Issue 44

Combining natural Thai herbs with ingredients from France, Laily has developed a Thai beauty brand that has spread across ASEAN.

“Our Thai natural ingredients and products have their own unique qualities,” says Patthanan Hongpiticharoen, general manager of Laily.

Laily started in 2013 with the aim of creating high quality products made from natural Thai ingredients divided into three categories – facial care, body care and spa products.

“We use natural ingredients,” says Hongpiticharoen. “All of our products contain at least one Thai ingredient, such as turmeric, butterfly pea or kaffir lime, depending on their properties. They are useful for creating a harmony with inner balance.”

Hongpiticharoen is steeped in the traditions of Thai natural products.

“My mother is a pharmacist working in the field of Thai traditional medicine,” she says. “She’s keen on Thai herbs, natural ingredients with various medical properties. Our home business is also doing OEM manufacturing for the past 30 years. So the way I have created my brand started not far from my surroundings.”

Hongpiticharoen believes that it is the quality of the ingredients, packaging and price that makes Laily’s products appealing. “Most of our main customers are foreign tourists, such as Chinese, Western and also Japanese expats,” she says. “They love our quality products as well as the packaging. They said it’s good to be a gift from Thailand.”

Laily has a strong focus on research and development, as well being meticulous in its choice of materials. “We have selected what is the best fit for our products from both local sources in Thailand and foreign countries,” she says. “From Thailand, we use natural Thai herbs that possess a good quality of medical properties as well as a relaxing aroma. From France, we use natural ingredients certified for their spa standards.”

In addition to its shops in Thailand, Laily now has retail outlets in Cambodia, Malaysia and Taiwan, with plans for further expansion.

The entrepreneur believes that Thais should place a higher value on their own domestic brands. “I would like to encourage all Thai people not to judge quality by price alone,” she says. “Thai people should value our originality and endeavour. Some people regard a high brand as representing a higher quality. But actually, Thai products are good quality even at an affordable price.”

For more information, please visit www.lailybeauty.com

Words by Natthinee Ratanaprasidhi

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

Issue 43

With more demand for Halal food worldwide, Thai businesses are looking for ways to export Halal products to Muslim countries in ASEAN and the Middle East.

Thailand is the leading exporter of halal goods within Southeast Asia as well as the fifth-largest halal food exporter in the world. According to the Board of Investment (BOI), Thailand's Halal food exports were worth approximately US$275 million in 2014. However, as the global Halal market is estimated at US$976 billion, there is still much room for growth in the market.

The Halal Assembly was held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, from December 25 to 27 under the theme ‘Halal Culture and Innovation for the Halal Economy’. Some 200 booths exhibited international and domestic products targeted for the Islamic market.

Dr Winai Dahlan, founding director of the Halal Science Center, says that the event presented an opportunity for Thai Muslims to interact and network with the Muslim community around the world, while establishing more business contacts and increasing their professional skills and knowledge.

“The Thailand Halal Assembly is designed to showcase Thailand’s role in the rapidly-growing market for Halal products,” he said.

Thousands of Muslim tourists visit Thailand each year, according to Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “These numbers will grow further after the [establishment of the] AEC when we can expect to get more visitors from our neighbouring ASEAN countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. Hence, it is very important for Thailand to have the necessary products and services catering to the Muslim market.”

Business agrees with TAT’s governor.

Medical technician Intira Palee recently developed and launched a brand of individually-packaged honey – called The Queen Bee – which is being marketed in Middle Eastern countries, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, where it has received Halal certification.

“Honey is a food that complies with Halal certification,” says Palee. “Middle Eastern consumers like [our brand] because the benefits of honey is mentioned in the Quran and they like our taste and the premium look.”

As the honey is made from bees in Chiang Mai, the unheated, unpasteurised and unprocessed honey is 100% made in Thailand.

Palee believes that the Halal Assembly shows that Halal business offers a great potential for exports. “The Halal industry has grown greatly in Thailand and I think we can go far because the Halal certificate is recognised worldwide among Muslims,” she says. “As for my brand, in the near future we aim to look for possibilities to expand our market.”

Words by Pimsirinuch Borsub

Issue 41

Passionate about training Thai spa therapists to become the world’s best, Centara Hotels and Resorts’ Spa Cenvaree aims to create a memorable stay for guests through its spa treatments.

With over 14,000 spas in Thailand, competition to offer the most unique services is rising. Many spas aim for innovative treatments while others focus on training therapists to the highest standards.

Originally from Australia, Tara Hanrahan is currently the group director of Centara Hotels and Resorts’ spa operations, Spa Cenvaree.
“At first I started out as a therapist,” says Hanrahan, “I studied aromatherapy and massage then moved on to other styles of spa therapies.”
Hanrahan reveals that from her extensive experience working in the Maldives, China and India, the ultimate spa experience comes from training therapists to care for the wellbeing of guests from the heart. She also shares this philosophy with the staff at all branches of Spa Cenvaree.

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