I appologise if I have misinformed anyone here regarding this issue. Indeed there are locations and instances where buying and letting out property in Thailand would be a bad investment and the more experienced posters here should be listened to.

I am only offering my limited experience here and so far my experience has been good. I am not out to make tons of money, just a slow, steady flow. My main intention is to live in it one day, but for the time being I have decided to make a bit off it instead of letting it sit idle. In any business it's always 'Location, location, location.' It's not any different in this case.

Old Asia Hand, may your retirement be filled much leisure and enjoyment.

#4) What pitfalls have other members experienced

Thanks in advance for any *constructive* contributions 

Mr_Gadow

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Think again Mr. Gadow ROI stinks and the entire country is a risky pitfall.

Forget making money, concentrate on not loosing too much.

In the lease I have written, if there is non payment of rent, he has 30 days to leave and the amount is deducted from the deposit. Any damages are deducted from the deposit as well. If a lease is written well and he refuses to leave according to the agreement after the 30 days, I can have the police remove him.

It's not too complicated really.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, I see that. And I'd really love to be there to hear you explain to the Thai police how they have to enforce what you've written in your nice simple little lease.

Look, you don't seem at all interested in the experience of those of us who've been here and dealing wsith these things for decades and that's fine. On the other hand, you might just want to give a moment or two's thought to the possibility, however remote, that your judgment with respect to how things work here isn't nearly as well founded as you apparently think it is. If you don't, good luck to you. But when you decide to sell that apartment that has 'gone up in value already,' I would be willing to bet you'll have a bit of a surprise coming.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Old Asia Hand, you are of course absolutely correct.I have not yet been here 30 years but my sense is that very few business minded expatriates acquire condos to rent out, even in CBD.The maths just don't work out and some of the comments about the ease of evicting tenants are just plain ignorant.A relatively small minority -tired of paying rent- have purchased condos to live in themselves but are quite realistic it is unlikely to be a particularly good investment and that thoughts of a UK type capital gain will not work out (not least because of the exchange risk).