19 August 2014
The Camel Republic Cha-Am – It’s Open; But The Camel’s Are Running Late! What do you call a camel with no humps? ………….……………. Humphrey (hump-free!)
What Can you Expect: The Moroccan inspired architecture; complete with golden spires, Persian styled tiling and archways set the scene. You may think you are approaching a medieval castle in Casablanca.
Cha-Am Today has been keeping an eager eye on the Camel Republic’s progress. We last paid a visit on 25th July. On that day almost everything was up and running; it’s open for visitors.
Apart from camels and camel rides, there are many other animal attractions and the latest mechanical rides. You’ll see alpacas and many other cute and furry creatures for the kids to touch.
However management at this latest ChaAm attraction is anxiously awaiting the arrival of their most prized attraction – the camels. They were due on the day of our visit but no show. We hope that by the time you read this article they will be in place and feeling at home in Thailand. Perhaps these ‘ships of the desert’ had a rough passage.
The rides include the ‘Midi Dance’, the ‘Drop Twist’ and ‘Macaw’. These are the latest high tech and high flying thrill rides for the more adventurous. You can also test your own wings, flying above a windy updraft within the cage of the ‘Skyfly’.
Camel Republic in Cha-am is a project of Pena House Group, the same company which opened Santorini Amusement and Water Park a few years ago. Pena House Group Camel Republic claims that the first attraction of its kind in Thailand. The total cost of the project amounts to 300 million baht. About 900,000 visitors are expected annually.
There are many photograph opportunities, souvenirs aplenty and you won’t go hungry or thirsty.
She Sells Seashells By The Seashore The bounty of the ocean comes to Thailand in many guises, some edible, some recreational and some decorative. Our Regional coastline provides all of these and more. One of the least heralded of these benefits is clearly visible at many tourist coastal locations, but particularly by the seashore of Cha-Am. Seashells have been used as jewelry or in other forms of decoration or adornment since prehistoric times. Making and selling shell decorations of all shapes and sizes follows this tradition as a significant cottage industry for Cha-Am. The city is probably the biggest supplier to many other coastal venues, including Phuket, Krabi, Bang Saen and Pattaya.
Around Cha-Am this industry can be found at all levels; from shell suppliers, family handcraft operations to retail outlets and wholesale businesses. On the beach front retail operators may be either casual vendors strolling along the sands, mobile shops (from motorcycle sidecars to loaded pickups) or at more permanent shops. Vendors seem to miraculously appear whenever a crowd is drawn to the beach, especially on weekends. Items range from children’s’ novelties for a bedside table selling for 2 or 10 THB, through to large decorated mirrors which could be up to 1,000 THB. The most popular version is a doorway ‘curtain’ or archway which goes for around 150 THB. So how does this happen? Cha-Am Today was invited to the ‘workshop’ of Khun Au and Him. This is a family business about 5
years old, which sources the shells, processes them and then arranges for the handcrafting of each item. The shells may be from the Thailand coastline, particularly around Phuket Island, but also from Vietnam or China. They may come in bulky sacks, cleaned and ready or in smaller quantities requiring sorting and cleaning. One important feature is that they are both white and naturally coloured, never dyed. Colours range of pastel shades of delicate pink or purple through to red, brown and orange. Decorations may be over 10 years old but show no signs of fading or otherwise deteriorating. Also a variety of shapes from the almost flat, ‘fanned’ species through to ‘snail’ shapes and ‘prickly’ extended cones. Not living creatures, but the remnants of what once was. Otherwise destined to become beach sand and there is no shortage of that! No environmental issues here, just another way to appreciate ocean diversity. The small family business we visited makes around 50 of the ‘doorway style’ decorations each week. After sorting, cleaning and drilling a small hole in each shell, they ‘outsource’ the labour intensive process of threading each shell individually onto strands of thin cord or fishing line. The local ladies involved in this task give attention to detail and consistency, although ‘naturally’, each item is unique. This handcraft can be likened to knitting, including the patterns formation and colour changes. A relaxing, stress free and modesty paid hobby for some. About 80% of the shell decorations are bought by Thai people, typically on holidays, with most of the remainder destined to decorate the homes of ex-pats. If you are thinking of taking a souvenir back to your home country, customs regulations will need to be considered. This is really a good news story for the local economy. Why Cha-Am has taken the lead in Thailand is something we can’t explain. Just another example of a local initiative which has really added colour to our region.
Where: On the main Bangkok Highway about 5 kilometres north of Cha-Am. Coming from Cha-Am take the first U turn after passing Santorini and backtrack about 500 metres.
Entrance Fees: Adult: 120 THB Non-Residents: 200 THB Free Entry for Children under 100 cm in height Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs: 10 am to 6 pm Fri – Sun & Public Holiday: 9 am to 7 pm
Doing Business in Cha-Am: Short Term Pain, Long Term Gain Businesses in Cha-Am that are dependent on the patronage of foreigners tourists are struggling. The number of businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, that are either closed, up for sale or just taking a ‘rain check’ are clearly visible on every Soi leading from the beachfront. A combination of the usual ‘low season blues’ and cancellations linked to political uncertainty have resulted in very quiet times in recent months. The bad news is the numerous reports have been received of cancellations for the coming high season. 2014 is unlikely to be a profitable year for many local business owners. However Cha-Am’s proximity to Bangkok and the continuing growing trend for Thai people to look for a weekend escape from the stresses of Bangkok means that weekends and holiday periods remain busy with many Thai visitors. The clear message is that foreign managed businesses ignore Thai customers at their own peril. A quick drive down Narathip Road after dark will reveal the strong patronage of Thai party-goers at bars and restaurants catering for Thai tastes, both figuratively and musically. Long Term Smart money people say that now is the right time to invest in business premises around Cha-Am. They predict that after the current lull the previous tourism growth of Cha-Am will return. Property and business ownership prices are unlikely to remain at the current very affordable levels, probably the best value of any of Thailand’s tourism centres. After all business investment is not about today, but a longer term outlook. Cha-Am’s location advantages, accessible beachfront and natural attractions will always remain. Add to that the nearby internationally recognised golf courses and the growing number of ‘disney-esque’ venues and the future looks bright.
Perhaps the current business closures will serve to ‘weed-out’ those which were really not up to the mark, making way for more sustainable and innovative operations. Maybe the ‘Darwinian’ process of survival of the fittest offers a stronger future. Marketing, Marketing, Marketing The reality is that many potential or current overseas travellers thinking about visiting Thailand have never heard of Cha-Am. The promotion of the usual tourist venues of Phuket, Kho Samui, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and to a lesser extent Hua Hin continues. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is now increasing this promotion of these destinations to overcome recent visitor downturns. But what about Cha-Am? Any conversation with visitors will soon reveal that most discovered Cha-Am by accident. Maybe the lack of promotion of Cha-Am is deliberate, keeping it as a hidden gem. However for those wanting to put Cha-Am and their own business ‘on the map’ some serious marketing is really needed. Perhaps not the usual suspects, but countries that have their wintertime away from the high low season months could be a target. HUA HIN TODAY, August 2014