Thailand’s new yacht marina set to open 1st phase in May 2016

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Port Takola yacht marina & boatyard, a new international class project in Krabi, southern Thailand plans to launch its 1st phase in May this year.

Dr. Suriya na Nagara, a retired Surgeon Admiral of the Royal Thai Navy, is the owner of the project.  He and Matthew na Nagara, his eldest son, are developing the marina within the family’s private estate.  Admiral Suriya explains, “After careful study, we decided to develop a marina to take advantage of the many positive factors of the site, including its perfect shelter and excellent geographical location.”

The marina is close to the international tourist destination of Ao Nang and also to Phang Nga Bay, recognised as one of world’s most beautiful yachting playgrounds.  Krabi International Airport, only a 40-minute drive away, receives scheduled flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and China, and mainland charter flights from Scandinavia and Russia.

Port Takola yachting marina in Krabi province will open its 1st phase in May this year.

The marina will be the focal point of a 110-acre (450,000m2) community that will include residences, a resort hotel, nature trails, and a museum.  This will be a low-density, low-rise development that the owners say takes best advantage of the landscape comprising of woodland, grassland, and mangrove.

Admiral Suriya has retained Simon Arrol, a British maritime civil engineer and marina specialist, to advise on the design and planning of Port Takola.  Arrol was a former managing director of Camper & Nicholsons Marinas Ltd for 16 years, and later founded Island Global Yachting in Dubai.

The 1st phase of Port Takola is valued at US$8 million and will be able to accommodate yachts ranging from 12m – 40m in length.  3-phase electricity, water, gasoline and diesel fuel will also be available.  The approach channel will be dredged to -2.5m LAT.

The boatyard will feature about 10,000m2 of dry storage area, a 38t capacity launch and recover facility, and various technical services.  Matthew na Nagara explains, “The 1st Phase of Port Takola is only modest in terms of scale and facilities but it will be sufficient to provide a great experience to yacht owners and their guests.  Our approach is to create a boutique marina that sits comfortably with the surrounding landscape.  We want to combine the legendary Thai hospitality with the management standards expected by sophisticated international yachtsmen.”

During the next couple of years Admiral Suriya intends to build an architect-designed Capitainerie having a commanding view over the marina basin; this will incorporate 5-star standard restrooms for clients.  The adjacent Cafe du Port will offer an all-day bar/restaurant service.  Offices and retail units for yachting-related businesses will be built along the basin edge, and the boatyard will be improved with boatsheds, workshops, and welfare facilities for the yard workers and the local professional crews.  Some waterfront villas are also planned.

Yacht owners wishing to visit or relocate their yachts to Port Takola can reserve their berth in advance.  To mark the opening, Port Takola will be offering promotional prices to the first 20 yacht owners who sign-up for a berth.  And in the near future, Port Takola will be announcing a limited number of Long-Term Berth Sales.