In fact, there were two on my terrace this morning.

They were strutting about, grooming themselves and chatting away.

As usual, they were very friendly, not shy at all.

One even came into the living room and started shrieking at my cat.

He was not amused.

Here’s a photo…

You knew I was talking about our feathered friends, didn’t you?

One of the best things about living in Phuket is you are surrounded by nature – beaches, tropical rainforests and wildlife.

And if you have a property with a garden, you can enjoy it without leaving home.

Unless you prefer the kind of ‘wildlife’ mainly found in Patong, of course.

This villa in Layan has one of the nicest gardens I’ve seen…

It is 960m2 and has a private, 8×4 metre swimming pool.

The house has 3 bedrooms and a separate guest suite in the garden.

It’s on offer for 17,995,000 Baht (US$ 484,441).

If you want to know more just reply to me.

Or maybe this hillside villa is more to your liking…

It’s very rare to have a useable garden when you live on a hill.

But this place is an exception – with its 4,000m2, fully landscaped plot.

The house isn’t bad either.

It has over 1,000m2 of living space with 5 bedrooms, 2 kitchens and a 20 metre pool.

It’s on sale at 54,995,000 Baht (US$1,786,127) – but the seller is open to offers.

Interested?

Reply to me and I’ll send you the photos.

If an apartment is what you’re after – the gardens here are more like a private park…

And the 24,000m2 (6 acres) have tennis courts and a putting green.

A 240m2, 3-bed apartment will set you back 15,995,000 Baht (US$ 519,485).

But the bad news is there is only one left.

Want to know more?

Just reply to me and I’ll do the rest.

If you are coming to Phuket and want to look at some property, why not send me an email or give me a call?

I don’t bite and people do say I‘m “not full of crap like most estate agents”.

Best,

Rebecca

You see, last week was the 18th Annual Sea Turtle Release Ceremony in Phuket.

This little fellow was one of the lucky turtles set free into the ocean…

Over 100 young Green, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill sea turtles were released on Bangtao Beach.

Two of them were equipped with satellite tracking.

That’s so the Phuket Marine Biological Centre can see what they get up to on their travels.

Apparently, sea turtles can live for up to 60 years.

They spend their lives roaming the oceans and only the females come back to shore to lay their eggs.

At the ceremony excited locals and expats paid 2,000 Baht (US$ 65) for the privilege of releasing a turtle.

Over the years, the event has raised more than 1,000,000 Baht (US$ 32,616) for the program.

All the money goes back into saving more turtles.

Maybe next year you’ll be in Phuket to release your own turtle?

In which case, a large 3-bedroom apartment 150 metres from Bangtao Beach might be ideal for you.

It was built in 2008 and has never been lived in.

So you could say it is ‘like new’.

(Although I hate those estate agent clichés)

The seller paid 17,500,000 Baht (US$ 570,780) for it back in May 2008.

But now he’ll consider offers around 12,000,000 Baht (US$ 391,392).

You could save 5,500,000 Baht (US$ 179,388) – or more.

If you want to know more – just reply to me.

Or perhaps you’d prefer a villa?

As luck would have it, I have a 4-bedroom place just across the road from the beach.

It has ocean views from the upper floor – so you might even catch a glimpse of the turtles heading out to sea.

The seller is asking 47,000,000 Baht (US$ 1,532,952) – including all the furniture.

Plus, you get lifetime membership to Laguna Golf Course (worth 950,000 Baht).

Interested?

Reply to me and I’ll send you all the photos.

Surprisingly, I’ve still got a 1-bedroom apartment 500 metres from Layan Beach.

At 76m2 it is larger than some 2-bedroom apartments in Phuket.

It’s on a well-managed estate.

And the owner is earning a rental return of 9% net.

But the best part is the asking price…

Just 3,500,000 Baht (US$ 114,156).

That includes everything in the apartment.

If you want to know more simply reply to me.

If you are coming to Phuket and want to look at some property, why not send me an email or give me a call?

