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Zire Wongamat and Unixx South Pattaya both on schedule
Zire Wongamat is advancing on
schedule and will be ready to welcome its residents in Q3 2014.
Thai listed property developer Raimon Land held an open
day last month to brief both the local and Bangkok media on the progress of
its two current ongoing projects in Pattaya.
 Simon
Derville, Deputy Vice President of Business Development, Raimon Land,
advises the media on progress at Zire Wongamat in north Pattaya.
Raimon Land was one of the first property companies to make a mark in
Pattaya, 10 years ago, with the launch of Northshore in Central Pattaya,
then, two years ago, the company completed Northpoint, a luxury residential
development located on Wongamat Beach.
On the back of the success of these first two developments in the seaside
resort, the company subsequently launched two further projects in the city,
Zire Wongamat, a neighbour to Northpoint, and Unixx South Pattaya.
Located along the exclusive beachfront neighbourhood of north Pattaya, Zire
Wongamat is scheduled for completion in Q3 2014 and Raimon Land expects to
see owners transferring to the property as early as September.
The topping-off ceremony, carried out in November 2013, marked the
completion of the structures of both Towers A and B and to date, the car
park building is also up, while the external hardscape and roadway works are
almost finished. With the occupation permit inspections now carried out, the
focus is on the details of the residential units themselves and the common
areas.
Sitting in front of the 2 main buildings are the beautifully designed
gardens, swimming pools and a fully landscaped beach frontage. The Glass
House, a long-time favourite among locals and tourists in Pattaya’s
gastronomic scene, will operate Zire Wongamat’s Beach Club in this common
area and will be open to public access as well as to residents of Zire.
Construction at Unixx South
Pattaya is progressing as scheduled, with the building now reaching Level
14.
Attapol Itthirattanakomol, owner of The Glass House,
commented: “This is truly the ideal site for our second restaurant in
Pattaya, because of its amazing location right next to the beach, offering
an ambiance that is difficult to match. We look forward to welcoming
visitors for a taste of our warm hospitality and famous cuisine.”
Raimon Land’s Deputy Vice President of Business Development, Simon Derville,
confirmed during the site visit that 90% of the Zire project’s 480 units
have already been sold, with local interest in the development being
particularly strong.
“We discovered that Thai buyers were predominantly attracted to the Zire
Wongamat compared to the Northpoint development next door,” said Simon. “The
units at Zire range in size from 38 to 185sqm and have a slightly smaller
floor-print than Northpoint. This seems to suit our Thai customers more as
they typically use their condominiums for weekend getaways and short stays.
In contrast we witnessed a lot of Europeans and North Americans buy into
Northpoint as they tend to stay in Pattaya for 2 or 3 months at a time. At
present I would say that approximately 70% of our customers at Zire have
been Thai.”
There are currently 42 units
still available at Zire Wongamat, with prices ranging from THB 10–15
million.
The 37-storey Tower B at Zire is already completely sold
out, however there are currently 42 units still available in the 54-storey
ocean facing Tower A, with prices ranging from THB 10 to THB 15 million, or
approx. THB 120,000 per sqm.
The second part of the site visit saw Raimon Land take the invited media on
a tour of its Unixx South Pattaya project located along Pratumnak Road where
construction is also advancing at a rapid rate. The lift core and main
structural works have now reached Levels 14 and 11 respectively while
mechanical and electrical first fix works are at Level 7, with second fix
works at Level 5. Sweeping views of the Gulf of Thailand, Jomtien and
Pattaya can now be appreciated from these heights.
Unixx South Pattaya comprises a single tower with two wings of 42 and 46
storeys respectively, featuring studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments,
ranging in size from 27 to 62sqm. With prices ranging from THB 2 to THB 5.8
million, Raimon Land says the 7-rai freehold property has been designed to
appeal to city-dwellers craving a weekend getaway, or small families looking
for a second home away from the city.
60% of the total available units have already been sold and the remaining
units are open to both local and foreign buyers. Construction for Unixx
South Pattaya is scheduled for completion in June 2016.
To ensure good working conditions for the 700 construction workers involved
in the project, Raimon Land and its contractor, Pre-Built, have jointly
set-up suitable living quarters approx. 9km from the Unixx South Pattaya
site.
“We have provided a family-friendly compound featuring a canteen, a
playground, a nursery, as well as a rest area. Our two companies are highly
committed to the comfort, health and safety of our workers,” explained Robin
Goh, Pre-Built Project Director.
With 50% of its total portfolio of ‘currently under-construction’ projects
being located in the seaside city, Simon Derville confirmed that Raimon Land
is committed to the Pattaya real estate market for the foreseeable future
but added that the company has no plans in place for any new projects here
in the short term.
