FireDragonII

hey guys,

ppl are always mentioning the Jim Thompson house... anywone willing to explain what it is???

also - Ayathuya... i know tahts out of BKK... whats to see / do there?

we will also be going to Kanch and floating market - so is Ayathuya the same kind of place?

and -
As we have already booked a guide (Cherry Aviram) for the Kanch / Kwai / flower market day trip... should we also book her (or other guides) for day tours (or half day tours) in BKK as well?
i.e. do we need a guide to take us to the main attractions or should we do them on our own? it would be nice to have someone show us the way, however we dont really wanna be tied down to too many schedules..

any advice?

Julia

BradinBangkok

The Jim Thompson House is the traditional Thai house on a klong that Jim Thompson lived in from the forties to the late sixties. Jim Thompson was an American OSS guy in Thailand who stayed after WWII to build a silk business that is still successful. There is his house, a gift shop/Jim Thompson Silk store, and a restaurant.

Ayuttaya is the old Thai capital. It consists of old Buddhist Temples & ruins, etc. I recommend going by car & coming back to BKK by boat.

Kathie

Let me recommend that you buy a good guidebook before you go. That will give you enough background to enjoy what you are seeing with or without a guide.

Gpanda

Kathie gave good advice. A guide book can cover all of the main attractions. You can choose which ones seem interesting. They can also be helpful with logistics, money, transport etc. and restaurants. In addition to a guide book, the Nancy Chandler Map is a great resource.

To partially answer your question, I would skip Ayutthaya because you already have one day outside BKK. The jim Thompson House is a pleasant site. It can be easily combined with a shopping adveture at MBK and Siam Square. Easily accessible by skytrain.

rhkkmk

for ease of your getting around bkk a guide/driver can be very helpful and also get you to many places in one day with good a/c and cold water in between spots....no time wasted and avoidance of the hot sun between places...

as you don't seem to have read much on bkk, the guide will fill in lots of cracks for you and help you put the puzzle together...

bkk can be tough until you cotton on to it...it takes a while...

the jim thompson silk company is considered my many both inside and outside of thailand to be the producer of some of the best silk materials anywhere....their team of experts has combined western design with asian style to produce a superior line of products: silk materials, cottons, leather goods, childrens clothing, adult clothing, homewares.....

there is a outlet too: found on soi 93, sukhumvit road, bangkok....great savings on JT merchandise and fabrics...savings to 90%...

Guenmai

jimthompson.com Happy Travels!