I'm not familiar with the CM housing market but I can relate the experiences of my Thai partner and myself. We have been in Thailand since 2010 and we have bought and sold around 23 condos and houses in Rayong, Bangkok, and, mostly, Pattaya. Except for 4 properties we bought to rent out and have since sold, we lived in every property we bought. Most sold easily, all sold at a profit. Some profits were small, some profits were large. We don't, however, buy a property in the hope we will make money, although that's always nice. We buy because we prefer to own the space we live in. We like our own art, antiques, and furniture, we like an 85-inch tv rather than a 42-inch, we like a quality mattress we have selected, we like a large refrigerator with automatic ice maker and water dispenser rather than what you usually get in a rental. And, we like to make changes whenever we feel like it--and we usually feel like it quite a lot. Life is short, we don't want to spend it in a rental. That's us. The other consideration is I am 14 years older than my Thai spouse and likely will die first. The two properties we now own free and clear, a house in Pattaya and a Bangkok condo, will give my spouse options down the road. If you are a regular reader of Asean Now you will likely know there is an ongoing spirited debate on renting vs. buying. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong answer; no one size fits all. It's all up to the individual or couple. I would say if one is only here short-term or one's stay here is uncertain, rent. If a longer stay is likely, then owning can have some advantages--at least it does for us.
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