The call "Land of Smiles" gives us reason to smile again: after two years of border closures, lockdowns and COVID outbreaks, the government of Thailand announced that it will finally make visits (almost) as easy as before the pandemic . From May 1 , Spaniards with a complete vaccination schedule no longer need to take a test or go through a quarantine period upon arrival, they just get hold of a Thailand Pass passed (which requires a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, passport, visa if the stay is more than 30 days and proof of an insurance policy that covers at least $10,000 in healthcare expenses ) to enter the country.
Fortunately, the country has not been paralyzed and there have been some very interesting new openings in Thailand, from a wellness retreat on an island of chao phraya river , in bangkok , until traditional creative centers on the rise in the extreme south of the territory. In the last two years, dozens of very attractive projects have sprung up across the country. If you are as impatient as we are to enjoy again the beauty of southeast asia , keep reading to know the new openings in Thailand that are waiting for you across the borders : hotels, spas and restaurants that will turn your trip into an unforgettable experience.
Hotel The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon.
Prawns served at JHOL (Bangkok).
BANGKOK
Although the usual thing is to go straight to the beach as soon as you land in Bangkok, now is the best time to explore the capital , when the influx of tourists has not yet reached its pre-pandemic levels.
The most notorious openings last year were those of hotels Chapel Bangkok Y Four Seasons Bangkok , who share a country house with marble walls next to chao phraya river . The great attraction of the Capella is its riverside villas (the first of its kind in the city), which open onto a very cozy garden with private pools next to the shore. The seven bars and restaurants the neighboring Four Seasons are well worth a visit, even if you're not staying at the hotel: our favorites are the dim sum cantonese of Yu Ting Yuan and the glasses of BBK Social Club , of a argentinian inspiration so intense that you feel like you've been transported to Buenos Aires.
For its part, RAKxa offers us the best treatments to get rid of the stress of the pandemic. In this state-of-the-art wellness retreat , located on an island and surrounded by jungle on the outskirts of Bangkok, you can alternate between cryotherapy cabins, crystal therapy sessions, intravenous infiltration of vitamins and traditional Thai therapies (Tok Sen massages Y medicinal herb burning ) hand in hand with a physician whose ancestors practiced medicine at the court of King Rama II.
Next June, the city's hotel offer, which already has authentic wonders, will increase its splendor with the arrival of the hotel The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon , which will convert Top floors of the iconic Mahanakhon Tower in an avant-garde design accommodation, by the hand of the Spanish artist Jaime Hayon . This inauguration comes just after the The Standard debut in Thailand, in Hua Hin , three hours south: an establishment that combined an energy worthy of Miami or Hollywood with that of a beach getaway , sunny and bright.
If you are looking for something more spacious, you have at your disposal the town siri room , with four bedrooms. Some of its many advantages are its close to the river and the Grand Palace , in addition to a private chef , a 15 meter saltwater pool and a guided cruise by khlongs (canals) of Bangkok Noi district.
However, the experience by the khlongs pales when compared by a three-day trip aboard the river cruise Loy Pela Song . This nautical jewel will take you through towns that seem to belong to other times Y palaces caramel-colored on the way to Ayutthaya , the ancient capital of Thailand full of temples . Land excursions include tours in tuk-tuk through the local markets and monasteries , but with its four spacious cabins, the wine bar with open bar and the on board menus , from the hand of the great chef Thitid Tassanakajohn You won't want to get off the boat.
As to culinary news , you can not lose yourself Chinatown and neighboring districts . This cacophonous corner of the city was already a hive of activity before the pandemic, but the new openings have given it an injection of freshness . Among them are aksorn , a cozy rooftop bar run by the Australian chef David Thompson , who draws from her collection of mid-century cookbooks for inspiration for her tasting menus to share composed of curries, Thai salads and delicious stir-fries.
The Small Dinner Club draws attention for its dimly lit atmosphere and for the chef's kitchen Sareen Rojanamatin which, in his own words, is “Thai food that has gone through a process of dissection, study and reimagining” . This philosophy translates into menus between 10 and 12 dishes with unconventional culinary combinations and techniques (for example, mackerel with watermelon and black sesame either dry-aged duck with banana ) that only 12 lucky diners each night they can taste.
In a centennial apothecary located in a narrow alley off the main street of Chinatown is POTONG , where the chef Pichaya Utharntharm draws inspiration from the flavors of her Sino-Thai upbringing to create her contemporary takes on classic Chinatown dishes , As the peking duck and the oyster omelettes . The tea Room with checkered pattern Citizen Tea Canteen of Nowhere , which in turn is also a concept store , is inspired by the streets that surround it and transmits the aromas and flavors of chinatown to their unique blends of cha yen (Thai milk tea).
Other highlights of the city are JHOL , an excellent Indian restaurant which focuses on the flavors of the coastal regions; North , which is inspired by the northern thai cuisine ; the artistic chim chim , Y Aromkwan , a meat centered smoker where Thai, Malay and Indian flavors mingle, and where dinners end with the owner, Vishani Prempuk , taking out the guitar and delighting the guests with beautiful serenades.
One of the buildings in Kalm Village in Chiang Mai (Thailand).
Art in the courtyard of Kalm Village.
CHIAN MAI
The capital of northern Thailand has become the country craft center with the opening, in May 2021, of Kalm Village , a set of Thai-inspired black houses in Chiang Mai's old town. With several shops that sell everything , since local pottery until technique dyed shirts batik , a textile library , a Gallery and an ever-changing program of talks, workshops and exhibitions , Kalm Village has already become the community space focused on crafts that the city cried out for.
The hotel scene has been fairly quiet with the lack of tourists, and the newly opened Melia Chiang Mai It is one of the few novelties worth mentioning. since the pandemic began. The third property of this Spanish hotel brand in Thailand, which occupies a 22-storey tower in the heart of the city , has two restaurants , a spa fully equipped and the highest rooftop bar in the city , with stunning views of the mountain peaks of northern Thailand. If you prefer a more discreet stay, an excellent option is Wood and Mountain Cabin : this hideout on the side of a hill, in the Mae Rim rural district , is built with wood with a finish yakisugi and furnished with handmade fabrics and furniture by the owners own design studio.
The new cafes and restaurants They have come and gone as usual. The most astute locals speak wonders of Maadae Slow Fish Kitchen , a place centered on Slow food in the Thapae East Arts Center , where the young chef Yaowadee Chukong kitchen grilled, cured and curried with sustainably caught seafood in southern Thailand. fans of coffee they should go through the new Akha Ama Phra Singh , where grain from local farms ends up in slow bar coffees Y bags to prepare them at home.
Inside Jampa, a gastronomic hotspot in Phuket.
PHUKET AND NEARBY BEACHES
stay in a five-star hotel on the largest island in Thailand can be complicated... but not for lack of options, but because With so many possibilities it is very difficult to choose. With the arrival of V Villas Phuket , that range of luxury options only expands. Among the many attractions of this hotel are the private infinity pools with which each of the 19 multi-bedroom villas , the butler service and the elegant sky bar with panoramic views in all directions of the emerald swell of the ao yon bay.
Further north, the group banyan tree has expanded its multi-hotel center of the bangtao beach with the spa complex Banyan Tree Veya , in which all the villas have sleep rituals, workshops mindfulness and an Asian-Mediterranean restaurant well stocked with plants that will make you forget all the evils of the pandemic.
An interesting development is that the day trips to Mayan Bay , which closed in 2018 due to overtourism. The respite that the pandemic has brought to this limestone-lined bay (made famous by the hit movie The beach by Leonardo DiCaprio ) has allowed him to regenerate a bit, and the national park has imposed a visitor limit to prevent crowds from destroying the coral . Among the new organizations offering these round-trip excursions to the island is 137 Pillars Spirit , which can also organize an overnight stay on the boat.
The new Phuket food hotspot is jampa , sister establishment of the only restaurant on the island with michelin star, TRU, In the complex Trisara . In this ambitious farm to table restaurant , located in the heart of the wellness community Tri Vananda (scheduled to open in 2023), the Dutch chef Rick Dingen uses products from their organic garden and of small farms and fisheries across the country to make intricate dishes grilled beets and combava lime , either Whole red mullet with young leeks and green mango . The best of all? Its strict zero waste ethic . Dingen and his team use leftovers from the kitchen as manure for the farm and feed for the animals , and they source all ingredients in the most sustainable way possible.
A 90-minute drive north, Khao Lak resort town has become the heart of surf in Thailand . A wide range of low-key accommodations (including the Peranakan-inspired Hotel Gahn and The Place) welcome wave lovers when they tire of surfing and come out tired, cheerful and salty-haired; if you are looking for a hotel for families, the new one is probably Avani+Khao Lak be more to your liking: this beachfront complex count with one climbing wall , a Gym with all the comforts and the largest children's club in the region.
The pool at the Meliá Koh Samui, in the south of Thailand.
SOUTHERN THAILAND
Although the development in Koh Tao Y Koh Phangan It's been slow on its neighboring island Koh Samui resorts have not stopped appearing one behind the other. Just before Thailand closed its borders in 2020, the hotel Melia Koh Samui on the Choeng Mon Beach , followed shortly by the Hyatt Regency Koh Samui , who brought with him his swimming pools decorated and a wide range of beachfront suites.
The Centara Grand , a classic of chaweng beach , has resurfaced after two years of reform with the new name Centara Reserve Samui . The complex seems to have had 20 years taken off it, courtesy of the New York design company AvroKO , and has been modernized with a Beach club in the sand, a wellness center clad in terrazzo and a magnificent gin bar what is the use over 100 different brands . The latest addition to the hotel offer on the island is the Kimpton Kitalay Samui , also on Choeng Mon beach, whose design combines the thai teak and the wicker with hints of indigo , and whose advantages include the Bicycle loan to ride around the island , the access to several lagoon pools Y classes of yoga at first hour of the morning.
On the coast of andaman sea, Banyan Tree Krabi was made with one of the most beautiful stretches of Krabi's Tubkaek Beach at the end of 2020. From the lobby with gold accents , as well as from 72 suites and villas (each with its own private pool Y hydromassage bathtub ), views of the spectacular karst formations of the Phang Nga Bay they are captivating, but it is not their only attraction; the Rainforest Vitality Pool Deck has any water entertainment that you can imagine ( saunas, ice fountains, and massage pools ), and the funicular ride until the hill top thai restaurant It's worth it even if it's just to have a drink enjoying the sunset.
For one cultural immersion head south to the seaside town of Songkhla , where the pandemic has helped transform dilapidated old town into Thailand's new creative hub . At the end of this year a branch of the Thailand Design and Creativity Center , although the tea room and gallery Titan and the vinyl bar 22 Nakhonnok have already contributed to its becoming a meeting point for Thai artists.
This article was published in the May 2022 international edition of Condé Nast Traveler.