Dusit spruces up for Asean

       Dusit International has spent 200 million baht to renovate facilities at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin to welcome heads of state and delegates attending the 15th Asean Summit.
       The focus was on the dining rooms and the Dusit Club and Lounge, which will welcome heads of state from 16 countries attending the Asean Summit from Oct 23-25.
       The Dusit Thani Hua Hin is the official host hotel for the event. It will welcome officials from the 10 Asean countries and counterparts from China, Japan,Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
       "We are honoured that our hotel was selected once again by the Thai government to host this prestigious event. We have been preparing for several months to ensure a successful event," said general manager Victor Sukseree.
       Tourism in Hua Hin should be helped during the event, as most hotels are expected to be 100% occupied from Oct 21-25. The Dusit Thani Hua Hin expects to generate at least 7-10 million baht from the event.
       "However, the average occupancy rate will return to around 60-70% after the event ends. It is a short-term benefit but we believe this event will help promote our country's tourism in the long term,"said Mr Victor.
       The company hopes foreign tourists will return when the economic and political situations stabilise.
       He said the hotel had received advance bookings of around 60% this month and expects international tourists will decline.The hotel will focus more on the local market, particularly the business meeting segment.