Business
Luxury lifestyle makes Phuket heavy hitter in Asia yachting scene [video]
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PHUKET: Phuket’s marine industry is tapping global growth in the lucrative superyacht segment thanks to the unique luxury lifestyle the island offers and a sharp rise in the number of such vessels coming to Asia.
Thailand’s largest island is already well established on the regional and global sailing circuits. However, industry players say increased investment in specialist facilities could see Phuket become Asia’s superyacht destination of choice.
Candy GPS Report, which only considers vessels costing more than US$24 million, shows the number of superyachts tripled globally from 74 to 212 over the past five years.
Phuket is already punching above its weight in attracting its share of super-luxury vessels sailing to
says Gareth Twist, managing director of Yacht Solutions.
“In terms of marinas and yachting events, Phuket is at the forefront in Southeast Asia,” he says. “We already have four excellent marinas and established annual yachting events. The yachting industry infrastructure in Phuket is improving every year. Marinas are expanding and more events and yacht shows are being added to the calendar.”
Gordon Fernandes, general manager of Asia Pacific Superyachts and co-organiser of the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous, says that Phuket has benefited from the “phenomenal growth” in superyachts – defined as yachts which are more than 24m long – coming to Asia, largely due to growth in luxury resorts and related infrastructure. Key source markets are Singapore, Hong Kong and China, followed by the US, Europe and Australia, as well as yachts stopping off in Phuket as part of a global voyage.
“Owners can party at a beach club, go diving in the Similan islands or find total peace and seclusion cruising to Myanmar’s Mergui archipelago, just up the coast,” he says. “The huge variety means more owners are choosing to base their boats on Phuket for the cruising season. The success of events like the annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous reflect that growth.”
The annual King’s Cup Regatta, Superyacht Rendezvous, PIMEX and the Phuket Yacht Show, which will hold its inaugural event later this year, help position Phuket as a “buzz-word destination” within the ultra high net worth (UNHW) segment, says Zara Tremlett of Yacht Haven Phuket, which will soon open a new 260m-attenuator dock and six 50m-berths, enabling the facility to service up to 16 superyachts at a time.
“The fact that the Phuket Yacht Show is a new event indicates the strength of the industry,” she says. “However, this is still an emerging market, albeit one with steady growth. While all marine developments offer various levels of maintenance facilities, the one piece of the puzzle missing is a dedicated yard for the larger ‘white boats’ or superyachts.”
The need for such facilities is paramount if Phuket is to attract more owners and charterers of superyachts. Annual running costs, which include maintenance, provisions, crewing and berthing fees, are broadly estimated at 10-15 per cent of the hull cost before customization. As many owners only spend between two to six weeks aboard their boat each year, a growing number are chartering their vessel to cover costs, though very few purchase superyachts purely for investment purposes.
Twist says the number of superyachts travelling to Thailand for major refits and repairs, which are typically required every two to three years, is on the rise. Phuket is missing out on that business as currently the only boatyards big enough to handle the vessels are in Bangkok. However, he is confident that addressing this gap would be a boon for the industry.
“What is desperately required in Phuket is a world-class refit and yacht repair facility,” he says. “Once a world class facility has been established in the region, the number of visiting yachts to Phuket will increase exponentially.”
Jules Kay is a marketing consultant, editor and content curator with 15 years experience working in the Southeast Asian luxury property, lifestyle and tourism sectors. His latest project is an exclusive mixed-use residential resort development on Kamala Beach (www.montazure.com).
— Jules Kay
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Business
Governments & old media versus social media – who will win? | VIDEO

We look at the recent changes made by the Australian and Indian governments to except control over the world’s biggest social media platforms. India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social. There is now an open battle between the rise of social media platforms and the governments and ‘old’ media that have been able to maintain a certain level of control over the ‘message’ for the last century. Who will win?
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told. The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
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