In 2021, the Kamalaya resort in Koh Samui was acquired by billionaire Chakrit Sakunkrit.
The secluded Thai retreat has since been transformed right into a luxury health spa, complete with monk’s cave, sleek villas and plunge pools.
It has welcomed the wealthy and famous, from Kylie Minogue to Sarah Ferguson.
But its owner, Mr Sakunkrit – also referred to as Christopher Harborne – has also poured his wealth into influencing politics 1000’s of miles away.
Mr Harborne has financed Reform UK and its predecessor, the Brexit Party, to the tune of greater than £22million since 2019.
This included a record-breaking £9million payout last August.
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The 63-year-old made his fortune as an early investor in cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. He also has a stake in Tether.
The Sunday Times Wealthy List ranks him as Britain’s sixth-wealthiest man, with an estimated net price of £18.2billion.
His bankrolling of Nigel Farage’s party got here to a head after it emerged that he had given the politician a £5million gift in 2024.
Mr Farage has given different explanations for the massive sum of cash, on one occasion saying it was needed to pay for his personal security, before then suggesting it was an ‘unconditional’ reward for campaigning for Brexit, a cause supported by Mr Harborne.
The Reform UK leader has himself visited Mr Harborne’s Thai paradise and was pictured on the crypto billionaire’s sixtieth birthday celebrations in 2022.
The resort’s website says Mr Harborne purchased the retreat as a ‘philanthropic investment’.
Its founders, John and Karina Stewart, exited the business completely in 2024, citing incompatibility with Mr Harborne’s philosophy, the Mirror reported.
The spa now promotes traditional healing methods, while discouraging modern distractions equivalent to cell phone use.
Guests in search of ‘parasympathetic rest and reset’ or ’emotional upliftment’ pays £172.39 for a private fire ceremony lasting 75 minutes.
There are also one-hour private spiritual guidance sessions costing £131.56.
One-on-one mantra chanting can also be offered at £63.51 for a 30-minute session.
Accommodation on site also comes at a staggeringly high price, at £941 per night for a penthouse suite with a non-public plunge pool.
Guests are treated to a Chinese and Indian inspired offering on the resort’s restaurant, tea lounge, and cafe.
The menu will be personally tailored and focuses on healthy ingredients, equivalent to the usage of stevia as a sweetener as an alternative of sugar.
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