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High-tech water park to make splash [Bangkok Post, Thailand :: ](Bangkok Post (Thailand) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 23--Amazon Falls Co plans to promote Pattaya as a global tourist attraction with the launch of what it bills as the world's first Cartoon Network-themed water park. Cartoon Network Amazone in Chon Buri near Pattaya is spending tens of millions of baht on advanced information and communications technology to build an innovative entertainment service and let visitors enjoy an interactive experience with the park facilities. The system aims to create varied experiences to attract Thai and foreign visitors. Thailand's Cartoon Network Amazone will compete with Singapore's Universal Studios, Malaysia's Legoland and Hong Kong's Disneyland. The 1-billion-baht Cartoon Network Amazone sits on 5.7 hectares in tambon Bang Saray near Pattaya. Attractions in 10 themed entertainment zones include wave pools, speed-racing slides and family raft rides. "If the themed water park in Thailand is successful, we will expand to build a new park in other Southeast Asian countries," said Liakat Dhanji, founder and chief executive of Amazon Falls, the developer and operator of Cartoon Network Amazone under a licence from Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific. Amazon Falls was inspired to build the park by the popularity of Cartoon Network, which reaches 75 million households in Asia-Pacific. Cartoon Network has the highest rating among international kids' channels in Thailand and six other countries in the region. The water park will have a soft opening on July 31 and be fully up and running by November. Management expects to attract 1 million visitors in the first year of operations and break even within a decade. Amazon Falls plans to develop a hotel and retail area in the park's second phase. The park will create 10,000 jobs. The company selected Dell as the technology supplier to support back-end systems like data centres and an Australian software firm for water park management at the front end. Radio-frequency identification wristbands will be used for the cashless payment system, while 10 augmented-reality hubs in the park can connect to Facebook. Amazone will also use sensors to detect riders when they slide to the end of water features to cue the release of the next customer on the slide. Cartoon Network Amazone is the first water park to make full use of an IP network with audio, saving the significant cost of multiple wire networks, said Anothai Wettayakorn, managing director of Dell Corporation (Thailand), the park's IT supplier. Dell supplies information infrastructure for the park's data centre, covering servers, storage, computer networking and security appliances. In the future, the park will use various types of sensors around the area, generating Internet of Things data for gaining information about customer behaviour in each zone. "Media and entertainment have seen high growth thanks to the construction of new water parks and the transition from analogue to digital TV, which has led Dell Thailand's revenue growth from single to double digits," Mr Anothai said. The healthcare, retail, telecom, education and SME sectors are continuing IT spending in the second half, paving the way for an industry rebound. ___ (c)2014 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at www.bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |