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Mam's Dad, RIP |
(a.k.a Plan C)
This is the story of our holiday home
on the island of Koh Chang, Thailand which, when complete, will be available
for visitors to rent.
Way back in October 2003, our original
plan was to rent some land and build a small resort. Buying land wasn't an
option as we didn't have much money and all land in good locations was way
out of our price range.
So, after a month or searching and
asking everyone we could find we got hold of some roadside land in Bailan on
a 9-year lease. Plan A. Another couple of months passed and our plans for
eight bungalows and a coffeeshop/house/small restaurant were finished. The
plans were approved, after sitting in planning offices in Trat and Koh Chang
for a couple of months, in early March 2004.
We could have started building then,
but after having spent a lot of time travelling around the island, speaking
to resort owners and seeing where visitors were staying, it was clear that
Bailan wasn't going to be busy for another couple of years at least. (As of
mid 2004, a large new hotel is under construction as are three bungalow
resorts - two catering for backpackers and one more upscale.)
We then heard about a seafront resort -
including large restaurant and 16 bungalows by the sea - for rent in Bailan
for only 100,000 baht/year for a long lease. We spoke to the owner and even
negotiated a reduction in rent as we'd have to rebuild the bungalows &
restaurant which had been neglected for a few years. Plan B.
Then, out of the blue, one morning in
early May 2004, our landlord told us that there was an fisherman's house for
sale in Klong Prao. Plan C. (There's a very limited number of these houses
which are built over the water and they're usually snapped up by wealthy
Bangkokians. One of the charms is that no more of these houses can be built
now and as Koh Chang gets busier living or staying in house on the
waterfront will become more popular.)
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View from the deck |
So we went and looked at it, the next
day paid a deposit on it and a week later bought it for what we both
considered to be a good price. The following day we were offered 40% more
for it by a guy who wanted it but had been too slow in paying his deposit to
the owner. So if the worst comes to the worst we know we can sell it easily.
In mid-May 2004, we started to fix the
house up. The following pages will detail what we've been doing and when
we'll open 'Ban Rim Nam' ('House on the water') to guests.
Stay
at Baan Rim Nam
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