HOT Magazine February 15, 2015 | Page 27

The 12th Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) presented by Thailand Elite once again took place at the Royal Phuket Marina. Running January 8th thru the 11th, the annual event held during Phuket’s peak season attracted thousands daily to view the beautiful yachts on display as well as luxury cars and varied luxury items. The strong turnout was not just from Thailand, large contingents from Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Russia also came to view and buy. With over 6 Billion Baht of product on display, this year’s boat show proved one of the largest in its history. From the smallest boat on display, at less than 20 feet and priced under 2,000,000 Baht, the boats grew in size and price with seventeen over 20 metres in length including large motor yachts from Sunseeker, Princess, Monte Carlo and Sanlorenzo. The largest boat on display this year was a Custom Line NEXT 112 Super Yacht valued at approximately 430,000,000 Baht which was part of a four boat display by Lee Marine. Two iconic British yacht brands, Sunseeker and Princess Yachts were shown in large numbers this year. Sunseeker, popularly known for being James Bond’s yacht of choice, had four large powerboats on display including the stunning Predator 92, while Princess Yachts exhibited four boats in the water as well as brokerage and charter offerings through local dealer Boat Lagoon Yachting. According to The Wealth Report 2014, the number of ultra-high net worth individuals in Thailand grew by 147 percent between 2003 and 2013, and is expected to grow another 52 percent by 2023, offering a promising outlook for the country’s yacht market. On the back of this, Gulf Craft – one of the world’s leading superyacht-building shipyards – is launching their Oryx 42 into Thailand and their Gulf Craft Majesty 48 into Asia at the Phuket International Boat Show. “PIMEX is one of Asia’s premier boat shows, both in terms of how well it is produced and how well it succeeds in attracting top calibre attendees,” said Mr. Erwin Bamps, CEO of Gulf Craft. “For Gulf Craft, our participation in the event is pivotal to bringing our lineup of luxury vessels to the forefront of Thailand’s increasingly affluent boating community, and to being an active participant in Asia’s thriving maritime industry.” Elsewhere in the marina were boats from Cranchi, Majesty, Gulf Craft, Azimut, Bavaria, Moody and Wider Yachts Asia. Derani Yachts were displaying several boats, the largest being a San Lorenzo 72, while Simpson Marine had a large display with six boats Feb 15 --Mar 15 ,, 2015 Dec 15 Jan 15 2015 27