Who even knew of EVA Airlines? What a great surprise to board a 747 in Los Angeles and be greeted by a very friendly Thai crew. EVA had great service and the long flight from LAX to Bangkok went by pretty fast. They offer an "Evergreen Deluxe" upgrade ($200.00 pp, roundtrip) from coach to business class (well worth it for the flight.)
FT Tours, out of Los Angeles, made all of the arrangements. They host a great trip and specialize in Southeast Asia. I plan on using them to help plan vacations for my clients in the future.
Our first stop was Bangkok and we were met and transferred to the Sofitel Silom Hotel. This is an incredibly beautiful hotel, centrally located, great spa, club floor, and very attentive staff. Our objective the first day was not to hit the bed until at least 8:00 PM so several of the passive group headed for the Patpong district (within walking distance of our hotel.) In Patpong, you can earn some money, spend some money, and have all your sexual desires taken care of. They also offer a great night market, like a giant Orange County Swap Meet (good shopping and great bargains.) It felt very safe for four women from the US walking the streets.
We all slept pretty hard and, on the next day, hit the Floating Market, about an hour’s drive from Bangkok. They sell everything on long boats which they also use to cruise down the river. This is a must visit spot! Then they took us to the Rose Garden. We’re thinking, "must have beautiful roses." Wrong answer! This is the Polynesian Cultural Center of Thailand. They have a great show that gives an incredible history of the Thai people. Again, this is a must visit.
The Grand Palace is also on the must visit list. This is King Rama’s place and where the "King and I" originated. Anna tutored the King’s son here and we all know what happened after that. So magnificent and well worth any wait.
Jim Thompson’s house is a big tourist attraction in Bangkok, though I’m not sure what the big deal is. He was tired of the US, moved to Thailand, got the silk market going, and then mysteriously disappeared. The silk is beautiful and the house is OK but pretty touristy and not that great.
Bangkok has all kinds of great shopping. The Central Plaza Shopping Center is a huge mall with movies, restaurants, and lots of entertainment. Outside, it is almost like Times Square in New York. The city also has a Sky Train which is like a metro and can get you anywhere. It is fast and very inexpensive.
We only visited one other hotel property in Bangkok. It was the Shangri La Hotel. This is definitely a very deluxe property with all the bells and whistles.
Our last three days in Thailand were spent in Chaing Mai. This is an amazing place! We stayed at the Chaing Mai Plaza Hotel which was very nice. While in Chaing Mai, we had the chance to play with and ride on elephants, bamboo raft down a river, travel to the Doi Suthep sacred mountain, and visit the Meo Doi Pui hill tribes. All of these are must visits.
There was also an incredible night market with all kinds of great shopping and bargains.
We learned a lot about Buddhism and got to rub his tummy. We enjoyed delicious Thai food, great shopping, inexpensive Thai massages, cabaret shows, and a very interesting culture. Most important, we met very friendly, kind Thai people. If you have a chance to visit, go! It is well worth the long flight.
Sawasdee!
