Hua Hin is to get an upmarket shoppingmall.

Hua Hin has long been one of Thailand's most popular holiday seaside destinations. The small beach city in Prachuab Khiri Khan has grown rapidly over the past 25 years and now plays host to as many as five million visitors a year. But something is missing: a department store, according to the owners of The Mall Group. The leading retail group decided to set matters rights by introducing its Bt4 billion project the "Bluport Hua Hin Resort Mall", which it is building in partnership with construction company Prayoonwitt and the InterContinental Resort Hua Hin. At the project's contract signing ceremony held recently at the InterContinental, Supaluck Umpujh, vice president of The Mall Group, revealed that the new mall would be built on a 25-rai plot in the heart of Hua Hin opposite the InterContinental. "Residents shouldn't be alarmed," Supaluck said. "The Bluport Hua Hin Resort Mall has been designed to blend in with the heritage and charm of this well-preserved dream destination architecturally and culturally. This shopping centre aims to complete Hua Hin." The shopping centre will offer lifestyle, fashion and luxury products along with technology gadgets and also be home to hip restaurants, a gourmet market, and entertainment venues including cinemas and the "Splash Play Port" water park. It will also include a new five-star hotel under the InterContinental Hotel chain to be developed by the Proud Group. "Jaraspim Liptapanlop, the president of Prayoonwitt, is the mother of my good friend, Suwat Liptapanlop, veteran politician and former deputy prime minister," she explained. "The Mall Department Store at Bang Khae and Nakhon Ratchasima are doing incredibly and one of the reasons is that the Liptapanlops introduced me to such terrific locations. When I see Suwat's daughter, Proudpud, (an Oxford graduate and chairman of Proud Resort Hua Hin), who will manage this project with me, she reminds me of myself when my father pushed me into this profession at the age of 23. So I hope to train her, the best way I can," said a smiling Supaluck. Proudpud added that she was pleased to have been given the opportunity at this stage of her career path, and as the third generation of Liptapanlop family, she had every confidence in the success of the project. The event was attended by a number of high profile executives and future tenants of Bluport, among them Dr Vichit Suraphongchai, director and chairman of the executive committee of Siam Commercial Bank, Chartsiri Sophonpanich, president of Bangkok Bank, Suphachai Chearavanont, president of True Corporation, Paiboon Damrongchaitham, president of GMM Grammy, Dr Boonkiat Chokwattana, president of ICC International plc, Ampornpim Vajarabhaya, managing director of ELCA ltd, Guillaume Sauzin, managing director of Chanel Thailand, Olivier Dubos of Christian Dior, Somchai Songwattana of Flynow, Bhanu Inkawat of Greyhound, Catherine Maleenont and Achara Burarak, The shopping centre is scheduled for completion in 2015.