So you’ve decided to buy a property in Thailand, but you’re stumped on where to live. With all of Thailand’s amazing beaches, stunning mountainous regions, big cities and small villages, the country is extremely diverse. The good thing about this is that Thailand literally has something for everyone; you just should make sure you know what kind of “someone” you are before you commit to buying a property.
Below we walk you through some of the things that expats in Thailand should consider before deciding where to settle down or invest.
How important are comforts of home?
One of the great things about Thailand for many expats is that the country offers many comforts of home. If you want access to a gym, a movie theatre, shopping malls, etc. you may want to first consider buying a condo in Bangkok. Bangkok has essentially doubled its population in the past ten years with people coming from all over the world to settle down, thus attracting businesses from all over the world as well. In this day and age though, it’s safe to say that most other cities in Thailand also offer these Western style establishments, however if there’s one thing that’s particularly important to you, we recommend doing a quick Google search before committing to a place.
More Thai culture or more of an international culture?
Similarly to the point above, you should consider what kind of culture you want to live in. If you want to buy a house in Thailand because you want to get away from it all and really immerse yourself in another culture, you should consider looking into more remote locations where you’ll need a car or a train to access the big cities.
Beach, city, of country life?
When you think of buying a property in Thailand, do you see yourself sipping breakfast tea from your condo with a skyline view? Spending your mornings relaxing in a hammock by the beach? Or taking daily hikes to see the sunrise over the surrounding mountains? Because Thailand’s geography is so diverse, you can wake up any way you like. Just pick your poison (or your dream come true) and then start researching,
How important is the expat community?
You can most likely find an expat community anywhere you go in Thailand, however breaking into that community may be easier to do in less populated places. In smaller towns where there are only a few local hangout spots, you can quickly be recognized as a regular, which will make you very approachable to others who live there. This is especially true if you do not look Thai, or clearly stick out as an expat. While it is easy to meet fellow expats in these areas, you won’t have much of a selection of people to befriend. In places like Bangkok, there may be more expats to meet but they are difficult to distinguish from tourists so you will need to find an outlet, like work or an extracurricular activity to get to know other expats who live in the area.
Looking to find work or to retire?
If you’re not of retiring age, you will probably need a job to sustain yourself and pay for your property. There are many opportunities for expats in major cities, especially Bangkok which is filled with international corporations. If you want to start your own business or get a job as an English teacher, you need not put any limits on your choice of location. If you want to retire, there are certain areas of Thailand, especially beach areas that cater toward senior citizens that you should consider as they will help you build up a community quickly and easily.
Want to travel frequently? Choose a city with an airport
One of the biggest perks about buying a house or condo in another country like Thailand is that you then have a base from which to travel. While Thailand is very conducive to traveling within its own borders, if you want to take advantage of the cheap flights around South East Asia it’s best to situate yourself near a major. Consider Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui or Bangkok.
What else should you think about before buying a house or condo in Thailand? Tell us in our comment section below!
