WhiteWater West installed their SuperBowl, Boomerango,
Rattler, Freefall, Abyss and more at Vana Nava Hua Hin, Thailand
“ A NUMBER OF BIG-BUDGET, WORLD-CLASS WATERPARKS HAVE RECENTLY OPENED OR ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THESE ATTRACTIONS ARE SETTING THEIR SIGHTS ON ACHIEVING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL ”
installation standards and not having a clear approach to park safety. Where the attractions industry has developed quickly, in some cases the development and actioning of best practices got left behind. However, a number of big-budget, world-
class waterparks have newly opened or are under construction in the country. In terms of designers, manufacturers, technology and even IPs, these attractions have set their sights on achieving global standards and competing at the highest level. There will be more investments like
these and there are several reasons why Thailand is enjoying a waterpark revolution.
FAMILY FOCUS The Cartoon Network Amazone waterpark in Bang Saray opened at the end of 2014 and has already won a number of industry accolades. The $31m (£20m, €27m) project - set to become a fully developed resort with a hotel and potentially a theme park by 2018 – was masterminded by Dhanji. He wanted to create a family- oriented resort destination, and his nine-year-old son, a Cartoon Network fan, inspired him to go for the IP. “Cartoon Network is the top channel in
almost every country in the region, with 200 million-plus viewers,” Dhanji says. Cartoon Network Amazone is well
positioned for Bangkok’s 8.5 million population, situated near Pattaya, a couple of hours from the capital. It’s close to the international Suvarnabhumi airport and a popular destination, putting the waterpark
AM 1 2015 ©Cybertrek 2015
Polin worked closely with Cartoon Network to build slides that represent the brand
in the catchment area of the 9 million-plus foreign tourists who visit Pattaya annually. Dhanji has a mix of 60 per cent local to 40 per cent foreign customers. The demand for family-oriented
experiences in Thailand is strong. In Phuket, another enduring destination located in the south of the country, Levente Perjesi is opening the $25m (£16m, €22m) Phuket Aquapark later this year. Phuket’s tourism industry has been expanding since the 1980s, but family
attractions are thin on the ground. This potential market is enormous and the island is still developing to keep up with demand – there are nearly 5,000 new hotel rooms in the pipeline for this year and next. In 2013, 12 million tourists visited Phuket, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). “Year on year, there are more families
coming to Phuket and there’s a demand for family activities,” Perjesi says. “Tourists are looking for something else in
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital 49
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