Dear

As the hot season is coming to an end in Thailand, we’re preparing for the upcoming high season in July and August and then again from October till February. Thailand is truly a whole year-round destination, and each period has its own advantages. The European summer months July and August are ideal for families to explore the Thai countryside including Sukhothai and Nan; it’s quiet, not too hot, has stunningly green paddy fields and no, it’s not raining every day!
We still have plenty availability at hotels, guides and domestic flights for the summer season as well as for the Christmas and New year’s peak season; so, don’t hesitate to propose Thailand to your clients.

Thailand: Why we love Nan and how to get there 

Nan city stole my heart from the first time I visited 15 years ago. I think it’s the gentleness of the city, the architecture of the century old temples that remind me of Luang Prabang, the coffee shops and restaurants that remind me of Chiang Mai and the beautiful nature and paddy fields that breath calmness. 

Nan is famous for the over 400 years old Wat Phumin with the mural called “whispering love to the world” and it supposed to bring love, stability and long live if couples pray in front of this picture. Apart from excursions that include temples, Exploration Travel also developed a short half-day walk through the country-side including a picnic, boat ride and a visit to the very impressive modern art gallery. End the day with a home-cooked dinner with a local family or in a true heritage house.

There are some excellent boutique hotels in Nan and our favourites are the 4-star Nan Season Boutique Resort as well as the excellent 3-star Nan Boutique Hotel. 

A beautiful 4-5 hours drive from Sukhothai or Lampang with stops on the way in a national park and a local distillery is the best way to get to Nan. The distance from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai to Nan is equally long (about 4-5 hours), so basically all roads lead to Nan, over some of the most scenic roads of Thailand. 

It’s even possible to drive in about 4 hours from Pakbeng in Laos (the small town on the Mekong River where many boats stops for an overnight) to Nan in Thailand and there are talks of direct flights between Luang Prabang and Nan in the future.

There are daily direct flights from Nan to Bangkok (and vice versa)

Thai Classic experiences and our proposed Exploration alternatives 

We have included this schedule previous in one of our newsletters, yet many agents asked for it again (and a lot of new agents haven’t seen it yet), hence covering it in this newsletter.

It’s easy to avoid the tourist crowds and visit stunning sites to get a good impression of Thailand, just try to avoid the overly crowded sites and offer excellent alternatives instead.

Exploration Travel developed plenty of excursions that showcase the diversity or Thailand in an authentic way. Keep this list handy next time you talk with clients about a trip to Thailand.

Availability & Last Minutes

Thailand can be busy, yet there is plenty of availability for hotels, as the country has a very wide variety of accommodation throughout the different regions.

Exploration Travel trained guides throughout the country who are eager to show visitors their own region; meeting different guides is the most authentic and fun experience AND is also sustainable as it helps dividing the tourism dollars throughout the country to people with passion for tourism and their culture. 

For the coming months of July and August there is plenty of availability especially in the central areas, north-east and north of the country and for Christmas and New year’s we still see enough availability, also at the beaches.

Digital arrival card on in Thailand (TDAC)

Starting 1 May 2025, all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival.

This new digital system makes immigration processing faster, easier, and more secure—no more paper forms or searching for a pen!

Register within 3 days before arrival – meaning that clients can start registering 3 days before, until they arrive at the Immigration desk at the airport. 

Apply here: https://tdac.immigration.go.th

On arrival at the airport there are signs with QR code to fill in the form and there are screens available for those who don’t have a mobile phone. The system is very similar as arriving in Singapore and there is no fee for it.

Myanmar: An update on Myanmar – the earthquake 

Thank you very much for all the agents and clients who reacted and donated money to support victims of the earthquake in Myanmar. Especially Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and villages in Inle Lake were hit hard and thousands of people lost their home. With the money collected, we have started giving first emergency support and have started building homes in Inle Lake. 

As always, the Myanmar people really come together and start helping each other when there is a disaster. It’s impressive to see people from all over the country sending goods, money and volunteer groups to the areas that have been hit. 

Our own mental health agency Counselling Corner has sent teams of counsellors to Mandalay to give support to the volunteers groups and organise workshops for rescue workers as well as families with children. Counselling Corner also set up a huge awareness campaign with tips for self-care for people using radio, TV, internet as well as billboards and bus advertising.

A month after the earthquake, we see that people in Mandalay start picking up the pieces and look for ways to re-build their lives while dealing with the grief, the feeling of hopelessness, the anger, anxiety and the depression. My colleague, a psychotherapist, who recently returned from Mandalay said: “I can see people getting up and force themselves to move forward, and I am confident the city will recover”

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Edwin Briels and his team have been creating experiences for travellers for over 20 years. Edwin Briels continuously finds new paths to travel and new experiences to show clients the story of Myanmar and Thailand and engages you in a fascinating journey through this part of Asia with the most fascinating stories.