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Dear readers, In this issue we focus on environmental awareness, ecotourism and food sustainability. Well-rounded health from the inside out is very important Chef Dom from Thanyapura tells us about his inspiration and we talk with Gordon Aeria about his life and work. Plus we’re proud to present the five best learning places on the island for you and your kids as every day is a learning day in Phuket!
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People Focus
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City Focus
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As usual we interview two smart ladies; Natchaya Suebsak - CMO of newly arrived Weserve Delivery and Patiya Koaysomboon - founder of the Pati Pati accessories and jewelry shop
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May this year give you the opportunity to unconditionally follow your dreams, love like there is no tomorrow and constantly smile. Happy New Year!
Phuketindex.com’s Team
Publisher Guide Vision Limited Editor in Chief Jormnapa Utuchkul Phuketindex.com Team Arnat Utuchkul, Nunghatai Cholchawalit, Sirisawan Hemtanon, Paradorn Promkird Advertising Enquiries dos@guidevision.com Subscription Enquiries subscription@guidevision.com Tel. +66 (0) 99 391 4056, +66 (0) 61 749 9392 Fax. +66 (0) 76 240 750
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CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2017 - JANUARY 2018
People
Lifestyle & Travel
People Focus
Charity
12 - A new experience learning about
32 - Ms. Pakawan Talawat (Mod)
Peranakan Culture By Patara Suwannakarn Managing Director of Peranakan Phuket Museum
Fishery Project Manager & Interim Aquaculture Project Manager WWF Thailand
City Focus
Property Guide
16 - Ecotourism with the TAT Phuket Office
40 - Utopia Karon
Director Interview with Khun Kanokkrittika Kritwutthikorn
41 - Utopia Central
Shopping
Business Talk 36 - Interview with Natchaya Suebsak (Amp)
42 - Pati Pati Shop
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer
Restaurant Guide
(CMO) of Weserve Delivery
46 - Acqua Restaurant 48 - Sway With Me Garden Restaurant & Bar
Chef Talk 52 - An interview with Udomsak Boonsopone (Chef Dom) F&B Director and Executive Chef, Thanyapura Health & Sports Hotel
GM Talk 64 - An interview with Gordon Aeria - General Manager of Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
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50 - Savoey Seafood
Signature Dish 56 - Scallops Sashimi
Phuket Museums 58 - Children’s Educational Places & Phuket Museums
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64
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Social 24 - Photo Albums
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Lifestyle - People Focus
A new experience learning about Peranakan Culture By Patara Suwannakarn Managing Director of Peranakan Phuket Museum
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Lifestyle - People Focus present through jewelry, the way of living, food, housing, and daily life. We didn’t want to make it a museum that simply collects and displays. We’d like to see our visitors leave us with real knowledge and experience and we really want to preserve this beautiful cultural treasure.”
How about the style of Paranakan Phuket Museum?
Pattara Suwannakarn or ‘Pun’ is currently Managing Director of the Peranakan Phuket Museum located on Thepkrasattri Road, Thalang (opposite Homepro Thalang).
What is your role at Peranakan Phuket Museum?
Phuket doesn’t only have beaches; we also have a beautiful culture and unique traditions
“My role is to run the museum, taking in the big picture of the museum’s projects which means I’m also responsible for the designing of the presentations with the aim of letting visitors really experience who we are.”
Please tell us about Paranakan Phuket Museum
“We researched many museums, both domestic and international, and used their good points to adapt into our museum. We think a lot about the presentation in many ways such as touching presentation, using technology and virtual presentation, such as how would visitors feel when sitting surrounded by the real thing? We try to make it real and fun to learn for the visitors.”
What do you love most about your work?
“I would say the jewelry. This is the highlight of the museum as it was our original project. Each piece is original, for example, Bintang. ‘Bintang’ is a Malay word which means ‘star’. It consists of rose-cut diamonds, made into a brooch which both men and women can wear and it’s a symbol for the Peranakan. Another one is Kerosang which combines three brooches with or without a chain linking them. Kerosang also has its own story; why it has be three brooches; why a chain, how and when to use it.”
“It started with my family background which known as ‘Taweesuwan’. It’s been about 32 years that we’ve been in the local jewelry industry. Our interest at first was simply in local jewelry but after we studied more and more, we knew that there was something more to it than that. It involved culture, traditions, fashion, costumes, including lifestyle. We decided to research more. We talked with people. We read books. We gathered and collect information and knowledge. So we wanted to pass this on to others in the community and the fruit of all this is the Paranakan Phuket Museum. We want to present the lifestyle of Phuket people from the past until the
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Lifestyle - People Focus
What’s the Policy of Paranakan Phuket Museum?
“We strictly focus on our staff. They need to be packed with knowledge and to able to pass this on to our visitors. Besides knowing Phuket’s dialects, knowledge about Peranakan Jewelry is required. If they work in the restaurant, they need to know about local dishes as well and if they work in the museum part, they should know enough about Phuketian’s way of life. We arrange training and tests on a regular basis.”
How do you promote the museum in Phuket?
“The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) Phuket is helping us a lot. We also promote through online channels. But the most important factor that helps most is word of mouth. Locals bring their friends or families from other provinces or even from other countries.”
What would you like visitors to gain from a visit to the museum? “What I would like visitors to gain from a visit is a fun experience and knowledge. We’d like them to see that Phuket doesn’t only have beaches; we also have a beautiful culture and unique traditions.”
How would you define Peranakan Phuket Museum?
“I’d say it’s the fusing of different cultures; Thai, Chinese and existing local way of life that has created the unique and valuable culture of Phuket today and we’d like to keep it alive. This is our definition. This is what we’re trying to present.” Peranakan Phuket Museum is open daily from 09.00 – 18.00. For those who are interested, visit the official website peranakanphuketmuseum.com for more information.
What do you love most about your work?
“What I love most about my job probably is the challenge of how to present our knowledge to visitors in a comprehensive and fun way. It’s not just about coming to have a look and going back home with nothing in their hands. We’d like our visitors to really experience, learn, and enjoy it. This is the most fun part of my job.”
What’s the hardest part of your job?
