THE RISE OF YACHTING IN ASIA good because it allows the clients to enjoy their boating – they can socialise in the knowledge that someone is able to do the driving or mooring for them .”
The markets within Asia vary greatly as to the customer base , with some territories experiencing massive take-up amongst expats . “ Our clients are a mixture of locals and expatriates ,” says Yongsakul . “ If you look at Thailand , certainly in Phuket , the market is almost 90 % expats and 10 % local . If you go to Pattaya or Bangkok , it is 70 % local to 30 % expatriate . Here in Singapore , there are a lot more Singaporeans buying boats as compared to expatriates .
It ’ s really a case-by-case situation in the area . We sell to all individuals who are interested in boating and we have a variety of products we can offer them . We will always do our best to provide them with the right product to fit within their budget requirements .” According to Yongsakul , Asians are more concerned about the price and the ‘ value-for-money ’ aspect to purchasing a yacht . “ Princess is very efficient in its manufacturing and its philosophy has always been to try to build a boat that they can sell at a very competitive price , so buyers get a lot for their money . When you ’ re looking at a standard specification of
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