Thai Spa Association Honours 18 of Its Best at Inaugural Awards

Eighteen of Thailand’s best products and services in the health and wellness sector scored top honours at the inaugural Thailand Spa and Wellbeing Awards held on September 20. A mix of large and established spa businesses as well as newcomers and innovators were conferred the awards in a night of celebration organised by the Thai Spa Association at the Grand Diamond Ballroom, IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center. Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Suraphon Svetasreni hailed the awards for “recognising the outstanding contribution organisations and individuals make to their profession whilst further promoting Thai spa industry standards, creativity and innovation.” He said, “The TAT congratulates all the winners and compliments them for their dedication and commitment to excellence. We shall ensure maximum possible marketing exposure for the winners at international trade shows, in line with our policy to reward best practises and boost the competitive advantage of our well-recognised Thai products and services." Big winners included the Banyan Tree line of spas based in Phuket, Samui and Bangkok taking four of the top honors — Innovative Spa Treatment, Spa Product, Amazing Hotel Spa and Amazing Resort Spa. The Hua Hin-based spa, Chiva-Som also won the three awards for innovative Spa Cuisine, Environmental Conscience and Spa Educator. The most prestigious award — The Hall of Fame award — was presented to a lifelong advocate of the Thai spa industry, Mrs Naphalai Areesorn, founder and the first president of the Thai Spa Association, and presently the Editor-in-chief of Thailand Tatler. All winners were voted by event exhibitors at the Thai Spa Convention, spa operators, consumers and the Thai Spa Association Board. To ensure voting transparency, all votes were tallied by KPMG Thailand. (See full list of the winners below). The awards ceremony was the highlight of the inaugural “World Spa and Well-Being Convention”, the first global event of its kind to be held in Thailand between 19-21 September. It has been exactly 20 years ago since the opening of Chiva-Som, Thailand’s first dedicated spa, health and wellness centre. Since then, the industry has come a long way and diversified into one of the most lucrative niche-market components of the Thai tourism industry. It has also played a major role in changing the image of Thailand, creating jobs and distributing income nationwide. According to Mr. Andrew Jacka, President of the Thai Spa Association, now that a firm foundation has been laid, Thailand has to invest in upgrading educational and training standards, and boosting innovation and creativity. He said that Thailand current has the largest spa industry in the Asia-Pacific region, but will face strong future competition from Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia, with Vietnam and Cambodia also expected to take market share, and the Chinese and Indian markets growing rapidly. “Local entrepreneurs need to keep abreast of the changing industry landscape, make the most of all educational opportunities, further increase operating standards and promote greater innovation, if Thailand is to maintain its status as Asia’s spa service hub,” he said. The World Spa & Well-being Convention 2012 was held with sponsorship support from the TAT, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Department of Skill Development and the Department of Tourism, as well as the Office of the Consumer Protection Board. It was attended by hundreds of investors, trade visitors from around the world, and the general public. The convention component was organised under the concept of ‘Education, Standards and Innovation,’ and featured a wide selection of seminars and conferences plus the demonstration of innovative technologies, products and services in the activity zone. More than 180 companies exhibited a comprehensive range of business resources for the spa and health industries.