“The most difficult part is actually the same as that which I love the most about it. It’s how to draw people’s attention and to have them leave with a good experience. We always have something new, and never stop thinking up ways to help people come back again and have a different experience and learn new things. We’d like to constantly develop ourselves. This is the most difficult part but it’s also the most fun part of running this museum.”
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I would like to present lifestyle of Phuket people from the past to the present
Lifestyle
- Link
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
ecotourism
With the tat PhuKet office director
Interview with
Khun KanoKKrittiKa
KritWutthiKorn
e
cotourism is the word we usually hear especially in a region in which the economy is based on tourism. Khun Kanokkrittika Kritwutthikorn has recently been named as the new Director of TAT Phuket Office. Phuketindex. com interviewed her to hear her opinions about ecotourism which nowadays many sectors promote and wish to make sustainable.
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What inspired you to work in tourism industry? “I’ve been working in the tourism industry for almost 30 years now. When I first came in, the industry wasn’t booming like it is now but I had the opportunity to gain a lot of experience. Besides promoting Thailand on an international level, we also encouraged Thai tourists to travel around their country. It was a wonderful experience to have the chance to work and travel
at the same time. It made me happy in my life. Now, living and working here in Phuket, the destination everyone wants to visit, is like a bonus.”
What made you interested in Ecotourism?
“Ecotourism, we’d talked about this for a long time perhaps ever since I started working in this field. This involves everyone – not just tourists but also locals. We began to build up consciousness and create awareness
Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
We need to find the
balance
between conservation and tourism, the correct balance of nature and urbanization.
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green in environmental responsibility. Many sectors are now involved with this no matter if it’s about trash or the conservation of natural resources. Many people might think that to promote tourism alongside conservation is impossible but actually it’s workable. We can encourage tourists to be aware of the conservation of natural resources in every aspect, especially now in Phuket we have many groups of volunteers working with garbage, corals, and others. As for the TAT, we’ve pushed a project called ‘Upcycling the Ocean’ which is all about underwater trash. This is not just making the beaches clean and beautiful, it’s about the underwater environment.”
Image Copyright BlueOrange Studio, 2018 Used under license from Shutterstock.com
Image Copyright wandee007, 2018 Used under license from Shutterstock.com
How do you feel about Ecotourism?
“People might think Ecotourism is unrelated but it’s not. It requires everyone to have the same feeling of responsibility and put serious efforts into help making it happen since it doesn’t affect just oneself; it affects the whole planet. We need to find the balance between conservation and tourism, the correct balance of nature and urbanization. I think they can grow together but we all have the same responsibility.”
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Ecotourism should be in which direction?
“If we mention conservation or Ecotourism people automatically think about national parks, whether marine or forest. Everyone who is directly involved in these is trying to collaborate. We set up proper capacities for each area to manage and control usage of natural resources to their utmost efficiency. More than the existing natural resources that we need to take care, we also need to manage and reduce trash, carbon emissions from cars and boats, oil spills from boats and more. Everything is interconnected and we all have a responsibility to follow the rules and regulations set up to control this problem. Then I think tourism and conservation will have a future.”
Anything you would like to say to readers?
“I would like to ask everyone to think how we can create awareness about our common responsibility to the environment for future generations. It’s important for them to follow the rules and regulations and they will be the ones who help keep nature’s beauty and continue to pass it on to their descendants and let them see the same natural beauty as we see today.”
Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
Nowadays almost everyone is aware of the importance of looking after nature and we’ve started to take better care of our environment. Let’s have a look at some opinions about this from various hotels in Phuket...
suratWadee
PhetrianG PR & Marketing Communications Manager Laguna Phuket Laguna Phuket nowadays is a haven of trees, birds and hotels. But 30 years ago this area was a lifeless lunar landscape; an abandoned tin mine written off by the United Nations Development Program in 1977 as ‘impossible to rehabilitate’. It took years for Laguna Phuket to transform and rehabilitate the polluted area. Topsoil needed to be imported so that trees could be planted. Today, you have the sense of having stumbled upon an exotic hideaway within the tropical island retreat of Phuket. Given that the resort is a large-scale reclamation of what used to be utterly degraded land, the whole complex has had to be environmentally friendly from the start. Over the course of 30 years since its opening, nearly 30,000 trees have been planted and more than 2,000 sea turtles released by Laguna Phuket, together with our guests and local community members. Aiming to sustain and improve what has already been achieved, Laguna’s day-today operations apply the ‘Three Rs’ of green management: reduce, re-use and recycle. Today, Laguna Phuket is the first organization in Asia to achieve a precinctlevel EarthCheck Silver Certification.
Laguna Phuket 390/1 Moo 1, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang Phuket 83110 Thailand www.phuketindex.com
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
Pim
YunYonGKasamsuK Marketing Communications Manager Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Merlin Beach Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach is a unique property. We’re not only a family resort but a destination in itself. While the resort provides services such as restaurants and MICE facilities, our actual approach to conservation makes us one of a kind. What makes us unique is our very own house reef on a secluded stretch of Tri-Trang Beach and the island’s first Merlin Butterfly Sanctuary. We are partners with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. IUCN helps us preserve the natural environment through these two projects. Our goal is to increase the native butterfly species. The Merlin Butterfly Sanctuary allows guests to learn about the butterflies’ life cycle and the different species we find in the area. We also run the Reef Education Center with IUCN and Sea Bees Diving. On some days we take guests out for a dive at the house reef. On other days, divers from both organizations work together to conserve and restore the unique reef ecosystem in front of the resort. We’re proud to say we have one of the healthiest nearshore coral reefs in Phuket.
Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Merlin Beach 99 Muen-Ngoen Road, Tri-Trang Beach, Patong Phuket 83150 Thailand
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
WorraPorn
noiladtee PR & Marketing Manager SLEEP WITH ME HOTEL, design hotel @ patong The hotel has many CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities, including blood and organ donations. We also donate to disadvantaged children’s foundations, or even donate food and clean homeless dog shelters. In terms of energy and environment, the hotel has realized the importance of eďŹƒcient garbage collection, beach and public places cleanliness, and we join in with environmental protection projects with the government and other organizations in Phuket. We care about both beach and animal conservation.
