Thailand’s premier experiential yachting event returned for its fifth year to celebrate Asia’s primary destination in the global yachting arena. From the 9th to the 12th of January, yachting aficionados and wealthy lifestyle enthusiasts from all over the region gathered at the Royal Phuket Marina to experience all aspects of the yachting lifestyle.
The event showcased a spectacular display of boats, marine equipment & lifestyle products – including a number of new and exciting additions, including a sponsored custom-built VIP Lounge in the Exhibition Hall, a Floating Bar in the Marina, an interactive Demonstration Platform, and more emphasis on family-friendly activities as well as more food and beverage opportunities on the Boardwalk.
As Thailand’s largest and premier in-water boating event, all the major players in pleasure yachting were in attendance and visitors were allowed access to over 50 yachts along with the opportunity to meet with local brokers, property developers and bespoke travel operators, as well as specialists within the hospitality and food and beverage industries. Royal Phuket Marina’s iconic Town Square played host to a daily-schedule of live music, fashion shows and classic car parades.
Conceived and supported by the Thai government with a view to promote Thailand as the yachting and marina hub for Asia and attracting foreign yacht tourism, the event is held annually on the shores of the beautiful Phang Nga Bay in Phuket. It is the perfect environment to showcase Thailand’s vibrant and expanding yachting and luxury lifestyle industries. After all, the event is more than just a display of boats and yachts; it gives participants an opportunity to experience boating first-hand alongside presentations of the latest luxury products and exceptional properties.
The Thailand Yacht Show is a key marketing platform and revenue generator for the local industry as well as an opportunity to showcase Thailand as Asia’s premier cruising destination and a maritime heaven for leisure boating enthusiasts. For four days, the marina was a bustling hub for all things luxurious. The line-up included leading names in the industry such as Simpson Marine, Lee Marine, Northrop and Johnson, Ace International Marines, Asia Marine and Fraser Yachts, to name a few. The governor of Phuket, Phakaphong Tavipatana, was in attendance at the opening ceremony which took place on the private island of Koh Rang Noi, only a short tender ride from the main exhibition. “Through the Thailand Yacht Show, Phuket gets closer to its objective of becoming the preferred winter destination for high-value international yachting tourists. “ He announced. “The global spotlight shines on Thailand with the Show combining the very best aspects of the yacht and super yacht lifestyle, bringing the biggest and most important brands to showcase their newest products and to do business on the beautiful shores of Phuket. All of this translates into direct and indirect economic benefit for our local economy.”
The Show’s main draw, of course, was the world-class selection of yachts and boats of all shapes and sizes for visitors to admire and (no matter what your budget) to charter or purchase. From small sailboats to super yachts, RIB’s to jet-skis, navigation systems and chandlery to the latest water-sports toys, it was all there. Speaking of their in-water display, Richard Allen, General Manager of Simpson Marine, said “We are very pleased with our confirmed line-up at the 2020 Thailand Yacht Show. We presented six yachts including at least three Asia Premieres which is a great achievement and a showcase of Simpson Marine’s rich portfolio of the world’s leading brands. There will be something for everyone with models from San Lorenzo, Monte Carlo Yachts, Fairline Yachts, Benneteau, Lagoon Catamarans, and Aquila Power Catamarans. In addition, we will be promoting our own services with great offers on Yacht Charter both in Thailand and the rest of the world. Our Yacht Care Team will have packages for yacht owners seeking care-free ownership and we will also be offering advice on yacht registration as Simpson Marine is an authorised agent for the Langkawi Yacht Registry. As in every year, the show is a great chance to meet new and existing owners and yachting enthusiasts from Thailand and abroad.
Exhibiting for the first time at the Thailand Yacht Show 2020 was Asia Yachting, the fast-growing and highly successful dealer of Monte Carlo Yachts and Prestige Yachts from Hong Kong, now with an extended territory including Thailand and Singapore. CEO Olivier Besson was enthusiastic about the opportunities in the region that the Thailand and Singapore Yacht Shows present: “We are excited to be opening a new office in Phuket which will enable us to focus on sales in South East Asia, where we expect the market to grow considerably over the next few years. We are aware of all the efforts that TYS and SYS show organisers Verventia have been putting into developing the industry here, and we are delighted to support that effort – and hopefully make a few sales!”
In attendance was Boat Lagoon Yachting who showcased a Thailand premiere, the Princess Y85, a special edition, it is a collaboration between Pinnafarina and Princess Design studio, with the latest in technology and the advanced build-quality Princess is known for, as well as another new special edition, the Princess F62. The company is also the distributor of the fabulous ocean-going luxury RIBS from Sacs Marine, and at the event, presented the Sacs Rebel 47, flagship of the Sacs range, the most stylish and luxurious 15m RIB on the market. Their front-row line-up was completed with the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 10.5Wa – another Thailand premiere.
One of Thailand’s major dealers of the ever popular sailing and power catamarans, Multihull Solutions, presented Asian and world premieres from NEEL Trimarans and Asia Catamarans respectively. General Manager Andrew de Bruin explained “We have some terrific boats at TYS this year, and we’re finding the market demand for our speciality catamarans keeps on growing. We’ve always had good results from this show, and it’s really important that everyone continues to support – one day it will grow into something really special for the region.”
Lovers of all things Italian rejoiced as famed boat builder Azimut Yachts displayed two brand-new models, and another highly successful British Brand Sunseeker also presented a front-line showpiece yacht to demonstrate the ultimate in high-fashion luxury boating.
When asked about the future for Phuket as a hub for high-spending yacht tourism and the yachting industry in Asia, Andy Treadwell, CEO of event organiser Verventia, said “Phuket is now recognized as the center of one of the most beautiful yachting destinations in the world – the ASEAN seas rank alongside the Mediterranean and the Caribbean holiday cruising grounds. This should rightfully be the principal hub for boating and yacht tourism in Asia, known not just for its superb landscapes and seascapes, its tropical islands, clear waters and coral reefs, but also for its world class facilities, marinas, hospitality and service. A successful Thailand Yacht Show is important to the local boating fraternity as an ongoing link between brands, dealers, brokers, and local service providers to new industry contacts and new buyers – so we need support from all stakeholders. By joining together in a cohesive industry gathering, we can build an ever-growing show, delivering real results in a burgeoning marketplace that we should be driving ourselves.”