Thailand urged to upgrade qualities of accommodation for tourists

BANGKOK -- Thai authorities have been urged to see to it that condominiums, apartment houses and other lodgings available to tourists throughout the country will be of higher quality than today, a leading tourism businesswoman has said.

Piyaman Techapaibul, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, called on the Ministry of Tourism & Sports as well as other government agencies concerned to have those places and accommodations for tourists improved and upgraded to meet international standards because, she said, today's tourists from around the world have more money to spend and prefer quality lodgings as well as quality services and accommodations at those places.

She said varied condominiums and apartment houses which may have been renewed or refurnished to serve as hotels for tourists are known to be of inferior quality than those which have originally opened as hotels or guesthouses.

"Added by condos and apartment houses currently opening for daily rent, the number of lodgings for tourists throughout the country has increased over the years, but not the qualities. Many of today's tourists are so affluent and selective that they'd prefer quality places where personnel should be very responsible and experienced in taking care of them while security should be constantly and effectually maintained," she said.

Employees and staff in charge of providing accommodations to tourists should be well-versed in communicating with the foreigners, service-minded and speak fluent English, according to the council leader.

Thailand is seen to receive up to 23.1 million tourists from other countries around the world next year, compared to about 21.7 million, who have reportedly visited the country throughout this year, about 2.6 million of whom from China, while as much as two trillion baht (US$66.6 billion) is expected to be earned from tourist industry by 2015, compared to about one trillion baht (US$33.3 billion) this year.

Thailand's most favorite destinations for tourists include the world-renowned beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket, the Andaman Sea archipelagos of Krabi and Surat Thani and the capital city of Bangkok.

The council leader made her comments in response to news reports that the government might deregulate businesses of running condominiums and apartment houses to the extent that they might not only serve as a place which collects monthly rent from the tenants but as a hotel where guests pay the room rates on a daily basis.

No parking lots or hotel-operating licenses might be legally required at such places nationwide only if they were practically turned into daily hotels or guesthouses.

Piyaman also advised that the government encourage private firms in the transportation sector find more air-conditioned tour buses to accommodate the increasing number of tourists, as there are already not enough tour buses, particularly during high season.

"Some government agency might probably provide financial support for those interested to add more buses to their fleet to meet the rising number of the tourists," she said.