I don’t bite and people do say I‘m “not full of crap like most estate agents”.

Best,

Rebecca

And one of my favourite sportsmen, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, swears it helped cure him of cancer:

“People who don’t know anything about it say it is rubbish, but it worked for me – I’m alive!”, he said.

What was he talking about?

The ancient Chinese art of feng shui.

You might be sceptical.

But these are intelligent people.

Geoffrey is still going strong at 72 and my friend is extremely wealthy.

So shouldn’t you at least consider it before you buy your next home?

The developer of the Vista del Mar in Phuket, Thailand claims his villas have perfect feng shui.

I’m no expert, so let’s have a look at some of the most important aspects of this ancient art…

1. Your house needs to have plenty of space around it, so clean, positive energy (chi) can flow into your home.

Plots at Vista del Mar are 400m2 to 810m2 with at least 10 metres between each villa, often more.

They have perfect Ming Tang – an open sea view at the front and mountain at the back.

2. The entrance to your home is essential.

That is because all the energy of your home comes through the front door.

Vista del Mar has wide doorways to help positive energy flow into the villa.

There are water features on either side of the entrance, to create a stronger energy flow into the house.

3. Your garden should be neat and tidy, but you should also have some natural areas with wild plants and vines.

It is important to have the five elements of feng shui; water, wood, fire, earth and metal, in the garden.

Vista del Mar use plenty of strong plants, such as bamboo, to bring youth, perseverance and good luck and Happiness for prosperity.

They also include a barbecue; it represents both fire and metal. It is also pretty handy when you are entertaining friends.

In feng shui, the inside of your home is just as important as the outside.

The direction the room’s face, where you put your furniture and even the smallest decoration can all have a huge effect on your well-being.

4. Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. It provides nourishment and helps bring wealth and prosperity.

The kitchens at Vista del Mar are simple and uncluttered.

Appliances are built-in, leaving worktops free and they have good lighting, to prevent accidents.

The hob is on a central island, so wherever you are in the kitchen you can see people as they come in.

5. Your bedroom is where you relax and sleep.

In feng shui, a well-designed bedroom can trap positive energy and bring prosperity and friendly relationships.

At Vista del Mar it is next to the living room, the best place according to feng shui.

The developer has made sure the bed does not face the door.

That would be the ‘death position’ – referring to the way you are carried out of the room when you die. This is very bad feng shui.

Vista del Mar bedrooms face west. They get the relaxing rays of the setting sun, helping you get a good night’s sleep.

The room is decorated in light, soft colours with white walls and floors. The wardrobes are natural wood.

The developer made sure there are no sharp objects pointing directly at the bed. These are known as ‘poison arrows’ in feng shui and are very bad luck.

6. Your bathroom is the room that creates wealth.

It should be clean and uncluttered, and have good natural light.

Here, Vista del Mar have a unique solution – a sky light under the Jacuzzi.

There are also large windows, to let in as much light as possible.

The Jacuzzi in the master suite adds energy and promotes a feeling of well-being, the very essence of feng shui.

Of course, there are many other things to consider, such as the direction your home faces and your own ‘lucky’ areas of the house.

At Vista del Mar, they will custom design your home, so it matches your personal feng shui and with any luck bring plenty of health, wealth and happiness.

If you want to know more about Vista del Mar, just drop me an email and I’ll send you all the info.

Or if you are in Phuket and you’d like to have a look yourself, just give me a call.

Best,

Rebecca

Actually, it wasn’t only for me.

But luckily I had a perfect view as it was right above my house.

Flying ace, Les Vorosmarthy was at the controls…

Les is well known for his aerobatic stunts.

And he showed-off with 30 minutes of barrel rolls, spins, loops and upside-down flying.

It was a real treat.

Sadly the Thai authorities wouldn’t let his sidekick, Birdman Jari Kuosma, perform his wing walking act.

Maybe next time you’ll be watching the show from your own private terrace?

If that sounds good, perhaps you should take a look at this modern 3-bedroom town house.

