What 15 of our customers thought of Pattaya...

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A huge and massive thank you to Harriet and Lucas for arranging and creating such an amazing holiday. It was beautifully orchestrated and every step from flights to hotels was seamless. It was a truly amazing experience and my friend has waxed lyrical about the Anantara in Bangkok but for us both the chance to see Vietnam through the tour was incredible. From an initial email which provided scant detail you created our dream holiday advising on the best time to go where to fly to first and on every count your advice made all the difference.

Great service thanks, we will be back in touch shortly for next year’s adventure.

Excellent from start to finish

You made everything easy for me so that I could just get on the plane without worrying about anything because your team had taken care of everything

Have been with you a long time now and consider myself a loyal customer. Nicky is great - very good at her job. I would not thimk there is anyone better than her

Great holiday many thanks - your partner Destination Asia is a bit chaotic (we had drivers turning up on the wrong day for trips) but it didn't stop us from getting to do all the things we wanted to. The Centara adults - only pool was a real lifesaver as it was remote from the family pool and had its own bar. Will definitely consider Thailand again

Well done. 5 stars

We were guided through all the flight changes and reassured all would be well, and it was.

Qatar Airways economy very good with comfort similar to BA premium and food was surprisingly very good. Q suite back was exceptional. Would defo recommend Kiriwong Valley to anyone who wants somewhere off the main tourist trail

Great service

First class service

The transfer time for the Bangkok to Heathrow was far too short and we ended up sprinting to get to our gate

Nothing could have been improved. All queries answered promptly and sympathetically. Flights perfect.

Callum was excellent. I'll use him again. Unfortunately the second week of our holiday was a washout in monsoon rain but that hasn't dampened our spirits too much. We will be in touch again!

I will use again soon. Many thanks

Thailand rediscovered

Thailand's all grown up

Full Moon partygoers of yesteryear have rediscovered Thailand… and are bringing their kids along too, says Frank Barrett

I first visited Thailand at the end of the Seventies when I was invited to Pattaya Beach by Thai Airways to hear about plans to introduce Boeing 747 jets on the London to Bangkok route.

Around the hotel grounds were elephants decked out in Thai Airways livery: jumbos advertising jumbo jets. It was the first time I had seen elephants in their natural environment!

These days when people want to reach a tropical Thai beach they get on a plane for a short hop to Koh Samui or Phuket. In those days, it took a two-hour drive south from Bangkok to Pattaya (the drive was down a road so bad it made the B4326 look like the M1). This was my first experience of the Far East and probably as good an introduction as you could hope for.

By 1979, US servicemen on leave in the Far East were enjoying Pattaya Beach's extraordinary, edgy nightlife; the characteristic excesses of Thai entertainment were firmly established here. It was the place where The Beach's author, Alex Garland, would have been in seventh heaven.

I'm not clear why there was such a large US presence in Thailand at the end of the Seventies but the bar and club owners were clearly grateful.

Away from the strip, hotel developers were building resort hotels which at this time seemed to serve a market of affluent Parisians.

They have moved on but Pattaya remains a fun-loving place: the Costa del Sol of South East Asia. But there are interesting developments east of Pattaya, along the coast towards the border with Cambodia.

Cassia Phuket

Typical of the different style is Centara Q Resort Rayong, a boutique resort set on quiet Laem Mae Phim beach on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand.

there are 41 modern rooms in a resort designed to provide an intimate, beachfront getaway three hours' drive from Bangkok.

A number of other less well known Thai places are also beginning to be discovered by UK travellers, including Khanom, Koh Kood and Koh Phangan.

Koh Phangan is one of the many Thai resorts that has completed the journey from backpacker hang-out to upmarket resort.

Once known as the ultimate party destination thanks to its hedonistic scene and guest appearance in The Beach, the island has emerged as stylish and elegant.

The Anantara Rasananda on Koh Phangan is one of the Thai properties which makes the link between Koh Phangan's boisterous past and its more mellow present. Many guests have been here before, in their wilder days, but are now happily settled in their 30s, often with kids in tow.

Those hot, heady affairs still take place on Haad Rin beach, 30 minutes from the hotel, but now many people seek this more refined island option.

If you're looking for a more affordable Thai beach break, the Cassia Phuket lies on the unspoilt Bangtao Beach. Those looking to relax can choose to take a dip in the chic infinity pool or indulge in a massage and pampering session at the Chill Chill Spa.

At Market 23 Cafe, guests can socialise over a cup of coffee and takeaway snacks and meals including fresh fruit juices, daily smoothies, organic pro-biotic yogurt, light sandwiches, freshly prepared salads, and savoury and sweet pies.

Alternatively, guests can buy fresh ingredients to recreate their favourite dishes in their apartment. You can also order from local restaurants or take away directly from street vendors.

First published in the Mail on Sunday - June 2016

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