We’re back in Sydney and trying to get back into it… we had the most amazing time but will follow that up with another post.

This is just a quick note to say there are loads of photos on Flickr with the tag scottandchez.  There are also people posting their photos on Facebook - can you all post your facebook photos to the event as well?

We’ll keep you updated with more photos…

Moon Bar
Guys - Just make sure you have closed toes as they don’t really like the flip-flops up there. I usually just buy a fake pair of Diesels for $10 in Thailand to save me packing them. Other than that a surfy, casual collar is fine. It can get windy so depending on the day you might want a long sleeve or something.

Girls - It’s pretty easy for you as you can get away with sandals and a nice dress. Lucky  :-)  It’s a nice bar so just wear whatever you would and remember it’s going to be quite hot. Can get windy depending on the day, might need a sweater?

Wedding Ceremony
Everyone - Wear whatever you want, there are no bouncers here and everyone will be let in to this function! Some people are wearing suits and nice dresses and some will be sporting boardies and a collar I imagine. We are only concerned that everyone is having a good time and enjoying the beach and champagne, so wear whatever you are comfortable in.

Shopping

Natalie Griffin has put together an amazing shopping guide that we’ll send to everyone. Bangkok has some great shopping for whatever you’re looking for - you won’t get bored.

Boxing

Scott is going to try to get a group together on the Saturday night to go and see Mui Thai Boxing at Lumpini Stadium. It’s between $8 (cheap seats) - $40 (ringside seats) for tickets and it’s easy to get to on the Skytrain.

Golf

Scott is also going to organise a game on the Saturday while the girls go shopping. Anyone interested in a game of golf should let Scott know so we can get an idea on numbers….

Spas

There is a great little day spa/massage parlour (no, not THAT kind) just up the road from the Davis Hotel. They do amazing massages and nice facials as well as manicures, pedicures, etc. Bangkok is full of day spas so there are millions of places to go and relax for a few hours.

Khao San Rd

I (Cheryl) will probably head over to Khao San Rd on the Saturday night when Scott goes to Mui Thai boxing. Khao San Rd is the backpackers street and it’s very funky, hippy and backpacker. There is a nice little outdoor restaurant I like there called Silk, it’s a great place to eat and have a few beers

Patpong Markets

According to Nat Griffin, “this market, is kitsch, it is tacky, it is expensive and the street vendors will hassle you to no end. BUT you have to check this place out, just for the culture and the experience. And if you want to see a Ping Pong show – there are plenty on offer here.

There are also some places along here that are beauty salons, and you can get a great foot massage or pedicure/manicure – for really cheap!!

Best for : Cheap/not-so-great rip-offs of everything, Tiffany jewellery, handbags, motif tees.

here is a store that is air-conditioned just next to the 7-eleven by the side of the heart of the market. It sells the most expensive fake handbags, and does AMAZING Hermes wallets. “

Floating Markets

We’ve never been to the Damnoen Saduak (Klong Lat Phli) Floating Markets as they sound a bit touristy, but apparently they are quite cool if you’re into that sort of thing. They are about 80km outside of Bangkok so it’s easiest to do a tour to go there. They are open very early in the morning and the best time to get there is 7am (another reason we’ve never been).

Grand Palace

The grand palace is really cool and worth a visit if you have the time. Apparently:

The Grand Palace an absolute MUST, as it is an outstanding architectural achievement, that also houses the infamous Emerald Buddha, which is the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. We suggest that you go early in the morning to avoid the major crowds, it will still be busy but getting there around 9 am or 10 am will give you a little more space. Do not wear shorts when you visit, and if you are female we recommend that you do not wear sandals, skirts and suggest that you wear a long sleeved blouse or something.

There is a really nice restaurant called Saffron on the 51st floor of the Banyan tree (just downstairs from where we’ll be). They do casual dining, it’s really gorgeous thai food and really reasonable prices - it’s expensive for Thailand but still normal for Australians/Canadians (about $15 for a pad thai). We’ll probably end up heading down there to eat dinner if they can fit us all in.

Moonbar 180 view…

… our recon mission at Moonbar.

The internal flight will be AU$120, and it needs to be paid for 6 weeks before departure. We are fine to cancel anyone up until 6 weeks beforehand. Here is the list of everyone booked in for an internal flight, let me know if you’re not on the list and want to be.

