What’s on: For the latest events, visit windowonphuket.com/whats-on/phuket-events
bOaTING
6 Tide tables
DINING
6 Little Roma
9 PLUM Prime Steakhouse / Vanilla Sky Bar & Gastro Pub
10 Foodies Phuket
14 The Kata Rocks clubhouse
PhuKeT LIVING
8 Holiday Inn
16 Rise & Shine: Favourite local breakfasts in Phuket
22 UWC Thailand International School
31 How far are we from a COVID property crash in Phuket?
33 Art-Tec Design
hOMeS, INTerIOrS & accOMMODaTION
24 Riverhouse Phuket
26 Zenithy Pool Villas
30 Häfele – Elder care product range
36 PSD – Thailand’s PVC window specialists
LeGaL MaTTerS
32 Making kindness a key business objective, by Desmond Hughes
Advertising enquiries
Jason Beavan 086 479 7471 gm@classactmedia.co.th
Distribution Yui 081 787 5938
distribution@classactmedia.co.th
editorial enquries
Fon (Thai/English) 081 968 5441 fon@image-asia.com
Phuket office 076 612550
UWC Thailand International School Foodies Phuket
Rise & Shine: Favourite local breakfasts in Phuket
COVER: Zenithy Pool Villas
Vanilla Sky Bar & Gastro Pub
What's your favourite beach?
Phuket's fame and fortune is founded primarily from its stunning beaches – and they are still the fundamental reason most, if not all, holidaymakers hit this tropical island year after year. But how many are there? Where are they? Which is the most beautiful? Why? on this page, and on Page 5, you'll find most of Phuket's beaches. The number in the blue circle corresponds to the same number on the Page 5 map, making it easy to plan your beach itinerary. We recommend renting a car – and driving carefully!
Mai Khao Beach
Bang Tao Beach
Hua Beach
Paradise Beach
Kata noi Beach
nai Yang Beach
Surin Beach
Kalim Beach
Karon nui
Ya nui Beach
naithon Beach
Leam Sing Cape
Patong Beach
Karon Beach
nai Harn Beach
Layan Beach
Kamala Beach
Tri Trang Beach
Kata Beach
Phromthep Cape
Sarasin Bridge 1
Phuket’s Tide Tables
To find all the great places in Phuket, get yourself a copy of The Map of PHuKeTdual language English/Chinese and English/Russian. It is enough accurate detail for anyone to find their way around the island without getting lost!
Uniquely, this Phuket map is bang up-to-date. With our expertise in maps and navigation, not to mention our passion for maps slavish attention to detail, we check and update something every single issue.
20,000 copies of The MAP of Phuket are distributed every month to over 500 distribution points on Phuket Island. If you can’t find one, please call 0 7661 2550.
Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas brings sophisticated style to the tropical beauty of Phuket with its two unique dining venues – both with outstanding service, fine cuisine and views to match. It’s chic, it’s modern, it’s hip, it’s laid back, it’s Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas!
PLUM Prime Steakhouse: dinner is a great experience and at PLUM we are all fired up! At the centre of your experience is the charcoal burning oven, bringing out the succulent best from our prime cuts of imported beef. Equal attention is given to the fresh fish and seafood, along with an appealing choice of à la carte dishes and fine wines. Innovative and modern… walking a tasty line between ‘steakhouse’ and ‘fine dining’. Come relaxed... leave inspired!
Vanilla Sky Bar & Gastro Pub: The pinnacle of the resort, serves creative craft cocktails and modern stylish gastro pub dishes, backed by a breathtaking view of Kamala Bay.
“Gaze out over an amazing sunset whilst sipping an ‘Elderflower old Town’ or enjoying a cold Belgian draught Beer, tasting some of the delicious ‘Pub Grub’ brought to new modern heights…. life is good!”
For us, it’s about just doing everything the best we can, sending out the best food… pouring the finest drinks… making people feel at home. Ultimately, sending you away as happy as we can. We’ve got a little dream team going on. It will be love at first sight.
daily Happy Hour: Get 30% discount on all drinks, except wines, champagnes and super premium spirits, from 5-6 pm.
Experience Cape Sienna and be surprised by the amazing location, delicious food, great drinks, good music and stunning view.
PLuM Prime steakhouse / Vanilla sky Bar & Gastro Pub
Thai: Taste traditional Thai dishes at Tonsai. This worldly island restaurant offers buffet & à la carte options to satisfy your individual palate any time of the day in Phuket. 0 7660 2435
Thai, Mediterranean: Located right on the oceanfront, featuring authentic Mediterranean & Thai delicacies & spectacular views over the Andaman Sea. 0 7637 0777
All day breakfast, International, Japanese, Mediterranean: Sitting al fresco at Sienna Rocks Café & Pool Club, you can easily imagine you’re in a hip coastal eatery somewhere along the Mediterranean Sea or cosy in Japan… 0 7633 7300
sALA Restaurant, Maikhao
seafood & BBQ, steaks & Grills, Thai: Al Fresco dining at its best, on the shores of Mai Khao Beach. Enjoy an extensive menu of fresh seafood, international flavours & Thai delicacies. 0 7633 8888
seafood & BBQ, Mediterranean, Thai: Rock Salt is a popular beachside restaurant with an idyllic position overlooking the Andaman Sea. The location inspires lazy breakfasts, long lunches, extended sunset happy hours, & indulgent evening dining affairs. 0 7638 0200
Rock salt, nai Harn
sienna Rocks, Kamala
Kata Rocks, Kata
Tonsai Restaurant, naka Island
The Kata Rocks
SALA Restaurant
Tonsai Restaurant
Rock Salt
Sienna Rocks
Ruen Thai: Situated by Laguna Phuket’s beautiful lagoon, here you can enjoy Royal Thai cuisine while soaking up the sunset. 0 7636 2999
International Mediterranean Seafood & BBQ, Thai: Fresh & contemporary dining concepts combine with a stunning seaside location to inspiring effect at The Nai Harn. 0 7638 0200
Japanese, Modern Tapas, Seafood & BBQ: Phuket’s social hangout, stay all-day lifestyle concept & nightlife destination with a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to dining, entertainment and the surroundings. 0 7660 2435
Thai: PLUM is fired up! A charcoal oven at the centre. Amazing steaks & creative fish & seafood dishes… Casual, yet chic, with amazing sea views. 0 7633 7300
Thai: Overlooking the stunning Kamala Beach, Jaras fine-dining restaurant brings local flavours to life with its innovative & modern Thai cuisine. 0 7633 8888
Italian and Pizza: Authentic homemade Italian food, rustic pizzas and pasta favourites are available at Cosa nostra in Chalong. delicious recommendations include homemade Tortellini alla Bolognese, Pizza with fresh sausage and peppers or Calzone Farcito con Prosciutto e Funghi. Free delivery in Rawai, Chalong, Kata and Karon. 0 7628 1382
Asian, Thai, Fusion: Located on Phang nga Road in old Town, Lao Pa Sat is a traditional kopitiam serving Asian favourites. The cafe offers Thai-style kanom jeen with thick crab gravy, delicious fried pork belly and Hokkien noodles with seafood. Highly recommended is the authentic heaping plate of Singapore Chicken Rice. Coffees, smoothies, desserts and craft beers also available. 0 86 330 8812
Coffee shop, Breakfast, Pastries: A popular new coffee shop, Bubble Cafe Phuket serves coffee, smoothies, fresh juices and an assortment of breakfast favourites as well as simple pasta dishes and a few Thai classics. Healthy salads and decadent desserts are also available.
British, International, sunday Roasts, Thai: Traditional British-style pub and restaurant in Kata serving authentic pub grub and International favourites. Sink your teeth into toasted sandwiches, burgers, and savoury meat pies or enjoy the best roast on the west coast every Sunday, with a choice of lamb, beef, chicken or pork with all the trimmings and gravy.
0 82 260 9612
Health Food, Vegan, Vegetarian: Located in Phuket Town, The Vegan Tables features a creative menu of plant-based offerings. Fresh flavours and interesting textures combine for tasty homemade vegan pancakes, delicious wraps, gluten free pastas and unique burgers such as the ‘Spicy Mushroom oat Cheeze Burger’. 0 86 509 7510
North Indian, Middle eastern, Asian, Vegetarian: nestled into Fisherman’s Way, Tandoori nights is Rawai’s best Indian restaurant. The massive menu features Indian appetizers, soups, salads and mains plus Tandoor options. The Tandoori Chicken is excellent value, and the Lamb Rogan Josh is rich and spicy. Vegetarian options available as well as homemade Indian breads and pizzas. 0 7638 1629
The Vegan Table, Phuket Town
Bubble Cafe Phuket, Chalong
Lao Pa sat, Phuket Town
The Pig & Whistle, Kata
Cosa Nostra, Chalong
Tandoori Nights, Rawai
The Vegan Table
Bubble Cafe Phuket
Lao Pa Sat
The Pig & Whistle
Cosa Nostra
Tandoori Nights
Coffee shop, Breakfast & Brunch: Located in Chalong, Poached is Phuket’s first dedicated breakfast cafe. With a creative menu offering items such as house made Banana Bread, Brioche French Toast and the lush Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, Poached delivers ample portions and quality tastes. Be sure to check out their stacked burgers, crispy salads and creative bagel sandwiches, too. 0 7660 2445
International, Fusion, Cocktail Bar: Tucked into the hillside above Kata noi, The Sundeck Phuket is a chic restaurant serving a variety of international and fusion cuisine. An extensive cocktail list and wine menu are also available. Head here for sunset and dine on delicious pizzas, creative salads or fusion dishes while sipping on one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails. 0 64 062 3602
Burgers, Thai: A modest restaurant with a simple menu, Green Tamarind Kitchen has gained a reputation for serving the best burgers on Phuket. Freshly grilled on an open flame, the burgers are stacked with quality ingredients and premium cheeses. The Bacon Cheeseburger is highly recommended along with a side of homemade french fries. The restaurant also features authentic Thai dishes at affordable prices. 084 366 5004
Cafe, Mediterranean: EFE old Town offers Mediterranean delights in an antique setting in the heart of Phuket old Town. Enjoy homemade Baklava, Hummus, Baba Ganoush, and Saksuka with a pot of Mediterranean tea or dine on burgers, pizzas, fajitas and kebabs. 0 90 563 4434
All-day dining, sandwiches, Homemade Breads: Breakfast favourites, European tapas, artisanal breads and creative sandwiches comprise the menu of this home cooking studio. 100% Thai Arabica coffee and homemade ice cream are also available. Highly recommended is the Lobster Roll with Apple Fennel Tartar Sauce and the rich Eggs Benedict served with homemade croissant. 0 65 365 1938
Foodies is compiled by Amy Bensema, copywriter & content creator Amy is an American expat who has lived in Phuket since 2008. A longtime contributor to Window on Phuket, Amy seeks out unique local experiences & off the beaten path attractions which truly highlight the island’s natural charm & Phuketian flavour. She also writes feature articles on travel & Phuket’s dynamic dining scene. https://bensemaamy.contently.com
eFe Old Town, Phuket Town
The sundeck Phuket, Kata noi
Daily Dose sandwiches, Cherngtalay
Green Tamarind Kitchen, Cherngtalay
Poached, Chalong
EFE Old Town
Daily Dose Sandwiches
Green Tamarind Kitchen
The Sundeck Phuket
Poached
AT KATA ROCKS
until 31 March 2021 (subject to availability)
Live the luxury lifestyle
Chill-out by the iconic infinity pool
Tone-up at Kata Rocks multi-functional Fitness Center
Unwind with 30 minutes ‘me time’ at the Infinite Luxury Spa
Located right on the oceanfront, The Kata Rocks Clubhouse features stunning sunset views over the Andaman Sea making it one of Phuket’s best venues for dining with family and friends.
The Clubhouse delivers a gastronomic experience with its tantalizing Mediterranean and Thai cuisine.
Join us for lunch or dinner, dining poolside with one of the best views in Phuket.
For reservations call us on 076 370 777 or contact us on dining@katarocks.com to book your table.
Rise & Shine: in Phuket Favourite local breakfasts
Rice porridge are hearty Phuket local breakfast treats
Phuket is a melting pot of cultures. The island is inhabited by a mix of Thai Buddhists and Muslims, and over half of the locals are a mix of Chinese. This makes for an interesting combination when it comes to food choices on the island, and breakfast options are no exception.
the most popular local breakfasts in Phuket draw on the cultural mix of the island’s residents. Breakfast featuring traditional Chinese steamed buns and those with Muslim origins are quite different to the fried eggs and bacon combination that most Westerners have grown accustomed to. However, whether you prefer coffee or tea, the delightful breakfast choices available in Phuket are sure to satisfy even the pickiest of appetites.
Kanom jeen
Local handmade sweets make for a sweet, sticky treat for breakfast. Wrapped in a banana leaf, khao niao ping is sticky rice often times smothered with coconut milk and stuffed with bananas or taro. These Thai sweet breakfasts are usually washed down with coffee or tea
savoury breakfast options with Muslim origins
Roti is a delicious flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent. Prepared in a variety of styles, it is a favourite breakfast across Phuket. Many locals and expats prefer to have their roti served with moderately spiced curries and fresh vegetables. This combination is easy to find at many local restaurants, but take note that most restaurants selling this delicious breakfast sell out quite early in the morning.
Another roti favourite is known as Roti Mataba. Stuffed with minced chicken or beef, cumin and shallots, Roti Mataba makes for a savoury breakfast. Served with a cucumber and vinegar dipping sauce, it is a moorish treat.
Most tourists will be familiar with the street vendor varieties of roti, often referred to as pancakes. Smothered in sweetened, condensed milk and stuffed with bananas or smeared with chocolate and stuffed with strawberries, these types of roti make for a great snack and are available on nearly every street corner or market in Phuket.
Roti is a delicious flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent. Prepared in a variety of styles, it is a favourite breakfast across Phuket.
Variations of roti are also served with spicy chicken curry and an egg on top
Roti with sweetened condensed milk is a favourite local breakfast in Phuket
Phuket also feature other menu items. one of the most popular menu items is a one-plate dish known in Thai as khao mok gai. The dish consists of fragrant yellow rice sprinkled with crispy fried shallots and served with a piece of chicken. Khao Mok Gai is the Thai take on Chicken Biryani and it absolutely delicious. Although a popular breakfast dish, it is often eaten at lunch and dinner as well. This dish is easy to find and is really great value for the money.
one more dish on the must try list is the tender beef soup. Perfectly seasoned and often on the spicy side, the beef soup is a nice light alternative to the curries and roti. The beef is exceptionally tender due to the fact that it is often simmered for hours.
