request: Thailand 2 weeks, 26/12/09 - 10/1/10 (4 adults)

DGWL

Hi, trying to look for some flights (and accomadations too if poss) for a Thai new year.

We want to go to:
1) 6 nights in Koh Samui (28th Dec to 3rd Jan)
2) 4 nights in Phuket (3rd Jan to 7th Jan)
3) 2 nights in Bangkok (Jan 7th to Jan 9th)

There are four (4) of us total, and managed to find flights for £794 which details as follows:

1) London to Bangkok 26th to 27th Jan
2) Bangkok to Phuket 27 to 28th Jan (overnite late flight)
3) Phuket to Koh Samui 28th Jan arrive 9am
6 NIGHTS IN KOH SAMUI
4) Koh samui to Phuket 3rd Jan
4 NIGHTS IN PHUKET
5) Phuket to Bangkok 7th jan
2 NIGHTS IN BANGKOK
6) Bangkok to London 9th Jan - 10th jan

(Personally I think its too expensive even for peak travel time since you can get a round-world trip ticket for ~£600.)

After discussing it, my friends and I believe we need accomadations for Koh Samui and Phuket, but will most likely get accomadations in Bangkok since its cheaper to do so.

Unfortunately a few hotels already booked out for destinations (1) and (2) so if anyone could recommend any hotels they have been to, that'd be great - cheap 3-4star hotels.

In summary, trying to look for flights between 26/12/09 - 10/1/10 for Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok. Accomadation inclusive or recommendations welcome!

Thanks!

gj6as

Get a return to BKK, then use over night train from BKK to Surat Thani in the south for around £25 (its reasonably confortable, saves on hotel that night and means you dont waste a day travelling) get a taxi/bus to take you to phuket (2 hours), then use thai air to fly Phuket to Samui and from Samui to BKK (Thai air are the only ones to fly to Samui and one way flights are around £30). Also Koh Samui airport is an experience in itself, more like a open air 5 star hotel! Alternatively use air asia to fly BKK to Phuket for £10 but this will be a day time flight and you will therefore lose a day travelling. Hope this helps x

gj6as

Also, a cheap flight to Bkk is around £450, never mind at peak season and christmas and new year!

DGWL

gj6as: Thank you for responding and YES! That was very helpful. That's the kinda input i wanted

I'll forward this info to my friends and get their input.

Any more info is most welcome from others and gj6as :j

Moonchild

Why are you going London-Bangkok-Phuket-Koh Samui to get to Koh Samui? There are 20 odd flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui? Is it because you arrive too late for the last Samui flight (21:00) but somehow can make the last Phuket flight (22:40) which then forces you to wait in Phuket Airport overnight before the Phuket - Samui flight the next morning (09:35)?

If that's the case it sounds like you're forcing through a connection on some travel website, which is a mistake. You are forcing through an extra unneccesary flight (Bangkok - Phuket) and still dumped overnight in an airport.

Why not save the money and get an airport hotel in Bangkok, or hang around and get the first flight of the morning to Samui (06:00am)?

odowdchr

gj6as wrote: »

Also, a cheap flight to Bkk is around £450, never mind at peak season and christmas and new year!

We've just booked for Phuket via Singapore in a few weeks....the Singapore flights (Emirates) were coming out about £130 cheaper than via Bangkok, with the distance to Phuket about the same (AirAsia).

Last time we did KL-Phuket, toured round the coast via Surat Thani and the rain forests, back down to to Krabi.....then flew back to KL from there. Much much easier, cheap as chips.
With AirAsia really pushing out from the Kuala Lumpur hub there's no longer any need for us to be forced through Bangkok and then have to come home on a 2am flight.

DGWL

Moonchild wrote: »

Why are you going London-Bangkok-Phuket-Koh Samui to get to Koh Samui? There are 20 odd flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui? Is it because you arrive too late for the last Samui flight (21:00) but somehow can make the last Phuket flight (22:40) which then forces you to wait in Phuket Airport overnight before the Phuket - Samui flight the next morning (09:35)?

