The Thai Spa Association (TSA) has teamed up with certification company SGS to establish a voluntary code of standards for the country's spa and wellness industry.

According to a spokesperson, the standards will be introduced to "ensure provision of an international service offering in keeping with client expectations".

The code is based on five key elements identified by SGS - facilities and infrastructure; spa operations; sanitation and cleanliness; personnel and staffing; and monitoring and improvement.

It is hoped the new set of standards will help Thai spa operators and owners to define, roll out and monitor the quality and safety performance criteria in their business strategies.

In a statement, SGS said: "We will aim to help protect the reputation of Thai spas and leverage the industry's potential for continuous improvement, including improving internatl cost controls by providing key stakeholders endorsement to best practice.

"We know this new standard will help TSA and its members to reinforce their premier market positioning in Asia."