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Inter-Thailand Flights   Bangkok Airways (PG)

PG flights are bookable on points through JAL, CX, EY and AB.

JAL
Required Mileage: Transferable from SPG. JAL uses a distance based award chart and allows up to a maximum of 7 stopovers (8 segments). To figure out how many points you will need, add up the total amount of miles that will be flown (can do this on GCMap.com) and then find the appropriate row in the award chart (http://www.ar.jal.com/ar/en/jalmile/use/partner_air/p_jmb/jmb_mile_ar.html). If you are traveling before 3/31/2017 there is a promotion for trips up to 4,000 miles (see http://www.jal.co.jp/121campaign/pg_discount/index_en.html for reduced mileage rates). The promotion makes JAL the best award redemption option for PG flights. 

Booking the Flight: The only way to find out if there is availability on the flight that you want is to call JAL. Recommended that you do so before transferring points. JAL doesn't allow you to hold a reservation so you have to hope that the flight doesn't get booked up while you're waiting for the point transfer to go through. Once the points post to your JAL account, call JAL back to book.
+1 800-525-3663 (5:00 - 18:00 PT) press 1 - 4 - JAL membership number - # - pin - # - 0 (for human or 1 for computer search)

Traveling with Infant: Tell JAL that you are flying with a lap child. They will put the infant on the reservation, but they will also tell you that you need to call PG directly to get the infant's ticket issued and pay for any taxes etc. JAL will only charge you for the adults on the reservation. Unless you speak Thai, calling PG won't work (when you press 9 for English when calling any of the Asian offices, the message will tell you to go to their website, and the office in Germany can't issue tickets). To add the infant, send an email to reservation@bangkokair.com with your confirmation number and tell them you want to have the lap infant's ticket issued. They will email you back with the price (data point: it was ~$96USD for CNX-USM-HKG for me) and ask you to reply with your cc info split into two separate emails for security (one email with first 8 digits, exp. and name on card, second email with last 8 digits, cvv, and billing address). I believe they only take Visa or MC. You'll then get an email back with confirmation.

Baggage Allowance: Economy passengers are allowed 20kg, infants (and dolls) are allowed 10kg. Excess weight on domestic flights will incur a charge of 80thb ($2.25ish) per kilo. International overage fee chart can be found here. Join the PG FlyingBonus program to receive an additional 10kg.

Contacting PG: In general, if you have any questions, the only way to speak with them in English besides email is PG Live Chat. You can find the link if you log in to your Flyer Bonus account. Chat reps are very helpful.

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE TO PAY (JAL AND PG) WITH A CC BELONGING TO SOMEONE THAT IS TRAVELING ON THE ITINERARY. PG WILL SOMETIMES ASK YOU TO SHOW THE CC USED TO PAY FOR THE TRIP WHEN YOU CHECK IN, AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DENY BOARDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT.

CX
Required Mileage:

EY
Required Mileage:

AB
Required Mileage:



Bangkok   BKK/DMK

Hotels                                              Activities                                          Chabad                                                                Additional Info
Viengtai Hotel (Ohr Menachem)
Davis Hotel (Beth Elisheva)
Shangr-La (Even Chen)
Sheraton Resort (Hua Hin)
Riva Surya
Kao Sahn Rd
Night Markets (near stadium)
Shopping Malls
Grand Palace
Kanchanaburi (2 hrs away)
Floating Markets
Beth Elisheva (Financial & Shopping district)
Even Chen
Ohr Menachem (Kao Sahn Rd)
ALWAYS use meter in taxis and
   try to say destination in Thai - if you
   need help with numbers as Cbs ;)
(Free) sim in airport at kiosks -(true move(h- sim), dtac
   (happy(micro) sim for iPhone)
Songkran (water fight week)- April 13th!
Kosherthailand.com
BKK Luggage Lockers - 100 baht/day/bag (~$3)
Public Transport
Domestic flights:
   Air Asia, Tiger Air, Thai, Bangkok Air
Tailor:
   Rajawongse




