Located on Koh Samui, a popular tourist destination in southern Thailand, Silavadee Pool Spa Resort is one of the island’s newest luxury resorts. Although newly established, and not affiliated with any international hotelier chains, it has quickly become one of the most sought after destinations on Samui. How did it get this way?

Privately owned and developed, the Thai family behind Silavadee Pool Spa Resort has a long history in manufacturing and other businesses, but Silavadee is their first venture into the hospitality sector. The land at the Silavadee site was acquired many years earlier, at a time when Samui was still relatively unknown to tourists. The family patriarch, Mr. Narongsak, purchased the property without any specific plans for development, but with the idea to keep it for some future use. Over the following years, Koh Samui became one of Thailand’s most popular holiday destinations.

The duties of operating their core manufacturing business, Eminent Air, took the Soonthonvasu family all over the world. In the course of their travels, they were exposed to all manner of hotels and resorts. Over the years they developed an interest to take the best features of international resorts, and combine it with the gracefulness and warmth of Thai hospitality, to create something new. A holiday resort built to the highest worldwide standards for infrastructure and service, but where the guests experienced a higher level of personal attention, much as one would receive if invited to a Thai home.

The process of designing and constructing Silavadee was long and difficult. Proposals from several architects were reviewed and rejected before finding the one that could properly interpret the Soonthonvasu’s vision for the site. They did not want to impose a standard resort onto the property, but rather to create a place that was in harmony with the natural topography and flora. Construction posed particular challenges – building and transporting materials was made difficult by the sloping and irregular terrain, but the owners were adamant that the natural vegetation be disturbed to the bare minimum. The finished work is a combination of local and international. Special building materials were sourced from across the world, while local artisans and craftsmen were engaged to create furnishing and decorations. The result is Silavadee Pool Spa Resort.