The cities where jobs are being built

1 of 8 · The national plan

The State ranks its towns in five tiers, and says what each will receive

Published on 5 October 2026, the plan targets 325 ranked towns by 2037, against 135 in its baseline. Below Bangkok sit 8 regional cities: Pattaya and Phitsanulok join Chiang Mai, Phuket, Nonthaburi, Khon Kaen, Hat Yai and Nakhon Ratchasima.

ranked towns, the plan's target

325

in its baseline

135

2 of 8 · What a rank brings

Rank sets the order: the first nine cities come first

Bangkok and the eight regional cities make up exactly the list of sponge cities: Bangkok, Pattaya and Hat Yai by 2032, the other six by 2037. The same nine cities are targeted for extending wastewater collection, and EV charging follows the ranks: the first two tiers first, the fifth last.

3 of 8 · Phuket · the ranked beaches

Patong, Karon, Rawai and Chalong enter the grid of towns

The plan promotes Patong to the fourth rank and Karon, Rawai and Chalong to the fifth, next to Kathu, already ranked. These ranks call for a general hospital, public transport within the town and to its neighbours, vocational education and a park. Asking prices run at 117,143 ฿ (€3,053) per m² in Patong, 113,494 ฿ (€2,958) in Karon and 83,444 ฿ (€2,174) in Rawai, where we track 164 developments.

฿ per m² asked, median in Patong

117,143 ฿/m²

developments tracked in Rawai

164

4 of 8 · Phuket · off the grid

The island's most expensive market has no rank

Choeng Thale, the commune of Bang Tao, Surin and Laguna, holds 261 developments, the most on the island, and the highest median price per m²: 121,442 ฿ (€3,165). The plan gives it no rank, nor Kamala (98,105 ฿ (€2,557)) or Sakhu. In all, 37 % of the developments we track on the island sit in a commune the plan does not rank.

developments tracked in Choeng Thale, the most on the island

261

฿ per m² asked, the island's highest

121,442 ฿/m²

5 of 8 · Phuket · the promoted interior

The plan promotes the interior, where the villas are being built

Si Sunthon and Thep Krasattri, in the north of the island, enter the fifth rank. We track 163 and 111 developments there, nearly all villas (154 in Si Sunthon), of which 45 and 35 are still off plan. Asking prices run at 69,963 ฿ (€1,823) and 69,131 ฿ (€1,802) per m², against 121,442 ฿ (€3,165) on the neighbouring coast of Choeng Thale.

developments tracked in Si Sunthon

163

฿ per m² asked, median in Si Sunthon

69,963 ฿/m²

6 of 8 · Chiang Mai · the city and its ring

The plan ranks the city and its first ring; the villas are built beyond

Around the regional city, the plan promotes Suthep, Mae Hia, Fa Ham and Nong Pa Khrang to the fifth rank, as it does Hang Dong and Mae Rim further out. In this ring, asking prices run at 76,531 ฿ (€1,994) per m² in Suthep sub-district, home to Nimman, split between the city and the promoted commune. Beyond, in communes the plan does not name, they fall to 30,509 ฿ (€795) in San Phak Wan and 27,505 ฿ (€717) in San Sai Noi, villa-estate country.

฿ per m² in Suthep sub-district, home to Nimman

76,531 ฿/m²

฿ per m² in San Phak Wan, which the plan does not name

30,509 ฿/m²

7 of 8 · The East · housing the workers

The plan wants to house workers in Si Racha, where the m² costs far less than on the coast

It targets quality housing for workers there, as in Ban Chang, promotes Si Racha to the fourth rank and makes Pattaya a regional city. The median asking price is 30,899 ฿ (€805) per m² in Si Racha district against 52,099 ฿ (€1,358) in Pattaya's; 29,854 ฿ (€778) in Surasak, but 69,861 ฿ (€1,821) in Na Kluea and 71,481 ฿ (€1,863) in Na Chom Thian, facing the sea.

฿ per m² asked, Si Racha district

30,899 ฿/m²

฿ per m² asked, Pattaya district

52,099 ฿/m²

8 of 8 · The method

Four questions link a property to the plan

Which commune is it in, and at what rank does the plan place it? Is the commune on the lists that matter to you: water, sanitation, transport, health? By which horizon? And what does the local town plan say about the plot? The first three answers are in the national plan; the fourth lies with the province or the commune.