Tag Archives: Thailand

Top Conveyancing Lawyers in Thailand: A Complete Guide

thailand-property-socilitors-conveyancers

Thailand is one of the most popular countries for overseas property buyers who want to have an income generator, a retreat to spend a couple of months a year or they’ve simply decided to settle down.

Even if Thailand offers a great quality of life and has attracted a huge amount of foreigners over the decades, it’s still developing and things are not as straightforward compared to developed countries. Therefore, a wise choice is to hire a property lawyer, before you transfer those hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars.

But it’s not that easy to find summarized information about local property lawyers. Therefore, I’ve written this article where I list some of the biggest and most reputable firms in Thailand.

Introductory remark

The firms are listed in a random order.

Bangkok

Below I’ve listed property solicitors with offices in Bangkok.

1. Chaninat & Leeds

Chaninat & Leeds is an international law firm based in Bangkok and was founded by American and Thai attorneys in 1997.

The team includes both Thai, British and American attorneys with a complete knowledge of Thailand’s legal system and real estate laws. The law firm specializes in offering services to foreigners and managed by the American attorney, Joe Leeds.

Joe leads the team of more than 10 multilingual attorneys. He’s been working as a foreign law consultant in Thailand for more than two decades and specializes in real estate and intellectual property law.

Services offered

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Pattaya: A Complete Guide

real-estate-agencies-pattaya

Pattaya is one of the most popular cities in Thailand and attracts a huge number Westerners and Chinese holiday spenders and retirees. Some people also decide to just move here and settling down with their families.

You’ll be able to find many real estate agencies here, opened and run by foreigners. Often, they have decent on the ground experience and of doing business locally.
In this article, I explain about more about some of the biggest and most reputable real estate agencies in Pattaya.

Introductory remark

a. While there are a number of large, multinational brands that sell properties in different cities in Thailand, I will mainly focus on companies who have Pattaya as their primary location of doing business. Some companies that sell properties around Thailand and that I’ve already written about in my article about real estate agencies in Bangkok are, for example:

Colliers International
CBRE
Knight Frank
JLL

b. The agencies are listed in a random order.

1. Alan Bolton Property Consultants

Alan Bolton has resided in Pattaya since 1987, working with real estate in Pattaya and surrounding areas. He is the founder and managing director of the company. With more than 3 decades of experience on the ground, Alan Bolton Property Consultants is one of the most popular real estate agencies in Pattaya.

They currently have around 7500 objects up for listing on their website.

Property types

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Phuket: A Complete Guide

real-estate-agencies-phuket

Phuket is one of the most visited resort islands in the world and attracts tons of tourists and people who simply want to settle down here. It’s not strange with such a breathtaking nature and quality of life offered.

With all the foreigners pouring into Phuket, we’ve also seen a number of real estate agencies setting up offices over the years. Therefore, I decided to write this article, where I explain more about some of the biggest and most popular real estate agencies in Phuket.

Introductory remark

a. While there are a number of large established brands that have set up satellite offices in Phuket, I will mainly focus on the ones who have Phuket as their primary location of doing business. Some companies that sell properties in Phuket and that I’ve already written about in my article about real estate agencies in Bangkok are, for example:

Colliers International
CBRE
RE/MAX
Knight Frank
JLL

b. The agencies are listed in a random order.

Most of them have years of experience working in Phuket and with a number of both locals foreigners in their companies. Let’s have a look.

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Bangkok: A Complete Guide

real-estate-agencies-bangkok

Bangkok is one of the most visited cities in the world and attracts many entrepreneurs, expats and digital nomads. Even if people claim that you can get better yields in places like Cambodia, it’s getting increasingly popular among foreigners to buy in Bangkok.

In fact, price appreciations are not always the most important, the feeling of owning a property, especially in a place like Bangkok, can be an amazing feeling. Not to neglect, some people can’t simply afford to buy back home. If you buy in the right area, the capital gain can be quite decent (more about that in this article).

However, it’s not always easy to know which real estate agency you should turn to for help. Finding a reputable and credible agent is crucial to successfully buy a property. Therefore, I decided to write this article where I’ve listed (in random order) some of the most reputable real estate agencies in Bangkok.

Let’s have a look.

1. Colliers International Thailand

Colliers is one of the biggest real estate agencies in the world with 400 offices in almost 70 countries, including Thailand. The head office is located in Bangkok and has a management team of 14 persons, mixed with both Thai nationals and foreigners.

