Thailand Property Awards 2012 host launch party

Clayton Wade of Premier Homes Real Estate (left) and Terry Blackburn, the CEO of Ensign Media (right), launch the Thailand Property Awards 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Friday, Feb. 10.

The Hall of Fame of the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya was the venue for the launch of the Thailand Property Awards 2012 on Friday the 10th of February.

This is the first time they have had a launch party for the awards, the purpose of which was to inform the attendees about the processes and timeline for this year’s event, it was also an opportunity for a Q&A session whereby people enquired about certain processes.

Terry Blackburn the CEO of Ensign Media along with Clayton Wade, who is one of the judges handled the questions very well and were open to suggestions as to how to make the processes more transparent.

Ensign Media ladies Chanida, Jutatip, Katsanee, Piyanun, Apaporn and Anchulee attend the Awards launch party at the Hard Rock’s Hall of Fame.

In an interview with PMTV Terry explained that they were running these launches in Hua Hin, Samui, Phuket and Bangkok as they wanted to connect with all the separate regions to get all the players in real estate fully engaged with what they are doing and to get as many nominations as possible and to get feedback, which he sees as crucial.

He stated that this year there will be a new category for local agents who will receive office visits, the website is open for nominations from the 1st of March and as ever anyone can vote but of course not for their own project.

He hopes that these series of launches will get more and more developers entering for this year’s awards and in the end they want to award the best to the best, but that can only happen once people have entered.

He went on to say that they were keen to underline the creditability of process and looked forward to this year’s event which will be held on Saturday the 13th of October at the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok.

Clayton Wade outlined that the judging panel had been working with Ensign Media since the awards inception, who in turn hire the services of BDO advisory who are a worldwide international accounting firm, who oversee the processes and even occasionally send out their people to do the site visits.

The feedback from those in attendance at the Hard Rock was mostly positive however it was voiced that many of the big developers in Pattaya, were noticeable by their absence and that perhaps the board of the Thailand Property Awards had something of a ‘repair’ job to do, to ensure that the big players would want to enter for this year.

(By Paul Strachan)

Alex and Rena (left & center) from Russian Real Estate & Investment magazine pose for a photo with Elena Kolesova, Executive Sales Manager of Tropical Dream Pattaya.

Clayton Wade (right) is joined by Anthony Thomas of Bravothai Lifestyle Co., Marcus of MD Furniture, Torrence Collias and Deano Coppinger of The Vineyard, and Mr. Cuipsuop, at the Thailand Property Awards 2012 launch party.

Bangkok real estate students given primer on Pattaya development

Students from Bangkok’s The Real Estate Business School were recently given a primer on Pattaya’s booming property development industry in a city hall meeting.

Praiwan Aaromsun.

Pattaya City Councilman Praiwan Aaronson led the lecture and tour for the 13 students and staffers from TREBS, a specialized school devoted to multidisciplinary study of real estate management, valuation, surveying and property development.

The group watched a presentation on Pattaya’s changing landscape and general zoning with a discussion on real estate development and evaluation trends following. The conversation focused on higher land values near the shoreline, the split between foreign and Thai buyers and the approval process for new condominium projects.

Paiwan gave the students a general history lesson on the city and the government’s role in managing development, spotlighting legal action against encroachment into restricted zones. He then led the students on a tour of city hall.

(By Vittaya Yoondorn/Pattaya Mai)

TREBS students attend the real estate seminar at Pattaya City Hall.

Paradise Ocean View offers luxury living right on the beach

Amazing sea views from all units at Paradise Ocean View.

An interesting new development to add to Pattaya’s already booming luxury property sector is the Paraduse Ocean View, which will occupy a tranquil and traffic free 2-rai stretch of land right on the beachfront just north of the Naklua peninsula.

Paradise Ocean View plans for 48 luxury units in sizes ranging from 48-115sqm, all with large sea facing balconies. Each unit will be built around modern designs with access available from 2 glass elevators with panoramic views of beach and ocean. A roof top terrace with beautiful sunsets will offer residents a great place to relax in the evening.

The large swimming pool only 3m from the sea and tropical garden with a fish stocked natural canal will give the feeling of being in the most natural of environments, yet within easy reach of the exciting shopping and nightlife of Pattaya.

The project will come complete with full fitness, spa and sauna facilities and the entire site will be fully staffed with security and 24hours CCTV coverage plus individual key card access to give residents added peace of mind.

