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Bangkok help please

Ms Understood

By Ms Understood,
in Asia

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Ms Understood

Ms Understood

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we will be overnighting in bangkok on Legend of the Seas in Feb. RCL offers an overnight excursion but I am thinking for 4 of us it might be if not cheaper at least more interesting to do it on our own. Does anyone know how far the ship docks from the City itself? Also any recommendations for private guides/itineraries? Thanks for any and all suggestions

----------------------

Helen

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trooper 1

trooper 1

Posted
Posted
we will be overnighting in bangkok on Legend of the Seas in Feb. RCL offers an overnight excursion but I am thinking for 4 of us it might be if not cheaper at least more interesting to do it on our own. Does anyone know how far the ship docks from the City itself? Also any recommendations for private guides/itineraries? Thanks for any and all suggestions. Helen

 

We can highly recommend Viator Tours at viator.com. Navigate to Bangkok Tours. We took the "Private Bangkok Temples Tour Including the Rclining Buddha." Cuurently priced at $24.00 USD. Very pleased with the sights and the English speaking guide.

The port is quite a distance from the city. I will have to let others answer how best to get into Bangkok from the port. We went to Bangkok several days early and took the Princess transfer from Bangkok to the port on embarkation day.

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Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

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The port is about ninety minutes (and all of this depends on traffic) from the city.

 

We were just in Bangkok earlier this year.

 

My wife and I stayed at a hotel through our cruise line while our ship was docked overnight. Cruise line offered two type of excursions; one which you were on your own and what was included was transfers to and from the ship and the hotel, and the second one included transfers, hotel and excursions.

 

While we were able to see varoius sites on our own, it is quite challenging. It's hard to explain until you are there but it's not so easy to just walk around and if you don't know what you are doing you can be taken for a ride by taxi drivers, etc.

 

We used the train and the boat from the hotel.

 

I would consider staying there overnight so you can maximize your time there.

 

Keith

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trooper 1

trooper 1

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(Edited)

While we were able to see varoius sites on our own, it is quite challenging. It's hard to explain until you are there but it's not so easy to just walk around and if you don't know what you are doing you can be taken for a ride by taxi drivers, etc. Keith

 

Avoid the pedicab drivers at all costs. I lived in the Orient previously and considered myself capable of handling their bargaining system for rates and fares. I met a master and was taken very badly by a pedicab driver who probably was able to retire the next day. We were the only Whites in this neighborhood. The crowd that gathered was about to turn nasty. I paid the driver's price and quickly left. The city might regulate some of the taxis but not the pedicabs.

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trooper 1

trooper 1

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Avoid the pedicab drivers at all costs. I lived in the Orient previously and considered myself capable of handling their bargaining system for rates and fares. I met a master and was taken very badly by a pedicab driver who probably was able to retire the next day. We were the only Whites in this neighborhood. The crowd that gathered was about to turn nasty. I paid the driver's price and quickly left. The city might regulate some of the taxis but not the pedicabs.

 

Just reread my post. Memory lapse. The pedicab incident was in Beijing but I will still be leery of pedicabs in any Oriental city.

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Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

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Just reread my post. Memory lapse. The pedicab incident was in Beijing but I will still be leery of pedicabs in any Oriental city.

 

You are correct. A couple who we know who also stayed in Bangkok and who are very seasoned travelers got taken. They ende up taking three or four cabs because none of them would take them where they needed to go and it was a scam.

 

Keith

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Klongmaster

Klongmaster

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There are a number of options available for you, apart from the DIY one, which in Asia is a challenge in itself. Bangkok Day Tours can pick you up from the dock and take you to Bangkok, via sites in Chonburi if you like. http://bangkokdaytours.com/

You can book your own hotel or they will give you some help in choosing somewhere suitable. There's a myriad of choices in Bangkok which can make things confusing so a little caution is advisable.

You'll have time to see all the important things in the city and they'll get you back to the ship in time for departure. Having native English speakers in a foreign environment is a real boon.

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seasoned

seasoned

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Sometimes if you sightsee independently you miss a lot. There are places in Asia where a guide is invaluable.

 

In BANGKOK, I've used Tong (http://www.tourwithtong.com or email her at tourwithtong@yahoo.com) several times. You can read many recommendations for her on the posts at fodors.com, and you can see my latest Bangkok trip notes and pix with her at

 

http://www.planetsukey.com/PlanetSukey/Bangkok,_Thailand,_Day_1_-_April_14-15,_2008.html

 

and

 

http://www.planetsukey.com/PlanetSukey/Bangkok,_Thailand,_Day_2_-_April_16,_2008.html

 

You'll need to find out from the cruise line what port they will use for Bangkok. Laem Chebang is almost 2 hours away from the city, nearer Pattaya. The Unithai port is a bit closer. Most recently, on an Oceania voyage this past spring, the Nautica docked at Klong Toey, which was very conveniently located on the river in the city itself.

 

Wherever the Bangkok port, Tong will pick you up and take you wherever you want to go. Her price is very reasonable.

