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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 732681 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #360 on: October 21, 2012, 05:16:05 PM »
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?
Whoa.  That's getting me tired just looking at that.
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 #361 on: October 21, 2012, 05:21:49 PM »
Whoa.  That's getting me tired just looking at that.
lol. JFk-HNL was my free flight from CDG-JFK. From there I get UA all the way to CNX for 37.5 in J.

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #362 on: October 21, 2012, 05:23:41 PM »
Why not just stay in HI? That's too much bouncing for my taste and I have pretty a extreme taste!
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 #363 on: October 21, 2012, 05:32:51 PM »
Why not just stay in HI? That's too much bouncing for my taste and I have pretty a extreme taste!
simply because we were just there an want something different. Frankly i havent been to asia yet so I am interested in going. Just not sure what my best route is  :-\.

Offline Cbs

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Re: Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #364 on: October 21, 2012, 05:32:58 PM »
Why not just stay in HI? That's too much bouncing for my taste and I have pretty a extreme taste!
+1 . That's a lot of traveling in such short time. Especially with the time zone changes and all.
But maybe I'm not taking into consideration that your flying first class. That may be much easier since you can sleep

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #365 on: October 21, 2012, 05:34:52 PM »
simply because we were just there an want something different. Frankly i havent been to asia yet so I am interested in going. Just not sure what my best route is  :-\.
Then save the HI trip for a future trip (assuming you don't want to do different islands, all 8 offer very unique experiences) and find a better routing IMHO.  That trip doesn't look like fun to me.

If you do insist to stick with it there's also not enough time in CNX IMHO.
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 PlatinumGuy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #366 on: October 21, 2012, 05:36:48 PM »
lol. JFk-HNL was my free flight from CDG-JFK. From there I get UA all the way to CNX for 37.5 in J.
Just make sure it's not domestic J...
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Mocha

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #367 on: October 21, 2012, 05:38:10 PM »
Then save the HI trip for a future trip (assuming you don't want to do different islands, all 8 offer very unique experiences) and find a better routing IMHO.  That trip doesn't look like fun to me.

If you do insist to stick with it there's also not enough time in CNX IMHO.
Alright we shall reroute!

Just make sure it's not domestic J...
from nrt-bkk its definitely lie-flat

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #368 on: October 21, 2012, 05:57:52 PM »
Alright we shall reroute!
from nrt-bkk its definitely lie-flat
I would recommend visiting Tokyo over Hong Kong and probably over Beijing (kosher food and shabbos are both issue though). Either way, TG F from NRT or HND is readily available, and add yourself a fake leg ex BKK in order to get access to their spa.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline AJK

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #369 on: October 21, 2012, 10:20:43 PM »
I would recommend visiting Tokyo over Hong Kong and probably over Beijing (kosher food and shabbos are both issue though). Either way, TG F from NRT or HND is readily available, and add yourself a fake leg ex BKK in order to get access to their spa.

fake leg?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #370 on: October 22, 2012, 01:12:28 AM »
fake leg?
Just a flight ex BKK that you don't end up taking. They have the most draconian entry rules possible.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline moish

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #371 on: October 22, 2012, 10:24:11 AM »
tokyo over beijing? how do you figure?

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #372 on: October 22, 2012, 11:15:56 AM »
tokyo over beijing? how do you figure?
I liked it better...

Problems w avoda zora everywhere though.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #373 on: October 24, 2012, 11:03:39 AM »
Need advice on upcoming trip:

I am flying into BKK on december 25th, spending the day in Bangkok (picking up some kosher food and checking out the city).
I am then going to drive to Hua Hin where I will be staying at the Hyatt for three days courtesy of UR points. I would love to stay there for my entire trip but there is no availability for dec 28-29 (friday, shabbos) so I am going to have to find a different (non chain non points CHAS VISHOLOM) hotel for shabbos.
I then have a flight sunday morning from BKK-HKG-NRT-ORD-PHL.

1. Is it worth it to rent a car and how hard is it to drive in thailand (british driving)? What rental company is good? Which credit card gives best protection?
2. What is there to see and do in Bangkok besides for kosher chabad house?
3. What is there to do around Hua Hin?  (I would like to do some hiking as well as thailand stuff like elephant rides etc)?
4. Has anybody stayed at the Hyatt Hua Hin and can give me some tips? Do they open more award rooms closer in?
5. Would you recommend staying in Hua Hin or Bangkok for shabbos?
6. What is a good hotel in the $100 range in Hua Hin that would be nice and peaceful for shabbos?
7. If we were to stay in Bangkok for shabbos what hotel do you recommend (preferably an SPG or Hyatt)?

PS. Is there any way to get a free message when we come in tuesday morning on thai first class from FCO? I have heard some people say that I can get a free message and some people say that I will not have access to the lounge.

Thanks!


Offline bigworld

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #374 on: October 24, 2012, 02:02:56 PM »
1) cabs in bkk are amazingly cheap so not worth to rent a car (always do meter or youll get ripped off)
2)Floating market-palace-alligator farm(has tigers and elephants as well)- Elephant trekking-night market
3)We stayed at the Davis-very nice hotel and very worth the price. its about 8 minute walk from Chabad(keep in mind that there are 2 or three chabads inn bkk-the davis is not near the main one,with the resteraunt,but def. does the job with meals and davening.)
We always got food delivered to the hotel and its much faster and easier then going there.

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #375 on: October 24, 2012, 02:04:22 PM »
That's a long way to travel to just go to Hua Hin and BKK :P
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 gunit770

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #376 on: October 24, 2012, 02:43:36 PM »
That's a long way to travel to just go to Hua Hin and BKK :P

The plan includes a day in Rome on the way in and a day in Tokyo on the way out and a visit to my parents in chicago. Gotta do something for winter break. dont be hatin'

Offline Ergel

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Re: Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #377 on: October 24, 2012, 02:44:48 PM »
The plan includes a day in Rome on the way in and a day in Tokyo on the way out and a visit to my parents in chicago. Gotta do something for winter break. dont be hatin'
Seems crazy to me. Pick one region and spend some time
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline gunit770

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Re: Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #378 on: October 24, 2012, 02:46:13 PM »
Seems crazy to me. Pick one region and spend some time

I have traveller's itch. This might be the last time I can get some vacation time so I'm trying to get a lot done.

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Re: Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #379 on: October 24, 2012, 02:47:21 PM »
I have traveller's itch. This might be the last time I can get some vacation time so I'm trying to get a lot done.
Are you 119 years old?

תפסת מרובה לא תפסת

But I'm all for hectic trips. Just plan properly in advance and you'll be fine IMHO.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים