Project manager at Ton Company Architecture and Engineering group in Krabi. She holds a bachelor degree from Thammasat University in architecture and a master degree from Thammasat in Architectural Design Research in Bangkok.
What are you designing and building now?
Managed private luxury pool villas are becoming more and more popular in Thailand. Ton company ltd. built Baan Oriental 4 years ago in Ao Nang beach. Last year the occupancy rate for this particular villa was over 80%. Ton, the managing director plans to have 15 to 20 villas in Ao Nang under management by the end of 2008.
What are you designing and building now?
Managed private luxury pool villas are becoming more and more popular in Thailand. Ton company ltd. built Baan Oriental 4 years ago in Ao Nang beach. Last year the occupancy rate for this particular villa was over 80%. Ton, the managing director plans to have 15 to 20 villas in Ao Nang under management by the end of 2008.
Owners return is generally around 60% of room rack rate. Flexible usage programs allow the owner up to 60 day usage anytime usually with no or little black out dates.
We are now building 3 new pool villas and about 10 are in the pipeline.
In Thailand and especially in Phuket, this type of property has been well established thanks to The Banyan Tree and The Sheraton. We are starting to see similar projects now in Krabi. Resort properties attract high-end travelers, higher rack rates, a more tailored vacation.
We design the residential components and include quality kitchens, owner’s storage areas and private lap pools to ensure a comfortable vacation. Technology is also very important and part of the design of every project. Ton the managing director has worked in the hospitality industry in large 5 star resorts, he makes sure that every project is designed for the high end traveller. An emphasis is put on design and quality-built features.
Investors are learning that a smart resort property purchase is indeed a sleep easy vacation home and investment with yields in excess of 7%.
Property development in Krabi continuing to be driven by entrepreneurs or will more corporations move in?
Krabi is changing and people are starting to look at it much more seriously as prices move up. In the past Krabi was driven by groups of investors who’d get together and it was really a side business for them. They’d put together a group, buy some land, build some villas and sell them. Now as Krabi is proving itself, you’re starting to see some of the bigger property developers looking at it. The biggest problem in Krabi is really the land, it’s finding the right land at the right price, before the project can be put together and that’s usually the barrier to entry.
Jom can be reached at Ton Company ltd. in Ao Nang Beach 075 695-633 or e-mail: Jom@TonCompany.com
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