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20 Billion Baht Phuket Luxury Mall to Open in 2017: Bigger Than Bangkok's Best
By Chutima Sidasathian Thursday, October 23, 2014
PHUKET: A megaluxury mall is coming to Phuket at a cost of 20 billion baht and with a one-kilometre frontage to one of Phuket City's main streets.
The arrival of the 150 rai centre under The Mall brand is expected to attract the world's leading international brands and out-do Siam Paragon in Bangkok.
The space is much bigger, with room for a five-star resort, an exhibition and conference centre for thousands, and an adventure park, plus supermarket.
Buyers for the brand have been gradually purchasing properties to give the development a frontage of one kilometre - that's right, one kilometre - in Phra Phuket Keaw Road, behind Billion Plaza and close to the Tesco Lotus underpass intersection.
There may have been luxury outlets on the holiday island already but the new development is expected to blow everything that preceded it out of the water, according to an interview in a Thai business magazine.
Blu Pearl will be the name of the upmarket supermarket. The name of the development: Pearl of Asia.
It seems only yesterday that Tesco-Lotus opened Phuket's first real supermarket, followed by Central Festival and Jungceylon.
Now the holiday island seems destined to enter a new era. Pearl of Asia should be open in 2017.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Wow! I'm going to spend all my money there, spend every single free minute in that mall and forget about the beaches. And soon, the Central group needs to build a bigger and better one... nice. Shoppppping!!
Posted by
Hajo
on
October 23, 2014 21:45
I don't expect that a mall like this will increase the green/eco climate and imago here. MayBe a good place to move the "retired" jetski's and undesired Dolphinarium to. Phuket needs more Commerce to survive. 555 Who is behind this plan?
Posted by
phuketgreed
on
October 23, 2014 21:54
Calculate how many bankrupt shop-owners it took / (still) takes to make a decent living for those who opened a shop in Central (?years) and JungCeylon (8 years) and you can imagen hoe hard these new retailers will get it. PHUKET NEEDS a SLOWDOWN. Phuket needs green and recovery from its development and environmental attacks. Phuket doesn't need more $$$$$signs (55555). Phuket needs less Billboards to maintain its beauty and to stay added value to Thailand's Rice Bowl. Is Phuket a green tropical island or a HUGE commercial Shopping Mall with High-ways and trying to become an Airport Hub only? How can investors believe in a 20.000.000.000 plaza when the current 1 billion plaza next to the "new" one is waiting despirately for a decent paintjob and proper maintenance. The current "Plaza" can hardly survive the current works on the "Lotus" underpass. WHILE many are suggesting Thailand/Phuket needs more Quality tourist (spenders) and not more quantities some (Huge Investor) one wants to hurt Phuket more. 7Eleven's & Family market's can and will not fill up 20.Billion. Neither (Englands) CURRENTLY financially "troubled" Lotus will fill UP the SQM's in 20.000.000.000 plaza. If you had all the 350 millions pounds LOTUS England (World's 3Rd biggest retailer/supermarket retailer) LOST recently Now to spent you could build 20 Billion Plaza. But could you make it become profitable? NO. DEFINATELY NO on a 1.000.000 people island with the majority earning less then 12.000 baht. Would / will such a Mall ever become needed or wanted? NEVERY EVER on tropical Pearl of the Andaman Sea. It looks like the Pearl becomes swallowed by Greed.
Posted by
phuketgreed
on
October 23, 2014 22:43
Editor Comment:
Part of the problem is the banks with the heavy investments in property developments who don't mind if the tourist arrival figures are falsified - as they so often are - to encourage more money chasing fewer people.
What might be Bangkok Best, might be Phuket Nightmare.
Posted by
phuketexpat
on
October 23, 2014 22:47
Editor Comment:
Does Prada make swimsuits?
After Phuket's beaches have become comfort - free by force, a nice alternative to spend some time on days off. And yes, Ed, Prada makes also swim suits :) You, as a female should know better...
Posted by
Resident
on
October 24, 2014 06:46
Editor Comment:
You don't look good in guesswork, Resident.
Planning ahead... while they're building the tunnel at the Tesco juntion, perhaps they could add another tunnel from the main off the right that goes directly into an underground car park at the new mall. Might help traffic... sounds like money is no barrier ;-)
Posted by
Duncan
on
October 24, 2014 08:08
The more this beautiful island becomes Westernized the less attractive it will be. Maybe it's time to find a quieter location, and I say maybe because there are (conflicting) media reports about increasing global economic problems e.g. deflation, slowing growth etc. so it may all come to nothing.
Posted by
seht1912
on
October 24, 2014 09:43
Is this what you call ecotourism? What a gem when we talk about the natural beauty of Phuket.
Posted by
Kas
on
October 24, 2014 15:14
Editor Comment:
You can call it whatever you like, Kas. Buy as much land as you like and preserve it as green as you wish. But flip comments don't matter and change nothing.
Not I but you write about ecotourism and keeping Phuket natural editor, but only when it suits you. Do you want to keep Phuket as natural as possible or not?
Posted by
Kas
on
October 25, 2014 18:43
Editor Comment:
We are professional journalists and we don't allow our personal views to affect the news items on the site. That's what professional journalists do. If you are looking for Advertorial posing as Editorial, we can point you in a couple of different directions. But we don't allow our own personal views or financial self-interest to dictate what we publish. That would be unethical.
