Posted this over at Flyertalk I figured dopers such as **Siam Sam **or others in Thailand or have visited there could offer some good advice.
I’ve just starting planning for our upcoming first trip to Thailand mid-August and I’m already becoming overwhelmed. I’m looking for some initial advice to point me in the right directions. On our annual/biennial trip to Taiwan we save a few hundred dollars to do a layover in BKK on the way back to IAH, thus a no-brainer. There will be 7 of us (family of 5 with 3 kids ages 6 through 12 and 2 grandparents in their 70s). We’ll be there for 5 nights Friday midday through Wednesday midday. Looking for initial advice on a few things.
We’re open to all activities but I’m partial to immersing myself in the local cultures and food so we’ll plan on temples, floating markets etc. I think a beach day may also be good for the kids so I’m thinking about splitting the trip between Pattaya and Bangkok. Thoughts? Which one first? With a short 6 day trip I think it may be too much to venture out further but open to suggestions.
With a group of 7 I think it might be easiest to hire a driver to take us around. None of us speak Thai so Chinese and/or English would be needed. Thoughts/Recommendations?
Looking at hotels it looks like we might need 3 rooms but seems decent ones can be had for under $200 total. Also looks like some places may have larger suites/apartments that can accommodate all of us but may be $300 plus. Correct assumption? Thoughts/suggestions on which way to go? I’m a member of all the hotel programs but only have Hilton gold.
I think a lot of people make a mistake by overplanning a relatively short trip. Too much of your concentration is just directed at keeping on the timetable.
For such a short time, I would be inclined to just get out randomly and let Thailand happen to you. Ask other travelers you meet what they have done, and why they liked it or didn’t like it, and build your trip on the fly. Pick out two or three target destinations, not too far away from each other.
Thailand is a big country, Bangkok is a big city, and it can take a full day just to get from A to B. One day from A to B, one day at B, and one day from B to A, and you’ve used up half your week, and just rushed through B’s attractions, and seen the boring landscape in between from a train window.
In Siem Reap, Cambodia, I had a tuk-tuk driver for a half a day to see Angkor Wat. I gave that a quick once-over, then I asked him to take me to his village, meet his family and his neighbors. Everyone there was very honored that I came to see them and beamed with pride, and it was one of the most enriching travel days of my life. Completely unplanned, spur of the moment.
Don’t trash talk or encourage the locals to trash talk the royals…that’s jail time. Don’t be touchy feely with the locals (like give out hugs). Don’t wear shorts to any of the temples. Take your shoes off when the locals do, when entering a building or office or home. Ask if you are unsure.
My one trip there, I was surprised at how many people spoke English, and equally surprised at how few spoke it with any skill.
We recently went to Bangkok/Krabi over about 2.5 weeks with 2 small kids (3 and 5) and 2 grandparents in their 70s. We found a few hotels which offered suites (we stayed in a 2 bedroom suite with a kitchen and lounge at the Chatrium Riverside, they have 3 bedroom ones as well) which offered a comp river shuttle up to the MRT at Saphon Taksin which was a few stops to the Siam area. At the same point you could take the tour boats up the river to the various temples and palaces. Also from our hotel you can get river shuttle to the Asiatique markets which was good for a casual dinner.
We self-navigated, took a mix of tuk tuks, the MRT and the river boats and didn’t ever have issues with language.
We spent about 5 days mucking around Bangkok and it was a good amount of time - with the littlies it is hot and mine really appreciated an afternoon at the pool so you can’t cram too much in. It also allowed us to do the must see things, plus some of the smaller fun things like the flower market.
We then flew down to Krabi and did about 9 days there - some scuba, some beaches, boating out the the various islands. Spectacular.
But if we only had 6 days I don’t think I would have bothered with trying to cram in the beach bit.
It will be hot and humid in August. AFternoons at the hotel pool with the kiddos is definitely a must. Traffic can really suck. other than that, I got nothing
My opinion is to avoid the tuk-tuks.
They are typically more expensive than air-conditioned taxis, and the drivers
are more likely to try to scam you.
You can try one once for the novelty of it, but be aware that, in my experience, they
often try to scam or cheat you.
The island in the Gulf of Thailand are the best in August time as far as downpours go. The Islands on the west side tend to be wetter. Koh Samui is a little commercialised now but its big and there is plenty to do. Koh Tao has nice diving spots and national park. These days, I tend to go to Cambodia over Thailand, often overlooked but the people there are great and there are some lovely islands too.
I agree. This year, I transited through Thailand to go to Cambodia, and it made me remember all the things I didn’t like about Thailand, and I even thought of some new ones. It is easy to go from Bangkok to Siem Reap in a day, which is a wonderfully relaxing town, even aside from Angkor Wat.
Five days is not long. Bring an umbrella, because the rains should have started by then.
