Thailand July 2019

holidaysforme

Doshwaster wrote: »

July is fairly low season for Thailand so I wouldn't expect the airline sales to be much cheaper than their regular rates but it can't hurt to keep your eyes open and book when you see a good deal.

I'm a BA frequent flyer for Europe and to the US but I tend to give them a miss when flying to SE Asia as other airlines give better service and/or prices. I would look at Thai or EVA for flying direct or Emirates, Ethiad or Qatar for stopovers (and useful for services to regional UK airports).

The direct flights are about 12 hours so many people prefer to stretch their legs for a couple of hours in the middle east at the half way mark. If your budget can afford premium economy then non-stop becomes more attractive.

Everyone's body clock is different but I prefer flights which arrive in BKK between mid-afternoon to early evening which allows you to fresh up, have dinner then get to bed. Arriving early in the morning can be tough as you need to stay awake all day.

I usually treat myself to a decent central hotel in Bangkok for my first 2-3 nights. As mentioned above, you can get some incredible 4* and 5* hotels for around £100 a night (and even £50 will get you something very good). After that I tend to downgrade my accommodation to £20-30 but even at that price you can get some fantastic value rooms for less than a dodgy B&B back home.

Thanks for your input. Inthink we might seek out airlines that have a short layover, so we can stretch our legs. Must admit I hate long flights.:A
I also use airmiles for short haul Europe trip, and was wondering about using on quatar, but not sure it would be a good use if avios..

Thanks for the tips on Bangkok hotels.i suppose we will fall in to the category of mid budget travellers. Definitely won't be slumming it, but don't want to be paying the same sort of prices that we do in Europe.

PompeyPete

I've transited most of the major Middle East hubs...

- Abu Dhabi.....Etihad Airways. Etihad are good in the air, but I don't have much time for the ground staff at Abu Dhabi.

- Dubai.....Emirates. Huge airport, more like a mega shopping mall, which just happens to be used as an airport as well. Last 2 times we've used it we've been in a one hour stack on arrival, and taxiing for ages on the tarmac on departure. Have your wits about you, and find your connecting departure gate before being distracted by the bright lights.

- Doha.....Qatar Airlines. Superb airline imo. Doha is an excellent airport, and the ground staff are v.efficient. The layover is usually quite short.

- Muscat.....Oman Air. Very efficient, but there aren't as many flights from UK airports as the main 3 above.

shapala

holidaysforme wrote: »

Thanks so much for taking the time to share this information. It's exactly the sort of thing I need to know. You sound like you had a wonderful trip. How long were you there for?
Happy planning for your next adventure.:)

We were there 20 days total. Our flight home via Abu Dhabi left late so we had nearly another full day in BKK which was great too (just asked the hotel to hold our luggage whilst we were out for the afternoon).

It's a shame that Etihad are quitting Edi. I've flown with Qatar airways twice and both flights out and back to Edi were near empty - one flight only had 7 other passengers in the economy :eek: After flying Etihad, I much preferred Qatar who were superb and we also preferred their airport in Doha over Abu Dhabi.

Depending on where you're located in UK, I would suggest paying the extra to fly with one of the more premier airlines such as Qatar, Gulf Air, Emirates etc as it's a good 13-14 hours in the air.

PompeyPete

Another option based on quality are Turkish Airlines, via Istanbul [Ataturk]. Had 4 flights with them a few weeks ago, and they were excellent in the air, meals were v.good as was the drinks service. Ataturk Airport is a very big and busy airport, but we didn't have any problems at all with connections.

holidaysforme

PompeyPete wrote: »

Another option based on quality are Turkish Airlines, via Istanbul [Ataturk]. Had 4 flights with them a few weeks ago, and they were excellent in the air, meals were v.good as was the drinks service. Ataturk Airport is a very big and busy airport, but we didn't have any problems at all with connections.

Thanks. I hadn't thought of Turkish.

dacouch

Doshwaster wrote: »

b

The direct flights are about 12 hours so many people prefer to stretch their legs for a couple of hours in the middle east at the half way mark. If your budget can afford premium economy then non-stop becomes more attractive.

Everyone's body clock is different but I prefer flights which arrive in BKK between mid-afternoon to early evening which allows you to fresh up, have dinner then get to bed. Arriving early in the morning can be tough as you need to stay awake all day.

I usually treat myself to a decent central hotel in Bangkok for my first 2-3 nights. As mentioned above, you can get some incredible 4* and 5* hotels for around £100 a night (and even £50 will get you something very good). After that I tend to downgrade my accommodation to £20-30 but even at that price you can get some fantastic value rooms for less than a dodgy B&B back home.

