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Inter-Thailand Flights   Bangkok Airways (PG)

PG flights are bookable on points through JAL, CX, EY and AB.

JAL
Required Mileage: Transferable from SPG. JAL uses a distance based award chart and allows up to a maximum of 7 stopovers (8 segments). To figure out how many points you will need, add up the total amount of miles that will be flown (can do this on GCMap.com) and then find the appropriate row in the award chart (http://www.ar.jal.com/ar/en/jalmile/use/partner_air/p_jmb/jmb_mile_ar.html). If you are traveling before 3/31/2017 there is a promotion for trips up to 4,000 miles (see http://www.jal.co.jp/121campaign/pg_discount/index_en.html for reduced mileage rates). The promotion makes JAL the best award redemption option for PG flights. 

Booking the Flight: The only way to find out if there is availability on the flight that you want is to call JAL. Recommended that you do so before transferring points. JAL doesn't allow you to hold a reservation so you have to hope that the flight doesn't get booked up while you're waiting for the point transfer to go through. Once the points post to your JAL account, call JAL back to book.
+1 800-525-3663 (5:00 - 18:00 PT) press 1 - 4 - JAL membership number - # - pin - # - 0 (for human or 1 for computer search)

Traveling with Infant: Tell JAL that you are flying with a lap child. They will put the infant on the reservation, but they will also tell you that you need to call PG directly to get the infant's ticket issued and pay for any taxes etc. JAL will only charge you for the adults on the reservation. Unless you speak Thai, calling PG won't work (when you press 9 for English when calling any of the Asian offices, the message will tell you to go to their website, and the office in Germany can't issue tickets). To add the infant, send an email to reservation@bangkokair.com with your confirmation number and tell them you want to have the lap infant's ticket issued. They will email you back with the price (data point: it was ~$96USD for CNX-USM-HKG for me) and ask you to reply with your cc info split into two separate emails for security (one email with first 8 digits, exp. and name on card, second email with last 8 digits, cvv, and billing address). I believe they only take Visa or MC. You'll then get an email back with confirmation.

Baggage Allowance: Economy passengers are allowed 20kg, infants (and dolls) are allowed 10kg. Excess weight on domestic flights will incur a charge of 80thb ($2.25ish) per kilo. International overage fee chart can be found here. Join the PG FlyingBonus program to receive an additional 10kg.

Contacting PG: In general, if you have any questions, the only way to speak with them in English besides email is PG Live Chat. You can find the link if you log in to your Flyer Bonus account. Chat reps are very helpful.

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE TO PAY (JAL AND PG) WITH A CC BELONGING TO SOMEONE THAT IS TRAVELING ON THE ITINERARY. PG WILL SOMETIMES ASK YOU TO SHOW THE CC USED TO PAY FOR THE TRIP WHEN YOU CHECK IN, AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DENY BOARDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT.

CX
Required Mileage:

EY
Required Mileage:

AB
Required Mileage:



Bangkok   BKK/DMK

Hotels                                              Activities                                          Chabad                                                                Additional Info
Viengtai Hotel (Ohr Menachem)
Davis Hotel (Beth Elisheva)
Shangr-La (Even Chen)
Sheraton Resort (Hua Hin)
Riva Surya
Kao Sahn Rd
Night Markets (near stadium)
Shopping Malls
Grand Palace
Kanchanaburi (2 hrs away)
Floating Markets
Beth Elisheva (Financial & Shopping district)
Even Chen
Ohr Menachem (Kao Sahn Rd)
ALWAYS use meter in taxis and
   try to say destination in Thai - if you
   need help with numbers as Cbs ;)
(Free) sim in airport at kiosks -(true move(h- sim), dtac
   (happy(micro) sim for iPhone)
Songkran (water fight week)- April 13th!
Kosherthailand.com
BKK Luggage Lockers - 100 baht/day/bag (~$3)
Public Transport
Domestic flights:
   Air Asia, Tiger Air, Thai, Bangkok Air
Tailor:
   Rajawongse




Phuket/Patong/Koh Phi Phi/Krabi   HKT/KBV

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Westin
JW Marriott
Sala Resort
Sheraton Krabi
The Pavilions
Holiday Inn Koh Phi Phi
Ritz Carlton Reserve
places w/ private pools
Beaches
Monkey Show
Cable Skiing
Longtail Boats
Island Tour
Koh Phi Phi:
Diving
Fire Show (wed is biggest)
Maya Bay (full day trip)
Nice Lookouts
Kayaking (to Monkey Beach)
Thai Boxing
Beware of summer weather; monsoon season
Best weather: Jan - May
Island Tour (can be done as a day trip or overnight):
   Andaman River, Maya Bay, Similian Islands, Krabi Islands,
   Koh Lanta (Emerald Cave)




Koh Samui   USM

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                          Additional Info
The Conrad
Sunday Resort
Sheraton
Le Meridian
The W
Le Murrya (Near Chabad)
Fx Hotel (Near Chabad)
Beaches
Diving (Koa Phangan, Koh Tao)
Ang Thong Marine Park Islands
Water Sports (at chaweng and boh phut),
Safari Island (elephants, tigers, zip line)
Scooter (around island)
Kayaking $30
Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan Island trip w/ snorkeling
The Conrad will gladly make arrangements with
   the Chabad restaurant for Kosher food. Email them at usmks.fb@conradhotels.com




Chiang Mai   CNX

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Le Meridien (10 min. Walk to Chabad)
Shangri La (2 min. Walk to Chabad)
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi
Sukantara Cascade Resort
Maese Elephant Show
Maetaeng Elephant Park
Patara Elephant Farm
Thai Elephant Home
Thoms Pai Elephant Camp
Bamboo Rafting
Tiger Kingdom
Monkey Shows
Snake Shows
Crocodile Shows
Zip Lining
Trekking
White Water Rafting
Longneck Tribe
Gun Shooting
Night Safari
Temples/Palaces
Chiang Mai River Boat (To Cooking School)
Extreme Sports!
Repelling
Caving,
ATVing
Bungee
Segways
Rent motorbikes (5$ day)
3D museum right down the road from Chabad
   (if you have an hour or two to kill)
Sunday Market (ratchadamonoen  Rd, old city)
Night Market (Changklan Rd, near Chabad & Le Meridien)
Sat Night Market (Wua Lai)
Tiger Kingdom is best in morning
Use ישראל 669  as travel agent for trips
   (next door to Chabad)
Recommended Zip Line: Flight of Gibbon or Flying Squirrel,
   can be reserved through Yackov (המרכז המטייל)
   for best price.
When reserving tours, ask for a discount due to
   using your own transportation
Tailors:
   CM Tailors
His and Hers- 3 minute walk from LM on the way to chabbad.




Chiang Rai   CEI/4hr drive from CNX

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Le Meridien
Four Seasons Tent Camp Golden Triangle
Black House
Queens Residence
Night market
Day trip to Burma/Myanmar
Waterfalls
White Temple
Ruaamit elephant camp
Pai village (3 hr drive)
Hot Springs
Scooters
Golden Triangle

« Last edited by CR on July 26, 2020, 11:38:14 AM »

Author Topic: Thailand Master Thread  (Read 732421 times)

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2200 on: February 15, 2015, 03:14:15 PM »
I was there in March/April this past year. I completely understand why people wear masks in the country, it looks like a permanent fog over the city. At night it was very thick, but otherwise it wasn't bad. If i would be there for a couple of weeks, i would think f wearing a mask, otherwise, not a big deal.
Is it reason enough not to go for a week with a 4 month old? Wife is getting nervous

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2201 on: February 15, 2015, 03:17:15 PM »
Is it reason enough not to go for a week with a 4 month old? Wife is getting nervous
My kid was six months at the time. He was fine there.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2202 on: February 15, 2015, 03:26:44 PM »
My kid was six months at the time. He was fine there.
Online people make it seem like you'll die, did you experience any eye stinging or throat hurting?

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2203 on: February 15, 2015, 03:51:20 PM »
Online people make it seem like you'll die, did you experience any eye stinging or throat hurting?
None of that. We always had water, so maybe that helped.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2204 on: March 01, 2015, 03:19:48 AM »
When picking up a taxi at BKK, should I negotiate a price first or use the meter?
I would need one for about 5 hours

Offline Moishebatchy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2205 on: March 01, 2015, 04:05:07 AM »
I was there at the same time as Marco. We didn't even notice anything, except for the fact that the view of the mountains from the upper floors of the hotel was obstructed most of the time; that's about it. We did not notice any tangible deterioration whatsoever of the air quality.

Offline Moishebatchy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2206 on: March 01, 2015, 04:12:52 AM »
Anybody have any experience buying multiple tickets for one person on the same intra-Thailand flight? Some of these short flights are so cheap, that it would be cheaper to buy two tickets and get double the baggage allowance, instead of buying just one ticket and paying for excess baggage.
A rep at Thai Airways claims that you can't ever buy two tickets for one person, but that's just classic NBCS (as a travel agent, I know that it can technically be done, it's just a question of whether TG has chosen to "opt-out" of allowing it); anybody have any actual experience?

1) How did you do it - e.g. name on one ticket was DOE, JOHN and the second one was DOE, JOHN2? Something else?
2) Did they indeed allow you twice as much luggage?
3) Were you able earn miles for both seats? ;)
4) If you had status, were you allowed extra luggage for BOTH tickets?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2207 on: March 01, 2015, 04:50:49 AM »
Anybody have any experience buying multiple tickets for one person on the same intra-Thailand flight? Some of these short flights are so cheap, that it would be cheaper to buy two tickets and get double the baggage allowance, instead of buying just one ticket and paying for excess baggage.
A rep at Thai Airways claims that you can't ever buy two tickets for one person, but that's just classic NBCS (as a travel agent, I know that it can technically be done, it's just a question of whether TG has chosen to "opt-out" of allowing it); anybody have any actual experience?

1) How did you do it - e.g. name on one ticket was DOE, JOHN and the second one was DOE, JOHN2? Something else?
2) Did they indeed allow you twice as much luggage?
3) Were you able earn miles for both seats? ;)
4) If you had status, were you allowed extra luggage for BOTH tickets?
I can't help you with that but some of the budget airlines like lion air give free checked baggage

Offline Moishebatchy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2208 on: March 01, 2015, 05:58:52 AM »
I can't help you with that but some of the budget airlines like lion air give free checked baggage

Yes, but how much? Even TG gives like 30 kg, plus *G gets even more on top of that. And TG is quite a decent airline.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2209 on: March 01, 2015, 06:48:35 AM »
Yes, but how much? Even TG gives like 30 kg, plus *G gets even more on top of that. And TG is quite a decent airline.
not more than that.
specifically want to fly TG? they are likely double the other budget airlines that operate there

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2210 on: March 01, 2015, 08:40:05 AM »
When picking up a taxi at BKK, should I negotiate a price first or use the meter?
I would need one for about 5 hours
Use the meter.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2211 on: March 01, 2015, 08:42:33 AM »
Yes, but how much? Even TG gives like 30 kg, plus *G gets even more on top of that. And TG is quite a decent airline.
I don't remember the exact amount but we flew TG Y as our only Y leg and didn't have any issues with 2 70 lbs bags.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2212 on: March 01, 2015, 08:44:49 AM »
Use the meter.
Even though it's 5 hours?
Any chance I find one with a decent grasp of English?

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2213 on: March 01, 2015, 08:46:58 AM »
Even though it's 5 hours?
Any chance I find one with a decent grasp of English?
You can always ask and see what type of rate they want to give you. Though not sure if BKK is different than in CNX.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2214 on: March 01, 2015, 08:48:21 AM »
Even though it's 5 hours?
Any chance I find one with a decent grasp of English?
The metered taxis are incredibley cheap.
Most of them speak good enough English.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2215 on: March 01, 2015, 08:48:37 AM »


Though not sure if BKK is different than in CNX.
I'll be in cnx also, how is it there?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2216 on: March 01, 2015, 08:49:46 AM »


You can always ask and see what type of rate they want to give you.
I'm contemplating hiring a driver beforehand for 2000 baht so I can't wait till I get there

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2217 on: March 01, 2015, 08:52:06 AM »
I'm contemplating hiring a driver beforehand for 2000 baht so I can't wait till I get there
Are you not sure if you can hire when when you arrive?

2000 BHT also sounds like a lot of money. IIRC, in CNX, for a full day (~10 hours), i was generous and paid around 800 BHT.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2218 on: March 01, 2015, 08:54:49 AM »
Are you not sure if you can hire when when you arrive?

2000 BHT also sounds like a lot of money. IIRC, in CNX, for a full day (~10 hours), i was generous and paid around 800 BHT.
Correct, I need someone who speaks English and knows the area the area well, I have 5 hours and want to maximise my time

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2219 on: March 01, 2015, 08:56:39 AM »


. IIRC, in CNX, for a full day (~10 hours), i was generous and paid around 800 BHT.
Prearranged or flagged down?
Decent English?