Posted: 13 May 2013 | 3:07 pm
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Once you hit 50 it's hard to avoid doing the math and realising that so many mundane trips and tasks may take on a last time ritual.
Posted: 11 May 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Today, as you drive across the island, you can't help but find your mind being sedated by row after row, after row, of monotonously stacked units.
Posted: 10 May 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
During my travels through Asia this year at various real estate and hospitality conferences one topic that often comes up in softly spoken tones is concerns over an impending property bubble.
Posted: 04 May 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It's been a long and hard high season here in Phuket. The local populace is tenser than a sun-dried cracker; punctuating the dry surroundings has been the absence of rain.
Posted: 27 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
My heart bleeds for the island's toiling interior artisans, landscape designers and other specialists who should be rewarded handsomely instead of viewed as second-class citizens.
Posted: 20 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I've just checked out of the emergency room, covered in bandages not dissimilar to those worn by the damaged star of the movie The English Patient, or perhaps more fittingly, Return of the Mummy.
Posted: 13 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I thought not once, but twice about putting the word gun into the title of this article, but why not? Live vicariously. Guns and real estate, now that's an entirely different story altogether.
Posted: 06 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
They came, they spent, they left. That pretty much sums up the great Russian tropical cold war of this the high tourism season.
Posted: 01 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Modern property sales techniques leave plenty to be desired. Is demand so high there's no longer a need for convincing sales pitches or is the web taking over as a remote closer?
Posted: 23 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Seemingly there are more idiots in the world today that at any other time in the history of mankind.
Posted: 16 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
We've just completed our 2012 C9 Hotelwork's Koh Samui Hotel Market Update and the upswing in trading is impressive.
Posted: 09 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
My fingers are digging deep into the armrests of our Bangkok Airways ATR 72, or more appropriately called "the prop job", as it takes a sharp left turn high above the island of Koh Samui.
Posted: 02 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Timing is everything, and my recent sortie to the Philippines for island hopping was ill advised.
Posted: 01 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Drawing comparison's between cave dwellers from the dawn of time and the budding Donald Trumps populating the nearest Starbuck's is easy.
Posted: 26 Feb 2013 | 10:07 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
In Asia, cooling down heated markets seems to require quite some considerable effort and the results may see domestic investors run from the cold.
Posted: 23 Feb 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Thinking of owning property in an island paradise? Swaying coconut trees, tropical drinks in day-glow colors and of course the ultimate deal closer - the beach.
Posted: 16 Feb 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I come from another planet. One which is absolutely pedantic, startlingly interior and shamelessly derivative. Welcome to the Willy's Wonky World of Hoteldom.
Posted: 09 Feb 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Shopping therapy: Tourists seem as interested in a shopping spree as they are in the beach.
Posted: 02 Feb 2013 | 3:39 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Tempers flared at Bangtao Beach last week over alleged Russian-controlled businesses staking a claim in the lucrative tourism market.
Posted: 01 Feb 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
They did pave paradise - but in many cases forgot to put up the parking lot.
Posted: 26 Jan 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
With the friendly skies now filled to the brim with new start-up airlines and because of pilot shortages, I have to admit my pulse starts to race whenever a plane I'm in hits the taxiway.
Posted: 19 Jan 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As I write this, I can imagine the strange look of astonishment on my editor's face as this column arrives - one which is actually about property.
Posted: 12 Jan 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I believe Chinese zodiac signs went out sometime in the 1970s, though clearly citizens of Sedona and Byron Bay didn't get the memo.
Posted: 05 Jan 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
When I lived and worked in the corporate rule, one of the true signs of executive prowess was the ability to read upside down.
Posted: 01 Jan 2013 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Over the past 10 years, one recurring storyline continues to be those seeking out cheap deals. That, and those Nigerian lottery emails.
Posted: 29 Dec 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I am without a doubt a derelict dad. Just call me DD for short.
Posted: 22 Dec 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
'Tis the season, here on the sunny island of Phuket yet again. I'm not quite sure exactly when the vanishing point starts to loom over life's passage.
Posted: 20 Dec 2012 | 11:36 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Somehow the Mayan's and the rock band REM managed to cross wires as we roar into 2013.
Posted: 15 Dec 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
What's driven me to the edge of madness? The place inhabited by bums in torn clothes, religious zealots and all manner of stark raving lunatics is the Phuket International Airport.
Posted: 11 Dec 2012 | 5:38 pm
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Jingle Bill, Jingle Bill. Is the very Merry Season here again already? Apparently so given the greenscape in every retail space my eyes come to rest on.
Posted: 08 Dec 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Fatigued travellers stumble through Dubai Airport's international terminal as it bustles with passengers looking to catch their connecting flights at 3am.
Posted: 01 Dec 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Villains, tycoons, bad guys, and all around ultra entrepreneurs, the world has a love-hate relationship with the men (and women) at the top.
Posted: 24 Nov 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Gravity: It holds buildings down but doesn't stop real estate from going through the roof.
Posted: 17 Nov 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Get your back off the wall: Many people here in Phuket live the life of a lost wallflower.
Posted: 10 Nov 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Here in Phuket, when you measure the success and failure of those projects which stood out from the crowd - it's not easy to separate them.
Posted: 03 Nov 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Paris Hilton appeared at a press conference in Bangkok, backing Sydictive Element's bash, which is supposed to cater to up to 50,000 people.
Posted: 01 Nov 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Latter day Asia's property boom has continued unimpeded like some fast talking amped up sales pitch which is sucking on helium balloons.
Posted: 27 Oct 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Doom and Gloom: Phuketians need to understand that tourism should be diversified.
Posted: 20 Oct 2012 | 12:54 pm
From the Property Report South East Asia:
A vibrant real estate scene has not only lured Donald Trump to offer up his residential brand but even Paris Hilton.
Posted: 20 Oct 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I'm not usually one for red carpet events but last Saturday's Thailand Property Awards in Bangkok was not one to miss.
Posted: 13 Oct 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Crouching tiger, hidden Bill: Airplane travel nowadays can feel like an assault on the senses.
Posted: 06 Oct 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It's hard to trace back exactly how Phuket came onto the global stage as a leading beach destination.
Posted: 01 Oct 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Over the past decade Phuket in Thailand has set the gold standard for South East Asia's booming luxury real estate sector.
Posted: 29 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Phuket has its very own modern superhero penned no doubt out of some late night churnalistic coughing fit as the one we now know as: "The Demolisher".
Posted: 22 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I've recently returned from a trip up country to Cha Am, out for an adventure that took me to another roadside attraction.
Posted: 15 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Sunday morning often brings a decided blur to the tropical island landscape outside my window in Phuket.
Posted: 08 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Last week I headed up to the hills north of Bangkok, on a fasttracked, two-and-a-half-hour ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Posted: 01 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Over the years, leading destination resort Laguna Phuket has been an increasingly familiar brand name on the island.
