[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Aahhhh Thanks for calling me here Steer.

Amitoj, I do know more than the average bear about thailand.

What are you going for? Holiday or work? Will you be alone, with friends or family? I can help you with advice on anything.

Steer! You beat me to it! I was about to pm Sam.
But thanks anyways. I owe you one.

Welcome Sam. This thread needs your YetiGuidance.

Why i am going to Thailand is one very boring reason that can turn a happy puppy into a zombie, so i wont go there. But thankfully that reason gets over on Sunday, 8th June at 5PM and after that, i have NINE days with my wife to totally chill out!! Its just me and my wife, and you wont believe it... it will be just the two of us on a holiday after like 4 years. Every time we have gone on vacation, its been with either her relatives, or mine... which is fun but not quite the same. So, i want this one to be THE vacation... with my own circled R at its end!

We dont want to touch all the tourist spots and we dont really like crowded places. The whole idea is to just have an unhurried memorable vacation.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by amitoj

We dont want to touch all the tourist spots and we dont really like crowded places. The whole idea is to just have an unhurried memorable vacation.

Northern Thailand and Phuket. Avoid all other places if you want a quiet vacation.

Or head to Bali.

[Sam Kapasi]

Amitoj, that's what I wanted to know. There are 3 basic reason one goes to Thailand.
Shopping, if that excites you, women (out of the question since you're happily married and we want to keep it that way) and full on beach bumming.
I suggest the last part to you.

Now a couple of more questions.

Assuming your lovely wife and you are out on a beautiful island with the sea bluer than the sky - what do you see yourself doing?
Don't get me wrong - it is a typical Indian trait to be DOING something, going on tours, planning the day, going for watersports, trips temples and what-not.

We plan our holidays harder than we plan regular life!

Some of the best holidays are spent under a tree with no plan and a nice book, with your wife resting her head on your tummy.
I could give you a thousand places to go, but I need to know what you see yourself doing on the beachy island.

1) Do you see yourself in a AC hotel room by hot day, then off to see some spot or beach and return to a nice dinner is=n a decent restaurant?
2) Do you Fancy renting a bike and constantly getting lost on the island?
3) Do you like walking, only to jump into a baht cab and get off just because you feel like it?
4) Do you fancy yourself in a hotel that can only be termed as a modern unbelievable paradise, but roughly at about 11000 rupees a night?
5) Do you see yourself partying and visiting rock bars and drinking and enjoying?

Or all of the above? lol

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Northern Thailand and Phuket. Avoid all other places if you want a quiet vacation.

Or head to Bali.

Here is what I'd suggest. Don't stay in one place.

If I was in Thailand for a week long I'd choose one of following

1) Visit Phuket, stay for 2 nights at Phuket, enjoy the nightlife - not talking any typical tourist island trips. Ignore them ALL! 2 days later take the ferry to the Phi-Phi Islands (ohhhh myyyyy gooodddd) to stay at Phi-Phi is something I would kill for.

One then takes a boat from Phuket to Phi Phi Don and lives there doing JACK for 2 or 3 days.
When done with Phi-Phi, you can go to Krabi from there and enjoy that too.

2) Fly to Samui, spend 2 nights at Koh Samui and then 2 nights later take the ferry to Koh Pha Ngan (WOW) and STAY there. Most people will visit the white samds of Pha Ngan for a full moon party, not realising that this too is a beautiful, non populated place to stay.


Both agendas are excellent.

Now the tricks.


When your itinerary is decided, The Yeti will find you a hotel, do not think or worry of hotels, these are the least of your worries.

Underbook. This is the beginning of the lean season for thailand and there are more hotels than guests.
Fear not, you will always find a decent hotel at a decent price on all these islands. Like I said, I will help you.

If you must book, book only for a day or two. This leaves your options open. If you are truly enjoying yourself, extend. Or else pay and leave.

More later - first choose a direction.

You do realise that now the payment for this guide is a rocking pictorial report right?

[DirtyDan]

Chiang Mai for cerebral fun. It's a quiet college town and a seat of Theravada Buddhist learning. Otherwise Phuket for fun in the sun on the beech. You can find peace and quiet there, too, with some looking. Bangkok is one big traffic jam but a good driver can show you the neat stuff including the canal market, Temple of the Dawn , Temple of the Emerald Buddha. For the first visit I would do 3 days in Bangkok and 7 in Phuket saving Chiang Mai for visit #2.

