Issue 2 | Feature brought to you by Rawai VIP Villas
Rawai VIP Villas as a pinnacle example of Phuket’s rapid growth
1967 was an important year for Phuket. What was then barely more than a floating mountain with scattered forest plantations and long lonely beaches, that was the year that the island suddenly became physically connected to Thailand’s mainland by the Sarasin Bridge, making it accessible by not only a ferry but by two lanes of traffic. While the bridge has since been turned into a simple pedestrian thoroughfare, its construction was a foreshadowing of one of the biggest tourism booms in the country’s history. Although Phuket has been building a reputation as Thailand’s most popular destination for nearly 50 years, over the last decade it has received an almost-exponential increase in visitors. One of the islands most established local development companies; Phuket 9 is celebrating ten years in the industry with reflections from CEO Andrey Kozhushny on how the island has matured and developed right before his eyes.
Originally from the Ukraine, Andrey said that upon arriving in Thailand, Phuket immediately caught his eye as a place with amazing growth potential. While he had believed (and still does believe) the island to be the most beautiful in Asia, it is also was one of the largest, having some of the most attainable, developable and desirable land in the region.
It was 2004 when Phuket 9 opened for business; the same year as the infamously tragic Boxing Day tsunami. While the disaster was an enormous setback for Phuket as a destination, the astounding recovery that the island made in less than two years was a testament to not only the island’s resiliency but more pertinently, its innate and timeless appeal.
Taken as a sign that the business had great potential to prosper, Phuket 9 continued developing, focusing then on their first largescale development located in Chalong area, nearby the most famous Buddhist temple in Phuket. At the time, Wat Chalong CEO and Founder of Phuket 9, Andrey Kozhushny and Miss Kae. temple was one of the only sights in Phuket, but as Phuket 9 developed so did the rest of the island. Phuket Town was renamed as Phuket City. New accommodations, from high-end hotels to hostels and bungalows continued to line the perimeter. More and more nighttime attractions began filling in the gap between Club Med and Patong Beach.
When the Thao Thepkasattri Bridge, a multi-lane highway running alongside the old Sarasin was completed in 2011, over 10,000 new cars were brought to Phuket by the following year. This has helped new developments that were located a short drive away from the coast to become much more marketable. Now, instead of the interior being reserved for privacy-seeking property purchasers, there are boundless opportunities to build peaceful yet convenient neighbourhoods that are still within close distance to coastline, and nearby many walking paths, piers, markets, restaurants and cafes. Phuket 9’s most recent development, Rawai VIP Villas, capitalizes on this new trend.
While Rawai VIP Villas will offer some of Phuket’s more secluded properties at first, the goal of Phuket 9 is actually to build the development into a strong community which will create opportunities for other businesses to grow around it; a clever way to eventually make the land in the area become more expensive. This is a significant incentive for investors who can see the rapid growth rate of Phuket and want to enter the market while prices are still reasonable.
A seasoned expert in developing exactly what investors in the market are looking for, Andrey has chosen a large land plot just 300 metres from the beach for the new Phuket 9 development. With their modern one-storey designs, all focused on comfort, the villas are set up to accommodate not only holiday home investors but future retirees as well. With enticing rental guarantee options available, investors who are educated on Phuket’s development history are recognizing the development and similar opportunities as a chance for significant liquid returns.
Andrey says that while now is a still very good time to invest in land and property on Phuket, he predicts it may take only another five years or less for it to become difficult to find a good deal.
Despite its predicted growth, the island will always maintain its beautiful and natural environment. Having caught the problem before it became one, authorities of Thailand have already taken actions to protect its natural beauty. For example, new laws prohibiting building higher than 80-meters above sea level, as well as newly introduced height restrictions on buildings near the beach have been implemented. Land deeds are being investigated and there are two national parks on the island that will remain undeveloped.
Roughly the same size as Singapore, Phuket still has space to grow and accommodate the millions of people who visit every year. In just one year’s time Phuket’s new airport will open a floodgate of additional visitors, creating the need for Phuket 9 to once again gear up for another surge in population and development. Ten years after opening, the company is still prospering right along with the industry and the island.
