Bangkok--16 Jun--KTC
KTC launches the first Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 in collaboration with Krungthep Turakij and main sponsor by TAT and MasterCard to promote the tourism industry and help revive the Thai economy
KTC in collaboration with Krungthep Turakij and supporting by Tourism Authority of Thailand and MasterCard launches the first Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 to help promote the tourism industry and give smaller hotels nationwide the opportunity to gain more recognition among the consumers, as well as enhanced potentials towards business longevity. The program is focused on small boutique hotels with four to fifty rooms with distinctive qualities in all regions of Thailand for the sixty-one awards. Interested hotels can apply from now at www.thailandboutiqueawards.com. The panel of judges is comprised of qualified individuals from different professions who will determine the winners to be announced on November 17th.
Mr. Staporn Sirisinha, Senior Executive Vice President — Travel and Leisure Marketing Department, “KTC” or Krungthai Card Public Company Limited, said “Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 is an initiative supported by both the public and the private sectors. The objectives shared by all concerned parties are to give the Thai tourism industry enhanced business opportunity and to distribute revenue to more entrepreneurs, particularly smaller boutique hotels with an interesting mix of potentials and creativity who have a hard time competing with major hotels. As such, it is a pleasure for us to have Krungthep Turakij newspaper of Nation Multimedia Group Public Company Limited and official sponsors including Tourism Authority of Thailand, and MasterCard with us in this program. Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 aims to help smaller boutique hotels in all provinces of Thailand who might have been affected by the political demonstrations and the ongoing economic hardship. We want to ensure the longevity of their business and more recognition among the consumers.”
Ms. Duangkamol Chotana, Editor, Krungthep Turakij, said “We are delighted to be a part of Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 together with our strong and innovative partner KTC. Boutique hotels are an up and coming trend in Thailand. They are consistent with the changing lifestyle of today’s travelers who seek a different experience in their leisure. Boutique accommodation offers these travelers the chance to enjoy the unique and creative personality and services they look for. Unfortunately, most boutique hotels are small or medium enterprises with limited capital and marketing expertise. It is indeed difficult for them to compete with major operators. That is why we have devised this program to help identify the best boutique hotels in different categories. It will effectively boost the morale among these smaller hotels and introduce them to partners who are capable of fortifying their marketing efforts and promotional campaigns. The boutique hotels will see improvements in the future as a result.”
Mr. Suraphon Svetasreni, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communication and Acting Deputy Governor for Policy and Planning, Tourism Authority of Thailand or TAT, said “TAT is aware of the lasting impacts on the tourism industry, both from the reverberating economic crisis which has encompassed Southeast Asia and from the recent domestic political situation. Therefore, we are working with agencies from all sectors to quickly identify measures to help larger and smaller entrepreneurs alike. One such measure is the Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 program which is being implemented for the first time in Thailand with KTC, Krungthep Turakij, and MasterCard. We hope this to be the solution to the revival of the tourism industry. It will generate more revenue and business opportunity for small and medium enterprises, allowing them to ensure business sustainability and contribute towards the utmost satisfactory of Thai and foreign travelers alike.”
Mr. Thaweejit Chandrasakha, President, The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King said “Thailand Boutique Awards 2010 is open to boutique hotels with four to fifty rooms from the five regions of Thailand: northern, northeastern, central, eastern and southern regions. The candidates will compete in six major categories: 1) Architecture, 2) Renovation and Modification, 3) Nature and Environment, 4) Culture, 5) Total Experience, and, 6) Community Traveling. A total of sixty-one awards will be granted. There will be two awards —Excellence and Outstanding-for all categories except for Community Traveling where there will be only one Excellence Award. Additionally, there will be five Excellence awards, one for each region. The ultimate award under this program is the “Special Excellence Award” for the best of the best boutique hotel with superiority in all aspects including architecture, arts and culture, nature, environment-friendliness and management.”
Staporn added that “The eleven judges are qualified individuals from different professions: 1) Panel Chairperson Mrs. Phornsiri Manoharn, Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau; 2) Panel Deputy Chairperson Mr. Taweejit Chandrasakha, President of The Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King; 3) Panel Deputy Chairperson Mrs. Ploy Chariyaves, Writer and Conceptual Designer; 4) Mr. Prakit Piriyakiat, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand; 5) Mrs. Suchada Yuwaboon, Chairperson, Rose Garden Riverside; 6) Mr. Kreingkarn Karnjanapokin, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Index Creative Village; 7) Mr. Opas Limpi-Angkanan, President of Thai Graphic Designers Association; 8) Mr. Dolchai Boonyaratavej, President of Brandscape Co., Ltd.; 9) Mr. Vittavat Charoenpong, Architect and University Instructor, Faculty of Architecture at Rangsit University; 10) Assistant Professor Singha Intarachooto, Ph.D., Head of Building Innovation & Technology Department, Faculty of Architecture at Kasetsart University; and, 11) Mr. Chawanat Luanseng, Architect and Coordinator for Asian Community Network Architect, Asian Coalition for Housing Right. All judges are prominent individuals with expertise in their own field. They should be able to deliver the fairest judgments in this program.”
“Interested hotels are required to submit an application via the www.thailandboutiqueawards.com website we have developed specifically for this program. Applications are accepted from now until July 31st, 2010. Qualified candidates will be announced on August 31st, 2010. Subsequently, travel-veteran bloggers will visit the qualified hotels during September 17th and October 10th, 2010 before the judges can decide on the winners whose names will be announced on November 17th, 2010.”
“KTC, Krungthep Turakij, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and MasterCard hope that this program will offer small boutique hotels in Thailand a channel through which they can gain better recognition and improve their potentials and business management operation to the optimal level.”
For more information, please write to
[email protected] or visit www.thailandboutiqueawards.com.
For more information, please contact
Public and Corporate Affairs Department
Krungthai Card Public Company Limited
Kandtharat Chermchitphong Tel. 02-828-5057
Suchada Weerasakulrak Tel. 02-828-5732
Nalin Charoensri Tel. 02-828-5047
Fax.02-828-5046
E-mail:
[email protected]