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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Welcome to www.samuipropertyonline.com,
the online version of Samui Property, an independent monthly property &
real estate newspaper published by Siam Map Co. Ltd., Koh Samui,
Thailand.
Samui Property offers impartial, objective
news articles, stories, legal advice & information, zone maps, photos,
classified adverts and features about real estate, property, villas,
developments, homes, house and land for sale and other real estate
related items on Koh Samui.
Please come back every month for fresh
news and information on the Koh Samui Property & Real Estate Market.
The Word Is Spreading
News of Samui’s success as a destination is reaching all around the world.
Media reports are consistently telling everyone that Samui is now globally accepted as one of the top high-end destinations in the world. Surveys regularly support this by naming the island in many top-ten compiled lists. The most recent example was a survey in New Zealand which placed Samui as one of the top-ten most romantic locations in the world. Individual companies also add support, with some of the island’s hotels often winning similar acclaim, as does Samui Airport which is regularly voted as one of the best in Asia and the world.
However, as nice as it is to be honoured in this way, the validity and credibility of many such surveys can sometimes be questioned. So, what other evidence is there of Samui’s worldwide attraction? Well, a walk through Chaweng, Nathon, Lamai or anywhere else on the island will soon answer that question.
As Samui has progressed as a tourist attraction the most common nationalities of international visitors have remained fairly consistent; with only minor changes in the order of them arriving, up until recently. However, the changes are now far more visible.
Traditionally the main tourist numbers have come from Japan, the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. Not forgetting of course the many Thais who also visit here for holidays. This group of nations has dominated the tourist figures for many years. Other nationalities have always come but usually at certain times of the year and in fewer numbers. For example, the island has previously seen large numbers of Italian visitors arriving during August.
All of this has recently changed, and considerably so. Tourists from these countries are still very prominent but the seasonal differences are less obvious. Using the same example, there are now more Italians here all year round, not just during their traditional holiday periods. And, as far as tourism goes, international marketing of the island has seen large numbers of visitors from an ever-increasing number of countries. South Africans, South Americans, Israelis, Koreans, Russians, Americans, Canadians, and the French are all amongst those now seen on a daily basis. Tourism promotions in India and the Middle-East are expected to result in an increase in visitors from those destinations, too.
The recently introduced branded hotels will also continue to affect the numbers and the locations from where visitors come. International marketing of such prestigious hotel groups is far-reaching and raises global awareness of the island.
The announcement of more flight links with Samui will open the island up to a larger group, too. When Bangkok Airways begins its route from Samui to Dubai this could have a very noticeable impact on tourist numbers and the locations they’re coming from. Dubai is a hub that links East and West. A large number of travellers change flights at Dubai, but at present they would have to fly to Bangkok before getting to Samui. Having the opportunity of flying here direct will be very significant.
So, the number of nationalities and languages you are likely to encounter on a walk around any part of the island is undoubtedly going to continue becoming more diverse.
But it’s not just tourism that’s affected by the rise is international visitors. The real-estate industry on Samui is also witnessing the globalisation of the island. Buyers from the UK have always dominated the property market with numbers often quoted as high as 95-98% of all new home-buyers being from the UK. Tourists from other nations have always come here, but they’ve been less inclined to buy property. Now the market is changing rapidly with new international buyers emerging at an impressive rate.
Koh Samui Land & Homes, for example, is one of the most established agents on the island. In the past, the overwhelming majority of properties it’s sold has been to British buyers; with a few other nationalities making up the numbers.
Nicky, from Koh Samui Land & Homes says, “Since the election and the unveiling of the new government there has been a noticeable improvement in customer confidence. Potential buyers have been happy to complete the purchase of the property they want, rather than postpone the completion whilst waiting to see what happens politically. Also the number of different nationalities buying properties seems to be increasing.”
During January and February this year the company has sold properties to people from Ireland, Norway, Italy, England and Russia. This is a very interesting development for the island’s property market. If the rest of the year should follow this pattern then Samui will soon see new communities emerging and the cosmopolitan spread of tourists will be reflected more effectively in those that live or own property here. There are already many nationalities that live and work here. But, if we have more people from each country buying property, then the island’s multinational community will become more diverse and attractive.
It’s important for the island to attract different people. That diverse appeal will ensure the future success of all Samui’s industries, and encourage the growth of others. As a tourist attraction, the island has never had any problem encouraging different nationalities to experience what the island has to offer. Now that interest seems to be crossing over more noticeably into the real-estate market, the signs for the future of Samui are very promising. |
