Rekindling fading Halal hub hopes

Muslim-friendly services in for boost

- JITSIREE THONGNOI

Thai veterinarian Ninareeman Binnima has often heard from among foreign Muslim business people that they can hardly find Halal restaurants at either Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airports in Bangkok.

"One time an acquaintance had to ask Muslim staff in the airport, so they were taken to eat at a staff canteen instead.

"This is not good for the image of Thailand among Muslim tourists at all," she said.

Seeing the gaps in the Muslim tourist inbound market in Thailand, Ms Ninareeman has been working on launching a Muslim-friendly ranking certification, on behalf of the non-government and nonprofit Thai Muslim Trade Association (TMTA), for hotels in Thailand aiming to draw travellers from the Muslim world.

The pilot project kicked off at the Rembrandt hotel in downtown Bangkok.

"A Muslim-friendly hotel is different from a Halal hotel in that it is more flexible. Business owners can choose according to the capability of the outlet, and can meet the needs of both Muslim and non-Muslim guests.

"If it is a Halal hotel, restaurants can't have prohibited items such as pork and alcohol. However, Muslim friendly hotels can still have alcohol and offer pork menus, but there must be a system that clearly separates the services and other customer facilities.

"This way it is easier for hotels in Thailand to follow, which are mostly managed by non-Muslims," she said.

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY CERTIFIED