For the full specification and list of facilities at Paraduse Ocean View, visit the website at: www. paradiseoceanview.com, Tel. 08 222 66 077, 08 22 33 0644 or Email: [email protected]

LPN links up Lumpini Ville Naklua with Bangkok Pattaya Hospital

LPN Development Co. Ltd., which recently launched its third and latest Pattaya development, Lumpini Ville Naklua, held a press conference on February 9 to announce a link up with the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

An artist’s impression shows the completed Lumpini Ville Naklua project.

The Lumpini Ville Naklua project will incorporate 532 residential units built on 12 acres of land on the Pattaya-Naklua main road and will offer 1 bedroom units ranging in size from 26-39.50sqm.

The Lumpini ‘brand’ aims to provide affordable housing with a full set of modern facilities. This latest 830 million baht development will include a children’s playground, convenience stores, dry-cleaning, restaurants and landscaped gardens to encourage and enhance a family environment.

In addition, three floors of the project will incorporate aids for elderly residents including special handrails in the bathrooms, elimination of sharp edges in the rooms and an emergency button to use when help is required.

Visitors look at a scale model of the development.

In an innovative move, LPN has signed an agreement with Bangkok Pattaya Hospital for the latter to provide medical help and assistance for residents that will include an ‘IP Phone’ facility that can aid diagnosis and treatment of a patient through a ‘Live’ video feed with the hospital’s qualified medical staff. Bangkok Pattaya Hospital will also provide free ambulance rides for those requiring treatment at the hospital.

Lumpini Ville Naklua is the company’s third project in the city following on from the successful launch last year of Lumpini Condotown and the announcement of the marquee 4 billion Lumpini Park Beach Jomtien development. The former is already sold out and the project in Jomtien has reportedly reached a 75% sales figure despite only being announced in November.

This year, the company aims to launch 12 new condominium projects worth around 16 billion baht and five townhouse projects worth 1.5 billion baht.

For more information on Lumpini Ville Naklua, contact the sales office on 038-489-310 or go to www.lpn.co.th.

(By Phasakorn Channgam / Pattaya Mail)

Grande Asset pushes forward with hotel and property projects

The Executive Board of Grande Asset Hotels and Property pose for a group photo. From left:- Praveen Benjasmithyodhon (Director), Asawin Rakmanusa (Executive Director), Vitavas Vibhagool (Vice Chairman), Phornsiri Manoharn (Independent Director), Wichai Thongtang (Chairman), Suradej Narula (Executive Director), Amarin Narula (Executive Director), Amarit Pansiri (Independent Director), Dr. Noppadol Mingchinda (Chief Executive Officer).

Grande Asset Hotels and Property, a publicly listed Thai company, has restructured its organization and has new investment plans for 2012.

The company, which has properties in Bangkok and Hua Hin, has enlisted a new board of directors and attracted new investors to ensure current projects will be completed imminently and new projects pursued.

The company, which is behind the success of the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, The Trendy Condominium, the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa Hotel and the Hua Hin Blue Lagoon, focuses its business and long term investment in prime hotel and selected real estate developments.

The Westin Grande Sukhumvit is a Bangkok landmark and is a key performer in the company’s portfolio. The hotel is managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts and features stylish contemporary guestrooms and meeting facilities. Inside the hotel features two award-winning restaurants which are Taste and Kisso.

The company also has property projects in Hua Hin. The Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa is a star performer in the company. It’s also an award-winning hotel which has 240 guestrooms and a 560 metre lagoon-style swimming pool. Adjacent is The Hua Hin Blue Lagoon, which has 108 condominiums and 37 villas, and has only a few units left for sale.

Currently, the company has two premium projects on prime real estate in the pipeline. The first being a four to five-star hotel/ residential project at the front of Sukhumvit Soi 27 while the second is also a four to five-star hotel/ residential project on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Both of these projects are set to begin construction this year in order to complete as planned.

With the new board of directors in place Grande Asset aims to quickly complete its hotel and residential projects in Sukhumvit Road and then look for new potential investments that align with the focused objectives of the company.

Spearheading the new board is Wichai Thongtang, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, who has a wealth of experience in the healthcare industry, and he believes the Grande Asset has a bright future.

“We have a new management structure and we have a team that has top-level experience in key industry segments that will promote the company to even greater heights.”

“It is clear that we have assets with huge potential and we have every confidence that the company will go from strength to strength,” said Wichai.

