Thailand is not resting on its laurels despite being a favourite MICE destination for customers around the world. The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is charting a new growth path for its MICE industry and has identified four main geographic clusters to promote as key MICE destinations. These include the Northern, North-eastern, Central, Andaman and the Bay of Thai clusters.

The focus this year is on the Andaman cluster, which includes Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga. Phuket is already well known as a tourist destination with a lively beach and party culture. Krabi has been relatively less exposed and is now marketed as a more upmarket and private, yet adventure-filled destination. Here, corporate meeting and incentive organizers can find exclusive six stars resort villas for senior management meetings, while five-star hotels with expansive compounds can cater to larger incentive groups.

Main activities here are sea sports such as diving, snorkeling and canoeing, and rock-climbing is especially popular due to the rocky formations in Krabi and its surrounding islands. Organizers should take care to work closely with DMCs and activity operators on matters concerning personal safety and insurance when offering these adventure sports to participants. To ensure safety and availability of all these adventure sports, the best time to visit Krabi is from November to May, but organizers might find better deals during the rainy off-peak season.

While marketing materials states that Krabi’s venues and hotel rooms can accommodate events of 50 to 500 guests, MICEreview estimates that it is probably best for 50-300 guests given the limitation in function room sizes and capacity for activities at any one time.

For more information, visit: www.tceb.or.th