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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 743966 times)

Offline yas

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #340 on: October 16, 2012, 09:31:50 AM »
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

Anybody that was there would not recommend  spending more than one day in BKK, you will be much better off spending the time in CNX. As discussed above the only thing to really see in BKK is the palace, and maybe the floating market.
Good luck with the planninig.

Offline TAVI

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #341 on: October 16, 2012, 11:26:29 AM »
Anybody that was there would not recommend  spending more than one day in BKK, you will be much better off spending the time in CNX. As discussed above the only thing to really see in BKK is the palace, and maybe the floating market.
Good luck with the planninig.

Thanks, we probably won't stay there more than 2 days. It all depends what time we fly into BKK. Plus we are going with another couple, so i dont want to do too much jumping around.

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #342 on: October 16, 2012, 12:46:42 PM »
I'd say skip BKK and fill those couple days in SIN.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #343 on: October 16, 2012, 12:56:04 PM »
I'd say skip BKK and fill those couple days in SIN.
Not even one day in bkk for shopping?

Offline TAVI

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #344 on: October 16, 2012, 01:06:05 PM »
Not even one day in bkk for shopping?

I wanted to go to Sin but think its a bit out of way. Initially i was contemplating on whether to visit Sin or HK, but decided to go with HK. While i can pull it off, the couple traveling with us doesn't have points, so i really have to consider the actual flight costs.

What i would really like to get your input on is which beach / island location you would recommend the most. We want some relaxing time, but not completely isolated with nothing else to do.

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #345 on: October 16, 2012, 01:07:32 PM »
Not even one day in bkk for shopping?
Is it any better than CNX's multiple markets?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Cbs

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #346 on: October 16, 2012, 01:13:48 PM »
Is it any better than CNX's multiple markets?
Couldn't tell u since I've never been there . But prob not. Personally I would go there for a day to.see it if I never saw it.but if limited on time then I guess if u can do same style shopping in CNX then skip BKK

Offline bigworld

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #347 on: October 17, 2012, 12:07:38 AM »
i had the same question- sin or hkg and based on all the reviews i chose singapore. It seems like there is more to do like sentosa island,marina bay,zoo/night safari and alot of shows and casinos.was there from friday til late monday night

Offline bigworld

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #348 on: October 17, 2012, 12:10:11 AM »
Regarding bkk-we found one very good market(i think its called potpong or something) evrything else, like mbk and other malls wasnt too gr8. Theres the palace,floating market and some elephant, snake and aligator farms. id say you need two days to get it all. Dont know how it comparres to cnx

Offline ZCN

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #349 on: October 17, 2012, 10:43:19 AM »
I'd say skip BKK and fill those couple days in SIN.


Really? From reading the Singapore thread it doesn't seem there is much to do especially if you spend time in CNX ( night safari, etc.)

Offline TAVI

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #350 on: October 17, 2012, 10:44:58 AM »
Thanks everyone for the kind advice regarding not staying in BKK too long, if at all.

would appreciate some feedback on the best beach resort / island to stay at during jan / feb.

Offline Mocha

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #351 on: October 21, 2012, 10:59:29 AM »
If arriving to Chiang Mai on tue morning in january (after overnight stop in BKK.) Whats my best choice for another Asian city to go to Thu night through shabbos and a few days into the next week?

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #352 on: October 21, 2012, 11:19:02 AM »
Thanks everyone for the kind advice regarding not staying in BKK too long, if at all.

would appreciate some feedback on the best beach resort / island to stay at during jan / feb.
Using points? How many ppl are going?

Offline momo

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #353 on: October 21, 2012, 12:02:06 PM »
Thanks everyone for the kind advice regarding not staying in BKK too long, if at all.

would appreciate some feedback on the best beach resort / island to stay at during jan / feb.
points? Cash? Price range?

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #354 on: October 21, 2012, 12:37:34 PM »
If arriving to Chiang Mai on tue morning in january (after overnight stop in BKK.) Whats my best choice for another Asian city to go to Thu night through shabbos and a few days into the next week?
HKG?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Mocha

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #355 on: October 21, 2012, 12:57:39 PM »
HKG?
Is that what would be the best option? Over PEK? (granted it being cold there in Jan)

Offline moish

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #356 on: October 21, 2012, 04:16:50 PM »
pek is definitely better than hkg, but if you dont have enough time there, its not worth going

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #357 on: October 21, 2012, 04:23:55 PM »
Is that what would be the best option? Over PEK? (granted it being cold there in Jan)
PEK Jan weather: 34/15.
HKG Jan weather: 74/47.
Take your pick...
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Mocha

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #358 on: October 21, 2012, 05:07:09 PM »
PEK Jan weather: 34/15.
HKG Jan weather: 74/47.
Take your pick...
fair enough.
so I have
Sat night AA JFK-LAX-(1 day)
Sun night AA LAX-HNL-(overnight)
Mon morn UA HNL-NRT-BKK
Wed morn TG BKK-CNX

Wed night LMCM

Thu night CNX-BKK-HKG
Wed morn HKG-JFK

how is that time allocated?

Offline TAVI

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #359 on: October 21, 2012, 05:08:10 PM »
Using points? How many ppl are going?

4 people, 2 couples, so 2 rooms or like a 2 bdrm suite.
it could be either points or cash.

if cash, we would wanna stay below $150 a night per room (unless its an amazing deal on a private pool vila or somethign similar, in which case would consider to spend more).

was also thinking of the Hyat Regency in Hua Hin, as i could use the hyatt suite upgrades there, but currently it prices out at $200, which seems too much.

Points wise, we have about 80K SPG points, so i know the LM in Khao Lak is an option, but wanted to see what other options are available, as i'm worried we won't have much else to do in khao lak area.

thanks again