SURVIVAL is definitely the main thought going through the minds of many property people on Phuket these days, but who'd have thought that up would pop Edward ''Bear'' Grylls?
Bear, if you haven't heard of him, is quite well known in the US for his survival program Man vs Wild on the Discovery channel.
In Britain, he also has a following through another show, Born Survivor.
And now the Bear has a new lair, and it's on Phuket.
The people at Kata Rocks say he has just signed up for a Club Penthouse at the Kata Rocks development, on the headland at the south end of the beach, looking out towards Crab Island (Ko Boo).
If Bear does for Kata Rocks what Formula One racing champ Kimi Raikkonen has done for Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort in Rawai, the Kata Rocks team will be more than pleased.
The marketing benefits of having someone famous buy one of your properties are becoming startlingly obvious.
So be aware, if you happen to be in that neighborhood of Kata, that there's a Bear out there . . .
The adventurer and tv personality has, from all accounts, just the kind of eating habits needed to survive the wilder regions of Thailand.
Bugs, live snakes, live frogs and the fluid from an elephant's dung . . . it seems he has come to the right place.
Bear, 34, was a trooper in Britain's SAS special forces when he broke his back in three places in a parachute jump at the age of 21.
''Lying in a hospital bed with the doctors wondering if he was going to walk again, Bear set a goal to climb Mount Everest,'' says the Kata Rocks media release.
''At the age of 23, Bear became the youngest Briton to climb the mountain and survive.''
He has since gone on, so they tell us, to take a Rigid Inflatable Boat from the US across the Arctic to Britain.
He has also taken a jet ski around Britain (on the water, we presume), he has the world record for the highest dinner party held (below a balloon at 25,000 feet) and he has also taken a powered paraglider higher than anyone else over Mt Everest.
''Bear has also written several books and is an accomplished motivational speaker,'' the Kata Rocks people tell us, and motivation is certainly something the Phuket property business could use.
''All this along with his TV work means that he has been in demand on the chat shows in both the US and Britain and has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Jonathan Ross among others.
''This month he is on the front cover of Men's Journal in the States and he has been voted seventh coolest guy in the Britain.''
Apparently when he is not out in the wild, drinking elephant fluids, Bear likes to enjoy the finer things in life with his family.
Which brings us to the Club Penthouse in Kata Rocks on Phuket.
Mr Bear said: ''I guess in part that I make a living by eating some pretty disgusting things to show how to stay alive if you are in a survival scenario.
''But when I want to just chill out with family and friends, then I try and pick places that are discreet but spectacular.
''Kata Rocks is both of those in abundance. A very special hideaway.''
Kata Rocks, designed by Hong Kong-based architects Original Vision, is on the headland between Kata beach and Kata Noi beach, two of the best on the island.
The development will also include an oceanfront clubhouse with bistro and sunset bar along with a luxury spa, fitness centre and function rooms.
The Kata Rocks people say sales have been ''extremely strong'' despite prevailing market conditions, with almost half sold off plan in the first few months of 2009.
Construction is due to begin in June 2009 and the project should be completed by the end of 2010.
For more: www.katarocks.com
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Bear, if you haven't heard of him, is quite well known in the US for his survival program Man vs Wild on the Discovery channel.
In Britain, he also has a following through another show, Born Survivor.
And now the Bear has a new lair, and it's on Phuket.
The people at Kata Rocks say he has just signed up for a Club Penthouse at the Kata Rocks development, on the headland at the south end of the beach, looking out towards Crab Island (Ko Boo).
If Bear does for Kata Rocks what Formula One racing champ Kimi Raikkonen has done for Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort in Rawai, the Kata Rocks team will be more than pleased.
The marketing benefits of having someone famous buy one of your properties are becoming startlingly obvious.
So be aware, if you happen to be in that neighborhood of Kata, that there's a Bear out there . . .
The adventurer and tv personality has, from all accounts, just the kind of eating habits needed to survive the wilder regions of Thailand.
Bugs, live snakes, live frogs and the fluid from an elephant's dung . . . it seems he has come to the right place.
Bear, 34, was a trooper in Britain's SAS special forces when he broke his back in three places in a parachute jump at the age of 21.
''Lying in a hospital bed with the doctors wondering if he was going to walk again, Bear set a goal to climb Mount Everest,'' says the Kata Rocks media release.
''At the age of 23, Bear became the youngest Briton to climb the mountain and survive.''
He has since gone on, so they tell us, to take a Rigid Inflatable Boat from the US across the Arctic to Britain.
He has also taken a jet ski around Britain (on the water, we presume), he has the world record for the highest dinner party held (below a balloon at 25,000 feet) and he has also taken a powered paraglider higher than anyone else over Mt Everest.
''Bear has also written several books and is an accomplished motivational speaker,'' the Kata Rocks people tell us, and motivation is certainly something the Phuket property business could use.
''All this along with his TV work means that he has been in demand on the chat shows in both the US and Britain and has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Jonathan Ross among others.
''This month he is on the front cover of Men's Journal in the States and he has been voted seventh coolest guy in the Britain.''
Apparently when he is not out in the wild, drinking elephant fluids, Bear likes to enjoy the finer things in life with his family.
Which brings us to the Club Penthouse in Kata Rocks on Phuket.
Mr Bear said: ''I guess in part that I make a living by eating some pretty disgusting things to show how to stay alive if you are in a survival scenario.
''But when I want to just chill out with family and friends, then I try and pick places that are discreet but spectacular.
''Kata Rocks is both of those in abundance. A very special hideaway.''
Kata Rocks, designed by Hong Kong-based architects Original Vision, is on the headland between Kata beach and Kata Noi beach, two of the best on the island.
The development will also include an oceanfront clubhouse with bistro and sunset bar along with a luxury spa, fitness centre and function rooms.
The Kata Rocks people say sales have been ''extremely strong'' despite prevailing market conditions, with almost half sold off plan in the first few months of 2009.
Construction is due to begin in June 2009 and the project should be completed by the end of 2010.
For more: www.katarocks.com
More About Kata Beach, Phuket
F1 Champ Kimi R. Plants His Foot for Phuket
Phuket is moving with the times, but probably not quite as fast as Formula One racing champion Kimi Raikkonen. Only when he is on the island does he prefer to slow down.
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Childrens' Lifesaving Carnival, Kata, May 9
Beach safety has become a critical issue with attempts being made to improve swimming and safety standards through lifesaving carnivals for chlldren. The next event is at Kata on May 9.
Childrens' Lifesaving Carnival, Kata, May 9
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Events: Phuket Surfing Contest, Kata Beach
A party on the beach is the scheduled climax of the Kata Surfing Contest. Competitor numbers are not up as much as expected, so maybe the surf will be up instead. And there won't be so many people competing for good spots on the beach.
Events: Phuket Surfing Contest, Kata Beach
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