Jammed with vehicles for 10 kilometres, the gridlock may look dreadful to newcomers. But to frequent commuters, monster jams are common occurrences as Pattaya remains a quick cure for Bangkok residents in search for a more relaxed shelter, even if it means a four or five-hour journey and as petrol prices again top Bt29 a litre.

No one is happier about that than condominium builders such as Raimon Land, which is erecting skyscrapers in this seaside town.

Raimon's Northpoint, its second seafront project, is receiving a great deal of attention as it is one of the few brand products in a market packed with small-time speculators who have charged into Pattaya since 2001.

It was only with the entry of professional outfits like Raimon Land in 2003 that gave the property frenzy a sense of credibility. After all, the last property crash between 1989 and 2001 ran 13 years - of equal duration to Japan's meltdown, the world's worst post-1930s crash.

Many punters burnt during that fiasco still recall the horrible years when sales hardly moved as a staggering supply of shop houses, condominiums and town houses littered the landscape, creating pockets of ghost towns here.

Smart buyers today know they can avoid making the same mistakes by sticking with quality names and steering clear of risky or low-grade ones.

Northpoint stands to gain from this trend, as Raimon prides itself on delivering quality homes. The firm has built a large Bt50-million showroom - overlooking the spectacular grounds and facing an 80-metre seafront - to elucidate this point.

Raimon's units, which start from 50 square metres, offer value as its residences will be furnished with excellent materials. The layout of the rooms and the interior works are equal to that of a five-star hotel.

Northpoint's two stunning towers will be among Pattaya's tallest once they are completed in three years.

Housing 370 apartments, they have received Environmental Impact Assessment approval, hence there is no reason for delays in construction.

Northpoint's location at Nak Lua is considered to be astute, as the less congested area is far enough from the chaos and degradation plaguing mass tourism spots in South Pattaya.

Interestingly, colonies of rats are sprouting along Beach Road, a major strip that runs from North to South Pattaya,. Rodents now openly roam along the pavements and are fast becoming a new attraction for visitors.

Naturalists will undoubtedly be impressed by the speed by which this new ecological order has established, as earlier reports of a pest explosion garnered little action from municipal authorities.

Conservative buyers who may find this less amusing will do well to stick with projects like Northpoint, where overcrowding, pollution and noise are curbed by more civic-minded residents.

To be sure, much has changed since Pattaya was given its official township status 25 years ago.

Until the late Seventies, it hardly existed as a tourist destination. Its frantic boom since then has been spectacular to say the least, luring holidaymakers from every corner of the globe.

Paradoxically, not all migrants who have settled here are able to appreciate that the new age brings added responsibilities in living standards, town planning and matters of personal hygiene.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation

PATTAYA