# Advice on finding reasonable home/villa purchases by US citizen



## DreamingExpat (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi there I am I the process of looking for a place to call my own and retire. I am not 55 years old but have the means to retire now. I would like to visit Thailand to see if this beautiful country is right for me. I have done some basic research already. Can anyone direct me toward a site or other source that could answer my questions? Thank you.


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## Wayward Wind (Aug 28, 2011)

There are many forum sites, and dozens of real estate broker sites which will give you a good idea of the property market. I used Alan Bolton when I retired here, and they were fine.

Keep in mind that an American cannot own land here; one workaround is to buy a company whose sole asset is a house or villa. Foreigners can own condominiums here, so that is a lot easier.

BTW, 50 is the age for retirement visa eligibility here...

Send me a PM if you want more specific information...

Good luck!


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## Glen10 (Jul 24, 2012)

I'd live there(or anywhere) for a couple years first. IMO, rent is cheap--less problems--"owning" in TL doesn't feel right for me.


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## Wayward Wind (Aug 28, 2011)

Glen10 said:


> I'd live there(or anywhere) for a couple years first. IMO, rent is cheap--less problems--"owning" in TL doesn't feel right for me.


I agree.The different areas of Thailand have very distinct characteristics, and it would be wise to have a look at a few of the locations before making a decision as to where to plant roots.


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## DreamingExpat (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you for the advice given, I do appreciate it. God bless!


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## brianmarinus (Apr 4, 2010)

DreamingExpat said:


> Hi there I am I the process of looking for a place to call my own and retire. I am not 55 years old but have the means to retire now. I would like to visit Thailand to see if this beautiful country is right for me. I have done some basic research already. Can anyone direct me toward a site or other source that could answer my questions? Thank you.


I think -first of all,you have to find out,where in the country,you want to live.
To do that I wood recommend,that you go at least 1 month each place,you have in mind-so that you can feel a bit of the daily life,each place.

Do you want beaches and island-then you dont have think about the northern part-we only got the rivers and lakes,but a litle bit cooler weather,and
bigger different types of weather through the year.

Are you a city guy,who needs all that a big city can offer,then dont think about Mae Sai or Chiang Rai,in the north-but in the other hand-yet,we are stil 20-40% cheaper,about most, compared to the big cities.
So there are alot of things to have in mind when you choose.
Use forumsthen you have all the news every day,and most important-forums,from every part of Thailand,where you can see locals telling each other about importent stuff and daily life,in their area-and you can ask questions,and get answers from people who actualy live in that area and got the knowledge about it.
This is just my advice-I dont know much about other areas,but do you need tips or advice about almost anything in northern Thailand-feel free to contact me,and I will be happy to help.


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## JustChris (Jun 4, 2009)

You can not purchase a home in Thailand or own land. You can however purchase a condo as long as 51% of the units are owned by Thai citizens. People will tell you there are ways to purchase land and a home but do not believe it because the land will not be in your name and the Thai government is looking for people that do that and seizing the land and homes. If you could tell us the area you are looking in I could suggest some condos and give you an idea of cost.


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## ChiangMaiGreg (Aug 25, 2012)

*Good Advise*



JustChris said:


> You can not purchase a home in Thailand or own land. You can however purchase a condo as long as 51% of the units are owned by Thai citizens. People will tell you there are ways to purchase land and a home but do not believe it because the land will not be in your name and the Thai government is looking for people that do that and seizing the land and homes. If you could tell us the area you are looking in I could suggest some condos and give you an idea of cost.


This is absolutely correct. There are service companies and lawyers that promise they can get around the land ownership issue with having a company own the land and the expat owning just 49% of the company, but having control of it. Lots of people have done this, but Thailand is cracking down on this scheme. 

Without a Thai wife, it is better to rent --- and maybe better to rent even if you have a Thai wife. While most condos are safe to buy, the Thai land ownership problem for expats can be dangerous to your assets. Easy to lose. And it can become even tighter in the future.


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## hhfarang (Jun 7, 2012)

DreamingExpat said:


> Hi there I am I the process of looking for a place to call my own and retire. I am not 55 years old but have the means to retire now. I would like to visit Thailand to see if this beautiful country is right for me. I have done some basic research already. Can anyone direct me toward a site or other source that could answer my questions? Thank you.


There are lots of Thailand specific expat forums you can check. 
I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about living in Thailand. I'll send you a private message with my email address.


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## hhfarang (Jun 7, 2012)

hhfarang said:


> There are lots of Thailand specific expat forums you can check. I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have about living in Thailand. I'll send you a private message with my email address.


Oops, I don't have private message privileges yet (for sending). You can send me a message if you want and I will answer your questions when I am able. I've been living full time in Thailand for almost 9 years, am married to a Thai and I built a home here so I can probably answer most of them.


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