Samui's The Peak Project Hit By Land Concerns

[stevieff]

My post was meant to be sarcastic, Beached-whale. I realized I had mispelled the word. Obviously that point flew over your head. If your only counter-point to my post is the mispelling of a word, perhaps you should take out time and read a book on common sense, logic, etc.. You have a nice day, also.

[sbk]

If we can't stop the flaming and arguing then this topic will be closed and those parties involved will find themselves with a warning.

Capiche?

[Beachedwhale]

My post was meant to be sarcastic, Beached-whale. I realized I had mispelled the word. Obviously that point flew over your head. If your only counter-point to my post is the mispelling of a word, perhaps you should take out time and read a book on common sense, logic, etc.. You have a nice day, also.

Stevie

I agree wih you - your sarcasm and wit do fly totally over my head. I am sorry but even after reading it again it is still way above me... not arguing and not meant to be a criticism & not meant to be a flame, just stating a fact... enough of this misunderstanding as it is totally off topic ...

And I wait in keen anticipation for anyone that can provide us with any more facts about The Peak which is the original question I raised a couple of days ago ... is there anybody out there???

[stevieff]

My post was meant to be sarcastic, Beached-whale. I realized I had mispelled the word. Obviously that point flew over your head. If your only counter-point to my post is the mispelling of a word, perhaps you should take out time and read a book on common sense, logic, etc.. You have a nice day, also.

Stevie

I agree wih you - your sarcasm and wit do fly totally over my head. I am sorry but even after reading it again it is still way above me... not arguing and not meant to be a criticism & not meant to be a flame, just stating a fact... enough of this misunderstanding as it is totally off topic ...

And I wait in keen anticipation for anyone that can provide us with any more facts about The Peak which is the original question I raised a couple of days ago ... is there anybody out there???

I apologize to you as well, if in fact, your apology is genuine. Your apology is somewhat skewed and therefore debatable. My only point in my original response to your post is this, if your looking for the truth about " The Peak" project, don't seek the consultation of "imangery", oops "imaginary" friends. That's my point to you about common sense and logic. I never intended to insult you personally. Good luck to you.

[calibanjr.]

Is that 20 billion Thai Baht number correct? $500 million?

[LaoPo]

On a more or less regular basis I still receive some emails from the 'mother'-company* who's also involved in the Peak Project on Samui.

They promote, amongts others, property in Macau and Dubai.

* called propertyfrontiers.com

However, the Peak Project - Samui is stil on their website....

Have a look for yourself:

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/Developme...k_Koh_Samui.htm

Home:

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/main.aspx

Chiang Mai - Grand Hillside Apartments:

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/Grandhill...de_Thailand.htm

Judge for yourself.

LaoPo

[Beachedwhale]

I see from this website http://www.samuipropertysolutions.com/index.php that the name has changed to Himmapan Beach Gardens and more information can be found at:

http://www.top-invest.com/relisting_e_79_120273.php

I liked the comment:

"Himmapan is the mystical forest of Thai mythology, populated by an array of mythical creatures and located close to paradise. Himmapan Beach Gardens have been created to take you into a World of pleasure on the Paradise island of Koh Samui."

mystical forest - is that some reference to the alleged illegal deforestation

Still seems to be rolling along.

[morrismarina]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/05Apr2007_news12.php

I thought all this was sorted out, does anyone know the latest

[Jet Gorgon]

Interesting thread, but a pity about the petty arguments.

So, where exactly is this development and the road leading to it? I checked the web, but only the pic of that three-bedroom concrete bunker and views from the hill.

Luckily, the govt is taking action. I remember friends in Bangrak being flooded two years ago, largely because the hillsides south of the village were razed for housing and the rains just swept down to the village and the sea.

It is sad that no one builds traditional wooden houses anymore or allows space between dwellings. I'd take the jungle and the hardship of monthly commutes for groceries anyday over living in what Samui has become.

