RAJPRASONG A BIG DRAW FOR LUXURY HOTEL CHAINS

       International luxury hotel chains are flocking to Bangkok's Rajprasong shopping mecca to capture high-end tourists and business travellers.
       An industry insider said yesterday that at least five hotels in the four-and five-star categories were planned for the area, mostly by foreign chain.
       Centara Hotels and Resorts, Thailand's largest operator, would soon break ground on an upscale shopping complex and hotel at the Phloenchit-Wireless intersection, the source said.
       The company is negotiationg with Raffles internatiomal, singapore's super luxury chain, to manage the hotel to be built onland the company bought from the British Embassy. That bid had brought land prices to their highest level at that time.
       There is also a report that Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi of Beer Chang fame, who owns the Plaza Athenee Hotel, is in talks with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group to manage his new hotel, which is being constructed on the opposite corner to Centara's project. Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to launch its first residential project in Bangkok off North Sathorn Road, which will become the city's tallest tower. Ritz-Carlton is also set to introduce a luxury hotel in Krabi by the end this year.
       Kempinski Hotel of Germany is slated to manage a hotel at Siam Paragon, shich is being developed by Siam Piwat Co.
       A Novotel branch will appear at Rajprasong next year. Another hotel is being designed for a site opposite CentralWorld.
       Ronnachit Mahatanapruet, senior vice president for finance and administration at Central Plaza Hotel, said the group is planning to build more luxury as well as budget hotels both in Thiland and overseas.
       The hotel business in Bangkok would face tougher competition, as many new players will roll out to tap the high-flying market.
       Landmark Group recently said it would develop a hotel, the Bangkok Lancaster, on Phetchburi Road near the Airport Express's mid-Bangkok terminal.