I wrote recently about my experience of discovering northern Thailand by car (Part 1 and Part 2).

Together with a colleague I visited Doi Angkhang, north of Chiang Mai, close to the border with Myanmar: Doi is the local word for mountain and Angkhang stands at about 1300 metres.

On this trip I saw (mostly by design but partly by accident!) areas of Thailand most tourists on mainstream holidays would not get to see.

In my opinion it is important, both for me personally and for local communities, that the positive benefits of tourism are spread to more remote parts of the country. Personally I enjoy seeing a destination behind the tourist façade and I am sure I am not alone: I get a lot more from the experience knowing that what I am seeing and experiencing is genuine, even though that experience might not always be a pleasant one. Local markets often fall into the latter category!

I do not subscribe to the notion that the flip side for my, sometimes unwitting, hosts is that they get to see glimpses of a life beyond their own, current reality. And I don’t mean me personally of course but rather what I represent.

No, for me the flip side is that tourism (when operated responsibly) is both bringing an income to the community and, potentially, the means to increase the well-being of its members.

I want to be absolutely clear here that I am not advocating the type of tourism where a tour bus turns up, disgorges its camera-clicking contents, money is deposited into a pot, bus sucks back contents and departs. No one is enriched by such an experience.

The type of tourism I am referring to is the type that Amari Hotels & Resorts, a major hotel company in Thailand, is engaging in at Doi Angkhang.

More and more hotels around the world are embracing sustainable, responsible or ‘green’ travel principles but here is a hotel group that has been doing so long before it became de rigeur. It was in 1995 that the group started the Baht for a Better Life Foundation: “Small change, contributed by guests to our hotels and donations from our staff, are used to further the education of children in Thailand. There are no administrative costs in running the Baht for a Better Life Foundation. Therefore, every dollar, pound and euro given to the fund is used for educational projects.” To date, among other things, Baht for a Better Life have rebuilt a dilapidated school in Udon Thani, north-east Thailand, and built ten new schools in underprivileged areas throughout the country.

At Doi Angkhang the Amari-managed hotel is the Ankhgang Nature Resort : a 3-star, 72-room property nestling in the mountains and developed as part of the Royal Angkhang Research Station, under the auspices of the Royal Project Foundation.

During my visit I only had time for a one-night stay but, on a whistle-stop tour of the area, I was able to visit the Royal Angkhang Station Project which “provides agricultural support to neighbouring hilltribes and develops non-indigenous crops for them to grow” as an alternative to the opium poppy which used to be their staple cash-crop. I also stopped at a remote point along the Thai/Myanmar border which was little more than a fence set within a beautiful mountain vista. Other activities in the area include trekking, mountain biking, bird watching; and sightseeing, taking in local hilltribe villages.

Image courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand News Room

On this occasion the visits that I made to local hilltribe villages were not of the type I am advocating here because, of necessity, they were brief: they were merely intended to equip me with the information to promote the overall Doi Angkhang experience, just as I am doing now.

There are 7 major hilltribes in northern Thailand but there are many smaller groups and sub groups such that I don’t believe anyone has a definitive count: estimates have put the number at around 20 with a total population of about 500,000.

There are many social and political issues surrounding the hilltribes, but the key point to mention in this article is that, by definition, the villages are remote with limited access to education.

There are four villages in the area surrounding Doi Angkhang, which are home to communities from a number of different hilltribes. Through its foundation, Amari Hotels and Resorts supports a primary school in Baan Khob Dong which provides education for the children of the Black and Red Muser tribes.

In a recently held painting competition with the theme ‘My Dream’, 7 winning students of Baan Kob Dong received scholarships presented by Mr. Wim Fagel, General Manager, Amari Rincome Hotel, as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the hotel. (See headline picture above).

As well as general educational support, the Anghang Nature Resort has helped introduce the school children to the concept of tourism. Together with the local education authorities, the resort has implemented a “Junior Guide Program”, where children from the Baan Khob Dong school are trained to show visitors around their village. The Junior Guide Program has become part of the school curriculum.

