be a smart farang, not a stupid farang

Welcome to www.smartfarang.com. 'Farang' is a commonly used term in Thailand. It is not derogatory, and means 'white-skinned foreigner'. Thai preople are bemused at the behaviour of Farangs in their Country, and generally consider Farangs to be stupid. Our aim is to make you a Smart Farang. We are an important source of news about Thailand. We specialise in information targeted to foreigners considering a stay in Pattaya.

recent developments

all the planets are aligning for Pattaya to enjoy a boom...

In the past few months, we have had the opening of a new airport, a military coo, bombings in Bangkok, introduction of currency controls, and revision of business law. Nevertheless, life goes on as normal.

suvarnabhumi airport

The opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport to replace Don Muang as the Bangkok International Airport has been long awaited. The new international airport was planned in 1997 to replace Don Muang as the International airport. Construction was delayed by a series of scandals. The opening of the new airport has reduced the driving times to/from Pattaya from 3 to 1½ hours. Unfortunately, many problems have been discovered with the design and construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport and is already approaching capacity in many areas.

Thus, it has now been decided to re-open Don Muang airport in the near future in order to increase capacity. It is expected that most international flights will continue to use Suvaranabhmi Airport, and most domestic flights will use Don Muang Airport.

real estate investment

Pattaya is enjoying a revival. New projects are under construction while existing properties are being renovated.

The makeover extends to a host of new condominium and hotel developments, plans for two new shopping centres, and a landscaping project on Beach Road which is already well under way.

condos yes, houses and land no

In general, foreigners are permitted to purchase real-estate in Thailand, but not land. Foreigners may purchase apartments as long as they are not on the ground floor (i.e. sitting on land). Foreigners are not allowed to own a house, for the same reason. However, there are some exceptions:

the 49% rule

Condominium projects cannot exceed 49% foreign ownership. General practice is to limit purchases by foreigners to less than 49% of the total number of units. Subsequently, this 49% is maintained as an absolute maximum during resales. It is possible to puchase units outside the 49% foreign owner quota, i.e. a unit included in the 51% Thai owner quota, but it will be necessary to purchase in a Thai person's name. Some foreigners purchase in a girlfriends name, or some person of less than perfect integrity. Stories abound of foreigners finding their home sold without their permission. If the Thai ownrship route is followed, it is recommeded that a reputable Thai attorney is engaged to setup a Thai Company which is under your control. This Thai company can legally own condos in the Thai quota, also houses and land. However, be aware that there are setup fees involved, together with recurring fees due to company filings and minimum company taxes to be paid. Further, units purchased through a Thai company generally have lower resale value than units purchased in a foreigner's name since such units can only be sold to a Thai person, or another foreigner who is willing to assume company ownership.

Recent projects as as follows:

rented accomodation

Recent projects as as follows: