Trip Reports - A quiet Bangkok(!), Sukhothai & Siem Reap

Journey made in late December and January. NW holiday period Z class WBC fares YVR-BKK for USD 1,800 r/t.

Outbound Travel Redux

30 Dec. QX YVR-SEA

Got on 1630 QX-operated flight YVR to SEA rather than the 1800 flight. Uneventful on-time flight despite de-icing requirement (taxi to de-ice pad, engines off, deice, engine restart, etc.)

$62 rate at Doubletree SEA. Seems staff were putting everyone except airline crew in the tower. Doubletree not provides $10 meal coupon instead of breakfast coupon. Managed to get 4 of these, using them for dinner at Seaports restaurant (not bad) and breakfast.

31 Dec. NW SEA-HNL-NRT

With web checkin, not much of a security wait at SEA but at least 30 deep in the economy line. 4-6 stations working.

Lounge quiet. NW 925 pushes back on time but slightly late due to missing pax bag offloading. Mai Tais not offered. Breakfast decent but GF's "low carb" special meal turns out to be a diabetic one (surprsingly lots of sugary stuff). FA's reaction was "mashed potatoes & asparagus!" Actually it was a egg white omelette. Don't order this meal unless you like VERY bland. Very matronly lead FA purser keeps us well topped up with champagne (AOC stuff, not generic sparkling wine). Bit warm onboard.

Slightly late arrival into HNL so just walkt over to the next gate for NW 21 to NRT leaving in some 40 minutes. Everyone else had boarded already.

Cabin was too warm. Staff (2 younger middle aged female FAs) a bit aloof. In a hurry to finish meal service and disappear. Diabetic meal highlight was shrimp for appetiser but goes downhill from there. Japanese meal was good.

Despite early pushback and ontime departure, flight arrived into NRT some 20 minutes late (with only a 55 minute connection). Flight was only clocking 400 mph ground speed for last 1.5-2 hours into NRT.

1 January NRT-BKK

6 pax for BKK (2 moved up from the back to crew rest seats on descent). NW 21 goes to some remote hardstand in the cargo area and disembarks at around 1820 (connecting NW 27 leaves at 1855). Ground staff with van & driver waiting to take us immediately to NRT 1 and security. Escorts us to NW 27's gate so we're onboard by 1840. Didn't check bags and doubt if any made the connection. NW 27 pushes back soon after before the 1855 time. Cabin is nice and cool (as with NW 744s).

Sleep after dinner all the way to BKK. Awful very abrupt service from the Thai FA. Hard stand there again. Off to immigration line quick, out through customs and into AACC limo (newer cars than Thai Airways limo) before some even get off the plane, I am sure.

Standard Conrad stay (upgrade to exec floor room as Platinum/Gold - managed to score q suite upgrade 3 days into 5 day stay). Hotel occupancy is quite high.

Bangkok after the holidays

The Thais make the day after NYD (Thursday) into a holiday so Bangkok was virtually deserted. Nice to walk down Wireless road and all around with hardly any traffic. Traffic picks up quite a bit Sunday afternoon and is back to its awful usual by Monday.


Prior to visit to Cambodia, go to the Cambodian embassy to get a visa. Note that you need a photo copy of your passport info page as well as a photo, application form and US$20 (saves time when one arrives in Cambodia). You can't get a photocopy at the embassy but some vague direction to the American University (alumni) Club where you can offered.

Sukhothai

Visit to the ruins of the "1st" Thai kingdom's capital.

6 January BKK-THS

Take the AACC limo to the domestic terminal. PG lounge is o.k. but crowded. Free drinks ("tang" like) and snacks welcome. Bus out to the ATR (officially Siem Reap Airways) for the sub hour flight to THS.

Arrive in THS and have pick up by the accomodation (Lotus Village).


(More to come)

Nice report Terenz, we're going to have to get together again soon,so I can see your amazing photos of this!

Sukhothai Airport

Nice private airport owned and operated by Bangkok Airways though only Siem Reap Airways ATRs seem to operate into it. Still, it is at least 30 km away from Sukhothai.