Khao Mok Gai is the Thai take on Chicken Biryani and it absolutely delicious. Although a popular breakfast dish, it is often eaten at lunch and dinner as well.
Khao Mok Gai is steamed, herbed chicken with saffron rice. It’s a quick and delicious breakfast for those on the go
Beef soup is a spicy local favourite
Authentic Chinese-style breakfast in Phuket
deeply rooted with the arrival of immigrants in the tin mining days, the entire island of Phuket features a strong Chinese influence. This influence is well documented in the island’s history and culture, and is also quite evident in the food.
one of Phuket’s most popular local breakfasts, with a Chinese influence, comes in the form of boiled rice noodles slathered in a choice of curries. Known as kanom jeen, the noodles are served alongside spicy fish curry, peanut-based coconut curry or green curry. Accompanied by both fresh and fermented vegetables, kanom jeen is a delicious, affordable breakfast treat. The breakfast dish is a Thailand staple, and can be found in most local restaurants. As a rule, the best kanom jeen tends to be found in the tiniest of local-kitchens-turned-restaurants, just look for the metal pots, at street stalls and market stands.
Another famous Phuket breakfast with deep-rooted Chinese influences comes in the form of scrumptious, bite-sized steamed buns. dim sum is small portions of food served on small plates or in small steamer baskets. The bite-sized steamed buns contain a wide range of ingredients including pork, beef, chicken, prawns and vegetarian options. Usually accompanied
Kanom Jeen is a rice noodle dish served with fresh, local vegetables and spicy fish curry. It is delicious!
Dim Sum are Chinese breakfast tapas
d im sum is a quick and easy breakfast that is sure to please. There are d im sum shops scattered across Phuket, with Kathu and Phuket Town hosting two of the island’s favourite spots.
with hot tea, dim sum is a quick and easy breakfast that is sure to please. There are dim sum shops scattered across Phuket, with Kathu and Phuket Town hosting two of the island’s favourite spots.
In addition to dim sum, many of the restaurants that serve steamed buns also offer Thai-style omelettes, fried eggs, rice porridge and clear broth soup with boiled pork ribs. Regardless of what your order for breakfast, the shops in Phuket serve up some of the very best Chinese-style dishes that the country has to offer.
Local breakfast on the go
If keeping to a busy schedule keeps you from sitting down in an actual restaurant to enjoy the first meal of the day, Phuket also has some cheap and cheerful breakfast options.
Tea and coffee aficionados will be pleased to know that it is quite easy to find coffee and tea on every street corner of Phuket. The richly flavoured Thai Iced Tea is creamy and sweet and very addictive, while the oliang (Thai Iced Coffee) varieties are strong and feature heavy cream.
A quick breakfast snack comes in the form of fried bread, resembling a donut. Thai-Chinese in origin, Pa Thong Ko is a chewy treat often served with coconut custard. Pa Thong Ko may not be the healthiest breakfast option, but the fried bread treats are scrumptious and well worth nibbling on every now and again.
With so much variety to choose from, it is indeed easy to enjoy an early morning sampling one of Phuket’s authentic local breakfasts. Perhaps give them all a try. It is quite certain that your tastebuds will thank you.
Rice porridge and mee sua soup are typical breakfast dishes in Phuket. Both are tasty and filling as well as exremely affordable
Khao yum is a rice salad of sorts filled with fresh vegetables and lemongrass. It is a light, refreshing breakfast
united We Can
Every year, all 18 UWC schools around the world celebrate one special UWC Day, knowing that although we are separated geographically, we are united in spirit. For the students and staff, UWC Day is an opportunity to help, learn and grow through service-learning and fulfil the UWC mission: to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. For 2020, “United We Can” was the chosen theme.
For the students at United World College, Thailand, this was an opportunity to unite as a community, especially after all the commotion and uncertainty surrounding the CoVId -19 pandemic.
on Monday the 21st of September, over 350 UWCT students completed a range of different off- and on-campus activities from planting over a thousand mangroves to repainting the student snack hut called Shaka, in the school colours. So what does UWC day and “United We Can” really mean to us?
o fficially, UWC day is a celebration of UWC’s mission and values. It is planned each year to coincide with the United nations’ International Peace day, and it provides an opportunity to appreciate the diversity within our UWC schools. our theme this year, “United We Can”, symbolizes that if we work together, we can do amazing things to help, for example, the environment.
“I think UWC day is about reminding us to be more sustainable, learning about important service projects and doing more things together; not just one person alone,” quoted one Primary student. That is definitely true, considering the activities we completed in only one day.
