Ame

Sales and Reservation Manager

Hi, my name is Ame. I come from the Pattani province in Thailand. I received my degree in Education Technology from Prince of Songkhla University and then tried a few things before joining Zazen working in domestic distribution for Sahafarm, and then becoming a nun (for a short time).

I love working in the hospitality service because its a pleasure to provide good service and to see people happy. As the reservations manager and executive assistant manager I spend lots of time in direct correspondence with you, our guests, with the responsibilities of the reservations department, front office and wedding planning.

Send me an e-mail. I would love to take care of your reservation or to help you organize your wedding in samui.

Don't hesitate to contact me at sales@samuizazen.com or weddings@samuizazen.com , I would be happy to answer your mail.

Adrien

Resident Manager

Hello, my name is Adrien. I come from Lyon in France, the heart of France's finest gastronomy. Very young I started moving around due to my father's job and developed a great interest in discovering other cultures. I had the chance to live in several places in France but as well in Belgium, Switzerland, and in Asia for more than 10 years.

I studied hospitality Management in Glion Switzerland and then graduated a MBA at Essec Business School in Paris. In the past years I have worked in China, South Korea and Thailand for various international hotel chains such as Starwood, Intercontinental and Sofitel where I was in charge of large Food & Beverage operations. Last year, I decided to settle in Thailand, where I am fascinated by the culture, the people and the cuisine, which I consider to be one of the best.

I am passionate about hospitality and culinary arts in general. I believe hoteliers not only provide travelers a place to sleep or food to eat, but much more than this, they have the ability to deliver a true experience. This is what we strive to do here in Zazen, ensuring our guests discover the beautiful island of Samui in the best conditions while relaxing and indulging themselves through the resort features and its excellent restaurant. I am proud to be part of Zazen's team and I am looking forward to welcoming you in our resort; please feel free to contact me anytime at rm@samuizazen.com should I be of any help.

Siegfried

Food & Beverage and Events Manager

My name is Siegfried. I have been appointed to overlook the F&B operations of the resort.

I was merely born in a restaurant as my father was the chef owner of a small traditional French restaurant in the country side of Lyon. I probably started carrying my first plates when I was 5. At that age, I would also help my father in the kitchen preparing the freshly baked tart and cake we would serve the same day in our restaurant.

After working in various Michelin star restaurants or popular Brasseries, I finally decided to share my familial passion with the entire world defending Epicureanism and love for food and drinks. This led be to places such as Bora Bora, London, south of Spain, or most recently the Middle East where the Shangri La Abu Dhabi allowed me to bring the only French Fine dining of the city to become the Time Out Restaurant of the year 2012.

At the beginning, this is with my heart beating for the wine cellar of Zazen that I decided to take my position here in March 2013. However, I quickly felt in love with the whole resort and staff. This is why I feel proud to collaborate with the whole team in striving to offer a unique experience to our guest with both at a time French and Thai food.

Please feel free to contact me at fb@samuizazen.com for any purpose on which I can assist, but also simply if you want to talk about food and wine.

KAT

Le Spa Zen Manager

Hello, My name is Katthariya. I was born in Phetchaboon province " the Land of Sweet Tamarind". I graduated in Bangkok University, my major is Hotel and Tourism. I love to work in the service industry since my youngest age.

I fell in love with Spa operations while working at JW Mariott Phuket, where I found this job to be a perfect match to my "Zen and Calm" character. I have now been working more than 7 years in the Spa industry.

I am delighted and proud to be Manager of Le Spa Zen. My team and myself will be delighted to welcome and assist you to select the best spa program to fit your needs among a variety of treatments created to suit everyone needs and desires.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time at lespazen@samuizazen.com Hope to see you soon!

StÉphane

Executive Chef

Hello, my name is Stéphane. I'm from the South of France and from my earliest years have had a love of good cooking. That love soon became a passion and I decided that what I most wanted to do in life was to be a professional cook. I trained under a number of Michelin chefs who directly taught me all they knew about cooking. They taught me to prepare dishes in traditional French ways whilst remaining creative and innovative. I believe a good chef has to keep on his or her toes and look for new ways to ensure the kitchen and the food evolve and that's certainly one of my top priorities.

