Issue 47

In recent years Thailand has established itself as a global leader in health and wellness, TRIA is at the forefront of this movement.
Kusalin Lunjakornkul believes that everyone should take their health seriously.

“You service your car every three months or a year but your body is worth more than a car,” says the general manager of wellness centre TRIA in Bangkok. “You need to check your body and know what is going to happen and protect it before it happens.”

Lunjakornkul joined TRIA three years ago. Initially she admits it was a challenge. The place was run down and neglected. So, she focused on renovating the building from the bottom up and adding lifestyle facilities such as the outdoor restaurant, as well as introducing colour therapy in the spa area.

“When I first came here it was more like a meditation centre, so we changed that image to make it more modern and suit the lifestyle of the younger generation,” she says. “They don’t want the atmosphere of a hospital. Now, you can feel it’s like a resort or a spa, so they feel more relaxed.”
Her approach has proved successful. Over the last couple of years TRIA has received several accolades including Amazing Day and Medical Spa at the Thailand Spa and Wellness Award in 2015, Day Spa of the Year at the ASIA Spa Awards 2015 and a PM Award in 2014. “We are doing the right thing,” Lunjakornkul says, “but we want to make it better.”

Part of this improvement lies in educating Thai people about the holistic approach to health and wellness that underpins Tria’s philosophy. “Thai people still don’t really understand the holistic concept,” Lunjakornkul says. In order to achieve this, she is organising a series of seminars and discussions between potential customers and doctors.

One of TRIA’s principles is that, ‘Wellness is what you do for yourself, everyday’. The first step is a consultation with one of the centre’s qualified staff, followed by a medical examination which checks for heavy metals and toxins. “At TRIA we assess the health of your cells and prescribe lifestyle change and modern holistic therapies to enhance the health of each of your cells,” states the company website.

The centre consists of a fitness centre and spa as well as beauty and medical centres. “We are a one-stop service unit for health and wellness,” says Lunjakornkul. “We have every service to do with health, wellness and beauty here.”

The approach is proving popular both within Thailand and overseas, particularly in Australia, China and the Middle East.
This year, Lunjakornkul is focusing more on specific products, such as plastic surgery and hair transplants, as TRIA aims to expand its market further into China and the Middle East. It is also looking to establish a overseas franchise, potentially in the Middle East.

Lunjakornkul believes Thailand has great potential for medical tourism and welcomes any support from the government and particularly the DITP in arranging business matching. She recently joined a trade mission organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Ultimately, Lunjakornkul believes the key to wellness is adjustment. People have to be prepared to make lifestyle changes although these should not be implemented in any overly strict manner. After all as she says, “being happy is wellness.”

For more information, visit: http://www.triawellness.com

Words by Mark Bibby Jackson, Photo courtesy of TRIA