This energetic Lao native, but French Hotelier is known to all his guests, colleagues and staff as a most charming and respectable person, and to his family and friends as the sweetest and coolest person. Somock Inthavong, was born in Vientiane to the prestigious Inthavong family and grew up in the south of France. He returned to his hometown to get his Baccalaureat at the “Lycée de Vientiane”. Then he pursued further studies at the university in Aix-En-Provence, France and also graduated with a 4-year degree diploma from Lausanne Hotel Management School in Switzerland.
Since he was a kid, he always wanted to travel and discover the world and it’s fortunate that his career as an hotelier allowed him to fulfill his dreams. Besides France, Switzerland and Italy, he’s also worked during most of his career life with the Four Seasons group (for 13 years) in the United States (Portland and San Francisco), Singapore, Jakarta, Bali and Thailand. Recently, for the past 2 and a half years, he’s been working as General Manager (or “guru”) at the five-star D2 Hotel Chiang Mai, the first modern lifestyle hotel of the Dusit Group
haha these HISO magazines that celebrate the rich Lao are so funny. Yeah he is cool alright. haha. But he is not a Lao guy. He is very European. Its not cool to be Lao according to this way of thinking.
The rich lao families are all half french. Very old families that used to be courtiers to the king, supported the French regime and got rich off American aid money in the 50s and 60s. They have many strings, thats why they are rich. The Inthavong's must be worth a few hundred million dollars. They own that stupid derelict building next to Nam Phu fountain, the old French cultural centre (?). The reason it is not renovated is coz the Inthavong family members are fighting over who owns it. So, only the bottom floor gets used by miss Lao-French Fashion vientiane. Its so stupid. This building is in the perfect position to be a hotel or a shopping centre or something to help society, but this family are too greedy and fight among themselves.
To be a cooll Lao guy, He must be able to speak Lao fluently (like me) Otherwise, he will miss out from being the coolest Lao guy 2007. I want to dominate myself for this award...