Dusit International
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Thai multinational hospitality group operating hotels, resorts, branded residences, villas, education businesses, and related hospitality services.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Dusit International is the international operating brand of Dusit Thani Public Company Limited, a Thai hospitality and property group headquartered in Bangkok. Its origins date to 1948, when Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui opened the 30-room Princess Hotel in Bangkok. The company developed from that first property into one of Thailand’s established hotel groups, combining hotel ownership, management, franchising, hospitality education, culinary training, and property development. The group’s best-known property was Dusit Thani Bangkok, a 23-storey, 510-room hotel that opened in 1970. It became a landmark luxury hotel in Bangkok and served as the company’s flagship for decades. Dusit’s name and brand philosophy draw on the concept of “Dusit Thani,” a term associated with the ideal city created by King Rama VI and with the Buddhist cosmological idea of a heavenly realm. The group has used this heritage to position its hotels around Thai-inspired hospitality while adapting its operations to international markets. Dusit expanded beyond Bangkok through resort development and hotel management. Its portfolio came to include properties in Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Manila, Dubai, China, and other destinations. The group added several brand formats to cover different market segments, including Dusit Thani for luxury hotels and resorts, Dusit Princess for upscale properties, dusitD2 for contemporary lifestyle hospitality, Dusit Devarana for luxury retreats, Dusit Suites for extended-stay accommodation, and ASAI Hotels for a more compact, social, and locally connected urban and resort experience. The company has also operated branded villas and other accommodation formats. Education and professional development are important parts of the group’s wider business. Dusit Thani College, founded in 1993, provides hospitality education, while the Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School, opened in 2007, combines the French culinary institution’s training with Dusit’s regional hospitality expertise. The Dusit Executive Development Center was established to provide management and executive training. Dusit is publicly listed in Thailand, with shares traded on the Stock Exchange of Thailand since 1975. Its business model has included direct ownership, leases, management contracts, partnerships, and franchising. A major recent development was the redevelopment of the original Dusit Thani Bangkok site as part of Dusit Central Park, a large mixed-use project developed with Central Pattana. The original hotel closed in January 2019 after its long-planned redevelopment, with a new Dusit Thani Bangkok forming part of the replacement complex. The group continues to present itself as a Thai-rooted international hospitality company, balancing cultural identity with global expansion and multiple price points.
History
Dusit International began in 1948, when Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui opened the Princess Hotel in Bangkok. The 30-room property was notable for having a swimming pool and for representing a modern style of hotel development in postwar Bangkok. The company’s later identity was influenced by the name Dusit Thani, which refers both to the heavenly realm of Thai-Buddhist cosmology and to King Rama VI’s early twentieth-century model city near Bangkok’s Lumpini Park. The concept expressed a blend of Thai cultural ideals and selected Western institutions, a combination that became central to Dusit’s hospitality positioning. The decisive early expansion came in 1970 with the opening of Dusit Thani Bangkok. The 23-storey, 510-room hotel was the first major flagship associated with the company and was, for a period, Bangkok’s tallest building. It established Dusit as a luxury hospitality operator and gave the group a recognizable name around which to build additional properties and management capabilities. Dusit Thani Public Company Limited was listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1975. During the 1980s and 1990s, Dusit expanded its resort and regional presence. Dusit Thani Pattaya became the group’s first resort property in 1987, followed by Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket and Dusit Thani Hua Hin. The company subsequently added Royal Princess Chiang Mai and Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai. Its Princess portfolio was reinforced by the 1989 opening of Royal Princess Larn Luang in Bangkok. In 1995, Dusit acquired shares in the holding company of Hotel Nikko Manila from Japanese affiliates and assumed management of the property. After renovation and rebranding, the Manila hotel became Dusit Thani Manila in 2008. Dusit diversified its brand architecture in the 2000s. The dusitD2 collection was introduced in 2006, beginning with a Chiang Mai property and later expanding to Pattaya. The collection targeted a more contemporary lifestyle segment than the classic Dusit Thani format. The Princess brand also expanded internationally, with Dusit Princess City Centre Dubai opening in 2009. During the same period, the company developed a stronger education and training platform. Dusit Thani College was founded in 1993, the Dusit Executive Development Center was established in 2005, and the Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School opened in Bangkok in 2007. The group later added a Dusit Thani College campus in Pattaya and education cooperation with the Lyceum of the Philippines University. Expansion continued into China and other international markets. Dusit Thani Dongtai became an early Dusit Thani property in China, while Dusit Thani Fudu Qingfeng and dusitD2 Fudu Binhu Hotel were also associated with the group’s Chinese growth in 2016. In 2018, Dusit introduced ASAI Hotels, a mid-market concept intended to connect guests with local communities and experiences while using a more efficient accommodation format. The company’s international portfolio has included hotels, resorts, and approximately 240 villas across a broad range of countries. The original Dusit Thani Bangkok became the focus of a major redevelopment decision. The hotel was scheduled for demolition after the group partnered with Central Pattana on Dusit Central Park, a mixed-use project incorporating a replacement Dusit Thani Bangkok. The original property’s final checkout took place on 5 January 2019. The replacement project was planned with fewer rooms but a larger mixed-use urban context, including hospitality, offices, residences, retail, and public areas. Dusit’s history also includes operational and labor-related controversy connected with its Manila property. A dispute involving employee head-shaving and the meaning of an illegal strike became the subject of Philippine judicial proceedings and broader criticism from labor-rights advocates. Separately, the dusitD2 Nairobi property was affected by a deadly 2019 terrorist attack. These events were associated with individual properties and operating environments rather than a change to Dusit’s stated brand proposition. By the 2020s, Dusit remained a publicly listed Thai hospitality group with activities spanning hotel operations, hotel management, branded accommodation, property development, hospitality education, and culinary training. Its brand strategy continued to combine the heritage of Dusit Thani with newer concepts intended to reach lifestyle, mid-market, extended-stay, and other international segments.
