Four locations explored for Thailand’s next naturist resort
Naturist Association Thailand Co., Ltd., has spent a busy autumn exploring four possible locations for setting up a new naturist resort in Thailand. Three of them remain interesting possibilities.
The search began after Gregers Moller and Disraporn “Dao” Yatprom, NAT founder and President, returned from the International Naturist Federation’s World Congress in Hungary at the end of September 2026. Since then, they have travelled to Bang Saphan, Pranburi, Chiang Mai and, most recently, Chanthaburi to investigate properties that might be suitable for naturist tourism.
The opportunities are remarkably different, both in terms of investment and the kind of experience they could offer future guests.
A spectacular sea view in Bang Saphan
The first property was a piece of land near Red Cliff Camp in Bang Saphan.
The attraction was its beautiful coastal setting, with a view across the sea towards a small island offshore. It was easy to imagine a handful of naturist bungalows overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, surrounded by greenery and offering guests a peaceful escape.
The asking price was 6 million THB.
After visiting the property and considering the costs of developing a new resort, Gregers and Dao eventually decided not to pursue the opportunity themselves, but still offer it to anyone among the members, who might be interested.
The spectacular view was tempting, but the overall investment would be substantial. Investment partner(s) would be needed and the return of investment might be low the first many years.
An existing resort in Pranburi
Another possibility was an existing resort, “Waterside Resort Pranburi”, which is available for rent at 80,000 THB per month.
Gregers and Dao visited the property and discussed the naturist concept with the owner, who was very positive to the idea. We tried to persuade her to for it herself and change her target group, but she preferred to rent it to someone who could run it for her. Or at least have someone experienced help her converting it into a naturist resort and help her during the transition.
The advantage of this option was that the resort already had accommodation – twelve spacious rooms – and restaurant, kitchen and all other operating facilities. The existing staff could also continue, potentially making the transition to a naturist operation easier.
Rather than purchasing land and constructing a new resort, the investment would mainly involve taking over the operation, making any necessary adaptations and attracting naturist guests.
The possibility is attractive and if anyone thinks this is worth looking into, we will be happy make the connection and arrange for a visit.
Natural hot springs near Chiang Mai
The most unusual opportunity arose from a conversation with guests at Barefeet Naturist Resort in Bangkok.
After hearing about Gregers and Dao’s search for another naturist resort location, the guests told them that they had land for sale near Chiang Mai. Since they were naturists themselves they immediately understood the potential of developing a naturist resort on the property.
And the land had one very special feature: its own natural hot spring.
The property covers approximately 2.5 rai and is offered for 10 million THB. An existing geothermal well of 60 meters deep supplies naturally heated water at approximately 45 degrees Celsius. If drilled deeper, the temperature would be higher.
The idea would be to build a small naturist hot-spring resort with eight comfortable guest rooms and shared outdoor mineral bathing facilities.
Instead of installing private hot tubs in every room, the natural hot-spring pools would become the central attraction, surrounded by tropical gardens where guests could enjoy naturism, relaxation and socialising.
The resort could also welcome day visitors, giving naturists living in or visiting Chiang Mai the opportunity to enjoy the facilities without staying overnight. An indicative price of 450 THB for a five-hour day visit is being considered.
With an estimated construction budget of 6 million THB, the total initial investment, including the land, would be approximately 16 million THB, excluding contingency and start-up expenses.
Preliminary calculations suggest that the combination of accommodation and day-spa visitors could make the project commercially attractive, although the assumptions still require verification.
The Chiang Mai opportunity remains under consideration. One Chinese investor has asked for a quick calculation, which you can download here.
A little resort in Chanthaburi
The most recent excursion, last week, took Gregers and Dao to Chanthaburi, where a small resort was available for rent at just 12,000 THB per month.
The surroundings were attractive, with beach restaurants nearby and an appealing coastal atmosphere. The rent was certainly affordable, particularly compared with the other properties under consideration. But unfortunately, the resort had only three guest rooms and only room for building one more – and then the space would feel cramped.
The Chanthaburi opportunity has therefore been ruled out.
The search continues
The four visits illustrate that there is no single formula for developing a successful naturist resort in Thailand.
A beautiful seaside property may require a substantial investment in construction. Renting an existing resort can reduce the initial financial commitment, but the rent must be justified by the number of guests the resort can accommodate. A natural hot spring, meanwhile, offers the possibility of creating an entirely different kind of naturist experience.
With one of the four opportunities ruled out, Bang Saphan, Pranburi and Chiang Mai remain possibilities. For Gregers and Dao, however, the search has been an interesting reminder that new opportunities often emerge through conversations with other naturists.
And there may be more possibilities waiting to be discovered.
Do you know of a resort or suitable piece of land that could become a naturist destination in Thailand? We would be happy to hear about it.
