Danish business man Jon Plate is building a brand new beach front project in Pranburi. The project combines a stunning beach view with beautiful architectural design. And the best thing is that you don’t have to be a millionaire to get it.
By Rikke Bjerge Johansen
Imagine your own pool villa with private garden or a penthouse condo with a stunning view overlooking the Gulf of Thailand from your own private rooftop. Too expensive? Think again.
A new building project in Pranburi offers people a luxurious, yet affordable opportunity to get their own beautiful getaway.
The project is called MODENA with prices starting from 3.2 million baht (ca. 500,000 DKK) and up to 3 million DKK. The condos and villas all have a touch of Scandinavian design and interior. It’s no coincidence, since the Driving force behind the project is 40-year old Danish business man Jon Plate. For a long time he has dreamed about building his own beach front project with a good Thai partner. And the main target is expats living in Asia.
“Unlike a lot of new projects these condos and villas are not only reserved for millionaires. They are also for “normal” people and perfect for expats in Thailand who seek a beautiful place only a couple of hours drive away from Bangkok. We call our style modern tropical and with the sea in front and the mountains in the back you can get the fresh breeze through the whole apartment which is impossible to get in Bangkok,” Jon Plate explains.
The MODENA project consists of 27 condominiums with 12 private roof gardens for the penthouse condos and private gardens for the ground units. It also offers villas with direct sea view and is placed in the beach area Pranburi a bit further from Hua Hin close to the famous Evason Spa. And the location is chosen with care.
“A couple of years ago I came to Pranburi on a vacation and I completely fell for the place. It consists of small boutique resorts and is absolutely beautiful and more untouched compared to other more well-known places in Thailand. Since H.M. The King has a residential palace in Hua Hin you can trust that the area will continue being a nice place,” Jon tells.
Eight condos are already sold. Construction will begin around August and be finished by the end of 2009.
“Until now the only way to enjoy Pranburi has been to stay in the boutique resorts and it hasn’t been possible to buy a private home with high quality in this area. But now you can. I’ve also got one of the villas for myself and my family,” he tells with excitement.
Jon Plate has always had a soft spot for Thailand. Ever since the businessman from the Northern part of Copenhagen first arrived in Bangkok in 1990 as a young shipping man for AP Møller, he immediately fell in love with Thailand. He quickly learned the language and was one of the originators behind the Danish Chamber of Commerce. He stayed three years in the country before he decided to move to other countries including America, Singapore and England.
He met his Danish fiancée Emilie while living in London and building up a portfolio of apartments in Copenhagen.
“I could see that the real estate market in Copenhagen was very similar to London where I kept regretting not buying apartments. So I decided to buy big apartments in Copenhagen and when I saw how well it went I ended up having 21,” he explains and adds that he still owns seven.
But even though Jon had a great life in Europe with Emilie he couldn’t stop thinking about Thailand and especially Bangkok.
“I love to live in Bangkok. It’s a dynamic, fun city, the New York of Asia. There are thousands of different restaurants, it’s so unpredictable with a great culture and nice people, good food and great weather,” he says.
And since Emilie was also eager to move to Bangkok the decision was easy. The couple has now been living in Bangkok for four years with their son and a new baby girl is on the way. Jon has kept running his Danish properties but ever since they moved to Thailand he has been eager to start something new.
“It’s really exciting to start a new project, and when I looked at other real estate developments I thought they lacked something. Either the quality wasn’t good enough or the design wasn’t great,” he explains.
So two years ago the MODENA team bought the beach front property in Pranburi. They chose a famous architect who had previously designed The Four Seasons in Bali along with other big projects.
“He was chosen because I really admire his style. The design is timeless and will definitely suit Scandinavians. Our project emphasises a beautiful view with ocean and mountains and of course privacy,” he tells.
As the Driving force Jon is involved in every detail and decision. His office in downtown booms of pictures and designs of MODENA. He’s very proud of the condo project and judging by the plan it’s easy to see why.
“The quality, design and finish will separate MODENA from other projects in the area”, Jon says. Then he adds:
“And more importantly, the place is perfect for families and will not be destroyed by mass tourism.
