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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 732297 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #40 on: November 14, 2010, 10:34:20 AM »
Wow, that tiger thing is crazy!

OK so Khao Lak versus Chiang Mai.

In KL I have the cat. 3 LM reserved with cash and points.  I can upgrade to a pool villa for 12k/night or the oceanfront pool villa for 16k/night.  Have you see both of those?  Pictures? 
I guess when you realize that a regular room at a cat. 6 SPG goes for 20K/night then those upgrade fees to a pool villa don't see all that bad!

Are there activities in KL?  I think I saw there are at least elephant rides and the like there and there's some sort of nature reserve (safari?) nearby.

But the CM activities do sound fun and being close to the shul is definitely a plus.
The hotel there is a cat. 2 with no cash and points.  Plus on the 25th they only have deluxe rooms so that
will be an extra 1,000 points that night.

What would you do Chikky?  Thanks for the help!
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Offline damaxer91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #41 on: November 14, 2010, 11:27:12 AM »
Peak season you can forget about upgrade to pool villa at LMKL, also doubtful you'll get a suite if it's around holiday time... it will be packed, lots of german guests.... the pool villa is outta this world... I would go again and pay for it.... it was very much worth it. I would tell you to pay for it and go all out!! you can't get a better bang for your buck... (I can look for some pics, somewhere...)

Considering you've been already to nice beach places (Hawaii etc..) why not consider getting the real thai experience and going up north to Chiang Mai... they have a great Le Meridien.. price is a joke and you'll be able to see and do crazy things.... if you are interested let me know I can make some suggestions... personally I would much rather this than just going to a crowded resort... 

Things to do in Chiang Mai: Great elephant treks through the jungle, bamboo rafting down the rivers, crazy white water rafting, tiger kingdom (unbelievable, go in cages with full sized tigers take pics, done it and it's very neat... http://www.tigerkingdom.com/Picture/pic-june-10.html), monkey shows, renting a motor bike for a few days for $10 a day....  flight of the gibbon (http://www.treetopasia.com/)

They have a chabad house, with great kosher food... close walking distance from hotel.... it's not the island experience but this is one of a kind... The most amazing sunday market, as well as a night market... lots of other things I can't think of right now...

Depending on where you decide to stay, I would tell you if it's worth stopping in BKK. I personally enjoyed it a lot... it's a busy city, but lots to do.. also might wanna consider gettting some tailoring done and having them send it back or something... it's totally safe!
+1000%

I absolutely LOVED Chiang Mai! If you can afford it, spring for the Mandarin Oriental. It's constantly ranked as one of the top ten hotels on earth and is not (relatively) that expensive.

Oh and the Chabad there has fantastic food. Much better than all of the other places in Thailand. Shliyach there is a great guy

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #42 on: November 14, 2010, 11:36:41 AM »
+1000%

I absolutely LOVED Chiang Mai! If you can afford it, spring for the Mandarin Oriental. It's constantly ranked as one of the top ten hotels on earth and is not (relatively) that expensive.

Oh and the Chabad there has fantastic food. Much better than all of the other places in Thailand. Shliyach there is a great guy

As much as I'd love to, $700/night just isn't in the budget.

Have you been to the LMCM? 

Man, the private pool villa at the LMKL or the better activities in LMCM...decisions, decisions.

At least I didn't book the BKK-HKT ticket yet.
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Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #43 on: November 14, 2010, 12:31:42 PM »
I was only in bkk.
It smells like me'o sheorim, but otherwise you maybe have a 1,5 day program.

The tiger thing is crazy, just look on youtube for animals attacking humans.

The tigers aren't the biggest in this area, but nonetheless...

Offline damaxer91

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #44 on: November 14, 2010, 12:55:24 PM »
As much as I'd love to, $700/night just isn't in the budget.

Is it really that expensive? When we went, it was $400 plus the 3rd night free. I saw the Le Merdien and its in a great location right next to the Chabad. Did you read the reviews on FT?

Among other things, we loved the Night Market and Thai Boxing which were also within walking distance of Chabad and the Le Meridien.

I would do Chiang Mai over Phuket because Phuket is not so authentic Thailand (other than the people who approach you at night) while Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle is an experience unmatched elsewhere. Try and do the day trips to Laos or Cambodia. Even more so if you speak fluent Hebrew. There are more Israelis in those parts than Brooklyn and LA combined

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #45 on: November 14, 2010, 02:04:48 PM »
Here are my thoughts...

Khao Lak is a very nice place. But there are plenty of nice places you've been to... What sets it apart are the villas and the service... you get a small private pool, full privacy etc... if you go holiday season it'll be packed, and you might not enjoy it as much... beautiful islands around there as well, but again everything is packed, tznius can be a bit of an issue this time of year....