According to Amari: “The guides are encouraged to take pride in their heritage and the surrounding natural environment and communicate this to the visitors. It also gives an opportunity to take a position of responsibility in the community. Guides who complete the program are awarded a certificate and a guide badge.

The Junior Guide Program enables tourists to have interaction with the local community and receive correct information about the hill tribes and the surrounding area. It also ensures any donations which are given to the villages by visitors are put into projects to benefit the community. Visitors are also taken to a co-operative shop, which sells handicrafts produced in the local villages. In addition, a ‘show house’ has been built so that guests can get an impression of the hilltribe way of life.”

For me it is this type of interaction that is enriching for all parties and it represents what I believe tourism should be about i.e sharing.

Doi Angkhang is just 3 hours north of Chiang Mai and a world away from mass tourism. To book your stay at the Ankhgang Nature Resort visit the Amari website . This is not an affiliate link and I receive no financial benefit.

Have you ever thought of running your own hotel? Maybe a little bed & breakfast on the coast?

Andrew and Kate Kemp had a dream along those lines except their’s was perhaps a bit bigger than most. Rather than a B & B, it was more like a luxury resort in Thailand; and it was to be a hotel that wasn’t a hotel!

The couple had met when they were both 18, they travelled the world together and settled down in Hong Kong for 10 years. They both had good jobs. Andrew was in the service industry, working for a major real estate developer and managing private clubs and leisure facilities. Kate was in sales and marketing for international pharmaceutical and electronic products. It took some 2 years of planning and searching but finally they obtained the finance and the land in Khao Lak, southern Thailand, to build their dream property.

They had been fortunate to stay in many hotels around Asia and therefore knew what both good and bad hotel experiences felt like. They also knew they had to be different so they created a mythical character called Lady Sarojin: an Asian lady renowned for her hospitality. This character was to represent the essence of the hotel around which the business would develop.

In order to deliver the high standard of hospitality that the Kemp’s wanted they based their whole recruitment policy on two things: language skills and attitude. They knew everything else could be taught.

When I met Andrew back in 2005 he explained that “You start with an idea, and then the people. The people we have got have bought into the idea. They understand it and I think they quite like the idea of doing something different.”

The hotel was scheduled to open on 10 January 2005. On 26th December 2004 the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck and wrought havoc on the region.

Andrew and Kate were lucky; because they were not open there were no guests in-house and no loss of life. But much of their dream was washed away. By Boxing Day night they had decided they would start again and that, critically, they would retain as many of their staff as wanted to stay: financially an irrational decision but they were agreed “it was the right thing to do”.

They set the team to work doing things they were not employed to do: the housekeeper was liaising with the Interior designer, the Spa Manager with the landscape contractor and the Front Office Manager managing the project. Probably for the first time in their working lives people were crossing departmental boundaries and really working as a team.

The Sarojin Thailand finally opened on 7 October 2005 and was by then a shared dream.

By 2006 this 56-room boutique hotel had already made it on to the Conde Nast Traveler US Hot List for both Spas and Hotels; and it has won a string of awards including Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Of course a lot of credit for the success must go to the Kemp’s management skills but for me the most crucial element is their authenticity. They have a purpose that goes beyond shareholder value.

Although I never got to work with the Kemps (I sold my business in March 2005), this is the type of company that I will actively seek out because I want business partners who share my values.

For me it is this type of company that will survive no matter what. The Sarojin might be feeling the pinch at the moment, along with the rest of the world, or it might not; but whatever, the hotel will continue to flourish because Andrew and Kate have the support of their staff, their customers and, equally as important, their community.

In my view, over the long-term, companies that focus on building stakeholder value will always be stronger than those which put shareholder value first. The tourism industry is ideally placed to tackle many of today’s social ills and the world would be a richer place if there were more people like the Kemps in the business.

If you know of any other travel and tourism companies (big or small) working in South East Asia that, in your opinion, are making a contribution beyond shareholder value please leave a comment or email me: tony AT hookedonasia dot org.

N.B. For the record only, I first told Andrew and Kate’s story in my audio book Warts and All: A practical, plain-English approach to branding your business.

