MICE products come alive in Thailand.
Thailand Innovative Meetings Exchange 2026 (TIME2026), TCEB’s annual showcase for MICE in Thailand, spotlighted the diversity of MICE experiences by pairing Bangkok’s dynamic urban venues with Khao Lak’s expanding resort, wellness and activity pipeline.
Bangkok’s hot new address
A major highlight in the Bangkok leg was One Bangkok, the city centre’s multi-use complex. Most attendees started their TIME2026 journey at Andaz One Bangkok, one of the capital’s newest luxury hotels, and the Ritz-Carlton Bangkok, which boasts one of Bangkok’s biggest ballrooms at 1,355sqm.
A setting for less formal gatherings in private spaces or buyouts up to 700 guests is Chang Canvas, the Thai beer brand’s flagship for craft beers brewed on site, and many of which are exclusive to the venue like a wild honey dunked or an Indian Gooseberry IPA. Activities include flights of beer tastings and a tour of the brewing facilities located right in the middle of the bar.
The Forum at One Bangkok.One Bangkok brings serious scale. The Forum was designed with a 6,000 seat or 10,000 standing room arena, it also hosts conferences, film festivals and exhibitions. Finally, One Bangkok’s parks and open spaces can be hired for one-of-a-kind on-brand events and activations.
The One Bangkok project is still expanding, with a total of five hotels expected to be completed in the coming years, including a long-stay Fraser Suites scheduled next year, and construction of the remaining hotels to be completed in the coming years. Though as yet unconfirmed, the fifth and final hotel is expected to be an ultra-luxury lifestyle brand.
Classics kept fresh
Established Bangkok options such as The Peninsula Bangkok and its Paribatra Aviation Lounge were on showcase. Another long-time favourite, Anantara Siam Bangkok, has just unveiled a complete refit. Under the banner “Rebirth of an Icon”, all the 354 rooms have been renovated and six pool villas added, a rarity in downtown Bangkok. On the meeting side, additions to the 1000-guest ballroom include new sound and video tech, a new plush screening room and a podcast studio.
The latest hotels up the value proposition, with wellness activities available to planners on top of hotel inventory and ballrooms and meeting spaces.Demonstrating the strength of Bangkok in offering experiential add-ons to MICE programmes, TIME2026 invited participants to a diverse range of experiences from Bhawa Spa on the Eight, and Thai Craft Studio, to culinary and cultural stops, including Prai Raya, the Ratchaprasong shrines and Sompong Thai Cooking School.
Khao Lak: the emerging MICE story
Giving more conviction to the showcase of experiential programming for MICE groups is Thailand’s twin-destination proposition: visit Bangkok for high-profile business events; move south for incentive or bleisure programmes built around larger resort infrastructure, nature-led activities and a quieter Andaman setting.
Khao Lak, about 90 minutes north of Phuket International Airport, has long been known for families, surfers and long-stay leisure travellers. The shift for MICE is the amount of new and upgraded resort capacity now coming online, giving organisers larger ballrooms, more flexible outdoor settings and a destination still less saturated than Phuket.
Khao Lak adds a range of group-friendly activities from surf classes to elephant sanctuary visits.JW Marriott Khao Lak underwent a renovation under designer Clint Nagata of Blink Design Group that almost doubled its key-count to 424 and added a ballroom of 758sqm that holds up to 800 attendees. With the addition of the JW Farm and the school building that is used for educational activities about the local ecosystem, the property can host dinners and meetings in a more unconventional space, while the green spaces and mangrove can host team-building games and offer glass-bottomed canoe tours.
The Avani+ Khao Lak Resort prides itself on its 272 rooms and 500sqm ballroom, but also offers guests physical activities including muay thai training, rock climbing or gentle strolls along the beach.
The Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort and Spa, the latest major addition to the area with 283 rooms and 531sqm ballroom also offers unique dining options for the area like the Pan Asia Grill and bar with table top grills and panoramic views. Here the international buyers met an additional 46 suppliers from the south.
Groups get active at Sky Rock Khao Lak Adventure.Beyond Skywalk Nangshi adds a strong incentive-photo moment, with a glass walkway angled toward the karst formations of Phang Nga Bay, alongside southern food, community-based activities and accommodation on site.
Food and wellness stops included Michelin Guide-rated Jumpo for southern Thai dishes and La Vita Sana, which combines healthy food, TCM consultations, traditional treatments and herbal inhaler workshops.
For active programmes, the destination offers bamboo rafting with Komol’s Corner Bamboo Rafting, surfing with Salt Surf, zip lining with Sky Rock Khao Lak Adventure and humane elephant encounters at Khao Lak Elephant Home – solidifying TCEB’s case for Khao Lak as a purposeful incentive destination.