I would vote for Chiang Mai, you'll experience the real Thailand... I would skip the golden triangle if you are short on time as traveling each direction is a few hours, and you would feel rushed.

The Chaing Mai Le Meridien has wonderful corner suites, with the most amazing bathroom and huge square bath overlooking the mountains.. the hotel is very modern and nice...

Skip the Mandarin, it's gorgeous but way way too expensive (unless you're looking to throw money away..) If you go to Chiang Mai you can skip Bangkok all together as Chiang Mai is the real deal...

You can't compare activities in Phuket to Chiang Mai... the greenery is unbelievable..

Thing I would recommend:

Mae Se Elephant Show (the best one there)
Elephant riding at a different camp (for riding it's better than Mae Se, I'll look it up for you)
Bamboo Rafting down the river
Tiger Kingdom (it's a must!! There is one near Bangkok but there they do things to the tigers, here the tigers are treated well...)
Monkey Show and feedings...
Visit a Long Neck Tribe (it's touristy...)
Sunday Market (it's sunday evening but the most amazing market ever!! cheap souvenirs, hand made things etc... best market I've ever seen)
Night market for cheap knockoffs... (also can bring a photo and for $60 can have them oil paint it unbelievable artists... give it a try)
Riding around town in a TukTuk....
You have an adventure center right outside chiang mai... great bungee and other extreme sports...
ATV tours....

and lots more...

Go to Chiang Mai!! You won't regret it! then go to Khao Lak next time, during low season, much cheaper, quieter and relaxing....

lemme know if you have any questions...

BTW shabbos in Chiang Mai is great!! you'll love it!


They have plenty of other activities... your wife may enjoy a ride along the river in a longtail boat, they take you to a cooking school   

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #46 on: November 14, 2010, 02:56:37 PM »
The LMCM does look great and there's def. tons to do in CM.

But having our own private pool villa surrounded by walls in Khao Lak and just relaxing is very enticing, especially after many long flights and with many activities planned in MEL, Tassie, and SYD afterward.

Also for now I'm going to have to spend at least 1 night in BKK as we arrive at 11:55pm unless another flight opens up.

Maybe I'll flip a coin...
« Last Edit: November 14, 2010, 03:01:13 PM by Dan »
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #47 on: November 14, 2010, 07:22:05 PM »
Thanks for all the Chiang Mai info Chikky, I'll definitely keep it in mind for next time, but I think we'll just relax at our private pool in Khao Lak this time...

So we arrive in BKK late Wednesday night.
How long should we spend in BKK?
Obviously we'll spend Wednesday night.
Should we just spend part of a day and fly to HKT Thursday evening/night or should we leave Friday morning?

Also should we buy shabbos food at Chabad of BKK or HKT?

What's the best way to get from HKT to Khao Lak? Metered taxi from the airport?
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #48 on: November 15, 2010, 12:48:30 AM »
Dan, I'm happy you decided against spending time with some tigers......

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #49 on: November 15, 2010, 01:17:51 AM »
My guess would be that if you stay too long in BKK once you get to your villa you'll regret not being there long enough... so probably don't stay in BKK too long... I don't have any special attractions to recommend... there is a famous palace (Grand Palace), there are markets, tailors (I can recommend one...) etc...

Book your ticket to Phuket sooner rather than later, it'll be cheaper... Air Asia is the way to go normally the cheapest... For a ride to Khao Lak I recommend contacting Boss at cheaper_khaolak@ymail.com make a reservation with him and he'll send a driver to pick you up. He works out of Khao Lak and is a great help... (I used him to pick up food for me on Friday, and if he has a ride to Patong beach - where chabad is, he will give you a discounted rate... ) price should be 1200 baht from airport to the LMKL...

If you wanna save on schlepping food on Friday might be worth getting from BKK on thursday....  Friday you can definitely get nice fresh food and challah from Phuket but you will need to arrange the driver... if you don't have a pickup/drop off, you can end up paying full fare which is 1800baht I believe.

Once at the LM you can take a trip to Similan Islands which is suppose to be nice... you can go to an elephant camp just up the road from the LM... you can go to a nice small market in Khao Lak city to get tropical fruit, not open every day though... while there check out the famous police boat which was washed to shore during the Tsunami (khao lak was completely destroyed - check out pics of LM after the tsunami http://www.kleptography.com/gallery-tsunami.htm)

let me know if you have other questions....

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #50 on: November 15, 2010, 01:48:11 AM »
Seems like the airport is right between patong and khao lak, so it won't make any sense to go down to patong to pick up food.  I guess we'll probably never make it Phuket itself at all.

Will Chabad in BKK have shabbos food on Tursday to pick up?

