Going to Thailand in end of July for 5 days with wife and kids 13&9. Should I do BKK-pattayya-Phukket ?

Question

or BKK-Phukkett? Not much in to beech scene. More in to scenery. Is train ride Ok to Phukket? How is the rain?

Answer 1

If not into beaches, skip Phuket (hour plane ride from BKK and probable change of airports). One day take in the sites of BKK--temples, markets, canals, shops--book a tour or two with the hotel/travel agent before you leave. Head north to the River Kwai another day or two. Great scenery in the northern part of the country. Check out web sites on attractions in BKK and area and deside which ones you want to see. If coming from US/Europe don't forget it's a long flight and jet lag so you can't be on the go all day. No way would I want to travel by train to Phuket--it would be at least a 15 hour trip with perfect connections each way. As for Pattaya, if not into beach/water sports why go (especially with the wife and kids)?

Answer 2

BKk-Pattaya-Phuket is a lot for 5 days. Pattaya and Phuket are beach resorts. Try branching from Bangkok, Pattaya is 90 minutes outside of Bangkok by taxi or bus if you need to see the ocean. Ayutthaya, the ancient capital is a couple hours away and you can either take a bus or boat to visit it. Check out www.bangkok.com for the boat cruise to Ayutthaya. With the youngsters with you, maybe take them to the Grand Palace and not too far from there is the Giant Swing. There is also the Siam Ocean world in the Siam Paragon mall which is a large aquarium. There is a waterpark called Siam Suan also.

Check out www.bangkok.com for all the various places that can be visited. Another site is www.thaiwebsites.com that can give you some ideas.

For gifts or souvenirs, I would shop at Mah Boo Khrom or MBK mall across from Siam Paragon which are in the Pratunam district. For clothing, I would go to Platinum Mall which is a long walk from Siam Paragon mall.

The rain has been coming and going. Lately they have had rain storms, some very violent. Try the subway or the skytrain for getting around Bangkok and use the taxis as the last resort. Traffic can be horrible during the rain with flooding along Sukhumvit Road. Which is why there is a skytrain as opposed to a subway.

Have a great trip. Good luck.

Answer 3

I'm so jealous...if you want to stay away from the touristy stuff...then Phuket isn't what you want. Try looking at Krabi or Ao Nang. These are more secluded and the beaches are less congested. Great places for taking a ton of pictures! Be sure to invest in a digital camera with a large Media card before you go if you dont' already have one!!!! Definitely spend a few days in BKK just to take it all in. Go to the Grand Palace and take a river taxi down the Chao Phrao river. Ride in a tuk tuk and take video! It is full blown rainy season now, so it will rain (hard) at least one time during the day typically for 15-20 mins or so. Never rode the train to Phuket, but from what I've seen the trains are a bit modest. Don't think AMTRAK standards. Have fun man!!!

Answer 4

5 days not much time to spend travelling to so many places. I did a trip up to Bangkok with my kids 2 mths ago and they loved it. Give Phukket a miss if you are not into the beach scene.

Thing to do (esp with kids) in Bangkok -

Day 1 - Arrival: Book the tours for the rest stated below. Do simple shopping, Visit Pat Pong Night Market. Go out till late so you can minimize on Jet Lag. Return to the hotel about 9 and get to sleep.
Day 2 - Visit Dream World Esp the Giant House I love it(Thai version of a Theme Park)
Day 3 - Do a tour of the temples and the Grand Palace. In the evening you can take a nice dinner cruise.
Day 4 - Do a day tour of Rose Garden, Floating Market, Croc Farm (You can easily get the hotel to arrange a full day tour of those 3 places.
Day 5 - Shopping: Should visit MBK for anything under the sun and Platunium for wholesale cloths.

If you have a weekend you should visit JJ Market (Chatuchak Weekend Market).

Like I said there is so much to see and do in Bangkok 5 days isnt enough. Other stuff that may interest you - Underwater World in Paragon Shopping Centre, Thai Massages (You should not give this a miss even the kids can enjoy a nice cheap massage as well), clubbing scene (if you can get kids to stay in the hotel). Bridge over River Kwai, Cabaret Shows etc

Enjoy yourself! Cheers

Answer 5

Phuket is at the southern end of Thailand and it would take hours of air travel that would be too rush for a 5-day trip and too tiring with 2 kids.
If you want sun, sea and white sand beaches, maybe you should consider staying at Phuket for 5 days. If tranquil and peaceful surroundings are what you look for, stay away from Patong. Choose Kata or Karon or others at the south further. You can always take a 5-minute taxi ride from Kata / Karon to Patong if you want to see thai boxing, bars, transvestites and downtown area.

Otherwise, you may consider just staying in Bangkok and goods sites nearby like Ayutthata the ancient capital.
There are lots to see in Bangkok alone.

Answer 6

don't do pattaya with the kids,go straight to phuket.The train is ok,but not in the least bit scenic and it'll mean the best part of a day gone
When you're in phuket go to the Fantasea Show it's a world famous cabaret show with all the ladyboys(don't worry it's not smutty)
Go on a tour of Phang Nga Bay to see james bond island,the sea caves(kayaking) and the sea gypsy floating village.That will take all day including the elephant safari.Next morning take a tuk-tuk ride to
visit Wat Chalong,the main buddhist temple,if you're lucky there may be a market/party on(do not forget your camera)afterwards go down to Rawai Beach for an afternoon seafood lunch right at the waters edge.Well before sunset about 5pm ride up to Laem Prom Thep to see a sunset like you've never seen before.
I proposed to my wife there.After, drive back to Kata/Karon beach for a good feed and cocktail
If you can visit Ko Suk National Park.Its a large lake,surrounded by proper jungle full of wildlife.The sheer limestone cliffs are amazing,especially when seen from the long-tail boats.You can stay on floating bamboo rafts overnight so set your alarm for the dawn.It's an experience that'll live with you forever
Weather wise expect quite a bit of rain,you'll get some heavy showers but plenty of hot sun in between.Good luck

Answer 7

If you're more into scenery, I would suggest Chiang Mai. Lovely classic city, mountains, and great food. Kids will love elephant ride and perhaps a bit of trekking. Chiangmai is about an hour plane ride from Bangkok.
And again, for just 5 days...perhaps you could do Bangkok + one-day trip to Ayuthaya.

Answer 8

Forget about Pattaya. It's not for families. More for guys looking for cheap bars & girls.

Five days is too short to travel to Phuket. Why not stay in Bangkok and tour the various tourist sites in the city. Or book for tours to nearby sites like the Bridge over the River Kwai.

Answer 9

Five days is short, don' waste it on traveling. Traveling is tiring definitely for kids. Make a decision and stay at either Pattaya or Phuket. Pattaya has lots of action also for kids.

Success

Answer 10

Why people always keep talking and thinking to visit just phuket.

Hey, Krabi is more fresh than phuket. If you have enough time, let visit Krabi as well. Krabi is not far from Phuket at all.

Catch a trip to Krabi Province, you will love it I am sure