On Thursday, 24 October 2024, the Glam Habitat management team attended “ทิศทางเศรษฐกิจไทยและเศรษฐกิจโลก ขับเคลื่อนความสำเร็จให้ธุรกิจโรงแรม” (“Thailand’s Economic Direction and the Global Economy: Driving Success for the Hotel Business”), a seminar hosted by Kiatnakin Phatra Bank (KKP) in the Grand Ballroom at Pearl Hotel Phuket. Alongside hoteliers, apartment operators, and finance professionals from across the island, we spent the afternoon looking past the day-to-day of running a boutique pool villa hotel to the bigger economic forces shaping our industry, and our decisions.
As a small, independently run hotel in Kamala Beach, we don’t have an in-house team of economists. Afternoons like this give us a rare chance to hear directly from people who study these trends for a living, and to bring that thinking back into how we plan.
Thailand’s Economy Amid a Changing World
The seminar opened with Dr. Ncha Anantachotikul, Head of Economic and Strategy Research at KKP, walking through Thailand’s economic direction against a backdrop of shifting global conditions, from trade and technology shifts to the pace of change in major economies. For a hotel that depends on international travellers, understanding these currents at a national level is a useful starting point before thinking about what they mean locally, for occupancy, for costs, and for planning ahead.
A Turning Point for Thai Tourism and Industry
Khun Lattakit Lapudomkarn, an analyst on KKP’s Economic and Strategy Research team, followed with a closer look at the turning points ahead for Thailand’s industrial sector and tourism specifically, and the challenges hotels and related businesses should be watching for. It was a helpful reminder that the tourism recovery Phuket has enjoyed in recent years sits within a much wider, and constantly shifting, economic picture.
Managing Cash Like a Professional
Khun Thanakarn Ukris, from KKP’s Investment Products and Strategy team, then walked through a more practical session on professional cash management, introducing a framework for thinking about an investment policy: balancing the need for a steady cash flow, an appropriate time horizon, liquidity, and risk. For a boutique hotel business, it was a useful structure for thinking about how reserves are managed between high and low seasons.
Financing Solutions Built for Hotels
The afternoon closed with Khun Korn Malivejchatsakul, Head of Hotel and Apartment Business Lending, and Khun Nattawut Niyomyaht, Head of Real Estate Advisory, presenting financing and refinancing structures designed specifically for hotel and resort businesses, including longer repayment terms intended to keep monthly cash flow more comfortable for property owners. The session gave a clear side-by-side comparison of how refinancing can free up working capital that businesses can reinvest, whether into guest experience, maintenance, or growth.
Why This Matters to Us
A great stay at Glam Habitat isn’t only about the villa or the pool, it also depends on the business behind it being run thoughtfully and sustainably. Seminars like this one help us make more informed decisions about how we manage cash flow, financing, and planning, which in turn supports the long-term, responsible business decisions we want Glam Habitat to be known for. It also keeps us connected to the wider Phuket hospitality community, much like our recent visit to the Phuket Tourist Association Annual General Meeting.
Ready to experience Kamala Beach through Glam Habitat’s private pool villas? Book your stay with us.
