Bangkok

I traveled to Thailand two years ago, but it remains one of my most memorable trips. Thailand has the amazing combination of history and culture, beautiful sights, warm people, and delicious food!

We stayed at the Peninsula in Bangkok.  As you can see in the photos below, the grounds and pool area were all gorgeous, but the best part of the hotel was the service.  Every employee we encountered was incredibly friendly and helpful.  All the rooms and dining areas face the Chao Phraya River, and we enjoyed watching the non-stop activity.  We made good use of the pool in the afternoons after long mornings of sight seeing.  There was plenty of shade and ice water to help everyone cool off!  The little boat with the green roof takes you across the river to the elevated train stop/ferry dock and other places along the river. 

Working with the concierge ahead of our arrival, we booked a guide and driver for two days to see the sights in Bangkok.  This allowed us to see what we wanted to see and not have to travel in a large group on a set schedule.  It is totally possible to do the sightseeing on your own and take public transportation-or book a guide and travel on public transportation.  However, it was extremely hot, so having the air conditioned car gave us a chance to rest up between sights.  Our guide was excellent and having her tell us about each location was so interesting.  She also taught us a lot about Buddhist religion and culture and how it shapes so many things in the country.  We got so much more out of our visits to the temples and palaces than we would have by just reading the guidebook as we walked along.  Check with the concierge desk to see what your hotel offers in the way of tours and guides.  Due to the exchange rate and the generally low prices of Thailand, we found it was an extremely reasonable expense.  We did tip her and the driver a small amount at the end of the second day.  It is also a nice gesture to offer to buy them a bottle of water or soda as you stop for refreshments.  

​She helped us plan our days to include all the major sights in Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, and the Golden Buddha.  Take your time to examine the details in these structures-the tile work, the gilding, the small water gardens placed along the walkways.  The level of detail is dizzying at times, but all incredible. Also take note of what the Buddha does with his hands as you encounter the various Buddhas around the city.  The different hand positions signify different things, meaning all the Buddhas you think look the same are actually all quite different!  Also look for the Chinese and Khmer influences in the architecture and decoration.

What to wear to the Grand Palace and Buddhist temples?  It is extremely important to dress respectfully when visiting the Grand Palace complex or temples.  So, yes, despite it being nearly 100F the day we visited, we are wearing long sleeves!  A thin shirt or sweater, linen pants or cotton maxi skirt, and closed toed shoes such as Toms were all bearable in the extreme heat.  If you are not dressed appropriately, you will be asked to buy something from a nearby hawker or pay a small fee to wear a polyester sort of robe-they looked extremely hot, not to mention sweaty from the previous wearer! Nobody cares what you wear around the pool, but it is important to remember that the temples are visited by people actually worshipping there, not just sightseers, so dress accordingly.

Resources and tips for Bangkok:

The Peninsula Hotel was excellent and their concierge service was top notch.  We did tip the head concierge before we left to thank him and his assistants for all their help.  Contact the concierge desk before you arrive to make touring and airport transportation plans.  They also have an employee at the airport to aid you with any arrival or departure issues that come up.  On arrival, he pointed us to an ATM and located the driver for us.  On departure, he got us a luggage cart and helped us to the correct check in counter for our flight to Chiang Mai.  Consider booking through a Virtuoso travel agent. The Virtuoso rate included breakfast each day and afternoon tea one day.  The tea pastries were unbelievable!
bangkok.peninsula.com/en/default
 
Another good choice would be the Mandarin Oriental, directly across the river from the Peninsula.
www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/
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​Whether you go via Europe or an Asian hub such as Tokyo, it is extremely long trip for Americans to get to Thailand.  We were not sure how much we would be ready for after such a long journey and booked the airport's arrival service. The airport is very well organized and all of the signs are in English, so it would have been easy to get through immigration and to the baggage claim on our own.  However, it was wonderful to be picked up in the cart and not have to wait in any lines or tote our carryons around the huge airport! More than one person coming off our flight commented that they would have done it too if they had known-as they watched us zip away through the terminal on the golf cart.
suvarnabhumiairport.com/en/1000-electric-car-service-by-a-plus-class-buggy