The 12th Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) presented by Thailand Elite once again took place at the Royal Phuket Marina. Running January 8th thru the 11th, the annual event held during Phuket’s peak season attracted thousands daily to view the beautiful yachts on display as well as luxury cars and varied luxury items. The strong turnout was not just from Thailand, large contingents from Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Russia also came to view and buy.
With over 6 Billion Baht of product on display, this year’s boat show proved one of the largest in its history. From the smallest boat on display, at less than 20 feet and priced under 2,000,000 Baht, the boats grew in size and price with seventeen over 20 metres in length including large motor yachts from Sunseeker, Princess, Monte Carlo and Sanlorenzo. The largest boat on display this year was a Custom Line NEXT 112 Super Yacht valued at approximately 430,000,000 Baht which was part of a four boat display by Lee Marine.
Two iconic British yacht brands, Sunseeker and Princess Yachts were shown in large numbers this year. Sunseeker, popularly known for being James Bond’s yacht of choice, had four large powerboats on display including the stunning Predator 92, while Princess Yachts exhibited four boats in the water as well as brokerage and charter offerings through local dealer Boat Lagoon Yachting.
According to The Wealth Report 2014, the number of ultra-high net worth individuals in Thailand grew by 147 percent between 2003 and 2013, and is expected to grow another 52 percent by 2023, offering a promising outlook for the country’s yacht market. On the back of this, Gulf Craft – one of the world’s leading superyacht-building shipyards – is launching their Oryx 42 into Thailand and their Gulf Craft Majesty 48 into Asia at the Phuket International Boat Show.
“PIMEX is one of Asia’s premier boat shows, both in terms of how well it is produced and how well it succeeds in attracting top calibre attendees,” said Mr. Erwin Bamps, CEO of Gulf Craft. “For Gulf Craft, our participation in the event is pivotal to bringing our line-up of luxury vessels to the forefront of Thailand’s increasingly affluent boating community, and to being an active participant in Asia’s thriving maritime industry.”
Elsewhere in the marina were boats from Cranchi, Majesty, Gulf Craft, Azimut, Bavaria, Moody and Wider Yachts Asia. Derani Yachts were displaying several boats, the largest being a San Lorenzo 72, while Simpson Marine had a large display with six boats including a selection from the Monte Carlo shipyard, a brand which they launched into Asia with much success at the Phuket International Boat Show last year.
Ideally suited to cruising the Andaman region, multihulls are growing in popularity and was reflected with an increase in the number of multihulls on display this year. Multihull Solutions are showcasing popular designs from Fountaine Pajot and Privilege while the Northrop & Johnson’s display included the new Thai-built solar power-assisted luxury catamaran Heliotrope 65.
Onshore, the exhibitor line-up mirrored that of the in-water display both in terms of size and quality, and also in variety. Luxury auto brands Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Aston Martin, BMW and Mini all debuted this year and were joined by a collection of luxury real estate, marine and lifestyle products and services.
Other business that have chosen to showcase at PIMEX for the first time, and to launch their products into Thailand’s luxury marketplace include Quadski – high speed amphibious vehicles that operate on land and water – Markagain – a platform from Italy for the management and resale of pre-owned luxury assets such as yachts, luxury cars, real estate and more – and Archi Studio – specialists in architectural design and building materials using advanced technology.
“We’re very happy with the turnout, and with over 5,000 independently verified visitors this year it is one of the busiest Show’s to date. Our focus is on attracting quality visitors, the type with an interest in the offerings at the Show and those who have purchasing power,” said Mr. Andy Dowden, Phuket International Boat Show Director. “Having talked to many people at the Show, the feedback from exhibitors and the interest from serious buyers has been very encouraging. We expect there to be a lot of business done after the Show as a result of leads made at the Show.