|
| 26 Apr 2010 04:28:54 am |
|
|
|
|
From Bill Barnett
C9 Hotelworks, Phuket
A change to current regulations is expected to have substantial impact on development on the island which will see a new environmental regulation come into place for Phuket by the third quarter of this year - 2010. The existing guideline titled "The Announcement of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment - Specifications of Environment Protection Areas and Measures for Phuket B.E. 2546 is set to expire on September 30th.
"The Thai Government has released a new draft which has been reviewed by leading Bangkok legal firm Baker & McKenzie who have reviewed and released comments as follows:
The current version of the draft will substantially effect developments and land values in Phuket.
As an example land which is located in Zone 6 (40-60 meters above sea level) currently says that for slopes next exceeding 35% than buildings must be 8 meters or less.
Under the revision the slope is reduced to 20% which allows 8 meters of less of building but for inclines of 20-50% only detached houses or single buildings less than 6 meters.
For requirements in open spaces as of the existing guidelines if an incline is less than 35% than an open area of not less than 40% of the total land area needs to be allowed.
On the new draft where slopes of 20-35% are existing, open areas of 70% are required while for slopes of 35-50%, then 75% must remain open. "
The legal firm expects final guidelines to come out over the next few months or prior to the end of September. For those wanting more information they can contact Baker McKenzie in Bangkok for details of the full draft.
If you are developing or renovating property that has significant slopes, a complete review of the issue and perhaps expediting of build permits prior to the new regulation coming into effect might be advisable. |
|
| |
Category : Phuket
| By : admin |
|
|
|
|
| 19 Apr 2010 10:32:15 am |
| First day of Surfing….2010 |
|
|
|
|
With great joy our local waveriders here on the West coast celebrated the first waves at Surin beach for the year, and heralds the changing seasons. With almost clocklike precision Easter and Songkran ran by in a flurry of activity despite Bangkok troubles and the Euro flight cancellations. The hotels to date have enjoyed good occupancy and rates, with some suggesting their best ever quarter.
The island this fine Monday has, however a different feeling…. The beach is quieter, roads less travelled and the need to make restaurant reservations mostly over till High season again. This week we officially end high season and rates will be discounted out as much as 50%.
The weather, as hot as it has been will continue to build in pressure the next month, as the first of the rains come, which are badly needed. Between now and Sept/Oct we will have rolling storms coming in from the Andaman sea, mostly short sharp heavy dumps of rain, often late afternoon, followed by a spectacular sunset and another glorious morning. The swells will get heavier and over the next month most west coast beach restaurants will close down. A new lifeguard contract has been handed out, and training yesterday at Surin was well under way, just in time for heavier swells.
In 2009 we cancelled low season and recognized that Phuket is now an annual destination, an annual SUMMER destination. The temperature is pretty stable, it never gets cool, it rarely rains solidly for more than a day and with those much needed rains Phuket takes on a wondrous green glow. Green season, Summer season, Surf season, Monsoon season take your pick, but be sure that in 2010 there is a much wider range of both hotel and private villa accommodation for you to choose from.
This Thursday the 22nd we start the first beach cleanups for the year, sponsored by the hotels and supported by local government this community effort continues on 2009s success and has a schedule out to November.
See the Thai and English version at:
http://www.summerinphuket.com/summer-phuket-media.html
Indigo has been a proud supporter of this initiative and an island wide plastic bag charge of 2 baht per bag that is about to be started, and recognizes that sustainability is critical if Phuket is to remain idyllic, pristine and continue to be one of the worlds leading beach destinations.
The Summer In Phuket team hope to see you on the beach on Thursday and appreciate your support keeping the Clean Phuket momentum pushing forward in 2010..
Keep Phuket Green, Keep Phuket Clean
Nick Anthony
nick@indigoRE.com
+66 89873 2042 |
|
| |
Category : Phuket
| By : admin |
|
|
|
|
| 07 Apr 2010 07:31:06 am |
| Istana Phuket: Green Initiatives |
|
|
|
|
A breed of more sophisticated luxury homebuyers are extending their personal principles into their lifestyle choices and demanding ‘green' living spaces. Luxury travelers are also seeking more socially responsible resorts and villas for their special vacations where money may be no object but adhering to their eco-values is an objective.
