Why you need to return to Thailand this year with cannabis spas, Michelin food guide tuk tuks and flights from £212
LYING flat on my back, I inhale deeply, breathing in the hum from the golden bowls being softly drummed behind me.
Each tap of the gong against the metal sends gentle vibrations quivering through my body, lulling me into a sleepy fuzz.
I’m ten minutes into a sound meditation class at the new The Standard Hotel in Hua Hin, a hundred or so miles south of Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where a huge wellness boom is taking place.
This is just one of many holistic offerings here at The Standard.
There is also a mud lounge, where guests can slather themselves in skin-purifying layers of black, pink, green or yellow sludge, a wellness-focused spa with cooling aloe vera body wraps and yoga lessons held in the early morning sun on a seemingly never-ending stretch of sandy beach.
Unlike some of the clinically modern resorts scattered further along the beach, The Standard has a truly laid-back vibe — straw umbrellas by the outdoor pool and swaying palm trees creeping over cushioned daybeds.
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It’s lush and super-stylish, but the crowd is a mellow mix of relaxed holidaymakers and bare-footed yogis.
Blissful treatment
And it’s not just the hotel that draws them here either.
In the neighbouring district of Cha-Am, another spa is preparing to welcome its first international guests on herbal retreats that “cleanse the mind and body”.
A family-run business, the small Cha-Am Garden Cannabis Wellness Centre, part of the Cha-Am Garden Hotel, has been growing and harvesting the plant for the past two generations to produce a soft chocolatey smelling oil that it uses in massages and other holistic treatments.
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The centre believes the medicinal benefits of the plant to be so impressive that they even cook it into noodle soups, curries and other traditional dishes.
Although I’m yet to experience its full power, a body treatment here is nothing short of euphoric.
After 90 blissful minutes of gentle muscle-wringing, my skin has absorbed more than enough enriching cannabis oil to keep it silky for days.
And the cherry on top of the metaphorical cake is that each massage is followed by a real cake . . . with a cherry on top. Literally.
Tucking into slices of soft gateaux embellished with swirls of frothy icing and glacier cherries all washed down with herbal tea made from local Thai roses is a heavenly ending to any spa day.
This spa may be one of the first of its kind in this area, but it’s unlikely to be the last.
Earlier this year, the Thai government partially legalised the drug.
And there are hopes that in being the only country in Asia to do so, Thailand will hold huge appeal for holidaymakers looking to reap the plant’s medicinal benefits.
The drug’s psychoactive substance, THC, is mostly removed when it’s infused with beauty products, but if the idea of slathering yourself in weed oil does not appeal, then there are plenty of other spas nearby that offer more conventional treatments.
And if it’s a massage you’re after, you won’t be short of choice as that’s what the Thai people do best.
A 30-minute drive north of Hua Hin in the province of Phetchaburi lies a small and undiscovered gem of a spa, Kanghuntong (see kanghuntong.com), that incorporates soothing salts into hour-long foot massages and soothing body scrubs.
Or if it’s something a little more technical you’re after, then round the corner from The Standard is the world-famous Chiva-Som resort, which has attracted many celebrities in its time — and for good reason.
Guests are asked to fill in a detailed health questionnaire to receive a tailored treatment package. Although you’ll want to save up if you’re planning to visit as rooms and a full-day package can cost upwards of £1,000 per night.
For me, the best way to dip your toes into Thailand’s wellness pool is by flying into Bangkok, booking a room in a plush beachside hotel on Hua Hin’s dreamy coast and hiring a driver to whizz you from door to door.
CDM (cdmthailand.com) offer personalised tours with well-informed guides — my one, April, knew every inch of Bangkok and Hua Hin inside out.
But make sure you get your fill of city fun first in the capital, and beating heart of Thailand, which is in full swing again.
New for 2022, are Michelin guide tuk tuk tours — a great way to sample the country’s authentic food scene.
I whizzed through the colourful streets in an even more colourful three-wheeled vessel with lights flickering from the side street restaurants and smells wafting through the narrow lanes.
Down a deserted back street, led by our tour guide, we pass busy tables where nimbled-fingered women are filleting fresh fish under the shelter of shop umbrellas.
It’s not for the faint-hearted who would shiver at the sight of fish guts and heads, but this is how proper Thai street food is prepared and if you’re willing to venture off-piste, these tours will take you to some authentic places where recipes have been passed down through the generations.
Not for faint-hearted
At the end of the street, we reach Jok One Table, which looks nothing more than a tattered off-licence from the outside, which only makes the whole experience even more exciting.
Like the name would suggest, Jok’s One Table opened with just one dining table by self-taught chef, Jok, but has since expanded to five tables after locals caught wind of its delicious dumplings and traditional street food that led to six-month-long waiting lists.
Luckily for me, I get to skip the wait on this tuk tuk tour.
It’s here that I sample proper delicacies. Forget pad Thai, massaman curry and other Western faves — I tuck into sweet and sour fermented fish innards, spicy crab claws and bright pink bao-style buns stuffed with creamy bean curd.
All unusual, yet moreish.
That’s not all that’s on offer when it comes to good grub either.
If you’re happy to venture solo then the night markets in Chinatown are now some of the tastiest and safest in Thailand.
Deep fried crickets, anyone?
But after being in the thick of the action, you’ll want somewhere comfortable and relaxing to escape to and The Hyatt Regency is perfect with its sixth-floor pool and rooftop bar.
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When you’re sat in an armchair with views that stretch for miles across the city, it’s hard not to start plotting your next Thailand adventure.
Especially with a freshly-shaken cocktail in hand.
GO: THAILAND
GETTING THERE: Scoot flies from Gatwick to Bangkok from £212pp each way.
STAYING THERE: A King room, at The Standard Hua Hin costs from £71.17 (3,150 THB) per night on a room-only basis. See standardhotels.com. The Hyatt Regency Bangkok has room-only King rooms from £119.74 (5,600 THB) per night. See hyatt.com.
OUT & ABOUT: A Michelin Guide street food tuk tuk tour costs from £35.44pp. See getyourguide.co.uk.