I tend to fly premium (Personally I think it's well worth the extra £250) and my friend flys economy. He is more than happy with economy as the seats on Thai Air and Eva are very slightly bigger than the norm. In addition as we get a 9pm flight from London he tends to spend most of the flight asleep (As do I).

I cannot recommend a night flight from the UK enough, you get the chance to sleep and will arrive at your hotel about 6pm. About the right time for a quick shower and then out to get a feel for the city and some food.

The Thais really love markets and due to the heat their markets tend to be in the evening, they are well worth a visit.

When you get a taxi from the airport, if you like the driver (Many speak a bit of English, they really love Premier League football so will be asking you what team you support and want to talk about football) it can be worth grabbing their phone number. I often use the same taxi driver for sight seeing trips (Either around the city or out to somewhere like Ayutthaya). You can hire a taxi driver for the whole day for about £30 (Depending how far you go), the driver will take you to the sites and wait in the taxi for when you're ready for the next site.

Be prepared to haggle the price as they will quote you a high price to start with. Taxis in BKK ar every cheap, I feel guilty getting a taxi for a 5 or 10 minute drive and them asking me for 80p.

I once got a taxi from BKK to my girlfriend's family home in Isaan which was about a 6 / 7 hour taxi drive for £80. It worked out cheaper than paying the excess baggage on the internal flight and only took about 2.5 hours than the total flight and to and from airport and I got to see lots of Thailand.

Try the Thai Red Bull, it inspired the stuff you are familiar with but tastes much nicer and is much stronger. It only costs 20p a bottle.

If you are worried about taking a lot of luggage, you can buy (Fake) designer t shirts all over BKK for about £3.50 so it can be worth taking less clothes with you and just buying t shirts etc there.

When you're looking at hotel prices on agoda, hotel.com etc try looking at 4 and 5 star hotels, you will be amazed what a great price you can get.

I recommend taking a screen shot of the hotel address and ideally of the map location. This can help the Taxi driver if he does not understand what you are saying or does not recognise the hotel name.

Some hotels offer a room much higher up in the hotel for about £7 extra a night, this is well worth paying in BKK as the view is amazing.

Tipping is not really a thing in BKK, but I tend to tip the hotel maid as they earn about £1.50 an hour. A tip of 50 baht or 100baht (£1.20 or £2.50) is nothing to us but will put a smile on their face.

A Thai massage will cost you about £9 for a one hour massage, once you have tried one you will be hooked.

It's worth taking plasters and some anti septic cream with you, because of the humidity a small cut can become infected quite quickly if you don't clean it out.

Try the fruit while you are there as most of it will literally be picked the previous day so if very fresh (Unlike the weeks old fruit we get in the UK). The bananas are especially tasty, I recommend trying the mini bananas which are sweeter and more bananary

Also try some fresh Durian fruit, it is very famous and a delicacy in Thailand. It is very very smelly and you will either like it or hate it, but it has a complex taste unlike any other fruit.

Dragon fruit is also a favourite of mine

Doshwaster

In terms of luggage my rule is to travel as light as possible and find I take less and less on every trip. Clothes are very cheap to buy and you can get a bag of washing done on any street corner for a pound or two so I only pack enough for the first 3 or 4 days.

For keeping connected, free Wifi is everywhere but I also like to pick up a local SIM card for mobile data (useful for Google Maps when you are lost) and being able to call your hotel. I put the SIM in an old unlocked phone so if it is lost/stolen/damaged then it's not the end of the world. I take my main phone with me but keep it safe along with my passport and only check it once a day for any emergencies back home.

dacouch

Doshwaster wrote: »

In terms of luggage my rule is to travel as light as possible and find I take less and less on every trip. Clothes are very cheap to buy and you can get a bag of washing done on any street corner for a pound or two so I only pack enough for the first 3 or 4 days.

For keeping connected, free Wifi is everywhere but I also like to pick up a local SIM card for mobile data (useful for Google Maps when you are lost) and being able to call your hotel. I put the SIM in an old unlocked phone so if it is lost/stolen/damaged then it's not the end of the world. I take my main phone with me but keep it safe along with my passport and only check it once a day for any emergencies back home.

I agree, I would dare say the internet coverage in the parts of Thailand I have been to even very remote places surpasses the UK.

I normally use a rucksack instead of suitcase as if I am not staying in one part of Thailand but moving around it can be so much easier to use a ruck sack rather than carting a suitcase around.

As you say, there is no need to take a lot of clothes with you to Thailand as you will be wearing shorts and a t shirt most days. It is so cheap over there I often buy t shirts there and then give them away.

