# Just got Phuket Beach Club



## classiclincoln

We had an ongoing request for Europe for next summer/early fall.  I periodically check the II site to see what's there and saw a 2 BR at Marriott's Phuket Beach Club in July.  Checked with wifey and she did some research and grabbed it.  Plan is to fly somewhere in Europe, spend a few days there, then off to Phuket for a week, then back somewhere to Europe for a few days before heading home.

Looking for some advice/information.  We like to roam around the area we stay; is a car a good idea?

Thanks!


----------



## Jimster

*Phuket*

Well i have been there twice and Asia 6 times.  However, I am going to give  you a non-commital answer.  I have not rented a car but did rent a motor scooter.  The scooter was just fine for my travels.  We are talking $10 a day per scooter and some have sidecars.

Here is my take on almost all of Asia.  If you rent a car and get in an accident, you will be at fault.  I dont care what the circumstances are- YOU WILL BE AT FAULT.  You probably can't speak the language.  You don't know the unique rules AND you are a westerner so you must have money.  So you will be at fault. 
Even if you dont get in an accident, someone is liable to scam you so you end up paying.
There really is only one main road and then alot of small connecting roads.  I prefer to hire a driver when I am there or to have a shuttle from a hotel or something.  You can always arrange for tours rather cheaply but not through your hotel or you will pay through the nose.  Just go down the street and you will find tours (exactly the same ones the hotel wants to sell you) but at 1/2 the price.  The hotels will mark up the tours and make a big profit.
If you want to rent a car go ahead, but is "roaming around" really worth the headaches when you can have a native driver do it for you?  Furthermore, transportation is cheap.  Finally, I am not sure i see the alure of driving around in your own air conditioned car.  If thats all you want to do just buy a DVD to show you what it looks like.  I think a lot can be said for seeing the country like the natives see the country- whether it is in a van, a car, a tuk tuk, a rickshaw or a trike.
BTW the exception to all of this is New Zealand and thank god for it because I totaled a rental car in NZ.


----------



## CarolF

Jimster said:


> Well i have been there twice and Asia 6 times.  However, I am going to give  you a non-commital answer.  I have not rented a car but did rent a motor scooter.  The scooter was just fine for my travels.  We are talking $10 a day per scooter and some have sidecars.
> 
> Here is my take on almost all of Asia.  If you rent a car and get in an accident, you will be at fault.  I dont care what the circumstances are- YOU WILL BE AT FAULT.  You probably can't speak the language.  You don't know the unique rules AND you are a westerner so you must have money.  So you will be at fault.
> Even if you dont get in an accident, someone is liable to scam you so you end up paying.
> There really is only one main road and then alot of small connecting roads.  I prefer to hire a driver when I am there or to have a shuttle from a hotel or something.  You can always arrange for tours rather cheaply but not through your hotel or you will pay through the nose.  Just go down the street and you will find tours (exactly the same ones the hotel wants to sell you) but at 1/2 the price.  The hotels will mark up the tours and make a big profit.
> If you want to rent a car go ahead, but is "roaming around" really worth the headaches when you can have a native driver do it for you?  Furthermore, transportation is cheap.  Finally, I am not sure i see the alure of driving around in your own air conditioned car.  If thats all you want to do just buy a DVD to show you what it looks like.  I think a lot can be said for seeing the country like the natives see the country- whether it is in a van, a car, a tuk tuk, a rickshaw or a trike.
> BTW the exception to all of this is New Zealand and thank god for it because I totaled a rental car in NZ.



I'm laughing my head off at this very Australian post, in particular the "YOU WILL BE AT FAULT".   Do you remember that special logic that says "you must be at fault because if you (the tourist) weren't here (in my country) this event/accident wouldn't have happened.   You can't argue with that.  

classiclincoln, pay attention to Jimster, he has summed it up well.  Sit yourself in a local trike/van/car/tuk tuk and soak up the culture with a local at the wheel.


