Savoey restaurant in the past - Savoey restaurant at present

When the restaurant opened on the Beach Road (which was not yet sealed) there was only a scattering of shops in the area. The place offered 100 covers and employed 50 staff. The seafood kitchen was located at the front of the dining area and this layout remains until today.

In 1984 the group opened a new and much more ambitious project on Bangla Road. This new venue offered seating for 600 and provided Thai dancing and culture performances every night.

Savoey Seafood is now considered one of the landmarks of Patong Beach and has built a loyal customer base and a deserved reputation as one of Phuket’s premier seafood restaurants. The restaurant’s success is based on its use of only the freshest ingredients to prepare appetising dishes which are sold at competitive prices.

Tsunami disaster in December 2004

On 26 December 2004, the Tsunami disaster struck and all but destroyed the premises. They were lucky that no staff were lost which was attributable to the fact that the staff stuck together and helped each other to safety.

Mr. Thaveesakdi and his staff (numbering about 135 at that time) were faced with a formidable task in re-establishing Savoey and sister company, the Safari Beach Hotel. There was no water or electrical supply so Mr. Thaveesakdi set to work using a borrowed generator and well water.

Throughout this difficult time the owner, to his credit, refused to lay off any staff and continued to pay full salaries.

It is a testament to their hard work and determination that only 10 days after the Tsunami struck, the restaurant re-opened for business on 5 January 2005 − still with no power and surrounded by the debris that resulted from the disaster. With only 30 percent of the facilities restored, they were the first on the Beach Road to re-open, sending a message to visitors and residents alike that Patong had survived and was back in business. Subsequently, the company would receive only two million baht from their insurers; only a fraction of the actual re-construction cost.

After this thecompany went from strength to strength, opening the Beach Way Coffee Shop on September 8, 2005 and the Concaved Beach Restaurant on October 1, 2005. In 2007 they expanded the beach operation and named it the Beach House, which is designed to allow more customers to enjoy Savoey Seafood.

Currently the Group employs 215 staff and also manages a new 5-star hotel named “La Flora Resort Patong”.