Phuket/Patong/Koh Phi Phi/Krabi   HKT/KBV

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Westin
JW Marriott
Sala Resort
Sheraton Krabi
The Pavilions
Holiday Inn Koh Phi Phi
Ritz Carlton Reserve
places w/ private pools
Beaches
Monkey Show
Cable Skiing
Longtail Boats
Island Tour
Koh Phi Phi:
Diving
Fire Show (wed is biggest)
Maya Bay (full day trip)
Nice Lookouts
Kayaking (to Monkey Beach)
Thai Boxing
Beware of summer weather; monsoon season
Best weather: Jan - May
Island Tour (can be done as a day trip or overnight):
   Andaman River, Maya Bay, Similian Islands, Krabi Islands,
   Koh Lanta (Emerald Cave)




Koh Samui   USM

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                          Additional Info
The Conrad
Sunday Resort
Sheraton
Le Meridian
The W
Le Murrya (Near Chabad)
Fx Hotel (Near Chabad)
Beaches
Diving (Koa Phangan, Koh Tao)
Ang Thong Marine Park Islands
Water Sports (at chaweng and boh phut),
Safari Island (elephants, tigers, zip line)
Scooter (around island)
Kayaking $30
Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan Island trip w/ snorkeling
The Conrad will gladly make arrangements with
   the Chabad restaurant for Kosher food. Email them at usmks.fb@conradhotels.com




Chiang Mai   CNX

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Le Meridien (10 min. Walk to Chabad)
Shangri La (2 min. Walk to Chabad)
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi
Sukantara Cascade Resort
Maese Elephant Show
Maetaeng Elephant Park
Patara Elephant Farm
Thai Elephant Home
Thoms Pai Elephant Camp
Bamboo Rafting
Tiger Kingdom
Monkey Shows
Snake Shows
Crocodile Shows
Zip Lining
Trekking
White Water Rafting
Longneck Tribe
Gun Shooting
Night Safari
Temples/Palaces
Chiang Mai River Boat (To Cooking School)
Extreme Sports!
Repelling
Caving,
ATVing
Bungee
Segways
Rent motorbikes (5$ day)
3D museum right down the road from Chabad
   (if you have an hour or two to kill)
Sunday Market (ratchadamonoen  Rd, old city)
Night Market (Changklan Rd, near Chabad & Le Meridien)
Sat Night Market (Wua Lai)
Tiger Kingdom is best in morning
Use ישראל 669  as travel agent for trips
   (next door to Chabad)
Recommended Zip Line: Flight of Gibbon or Flying Squirrel,
   can be reserved through Yackov (המרכז המטייל)
   for best price.
When reserving tours, ask for a discount due to
   using your own transportation
Tailors:
   CM Tailors
His and Hers- 3 minute walk from LM on the way to chabbad.




Chiang Rai   CEI/4hr drive from CNX

Hotels                                                            Activities                                                                            Additional Info
Le Meridien
Four Seasons Tent Camp Golden Triangle
Black House
Queens Residence
Night market
Day trip to Burma/Myanmar
Waterfalls
White Temple
Ruaamit elephant camp
Pai village (3 hr drive)
Hot Springs
Scooters
Golden Triangle

« Last edited by CR on July 26, 2020, 11:38:14 AM »

Author Topic: Thailand Master Thread  (Read 729196 times)

Offline damaxer91

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Thailand Master Thread
« on: July 07, 2008, 11:25:09 AM »
Dear Friends,

 I am planning a trip to Thailand later this month and I have seen online all of the great work that Chabad is doing there. I would love to hear eyewitness reports from anyone who has been to the Chabad Restaurants in Phuket or Chiang Mai. How's the food?  Have you spent Shabbos there?

Thanks a lot,
Dave

« Last Edit: June 08, 2010, 05:53:05 PM by Dan »

Offline ash

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Re: Kosher Thailand
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2008, 11:50:56 AM »
its been along time but i was in the kaho san rd at the kosher Restaurant it was awsome and unbelievable that they had one there

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Kosher Thailand
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2008, 02:27:32 PM »
Chiang Mai and Phuket (as well as Ko Samui) all have great and cheap food. It's subsidized especially so Israeli's who otherwise might eat non-kosher should be able to afford kosher. If you do go and use their services it is only nice that you leave a donation.

The place is great, November is a great time to do. Shabbat is unforgettable Good luck and enjoy

Offline Smirk

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Re: Kosher Thailand
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2008, 08:25:06 PM »
Where in thailand are you going? Bangkok?