Nothing else in BKK worthwhile besides markets?  In that case I guess we should just go to Khao Lak sometime on Thursday?  How long will it take to check out some markets in BKK and go to Chabad to eat and pick up food for the rest of the time in Thailand?

The only reason not to buy the AirAsia flights now is if Cathay Pacific opens up an earlier flight from HKG-BKK on Wednesday we would take it and then maybe just skip BKK completely and go to HKT for wednesday.
Any idea when flights start going up in price?  They've been pretty steady at 5,000 Baht since I started looking.

Thanks again!

How much should an elephant ride in Khao Lak cost? 
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #51 on: November 15, 2010, 08:29:01 AM »
Most of the restaurant food throughout the week can work for shabbos... they have Israeli dips, shnitzel, rolls, etc.... be sure to take stuff from home as well... at 5,000 baht that's already not the cheapest, I'm sure it can still go up, but I See what you're saying...

Elephant rides in CM run for about 1000-1500 including bamboo rafting.. so should be a little cheaper without that.

The Villas supervisor is tip, be sure to tell her that you have special diet and would like only fresh fruit.... you can arrange to have the butler deliver them each morning at a certain time... she'll probably even make you a list of the available fruit so you can select each day what you want.

The resort has its own elephant which is neat. Also you can borrow kayaks and rent some other boats on premises...

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #52 on: November 15, 2010, 02:57:59 PM »
The flights when down slightly today.  I guess we'll fly from BKK to HKT on Thursday.  How much time do I need to hit up Chabad and some markets in BKK and still catch a flight.  How far is the airport from Chabad and when will I need to leave to catch a domestic flight?

I can go at:
7:30am for 4,030 RT.
4:55pm for 4,370 RT.
8:30pm for 4,620 RT.
9:15pm for 4,370 RT.
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #53 on: November 15, 2010, 03:19:04 PM »
The flights when down slightly today.  I guess we'll fly from BKK to HKT on Thursday.  How much time do I need to hit up Chabad and some markets in BKK and still catch a flight.  How far is the airport from Chabad and when will I need to leave to catch a domestic flight?

I can go at:
7:30am for 4,030 RT.
4:55pm for 4,370 RT.
8:30pm for 4,620 RT.
9:15pm for 4,370 RT.


Don't forget the Grand Palace!

I'd take the 4:55 PM flight. Leave at about 2:45 and you'll be fine....

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #54 on: November 15, 2010, 03:26:12 PM »
Don't forget the Grand Palace!

I'd take the 4:55 PM flight. Leave at about 2:45 and you'll be fine....
How much time should I allow for the Grand Palace, eating/picking up food at Chabad, and checking out some markets?
Seems like even if we start the day at 8am that leaving the city at 2:45pm may be too aggressive, no?
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #55 on: November 16, 2010, 02:11:00 AM »
How much time should I allow for the Grand Palace, eating/picking up food at Chabad, and checking out some markets?
Seems like even if we start the day at 8am that leaving the city at 2:45pm may be too aggressive, no?

Should be fine. You can do the markets in Phuket as well. Nothing to special about the ones in BKK. Vendors speak hebrew in both. Get ready to negotiate in NIS

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #56 on: November 16, 2010, 08:29:54 AM »
Should be fine. You can do the markets in Phuket as well. Nothing to special about the ones in BKK. Vendors speak hebrew in both. Get ready to negotiate in NIS
I'm not sure I'll actually make it to Phuket proper.  Seems like a long way to go from Khao Lak to Phuket.
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #57 on: November 16, 2010, 08:56:05 AM »
I think 2:45 might be a little risky... depending on where you are staying you could have to deal with traffic, also you prob wanna go to the Chabad house on the way to airport so you don't schlep the food around town with you... if you wanna see the palace, and markets etc... I would play safe and take the next flight... as long as you are willing to sacrifice some time from Khao Lak.. I don't want you to feel you didn't have enough time there.  if you're worried about that, than skip some things in BKK and go earlier to Khao Lak...

I would skip phuket altogether. its not too nice and its a real distance!

There is a tailor in bangkokg that is frequented by US embassy members... Bush sr. shops there when he's in BKK and there are pics all over the wall... shirts are $30, if you are interested it's called Rajawongse right near the Landmark hotel.

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #58 on: December 01, 2010, 11:40:01 AM »
Here are my thoughts...

Khao Lak is a very nice place. But there are plenty of nice places you've been to... What sets it apart are the villas and the service... you get a small private pool, full privacy etc... if you go holiday season it'll be packed, and you might not enjoy it as much... beautiful islands around there as well, but again everything is packed, tznius can be a bit of an issue this time of year....

