Bangkok--26 Mar--Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Thailand is increasingly a popular country for foreigners not only to visit regularly but also to reside in – and remarkably resilient in being so! This is especially evident within the real estate sector and in international expat surveys, where the Thai kingdom continues to rank in the top globally.
Thailand is coming into its own; expats know this and are heading to the kingdom in search of opportunities, experiences, and often a much higher quality of life than they can have in their native lands.
The Scandinavians have been playing a significant role within this, both in terms of actively taking part in building up the holiday ‘second home abroad’ sector and being first-time buyers as foreigners into new markets and dedicated developments here. There are today tens of thousands of Scandinavians (including the whole families) owning homes and spending significant time here and increasingly moving to Thailand as well.
As for the ‘Thai-Scandinavian’ slice, it took off some ten years ago, with the first golden years lasting until the global financial downturn in late 2008. The ‘boom’ saw Scandinavians finding their own slice of paradise and settling down to develop residential homes. In several cases this took place in very pristine areas with little or no such previous development.
The Swedes in particular were pioneers here in terms of establishing residential “settlements” in such areas relatively unknown on the map; Mae Pim and Huay Yang being among these. A big community also evolved on Koh Lanta (Krabi), where families came to take time-out the Thai way, and increasingly decided to build a life there. With dedicated schools for Swedish and Thai-Swedish children set up on the East Coast (Ban Phe), Koh Lanta and Phuket etc. this speaks volumes. Come high season and certain places are turned into a mini-Scandinavia here in Thailand!
Meanwhile one could see a growing need for qualified, unbiased information and advice rising from customers. Hence the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce (TSCC) saw the need to get involved within this, with the launch six years ago of the initiative to inform and educate potential property buyers via publishing ‘The best practices, a guideline for potential property buyers’.
Its involvement has continued and now the European ASEAN Business Centre (EABC) in Thailand, giving this a European perspective, is launching the new edition Thai Property Guide 2014 (with TSCC as partner, and as a continuation and extension of its previous work).
The aim of this new guide is to share insights and best practices, spread relevant information and allow quality developers to promote their residential projects to the international market.
It contains various facts and advice that the potential buyer usually looks for. Living in Thailand and what kinds of services are available to have a comfortable life also has a section. The purpose is to give the potential buyers ‘turn-key’ information on investing in property and living in Thailand.
Being broadened this time it includes all the EU countries in Europe as target market.
While the Swedes (65 % according to a recent survey by The Real Estate Agency) are still dreaming about - and also taking action to fulfil their wishes - a home in a warmer country abroad, many other Europeans do the same – where Thailand is a popular option.
The Thai Property Guide, with selected distribution within chamber networks within the EU, and among western expats here, in addition to being for sale at Asia Books, is of good use for anyone interested in residential investment into Thailand.
The 2013 Expat Explorer survey revealed that Thailand, once again, takes the top spot in the Expat Experience league table for ease of setting up, integration and a better social life. It also emerges as a favourable destination for expats looking for both quality life and improved financial status. The country also ranks top for the Disposable Income criteria. Upon relocation, expats in Thailand are more likely to say they have greater disposable income, with nearly eight in ten expats (76%) witnessing an improvement compared with the global average (49%).
Furthermore, the kingdom is mentioned as “a mainstay on surveys detailing possible locations for spending one’s golden years.”