Is It Worth Investing In Property In Thailand When Its So Hard To Get A Visa There?

[lovelaos]

about 9% Nett....thats a lot better than you will get tied up in a bank....

You obviously don't know a lot about banking.

Where can you get a return of 9% on a deposit account???....please enlighten me although am not interested in The Congo and such places.

NO!

[draftvader]

Yep there is one every day, I personally would not. I'D BUY A APARTMENT IN BANGKOK for me let the girlfriend live there. If the relationship went sour iv still got the place in my name and I can sell or rent out and get a new GF.

Just my two cents worth.

I'm happily married to a lovely English girl and we live in Bangkok (just so you understand my view on this). In my nearly 4 years of living here I have heard this story again and again. The advice above is SPOT ON. Seriously.

I have been living in the same apartment block for nearly 4 years. We're all expats here and of all the Thai/Farang relationships through here (around 30 at a guess) we have seen 2 true relationships. BOTH of these were with men who spoke fluent/near fluent Thai and have had their hands burnt numerous times before.

Tread so very carefully.

[samsiam]

about 9% Nett....thats a lot better than you will get tied up in a bank....

You obviously don't know a lot about banking.

Where can you get a return of 9% on a deposit account???....please enlighten me although am not interested in The Congo and such places.

NO!

PP...he is pulling your chain.....and currently counting his piggy bank wishing he did actually know.

[NewlyMintedThai]

"Investing" is made up of two components:f irst and foremost is PROTECTING your money. Second is GROWING your money.

If you are putting your nest egg in the name of a nominee who could dump you, die, or become bankrupt and have her/your asset seized -- you have not fulfilled the most important component.

The second component becomes irrelevant at this point.

[Darrel]

Unfortunately the majority of folk will tell you otherwise, they seem to be the type of folk that rent a room, shop relentlessly on a daily basis for basic food stuffs by swapping tales about how much the difference is in a packet of celery from one store to another or how much they was nearly ripped off by paying 5 baht to much in the printer shop. These are the folk to avoid at all costs, and 99% of the time folk who do not have a pot to piddle in.

You forgot the shoes. You really should do your research better.

I am however suitably flattered that an apparent "newbie" with just 13 posts to his name should devote so many of them to having a go at me, and giving me free psychiatric help as well.

Most people here dont care about me so much. Thank you.

Oh, and if anyone is concerned about my lack of a pot they are welcome to donate one. It will have pride of place next to my bank passbooks.

[TigerWan]

The simple answer is that its not worth the risk of investing in property in Thailand.

As the old saying goes...only invest in Thailand what you are prepared to walk away from

Ouch.. is it really that bad? lol

is it just the visa issue?

Or are there other issues?

This property woiuldnt be in my name, it would be in my thai ladyfriends name, she lives out there.

If that clarifies anything.

Yes it is that bad, and putting anything in a Thai's name is just compounding the odds of getting screwed out of it.

Used to be you could buy a condo for over 3 million, or buy a govt CD and get an investor visa which got one year extensions, now it's 10 million and btw, if the value of the property goes under 10 mil , you lose that visa eligibility.

Thailand knows it's rep as where to go to get sex has it behaving like it does. Sex pats and tourists will do absolutely anything to reside here and the visa and residency rules reflect that.

49 % Minority share in your own business , who on earth puts up with that? The sexually desparate is who.

Can own a house , but not the land, condos are ok investment IF the ownership is structured properly but forget land , those 30 year leases are not investments but liability as any lease is- worthless to sell on

Rent and rent cheap.

[mijan24]

The simple answer is that its not worth the risk of investing in property in Thailand.

As the old saying goes...only invest in Thailand what you are prepared to walk away from

Soutpeel,

i wonder that even people like you keep on using the same old rubbish and ignorant "advice" when the basic law is "don't invest in anything from which you can't afford to walk away suffering a loss!"