Istana Phuket recognizes this lifestyle trend and has designed its entire 27.5-acre site and 19 villas with sensitivity to the surrounding environment. However, while the buildings are designed to respect the environment, they are equally strong, beautiful pieces of architecture whose character will hold value and interest in the future - the perfect eco-luxury combination. To strike a perfect balance between eco and luxury, ISTANA Phuket has incorporated these practical and innovative methods into the development:
• Low density planning and preservation of local trees and vegetation. Each villa plot size ranges from 1,589 to 3,527 square meters (17,100 to 37,960 square feet).
• Passive and environmentally friendly cooling techniques, with abundant reflecting pools, garden terraces and breeze-inducing pavilions. All these features facilitate outdoor tropical living and reduce energy needs.
• Passive lighting and innovative electric lights can also be set up to automatically switch lighting circuits on and off as and when they are needed preventing energy from being wasted.
• All villas are fully fitted out with the latest technology in Air VRV Conditioning. The main advantage of VRV systems is that they operate with outstanding efficiency, so there are major energy savings compared to a normal split system. In addition, the VRV system uses R410A gas which is a non ozone-depleting refrigerant.
• Swimming pool equipment uses eco-friendly variable speed pumps that conserve water and reduce noise with a base saving of 30% over traditional pumps. The use of an advanced filtration media enables better water quality with environmental and economic benifits.
• The entire Istana site has been designed to be self-sufficent in providing potable water for washing, cleaning, toilet and irrigation use. Rain water is collected from roof tops of the villas and grey water from showers, baths and wash hand basins. The collected water is treated then reused.
• All hot water for the villas is provided via Quantum five-star renewable energy rated heat pump systems. A heat pump system is where heat from the ambient air is absorbed by an environmentally friendly refrigerant in the evaporator, heating water in the most efficient manner.
• The automatic irrigation system greatly reduces the amount of water wasted on the property. The irrigation system is designed to run for only a set amount of time so that there is little waste. The system is also set to run at nighttime when there is very little water lost to evaporation.
• Aquatherm piping is used throughout the project for the hot and cold water systems; the prime advantages of this system is that it has built-in insulation barriers that reduce heat loss in hot water systems by around 70%, which provides for major energy savings and is also 100% recyclable.
• Natural, ‘green' land borders and discreet villa positioning so that each villa is wrapped in environmental serenity.
• Spacious designs for each villa that allows guests, children and staff to occupy separate areas of each complex, ensuring privacy and harmonious living throughout
THE JOYS OF PHUKET, THAILAND
It has become apparent that long-time UK expatriates living in Hong Kong have been keeping a secret from the rest of the world. Fortunately their secret has nothing to do with the banking bonuses they'll receive over the Chinese New Year.
Their secret, or rather their discovery over the last five years, is that Phuket-the Buddhist-friendly island located in the south of Thailand-is Asia's best overall "lifestyle" location in Asia (and perhaps the world). These Brits have lived and travelled around Asia and the rest of the world and, for the most part, have decided they'll never return to the United Kingdom to spend significant time or retire.
British nationals and many other foreign nationals have adopted Phuket as their vacation playground and second home, and they've discovered that Phuket Island offers a truly unbeatable combination of safety, friendly locals, natural beauty and convenience, with a wide choice of white sand beaches and warm turquoise seas, as well as an established infrastructure of world-class hotels, fine dining, night life, yacht marinas, hospitals, schools, spas and golf courses.
FIVE PERCENT OF EXPAT BRITS TO RETIRE IN THAILAND
According to new findings from Alliance & Leicester International (www.alil.co.im), Thailand ranks as the number one overseas destination for retiring Expatriate British citizens. France (18%) is the most popular destination for those who intend to retire abroad followed by Spain (13%), the UK (12%) then Thailand (5%). The key factors that contribute to the chosen retirement destination were better quality of life (21%) cent), better weather (20%) and value for money (14%).
