‘Bangkok’s Hamptons’: why Thailand’s elite are buying beach properties in Hua Hin

Property prices have soared in the town, about three hours south of Bangkok, which offers sandy beaches and good restaurants without Pattaya’s sleaze

As with the New York getaway, many Bangkok residents want to escape the traffic and pollution, with the coronavirus pandemic nudging them to make a move

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Thailand’s resort town of Hua Hin has increased in popularity as more wealthy Bangkok residents opt out of city life, with a property boom driven largely by Thais. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:00am, 15 Oct 2021Updated: 9:19pm, 15 Oct 2021

Worn out by coronavirus restrictions, pollution and traffic gridlock, wealthy Bangkok residents are buying up bolt-holes in the southern beach retreat of Hua Hin as the pandemic sparks a lifestyle pivot away from the big city.

Famed for its long white sandy beach and rolling green hills, and without the sleazy reputation of the eastern resort of Pattaya, Hua Hin has been a cool-air retreat for Thailand’s royals since the early 20th century. About three hours’ drive from Bangkok, it has become increasingly popular as an upscale weekend getaway destination.

The old town is known for its seafood restaurants on wooden stilts over the sea, and bars mostly owned by Western retirees. But there are signs of change as slick beach clubs spring up further along the beach for the Bangkok party set, while luxury condos and golf courses dot the surrounding hills.

Property agents say their sales during the pandemic show a new wave of city types are reconsidering their priorities.

Sales so far this year have outpaced both 2019 and 2020 combined, according to luxury developer Banyan Thailand, as Asian buyers – mainly Thais – sweep into an area once better known for its Western expats. Prices range from 8 million baht (US$235,000) for a condo to 80 million baht (US$2.3 million) for villas with land and swimming pools.

“Hua Hin is to Bangkok what the Hamptons is to New York,” said Tjeert Kwant, group CEO of Banyan Thailand. “It’s a place for people living in the metropolis – especially the higher middle class and the upper class – to escape to, a place where they feel safe, where they have space.”