There are two types of buyer in Thailand, as elsewhere in the world. There are those who look for value and want to fix up a place to sell for a profit; and those who want a ready-made proposition for either personal use or for commercial use. The returns are lower normally in the second category but the thinking is that the risk is also smaller.
This can all be a matter of perception. And indeed, con artists will work hard to influence perceptions in their favour. With risk it is believed comes greater rewards.
The same division can be seen at work in terms of small businesses, especially in limited commercial spheres like the Thai islands where space is limited and the distance from Bangkok is a key factor in planning holidays for many people. In these places a pioneer will try something new like a raw food cafe or a silent disco bar. The locals shake their heads until one of these ideas results in a successful business. The imitators soon follow.
When selling a property in Thailand one way of balancing the risk factor of relying on leases, shell companies or compliant Thai front people is to stress the benefits of the locale. One of the main things that people looking to buy a villa in Thailand look at is travel infrastructure. For short term rental tourists need easy access to a residential property, especially from Bangkok.
This has been one of the reasons for the success of places such as Koh Samui and Phuket - they have easy access to an airport. While tourists can tolerate long distance flights to Thailand, they get more frustrated with travel the closer they get to the holiday property. If the last leg drags people perceive a place as 'in the middle of nowhere'.
As well as being able to mention that a property is close to an airport it is also important to mention the proximity to the nearest rail line.Thailand trains are reliable, cheap and cover the north to the south of the country. There is also a line going east-west linking Bangkok to the border town of Aranyaprathet next to Cambodia.
New stations, line extensions and new lines are all being planned. Thailand train travel has great potential. It opens up not just Thailand but is on the verge of linking up Thailand to Cambodia and to the rest of South East Asia. It is an exciting time for rail enthusiasts. It is now possible to book many of the train journeys in Thailand and beyond online. This is another convenience that goes a long way to mitigating the hassle of long legs to a journey.
The same goes for ferry trips. Many of the main ferries from the mainland to the southern islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are now possible to book online.
As you can see the national travel network in Thailand is a major asset for Thai tourism. It encourages visitors to venture to the far flung parts of the country and even enjoy the trips. It helps tourists get to their final destination quicker. In short it helps rent and sell properties in Thailand just as being near a BTS stop helps when renting out a Sukhumvit apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment