Thailand has quickly become the preferred Swedish destination for vacation. But it doesn’t stop there; Swedish restaurants, bars and cafés have long existed in the more tourist-oriented resorts. During recent years an increasing amount of Swedes have taken their love for Thailand even further.
As with all popular tourist destinations, there is eventually a demand for permanent housing, and there have emerged a vast number of businesses offering both estate agent services and full-service construction and building of your new dream house.
One of these companies is Scandinavian Thai Homes, founded by Swedes Adam Reuterskiöld Arnbäck and Nils Wachtmeister. Having lived in Thailand since 2000 working in the real estate industry, the two decided that the demand for permanent housing in Thailand was big enough to start up their own business. Since 2006 they have worked on developing the new residential area Villa Vista in Hua Hin. They have sold 40 houses altogether, and just recently started handing over the first keys to the new owners.
– We found that our target group demanded three things when they were considering moving to Thailand, says Nils Wachtmeister. These were access to the city, access to the beach and access to a golf course.
According to Wachtmeister, these demands could only be fulfilled in three parts of Thailand – Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin.
– The choice was very simple for us. We wanted a place that wasn’t involved in mass tourism or had a bad reputation in any way. Hua Hin was the perfect answer.
Demand only the best
Naturally there are many things to take into consideration before transferring your well-earned money to Thailand. Both reputation of the company and the quality of construction are important things to look into.
– You need to be very clear about what kind of house you want, says Wachtmeister. You need to look around and see for yourself – maybe you can visit a construction site and take a look at some other houses the company has built? Talk to residents, consult an expert and ask to see a copy of the protocol from site inspection reports.
Many new developers and construction companies have decided to profit from the rising demand, and some have not been able to deliver properly.
– We know some businesses that have had to move to a different area because people started talking too much. The reputation is very important, and people know right away if you have done something mediocre.
Foreigners must lease land
Even if you build your own house, you are as a foreigner not allowed to own the land it’s built upon. The costs include different things in different places, so it’s a good idea to read the fine print so you don’t end up with any surprises. The lease contract is usually signed for 30 years at a time.
– The good thing is that the system actually works, says Nils Wachtmeister. The Thais are very used to it.
For more info: www.scandinavianthaihomes.com
Article published in Swedish Bulletin, autumn 2008.
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