Over the past two years, Thailand’s has been closely watched by property investors and developers, not wanting to make the wrong move in the midst of the country’s fragile economy and international attention-getting political instability. According to Suwanee Wattanavekin, EVP of Kiatnakin Bank, property investments in Thailand are yielding an average nine percent return, with some areas of the country more consistent than others.
Wattanavekin relates this surprisingly high average to “Thailand’s demand for urbanization, state investment projects and special economic zones and limited land plots,” reports The Nation.
Wattanavekin reportedly made note of three general types of locations around the nation that he considers to be attractive for property investments, which can be more specifically broken down into 16 provinces.
The first area is centered around Thailand’s capital and largest city of (1) Bangkok, but also includes the following nearby provinces: (2) Nonthaburi, (3) Pathum Thani, (4) Nakhon Pathom and (5) Samut Prakan.
The second group consists of other large and quickly developing provinces which are included in the logistics network for the GreaterMekong Subregion. These include (6) Chiang Mai, (7) Phuket, (8) Phitsanulok, (9) Khon Kaen and (10) Chon Buri. Each one of these places is a hub for trade and tourism, which inspire urban growth, investments and population increase.
Finally, six more provinces with smaller cities that are predicted to soon cross the border into the realm of heavier trade and investment make the third group. This consists of (11) Songkhla, (12) Chiang Rai, (13) Tak, (14) Mukdahan, (15) Nong Khai and (16) Kanchanaburi.
“Now is the time for investment, and property is an alternative for investors. We see low interest rates after the [Bank of Thailand’s] recent policy-rate cut to 1.75 per cent with no rise in construction-material prices,” Suwannee said, as recorded by The Nation.
