Billed as the new landmark of this mountainous resort in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Primo Piazza is a hot tourist spot designed to resemble its namesake in Tuscany.

Lush vegetation surrounds the red-brick buildings constructed in classic Italian architecture style, making the Piazza an ideal place for photographs to share on their social media. There is a fountain as the centre point, a tower for viewers to explore the scenic view as well as Primo Windmill standing proudly against a sea blooming of yellow thorn flowers.

Kids can get up close and cosy with sheep, donkeys, and alpacas who make their home in the boundless meadows.

Drop by for a hot cappuccino with a luscious foamy top or a cold latte and fresh pastries. Primo Piazza is open daily from 9am to 6pm. Visit http://www.PrimoPiazza.com

Noppol Toochinda, Ofo Thailand’s general manager, notes that the service has broadened its reach considerably since last September 2017, expanding the shared bike service to leading universities nationwide, Chiang Mai Uni among them. The company organised the CMU Bike Challenge 2017 in November, offering all cyclists a free bike trial.

Chiang Mai is one of the top cities in Thailand and bikes are quite popular here. We will start off in Nimmanhaemin area, because it is one of the trendiest spots in the city. This area is filled with boutique hotels, chic shops, cafes and restaurants and we are collaborating with Somtam Krok Nimman, Room No 7 and Cainito Homemade Restaurant to celebrate the first bike sharing service in Chiang Mai and offering our riders exclusive discounts, starting from mid-January on.”

The new launch of ofo in Chiang Mai marks another success for shared bikes service expansion in Thailand, which took only a few months to grow dramatically nationwide, launchin in Phuket, KhonKaen, Bangkok, Pattani, Phitsanulok, PathumThani and Chiang Mai.

Before using the bikes, you need to download the Ofo app to your mobile phone. The system will charge for Bt99 as deposit fee the first time of use (It will be returned in case of permanent abolition) And for the next time, the users will be charged Bt5 for half hour of travel which can be paid easily through the application.

 The easiest way to get started is to find @flightbot on Line, add it as a friend and then start chatting, either in English or Thai.

@flightbot is designed to mimic human conversation allowing you to ask the bot anything related to air travel booking, share dates, departure city and destination, and @flightbot will search for the flights with the best prices. Customers can complete the transaction and make secure payment within the @flightbot chat. And the more people use the bot, the better it is at understanding them and the better it will be at communicating. Eventually, thanks to artificial intelligence, @flightbot will become like a favourite travel buddy, who understands exactly what people want and how they like to communicate.

“The flights people can see and buy on @flightbot are made available through a variety of different travel agents,” said Simon Akeroyd, vice president, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Amadeus Asia Pacific.

“Consumers who use @flightbot will be able to choose from a pool of flights with the touch of a button all through their favourite messaging platform. @flightbot is available 24/7, so people can search for and buy flights whenever inspiration for travel strikes.”

In Thailand, Line has more than 33 million users spending an average of 70 minutes a day on the platform, making it a natural place for Amadeus to commence the @flightbot pilot project.

“Many people in Asia are deeply engaged with messaging platforms on mobile devices and so we believe that @flightbot is a very useful tool for travellers and travel agents,” added Akeroyd.

“But we are still in pilot mode, so do share any feedback. We are excited to see @flightbot reach its full potential to bring travel agents and travellers in Thailand all the benefits of technology.”

SEEKING FRESH ideas for the next holiday trip? You can check what’s coming up for travels and which are the emerging destinations in 2018. Here are our predications that might help make your vacation planning easier.

BUCKET LIST

This might be the year to make that dream true for travellers who have a “bucket list” of must-see destinations in mind. Staying overnight in a five-star beachfront villa or gazing at the borealis phenomena in the Arctic or Antarctic are not out of reach.

“We found that more than half of millennials surveyed (54 per cent) would rather complete their bucket lists with partners than anyone else, followed by their parents,” Jessica Chuang of Hotels.com said to The Nation.

Paris remains among the top five destinations for Thai travellers, who spend their time soaking up the art and the romantic environs./AFP

“They’d like to take a road trip with friends or family through small towns rather than following main travel routes (39 per cent), try local street foods (also 39 per cent), and move abroad for a year to work or study (31 per cent).”

