On 1/4/2026 at 6:35 AM, ezzra said:

Is now a good time now to look for a free standing, 3-4 beds house not too far from the center of Pattaya

up to 5 million?

Would like to hear from people who's been looking and what their suggestions and impressions are.

My impression is ....... Houses around Pattaya are too expensive.

Plenty of nice houses around Chiang Mai for 2M.

Why Pattaya?

And my second suggestion .......

Buy the house on a 90% mortgage, in her name, then there's no real risk for the next 10 years.

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My impression is ....... Houses around Pattaya are too expensive.

Plenty of nice houses around Chiang Mai for 2M.

Why Pattaya?

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My impression is ....... Houses around Pattaya are too expensive.

Plenty of nice houses around Chiang Mai for 2M.

Why Pattaya?

And my second suggestion .......

Buy the house on a 90% mortgage, in her name, then there's no real risk for the next 10 years.

More sex workers in Pattaya, prices go up in proportion to the amount of sex worker growth 📈

One assumes the OP knows that capital gains is not guaranteed.

But maybe the 5M doesn't matter?

Does the size of the house / property matter unless one whishes to impress at the golf club bar?

The actual price would not be my primary concern. More important? What is the property transfer rate currently. Doesn't matter of course if the OP will never sell it.

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

More sex workers in Pattaya, prices go up in proportion to the amount of sex worker growth 📈

The sex workers are over-inflating the housing market.

6 hours ago, gearbox said:

Nothing beats the endless Thai summer.

But it's too hot a couple of months a year in Thailand.

Overall, maybe Thailand wins on climate. But I do appreciate cooler weather as well to be able to stay outdoors more during the day.

6 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Except for actually being able to own the whole property in your name in Europe, which is backed up by a proper judicial system. 🙂

It is likely that you are going to get hit with taxes on your super and investments in most of the countries there. Currently nothing beats the Oz zero tax on super pensions.

12 hours ago, save the frogs said:

But it's too hot a couple of months a year in Thailand.

IMHO its too cold for a few weeks of the year.

My wife has a 4 BR 3 Ba house for sale in Nong Prue (the dark side of Pattaya) in Tanyawan City Homes muban (หมู่บ้าน) for a very reasonable price. The village is between Nern Plub Wan Road and Boonsampan Road (also commonly known as Soi Khao Noi), providing easy access to Sukhumvit Road and a short 10-minute drive to downtown Pattaya City. If you're interested, you can call her at 084-456-8758.

Thats a rather inviting looking mooban!

the house looks decent for the coin though.

On 1/5/2026 at 7:01 AM, TorquayFan said:

Hi it appears from the comments that you'll be able to find somewhere Ezzra but I have something to add, which may be invaluable, or may be out of date.

I last bought a property for about THB 5 million about 10 years ago, (this was in Korat). At that time I found a Lawyer who advised me to take ut a 'USUFRUCHT'. Weird I know as it sounds Germanic, but 10 years ago, these were valid in Law - now, you'd need to check . . . .

The USUFRUCHT applies to the property and it means that the property cannot then be sold without your signed permission at the Land Office.

Why bother ? Well, circumstances may arise with your Partner that you do not envisage now.

For me it proved invaluable as i finished with the Lady who otherwise would have been in line for at least the lion's share of the proceeds - as it was I was able to give her just 25% which hurt, but did not break me !

As it happens, the House was owned through a Company, (which I would not do now as that route seems to be under question).

I believe that due West of Pattaya a few miles there is a pleasant and quiet area and some lakes etc - I have a friend there and it sounds great.

But as for ownership it will be vested in the Lady, (if not a Condo), but at least, I suggest you ask the question about a USUFRUCHT.

ATB

As another poster has mentioned, the lake area you mentioned is due east, not west. You are correct that it is, indeed, a very pleasant area to live. I would suggest the OP check out the Lake Mabprachan area, where my spouse and I have relocated after living in a number of Pattaya areas, including Jomtien, Pratamnuk, beachfront Pattaya, and Wongamat.

