4 Seasons Hotel Bangkok PR Supervisor on Downsides of the Career

• 4 Seasons Resort Bangkok’s PR supervisor states he is effective to dispel the notion Thailand’s just for backpackers.
• There are surprising problems, these kinds of as restrictions on promoting alcoholic beverages in the Buddhist country.
• He cherished “The White Lotus” even with its exaggerated versions of marketplace extremes.

Dan Schacter — a 35-12 months-aged director of public relations for the Four Seasons Lodge Bangkok — and I initial crossed paths in Bangkok in January, again when I was even now functioning in community relations myself.

In a café in a quiet corner of the Bang Rak district, we talked shop about the quirks and perks of our jobs.

Listening to about his perform fascinated me, not just simply because he sales opportunities branding and engagement for one particular of the accommodations greatly rumored to be the setting of the up coming time of the hit HBO series “The White Lotus” but also simply because of the unusual troubles that occur with symbolizing a luxurious brand in the nation.

And for people questioning: You can find continue to no word on regardless of whether those people rumors about the future year of “The White Lotus” are true.

Originally from the US, Dan moved to Thailand in 2019 and life with his partner in Bangkok. Dan is also the regional director of public relations for the Four Seasons resorts and resorts for Asia-Pacific. 

This dialogue has been edited for length and clarity.

What are the most annoying misconceptions about your operate?

A single of the toughest things about this occupation in this article in Thailand is that we’re not permitted to boost alcohol and consuming. Although we’re on the lookout to encourage a bar, we are unable to just say: “Come have a cocktail with us.”

Ken Seet

We need to have to be resourceful whilst adhering to the constraints that come with running in a Buddhist state. For instance, in video clip ads, we aim on our bartenders’ skills and the bar’s inviting ambiance. We intentionally steer clear of showcasing liquor labels or persons ingesting.

One more major misunderstanding is that Bangkok isn’t just the affordable working experience a lot of perceive it to be. It has so considerably to present and is gradually shedding the stereotype of becoming a low-cost backpacker’s metropolis to remaining some thing that’s a lot more up-and-coming in the luxury scene — though nevertheless currently being good value for money.

How do you get over the notion that Thailand’s just a low cost location?

We have a great deal of journalists that arrive by way of that have been right here when they were just setting up to journey in their 20s. And now that it really is 10 or 20 yrs afterwards, and they are coming again to Bangkok for the first time considering that, they’re generally quite astonished about how things have evolved.

Ken Seet

In Thailand, you can get a Michelin-star meal for $100, even though in the US, that could be a $500 food. And that’s what I think has become genuinely fascinating for these journalists. You might be finding the top quality and luxurious but at definitely great benefit.

Journalists wouldn’t seriously be equipped to tell Bangkok’s story of improve unless we exhibit them the hidden gems that may well have long gone unnoticed in their prior visits. 

Taylor Mahon

Has carrying out community relations for a hospitality giant altered your vacation practices? 

My husband, Michael, and I have become more vital vacationers in some means when it will come to hospitality. I imagine it really is improved what we search for in a hotel or in a journey experience, and we have shifted additional toward getting exceptional areas to take a look at alternatively of relying on Google queries or guides of main attractions.

Dan Schacter

When we were touring in Hokkaido and Kyoto very last wintertime, we had been armed with a list of neat, tiny bars, places to eat, and stores from my colleagues in Japan and some journey journalists I achieved there previous yr.

The advised stops — like a Kaiseki lunch at Sakuragawa — finished up getting our favorites in both equally metropolitan areas and things we would have never discovered on our own.

I have to talk to: How has the exhibit “The White Lotus” changed your position?

Two of our attributes have been featured on “The White Lotus.” In the initial season, our Hawaii house, and then most a short while ago in the Taormina home.

I am consistently remaining requested about it, as rumors distribute that the future time may possibly be in Thailand. As it truly is connected with HBO. You can find clearly selected factors we can and can not do when it arrives to speaking about it, but you can find definitely been a whole lot of interest.

And as another person functioning in the hospitality sector, I certainly liked the display.

I appreciated the inclusion of queer illustration, which felt genuine and meaningful, additionally Jennifer Coolidge — constantly a homosexual icon but now brought much more into the limelight.

And although I had slight concerns about how it could possibly perpetuate sure misconceptions about luxurious houses, it was entertaining to see exaggerated variations of some business extremes.