Posted: 01 Sep 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Ultimately the realization has hit home that all of us seem to be stuck in the same crowded lifeboat.
Posted: 30 Aug 2012 | 5:16 pm
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Getting old sucks. It's not unlike being stuck for hours in an elevator with an endless loop of Katie Perry songs.
Posted: 25 Aug 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It's hard not to be cynical in 2012, where Asia remains the only bright economic spot across the globe. This is, to put it mildly, as good as it gets.
Posted: 18 Aug 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Think about it: Some real estate ideas are just plain crazy.
Posted: 11 Aug 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Phuket's tropical Asian beach destination counterpart, Bali, is hitting some high notes as of late.
Posted: 04 Aug 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Seeing Red: Employee laziness makes some people angry, very angry.
Posted: 01 Aug 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Holding court in the local beverage house a few days ago, bar talk turned to the subject of free-falling European economies.
Posted: 28 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A strong wave of new low-priced products have hit the market over the past 18 months, which looks to alter the playing field of real estate far into the decade.
Posted: 24 Jul 2012 | 8:55 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
In Asia's booming destinations, all that glitters may be gold, but it certainly isn't green.
Posted: 21 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Ground control: Recent inspections on Nai Thon beach highlighted land title problems.
Posted: 14 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Only in Laguna: Laguna Phuket was one of the first resorts to start using air conditioned buses for its staff.
Posted: 07 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
There is little doubt that the effect Allan Zeman has had on Phuket remains great bedside reading for the success-oriented.
Posted: 01 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Talk the talk and walk the walk. The bartender growls out of the corner of his mouth - "last call". It's 3 am and the real estate industry is about to turn in, intent to sleep off a bad bender.
Posted: 30 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The tragic murder of an Australian travel agent in Kata recently has created a hailstorm of calls for action from both public and private sectors.
Posted: 23 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Anyone who has visited an airport recently can't help but have "Now everyone can fly" etched into their memory-scape.
Posted: 16 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As we all know, the world around us is revolving on a teeter totter at the moment and certainly things could be much worse.
Posted: 14 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
It's monsoon season in Phuket and this year the weather has ravaged the coastline like some sort of turbocharged sand-eating killer shark.
Posted: 09 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
What is it about the very word Pattaya that causes such a catechism of shame and discomfort?
Posted: 02 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Hotel properties may be the chips that international chains play with now, but do staff matter to them any more than the little ball on the roulette wheel?
Posted: 01 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Real Estate may be booming in Asia, but where are the charismatic property personalities to glamourise the industry?
Posted: 26 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Between night and day, cheap and extortionate, the Ghost of Gatsby beckons.
Posted: 19 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Global lifestyle brand Nikki Beach has teamed up with Singapore's Castlewood Group on a new Phuket development.
Posted: 12 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As business blooms, a growing number of longtime local residents are speaking up about concerns of over-development and the huge looming question mark of a sustainable future.
Posted: 05 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Call them 'Integrated' or 'Destination' Resorts, but the final solution for leisure travel continues to reinvent itself.
Posted: 03 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
The two S's caught up Phuket in a recent media deluge over claims that the island would be submerged on April 28th. Superstition and social media were the torchbearers of an unlikely Armageddon event.
Posted: 01 May 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Myanmar's new found freedom is already luring overseas property investors in droves, but will the market match all the buzz?
Posted: 28 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
For many property buyers who come to this island's shores what was expected to be their own personal heaven, turns out into a journey into hell.
Posted: 21 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
This was last Wednesday afternoon and I had suddenly started receiving calls, and a steady stream of SMSs about shaky tremors in Phuket.
Posted: 20 Apr 2012 | 9:24 am
From the Nation:
Prime west coast oceanfront real estate is the latest flash point in the public debate over the erosion of Phuket island's most visible natural resource.
Posted: 14 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Phuket's high-end property market may face some serious competition from our neighboring province.
Posted: 07 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Today's article is about to take us over the border to the country of Myanmar or Burma.
Posted: 01 Apr 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Samuel Beckett, Donald Trump and the Candy Brothers would no doubt make for an eclectic celebrity red-carpet parade at any property award ceremony.
Posted: 31 Mar 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
We'll fight them on the beaches: Laem Singh has sadly followed Phuket's other beaches into a sandbox
Posted: 24 Mar 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Living abroad remains one of the last great adventures. It's not for everyone.
Posted: 09 Mar 2012 | 9:05 am
From the Nation:
Despite sibling rivalry, which often results in bouts of tantrums or slaps, my two young daughters both share one thing in common.
Posted: 09 Mar 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
ROOM SERVICE: Deciding to purchase an existing hotel includes concerns such as taking over existing staff members and possibly existing financial debts.
Posted: 01 Mar 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Managing investment risk may be quite a challenge, but it does not mean a z you have to head for the hills or don a bulletproof vest.
Posted: 20 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Talk about "dream island destinations" in Asia and without a doubt Phuket and Bali rule the numbers game in terms of popularity.
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I am often reminded by a chain of long suffering editors at the Phuket Gazette that my beat is property, tourism and leisure. Do I stray?
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Sometimes more is more. At the other end of the universe less can also be more. Take the recent repositioning of the upscale hotel Indigo Pearl into an all villa and suite property as a prime example.
Posted: 03 Feb 2012 | 12:42 pm
From the Nation:
One sunny day on the island, after being startled by a falling coconut on the roof of a nearby car, I somehow flashed on an expression my mother used many times.
Posted: 01 Feb 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Three years have passed since the sub-prime episode made the earth stand still, and of late, my skeptical other side is starting to get an anxious twitch.
Posted: 14 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Winter has hit the northern hemisphere and somehow the "Occupy Wall Street" movement looks to have lost momentum.
Posted: 07 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I remember sitting in a restaurant quite a few years ago with a brief flame who was knock-out-dead gorgeous. Without a doubt she was out of my league.
Posted: 06 Jan 2012 | 6:31 pm
From the Nation:
Lately, I've been reading up on the ancient Mayans, and all sort of doomsday apocalyptic noodling going on out there in the media waves.
Posted: 02 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Facing the demons of failure in today's property market.
Posted: 31 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Bright lights, big city: The capital city of Bangkok has cool weather as one of the seasonal treats there at this time of year and can be pretty cheap to get to as well.
Posted: 24 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
I'd like to take a few moments to give a high five and a pat on the back to some well deserving individuals who represent how anyone can come to the island and make positive changes.
Posted: 17 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
For globetrotting partygoers the line up of posh beach clubs has led them for years from Ibiza to Miami's Nikki Beach and down to the Caribbean for sundowners on St. Barts.
Posted: 10 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Banging out a few emails and making some calls, my mission was to see if indeed there was proof of life in the island's real estate sector.
