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<br /> The year 2013 is on its way out but are we really planning a blast to ring in the New Year? The good news is – Indians are still undeterred by the falling <keyword id="6355302" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rupee">rupee</keyword> and looking forward to outbound travel in the coming holidays, just like they did this summer. But the way they travel is definitely changing, according to a senior executive of a Delhi-based <keyword id="6607315" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="OTA">OTA</keyword>. Overseas travel no longer means the ritual rush through <keyword id="6357117" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="bangkok">Bangkok</keyword> or <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword> – the global destinations closest to home and perhaps the least expensive. Of course, these places are not yet marked off the list, but the experienced and the well-heeled seem to have caught the travel bug of a different kind.<br />
<br /> <keyword id="1960912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Offbeat-destinations">Offbeat destinations</keyword> are getting increasingly popular among Indians, says Saurabh Srivastava, vice-president (marketing &amp; product strategy) at ixigo.com, a travel planning site and search engine that aggregates and curates travel information to help consumers.<br />
<br /> “Of the 2.5 million visitors coming to our site month on month, we see some very clear and emerging trends. While the <keyword id="1960914" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Regular-overseas-travellers">regular overseas travellers</keyword> are increasingly looking at offbeat destinations to try out something different, first-timers or those who haven’t ventured outside the country too much, are still looking at <keyword id="1960915" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Popular-destinations">popular destinations</keyword> like Bangkok, Singapore, <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> and <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword> – the main attractions being <keyword id="6396451" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="beaches">beaches</keyword>, <keyword id="60543" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Water-sports">water sports</keyword> and <keyword id="6368952" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="shopping">shopping</keyword>,” he observes.<br />
<br /> We have talked to a number of <keyword id="722880" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel-agencies">travel agencies</keyword> and rounded up 12 out-of-the-ordinary (but up and coming) places that people are closely following (and booking) these holidays. Here is a quick look at each of them with a glimpse of the local flavour and the basic cost per person on a twin-sharing basis. However, costs are only indicative and are bound to change, depending on your <keyword id="472754" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tour-schedule">tour schedule</keyword>, quality of <keyword id="6358762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Package">package</keyword>, customisation and service provider. Also, prices may fluctuate as dates get closer.<br />
<br /> Try planning a holiday if you love these destinations too. Just remember, sometimes, the best travel happens farthest from <keyword id="823132" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="home-and-away">home and away</keyword> from your everyday ambience. Catch the sun on a <keyword id="1553372" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="foreign-soil">foreign soil</keyword> this New Year and bon voyage!

<b>Want To Vacation Abroad? These 12 Places Are Creating The
Buzz These Holidays</b>

<br /> For Indian travellers who love to explore the world, <keyword id="3739" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thailand">Thailand</keyword> is like a weekend getaway. People from all over the country throng to this island country to enjoy the bliss called beaches. You may have dipped your feet in sea water of Goa or enjoyed the solitude of <keyword id="67979" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alappuzha">Alappuzha</keyword>, but Thailand’s beaches are different. You just can’t compare them with anything in the world. <keyword id="51958" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="YES">Yes</keyword>, it’s out of the world. Blue sea, white sand and a hell lot of pubs to keep you hydrated.<br />
<br /> But wait, if you are thinking of <keyword id="3741" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pattaya">Pattaya</keyword> or <keyword id="3565878" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="patong">Patong</keyword> where most of your friends click selfies with the coolest expressions in their faces, you are wrong. This article isn’t about the popular places in Thailand where crowd is already bustling with excitement. Here are the little known places in Thailand where you should visit if you want to have a fairy tale trip.

