Many Thais were stunned by the recent news of the sale of the decades-old Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel to Thailand's biggest hospital group for development into a health resort. Shortly after, they sighed with relief when finding out that the entire Nai Lert business empire was not sold.
The 14 rai Nai Lert Park Heritage Home, home of the late Phraya Bhakdinorasresth, better known as Nai Lert, and also Bangkok's first park, remains safe and sound and is ready to serve as a springboard for his descendants to expand their wings.
"This is a new era of Nai Lert. As a business, we are diversifying and opening several new businesses under various approaches. We had thought carefully, and agreed unanimously to the project which will benefit society and people's health," remarked Naphaporn Bodiratnangkura, managing director of Nai Lert Park Heritage Home.
Naphaporn Bodiratnangkura, managing director of Nai Lert Park Heritage Home. Somchai Poomlard
She admitted to feeling a bit melancholic, but knew changes were common in each generation of her family. Her great-grandfather Nai Lert opened and operated various businesses, while her grandmother Thanphuying Lursakdi Sampatisiri lost the White Buses business to privatisation in 1975. Her grandmother did not give up but opened a hotel on the former bus garage site initially under the Hilton brand.
"Changes are good because we live in the present. Selling some of our businesses does not mean a loss. Our businesses are not in the red. We are stepping forward," Naphaporn said.
Nai Lert was born on June 22, 1872, with an innovative mind. His father named him "Lert Samuntao", meaning "unique and excellent".
As a young man, he was an entrepreneur, developer, investor and philanthropist. Nai Lert established the country's first ice factory on Charoen Krung Road, as well as the tallest commercial building in 1927 and imported motor vehicles from Europe and the US. He operated the White Ferries on the Saen Saeb Canal and initiated Bangkok's first bus transportation widely known as the White Buses. He even had his own shipbuilding company.
Naphaporn, who is Nai Lert's great-granddaughter, vowed to build Nai Lert's own chain of hotels where guests will feel warmth and comfort like being at home.
Today, Nai Lert Park Heritage Home on a lush green complex in the Chidlom area remains the family's flagship business. Opened as a heritage property in December last year, this place was built in 1915 and designed by its owner Nai Lert as his residence. This family lived in this house for three generations.
It consists of 12 major zones: the House and Exhibition Gallery, Ancestral Pavilion, the Boats, the White Bus, Water Pavilions, Pond, Bomb Shelter, Nai Lert's Favourite Car, Plant Nursery, Pae Kanom (dessert-making raft), Ma Maison restaurant and Nai Lert Store.
The house showcases numerous antiques and artefacts, all from the family's private collections, dating from World War II until present. Must-sees there are the White Bus, the bomb hole-turned-lotus pond, the architecture, a lemonade bottle, the old title deed, Nai Lert's books, walking sticks and two boats named Lert Samuntao and Khor Ngor and the old trees. The house and all the objects on view reflect Nai Lert's life, work and principles of life -- loving kindness, compassion, sympathy and freedom -- according to the symbolic Nai Lert logo.
According to Naphaporn, Nai Lert group's new projects will come in five series in a simple yet stylish fashion.
Nai Lert Park Heritage Home will add White Bus Catering and Lady L (referring to Thanphuying Lursakdi) restaurant to its list of businesses. Lady L will serve Western home-made dishes, including Thanphuying Lursakdi's favourite food like sticky toffee pudding and baked Alaska ice cream cake.
Its Ma Maison restaurant serves Thai home-made dishes, especially Nai Lert's wife Khunying Sinn's signature food like hormok khao and mee nam park nai lert. Hormok Khao was adapted by Khunying Sinn from hormok pla (steamed spicy fish cake), while mee nam nai lert combines mee krob (sweet crispy noodles) and tom yum (spicy and sour Thai soup).
The family plans to open a chic 27-unit hotel on their 5 rai land plot in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and an 18-storey hotel building on an empty land plot near Nai Lert Park Heritage Home in at least two years from now under the brand of Nai Lert Park Hotels. They also plan a hotel project in Bhutan of which a peaceful, simple yet happy way of living matches their philosophy.
Although Naphaporn's style of work is different from her grandmother Thanphuying Lursakdi for being less strict and more modern, both women and the rest of the family firmly adhere to Nai Lert's principles of life.
"Nai Lert's work philosophy and logo are always with me wherever I am. Whenever I experience mental blocks or am in bad moods, I will look at the logo and then see the brighter world," Naphaporn noted.
Naphaporn works more closely with her employees and allows them to express their opinions freely at work. She is unhappy if they are tight-lipped at work but complain or gossip behind her back. She believes it is her responsibility to take care of her employees and their families as well. Therefore, she has looked after at least 1,200 people, not just 400. She promised to give fair compensation to the employees who would lose their jobs after the sale of Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, and would assist long-serving employees who are too old to find new jobs.
"I live in the present, not the past. Actions speak louder than words. I neither over-exaggerate nor over-promise. All problems can be solved. As No.1 here, I must think profoundly and carefully to make everyone happy. I must not be selfish, so the majority of my employees will be happy," she added. In addition, she lives with reality and tries to be focused on what she is doing and do what she is good at and likes. She is also lucky to have her siblings as good support. Her elder sister Duangphat loves to oversee construction and her younger brother Pollawut interior design, while she is responsible for management.
When asked about her personal life, the divorcee charmingly replied: "My heart is not closed to love. Love is a creative force. People feel lonely and want to be with someone who understands them. People want to have soul mates. But, people change when they get older. My lifestyle has changed from wanting someone to hang out with to wanting a soul companion."
Nai Lert Park Heritage Home is open to the public every Thursday and Friday. Guided tours start at 11am, 2pm and 4pm. Admission fee is 500 baht per head for Thai residents, 1,000 baht for foreigners and 100 baht for children and students. Email info@nailertparkheritagehome.com or call 02-655-4775/6.
