The firm yesterday signed primary contracts with China's state-owned developer, China No 17 Metallurgical Construction Corp, and five other local and international marketing agencies, which will build and sell the project.

Under the agreement, the Chinese developer will develop a part of the project, and put in an investment of Bt40 billion. The marketing agencies will separately sell TLM membership attached to sets of long-stay residential units to prospective foreign clients.

Entitled Phuket Bay International City, this long-stay resort will be located within the Saphan Hin area, part of Phuket Cape. It was designed as a building complex and will include a conference centre, single-storey houses, condominiums, a shopping centre and a marina.

The land to be developed is owned by the Treasury Department, but Phuket province and the Civil Works Department are directly responsible for overseeing the project. TLM came in later to help find overseas investors to develop the project.

TLM boss, Police Colonel Ruamnakorn Tabtimthongchai, said the Chinese developer would determine which part of the project to develop and would make a project development proposal, that would be taken into account in the terms of reference.

He said the Chinese firm would participate in bidding for the project along with other bidders.

"TLM expects to have a clearer picture of the project by early next year,"  Ruamnakorn said.

TLM was established five years ago and acts as a centre to facilitate older travellers wanting to stay for longer periods in Thailand including company employees. But at present it has no members.

He said the company had tried to determine the best facilities to serve its target customers. It works with both public and private organisations to enhance sightseeing easier. Recently, Japanese-speaking employees were hired at its call centre to help communicate with Japanese travellers.

Ruamnakorn said the Japanese were big spenders in Thailand. However, until now language barriers had encouraged them to travel to other destinations, such as Australia.

The five companies that TLM signed agreements with are: Oval Asia Pacific Plc, which has promised to bring in 50,000 prospective members per year from Singapore; Chesterton International Property Consultants Plc, which has pledged to bring in 20,000 prospective members a year from the Middle East;  Bliss-Tel Co Ltd, which has said it will bring in 100,000 prospective members per year from within the international and local community in Thailand;  Wellenius Media Co Ltd, which will sell packages in Scandinavian countries and produce television programmes to promote travel to Thailand there;  And 99 Services Pattaya Co Ltd, which will assist in selling packages in Pattaya.

The five companies will start selling membership from the middle of next month. Previously, the sales plan was delayed many times because the facilities were unfinished.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation