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Thailand's first lady attends APSWC Awards ceremony recognising industry excellence

27 Mar 2024 The Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Coalition (APSWC) recently marked another year of industry achievement with a prestigious awards ceremony held during the 2024 APSWC Round Table event in Bangkok, Thailand.

Among the distinguished guests was Dr Pakpilai Thavisin, the first lady of Thailand.

Representatives from various sectors including the Federation of Thai Industry, senior Thai government officials, and industry professionals from diverse locations such as Maldives, India, Japan and the Philippines graced the occasion.

Andrew Jacka, APSWC chair, said: “The APAC region is known for its unique spa and wellness offering and while the industry’s governance is still playing catchup post-pandemic, the industry is moving forward at a rapid pace as the element of wellness becomes all-encompassing”.

The awards – deliberated upon by a panel comprising 22 specialists from spa, fitness, wellness and tourism fields across 15 countries – reflect a comprehensive evaluation spanning from Pakistan to New Zealand.

Notably, the Operator and Product categories include a public voting element (weighted at 60 per cent and 50 per cent respectively) to award the most deserving winner rather than the most popular.

Reflecting APSWC's commitment to sustainability, recipients were presented with custom trophies crafted from recycled chopsticks, underscoring the organisation's environmental consciousness.

In 2024, a total of 25 trophies were bestowed across 23 categories, honouring recipients hailing from Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam.

Vietnam emerged as the most decorated nation, clinching five trophies, while The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines, secured the highest number of awards, with four trophies to its credit.

2024 APSWC Awards Winners
• Natural Product Line of the Year – Biossentials Sdn Bhd, Malaysia.
• Product Innovation of the Year – Energy Lounger LLC, New Zealand.
• Product Partner of the Year – IplusQ Co., Thailand.
• Equipment Partner of the Year – SpaTX by Xin Performance, Hong Kong.
• Consultant of the Year – Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam.
• Trainer of the Year (tied vote) – Alyssa Lim, Inner Peace Spa Consultancy & Academy, Malaysia, and Cesar Tejedor, Massage Around The World, Spain.
• Independent Service Provider – Vietnam Detox, Hue, Vietnam.
• Best Newcomer of the Year – Panpuri Wellness Harbor, Pattaya, Thailand.
• Rising Star Personality of the Year – Emilie Chanon, Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam.
• Industry Personality of the Year – Michelle Ford, Lumina Wellbeing, Vietnam.
• Management Company of the Year – Martha Tilaar SPA, Indonesia.
• Corporate Wellness Program of the Year – The American Club, Singapore.
• Employer of the Year – The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines.
• Wellness Business Innovation of the Year – Ayana Spa, Bali, Indonesia.
• Community Service Achievement – Inner Peace Spa Consultancy & Academy, Malaysia.
• Sustainability Champion – The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines.
• Association of the Year (tied vote) – Association of Malaysian Spas, Malaysia, and Okinawa Esthetic Spa Cooperative (OESC), Japan.
• Day/Club Spa of the Year – Let’s Relax, Thailand.
• Hotel Spa of the Year – The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines.
• Resort Spa of the Year – V-Senses Wellness & Spa, Furama Resort, Danang, Vietnam.
• Wellness Resort of the Year – Kairali – The Ayurvedic Health Resort, Kerala, India.
• Wellness Menu of the Year – The Retreat Spa at Okada Manila, Philippines.
• Lifetime Achievement – Dr Mooryati Soedibyo, Indonesia.

APSWC Lifetime Achievement Award
For 2024, the APSWC Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Her Royal Highest Princess Dr Mooryati Soedibyo of Surakarta Sunanate who has devoted her life to preserving ancestral traditions.

A CIDESCO graduate and educator, she founded Mustika Ratu – a cosmetics and herbal product company, established the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa franchise and founded the Indonesian Spa Association (Asosiasi Spa Indonesia Wellness) among other achievements.

The APSWC Board recognised Soedibyo for her contributions and invited Dr Pakpilai Thavisin, First Lady of Thailand, to present the accolade to Soedibyo’s representative, Mr Bingar Egidus Situumorang, CEO of Mustika Ratu.

About the APSWC
The APSWC was established as a not-for-profit trade association in Singapore in July 2007 to act as a bridging mechanism between countries to promote, protect, educate and develop the spa and wellness industry in the APAC region.

Since its launch, the organisation has grown in both size and reputation.

As of March 2024, the APSWC Board of dedicated industry professionals live in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

All representatives work on a 100 per cent voluntary basis to represent a membership base of over 1,300 spa and wellness operators and related businesses across APAC and beyond.

The APSWC holds an annual Round Table event, bringing together key industry players from across the region to discuss problems and solutions which is then presented to the industry, regional governments, media and relevant third parties via a White Paper to help give guidance to both the industry and those responsible for its governance.