TAT accepting Thai Tourism Award 2010 applications

PHUKET CITY: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is accepting applications for its 8th annual Thailand Tourism Awards, with 101 prizes in five categories up for grabs.

The five categories are: attractive tourist destinations, tourist accommodations, tour packages, tourism support organizations and health tourism.

Categories are subdivided, with destination awards for such classifications as best ‘natural’ tourist destination, best historic and cultural destination, best community-managed destination, and so on.

Accommodation establishments awards are subdivided into such categories as best city hotel, best resort hotel, best boutique hotel, best pool villa and best convention hotel.

Application deadline is January 15, 2010.

All licensed tourism industry operators are welcome to apply, regardless if they are Thai or foreign owned.

Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, director of the TAT’s South Region 4 office in Phuket, said that about eight or nine tourism businesses in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi won awards in last year’s competition.

Among the winners from TAT’s South Region 4 in 2008 were the JW Marriott in Mai Khao and the Borsaen Villa Resort and Spa in Phang Nga.

Ms Bangornrat would like to see the number more than double to 20 in this year’s contest.

A number of quality tourism ventures including the ‘Ban Boran’ (ancient village) in Thalang will be applying for the first time, she said.

Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga annually attract about 5.3 million, 2.6 million and 1.9 million tourists respectively, she said.

The Phuket tourism industry is the single largest income generator in Thailand after Bangkok, Ms Bangornrat said.

The award winners will be announced in a variety of media outlets, including the TAT’s Osotho magazine and TAT websites.

The awards are issued biennially, with the next group of winners to be announced on September 27, 2010.

For more information call 02-250550 (ext 4495 or 4498) or fax 02-2537431 or phone the TAT call center at 1672 or email: spdiv@tat.or.th

More information is available here.

— Atchaa Khamlo