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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 732407 times)

Offline Cbs

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Re: Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #320 on: July 31, 2012, 11:06:15 AM »
their is a local JEWISH travel agency right next door to chabad they could set you up with everything you need, they also have big discounts if you book activities thru them as they have all the israeli tourist business. enjoy.
ps i pm'ed you with a little favor could you please have a look.
Yes they're called המרכז המטייל and I'll vouch for them because they're Jewish and to give them business and yes many things they have great deals on... but beware that they also tend to have high prices for certain trips/packages.
So just double check a diff agency before you go to them so you can see the diff.

Offline damaxer91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #321 on: July 31, 2012, 12:02:10 PM »


but I'm not sure how buddha fits into the jewish outlook.

Little know fact is that Buddha was actually an enterprising  Israeli tourist who built himself quite an empire

Offline AsherO

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #322 on: July 31, 2012, 12:02:43 PM »
Little know fact is that Buddha was actually an enterprising  Israeli tourist who built himself quite an empire

ALOL. Like!
100% of Likes will be donated to support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael

Offline Expert Flyer

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #323 on: July 31, 2012, 12:48:36 PM »
Since you intend to do quite a bit of touring around Thailand, I suggest you stick to the main cellphone carriers, AIS or DTAC.
By the way, when using DTAC you can also get incoming text messages through gmail chat SMS

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #324 on: July 31, 2012, 12:50:24 PM »
Since you intend to do quite a bit of touring around Thailand, I suggest you stick to the main cellphone carriers, AIS or DTAC.
By the way, when using DTAC you can also get incoming text messages through gmail chat SMS
+1 that AIS is better then TrueMove. (never tried DTAC) but most people that come to tour and dont need much calling then true is the cheapest...i personally needed good service and True didnt do it for me, and wasnt good on my BB. (though on Friends iphones they had no issues)

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #325 on: July 31, 2012, 02:25:27 PM »
Yes they're called המרכז המטייל and I'll vouch for them because they're Jewish and to give them business and yes many things they have great deals on... but beware that they also tend to have high prices for certain trips/packages.
So just double check a diff agency before you go to them so you can see the diff.
Is this the chabad in Chiang Mai, or BKK?

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #326 on: July 31, 2012, 02:25:51 PM »
Is this the chabad in Chiang Mai, or BKK?
BKK

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #327 on: July 31, 2012, 03:02:05 PM »
BKK
Anything in Chiang Mai that you recommend?

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #328 on: July 31, 2012, 03:05:03 PM »
Anything in Chiang Mai that you recommend?
i havent been to CNX but they have this israeli agency in all the main cities....but ou can book the tours with the one in BKK

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #329 on: August 01, 2012, 02:49:51 PM »
Now this is an aspirational stay...
http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/luxury-beachfront-villa-koh-lanta-malee-seaview-part-2/#more-10899

Only $800 during low season... makes me want to return next year with some family members to share it with.

And having this nearby...
http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/photo-of-the-week-emerald-cave-koh-muk/#more-10734

WOW!

Offline businessmachine

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #330 on: August 01, 2012, 05:55:33 PM »
Wow...absolutely stunning!!!

Now this is an aspirational stay...
http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/luxury-beachfront-villa-koh-lanta-malee-seaview-part-2/#more-10899

Only $800 during low season... makes me want to return next year with some family members to share it with.

And having this nearby...
http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/photo-of-the-week-emerald-cave-koh-muk/#more-10734

WOW!

Offline MAJ

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #331 on: August 06, 2012, 01:44:48 AM »
anyone know of any good well priced tours of the islands by phuket. staying in antara (next to jw marriot) and with a 7 month baby
also will not be making in to chaing mai this trip, and probally never, so is it worth doing the elephant riding here in phuket? any good tours.

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #332 on: August 07, 2012, 12:51:50 PM »
Landed, and am in LM Chiang Rai.

First impressions:
Was very happy with RJ biz product. Seats fully reclined, and no first class. Kosher food was terrible though, and I will send them a letter on this.
The hotel that RJ put us in in AMM was forgettable, but having our own room for the 12 hrs was great.

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #333 on: August 07, 2012, 07:16:42 PM »
Landed, and am in LM Chiang Rai.

First impressions:
Was very happy with RJ biz product. Seats fully reclined, and no first class. Kosher food was terrible though, and I will send them a letter on this.
The hotel that RJ put us in in AMM was forgettable, but having our own room for the 12 hrs was great.
how was the BKK food?

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #334 on: August 08, 2012, 12:23:27 AM »
how was the BKK food?
Didnt order, and it was a good idea b/c we had some baggage issues, and wouldn't have had time to meet with Chabad.

Offline MAJ

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #335 on: August 08, 2012, 12:45:17 AM »
was just in bkk for five days and though the food from chabad was delicious. besy part was how helpful they were: bc of where we were staying or doing activities we were very far away from the4 resteraunt, so we simply would call and tell them to meet us at where ever we were going to be in an hour. it was truly amazing.

Offline bigworld

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #336 on: August 11, 2012, 01:30:22 PM »
Was just there last week-Had the food ordered to my hotel. Was there on time when they said it would be and was very good. Def. worth the cheap price that it is. Also stopped by there one day. Its an ok setting and they have a free internet cafe type thing upstairs.

Offline TAVI

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #337 on: October 14, 2012, 11:42:53 PM »
ok, so i'm planning a thailand / asia trip for 2 couples sometime in jan / feb. still working on refining my plan, but here is what i have in mind so far:

- want to use the USair 90K biz rate to north asia award (especially due to their current 100% bonus on sharing miles) and fly NYC – TYO – HKG and back HKG-NYC.while staying couple of days on Tokyo and few days in HKG.

- figured, I’ll use air asia to fly from HKG to Thailand, hop around in Thailand (planning few days in BKK, few in CNX, and few in a nice beachy resort, probably  phuket, krabi or ko samui), and then back to HKG for the return leg  home. Should be fairly inexpensive from the prices I saw on their website, even after factoring in baggage fees.

Was hoping I could get some feedback on the “proposed plan”, and also a recommendation as to what is the best beach / island resort to stay in during the jan / feb time frame.

Thanks

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #338 on: October 15, 2012, 04:40:09 PM »
For cheap flights within Thailand check out skyscanner

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #339 on: October 15, 2012, 07:52:05 PM »
thanks will check it out