Thailand's southern resort province of Phuket and the national capital, Bangkok, have been voted among Asia's top five holiday destinations, a survey conducted by the TIME magazine announced Wednesday.

The awards seek to honor the best in Asia's travel industry, from airlines and airports to hotels and destinations, as identified by the magazine's Readers' Travel Choice Awards 2005 survey.

A total of 2,193 individuals responded to the survey conducted from April 18 to June 24. Phuket and Bangkok were ranked second and third respectively in the most favorite holiday destinations category, behind the Indonesian island of Bali.

Meanwhile, Phuket's Banyan Tree has been voted as first runner up in the Asia's most favorite resort hotels category.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said on Wednesday that the award reflects both the recovery of Phuket and other Andaman coast tourist centers in the aftermath of last December's Indian Ocean tsunami and the restoration of tourists' confidence in the region.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2005)