BANGKOK: Bangkok’s land market continues to grow steadily, driven by megaprojects and the expansion of the electric rail network.
Looking at central business district locations, Bangkok has seen a clear spatial transformation, from its early historic commercial area of Charoen Krung, to the financial district of Silom-Sathon, the retail hub of Siam, and now towards the emerging economic centre of Sukhumvit.
Tanakorn Thanuthanud, manager of the valuation department at Colliers Thailand Ltd, said: “The main factor driving land prices over the past one to two years has been the rise of large-scale mixed-use projects, worth hundreds of billions of baht, such as One Bangkok and Dusit Central Park.”
These projects have acted as major catalysts, pushing up land prices sharply along Rama IV Road and around Lumphini Park, while also creating spillover effects towards outer-city zones.
Here are the five hottest land locations in Bangkok at present:
> Ploenchit-Chidlom-Wireless: Thailand’s ultra-luxury champion
The Ploenchit-Chidlom area continues to hold its status as the most expensive land location in Thailand on a per-unit basis.
The latest assessment in 2024 found that actual transaction prices had risen to 3.4 million baht per 43 sq ft. This is reflected in the case of Sansiri, which acquired land on Chidlom Road at an average price of around three million baht to 3.8 million baht per 43 sq ft.
> Rama IV: Price reset driven by mixed-use projects
Rama IV has become one of the most economically active locations of the year.
In 2017-18, average land prices in the area were slightly above one million baht per 43 sq ft.
By 2024, SC Asset reinforced the location’s potential by closing a land deal at more than three million baht per 43 sq ft.
> Early Sukhumvit: Nana-Asok
Movement in inner Sukhumvit remains active. Around BTS Nana station, land transactions in 2019 closed at around 2.5 million baht to 2.6 million baht per 43 sq ft.
Current forward valuations have risen to around 2.8 million baht per 43 sq ft.
> Silom-Sathon: The price-setting effect
The traditional financial district of Sathon had a price base of around 1.5 million baht to 1.7 million baht per 43 sq ft in 2016.
A major turning point for the land locations came when a land plot on a main road was sold for 2.2 million baht per 43 sq ft for hotel development.
That transaction created a price-setting effect, prompting other landowners in the area to immediately raise their asking prices.
The main limitation in this location is a shortage of land supply, as much of the land is still held by families and long-established capital groups.
> Bang Na-Krungthep Kreetha: Luxury housing growth
The trend of premium low-rise housing development has significantly lifted land values in suburban areas.
Bang Na has benefitted directly from megaprojects such as Bangkok Mall, the Forestias and Cloud 11, pushing land prices in the Udom Suk and Punnawithi areas close to one million baht per 43 sq ft. — The Nation/ANN
