Stories tagged with development
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Pattaya wants sports harbour complex
Pattaya’s mayor, City Hall, administrators and contractors are all working together to study the feasibility of building a new sports harbour complex next to the Bali Hai Pier in the centre of town. The estimated price tag for this massive project is around 684 million baht. It has a lot of support from local businessmen and city officials as it would likely bring new jobs and more tourist dollars to the residents of Pattaya.
The project, tentatively named the Joyful Sports Harbour, would be constructed next to the Sea Rescue Department adjacent to Bali Hai Pier. Preliminary studies concluded that the new harbour would be capable of accommodating up to 200 boats between 12 and 30 metres long.
The Department of Water Transport is working with a consortium of planners, engineers and construction companies to study the feasibility of the project. Factors such as the impact on the environment, and economies of scale need to be carefully considered before embarking on such a large project.
Posted by: Andrew on 13 Oct 2008, 11:25 -
Chiang Saen’s port project slumping off
Local officials and businessmen in Chiang Saen, a port town along the Mekong River in northern Thailand, are beginning to worry that a government-promised port project is in danger of being abandoned. The town’s existing port facility is considered too small to handle the anticipated increase in trade between China, Laos and Thailand, but the government’s plan to develop has been extremely slow off the blocks.
Look across the Mekong River to the Laos side and it’s obvious that Laos and its Chinese-backed consortium are taking things seriously. Building is roaring ahead at a frenetic pace, even by Laotian standards, thanks to plenty of Chinese cash and a surplus of work. Businessmen on the Thai side of the river are having trouble even acquiring land to set up their trade bases due to tricky land title issues.
Laos, however, is allowing Chinese investors and the Chinese government itself to lease enormous tracts of land to develop. Projects in the works include an entire new town to accommodate 100,000 Chinese migrants, along with golf courses, casinos, hotels, shopping centres and parks. This initial mega-project is expected to be completed sometime in 2009, while Thailand’s efforts will likely still be languishing in the development vacuum that so often consumes ambitious projects in the kingdom.
Posted by: Andrew on 29 Sep 2008, 13:14 -
Samui turning boutique
According to real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, Koh Samui is ideally positioned to become one of Asia’s hottest boutique destinations. New properties that are being developed on the island in the Gulf of Thailand have different characteristics from those found on other Thai resort destinations like Phuket and Pattaya.
The manager of CBRE’s Samui offices, Prakaipeth Meechoosarn, comments that the developments on Samui remain low-key and more exclusive, enticing tourists looking for something quieter and more stylish. Proof of the island’s low but steady growth comes from statistics showing that 70 per cent of the 500-odd units that exist on Samui are still under construction.
Choeng Mon Beach on the northeast corner of the island contains 38 per cent of the upcoming units, followed by the rest of the northern shore at 28 per cent and the eastern shore with 25 per cent. Villa developments are particularly en vogue right now on the island, and in the long term it is believed that the high end of Samui’s property market will become the norm rather than the exception. Coastal land is disappearing fast, and prime building plots are virtually impossible to find anymore.
Posted by: Andrew on 23 Aug 2008, 10:46 -
Herb gardens planned for Chiang Mai
At a recent monthly meeting between Chiang Mai’s mayor and local residents, an ambitious plan to use all the vacant land in the city for gardening was presented. Citing the need for self-sufficiency and environmental concerns, the mayor wants to see indigenous plants, flowers and herbs grown on all spare city land.
Other subjects brought up for discussion included the state of Chiang Mai’s infrastructure, the need to restore the city’s Lanna buildings, creating a one-way traffic system in the old part of town, and paving the Sunday Walking Street. The mayor responded by saying that there simply aren’t enough municipal workers to handle these urgent jobs. Others could argue that unemployment is major concern in Chiang Mai these days.
To keep things manageable for Chiang Mai’s city government, its first priority will be to create a program allowing low-income Thais to receive and plant flowers and herbs on municipal land such as schools and temples that currently lie vacant. It is hoped that by next year these garden plots can be developed commercially to provide an income for those lucky few who are allowed to rent the land. Chiang Mai’s infrastructure needs will apparently have to wait.
