Thailand scores big in Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards

Thailand excelled in several categories in the Travel & Leisure (T&L) World’s Best Awards 2019, with ten Thai hotels and resorts named among the region’s best, while Bangkok’s city government will revamp Khao San Road, the globally famous backpacker street.

The strong across-the-board performance by Thailand in the T&L Awards is evidence that Thailand’s tourism sector has maintained its vitality. Standards continue to improve, and the sector’s appeal broadens despite the growth of mass tourism. T&L is based in New York City, and the monthly magazine boasts 4.8 million regular readers. The awards are based on reader surveys and responses.

The magazine elected Bangkok to its World’s Best Awards Hall of Fame. It also named the Thai capital as one of the “Top 10 Cities in Asia” for the tenth consecutive year, with the northern city of Chiang Mai also included on that list. Chiang Mai scored an even more impressive ranking as third on the list of the 15 Top Cities in the World with Bangkok finishing as number 15.

Koh Lanta, a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand, was the surprise leader among a treasure trove of Thai paradise islands. Lanta rose to ninth place in “The 15 Best Islands in the World” category and achieved number five on the “Top 10 Islands in Asia” list. Koh Samui, the second largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, came it at number eight.

Meanwhile, backpackers will soon be experiencing a cleaner more orderly Khao San Road, the street that has gained global fame as a nexus for young budget travelers and trekkers.

Starting in October, the city will redo the sidewalks with flamed-finished tiles, and designate clear areas for street vendors and hawkers. For safety reasons, venders will not be allowed to encroach on footpaths.

Once the revamping of Khao San Road is complete, other popular streets in the area will undergo a similar renovation.

Photo Courtesy of www.tourismthailand.org