Fly on Corporate Wall

So there was a bit of sticker shock, but Kamala trusts her son, singer-actor Krissada "Noi" Sukosol Clapp, who oversaw the project. She also credits Noi for the resort’s beautiful design.

"This hotel would never happen without his effort," she told Hello! Magazine even as she joked to her son that she would probably die before breaking even on the investment. But she’s not really concerned too much, and Noi knows better.

"My mum is not a typical businessperson. She has a good mixture as an artist and a businesswoman," Noi told the magazine in the same interview.

He’s certainly not the first to realise this about Kamala.

His grandfather, the late Kamol Sukosol, also learned about Kamala's artistic side. When he gave his daughter her first plot of land in Pattaya, he was dismayed to see that she came up with a low-rise design for what would become the Siam Bayshore resort.

"He complained all the way from Bang Na to Pattaya because on the 44-rai plot, I had only developed a 270-room hotel. How would I know? I thought it was good to have lots of space and a great view," she said.

Then her father bought her another piece of land, but that was all.

"I never got a hotel from my dad. I got the land and had to work on it," she said.

Kamol offered to lend his daughter the money – at 7.5-per-cent interest. The bank rate at the time was 7 per cent. "I had to take a loan with the bank," she said.

She went to Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda, a top executive at Siam Commercial Bank. And since then, Sukosol Hotels and the Sukosol Group have been loyal customers at SCB.

She and her children share not only the same fighting spirit but also artistic taste. And that’s why Kamala praises her son for the high investment value.

The hotel development could have cost her more if the value of antiques that decorate the property were included.

"All the furniture and photographs are my own collection, with only one exception – the display cabinet that belonged to my mum. I got to take her piece because I couldn't afford it. One single piece would have cost me almost a million," Noi said.

Now Noi has a place to share his beloved antiques collection.

Like her son, Kamala doesn’t worry about money.

"Don't ask me about how much I am worth. I'm not the kind of person who frequently checks her bank account. The most important thing is that you do what you like, otherwise what are you doing it for? For me, it is more important that my children are happy with what they do, and that makes me happy."