This year’s Thailand Property Awards was the largest gala dinner to date with more than 620 on the exclusive guest list, all there to reward the industry’s spirit of ingenuity and tenacity.
Thailand’s finest developers dazzled at the 13th annual PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2018, the most-prestigious and longest-running progamme held on Friday evening the 31st August at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection hotel, Bangkok.
Leading the list of winners was AP (Thailand) Public Company Limited, which took home seven golden trophies and was crowned the Best Developer of the year. “AP Thailand has been at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in real estate development for nearly three decades, offering 15 sub-brands to serve various segments, from lifestyle development to home office projects. Over the years it has partnered and collaborated with foreign investment, brokerage, design, and property management firms to ensure the delivery of top-notch customer service and for its various corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to be implemented successfully,” said the independent panel of judges.
Aside from receiving praise for CSR initiatives, this year’s Best Developer was recognised for its outstanding efforts in Sustainable Development, and also collected the new Special Recognition for Design and Construction. Other big victors include former Best Developer titleholder Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), earning six awards out of seven nominations, including the new awards for Special Recognition for Customer Care and Special Recognition for Building Communities. MQDC’s joint venture with One.Six Development for The Strand also received an award. In Hua Hin, Falcon Hill by Falcon Hill Development found victory two years in a row by once again being named the Best Residential Development in Hua Hin.
The judging panel wanted to acknowledge the potential growth of niche segments, allowing several other categories to debut this year, including Best Senior Living Development, Best Home Office Development, and Best Co Working Space Development. In addition, the judges awarded the categories for Special Recognition for Community Retail, Special Recognition for Smart Home Development (two winners), and Special Recognition for Public Facility (three winners).
The event’s official charity partner presented the Raks Thai Special Recognition for Community Projects Award to Areeya Property Public Company Limited for promoting workers’ rights, CSR and sustainable development. It was one of two awards not chosen by the judging panel.
The other was for the 2018 Real Estate Personality of the Year, which was presented by the editors of PropertyGuru Property Report to a pioneer of large-scale and master-planned mixed-use communities in the kingdom, Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, Group CEO of Frasers Property Limited TCC Assets (Thailand). Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, youngest son of Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, is behind 2017 two-time winner GoldenLand, the country’s first LEED platinum mixed-use building at Park Ventures Ecoplex, and the highly anticipated One Bangkok integrated complex.
Joined by more than 620 guests – the largest attendance in the awards’ history yet – the black-tie gala ceremony was keynoted by respected speaker Mr. Prayoth Benyasut, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce. Hari V. Krishnan, CEO of PropertyGuru Group, said: “I am delighted to congratulate all the Winners and Highly Commended companies in Thailand. Year after year these developers have shown the spirit of ingenuity and tenacity to adapt and cater to consumers’ evolving needs, producing projects for niche segments like senior living and co-working spaces, and setting a standard of quality for the rest of their Asian neighbours.”
Marking his 11th year as Head Judge of the Hua Hin judging panel, Russ Downing, Managing Director of HOT Hua Hin Property had this to say, “Real Estate is a contact sport, if you are not standing out you are invisible and this year’s TPA winners all certainly stood out.”
Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, said: “The Thailand Property Awards remain the showcase event of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards season. Nowhere else in Asia do we see such creativity, dedication to innovation and commitment to growth. Developers from everywhere in Southeast Asia look here to learn and to be inspired, which is why we will be returning in November to host our Grand Final in Bangkok for the first time.” In his welcoming remarks at the ceremony, Blackburn, who launched the Asia Property Awards series 13 years ago and organised the first-ever Thailand Property Awards gala dinner in 2006, reiterated that whilst the awards programme has evolved, its “core fundamentals have remained the same” and it continues to be the gold standard in real estate. He added that Thailand will be hosting the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final on 9 November, marking the first time that it is being held in the country.
For the complete winners list visit www.asiapropertyawards.com/thailand-property-awards