Bangkok Thailand named best city in the world ... again!

At this time every year, people rush to their mailboxes to check if the new issue of Travel + Leisure magazine has arrived. Because they want to check the magazine's annual 'World’s Best Awards'.


Well, at the risk of being a spoilsport, I'm going spoil the surprise for you by announcing the results now. Here. Today.

For the second time, Bangkok has clinched the No. 1 spot as World's Best City, jing jing.


Now, just in case you're not familiar with these awards, no, they're not run and sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand or the Bangkok Metropolitan whatever ... these are genuinely independent worldwide awards which take in ratings from readers of Travel + Leisure’s international editions including the USA, Southeast Asia, Turkey, China, South Asia and Mexico.


So as a result, they are highly coveted.


Hotels in Thailand scored highly on the list of Top 100 Hotels Overall (best hotel in the world), with the magic-kingdom-in-a-rice-paddy Mandarin Oriental Dhara Devi in Chiang Mai coming in at no. 7. The Peninsula Bangkok on the fabled Chao Phraya river also made the list. The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi was also voted Asia's second favourite resort, while in the city hotels category for Asia, The Peninsula Bangkok came home at no. 4. 

The best city hotel in Asia was judged to be the legendary Mandarin Oriental Bangkok nestling on the banks of the river as it has done for over 135 years. We should assume then that it is also the best city hotel in Thailand?


Not to be outdone in the Best International Airline category, Thailand also scored highly with Thai Airways International flying smooth as silk at No. 9.


For full results, check your mailbox on August 1 for your subscription copy of T+L again. Better still, as I'm first with the news here anyway, just cancel your subscription and send me the money instead.

Bangkok and Chiang Mai voted Best Cities in the World

In Travel + Leisure magazine's World's Best Awards announced today, Bangkok regains the top spot it last won in 2008 as the world's best city.

And Chiang Mai is snapping at its heels in the number two spot. Jing Jing!

No surprises there for me. (Of course if you asked me, I'd say the order was back to front but I don't want Chiang Mai to be spoiled by the fame.)

 To clarify, the voting was done before the recent upheavals, but now that things are normalised again, Bangkok is back to its usual bubbling brilliance anyway.

 Meanwhile, the Peninsula Bangkok was named as Asia’s number 1 city hotel (number 7 globally), with strong showings by the Four Seasons Resort in Chiang Mai (27), and the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Devi in Chiang Mai (45).