Thailand CONNECT: Business Events

Before I begin, many of you may be wondering what MICE is in Thailand? To clarify this, it is a term used for Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions, the acronym of MICE.

Thailand Connect 2014.

While MICE can be a niche subject to discuss, I made this article simple and friendly as I know, many general readers out there prefer to have simple layman’s English to understand this tourism segment.

Arriving at the Fast Pass Immigration Lane in Bangkok.

Thailand Fast Pass Immigration Premium Lane 

On my arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok via Thai Airways, a team member from Bangkok Writer Media was already waiting at the baggage collection area to personally welcome us, where she directed us to the ‘Fast Pass’ immigration premium lane.

Thai police escort for the full experience.

Travelling in style – Bangkok Police Escort. 

I boarded the transport waiting for us at the main entrance and noticed a Thai police car in the front. Again, I was impressed that this was also arranged to shuttle us into the city, as everyone knows how notorious the Bangkok traffic can be. Police escort in Bangkok? One word – Awesome!

Driving on the main highways, the police escort paved its way through hundreds of cars that moved out of their way upon hearing the sirens blare as and when needed. Generally, we got to our destination, the Siam Hotel in the Dusit area, in record time! Two thumbs up again!

The Siam Hotel in Bangkok.

Checking-in with style – The Siam Hotel

Just out of the main city centre is The Siam Hotel, a suit luxury hotel located by the Chow Praya River in the Dusit district.

On my first impression, I assumed this place to be a private mansion cum antique museum as where ever I set foot on the premises, there was some form of a relic of antique to be discovered.

Siam Hotel Suit.

Siam Hotel Suites – Designed for design lovers

As I checked into my Siam Suite, I was very impressed with the unit’s layout, divided into three main areas – Welcome area, bedroom and bathroom.

The bathroom totally blew me away as it has been a long time since I was pampered by such a large bathroom, complete with a classic bathtub laid smack in the centre.

So impressed with the layout of the room; I totally missed the sweet and beautiful welcome gift and note placed on the bed. It was a hand-crafted and painted Thai elephant welcoming the Hip and Heritage Business Events media group. Everyone received one, and each was a different design. A very nice touch, I have to admit.

Trying a Thai cooking class.

A Thai Cooking Class? – Why not! 

Heading to the riverside section of the Siam Hotel, a Thai cooking class was prepared for the delegation at the Chon Thai Restaurant.

El Kwang is at work.

First on the menu was the world-famous Thai Spring Rolls, something I love to eat in Thailand, so this was my chance to make my own!

The fastest and the best cooking would get a prize from Sirima Eamtako, PR Consultant of Bangkok Writer Media and PR Agency, so teams were pretty psyched to claim that mysterious trophy.

Next was Pad Thai, everyone’s favourite Thai dish. As for me and Chee Ching, the cooking style reminded us of Fried Kuay Teow from Malaysia, so it was pretty easy.

Team Malaysia’s Pad Thai dish, alright too!

But then again, it was all about good fun and not competition. All the media then sat down to eat their creations for lunch, mind you.

Asiatique Riverside, Bangkok.

Asiatique Riverfront – Bangkok’s Entertainment Spot

Our next destination in the evening was the famous Asiatique Riverfront, acclaimed as Bangkok’s top entertainment place and the first biggest lifestyle project in Asia on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. 

Asiatique briefing by the management.

As for dining, there is a huge international selection of restaurants and cafes to choose from, where there are 40. Even bars and pubs are available for entertainment, and there is the famous Muay Thai Live show, the first of its kind in the world.

Currently, Asiatique utilises 12 acres of its 28.8-acre land space. In future, a hotel and other themed attractions are to be added.

Asiatique at night in Bangkok.

As we arrived with our Thai police escort, our first destination was one of the specialised beer cafes to meet up with the Asiatique management for a briefing. This cafe also served over 380 types of beers, which I was curious to try – one every day for the year!