Coming back
The way to Koh Tao will be organised by us, but everyone will have to find their own way back to Bangkok as people will all be leaving at different times and heading to different destinations. There are about 6 boats a day from Koh Tao back to Koh Samui (about $10) and Charm Churee will be able to organise these for you (as can anyone else on Koh Tao). This can be done while we’re there, you don’t need to organise in advance. Bangkok Air has loads of flights back every day, and you can book these online.

Becc has just alerted me to an awesome pass from Bangkok Air for those wanting to head to Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, or Singapore after the wedding. It’s called the Discovery Airpass and you basically buy “coupons” for at least 3 flights - perfect if you want to head to Angkor Wat or elsewhere afterwards.

info: http://www.bangkokair.com/discoveryairpass/

Discovery Air Pass: This air pass allows travel on three different Asian Airlines: Bangkok Airways, Siem Reap Airways and Lao Airlines. This group offers a very reasonable fare for destinations throughout Asia including the countries of Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, and Singapore. Domestic segments cost $50 US per coupon and most international segments are available for only $80 US. Some routes for more distant travel are $150.

http://www.airtimetable.com/airpass_asia.htm

Only 5 months to go and counting!

I don’t know who is in which superior/deluxe rooms so I’ve put all of you that have booked up the top.

Click on the map for the full size version (it might appear small so click on the image again once it loads).

Lisa/Lachlan you guys are still floating in the sea as I’m not sure which room you’re in yet. I’ll rescue you once it’s confirmed.

Cough cough. Now I’m going to bed. And now you know how seriously daggy I am on the inside.

It’s going to be a really informal wedding, and it’s going to be way too hot to wear suits - at 30 degrees and 80% humidity, you want to stay cool and not wear a suit. Girls, you probably don’t even need advice as barefoot and a dress is simple enough…

For guys - I did a google search for men’s beachwear and this guy was the first match. I would be very happy if you dress like this, especially the shoes.

If you realise you’ll never live it down as we’ll have photographic evidence of your total humiliation, then you can just wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Seriously, it’s informal, it’s a barefoot beach wedding…

On a slightly related note, we do know an amazing tailor in Bangkok so you can probably get him to make you some cool beachy type clothes if you need to.

Which Room?
Every room is nice at Charm Churee, so check the pricelist and see what suits your budget before you start booking. Obviously the more expensive the room, the more luxurious it is. Beautiful sunset views and roomy balconies to chill on is what you get for the more expensive spots and they are metres from the beach.

When Should I Book?
Now! To reserve, email Leka at reservation@charmchureevilla.com and say you’re part of the Scott & Cheryls wedding. You must pay a deposit on the room before Oct. 31, 2007, once this is paid you can get a full refund up to 10 days before the wedding.

How do I Pay Deposit?
Download this form to pay deposit and fax it to Charm Churree with your payment details and you can email to confirm the deposit has been received.

Which Room do I Want?
Every room is nice, but splurge if you can! This place is beautiful. Check the map below for a rough idea of where the rooms are compared to the beach. I have circled the places that are taken by people attending the wedding below in dark black.

View large version of map here.

Most people are starting to think about booking flights now and roughly what they want to do in Thailand when they get there. I thought it would be good to throw up a rough itinerary of dates and events you might want to know are going on during the wedding (in Bangkok and also on the island of Koh Toa).

Do what you like of course, but these are some key dates you might want to plan around for the wedding and what you might do before or afterwards…

We will post some more information on where to stay for each of these places next post. Bangkok is the Davis Hotel as our primary spot. Lots of hotels around there so we will expand on that as well and how to pay for accommodation.

Koh Tao is the Charm Churee Villas for the wedding, but we will also name some great alternatives if you don’t end up staying there.

Some ideas of what you can do after the wedding:

• Angkor Wat, Cambodia - nice easy flight over to Siam Reap where there is plenty of places to stay and choose from. A few people are already discussing heading over there so plan 3 days minimum if you can.

• Vietnam - easy to fly to the North or South and explore for a bit. Highly recommended if you can make it over there.
• Chill on the other Thai islands - Koh Samui is a great island with lots going on and tonnes of variety in places to stay or things to do. It’s the biggest of the three islands. Koh Phagnan is a smaller, backpacker island. Great to chill out and enjoy the vibe.

Any more questions just contact Scott & Chez and we will get back to you.