Hi everyone Ive strayed from my usual haunt on the Goa site cos were looking at Bangkok and Krabi. We want to visit both places so does anyone have any good travel companies they use and of course me being a tight fisted old buggar Its has to be a good price. We are really looking at December next year as its our 25th Wedding anniversary so want to try something a little different. All help gratefuly received.
Paul
Hi Paul
First of all get a few quotes from the likes of Kuoni on what you would like. Then try the prices DIY. Not sure about getting to Krabi but I think you would fly to Phuket and make your way from there. Somebody else ( Sunbear??) should be able to help. For hotels try finding the prices booking directly with them and also through somewhere like http://www.sawadee.com/.
http://www.bangkokair.com/ is who you would use to get to Phuket. We have done DIY before and also booked through Kuoni who came up with the same price as I did DIY( well it as about £10 more but worth it)
First of all get a few quotes from the likes of Kuoni on what you would like. Then try the prices DIY. Not sure about getting to Krabi but I think you would fly to Phuket and make your way from there. Somebody else ( Sunbear??) should be able to help. For hotels try finding the prices booking directly with them and also through somewhere like http://www.sawadee.com/.
http://www.bangkokair.com/ is who you would use to get to Phuket. We have done DIY before and also booked through Kuoni who came up with the same price as I did DIY( well it as about £10 more but worth it)
If your thinking pre Christmas prices to Thailand should be reasonable, if your thinking over Xmas New Year then prices are at there highest and flights and accomodation can be tricky to get if you leave it to late.
There is an airport at Krabi. Thai Airways and Airasia (low cost carrier) fly into it from Bangkok.
As Fiona says compare prices for DIY with tour ops. Sometimes theres not a lot of difference. I tend to go DIY because I use hotels that are not in UK brochures. I have in the past had to kick myself as a tour op would have been the cheaper (and better protected) option to take.
There is an airport at Krabi. Thai Airways and Airasia (low cost carrier) fly into it from Bangkok.
As Fiona says compare prices for DIY with tour ops. Sometimes theres not a lot of difference. I tend to go DIY because I use hotels that are not in UK brochures. I have in the past had to kick myself as a tour op would have been the cheaper (and better protected) option to take.
thanks Sunbear for the flight details. I tend to forget there is anyone but Bangkok Air!
Theres quote a few carriers these days...PB Air, Nok, One Two Go..every time I look there seems to be a new carrier to use. The new routes give cheap combinations to all kinds of places these days...did toy with Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu for our last trip but stuck with Thailand in the end...as went wanted more assured weather as we wanted to chill a bit this time round.
off to look at them now!
Paulisreal - I have visited both Bangkok and Krabi and loved them both - I was visiting there next December but I've booked for Goa - I did quite a bit of shopping around though and I think one of the best companies I contacted for price to Thailand was Travelhouse Group - they are based in Swansea - if you ring them up - sorry don't know no. but I think they come up under THG on internet search - tell them you are looking to get the very best price as they have rates with many of the lower cost hotels in Thailand - I found them to be very helpful and next time I book Thailand I will definately call them.
We flew to Bangkok then on to Krabi and I booked the whole holiday myself via the internet, booked with BA to Bangkok then Thai Air to Krabi and emailed hotels directly, I saved pounds, I priced exactly the same holiday with a travel agent and it was twice the price.
We travelled over Xmas and New Year so did pay a premium, early December will be much cheaper.
We travelled over Xmas and New Year so did pay a premium, early December will be much cheaper.
Apart from usually working out cheaper, the main advantage of DIY is the flexibility both with hotels and the fact that if you get bored with one place it's so easy to move on to the next.
I would recommend that you pick a flight that has seat-back TVs, definitely makes it more bearable. Thai Airlines planes are getting a bit past their sell-by date and the service isn't as good as it once was (plus no seat-back tv's). Also think about whether you really want a stop in the middle east, personally I prefer direct flights.
I would recommend that you pick a flight that has seat-back TVs, definitely makes it more bearable. Thai Airlines planes are getting a bit past their sell-by date and the service isn't as good as it once was (plus no seat-back tv's). Also think about whether you really want a stop in the middle east, personally I prefer direct flights.
We usually fly direct to Bangkok using Thai, but this time used Etihad with a two hour layover in Abu Dhabi. Although it adds to the journey time I felt it reduced the jet lag element somehow. Maybe breathing real air halfway through the journey was part of the reason, probably the fact the flight cost £300 helped as well. Mind you you could walk round Abu DHabi airport in five miniutes its that small. Etihad service was Ok but not up to Thai standards. In flight entertainment on new Etihad planes is brilliant.
One advantage of using middle eastern airlines like Emirates, Qatar and Etihad is that you maybe able to get a flight from your local airport rather then trekking to Heathrow.
One advantage of using middle eastern airlines like Emirates, Qatar and Etihad is that you maybe able to get a flight from your local airport rather then trekking to Heathrow.
