What are some positive experiences of expats buying property in Thailand?

Aug 6, 2023
a year ago
James ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Over the years I have seen and heard many horror stories from people purchasing property here in Thailand. Can anyone in this group share any positive experiences they have had with buying a home?

I understand the laws, I’m just curious about the people who are happy with their homes and have no regrets.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
In a community discussion, members shared their positive experiences regarding purchasing property in Thailand amidst prevalent horror stories. Many expressed satisfaction with their investments, such as buying houses and condos, emphasizing the affordability and straightforward process. Some highlighted the importance of being financially prepared and doing thorough research before buying. Others noted that over the years, real estate has served not only as a residence but as a lifestyle choice, enhancing their quality of life while living in Thailand.
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Cory **********
Join the expat building in Thailand. Lots of positive people.
Keith ********
Bought a condo 20 years ago in my own name, it’s been an excellent experience, paid for itself by now and no rent to fork out.
Mike *********
No
Terry ********
Bought a new place a few months back. No problems at all. Bought it as an investment for my half Thai / half American daughter. Everything was quick and simple
Ralph ************
Rent first and what wth the purchase until you have a good knowledge of the country and people.
Ralph ************
Wait....
Todd *********
Where there is fear, there is always opportunity. Covid punished both the baht and the expat real estate market valuations, so massive opportunity to take advantage and buy a fantastic place at once in a lifetime prices.
Richard *********
@Todd ********
Prices in phuket have gone up not down

what fear? land is land an Thai's know the value of it

Out in laguna area, there are more and more properties being developed in housing estates where homes start at 20 million>
Todd *********
@Richard ********
yes - once country opened back up after Covid, prices have predictably taken off.

What fear? Read the comments here lol.

And yes, many Thai’s know the value of land in premium areas all over the country. Samui very similar, 20 mil will just get your foot in the door in many areas
Tulip ********
Biggest problems are quality of build, size of plot, neighbours and noise and security of relationship. There are also sharks out there ready to prey on the unwary some of the worst are fellow expats. Be careful buying anything with police involved it's gets expensive. Rent for short, less than a month or so holidays, it's cheaper in the long run. I would not buy in a touristy area, though I have bought and sold in Hua Him, they overdevelop like crazy, lack of parking and pollution end up ruining places, like Hua Him and Pattaya, Phuket etc
Wayne **********
I bought off plan in Phuket 17 years ago (small condo) no issues apart from being slightly delayed.
Elisa **********
I had and still have a great experience. Bought a property, renovated and rented. Most of the people complaining are just not good in investing.
Fra *****
Never buy any piece of soil without a legit law firm to take care of your purchase ,
@Tee *******
he is your man to ask , his advice is real bucks worth and saves you a lot of extra unknown payments
Jeffrey *********
Only consider buying a condo and do it before you marry..

That's my advice, if you want to retain 100% control of your money.. 😉
Steve **********
If your'e here retired, the 30 years is the balance of your time.

You don't care for anything after you're gone.....enjoy yourself
Darlene *********
@Steve *********
EXACTLY!!!!
Charles **********
Bought at
@Black *********************
in October 2018. Now on an O-A visa. No regrets and love every minute of being at Black Mountain 🇹🇭
Chris ******
Understanding the laws doesn't take into account corruption... I'm sure the dismembered German in the fridge understood the laws too.
Jared **********
@Chris *****
if he understood laws he probably shouldn’t have been fucking minors
Jeremy ********
@Chris *****
I’m sure the Bikies didn’t care either way and that’s why the business meeting went sideways
Michael *******
?? Easiest country youll ever buy a property! Me and my partner paid under 50k for a brand new small house in phuket. Including furniture. Bank approved her credit. Money transferred to developer within a week. Received keys. Moved in following monday.

Bingo! Easy for thai. Probably not so for foreigner.
Elisa **********
@Michael ******
I had the same experience
Richard *********
@Michael ******
and for that price bet its very small and NOT on the west coast
Michael *******
@Richard ********
10 mins from laguna