These are the little
known places in Thailand, perfect to have a fairytale-trip

Thailand, known as the "Land of Smiles," is a Southeast Asian gem famous for its rich culture, stunning beaches, and vibrant cities. With its friendly locals, ancient temples, lush jungles, and crystal-clear waters, Thailand offers a diverse range of experiences that cater to every traveler's desires. Whether you seek cultural immersion, thrilling adventures, or simply relaxation on beautiful beaches, Thailand has something to offer to all.<br /><br /><h3>Languages Spoken</h3>The official language of Thailand is Thai. English is widely spoken in major tourist areas, making communication relatively easy for travelers.<br /><br /><h3>History Relevance</h3>Thailand boasts a fascinating history that dates back thousands of years. From ancient civilizations like the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms to the rich heritage of the Chakri Dynasty, the country's historical significance can be experienced through its temples, ruins, and museums.<br /><br /><h3>Best Time to Visit</h3>The best time to visit Thailand is during the cool and dry season, which typically spans from November to February. During this period, the weather is pleasant, making it ideal for exploring both the cultural sites and the beaches. However, some areas, especially in the south, can experience heavy rainfall during the monsoon season (June to October).<br /><br /><h3>How to Reach</h3>Thailand is well-connected internationally, with major airports in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai receiving flights from various parts of the world. Travelers can also enter Thailand overland from neighboring countries. Once in Thailand, domestic flights, trains, buses, and taxis offer convenient options for traveling within the country.<br /><br /><h3>Where to Stay</h3>Thailand offers a wide range of accommodations to suit all budgets. From luxurious resorts and boutique hotels to budget-friendly hostels and guesthouses, you can find suitable options in popular tourist areas.<br /><br /><h3>Itinerary for 5 days vacation in Thailand for first-time visitors</h3><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Day<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Morning<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Afternoon<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Evening<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Exploring Bangkok's Cultural Treasures<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Visit Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Khao San Road and Rambuttri Alley for shopping and nightlife<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fly to Phuket<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Visit Patong Beach and water activities<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Witness sunset at Promthep Cape and seafood dinner on the beach<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Speedboat tour to Phi Phi Islands<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Explore Railay Beach and rock climbing<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Experience bioluminescent plankton at Ao Nang Beach<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Travel to Ayutthaya<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Visit Ayutthaya Historical Park<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Boat cruise along Chao Phraya River and relax at a rooftop bar in Bangkok<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fly to Chiang Mai<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Visit Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-right:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;border-top:solid #d9d9e3 0.75pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f7f7f8;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">- Attend a traditional Khantoke dinner and cultural show<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><br /><h3>Day 1: Exploring Bangkok's Cultural Treasures</h3><ul><li>Morning: Start your trip with a visit to the iconic Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). Marvel at the intricate details of the temple and the revered Emerald Buddha statue.</li><li>Afternoon: Head to Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), located nearby. Admire the 46-meter-long reclining Buddha and take a traditional Thai massage at the temple's renowned massage school.</li><li>Evening: Visit the bustling street markets of Khao San Road and Rambuttri Alley for shopping, street food, and vibrant nightlife.</li></ul><h3>Day 2: Island Escape in Phuket</h3><ul><li>Morning: Fly to Phuket and check into your beachfront resort. Relax and soak in the tropical vibes.</li><li>Afternoon: Visit Patong Beach, Phuket's liveliest beach, for water activities like jet-skiing, parasailing, and snorkeling.</li><li>Evening: Head to Promthep Cape to witness a stunning sunset over the Andaman Sea. Enjoy a seafood dinner at one of the beachfront restaurants.</li></ul><h3>Day 3: Adventure in Krabi</h3><ul><li>Morning: Take a speedboat tour to Phi Phi Islands, exploring Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, and Bamboo Island. Enjoy snorkeling and swimming in the crystal-clear waters.</li><li>Afternoon: Return to Krabi and explore Railay Beach, famous for rock climbing and serene beaches.</li><li>Evening: Experience the magical bioluminescent plankton phenomenon at Ao Nang Beach.</li></ul><br /><h3>Day 4: Ancient Wonders in Ayutthaya</h3><ul><li>Morning: Travel to Ayutthaya by train or private car and visit the Ayutthaya Historical Park. Explore the ancient ruins of temples and historical sites by bicycle.</li><li>Afternoon: Enjoy a leisurely boat cruise along the Chao Phraya River, passing through Ayutthaya's scenic landscapes.</li><li>Evening: Return to Bangkok and relax at a rooftop bar, enjoying the city's skyline.</li></ul><h3>Day 5: Chiang Mai Cultural Delights</h3><ul><li>Morning: Fly to Chiang Mai and visit Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, two of the city's most significant temples.</li><li>Afternoon: Explore the vibrant Nimmanhaemin Road, known for its trendy cafes, boutiques, and art galleries.</li><li>Evening: Attend a traditional Khantoke dinner and cultural show, featuring Thai dance and music performances.</li></ul>This 5-day itinerary encompasses the essence of Thailand, providing you with cultural experiences, beautiful beaches, adventure activities, and visits to iconic landmarks. Remember to respect local customs and traditions, and savor every moment of your first-time visit to this incredible country. Happy travels!<br />

Your 5 days comprehensive travel guide to Thailand

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An American tourist blasted a street in Thailand with marijuana smoke, according to Phuket Provincial Police.</li><li>The man, identified as Angkhan Vorac Chhieng by local police, apologized for causing damage to tourism image. </li></ul><p>An American tourist filled up a fog machine with marijuana and blasted a street with smoke at a popular tourist destination in Thailand to promote his marijuana business back home, according to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100064792866437/posts/pfbid02onXqKsEt9jnN9CaXTcWHq6dDQmcmpMYmya8Hkw4V1MwwfnLn73LeodckQg9uPgcTl/?mibextid=I6gGtw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phuket Provincial Police</a>.</p><p>The police outlined their accusations in a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100064792866437/posts/pfbid02onXqKsEt9jnN9CaXTcWHq6dDQmcmpMYmya8Hkw4V1MwwfnLn73LeodckQg9uPgcTl/?mibextid=I6gGtw">post</a> on Monday. In the post, police said the man — who they identified as Angkhan Vorac Chhieng — used the fog machine along Bangla Walking Street in <a href="https://www.insider.com/post-pandemic-travel-thailand-phuket-bangla-road-sunday-night-photos-2022-4">Potong Beach</a> at 2:30 a.m. on August 18. The street in Patong — a beach resort town in Phuket — has been known for its nightlife for years, and has more recently become home to many <a href="https://www.phuket101.net/soi-bangla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cannabis dispensaries</a>. </p><p>According to the police's Facebook post written in Thai, Angkhan admitted that he had acted unknowingly to create content promoting marijuana that was sold abroad, and did not think it would be an inappropriate action. </p><p>According to Chhieng's Instagram profile, he is the owner of Kush Life, <a href="https://www.allbiz.com/business/onxxx-llc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a California-based lifestyle brand</a> centered around marijuana. He also goes by the name <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kushlife_entertainment_ceo/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Onky Chieng</a>, per his profile. </p><p>In the Instagram post below, a man is shown walking around Patong blasting people with a device filled with marijuana. The device appears to be constructed specifically for marijuana, with an Instagram page describing it as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thekushcannon/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"the kush cannon,"</a> which refers to a type of cannabis.</p> <p>Chhieng, 55, first traveled to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on August 15, before traveling to Phuket, according to the police's Facebook post. The police were alerted to the incident after a video on social media showed Chhieng using a fog machine filled with marijuana, per the post. The police used public surveillance footage to identify Chhieng.</p><p>The police later found that Chhieng was staying in a hotel in Bangla Walking Street, where they informed him that "such actions cannot be done in public," according to the post.