Thailand | Out There magazine | Luxury and Experiential Travel Inspiration

Travel inspiration

Wisharawish Akarasantisook & Ston Tantraporn
Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is one of - if not the most - cutting-edge South East Asian nation when it comes to fashion and style. To understand what the futur...

Philip Cornwel-Smith, Bangkok, Thailand

If you want to reinvent yourself, come to Thailand. For 500 years, my adopted home has been a makeover reality show for adventurers, dealers...

Grape day out
Hua Hin, Thailand

Uwern Jong stumbles upon something he least expected in Thailand's rolling Hua Hin Hills. I’m one of the most open-minded people...

Beating of the wave
Koh Lipe, Thailand

Photographer Ralf Obergfell reflects on surviving the tsunami of 2004 and on how the experience has come to inform his art. I wa...

It’s the climb
Railay, Thailand

Zack Cahill gets a dopamine hit with every lift, scaling the sacred walls of Railay. Stepping off the plane into the midday ...

The big dream
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Martin Perry travels North and meets Thailand's most prominent elephant whisperers in the cultural capital of Chiang Mai. “A pro...

Going afloat
Phuket, Thailand

Mark Thompson earns his sea legs on a voyage to the Thai paradise island of Phuket. At a certain point during my family’s annual...

Artistic Thai
Jakkai Sitibutr

Jakkai Siributr is one of Thailand's most notable artists. He lives between Thai art’s spiritual home of Chiang Mai and the contemporary sce...

Hotels & resorts

Waldorf Astoria
Bangkok, Thailand

Walking up the marble double staircase from the hotel’s 56th floor in our hunt for the Champagne Bar, we were faced with a huge mural and n...

Mason
Pattaya, Thailand

Few are the places we vow never to return to – Pattaya, turned tawdry, was one of them. But when an invitation to a brand-new design ho...

Oriental Residence
Bangkok, Thailand

Hotels in Bangkok have long traded on their ‘Orientalness’. After all, it was here in the Thai capital that the legendary Oriental Hotel ma...

Siam@Siam Design Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand

This old Bangkok favourite invited us to try out the top suite on its quirkily reimagined Heritage Floor, where Thailand is brought to life...

VIE Hotel Bangkok – MGallery
Bangkok, Thailand

Right in the centre of the Bangkok bustle, this confident, urban property couldn’t be more at the heart of it all. From the far edge of its...

Tower Club at lebua at State Tower
Bangkok, Thailand

For experientialists who like to live life large, this Bangkok property needs no introduction. The self-coined ‘world’s first vertical dest...

Mandarin Oriental
Bangkok, Thailand

Our return to this iconic, timeless Bangkok Grande Dame was long awaited. local interior design celebrities P49Deesign and Associates h...

The Slate
Phuket, Thailand

Just when we thought we had Thailand sussed, we heard reports of a resort transformed by a nip and tuck from a maestro. At first intrig...

The Sukhothai
Bangkok, Thailand

Pulling off the busy main road of car horns and motorcycle engines on to a private avenue made us feel like royalty (albeit royalty who tra...

Avani Hua Hin
Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin, situated just two and a half hours away from Bangkok, is a favourite of Thai city-slickers looking to escape the capital. It rose i...

Sri Panwa
Phuket, Thailand

Our introduction to this huge luxury resort was by golf-cart, at sunset. As we arrived at check-in, our personal butler came out to greet us...

Dream Phuket
Phuket, Thailand

Arriving in the dip of low-season unfortunately meant that we couldn’t see the Dream Hotel Phuket it all its glory, an alleged good-times, p...

Park Hyatt
Bangkok, Thailand

The family who runs the ‘Central’ empire of upscale shopping malls in Thailand are among the country’s most affluent and prominent hospitali...

Twinpalms Phuket
Phuket, Thailand

The jaw-droppingly beautiful Surin Beach, home to the glorious Twinpalms, used to be a must-go hangout for the chic jet-set. Last year, the ...

The Racha
Phuket, Thailand

If ‘Fantasy Island’ were real, this would be it. A 30-minute boat ride away from their executive boarding lounge at Chalong pier, this is a ...

137 Pillars Suites & Residences
Bangkok, Thailand

This is the long-awaited Bangkok sister property to the exquisite Chiang Mai heritage getaway, the 137 Pillars House. A modern take on the t...

Keemala Resort & Spa, Phuket, Thailand

For a Phuket experience with a difference, one has to ensure that the hotel itinerary includes the Keemala. A far cry from the usual beach-p...

Cape Kudu, Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

We first visited Koh Yao Noi, an island just off the coast of Phuket when it was nothing more than a small fishing town, many years ago. Bas...

U-Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand

OutThere travellers in the know headed for Bangkok are looking for smaller, more intimate properties in new parts of town. The chilled-out, ...

Trisara, Phuket, Thailand

One of the most talked-about hotels in Thailand, it’s easy to understand why – this is Thai luxury island hospitality at its very best. The ...

Hansar Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

As Bangkok addresses go, you don’t really get more central than this. Nestled in a quiet, exclusive, residential street in Ratchadamri, home...

Siam Kempinski, Bangkok, Thailand

This property has become known as one of Bangkok’s most notable urban-resorts, except the Siam Kempinski really takes this getaway-in-the-ci...

Tamarind Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Situated in the heart of Chiang Mai’s old town, yet in its own secluded area, this stunning boutique property is built around a 200-year-old...

Belmond Napasai, Koh Samui, Thailand

You’ll find the all-villa Belmond Napasai in a somewhat rural island setting – amongst a grove of cashew trees, with water buffalo just lazi...

