......The first time I went to Bang Saen I did not see it at its best, writes John Davids. It was just after sundown on a cool evening and the road that runs along its beach was sparsely populated.
It did not give the impression of being a thriving beach resort – more like a ghost town!
But, I couldn’t have been more wrong, I’m happy to report. A trip to Bang Saen during daylight hours is a revelation. It’s delightful there. And I suspect the evening scene is good to.
Reason for my initial trip was to visit a seafood restaurant which is a favourite with those from Bangkok – and very good the food was, too, even though one of the dishes turned up at the table as we were getting up to leave. This is Thailand!
The second trip was to view the town itself and some of the housing developments there. I found it very worthwhile.
For the uninitiated, Bang Saen lies 15 kilometres the other side of Sri Racha away from Pattaya. Its greater proximity to Bangkok means it attracts a lot of visitors from the capital, especially at weekends.
One of the main things to like about the beachfront is the great feeling of space. In Pattaya you can feel like everything is on top of you. Not so in Bang Saen.
In Bang Saen this is the order ... water, beach, rows of sunshades, a row of palm trees, a sandy beach track, more palm trees, a paved beach walk, more palm trees and rows of stalls, a four-lane road with shops and hotels on the other side of it.
It all makes for a relaxed and easy-going atmosphere. Beer bars are not in abundance facing the beach which may, or may not, be to your taste. But it might explain why I didn’t see a lot of after dusk activity on my first visit.
The wide roads of Bang Saen provide a welcome break from the mayhem that passes for traffic in Pattaya. Buildings are much lower rise and the whole town appears less frenetic.
So what sort of folk choose to live there? I spoke to Pasi Marjamaki, sales manager for the developers, Logans, who have completed two housing projects in the area and are in the process of creating a third – Mountain View. The name is inspired by nearby Monkey Mountain (it’s more of a hill, in truth, but Monkey Hill lacks the alliteration). The “mountain” offers great views as can be seen in the main picture on this page.
Pasi told me: “We have a diverse farang population here. There are Americans and Germans in addition to the Scandinavians (who Logans sell to in the main). Bang Saen is becoming increasingly popular with foreigners because you have everything you need. It’s not a tourist area in the same way that Pattaya is. These people don’t want to live in a tourist area.”
The “everything you need” covers things like good shopping – Carrefour, Tesco/Lotus and Big C are close by on the Sukhumvit Road. “You have all the shops you need,’ said Pasi, “and they are upgrading a mall on the main road in the town.”
An international hospital can be found in Sri Racha. The airport lies 70 kilometres distant and excellent golf courses such as Crystal Bay and Bangpra are a very short drive away.
Mountain View itself lies two kilometres from the beach and is right next to a proposed sports centre and a major road which, once complete, will provide another four-lane link between the beach and the Sukhumvit.
“We have sold 60 per cent of the units on the first phase of Mountain View,” said Pasi. “Our first residents moved in about a year ago.”
Prices there range from Bt2.5m for a two-bedroom townhouse (with a roof terrace option for approximately Bt0.5m) up to Bt9.9m for a six-bedroom house that also has a maid or guest area that, in effect, adds a seventh bedroom.
On phase two buyers will be given the option of just purchasing the land and building their own house “though we expect most customers will also want the house,” said Pasi.
Nearby Tropical Residence was Logans’ first Thai project. They have also completed Palm Tree there. Logans also have interests in Jomtien and Mae Phim but Bang Saen is the HQ. Ω
l More information is available on www.logansthailand.com.