Lynette Byrne, Head of Marketing at Alliance & Leicester International, said "It is interesting to see that many UK expats have settled in their new home, with 87 per cent of UK Expats intending to retire abroad."
PLEASE DON'T SAY LUXURY!
Without a doubt, the word ‘luxury' has now become the world's most over-used (and under-achieved) adjectives.
It's impossible to get away from today's marketers urging you to ‘live a luxury lifestyle', ‘buy luxury real estate' or ‘vacation at our five-star luxury resort'. Truthfully, the word rarely lives up to its promises.
Fortunately some people like Richard Shearer, the developer of ISTANA Phuket, prefer to use more traditional adjectives to convey a sense of high-quality-words like elegant, beautiful, practical, understated and sophisticated.
"I've never been comfortable in believing we can create an environment and architecture that meets everyone's definition of ‘luxury'," says Shearer. "Luxury is such a personal thing: for some it means staying in a penthouse suite at the Four Seasons; and for others it means climbing to the top of Mount Everest."
"What I do believe is ISTANA Phuket can create a natural environment with beautiful, timeless architecture based on the principals of intelligent contemporary design, exclusivity, ultimate quality, and environmental harmony."
NEW VIEW. NEW ADDRESS. NEW LIFESTYLE.
Standing on the top of ISTANA Phuket's 27-acre building site, overlooking pristine Naithon Beach where construction cranes and dump trucks rumble in the background, you start to understand why this development is attracting worldwide attention.
The buzz started with the announcement of the new project when nine of the 19 villas were sold in less than 30 days - astounding considering a peg had yet to be driven into the land. It continued with accolades in magazines such as the Robb Report Vacation Homes, and the Asia Property Report that named the project one of Thailand's Top Ten Luxury Properties in their July 2009 issue.
What the initial villa buyers and the international media recognized about ISTANA Phuket from the start - which is now more obvious with the completion of the development's eco-friendly infrastructure and stunning architectural structures rising from the landscape - is that ISTANA Phuket will set a new standard for tropical villa estates in Asia.
INTELLIGENT, CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
Faced with the challenge of creating the ISTANA Phuket estate and 19 individually- designed villas, Gary Fell, the world-renowned principal of GFAB Architects, took the task to heart.
"With Istana Phuket I wanted to create villas that are sensitive to their surrounding environment", says Fell. "While each villa has wonderful sea views, there is abundant space to give a strong tropical jungle feeling to the interior of each property. The villas encourage outdoor living in harmony with the natural setting. The designs respect the environment, but are strong, beautiful pieces of architecture whose character will hold value and interest in the future."
EXCLUSIVITY
It's hard not to sound pretentious when saying this, but owning an ISTANA Phuket villa puts you in a very exclusive position.
A position to control your tropical, living environment through space and design: Your one-of-a-kind designer villa is an architectural masterpiece positioned on a generous plot of land with old-growth trees and reforested jungle that serves as a private cocoon, without blocking your million dollar view. You're also in a position of owning a value-appreciating asset with lucrative rental returns in a turnkey, five-star villa estate.
ULTIMATE QUALITY
No expense has been spared and no detail has been overlooked while creating this stunning development. Exacting international building standards are strictly adhered to and only the highest quality décor, fittings and furnishings have been incorporated into the villas such as Italian Poliform kitchens, Lutron home information systems, Viabizzuno lighting and Antonio Lupi bathrooms.
ENVIROMENTAL HARMONY
Homebuyers are starting to demand ‘green' living spaces, and high-end travelers are seeking more socially responsible locations for their overseas vacations where money is no object but adhering to their eco-values is an important objective. ISTANA Phuket recognizes this lifestyle trend and has designed its entire 27.5-acre site to be eco-friendly.
