I’ve made some bad decisions in my life, but selecting Bang Saray as the place to hang my hat during retirement wasn’t one of them. It’s been 3-1/2 years since making the move and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
I was having coffee with friends at Two Guys Guest House 6 years ago when I heard two farang talking about a day-trip they made to a Bang Saray saying how much they liked the place. A few weeks later John (Two Guys owner) and I hopped on the motorbikes and decided to check this place out. When drove 30 minutes south down Sukumvit as instructed, and would have missed the turn if it weren’t for a tiny sign tucked away among a bunch of resort signage – saying simply “Bang Saray”.
We turned right and a minute later found ourselves staring at a beautiful bay - bordered by a long thin stretch of sand gently sloping into crystal clear waters. We drove to the end of the promenade to a series of century-old boat docks which serve as the town’s centerpiece. We watched as the fisherman unloaded their nightly catch into the waiting arms of merchants who then carted the fish directly to the packing house, local restaurants and/or street market vendors.
The backdrop of Bang Saray are tall mountains (Sattahip Highlands) which are owned by the Thai Navy and nestle along the southern border of town. Many credit the Royal Navy for the high level of care and maintenance of Bang Saray due to the fact that the Navy holds Royal Veto over Bang Saray and provides oversight and control of the water, sewerage, and electric systems.
John and I pulled our motorbikes off the road right in front of the town’s temple and I remember saying to him “this is the place I’ve been looking for and one day I’ll retire here. We both agreed that this place was a hidden gem.
Just in the past 3 years a Home Pro, Tesco, Big C Extra, and Makro have been built within a short drive of town. Before these improvements we had to drive to Pattaya (north) or Sattahip (south) to buy just about everything. The downside to these developments is a tremendous amount of construction effecting Sukumvit Rd. which is being widened, bridges installed, etc., as part of the EEC development project. Who knows when they’ll be finished?
There’s a healthy farang population in town and plenty of restaurants (farang and Thai). We meet visitors from all over who visit BS just to eat at one of the seaside fish restaurants, and/or fill their ice coolers with fresh squid, shrimp, sea bass, etc. to cart back to their homes. There are a dozen bars, mostly sea-side, but no “boy bars”, so an occasional visit to Jomtien/Pattaya for nightly entertainment seems to be the norm for most of the expats I know over here. Pattaya is a 30 minute drive around the bay – and buses run 24/7 to/from Bang Saray for 40-60 baht.
In my opinion the biggest advantage to Bang Saray over many other places that I considered for retirement is “Health”. The air is cleaner (we can see the stars at night versus smog), the water is clear and great for swimming, and there’s a constant sea breeze which limits the amount of air-conditioning most use. It’s a bustling atmosphere, although offers a very peaceful and serene environment in general where people drive normal (what a concept) and road accidents are almost unheard of.
There is a large fitness park right on the ocean complete with large shade trees…a paved walking/jogging path…an assortment of exercise equipment scattered around the expansive property…and plenty of chirping moneys hanging around hoping for a handout. Bike riding, swimming, kayaks/canoes, and long walks along the ocean all seem to be popular with expats and their significant others.
There are no gay bars in Bang Saray, but there’s plenty of eye-candy and opportunities if you’re in the market. Most of the gay boys and young ladyboys in town dress conservatively to blend in, similar to how they dress in the northern rural areas. Jai and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary last week. I’m sure that if I was residing here solo I would be spending weekends in Pattaya to be closer to the bar scene which was actually my “Plan B” for retirement. Fortunately “Plan A” has been working just fine and I rarely head to Pattaya in the evenings.
Songkran week: Tour boats working overtime hosting locals and domestic tourists…concessions filled with smiling families…Plenty of shirtless boys playing on the soccer field…and hints of water splashing and powder puffing when driving around the back-sois.
Living in Bang Saray is a different life style all together. Early to bed – early to rise…plenty of fitness and fresh air…sounds of birds chirping in the morning and waves splashing as the sun goes down…moving sunsets…friendly people with no double-standards…great restaurants…gay friendly…and a 30 minute zoom around the bay to Pattaya when I’m in the mood.
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