The Yacht Haven Marina Phuket is continuing their expansion program with sixteen new superyacht facilities coming on stream in early 2015.
By January of next year the addition of attenuating docks and three new finger pontoons will easily allow sixteen 50 meters vessels and can also accommodate superyachts over 100 meters.
Phuket's extensive marina sector is a key demand generator for the luxury tourism and property sectors.
Yacht Haven is continuing on developing further components back of an updated master plan.
Noted developer Laguna Phuket is bringing nineteen new 5-bedroom luxury villas to the property market.
Named the Banyan Tree Grand Residences, the living area has been upsized from previous offerings to over 760 square meters.
Pricing starts from THB101 million.
The project is targeting end users who wish to live in the estate and classified as primary residential.
It's location is adjacent to the Banyan Tree Double Pool Villas.
Koh Samui's Beach Republic group has launched a second real estate offering with the new Azur project.
Offering both apartment and villas the master planned development is located on a hillside section of land above Mae Nam.
Currently the plan has 26 private pool villas and 35 resort apartments.
Beach Republic will be providing both management and rental pool operations to the estate.
Pricing for apartments is just under USD60,000 and villas from USD455,000.
Developer financing is available subject to terms.
One of the developers of the successful luxury Sai Taan pool villas estate at the entrance of Laguna, is promoting a new project in the Cherngtalay Area.
Doug Ferguson and this team has brought the Trichada Villas to the market.
Featuring 24 properties in two and three bedroom configurations with a contemporary open plan design the initial phase of the project is now well underway.
Price points for Phase 1 range from THB11-15 million.
Knight Frank will be providing estate common area management and local firm AYS for rentals.
Those connected with the Sai Taan project were able to demonstrate a wide range of success with 75 villas completed in various phases.
Want to know what is next for Phuket. The following is an article I penned in the Bankgok Post on December 10th which is published with permission.
Phuket is an island in transition. Once the golden child of Thailand's tourism industry, where a select coterie of high-end, long-stay travelers used to visit year in and year out, the island today is a place where the times are definitely changing.
That's not to say the ''Monaco of the East" still does not have pulling power.
Private jet arrivals are up, new superyacht berths are being created to cater to high rollers from around the world, and US$10-million villas are sought-after commodities to add to global investment portfolios.
The tourism scene, however, is a bit different. The mass market has moved in and looks as though it is here to stay.
China and Russia dominate arrivals, although in many ways this is a good thing, as it is shoring up numbers following the Great Beach Clearance
of2014 courtesy of the new military regime.
For some visitors coming to Phuket this high season, the prospect of vast, empty oceanfront stretches is going to come as a shock to the system. The post-coup clean-up was aimed mainly at the island's notorious taxi mafia and the booming beach commerce of sun loungers for rent on public land. Caught up in the crossfire were stylish beach clubs, decades-old restaurants and vendors. No one was spared under the soldiers' new "change for good" policy.
For Phuket's tourism industry, a prime economic mover on a national scale, the jury remains out on the impact of the changes. International arrivals have risen since 2009 but remain markedly weak.
since the events of May this year. Hotel occupancy as of mid-year was down for the first time in five years, though it was a pretty soft landing at 72%. June was tough with the nationwide curfew, but arrivals have crept along since then.
The only bright spot has been the upturn in direct flights from emerging markets – chiefly those saviours from China and Russia, who accounted for 47% of all international travelers to Phuket from June 2013 to June 2014.
The reliance on two markets for this amount of business could be risky for a destination formerly happily reliant on a mixed basket of euros and dollars.
Tourism across Asia has been thriving from the emergence of low-cost airlines and a rising consumer class. Double-digit growth has been the norm, and little attention is being paid to the issue of quantity versus quality.
Phuket's prospects now depend on two main feeders: the volume mass-travel segment and the legacy European snowbirds – and the two have entirely different demand drivers. For the latter, a holiday is all about days spent at the beach and lying in a sun lounger. The former are looking for attractions and shopping.
It's easy to say Phuket is no longer entirely about the beach, but what about its large high-season core visitor base that wants beach-type facilities? For local hotels, the future remains unclear, given the lack of transparency or a public agenda about what will happen to beach areas.
Speculation has run rampant about possible options such as concessions in some areas for sun loungers and commerce, but nothing is confirmed.
There has been a lot of debate about Phuket's brand identity- North-South, high-end or mass tourism. But it may be too late to try to revive the quality versus quantity approach. The supply of licensed accommodation will surpass 50,000 rooms over the next two years.
Add in the growing element of unlicensed condominiums and villas for rent and a steadily growing development pipeline, and the reality is Phuket is now an urban resort destination rather than a small idyllic island.
The statistics don't always show the whole picture either. The Tourism Authority of Thailand claims more than 10 million visitors to Phuket last year compared with the 5.4 million arrivals counted by Airports of Thailand.
So what does count? What is clear is there is a lack of identity for the island.
Phuket's growth has surprised everyone, but the question is can it cater to everyone? Add to that the volatility on the horizon. The Russian rouble is down, and the geopolitical situation is anything but stable. So where does that leave the golden child of Thai tourism? Mass tourism is the new reality, and it presents challenges. But it also offers opportunities to reinvent the destination with its new reality. It's a big island, and it does not necessarily have to be inclusive for everyone. Segmentation and specialisation may be the new watchwords.
But for those looking to find some shade on a sun lounger, this may now mean a towel on the beach-and a retro experience of 25 years past. Now, that may get the European snowbirds back on board.
Malaysia's mega infrastructure projects are starting to stack up.
From entertainment attractions like Lego Land to the mass township and education facilities at Islandar.
And of course the word class residential and marina facilities at the Desaru Coast.
Then there is Pinewood Iskandar Malasyia Studios who are contining to become a talent base with pre and post-production facilities and an expanding media presence.
Thailand has its work cut out given all that's happening over the border.
While Thailand looks to usher in a new property tax regime next year, subject to cabinet approval, foreign residents are anxiously watching the upcoming inheritance tax regime.
Still in the draft stages, the bill includes foreigners who are domiciled in the country for three years.
There is a waiver though for the surviving spouse after a husband or wife passes away, but children would not be exempt.
As it stands the tax would stand at 10% for amounts over THB50 million.Though the tax code in the opinion of most needs revision, expatriates have expressed concerns over the revisions coming in the FBA (Foreign Business Act) and now the inheritance issue has surfaced.
One of Phuket's leading luxury developments – Andara Villas and Andara Signature has named Lyndon Phillips as Director of Sales.
Phillips formerly headed real estate firm Tranquility RE and prior to that did a term at Laguna Phuket/Banyan Tree.
A new model units was recently completed at the ultra luxury Andara Signature project.
Leading Thai developer Charn Issara is set to roll out a new luxury branded residence project named Baba Beach Club just over the bridge in Natai Phang Nga.
Set on 42 rai the project features a series of private beachfront villas and also hotel suites set in one bedroom pool aspect and two bedroom penthouse configurations.
The associated Sri Panwa management group will operate the hospitality element of the property.
Wan Issara and his teams has successfully established an upscale presence on the island over the past few years and are looking to expand their presence into Greater Phuket.
Natai which already features some of the most expensive resort villas in Asia, is notable for the world class Iniala Beach House and Aleenta resort.
As luxury development sites in Phuket become more scarce expect to see new movement in Natai and north in the very near future with both hospitality and real estate projects.
