Eastern Seaboard Report August 2014 – Prepared by Mark Bowling, Chairman ESB
Siam Motors Group, owned by the Phornprapha family, plans to invest as much as 400 million baht to build a hotel on one of its golf courses. The new hotel offering 60-120 rooms is planned for Siam Country Club Pattaya Waterside, which recently opened. The hotel is due to be completed within two years. The 1.32-billion-baht Pattaya Waterside is the third golf course under the name of Siam Country Club in which the group has invested a combined 4 billion baht.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched the Five Regions Thai Travel Fest @ Rayong. Renowned products from all over Thailand are presented at the event. The festival is expected to enhance tourism between regions in Thailand. Five Regions Thai Travel Fest @ Rayong was launched to enhance tourism between regions, emphasize the identity of each region and create cooperation in the tourism sector.
Provinces in the Eastern region have gathered to brainstorm ideas to improve its logistics system, which would become a master plan model for the region. Deputy Trat governor Mr. Narong Theerachandharangkoon chaired the opening ceremony to prepare for the upcoming ASEAN community in which 4 Eastern provinces including Chonburi, Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat, have agreed on finding a master plan model to help develop the logistics system for these eastern province. As many industrial estates are situated in the East, there would be an increase in raw material distribution to these industrial plants and other regions. The implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2015 would also contribute to increased product imports and exports from neighboring countries.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is considering adopting some measures to maximize tourism revenue, including extending visitors’ visa stay, as this year’s earning is likely to be lower than targeted. Therefore, the Governor revealed that the TAT is preparing to propose a range of tourism stimulus measures to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports for consideration. One of the measures is the doubling of stay for tourist visa holders which would, for example, allow European tourists to remain in the Kingdom for as long as 60 days, as opposed to the current 30-day limit.
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has made known that it is likely to postpone the country’s production target of 3 million cars by 2017, by around 2 years. The FTI’s Automotive Club said the target for Thailand’s total automobile production won't be achieved by 2017 as global economic recovery is not as robust as expected. Domestic spending has also not picked up after demand was dampened during the political unrest. The FTI forecasts that 2.2 million cars will be produced in Thailand this year.
For the sixth year, property developer Raimon Land joined hands with the Plant A Tree Today Foundation (PATT) to protect and enhance the natural environment through a sustainable project. For these efforts, Raimon Land has been awarded the PATT Environmental Impact Award as the Thai company to have planted the most number of trees in 2013.
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British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, 7 Floor 208 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: 038 427 771 Fax: 038 427 772 Email: mark.bowling@colliers.com www.bccthai.com
The Trat Tourism Council is planning to connect a tourism route by sea between Pattaya and Trat islands before expanding the route to connect with more locations in the future. Chakapat Tawaetikul, the president of the Trat Tourism Council, chaired a meeting of the committee to develop a marine tourism route. As there are many Thai and foreign tourists who love to sail, the relevant authorities set up a special area comprising Pattaya, Koh Chang islands and Trat islands.
In another sign of Pattaya’s development into a center for business meetings and conventions, the Holiday Inn Pattaya opened its Executive Tower August 1, outfitted with nearly a dozen halls to accommodate groups of 12-550 people. The tower increases the Holiday Inn’s room capacity by 200 and adds high-tech facilities for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. Each business room comes with technical and artistic tools and access to a new kitchen and restaurant. The main conference hall, spanning 625 sq. meters, can accommodate 250-550 people and can be split into two halls.
Less than eight months after its grand opening, the five-star luxury Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya hotel is already being ranked by TripAdvisor as number 5 out of 361 hotels in Pattaya. The TripAdvisor rating is 94 percent, based on reviews and star-ratings provided by guests who have stayed at the hotel posted to the international travel website, which is regarded as a benchmark for providing information to travellers.
The Thailand Property Awards Gala Dinner 2014 will take place on September 11th at the Conrad Hotel, Bangkok. Local Eastern Seaboard finalist entries include Silverlake Vineyard up for Best Commercial Landscaping. The Vineyard, Amaya Hill and Silk Road as Best Villa (Eastern Seaboard) and Amari Residences, The Palm, Centara Avenue Residences and Waterfront Suites and Residences as Best Condominium (Eastern Seaboard).
