Thai yacht sales company Boat Lagoon Yachting (BLY) signed a partnership yesterday with British superyacht maker Burgess to attract more wealthy superyacht owners to Thai ports for services.
"This pact puts Thailand on the map for visiting superyachts," said Vrit Yongsakul, managing director of BLY. "We are officially partners and plan to use our combined global expertise to advise clients in greater depth in terms of sales and boat services."
While BLY has sold mainly smaller and mid-sized Burgess yachts for the past 25 years, this new deal is expected to heighten confidence among superyacht owners that Thailand will be able to service their boats properly.
By definition, a superyacht is any yacht over 30 metres and can cost up to 4 billion baht.
Some 89% of the yachts run on diesel. Superyachts tend to have a 5,000-10,000hp engine with a 100kW generator to power the many rooms and appliances inside the superyacht.
Burgess has sold seven superyachts in Asia since 2018, four in 2018 and three this year.
"This is a great thing for Thailand because the government has been wanting to position the country as the luxury marine capital of Asia," Mr Vrit said. "Superyacht owners will be able to visit Thailand, and more people can have access to the superyacht lifestyle."
He said superyacht buyers are mindful of the economy, meaning a recession could make some buyers wary.
This is why the partnership with Burgess allows for more opportunities in rental and financing, Mr Vrit said.
BLY is headquartered in Phuket but operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Maldives. The company has after-sales service and yacht maintenance facilities for Southeast Asia in an 80-rai shipyard in Phuket.