CTLS…more than just a Language School

In 2012 the operators of the highly-regarded language school CTLS purchased 17 rai of land in the Huay Yai district, with the aim of building a centre to promote Thai culture. The land came with an attached lake and around this the owners decided it would also be good to construct a spa, in which traditional Thai massage could be taught.

Work began on the project in May 2013, and the building is scheduled to be ready to open in June this year. CTLS will have outlaid around 40 million baht in constructing the centre.

The main room will seat 271 persons who will be served traditional Thai food and then be entertained for between one and a half to two hours with a Thai traditional dancing show. The shows will have two sessions per day, one for the lunch period and one for the evenings.

CTLS want to showcase the best of Thailand and recognize there are four distinct cultural areas in the country. Geographically these are the North, North-East, South, and the Central Plains. The plan is to present a variety of shows from each region that will be rotated on a daily basis, so everything from the food to the dancing will be in synergy. The shows should prove a great tourist attraction for those visitors interested in getting to see and know the delights of traditional Thai dancing.

CTLS said they plan to put Power Point presentations on large screens telling the story of each of the regional dances, in several languages. “This is simply because foreign nationals are simply not aware of the meaning of the dances,” CTLS noted.

The spa will be centred around the large lake, with salas set up for massage or just to allow visitors to relax. In the gardens of the spa there will be an outdoor stage and a 5m x 5m cooking area, a six-person sauna and spa baths, all set in the wonderful gardens.

CTLS run five language schools in Thailand. Their first opened in Bangkok in 1999, and their second, in Pattaya, was established in October 2008. In July 2011 the Pattaya school doubled in size, and now covers an area of 1,700 square metres.

CTLS is arguably the standout in the language school field in the country. They are recognised as the number one provider of student visas in Thailand, according to the Department of Education.

As management acknowledge, this position has only been possible because of the “hard work and the dedication of our excellent staff, whom we thank for their dedication.”

The operators have always wanted to expand their horizons and being lovers of traditional Thai dancing, they decided a cultural centre could well be the way to not only indulge that passion but also expose foreign nationals, both tourists and expats, to an area of Thai culture many don’t get to see very often, if at all.

After consulting with their architect they are also going build five blocks of six apartments, which will be for sale. These apartments will be two-bedroom and 92 sq.m. in size.

As the owners of CTLS note, “We are simply excited by this project because the scope of things for which this venue can be used is limitless. We hope people will come and enjoy what we believe will be a terrific venue.”