Representing the Best Real Estate in Phuket

THAILAND VOTED FAVOURITE SAILING VENUE IN ASIA

Phuket King’s Cup Regatta remains the most popular and is voted the best regatta in Asia

Phuket - Thailand was voted the favourite sailing venue in Asia and the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta best regatta in Asia, according to a recent survey. The survey found also that the Regatta generated approximately 40 million baht for the Island’s economy during the 2009 event.

The Sailing survey was conducted by the Top of The Gulf Regatta (www.topofthegulfregatta.com) in co-operation with the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (www.kingscup.com), with the aim to find out sailing trends and provide useful information in helping to attract more sailors to Thailand.

Phuket King’s Cup this year attracted 111 boats, approximately 1,000 registered sailors of 33 different nationalities from all corners of the globe. The survey found that over 30% of the sailors who participated in the 23rd Phuket King’s Cup Regatta have been sailing in Thailand for more than 10 years, while 20% are new – sailing in Thailand for 1-3 years.

The survey found that Thailand is a popular sailing destination with international sailors, with many returning numerous times to enjoy the cruising grounds and sailing events Thailand has to offer. 56% said that the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is their favourite regatta in Asia while 71% said that Thailand, with the main sailing areas being Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, is the best sailing venue in Asia due to an ideal geography, good weather conditions and beautiful scenery.

31% of the surveys were sailors who have been sailing in Asia for more than 10 years, with 27% newcomers (having sailed in Asia for only 1-3 years) and 15% having sailed in Asia for 4-6 years.

Asia has long been a popular sailing region with residents and expatriates. This was reinforced recently with the confirmation of an Asian series of the popular European Extreme 40 Sailing Series. More recently, there has been confirmation of Hong Kong being part of the Louis Vuitton Series in 2010. Such events bring the world’s attention on Asia as a leading sailing destination.

When asked how they found out about regatta’s/sailing events in Asia, 50% said ‘Friend/ Sailing community’, followed by 38% who said “specific event website.”

One of the aims of the survey was to find out what kind of people, and from where, attend the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, and approximately how much money does the event generate for the Island economy. It was found that participants in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta are truly international with 35% from Australia and New Zealand, 30% from Europe, 27% from Asia with strong participation from USA, Canada and Russia, amongst others.

ARRIVALS INCREASE WITH ADDITIONAL AIR SERVICES FROM AUSTRALIA, SINGAPORE

Phuket is already most popular island destination in Thailand, and very soon, it could be giving Bangkok a run for its money as the top destination in the entire country. At least as far as Australians are concerned.

Last month, Pacific Blue started with direct flights to Phuket from Perth. On the 3^rd of December, V Australia joined started with non-stop flights from Melbourne. Next week, Jetstar puts on two more flights per week from Sydney, bringing the carrier’s total number of flights to five per week during the busy months of December and January.

“Phuket is a favorite international holiday destination for Australians”, according to Simon Westaway, Jetstar’s Head of Corporate Relations. “The people are gracious and friendly, the food is reasonably priced, the accommodations are wide ranging and, of course, the beaches are second to none. Adding an additional Saturday and Sunday service makes it all the more accessible.”

Jetstar isn’t stopping with Sydney, either. From Dec. 15, Jetstar Asia starts with a twice-daily service from Singapore - services that will connect through to Jetstar’s existing daily Perth-Singapore service.

Statistics released in October by leading hotel booking website Wotif.com show that there is an abundance of interest in Phuket. Australians are leading the way. In 2004, the island was far down the list of preferred overseas destinations. Last year, it ranked ninth, ahead of Fiji, Paris, Dublin and Rome.

“I’m not surprised these airlines have commenced direct service to Phuket,” said Craig Fong, director of sales and marketing for Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket, site of the inaugural Asia Connect Thailand regional hospitality conference last week. “I think they all would have started sooner if not for global economic crisis and domestic political issues last year, which carried forward into this year.”

