A marina seminar held during the recent Phuket International Boat Show on December 10 revealed that new marina projects are a hot topic in Thailand as the government moves to develop marine tourism.

According to Alan Cooke, one of the founder members of the Marine Alliance of Thailand (MAT), a body of some 15 members of the marine trade,

"A recent government study just released is advising on the location of six new marinas, including two in the Phuket area and four on the east coast," says Alan Cooke, one of the founder members of the Marine Alliance of Thailand (MAT), a body of some 15 members of the marine trade. "It's anticipated development of these marinas will move ahead quickly."

According to speaker Mark Truscott from Phuket-based company Marina Systems International: "Marinas are very much lifestyle-centred in Thailand, enhancing property and land values, and there are lots of non-resident berth holders mainly from Europe, Australasia and Hong Kong who are attracted by the lifestyle in Thailand."

The seminar was held in the recently completed Royal Phuket Marina. "We have invested US$15 million in Phase I of the project which has 75 berths which already have 60 per cent occupancy," says business controller Mert Ulusoy. "Phase 2, accessed by a lock, will increase the number of berths to nearly 200."

The marina has provisionally been given the 5-star Golden Anchor award subject to final evaluation. There is currently a shortage of marina berths in Phuket as boat sales have increased after the abolition of punitive taxes earlier this year.

IBI will be producing a full report on the Thailand and SE Asia market in the February/March issue of the magazine.