If that's the case it sounds like you're forcing through a connection on some travel website, which is a mistake. You are forcing through an extra unneccesary flight (Bangkok - Phuket) and still dumped overnight in an airport.

Why not save the money and get an airport hotel in Bangkok, or hang around and get the first flight of the morning to Samui (06:00am)?

Thanks for the input My friend gave me the initial quotes and yes, you were spot on about the connections through a travel website thing.

He replied to your post (via email) with: "good thinking - bankgok to phuket is a waste of a flight.....we can save money here too i think"

So Thank you once again, and we've now dropped a few prices and have gotten a quote of around £800, which includes flights and a 4 star hotel in Koh Samui which will be £400 for 6 nights, which works out £100 each if the hotel doesn't catch on there's 4 people in a 2 people max room :D

The next step is to find cheaper flights than the £583 one he found via STA travel. As gj6as mentioned, £450 is nearer the mark.

Moonchild

Good guesswork

I speak to lots of people who overly rely on the internet and end up paying more, or with absurd itineraries (normally 16 odd hours in transit) because they won't speak to anyone!

Anyway, my challenge to you, if you don't care about Bangkok, and want cheap as chips is to look at the following and advise the prices:

Lon - Kuala Lumpur - Lon (Air Asia)
Kuala Lumpur - Koh Samui (Firefly)
Koh Samui - Phuket (Bangkok Airways)
Phuket - Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia)

I bet that would be your cheapest, but you may not be able to book Firefly flights yet?

Otherwise I bet you can get Etihad flights to Bangkok for £450.

fifeken

gj6as wrote: »

Get a return to BKK, then use over night train from BKK to Surat Thani in the south for around £25 (its reasonably confortable, saves on hotel that night and means you dont waste a day travelling) get a taxi/bus to take you to phuket (2 hours), then use thai air to fly Phuket to Samui and from Samui to BKK (Thai air are the only ones to fly to Samui and one way flights are around £30). Also Koh Samui airport is an experience in itself, more like a open air 5 star hotel! Alternatively use air asia to fly BKK to Phuket for £10 but this will be a day time flight and you will therefore lose a day travelling. Hope this helps x

If connections work out ok or you stay a night in Bangkok then fly to Samui. As stated the airport is lovely but it's not only Thai who fly there. The airport is owned by Bangkok Airways and they have around a dozen flights a day from BKK compared to only a couple per day with Thai, although if you're flying to BKK with Thai anyway then the additional cost of the extra leg might be minimal. Neither are low cost carriers and prices will probably be around £100 each return unless booked as mentioned already.

PS. The Thai New Year is in April but I think you want to be there for "our" New Year.

DGWL

Moonchild wrote: »

Anyway, my challenge to you, if you don't care about Bangkok, and want cheap as chips is to look at the following and advise the prices:

Lon - Kuala Lumpur - Lon (Air Asia)
Kuala Lumpur - Koh Samui (Firefly)
Koh Samui - Phuket (Bangkok Airways)
Phuket - Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia)

I bet that would be your cheapest, but you may not be able to book Firefly flights yet?

Otherwise I bet you can get Etihad flights to Bangkok for £450.

It would seem (and very rightly) that flights back to England on the 9th of January (exactly 2 weeks after boxing day) is the most expensive day. As a student i don't mind different dates, but my friends are all working citizens.

Etihad turned out to be £652 to Bangkok return £607 the days before and after.

I saw a great deal on HUD where I can get flights to HK for US$400 ~ £283. That is absolutely fantastic and will be visiting relatives over in may/june. I was looking for prices, but lowest i got was £330ish, so £283 is a bargain! Qantas too.

Woodyrocks

Does anyone have any personal experiences of these two areas? Where would you rather stay in Koh Samui? Which beach is better?

I am booking my holiday independently and have found lovely looking accomodation in these two areas.

We are 1female & 1child travelling in case that makes any difference! We shall also be island hopping quite a bit (domestic flights and trains and what nots)

TIA