Central Land & Development unveils its 'small but mighty' strategy to target big premium demand in Cherng Talay and Wong Amat areas.

Central Group identifies a gap in the prime market area, launching two massive projects, "POP Phuket" and "Tops Wongamat," targeting the golden location of Wongamat Beach. Showcasing the success of "Porto de Phuket," which generates 70-100 million baht in monthly revenue, the group expresses confidence in the strong potential of Phuket and Pattaya to withstand global economic fluctuations. They are focusing on a "Quality over Quantity" strategy, prioritizing premium traffic to avoid price wars in the increasingly saturated community mall market.

May 14, 2026 – Despite the continued volatility of the global economy in 2026, prime locations for real estate and retail in Thailand have become safe havens and significant opportunities for growth. Recently, Central Land & Development, a subsidiary of Central Group, announced an aggressive expansion into the Lifestyle Investment market with a total investment of over 730 million baht. This includes developing two premium community malls in world-class tourist destinations, Phuket and Pattaya, to cater to high-spending tourists and expats.

"Thailand's Tourism Gems": Undeniable Potential

Pong Sakuntanak, Chief Business Development Officer of Central Group, offered an interesting perspective on the potential of the two prime locations, stating, “We really can't deny the potential of these two locations. Although the locations are somewhat different, our concept is clear: to create compact malls that focus on 'lifestyle' – encompassing dining, shopping, and comprehensive services. The key is that they must be in premium locations.”

For Phuket, the economic figures clearly reflect its strength, with average land prices rising by as much as 10.7% per year, while demand from foreigners, especially Russian investors, remains strong. Currently, Phuket has a population of over 3.8 people and receives a high number of tourists, reaching 14.1 million per year.

It generates economic value of approximately 5.4-5.5 billion baht, especially the Choeng Thale-Bang Tao area, which has become a luxury district with over 20,000 high-end residential units and a high sales rate (Sold Rate) of 83% for villas.

“POP Phuket” builds on its success, generating 100 million baht in revenue per month.

Central Group has invested 300 million baht in the “POP Phuket” project in the Choeng Thale area. This project is located near the previously launched and highly successful Porto de Phuket.

Mr. Pong emphasized that the reason they dared to move forward was because of the clear proof of success from Porto de Phuket, which generates revenue of 70-100 million baht per month. This showed them that developing in this unique direction would allow them to avoid competing in the same market as everyone else.

The “POP Phuket” project is being developed on a total area of ​​5,490 square meters to be a life ecosystem that elevates the food and lifestyle experience. It is positioned to be exclusive and accessible to a specific target group, with an estimated 80% of customers being expats. The goal is to attract more than 1 million visitors per year.

"Tops Wongamat" establishes its presence as the premium supermarket chain in Pattaya.

On the Pattaya side, Central Group invested 430 million baht to develop “Tops Wongamat” on a total area of ​​over 4,700 square meters in the Wongamat Beach area, considered a prime “royal premium” area where land is very difficult to find nowadays.

A key strategic advantage is its location opposite the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, which consistently boasts an average occupancy rate of over 90%. This surrounds the project with a high-net-worth clientele and guests with a constant flow of purchasing power.

Data from the map indicates that the area surrounding Wong Amat has a high density of over 13,018 high-end residential units and 3,771 luxury hotel rooms, with a high pedestrian traffic of up to 18,000 people per day. The project will focus on restaurants and cafes, occupying over 80% of the space, to create a perfect Neighborhood Lifestyle Open Mall experience.

Escape "saturated markets" and price wars.

Amidst the expansion of low-investment, highly competitive small community malls in Thailand, which risk market saturation, Central Land has chosen a "Quality over Quantity" strategy, focusing on small-scale but high-efficiency projects. Mr. Pong believes that doing the same as everyone else would ultimately lead to price wars and business decline.

Although these two new projects are 3-4 times smaller in area and projected to attract around 700 visitors per day, or about one-third the size of Porto de Phuket, the key isn't the number of people, but the "quality" of premium customers with high purchasing power. This quality will generate more sustainable revenue than focusing solely on traffic volume. Both projects are scheduled to open in 2026, serving as crucial pieces in driving the sustainable growth of Thailand's tourism economy.

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