Widely thought of as one of the jewels in Thailand’s crown, the island of Phuket offers visitors beautiful white sandy beaches and warm turquoise waters

Occupying one of the most breath-taking locations on the island is Paresa, a luxury resort and residential development opening in August 2009.

Paresa’s elegant villas are situated on the Andaman coast at Kamala, known locally as ‘Millionaire’s Mile’.

MahaNakhon will be the most ambitious complex of contemporary architecture and design in Thailand and the tallest building in Bangkok.

The 77-story tower has been designed by OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), the architects behind Beijing’s iconic CCTV tower in Beijing, China.

A spiraling incision of “architectural pixels” travels up the building, interrupting the curtain wall to reveal a series of terraces for larger units and shared spaces.

No. 1 on Forbes’ list, for the second year in a row, is Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

He is worth $30 billion, $5 billion less than last year, as a result of double-digit declines in real estate and stocks owned via the Crown Property Bureau, the state investment vehicle of which he is a trustee.

Rising political tensions have also destabilized the country, dampening even the important tourism sector.

A young Thai jewelry designer has crafted a tiara worth $4.2 million for his pet dog, using precious stones given to him by his mother.

Riwin Jirapolsek, who showcased the tiara at a dog show in Bangkok recently, said he wanted to make something special for Kanune, his 15-year-old male Maltese.

He took almost two months to finish the piece, which is made from titanium encrusted with 250-carats of emeralds and diamonds.

Chic new restaurant ZENSE Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama has opened in Bangkok, featuring a giant outdoor terrace overlooking downtown Bangkok and an army of chefs serving four international cuisines from major name restaurants in the city.

Developed by Central Retail Corporation, the 130-million baht ($3.6 million) concept is the flagship first phase of four levels of rooftop restaurants and bars atop Bangkok’s leading lifestyle mall, Zen World.

The entire project is called Destiny, inspired by the four elements of earth, water, air and fire.

David Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham had a luxury beach home built on the island of Koh Samui in Ban Tai, Thailand.

The construction of the resort style villa was completed in mid 2008. The three floor home set the Beckham’s back $5.8 million and sits on 8 acres amid the hills overlooking a private beach.