The new board features experts in the fields of property development, economics, finance and tourism. One new member is Dr. Kanit Sangsubhan who is on the board of the Bank of Thailand and a Director at the Ministry of Finance. Alongside him is Phornsiri Manoharn, a former Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. These strong credentials run throughout the board and a new approach has been developed as Chief Executive Officer, Dr Noppadol Mingchinda explains:

“We have had to restructure the company both financially and with a new board of directors. This has put us back into a position of strength and we intend to move forward with our plans this year,” said Dr Noppadol.

“We have expertise in hotel and residential development, economics and tourism which can help drive our initiatives and move Grande Asset up to the next level. With the new financing we aim to complete all existing projects this year and then set our sights on new developments.

(Press Release)

Ananda Development set to go public, announces 4 new projects

Chanond Ruangkritya, President and CEO of Ananda Development Pcl., has disclosed the company’s aim to successfully list on the SET Index within the first half of 2012 in order to raise capital for its development of 4 new condominium projects worth Bt10bn in 4 Bangkok’s prime locations.

Chanond Ruangkritya.

The projects, which were launched in early February, are the IDEO MOBI Phyathai, IDEO MOBI Sukhumvit, IDEO MOBI Sathorn, and IDEO MOBI Rama 9, which will provide 2,475 units in total.

The company has recognized the demand for smaller functional units and has designed its projects accordingly. The new compact unit layouts of only 21sqm are targeted at a diverse group of customers; either residential buyers, second home buyers, or investors.

With living spaces partitioned off from a properly laid-out kitchen with a sliding door, the IDEO MOBI concept also adds in a third dimension with its Duplex Unit & Sky Home, where extensions can be added either vertically or horizontally. Prices start from 1.9 million baht.

Each of the 4 developments will come fully equipped with sky jogging track, sky bike track, salt chlorinated swimming pool, panoramic view fitness center and games room, and will be located along mass transit systems, either an MRT or a BTS in order to make for easy commuting to nearby communities, education institutions, hospitals, shopping complexes, and leading recreational centers.

An artist’s impression shows the IDEO MOBI duplex unit.

Boutique hotel visionary launches new resort on Koh Samui’s last secret beach

Akaryn Samui is located on Koh Samui’s little-known yet stunning Hanuman Bay.

The boutique resort of Akaryn Samui, is the latest venture by Thailand hospitality pioneer Anchalika Kijkanakorn, and has lifted the veil on one of Koh Samui’s best-kept location secrets after welcoming its first guests in February.

Akaryn Samui offers new private pool suites and villas on the pristine crescent cove of Hanuman Bay, a 500m powder sand beach flanked by dramatic granite outcrops at each end, nestling between Cheong Mon bay to its north, and the bright lights of Chaweng to its south. It is just seven minutes drive from Samui International Airport yet remains largely undiscovered, even by the island’s cognoscenti.

“It really is Koh Samui’s best-kept secret,” said Ms Kijkanakorn. “I fell in love with it the minute I saw it, and that’s when my vision for Akaryn was born. There’s no other beach like it on the island. It feels so removed and private that it’s hard to believe it’s such a short drive to the airport.

A pool suite at the Akaryn Samui Resort.

“A unique setting requires a new approach. We are the first resort to be built at Hanuman Bay. That’s why in creating Akaryn Samui, it was vital to design every detail to complement the bay’s natural beauty and integrate it into the guest experience in many subtle ways, like our signature ‘Outside Living – In’ philosophy.

“For example, there was a huge old sea almond tree right on the bay almost at the high tide line. We have made that the heart and soul of the resort, and designed the pool and chill-out deck around it, so it’s a place where people can really connect, given that the rest of the experience is so private.

“The main pool is rather special too: it’s done in black lava rock, and we have found a way to simulate the shimmering effect of phosphorescence in the ocean. Part of the pool features Samui’s coolest submerged bar, The Wet Bar. You’d be hard pressed to find a better place to kick back with a cocktail and soak in the sunset.”

Akaryn Samui is the fourth property in Ms Kijkanakorn’s Akaryn Hospitality Management Services (AHMS) portfolio, following the recent launch of the 62-room, 4-star akyra Chura Samui resort at Chaweng Beach. She is also the founder and owner of the Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi and Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga resorts, and the driving force behind the Pure Blue Foundation, a marine conservation charity.

The new resort features 34 stand-alone pool suites, five of them absolute beachfront, each an expansive 80sqm, as well as 18 gracious 100sqm villas with 8m private pools. Akaryn Samui’s design offers a radiant take on tropical modern, Asian-influenced d้cor and a selection of genuine antiques. Standard features include LCD large screen TV, iPod and iDock with a large movie and music library, naturally sourced amenities from AHMS’s exclusive Spa IV, and 430-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

Apart from The Wet Bar, Akaryn Samui’s food and beverage options include The Edge, with chic international all day dining on the waterfront, tapas with a twist at Ochos, Royal Thai cuisine complemented by the freshest seafood at The Legend, and an elegant selection of genteel brews at The Tea Salon. Other facilities and amenities include 24-hour room service, free wi-fi throughout the resort and yoga classes, a stylish boutique.

It is also set to become the hot new ticket for Koh Samui weddings, with its unique private beach setting, romantic ambience and the AHMS team’s track record in creating some of Asia’s most exceptional tropical beach weddings.

So little known and hidden away is Hanuman Bay that it barely registers on most maps and didn’t have an official name. But some locals believe the bay’s crescent shape and jagged rocks resemble the gaping mouth of the monkey god Hanuman from the Ramayana story.

Ms Kijkanakorn is well-acquainted with the Hindu epic, as it is a constant source of inspiration for bedtime stories for her two children, after whom her two Samui properties are named. “I love the idea of Hanuman watching over this magical place. It suggests mythical romance, long strolls, deep conversations and contemplation, and perhaps the odd bit of mischief. I can’t wait to welcome our first guests, and let the story begin to unfold.”

Global Real Estate markets making steady progress

While economic uncertainty still affects the main commercial real estate centers around the world, global real estate markets are showing steady improvements, according to a new suite of global forecasting reports by Jones Lang LaSalle, a professional services firm specializing in real estate.

The company’s Global Office Index reveals the fourth quarter 2011 marked the eighth consecutive quarter where prime office rents have risen, up a further 0.8 percent over the previous quarter and representing six percent growth over the fourth quarter of 2010. Global vacancy is edging down to the lowest point for the past two years at 13.6 percent.

“The majority of global leasing markets are holding firm, and many are showing remarkable resilience especially among the BRIC countries, as well as robust showings from Canada, Australia, Germany and the Nordics,” said Jeremy Kelly, Director in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Global Research team and author of the firm’s Global Market Perspective. “While leasing markets in the major financial centers are softening, the limited supply pipeline should ensure that they do not move significantly out of balance.”

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Global Office Index tracks the rental performance of prime office space across 81 major markets in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. Key findings of the Jones Lang LaSalle’s Fourth Quarter 2011 Global Office Index include:

a) Rental growth rose the highest in the Americas at 1.2% in fourth quarter over third quarter 2011, as landlord leverage gradually increased in the majority of markets.

b) Asia Pacific markets have seen rental growth decelerating from 2.5% in third quarter to just 0.9% in fourth quarter as corporate demand began to slow.

c) Despite the negative economic backdrop, Europe’s office markets showed some improvement over fourth quarter with growth picking up to 0.4% from a virtual halt in third quarter 2011.

d) Leasing volumes will be steady in 2012 with positive rental growth expected in most major office markets with Beijing, Toronto and San Francisco topping the charts with potential double-digit increases.

Investors, already wise to the resilient fundamentals in the commercial real estate sector, continue to choose real estate given attractive investment status compared with alternative investments.

The Global Market Perspective shows robust capital market investment volumes in the fourth quarter 2011. A total of US$411 billion was transacted in full-year 2011, 28 percent up on 2010. 2012 transaction levels are set to match 2011, with upside potential in the Americas.

Arthur de Haast, Lead Director of the International Capital Group at Jones Lang LaSalle added: “The markets are witnessing a ‘flight- to-quality’, traditional in times of uncertainty, as investors pivot towards core assets in those major cities with strong economic fundamentals and/or with ‘safe-haven’ characteristics. While there is capital available for commercial real estate, debt financing around the global will be more constrained in 2012. We’re seeing capital appreciation slowing as yields flatten, and spreads between core and secondary assets are widening.”

While commercial real estate expectations for 2012 have been tempered, barring significant financial system shocks, commercial real estate investment and leasing volumes are likely to be maintained at 2011 levels. (Press Release)

Tourist arrivals drives interest in hotel sales

The Hard Rock Café Patong.

