Have you traveled to Bangkok?

You will have a wonderful time there, I went in July of last year. Yes you can take an elephant ride. :( I did not get to do mine, but my daughter did. Sampran Elephant Ground and Zoo. There is also another place that is close to the mall area but I can't remember where it was. They also have alot of cheap hotel/motels in bangkok, just google and you will be able to tell which one to stay at. This is going to depend on where you want to stay, and what kind of night life you are looking for. This town never sleeps. Also check out trip advisor for more information about what people thought about the hotels they stayed at. Most shopping is the markets and wow you can find alot of great deals, make sure you haggle with them they will come down on the prices. No clean beach. The Bangkapi Mall, is really big and you can find whatever you are looking for but it is not where all the tourists go, more thai culture.