Environmental-Friendly Features:
• Low density planning and preservation of local trees and vegetation
• Passive and environmentally-friendly cooling techniques
• Passive and energy-efficient lighting and lighting control systems
• Innovative, energy-saving air conditioning systems
• Eco-friendly swimming pool pumps and filtration systems
• Site-wide water conservation and treatment system
• Energy-efficient hot water heater and pump system
• Automatic irrigation system for water conservation
• High-tech Aquatherm piping for both hot and cold water systems |
|
| |
Category : Real Estate
| By : admin |
|
|
|
|
| 07 Apr 2010 07:26:49 am |
| DC Area reduces plastic bag usage by 80% with simple 5c tax. 80/20 rules strikes again! |
|
|
|
|
In its first assessment of how the new law is working, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue estimated that food and grocery establishments gave out about 3 million bags in January. Before the bag tax took effect Jan. 1, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer had said that about 22.5 million bags were being issued each month in 2009.
Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), sponsor of the bag tax bill, said the new figures show that city residents are adapting to the law far more quickly than he or other city officials had expected.
"While it's difficult to project the annual results based on just the first month's experience, the report shows that residents are making great strides in reducing disposable bag use," Wells said.
The tax, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is designed to change consumer behavior and limit pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Under regulations created by the D.C. Department of the Environment, bakeries, delicatessens, grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores, department stores and any other "business that sells food items" must charge the tax on paper or plastic bags.
A Washington Post poll conducted in January found that residents were almost evenly split on whether they supported the tax, with 46 percent supporting it and 49 percent opposed to it. Support for the bag tax was highest in Northwest Washington, where about six in 10 residents supported it.
District officials had estimated that the tax would generate $10 million over the next four years for environmental initiatives.
The money will go to the newly created Anacostia River Cleanup Fund, which will spend it on various projects.
But in January, the tax generated only $149,432, suggesting that it might fall short of revenue projections.
According to Wells, large retailers have reported that disposable bag usage has dropped by more than half since the tax took effect.
"I'm thrilled with these results," Wells said. "Not only are we reducing the number of disposable bags entering our environment, but we also have new resources flowing in to help with the cleanup of the Anacostia River."
via ow.ly
Washington DC has done tremendous "damage" to plastic bag companies - by simply adding a 5cent tax for every plastic bag used, they have eliminated 80+% of the problem they were having. The DC area went from nearly 23 million bags per month to 3 million bags per month practically instantly. Now I know there are caveats around needing more extensive data, and will this behavior hold or will people get used to the tax. However, we see here another example of the 80/20 rule - you can usually solve 80% of almost any problem with 20% of the work. Most people want to focus on eradicating 100% of the problem and they get stuck and dont solve anything (this is also known as "Dont let great be the enemy of good."
Though it would be great to get all 23 million bags out of use, it is an incredible impact to get 80% of them out of use. I look at using the same solution at my company every day. By using data, we always look at simple solutions to solve 80% of a problem, getting that implemented, and then focusing on the final 20% problem.
We should be using this for other environment issues too - we dont need to eliminate 100% of our oil use, just 20% of it. We would hit a huge tipping point in the political issues in gathering oil from other countries who have different (and often competing) issues with us, we would make a big impact on allowing the environment to get back into balance, and we would create a lot of jobs in the US.
Now getting back to this article - it looks like the only problem all the success of the 5c plastic bag program has caused is that it is not generating enough revenue as planned because the drop in plastic bag usage has been so dramatic! Great problem to have! |
|
| |
Category : Thailand
| By : admin |
|
|
|
|
| 22 Mar 2010 04:16:27 am |
| 36 Hours in Phuket, Thailand |
|
|
|
|
Elephant trekking near Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary with Bang Pae Safari.
