Spa sector needs a new law

Welcome to the land of spas. This is a promising business to grow together with the national tourism boom. Thailand is considered as one of the world’s premier spa destinations, where foreign tourists prefer to try experiencing the service. 

However, the spa scene has been unfortunately partly plagued by a sexual image. If word of mouth by tourists on this issue spreads, the industry will no doubt be hit. 

This is one of the troubles for Krod Rojanastien, the new president of the Thai Spa Association. He admits the industry has faced barriers at a time when Thai spas are growing in popularity in the global market.

“During my two-year term, I intend to push the spa industry ahead, along with initiatives for education and innovation. I also will also increase the value chain of related industries. All I’ll do is promote the well-being of the spa industry, with a clear Thai identity,’’ he said. 

The association was founded in 2003 and now has 290 members, mainly Thais. He was voted into the top post last week. 

It is believed that there are more than 10,000 illegal outlets in the country, versus only 100 licensed ones. The industry is worth more than Bt10 billion annually, combining the two. 

“Thai spas are very outstanding. They are part of our culture, especially their service-minded people and Thainess, which are a selling point of the industry,’’ he said.

If the industry does not develop standards, the country will lose business opportunities to rivals, especially Singapore and Vietnam. 

Spas are not a cultural heritage of either Singapore or Vietnam, but the two have a clear vision. They have been making progress in this industry by learning from the market. 

Starting with Singapore, the cash-rich island intends to spawn spa chains via management contracts in other countries. It has set up a training centre to produce skilled staff to serve its network expansion, driven by the opening of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

Vietnam is a disciplined nation. Its economy has grown fast in the past decade. It has prepared itself for the service industry. Even though spas are not its specialty, it has attempted to learn techniques from other countries, especially Thailand. Its staff have learned foreign languages, including Thai, to boost its competitiveness. 

Krod, who also works as the sales and marketing manager of Chiva-Som Academy, said that although Thailand has advantages over the two rivals, the country should not be complacent. The Kingdom has to work even harder, especially to fill the legal loopholes in the industry.

A new law is needed to help shape up and modernise the industry. The industry has been stuck with the Spa Act of 1966, as amended in 2003, to cope with the rapidly-changing industry. It has waited for a decade for the law to be approved by Parliament. 

The Spa Act defines a spa like a massage service. This is way out of date. 

If the law passes, law enforcement will lead to a big change in the industry. That means spas will be scrutinised in detail as a way to crack down on sex-oriented openings.

Also, those working in the industry will be upgraded professionally with a proof of licence via a training programme designed by the Public Health Ministry. A committee, chaired by the minister, will be set up to check standards regularly to ensure the industry’s sustainability.

The association will work more closely with the ministry to design the programme to be more practical in line with the industry’s demands. Staff shortages are another barrier, so some operators have chosen to spend their own funds on staff training. 

It is a good sign that the government has established the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute to ensure skilled labour in various fields. He will work with the institute to help promote professionalism in the spa industry as one of the first priorities. 

The government should play a bigger role in promoting the industry. The terms ‘‘medical, spa and wellness’’ cannot be separated from each other. They are interacting with each other, building a value chain. The association will work increasingly with the government to boost understanding, along with setting the industry’s direction to get internationally recognised, he added.