Thailand was one of the very first destinations I booked a trip to with credit card points when I first embarked on this whirlwind journey of nearly free travel. I fell in love with everything about the “Land of Smiles” and had been dreaming of a return visit for years. This year, that dream became a reality as my husband and I, along with my daughter Kasey and her husband, Matt, made our way back—once again, thanks to points and miles! Here’s my report on my return to Thailand on points and miles.

Thailand remains one of the most budget-friendly travel destinations, offering incredible food, accommodations, and experiences at reasonable prices. We stretched our savings even further by leveraging credit card rewards, and the best part? Hotels in Asia generally require fewer points, making luxury stays even more accessible.

 

Getting To Thailand on Points and Miles 

There are cheaper options to fly to Thailand than what I picked but I LOVE Singapore Airlines. I also have a lot of credit card points and miles because I continually open up cards and take advantage of their welcome offers. So I was willing to pay 107K Singapore miles flying over and 128.5K flying back for my husband and myself.  But even at that relatively high points cost, the flight from SFO-BKK costs nearly $6,000 if paying with cash, so it’s still a great redemption if you’re looking at cents per point.

 

 

 

Singapore Airlines Flight to Bangkok

Our flight originated in San Francisco and connected in Singapore. This meant we needed to take a positioning flight from Denver. Our United flight to SFO was delayed, leaving me with some anxiety, but we made it! We headed directly to the Polaris Lounge and enjoyed a great meal in the dining room. This is one of my favorite business-class lounges. We got there four hours before departure, and I was happy that we didn’t have to wait to get in.  We had traveled with carry-on luggage and also didn’t have to go through security again (🎉)—we just made sure to check in at the gate.

 

 

Turning Left (No, I Mean Right)

Nothing makes my heart happier when I fly than turning left on a plane and heading to a business-class seat. Singapore Airlines business class is one of my favorite ways to fly. This flight was a little different from other times we’ve boarded and turned left to head to the business-class cabin—this time they had us board at the forward-most door, so we actually turned right! 

We enjoyed the same great service, where the attendants anticipated every whim, incredible food (the lobster was amazing), and a spacious seat that turned into a wide bed. The flight is long, at almost 17 hours, but I slept for about 8 hours and also managed a 3-hour nap—something I could not have done if I’d been in an economy-class seat!

 

 

Layover in Singapore

We were met with a breathtaking view as we started our descent into Singapore’s Changi Airport. Boats of all sizes dot the harbor—some small and quiet, others grand and lit up like floating lanterns. The water’s surfaces reflect the city’s dazzling skyline, and it is a pinch-me moment that I can travel like this, thanks to points and miles!

When we landed in Singapore, we did not have to go through immigration because we were merely transiting and not entering Singapore. We landed in Terminal 3 and took the Sky Tram to Terminal 2, going directly to a KrisFlyer lounge. Comfortable leather chairs, charging stations, and a huge variety of food awaited us on our three-hour layover. My husband was very impressed with the food choices, and the comments from other lounge visitors indicated that others agreed with him.

 

 

Singapore to Bangkok Flight

I was so pleased to see that our second (shorter) flight also had lie-flat seats. I thought it might be business class with just the middle row blocked off, but no, we had single-aisle seats that could go flat for our short two-hour flight to Bangkok. We were also served a full breakfast. 

 

Arrival in Bangkok and Flight to Koh Samui

Kasey and Matt left for Thailand the day before us, so we met them at Bangkok Airport for our next flight on Bangkok Air. I was so happy that we had packed only carry-on luggage because we didn’t have to leave the terminal and check in. We just walked down to the domestic transfer area, found Bangkok Air, had them print our boarding passes, passed through security, and waited at our next gate. 

We paid $341 for two of us on this flight in economy seats, luggage included. The flight was a little over one hour. 

 

Picking Thai Destinations

I previously visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi. This time, I wanted to check out Koh Samui. We considered a return to Phuket or Krabi in addition to Koh Samui and settled on Krabi, as my son-in-law loves a luxury hotel, and the Banyan Tree was calling his name!

 

 

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most famous islands, known for its pristine beaches, luxury resorts, vibrant nightlife, and rich culture. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, it’s the country’s second-largest island after Phuket, yet it seemed much larger to me than Phuket did on my last visit.

 

Lodging in Koh Samui

We used two Hilton free night certificates to stay at the Conrad Koh Samui. You can read my complete review of this hotel here. 

 

 

We then moved to the Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui, using two 85K night certificates from Marriott.  Here’s the review of this hotel.

 

 

Activities in Koh Samui

Massages were the primary activity plan for this Thailand trip. Every day, if possible! We took a Viator Tour of Koh Samui and since it was a private tour (less than $40/person) we structured it around seeing a few sites and then getting our first Thai massages. We paid a mere $12 each for amazing 60-minute massages. 

