Destination Focus – Thailand
The land of smiles - stunning beaches, lush jungles, ornate temples and opulent palaces… this wonderful corner of South-East Asia is a both beautiful and magical country, its warmth only surpassed by that of its people. So, could the Kingdom of Thailand be the best place to host your next event?
Goho are no strangers to Thailand, with certain team members having been going regularly since the turn of the century. It’s no secret Thailand is host to an extensive array of incredible locations, whether it be the bustling streets of the capital city Bangkok, with its hundreds of skyscrapers seemingly stacked hickledy pickledy on top of each other, neon-clad alleyways with more twists and turns than a barrel full of snakes, or gleaming temples coated in gold, reflecting sunlight like laser beams onto the already melting cosmopolitan population below, all perhaps heading to the sprawling night markets, full of exotic and sometimes frightening street foods. Bangkok or ‘Krung Thep’ as Thai people call it, has it all.
Bangkok needs no introduction, a city which fuses modern infrastructure and ancient culture seamlessly, hot on everyone's top-ten list of best cities in the world, and guess what, a great place to host your event, from lavish 5-star accommodation with grand dining halls, purpose-built exhibition spaces to boutique hotels and secret hidden cocktail bars, no matter what your preference or budget, Bangkok caters to every need.
With regards to hosting events in Bangkok, transport links are world-class, with the Skytrain (BTS) or underground (MRT) covering most parts of the city, and also an extensive network of canals that shoot off the main river, occupied by thousands of boats going every which way possible, and if all else fails, an abundance of taxi's and tuk-tuk's await, more than happy to take you anywhere you want to go at all hours of the day.
Bangkok is home to infinite bars, restaurants, nightclubs and theatres, as well as boasting world-class exhibition spaces and convention centres such as the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre, and Impact Muang Thong Thani, claiming the biggest column-free exhibition hall on the entire planet!
If a major city isn’t the preferred location for your international off-site event, perhaps you would prefer one of its many beautiful tropical islands, showing off picture-perfect palm tree-lined, white sandy beaches. These too have no shortage of accommodation offerings, and the late-night party vibe of Phuket may just be the scene you are after. If not, perhaps one of the smaller islands with a much more laid-back and idyllic nature is more suitable, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from if a tropical paradise is the kind of environment you seek.
Having just returned from spending a month in Thailand, Goho can offer an exclusive insight into one such location, a private Yoga and wellness retreat in Koh Phangan with a stunning private beachfront location called ‘Bayshore’, offering unique wooden huts complementing the onsite bamboo Yoga studio and health food restaurant.
Bayshore is located on a small beach in the North of Koh Pha Ngan called Haad Khom, a few miles east of Chaloklum, a traditional fishing village. The owner ‘Bovy’ is an entrepreneurial native of Koh Pha Ngan, who has created a magical private experience for singles or groups within the Yoga community. The site's facilities include several en-suite beachfront villas, enough to house up to twenty people, perfectly integrated into the surrounding environment via the use of stone, bamboo and weathered wood. There is an on-site Yoga studio and restaurant serving healthy shakes and whole foods, the ingredients are grown and sourced locally, and dishes are made fresh daily, everything down to even the granola cereal and bread is homemade, top quality and most of all delicious.
When I approached Bovy and asked why she decided to create such a natural and beautiful sanctuary her answer was simple, she wanted to create something in stark contrast to all of the many luxury hotels cropping up in this tropical paradise, and Bovy wanted to offer something that helps the guests reconnect with nature, providing the best of what this small Thai island and her local team has to offer, with an emphasis on health and respect for planet earth.
If anyone has read the beach or seen the movie of the same name...they will be familiar with the type of retreat Bovy has tried creating here, free from the stresses of modern life, focusing on a simplistic lifestyle both in tune with and in respect of nature. Indeed, the Novel ‘The Beach’ was based on stories that circulated in the 60’s, of a secret beach community called ‘The Sanctuary’ (not to be confused with the current sanctuary wellness retreat) where people lived off the land in harmony with the planet, and many believe the sanctuary was right here in Koh Pha Ngan, founded by travellers on the hippy trail. There are traces of this hippy trail still in use today, such as the trek to bottle beach from Haad Khom, where hippies carved a trail through the jungle and left hanging glass bottles to mark the way. Koh Pha Ngan may not be today the spiritual mecca it once was, but no doubt about it, the hippy vibe is still strong here, and the very heart and soul of this beautiful island is one of peace and love and unity and always will be, symbolised by the geography itself - the island is in the shape of a heart.
Bovy’s Bayshore Retreat would serve itself well not only as an off-site event for team building exercises, with activities such as Yoga, meditation, trekking, kayaking and cookery classes but also, as a space for creating a beautiful event such as a wedding ceremony for example, with its pristine waters and idyllic private beachfront location, excellent restaurant and comfortable accommodation, all achievable on what would be a very minimal budget. We believe it would be an excellent choice for your special event. (Contact us if you would like to enquire).
There may be many small family-run businesses on the islands that could take care of your event's needs, but alternatively, why not head north to the cooler mountainous regions of the North, hosting beautiful smaller cities such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai with their beautiful temples, elephant sanctuaries and ancient ruins. Especially cheap, even for Thailand, the baht, Thailand’s national currency goes a long way. Whether it be a state-of-the-art sound system on hire to crank up the volume at your event, or a crate of cold beers, Thailand offers great value for money with excellent and affordable accommodation and air travel to boot.
