Silavadee Pool Spa Resort
Photograph: Silavadee Pool Spa Resort
Photograph: Silavadee Pool Spa Resort

Thailand’s top 6 getaways this March

Leave the city noise behind and slip into these escapes

Marisa Marchitelli
Advertising

March brings a livelier energy to Thailand’s getaway scene, with food, wine and travel experiences worth planning around. Khao Yai leads with two distinctive reasons to leave the city - the once-a-month forest bar K-BAR at Khao Yai Art Forest and GranMonte’s hands-on harvest season among the vines. Phuket draws attention with a one-night chef collaboration at Aulis and crispy Peking duck Fridays at Yue Restaurant & Bar, while Le Méridien Chiang Rai tempts travellers with early-booking travel fair deals. For something more romantic, Silavadee Pool Spa Resort in Koh Samui offers private pool villas and honeymoon indulgence by the sea.

If you’re looking for an excuse to travel this month, these are the getaways worth planning around.

  • Art
  • Nakhon Ratchasima

Hidden deep within Khao Yai Art Forest, K-BAR is the kind of place you have to plan for. The secluded bar opens just once a month, transforming a quiet corner of the contemporary art park into an intimate gathering space surrounded by forest and large-scale installations.

Each opening pairs drinks with the ‘Bloom by Wuttisak’ tasting set, created by Chef Wuttisak ‘Wut’ Wuttiamporn, whose contemporary Thai cooking turns local plants and flowers into vibrant and artful small plates. Between courses, guests can wander through the surrounding outdoor exhibitions, including Elmgreen & Dragset’s site-specific installation and the interactive work Pulsus Vitae by French artist duo Scenocosme, which invites visitors to listen to the forest’s imagined heartbeat through the trees.

Reserve via Khao Yai Art Forest. K-BAR, Khao Yai. March 14.

  • Phuket

One of Thailand’s most intimate dining rooms sets the stage for a special culinary event. Aulis Phuket, the 15-seat chef’s table at Iniala Beach House on Natai Beach, will host a one-night-only four-hands dinner bringing together two Michelin-recognised kitchens.

Aulis head chef Charlie Wilson will cook alongside chef Tan-Parkorn Kosiyabong of Bangkok’s Michelin-starred and Green-starred GOAT. The collaborative tasting menu blends the ingredient-driven philosophy of Simon Rogan’s Aulis with GOAT’s Thai-Chinese culinary identity, highlighting locally sourced produce and refined techniques.

Guests will watch the two teams work side by side as each course is prepared and presented across the chef’s table, creating an immersive dining experience just a stone's throw from the Andaman Sea.

Tasting menu from B7,500 per person. Reserve via aulisphuket.com. Aulis Phuket. March 7.

Advertising
  • Khao Yai,Thailand

GranMonte’s most long-awaited harvest season is back, bringing visitors into the heart of Thailand’s tropical winemaking landscape. The daily Harvest Tour offers a guided look at vineyard life, from grape picking to a behind-the-scenes visit to the winery, finishing with a tasting that highlights GranMonte’s distinctive new-latitude wines. For something more playful, the limited-edition Saturday Harvest Competition adds a bit of friendly rivalry as teams race to cut grapes at sunset. The fruit gathered during the event will be turned into a special vintage, bottled with hand-painted labels created by participants and delivered the following year.

Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or simply looking for an escape from the city, the harvest season offers a rare chance to see Thailand’s wine culture up close, with vineyard views, fresh mountain air and plenty of glasses raised along the way.

Harvest tour from B690 per person. Saturday harvest competition B2,900 per team of two. Reserve via granmonte.com. GranMonte Vineyard and Winery, Khao Yai. Now until March 15.

  • Hotels
  • Chiang Rai

Planning a northern escape just got easier. Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort is bringing its Thai Teaw Thai travel fair offers online, letting travellers lock in discounted stays and spa packages without having to visit the event in person.

The limited-time pre-sale includes room packages with breakfast for two, with flexible travel dates stretching all the way to October. It’s a good excuse to plan ahead for cooler mountain mornings, riverside walks and long afternoons exploring Chiang Rai’s temples and art spaces.

For those in need of a proper unwind, the resort’s Parvati Spa is also part of the promotion, offering Swedish, deep tissue and aromatherapy massages at a special rate during the campaign.

Rooms from B3,333 per night. Spa treatments from B1,599. Reserve via lemeridienchiangrai.com. Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort. Pre-sales until March 11.

Advertising
  • Hotels
  • Koh Samui

For couples planning a tropical reset, Silavadee Pool Spa Resort on Koh Samui’s Lamai headland is in full romance mode with a dedicated honeymoon package built around privacy, ocean views and slow island living.

The two-night stay centres around one of the resort’s signature pool villas, with thoughtful touches layered throughout the experience. Days begin with breakfast for two before slipping into island time with kayaking, snorkelling or a shuttle ride to nearby beaches. Evenings bring a three-course dinner at Moon Restaurant or StarBar, followed by sunset cocktails overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.

Wellness is also part of the plan, with a 90-minute oil massage for two included during the stay. Add airport transfers, a honeymoon room setup with flowers and sparkling wine and a scattering of small romantic details and the package becomes an easy way to turn a Samui escape into something more memorable.

Reserve via silavadeeresort.com. Silavadee Pool Spa Resort, Koh Samui.

  • Things to do

Fridays get a Cantonese upgrade at Yue Restaurant & Bar, the stylish dining room inside Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town. The restaurant’s Golden Friday set menu turns the spotlight on one of its most beloved dishes: Peking duck, served with crisp skin, tender meat and all the classic accompaniments.

The experience begins with slices of the signature duck with a dollop of hoisin sauce wrapped in pancakes before moving into a second dish made from the remaining meat. Diners can choose from several preparations, including a comforting duck soup with tofu and pickled cabbage, wok-tossed duck with hoisin sauce and Phuket cashew nuts or stir-fried duck with black pepper and spring onion.

B759 per person. Yue Restaurant & Bar, Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town. Every Friday until March 28.

Recommended
    Latest news
      Advertising