Nice garden. 2 beds. Kitchen. Lounge. 2 large walk in bathrooms. Plenty big enough for 2 people.
James **********
@Michael ******
I bought one 10 years ago in my wife’s name. As you said such an easy process and so little legalities and paperwork
Michael *******
@James *********
Agree james. Makes you wonder why we go through the painful process back in the uk! ££££££ for solicitors! And est agents.
James **********
@Michael ******
Absolutely
Pete ******
@James *********
I bought a block of land in Australia in October 2021. State government stamp duty was $29.000 or near B700 K. Cnts.
Scott *********
Fun fact #1 if a thai owns a condo in a complex that has 100 units and 49 are foreign owned he cannot sell to a foreigner. However a foreigner who owns a condo there can sell to either a farang or a thai. Just saying
Val **********
If you buy a condo in a compex where ownership is below 49% you can own outright.
Richard ********
@Val *********
Where foreign ownership is up to 49%
Bennett ********
We bought a condo in Bangkok during the past year, to live in, not as an investment. As others said, costs of ownership are minimal, we have barely any monthly outlay (no mortgage.) And prices here are more affordable than most major cities around the world, part of the reason we decided to buy. We bought in the building where we already rented, so were familiar with the building & how it is run, & the neighborhood suits us well.
Michael ********
@Bennett *******
yes we did that rented in place for a year before deciding to buy in same place. Great thinking check everything is suitable for you first
Tony *********
The horror stories are less to do with ownership and more to do with being ripped off by developers during the building stage. There are many abandoned projects where the developer ran out of money and where buyers had already paid sizable deposits.
Michael ********
Got 2 houses a farm and a condo and no problems.

As people suggested go to one of the building groups and DO YOUR RESEARCH there are many ways to protect yourself depending upon your situation
Cory **********
Join a “Expat building in Thailand” or other group. It’s the same as divorce the negative stories make it to the top of the headlines all over the world.
Pete ******
We built 19 years ago and still have the house. It has been helpful over the years having it, saved myself lots of money on accomodation over the years, I have saved more than it cost. No real regrets; just keep it real and remember that it's no investment and move forward accordingly. It's great to have a base in SEA if you're into exploring it.
Maarten ********
Those people with their horror-stories are just dumb. They would have run into trouble anywhere.

Buying land and build a house is actually very easy here as you don't run into all those complicated permits etc like in EU or US.

If you buy a property, you can not do so in your own name, but thete are many legal ways to secure your future. Lease or usurfruct are the simplest ones. With a usufruct you can do anything you want until you die. The official land-owner can't even enter the property without your permission.

And all this costs... zip, zero, nada. OK, 10 baht stamp-duty.

So, don't worry, do your due diligence, just as you have to do in your home country, and enjoy the simple life in Thailand.

This is my house. Build it myself (with some hired labor).
Maarten ********
@Tipa *******
Yep. That is the internet, where we can all be assholes without consequences.
Tipa ********
@Maarten *******
sadly! Very Cute house tho.. u should plant low growing shrubs ones like lillies and shrubs that soak up water will help ur land a lot! Planting the correct flora n fauna on there will reduce ur drainage issues..work the land so it can work for you! it will be money well spent.

But that was a joke I'm Australian so I was making a joke hahaha it's funny though 🤣🤷🏽‍♀️cause it's looking like a dam at the moment!
Tipa ********
@Maarten *******
damned if u do damned if u don't 🤣
Maarten ********
Billy Brown Fair enough. Each his own.

I prefer to keep the forest a forest as I am an outdoor-person.

I am also not afraid of the dark.

There is a perimeter fence, just as there is a driveway and there is a start of landscaping near the house, but it is nowhere near being finished.

The photo was taken from the driveway, in-between two rain showers.

After all, it is the rain-season right now and it is raining cats, dogs and elephants right now.

And, by the way, the carport is attached to the house, so no boots required 😉
Kristian ********
This post had become hilarious 😂
Andy ********
@Maarten *******
19 years

When are going to get a driveway.
Gio *****
@Maarten *******
nice and with swimming pool
Maarten ********
Jo **********
@Maarten *******
looks like a house in the US
Phillip ***********
@Maarten *******
looks brilliant
Maarten ********
Billy Brown Do I detect some jealousy there?

Or do you have your own house on a 2 hectare (12 rai) forested property?
Andy *******
@Maarten *******
is it jealousy or just the truth ... Looks like a lovely house but it's not currently suited to the wet days .... Many ways to fix it to your needs, but you must admit it does look like a little moat in the picture ... It wouldn't matter if you have a thousand hectares with a jungle and river running through it, it still looks like a moat around the house 😅👍
Maarten ********
@Sum ****
Yes. 18 years.
Tohksic ******
@Maarten *******
Try telling your T wife she can't enter your usurfruct property 555
Steve **********
@Tohksic *****
once she enters, it's not yours.

Lot of good and bad stories as in life.

Enjoy it, until you can't!
Maarten ********
@Tohksic *****
My T wife and I are married for 18 years.

