IF ANY road represents the most striking image of property on Phuket, it is Tad Mai Sai Kho.
That's the road running behind the Jungceylon shopping mall, towards Karon.
To a passerby, it's one long rack of developments, mostly of four or five storeys but going as high as seven storeys. In dry season, the road is a rollercoaster ride over potholes.
In the wet, it becomes almost impassable.
The reason why this strip has suddenly become a popular place to build is its proximity to Jungceylon, with Patong beach not that far away, either.
Most of the space along the road, whether for commercial use or accommodation, is presold, then onsold through agents to the end customer.
It is believed many of the shop owners along Patong's beach road have bought sections of the projects to house stock and staff as well.
Some of the buildings are presold frontage by frontage, as shophouses would be sold, at prices between 11 million baht and 20 million baht.
One building has 18 frontages, others have 12. Some are destined to be guesthouses.
The road may not be pitted and impassable through another wet season: it is expected to be properly surfaced by March.
Four developers contacted by Phuketwan said they had been looking for land in Patong for this kind of multi-storey project.
The preselling method seems to be popular.
Earlier this year, Phuketwan talked to the manager of a large development at the southern end of Patong, close to the beach, who told us the 25 apartment blocks on the property had each been sold to different Bangkok investors.
Another, similar large-scale series of about 30 four-storey buildings is to begin construction next year, to the right of the road that leads down to Patong beach, off the intersection where traffic lights have just been installed.
Under the system, all of the building is sold before construction starts. Most of the units are to the same scale, 4 metres wide by 14 metres deep.
That's the road running behind the Jungceylon shopping mall, towards Karon.
To a passerby, it's one long rack of developments, mostly of four or five storeys but going as high as seven storeys. In dry season, the road is a rollercoaster ride over potholes.
In the wet, it becomes almost impassable.
The reason why this strip has suddenly become a popular place to build is its proximity to Jungceylon, with Patong beach not that far away, either.
Most of the space along the road, whether for commercial use or accommodation, is presold, then onsold through agents to the end customer.
It is believed many of the shop owners along Patong's beach road have bought sections of the projects to house stock and staff as well.
Some of the buildings are presold frontage by frontage, as shophouses would be sold, at prices between 11 million baht and 20 million baht.
One building has 18 frontages, others have 12. Some are destined to be guesthouses.
The road may not be pitted and impassable through another wet season: it is expected to be properly surfaced by March.
Four developers contacted by Phuketwan said they had been looking for land in Patong for this kind of multi-storey project.
The preselling method seems to be popular.
Earlier this year, Phuketwan talked to the manager of a large development at the southern end of Patong, close to the beach, who told us the 25 apartment blocks on the property had each been sold to different Bangkok investors.
Another, similar large-scale series of about 30 four-storey buildings is to begin construction next year, to the right of the road that leads down to Patong beach, off the intersection where traffic lights have just been installed.
Under the system, all of the building is sold before construction starts. Most of the units are to the same scale, 4 metres wide by 14 metres deep.