[amitoj]

Yup Sam, beach bumming is more like it. One day can be set aside for a shop till you drop kinda experiences.

And from the options you listed, all but 1.. and the 4th one can be only a one off thing due to obvious ecnomical aspects! lol

We both enjoy getting lost...

And i assume that good tasty local food is present in whatever we do.

We dont want to be DOING something all the time. Going to Thailand is DOING enough!

From the planning point of view, all i want to do is make sure that we have a place to stay for the night wherever we go. I dont want to plan anything else at all.

[n_aditya]

I dont see the much talked about Thai massage suggested anywhere.

[Steeroid]

Amitoj

Dont forget to get yourself a bespoke suit - ready within 8 hours or else free. You can get some really nice suits stitched there while you holiday.

[Sam Kapasi]

Do you enjoy partying? Nightlife on islands?

Even though you may not partake, the thai woman on hire culture is most enjoyable and interesting, even from an academic POV.
Anyone squeamish, prudish?

Lastly, how old you you and your Mrs?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Even though you may not partake, the thai woman on hire culture is most enjoyable and interesting, even from an academic POV.

Interesting. I'm all ears... i mean eyes. Rattle off the experience Sam. It'll be a good learning experience for many of us.

[Sam Kapasi]

And there is one REAL way to enjoy Thailand to the max. To make sure that you get the best service and make the most friends in this beautiful beautiful country.

This.

Interesting. I'm all ears... i mean eyes. Rattle off the experience Sam. It'll be a good learning experience for many of us.

I will write it my friend. But not here. When I do write it you will really learn something.

It is easy to pass off Thailand as a paradise for lonely men and often even as a meat market. That is only the external fascia they want you to see, because that works for the tourist industry and has been famous since the american soldiers visited them in WWII.
It is us who have the hang up about sex, not them. For buddhists this is an honourable and natural relationship.

And for those single people (and couples too!) who want to partake, it is right there and can be a lot of fun once you get past the pretentiousness and the pretend sin of it all. I can only PM more information on the same as you have to appreciate the fact that Team-BHP has a varied audience, some conservative and some under-age and we must absolutely respect that fact.

Thailand is far more beautiful and intricate than the touristy fascia it carries. And the culture is really very interesting. Believe me.
And the word massage automatically raises a smile on many of our lips. Unfair. Thailand has some of the best massages in the world, with techniques and in environments far superior to spas where you may pay 100 times the cost.

The people are super clean, bathe an average of 3 to 4 times a day. Add to that the lack of dairy in their daily diet and you will find that most thai people smell wonderful and their ladies (old, young all) mostly smell like flowers. Very nice.
And by natural selection, the ratio of men to women in Thailand is 7 to 1. Incidentally, similar to Brazil.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

And by natural selection, the ratio of men to women in Thailand is 7 to 1. Incidentally, similar to Brazil.

I meant 1 to 7, they have more women than men is what I wanted to say.

[amitoj]

All you guys are rocking! I should have started this thread ages ago!

When your itinerary is decided, The Yeti will find you a hotel, do not think or worry of hotels, these are the least of your worries

That takes one huge load off of me!!

Sam, your tip about underbooking is neat.

Option 1 sounds the right one. We can always switch to option 2 midway if we just wing it, right?

We are no party animals here but whats the point in taking a vacation if you are not going to do something that you dont do in your normal day to day life?

As for age, well i left my 20s behind last year and my wife did that a year before that and am sure there is a pretty valid reason behind this question!

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Option 1 sounds the right one. We can always switch to option 2 midway if we just wing it, right?

We are no party animals here but whats the point in taking a vacation if you are not going to do something that you dont do in your normal day to day life?

As for age, well i left my 20s behind last year and my wife did that a year before that and am sure there is a pretty valid reason behind this question!

Winging from Option 1 to 2 is difficult. Take a clear broad direction and then wing it from there.

Which means either go from BKK to Koh Samui or Koh Phuket. Make that choice. All other choices can be winged.

My reason for asking the question was to know if we're planning a holiday for a young couple still capable of romance, or a couple that are comfortable like old shoes.
I see you are the perfect age to be both.


So, you are free from the 8th morning? And when do you fly out of BKK?

[amitoj]

Option 1 it is then.

We land on 7th morning. Sunday, 8th i am busy till 5 PM. I think that would be perfect time for my wife to go shopping. And our return flight is on 17th evening. Would like to have some time on 17th for the Bangkok Duty Free. I've heard so much about it. So those two days will take care of whatever shopping we intend to do.