This Side Or That Side Of Sukumvit Rd

[Vespa]

Once again :

The Pro's & Con's of life on either side of the great divide ?

[suiging]

Different strokes for............................etc. It's the East side for me. The air is fine, the golf courses are on your doorstep as are the International schools. There are some great restaurants which rarely if ever are crowded. Easy access to the M-Ways ( both to Bk and the better beaches Rayong way ) without traffic, another plus point. However, poor public transport a problem, so a few beers with your pals downtown is a tad risky ( take a cab ). I love it.

Edited August 26, 2006 by suiging

[expatgaz]

I always said if you could afford it you should be Beach side of Sukhumvit,hence I live in a good development close to Jomtien Beach.However, my views are now changing as I need more privacy,a bigger garden and I enjoy the relaxing lifestyle and playing golf.International Schools close by are also required.For that reason Iam planning on building a nice place "over"the Sukhumvit road.Where exactly....Iam not sure yet.Horses for courses as said above.Mind you I change my mind like people change their socks....

EPG.

[rocky]

Horses for courses. I have never been one for broken bottles on the tops of my garden walls, or that many padlocks on my door it would take 20 minutes to escape from my own house if there was a fire, or masses of stray dogs (with or without rabbies) barking and fighting. Never really enjoyed talking 20 minutes to get to a good bar-shop-resturant. 40 minutes to the beach or a night out. I never really enjoyed not having any real transport system to take me home and concered after reading last weeks pattaya chip paper that some westerner got shot dead while riding home on the wrong side of the highway for a 1000 bht note, or another motor bike taxt driver robbing his fair five minutes from drop off point.

So for me past the divide is not ideal. Beach side is good. Getting to the golf courses is easier in the day than trying to live the other side any time past sundown.

Though to be honest i wouldnt wish to live in thailand. Pattaya is much safer (hongkong to china - london to manchester)

But as we say horses for courses

[Mobi]

Horses for courses. I have never been one for broken bottles on the tops of my garden walls, or that many padlocks on my door it would take 20 minutes to escape from my own house if there was a fire, or masses of stray dogs (with or without rabbies) barking and fighting. Never really enjoyed talking 20 minutes to get to a good bar-shop-resturant. 40 minutes to the beach or a night out. I never really enjoyed not having any real transport system to take me home and concered after reading last weeks pattaya chip paper that some westerner got shot dead while riding home on the wrong side of the highway for a 1000 bht note, or another motor bike taxt driver robbing his fair five minutes from drop off point.

So for me past the divide is not ideal. Beach side is good. Getting to the golf courses is easier in the day than trying to live the other side any time past sundown.

Though to be honest i wouldnt wish to live in thailand. Pattaya is much safer (hongkong to china - london to manchester)

But as we say horses for courses

I wouldn't want to argue either way - as you say it's horses for courses.

But just to correct a few facts.

From the back side of Mabprachan - some 12 or so kms from Sukhumvit, it takes an average of 12mins to drive to Sukhumvit, 15 minutes to Pattaya klang and max 20 minute to Pattaya beach, but under 15 mins to Na Klua beach. The other day I drove to the far end of Jomtien beach from the Pong side of Mabprachan in just over 20 minutes in the middle of the day.

There are loads of bars and very good Thai and farang restaurants on the east side of Pattaya, including a good choice out by the lake.

The air quality is measureably better, and you're actually living in real Thailand with real villages, and believe it or not, out near the hills, the climate is a little cooler - especially in the mornings and evenings.

I agree transport is a problem if you don't have your own wheels. But that would go for any 'out of town' location. My wife and I both have cars and one or other of us drives into Pattaya most days.

Maybe more suitable for us older codgers who don't need the bright lights of walking street etc on our door step.

AS you say - horses for courses.

PS - no broken bottles or barbed wire around my esate, no bars or grills on the windows and doors, and with remote controlled gates, it takes one minute to exit or enter my property.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Mobi D'Ark

[Gary A]

Dealing with the mad traffic on Sukhumvit Road makes that an easy choice for me. Give me Jomtien ANYDAY

[Rimmer]

Five years ago Jomtien was great. Now it's a pretty busy place. On Public holidays and even weekends it's a real problem to access the place where we live. It's become so bad along the beach road that we are moving across the other side of the highway and way down the road toward Ban Ampur.