It's worth pointing out to the OP that bespoke tailoring is very common in Thailand and incredibly cheap. A very good bespoke suit can be purchased for £300 to £400. Go for a fitting early in your holiday eg in Bangkok and then collect it when you return for your flight back to the UK. Although do some research first to find the better tailors

PompeyPete

dacouch wrote: »

The Thais really love markets and due to the heat their markets tend to be in the evening, they are well worth a visit.

Or v.early in the morning, particularly for fresh produce.

dacouch wrote: »

When you get a taxi from the airport, if you like the driver (Many speak a bit of English, they really love Premier League football so will be asking you what team you support and want to talk about football) it can be worth grabbing their phone number. I often use the same taxi driver for sight seeing trips (Either around the city or out to somewhere like Ayutthaya). You can hire a taxi driver for the whole day for about £30 (Depending how far you go), the driver will take you to the sites and wait in the taxi for when you're ready for the next site.

I'm more concerned that the taxi driver concentrates on the road, and making sure he's aware of all the maniacs around his vehicle.

Having addresses written in Thai are handy for drivers.

Getting to sights in Bangkok is probably best done by Skytrain, MRT [Underground], or public ferry. The traffic is often awful, and traffic lights are frequent and often remain at Red for ages. Keep taxi trips short, many taxi drivers have quite a limited knowledge of Bangkok.

I wouldn't hire a random taxi driver for the day. You don't know how long he's already been awake for.

A trip to Ayutthaya is best done by train from Hualamphong train station, and then pick up a tuk tuk on arrival for the tour of the historical sights. All tuk tuk drivers in Ayutthaya will have a standard route.

dacouch wrote: »

Be prepared to haggle the price as they will quote you a high price to start with. Taxis in BKK ar every cheap, I feel guilty getting a taxi for a 5 or 10 minute drive and them asking me for 80p.

Be very wary of picking up a parked taxi close to tourist sights. Make the taxi driver use his meter, it's difficult to haggle properly if you haven't got a clue yourself. If he won't use his meter, then find one that will.

dacouch wrote: »

I once got a taxi from BKK to my girlfriend's family home in Isaan which was about a 6 / 7 hour taxi drive for £80. It worked out cheaper than paying the excess baggage on the internal flight and only took about 2.5 hours than the total flight and to and from airport and I got to see lots of Thailand.

Make sure the taxi driver has had a good nights sleep beforehand, otherwise you could be sat in a tin coffin.

dacouch wrote: »

Try the Thai Red Bull, it inspired the stuff you are familiar with but tastes much nicer and is much stronger. It only costs 20p a bottle.

That's how taxi drivers stay awake, and drive [often] recklessly.

dacouch wrote: »

When you're looking at hotel prices on agoda, hotel.com etc try looking at 4 and 5 star hotels, you will be amazed what a great price you can get.

Don't be swayed by price and glossy photos alone.....location is very important.

dacouch wrote: »

I recommend taking a screen shot of the hotel address and ideally of the map location. This can help the Taxi driver if he does not understand what you are saying or does not recognise the hotel name.

Sound advice, but make sure the wording is in Thai.

dacouch wrote: »

Some hotels offer a room much higher up in the hotel for about £7 extra a night, this is well worth paying in BKK as the view is amazing.

Often doesn't matter how high the room is, you'll be surrounded by higher buildings. Read the hotel reviews, and then put your trust in the person who wrote it. Hotels with views up and down the Chao Phraya river often have great views, and the further upstream your hotel is the less likely it is to be surrounded by high rise.

dacouch wrote: »

A Thai massage will cost you about £9 for a one hour massage, once you have tried one you will be hooked.

If you've got any dodgy bones, then don't let a masseur anywhere near that area. Your GP might have your medical history but a random masseur in Thailand won't. Feet and legs can feel 10 times worse as well as 10 times better.

dacouch wrote: »

It's worth taking plasters and some anti septic cream with you, because of the humidity a small cut can become infected quite quickly if you don't clean it out.

Sound advice. It's best always, anywhere you go to have a basic medical kit. Always carry and regularly use medicated hand gel.

dacouch wrote: »

Try the fruit while you are there as most of it will literally be picked the previous day so if very fresh (Unlike the weeks old fruit we get in the UK). The bananas are especially tasty, I recommend trying the mini bananas which are sweeter and more bananary

Bananas and fruit which you peel are fine, but generally don't eat fruit straight from a fruit stall without thoroughly washing it first.

dacouch wrote: »

Also try some fresh Durian fruit, it is very famous and a delicacy in Thailand. It is very very smelly and you will either like it or hate it, but it has a complex taste unlike any other fruit.

Try Durian out in the fresh air, don't take them into your hotel. Many hotels will have a sign [one of many probably] which ban Durian from the premises.

wadia860

I'm planning a trip to Thailand this November. There's some excellent information in here so thank you to all those who've contributed to this thread.