It has views of Surin and the Amanpuri.

The 290m2 property has a private pool and terrace with sala.

It’s on sale at 35,000,000 Baht (US$ 1,147,500).

And the price includes all the furniture (except for a hideous pony-skin rug the owner’s wife wants to keep).

If you want the details just reply to me (no obligation, of course).

Or, if you prefer something bigger…

How about a 4-bedroom, ocean-view villa with views of Surin and Bangtao Beach?

Then you can invite all your friends to see the show.

The house sits on a 1,400m2 plot and is 1,000m2 built.

It has a home cinema room with 100 inch screen, a gym and a state-of-the-art lighting and audio system.

Plus, the seller is keen.

He’s asking 95,000,000 Baht (US$ 3,114,765) but will consider all reasonable offers.

Reply to me now and I will send you the photos.

But maybe you’d rather have something new?

In which case I’ve got a beach-front plot up for grabs.

That way, you can build exactly what you want.

It is 800m2 and the price is a serious 40,000,000 Baht (US$ 1,311,000).

But it is the last beach-front plot in Surin.

And I guarantee you’ll get an amazing view of the air show.

Want to know more?

Simply reply to me.

If you are coming to Phuket and want to look at some property, why not send me an email or give me a call?

I don’t bite and people do say I‘m “not full of crap like most estate agents”.

Best,

Rebecca

Lighting stands, cameras, film crew and 2 huge trucks almost blocking the main road.

What was going on?

Sadly, I have no idea.

Everyone I asked was being very secretive.

But it looked suspiciously like a Hollywood movie shoot.

More and more big-budget films are being shot in Phuket these days.

Since Leonardo de Caprio filmed “The Beach” on Koh Phi Phi, we’ve had “The Impossible”, “Rambo IV” and “The Hangover Part 2″.

And there have been rumours Angelina Jolie will be filming in Phuket soon.

So maybe she’s here already?

If so, I’m not surprised the producers chose Surin Beach.

It’s always been popular with ‘A’ Listers.

Some of them own villas at the Amanpuri, where properties have price tags over US$ 10,000,000.

And there is a long waiting list of eager buyers.

But don’t worry – you don’t have to be a movie star to own a property in Surin.

At 6,000,000 Baht (US$ 194,238) – this brand-new 1-bed condo is a really good buy

It even has an ocean view…

Plus, you can spread half the cost over 3 years.

But I only have 2 left at this price and they will go fast.

So if you are interested – reply to me now (no obligation, of course).

If you need something a bit bigger – this 2-bed condo on the beach road may fit the bill…

It’s in a 5-star resort with communal pool, restaurant and bar.

The beach is just 100 metres away.

And at 15,900,000 Baht (US$ 514,730) you’ll get a good return on your investment.

If you want to know more – just reply to me and I’ll send you full details.

Or maybe you’d prefer an ocean view villa?

This 4-bedroom place is on the market for 72,000,000 Baht (US$ 2,330,000)…

It’s on one of Surin’s top estates and has a living area over 800m2.

Want to know more – simply reply to me.

If you are coming to Phuket and want to look at some property, why not send me an email or give me a call?

I don’t bite and people do say I‘m “not full of crap like most estate agents”.

Best,

Rebecca

“We paid for an ocean view, not a super yacht view.”

I was confused, until I saw this huge boat right outside the resort…

It is so big you can hardly see the ocean.

And it’s been hanging around Phuket for the last few weeks.

So I did a little digging to see what I could find out…

The owner of this 394-foot (120 metres) super yacht is Russian Andrey Melnichenko.

He’s a 38-year-old banking, steel and fertiliser oligarch.

He calls the boat “A” – after himself and his supermodel wife Aleksandra.

The yacht was designed by Philippe Starke who said; “This boat has elegance and intelligence, it is not trying to show the money”.

I’m not so sure about that…

According to reports, the interior is fitted with Baccarat-crystal tables, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and polished silver.

The walls of one room are covered in white stingray hides, while another is covered in hand-stitched calf leather.

