Khon Kaen in north-east Thailand may be your next emerging destination not least because of its proximity to Indochina and South China, writes Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
A recent boost in marketing and promotional efforts to raise Khon Kaen’s visibility might help the province gain more traction among international corporate and meeting planners.
One of the largest cities in Thailand’s north-eastern region, and more commonly referred to as Isaan, Khon Kaen has steadily risen as a domestic MICE destination in recent years. But trade players are hopeful that with its growing flight connections and geographic location near Indochina and South China, Khon Kaen will become a strong contender for the international MICE business.
In 2013, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) signed an MoU with Khon Kaen to promote the province as the fifth MICE City in Thailand – the others being Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
This was followed by the implementation last June of the four-year Provincial Development Model (2014-2017) that mapped out key strategies to reach outlined goals.
In 2013, Khon Kaen’s MICE industry generated US$33.9 million in revenue from 692,292 local and international visitors, according to TCEB.
Pornthip Hirunkate, managing director, Destination Asia Thailand, opined: “The popularity of Khon Kaen is certainly growing and there is great potential for it to develop along with Isaan in general as a MICE destination, especially with its close proximity to Laos. Journeys can continue north into Vientiane and access to southern Isaan is just a two-hour drive from Bangkok.”
She added: “There is great capacity for Isaan to grow as a MICE destination with the Chinese market looking for experiential events and more authentic encounters. It has a developed infrastructure and there is plenty of accessibility throughout the region via LCCs.”
At the same time, a growing selection of boutique hotels in Khon Kaen offers “more authentic Thai experiences”, Pornthip pointed out.
Concurred Thanavalai Laorauvirodge of Supanniga Home, a four-key boutique resort in Khon Kaen: “Supanniga Home is a unique property that is suitable for a niche portion of the market. We have hosted functions for global companies in which the executives spend the day doing workshops and attend meetings in our garden.”
He continued: “We have seen more interest and bookings for high-end MICE events for the past two years, and we expect this will only continue to grow.
“Most of our MICE clients are from domestic offices of international companies.”
Growing MICE demand has led the 48-key Wishing Tree Resort to expand its meeting facilities to accommodate an additional 200-300 pax and afford MICE groups the possibilities to organise outdoor activities at its riverside location, according to resort manager Pasuta Sukmanop.
But while prospects generally appear positive for Khon Kaen, the province needs to diversify its attractions and MICE feeder markets, according to industry members. The meeting demand is still predominantly domestic, with government meetings and academic seminars comprising the bulk of MICE business in Khon Kaen, they said.
“Some 80 per cent of our MICE business is from the government sector, typically larger-scale meetings lasting two to three days to a week, while the remaining 20 per cent is from the corporate sector, usually smaller-scale meetings of between 50 and 100 pax, ranging from pharmaceutical to automobile companies hosting dinners for their regional salespersons,” said Sirikwan Tesarin, assistant director of sales-corporate at Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid.
“(Academic) conferences are important too, especially with conferences/seminars from Khon Kaen University and Mahasarakham University (in neighbouring province),” she added.
Likewise, academic conferences and government meetings also make up a significant MICE market for Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen, said the hotel’s spokesperson. The hotel, which opened in December 2013, and the Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid, are the province’s only two internationally branded hotels with convention facilities.
Sirikwan hence suggests the development of more attractions in Khon Kaen that will widen the selection of recreational choices for MICE delegates, especially as competition heats up with Udon Thani, the province’s main rival city in Isaan.
As to leveraging dinosaurs – Khon Kaen’s provincial symbol and source of heritage pride since paleontological discoveries in the 1970s – she commented: “The dinosaurs (discovery) are 30 years old! It’s time we develop new icons for Khon Kaen.”
Ideas
3 Days/2 Nights in Khao Yai
Day 1
Kick off the morning in Bangkok with a visit to Pak Khlong Talat, the city’s biggest flower market, and Nakorn Kasem, popularly known as the Thieves Market.
Following a two-hour drive to Khao Yai, enjoy lunch at your own expenses and check into the hotel. At 16.30, you will be picked up from the hotel to check out a small hill opposite a bat cave.
Enjoy the landscape as the sun sets and watch bats flying out of the cave.
Then, enter the Night Safari in the Khao Yai National Park for animal watching before heading over to the camping area where field staff will prepare a barbeque dinner for you.
Exit the forest around 21.30 for transfer back to the resort.
Day 2
After breakfast, drive to a viewpoint and stop for pictures of the surrounding landscapes from higher ground.
Start your soft-trekking tour of around three hours, with equipment like binoculars provided, and have lunch in the jungle prepared by the field team.
