Pillpusher
Contributor
You can try to get a transfer up to Khao Lak and hop onto some liveaboards that may have last minute openings and/or deals. You can hit up the Similan Islands, some of if not the best diving in Thailand. The park will still be open this time of year.
What was the reason for your diversion and change in travel plans? Was it because of the airport you were connecting to and the Philippines not allowing anyone to enter from that transit airport? What was your original routing?
Yeah, Similan is definitely the main interest, and most of the ones I'm considering spend two full days there. The ones that leave out of Khao Lak offer RT transfers for around $20, which is fine by me.
Correct. I was originally routed IAH-TPE-MNL. I received a phone call from Eva (I booked Royal Laurel using ANA miles) about 6 hours before my flight informing me that, today (now yesterday), the Philippines imposed a new travel ban and are no longer allowing people that even transit through Taipei (Philippines considers them as the same region as China). After being on hold with Eva, then ANA for over 2 hours, ANA rebooked me IAH-TPE-BKK-MNL. I told her I don't feel that will be ok, since I'm still transiting through TPE, even if not directly to MNL from there. She said it would be ok, and that I can call Eva to make sure if I'd like. So, I call Eva and wait on hold forever again, and, to my surprise, they also tell me my route is ok. So, I shrugged my shoulders and hauled ass to the airport. Then, when I got to check in, it all falls apart again. My only options were: 1) Call ANA back again and try to get them to reroute me on one of their ANA flights via NRT, even though it doesn't have any award space, and forfeit my Eva long haul Royal Laurel ticket because I would be on hold too long. If ANA can't help, I'm stuck at home with nothing. Or, 2) Have them cancel the BKK-MNL leg (and also my flight home, apparently.. I still have to figure that part out), just go to Thailand, and figure out the rest as I go.
I think I made the right choice. When life gives you limes, make margaritas.