Cheapflights UK, the UK’s leading website for price search and comparison in travel, says that search figures to Thailand are still up 39 per cent on last year, but it falls behind the rising popularity of other East Asian nations with similar offerings.

Leading the hotlist of next generation favourites is Indonesia with a whopping 116 per cent rise on last year. Hot on its heels comes Vietnam at 94 per cent followed by Malaysia at 79 per cent.

“While Thailand has long been a British favourite, neighbouring East Asian countries have experienced a dramatic rise in search recently and we are starting to see a popularity shift into places like Vietnam,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights UK.

Vietnam is transformed from a destination that was recovering from a war, which ended just 30 years ago, to a flourishing country of lush jungles, sandy beaches and buzzing nightlife for visitors to explore. As far as cost comparison with Thailand, it works out to be slightly cheaper or equal depending on the purchase. For example, a beer in Thailand is approximately £1.56 where as a beer in Vietnam costs an even more cheerful £0.90. The price of a taxi in Thailand is estimated at £1.22 per kilometre, where as in Vietnam it’s about £0.33 per kilometre.

Malaysia is a melting pot of influences, from the Portuguese and the Dutch to the British, making it easy for most travellers to feel comfortable. It also offers great scuba diving, thick jungles, mountains, national parks, and a cuisine flecked with flavours from India, China, and Portugal. Its diverse offering and low cost make for a mouth watering combination, with the cost of dining out matching Thailand at around £5-6 per person. 

Made up of thousands of islands comprising bustling cities as well as romantic beaches, Indonesia’s offering is broad. Where it once captured mostly eccentrics, it now draws anyone with a taste for exoticism. Depending on where you go, costs can vary, but finding the price equivalent to Thailand in quality and cost is easy, with meals starting at £3 and going up to around £7 or more if they include wine.