Posted: 03 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Let's face it, hotel management is not exactly rocket science, irrespective of what your friendly global hotel chain may say.
Posted: 02 Dec 2011 | 10:30 am
From the Nation:
That fabled magical imaginary character Mickey Mouse decided to pack up his bags and float down to Phuket a few weeks ago.
Posted: 01 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
On the lovely island of Phuket we find a Thai listed developer selling 556 units off plan in the dCondo in less than half a day...
Posted: 26 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Nearly two decades ago, in 1993, Laguna Phuket started residential sales for their Allamanda condominium.
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Living on a tropical resort island remains one of those elusive objects of desire that fires the imagination of many an urban dweller.
Posted: 12 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Checking into a hotel or resort often dictates that you leave your brain at the front door. Common sense, reason and simplicity remain an endangered species for the frequent traveler.
Posted: 05 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Phuket has continued to be touted for possible UNESCO status. Though the news is that Thailand's Ministry of Culture has nominated Chiang Mai for its creative crafts and folk art.
Posted: 01 Nov 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
The shifting sands of the global social and economic landscape continue to have a profound effect on Asia.
Posted: 29 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It's not uncommon to see six years at six per cent in the market these days. Now, like Jack in the Beanstalk, the amounts are increasing, and time-lines are getting longer.
Posted: 22 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Friends, acquaintances and strangers often get glassy eyed and say "how hard it must be to think of ideas for new columns..."
Posted: 15 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A story in this newspaper's "Issues & Answers section" explained about an expatriate who wanted to buy an annual swim membership at the newly upgraded Cherng Talay Community Center.
Posted: 08 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Today we have the likes of Patong and Kuta in Bali. Descriptions of either often portray them as tourist ghettos, urban resort jungles and commercial centers where everything is on offer.
Posted: 07 Oct 2011 | 10:34 am
From the Nation:
Much of Phuket's allure as a leading resort destination in Asia is its number of beaches.
Posted: 02 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Coming from the arcane science of market feasibility and analysis is one of those buzz-saw metrics we love to throw in reports is 'induced demand'.
Posted: 01 Oct 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Phuket and Samui continue to be described as the Yin and Yang of resort island destinations.
Posted: 24 Sep 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
With tourism numbers surging, Phuket International Airport is expecting a record four million passenger arrivals for the year 2011.
Posted: 17 Sep 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The latest political obstacle to the construction of an international convention and exhibition center on the island is a staggering blow to the Phuket tourism industry.
Posted: 10 Sep 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
One of the more interesting locations on the island over the past five years has been Layan.
Posted: 03 Sep 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
For real estate owners or investors, the crisis of when to sell is one of the most critical decisions they face.
Posted: 02 Sep 2011 | 12:20 pm
From the Nation:
Asian snowbirds may soon no longer have to head overseas to Hokkaido, Queenstown or the Alps, following the recent announcement of plans for an indoor ski slope at Koh Samui.
Posted: 02 Sep 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
On the heels of an economic explosion in South East Asia's second largest economy, discretionary spending is on the rise.
Posted: 27 Aug 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A new type of accommodation is cropping up in Bali - guests rent an entire five-star hotel and have it all to themselves.
Posted: 20 Aug 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A new Island Brand: First Hawaii, then Tahiti, Bali and Phuket: now there's Hainan Island, an up-and-coming tropical island south of mainland China.
Posted: 13 Aug 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
From a corner seat with a near 180 degree view of the entrance road to Laguna Phuket, I notice the uplift of tourists walking in the area.
Posted: 12 Aug 2011 | 11:12 am
From the Nation:
Thailand's elections have come and gone in what seems to be the blink of an eye. Perhaps my digital clock has been stuck in slow-motion mode.
Posted: 06 Aug 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As any traveler knows, the growth of low-cost airlines is changing the dynamics of the region's tourism industry entirely.
Posted: 02 Aug 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Sri Lanka is staking its claim as an investment destination and building on a strong tradition of foreign property ownership to offer international buyers a range of appealing options.
Posted: 30 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The island nation's property market has proven resilient throughout years of civil war.
Posted: 23 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
What about out island's cultural heritage treasure - the one that features Sino-Portuguese design and Chinese influences? Of course, I am talking about Phuket Town.
Posted: 16 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
All eyes on Ying Luck: Pheu Thai leader Yingluck Shinawatra at the party's headquarters in Bangkok on July 3.
Posted: 09 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Luxurious Destination: Alila Villas in Uluwatu Bali is one of Asia's best designed resorts.
Posted: 08 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
As I typed the headline for this article I was jolted into a state of pun-phobia. I had fallen into ad-speak, and written what is a bad real-estate tagline.
Posted: 02 Jul 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Bay of broken promises: Phang Nga Bay could maximize its scenic advantage and expand tourism with better transport links.
Posted: 25 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Northern Slump: Hotel occupancy rates in Chiang Mai have taken a turn for the worse.
Posted: 24 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
Lately I'm not sure which way to turn in the search for insight into Phuket's property chessboard.
Posted: 18 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Paradise not lost: Adam and Eve lived in a real estate market not unlike that of modern-day Phuket.
Posted: 11 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Watch out: There are big, bad, rogue developers taking advantage of unsuspecting buyers.
Posted: 04 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Ignorance is bliss: Discover holiday hideaways on your own, without the help of travel websites, and you may surprise yourself.
Posted: 03 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
Real-estate deals are often more like running a marathon than sprinting like a jack rabbit.
Posted: 01 Jun 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Property Report South East Asia:
Bill Barnett, founder and managing director of hospitality and property consulting firm C9 Hotelworks, negotiates the ownership maze in South East Asia.
Posted: 28 May 2011 | 7:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Pattaya Peaks: The property market in Pattaya is on the up. Contrary to popular opinion, Pattaya has many opportunities for investment.
Posted: 28 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9Hotelworks, looks to the future of the Phuket property market with optimism.
Posted: 28 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Market resilience is proving to be domestic-led effort.
Posted: 21 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In demand: Land on Koh Sireh is becoming more popular thanks to developments such as the Westin Resort.
Posted: 14 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Getting away from the some-times feverish pace of life in Phuket is easily done these days by taking the road over the Sarasin Bridge and escaping into a world with fewer of life's pressures.
Posted: 07 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Hanging Out: The front yard as a 'must have' home feature is no more.
Posted: 06 May 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
Travelling to overseas competitors often brings a fresh perspective and offers a quick pulse check on how Thailand is measuring up in Asia's great development race.
Posted: 30 Apr 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Long-term unions have benefits for both parties involved. Indonesia seems to see the plus side of foreign investment in the country, with new long-stay visas now available.
Posted: 16 Apr 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Bali and Phuket still jostle for superiority in terms of tourism, development and property because both bear striking similarities in the markets they attract.
