The commencement of direct flights between Hua Hin to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani gives access to a potential customer base that M.L. Laksasubha Kridakon, the owner and General Manager of the Laksasubha Hua Hin Resort, not only realised, but acted upon.
On her own initiative and without the support sponsorship or encouragement of any official tourism bodies, she recently travelled to Chiang Mai for a three days marketing and publicity trip with organised press conferences. What she found was an eager audience of both Thai and resident foreigners who wanted to hear more about what our region has to offer.
Of course that meant promoting the Laksasubha Hua Hin Resort, but also to promote our region as a most desirable but now accessible destination. With domestic tourism as the current way forward for our tourism businesses, targeting the only markets that are directly accessible by air is an obvious strategy.
The mystery is why has there has not been an official, coordinated or combined effort for this purpose?
Next Khun Mom Lak has Udon Thai in her sights. She really wants to spread the word that a seaside holiday is so accessible to residents of these land-locked locations.
Being a ‘doer’ rather than just a talker is the modus operandi that can be seen in other aspects of Khun Mom Lak’s very busy professional life. Apart from managing the Laksasubha Hua Hin Resort and being an unofficial Hua Hin tourism envoy, Khun Mom Lak accepts a number of other responsibilities.
Prompted by spending periods her life in Australia, including studying in Canberra, she is now the President of the Australian Alumni Association (Thailand), an organisation that works to energise and forge a vibrant Australian alumni community in Thailand. That involves arranging activities that enhance networking, learning and friendship. The AAA (Thailand) committee is actively supported by the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.
These events have been across the country with networking events in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Pattaya. The Association also supports and organises education expos and events promoting Australian education among Thai students with mentoring sessions where a prominent Thais and Australians have shared their life and career experiences.
Another responsibility is being the Vice President of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham Thailand), a position she has held for four years after joining the Chamber in 2009. She currently serves on the Hospitality & Tourism, Small Business & Entrepreneur, Women in Leadership, Membership and Alumni sub-committees.
AustCham was the first Australian Chamber to be formed in the ASEAN region to promote business relations between Australia and Thailand. The Chamber acts as a contact and information point for Australian businesses in Thailand, Australian businesses wishing to trade with or invest in Thailand and similarly for Thai enterprises interested in doing business with or in Australia.
Khun Mom Lak remains one of Hua Hin’s unheralded professional leaders who prefers to maintain a low profile; you’ll rarely see her at public events around town. However beyond the persona of the gracious and welcoming host at her Laksasubha Hua Hin Resort and being devoted to her family (she’s soon to be grandmother), M.L. Laksasubha Kridakon really is taking the lead to energise Hua Hin’s hospitality scene and beyond.
