New Developments

Thailand’s Golden Coast is still relatively unspoiled and still has a good deal of land available for real estate development along the coast. With the renewed interest in the Rayong area in the past few years there are several new developments taking place.

The advantages of purchasing a home on a new development are :

• You are often able to select the position, plot size and type of the property on the development and also specify the property’s level of extras according to your budget
• Some people just prefer to have a new home that has not been “pre-owned”
• You are not paying for furniture and furnishings, etc which you will only wish to change as soon as you move in
• The property is brand new and built to modern standards
• On site facilities are new and thereby should be in perfect working order

Sunrise Property Thailand is aware that there is greater risk in buying property “off plan” from a developer, property which is not yet built, rather than buying a pre-owned home that has been built for some time, and so will only promote new developments where we have faith in the financial well-being of the developer, and confidence of them being able to see the project through to completion.

In the case of smaller developments, the land is usually already owned outright by the developer, and plots are sold individually and a home constructed on the plot according to a plan. Stage payments are agreed and paid accordingly, usually with a final payment which is paid not just upon completion of construction but also upon inspection and approval by the customer.

There are a number of “would be” first time developers who produce glossy brochures to advertise a development which they hope will make them a lot of money, but who have little or no direct experience of doing such construction developments, nor in some cases do they even have the funds to buy the land outright, nor also the funds to begin the construction, without first persuading the unfortunate potential customer to part with a deposit. Many people have lost money to such inexperienced first time developers, since they are prone to underestimate the costs and timescales involved, and unless they manage to sell a high proportion of the plots, the project will surely fail, and ultimately any communal land which is not owned outright by the developer, will revert to the bank and all the wonderful promises that the developer has made will never ever come to fruition.

If you have any doubt whatsoever as to the financial well-being of such risky real estate projects, then we recommend for your sake that you steer well clear of them, opting instead for apartments and houses which are already built on mature developments, or which are being constructed by reputable developers with the substantial funds and experience necessary to make their developments a success, such as for example the successful Logans developments in Mae Phim, or indeed the Phuphatara development along the coast towards Ban Phe and Rayong.

The latest edition of Rene-Philippe R Dubout’s easy to read book on “How to Safely Buy Real Estate in Thailand” is now in the shops and on sale at Amazon.com

How to Safely Buy Real Estate in Thailand by Rene-Philippe R Dubout is a comprehensive guide to any real estate purchase in Thailand, and the updated edition of the original publication provides plenty of experienced advice and legal information, and covers pretty much all one needs to know in order to make an informed decision about property purchase in Thailand, helping you to avoid the potential pitfalls which could lead not only to embarrassment but also to financial loss for the unwary.


Robin Hill, managing Director of Sunrise Services Asia Ltd., was one of the proof readers of the original publication, and his comments are featured on the rear cover of the latest edition. We thoroughly recommend to our customers that they purchase a copy of this useful book, for their awareness and as a useful reference tool for any real estate purchasing consideration here in Thailand.

Chapter 4 “Let the Buyer Beware” provides a good description of the “first time developer” and what to look out for, and chapter 6 “Separating the Wheat from the Chaff” provides a handy Developer Test to objectively test the Developer with a number of questions which generates a score. Using this tool will help everyone to take the correct approach to making a sensible decision, especially those who might have a tendency to think with their heart, rather than their head when it comes to purchasing that dream holiday home.

But such sensible advice doesn’t just apply when considering purchase on a new development…. it should apply to all of your real estate decisions. It’s amazing just how many unsuspecting people are taken in by smiling friendly bar and restaurant owners who use charm, friendliness and generosity in order to manipulate the unwary into some kind of real estate deal which is either going to land them a big commission for doing very little actual work, or which is aimed at manipulating you into paying a deposit on their own risky development venture. Ask yourself, if you wanted to buy a house or condo in your own country, would you go down to your local bar or restaurant for professional advice and listings?!? Of course you wouldn’t, you’d have to be really stupid, right?! Then why on earth let yourself be taken in by these sharks here in Thailand!?! Seek out a professional realtor company who knows the local real estate market and who can offer you sound advice and a range of safe choices.