Category: Thailand

Buying Property in Chonburi: A Beginner’s Guide

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Thailand is the first choice for many Asians or foreigners who live in the region and want to find either an investment property or lifestyle property.

While places like Phuket, Bangkok, and Pattaya have seen a great influx of foreigners, there are a number of places that get more investment, tourists and that simply become increasingly more interesting.

In this article, I explain how you can buy property in a province located in the Eastern parts of Thailand, namely Chonburi. The province will receive much investment over the years and is getting more appreciated by foreigners.

Let’s have a look.

Chonburi property market

Chonburi has a number of popular resort cities, with proximity to the capital, located along the shoreline. With investment in residential projects (among others) the province is predicted to perform well.

As property becomes more expensive in places like Phuket (not to neglect, flooded with tourists), many people turn to places like Chonburi City and Rayong. Sure, Pattaya is also located in Chonburi, but you also have a number of other interesting options. Continue reading Buying Property in Chonburi: A Beginner’s Guide

Buying Property in Koh Samui: The Ultimate Guide

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Koh Samui is popular among foreigners who wish to settle down in Thailand, or just stay there for a couple of weeks, recharging their batteries from the hustle and bustle back home.

I have a number of friends and old colleagues who have Koh Samui as their first choice when choosing among different resort islands in Asia. I’m not surprised.

Today, I will explain some of the basics you need to know when buying property in Koh Samui: About the market, local property regulations you probably haven’t heard of, and more.

Koh Samui property market

Being the second largest island in Thailand, Koh Samui is more relaxed and with a market that is less mature than Phuket’s.

You should also keep in mind that there are some differences in regulations when buying property in Koh Samui compared to other places, something I will explain more about in this article.

Famous for attracting foreigners to buy a plot of land to build a house in the past, it’s becoming increasingly popular to buy condos and off-plan – simply letting someone else doing the work for you.

Even if condos become increasingly popular, buying a house has been and is a preferred choice.

So who buys property in Koh Samui?

Continue reading Buying Property in Koh Samui: The Ultimate Guide

ABC’s for Property Buyers in Koh Samui: By Harry Bonning

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Koh Samui is one of the most popular islands when foreigners decide to visit or relocating to Thailand.

With a population of almost 65,000 people, it’s still fairly big for being just that, an island. Just making a comparison, in Hua Hin (which is a city 2-3 hours away from Bangkok) you have 85,000 and in Phi Phi Islands 2,500.

Previously relying on fishing and agriculture, exporting many coconuts, the tourism industry has taken over since the 80’s.

In this interview, Harry Bonning from Koh Samui Properties tell us a bit more about Koh Samui’s property market and other useful information. The Real Estate agency is one of the most reputable and has helped many foreigners to buy property in Koh Samui.

Harry has been on the ground for years and provide fruitful advice if you plan to buy property in Koh Samui.

Harry, thanks for having you here. Can you please tell us about your background and current business in Koh Samui?

I have been a Chartered Surveyor since I qualified in the UK in 1974 and have worked in the UK, Germany and Abu Dhabi with responsibility for a large portfolio of property in the USA, owned by a Sovereign Wealth Fund.

I have also worked subsequently as General Manager of a portfolio of properties owned by one of the local families before moving to Thailand in 1999.

I saw an opportunity in 2000 for a professional real estate agency in Koh Samui and for the first seven years we were extremely successful. The economic crash of 2007/8 brought the market to a standstill for a time and we reduced our staffing accordingly to correspond to the reduced demand.

In Phuket, the property market relies heavily on foreigners and prices aren’t predicted to increase significantly in the coming years. How has Koh Samui’s real estate market performed and what’s your view on the coming years?

Continue reading ABC’s for Property Buyers in Koh Samui: By Harry Bonning

Top 10 Property Developers in Thailand: The Definitive Guide

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Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Investing in developing markets can be a daunting task for overseas buyers who have little knowledge of local developers. You’ll find developers promoting their projects anywhere downtown in major Southeast Asian, such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Foreign investors have flooded to Thailand and where condo-prices have went through the roof, particularly in Bangkok. Nowadays, you sometimes need to pay as much as THB 500,000 per square meter in luxury projects. Buying a condo is often a big financial outlay and selecting a reputable developer has become more important than ever.

