• Set to unveil the first Okura Prestige hotel in Northern Thailand, offering a luxury ryokan experience under the ‘Okura’ brand outside Japan for the first time globally, featuring contemporary design and impressive service, including a Lanna kaiseki restaurant and full onsen services.
  • Continuing to develop the “Okura Cruise,” the world's first luxurious teppanyaki and kaiseki boat by Okura, showcasing unique Japanese culinary art, with its inaugural experience set for December this year.

Asset World Corporation Public Company Limited (AWC), a leading lifestyle real estate group in Thailand, has signed a cooperation framework to develop multiple real estate projects with Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., a global hotel chain that blends traditional Japanese beauty with top-notch accommodations, exquisite dining, and excellent service. They will collaborate on projects in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and other key cities in the country. The Okura Prestige hotel will be the first under the ‘Okura’ brand in Northern Thailand, offering a luxury ryokan experience unique to Okura outside Japan for the first time globally. Additionally, AWC and Hotel Okura are jointly creating the ‘Okura Cruise,’ the world’s first luxurious teppanyaki and kaiseki boat, with a fine dining Japanese restaurant on water, set to open for advance reservations soon, with its maiden voyage scheduled to operate on the Chao Phraya River by December. This cooperation framework aligns with AWC's strategy to partner with leading global hotel brands to develop quality properties and enhance a unique luxury portfolio in strategic locations, expanding its customer base while supporting Thailand's tourism industry towards becoming a sustainable global destination.

Under this cooperation framework, AWC and Hotel Okura will develop over 500 rooms together under various brands in key tourist destinations in Thailand, emphasizing the spirit of Japanese service or ‘omotenashi,’ which goes beyond customer service to genuinely care for and attend to guests' needs at every stage of their experience. This includes a focus on food for overall well-being, both physically and mentally. The projects under this collaboration include the first Okura-branded hotel and ryokan in Northern Thailand, located on Chang Klan Road in Chiang Mai, as part of AWC's ‘Lannatique Destination’ project, along with other new developments in Bangkok and other major cities to create world-class quality destinations.

Navallapa Traisorat, CEO and Managing Director of Asset World Corporation Public Company Limited (AWC), stated, "We are very pleased to continue our long-term partnership with Hotel Okura, one of the world-renowned hotel chains from Japan, through this strategic cooperation announcement to expand the Okura brand portfolio to key tourist destinations in Thailand, particularly bringing the globally recognized brand and services of Okura to Chiang Mai. This reinforces AWC's commitment to supporting Chiang Mai as a sustainable global tourism destination. This project will connect with AWC's ‘Lannatique Destination’ project, showcasing the uniqueness of Thai and Lanna culture to travelers from around the world, linking Japanese experiences and traditions with the cultural heritage of various nations that have influenced the Lanna region throughout history, celebrating the spirit and charm of cultural arts that reflect the community's values through time from the past to the present and future."

"Additionally, the ‘Okura Cruise,’ the world’s first luxurious teppanyaki and kaiseki boat by Okura, represents a historic collaboration that will bring the ‘Okura’ brand cruise experience to Thailand on the Chao Phraya River, a significant highlight of Bangkok's tourism, further supporting Thailand as a sustainable global tourism destination.”

Mr. Toshihiro Okita, Chairman of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., said, "We are delighted to be part of this growth alongside AWC through various projects that we will develop together to stand out and succeed, just like The Okura Prestige Bangkok. We are very excited to bring the Okura brand to Chiang Mai for the first time, allowing our customers to experience Thailand's world-renowned tourist destination through impressive service that uniquely blends Japanese culture with Lanna culture. This collaboration between us and AWC has entered a stronger phase, with expectations that Okura will manage more hotels in Thailand over the next five years. Additionally, we are pleased to partner with AWC and be part of this significant journey on the Chao Phraya River with the world’s first luxurious river cruise operated by Okura, offering hospitality in the traditional Japanese style against the backdrop of beautiful views and historical landmarks along Bangkok's main river, under Hotel Okura's mission to provide superior service in the traditional Japanese manner to our guests from around the world. We believe that our expertise and excellence in service will strengthen AWC as a leader in Thailand's lifestyle real estate business and support the sustainable growth of Thailand's tourism industry."

The first Okura-branded hotel and ryokan on Chang Klan Road in Chiang Mai will connect with AWC's ‘Lannatique Destination’ project, offering a service concept that combines elegance and simplicity, serving as a destination for comprehensive holistic health care. With design inspired by the prosperity of Lanna culture intertwined with contemporary Japanese art and history, it will feature traditional ryokan-style accommodations with tatami mats, yukata sets, and private onsens in the rooms, allowing guests to experience Japan fused with contemporary design that emphasizes simplicity, along with diverse services and a menu for well-being that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit of visitors. Key highlights will include an omakase restaurant, a Lanna kaiseki restaurant, full onsen services, a zen garden, and a Japanese café.

AWC and Hotel Okura are moving forward to create the ‘Okura Cruise,’ the world’s first luxurious teppanyaki and kaiseki boat by Okura, which is scheduled for its inaugural voyage on the Chao Phraya River in December and will soon be available for advance reservations. A ceremony for the laying of the ship's keel was held, which in Thai culture marks the beginning of building a boat that will bring happiness, victory, and prosperity. Navallapa Traisorat, CEO and Managing Director of Asset World Corporation Public Company Limited, along with senior executives and honored guests, attended the ceremony on May 21, 2024, at the Mits Division shipyard in Samut Sakhon, marking a auspicious start to what promises to be a luxurious Japanese dining cruise experience in Thailand.

The ‘Okura Cruise,’ the world’s first luxurious teppanyaki and kaiseki boat by Okura, will operate on the Chao Phraya River, starting from the Asiatique The Riverfront destination to Rama VIII Bridge. Externally, it is designed luxuriously with abstract geometric shapes inspired by ‘origami,’ the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, and the Japanese folktale of the crane and the turtle, symbolizing longevity. This boat will be the first fine dining floating Japanese restaurant, offering kaiseki (Japanese course meal) and teppanyaki (hot plate dishes) prepared in authentic style, along with stunning views of famous attractions along both banks of the Chao Phraya River. Guests will enjoy even more comfort and relaxation with premium amenities in a special private lounge located at Asiatique The Riverfront destination before boarding the boat.

Currently, AWC and Hotel Okura have ongoing projects together, including The Okura Prestige Bangkok with 240 rooms, and there are plans for more than 500 additional rooms under this cooperation framework in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and other key tourist cities to be operational by 2028.