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By Benjamin Malcolm
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.
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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.
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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.”
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