TravelingNomads

2 adults/2 teens who have never visited Thailand before and have zero knowledge of the country, but want to explore the sites and feel like we're on vacation. We're likely looking for an all inclusive type of experience for the first visit. Subsequent ones would be different. What city would you recommend for a first timer? We'd be visiting for about a week, maybe a day or two more. We're the Hilton/Marriott types...not the Four Seasons, so I'm guessing upper 3* or 4*'s? Some place where my younger teens would feel comfortable grabbing some late night ice cream at 8pm without us escorting them.

forumpersona999

That all sounds very American. We do have nice branded chain resorts of the tier that you are describing but doing any kind of sightseeing as a tourist is not really a vacation because you get fleeced, scammed and harassed at every step.

Le Meridien Phuket would be a 4 star cocoon that is surrounded by tourist stuff and they have some packages with meal plans but that doesn't include cocktails.

What you are describing is more of a Caribbean thing. I haven't seen much of it in Thailand. Hopefully someone else will come out and have some better suggestions for you.

dsquared37

Others can chime in with more, but here's the #1 rule in Bangkok:

Never take a parked taxi/tuk tuk as they are more than likely to not use the meter and/or scam you. They are not your friend. Always flag down a moving taxi and unless you know exactly what the price will be give a pass on the tuk tuk. Never negotiate fares, you will be worse off for doing so.

TravelingNomads

Hmm.. Good point. We really do want the authentic Thailand experience, but just don't want to get in over our heads the first time around, especially since we'll have young teens with us. I haven't purchased the tickets yet, but we were thinking possibly over their Christmas vacation. That would give us plenty of time to get to study up on the country and the culture. We're watching a marathon of YouTube videos at the moment. It's obvious that we need to do a bunch of research. I'll come back later in the year with less generic questions.

It looks like an amazing place though from these videos.

travelinterpreters

By " all inclusive" do you mean the Caribbean type where all your food, drinks, and activities are included in the initial cost? I'm not sure how many of those types of places are in thailand...we have never stayed in one.

We have ave taken our son to thailand every year for a long time, this last summer at 15 we had him bring a friend. We stayed at the Ananatara Riverside, and loved it. It's a fun boat ride to the sky train. It's also on the " other" side of the river.

Send me a PM if you want to ask any specific questions.

dlflyer2

Millennium Hilton and Royal Orchid Sheraton are reasonably priced and on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Other hotels range from the budget Ibis to the truly high end.

The river was and is the source of life for Bangkok, so it is an interesting place to be. Most of the river hotels offer water shuttles to the local BTS station making it convenient and quick to see other parts of the city.

There are interesting tours on the river that will not bust the budget and give some insight into Thailand and Buddhism.

MoreMilesPlease

I think you need to decide more of what you want.

Do you want the big city Bangkok experience? No all-inclusive but many of te chain hotels have executive lounges that provide all drinks and snacks.

Do you want zip lining and segway? Then maybe look at Chiang Mai area. Still no all-inclusive but not as overwhelming as Bangkok.

Do you want beach? Then decide if you want an easy to reach more developed area or a bit more challenge with less developed.

A week isn't very long for a big country like Thailand. Pick your focus and go from there.

I just got back from a 30 day organized tour of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. We spent a week in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai on the way to Laos to begin with then 11 days on the beach after the organized tour.

TravelingNomads

I think Bangkok might be too big for us after watching the videos. We were thinking more of a pretty view of the water, some sightseeing, chatting with any locals that speak English, etc. We saw one video where the people hired a car driver who also doubled as their guide which sounds appealing. After seeing how inexpensive the food is, it definitely doesn't need to be all-inclusive. A restaurant on site would be a plus though if we're just wanting to relax that day.

I'm just going to spend some time researching it and will come back when we've got a better idea of how we want to spend our 7 - 10 days.

glennaa11

It is easy to hire a guide in Bangkok (and elsewhere). The tourist industry is very well-developed after all. I like having a guide who can explain the history and tell you about the culture and it adds a level of hand holding that can be very beneficial when you don't know the language or how to get around. And if they're really good they will tailor your tour to your interests. I know a lot of people here discourage guides for some reason and think no one needs one. But in your situation it could be very useful.

Christmas holidays are the height of high season for Thailand. So keep that in mind when you are booking.

CJKatl

You are likely going to have to fly in and out of Bangkok, so do the Murray Head/Chess thing. (One Night in Bangkok) Ride the on/off tourist boat up the river and spend the day seeing the sites accessible from the boat. (Palace, major temples, etc.) At the last stop, walk over to the Khaosan Rd area and get dinner at a sidewalk restaurant, followed by an Uber home. (Uber drivers are honest, you know the price up front and don't have to deal with the issues mentioned above.)

You do not need a tour guide for this. Ahead of time find self guided tours to load on your phone and use those at the major sites. Do not talk to the people who stop you on the street. Just don't engage! The palace is not closed on the day you are there, there isn't a special entrance down the road through a silk shop, etc.

You mentioned Marriott... If you have status, both the Marriott Soi 57 and the Marriott Marquis are very generous with suite upgrades and have fantastic Concierge Lounges. The Marquis has the nicer lounge (perhaps the best of any Marriott hotel in the world) and the Soi 57 great views. These hotels are actually better than the JW or Ren. If you are looking for a bargain, the Courtyard is nicer than what you find in the US.

CJKatl

BTW, Bangkok is extremely safe. So long as you're not setting your kids out in one of the red light areas at midnight, they should be fine. (Although they'd probably still be safe.) I've traveled to Bangkok with my niece and nephew and was less concerned for their safety than when we were in Paris or Amsterdam. You seem to see more kids walking alone and in groups than in most places, although that might be because most are usually wearing distinctive school uniforms.

TravelingNomads

I appreciate hearing this. We are usually on higher alert in big cities. They're too young to be allowed to roam at night, but in Europe we had an ice cream place across the street and/or a market next door to our hotel that the kids would often grab a late night snack from.

Thank you to everyone who helped with tips/advice.

CJKatl

In Thailand, you won't find bakeries or ice cream shops like you would in Europe or the US, nor do you find crepe stands like you do in Vietnam or Cambodia, but your kids would easily be able to get noodle soup or roasted duck or skewered meat from street vendors and sidewalk takeaways. If they really want something sweet, there are few places that aren't more than three steps away from both a 7Eleven and a Family Mart. There are some blocks with three of each. There are 3,648 7Eleven Stores and over 1,000 Family Marts in Bangkok. That's 6 7Eleven stores for every square mile, or one store every two blocks. Even Sheetz convenience stores only have 1.2 stores per square mile in Altoona PA, yet it feels like there are Sheetzes everywhere in Altoona. Stores, that is. Not Sheetz family members, although it is a large family. There were many brothers and sisters who had lots of kids themselves, but I'm getting way off point...

MSPeconomist

I'd try to do a hotel along the river in Bangkok with lounge access.

Watch out for hotels that insist that you pay (a lot) for some special mandatory banquet during the holiday period as a condition of your room reservation.

BTW, Altoona? Both the OP and CJKatl are from Atlanta.

dsquared37

While that might have been true 5 years ago it's not these days. There are bakeries all over and high end patisseries in trendy areas and spreading fast. I can't speak for the quality of the goods, but they certainly exist. Ice cream shops are still generally limited to malls though.