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Mr. Chatchai Kosavisutte
President of I-san Hotel Association
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There used to be very few hotels with international standards in Isan,
Northeastern part of Thailand. However, after the hotel industry first
started in 1991, there have been many 4-5 stars hotel in most provinces
in the region.
Before the economic crisis in Asia (1991-1997), hotel industry in
this particular area was running smoothly. Government officials and
businessmen were the core target customers, as official seminars
and business negotiation forum were held regularly. However, the
number of tourists was still very little, compared to that in other
major tourist cities. Perhaps, it can be said that there was hardly
ever found foreign tourist in the region.
When the economic crisis in Asia took place in 1997, the number
of official and private seminars decreased. Consequently, the core
revenue of hotels in northeastern Thailand reduced. Hotel industry
in Isan, thus, had to face with difficult situation.
As a result, a number of hotel entrepreneurs held a meeting and
discussed on how to adapt to the economic crisis. It was concluded
that in order to strengthen local people’s business, both foreign
and Thai tourist should be targeted as the core customer, instead
of government officials and businessmen. Therefore, the Club of Isan
Hotel Industry was founded by 9 hotel-members in the late 1997. Mr.
Krish Pitikultang, Chairman of Ploy Palace Hotel, Mukdaharn province,
was appointed the first president of the Club. Its main objective
was to promote both Thai and foreign tourist to visit Isan region.
It also cooperated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to present
tourist attractions in the region to both domestical and international
target. Moreover, the Club aimed to standardize the hotel service
in order to respond to the tourist industry expansion.
As two years went by, the number of the club members rose to 25
hotels. Afterwards, Mr. Krish Pitikultang ended his term of the president.
Later, in the 1999 annual-general meeting of the club, Mr. Surat
Buawan, Managing Director of the Nakhorn Phanom Riverview Hotel,
Nakhon Phanom province, was elected as the president of the club
from 2000 – 2001. Also, it concluded by the members of the Club that
an I-san Hotel Association should be founded and registered by the
Trade Association Register Office. Consequently, the I-san Hotel
was officially founded on 28th August 2000. On the first meeting
of first quarter in 2005, Mr. Chatchai Kosavisutte, President of
Kosa Hotel, Khon Kaen province, was elected as the President of
the I-san Hotel Association. At present, there are 32 members in
the Association. |
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