the driver...1500 B...

we had a nice swim, in this ever so fabulous pool....we talked to a scottish lady who had just returned from burma where she had opened a private orphanage...she also talked about her work in bkk...it was so depressing...she does all of this privately from contributed funds...it was getting too heavy so i had to swim away...i was feeling guilty also for not contributing,but this was not the place where one should have been seeking contributions....

we went over to jack for another fitting for karen and 1st fitting for my shirts...

we took a taxi to L'Opera restaurant on soi 39 sukhumvit...we had eaten in its sister restaurant a couple of years ago in yangon, myanmar and had wanted to try this place, but had not fit it in in the past....

what a nice surprise...great italaian menu and the place was packed...delicious food... 1600 B
we will be returning there...

taxi back to the hotel...

bed...oh such a nice bed...

FYI: they charge 500 B per person for entry...the museum is not open every day but most days...

thats all for tonight....should be able to finsih up tomorrow or for certain on the 4th..

HAPPY 4TH EVERYONE!!!!

dear bob...
its past my bedtime ....but i had to finish your travelogue segment. we have scratched the royal river hotel from our list thanks to your
unfortunate stay there.

we are thinking about a few ddays in phuket at the end of our holiday. how could we take advantage of the timeshare promotion??
do you get additional miles for referrals???

lets keep this thread alive to 1000 posts!!

How hard is it to pick out an American Republican surburbanite, wearing long pants and mentioning Marriott every other sentence from only 20 million people. To verify, one need only look next to him to see a horrified spouse diligently recording all transactions in a notebook. Not exactly "needle in a haystack" stuff. In Boston, he's clearly identifiable, but mostly, we ignore him. He has an unfortunate habit of visiting everyone's pool and going for a swim. Harmless, unless politics are under discussion. I understand at the bank where he worked, there was a wading pool next to his desk.

I'm laughing out loud at the previous post... (sorry Bob)

I'm up early this A.M. as we need to make it to O'Hare by 11:30 and it's at least 3 hours in moderate traffic and no road work. Who knows what we shall encounter today, with the holiday weekend.

About La Dalat. I think it was maybe the menu and the spices they use in the Vietnamese food. I have some strange food allergies and was very uncertain about many things on their menu. With Thai food, I know what things I like and have no problems ordering them. I also did not like the aroma of some of the dishes. I knew at first sniff that I dared not try them!!! Is that the French influence?? Anyway, we will not be returning to La Dalat. I shall NOT try to sway anyone else to stay away from the place. Service was good and the restaurant itself was very interesting.

We love Italian food and have found several restaurants in BKK where we can get good dishes. We've not been to L'Opera and will add it to our list for the next trip.

Again, I'm so glad you enjoyed the Bed Supper Club. I have yet to see any ice sculpturing as the entertainment, but always enjoy the place. I think I've been 3-4 times now.

Carol

Glad you liked Prasart and Bed Supper Club. I want to go back to Prasart in January (I'll be with someone who has been to Thailand with me 4 times but wasn't with me my last trip when I went there). How far in advance do I need to reserve your driver since Ratt won't be able to take us?

gloria---he takes special trips like ours from time to time but not everyday...he is not like ratt...i think if you called him a week or so in advance that would be fine...or send him an e mail and ask him directly...mention our name...

dive---i did not mean to have people stay away from royal river, just to warn them of some of the problems: room choice and transportation especially...
let me see if i have the e-address for the timeshare:
try these and if it doesn't work get back to me for more research:

[email protected] or
[email protected] or
[email protected]

these were the 3 addresses on my confirmation letter for my visit...we received 7500 miles for visiting in addition to the reduced cost room...it is worth every cent...this is a true 5* place...
ask them for the package for 4 days and 3 nites and any other available packages...there are extensions available for a reasonable price too i believe..