Over the top? You decide.

At the top of a spiral staircase lined with silver-leaf walls is a door, accessible only by a fingerprint security system.

If your fingerprint matches, it opens up a 240m² master-suite wrapped in bomb-proof, 44-millimetre glass.

There’s a king-sized bed on a giant base that rotates at the touch of a silver button.

And another button rotates the bed itself.

Why?

The combination of the rotating bed and the rotating base gives you limitless angles to watch the sunset, sunrise or the 60-inch plasma TV – which drops-down from the ceiling.

The boat was completed in 2008 at a cost of over US$ 300 million.

You’ll have to pay more than US$ 500,000 just to fill its fuel tanks.

And the vessel costs more than US$ 20 million a year to maintain.

I can think of a few properties with a great ocean view that will set you back far less….

What about a 2-bedroom ocean front condo on Bangtao Beach?

It is just minutes from where this super yacht is moored.

You get views of Bangtao Bay and across to Trisara (a resort popular with celebrities).

The seller is asking 30,000,000 Baht (US$ 951,780)

That’s less than 2 tanks of fuel.

And he is open to offers.

If you want to know more reply to me and I’ll send you the photos and floor plans.

Or what about an ocean front villa in Kamala?

It’s a little more pricey at 75,000,000 Baht (US$ 2,379,000).

But it is larger, with a 577m2 interior and 3 en-suite bedrooms.

It’s also part of a 5-star hotel.

So you have the option to rent when you are not there.

If you’d like to know more, just send me an email.

If you don’t want to spend quite as much…

What about a freehold, ocean front condo for 6,900,000 Baht (US$ 218,909)?

It is 87m2 and has excellent views of Patong Bay.

It is cheap because it needs a little renovation.

But if you are looking for ocean front in Patong it’s a bargain.

If you want all the details – simply reply to me.

If you are coming to Phuket and want to see some property, why not send me an email or give me a call?

I don’t bite and people do say I‘m “not full of crap like most estate agents”.

Best,

Rebecca

Phuket New Year 2012

2012 in Phuket certainly kicked off with a bang.

This is a photo taken from my terrace just after midnight…

During the holidays I’ve been stuffing myself with turkey, pork pie (a Yorkshire tradition) and lots of chocolate.

But being a bit of a workaholic, I couldn’t resist keeping an eye open for the best property deals.

If you are looking for an investment property, this one may interest you…

A developer in Patong is offering condos with a 6 per cent rental return, guaranteed for 6 years. 

That’s 6 per cent net – there is nothing else to pay; no common area fees, no management fees, no sinking fund, no taxes – nothing at all. 

Prices start at 7,493,693 Baht (US$ 237,445) for a one-bedroom apartment with private pool.

And you get a sea view from the upper floor.

If you’d like to know more just send me an email or give me a call.

The third phase of a very popular condo development has just launched in Surin Beach.

It is less than 50m into the town and only 200m to the beach.

But there are only 16 available and they are selling fast.

So you need to be quick if this one tickles your fancy.

Prices start at 3,500,000 Baht (US$ 110,901).

The completion date is December 2012, so you could be spending your next New Year’s Eve in Phuket.

If you are interested – email me and I’ll send you all the info.

On the sales front…

One of my clients snapped up a fabulous one-bedroom sea view apartment – reduced from 4,750,000 Baht (US$ 150,508) to 3,200,000 Baht (US$ 101,395).

They saved themselves 1,550,000 Baht (US$ 49,113), 32.6%.

If you want to know about bargains like this – just email me saying ‘Insider’.

You will get to hear about all the best deals before anyone else.

And wherever you are in the world I would like to wish you a happy, healthy and wealthy 2012.

I look forward to seeing you in Phuket soon.

The ‘Rottweiler’ in question is a security guard.

And he really is quite fierce – although I’m pretty sure he’s human.

No matter how many times I visit this estate near Layan Beach he always demands to see my ID.

Then spends ages suspiciously comparing my face to my photo.

