Bangkok Travel Answers

Also for teh beach portion of our trip - is Samui worth the plane trip down there or is Hua Hin just as nice?

I would say that a decent 4-5 star anywhere in Thailand will be at least150 and I think Sukhumvit has more to offer than Silom. Meals go from10-$150 depending on where you eat. I just have fish, chips and salad for 2 and it was40 without drinks. Drinks in hotels and good bars are10 up.

okay good to know thanks! ill look into hotels in that area as well. We are just starting our planning process now so we are still early in the research stage. I dont necessarily need an uber fancy hotel, just something a but nicer than the tiny cheapo places we normally stay at. Hotel prices are so much cheaper compared to the States from what Ive seen so far, looks like good value for our money. thanks for the input on food, i really wasnt sure from what ive read so far, some people say that you can eat for super cheap but im sure it all depends on if you go to the ritzy touristy restaurants versus street eating or smaller less known places. i will up our food budget then! Better to allocate more money than less for sure. again much appreciated!

September is the peak of the rainy season in Bangkok. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, you're no stranger to rain. It's just that you probably aren't used to monsoons. Don't let it worry you too much though. Last year set 50 year flood records, but few tourists were affected. We dine locally. I am usually the only foreigner around. Our lunch, today, massaman curry and woosen soup, for the two of us, set us back 55 baht, less than2. Most "shop house" restaurants have entrees from 35 baht. Mall restaurants, aimed at the local clentele, will have entrees from 60~70 baht up. It's when you go for fare aimed specifically at foreigners that the prices start higher.

We travel regularly to Bangkok, approx every 18 months and stay very close to the Ratchathewi Sky Train station, close to the Siam Paragon Department stores, MBK etc. We travel with a group and only stay 3 star. However 200 metres away is the 5 star Vie Hotel, we have dined there and it is 5 star. From our hotel we can see the magnificent infinity pool. viehotelbangkok.com/vie-hote... Another suggestion is the 5 star Shangri La Hotel, on the Chao Praya river, we dine there every visit. Approx 200 metres from Sky Train station Saphan Taksin Suggest you visit VT members pages who have replied.

As for day tours they are very good value and collection and return to you hotel included. This link takes you to my tour page, as of 2008, and will give you some idea of availability and approximate cost. "Tours From Bangkok Day & Half Day" - Bangkok Transportation Tip by Mikebb

You must try cocktails atop Vertigo bar at Banyan Tree hotel rooftop. Great views over the city. Peninsula or Mandarin Oriental by the river would be nice treats, even if just for a night's stay, or dinner ;-)

Just to add some perspective. In Bangkok a room with air conditioning, hot water, cable TV, private toilet, and safety box and maid service starts around20 US. Of course this is not a luxury place with a fancy lobby, etc. but it is okay for sleeping! At150 a night you are in the luxury level. Spend150 a night if you really want to and need the gym, pool and other things that price brings. Or save money if you want and get a hotel at half the cost and blow the difference on shopping! A hotel in the US that is150 will be about the same as a90 hotel in Bangkok. In September you should still have hotels at low season pricing. You will find many backpackers and thrift travelers in Thailand spending less than30-$50 a day for everything. So food, lodging and transportation in Bangkok is very reasonable. Breakfast, what they call American breakfast, with meat, eggs, toast, coffee or tea, small juice starts around 51 baht. (Foodland Supermarket, Took Lae Dee Restaurant before 9 a.m. After 9 a.m. 63 baht.) You can of course spend more if you want for breakfast in other fancy places. Same for other meals, you can eat cheap at a food court, supermarket restaurant, even a McDonalds or KFC or go the luxury route - your choice! In Bangkok you can sign up for tours through local travel agencies. They will pick you up at your hotel and return you there at the end of the day. Find a tour the day before and leave the next morning. Some hotels have tour desks. Some evening tours can be booked the same day. A hotel not far from the Skytrain route will make it easier to get around the city. But a meter taxi is cheap in Bangkok providing you only pay the meter fare. Don't get in unless the driver agrees to use the meter. The fare you pay for a meter taxi in Bangkok is for everyone in the cab. The Landmark Hotel on Sukhumvit is not too bad and you can walk to the Nana Skytrain stop. Lots of restaurants, malls, street vendors, travel agencies, supermarkets, etc. in this area. Another hotel you might want to check out is the Pathumwan Princess near MBK. Lots of shopping at MBK (plus several places to eat at) and right at a Skytrain stop. The Evergreen Place is another hotel near a Skytrain stop (Ratchathewi Asia Hotel stop) that you can walk to. This hotel is close enough for you to walk to Pratunam shopping on Phetchaburi Road. Use the Skytrain to get to other areas in the city. asiatraveltips.com/LandmarkH... http://www.bangkok.com/pathumwan/ evergreenplacebangkok.com/in... If you intend to use a credit or debit card notify your bank ahead of time so they do not cut you off suspecting fraud. There will be a charge of 150 baht per ATM use so take out the most you can at one time. For cheap purchases in restaurants or from street vendors use cash! Always have some "small" Thai baht with you, even some coins. Don't expect a small store or taxi driver to have change for a 500 or 1000 baht note. Wait until you get to Thailand to change your money over to Thai baht to get the best rate. There are bank currency exchange kiosks at the airport 24 hours a day. Even travelers checks are easy to cash in Thailand but there is a fee of 33 baht to change one. Only bring the largest denominations - don't spend a dollar to cash a5 travelers check! Have fun.

