subject: Farang Doing Business In Thailand [print this page] "I arrived in Krabi in January 2000"I arrived in Krabi in January 2000. Previously, I had only visited Thailand on a 10 day trip to Bangkok and Phuket. My preference at the time was for Vietnam, where I had plans to start a villa operation (Ton has a business school and service industry background, working for 12 years in The Peninsula Beverley Hills, a luxury hotel in Los Angeles), but after a month there I decided to explore other areas in the region.
"At the time Krabi was definitely not ready for such a business "" I remember how my friends laughed at me when I told them I wanted to buy a pineapple field on a dirt road 3km from the beach - but I saw the potential and believed development would eventually come. So I bought the land and settled down, first opening a restaurant, Caf 154, which allowed me to meet people and become integrated into the local community.
"In 2002, I built Baan Oriental on that pineapple field: the first pool villa to be built in Krabi that was specifically for the rental market, not to be lived in. It proved to be very popular and we started getting guests asking if we could design and build similar properties for their own use.
"Following the experience I had building Baan Oriental "" which was in fact extremely difficult and, at times, exhausting and stressful, due to the lack of skilled workers in Krabi "" I decided to bring in outside staff to form a small team comprising of an architect and a draughtsman, as well as establish contacts with construction companies. The plan was to create a one-stop service to design, build and manage luxury homes. From the first project we handled, it became apparent that outsourcing key areas such as structural design was not ideal, so we added to the team an in-house engineer and two foremen, one of whom is a concrete specialist.
"As the business has grown, we have added more architects, engineers and project managers to the core team, as well as expanded our associates to include skilled electricians, plumbers and tilers (to name just a few). We have worked with them so often they know exactly the standards we expect, as well as the way we like things done. I feel we can now take on any project, big or small, as we have the team in place to handle it.
"We now have more than 50 completed projects under our belts, and many more designs and blueprints ready for execution. We have also continued with the holiday villa management and have a dedicated team to oversee our expanding portfolio of properties. All of our clients thus also have the option of renting out their home with us.
My management experience is solid: I have created - and still lead - a thriving team of 20+ people, all of whom are specialists in their fields, and invested in the best equipment, tools and software to allow them to work to their full potential. I also have a sound knowledge of the luxury travel market and the needs of this type of client and I believe this range of coordinated expertise under one roof is unparalleled in Krabi.
"In the future, as this segment of the market is still showing strong growth, I can see us doing more of the same type of work. Krabi is the perfect place for private holiday villas. They offer the combination of private outdoor living and personal service that allows you to take advantage of the area to the fullest.
"Of course, I would like to do some bigger projects in the coming years, as well as start using new technologies (or at least new to Thailand), such as solar panels, to create more environmentally-friendly buildings, but in the end our vision is to create original, interesting and well-built homes, regardless of their size. We will continue to develop our business by investing in people as it is they who have the creativity and practicality to make this happen."
Ton Company Ltd., with ten years of experience, is a leading manager and developer of exclusive holiday pool villas in Krabi, Thailand.
