Pattaya is a good place to build a house. Many foreigners prefer to acquire land and build their own house rather than live in condos or move into an existing house that might not suit their preferences. Building is relatively rewarding and cheap in Pattaya. There is a ready supply of skilled labour, although labour is more expensive here than upcountry. There are a lot of building supply stores, and also nice superstores such as Home Pro and Index which have an astonishing range of local and imported tiles, flooring, built in kitchens, bathroom fixtures, lighting, garden accessories and more.
Building inspectors have lax standards and are often in collusion with the builders. Shortcuts are often made and numerous builders have arrived in Pattaya over the years to take advantage of a racket duping unsuspecting foreigners. Your recourse to the law is often frustratingly insufficient. Several trustworhty foreign managed firms have thrived as a result.
When building a house in Pattaya you will need a Thai spouse or legitimate company (with real Thai partners) to own the land, but planning permission is fairly unrestricted and straight forward. This can be useful but also as a hazard, as you have very little justice in what you neighbours can and cannot do. Many Thai prefer a bigger house to a garden, resulting in densely packed buildings and a lack of privacy.
The house building boom in Pattaya has ensured that a good selection of suppliers are available, selling everything from fitted kitchens to gardening props. Landscaping is also a pleasure with mature trees and a good range of nurseries on hand to help create a wholesome tropical garden. Land for sale can be found in the newspapers mentioned in the rental section, however, you need to carefully assess the neighbourhood as non-existent zoning laws means that a school, condo or karaoke bar might go up right next to you.
