Thanyapura to boost ‘Sports Hub of Asia’ status with B300mn investment

PHUKET: Thanyapura Phuket is looking to invest an additional 300 million baht in an expansion plan that will further strengthen its status as the Sports Hub of Asia.

To be scaled over five years, the investment will see the spectacular 23-hectare complex gain a 100-meter training pool, four tennis courts, a multi-room Wellness Center, an international school working toward becoming a United World College (UWC) with enhanced high-performance training programs and another 114 accommodation units.

The expansion will allow Thanyapura to host a new range of sports events and attract more athletes seeking to enhance their mental and physical readiness to compete in the growing number of national and regional sporting competitions throughout Asia and worldwide.

“We are committed to improve performance and health, inspire the mind, instill well-being to optimize the potential of athletes,” said Phillipp Graf Von Hardenberg, President and CEO of Thanyapura.

“We are working closely with the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and other authorities, associations and clubs to promote Phuket and Thanyapura as the Sports Hub of Asia. We are focusing not only on professionals, but also aspiring talent from the young generation in our high performance program.

“From now until 2017, we have 25 international, 15 national and 10 local events already planned, which will attract thousands per event of international, national and local athletes and spectators.”

Among the international events planned for 2015-2016 will be the first ‘Swim Around the Island’ competition, national and international tennis tournaments, a youth triathlon and the ‘Color Run’ event.

The 300 million baht investment will include the following improvements to Thanyapura’s facilities.

A 100m training pool with five lanes, the first in the world, will join the existing 50m Olympic size pool and 25m training pool.

Four more tennis courts will increase the total number of courts to 10, enabling Thanyapura to hold bigger national and international tennis tournaments.

A Wellness Center for the Body & Mind with seven individual spa rooms and two 100sqm large halls for carrying out yoga and mind-training programs.

Fourteen two-bedroom Thai villas to begin construction this year, and another building with 100 deluxe rooms to start next year.

Meanwhile, Phuket International Academy School is also working towards becoming a UWC, and expects to be certified by mid-2016. The high performance training academies have hired three more coaches to build its training programs to send talent to national and international competitions.

The sports facility, which first opened in 2008 and has cost 3.5 billion baht to date, comprises four centers: Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, Thanyapura Mind Center, Thanyapura Health and Phuket International Academy School. Other facilities include a 115-room sports hotel and DiVine Restaurant & Cellar and Booster Daily & Bar, where an extensive range of regionally grown organic food underpins the menu.

Thanyapura Health combines a holistic range of treatments such as physiotherapy and traditional Asian medicine plus aesthetics and rejuvenation therapies.

Health-conscious persons from China are the top source of business for the complex, generating 31% of the facility’s room-nights in 2014. Others in the top-ten list are sports persons from Thailand (15%), Australia (8%), Great Britain (5%), Hong Kong, Hungary, USA, the Netherlands, Singapore and Malaysia.

In 2013, Phuket’s average occupancy was 49% and Thanyapura 52%. In 2014, Phuket’s average occupancy and 51% Thanyapura 59%. Thanyapura’s goal for occupancy in 2015 will be 67%.

In addition to the sports facilities, Thanyapura also offers venues for a variety of events, such as meetings, team-building, product launches, weddings and receptions.