Since this thread has worked its way back to the current posting top of the list...

I did stay at the JW and it was excellent. Thanks to all who pointed me in that hotel's direction. My stay wound up being three nights, arriving very late Friday night and leaving extremely early Monday morning. Interestingly, two cab drivers told me the Marriott Resort is also an excellent property.

The JW was very conveniently located. The SkyTrain was easy to get to and use. The cab ride from the airport was pretty inexpensive (less than $20, if my conversion rate was correct.) The CL was top notch. The Concierge downstairs was very helpful. As a single traveler (this was part of a DL MR trip) it was a great place to stay.

On Saturday morning, a very famous retired athlete sat down next to me in the CL at 6:00 am. I did not realize who it was at first, but was asked not to mention his name because he apparently stays in the hotel often. He was very chatty. Oddly, I had sat next to Evander Holyfield on my ATL-LAX flight at the start of the trip. As someone who isn't that much of a sports fan, though, it was still fascinating to get to talk with each of them.

The weekend market was awesome. It was the King's birthday weekend and the parades were an unexpected surprise. The palace, temples, and Jim Thompson house were interesting. I paid to ride on the tourist boat but accidently got on the local one instead, which may have been better. Finally, the food in Bangkok was extraordinary.