Thailand 

Edwin visiting agents in Europe

It has been our mission to provide “un-staged” experiences and show our clients the real Thailand, as it’s stunning, just as it is! We have been helping many agents to grow their market and have repeat clients coming for a 3rd time already. It is really possible to travel throughout Thailand for 4 weeks, experiencing different sights, meeting interesting people, eating the most fantastic home cooked food and even add some additional days of beach at the end. 

The key to this success for these agents? Knowing the destination, the different excursion possibilities, different routings and knowing which hotels to recommend. In addition, in all honesty, it’s also about being blunt about overtourism at certain Instagram spots or certain “classic” areas that have become tired and completely unsustainable (yes, I am talking about Phuket or any so-called floating markets).

To help you understanding all the travel possibilities, our MD Edwin Briels will be travelling in Europe and visit existing and new agents for an in-depth talk on Thailand experiences for your clients. He is planning to stay in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland between 15 March and 15 May 2026. We think this is more beneficial for our agents then a short 20-minute speed-date at ITB in Berlin.

Send Edwin an email if you would like to meet and discuss how to grow the number of happy clients to Thailand: edwin@exploration.travel 

Trends we see from our clients in Thailand

While the total number of tourists to Thailand might be down a bit, we continue to see a growth of about 35%, especially in the middle and higher segment. Curious about trends we see at the moment? Have a look at our observations:

• Workshops! Do something, learn something new; even if it’s just for an hour! This includes Thai boxing in a park, learn how to cut a paper lantern in Phrae (while sipping a cocktail), learn how to do a “khon” Thai mask dance or follow a ceramic workshop. And yes, we also provide cool cooking classes.

• The countryside; why would you visit the biggest and the second biggest city in a country and skip the countryside, while the majority of the population live in the countryside. Some popular areas at the moment: Sukhothai, Mae Sariang, Phrae, Nan, Kaeng Krachan, Phatthalung, Chiang Khong.
• Mixing and matching: A blend of contrasts during the same trip. Sometimes an over-the-top luxury 5-star hotel, while at other times a simply 3-star boutique hotel. Luxury clients realise the Thai 3-star hotels are perfectly fine and the “down-to-earth” travellers realise they have the money to splurge and move past their backpacker nostalgy. A 5 USD street food dinner followed by a 25 USD cocktail at a luxury rooftop or a guided tour by a professor on Buddhism followed by a day of strolling independently through town.
• A full week Bangkok: It is a very special city that offers anything and everything you can imagine and is very, very safe. Skip the classic sights and really get to know the city and its food, the people and the sights. Maybe the best city in the world? (yes, we’re biased but you get the point once you’ve visited😊)
  

• “While you still can travel” – whether this relates to your physical health, your actual wealth or the never changing the geo-politics. We see a trend of people travelling more and with an urge to see and experience places “while you can”.
• “Sharing un-instagrammable experiences” – We see a trend of travellers are seeking experiences that go beyond the perfect photo. Parents, partners, and friends are bringing loved ones to Thailand hoping they’ll feel the same spark of wonder. These “wow‑moments” often happen off the beaten track — a quiet encounter in a village, a meal that feels deeply personal, or a surprise twist that wasn’t even hinted at in the itinerary. They’re not staged, not polished, and sometimes not even what travellers expected. What makes this trend so powerful is its unpredictability. The magic lies in the fact that you can’t plan the exact moment it happens — but you can be sure it will. Somewhere along the journey, each traveller finds their own spark of awe, and that’s what makes travel truly unforgettable.

Nature and active excursions that are ideal in July and August

Thailand is really a year-round destination and each period has its own charms. Some of our excursions that are excellent to do in July and August when the fields are green, the day light is longer and the tropical fruits tastier. Here some recommended excursions for travellers, including junior traveller who want to see more then temples.

Sukhothai – Home-cooked food by tuk-tuk – meet a local family living in rural Sukhothai 

Lampang – Legends & Impressions – (as a stop on the way from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai or from Nan to Chiang Mai or as Phrae on its own)

Lampang is a characteristic town that used to be an important teak trading centre. We visit the city pillar shrine where locals pay respect to the founding shrine and Baan Louis, the former residence of the teak trader. Continue to visit the world’s first elephant hospital, a much-needed facility that does not include any riding or staged activities, but a very special learning experience instead. We finish the discovery of Lampang with a visit to a ceramic museum & workshop where you will learn about traditional ceramics that made Lampang famous.

Chiang Mai – private local Lanna Cooking Class 

A private Northern Thai cooking class of Lanna cuisine. We’ll start at a local fresh market, where our knowledgeable and fun host will assist you in selecting the ingredients for your day’s culinary class. Continue our journey to the cooking class, where you’ll prepare for a fun and hands-on cooking experience.

