Our Land

Previously I told about our initial ideas and locations, but they came to nothing. That meant another think about where we were going to actually build the house! We had the ideas, we had the plans we had the will (and the money!)…just need terra firma to plant to all on!

One way of locating land is by word-of-mouth – someone you know knows someone who has a a friend who might be selling… you get the idea.

We looked in a lot of areas. We wanted rural, but within reasonable range for shops and entertainment, so we started looking South of BKK and East of Pattaya, which is how we came to look in Chonburi province.

And as it happened, we got a call…

Plot number 1

So it was that we came to hear of some plots in the ChonBuri area and my ‘chief negotiator’ enquired more. Yes, plots were for sale and different sizes and prices, so we discreetly looked at what there was, where it was, etc.

The land was in ChonBuri province, the same province housing ChonBuri town…and Pattaya. However, this location could not me more different to those seaside resorts. This land was over 80km inland, in the rural middle of nowhere. So it ticked the ‘peaceful’ box. It was over 100km from our current location in Lat Krabang, a suburb of Bangkok

We tried for one plot but it sold before we could finalise it, and so settled on a long rectangular- shaped piece of over 2.5 rai. After a bit of haggling, much to her amusement we secured the plot.

Plot 1, totally overgrown and currently hosting 121 rubber trees

Plot 1 (to the left, showing the access road to it from the main road

Plot 1 currently has about 120 well-spaced rubber trees on it, is thoroughly overgrown, and at the top of a shallow hill. There is no chance of flooding. It has water and power and road access.

And that was that…

Or was it?

Plot number 2

The plot we wanted first, with road frontage was previously ‘sold’ but then became available when the original purchaser dropped out. Some more haggling (again anonymously through my negotiator) and suddenly we owned 2 plots!

Plot 2: the overgrown plot in the distance with road frontage, to the left just in front of the mango trees

Plot 2 from the road, with those same mango trees to the left

Plot 2 is smaller at just over 1 rai, and v close to plot 1, with road frontage, power and water. Although a little bit lower, it drops v gently down to said road, and on the other side of the road is open farmland between 0.5 to 1.0M below the road, so I’m not expecting a flooding issue on this land either. The locals confirm there is no flooding.

There is further expansion potential though as to the right of this second plot there is a plot covered in mango trees and apparently abandoned, and to the left is a further plot which the original purchaser wants to sell as he too bought a second piece nearby.

This location is easily drivable to Pattaya, to Bangkok and south to Reyong. Although rural and quiet, it is within very easy striking distance to 3 or 4 big golf club complexes, and that got me thinking for the long term future for a resort on plot 1.

That’s for another day though!