AWARDS WON
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NEW TOURIST POLICE STATION IN TRANG
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THE 6th THAILAND
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SEPTEMBER 2006
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NEW PRODUCTS

ANANTARA RESORT PHUKET, THAILAND, OPENING OCTOBER 2008
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LAGUNA PHUKET LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE TOUR OPERATION
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BLUE ELEPHANT LAUNCHES “THAI BRASSERIE”, CONTEMPORARY THAI RESTAURANT IN PATONG, PHUKET
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SGA LAUNCHES FLIGHTS FROM CHIANG MAI HUB TO NORTHERN CITIES
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GREEN LEAF
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THE SMOKE-FREE HOTEL PROGRAMME
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THAI HOTEL STANDARD
STAR RATING
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MAE FAH LUANG ART AND CULTURAL PARK
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THE HALL OF OPIUM/
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I-SAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION
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SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT
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THE “THAILAND HOTEL STANDARD”:
STAR RATING AWARDED TO THAI HOTELS
 
 
THAILAND HOTEL STANDARD
OBJECTIVES
To establish a tangible and reliable hotel standard
To encourage fair practice and equally protect consumers as well as hotels
To promote superior service, efficient administration and efficient and effective utilisation of natural resources
To develop a set of standards that accurately reflects the physical characteristics of a property and offers a clear indicator of its ‘marketing value’
To raise awareness of the ongoing development of the Thailand Hotel Standard
To build a firm foundation and promote the sustainable growth of the Thai hotel industry
   
GOALS
To raise the overall standards of Thai hotels by benchmarking and aligning local standards with internationally-accepted standards and practices;
To promote healthy competition within the Thai tourism industry and achieve higher quality of service and management;
Encourage the participation of hotels in Bangkok as well as in the four regions of Thailand;
To inspire international confidence and gain increasing international acceptance in the services offered and the management of Thai hotels;
To raise the visibility and awareness of newly certified hotel and resort properties among tour operators and individual travellers and tourists in Thailand and abroad.
   
BENEFITS

BENEFITS TO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IN GENERAL
Upgrades the hotel standard in Thailand especially standards of safety, hygiene, environment and service
A referable and credible hotel standard
Promotes the education and development of hotel personnel
Promotes sustainable growth of the hotel industry
Offers protection to hotels and consumers
Raises awareness of the ongoing development of the Thailand Hotel Standard
   
BENEFITS TO CERTIFIED HOTELS
Quality service achieved
Increase in the value of products and services
Efficient administration and a reduction in investment
Equitable competition and market situation based on customer’s needs and the physical characteristics of the hotel
PR and advertising mileage
   
THE FOUNDATION OF STANDARD AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN SERVICE AND TOURISM INDUSTRY
The Foundation, a non-profit organisation and juristic person representing the private and public sector, was established to oversee the administration of and certification process for the Thai Hotel Standards.

The Foundation is administered by a Committee with the following responsibilities in the Thailand Hotel Standard certification process:

Identifying a “Thailand Hotel Standard”
Managing the Thailand Hotel Standard
Formulating rules regarding the Thailand Hotel Standard
Creating awareness of the development of standards
Certification
Assessment and the development of standards
   
The Committee for the certification of the hotel standard consists of 10 individuals.
The Governor of TAT or a representative (1 person)
The representative from ATTA whose position is the president, vice president or secretary general (1 person)
The representative from associations concerning domestic tourism whose position is the president, vice president or secretary general (2 persons)
The representative from universities, which have hotel curriculum in an academic degree, whose position is a president, or dean, or head of department (2 persons: one from a public university and one from private university)
Representatives from THA including:
The President
The Secretary General
Chairman of Membership
The Vice President
   
The President of THA is the Chairman of the certifying Thailand Hotel Standard committee and the Chairman of Membership position is the secretary of the committee.