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UWC Peace March where students and teachers alike proudly displayed their nation’s flag and cultural clothing
All in all, we planted 1,000 mangroves, 300 banana trees, two lychee trees, collected 73 heavy bags of rubbish from different beaches and built one new brick enclosure for the gibbons at the local Gibbon Sanctuary. These activities were student-led by our inspiring Grade 11 and Grade 12 students.
Around midday, the Student Council organized a Peace March where students and teachers alike proudly displayed their nation’s flag and cultural clothing as they paraded around campus. It was impressive to witness the diversity in our school – we consist of 358 students and represent 60 different countries scattered around the globe!
After a lunch of food from different cultures, students went to 16 unique student-led workshops. Some workshops were Model United nations (MUn) which taught students to formally debate, ‘Brain Change’, allowing students to learn about neuroplasticity with brain exercises and ‘MAnTA Coral Monitoring’ explored information about coral reefs and marine health.
The boarding students continued UWC day well into the evening as they took part in an important anti-racism workshop.
Another purpose of UWC day is to be a provocation for our annual Sustainability Week. during this weekly theme, students pledged different environmental goals. one example pledge was ‘Zero Food Waste’. The amount of food waste was recorded on a chart in the cafeteria. The goal was to reduce our food waste by half. We did not reach the goal for that week, but we reduced the food waste considerably. This demonstrates that having individual goals can make a collective difference.
o ther pledges included cycling to and from school, not using single-use plastic, having only one-song showers or being a vegetarian for the week.
The boarding students ended the successful Sustainability Week by organizing a community beach cleanup at Layan for all students and families.
Through their hard work, the UWCT community truly showed us that, United We Can… make a difference to help change the world.
By UWC Thailand Students, Meg M & Annabel M (Grade 7)
What does it mean to have a ‘Sustainable Living’ lifestyle?
Surely more and more people are becoming aware of our environment. More people want to be ecofriendly, go green in their everyday life. But how many of those actually put effort into being green and sustainable?
‘Sustainable Living’ describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the Earth’s natural resources, and one’s personal resources. (Wikipedia: Sustainable Living definition).
At Riverhouse Phuket, we are not only using solar energy to power our villas, we have linked them so everyone within the community can share the excess energy, so reducing our carbon footprint. We also use solar energy in our daily operations office.
There is no doubt why we won the ‘Best Villa Development in Sustainable Design’ at the latest Dot Property SouthEast Asia Awards on December 17, 2020. You can be a proud owner of Riverhouse Phuket private pool villa, knowing that living here is one of the best choices for your sustainable living lifestyle.
Why not have it all when you can? At Riverhouse Phuket we offer Sustainable Living with no compromises! The one and only private pool villa development that offers renewable
energy, including high capacity batteries for each villa, yet comes with all the comforts that traditional homes offer. All our solar energy systems are connected to share within the community. So the excess energy can be shared between the villa owners and common area, while the ‘Industrial Loft Style’ design is at the cutting edge of trendy design.
And there other innovative technologies that we have included in our villas, such as dehumidifiers, energy efficient VRV air conditioning, double-tinted glass panels (the cavity between the glass panels is filled with argon gas to further enhance insulation), and energy saving hot water heat pumps that can save 80% of energy consumption compared with traditional water heaters in Thailand.
The villas have been carefully designed so that when you live at Riverhouse, there is a green corner for you to feel as if nature wraps itself around you, wherever you are in your home. Whether you are in the master bathroom downstairs or second floor bathroom, there is a wall of green garden to enjoy. our green areas include the garden on the balcony and the bedrooms upstairs. Green scenery always keep us calm and feeling peaceful.
Riverhouse is located at one of the best locations in the Cherngtalay area; we are only a kilometre away from upscale supermarkets such as Villa Market and Tops, as well as
plenty of restaurants in Boat Avenue and Porto de Phuket to choose from. Whether you are looking into purchasing a villa as a home or as an investment, this is your perfect choice. Riverhouse Phuket strives to be a forward thinking development, to stand out from the rest. Riverhouse is proof that sustainable living can offer all the comforts that traditional homeowners require. So you can have peace of mind knowing that, while living at Riverhouse Phuket, you have already reduced your carbon footprint.
Is this the villa you want to live in or invest in? Be part of the future, join the Riverhouse Phuket family.
RIVERHOUSE
143 Pasak soi 1, Bandon-Cherngtalay Rd., Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket 83110
The zenith of noble living. Harmony of luxury and value.
The aesthetic pool villas located in the centre of the north coast, Phuket Thailand. Modestly situated in the Pasak, Cherngtalay area, the 29 luxurious pool villas are in the most prestigious living area on the island.
Zenithy offers tropical and contemporary residences. Concepts in light brown tones integrate with gold and grey finishes, giving the villas prudent but gentle and welcoming character. Each villa is surrounded by verdant private landscape and infinite green mountain views. Zenithy Pool Villas mix noble modern living with a touch of nature.