SLEEP WITH ME HOTEL 187/5 Rat-U-Thit-200 Pee Road, Patong Beach Phuket 83150 Thailand
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
KanoKrod
lanGPuteh Asst. Marketing Communication Manager The Vijitt Resort Phuket At Vijitt Resort we focus on services that minimize the impact on the environment as much as possible. Our policy is to reduce activities that can have a bad effect on the environment, and we increase security for customers and employees, and keep good relationships with our community. We have established a ‘Green Board’ to take care of our environmental policies. The hotel emphasizes reducing waste and reuse, we encourage customers, employees, and business partners to be aware of this.
The Vijitt Resort Phuket 16 Moo 2, Viset Road, Rawai, Muang Phuket 83130 Thailand
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Lifestyle - City Focus Phuket Go Green
saran
mitrarat Public Relations Manager AKSARA Collection All hotels in The AKSARA Collection Group, Kata Sea Breeze Resort, Patra Mansion and The SIS Kata, are conscious about caring for the environment. We organize activities for the community to preserve the environment such as mangrove planting to increase aquaculture and preserving the coastline and increasing Phuket’s green area. We also have a yearly activity called ‘Clean the beach boot camp’, which we do with expatriates living in Phuket, students and local community. In line with the provincial policy of ‘Ta Saparot’ (Pineapple Eyes) to keep the beach area clean.
AKSARA Collection 255 Kok Tanode Road, Karon Beach, Muang Phuket 83100 Thailand
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Sleep With Me’s Staff Party 2017 On Friday 15th September, Sleep With Hotel held their annual staff party at The Phuket. There were several activities and staff presented trophies for winners in hotel sport’s competition.
Me Par the the
Event
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Clean the Beach Boot Camp at Kata Beach Phuket On September 16th, Kata Sea Breeze Resort, Patra Mansion and The SIS Kata Phuket (AKSARA Collection) in collaboration with Clean the Beach Boot Camp organized ďŹ tness and clean-up activities at Kata Beach to celebrate World Clean-Up Day. Phuket Governor Noraphat Plodthong opened the proceedings with a speech. Event
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Lifestyle -
Photo Albums
Kalapattana School forms the Thai number 9 to honour King Rama IX On Friday 20th October, students from Kalapattana School lined up in the shape of a number nine to honour the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as King Rama IX.
Event
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2017 The Vegetarian Festival 2017 ran from 20 to 28 October. Visitors and locals enjoyed the celebrations featuring the unique charms and characteristics of Phuket. The annual Vegetarian Festival 2017 was held in honour of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej as the entire nation paid a ďŹ nal tribute to the King on the Royal Cremation Ceremony Day, on 26 October. Event
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Healthy Breakfast at The Retreat Amatara Wellness Resort On Thursday 2nd November, Phuketindex.com attended the Healthy Breakfast at The Retreat - a restaurant for health food lovers. Its special dishes are provided in consultation with in-house spa specialists, to align the speciďŹ c imbalances of various body types. The Retreat restaurant features the ďŹ nest Thai and Western cuisine, based on the basic values of traditional cooking with a modern gastronomy approach and an emphasis on a light and healthy meal. Phuket Restaurant Photos
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Utopia Launch Party On Saturday 11th November, Phuket witnessed the launch party of Utopia at My Beach Resort. Many Thai celebrity guests attended this event including Mr. Pong – Nawat Kulrattanarak and Miss Poyd – Treechada Petcharat. The party’s theme was black and gold. Event
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Dalah Cuisine @Deevana Patong Resort & Spa On Tuesday 4th November, Phuketindex.com experienced Dalah Cuisine, an all-day dining restaurant in Deevana Patong Resort & Spa. The restaurant provided a great selection of Thai and international dishes by Executive Chef Suwat Wongwanich. Phuket Restaurant Photos
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Lifestyle - Photo Albums
Pre-Race Press Conference – Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2017 On Saturday 18th November, Laguna Phuket in collaboration with Phuket Province, hosted a pre-race press conference for the 2017 Laguna Phuket Triathlon to present this year’s LPT Charity Fun Run and the 24th Laguna Phuket Triathlon.
Event
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Lifestyle - Charity
MS.
PAKAWAN TALAWAT (MOD) Image Copyright WWF Thailand
Fishery Project Manager & Interim Aquaculture Project Manager WWF Thailand
Please tell us about WWF?
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. We work to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and ensure that our planet stays healthy and vibrant for generations to come. One important activity is reducing the negative impacts of human activity or our ecological footprint which related to my project. WWF runs the activities with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.
How long have you been supporting WWF?
I have been working with WWF Thailand for 2 years and I am in charge of Fishery Project Manager.
How would you describe your work here? Thailand is the world’s third-largest seafood export but fisheries resources have been drastically declining. Our work is aimed to transform seafood production in the country into a more sustainable manner using market-driven approach such as creating demand from retailers and consumers so that the producers will provide environmentally friendly supply to serve those market demands, not because any NGO is requesting.
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Lifestyle - Charity
Image Copyright WWF Thailand
Currently, more and more international buyers are coming on board to drive sustainable seafood consumption. Many leading hotel chains and restaurants around the world are requesting their suppliers to supply only certified and sustainable seafood. At a very minimum, the seafood must be in the process of becoming sustainable to be accepted by these leading companies. The first credible transition program, or what we call “fishery improvement project (FIP)”, in Thailand is Blue Swimming Crab FIP. Its implementation is based on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. This is covering 3 simple principles: fish resource should come from a healthy stock, the fishing activity is done with minimal environmental impact, and the fishery must be effectively managed. WWF is working together with government agencies, universities, strategic industry partners, and local fishers to implement the project. We also demonstrate the importance of
The first credible transition program, or what we call “Fishery Improvement Project (FIP)”, in Thailand is Blue Swimming Crab FIP. Image Copyright WWF Thailand
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Lifestyle - Charity international requirements of environmental-friendly fishing practices and how Thai fishery industry might lose market opportunity if they don’t improve towards sustainability practice
What are the greatest challenges that WWF is facing?
