Hong Kong, 25 March, 2015 – Bangkok has been voted as the “Favourite City for Leisure in the Asia-Pacific” by readers of DestinAsian magazine, a leading travel and lifestyle magazine. The cosmopolitan capital of Thailand was recognised “for its vibrant mixture of historic sites and modern style.”
The Award was conferred at the annual “DestinAsian 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards Ceremony in Hong Kong on 11 March, 2015. It was accepted on behalf of the entire Thai travel and tourism industry by Mrs. Titiporn Manenate, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand office in Hong Kong, along with Mr. Pornthep Akravorakulchai, Head of the Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Civil Service Commission..
Nearly 4,000 readers participated in this year’s poll, which was conducted between August and October 2014. The voting process involved naming a winner in each of 35 different categories including hotels and resorts, service residences, spas, airlines, airports, and destinations.
![Mrs. Titiporn Manenate, Director, TAT Hong Kong Office (middle) and Mr. Pornthep Akaraworakulchai, Head of the Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Civil Service Commission accepting the award on behalf of the Thai travel and tourism industry.](https://www.tatnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/DestinAsian-Magazine-Awards-1.jpg)
“Our readers are world travellers, and they have the freedom to choose Paris or New York instead,” says DestinAsian publisher Ronald Liem. “That the winners in the global categories are kept at home just goes to show the amount of pride our readers have for their own region. The Asia-Pacific is truly one of the best places to travel in the world.”
Three Thai hotels were also top-ranked in the DestinAsian 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards, as follows:
Category | Winner |
Best Hotel in Bangkok | Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok |
Best Hotel in Ko Samui | Four Seasons Resort Ko Samui |
Best Hotel in Phuket | Banyan Tree Phuket |
Mr. Liem added, “Every year, we see consistent themes among what our readers value in their chosen winners. Everyone likes a beautiful room, and everyone likes to have their needs taken care of, to feel at home. Brands that do these things well have extremely loyal customers.
“There are so many resources now for travellers to research places before they go, and always so many new and especially boutique places to choose from. It speaks so highly of our winners that the most knowledgeable and discerning travelers keep returning to them again and again. These places really excel at what they do.”
Commenting on the award, TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said, “We thank all the readers of DestinAsian magazine who voted for Bangkok as their favourite city in the Asia-Pacific. Our historic capital city has undergone major transformation in recent years thanks to the influx of visitors, creative entrepreneurs and a talented young generation.
“The city boasts a huge variety of attractions for people of all ages and interests, at great value for money. Whether it is entertainment, delicious food, the high life, charming culture, or the friendly hospitality of its residents, Bangkok is a truly cosmopolitan city and a perfect mixture of the old and the new. No matter how the city has evolved over the centuries, it still retains things that have eternal appeal for foreign visitors, along with modern infrastructure and an extensive transport system.”
The full results will appear in the February/March 2015 print issue and be published online at its popular website www.destinasian.com.
Established in 2001, DestinAsian magazine has a print run of 35,300 copies and a readership of 105,000 per edition. DestinAsian is distributed in print in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
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