An astonishing 356 sqm modern design villas with duplex living space which is carefully designed with tall glass windows.
The master bedroom is joined by en-suites, which include both a bathtub and a shower. The walk-in closet is in keeping with the modern look, while an open-plan western kitchen with full kitchenette is situated in the dining area and gives access to the verdant garden. Two indoor car parking spaces are included. The al fresco private pool, 3 x 9 metres, uses a salt chlorination system that is kind to the skin; water features and an outdoor shower are not far away.
The interior staircase leads to a second floor with two en-suite bedrooms with private balconies. An extra family living area maximises relaxation and leisure opportunities.
With the attractive starting price at 14.1 million baht, the villas are an exceptional choice, and any investor or residential buyer can expect promising rental incomes as the location is perfect for family vacations and hospitality purposes.
The location ensures the residences experience a secluded environment that’s only a few minutes’ drive away from luxurious communities and lifestyle destinations. Just short drive to the famous Bang Tao and Layan beaches, a western supermarket, luxury resorts, golf clubs and a host of international standard restaurants, beach clubs and nightlife bars.
More specifically, the Laguna Phuket complex is the home of 5-star resorts and MICE venues and constitutes the economic heart of Chengtalay. Nearby Boat Avenue is an eclectic collection of shops, restaurants and a supermarket all in one spot. Then, there are the two new attractions just down the road. The first is Porto de Phuket (by CENTRAL Group) – a department store that offers a full lifestyle experience with a gathering of shops, restaurants, a wellness center a family zone and a home décor section. Secondly, there is Blue Tree Phuket, a water park on 224,000 sqm with spectacular slides, a freshwater ‘sea’, adventure and extreme sports. This enormous entertainment venue is also full of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities for all ages.
Cherngtalay Police Station
Cherngtalay Homework Farang Kitchen
Phuket VIP Villas
Anchan Grand Residence
Diamond Villas
ST.Joseph’s Catholic Church
Buritara Laguna Pool Villa Phuket
ZENITHY VILLAS
ToAirport
Picasso Villas Phuket
Blue Tree
Boat Avenue Central Cherngtalay
Distance to attractions:
10 minutes to:
•
Bangtao Beach
Sea-side restaurants and bars
•
• shops, spas & restaurants
Laguna Phuket complex with its resorts,
•
Laguna Golf Phuket
Western supermarket i.e. Villa Market
• & mega supermarket Tesco Lotus
• coffee corner, restaurants & offices.
Boat Avenue Plaza with its arcade of shops,
20 minutes to:
•
Bangkok Hospital Phuket
British International School Phuket (BIS)
•
30 minutes to:
•
Phuket International Airport
Zenithy Pool Villas is developed by Jenjad Pattana Development Co., Ltd (JJP), a world-class developer that’s a co-operation between an experienced investor and an exceptional realtor. The company provides complete project development services to discerning investors, as well as offering a consulting service.
The Zenithy common area is managed by Knight Frank, the international property management expert that takes care of over 26 properties with more than 10,000 residential units in Phuket.
POOL VILLAS
79/2 Moo. 4, Pasak Soi 8, Baandon-Chengtalay Rd., Chengtalay, Thalang District, Phuket Thailand Operate hours: 9.00 – 18.00 hrs. Daily.
Because we love and care for our elders we want their life to be safer and more comfortable
Make all your rooms safer and easy to use. Equip all your rooms with our automatic products to support and protect your elderly loved ones.
Elder Care Product
Elder Bedroom: All movement is facilitated with our ‘lift’ system fittings and sliding rail device with adjustable height.
Elder Toilet: ‘Nylon Series’ handles, the newest technology, reduces growth of bacteria for 24 hours. Sanitary ware with integrated sensor – capacity up to 200 kg.
Automatic Sliding Door system to facilitate access for the elderly.
Häfele Design Center P H uket
Elder Kitchen: fully automatic kitchen appliances, washing up and meal preparation area with large sink and sensor tap, all made safer with our ‘Power Cut’ mode when not in use.
Phuket Property Guide: How far are we from a COVID property crash in Phuket?
ASwe ease into the second year of the coronavirus pandemic, more and more property investors are actively seeking distressed property deals on the island of Phuket. The current environment has seen numerous enquiries from potential buyers who hope to find current owners desperate to dispose of their Phuket real estate at significantly discounted prices.
Despite the slowdown we have seen on the island throughout 2020 – or perhaps because of it - the market for enquiries from buyers has remained surprisingly buoyant. Many potential purchasers seem to believe that the price of Phuket property is guaranteed to plummet at some stage in the future – a sentiment they have been holding onto for quite some time now.
Unfortunately, for those with bottomless faith in finding rock bottom bargain prices, things have not quite panned out that way. This is because the market for luxury villas and condos for sale in Phuket differs somewhat from most other global real estate sectors.
