I’ve written several articles on the Sunrise Property Thailand website about the up and coming coastline of Mae Phim beach and the surrounding area, it’s mature developments with value for money houses and condominium units suitable for vacation homes and retirement property, but in this article I’ll do my best to condense the subject into the essential nuts and bolts :

The Mae Phim beach and surrounding area has long been popular with the Thais as a coastal resort area, but bypassed by foreigners and not really on the foreign tourist map as it lies between the more popular areas of Pattaya, Koh Samet and Koh Chang. Hence real estate prices have traditionally been well below those of the more popular foreign tourist destinations.

About 4 years ago now the Thai government started ploughing a significant amount of money into the area, to encourage tourism to this coastline region. One large project is the new coastal highway with cycleway which starts at Mae Phim and will eventually go all the way to Trat…. at present much of the road is completed between Mae Phim and Chantaburi with the last bridge link across the river on the coast at Laem Son to Prasere near Klaeng being constructed at present. The charming and beautiful Rock Garden Beach resort estate with several acres of ocean side tropical gardens and waterways dividing the houses on the estate lies just a few kilometers away from this last bridge link.

The new Bangkok International Airport to the east of Bangkok also gave a boost to this area, since it takes around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours to commute from the airport by taxi…. a reasonably short onward link for tourists.

Over the past 4 years there have been several new developments along the coast. Logans Thailand, a construction company with Swedish management, have constructed 100′s of houses in the Mae Phim area, and also 2 condominium developments, the 2nd of which is still being constructed near Mae Phim beach. This has really helped to put Mae Phim on the tourist map for the Scandinavians and has been a significant boost to the local economy and welfare of the local community.

The 5 star Phuphatara Residence condominium and Marriott Hotel and Spa developments at Rim Pae beach, just a few km down the coast from Mae Phim beach are also helping to place this area on the international tourist map.

There are further developments planned to happen over the next few years too, with plans for new hotels, further condominium developments, and no doubt some more housing developments too.

Obviously these new developments have started to have a significant effect on the price of land near the ocean, and new developments which have been promoted have sold out for top dollar. However, the knock on effect on the price of land and houses on the mature developments is lagging behind somewhat, and as a result these holiday villas and vacation homes on generous sized plots are still significantly undervalued, still reflecting the fall in prices from earlier years after the 97 crash, rather than the current land prices. There are several mature developments along the coast, with Rock Garden Beach being in my opinion one of the most charming, and indeed the best value for money amongst them.

We currently have about 12 houses for sale from a total of 250 houses on the estate. With grounds of around 250 Rai of land the Rock Garden Beach development is far more spacious than can be afforded by new developments. A significant number of the houses are still owned by the original Thai owners from when the development was constructed back in the 1990s before the 97 crash, but in recent years those who have discovered the development have bought into property here for value for money vacation homes and for investment purposes, since the current price of houses on the estate represents excellent upside investment for potential capital growth.

Most houses need little more than a new coat of paint to restore them to their former beauty, but bit by bit, house by house, the houses on the estate are transferring to new owners who refurbish and perhaps extend the houses and restore them to a beautiful “as new” condition. This transformation is being encouraged by everyone involved in the project, and thus, the estate is looking better and better with each passing year, which makes it more and more attractive to new prospective buyers, and eventually this has to be reflected in an increase in price beyond those prices which we have here at present.

Houses on the Rock Garden Beach resort estate are without doubt excellent value for money, and as further new developments in the area take place over the next few years, in particular those in close proximity to Rock Garden Beach resort estate itself, then the house prices are bound to see a significant increase, especially those in the prime locations on the estate. So, whether you purchase one which has been extended and refurbished already, or whether you take on a property which is in need of a facelift, you’ll be buying in a coastal area which is Thailand’s latest coastal real estate HOTSPOT, and you’ll be buying on one of the best value for money mature real estate developments in the area too.

Obviously the above is just a taster of what’s happening in this area, and it’s early days yet as far as the development of this part of Thailand’s coastline, but with Mae Phim beach being arguably the best mainland beach along the entire Eastern Seaboard, and the jewel in the crown of Thailand’s Golden Coast from Rayong to Klaeng, the Mae Phim area is transforming from a countryside coastal area to one of the more exclusive and fashionable areas on the coast within easy reach of Bangkok.

Whilst other areas are struggling in these difficult economic times, the Mae Phim area continues to thrive and grow, and the real estate market remains relatively buoyant, with prices continuing to rise, catching up with land prices and also with the prices of real estate in the more popular tourist destinations. Obviously any property with a sea view is in more demand than those without, so this is something to bear in mind when viewing properties for investment purposes.

“The early bird gets the worm” as they say, so when you’re ready to come down and take a look at the opportunities available at Rock Garden Beach and some of the other mature developments in the area, we will do our best to help advise you on the properties available. But with such a bright future ahead for this coastline area, and properties on the mature developments not yet reflecting the increase in land prices, it’s going to be pretty difficult to make a blunder so far as an investment, whatever you choose.

Please take a look at our current property listings page and contact us on 083 117 9096 or 083 119 9967 to arrange a viewing.