SK AAR

2-3 days in Singapore is sufficient. Mind you, hotels are expensive in SG and not much to see/do (except for shopping) in SG. I would start in Singapore and move on to Thailand. In Singapore everything is working, clean/polished, everyone speaks English, so it will be an easy start for a first timer to Asia.

December is the pertect time of the year to visit Thailand but it will be peak tourist season (not really a problem but hotel rates will be higher but still very reasonable compared to the US). In Thailand you should spent 3-4 days in BKK, 3-4 days in Chiang Mai and a week or less in Phuket, Krabi or somewhere else on the Andaman coast. You really can't go wrong with Thailand and I'm sure you will have a great time.

hoangb

Thanks, much, for more input. I had considered spending no more than 2 days in Singapore. Thailand might be around a week.

Astrophsx

I think it might depend on what things you like to do and the pace at which you like to travel. If you like to go out and explore 2-3 days in Singapore is decent. If you are flying in business or first you may not need as much recovery time, but factor in that you may need some time to recover. Also, while it doesn't take too long to get to/from the airport you will want to recognize the loss of time from arriving and departing.

One tip I have is don't pay to go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands. Find the elevator that goes up to CÉ LA VI. If you get stopped by an employee tell them you are going up there to have a drink. Once out of the elevators if you go left you get the full view over the gardens. If you go to the bar you can stand next to the famous pool and take a photo. You might have to pay for a drink, but it's better than paying for the view deck. From there you can then walk to the gardens. I haven't done it at night but looks cool. Then see the merlion. Sentosa is a fun place to use a 1/2 day, but if you don't have time you won't be missing anything big. The rest of the time you should spend looking for good food. Then some a/c to recover from the heat and humidity.

I liked Thailand, but thought it was overrun by tourists. There are some islands you can go to that aren't too bad though, but it will take some research. Bangkok is a good place to spend 2-3 days. If you wanted an alternative to Thailand I would highly recommend Bali for a week. Very beautiful, easy to get to from Singapore, and the people there are so friendly! Personally I would only go to Thailand first because Bali kind of spoils you with it's beaches and going to Ubud. It's easy to get around in Bali, whereas you'll have to take short flights out of Bangkok to see more of the country.

Daawgon

I too could not live without the aid of Travelfish:

http://www.travelfish.org/country/thailand
http://www.travelfish.org/country/singapore

While Singapore is squeaky clean Asia, and the food and accommodations excellent, there's also the other side of SE Asia - Indochina! My personal favorite being Vietnam:

http://www.travelfish.org/country/vietnam

In my opinion, Hanoi is Asia's most interesting destination.

Annalisa12

Well over $200 for your big brand names.

In Singapore I like the old time streets and areas e.g. Arab Street, Mosque Street and Chinatown. Lots of fabulous little local eateries. Husband had the best crab he has had a few months ago.

glennaa11

That should be the best time for Thailand. (Unfortunately when I was there last December it was a heatwave that kept things much hotter than usual) Singapore is always tropical.

I'd agree that the order probably doesn't matter too much. I would choose based on getting the flights I wanted in and out of SE Asia.

While hotels can be expensive in Singapore, you can find good deals in Thailand due to the glut of great properties. So it kind of balances out.

My last time in Singapore I used IHG points to stay at the Intercontinental. Two days is enough time to scratch Singapore's surface. But I find the climate there really slows me down so I'd spend a little more time.

txflyer77

Travelfish is indeed the only resource worth anything when it comes to Southeast Asia. The owner's Twitter account has some interesting perspective on life in SE Asia (@travelfish). IMO, Lonely Planet is a joke these days.

Parts of Thailand are rather overrun by tourists but it's a big country. I'd wager that 95% of foreign tourists go to the same few places—get off that beaten path and (IME) it's not crowded at all. Often this is as simple as getting off the main road. I once spent a day bicycling around the ancient ruins at Sukhothai. One tiny section of the park near the entrance was filled with bus tourists. I biked five minutes past that and saw maybe 10 people the rest of the entire day.

Or do what I do—hop down to Malaysia instead.

BuildingMyBento

Sounds like every country...

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