The Lake Mabprachan area of Pattaya is booming and there are many new housing projects in all price ranges. The OP can certainly find a 3-bedroom house with a pool for 5 million. Last year my spouse and I bought a new construction 3 bedroom, 3 full bath house with a pool for 4.4MB, unfurnished. We are living in this house while we build another, bigger house in a different housing project in Lake Mabprachan--we obviously like this area of Pattaya.

The smaller house is in Pong and not far from the Motorway and Regent School. If you buy near the Motorway, it is very easy to jump on the Motorway and be on Sukhumvit in 10 or 15 minutes. Entering Pattaya from the Motorway puts us near the places we frequent: Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Terminal 21, Central Festival, Index, Boonthavorn, Little Walk, Home Pro, Big C Extra, Tesco, our car dealer, etc.

As I have posted many times, one of the biggest strengths of Pattaya is the large number of different neighborhoods, each with its own vibe, and the huge selection of housing, both condos and homes, to buy or rent, in all price ranges. To the OP, good luck with your search.

18 hours ago, gearbox said:

It is likely that you are going to get hit with taxes on your super and investments in most of the countries there. Currently nothing beats the Oz zero tax on super pensions.

Huh????

To my knowledge, if one moved to Italy or Thailand after retiring, their super pension would be treated the same by the ATO.

I have neglected to mention that the house is to be owned by Thai people, the reason I asked is because we're looking at a 5 beds 5 million house that need some renovations done to it before moving in, and I just needed to know if this is a good time to buy such property, what I mostly got is well of topic feedback, and people who thinks that investing in Pattaya is a bad Idea, had i bought some properties when I first arrived here 35 years ago, today they are worth 10 times more, I myself live in a modest high rise 10 millions baht condo overlooking the bay of Pattaya, and I think that it is a good investment,

But Thanks to everyone who ventured his/her opinion on this topic.

Off topic posts and replies about buying property in Europe have been removed.

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I have neglected to mention that the house is to be owned by Thai people, the reason I asked is because we're looking at a 5 beds 5 million house that need some renovations done to it before moving in, and I just needed to know if this is a good time to buy such property, what I mostly got is well of topic feedback, and people who thinks that investing in Pattaya is a bad Idea, had i bought some properties when I first arrived here 35 years ago, today they are worth 10 times more, I myself live in a modest high rise 10 millions baht condo overlooking the bay of Pattaya, and I think that it is a good investment,

But Thanks to everyone who ventured his/her opinion on this topic.

You know what they say garbage in garbage out, opening post wasn't accurate enough to get good advice, yes property prices have gone up alot since covid, but still a good time to buy if you see value

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I have neglected to mention that the house is to be owned by Thai people, the reason I asked is because we're looking at a 5 beds 5 million house that need some renovations done to it before moving in, and I just needed to know if this is a good time to buy such property, what I mostly got is well of topic feedback, and people who thinks that investing in Pattaya is a bad Idea, had i bought some properties when I first arrived here 35 years ago, today they are worth 10 times more, I myself live in a modest high rise 10 millions baht condo overlooking the bay of Pattaya, and I think that it is a good investment,

But Thanks to everyone who ventured his/her opinion on this topic.

Any time the subject is real estate in Thailand on Asean Now you will get a number of posts telling you to only rent, never buy in Thailand. My Thai spouse and I arrived in Pattaya 15 years ago and thank goodness we did not follow that advice. During that time span we have bought and sold 22 properties, both condos and houses. Two in Rayong, one in Bangkok, and the rest in Pattaya. Every one was sold at a profit. Some of the profits were small, especially on the small condos, some of the profits were larger, especially on the larger condos and houses, but all sold at a profit, and most within a few months. We have never lost a penny buying property in Thailand.

