Bangkok

Honest answer: depends on whether you've been to Bangkok before. First-timers should make the drive — the Grand Palace and Wat Pho are genuinely once-in-a-lifetime, and a cruise day is a perfectly fine way to see them if you accept you're getting the highlights and nothing more. Repeat visitors and anyone allergic to long van rides should pick Pattaya. Sanctuary of Truth (an all-teakwood temple still under construction since 1981) is 30 minutes from the pier and unlike anything you'll see in Bangkok proper. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is in the same direction. Pattaya beach itself is pleasant but the city is a tourist-bar zone — go for the temples and gardens, not the beach.

The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew complex is open 8:30am to 3:30pm daily, with last entry at 3pm. Tickets are 500 THB (about $14). The dress code is strictly enforced: shoulders covered, no shorts, no above-the-knee skirts, no sleeveless tops, no see-through anything, closed-toe shoes preferred. They will turn you away or rent you a sarong at the gate for 200 THB deposit. Bring lightweight long pants and a t-shirt with sleeves; you will be sweating regardless.

No. Laem Chabang is a working industrial container port — the largest in Thailand by volume — and the cruise terminal sits inside a security perimeter surrounded by warehouses, truck yards, and the occasional petrochemical facility. There is nothing to see and nowhere to walk. The port runs a free shuttle from the ship to the terminal gate; from there you need a vehicle. Don't plan to 'just explore the port area' the way you might at Naples or Civitavecchia.

Damnoen Saduak (the famous one in the photos) is 100 km west of Bangkok, which from Laem Chabang is roughly a four-hour drive on a good day. That math doesn't work for a cruise call. The closer alternative is Pattaya Floating Market, which is 30 minutes from the pier and is essentially a built-for-tourists shopping village with boats — fine for an hour, not the experience the brochure photo is selling. If floating markets are the reason you booked this itinerary, do an overnight in Bangkok before or after the cruise instead.

The ship will not wait. This is the rule everywhere and it is the rule that gets violated most often in Laem Chabang because the drive is so long and traffic is unpredictable. Ship-organized excursions are the only option that guarantees the captain holds for late returns — independent travelers who miss the all-aboard catch up to the ship at the next port at their own expense. If you're going independently, build a 90-minute buffer, not 30, and have your driver leave central Bangkok by 2pm for a 5pm all-aboard.

Tipping is not Thai cultural practice but it's expected from tourists at sit-down restaurants (round up or 10%) and for drivers (50–100 THB per person for a half-day, 200–300 for a full-day private car). Cash matters here more than in most cruise destinations: the Grand Palace ticket office, taxis, tuk-tuks, street food, and most temple offerings are cash-only. ATMs at 7-Eleven branches and bank-branded machines are everywhere; most charge a 220 THB fee per withdrawal regardless of amount, so take out 5,000–10,000 THB at once rather than dribbling small amounts. Decline the dynamic-currency-conversion option at the ATM screen — your home bank's rate is always better.