</p><p>Chhieng said he did not know it was inappropriate and apologized for causing damage to the tourism image of Phuket Province, according to the Police post. He departed Phuket on August 19, the police wrote in the post.</p> <p>In an email to Insider on Thursday, Chhieng denied that he was the one who blasted fog on the street and said he was not in possession of a fog machine. He also said there "was never any marijuana in the fog machine."</p><p>"We didn't go all the way to Thailand to make an impact on the news. We love the people and the culture, I was born there, I just wanted to do something good together with other people in the cannabis community," Chhieng said, adding that he was in Phuket to meet with potential partners.</p><p>In June last year, <a href="https://www.insider.com/inside-chiang-mai-the-budding-cannabis-paradise-of-thailand-marijuana-2023-1#in-june-thailand-became-the-first-country-in-southeast-asia-to-decriminalize-the-use-of-marijuana-it-comes-after-decades-of-being-classified-as-a-category-5-drug-1">Thailand became the first country in Asia to legalize marijuana</a>. Since then, dozens of<a href="https://www.phuket101.net/cannabis-in-phuket-what-you-should-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> cannabis dispensaries</a> have set up shop at Bangla Walking Street.</p><p>But that doesn't mean there are now laws surrounding the use of marijuana.</p><p>According to The Washington Post, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/06/08/thailand-legal-weed-shops-tourists/#:~:text=Smoking%20in%20public%20is%20technically,rule%20would%20become%20more%20strict.&amp;text=Cannabis%20products%20with%20over%200.2%20percent%20THC%20are%20illegal%20in%20Thailand." target="_blank" rel="noopener">smoking marijuana in public can be charged under Thailand's public nuisance law</a> and is punishable with a fine of $780 or three months in jail. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-22/thai-parliament-fails-to-pass-much-delayed-cannabis-bill-as-lawmakers-clash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thai authorities have recently pushed to tighten regulations on marijuana</a>, per Bloomberg.</p><p>The Phuket Provincial Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.</p><p><em>August 28, 2023: <strong>T</strong>his story has been updated to include a response from Chhieng, who denies that he was the one to use the fog machine and says there was no marijuana in the fog machine.</em></p>

An American tourist filled up a fog machine with marijuana and blasted a street with smoke at a popular tourist destination in Thailand to promote his business back home, police say

<p class="drop-cap">If you want to write a story about a party town, Sunday is not the night to plan your visit. Even so, this story begins exactly there, at around 9 p.m. in late March, two years after the pandemic started.</p><p>Such was the hour at which I found myself standing at the entrance to Bangla Road in <keyword id="13567218" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="phuket" source="Orion">Phuket</keyword>, the biggest party street on the biggest island in <keyword id="11906678" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thailand" source="Orion">Thailand</keyword>. The #Banglaroad hashtag on Instagram offers a pretty good sense of what you can expect from the area: bright lights, small outfits, and a general Vegas-meets-Jersey-shore vibe. I had booked a reporting trip to Phuket to write about hotels, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phuket-luxury-real-estate-market-post-pandemic-booming-2022-4">real estate</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phuket-missing-russian-tourists-not-that-badly-war-impact-thailand-2022-4">Russian money</a>. Where better, I figured, to write about how tourism has changed than in the heart — or is it the underbelly? — of Thailand tourism itself?</p><p>I had arrived on the island nine hours earlier, gotten a PCR swab in the airport, and posted up in my hotel room until my test results came back negative, as required under Thailand's entry <a href="https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/thailand-travel-restrictions">restrictions</a>. When I finally stepped out at night, I was struck by the smell of booze and salt. </p><p>In calf-length leggings, running shoes, sans sunburn, and stone-cold sober, it's hard to say exactly which part of me was most out of place on the party scene of Bangla Road. But I pulled on my mask and flashed my wrist for a temperature screening (both required to enter the street) and stepped into the fray.</p><p>To stand at the corner of any intersection in Bangla Road is to be hit by a cacophony of sounds.