Final Countdown Begins

Sawadee Krup TBF Travelers!

In just over three weeks you will be on your way to Thailand for the Beach Party Adventure! I am sure you are getting excited and may have some questions about the flight, the plane ride and the arrival process in Thailand . Here is some information about all three; please send over any additional questions you may have.

Travel Information Summary: Here is a recap of the important travel preparations you need to have taken care of before you arrive at the airport on the night of Friday November 16th at 9 pm.

1. You must have a current passport valid until at least May 2013.

2. You should sign up for the China Air frequent flyer program called Dynasty Flyer, information is at: http://www.china-airlines.com/en/club/club_mi_2.htm

Your tickets are E-tickets; you will just need to show your passport at the check-in counter. The flight is: #CI 003 leaving at 12:05 am on Saturday November 10th. You need to check in at 9 pm on November 16^th and meet TBF Travel guide Dan Foster. Dan will have TBF Travel Guidebooks and Luggage tags for you. You will arrive in Taipei at 6 am local time on Sunday the 18th – having crossed the International Date Line and ‘lost’ a full day, and depart at 7:15 am. You will arrive in Bangkok at 10:05 am. After arrival in Bangkok you will need to clear through customs before picking up your luggage. You will show your passports and the immigration arrival/departure forms you will be given on the plane (be sure to fill yours out on the plane completely) at the Customs counter. Then you will exit into the Baggage Claim Area to pick up your luggage. After picking up your luggage, you will exit into the Arrival Hall using Door B. Then you will follow the signs to Meeting Point and go to Gate 4 where you will be met by the TBF Travel driver holding up a TBF Travel sign. Before you depart the airport you should exchange a little bit of US currency (about $100) into Thai Baht before transferring to the Pullman Hotel.

Here is the flight itinerary:

Flight #CI003 SF to Taipei 13 hours 55 minutes flight time
Flight #CI833 Taipei to Bangkok 3 hours 50 minutes flight time

Return flight:

Flight #PG134 Koh Samui to Bangkok 50 minutes
Flight #CI 836 Bangkok to Taipei 3 hours 35 minutes flight time
Flight #CI004 Taipei to SF 10 hours 50 minutes flight time – arrives SF at 6:30 pm on November 30^th.

* When boarding your flight on Koh Samui to return to Bangkok in order to check your luggage all the way through to SFO you will need to present a copy of your international flight itinerary from China Airlines. Be sure to keep a copy available for this.

The Plane Ride

All of our travelers for the Beach Party Adventure will be flying out of San Francisco , with the flight to Taipei about 14 hours. You will be served dinner shortly after takeoff and then have two movies and breakfast before you land in Taipei at 6 am local time on Sunday morning. The airport at Taipei is interesting, with shopping, exhibits, and some small noodle shops. The connecting flight to Bangkok departs at 7:15 am. The 2^nd breakfast will be served shortly after you take off, and the flight into Thailand is about 3 and a half hours long. Once you arrive in Bangkok you will clear customs, pick up your luggage and exit into Arrival Hall using Door B, then follow the signs to the Meeting Point - Gate 4 where our TBF Travel driver will be waiting for you. You will then take private vans to the hotel located about 50 minutes from the airport.

The best way to start your vacation is relaxed and rested. You should plan on achieving that on the plane ride over. Begin the trip by telling yourself each night before you leave that you WILL SLEEP ON THE PLANE, start to convince yourself that you will arrive in Taipei , Sunday morning, relaxed and ready to start a new day in Southeast Asia .

Having an inflatable neck pillow helps some people sleep on the plane. Since the planes leaves late at night, it is a good strategy to sleep as much as possible on the first leg into Taipei , wake up refreshed, and then arrive in Bangkok at 10:05 am local time on Sunday, ready for your first day in Thailand . Stretching and regular movement on the plane helps keep your body loose. Every few hours it is good to walk to the back of the plane and do a 10 minute stand-and-stretch session, stretching the legs, back, arms and neck gently and slowly. Remember to drink water on the plane, it is easy to get dehydrated, and that is not a good way to start your vacation in the heat and humidity of Thailand .

Adjusting to the time/date change can be 'taxing' on your system. I have seen travelers fall asleep at a Kickboxing match, in a bar, riding in a Tuk Tuk, watching a cabaret show, and sitting at dinner on their first night in Thailand, mostly from not sleeping at all on the plane ride over. When you cross the International Date Line, our internal clock is knocked out of alignment. To help overcome this, plan to sleep, attempt to sleep, and even pretend to sleep on the longest leg of the flight – from SF to Taipei . Several 40 minute naps are almost as good as one long sleep session. Try to stay up until dinner when you arrive in Bangkok without taking an afternoon nap. Exposure to sunlight in the new time zone is especially helpful in adjusting your body to the new times. Walk around the resort and check out the vibrant street shopping in the Silom area near the hotel.

A common ailment that strikes our travelers upon arriving in Thailand is fatigue. The first few days can be rough on your body as your ‘circadian rhythms’ try to adjust to the new time zone. Some tips that can help are: sleep, or at least rest on the plane ride over as much as possible, stay up and get outside upon arrival in Bangkok on Sunday (sunlight is the best adaptor to a new time zone for the body), and rise early and stay active on Monday while eating often throughout the day. All of this will help you sleep very soundly on Monday night and wake up closer to “Thai time” on Tuesday morning. One beneficial aspect of our trips is the departure time for our international flight from SFO. Leaving late at night naturally allows you to sleep more on the long plane ride. If during the first few days you find yourself tired, don’t be afraid to skip an activity and take a nap or get some rest. Pushing too hard the first few days can deplete your immune system and make you more susceptible to fatigue or worse.

This last couple of weeks while you are preparing your Thailand packing list and getting ready for the trip, don’t hesitate to send over any questions that you have about anything. I will send out one final email with some reminders and final tips next week after we have arrived in Bangkok .

Weight Limits for Checked Luggage:

With China Airlines for your international flights you will be allowed two pieces of luggage per person, 50 lbs per piece of luggage. For domestic flights in Thailand the limit is 45 pounds per person, with no limit on number of bags, just the 45 lb weight limit per person.

Contact information for our hotels in Thailand is:

Pullman Hotel 188 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500,

Thailand Tel: 662- 238 1991

Railay Bay Resort and Spa

Ao Nang, Krabi 81000Thailand
Tel: 667- 562 2571

Fairhouse Beach Resort and Spa

111 Moo 2, Natien Beach ,
Koh Samui, Surat Thani 84310,
Tel: 6677– 742 4022

Bill and Worawan’s contact phone number in Thailand : 011 6686 886 0068.

Please send over any last minute questions you have about anything. We look forward to seeing you all at the airport in Bangkok!

Bill and Eat