A company founded with a determination to help farmers and create organic food products shares its commitment to the community and how it is developing the business.
In 2000, Pakinee Jiwattanapaiboon had a vision to produce organic food that is tasty and healthy while following the sufficiency economy model. Thus, Xongdur brand was established after Jiwattanapaiboon convinced farmers in Suphanburi province to grow wholegrain cereals such as soy beans, mung beans, lotus seeds and white and black sesame seeds in addition to brown rice that is locally grown in the area.
“We didn’t start from the money standpoint,” says Jiwattanapaiboon, “We wanted to develop know-how in processing organic products.”
Using local knowledge with modern technology, Xongdur produces organic food products ranging from cereal bars, cereal drinks and even baby food called Xongdur Baby, which is a mixture of GABA rice and banana, pumpkin and spinach.
“Most of our products are made from organic ingredients, not utilising any fertilisers, so they have very little effect on the environment,” says Jiwattanapaiboon about the company’s environmental management system. “We use the process of drum drying to make the snack bars and we use the water that we clean the ingredients like rice and sesame to ferment as fertilizers on our farms.”
Xongdur products have been certified with international standards such as IFOAM, Organic EU, USDA and Organic Canada. The company also received the PM Award in 2009 and the Thailand Trust Mark in 2014 to certify its high standards and commitment to the environment and society.
“We have learning centres for locals to teach them to live with nature. We support local farmers by buying the produce directly from them at reasonable prices and we don’t use middlemen,” says Jiwattanapaiboon, adding that from the start, her team has been teaching farmers to grow crops organically and they have also established an organic farmers’ network.
Not only does the company lift farmers’ standards of living through fair trade, it is deeply involved in the community. “It’s important to develop the knowledge of people,” says Jiwattanapaiboon, “We have programmes to teach children to read, and summer camp projects.”
On the business side, Xongdur is now widely sold in leading supermarkets in Thailand and also abroad in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Laos and Indonesia.
“When people think of a safe, organic and tasty brand people think of us,” she says. “Even big supermarkets like Tops would give us priority. I think it’s because we follow the health trend.”
“The brand is very Thai. It’s a cereal that is different from other brands and tastes different from similar products from other countries. We’re proud to be different and we want to continue to grow the business sustainably.”
For more information, visit www.xongdur.com
Words by Sirinuch Borsub
Issue 37
Thailand has a global reputation as a wellness destination, as well as possessing some of the world’s foremost spas.
As one of the world’s top spa destinations, Thailand offers more than just the renowned traditional Thai massage. It boasts many world-class spas, such as Rarinjinda Wellness Spa, which has recently been chosen as the first runner-up Thai Spa Brand at the Best of Thailand Awards voted by Chinese Tourists Award Ceremony 2015.
“The first Rarinjinda Wellness Spa & Resort was opened in Chiang Mai in 2006 with the concept of being a destination spa with luxurious facilities. Two other Rarinjinda spas are located in Bangkok,” says Narun Wiwattanakrai, assistant managing director of Siam Wellness Group.
“Rarinjinda Spa prides itself in being a Thai spa that boasts the latest spa technology and facilities to the highest international standards, while also offering exceptional services to our guests,” he adds. “For example, our signature treatment is Element of Life, which features the combination of massage, a bed of warm sand imported from Germany, and Tibetan sound therapy. All services are provided by well-trained and skilled Thai therapists.”
The spa treatments at Rarinjinda are a blend of Thai, healing, traditional and modern western spa therapies.
“We offer many carefully selected spa treatments to meet the needs of individual clients,” says Wiwattanakrai. “Thanks to the availability of abundant natural resources in the country, the products [essential oils and herbs] used at the spa are 95% locally produced and the clients absolutely love them.”
“What’s so unique about Thai spa is the touch of Thainess, whether it is the decoration, the etiquette, the friendliness or the hospitality. All of these are factors that make Thai spas so famous.”
According to Wiwattanakrai, customer trends have changed recently and even though the majority of clients are foreigners, he is seeing an increase in local clients.
“Regardless of their income, people still love to pamper themselves from time to time,” he says. “Our main customers are foreigners [80%], but Rarinjinda is an affordable-luxury spa, which means we can cater to a larger group of customers, including local clients.
“Our plan for this and next year is to attract more local clients by creating brand awareness through a promotional strategy. In addition, we are also planning to open another Rarinjinda Spa in Phuket as it is one of the main tourist destinations.”
Wiwattanakrai also believes the formation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) this year will provide both opportunities and challenges for Thai small and medium-sized enterprises.
“We will be able to expand the customer base from 60 to 600 million people,” he says. “ASEAN clients are becoming trendier and are likely to spend more to satisfy their needs, which is good for business operators. Thailand, as a spa capital of Asia can definitely benefit from this.”
For more information, visit www.rarinjinda.com
Words by: Manisa Phromsiripranee, Photos courtesy of Rarinjinda Wellness Spa
Issue 36
Embark on a journey of senses through the natural elements of water, air, earth and fire at the luxurious Barai spa in Hua Hin.
Long stretches of pristine white beach have been welcoming tourists to Hua Hin since the 1930s, after the Thai railway connected the coastal town to the capital. Today, hotels and resorts in Hua Hin have reached new heights with their world-class services to offer guests memorable experiences.
“The Barai spa is a journey of wellness, every single area has been carefully crafted by Lek Bunnag so guests leave the old world and enter a new world,” says Sammy Carolus, general manager of Hyatt Regency Hua Hin where the Barai Spa is housed.
Issue 35
The youth are the hope of tomorrow. This saying applies as much to traditional areas, such as rice production, as to high tech industries. Horizon Thailand talks to one young woman prepared to take up the challenge.
Though traditionally an agricultural country, in recent years Thailand has seen a trend towards heavy industry and services. Fearing a move away from the country’s traditional values a new generation of Thais have returned to traditional ways, while giving it a fresh twist.
Hug Organic is a prime example of the new generation of rice producers. The current owners have inherited the folk wisdom and raw materials from former generations to develop new products.
“Rice is not only for eating, rice is much more than that,” says Pamornrat Panrattanapong, the assistant managing director of Hug Organic.
According to Panrattanapong, Hug Organic’s most popular products are Hom-nin rice moisturizing body lotion, Hom-nin rice moisturizing shower gel and rice milk cream scrub. The company’s products are completely natural, soothing, non-allergenic, aromatic and contain many beneficial vitamins and nutrients, she adds.
“Customers love our products made from Thai rice in terms of quality, high nutrition and uniqueness (good taste and great smell),” she says.
Recently, Hug Organic has started exporting its products to Vietnam, and is attracting interest from Laos and Japan.
It is not just the range of rice products that are new, Panrattanapong has discovered that new media, especially social media, is effective for carrying out market research and promoting the company’s goods.
“Before launching products, we search the information about the target market,” she says. “We do online business via website, email, Line, Facebook and Instagram. These channels open our door of opportunity much faster and wider than former business ways.”
Panrattanapong believes it is the responsibility of young Thais to promote the quality of the country’s rice around the world.
“I don’t think that rice production is out-of-date work as rice is the most valuable treasure of Thailand,” she says. “We, the young generation should maintain it and add value to what we already have and continue bringing Thai rice and Thai rice products to the world market.”
For more information, please visit http://www.hugorganic.com
Words by: Patcharee Taedangpetch, Photo courtesy of Hug Organic
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