A friend recently drove me to view some luxury houses south of Pattaya in his Benz. The four bedroom houses were set on their own beaches with an estate of smaller houses scaling the sloping hillside to Sukhumvit. The sound of the waves on the sand was soothing and the architect had spent time getting the dimensions of the rooms to a human scale without appearing like an American trophy house.

“Sunsets are spectacular.” The nattily attired estate agent gushed, already spending his commission on a weekend of Walking Street wickedness. After all my friend’s Merc was top of the line and just out of the showroom.

“How much?” My friend asked standing on the patio.

“4 million.”

No one blinked as we did the math.

The house sat on a half rai of land. A beachfront rai goes for 20 million a rai. Construction probably cost 8 million. Giving the developers a healthy return of their investment. My friend didn’t get rich by being a sucker. He thanked the agent and we left.

“40 million.” he laughed. “What idiot is going to buy that?”

“Well everyone dreams about owning a beach house and beach house in the Hamptons go for 20 million US.”

“Yes, but Pattaya is not the Hamptons. Better to stay at a nice hotel and keep your money for fun and games.”

Of course beachfront property is out of my league. Heck a house with a view of the sea is as well, although recently I saw a small property that could possible satisfy my need to see the sea.

It doesn’t take much land, only a good set of lungs to climb the ladders and no fear of heights. And who know maybe after a few decades of the polar icecaps melting it might be beachfront.