Despite potential challenges, Mekaroonkamol invested a reported THB70m (US$2.1m, €1.5m, £1.3m) to create Yunomori Onsen & Spa which opened in September 2012.
But it could also be risky: while stripping naked for communal bathing (albeit only with people of the same gender) might not be unusual to the Japanese, it would be alien Thai people who are naturally conservative. It made sense to Thai entrepreneur Smith Mekaroonkamol that an onsen – a traditional Japanese bathing facility with sequences of hot springs/pools – would work well there. This busy part of Thailand’s capital is home to a large number of Japanese expats and Oriental establishments catering to their tastes. If Bangkok had a ‘Japan Town’ it would be the area around the Phrom Phong sky train station. Yunomori mixes Japanese design and facilities with traditional Thai treatments to appeal to Japanese expats in Bangkok and locals looking for something different
