Chonburi & Pattaya Property: A Buyer's Guide to Thailand's Eastern Coast

Bangkok gives you city energy, and Chonburi gives you the coast. About 1.5–2 hours from the capital via Motorway 7, Chonburi province has some of Thailand’s most popular holiday-home markets and one of its biggest industrial economies. That mix makes it an interesting place to buy, for very different reasons depending on where you look.

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in one minute

The EEC is a government programme covering three eastern provinces: Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao. It aims to attract investment in advanced industries, logistics and tourism, supported by infrastructure such as:

• The deep-sea Laem Chabang Port
• The development of U-Tapao International Airport
• A planned high-speed rail link connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports

Some of these projects have taken longer than first announced, so we advise clients to buy for today’s fundamentals and treat future infrastructure as upside, not a guarantee.

Area by area

Pattaya (Central, Wongamat & Naklua)

Central Pattaya is lively, convenient and very much a tourist hub. To the north, Wongamat and Naklua offer calmer beachfront living with some of the coast’s best sea-view condos.

Suits: holiday-home owners, retirees, lifestyle buyers.

Pratumnak Hill

Tucked between Pattaya and Jomtien, Pratumnak is quieter and more upmarket, with small beaches and low-rise residential streets. It’s popular with long-stay residents who want to be near Pattaya without living in the middle of it.

Suits: owner-occupiers looking for a peaceful, premium location.

Jomtien

A long, relaxed beach with a strong mix of families, long-stay visitors and Thai weekenders. There’s a wide range of projects, from budget studios to luxury beachfront towers.

Suits: first-time coastal buyers and long-stay renters.

Sriracha

Sriracha is a working city rather than a resort. It sits close to Laem Chabang and major industrial estates and is home to a large Japanese community. Rental demand comes from managers and engineers on corporate leases.

Suits: investors looking for steady, year-round tenant demand.

Bang Saen

The closest beach to Bangkok and a favourite with Thai families, plus students from Burapha University. Prices are generally modest and the atmosphere is local.

Suits: budget buyers and Bangkok residents who want a weekend escape.

Things to watch on the coast

• Seasonality: tourist areas have high and low seasons. Plan your rental expectations for a full year, not just the busy months.
• Short-term letting rules: renting out a condo by the night or week is restricted under Thai law, and many buildings ban it. See our rental yield guide for more.
• Supply: some parts of Pattaya and Jomtien have a lot of unsold or resale stock. That’s good for negotiating, but bad for your exit if you buy the wrong unit.
• Sea air: salt air ages buildings faster. Check the juristic person’s maintenance record and the sinking fund balance.
• Foreign quota: popular beachfront buildings often use up their 49% foreign quota early. Here’s how the quota works.

Bangkok or Chonburi?

It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Many of our clients own a city unit for work and rental income, and a coastal unit for weekends and, eventually, retirement. We cover both markets, so we can help you weigh up the options side by side.

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Infrastructure timelines and market conditions change. This guide is general information, not investment advice.