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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 732300 times)

Offline Danlover111

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4140 on: July 04, 2019, 02:42:38 AM »
is there a real problem of Zika? is there any precautions to take?
i was there 7 years ago single but now im married(so im concerned  about the effects it can have if my wife is pregnant...)
i did a lot of google searching and asked 2 Dr.'s but they didn't  know much

thanks

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4141 on: July 10, 2019, 08:35:20 AM »
I’ve gone through a nice chunk of this thread & it seems that it has become pretty quiet compared to its past history. Not sure if that has anything to do with Thailand or the state of DDF in general. I’m traveling with 2 children - ages 3 & 1.5. I see that some have done it with children & I’m trying to figure out if it will work for me as well.

It seems that USM is more a resort/relaxed type of area than CNX or HNT. Wondering what activities there are to do there & what I can do with children or I should be going somewhere else for activities. Are the standard Thailand activities there? Elephant rides, monkeys, tigers etc.
I haven’t seen one word about the W Koh Samui in this thread, I’m guessing that’s because pre merger it was a lot more points. I booked two weeks at the W (b4 it went up to cat. 8) for the end of August with plans of trimming it down as necessary. Trying to get a five day stay there to take advantage of the fifth night free, but don’t want to be there for Shabbat, I’d move to a hotel close to Chabad or go to a different city.
I’m flying in from TLV & trying to figure out my flight options. I don’t really know that much about booking on points so I’m hoping somebody here can help guide to the right info to be able to book flights. What I know so far is this -

AA points on RJ to BKK
Qantas on LY to BKK or HKG
Cathay to HKG not sure what points to use & easiest way to search

What other options do I have that can ultimately get me to USM? I’m also open to staying a day or two in a diff city. Looking for the least flying & stopovers possible, biz or first is not a requirement but def an idea if it’s not too much. Even better would be if I could do some type of excursionist perk & add a flight later from tlv to somewhere else (preferably NYC).

Still very unsure about this whole trip, hoping I can get some help. TIA

Offline moisheyb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4142 on: July 10, 2019, 09:27:54 AM »
I’ve gone through a nice chunk of this thread & it seems that it has become pretty quiet compared to its past history. Not sure if that has anything to do with Thailand or the state of DDF in general. I’m traveling with 2 children - ages 3 & 1.5. I see that some have done it with children & I’m trying to figure out if it will work for me as well.

It seems that USM is more a resort/relaxed type of area than CNX or HNT. Wondering what activities there are to do there & what I can do with children or I should be going somewhere else for activities. Are the standard Thailand activities there? Elephant rides, monkeys, tigers etc.
I haven’t seen one word about the W Koh Samui in this thread, I’m guessing that’s because pre merger it was a lot more points. I booked two weeks at the W (b4 it went up to cat. 8) for the end of August with plans of trimming it down as necessary. Trying to get a five day stay there to take advantage of the fifth night free, but don’t want to be there for Shabbat, I’d move to a hotel close to Chabad or go to a different city.
I’m flying in from TLV & trying to figure out my flight options. I don’t really know that much about booking on points so I’m hoping somebody here can help guide to the right info to be able to book flights. What I know so far is this -

AA points on RJ to BKK
Qantas on LY to BKK or HKG
Cathay to HKG not sure what points to use & easiest way to search

What other options do I have that can ultimately get me to USM? I’m also open to staying a day or two in a diff city. Looking for the least flying & stopovers possible, biz or first is not a requirement but def an idea if it’s not too much. Even better would be if I could do some type of excursionist perk & add a flight later from tlv to somewhere else (preferably NYC).

Still very unsure about this whole trip, hoping I can get some help. TIA

The easiest and shortest time wise for flights is from tlv-amm-bkk. It's 40k aa for biz class. Any one world flights would also be the same price so Cathey pacific tlv-hkg-bkk would be the same price as well.
Look for flights to bkk and then add on your own flights from there.
I think hkt and usm are pretty similar although I think usm is nicer hotels and a little more expensive.
Cnx would be great for a few days.

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4143 on: July 10, 2019, 04:22:09 PM »
The easiest and shortest time wise for flights is from tlv-amm-bkk. It's 40k aa for biz class. Any one world flights would also be the same price so Cathey pacific tlv-hkg-bkk would be the same price as well.
Look for flights to bkk and then add on your own flights from there.
I think hkt and usm are pretty similar although I think usm is nicer hotels and a little more expensive.
Cnx would be great for a few days.

Biz only has one seat avail in the full range of dates I’m looking at. Economy has for the way there, way back the day I want has one seat avail with a short connection, a few more avail on really long connection which won’t work or a day that I’d rather not fly. Do these open up closer usually? Any other decent options besides RJ?

Is it worth going to cnx for me with 2 kids? The traveling isn’t easy & how much more is there to do there over usm? What would I be missing if I’d only go to usm?


Offline moisheyb

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4144 on: July 10, 2019, 05:29:55 PM »
Biz only has one seat avail in the full range of dates I’m looking at. Economy has for the way there, way back the day I want has one seat avail with a short connection, a few more avail on really long connection which won’t work or a day that I’d rather not fly. Do these open up closer usually? Any other decent options besides RJ?

