KARMA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE | THE ART OF DISTINCTION IN DESIGN AND LIVING
- MAGAZINE
- Weddings
- Food&Wine
- Nightlife
- Travel
- Health
- Sport
- Shopping
- Property
- Directory
- Villa Owners Club
Do Not Panic
the excitement of making an important decision...
Construction Time? After all the excitement of making an important decision about where to buy our dream villa it was another two years before anything related to construction started on the site.
We did not panic because (a) we had hired the best lawyers we could find, Allen and Overy in Bangkok, and (b) our money was put into Escrow. We had also done due diligence on the developer and found they were an international private company which had completed developments in the past and more importantly they were also cash rich.
Our only concern was, if it all went belly-up, we would have wasted two years and would have had to start looking all over again in a rising property market!
Koh Samui | Karma Samui Villa 14 | the rising property market !
see the sea everywhere
what a difference two years madeMary and I had returned to Koh Samui to see if construction had started and what a difference two years made. The last time we saw this scene it was full of coconut palm trees. At least one is still standing. The view was even more impressive now the site had been cleared. You could see the sea from everywhere on the site.
first luxury villa resort
prepare the site for villa constructionWas this the evidence we were looking for - trucks on the site moving earth? Kalkin was the construction company that had won the contract to build RDI’s first luxury villa resort on Koh Samui and their first task was to clear the site and bring in trucks and earth moving equipment to prepare the site for villa construction.
resorts around Asia
French Cambodian construction companyEncouraging signs. Men on site. Kalkin are a French Cambodian construction company and they have constructed many resorts around Asia including their first one on Koh Samui; the Napasi in Maenam. Because they are well established they have a good workforce who are well trained and they also have their own heavy construction equipment.
Was this the evidence that construction had started?
Were getting nervous and a lot of rumours were flying around.
The next time we visited Koh Samui we were pleased to see that the site office was in place and large trucks were moving earth from one part of the site to another. We hoped this wasn’t just some exercise to convince us that all was well. We were assured work had started and construction of the villas would follow soon.
Meanwhile, back in Hong Kong those who had bought into the development early on, like us, were getting nervous and a lot of rumours were flying around. Some owners were thinking of litigation and asking for their money back.
I had decided to bring my video camera with me to Koh Samui to shoot a report so I could show the Hong Kong owners what was happening on the site. I was given full cooperation by all concerned and Mary and I were shown round the site by the Project Manager, Roly Parthezius, who was, at the time, visiting the construction site from his office in Bali. He was the first Project Manager to be appointed and was responsible for the infrastructure and the initial phases prior to the construction of the villas. After Roly there was two other Project Managers, Stewart Maxworthy and Gordon Christie, the final and longest running Project Manager, who supervised the construction of all the villas and the entire development.
After this visit we were in no doubt that the construction was well and truly under way and we had the evidence on camera!
rely on sub-contractors
smoother operation without delaysMore evidence... Men and machines. A large site like this is going to require some serious construction equipment. Here we can see a heavy lifter at work. Kalkin brought in all their own equipment and therefore, didn’t have to rely on sub-contractors. This meant that having all the equipment on site made for a smoother operation without delays.
The Project Manager
Roly PartheziusThe Project Manager at the time, and the first, was Roly Parthezius and in this photograph he is walking around the site with some of the construction team. The Project Manager works for the developer and his job is to make sure that the construction company are making a good job of things and working according to the architects plans. These can change over the course of the construction and the project manager, together with the architect, have to be prepared to make any changes, as and when, they are needed.
what was going on
laying of pipes for water and drainageYet more evidence? Site junk or construction materials? We were assured by Roly Parthezius this was construction equipment. Roly showed us around the site and explained what was going on. To the untrained eye it looks as if not a lot was happening, but in fact, during the early stages, a lot was going on such as the laying of pipes for water and drainage.
something as simple as a concrete
encouraging to see somethingThere was definitely something going on here. A wall was going up. It was encouraging to see something as simple as a concrete wall being constructed. Mary and I, both felt reassured, as we could see that construction was going on all over the site and the number of construction workers appeared to increase every day.
Early signs of villa
The site officeEarly signs of villa construction with the site office, seen at the top of the hill with the white roof. The site office was the first building to go up and housed the Sales department and Project Manager’s office. Before we left Roly showed us the technical drawing plans and timeline charts and said at the present rate of construction we would not recognise the site the next time we visit.
Site Sponsors
Karma Samui Villa 14 | Koh Samui Island | Thailand
address
KSV 14 | Karma Samui Villa 14
80/32 Moo 5, Bophut
Koh Samui Island | Surathani 84320 Kingdom Of Thailand
All Content of KSV14.COM is © 2008 PeopleTalk™ and Hand Crafted by Media Feat from Hong Kong