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Koh Samui - October 2007
A hot bed of fun and investment potential, Thailand's Koh Samui is truly paradise on earth.
Discovered by backpackers 20 years ago, Koh Samui
has gone from being an island of small fishing villages,
to become one of the best-known tropical destinations for
the cognoscenti of travelers and investors worldwide.
Twenty years ago, Koh Samui was a sleepy backwater. An
island of calm, clear blue waters, crystal white beaches
populated only by fishermen and a few marijuana-smoking
backpackers: what Alex Garland maybe had in mind when he
wrote "The Beach". The reason for Koh Samui's allure was
obvious. Situated in the middle of the Gulf of Siam, Koh
Samui is blessed with year-round sunshine and pristine
beaches. Like all good secrets, news spread quickly of
this 'jewel in the sea' and it led to Koh Samui becoming
one of the world's best-know tropical destinations for
foreigners in their endless quest for a mythical paradise.
By
far the most popular area on Koh Samui is Chaweng on the
East coast, with its large white-sand beach, luxury
hotels, restaurants and nightlife. Due to the lack of
available land now around Chaweng, other areas such as
Lamai, Ban Taling Ngam and Bang Por are undergoing major
development and are set to boom in the very near future.
The North and Southwest of Koh Samui is likely to become a
major 'hotspot", with some of the biggest plots of land on
the island being available and where some of the largest
private houses are being built.
The real estate situation is in a lull at the moment
following some recent illegal development scandals and as
a result of the current political instability, but with
new elections being held later this year and reputable
agencies like Savills and Exotiq entering the market, the
situation can only get stronger.
Currently part of the province of Suratthani, Koh Samui is
soon about to become a province in its own right, meaning
much more money from the central government and
consequently much better investment in the island's
infrastructure, making it an even better option for
foreign investors. The airport is set for major
renovations, which will result in easier access to
South-East Asian destinations and increased tourist
numbers, the Hyatt is developing a new hotel and Big C and
Club Med also have plans to build new resorts on the
island. Combine this with the fact that glitterati such as
David and Victoria Beckham, Dustin Hoffman and Kristen
Justin-Henin have recently bought land in Koh Samui; it
lends loads of confidence to the island's real estate
market. With both property and cultural developments such
as these, surely it can only add to Koh Samui's reputation
as one of the World's top island destinations.
Written by Michael Travers
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