For your added information, you should also know that over 20,000 people visit Asiatique on a typical day, whereas on weekends or public holidays, the place packs in a whopping 40,000 people. The place opens fully in the evenings; therefore, visiting here after 5pm is best.

Joe Louis Restaurant and Puppet Show at Asiatique.

A Puppet Show for Dinner – Joe Louis Restaurant

After exploring Asiatique and riding the Mehkong Ferris Wheel (the largest in Thailand), our dinner was arranged at the Joe Louis Restaurant, where the latter is famous for its unique traditional puppetry. Officials from TCEB joined us for dinner; therefore, we got to mingle and network during dinner.

Christian and I are being mobbed.

A special puppet show was also performed for us, and as this was my first time seeing a traditional Thai puppet show, I never expected three people to operate one puppet. These Thai puppets were huge, almost human, and the movements were very detailed and precise.

The Joe Louis puppet show was themed around a traditional Thai story based on the ancient Thai characters used. For a first-timer, I was very impressed with this show during our dinner. And the puppeteers even went around from person to person for a photo opportunity.

Thai starters at Joe Louis Restaurant.

Muay Thai Live – A must-see show in Bangkok

Who would have thought that the ancient art of Muay Thai could be made into a theatre-styled show? Something very different, this was a show I could not miss – actual Muay Thai fighters are the main lineup of characters in this show, and the storyline goes from the beginning of Muay Thai history to current day Muay Thai.

I will keep everything private as it would be best for you to see it live in action. A lot of action, I promise! Tickets are reasonably priced at around THB1200 to 1500 per person, depending on the seating area.

Finally, our Hip and Heritage entourage was treated to a photo opportunity with the entire cast of Muay Thai Live outside the theatre. You can see that everyone wanted a photo with the cast in the photos. Even I had my chance to ‘strike-a-pose’ with one of the main cast.

Conclusion on Day 1

Our day ended with lots of excitement in sight, sound and taste. Amazing visuals from the many places we visited, beautiful sounds of Bangkok city and stunning selections of local Thai food throughout the day.

During the TCEB Press Conference.

HIP & Heritage Business Events Press Conference 2014

The day started out great as I had breakfast at the Chon Thai Restaurant overlooking the Chow Praya river before the Thailand Connect 2014 press conference started at 10.00am.

Simplified, the press conference showcased Thailand as a preferred MICE destination with offerings of MICE destinations to the highlands, islands and beaches to the cities rich with culture and heritage. Bangkok is the capital and offers the most facilities, while the partnering destination was Chiang Mai up north in Thailand.

Mrs Supawan Teerarat hands over a bouquet of flowers to Mr. Sek Wannamethee from the ministry.

A statement by Mrs Supawan Teerarat, vice-president of strategic planning and business development of TCEB, also mentioned, “The perfect business event starts with a brilliant blend of local activities and dream destinations.

In another statement, Mr Sek Wannamethee, who is the director-General of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasised;

“The situation in Thailand is now peaceful and secure, as reflected in the satisfaction of the ordinary citizens and the business community; therefore, it is now the perfect time to showcase Thailand’s strong fundamentals and resilient economy”.

Thailand CONNECT: Hip & Heritage Business Events Program, aims to conceptualise the MICE business events groups looking to offer delegates an enchanting mix of modern and traditional experiences across two of Thailand’s premier MICE destinations: Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Thai Airways was also a part of this fam trip, where they assisted in flying in the media from around Asia. The airline also let us experience the local domestic flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and back via Thai Smile, their low-cost airline.

The Thailand CONNECT: Hip & Heritage, Business Events Program forms a part of Thailand’s MICE UNITED, a strategic partnership program designed to reinvigorate the country’s positive image and reaffirm confidence among the international business community.’

To learn more about Thailand CONNECT the World for MICE, you can visit Business Events Thailand. “Thailand CONNECT the World” is also an initiative of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Thai government’s official flagship body for the business events sector.