Organisers have announced that the 2nd Pattaya Property Show will take place at the Dusit Thani Pattaya resort and hotel from 3-5 October 2014. The show has almost doubled in size since its debut earlier this year at the Hilton Pattaya and many new projects will be launched at the October Show. Over 55 exhibitors are expected to participate, allowing buyers and investors an opportunity to see what is on offer, compare locations and to negotiate on prices.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open two new hotels in Pattaya during the fourth quarter of 2014, bringing the company’s total number of properties either in operation or under construction in the resort city to eight.
The following reproduced with kind permission of SATCC
Index has opened up a THB600 million Living Mall in Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road
Buritara Group plans to spend more than THB1 billion on three new developments in Chonburi
Thai Bauer has been appointed as the piling contractor for The Riviera condominium in Wongamat th
British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, 7 Floor 208 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: 038 427 771 Fax: 038 427 772 Email: mark.bowling@colliers.com www.bccthai.com
Apex Development PLC has announced it has sold the north tower of the Movenpick White Sand Beach development in Ban Amphur to Siam at Chonburi Ltd, a subsidiary of the Siam at Siam Hotel Group
The Veranda Residence, owned by Werawat Ongwasit from the Veranda Resort & Spa in Hua Hin, will soon start to be under construction. It will be on Soi 4 Jomtine Beach Road
Siam Commercial Seaport opened the latest deep-water seaport in Thailand last October. It is 4 kms from Laem Chabang port and continues to go from strength to strength
Quality Houses Plc has several ongoing projects in Chonburi and Rayong provinces -
Casa Seaside Condo Rayong is one that is targeted for 2015 but they also have six others as well since it is now targeting local residents working in industry and/or services in the premium market. It recently launched The Trust Town Bowin, and 42percent sold within two months. It has not yet put this into presales as it is conservative and will book only when mortgage pre-approval is granted. This ensures its backlog quality.
GLOBAL SALES OF Chevrolet's Cruze model reached three million this month, its maker General Motors has announced. The milestone was achieved 16 months after sales of two million were reached, with more than 30,000 sold in Southeast Asia. The compact car is US-based General Motor's best-selling nameplate. The company builds the sedan at 11 plants worldwide, including its Thai assembly plant in Rayong. It is sold in 18 countries, including Thailand.
Central Pattana has confirmed a new shopping mall is slated to open in Rayong in the second quarter next year.
Saha Group, one of Thailand's biggest manufacturers and traders of consumer products, has signed a joint-venture contract with Nippon Tei, a Thai-owned Japanese restaurant chain in Thailand, and Sato Restaurant Systems, a Japan-based restaurant operator, on the opening and expansion of Japanese restaurants in Thailand and neighbouring countries. Called Nippon Tei Sato Co, the new joint venture will have Bt60 million in registered capital. The first Washoku Sato restaurant in Thailand will be opened in October at J-Park Shopping Mall in Sri Racha district, Chon Buri. It will target office workers and families, as well as Japanese expatriates working and residing in Sri Racha and the surrounding areas. Soontaree Leegomonchai, managing director of Nippon Tai Sato, said the company planned to open about eight Washoku Sato restaurants within the next five years, mainly in Sri Racha and Rayong. Each restaurant will require an investment of about Bt30 million and is expected to break even in no more than five years.
Online food-delivery marketplace foodpanda has announced the expansion of its services to Pattaya in Chon Buri - the third province in which it has a presence, following Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
CENTEL, part of Central Plaza Hotel pcl, will open two of its economy hotel brand "COSI" in 2016, in Samui and Pattaya.
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British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, 7 Floor 208 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: 038 427 771 Fax: 038 427 772 Email: mark.bowling@colliers.com www.bccthai.com
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Amata chief executive Vikrom Kromadit, during a recent talk at the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the company aimed to have a total of 100 sq km available in Thailand and 130 sq km in Vietnam.
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British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, 7 Floor 208 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Tel: 038 427 771 Fax: 038 427 772 Email: mark.bowling@colliers.com www.bccthai.com