Five of Asia’s most loved destinations of 2017 are in Thailand, according to a poll of the top 25 taken by the popular international travel website TripAdvisor, which has recently released its Travellers’ Choice listings for the year.
The southern resort islands of Phuket, Ko Samui and Ko Tao and the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai were all named in the Top 25 of the Best Destinations in Asia for 2017. Phuket took 3rd place with Samui and Ko Tao coming in the 7th and 15th place, respectively. Ever-popular Bangkok was 8th on the list and Chiang Mai came 12th.
These five destinations appear regularly at the top of the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, which are established based on the quantity and quality of travellers’ reviews and ratings on the TripAdvisor website gathered over the previous 12-month period.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “Phuket, Ko Samui and Ko Tao offer some of Asia’s best beaches and are tropical paradises where tourists can enjoy warm water and swaying palms while looking forward to a seafood dinner. In contrast, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are Thailand’s most bustling cities with amazing shopping, culture, food and history. There are unique experiences for everyone in Thailand, and we are delighted that TripAdvisor travellers enjoy these destinations year-after-year.”
Phuket which is also rated 10th for Best in the World, was praised by the TripAdvisor travellers for its “blue lagoons and salmon sunsets”, while Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand is unique in being a place where you explore the local culture and fishing communities. Ko Tao, also in the Gulf of Thailand, was reviewed as a paradise with “300 days of sun per year” which invites “long afternoons of lounging”.
Bangkok, which has long been one of the world’s most popular cities, was loved by TripAdvisor travellers for its “golden palaces, floating markets and majestic porcelain-laid spires.” Meanwhile, Chiang Mai was recommended for its sprawling night market, ancient city temples and fragrant botanical gardens.
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site and gathers advice and reviews from millions of travellers from around the world, covering seven million hotels and types of accommodation, restaurants and attractions. The website reaches 390 million monthly visitors in 49 worldwide markets.