The greatest challenge for us is low awareness of sustainability concept to consumers. Consumers should understand that their consumption choice really make a diff erence. Fish and crab with eggs are favorite dishes of Thai people but in fact this type of consumption prevents species from being fertilized and generating offspring. Good logistics also help delivering more seafood to consumers meaning that we consume more seafood these days because of convenience and availability. Social media and restaurant review sites also accelerate the level of this type of consumption e.g. comparing restaurants or recommending Blue Swimming Crabs that still carry internal eggs. All of these factors make us overlook the fact that species in the wild, whether freshwater or marine, take time to grow up to market size for our consumption. When their growth is behind market demand, people then consume smaller and smaller size of seafood. In many cases, they are juveniles and our consumption again prevents them
Panda Gang V.1
Panda Gang V.2
Image Copyright WWF Thailand
from maturation and being able to generate new cohorts. Somtum or papaya salad with Blue Swimming Crab is always popular dish; however, we can notice that the size of crabs is getting smaller and smaller. These behaviors lead to the significant decline of fisheries resources.
What upcoming charity events do you have on your agenda?
In general, people can support and donate to WWF through the fundraising team or accessing our website at https://donate.wwf.or.th. Moreover, in LINE application, we have just launched the ‘Panda Gang’ LINE Sticker under theme ‘Let’s change Conversation to Conservation’. Please preview or download the : Panda Gang V.1 at https://line.me/S/sticker/1712807 and the ‘Panda Gang V.2’ at https://line.me/S/sticker/1774151 It is the easier way to support the conservation activities. Once you send the cute Panda Gang stickers to your friend, you can encourage them to save the nature.
Tell something to anyone interesting to join...
Image Copyright WWF Thailand
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We will launch an awareness campaign on sustainable seafood consumption in 2018 starting with Blue Swimming Crab issue. This campaign will encourage seafood lovers to understand how changing your consumption behaviors could help conserving fisheries resources. The ultimate goal is that we can have seafood for our consumption in the long term as a source of protein because we choose sustainably produced and caught seafood. If you are a seafood lover, join us to say no to juveniles and Blue Swimming Crabs with internal eggs and you will see the positive changes from the power of consumers.
Lifestyle - Business Talk
the ideas mainly come from our customers, sharing their needs and wants.
interview with
natchaya suebsak (amp)
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing OďŹƒcer (CMO) of Weserve Delivery
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Lifestyle - Business Talk
Marketing. I’m a big believer in research! Gathering market information and the ability to make sense of that data is the ground rule in building and differentiating your brand.
N
atchaya Suebsak is a co-founder of Weserve, an interesting business which has been growing consistently over the past three years. Nowadays, Weserve is no longer just about food delivery; the company is expanding into logistics. Phuketindex chatted with Khun Natchaya Suebsak about her business and her lifestyle.
Please introduce yourself
I’m a pure-blood Phuketian. I have my own business involving food delivery and logistics and I’m also a marketing consultant for many brands in Phuket; Anupas Visitakarn Co., (Honda Phuket), Golden Ville Villages, Yamaha Music School and Phuket Real Estate… My job includes market research and planning for products and service development, marketing campaigns, and events management.
How did the idea for your business come about?
Weserve Delivery is real time logistics and food delivery company.
The idea of Weserve began about three years ago. My team and I realized that a lot of restaurants in Phuket have limited parking space while some have not enough seats for the demand. Road traffic in Phuket is bad so we did market research regarding the demand and found that Phuket people want to have a food and products delivery service. Weserve thus started.
What are the three keys to make your business a success?
Three things that make Weserve as it is today are; first is our clients. Every client is important to us. Whether it is a few hundred or tens of thousands of baht they spend on us, we treat them equally because to us they are super VIP. Secondly are the shops and restaurants or ‘our partners’. We take care of them just like their business is our own. Third is our team. We’re constantly growing up and developing so the team is very important. Those are three things that are important for our business success.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
For me, the three skills I use to manage Weserve are: I’m a marketing person. I see that technical skill is important. I want to know deep and wide about marketing. I did a market research, collected data with proper methods to get the right and proper product. The second skill is human resources management or human skills. We take care of our staff, give them good benefits and make them happy working together. Last is the conceptual skill. The ideas are based on information and data to prove and trial implementation.
How many hours do you work a day on average?
Since I’m a business owner not an office worker you might say that I’m working all the time. Though I’m not actually working it doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking. I’m try to learn more and more to make our business grow. But if you consider actually sitting and working hours, it’s about 10 hours per day that I talk with the team, meet with clients and partners, hold meetings and develop Weserve’s software application. I work every day, with no days off.
What motivates you?
My answer might sound different from others. I have to tell you that I was very ill before and only started to work again a few years ago. Because of this my motivation is to ‘stay alive’.
Restaurant Restaurant
SEARCH SEARCH
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Lifestyle - Business Talk
I appreciate every moment of my life. I wake up in the morning, I’m able work, to do what I love, being good and helping people around me. So I feel I want to stay alive and it has become my motivation.
How do you generate new ideas?
For Weserve, new ideas happen every day, mainly from our customers, sharing their needs and wants. What we do is listen to their needs carefully, think them through, and try our best to fulfill those needs. Other ideas come from our competitors. We’re a local brand but our competitors are global. When they do something new, we observe, study and make our product different or better in our own way. The ideas also come from our team. They meet our clients every day so we need to listen and bring them together to develop our business.
and decision making. He is loved by his staff and I want to be like him one day. Last but not least, Khun Phattanan Pisutwimol, Managing Director of Phuket Goldenville Project. I have known for quite a long time. He supported and taught me a lot about how to manage and how to take care of people. I was inspired by his generosity and kindness to others.
How do you go about marketing your business?
Weserve is quite different from other businesses as it’s online. Everything is on mobile phone or on tablet so we put our focus on online marketing. But we can’t just ignore offline marketing so you still feel our presence on the radio or on billboards. But at Weserve, our priority is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). How to keep customers, how to make them like us and how to create loyalty and make then repurchase. Consumer satisfaction is key so I see CRM as our number one priority.
What are your hobbies?
