- Seafront enclave in Nakhon Si Thammarat to start welcoming international flights
- Travellers able to explore the authentic cultural and natural heritage of the region
- Former Laguna Phuket CEO, Ravi Chandran, heralds huge potential of the destination
Southern Thailand never ceases to amaze visitors with its beautiful beaches, breathtaking scenery, and rich cultural heritage. Now, a new location on the global stage is about to emerge as a haven for “tranquil tourism.” The coastal enclave of Sichon is poised to become a new jewel in Thailand’s tourism crown, with the brand-new international terminal at Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport due to open in Q4 2023.
Sichon is a tranquil and calm area where visitors may see Thailand as it has been for decades. Buddhists pay their respects in old temples, fishermen bring their catches up onto the beach from emerald green waters, farmers wrestle coconuts down from soaring palms, and artists meticulously weave textiles dyed with natural colors drawn from local fruits.
There is a way of life in the community that moves at its own pace and to the beat of its own drum.
Sichon Beach is recognized among Top 10 Beaches in Thailand by Lonely Planet
All is framed at the front by the translucent waters of the Gulf of Thailand, and Sichon beach in particular, recognized by world-renowned travel guide Lonely Planet as one of the best 10 beaches in Thailand, while behind is the imposing Khao Luang mountain range, a terrain intersected by waterfalls traversing its sides and up which travelers can hike to discover awe-inspiring views from its summit.
And while it is blissfully off the beaten track, it is all 40 minutes from the new international airport.
One man struck by the potential of the destination is Mr. Ravi Chandran, the former CEO of Laguna Phuket (part of Banyan Tree Holdings) who was part of the leadership team that played a role in the transformation of Phuket’s former tin mining district into Southeast Asia’s leading integrated resort destination.
Now, as Senior Advisor to Urasaya, a residential and hospitality development concept which will be unveiled on Sichon beach in the coming months, he is charting a course for the destination as a beacon of carefully-managed, eco-conscious, locally-inspired tourism.
“Sichon is quite something. Far from the tourist crowds, this is life in southern Thailand as it was 30 years ago – naturally beautiful, culturally authentic and perfectly peaceful. This is the Thailand visitors want to see and it is somewhere people will want to live,” said Mr. Ravi Chandran.
“I really think that this is a new beginning for the south of Thailand and it is a chance to get it right first go – by embracing a future defined by heritage, nature and sustainability.”
Sichon is not a new mass tourism hub now, or in the making. High-rise hotels are not expected to rise along the coast and the buzz of banana boats and jet skis will not be heard offshore. Instead, the ambience will remain highly in tune with life as it is now. And in that lies its greatest attraction.
