Thailand has never been short on luxury, but going into 2026, it feels different. With new openings, cinematic locations and ever-more imaginative ways to travel, the Kingdom is stepping confidently onto the world stage of ultra-high-end living.
Because it’s never too early to start planning your next getaway, we’ve distilled our 2026 Edition of our HOT Ultra 20 – twenty experiences that will define the pinnacle of indulgence in Thailand in 2026. They are numbered but not ranked, and they are not meant to be exhaustive. Think of them as a private short list: if you were to design your ultimate Thailand year, these are the moments that would anchor it.
1. Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River – Art, Water and Light
Part gallery, part resort, Four Seasons Bangkok stretches along the river in a sequence of pools, courtyards and contemporary art. The result is a stay that feels curated: Michelin-level dining, museum-worthy interiors and a sense of space rare in any global capital.
2. The Siam Hotel Bangkok – A Riverside Mansion on the Chao Phraya
On a peaceful bend of the Chao Phraya in Bangkok’s historic Dusit district, The Siam feels less like a hotel and more like a private riverside mansion. With just 39 suites and pool villas in a monochrome Art Deco–meets–Thai heritage style, spaces are filled with antiques, soaring ceilings and deep soaking tubs that invite you to linger. Days drift between the palm-framed infinity pool, the Opium Spa, a private Muay Thai ring, vinyl and movie rooms and the hotel’s teak river boat, which whisks you downtown and back – all quietly orchestrated by butlers who make the city feel both cinematic and entirely your own.
3. Chiva-Som, Hua Hin – The Ultimate Reset
For many, ultra means transformation rather than excess. Chiva-Som, consistently ranked among the world’s top wellness retreats, offers tailored programmes that combine nutrition, movement, spa therapies and medical insight on a tranquil stretch of Hua Hin beach. Guests leave lighter, clearer and quietly recalibrated.
4. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok – Sleeping in a Legend
Few addresses can match the romance of the Oriental. A night in the historic Author’s Wing, followed by breakfast by the river and an afternoon in the spa, is the sort of old-world indulgence that never goes out of style.
5. Aman Nai Lert Bangkok – A Garden Sanctuary in the Sky
Set above the century-old Nai Lert Park, Aman’s Bangkok debut offers the kind of serenity usually reserved for remote resorts. With just 52 suites, a Jean-Michel Gathy design, and limousine and fast-track services built in, it’s the city stay for those who prefer whispers over headlines.
6. Banyan Tree Oceanus, Laguna Phuket – Owning the View
For those who want to stay forever, Banyan Tree Beach Residences Oceanus offers just 16 absolute-beachfront homes within Laguna Phuket. With penthouses approaching 768 square metres and concierge-style services on tap, it’s not simply property – it’s a permanent front-row seat on Bang Tao Beach.
7. Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui – Your Own White Lotus Week
This season’s White Lotus made Four Seasons Koh Samui a global fantasy, but the resort has long been a favourite of those in the know. Hillside pool villas cascade down a coconut plantation to a perfect private beach, with Muay Thai, snorkelling and cinematic sunsets completing the script.
8. Amanpuri, Phuket – The Original Temple of Beachfront Calm
Aman’s first resort remains one of the most coveted. Pavilions and villas step down a forested hillside to a crescent of powder-soft sand, with discreet service and off-menu experiences – from private cruises to in-villa wellness – making every stay feel like a one-off commission.
9. RAVA Beach Club’s Pura Vida Brunch – Champagne Under the Banyan
At Banyan Tree Phuket’s RAVA Beach Club, the monthly Pura Vida Sunday Brunch has quickly become a byword for seaside decadence: lavish seafood and grill stations, a live singer and free-flow Veuve Clicquot at THB 6,900 per person. It’s Sunday elevated to an art form.
10. Trisara, Phuket – Villa Living with a Michelin Star
At Trisara, every villa comes with a private pool and uninterrupted sea views, but the real magic happens on the plate. Home to PRU, Phuket’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, the resort turns a long weekend into a full immersion in hyper-local, ingredient-driven fine dining.