But he is only doing his job – and pretty well too.

After all, you don’t want some slob who barely looks up from his newspaper before he lets people into your home.

I was going to include his photo but I chickened-out of asking him.

He really is quite scary.

Anyway, eventually he opened the heavy, wrought-iron gates and let me into ‘The Garden of Eden’…

The Garden of Eden

Again, not really.

But this 5-bedroom Thai style villa does have the best garden I’ve ever seen on the West Coast of Phuket.

At 4,000m2 it’s one of the biggest too.

All immaculately landscaped with tropical plants and trees.

It’s so well-done you can’t even see another house.

Steps lead you from ‘Eden’ up to the infinity-edge swimming pool…

The pool and Thai sala

With its massive sun terrace and Thai sala – this is the main entertainment zone of the house.

It is ideal for throwing parties – especially if you have a chef.

Because next to the pool is an open-kitchen with a BBQ, an oven and a hob.

There’s also an air-conditioned games room with a pool table and dart-board.

The master suite is on this floor too.

Its large dressing-room has fitted wardrobes with ornately carved wooden doors.

The bathroom has a walk-in shower, twin wash basins and a bathtub.

And there is a private living room (with built-in book cases) which would make an ideal study.

The main living area is on the next floor up.

Here you’ll find a large living room, separate dining room and a family-sized, fully-fitted kitchen.

Outside is a huge covered terrace which feels a bit colonial thanks to the wicker sofas and armchairs.

On the top floor are 4 en-suite guest bedrooms in 2 separate pavilions.

All the bathrooms have walk-in showers and bathtubs.

And there is enough wardrobe space to keep Imelda Marcos happy.

Make no mistake – this is a big house.

It is 670m2 inside and a whopping 1,100m2 outside.

And because it’s on 3 levels, there is plenty of privacy for everyone.

The villa is on a secure private estate – just a 5 minute drive to Layan Beach.

You can even walk it if you are feeling energetic.

The only down-side?

It doesn’t have an ocean view.

But if peace, quiet and a beautiful garden are more important to you – this might be right up your street.

You’ll also have some dramatic mountain views.

How much is it?

The sellers are asking 54,995,000 Baht (US$ 1,780,000).

That’s much less than you would pay for the same villa with an ocean view.

But they are very keen to sell and will consider all reasonable offers.

In fact, I know they will take a LOT LESS than that.

If you’d like to know more – reply to me and I’ll send you everything you need (no obligation).

Obviously, the best thing you can do is come and have a look for yourself.

But if you are interested – let me know today.

Big game in Phuket, Thailand?

Do you know there is big game in Phuket, Thailand?

It’s true.

You can find wild boar, deer and even ostrich – if you know where to look.

I am not making this up.

In fact, I know a couple of places you can find it.

And the other day I discovered a new one close to where I live.

It’s quite small so you might miss it.

But it is full of wonderful things.

They have got wild boar, venison, crocodile, ostrich and even goat.

All in the freezer.

Well, you didn’t think it was roaming free did you?

You see a new deli supermarket has opened in Cherng Talay.

They offer homemade pastas and pasta sauces.

Homemade sour cream and cottage cheese. 

All types of sausages, salamis and hams.

Russian dumplings, pickled herrings, olive oils and lots of different spices.

Homemade ice cream and sorbet.

And just about anything else you can think of.

Even better, they are open from nine in the morning until midnight.

So next time you are in the mood for a crocodile burger late at night – you know just where to go.

Plus, you can wash it down with a Belgian beer or a bottle of wine.

You can even order online and they will deliver.

This is their website: www.phuketdeli.com

And here is their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PhuketDeli

But don’t go liking theirs until you’ve liked ours:
www.facebook.com/PhuketOceanVillas

You are probably wondering why am I telling you this.

I am not on commission. Nor am I getting paid to write this.

I just thought you would like to know.

Because when you are in Phuket you might miss a few things from back home.

But you can find pretty much anything you want – if you know where to look.

I wish you happy hunting.