There’s a reason why Thailand remains one of the hottest destinations in Asia for leisure and business travel. Its beaches, cuisine, wellness offerings, outdoor activities, architecture, and culture make it a plug-and-play option for international meetings and conferences. This is all the more true when a post-conference vacation or executive retreat is either officially part of the itinerary or something attendees can do following a conference.
Beyond Southern Thailand’s beaches and tropical surroundings, Titiporn Manenate says there are other attributes of Thailand she feels will have a big impact on meeting planners and attendees. While the Executive Director of the Americas Region Department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand acknowledges that “authenticity” can mean practically anything, she says hoteliers, restaurateurs, and attraction operators are committed to presenting their country and culture that reflect their pride in the country. She adds sustainability practices at various places can also inspire visitors when they see them in action during business gatherings and on vacation.
While Phuket and Ko Samui (an island) are still buzzing, other places in the south like Khao Lak and Phangan Island are ready to emerge as must-visit places whose attractions, cuisine, and nature add to Thailand’s allure, according to Manenate. She points to the third season of “White Lotus” close to wrapping production on Ko Samui and Phuket at press time. She predicts that both the HBO series and the efforts of travel agents and event planners will draw people toward the less-visited parts of Southern Thailand. This, in turn, will relieve some of the congestion in Phuket, while offering a calmer, more distraction-free alternative allowing conference attendees and business visitors to form positive opinions and memories of “real Thailand.”
I saw this in action at the J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa Khao Lak during the Thailand Travel Market 2024, which drew agents, media, and hospitality industry professionals from around the globe. This well-oiled Marriott machine offers all of the bells and whistles a meeting planner or executive would want. The grounds, meanwhile possess local charm and a respect for nature and sustainability that’s nicely detailed in signage and hotel literature. Next to the main ballroom, a Thai products activation tent allowed participants to sample and purchase fine teas and coffees and browse through high-quality souvenirs and gifts. The TTM conference took full advantage of the seven event areas and more than 1,300 square meters of space between them.
Various activities around the hotel, especially its on-site working garden, yoga classes, and sound bath sessions provide opportunities for attendees to soak in the natural landscape, regional culture, and wellness practices before or after their appointments. Clever use of trees, bridges, and plants also ensures that visitors on romantic, grown-up friend/girls’ weekends, or conferences and MICE functions can co-exist peacefully with those traveling with children, perhaps except Waterfront’s lively breakfast service during morning peak hours. Among the 11 restaurants on the property, several can be further tailored for business and casual dining, including Ta Krai, with its impressive pan-Thai weekly dinner buffet, Sakura for upscale Japanese dining, and Olive, helmed by noted chef de cuisine Vincenzo Sorrentino.
The TTM 2024 planners, meanwhile, organized nighttime collaborations with locally-owned The Flora Resort and Spa and La Vita Sana, a free-standing wellness destination focused on the region’s Indigenous foods, healing traditions, and cultural influences integrated with Thai, Chinese, and Ayurvedic modalities. Both properties have interconnected restaurant spaces and large beachfront areas ideal for two nights of invite-only “night markets” featuring area restaurants, drinks from liquor sponsors, and stages for presentations and musical performances.
Ten minutes from the J.W. Marriott, the 69-room Devasom Khao Lak Beach Resort and Villas), tucked in between a natural lagoon on one side and the shores of Khuk Khak Beach on the other, is an exquisite choice for a romantic post-conference stay with architecture and decorative elements inspired by aesthetics found along Spice Road in the 6th and 7th century. Many doors, tiles, and bricks adorning the property are sourced from India, Sri Lanka, and other stops on the route.
Takola, Devasom’s three-time Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant (is a superb choice for an end-of-conference dinner when in nighttime white tablecloth mode. Although an eight-course tasting menu is available, mixing and matching items from the menu of appetizers, mains, and inspired cocktails works well with a group of eight to ten people. The kitchen takes the approach of modernizing traditional Southern Thai and internationally embraced Thai favorites. Conversation-starting dishes include Sakuna Chom Suan (fried shrimp presented as adorable chicks); Nuea Nam Tok with Grilled Beef (spicy grilled Australian Angus beef salad with roasted ground rice); Gaeng Pu Bai Cha-Phlu (crab meat in curry with wild betel leaves with a rice vermicelli side); Gaeng Massamun with Chicken (chicken in Massaman peanut curry and coconut milk)with roti; and a fluffy Thai omelet with Crabmeat.
