Santorini Park showcases diversified Pena

Santorini Park Cha-am, a new retail business to be operated by Theme Plaza Development Co, a new subsidiary of Pena Group, is scheduled to open on March 24, reflecting Pena’s success in diversified retail business.

Almost 90 per cent of the group’s total sales revenue is from retail, with the remainder from garments, hotels and food. 

The Pena Group decided to diversify its original garment and textile business after it foresaw that this would be a sunset business. 

The group’s garment factories now produce apparel for its own five fashion brands, including Pena. It does not produce for other brands, said Nasvera Tantichirasakul, deputy director of Pena Group.

Nasvera, the eldest daughter of Pena founder Supoj Tantichirasakul, is also managing director of Theme Plaza Development Co. She said Santorini Park Cha-am was initiated after the group saw the potential of the area, through which the southern highway route passes. The park could be a tourism spot, as 4 million tourists travelled to Cha-am and nearby Hua Hin last year. 

“We also found that about 70-80 per cent of spending in Hua Hin and Cha-am was by Bangkok people. Sales at our Premium Outlet Cha-am grew as much as 25 per cent a year, compared with 5-10 per cent growth on average at the other six outlets,” she said. 

Located on 50 rai (8 hectares) at Petchkasem Road Kilometre 198, Santorini Park has undergone a Bt500-million investment for development of an amusement theme park and shopping mall, comprising five main zones: Park, Village, Rest, Event and Sunday Art Market. 

Nasvera said Santorini Park would target all generations, including families, couples and groups of friends. The park will feature 6,000 square metres of retail space, which was developed on 15 rai of the area as the first phase.

More than Bt50 million was invested in architecture inspired by the Greek island of Santorini and decorations including sculptures in pop art and modern-art styles as well dancing fountains. 

The Park Zone will feature rides such as a 40-metre Ferris wheel and a double-deck carousel, imported from Italy. A G-Max Reverse Bungee and G-Max Giant Swing from New Zealand and Wallholla from the Netherlands, which won the Dutch Design Award 2008 in the climbing-ride category, will be included. The amusements cost more than Bt100 million. 

Meanwhile, the Village Zone will be created as the hippest shopping mall in the Hua Hin-Cha-am area, featuring more than 140 retail shops that offer leading brands of fashion and accessories.

“Now we are striking deals with tenants, [so far] accounting for 60 per cent of 140 planned retail shops,” Nasvera said. 

There will be fast-food outlets, coffee shops, convenience stores, drug and personal-care stores, souvenir shops and a petrol station. The Event Zone with 3,000sqm of retail space will serve events and concerts. 

The Sunday Art Market will be a special zone for those who are fond of the arts. This zone will be a centre four several art pieces and hand-made products that will be available only on weekends.