Flying into Bangkok - should I stay a couple of days or fly straight into Phuket?

[calbear09]

Normally, I am able to find direct flights into Phuket but due to cost I have purchased a flight to BKK and will purchase a 2nd from BKK to Phuket.

 

I always stay in Phuket town. Are there any quiet places to stay in BKK for a few nights? I really disliked the hustle and bustle the first two times I went but I may have simply stayed in the wrong places...

[The Hammer2021]

Forget Phuket- Stay in Bangkok- or lock yourself  in 5 star hotel room in Bangkok.

But. I've never heard of somebody trying to avoid 'hustle and bustle' in a city!

Bangkok  is a brilliant  city, full of interesting  sights..

You could try a posh  hotel on the river  front

[Jerno]

Can't make up you own mind?  Need strangers to plan your trip for you?  What are you, 10?  Sheesh.

[2baht]

Up to you! 

[pagallim]

5 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Forget Phuket- Stay in Bangkok- or lock yourself  in 5 star hotel room in Bangkok.

But. I've never heard of somebody trying to avoid 'hustle and bustle' in a city!

Bangkok  is a brilliant  city, full of interesting  sights..

You could try a posh  hotel on the river  front

If cost was a factor in flying into Bangkok first rather than direct into Phuket, I doubt that the ambience of either The Oriental or Peninsula will have much appeal.

[Boomer6969]

5 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

But. I've never heard of somebody trying to avoid 'hustle and bustle' in a city!

Bangkok  is a brilliant  city, full of interesting  sights..

Chatrium Riverside would offer the best of both worlds. Easy to Grab from there too. Or catch the boat,,

[Reddog1]

Lookup the Sunflower near Silom.  Quiet, cheep, convenient close to BTS.  Nice people with breakfast, street food and good coffee nearby (also entertainment if you are interested).  About a motel 8 level.  Since I found it.  I usually stay there on the way to Phuket (15 years of travel).  I have a condo in Phuket and have explored BKK a lot over the years.  I usually avoid the 4 and 5 star hotels.  Because I am often just passing through and not a general tourist.  Use Agoda to book the place.  There are lots of others near by.  The Royal Garden is also nice with a rooftop pool and bigger rooms farther out on the BTS.

[Burma Bill]

12 hours ago, calbear09 said:

I always stay in Phuket town. Are there any quiet places to stay in BKK

With respect, may I suggest continuing to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Khon Kaen. The budget airline Thai VietJet offers inexpensive tickets from BKK to these resorts. Personally, I found Bangkok a busy, polluted "concrete jungle" and Phuket an expensive "rip off" resort. 

[bangon04]

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

With respect, may I suggest continuing to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Khon Kaen. The budget airline Thai VietJet offers inexpensive tickets from BKK to these resorts. Personally, I found Bangkok a busy, polluted "concrete jungle" and Phuket an expensive "rip off" resort. 

but the beaches are slightly better than in the towns you named..

 

[Will B Good]

Stayed in the JW Marriott, soi 2 for a month.....executive lounge access.....no need to venture out and you can drink yourself to death for 'free'.

[The Hammer2021]

9 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

With respect, may I suggest continuing to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Khon Kaen. The budget airline Thai VietJet offers inexpensive tickets from BKK to these resorts. Personally, I found Bangkok a busy, polluted "concrete jungle" and Phuket an expensive "rip off" resort. 

Chang Mai is a traffick jammed, polluted, smelly city- noisy but boring- a city under  occupation bullied  into daily submission by the  police. The worst farang in Thailand hang out their.

[MrJ2U]

Bangkok is fun for a few nights.

 

Great food, shopping, beautiful girls.

 

Marriott or Hilton have some great hotels in Bangkok for very reasonable prices.  We stayed at the Hilton Millennium, excellent views directly on the river.

 

Enjoy your trip! 

[Sparktrader]

Bangkok, Ibis riverside is quiet. Good local food. There is a cheaper hotel nearby look at booking.com.

 

Phuket, im here. In patong quiet soi. 500 baht large room. Not that expensive. Found a nice noodle shop 70 baht pork n noodles.

 

Im heading to udon/nong khai next.

 

Met 4 good looking girls. 2 Udon, 1 Ubon, 1 Khorat.

 

If you like relaxed Ubon or Nong Khai might suit you.

 

Krabi town is ok too in south.

 

Or train to Prachuap khiri khan

 

[Sparktrader]

16 hours ago, Jerno said:

Can't make up you own mind?  Need strangers to plan your trip for you?  What are you, 10?  Sheesh.

The forum is all about helping people. Personal experience is useful.

 

Why so rude? Sheesh

[Sparktrader]

Koh Chang is great too. 

 

[Sparktrader]

32 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Chang Mai is a traffick jammed, polluted, smelly city- noisy but boring- a city under  occupation bullied  into daily submission by the  police. The worst farang in Thailand hang out their.

The province is great though. Pattaya is a dirty polluted smelly city but you like it.

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Chang Mai is a traffick jammed, polluted, smelly city- noisy but boring- a city under  occupation bullied  into daily submission by the  police. The worst farang in Thailand hang out their.

It used  top be great fun but now it's tourists in pyjamas  trousers  looking for Starbucks,  topknotters, elderly  gay men, terribly  night life, and sad depressed CM people under the heel of the  Military.  Bars close at  11!. It used to  be a Brilliant  city now its one of the worst in Thailand.  Its  the most depressing city in Thailand

[Sparktrader]

http://thetopknotters.com/

[Sparktrader]

15 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Bars close at  11

Why do u want to drink past 11? Are you 18yo?

[KhunLA]

OP ... a lot more info needed.

