Pleasure Doing Business: Thai-Rific Orchids

On the busiest street of Gulfport lies a floral oasis that will make customers feel as though they're half-way across the world.

on Gulfport Boulevard specializes in home furnishings from Thailand, as well as orchids and floral arrangements.

The owners, Pravit and Wimala Silavutiset, prefer to go by their nicknames of Pete and Pandy. They started up Thai-Rific about 12 years ago.

Pete and Pandy moved to America around 38 years ago and first located in Chicago.

“We moved down to Gulfport 19 years ago. It was just too cold in Chicago,” Pandy said.

Pandy, who always liked the furnishings of her home country of Thailand, wanted to start up a store to deal with many of the things that she couldn't find in the states.

“Most all of our items are imported from Thailand and picked out by me,” Pandy said.

Starting out, the store was called Thai-Rific Gifts and Home Décor and they only sold gifts and home décor, as well as the fresh cut orchids from Thailand and plants in the nursery in the back, Pandy said.

“A couple of people would come in and ask if we had corsages and I'd tell them no. After that, I thought why not? We have the material, why dont we do it?” Pandy said.

Currently, wedding arrangements of orchids and other flowers bring in most of the income at That-Rific, Pandy said.

Though Pete and Pandy both co-own Thai-Rific, they try to split up responsibilities. Pete ends up doing a lot of the paperwork and Pandy does much of the day-to-day business.

“I like to create and can't sit still for five minutes. I always have to find something to do,” Pandy said.

Since Thai-Rific is run as a family business, Pete and Pandy are looking to cut back on the business and sell the floral arrangement side of the store, Pandy said.

“My daughter has moved to Chicago and my son has plans for his own business. It would be like two full-time jobs to run both sides anymore,” Pandy said.

Finding time to run both sides of the business isn't helped by the fact that Pete has been having health issues as of late, Pandy said.

The floral arrangement side of the business is very popular and the name Thai-Rific, which new owners could keep, brings with it a lot of credibility in the Tampa Bay area, Pandy said.

“We're always very busy for weddings. Last year, we did 125 weddings.”

Thai-Rific Orchids is open from 10a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

People who may be interested in purchasing the floral arrangement side of Thai-Rific Orchids are encouraged to get in contact with Pandy.