Posted: 09 Apr 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As I write this, sitting in an idyllic corner of nearby Laos - well, actually smack in the middle of Luang Prabang - I can hear the whine of a twin-engine ATR-72 climbing heavenward.
Posted: 02 Apr 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A brochure in front of me fizzles the fantasy in thin an. The images are not of tropical beaches or seashells, but illustrations of CBD real estate in London.
Posted: 26 Mar 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Despite uncertainties arising from political upheaval, a strong luxury market in Phuket still drew strategic investors interested in the long-term prospects of real estate on the island.
Posted: 19 Mar 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Being known is not always the best thing for an ignominious few, but in business it is the be all or end all of survival.
Posted: 12 Mar 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
There are many things to consider when retiring abroad, but the first is choosing where you want to be.
Posted: 11 Mar 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
Looking at last year's annualised performance at the top end of the Phuket villa market (Bt65 million and above), trading volume came in at Bt2.84 billion for the sector.
Posted: 05 Mar 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Leafing through any of the island's glossy property magazines or websites, three terms seem to crop up time and time again: "oceanfront", "absolute beach-front" and "sea views".
Posted: 19 Feb 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The past decade has witnessed a revolution in the Phuket property industry.
Posted: 12 Feb 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A bit about Phuket's northern alliance setting joint-standards in excellence.
Posted: 04 Feb 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
Despite all the colour-inspired political activity of last year, Phuket has managed to score a tourism smash hit.
Posted: 29 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
During the many years I have lived here, the two-tiered system of domestic products versus imported was the norm with, amazingly, the harshest critics of domestic products being Thais themselves.
Posted: 22 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
For those who have worked at the coalface of real estate on the island over the past decade, a look back is essential
Posted: 15 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
While now, our voyage leads to the merging of resort homes and property owners who are looking to change places and spaces.
Posted: 08 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The increasingly large footprint the Greater Phuket tourism industry has left on the local environment has reached the point where it could now quite aptly be called "Bigfoot".
Posted: 08 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Campbell Kane, the luxury hotel developers of The Yamu on Phuket's east coast, have secured backing by an investment team.
Posted: 07 Jan 2011 | 5:55 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation.Perhaps it's a sign of my age, but I remember as a young boy the times when the family doctor would come and visit our home. I'd be lying in bed as the wise grey-haired medical practitioner would use a...
Posted: 01 Jan 2011 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
So what does our Phuket ship-wrecked lost soul desire for 2011?
Posted: 25 Dec 2010 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As I sit at my computer I start to get a cold, nippy numbness in my fingertips - as the "festive" feeling of the Christmas season takes hold. I imagine an arctic wind blowing from the North Pole.
Posted: 18 Dec 2010 | 10:51 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.FOR those looking to indulge in life's luxurious moments, Phuket has always been an Asian trump card destination. Instead of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, it has been the innovative private...
Posted: 13 Dec 2010 | 8:49 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.Zero hour is upon us in Phuket or more appropriately meta-tagged as tourism high season. An alarming rise of stampeding groups of travellers roaming the island like packs of hungry wolves, looking to devour...
Posted: 11 Dec 2010 | 10:50 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. Those of us of a certain age have come to appreciate that learning from the past is never a bad idea. Those around Southeast Asia in the 1990s witnessed the region virtually burst at the seams with...
Posted: 04 Dec 2010 | 10:49 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. While many people are handy at DIY, or 'Do It Yourself', projects for home improvements, technology continues to be some sort of strange voodoo for a surprisingly large group of people. For...
Posted: 27 Nov 2010 | 10:48 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. Despite a somewhat tarnished image by the recent World Cup fiasco, the French have indeed enriched the lives of many by leaps and bounds. From top-shelf champagne and wine, to fine food and...
Posted: 20 Nov 2010 | 12:16 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.CRASH test dummies and pioneering voyages have one thing in common. The question mark at the end of their journey into uncertainty. There have been many such voyages over the years which often took...
Posted: 13 Nov 2010 | 12:15 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Pessimism, doom and gloom seem to be touted from the rooftops of late, lest we forget - what a difference a day can make. Clint Eastwood has shone on the silver screen for more decades than I can...
Posted: 05 Nov 2010 | 8:43 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.Reality shows continue to be all the rage on television these days. Whether you want to sing, dance, model, cook, survive, juggle penguins, apprentice, or simply be seen, the next ten minutes of fame can be...
Posted: 30 Oct 2010 | 8:19 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.For seven years in the 1990s the once-prolific rock star Prince underwent a well-publicized identity crisis. He changed his name to a symbol. That never quite caught on, leaving people to just call him...
Posted: 23 Oct 2010 | 10:56 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Daily news headlines lately have touted - for better or worse - the growing strength of Thailand's currency. If the current economic situation were a children's fairytale, it could easily be titled...
Posted: 16 Oct 2010 | 10:55 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As the One-Two-Go brand is absorbed into its parent company, we take a look back to that fateful day in 2007 when 89 people perished. AS I fly from Bangkok to Phuket more often than I care to...
Posted: 09 Oct 2010 | 10:55 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.One of the island's most picturesque beaches, Nai Thon, is undergoing a massive makeover. Over the past few years the "UltraVilla" luxury estate Malaiwana has continued to evolve into one of...
Posted: 08 Oct 2010 | 4:31 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation. Rolling into the fourth quarter of the year, and smoke signals from Phuket's tourism sector are forecasting a return to levels not seen since the bliss days of 2007. Frustrated holidaymakers are on the...
Posted: 02 Oct 2010 | 10:53 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Thailand's and Phuket's luxury real estate market has caught the tailwind of US$76 million worth of transactions involving 14 "UltraVillas" in the first eight months of this year. UltraVillas...
Posted: 25 Sep 2010 | 3:44 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.PHUKET will host the Alternative Ownership Conference for Resorts and Hotels - Asia Pacific (AOCAP) 2010, the largest property event of the year, from October 10-12 at the Millennium Resort in...
Posted: 18 Sep 2010 | 3:43 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.While The Clash once sang about "London calling to the faraway towns", many travel-weary international hoteliers are hearing increasing numbers calling Phuket home. Looking in my travel diary -...
Posted: 11 Sep 2010 | 3:43 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Recent media accounts over Virgin Blue's decision to stop their V Australia flights between Phuket, Melbourne and Brisbane have provided many a good headline. But one can't help but wonder if there is...
Posted: 10 Sep 2010 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. I can still recall the day my world changed, way back in 1981. Music videos hit TV screens everywhere, and became an overnight sensation. My girlfriend at the time swore that she heard me repeating in my...
Posted: 21 Aug 2010 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
The Phuket Gazette. DURING these rainy days of "no season" I have turned to reading. It's either that or a day drinking given the current mood in Phuket's property market. Robert Putman's 1995 article...
Posted: 14 Aug 2010 | 6:00 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.COMPETITION keeps things interesting. Second-guessing your competitor is half the battle. But in the Phuket - Samui tourism bout, playing the high-stakes, high-end market seems to be a safe bet for both...
