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© EOX · Copernicus Sentinel-2 2016 · CC BY 4.0

Map guides · Episode 8

Golf and marinas: where to play, where to moor

Thailand's collaborative map shows 146 named golf courses, and we retain 9 marinas whose operators advertise berths. Set against the developments we track, they draw two geographies: golf around Bangkok and along the east coast, boats on Phuket's east coast. Each step stops on a figure from our survey of 24 September 2026, with its sample size.

Survey of 24 September 2026 · asking prices, median per development

CriterionGolf: we retain OpenStreetMap “leisure=golf_course” objects in Thailand (survey of 24 September 2026) that carry a name; we set aside driving ranges (tag golf=driving_range, or “driving range”, “ไดร์ฟ”, “Topgolf” in the name), courses whose name declares 9 holes or par 3, and outlines under 5 ha; a point within 300 m of a retained outline is a duplicate, and outlines with the same name less than 3 km apart form a single course. No object records the number of holes, so the 18-hole filter could not be applied. Marinas: we retain a named marina whose operator advertises berths for pleasure craft on its official website, consulted on 24 September 2026; we start from OpenStreetMap “leisure=marina” objects and add, saying so, three marinas the map does not classify as such. Chapters follow the map, from the country to the destinations: this is not a ranking.

Each dot is a development we track; its colour is its median asking price per square metre.

30,000 ฿/m²180,000 ฿/m² and above

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1 of 10 · The national map

Thai golf is played around Bangkok and on the east coast, not on the islands

OpenStreetMap lists 308 “golf course” objects in Thailand. Once unnamed objects, driving ranges, small courses and duplicates are set aside, 146 remain, spread across 40 provinces. 33 lie in Greater Bangkok and 28 on the east coast, between Chon Buri and Rayong: together, 41.8% of the total. Chon Buri is the best-endowed province, with 21 courses. Phuket, for all its reputation, has 5; Koh Samui, 2.

Limit · OpenStreetMap survey of 24 September 2026: a collaborative map, not an official register. None of the 308 objects records the number of holes, so we cannot isolate 18-hole courses. Greater Bangkok is meant in the administrative sense: Bangkok and its five neighbouring provinces. In Phuket, 3 unnamed outlines are set aside, one of them covering some 121 ha.

OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026 · Wikipedia — Bangkok Metropolitan Region, accessed 24 September 2026

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2 of 10 · Pattaya and the east coast

Pattaya is ringed by golf courses, yet few people live next to one

Chon Buri province has 21 named courses, and neighbouring Rayong 7. Within 25 km of the median point of Pattaya's developments, we count 14. Yet only 35 of the 652 developments we track in Pattaya lie within 2 km of a course, or 5.4%. The median distance to the nearest course reaches 9.0 km: the longest of our six destinations.

Limit · Straight-line distances to the edge of the course, or to its point when the map gives no outline. “Pattaya” is the district of that name in our database; Na Jomtien, to the south, belongs to Sattahip district. The median point is the median of the developments' longitudes and latitudes.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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3 of 10 · Hua Hin

In Hua Hin, golf arrived with the railway, and it has stayed in the heart of town

The Royal Hua Hin Golf Course opened its first nine holes in 1922, on a layout by A. O. Robin, a railway engineer; the King inaugurated it in 1924, and the last nine holes were completed in 1928, according to the club. Its outline now passes 46 m from the railway station. Hua Hin is the destination where golf sits closest to the developments: 2.6 km at the median, and 4 courses within 10 km of their median point. On the water, Racer Marina, at Pak Nam Pran, 16.2 km to the south, advertises 80 berths.

