MBK Plc, which operates the MBK and Paradise Park shopping centres, will spend 1 billion baht on a facelift of Paradise Park from next month.
According to Somphol Tripopnart, the company's chief shopping centre business officer, the renovation will differentiate the complex from its competitors in the nearby areas. Paradise Park is located in Bangkok's Prawet district.
This comes after the company obtained the right to renew the contract agreement for another 20 years from S.S. Real (Suang Luang) Co, the owner of the land on which Paradise Park is currently located.
"The competition's environment has gradually changed due to various new transport and retail developments, as well as changes in consumer behaviour. This renovation marks the first significant upgrade in the past 13 years," Mr Somphol said.
Based on consumer insights gathered through surveys, the company found that customers in the area have become more concerned about their health since the pandemic. To address this, the company is partnering with Ramathibodi Hospital to launch "Rama Health Space@Paradise Park" on the third floor of Paradise Park, occupying 1,818 square metres of space.
Rama Health Space@Paradise Park plans to start providing non-complicated services in a first phase starting in October this year, and then offer more medical services to consumers in the following six months.
The target customers for the services are people residing within a five-kilometre radius.
Dr Surasak Leela-Udomlipi, managing director of Ramathibodi Hospital, said the hospital's policy is to decentralise its medicine and extend its services to other locations outside of Ramathibodi Hospital.
Rama Health Space@Paradise Park will be the second health and wellness centre after the first one opened in the Ratchapruek area in partnership with another retail partner.
"To make Ramathibodi's medical services more accessible, we aim to have between 4-6 Rama Health Centres at significant corners of Bangkok, each with a different concept," Dr Surasak said.
Dr Piyamitr Sritara, faculty dean at Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, said Rama Health Space@Paradise Park was set up to serve as a role model for the government's integrated health centre for people outside Ramthibodi Hospital. It will provide medical services for outpatients from 8am to 8pm daily.
According to Mr Somphol, in addition to services from Ramathibodi Hospital, the company is negotiating with new medical services, including wholesale drug stores to open their services on the same floor to enhance its health and wellness centre.
Roughly 42,000 sq m of the total 84,000 sq m has already been booked, he said.
Mr Somphol said the new Paradise Park will focus on four core business categories: health and wellness, dining, lifestyle, and education. Some 50% of the tenants will be existing rentals, while the other half will be new tenants.
The store aims to attract 40,000 visitors to its complex with its new image, up from 10,000 visitors before the renovation.