</p><p>One bar had projected Lady Gaga's disco-themed music video onto its walls. At a club called New York Live Music, a female singer was scream-singing "Edge of Glory." (It was a big night for Lady Gaga.) Down the road, yet another song blared from a multi-floor bar called the Tiger Club, which featured enormous, plastic statues of tigers in various stages of mid-pounce.</p><p>From a dark corner between buildings, the glow of a cigarette caught my eye. Two police officers were surveying the scene.</p><p>Women, some young and some not so young, were lined up on the sides of the road. Some were waving to passersby and others standing more vacantly, swaying along placidly to the tune of something.</p><p>The city was ready to entertain its guests. The only thing missing was those guests, or the critical mass thereof. The street was no longer deserted, as <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3104838/phukets-bars-and-beaches-deserted-coronavirus-batters?module=perpetual_scroll_0&amp;pgtype=article&amp;campaign=3104838">eerie photos</a> throughout the lockdowns and closed borders of 2020 and 2021 had captured, but the flickering strobe lights couldn't hide how many empty seats most of the bars had.</p><div type="image" title="Women in red dresses lined up on the side of a dark street" height="2580" width="3439" msid="90841835" hostid="261"></div><p>I walked up and down the street twice. It was full of hawkers selling their wares — glow-in-the-dark spinny things that fly, individually wrapped roses, menus touting Pad Thai and cheeseburgers.</p><p>Turning right off the main drag onto a quieter alleyway, I found an open-air bar advertising beer pong and pool. Inside was a guy in a white shirt drinking a light beer. As I snapped a couple photos, I saw another man approaching from the direction of the party.</p><div type="image" title="An empty bar on a dark street in Phuket, Thailand" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841837" hostid="261"></div><p>He greeted me, and I eyed him warily. When I didn't respond, he asked me what language I spoke. "English," I finally told him, and his face lit up. "Perfect," he said.</p><p>His name, he told me, was Aris, and he was a club promoter from Greece. Or, rather, he had been a club promoter until the pandemic struck and all the clubs closed. I asked him what he thought of tonight's scene.</p><p>"Not bad," he told me, "But last night's was better." He gestured towards the pool and pong bar behind us. "That place, last night," he started, pulling out his phone and flipped through some photos, finally tilting the screen towards me: It was the same bar, and it was in fact full of people.</p><p>"It's the only place in town with beer pong," Aris added after a moment. "You know this game?" When I nodded, he smiled. "Of course, you know this game. You are American."</p><p>We had approached Bangla Road again. Surrounded by flashing lights and waving women, I asked him if he was nervous about finding a job in the club industry.</p><p>"No," he told me, quietly but surely. "In this town, as long as you know people — I'm not worried."</p><p class="drop-cap">Like in any self-respecting party town, mornings in Patong Beach start slow.</p><p>At 8 a.m. on Monday, I posted up at a beachfront Starbucks with my laptop. First came the wave of joggers, albeit not many of them. Around 9 a.m., a group of Americans sat next to me and loudly began extolling the virtues of bitcoin to each other. By 10:30 a.m., a steady stream of motorcycles and pickup trucks was sputtering by. And then, a tan, be-Speedoed man well into middle age barreled across the walkway, bellowed at an oncoming car, and marched into a 7-11.</p><p>It was 11 a.m., and Patong Beach was awake.</p><p>The next morning, I stopped by a little standalone booth on Beach Road. A woman with coral lipstick was sitting behind the counter, and laid forth in front of her were shiny brochures advertising day trips to other islands.</p><p>Her name was Pu. She'd been living in Phuket for 35 years, and before the pandemic, she had worked in hotels. She'd been working the tourism booth since July and had plans to run her own booth one day. She said she's currently pacing at around 75% of her sales goals. "Some days," she said, "I have two or three customers who buy, but I have many checking for prices."</p><p>When I asked her what tour she'd recommend booking, she said Phi Phi island: "Go now, it's beautiful, because it's empty."</p><p>The island relies heavily on tourism: Before the pandemic, <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword> <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Phuket-goes-local-amid-COVID-19-tourism-slump">accounted for</a> 80% of Phuket's economy and more than 300,000 jobs. In 2019, Phuket's international airport recorded 5.3 million arrivals. But in 2020, that decreased to 1.1 million arrivals. From January to July 2021, the island clocked 600,000 arrivals, data from Airports of Thailand shows. Tourism revenue cratered. Nightly hotel-room demand fell to sub-20% in early 2020 and stayed there through the middle of 2021, per data from Thailand's ministry of tourism and sports.