Last updated April 15th, 2024.
A greater number of foreigners buy property in Thailand than any other country in Asia. There are several reasons why Thailand is the most popular choice among real estate investors worldwide.
Located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand shares borders with four other nations and thus has served as a regional business hub for centuries.
Thailand’s strategic location made it an ideal buffer zone between colonial France and Britain during the 19th century. In turn, Thailand stayed neutral at the time, making it the only country in Southeast Asia that wasn’t colonized by western powers.
Nowadays, Thailand and its property market can still reap rewards from its geographic position… but in different ways than before.
The nation’s capital of Bangkok is barely an hour-long flight from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Asia’s frontier markets rank among the world’s fastest growing countries and Thailand acts as a main international gateway into them.
Likewise, Thailand’s borders give it easy access to cheaper labor along with an additional 200 million consumers nearby. This central location supports long-term investment thesis of buying property in Thailand.
Frontier markets such as Cambodia and Vietnam help support Thailand’s manufacturing base with their low cost of labor.
In exchange, Thailand is a major source of cross-border trade and investment into its neighbors. The relationship is mutually beneficial and creates synergy.
Thailand’s economy doesn’t solely depend on its neighbors for growth in its real estate market though. A domestic population of 70 million people contributes to the nation’s prominent middle class, and in turn, has led to rising property values.
Not only that, but Thailand ranks among the world’s biggest exporters of electronics and vehicles.
If you open up your computer and read the label on your hard drive, it will probably have a sticker saying “Made in Thailand” on it. That’s because Thailand is one of the world’s top producers of hard drives and memory.
Besides manufacturing, exports, and tourism, Thailand boasts an important real estate and hotel sector.
Indeed, Bangkok ranks among the most heavily touristed cities on the planet is one of Asia’s most popular place to buy real estate as a foreigner.
Such factors have led to steady, consistent growth since the 1980s which transformed Thailand into one of Asia’s most dynamic countries.
Naturally, this general economic success story extends to the Thai real estate market as well. Thai consumers are increasingly capable of purchasing new condos and homes for sale in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.