11. Rosewood Phuket – Jungle-Wrapped, Sea-Facing Hideaway
Tucked into a lush headland, Rosewood’s pool pavilions and villas feel sculpted from the jungle itself. The experience is all about texture: outdoor showers, layered greenery, and a shoreline that feels far more remote than its easy access to Phuket would suggest.
12. A White Lotus–Style Superyacht Week – Spacecat from Phuket
For the ultimate seen-on-screen moment, charter Spacecat, the futuristic multihull superyacht featured in The White Lotus’ Thailand season. Departing from Phuket, a week aboard – with crew, toys and gourmet dining – runs into six figures and delivers the rare luxury of true, movable privacy.
13. V Villas Hua Hin – Private Pool Villas by the Sea
On a quiet stretch of Hua Hin’s beachfront, V Villas Hua Hin – MGallery Collection feels like a string of modern beach houses rather than a traditional resort. Just 28 pool villas, each with its own long, emerald pool, private garden and 24-hour butler, create a sense of cocooned privacy that’s rare this close to town. Whether you’re in a one-bedroom hideaway or the sprawling Presidential Beachfront Pool Villa, days slip by between alfresco breakfasts, lazy laps and sunset cocktails on the terrace, with the sea never more than a few barefoot steps away.
14. Banyan Tree Samui – Private Bays and Glass-Calm Seas
On the opposite coast, Banyan Tree Samui hangs over a private, reef-sheltered bay. Multi-level villas with infinity pools, a superb spa and calm, swimmable water make it the sort of place families and couples return to year after year.
15. A Seven-Day Andaman Yacht Journey
Not all yachts need to be television stars. Whether through global brokers or specialist Thai operators, a week-long charter tracing Phang Nga Bay, the Similan Islands and remote coves around Phuket offers barefoot glamour at its purest: sunrise swims, dive sites to yourselves and dinners served under a spill of stars.
16. Anantara Layan Phuket – Cliffside Villas and Perfectly Framed Sunsets
Anantara Layan combines a tranquil bay with dramatic hillside villas, some large enough for multi-generational family gatherings. Add yacht excursions, destination dining and a spa set among tropical gardens, and you have a resort that quietly over-delivers on every front.
17. Six Senses Yao Noi – Villas in the Sky Above Phang Nga Bay
Perched on a lush hillside facing Phang Nga Bay’s limestone karsts, Six Senses Yao Noi delivers one of Thailand’s most cinematic views. Elevated pool villas feel like rustic-chic treehouses, each with expansive decks, private pools and a dedicated Guest Experience Maker. With world-class spa rituals, private boat trips to secret coves and sunsets over the bay from the hilltop infinity pool, it’s quiet luxury at its most photogenic.
18. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle – Safari Spirit in Northern Thailand
With just 15 tents perched above the meeting point of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle reimagines safari luxury for Southeast Asia. Guests glide in by boat, bathe in copper tubs and spend their days between jungle trails, rivers and encounters with rescued elephants.
19. RAKxa Wellness – Medicine Meets Mindfulness on Bangkok’s Green Lung
Across the river on Bang Krachao, RAKxa blends cutting-edge diagnostics with holistic therapies in villa-style accommodation. It’s where longevity medicine, functional fitness and serene spa rituals meet – ideal for those who treat health as their most important asset.
20. Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta – The Quiet Side of the Andaman
Reached via a scenic boat ride, Pimalai cascades down a jungle hillside to a long, softly curving beach. Villas feel deliberately under-the-radar – the kind of place you book when you want to disappear without sacrificing an inch of comfort.
There are countless ways to experience Thailand, but only a few that feel truly once-in-a-lifetime. The HOT Ultra 20 is not a challenge to tick off, but an invitation: to savour the Kingdom at its highest level, one unforgettable stay, brunch, sail or spa ritual at a time.