Any more smart remarks to hide your own stupidity?
Andy *******
@Maarten *******
you are very sensitive to anything you consider criticism ... Are YOU Thai? 🙄
Sam ********
@Andy ******
no wonder he wants to live by himself in a forest with a mosquito-infested moat to keep people away 😂
Kristian ********
@Maarten *******
you got a nice moat
David **********
I can assist if you are considering krabi or trang provinces, we have extensive land holdings and are currently building two residential villa projects. Happy buyers are too busy enjoying their life to tell everyone about it on fb.
Scotty *********
@David *********
I am in Krabi looking for a little land. DM me when you get a chance. Thanks
Taz **********
DM
Ken *************
So I purchased a project house with my wife in 2012. I'd say I'm indifferent neither happy nor sad about it. We use it for vacation a couple of months a year. It is not for investment.

Things I did right

1) I could always afford to walk away without destroying myself financially.

2) Picked a quiet area in North Hua Hin, minimizing a large population.

3) maintenance and taxes are negligible.

4) made sure it had a decent sized yard.
Jeremy ********
If you’re a USA citizen buy it under the treaty of Amity if you have that much money…if not you will never own the land you can lease the land for up to 99 years unless it’s Tee Sop Sin land then the lease is up when they say it’s up…outside of the land it’s super cheap to construct a house
Martin *********
@Sum ****
its a nice pot of soup they give you while they take care of your money.
Jeremy ********
@Sum ****
ที่ทรัพย์สิน
Jarek ************
@Jeremy *******
the law does not recognize 90 year lease. Only 30 years are legal, the fact that the contract will say you get additional two 30 year terms are not legally enforceable and so if the owner of the land decides not to renew there is nothing you can do about it.
Tony *********
@Jarek ***********
That is exactly correct. Thai law says that you have the option to renew a 30 year lease but not the right. When I was a big player I once attended a meeting several years ago with a lawyer and the then head of the Phuket Land Office who clarified that the Thai translation into English on renewal of a 30 years lease was most definitely option to renew and not right to renew. But many leasholders have been sold a 90 year lease on the basis that if a sum of money is paid on the signing of a contract it gives it validity. And that is true of certain kinds of non property owning commercial contracts. So the developer would make 3 back to back 30 year leases with small sums of maybe 10K baht to be prepaid for the renewal on expiry of the first 30 years and another prepaid 10K at 60 years. They would argue that these prepaid sums cemented the contract but that is not true since the 30 year rule overrules any such agreement.
Jarek ************
Tony *********
@Jarek ***********
I have a friend who bought a beautiful ocean villa for a million dollars on a 30 year lease and he was told by the land owner he won't be able to renew it. He wants to sell the property but no one wants to buy it with only 10 years left on a non renewable lease. There will be many more cases like this.
Jeremy ********
@Jarek ***********
show me that in official writing…I’ll wait patiently for that information
Jarek ************
@Jeremy *******
The term of a registered lease agreement cannot exceed 30 years (section 540 Thai law translation section 540 Civil and Commercial Code: 'The duration of a hire of immovable property cannot exceed thirty years. If it is made for a longer period, such period shall be reduced to thirty years.
Jarek ************
@Jeremy *******
I actually took the time and money to visit two different law offices and get proper overview of the situation. Feel free to do the same, one of the was Siam Legal which is very experienced and comes highly recommended.
Jeremy ********
@Jarek ***********
so basically you don’t have anything In writing and are just writing propaganda
Jarek ************
@Jeremy *******
****************************************************************************************************
Jarek ************
@Jeremy *******
I just showed you above.
Jeremy ********
@Sum ****
look it up
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
you cannot own land in Thailand under The Amity treaty.
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
with a lawyer anything is possible under the treaty of amity
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
that's true. Having worked in the real estate business for many years I can tell you that I met many crooked Thai lawyers.
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
then why did you post a sensationalist click baiting Fake news comment…if you know the truth????
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
what click baiting fake news comment? 😀 Are you confusing me with someone else?
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
I see you have selective amnesia as well
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
yes that's a statement of fact. There's nothing sensational about it. I worked in real estate for 13 years and know Thai land law extremely well. It is your statement that a lawyer can do anything in Thailand that is the sensational statement and it's irresponsible of you.
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
wow you need serious help
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
if I need serious help then you need a proper lawyer. 😀
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
as long as they passed the bar exam…they are a proper lawyer
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
how long have you lived in thailand. 5 minutes?
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
10 min longer than you have lived in Thailand
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
so that would be 26 years and 10 minutes?
Jeremy ********
@Tony ********
26 years and 1 hour and 25 min 32 seconds 81ms to be exact
Shannon ********
I wonder if you have used the treaty to purchase your land, and for some reason or another thailand decides to stop the treaty , what happens to your assets/land. Thailand , doesnt have the best consistency in their foreign relations and they tend to change with the wind. However, this one seems to have been in place since 1966.. still could see thailand changing their politics very easily.
Fra *****
@Shannon *******
Thailand is Ranking as one of the most stable currencies in Asia

