by Dr. Iain
Corness
One
of the partners in the new “Oo-Kao-Oo-Nam” Restaurant in Chaiyapruek
Road in Jomtien is Pichet Settura. He is a mild mannered young man, and
nobody would know that he was a World Champion Jet Ski racer, other than
the coming generations of jet ski enthusiasts who know Pichet through his
other business - jet skis!
He was born in Chachoengsao, the third of four children
raised by a simple farmer and his wife. This was not a silver spoon
childhood, but one of simple tastes and hard work. He went to government
schools and I asked him whether he was a good student. “OK! I just
passed,” he said with a big smile.
He was 15 years old when he finished school, but at
least he did know what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a mechanic and
enrolled in vocational school for a five year apprenticeship. Part of that
training included work experience and he was taken on by Thai Kawasaki in
Samut Prakan. This was a serendipitous decision that was to later take him
all over the world, though neither Pichet (or Kawasaki) was to know it at
the time.
One
local project that Kawasaki initiated was jet skis. These were imported
from Japan and Pichet, who showed an aptitude in modifications, was made
responsible for the engines and the testing. Fortunately Kawasaki had a
canal beside the factory, and young Pichet could always find a reason to
take one out for testing. “When I played on the jet skis it was so much
fun,” he said. “On the hot days, out in the cool water, it was just
nice to relax.” Kawasaki then formed their own jet ski team as well, and
naturally the chief tester (and the man with more hours on the water than
anyone else) was in the team.
His expertise and ability became known outside the
canals of Kawasaki and he was soon approached by a well-to-do businessman
and given the offer of a job looking after his cars - and his jet skis!
For this young man, from a simple agricultural background, it was almost
too good to be true. Every day, for two to three hours, he could be seen
on the lake behind Bangna, tuning up his employer’s jet skis and power
boats. Not only were the engines kept in top notch, but the rider was
gaining more experience.
That experience, both in race preparation and personal
fitness and skills was to play a major part in his public life, as by the
time he was 26 years old he had pulled off not only the Thailand Jet Ski
championship, but the Power Boat championship as well.
I asked Pichet what it was like to win the championship
that first time in 1990. “I was very proud. I did it all by myself - the
preparation and the engine. It was more than just being the ‘winner’.
I upgraded the engine myself. It was great personal satisfaction.”
After 10 years in Bangkok, Pichet wanted to come closer
to the sea, and to become his own boss. The natural business venture for
the jet ski champion was to be in jet ski sales, repairs and rental, and
the natural place for this business was Jomtien.
Every day he was able to practice two to three hours,
while ostensibly watching his rental ski business. Every year he entered
the Thailand Championships and almost every year he was a winner. He was
invited to compete in the World Championships in Arizona in the USA and
was a finalist in 1995, 1997, 1999, but the major prize eluded him.
However, he was not ready to give up. More practice in
the waves off Jomtien finally brought his rewards in the year 2000, being
crowned World Champion in the Expert Runabout 1200 class. By this stage he
was 37 years old, an age at which most other jet ski competitors would
have given up. He did return to the World Championship twice more after
that, going up into the more expensive classes, and while he was a
finalist, the top step of the podium was beyond his reach - both
financially and physically. “The sport is for a young man,” said
Pichet. “I can still lead for the first five laps, but the races are
over ten,” he said and laughed.
Two years ago he moved his jet ski business to
Chaiyapruek Road as he needed larger premises, but this was not to be his
only business. His customers would come down from Bangkok and they would
look for somewhere they could sit down, have a meal, review the day’s
skiing and have a few beers. That was the seed for the idea of a
restaurant and bar business. His lady’s family owned the land opposite,
and just as he used to watch over the jet ski rental, he decided he could
watch over the building of a restaurant just as easily. Well that was the
plan, but now the restaurant and the jet ski business is turning into a
full-time job. The time available for his own personal jet skiing has
almost gone.
However, he has another two interests in the jet ski
competitions - his two sons (from a previous marriage). He goes out with
his 13 and 19 year olds as often as he can, and wants to see both of them
follow their father on to the top step of the world championship podiums.
This is not a pipe-dream, as both of them have already made their mark in
various Thai championship classes. As Pichet himself admitted, the sport
is for men younger than himself. Who better to add another world
championship cup to the family cupboard than his own two boys?
While Pichet is undoubtedly proud (and justifiably so) of his sporting
achievements, he presents that typical Thai humility (similar to the
tennis star Paradorn) that makes you humble too. But now I can say I have
lunched with a world champion!
