Well I didnt get any replies from my question " place to stay in Thailand" but hopefully I can answer my own question now and someone else in the future can benifit from my experiences.
Got into Bangkok real late but managed to get a taxi into the city for about 10 bucks.
Did some research into places to stay in bangkok and ended up at Suk 11 guesthouse. Well worth the money and the place exceeded my expectations. Great area, lots of restaurants around and the subway was close.
www.suk11.com  A great breakfast was included in the price. About 30 bucks a night.

Took a train up North to Chiangmai. I was looking for a hotel there but ended up deciding on a vacation rental in Chiang Mai. Thought a furnished apartment would be bigger for us as we had the kid. Did some research in an internet cafe and ended up staying in a beautiful furnished apartment right beside the night market. The place had everything and more. It was a new apartment and spotless and certainly one of the best places I have stayed in for a long time. Extended my stay there twice cause i felt so at home there. The place had CNN and free wi-fi so I was able to stay in touch with everyone.
www.chiangmaifurnishedapartments.com
There was a full kitchen so we could make our own breakfast and cook for the kid when he got hungry. He didnt like thai food too much so the kitchen was a godsend.
Cost me about 60 bucks a night here but well worth it, with the ac cranked up high we could have been in Boston.
The place had a pool so when i was sleeping off a hangover the wife could take the kid swimming until I composed myself.
Talked to a foreigner afterwards and he lived in chiang mai and he said it was the  best place to stay in chiang mai.

Did some elephant riding in Chiang Mai, a small 1 day trek and shopped alot and sincewe overstayed there we ran out of time and headed back to Bangkok on thai airways with full suitcases .

We had a great holiday in thailand and if we sill have our shirts we will be back again next year.

Sorry about the poor response.

I find these three travel forums very handy for Thailand and other countries.  They get more posts on Thailand in one week than this forum in a year.

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/
http://forum.virtualtourist.com/forum-1943-1-Travel-Thailand-1-forum.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293916-i3687-o20-Bangkok.html

I have taken the overnight sleeper train up to Chiang Mai a couple times, saves for paying for another night in a hotel in Bangkok.   Next time check out the Ibis Hotel off of Sukhumvit, new hotel, opposite side of Sukhumvit Road than the Suk 11 Hostel.  Suk 11 Hostel Group just opened a serviced apartment complex near the hostel.

Glad you had a good time, I always do! 

Thanks for the info!  You definitely helped me out!  I am planning my honeymoon in Thailand for next June and plan on spending 3-4 weeks there.  I just picked up a travelbook and will browse the forums UXB posted.  Thanks again!

Thanks for the info!  You definitely helped me out!  I am planning my honeymoon in Thailand for next June and plan on spending 3-4 weeks there.  I just picked up a travelbook and will browse the forums UXB posted.  Thanks again!

Great information over this board .Newcomers to Thailand sometimes overlook the kingdom’s rich geographical and cultural diversity. After all, one week in a five-star hotel in Bangkok or Phuket is unlikely to give a proper insight to a realm with so much to experience. But compared to the subtle variations found in many western countries, the people, culture and food of Thailand’s regions are strikingly different.

Bangkok has a new rail service leaving right from the Suvarnabhumi Airport.  This Airport Rail Link ends in the Pratunam area.   It is possible to take this cheap rail link into Pratunam and simply walk to some nearby hotels.  Or, you can connect with a meter taxi for a cheap ride to other areas like Sukhumvit and Siam.   
http://airportraillink.railway.co.th/en/08_faq/01_faq.html

Using this new rail service keeps you from getting bogged down in expressway traffic and saves you money if you are on a tight budget.

This new rail link also connects with two other rail services, the Skytrain and the Subway.  
http://www.urbanrail.net/as/bang/bangkok.htm

Some travelers only choose hotels near these rail services so they can get around Bangkok more easily, especially during rush hour traffic.

Happy travels!