Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > Trip Reports
Reload this Page >

Two July Weeks in Thailand (without the kids!) in CX F and JL F

Two July Weeks in Thailand (without the kids!) in CX F and JL F

Old Jul 26, 2016, 8:08 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Two July Weeks in Thailand (without the kids!) in CX F and JL F

Preface: I need you all to know that this is my first trip report. I didn’t begin the trip thinking I’d use the pics for FT, but the getaway was so amazing I wanted to share. Most trip reports appear to be somewhat anonymous. I will try to keep the pics with us in the shot to a minimum however you have to understand the pictures were taken for mostly private use.

Preplanning: We decided to send all three boys to sleepaway camp this year so naturally we thought “Where is the furthest we could fly from Los Angeles for two weeks?” Though not the furthest option, we considered England, France, Italy, and/or Spain. Using OW miles in C or F proved to be too difficult so we settled on Thailand with a brief 22 hourish layover in Hong Kong and we are glad we did…here we go!

Day 1: CX885 LAX-HKG 12:55-18:55 +1

We had about two hours to spend at TBIT in LAX prior to our flight to Hong Kong…Again I didn’t take many shots of just scenery so please let me know if you see too much of our mugs prior to part two.

The QF F Lounge is a nice sized, modern space with a very good menu.


We enjoyed a few of the small plates, sides, and desserts.


My home on the 777 for the next 15 hours. I typically fly economy on domestic flights so this suite and the fantastic service was a real treat.




Gratuitous Krug shot.


A little plane spotting heading to the runway.


The menu for the flight.






I loved that I could dine with my wife.

I had never had caviar before and was excited to try it...not to my taste however.


This prime steak competes with any steak house. It had a terrific aged taste and was cooked to a perfect medium rare.


The pasta was quite good as well.


I enjoyed the berries and ice cream for dessert.


As the journey continued it was time to relax.



Put on our slippers and watched a movie.



Then it was time for bed...somewhere in the world.


Okay, I couldn't sleep I was so excited to be in CX F. How else does one pass the time? More food of course!

The soup with seared duck breast was surprisingly good for a "snack"


The fish was just okay, but I found a way to finish it.


Oh, you offer chocolate Haagen Dazs too?


And a little more fruit please.


Landed safe and sound. The journey was flawless and I hated to see it end...even after 15 hours.

A little more plane spotting at HKG


The harbor is just gorgeous at night though the light show itself was disappointing.


Cool looking stairs near our hotel, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers.


Going to spare you some sights because we were in every pic.

I can tell you the mid-level escalators were really cool and necessary after all of the walking. Exhausted me below.


I highly recommend Mak's Noodle. The shrimp wontons and noodles were delicious. Here is a mini bowl with one of the dumplings along with the gentleman who made them.



Stay tuned for part two...our flight on a 747 with CX F to BKK and three nights in Bangkok. Feedback appreciated.
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 2:43 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 58
Great start, looking forward to reading more.
Been to HK a few times, one of my favourite places.
savingfor1st is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 9:30 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 302
Subscribed, keep going!
ctrlf is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 9:35 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum
Posts: 558
I'm in Thailand in a few weeks sans kids as well. Are you able to list your itinerary (dates not necessary..just destinations)?? subscribed.
Guvner067 is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 9:56 pm
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by Guvner067
I'm in Thailand in a few weeks sans kids as well. Are you able to list your itinerary (dates not necessary..just destinations)?? subscribed.
Day 1 LAX
Day 3 One day layover in Hong Kong
Days 4-7 Bangkok
Days 7-10 Chiang Mai
Days 10-16 Koh Samui (half at Ark Bar and half at Conrad Koh Samui)

Did you want specifics within each destination or just the length above? We thought three nights in Bangkok, three in Chiang Mai, and six in Koh Samui was perfect. We chose Koh Samui instead of Phuket because it is now the rainy season down there. We miraculously only had a total of 1.5 hours of rain the whole time.
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 9:57 pm
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by savingfor1st
Great start, looking forward to reading more.
Been to HK a few times, one of my favourite places.
We loved it! It was a short layover and the cable car to the Big Buddha was closed for maintenance unfortunately.
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2016, 11:22 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP (probably nothing w/ AA next year :)), Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 405
Originally Posted by greg0ire
Day 1 LAX
Day 3 One day layover in Hong Kong
Days 4-7 Bangkok
Days 7-10 Chiang Mai
Days 10-16 Koh Samui (half at Ark Bar and half at Conrad Koh Samui)

Did you want specifics within each destination or just the length above? We thought three nights in Bangkok, three in Chiang Mai, and six in Koh Samui was perfect. We chose Koh Samui instead of Phuket because it is now the rainy season down there. We miraculously only had a total of 1.5 hours of rain the whole time.
I may be doing this exact itinerary next summer except my connection is SIN, not HKG. looking forward to the rest of this TR!
shgroamer is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 4:30 pm
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Part 2: 3 Nights in Bangkok

Cathay’s terminal at HKG is gigantic. We loved both The Wing and The Pier F Lounges. I didn't take any pics as I wasn't in FT TR mode.



CX703 HKG-BKK 17:05-19:00

This was my first time flying F on a 747. Really enjoyed the experience of sitting in the nose...especially before their retirement on CX in a few months. Also felt lucky to get this plane since aircraft swaps appear to be very common for this route. There were four passengers including my wife and myself. One passenger bought his ticket just to take pictures of the flight.

