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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 732684 times)

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #680 on: February 18, 2013, 04:27:29 PM »
Air Asia is having 'free' flights from KUL till the end of July.
Even w/ YQ and taxes, the prices are still quite good.
http://www.airasia.com/ot/en/promotion/rr0470307.page?icid=aa110imba130218

Offline Fan of Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #681 on: February 18, 2013, 11:59:08 PM »
Which SPG hotel in BKK is the best option for a one - 2 night stay just passing through, the W, Westin, or La Meridien? They all have are open now C and P.

Or perhaps the Aloft, Royal orchard sheraton or Four points by Sheraton which are not avail C and P but still super cheap.

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #682 on: February 19, 2013, 01:14:02 AM »
what about diving and water sports?? anything near there??

Look up similian islands its closest to khao lak if I'm not mistaken and has amazing diving

Offline SavingsBigtime

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #683 on: February 19, 2013, 01:30:51 AM »
My buddy, from my MLE TR, mentioned he stayed there and it was the most memorable experience of his life.

Anyway to book with points? I know FS is part of Marriott but couldn't find out for sure.
i don't think fs is part of Marriott , RC is.
Also I took a look at that tent camp looks beautiful but very expensive , anybody know a way to get that cheaper or what the cheapest price that u can get it for?

Offline zvmiester

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #684 on: February 27, 2013, 04:01:40 PM »
how would i get the corner suite in le meridien chiang mai with cash and points?? do i have to call after i make the reservation??

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #685 on: February 27, 2013, 04:18:55 PM »
how would i get the corner suite in le meridien chiang mai with cash and points?? do i have to call after i make the reservation??
Are you Plat? Or do you want to pay for it?

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #686 on: February 27, 2013, 04:25:07 PM »
how would i get the corner suite in le meridien chiang mai with cash and points?? do i have to call after i make the reservation??
Who said you could?
״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 #687 on: February 27, 2013, 04:30:29 PM »
Who said you could?

You can definitely negotiate with the hotel to put you in a corner suite for $$.
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

Offline zvmiester

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #688 on: February 27, 2013, 04:31:03 PM »
Are you Plat? Or do you want to pay for it?
im a gold how much would it costto pay for it??

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #689 on: February 27, 2013, 04:34:49 PM »
im a gold how much would it costto pay for it??
Email them and ask.
Or have a Plat book it for you through their account.

Offline PlatinumGuy

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״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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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

Offline businessmachine

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #692 on: March 05, 2013, 12:31:48 AM »
Just ticketed our Thailand/Maldives Vacation(posting this in Thailand and maldives thread) b/w December 22nd and January 7th all in J. Keep in mind this is during high season for both of these locations so availability is scarce but I would appreciate any feedback tips on how to make it better. Also note that I had a one way to HNL set but cancelled it in exchange for the BKK-MLE on SQ biz instead of taking a raunchy Sri Lanka air economy flight. The Itinerary is below:

EWR - MXP(UA)- Depart 12/22
MXP - BKK(TG) - Arrive 12/24 6 AM- Fly to HKT and spend 3 nights and then fly to CNX and spend 5 nights there
BKK - SIN(SQ)- Depart 1/1/14
SIN - MLE(SQ)Arrive in MLE 1/1 at 11PM :-[- any thoughts on where to stay or go straight to resort which I didn't book yet
MLE - SIN(SQ)Depart 11:30 PM 1/5
SIN - BKK(SQ)
BKK - ZRH(TG)- Will have a full day in BKK before taking the midnight flight back home.
ZRH - EWR(UA)- Arrive

Thanks!

Offline Suave

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #693 on: March 05, 2013, 12:40:36 AM »
Just ticketed our Thailand/Maldives Vacation(posting this in Thailand and maldives thread) b/w December 22nd and January 7th all in J. Keep in mind this is during high season for both of these locations so availability is scarce but I would appreciate any feedback tips on how to make it better. Also note that I had a one way to HNL set but cancelled it in exchange for the BKK-MLE on SQ biz instead of taking a raunchy Sri Lanka air economy flight. The Itinerary is below:

EWR - MXP(UA)- Depart 12/22
MXP - BKK(TG) - Arrive 12/24 6 AM- Fly to HKT and spend 3 nights and then fly to CNX and spend 5 nights there
BKK - SIN(SQ)- Depart 1/1/14
SIN - MLE(SQ)Arrive in MLE 1/1 at 11PM :-[- any thoughts on where to stay or go straight to resort which I didn't book yet
MLE - SIN(SQ)Depart 11:30 PM 1/5
SIN - BKK(SQ)
BKK - ZRH(TG)- Will have a full day in BKK before taking the midnight flight back home.
ZRH - EWR(UA)- Arrive

Thanks!
3 nights in HKT? oh the horror....
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Offline businessmachine

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #694 on: March 05, 2013, 12:43:08 AM »
3 nights in HKT? oh the horror....

That bad??

Was thinking of the Westin and then spending some time on Phi Phi..I hear very conflicting thoughts about hkt. Many people here aren't fans but I have friends (Israelis) that only stay there. Care to elaborate your thoughts?

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #695 on: March 05, 2013, 02:05:08 AM »
That bad??

Was thinking of the Westin and then spending some time on Phi Phi..I hear very conflicting thoughts about hkt. Many people here aren't fans but I have friends (Israelis) that only stay there. Care to elaborate your thoughts?
To me HKT is strictly for middle aged backpackers and zona mongers. 'scuse my french. That said, there are some nicer parts to it as well. It all depends on how much money you can spare.

Phi Phi is a must for all types and ages, there is something for everyone without the in yo face @#$ trade on every corner. It's a cholent pot of all sorts, lots to see & do. I spent about 2 weeks on Phi Phi last year and loved every minute.

Bottom Line: Less time at HKT, more time on Phi Phi.

If you want suggestions as to what to do, holla.
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Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #696 on: March 05, 2013, 02:28:59 AM »
That bad??

Was thinking of the Westin and then spending some time on Phi Phi..I hear very conflicting thoughts about hkt. Many people here aren't fans but I have friends (Israelis) that only stay there. Care to elaborate your thoughts?
Not that bad at all.
While phuket itself may not be the best, there are tons of islands and national parks to explore, along w/ zip lining in the jungle, animals, etc.
You can also go up to Khao Lak and stay at the LM there (although the price just jumped up today for points and C&P)

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #697 on: March 05, 2013, 06:15:57 PM »
Not that bad at all.
While phuket itself may not be the best, there are tons of islands and national parks to explore, along w/ zip lining in the jungle, animals, etc.
You can also go up to Khao Lak and stay at the LM there (although the price just jumped up today for points and C&P)

Yeah- my plan is to possibly spend the time over at phi phi instead...thanks

Offline Drago

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #698 on: March 06, 2013, 01:09:49 AM »
Yeah- my plan is to possibly spend the time over at phi phi instead...thanks
If you do, a decent option is the PC property there which is increasing from 25k to 35k in late March, so book soon.
You'll have to call them to book though since the website shows the higher price.

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #699 on: March 06, 2013, 01:13:03 AM »
are you talking about this one

http://www.priorityclub.com/hotels/us/en/phi-phi-island/phupb/hoteldetail

They have the crowne plaza too but that's on phuket..