Also the increase in diesel engine soot from the traffic on beach road is becoming really bad when the wind is right, and I am not convinced that is any good for my dotage..

[chatters]

Five years ago Jomtien was great. Now it's a pretty busy place. On Public holidays and even weekends it's a real problem to access the place where we live. It's become so bad along the beach road that we are moving across the other side of the highway and way down the road toward Ban Ampur.

Also the increase in diesel engine soot from the traffic on beach road is becoming really bad when the wind is right, and I am not convinced that is any good for my dotage..

you cant beat a summer sea breeze, also, location location location. in summer time the other side the heat is unbearable as some say to live on that side you must be screwball

[Mobi]

Five years ago Jomtien was great. Now it's a pretty busy place. On Public holidays and even weekends it's a real problem to access the place where we live. It's become so bad along the beach road that we are moving across the other side of the highway and way down the road toward Ban Ampur.

Also the increase in diesel engine soot from the traffic on beach road is becoming really bad when the wind is right, and I am not convinced that is any good for my dotage..

you cant beat a summer sea breeze, also, location location location. in summer time the other side the heat is unbearable as some say to live on that side you must be screwball

Au contraire mon ami,

The climate up by Mabprachan lake - which is quite close to the hills beyond, is well known to be generally cooler than that down by the coast, especially mornings and evenings - and we get plenty of breezes blowing down from the hills.

Many's the day when I have sweated down in Pattaya and arrived back at the Mobi mansion to find the temperature appreciably lower.

Maybe if you're stuck in one of those wall to wall estates off Siam country Club road it may be pretty stifling, but not so up in Pong where the Mobi clan resides.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Mobi D'Ark

[Rimmer]

Five years ago Jomtien was great. Now it's a pretty busy place. On Public holidays and even weekends it's a real problem to access the place where we live. It's become so bad along the beach road that we are moving across the other side of the highway and way down the road toward Ban Ampur.

Also the increase in diesel engine soot from the traffic on beach road is becoming really bad when the wind is right, and I am not convinced that is any good for my dotage..

you cant beat a summer sea breeze, also, location location location. in summer time the other side the heat is unbearable as some say to live on that side you must be screwball

Au contraire mon ami,

The climate up by Mabprachan lake - which is quite close to the hills beyond, is well known to be generally cooler than that down by the coast, especially mornings and evenings - and we get plenty of breezes blowing down from the hills.

Many's the day when I have sweated down in Pattaya and arrived back at the Mobi mansion to find the temperature appreciably lower.

Maybe if you're stuck in one of those wall to wall estates off Siam country Club road it may be pretty stifling, but not so up in Pong where the Mobi clan resides.

Agree with that Mr. Mobi, the average temperature is 3 to 4 degrees less down at my new place at Pheonix than at my place in Jomtien. Also when the wind blows it is usually cleaner.

At least until someone sets fire to the grass, but we get that in Jomtien as well.

If the SW wind is blowing in Jomtien it is coming off the sea which is nice but if the wind swings into the NE monsoon then it picks up all the dirt from town and drops it in my swimming pool.

[CGW]

East or west? Location - location, I have just returned from visiting a friend in East Pattaya, not far from paradise hill, what are all the trucks doing? the noise is intolerable, his house is worthless - unless someone wanted to open a truck stop, this used to be a quite area, not now!

They (the truckers) are paying the right people as if they have accidents thet don't bother stopping? according to the locals!!!

Cheers

Edited August 30, 2006 by CGW

[Noel]

I believe it is all down to personal preference, although it would be difficult to argue against price differentials coming in to the equation.

Several years ago when I was in the process of settling here, I looked everywhere when I was deciding where to live, both sides of ‘the great divide’.

I eventually concluded that I did not want the hassle of traversing the Sukhumvit by necessity, so opted to live equidistant to Jomtien and Walking Street, not that I often go to the latter unless friends from overseas are in town and want to meet up there.

My current location etc suits me fine.

That said, I would not rule out living ‘over the road’, should I decide I want a house on at least a rai of land.

However, in the current climate of uncertainty surrounding acquiring property, that option is not one I will pursue anytime soon.