There is every chance that extremely proactive buyers will nevertheless find the bargain they are looking for, but a broad market sell-off seems unlikely. This is because, as we have repeated many times, other global markets around the world are leveraged with mortgage borrowing, and thus subject to the liquidity squeezes and credit crunches which follow. This does not typically impact the foreign buyer driven real estate market here in Phuket.
It is safe to say that the collapses historically experienced in other global markets are tied to the inability of owners to afford their mortgage payments. Any owner’s decision to retain the property or offload it will depend on their ability to either keep up with, or refinance, those payments.
In over ninety percent of tourism driven property markets around the world, foreign investors are allowed some kind of borrowing. The potential for a liquidity upheaval increases the chances of a real estate crash in some of these markets. But nearly every foreign purchase in Thailand is made in cash, mitigating the liquidity risk in the real estate sector, and making a similar broad market sell-off extremely unlikely.
Of course, as we have also mentioned on numerous occasions that there are some desperate sellers, who are currently struggling to pay maintenance and upkeep charges, pool services, gardeners, maids, security guards, utility bills and common area or estate fees. With no rental income to sustain their investment, they may be willing to accept a much lower price on their property, especially if they were already a motivated seller before Covid-19.
At the time of writing, there are numerous properties –including condos, villas, town homes, commercial buildings and hotels – being offered at lower prices than they were this time last year. And owners who overextended their finances from the outset seem to be far more willing to negotiate a lower price than those for whom a Phuket property is a small drop in the ocean of their overall net worth.
Although most condo and villa developers are being relatively stoic with their prices, they continue to offer ‘freebies’ to
interested parties. These incentives include free foreign freehold (for condos), as well as upgraded fixtures and fittings, free furniture packages, or covering taxes and fees for all types of properties.
Given the current environment, potential buyers of off-plan condos should make sure that the developer is well financed, and liquid enough to complete construction. Most condo purchases by foreigners in Phuket are ‘cash only’ (rather than mortgage financed), and we usually see this mirrored by developers. If a developer has sold even half of its units, as the payments they receive from buyers will come at each stage of completion, there are usually no issues with completing the construction process.
However, those developers who have been unlucky with the timing of their project launch, and have been unable to sell enough units to either commence or complete construction, may find themselves undercapitalised. This could force a suspension or postponement in construction until tourism begins to pick up again.
All that being said, it is still unlikely that developers should be forced to ‘fire sale’ their units. If they have no borrowing against their assets, or hefty payments to make with interest, they will not be under any pressure to improve liquidity. Likewise, in the case of units they have already sold, the Sales and Purchase Agreements very likely include a force majeure clause, which indemnifies them against ‘acts of God’. Again, this removes any pressure to immediately return money to investors during the current coronavirus pandemic.
A potential downside of ‘force majeure’ clauses for investors is that any owner who has just received the keys to their property may also have also seen their rental income suspended. Until the country reopens fully for tourism, force majeure protects developers/management companies from paying guaranteed rental income on empty units.
Anyone searching for the deal of a lifetime is unlikely to find one directly from the developer, as most companies seem to be holding their ground. They may find more ‘bang for their buck’, however, as extras and upgrades offer incentives to purchase during the pandemic.
But the bargain-hunting brigade have realised that – for deeper discounts – their focus should be on distressed owners, in a financial predicament due to Covid, who are willing to walk away from a dream property which is simply too expensive for them to maintain without tourists to bring in any rental income.
M A k IN g k INDNESS a key business objective
After one of the most difficult years in recent history for many, reflection on how states, private persons and the most powerful global forces – companies – conduct themselves seems a worthwhile exercise, albeit in this piece a fairly short one. At a time when mental and physical wellbeing, environmental concerns, causal analysis of pandemics, evidence of selfishness, greed and callous regard for human life and safety are rife, a revisit to the potential purposes of our existence beyond primal basics could be helpful to reset or refocus human direction.
Perhaps surprisingly for non-lawyers, ‘law and nature’ are at the heart of an issue that continues to determine a misguided longterm objective of some societal controllers and participants, continuing a belief from the Milton Friedman and business management schools of thought that the almost exclusive, and certainly primary, purpose of a company and its owners should be to make a profit. Companies are undoubtedly the most powerful long-term forces in all of our lives. They work with government to provide essential utilities and services, they produce or provide the food we eat, the transport we use, the digital services and information we consume at an everincreasingly rapid rate, and are evolving to automate or build in artificial intelligence to many systems of our existence.