 

In BEIJING, by the way, I highly recommend Jane Yeo (janeyeo@163bj.com or janeyeo@macmail.com). My friends and I have used her many times. She (as any good guide will) customizes your tour for exactly what you want to see, and knows many places off the beaten path as well as great places to eat local food.

 

Any good guide can get you a ride in a tuk-tuk or a pedicab and negotiate the price. No rip-offs.

 

-Sukey-

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mtlcruiser10

mtlcruiser10

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the ship was dock in chaem labang 2.1/2 hour from bkk with traffic . it was an overnight so we stay bkk at the marriott mayfair for $85 us a night was very nice use the tour operator chang thai travel pick up at the pier , all day visit ,grand palace , boat ride , other palace we did the list of stop we want , with a excellent french guide drop us at hotel also night dinner cruise with all the transfert , and next morning pick up at hotel for pattaya elephant trek and city tour all day and back at the pier for $350 us for 2 adult

we enjoy it a lot very good service and clean car , on time and friendly english speaking driver

but if you stop in vietnam beware of viet value tour they give a price and after the tour start they will ask for more

 

sorry for my english we are french speaking enjoy it was very nice trip

 

sylvain

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AZDave

AZDave

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We were in Bangkok earlier this year for 4 days on a land tour. It is a big city with some of the worst traffic in the world. I would definitley not try do do it without a tour. I would opt for a ship excursion just because you want to be sure to get back with the traffic problem. If you do take a ship excursion I would recommend that you include the Golden Buddha, the Reclining Buddha, the Imperial Palace and if possible a walk through the Chinatown marketplace. Any visit to one of the Buddhist monasteries is also a plus.

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Ms Understood

Ms Understood

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I appreciate all the advice. Thanks so much all. I think I will get in touch with Tong. Prices seem really reasonable (esp since I have been in Europe twioe this year, crazy prices!) and I think we can get a better hotel and see more than if we did the ship's overnight excurision.

--------------

Helen

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CanadaPepsi

CanadaPepsi

Posted
Posted
we will be overnighting in bangkok on Legend of the Seas in Feb. RCL offers an overnight excursion but I am thinking for 4 of us it might be if not cheaper at least more interesting to do it on our own. Does anyone know how far the ship docks from the City itself? Also any recommendations for private guides/itineraries? Thanks for any and all suggestions

----------------------

Helen

 

Dear Helen:

 

My husband and I are sailing on Oct 6/08 - Beijing to Bangkok.

I am trying to find out how to get from the ship to the airport in Bangkok without using Princess transfers.

Has anyone given you any advice regarding this? I would appreciate any information you could give me.

Regards

 

Susan Lust

Please email me at suelust@telusplanet.net

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CanadaPepsi

CanadaPepsi

Posted
Posted
we will be overnighting in bangkok on Legend of the Seas in Feb. RCL offers an overnight excursion but I am thinking for 4 of us it might be if not cheaper at least more interesting to do it on our own. Does anyone know how far the ship docks from the City itself? Also any recommendations for private guides/itineraries? Thanks for any and all suggestions

----------------------

Helen

 

Dear Helen:

 

My husband and I are sailing on Oct 6/08 - Beijing to Bangkok.

I am trying to find out how to get from the ship to the airport in Bangkok without using Princess transfers.

Has anyone given you any advice regarding this? I would appreciate any information you could give me.

Regards

 

Susan Lust

Please email me at suelust@telusplanet.net

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seasoned

seasoned

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Dear CanadaPepsi,

 

See my note below regarding Tong, and check her website. I think she does transfers.

 

Another suggestion: Go to viator.com or worldairporttransfer.com and select Bangkok. You should find offers for airport transfers. I've used each site successfully for airports in Asia.

 

-Sukey-

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Ms Understood

Ms Understood

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Susan, we have hired Bangkok Day tours who will pick us up and return us to the ship. Sorry I have no other ideas for you. Viator is a good suggestion. BTW for all the recommendation for Tong both here and on Trip Advisor, I must report that she has never gotten back to me even tho I emailed weeks ago. So either she is busy, in which case the courtesy of saying so would be appreciated or perhaps no longer operating? Have a great trip and be sure and come back and tell us how it went!

-----------------

Helen

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trooper 1

trooper 1

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Dear Helen:

 

My husband and I are sailing on Oct 6/08 - Beijing to Bangkok.

I am trying to find out how to get from the ship to the airport in Bangkok without using Princess transfers.

Has anyone given you any advice regarding this? I would appreciate any information you could give me.

 

Why would you not want to use Princess? About the same price as others I looked at and more easily arranged.

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NYLady

NYLady

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Are any of you familiar with the Cruise/Tour? There are areas inland Thailand I would love to see and Princess seems to have a Cruise/Tour that does both. I haven't seen this with other cruise lines althought I'm just starting my search. Any suggestions? I definitely don't want to try to arrange my own tours and transportation for that part of the world.

Thanks for your help.

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