With the opening of EmSphere on December first last year, Kriengsak, Kob, Tantiphipop, together with Supaluck Umpujh, the chairwoman of The Mall Group, fulfilled their long-term vision, by completing his brainchild, Em District, a luxury, lifestyle, shopping and entertainment district for Bangkok that has changed the retail industry landscape for the Thai capital and beyond. Khun Kriengsak, who has been described as a strategist, implementer, marketer and planner, was very kind to take time from his busy schedule to discuss what this has all meant to him.
To begin, can you tell us something about your background, education and earlier career that led to your current position as CEO of Em District?
I earned a Bachelor from Assumption University when still known as ABAC and an MBA in finance from Chulalongkorn University. I then worked at Kodak where I rose to become responsible for regional advertising. Next, around 34 years ago, possibly with premonitions as to where the film and printing industry was heading and wanting to move from an international company to a local business, I left Kodak to join The Mall Group where I have worked ever since. Here, I have been able to contribute to Thailand’s development; give something back to the country that has given me so much.
My first project was The Mall Ngamwongwan, which now has as its concept, Green House, and aims to promote “A Happy Place to Live Life”. Following this success, I turned my attention to the development and launch of Emporium.
Can you tell us more about this?
You must understand that The Mall is both a property developer and retailer. We aim to develop communities for our customers. Just think of all the different stakeholders involved developing a retail property. I believe to succeed, we must all advance together, encourage engagement and make everyone feel they are an integral part of something.
We opened Emporium at the peak of the Tom Yang Kung economic crisis in 1997. Most people didn’t see how Bangkok’s first luxury shopping mall could ever succeed. But I have always tried to ‘think out of the box’, look at the world from different perspectives. To be very honest, my inspirations have all been formed by being observant. By watching shoppers come and go in our stores as well as our competitors, I’ve seen the evolution of consumers and their changing demands. I am always looking, watching and searching for new ideas and concepts that will attract the attention of consumers and satisfy their whims and fancies.
So, while yes, the local populace was suffering from the Thai baht dropping in value from 25 baht to the US dollar to 50 or even 60 baht to the dollar, tourists saw this as an advantage and flocked to Thailand because everything was now so cheap for them. For the first time in Bangkok and this region, we were offering them the chance to shop for the world’s leading luxury brands at reasonable, even affordable prices. This was also true for the expat community, particularly in our vicinity. We had shoppers come and buy as many as eight Rolex watches. Our sales volume was so good that we broke-even in just two years.
You also might not have realised that at that time, the tax on luxury items was as high as 60%, putting a lot of these items out of reach for many. However, then as the Thai economy began to revive, we began to attract local clientele. Even in the bad times, I have always looked ahead, thinking that even in the darkest days, the sun will again rise in the east, bringing new light with a new day.
I have always tried to ‘think out of the box’, look at the world from different perspectives. To be very honest, my inspirations have all been formed by being observant. By watching shoppers come and go in our stores as well as our competitors, I’ve seen the evolution of consumers and their changing demands. I am always looking, watching and searching for new ideas and concepts that will attract the attention of consumers and satisfy their whims and fancies.
Where then did you next set your sights?
Our next venture was Siam Paragon, which after much planning, we opened in 2005. Here we had double the floor space of Emporium, and truly emerged as a lifestyle centre. Just imagine, in 2013, we were the first worldwide to record seven million Instagram posts, even before Disney. In 2016, we were among the top five worldwide for posts on Facebook.
After this, realising that Emporium had limited space as there were many more luxury brands we wanted to attract to Bangkok, I began planning our next major project EmQuartier, which by adding another 250,000 square metres, we doubled our floor space and began to develop our shopping, dining and entertainment district, which many cosmopolitan cities such as New York, Paris, London and Tokyo already had.
While our positioning for Emporium has been ‘Institution of Luxury’, EmQuartier is ‘Cutting Edge’. The concept behind Emporium is an organic form, where natural light opens up a wider universe of luxury. I was able to advise a number of jewellers to set up VIP showrooms because of the natural light provided by our design which helped to enhance the brilliance of their diamonds, precious gems as well as gold and silver designs.
By importing stone trace in different sizes weighing between two to four tonnes along with different shaped pieces of glass, we created translucent mosaic facades that are works of art in themselves as they bring the interior environment a soothing ambience. But I have to tell you, this was one of the most difficult and chaotic projects to complete, and not one I would ever want to do again.
With EmQuartier’s futuristic design in which we have incorporated rich greenery and water that includes an arboretum with a circular ascendingdescending walkway that offers a natural feeling amidst an urban environment, we attract many visitors, dinners and shoppers who come for the atmosphere in addition to our many high-end labels' flagship outlets. Here you will find such great fashion houses as Chanel, Celine and Prada as well as some of Bangkok’s best eateries. Meanwhile, Emporium features numerous international luxury labels such as Hermes, Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Mont Blanc, as well as upmarket, trendy designer brands including Armani Exchange, Guess, Diesel and Calvin Klein.
