Surviving 9/1l made management consultant pivot to wellness

Mr Vorravit Siripark was in the World Trade Center in New York City when the Sept 11 terrorist attack struck in 2001.

- Amanda Chai Style Correspondent

Panpuri founder Vorravit Siripark at the brand's Takashimaya Shopping Centre store in Singapore. The store's interiors were inspired by the national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim. PHOTOS: PANPURI

(PHOTOS: PANPURI)

Then a 25-year-old management consultant with Deloitte, he had been working on a project for Morgan Stanley, which was the largest tenant in the building complex’s South Tower. After the first skyscraper, the North Tower, was hit, his team evacuated in time, but he still witnessed the chilling series of events.

“When you're 25, you always think there’s tomorrow. But 9/11 really changed that perspective of not putting off what you want till tomorrow,” recounts Bangkok-based Mr Vorravit in an interview with The Straits Times.

“And then the (2001 bioterrorism-related) anthrax attacks happened a month later, and I thought: I have to get out of New York.”

It was the push the Thailand-born wellness entrepreneur did not know he needed.

Today, Mr Vorravit is better known as the founder of Thai wellness brand Panpuri, which is often regarded as one of the country’s most successful luxury beauty exports. The company reported total sales of 579.7 million baht (S$23.3 million) in 2023 and 1.11 billion baht in 2024.

The 50-year-old was in town on Nov 12 for the grand opening of Panpuri’s first boutique in Singapore in Ngee Ann City.

A cocooning oasis of mauve and muted tones, the 40 sq m store named the Vanda Atelier was inspired by Singapore’s national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim.

Interactive scent displays let guests discover Panpuri’s range of fragrances, while orchid centrepieces crafted by botanical design studio Humid House add visual interest.