I don’t collect stamps! As a business owner, I don’t have much leisure time so what I count as my hobby is to spend time with my family. I like watching movies, listening to music, traveling with friends. I like traveling. I try to make some time to travel in Thailand twice a year and other countries once a year. I also meditate and make merit almost every day.
What makes you happy?
Three things that make me happy are my family – they stay with me through my ups and downs. They make me understand what life is and how to live happily. Secondly is my job. I’m a workaholic. To be able to do what I love and work among loving people, I think is long term happiness. And last is my lifestyle. I may seem a busy person but actually I seek time to be with myself and to let it go’.. how to live my life.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration is close to me – my dad. My dad has been my inspiration since I was young. He’s a manager and has many people to take care of and sees the benefits of students as the most important. He is compromising and focusing more on the outcome. I follow this and adapt it with my work. Second would be Khun Kanok Sattayapan, Construction and Development Manager of LH Muang Mai. He is good-hearted, kind, and full of positive thinking who always has suggestions on the thinking process
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Amp.
Lifestyle - Property Guide Our Property Guide recommends the best and trendy properties available in Phuket at the moment. We have two properties from one of Phuket’s top developers to share with you; Utopia Karon and Utopia Central.
Utopia Karon Winding coastlines, so�t beaches, gentle waves and t�opical b�eezes
S
etting in an ideal location 800m from Karon Beach, a freehold ocean view apartment / 33.6sqm / 68.87sqm with great deal for selective rental agreement
1-20 years with fixed annual income of up to 8% 5-year repurchase with original price option Fully decorated, complimentary home appliances and balcony view, Jacuzzi No maintenance or utilities charge during the course of the rental period 40 nights of free stay per year (at any Utopia Project.) Image Copyright Utopia Karon
Developer : Utopia BQ Karon Co., Ltd.
Details
Location:
- Rooms and Villas: 238 units
Patak Soi 14, Karon Phuket
- Land plot area: 7 Rai - Nearby amenities: Beach, Makro, restaurants and bars
Facilities - Furniture - Swimming pool: shared - Parking area: shared - Ownership: leasehold - Rental program: yes - Utopia island free tour bus service Image Copyright Utopia Karon
Image Copyright Utopia Karon
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Image Copyright Utopia Karon
Contact Information: Tel +66 (0) 80 886 9660 Email: info@ipa.black http://www.ipa.black
Lifestyle
- Property Guide
Utopia Central 10 years, Fixed annual income 8%
T
he UTC project is close to urban-grade facilities such as the Prince of Songkla University, Country Club golf course, Makro supermarket, Phuket International Hospital, Big C supermarket, King Power luxury shopping mall, Central Phuket shopping mall, and Phuket sightseeing railway. The project offer 10 years, fixed annual income 8% and 10 nights of free stay per year at any Utopia Project.
Details
Image Copyright Utopia Central
- Rooms and Villas: 410 units
Developer: Utopia Central Co., Ltd.
Location: Vichit Songkram Rd, Kathu Phuket
Image Copyright Utopia Central
- Land plot area: 4 Rai - Nearby amenities: School, Hospital, Shopping Malls
Image Copyright Utopia Central
Facilities: - Usage area 24sqm/33sqm/48sqm/53sqm - Hotel management Image Copyright Utopia Central
Image Copyright Utopia Central
- Standard in-house companion system - Gym - Children’s playground - Restaurants - Infinity glass swimming pool - Utopia island free tour bus service
Contact information: Tel +66 (0) 80 886 9660 Email: info@ipa.black http://www.ipa.black
Image Copyright Utopia Central
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Lifestyle - Shopping
Pati Pati Shop Patiya Koaysomboon has turned her passion into business. She’s the founder of the newly opened and one of the hottest jewelry shops in Phuket ‘Pati Pati Shop’. With her vision and special attitude towards jewelry, Phuketindex invites you to get to know her. Perhaps you’ll discover a new approach in this area.
Please tell us about the Pati Pati Shop
Pati Pati is a brand that collects women’s jewelry with a focus on CZ diamonds, white gold, black rodium, silver, and pearls. Our collections include earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets which have been designed to suit many lifestyles whether sweet, cool, or minimal. We aim at quality at aff ordable prices. Our items are range from 390 -1,500 baht depending on the material, fineness and design. We also guarantee high quality. If you have any problem with diamonds working loose or falling out, you’re welcome to bring them back to the shop and we’ll help fi x it. Pati Pati has direct contact with the South Korean manufacturers.
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Lifestyle
What inspired you to start your own business?
I believe that to start any business you have to have passion. I realized that I was very happy sticking around with these jewels all until I one day I found that I couldn’t live without them. And when we’re really into it, we add value to the product. It became my drive to pass on the value I saw in jewelry to other people as well. Anyway, what really kicked my dream start were my parents. I was born and raised here in Phuket and moved to Bangkok to study and work there but my parents were getting older and older so I decided to move back and start a business that allowed me to have more time taking care of them here in Phuket. I set up a goal for my life that I to be successful but ‘success’ in my own definition doesn’t necessarily mean to be rich or famous but to make my parents happy.
Why accessories?
I personally like to wear jewelry because I usually dress minimally, so I think to add some adornments will make simplicity more interesting and dignified as well as tasteful. When I met up with my friends and relatives, they always asked where I bought this ring, or where did I get that bracelet from, who made
- Shopping
my earrings and so forth. They would ask me to buy the same things for them or even asked me to become a distributor. Those people sparked my imagination about turning my passion into something good for other people. I think it helps those who don’t care much about dressing up to start having fun with it. This makes me very happy – to be part of the changes people make to improve their looks and confidence.
How about your beginnings? Did you have any strategies to find targets?