Posted by: Andrew on 17 Aug 2008, 13:09 -
Public to Have Voice in Pattaya’s Tourism Development Plans
The public will have the chance to voice their opinions over Pattaya’s future development in a bid to keep government agendas in check. Locals fear they will be ignored if the beach town is officially declared a special zone for sustainable tourism, a motion currently before the Thai government.
In a rare show of concern for public opinion the mayor of Pattaya, Itthipol Khunplome, held a meeting with the Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) at Pattaya’s City Hall agreeing to consult the public before any projects were started.
Mayor Itthipol has applied to the Thai government for Pattaya to be turned into a special zone that is eligible to receive special funding for development projects from the government. Two big projects currently top the agenda: the development of the seafront in South Pattaya and the Koh Phai Development and Design Project.
Other projects on the mayor’s wishlist include a rail link from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya City and expansions to Pattaya’s reservoirs that provide (unreliable) tap water to the city. Mayor Itthipol said the public hearings will be transparent and the ensuing results sent to the National Human Rights Commission.
Posted by: Andrew on 10 Aug 2008, 11:50 -
Samui’s development plans spur land demand
With the current Thai government whole heartedly supporting development on the island of Samui, and the subsequent interest in investment from housing and retail sectors, prices on the island are expected rise steadily over the next many years. The price of land on the island is expected to rise anywhere from 20 to 30 percent per year if the current trends and speculation continue at their present rates. These figures are according to Thailand-Estates Corporation’s chief executive officer Chaiyagarn Sudamphanthorn, who quoted retail land price hikes on Ko Samui as going from 10 million baht per rai in 2006 to 60 million per rai this year. Residential prices now float somewhere between 15 and 25 million baht for a decent location close to the beach.
As the island watches its commercial vultures swoop overhead, the price bracket of Ko Samui seems on ly set to rise, and Big C, Siam Makro and Tesco Lotus are all lined up to get their piece of the new and improved Ko Samui pie.
Posted by: DaveB on 05 May 2008, 11:28 -
Dead turtle raises environmental questions
With much news from Phuket these days relating to pushes for development, the other side of the coin has shown itself in the form of a dead Olive Ridley turtle that was found last month on the shores of Mai Khao Beach. After the turtle was sent for autopsy, scientists at the Phuket Marine Biological Center found that the species of prey found inside the turtle were not typical for the species.
The squid found in the animal’s esophagus suppose it had eaten just before dying, and the squid, usually too fast for the turtle to catch, suggest that it may have been ingested after being caught in a fisherman’s net.
PMBC representative Sontaya Manawatthana says, “The Olive Ridley turtle is highly endangered in Thailand, where nesting numbers are even lower than the Leatherback turtle. Its only known nesting sites now are at Phrathong Island in Phang Nga.�
As the municipal and federal governments push forward with their big plans for Phuket, and the marine mammal’s environment is further compromised, the turtles are in even more danger of becoming extinct.
Posted by: DaveB on 03 May 2008, 11:26 -
Samui to recover from FBA restrictions
As the property market on the Thai island of Ko Samui continued to boom, the government of 2006 implemented restrictions on the Foreign Business Act, requiring all new building projects to possess proper permits and licences. The FBA is being slightly relaxed under the current government, and projects like condo sites that were put on hold two years ago are now getting the green light.
Pisarn Tangkasombat is a local property expert and Samui property owner, and he sees things progressing quickly now that the FBA has been clarified and developers with foreign partners or investors can act with confidence that they are not breaking the law with their construction projects.
Pisarn told the Nation newspaper, "We believe the property market, especially the residential segment, will stage a recovery this year, as the government has announced a clear policy regarding the Foreign Business Act."
Posted by: DaveB on 11 Apr 2008, 11:03 -
Thailand is no exception when it comes to urbanization
Many foreigners’ perceptions of Thailand are of a tropical paradise- white sand beaches, lush forests and colourful fruits. This mental image does exist, but what is becoming more and more common for many Thais is living in an urban environment.