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Published: March 21, 2010
travel.nytimes.com
THE teardrop-shaped island of Phuket has long been known for its dazzling beaches and naughty night life. But for many, it was the catastrophic Asian tsunami in 2004 that finally placed Phuket on the map. Recovery has been swift, and in recent years the island has firmly reasserted itself as a premier beach resort in southern Thailand, with a growing crop of luxury hotels, top-notch restaurants and even a thriving art community.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) PARADISE LOST
The beach town of Kamala was hit hard by the tsunami, but today the town has sprung back to life with renovated cottages that dot the hillside and beach bars along the promenade. Grab a crepe-like roti — this Thai version is filled with egg and fruit and topped with condensed milk — from the Chef Roti stand (near the Coconut Garden bungalows; banana roti, 30 baht, or 95 cents at 32 baht to the dollar), and stroll along Kamala’s wide crescent of sandy beach, dipping your toes in the mesmerizingly clear water.
5:30 p.m.
2) BIG BUDDHA IS WATCHING
Seek nirvana at the top of Mount Nagakerd, where an enormous, white jade marble-covered Buddha is close to completion. Follow the red-and-white signs from the town of Chalong pointing the way to the 147-foot-tall Big Buddha, officially known as Phraphutthamingmongkhol-akenagakhiri Buddha (mingmongkolphuket.com). Workers are still finishing the Buddha’s big lotus seat, but already it’s an impressive sight, with magnificent views of the Andaman Sea.
7 p.m.
3) STALL TACTICS
Skip the tourist-filled beach restaurants and instead follow the locals inland to Phuket town and the night food market on Ong Sim Phai Road near the Robinson Department Store. A food market by day, it’s a lively food court at night. Portable stalls and carts pull up to the curb, and a sea of plastic tables and chairs spills onto the street. Tasty Thai and Chinese dishes include spicy papaya salad, barbecued pork buns, coconut curry, grilled fish balls and, for dessert, sticky rice with mango. Having trouble deciding what to eat? Look for the stall with the longest line and join it. The whole meal, plus a couple of beers, shouldn’t cost more than 200 baht.
9 p.m.
4) KICK FACE, WIN PRIZE
Thailand’s national sport is brutal. In the ancient martial art of muay Thai, fighters pummel each other with fists, feet, elbows and knees. An authentic place to catch a fight is Suwit Stadium (15 Moo 1, Chaofa Road; 66-76-374-313; bestmuaythai.com), where ceremonial prefight dances and traditional music are reminders that this is more than just violent entertainment. Friday night fights start with a few pipsqueak bouts, so if you’re opposed to watching oiled-up 10-year-olds duking it out in the ring, plan to arrive an hour late, around 9:30. Itching to get into the ring yourself? The stadium doubles as a gym and runs a training camp for aspiring fighters. Fight tickets start at 900 baht and include free transportation to and from the stadium.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) ELEPHANT EXPRESS
Start the day precariously perched on a pachyderm. Bang Pae Safari (12/3 Moo 5, T. Srisoonthorn Road; 66-76-311-163; phukettoday.com/bangpaesafari) offers elephant trekking excursions through shallow streams and groves of rubber trees. Midway through the trip, you can scramble down from your seat and take a turn in the mahout’s spot, riding on the elephant’s head. A 30-minute trek costs 900 baht per person, or 1,300 baht for an hour.
10:30 a.m.
6) WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Next door is the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary (entry, 200 baht), where singsong gibbon calls lead you to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (gibbonproject.org), a nonprofit organization that works to return captured gibbons to their natural habitat. If you can pull yourself away from the adorable, acrobatic apes, hoof it a few minutes into the rain forest to Bang Pae Waterfall and take a refreshing dip in the pool below.
1 p.m.
7) MOM’S COOKING
Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, better known as Mom Tri, is a local architect and entrepreneur who runs a growing empire of respected hotels and restaurants on Phuket. His latest restaurant, Mom Tri’s Boathouse Regatta (63/302 Moo 2, Thepkasattri Road; 66-76-360-855; momtriphuket.com), is a breezy spot on the boardwalk of the Royal Phuket Marina. The service is as polished as the colossal yachts docked out front, but the real star is the food. Recommendations include lobster ravioli with morel mushroom velouté (500 baht) and curried fried rice with seafood, pineapple and cashews (300 baht).
3 p.m.