Naam this is so trueespecially in todays society and that doesnt matter what country you live in or where your partner comes from - nothing ventured nothing gained - just don't put all your eggs in the same basket!!

Edited January 12, 2012 by mijan24

[David48]

As for property here, if you want to buy a small condo in Pattaya, you can expect a return after fees, maitenance etc of about 9% Nett

Dear PattayaPhom … I am very curious about the figures that you quote in your post as they seem to be at odds with what the market will pay as a return on property.

Do you own this property? If so what is the approximate value of it and what rent and on what terms do you receive the rent.

If you don’t own the property what figures are you using?

My investigations on property ownership show net returns closer to 2 – 3% so I have great interest in your situation.

[David48]

Strongly suggested reading from those who own property here, or were intending to buy.

"Im about to buy a property and the farang owner doesnt even know its being sold"

and ...

"Four Ways To Lose Your Property In Thailand ... Cheating with real estate"

Before you 'invest' in Thailand ... invest some time and read these post ... it may save you a lot of angst

[Darrel]

If you don’t own the property what figures are you using?

He is a real estate agent.

Agents are often accused of plucking figures out of thin air when it suits them.

[samsiam]

If you don’t own the property what figures are you using?

He is a real estate agent.

Agents are often accused of plucking figures out of thin air when it suits them.

Nooooooooooooo.....tell me it ain't so....

[barefoot1988]

Lets put the property prices aside and assume the prices will increase 10 fold.

An entire savings on a property that is not even under your name but under someone you knew for 4 months? wow.

nah, better off giving them to your friendly broker, you will have a better chance

[seanocasey]

Yep there is one every day, I personally would not. I'D BUY A APARTMENT IN BANGKOK for me let the girlfriend live there. If the relationship went sour iv still got the place in my name and I can sell or rent out and get a new GF.

Just my two cents worth.

If you got your head stuck up your a** DO buy property in Thailand but if you do your head is stuck up your A**

[Scully]

Yep there is one every day, I personally would not. I'D BUY A APARTMENT IN BANGKOK for me let the girlfriend live there. If the relationship went sour iv still got the place in my name and I can sell or rent out and get a new GF.

Just my two cents worth.

If you got your head stuck up your a** DO buy property in Thailand but if you do your head is stuck up your A**

Bought my GF a house up north, 4 years, happy own business etc etc. She has changed in a matter of weeks. Anyway I am now being kicked out.

Glad really she has turned into a complete bitch, only cost 200000 which I can afford as I have always followed the advice of don't invest what you can't afford to lose. If you invest it's best to invest up North if you really really think you will die with you wife.

Land up here is booming as people are investing from Bangkok, for some reason they think it will be under water in ten years, i don't know why?

Then just rent although if I had rented it would have cost about the same so no regrets:)

I am only 38 so time to find a better woman that lives up North.

[Darrel]

Then just rent although if I had rented it would have cost about the same so no regrets:)

Don't quite see how 4 years' rental could possibly have cost as much as buying a whole house and losing it?

[Semper]

Then just rent although if I had rented it would have cost about the same so no regrets:)

Don't quite see how 4 years' rental could possibly have cost as much as buying a whole house and losing it?

Well, 4166Baht x 48 months equals 200000 Baht.

[Daewoo]

You aren't talking about investing, you are talking about buying to live in... the two are different...

Investing as a path to capital growth and income isn't too bad in Thailand, and isn't too risky... get a good adviser, get a property in the right building, in the right area, with the right management, and you can do OK in the medium to long term... Thai real estate might be overvalued (in some areas), but the medium to long term should still see growth...

Most advisers would tell you to look for a split between property and securities, Thailand makes the property side easier than say Australia, because the 'buy in' price is much lower...

Buying in the name of a girlfriend/wife/nominee/illegal company is a fools errand from a financial point of view... might help you somehow to see whether the relationship is about relationship or money... be prepared to find out it is about money...

Edited January 19, 2012 by Daewoo