Real Estate

Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand has served as a trade and business hub for centuries. It was a buffer zone between colonial powers because of its strategic location. As a result, it was the region’s only nation that wasn’t colonized. Thailand (and its property market) is still able to reap the rewards from its strategic placement on the map today, yet in different ways. Its capital...

Chinese demand for real estate in Thailand is at an apogee, but the Beijing government’s drive to control capital flight could hinder such demand, according to a new report by Financial Times Confidential Research (FTCR). Surveying 108 investors, FTCR found that Chinese buyers, mostly only “moderately wealthy” and put off by skyrocketing values in the mainland, are scouring the kingdom for...

There's more to life than money, and the same goes for buying real estate. In an increasingly unstable and uncertain world of shifting political regimes, climate patterns and economic powers, many investors are finding themselves asking what constitutes real value. Most societies have historically measured worth in concrete financial statistics: in GDPs, stock indices, and all sorts of monetary...

Changes to deposit protection limits on bank accounts in Thailand may give a boost to property investments even as there are warnings of speculation at the high end of the market for condominiums. In early April the Governor of the Bank of Thailand issued a warning about the potential of bubbles developing in some parts of the Thai economy and referred to the property market. Some observers within the...

There are 3 new Phuket housing projects designed for low income earners and those on financial assistance and reservations for units in these developments have been brisk, according to local media. Prices at the projects start at THB3.79 million and some of the homes will be completed and ready to move into by the end of 2018. “The National Housing Authority (NHA) is creating 8 residential projects in 3...

Foreigners cannot buy land in Thailand, only condominium units and apartments. Foreigners cannot make up more than 40% of the condominium's unit-owners. However, a foreigner can buy a whole building, minus the land on which it is built. In recent years, minor changes in Thai law have allowed nonresidents to explore the Thai real estate market. A foreigner can have a 30-year renewable lease, under which...

2014 started off on a very somber note, with the Thai army seizing power over governance in a coup to right a constitution that had gone horribly wrong. The political turmoil gave rise to an economic slowdown, with the Thai Baht falling and foreign investment reaching an all time low. According to reports, Bangkok and Phuket saw a 32% and 22% rise in room numbers respectively, constituting 54% of a total...

More and more people are choosing to buy properties in Phuket, Thailand. Phuket is one of Asia’s most sophisticated and most established property markets. Over the past twenty years, property developments have been sprouting around the island that heightened the influx of investors. Currently, the demand for properties is high, especially in newly developed areas of Surin, Bang Tao Beach, Layan, Cherng...

The limited number of new luxury villas in Phuket has doubled the price of resale units, as demand is relatively strong in this niche market. Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, managing director of property consultant CB Richard Ellis (Thailand), said top-end villas on the island were part of an exclusive market characterised by a limited number of high-value transactions. Major players used to be small foreign...

Amending the law to allow median prices based on current appraisal prices to be used for the local development tax could be an alternative to generate massive tax income instead of pushing the controversial land and buildings tax, says a source familiar with the subject. The strategy could help revenue from the local development tax surge by 100 times to 100 billion baht, said the source. The local...