Property Today October 2014 by Hua Hin Today

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October 2014

Top Ten Reasons to Invest in Hua Hin By Christa Romano, of Thailand-Property.com

With its rapidly developing infrastructure, booming tourism market, as well as its central ASEAN location, Thailand is consistently named as one of the most attractive places in the world to invest in property. Once you’ve made a decision to invest in the country, the next step is to focus the property search on a specific area. Choosing one place in Thailand out of all the attractive locations available can be a tough decision for brighteyed investors though, as the country offers such a diverse landscape and attractions. There’s no one place in Thailand that is perfect for everyone, however there are certain markets that provide more stable predictions when it comes to eventually getting a great return on investment, as well as areas that are at the moment more suitable for families, retirement homes, and niche travelers. For those thinking of investing, Thailand’s most aristocratic town known as Hua Hin should be one of the first places to consider. Sitting right on the gulf coast, just a few hours from Bangkok and anticipating many exciting development changes, the city is one of the desirable investment destinations in the nation. Here are ten reasons why: 1) Location, location, location… The number one rule in real estate, “Location, location, location” applies to Thailand just as it does anywhere else in the world. Choose a house, condo or villa for sale with a great location and you’re sure to maximize your chances of getting a great return. At the moment, the entire city of Hua Hin is in a great location. Placed on the Southern Rail and just two and a half hours away by Bangkok by car, it is already one of the most accessible beach destinations in the country and is only getting easier to reach. 2) Forward thinking to the High Speed Rail

Then it’s just a short waiting game for the area to develop around your new property, and you’ll be in business. 5) Growing Middle Class in Thailand Hua Hin will always remain a favorite second-home and holiday destination for Bangkokians, but the city is no longer reserved for the capital’s rich and famous. As Thailand’s economy grows, the number of potential buyers will increase. Chances are excellent that the buyer-market will have expanded considerably by the time you’re ready to sell. 6) Aristocratic roots and guaranteed protection As Hua Hin is home the King of Thailand, it has and continues to attract one of the most sophisticated communities in all of Thailand. Because of this, it gets extra attention when it comes to maintaining public areas and services, and thus is distinctively an area that’s guaranteed to remain fresh and up to date.

In anticipation of the upcoming implementation of a high speed train line, the country is now expecting major tourism and development booms, and Hua Hin will be right on its track. The city will soon be on a direct route from Southern China; only a 45 minute ride from Thailand’s largest international airport. The high-speed line will put Hua Hin on the map as not only a new international tourism destination but an ultra-convenient weekend getaway for Thai’s all over the country as well.

7) Family Friendly

3) The soon-to-be arterial road, Soi 112

8) Authenticity is attractive

At present, if you want to drive out of Hua Hin a road through neighboring Cha-Am is the only way to go. However a new four-lane fast-lane called Soi 112 will connect downtown Hua Hin directly to the highway. Still in development, areas surrounding the road are relatively affordable at the moment, but that could change as quickly as the construction goes. Once Soi 112 starts to take real form it is predicted to become one of the busiest business districts in the area, with plans for new resorts, businesses and condo developments along the road already underway.

While some of the reasons above allude to Hua Hin’s upcoming influx in tourism, at present the area remains one of the most genuine and respectable places in the country.

Perhaps another benefit of being home to Royalty, Hua Hin has a reputation to uphold. It’s a place where wholesome families can settle down in peace, send their kids to prestigious international schools and have fun-filled days at the beach and other family friendly attractions, like some nearby water parks and new shopping malls under construction.

For those looking to relocate to Thailand for whatever reason, Hua Hin has a unique combination of beach, accessibility, and peace and quiet. 9) It’s the ultimate golfer’s destination With roughly a dozen courses around the region, Hua Hin is a golfing paradise. Having received the Golf Destination of the Year, Asia 2014 Award, the city is already starting to attract a more international group of niche travelers, which will grow as the area develops. Villas and condos located on or nearby the most popular courses are sure to remain in high demand for years to come. 10) It’s a worldwide retirement destination Just as Hua Hin is known to be a golfing paradise, it also has a reputation for being a great place for internationals to retire. The clean streets, slower pace of life, proximity to Bangkok and an already existing community of expatriates and retirees from around the world make Hua Hin one of the first areas to look when seeking a place in Thailand to settle down later in life. For more information on investing in Hua Hin email: christa@thailand-property.com or visit: www.thailand-property.com .

4) Prices are still reasonable Hua Hin has been one of the major markets in Thailand for years; however it has remained slightly under the radar, missing the major tourism boom of the last decade. For many reasons already mentioned and listed below, these low prices will not be available for long. Downtown Hua Hin may be saturated, but travel just a few minutes outside of the city centre and you can still get some very affordable land (under 1.5 million baht per rai is possible). Go a half hour away from downtown and you can get land as low as 400k per Rai.

PROPERTY TODAY, October 2014

Selling of Condos in Cha-Am & Hua Hin Skyrockets According to a report about the condominium market in Cha-Am and Hua Hin carried out by Colliers International Thailand, there has been a very good sign for the selling of many condos as more Thai customers decided to buy such property in the two beachfront cities. The report indicated that the average selling of condos in Cha-Am, Hua Hin and Pranburi in the first half of 2014 was around 72%. This means 7.8% higher than the overall percentage of the average selling made at the end of 2013. Most of all condos in the abovementioned areas are enjoying good selling because they have been launched for a long time and most buyers are Thai entrepreneurs and executives who are looking for the second home to stay or a property to invest on. The report said that many customers prefer buying condos in Cha-Am and Khao Tao in Hua Hin because the areas boast privacy and beautiful sandy beaches. Moreover, the condos there are not very pricey. The deputy project director on regional property Colliers International Thailand Mr. Sanchai Khuekkachai said that, since the first half of 2014, selling of condos has been booming again.

PROPERTY TODAY, October 2014

However, during the first half of the year, not many condo units: 727 of 4 projects of Wela Cha-Am, Q Seaside, Mesa Condotel and Bela Costa, were sold. This means 65% less than the selling of the same period in 2013. In terms of Hua Hin, the opening of some big retailing stores namely Blueport Hua Hin under The Mall Group as well as recreational places like Wana Nawa Waterpark and Camel Republic among others encourages construction of new condos in the city. Also, the public investment, particularly the double railway of Bangkok-Hua Hin and the bank policy on property loan for Thai people are enabling many Thai people to buy or transfer condos. “We’ve found that many condo units on current sale are enjoying good prices because the property on the beach is limited whereas its price is high. However, this is a problem for property development in the future. Moreover, the price of the land in this area affects the price of the property, too. So, we are expecting to have a couple of new condo projects in the second half of 2014, most of which will cost approximately 1.5 to 3 million Baht per unit,” said Mr. Sanchai, concluding that the average sale of the condos will rise to at least 8% in the second half of the year.

PROPERTY TODAY, October 2014