8 ) CANVAS COMMUNITY
The laid-back village of Rawai, near the island’s southern tip, has emerged as an enclave for talented local artists. Leading the way is the Red Gallery (66-8-7890-3722; phuketredgallery.com), where the artist Somrak Maneemai shows trippy paintings imbued with a whimsical dreaminess. The gallery recently relocated to the Art Village (88 Moo 1, Viset Road), joining a cluster of other small studios and galleries, like Tawan Ook Art Gallery (66-8-1956-5872) and the Love Art Studio (66-8-9471-5653; theloveartstudio.com). On an island inundated with mediocre imitation art, the originality of this bohemian art colony is refreshing.
7 p.m.
9 ) BOX ON THE ROCKS
With sweeping ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows and an elegant terrace, White Box Restaurant (245/7 Prabaramee Road; 66-76-346-271; whiteboxphuket.com) has been a foodie favorite since opening two years ago on the rocky beach north of Patong. The menu is a mélange of Thai and Mediterranean flavors, and as the name implies, the design is sleek with white décor. Dinner with drinks for two is about 3,000 baht. After dinner, linger upstairs in the trendy open-air lounge sipping spicy Tom Yum martinis, made with vodka, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf and chili (280 baht).
11 p.m.
10) BEER ON WHEELS
Beer-soaked Bangla Road in Patong is Phuket night life at its brashest and seediest — a heaving crush of hostess bars, go-go clubs and “ladyboy” cabaret. But if that’s not your thing, head south toward Rawai to the bright orange Volkswagen minibus parked along the right side of Viset Road, just past the Art Village. Customized with a bar, the minibus is a party on wheels that attracts a mix of locals, expatriates and sunburned Swedes sipping ice-cold Chang beers (35 baht).
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) WAKE UP, RUB DOWN
Inexpensive massage parlors staffed by gaggles of young Thai girls are everywhere in Phuket. For a quick foot rub, these places will do just fine. But for a head-to-toe treat, go to the sprawling Sukko Cultural Spa & Wellness (5/10 Moo 3, Chaofa Road ; 66-76-263-222; sukkospa.com). Book a traditional Thai massage, a method that incorporates acupressure and yoga-like poses to stretch your aching limbs into glorious submission (1,300 baht for 60 minutes).
Noon
12) PARADISE FOUND
For miles of untouched golden sand all to yourself, head to the blissfully deserted Mai Khao Beach, part of Sirinat National Park, along Phuket’s northwestern shore. Between the warm, cerulean water stretching out to the horizon and a backdrop of lush forests filled with palms, a wide swath of powdery sand sits tantalizingly undisturbed. So sling up a hammock and pretend that you’re stranded on a deserted island for a few hours.
IF YOU GO
Flights from the United States to Phuket require a connection. A recent online search for March found a Korean Air flight from Kennedy Airport, with a connection in Seoul, for $1,179. Flights with two or more stops that connect through Bangkok can often be cheaper.
If you’ve got baht to burn, the Amanpuri (Pansea Beach; 66-76-324-333; amanresorts.com) is the place to set it aflame. For more than 20 years, the Amanpuri has been one of the most exclusive spots on the island, with 70 pavilions and private villas starting at $925.
Farther north, the SALA Phuket Resort and Spa (333 Moo 3, Mai Khao; 66-76-338-888; salaresorts.com) opened in 2008 and is a serene hideaway with 79 rooms and villas — most with private pools — that start at 8,900 baht, about $278 at 32 baht to the dollar.
Situated on the northern edge of Kata Noi beach, Mom Tri’s Villa Royale Phuket (12 Kata Noi Road, Kata Noi Beach; 66-76-333-568; villaroyalephuket.com) is a boutique resort with 35 sumptuous, Thai-style suites from 12,500 baht. |
|
| |
Category : Phuket
| By : admin |
|
|
|
| |
| 1 2 3 ...21 22 23 Next |
|
|
| Copyright Indigo Real Estate Company Limited 2001-2007 |
|
