THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Thailand’s reputation as the spa capital of Asia has been firmly cemented with the country gathering five awards in the 2009 AsiaSpa Awards.

Presented by AsiaSpa magazine, the regions most recognized spa and wellness publication, the AsiaSpa Awards ceremony in Hong Kong saw Thailand fight of competition from eight other country contenders to take out the top award of Asian Spa Capital of the Year.

Voted on by a panel of industry insiders and journalists, Thailand and its spa and wellness operators received top awards for Destination Spa of the Year (Six Senses Destination Spa, Phuket), Medi-Spa of the Year (S Medical Spa, Bangkok), Spa Personality of the Year (Karina Stewart, Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary), and Men’s Spa Treatment of the Year (Man Space Healing Balance Massage, i.sawan Residential Spa & Club, Grand Hyatt, Erawan Bangkok).

The 2009 AsiaSpa awards was the first time that Thailand has taken out the top award, bestowed on the country perceived by the judges as providing the best in innovation, variety, and quality.

Rebecca Walker, Editor-in-Chief of AsiaSpa, said “the judges took into consideration the growth of the spa industry in each nominated country and the quality of services represented in each. The judges also took into consideration the variety of spas and hotels that had opened in the current year, as well as future openings.”

Andrew Jacka, president of the Thai Spa Association, said “whatever you want in terms of spa, Thailand has it. We have the variety of size, the variety of price and the variety of menu offering.”

Though spas did not start appearing in Thailand until 1992, Intelligent Spas, a Singapore-based research service, says Thailand now has more spas than any other country in the region and is the leading destination in Asia.

Thailand’s spa industry also generates the largest annual revenue within the region.

Chami Jotisalikorn, a Bangkok-based author of books on Asian spas, design, lifestyle and travel, said “visitors to Thailand can experience a plethora of unusual spa treatments derived from ancient traditions in Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, China, India and elsewhere. Nowhere else can such a depth and range of choices be found in a one-stop health and beauty destination.”

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for November 26, 2009