Halal-themed hotel eyes 82%occupancy rate 

Rausak Mulsap, president and chief executive officer of Al Meroz, said it had invested more than Bt1 billion in the landmark project.
The property has been operating since November 2015 and last year enjoyed an occupancy rate of 60 per cent.
The four-star hotel includes a convention centre with capacity for up to 1,200 people, six smaller meeting rooms accommodating 30 to 500 participants, the Bustan rooftop function room for up to 200 guests, a rooftop swimming pool, a prayer room and a gymnasium, among other amenities.
Al Meroz means “heritage” in Arabic. The name was adopted in recognition of the heritage of Muslim pride across the world, reflecting brotherhood through a halal hotel that strictly follows Muslim teachings with a wide range of facilities.
“This is a unique hotel in the history of Thai tourism. It will play a major role in helping the Tourism Authority of Thailand achieve its objective of better positioning Thailand as a Muslim-friendly destination,” Rausak said. 
It will also help fulfil the over-arching mission and vision of Asean, which is to build “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”, he said.
Because of the integration of the Asean Community, especially the economic and socio-cultural blueprints, intra-regional travel among the 10 member countries is expected to be a major growth area. As a result, Thailand can expect to see a lot more visitors from the neighbouring countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In addition, visits from other parts of the Islamic world, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East and Central Asian countries, are also expected to grow strongly.