Hi everyone,
The wife and I just returned from two and bit weeks in Thailand and Cambodia. We are massive fans of that part of the world and have been 7 or 8 times to Thailand. Anyway, our itinery was:-
flew to Bangkok on 27th Feb, stayed 2 nights in Bangkok, then flew onto Siemreap for 3 nights, then back to Thailand and down to Ko Lanta for 9 nights, finally followed by 1 more night in Bangkok - returned home last Friday...so as you can imagine, the weekend just gone was spent in a jet-lagged haze!

Rather than go through a diary of what we did day by day, here are some key things that stick in my mind about the trip...
- Flying EVA air: our long haul flights were on EVA. An ok airline, but their 'Elite' class isn't as good as the old Evergreen Deluxe - but at least they are using 747's again, which allows you to stretch your legs in the area around the bottom of the stairs to the bubble! And all seats have AVOD!
- The new airport: big improvement over the old airport, immigration much faster, but very long walks between Domestic and International. One other good thing - the departure tax has ceased to be (is now part of the airline ticket price)
- Bangkok, stayed at Peninsula. OK, not a 'bargain' hotel, but it's just so fantastic - and not as pricey as you might think. Also handy for Saphan Taksin skytrain.Treat yourselves!
- Siemreap: changing fast now. Hotels going up everywhere, but it's still loads cheaper than Thailand. Good food and cheap wine, thanks to the French connection!
- Ko Lanta: lovely island. I happen to think the best resorts are in the South, but that's just my opinion. Stayed at Pimalai. Expensive but lovely. Ate at "Same Same But Different" most nights! This beach restaurant is excellent - most persons staying at Pimalai eat here!
- Bangkok, our final night: ate at a place called 'Zanzibar', somewhere around Sukhumvit Soi 11. Excellent place to eat.

One thing we noticed - Thailand is no longer as cheap as it used to be, but is of course still a wonderful place.

Any questions, please shout
Dave

God, I remember when Koh Lanta south was about as accessible as a pub crawl in Tehran!

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Yes, Thailand is no longer as cheap as it used to be. The bargains are still out there, in dining and accommodation but one just has to look harder for them. Tonight for example we're off to out favorite "khao-tom" restaurant. We'll have the usual: a tomyum fish, a couple of stir-fried vegi dishes, another fish dish (probably a yum) plus 2 or 3 places of steamed rice and 2 or 3 big cold beers. The bill averages out at 300 Bt, that's about AUD$10 for a meal for two, with beer. Outstanding value and really fresh tasty food.
Last time we went to Pattaya for a weekend we stayed at the Apex, it's getting a bit run down now, but for 500Bt we get an AC room, cable TV, hot water, a swimming pool, plus room service, downstairs is a breakfast & dinner buffet, and the location is dead central.
But I also notice a much higher cost of living now compared to previous years. As I said the bargains are still around, just less and less of them these days.

i have noticed the prices going up and up and the real bargain to me is the food excellent fresh and tasty meals can be found for a very small price.
I always work on the assumption that if you order a green curry the same ingredients are in weather you pay £20 or £2 it will just be the presentation and your table cloth may be plastic.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

Go to Phitsanuloke. From there Old Sukhothai is an hour away (New Sukhothai is nothing in comparison with Phitsanuloke IMHO), Phits has the 4th most important Buddha image in Thailand (or is it the third, ooops), floating restaurants, a great market full of curios, boat races, etc.

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There are two categories of travellers, those that experience a country and those that take their home with them wherever they go.

Be warned, as with any forum, picking a fight with the admin guy is not recommended!

Agree Jax, often the cheaper version is tastier than the high-priced version served in the high-class restaurant. Actually I have an aversion to rich-man's-food, paying through the nose for BS food served in BS settings isn't for me. I like a hearty meal for a good price. I've found the more expensive the meal, the less you get.