"Great Duke Hotel to meet staff over compensation", 2 January 2020

A Great Duke Hotel representative will meet staff members ... to discuss compensation following its decision to cease operations.

Toch Kosal, a staff representative, said the company issued a letter ... informing them of the upcoming meeting to discuss compensation for 156 workers.

“On that day, we will know how the company will compensate us,” he noted. “We will have the chance to negotiate with it and hope that the hotel management will pay enough according to the law.”

Mr Kosal added that most of the staff had worked at the hotel for more than ten years.

“The staff have not sought other jobs yet because they are waiting for compensation from the company,” he added. “If the compensation is lower than what the law requires we will protest again, but if the company pays us according to the law we will not protest.”...

General manager Chakrapong Paladsongkran ... announced that the hotel would close down for economic reasons effective December 31.

He informed employees not to come to work and said it had appointed a law firm to handle the winding up process, including settlement of employees’ benefits, according to the law.

... Lim Sophal, another hotel staffer, yesterday said the company had hired a lawyer to calculate compensation and to set a deadline for the payouts.

“We hope that the company will calculate compensation in accordance with the law,” he said...

Mr Sophal said that after InterContinental was taken over by the new owner, room rates doubled, resulting in a drop in bookings...