Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus - 16 hours in BKK-suggestions?

Arriving TG F ZRH-BKK at 6 am and leave at 10:25 pm TG F BKK-NRT.

I want to leave plenty of time for the F lounge, spa and massage but with that much time and seeing as I have never been to Bangkok before, what would people suggest to see in a few hours?

Also, best way to get into/return from the city? Taxi or train?

Thanks.

Arriving TG F ZRH-BKK at 6 am and leave at 10:25 pm TG F BKK-NRT.

I want to leave plenty of time for the F lounge, spa and massage but with that much time and seeing as I have never been to Bangkok before, what would people suggest to see in a few hours?

Also, best way to get into/return from the city? Taxi or train?

Thanks.

Rush hour in BKK can be murder. I would take the train. Go to the Palace. If you are there on a weekend go to Chatuchak Market for a mix of local and tourist shopping and eats.

Any thoughts as to how long one should set aside for the TG F experience? I'd like to try the 1 hour F spa but are they normally quite busy thus need to queue?

Any thoughts as to how long one should set aside for the TG F experience? I'd like to try the 1 hour F spa but are they normally quite busy thus need to queue?

It can depend upon the time of day or day of week. Unlike for a C massage, you can be put on the schedule, but I believe only at the airport.

If you are really craving the massage I'd say give 3 hours to be safe.

Take the rapid transit to Sathorn Pier and then take the boat to Grand Palace at Ta Chang Pier (N9). I believe the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is at Stop N8. Last month on a one day stop I got off at stop 9, did the Grand Palace, then walked to Temple of the Reclining Buddha, then took the boat from stop 8 back to the hotel. The Skytrain will give you a good view of Bangkok, and the boat then gives a different perspective and experience. Get a good tourist map of the boat and Skytrain stops. If time permits, you can see some of the city by Skytrain getting off as desired.

For the past 12 years, almost every time I have gone to Bangkok I have been told that the attraction was closed as I was walking to it, the person trying to take me on their tuk-tuk to another site or tourist shop. If you want to take a tuk-tuk, negotiate the price first and don’t let them take you to the “factory outlet.”

I would try to have 4 hours at the lounge. They will also prepare and serve you a meal of your selection. It depends on how tired you get from sightseeing. If you start to tire out, head back a little earlier, so you can enjoy the experience. After a day in Paris, and the CDG-BKK 11 hour flight, my connecting flight to RGN posted a 3 hour delay at the last minute. If it had been posted earlier, I would have gotten a day room which I believe are available in the F lounge to nap a few hours. At the end of the 6 hours I was dead tired. On my return from RGN I had a 28 hour BKK stop and stayed at the Royal Orchid Sheraton on the river.


http://www.nextstopbangkok.com/what_to_see/grand_palace/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_Skytrain

http://www.chaophrayaexpressboat.com/en/services/index.aspx#routemap

http://www.bangkok.com/sukhumvit/index.html

http://bangkok.sawadee.com/skytrain.htm

Once I spent 16 hours at Suvarnabhumi connecting from ZRH to BNE In C. I visited all the C-class lounges, I had access to (including SQ much-ado-about-nothing Lounge and Louis Tavern, that is available for free to Diners Club members). My original plan was to work a bit and have a couple of teleconfs with my associates (using Softphone aka Ciscophone, installed on my laptop), but Internet connection was very slow there... so I just had to drink, eat, have massage etc. etc. etc. Good fun:D

PS. Internet connection is much, much better at the F-class Lounge...

By the time you clear immigration/baggage it will be rush hour coming into the city so use the SkyTrain from the airport before grabbing a taxi to the sites you have in mind
Taking a taxi back to the airport AFTER 8PM OK, but if going back earlier, once again SkyTrain it................

Arriving TG F ZRH-BKK at 6 am and leave at 10:25 pm TG F BKK-NRT.

I want to leave plenty of time for the F lounge, spa and massage but with that much time and seeing as I have never been to Bangkok before, what would people suggest to see in a few hours?

Also, best way to get into/return from the city? Taxi or train?

Thanks.

By the time you clear immigration/baggage it will be rush hour coming into the city so use the SkyTrain from the airport before grabbing a taxi to the sites you have in mind
Taking a taxi back to the airport AFTER 8PM OK, but if going back earlier, once again SkyTrain it................

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I am a bit confused however, is the SkyTrain the same as high-speed rail link?

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I am a bit confused however, is the SkyTrain the same as high-speed rail link?

Yes there is only one train there. BKK was just added to the line a year ago.

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.

I am a bit confused however, is the SkyTrain the same as high-speed rail link?

One system, different lines that connect. Check out the maps, and connection information:

http://bangkok.sawadee.com/airport/airport_link.htm

"Facilitating the tourists and commuters to travel to other parts of Bangkok, both lines have interchange station at Makkasan Station for MRT (Underground train) at Phetchaburi Station. City Train line is linked at Phaya Thai station for BTS (Skytrain) Phaya Thai Station."


From the airport the link refers to the "Epress Train Platform" and "Commuter Train Platform." The Epress appears to connect directly to the underground, and the Commuter appears to connect to the in-city Skytrain. Like changing lines in any major city.

I have never used the airport line, but last month and over the years found connections to be easy, and easy to connect to the boat lines at the Sphan Taskan main Pier stop. If you use the pier make sure you are on the correct pier. Marriot, Hilton and Sheraton have their own boats to the hotels on the one pier, and the commuter boat is on the other.

The piers are next to each other and there are signs. If you take the Skytrain to the pier for a boat, you would want to take the boats heading to the right, if your back is facing the Skytrain stop.

From the airport the link refers to the "Epress Train Platform" and "Commuter Train Platform." The Epress appears to connect directly to the underground, and the Commuter appears to connect to the in-city Skytrain. Like changing lines in any major city.

Unfortunately the connecting link from the Express Airport at Makkasan to the underground train (MRT) (Phetchaburi station) has not been built yet. The route goes along a road and over a level crossing at the moment. It is OK to do it without luggage though.