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ARCHITECTURE
KANANA KATHARANGSIPORN
Major border provinces along the Asian Highway Network will become new destinations for resort and hotel development in the near future after route expansion is completed by next year, according to Sunantapat Chalermpanth, chairman and executive principal of the Thai architecture firm KTGY Inter-Associates Ltd.
With more than 10 years of design experience in China and India, the company foresees greater development momentum in areas near the highway, he said.
The potential destinations include northern provinces such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and northeastern provinces including Ubon Ratchathani, Nong Khai, plus Prachin Buri and Sa Kaeo.
''If they have good developments attracting tourists, they will not be transit locations but emerging tourist destinations as tourists will want to come back,'' he said. ''Local administrations, community leaders and the government sector should be also involved to develop infrastructure and facilities.''
New developments in these destinations would start from low- to middle-end hotels before expanding to more upmarket properties. Mr Sunantapat cites the example of Hainan, the Chinese island where KTGY has been active for the past 10 years, starting from designs of two- to three-star hotels and progressing to five-star resorts.
Currently, KTGY has more than 30 projects in hand, 40% of them domestic, up from 20-30% last year due to increasing hospitality investments in tourist destinations including Hua Hin, Pattaya, Samui, Krabi and Phuket.
Mr Sunantapat said most of the firm's commissions were in the hospitality segment including resorts, hotels, lifestyle centres, clubhouses and leisure facilities. The company has been taking fewer small-scale jobs such as individual houses, which are subject to many limitations including size, style and price.
Mr Sunantapat said the hospitality segment, which KTGY entered four years ago, was less affected by changes in economic conditions as developments normally took two to three years to complete.
To reduce risks from ups and downs in individual countries, the company has diversified its exposure considerably. It has ongoing work in China, India, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Tibet, the Maldives, Pakistan and Uganda.
''Many jobs were from referrals and repeat customers. Service is the key. When we discuss [plans] with customers, it is about cultural and social matters, not the ego or design,'' he said.
With 30 architects on a total staff of 80, KTGY expects to maintain its 2008 revenue at around 80-90 million baht, the same amount as last year.
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