Attracting the affluent to unassuming Surin Beach

Driving through the Surin Beach area on the Phuket road that circles Thailand's largest island you get the impression this sleepy beach village is just a thoroughfare between famed Millionaires' Mile on Kamala Beach and the ritzy Laguna neighborhood.

And for the growing number of camera-shy foreign billionaires and movie stars that continue to holiday and purchase second homes in Surin Beach, the unassuming nature of Surin and the anonymity it creates suits these new "locals" just fine. But stray just slightly off the main road down towards the beach or up to the sea view mountainside, and you will soon discover that there is much more in the Surin Beach area than meets the eye.

"Surin Beach is becoming an iconic Asian island getaway for the rich and famous come to unwind," confirms Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, Asia Pacific's leading hospitality consultancy firms. "They are allured to Surin for complete privacy in an exotic Asian destination, be it a mega villa overlooking the stunning Phuket west coast or a cruise to Phang Nga Bay in a super yacht. As a sign of the times, Phuket International Airport is building a private jet terminal to handle the growing number of these affluent arrivals flocking to the area."

Now recognised as one of the world's most beautiful and hippest tropical destinations, Surin Beach showcases luxury Asian icons like the trendy Chedi hotel and the ultra-exclusive Amanpuri where models like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss and actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kevin Spacey have vacationed over the last few years. Surin also continues to host a growing number of the island's best restaurants and beach clubs like Twin Palm's Catch Beach Club and the hip Stereo Lab.

On the mountainside, which is not visible from main road, the landscape is dotted with private luxury villas like the exclusive Villa Chan Grajang estate, currently for sale at US$8 million. This private and secured estate, like other multi-million dollar villas on the hill, is perched high above Surin Beach featuring breathtaking views out to the Indian Ocean.

"We are seeing the Surin luxury market starting to mature as affluent individuals are demanding property and vacation rental villas that deliver privacy and a 5-star experience", says Joanne Baylis, Founder of Awesome Villas and the owner's representative of Villa Chan Grajang. "Villa Chan Grajang is a good example of a Surin lifestyle property that is impeccably maintained, staffed and operated, and consequently has a 95 per cent occupancy rate and a waiting list that includes some of the world's most affluent individuals. Surin Beach is located on the west coast, a 30 minutes drive on Phuket's notorious beach cousin Patong. Surin is sandwiched in the middle of Thailand's most exclusive and expensive real estate region that include the Kamala, Surin, Bangtao, Laguna and Naithon areas.

To say this growing "Asian Rivera" and the surrounding Andaman region offers incredible lifestyle choices is an understatement. The region is consistently rated as one of the world's greatest sailing, diving and golfing playgrounds, plus there are countless superb beaches and natural wonders to explore. Add Phuket's broad range of world-class hospitals, restaurants, nightlife and shopping and you will understand why Phuket is Asia's leading tourist and second-home destination.

Source: Property Report (July 20, 2010)