We started online. Our clients mainly came from two sources; the fi rst from online advertising and the other from regular customers and those who came to us through word of mouth. Our strategy was to find a brand target that we could advertise to reach every group of people at the beginning. We then observed and got feedback from those who chose to purchase from us and dug further into their lifestyles and demography. We then discussed and analyzed this information – if they matched the brand target
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Lifestyle - Shopping
Pati Pati is a brand that collects women’s jewelry with a focus on CZ diamonds, white gold, black rodium, silver, and pearls.
very first, planning, the brand message, TV advertising, including media planning and advertising plans. My past jobs have given me the chance to talk about strategies with my team and clients. We had a chance to do presentations and exchange ideas with many people, most of them executive teams and successful business owners in Bangkok. It was a great time and I learned about vision and attitude from experienced and successful persons and that helped make my background in business solid. The skills I want to learn more about are jewelry design and manufacturing, new techniques and the technology used in the making of it. I believe that in doing business you need to be able to get familiar with every step involved and know how to do it.
Pati Pati signature collection. It will be our own design under the ‘Pati Pati’ name and all are hand-made to ensure the quality and unique design of this special collection. The second is to introduce the signature collection to overseas markets. We now have some contacts with whom we’ve started to discuss. At Pati Pati we design while bearing in mind the value of the produce. We see these jewelry pieces as having a special value but not in terms of the price or the materials involved but about how to make women who wear them to feel special or to boost their
What challenges you the most in this business? we set up or not. If not, whether we needed to change our target or adjust our brand image, this is what we had to work out in order to make the picture clear and to send out the right message to the right people.
When you started this business what skills did you possess and what skills are required to learn in the future?
I graduated with a degree in marketing and started working in marketingrelated fields, consumer goods, sales management and sales stock and shifted to advertising which allowed me to take care of clients from the
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For me it’s to keep the customers’ satisfaction optimal. Because I started doing this business with the aim of make them feel more confident, this is what guides us to continuously develop ourselves whether it’s the quality of materials involved or after-sales service.
What’s the most important factor that makes your business successful?
I think it’s the passion and the effort put into the best ways to develop our brand. We take care of every single detail in every process by ourselves as I believe customers’ satisfaction is at the heart of our brand. Pati Pati has now two directions: The first is to develop our brand. We now have a new partner who is a jewelry designer and who is working on our
confi dence. But this doesn’t mean these pieces have no value; if they’re not for you then perhaps they’re perfect for others. For anyone who is interested in our beautiful accessories, you are welcome to visit or contact us at: IG : @pati.pati.shop FB : Pati Pati Shop Store : FYS Multi-Brand Store at 2nd Floor Limelight Avenue Phuket Contact LINE ID : @patipati Tel : 064-623-5451
Dream Wedding Destination And their wedding dreams came true…
The Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach recently hosted “Dream Wedding” ceremonies for two couples, and one engagement ceremony for lucky couples who won the resort’s recent Facebook contest. The winning couples proudly exchanged their rings and vows, accompanied by their families and friends on the evening of September 24th, 2017. Starting with the weddings of Suwimon & Eam and Been & Newz, and followed by the engagement of Waew & Sven, this beautiful occasion marked the very first time the resort had arranged three wedding events in the same evening. Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach was recently named as “Thailand’s Best Wedding Venue” and “Asia’s Best Wedding Venue” at the Asia Property Awards 2017-2018. These awards are testament to the quality of weddings offered by the resort, as well as the property’s exquisite design and the consistently high standards achieved since the resort opened last year.
PHUKET MARRIOTT RESORT AND SPA, NAI YANG BEACH 92 92/1, Moo 3, Tambol Sakoo, Amphur Thalang, Nai Yang Beach, Phuket 83110, Thailand T: +66 (0) 76 625 555 F: +66 (0) 76 627 777 E: booknaiyangbeach@marriott.com www.phuketmarriottnaiyang.com
Travel - Restaurant Guide
Alessandro Frau
Acqua Restaurant
Following a black-and-white theme that gifts the restaurant clean lines and a good sense of proportion, Acqua’s design fully complements an all-round satisfying dining experience. The restaurant has imaginative lighting, nowhere more so than at the bar. Trendy without being gratuitously chic, cutting edge without going over the top and spacious without being cavernous, Acqua’s décor balance practicality and aesthetics in a fine dining environment in Phuket.
Chef and Owner
Acqua Restaurant is the first of a series of restaurants designed by Alessandro Frau, as Alessandro dedication for culinary doesn’t stop to cooking but also to project and design restaurants and concepts. Chef Alessandro Frau was the Winner of Iron Chef Thailand on November 2013. Find more about Alessandro by visit www.fraualessandro.com In 2013 Acqua Restaurant was appointed as one of the Best Italian Restaurant in Phuket and Thailand from Ospitalita’ Italiana in the World.
Guide Cuisine: Italian Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: every day from 16:00 – 23:00 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit cards: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 618 127 E-mail : reservations@acquarestaurant.com GPS/DD: 7.916537, 98.290996
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Recommended Dishes 45-minute slow cooked egg on a Parmesan cheese fondue, fresh black truffle and crispy pancetta powder
Sous-vide cooked octopus salad, marinated in extra virgin olive oil, lemon and vinegar, fennel leaves, celery and taggiasche olives DOP
Pan-fried USA scallops with duck liver, chili jam and truffle pumpkin sauce
Trenette pasta with Alaskan king crab in its own jus with sliced Sardinian tuna bottarga
Wood-fired roasted suckling pig, saffron and violette potatoes, broad beans in its own sauce
Â
Where Italian dining experience meet art and passion
324/15 Prabaramee Road – Kalim Bay - Patong - Phuket Tel 076 618127 email: reservations@acquarestaurantphuket.com www.acquarestaurantphuket.com
Travel - Restaurant Guide
Korn Chumthong Director of operation
Sway With Me Garden Restaurant & Bar
Caesar salmon salad with parmesan cheese
Sway With Me Garden Restaurant & Bar is a wonderful place for a culinary evening out in Patong. The restaurant serves contemporary western and classic Thai dishes along with modern drinks.
Tuna salad with pomelo
It’s a great venue for seafood buet theme nights every Wednesday and Saturday, at only 699 baht per person.
