Phuket Yachting: Krabi Marina to open in November

PHUKET: The development firm behind Phuket’s Boat Lagoon will open their second marina across the bay in neighboring Krabi province in November.

Approved by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI), the Krabi Boat Lagoon project occupies 110 rai in Taling Chan.

The first phase, covering 42 rai, will include 90 berths, 70 hardstands, workshops and commercial facilities and undercover quays for six yachts.

The marina will be able to accommodate watercraft up to 23 meters in length.

Phase 2, which is currently in planning, will comprise resort homes and a residential development.

“Berths will be offered initially to existing owners in Phuket and an on-site sales office in Krabi will open next month,” Sales and Marketing Director Sriya Yongsakul said today.

The reaction from many Krabi tourism operators has been enthusiastic, especially from nearby Koh Lanta, Ms Sriya said.

“With the new marina only 12 minutes from the [Krabi] international airport, the resort island [of Koh Lanta] can be reached by boat in 30 minutes, dramatically improving existing access,” she explained.

News of the Krabi Boat Lagoon comes amid a surge in development growth in the marine and yachting industry in Krabi, with the government-sponsored Krabi River Marina opening last year and the new Port Takola development currently under construction.

Other significant demand generators in the pipeline include a new nine-hole golf course near the airport and an international hospital in Krabi Town.

Meanwhile, in nearby Klong Muang, just south of Krabi Town, resort residential real estate is on the rise following the launch of the mixed-use Pelican development, launched earlier this year with an offering of condominiums, villas and a hotel.

News of these latest developments in the Krabi area follows the announcement of the sale of the 160 rai oceanfront core land parcel of what was to have been the destination resort The Cove. The land is being marketed by CBRE Thailand.

— Bill Barnett