“With beachfront land prices in Pattaya approaching astronomical levels, and
new government legislation enforcing a limit on how much you can build on
any given piece of land, we have decided to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach
before launching any further projects in Pattaya,” said the Raimon Land
executive. He did however confirm that Raimon Land’s next project launch
would almost certainly be in Bangkok and that the company was also keeping
an eye on the burgeoning Chiang Mai property market, which is rapidly
attracting the interests of a growing number of Chinese tourists and
investors.
For more information about Raimon Land projects, visit: www.raimonland.com.
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Centara extends footprint in Pattaya with 2 new hotels
A computer graphic shows the
pool area at the Centara Avenue Hotel. Centara Hotels & Resorts says it will
open two new hotels in Pattaya later this year.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open two new hotels in
Pattaya during the fourth quarter of 2014, bringing the company’s total
number of properties either in operation or under construction in the resort
city to eight.
 Thirayuth
Chirathivat - Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya is part of the company’s core four-star Hotels
& Resorts brand, while Centra Avenue Hotel Pattaya will be part of the
three-star value Centra brand. Both properties are located within the same
development in Central Pattaya, close to The Avenue shopping mall, and will
share management and facilities.
Centara is operating both of the properties under a management contract with
building owner, the Tulip Group.
A further phase of Tulip’s project includes apartments, which are planned to
be operated under the Centara Avenue Residence & Suites brand.
Centara Avenue Hotel will have 96 guestrooms, while Centra Avenue Hotel will
have 51 rooms.
“Pattaya is a destination of great importance and potential to us, and we
are delighted to announce the opening of two new hotels in the central
district of the city,” says Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer
of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“This is an ideal location for our core Hotels & Resorts brand, and we are
confident that our facilities and location will attract both international
and Thai guests.
Avenue Bistro will be one of a
number of F&B establishments at the Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya.
“We are also very proud of the fact that this new
development sees the introduction of our value Centra brand to Pattaya.
Centra was launched in Phuket’s Patong beach resort three years ago, and we
have since followed with two Centra hotels in Bangkok, one in Samui, and one
in Bali. The concept is proving a great success and we believe Pattaya is an
ideal destination for Centra.”
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya is Centara’s second four-star property in
Pattaya, with the other hotel, Centara Hotel Pattaya, also located in the
central district.
The hotel will offer a choice
of a king-size bed or two double beds in each room.
The Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya, Centara Boutique Collection
property is also set in central Pattaya, while the other four hotels are all
in the five-star Grand portfolio, and are strategically located across the
city, in Naklua, north Pattaya, Phratamnak Hill, and Jomtien. All of the
hotels are in operation except for the Centara Grand property at Jomtien,
which is under construction.
“The two new hotels give us a great strategic advantage in Pattaya,
extending our very popular four-star range and adding to this our
high-quality three-star value range,” says Chris Bailey, senior vice
president for sales and marketing at Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“We now have a broad spectrum of the large and diverse Pattaya market
covered, along with a very wide geographical spread.”
A medium-rise hotel set around an extensive freeform pool with waterslide
and sun loungers, Centara Avenue Hotel will feature flexibility in room
settings that includes the choice of a king-size bed or two double beds,
meaning that both couples and families will sleep in comfort.
Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya
–lobby area.
Avenue Bistro will serve buffets and a la carte, there
will be a coffee and bakery shop, and a fully equipped fitness centre.
Centra Avenue Hotel Pattaya will be set in an eight-storey wing of the
complex and have its own pool with Jacuzzi and a fitness centre at rooftop
level.
The guestrooms will all feature two double beds, for maximum flexibility in
accommodation.
Synagogue Restaurant will be located on the 2nd floor, and the hotel will
have its own bar.
Guestrooms in both hotels will include smart TV, DVD, minibar, bathroom with
shower, safety box, individual air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 47
deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist
destinations in the Kingdom. A further 20 resorts in the Maldives, Vietnam,
Bali, Shanghai, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Qatar, Laos and Oman brings
the present total to 67 properties.
Centara also operates three state-of-the-art convention centres in Bangkok,
and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the
other in Khon Kaen.
The latest Centara brand is named COSI Hotels, an affordable lifestyle brand
designed for travellers who predominantly make their bookings via the
internet and who want comfort and convenience at affordable prices; the
brand is under development with the first property due to open in 2016.
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Matrix wins prestigious real estate award
Matrix’s City Center Residence in Pattaya
received a Highly Commended award in the Best Residential Development
Thailand category.
