The Next Phuket?

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Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta Yai and Khao Lak — three Thai destinations better known for backpackers and hammock-strewn huts — have unveiled deluxe accommodation in a bid for upmarket business. Their swish new resorts are helping Thailand generate much-needed buzz in the first peak season after the tsunami. Who knows? One of these up-and-coming towns might someday eclipse the jet set's favorite Thai isle, Phuket.

On Koh Lanta Yai, Rawi Warin (rawiwarin.com) joins the burgeoning roster of five-star resorts like Pimalai and Costa Lanta. Standard rooms feature polished woods and Thai silks, while the suites will awe you with their soaring ceilings. The cliff-top pool affords the best view of Lanta's dramatic sunset. Also on the Andaman Sea is Zeavola (zeavola.com). The 52 bungalows that dot the sand along Koh Phi Phi's Laem Tong Bay appear basic on approach, but first impressions deceive. Hip Bangkok design house Beyond Living has created colorful murals and textiles for these luxurious quarters, and outdoor showers come with all-natural Thann products. Next door, France's Accor Group plans to raise the first international flag on the island with its Phi Phi Villa & Spa (sofitel.com). Watch builders hoist marble up to the site for a sense of what's ahead.

A brighter future is also taking shape at Khao Lak — the area worst affected by the tsunami. Le Meridien Khao Lak (lemeridien.com) had been open less than two months on Boxing Day 2004, but it reopened ahead of schedule 10 months later with a totally new design. It now offers many of the opulent amenities of more intimate, boutique resorts. But it also has what none of the others have: a kid's club, providing kite-making and pizza-cooking classes for young ones. It's a subtle but telling indication that Khao Lak, like other secondary Thai destinations, aspires to leave its backpacker days — and the painful memory of the tsunami — far behind.