The Thai tourism industry has long recognised the importance of setting a consistent standard for hotels and resorts in Thailand and in March 2004, the Thai hotel industry took a major step forward with the first 84 Thai hotels being awarded a 'star rating' following their voluntary participation in the country's first ever hotel standard certification programme. As of September 2005, there are a total of 116 participating hotel and resort properties.

LEVELS OF THE THAILAND HOTEL STANDARD AND SYMBOL
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CERTIFIED HOTELS AWARDED STAR RATINGS
2004-2005
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Hotels have contributed significantly the growth and development of the Thai tourism industry and will continue to play a vital role. Hence in order to increase Thailand's competitive potential on the international stage, the Thai hotel industry deemed it an important step to raise overall standards by adopting internationally-recognised practices, such as the introduction of a 'precise, accurate and reliable' hotel standard and certification process that would enable Thai hotels to compete with world-class hotel properties on an equal footing. Prior to this, Thai hotels have principally operated under the legislative framework and regulatory provisions of the Hotel Act of BE 2478 (1935).

In 1999, the Thai Hotel Association (THA), supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), embarked on a pilot project to establish a comprehensive and credible "hotel standard" that defines the qualities and characteristics of a particular hotel or resort property and sets it apart from properties in other levels, and is also universally-recognised and internationally-accepted.

THA entrusted the responsibility for drafting the "Thailand Hotel Standard" to Mrs Piyaman Kanathanavanich - a THA Member, Chairman of Membership and Chairman of the THA Western Chapter - and a task force consisting of personnel from large and small properties in Bangkok and other provinces.

The drafting process was governed by the following policy guidelines.

  • The classification of the standard has to be clear and accurate.
  • The criteria for verifying have to be transparent and verifiable.
  • Following certification of the standard, when re-evaluated, a consistent result must be achieved.
  • The standard offers equal protection to both the hotel and its customers/guests
  • The standard has to be open to all hotels and not only members of THA.

International models, particularly European, provided the conceptual framework for the formulation of the current Thai Hotel Standard, which is based on the universally accepted 'star rating' concept. During the information-gathering phase in 2002-2003, over 60 hotels were surveyed.

To oversee the administration of and certification process for the Thai Hotel Standards, a non-profit organisation and juristic person representing the private and public sector, named "The Foundation of Standard and Human Resources Development in Service and Tourism Industry" has been established.

LEVELS OF THE THAILAND HOTEL STANDARD AND SYMBOL
As the certification organisation for the Thailand Hotel Standard, the Foundation awards the internationally-recognised 'star rating' to a hotel or resort property.

The hotel standard is divided into 5 levels and arranged in ascending order with one star () denoting the lowest standard and five stars () denoting the highest standard.

STAR RATING SYMBOL LEVEL

The "Hotel stardard" defines the qualities and characteristics of a hotel and sets it apart from properties in other levels.

One star ()

Standard of
one star level

Two star ()

Standard of
two star level

Three star ()

Standard of
three star level

Four star ()

Standard of
four star level

Five star ()

Standard of
five star level

At participating hotel and resort properties, the star-rating symbol is presented in one of two formats.

  • In the form of a 21-by-30 sign on a gold background with the corresponding number of 'stars' awarded featured on the sign.

    The sign is displayed at the top right-hand corner of the main entrance sign at the front of the hotel. In cases where it is not possible to place the sign at the main entrance to the hotel, the sign will either be placed in the way-in to the hotel building or in the lobby.

  • A certificate awarded by the Foundation must be placed in the lobby.

By the end of the initial phase from 1 October 2003 - 30 September 2004, 110 Thai hotels had applied for certification.

MAJOR FACTORS IN CONSIDERING THE HOTEL STANDARD
The major factors taken into consideration in the assessment and certification of an individual hotel and resort property are:

  • Physical aspects
    such as location and surroundings

  • Construction aspect
    ie. the physical structure of the hotel, systems in place, security system, etc.

  • Facilities for hotel guests
    taking into consideration guests who are resident at the hotel (in-house guests) as well as guests who frequent the hotel and use the services provided
    For example, the quantity of the facilities, décor, equipment, etc.