I found the service on Etihad excellent, on a trip to Dubai, I think they try harder because they're still comparatively new. Plus the baggage allowance is 30kg!!! But like all airlines you can have good and bad crew. And like Sunbear says price definitely is a factor.
With all that's been said on this post can anybody give me a ball park figure on what you would expect to pay for a 2 week stay in early December per person not counting spending money. Is Thailand the same as other locations where it is worth waiting till the last minute to pick up a bargain on teletext (booked it, packed it ******) as Peter Kay would say.
Airtours and Thomson are doing packages to Phuket this year, using charter flights so using the tour op late deal model their might be some bargains. Most other ops use scheduled flights so there won't be the last minute bargains to be had, as the scheduled business model tends to increase prices the nearer to departure date your getting.
Your probably talking £750 - £1000 for two weeks in December with a tour op for a three/four star holiday. A lot more if you are talking the posh hotels. That would be room only/B&B
Your probably talking £750 - £1000 for two weeks in December with a tour op for a three/four star holiday. A lot more if you are talking the posh hotels. That would be room only/B&B
We spent £5,000 for two weeks over Xmas and New for 2 adults and 1 child but we did stay at the Tubkaak which was about £200.00 per night. The scheduled flights will definitely not get cheaper now for December. You can almost watch them go up daily as the availability runs out also Bangkok flights usually go onto Australia which makes them very popular. You might find it cheaper to use Finnair and go via Finland or something similar.
Early December you may get some bargains both with flights and hotels. If you intend to stay until Christmas and New Year then prices will rocket.
Do a costing for suitable flights (try opodo, expedia etc) and then do the same for hotels (try sawadee, precisionreservations, etc). The main advantage of DIY is that you can stay for how long you wish, rather than the 14 days with a charter.
Do a costing for suitable flights (try opodo, expedia etc) and then do the same for hotels (try sawadee, precisionreservations, etc). The main advantage of DIY is that you can stay for how long you wish, rather than the 14 days with a charter.
For this december i paid £414 for flights and depending on where you want to stay you can get a 5 star hotel in Bangkok for just over 50 quid a night,then fly down to phukey for 50 return,hotels there range between 5 and 500 but i am looking at a deal at the movenpick for around 75 a night.....
I decided to keep away from booking a ready made trip as you end up paying way more,for the price of a 3 star trip you can get yourself a 4 star one instead!
Wanted to go from the 28th for 2 weeks but prices were daft,didnt really want to spend 1800 each when we can do the trip for 1800 for both 3 weeks earlier (i see as we can go twice now hahahaha)
Trailfinders is who i booked my flights with,very helpful too
I decided to keep away from booking a ready made trip as you end up paying way more,for the price of a 3 star trip you can get yourself a 4 star one instead!
Wanted to go from the 28th for 2 weeks but prices were daft,didnt really want to spend 1800 each when we can do the trip for 1800 for both 3 weeks earlier (i see as we can go twice now hahahaha)
Trailfinders is who i booked my flights with,very helpful too
I've just got prices from Air Asia . Bangkok - Phuket = £15! Krabi - Bangkok = £20! and this is in January.
Booked flight with Emirates, £555 and hotel in Bangkok, The Davis with Precision, £50 per night for the room. http://www.precisionreservations.com
Also booked hotle in Ao Nang in Krabi with Asia Web Direct, The Pakasai for £48 per night for the room.
All in for 3 weeks we will be just over £1000 per person which is excellent value.
Booked flight with Emirates, £555 and hotel in Bangkok, The Davis with Precision, £50 per night for the room. http://www.precisionreservations.com
Also booked hotle in Ao Nang in Krabi with Asia Web Direct, The Pakasai for £48 per night for the room.
All in for 3 weeks we will be just over £1000 per person which is excellent value.
Martin_d ,
just a thought but are any of your AirAsia flights to connect with an international flight back to blightey. We kopped for a delay with them from Krabi to BKK but we were going on to stay in Bangkok for a few days so the delay was a nuisance rather than critical. Looks like you get to use the new airport in BKK and Krabi. Quite a few people were falling foul or AirAsia 15kg hold baggage allowance but they were kind to us allowing out 22kg bags through no bother.
just a thought but are any of your AirAsia flights to connect with an international flight back to blightey. We kopped for a delay with them from Krabi to BKK but we were going on to stay in Bangkok for a few days so the delay was a nuisance rather than critical. Looks like you get to use the new airport in BKK and Krabi. Quite a few people were falling foul or AirAsia 15kg hold baggage allowance but they were kind to us allowing out 22kg bags through no bother.
15kg allowance? I don't think we'll be flying with them then!
Of course you can pay the extra baggage allowance..given that we had 30kg on Etihad we thought our bag weight might be a problem on the internal flights...but no we were OK
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