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33 MAR-APR 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM groups of at least 40, instead of 50, with a minimum two-night stay in Thailand. TCEB expects the new campaign will spur a 5% increase in MICE travellers from each of the four markets, with at least 20 new groups to Thailand over the campaign period until end-August. Simultaneously, Thailand is also looking to neighbours Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam as strong emerging markets, offering benefits to meetings and incentive groups under its Fly and Meet Double Bonus campaign. Thailand has also rolled out the welcome mat with the launch of an electronic visa in February, in phases. Beijing will be the first Chinese city to benefit from the new visa, followed by other cities over the next three years. The electronic visa will also been extended to the UK and France from March and April respectively. Lap of luxury The flurry of new luxury hotels opening in Bangkok is giving a much-needed lift to an ageing inventory. Among the illustrious names is Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, which opened last August in the bustling Ratchaprasong intersection with 171 guestrooms. The centrepiece of its meetings facilities is the 730sqm Magnolia Ballroom, which fits up to 700 guests. Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit has taken up residence as part of a 31-storey mixed-use development in the Nana neighbourhood in December. The 273-key property adds substantial meetings and events space that spans 1,359sqm, with a 850-guest ballroom and four meeting suites. Japanese luxury group Nikko Hotels International has taken the wraps off its new 301-key property. Hotel Nikko Bangkok offers a sizeable 1,800sqm of meetings and events spaces. The largest Several brands have lined up along the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya river, with entrances such as Capella Bangkok, a 101-key urban resort along a 350-metre riverfront stretch, and Four Seasons with a 3.6-hectare complex comprising of 366 private residential units and 299 guest rooms and suites. In the last quarter of 2019, Orient Express Mahanakhon Bangkok will perch on the upper floors of the King Power Mahanakhon. The hotel will feature 154 rooms, as well as a jacuzzi and the Orient Express Spa by Guerlain. Left: The Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit in a 31-storey mixed- use development in the Nana neighbourhood. venue, Fuji Grand Ballroom, will be able to host 1,250. A further eight small- and medium-sized function rooms, outdoor terrace and balcony are also available. At the end of March, luxury brand Rosewood is also expected to debut in the capital with a 30-floor property in Bangkok's Ploenchit district. The 159-room Rosewood Hotel Bangkok will offer facilities such as a 320sqm residential-style space, The Pavilion, for up to 200 and a boardroom that overlooks the capital's skyline. Above: Rosewood Hotel Bangkok is expected to debut this March.