Not knowing the specific location and specific condition of the property you mentioned, I can only give general advice--which you, of course, are free to ignore. If the location is fairly favorable, I would say a 5-bedroom house needing work for 5MB could be a bargain and could appreciate if it is given a good fix-up. I would caution not to rush into anything and I would have the house structure looked at first to give you some idea of what would be involved with the renovation and to ensure, as much as you can, that you are not buying a money pit.

The trend these days is to slather on marble or granite on just about every wall of a house, often outlining the real or fake stone as if it was art in gaudy rose brass or aluminum edging. Mix with gaudy, poorly scaled, and incorrectly placed furniture, topped off with even gaudier chandeliers--most of which have to be a nightmare to keep clean in Thailand. We use granite or marble only on kitchen and vanity counters and kitchen backsplashes, where it belongs.

I suspect the current gaudy, flashy trend will not stand the test of time. My suggestion would be to use your renovation budget instead on good design and use of space, with quality built-in cabinetry and good furniture and appliances. Instead of gaudy granite on the walls, a designated laundry area with washer and dryer, not in the kitchen, will provide much better value--and be far more useful.

We have found that houses with larger numbers of bedrooms are both fewer in number and in good demand. Several times we had buyers look at 3 and 4-bedroom houses we had for sale and they liked the houses but wanted more bedrooms. We are currently putting our money where our mouth is--we are building a 5-bedroom, 5 1/2 bath house that we will be living in. It is in the Lake Mabprachan area, which we like and has become a very desirable area of Pattaya.

Good luck with whatever you decide. By the way, if our track record is any indication, your condo overlooking the bay of Pattaya should be a good investment. Every single condo we bought and sold in Pattaya also had a bay of Pattaya view--it was a requirement for us because we, ourselves, always wanted a seaview and we knew seaview condos hold their value well.

NOTE to anyone that cares ... do not take advice from most folks that replied in this thread, who obviously have not bought and or sold property in TH.

Depending on age and if you know you will live in any purchase for 5-10 yrs at least, then buying is usually the way to go. If you didn't over pay.

Structure assessments at the land office for tax assessment are spot on. Land assessment for same, are usually less than sell/buy price, unless very lucky. But that will appreciate, nicely, if wisely purchased. Those 2 facts from experience of 3 house builds and 7 land lots bought & sold.

Land appreciated, not the structures, so the more land, the better appreciations. If minimal land, and you simply break even on cost when sold, then you lived rent free, hence a good investment.

Do the 'illegal' business owning route, and don't be surprised if they find out, and you lose your entire investment.

If not in your name, no paperwork will truly protect you, if 'owner' doesn't want you living there.

If not having RE experience before moving to TH, and or long term trusting Thai partner, and one trusting relative of ............. then buy a condo, or rent.

Don't invest anything, you can't afford to walk away from.

On 1/6/2026 at 12:29 PM, Eff1n2ret said:

Depending on your circumstances, a usufrucht agreement could be worthwhile, but I would add one caveat; do it through a lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the local amphur and can fix things. This is my experience:

I met and married my wife in England and we decided to live in the land of her birth after I retired. We came on holiday and had a house built on a development in Banchang. I thought it would be preferable to protect the considerable chunk of my life savings with a usufrucht, so on the next holiday we went to a lawyer in Pattaya, selected from a list recommended by the US Embassy. This guy (English) drew up what seemed to be the standard arrangement, 30 years lease from my wife, renewable, with a nominal monthly rent. A young lady from the office accompanied us to the amphur in Banchang, where a sour-faced old trout declined to register the agreement on the grounds that when the property was purchased I had allegedly signed something confirming that my financing the deal placed no obligations on my wife, I was seeking to circumvent normal property rights - or something to that effect, it wasn't properly explained to me. The young lady just gave a blank stare.

It occurred to me that the trout was angling for tea money, but I didn't have the confidence to try and negotiate that, it could have landed me in trouble. Back at the office the guy said he'd never experienced anything like that before, and he also alleged that my wife had expressed some reservation about the arrangement, although she never said anything to me. He said it was nevertheless a legal agreement which we had both signed, but I doubt it would ever be enforceable without the imprimatur of the amphur. In the end I just wrote the whole thing down to experience.

