I'll be spending 4 full days in Thailand this fall - flying In and out of Bangkok.

looking for some suggestions of things to do in the country, or more importantly places to stay. Not huge on partying, love the outdoors (both mountains and beaches), get bored with temple visits after the first couple usually, like to explore, not really budget limited. First time SE Asia (though lots of time spent Korea, Japan, Taiwan).

Thanks.

I agree with staying in Bangkok. With only four days you don't really have time to go anywhere else. There is plenty of things to see and do in BKK to keep you entertained.

If you really want to go to a beach then Pattaya is a couple of hours away (I always take a taxi from Bangkok when I go). The beach isn't great compared to other places in the country, but you can reach Koh Larn island in about 30 minutes by ferry. The beach there is nice.

I'll add to great recs above.

- If you take river taxi at BTS station Taksin, then you might as well visit the newest mega mall called Icon Siam which sits on river as well. Boat is free to mall and back.

-The King Power building (looks like a jigsaw with pieces of building missing) has an impressive observation deck/glass skywalk for around $30. Good for daytime. Tons of sky bars as mentioned above to go to at night.

-if using a taxi, try to find one that will use their meter instead of flat rate.

-I 2nd the Sukhumvit area. Tons of restaurants, bars, foot massage places($15 incl tip), etc

Thanks for the recs everybody. I have something to get it started now!

Chatuchak market is a must see.

We are looking at Christmas 2020 for a 2 week trip. How busy is it at this time. All of the hotels are at least double. I'm more concerned about finding 2 weeks to leave rather than the extra cost but I also don't want it to be like Disney during spring break.

Looking at Chang mai, Koh lanta/Krabi & Bangkok

That is definetly the high tourist season. I spent two weeks in Thailand in December 2017. It was noticeably more crowded than other times of the year but not insane. New Year's Eve in Bangkok was a blast. Prices are higher but still cheap compared to other parts of the world.

The domestic airlines going from Bangkok to Chiang Mai/Krabi etc are usually pretty cheap fares. May need to book a little earlier than normal if going around the holidays. I've used Nok Air and Air Asia in the past out of 2nd Bangkok airport called Don Mueng.

We are going in march and my husband really wants to golf there so we are probably gonna hit up black Mountain in hua hin. It's a good 3 hour drive from Bangkok. What is the best way to travel? Can you rent a car internationally? Is there train travel? I can't find as much info as I could for Europe.

atag said:

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We are going in march and my husband really wants to golf there so we are probably gonna hit up black Mountain in hua hin. It's a good 3 hour drive from Bangkok. What is the best way to travel? Can you rent a car internationally? Is there train travel? I can't find as much info as I could for Europe.

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Yes, you can rent a car, but you will need an international driver's permit. That being said I wouldn't recommend driving in Thailand until you spent some time in country because they drive a little crazy.

The rail network is pretty good. I've taken the overnight train many times to Isaan. For a 3 hr trip to Hua Hin the bus is another option. I've taken the bus several times to Pattaya, but not Hua Hin.

Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin is fantastic as well. 19th hole bar has gorgeous views at sunset. I would definitely stay away from driving in Thailand.

I hear you only need one night in Bangkok. It makes a hard man humble.

atag said:

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We are going in march and my husband really wants to golf there so we are probably gonna hit up black Mountain in hua hin. It's a good 3 hour drive from Bangkok. What is the best way to travel? Can you rent a car internationally? Is there train travel? I can't find as much info as I could for Europe.

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We arranged transportation(essentially a van) from BKK to Hua Hin and back. It was reasonable and comfortable.

How did you do that? Is there a company you can reach out to for that? Appreciate any info given

atag said:

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How did you do that? Is there a company you can reach out to for that? Appreciate any info given

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Just google Hua Hin private taxi or BKK to Hua Hin taxi. There are dozens of companies. Just guesstimating it will probably run you $50-$75 each way.

What Airline do you recommend using? My experience in the past is steer away from domestic carriers and use a foreign operator - I will be travelling w/ my wife and 2 kids.

Are you talking about airlines for flights within Thailand?

Flight to Thailand

If going west, Eva Air usually has good prices. They connect thru Taipei which is way better than China Air and Beijing. Inflight entertainment system and more leg room etc are better on Eva.

thanks.

Flying business class on EVA is a total dream

JM04 said:

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What Airline do you recommend using? My experience in the past is steer away from domestic carriers and use a foreign operator - I will be travelling w/ my wife and 2 kids.

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It depends on your starting point. I fly from PHX, so it's a minimum of 3 flights for me to BKK. There are no direct flights from the States to Thailand since Thai Airways stopped their LAX>BKK flight a few years ago.

I've flown to BKK in coach class on the following carriers: Asiana, Korean, Thai, United, Cathay Pacific, ANA , and EVA. I rate Asiana and Korean above the others. United isn't bad as long as you have Economy Plus, but they stopped their flights into BKK a few years ago, so your last leg will be on a partner airline. Although not a show stopper, I don't care for the seats on Cathay Pacific or ANA. I've only flown business class on Asiana and Thai. Asiana was very nice. Avoid the Mainland Chinese airlines. I lived in China for a couple of years, and based on my experiences I will not fly on those airlines or make a connection in mainland China.

Just as important as the airline is the route. I've flown through Tokyo (NRT & HND), Osaka, Incheon, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. My preference is Incheon or Tokyo NRT as it breaks up the flights more, and I can catch a shower during the layover (free at Incheon or via United Club lounge at NRT).

I fly Singapore Airlines when I go to SE Asia and love it. The layover in Singapore's airport is a vacation itself.

Thanks for the info. I will be flying out of Houston, most of what I see is EVA air right now. Since we are going over Christmas 2020. I am trying to look at cost and budget based on 2019 costs. Most of the resorts and places are already filling up.