The Super VIP events for Pig Pig involve exploding one outbound destination at a time. This time, Thailand has undergone a slight revision, shifting from pushing as many products as possible for a destination to a more selective approach.
This installment features 5 products, and each one is a hit!
What do we have today?
Air China round-trip flights from Shanghai/Hangzhou/Chengdu to Bangkok for 850 yuan; round-trip flights from Beijing to Bangkok/Chiang Mai for 1550 yuan; round-trip flights from Hangzhou to Phuket for 1050 yuan (tax not included);
China Southern Airlines offers a single-person multiple round-trip card, Guangzhou/Nanning/Jieyang round-trip to Bangkok, with 2 round trips for 1530 yuan and 4 round trips for 2730 yuan (tax not included). There are also round-trip tickets to Phuket available.
Three nights in a luxurious garden view room at Anantara Chiang Mai including breakfast for 4648 yuan; three nights in a Kasara Garden View Suite including breakfast and executive privileges for 6999 yuan;
Three nights in a Banyan Tree Bangkok Serenity Club Room including breakfast and executive privileges for 3263 yuan.
Flash sale! Two nights at Banyan Tree Bangkok including breakfast and round-trip flights from Hong Kong to Bangkok for 3888 yuan.
Let me tell you about each one.
Except for the flash sale tickets and the Banyan Tree Bangkok package, all others go on sale at 9 a.m. The flash sale package becomes available at 8 p.m.
All packages, except the flash sale package, enjoy the benefit of Huabei without verification and repayment, as they are all sold by domestic stores.
1) Air China round-trip flights from Shanghai/Hangzhou/Chengdu to Bangkok for 850 yuan; round-trip flights from Hangzhou to Phuket for 1050 yuan; round-trip flights from Beijing to Bangkok/Chiang Mai for 1550 yuan (tax not included);
Outbound flight dates: May 22 – July 10
Return flight dates: May 25 – July 14
Reservations are required between May 22-26 and are limited to those purchasing 88 VIP or Feizhu F3 and above.
Taking Hangzhou = Bangkok and Hangzhou = Phuket as examples, the round-trip tax is 1214 yuan. Of course, taxes may vary, but not significantly.
The advantage of Air China is that it includes checked baggage allowances, and most flight times are relatively good (the Hangzhou to Phuket flight times are quite favorable, while Hangzhou to Bangkok is generally okay).
1 purchase Taobao passcode: 58¥ CZ3452 UXepWufCksS¥ https://m.tb.cn/h.gXMmzoL/
Stock up on this! I’ve already looked at this year’s 618 items, and there are good products from Bangkok and Phuket. Chiang Mai will be the Anantara today.
2) China Southern Airlines’ single-person multiple round-trip card offers Guangzhou/Nanning/Jieyang round-trip to Bangkok, with 2 round trips for 1530 yuan and 4 round trips for 2730 yuan (tax not included).
There are also flights to other Southeast Asian destinations, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Various departure cities are available nationwide.
Specific departure points, destinations, and prices are as follows:
This is for a single two-round-trip ticket card; if you choose a single four-round trip, the average price will be lower.
Two-round-trip card: 78¥ HU9046 3nqOWufCLL7¥ https://m.tb.cn/h.g2TIsgb/
Four-round-trip card: 08¥ MF1643 pPIbWufBcT7¥ https://m.tb.cn/h.gXMNive/
The tickets are also refundable without reservation, so you can stock up with confidence.
3) Three nights at Anantara Chiang Mai in a luxurious garden view room including breakfast for 4648 yuan; Kasara Garden View Suite for three nights including breakfast + executive privileges for 6999 yuan
Valid until September 26, 2024; all dates are at the same price; see the page for unavailable dates.
Although it’s said that Chiang Mai is peak season from November to April, I personally do not like going to Chiang Mai from February to April. During these months, it’s the burning season in Chiang Mai, and blue skies and white clouds are hard to come by.
Not until May does the blue sky increase.
We’ve stayed at this Anantara before; the hotel was formerly known as The Chedi. In the movie “The Mission” starring Andy Lau and Daniel Wu, there are extensive scenes filmed in this hotel.
Anantara Chiang Mai is usually not cheap, around 2000+ yuan a night. This time it’s basically a 20% discount, with significant discounts for overseas hotels, so I believe that 4848 for three nights is a good deal.
Anantara Chiang Mai is located by the mother river of Chiang Mai, the Mae Ping River, near the old town of Chiang Mai, which has been bustling for hundreds of years and is within walking distance. The hotel is also very close to the Chiang Mai night market.
The designer of the hotel is Kerry Hills, one of the three greats of Aman.
When you enter the hotel, you will find that the most eye-catching building is not the lobby or the main guest room building, but a two-story small building that was once the British consulate in Chiang Mai.
Kerry Hills truly has talent, not only renovating the old consulate but also reviving the retro charm of “British Colonial Style” from 1921 within this hotel.
The old consulate’s building is the “heart” of the whole hotel, also serving as the main visual of the lobby.
Every evening at 6 p.m., a traditional Thai lighting ceremony is held at the hotel, with the old consulate as the backdrop.
You do not need to go to the front desk for check-in; the concierge will take your documents and handle everything. You just need to sit and wait, truly enjoying the warm service of “Sawasdee Ka.”