Limit · Dates as published by the club, not cross-checked against an archive. “Hua Hin” is the district of that name. Straight-line distances, measured to the edge of the courses; the berth count is the one the marina's operator advertises.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · Royal Hua Hin Golf Course — History, accessed 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026 · Racer Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026

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4 of 10 · Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai offers golf without the sea, right at the city's edge

The camera circles the Ping valley, where the city spreads out. Within 25 km of the median point of our 672 developments, we count 10 courses; 3 lie within 10 km, including Chiang Mai Gymkhana and Star Dome. 27.4% of tracked developments are within 2 km of a course, against 16.9% in Bangkok, and the median distance is 3.1 km. Relative to the size of the market, that makes 1.5 courses per 100 developments, against 0.5 in Bangkok.

Limit · The 25 km radius spills over into neighbouring Lamphun province. Straight-line distances, to the edge of the courses. Chiang Mai has no access to the sea: no marina enters this chapter.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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5 of 10 · The listing and the map

“Near the golf course”: in descriptions, one promise in two checks out

322 developments in our database mention golf in their description. For 54 of them, it is only an on-site amenity: a simulator, a putting green, mini-golf. The other 268 refer to a course. We measured the actual distance: 142 lie within 2 km of a retained course, or 53.0%; 27 are more than 5 km away, 13 of them more than 10 km. The median distance is 1.8 km. The name is a better clue than the description: all 16 developments whose name contains the word “golf” are within 2 km of a course, 12 of them within 500 m. In Phuket, 71% of the developments that refer to a course are within 2 km, against 27% of all developments on the island. In Hua Hin, the mention tells you almost nothing: 33% against 29%.

Limit · Automated reading of descriptions (“golf”, “กอล์ฟ”): a text may cite a course for a reason other than proximity. Straight-line distance to the edge of the nearest retained course. A few descriptions cite a driving range or a small course that our criterion sets aside: their distance is measured to the nearest retained course.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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6 of 10 · On the edge of the green

Next to a course, the square metre costs more in Hua Hin and Phuket, but not in Bangkok

In Hua Hin, the 24 priced developments within 500 m of a course show a median asking price of THB 67,811/m² (€1,767), 46% above the other 346, at THB 46,290/m² (€1,206). In Phuket, the gap is 20%: THB 97,967/m² (€2,553) for 64 developments, against THB 81,793/m² (€2,131). In Bangkok, it reverses: THB 75,886/m² (€1,978) for the 58 developments next to a course, against THB 80,350/m² (€2,094) elsewhere, 6% less.

Limit · A coincidence, not a cause. The property mix differs: in Hua Hin, 48% of developments next to a course are condominiums, against 19% elsewhere, and a flat's square metre does not compare with a villa's. In Pattaya (6 priced developments), Chiang Mai (16) and Samui (4), the sample stays below our threshold of 20: no median. Asking prices, common method; 212 out-of-bounds units set aside across the three markets compared.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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7 of 10 · Phuket, the east side

In Phuket, the marinas sit on the cheaper coast

The 4 Phuket marinas that meet our criterion are on the east coast: Royal Phuket Marina and Phuket Boat Lagoon, neighbours at Ko Kaeo, then Ao Po Grand Marina and Phuket Yacht Haven further north, facing Phang Nga Bay. Together their operators advertise 842 berths. The 48 developments we track within 3 km of one of them show a median asking price of THB 55,050/m² (€1,435), 34% below the island's other 1,110 priced developments, at THB 83,826/m² (€2,184). 39 of these 48 developments surround Boat Lagoon; 36 are villas.

Limit · A coincidence, not a cause: the east coast is also home to Phuket Town, and the big beaches are on the west. Berths as advertised by each operator on its website, consulted on 24 September 2026; no fees or occupancy rates. 3 km straight-line radius. Chalong, to the south, is an anchorage served by a public pier, with no operator advertising berths on an official website: it does not meet our criterion.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · Royal Phuket Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026 · Phuket Boat Lagoon — Wet Berths, accessed 24 September 2026 · Ao Po Grand Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026 · Phuket Yacht Haven — Berthing, accessed 24 September 2026 · Southeast Asia Pilot — Phuket Boat Lagoon Marina, accessed 24 September 2026 · Southeast Asia Pilot — Ao Chalong, accessed 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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8 of 10 · The bay

What the east coast offers sailors: Phang Nga Bay

North-east of Phuket opens Phang Nga Bay, scattered with limestone tower islands. Ao Phang Nga National Park was established on 29 April 1981 and covers 400 km²; since 14 August 2002 the bay has been on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. As the crow flies, Ko Khao Phing Kan, nicknamed “James Bond Island” on the map, is 21.1 km from Phuket Yacht Haven, 23.7 km from Ao Po Grand Marina and 36.9 km from Boat Lagoon. No marina on the west coast, the coast of the big beaches, meets our criterion.