Lotus Village

Small guest house owned by a Frenchman married to a local Thai. We had a deluxe cabin which is air-conditioned and made of teak. Simple but comfortable enough. Inroom fridge helped though they charged for everything. Simple cooked breakfast. USD 35/day rate is nice.

Took the "bus" to the old city (some 12 km away from the new city). The bus turns out to be conerted old trucks. You climb up the back and sit on wooden benches. THB 10 each way.

Sukhothai is an ancient city full of temples and founded by the Khmers (there are a few temples with prangs like at Angkor Wat). A nice option is to hire bicycles (full day rental at THB 20) and cycle around. Very charming and the buddhas there are very graceful and serene (and seemed to be modeled on the female body form). The highlight temple is Wat Mahatat (sp?) though the dry season and low water levels takes away some of the photogenic aspects.

Dawn and dusk are best for photography but watch for smog. It was rather smoggy when we visited and the sun only broke through the smog an hour or so after dawn.

Strangely, Sukhothai is hardly mentioned by Thai tourism. Definitely worth visiting.

Note: last "bus" back to Sukhothai new city leaves at 1800 and dumps you at the bus terminal which is some 4 km outside the new city. So don't go back too late.

I'd stay by or near the old city (only guest houses - the only large hotels are inconviently midway between old and new cities - you're trapped there, or way way out from either.

Also visited Si Satchanalai (the old city) which is some 40 km north of Sukhothai. Si Satchanalai is mentioned as a twin to Sukhothai and is less reclaimed from the forest. Very charming too and worth a visit. There is a new city that is some 20 km north of the old city.

Note: very few water buffalos left in Thailand. Didn't see any around Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai other than skulls/horns on farm houses.


[This message has been edited by terenz (edited Feb 21, 2004).]

Siem Reap.

Flying there by PG, had to pay a THB 200 tax to leave THS and then a THB 500 international departure tax to leave BKK.

If you don't have a Cambodian visa before you visit, sit at the back of the plane (around row 17/18) so you can get off first and get to the visa desk before the others get there. We were out of the airport and at the guest house (Villa Loti run by yet another Frenchman) before some other pax had even got their visa.

Very nice guesthouse with lots of charm but don't take the upstairs rooms if you can't handle steep stairs. USD 35 rate can't be beat.

Just outside the guesthouse are 3 shops making customised and very detailed sandstone carvings of many things you see at the temples (give them a photo or tell them what you want and they'll do it for you). The art isn't lost and you can get anything (at a price). They also have some off-the-shelf items. Prices are better than at the official tourist traps (especially the handicraft centre in town) and you can see it is handmade.

The drivers and guides (if you hire the latter) seem to want to take you on a fixed pre-set itinerary. You might want to be insistent on what you want to see.

De facto currency is the USD and as a result, we found prices quite high (everything is rounded up to USD - Thailand was cheaper). Cambodia has no coins and change for less than USD 1 is given in Kips (about 4,000/USD). Thai Baht is widely accepted at about 100 kip/Baht.

The admission to the Angkor sites (some exceptions for few outlying sites) is USD 20 for 1 day, 40 for 3 and 60 for a week. You need a photo but they will take this for free. If you buy a pass after 4 or 5 pm, it'll be good for an extra day.

You don't need a guide to visit the Angkor sites. We didn't feel we were missing anything with a good guide book.

With 7 am starts and basically sightseeing from then until dusk with a break for lunch, we saw just about all the temples and sites in the vicinity of Siem Reap, the Rolous temples and sites such as Kbel Spean, Beng Melea and Banteay Srei in 2 1/2 days (supposedly a 4 day itinerary).

Guide to some sites:

Phnom Bakheng - up a step hill to the NW of Angkor Wat. Worth it for the temple but don't bother going there for sunset otherwise you'll be joining literally hundreds of tourists. Best at dawn if you really want to see it. You can get up by elephant for USD 15.

Kbal Spean - river of the 1,000 lingas
Depending on what you are expecting, it can be disappointing. The driver may recommend a guide which may be worthwhile as they will point out things that you may miss. About 20 minutes hike up a hill.