“However, the situation is much more stable and you can see demand is returning to pre-crisis levels. With direct service at the ‘right’ price point now too, Phuket is poised to realize big gains.”

Traditionally, Phuket’s hotels have relied on major tour wholesalers for their Australian business. But given the expected influx of travelers from Down Under, even that may change soon. In fact, some Phuket properties are already beginning to develop strategies to shift some of the business direct to the property.

“The online channel represents a substantial opportunity moving forward but you can’t underscore enough the resilience and influence of the major wholesalers,” said Fong. “We will continue to work closely with them while concentrating on delivering the best holiday experience we can for each type of guest.”

PHUKET JETSTAR BOOSTS SINGAPORE, SYDNEY FLIGHTS

Jetstar announced an extra double-daily flight between Phuket and Singapore last Tuesday the 8^th of December and forecast that the ”amazing” uptake in future services will continue.
Jetstar Asia Singapore-based head of commercial, Leslie Ng, said bookings on most routes were already approaching 80 percent between now and Chinese New Year, which falls on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

The double-daily flights to Singapore begin on December 15, when the present three-times-weekly flights between Phuket and Sydney also jump to five-times weekly.
Coupled with the increased flight numbers comes the capacity of travelers from Europe to link to Phuket via Singapore. Business visitors to the region also now had the opportunity to make day-trips to the island.

”This is not aimed at Singapore people, but at the whole world,” Mr Ng said. ”By doubling the flights from Singapore to Phuket we are giving people an alternative to flights through Bangkok.”

Flights from Singapore to China and from Singapore to Chiang Mai are also being contemplated.

Dynamic fares between Phuket and Singapore bounce around the 800 baht one-way mark (plus airport tax), with Phuket-Sydney around 18,390 baht one-way.

Jetstar is offering carry-on luggage limits of up to 10 kilos and 20 kilos for baggage, plus no charge for booking a specific seat, to boost its competitive edge on the Phuket-Singapore route.

”We will cut the price by 10 percent to anyone who finds a cheaper flight on another airline between Singapore and Phuket,” Mr. Ng added. 

Source: Pkuketwan.com

PHUKET CARNIVAL AT PATONG FROM DECEMBER 15 TILL DECEMBER 20

Phuket Carnival will be frothier and bursting with good cheer this year as Chang boosts the budget spend to 40 million baht.
For that kind of money, Patong gets five days of fun from December 15-20, with two parades and daily performances for tourists and residents.
Full name ‘2009 Phuket Carnival at Patong’ this year is divided into three zones.
At Loma Park there will be booths for one-village-one-product (OTOP) sales, with the main stages in Loma Park and the football park opposite.
The third zone is in Soi Bangla, with dancing shows from Isan, Bangkok, northern and southern Thailand.
Patong Mayor Pian Keesin told that the carnival is coming later this year to avoid the rainy season.
”About 20 Patong groups, including the jet-ski group and the tuk-tuk group, will join in the events,” he said. He expects about 100,000 people to attend over the five days.
A few days later, on December 26, a more solemn tone will be taken as Phuket and the Andaman region mark the fifth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami. 

Source: Phuketwan

AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLERS WANT TO GO WHERE THEIR CURRENCY IS KING

The Asia-Pacific dominates the top-10 bargain buys, for cheap airfares and hotels.

Fiji, Bali, Bangkok and Shanghai lead the cheap destinations, says travel website Wego.

Singapore, New Zealand and the US are next on the thrifty leader board, with Phuket, Canada and Tokyo rounding out the affordability champions.

Free massages, bar tabs and restaurant meals are being thrown at Australian jet-setters by clever resort operators.

Some are offering up to 40-50% discount.

Two factors are giving the Australian tourists their cheapest holidays in 25 years: a beefed-up dollar and credit crunch discounts.

One Australian dollar today buys about 91 US cents. Last year’s records aside, that the best rate for 20 years.

