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News & Articles

[Published on 2009-10-06 in Property News by Chris Thompson]

Property law

The property ownership laws of Thailand are somewhat nationalistic and foreign individuals can only legitimately own property in certain ways. If you do not follow the correct legal procedures, you are putting yourself and your money at risk.

Foreigners can buy some types of property outright; others must be leased or bought in a legitimate manner. The most common methods of properly securing property are by being the largest shareholder, owning usually 49%, of a domestic company and have the company own the property; or sign a 30-year lease with an automatic option to renew twice for another 30 years each time. This is called the 3x30 ("three times 30") way. By far the easiest and most popular way is to buy a condominium, where there is a huge selection of styles, with diverse degrees of luxury and price ranges to suit every budget. Foreigners can purchase a condo outright in their own name as long as the condo is one of the foreign designations of allocated condos. This proportion of condominiums can total no more than 49 percent. Not all blocks of apartments are condominiums; the building has to be registered with the land department as a "condominium".

Funds must be transferred from overseas in a foreign currency to a Thai bank account or an escrow account held by the attorney handling the purchase. All of the major Thai banks have international services to accommodate easy transfers. There is no minimum amount but the transfer document must state that the funds will be used towards the purchase of a condominium.

The purchaser will then qualify for a Foreign Exchange Transaction form that verifies the funds were transferred from outside Thailand. It also confirms the purpose of the transaction and makes future transactions easier should repatriation of funds become necessary. These forms should be carefully saved as they will be required by the Land Department at the time of transfer of ownership.

Tourism in Thailand comes not just from Europe and America, but also from Australasia and other south-east Asian countries, and high-quality property in a popular location, like Pattaya, offers owners a very reasonable return on their investment and of course an extremely enviable lifestyle.


[Published on 2009-10-06 in Attractions by Chris Thompson]

Koh Chang

White Sand Beach on Koh ChangThe island of Koh Chang is a tropical marine national park. As such, it is untouched by modernization and its natural resources are kept intact. Surprisingly, it is the second largest island in Thailand, after Phuket, and is often referred to as the last island paradise in Southeast Asia. Situated to the east of Thailand in the province of Trat on the Cambodian border, Koh Chang is a three hour drive from Pattaya and then 35 - 45 minutes by boat or ferry. Nearly 75% of the island is pristine rainforest, untrekked jungle, towering mountain peaks and spectacular waterfalls, all protected by law under the jurisdiction of the Forestry department of Thailand.

Koh Chang Marine National Park has outstanding bays, coves and beaches with pure white sand and coconut palms, beautiful and colourful coral reefs, warm clear blue sea, idyllic smaller islands nearby, fascinating wildlife and an abundance of marine life. As the island is protected, the shops, Thai style bungalows and hotels along the beach roads are designed to enhance the landscape and maintain the natural beauty, rather than ruin it.

Accommodation on Koh Chang ranges from beach huts and bungalows to luxury villas, suites and apartments. Jeeps, cars and motorbikes can be hired to allow visitors to drive to any of the beaches around the island. There are many restaurants, offering a variety of rich and diverse menus, bars, live music venues and nightclubs, where guests can relax and soak up the laid back atmosphere.

Wide beautiful beach on Koh ChangWith visibility up to 30 meters deep, Koh Chang naturally has some breathtaking scuba diving opportunities and several dive centers are located here. They offer both beginners and advanced divers the chance to explore great dive sites, such as the Thonburi wreck, which is an old ship that was sunk in 1941 and the stunning coral reefs that surround the island. For visitors who want an even more peaceful environment there is some magnificent fishing available. Around the beaches are tour operators from whom guests can charter boats, or sign up for scheduled fishing trips. Trekking through the jungle mounted on an elephant is wonderful experience. These huge beasts meander along barely visible forest tracks, cross rivers, where they enjoy being bathed and then taken back to their camps to settle down. Apart from the beaches, the mountainous nature and steep terrain of Koh Chang creates numerous spectacular waterfalls that are frequently visited by tourists and local residents. Take a look at traditional island life at Bang Bao village with its unique housing. Here each house is built on stilts and connected to one another via small bridges. Among  other recreational activities are kayaking and even Thai cookery classes.

All in all, Koh Chang Marine National Park is an ideal place for the whole family to spend a leisurely time relaxing in a blissful, tropical paradise.


[Published on 2009-10-06 in Attractions by Chris Thompson]

Mini Siam

Mini SiamBuilt in 1986 and located in over 46,000 sq.m. of luxuriant, landscaped parkland just outside Pattaya, Mini Siam is divided into two sections; the original Mini Siam and Mini World. It is the world's third largest exhibition of miniature buildings and monuments after those in the Netherlands and Taiwan. There are more than 100 exquisitely crafted replicas of famous and historical buildings from all parts of the world, scaled down to one twenty-fifth of their original size.

The Royal Palace and other important monuments and memorials are displayed in Mini Siam. Among the other models shown here are many ornate Thai temples, such as the Temple of Dawn, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the ancient temples of Ayutthaya and Sukhotai. Mini Siam also houses Lilliputian copies of the Democracy Monument, the Bridge over the River Kwai, the harbour at Klong Toey and a reconstruction of an old style Thai village, featuring different types of wooden houses. These are just a few of the many unique Thai landmarks and architectural works that are presented here.

In Mini World guests can visit every continent and experience the world's tourist attractions in miniature. From Cambodia's Angkor Wat, London's Big Ben and the Tower, Paris' Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, New York's Statue of Liberty, the U.S.A.'s national memorial at Mount Rushmore with its gigantic sculpted heads of four presidents, to Germany's Cologne Cathedral, China's Temple of Heavens, Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge, Italy's leaning Tower of Pisa and the Coliseum in Rome, Belgium's Atomium and Egypt's Abu Simbel, they are all here. There are also works of art, such as the Trevi Fountain of Rome and the Johann Strauss Memorial in Vienna.

Visitors can shop for souvenirs, dine in the compound's restaurant and enjoy go-karting on the mini race track. The whole complex looks absolutely sensational after dark with all the replicas illuminated and all in all Mini Siam is a first-rate day out for the whole family.

Mini Siam and Mini World are open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.


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