Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit: a grand revival on Soi 20

From the tired old Windsor Suites to Thailand’s first Fairmont, this Sukhumvit landmark has put on its finest clothes. Roderick Eime tries it on for size.

Images: supplied

Bangkok has no shortage of five-star hotels, and a new opening would normally earn little more than a polite nod and a “what now?” from the city’s weary old hands. But the freshly minted Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit stopped me in my tracks, and not only because I once knew the building as something rather less glamorous.

Thailand’s Andaman Coast Is Back: Where to Go, What to Book, and How to Plan It

When the monsoon swells finally settle, the Andaman Sea turns the colour of sea glass and Thailand’s west coast wakes up. That is happening right now. The Similan Islands in Phang Nga reopened on 15 October after five months of closure due to the rains, and more than 1,300 people showed up on day one to see the granite boulders and white-sand beaches. Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le reopened to visitors on 1 October. By December, the dry season should be fully in place.

Vana Nava Water Jungle: a family holiday at your own pace

Waterslides for the grandchildren, a leisurely float for you, and time together between adventures. Hua Hin’s jungle-themed water park has the makings of a rewarding holiday for all ages.

The most persuasive reason to visit a water park may well be holding your hand. Grandchildren have a way of making an afternoon of slides and splashing sound considerably more appealing than it did over breakfast.

Famous International Films Shot in Thailand

Thailand’s international filmography includes some of the most recognisable productions of the past five decades. These projects vary widely in genre and scale, but together they demonstrate the country’s long-standing relationship with global cinema.

The Vanishing of Jim Thompson: The Silk King Who Walked Into the Jungle and Never Came Back

 

The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson in Southeast Asia

An American millionaire, a misty Malaysian hill station, a casual afternoon walk—and then nothing. More than half a century later, Jim Thompson’s disappearance still feels less like a missing-person case and more like a locked-room mystery staged by the jungle itself.

The Cameron Highlands were wrapped in mist that Easter Sunday, as if the mountains themselves had decided to keep a secret. It was March 26, 1967, and the jungle above Tanah Rata breathed in its usual slow, ancient rhythm. Ferns clung to the slopes. Orchids flashed like small, impossible flames among the trees. Somewhere beyond the garden paths and tea estates, birds called and insects buzzed in the damp afternoon air. To most visitors, the place felt peaceful. To Jim Thompson, it must have felt familiar in a strange way: a green world full of texture, silence, and hidden movement.

Thailand’s rooftop bars turn sunset into the main event

There are sunset drinks, and then there are Thai sky bar sunsets with cheese, cava foam, tapas, infinity pools and wood-smoked Peking duck.

Across Thailand, three Meliá rooftop venues are giving golden hour a serious upgrade, each with its own flavour. In Chiang Mai, it is all about artisan Thai cheese and local wine. In Bangkok, Spanish-style social hours spill across a dramatic rooftop pool deck. In Pattaya, sunset comes with Gulf views and a Hong Kong-style Peking duck feast.

The Slate Phuket: industrial chic luxury on Nai Yang Beach

At Phuket’s quieter northern end, The Slate blends Bill Bensley’s audacious tin-mine design with family-friendly resort ease, memorable dining and a rare sense of seclusion close to Nai Yang Beach.

Words: Roderick Eime || Images: supplied

It is tempting, when writing about resorts, to reach for the same polished vocabulary that appears in every brochure and online review. Sanctuary. Oasis. Hideaway. Retreat. Most of the time, those words are merely decorative. At The Slate Phuket, however, they come closer than usual to the truth.