Does anyone have any experience in getting somebody in the UK obtaining a rented proprty in advance to your arrival in the UK. Looking at a number of agencies they seem to require full-time Uk employment and references. Would Thai based employment/landlord references wash ok? Is this going to be a bit hit and miss in terms of finding somebody willing to give an agreement to somebody over seas through a proxy or does it happen quite regularly. Will funds in the bank be a mitigating factor?

Could be a difficult one, depending on the agency you use. Personally, i always want to see the prospective tenant first (my gut feel tells me alot) and i have a credit check done. I also want to see referances and i want deposits paid etc upfront.

It may seem harsh but i have alot of my hard earned coin invested and i want to take care of it. I was burnt once, many years ago and do everything possible to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Try an agent who is located in the area that you wish to rent, explain the situation and they may be accomodating. Good luck.