</p><p>Throughout the course of 2021, Thailand made attempts at reopening. In July, it launched a plan called <a href="https://www.insider.com/thailand-phuket-sandbox-tourism-vaccinated-travelers-2021-6">Phuket Sandbox</a>, under which tourists could travel around Thailand if they quarantined in Phuket; <a href="https://www.tatnews.org/2021/08/first-month-of-phuket-sandbox-sees-14000-arrivals-829-m-baht-revenue/">14,000</a> international tourists arrived on the island that month. It was a big step up from its pandemic low, and still a giant step down from its pre-pandemic standard.</p><p>The pandemic's effects on Thailand's economy have been dire. More than 70% of the country's households saw their incomes fall during the pandemic, a Gallup Poll, funded by the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/thailand/publication/monitoring-the-impact-of-covid-19-in-thailand">World Bank</a>, found in a survey of 2,000 Thai families; 60% of low-income families reported running out of food. Sangchai Theerakulwanich, the chairman of the Federation of Thai SME, told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-05/pandemic-pushes-millions-of-small-thai-businesses-into-crisis">Bloomberg</a> in July that 80% of the country's small- and medium-sized enterprises could be out of business by the end of the year. </p><p>Despite warnings of this nature, if you don't leave Patong Beach's main drag, you can almost convince yourself the town will emerge from the pandemic looking like itself. But then you do leave the main drag, and what you see immediately is not a case of complete abandonment, but rather a study in closely placed extremes.</p><p>These two bars, for example, are separated by a wall and nothing else. (I took these photos seconds apart.) The one that's not abandoned is one wall closer to the beach.</p><div type="image" title="Empty chairs at a beach bar in Phuket, Thailand that's lit up with neon lights" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841838" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="A dark, empty bar on a dark street in Phuket, Thailand" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841840" hostid="261"></div><p>Further out from the city center, things got worse.</p><p>On my final night, I hiked up a steep, paved hill that wound away from Patong Beach and towards Paradise Beach. Stray dogs surveyed me from sidewalk perches, panting calmly. Couples on scooters roared by and utility trucks tooted their horns every time they passed something living, myself and strays alike.</p><p>I had been here almost exactly two years earlier, when the world was very different. At that time, lining one side of the narrow highway to Paradise Beach, I had walked by a lively, if impoverished, strip of homes and small businesses.</p><p>Today, it was deserted.</p><div type="image" title="Abandoned homes and storefronts on the side of a small highway in Phuket, Thailand" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841841" hostid="261"></div><p>The sidewalk was full of wood and garbage. On one robins-egg-blue shack, the paint had peeled off the wall in the shape of a cross. The door gaped dark and empty like a missing tooth.</p><p>A couple doors down was a small shop with windows on two sides, "Thai oil massage" decals still intact. Inside, the floor was littered with small, dead leaves.</p><div type="image" title="An abandoned massage parlor outside of Patong Beach, Phuket" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841842" hostid="261"></div><p class="drop-cap">The sun was setting purple around me as I began my hike back up the steep hill to my hotel. On the way, I peered into a dark-timbered resort where three guests were sitting at two tables. The waitress seated me outside among a sea of empty tables and I ordered a gin and tonic as the sound of fireworks lit up the night.</p><p>For all the empty seats at all the empty restaurants I'd seen so far, I kept coming back to the signs of recovery I was seeing. A couple days after I left Phuket, I asked Bill Barnett, the founder and CEO of Phuket-based hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks, if he thought the pandemic was the end of Phuket. He said it wasn't — but that it was a tipping point in the island's hospitality cycle.</p><p>"You need disruption," Barnett said. "It starts a new cycle, and you see who comes back, who's still standing."</p><p>"We're still standing," Barnett said of the island. "The early markets back were through Sandbox. We saw friends and family coming back, lots of people who have vacation homes and second homes, Europeans." Then, he said, it was businesspeople, and eventually, also, tourists.