Issue 42

The Thai tourism industry welcomes an innovative entertainment venue where traditional southern dance is enhanced with the latest lighting techniques.

Tourism is an ever-growing sector in Thailand. During the first 10 months of 2015, 24.3 million tourists visited the country, a 24.75% increase compared with the same period in 2014.

From the cool mountains in the north to the beaches in the south, Thailand has many natural and man-made attractions to lure domestic and international tourists alike. In the southern part of the country, Krabi province, known as the gateway to a myriad of beaches and islands, now welcomes PAKA Showpark, an attraction that is the first of its kind in Thailand.

Illumanorah, the entertainment complex’s highlight is a mix of illumination, using colourful LED lights and backlights, and the exquisite traditional southern dance called manorah.

“The Illumanorah performances at PAKA Showpark tell fantasy stories with songs and dances,” says Chatuphol Sittichai, vice chair of PAKA Showpark. “Performances are regularly rotated so visitors have a chance to experience different shows on their visits.”

The idea for building the entertainment complex stems in part from Sittichai’s family real estate business in northeastern Khonkaen province. “PAKA Showpark is a mix of event organiser and real estate businesses,” he says. “I wanted to attract tourists so I started looking for provinces where the number of tourists are high.”

Krabi is the province with the second-highest number of tourists in the south of Thailand, adds Sittichai, which makes it a prime location to build an innovative attraction that blends local culture with exciting technology.

The showpark’s name reflects its strong connection to the local area, with PAKA derived from Pakasai, the original name of the province. All performers are local, and the park’s restaurants are outlets of established eateries in Krabi itself.

Krabi is also booming thanks to direct flights from Scandinavia, China and Hong Kong to its airport. And neighbouring countries, especially Malaysia, are increasingly seeing the appeal of the island destination.

“I expect that visitors to the park will be equally from Scandinavia, China, Malaysia and Thailand,” says Sittichai. “More ASEAN countries are visiting Thailand for short weekend breaks as well.”

Sittichai is promoting the attraction through tour agents, as well as attending roadshows with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“I think you need to understand your strength and be innovative,” he says. “Being a leader may be hard, but following others is even more difficult. My long-term goal is to establish PAKA Showpark in other provinces to cater to more tourists.”

Sittichai also believes the outlook for Thailand’s tourism industry in 2016 is as bright as ever.

“Tourism in Thailand will continue to grow as the country has abundant resources, amazing food and great people,” he says.

For more information, visit www.pakashowpark.com

Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub