PANPIMOL KRISHNAMRA MEETS FIVE MOVERS AND SHAKERS HELPING TO BUILD SOME OF THAILAND’S BEST BRANDS. PORTRAITS BY SAJJA AURA-EK

THE BOUTIQUE BUSINESSWOMAN

“On Bangkok Airways, every passenger is treated as a VIP,” says ML Nandhika Varavarn, the airline’s vice president of corporate communications. For the past nine years, the glamorous businesswoman has worked hard to help the regional airline build its reputation as “Asia’s Boutique Airline” offering “Exclusive Service to Exotic Gems”, which include the cultural sights of Luang Prabang and the golden beaches of Koh Samui.

The hard work is certainly paying off. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Bangkok Airways recently won the title of “Best Regional Airline – Asia” for the fourth year running at the 2007 Skytrax awards. But what does the airline’s boutique concept mean in reality?

“Service and hospitality are of utmost importance,” says ML Nandhika. “One of our unique boutique offerings is that we serve food and drinks on every single flight – even if it is only 30 minutes in the air.”

Everyone with a ticket onboard a Bangkok Airways flight also has access to its boutique lounges, a privilege other airlines usually reserve only for business class and above. Furthermore, Bangkok Airways air hostesses speak different languages (such as Japanese and Chinese) relevant to the route to ensure all passengers enjoy the same quality service.

Bangkok Airways boutique concept also extends beyond what the customer might see. “It’s boutique in every sense, even in terms of ownership,” explains ML Nandhika. “We’re a medium-size privately owned company which upholds the same standards as the major international airlines.”

Bangkok Airways fleet currently comprises 15 planes, with its largest holding 162 passengers, with plans to add an additional seven Airbus 319s by the end of 2009. All aircraft are brand new from the manufacturers and carefully maintained to international standards.

“Once we receive our next new Airbus 319 in March, we will be introducing our business class. This will be called ‘Blue Ribbon Class’, ” says ML Nandhika.

Bangkok Airways also manages the airports in Koh Samui, Sukhothai and Trat. The same boutique elements are evident in everything, particularly the local architecture and landscaping that blends the airport buildings into their surrounds.

For instance, Sukhothai Airport features traditional Thai architecture alongside a runway lined with verdant paddy fields, while the terminals at Koh Samui are resort-like buildings with Samui-style thatched roofs. ML Nandhika describes how the new terminals that recently opened will also boast a boutique airport hotel and Samui Park Avenue – an open-air shopping street filled with well-known Thai and international brands.

The airline’s VP clearly understands how to create a successful name and the importance of staying focused: “The brand must come from a product that remains strong. Every month, an audit team checks to ensure our services coincide with our boutique branding.”

Th anks to this combination of good marketing and sound business practices, Bangkok Airways has seen a growth of 25% each year – which is set to soar higher in 2008.

ML NANDHIKA ON BANGKOK:
“I love that you can find everything here. Not only does it have the best shopping, with the best brands and malls, the food is fantastic – from local bites to world cuisine. My favourite place in town, and where I like to spend time with my family, is the Emporium shopping complex (www.emporiumthailand.com) as it’s close to where I live. There are cinemas for watching movies and restaurants for dining out – everything I need.”

THE DESIGNER MALL MAKER

Kriengsak Tantiphipop is executive chief marketing officer of Siam Paragon Development and considered by many to be Thailand’s foremost marketing guru. His company runs the huge Siam Paragon (www.siamparagon.co.th), Bangkok’s premier mall and home to numerous designer boutiques like Hermes, Bottega Veneta, Audemars Piguet, Vertu, as well as Lamborghini and Ferrari showrooms.

Founded in 2005, Siam Paragon was set from the start to become a big brand, even when it was just a name: Siam is the country’s ancient moniker and a paragon is a very special cut of diamond. Its central location on Rama 1 Road in Pathuwan is also second to none.

“This project is meant to be a gift to Thailand,” explains Kriengsak, who had three clear objectives for the mall: to be a world-class shopping phenomenon; to be the jewel of Asian shopping, and to be the pride of Bangkok.

Siam Paragon is Kriengsak’s brainchild, and he is largely responsible for attracting some of the world’s biggest luxury brands to set up flagship boutiques here.

