Suphajee Suthumpun: Taking Dusit International To New Heights And Vistas
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Suphajee Suthumpun became Group CEO of Dusit International in 2016. In March 2021, she was named one of Bangkok Post’s ‘Women of the Year’, and December of that year, ‘Best CEO in Strategic Agility’. In 2023, Ms Suphajee was selected for Forbes’ Asia’s Power Businesswoman list and, earlier this year, included in Forbes 50 Over 50 List. Most recently, at the Inspiring Women in Travel (Asia) Awards, organised by Brand TD, Ms Suphajee was named ‘Most Inspiring in Travel (Asia)’ in the hotel and hospitality sector. Now, as she prepares for the reopening of the Dusit Thani Bangkok, Ms Suphajee was very kind to give some time to Elite+ to talk about this upcoming hallmark event, her illustrious career and vision for the future.
Could you tell us briefly about your educational background?
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Thammasat University after which I received an MBA in International Finance and Accounting from Northrop University in California, USA. To further assist me as I moved into management, I earned an Executive Coaching Certificate from the renowned Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. However, I must also say, my entire professional career has been and continues to be an invaluable learning experience.
You began your career in the technology sector at IBM where you rose to become country manager and later general manager of IBM ASEAN’s Global Technology Services Division followed by serving as CEO of Thaicom. How did this experience help you to prepare to take the helm of Dusit International and transition into the hospitality sector?
My career path might seem like a winding road from leading IBM's Global Technology Services in ASEAN to spearheading Thaicom's turnaround as CEO. But the underlying thread has always been my passion for building successful, impactful businesses. That's what drew me to Dusit International, an industry seemingly far removed from the world of tech, but with an immense potential for positive change.
Travel and tourism are not just economic engines; they're also conduits for cultural exchange, job creation, and community development. I see in Dusit International a legacy steeped in Thai heritage, combined with a bold vision for the future of hospitality. I also strongly believe in promoting education. Through good education, I believe we can strengthen the quality of our industry in general, which is significant for Thailand and the region. The chance to shape the future, to create experiences that touch lives and hearts, was an opportunity I couldn't resist.
As I understand it, you have implemented a long-term strategy for sustainable and profitable growth by diversifying and focusing on global growth. Could you elaborate on this?
Our three-pronged strategy for sustainable growth is ‘Balance, Expansion, and Diversification’. We formulated this when I joined the company in 2016, with the aim to establish the company for long-term success in a rapidly changing world. Over the past eight years, we’ve grown from 27 properties in nine countries to over 300 across 18, and our workforce has grown from 6,000 to over 20,000 talented individuals. During this development, we've expanded our hotel offerings from four to eight brands, providing new experiences across the lodging spectrum and reaching new destinations like Greece, Japan and Nepal. We have also diversified beyond hotels and resorts and hospitality education, venturing into the food business, property development and hospitality-related business. We were also quite fortunate to be able to navigate the challenges of the pandemic while never losing sight of our commitment to growth and innovation.
On 27 September, you will inaugurate the new Dusit Thani Bangkok. When did the planning for this transformation and the overall Dusit Central Park complex begin, and how would you describe its overall concept?
The Dusit Central Park project isn't just about building something new; it's a strategic response to a unique opportunity and a changing landscape. The original Dusit Thani Bangkok had stood for almost 50 years on land belonging to the Crown Property
Bureau. To renew the contract that was about to expire, we had to demonstrate that we could generate more value for the Crown Property Bureau – and value beyond money. Thus, the overall concept of the project under the theme, ‘Here for Bangkok’, focuses on land optimization to generate significant lease payments over the next 60 years through an innovative approach to responsible property stewardship. At the same time, we focus on providing community benefits such as generating jobs, providing new public green space and to once more becoming an important tourist landmark in the heart of the city.
The new Dusit Thani Bangkok also reflects our commitment to merging modern luxury with Thai heritage while showcasing our evolution as a luxury lifestyle brand. This stunning new property will be a contemporary landmark for global travellers to discover and fall in love with all over again. The new flagship hotel sets new benchmarks for Dusit's service, design and brand identity while these advancements will ripple throughout Dusit Hotels and Resorts globally.
The hotel-residence combination also addresses a major hospitality trend, providing an innovative revenue model to achieve stability through a mix of short- and long-term income streams. The prestigious location, connectivity to mass transit, and Dusit's rich Thai heritage are further amplified by the expertise of Central Pattana, a retail development giant. This collaboration ensures a truly unique project. Dusit Central Park enters the market at a time when travellers seek immersive experiences and value-driven destinations. It positions Dusit as a leader in innovative hospitality, ready to shape the industry's future.
In the first and iconic Dusit Thani Bangkok, you had a number of food and wellness outlets, which you moved to other locations such as Baan Dusit Thani. Could you tell us the reasons behind these moves and whether they will move back and/or what dining and wellness venues will be part of the new hotel?
When we temporarily closed the original Dusit Thani Bangkok for redevelopment in 2019, we opened Baan Dusit Thani to provide a home for our staff while the new hotel was being built, as well as to maintain the hotel’s signature restaurants in the market. Baan Dusit Thani features Dusit Gourmet, Benjarong Thai Restaurant and Thien Duong Vietnamese Restaurant. We also recently opened Nómada Pool Bar and Grill.
Baan Dusit Thani will now serve as an extension of the new Dusit Thani Bangkok when it opens, and the restaurants will remain where they are. The new hotel will feature a unique urban wellness concept, elevated dining experiences crafted by renowned chefs and a chic multi-level rooftop bar created in collaboration with award-winning mixologists. We will soon officially announce what these venues will be.
You also worked with such renowned designers as the André Fu Studio, who is responsible for your guest accommodations. Can you tell us something about the suites and rooms and the more outstanding amenities?
With fewer rooms, 257 versus the original’s 517, the newly built 39-storey hotel offers ample space for guests, including elegant suites starting at an impressive 50 sq m. A singular corridor floorplan ensures every room faces the green expanse of
Lumpini Park so guests can enjoy uninterrupted scenic views through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.
The original Dusit Thani Bangkok boasted one of the city’s largest, most elegant ballrooms. The new version of the hotel continues this tradition with expansive banqueting and meeting facilities spanning over 5,000 sq m. This includes one of the largest grand ballrooms in Bangkok, with an impressive eight-metre-high ceiling and panoramic view of Lumpini Park. Guests can also expect a unique urban wellness concept, curated dining experiences crafted by renowned chefs, and a chic multi-level rooftop bar created in collaboration with awardwinning mixologists.
We’ve been told the hotel’s iconic spire once a landmark above Bangkok’s central business, shopping and entertainment district’s skyline and the intricately carved teakwood that graced the original hotel are being incorporated into the new hotel’s interior design. Can you tell us more about this?
As part of its design, the new Dusit Thani Bangkok proudly integrates signature elements from the original property that were thoughtfully removed and preserved for use as part of the new building. This includes the original property’s signature golden spire, which was returned as part of the new property’s topping-off ceremony, and precious artworks by renowned local artists. The original property’s distinctive, handcrafted teakwood décor, art adorned pillars from Benjarong restaurant and various historical ornaments have also been incorporated into the new building, reflecting the original hotel’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.
Dusit International comprises five distinct business units, including Hotels & Resorts, Hospitality Education, Foods, Property Development and Hospitality-Related Services, can you tell us how they will integrate and complement the new Dusit Thani Bangkok and Dusit Central Park?
Our business units are designed to work in harmony and leverage synergies. Whether it is using organic rice sourced direct from farmers via Dusit Foods, developing and securing top talent at Dusit Thani College and The Food School, or leveraging our 75 years of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to deliver five-star residential experiences at the Residences and other high-end condominiums in Bangkok, our unique ecosystem of businesses ensures we are positioned to deliver on our vision to exceed expectations not only at Dusit Central Park and the new Dusit Thani Bangkok, but wherever we set foot. What also makes us unique are our four key pillars of Dusit Graciousness: Service - personalised and gracious; Locality - uniquely linking guests with
the local community; Well-being - delivering wellness experiences beyond the spa; and Sustainability - social, economic and environmental. The services and activities we offer in each of these areas help us to uniquely deliver additional convenience, experience and value to guests.
Under your leadership, Dusit International was recognized last year for Best Investor Relations by the SET and Excellent Corporate Governance by the Thai Institute of Directors Association. Could you tell us what these awards entail, what you did to achieve this success and what you plan for the future to maintain these levels of success?
Demonstrating Dusit’s commitment to transparency, out of 900 listed companies, DUSIT was one of five companies to be awarded the ‘Best Investor Relations’ accolade at the SET Awards 2023 in the category for organisations listed on the SET with market capitalisation higher than 3,000 million baht but not more than 10,000 million baht.The Best Investor Relations Awards are awarded to listed companies that have distinguished themselves in conducting investor relations activities. Winners are selected based on the quality and quantity of IR activities as well as the vote of analysts and institutional investors.
In its 2023 report of companies listed on the SET, the Thai Institute of Directors Association (IOD) awarded Dusit an “Excellent” rating – which puts it among the country’s best in terms of corporate governance. This is the ninth consecutive year that Dusit has achieved this rating.
These awards reflect not only our steadfast commitment to keeping the investor community
informed through regular meetings, calls, newsletters and other platforms, but also our commitment to effective corporate governance for the benefit of our shareholders, customers, employees, and other stakeholders. We believe that fostering trust and transparency is essential in creating enduring value for our stakeholders and driving sustainable growth, and this will never change.
Your current group’s credo is ‘Balance, Expansion and Diversification’. Can you expand on what this means?
As I mentioned earlier, ‘Balance, Expand, Diversify’ is our growth strategy. To achieve scalability and multiply revenue, we aim to achieve a balanced portfolio between asset-light and capital investment. In terms of our hotel business, diversifying across the lodging spectrum has been a pivotal aspect of our expansion strategy. We've extended our presence from full-service offerings to encompass lifestyle brands and luxury villa rentals, which comprise existing brands together with our ASAI Hotels (lifestyle), Elite Havens (luxury villa rentals) and FavStay (sharing economy). Our approach seamlessly aligns with shifting customer demands for authentic, purposeful and experiential travel, which are dominant trends in luxury travel experiences on a global scale. Diversifying our lines of business has also opened many new opportunities for our company, including our Food business, Dusit Estate and Hospitality-Related Services.
Do you have any final thoughts you would like to leave with our readers?
More than just a leading hospitality company, Dusit International is the realisation of a dream. When our company’s founder, Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui (1921 – 2019), opened her first hotel 75 years ago in 1949, her prime motivation wasn’t simply financial gain. Instead, she hoped to put the kingdom on the map as a must-visit destination, benefitting the nation’s tourism industry as a whole.
When Dusit’s operations expanded internationally, so did the scope of Thanpuying Chanut’s vision. Determined to always have a positive impact wherever we set foot, her philosophy was thus – to create things that have never existed before, to be bold and do great things, to pursue perfection and to always be true to who we are. These same motivations still drive our company today, and each of our business units is designed to leverage our strengths in operating full-service hotels and ultimately build on the value of our past in innovative ways. So, you can expect many exciting developments from Dusit in the months and years ahead.
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