- 2019
Original Dusit Thani Bangkok closes
[1]The flagship completed its final checkout before the Dusit Central Park redevelopment.
- 2018
ASAI Hotels launched
[1]Dusit introduced a mid-market hospitality brand focused on local connection and efficient accommodation.
- 2016
Chinese portfolio expands
[1]Dusit added or announced several Dusit Thani and dusitD2 properties in China.
- 2009
Dusit Princess expands to Dubai
[1]Dusit Princess City Centre Dubai became the first Dusit Princess property outside Thailand.
- 2008
Hotel Nikko Manila becomes Dusit Thani Manila
[1]Following renovation, the Manila property adopted the Dusit Thani name.
- 2007
Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School opens
[1]The joint culinary school opened in Bangkok.
- 2006
dusitD2 introduced
[1]Dusit launched its contemporary lifestyle hotel collection, beginning in Chiang Mai.
- 2005
Dusit Executive Development Center established
[1]The group created an executive training and development subsidiary.
- 1995
Hotel Nikko Manila acquisition
[1]Dusit acquired shares in the property’s holding company and took over its hotel management.
- 1993
Dusit Thani College founded
[1]The company expanded into hospitality education with the founding of Dusit Thani College.
Products and positioning
Thai-rooted international hospitality with an emphasis on culturally informed service, upscale and luxury accommodation, resort experiences, and a portfolio of brands spanning luxury, lifestyle, extended stay, and mid-market segments.
Luxury hotels and resorts · 1970
Dusit Thani
Dusit’s signature luxury brand, built around Thai-inspired hospitality, full-service accommodation, and resort or city-hotel settings. The original Dusit Thani Bangkok established the brand’s landmark status, while later properties extended the name across Thailand and international markets.
Upscale hotels and resorts · 1989
Dusit Princess
An upscale hotel and resort brand that broadened Dusit’s reach beyond its flagship luxury format. It has operated in Thailand and internationally, including a Dubai property opened in 2009.
Lifestyle hotels and resorts · 2006
dusitD2
A contemporary lifestyle collection introduced to provide a more design-led and modern alternative within Dusit’s portfolio. The first property opened in Chiang Mai in 2006, followed by expansion to destinations including Pattaya and Nairobi.
Luxury retreats and resorts
Dusit Devarana
A luxury-oriented brand associated with tranquil resort and retreat experiences. It extends Dusit’s premium offer beyond the conventional full-service city and beach hotel model.
Extended-stay accommodation
Dusit Suites
An accommodation format centered on suite-style living and longer stays, serving guests who need more space and residential amenities than a conventional hotel room.
Mid-market hotels · 2018
ASAI Hotels
A mid-market brand launched in 2018 for travelers seeking compact accommodation, shared social spaces, and access to local food, culture, and neighborhood experiences.
Hospitality education · 1993
Dusit Thani College
A hospitality education institution founded by Dusit in 1993, offering training connected with hotel management, culinary studies, and related service industries. It later expanded its educational presence with a Pattaya campus.
Culinary education · 2007
Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School
A Bangkok culinary school established through cooperation between Dusit and Le Cordon Bleu. It opened in 2007 and was described as the first institution of its kind in Southeast Asia.
Controversies
2008
Dusit Hotel Manila labor dispute
A labor dispute involving employee head-shaving and the interpretation of an illegal strike at the Manila property became the subject of Philippine legal proceedings. Labor-rights groups and International Labour Organization findings criticized aspects of the treatment of workers’ freedom of expression and association.
Brand decisions
2018
Redevelop the original Dusit Thani Bangkok siteStrategyBackground
The company decided to close and demolish its historic Bangkok flagship as part of a mixed-use redevelopment undertaken with Central Pattana.
Action taken
Dusit closed the original hotel after final checkout on 5 January 2019 and proceeded with Dusit Central Park, including a replacement Dusit Thani Bangkok.
Aftermath
The decision ended the original flagship’s operating history and repositioned the site within a larger hospitality, office, residential, retail, and public-space development.
Planned mixed-use project value. 36.7 billion baht (Announced for the Dusit Central Park redevelopment)
2018
Launch ASAI HotelsProduct launchBackground
Dusit sought to address a mid-market segment with a format distinct from its luxury and upscale hotel brands.
Action taken
The group introduced ASAI Hotels, emphasizing compact rooms, social areas, and local destination experiences.
Aftermath
ASAI expanded Dusit’s brand ladder and gave the group a concept intended for broader international development.
Recent events
Dusit Thani announces 2020 financial results[3]
Dusit Thani Public Company Limited announced its 2020 performance, reporting a loss of 1,011 million baht, mainly attributed to coronavirus restrictions that limited international travel and halted global tourism.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Dusit launches food-delivery service in Bangkok[4]
Dusit International launched a food-delivery service in Bangkok, offering meals from three of its properties for pickup or delivery in their respective neighborhoods.
Reported
Dusit offers travel-industry members discounted stays[5]
Dusit International offered travel-industry members up to 60% off rooms and additional benefits across its worldwide hotel and resort portfolio. The offer was available to book through May 31, 2020.
Reported
MPIC partners with Dusit for Philippine hotel and condominium projects[6]
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation announced a partnership with Dusit International and signed a P1.6-billion investment agreement for the development of two hotels and three condominiums in the Philippines. The agreement also covers upgrades to existing Dusit properties in the country.
Sources6 sources
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