Chiang Mai – Green Valley ride by E-bike

An excellent way to get to know the Chiang Mai countryside and farmers life passing through paddy fields, fruit farms, temples and forest by electric bicycle, so you have a bit of extra power when it’s going slightly uphill. One of our best tours to visit the surrounding green areas in the north.

Nan – Where Nan turns Wild – Forest Trails & Jungle lunch

While Nan is famous for its cultural heritage, the mountains and jungles surrounding the valley invite for beautiful hikes and nature walks. Today we will venture out into the jungle and meet a local ranger, who will share his local wisdom with you – such as medicinal plants, crawlers and creepers and other flora and fauna. We venture into the deep jungle, have a tasty lunch next to a little stream, contributing to the protection of the forest and the local community of the rangers.

Phrae – Old Phrae city walk and meet the locals at a Phrae arts workshop

During an old town city walk with a Phrae resident we will show you some of the ancient palaces and wooden houses, a traditional temple and climb the old city wall with you. You continue to an art café where you meet one of the town’s artisans. He will show you in half an hour the art of paper cutting, which is an ancient Phrae art to decorate temples, lanterns and funeral pyres. Enjoy the conversation while sipping a cocktail made of local spirits and the traditional fermented tea leaves Phrae is known for. Youth from Phrae might join to watch and learn the traditional techniques as part of the artists aim to preserve the tradition.

Kaeng Krachan – Wild Encounters – An Educational Wildlife Experience

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand has been doing an incredible job for decades in providing a sustainable rescue center for wildlife animals and as a sanctuary for animals with physical, emotional and psychological damages by giving them a new home and safe space to help them heal. Today you will be spending a full day going to different places where you will see various kinds of wildlife & domesticated animals living in the perimeter as well as learning more about the mission and the goal of the foundation. This is a unique eye-opening and educational experience, well received by younger travellers.

It’s just a small selection of experiences ideal for families that have a few weeks in Thailand in the summer. An ideal routing: Chiang Mai arrival – Phrae & Nan – Sukhothai – Bangkok – Keang Krachan & Pranburi beach

Myanmar

An update on Myanmar – can we organise trips in the country?

The Myanmar elections were held and passed quietly ………. most Myanmar people didn’t bother about it too much as the outcome was as expected. Internationally the elections were criticized (see this BBC article), within the country people focussed on other daily worries including the economy, the price increase of daily products, shortage of goods (laptops, milk and all other random items that are prohibited to import) and the ongoing daily violence. A new government will be sworn in in April (probably the same people in different uniforms).

From our Yangon office, our sales and reservations teams works hard every day to make proposals for trips around Thailand and occasionally we have a client asking us about Myanmar. It is possible to travel to Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Kalaw and Inle Lake bat the moment, but obviously the atmosphere is not as it used to be. Having said that, travelling to Myanmar will benefit the people who really need it (rest assured we have a very strict due diligence policy to ensure the people on the ground are supported) and our guides don’t sugar-coat the situation and tell travellers everything about the country, the people and the current situation including the good, the bad and the ugly sides of it. For the real “Myanmar lovers” it can be interesting to re-visit.

The British have included some green zones in Myanmar for travellers (see https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/myanmar) yet several other governments are still in the process to decide if any red zones can turn a different colour in their travel advice.

For the majority of overseas tour operators, actively promoting travel to Myanmar wouldn’t make sense. Just keep in mind that we could arrange safe travel in certain areas in the country (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Kalaw, Inle Lake) for people who understand the situation in the country and who can be flexible.

Through our mental health organisation Counselling Corner we set-up a social franchise called Seit Mate Swe with currently 30 active mental health centres (digital or physical centres). In 2025, our counsellors supported 36,285 Myanmar through workshops, individual counselling and training. We are proud that we can help so many people staying mentally strong or recovering mentally from living in the war that has been going on for 5 years now.

What to read

We LOVE travelling by train. It’s probably because of the stunning scenery as the train is passing through the fields (rather than a highway passing by petrol stations and advertising billboards) or for meeting fellow travellers along the journey

Thai trains are actually very punctual, clean, safe, with A/C, staff is very friendly and it’s an excellent way to meet Thai people. The overnight trains have excellent beds with clean bed linen and snacks are usually included. Only drawback: reserving seats is often only possible a month in advance (in the rare occasion we can’t get a ticket we will arrange alternative transportation).

Are you a train fanatic as well? Have a look at this website that explains everything about trains in Thailand: www.thaitrainguide.com

Lastly ……………. we’re glad to see also the professional travel media is discovering and appreciating what Exploration Travel Thailand does; read this article in TTG Asia: https://www.ttgasia.com/2026/01/29/thai-operators-cut-new-deeper-pathways-into-thailand/

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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.