Thailand

northern_at_heart

Hi,
My partner and I are hoping to go to Thailand next summer and would like to have a few days in Bangkok followed by a few days of lazing on a beach. OH has travelled all over the world and is a bit sceptical of packages, but I'm a bit less 'outdoorsy' and like an easier life, and I've seen a few adverts from Trailfinders, Travelbag etc which look quite good, eg. flights and 4* hotel for £500 etc so I think this might be the way forward...

I just wondered if anyone has any tips on where to go (Phuket, Koh Samui, somewhere less well-known) and the best value way to do this, and also if there are any tips on things we must see and/or do in Thailand!

We're trying to save for a house deposit and I'd be happy to forgo the holiday, but OH has itchy feet and is always planning his next trip (he's a Geography teacher if that goes some way to explaining) - Thailand at least is somewhere I've always wanted to go so I'm actually quite excited but don't want to blow loads of money...

Thanks in advance for any tips! x

timbotambo

Not sure about further Thailand but spent a few days in Bangkok on a recent trip when I lived in Hong Kong (very cheap to get to HK from BK, worth a thought? Try AirAsia or Emirates - the latter was £160 return business class!) we went on this tour https://www.absoluteexplorer.com and it was brilliant!! Apart from the buddhas, palace etc, Bangkok has little to offer IMHO so no more than 3 or so days would suffice

omen666

Koh Samui would be best IMHO. Dont forget to go shopping at MBK in Bangkok

fifeken

I travel there fairly regularly and always put it together myself, but £500 including a hotel seems a very good price although what they advertise and what they actually have available can be two totally different things! Let us know where you're traveling from, when and for how long and you'll get more advice. There are quite a few threads on Thailand already so have a search on the forum as well if you haven't already done so.
Summer is low season in Thailand which drives prices down, but peak holiday time for most Europeans which drives them up.

Janie2008

If you are travelling in the school holidays you wont get any of those cheap deals. Flights to Bangkok alone will cost at least £500. I didn't think much of Phuket, though they do have cheap hotels at that time of year as it is the rainy season. How about Koh Samet, a few hours by bus and short ferry ride from Bangkok.

el_gringo_3

Look at some of the 'inbetween' package and do it yourself deals, STA Travel and other companies that market themselves at the 'gap yah' group will usually happily take on families or couples and even tailor bits and bobs to suit you. Never done Thailand myself but it often works for winter sports packages.

jonathon

omen666 wrote: »

Koh Samui would be best IMHO. Dont forget to go shopping at MBK in Bangkok

I love MBK :j

splatt30

It's several years since I went to Thailand. If you only have a few days for the beach you need to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui as it takes about 13 hours over land. We actually went to Koh Samet instead (island in the boy of Bangkok). Much less commercialised. However, it might not suit as I organised it once there. Got a travel deal from the Koh San road which involved a mini bus and a boat (3 hours total) then when we got to the island simply wondered up the beach until we found a hotel. Cheap as chips though!!!!!

gedebage

I never go on package holidays. Thailand is a great place to explore independently. It seems everyone mentions places like Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui, etc. While I am not knocking those places they are all very touristy and you will pay accordingly.

Accommodation and transport is very cheap in Thailand, as well as food. For example good hotel in Bangkok will cost THB1000 a night, much less in the country. Hua Hin is a nice place to visit, nice beach, plenty of hotels. It will be the next 'hot spot', so now is the time to go. Easy to get to by train from BKK.

For cheap flights to Thailand you could try Kuwait Airways. They are one of the cheaper airlines . You will have to change planes in Kuwait.

Another alternative is to fly from Stansted to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with Air Asia. Spend a couple of days there before catching the overnight train to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. There are some nice beaches around there and then head north . The choices are endless. If you need more details please do not hesitate to contact me.

marathonsteve

Hi Try E-bookers to book flights
I just come back from bankok,Hanoi and Koh Samui
I stayed at the Landmark Hotel in bankok very near to a sky train station

hanwellmike

I have been to Thailand many times and would aways book my own flights and accommodation. It's very easy to do via the net and planning your itinery can be fun. As has been said there is lots of accommodation at good prices. As for flights then as it is an 11/12 hour long haul I always prefer direct and am prepared to pay a bit more for that. There are loads of different indirect flights from LHR and only about 4 direct (BA, Qantas, ThaiAir & EVA). Prices for both flights and accomm are seasonal. If you are going during the British Summer that is low season so you should get low prices but it is the rainy season there. I have been to Koh Samui & Phuket - both are worth the trip. I would always fly there from BKK - more expensive but a lot less hassle. If you fly with ThaiAir to BKK, you can sometimes add on a return flight from BKK to Phuket quite cheaply (say £50). Good luck.