 Local
property developer Matrix has received recognition for its City Center
Residence development in Pattaya by taking home a Highly Commended award at
the recent Asia Pacific Property Awards gala event held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Matrix Managing Director Miki Haim commented: “It is an honour to win a
prestigious International Property Award for the second year in a row at
this event. This being our first development in the heart of Pattaya, we
have designed City Center Residence to be the most beautiful resort style
condominium within the city. We are privileged that we have been
acknowledged for our hard work and design and we are sure that all of our
clients that have bought in CCR will be extremely happy to hear they will be
living in an award winning development.”
City Center Residence comprises three low-rise 8-storey buildings offering
800 fully furnished apartments, with units ranging from 28 sq. m. to 36 sq.
m. in studio, 1 and 2 bedroom formats. To complement the apartments there is
also a superb pool along with a professionally equipped gymnasium, full
reception and 24 hour, low profile, high security for peace of mind.
The development offers 800 fully furnished units
in a variety of sizes and configurations.
Stuart Shield, president of the International Property Awards, said, “It
never ceases to amaze me how competing companies from the Asia Pacific
region continue to raise the bar even higher every year. The commitment to
excellence they demonstrate in every aspect of their profession represents
the very essence of these awards.”
The judging panel for this year’s Asia Pacific Awards consisted of
approximately 70 professionals including Lord Caithness, Lord Best, Lord
Courtown, Fiona Nixon, Chairman of the Australian Institute of Architects;
Patrick Grove, Co-founder of IPGA Ltd; and Peter Bolton King, Residential
Professional Group Director at RICS.
Later this year in Dubai, the highest scoring winners from the Asia Pacific
Property Awards will compete against other winning companies from Europe,
Africa, Canada, the USA, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Arabia
to find the ultimate World’s Best in each category. The Asia Pacific region
has an enviable record of achievement at international level, having scooped
an unbeaten total of 18 World’s Best Awards in 2013.
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The Riviera receives full EIA approval,
construction work set to begin
David English of Cornerstone (left) and project
developer Winston Gale (right) pose for a photo after Cornerstone were
appointed by Riviera Group to manage construction of the 3.5 billion baht
development.
The Riviera Group recently announced that its luxury ‘The
Riviera’ condominium project at Wongamat Beach has now been granted official
EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) planning approval. With EIA permission
now received, the Riviera Group is looking to start construction by mid July
2014, with a scheduled completion date in 36 months.
The company has also announced that it has appointed Cornerstone Project
Management to oversee construction of the twin-tower high rise development,
with developer Winston Gale commenting: “Having worked successfully with the
Cornerstone team at ‘The Palm’ since 2012, we look forward to continuing on
now at The Riviera.”
‘The Riviera’ has now received
full EIA approval and construction work is expected to commence this month.
The 3.5 billion baht development, with 979 units, 2
towers of 40 and 43 stories and located in Pattaya’s prime residential area
of Wongamat, offers extensive facilities in-keeping with the concept of
“Glamorous Lifestyle, Ocean Dream.”
With the uniqueness of its luxurious showroom together with a 7-storey high
viewing platform, The Riviera has sold almost 80% of the project’s units in
only 8 months since launching. For more information, go to:
www.therivierapattaya.com.
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Myanmar hotel market set for
another record year in 2014
The first Hilton Hotel in
Myanmar is slated to open in Yangon later this year.
The hotel market in Yangon is set to continue its record
growth in 2014, following a 46 percent y-o-y increase in international
visitor arrivals in 2013, according to the latest report from property
management company JLL. Their findings indicate that occupancy for the
upscale and luxury segments increased from 45.8 percent in 2009 to a record
80 percent in 2013.
 Andrew
Langdon, Executive Vice President, Thailand and Indochina, JLL’s Hotels &
Hospitality Group.
The strong demand for international standard accommodation, which is
predominantly driven by visitors from Thailand, Japan, China and Korea, is
currently outpacing supply with less than a third of Yangon’s 9163 rooms
considered to fit the criteria of International Standard. Despite this,
there are signs that the imbalance is being addressed with 4,518 rooms
expected to enter the market in the next five years, of which 95 percent
will be international standard – more than doubling the supply in Yangon.
Andrew Langdon, Executive Vice President, Thailand and Indochina, JLL’s
Hotels & Hospitality Group commented, “Ever since Myanmar embarked on its
journey to democracy in 2011, Yangon has seen an incredible improvement in
hotel market performance as demand continues to outpace supply. Over the
past 12 months we’ve seen a number of International hotel operators,
including Accor and Hilton, take advantage of these conditions with key
projects slated to open later in the year.”
