Centara and TreePay's Executives. From left: 1. Suvicha Nalita, Chief Executive Officer of TreePay (Thailand) 2. Dr. Ronnachit Mahattanapreut, Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration of Centara 3. Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara 4. Dhanant Subhadrabandhu, Board of Director of TreePay (Thailand) 5. Shizuo Kiyotaki, Chairman of Okura Japan 6. Premchai Jaikwang, Board of Director of TreePay (Thailand) 7. Ko Bong Joon, Chief Strategy Officer of TreePay (Thailand) — Photo by Centara
Central Hotels & Resorts Central Hospitality International (CHi).

Bangkok, Thailand -- Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, yesterday signed an agreement with TreePay Co., Ltd., a specialised payment facilitator, to develop a system to allow Chinese customers to use their mobile phones to pay for accommodations and services at Centara properties. This will begin with Wechat Pay. Chinese tourists are an important market for Centara and mobile payments using apps like WeChat are extremely popular with Chinese consumers. Centara chose TreePay, a collaboration between CAT Telecom, SKT, and NHN KCP, to help it serve its Chinese guests more conveniently. Okura Co., Ltd. will be the project consultant.

"Our goal to double in size over the next five years will be achieved by serving growing markets better," said Centara's CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat. "Our strategies include opening new properties in China as well as attracting more Chinese to our hotels in Thailand and elsewhere. One way we do this is by improving our service infrastructure. Being able to accept mobile payments is an important component."

Centara aims to double its number of properties and become a familiar name for travellers throughout Asia, the Indian Ocean and Middle East. The company bases its confidence on a successful formula of Thai hospitality, excellent food, a variety of formats, and family-friendly hotels, in great destinations. It is also investing in technology to serve customers more efficiently through multilingual websites, on their devices, and with high-tech services at Centara hotels.

The TreePay solution will first be introduced at Centara's hotels and resorts in Thailand within 2018, then rolled out to the company's other properties.

"We look forward to making our destinations more welcoming and convenient for our Chinese guests, and supporting the expansion of Chinese tourism in this region and the world," added Chirativat.

Suvicha Nalita , Chief Executive Officer of TreePay (Thailand) Ltd., said"TreePay will be providing China Payment services to Centara Hotels and Resorts, starting with Wechat Pay mobile payments. We aim to become an Omni channel payment facilitator providing a single connection for all payment channels and types. Besides our expertise in payment platforms, we also strive to differentiate ourselves in this competitive market."

About Centara Hotels & Resorts

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand's leading hotel operator. Its 95 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, China, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Cambodia, Turkey and the UAE. Centara's portfolio comprises six brands – Centara Reserve, Centara Boutique Collection, Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Life and COSI Hotels – ranging from luxury island retreats and upscale family resorts to affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. The group's newest Centara Reserve brand was unveiled in 2020 as an experiential luxury collection, inviting guests to discover a new era of story-driven hospitality starting with Centara Reserve Samui.

Centara also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families. Centara's distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Centara aims to become a top 100 global hotel group, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company's unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara's global loyalty programme, Centara The 1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Find out more about Centara at www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com
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