Do you guys who live there get together sometimes for a dinner or a night out? Is there a trading group there that doesn't necessary have to focus on trading?
I think chang mai has something on ThaiVisa.com . Everyone else is just scattered about. you would have to post in the local forums if you wanted to hook up specifically in that area.
I looked at some Thai condos online this weekend and am afraid I must report that my statement that 1.5 million baht buys a nice condo on the beach is way off. More like 4-5 million baht for a small 2 bedroom. Sorry for the bad information. 1-2 million is doable in Chiang Mai but not Phuket or Pattaya or even the darkside of Pattaya. Certainly Koh Samui is the most expensive that I've found.
Forget buying any real estate unless you have spend at least one year in the location .talk to the locals who live there.There is a lot of real estate scams run by foreigners,mainly GB nationals. Real estate in Thailand is not a good value you can expect to earn around 6% ROI . Research your visa situation first as it changes every few years. If you want to live in Thailand year round your best bet is a retirement visa but it is not cheap. I would just rent , unless you have a lot of money you can afford to sink into poor return situation just for the convenience..
6% for the broader market. Previous Sunday there was an article in the Bangkok Post Spectrum that mentioned about 3% for the preferred areas of Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 1 - 63. It's not that rents have come down, it's property prices that have reached ridiculous levels, so with many choices from the recent condo building boom, rents have not kept pace with prices. I got better than 3% on my last Fixed Deposit, so there is no incentive to buy property at that sort of return. Good Dividend stocks here yield 5% - 8%.
You just make friends according to your lifestyle. if you like bars and what comes with it, you'll find friends there. if you are into fitness, gym would be a good place to look. As far as trading groups, it is mostly by invitation only as they never really advertise their meetings but they are there .
Good advice. Long stay visa situation is getting very difficult for those who don't qualify for retirement visa. Current loophole is education visa, but not sure for how long.
Great analysis. I just wonder who , Chinese perhaps, are the buyers, driving the prices up. It just doesn't make financial sense.
the extensions requirements are a pain in the arse, but the visas are easiest to obtain in your HOME country, preferibly at honorary consulate. In the se asia region, non-imm visas are getting more difficult to obtain. Even double-entry tourist visas i'm hearing is difficult. They are asking for more paperwork than is necessary. I understand that there are general shakedowns every few months depending on who's in charge or temporary saving face measure. I prefer the non immm visas vs extensions because much less monetary/bs requirements for you to quaify, and you get to leave and come back whenever you want within visa valid period (must leave/border run at least once every 90 days) In regards to bar girls, they are there if you want them. Interestingly enough, when you remove bar girls from the menu, the mating buffet table is still quite large
That is a great idea to try local consulate for multiple entry visa.I just hope that when reentering on it there would be no problem with agents at the point of entry.