Posted: 13 Aug 2010 | 2:35 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation.A reversal of fortune has hit, home for one of Greater Phuket's real-estate success stories of the past five years. Early last month developers and investors were left in the dark by a new ministerial...
Posted: 07 Aug 2010 | 4:13 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.BUILDING a new home or villa from scratch on a tropical island is a brave decision. It can be an arduous and drawn-out process trying to find your ideal plot, most sought after designer or builder that...
Posted: 31 Jul 2010 | 10:40 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Rummaging through Phuket's past may provide the answers we need to help plan for a sustainable and prosperous shelf life for the island's natural resources. Much can be said about how Phuket...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010 | 10:45 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. The term "non-traditional accommodation", which refers to vacation homes, condos, or apartment rentals, is slowly becoming more than a blip on the hospitality sector's radar. Competition is...
Posted: 23 Jul 2010 | 11:05 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.Phuket's property sales are reminiscent of an emergency-room scene from a television medical drama. The patient (in this case, property sales) continues to flat-line while all eyes turn to the experienced...
Posted: 17 Jul 2010 | 10:44 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As the world recovers from the global financial crisis, two important trends shadow the future of a changing property and tourism market in Phuket. The first is a strong shift towards Phuket and...
Posted: 10 Jul 2010 | 10:43 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.The jungle drums of monsoon season rains pounding on the roof of my office tend to lull me into a tribal trance-like state. Perhaps my secretary sneaked some kava-kava into my morning java. It's all...
Posted: 03 Jul 2010 | 10:42 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.IN THE Hindu religion, the Banyan Tree is revered as a sacred symbol and is sometimes referred to as the "wish-fulfilling divine tree." That might have played a role in the branding the hotel chain that...
Posted: 26 Jun 2010 | 11:41 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.It's June and the pigs are off and running in Europe. In this case, it's the possible meltdown of the economies of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. The Greeks have already hit the streets in...
Posted: 19 Jun 2010 | 11:44 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Riding a bull market is never an easy thing, and at times could mimic one of those mechanical contraptions that threw many aspiring cowboys into dazed 'n confusionville. Looking back at my time on...
Posted: 18 Jun 2010 | 11:30 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.We've all heard of the Running of the Bulls, and being chased by the Bears of Wall Street, but now there is a new creature on the block, and we can hear the thundering of PIGS in the air. Only in this case...
Posted: 12 Jun 2010 | 11:43 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Glossy ads and promises of investment returns that hit the moon abound. Seduced by an illusion of vacations for life in some tropical paradise, just sit back and have another mojito and settle into an...
Posted: 05 Jun 2010 | 11:42 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.News of hotels being sold because they are in great financial distress is indeed part myth, just like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, and - in part - the 1997 Asian contagion. Two years ago, the...
Posted: 29 May 2010 | 1:52 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. For much of this year, Thailand has been in the harsh, bright light of the media. Instant images showing all sorts of mayhem have been beamed on TV around the world, posted on news websites, blogs...
Posted: 28 May 2010 | 1:55 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation. Pigeonholing residential-led hospitality products has never been an easy task. For global brands that love to classify hotel-chain tier segments, the exercise has created absolute chaos in the meeting room...
Posted: 22 May 2010 | 2:06 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. Globalization and localization sometimes offers the best of both worlds, and this is never more evident than the hospitality business. The recently announced joint venture between Phuket's Tri-Asia...
Posted: 15 May 2010 | 2:02 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. DURING the spectacular rise of the island's property industry for much of the past decade, land values have mimicked gold and oil as a precious commodity; rising like a thermometer on a sunny day in...
Posted: 08 May 2010 | 2:04 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. AFTER Phuket, Koh Samui is Thailand's second-most-visited island resort destination. As a ramped-up hotel supply reaches 16,069 rooms, the island is experiencing growing pains as part of its emerging...
Posted: 01 May 2010 | 2:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.LEAVING without warning is one of the themes for the famous John Hiatt song Crossing Muddy Waters. The recent outcry over the alleged multi-million-dollar fraud case at Purnavarna Resorts - and the...
Posted: 24 Apr 2010 | 9:35 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.While the term ‘ground zero' became the idiom for the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, the phrase is far older than that, dating at least as far back as the Manhattan Project and the World War II...
Posted: 23 Apr 2010 | 12:23 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation.In a world gone crazy for chain-saw, buzzed up media, it looks like the days of those epic, thick-as-a-brick coffee-table architecture books have thank-fully come to an end. Unless it's for dummies, or those...
Posted: 17 Apr 2010 | 9:31 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As I find myself cruising the four lane highway toward the newly opened Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa in Mai Khao, I slam on the brakes to take in an unworldly sight. While the irony of the...
Posted: 03 Apr 2010 | 9:33 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.For expats, life in Phuket is sometimes not as ideal as we once imagined. One particluar problem - addiction - seems to be left unspoken by those who are in a position to help. For that reason, my...
Posted: 20 Mar 2010 | 4:21 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.There is an old proverb that goes, 'taxes grow without rain'. Given both the current water supply shortage and impending tax increases, this adage looks to be a bit stranger than fiction. Last year,...
Posted: 19 Mar 2010 | 10:39 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.The government's property-tax stimulus package will expire on March 28, following the Cabinet's recent decision not to renew it. This move has certainly induced demand from domestic buyers, especially for land....
Posted: 06 Mar 2010 | 4:21 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As we come out of the peak season, there is fresh optimism in the Phuket property market, and the industry's players are talking about what's hot on the island. Based on research carried out for this...
Posted: 01 Mar 2010 | 11:28 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette. It's been a very long time since the phrase ‘the sun never sets on the British Empire' was in vogue, but news that Britain has issued an advisory for travelers to Thailand brings the phrase...
Posted: 22 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.For those of you who are looking to move investments into property, there is one rule of thumb: timing is not everything, it's the only thing. Buying low and selling high is often best done by recognising...
Posted: 20 Feb 2010 | 11:40 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.The launch of Cambodia's first private island resort, the luxurious Song Saa, turned heads in the local property industry when more than half of its villas were sold in the first two weeks of the...
Posted: 06 Feb 2010 | 11:36 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.It all started when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in 1989. After that, Russia Incorporated dissolved into Western capitalistic fervor, the likes which have not been seen since the untimely (though...
Posted: 23 Jan 2010 | 9:23 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.This year's peak season has indeed been a blast from the not so distant past of, say 2006, when tourism numbers were on the rise and the world for the most part was indeed a sunny place. The looming...
Posted: 16 Jan 2010 | 9:22 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Religion and real estate make strange bed-fellows at the best of times. The Tibetans have their prayer wheels, turning the wheels of Dharma, and Catholics say their ‘Hail Marys', but how much faith to...
