2014 Bangkok Travel Updates

2014 Bangkok Travel Updates

MICE: Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibition industry has seen the remarkable growth and exciting development in the year 2014 with new tourism and business facilities coming up around the city, including modern mass transit system, tourist attractions, venues and facilities that are now more than ready to welcome the discerning business travelers from all over the world.
The capital city of Thailand, Bangkok is considered one of the most dynamic and vibrant city in Asian region and is regarded as the regional hub of trade, business, finance, shopping, leisure, lifestyle, fashion, culture, and also travel and tourism. And now it has been poised to become the city centre of MICE in Thailand.
Development of facilities to accommodate business travelers include:

New Hotels in Bangkok

Bangkok still sees new development of various ranges of hotels in 2014, especially upscale properties are opening in Ploenchit/Sukhumvit area with 63 per cent of the total hotel supply and in Silom/Sathorn area accounted for 22 per cent while the Riverside area accounted for 15 per cent.
New hotel opennings in 2013-2014 include:
- Radisson Blu Plaza, a five-star property with 290 rooms on Sukhumwit Road
- Park Hyatt Central Embassy Bangkok, a five-star property with 222 rooms at Ploenchit
- Le MeridienSuvarnabhumi, a five-star property with 214 rooms on Bangna highway
- Amara Hotel, a 4-star hotel with 250 rooms on Surawong Road
- Holiday Inn Express Bangkok, a three-star hotel with 161 rooms on Sathorn Road.
- U Sukhumwit Bangkok, a 4-star boutique property with 82 rooms on Sukhumwit road
- GLOW Sukhumvit 16 Bangkok, a midscale hotel with 100 rooms, on Asoke-Sukhumwit
- Grand Swiss Sukhumwit 11 Hotel, a five-star property with 144 rooms, on Sukhumwit Road.
- Holiday Inn Express Sathorn, a four-star property with 184 rooms, on Sathorn areas
- Bizotel Place Bangkok, a 3-star property with 30 rooms in Pratunam areas.
- Marriott Hotel & Executive Apartments, Sukhumvit, 370 rooms
- CentaraWatergate Pavillion Hotel, Pratunam, a five-star property with 281 rooms
- Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, located in SoiSukhumwit 24, it feature 280 luxury guest rooms.
- Holiday Inn Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel, located on SoiSukhumvit 22, features 300 rooms.
- DoubleTree by Hilton, located in SoiSukhumvit 26, features 177 luxury guest rooms.

MICE Venues & Space

- According to the statistics of Thai Hotels Association, Bangkok has a total of 299 hotels and 59,824 rooms in the city centre alone. Upscale hotels centered around business and commercial areas along the BTS routes and MRT subway lines including Silom, Sathorn as well as Chao Phraya riverside, with convenient access to luxury shopping malls and tourist attractions.  .

- Bangkok has a total of 7 world-class convention and exhibition centres, with a total of 105,306 square metres of floor space.
There are seven convention and exhibition centres in Bangkok which include:
1. Impact Arena, Exhibition and Convention at Muang Thong Thani (60,000 sq.m)
2. Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) (19,200 sq.m)
3. Royal Paragon Hall Exhibition & Convention Centre (12,000 sq.m)
4. Bangkok Convention Centre & Central World (5,250 sq.m)
5. Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) (4,610 sq.m)
6. Bangkok Convention Centre (2,506 sq.m)
7. Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall (1,740 sq.m)