MUTHI MAYA, Khao Yai, Thailand

When we got to Bangkok, we set ourselves a challenge to look for a place that would be off-radar even for the local scenesters. We spoke to ...

Paresa, Phuket, Thailand

The Paresa had a great start with us. The property had recently hosted a same-sex blessing ceremony on the hotel’s lawn overlooking its priv...

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand

Here’s a tip... There is more than one Sheraton in Bangkok, so know which you booked. The Grande is the younger, more interesting, eccentric...

Banyan Tree, Bangkok, Thailand

Rising up above the Bangkok skyline is the magnificent Banyan Tree. This is how you know you’ve made it to lofty heights. Its suites are sub...

Banyan The Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand

This country-club resort (it boasts a world class golf course) is located in the self-styled Hamptons of Bangkok; just two hours drive towar...

Aleenta, Hua Hin, Thailand

In the sleepy, coastal Pak Nam Pran, you’ll find the equally relaxed Aleenta, the charming, boutique alternative to the big name resorts in ...

Veranda, The High Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand

http://verandaresortandspa.com/chiangmaiIf ‘zen’ belonged to the Thais, this would be it defined. This property is just outside the ancient ...

La Villetta, Chiang Mai, Thailand

With 14 suites set in private, landscaped gardens and located just a short tuk-tuk ride into the center of town, this small, contemporary bo...

Chedi, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Modernist but with bamboo facades and lashings of Thai teak, the Chedi’s architect achieved perfection and proceeded to break the mold. If f...

Rachamankha, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The world will just melt away as soon as you step into this luxury boutique, clearly owned by an interior designer; tucked away in a backstr...

W Retreat, Koh Samui, Thailand

As the worldwide colonization by the W chain goes, this one takes the biscuit. The W Retreat on the island of Samui is something spectacular...

Six Senses, Koh Samui, Thailand

Rustic rainforests, haunting hillsides, a sublime sea – this stunning sister of the quickly multiplying Six Senses family has got it all – a...

Sri Panwa, Phuket, Thailand

This is pure indulgence. So many properties these days go for the private pool thing, but the Sri Panwa has taken it to another level – a 48...

Surin, Phuket, Thailand

Overlooking a stretch of beautiful white sand beach in Phuket, is this reimagined property, formerly of Chedi fame. It carries on the reputa...

Sarojin, Khao Lak, Thailand

Khao Lak is a beautiful, less trodden part of Phang Nga, not far from Phuket. The Sarojin is set on a private beach, inherently romantic and...

Howie’s HomeStay, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Howie is a Rhode-Islander that landed in Chiang Mai, fell in love and never went back. He set about building his dream home with Thailand’s ...

Riva Surya, Bangkok, Thailand

Insiders love old-world Bangkok – palaces, temples, flower and food markets, bustling streets and dilapidating buildings, close to the histo...

Chakrabongse Villas, Bangkok, Thailand

A beautiful villa owned by one of the Thai Princesses, this is easily one of Bangkok’s best kept secrets. Requiring special access, the vill...

Metropolitan by COMO, Bangkok, Thailand

This minimalist and serene oasis is a true getaway in the heart of the city. Forget clasp-handed bows and traditional uniforms here, instead...

Four Seasons Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand

This huge resort, part of the global luxury Four Seasons chain is designed to give you a rural, Chiang Mai experience without ever having to...

Six Senses Yao Noi, Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

If big island resorts aren’t your thing you can go off the grid by taking a short boat ride to a neighboring, smaller island. The Six Senses...

Sofitel SO, Bangkok, Thailand

If ever you needed to be reassured about Bangkok’s gay-friendly credentials, you need look no further than the check-in lounge at Sofitel’s ...

The Regent Phuket Cape Panwa, Phuket, Thailand

Disappear into your private bungalow, a beautiful, sprawling designer home overlooking the seascapes of the serene Cape Panwa. Complete with...

137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai, Thailand

We just love it when someone takes hold of an old, heritage building and gives it a new lease of life – especially when it turns into someth...

Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle, Thailand

A once in a lifetime, tent-hotel experience in the far reaches of northern Thailand. But this takes outdoor luxury to a whole new level. Pic...

Point Yamu by COMO, Phuket, Thailand

Possibly Thailand’s most exclusive beach getaway, this gives Thai luxury a touch of Italian sophistication. Paola Navone set out to create a...

The Siam, Bangkok, Thailand

The humid, fast-paced streets of central Bangkok can be a demanding place for the uninitiated and experienced traveller alike. A ...

Trisara, Phuket, Thailand

One of the most talked-about hotels in Thailand, it’s easy to understand why – this is Thai luxury island hospitality at its very best. The ...

The Grotto at the Rayavadee resort, Krabi, Thailand

The Rayavadee, Krabi, Thailand

My first clue that this is no ordinary resort comes when a speed-boat pulls up and a call goes out in our names. We slip through the crowded...

Chiang Mai Riverside, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Visiting this brand new hotel in its opening week, we sensed that it is aimed squarely at a new kind of visitor to Chiang Mai - those not ne...

Hotel Muse, Bangkok, Thailand

French hotel stalwart Accor has introduced one of its MGallery of individual concept hotels to Bangkok in the form of boutique property Hote...

Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The quintessential vision of Thailand – stepped towers, intricately crafted stupas, reclining buddhas and a skyline of chedi towers exists i...

Shangri-La Bangkok, Thailand

On the banks of the Chao Praya River stands this majestic hotel synonymous with Bangkok luxury. The Shangri-la is a stalwart of the Asian ho...

Peninsula, Bangkok, Thailand

We guarantee you’ll gasp out loud as your beautiful, clasped-handed hostesses and army of butlers check you in (in-room) to heaven on the 37...