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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 732688 times)

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4180 on: October 06, 2019, 12:20:36 PM »
Prices around new years is crazy!
take the train

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4181 on: October 06, 2019, 11:33:09 PM »
I don't know about Asia Air but Bankok Air is a partner of Cathay Pacific, which you can get from AMEX transfer.  At the time I traveled, I used Flying Blue points and it was a great deal, 10k for a $400 direct flight HKG-USM, but I don't think they are partners anymore.
When did you book this? Was it tough to find?

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4182 on: October 07, 2019, 04:10:44 AM »
Which Chabad is the nicest experience for shabbat?
And would hotels be okay with late checkout, or leaving items at front desk?

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4183 on: October 07, 2019, 09:40:53 AM »
Which Chabad is the nicest experience for shabbat?
Are you asking about the whole country? They are all nice.
In Bangkok it depends: if you prefer the younger Israeli backpacker crowd go to Khao San, the English speaking 25+ tend to go more to Sukhumvit. Even Chen is also nice, smaller, sefard, interesting.

And would hotels be okay with late checkout, or leaving items at front desk?
I don't think they will let you check out after Shabbos and not charge you. You can check out and they can store your luggage, just discuss it ahead of time to avoid melacha and muktzah issues.

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4184 on: October 07, 2019, 09:55:25 AM »
Are you asking about the whole country? They are all nice.
In Bangkok it depends: if you prefer the younger Israeli backpacker crowd go to Khao San, *the English speaking 25+ tend to go more to Sukhumvit.*

Is that Beth Elisheva?

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4185 on: October 07, 2019, 10:38:39 AM »
Is that Beth Elisheva?
yes, Rabbi Kantor.
Very nice shul, neighborhood is also nicer than Even Chen or Khao San

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4186 on: October 07, 2019, 03:50:05 PM »
yes, Rabbi Kantor.
Very nice shul, neighborhood is also nicer than Even Chen or Khao San
Great, thanks!!

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4187 on: October 07, 2019, 08:31:45 PM »
Want to base out of Phuket for a week and a half and visit some other islands such as Maya Bay, Similian Islands, Krabi Islands, Koh Lanta (Emerald Cave). Is each island just a ferry away?

Thinking of Phuket -> Koh Phi Phi -> Maya Bay -> Krabi -> Phuket

Has anyone done something to this extent? Too much? 1 or 2 days per island?

Thanks!

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4188 on: October 09, 2019, 04:57:19 PM »
Are you asking about the whole country? They are all nice.
In Bangkok it depends: if you prefer the younger Israeli backpacker crowd go to Khao San, the English speaking 25+ tend to go more to Sukhumvit. Even Chen is also nice, smaller, sefard, interesting.
I don't think they will let you check out after Shabbos and not charge you. You can check out and they can store your luggage, just discuss it ahead of time to avoid melacha and muktzah issues.
Yea, thx. Was referring to BKK.
They can recommend a easy to work with hotel?

Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4189 on: October 10, 2019, 11:13:38 AM »
Yea, thx. Was referring to BKK.
They can recommend a easy to work with hotel?
Based on my experience all hotels will work it out with you, just discuss ahead of time with the manager. Ask Rabbi Kantor if you need specific recommendation.

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4190 on: October 24, 2019, 09:39:23 AM »
Looking for a recommendation for a BKK based driver for several days

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4191 on: October 29, 2019, 02:51:10 PM »
Has anyone ever visited any factories in Bangkok such as Nike, Hugo Boss etc.?

Offline Le-Oh

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4192 on: October 29, 2019, 03:35:33 PM »
Want to base out of Phuket for a week and a half and visit some other islands such as Maya Bay, Similian Islands, Krabi Islands, Koh Lanta (Emerald Cave). Is each island just a ferry away?

Thinking of Phuket -> Koh Phi Phi -> Maya Bay -> Krabi -> Phuket

Has anyone done something to this extent? Too much? 1 or 2 days per island?

Thanks!

It is just a day trip.

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4193 on: October 29, 2019, 03:50:06 PM »
Has anyone ever visited any factories in Bangkok such as Nike, Hugo Boss etc.?
Those guys aren't letting you in so fast.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Denverite

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4194 on: November 05, 2019, 11:41:23 AM »
Those guys aren't letting you in so fast.

They don't want a DDMS expose of their worker conditions?  :P

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4195 on: November 06, 2019, 09:52:46 AM »
Can you do baan chang elephant park and tiger kingdom in the same day in chaing mai?

Offline shimino1

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4196 on: November 07, 2019, 04:30:01 AM »
Can you do baan chang elephant park and tiger kingdom in the same day in chaing mai?
Sure.
When we were there, we got a driver to drive us all day for about $20 which included gas and everything.
We went to a whole bunch of places (Snakes, Crocs, Tigers, etc') and had the driver wait for us outside while we went inside. He had a chart with all the animal pictures, we pointed to which animals we wanted to see and he took us there.

Offline solls108

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4197 on: November 07, 2019, 08:39:17 AM »
Sure.
When we were there, we got a driver to drive us all day for about $20 which included gas and everything.
We went to a whole bunch of places (Snakes, Crocs, Tigers, etc') and had the driver wait for us outside while we went inside. He had a chart with all the animal pictures, we pointed to which animals we wanted to see and he took us there.
Do you have the drivers contact info?

I have been speaking to people who told me to book everything with this guy who works next to the chabad in chaing mai called Israel 699

Offline Le-Oh

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4198 on: December 04, 2019, 04:42:26 PM »
Do you have the drivers contact info?

I have been speaking to people who told me to book everything with this guy who works next to the chabad in chaing mai called Israel 699

I used the gut next to chabad he charged like $25 for the whole day

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4199 on: December 05, 2019, 04:30:39 AM »
Summary from a short trip.
Khao Yai National Park - few hours from BKK, went and came back same day, would have been better to spend a night nearby in order to make it two days, some very nice hikes.

Bangkok "Ancient City"- Built 50 years ago, lots of large replicas, beautiful grounds to walk around on. Surprising highlight of the trip.

Hua Hin guided bike ride - Done outside of city, very enjoyable, albeit a bit pricey. Would have preferred a more challenging and longer route, but did approx 35 km in a few hours of pleasant riding, along with some hiking.

Khao Sam Roi Yot and nearby Mangrove forest- Very nice hike up to the famous cave. Wished we had scheduled better in order to do the marsh boardwalk.
Mangrove forest was ok, but the optional 45 minute boat ride on the river was a highlight. There are a few different Mangrove forests, worth checking out both.

Stayed at Royal Orchird Sheraton in BKK, as well as the Davis which is close to chabad.
In Hua Hin, stayed at Anantara, which was very nice.