Lonely Planet Traveller awards best destinations in Thailand

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Lonely Planet Traveller awards best destinations in Thailand

BANGKOK:-- Visitors to Thailand seeking to experience the Best Tourism Destinations and Services as rated by the readers of Lonely Planet Traveller Thailand now have a list of 13 award-winning places to start.

In a gala ceremony on 18 November, 2014, the “Lonely Planet Traveller Destination Awards 2014” were conferred on the following Thailand attractions and services. The Awards were organised by Media Expertise International (Thailand) Co., Ltd., publisher of the Lonely Planet Traveller Thailand magazine. They also included a number of awards for Best International Travel Destinations.

The Awards was divided into three categories; Best Destination Awards (Thailand), Best Destination Awards (International) and Sponsored Survey Awards. Altogether, Thai tourist destinations and hotels figured in 13 of the 22 of the Awards. All were based on reviews and opinions from readers communicated via an online survey:

• Best in Travel Town: Hua Hin


• Best Destination for Festival: Chiang Mai


• Best Destination for Alternative Travel: Trang


• Best Island Holiday Destination: Ko Lipe, Satun province


• Best Community based tourism: Ban Wang Nam Mok Home Stay, Nong Khai province


• Best Resort Hotel: Sri Panwa Resort


• Best City Hotel: W Hotel Bangkok


• Best Environment Friendly Hotel – Resort in Thailand: Soneva kiri, Koh Kood


• Best Local Restaurant in Thailand: Krua Mon Khai, Suan Pueng, Ratchaburi province


• Best Day Spa in Thailand: Divana Spa


• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet


• Best Destination for Sunrise Photography: Phu Chi Fa, Chiang Rai province


• Outstanding Hotel for Beach Holiday: The Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin

This year, a category of special sponsored survey awards were added to the event comprising of 1) Best Destination for Sunrise Photography, 2) Outstanding Hotel for Beach Holiday, and 3) Best Travel Experience in New Zealand.

Addressing the Awards ceremony, Mr. Sugree Sithivanich, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand said, “The Lonely Planet Traveller Destination Awards help identify the most highly rated and popular tourist attractions and services.

They offer something unique for every traveller, especially those keen to experience the concept of Thainess.”

He added, “Our responsibility in TAT is to attract visitors to Thailand and motivate them to repeat their visits and stay longer. But we cannot do this unless the private sector develops the appropriate products and delivers the quality services. The award-winning products today are evidence that this connection between visitors and host destinations is being firmly established.”

In his speech at the ceremony, Mr. Rathasiam Sinlakhun, Editor-in-Chief, Lonely Planet Traveller Thailand, said, “This is our second consecutive year of conferring these awards. They are intended to allow readers to get involved in sharing their passion for travel and its many excellent products and services. We consider all our readers as members of an ‘honorary selection committee’ and thank all those who responded to the survey questionnaire.”

Read more: http://www.tatnews.org/lonely-planet-traveller-thailand-readers-awards-their-best-tourism-destinations-services/

Source: TAT Newsroom

[ratcatcher]

Best destination for life and death thrills........Koh Tao

[Thian]

• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet

But it is in Thai language...is that new? Can all Quality Tourists read Thai these days?

[jaltsc]

"Visitors to Thailand seeking to experience the Best Tourism Destinations and Services as rated by the readers of Lonely Planet Traveller Thailand now have a list of 13 award-winning places to start."

They forgot #14:"Best place to extend your vacation PERMANENTLY" ... Koh Tao

Edited January 26, 2015 by jaltsc

[Lingba]

Best place for suicides

Best place to be extorted by police

Best place to be ripped off by a taxi

Best place for double pricing

[ToddinChonburi]

How wonderful, let's get busy.

[ThePlant]

Nice to see Hua Hin get a heads up. The place has still retained the feel it had when I first went many moons ago.

Can't see many LP reading backpackers staying at the The Cape Nidhra Hotel, Hua Hin or the Sri Panwa though....even the W hotel in Bangers for that matter unless the quackpacker set really have gone upmarket....

[Taunusianer]

• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet

But it is in Thai language...is that new? Can all Quality Tourists read Thai these days?

I wondered about that too. Maybe the backpackers have changed in the last years.

[ThePlant]

• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet

But it is in Thai language...is that new? Can all Quality Tourists read Thai these days?

I wondered about that too. Maybe the backpackers have changed in the last years.

That forum is for Thais travelling overseas, not for quackpackers coming to Thailand - they already have LP Thorn Tree for their endless, banal 'best beach in October' and ''Is Thailand safe?'' questions. Shame really. Used to be a cracking forum.

[LuckyLew]

Best place for suicides

Best place to be extorted by police

Best place to be ripped off by a taxi

Best place for double pricing

so what ... cheap street noodles and great somtum more than make up for a few small short comings

[Sviss Geez]

Best place for suicides

Best place to be extorted by police

Best place to be ripped off by a taxi

Best place for double pricing

...best place for daft posts on forums.

[Katipo]

• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet

But it is in Thai language...is that new? Can all Quality Tourists read Thai these days?

I wondered about that too. Maybe the backpackers have changed in the last years.

LP has gone a lot more mainstream and is used by independent travellers of all budgets. If you pick one up you will see they include accommodation and restaurants for all budgets, including 4 and 5 star.

Those on a budget are more likely to use internet versions of LP, Rough Guide, Travelfish etc, as they are free and can offer additional information on places not included in the print edition.