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2010, 01:36:55 AM »
thanks for the offer on thailand,any recommendation's for phuket?we are looking for a hotel with a completely private personal pool? any places to eat? any preferences as to what there is to see/do there?

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2010, 10:13:52 PM »
how long do you have in Phuket? do you davka want to stay there? Keep in mind weather it's rainy season on the andaman side (phuket) doesn't mean you'll see rain every day or all day, but definitely could be the case...

Beach is not really swimable this time of year, it can be dangerous, the sea is rough. forget about diving for the most part... there are diving options on the gulf of thailand which is an hour flight from Phuket on Bangkok Air (Ko Samui, Phangan and Ko Tao)... might be an idea to hop on over to Ko Samui, although prices there would be higher as it's high season due to the better weather. IF you would go to Ko Samui I highly recommend going to Ang Thong Marine Park for some amazing islands and views (it's a day trip which can include kayaking around islands and lots of other fun things for about $30 or so if i'm not mistaken).

Since ocean/weather isn't great this time of year, I would even suggest going to Chiang Mai (cheap flight with Air Asia) where there is a ton to do and great 5 star hotels for $70-80 a night.. great elephant riding through the jungle, bamboo rafting, tiger kingdom (play with tigers which are not sedated), flight of the gibbon through the jungle (look it up - pretty cool), trekking, white water rafting, great night market etc...

All three places (Samui, Chiang Mai and Phuket - Patong) have Chabad houses with kosher restaurants which charge pennies... (schnitzel sandwich $3, shish kabobs $4, falafel $2.50, etc....)

I personally didn't care for Phuket too much, Patong is the place most ppl go (and where Chabad is located)  but it's a bit slummy. I stayed at the JW Marriott which is on it's own beach, but it has lots of kids and no private pools.. Here is a list of some places with pools: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k2279113-Room_with_private_pool-Phuket.html

There is a great hotel 70 minute drive from Phuket airport, I've been there and had my own villa with a pool, it's called the Le Meridien Khao Lak. Down side is that you have to get kosher food brought in from Phuket, but I have a driver who can deliver for $50 or so... (it's 2 hour each way).. But the meridien is off the beaten path so if you're looking for lots of activities don't go there.

To sum up here are the choices as I see:
I would fly straight to Chiang Mai to get the real Thai experience, and leave the beaches/resorts to a different time (when weather is better, sea is calm etc...)

If you are really want sea islands, good weather I would fly an hour to Ko Samui (every hour there are flights) where the weather is suppose to be much better this time of year, and swimming in the sea is possible etc... if you do want to go there I can give you some more advice....

IF you prefer staying in Phuket, where the prices will be cheaper due to season, be prepared to spend some times indoor due to weather... a brand new Westin opened up this month, but they don't have private pools..

Hope this helps

Offline moish

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2010, 08:17:00 AM »
did you move from afghanistan to thailand?

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2010, 09:22:35 AM »
thanks so much!looks like we'll be only in phuket,i'm traveling with a one year old so too much flying is too hard!thanks so much for all the help!

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2010, 09:53:46 AM »
did you move from afghanistan to thailand?

Where did my icon go? I don't like this new forum... lol


thanks so much!looks like we'll be only in phuket,i'm traveling with a one year old so too much flying is too hard!thanks so much for all the help!

If you are traveling with a kid, I would strongly recommend the Khao Lak Meridien... They're villas are amazing... Here are pics of their villas:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunkindonuts/sets/72157605922461173/

The hotel has a small petting zoo, and a bunch of other fun activities. They have a great kids club (Penguin club) with kids toys etc.. you can get them to babysit your kid for about $10 an hour and just have some quiet time.. they are extraordinary...  Transfer from the airport will cost $40 in a nice SUV... only down side is that food needs to be brought in... back when I was there it wasn't a problem.

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2010, 10:35:30 AM »
thanks though it looks too far out!rather stay centrally located,any recommendations as to what to do with a one year old? any other restaurants other than chabad?

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2010, 10:38:25 AM »
Wow! The Le Meridian Khao Lak is a SPG Category 3 hotel with tons of C&P availability!!!
Do they upgrade Plat's to the private villas with pools?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2010, 01:55:38 PM »
Wow! The Le Meridian Khao Lak is a SPG Category 3 hotel with tons of C&P availability!!!
Do they upgrade Plat's to the private villas with pools?
Thinking of making another stop on your trip down under?

