The Siam Motor Group, Nissan's local sales dealer and auto-parts manufacturer, will spend Bt580 million expanding its golf course in Pattaya, making it the largest along the Eastern Seaboard.

Initially, Bt150 million will be spent renovating the existing 18-hole Siam Country Club course, with the remaining Bt430 million to be used to add another 27 holes. The first phase is scheduled to be completed by March and the second by the end of next year.

After the redevelopment, the 45-hole course will cover an area of 6,000 rai, making it the largest along the Eastern Seaboard.

Group vice president Phornpinit Phornprapha said golfing was expected to become more popular in that area, particularly among expatriate staff in industrial estates in Chon Buri, Rayong and Trat, as well as Bangkok.

The newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport is also expected to bring more golfers to the area, because it is just a one-hour drive from Pattaya.

Phornpinit said that while the course would have to compete with many other courses in the area, he believed it could prosper by targeting staff, especially those from Japan, of more than 50 firms of the Siam Motor Group.

"This investment in the golfing industry is our latest move. We earlier spent Bt600 million on a new hotel in Bangkok, the Siam@Siam Design Hotel and Spa, that we plan to open in mid-November," he said.

The group has been running the Tropicana Hotel in Pattaya and inbound tour operator SMI Travel for more than 30 years.

Phornpinit said the group intended to focus more on the service and hospitality industry, which was growing steadily and could be managed by Thais rather than foreigners.

"I learned from our hotel operations that I could look after it myself, while the automobile business was always controlled by our mother company abroad," he said.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation