Travel magazine votes best tourist attractions – Thailand wins the championship

Travel Center / Taipei Report

Taiwan’s favorite travel destination, Thailand, has been awarded the Readers’ Choice Award by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Based on the opinions of 46,476 readers, Thailand claimed the top spot for tourist attractions. It also received high praise in other categories, including World’s Top City, Asia’s Top City, Best Island, and Favorite Resort Hotel.


▲ Thailand won first place for tourist attractions. (Photo / Provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand)

Evaluation factors such as shopping, atmosphere, and friendliness placed Bangkok 4th among the World’s Top Cities, just behind Florence, Italy, and ahead of other world-class destinations such as Vancouver, Sydney, and Buenos Aires. In the ranking of Asia’s Top Cities, Condé Nast readers voted Bangkok as No. 1, knocking out Hong Kong and Kyoto. Kyoto had ranked first in 2011, scoring highly in restaurants, accommodations, and culture. Readers also spoke highly of Chiang Mai, Thailand’s largest northern city and cultural hub, which ranked as the 5th city in Asia. The cities ranked ahead were Singapore and Japan’s cultural capital, Kyoto, while those that followed included Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Shifting from cities to coastal destinations, Thailand also earned high praise. Among Asia’s Top 10 Islands, Thailand claimed two spots in the top five. Phuket took second place, loved for its beautiful beaches (ranking as Asia’s second-best beach, only behind Indonesia’s Lombok) and abundant activities. Koh Samui ranked 5th among Asian islands, earning recognition for its scenery and wide range of accommodation options, just slightly behind Malaysia’s Langkawi, which came in 4th. It also ranked above Hokkaido in Japan. Other ranked islands include Luzon, Cebu, and Mindanao in the Philippines, as well as Borneo in Malaysia.


▲ Phuket’s beautiful beaches also received praise. (Photo / Provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand)

Perhaps the most competitive category in the Readers’ Choice survey was accommodations. Thailand has no shortage of quality options. Among Asia’s Top 15 Resort Hotels, Condé Nast readers commended four Thai hotels. These include Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, which ranked 5th and was also the 2nd most favored hotel in Southeast Asia, only behind the Sofitel Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Phuket had two hotels on the list: Anantara Phuket Villas ranked 7th (and was also the 3rd highest-ranked island hotel), and JW Marriott Phuket ranked 15th (tied with Grand Soluxe Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia). Another Thai hotel on the list was the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle Chiang Rai – described as a “simple yet enchanting lodge” – which ranked 11th among Asia’s Best Hotels.