What has been billed as the biggest yachting event to date in Thailand, the inaugural Thailand Yacht Show will be hosted at Ao Po Grand Marina in Phuket from February 11-14th
The show was conceived by industry experts, tourism officials and governmental figures including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha following a relaxation in superyacht chartering laws in 2015.
Among the big names supporting the show are Burgess who have secured four berths.
Attending yachts include:
Saluzi, the largest yacht based permanently in SE Asia
Titania, the largest yacht attending the show; classic go-anywhere, luxury explorer
Nanou the ever-popular Benetti-built currently for sale.
Jean-Marc Poullet, chairman of Burgess Asia, cemented the company’s commitment to the region, stating, “We strongly believe that the Andaman Sea, with Phuket at its core, has the potential to become one of the top three charter destinations globally. We are therefore excited to participate in the inaugural Thailand Yacht Show with several yachts of our Asia fleet.”
The Asian superyacht scene has grown significantly in the last few years, with a total of 75 yachts passing through Phuket in 2015 according to Dr Chula Sukmanop, director general of the Thailand Marine Department.
The new charter law hopes to encourage yacht owners to stay for longer in SE Asia and in turn, the Thailand Yacht Show hopes to highlight the many advantages to spending a season sailing and chartering here.
The show will run over six days in total, with the first two dedicated to industry demonstrations, a sailing regatta and seminars
The doors will officially open on February 11 with a ceremony hosted by the Prime Minister, and from there guests will be treated to a line-up of superyachts, stands, tenders and toys plus yachting lifestyle inspiration.
The show hopes to draw in guests from all over the region capitalising on the dates coinciding with Chinese New Year – one of the largest celebrations in Asia.