Sri Racha Trip Report

Sri Racha (or Si Racha) is a city in Si Racha district, Chonburi province, on the eastern side of the Bay of Bangkok. The city is part of the Eastern Economic Corridor and the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area.

Sri Racha district is home to Laem Chabang Port, the largest port in Thailand. There is a large industrial zone near the port, and it’s a major automotive hub. Mitsubishi Motors Thailand and other Japanese companies are based here.

Sri Racha City is separated from the industrial port area by a rocky hill. This natural barrier has kept the city from feeling like it is part of an industrial park. Sri Racha City is where Japanese workers from the industrial area live. As a result, Sri Racha has come to be known as Little Osaka in Thailand.

The once-dominant Japanese auto manufacturers are now being challenged by the Chinese EV auto companies. There are concerns about the future of the automotive sector in Sri Racha (and this was before the US tariff war entered the equation).

At the same time, Sri Racha has become a popular retirement city for Japanese who now call Thailand home. With Japanese businesses already established in the city, new apartments are being built that are being marketed towards Japanese retirees.

Part of why I wanted to go to Sri Racha was to see it before the high-speed railway arrives (assuming that it gets built). Sri Racha is one of the main stops, so I am curious to see if it becomes a destination in its own right without being a support city for an industrial area.

These are my notes from my visit to Sri Racha in January 2025.

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