The expansion of the Japanese community in Sri Racha has led Siam Zokei president Yasuo Miyazaki to embark on a large-scale residential condominium called Grand Peaks Sri Racha.

The trained architect - who has been developing projects in Bangkok for the last four years - will offer 36,000 square metres of saleable area on a 3-rai 300 square wah plot.

Grand Peaks - housing 597 units in its three towers - is one of Miyazaki's more exciting endeavours.

The largest tower will stand about 30 floors while the other two are 15 and 12 floors high. The buildings all face the sea and the rooms will command views of the bay and Koh Loi.

The sizeable undertaking will require 36 months to complete. Miyazaki is expecting to finish the buildings by the fourth quarter of 2009.

Siam Zokei began modestly with two projects on Sukhumvit, namely The Peaks on Sukhumvit 15 and Twin Peaks on Sukhumvit 17.

The company has also been successful in constructing a condominium in Chiang Mai called Peak Gardens in the central part of the northern capital.

"One of the reasons why we are keen on Sri Racha is the town has proven to be conducive for Japanese residents," he said.

Unlike Pattaya, which is regarded as somewhat reckless, the town of Sri Racha is viewed as relatively unspoilt. "The roads are cleaner, not congested and the climate is lovely' he said, in comparison to Pattaya, which is crowded and noisy.

This is why a Japanese international school, with room for 400 students, will open in Sri Racha in three years time, he said.

Already the hotels and serviced apartments in Sri Racha are getting strong bookings almost daily, he said.

Miyazaki - who lives in Bangkok with his wife Fumika and four children - says his projects there are favoured largely by Japanese. "In Chiang Mai, half the project has been bought by Westerners," he noted. "In Sri Racha, there are more Thai investors, one of whom has asked to purchase the 12-storey tower."

His next undertaking is a 17-rai estate at Kamala Beach in Phuket.

Miyazaki says that much of the success of his undertakings is due to the support he receives from Fumika, an experienced businesswomen who helps him run the company.

"In building residences," he said, "we use international standards for our designs." The rooms, all with fitted bathtubs and sizeable balconies are tailored for a global clientele.

Buyers like them because they possess higher value, and are easy to resell. In contrast, units using local standards often find great difficulty in offloading to foreigners, he said.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation