EXCLUSIVE: The intention of Chinese citizens to buy property in Thailand grew by more than 55 percent in the year ending September, with developers and agencies warned to expect more inquiries from the country before the end of the year.
Simon Henry, the co-Chief Executive Officer of the largest Chinese overseas property website Juwai.com, said: “The Juwai.com Thailand Residential Purchasing Intent Index for September 2015 was up 55.7 percent over the prior year. This reflects strong growth of Chinese interest in Thai residential properties during the past 12 months.
“The Juwai.com Thailand Residential Purchasing Intent Index was down 5.4 percent from August which is well within the range of normal monthly variations. Our forecast remains bright for Chinese investment in Thailand over the next two years.”
Henry added that Thailand is now the third-most visited destination for mainland Chinese tourists, and tourism is one of the big drivers of property purchasing.
“From our past experiences we expect to see a jump in inquiries later this month and next month, as tourists return to China and search for property in the destinations they visited and fell in love with.”
He noted that Airports of Thailand reported that during Golden Week at the end of last month, Greater China tourist visits to the kingdom were up 30 percent over the same time a year ago.
“That bodes well for property sellers,” he concluded, referring to the proven link between tourist visits and subsequent property investments globally.