----------



## classiclincoln

Advice well taken.  Scooter won't work; wifey won't buy that.....


----------



## vacationhopeful

classiclincoln said:


> Advice well taken.  Scooter won't work; wifey won't buy that.....



Fine ... tell the wife, NO Thailand. I have a male friend who MOVE to Thailand. He was here (home) 2 months ago & we enjoyed dinner and conversation on his life in Thailand.

He can own a house but NOT the ground it sits on. He lives there but his Thai "girlfriend" owns the LAND _his_ house sits on. He is willing her the house when he dies.

He, in the US, always insisted on driving most of the time (been around him for 25+ years) unless he planned getting drunk (then I drove) or we were going to NYC. He owns no car nor does he ever drive in Thailand ... his female friend drives him or he uses a taxi which she arranges from the neighborhood.

He has LIVED in several countries (including the Philippines and Spain) and has travel extensively during his life. He has had several major surgeries in Thailand and NEVER plans moving back to US. He is 70 and his NJ house (up for sale) is the "last" tie to the USA after he sold his car.

I asked "are you buying a car for Thailand ?"--- he said NO, "his "wife" or a neighbor drives him everywhere he wants to go ...(Smart) Foreigners DO NOT DRIVE in Thailand".

If it is a major issue you do not want with the wife, then do not go to Thailand.


----------



## Jimster

*post script*

I usually don't try to post twice on the same topic but in reflection I realized I could have said some additional things.

1.  I hope you like to fly.  While many frequent flyers do the route you suggest (through Europe), it is a grind.  It is probably better than transpac but you should be flying business class or above.  It takes me 20 hours (give or take) to get to Thailand.  BUT you are doing this for 1 week stay.  I usually stay 3 or 4 weeks.  You will be dragging your tail for several of those days and you will have gone all that way to only get to Phuket-not Bangkok, not Chaing Mai, not Cambodia- just Phuket.  

2.  As for the scooter thing, let me clear up something.  I realize wifey won't go that route, but that is how the vast majority of Thais get around.  I have pictures of scooters lined up a block long.  Hundreds and hundreds of scooters are everywhere you look and when they go the family goes too.  So far the most i have seen is 5 people on one scooter.  We are not talking motor cycle- we are talking a 100 pound cheap scooter.   In Bangkok, they weave in and out of the stalled traffic.  They drive on the sidewalks.  They are everywhere.   A scooter with a sidecar is not a bad option.  Like I said before, there is really only one road that goes around.  Everything else is an access road which has a sign "evacuation route" on it (this is true since the tsunami).  These side roads are often very narrow but the good news is they are not busy.  So even an inexperienced scooter driver can navigate them without incident.  The main road you navigate at your own peril, but you can use the access roads to get almost everywhere you want- to the beach, to the store, or to a cafe.   For anything else take a tour-they are cheap.

3.  Learn some Thai!  I know it is only a short time, but I took the time to learn some Thai because unlike Europe, most people DO NOT speak english.  My limited Thai helped me several times.  As for reading Thai, FORGET IT!  You might as well try to pick up an elephant with a pair of tweezers.


----------



## mchct

*Marriott Phuket Beach Club (MPU)*

Hi classiclincoln:

My husband and I own a villa at Marriott Phuket Beach Club, but don't go there every year because flight cost & time to get to Thailand from California.

But when we do get to Thailand, we do love staying at MPU. It's a beautiful resort with great amenities and wonderful and friendly staff.  MPU Villas are two bedroom and two bathrooms and are nicely furnished and equipped with full kitchen and washer/dryer units.  

Also, MPU is integrated within the JW Marriott, so they share the amenities like dining, swimming pools, activities, beautiful grounds, spa, staff and is located right on the beach.  But if you like nightlife or dining out, MPU is much more "isolated" than the hotels or resorts further south in the areas such as Patong.  We go to Phuket to relax and like the quiet, non crowded beaches in the Mai Khao area.  