, Actually considered stronger than the dollar over the last 10 years or so
Shannon ********
@Fra ****
sure. That has nothing to do with what im saying. I was saying that they change their minds with the season.
Todd *********
@Shannon *******
they don’t ’change their minds with the season’ in fact they are extremely cautious making major moves. The govt well understands the situation and of course it’s always evolving. The current legislation has been in place for my lifetime. Could it change? For sure. And there will very likely be plenty of forewarning. But is substantial change likely? Hell no
Jeremy ********
@Shannon *******
too many much is invested in that treaty by Whales so that will most likely 99.9999999999****% not happen in my lifetime
**********
*****
*****
****% not happen in my lifetime
Shannon ********
@Jeremy *******
never say never in Thailand! 55,, but i think if you invest in Thailand, you should already know what you are getting yourself into.
Bob ***********
@Jeremy *******
how does one do that? My research shows the following: "Can Americans own land through a company under the Treaty of Amity Thailand?

No. Although the US-Thai Treaty of Amity allows Americans the right to own a majority of shares in a Thailand company and conduct a wide range of business activities, the Treaty of Amity does not permit foreign majority companies to own land."

*******************************************************
%20Amity.php
Jeremy ********
Bob Robertson the business can be incorporated on land…a business can be a HQ with an living domicile placed on it under the condominium act
Tony *********
@Jeremy *******
you don't need an Amity treaty to have the land owned by a Thai company which has preference shares favoring foreign shareholders.
Shannon ********
@Jeremy *******
when u say, if u have that much $? if you do it under the treaty, is it more expensive or needs more collateral?
Jeremy ********
@Shannon *******
*******************************************************
%20Amity.php#:~:text=The%20US%2DThai%20Amity%20Treaty,establish%20their%20businesses%20in%20Thailand.
Kevin ********
18 years no problems you can do what you want with it. It's not an investment its a life style choice. Selling them is hard.
Richard *********
I brought land in a friends name, ( Her uncle was the head of the land office in Kathu, Phuket) built a house which i lived in for 10 years and sold it at a VERY good profit>

Very positive experience>

BUT you must know what your getting into
Russell *******
Why risk losing control of what should be the most enjoyable part of your life.
Todd *********
@Russell ******
why are you afraid to take control of the best part of your life and establish a footprint here. It’s not like hundreds of thousands of foreigners haven’t. Plus Covid dramatically knocked down the value of the baht and real estate in expat/tourist areas. Major opportunities to make easy money and have full control of your own slice of paradise. Like buying in Arizona or Florida after real estate crashes there. Paid off handsomely
Russell *******
@Todd ********
Because I am retired.
Dan ********
@Russell ******
retirement doesn't matter, unless your financial plan is restricting. Obviously you have a plan/forecast and thats working well for you. Not everybody's will allow a spare 10 million baht plus to buy property, while still generating retirement income. I wanted to live here, in a nice house, i had cash in the bank, it made sense to buy. I'm two years in now. I figure I breakeven in another 8 years, and it's all profit after that. Some days I do regret buying, mostly for the nonsense problems with the water supply (deepwell + rainwater) mostly with the pumps, poor electrics etc. And poor drainage. It's hard to find competent tradesmen that want to hang around for the work. Communication can be difficult. I would consider to buy another....
Russell *******
@Dan *******
ok that's great, I am pleased it's worked for you. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement 🙏
Todd *********
@Russell ******
I’m 10 years into retirement and when you see opportunities… it’s often very beneficial to your financial and emotional well being to take advantage
Russell *******
@Todd ********
that's your prerogative. I would prefer to give back rather then keep taking.
Todd *********
@Russell ******
if you like donating monthly to your well off landlord, that’s definitely your prerogative. Weird, but as they say in Thailand, up to you
Russell *******
Cliff *********
@Russell ******
because you can get a big house and a big piece of land for the same price as a small condo, that’s why.
Darren ******
@Russell ******
where was the risk , he lived there 10 years and sold at profit.

Happy days if u ask me.
Russell *******
@Darren *****
I meant the original poster. 🙏
Dan *******
@Mike ********
might be able to provide you with some happy experiences 🙏
Gordon ************
Only shell out,what you are prepared to write off 👌👌👌
Patrick ********
@Gordon ***********
that's what my lawyer says..
Gordon ************
@Patrick *******
I like an “honest” lawyer 👌👌👌
Brandon ************
Would you expect to see many accounts of people happy with their home? People will go out and make an effort to complain if they are unhappy, but aren't going to do so if they're happy
Dave **********
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