Courtesy Property Report
Last month saw the annual G8 summit—or G7, given Russia’s temporary suspension—but here in Thailand we have our own version of the Group of Eight called the LOS (Land of Smiles) 5.
The LOS 5 consists of our five most internationally recognised cities; Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya and Kho Samui. This group’s moniker is soon to be changed, however, to the LOS 6 as the royal seaside resort town of Hua Hin rapidly gains awareness and stature on the world stage.
The immensely popular travel website Trip Advisor recently named Hua Hin number 5 in its top 10 destinations on the rise in Asia, whilst it was also voted Asia and Australia’s Golf Destination of the Year for 2014 at the Association of Golf Tourism Operator’s annual convention held in Spain. This was only the second time the award has been given to a region rather than a country and, in spite of the political unrest that has overshadowed Thailand this year, the coastal resort has lived up to the accolade.
In the last few months alone, the inaugural Centara World Masters Golf Championship saw 500 golfers and families descend on Hua Hin from 23 countries and this year’s million dollar King’s Cup golf tournament, held at Black Mountain, had a viewing audience of more than 640 million homes in across the globe.
One of Hua Hin’s biggest boosters in recent years has been Suwat Liptapanlop, former deputy prime minister of Thailand and the force behind his family’s Proud Real Estate. In terms of raising awareness of sports, one of his most notable achievements has been to attract tennis greats, such as Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, to participate at the Hua Hin Tennis Exhibition at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. He was also heavily involved in putting together the King’s Cup Golf Tournament, The Asian Beach Polo Championship and Thai Fight Night, all of which were held in Hua Hin and shown around the world.
In a recent interview in HOT Hua Hin Magazine, Suwat, stated: “Our country’s strong points are those precious natural sites which our ancestors conserved for us but it’s important that we also develop and promote manmade attractions for those tourists who fancy them.”
Set to open in October, Proud Real Estate’s Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is the type of manmade attraction that Suwat speaks of. Designed by the company responsible for nine of the 10 most popular waterparks in the world, Vana Nava will be the largest and most modern water theme park in Thailand. A hotel and a high-rise condominium project will be added in subsequent phases, all leveraging on the strengths of each other.
Another Proud Real Estate project, in partnership with The Mall Group, famous for their Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok, is the new Bluport Hua Hin Resort Mall currently under construction. Bluport will be the most stylish and innovative mall in the region creating new experiences of shopping and will surely become a “must see” for all who visit our royal seaside resort town.
As a result of the increasing international awareness, we are seeing mega projects sprout up all around us, from Cha Am in the north to Pranburi in the South. But for me, the most interesting project has to be Pace Development’s THB3.25 billion ultra-lux, MahaSamutr. With a THB40 million starting price for a four-bedroom lagoon-side pool villa, this project doesn’t “raise the bar”, it is the bar.
MahaSamutr will have Hua Hin’s first official country club with membership included for homeowners or it can be purchased separately. The company says it will be the largest country club in Thailand and a Michelin 3-star chef is already onboard to oversee the Mediterranean seafood concept restaurant, as well as world-renowned London-based design consultancy David Collins Studio that will design the interior.
One of the most exciting features of this project, however, is the 45 rai, 800-metre manmade “Crystal Clear” lagoon with a stunning artificial sand beach adjoining the Country Club. Using patented technology the lagoon remains crystal clear year round allowing for a range of recreational activities.
There is no doubt that Hua Hin’s international stature is growing and with it comes exciting new developments, both residential and commercial, along with a well-deserved seat at the LOS table.