Limit · Straight-line distances, not sea routes: no sailing time is given here. Establishment date, area and Ramsar listing according to Wikipedia. The island's nickname is the one carried by the viewpoint on OpenStreetMap.

Wikipedia — Ao Phang Nga National Park, accessed 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026 · Ao Po Grand Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026

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9 of 10 · Pattaya, by the sea

Around Ocean Marina, the square metre costs more than in the rest of Pattaya

Ocean Marina Jomtien, at Na Jomtien, advertises 450 berths; the longest takes a 65 m boat. It is the only marina on the Pattaya coast that meets our criterion. The 29 priced developments we track within 3 km show a median asking price of THB 79,074/m² (€2,061), 47% above the other 686 priced developments of Pattaya and Sattahip districts, at THB 53,803/m² (€1,402). Of the 31 developments within that radius, 19 are condominiums and 27 belong to Sattahip district.

Limit · A coincidence, not a cause. 3 km straight-line radius. OpenStreetMap does not classify Ocean Marina as a marina: the object is tagged as a hotel. Conversely, the map's “Pattaya Marina” object is, judging by its Thai name, a car and boat parking centre with no operator website: it does not meet our criterion.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · Ocean Marina Jomtien — Berth Information, accessed 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026

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10 of 10 · Who each place suits

Golf or boat: six destinations, six answers

To play often, Hua Hin puts the course closest: 2.6 km at the median, and 2.3 courses per 100 developments within 25 km. Pattaya offers the widest choice of our coastal destinations, 14 courses within 25 km, but 9.0 km away at the median. For a boat, Phuket gathers 4 marinas and 842 advertised berths, around 5 courses. Koh Samui has 2 courses; none of the 23 objects the map tags as “marina” there meets our criterion. Chiang Mai lines up 10 courses within 25 km, without the sea. Bangkok has 15 within the same radius, for 3,235 developments.

Limit · Facts, not a ranking: neither course quality, nor green fees, nor the wait for a berth are measured here. Straight-line radii around the median point of each destination's developments. Retained marinas are those confirmed by their operator on an official website.

Reflexion survey of 24 September 2026 · OpenStreetMap via Overpass API — © OpenStreetMap contributors, accessed 24 September 2026 · Royal Phuket Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026 · Phuket Boat Lagoon — Wet Berths, accessed 24 September 2026 · Ao Po Grand Marina — site officiel, accessed 24 September 2026 · Phuket Yacht Haven — Berthing, accessed 24 September 2026

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Your project, in three questions

City or coast, apartment or villa, to live there or to spend part of the year: three gestures are enough for your advisor to start from your project, not from a catalogue.

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Method and sources

Prices are asking prices, surveyed on 24 September 2026 in our database. For each development we take the median price per square metre of its unsold units; for an area, the median of those medians, shown only from 20 developments upward. A unit is set aside as an outlier below 10,000 ฿/m², above 1,000,000 ฿/m², above 500,000 ฿/m² on less than 30 m² or with no known floor area, above 500 M ฿, or with less than 10 m² per bedroom. The off-plan share counts developments whose status is known. Distances are measured as the crow flies. Euros are converted at €1 = 38.374 ฿ (13 September 2026).

These are listing prices, not sale prices. No figure on this page is a promise of return.

Sources specific to this guide:

This page is market information, not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules quoted are dated; check that they still apply with a professional before any decision.