tm_nyc

It's Bangkok so pretty much anything could happen in a massage shop. But places like Green or Prime, where the partitions do not extend up to the ceiling, or places where there are just curtains separating the massage beds, anything beyond the occasional HE is probably not going to happen. I agree w/z909 that it's necessary to 'go elsewhere' for more. But, with Prince & Senso closed, it will be necessary to research where that might be when I return to BKK.

Excellent post, thanks! I am looking forward to go to PP in October & I am glad to get the info.

z909, I share the pain of anyone looking at airfares to Thailand right now. I am looking at departure dates from New York in September. Premium Economy is a bit more than pre-Covid but business class fares are much, much higher. The good news for you is that airlines may start adding flights between now & November, which might lower the prices. The bad news is that your dates are peak season & the airlines are taking maximum advantage of the pent-up demand for air travel & the higher fuel costs.

Air Canada is introducing 'seasonal' non-stop service between Vancouver & BKK, the only non-stop flights between North America & the LOS: https://thepointsguy.com/news/air-canada-vancouver-bangkok-nonstop-flights/

Don't know what they are doing now but Arena used to be pretty upfront about what the minimum tip was for various levels of service. I think it was even stated on their website. As for the OP's question, Thailand gets so many foreign visitors that new arrivals might not know what the appropriate tip is. From comments I've heard from masseurs, certain nationalities are regarded as poor tippers &, of course, some individuals are just very cheap when it comes to tipping.

Yes, the more, the merrier as far as premium economy is concerned! I hope that Emirates starts offering PE in the US. Because BKK is a such big hub, w/plenty of competition, it used to be that there were always good value options, like EVA PE (which I think is excellent). But with so many carriers flying fewer flights (or not flying at all) & increased fuel costs, it's a much more challenging situation. Singapore Airlines is the only carrier, as far as I can see, that is offering affordable PE fares from the US. But, as z909 points out, it is necessary to check the stopover times.

I was never a fan of Elvis either way back when, but, yes, now I recognize what a huge talent he was. I do not envy the actor who has the difficult task of playing him. But the movie is directed by Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge, etc) so it should be extravagant, over-the-top fun.

z909, maybe you should leave a review on tripadvisor to alert other customers, if it is clear that the hotel was trying to rip you off. I have relied on agoda for hotel reservations in SEAsia & never had a problem so, sorry for your difficulties with them.

Totally agree with Boy69. I was last in Chiang Mai in January, 2020 & like him, I like the place a lot, in spite of its dwindling gay scene. I am also very familiar w/the locations shown in the YT video. So it's sad to see the tourist areas looking so empty & realize how it has been changed by Covid. I do appreciate vinapu's positive take on the situation & perhaps as the year goes on, things will improve. We can only hope!

Video was posted 2 weeks ago. Depressing, to say the least.

I would agree that the Thai high season starts on Nov 1. Back to the OP's question, I think that it is not certain how busy this year's high season will be at this point. IMO, it depends on how long it takes for international travel to return to 'pre-Covid normal' & how soon China gets out of its current Covid difficulties & allows the Chinese to start traveling again. The bad situation in Ukraine is another unknown. Every week brings positive news about international travel but I think there's still a long way to go.

I think that SG has done everyone a big service by recounting his experience & airing the subject of the few creeps out there who screw things up for the rest of us. Unfortunately, it shows that it's a mistake to be overly trusting in dealing with private messages & personal interactions. I am not a big fan of 'cancel culture' online or elsewhere but this guy should be banned, IMO.

My sister was visiting me in BKK a while back & together we took a 'Canal Adventure' tour (something I would never do on my own). We were met at the Wutthakat BTS station, escorted to a long-tail boat nearby & spent about 6 hours traveling on the canals west of the river. The tour included visits to a couple of temples, a market, an orchid farm, an artist's house plus lunch. The sights were interesting but not amazing. However, it was very enjoyable to travel by canal boat & see different parts of BKK, far from Silom & Sukhumvit. Ayutthaya is definitely worth a visit. I also did a side trip (by train) to Bang Pa-In Palace, which I liked a lot. It's called the Summer Palace & was used formerly by the Thai Royal Family.

Empire State!

I visited Hue in 2013 & again in 2018. I enjoyed my visits to the Citadel both times but I believe the restoration work had progressed in the interim. (Nice photos by PeterRS!) I also really liked visiting the tombs of the emperors, seven of them, built in the 19th & early 20th C, which are located outside the city.

I share everyone's concern about EVA. Their excellent Premium Economy service between NY & BKK has been my default option for 10 years+ so I am rooting for them to start flying to BKK again soon. As to z909's original question about Scoot, I would look very carefully & pay particular attention to the upcharges for checking bags & the like. If you have not already started looking, there are plenty of reviews & Youtube videos available to help you decide. You could start here: https://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/scoot/

Excellent posts! It's a pleasure to read such a detailed, well-written &, above all, honest account of the ups and downs of your travels.

Nothing really shocking here (IMO), in spite of the click-bait title of the video. With mediocre food & service, Thai Airways continues to be an OK but not very competitive international air travel option. Maybe it used to be different & maybe that was the point of the video, but not recently.

I really like Namsaah Bottling Trust too but, according to Google, it is 'temporarily closed'.

Maybe better to post the Youtube link? I found the video there (I think).

When I click on the attachments, I get this message: We could not locate the item you are trying to view.

Interesting! I usually stay (pre-Covid) down Suan Phlu, not far from Baan Khanitha, so I have walked by it dozens (if not hundreds) of times. I should put it on my list for a special occasion.

Yes, it's like they are pretending that it's still early 2021, when Covid was totally under control in Thailand & their biggest concern was imported cases.

Aswan is a small town without a lot of tourist amenities so maybe that is what your friend was reacting to. I went there to do the excursion to Abu Simbel, which was great, but did not have time to see the other sights or have any encounters with the locals. I liked Egypt a lot & would love to go back to Aswan! Gaz69, are you willing to share any of your experiences in Egypt? I would especially like to hear about Sharm & Hurghada.

Yes, if anyone has the lowdown, it would be Santiagodc! I have visited Essouiria as a day trip from Marrakech. It was an easy bus ride & I really liked the place so I'd say it's definitely worth a visit. If you wanted a more laid-back, relaxed place than Marrakech, it might be worth staying for a while.