Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is must for yacht enthusiasts
Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is must for yacht enthusiasts
Boat fans and luxury seekers in Thailand have something to look forward to
This November, boat lovers will descend on Pattaya for the fifth year of the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show.
Held at the Ocean Marina in Pattaya from 24 – 27 November, the event plans to have the largest display of boats and lifestyle products in the show’s five-year history, and expects to attract over 6,000 visitors.
Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show has been instrumental in promoting the onshore facilities and offshore cruising grounds of the Gulf of Thailand’s marine industry.
Ocean Marina Harbour Master, Scott Finsten said:
“Since launching Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show five years ago we have seen considerable growth in marine tourism and boat use in the Gulf of Thailand. The boat show has helped to position this region as a leading marine destination in South East Asia. Both the number of boat owners overseas choosing Ocean Marina to base their boats and the number of Thai people buying boats in the region has increased, and this trend looks to continue.”
Ocean Marina has undergone an expansion in recent years, and can now claim to be South East Asia’s largest marina, with 380 berths for boats up to 50 metres long.
Real estate professionals with an interest in Pattaya will be curious to know whether luxury boats and yachts could reignite the Pattaya high-end market, which has slowed considerably since the heavy Russian presence came to an end.
More: Royal Phuket Marina is on the market
Earlier this year, Property Report wrote how Phuket’s luxury real estate and Marina scene were closely linked.
Andrew Dowden, managing director of Andaman Marine Consultants, organiser of the Phuket International Boat Show, was initially surprised by the high level of interest he also received from the property industry. He said:
“The island’s property industry demographic at the time was Hong Kong and Singapore, similar to that of the Boat Show. The synergy was obvious […] While many developers were travelling and exhibiting overseas in those core markets, villa owners and high-net-worth-individuals were visiting Phuket in record numbers, which was ideal for the Boat Show. The island’s premier developers realised this and started to take advantage of the Show and exhibit.”
With the number of Chinese investors and tourists in Pattaya rising to hunt for vacation homes, the marina scene on the Eastern Seaboard may soon take the spotlight. According to Fortune.com, while ultra rich Chinese do not invest in superyachts in their homeland due to lack of marina infrastructure, they are exploring new destinations overseas.
“Chinese looking into superyachts may buy in Europe and elsewhere in Asia,” Nigel Stuart, managing director of Spirits Yachts, a yacht building company, told Fortune.com, adding that Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are “stunning blue water cruising destinations.”
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Source: Property Report