Thailands major airports and tourist destinations ready for record high season!

Thailands 6 major airports are gearing up for high season and numbers are expected to well exceed double digit increases in tourists coming through. Somewhere between 13.5% and up to as much as 60% according to an article in todays Bangkok Post.

Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkoks main international airport could see figures rise to as much as 142,000 passengers per day up over 19% from the average 119,000. Tourists flying into bangkok easily access not only Bangkok but other popular tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien Beach, Ayutthaya as well as serving as a gateway to many of Thailands wonderful tourist spots. DonMueang, Bangkok's hub for Air Asia and other low budget carriers, should see as much as 50 more flights per day.

Phuket's international airport will also be seeing nice increases in arrivals up almost 24% with the number of flights increasing from 163 per day to 178.

Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, and Hat Yai are all looking forward to projected increases ranging from 14% to 27%. A good portion of this increased traffic will be coming from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports via Thai Airways as well as the fore-mentioned low budget carriers in addition to international arrivals.

Huge Jomtien Villa rented but still for sale!

One of our listings that featured a wonderful 2 story 4 bedroom 5 bathroom villa in Jomtien Beach just the other side of South Pattaya has been rented. The property is still for sale at 8.5 MB making it a great business opportunity with tennants already residing on a 1 year contract. See More

Retraction on Pattaya tourists getting more Thai baht for their money

I would like to apologise for the last blog post i presented. The Thai Baht is not at 31.40b and rising but roughly, at the time of posting this blog post, is currently about 30.50b to the USD holding fairly steady.

I am currently on an assignment offshore and with the limited internet connection i have been a bit out of touch. I was excited when i came across the post in the "Pattaya Daily News" with those rates i quoted. Therefore, in the last post and felt i would share what benefits could be reaped by tourists coming to Thailands many wonderful tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Jomtien, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Chaing Mai, etc.

Having lived in Thailands Pattaya Jomtien area for the last 10 years i still feel these tourist destinations are a great value despite the strong Baht and a great for ex-pats to work, live, and retire.

If you are looking to rent for short term holiday, long term stay, or buy property in the general Pattaya, Jomtien area please check out our tabs on the top of this blog or visit www.pattayarealestatemarket.com. For any other information or specific inquiries e mail info@pattayarealestatemarket.com. Thank you very much and again apologies for the mis-quote.

Pattaya tourists may get a little more for their money as Thailand’s baht weakens

It was not long ago the Thai baht dipped briefly below the 30.00b mark against the U.S. dollar. The baht seemed to be correcting itself when it roughly flirted with the 32.00b level. As of last month the baht was once again threatening the psychological level of  30.00b ,but seemes to have taken a bounce favorable to tourists coming to spend their holidays here in Thailand.  This, just in time for the coming high season and hopefully this trend will continue. Today the baht climbed to 31.40b for one U.S. dollar.

Gold also fell to levels flirting with the 23,000 Baht per baht. This means good news for tourists with their currency giving them more spending power especially in high season dependent areas like Chaing Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches.

 Just as well local hotels, guest houses, and serviced apartments may see customers adding nights to their stay as their holiday becomes more affordable. Likewise tour operators, souvenir shops and local businesses may see more trade as their products become cheaper and more doable for tourists.

Pattaya and Jomtien have seen an incredible amount of building over the last year since last year’s high season and developers, as well as local tradesman, are optimistic their rooms will fill up. Here’s to a great high season!

Good news for Pattaya and Jomtien as Thailands tourist numbers continue to rise!

The report is out and the number of Thailands tourists has seen an increase of 8% in the fiscal year between Sept /30 /2011 and Sept /30/2012. It is estimated that Thailand has seen 15 million tourists enter the Kingdom so far this year, with an expected 20 million by years end according to a statement made by Suwat Sidthilaw. This Thailands Ministry permanent - secretary.

Despite some bad publicity of crime in Pattaya and Phuket including jet ski scams and crooked taxi drivers, tourism continues to thrive. Thailand has seen its fair share of obstacles over the years from tsunamis, political unstability, and flooding, yet still holds strong.

Thailand continues to work to solve runway problems and slow immigration queues at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport but with the opening of the old Don Mueang Airport and plans to further commercialise Pattaya's Utapao it looks like things are getting better.

Tudor Court on Pattaya's Pratumnak Officially Completed!

I just received word that the Tudor Court poject on Pratumnak Hill in South Pattaya is now officially completed and open in all aspects. This includes both the long awaited serviced apartments as well as the beautiful swimming pool. All the landscaping is also done. You can get more information and a better look at this magnificient complex at www.pattayarealestatemarket.com

Thailands Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches...Oh how they are being missed

Hello to all readers, Pattaya Real Estate Market clients and advertisers. I have been unfortunately out on an assignment until around the 10th of next month.

Business is as usual as both Khun Sa and Khun Naan are there handling things. I am being forwarded messages and in the loop despite the very poor internet out here offshore. Please check back on the blog as i will be forwarded updates and able to help with translation I  will still be updating this blog as much as i can in addittion to the forsaleinpattaya.blogspot.com and forrentinpattaya.blogspot.com blogs.

Having been stuck in a hotel in a remote town for the last three weeks in Malaysia made me realise just how much Pattaya and Jomtien have grown.
For example.
                   It was a 700B cab ride to the nearest atm machine.  

                  Beer was on average 180B for a big bottle of Tiger and 22B for Heineken.$$$.

                  We had 15-30 minute waits for taxis, no sorng taews or motorbike taxis anywhere. Often very difficult to get one to come pick us up in an offbeat area.

As much as Pattaya and Jomtien have grown and as much as the congestion is building at least there is almost always cheap public transportation available, and a 7-11 close by not to mention the plethora of atm machines and the convenient access to your money. Looking forward to getting back. Thanks for all the support from our friends, family, clients, and advertisers!

Brian
Pattaya Real Estate Market Team

Pattaya suffers effects of tropical storm Gaemi

If you have ever been in Pattaya during a heavy downpour you will be no stranger to how quickly the town can flood. Poor drainage has plagued the city for decades and with all the new development little has been done to correct the problems of poor drainage, not to mention how the flooding further effects an already poor infrastructure.

Local government has assured its citizens that rescue services are on full standby as is the military to aid local poice and rescue teams if necessary

Although the storm appears to be weakening and the worst of it possibly over, it will still take sometime to recover and with another powerful storm set to come in behind Gaemi, conditions may continue to be tough.

Locals have been encouraged to stock up on essentials, which will undoubtedly be causing prices on necessary goods to rise dramatically. Batten down the hatches and stay safe everyone.

Pattaya Real Estate Market Team!

New Doublewide Shophouse for Sale Soi Siam Country Club

A brand new double wide 3 story shophouse is now completed and for sale on Soi Siam Country Club. Perfect for new business, or convert upstairs into apartments or guest house. See More...

Pattaya tour boat sinks off of Bali Hai

Earlier this afternoon a tour boat carrying 22 Korean tourists went down after reportedly taking on a huge wave. All 27 people were rescued including 22 passengers and 5 crew members. All were reportedly wearing life jackets at the time. Over crowding is the suspected reason for the sinking of the boat. Pattaya Sea Rescue squad and authorities are investigating the incident as well as the tour operators licenses.

Just a few days ago there was a collision just off the coast of Hong Kong where passengers were not as lucky. Always remember just because you're on holiday doesn't mean to let your guard down. When going by sea always wear life presevers or at least make sure there is sufficient amount for passengers and crew and they are easily accessable in an emergency.

This blog was published with some information aquired from the "Bangkok Post" and "Pattaya One.Net."

Holiday safe, regards Pattaya Real Estate Market Team!

Brand new Shophouses for sale off Soi Buah Khao

New! 3 story shophouses have just been completed and are up for sale just off of Soi Buah Khao and the Soi Diana intersection. This area continues to grow like wild fire with new bars and condo complexes currently in development. There are 6 units available and are at a very cheap 4.9 MB per unit. See More

Tudor Court Condos on Pratumnak ready to move in!!

The long awaited completion of Tudor Court Condos on Pratumnak soi 2 are now being occupied! The rubble has been removed, the grounds have been cleared and the dust swept away.

Developer Simon Ditchburn has just announced that buyers are now moving in. There are still a few units available and Pattaya Real Estate Market has some of the best prices available.

