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HOSPITALITY
DASTA programmes to prepare hotels for survival within AEC
Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) is putting a big effort into strengthening hotel operators' ability to survive in the highly competitive industry after the opening of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

In one of the schemes, DASTA intends to encourage the hotels to reduce carbon emissions. It will define a standardised framework with four criteria for them to follow, and those that qualify will be certified by the Green Leaf Foundation.

The areas in which they will have to make progress are |wastewater treatment and |water recycling, garbage disposal, and efficient use of water and energy.

Nalikatibhag Sangsnit, DASTA's director-general, said this was aimed not only at promoting competitiveness by local hotel operators, but also strengthening their brand image. Furthermore, the scheme will help reduce operating costs and increase income.

For example, garbage can be turned into fertiliser and cooking gas, while leftover food and dead leaves are turned into eco-friendly dishwashing and toilet-cleansing liquids. He said a study had found that such practices could cut operating costs by 20 per cent. Meanwhile, the hotels would also earn additional income from recycled garbage, while polishing their public brand image. This is a way to sustain business in the long run.

DASTA hopes to attract 32 hotels in six provinces to join the programme this year.

This will follow the success story of Koh Chang, which has positioned itself as a low-carbon destination, especially among European tourists.

Pattaya is in focus as well. Before the AEC is implemented, Nalikatibhag said his agency would strengthen the resort city via training programmes and development projects, with total budget of Bt4 million. Boating service is one area in focus, with 500 people to be trained professionally to adhere to international standards.


-- The Nation 2014-04-15

[bushwacker]

Left over food and dead leaves = dish washing soap.

I need to make sure that I do not eat at these places.

[catterwell]

Left over food and dead leaves = dish washing soap.

I need to make sure that I do not eat at these places.

That's why the food is left over, along with the dead leaf salads.

[anon467848]

A budget of Bt4 million what a joke.... It would take Bt4 billion to make Pattaya AEC compliant.

[samran]

An NGO looking for something unless to do.

[bangon04]

I thought Thailand was going to opt out of anything too difficult as part of its commitment to AEC...

But I am sure a 4 million budget can be easily used up in a committee to "study" the problems..

[tomyummer]

They should concentrate on handicap accessibility and codes.

[trainman34014]

''Boating service is one area in focus, with 500 people to be trained professionally to adhere to international standards ''.........and then completely ignore whatever they are shown and carry on doing it the Thai way, because Farang '' Not understand Thailand ''.

[edgarfriendly]

let them suffer!!

I have high hope that the ASEAN community will bring these clowns crashing back to reality quick style..

either that or there are a LOT of 'foreign' asians going to be murdered for 'making thais look bad' by doing things properly.

Mun Mun Mun, Mai Fair Na!!

quick story - years ago i ran up a little bill and was offered the opportunity to work it off by 'advertising/touting' the guest house at the pier.

within the space of less than an hour, I and my friendly guesthouse owner were both threatened with immediate death by about 6 local touts, as i was 'unfairly using english'

In that hour i had 'our' place filled and worked off most of my debt... but we decided death wasnt worth continuing the endeavour.

try opening any successful business and watch how quickly you get visited by insane, jealous, pathetic, childish but dangerous locals who either want a % or even better u just leave and they take over!

How many of the 'suicides' here were actually murders???

Let them suffer, they allow scum to run rampant - therefore they deserve all they bring upon themselves.

Edited April 15, 2014 by edgarfriendly

[IsaanUSA]

An NGO looking for something unless to do.

No kidding. What does this recycling program have to do with AEC? Nothing.

[Thai at Heart]

Allow hotel operators to survive. What is going to change with ASEAN to make them all go out of business.

[IsaanUSA]

Exactly, nothing is going to change. Why should it? AEC doesn't automatically mean that hotels will fail.