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One big advantage that Ban Prangthong enjoys is that everything
is already finished. Roads, the gate, lakes. It doesn't look like
a building site. Common areas and landscaped gardens are already
in place. You will not have to wait for little trees to grow up
or hope that the transplants will take root; mature trees are bountiful.
Just southwest of Phuket town, where if you stay on the main roads
you might think there are no remaining open spaces, Ban Prangthong
is a behemoth of a project, encompassing a whopping 250 rai of land.
That's 400,000 m?. Now, consider that the largest of the houses
currently on offer here boasts 990 m? of combined land and living
area and you get an idea of the vastness. A football field is only
some five thousand m?. If my maths serves me right, you could put
80 football fields in Ban Prangthong. Management has decided against
that idea, however, fearful of rampant hooliganism. Instead, the
plan calls for spacious homes spaced comfortably apart amid abundant
flora, on the banks of idyllic lakes.
Ban Prangthong is currently launching Phase 3. Formerly run independently
by a Thai family, Sea Property Phuket are now in charge of operations.
Phase 3 will consist of a lake surrounded by 36 new homes situated
close to the main entrance in the general vicinity of the 70 existing
homes from the previous phases of development. Unusual on Phuket,
the new properties will enjoy all the conveniences of well-established
infrastructure. Roads and lanes are broad, lined with palms and
shade trees. Since the site is on relatively flat terrain, there
will be no hair-raisingly steep driveways, no need to worry about
the kids rolling down the garden and off the cliff, no slipping
around in the mud as supposedly quaint cobblestone streets remain
unfinished through the rainy season.
While most of Phuket's new developments are in the north, radiating
out from Laguna, touting the resort community as something of a
new cultural centre replete with antiquing, golf, and expensive
restaurants, Ban Prangthong soaks up a more, shall we say, traditional
Phuket. The historic landmark of Wat Chalong, where Abbot Luang
Por Chaem organized local villagers to put down an uprising of Chinese
bandits back in the island's heyday of tin mining, is just a few
minutes off to the southwest. Flanked by Inner Chao Fa Road and
the Bypass Road (or Outer Chao Fa), dozens of flavourful local Thai
restaurants, markets and noodle stands are close by. The Chalong
area is a haven for long-term expats, so the community is well-integrated.
Phuket town, just about 6 kilometres to the northeast, is the true
centre of the island's traditional culture as well as being one
of Thailand's most quaint, best architecturally-preserved towns.
It also has Paradise Cinema, where at least one English movie is
usually playing. The Big C, Tesco-Lotus, and soon-to-open Central
supercentres lie a quick ten minutes on an easy road, practically
next door, especially when compared to the nearly an hour it takes
to bustle down through the traffic from the northern developments.
The same goes for Phuket International Hospital, where both doctors
and healthcare facilities are quite good.
Families with children are well-situated in Ban Prangthong since
the bi-lingual Kajornkiat School, Phuket Montesory, and Phuket Quality
Schools International are all in the greater neighbourhood. Prestigious
Dulwich College is not far away, either. Two golf courses are fairly
close by. The beaches of Rawai and Nai Harn, Kata and Karon are
all within half-hour drives and Chalong itself, just down the road,
is the dive centre of Phuket, from which nearly all boats depart.
For those unconcerned with sea view properties and their attendant
price tags, Ban Prangthong is a wise choice both for its vast green
spaces and for its enviable convenience.
Phase 3 of Ban Prangthong will feature a lake at its centrepiece.
Three types of houses are available, all built in Balinese style
with separate villas conjoined by terraces, ponds, swimming pools
and gardens; all with views of the water. Type A starts at 7.5 million
baht. It offers 230 m? of living space along with 320 m? of land.
Windows are tall and narrow, roofs Balinese style. The two upstairs
bedrooms, both en suite, share a large terrace. Downstairs, the
living area is set in its own, stand-alone villa, with the kitchen,
dining room, laundry and third bedroom in one structure. Type B,
for 11 million baht, is larger at 275 m? of living space and its
land area is double that of Type A with 640 m?.
Most of the rooms are on the first floor, although a third en
suite bedroom with its own balcony is upstairs. The focus of this
design is the gardens and landscaping, especially water; the plan
calls for six ponds in addition to the swimming pool. Type C, starting
at 11.5 million baht, is the largest of the three houses with 350
m? of living area, although the land area is the same as that of
Type B, 640 m?. The living and dining areas occupy a spacious, open-plan
section of the house and a large office is built by the pool. L-shaped
ponds corner both the office and living area. The master bedroom
of Type C is the most magnificent of all the homes, with a massive
walk-in (and through) closet that opens into an airy bathroom. Two
other well-appointed bedrooms are upstairs and all share a wide
balcony with stairs leading down to the swimming pool and gardens.
All houses will be constructed using the best of local materials:
granite, slate, sandstone, Q-Con blocks, hardwoods and hand-glazed
tiles, all of which provide excellent insulation against the heat
and aid in energy efficiency. Of course, customization of design
is possible, as is the purchasing of additional plots of land. Ban
Prangthong has its own on-site management company. All owners pay
a fixed fee for the maintenance of common areas including the lake,
roads, communal gardens, 24-hour guard and security, garbage collection
and so forth. For additional charges, optional property management
services may be purchased ranging from maid/cleaning to airport
transfer, pool maintenance to shopping services, babysitting to
excursions and tours. For those owners wishing to rent out their
homes, property rental services may be purchased to help maximize
returns.
Rare is the development site on Phuket of Ban Pranthong's scale.
One existing lake is so large that a water ski operation runs there.
Migratory birds have selected the area for its water and grasses.
A resident ornithologist claims to have spotted 73 different species
of birds here. With large plots of land allocated for preservation
as communal park space throughout, the homes will enjoy a feeling
of countryside with easy access to the best spots in Phuket.
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