New Shopping Malls

Luxury shopping malls are sprouting up all over Bangkok, especially along the BTS line, Sukhumwit route which will see high-end shopping malls added up to already existing malls. Among the new opennings include:
- Central Group’s Central Embassy has been introduced earlier this year as the first-ever ultra-luxury lifestyle mall boasting an impressive collection of high-end designer stores, fine-dining restaurants, cinema screens, and a six-star hotel.
- Terminal 21: the shopping mall withcutting-edge concept that places several world-famous cities under one roof. Visitors can wander around a maze of shops in Tokyo City, sauntering down London’s Carnaby Street, bagging a bargain in an Istanbul zouk, or shopping for something to fill your growling stomach at the Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
- Gateway Ekamai: Japanese-style shopping mall on Sukhumwit Road
- Rain Hill Community Mall, located on Sukhumvit 49, is an eco-friendly shopping mall
- whichfocuses on independent eateries and boutique fashion stores. It is half way between Thong Lor and PhromPhong BTS stations,
- Siam Square One: new shopping mall opposite Siam Paragon
- Digital Gateway, situated on Ploenchit Road, features futuristic design to create a digital lifestyle centre for displaying the latest IT gadgets as well as hosting IT-related events and activities.
- Central Rama IX: a ‘one-stop lifestyle entertainment shopping’ concept to the Ratchadapisek area.
- Mega Bangna: opened in 2012, Mega Bangna is Located half way between Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the centre of Bangkok and is the largest low-rise shopping mall with 35,000 square metres known as the home of IKEA.
- IKEA, the world-famous Swedish furniture brand, brings its minimalist design to Thai homes. Its 43,000sqm warehouse and showroom space on Bangna-Trad Road displays more than 7,500 furniture and home décor accessories for bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens outdoors and much more.
- The Mall Group’s EmQuartieror Emporium 2 / Emsphereor Emporium 3 now under construction and are expected to open in 2015.

New Attractions in Bangkok

- Asiatique the Riverfront by the bank of Chao Phraya river on Charoen Krung road, which features over 1,500 boutiques and 40 restaurants housed under a huge replica warehouse complex, it is becoming a new landmark along the Chao Phraya river with world-class nightly entertainment that’s presents uniquely Thai performance such as Calypso ladyboy cabaret, a classic Thai puppets performance; and the extravaganza Muay Thai, the Legend Lives performance.
- Icon Siam, the 50-billion investment project by three mega investors Siam Piwat, Magnolia Quality Development and Charoen Pokphand, is set to open in 2017. The condominium-topped project will reach 40- and 70-stories high on 80,000 square meters of land on Charoen Nakhon Road.It will consist of two large malls, a convention hall and a condominium. Icon Siam is expected to be the next destination-attraction for consumer citizens and tourists alike.

New Infrastructure

The present Bangkok mass transit system comprises two major types of metros: 1) the elevated BTS system or the so-called Skytrain and 2) the underground MRT subway. Besides the mass transit rail systems, Bangkok also offers various other commuting options including Airport Rail Link, BRT Bus, monorail, suburban rail system. They are supported by taxis, buses, water buses, vans and even motorcycle taxis.
- BTS skytrain israpidly expanding to the outskirts of Bangkok. Sukhumwit route (Green Line) is expanding from Baering station towards the east of Bangkok inSamutprakarn and due for completion in late 2015. While the Blue Line extension will connect Bang Sue to Tao Poon (open 2015), Tao Poon - ThaPhra and HuaLamphong - Lak Song (due in 2017).

- MRT Subway: Expansion for another 23 km. is underway onPurple Line from Tao Pun - PhraNangklao - Bang Yai and is due to open in 2016.


- Airport Rail Link:  28 km elevated line with 8 stations from Phraya Thai via Makkasan/City-Terminal to Suvarnabhumi Airport shared with special non-stop airport express which departs from Makkasan/City-Terminal, opened for commercial operation on 23 August 2010.

- BRT Bus (Bangkok's Bus Rapid Transit system)are the buses with their own lane and can travel faster than regular buses. The BRT currently consists of one line that travels from Sathorn close to Chong Nonsi BTS station, along the sharp bend of the Chao Phraya river to Ratchapruek station.


- Monorail:Yellow monorail Line connects LatPhrao – Bangkapi – Samrong

- Suburban Rail System linking Bang Sue - Taling Chan for 15km, opened in late 2012 with 3 stations in service.