Tudor Court Condos are built to the highest European standards with attention taken in every last detail. They will soon be offering serviced apartments available for rent shortly as well. For a better look at these high quality units check out the video below

Shop for sale soi Siam Country Club

A double wide Shophouse measuring 4 meters wide per unit has just come up for sale in Nong Prue Soi Siam Country Club Area. Bargain price of 5.8 MB in a rapidly growing area. Similar new Shophouses are going for 7.5 MB and up. See More

Condo market continues to soar!

The Chonburi area is expected to see 13,000 new units this year alone with another 8,000 for the Hua Hin Cha-Am region. The greater Bangkok area is expection another 60,000 units up almost 43%. This according to a survey conducted by the REIC.

There have been some declines reported in low rise residential developments, Bangkok saw a decline of 29% in comparison to this time last year. The business section in "The Nation" has allot of buzz lately regarding housing and condo prices and the amount of current and expected development. I found these numbers and this article interesting and have posted it below.

THE NATION October 2, 2012 1:00 am

 

Huai Khwang, Chatuchak, Din Daeng, Sukhumvit from Phra Khanong to Samut Prakan, Chon Buri province, Hua Hin and Cha-am show signs of a condominium glut this year, according to the Real Estate Information Centre.

A survey by the REIC found that more than 13,000 condo units would enter the market in Chon Buri and nearly 8,000 units in Hua Hin and Cha-am this year. They will account for about a half of all sales in both locations.

In Greater Bangkok, the centre estimates new condo projects will supply 60,000 units this year, up 42.85 per cent from last year, and low-rise projects - detached houses, townhouses and duplexes - will supply 35,000 units, down 14.28 per cent. This will drive volume growth for the residential market to 15.85 per cent this year.

The full-year estimate for Greater Bangkok reflects the introduction in the first nine months of condo projects with 46,000 units, up 42 per cent from only 32,500 units in the same period of last year. Of those 46,000, 39 per cent or 18,000 units have usable space of 26 square metres or less, 36.9 per cent or 17,000 units have more then 30sqm and 23.9 per cent or 11,000 units have from 26-30sqm.

The first nine months recorded 24,000 units of new low-rise residential projects. This represented a steep decline of 29 per cent from 34,000 units in the same period of last year.

Of the condo projects launched in the first nine months in Greater Bangkok, 71 per cent were developed by 34 listed property firms and the remaining 29 per cent by 100 non-listed firms.

Of the low-rise residential projects launched in the first nine months in Greater Bangkok, 69 per cent were developed by listed property firms and 31 per cent by non-listed companies.

Samma Kitsin, director-general of the REIC, said yesterday that demand for condos was rising after the flood hit Bangkok and its suburbs late last year.
Of the condo projects launched in the first nine months in Greater Bangkok, 71 per cent were developed by 34 listed property firms and the remaining 29 per cent by 100 non-listed firms.

Of the low-rise residential projects launched in the first nine months in Greater Bangkok, 69 per cent were developed by listed property firms and 31 per cent by non-listed companies.

Samma Kitsin, director-general of the REIC, said yesterday that demand for condos was rising after the flood hit Bangkok and its suburbs late last year.

Prices in Greater Bangkok for condos rose 6.4 per cent on average this year, while detached-house prices increased 3.3 per cent and townhouse prices by 4.7 per cent. Developers had to cover their rising construction costs, he said.

The Bank of Thailand is also closely monitoring the condo market in Greater Bangkok as prices have spiked, central bank officials said last week.

The condo price index last month rose 8.1 per cent year on year, while mortgages increased 9.3 per cent. The detached-house price index climbed 2.4 per cent and that for townhouses 1.8 per cent year on year.

The supply of high-rise residential units in August expanded 4.8 per cent and that for low-rises by 13.9 per cent from July in Greater Bangkok.

Thailands Don Mueang airport officially back in operation

Don Mueang airport is now back in full operation. The first Air Asia departed for Bali on time at 03:00 this morning. The airport will be serving as a domestic hub, an international airport and assist with connecting flights from international origins to domestic destinations.