The Sarojin images courtesy of: WhiteKaps Resort Company Limited

Krabi in southern Thailand is one of my favourite beach resort areas: there is a good selection of hotel accommodation without it being over-developed.

“Singapore’s budget carrier Tiger Airways will resume flights to the Thai resort of Krabi four times a week from end-October. “

Read: Tiger Airways to resume flights to Krabi, Thailand

Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta

For an up-to-date perspective I asked Lisa Rawlings, who handles the sales and marketing for the Pimalai in the UK, to give her personal view.

Lisa writes:

Koh Lanta is a really great alternative to Phuket or Koh Samui and I am sure we will be hearing more about it in the future! I first went to Koh Lanta 18 years ago and am pleased to see that although it has developed quite a bit, it is still largely unspoilt, has not been subjected to mass tourism like Phuket and still has a wonderful authentic charm about it which I am sure would be of appeal to the more discerning traveler. Koh Lanta is a very quiet and natural destination with its own charm. The island is still largely unspoiled, offers some beautiful beaches, superb low and green mountain backdrops where wildlife is very well present and is at very short distances of some of the highly rated diving spots in Thailand including Hin Duang, which is about 2 hrs by boat and if you are lucky, you can spot some giant manta rays!

Manta Ray

Pimalai Resort & Spa is built on 100 acres of hilly land of lush tropical forest with direct access to a 900 meters pristine white powder sandy beach (the best and safest beach on the island!). Even during peak season, there are not many people on the beach and no hawkers which in a lot of other parts of Thailand can be a nuisance! There are 5 restaurants at Pimalai ranging from Western, Thai, fine dining at Seven Seas and also a couple offering lighter snacks and poolside food. Also, further down the beach in Kantiang Bay there are a few local restaurants and bars if you fancy exploring a little further.

Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta

In December 2005, the new Pool Villas opened. The elegantly appointed one, two and three bedrooms pool villas are located on a hillside with private infinity pools overlooking the bay. They really are fabulous, spacious and certainly one of the best that I have stayed in!

The resort’s facilities consist of: 121 Deluxe Rooms, Pavilion Suites, Beach Villas and Pool Villas, all with a contemporary Thai style design; two superb infinity-edge freshwater swimming pools; a PADI dive centre; a fitness room with high quality fitness equipment; two library lounges offering free high speed internet access; shops and full conference facilities sitting up to 160 persons.

In addition to the above, the resort also offers canoeing, sailing, scuba diving (Nov – Apr), bicycling, trekking, tennis courts, Thai cooking classes, wedding ceremonies – for those looking for a more active focused holiday but also offers the perfect setting for guests who are just looking for a romantic getaway. Pimalai also is a great place to get married – weddings can be arranged on the beach – either a Thai ceremony with Buddhist monks or a western wedding. Whatever, style of wedding Pimalai is a perfect place to get married!

The Spa, Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta

The spa at Pimalai is amazing as it is set in the middle of the rain forest with streams running by, giant carp - a beautiful setting which relaxes you before you have even had your treatment. The treatments too are fabulous – again, as a bit of a spa junky, probably my favourite!

Words by Lisa Rawlings, LJR Consultancy (+44 1242 255483)

Images courtesy of the Pimalai Resort & Spa

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How To Get To Pimalai Resort, Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta is just off the Krabi mainland in Southern Thailand. The closest airport is Krabi (KBV) and the journey time (including boat trip) is around 1.5 to 2 hours. The island is also accessible via Phuket (HKT).

Best Time To Go: December to March.

From April to November there is a chance of rain but the sunshine is often not far behind. Off-season rates (May – October) usually represent excellent value.

Hotel website: http://www.pimalai.com/

Have You Stayed At The Pimalai?

If you have personal experience of the Pimalai Resort on Koh Lanta I would be keen to have your comments (below) or, even better, a hotel review.

I have not been there so I am happy to stand corrected but in the meantime the student making his travel plans is no tourist, mainstream or otherwise. Steve Gomersall is a 2^nd year psychology student at the University of Bath: in 2008 he spent the summer teaching English to Burmese refugees living in Mae Sot as part of a scheme organised by Hong Kong University called Migrant Outreach Education Initiative (MOEI).