Luckily, Thailand has plenty of stock-listed developers with decades of experience, proven track-records, and dozens of projects completed. In this article, we’ll review some of the biggest and most credible property developers in Thailand.

1. Pruksa Real Estate

Pruksa Real Estate was founded in 1993 and is like most other developers headquartered in Bangkok. The company focuses mostly on building affordable condo projects, but has tapped into the luxury market and now focuses on the health and commercial property industry as well. Continue reading Top 10 Property Developers in Thailand: The Definitive Guide

Guaranteed Rental Income Investments in Asia: By Nick Stuart

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More and more people don’t only seek high price appreciations when buying property overseas.

The fact is: having the feeling of ownership, especially in a country that offers a great quality of life, and where you can get decent cash flow from rental incomes, is often fulfilling the needs for many buyers.

This is especially true for people living in cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, and in Hong Kong, where the price to income ratios have gone crazy.

So: I was a bit surprised when I previously heard that buyers can secure fixed rental incomes through so-called ‘guaranteed rental income investments’.

To me, it sounded too good to be true…

Therefore, I’ve decided to invite Nick Stuart for an interview, to let him explain how guaranteed rental income investments work, mainly in Thailand, where he’s actively working with real estate.

Nick is the Managing Director of Exclusive Hot Properties, it’s a reputable company that offers guaranteed rental income investments to foreigners.

Let’s see what he has to say.

Continue reading Guaranteed Rental Income Investments in Asia: By Nick Stuart

Buying Off-plan Property in Hua Hin: By Lee Philips

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Hua Hin is located a couple of hours drive from Bangkok, making it an attractive destination for both local and foreign property buyers.

The same as it goes in many other countries, the most popular option for many Asian investors is to buy off-plan property in Hua Hin.

With that said, many foreigners aren’t aware of both the benefits and risks when buying off-plan.

In this interview, Lee Philips, who is the Managing Director of Property Solutions Hua Hin, explains the essentials you need to know when buying off-plan property in Hua Hin.

The company is one of the city’s biggest real estate agencies that help both locals and foreigners.

Continue reading Buying Off-plan Property in Hua Hin: By Lee Philips

How to Rent Out Property in Phuket: By Phuketcondo.net

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Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Phuket is one of the favorite destinations for many foreign property buyers, thanks to its proximity to other countries in Southeast- and East Asia.

You’ve probably not gone unnoticed that it offers a great quality and attracts many tourists.

Nowadays, more and more foreigners have opened up their eyes to the opportunities to earn some extra money on rental incomes in Phuket.

Today, I have Mike Lundin from phuketcondo.net with me. He’s the Online Marketing Manager and the Head of their newly launched Phuket Rental Management Service.

Phuketcondo.net is a reputable company that caters many foreigners who want to buy or rent out property in Phuket.

Let’s see what Mike has to say and how they help foreigners to rent out property.

Mike, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at phuketcondo.net?

I came to Phuket, Thailand on holiday about 10 years ago, and I knew almost right away I wanted to live here full time. Who wouldn’t with the laid back lifestyle and beautiful beaches?

Continue reading How to Rent Out Property in Phuket: By Phuketcondo.net

Buying a Condo in Chiang Mai: The Basics You Need to Know

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While housing prices soar in places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Mainland China, Chiang Mai offers condo prices that are incomparably cheap.

In fact, in comparison with Bangkok, Chiang Mai is still considered cheap.

The city is fairly big and hosts many foreigners, who want to enjoy a greater quality of life, for a fraction of the cost in their home countries.

In this article, I explain how you can buy a condo in Chiang Mai, one of the cultural and green centers in Thailand.

Chiang Mai’s real estate market

While the property market grows quickly in Thailand, you need to choose your investments wisely, buying in the right areas.

Some people say that Thailand’s real estate market is booming, mainly due to investments from other Asian nationalities.

But there’s a difference between an export driven economy that is booming, and a real estate market that is booming

Usually, they should go hand in hand.

Continue reading Buying a Condo in Chiang Mai: The Basics You Need to Know