Lobster bisque soup
Guide Cuisine: Seafood & Modern Drink Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: 18.30 - 22.30 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit cards: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 363 333 E-mail : info@sleepwithmehotel.com GPS/DD: 7.891068, 98.297887
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Recommended Dishes
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Steamed vegetables with prawns and butter
Vegetable lasagna
Seafood BBQ
Travel - Restaurant Guide
Savoey Seafood Supit Jararith Asst. Manager
Open since 1980, Savoey Seafood is considered one of the landmarks of Patong Beach. This popular and bustling restaurant not only has a wide array of fresh seafood but also offers competitive prices.
Baked lobster with butter and garlic sauce
Savoey Seafood is a large, open-plan restaurant with a seating capacity of 400 plus, but you would never know. Despite its size, with 50 staff members the service is excellent, polite and considerate.
Tom yum koong
Savoey Seafood is very popular and getting there early is recommended. It would be a real shame if you missed the opportunity to dine at this first-class seafood restaurant during your stay on Phuket.
Stir-fried crab with spring onions, ginger and garlic
Guide Experience: Seafood and Thai cuisine Reservation: Recommended Dress Code: Smart-casual Open: 10:30 – 24:30 Mobile phones allowed: Yes Car parking: Yes Credit card: Accepted Tel: +66 (0) 76 341 171 – 4 E-mail: info@savoeyseafood.com GPS/DD: 7.894471, 98.295719
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Recommended Dishes
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Stir-fried crab with curry powder
Steamed fish with lime juice and chili sauce Deep-fried fish with sweet chili sauce Stir-fried mussels or clams with roasted chili paste sauce Oven-barbecued fish Stir-fried mixed vegetables in oyster sauce
Travel - Chef Talk
An interview with
Udomsak Boonsopone (Chef Dom)
F&B Director and Executive Chef, Thanyapura Health & Sports Hotel Thanyapura Phuket is well known among professional athletes who stay there, coming from all over the world to prepare themselves for competitions. The name is also reputable among locals too, due to running, cycling and triathlon events it regularly organizes to promote and support the community’s healthy lifestyle. Other than sports, Thanyapura also elevates people’s health through healthy eating and mind training. In other words, Thanyapura cares for peoples’ wellrounded health from the inside out. Phuketindex had the chance to interview Thanyapura’s F&B Director and Executive Chef, Udomsak Boonsopone or ‘Chef Dom’. We asked what inspired him to follow a cooking career and he explained that his mom pushed him towards this path. “What inspired me to be a chef? It began when I was a kid living with my mom in my hometown. I had a chance to help her out most of the times she cooked. I was asked to pick kaffir lime leaves, and cut lemongrass for my mom. I used to wonder why but after I was on this path I realized it helped make me familiar with herbs and other ingredients.”
About his working experience
“I’ve been on this path for over 30 years now. During this time, I’ve worked for many hotels both in Thailand and abroad. I started working at Thanyapura about three years ago and it’s a big challenge for my cooking style to be healthier.”
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Your challenge
“Thanyapura has a clear vision about ‘Organic Healthy Wellness’ and this was a big challenge for me. It changed my thought and challenged me to study more. Working for Thanyapura satisfi es me in a way that it makes me more concerned more about our guests’ health not just to make them happy with the food like in the past. It requires more work. I need to dig in or know more about each ingredient’s nutritional value and health benefits. It’s hard but we consider ‘fresh is best’ and to be chemical free is important.”
What are you doing now at Thanyapura?
“At Thanyapura, we serve healthy foods for those who are concern about their health. Since each ingredient has different health benefits whether it is to help weight loss or body detoxification, this encourages us to diversify. And because my background involved farming, I decided to begin
organic farming myself. I also pass my knowledge about food and organic farming I learned to other farmers. Less chemicals or chemical-free farming only has health benefit for consumers and is good for farmers themselves. Thanyapura and I have worked together to make this happen for real.”
Healthy food at Thanyapura
“It’s not just clean food that we serve here. We also offer over 20 dishes that follow an alkaline diet which means a proper pH balance. Our choices include ‘brain foods’ which have been served here for more than one and a half years now. We try to create new menus all the time so that our guests won’t get bored. Since I’ve been here, almost 300 dishes have been created with a ‘food is medicine’ concept. If you come to Thanyapura, you will definitely get healthy food.”
Travel - Chef Talk
We serve
healthy
food
for those who are
concern about their
health.
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Travel - Chef Talk
Mango Avocado
allowed to create your own menu. For cooking classes, we have two standard menus available for those who are interested to learn, whether it is Thai dishes or healthy food. You can also change the menu from what we’ve arranged. Just ask.”
Plan for 2018
“In 2018, we plan to raise the level up and to enter the catering service industry. With our ‘Healthy Food Truck’, we are looking forward to touring our cooking classes and romantic dinners or family parties at your own place or at any location you prefer. We will help you arrange everything and you don’t need to worry about a thing.”
Special Manu ‘Mango Avocado’
“Our special menu for today is called ‘Mango Avocado’ which is a signature dish as it has received a lot of good feedback from our guests; sport complex members, parents from UWCT’s school and athletes from around the world. The athletes demand food which gives them high energy, is easy to digest and with a good taste and then they always come back for more.”
Dining outlets at Thanyapura
“Our main restaurant is called Divine. It’s an all-day dining place serving 80 percent healthy food and 20 percent ‘normal’ dishes with both Thai and international cuisine. The menu has something for everyone and it’s open from 06.30-21.30 daily. Booster Deli & Café is under a ‘grab & go’ concept. If you are in a weight loss course or a detoxification process, you’re welcome to grab from what we prepare according to the correct guidelines from specialists and take the food home. Thanyapura also has food services to support seminars, meetings, conferences or parties and you are
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A message to readers
“I understand that you may have limited time or resources. But if you reconsider how much you have to spend to keep yourself healthy, compare to only 10 minutes, 30 minutes or maybe an hour to take care of your own health by cooking yourself. If you are not ready to cook yourself, at Thanyapura we have choices of healthy foods that can be used as a ‘medicine’. We would like you all to be aware of a healthy lifestyle. Eating at Thanyapura is not expensive when compared to junk food; you might not see any harm today but eating junk food will have effects on you in the in long term. I would like to encourage everyone to start looking after your health from now on with the concept of ‘mom’s cooking’. It’s the idea of eating mom’s food; when we were young we required no complicated techniques and we had clean and chemical-free ingredients. I also would like to pass this message on to farmers about chemical usage. Please consider organic farming as it has many benefits. As we know that the market price for organic food in the market is relatively good. Less chemical use is also good for both farmers’ and consumers’ health and it is good for the environment that means it’s better for our descendants in the future.