Steve with his students at the school in Mae Sot in 2008

Now he is returning - for two years! He is taking a sabbatical to establish a sixth-form school for young people who have fled from the regime in Burma.

This is just the type of initiative that I am committed to promoting via this blog: as Steve says: “An education [for these 6^th form students] will mean the difference between spending their lives in a refugee camp and being able to get a job and start to rebuild their community.”

Steve has managed to raise over £2500 thus far for the school: this money will buy mosquito nets, class partitions and blankets for a number of schools. Steve told me “Mosquito nets are the priority for the prevention of the spread of malaria. One of my students was infected on my previous visit and seeing her in pain was heart breaking.”

At the time of writing Steve is still looking for sponsorship for this school for refugee children in Thailand: he needs 10 sponsors at £10 per month for 10 months. He explains: “The money which I’m trying to collect now, ideally by standing order, is to support my school for the first year. With it being a new school we can’t get secured funding through BMWEC [The Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee]; however after the first year, when we have results, we will be better placed and should receive full running costs. So basically our running costs are £400 a month, this includes teacher stipends, electricity, food (all students will be living at the school for various reasons), water and sanitation.” Contact Steve: smg24 at bath dot ac dot uk

During his last trip Steve produced a blog: he hopes to do so again and if he does I will publish a link on the Education page.

I wish Steve the very best of luck and hopefully look forward to hearing more as the project progresses in Mae Sot.

Mae Hong Son

I believe we have no choice but to work toward a sustainable tourism industry in Thailand (and everywhere else too) and it is always good to see examples of it happening.

For some years now the Royal Thai government has been encouraging tourism developments away from the main resorts such as Pattaya and Phuket; hence the rise of destinations like Trang (albeit very slowly) and Ko Chang.

I was pleased to see then the private sector playing its part in this trend with the recently announced partnership between the online travel company Agoda dot com and the Thai commuter airline SGA. The carrier services small towns in northern Thailand on routes not deemed profitable by the larger airlines. It is now possible to make flight reservations and hotel bookings online for Mae Hong Son (HGN), Pai (PAI) and Chiang Rai (CEI) at http://sga.partners.agoda.com.

I realise mention of air travel opens up a whole new debate about climate change and its environmental impact. I am no tourism development scholar but, on balance, it strikes me as a good thing that other parts of the country get to share in the tourism bounty; although I accept it has to be done in an ethical and responsible manner.

There are many reasons why communities should be kept together and the attraction of the big city diminished. Right at the top of my list is the fight against child prostitution: we must do whatever we can to stop it.

Elephant in Bangkok

Also on that list is the plight of the elephant: as traditional working communities dwindle so too does the role of the pachyderm. I find it tragic to see an elephant being paraded on the streets of Bangkok (just like the one pictured: source Kremisimo). Every elephant has its own story: perhaps the animal was stolen as a prop purely for the entertainment of tourists, or perhaps the Mahout considers he has no choice but to beg now there is no work in the countryside.

Moving tourism to the small towns around Thailand will not in itself solve these issues but it is a start; and as the infrastructure develops so businesses will flourish and economies grow.

Some of my most memorable experiences in Thailand have been away from the main centres. Driving through the hills that border Myanmar to the north of Chiang Mai, en route to Angkhang Nature Resort, comes most readily to mind but there are many more. The fact that such places are becoming more accessible for us non-backpackers can bring enormous benefit both to us, the travellers, and to the people we meet. Yes, tourism is a double-edge sword with potentially a very sharp blade but I believe the best we can do is respect people, respect the environment and aim for balance.

Source: Mae Hong Son Photo by Geoff_B.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok

Thailand is probably suffering more than most in South East Asia during these difficult economic times and I have touched on some of the reasons behind this in a previous post.

It comes as no surprise then to read that, reportedly, more than 100 hotels in Thailand are up for sale, mainly in Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. The very places, of course, that have been the main beneficiaries of tourism over the last 20 years or so.

In Bangkok Mr Kurt Wachtveitl the General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental reportedly told journalists that ‘Business is very, very bad, and the future looks absolutely bleak,’ and estimated that hotel occupancy rates were just 20 per cent across the board. As an aside, Mr Wachtveitl (72) is retiring this summer after 41 years as the hotel’s GM: I only met him once but I found him to be very gracious and I know he will be missed by many in the industry. I wish him a long and happy retirement.

The idea of retirement might seem appealing to many in the tourism industry at the moment, especially in Thailand. The industry there is reeling from a succession of blows the latest of which has been swine flu.

Surely part of the problem has to be an over-supply in the industry. We have only to look at the number of hotels being squeezed onto hilltops in Phuket and Ko Samui, for example, to realise that every last drop of the tourist dollar is being squeezed from the land.

It seems to be ‘human nature’ that the hint of a profit drives us crazy and we chase the dream regardless; hence, perhaps, the British fascination with property. Unfortunately, just as that particular bubble has burst here so too the tourism bubble has burst in Thailand.

Granted no one (or at least not many) could have predicted the challenges that we are all facing now, but common sense should tell us that regardless there is a tipping point above which tourism is no longer sustainable.

Thailand is blessed with many attributes, not least of which of course is its stunning coastline in the south, and I know that the destination will bounce back. Now, though, there is an opportunity to stand back, take stock and plan for a sustainable tourism industry in Thailand. Will the opportunity be taken?

This is the latest in a series of political events which are having a deep effect on the country and, in turn, tourism. The current round started when the yellow shirts occupied Suvarnabhumi International Airport in November 2008. That led to the downfall of the pro-Taksin ‘red shirts’.

The yellow shirts are now in power and it is the turn of the red shirts to take the protagonists’ role.

Political intrigue is nothing new for Thailand. In the 25 years or so that I have been involved in the Thai tourism industry there have been a number of coups; fortunately most of them have been bloodless.

Yet, while political turmoil is almost the norm and it is not the first time there have been tanks on the streets, this is the most extreme I have seen.

What then of the question I raised recently: is Thailand safe? Well, surprisingly, in spite of current events I still firmly believe that, by and large, Thailand is safe for the foreign visitor. Naturally with the usual caveat about keeping away from crowds. (See Travel Advisories).

The critical point though, as I raised in my piece, is how safe the potential visitor is feeling; and images of tanks on the street does little for a person’s sense of security.

I have just spoken with an industry colleague in Bangkok and, as I write, people are still shopping in Bangkok and still enjoying the sunshine on the beaches of Ko Samui, Phuket and Khao Lak. But how likely are you to join them?

With our credit well and truly crunched and wallets squeezed so no moth could survive, the travel industry needs to be inventive if we are to be enticed away from our homes.

Shangri-La Singapore Garden Wing - Koi Pond

It started in a small way back in February when Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts claimed to be the first international hotel group to offer free WIFI and wired Internet to every guest. Then in March the same group announced the launch of their Customised Hotel Package Programme. You can make a reservation on the Shangri-La website using the Custom Stay (Best Available) Rate and then add extras like airports transfers, Spa treatments, laundry etc etc at a discounted price. The actual ‘menu’ of extras varies from hotel to hotel.

The point about the promotion is that a) you are getting the hotel’s best internet rate: subject to Terms and Conditions; b) you are receiving a discount by pre-booking; and 3) you are able to budget more easily.

Amari Palm Reef Ko Samui

A few days later, the Thai-based hotel group Amari Hotels and Resorts came out with their own version of this promotion called “Dynamic Packaging”. The timing was so close that I am sure this was a coincidence but it is interesting the way the hotel marketer’s mind is working.

Just like the Shangri-La offer, you can pre-book your ‘extras’ e.g. airport transfers, meals and excursions thereby saving money on the advertised prices and keeping track of your hard-earned, fatigued cash.

