Resort family sees Khanom as the next big travel thing
The Khanom area of Nakhon Si Thammarat is going to be the country's next luxury travel destination, according to developers of the new Racha Kiri Resort and Spa at Khanom.
The Payuhanaveechai family built the high-end 33-room resort on 11 rai at an initial cost of Bt250 million. Its beach-front location has views of Koh Samui, in neighbouring Surat Thani. The family awarded the management contract to SD&V Oriental, which manages more than a dozen four- and five-star hotels throughout the country. Racha Kiri was officially opened on Saturday. Managing director Chanchai Payuhanaveechai said Khanom was a new travel destination with the views of sea and mountains favoured by overseas travellers, "particularly those from Scandinavia". The hotel is targeting visitors from northern Europe. He noted many Europeans leased properties near the hotel and the location was starting to see resorts popping up here and there. Racha Kiri is its only high-end property. He said a survey found many foreign travellers continued to favour Thailand as a destination but were looking for new destinations outside of Samui and Phuket. That is why the family staked Bt250 million on the resort, formerly the "cottage-style" Diamond Cliff. It redesigned the property in a style popular during the early reign of King Rama V. The resort offers both villas and rooms in a three-level building. The resort is aiming to attract high-end domestic travellers, too. And it will market the destination in Asia, especially Taiwan. The potential for the area is good, Chanchai said, but would take time to become recognised. He hopes word of mouth among Europeans will spread that the location is close to Samui and other islands and offers snorkelling, fishing and golf, plus historic places and waterfalls. The company will spend Bt30 million on advertising in the first year. This will include participation in travel-trade exhibitions in Singapore and Germany. The resort has asked for cooperation from government agencies, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, in promoting the province. It has contracts with 40 international travel agents this year and next. Until October, rooms cost between Bt5,500 and Bt6,000 a night. After that prices go to between US$175 (Bt6,050) and $465. The property has an additional 5.5 rai it can develop into more accommodation. It will wait to see how business goes and if villas or rooms prove more popular.
Nitida Asawanipont The Nation NAKHON SI THAMMARAT
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