The Marriott has a shuttle going to Patong Beach and Phuket Town, but then you're limited to their schedule and cost per person.  You've probably read about Phuket's "taxi mafia" which charges high rates and since Marriott is more "isolated" you won't have as much choice and Patong Beach or Phuket Town is about 45 minutes away.  But on the flip side for airport, Marriott is close to the Phuket airport, so the price for that one way trip is about 500 Thai Baht, if I recall.  Also, since the government crackdown, the taxi mafia isn't as bad as it was the past years.

Whenever we stay at MPU, we always hire a local driver for at least one whole day, at the beginning of our stay.  Our driver will pick us up at the Marriott and then we'll do any sightseeing or other shopping and have lunch and dinner at some great local places that he suggests.  Then, do our grocery shopping last (so the groceries don't melt/spoil) at a large grocery store like Tesco or BigC and return to the resort.  

As another tugg member posted earlier, that Thai law usually has the foreigner at fault for accidents.  The roads aren't in the greatest condition there.  Also, we aren't used to driving on the left side, we don't speak/read Thai, and we've seen too many close calls (and even went by one fatality on our first trip!) to want to risk driving on our own.

We find the cost to hire a driver is very inexpensive (I think less than $100 a day and that includes their gas cost, I can't exactly recall) but obviously it would depend on how long and exactly what you want to see/do and where you want to go and the driver's expenses like gas. Prices for private drivers are a little higher when staying at the Mai Khao area because most drivers live south of the airport, so it's a farther drive for them to come and get you and return.  

We've hired drivers at least five times and they'e always been great!  For the past three trips, we've hired the same driver, Mr. Kom and have always been very happy with him-safe, reliable, clean/newer van, speaks English, friendly. Also very helpful if you need something specific, like when my husband wanted a specific sim card for his phone, Mr. Kom helped talk/translate with the phone store employee for him. Mr. Kom usually replies back quickly too with email, voice, or Vyber.  If you have a specific itinerary/schedule you can email it to him and he can reply with a price or other suggestions, if the time/locations won't work.  We used TripAdvisor to find our drivers, so take a look there to see which drivers people have used and recommend.

JW Marriott does have a good choice of restaurants on site, but they are pretty pricey (western prices) compared to Thai restaurant prices.  So, we usually chose to use our villa's kitchen and cook most of our meals and relax.  We usually take some Thai cooking classes while in Bangkok, so we try to cook those dishes when we get to Phuket.

There is a small shopping center nearby, closer to the Marriott Mai Khao Beach and Anantara resort with a small (more of a limited selection/bit higher prices-that's why I like to go to Tesco or have Mr. Kom take us to the roadside stands!) grocery store and some restaurants.  Also, if you go towards the south of MPU/JW on the road towards the lake or the Renaissance Hotel, there are some souvenir and food stalls set up by the locals.

So, not sure if Marriott Phuket Beach Club location would work for you. Some people are fine and feel comfortable renting a car and driving around, but we prefer to relax and not stress over driving in Phuket.  

It is a beautiful resort though and our favorite one!  Hope it works out for you.


----------



## Tacoma

I stayed at that resort July 2014. Since it is so far away from most major sights in Phuket and since I rarely spend even one full day at a resort I rented a car. We are very price conscious and rarely eat at the resorts because of the price. 

Driving on the other side of the road was interesting and going through Phuket town actually a little scary since the road narrowed. Once you got used to it though driving Phuket was not that bad. My husband would download the local map and keep  it on the phone to navigate. The first few times I took the main road to a beach town just south of the airport and ate there and hung out. Once I got used to driving on the wrong side we ventured all over.

I would not like feeling tied to the resort so renting a car has to be done. I wouldn't think of it in a city but Phuket is not that crazy. 

Good luck
Joan


----------



## classiclincoln

So we have the trip set.  Arrive in Bangkok Thursday evening and staying at the Aetas Lumpini hotel Thursday and Friday.  Friday doing an all day floating market/River Kwai river tour.  Saturday morning doing a half day grand palace tour then catching a flight to Phuket.  While there, doing a half day Phuket city tour on Monday.  Tuesday we do a tour of the island in the James Bond movies, including canoeing the caves and visiting the mangroves & caves on the island.  Friday is a tour of the Khao Sok rainforest and one of the days we want to go to Phi Phi Don.  Saturday back to the hotel in Bangkok with a Tuk Tuk tour on Sunday.  Wednesday we catch the flight home.  Looking forward to an interesting trip!


----------



## PamMo

Ooooh, that sounds like fun! I look forward to reading a trip report!


----------



## AriMorgan

Phi Phi Island is beautiful and definitely a must if you go.  Be aware that if you go shopping the Tuk Tuk's are paid to bring you places so just know where you want to go before you get in.  Also get to the airport 3 hours early to go back as we almost missed our flight


----------



## tarahsu

We were in Phuket in 2013, 2014 and I was just there by myself in January.  We rented a car from Thai Rent A Car (it was cheaper than Hertz) for the week both years and everything was great (unlike in Mexico).  I used the American Express card and didn't have any issues.

In January I stayed at the Anantara right next to the Marriott Phuket Beach Club and it's absolutely beautiful.

If you love dogs, I suggested visiting Soi Dog Foundation just a ways down from Phuket Beach Club as they rescue dogs from the Dog Meat Trade and they can provide you with a tour.

PM me if you have any questions or want to see the itinerary I created for 2013 when I took my husband's family to Asia for the first time.

Also...a MUST visit is Kindee Restaurant (on the other side of the 402 hwy) across from Marriott - the food there is phenomenal


----------



## classiclincoln

Thanks for the restaurant recommendation, tarahsu.  Will definitely try it.  We have our itinerary pretty much set; a combination of touring and vegging.


----------



## Jimster

*Tuk tuk*

There are some innocent men in prison and there are a few honest tuk tuk drivers.  But the majority are not.  DO NOT LET THEM TAKE YOU TO THEIR BROTHERS/FATHERS/COUSIN ETC WHOLESALE PLACE WHERE THE PRICES ARE GREAT!   If you do I guarantee you will be sorry.  It is a scam and can even be dangerous.  I have had many tuk tuk rides and most are just fine but I have also had to threaten physical harm to the driver if he didn't let me out.  When in Bangkok your best transportation up and down is the river boats 20 baht (not the stupid long boat tourist rip off) and the BTS sky train.   The old axiom a fool and his money are easily parted still holds true.  I just got back from Bangkok again 2 weeks ago.

On the day you visit the Kings palace (easily reached by boat) be sure to wear long pants and your wife should not dress in shorts either and possibly have a scarf.  So pack appropriately.   You are not supposed to get in without long pants but I was just there a few weeks ago and I did see some tourists in shorts.   My usual experience is they refuse to admit you until you.go to a little room beside the entrance and put on a pair of pants they supply.   It's like when you go to a nightclub without a tie.   I am a shorts person so when I plan to go there I always pack at least one pair of pants.
The river Kwai tour should include the Tiger Temple where you can pet a live tiger (although they just gave away 80 of their tigers last month).   To me it was the highlight of one of my visits there.  If you don't get the tiger temple in the tour, I'd look for another tour.  Tours booked through hotels have a 50% mark up-profit for th hotel.   You can get the same tour exactly by booking with local venders.


----------



## Jimster

*other items*

1.  To use an ATM in Thailand the charge is $6-7 per transaction. So don't do a large number of small transactions.  In fact, (and this this is true ONLY for Thailand). I recommend you get traveler's checks.  You will even get a better exchange rate than for cash dollars in Thailand.  