Paris and London remain among the top five destinations for Thai travellers, while staying overnight in a treehouse or an underwater hotel is a must-do item before they die.

GO LOCAL

A good way to experience the local life is to live like a resident. In the coming year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is introducing some of 159 charming communities in five areas – Chiang Rai, Buri Ram, Ang Thong, Trat and Phang Nga.

“The Creative Tourism campaign will bring more income to villages around the country,” says Sujitra Jongchansitto, deputy governor for tourism products and business of TAT.

“The word ‘product’ doesn’t mean only a commodity – it also refers to a way of life. We add value to communities by helping villagers develop landscapes and activities such as workshops on rice farming and silk weaving to welcome tourists, both Thai and foreign. Meanwhile we aim to maintain the ways of rural life and our cultural heritage.”

Sanuan Nok in Buri Ram is drawing urbanites with its ecocultural tours and handicraft workshops.

One locale is Ban Sanuan Nok in Buri Ram, a peaceful village ready to share its sericulture and weaving wonders with homestay guests.

There, the day begins at 5.30, when offerings are prepared for monks. During the day visitors can go on eco-cultural sightseeing tours of the village. Residents conduct interesting workshops on how to weave silk, how to cook authentic Isaan delicacies and how to craft animal-shaped coconut dolls and hardwood bells like those that clatter around buffalo necks.

GO IT ALONE

With advanced technology, people can take inspiration for their holiday from social media and travel bloggers, but not everyone has time to draft their own itinerary and look for accommodations.

Now, private tours with more flexible, customised activities are becoming an option for middle-class travellers. They can select the destinations, dates and activities to fit their lifestyle.

“People today prefer to customise their own holiday trips rather than buying a package tour that gives them only a few minutes for sightseeing,” says Natthapol Limtrakul, whose Friend Tell Pro Facebook page has almost 800,000 followers.

“Meanwhile, Thais are paying more attention to photography and want to get beautiful pictures as keepsakes. All this has inspired bloggers to provide customised services for private groups – for people who have money but no time to arrange their schedule and hotel bookings.”

Wonder Wander arranges customised photography tours with professionals. 

Wonder Wander is gaining popularity with both rookie and veteran travellers who are keen on photography. You just choose your dream destination and join a small group – no more than 16 people. All programmes are flexible, but the idea is to get out and photograph breathtaking scenes under the guidance of professionals, who share their tips.

POP CULTURE

Based on 128 million guest reviews and surveys of 19,000 travellers in 26 countries, Booking.com has determined that television shows, movies, sports and social media are having an increasingly significant sway in travel planning.

Reading blogs and watching YouTuber recommendations will spark ideas for four in ten travellers, and on-screen locations from television, film or music videos will win over 36 per cent of travellers in the coming year.

London capitalises on popculture trends, such as seeing the locations where TV series “Sherlock” is filmed./EPA-EFE 

The top TV-show locations travellers want to visit in 2018 are Croatia, Spain and Iceland, inspired by “Game of Thrones” (29 per cent); London, as seen in “Sherlock” and “The Crown” (21 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively); New York and Manhattan from “Billions” (13 per cent); and Los Angeles as viewed in “Entourage” (10 per cent).

Meanwhile Hotel.com also notices that users search for accommodations at destinations seen in movies or music videos. Las Vegas drew attention from travellers when the Oscar-winning “La La Land” began screening in theatres, and 45 per cent of travellers have flocked to Puerto Rico since the hit song “Despacito” topped the charts.

VISA-FREE EASY

Visa exemptions are a powerful magnet in drawing travellers. Taiwan, for example, became one of most popular holiday gateways in 2017 for Thais, and will continue that success in the next year with its wealth of nature, history and culture on view.

Recognised as the land of golden pagodas, Myanmar is a beloved destination for Buddhist pilgrims with its beautiful architecture and sacred ceremonies conveying luck and success.

In 2018 Japan will take advantage of this trend by introducing flights to Sapporo on Air Asia, while NokScoot is also increasing flights to Japan.

Taiwan’s visa exemptions lure Thais to explore the island’s rich culture. 

“We’ve seen a strong destination-search increase from 2015 to 2017 after the Taiwan government relaxed its visa in August 2016,” says Jessica Chuang at Hotel.com.

