Located to the north of Bangkok in Nonthaburi province, Ban Ing Nam Health Resort and Spa’s priority is to provide a peaceful, calm, and comfortable environment, in which guests can maintain or improve their overall mental and physical fitness and well being.
 Dr Nopparat Pantongwiriyakun, a heart specialist from Bangkok’s BNH Hospital, is managing director of the resort, and is the person responsible for creating the concept.
“Personally, I developed a special bond with nature thanks to growing up in a rural area, surrounded by rice fields and orchards,” Nopparat says. “But when working as a doctor in the city, all I did was to provide a diagnosis, prescribe medicine, recommend treatment, and promote preventive health steps regarding health and diet. But unfortunately many people didn’t pay heed my advice!”
Nopparat said patients’ unwillingness to listen to his advice could sometimes be quite discouraging.
“It made me want to look for somewhere located in natural surroundings where people can stay for a while and try and adjust their daily habits and lifestyle to develop a greater sense of well-being.”
Nopparat’s idea began taking shape when he discovered some land being used to grow fruit in Pakkret district’s Khlong Udom sub-district close to where he already operated a small homestay project.
The area is not too far from downtown Bangkok, but, in sharp contrast, it offers a peaceful, lush tropical environment. The community here is rural so you can still see examples of traditional Thai ways.
After exploring the site in greater detail, Nopparat decided to invite a friend, Sitthinont Anontworakun, to invest in a 30-million-baht (US$952,600) resort venture on the land. The partners decided to rent the site for a 12-year period and launched the resort as Ban Ing Nam Health Resort and Spa in 2005.
While the resort and its setting aren’t particularly unique, what sets it apart is its health focus. If guests can adjust certain habits or improve certain facets of their lifestyle and daily regimen, it can result in real health benefits. Guests who have
weight problems or diabetes, for example, should be able to use the resort as a way to make inroads into improving their health.
Medical monitor
On checking into the resort, guests must first take a blood test and inform staff of their current state of health. This allows the resort to tailor an exercise program, dietary program, medication (if necessary), and spa sessions to an individual’s needs.
“Ban Ing Nam differs from other health-related resorts in that it is operated by genuine doctors, with each program having been designed in accordance with proven medical methods,” Nopparat says. “All exercise activities are closely supervised by experts, while nutritional specialists take care of the menu, so that each guest can enjoy dishes that are not only delicious but fit with their overall health objectives.”
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Even before checking into the resort, guests first need to set targets in tandem with the resort. Ban Ing Nam can’t “force” guests to reach these goals, but its members of staff can certainly motivate and inspire guests to make headway, and therefore improve their health over the long-term, Nopparat.
Ban Ing Nam Health Resort and Spa sits on a site measuring four rai (hectares), and it includes six studios, three bungalows featuring a garden view, as well as three ‘Lotus’ bungalows, which can accommodate up to 26 guests.
The concept behind Ban Ing Nam Health Resort and Spa, however, means that it is important that people check in as ‘individuals’ rather than as part of a couple or in groups.
The resort charges between 3,900-5,500 baht (US$125-175) per night, while the inclusion of a lifestyle modification management program raises the price to 7,000-17,000 baht per night.
Nopparat suggests that, from a wellness perspective, a stay of between one and three weeks is appropriate.
Nopparat says the resort has been well received by both Thai people and international visitors to the kingdom.
Typically, guest are between the ages of 30-85, while the most common health problems they are aiming to improve during their stay are diabetes and weight problems.
The resort is now considering opening a second outlet once the partners have generated a full return on their original investment.
“While the prices are reasonably high, the people we are targeting understand the importance of health. This is why we turn away tour groups and only offer our services to individuals who are really looking to make some changes in their lives.”
“We hope that when guests return home, they’ll be so used to the changes to their habits that they develop here that they think twice before reverting to their bad habits,” Nopparat said. “With an improved sense of well-being, they should be inspired to choose the improvements they made here over their previous behavior,” he said. - Translated into English and republished with the kind permission of Manager Online.
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