Thailand travel query / amending flights and lastminute.com

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

A-AvantGarde

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 11, 2003
Messages
4,691
Location
South Bucks
Car
2015 911 Turbo S, 2019 Volvo XC90 T5 Polestar Optimised
Hi all, strange one for you and would appreciate any advice on this:

We're scheduled to be away over Xmas in Bangkok. However, given the recent unrest / tension out there my wife is becoming more nervous about this (we will be travelling with 2 young kids, 3yrs & 6 yrs).

Now, our flights are booked with lastminute.com and we're scheduled to fly via Malaysian Airlines.

So our route is:

London Heathrow (LHR) to Kuala Lumpur (KLL)
Kuala Lumpur (KLL) to Bangkok (BKK)

Return is the mirror of this.

I'm a little more relaxed about the situation but thought as our flight goes via Malaysia that perhaps there is no harm in asking the question about cancelling / forefitting the KLL to BKK portion as we've never been to KL and have heard some good things about the place. So, last night I called lastminute.com and posed the question.

That went pretty smoothly and the lady on the phone thought it should be possible but would check with the airline in the morning which they then did. I then got this response via email:

This is in regards to the above mentioned order number for which I have checked the details and to change the routing we have to recalculate the fare and the fare which you have selected it is a special fare and for the routing which is from LHR to KUL and KUL to LHR, fare is not available so we will not be able to change the flight routing.

To their credit lastminute.com have been effective at taking the query and coming back to me.

I also spoke to Malaysian Airlines in the UK this afternoon and they said that it should be possible to do but there may be a surcharge to pay by forefitting the KUL-BKK and BKK to KUL segment (as apparently it is cheaper to fly to Bangkok than it is to fly to KL!). They also had a note on our flight reference that said that they had a query about this request from our agent but referred me back to them saying that they are unable to make any changes!

However, they weren't able to tell me what the cost would be and said that I need to speak with lastminute.com

It seems a bit bizzare that we're on a flight from the UK to KLL, then have to wait for a few hours for a flight to BKK (and the same on the return!).

We are keeping a look out at the news and guidance from the Foreign Office. Given the current policitcal unrest in Thailand, I'm a little nervous about travelling to Thailand now with two young children. I think back in 2010 the unrest caused the airport to shut for a few weeks - I also heard today that a friend of a colleauge got stuck out there at that time (althought that may not be such a bad thing having some mroe time off ;) !!!)

As a layman it seems a little odd that this is a problem (although I do appreciate the economics of these things can sometimes be a little odd). I am sure that there must be other people that may want to fly on the KLL-BKK segment!

A longshot, does anyone have any suggestions or know anyone at lastminute.com or Malaysian Airlines that could possibly assist?
 
Last edited:
it's not unusual for LHR to BKK via KUL to be cheaper than LHR to KUL

just like it is cheaper to fly LHR to any Euro airport and then SFO instead of LHR to SFO direct

it's the airline getting traffic it wouldn't otherwise have had.
 
also Thai folks are very polite and they like tourists .. just stay away from the unrest areas and you will be fine.

and if the Foreign Office issues travel advice saying don't go, your travel insurance should kick in.
 
I will be in Thailand over Christmas also. There is no problem at all for tourists.

Just go and have fun. You wont be any where near the troubles.
 
I will be in Thailand over Christmas also. There is no problem at all for tourists.

Just go and have fun. You wont be any where near the troubles.

The problem with Thailand, Bangkok in particular is when a demonstration starts, violence is always close. There is pause in activity today as it's the King's birthday, but tomorrow the red and yellow shirts will be at each other again.

I'd still go to Thailand, but move away from BKK and go to Phuket/Koh Samui or even Chaing Mai and hope no demonstrations are near the airport on return.

The biggest problem is the police/military side with the red shirts and are not there to uphold peace.
 
The problem with Thailand, Bangkok in particular is when a demonstration starts, violence is always close. QUOTE]

That's the bit my wife is worried about. However, quite a few people have said it hasn't effected where we will be staying.

Will look at other options, e.g. not spending so much time in Bangkok
 
2 days is enough in Bangkok anyway if you have kids with you. Cheap flights south... Do some island hopping, try and stay in a bamboo hut on the beach as well as doing the posh hotels. Hire a cheap car go explore.. Pack light ..you won't need many clothes,

Don't buy milkshakes for the kids.
 
The problem with Thailand, Bangkok in particular is when a demonstration starts, violence is always close. QUOTE]

That's the bit my wife is worried about. However, quite a few people have said it hasn't effected where we will be staying.

Will look at other options, e.g. not spending so much time in Bangkok

I would continue your flight to BK and then use Asian airways to travel to different places. A good choice is Saigon Vietnam but there are so many options and very reasonable. Phuket or Penang are within easy reach. If you go to KL you can hire a car and tour northern Malaysia. They drive on the left so no problem and once you leave KL the traffic thins out.
If you have not been to Bangkok before it is interesting but very noisy and there is a lot of air polution.
 
I share your concerns. We're due to fly out to BKK on 3 Jan then transfer to Koh Samui (a regular haunt of ours) for a week. Then we fly back to BKK and stay there for 4 days. Of course nobody knows what the situation will be by then.

We have friends in BKK who we'll be visiting whilst we're there. They and their 7 year old daughter aren't unduly concerned, even though some of the protest marches have gone past their front door! They do what every sensible person is doing and stay indoors when anything is happening close by, and keep away from the hotspots at all times.

The latest I have on where the BKK trouble areas are is here: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...100.532455&spn=0.146226,0.222988&source=embed
Hopefully this will continue to be updated, although it's already 3 days old.

Although it's a concern, we mustn't get too worried. After all, most of us here in the UK were unaffected by the August 2011 riots that would have looked horrific to the rest of the world. Even those relatively close to the main trouble areas went unscathed.