The portrait on the wall is of a Thai princess, the actual owner of these properties, including the old consulate.
Kerry Hills used a long corridor made of wood structure to create a subtle connection between the old consulate, the new building, infinity pool, and the Mae Ping River.
The hotel’s infinity pool, apart from the old consulate, is another picturesque spot.
The pool itself has a very simple shape, and aside from the impressive view facing the Mae Ping River, I think the most brilliant part is the use of a lotus pond as the “introduction,” adding a touch of Zen beauty.
The public areas of the hotel are separated by reeds, and the paper lampshades make the evening light softer.
Compared to concrete, natural materials always give a lighter feeling. This modern naturalist design is very representative of Kerry Hills’ personal style.
You don’t have to worry that Anantara is too old; the hotel actually opened in 2012 and underwent extensive renovations in 2022, the year of its tenth anniversary.
Both the public area and the guest rooms have been maintained and restored, and a new terrace bar was added to the existing public space. So now, it’s just at its prime time.
The “expanded” public areas of the hotel feature 2 restaurants and 2 bars.
**BODHI TERRACE Restaurant**
Anantara Chiang Mai offers the best breakfast I have had in the two weeks I’ve spent in Thailand.
It’s a semi-buffet and semi-order service, and the menu is extremely rich.
There are both traditional Western breakfasts and very authentic Thai breakfasts; I couldn’t manage to order everything I wanted even after two days.
BODHI TERRACE is also the hotel’s all-day restaurant, offering cuisine from various regions of Thailand.
The dining area is located by the Mae Ping River, and not only is the food acceptable, but the setting is also wonderfully pleasant.
**The Service 1921**
The filming of “The Mission” has made Anantara Chiang Mai very famous among Chinese tourists.
One particularly classic scene in the movie involves Daniel Wu and He Meitian kissing passionately in the infinity pool, and another features Andy Lau indulging in caviar at 1921 restaurant.
1921 Restaurant has quite a background; it was built on the original site of the British consulate.
Chiang Mai itself was never colonized, but because of its geographical proximity to Vietnam, its architecture and fashion have been heavily influenced by British colonial style.
The inspiration for this restaurant comes from the intelligence agency in the old consulate, with walls decorated with intelligence collected from various places, and the menu and placemats styled like confidential documents, resembling the feel of an agent’s daily gear.
If you accurately find the mechanism disguised as a bookshelf, the secret door opens to reveal a mysterious private room inside.
This part was also preserved from the original old consulate, perfectly recreating the scenes from espionage films.
1921 is primarily a steakhouse and operates on a reservation-only basis, with limited seating and high demand.
**Brit Bar**
Even more sought after than 1921 is the afternoon tea at Brit Bar; many people who don’t stay at the hotel specifically come for tea.
After all, the British were the first to turn afternoon tea into a lifestyle, and where better to enjoy it than in the old British consulate?
Every afternoon from 5 to 7 p.m., the Brit Bar is also the place where suite guests enjoy executive privileges.
Brit Bar is located right below 1921, maintaining a cohesive design style.
The Happy Hour menu features simple selections, including several Thai-style snacks presented in a platter.
But for drink lovers, this bar is surely a delight; the bar counter occupies a large area, with a drink menu that offers a free-flowing experience, and one should not leave Brit Bar without feeling tipsy.
**Bubbles**
The final spot, Bubbles, is the newly opened outdoor bar located above the infinity pool. I think this drinking environment is even better than Brit Bar, with a stunning view facing the Mae Ping River that is incredibly enjoyable.
Bubbles opens daily at 5:30 p.m., perfectly timed with the sunset in Chiang Mai.
After enjoying the sunset ceremony at the hotel, you can head to Bubbles and enjoy a sunset drink filled with sunshine.
Many boats sail along the Mae Ping River every day, and the hotel has its private dock, providing another way to explore Chiang Mai.
So many people come to Anantara Chiang Mai for afternoon tea, and one reason might be that it’s hard to get a room.
During my two-night stay, the hotel was fully booked each day, as there are only 84 rooms in total. For a resort hotel, its smaller size ensures a higher level of service quality and guest experience.
Compared to the more “British colonial style” public areas, the guest rooms predominantly use deep wood tones, orange-red, and red hues, which give a distinctly Thai vibe.
The two room types in this package, the garden view room at 50㎡ and the Kasara suite starting at 105㎡, are already considered spacious.
The layout of the rooms at Anantara Chiang Mai is quite “neat,” making them feel even more spacious.
All rooms come with a super large balcony, which I absolutely love. It’s too hot during the day, but once the sun sets, it’s very comfortable to sit on this balcony.
1 purchase Taobao passcode: 18¥ CZ0012 zDyiWufArb2¥ https://m.tb.cn/h.gcH5coR/
This time at Anantara Chiang Mai offers a flat price model, valid until September 26, and all dates are at the same price, which makes it convenient. Traveling to Chiang Mai during summer break will be quite nice.
Direct flights to Chiang Mai are currently available from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Hong Kong, and Chengdu…
4) Three nights in a Serenity Club Room at Banyan Tree Bangkok including breakfast and executive privileges for 3263 yuan
Valid until December 31, 2024; unavailable during National Day (October 1-10) and double holidays (December 23-31).