One Australian dollar buys 56 British pence. This is the best rate for 25 years. And one dollar buys about 7.08 Hong Kong dollars, one of the best rates for 25 years.

Fiji hotel prices and flights make it the best overseas destination for the Australian traveller.

Four-star hotels are also cheap in Canada, the US and Shanghai.

Shoppers wanting to get the most from their dollar should go to New Zealand and Bangkok.

THE PHUKET REAL ESTATE MARKET OUTLOOK FOR 2010 IS LOOKING POSITIVE

A trend that we are seeing lately is that developers are trying to simplify their offerings. In the case of this particular development, this can be seen with the project focused on 45-60sqm one-bedroom and 55 to 70 sqm two-bedroom offerings. A few penthouse units will also be available. These will be featuring roof top terraces.
Because resort living is more aimed towards owners or tenants coming on holiday or only staying a short period of time, some extra attention needs to be given to the design. For resort style condominiums in Phuket and other types of resort style properties in Phuket, most developers are offering full resort facilities like you can find in four- and five-star hotels. Some also include upscale restaurants, with the management renting out the space to a reputable service provider. Other facilities like a sun deck, pool bar, a gym and room service are being offered as well. In terms of furnishings, there are usually several optional furniture packages available to choose from. This offers the buyers of real estate in Phuket the opportunity to have their units ready to move in at handover and getting rid of the headache the delivery of furniture can be.
When it comes down to the actual units, potential buyers are certainly interested in how their living space will look and feel.  It is very important to have fully furnished show units, giving the potential buyers get a very good idea of how their condominium in Phuket will actually look like.

In the resort market, there is a new condominium development in Phuket to hit the market soon and which will draw a lot of attention.
Situated in the heart of Patong, ‘The White House Condominiums’ is an exciting resort-style development of 215 high quality one- and two bedroom apartments for sale in Patong. The units measure from 44 sqm up to 111 sqm. Seven units will have direct access to the swimming pool from their balcony.
Jungceylon shopping centre, the nightlife and the beach are literally only a few minutes walk away. The development offers you full resort-style facilities such as a large free-form swimming pool, international restaurant, fitness centre, and a communal courtyard with a green zone and jogging track.

These Patong apartments will be a perfect choice for your home in Phuket. Buyers can expect a high return of investment due to the central location and quality of the development. In addition they will be able to choose to participate in the optional rental program. An optional furniture package will be offered for the buyers’ convenience and to those who wish to participate in the optional rental program.

‘The White House Condominiums’ will be professionally managed ensuring that all common areas will be maintained and looked after.

So for everyone who is looking for a great condominium in Patong which is set to generate good rental returns and capital growth, these Patong condominiums are certainly worth considering. You can find more info at www.thewhitehousecondominiums.com.

As for the villa market, the soon to be launched Grand Residences by Banyan Tree is a good example of a development of luxury villas in Phuket that will be carefully designed to meet the most up to date demands of buyers of high-end real estate in Phuket.
The development will consist of eighteen luxurious 4-5 bedroom villas located around a lagoon. Six properties will be released in phase one of the launch along with a show villa.
With all areas of the market picking up by the improved economic fundamentals, Phuket real estate developers who work hard to satisfy the buyer’s expectations and demands should find themselves in a good position for the year ahead.

FOREIGN DEMAND IN PHUKET SHOWS SIGNS OF RECOVERY

Since about two months now we see signs that foreign demand for real estate in Phuket is recovering.

Most enquiries are coming from potential buyers in European and Australian, where the exchange rates are very favorable at the moment.

The market for Phuket real estate started to improve at the beginning of the high season for tourists last month.

There are also a lot of enquiries for rentals of Phuket villas and rentals of Phuket apartments. As for sales, there is still a slight preference for resale units. But we see the confidence that the world economy is improving again as now many potential buyers seem to also consider off plan projects again.

Property developers and investors are also becoming more active and are showing interest in buying large plots of beachfront land for developing high-end Phuket villas, hotels and resorts.