Thinking Thailand - Where should I start.

richardw

AVOID FLIGHT CENTRE

Act on the great advice you've already been given.

WAYT

moneysavvy35 wrote: »

Hi All....Thanks for all your input. Despite saying I should DIY I popped into my local flight centre to see what they could come up with. They have put this together for City, Jungle Beach Trip. I will try to put it in here in condensed terms so it makes an easier read....

LEG 1

1/3/18 - Lhr dep 3.05pm - arrive doha 00.55 - quatar airways
2/3/18 dep doha - 00.55 arrive bkk - 1.15pm

private transfer to hotel (buffalo tours)
Check in 02/03/18 Mode Sathorn - Deluxe room
Check out - 05/03/18

LEG 2

Private Transfer to Don Munag Airport 05/3/18
dep don muang 12:55 - thai air asia
arrive Chiang Mai Intl Airport, 1:45

Private Transfer to Centara Khum paya hotel (Deluxe Room)
Check in 05/03/18
check out 08/03/18

LEG 3

Private Transfer to Chiang Mai Intl Airport 08/03/18
Dep chiang mai 1pm
arrive phuket 3:05pm

Private Transfer to Centara Karon Resort
Check in 08/03/18
check out 12/03/18

Private Transfer to Phuket airport
dep phuket 8:10pm - quatar airways 12/03/18
arrive doha 12pm

dep doha 3:55pm
arrive lhr 8:25pm 12/03/18

Sounds alot to squezze into 12days. but also sounds exciting. Honest opinions please.

I have priced up similar flights & hotel prices for around same dates and its coming up with around £2000. However I have not included the internal flights or transfers. Flight centre have said they can do this for £2312.00 inc internal flights & transfers. in addition I can get this all done by them.

What do you all think?

First of all, you already had the perfect flight combination with THAI airways, including internal flights for £529 per person.

Instead, you appear to have abandoned that for a strange combo of an unnecessary stop in the Middle East and a low cost airline flight from an alternative Bangkok airport to Phuket.
Then the hotel choice is too far from the river. You'll need to take the SkyTrain or taxi or walk 1 km(in the heat) to get there.

You are actually complicating your trip because you don't have the confidence to follow best advice. Even your own.
Your initial choice of THAI Airways was the best, but now you seem to be doubting yourself.

Seriously, time to grab life by the horns and steer it the way that you want to go. Not to be pushed off course by letting someone else decide for you. It's not difficult to book at taxi in advance or walk to the taxi rank at the airport.

Thai Airways at 530 each.

Leaving you with £940 for accommodation. Budget £70 per night for the BKK accommdation.
That's £280 for four nights. Budget £20 for the return taxi journey from hotel to airport.

So now you are left with £640 for six nights of your choice in Krabi/Phuket/wherever.... that for the £2000 you mentioned.

So please....stop messing around. :money:

WAYT

Flights still appear to be available for the durations of your choice; 4 night in Bangkok, 6 nights in Phuket.

WAYT

My advice, is if you are sure you want to go to Phuket and are happy with the durations, then go directly to the THAI Airways website and book the flights there. The screenshot above is just to show you the possible timetable.

The price there is £549.57. A bit more but then at least you have some options for cancellation or to change dates.
£225 for cancellation. £150 to change dates.

So book the flights first. Then sort out accommodation. Then organise the transport in between.

Don't try to do all at the same time or your head will spin and you'll end up asking someone else to do it for you. Oh yes.... you've already done that.

So decide on Phuket or Krabi or elsewhere and then book the THAI flights Otherwise you could end up wasting time with indirect flights and low cost airlines from obscure airports.

If you decide on Phuket, consider renting a car, as it's a big island and you might like to take a look around. They drive on the same side as us. Hertz are at the airport. Expect around £20 per day for a Toyota Yaris or similar.
You can probably fit that into the £2000 spend.

Don't think too much about the accommodation at this point. Decide on the destination and secure the flights. There is a huge choice of accommodation so you can take your time over that. Book it all yourself!

richardw

If you can do these flights

21:35 Heathrow (LHR)
16:00 +1 day Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
Total duration 11h25m, Direct flight
Thai Airways International (TG917) A350

00:15 Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
06:20 Heathrow (LHR)
Total duration 13h05m, Direct flight
Thai Airways International (TG910) A380

You'll save time and be managing the effects of Jet lag quite well and get the benefits of new aircraft types.

WAYT

richardw wrote: »

If you can do these flights

21:35 Heathrow (LHR)
16:00 +1 day Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
Total duration 11h25m, Direct flight
Thai Airways International (TG917) A350

00:15 Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
06:20 Heathrow (LHR)
Total duration 13h05m, Direct flight
Thai Airways International (TG910) A380

You'll save time and be managing the effects of Jet lag quite well and get the benefits of new aircraft types.

The problem with the TG910 is that it will add another day to their holiday compared to the TG916, unless they can go straight to work on landing at 6.20am.
Otherwise they have to leave the day before, making it 5 nights in Phuket/Krabi, as opposed to 6.

richardw

It is possible to fly XXX-BKK-LHR TG910 on a through ticket on TG, you lose an evening and breakfast but by arriving early morning at LHR you have more time at home before going back to work the next day. The extra 12 hours is useful time to help get over the long flight.

moneysavvy35

WAYT wrote: »

First of all, you already had the perfect flight combination with THAI airways, including internal flights for £529 per person.

Instead, you appear to have abandoned that for a strange combo of an unnecessary stop in the Middle East and a low cost airline flight from an alternative Bangkok airport to Phuket.
Then the hotel choice is too far from the river. You'll need to take the SkyTrain or taxi or walk 1 km(in the heat) to get there.

You are actually complicating your trip because you don't have the confidence to follow best advice. Even your own.
Your initial choice of THAI Airways was the best, but now you seem to be doubting yourself.

Seriously, time to grab life by the horns and steer it the way that you want to go. Not to be pushed off course by letting someone else decide for you. It's not difficult to book at taxi in advance or walk to the taxi rank at the airport.

Thai Airways at 530 each.

Leaving you with £940 for accommodation. Budget £70 per night for the BKK accommdation.
That's £280 for four nights. Budget £20 for the return taxi journey from hotel to airport.

So now you are left with £640 for six nights of your choice in Krabi/Phuket/wherever.... that for the £2000 you mentioned.

So please....stop messing around. :money:

lol.....yep that told me...haha. OK OK point taken. I do have confidence in booking as I do usually book all my own trips - that said, I'm also going to Las Vegas in May and currently trying to price that up as well. I think thats why I just want easement somewhere, but I hear all what you are saying and go back to the basics...I wouldnt actually mind a break in the long flight - sitting on a plane that long will be hard to bear!

WAYT wrote: »

My advice, is if you are sure you want to go to Phuket and are happy with the durations, then go directly to the THAI Airways website and book the flights there. The screenshot above is just to show you the possible timetable.

So decide on Phuket or Krabi or elsewhere and then book the THAI flights Otherwise you could end up wasting time with indirect flights and low cost airlines from obscure airports.

If you decide on Phuket, consider renting a car, as it's a big island and you might like to take a look around. They drive on the same side as us. Hertz are at the airport. Expect around £20 per day for a Toyota Yaris or similar.
You can probably fit that into the £2000 spend.

Don't think too much about the accommodation at this point. Decide on the destination and secure the flights. There is a hugechoice of accommodation so you can take your time over that. Book it all yourself!

I will book it all myself...(yawn) will dedicate the next few days securing the flight and like you say look at accomadation later. If I can save any money somewhere I would consider a car & maybe book a few trips Flight Centre had thier full Sales mode on today re the trips but no thank you! lol

richardw wrote: »

It is possible to fly XXX-BKK-LHR TG910 on a through ticket on TG, you lose an evening and breakfast but by arriving early morning at LHR you have more time at home before going back to work the next day. The extra 12 hours is useful time to help get over the long flight.

Yes i've realised with these flights its gonna be a swings & roundabouts job. but will give all your comments some serious consideration, and I won't come back changing my mind after this serious berating....haha

thank you

WAYT

moneysavvy35 wrote: »

lol.....yep that told me...haha. OK OK point taken. I do have confidence in booking as I do usually book all my own trips - that said, I'm also going to Las Vegas in May and currently trying to price that up as well. I think thats why I just want easement somewhere, but I hear all what you are saying and go back to the basics...I wouldnt actually mind a break in the long flight - sitting on a plane that long will be hard to bear!



I will book it all myself...(yawn) will dedicate the next few days securing the flight and like you say look at accomadation later. If I can save any money somewhere I would consider a car & maybe book a few trips Flight Centre had thier full Sales mode on today re the trips but no thank you! lol



Yes i've realised with these flights its gonna be a swings & roundabouts job. but will give all your comments some serious consideration, and I won't come back changing my mind after this serious berating....haha

thank you

Personally I don't mind stopping to stretch my legs, but for you, it isn't really appropriate. Too short a holiday and already enough flights involved. Five flights in twelve days? Three is more reasonable.
Better to choose good seats and to get it over with. THAI have good 'planes on the route. A350-900 and A380.

I'm not sure that I agree with taking the TG 910. Arriving in the morning after a long flight and then staying awake the whole day is really a long haul. Plus curtailing your holiday at the same time. You don't just lose an evening and breakfast, as of course you would have checked out from your hotel, so you'd be homeless. Not even able to enjoy the hotel pool or a swim on the beach. So basically losing a whole day of your holiday for nothing.
Better to enjoy the day, evening and night. Go to bed, wake up and off to the airport.
On landing , home and soon to bed. It's already midweek by the time you get home, so a short working week anyway.
Crazy to throw away a day of your honeymoon in the sun.

richardw

If you return from Thailand at 06:20 in the morning and don't want to, or can't do a good afternoon nap then an 18.50 flight arrival in the evening may be preferable.

Late check out opportunities can be good sometimes in the Far East.

Consider beach first then Bangkok, and the other way round and what may work best for you.

Btw in Bangkok there are a number of sky bars on the top of hotels for sunset drinks, including non-alcoholic, some couples really enjoy this.