That was 20 years ago, and we've been retired here for 16 years. The memsahib has never shown the slightest signs of wanting to throw me out, or gambling the property away (which has been the fate of a couple of neighbours). Whatever my original worries, I have none now. I still believe, however, that if I had found a lawyer in Banchang the outcome would have been different.

I also me with major resistance in the local land office when I attempted to register a legal 30 year lease with my Thai gf sister in 2007. Bitch at land office waved me away rudely. I tried a couple more times with different windows and finally hired a local lawyer (30k) to facilitate everything. My name is on the chanote a lessee and registered. Almost 20 years later and all is good. It would never have happened without the lawyer.

As a side note, a good friend of mine also lost his house I Burriram to a gambling spouse. He never saw a chanote and was lied to for many many years.

On 1/12/2026 at 9:31 AM, KhunLA said:

NOTE to anyone that cares ... do not take advice from most folks that replied in this thread, who obviously have not bought and or sold property in TH.

You wouldn't believe the number of expats I encountered in CM that bought their wife a house (or two) just to end up with no wife and no house.

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You wouldn't believe the number of expats I encountered in CM that bought their wife a house (or two) just to end up with no wife and no house.

If not retiring early, I'd be renting. Lucked out on 1st wife, though small investment, but early on, she could have booted me, and I had no recourse. Got her to sign POA, when on decent terms, though I don't think she understood what she was signing.

Present wife, I trust with no issues. Because of her 'investing', has made living here really inexpensive. She deserves everything in her name, as if paying rent for 20 years, since together, it would cost about the same anyway, if not way more. 15k a month rent X 20 yrs = 3.6M

I haven't spent nearly that much on housing.

On 1/4/2026 at 7:57 PM, jaideedave said:

Its all about the neighbors in my opinion.We lived happily for 17 years in the same house/mooban. One day they knocked down the house next door. 6 month later a 5 br pool villa was standing in its place. For rent short term on Booking.com.Our lives changed forever. Now about twice a week a mini van drops off a group of mostly single men. Around 2 or 3 am the pool parties start with the ladies they've picked up at the bar.I've had early morning shouting matches with drungs...The poolside wall faces our master bedroom. The new Chinese owners live in town and don't answer the phone when my wife calls to complain. They own via proxy arrangement with moo ban manager. Our complaints to city hall are met with total indifference. I've explored every option and the only solution is to move away.

Throw a snake in the pool....

5 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

Throw a snake in the pool....

555 believe me I've already thought about that. Firstly I'm scared of snakes and where would I source one? With my luck and with so many cameras around I'd get caught. Thanks...

18 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You wouldn't believe the number of expats I encountered in CM that bought their wife a house (or two) just to end up with no wife and no house.

And I'd guess gambling to be the biggest culprit.

On 1/4/2026 at 12:57 PM, jaideedave said:

Its all about the neighbors in my opinion.We lived happily for 17 years in the same house/mooban. One day they knocked down the house next door. 6 month later a 5 br pool villa was standing in its place. For rent short term on Booking.com.Our lives changed forever. Now about twice a week a mini van drops off a group of mostly single men. Around 2 or 3 am the pool parties start with the ladies they've picked up at the bar.I've had early morning shouting matches with drungs...The poolside wall faces our master bedroom. The new Chinese owners live in town and don't answer the phone when my wife calls to complain. They own via proxy arrangement with moo ban manager. Our complaints to city hall are met with total indifference. I've explored every option and the only solution is to move away.

There are of course lots of ways you could approach this but most require some confrontation.

However, from living on estates in Pattaya, you might find that the laws of the estate preclude short term rentals and as such, it can even end up with forfeiture of the property.

Reporting this to booking.com might also yield some results.

In one place, we used to have lots of aggressive soi dogs annoying people. Then there were none and none ever came back.