Bangkok – Nine of Thailand’s biggest department stores and shopping centres are the first to be awarded the “Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration: SHA” certificates.
They include the four complexes owned by the Siam Piwat group (Siam Centre, Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon and ICONSIAM) as well as Mix Chatuchak, Mahboonkrong (MBK), Future Park, Emporium, and Central World. All are located in Bangkok, except for Future Park which is located in Pathum Thani province.
All the complexes have undergone a strict hygiene and health safety inspection and been assigned the SHA logo as a mark of quality certification of their service standards.
H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnverakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health said, “The SHA project is designed to make tourism a part of the overall national preventive measures and ensure that both Thai and foreign tourists have high levels of confidence and a positive experience. Ensuring high health and safety standards will be one of the key criteria to establish our competitive advantage.”
The Minister said the health safety certification will play a major role in facilitating the recovery of Thai tourism.
“The government wants the Thai people to return to normal life and safeguard their livelihood while protecting them from a further spread of the virus through a broad range of preventive hygienic and health-control measures, as announced daily by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).”
Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said “Thailand’s world-class shopping centres are vital components of our tourism infrastructure. They are designed not just for people to shop, but also enjoy a dining experience, watch all kinds of shows and performances, and take their children to play and have fun. I am delighted to see how quickly they have raised their health standards and received the SHA certification.”
The SHA project has been developed under a collaboration between TAT and a broad range of public and private sector partners including the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Board of Trade of Thailand, Federation of Thai Spa and Wellness Association, Thai Retailers Association, Thai Hotels Association, Association of Domestic Travel, Thai Amusement and Leisure Park Association, Thai Restaurant Association, Thai Spa Association, Thai Boats Association, and Event Management Association.
The SHA Certification will be presented to 10 types of business, e.g., restaurants/food outlets, accommodation and convention centres, recreation and tourist attractions, tourist transport vehicles, travel agents/tour operators, health and beauty parlours, department stores and shopping centres, sports stadiums for tourism, theatres/cinemas, and souvenir shops and other stores.
To be awarded the SHA Certification, all applying establishments have to observe the basic standards of hygiene, health and cleanliness for the entire premises, equipment, toilets as well as operational staff.
The names of the SHA certified establishments as well as any other essential information will be publicised via www.tourismthailand.org/thailandsha. For more information, E-mail: [email protected]; Official Line: @thailandsha. (tatnews.org)
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