Working towards a better workout

Patrick Wee, CEO of True Fitness Group, is upbeat about the upcoming re-opening of his state-of-the-art centre for fitness and beauty at Central World in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping and tourist district.
In April 2010, the True Fitness branch at Central World was severely damaged by fire during the riots following a lengthy protest by the red shirts around Ratchaprasong intersection.
“We’ve re-built our former branch with spa and fitness facilities at Zen@Central World, which will re-open in December this year.
“During the riots, our facilities on the 9th, 10th and 11th floors were affected by the fire.
“We’ve spent about Bt150 million on this new centre [which has a total of 5,500 square metres for fitness, yoga, spa and aesthetics]. It will be our flagship store.”
Wee, a Singaporean, started his business in Bangkok in 2005 when a group of Singaporean investors offered him a lease on a prime property, called the Exchange Square, which is situated next to Bangkok’s Asoke intersection.
Now, the True Fitness Group has over 30,000 members in Thailand at its Asoke and Rattanathibet Road locations.
“Thai customers are now very discerning. They have experienced a lot of fitness centres (over the past several years). That’s why we’ve opened much bigger clubs in Thailand when compared to other markets.
“Here, they are probably 50 per cent bigger than those in other countries where we operate.
“Besides a workout, many customers also want to go to a spa treatment, or some people may want a beauty service where they can see a doctor to get a botox or a laser treatment.
“I don’t think there is any other fitness chain in the world that offers this kind of comprehensive range of services. We now operate in five countries –  Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and India.
“We’re going to open our first venture in China at the end of this year. We will also open a branch in an additional Asean country, so there will be a total of seven by 2015 when the Asean Economic Community becomes effective.
“Many multinational firms have entered the fitness centre business in Asia. For example, Fitness First and California Fitness are the two major ones, with the former having a strong presence in Thailand, but in terms of membership and square metres we are now bigger than Fitness First.
“It’s rather difficult for western operators to operate in Asia as there are some differences in terms of western and Asian customer expectations and spending habits.
“In terms of staff recruitment and management, it is also easier for us to understand our staff and the needs of our customers.
“Asian consumers are now looking for better-value products and, at the same time, luxury. You can see from our facilities that we typically invest over Bt100 million per location.
“At Central World, it’s Bt150 million, and this could prohibit some western firms to come here due to the high investment. If you’re not familiar with the market, it’s a risk,” he says.