Thailand

[WinkyWinkola]

Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay in Thailand?

We're thinking one or two days in Bangkok and then onto an island - Phuket sounds nice.

We'll be two adults, one OAP, one four year old and one two year old.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

But any hotels or apartments to recommend? I've been to Le Meridien in Phuket but wondered if there was anywhere else?

Also consider Ko Samui and Langkawi. Both are very nice islands.

You really need an island you can fly to. We did 4 nights in Bangkok then went to Ko Tao which is really lovely but it's a 9 hour drive, then ferry (we managed to arrange a taxi as there is no way I wanted to do overnight buses geared up to 20somthing year old backpackers with 3 kids!)

I would really recommend the Lebua hotel in Bangkok, it's amazing with oodles of space for everyone (it's an "all suite hotel").

krabbi
hua hin
phuket
i personally wouldnt recommend koh samui,its the blackpool of thailand.

with the children the ages they are and an oap i would just head out of bangkok. most destinations are less than an hours flight. hua hin is a 2 hour taxi ride from bangkok.

loads of hotels to choose from,
i fancy this one

if you go to phuket try nai yang or nai thon, or bang tao, but avoid patong like the plague

i wouldnt go to ko samui or ko tao with kids

ko lanta is good for all age groups from long beach down

railay island in krabi maybe

ko lipe is fabulous but the most southern island in thailand

We just came back from Phuket with my then 7-month-old baby and he loved it. I cannot recommend www.moevenpick-hotels.com/en/pub/your_hotels/worldmap/phuket/overview.cfm?CFID=31477&CFTOKEN= 90786029 Movenpick Hotel]] enough!!! You can get some good deals direct from the Movenpick Hotel. They are very child-friendly and it's right by Karon Beach, which is a nice, quiet beach but with some fab restaurants and massage places nearby!

They do a really fantastic buffet breakfast and my LO quite enjoyed the spread and messing up the place (no complaints from the staff there!). They also have a beautiful kids club place with indoor ball pool area, sleep room and a really fancy playground outdoors. They also provide a babysitting service at night. The staff there were incredible. At breakfast, at my request, they would make blended food for my LO to take away AT NO CHARGE. And they let me take pieces of bread and cheese away for DS so he wouldn't have to eat too much jarred food. They couldn't do enough for us to be honest. I would get one of their villas, they were really comfy and LO had a great holiday, no problems sleeping and all. I also have a contact for a really nice driver (with a really big comfy car) for an airport pickup if you need it as you will need something bigger than a taxi. Thinking back, we should have used his services as a tour guide as well as the novelty of taking tuk tuks and haggling over the price grew old after a couple of times and we would have travelled better in nice aircon! GL! And enjoy, I am so envious...

Here again!! 90786029 Movenpick Hotel Phuket

We stayed in the Banyan Tree, Bangkok. Beautiful hotel and has highest open air bar/resterant in asia - and gorgeous pool halfway up the building. You WILL appreciate this in Bangkok -when we went it was unbelievably hot!

Would recommend going with kuoni they were fantastic.

We stayed in pattaya too- which has advantage of being just couple hrs drive from Bangkok and on the beach- in the Dusit resort which was fab. But resort itself is a bit seedy- they are trying to cater more for family's there so perhaps its improved.

Phuket lovely - stayed at Le Meridien but I wouldnt really recommend it. Sea rough and pool too deep fot LO's.

Have a great time- I'm so !

have stayed here thoroughly recommend it

Le meridien at Khao Lak is wonderful and just an hour north of Phuket airport.

When the children were little we always stayed at Kamala beach estate. Lovely Thai style houses with plenty of space for extended family, gardens and pools and all facing the ocean. It's isn't far from all the action of Phuket and is only 20 mins from airport but feels miles away. If you are after a hotel the Banyan Tree is fabulous.

We wet to Thailand six months ago and loved it! We have 3 children aged 7, 4 and 2 and here's where we stayed....

Bangkok....Imperial Grand Hotel. Near Skytrain which is great. Loved Bangkok.M

Kanchanaburi....Oriental River Kwai Hotel. Absolutely fantastic! Beautiful place, great food, perfect for kids and adults.

Phuket....2-bedroom apartment in Club Lersuang. Very modern, clean , daily maid, very nearlovely beach in quiet part of Phuket.
Day trips to Phi Phi and Phang Nga...you have to do this it's wonderful.
Good luck!

In Bangkok i would recommend finding a hotel near the sky train (although lots of steps up - had to carry a buggy a few times- but we were with a large party). Have stayed in imperial Queens Park, Intercontinental and Landmark all lovely- would most def recomend any of them although second two slightly more central.

Koh Samui does have its picturesque parts but would second OP in that it is quite Blackpool like in places- depends what you want really. have stayed in Chaba Cabana and Nova Samui here. Second of these was pretty cheap and cheerful but fine for budget option.

Our favourite place for a family hols in Thailand is Hua hin about 2.5hours by road from bangkok. have been twice before DD - staying at Marriott and Anantara and once with DD- stayed at the Hilton. On the plus side the Hilton was in the centre of town and very family friendly as are most places in thailand) but it isn't the most traditionally thai style of hotel. Anantara was in beautiful grounds but slightly out of town, slightly more honeymooner/couple type hotle but did have families staying when we were there. Marriot is probably a compromise between the two. Would stay at all of these hotels again. only one I would not go back to (have just remembered was the Regent at Cha-am - next resort down) not much there and hotel not very inspiring!

HTH

We stayed at the Dusit Laguna in Phuket. Very nice - got linked rooms for the kids and us. Booked it through Trailfinders and got 2nd room half price. That was at the end of May, so off-peak season but the weather was fine. No rain, but we might just have been lucky. DH has just come back from Malaysia last week and it peed down the whole time.

The political situation in Thailand continues to remain unstable and I note that protesters have shut down the main airport today.

This is the fco Travel Advice for Thailand - updated today

www.fco.gov.uk

I understand that Thailand is not just Bangkok, but if you have to travel, fly through Bangkok to reach your end destination I would arrive well informed.

You are advised to check with your airline carrier or tour operator if you are planning to travel via Bangkok airport.

We went to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur - as DH was working there and that's where we met up with him. The flight to Phuket from there was about an hour (similarly to Langkawi, which is just in Malaysia), which is about the same as from Bangkok. Worth considering....

atm, every time we have been, at least once a year there has been some political hoo ha,tsunami or such.