Originally Posted by moondog

The PRC consulate in Bangkok gave me approval to try Thailand transit if it was a business trip. This wouldn't have been cheaper than 857 (at the time) though. IIRC, BKK-CSX wasn't nearly as expensive as BKK-PVG. You would need to spend 2+ weeks in Thailand...not a deal-breaker for me, but this could be an issue for people with tight schedules.