A study conducted by Thammasat University has shown that today over 50% of Thai nationals now live in cities. Part of the sudden increase can be attributed to the government rezoning city limits and accounting for unregistered residents. Nonetheless, this shift is part of a global trend.
A UN report stated that 3.3 billion people will live in urbanized areas in 2008. Another part of the jump in Thailand is the number of foreign workers that are now in the country; their numbers have doubled between 2002 and 2006.
This can certainly affect a country’s culture, and Yongtanit Pimonsathean of Thammasat University told the Bangkok Post, "The increasing number of foreign workers, especially the young urbanites, has brought about the awareness of the different way of life and living traditions.�
The growing urban population in Bangkok has had its casualties as well. The growing number of urban poor is cause for concern, and the UN Population Fund has urged Thailand and other developing Asian nations to address this growing problem.
Posted by: DaveB on 28 Jun 2007, 11:06 -
Touring the King’s Development Projects
King Bhumibol is universally revered among the people of Thailand. This benevolent monarch has done more than his share to aid in rural development around the country. Over the years he has been dedicated to improving the lives of the nation’s poor and creating a sustainable agricultural industry for Thai farmers.
In many provinces the projects of the King’s initiative can be seen, both agriculturally and also where infrastructure is concerned. Having given so much of his time to these causes, it’s easy to see why he is held in such high regard by his people.
Just as the celebrations fade from His majesty’s 60th anniversary of his ascension to the throne, the King celebrates his 80th birthday this year.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Federation of Thai Industries, Thailand Convention & Exhibiton Bureau and Thai Airways have joined forces to offer study tours of the King’s projects entitled ‘Royal Initiative Discovery’.
To drum up some activity in the low tourist season, this study tour wishes to promote and place in the market MICE-Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions- in hope of promoting domestic tourism and raising environmental awareness.
Posted by: DaveB on 21 Jun 2007, 14:49 -
Is Chiang Mai losing steam?
Chaing Mai is known to many as Thailand’s second city; the capital of the North- and for the last few years, there has been a buzz about its potential as a growing metropolis. There are new stylish shops popping up regularly, various Starbucks rip-offs vying to supply morning lurkers with their caffeine fix, and a never-ending revolving door of bars that seem to shut down as fast as they open.
But is this just a façade? Is the city really making progress? The last few yeras have seen a flurry of construction. 5-star hotels and spas appeared around town and the area surrounding Nimmanhemin Rd. was transformed form a quiet suburb into a main drag for the young and fashionable.
Recently, investments in Chiang Mai haven’t quite lived up to what investors had hoped. The International flower expo barely broke even and the Chaing mai Night Safari, what should have been a major tourist draw has failed so far to make ends meet.
Tourist numbers are way down, and the finger pointing has begun. Is it the coup that’s keeping people away? Is it the threat of terrorism? Or is it the constant reports of the lung searing pollution that wafts across the mountain every day? Whatever it is, Chiang Mai seems to have stalled on its road to prosperity. Hopefully some ingenuity and creativity will set it back on course.
Posted by: DaveB on 21 Jun 2007, 14:29 -
$690 Million in Aid for Cambodia's 2007
Hang Choun Naron, a senior official in the Cambodian finance Ministry, told reporters that Cambodia's international donors have pledged $690 million in aid for 2007, as a result of the country's good performance over the last year. This is a 15 percent increase on the previous year. The announcement follows a major donors conference. The money will be spent on education, health care, improving infrastructure, rural development and agriculture. Reuters outlet AlertNet has the report.
Posted by: Toony on 20 Jun 2007, 10:00 -
Cambodia Development Directions Discussed
There was a major meeting of donors, diplomats and government representatives in Cambodia today to discuss the country's future development directions and strategies.
The meeting, called the Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF), replaces the previous annual forum known as the Consultative Group, and signals the Cambodian government's desire and resolve to take ownership of developement issues in their country.
The People's Daily Online has some details.
Posted by: Toony on 19 Jun 2007, 13:15