Is it worth going to cnx for me with 2 kids? The traveling isn’t easy & how much more is there to do there over usm? What would I be missing if I’d only go to usm?

I'm not an expert on rj but I've rarely seen it open up any more seats.
I know Turkish has direct flights to hkt.
Rj and LY are definitely the easiest.

Other then those use flight connections.com and search backwards from bkk where there are flight to/from.

We did most of our activities at cnx and most of our chilling at usm.

See if usm has elephant riding (I think they do), tiger, monkey, corcoodile, lion shows and petting.

Cnx felt like a very busy Asian city vs usm which felt like a very resorty place ( granted we were in the conrad for most of our time).

Offline mliebs1457

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4145 on: July 18, 2019, 04:25:30 AM »
Can anyone recommend a good Ang Thong tour in USM?

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4146 on: August 06, 2019, 07:41:16 AM »
Is it worth making an effort to spend a few days in CNX if I’m with kids ages 3 & 1.5? Or I won’t be able to do most activities there anyway?

Is there a guy like Yisrael or Yackov for planning trips in USM or they’re only in CNX?

Offline Denverite

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4147 on: August 07, 2019, 10:05:24 PM »
Biz only has one seat avail in the full range of dates I’m looking at. Economy has for the way there, way back the day I want has one seat avail with a short connection, a few more avail on really long connection which won’t work or a day that I’d rather not fly. Do these open up closer usually? Any other decent options besides RJ?

Is it worth going to cnx for me with 2 kids? The traveling isn’t easy & how much more is there to do there over usm? What would I be missing if I’d only go to usm?

We only did USM (with Shabbat in Hong Kong and Singapore on each end) and had a great time. No one books the W. because there you just get a standard room and the Conrad gives you your own villa with a private pool and free kosher breakfast from Chabad.

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4148 on: August 08, 2019, 02:37:15 AM »
We only did USM (with Shabbat in Hong Kong and Singapore on each end) and had a great time. No one books the W. because there you just get a standard room and the Conrad gives you your own villa with a private pool and free kosher breakfast from Chabad.

Standard room at the W is also quite large & has a private pool. Until the merger price in points was really high that’s my guess why people haven’t been there & I wonder if anybody ever tried asking them about kosher breakfast.


Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4149 on: August 08, 2019, 07:01:24 AM »
Is it worth making an effort to spend a few days in CNX if I’m with kids ages 3 & 1.5? Or I won’t be able to do most activities there anyway?

Is there a guy like Yisrael or Yackov for planning trips in USM or they’re only in CNX?
cnx is great, but I would just stay in USM with kids that age.

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4150 on: August 20, 2019, 06:56:18 AM »
Does Chabad usm sell staples such as milk bread etc?

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4151 on: August 20, 2019, 07:39:07 AM »
Join the PG FlyingBonus program to receive an additional 10kg.


Does this still work? I don’t see it anywhere online & chat rep said I have regular baggage allowance

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4152 on: August 20, 2019, 09:32:11 AM »
Join the PG FlyingBonus program to receive an additional 10kg.


Does this still work? I don’t see it anywhere online & chat rep said I have regular baggage allowance
Extra Baggage Weight on Bangkok Airways operating flight +5 kgs

https://flyerbonus.bangkokair.com/flyerbonus/type-of-membership/

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4153 on: August 20, 2019, 10:01:54 AM »

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4154 on: August 20, 2019, 10:22:49 AM »
Getting a hotel close to Chabad for shabbos, would I need to list my 3 y/o & 1.5 y/o when making booking?  Making me get a room 4 times the price

Online Baglach

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4155 on: August 21, 2019, 07:18:38 AM »
Getting a hotel close to Chabad for shabbos, would I need to list my 3 y/o & 1.5 y/o when making booking?  Making me get a room 4 times the price
No

Offline shimino1

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4156 on: August 22, 2019, 02:54:31 PM »
Join the PG FlyingBonus program to receive an additional 10kg.


Does this still work? I don’t see it anywhere online & chat rep said I have regular baggage allowance
Don't forget they limit you to a certain wight but you can spread it out over as many bags as you want.

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4157 on: August 27, 2019, 02:06:10 AM »
Anyone familiar with the  national parks in the Hua Hin area?
Recommendations for a driver from BKK to Hua Hin as well as a driver while in Hua Hin?

Offline MosheP

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4158 on: August 28, 2019, 12:04:49 PM »
Visiting Thailand is Chiang Mai a must? Or can you see almost everything there between Phuket and Koh Samui?
My time in Thailand is limited.

Offline Hjay

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4159 on: August 28, 2019, 02:01:33 PM »
Visiting Thailand is Chiang Mai a must? Or can you see almost everything there between Phuket and Koh Samui?
My time in Thailand is limited.

Depending on the time of year I’d say do Phuket or koh samui & Chiang Mai. Why would you want to do both Phuket & koh samui? I was just in koh samui for a week I’ll post a mini TR soon with my some updated info for this thread.