I would pass on the floating markets. Complete tourist dreck, although one exception that is not too far is the canalside town of Amphawa. It’s worth a look. Google it. But it only has stuff going on from Friday-Sunday. Monday-Thursday it’s a ghost town. Plus places to stay tend to book up early. Plus now that I think about it, it’s not even really much of a floating market. There are a handful of boat vendors, but just about everything is in shops and along the sidewalk. Still an interesting place.
I strongly urge you: DO NOT take your family to the Sin City of Pattaya. Never mind the Russian and British gangsters and sex in the streets – not that I’m necessarily against that, but I would not recommend children watching it all – the water there is filthy and unsuitable for swimming. (Although it’s not so bad just north at Wong Amat or just south at Jomtien.) I would suggest Hua Hin instead, in the other direction from Bangkok and down the peninsula a little. Maybe 2-1/2 hours by car, if that.
I agree with a post above about the tuk tuks. Try them once for the experience, then forget them. Metered taxis are cheaper, safer and air conditioned (but try to make sure they use the meter). Locals get a cheap tuk tuk rate that farangs will never get. Worse, the tuk tuk drivers will often try to scam you by taking you to gem or tailor shops, claiming there’s a “big sale” but really they’ll get commission on any of the shoddy merchandise the shops will push on you. Sometimes they just get a commission on any warm body they can shove through the door even if you don’t buy anything. Before metered taxis it was the opposite, the tuk tuks were cheaper, because you had to bargain with the automobile taxis for the fare too. Then metered cabs appeared in the early 1990s, and those were cheaper. Flag fall on the metered taxis is 35 baht, about a buck American, and most rides won’t cost you more than $3 or $4, if that, unless you’re going very far or traffic is really bad (always a possibility).
The old capital of Ayutthaya is just about 90 minutes north of Bangkok, with the Bang Pa-in Palace not much farther. Might be a good day trip.
Again, five or six days is not long. I’d just concentrate on Bangkok.
Thanks for all the advice. I’m a bit confused about Pattaya though, I heard about Thailand ping pong and my 9 year old son loves ping pong so I though I’d take him to a show. Personally with a short trip I wanted to stay put in Bangkok and just do some day trips from there. Maybe I have some more ammunition to achieve that now. Good reminder about the rains and making sure the hotel is some place we don’t mind hanging out with a decent pool. Does anyone know how strict Thailand is on room occupancy? Seems the most the online forms allow me to put is 6 people for the 2-3 bedroom suites. In the U.S. I never have a problem booking for 4 and 5 of us showing up.
Yes, a good idea. Besides ping pong, let him stay for the razor-blade and bottle-opening shows, heh.
I don’t know about strictness on room occupancy, I only ever check in anywhere with the wife. Maybe just ask the hotel and explain the situation. There might be an extra charge if to put in a cot.
I recommended Hua Hin as a beach destination over Pattaya, but I know people who really like Cha-am, which is just before Hua Hin and so almost as far. I’ve only ever passed through, but word is it’s a lot quieter than Hua Hin. That may suit you too. (Cha-am district and Hua Hin district border each other but are actually in separate provinces – Cha-am in Phetchaburi and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.)
Try not to fall for the jet-ski scam, in which the operators will claim you damaged their jet ski when the damage was already there. Best just not to rent them at all.
August has one public holiday, the queen’s birthday, on the 12th. That’s on a Friday this year, so it will mean a long holiday weekend. Bangkok will be easier to get around, but expect many upcountry accommodations to be full up. Oddly, many bars will suspend alcohol sales, but that depends largely on the individual local police station that’s in charge of an area. It’s not at all unusual for, say, Soi Cowboy in Bangkok to be forced to sell soft drinks only, while in Patpong it’s business as usual.
Thanks, I’ll check into those two locations. If I can I’d rather convince the family to just stay in Bangkok and not go to a second place. Friday the 12th is when we’re arriving. If I read this correctly that might actually be a better weekend to be in Bangkok. I think can probably survive the one night without alcohol if I have to. Rest of the family barely drinks anyhow but they’re accommodating of my penchant including lining up for free booze at a beer festival in Taiwan all so they could hand them over to me.
Coincidentally, Fierra and I will be in Bangkok mid-August (7-13) for vacation.
I’ve been to Thailand before, for work, but I also saw a lot of the city while I was there.
The Tiger Temple is a long ride, but worth it IMO. Where else could I do this?
Learn the proper Thai greeting and hand position, and how to say “my name is____”. Note it’s different for men and women, and it depends upon the speaker, not the subject. Greet the locals properly, and smile. The people in Thailand are very friendly, especially if you make an effort to at least greet them properly.
Before entering a temple, learn about proper decorum. Google quickly if you’re uncertain. Do NOT take photos or video in the temples, no matter how tempted you are.
