Travel + Leisure Asia, Asia’s leading tourism and lifestyle magazine, has announced its 2024 edition of the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific. Two destinations in Thailand, Bangkok and Koh Samui, won two awards: Bangkok is the best city, while Koh Samui in Surat Thani province is the best island. The magazine collected votes from over 200,000 readers’ favorites in the travel industry in various categories across the Asia-Pacific region during the months of January-March 2024.

The website has this to say about Bangkok: “Bangkok remains a place of seemingly endless contrasts. Food is a highlight for many, with options ranging from street eats and hole-in-the-wall gems to opulent high-end venues. Other Bangkok specialities include its pulsing nightlife, near-unmatchable selection of plush resorts and hotels, and a vast array of shopping possibilities. A mellower, more spiritual side, characterised by ornate temples and palaces, canals and artsy culture provides a counterbalance to the city’s brasher aspects.”

Followed by Bangkok, the other top three cities are Osaka and Tokyo in Japan.

As for Koh Samui, “Samui is now one of Thailand’s most visited destinations―and that’s likely to pick up with the next season of The White Lotus, which is filmed there. But the island retains numerous pockets of back-to-nature bliss. Visits can be made to local villages and waterfalls in its interior, while Ang Thong National Marine Park―a string of islands northwest of Samui―is a popular day excursion.”

The top three islands after Koh Samui include Bali in Indonesia and Palawan in the Philippines.