In this video you’ll hear from Kuoni's trade engagement executive Matt Sole and TTG’s content writer Charlotte Cullinan.

Video transcript 

Charlotte: Welcome to our In the Spotlight video with Kuoni, and today we're going to be focusing on Thailand. So Matt, let's start by talking about why Thailand makes the ideal multi-centre break. 

Matt: It really is, for so many reasons. First of all, it's so easy to get around and see so many different parts of the country. There's fabulous infrastructure with great roads connecting the main destinations and a great flight network. We use trains in certain parts as well. 

And Thailand just lends itself to a multi-centre, multi-experiential holiday. There's such a great mix of things to do. You've got the cities, you've got the mountains, beach, wildlife, all in one holiday. And Thailand can be a really affordable holiday. So if you do want that experiential kind of travel, Thailand is somewhere that you can go and do it without breaking the bank.

Charlotte: And can you share some of the must-visit destinations and islands and also some of the lesser-visited gems that agents need to have on their radar? 

Matt: I absolutely love Thailand and everywhere is so very different. Of course, everybody knows about Bangkok, and Bangkok is just an assault on your senses when you go, there's so much to see, so much to do. But the thing is with Bangkok, a lot of people go and they're like, 'yeah, I've seen it, I don't need to go back'. But there is so much more than just the basics. When you go the first time, you're probably going to go to the night markets and the temples. There are so many other cool things that you can do. We've recently added some new experiences in where you can discover off-the-beaten track Bangkok by bike. We've also got an electric tuk tuk night tour. 

And when it comes to beach destinations, we also have some slightly more unusual experiences in places like Krabi and Khao Lak, which really delve into the Thai culture. So in Krabi, we, have a tour called Discover Local Island Life, where you immerse yourself in the Koh Klang culture and in Khao Lak, the Takuapa’s Hidden Heritage is a new experience that we've added in as well to go beyond the obvious in those beach destinations. 

And there are so many different beach destinations as well. Most people have heard of Koh Samui and Phuket, and there's a good reason why people go back there time and time again. But if you do want to go to a different kind of Thailand, you've got places like Khao Sok, which is the National Park with the rainforest. Of course Elephant Hills is there. But we also have a brand-new floating resort called 360° Issara that we just added that to our programme, which is a floating resort on a lake in the middle of the rainforest.

But then beach resorts at islands, places like Koh Jum, Koh Yao Yai, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Samet, Koh Lanta, places that you probably haven't heard of, but offers such a great experience. 

And then in northern Thailand, you can immerse yourself in culture with places like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. And there's a new transfer that we've done between those two cities that isn't just a transfer, it is an experience along the way. So you're doing sightseeing as you transfer between those two cities. 

And Jennie, our product manager for Thailand, as we record this, she's actually in Thailand at the moment to search out some more new exclusive experiences that really chip away beyond the surface level of Thailand and in particular Bangkok.

Charlotte: Brilliant. Thank you Matt. There's so much inspiration there. And tell us a bit about the best time to travel as well. 

Matt: I would always say there's no bad time to go. Obviously there is the seasons, everybody always talks about rainy season, but I think everybody that works in travel knows that with climate change, weather globally has become a little bit more unpredictable. So there really is no kind of definite ‘yes’ and ‘no’ times to go. January to March, all across Thailand is the time when you've got the best time to go. That's where you've got the best chance of weather. But what comes along with that are the higher rates and fewer offers from the hotels. So the off-peak and shoulder seasons are when you're going to find less crowds and some really unbelievable offers.

It's important to remember though that peak season isn't the same everywhere. So if you're looking at somewhere like Koh Samui and Hua Hin, their peak season lasts a little bit longer, so going into our summer school holidays, so June, July, and even the first half of August, that is still peak season for Koh Samui and Hua Hin.

So they’re definitely worth thinking about for those kind of off-season holidays to Thailand. 

Charlotte: Brilliant. Thank you. And can you tell us about the variety of resorts that are available with Kuoni across Thailand? 

Matt:Yeah we've got such a wide selection, everything from basic boutique resorts all the way through to ultra-luxury. We have over 80 different hotels and resorts in total, and some of them are exclusive to Kuoni in the UK. We have the Paresa Phuket, which is an ultra-lux, all-pool-villa resort in Phuket. The Marina Phuket, which is in a jungle setting overlooking Karon Beach, is really peaceful, but you're only about 10 minutes away from the busy resort.

And then even we have an exclusive hotel, the Sindhorn Midtown in Bangkok, where there are larger suites perfect for families that come with kitchenettes and laundry facilities. 

We added a load of new hotels last year, including the fully refurbished Ananea Beyond Khaolak. And Kuoni actually have some exclusive room types there. And Thailand is such a great destination for family travel and we have some superb family specific hotels such as The Sands.

And one that's been hugely popular is the Sunwing on Kamala Beach in Phuket, really geared up for families, superb room types, lots of great family activities, and you compare that then with things like Elephant Hills, with Bangkok, so you get a little bit of culture and then a fantastic beach resort as well.

Charlotte: Amazing. They all sound incredible. Thank you so much for sharing all of that brilliant inspiration, Matt and thank you for watching our In the Spotlight video with Kuoni.