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2010, 05:27:39 PM »
Wow! The Le Meridian Khao Lak is a SPG Category 3 hotel with tons of C&P availability!!!
Do they upgrade Plat's to the private villas with pools?

Officially not, though it has happened... This is one of my favorite hotels in the world... (for kids that is) I was there and there wasn't a person in any of the pools/waterslides.. it was like having the place to myself.... I got a villa for $70 a night.. but don't bother asking ;-) maybe one day I'll right a trip report.. not sure if I want to share all these places :)

As play they'll give you an upgrade to a suite, from which you can further upgrade to villa for $70 a night. upgrades are very likely summer time because it's low season.

The pool villas are still cheapest in the world probably.. at $250 a night sometimes less.

Wait till you have kids, then it's worth going. The pool has a little jacuzzi at the end, which is really cool. totally private (unless you get the beachfront..)

Thailand has the best bang for your buck especially in 5 star hotels/resorts...

thanks though it looks too far out!rather stay centrally located,any recommendations as to what to do with a one year old? any other restaurants other than chabad?

Many, but none are kosher... you can go elephant riding, not a problem at all (done it with a 1 yr old) even bamboo rafting, though that's a little more tricky. Monkey shows are fun... NO LONGTAIL BOATS....

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2010, 09:30:05 AM »
thank sos much,will do! any hotel recommendations within the main phuket area?more centrally located?

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2010, 11:09:30 AM »
Are you still looking for private pool? whats your budget? In Patong itself there  are few villas with private pools... Google patong and see some pics of what the place looks like... you may be disappointed if you were expecting this: http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=ko%20phi%20phi&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Outside patong from about 20 minutes and on you can find private pools, but they won't be too cheap.. I would guess prices would start at $350 a night.. There are also hotels which have direct access to the main pools from your room (you walk outside your back door and you can access the pool straight from your room.)


Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2010, 11:25:49 AM »
i found a good deal in the sala resort with private pool,around 200 a night!patong seems a little sleazy,rather a quieter vacation,sounds like the beach near the sala resort is pretty quiet,just what i like!

Offline ChikkyMonkey

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2010, 01:50:24 PM »
Great choice... Smart idea avoiding patong.. it's really sleazy! You can take a tuktuk or taxi there shouldnt be too expensive.. Just keep in mind the beach will probably not be what you are expecting... there will be big waves, it won't be clear etc... I highly doubt many people will be swimming..

You can pick up food from Chabad to go... I uploaded their menu for you:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_vWHaMDnoh3ZDE3ZTBjYTItYzdhMy00Njg5LWIzMWMtODNjNDcyYzMwYTVj&hl=en&authkey=CN2_96UP

Does not get cheaper than this! The prices are there, 32 baht = $1.

Some of the decent items are chicken legs (grilled), Pargiot, Schnitzel (sandwich)... They're wings were also decent and at $2 for 14 you can't go wrong
« Last Edit: July 15, 2010, 01:55:14 PM by ChikkyMonkey »

Offline Dan

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2010, 02:06:12 PM »
You can pick up food from Chabad to go... I uploaded their menu for you:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_vWHaMDnoh3ZDE3ZTBjYTItYzdhMy00Njg5LWIzMWMtODNjNDcyYzMwYTVj&hl=en&authkey=CN2_96UP

Does not get cheaper than this! The prices are there, 32 baht = $1.

Some of the decent items are chicken legs (grilled), Pargiot, Schnitzel (sandwich)... They're wings were also decent and at $2 for 14 you can't go wrong
Amazing!
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2010, 02:52:09 PM »
we don't need a beach for swimming,just need a nice quiet place for walking/playing/relaxing with my kid,for swimming i hope to have a privat pool villa, figured that beach area would be a good spot. i can't see the menu,i need a gmail account,which i don't.any other way of viewing it?

Offline world2see

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Re: Thailand Master Thread
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2010, 03:30:48 PM »
got the menu thanks!do they deliver whenever?would i be able to deliver breakfast,lunch and supper to my hotel?it is SO CHEAP!