Punnaporn Wongjunpen, founder of Paula & Co. DMC, discusses what is needed to grow Isan’s, and Thailand’s global appeal for business events
What is Thailand doing well in attracting high-quality business events – and where is the country falling short?
Thailand still delivers five stars in terms of food and quality even with discounts applied. We are also still getting five star hotel openings, which is a good sign.
But DMCs and hotels are cutting rates to chase cash flow, and that is feeding the wrong perception. We try to position ourselves as affordable, but to international clients, it comes across as “cheap”.
Luxury does not mean discounts. Take Louis Vuitton, for example. They never cut prices; they use partnerships or loyalty mechanisms instead. We need to think that way in Thailand’s MICE space, maintaining a luxury mindset with our brand positioning.
At Paula & Co., we do not drop our prices. We enhance the experience with better welcomes, curated details, thoughtful touches. It may cost a little more, but it feels exclusive.
What do clients really want when choosing Thailand?
They want something new. Clients often say: “I’ve been to Thailand before. What else can you show me?”
Product knowledge is everything. They are not asking for discounts. They are asking for differentiation. We are bidding against other destinations, so when we show them something surprising or clever that they did not expect, it makes Thailand stand out again.
What are your observations on the Meet Well campaign and Isan’s role in it?
Meet Well is heading in the right direction. It integrates wellness and authenticity, which are both in demand.
Debuting at AIME 2025 in Australia was a good start, but the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) needs to communicate it more widely, especially to overseas representatives to draw more buyers into the country. They also need to involve DMCs more, and support us to actually activate the concept.
With our DMC’s fam trip to Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon in June, I created a proper selling programme based on Meet Well. It has real potential, but TCEB needs to push it beyond internal communication.
You are a proud Udon Thani native. What do planners often overlook about Isan?
Isan is more than ready. We have the accessibility, real culture, and rich experiences. Udon has its own Centara property, and will soon welcome a new cancer centre, which opens the doors for medical wellness.
We have run wellness check-ins, vitamin drips, and community experiences like indigo workshops, pink lotus weaving, and rice field tours.
How will next year’s International Horticultural Expo 2026 boost Udon Thani’s profile?
It is a gamechanger. But we have to prepare the local supply chain. In some cities, global or international standards are not there yet. For example, in Sakon Nakhon, accommodation is outdated. It is not a core MICE city, but it can still host domestic groups. Its nature, temples, and unique naga traditions are worth showcasing – but ideally as an add-on to a main MICE hub.
Right now, many local vendors in Udon Thani don’t know how to handle MICE business. That is why we have done training with universities and invested in capacity building to boost local ROI.
How are you leveraging your roles in Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) to shape Thailand’s business events future?
The two roles serve very different purposes.
SITE is global; I use it to build international connections, but SITE is still relatively new to the local industry, and only those with global exposure or at a certain level know about it. Many younger sales professionals have never heard of SITE. That is why I have spent the last two years educating local associations about what SITE is and how it benefits them.
Meanwhile, TICA is local, and more established among Thai stakeholders.