Along with the sharp rise for occupancy in upscale hotels, the RevPar also
dramatically increased, growing more than 7 times to USD 126 over the past
five years. Due to the increase of supply planned for 2014, occupancy is set
to remain stable at 80 percent throughout the year, while ADR is forecast to
be USD 173, up 10 percent from 2013.
Mr Langdon continued, “Recently unveiled plans from the Asia Development
Bank coupled with the expansion of the existing international airport and
the opening of a new airport near the city in 2018, means we don’t expect
any let up in the growth of tourist arrivals to Yangon. With the majority of
future supply concentrated towards upscale and luxury, this presents a
strong opportunity for the mid-scale brands where the market remains
relatively untapped.
“Looking beyond 2014, we expect occupancy to stabilise at current levels
while a continued increase in supply will see the ADR start to moderate. The
future remains bright for the Myanmar hotel market and opportunities await
for investors and operators who are willing to take them,” he concluded.
(Source: JLL)
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Foundation stone laid for
Bangkok’s Landmark Waterfront project
Country Group Development directors and
executives pose for a photo during the merit making and stone laying
ceremony for the Landmark Waterfront project in Bangkok, June 23.
Country Group Development (CGD) PCL recently held a
foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of its mixed-use
property, Landmark Waterfront, at its site located on Charoenkrung Road in
the Sathorn district of Bangkok.
The merit making and stone laying ceremony succeeded the THB 11.6 billion
financial framework agreement made with China’s EXIM Bank, funding the
company’s flagship project, and the joint venture agreement with Beijing
Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) as both partner and
main contractor.
Landmark Waterfront will consist of two luxury hotels and a 73-storey
branded residential tower, situated on an unprecedented 36 rai plot of land,
with the longest (350m) sweeping waterfront promenade along the Chao Phraya
River. The project has received both EIA and 39 thawi approvals and piling
work is already underway.
Landmark Waterfront will
include two luxury hotels and a 73-storey branded residential tower.
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Southpoint on the rise in south Pattaya
From left: Nigel Cornick, CEO of Kingdom
Property; Trever Antony, Development Director, Kingdom Property; Paul
Strachan of Pattaya Mail Media Group; and David Johnson, Managing Director
of Delivering Asia Communications, pose at the Southpoint construction site.
Construction at Kingdom Property’s Southpoint condominium development in the
Pratumnak area of Pattaya is currently moving forward bang on schedule, with
the 30-storey Residence tower now already reaching up to level 16. Led by
main contractor, Bouygues Thai, utilizing its modern construction techniques
and best practices, the project is rising into the resort city’s skyline at
the rate of over one level per week.
An artist’s rendering shows the completed
project.
Kingdom Property CEO Nigel Cornick commented during a recent site media
visit, “I’ve had personal experience of working alongside Bouygues Thai ever
since The Lakes project in 2003 and I can vouch for the quality of their
methods and procedures, from both a health & safety aspect and also with
regards to the speed at which they work and complete projects on time. It’s
something you would definitely notice if you were to walk around the
construction site here at Southpoint.
The media were also given a chance to visit the temporary camp where the
Southpoint construction workers live. These areas are normally off-limits
but it was evident that the 600-strong labour force was living in a
congenial environment, with communal bathing & cooking areas that were both
clean & hygienic.
Bouygues Thai utilizes the latest building
techniques to ensure quality and precision in the construction process.
Kingdom Property’s debut luxury development in Pattaya was launched around
May 2012 and construction was started approx. 12 months later. The project
is rising rapidly by the week and it is expected that the first tower will
be topped out by September this year, with completion of structural work on
the second 20-storey tower to follow in January 2015.
Unit fit-outs are already commencing on the lower floors, currently at level
4 and level 5 where air conditioning units are being installed, and the
exterior façade is expected to be 50% complete on the Residence tower by Q3
2014.
Despite the recent political events in Thailand, Southpoint sales have
remained steady says the Kingdom CEO.
“Sales at Southpoint have already reached about 67% of the total units
available and despite the last few months having not been so conducive to
attracting international investors, due to the political uncertainty in the
country, we are confident that the real estate market will pick up again as
we approach the high tourist season,” said Mr. Cornick.
“We saw a large amount of interest from Chinese investors up until about
October last year, and once things settle down here, from a political
standpoint, we are sure the Chinese will return as they have a lot of
capital to invest in real estate here in Thailand,” he added.