Bangkok in general is a pretty cool city. Metered taxis are dirt cheap compared to most countries I visit; I don’t know why one would risk anything else. The light rail is nice, however, if you’re near where it runs. There is great shopping in Bangkok, with some very upscale and very “Euro-feeling” and “American-feeling” malls. Even the sex district at Nana is tame, at least compared to what I’m used to.
Well, that depends on the temple. Many temples are okay with photos and videos, some are not. I’d say it’s okay most of the time, but it’s probably best to check first, although if they’re not okay with it there will probably be signs around – for example, at a majorly touristy one like the Temple of the Emerald Buddha it’s a no-no, but that’s one of the exceptions.
I would not recommend the Tiger Temple. It’s a very controversial place, with lots of allegations of animal abuse. But if you’re going in that direction, Kanchanaburi province is home to the original Bridge Over the River Kwai. It’s a nice little area, and there’s a couple of okay small museums.
Yes, that weekend should be good to get around Bangkok. The general rule is people leave Bangkok for the holidays, they don’t go to Bangkok.
Yeah, I just double-checked with my Thai wife to be sure, and she says of course you can photograph or video in most Thai temples. We’ve certainly got our share of temple photos ourselves, and you’ll see the Thais taking pictures too. There’s only a handful of touristy ones that prohibit it, and you’ll see the signs. I’d be careful about taking photos of worshiping monks though.
Speaking of temples, the vast majority of temples in Thailand do not charge admission. Some of the more touristy ones do charge a small, reasonable fee. I’d mentioned Ayutthaya before, and there are ancient temples dotted around the city – it’s certainly okay to photograph those – and many of these charge a small admission, maybe a buck or two or even less in most cases, IIRC. But the big grandaddy temple of them all is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Quite honestly, they gouge you. Admission is 500 baht (US$14). (Thais enter for free.) But it also includes admission to the grounds of the adjacent Grand Palace – note that this is not the palace the king and queen live in these days, that’s elsewhere and strictly off limits to everyone – as well as to the old Vimanmek Mansion over near the zoo. (Vimanmek is the world’s largest teakwood mansion and for a few years was the personal residence of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V, the little boy in The King and I.)
Now, I suppose everyone has to see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is beautiful, no denying that. But it’s so damned crowded. It’s been 10 years since my last visit, and I thought it was more crowded then than I’d remembered. And I hear it’s chock-a-block these days with Chinese tour groups. I’d say it’s worth a look despite the cost and the crowds, especially since it gains you admission to those other places. But a Kiwi who goes by the name of Stickman and writes a weekly online column recently featured Wat Lat Phrao – wat means “temple” – in northern Bangkok as a peaceful alternative to the crowds of Wat Phra Kaew, as the Emerald Buddha Temple is known. Plus it’s free. I’m spoilering his essay on the temple, because his website as a whole does have a little NSFW content, but I cannot disagree with his argument here:
Stickman returned to New Zealand last year after many years in Thailand but still writes his weekly column. It’s actually rather informative, and comes out every Sunday evening about 6pm Thailand time. I’ve met Stick in the past, and he’s a decent bloke.
As other posters have said, stay in BKK. You can do day trips but you don’t have time to go down to the beaches.
7 people. Well, it’s 2 taxis everyplace you go which will take a bit of coordinating. Always have the hotel business card on you, everyone should have one, just so you can show it to the driver. It will have the address in Thai and the phone number which they can call on their cell. They know the big hotels but just in case.
You can hire a long-tail boat for your own private cruise (it’s a set itinerary though, i.e. to the floating market) on the Chao Phraya River or just get the regular public boat that basically functions like a water bus route. The boat ride is very interesting, and faster if you need to get from one end of the city to the other. Every free map shows the stop name/number. You do have to be spry stepping on and off though, and quick.The boats are always crowded and you won’t be able to sit together if you get a seat. The white express boat is (slightly) more expensive and never crowded when I’ve taken it but it is less frequent. Note that all the boats stop running around sunset.
The Weekend Market (Chatuchak) will be open while you are there but… it is mega crowded aside from being hot. If you go early enough, get there well before 10 AM, it is easier to walk around but some stalls will not be open yet. It is massive and different sections are devoted to different things. You can get there via the Skytrain. But here are many markets around, you don’t need to track down a specific one, just go for a walk and you will hit one.
If it rains a lot, the small sois might flood, prepare for that.
Personally with a short trip I wanted to stay put in Bangkok and just do some day trips from there. Maybe I have some more ammunition to achieve that now. Good reminder about the rains and making sure the hotel is some place we don’t mind hanging out with a decent pool. Does anyone know how strict Thailand is on room occupancy? Seems the most the online forms allow me to put is 6 people for the 2-3 bedroom suites. In the U.S. I never have a problem booking for 4 and 5 of us showing up.
