Thailand country guide

Thailand is known by many as the jewel of the Far East - the friendly and laid back Buddhist nationals, ‘always summer’ climate, amazing coastline, exciting cuisine, rich history and comparatively low cost of living are all factors in Thailand’s rapidly growing popularity with tourists and homebuyers from all over the world. The island destinations of Samui, Phuket and Koh Phangan are especially busy...

Up until 20 years ago, Thailand was relatively undiscovered – it was then the place to go for backpackers and those seeking an alternative lifestyle - however, all that has now changed and Bangkok, the capital has become a major transport and commercial hub, linking Europe with the East and Australia, and the beaches and islands are home to some of the world’s most sophisticated and luxurious hotels and holiday resorts. Thailand is an easy hop for the millions of expats living in the region’s financial centres (Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai etc) so its easy to see how the transformation came about. For city slickers living in Hong Kong for example, the picture postcard tropical island of Koh Samui is a short flight away – somewhere to go for the weekend, much in the same was as the British or Irish go to Spain or France.

The property markets in Thailand are simply booming, so here is some important information for those considering investing in Amazing Thailand.

Capital: Bangkok

Land size: 514,000 km2

Population: 65,00,000

Climate: tropical, average temperature year round 32 degrees C

Economics: Average GDP rate for 2004 – 2006: 5.9%

Tenure for foreign property purchasers: Leasehold, 90 years renewable

Availability of finance for foreign property purchasers: Usually 60% mortgages but only for select projects