Help me plan my Thai holiday
 

Right. I've booked my flights, and arrive in BKK on Feb 7th at 6am. I leave BKK on Feb 19th late night. I've never been to Thailand before - indeed, I've rarely travelled East of Europe. I have no itinerary other than these flights.Here are some thoughts I've had and some preferences about what I like:

I'd like to spend some time in Bangkok.
I'd like to spend a few nights at a beach - maybe in the south.
I'd be up for going to the north (Chiang Mai, maybe?) if I have time.
I am travelling alone. I'm quite sociable, so up for going to places / doing activities where there will be people to mix with.
Budget-wise I'm fairly flexible.
I don't like spending a huge amount of money on hotels (but am happy to do it for one night if something is really special). Neither do I like travelling half way round the world to stay in the kind of western corporate hotel I stay at for work. That said, I need my own bathroom and some form of cooling.
I'd like to experience the local culture, but ideally the bits of it that speak a little English as, being English, I don't speak anything else.
I like food a lot. Indeed, I'd quite like to spend some time at a cooking school if someone can recommend one. Markets and stuff interest me.
I am essentially quite lazy. Please don't recommend hikes or treks. Rollaboard, not backpack. You get the idea.

So. What shall I do and where shall I go? (I'm a * flyer and aware of the TG routepass, so if I do 2 cities other than BKK that's a goer - but this is about having a holiday, not earning miles...).

I think you will be hitting Chinese New Year, which means huge numbers of people traveling. This may make it difficult to get domestic flights.

In Bangkok, pick a hotel that is close to the Skytrain or Subway station. Visit the ChatuChuk Weekend market (Skytrain and Subway station). Blue Elephant has a cooking course.

Phuket and Samui have good beach areas, but you will have to fly. You can take the bus or taxi (2 hrs) from Bangkok to Pattaya/Jomtien. Jomtien has the better beach, but far inferior to Phuket/Samui beaches. But Pattaya is very cheap for hotels, food, and local transport.

There are others who can and will offer much better and more detailed advice, but I will take a quick shot at it.

For a first-timer visitor to Thailand beaches, I would recommend Patong Beach (Phuket) or Ko Samui. Lots of daytime and nightime activities available, and a nice beach if you just want to laze around. I understand that during this high season Phuket is quite booked up right now so you might not have a whole of lot choices in terms of hotels. Pattaya/Jomtien is not for everyone as much of it is a bit raucous and honkytonk, and the beaches even in Jomtien are not that great. It that doesn't bother you, it is as glob99 pointed out just a couple hours drive from Bangkok. So is the island of Ko Samet, but Samet is a bit more rustic and the nightlife choices are rather limited.

I personally can only take Bangkok in small doses, so I would recommend taking your cooking lessons in Chiang Mai - there are many to choose from. There are also many inexpensive hotels in Chiang Mai for under $50 USD a night. There aren't super-posh, but they offer decent rooms with aircon and private bath. I used to stay at the Montri Hotel fairly often, but now a friend owns a guesthouse in CM so I usually stay there.

Hi,
welcome to the Land of smiles,

I would do the following :
I would buy that TG domestic airpass for the following routing
BKK-CNX-HKT-BKK
try to get a flight for the same day you arrive ( may be 2 - 3 h after ). So you stay in transit in BKK and you will go through immigration in Chiang Mai.
In Chiang Mai I would stay for 3 nights !
visit the Doi Inthanon National Park
may be a day tour to the golden triangle ( but that day you have to start not later than 06a, in the morning )
and Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
In the night there is a nice night market !
take a taxi, or a car with driver, which comes arround 600 THB for 4 h. 800 THB for 6 H up to 1000 THB for 8 h. incl. gas, but no parkentry !
from CNX there is a daily flight nonstop to Phuket
TG 129 C4 D4 J4 Y4 B4 M4 CNX HKT 1115 1310 0 AB6
this is availability for Feb 10th. for the coupons you need M class.
Take a airport limosine to Patong " There you have everything from beach over shopping up to nightlive.
I can offer you a room in our appartments
http://www.blue-ocean-view.com/en/Ro...___prices.html
sorry but we have no rooms available from 10-16 Feb., but I have a deluxe Studio. If interested you can pm me.
In phuket you can visit every day another beach ( if you like ) or just relax in Patong.
Feb 16 I would fly to BKK, and stay the rest 3 nights there.
My favorite area is around Silom / Suriwongse road ( PATPONG night market ).
During your first stay in BKK you will not see that much.
But may be the following are some choices.
What Pra Kheo ( King temple ) half day
Rose garden half day
What Arun temple 2-3 h.
weekendmarket full day
if interested in electronic IT-tower near Pratunam market ( for clothes )
general shopping Siam Sqare Siam centre, night market PATPONG for fakes
make a trip on Bangkoks river, but use a public boat which costs 25 bath and not a charter where you pay up to 1000.
clean and nice Hotels in BKK are The TAWANA , Montien Suriwongse , Holiday Inn Silom , Sofitel Silom , Narai
when you arrive in BKK, and have oicked up your luggage, go straight out, turn left in the hall and go upstairs 2 levels up to departure ! There you go outside and cross the first street 20 m. There you find arrival taxis, which are happy to transport you for taxi meter price. Do not bargain ! Go by meter ! The trip will be not more than 250 THB + 65 THB for the express highway for an around 35 km trip !
take care and have fun
Bert

Wingnut, I think you will enjoy your 12 day vacation in Thailand.

For first-time visitor, I suggest you visit BKK and Phuket only, rather than Chiang Mai, BKK and Phuket. Going to 3 cities will be a bit rush and using too much time traveling and moving from hotel to hotel. I would do 4 days in BKK, 5-6 days in Phuket and remaining time in BKK. If you like beaches, there are plenty of things to do in Phuket.

Since you are traveling on your own, fly to Phuket. Samui has nice beaches too, but Phuket offers more variety of daytime and night activities. Beaches in Kho Samet, Pattaya and Jomtien are not as good as the ones in Phuket.

As per your travel date 'collides' with Chinese New Year, it may be wise to book hotel for your last leg in BKK ASAP. Not sure of your actual budget, so can't really make hotel recommendation.

Thailand is large country and have a lot of place to visit. you should make a plan before you come for your trip.

well im leaving on the 26th FEB

Will be something like this:
26th Feb BANGKOK
27th Feb KACHANABURRI - Floating Market and Tiger Temple
28th Feb KACHANABURRI - Back to BANGKOK - Train to KOH SAMUI (its something different, i did this last time as well. Saves a night in a hotel a good experience but im only doing it there and flying the rest of the way)
1st Mar Arrive @ KOH SAMUI
2nd Mar KOH SAMUI
3rd Mar KOH SAMUI
4th Mar KOH SAMUI - Full Moon Party
5th Mar Fly to PHUKET
6th Mar PHUKET
7th Mar PHUKET
8th Mar PHUKET
9th Mar Fly to BANGKOK
10th Mar BANGKOK - Chutuchuk Market
11th Mar BANGKOK
12th Mar BANGKOK - Back to MELBOURNE

Before I visited Phuket I did considerable research. It is a rather large and diverse island. You can probably find whatever type of beach you may be looking for...busy beaches with nearby active nightlife at Patong; miles of isolated beaches (in Oct at least) in the north at Nai Yang (at one point, just a hundred meters or so from PKT's runway); and small, quaint beaches dotting the west coast.