Now, let’s turn our attention to your newest shopping-dining-entertainment complex that completes Em District. What can you tell us about this?
First and foremost, we were thinking about what people want above all else, and this is convenience. People also want to be downtown, in the heart of the action. I actually knew this for a very long time. Just think, we were the first to connect our shopping malls with the BTS public transport system. When we opened Emporium, everyone asked why do you care about linking to the BTS station? Luxury consumers want to travel by luxury car. But I had travelled and seen how people get around in urban environments, like New York, London and Tokyo, and they use the trains because it’s much easier. And I knew as Bangkok developed, the traffic would get worse as it has. I also knew that our expat and tourist shoppers were already accustomed to commuting and travelling by subways and overhead rail systems, and I always kept this in mind. Furthermore, people want to be safe, which is provided through public transport and then the designs of our complexes incorporate people’s convenience, comfort and safety.
Ever since opening EmQuartier in 2015, I was thinking and planning our next project, EmSphere, and I have long believed that bigger is best. That’s why we opened EmQuartier to double the floor space after Emporium. We made the whole atmosphere more comfortable. People don’t feel claustrophobic. They have room to conveniently and safely move about. As I said earlier, EmQuartier also doubled the selection available for consumers, and as EmQuarter and Emporium had slightly different positionings and focuses, people could choose where they would rather be, what community they would like to be a part of.
Since I was a child, I have admired the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his sufficiency economy philosophy. He strived to improve the quality of life of the Thai people. He promoted moderation and prudence through many of his initiatives. I am also a strong adherent to sustainable development and this is a core fundamental in all of our planning.
What I then imagined for EmSphere was it should be a creative and innovative playground, focusing on younger generations, millennials, Z and Alpha gens, as well as the young at heart. The 200,000 square metres interior features an industrial design, which is quite evident with the exposed very high ceilings that add to a sense of spaciousness. It’s a style that’s becoming quite popular here, following trends in places like New York and its SoHo district, where the stores and galleries are all renovated industrial lofts.
In addition, EmSphere offers a very convenient IKEA outlet for city dwellers, which can also be quite handy for its residential dwellers and businesses occupying the office complex. Then EmSphere is home to UOB Live, a world-class entertainment venue that can accommodate up to 6,000 persons. It will be partnering with AEG Entertainment, one of America’s leading concert producers. This, I believe, will be much nicer to see top international artists. The atmosphere can feel much cosier than, for example, a concert held at the Rajamangala Stadium which has hosted as many as 70,000 persons. The audience can feel much closer to the performing artists. It’s also an excellent venue to host business conventions, fashion shows and exhibitions such as luxury automotive brands.
To further support the concept of a creative and innovative playground, EmSphere has the Em Gallery, which will be regularly hosting exhibitions and events. Adjacent to EmSphere will be Em Garden with lush gardens and comfortable spots to sit and relax. And as pets have become an addition to many Bangkok families, it will, of course, be pet friendly.
Do you have any philosophies you admire or that you try to adhere to?
Since I was a child, I have admired the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his sufficiency economy philosophy. He strived to improve the quality of life of the Thai people. He promoted moderation and prudence through many of his initiatives. I am also a strong adherent to sustainable development and this is a core fundamental in all of our planning.
This is at the centre of my and The Mall Group’s thinking. We want to create venues where all feel welcome, like a second home. I love to watch shoppers at all our complexes and see smiles on their faces. They are happy to be where they are. We work to cater to a full range of tastes and lifestyles, and as these change and evolve, we need to be ready to collaborate and diversify to keep our shoppers engaged.
Do you have any final thoughts you would like to leave with our readers?
Thai people are very creative, but to really push the boundaries and be internationally recognized, we need further government support. Expats love us because we are very inclusive. Thais don’t want to leave anyone behind, and we love activity. We want to be doing things when we are free.
Just think, we are known as the ‘Land of Smiles’, and there is a reason for this. Thais love to smile. We have good hearts and good attitudes. We are friendly and welcome all. Whenever I hear someone say that they love Thailand, I feel extremely proud, and I think this is the same for most every Thai. Thailand truly is a paradise, at the same time, we are taught to remain humble and share what we have.
This is at the centre of my and The Mall Group’s thinking. We want to create venues where all feel welcome, like a second home. I love to watch shoppers at all our complexes and see smiles on their faces. They are happy to be where they are. We work to cater to a full range of tastes and lifestyles, and as these change and evolve, we need to be ready to collaborate and diversify to keep our shoppers engaged. We all need each other and need to able to transform with, or even slightly before, the market. We have to provide a safe, convenient, enjoyable alternative, a community where all can enjoy the best things in life together. I believe Em District can be a Magical Land where dreams can come true.
At the same time, we have actually formed additional communities with our suppliers and tenants who we think of as friends and partners, and together we will advance and succeed. This is at the heart of our DNA. So, we are not just landlords, as I just said, but we also work as matchmakers to connect world leading brands with local suppliers and investors.
