Real estate prices in the Lat Krabang-Bang Na zone have appreciated significantly since the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport began construction.

Now nearing completion, the airport is boosting interest among buyers for residences in housing estates like Villa Nakarin, which is situated near Onnuj-Lat Krabang Road where the Outer Ring Road crosses over.

The project's developer Chalermchai Wongwaiwit, who heads Metropolis Property, said much had changed since the project was formulated some years ago.

Most strikingly, he said, the tax for realty transactions in the area had almost tripled from the old rate four years ago.

"People who bought two years ago are quite pleased with the revaluation," he said.

His 22-rai estate is part of a larger housing site that he intends to further develop with the growing demand resulting from the new air hub, bringing more people to this once sleepy part of outer Bangkok.

Chalermchai recently raised prices of his three-storey houses from Bt8 million last year to Bt9 million. The smallest unit covers 270 square metres of usable space.

The price includes six airconditioners and a kitchen set, but not built-in furniture. A clubhouse with a 40-metre swimming pool has been completed and the landscaped grounds will be further improved, he said.

Currently, 20 homes - all completed and ready for viewing - are available. Chalermchai expects to embark on another residential project when these last units are sold.

What makes the homes distinct from other sites is the attention to detail that Chalermchai, an engineer by training, places on his structures.

"Everything is based on how the house is built, especially the foundation," he said. "Some developers cut corners and use piling that is too weak for the homes to stand on."

"The one factor that some buyers do not realise is that the nature of the ground in this eastern part of Bangkok's suburbs suffers from subsidence," he said. "Six metres below the ground surface is water, and the hard ground lays about 20 to 24 metres from the surface."

Deep piling is required to ensure the houses stand on solid bases, he said.

"Some developers just use 20-metre piles, which may not be sufficient. At Villa Nakarin, we use 24-metre piles, which take a longer time to drive through the ground.

"But I tell my customers their homes will still be standing 30 years from now," he said, adding that his homes carry a five-year guarantee.

Much of the design work is based on past experience. "I had lived in homes that were not properly built. The weaker the structure, the more problems I would need to fix. The problems are almost endless with a badly built house."

Many old homes in Bangkok are built on the cheap and lack the kind of quality many of the new developments bring.

His aim, he said, was to ensure that his buyers would not need to spend large sums of money and waste time on future repair work. With peace of mind comes a better quality of life.

At Villa Nakarin, the buyer benefits from the community spirit that Chalermchai is infusing into the estate.

There are plenty of trees and the flames of the forest are now in full bloom, accentuating the pleasant surroundings.

"The streets are wide and there's very little traffic, so children living here can safely ride their bicycles and play after school," he said. "One buyer told me that when he was living in Suan Luang [in Sukhumvit 103], he knew only two of his neighbours. Here, he knows everyone."

Itthi C Tan

The Nation