West Coast Expat Population

[patsfangr]

My wife will be looking on the west side (Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetcha Buri) as well as the East Coast for prospective houses for us. I've done most of my communicating with the Chonburi Province guys, and I know there's a large Euro/American expat population there.

Is there much of an expat community on the west side? What's the real estate market like there for western design housing?

GR

[terdsak_12]

946 at the last count!

[Thetyim]

If you do a google you will find forums devoted to HuaHin

[patsfangr]

If you do a google you will find forums devoted to HuaHin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, Thetyim. But my wife doesn't want to consider anything that far south. That's why I named the three towns in the north section of the west side. Even Cha Am is further south than she wants to go. Phetcha Buri would be the southern limit of her search.

GR

[Beachbunny]

My wife will be looking on the west side (Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetcha Buri) as well as the East Coast for prospective houses for us. I've done most of my communicating with the Chonburi Province guys, and I know there's a large Euro/American expat population there.

Is there much of an expat community on the west side? What's the real estate market like there for western design housing?

GR

This past year we sold approx 4 rai of land on a very nice canal in Samut Songkhram. This was our dream property. But after we moved to Thailand my thai husband felt that it was too secluded for me (no expat communities that I'm aware of) and that the infrastructure was greatly lacking. Closest shopping would be Ratchaburi. We ended up buying land and building in Na Jom Tien. This was after spending many months looking from Phetchaburi to Pranburi. Another problem over that way is water.

Na Jom Tien has turned out great for us as we are near all our friends in Sattahip and shopping is about the same distance the other way to Pattaya.

Beachbunny

[patsfangr]

My wife will be looking on the west side (Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetcha Buri) as well as the East Coast for prospective houses for us. I've done most of my communicating with the Chonburi Province guys, and I know there's a large Euro/American expat population there.

Is there much of an expat community on the west side? What's the real estate market like there for western design housing?

GR

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This past year we sold approx 4 rai of land on a very nice canal in Samut Songkhram. This was our dream property. But after we moved to Thailand my thai husband felt that it was too secluded for me (no expat communities that I'm aware of) and that the infrastructure was greatly lacking. Closest shopping would be Ratchaburi. We ended up buying land and building in Na Jom Tien. This was after spending many months looking from Phetchaburi to Pranburi. Another problem over that way is water.

Na Jom Tien has turned out great for us as we are near all our friends in Sattahip and shopping is about the same distance the other way to Pattaya.

Beachbunny

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for that information, Beachbunny. I suspected that might be the case. I think there's a good deal of expat presence further south in Hua Hin, and possibly even Cha am. But I've been through the northern area, albeit many years ago, and it seemed quite remote and "native" to me at that time. Since none of those towns are popular as Western tourist resort areas, it figures that it would still be lacking in the modern comforts that I'd be uncomfortable without, having lived with them all these years.

The good news for me is that, although my wife will be doing the house hunting alone, she knows what I need, and I'm confident that she won't go for a place that leaves me stranded. After all, it would make day-to-day life pretty miserable for both of us.

Thanks again.

GR

[Beachbunny]

Yes, that's right. There is a larger community in Hua Hin and a much smaller presence in Cha-am. We were interested in Cha-am actually when we started looking.

I hear they are building a Home Pro and Tesco in Hua Hin right now.

If you do decide to look in Hua Hin PM me we met a nice RE agent there and can tell you which ones to watch out for.

Beachbunny