I wanted to travel and came to Thailand in order to live and work and was soon asked to be the executive chef at Zazen Restaurant. It's a wonderful job as I have a great team backing me and creativity is definitely encouraged here. No two days are the same and the kitchen is a lively and challenging place to be. The restaurant has a reputation for excellence, being very popular on the island, so it's a great honor to be chosen to carry on that tradition.

In addition to preparing restaurant meals, I also have a chef's table, which offers just a dozen guests a special 5 or 7 course menu. I'm also in charge of the Salon de Ti and put on afternoon high teas along with the cakes and pastries.

If you're interested in learning how to cook, I also run my own cooking class. It's just for a small number of participants and in just a few hours, I'll show you how to make some very tasty dishes.

When it comes to food, my job is to ensure your enjoyment, whether you've come for a snack or a gourmet dinner. So, naturally, if you have any requests, you can be sure that I will do my utmost to bring you satisfaction.

If you require any information on how my team and I can help you, all you have to do is write to me at executivechef@samuizazen.com

Ti

Managing Director

I'm a Koh Samui girl, born and raised, and the youngest of nine siblings! I attended the Local University and finished with a degree in Marketing.

After that, I did in-house training at the airport as part of the ground staff for two months.

When I was 26 years old, my fiancé Alexander Andries and I, took over Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa from my father. We gave the resort its name, and continue to invest our energy in constantly improving Zazens service and outlook.

The resort allows me to express myself artistically. When I met Alex, I was running a small boutique in my fathers house in Bophut village, selling pieces of art, decoration and Buddhist artifacts which I discovered from the northern part of Thailand, Bali and Burma. The boutique at Zazen is an extension of this hobby.

Zazen is very much part of who I am. This used to be my playground! I saw my parents, brothers and sisters taking care of the first tourists and backpackers, and I wanted to do the same. I gave my heart to Zazen and am still very active in the resort.

Im now the owner and executive director in charge of the whole organization of the hotel, and am proud to have designed the room interiors as well as the gardens at Zazen. Im responsible for those small beloved details that make Zazen what it is today.

Don't hesitate to contact me at md@samuizazen.com , I would be happy to answer your mail.

Alex

Managing Director

I was born in Brussels, but was conceived in Kinshasa, Congo, Africa, where my parents lived for 4 years! My mum, Jane White, is from England. She traveled a lot in the US and met my father, Christian Andries, in Brussels. He is Belgian and at that time had just come back from a two year trip to Australia. Together, they lived in Africa before returning back to Brussels. Because of all the traveling and mixed nationalities of my parents, our house was always full of friends from all around. I remember that this was a feeling that I really loved - having the chance to meet all these people. I guess that this was the time when I had the first privilege of welcoming people - the beginning of feelings that would lead me to the hospitality industry. I apparently told my parents that when I was older, I would also travel.

After finishing high school in Belgium, I went to Tyler, Texas with the Rotary Club to do another senior year and to discover America, its culture and people. I then went back to Brussels, studied Tourism & Hotel Management at the Institut Arthur Haulot and did an internship in at the Hillsboro airport next to Portland, Oregon, USA.

I graduated in September 97 and left for Thailand in October 97 as a Representative for the Belgian Tour Operator BEST tours. After spending 6 months in Bangkok, I got the chance to reopen the destination of Koh Samui for BEST tours. I used to welcome guests at the airport, visit them in 12 different hotels all around the island and made sure that they all enjoyed a nice holiday. After 2 months, I met Ti, who had a small boutique in Bophut village. We fell in love. I convinced Tis father to trust me, and we got engaged. From that moment on, I knew I wasnt going to go back to live in Belgium. Two years later her father suggested we take over the family guest house and since then Ti and I have put all our energy and love into Zazen, welcoming guests on holiday to discover the beautiful island of Koh Samui and the friendliness of its inhabitants.

I hope that Ti and I will be able to welcome you soon to our home and that you too will fall in love with Zazen and Koh Samui.

Dont hesitate to contact me at alexander@samuizazen.com , I would be happy to answer your mail.