I'm looking forward to this. Central Festival is not good enough, way to countryside in feel. I mean, they can't/won't even get the AC running properly. A slice of Bangkok on Phuket sounds perfect
Posted by
christian
on
October 25, 2014 19:44
The Mall is rather professional company, so most probably this lifestyle mall will be as full as Siam Paragon.
Siam Paragon is extremely popular with tourists, surely for shopping too. But it is in Bangkok where is no beaches and nature is only found in parks or zoos.
30% import tax on luxury clothes etc., which Yingluck's government discussed last year to be abandoned, but (rightly) concluded that a demand for luxury goods is sufficiently inelastic, i.e. target group will not increase its spending proportionally or will not grow in size.
Of course, for large bulk of tourists who are attracted to Siam Paragon like experience, Emporium etc., Phuket in general will be perceived as more interesting destination to go for lifestyle mall experience or designers shopping. Probably here some cannibalization will take a place with businesses of The Mall located in Bangkok.
Still, many people do not include Bangkok in their itineraries on purpose as they can reach Phuket directly.
Of course quality place to buy global brands is a magnet for a target group. It's the chicken or the egg situation about it, so won't come if there is appropriate shops, so this target group as such is missing now in Phuket.
The question is whether they will generate significant number of extra visitors or will change a mix of existing ones.
This attraction will keep people off the beaches to some extent, that is good.
Central Festival / Jungceylon are frankly speaking country-side stores both by quality of design, mix of goods and the fact that major of visitors are there for a bargain -certainly , those people who fill these malls are not those Q tourists whom TAT keeps in mind.
Posted by
Sue
on
October 25, 2014 20:27
And traffic will be so bad, no one will be able to get to it.
Posted by
The Mare Crisium
on
October 25, 2014 21:13
If you are a professional journalist why do we only read your own opinion about chairs and umbrellas? It is obvious that you only write your personal view on that item. There are always pro's and contra's.
Posted by
Kas
on
October 26, 2014 19:07
Editor Comment:
The comments section is not journalism. That's where i have the right to have a say, provided what I say is logical and supported by the facts. Those who favor the sunbeds support indolence, hedonism, greed, and the private use of public space. Indolence and hedonism are quite enjoyable but the other two are what has led to the sunbeds disappearing. There is no way a compromise can work.
I am completely surprised to read this story. There is 'The Mall' in Korat along with many lesser shopping precincts. Central were poised to go into competition with those existing by building a huge new super shopping complex on the Khon Kaen bypass road just outside the city. The Government put a stop to this project stating "enough is enough - it is not needed".
I suspect the same could be said of Phuket. How much more shopping do tourists need? For sure it is not for any but the most well heeled Thais.
Posted by
Logic
on
October 26, 2014 19:13
Editor Comment:
I strolled around the Prada centre in Bangkok recently and that would appeal to anyone with money, as will a luxury development on Phuket. Plenty of foreign money will be spent there. It's not possible to suddenly stop development on Phuket. But a brake does need to be applied by making future development on Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi much more expensive. As we've suggested, each future development should provide its own water source and at least 20 percent of its own power. Bleating about this particular development will achieve nothing - unless the NCPO is stirred into action. But Phuket does not have an oversupply of malls . . . yet.
Logic
You didn't just compare a city in the poorest part of the country, Isaan, with Phuket, the richest province in Thailand, did you?
A house in the 5-6 million baht range here on Phuket is an average house, nothing special at all. Hundreds of houses in that medium range are being built here. Here you have plenty, yes plenty of houses in the 50-60 or even 100+ million baht range. Add to that a little something called TOURISM, with moneyed people coming in their millions from all over the world to Phuket. I have a feeling the same can't be said about Khon Kaen..The Mall, offering real luxury, would fit right in.
Posted by
christian
on
October 26, 2014 23:00
@ Christian:
I did not say Khon Kaen; I said on the KK bypass just outside Korat. Korat is arguably a bigger & more modern city than Bangkok with very many rich Thai people living there. Some own parts of Phuket, i.e. Phuket Fantasea. The existing Mall in Korat is better than Jungeceylon. My argument was that the Government has stated that enough is enough. There is no need to cut each other's throats all the time.
Apart from some medical (inc. dental) visitors, surely the majority of tourists come for sun, sand & scenery, with shopping a secondary sideline on a rainy day.
Phuket already has Robinsons, Central & Jungeceylon, which cater for all tastes & price ranges. Surely there is no real need to destroy yet more scenery for another massive mall that will only add to water shortages & increase pollution from sewage, grey water & other waste.
Posted by
Logic
on
October 27, 2014 22:32
"Surely there is no real need to destroy yet more scenery for another massive mall"
I agree with you Logic but you can skip the word "real". The natural beauty of Phuket is too important!
Posted by
Kas
on
October 28, 2014 18:02
Kas
The site for the new mall is a palm plantation in close to the large junction near BigC. Hardly a nature preserve worth preserving. It's already a highly built up urban/residential area.
Posted by
christian
on
October 30, 2014 07:55
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Wow! I'm going to spend all my money there, spend every single free minute in that mall and forget about the beaches. And soon, the Central group needs to build a bigger and better one... nice. Shoppppping!!
Posted by Hajo on October 23, 2014 21:45