Reader question: Investments in Thailand, what is possible?

May I ask you what your experiences are with sunbelt, which is a major advertiser on many English-language Thailand forums and blogs where no negative comments from eg ex-customers of those advertisers are allowed.

As well as the person who made the comment about using a European broker you apparently don't know what you are talking about.

Dear Maarten, 45% return is what every investor dreams of. What is the name of this investment fund? Is it located in Thailand or the Netherlands?

I also share Tak's opinion. So don't invest in Thailand. Perhaps with the exception of buying a simple condo not too far from the beach for your own use. That has many advantages. The cheapest condos in Pattaya (40 m2) cost
about 20.000,00 Euros. As long as at least 51% of the owners in the building are Thai,
can a foreigner (farang) buy there without difficulty. The costs for maintenance, electricity and water are very low.

@ Tak: I was talking about Sunbelt legal services. It is much broader than visas and the like and focuses on legal matters that concern farang. I don't want to promote Sunbelt here. There will be several and if you can find a good Thai advisor, that is of course also fine, although that seems a bit difficult for an outsider like Arnold. That's why I mentioned Sunbelt.

The brokerage function of such a company is of course completely different, I agree with you. Regardless of their interest in closing a deal, a large portion of their offers will be failed ventures.

Maybe Arnold should start a little bar with some young ladies and a pool table. Could be a gap in the market 😉

In theory it sounds interesting: investing 5.200.000, with a gross return of 576.000 baht per year. But in practice it will not be easy to rent 4 apartments non-stop for 144.000 baht per year.

Scared off? There are always exceptions. Be part of it. My advice: don't invest in Thailand

@Wim, you could indeed call it cafe talk, because many foreigners who lose their old-age provision here due to bad business decisions drown their misery daily in the bars and get to the bottom. However, it is a fact that many foreigners go wrong, that is clear. Excellent that you succeeded and nuanced the picture here. I would very much like to read an article from you in which you share some experiences and tips (with some entertaining anecdotes?). That would be an enrichment for the blog.

Hi Andrew.

16 years ago you could still go to Phuket with 100.000 guilders
start what. Nowadays, a 500.000 euros
often the least you will need to bring with you.
In addition, many foreigners start a business with them
girlfriend or wife because then the papers will also be in her name
to stand. This does entail the risk that if your relationship
on the rocks you often lose all your invested money.
We all know them foreigners who buy a house by name
from a girlfriend. Lose their girlfriend and on top of that
their house.

regards,

YES

Don't take any offers from someone you don't know.
Set up something for yourself?
In Thailand there are Dutch authorities that can help you.
Start for information on the website of the Dutch embassy .
Personally, it has cost me a lot of money with people, both Dutch and Thai, who make their move
They have mastered the art that you think they are your best friend.
An exciting life with a thriving investment is what many people dreamed of.
A bleeding end is the case several times. .

Tino,
Good advice: take your time, do good market research, don't rush anything, look around for yourself.

Renting out a condo can be interesting: rental income and possible value increase
from the condo. However, many count themselves rich: gross yield often below 10%,
even less if not fully booked all year round; in addition, normal maintenance/service fees + extra expenses (stress) because tenants often handle your belongings more easily.
If things go wrong and you want to leave, it will take some time before the condo is sold. And how is the market at that time? It can go along, but also against.
If you still want to buy: buy existing buildings, make sure the management is good.
Make sure that in a few years there will not be a taller building right in front of you. With money under the table, they can arrange all permits here, even buildings of dozens of floors on places, where one is normally only allowed to build a maximum of 4 high.

You are more in the "green" sector: indeed perhaps less revenue, but more satisfaction, because you increase the quality. The fact that other families are already involved should not prevent someone from doing something in agriculture, recycling or the like
There are still many blind spots on the map. And there are also powerful families/companies in real estate (including the mafia).

I don't think agricultural products are a bad idea. I've been thinking about that lately too.
As a foreigner, you cannot own a country in your own name. Possibly through a company (risk, because the government wants to do something about it). Otherwise a: use the land of a girlfriend/wife, b: rent land or c: buy land in someone else's name, with a maximum 30-year (and renewable) lease-back construction directly linked to it for your own safety.
It does not require a major investment; And it almost always gives fruit (do give water); moreover, it may be easier/faster to say goodbye to than to condos if things go wrong. To govern is to foresee, so with a rental-lease agreement you can also build in certain conditions/certainties for a possible early retirement.
If it is a "green" agricultural investment: please do not cut down any extra forest, because erosion due to forest clearing is frightening here. And don't use too many chemicals: in China, 1 in 5 children already has an abnormality due to pollution, fertilizers and pesticides. There are often harmless, biological alternatives. It would be nice if this method could also be made known to Thai farmers through agricultural projects. So invest, earn some money and leave a better country behind. Doesn't seem crazy to me.