Thai culture has always been greatly influenced by China and India giving an exotic blend for which The Kingdom of Thailand has become famous. Buyers in Thailand tend to be mostly investors who are looking to cash in on the booming tourist industry however with increasing demand this is set to change



Overseas investors will be pleased that Bangkok recently opened a new airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), often called New Bangkok International Airport, which is 25 kilometers east of downtown. This facility has flights from all over the world on most major airlines. The old international airport, Don Muang (DMK), is open for limited domestic flights.

The Bangkok real estate market is one of the best for international investors who are interested in the Asian market. Research shows that the property market here is much more affordable than other south Asian cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Bangkok has a very nice climate year round and is also close to many recreational activities, such as beaches and tropical resorts.

Because of low labour costs and relatively inexpensive housing, many multinational corporations have made Bangkok one of their overseas homes. This has, in turn, drawn a lot of international businessmen and expatriates to the city looking for high quality housing at reasonable prices. There continues to be a healthy demand for property, meaning that investments should continue to rise in value for the foreseeable future.

The city is one of contrasts, with its fast growing urban skyline and many old temples and historical sights. It is also growing increasingly cosmopolitan with high end shopping, entertainment and fine dining. Because of Thailand's strict foreign ownership laws, apartments and condominiums are the option of choice for most international property seekers in Bangkok.

The new property available in Bangkok is attractive to in the middle and upper-middle income buyers. These properties are typically one and two bedroom units ranging in size between 45 square meters to 80 square meters. Moving up towards the high-end market, new additions were seen in the Sathorn, Silom and Sukhumvit areas, with the majority of condo units offered being two and three bedrooms from 90 square meters to 190 square meters.

My other tip for the top in Thailand is the city of Pattaya which is to be found on the east coast of Tourism in this area appears to be increasing year on year. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand 5.8 million people visited Pattaya in 2006. The combination of its big, wide beaches, water sports, interesting attractions, sightseeing, shopping, makes Pattaya's a great place to buy property in Thailand.

In summary Thailand offers a host of opportunities for the international real estate investor