“These super brands believe in our capability because they trust our expertise,” he explains. Past events have highlighted the strength of his business instinct and ability to succeed, even in the face of adversity. During the 1997 economic crisis in Thailand, Kriengsak moved forward with the opening of the high-end Emporium shopping complex (where he remains as senior managing director) and overcame all the obstacles to create one of Bangkok’s most exclusive malls.

At Siam Paragon, Kriengsak appears to have pushed the bar even higher with the opening of many flagship designer stores and world-class brands that are new to Thailand. Like Emporium, this is not only a shopping mall, but a leisure centre featuring activities for every age and lifestyle. Alongside an eclectic range of restaurants, the shopping centre houses the largest aquarium in South-East Asia (Siam Ocean World, www.siamoceanworld.co.th), a Cineplex, a three-dimentional IMAX theatre and a 38-lane bowling alley.

“Siam Paragon gives the society momentum,” says Kriengsak. “Something’s always happening, with functions that attract many people. It also stimulates economic growth as tourists come and spend their money here.”

The mall creator continues: “Not every brand suits everyone. But Siam Paragon has the answer to everyone’s needs.”

KRIENGSAK ON BANGKOK:
Kriengsak loves the city for its friendly and courteous people. “Asian families are very close-knit and three generations might live together,” he explains. When he is not browsing through Siam Paragon, Kriengsak heads to Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre (Level 5, Esplanade Shopping Centre, tel +66 (0)2 264-2000, www.rachadalai.com), where he finds watching stage productions to be relaxing, entertaining and inspiring.

THE FASHIONISTA

Suvadee Phungbunphra is managing director of PP Mode, which is currently the sole distributor of high-end brands Emilio Pucci, Loewe and Mandarina Duck in Thailand. The fashionable importer and distributor began her affiliation wiThemilio Pucci, a clothing label famous for its unmistakably colourful, 1960s-style prints, while working as a graduate in the Thailand branch of global luxury goods company LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy).

In 2003, company re-organisation prompted the LVMH head office in Italy to ask Suvadee to go solo and take over the distribution of Emilio Pucci as an independent, local agent. Suvadee recalls feeling thrilled and confused at the time.

“Aft er I received the offer, I wasn’t sure what to do. It was a major decision to make and a huge investment was required. But it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity, so how could I let it go?” she recalls.

Pucci took off, and sales doubled within the first year of her taking over, at a time when Asian retail markets were battling the damaging effects of SARS. The addition of a second branch in Siam Paragon in 2006 then saw a further 30% increase in sales.

And this upward trend looks set to continue: Suvadee is relocating her first Pucci branch to a better site within the popular Gaysorn shopping plaza on Ploenchit Road, and investing about 10 million baht in improving the shop’s visibility.

However, Suvadee has not stopped here. Once she felt Pucci was settling, in 2005, the young Thai decided to approach the Italian luggage-maker Mandarina Duck about importing their brand.

“I wanted a point of difference,” she says. “I saw a niche in the Thai market for chic, high quality travel bags, so I went for it.”

Her successful record with Pucci is evident for all to see, so it is not surprising that more top brands are now approaching her for help. For example, last year, Suvadee added the high-end Spanish leather brand of Loewe to her impressive portfolio.

Th anks to her innovative marketing methods, such as exclusive Loewe-customer dinner parties at five-star hotels, and her keen business-savvy, all three brands are doing well. Mandarina Duck sales are up 50% and there are plans for the first stand-alone store to open this year.

Loewe is going from strength to strength and Thailand is set to be the first country in the region to see the opening of the brand’s new concept store.

“Even though we’ve just started, the results are beyond expectation,” admits Suvadee happily.

SUVADEE ON BANGKOK:
“You can get everything in Bangkok, as there is so much variety,” she says. Her favourite place to meet is at Aqua at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok (155 Rajadamri Road, tel +66 (0)2 250-1000, www.fourseasons.com), because it is airy and relaxed. “It’s a lovely place to hang out with friends, and the drinks are great.”

THE CAFE ROYALE

ML Dispanadda Diskul is general manager of Doi Tung Coffee, which currently owns 18 coffee shops in Thailand. There is so much more to the company than these retail outlets, however. More important is Doi Tung’s close work with farmers in the northern province of Chiang Rai, supplying them with coffee seeds to provide an alternative to growing opium and help to alleviate poverty. In replacing opium with coffee, the Doi Tung Development Project gives such Thai farmers a legal cash crop and a sustainable way of life. “When you’re holding a cup of Doi Tung coffee, you should be proud because you’re contributing to society,” says ML Dispanadda.