GREAT choice IMO for a honeymoon. I have been to Bangkok several times and just came back from a trip last month. I stayed at the Dream hotel: http://www.dreambkk.com/ What is cool about this hotel is that it is appr 2 blocks to Sukhumvit, a few blocks to the skytrain and also a short walk to the fairly new Terminal 21 mall. They also offer a really good breakfast buffet that can be included in the price of your room. The Dream also has a rooftop pool in one of the buildings(there are 2 across the street from each other.) Re budget....as stated already, you can spend nothing or can go luxury. Beers are just over a dollar. Street food is cheap and very good.....or you can have a steak at a steakhouse on Sukhumvit and pay much more. I always stick to Thai food.....I live in NY and would not want to fly 18 hrs to eat steak. Also, at Terminal 21, the foodcourt is very good and inexpensive. You buy a food card and put whatever$ amt on it and then each vendor will deduct the amount that you spend. Catching a quick bite inside with the a/c on can be a relief. Your budget numbers are not bad. I spent 10 bucks on dinner with 2 beers on some days and a little more on others. It is not pricey to party in BK! And there is so much to do for the amt of time that you will be. Try to spend a weekend day there so you can experience Chatuchak(or JJ) market! GREAT experience. Then you have the Grand Palace. Etc etc etc. Just walking around the neighborhoods is also a good time. Nightlige can be found all around from Soi Cowboy, Soi 4 and the Nana Plaza area, etc. For tours, I would wait until I get there and walk down Sukmunvit between Soi 4-Soi 15. There are travel agencies on every block and you can arrange exactly what you would like. Also, if you venture to the Khao San road area, there are also agencies that you can utilize. There are several agencies on Soi 15 down the block from the Dreamm..I have used one of them but don't have the name handy. Great choice!!

Sky is the limit with regard to prices for food and drinks. I remember paying around US$25 for a salad, an appetizer and a cocktail at a 5-star hotel right by the river. It's the same if you go to one of the rooftop restaurants/bars in BKK. At the other end, a street meal costs only a couple of dollars. Wildlife tour - you have to go deep in the national parks to spot animals. Khao yai is a large national park a few hours from BKK, I've never been so I can't comment on it. I've been to another national park with monkeys and birds, but you are going in Sept, and I wouldn't recommend going there as it's in the wettest part of Thailand.

Here's an example of food pricing. We picked up a couple lunches today. We got 4 fried chicken legs, 2 servings of pork larb, some pad see ewe and a couple bags of sticky rice. It set us back 190 baht, or around6.50. Photo: farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/...

If you want a really fancy luxury stay right at the beach, check this out : "Ko Samui - a tropical paradise !" - Ko Samui by jojes The hotel we've been to is Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa. It's in the upper pricerange, but has a fantastic location, very nice and attentive staff (managed by Belgian-Thai couple) and terrific food. It's quite pricy now though (was still cheaper when we were there in 2005). In Bangkok we've been to the Century Park hotel twice. It's located very close to the skytrain station BTS Victory Monument. The last time we went in and out of Bangkok several times during our month in the country. We stayed at the Twin Tower hotel each time. It was booked in advance, so we went back there every time. But to be hones we prefered the CPH on all fronts (location, rooms, ...)

Hi Vaesse, Congratualtions! I hope you guys have a brilliant time. I was out in Thailand not too long ago and was also staying in Bangokok. You will definitely not be short of things to do there. I actually participated in a volunteer experience with holiday with a Heart which was such a great experience and I highly recommend having a look into it. I was planting trees in a National Park north of Bangkok and the views were soooooo stunning. I'm not sure I would have seen that side of Thailand unless I participated in the volunteer day. I met some great people, had some great food and did some good all in one day! Budget for food will vary depending on where you want to eat. The street food is amazing and very cheap. Make sure you have Mango and sticky rice! Your prices sound good though for meals in fairly nice places. Anyway hope this helped a bit Have a great time Maggie x

Wow maggie, I participated in one of holiday with a heart volunteer days too!When do you do your day? we might of just crossed over. Loved the Plant a tree experience and like Maggie said is stunning. You should def have a look at it as something to do while you are out there! Its something both you and your husband will no doubt love! Have a good time and maggie you thinking of ding any more hwah experiences? I think im going otu to goa later this year and they have them out there so will let you know how it goes! ENJOY guys xxx