</p><p>Over the next few days of my trip, business owners across the island — in Patong Beach, Cherngtalay, Phuket Town — would all tell me that the pandemic had wrought various levels of destruction on their businesses. But even within those stories there were the upsides: The Turkish restaurant owner who managed to open a new spot in Phuket Town because rents were 50% lower; the French-Thai pastry chef who bought a three-floor building on Patong's Beach Road and was now transforming it into a coworking-space-cum-restaurant; Pu, selling brochures on the street and already planning to open her own tourism stand one day.</p><p>After two years at a standstill, it's not what I expected to find, but Phuket struck me as less an island in crisis and more an island on the brink of rebirth — bruised and battered, yes, but with a resigned sense that even this would pass.</p><div type="image" title="An empty street full of abandoned storefronts in Phuket, Thailand" height="3024" width="4032" msid="90841844" hostid="261"></div>

I flew to one of Thailand's biggest party streets 2 years after it went dark during the pandemic. What I found was an island on the brink of rebirth.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Villa sales in Phuket cratered during the pandemic, with sales dropping by 50%.</li><li>But luxury <keyword id="11893295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="real-estate" source="Orion">real estate</keyword> on the island is making a rebound as Thailand opens up to <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> travelers.</li></ul><p>In the past decade, Phuket — Thailand's beach-paradise island — has become a breeding grounds for villas. The island sits off the southwestern coast of Thailand and had, before the pandemic, attracted <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-phuket-reopens-international-tourism-covid-2002371">millions</a> of international tourists every year.</p><p>The island's villa supply has more than quadrupled in the past decade, from roughly 1,000 to 4,000 homes, per real-estate consultancy Knight Frank's 2020 villa report. They've primarily served as holiday homes, but also as reliable investment purchases, with prices on the island on a steady upward trend.</p><p>On a trip to Phuket in late March, I spent three nights in Cherngtalay, on the west coast of the island. It's been leading the building boom, accounting for more than 70% of the villas built in 2020. The quiet, upscale area is about 30 minutes south of the international airport and 30 minutes north of the madness of party scene Patong Beach. In town, I found Porto de Phuket, a big, open-air mall full of beach-shack eateries and boutiques selling flowing clothing. There was a mix of languages in the air (Thai and English, Russian and French) and a mind-boggling quantity of real-estate shops to be found.</p><p>Yui Nimpinij, a sales manager at global real-estate consultancy Knight Frank, has been living and working in Phuket for more than seven years. She painted a bleak picture of the pandemic scene. "2020 was flat," Nimpinij said. "It was still not good at the beginning of 2021 because waves of Covid were hitting all over the world."</p><p>In normal years, Nimpinij said, Knight Frank sells 400 to 500 villas in a year on Phuket. At the peak of the pandemic, sales dropped by 50%.</p><p>But, in the third and fourth quarters 2021, she said, things started to turn around. Thailand <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-end-quarantine-some-vaccinated-visitors-nov-pm-2021-10-11/">relaxed</a> border measures for international travelers in November, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/phuket-missing-russian-tourists-not-that-badly-war-impact-thailand-2022-4">affected hospitality</a> and real-estate industries alike.</p><p>"We were quite busy with foreign buyers because we opened up the country," Nimpinij said.</p><div type="image" title="Interior shot of a mansion with simple furnishings and a view to the ocean" height="573" width="765" msid="90789327" hostid="261"></div><h2>Rising demand in the upper end of the market</h2><p>Just down the street from Knight Frank's office is Sea Property Group. Its owner and CEO, Norbert Witthinrich, has been in real-estate sales on the island for 25 years.</p><p>Phuket was a buyers market until 2020, Witthinrich said. "Now," he went on, "in the luxury sector, it's shifting to a seller's market. You don't need to drop the pricing." That's particularly true in the $2 million-and-up sector. Before the pandemic, the biggest demand Witthinrich saw was in the $100,000 to $500,000 price range.</p><p>"At the moment what I'm seeing from our client base here is that everyone coming in is very wealthy. They're buying between $2 and $10 million," he said. "The smaller markets, $300,000 to $500,000, it's not there anymore."</p><p>Stuart Reading, the managing director of Banyan Tree Group's property division, described the market on Phuket as an inversion of the pre-pandemic trend.