The Bangkok office was established in 2007 and they also have a presence in Pattaya and Hua Hin, employing around 250 people in total. Colliers International Thailand has managed a number of acquisitions of local real estate agencies, including Pasupat Realty Co. Ltd., in 2007 and FirstService in 2015.

Clients on the list include Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Siam Piwat and Singha. Saying that Colliers is one of the top real estate agencies in Thailand is not a bold statement.

Property types and areas

Includes both residential and commercial properties, like condos, apartments, villas, multifamily projects, hotels, land, offices and more.

Most properties up for listing are located in Bangkok, but you’ll be able to find a number of options in other cities as well.

Services offered

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Top Real Estate Agencies in Thailand: The Ultimate Guide

real-estate-agencies-thailand

Thailand is the first choice for many Asians and expats who decide to buy either a lifestyle property or investment property overseas. Places like Bangkok and Phuket are some of the most visited cities in the world and there are plenty of reasons for that.

You also have a number of real estate agencies to choose among, but information about agencies is rarely summarized. Therefore I decided to write this article, listing some of the top real estate agencies in Thailand.

Today, you’ll learn about the following:

Introduction about the companies
Property types & areas served
Recognition and awards
Projects managed
Address to head office in Thailand

Let’s have a look.

1. Colliers International Thailand

Colliers International is one of the most established and reputable real estate agencies in the world, their head office is based in Seattle, Washington. They also have around 400 offices in 68 countries, including Thailand.

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Buying Property in Chonburi: A Beginner’s Guide

buying-property-chonburi

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 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 become 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.

Developers have also started to focus more on these cities: This report from Collier’s speaks for itself.

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Buying Property in Ko Samui: The Ultimate Guide

buying-property-ko-samui

Ko 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 Ko 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 Ko Samui: About the market, local property regulations you probably haven’t heard of, and more.

Ko Samui property market

Being the second largest island in Thailand, Ko 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 Ko 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 Ko Samui?

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How to Buy Land in Thailand: A Complete Guide

buying-land-thailand

Many foreigners who have visited Thailand decides to move there full-time and want to buy land to build a house on. But buying land in a developing country, where the government doesn’t favor foreigners, you need to be careful before signing any purchasing agreements.

In this article, I explain how you can buy land in Thailand and about the most common title deeds used.

Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?

This question is a bit tricky and needs a couple of paragraphs to explain.

Yes, you can buy and control land through different local setups, but you can’t generally own land as a foreigner. Thailand, like many other countries in the region (except for Malaysia), has protective regulations towards foreign ownership.

If you live in Thailand, speak the language and have a Thai spouse, things become a bit easier though. In total, you have four different ways to buy and control land, which I will explain more about now.

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ABC’s for Property Buyers in Ko Samui: By Harry Bonning (interview)

harry-bonning-ko-samui-properties

Ko 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 Ko Samui Properties tell us a bit more about Ko 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 Ko Samui.

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

Harry, thanks for having you here. Can you please tell us about your background and current business in Ko 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 Ko Samui’s real estate market performed and what’s your view on the coming years?

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5 Tips When Buying a Bangkok Condo: By Fabrice Lore (interview)

Fabrice Lore

Bangkok is one of the most popular cities in the world, attracting tons of tourists.

Not only expats and retirees buy condos here, but also younger people who simply want to buy cheaper property in a place that offers a great quality of life.

The truth is that younger people tend to work more online or overseas, making Bangkok one of their prime options.

Not to forget: many younger people in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Mainland China are priced out back home and find it much more convenient to head towards places like Bangkok, when investing in property.

Today, I’ve Fabrice Lore with me to tell us about the Bangkok property market and what you need to know before buying a condo here. He’s the founder and CEO of Five-Stars property that have helped many foreigners to buy condos in Bangkok.

Fabrice, it’s great to have you here. Can you please tell us about yourself and your current business in Thailand?

I have been in Thailand since 1996. After spending a few years in Koh Samui, I moved to Bangkok in 2005 where I set up Five Stars Thailand Real Estate.

I realized that there were no French-speaking real estate agencies for the expats at this time, so I decided to specialize in this niche market

Since then, we have been assisting tenants and property investors of all nationalities on a regular basis.

Many foreign investors are considering purchasing condominiums in Bangkok nowadays. What makes Bangkok so attractive compared to other destinations?

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