With a proposed marina in Phuket’s Makham Bay due to begin construction in the final quarter of 2018, Thailand is well on the path towards becoming Asia’s top yachting destination and a potentially huge global player.
Expected to be completed by the beginning of 2020, the marina in Makham Bay will be the only integrated marina club in the southern part of Phuket, in and amongst the island’s most luxurious resorts. It will also be adjacent to the only deep seaport in Phuket and, being naturally sheltered, will offer 24-hour access to yachts with no tidal restrictions.
The integrated marina club will be a nautical lifestyle resort equipped with yacht chartering for nautical sports and recreation programmes, a spa and wellness area, as well as a hotel to cater to both members and the general public. Members-only facilities will be provided for as part of the overall development to service up to 2,000 members.
Hospitality services will feature 66 hotel rooms; including four three-bedroom villas, a spa, a gym, a lifestyle pool, meeting rooms, banquet hall and multiple F&B outlets. Other facilities such as a boat brokers’ offices, dive operators, yacht charter companies, retail shops and nautical lifestyle-related outlets are also on the cards.
This news comes after SUTL – a leading Singaporean marina infrastructure developer and owner of the worldwide ONE°15 brand – acquired a 60 percent stake in Thai company Bay Marina (MBM) to secure costs for the marina project, valued at S$24.3 million (5.7 billion Baht). Both companies share a vision of focusing and promoting the marina and yachting tourism lifestyle.
SUTL Enterprise will be involved in the design, construction, development, operation and maintenance of this exclusive, world-class integrated marina club and its intended marina facilities, with a total construction cost estimated to be S$24.3 million (5.7 billion Baht).
Phuket, known as the “Pearl of the Andaman Sea”, is already a resort destination widely known for its varied marine tourism industry and diverse aquatic life enjoyed greatly by divers and snorkelers. The island boasts a vibrant year-round yachting scene, with the successful third Thailand Yacht Show only last month solidifying itself as a new luxury tourism destination for the world’s high-spending yachting community. Phuket currently has four existing marinas with the capacity to handle slightly more than 1,000 yachts, so another marina is a big boost for infrastructure.
The marina’s location, coupled with the added attributes of the ONE°15 brand, which has become synonymous with high-end amenities and the warm hospitality of a world-class integrated marina brand, will serve to boost Phuket’s yachting industry to the next level.
For more information, please visit www.one15luxuryyachting.com. Featured image: The Thailand Yacht Show.
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