Posted: 02 Jan 2010 | 9:20 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Watching Martin Scorsese's epic film Taxi Driver with star Robert De Niro playing demon-ridden Travis Bickle, who deadpans back when asked why he wanted to be a hack, croaks out, "Because I can't sleep...
Posted: 26 Dec 2009 | 9:36 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As we near the end of the decade, we find ourselves immersed in the public hysteria of yet another end-of-the-world scenario. This time around, as we close out 2009, we edge closer to the ominous...
Posted: 19 Dec 2009 | 9:35 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Although the clogged backlog of government reforms are generally moved through at the slow, but steady pace of the winner of the famous race between the hare and the tortoise, a recent incentive shows a...
Posted: 18 Dec 2009 | 12:21 pm
From the Nation:
The Nation.At long last the year that wouldn't go away is nearly over and the halls of commerce for Phuket property resound with a collective sigh. As we enter the last year of the decade, it feels akin to hitting a reset...
Posted: 12 Dec 2009 | 9:34 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Indeed the much anticipated high season has arrived, and perhaps a collective sigh can be heard across the island that the end of 2009 is finally within sight. With the fortunes of both the hotel and...
Posted: 28 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.The history of civilization has been shrouded in mystery since records began. First there was the mystery of the pyramids. How did the ancient Egyptians manage to engineer such wondrous, gargantuan...
Posted: 21 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.This strange and difficult year is finally coming to an end, but there's one question begging to be asked: where is this zig-zagging turbulent roller coaster ride going to lead? Let's take a few...
Posted: 20 Nov 2009 | 10:53 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.While the broader resort-grade property market continues to reel in the wake of the prolonged global recession and resulting reductions in consumer spending, some niche segments are proving irresistible to...
Posted: 31 Oct 2009 | 10:04 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.The work of many a writer is commonly used as a spring board for reader's comments, opinions, suggestions and complaints. These exchanges range from the complimentary pat on the back to anger and...
Posted: 17 Oct 2009 | 10:03 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Recently, I've spent some time reading the often rash letters sent to the editorial staff of the Gazette. The opinions seem to range from the hilarious to the slightly off center, from the informed to...
Posted: 16 Oct 2009 | 11:28 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.How times have changed from Gordon Gekko's capitalistic "lunch is for wimps" rant in the 1987 movie "Wall Street" to the luxury guilt emerging today. However, many still subscribe to Gekko's...
Posted: 10 Oct 2009 | 10:02 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.As property issues on the island seem to be taking a decidedly litigious course of late, the late Warren Zevon's words - "send lawyers, guns and money" - never rang more true. As a limited number of...
Posted: 26 Sep 2009 | 10:33 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Sipping café Americano this morning in the Philippines on a short trip, I started thinking about the "shopping mall" - of when it emerged during my distant, somewhat hazily...
Posted: 19 Sep 2009 | 10:30 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.Viewing the recent capitulation of a number of the island's public policies is making me feel as if I just drank a dozen mojitos and danced the night away to the macarena. After all good nights, reality...
Posted: 18 Sep 2009 | 2:24 pm
From the Nation:
Upturn, downturn, or sideways perhaps the single greatest unique selling point for a resort property is the tantalizing offer of ocean front real estate. Who hasn't harbored those Robinson Crusoe...
Posted: 12 Sep 2009 | 10:27 am
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The Phuket Gazette.For most, 2009 has been a year they wish would just end, and New Year's Day is becoming more anticipated than its more well-heeled relation, Christmas. Over the past two years, the broad Phuket...
Posted: 29 Aug 2009 | 3:49 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It's been said that the human species neither thrives, nor flourishes when living a isolated or secluded existence. This concept is a particularly strong Buddhist belief, but it also a popular notion within other...
Posted: 22 Aug 2009 | 3:56 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
This week we'll wrap up the hotel benchmark for the first half of 2009, a period which saw hotels heavily discounting in order to increase occupancy, resulting in volatility of average room rates. Having spoken to hotel...
Posted: 21 Aug 2009 | 9:01 am
From the Nation:
One of my favourite hotel gurus, Robert Hecker of Horwath Hotel, Tourism and Leisure Consulting, penned a line at a recent Singaporean investment conference that produced what must be one of the best business...
Posted: 15 Aug 2009 | 3:45 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Negative market sentiment and the media perception that linked Phuket to the wider Thailand political problems heavily influenced the hotel market during the first six months of this year. With the majority of regional...
Posted: 01 Aug 2009 | 3:42 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Welcome to ‘Phuket 2.0', the coming of age for non-traditional hotels and villas, which now compete with the traditional cookie-cutter hotel supply. There are currently 38 new hotels in the development pipeline, which...
Posted: 25 Jul 2009 | 12:10 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As I was driving to work the other day, listening to the sounds of ‘It's just another day' by The Beatles, I was struck by just how normal everything around me was. It was D-Day in Phuket for the Asean Foreign...
Posted: 18 Jul 2009 | 12:07 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The low slow season is now reaching epic scale with business for the most part going from the raging river of a few years ago to a small trickle. After chatting to property developers and hotel executives, it is clear...
Posted: 17 Jul 2009 | 9:02 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.As we move through the current property cycle in Phuket, with a flattening of demand and continued growth in supply, there looks to be a shift in strategies being used in the property business. The...
Posted: 11 Jul 2009 | 12:04 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
There are only two things in life you can be sure of; death and taxes. Despite a recent boom market for real estate on the island, there are many existing projects that are now between 10 and 15 years old.Although this is...
Posted: 27 Jun 2009 | 1:52 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
With property transactions in the broader market flat and forecast to remain so into the foreseeable future, one of the emerging trends we are seeing is the conversion of pure residential projects into alternative...
Posted: 20 Jun 2009 | 1:48 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Just a few years ago, during the tenure of Thaksin Shinawatra rumors started to abound about legalizing gambling and the possibility of casinos in Phuket. Much was written and discussed at the time - but given the current...
Posted: 19 Jun 2009 | 9:02 am
From the Nation:
The Nation.Taking a turn on the Internet today, I cautiously glanced at the global pendulum of our seesaw world in the Anxiety Index of advertising giant JWT. We live in anxious times and trying to find the meeting point...
Posted: 13 Jun 2009 | 1:45 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Recently, as the rains hit Phuket, the notion of 'green thinking' seems to be gathering momentum. For the first time in many years the island is starting to wake up to the larger world's environmental issues. Summer in...
Posted: 06 Jun 2009 | 1:42 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It was interesting reading comments from a local resident recently published in the Gazette on the issue of property consultants pushing speculative investments in the newspaper (Letters, Phuket Gazette, May 30). The...
Posted: 30 May 2009 | 2:06 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Returning from Singapore a few days ago after attending the Hotel Investment Conference (HICAP) Update I am feeling as battered as Ricky Hatton after getting KO'd in the second round by Manny Pacquaio. In a gathering of...