[grumpyoldman]

Bangkok is an awesome city. You have to spend a couple days there for sure.

 

Excellent restaurants of all kinds, super street food, sights to see, get an evening boat on the Chao Phraya river (skytrain to Thaksin bridge, walk to the water) to one of the seafood restaurants, you basically get a river tour for free. Skytrain is the bomb for an inexpensive way to get around, love Bangkok.

 

I was once like you, young Skywalker, would go straight for Phuket, but then a friend showed me around BKK and I was sold.

[calbear09]

12 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

With respect, may I suggest continuing to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Khon Kaen. The budget airline Thai VietJet offers inexpensive tickets from BKK to these resorts. Personally, I found Bangkok a busy, polluted "concrete jungle" and Phuket an expensive "rip off" resort. 

Agree on Phuket but the trick is to stay in Phuket Town! I always stay at Fulfill Hostel (they offer private rooms!!). You can take the bus to different parts of the island and plenty of things within walking distance. I pretty much only eat, drink, and relax at the places the locals do.

[KhunLA]

8 hours ago, calbear09 said:

Agree on Phuket but the trick is to stay in Phuket Town! I always stay at Fulfill Hostel (they offer private rooms!!). You can take the bus to different parts of the island and plenty of things within walking distance. I pretty much only eat, drink, and relax at the places the locals do.

OK, that's a bit more info, so not exactly a 'beach' holiday.  Phuket Town is great, especially since the buses are running again.

 

First 10ish times overnighting in BKK, I hated it, but didn't explore.  When I did, now, considerate one of the best places to visit in Thailand, if not going for Andaman Sea 'beach' holiday.  Or Surat Thani / Phang Nga area.

 

Has all the good & bad, of a huge metro, with lots of gems, out of the slum tourist areas.  Plenty of hostels to choose from, or inexpensive private rooms.  Overall cost about the same, along with great bus system, aside from rush hour.  Whole area is in gridlock anyway,   BTS/MRT might be faster, if making the 1st trains, though I really do prefer the buses.  Planning essential of course.

 

Canal market, riverside is usually where we hang out during the day.  Actually prefer the west side of the river; Khlong San & Bangkok Noi (Wang Lang) areas.

 

Bang Rak or ChinaTown / Rattanakosin Island works well also.

Edited August 25, 2022 by KhunLA

[DFPhuket]

I was in your situation last month. My flight on Qatar to BKK was cheaper with better connections than a flight to HKT so I landed there, even though Phuket is home. 

 

I booked a Thai Smile flight that was scheduled to depart 3 hours after my Qatar flight landed. By booking early, it only cost about 1,200 baht (including luggage) but of course there was a risk if the Qatar flight was delayed, immigration was backed up, etc., I'd miss it. 

 

If departure from Doha was delayed, my backup plan was to use the wifi on the plane to either change to a new flight (with a change penalty) or book a hotel and go into Bangkok. It ended up working fine. I went through immigration, went up to the departure floor and checked in with my  luggage. 

[daveAustin]

18 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Chang Mai is a traffick jammed, polluted, smelly city- noisy but boring- a city under  occupation bullied  into daily submission by the  police. The worst farang in Thailand hang out their.

The op is after info for a quiet stay in Bangkok, not boorish, one-eyed misleading tat on Chiang Mai. Dear me.
Suggest looking at older Bangkok near the big palaces and river. Some great hotels, leafy parks and cafes. Beautiful ladies in abundance. Great city. 

[The Hammer2021]

18 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Bangkok is fun for a few nights.

 

Great food, shopping, beautiful girls.

 

Marriott or Hilton have some great hotels in Bangkok for very reasonable prices.  We stayed at the Hilton Millennium, excellent views directly on the river.

 

Enjoy your trip! 

It also has islands of tranquility and peace, gardens  and temple  etc.

 

[MrJ2U]

18 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Chang Mai is a traffick jammed, polluted, smelly city- noisy but boring- a city under  occupation bullied  into daily submission by the  police. The worst farang in Thailand hang out their.

Sounds great. 

[MrJ2U]

14 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

It also has islands of tranquility and peace, gardens  and temple  etc.

 

It's really a must see place.

 

Domestic flights out of Bangkok are usually reasonable also.

 

Hottie Central! 

Edited August 25, 2022 by MrJ2U

[Lemsta69]

16 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Why do u want to drink past 11? Are you 18yo?

party don't start until around that time. it was hell for my first few days in Paattaya back in December when what free bars that were serving alcohol had to shut early. lucky someone introduced me to speakeasy then it was 5AM finishes ????

[calbear09]

13 hours ago, KhunLA said:

OK, that's a bit more info, so not exactly a 'beach' holiday.  Phuket Town is great, especially since the buses are running again.

 

First 10ish times overnighting in BKK, I hated it, but didn't explore.  When I did, now, considerate one of the best places to visit in Thailand, if not going for Andaman Sea 'beach' holiday.  Or Surat Thani / Phang Nga area.

 

Has all the good & bad, of a huge metro, with lots of gems, out of the slum tourist areas.  Plenty of hostels to choose from, or inexpensive private rooms.  Overall cost about the same, along with great bus system, aside from rush hour.  Whole area is in gridlock anyway,   BTS/MRT might be faster, if making the 1st trains, though I really do prefer the buses.  Planning essential of course.

 

Canal market, riverside is usually where we hang out during the day.  Actually prefer the west side of the river; Khlong San & Bangkok Noi (Wang Lang) areas.

 

Bang Rak or ChinaTown / Rattanakosin Island works well also.

Ok hopefully 3rd time will be a charm for me. First two times I stayed near Terminal 21 and don't plan on returning. Thanks for the tips!