Mr Suchart has been in the hospitality field all his working life, and will mark 40 years in the industry later this year.
“I studied hospitality in Hong Kong, but as soon as I came back to Thailand I went to work with the Grace hotel chain. I started at the Grace Hotel in Bangkok in 1973,” said Mr Suchart.
“I worked in reception originally, and gradually worked my way up, I also worked at a Pattaya branch.”
But it is in Phuket that Mr Suchart believes he has had the most impact – on both the Grace Hotel chain and on the province’s tourism, for which he has been a sort of guardian, in his role as President of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) Southern Chapter.
“It’s not just about numbers, it’s about quality. We don’t want to end up like Pattaya,” begins Mr Suchart, talking about his mission to reduce tourist numbers and improve the quality of visitor.
He believes that the way of doing this is by resisting greed, for the good of the island, “We have to agree with travel agents not to sell cheap tours.”
He added that in order to justify the price increases, Phuket also needed to upgrade the level of service so that it is in line with the higher price point.
Also key to the success and longevity of Phuket as a major holiday destination is tourist safety.
It’s very important,” says Mr Suchart, “This is why we have committees. It’s our duty [as hoteliers] to take care of tourists.”
One of the main duties of the THA is to liaise with the different governing bodies, from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to the Tourism Convention Meeting group, to police and politicians.
“We need to keep on pushing for government help,” Mr Suchart says.
For example, he would like to see increased CCTV camera coverage in Patong, “There should be CCTV footage at all hotels in Patong that can be viewed by police.
“Almost all of the hotels [around 200] in the THA have CCTV, but there are many in Patong who are not members of the THA and few of those have CCTV.”
But in general Mr Suchart believes that Patong, where Graceland is located, is still rather a safe place and that it is the actions of a few that is ruining the perception of Phuket for many.
“I’ve been in Phuket for 10 years and been with Graceland every step of the way,” says Mr Suchart.
“It was ready to open, just before the tsunami, and actually the tsunami delayed the opening because it damaged a lot of the furniture and downstairs area.”
However, the resort has been successful ever since. So what is the secret?
“Well it’s the location,” says Mr Suchart, with a wave of his hand to encompass the stunning sea views.
“Patong is the most popular area in Phuket and our hotel is in a very special place that offers much more [to tourists] than just Bangla Road.
“There are not as many Patong-esque noises in Graceland as in other hotels, no vendors outside, hawkers or many tuk-tuk drivers. I’ve told the tuk-tuk drivers that they don’t need to pay me anything to have their tuk-tuks outside, I just want them to be fair and give good rates to the tourists.”
The name of his hotel might not have any connection with Elvis, but there’s no doubting Mr Suchart is the king of Graceland.