“Our most recent data this year shows that Japan has remained a top destination for Thais every year since 2015. One possible reason is the visa-free policy for Thai tourists.”

KOREA BECKONS

Beyond its array of K-pop idols and settings for romantic TV series, South Korea will be a hub for professional athletes as its first Winter Olympic Games take place in the ski resort of Pyeongchang from February 9 to 25.

A South Korean ski resort will host the Winter Olympics./EPA-EFE 

The Games will feature 102 events in 15 exciting sports, including four new disciplines – big-air snowboarding, mixed-doubles curling, mass-start speed skating and mixed-team alpine skiing.

Visitors can take a ring-side seat to witness the sportsmen showing their skills in jumping and skiing on snow dunes and gliding around the skating rinks.

TUMMY TOURS

Apart from sampling tantalising street food in Yaowarat, travellers in Bangkok now have a new mission – trying all the Michelin-star kitchens.

The inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok awarded 14 restaurants a star each, emphasising the quality of local cuisine. Jay Fai is famous for Thai-style crabmeat omelettes, Gaggan, Le Normandie and Mezzaluna all earned two stars for their excellent cuisine.

More convenient for both local epicures and foreign tourists to design their gourmet trip, the Thailand Tourism Map application will navigate the way and is already available to download at http://bit.ly/TATmap.

This year’s edition also features 35 restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand, a distinction as popular with chefs and Michelin inspectors, representing good value for money with top-quality meals on offer for no more than Bt1,000.

GET INNOVATIVE

With travellers looking to technology to help better understand a destination or accommodation before they book, artificial intelligence and digital technology are helping turn the corner when it comes to smart destination intuition.

Almost a third of global travellers surveyed by Hotel.com said they’re comfortable letting a computer plan an upcoming trip based on their previous travel history.

Sixty-four per cent said they wanted to “try before they buy” with a virtual-reality preview. Taking all the hard work and stress out of decision-making, in 2018, technology will continue to guide us seamlessly to find the best stays and experiences for us.

Santisuk Klongchaiya, director of commercial for Thai AirAsia, explains that the Udon Thani-Chiang Mai daily direct flight is an affirmation of Thai AirAsia’s policy of offering more and more regional connections in support of the nation’s tourism and transport sectors, noting Udon Thani is one the northeastern region’s strategic provinces for growth and one where AirAsia sees opportunities for expansion in both tourism and investment.

“The new route connects the northeast to the north and will be served by a 180 seat Airbus A320, a larger plane that offers greater comfort alongside AirAsia’s on-time service,” he added.

At the same time, to accommodate a growing number of passengers, AirAsia is increasing frequency on its Bangkok-Udon Thani route from four to five flights a day also starting in February.

Udon Thani can currently be reached from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport four times a day, Pattaya (U-Tapao) two times a day, Phuket once a day and soon from Chiang Mai, also once a day. The latest route is being launched at a promotional fare starting at Bt590 per trip. Book from December 22 to 31 via all ticketing channels; http://www.airasia.com, Counter Service at convenience stores and 7-Eleven or through the Call Center (02) 515- 999 and your nearest ticket agent for travel from February 15 to December 31, 2019.

It’s often referred to as the “highest walking street in the country” and today Doi Tung is probably also the coldest, with the strong breeze whipping across the mountain bringing a scent of winter to the “Colours of Doi Tung” festival.

Now in its fourth edition, the festival is held in the grounds of the Doi Tung royal villa, the former residence of Her Royal Highness the late Princess Srinagarindra, often simply called the Princess Mother, who took up residence here on November 23, 1988 and initiated the Doi Tung Development Project to reforest the land and help improve the lives of the local people.

The residence itself reflects the Princess Mother’s interest in astrology with the ceiling of the Royal Villa’s main hall boasting handcrafted wood inlays of her favourite constellations and the light bulbs arranged in such a way as to show the position of the constellations on October 21, 1900, the day the Princess Mother was born.

After a two-hour drive from Chiang Rai International Airport, we arrive at Doi Tung in the late afternoon, the day before the opening ceremony of the Colours of Doi Tung Festival.

