Two members of the Thai national swim team are currently training at the Thalang facilities in the run-up to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Championships in June.
But Thanyapura's head swimming coach, Randy Simon, says the long-range goal is to get both Tanakrit 'Nok' Kittiya and Peerapart 'Tatar' Chaanchumrat into the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“They have the potential, they train really hard, harder than a lot of swimmers that I've worked with,” says Simon.
“They put the work in, and as a coach that's the kind of swimmer you dream about working with.”
Captain of the Thai national swim team, Bangkok-native Tatar has been swimming since the age of 7. Now 18-years-old, he has won medals in several international competitions, including a bronze in December's SEA Games in the 4 x 100m relay.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Nok has reached qualifying times for the Youth Olympic Games, which take place later this year in China. Together with his sister and national swim teammate, Patrawadee, Nok won six medals at the 42nd Thailand National Games in Suphan Buri in January, two of which were gold.
As only the second athlete to join Thanyapura's Elite Junior Sport Academy (along with rising tennis star Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul), Nok will be based in Phuket as he trains for international competitions.
According to Simon, the aquatics programme has been working to help teach the local population how to swim, and the coach hopes that Nok's presence will spur on young kids and their parents to do just that.
“For the younger kids, when they see somebody they can relate to who is in the water and being successful, that does wonders,” says Simon.
“If we get the kids doing it, then as they get older we can get their mums and dads to do it too.”
To that end, the aquatics department already has a partnership with the Thalang-Wittaya School to teach children between 4 and 5 years-old how to swim, and hope to expand the programme to other schools next year.
In the meantime, the focus is on getting some of Thailand’s top young talent to the biggest tournaments in the world, something Simon feels is possible.
“Success almost comes automatic, you never take it for granted, but you know [Nok and Tatar] are going to achieve great things in their swimming careers.”