Posted: 16 May 2009 | 2:01 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Flat as a pancake; ground zero; the patient has flatlined. The market hasn't simply slowed - that would be good - it's dead. All these phrases have been used to describe the state of the Phuket property market of...
Posted: 09 May 2009 | 2:04 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In the beginning came the yellow shirts and the airport closures in Bangkok and Phuket. Next came the red shirts in Pattaya, and those images played around the world of the suspected car of the Prime Minister being...
Posted: 24 Apr 2009 | 4:50 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Having lived in Phuket for a number of years now, trying to recall the names and faces of past governors is a bit like remembering past seasons of Survivor or American Idol. At times, I'm almost expecting to see a real...
Posted: 11 Apr 2009 | 4:47 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
High season has come and after the Songkran and Easter holidays its going, going, gone. Talk to any hotelier about the outlook post April and there is a far away, glazing of the eyes, not unlike a poached salmon on one of...
Posted: 28 Mar 2009 | 5:40 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In recent days one of the most often asked questions I hear from people overseas and locally has been “are build costs seeing mass reductions, given the current slowdown?” While it is a very straightforward question,...
Posted: 14 Mar 2009 | 5:38 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In my last column I looked at the emerging luxury property segment in Thailand's other island resort destination, Koh Samui. As a continuation of that, I will review ongoing demand, issues and forecast trends on the...
Posted: 09 Mar 2009 | 5:35 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The island of Samui is rapidly becoming one of the region's most popular options for property investment. In my next two columns, I am going to look at 'the other significant resort island' in Thailand.The past decade...
Posted: 21 Feb 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As the continued sign of a deepening financial crisis overseas continues, ripples and now waves are starting to come at a more rapid frequency to our island of Phuket. With tourism and related service industries being a...
Posted: 14 Feb 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As we continue our voyage into 'uncharted territory' the favored catchphrase of every politician and multinational CEO with regard to current market conditions: nothing is at all clear. My days are marked by more jitters...
Posted: 07 Feb 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Not since the vaunted presidency of John F. Kennedy, nearly four and a half decades ago, has the hot seat in the White House garnered such worldwide attention. While many compared the term of Kennedy as a throwback to the...
Posted: 24 Jan 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As discussed last week, the upper end of the luxury villa market has outperformed the Phuket property market as a whole, with many successful property launches despite political turmoil and global economic woes. ...
Posted: 17 Jan 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In spite of recent political issues in Bangkok and a worsening of global financial downturn, the upscale luxury villa segment outperformed the broader Phuket property market in 2008. As we move into 2009, take-up...
Posted: 10 Jan 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As we move into 2009 the world's becoming an even scarier, goofy and baffling place for property pundits young and old. As a property consultant and developer myself, its easy to get caught up in an endless cycle of...
Posted: 03 Jan 2009 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As a boy growing up, I remember being driven though the suburbs of many American towns and cities, particularly the outskirts, down by the railroad tracks. I would occasionally spot a depression-era wooden house, its...
Posted: 27 Dec 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Despite a global financial recession and recent political unrest, investment in the Phuket tourism industry continues to forge ahead. From 2009 until 2011, at least thirty new hotels and 4,918 rooms are due to enter the...
Posted: 20 Dec 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Tourism remains Phuket's number one economic indicator and ask any of the islands many visitors what is deciding factor in taking a holiday to the island and more often the not the answer is its beaches. While we have a...
Posted: 06 Dec 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Every time I turn on my TV of late, I half expect to see that ominous red ‘breaking news' box in the corner of the screen on BBC or CNN. As of late it's become almost a permanent fixture and is so firmly etched in...
Posted: 29 Nov 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
When the all-pool-villa hotel Phuket Pavilions opened a few years back, one of their key positioning points against larger, upscale competition was, “no welcome drinks, no buffets and no tan line”. Now, meet the sexy...
Posted: 15 Nov 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As the wheels of tourist high season crank open the floodgates on our paradise island, it is the season to be renting. Never before have there been so many options for renters, with a range of daily, weekly, monthly and...
Posted: 01 Nov 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Looking at condominium market absorption rates for the past 12 months, along with the number of new projects in the pipeline in Phuket, there some fundamental concerns regarding the possibility of oversupply. There has...
Posted: 18 Oct 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As Black October continues to unfold, there seems to be no escape from the chaotic fallout global financial markets' free fall, Thailand's political uncertainty and now what appears to be an Asian contagion. While...
Posted: 11 Oct 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The goblins of ‘Black October' are upon us, and while Halloween looms like a bad joke, the world has been struck by a wave of panic and fear reaching nearly every nook and cranny of the planet. I was standing in line...
Posted: 11 Oct 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It seems you cannot turn on the TV, read a newspaper or magazine these days and fail to be confronted by apocalyptic images of ozone depletion, vanishing rainforests and melting polar ice-caps. Recently, I...
Posted: 27 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In the last column I talked about the fundamental historical growth of the market along keying in on important issues such as airlift capacity, infrastructure and tourism numbers. This now sets the stage for a more...
Posted: 13 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Over the years, Koh Samui has made a stunning market shift from backpackers' paradise in the 1970s and 80s to its present push as one of the region's premier island destinations. From the onset of significant tourism,...
Posted: 06 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Much will be written in the coming days about the stunning effects of the sudden closure of the Phuket International Airport. As I type this, no doubt the latest news ages faster then a fine cheese left out in the...
Posted: 23 Aug 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In the not so distant past the Bali brand name was all that was glitter and gold in tropical Asian destinations. A mere whisper of the magical phase evoked images of swaying palm trees, exotic voyages and was revered in...
Posted: 09 Aug 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Over the past few years, there has been a definite trend of international budget brands successfully entering the marketplace in Thailand. Be it the hypermart concept with Lotus Tesco, Carrefour and Makro, or low-cost...
Posted: 26 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Hunting season is now open and the “woods” are teeming with “bears”. We've seen a rapid regression in both global and regional growth, so it seems if you want to run with the bulls, a plane ticket to Pamplona...
Posted: 05 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The property market in Phuket is an entirely unique and rare, endangered species. For the duration of the real estate boom of the past six years, its growth has been driven almost entirely by cash. Finding similar models,...
Posted: 29 Jun 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Good news for condominium seekers who will benefit from the latest amendment to the 1999 Condominium Act, which will take effect from July 4. The changes come following a slew of complaints filed during the past year that...
Posted: 14 Jun 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
During a recent trip to the US, I spoke with several players in the domestic property and tourism industry. The reality of the current US market is a stark reminder of how quickly tides can turn. According to analysts, as...
Posted: 31 May 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Despite living in Phuket for six years, I rarely venture past Phuket City towards Cape Panwa. Over the past few years, I can count on one hand the times I've journeyed there. But a few days ago, despite taking a few...
