Little ones in the swim

Built just for kids and parents, the Baby Pool swimming centre in the residential Ekkamai-Ramintra area has become a popular hub for parents with children age four months to six years since it opened last June. Veteran engineer Prapassorn Channarong and his friends decided young urban families here needed an indoor place where they could paddle around like they do in British and Australian cities. 

The Bt5 million-plus centre has a standard five-by-10-metre pool, though it’s equipped with hi-tech gear to carefully control not only the water’s temperature but also its chemical content to ensure hygiene.

“My own son was the inspiration,” says Prapassorn. “He was born prematurely and suffered from poor health as a result. The doctor recommended a lot of exercise to develop his muscles, and my wife and I decided swimming was the best choice because it involves every part of the body. At first we enrolled in a class at a hospital with a pool normally used for physical therapy, and babies were welcome. 

“Of course it worked – my son got steadily healthier as he grew older – but in the meantime I realised that Bangkok had no swimming pools exclusively for babies. So we did some research and discovered that kids’ pools are popular in many countries, and often the government even financially supports their awareness campaigns for parents. The kids can be taught to swim safely, protecting them from future accidents. 

“So this is why we opened the swimming pool for babies.”

A friendly and cosy place, the centre is perfect for families to hang out through the day. It has a busy list of facilities, a playground in the lobby stocked with educational toys, and cafe serving coffee and snacks. The dressing rooms are spacious and some of the toilets are kid-size. 

Air circulates well around the chlorinated pool, half inside and half out with a Jacuzzi and other areas with therapeutic water jets. Prapassorn’s own design for the water-temperature control system keeps it at 30 to 33 degrees Celsius, ideal for infants. Safety is taken seriously, with closed-circuit-TV cameras watching the pool in case of accident and every door to make sure no one gets in who shouldn’t be there, including children sneaking in without a guardian.

There are four swimming courses on offer to match the babies’ ages. Classes with a trained instructor last 30 minutes and cover basic swimming techniques and build confidence along with muscles and coordination. Toddlers learn to follow commands through symbols, songs, words and gestures.

 

 

“Our teachers all have certificates from well-known organisations like the Swim Teaching Association in the UK and the Swim Coaches and Teachers Association in Australia,” says Prapassorn. “They teach the kids how to paddle their arms and legs and how to hold their breath and remain underwater.”

The centre has signed up many members, including some from outside Bangkok, he says. “Young parents know how important it is to protect their kids from danger in the water, so they get that education here, and meanwhile the classes are a great family activity.”  

Neatnapa Pek and her husband bring their 10-month-old daughter every weekend. “We want her to learn how to swim while she’s very young because it could be a great help in life and develop her physique,” Neatnapa says. “We’ve already noticed that she breathes better, her mood has improved and she’s more obedient. She also gets to be closer to her father during the lessons.” 

Pusit and Krittika Chamsuwanwong drive to the centre from Prachin Buri each weekend with their sons, ages two and four years. “We’ve been taking the classes for six months and the boys have developed more skills,” says Pusit. “They can take care of themselves much better than other children the same age.”

Even newer on the scene, four-month-old My Bebe Spa caters more to downtown expatriates with their children. Pavan Narula opened it in the Mille Malle Avenue as an indoor kid’s boutique spa with saline Jacuzzis, swimming lessons and massage treatments.

“The tubs bubble and light up to stimulate the child’s senses, and the water temperature matches the feeling in mummy’s tummy,” Pavan explains. “The babies wear a paediatrician-approved floating device around the neck so they can move about safely and effortlessly.”

The massages utilise hypoallergenic oils extracted from vegetables and fruit, like almond, grapeseed and olive, friendly to toddlers’ soft, sensitive skin. 

A baby salon even offers haircuts and manicures, using French toxin-free nail polish made from fruit. And there’s a boutique selling colourful clothes, educational toys and accessories for both pregnant moms and babies.

    

 

JUMP IN

<< The Baby Pool is at 194 Soi Saraburi Steak off Praditmanutham Road and Ekkamai-Ramintra Road. Swimming courses cost Bt5,000 and Bt6,000.

 

<< It’s open from 10 to 6 weekdays except Monday and 9 to 6 on weekends. Call (02) 933 0744 or visit www.BabyPoolThailand.com or the “BabyPoolThailand” Facebook page.

 

<< My Bebe Spa is on the second floor of Mille Malle Avenue on Soi Sukhumvit 20. Swimming sessions with massage run from Bt6,000 to Bt19,900. 

 

<< It’s open daily from 8 to 7. Call (02) 260 8070 or visit “mybebespa” on Facebook.