Visit a waterfall and while having excursions or swimming in the area, the field staff will serve snacks and cold drinks.
Transfer back to your hotel to freshen up before continuing to PB Valley Khao Yai Winery.
Begin with a guided 75-minute tour of an established vineyard and winery, with explanations about the various grapes for wine-making and orchards grown with fruits like the dragonfruit. There are ample photo-taking opportunities at other vineyards along the way.
The guided tour of the winery concludes with wine tasting at the foyer of the winery, followed by a Western set dinner at the Great Hornbill Grill restaurant served with a glass of red or white wine.
After dinner, return to hotel.
Day 3
After breakfast, check out and drive back to Bangkok, where the tour ends at the hotel or the airport.
Itinerary provided by
Go Vacation Thailand
Need to Know
Khao Yai Convention Center
Having recently opened its doors in July 2014 as part of a mixed-use development, Khao Yai Convention Center (KYCC) offers 3,700m2 of indoor meeting space, including a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000 pax seated and 1,700 pax theatre-style, a 970m2 exhibition hall and seven meeting rooms.
KYCC adjoins the upcoming 11.5ha Scenical World, an expansion and rejuvenation of the existing Life Park amusement park that will add a shopping mall (Greenery Park Mall) and a water park (Splash World). Scenical World will soft open in early-2015, and shuttle buses will be provided to transfer guests and delegates from one point to another.
The development is also home to the 254-room Greenery Resort, the 116-room Botanica Khao Yai and the 300-room Khao Yai Foresta that is scheduled to open in two years’ time.
Hybrid meeting package at Amari
Amari Watergate Bangkok has rolled out a Hybrid Meeting package, which leverages technology to enable meeting planners to reach more delegates via the virtual environment, by connecting multiple events happening simultaneously in different locations and including attendees who may not otherwise be able to attend.
“We are moving with the times and embracing technology to enhance our guests’ meeting experience. Hybrid meetings are showing tremendous growth this year as more corporates look to extend the reach of their conference message using enhanced webinar technology,” said David Barrett, executive director events of Amari Watergate and Amari Pattaya. Microsoft, eBay and ICCA are among organisations that have realised the value of hybrid meetings, said the hotel.
The package offers the traditional face-to-face meeting while giving the organiser the opportunity to share content, ideas and experiences with attendees across multiple geographies and time zones.
For the face-to-face, planners can make use of Amari Watergate’s Connections meetings hub for gatherings of up to 50 pax, the Banglampoo room for meetings of up to 100 pax and the Watergate Ballroom for large-scale events of up to 600 pax.
Valid until December 31, the package is priced at 1,700 baht (US$53) per person, excluding the cost of technical set-up. It includes the use of a meeting room set-up; room rental from 08.00-12.00 or 13.00-17.00; one coffee break with fresh pastries; one lunch per person; a dedicated high-speed Internet line, separate from hotel Wi-Fi; video cameras; video editing suite and live-streaming; and a production team, among others.
Sheraton Hua Hin unveils new convention hall
A new pillarless convention hall, The Chandelier, has opened at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa. Measuring 892m2 in size and boasting a 7.6m high ceiling, The Chandelier can accommodate up to 680 pax theatre-style or 800 guests for cocktail receptions. It also comes with a spacious foyer and direct access for vehicle displays, and is equipped with the latest technology.
The Chandelier joins three other event venues – The Grand Ballroom, State Room 1 and State Room 2 – at the 240-key Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa.
Courtyard by Marriott opens in South Pattaya
The Courtyard by Marriott South Pattaya has opened its doors within walking distance to Pattaya Beach and Walking Street. The seven-storey hotel offers 132 rooms with natural lighting and contemporary décor, each equipped with amenities such as a flat-screen LCD TV, satellite TV with international channels, electronic personal safe and flexible areas for work and relaxation.
The all-day dining MoMo café offers a combination of Western delicacies as well as Thai specialties, while MoMo Bar serves refreshing signature drinks, snacks and light music for chilling out in the evening. Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a 24-hour gym and Ananya Massage.
Tamnak Hill and Multi-function room, fully equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi access, can accommodate up to 150 guests. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in-room and throughout all public areas of the hotel.
Jetstar Pacific links Bangkok-Hanoi
Traffic on the Bangkok-Hanoi route is set to increase from March 29 when Jetstar Pacific starts daily flights between the two capital cities on Airbus A320 aircraft. This is the Vietnam-based carrier’s second flight to Thailand after it commenced daily services on the Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok route on December 10 last year.
