Over the past 34 years, she has been the driving force behind this prime Pattaya property, culminating in its elevation in October to the Travel Trade Gazette Travel Hall of Fame as the World's Best Resort Hotel.

Only Singapore Airlines, Singapore's Changi Airport and Hertz Asia-Pacific have received this top honour in the travel industry. Over the past 17 years, Royal Cliff has won 11 awards from the Travel Trade Gazette as the Best Resort Hotel and the Best Exhibition and Convention Centre - enough for it to be elevated to the Hall of Fame.

Royal Cliff really does stand on a cliff in southern Pattaya, with a quiet beach of its own and a blue sea stretching out to Koh Lan and the deep ocean.

At first, a developer divided the resort's present site into separate land plots for sale. Panga, her elder brother and a brother-in-law visited the site and fell in love with it. They thought it could be developed into a resort hotel. People thought they were crazy, because the property was more like a jungle.

"But I thought otherwise. It was a beautiful site that could be developed into a resort hotel," said Panga.

Indeed, the oceanfront view from Royal Cliff is arguably the most beautiful anywhere in Pattaya.

Panga gradually transformed the plot to start a small resort on the cliff of Pattaya, then a small fishing village. Over the years, as Pattaya has come of age, so has Royal Cliff. Panga has bought further plots to increase the resort's area to about 100 rai.

Royal Cliff Terrace came into being in 1973 as a low-rise five-storey building. It was built into the cliff facing the sea. This was followed by the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, which was built in 1974 before being extensively renovated in 2001. Now it has 510 mini-suites and 17 larger suites.

The Royal Wing and Spa, opened in 1986 and renovated in 2001, specialises in personalised service as an all-suite property. Royal Cliff Grand, developed in 1992, is more of a modern version, with 249 executive rooms and other larger rooms and suites.

Pattaya has had its ups and downs. In the 1980s, Pattaya was battling against its sagging image of overcommercialisation. Visitors went elsewhere. People in the industry were struggling and crying out for help. The Tourism Authority of Thailand wanted to help by building an exhibition and convention centre. Then came the economic crash of 1997, which halted everything.

But Royal Cliff would continue to invest. "As we had been involved with Pattaya's travel and tourism industry all along, we were not afraid to invest further. If we could have an exhibition and convention centre, this would help to bring more people into Pattaya," said Panga.

The most recent property within the resort is the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (Peach), which opened in 1999.

Using bank loans, Panga pitched in Bt1 billion to build the Peach, Pattaya's only exhibition and convention hall. It now comes with three ballrooms and 21 meeting rooms. The facility can accommodate 5,800 persons.

"When Khun Korn (Dabaransi) came to preside over the opening ceremony for the Peach, he told me I was a daredevil for having the guts to invest in such a huge facility," Panga recalled with a light heart.

"We are not making money from the facility, but it has improved the image of and provided benefits to Pattaya as a whole. People can stay at our resort hotels, and the exhibition and convention centre is within walking distance."

"In business, we must look ahead, must invest and improve things all the time. Otherwise, we'll be standing still or left behind."

Altogether, Royal Cliff now has 1,000 rooms and 1,500 staff. It is hiring more than 30 expats of different nationalities who help to look after guests from their home countries.

Panga has been working hard all her life. But she enjoys every minute of it. She lives and works in Royal Cliff, and her office and meeting rooms are only a minute away.

She attributes Royal Cliff's success to good teamwork. She holds a meeting with her key staff every day at 9am to discuss every aspect of the hotel. Sometimes the meeting lasts several hours, but at times it can take only 10 or 15 minutes.

Now the second generation is gradually taking over the management. Panga has two children. Her older son now helps her to run the resort's sales and spa, while her younger son is still studying in the UK.

"I have told myself that since I still enjoy working, I will continue to do so. But when one day I realise that I no longer want to do it, I'll retire and let others run the show," she said.

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation

 Pattaya