In the past, corporations have been rightly vilified for their human rights and environmental abuses, with a great but obviously lens-specific summary provided in Joel Bakan’s ‘The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power’, which touches upon many of the issues concerning the lack of accountability and acknowledgment of responsibility that corporations should have for disasters and management of humans. Some laws change in a nod to the issues that arise, attempts are made to foster a sense of ‘global responsibility’ through initiatives such as John Ruggie’s ‘United Nations Guiding Principles’ for corporate responsibility. However, major problems with this are apathy, the effort and resource required to adhere to such wide-ranging principles, their optin / opt-out nature and a distance between those that operate companies and the intergovernmental organisations and states that declare approval of such polices.
My basic suggestion for a generic solution is not an original thought by any means. My inspiration for encouraging thought on redefining the purpose of companies emanates from two major sources. First, Colin Mayer’s book ‘Prosperity’ provides modern and deeply-thought-out analysis on how evolutional biological thought can be applied to the treatment and use of corporations in our society. By adopting a co-operative and altruistic approach to operating corporations, a boomerang of kindness will start to resonate through our interactions with corporations, and each other, thereby improving society. Second, both my young children, studying at different schools, have embedded in their early curriculum the concept of ‘kindness’ which is pivotal to their development. They are not alone. However, kindness also
ought to be taught in business, economics, law, management and vocational school environments; there should be no ‘on-off’ button for kindness which switches between family/ personal life and business life. Shock, horror! But how can anyone still ‘make a profit’, I hear the Friedman followers say…
Well, it is possible to set up systems that combine obligations and objectives of kindness with duties to companies and shareholders/owners to make profits. This requires taking the legal form of a corporation, and embedding new legal rules, flexibility, freedom and constraints to execute ‘kindness’.
If directors can choose or make decisions based on a combination of principles of kindness with legal tolerance for certain ‘losses’, or just lower profits, of an organisation, then it might become more fashionable to walk the walk of what are currently characterised as ‘do-good’ activities: Environmental Social Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Although these are good concepts, they fall woefully short of the global directional shift required to radically improve the way we live, treat others and are treated.
In setting up a company, it is possible to remain a commercial enterprise not becoming ‘foundational’ or charitable as an overall organisation, but embedding principles of kindness and values in all aspects of conduct which affect external and internal stakeholders. This is a step beyond the ‘Enlightened Shareholder Value’ pluralistic approach to corporate law formulation, and is a stronger move into active prioritised kindness. It is a bold controversial concept, but society –subject to continued material gain, even with the current ‘drip-down effect’ expanding the working to middle class prosperity levels – would surely benefit from additional kindness and not just additional money or capital. k indness capital has huge value and potentially infinite returns.
Legally, the remits of directors can be defined in their service agreements, but the laws of the country governing their conduct would also have to be reformed to allow emphasis
on kindness. This concept already exists – as Colin Mayer points out in ‘Prosperity’ – in Delaware, USA.
So for 2021, please consider if you can reform and rebuild kindness – not just into your personal life and interactions, but firmly and squarely into your business objectives, purpose and operations.
It isn’t kind to sell COVID19 masks or vaccines at the highest • possible price based on principles of supply and demand and exploiting as much as possible any lack of regulation by states.
It isn’t kind to conduct a team-building session for your • employees, then – when you leave the car park – cut into the other cars trying to leave, drive in the outside line flashing your lights to try and intimidate cars and humans in front of you, so you can get to your next appointment, or slow walk around a shopping mall, more quickly.
It isn’t kind to employ migrants, keep them in disgusting • confined quarters, use their labour and resource due to its cheapness – and scarcity of comparably cheap alternatives – and then when they fall sick dump them in a forest and abdicate responsibility for their lives.
It isn’t kind to design a societal reaction to a pandemic
that allows travel in and out of a country’s airport and then repeatedly ‘lockdown’ the afflicted because of the lack of authority exerted at the outset.
It isn’t kind to trade with high margins, continually acquire
assets and then charge the assets by extracting rent at the highest prices from those that can least afford it but can’t obtain finance from banks who tighten credit and increase profits in times of economic distress.
It isn’t kind for a bank or lender to treat someone who • borrowed 1 billion Thai baht and is in default of payment,
like a V.I.P, but then treat a small businessperson or farmer as if they are sub-human and give them no leniency or V.I.P. treatment when they walk into the bank to explain their position – whilst they grow food for our tables.
Survival of the fittest is a concept to be confined to literary classics such as ‘Lord of the Flies’, to be shelved in the narrow field of pure biology and science. As a society, in our corporate lives and objectives, we can actively build in a ‘top-line’ for our wealth accumulation based on our actual needs, and do something productive and/or kind with the surplus. It doesn’t have to be communism to be kind. Companies can change, if humans have the will to make them.
I wish you a prosperous and kind Happy New Year for 2021.
is a law firm which specialises in real estate; Construction; Hospitality; Corporate; Commercial; Personal Injury; Dispute resolution; and litigation, operating in Bangkok and Phuket, servicing clients in relation to their business activities in Thailand and in other regions of Asia. www.hugheskrupica.com
By Desmond Hughes, Senior Partner of Hughes Krupica. Hughes krupica
