Thailand Recap

 Dec 18 - Phuket

Dec 19 - Phuket

Dec 20 - Phuket

Dec 21 - Phuket - Bangkok

Dec 22 - Bangkok - Vancouver - Toronto

Before we headed to Vietnam, we spent a few days in Tokyo. TOKYO RECAP

We would then go on to Thailand after Vietnam. VIETNAM RECAP

Click on photos to enlarge.

This will be  shorter recap from our November/December trip. It was part of the Vietnam tour package but a lot less regimented.

Map of Thailand portion - we flew from Ho Chi Minh Vietnam.

HOTELS

Breakfasts included.
Bangkok at the Mandarin 4* hotel in a standard room - didn't love the location, restaurant closed at 9.
Chiang Mai at the Movenpick Suriwongse 4* hotel in a standard room - WORST hotel room in a great location.
Phuket at the Ramada by Wyndham Phuket 4* hotel in a standard room - nice hotel, great location with restaurants nearby and beach. Good pool.
Bangkok at the Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Hotel 4* hotel in a standard room - checked in very late and out very early. Nice staff, take away b/f provided.

BANGKOK THAILAND

Dec 11 - Ho Chi Minh - Bangkok - escorted to and from hotels/airports
Dec 12 - Bangkok Thailand on our own
Dec 12 Weekly Recap
Dec 13 - Bangkok on our own
Dec 14 - Bangkok - Chiang Mai escorted to and from hotels/airports

Other than being met at the Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok and taken to the hotel we were on our own. You can read about our exciting airport greeting in the daily recap, link above. It was after 10 PM when we got to the hotel.

On the first full day there was a half day sightseeing tour included but we had been to Bangkok before and done that tour. So we had two full days on our own, other than the dinner cruise we had arranged ourselves. The dinner cruise was a highlight.

We were happy to spend some time in the Thai Airlines Royal Silk Lounge before boarding our flight to Chiang Mai.

CHIANG MAI

Dec 14 - Chiang Mai arrival

Dec 15 - Chiang Mai half day tour

Dec 16 - Chiang Mai on our own

Dec 17 - Chiang Mai - Phuket

In a nutshell, Chiang Mai is gorgeous and full of temples, fun bars, great food and night markets!
We arrived in Chiang Mai late afternoon and wandered around.
The next day we had a half day tour, we did two temples and the market.

After a late lunch we enjoyed the rest of the day on our own. The next day was on our own, seeing many more temples!! And the night market.

Chiang Mai had a fair share of murals.

We had good food, but let's say, John is not a matcha fan!

PHUKET

Dec 18 - Phuket on our own
Dec 19 - Phuket on our own
Dec 20 - Phuket on our own
Dec 21 - Phuket - Bangkok on our own
Dec 22 - Bangkok - Vancouver - Toronto

Again, we are on our own, completely, this portion of the package. We were taken to our hotel along with some other people, and we never saw any of them again!

The hotel was adequate. It had a pool and we enjoyed using it. Breakfast was fine. Otherwise we liked the pizza place next door for dinner.

We had booked a Thai dinner show with pickup. It was extremely organized. The food was not very good at all.

We spent a day in Old Phuket town. 

And of course, we checked out one of the beaches, since that is what everyone raves about.

We enjoyed walking around Patong. 

BANGKOK - VANCOUVER - TORONTO

Other than having to be up really early in Bangkok our flights home were comfortable and pleasant.

Weekend Roundup

 Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveler

1. Starts with "U"
2. A Favorite
3. UNDER - Chosen by Tom

Starts with U

FAVOURITE

UBE Starbucks coconut UBE macchiato

UNDER

UNDER the lights on the bridge

Bangkok Thailand

Signs

  Joining Tom at Signs2

Wordless Wednesday Wordless

December 2025

Wine Ho Chi Minh City dinner cruise

BANGKOK THAILAND

This item is "Rod Duan," a popular Thai street food snack made from fried bamboo worms. 

Unique Features: Considered a "superfood" delicacy in Thailand, these worms are fried until they have a crunchy texture and savory, nutty, or cheesy flavor. 

Preparation: Typically deep-fried, often seasoned with soy sauce or salt, and sometimes served with pepper. 

Nutritional Aspect: Protein-packed alternative to traditional snacks. 

Chiang Mai Thailand

Bangkok Friday Dec 13

 Friday Dec 13 2025 - Bangkok

Previous posts can be found on the right side under BLOG ARCHIVE.

TOUR DAY 18 On our own

ITALICS TOUR DESCRIPTION

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day free to continue your exploration of Bangkok on your own. If you are willing to absorb the atmosphere of Thailand’s water markets, make your way to Damnoen Saduak floating market, located just an hour away from Bangkok. It can be a fascinating insight into Thai culture. You can also visit the historic city of Ayutthaya, dating back 700 years, which is bursting with stories to tell. This ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam is well known for the splendor of its traditional architecture and will give you a new perspective on the Thais’ spiritual life. (Breakfast)

We had done the floating market when we were in Bangkok in 2015.

We had also visited Ayutthaya with a private guide in 2015.

So we decided to get a tuk tuk and head down by the water.

We had told him we wanted to go to the "big wheel" and you can see him describing it towards the end of the video.

Quick video

Asiatique The Riverfront Destination is a large open-air mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It occupies the former docks of the East Asiatic Company, and faces the Chao Phraya River and Charoen Krung Road. The complex opened in 2012 after extensive renovation of the site.

The Denmark-based East Asiatic Company was founded in 1897 and was one of several Western firms conducting trade with Siam at the time. The company owned port facilities on the Chao Phraya, which included several warehouses, the oldest extant building dating from 1907. The port ceased operations in 1947, and the facilities later fell into disuse. 

It was quiet but I imagine it gets busy in the evenings.

Asiatique features several artistic sculptures in its open-air mall, including a notable statue of a European (or Western) lady sitting on the edge of a fountain, as well as statues of dancing women and historical workers.

Old warehouses converted to restaurants.

This is a large decorative compass, or wind rose, installed in the pavement at Asiatique.

It displays the names of various countries and the distance in kilometers from that location.

The center of the compass indicates it was "Est. 2012".

The countries listed include the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the USA, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, and Italy.

The distances vary from 4003 km to Spain to 9448 km to France.

These statues celebrate the site's rich past, particularly the late 19th-century trade partnership between Siam (Thailand) and European nations, including France.

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We decided to walk over to this temple, perhaps finding lunch on the way.

Wat Ratcha Singkhon is a historic, non-touristy temple located on the southern edge of the shopping complex, known for housing the Luang Pho Daeng Buddha image and being situated near an old Protestant cemetery. 

Click here for the murals lining the walls.

I just learned this as I was researching this post.

Article 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code (lèse-majesté law) mandates 3 to 15 years in prison for defaming, insulting, or threatening the King, Queen, Heir-apparent, or Regent. Used frequently to stifle political dissent and online speech, it has resulted in hundreds of charges, sometimes yielding decades-long sentences. The law is heavily criticized internationally for restricting human rights. 

Another dedication to the recently deceased Queen Mother.

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We didn't find anywhere to eat so walked back to Asiatique.

Lunch - too hot to sit out.

SEA YA is a vibrant, modern Thai seafood restaurant located in Warehouse 7 at Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok, specializing in fresh, shareable dishes with bold flavors and energetic, "Fun-Fresh-Friends" vibes. Known for signature plates like river prawns and spicy salads, it offers a riverside dining experience.

Some silliness, out of the heat.

Our "souvenir" photo which we did not buy.

We finish with a tuk tuk ride back to the hotel.