Comments like this from earlier in the thread don't help: "The problem with Thailand, Bangkok in particular is when a demonstration starts, violence is always close." I'd say that applies everywhere in the world, but you'd have to be very unlucky to suddenly find yourself in the middle of any trouble without knowing it was on its way. When you see a crowd of people, especially those carrying banners and shouting in unison, heading somewhere it's always wisest to go in the opposite direction.

I'm going to continue monitoring the situation and leave the final decision until much nearer the time. Only if the worst comes to the worst will I cancel, even if it means losing money. Of course that's not so easy for the OP with young kids. But I still think it's worth sitting tight for a couple of weeks to see what develops before making significant changes to plans. Thailand is a fantastic country and not to be missed if possible.
 
Thanks all, to be honest it's the missus that's more concerned. Stuff happens everywhere and as you say the media have a different presentation of events.

My plan had always been to travel a bit when we got there, looking at some of the other areas like Chiang Mai and Koh Samui I'm even more tempted now, but again my wifes concerned about food etc, she thinks our kids are fussy eaters! She prefers to stay in one place when we go anywhere yet she doesn't like resorts either :(
 
Comments like this from earlier in the thread don't help: "The problem with Thailand, Bangkok in particular is when a demonstration starts, violence is always close."

Sorry but as the poster of your quote I disagree. I have been unlucky enough to have been both in Bangkok in 2011 when the demonstrations were taking place and people lost their lives. Also I was unfortunate enough to be caught up when the demonstrators closed Phuket airport and I missed my flight out. Things can change very quickly there.
I have a friend there now and he has told me you wouldn't know there was anything going on. Stay away from public gatherings and listen to the news is my advice.

I also said the OP should not cancel his trip and maybe look to alternative venues within Thailand. As someone here has said Bangkok can be seen in a couple of days and there are far nicer places there to see.
 
You will have no problems in Thailand. The people are lovely ,you will not have one issue
 
Any recomendations for accomodation on Koh Samui

It depends on what sort of place you like. Accommodation ranges from virtually just huts through to top end hotels and villas. The locations range from quiet secluded beaches to bustling areas with rowdy bars and nightclubs. The big advantage of the island is that it doesn't take long to travel from one extreme to the other so you can enjoy the best of both worlds as and when you want.

Chaweng on the East coast is where most of the action is. The long and lively beach is bordered by the full range of accommodation, with the quality places at the extreme ends. We've stayed at the Amari Palm Reef at the top end of Chaweng and it's lovely without being too expensive. (Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui - 4 star Koh Samui resort with spa). It's an easy walk into town (don't get excited though, none of Koh Samui's "towns" have much to offer in the way of shopping!) yet far enough away from all the noise (although the noise anywhere is certainly nothing like Balearic island hotspots).

We now prefer the smaller, quieter and more relaxed Choengmon Beach on the North West corner of the island. We have a villa with a pool here (Q Signature Samui In Chaweng Beach Koh Samui With Low Rates) but there are plenty other good places along the beach. You can't really go wrong, like with most things getting what you pay for. All along the beach are great places to eat - nothing beats a tasty Thai meal washed down with a Singha beer or three whilst seated at a table on the sand listening to the waves lapping at the shoreline.

The only thing to watch out for in selecting accommodation on Koh Samui is adjacent building work. The island is still developing (too rapidly for my liking) so there are lots of new resorts going up. Chaweng and the other major towns are pretty much full up now so there's relatively little in the way of new development, but what may look like a wonderful peaceful retreat on the Internet may turn out to be next door to a building site.
 
Sorry but as the poster of your quote I disagree. I have been unlucky enough to have been both in Bangkok in 2011 when the demonstrations were taking place and people lost their lives. Also I was unfortunate enough to be caught up when the demonstrators closed Phuket airport and I missed my flight out. Things can change very quickly there.

Don't get me wrong, your advice about keeping clear of trouble areas is valid. I was just pointing out that trouble can arise anywhere in the world and without warning - I don't think that Thailand is particularly bad. I've been mugged in Helsinki, yet walked happily through the Alexandra Township of Johannesburg unscathed during the height of apartheid. You never know where you're going to meet problems.

As for missing your flight out of Phuket, that sounds far better than when we missed a flight TO Thailand because of a bit of snow at Heathrow. I'd swap a day or two in sunny Phuket for 36 hours in cold Heathrow anytime, demonstrations or not!
 
Don't get me wrong, your advice about keeping clear of trouble areas is valid. I was just pointing out that trouble can arise anywhere in the world and without warning - I don't think that Thailand is particularly bad. I've been mugged in Helsinki, yet walked happily through the Alexandra Township of Johannesburg unscathed during the height of apartheid. You never know where you're going to meet problems.

As for missing your flight out of Phuket, that sounds far better than when we missed a flight TO Thailand because of a bit of snow at Heathrow. I'd swap a day or two in sunny Phuket for 36 hours in cold Heathrow anytime, demonstrations or not!

Perhaps I was painting a more cautious picture than necessary. I agree that trouble can arise just about anywhere and keeping your wits about you and keeping away from public gatherings will probably mean absolutely no problem at all.

As for the missing flight from Phuket, it was over Songkran (Thai New Year) and it was difficult to find alternative accommodation for the family. I would have been far more upset missing my flight to Thailand though:thumb:
 

The protestors' cause isn't getting anything like the support they had expected or hoped for. Their leader (Suthep Thaugsuban) is already losing face whilst continuing to reject everything. It would appear that most Thais are rightly concerned about a "People's Council", remembering how well they've worked elsewhere such as those led by Muammar Gaddafi, Secretary General of Libya's General People's Congress and Kim Jong-un, Secretary General of the People's Workers Party of Korea!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom