Having recently launched 88 Land & Houses, and with plans for the development of the exciting new project Inizio Koh Kaew well under way, the next step for the 43-year-old Bangkokian is easy – both he, and the property developer company, have to “keep moving on”.
Almost immediately after graduating from Thammasat Business School, Mr Raksapong was offered a position with Land and Houses Bangkok.
Later though, he decided to pursue a Masters degree in Business and Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the US, which is where he said he earned some “invaluable experience and made great friends”.
When Mr Raksapong returned to Thailand, he knew right away that there was only one place that he wanted to be.
“I remember being back in Thailand for a day, but felt bored and that there was nothing to do, so I went directly back to LH Bangkok and resumed my work in a marketing position.”
After a few years at the Rangsit branch, in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, he was asked to come to Phuket to work on what was to be the first of many LH projects here. “My boss told me to pack my bag for a week to survey the project,” Mr Raksapong recounts. “That was 23 years ago.”
Mr Raksapong is more than happy with that fateful decision, “I much prefer living in Phuket than in Bangkok because of the island’s lifestyle. There are nice beaches, entertainment complexes and many kinds of activities and facilities.”
Mr Raksapong believes that the relatively small community, coupled with LH’s personal after-sales service, makes for a relationship more akin to that between family members than business.
“Although our brand is from Bangkok, we have lived here for long time. So LH Muang Mai is like a half Bangkok and half local brand. We care about Phuket and want to build liveable and comfortable houses around Phuket.”
“One of the main selling points of L&H is the quality of the housing material and our after-sales support. Customers can contact us whenever they want for any problems regarding their house. The LH staff and the customers are like a family, and we can even recognise each other’s faces.”
“LH is a friendly family service. Customers can talk with the staff, with managers and even me whenever they want. The customer can call us for any problems and opinions.”
The first and biggest project (covering 415 rai) and the one that initially brought a young Raksapong down to the island – Land and Houses Park Phuket – was only officially completed two years ago.
There are however three other ongoing Phuket LH projects that are keeping Mr Raksapong busy: 88 Land and Houses and the neighbouring 88 Land and Houses Hillside, both in Chalong, and the newest development – Inizio in Koh Kaew, which had its grand opening earlier this year in January.
When asked, Mr Raksapong remains relatively tight-lipped about future projects, but says that LH still own a substantial amount of land on the island.
Talk here inevitably turns to the ‘f’ word, with regards to the legal ramifications of land ownership and investment in the Phuket property sector.
“Many investors, especially foreigners, are now realising that it’s sometimes not safe to buy land in Phuket and this affects the image of the property business,” he says.
Mr Raksapong clarified that he believed that whoever is guilty should be punished, but added that the relevant departments should be ‘careful’ in conducting the investigations.
Offering advice for Phuket residents and beyond, Mr Raksapong says, “All you have to do to be successful is to be patient and really earnest in your job.
“I am pleased with where I am now. I feel that I have succeeded in at least one stage of my life. However, there are still a lot of goals I have to reach.”
The principal business of the Land and Houses company is residential housing development, concentrating particularly on single detached houses. To date, developments have been in the Greater Bangkok and its vicinities and in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Phuket.