11 hours ago, Mr Awesome said:

Hedge funds are a minor contribution to the housing issue.

The largests factors behind rising home prices are:

1. Housing supply not keeping up with demand. In many countries (including the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia), home construction has lagged population growth and household formation for years.

2. Low interest rates (especially from 2009–2022), which increased buyers’ purchasing power.

3. Population growth and migration into desirable cities.

4. Zoning and land-use restrictions, which limit new construction.

5. Higher construction costs (labor, materials, and regulations).

Good post. I agree that these are some of the big factors. I would add #6: Builders focusing more on the higher-end, where there is potentially more profit--and more buyers. Driving around the Darkside of Pattaya, I see a lot of two types of construction--higher-end single-family pool villas, and very lower-end, small, one room multiple units for low-salary workers to rent--you'll see a row of maybe 10 or 12 of these units being built, often on small plots of land not all that desirable.

These latter units are being built not for workers to buy but as investment rental projects--so the housing supply to buy is not being expanded by these projects.

Builders are running a business and you can't really fault them for concentrating on what will bring them the most profit and, until the recent crackdown, the most customers with money to spend to buy what they build--in many cases the purchases were with cash so there wasn't even a mortgage involved.

Builders also build what paying customers are asking for. I'm not a builder but my spouse and I have built several homes for ourselves. The first one was a 3-bedroom. When we decided to sell it, we found that a number of buyers liked it and would have bought it but wanted 4 bedrooms. So, deciding we could use more room, too, the next house we built had 4 bedrooms--and easily found a buyer when we decided to move on.

You can still find housing to buy on the lower-end but there should be more of it available and much more in the way of government programs to assist both builders of starter homes and first-time buyers--and not just in Thailand.

There should also be more thinking outside the box. One example. California is now allowing homeowners to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on their single-family lots. Not a new idea but so-called 'granny flats' have been outlawed in many places. California's affordable housing crisis required a fresh look.

I have a relative in California who is doing just that--building an ADU on his property. In addition to giving the ok to ADUs, some municipalities are offering construction assistance with loans and also grants--if the ADU is rented at affordable rates, etc. For Thailand, more fresh thinking on all aspects of the housing market is needed, especially if the foreign buyer market dries up.

4 hours ago, newnative said:

#6: Builders focusing more on the higher-end, where there is potentially more profit--and more buyers.

I agree. Builders are trying to offer high-end housing these days. Good catch.

On 7/22/2026 at 8:55 AM, FlorC said:

Funny that. Your anti-hero wants to make a change.

Even on your favorite outlet :

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/07/trump-housing-affordability.html

President Donald Trump said the U.S. should bar large institutional investors from buying single-family homes,

arguing that corporate ownership has helped push housing further out of reach for everyday Americans.

LOL... but then the petulant pervert DIDN'T sign the bill.