Soccer Star Joe Cole's dual Thai mission

RAISE funds for charity, visit a children's home, and buy a holiday resort home.

All that in two days for Chelsea star Joe Cole. Picture shows Joe Cole's girlfriend...

The England midfielder paid a whirlwind visit to Thailand on Tuesday, where he went to the seaside resort of Hua Hin to claim ownership of his latest piece of overseas property - a luxury penthouse apartment in the Hua Hin Country Club.


Cole also found time to meet underprivileged children in Bangkok under the Human Development Foundation (HDF).

He donated an autographed England shirt and other football memorabilia for a HDF charity auction event, which is expected to raise around 12 million baht ($572,000).

DELIGHTED

It is not just the children who were delighted to see the Chelsea player.

The growing property market in Thai seaside resort Hua Hin received a boost when Cole visited the town to see his penthouse apartment.

'I looked at the quality of the properties here, such as the finishes, and took advice from the men who look after my properties abroad,' Cole told Asia Property Report.

He added: 'They thought this was the best destination (to invest in) so I've come out here to take a look. This is the first opportunity I've had to come to Hua Hin and I'm very happy I invested here.'

Hua Hin's property growth really started to take off about three-and-a-half years ago, benefiting from its close proximity to Bangkok and a prestigious royal history.

Located on the south-eastern shore of Thailand about 230km south of Bangkok, it has been the Thai royal family's holiday retreat since 1928, and where the King now resides.

Hua Hin has long been considered a golfer's paradise, given that Thailand's first golf course - the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course - was built in 1924 and remains a popular tee-off spot today.

The Black Mountain Golf Course, consisting of two newly constructed 18-hole golf courses which opened this year, is the seventh to be built in the Hua Hin area.

And like most footballers, Cole says he's always up for spending some down time on the greens, which is part of the reason he selected the Hua Hin Country Club - which overlooks Black Mountain - for a holiday home.

'I'm not a good golfer, but I do enjoy a round. I actually haven't played for about eight months, as I've spent most of the season injured,' said Cole.

'I like a bit of privacy but I also like to socialise so it's lovely that the property is on the golf course.

'It's always going to be busy. There's a clubhouse and there will always be someone who's willing to take us for a round.'

The Hua Hin Country Club is a freehold luxury apartment project. The development is expected to be completed in about a year and will have full resort facilities.

Cole said the property just 'ticked all the right boxes'.

'I've only been here a few hours, but after having a drive around all the villages and down the mountain roads, I'm already 100 per cent sure I've made the right decision,' he said.

'Who knows, maybe I'll even get a few more (investors) here...help spread the word.'

In recent years, Hua Hin has attracted worldwide acclaim with an explosion of five-star resorts.

The town has been visited by big names like Cole's England team-mate David Beckham, and supermodel Kate Moss.

Source: The Electric Sports