[mafaso]

All I know is that I slip the gate guard 20 baht and take a girl up to the top of the hill at sunset for an AMAZING view. The girls love it (as do I).

The road is a blast to drive on too with a motorcycle.

M

[Obelix]

Is there any more news regarding this project desite the name change

[jfchandler]

Happened across this recap in a recent article on the Thailand Law Review web site regarding fraud in Thailand...

One of the most infamous cases of fraud in Thailand occurred on Koh Samui in 2006. It involved not only land fraud, but allegations of gang activity, drug smuggling, extortion and money laundering. This hornet's nest was shaken by ads placed by a foreign run sales agency, in local trade magazines and on the web selling land in The Peak development. They were offering 514 rai of land on Khao Dang Mountain at 8 million baht per rai.

The subsequent outcry by locals who suspected that the land may have been obtained illegally, combined with the fact that hundreds of real estate companies, including some owned by reputed gang members, had been established in Samui since the middle of 2005, led to an investigation by the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) into the legality of title deeds for land owned by all land holding property companies on the island. The shareholding structure of these companies was also investigated, as companies must have a majority of their shares owned by Thais or Thai juristic persons to purchase land in Thailand.

These investigations opened a Pandora's Box of fraud throughout the island. Thousands of plots were found to have illegally issued title deeds and a number of officials were investigated for accepting bribes and falsifying land documents. It was also discovered that while Koh Samui is comprised of only 150,000 rai, there were deeds issued for 200,000 rai. Encroachment on protected forest

reserves was found to be a related problem, as thousands of rai of

protected forest had been illegally issued titles and cleared for

development. One of these plots housed a small resort owned by a

Swiss businessman. Although he claimed to have gained legal title to

the land in 2003, he was arrested and fined 30,000 baht. It was ruled

that the titles were illegally issued and his land was reclaimed as

part of a national park.

As for The Peak project, it was found that part of the development encroached on public lands and as a result, foreign clients were loath to lease plots. The project was later abandoned.

http://thailawforum.com/Defrauded-in-Thailand-2.html

[jfchandler]

On a more or less regular basis I still receive some emails from the 'mother'-company* who's also involved in the Peak Project on Samui.

They promote, amongts others, property in Macau and Dubai.

* called propertyfrontiers.com

Interesting... the Property Frontiers organization still seems to exist at least in name and still has the web site listed above with a UK phone contact number... But its web site at present seems to mention no projects or developments in Thailand at all....instead dealing with such garden spots as Brazil, Nicaragua and Turkey....

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/

Meet their team....

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/who-we-are/meet-the-team.aspx

Edited August 10, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

I see from this website http://www.samuiprop...s.com/index.php that the name has changed to Himmapan Beach Gardens and more information can be found at:

http://www.top-inves...e_79_120273.php

I liked the comment:

"Himmapan is the mystical forest of Thai mythology, populated by an array of mythical creatures and located close to paradise. Himmapan Beach Gardens have been created to take you into a World of pleasure on the Paradise island of Koh Samui."

mystical forest - is that some reference to the alleged illegal deforestation

Still seems to be rolling along.

I should add... re this subsequent version of the proposed project, as best as I can tell from searching elsewhere on the Internet, it likewise never came to fruition.... There was talk a couple years back about it being abandoned due to running out of funds and/or being unable to get financing...

It's funny.... when I visited Samui in the past, I remember going up a hill on a very well paved road with sidewalks and gutters and everything.... But as best as I could see... nothing else was around and the road didn't appear to lead to anything it particular.

It has me thinking I may have been on the road mentioned earlier in this thread that was developed as a prelude to the project that never came to be...

The original developer, meanwhile, appears to be continuing on a a prominent individual in Bangkok circles....

[johndoesamui]

I kinda feel sorry for hundreds of investors who invested money in this scam. I was working with these guys as a contractor and saw day-by-day their practices how they were trying to sell the villas which were never going to be built. The whole project was based a sham, nice shiny looking projects and then one day close down entirely and dissapear. I know the Happy Elephant developers are still owed 20m Baht for Bophut Residence, Tropical Hills projects, which also never came to existence, there were only some villas built for Bophut Residence...

At this point they still owe their CEO and accountants, they couldnt do anything as well. The Chairman of the company, which took the money to a Hong Kong offshore account still enjoy the high life in samui, the rest just dissapeared. Many of the investors now have formed a group and are trying to take legal actions against FAREPS which were the marketing agency in England, Kent. They are still trying to sell projects, land in Spain and even in Samui, in the Cool Blue project which was also a scam.

I know some people that have the hard drive of all their activities from the past, including all the bank transfers, email communication and all the Excel spreadsheets, Quickbook accounts of all 17 companies created to confuse the Thai government and DSI.

It was a smart scam, right now its under investigation by the Scotland Yard and Thai DSI...

[Boater]

On a more or less regular basis I still receive some emails from the 'mother'-company* who's also involved in the Peak Project on Samui.

They promote, amongts others, property in Macau and Dubai.

* called propertyfrontiers.com

Interesting... the Property Frontiers organization still seems to exist at least in name and still has the web site listed above with a UK phone contact number... But its web site at present seems to mention no projects or developments in Thailand at all....instead dealing with such garden spots as Brazil, Nicaragua and Turkey....

http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/

Meet their team....

http://www.propertyf...t-the-team.aspx

i wouldnt blame the marketing company, Property Frontiers is a huge selling outfit in Oxford and have just opened up office in London.....

Same as colliers ( big Brand Name ) got stung on the CoCo project ,

I dont think Property Frontiers will do another Thai Project due to these criminals , but the same with colliers, they left thailand after the CoCo scam, and have only just opened up again

[jfchandler]

It was a smart scam, right now its under investigation by the Scotland Yard and Thai DSI...

Considering this appears to be your first post here on TV, do you have some source for the information you've provided above... I hadn't heard or seen any indication that anything official was still ongoing in this case.

Likewise, from my cursory Internet search, I didn't find much/any information regarding whether the original prospective home owner/investors in the project ever got any of their funds/deposits returned....

[PoorSucker]

Any news on the Himmapan project.

The coco palm villas

The Koh Som project.

[joe84330]

I kinda feel sorry for hundreds of investors who invested money in this scam. I was working with these guys as a contractor and saw day-by-day their practices how they were trying to sell the villas which were never going to be built. The whole project was based a sham, nice shiny looking projects and then one day close down entirely and dissapear. I know the Happy Elephant developers are still owed 20m Baht for Bophut Residence, Tropical Hills projects, which also never came to existence, there were only some villas built for Bophut Residence...

At this point they still owe their CEO and accountants, they couldnt do anything as well. The Chairman of the company, which took the money to a Hong Kong offshore account still enjoy the high life in samui, the rest just dissapeared. Many of the investors now have formed a group and are trying to take legal actions against FAREPS which were the marketing agency in England, Kent. They are still trying to sell projects, land in Spain and even in Samui, in the Cool Blue project which was also a scam.

I know some people that have the hard drive of all their activities from the past, including all the bank transfers, email communication and all the Excel spreadsheets, Quickbook accounts of all 17 companies created to confuse the Thai government and DSI.

It was a smart scam, right now its under investigation by the Scotland Yard and Thai DSI...

i knew someone from the UK that bought two villas in bophut residence and two in cool blue. he did get his two completed in bophut residence although each of the additional things that were to make it a nice little community never came about and that entire project is plagued with engineering problems. cool blue of course was only cool if you were on the receiving side of a transfer. total scam as far as i can tell.

[jfchandler]

PS, thanks for the interesting and entertaining reading...

Not being a local there, I wasn't aware of all the past fun and games that have occurred... I must lead a very sheltered life...

Unfortunately, the various Thai Visa threads on these projects seem to go on and on for pages...and then suddenly die out with no current or final word on what's become of them.

Kind of leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat, wanting to know how the final chapter turns out...