Building Your Own House in Thailand - Catch 22-2

"How do I find a house in Thailand?" A good question and one of the most important and basic needs after you have decided where you want to live

What follows is another shameless plug for the Leisure Club retirement resort style community concept ...

... but we have been through these house hunting exercises and the experiences related here are real.

A Home for the Expat

You have toured Thailand from Narathiwat to Chiang Rai, Kanchanburi to Ubon; walked the beaches of Phuket and trekked the mountains of the Chiang Rai.

You even took a boat trip down the Mekong and visited every habitable island in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

And you finally found that perfect spot ... Nakorn Nowhere. The locals are friendly, the air is clean, traffic is two water buffalos a day and the food is outstanding.

There is even a golf course at the army camp just down the road.

So you start looking for your dream house. Suddenly the visions of domestic serendipity evaporate into a clear glimpse of reality.

There are no western style houses available. Nothing is for rent that even seems acceptable.

Why? It's the culture.


Generally

• Land in Thailand is extremely expensive by Thai standards. So Thais like to live in villages and build houses on small plots of land
• Rural or suburban villages tend not to have rental houses.
• Thais usually don't build "on the beach"
• Because the land is expensive and reserved for a good sale
• To avoid storms and typhoons
• Some consortium in Bangkok already owns it
• Condominiums and serviced apartments go with big cities or tourist areas

So you decide to build your own. See ... Catch 22-1

Other issues that a senior should consider

• Medical care - how close and how good
• Services - laundry, marketing, cooking, cleaning
• Recreation - what is available

Problems with standard Thai housing

• Not senior friendly
• Uneven room transitions
• Narrow hallways
• Steep stairways and short steps
• Most are designed for a person 5' 4" tall
• Inadequate lighting
• Absence of no-skid bathroom tiles
• No grab rails of bars
• Good quality housing tends to be small and relatively expensive
• A "studio" tends to be 32 to 42 sq mt (320 to 420 sq ft) and will start around Bt 6,000 and easily cost Bt 15,000 plus electricity.
• A 1 br may be 60 to 70 sq mt (600 to 700 sq ft) and will start around Bt 10,000 and easily cost Bt 25,000 plus electricity.
• A 2 br condo may be 80 to 100 sq mt and will rent for rent for Bt 15,000 and up to Bt 50,000

The Leisure Club retirement resort concept addresses most of the issues addressed here. The communities we propose are not, however, for those on an extremely tight budget. They require a substantial initial investment as well as a modest ongoing service charge.

But the Leisure Club concept allows one to exercise a much greater control over his/her domicile.

The issues above are opinions, and facts as we understand them. You should take them in the same spirit and skepticism you would any other information.

We are not rental experts and take no responsibility for omissions or errors on this page. We strongly recommend that you consult an attorney before making any leasing arrangements.

Sincere information and feedback is gratefully accepted.