A leading travel and lifestyle magazine, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau, has awarded top honors to Thailand at the “Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2024”.
The ‘Best Island in the Asia-Pacific Region’ was awarded to Koh Samui at the 2024 Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards and Bangkok securing the top spot as ‘Best City in Asia-Pacific, offering aesthetic appeal and convenience. The Samui Airport ranked fourth in the ‘Best Airports’ in the Asia Pacific category.
The T+L awards from Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau were based on based on surveys and reader votes between January and March 2024 totaling over 200,000. The magazine emphasized Koh Samui’s charm, noting its small bungalows, fishing villages, and stunning natural scenery, which make it one of the most visited destinations in Thailand. Bangkok is described as a dynamic city with diverse offerings from street food to haute cuisine, a vibrant nightlife, and a blend of cultural and spiritual landmarks.
Chai Wacharonke, Government Spokesperson, announced that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin prioritizes the development of Thailand’s tourist destinations to make the country a global tourism hub. The spokesperson noted that these achievements reflect the Thai tourism industry’s capability to provide exceptional experiences for tourists, enhancing the country’s status as a premier global destination.
Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand is a great cruising destination, popular with visitors for its pristine white sand beaches and luxury five-star resorts and restaurants. Superyachts find spectacular cruising through the archipelago of Ang Thong National Marine Park and its distinctive shores, from Sleeping Cow Island to Three Pillars Island. Then it is on to Koh Tao, one of the world’s highest-ranking dive spots or to Samui’s neighboring island, Koh Phangan, home to the famed ‘Full Moon’ party, attracting over 10,000 visitors.
Captain Charlie Dwyer, co-founder of Asia Pacific Superyachts and based on Koh Samui comments, “After many years of being a captain and cruising the world on large yachts, I believe that Thailand, and Koh Samui in particular, are some of the best cruising grounds in the world. That is why they call Koh Samui The Jewel of Siam.”
Superyachts arriving in the Andaman Sea’s Phuket, recognised worldwide as the ‘Superyacht Hub of Asia Pacific’, can select among four high standard marinas and enjoy the larger islands luxury attractions and vibrant nightlife before moving on to the Gulf of Thailand. Phuket also features a new ‘Private Jet Center’ at the expanding Phuket Airport, perfect for superyacht owners and their guests in meeting their vessel.