I would vote for Chiang Mai, you'll experience the real Thailand... I would skip the golden triangle if you are short on time as traveling each direction is a few hours, and you would feel rushed.

The Chaing Mai Le Meridien has wonderful corner suites, with the most amazing bathroom and huge square bath overlooking the mountains.. the hotel is very modern and nice...

Skip the Mandarin, it's gorgeous but way way too expensive (unless you're looking to throw money away..) If you go to Chiang Mai you can skip Bangkok all together as Chiang Mai is the real deal...

You can't compare activities in Phuket to Chiang Mai... the greenery is unbelievable..

Thing I would recommend:

Mae Se Elephant Show (the best one there)
Elephant riding at a different camp (for riding it's better than Mae Se, I'll look it up for you)
Bamboo Rafting down the river
Tiger Kingdom (it's a must!! There is one near Bangkok but there they do things to the tigers, here the tigers are treated well...)
Monkey Show and feedings...
Visit a Long Neck Tribe (it's touristy...)
Sunday Market (it's sunday evening but the most amazing market ever!! cheap souvenirs, hand made things etc... best market I've ever seen)
Night market for cheap knockoffs... (also can bring a photo and for $60 can have them oil paint it unbelievable artists... give it a try)
Riding around town in a TukTuk....
You have an adventure center right outside chiang mai... great bungee and other extreme sports...
ATV tours....

and lots more...

Go to Chiang Mai!! You won't regret it! then go to Khao Lak next time, during low season, much cheaper, quieter and relaxing....

lemme know if you have any questions...

BTW shabbos in Chiang Mai is great!! you'll love it!


They have plenty of other activities... your wife may enjoy a ride along the river in a longtail boat, they take you to a cooking school   
OK Chikky, looks like I'll wind up being in Thailand from Tuesday-Sunday now!

How much time do I need in Chiang Mai?

I arrive in BKK at 11am Tuesday and can be in in Chiang Mai 3pm.
The LM there has cash and points, just 1,100 points +$30...awesome!
How much time do I need in Chiang Mai?
I guess I would go to Phuket either Thursday afternoon or Thursday evening?
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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #59 on: December 01, 2010, 04:27:31 PM »
Great choice... really depends on what you want to do... a lot of the attractions are next to each other and can be done the same day (if you just want to run through them.)

I would on Tuesday stay in town and not do any attractions, if you land at three tiil you're settled in hotel will be 4:30... I would just go to the restaurant and maybe spend the evening at the night market, walking around, message (not to mention the fish pedicure...) etc...

For the next day I would rent a driver for the entire day... forgot what it would cost, maybe $30-50.. you can ask at Chabad... I would start with Tiger Kingdom, arrive right when they open at 9:00am I believe. Then the other things I would schedule is the Maese elephant show (http://www.maesaelephantcamp.com/services.html) which is at 1:30, but elephant riding and bamboo rafting I would elsewhere, there's a better place forgot the name, any driver there should know.... perhaps schedule that between tigers and the show if time permits. You can also fit a monkey show the same day, last about 20 minutes but hanging around the other monkeys is fun, so and hour should do, there are two good places in the same area (all within 15-20 minute drive of each other)...

Other interesting things in the same area: extreme sports (bungee and some other fun things atv etc... http://www.chiangmai-xcentre.com/ but I wouldn't do these until atleast I finished all of the above mentioned...)

There are snake shows in the area as well... Orchid farm (nothing there...)

For the next day your wife may appreciate a cruise on the Chiang Mai river... it's a thai boat, boat varies depending on amount of guests (we had a small 4 seater to ourselves) you go about 20-30 minutes down the river, they take you to a nice farm house where their cooking school is located, you see the most amazing garden with herbs, lemongrass, tropical fruit and vegetables all growing right beside each other.... highly recommend if you want a relaxing couple of hours... They'll pick you up from your hotel... (http://www.maepingrivercruise.com/)

Other activities would include a trip to the longneck tribe (I didn't bother but might be interesting - http://www.google.com/images?q=chiang+mai+long+neck+tribe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1417&bih=672)

White water rafting.... probably half day trip if not full...

Why are you going to phuket? do you mean Khao Lak? do you think it's worth it? will you go for the villa?

Another option might be considering going straight from BKK to Chiang Rai, check out the Chian Rai Le Meridien, this is on the border of Laos and Cambodia... interesting spot.. you can spend a day two nights... thursday morning fly or drive to Chiang Mai (3-4 hour drive but lots of curves and mountains etc...) then spend thurs friday activities, and shabbos right there where you'll have a good meal, shabbos, etc...) Chiang Rai LM looks very impressive...
« Last Edit: December 01, 2010, 05:43:09 PM by ChikkyMonkey »