Southpoint is currently offering an exclusive loose furniture package for 10
units in the Residence tower in a special promotion. The furniture on offer
is either from the iconic Swedish brand IKEA or the furniture displayed in
the showroom. The package is applicable to studios, one-bedroom or
two-bedroom units. The two-bedroom package includes beds and mattresses,
bedside tables, a sofa, armchair, side table, rug, a dining table and three
chairs, a coffee table, TV shelves, two 42 inch TVs and a refrigerator.
Entry levels for a studio unit at Southpoint are currently running at
approx. THB 2.5 million, 1 bedroom at 3.5 million and 2 bedrooms at 5
million.
For more information, visit:
www.southpointpattaya.com.
Construction work continues apace at Kingdom
Property’s Southpoint development in Pratumnak, south Pattaya.
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Classic Group offers new condo option with Infiniti
Former Minister of Culture, Sontaya Khumplume,
3rd left, and Pattaya Mayor Ittipol Khumplume, far left, attended the
official ribbon cutting ceremony for the project on June 29.
A grand launch party was held on the morning of June 29
for the new Infiniti Condominium on Soi Khao Noi in east Pattaya.
This is the latest project from the Classic Group and judging by the turn
out at the party and the sales made on the day, Infiniti seem to have struck
a chord with buyers.
A host of well known luminaries from the Thai community came to give the
owners their best wishes, including Pattaya Mayor Ittipol Khumplume, his
brother, the former Minister of Culture, Sontaya Khumplume, the Mayor of
Nongprue Municipality, Mai Chaiyanit, and many more.
The MC introduced the project and the guests were treated to a dance show,
snacks and drinks and one lucky winner won a brand new motorbike.
Pattaya Mail Media Group’s
Paul Strachan, center right, presents a congratulatory bouquet to Kris
Jeeramongkol, center left, Advisor to the Mayor of Pattaya and acting as a
representative of the project’s owners.
Infinti Condominium consists of two 7-storey buildings
sitting on 1 Rai 3 ngarn and 53 square wah of land. The total number of
units comes to 152 and buyers have a choice of three configurations; 27
square meter studios, 1 bedroom units, which are 35 square meters, and the 2
bedroom options, which are 60 square meters.
The showrooms are brightly and elegantly decorated and as usual the units
come without bed etc, but have the standard kitchen layout, bathrooms,
wardrobes and air-conditioning.
The project boasts 2 infinity edge swimming pools, a fitness center, BBQ
area, kids play area and ample car parking.
Prices start at just 34,296.30 per square meter, which equates to 899,000
baht for the entry level studios.
For more information on Infiniti Condominium please look online at:
www.infinitipattaya.com.
(By Paul Strachan/PM)
Infiniti Condominium will
offer 152 units in 2 separate 7-storey buildings.
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Dates set for Thai Property Expo
The inaugural Thai Property Expo is scheduled to take
place at Conrad Bangkok hotel from 7-9 November 2014.
Organisers Exact Trading say the event is being held to enable Bangkok-based
Thai buyers and foreign investors to meet leading developers and realtors
from across Thailand.
Exact Trading also launched the Pattaya Property Show last January at the
Hilton Pattaya. The second edition is due to be held later this year on
October 3-5 at the Convention Centre at Pattaya’s Dusit Thani hotel.
“Thailand has mainly property promotions held in shopping centres. However
we have created a niche style of expo held in five-star hotels,” said Exact
Trading expo organiser Mike Bridge. “This enables the developers more space
to show off their projects in a luxury surrounding. It also gives the buyers
time to do their homework and talk to the exhibitors.”
For more information, please visit: www.thaipropertyexpo.com.
(Source: Property-Report)
Asia skyscrapers prices tower over the rest of the world
Hong Kong boasts the most
expensive skyscraper space in the world according to a new index released by
Knight Frank. (Photo/Chensiyuan/Wikipedia Commons)
A newly launched Skyscraper Index by property management
company Knight Frank reviews the values of the most expensive skyscraper
space in 18 cities around the world. There are many different ways of
ranking skyscrapers; total height and number of floors are the most popular,
but the new index bases their commercial value on an analysis of the capital
value of upper-storey floor space.
Asian towers dominate the index with Hong Kong boasting the most expensive
skyscraper space in the world. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is ranked 17th
whilst Manhattan is the highest placed North American city, and London tops
the European league.
“Skyscrapers continue to capture our imagination. New buildings dominate
newspaper headlines, and those with viewing galleries become popular tourist
attractions,” explains James Roberts, the Head of Commercial Research at
Knight Frank.
Unsurprisingly, island-based cities tend to embrace the tower concept to
maximise space. According to data in the Knight Frank Wealth Report, Hong
Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world, followed by New York. London
scores a lowly 45th place, with conservation restrictions ruling out tower
developments in large parts of the central business district.
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