This should free up room and ease congestion at the already over crowded Suvarnabhumi airport and make things easier for tourists and business travellers. See the article below taken from this mornings "The Nation"

02/10/2012

 

Don Mueang International Airport started buzzing from 3am yesterday as its first flight of the day, AirAsia's FD3677, took off for Denpasar, Bali, on the dot of 6.15am as scheduled. All the ground staff, especially Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld, were delighted by the smooth takeoff.

Taking off smoothly and on time is common in the aviation industry, but for AirAsia this one was very meaningful, because yesterday was the first day for the low-cost airline to relocate its operations from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The airline and Airports of Thailand spared no costs in keeping passengers in Terminal 1 entertained. AirAsia organised fashion shows and AOT paid for concerts. Their joint efforts were obviously meant to prove that the old airport was back in action.

Terminal 1 was full of people, as passengers, media personnel and guests jostled for a part of the action. In fact, an airport guard said he had never seen the facility this busy before.

And though there was a bit of a traffic jam getting to the departure building at 6am, passengers were not disappointed by how smoothly everything went.

Passenger Wichai Lhaoprapatsorn said he had no problems with the airline's relocation. He was taking a connecting flight to Yangon from Chiang Rai. However, he did voice concerns about having to take connecting flights with other airlines that fly out of Suvarnabhumi. He said Don Mueang should offer free transport to Bangkok's main international airport.

Things did not go too smoothly for everybody, however, as five foreigners ended up missing their flight. They had probably not heard about the relocation, though AirAsia staff have been going out of their way to inform people.

Meanwhile, Tassapon said Don Mueang's preparation was acceptable with the exception of some lighting problems, unclear signage and ground transport. He said he would inform AOT about these problems and hope the authority finds solutions within a week.

AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes was also present at the airport yesterday and said this relocation was a crucial step for Thailand to become a low-cost-carrier hub in the region. He added that cutting down the international passenger service charge would certainly help. He cited Malaysia, which only charges passengers Bt300.

Tassapon added that moving to Don Mueang was also beneficial for AirAsia because this airport was closer to downtown Bangkok. Hence, he said, the airline expected the number of its domestic passengers to increase by 5 per cent. Its current load factor for domestic flights is between 82 and 85 per cent.

Thai AirAsia operates about 160 flights daily, of which 45 are international. Next year, its daily flights should hit 200 and the airline hopes to generate at least Bt20 billion in sales revenue.

Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin welcomed AirAsia to Don Mueang, saying its presence would change the dynamics of the airport. He said this market had more room for growth, especially since competition has intensified.

Currently, Nok Air operates 89 flights out of Don Mueang and its average load factor is 85 per cent. In the first quarter of next year, the firm plans to fly to four or five cities in China because of high demand. The airline already operates three charter flights per week to Nanjing.

Nok Air is also planning to get listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, aiming to spend the funds raised on expanding its fleet. It has about 11 planes at present and hopes to boost that number to 20 by next year.

It is aiming for profits worth more than Bt500 million by the end of this year, which shows a vast improvement from the Bt198 million it projected early this year. He said the airline had recorded profits worth Bt400 million so far this year.

Pattaya continues to play a huge role in South East Asia Tourism

Cambodian airline Air Hanuman will soon start servicing 3 return flights between Siem Riep and Pattaya's Utapao airport per week. Opening up Pattaya as a servicable hub from more local destinatons is great news for local hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments as well as local -- and hopefully -- legit tour operators. For more please see this mornings article from Pattaya 103!

Pattaya: Airport announces new flights to Cambodia from Utapao

Cambodian airline, Air Hanuman, has negotiated a regular route between Siam Reap Cambodia and Pattaya’s own Utapao Airport.  The service, which will initially be a weekly series of three return flights, will mean that tourists can leave Pattaya and be in Cambodia in just about an hour.

(link to their site is at the bottom of this article)

This new route is great news for travelers who want to visit Pattaya from Siem Reap and explore the mysterious Siem Reap-Angkor Wat Temples, from Pattaya.

To date, the only options have been either the long drive to Bangkok’s airport or the day long drudge over Thailand to the border and  the less comfortable roads of Cambodia.

