Thailand holiday planning?

I am thinking of planning a family holiday to thailand in which we spend 2-3 nights in bangkok, then we go on to where? I like the islands of Phi phi best from my research so far. Can I fly there or do i have to take a boat? If i have to take a boat can i go from Krabi rather then Phuket?

I don;t like overally commercialised hectic areas so Phi phi sounds wonderful.

Mom,

I hope the answer was your son came to his senses and decided to do the family vacation thing instead of running off on his own.

If you have never been to Thailand, check out www.visualthailand.com which is commercial free and has 1000's of photos of all the attractions you will want to visit.

This way you can see with your own eyes what you will want to visit when you come and thus you will be able to see some places you might not want to visit?

Family holidays are always special and you need to find the attractions that will appeal to the family as a group.

I suggest the Grand Palace for sure and Wat Po for sure for siteseeing, Siam Ocean World for Asias largest aquarium (indoors and airconditioned so a good afternoon choice), venture up to the top of the Baiyoke Skytower some evening so that you can see the whole city of Bangkok all lit up. If you plan on going to the Baiyoke Skytower, you can go in the afternoon and shop at Pratunam, one of the best places for tourists shopping before evening.

There is always shopping if you are there on the weekend at the Chatuchak Market, and a host of other places.

The Dusit Zoo is very nice, and depending on the age of your kids, Dreamworld is nice (Thailands mini answer to Disneyland).

Out an hour or so from Bangkok is Nakon Nayok which has many natural waterfalls. You can rent a taxi for a whole day for 1500 baht which will take you around to all the waterfalls and wait as long as you want at each one. Be cautious of the rainy season and flash floods.

Ayutthaya is the former capital of Thailand and 45 minutes from Bangkok, a must see. Not only can you tour by riding elephants, you can see the ruins of Ayutthaya when Burma attacked Thailand 300 or 400 years ago and burnt the place to the ground. See some excellent photos here http://www.visualthailand.com/jalbum_ayutthaya/index.html

As far as the beach, I have to agree with Nowhereman. Pi Pi is way overpriced and too touristy.

You may want to get on the internet and check out Koh Chang, which is close to Bangkok, reasonably priced compared to Pi Pi or Krabi and offers lots for the family to do from the beach, to swimming in the waterfalls, etc.

My favorite beach, away from it all is Koh Lipe.

The www.visualthailand.com website is a wealth of information, all commercial free and unbiased from people that live in Thailand, and they highlight and showcase the best places all over Thailand.

With actual photos of all attractions, you cannot go wrong doing your research here.

Thailand is a super place for a family vacation but I have talked to many, many families that were disappointed because they did not get to see anything but the over-touristy things.

I think the best thing you can do in your research is go over all the FAQ, stories and photos at www.visualthailand.com

This will guarantee to make the choices you pick a success with you and your family and there will be no hidden surprises or dislikes.

Good luck in your planning and your trip. It will be a once in a lifetime adventure for sure

we are going to Krabi in september we are staying at the sheraton beach resort, 5star and it has its own private beach adn elephant, very un-commercialised!

we usually go to the maldives or seychelles which are equally lovely!

if you fly to bangkok and then it is a flight to krabi airport of around an hour

phi phi is also lovely but further and more hectic

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and contact to Mr. USTUNDAG, he will help you on your needs in Thailand at bes price with best service.( including transfers and guiding )

they can arrange all your needs in Thailand. It is partner of company i am working in and all our customers coming back satisfied

go to this site, its full of very good information and people there who have experienced where you want to go.

http://www.offthebeatentrack.net/

Hi, I can see that you are planning this holiday for the family, but how many days do you have altogether? Which part of the year will you be planning to travel? This is not your first trip to Thailand, so what are the places that you had visited before? To help you plan your trip,will need to know what kind of interest your family has. What do you all want to do for the holiday, just relaxing, bit of shopping, bit of sightseeing, bit of culture? All these info can allow us to provide you with more direct inputs for your planning, rather than giving you generic plans of what you can do.

For a start, the Thai Tourism website at hhtp://www.tourismthailand.org has all the information you want on the various provinces, as well as the attractions and also places that you can stay. Browse through the sites for information, there will be enough to help you plan the the stay.

As for Koh Phi Phi, it is located in the province of Krabi, so it will be closer to travel from Krabi. There are other options, besides Koh Phi Phi, there are other islands and beaches which are just as scenic, especially in Krabi town and the prices are lower than in Koh Phi Phi. Just a thought.

There are other scenic options in the northern part of Thailand if you like. Cultural options in the northeast. Much more to Thailand than just the beaches.

You can contact me for more info if you like at thaitourinfo@yahoo.com. Happy holidays.

Hi,you cant fly down to PP island,its too small (and all the better for it)The D'Ma hotel in Bangkok is really good about 2500 bht for a family suite +66 026500288.In all honesty I wouldn't stay in BKK long unless you are a culture buff.I would do one day sightseeing and one day shopping then leave.Thats just me,cities aren't my thing.Next go to Koh Samui,as you like quiet try out Choengmon Beach.PS Villa is ok. Slightly rough round the edges but typically Thai,very quiet and laid back.If you want a bit of night-life it's only 10 minutes taxi into Chaweng,cost you about 4 quid.

After Samui I'd take the bus/ferry down to Krabi or Phuket.You could fly,but where's the fun in that?It'll take all day on the bus but you do get a ferry ride to blow out the cobwebs(dont worry about the sea being rough)Tickets are available everywhere and are hassle free,you don't need to be an expert traveller,the bus drivers mate looks after you (remember one man and his dog?)

When you go past Tesco in Suratthani give us a toot.Good Luck, oh by the way did you sort out your son?

Well planned!

I highly recommend that you purchase this book. It was indispensible when planning my trip to Thailand last year, and it was equally helpful when I was actually in the country.

First I would recommend at least 3 days or 4 days in Bangkok, lots to see here. As for Phi Phi, it's nice but I perfer Krabi. You need to get to Phi Phi by boat from either Krabi or Phuket. Either a speed boat or large commerical boat. Krabi is closer to Phi Phi then Phuket but maybe only by an half hour travel time. I would recommend going to Krabi either by plane or bus, spend a night or two and arrange you boat trip to Phi Phi with one of the travel agents at either your hotel or on the strip. Then you can arrange a boat to Phuket and spend a day or two before leaving. Hope you have a good trip and your son is happy now.

You have to get a ferry to Phi Phi,you can take a boat from Krabi or Phuket, It cost about 350baht.

Phuket and Phi Phi are both very hectic and over rated. Krabi is lovely, and so is Koh samui.. Can fly to both these places from Bagkok. Bangkok is a great city, but a million things to do. Do a lot of research so you dont miss out on anything. Have a great time.