The van drops us off outside the Hall of Inspiration, which is home to an exhibition on the lives, principles and works of the Mahidol family featuring Their Royal Highnesses the Prince Father, Princess Mother and Princess Galyani, and Their Majesties King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

The story is told through a metaphor of a drop of water creating ever widening ripples, much like the lives and work of every member of the Mahidol family. Together and individually they started each project on a small scale and expanded in steady steps, with the results of their work spreading outward until they touched and improved innumerable lives throughout the country.

This exhibition consists of seven rooms: The Mahidol Family, The Family History through the Eyes of the Princess Mother, The Return of the Mahidol Family, The People’s Suffering, The Sustainable Model for Alleviation of the People’s Suffering, The Doi Tung Model for Alleviation of the People’s Suffering and The Room of Inspiration.

With the sun sinking below the horizon, we make our way to the Doi Tung restaurant, where we feast on traditional Northern dishes, ethnic specialities and fresh vegetables from the project’s vegetable farm and local farms before retiring to our comfortable rooms at Doi Tung Lodge.

I wake up early and watch the sun rise through a sea of mist. The festival formally opens at 8am and this year it’s been given the theme “Follow and Carry” in a reference to the Princess Mother’s vision for the land.

The festival can be accessed by either of the two entrances made of the bamboo art installations and titled the Bond Pavilion and Connection.

They’re inspired by the six ethnic minorities – Akha, Lahu, Shan, Thai Lue, Lawa and Chinese – who live together and work together to restore the forest. Another sculpture is called “Everyday Objects” and draws on colours and design of the hilltribes’ textiles that are spread across the walking street.

The Kad Chon Pao zone is home to more than 80 stalls offering traditional food, drinks, handicrafts and agricultural products of the ethnic minorities living at Doi Tung. Well worth sampling are the khao nga thod (black sticky rice with sesame), khanom dao (soybean star cake with corn), mee lueang phad (fried yellow noodle), khao puk (pounded and grilled black sticky rice), khao kan jin (rice mixed with ground pork and blood wrapped in banana leaves then steamed), and sticky rice in bamboo. Get yourself a coffee to wash the food down and eat while admiring the beautiful Mae Fah Luang Garden.

The section of walking street leading from Kad Chon Pao to the Workshop zone is packed with tribal clothes, hats, bags and accessories as well as souvenirs – all of them too attractive to resist so perhaps it’s a good thing that the workshops offer visitors a chance to learn bag painting.

You can also stretch your creativity by making postcards out of saa (mulberry) paper, stitch notebooks and shape and paint a few ceramic pieces. I opt for the postcard class and decorate my creation with some dried flowers.

“Doi Tung is known for organising events focusing on food, agriculture, handcrafts and social development and the Doi Tung Lifestyle shops sell woven fabric, saa paper works and ceramics. So this year we thought it would be fun to invite visitors to have a go at making their own,” says Jackrayu Kongurai, product designer with the Doi Tung Development Project, who has turned the workshops into a business unit.

“The festival grows more popular every year and now when tourists come to Chiang Rai, they come up to Doi Tung,” he adds.

Having satisfied their creative juices, many of the visitors head straight to the Formula Doi area, where they emulate racing driver Lewis Hamilton and drive their three-wheel wooden carts at tortoise speed. Others take selfies with the stilt walkers.

I continue walking and quickly reach Kad Doi Tung with its colourful lineup of tribal clothes, snacks, tea, fruits and such agricultural products as fresh snow lotus, Inca peanut and black sesame.

Opposite is another food area, this one called khan tok in a reference to the northern word meaning wooden utensil.

It serves a range of traditional Northern foods including herbal fermented chicken in bamboo and nam phrik makuea som (tomato chilli sauce).

There’s entertainment nearby too and I watch fascinated as two green “birds” and a red creature that looks a little like a lion perform the traditional dance known as ram nok ram toh.

I end my visit with a stroll along with 300-metre Doi Tung Treetop Walk. Opened in 2016, it’s perched 30 metres above the property and offers a bird’s eye view of the forest, stream, and coffee plants as well as a distant glimpse of Doi Chang Moob, the border town that separates Thailand and Myanmar.

IF YOU GO

– The Colours of Doi Tung Festival takes place every weekend until January 28 from 8am to 6pm.

– Find out now at http://www.MaeFahLuang.org, http://www.DoiTung.org and Facebook.com/DoiTungClub.