This Songkran festival offers home-buyers a timely opportunity to visit properties in resort destinations like Koh Samui.

Why Samui? Unlike mass-tourism sites, Samui is free of traffic congestion and chaotic highway conditions thous

ands will suffer over long weekends.

Holiday-makers would do well to leave the car at home and fly to Samui's trouble-free exclusive airport. The island is one of the better stress-free places for people who are tired of crowds, toxic-fume emissions and long queues.

Prices on Samui are among the highest in the Kingdom, and it remains one of the least spoilt, least mass-marketed beach resorts in the country. For families who can afford this getaway, the island's more reputable housing projects are worth considering.

In the long run, it would be cheaper to own rather than rent real estate that is equivalent to five-star accommodation here.

For instance, you could consider homes by Dhevatara Properties. This professional outfit recently launched a new project called Dhevatara Bay at Pearl Bay, on the western shores of the island.

Home prices here start from Bt12 million for a semi-detached unit. It was created to allow the firm to tap the middle segment of the market as its earlier projects were all priced well over Bt40 million.

After the success of its first two projects, namely Dhevatara Cove and Dhevatara Residences, the firm is keen to diversify its customer base.

Mark Vinton, Dhevatara's business-development manager, said the project had been created after the company found there were many who wanted to buy units within the Bt12-million to Bt30-million range.

Dhevatara Bay with 34 residential units will offer semi-detached residences from Bt12 million.

Its villas with private swimming pools sell for about Bt28 million each.

As with earlier communities, buyers here will be offered the option of a management contract under which their properties would be rented out.

The deal offers buyers a reasonable return while absorbing some of the upkeep.

Dhevatara Properties has appointed Samui Villas & Homes, headed by realty veteran John Birt, to oversee the running of its estates.

It has also engaged Johnson, Stokes & Masters to provide legal documentation for the transactions.

For further information, buyers may call Dhevatara's Bangkok office in the CRC Tower, All Seasons Place on Wireless Road.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation