Thailand awash with illegal hotels

BANGKOK, 3 February 2012: Over 300 unregistered hotels in Bangkok are being promoted heavily through internet hotel booking sites without service or security monitoring, Thai Hotels Association vice president, Surapong Techauvichit reported earlier this week.

He claimed hotels that failed to register and comply with the nation’s hospitality laws were a potential hazards and also deterred genuine investment in the industry.

He was speaking at a joint THA and Association of Thai Travel Agents meeting on Monday. Read more

Thai hotels off the pace

BANGKOK, 31 January 2012: Despite the flood crisis, Thai Hotels Association member hotels closed 2011 with a slightly higher occupancy nationwide, THA president, Prakit Chinamornpong, reported on Monday.

He made his 2011 business review at the association’s first meeting of the year, noting the performance was still off the pace when compared to  forecasts made half way through the year.

Nationwide hotel occupancy for 2011, based on data collected from 339 THA member properties, stood at 59.21%, up 12.45% from 52.65% in 2010. But it was still viewed as a disappointment, Mr Prakit told members yesterday, claiming the industry had hoped to reach 62% to 65%. Read more

India at your fingertips

BANGKOK, 23 January 2012: Thai Hotels Association invites member to join a tabletop sales event, Hotels Meet Local Agents India Market, 9 March at Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok. THA will close registration for the event 31 January.

Hotels Meet Local Agents India Market should welcome 40 local agents,who handle inbound Indian tourism to network with Thai hoteliers.

There will be four main sessions: A seminar on directions and marketing plans for India by Tourism Authority of Thailand; a summary on tourism data for the India market by the Association of Thai Travel Agents; tabletop session; sellers meet buyers at a cocktail party. Read more

Pattaya feels the flood pinch

PATTAYA, 2 December 2011: Pattaya tourism remain slow with occupancy rates and forward bookings well down on last year, said Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter president, Bundarik Kusolvitya, earlier this week.

Ms Bundarik told TTR Weekly that Pattaya lost substantial business once news spread that Don Mueang Airport was hit by floods.

The airport is of no significance for international travel as it was used by just three domestic airlines. Just 280,000 passengers passed through the airport in October, 20,000 less than Chiang Mai. But once Don Mueang Airport flooded, the news prompted a free fall in travel bookings at all Thai destinations.

Travel executives continue harp on the mistake of a local English language newspaper that banner headlined a story “Bangkok Airport closed.” Read more

Bank and THA host SME seminar

BANGKOK, 30 September 2011 – Thai Hotels Association partners with Kasikorn Bank to host a seminar on tourism, 6 October, at S31 Sukhumvit Hotel Bangkok, THA announced Wednesday.

Titled KSME Journey of Hospitality, the seminar will be supported by leading Thai hotel and tourism industry players such as Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Surapol Svetasreni and THA president, Prakit Chinamornpong, who will share ideas on how to manage small medium enterprise hotels.

Topics include Tourism Business in Recent Economic Trends, Learning Tourist Behaviour in a Digital Age and The Next Sustainable Step for Tourism Business.

Read more

THA organises table top sales

BANGKOK, 20 September 2011 – Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter will hold a marketing event, Hotels Meet Local Agents, 23 September at Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel, Bangkok,  to update tourism products as well as offer a chance for hotels to network with Asia specific travel agents, the THA announced Monday.

The annual series, Hotels Meet local Agents,  focuses on travel agents in a specific market and usually features table-top sales and a networking party (cocktails and heavy snacks). Read more

THA optimistic on year-end target

BANGKOK, 14 September 2011 – Thai Hotels Association reported Tuesday average occupancy for the month of August touched 62% nationwide, while major tourist provinces such as Chiang Mai still needed to make a comeback.

THA president, Prakit Chinamornpong confirmed at a members meeting, held on the sidelines of a hospitality show, that the nationwide occupancy rate in August reached 62%, up 10% over the same period last year.

Occupancy in Bangkok in the four-to-five star category hotels touched 66%. But the northern destination Chiang Mai was still struggling with occupancy averaging out at 40%. Read more

THA congress tackles core issues

BANGKOK, 30 August 2011 – Thai Hotels Association will host its 13th Hospitality Industry Congress,13 to 14 September, alongside the annual hospitality show the 19th Food & Hotel Thailand 2011 at Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon.

Made up of two components, a two-day seminar will run alongside the main event of the 19th Food & Hotel Thailand 2011, 13 to 16 September, while the hospitality congress will run for just the first two days, 13 to 14 September.

Thailand’s 13th Hospitality Industry Congress is themed “Re-positioning Thai Tourism.” There will be three main topics and nine sub-topics for the two-day seminar. They are: Read more

Low-season deals for hoteliers

BANGKOK, 25 July 2011 – Thai Hotels Association hopes to drive more business to its member-hotels through a special “hotelier” rate, the association revealed at its members meeting  last week.

The discount campaign launched by THA is for staff working at member hotels.

There are four fixed price ranges: Bt600, Bt900, Bt1,200 and Bt1,500 for hotel members to apply. However, it depends on each hotel if they want to also include a breakfast in the deal.

According to THA marketing department, details of participating hotels will be released later this week.

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THA organises table-top sales

BANGKOK, 14 July 2011 – Thai Hotels Association invites members and non-members to showcase products at its bimonthly meeting, 26 July, at Centara Grand at CentralWorld, the association announced earlier this week.

The meeting will run from 1130 to 1430 and companies can display products, applicable to the hospitality business at the event in the hotel’s lobby outside the meeting room.

Display areas cost Bt3,000 for THA members and Bt5,000 for non-members. Prices exclude a 7% VAT.

Read more

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