Our home for the next three hours




Loved the windows in the lavatory


A little Johnnie Walker Blue


Decent appetizer. I actually didn't like the main course offering and chose a beef dish from business class.


Such a nice touch. We got a card signed by every crew member for both flights because we were celebrating our anniversary.


We spent three nights at the Conrad Bangkok

The breakfast offerings for diamond were substantial at both the restaurant downstairs or the lounge on the 30th floor.




Our fist full day was a Sunday. We headed out to Chatachuk Market. It is not to be missed! This 35-acre area houses more than 8,000 market stalls. They have EVERYTHING and at ridiculously cheap prices (though some bargaining is a must).

My wife and I had some fun with the BTS station names. Our hotel is near "Flowing sh!t" and we had to take the train to "More sh!t."




Stalls, stalls, and more stalls




Nobody cooks at home in this country. It's cheaper to just pick up food at the vendors located on any busy street.




The Conrad has an excellent evening cocktail service with wine, beer, and cocktails.


We headed to Soi Cowboy to see the craziness of the street for ourselves.


Nana Plaza was just as busy and crazy. Strip joint after strip joint. Some had women and some had "ladyboys."


Day two was about walking and visiting temples.

Do not hire a taxi! Uber rides are dirt cheap.


We visited three temples and the palace.





25 cent ferry ride across the river


These tuk-tuks are everywhere. They are a cheap mode for transportation, but can be unsafe.


We also saw the Giant Swing. I'm not sure what the attraction was.


The next day we set out for Maeklong Market and Amphawa Floating Market

We figured out how to go 50 miles round trip on $7 total for two people.

It involved a minibus


and a songathaew


It's a bit of a ways, but the Maeklong Market is not to be missed! part of this market is on railroad tracks. Five times a day the train comes by. As a result the market owners have to close the tarps and push their products away from the tracks. This was a highlight to watch.

Prior to the train


Train coming


Train leaving


And owners setting everything back again


Then we headed over to the Amphawa Market. Oops, today is Tuesday and the market is open on weekends. We weren't disappointed because this market was just an add on. Also, we got a boat ride for super cheap because nobody actually visits on a weekday.





I find this unsettling so I wanted you all to feel the same.


Back in Bangkok we grabbed an ice cream cone at a very familiar place.



Drivers here are crazy!

It's common to drive on the wrong side.


This dad was in a hurry getting his child to school. Traffic was heavy, so he drove his child on the sidewalk...at least one of them is wearing a helmet.


Motorbikes EVERYWHERE!


Headed up to Sky Bar (where they filmed Hangover II) for our last night. Though everything we purchased from food to suits to presents were quite cheap, this bar was pretty pricey, but the views were awesome.





Only because Bangkok wouldn't be complete without it.


Stay tuned for part three, three nights in Chiang Mai...

Last edited by greg0ire; Jul 27, 2016 at 9:35 pm
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 6:33 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Nice report! I think you have a pasting issue since a lot of pictures are duplicated.

Looking forward to the rest
chongl is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 6:53 pm
  #10  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by chongl
Nice report! I think you have a pasting issue since a lot of pictures are duplicated.

Looking forward to the rest
Fixed, thanks!
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 7:19 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum
Posts: 558
Originally Posted by greg0ire
Day 1 LAX
Day 3 One day layover in Hong Kong
Days 4-7 Bangkok
Days 7-10 Chiang Mai
Days 10-16 Koh Samui (half at Ark Bar and half at Conrad Koh Samui)

Did you want specifics within each destination or just the length above? We thought three nights in Bangkok, three in Chiang Mai, and six in Koh Samui was perfect. We chose Koh Samui instead of Phuket because it is now the rainy season down there. We miraculously only had a total of 1.5 hours of rain the whole time.
Thanks!

I'm actually booking acccom as I read this but can't decide on BKK hotels (Conrad, Anantara and a few others on the list).. We have booked Centara at Hua Hin but we also looked at Conrad KS so still an option. Keen to see a review(?!)
Guvner067 is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 7:50 pm
  #12  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by Guvner067
Thanks!

I'm actually booking acccom as I read this but can't decide on BKK hotels (Conrad, Anantara and a few others on the list).. We have booked Centara at Hua Hin but we also looked at Conrad KS so still an option. Keen to see a review(?!)
In BKK I recommend the IC for a great location and the Conrad BKK for easy transportation to the transit trains.
djjaguar64 is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 9:17 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: BOI
Posts: 223
Nice trip report! My wife and I were fortunate enough to fly CX F SFO-HKG-SGN for her 50th Bday in April. It was awesome. Of course I love caviar and I drank myself into a stupor in a valiant, but ultimately doomed attempt at draining the plane's supply of Krug, but those are minor differences in our trip.

Look forward to the rest of your report.
travellingwineO is offline  
Old Jul 27, 2016, 9:36 pm
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Elite Gold
Posts: 1,032
Thank you. Somehow the Sky Bar part didn't make the cut, but I just added it.

There was much more to Bangkok and each city we visited, but I'm trying not to make it too long and boring.
greg0ire is offline  
Old Jul 28, 2016, 1:35 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Singapore
Programs: HH Diamond, Accor Gold, SQ*G, MH Platinum, Marriot Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire Ambassador
Posts: 346
Originally Posted by greg0ire
My wife and I had some fun with the BTS station names. Our hotel is near "Flowing sh!t" and we had to take the train to "More sh!t."
I don't mean to be a party pooper but I've learnt to respect the names of the places I visit.
metcalve is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.