and for you all looking for cheap rates -
try www.wotif.com or latestays.com

I use this site http://www.asiarooms.com/thailand/ba...ilom-area.html for most of my bookings in Thailand. The J.W. is $122 including tax and service (17.7%) and the Riverside Resort is $93 including breakfast, tax and service. You pay in U.S. dollars, no credit card fees and it is pretty painless.

You get points for incidentals at least at the Riverside, cannot speak to the J.W., but J.W. Phuket gives them so I expect you will get them. They treat Marriott Rewards people well. The question to ask is whether 1450 Marriott points are worth over $30 difference in the room rate. There are lots of inexpensive hotels including IMHO, Rembrandt, Novotel Lotus, Swiss Lodge-insist on a good room and many others mentioned in various threads. The above 3 are personal experience. Hotels near the airport are not worth the effort from personal experience also because downtown Bangkok is the place to be and at least the Quality Suites is very worn and not worth the money (Oh-and it is not affiliated with Quality at all.

On my one-night visit last year, I stayed at the Sukhothai, and ate like a pig at their chocolate buffet lunch. It was a high-class tea and light snacks spread PLUS every variety of chocolate desserts one could imagine. Very indulgent! I got a Friday-only internet rate. The Sukhothail is a wonderful hotel.

The Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple, of course, are must-see sights. However, I am surprised that no BKK experts here warned of the numerous scam artists who try to divert wide-eyed tourists (like me) to the fake gem stores and other bad places. Since the thread was started by someone who has never been to Thailand before, I'll offer some rules that I think might save someone's time in BKK from being wasted, ruined, or worse:

1. If someone tells you that the temple or palace is closed or that you are dressed inappropriately, DO NOT BELIEVE IT.

2. If someone suggests an alternative sight to visit, DO NOT GO.

3. If someone offers to send you on a pedicab ride somewhere, DO NOT ACCEPT IT. (I'm talking about street touts, not legitimate hotel employees, for items 1 thru 3 here)

4. If it is a gem or an antique, buy it only if you like it for how it looks.
ASSUME IT WILL HAVE NO VALUE EXCEPT TO YOU.

5. Do not be fearful or paranoid; crime in BKK is more likely to be by stealth or trickery rather than violence.

Bowgie

The best advice I have is to stop at the TAT (tourism authority of Thailand) office in the airport, or in the city, and use the maps they give out to travel around along the chao praya river in the daytime to see the temple sites. Also go see Siam Square (thai teenagers influenced by anything trendy in Japan: J-pop), and the area around there (extreme malls) for fabulous shopping.

If you scoot to the departures level on arrival, you can usually pick up a cab that's just dropped off a passenger, and they won't charge you the airport pickup surcharge.

This works best if you've got no bags.

I wouldn't recommend this to a first-timer though, as you don't have anybody available to translate your destination, and no course if things go wrong.

I use the upstairs guys if I have to arrive during the late evening rush and there's a humongous queue downstairs, but the rest of the time the 50 baht (c'mon, it's $1!) is a small price to pay for the convenience.

So, does everyone recommend the taxi for a first timer? I'll be arriving in BKK on Friday morning and have never been, but I've been looking at the Airport Bus routes and perhaps the train. My ultimate destination is the Westin Grande Sukhumvit. I'll be arriving about 11am from KUL. Is the taxi really the best option?

Thanks!!

You should email the Westin regarding airport pickup. I know the rate at the SGS is 1,500 baht.

Yes.

The airport bus is not all that much less expensive, and
a much greater hassle. Don't even think about the train,
especially if you are going to Sukhumvit.

If you want to check on airport pickup by your hotel,
please do... but I expect that it will be at least 4X the
cost of a taxi. Using the taxi desk as described above
(exit through customs, turn left, walk past all the touts,
go outside, and you will see the booth), and it will be
painless and reasonably efficient. Pay the tolls to the
driver (60 baht) for the highways.

Bangkok is awesome... 18 hours,, eh, lol kinda pushin it... The trip from the airport to downtown Bangkok is about 45 minutes if I remember correctly (without traffic)... You'd have to exchange money when you get to the airport, and when you leave the airport be prepared to pay 500Baht for departaure tax, that got me and my friend who had about 10.00 left hahaha, so we were screwed... As for hotels, you can find any hotel for under 100.00, you'll live like a king for 100.00... Things are very reasonable in Thailand... Depending on what times you arrive and leave, you might be able to squeeze in some sights.. The Grand Palace is really cool, a lot of things to see, probably take ya about 2 hours to see everything.. If your into nightlife, you should DEF. check out the nightlife over there... It's like the Asian version of Amsterdam if you get my drift crazy experiences haha... It's a lot of fun though... You'd probably be able to do a lot in 18 hours...

Ah yea, taxi is the best way to go from the airport to downtown by the way.. Taxi drivers speak little English so have a map ready, stop by the Tourist information center in the airport and pick some up..

Ah yea, by the way, mentioned above, DO NOT let the Tuk-Tuk drivers pressure you into going somewhere, I think they say "You want city tour" or something around that nature, me and my friend were dumb enough to go along with it.. they just drive you around the city and swing you by random stores trying to get you to buy ...., it's a waste of time.. Thai people pressure you into everything, just say no and ignore them.. Saves you time...

Do wear long pants if you plan to visit a temple. Relax and enjoy your stay. If your like me, you will be back.

[QUOTE=gary_nj]Using the taxi desk as described above
(exit through customs, turn left, walk past all the touts,
go outside, and you will see the booth), and it will be
painless and reasonably efficient.QUOTE]

IIRC, the "touts" you mention are actually meeter & greeter reps from the different hotels. They all have a signboard indicating which hotel they represent, with the person's name they should meet & greet.

There are a lot of those too, but usually they stay put and yawn quietly as they wait for their guy. The touts gary_nj is referring to, on the other hand, do their best to shove clipboards in your face, yell "Taxi meeester!" and get you into their limo/illegal cab. I used to hate them with a vengeance, until I figured that a forceful Mai ao khrrrrrrap gets them to shut up.

[QUOTE=Caloy]jpatokal is right--the hotel greeters are actually toward your right as you exit customs. To the left are all those trying to sell you a ride into town.