Dusit Thani plans to double its domestic and international properties and become a global hotel-management company within five years.

The Dusit group is among the country's oldest hotel operators and chief executive and managing director Chanin Donavanik said the plan involved increasing its rooms from the current 5,000 to 10,000.

The company will employ an additional 7,000 staff within the same time frame, he said.

Through Dusit Thani International, it will open hotels and resorts in Beijing and Shanghai in China, Bali in Indonesia, as well as in Vietnam, India and the Middle East.

They may be joint ventures or management-only deals, but the company will manage them all, Chanin said.

"The group has not yet finalised total investment. Negotiations are continuing with many parties," he added.

The group will open project-development offices in China, India and Bangkok. They will seek expansion opportunities. The company already has a Dubai office.

"Dusit is eyeing these markets for their hotel potential," Chanin said. The expansion comes after several years of quiet on the part of Dusit overseas.

The 55-year-old hotel group has 18 properties in Thailand, Burma, the Philippines and Dubai. The company uses three brands - Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts, and D2 Hotel.

The group recently announced plans for six-star hotels in the Middle East.

"Coupled with the existing 300-plus-room Dusit Dubai, the latest projects will make Dusit's presence in the region much stronger," Chanin said.

The Dusit Palm Island will comprise two hotels - the six-star, 114-room-and-suite Dusit Devarana Dubai and the Dusit Thani Dubai - plus the Dusit Residence.

Spending and completion dates have not been announced.

A joint venture with India's Bird Hospitality Services - a wholly owned subsidiary of aviation, travel and information company Bird Group - will see five- and six-star hotels and resorts built in New Delhi, Goa, Rishikesh, Pune, Amritsar and Jaipur. Dusit will manage or franchise the hotels.

Dusit retreated from Germany, Indonesia and the United States some years ago.

It is now returning to Indonesia and will spend more in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, several D2 hotels at Pattaya and Samui will open.

Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts will manage its first resort at Koh Chang's Bai Lan Bay. The 96-room property opens in August.

Chanin said the overseas expansion would see the group "launch a new corporate identity soon".

"We decided to move ahead to compete with international hotel chains with Thai hospitality. To meet this challenge we must prepare not only the hardware and network, but professionals too," he said.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation