Some 20-30 years ago, Bang Na, which is located at the southeastern tip of Bangkok and which borders the neighboring province of Samut Prakarn, was paddy fields and farmhouses. With the development of the major Bangkok arterial roads, including Sukhumvit Road, the Bang Na-Trat Highway linking down to Pattaya and beyond, as well as the expansion of Bangkok itself, Bangna saw unprecedented growth. Now, this large district at the far end of Sukumvit Road is one of Bangkok’s most thriving and growing suburban centers, with huge potential for growth, making it ripe for residential investment.

I’ve known Bang Na since I first moved to Thailand more than eight years ago. It is the first place I called home in Bangkok, and during this time I’ve seen even more spectacular transformation. This has primarily been driven by access and infrastructure, and it shows no signs of slowdown. With the extension of the elevated Bangkok Mass Transit System monorail (BTS or SkyTrain) through Bang Na, immediate access to the citywide network of elevated expressways, particularly the Bangna-Trat Highway to Pattaya, and with its location at the end of one of Bangkok’s most important major roads (Sukhumvit Road), Bang Na is all set to flourish as it becomes part of Bangkok’s commuter belt.

It’s partly this access that makes Bang Na unique. Hop onto one of the expressways and you can be in Pattaya within a couple of hours. Jump onto the BTS, when it’s completed in late 2008, and you can be on the other side of town (literally - at Mor Chit in the north) within 45 minutes. Take a leisurely drive down Sukhumvit Road towards one of Bangkok’s major central business districts (CBDs) and you’ll find a string of retail centers, popular expat pubs, world-class restaurants and more, all within 30 minutes. It’s even possible to take a boat from the nearby Mekong River into town, and the major eastern bus station at Ekamai, which serves Chonburi, Pattaya and Rayong, is 20 minutes away.

One of the major transformers of the area, of course, is the new Suvarnabhumi airport (Bangkok International Airport), which is literally on Bang Na’s doorstep. And with the completion of the SkyTrain and airport links, the area will undoubtedly benefit from even more inward investment to accommodate the demand for residential development.

But you don’t really need to stray too far out of Bang Na for whatever reason: the recent growth in infrastructure means that everything you need or want is within a short drive or taxi ride. Eight years ago, the local outlet of Thailand’s retail mall giant Central (incidentally, its best outlet in my opinion) dominated the area. Since that time, branches of Big C and Tesco (huge general-purpose supermarkets) have sprung up, while one of the word’s largest shopping malls, Seacon Square, is close by, as are branches of Makro and Carrefore.

Many families chose to live in Bang Na because it’s safe and is close to several of the most well respected educational establishments like Bangkok Patana School and ABAC/Assumption University’s popular Suvarnabhumi campus. It’s also near one of Bangkok’s largest public green spaces, Suan Luang Rama 9, which sprawls over several square miles and offers a haven of peace, tranquility, lakes and themed gardens, making it ideal also for joggers and other sports enthusiasts - as well as the wife and kids.

The nearby Bangkok Erawan Museum with its enormous three-headed elephant (which stands about four stories high), Muang Boran (the charming Ancient City) and crocodile farm are also perfect weekend distractions. At night, many locals choose to head to what is locally known as Gai Loy Fah (it loosely translates as “floating chicken”), a huge restaurant and karaoke bar where waiters on unicycles catch roast chickens, fired from spring-loaded guns, in their teeth. Seen it, but not done it - yet! If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, seafood and other restaurants, as well as lively markets, abound.

Bang Na also boasts several hospitals, all offering excellent levels of care: Thai Nakarin and Sikarin are unarguably the best (I am registered at both: a painless procedure if you’ll excuse the pun) as well as an abundance of smaller clinics and pharmacies.

With its location on the edge of the city, the area around Bang Na also houses a number of international corporations and factories, mainly on the Bang Na-Trat Highway, making it an important residential area for expat workers, who find the location perfect. The Nation newspaper has its offices in Bang Na, and with the growth in the MICE market (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC), further development is sure to follow.