For the first time since the inception of the Thailand Property Awards, a preview event event was held in Phuket. A host of invitees including developpers, real estate agents, local businessmen and press attended the evening at the Watermark on Thursday, 25 November. The Phuket Post spoke to Duncan Worthington, Managing Director of Ensign Media for details the upcoming awards and comments on the property industry in Thailand.

How's the countdown for the Property Awards going? At what stage are the nominations and what is left to be done?

We have just about one month to go and still lots to do. This year we structured the whole entry process differently. Phase One was the Nomination Phase, where we asked the industry to nominate companies in the 13 award categories. Phase Two was the entry phase, where we contacted all those nominated and asked them to fill in an entry form - this was all done on-line and the information remains private. We have now entered Phase Three were a selection of over 20 judges from around Thailand from different segments of the property industry are judging the entries. No one judge will judge all awards, and no judges will know the overall results. The final scores will only be known by us, the organisers, but the Ethics Committee who are tasked with overseeing the complete process is ensuring all is fair and transparent. All that's left to do now is put the finishing touches to the Gala Dinner which will be held 1st December at the Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok.

This is the first time Thailand Property Awards have had an event in Phuket, what was the idea behind it?

The idea about our recent "Thailand Property Awards Preview Party" was simply to get first-hand feedback from the industry. This year's process is well under way and changes cannot be made, but we understand the awards will evolve over the next few years. Nothing is set in concrete, we fully believe the awards are great for Thailand's property industry and that they showcase the industry's high level of professionalism and quality. Our recent party in Phuket proved invaluable - we heard a lot of good ideas and are already formulating new plans for 2008.

Do any Phuket properties feature in the nominations?

Phuket has a good showing in the nominations and entries. I cannot say who has entered in which categories as we keep all the information private. We will only announce each award winner to the public - no list of nominations, entries and no second or third places. Last year a number of Phuket projects were winners.... we'll have to wait and see for this year.

How do the properties on Phuket compare with those in Bangkok and the rest of the country?

We have created a number of new categories this year as comparing a condo project in Bangkok with one in Phuket, for example, is not like for like. This year we differentiate between Urban Villa and Resort Villa, and Urban Condo and Resort Condo. The difference is simply in the location of the projects (Urban designates Bangkok and Chiang Mai and Resort designates Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Krabi and Hua Hin), it does not determine design or primary function of the developments. This way judges can compare and contrast easier.

And in the same vein, how does the property industry compare, do the different markets work on different principles or strategies?

There are significant differences throughout the country. Simply put: the resort areas are targeting international buyers, while the urban areas have a strong residence market. There are differences to that rule, but as a very general rule, it applies. The basic principles of agent-developer relationships are very similar nationwide, but the resort markets on the whole are more immature than the Bangkok market, for example. They are newer markets and they are developing very fast, but don't yet have the history of the Bangkok market. This can also make them very exciting markets and the range of products in the resort markets is vast.

What can we expect from the Property Awards this year?

It all culminates in a grand Gala Dinner. On the night we'll have a fantastic 4-course dinner, free-flowing wine, the awards presentation, entertainment and a charity auction to raise money for the Mercy Centre. Last year we had 210 people attend the Gala Dinner, I expect similar numbers this year - hopefully we'll reach 250. For the future, I see the awards developing to the point where they become firmly fixed in the annual property calendar and in a few years' time I would like to rotate the location of the Gala Dinner each year. One year Phuket, one year Pattaya, one year Bangkok etc. It is after all the THAILAND Property Awards and we are keen to keep it that way!