Is it better to buy or rent property in Thailand as an expat?

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, maesariang said:

Hotels are 400+ baht a night. You could stay in 1000 different hotels and see the whole country or stay in a condo where you never own the land and have full control.

That's a nice idea, cheap hotels with micro wave and free 🏋️‍♀️ 

[Hummin]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If you're 60+ and single not much point in buying.

You'll be dead soon!

I was planning to leave Thailand when I hot my 70'ies, but I'm leaving in 50'ies instead. My investments will pay off in few years if my wife keeps me, if not it was OK rent so far. 

[NativeBob]

53 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Rent is so cheap....move if and when you want to....no hassle.

Another thing: some "landlords" might rent their "properties" to weirdos like a flock of Indians whose nice sari-wearing wives cooked all the time some uber-stinky food at the doorstep so the wind will blow the stanch away ... into corridor and into everybody's rooms. 

On the floor above there was a penthouse of Russian pimp and in the evening ugly looking "working girls" from Eastern Europe were having fun at the clean and cozy swimming poll. Those "budget" versions with hair bleached to the "piss in the snow" color.

Later Koreans came. Those threw fags from their balconies into that pool. Nice?

It used to be nice and sweet condo but at the turn of the century it turned into <deleted> hole.

 

If you rent the place like this you just leave it, screw the deposit. But when you own it - its an instant freak show.

 

PS: before 9/11 I had a bunch of strange looking neighbors living next door. I guess at least 6 in the studio of 37 sq.m.?! Speaking very loud and always late. Guess their ethnicity? 

It took me forever to sell that flat and I lost min. 200K.

 

ROI my a$$!

 

[NativeBob]

53 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Rent is so cheap....move if and when you want to....no hassle.

Another thing: some "landlords" might rent their "properties" to weirdos like a flock of Indians whose nice sari-wearing wives cooked all the time some uber-stinky food at the doorstep so the wind will blow the stanch away ... into corridor and into everybody's rooms. 

On the floor above there was a penthouse of Russian pimp and in the evening ugly looking "working girls" from Eastern Europe were having fun at the clean and cozy swimming poll. Those "budget" versions with hair bleached to the "piss in the snow" color.

Later Koreans came. Those threw fags from their balconies into that pool. Nice?

It used to be nice and sweet condo but at the turn of the century it turned into <deleted> hole.

 

If you rent the place like this you just leave it, screw the deposit. But when you own it - its an instant freak show.

 

PS: before 9/11 I had a bunch of strange looking neighbors living next door. I guess at least 6 in the studio of 37 sq.m.?! Speaking very loud and always late. Guess their ethnicity? 

It took me forever to sell that flat and I lost min. 200K.

 

ROI my a$$!

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

That makes no sense

But it happens. 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, NativeBob said:

you will never will be able to sell at the same price

That is only the case if you paid too much.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

 

does 400+  include the cockroaches & bedbugs or are they extra  ? 

The bedbugs are included in the beds.

Some of the cockroaches will also be included in the room. If you want more, that order some food. 😉 

[Mark Nothing]

I have been waiting decades for the return on my investment to kick in on my cookiecutter condo which only seems to relentlessly depreciate.

 

Last time I contacted a realtor to sell my condo he said he could maybe get half of what I paid for it.  And in my 40 unit building 23 units were for sale many for more then a decade.

 

Keep your money invested in your home coutry and pay rent with your profits in Thailand.  

[OneMoreFarang]

For those people who suggest only renting.

Is the place where you live now exactly like you want it? If you could change anything, would you change things?

 

Over the years I lived in a couple of places which I rented, in Thailand and other countries. It was always good enough. But in every place, I could have listed many things which I would have liked different.

Now I live in my own condominium, 100% renovated the way I want it. And if one day I want to change something, then I can change it. I like that it's just the way I want it.

I also don't like moving from one place to another, I don't think many people like moving.

 

And I think with older age we are all less flexible and want certain things the way we want them. When we are young almost any room will do the job. Later in life we want this and that and how wonderful is it if everything is just the way we want it.

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But it happens. 

Not the policy, your comment

[Dan SG]

8 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Another thing: some "landlords" might rent their "properties" to weirdos like a flock of Indians whose nice sari-wearing wives cooked all the time some uber-stinky food at the doorstep so the wind will blow the stanch away ... into corridor and into everybody's rooms. 

On the floor above there was a penthouse of Russian pimp and in the evening ugly looking "working girls" from Eastern Europe were having fun at the clean and cozy swimming poll. Those "budget" versions with hair bleached to the "piss in the snow" color.

Later Koreans came. Those threw fags from their balconies into that pool. Nice?

It used to be nice and sweet condo but at the turn of the century it turned into <deleted> hole.

 

If you rent the place like this you just leave it, screw the deposit. But when you own it - its an instant freak show.

 

PS: before 9/11 I had a bunch of strange looking neighbors living next door. I guess at least 6 in the studio of 37 sq.m.?! Speaking very loud and always late. Guess their ethnicity? 

It took me forever to sell that flat and I lost min. 200K.

 

ROI my a$$!

 

You're contradicting yourself.  In an earlier post you've said the management / juristic were good; yet here have listed numerous examples of poor management.  You have to buy in a condo with a strong management that enforces the juristic rules.  They do exist.  You can make money but yes it's not the sort of investment that is going to triple in a few years.  It's a long term play.  

[Homburg]

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

All on 2 rai, a big mistake, as way too much lawn to maintain

Forget the lawn. Plant Astro Turf! 😉

[rwill]

Lots of unsold condos and they keep building more and more and complain about not being able to sell them.

[pomchop]

Unless you want to live in a short time hotel better hope the airbnb brigade don't take it over....once they do good luck to those full time residents who thought they were living in a quiet place of long time residents.

[jippytum]

I have owned a condo for many years. 

The owners who bought during covid a now rent out to hoardes of Russians and their unruly kids.

If you want a quiet place to live and you can move if required then Rent.

If you want to make a few bob and wish to rent out then buy. 

[arick]

Rent hands down. Never buy unless you have money to loose. You sure won't gain equity in a condo or house. House is better to buy then a condo if you do buy. But that is still only on a usefructe and only with somebody you really know well.  Rents are so low after paying condo fees and the headache renting to Russians and cheap Americans coming over thinking they can get beautiful condo for $200 a month. Thais will always undercut the rental values. Better to have your money if you even have any in a fixed cash account at 4.7% where it is safe and you can use it when you want.

Edited August 27 by arick

[Henryford]

No such thing as an investment in Thailand. If you intend to live here a long time then buy as your home. Otherwise rent.

[ChipButty]

When you look through some of the Facebook groups, at condo's for rent, not worth buying, rent if you dont like it you can move,

We own some condo's here in Phuket and after 7 years I would very lucky to get my money back, the only saving grace it has been a good rental unit's and still is, ours have a pool view but owners on the backside will be losing money as 2 huge condo blocks are going up, when they had a view of the mountains, not no more, the value will have nosed dived, 

[brianthainess]

13 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Dont invest anything in anything substantial in a country where the US Courts cant help you.

So you are saying only buy in the USA, I think you'll find not everybody comes from that ............ up place. 

[newbee2022]

You will get s lot of different opinions here. Many cons many pros.

I'd say, decide in which way you're happy with.🤗

[brianthainess]

I was happily renting (monthly) a unfurnished house for about 4 yrs, living with my then GF, now my wife, then the Owner wanted it back,

 So I was then left with all my furniture, 2 cats, and dog to find somewhere else in that area that I like, none were available, so we found 1 ria of land in a really lovely spot, and not so far from the village, up a quiet side soi, and no chance of flooding at 43 meters above sea level.

 I paid 1.7b million for the land, about 10yrs ago, spent about 1.2m on a small house build, 

 The old landlord was desperate for money so I paid him an extra 3months rent, that gave us the time needed to have the house built, best thing I have ever done, property wise.

 At current house rents where I am that is 1-1.2 million saved in rent, the land value now would be at least 2.5 as when I brought it only a dirt road, but now is concrete government road, + we could always sell 1/2 ria. the land has established fruit trees. I'm 73 and not dead yet. 

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

No such thing as an investment in Thailand. If you intend to live here a long time then buy as your home. Otherwise rent.

Quite. Condos and houses are chalk and cheese and profit is not the only horse in the race, quality of life should be the odds on favourite.

I was 62 when I decided to build my own house in 2009, on my wife's land so effectively gifted. Cost just under 1M to build and have probably spent about 300K on maintenance. After nearly 15 years, if I peg it tomorrow it hasn't really cost me much, about 7K/month. How would that compare to the rent on a 100 sq mtr, 2 bed detached bungalow.

A real bonus of having your own place is a built in hobby.

[ignore it]

The joy you feel on the day you take possession of your own condo is only a fraction of the joy you'll feel when you sell it.

[OneMoreFarang]

Obviously, I agree that there could be bad situations with a bad neighbor, a new building in front of the windows, and things like that. But how often does it actually happen? 

When I still rented a condominium, I had at some time an annoying neighbor. When he didn't stop making noise I called security, and I called them again, and again. Then finally he got the message, and he didn't make so much noise anymore.

Moving out is obviously an option. But personally, I hate moving, so solving problems without moving is another, maybe better option. 

[john donson]

high end shoebox condo has a roi after 300 month, break even, not counting on monthly facility fee, as a another 25 months worth of rent...

[john donson]

3 hours ago, arick said:

Rent hands down. Never buy unless you have money to loose. You sure won't gain equity in a condo or house. House is better to buy then a condo if you do buy. But that is still only on a usefructe and only with somebody you really know well.  Rents are so low after paying condo fees and the headache renting to Russians and cheap Americans coming over thinking they can get beautiful condo for $200 a month. Thais will always undercut the rental values. Better to have your money if you even have any in a fixed cash account at 4.7% where it is safe and you can use it when you want.

 

not everybody gets 4.7% ...we don't all come from USA/UK/AUS... I only get 2.5% MAX with santander, uk is 5%...but not resident, blabla...

[Henryford]

33 minutes ago, ignore it said:

The joy you feel on the day you take possession of your own condo is only a fraction of the joy you'll feel when you sell it.

 

I think that quotation applies to boats.

 

To give an example on condos. I bought mine for 3.5 m baht 18 years ago. Rent would have been @ 25,000 a month. So in 18 years i would have spent 5.4 m in rent. So not only have i saved 1.9m baht i have my own condo free and clear. OK i could have invested some of that 3.5m but coming from the UK most of the past 15 years i would have only got 1-2%. Plus i bought when the Pound was 71 so locked in all my accomodation costs at 71. If i had rented i would be paying rent at 45 to the Pound, for ever........

[retarius]

I built a huge house (but it only cost 200K dollars). I think it is better to rent as the housing market here is illiquid and it is difficult to get your money out. I'd like to move somewhere away from Thailand and just come to visit here but I have sunk money in house and land and don't want to just walk away from it. Also houses here depreciate as opposed to appreciate as in many other markets. 

The other thing I have noticed is that housing stock deteriorates very rapidly indeed in this climate, so that lovely home you tenderly build, looks like squatters live there 3 months after you move out. 

[marin]

16 hours ago, maesariang said:

Hotels are 400+ baht a night. You could stay in 1000 different hotels and see the whole country or stay in a condo where you never own the land and have full control.

You have never had any money have you? Living on the cheap for how many years? 

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

I think that quotation applies to boats.

 

To give an example on condos. I bought mine for 3.5 m baht 18 years ago. Rent would have been @ 25,000 a month. So in 18 years i would have spent 5.4 m in rent. So not only have i saved 1.9m baht i have my own condo free and clear. OK i could have invested some of that 3.5m but coming from the UK most of the past 15 years i would have only got 1-2%. Plus i bought when the Pound was 71 so locked in all my accomodation costs at 71. If i had rented i would be paying rent at 45 to the Pound, for ever........

Agree, and if knowing you'll be here for any length of time, and or having someone to use after you crap out, buying is better IMHO

 

Also been here long time (24 yrs) owning for about 18 of those.  1st house was small profit, 2nd very nice profit, with net paying for 3rd house w/solar & EVs.   That aside, simply taking the most expensive, 2nd house cost, 3M vs rent of a conserative average of only 18k over the years = 3.2M  So about break even if you add the rental cost for those 6 years, which were inexpensive.

 

But we do have the house & toys now, for no cost.  Selling 2nd house & land, covered all that "rent", and what we have now.  Valued now at about 3-4M, and saving us money every day forward.  

 

One size doesn't fit all of course, and house & land are way more profitable than condos at resale.   But if break even, it's at worst rent free, which is one of your biggest monthly expenses.