Utapao was built by the US Military during the Vietnam conflict and was used as the main hub for Thailand a few years back when Bangkok Airport was closed.  At the time, Pilots and airlines were not only impressed with the runways but also the facilities and ease for passenger to get through the usual queues quickly to board and leave the planes.

Flights start this month  and are planned for 2PM departures from Siam Reap and 4.PM departures from Pattaya, using B737-300 aircraft in a joint venture with  Tonle Sap regional airlines.
In a meeting today, Sunday, the Company executives explained that this just the tip of the iceberg as far as new routes are concerned for the company. Many more are planned, affording passengers easier access to numerous destinations via their hub.

As a bonus to travellers who are new to Cambodia, everything is accessible through the company website, from ticket and Hotel accommodation through to tours and travel, all using experienced staff and hotels which are recommended by the airline.

In addition to Pattaya residents travelling to Cambodia, the airline is working on a joint promotion of Pattaya City to Cambodian residents and plans to share the many great reasons why visitors should come to Pattaya city from Siem Reap.
 http://airhanuman.com/book.php



Read more: http://www.pattaya103.com/pattaya-airport-announces-regular-cambodia-flights/#ixzz280oclOvS

Chonburi Condo market on the rise

In the hottest selling areas for condos such as Pattaya, Naklua, Jomtien, and even the proclaimed "Beverly Hills" of Pattaya..Pratumnak Hill, there seems to be one overshadowed market place.

Chonburi province in its own right boasts huge industrial compounds that require corporate housing for both Foreigners and Thal Nationals.

LPN Development is currently estimating demand at 10,000 new condominium units per year to house blue and white collar workers currently working in Chonburi factories and industrial estates. These new projects are slated to very reasonably priced starting at 550,000 Bt and not to exceed 2 Million Bt.

To gain a better understanding of just how much of a housing shortage exists through Chonburi's industrial compounds please check out the article below from "The Nation".

SOMLUCK SRIMALEE
THE NATION October 1, 2012 1:00 am

 

More than Bt20 billion worth of new condominium projects will be launched in Chon Buri province, including Pattaya, in the current second half of the year thanks to strong demand. Most of the demand is for condos priced lower than Bt2 million.

LPN Development says it sees demand in Chon Buri for nearly 10,000 condominium units per year.

These are located near eight industrial estates around the province, such as Amata, Laem Chabang, Saha Group's estate, three projects near Pinthong Industrial Estate, Hemaraj and Panthong Kasem Industrial Estate.

These estates host 479 manufacturing plants that employ more than 211,000 people, 10 per cent of whom are white-collar staff. Chon Buri also has five universities.

LPN Development managing director Opas Sripayak said many employees in the industrial estates and students and teachers in the universities rented serviced or unserviced apartments costing between Bt3,000 and Bt5,000 a month. But Chon Buri province has only 28 apartment projects with a combined 1,262 units, not enough to handle the rising demand.

The company's survey also showed that industrial-estate employees who want to buy a home needed the price not to be higher than Bt2 million.

As a result, the company decided to launch its latest condominium project, Lumpini CondoTown Chonburi-Sukhumvit, worth Bt2.6 billion. The project has 4,181 units at starting prices of Bt550,000, which have utilisation space of 21 square metres.

The project will open for booking next weekend.
By the end of last week, the company had already issued 2,000 queue tags to people interested in booking next weekend, and expects tags to total 2,500-3,000 before bookings open on Saturday.

This is an indication of the strong demand in this market after the company had successful launches of three condominium projects in Pattaya worth Bt8.2 billion in the first half of the year.

Sansiri also will launch its first condominium project in Pattaya, in the Wong Amat area, next weekend called Baan Plai Haad, worth Bt2.2 billion, with 353 units at a starting price of Bt3.59 million.

In the third quarter, Kingdom Property Co launched a condominium project called Southpoint Pattaya, worth Bt2 billion.

In the same quarter, Kotobuki Property launched a condominium project worth Bt95 million at Lamthan, Chon Buri province.

A survey by the Agency for Real Estate Affairs shows 87,500 residential units worth Bt246.5 billion in Chon Buri province, of which 60,241 have sold. The agency believes that the rest will be sold out by the end of the year because this market has strong demand, especially for units priced lower than Bt3 million.