The last promotion is for me the most-interesting. The Quincy Hotel in Singapore is a new 108 room, boutique hotel at Mount Elizabeth and its rates are inclusive of:

• Personalised limousine pick-up from airport on arrival
• Daily buffet breakfast, set lunch & dinner
• Cocktails
• Unlimited broadband Internet access
• Local telephone calls
• Daily 2 pieces of laundry
• Minibar is replenished daily
• All day coffee and tea

The headline rate is S$208 plus tax and service for a single and S$268 ++ for a double.

That means, based on a double room, you can stay in Singapore for around £71 per person (using current exchange rates with the only extras to think about being sightseeing and perhaps shopping – well this is Singapore!. N.B. These prices are scheduled to increase in May.

Chicken Rice - Image courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board

This all-inclusive concept is of course nothing new but there are not many proponents in Asia; and to my knowledge there are no other city properties going down this path. Now, you could argue that is for one very good reason: Asia is one of the best regions in the world to eat out with Singapore right up there at the top. The city is one of the easiest places anywhere to travel around with oodles of noodles, sticky rice, laksa and Chicken rice. In fact probably just about any type of cuisine you care to mention: pizzas, burgers, sushi, banana leaf curry, Thai Green Curry…..(OK, enough – my mouth is watering).

So why would you just want to eat in the hotel? Well, according to a report in the Straits Times

“Quincy’s novel pricing policy seems to be pulling people in, economic downturn or not: It has achieved 76 per cent occupancy since its soft opening last month, higher than the national average occupancy rate of 67 per cent in January.

Quincy’s general manager Franck Hardy said guests will have a ‘hassle-free’ stay during these belt-tightening times without worrying about add-ons to their bills. ‘We wanted to do something completely different, not follow the norm.’”

I applaud the initiative and I hope it continues to work.

It would not suit me because part of the fun of Singapore is exploring and finding new places to eat. (I know that for some people ‘fun’ and ‘Singapore’ do not belong in the same sentence but I am a fan of the city and will happily debate its virtues). But it is obviously suiting some people and the thrust of this piece is that hotels have to be more inventive in the way they present their hotels and some hotel managers are breaking away from the norm.

There is nothing here that could be called rocket science and it is more evolution than revolution but I believe it is only the start. In my opinion it is now for us, the consumer, to tell the hotel industry what it is we want. Are any of these initiatives going to persuade you to travel and if not what would?

Ko Samui Departure Lounge

I have just been catching up on some reading and saw last week’s results of the ACI (Airports Council International) Airport Service Quality Survey 2008.

Well it came as no surprise to me to learn that “for the fourth year in a row, the top three performing airports in the world were in the Asia-Pacific Region, with Incheon International Airport in South Korea winning the coveted Best Airport Award. Passenger satisfaction with the new Terminal 3 promoted Singapore Changi Airport into 2nd place this year, with Hong Kong International Airport coming in at a close 3rd place.”

I know I am a complete Asia-ophile (is there a word?) but, apart from the occasional blip, I still think the region surpasses everywhere else when it comes to service.

A great survey but I would like to propose that they add a new category: Best Boutique Airports. Now, I do not know how you would define such a thing but I am sure we could agree some criteria. What do you think? How about, only aircraft carrying less than 150 passengers can land there? Anyway, whatever we decide I would nominate Thailand’s Koh Samui Airport for the Asia-Pacific Region.

I remember first landing there, not long after it opened, 20 years ago and trundling around on golf-buggy type trucks. And collecting luggage under a thatched roof – just a roof, no walls. Well I have been a number of times since, the last time being 2008, and the concept hasn’t really changed that much. And that to me is a good thing.

All you need are some luxury hammocks (i.e. white, no holes) hanging from the open beams and you could stay there for your two week vacation. The sea is a short stroll away, just at the end of the runway. And there is a new ‘shopping mall’ on site.

What makes this little privately-owned (by Bangkok Airways) airport even more amazing (to me) is that it has ‘international’ designation. Yes you can fly direct from Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

I do not claim to have visited every small airport in Asia and if there are other contenders for this ‘new award’ I would be interested in hearing about them. I know that Bangkok Airways has another 2 in the running Sukhothai, and Trat but I haven’t seen those yet. Have you?