Posted: 17 May 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The times are indeed a-changin', as Bobby Dylan said, and these days my local watering hole has shifted from a pub to the petrol station. I'm now on a first-name basis with those who pump the liquid gold into my...
Posted: 10 May 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
With more than 5.4 million tourist arrivals to Phuket in 2007, the market will have to look to the skies in order to maintain its upward momentum. So far, the Airports of Thailand (AOT) has failed to grasp the scope of...
Posted: 26 Apr 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Each and every day on my way to work, or wherever I travel on the island, one of the most common sights is truckloads of Burmese workers. The recent tragedy of 54 Burmese suffocating in a container truck while being...
Posted: 19 Apr 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
There is a revolution going on around the world, one without guns, bombs or politicians. In this brave new world, small businesses and individuals have access to global consumers in a way that could not have been...
Posted: 29 Mar 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Speak to most developers and real estate agents and two things rapidly become apparent. The first is that with more than 400 developments now gracing Phuket's shores, the supply chain is continuing to grow at breakneck...
Posted: 08 Mar 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
The New year is already starting to show promise with the delivery of some highly-anticipated new projects on the island. Leading the way is Sala Phuket in Mao Khao, next to the JW Marriott. The 79-room,...
Posted: 23 Feb 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Whether you are property buyer, seller or developer, it is important to figure out where you stand in the market cycle. Developing markets tend to evolve from a Wild West stage set into a more sophisticated and...
Posted: 09 Feb 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Johnny Cash touched on the subject of identity confusion in the song Girl Named Sue, but intellectual property rights are no light-hearted matter. At some point in between working on a business plan for your property...
Posted: 02 Feb 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
As I sit in my hotel room in chilly Hong Kong, the TV is blaring news of a market meltdown. Major indexes are capitulating in the US, Europe and across Asia like the EKG of a heart-attack patient. Grabbing headlines in...
Posted: 19 Jan 2008 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Now that 2008 has arrived and a blank page sits on my desk, it's a good time to reflect on what's needed for the property industry to prosper in the coming year. Phuket is experiencing population and economic booms....
Posted: 29 Dec 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A few years ago, you could count on two hands the number of rental villas and resort condominiums-cum-resorts in Phuket. Coming into 2008, the market has developed into a significant market force and guests are benefiting...
Posted: 08 Dec 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Going by the numbers, the sunny isle of Phuket has seen a flourish of economic growth in 2007. It's been a banner year for tourism with arrivals looking to exceed five million. Hotel occupancies together with average...
Posted: 24 Nov 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Living on a small island such as Phuket, it's easy to get caught up in the cycle of life. Seeing friends marry, children being born, families growing up and people we know die, all of these play a central role in our...
Posted: 11 Nov 2007 | 8:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
It is astounding to see the rapid emergence of the property market in Danang, central Vietnam. For markets such as Phuket, it's important to track existing competition and to look at up-and-coming destinations vying for...
Posted: 28 Oct 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
One of the greatest signs you'll see around the world of a growing affluence for luxury items is in the golf industry. Be it Tiger Woods stature as one of the most recognized personalities of our era or the upswing in...
Posted: 13 Oct 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Fabulous west-coast, white-sand beaches at the doorstep of your five-star hotel, close to an international airport and kilometers of natural rainforest. If you hadn't guessed by now it's our northern resort neighbor...
Posted: 22 Sep 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Landscaping is a discipline inherent to architecture, yet it is often overlooked with amazingly little time and money spent on it. Although landscaping is one of the most important elements of a house or home development,...
Posted: 08 Sep 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Those of us involved in the property business in Phuket over the past six years know that it's been a bit of a wild roller coaster ride, with its ups, downs and in-betweens. But each year as the rains come and our...
Posted: 25 Aug 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Deciding what to spend on sales and marketing for a new development can be a daunting task. Taking a big picture approach of key financial numbers for the project and then working through the details makes considerably...
Posted: 11 Aug 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
For some reason Kamala remains an enigma in the Phuket property market. Despite being home to arguably the most multi-million-dollar villas on the island, Kamala is rarely mentioned in the same breath as its...
Posted: 28 Jul 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Travel around the world and no matter where you land, be it North America, Europe or Asia, you'll find vacation ownership and timeshare being offered. Although timeshare in the past experienced some growing pains, it...
Posted: 14 Jul 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
What do esteemed luxury brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Hyatt and St. Regis all have in common? All are players in the global surge in fractional ownership, and it's a trend that is growing in the worldwide...
Posted: 21 Jun 2007 | 8:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Everyone has an opinion on Patong. Either they love it or hate it, but there never seems to be a lack sentiment when the subject comes up. No matter what you think of the place, no one can deny Patong's significance to...
Posted: 16 Jun 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Looking at the current phenomenal regional expansion of Asian low-cost airlines (LCCs) such as Air Asia, Nok Air, Tiger and Jet Star, the question that always comes up is just how much more market demand can they...
Posted: 06 Jun 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Writing this column is a great icebreaker when I meet people. Without a doubt, two questions I am asked the most are “So, what's the next big trend?” or “What little known spot will be tomorrow's real estate...
Posted: 02 Jun 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Whether you are buying a resort villa, selling a piece of land or developing investment property, transforming any financial deal into a profitable investment can be a rocky road. Aside from sound accounting and tax...
Posted: 19 May 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
While the practice of architecture and design requires innovation, experience and technical knowledge, it should not require the arcane practice of mind reading. Whether you are building your dream home, a small...
Posted: 21 Apr 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
In the property developer's world of revenue and expenses one of the most overlooked areas is tax planning. All too often at the beginning of a project the lion's share of a developer's time is spent with...
Posted: 11 Apr 2007 | 8:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Lifestyle investment and its reliance on rental options and ongoing yields is quickly becoming a hot topic in the Phuket property market. From hotel-managed residential units connected to hotels to short- and long-term...
Posted: 07 Apr 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Turn back the clock a short five or six years and you'd find only a handful of property agents in Phuket. Many of the accepted practices such as commission rates of 3% were in place simply because that was what the...
Posted: 24 Mar 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
When buying into mixed-use, hotel-managed projects, there are important legal issues that must be clearly understood. Buying such a property differs from usual sale and purchase, or lease agreements of residential homes...
Posted: 24 Feb 2007 | 12:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
A new era of brand mania is currently sweeping the Phuket property market in the form of “lifestyle investment”. Mixed-use hotel and residential projects are not only grabbing headlines here, but are becoming a global...
Posted: 11 Feb 2007 | 8:00 pm
From the Phuket Gazette Property Watch:
Krabi, by all reports, is about to experience a boom in the property market. Out of curiosity I set out with a map, a small list of developments, and three days to find out more.The search was not an easy one. Unlike...
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Phuket 2012 Hotel Market Update January, 2013
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