Long-established as one of the world’s most desirable destinations for the discerning holiday home owner and second home owners, Phuket has become one of the region’s most sought-after locations for luxury real estate. The island is offering an unbeatable lifestyle of sophistication, tropical charm, splendid white sand beaches and gracious Thai culture.
Phuket is luxury island living at its best, with magnificent scenery, stunning beaches, diving reefs as well as some of the world’s most exclusive recreational amenities including spas, marinas and a wealth of fine restaurants and shops. Phuket is also home to some of the finest golf courses in Asia including the Blue Canyon Country Club, a championship course which has hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Honda Classic tournaments. Mission Hills Golf Resort a Jack Nicklaus designed course with stunning views across the Andaman Sea, Laguna Phuket Golf Club, host of the 2009 Singha Thailand Open and the spectacular Red Mountain Golf Club, voted amongst the top three best new courses in Asia in 2007.
Phuket also offers an attractive infrastructure such as world-class hospitals and medical care as well as an international airport, offering access to the entire world, including daily direct flights to Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Vietnam. A large expatriate community has continued to grow over the past ten years, with several international schools available on the island and an extensive support network of clubs and societies.
The island is now so fashionable that it has arguably the highest concentration of celebrities and business leaders in Asia. The guest list at one recent party on the island included super models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, singer Paula Abdul, modernist painter Damien Hirst, Shanghai Tang founder Sir David Tang and Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey.
The island is already firmly established as one of Asia’s most sought-after investment destination with prices rising faster than anywhere in Thailand outside the capital Bangkok – and the latest official figures suggest that trend will continue and most likely accelerate in 2010. In statistics released earlier this year, the government’s Board of Investment revealed that the value of investment applications for Thailand as a whole hit a 40-year high of US$21.9 billion in 2009, a staggering 80% above target and 70% higher than 2008.
The island also remains a favourite location for retirees, with its appeal greatly enhanced by the growing number of low-cost carriers now flying into the airport.
While Phuket is not insulated from the global economic downturn, the profile of Phuket buyers and nature of offerings on the island are such that there is very little room for attrition in property values. The Phuket market is predominantly a cash market and not directly affected by debt issues.
With a property market that is rather strong, especially in the exclusive, high-end sector. Phuket continues to draw discriminating property investors. Everyone wants a piece of Phuket, thanks to its convenience, advanced infrastructure and a high degree of sophistication combined with Phuket’s sheer natural beauty.
Browse Phuket luxury real estate at Signature Residences Worldwide.
