Pena House plans to open water park near Santorini

Pena House Group, a leading local garment company, plans more amusement parks to capture growing tourism as the region integrates over the next two years.

A group unit, Theme Plaza Development Co, recently decided to add a water park after its Santorini theme park in Cha-am, Phetchaburi found success.

Theme Plaza managing director Nasvera Tantichirasakul said the company is spending 500 million baht to open the water park on the same com- pound as Santorini.

‘‘We estimate receiving 250,000 visitors a year with sales revenue of 200 million baht in the first year,’’ she said.

The company expects to take five or six years to reach the break-even point.

For Santorini, the company will add two new attractions: a haunted house and a trick-art 3D museum.

Ms Nasvera said Santorini has welcomed 1.2 million visitors since it opened 18 months ago, far higher than the 1 million predicted.

‘‘Diversifying into non-fashion busi- ness is the right direction,’’ she said.

Non-fashion sales are now 3.3 billion baht, three times higher than for the fashion business.

Pena House Group branched out from fashion in the past decade with outlet malls, hotels and theme parks.

The group will continue to focus on non-fashion business, especially tourismrelated ventures, before the emergence of the Asean Economic Community in late 2015.

Pena House also plans to build a boutique hotel with 120 rooms on 10 rai next door to the water park next year, to open in 2015.

The new hotel will host seminars and families who visit the theme park and water park.

Group subsidiary Pena Property Development Co is to develop a theme park and zoo called Camel Republic opposite Santorini. The zoo will open next April.

Apart from Pena House Group’s, other theme parks nearby include Vana Nava Water Jungle in Hua Hin, owned by the politician Suwat Liptapanlop.