Kulwadee Sawangsri, Head of Investment and Land Services at CBRE Thailand, has announced that there was very strong interest from bidders for the Courtyard by Marriott Hotels in Patong and Cha-am. The bidders come from a wide geographical area and the Patong 390-room hotel has attracted strong local, regional and international interest.

The Patong hotel is particularly attractive as a strong cash producing asset coupled with the Hard Rock Caf้ and Shop Patong which is also being separately offered for sale. Many investors are looking to international operators to re-brand this property given that it is being sold free and clear of management.

Chairman of CBRE Thailand, David Simister, said “Phuket has fantastic international appeal, record tourist arrivals and if you want a secure long-term income producing property asset you could do no better than buy a tourist hotel in Patong. Phuket arrivals grow year-on-year and the strongest market sector is mainstream tourism focused on Patong, West coast Phuket”.

The Cha-am hotel, with 243 recently refurbished ocean view rooms is less than 2 hours drive from Bangkok, is pure beachfront and enjoying the Cha-am/Hua Hin boom in popularity. “This area will always remain a more upmarket destination for Bangkokians,” said Ms. Kulwadee.

These types of properties are rarely available for sale, particularly since they are offered for sale without long-term management agreements providing the buyer with the opportunity to introduce their preferred operator. Many international brands have expressed interest in managing both the Patong and Cha-am hotels.

Hotels continue to be an extremely popular form of long-term property investment. To acquire prime land in Patong with prices above THB 200 million per rai and THB 50 million per rai in Cha-am indicates the excellent opportunity these income producing assets represent.

La Royale Beach –luxurious living by the sea

The La Royale Beach condominium and villa project describes itself as the ‘Ultimate Beachfront Living’, and beachfront is exactly what this premium development offers; with residents able to take a short, leisurely stroll along the elevated pinewood walkways direct from their living quarters onto a secluded stretch of golden sand, just south of Jomtien Beach.

La Royale Beach tower.

La Royale Beach is a project 5 years in the design and making; with phase one, the condominium tower, completed in 2008 and the hotel residential units and beach villas following thereafter. Now, with the villas nearing completion, the development is truly positioned to offer residents one of the most prime locations on the Eastern Seaboard coastline, secluded but still only 15 mins drive to the center of Pattaya, and with the Centara Grand Residence going up close by, the infrastructure around the area is sure to develop and along with it unit prices are certain to increase.

What marks La Royale apart from many other luxury developments being launched in Pattaya is that this one is ready to move into today! The project is aimed at discerning customers looking for exclusivity and those searching for a luxurious lifestyle with stupendous sea and costal views.

The 10-rai development consists of a 34 floor high-rise condo tower, 6 low-rise beachfront villa style buildings, plus ample common areas, gymnasium & sauna, large swimming pool, landscape gardens and indoor parking. As an added touch of extravagance there are two common use lap-pools at the end of the walkway on the beachfront sundeck overlooking the ocean and offshore islands.

The large swimming pool and beachfront walkway.

The high-rise tower offers 2 and 3 bedroom units of various sizes starting at a spacious 106sqm for the smaller 2 bedroom unit (‘C’ Type), 148sqm for the larger 2 bedroom unit (‘B’ Type), and truly opulent 3 bedroom (‘A’ Type) units at 268sqm.

The low-rise beachfront villa condos offer a variety of sizes starting from 84sqm up to 1000sqm, with large balconies, private gardens and swimming pools.

Every unit at La Royale Beach is finished to a luxurious 5 star standard and includes European kitchens with hob, hood, fridge and oven; state of the art air-conditioning systems; beautiful bathrooms with deluxe fittings and glass enclosures; custom built wardrobes and built-in furniture plus high quality tiling throughout.

The project represents extremely good value for money when compared with similar luxury developments in Pattaya, either existing or under construction and should be viewed by any discerning buyers looking for a piece of luxury real estate on the Eastern Seaboard.

The project owners are currently running an ‘open house’ policy for interested parties who would like to view the units on offer. For more information please call the sales office on 038 073 073.

La Royale Beach offers truly stunning views.

Spacious bedrooms offer balcony Jacuzzis and sea views.

Units come fully furnished with all the latest mod-cons.

Bathrooms come with top of the line fixtures and fittings.

Island vistas from the tropical sundeck.

The main lobby.