| From Home to Chiang Mai, Thailand --- 26 & 27 Nov |
From our home we went by car to New York's JFK International Airport for our 11:05am Thai
Airways non-stop flight TG791 to Bangkok, where we arrived 17 hours later at about 4:00pm local
time (Bangkok time is 12 hours ahead of New York time). The new Airbus A340-500 was nicely
decorated, had convenient 2-4-2 seating with plenty of legroom and individual interactive
entertainment screens. The cabin crew, in uniforms based on traditional Thai attire, was invariably
cheerful, helpful and well-groomed. Our three meals were very good, the restrooms were well stocked
with amenities and kept clean during the entire flight. From New York our flight path took us over
Canada, Greenland, northern Norway and Finland, then over Russia and central Asia to Bangkok. We
had bought our roundtrip tickets from Thai Airways over the Internet at an all inclusive price of
US$1007 each.
Airways non-stop flight TG791 to Bangkok, where we arrived 17 hours later at about 4:00pm local
time (Bangkok time is 12 hours ahead of New York time). The new Airbus A340-500 was nicely
decorated, had convenient 2-4-2 seating with plenty of legroom and individual interactive
entertainment screens. The cabin crew, in uniforms based on traditional Thai attire, was invariably
cheerful, helpful and well-groomed. Our three meals were very good, the restrooms were well stocked
with amenities and kept clean during the entire flight. From New York our flight path took us over
Canada, Greenland, northern Norway and Finland, then over Russia and central Asia to Bangkok. We
had bought our roundtrip tickets from Thai Airways over the Internet at an all inclusive price of
US$1007 each.
Upon arrival at Bangkok International Airport we changed US$100 to Thai baht at a rate of about 40
baht per US$. As we left the customs area we were met by a messenger from "Traveller 2000" who
handed us the two sleeper rail tickets we had ordered from that Bangkok travel agent over the
internet at a total cost of 1859 baht (about US$47). The service we got from that travel agent was
excellent and we would not hesitate to use them again.
baht per US$. As we left the customs area we were met by a messenger from "Traveller 2000" who
handed us the two sleeper rail tickets we had ordered from that Bangkok travel agent over the
internet at a total cost of 1859 baht (about US$47). The service we got from that travel agent was
excellent and we would not hesitate to use them again.
From the airport we went on a walkway to the adjacent Don Muang rail station. We had bought our
tickets to Chiang Mai for a sleeper train departing about 10:00pm to allow for possible late arrival
of our flight from New York. Because of our on-time arrival we went to the station's ticket office
and for a small fee changed our tickets for the next Chiang Mai sleeper train, leaving at 6:45pm,
about half an hour after we arrived at the station.
tickets to Chiang Mai for a sleeper train departing about 10:00pm to allow for possible late arrival
of our flight from New York. Because of our on-time arrival we went to the station's ticket office
and for a small fee changed our tickets for the next Chiang Mai sleeper train, leaving at 6:45pm,
about half an hour after we arrived at the station.
On the train the seats converted into two
levels of bunks on each side of the rail car
(like old Pullman sleepers in the USA). We
were each provided with thin foam mattresses,
two sheets and a pillow with a pillow-case. A
curtain provided some privacy. Not all the
lights worked, but those that did were kept on
all night, which with the noise by some
passengers contributed to a partially sleepless
night. All passengers in our car were young
foreigners, especially Australians, Dutch and
Germans.
The photo to the right shows our rail car early
the following morning, after most bunks have
been converted back to seats.
levels of bunks on each side of the rail car
(like old Pullman sleepers in the USA). We
were each provided with thin foam mattresses,
two sheets and a pillow with a pillow-case. A
curtain provided some privacy. Not all the
lights worked, but those that did were kept on
all night, which with the noise by some
passengers contributed to a partially sleepless
night. All passengers in our car were young
foreigners, especially Australians, Dutch and
Germans.
The photo to the right shows our rail car early
the following morning, after most bunks have
been converted back to seats.
Our train arrived in Chiang Mai the following
morning around 8:30am, (over an hour behind
schedule and about 14 hours since we left
Bangkok Airport
morning around 8:30am, (over an hour behind
schedule and about 14 hours since we left
Bangkok Airport