</p><p>"What we're seeing is an inverse of what we saw pre-pandemic, when that affordable entry-level segment was the most dominant," Reading said. "Now it's the midscale and the upscale luxury segments that are doing well."</p><p>The change comes down to the arrival of a different type of buyer. "They're buying homes as second homes, so they're not as price sensitive," he said. </p><p>Knight Frank findings show a similar trend: In 2020, the best-selling villas were priced at $600,000 or less, per the company's 2020 market overview. That segment, Nimpinij said, is all but gone. "Buyers are looking for a good deal, a bargain deal — cuts of 30% or and more," she said.</p><p>"The good deals are almost sold out. They're becoming more challenging to find," Nimpinij added.</p><h2>More interest from Hong Kong buyers</h2><p>Against the backdrop of ongoing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-hong-kongs-electoral-system-overhaul-to-give-patriots-control-2021-3">political unrest</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/03/hong-kong-china-covid-surge-lockdown/627083/">stringent Covid lockdowns</a> in Hong Kong, the city-state is seeing an <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/4/2/hong-kong-faces-brain-drain-as-talent-flees-zero-covid-controls">exodus</a> of residents and expats alike. Some of that has been to Phuket's gain.</p><p>Nimpinij said she's fielded multiple requests from Hong Kong buyers, at least one of whom has bought a Phuket house sight unseen. Witthinrich pointed to a rise in demand from Hong Kong expats and Hong Kong Chinesse, the latter of which is a new market for Phuket. "You can see clearly a crest of demand for upmarket, sea-view properties," he added.</p><p>"I think it's a combination of worries — 'my money is sitting in a bank with low interest rates, what's going on with the stock market and currencies,'" Witthinrich said of the mindset that may be driving Hong Kongers to buy Phuket real estate right now. "Phuket is known in Hong Kong, and it's easy to go, normally."</p><p>"Hong Kong has always been a very good market for us," Reading said of Banyan Tree, adding that he expects to see the trend continue: "With what's happening in Hong Kong now and the influence of China, we're going to see a lot of people looking to make a flight to safety out of Hong Kong."</p><p>As for Russian buyers, whose <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-traders-bankers-cope-cut-off-from-global-economy-2022-3">spending power has been greatly diminished</a> by the waves of sanctions their country is facing over the war in Ukraine, Witthinrich said the segment is non-existent right now: "We don't have Russian buyers, because the money doesn't come."</p><p>Inbound interest is also coming from Europe, particularly from Europeans who have business connections to Southeast Asia, both Nimpinij and Witthinrich said. Part of this interest may well be from professionals who are finding themselves <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/71-us-tech-employees-move-abroad-work-remotely-2020-8">untethered from desks</a> and able to capitalize on one of the Thai government's two visa programs for foreigners, the <a href="https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thai-elite-visa">Thai Elite Visa</a> and the <a href="https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/thailand-digital-nomad-visa-and-work-permit">Digital Nomad Visa</a>.</p><div type="image" title="A window-lined living room with minimalistic furniture that opens up to a patio and a pool with a view" height="572" width="763" msid="90789328" hostid="261"></div><h2>Shift to lifestyle purchases</h2><p>Islands from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/realestate/island-golf-developments.html">Hawaii to Spain's Canary Islands</a> are seeing a pandemic-exacerbated shift as short-term visitors stay longer and some visitors become full-time residents, The New York Times reported recently.</p><p>Phuket is no exception. Both Nimpinij and Witthinrich both said there's been a shift out of holiday homes and into lifestyle homes, specifically those that attract families.</p><p>"When I moved here it was all holiday homes," said Nimpinij. Now, seven or eight years later, more families are making their way onto the island. She said Phuket is catering to this very demographic's lifestyle with a series of builds that include Blue Tree, a big aqua park, and Porto de Phuket, the very shopping mall I was describing earlier.</p><p>"There are two sections," Witthinrich said of demand right now. "There's one group of clients who are looking for their dream holiday home, a sea-view purchase."</p><p>"But particularly for Hong Kong families, they are looking for a home. They're looking for a place to stay," he continued, adding that the demand is for multi-bedroom properties that are suitable for longer periods of time. "They are asking for schools."</p>

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