Firemansam

What are peoples suggestions for hotels near BKK for sub 2500THB??
Will be arriving about 8pm and heading to KBV about 13 hours later, are there any hotels with decent night markets close to them?
Not quite sure if myself and the wife will even want to go out as i will be on the tail end of a full days work then ADL-MEL-SIN-SGN-BKK marathon, but she is a big market freak.

EmailKid

There's no there there around BKK.

They built the airport on a swamp in the middle of nowhere, so it's going to be hike to any kind of a market.

My friends stayed at a hotel near the airport for not too much money, and it included a shuttle.

If it were me, I'd hop on Airport Rail Link and go to town. For a couple of people it may make more sense in a taxi. You can leave luggage at the airport (I did it once with my carryon).

aBroadAbroad

This sticky might have some helpful tips:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thail...l#post24636120

If you leave, be sure to have enough baht (cash) to pay the departure tax that may or may not be assessed when you re-enter the airport (enforcement is inconsistent).

Also, not a market, but Seacon Square is a typical Asian mega mall, very close to the airport. Might be a reasonable alternative for such a short layover.

Please post back and let us know what you end up doing.

whackyjacky

The problem w/staying near BKK is that you've got the Novotel at 5000+ & then a bunch of decent cheap 3 stars that I wouldn't want to spend 11 hrs in. In the time you take waiting for a shuttle taking you to your airport hotel, you could take a taxi to a much better hotel in a real neighborhood of Bangkok. Traffic won't be bad into town at 8:30 or 9. Traffic shouldn't be bad at 06:30 heading back to BKK either. This will give you at least the option of having a good dinner & shopping a bit. Feel free to PM me for hotel suggestions. ps: If it's the Novotel & you're staying >May 18, there's a 40% off sale right now for Accor Le Club members. Just join up. A lot of their hotels in town come down to attractive prices as well.

dsquared37

OP is making a DOM connection and it's likely the departure tax is already built into the ticket. Even if not I've never seen the 100 (150?) THB collected for this.

aBroadAbroad

Wow. Thanks. Totally missed that. Only noticed the string of internationals for some reason.

Nevermind.

Sigh.

transpac

What day of the week? I only ask as it affects traffic considerations and some markets, for example Rot Fai Talad (behind Seacon Square on Srinakrain Road), is only open on weekends.

What kind of markets gets your wife's freak on?

http://talatrotfai.com/

Hotel adjacent to Seacon:

http://www.dusit.com/dusitprincess/s...efault-en.html

Seacon Square, (a massive mall) does have a version of both Khlong Thom (electronics) and Pratunam (clothing) markets.

Just a Km south is Paradise Park, which is a mall, but has a very extensive food court/market in the basement.

If you choose to stay at one of the budget places north of the airport, there is a mall, Paseo, on Lat Krabang Road which has a night market, some days. And I have seen some markets, out of the corner of my eye, driving on Lat Krabang Road.

EmailKid

And yet, some of us consider those high end

OK, I still have a bunch of IHG points I accumulated from when traveling was part of my work, but I rarely stay in anything over two stars in Asia (regrettably so on my last visit to Shanghai ).

My friend who booked a cheap hotel near BKK does NOT stay in two star hotels and no complaints with the inexpensive ones that provided shuttle.

Firemansam

Thank you all for the thorough replies, at this stage we will be arriving on a Monday night probably on Jet Airways from SGN, my better half is from a small village on the coast in Vietnam so she loves the food and shopping markets, tbh as much as she wants to go see a market at 9pm at night i highly doubt she will want to go (past her bedtime) but i thought i would ask and see what people thought of the idea..
besides she can go shopping in Ao Nang.

I think am better off finding something near the airport with some food, is there much in the way of street food in or around the hotels in Lat Krabang??

Edit: the dusitprincess looks great and with the mall across the road could be a winner.
Just take a metered taxi there?? i've once stayed in lat krabang for all of 7 hours and had a shuttle, so a unfamiliar with what the taxi's from BKK are like.

dsquared37

The driver will not be happy your destination is a short hop away.

Firemansam

Are there any other transport options?

EmailKid

You can always say upfront you will pay them extra. It's only about $10 or less into town IIRC.

Some hotels have shuttles.

dsquared37

Some hotels have a shuttle but the schedule might not be so convenient for you.

That's a can of worms that shouldn't be opened.

aBroadAbroad

Uber? Hotel limo? Probably not as cost effective, but on a tight schedule etc. may be worth it to avoid headaches and hassles.

transpac

at this stage we will be arriving on a Monday night

Malls close at 9:30 - 10:00 PM and re-open at 10:00 AM, so doubt you'll make it into one assuming you land at 8:00 PM.

You might be better off just staying at one of the budget hotels near the airport. (Note that some "airport" hotels are quite far away from the airport, with transit times of 30+ minutes.)

A 12/13 hour layover can quickly translate into 7/8 hours once you factor in Immigration (arriving), baggage claim, transport - return transport, checking-in, etc.

I recently waited 15 minutes in the Priority Immigration line (only two desks open), and another 10 minutes for my luggage and another 45 minutes in the official taxi queue, got stuck with a larger taxi (Innova), shaken down for 700 baht (I paid 500 after some veiled threats), and experienced speeds of 140 KPH on the highway.