Several off-property excursion destinations provide compelling glimpses into the community’s zeal for protecting the environment, engaging in sustainability practices rooted in nature, and highlighting the impact of global warming. Ban Nam Kem Tsunami Memorial Park is one of the most powerful, delving into the scientific and human aspects of the shattering 2004 tsunami that forever changed the face of the region. Other stirring must-visits include Phangnga Elephant Park, Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Center , and the Samet Nangshe Viewpoint. Michelin “Bib Gourmand”-rated restaurants like Nai Muang Khao Lak and Baan Khaolak Seafood add extra flavor to a day off the property.
While Four Seasons Koh Samui was closed for “White Lotus” filming for much of 2024, and other internationally popular luxury resorts under the Banyan Tree and Kimpton brands are projected to be booked solid, those planning a pre- or post-meeting trip to Koh Samui will enjoy the authentic, local flavor of Melati Resort & Spa.
The sprawling five-star property near Bophut Beach and Chaweng Beach is gorgeously landscaped, belying the fact it only has 77 rooms, suites, and private villas…all with private access to Thongson Bay. Kan Sak Thong, the resort’s marquee restaurant, offers both Thai-French fusion cuisine as well as regional dishes with ingredients sourced from area farms and purveyors. It’s also almost impossible to believe the resort is a short distance from Fisherman’s Village, which offers an eclectic mix of souvenir stands, nightlife, and boutique shopping.
Each dwelling is generous in size and decorated in hues and furnishings that perfectly bridge contemporary and traditional Thai aesthetics. Many of them are outfitted with an outdoor bathtub just outside the ample and well-outfitted bathroom/closet area and garden courtyard areas that act as a pretty buffer between the room and the public sections of the resort. The two-story “Grand Deluxe” suites up the ante with extras such as a separate shower room and outdoor tub on the second floor nestled into a private balcony with a sofa overlooking views of the resort.
Melati Spa, the resort’s crown jewel, is awash in pale green, orchid purple, and pink hues. Its antique-inspired decorative pieces and plush contemporary furniture tie together the aesthetic, while fragrant jasmine wafts through the air. At this wellness hub, guests can register for Yoga, Muy Thai, and other fitness classes, purchase products from its skincare line, and sign up or check-in for its exclusive range of massages, body wraps, scrubs, and facials. Many treatments are preceded by a foot massage, customization using different oils proposed by the guest’s practitioner, and a cooling lemongrass tea blend to get spa guests in the mood.
Even with the immersion into Thailand’s verdant south, it’s always a good idea to plan a stop-over in colorful Bangkok to meet with local associates. Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok , one of the city’s newest hotels, sits along the Chao Phraya River in the Charoen Krung Road neighborhood. It’s a beautiful paradox of a hotel, as it is a ten-minute walk to the wildly popular, decade-old Asiatique retail and entertainment complex yet tucked away into a residential enclave flanked with its neighborhood temple populated by friendly adorable cats next door.
The exterior, best viewed from the side that faces the water, evokes 1930s Hollywood, with outdoor corridors offsetting the pool. Here, one will find several imaginative food and drinks, including Jumbo Lobster at Riverside, Pacific Cigar Divan, BRIX Dessert and BRIX Mini Bar, Taproom by the River, and Japanese ice cream purveyor Rintaro. Hotel flagship restaurant NAVA bills itself as a venue for all occasions as it is divided into four distinct rooms—NAVA Kitchen, NAVA Chef’s Table, NAVA Sala, and NAVA Terrace. From 7 am to late morning, the sections of the restaurant are united through a brunch buffet with a rotating selection of beloved Thai staples, Western breakfast items, and a Japanese sushi and salad bar.
The fanciful interior design was brought to life by an inspired team of Thai artists, architects, and interior designers who took the dream-related themes seriously when given the assignment. While artist Jay Soonthornsawad conjured up the overall theme, surrealist artist Nattapon Pichairat contributed graphics inspired by Thai mythology fused with “Alice in Wonderland.” Collages adorning the public areas of the hotel, created by Nakrob Moonmanas, artfully blend vintage photos, original illustrations, and newspaper clippings. Artists Panyawat Phitaksawan and Atthak Vannason complete the vision of uniting the HARNN Heritage Spa Riverside, fitness and yoga studios, and Rabbit Moon Aquatherapy–Bangkok’s first-ever rooftop hydrotherapy pool.
The property’s 235 rooms and suites rendered in twelve distinct configurations, are outfitted with smart TVs, minibars, premium bedding, skin and haircare used in the hotel’s spa, and signature Salil pajamas, sold at the Galleria. Each dwelling in one way or another embodies the property’s “Journey of Dreams” mission statement, with slightly psychedelic decorative motifs and elements that delicately punch up eclectic mixes of Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern sensibilities, providing visual continuity with the public areas. The aesthetic and the mood can be tailored to suit meetings and conferences for up to 250 guests in the hotel’s ballrooms, courtyard, and event rooms inside NAVA.
Two-star Michelin restaurant Baan Tepa Culinary Space has won international acclaim for its sexy and sophisticated interiors, lush herb and vegetable gardens, and multi-course “tours” up and down Thailand. Using her grandmother’s historic home as the foundation, Chef Tam Chudaree Debhakam (above) devised it as the ultimate culinary immersion into the full stretch of Thailand. In addition to her multi-course edible tour around the country, a reservation can include a tour of the property’s garden, a visit to the kitchen to see where the magic happens, and tableside showmanship to spare.
Predictably, reservations are required well in advance, but making the effort is well worth it, as the building’s interiors and grounds offer many options for business luncheons, dinners, and cocktail mixers. This exceptional, splurge-worthy evening requires a reservation well in advance and ample travel as it is akin to driving from Midtown Manhattan to the outer reaches of Brooklyn or Queens in rush hour.
While many consider a visit to the iconic Wat Pho Temple, a.k.a. Temple of the Reclining Buddha an essential experience, the equally impressive but less crowded Wat Suthat Thepwararam and Wat Ratchanaddaram deliver true “moments of zen” for visitors that allow them to take in the art and gardens in an unhurried, quiet way. In the nearby Sao Chingcha neighborhood, the multi-Michelin Bib Gourmand-designated Naiuan Yen Ta Fo (below) is required dining for its “Yen Ta Fo Ba-teng” noodle soups, loaded with squid, fresh noodles, fish balls, fried shrimp balls, tofu, water spinach, and a crispy wonton topped with the kitchen’s signature sauce.
Because of Thailand’s year-round tropical weather, shopping centers sprawling throughout the city center offer interesting shopping blending local, Asian, and international shops. IconSiam, one of the city’s newest shopping destinations, is an ideal place to bring the kids or dodge an occasional downpour. The massive ground-level food court and souvenir kiosks provide a fine introduction to regional dishes from some of Thailand’s 77 provinces (or “Changwat”). Boutique shoppers will find that IconCraft is splendid counter-programming for the many familiar chain shops found here and in other malls. Occupying a large swath of the fourth and fifth levels, there’s a bold array of elevated and hand-crafted clothing, home décor items, fragrances, stationery, and jewelry ranging from subtle classic designs to edgy and modern…yet all true to the country’s aesthetics.
While the producers of “White Lotus” were as drawn to Thailand as generations of travelers were well before them, Manenate believes the finished show series set to air in 2025 promises to provide a fresh perspective on what people think they know about it. She envisions a near future where that curiosity piqued when the show airs will move business and leisure travelers (and those who plan their trips) to dive deeper into Thailand’s many cultural expressions in different regions, particularly in the south.
For more information, visit the Tourism Thailand website.