Topic Wiki

Upcoming Trips                                                                        Trip Reports
Proisrael
Martyb
ayman
SLMYRCB
benjie1305
shwarmabob gang
CS91 & EJB
Shauly

EJB
SRM
1st week of February
2nd week of February
3rd week of February
1st & 2nd week of April
2nd & 3rd week of July
2nd & 3rd week of July
3rd & 4th week of August
4th week of August

3rd week of January
3rd & 4th week of March
Dan Part 1, Dan Part 2, ChikkyMonkey Part 1 , ChikkyMonkey Part 2, ChikkyMonkey Part 3,
Aussiebochur, ZCN, Brian, TAVI, world2see, zvmiester, Cbs, Yehoshua, AJK, rots5,
Knowitall, Suave, Marco Polo, morgs




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 749187 times)

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2980 on: December 30, 2015, 12:43:59 PM »
Whats the best way to book with Avios coming back from BKK?

Destination?

Offline Proisrael

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 1525
  • Total likes: 276
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Krayot,Israel
  • Programs: SPG,Hilton,Club Carlson
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2981 on: December 30, 2015, 12:44:31 PM »
Ewr/JFK

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2982 on: December 30, 2015, 12:45:19 PM »

Offline Proisrael

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 1525
  • Total likes: 276
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Krayot,Israel
  • Programs: SPG,Hilton,Club Carlson
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2983 on: December 30, 2015, 12:46:08 PM »

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2984 on: December 30, 2015, 12:47:12 PM »
Preferably J or F

Via HKG, but it's a fortune, you are much better off booking with AA.

Offline Proisrael

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 1525
  • Total likes: 276
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Krayot,Israel
  • Programs: SPG,Hilton,Club Carlson
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2985 on: December 30, 2015, 12:47:58 PM »
Via HKG, but it's a fortune, you are much better off booking with AA.

AA has no transfer partners and I am out of AA and Amex miles......

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2986 on: December 30, 2015, 12:48:58 PM »
AA has no transfer partners and I am out of AA and Amex miles......

Incorrect. SPG transfers to AA, or you can just sign up for a new Citi AA card.

Offline Proisrael

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 1525
  • Total likes: 276
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Krayot,Israel
  • Programs: SPG,Hilton,Club Carlson
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2987 on: December 30, 2015, 12:51:04 PM »
Incorrect. SPG transfers to AA, or you can just sign up for a new Citi AA card.

Leaving too soon. Points wont post.

Offline Proisrael

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 1525
  • Total likes: 276
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Krayot,Israel
  • Programs: SPG,Hilton,Club Carlson
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2988 on: December 30, 2015, 12:51:41 PM »
Leaving too soon. Points wont post.

I do have via Alaska for 75k but its a crazy flight. BKK-DXB-SEA-EWR

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2989 on: December 30, 2015, 01:01:08 PM »
I do have via Alaska for 75k but its a crazy flight. BKK-DXB-SEA-EWR

You can use AS miles to fly CX J for only 50k.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2015, 01:53:46 PM by D93 »

Offline sam28

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2010
  • Posts: 1876
  • Total likes: 137
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2990 on: December 30, 2015, 01:52:34 PM »
You can use AS miles to CX J for only 50k.

can u explain what is as and cx and how ?

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8793
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2991 on: December 30, 2015, 01:53:28 PM »
can u explain what is as and cx and how ?

AS = Alaksa
CX = Cathay Pacific

Search BA.com for CX availability. Call AS to book.

Offline Martyb

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Dec 2014
  • Posts: 96
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2992 on: December 30, 2015, 01:55:04 PM »
Le Meridian is booked the week that i am going. Is the area near the Chabad the best area to plant myself?

Offline Marco Polo

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 13126
  • Total likes: 49
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 104
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2993 on: December 30, 2015, 02:07:07 PM »
Le Meridian is booked the week that i am going. Is the area near the Chabad the best area to plant myself?
It is a good location.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline CS91

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2015
  • Posts: 3457
  • Total likes: 45
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2994 on: December 30, 2015, 02:09:46 PM »
Le Meridian is booked the week that i am going. Is the area near the Chabad the best area to plant myself?
When are you going?

Offline rileywiles23

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2014
  • Posts: 5779
  • Total likes: 108
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 5
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2995 on: December 30, 2015, 02:12:09 PM »
Currently booked at the Le meridian for five nights. For my sixth night, any other nice hotels that are worth checking out in CNX, or should I just stick to the le meridian ?
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline Marco Polo

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 13126
  • Total likes: 49
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 104
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2996 on: December 30, 2015, 02:18:17 PM »
Currently booked at the Le meridian for five nights. For my sixth night, any other nice hotels that are worth checking out in CNX, or should I just stick to the le meridian ?
LM is a great price and IMHO not worth spending more elsewhere if you can get LM.
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline Emkay

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Dec 2012
  • Posts: 14412
  • Total likes: 377
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 35
    • View Profile
  • Location: Where I ought to be
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2997 on: December 30, 2015, 02:32:23 PM »
Currently booked at the Le meridian for five nights. For my sixth night, any other nice hotels that are worth checking out in CNX, or should I just stick to the le meridian ?
why switch? if it aint broke why fix it?

Offline benjie1305

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 5870
  • Total likes: 17
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 15
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY Area
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2998 on: December 30, 2015, 02:36:23 PM »
why switch? if it aint broke why fix it?

LM is a great price and IMHO not worth spending more elsewhere if you can get LM.

Any experience with Platinum status? Do they upgrade easily to a suite?

Resi online says "Suite Night Awards cannot be applied to this reservation."
Work hard, Play harder!

Offline rileywiles23

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2014
  • Posts: 5779
  • Total likes: 108
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 5
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #2999 on: December 30, 2015, 02:38:17 PM »

LM is a great price and IMHO not worth spending more elsewhere if you can get LM.
OK
why switch? if it aint broke why fix it?
Was just curios if there other nice option besides that.
Life is as good as you make it...