Thailand on Points and miles

 When my Husband and I decided we wanted to take a trip to Thailand, the first thing I decided is that we were going in Business class (lie-flat seats) since the trip is horrendously long (around 20hrs total)!  So I began to research all the points and airline options out there.  I decided our best bet was flying with Singapore Airlines (they are one of the nicest airline companies in the world, so I'm super excited) and booking with Canada's Aeroplan program.  I could have booked directly with Singapore Airlines but their taxes and fees are really high, so I went with Aeroplan.  I could have also booked this flight with Alaska Airlines (for less points than Aeroplan wants), but Aeroplan has first dibs on these business class seats and then a few days later they are released to Alaska and that basically means that Alaska doesn't always get these seats because they are very quickly snatched up by people booking through Aeroplan.   The other nice thing about using Aeroplan points is that Chase, CapOne, Bilt, and Amex points ALL transfer over to Aeroplan.  Aeroplan also has its own credit card (and bonus) through Chase.  You could also get lucky and transfer points over to Aeroplan when there is a transfer bonus, those are rare but they do happen. (BILT offered a 75% transfer bonus in Feb 2024, Chase offered a 20% bonus in 2023 that I was able to take advantage of)!  

The cost for a business class seat from Seattle to Phuket was 175k and $127 roundtrip, per person when I booked in July of 2023.  Considering the cash price was $5k per person when I booked, this is an insane value!  In order to get these HIGHLY coveted seats (Singapore Airlines will only release 2 business seats that can be booked using Aeroplan points), you need to book a year in advance or right before your trip.   I generally choose the year before option!  

We decided to fly into Phuket (rather than into Bangkok) since that is where we wanted to spend all our time.  This was going to be a beach trip!  We took our trip in the first of June and crossed our fingers that the weather would still be good since this is typically before the heavy monsoon rain season starts.  December and January are their high season because the weather is good but it is also apparently very crowded so hopefully, we can enjoy a little more quiet in June.  From what I have read, it is always obnoxiously hot and humid so there is no getting around that!  Update- the weather was great, it only rained one day for about an hour, so June is still a great time to visit!  I was also happy with the cool breeze that came each night and morning- overall the weather was much better than I had imagined.

Originally I wanted to stay in a six senses property (Yao Noi) that I could book with my IHG points, but it was sadly closed for the whole month of June.  I wasn't about to give up my rare business class seats and change the dates of the trip so we looked into other hotel options.  We stayed at the Como Point Yamu hotel for a couple nights (I booked through Luxury escapes because I had a great coupon offered through AMEX) and then we moved to the Island of Phi Phi and stayed at the Zeavola (booked through the Amex portal so that I could earn 5x points, or you could pay with Amex points if you prefer).  The hotels in Thailand are WAY cheaper than you find in other destinations that look just as gorgeous (like Bora Bora).  For example the best rooms at these 2 hotels (great view and private pool) are about $500 a night, compared to Bora Bora's that are around $2000 a night.  Even if you use points at a Bora Bora hotel, you have to pay cash to upgrade to a room with a private pool ($200 per night) or Overwater Bungalow ($550 a night).  Obviously you don't have to pay for a premium room, there are still extremely nice rooms in Thailand for cheaper prices.  We will stay 1 night in Phuket near the airport (Sugar Marina resort Aviator) and that hotel is only $25 (and it was nice!).  Basically, you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck in Thailand!

Day 1& 2: flights to Phuket 

Day 3: we booked a Phang Nga bay tour with “twilight sea canoe” on viator.  They were fantastic!  They start latter in the day so you avoid a lot of crowds and you stay out late on the water so you can see the glowing plankton (which was so cool!)

Day 4: we transferred to Phi Phi island using Adaman wave express.  It’s a speedboat that will take you the main harbor on Phi Phi or it also goes to Laemtong beach which is where our hotel (and others were located).  This speedbot was cheaper than the speedboat transfer that our Zeavola hotel offered.

Day 5:  we booked an island and snorkeling tour with Chet’s long tail boats.  You can find him on Facebook and use his what’s app number to communicate.  I highly recommend this small company, they get tons of 5 star reviews and it’s easy to see why.

Day 6:  We stayed at the hotel and enjoyed a couples massage.  They charge more than other places but their spa is also air conditioned which was worth the extra $ in our minds!!

Day 7:  we enjoyed our hotel until our noon checkout then headed back to Phuket on the speedboat.  This time the boat ride was crazy because of high winds and waves.  An hour and a half of these crazy conditions was a lot for people to handle so be warned if you have major sea sickness issues that this is a possibility.  Once back in Phuket we headed to Wat Chalong temple, then dinner, then to our final hotel by the airport.

Day 8: flight home