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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 744507 times)

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3780 on: March 08, 2017, 10:59:00 PM »
-1

Made an account a month ago. Deposited $10 right away as a transfer from my bank, then they sent me the ATM card.

You can deposit electronically. Bank transfers take 3-4 days to process. Checks normally take 1 day to process, but the first few times can take up to a week till it's available for withdrawal.
I was just quoting the T&C's and what DoC had posted, I have no actual experience with it.
"JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

Offline lubaby

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3781 on: March 08, 2017, 11:26:32 PM »
I was just quoting the T&C's and what DoC had posted, I have no actual experience with it.
That's probably for the $100 bonus. Regular account does not need it.

Offline CS91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3782 on: March 09, 2017, 12:17:51 AM »
That's probably for the $100 bonus. Regular account does not need it.
Yup.

Offline shulem92

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3783 on: March 09, 2017, 02:18:33 AM »
Remember Charles Schwab is a hard pull although reports are that it's EQ so that may not bother most, there is also a $100 offer for opening an account so make sure you use that.
Is that confirmed? Because the other day I opened an account with totally false information, just to see if it would let me complete it

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3784 on: March 09, 2017, 02:18:57 AM »
Is that confirmed? Because the other day I opened an account with totally false information, just to see if it would me me complete it
Did it work?
"JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

Offline shulem92

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3785 on: March 09, 2017, 02:23:09 AM »
Did it work?
Yes
Some random stranger will be getting all sorts of debit cards to his house

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3786 on: March 09, 2017, 02:29:19 AM »
Yes
Some random stranger will be getting all sorts of debit cards to his house
Lol, it seems pretty clear that everyone does get a hard pull though.
"JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

Offline shulem92

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3787 on: March 09, 2017, 02:30:16 AM »
Lol, it seems pretty clear that everyone does get a hard pull though.
I was under that impression too, but at what point do they pull?
And for what purpose?
Clearly has nothing to do with verification
And why is this in the Thailand thread??

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3788 on: March 09, 2017, 02:31:30 AM »
I was under that impression too, but at what point do they pull?
I assume before they approve you.
"JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

Offline Denverite

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3789 on: March 09, 2017, 09:50:01 PM »
This may already be old news but as I was searching through activities in Koh Samui and googled Island Safari and elephants from the wiki (because I thought my kids would like it) I came across this... should I take that place off the wiki or make a note?

http://m.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1916141/koh-samui-elephant-park-opens-two-weeks-after-british

Offline mochjas

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3790 on: March 09, 2017, 09:52:12 PM »
This may already be old news but as I was searching through activities in Koh Samui and googled Island Safari and elephants from the wiki (because I thought my kids would like it) I came across this... should I take that place off the wiki or make a note?

http://m.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1916141/koh-samui-elephant-park-opens-two-weeks-after-british
you go to koh samui for beaches. If you want elephants go to cnx

Offline Denverite

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3791 on: March 09, 2017, 10:03:51 PM »
you go to koh samui for beaches. If you want elephants go to cnx

Honestly I'm not interested in doing any of the animal stuff after reading that, especially with all my kids.  I've been to Thailand and done all the touristy stuff before and am happy to mostly just do all the water stuff, kayaking and marine park islands and otherwise keep them pretty secluded at the resort.  I've got 5 nights at the Conrad and was thinking to do one inland excursion though.  Anyone got a good tour/jeep company for an excursion with kids ages 5-13? Maybe one that includes seeing the monkeys at the coconut plantations?

Offline SRM

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3792 on: March 09, 2017, 10:25:43 PM »
you go to koh samui for beaches. If you want elephants go to cnx
Are the ones in cnx less abusive?

Offline benjie1305

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3793 on: March 10, 2017, 07:52:46 AM »
Are the ones in cnx less abusive?

Lol. Definitely not the 'regular' ones. You gotta search for the ones that treat those animals nicely.
Work hard, Play harder!

Offline Emkay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3794 on: March 10, 2017, 07:57:31 AM »
Lol. Definitely not the 'regular' ones. You gotta search for the ones that treat those animals nicely.
I went to one that seemed to treat them better. They don't allow seats on the elephant, only bareback. I actually slept in a villa on the elephant reserve and had elephants walking right outside my window.

Offline benjie1305

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3795 on: March 10, 2017, 07:59:37 AM »
I went to one that seemed to treat them better. They don't allow seats on the elephant, only bareback. I actually slept in a villa on the elephant reserve and had elephants walking right outside my window.

Did the elephants serve you tea in the morning and offer you a foot massage?
Work hard, Play harder!

Offline Denverite

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3796 on: March 10, 2017, 11:03:01 AM »
I went to one that seemed to treat them better. They don't allow seats on the elephant, only bareback. I actually slept in a villa on the elephant reserve and had elephants walking right outside my window.

That does sound better. Did the sticks the guides use on the elephants still have hooks on them at that place?

Offline SRM

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3797 on: March 10, 2017, 12:18:43 PM »
I went to one that seemed to treat them better. They don't allow seats on the elephant, only bareback. I actually slept in a villa on the elephant reserve and had elephants walking right outside my window.
Do you remember the name of the place?

Is Baan Chaang paradise one if the "good" or "bad" ones?

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3798 on: March 10, 2017, 02:47:21 PM »
Any big difference betwenn the Night Market (Changklan Rd, near Chabad & Le Meridien) and Sat Night Market (Wua Lai) ?
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline benjie1305

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #3799 on: March 10, 2017, 04:27:42 PM »
Any big difference betwenn the Night Market (Changklan Rd, near Chabad & Le Meridien) and Sat Night Market (Wua Lai) ?

Night market is mostly about food. Still fun to stroll around.
Work hard, Play harder!