International hotel school gets Governor’s support

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday voiced his support for an international hotel school to be opened on the island.

Representing Orion Hotel Schools, Swiss national Lothar Schudt of Jasmin Consulting Property Management yesterday met Governor Niran at Provincial Hall to seek support and clear the way for plans to be drawn up and investors sought for the new school.

Orion Hotel Schools is a consortium of six hotel schools around the globe, including the Australian International Hotel School in Canberra, Australia, and the Academia Euregio Bodensee in Switzerland.

The schools offer hospitality and tourism industry education from diploma level up to and including postgraduate and master’s degrees. Fields of study include business management, hotel and resort management, spa and golf management, culinary arts and food and beverage management, as well as eco-tourism, nature- and adventure-tourism management.

Students can also transfer to and from different courses and campuses among the member schools.

Mr Schudt, an honoree member of the Swiss Hotel Association, said he is approaching strong Thai partners for the project because he foresees bureaucratic problems, such as obtaining work permits for foreign management and lecturers.

“The school would accept both Thais with acceptable English skills as well as foreign students. We cannot give our children much, but we can give them an education. Tourist numbers are continually increasing, which may sound positive, but we have to look at other concerns,” Mr Schudt said.

“Many foreigners and locals on the island have ‘tunnel vision’ and are missing this important point. Thailand does not have any international hotel schools. In Switzerland, we have two. We need approval from the government now at an early stage,” he added.

However, Mr Schudt, who has lived on Phuket for 15 years, said that he would have to wait a week or so before moving ahead with any further commitments as the directors of the Orion Hotel Schools in Australia were coming to Phuket to discuss the project.

Gov Niran said that he would organize a meeting with all the relevant agencies so that the project could start quickly.