The 411 Magazine The 411 Magazine issue 4 July/Aug 2017 | Page 40

FEATURE
How it all began...
Under the stars...
Within one week Khun Akorn bought the land and
started building the hotel. At a time when nobody
thought about sustainable tourism, he believed in the
responsibility to protect nature. To ensure that no tree
was felled and the impact on nature was kept as low as
possible, he slept at the beach for three months.
It all began in 1986 when Khun Akorn Hoontrakul was
on a boat trip with his twelve year old son Thanakorn
and they spotted the bay from the sea. Khun Akorn
immediately felt passionate about it - something
Thanakorn did not understand back then. "My 12 year
old mind didn’t really appreciate its beauty at that time.
The sand was coarse and the water was dark blue
because of its depth. It was my Dad who saw the
potential and later said to me: 'It was love at first sight'",
recounts Thanakorn.
Be the example...
Sustainable, is a
holistic approach!
Leading the hotel in a sustainable way does not only
mean to take green aspects into account. Furthermore
it involves a holistic approach, taking into account
environmental as well as social aspects: like fair
salary, staff training and education. Just as in their
private life they focus on waste prevention: kitchen
waste for example is composted and reused as fertilizer
in the own garden.
Today, almost 30 years later, the hotel is led by
Thanakorn and his wife Saisiri. They share the same
passion about sustainable tourism believing that
everyone is responsible for the protection of the
environment. Their deep belief is that every little step
makes a difference. They set a good example for
everybody in their private and professional life: “It’s a
way of life, to not destroy the environment. It’s a
constant thought to make sure habits don’t contribute to
waste. If we forget our water bottle, we won’t drink, as
we do not drink from plastic”.