The Mud Spa of Mae Hong Son

Supoj Klinpraneet has a vision for his mud spa, the Pooklon Country Club.

That vision, quite simply, is to be a 5-star destination, a place that people go to for long-term therapy and relaxation in the cooling forests of Mae Hong Son.

“If VIP’s are to come to Mae Hong Son, they want to stay at the best hotels,” he said. “Now, when executives from international corporations choose a vacation retreat, they go to Pattaya or Phuket ... if that’s going to change, we have to provide first-class facilities for them.”

To woo the sophisticated travellers of the world, Supoj is offering something different … not merely a resort with all the high-end facilities, but also a spa in the classic European sense, a fully operational hot mineral water and mud spa. The ultimate goal of all this being to offer people a choice of coming to Asia instead of Romania or France, the traditional centres of mud spa treatment.

“We’re the first in Asia to offer a natural mud spa,” he said. “Only New Zealand has something like this.”

Supoj would like to begin full operation this autumn, with investors buying into time-share units (or long-term stay units). Pooklon will have 30 units, accommodating at least 60 guests at one time. The spa has been a hum of activity during the last few years, with additions made month by month on the way to the realization of his dream. The spa, which is about 14 kilometers south of the main city, has been open as it grows, and many tourists take time out to drop by when they come into Mae Hong Son. The spa is located on the same road that leads up to Mae Aw, or Ban Rak Thai, the Chinese village in the mountains.

Visitors to Pooklon can choose from a variety of activities as they take in the beautiful surroundings of the forest and mountains. The most popular choices are the mud body and face masks, hot mineral water baths and herbal sauna. Guests can either lie on their backs and have an assistant paint the mud onto their face, or have their whole body scrubbed with a cooling mud pack.

A sauna is in the process of being re-furbished, at the moment it consists of a wooden walkway around steaming waters, encased in a small wooden building, toward the entrance of the facility. The effect of a stroll around this hot spring, combined with a basket of herbs, is quite powerful and a breath of cooling air is refreshing as one steps outside the entrance.

These are only a few of the options, the list of which grows longer as time goes on. Guests can select horsing riding, mountain bike riding and, to cool off, a dip in the mineral swimming pool. To top it off, there is now a fully operational golf driving range, which has become a popular spot as there is no other golfing facility in Mae Hong Son. Later in the day, the driving range can become busy with local people and visitors practicing their game.

Supoj is concerned about quality, always has been and this trait will carry over in the operation of the spa.

“Quality is important; the quality of service is very important,” he said. “Now, there are too many spas in Thailand and the quality is not always there. In five years, that will change.”

Quality is so important that his mud can only be found at the spa. Visitors can buy good-sized portions to take home when they visit the spa. This comes in the form of dry mud that can then be mixed later with yogurt and applied. There are no product distribution centres outside Pooklon. At one time, Supoj wanted to market the natural mud but found that the distributor was adding too many by-products so decided to stop that. Keeping things as natural and as real as possible is part of his vision.

His acquisition and development of the spa is an interesting story unto itself and displays the kernel of vision that became the reality of Pooklon Country Club.

A long-time tour guide, he also owns Singha Travel, which has offices in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Supoj spent many years developing routes and activities all over Mae Hong Son, including treks and visits into hill tribal areas. As he travelled with a French friend, Supoj came upon the area of the hot springs, and his friend suggested many possibilities of developing the area into a true retreat.

In those early days, one could see people, and even animals, utilizing the area’s natural healing properties. Supoj realised that sick people would often go to bathe in the warm waters, while animals would cover themselves in mud or even eat it, so packed was it with minerals and healing properties.

At that time, Supoj had never heard of the idea of mud spas or mineral baths, but began to take an interest when his friend reappeared with geological experts, who verified its healing properties and future potential. The two began a partnership, but eventually Supoj wanted to see the area developed naturally and bought all the land surrounding the hot springs. Operations began in 1995 with the drilling of two 100 metre pipes into the heart of the springs. The crystal clear water has a temperature of between 80 to 140 degrees Celsius.

Supoj is quite active in Mae Hong Son, being the President of the local Lions Club as well as the owner of the Golden Pai and Golden Suite Hotel & Resort, from which many of his earlier treks were based. In his capacity as a spokesman for Mae Hong Son, he would like to see the province develop with care, so that the natural beauty is not disrupted by overbuilding, as well as maintaining an open door at Pooklon to both local and international visitors. All the structures at Pooklon are unobtrusive; it is even possible to miss the entrance to the spa from the highway. A simple wooden sign in front of a dirt road announces the spa’s location, leading under a cover of trees to the spa centre.

Khun Supoj has taken great care to verify the benefits of the hot springs and the mud treatments on offer. Foreign and Thai experts have documented the authenticity and healing properties of the area. The paperwork, available for all to see has the signatures of French and Thai experts, detailing many of the properties of the mud, especially its ability to rejuvenate and clean the skin, clearing, among other ailments, eczema, acne and psoriasis. A combination of mud and spring water treatment is also supposed to assist in bone fracture recovery and rheumatism.

With all these healthful benefits and the number of relaxing and unique choices at the spa, it should not be long before Supoj’s dream becomes a reality and the beauty of the countryside of Mae Hong Son offers a first-class therapeutic retreat.

“There was a survey I read in a magazine a while ago that said Mae Hong Son was one of the top ten places to live in the world,” Supoj said. “That’s why I have to create something outstanding.”

 Benjarong Magazine - September 2003, Volume 6 Issue 9