Thailand Property Awards highlight top projects

The winners of the 2009 Thailand Property Awards were announced at a five-star gala dinner on Saturday at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.

Now in their fourth year, the Thailand Property Awards aim to promote the quality of Thailand’s real estate, construction, architecture and interior design. More than 1,000 nominations were received this year – four times last year’s figure.

Duncan Worthington, Managing Director of Ensign Media, which organised the awards, said this year’s judging process had become more rigorous, with a central Bangkok panel making short lists and provincial teams carrying out site inspections.

Paul Ashburn, Senior Partner of BDO, which oversaw the judging process, said: ”Neither ourselves nor the organisers allocated any points or influenced any judging and we are confident that the awards were indeed thorough and fair.”

Despite the global downturn, industry figures attending the gala event on Saturday saw resilience in the high end of Thailand’s real estate.

Dutch developer Peter Ton – whose Baan Ing Phu development took the ‘Best Condo Development Hua Hin’ award and was among the three projects shortlisted for ‘Best Villa Development Hua Hin’ – said he had seen continuing strong demand in the upper end.

‘We have seen demand hold up and have six buyers in the process of purchasing, but I think it is harder for less upscale projects where buyers are going to invest a much high proportion of their savings,’ he said.

This year’s 23 awards included the new additions of Best Villa Development and Best Condo Development, eligible only to completed developments.

In total, there were seven winners from Bangkok, three from the Eastern Seaboard, six from Phuket, four from Samui and two from Hua Hin.

The winners of the 2009 Thailand Property Awards are:

* Best Developer – TCC Capital Land.
* Best Boutique Developer – Dhevatara Properties.
* Thaizeit Best International Agent – CB Richard Ellis (Thailand) Co. Ltd.
* Best Thailand Agent – Indigo Real Estate Co. Ltd.
* Prestige Thailand magazine Best Villa Development (Thailand) – Andara Villas by Andara Phuket.
* Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Best Condo Development (Thailand) – The Heights Phuket by Raimon Land PLC.
* British Chamber of Commerce Thailand Best Housing Development (Bangkok) – The Royal Residence by TCC Capital Land Ltd.
* Phuket Post Best Villa Development (Phuket) – Andara Villas by Andara Phuket.
* Best Villa Development (Eastern Seaboard) – The Village at Horseshoe Point by Horseshoe Point Co. Ltd.
* Best Villa Development (Samui) – The Mandalay Villas by Ban Mandalay Co. Ltd.
* Best Villa Development (Hua Hin) – Nishaville by KIJ Development.
* The Wall Street Journal Asia Best Condo Development (Bangkok) – The Address Chidlom by Asian Property Development Public Company Limited.
* Limcharoen Hughes & Glanville Best Condo Development (Phuket) – Andara Residences by Andara Phuket.
* Best Condo Development (Eastern Seaboard) – The Sanctuary Wong Amat by Daika Estate Co. Ltd.
* Best Condo Development (Samui) – Infinity Samui by Vertuz Development Co. Ltd.
* Best Condo Development (Hua Hin) – Baan Ing Phu by Baan Ing Phu Co. Ltd.
* Signity Thailand Green Development Award – Horseshoe Point by Horseshoe Point Co. Ltd.
* Gaggenau Best Architectural Design – Andara Phuket by Andara Phuket.
* Studio Gypser Best Interior Design – The Sukhothai Residences by HKR International Ltd.
* Deluxe Property Vietnam magazine Best Agent Website – www.cbre.co.th.
* I-Marketing Best Development Website – www.sukhothairesidences.com.
* Luxury Properties magazine Best Print Advertisement – W Koh Samui Retreat & Residences.
* Property Report Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year – Settha Thavisin, President of Sansiri PLC.