Interview with Mr. Krittawit Thongnarong (Ball), Catch Beach Club Bar Manager, Twinpalms, Phuket, Thailand

What do you do and how did you get into the industry? 

Bar keeping is an exciting, creative and challenging job. There are always new things to learn and observe. I joined Catch Beach Club in August 2008, and have grown with Catch from bartender, bar supervisor to bar manager.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

The first time we orgainzed the White Party at Catch Beach Club in 2008 we estimated about 500 people would join the event, but… it turned out to have 1,500 to 2,000 coming from everywhere on and off the island! That was one of the best working memeries to me. Now every year we host THE White Party, and the number of guests keep on increasing. The lastest one had around 3,000 people. This year, we are expecting to have an even bigger one!

What’s the best/ worst part of your job? 

The best part is the passion for this work and always having something I may learn about. My team and I were sent abroad a couple of times to observe successful bar businesses and bring inspirations back to work.

The working ambience is another reason which makes me love my job. When I work, I am surrounded by professional co-workers, international DJs, performance artists and also my happy guests. Now, my sixth year at Catch, what I am heading for is to have all my team to be the best bartenders.

What’s your personal favourite drink at Catch Beach Club?

Personally I prefer strong flavors like Long Island Ice Tea.

The perfect day off would be… 

Hanging out with friends and visiting Phuket town sometimes.

A life in the day of a bar manager is… 

My working day starts in the afternoon around 4.00pm. Firstly I will check the weather forcast. It is an essential thing for beach club operations. Then I will check beverage and bookings. Before dinner preparation, I will brief the team. Until 10.00pm, I will help set the preparation on clubbing. Normally I finish my day after midnight.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about the drinks prepared at Catch Beach Club? 

I would say Flaming Lamborghini Cocktail is a good mix of spirits: Blue Curacao, Baileys, Kahlua and Sambuca, layer by layer, flaming up, just like the fire symbol of Catch Beach Club. The most exciting part to me is flaming the Sambuca from top of bottle to the martini glass.

How do you select your ingredients and why? 

The whole management team work together to select ingredients, and quality is always the top concern.

What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months? 

We will have fun guest DJ parties. Also from June 14th until September this year, we will have the Moet Ice Lunch Party. It is the very first one in Southeast Asia and will be an exclusive experience for our guests.