Travel - Signature Dish
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Travel - Phuket Museum
CHILDREN’S EDUCATIONAL PLACES & PHUKET MUSEUMS
Every day is a learning day in Phuket!
How good it is learn, explore and discover all at the same time. Phuketindex.com Magazine shares with you the five best places on the island for you and your kids to learn some cool facts and have lots of fun at the same time.
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Travel - Phuket Museum
PHUKET AQUARIUM A kids-friendly place, everyone loves Phuket Aquarium. Take a journey through a variety of ďŹ shy habitats including mountains, streams, mangroves, captivating coral reefs and even down to the deep sea depths!
Contact information: 51 Sakdidet Rd., Mueang, Phuket 83000 Tel: +66 (0) 76 391 126 E-mail: phuket.aquarium@gmail.com www.phuketaquarium.org
Open daily 8.30 – 16.30 (Last ticket purchase 16.00)
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Travel - Phuket Museum
PERANAKAN PHUKET MUSEUM Discover the history of Phuket Old Town and learn about Phuket’s traditional lifestyle, architecture, art and culture. Take an experience and find the real Phuket here “Because Phuket is not only its beaches.”
Contact information: 124/1 M.1, Thalang, Phuket 83110 Tel: +66 (0) 76 313 556 E-mail: info@peranakanphuketmuseum.com www.peranakanphuketmuseum.com
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Open daily 9.00 - 18.00
Travel - Phuket Museum
PHUKET THAI HUA MUSEUM It took about 20 months with a budget of more than 10,000,000 baht to modify this 80-year old downtown architectural treasure into the modern-day museum that it is nowadays. A real Sino-Portuguese jewel.
Contact information: 28 Krabi Rd., Muang, Phuket 83000 Tel: +66 (0) 76 211 224 E-mail: phuketthaihuamuseum@gmail.com www.thaihuamuseum.com
Open daily 9.00 - 17.00
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Travel - Phuket Museum
PHUKET MINING MUSEUM Phuket Mining Museum is a great place to learn about Phuket’s tin-mining era through its colourful and explicit exhibits. Located in bucolic tranquility.
Contact information: Kathu-Nakoh Rd., Kathu, Phuket 83120 Tel: +66 (0) 76 321 500
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Open daily 8.30 – 16.30
Travel - Phuket Museum
PHUKET SEASHELL MUSEUM Observe over 2,500 species of shells and fossils from all over the world in this popular museum. The highlights are the impressive collection of sought-after shells found in Thai waters and the world’s largest 140-carat gold-coloured pearl.
Contact information: 12/2 M.2, Viset Rd., Rawai, Phuket 83130 Tel: +66 (0) 76 613 777
Open daily 8.00 - 19.30
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Travel - GM Talk
Image Copyright Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
Image Copyright Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
An interview with
Gordon Aeria General Manager of Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
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huketindex.com sat down with Gordon Aeria, the General Manager of Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. The resort celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and GM Gordon also has had a long history in the hotel industry, making this a match made in heaven. GM Gordon is originally from Singapore but now has permanent residence status in Australia. He’s been at Dusit Thani for about eight months now and it’s his third time living and working in Phuket in almost 30 years.
What motivated you to go into the hotel industry?
My mother started working in the hotel industry at a very young age and I can remember myself when I was 14-15 years old going to the hotel regularly. That got me excited about working in a wonderful hotel, to see how things work, to learn how nice it is to meet with different people from different walks of life and to learn about the integrity of hotel operations.
Travel - GM Talk
What attracted you to work in other countries?
From a very young age I’ve always wanted to travel and the most beautiful part of travelling is to meet different people, to experience different cultures, to make new discoveries. I lived and worked in several countries in the Asia Pacific region and I’m very fortunate to have friends from most parts of the world. So it’s something I never grow tired of and it’s a joy to meet new people and to learn something new every day.
Did you work on your degree while working in hotel industry?
My background is actually in the military. I was there for eight years and after that I came back to work in the hospitality industry. I worked my way up from the bottom to get to where I am. Along the way I took many courses. I attended Cornell University in New York, and attended many post-graduate courses. And through the years I kept myself braced with the latest hospitality trends, technologies, commercial views on hospitality and overall I’m continuing to learn because there’s still so much more to learn about in this industry.
It is not an easy job you are doing, how you keep yourself motivated?
I always believe that if you love what you do then motivation comes naturally. I’m very fortunate to be in something I truly love and am very passionate about.
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Travel - GM Talk At work, what puts a smile on your face?
When I hear what my guests say about my staff and when they are touched by any gesture that my staff members do for them. That makes my day! It brings a smile to my face and that is something I continuously enjoy, no matter how difficult my day has been.
“
Skills can be taught but attitude comes from the heart.
”
What are the most challenging issues you are facing in your current job?
This job requires you to be forever active, to be always anticipating, to always be prepared for the unexpected, so challenges are nothing new. You go through your day-to-day operations, your day-to-day responsibilities and tasks but you must always be psychologically prepared for the unexpected. And after doing this for more than 25 years, you tend not to be surprised by whatever happens. So I’m pretty well comfortable and well prepared for each day.
Image Copyright Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
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Image Copyright Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket
What is the single best quality your employees can possess?
For me the single most important asset that I look for in them is attitude. Skills can be taught but attitude comes from the heart. And as long as they have the right attitude and they are very positive then it makes my day. It makes me excited to work with them and I learn from them as much as they are supposed to learn from me.
What advice you would you offer to those who want to become successful in the hotel industry? If you want to work in this industry, you must love what you do. You must not treat it as a job but rather treat it as a career. You must be prepared to put in the hours. It’s a very time-consuming job but if you love what you do and you love meeting people and fi nding out new discoveries then continue in this industry. This is also an industry or career that you can develop and the sky is the limit. If you work hard, you will get your fair rewards.
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