Asia - Other "must-dos" and "must-visit" places in SEA? Base is BKK

Ok, so right I've cashed in 90k US Airway miles for a r/t from JFK/BKK on Thai Airways (non-stop).

I'm flying on kind of a budget (but I'm flexible), and have booked a bunch of low-cost flights via Bangkokair.com. Specifically, I have about 8 days with no plans and am trying to figure out where else I should go. BKK isn't too much of a draw for me as I've been there several times. Right now here is my schedule of flights I've already booked:

Arrive in BKK Nov 23
Nov 23 - Nov 25 - BKK
Nov 25 - Nov 27 - Chiang Mai
Nov 27 - Fly back to BKK
Dec 4 - Dec 7 Koh Samui (Full moon party on Koh Phangan Dec. 5)
Dec 7 - Fly to BKK
Depart BKK dec 8

I was thinking about Siem Reap but the flights are pricey! Other places I would consider visiting are Vietnam, Laos, Philippines and Indonesia.

I love to sight see, I love a little adventure, I love to just lay on the beach and do nothing. I'm single, male and traveling alone.

Thanks FT'ers - I know you can help me!

wow, you don't like to spend long in one place, do you?

for a 2 week trip to thailand, i would've been thinking 2 places tops, 1 week in each... you already have bkk, chiang mai, and kho samui in there with plans to hit vietnam and cambodia too?

no way i'd go that far to spend that much more time on planes, buses, in airports and switching hotels.

my advice would be to spend 4 or 5 days in BKK, then the rest of it either in southern thailand or northern thailand (but not attempting both).

and for that time of year (nov - jan) in south thailand, i'd hit the andaman side instead of the thai gulf side of southern thailand.

kho samui -- imagine hawaii with lots of israelis vacationing there and thai people running all the tourist services... ie, it's expensive relative to the rest of thailand and there are lots and lots of foreigners... it's become the go-to place for some reason.

full moon party -- imagine a sea of blonde-haired 20-something backpackers looking for sex and drugs

the andaman sea side of south thailand is more beautiful naturally, and except for parts of phuket (namely patong and karon beaches) there are less foreigners ruining it. better rock climbing, better snorkeling and diving, etc...

have fun whatever you end up doing though.

I'd go to Siem Reap twice for Angkor sightseeing before going to Indonesia once, unless it was, just possibly, Bali. But Bali doesn't reward just showing up for a day or so.

You really need several days in Siem Reap. Arrive day 1, 3 days at the temples, and depart the next day.

For someplace very different than Thailand (or Cambodia, etc.), I'd go to Luang Prabang, Laos. Don't bother with Vientiane. Again, Lao rewards more time rather than less. A lot of the charm in Lao is in the interior, not reachable by air.

Have fun. You have an ambitious schedule.

I'd go to Siem Reap twice for Angkor sightseeing before going to Indonesia once, unless it was, just possibly, Bali. But Bali doesn't reward just showing up for a day or so.

You really need several days in Siem Reap. Arrive day 1, 3 days at the temples, and depart the next day.

For someplace very different than Thailand (or Cambodia, etc.), I'd go to Luang Prabang, Laos. Don't bother with Vientiane. Again, Lao rewards more time rather than less. A lot of the charm in Lao is in the interior, not reachable by air.

Have fun. You have an ambitious schedule.

I second rjh's recommendations of Siem Reap and Luang Prabang.

Siem Reap is fantastic. Three to four days is really needed, but if you don't have it, then I would still go there for one day. You may want to check out Bangkok Airways' Discovery Air Pass (though it sounds like you've already booked your PG tickets), as that would make the flights to Siem Reap much more affordable.

Note that, in terms of your current plans, there are direct flights from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, which is also a fantastic place. In fact, I'd just go to Luang Prabang and skip Chiang Mai altogether. IMO, Luang Prabang is what Chiang Mai markets itself to be, but has not been in a long, long time -- if ever.

- Michael