Index:

• Planning the trip
  
• US Airways Shuttle to New York and the Sheraton JFK
  
• Cathay Pacific First Class, New York – Hong Kong
  
• The Pier Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok
  
• Conrad Bangkok Deluxe Suite
  
• Bangkok Airways Business Class, Bangkok – Koh Samui
  
• Conrad Koh Samui, 2 Bedroom Ocean Pool Villa
  
• Conrad Koh Samui, Resort
  
• Bangkok Airways Business Class, Koh Samui – Bangkok
  
• Cathay Pacific Business Class, Bangkok – Hong Kong and Marriott SkyCity Hong Kong
  
• Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong – Chicago
  
• United Airlines Back Home

We pulled up to the Conrad and were immediately assisted with our bags and directed to the front desk.

Upon identifying myself, the woman at the desk went for assistance. I had a momentary panic — I had booked the room on a mistake rate of sorts, when Hilton HHonors introduced cash and points awards the Conrad Bangkok published all room types other than the Presidential Suite with the cash and points rate plan. So I got a discounted award, and I was able to book the next suite down from the Presidential. I thought perhaps I had a problem…

But no such worry, another woman came over and said that since I had already booked a suite they wouldn’t be able to upgrade me further, and would I like the 1000 point Diamond amenity in lieu of upgrade? Then they proceeded to simply escort us to the suite in order to handle check-in formalities there.

Tired as I was, I had the presence of mind to hand the woman my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. I do have a Hilton Surpass American Express which earns 9 Hilton points per dollar, but also charges a foreign currency conversion fee. The Sapphire earns 2 points per dollar on hotel spend, and has no such foreign currency fee, so saves me cash and earns double points, a far better choice in my view when traveling internationally — even when staying at a Hilton when I have the co-branded ‘premium’ Hilton card.

We walked into the living room, which contained a sofa area, desk/workspace, and small dining area.

Here’s the bedroom:

And the bathroom, to the side of which is a walk-in closet and luggage storage area.

There was a separate toilet room, the shower was excellent with both nozzle and rainshower, and the tub had a little plastic elephant:

This is the view from the room:

We went up to the lounge for breakfast in the morning but found the place deserted of guests and staff explained occupancy was very low, there were only some pastries out and complimentary buffet breakfast was available in the restaurant. So we sat and had some coffee and a croissant before heading downstairs.

On this visit to Bangkok, just two nights and one full day, we decided to get out of the city for some sightseeing. In Bangkok I’m comfortable getting around on my own, but since things like the floating market and train market would require driving I made arrangements with Tour With Tong, whom I used for my in-laws visit to Bangkok by cruise ship in April.

Traffic was really bad, though, what should have been an hour’s drive took two hours, largely because of the Bangkok floods. We weren’t traveling on any flooded routes. Rather, much traffic was re-routed onto a limited number of arteries because of the flooding causing major backups. My limit for touring is reached after six hours in a day, it isn’t supposed to be work, so we didn’t do as much as planned.

Here we are feeding bananas to long tail macaque in Klong Klon, about 90 minutes outside of Bangkok.

On our way back another boat was bringing tourists to do the same thing. I felt so derivative. These monkeys are well fed. And well trained. A simple call and they know they’re getting bananas, they all come running.

Took the boat back to the nearby village and wound up with a tasty lunch.

Back at the hotel in the evening we stopped by the club lounge, the offerings were substantial and varied both hot and cold, though none of it struck me as especially noteworthy so I didn’t indulge much. Too much good food in Bangkok to just eat what’s ‘there’.

We did get up in the middle of the night, still a big jetlagged I supposed, and more than a little puckish. There’s something fun and super indulgent about order room service in the middle of the night, so we ordered up some nasi goring, laksa, and larb gai.

Probably the best nasi goring I’ve ever eaten!