Dream Destinations: Hotels in Phuket and Phang Nga, Thailand

Hello everyone and welcome to my annual month of madness where I attempt to write almost daily with an A to Z challenge. So drumroll my ABC theme reveal for 2022 is Dream Destinations: The A to Z of best hotels and resorts in Phuket and Phang Nga. 

I love to stay in hotels, especially when affordable luxury has been so readily available here. We have now stayed at 150 hotels and resorts across the Kingdom since 2020. Someone once called me Thailand’s Staycation Queen and the name stuck!

Why Hotel Staycations?

In 2019 I won an International Bloggers Competition awarded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The winners’ trip connected me with rural community tourism and gave me the direction to offer an English-speaking voice for those in need, ranging from Thailand Village Academy to elephant tourism.

When Covid struck and Thai tourism closed, I was no longer invited into the paddy fields or mangrove swamps and found my new home in the luxury hotel market! 

Bangkok Staycations 2020

At the time of our initial Bangkok lockdown, in March 2020 the Thai government issued advice to stay and work at home. From our apartment on the 31st floor of a Sukhumvit tower block, we had a bird’s eye view of the city and could see the empty soi streets below. 

The pandemic advice was well heeded, and the population of the city diminished as businesses shut and those that could fled home to a cheaper life in the provinces. Oh, how I missed my family weatherboard house in Australia, my garden, and the dog but we stayed for my husband’s work.

Our coping mechanism was simple. Every Saturday night we drove the car which sat idle in the garage directly to a hotel and switched self-isolating in our apartment for the same at an exquisite Bangkok hotel! For more see Our Best Bangkok Staycations

Genius, if a bit Titanic’esque as we were often the only guests there! The more we did this, the more we connected with hoteliers and their staff who were so appreciative of our visits.

The Siam, Bangkok

Hotels without guests are like schools without kids, they are not meant to be like this! Soulless and empty, I resolved to do my bit to encourage others to staycation. I wrote my Love Letter to the Hoteliers of Bangkok.

Many Bangkok hotels closed their doors at this time. We knew however that every bed we slept in, every meal that we ate, every suitcase that was delivered to our room was a job for someone.

We felt blessed by full employment and we said it was our duty to go away every weekend and share the love!

Our staycations felt like a win-win for everyone, even behind masks we could see the indomitable spirit here in the Land of Smiles!

Phuket Staycations 2021

In December 2020 we went to Phuket for Christmas, International borders were closed but domestic travel was possible. In January 2021 Thailand’s second wave led the Government to issue a further ‘do not travel, work from home’ mandate and Thailand’s emergency decree continued.

Mr Wren and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and said we’d better stay in Phuket.

We were extremely fortunate that our Bangkok landlord had a villa in Phuket. The deal was we carried on paying the big Baht for our Bangkok apartment and in addition paid a nominal rental for a beach villa that under normal conditions we could never afford! AND every weekend we continued to staycation.

We lived the entire year in this way, extending week by week as my husband’s company along with many others, never fully reopened their office. Our working from the beach stretched from a few weeks to an entire year. 

In Jan 2022 we packed up, moved out, and for the time being are based in Phuket.

Won’t you come for a wander with me?

I can’t wait to show you around this glorious island and beyond, that has captivated our hearts. I first arrived in Thailand over thirty years ago, and have now lived here for six years.

Phuket now reminds me of the 1980s when the beaches were empty and the wildlife returned.

It has been gorgeous, but sad in human terms. Without tourists businesses were forced to close, jobs were lost, and people were hungry. Life bag food deliveries, were very much part of the way of life here to support the locals.

Little Wandering Wren

Ninety-three percent of my first one hundred hotel stays were funded by ourselves. Hotels were offering unbelievable deals and they needed our support. Whilst this may not be the typical way that some might operate in this market, I sleep easy at night doing things my way.

It was our way to contribute towards Phuket, in appreciation for all we received. When you are one of only a handful of guests, or even in some instances the only guests, you get beautifully looked after!

I am delighted to share these hotel stays with you over the next month. My hope is that you will enjoy them either virtually from the comfort of your own armchair, you will delight in getting to know these islands a little better, or that it will inspire you to one day visit Thailand.

This could be you too!

Diamond Resort, Phuket

Visiting Thailand in 2022

The rules on entering Thailand are updated frequently. We hope the pandemic is declared endemic soon. For fully vaccinated international arrivals you can view the latest travel arrangements for Thailand’s reopening here.

I’m excited to share with you my A to Z of incredible resort destinations in Phuket and Phang-Nga. Who’s excited to join me? Please ask any questions below.

See you tomorrow!

PS If you would like more information on the 2022 Blogging from A to Z and even better if you would like to join us, you can find full details here. Thank you to the organisers.

Linking with thanks to Sharon at Sharon’s Souvenirs!