 

 

The next day, after transferring to the Ritz-Carlton, we took a Grab to Central Samui, walked around the shopping area, and then found an upscale massage place. Here we paid $30 each for 90-minute massages that included washing and scrubbing our feet beforehand. This was definitely an elevated massage experience, and we were happy to pay more for it.

 

 

 

We went to The Samui Elephant Sanctuary the next morning, paying about $90/person for it.  They picked us up a little after eight in the morning at our hotel. Samui Elephant Sanctuary provides a caring home to rescued elephants where they can live a more natural life.

 

 

 

 

Krabi

We flew from Koh Samui to Krabi on Bangkok Air paying cash. The Koh Samui airport is really cute, lots of restaurants, shopping, and even a cute complimentary snack station (who needs a lounge there?). Our flight was only about 50 minutes and in a twin-engine prop airplane.

 

Lodging in Krabi

We used Grab to get to our hotel, The Banyan Tree, costing us about $45.  We chose to earn points on this stay rather than use points for a hotel stay, as we wanted to stay at the luxurious Banyan Tree. It did not disappoint. The views from our bedroom were unmatched, as was the service throughout the hotel.  We could have used the Capital One purchase eraser to erase some of our expenditures, but we didn’t, even though we used the card_name to pay for our stay. 

 

 

 

Activities in Krabi

On our first night, my daughter and I hung by our infinity pools and relaxed. Our husbands went into Ao Nang for massages and to purchase suits. Getting a couple of tailored suits was high on my husband’s “wish list”. 

 

 

On our first full day, we went on a longtail boat tour to Hong Island, Hong Island Lagoon, and Paradise Island with Andaman Camp and Cruise. I went with them last time and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to do it again. Everyone enjoyed watching the people in longtail boats catch jellyfish, swimming, relaxing, and having lunch on the beach. Later that night, we had amazing massages at the Banyan Tree that were included with our booking.

 

 

 

 

 

Day Two

This was a completely free day with no excursions planned. We took the hotel’s shuttle to Ao Nang, wandered around, spent some time on the beach, and got cheap massages again. (499 Baht = $15 USD).

 

 

We then took a longtail boat taxi to Railay Beach which cost us each 100 Baht or $3.00. The beach is a stunning tropical paradise. It is only accessible by boat due to the towering cliffs that cut it off from the mainland. This isolation gives Railay a secluded, island-like atmosphere. We had lunch there, dipped in the water, and enjoyed the natural beauty of the area.

 

 

 

Day Three

We took another excursion on day three via Andaman to the Phi Phi Islands, Bamboo Island, and Maya Beach. We snorkeled, swam, and ate a lunch prepared by our guide. The islands and water were breathtaking but the excursion took over an hour via speedboat. I’m not sure we needed to do both excursions and all agreed that if we were to pick one, it would be our trip on the longboats.

 

 

 

 

That being said, we had another great day, followed by massages for the guys near Ao Nang beach. The girls relaxed near our private infinity pools. 

 

 

Bangkok 

We flew back to Bangkok on Thai Airways using cash. It was a quick and enjoyable flight. Once we landed in Bangkok we took a Grab for about $800 Baht to the Park Hyatt Bangkok. We absolutely loved this hotel and you can read about it here.

Our goal for this day was to see the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. We also enjoyed all the other temples and buddhas at the site. We took a Grab there and a tuk-tuk back. We enjoyed all the sights of Bangkok even though it was a quick visit. It was also very humid and hot, so getting back to the Park Hyatt was really nice. 

 

 

 

 

 

We were going to go a night market but I was so tired that I decided not to go since I had been to several before. Instead, my husband, daughter and son-in-law went to the Embassy Mall attached to our hotel. They spent time shopping there instead of going to the night market. My daughter and her husband were staying another night so they planned to go then.

 

Flights Home to San Francisco

We flew back exactly as we flew to Thailand, on the lovely Singapore Airlines. This time, we were in Terminal 3 and got to go to the larger, more beautiful KrisFlyer Lounge.  Our flights were excellent, but we arrived in SFO at almost 8:00 pm, so we spent the night in the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, one of my favorite airport hotels. 

 

 

 

Bottom Line

My triumphant return to Thailand—courtesy of points and miles—was nothing short of amazing. It had been years since I last enjoyed the Land of Smiles, but I won’t make that mistake again. Between the ridiculously beautiful scenery, the hospitality that is unparalleled, and massages so cheap I felt like I was robbing them, Thailand has me hooked. My wallet’s in good shape, my heart is full, and my next trip is already being plotted.

 

 

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