2.  You don't say how you are getting there, but I hope it is business or first class.  Seven of the eight times I've flown there have been in busines or first.  I have done economy but that's a 20 hour trip.  If you don't have points or upgrade capability, then be very careful how you select your seat so hopefully there is a vacant seat beside you.  I have flown United, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, JAL and Thai- all are ok but Cathay or Asiana are the best.  If you fly business or above you get access to their lounges at any of their stopovers.   A common stopover is either Narita or Hong Kong.  Both have excellent lounges.  You can stop sit down relax and have a snack, but the best part is you can take a shower.  You get your own bathroom and shower.  It is clean and comfortable and you can take your time take a shower, and use your own bathroom as each room has a stool.  If you are smart you take a change of clothes and some cheap flip flops for the shower and when you come out you feel completely refreshed and will make the rest of the journey quite doable.  If you don't have lounge access, buy a couple of lounge passes.   I suggest Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong (the Wing was just voted the top airline lounge in the world) or United or Asiana in Narita.  If your stop over is Manila- I' m sorry LOL LOL.   They just remodeled Manila airport so now it is only sub par instead of the world's worst big airport.

3.  What no elephant ride? LOL.  It is fun ---- for about 5 minutes--- anything longer is a waste cuz you get the idea in the first 5 minutes.

4.  There are much better ways to spend you time than an all day tour in a tuk tuk.  Like the elephant ride, 5 minutes is enough.  You should ride a tuk tuk but not all day.

5.  A good restaurant (despite it's odd name) in Bangkok is "Cabbages and Condoms".  It is run by kind of a planned parenthood group.

6.  The King's palace is an excellent use of time (went there again a month ago).  However, the BTS to the Riverboats (not longboats) will get you right there.  The palace is no the river and there is a stop right in front of the Palace-I think its number 8.  Also check out the reclining Budda and several of the Wats.

7.  For a great shopping experience in Bangkok you should go to the Siam Center (the main stop on the BTS) and then right next to it the MBK center.  If you are in Bangkok on the weekend, go to the weekend Market.  It's huge and full of booths.  Everything is for sale and negotiation.  It is the last stop on the northern line of the BTS.   

8. Learn to use the BTS!  In Bangkok the taxi drivers have a phrase: "Bangkok traffic jam; Bangkok Traffic Jam".  It could take you an hour sometimes to go two blocks.  This is where the tuk Tuk comes in more valuable but the BTS is better.   

9.  Learn a few words of Thai.  You can get free instruction on the Internet.  I know about 10 phrases and they have all been of great benefit to me.  In Phuket you will probably be ok but not in Bangkok- only about 1/2 the people know English.

10.  James Bond island is ok-it is where the "Man with the Golden Gun"was filmed.  You go, you take a few pics and look around and then wait for the boat to take you back.  

11.  For some reason the thai's think that paddling a boat is an extraordinary event.  They always hype that.  I found it was ok but nothing spectacular.  You don't really go in caves you go underneath the overhang of the land mass.   This is usually packaged with the Elephant riding which is why I said "What no elephant ride?"

12.  DO NOT FLY MALAYSIAN AIRLINES!  Forget the lost flight MH320, forget they got shot down over the Ukraine, those are minor- the airline just sucks.!   I could write a column about why this is true but let me give you an example.  For my last trip I was scheduled to stay in a suite at the JW Marriot in Bangkok (a great hotel).  Trying to save a few bucks, I took Malaysian.  Well they were late in Manila and caused a disconnect so instead of staying in my expensive suite for most of the day, I got to sit in an scuzzy airport lounge and arrive at the hotel at 11 pm.  BTW the reason we were late is the pilot lost his spot in the que and was bumped back 7 places.   Even though MH requires passengers to be there to board 1 hour in advance.  Then on my return flight I was scheduled to leave Friday afternoon.  They canceled that flight and rebooked me for a flight on Thursday on a flight the night before (so I don't get the use of my expensive suite) AND I get an 11 hour over night stop over in KUL.   After much frustration and anger I finally got to the MH ticket office and got rebooked on a flight on the original day only a bit later.  They could have done this originally but didn't.   Who wants their vacation to be cut off a day and an 11 hour stay in KUL?   On top of this the flights sucked.   My original flight was canceled at the last minute while I am waiting to board.  They said that plane was unsafe to fly.  They send me to a new gate and a new plane.   I wait for an hour, board the plane, get ready to push back and then they say this plane is not cleared to land in Manila.   I get off the plane.   They send me back to my original gate- original unsafe plane.  I board it and then it leaves.  This airline should go out of business.


----------



## mchct

*More tips!*

Didn't realize that Malaysia Airlines is no longer any good.  We flew them over 10 years ago (actually on our very first trip to Thailand!) and it was great service and even their meal service on the flight was good.  All of our other trips have been on mostly United, Delta, ANA,  Korean Air, and Thai Air.  We've taken the low cost carriers like Air Asia (and Tiger Air) for the short flights from BKK, HKT, SIN and they've been fine, but watch their restrictions on carry on or checked luggage weight, size and check in time. Also most of the low cost carries fly out of DMK, not BKK.

Also good info regarding the airline lounges and agree that it's nice to be able to take a shower there!

We used to use the ATM machines to get Thai baht, but with the added ATM transaction fee it adds up.  We usually bring $50 or $100 bills (make sure they are crisp and brand new - NO writing, creases/folds and no rips to exchange for Thai Baht. If you have time, compare the rates from the various exchange companies/booths; some people say the rates are the same but we've found that the same companies have a slightly better rate on the lower/basement level of BKK.  You don't need to exchange all your money at the airport, just enough to get some baht for the cab ride, tolls, snacks.  You can exchange more at the many exchange booths when you get to the city and the rates will be slightly better than the airport. 

And the thing about the tuk tuk, would have to agree with the other poster on that too.  If they don't take you to their brother or sister's store, they'll take you to other stores because they get a commission from the store owners for each person they can bring in, so this may waste some of your vacation time if this happens.

I also recall that in addition to covering the legs up at some of the temples, sometimes they want the arms or shoulders covered up too so be prepared if you're wearing a tank style top.

If you take a taxi cab, make sure the driver turns the meter on as they sometimes seem to forget and need you to remind them.  On our last trip, we stayed at several hotels in Bangkok and had to move;  so from the Royal Orchid Sheraton on the river to the Westin Sukhumvit, we took a cab because we thought it would be a hassle to have to pull the suitcases up some BTS stairs.  But most of the cab drivers do not want to take local fares and only wanted airport fares.  The hotel finally got a cab for us and told him where we were going and to use the meter.  This driver conveniently "forgot" as we pulled out of the hotel driveway, so we reminded him to turn on the meter.

Then this driver kept whining and complaining and muttering about "no go airport, no good!," that we got so annoyed with him that we were almost tempted to tell him to stop and let us off.  Finally reached the other hotel and when we got there and the hotel staff opened the door and started to unload the luggage, I started snapping pictures of his cab ID, driver photo, the meter and I think he got worried that we were going to report him and he became very friendly and asked us if we had a nice ride!  We paid him and rounded it up slightly as a tip, but told him that he shouldn't have complained and would have received a better tip!  So after that experience, we decided to lug our luggage up the BTS stairs (not all BTS stations have escalators or elevators) and took the BTS to our next hotel.  

It's pretty easy to get around Bangkok on the BTS and usually much faster than a cab or tuktuk on the streets during traffic jams or if it rains.  In hindsight, it would have been faster for us to take the BTS from the Royal Orchid to the Westin, since we had to sit in heavy rush hour traffic for that taxi ride.  Plus listening to his whining!  But most other cab rides have been fine and no problems with the drivers using the meters.

Some tips for Marriott Phuket Beach Club, if I can remember...
1.  If you are willing to listen to the Marriott Phuket Beach Club timeshare presentation, one of the "gift" choices is two tickets for the John Gray's Sea Canoe.  Depends if you're willing to spend some time listening to the sales guy try to persuade you to buy their expensive, overpriced points.  I think the other gift choices were some Marriott points, dining or spa (expensive) certificate, round of golf, FantaSea show.  If you do decide to attend a presentation, check around to see what the "gifts" are because I recall that there were several different flyers/offers and if you wanted Marriott points, some gave slightly more than others.

2.  MPB shares the same amenities with the JW Marriott.  Check their gym/health club and see if they still have the free one hour bicycle rental for villa guests.  If you ride south, there's some locals with some food stand, souvenirs, fruits, etc booth set ups.  I think the small road ends at the Renaissance hotel.  You can ride around the lake too.  Other than that, we weren't willing to go on the main (too fast & scary with all the cars!) highway.

3.  There's a small shopping center on the north east side of the resort, closer to the Anantara or Marriott Mai Khao Beach Resort.  Some restaurants, shops and a small grocery store with small selection and a bit pricey, but not as pricey or limited selected as the one at the JW/MPB!  

4.  Owners reception - if you're a Marriott owner they have a small reception with some complimentary appetizers, beer and wine or soft drinks one day during the week.  I can't recall if it was Monday or Tuesday, but it's one hour from 5 to 6.

5.  Thai Beach massage - The Marriott spa is very nice, but very expensive.  There are some open air beach huts on the sand behind the Marriott, where the Thai ladies (and they wear a light green or yellow polo style shirt) will give Thai massage or foot massages for much less than the Marriott spa.  Not as inexpensive as Bangkok (or Patong Beach or Phuket Town), but still less than the Marriott spa.  On the last trip, we also saw some huts/chairs  just outside the Marriott beach boundaries, offering manicure or pedicures but they didn't seem to be affiliated with the huts on the Marriott boundaries.

Again, MPB is a nice resort so hope you guys enjoy your time in Thailand!

And thanks to the other Tugg members for posting lots of great tips and useful information for us too!


----------



## homeis

Hi guys! 

These tips are amazing! I'm currently looking into creating my own website that would be focused on information regarding things to think about when lookin at timeshares in different countries. 

Since I myslef has been to Thailand a few times, renting really nice places, I've amassed some knowledge of what to think about when there. 

Would it be okay if I use some of the information given here? Of course I would credit each and everyone of you with the tips, and I'd link back to this forum!


----------



## classiclincoln

Sitting in the Phuket airport waiting to head back to Bangkok for the last 4 days of the trip.  Had a GREAT time so far.  Everyone is so friendly!!

Guide and driver in Bangkok were great.  Guide studied at SUNY Albany so spoke English very well.  We did see the huge traffic jams in Bangkok and will probably take the subway when we explore.  No major issues so far.  One of the tours wasn't as described and one came 40 minutes early for pick up (even after confirming the pick up time before hand).  We booked the tours through our friend who is a travel agent, so it looks like the information the contractor gave to her wasn't what the tour operator was actually doing.  No big deal though.  

Resort was beautiful and typical Marriott quality.  Ate most of the meals at the Siam Deli because it was easy, quick, casual and had a HUMONGOUS menu.  Did go to Ginja Taste, Kabuki (at the resort) and Kindee and a few other places on the island.  No issues with not having a car; had 3 tours booked and vegged at the resort the other days.  Will be posting review in The Marketplace when we get back on Thursday.


----------



## classiclincoln

Back in Bangkok and had another great day.  Today was the Tuk Tuk tour which was actually really good.  Took us around the city and the guide was excellent.  She spoke great English and explained a lot of things.  Ended up taking an Uber from the hotel in Lumpini to the start of the tour about a half an hour away.  Uber is really great, especially when you don't know where you're going.  After the tour, took the Tuk Tuk to the Chatuchak Weekend Market.  Wow, what a place!  It's HUGE!!!!  Did some shopping and had a great lunch for 110 Baht.  Walked about 5 minutes to the Metro and took the blue line back to the hotel, which was a block and a half from the stop.  Walked down the street from the hotel and hit the street vendors for dinner.

All in all, another good day.


----------



## classiclincoln

Back home and just submitted my review to Brian for approval.  Had a great time; read all about it in the Marketplace.


----------