The Doi Tung Development Project was initiated in 1988 by Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra (the late mother of His Majesty the King of Thailand) who believed that poverty and lack of opportunity are the root causes of society’s problems. With his father serving as secretary to Her Royal Highness, ML Dispanadda was exposed early on to the positives of the royal initiative.

“I’ve been involved with the project my entire life, and witnessed the changes it has brought to people’s lives,” he says. “I figure that if I can help them even in the smallest way, I’ll do it.”

The farmers start working on a wage, but once they learn to tend to the trees, the Doi Tung Development Project allows them to rent land and trees, empowering them to care for the crops as their own.

ML Dispanadda says, “Farmers are poor all over the world. The only way to get them out of this vicious cycle is to add value to the produce and allow them to take part in the ownership.” And what better crop than coffee, a market-driven commodity with high local and global demand.

Income from the project goes back to the people of Doi Tung to improve living standards by enhancing jobs, healthcare and education systems, while continuing to substitute opium poppy cultivation. Enjoying an annual growth of 35%, earnings are also used to assist countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) such as Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, as well as other countries suffering from narcotic cultivation like Afghanistan and Indonesia.

On top of its ethical practices, the Doi Tung brand is also synonymous with premium gourmet coffee. The project produces only top-notch coffee and is one of the few Thai-owned, Thai-run members of the internationally recognised Special Coffee Association of America (SCAA), whose primary function is to set industry standards for growing, roasting and brewing.

With this quality and care for the community at the heart of its brand, Doi Tung deserves every bean of respect it receives.

ML DISPANADDA ON BANGKOK:
“When I’m not travelling and in Bangkok, I like to visit the JW Marriott’s Japanese restaurant, Tsu-Nami (tel +66 (0) 2 656-7709, www.tsunamibangkok.com). I like the food and ambience.” Here, skilled chefs cook two styles of food in two separate dining rooms – Tsu offers traditional Japanese cuisine and a sushi bar while Nami is all about teppanyaki (cooked on a tabletop grill in front of you).

THE ULTRA-CHIC JEWELLER

Thailand’s Tippy & Matthew jewellery has been a sparkling success since its launch in 2006. The chunky statement-making pieces gained immediate popularity with Bangkok’s style set and appears set for similar success around the world, already on sale in Dubai’s Harvey Nichols and Seoul’s Galleria mall.

Supornthip (“Tippy”) Choungrangsee is the line’s creator and is no stranger to fashion. Oft en described by the media as one of Thailand’s best-dressed women, she is also CEO of another jewellery line, Working Diamond, as well as a public relations and event company called Branded – The Agency. So how does she feel Tippy & Matthew differs from other brands?

“Tippy & Matthew is for trendy people who enjoy fashion, love to have fun and appreciate something different. They appreciate form and function, and are looking for more than just conventional fine jewellery made of gold and diamonds,” Supornthip explains.

The result is a line of funky, unique designs that incorporate silver, enamel, eye-catching colours and Asian themes. With the modern woman in mind, Tippy also designs earrings that adapt easily day-to-night with adjustable lengths. Some parts are even removable, and created for mixing and matching – a wardrobe of jewellery “separates”.

“Building a good brand requires a really good product,” says Supornthip. “Once you have that, then you need a strong brand identity. The product positioning must be clear and you must be able to differentiate yourself from the others.”

Following these rules, Supornthip continues to search for suitable new markets overseas. “I am keen on markets that are internationally respected such as New York and Milan, so that it will be easier for me to approach other markets in other countries later on, and for them to accept my brand,” she says.

Since its launch, Tippy & Matthew has exhibited at jewellery fairs in Milan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, as well as famously taking to the catwalk of last year’s Bangkok Fashion Week worn by buff, bare-chested male models. Expect more sparkling creations and campaigns this year.

SUPORNTHIP ON BANGKOK:
“Though people say Bangkok is chaotic, I think that it’s fun,” says Supornthip. “I don’t like something that’s too perfect. You’ve got to have different mixes – they give life colour.” She names The Verandah at The Oriental Bangkok (tel +66 (0)2 659-9000, www.mandarinoriental.com) as one of her favourite places to dine. “I like the outdoor area on the banks of the Chao Phraya. The atmosphere near the river makes me feel relaxed.”

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