[HerbalEd]

Best website forum for most whiny, pessimistic, cynical, fault-finding expats: thaivisa.com

[bangkapi]

Best anything: Whoever pays the biggest bribe to get listed.

[humqdpf]

Best destination for life and death thrills........Koh Tao

Best Police shakedown and being forced to urinate into a test jar on the street experience - Asoke

Best taxi shakedown - Bangkok

Best false arrest shakedown for shoplifting - Sumerabhumi Airport

Easiest place to be arrested for Lese Majeste

Best place for dropping cig butt on the street shakedown - Sukhumvit

[DaddyWarbucks]

Lonely Planet should have died when Tony Wheeler sold it - maybe before.

There was a time when it was an invaluable source of little known information.

It wasn't long until it became popular among the hordes who descended upon East Asia like a plague of locusts.

[ebonykap]

"This year, a category of special sponsored survey awards were added to the event comprising of 1) Best Destination for Sunrise Photography, 2) Outstanding Hotel for Beach Holiday, and 3) Best Travel Experience in New Zealand."

New Zealand is part of Thailand now?

When did this happen??

Why wasn't I told???

[emilymat]

Forgive me for asking a simple question.

How do you decide on the 'best local restaurant' in Thailand?.

I suppose there must only be 30 restaurants in the whole country.

[Gweiloman]

Best place for suicides

Best place to be extorted by police

Best place to be ripped off by a taxi

Best place for double pricing

...best place for daft posts on forums.

Best place for least credible posters

[emilymat]

"This year, a category of special sponsored survey awards were added to the event comprising of 1) Best Destination for Sunrise Photography, 2) Outstanding Hotel for Beach Holiday, and 3) Best Travel Experience in New Zealand."

New Zealand is part of Thailand now?

When did this happen??

Why wasn't I told???

Did you not know?. TAT have a plan to tow your north island over here and anchor it near Phuket. All NZ residents will be shipped to the south island as there is plenty of room.

[dirtycash]

hey , what about pattaya 555

[Jungle Jim]

The LP forum and the books are a joke. If any hotel , town or whatever is listed i totally avoid the place and its numerous problems with the foreigners.

• Best Travel Website: pantip.com/forum/blueplanet

But it is in Thai language...is that new? Can all Quality Tourists read Thai these days?

I wondered about that too. Maybe the backpackers have changed in the last years.

That forum is for Thais travelling overseas, not for quackpackers coming to Thailand - they already have LP Thorn Tree for their endless, banal 'best beach in October' and ''Is Thailand safe?'' questions. Shame really. Used to be a cracking forum.

[Jay Sata]

Hope you are enjoying yourself Dirtycash.

I took,a lot of flak advising you to get a quickie visa in Dublin.

[chainarong]

The best destination in Thailand are not mentioned , the non tourist places where you don't get ripped of , the locals are great and for the young and not so young guy's , there are no gold diggers giving your wallet or bank account the eye.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"This year, a category of special sponsored survey awards were added to the event comprising of 1) Best Destination for Sunrise Photography, 2) Outstanding Hotel for Beach Holiday, and 3) Best Travel Experience in New Zealand."

New Zealand is part of Thailand now?

When did this happen??

Why wasn't I told???

Maybe the Kiwis have all left OZ and gone to Thai.

[Classic Ray]

Best klong (canal) or other waterway not polluted with rubbish or effluent in Thailand - Nowhere

Edited January 26, 2015 by Classic Ray

[Classic Ray]

Best footpath to walk, use a pushchair, or a wheelchair in Thailand - Nowhere

Best step free access to a shopping mall or mass transport system (bus, metro, Skytrain) - Nowhere

[Roota]

Forgive me for asking a simple question.

How do you decide on the 'best local restaurant' in Thailand?.

That's the one that I liked. I don't think even Shell Chuan Chim or the other Thai guidebooks that really know the restaurants of this country would ever try to answer that one. And now just imagine the hordes of tourists that place is going to get.

(and yes, TV should have really received a mention for best online source of silly paranoia and general unintentional humour.)

[chotthee]

Thank you PM Prayuth 3 times.

You have made Thailand best in the world in 13 categories.

Thank you PM Prayuth 3 times.

[HerbalEd]

Lonely Planet should have died when Tony Wheeler sold it - maybe before.

There was a time when it was an invaluable source of little known information.

It wasn't long until it became popular among the hordes who descended upon East Asia like a plague of locusts.

History repeats itself. When Wheeler's LP guides first came out many of the hardcore backpackers at the time pretty much said what you just wrote ... exclaiming that Wheeler had betrayed them and given away the great hidden places to travel to and stay at, and, as you say, it wasn't long until the "hordes descended upon East Asia" ... and then Africa and Central & South America.

When I first started hitch-hiking and traveling third-class through Africa and Asia in the 1960s my "guide book" was the little note book I kept in my shirt pocket to add info given me by fellow travelers I'd meet in hostels, hippy hotels, buses, trains, etc. who were coming from where I was headed. My note/guide-book filled with info about: cheap hotels, black-market money exchange, scoring the best hash, off-the-beaten-path exotic places like Kabul, Katmandu, Goa, Lake Toba, Koh Samui (when you had to take a coconut boat), Kuta Beach, etc.

I miss that long lost time when traveling was truly an adventure, there were actually exotic places, and the world was real.

Edited January 26, 2015 by HerbalEd