Travel in city Bangkok

Google has long let hotels buy ads at the top of its search results. Yet these paid ads have only shared generic, static information about a property. Google said Monday it had changed that by allowing hotels to add “rich data” — such as real-time rates, images, and user-review star ratings.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer in first class or it’s a distant dream, the experience may soon be coming to an end worldwide.

I happened to be on vacation in Bangkok when the results of the annual World's 50 Best Hotels were announced a few weeks ago.

Houston residents will have a new option to Tokyo when budget airline Zipair launches new flights for as low as $333 one way beginning next March. Zipair, a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, will connect Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport and Tokyo’s Narita Airport four-days-a-week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from March 4, 2025, the airport announced Wednesday. The nearly 14-hour flights will be on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners with 18 lie-flat business class seats and 272 economy seats. The under-$400 fare comes as a big savings compared to other airlines on the Houston-Tokyo route. All Nippon Airways (ANA) and United Airlines both offer daily flights with airfares starting at $595 one way for a basic, no-frills ticket next March. Prices climb quickly after that. “We look forward to welcoming new and seasoned travelers to take advantage of our fully customizable travel experience, including complimentary Wi-Fi service” Shingo Nishida, President of ZipairTokyo, said in the announcement. The promotional $333 fare is available for sale on ZIPAIR’s website through Nov. 30.

When Josef Woodman's shoulder gave out in 2012 — strained from chopping firewood on his farm outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina — he said he was quoted between $2,400 and $3,200 for an MRI at Duke University Hospital.

Gulf Air is gearing up for significant expansion as it grows its network and strengthens its position in the hyper-competitive Middle East market. 

A year ago, Mandarin Oriental appointed Laurent Kleitman as Group CEO. Now, the venerable luxury hotel brand is poised for what it hopes will be accelerated growth — without sacrificing the attention to detail that has made it a favorite among the global elite.

Oman Air hopes to finalize its membership in the global airline alliance, Oneworld, sometime in the second quarter of next year, CEO Con Korfiatis said.

Koh Samui was voted one of The Top Islands in the World in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. To find out all the winning islands, read here.

Travelers to the northern provinces of Thailand have long been drawn by two things — elephant camps and campy temples. The most famous examples of each are within or near the 13th-century city of Chiang Rai, where the Wat Rong Khun, or White Temple, stands as an artist’s parable of the world’s ills, as depicted in the form of pop culture villains and other icons of kitsch. (If crossing a sea of grasping arms at the entrance doesn’t terrify you, beware the Freddy Krueger-themed hanging planters.) Chiang Rai is also where the Emerald Buddha, a national treasure now housed in Bangkok’s Grand Palace, was reportedly discovered in 1434. According to legend, a bolt of lightning cracked the stupa in which it had been hidden years prior.

Aman is well known for its ultraluxury resorts and hotels found in some of the world's favorite cities, like Tokyo and Venice, Italy, as well as destinations as close as Utah and as far as Phuket, Thailand.

Luxury hospitality company Four Seasons is wowing travelers with a brand-new around-the-world private jet trip from California back to Canada, touching on three different continents.

Thailand is a perennial favorite for its tropical islands, mountainous north, and ornate pagodas. These startling landscapes are quite literally back in the limelight since Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui have been confirmed as the filming locations for the third season of HBO’s White Lotus, tipping Thailand as the hottest destination for 2025. If past plots are anything to go by, you might feel more comfortable vacationing away from the hotels. These showstopping Airbnbs in Thailand are free from drama and high in red-carpet luxury.

Leaving the shores of Sicily, season three of HBO’s White Lotus is being filmed in Thailand. If you’re dreaming of a stylish beach vacation White Lotus style (minus the murder, scams, and sleeping around), you’re in luck because Unforgettable Travel, a premier luxury travel company, has just launched a White Lotus Thailand tour from Bangkok to the stunning island of Koh Samui.

Thailand is a popular destination for tourists from around the world. The country, especially popular with digital nomads, attracted more than 11 million foreign visitors in 2022, most of whom go to relax on tropical beaches, have a cultural experience at Buddhist temples, or soak in the energy of bustling cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Elivaas, a tech-driven luxury villa and apartment management Indian startup, has secured $5 million in a funding round led by Bengaluru-based 3one4 Capital, with participation from Peak XV’s Surge and other angel investors. 

Sep 16, 2024 • 10 min read

Daytime Bangkok is an industrial opera—flashing tuks-tuks, hectic motorbikes, and dogged taxis whizz by the end of a side street, creating a soundtrack of car horns and engines, which then layer onto an Adele playlist blasting out of one of the many gay bars along Silom Soi 4 road. But hidden at the very end, where the noise of the traffic becomes a dull hum, is the Stranger Bar, its black facade bleeding into the other buildings on either side. Come nightfall, a quick metamorphosis begins—it's nondescript no more as the crowds funnel in, waiting for the night’s five drag acts to dazzle inside the bar-cum-threater.

Maldives-focused airline Beond is a largely unknown startup.

Thailand expects nearly 36 million foreign tourists this year, surpassing its initial target of 35 million. This growth is a positive sign for the country’s tourism economy, with foreign tourism revenue projected to reach THB 1.8 trillion ($53 billion).

Nearly 80% of people across Asia don’t want to travel with any cash to their destination, according to Prateek Sanghi, head of Visa Consulting and Analytics for Asia Pacific.