Above:The Vana Nava Hua Hin, a 20-rai jungle-themed water park built by Proud Real Estate, recently added an underwater photo tank. Proud Real Estate is counting on a fourth-quarter tourism recovery to boost the Hua Hin property market.

Proud Real Estate Co, owned by the Liptapanlop family and developer of Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Park, hopes an expected tourism recovery in the fourth quarter will boost the Hua Hin property market.

Above:Tourists from China and Hong Kong were a growing market in Hua Hin

Executive director Proudputh Liptapanlop said tourism was mired in the doldrums after last month’s bombings in Bangkok.

“Travel warnings issued by Hong Kong for its citizens intending to visit Thailand should be lifted this month. That will be a good sign for the overall tourism industry, not only in Hua Hin.” She said.

Ms Proudputh said tourists from China and Hong Kong were a growing market in Hua Hin, which increased its ratio of foreign arrivals to 30% from 20%, with half the foreigners from those two locations travelling to the district.

Above:Travel warnings issued by Hong Kong for its citizens intending to visit Thailand should be lifted this month.

Operating for 10 months, Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Park has recorded 300,000 visitors.Proud Real Estate has thus increased its 12-month visitor target to 500,000 from 300,000.With an investment of 1 billion baht, the water park is the first phase of development on a 35-rai site.

The second phase includes a 30-storey 300-room hotel at a cost of 1.8 billion baht, which is to be managed by Holiday Inn and opened by late 2017.

Ms Proudputh, the daughter of veteran politician Suwat, said the Hua Hin condo market was unfavourable, plagued by an oversupply, particularly for units priced from 60,000 to 80,000 baht per square metre and sized about 30 sq m.

“We’ve postponed the launch of a new condo project we planned for this year until we find a concept that matches our target group, the high-end segment, where there is not a supply glut and demand is strong,” she said.

To draw more visitors, the water park has added a new attraction — Vanadio, an underwater studio with a water tank sized five by 2.2 metres. Up to five visitors can dive in for a photographer to shoot them.

Above:Tourism recovery in the fourth quarter will boost the Hua Hin property market.

Source:Bangkok Post