THAILAND


FOR SALE IN THAILAND


cost anywhere from £60,000 to £200,000, with the south of Hua Hin being the most desirable as the landscape is more beautiful. It is more mountainous and the developments are closer to the beach.”


The beach lifestyle Thailand has many world-renowned dive sites, but Thais traditionally do not go in for watersports (many don’t even swim), so the country is also home to many expats working in the tourism industry, particularly in scuba- diving businesses.


These people are more likely to be


found in the country’s numerous island destinations, which are also favoured by the many early retirees who do not need to be close to Bangkok. The islands have better beaches,


but the infrastructure can be less advanced than on the mainland – waste collection, internet and phone connections and electricity supply can all be problematic at times. They can also be a pricier proposition, with many beachfront villas in Phuket costing upwards of $3 million (£1.88 million). The country’s most exclusive


developments such as the Soneva Kiri resort, in a less developed area near Trat, come with even bigger price tags – the Koh Kood location charges $8.5 million (£5.3 million) for a six- bedroom beach villa, but you are paying for privacy, frontline location


and the kudos of the brand (which includes the Six Senses spas). However, there are also affordable island options. In Koh Samui, Chettoe says the average studio is a much more reasonable £40,000, while a villa costs upwards of £120,000.


Investing for the future For those looking to rent out a property for all or part of the year, Pattaya is a good bet as it is the second-most visited city in Thailand after the capital. On the islands, occupancy rates


are likely to be lower, says Chettoe. “Pattaya is an all-year round


destination, whereas there are two main seasons in Samui, from December through to the end of March, then the European holiday season. We estimate about a 40 per cent occupancy rate.” Pinnock says there is a huge demand


for rental properties in Hua Hin, due to the deterioration of the pound. “For the past few years, the English pound has been very weak compared to the Thai baht, so we have many people coming over who initially would have bought but they are now renting with a view to buying at a later stage, hoping that the exchange rates will balance out at a later date.” Buy-to-let investors can expect yields of around 7-8 per cent, although this may be lower for those using the property themselves for a substantial period of time.


Pattaya £19,500


Studios at the Laguna Beach 2 development in Jomtien, including furniture package and interest-free fi nance of up to four years.


pattaya-dom.com


Hua Hin £100,000


Three-bed, three-bath villa with private pool. huahinpropertyagent.com


FOR MORE HOMES IN THAILAND, GO TO www.aplaceinthesun.com/thailand


Pattaya Bay and beach


70 aplaceinthesun.com


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