Bangkok –  A total of 95 tour operators and media delegates in the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) signed up for a specialist selection of nine pre- and post-tours organised to highlight the best of Thailand’s niche-market products and services.

The tours were carefully packaged and organised in the form of ready-made itineraries, which tour operators can start selling virtually instantly. They included everything from luxury yacht trips and visits to the famous Royal projects to experiencing a massage by Thai visually-impaired people, as well as opportunities to learn how to make Thai crafts and herbal products.

Of the 51 bookings received for four pre-tours before the TTM+, the largest number were for “Wellbeing and Being Well” tours (18), followed by “Thainess through Culinary” (16), “Thainess through Traditional Trading Street” (10), and “Grace and Grandeur in Rattanakosin” (7).

After the TTM+, 44 participants went on five post-tours starting as of 7June. The largest bookings were for “Old Kingdoms, New Perspectives Chiang Rai – Chiang Saen – Chiang Khong” and “Tying Knots and Honeymoon on an Idyllic Island Samui – Ko Tao – Ko Nang Yuan” (13 each), “Pinnacles of Southern Luxury Phuket – Khao Lak – Phang Nga” (11), “Green and Organics in an Ancient Kingdom Chiang Mai” (6), and “Learn, Relax and Rejuvenate Bangkok – Nakhon Pathom” (1).

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said, “These popular tours are always booked out well in advance. In line with our strategy to promote “Thainess” as our unique selling proposition, we put a lot of time and effort into researching these itineraries to ensure that they could suit a variety of customer preferences, time and budget requirements.”

Here are a few details of each:

Pre tours (all one-day):

1) Grace and Grandeur in Rattanakosin; Visit the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Audience Hall, Reception Hall and Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.

2) Wellbeing and Being Well; Visit the “Chetawan Retreat Resort”, a Thai traditional healthcare resort with various activities that ranged from Thai massage, foot massage and oil massage, Thai herbal steaming, meditation, Thai ascetic self-stretching, aquatic exercise, healthy food and other recreation programmes.

3) Thainess through Culinary; Visit the “Baipai Thai Cooking School”, with its real hands-on teaching methods. Participants had a chance to prepare, cook and enjoy fine Thai cuisine under the care of experienced professional instructors.

4) Thainess through Traditional Trading Street; Enjoy walking and shopping at Bangkok’s bustling trading streets (Yaowarat, Sampheng Wholesale Market, Phahurat Little India, and Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market).

For post-tours, five itineraries were organised, all of three-day, two-night durations:

1) Old Kingdoms, New Perspectives Chiang Rai – Chiang Saen – Chiang Khong: Visit the Doi Tung Royal Villa (Pra Tamnak Doi Tung), former residence of the Late Princess Mother (mother of H.M. King Bhumibhol Adulyadej), walk through the Mae Fah Luang Gardens, visit the Golden Triangle and the Opium Museum, with its extensive history of opium around the world.  Take a boat trip along Mekong River to view the borderline scenery of Myanmar, Thailand and Lao PDR.

2) Green and Organics in an Ancient Kingdom Chiang Mai: Explore the breathtaking environment at Mae Kam Pong Village surrounded by lush forest, and enjoy trekking to the waterfall. Visit Doi Inthanon National Park with the highest peak of Thailand, and visit the Royal Agricultural Research Station to learn the concept of sustainable development management pioneered by H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Also visit Mae Klang Luang Village, a Karen tribal community-based tourism project and enjoy a Thai massage by visually-impaired people at the Chiang Mai Blind Massage Association.

3) Learn, Relax and Rejuvenate Bangkok – Nakhon Pathom: Visit the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, one of Bangkok’s least visited floating markets. At Sampran Riverside, an organic farm tour shows how vegetables, fruits and herbs are grown free of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Take in a traditional cooking class, give early morning alms to the monks, and participate in workshops to learn how to make Thai crafts and herbal products.

4) Pinnacles of Southern Luxury Phuket – Khao Lak – Phang Nga: Inspect Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, a unique destination for amateur sports enthusiasts. Visit Phuket old town with architecture in the Sino-Portuguese style, the Phuket Thai Hua Museum, and the Phuket Trickeye Museum, the first trick eye 3D museum in Southern Thailand. Board a luxury yacht to Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park, and visit Santhiya Ko Yao Yai Resort and Spa, winner of the Best Luxury Hideaway Resort. Inspect Casa de la flora Khao Lak Resort, with its 36 cube-shaped villas.

5) Tying the Knot and a Honeymoon on an Idyllic Island Samui – Ko Tao – Ko Nang Yuan: Ko Tao (Tao Island) known for the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand. Dinner at Tarua Samui Seafood Bar and Restaurant and the nightlife at Chaweng Beach. Inspect Six Senses Spa, the Melati Spa, lunch at the Khao Hom Restaurant and shop at the Central Festival Samui.