Published on May 05, 2005
Modern versions of the traditional Thai teak house are his stock in trade - but that’s just one iron in Komkrit Chantaravisoot’s roaring fire
Komkrit Chantara-visoot knows how to sell teak houses - the newly built variety. In just one year his firm, CVS Thai Modern Home, has sold 100 of them, to both Thais and foreigners.
“They like this kind of house both because teakwood is durable and because the designs blend smoothly into the uniqueness of Thai and modern-style architecture,” he says. Each house has a bedroom, bathroom, terrace and corridor of ample proportions - the site has to be at least 77 square metres for a start. They only take 15 days to build, and there’s a guarantee that costs won’t exceed the agreed price, which ranges from Bt400,000 to Bt1 million depending on the size. The firm also fashions teak into Thai-style pavilions, walls and decorations. Born into a family that’s been in the wood furniture trade for 30 years, Komkrit knows his lumber, and in fact has his products made by a furniture factory owned by his father’s CVS Technology Co Ltd. “I didn’t start from zero when it came to investment,” the 25-year-old says, citing his dad’s “strong support”. “But it was my idea to sell products that are different from what my father’s done.” If he’d stuck to just furniture, Komkrit admits, he’d have had a hard time competing with market leaders like SB, Index and Koncept. “It’s better to sell things that still don’t have a market. It’s easier to have our own, clear positioning that people can recognise easily.” Komkrit quit his post as SB Furniture’s export marketing representative to launch his own firm in January last year with a capital of Bt30 million. Soon after introduced his teak house design at the World Class Furniture show. “It was a good opportunity. People were immediately interested in what we were doing,” he says, adding that his teak pavilions in particular drew a lot of attention. A hard-working businessman, Komkrit is forever touting his wares at Bangkok exhibitions, including the Thailand International Furniture Fair both last year and in March this year and Architect ’05 - on now through Sunday at Impact Arena. In each case a full-sized teak house is on display. The buyers are mainly people close to retirement age with cash in the bank - local businessmen as well as Europeans who love the traditional Thai-style houses. Komkrit builds them second homes in more relaxing settings like Saraburi and Khao Yai. He’s planning to extend his target market soon to include married couples, offering them monthly payment instalments. “I’d like my clients to hang on to their teak houses,” he says. “One day, if there’s no longer any teakwood, their houses will become rare.” CVS imports huge, 100-year-old teak boards from Burma and Indonesia. Komkrit says he’s not the “perfect” businessman because he’s soft-hearted, often offering discounts. “But anyway, doing business teaches me how to negotiate. “Ever since Day 1, I’ve been learning more about how to deal with people and read them.” With a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mahidol University International College, and having attended high school in New Zealand and Australia, he’s preparing to open a resort, called Santhiya, on Koh Pha Ngan at the end of this year. His parents run the island’s Panviman Resort. “All the things I do are things I love, and I never stop thinking about them,” he says of his multi-faceted business. It’s become routine for young people to establish their own business, he notes. “If I don’t start now, when I can start? I can’t just wait for the chance to come along!” Tanita Saenkhum The Nation
Post your comment to this story here