  • Quality of Service and the ability to maintain quality
    includes such criteria as personality, the quality of services, cleanliness, hygiene, etc.

  • The maintenance of the hotel and the abovementioned facilities.
The Thai hotel standard covers three aspects
  • The standard of construction and facilities
  • The standard of maintenance
  • The standard of services
Scores for each of the abovementioned standards are allocated as follows.

Level

Criteria

Five
star

Four
star

Three
star

Two
star

One
star

(1) The standard of construction and facilities

359

284

163

72

53

(2) The standard of maintenance

305

270

225

205

180

(3) The standard of services

374

320

301

169

150

Total

1,052

896

699

451

383

Applicants are required to pass all three standards by scoring higher than the lowest score for each standard for the level for which they have applied.

RAISING THE VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS OF CERTIFIED HOTEL AND RESORT PROPERTIES

To ensure widespread awareness of the introduction of the Thailand Hotel Standard among local and international travel and tour operators, individual travellers and tourists, as well as media, the following is being undertaken.

  • A guide to the Thai hotels participating in the Thailand Hotel Standard programme is being produced and will be distributed worldwide and will help individual travellers and tourists, and travel and tour operators in the selection of hotels and resorts to suit varying needs and budgets.

  • Certificates and plaques are displayed at the front entrance or in the lobby of each of the certified hotels

  • Certified hotels will be promoted through press conferences, TAT media and travel-related publications

Successful implementation of the certification programme increases international confidence in Thailand as a world-class travel and holiday destination, enhances the overall image of the Thai tourism industry and reinforces Thailand's positioning as 'Tourism Capital of Asia'.

As a growing number of hotel and resort operators recognise the importance of having set standards for the industry, it is expected that the programme will attract increased participation from Thai hotels and resorts.

To be eligible, a hotel or resort property applying for the standard must meet the following requirements:

  • The hotel must operate in Thailand

  • The hotel must have a legal hotel license and must have been in full operation for at least one year.

  • The hotel must accept the regulations for the Thai Hotel Standard certification process and must have paid certification fees.

The certification of the hotel standard is valid for a period of three years from the date the certification results are issued by the Committee, unless the certification awarded has been cancelled or revoked for a specific reason prior to that date. Hotels are able to renew certification by informing the Committee before the expiry date. For renewal and re-evaluation, hotels are required to only pay an annual fee.

With this gradual roll-out and growing acceptance of the Thai hotel standards programme, the number of complaints from tour operators, travellers and tourists is expected to decrease.

Contact information
For details or to apply for the Thai Hotel Standard, please contact:
The Foundation of Standard and Human Resources Development in
Service and Tourism Industry
203-209/3 Ratchdamnoen Clang Avenue,
Bowonniwet, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.
Tel: +66 (0) 2281-9496
Fax: +66 (0) 2281-4188

CERTIFIED HOTELS:
HOTELS AWARDED A STAR RATING


BANGKOK
1. Amari Watergate Hotel
2. Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa Hotel
3. Banyan Tree Bangkok
4. The Dusit Thani Bangkok
5. Grand Hyatt Erawan
6. Intercontinental Bangkok
7. JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
8. Plaza Athenee Bangkok – A Royal Meridien Hotel
9. The Oriental Bangkok
10. Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
11. Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok
12. Siam City Hotel
13.Sofitel Central Plaza Bangkok
14. Sofitel Silom Bangkok
15. The Sukhothai Hotel
16. The Peninsula Bangkok

CHIANG RAI
17. Anantara Resort and Spa Golden Triangle
18. Dusit Island Resort

CHIANG MAI
19. Four Seasons Resort Chiangmai

PHUKET
20. Dusit Laguna Resort
21. JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa
22. Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket
23. The Mangosteen Resort and Spa

PATTAYA, CHON BURI
24. Dusit Resort, Pattaya
25. Pattaya Marriott Resort and Spa
26. Royal Cliff Beach Resort

PRACHUAB KHIRI KHAN
27. Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort

SURAT THANI
28. Central Samui Beach Resort


BANGKOK
1. Amari Airport Hotel
2. Amari Atrium Hotel
3. Amari Boulevard Hotel
4. Asia Bangkok Hotel
5. Century Park Hotel
6. Holiday Inn Silom
7. The Imperial Queen’s Park
8. The Imperial Tara Hotel
9. Indra Regent Hotel
10. Novotel Lotus Bangkok
11. Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square
12. Novotel Bangna Hotel
13. Pathumwan Princess Hotel
14. Prince Palace
15. Rama Gardens Hotel
16. Royal Princess Larn Luang Hotel
17. Royal Princess Srinakarin Hotel
18. The Four Wings Hotel

AYUTHAYA
19. Krungsri River Hotel

CHIANG MAI
20. Amari Rincome
21. Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel
22. Holiday Garden Hotel
23. The Imperial Mae Ping Hotel
24. Northern Heritage Resort and Spa

CHIANG RAI
25. Wiang Inn Chiang Rai

PATTAYA/CHON BURI
26. Asia Pattaya Hotel
27. Amari Orchid Resort
28. Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya
29. Siam Bayshore Resort
30. Siam Bayview Hotel
31. I-Sawan Resort and Spa

KRABI
32. Aonang Villa Resort

LOEI
33. Loei Palace Hotel

PHETCHABURI
34. The Regent Cha-am Beach Resort

PHUKET
35. Amari Coral Beach Resort
36. Cape Panwa Hotel
37. Club Andaman Beach Resort
38. Holiday Inn Resort Phuket
39. Patong Beach

SURAT THANI
40. Amari Palm Reef Resort
41. Chaba Cabana Beach Resort and Spa
42. Chaweng Regent Beach Resort
43. The Imperial Samui Hotel
44. The White Hut

KHON KAEN
45. Charoen Thani Princess

PATTANI
46. C.S. Pattani

SONGKHLA
47. Novotel Central Sukhontha


BANGKOK
1. The China Town Hotel
2. City Lodge Soi 9
3. City Lodge Soi 19
4. East Inn Hotel
5. Grande Ville Hotel
6. Impala Hotel
7. Malaysia Hotel
8. Maruay Garden Hotel
9. Pinnacle Lumpinee Hotel & Spa
10. SD Avenue Hotel
11. ST. James Hotel
12. Viengtai Hotel
13. Alexander Hotel
14. Tongpoon Hotel

AYUTTHAYA
15. Ayutthaya Grand Hotel

CHIANG MAI
16. Angkhang Nature Resort
17. Eurasia Hotel Chiang Mai
18. Holiday Garden Hotel
19. Suan Bua Resort & Spa

CHIANG RAI
20. Imperial Golden Triangle Resort

PATTAYA/CHONBURI
21. Cental Wong Amat Beach Resort
22. Mercure Hotel Chonburi
23. Thai Garden Resort

KANCHANABURI
24. Kasalong Resort
25. The Legacy River Kwai Resort
26. Pung Waan Resort
27. River Kwai Village Hotel

KRABI
28. Phra Nang Inn
29. Phi Phi Natural Resort

MAE HONG SON
30. The Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son Hotel

MAHASARAKAM
31. New Pattana

PETCHABUN
32. The Imperial Phukaew Hill Resort

PHUKET
33. Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort
34. South Sea Karon Resort

PRACHUAB KHIRI KHAN
35. Hua Hin Grand Hotel and Plaza
36. Malai-Asia Resort

SONGKHLA
37. Kings Hotel

SURAT THANI
38. Chaba Samui Resort
39. Pinnacle Samui Resort
40. Samui Natien Resort


KRABI
1. Krabi Royal

SURAT THANI
2. CoCo Palm Resort Surat Thani

TAK
3. Central Mae Sot Hill Hotel

For more information, please visit the
Thai Hotels Association web site: www.thaihotels.org
 
 
 

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