Buying Property In Kathu

The area of Kathu is mainly surrounded by mountains with main access roads leading from over Patong Hill towards the west or Chaofa Road in the Chalong area of the east.

The beautiful natural greenery that covers the surrounding hills makes this an incredibly popular area for Golf courses and its close proximity to Patong has made it an easily accessible place for tourists to visit.

There’s been a lot of development in the area over the last few years which has seen the population and amenities grow. Kathu is certainly a popular place for long-term residents and ex-pats to take up residence.

Why Is Kathu A Great Place To Buy Property?

As its name suggests, Kathu Valley is away from the coast and landlocked on each of its borders. While you do miss out on some of the stunning sea views Phuket has to offer, it does mean that the land prices are generally much more reasonable than Patong, or anywhere that’s on the coast for that matter.

Patong Property prices are overinflated due to the location and for most people looking to reside in the area that would like a bit more space to live in, so buying property in Kathu should be somewhere to consider. It’s only about 4 miles away from Patong’s central areas, although Patong Hill is something to consider and can be quite daunting when first travelled.

That being said, we consider Kathu a perfect area for those looking to escape Patong, both in terms of residential and commercial development, there is still a lot of land for grabs as well as reasonably priced properties available.

The proximity of Kathu not only gives you fairly quick access to the beach areas but also to the surrounding international schools, restaurants and shopping centres, making Kathu an ideal place for people wanting to settle down.

Condos & Villas For Sale in Kathu, Phuket

There’s a good amount of Villas and Condominiums available for purchase in the Kathu Vallery area. Some being conveniently placed to service the great Golfing community with Villas and Condos both overlooking lush fairways.

The area itself is still developing (as of the release of this article) and developments are appearing closer to the Central shopping mall located near the Darasamut Intersection on the Bypass Road. Both of the Villa and Condominium developments that are currently being built in the Kathu area come at huge discounts when compared to the property on Phuket’s west coast.

Anyone that’s looking for a property that offers great value for money when it comes to price, size and build quality will certainly be enticed by the Villas and Condos that are available for sale in the area, certainly with the price per metre being much more attractive than in Patong, which is just a short distance away.

You can view some of the villas for sale in the Kathu Valley area by clicking HERE.

Kathu Is Not On The Beach, But It’s Close!

It’s simply just not very far to travel from Kathu to Patong, just a short trip on the winding road of Patong Hill. Patong has an easy to follow one-way system too that takes you past most of the areas of interest and that lets you double back on to get to the Patong beachfront area. Don’t let the distance put you off, Patong is only a few minutes drive from Kathu.

Reaching Patongs shoreline from Kathu also gives you a few more options. Instead of heading deeper into Patongs centre, you can turn left and explore the headland located in the southern area of Patong. This features more of a laid back area with stunning beaches such as Paradise Beach, Tri Trang Beach and Freedom Beach. These are truly some of the most beautiful beaches that the island has to offer.

Travelling from Kathu to Patong doesn’t just limit you to the beaches as if you continue travel left at the end of Rath-U-Thit Road, you can follow the route over the mountain that leads to Karon Beach, Kata and Kata Noi while heading North instead will take you to Kamala. Each area is a slightly different vibe to Patong and is all easily accessible from Kathu.

So while Kathu doesn’t offer you the seaside as soon you step out of your front door, when living on an island the size of Phuket, even being in the central valley means that you’re not far from the sea.

Schools Near Kathu

The best choices for international schools on the island are all easily accessible from Kathu. These include the following:

QSI – The American curriculum school is one of the most established and longest-running schools on the island. It’s just a short distance from the large Tesco Lotus which is located at the Samkong intersection.

Kajonkiet (KIS) – The KIS also follows the English curriculum and is located in Kathu, close to Central.

HeadStart – The very highly renowned HeadStart is a very successful and rapidly growing school on the island. They also have their campus in the Kathu area close to the border that leads into Chalong.

British International School – Located in Koh Kaew, the British International School is probably the most well known in Phuket and while not directly in Kathu, it’s worth noting as it’s only about 15 minutes away.

For the Kindergarten, or even the Pre-K, ages, Kathu has both the Bann Kru Jay Active Learning Child Centre and the Dino Daycare centres available just 15-20 minutes away from central Kathu, but it’s not uncommon to find that many of the larger international and Thai schools offer preschool learning courses for kids.

Where To Eat In Kathu

The dining scene and the property scene have developed at the same rate in Kathu, meaning that you have lots of yummy options. If you’re looking to start the day off with a tasty breakfast, Zurich Bread and Zebra Cafe open early and offer lots of Euro, Swiss and Thai options. There’s plenty of cafe and sandwich shops like Lucky 13 available throughout the day also for sandwiches and snacks.

There are also several Curry houses, Pizza parlours and even Japanese Sushi buffets available in the area, with an honourary mention of the highly rated Trip Advisor restaurant, Thong Dee and Royale Nam Tok.

Of course, within the Kathu valley area is Central Floresta and Central Festival with literally dozens of choices. It’s still worth pointing out that all of Patong’s famous dining is just a short trip in the car away. If you’re considering buying property in Kathu, you will have access to a good amount of quality restaurants.

Shopping and Groceries Near Kathu

If you are considering buying property in Kathu, you’ll notice it is a great location for shopping and groceries. In the central area of Kathu, there isn’t a great deal of shopping besides 7/11’s, Family Marts and Mom & Pop Thai stores. Although there is plenty of food stores selling tasty Thai favourites. You are however only 15 minutes from one of the largest shopping centres on the island, the previously mentioned Central Fiesta and Floresta.

Here you will be able to find world-famous high street brands as well as top fashion brands. The ground floor of each side of Central has the Central Good Hall, which hosts the supermarket known as Tops. It’s one of the best supermarkets on the island for foreign brands.

Less than 15 minutes away, there is another Central Mall located in the heart of Patong as well as Jungcelyon just opposite Central. Jungcelyon itself has many different high street shops, Thai fashions and handicrafts. Big C is also nestled into the back of Jungcelyon, giving your more choice when it comes to supermarkets.

Tops and Big C will certainly take care of all of your basic food shopping needs, but if it’s a creature comfort food from back home that you’re missing then the most likely place to find these items is Central Food Hall / Tops.

Golf in the Kathu Valley

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Golfing in Phuket as the island is host to six major golf courses, half of them located in Kathu, buy a property in Kathu just got that a little bit more intertesting. Golf has been a major attraction in the area for many years.

The oldest and possibly most well-known Golf course on the island is the Phuket Country Club. The “Old Course” at the club has been host to many national tournaments but the course design with its more forgiving fairway sizes also make it a favourite for amateur golfers alike.

Loch Palm golf course, just like its name suggests, was built around a huge lake. This does mean that the water comes into play a little more than you’d like and on top of that, the design of the fairways have them on occasion sloping towards the lake. The fairways are a good size though which negates the ever-present water hazard from affecting play too often and the greens run quick and true.

The Red Mountain Golf Club is located right next door to the Loch Palm course. The course itself winds around the old Tin Mine and its canyons, hence the name Red Mountain. For straight hitters, the narrow fairways will be no problem, but for amateur golfers that tend to slice the ball, you’ll be faced with a challenging round of golf. The main hallmarks of the Red Mountain course are certainly the stunning landscapes throughout the course and the rapid elevation that comes with them. This is certainly a course that you will be thankful to have a Golf Cart.

If you just want to brush up on your form and not spend the day on the course, each of these courses feature their driving ranges.

Other Nearby Attractions Around Kathu

There’s many local attractions to enjoy when considering buying a property in Kathu. There’s a great Wake Park (Cable Water Skiing) in Kathu as well as the Flying Hanuman Zip Line course and the Jungle Bungy for those of you that like a bit of thrill in your activities. Each one offering a great experience and view of the area.

If you want a bit of speed in your day out you can try out the Kathu Kart Speedy Way located just at the bottom of Patong Hill. A great place to race around the track with friends. They also have Off-Road buggies available which is a fun way to spend a few hours with some friends.