Enigma368

Hi All,

I will have 3 days in Thailand to spare on an upcoming trip and am looking to get some beach/pool time. I have never been to Thailand before and I want to go to a beach resort/area that also has culture and has a vibrant authentic feel to it - without being too touristy.

My original plan was to go to Koh Samui but it is proving expensive and difficult to get there and there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of culture there.

So really I am considering Hua Hin or Phuket. Hua Hin sounds like a more authentic Thai experience and maybe a more relaxing place to stay, but then it doesn't like as tropical or beautiful as Phuket and it seems a shame to go to a Thai beach location and not get the picture postcard beach. If I stayed in Phuket are there good day trips where I could experience real Thai Culture, Phuket town perhaps? On the other hand are there good day trips from Hua Hin where I could get the tropical beauty more easily found on the islands?

There may be other places ppl can suggest but I should add that I want to use hotel points for my stay so ideally I need to stick to places in Thailand that have Starwood, IHG or Hilton.

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks!

eponymous_coward

If you only have three days to spare, HKT-BKK plus time to airport/in airport, etc, is long enough that it's going to knock out a bunch of your 3 days. I would probably do a car trip to Hua Hin, which probably can be scheduled best to maximize your beach holiday time as opposed to a commercial flight.

Also, what exactly are you expecting by "tropical beauty"? Phuket and Koh Samui are definitely touristed up...

remymartin

+1

Firemansam

Give Krabi a go, great place to do trips from and to see.

eponymous_coward

Also has the same problem Phuket does on a short 3 day trip, though, if you're flying in; you burn a good chunk of your 3 day trip in transit to and from (airport+plane flight). I might pick it over both of those locations, but the problem is that this is a short trip.

LoungeLizzard

Trouble is that you might end up spending a lot of extra time going anywhere. At least it looks like the trip to Hua Hin might take longer than usual at the moment.

http://bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/...lays-shipments

skibum7732

Just go to Pattaya...everything a man could want

behuman

And there is a lovely really authentic accomodation option in Pattaya: The Rabbit Resort on Jomtien Brach - not for swimming, but for walking.

Also the oldest and most real facette of Thai culture is right on your doorstep in the huge red light district

FlyerTalker683455

Phuket north of airport. JW Marriott, Renaissance, Sala etc. There is a Holiday Inn up at Mai Khao now as well. Driving to Hua Hin is just as long getting there as to HKT from DMK or BKK airport.

aBroadAbroad

You're overlooking the time spent at the airport waiting for the flight, and waiting for luggage on arrival (if you have it).

At best, under perfect conditions, it's a break-even proposition IME, and Hua Hin tends to be quicker — you're halfway there by the time someone going from central Bangkok to HKT takes off. It's also cheaper and you affords you the advantage of not being captive to airline schedules.

They offer very different experiences, however, so if time, scheduling and expense are not your primary concerns, this should be given a lot of consideration.

FlyerTalker683455

Sure. Checking in about 45 minutes before a domestic flight is plenty tho. And the Mai Khao properties are fifteen minutes from the airport.

seanthepilot

In my opinion, 3 days is not a lot. Why not skip the beach and stay in Bangkok. You can do the Pool, Culture, Food, and still stick with your SPG, Hilton, IHG.

Great hotel choices. Lying by the pool is a great way to enjoy your first visit here.



Culture is quite removed in Phuket, Samui, Krabi, or another half dozen tourist locations in southern Thailand, replaced by bad attitudes, high prices, and poor food selection (in my opinion).

There are great spots in all these places. But, culture..... hardly.

Given you only have 3 days, why not book a 5 star hotel on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. There's both a Sheraton and a Hilton... and dozens of other great hotels in the area and around the city.

BangkokTraveler

If you decide to go to Hua Hin, you might consider Bell Travel service bus, which has a direct bus from Hua Hin to Bangkok Airport. If you can time it right, it is a safe way to travel to the airport without spending time going back into Bangkok.

RTW1

Then you are about 20 years too late.... the well know beach towns are all very touristy. And they have beaches, not really a significant amount of "culture" there. They primarily exist to make money.

But as mentioned before, Hua Hin would be you best option. About a 3 hour drive and easy to make bookings from most hotels or from the airport. Way better than having to take a flight to Phuket (and a little less touristy too). Can be a bit crowded on the weekend, but less so during the week.

BangkokTraveler

RTW1 is right.

Alternatively, ou could take a taxi or bus 3 hrs to Ban Phe and go to Koh Samed.. Nice beach and cool, laid back scene. During weekdays, it isn't crowded, during weekends, it is mobbed.