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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 732680 times)

Offline EJB

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3180 on: March 03, 2016, 09:18:57 AM »
Going to CNX for 4-5 days in August. Have 3 days to spend elsewhere afterward. Should I go to USM (quicker to get to) or MLE? Based on potential availability, I could get to MLE as early as 3 PM Monday, and will have until ~8PM Wednesday. 

Will have an extra half a day if I decide on USM.

Offline Aaaron

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3181 on: March 03, 2016, 09:23:46 AM »
Going to CNX for 4-5 days in August. Have 3 days to spend elsewhere afterward. Should I go to USM (quicker to get to) or MLE? Based on potential availability, I could get to MLE as early as 3 PM Monday, and will have until ~8PM Wednesday. 

Will have an extra half a day if I decide on USM.

Why not HKT?  Personally, I would do USM or HKT.

Offline CS91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3182 on: March 03, 2016, 01:19:45 PM »
Going to CNX for 4-5 days in August. Have 3 days to spend elsewhere afterward. Should I go to USM (quicker to get to) or MLE? Based on potential availability, I could get to MLE as early as 3 PM Monday, and will have until ~8PM Wednesday. 

Will have an extra half a day if I decide on USM.
Land in MLE at 3pm our actually get to your hotel? Because that could be a difference of 5 hours.

Offline CS91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3183 on: March 03, 2016, 01:20:33 PM »
What route were you able to find availability?
How long was the transfer time from SPG?
CNS-USM-HKG. ~3-4 days.

Offline EJB

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3184 on: March 03, 2016, 01:25:06 PM »
Land in MLE at 3pm our actually get to your hotel? Because that could be a difference of 5 hours.

Land. And yes, that is definitely a drawback. Figure 2 days in hotel.

Offline CS91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3185 on: March 03, 2016, 01:27:58 PM »
Land. And yes, that is definitely a drawback. Figure 2 days in hotel.
Not even because you won't get to your hotel until Monday night (unless you're staying at the Sheraton which is right near Male) and if you're flight out of Male is at 8pm on Wednesday, a lot of Wednesday will be shot too. I'd push MLE off until you have more time.

Offline Feivish

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3186 on: March 03, 2016, 02:24:03 PM »
CNS-USM-HKG. ~3-4 days.
How long out were you able to find availability for this route? When are you traveling?

Offline SLMYRCB

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3187 on: March 03, 2016, 02:49:38 PM »
When are you traveling?
In the Wiki  :)

Offline AJK

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3188 on: March 03, 2016, 02:57:56 PM »
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline CS91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3189 on: March 03, 2016, 06:26:36 PM »

Offline Hudi

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3190 on: March 05, 2016, 08:14:04 PM »
Hi All, Planning a trip to the Naka Island in July. Does anyone know if Chabad in Phuket delivers that far and how they would navigate the boat ride over to the island?

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3191 on: March 05, 2016, 09:09:27 PM »
Hi All, Planning a trip to the Naka Island in July. Does anyone know if Chabad in Phuket delivers that far and how they would navigate the boat ride over to the island?
Your best bet is to probably email them, and see what the can do for you.
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline SLMYRCB

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3192 on: March 06, 2016, 03:56:39 AM »
Is there a reason the DDF crowd tends to stay near the Beth Elisheva (Davis Hotel) chabad house rather than the (seemingly) more active and restaurant location of the Ohr Menachem chabad house?

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3193 on: March 06, 2016, 05:30:04 AM »
Is there a reason the DDF crowd tends to stay near the Beth Elisheva (Davis Hotel) chabad house rather than the (seemingly) more active and restaurant location of the Ohr Menachem chabad house?
I don't think they do. Either way most don't stay in BKK at all

Offline elya

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3194 on: March 06, 2016, 06:35:25 AM »
Hi All, Planning a trip to the Naka Island in July. Does anyone know if Chabad in Phuket delivers that far and how they would navigate the boat ride over to the island?
I have a friend that stayed there, and he had Chabad of Phuket deliver him food.

Offline Mech

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Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3195 on: March 06, 2016, 08:05:16 AM »
Is there a reason the DDF crowd tends to stay near the Beth Elisheva (Davis Hotel) chabad house rather than the (seemingly) more active and restaurant location of the Ohr Menachem chabad house?
Most ddfers stay near Rabbi Kantors (B"E) side of town for 3 reasons. 1) He attracts more of the American crowd and less Israelis 2) It's a smaller and more personal crowd 3) nicer hotels.
I happened to stay by Rabbi Wilhelms chabad house (B"M) and really enjoyed it.

Online sammy n

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3196 on: March 06, 2016, 08:26:52 AM »


Most ddfers stay near Rabbi Kantors (B"E) side of town for 3 reasons. 1) He attracts more of the American crowd and less Israelis 2) It's a smaller and more personal crowd 3) nicer hotels.
+1 I personally stayed near Rabbi Kantors place and loved it! He's an  awesome Rabbi.


Offline foseph

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3197 on: March 06, 2016, 10:09:41 AM »
+1 I personally stayed near Rabbi Kantors place and loved it! He's an  awesome Rabbi.
werent there for shabbas so stayed near the bigger restaurant. only 1 night/2 days at the end of the trip.
i added the hotel, riva surya, which is nice and (relatively) cheap thats a 5 min walk (theres a cut-through street)

Offline shauly

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3198 on: March 06, 2016, 10:12:15 AM »
Going to CNX for 4-5 days in August. Have 3 days to spend elsewhere afterward. Should I go to USM (quicker to get to) or MLE? Based on potential availability, I could get to MLE as early as 3 PM Monday, and will have until ~8PM Wednesday. 

Will have an extra half a day if I decide on USM.

When in August will you be there?

Offline EJB

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3199 on: March 06, 2016, 11:03:35 AM »

When in August will you be there?

17-22 give or take