Beng Melea
We call this the Temple Raider tour. You may be asked to pay an admission but the self-appointed guides there will take you on a tour climbing ruined walls and going through tunnels. It's been taken over by the rainforest more than any other site. Quite and adventure and worth the 2 hr drive each way to get there. A paved road is being built there but the rumour is that the toll will be USD 20 a person. Avoid the restaurants just outside.

Banteay Srei
Carvings are quite exquisite here though the temple is small. Worth visiting if you are mmaking your way to the above sites.

If you want sunset, see Angkor Wat from the west gate. Angkor Wat is the

USD 25 departure tax and security fees to leave REP internationally for non-Cambodians (it's USD 18 for Cambodians). Duty-free shop is actually cheap for liquor.

Angkor Thom

South Gate:

Get here early before the crowds get there if you want to take photos. The ruined and unfrequented West gate is very nice.

Bayon - a highlight. Must see

Baphuon - being reconstructed (the deconstruction guide to all the stones were lost when the Khmer Rouge took power). COuld be missed.

Preah Palilay - small overgrown temple near the terraces. of the Elephant and Leper King. Quite charming and worth a visit. Terraces are good.

Phimeanakes may be missed if you are short of time. Outside Angkor Thom, similar can be said for Preah Khan, Chausay Tevoda, Thommanon and Ta Prahn. + 7-10 other temples we visited. Some of them are overgrown with trees and are photogenic as a result.

Rulous group
Pre Siem Reap temples not too far away. 3 notable ones though they could be missed.

Feel free to ask questions.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited Feb 21, 2004).]

The Hilton is now a Raffles hotel. The shrine in the back corner by the canal is interesting.

Stayed at the Asia Airport hotel due to the 0600 NW 28 flight to NRT. Shuttles leave at the 1/2 hour throughout the night. THB 1,600 rate was o.k. The hotel sits on top of a high tech mall so cmputer supplies and media and readily available. We bought camera lense filters quite cheaply.

There is still a random bag inspection prior to check in, and also at the gate (managed to dodge these yet again).

Food on NW is actually improving and I'd say it's better than food served on BA's Club World BC product. Service was decent.

Good tailwinds and ontime pushback made for early arrival into NRT.

With a 6+ hr layover, we went into Narita despite the cold. Expect a 20 minute wait for immigration at this time. Note that Japanese immigration uses entry stickers and not stamps for your passport.

The tourist desk has info on what to see/do in Narita city. Note that the slightly-cheaper Japan rail only has service only every hour (or even longer). Keisei has service about every 20 minutes.

NW 10 NRT-HNL

NW as running up to 3 flights daily between HNL and NRT. NW 10 on a 744 is the first. Excellent tailwinds made for an early arrival into HNL (and a long immigration wait). Had the Shokado meal again which was great. Ice cream dessert ex-NRT is delicious. Flight time was less than 6 hours so the pre-arrival breakfast wasn't really needed (in quantity and quality, it was as good if not better than BA's BC breakfast frm western N. America-LHR).

Rented a car to drive around Oahu for a few hours. Lunched at Sam Choy's BL&C - seems to have gone downhill.

NW 924 HNL SEA DC-10
Awful queue through security as usual. packed flight. Service from old FAs was great. Boarding through 1L meant no pre-flight drinks served. Mai Tais are delicious. The FA even made me one just before descent to SEA (they had dumped the premix already). Didn't get my meal choice and got a $10 amenity voucher/500 WP mile coupon for my trouble. Didn't care as it was my 5th NW meal for the calendar day. I told the FA that and she said "I hate to think what you did to get that!"

Ontime arrival into SEA. Nice to see the shuttle fully operational. Diamond amenity at the Hampton Inn SEA was a room with a recliner chair and a freestanding wardrobe.

Uneventful QX flight to YVR next day with no immigration line!

Bags checked to YVR from BKK (reclaimed for clearance in HNL and rechecked) and surprised to see all 4 actually made it!