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A Luxury Guide to the best hotels and resorts in Thailand

It is no secret I love Thailand and the Thai lifestyle, Bangkok is one of the world’s great cities, and on the weekends or on rare holidays you get to hang out at one of dozens of supremely luxurious resorts from pool villas overlooking the Andaman Sea to tiny boutique hotels so exclusive they don’t even want you to have heard of them.

I know if you have seen one run of the mill luxury villa and you have seen them all. But if you are looking for something beyond sheer pampering and opulent surroundings, try some of my favorite places to hang out.

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai

One can imagine the conversations that go on between agitated high society ladies and their desperate-to-please courtesans floating down from business class in the plane ride north: “I don’t care how much it costs a night, I am not staying in a tent and that’s final.”

But once the bickering couple arrives at this Chiang Rai Four Seasons property, there’s likely to be a change of tune. These are tents on steroids, providing a magical and definitely luxurious oasis of privacy in the jungle — minus the soggy sleeping bags and collapsing tent poles. This is getting back to nature at its finest, with an all-inclusive policy towards food and excursions that means you can fully explore the jungle on elephant back and head into nearby Myanmar too.

The Tented Camp is also the place to come if you’re looking for peace and quiet. The tents are sans TVs, DVD players or anything else that can make a racket, although some guests have complained about the birds being noisy in the morning.

Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood

What do you think guests lucky enough to stay at Soneva Kiri, on the remote island of Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand, first rave about when they come back to the real world? Is it the rock-star start to their holiday (a private airplane transfers them from Suvarnabhumi directly to their enormous 2,000 square feet plus villas)? Or the surrounding lush jungle, powdery white sand beaches and beautiful coral gardens within which the Soneva Kiri resort is nestled? Perhaps it’s the gourmet food, personal Man Friday service, superlux spa, outdoor cinema and the state of the art observatory that lets you observe Saturn’s rings.

Wrong. These things are all great but, more than likely, the first anecdote from any Soneva Kiri guest will be the fact the resort has dedicated, always-open bars for both chocolate (served in blends of up to 95%) and ice cream, with over 60 varieties of freezing cold joy to choose from.

Rayavadee, Krabi

One of the most established hotels on Railay Beach in goregous Krabi, Rayavadee hotel has seen the area grow in popularity with the once tranquil area now invaded by daytrippers and backpackers. But not to worry, Rayavadee’s three private beaches are patrolled by security guards to keep the riffraff out, while there are always the huge two-floored pavilions and pool to retreat to if the daytime visitors become too much.

Those willing to step out of the compound can explore the local restaurants and bars further along the stunning beaches, but what makes this place truly unique is the Grotto, the Rayavadee’s subterranean restaurant among the stalactites and stalagmites of Krabi’s limestone karsts.

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai

The Mandarin Oriental’s Dhara Dhevi manages to outshine its revered Bangkok namesake by being not just a place to stay but an immersive experience in Thailand’s Lanna culture. Beyond the expected impeccable service, exquisite rooms, spas and restaurants, the Dhara Dhevi showcases the work of hundreds of local artisans in recreating Lanna-style architecture and furnishings.

The grounds of the Dhara Dhevi cover some 60 acres and the level of service from staff means that kids are particularly well catered for as they can run riot in the hotel’s rice plantations and jungle thatches and get up close and personal with a baby elephant and their mahouts. Disneyland looks pretty lame in comparison.

Parents will have time to explore the on-site Lanna museum, which details the stunning artistry of northern Thailand and its Burmese heritage. Like Jim Thompson’s Thai silk empire, the peculiar irony is that it’s taken the interest of foreigners to help rekindle one of Thailand’s most spectacular monuments to its own history.

Ritz Carlton Phulay Bay, Krabi

The Ritz Carlton’s first Asian project under its Reserve brand, Krabi’s Phulay Bay features the usual suspects of personal butler service, gourmet food and beautiful villas. Where Phulay Bay sets itself apart is its boutique, contemporary feel — a hip hotel with traditional notes set against the Andaman Sea.

While it may be chic, Phulay Bay isn’t minimal. It prides itself on over the top luxury like four metre wide beds. The hotel’s villas are widely spaced apart too so you can pretty much avoid seeing other guests if you want complete privacy. Strangely, for such an opulent beach hotel you can’t actually swim in the water as it’s so rocky beneath the waterline, making the ocean the ultimate designer accessory as it’s just there to look pretty. Still, with outdoor Jacuzzis and plunge pools there’s little reason to deal with all that terrible sand and salt and stuff.

Thailand Property Buyer’s Guide explains the legal fees, legal procedures, taxes and mortgage procedure.

Overseas buyers can purchase Thai residential or commercial property without major restrictions.

If you plan to buy land, or a villa then you will be required to setup a Thai limited liability company which will cost around $2000USD and will also have on going fees of approximately $100 per month.

Alternatively you will need to purchase through a leasehold agreement, totaling 90 years. Although a freehold title would be of distinct advantage, a leasehold title bears no specific disadvantage to the purchaser. Both forms of purchase are safe and effective means of property ownership by foreigners in Thailand. You may also lease the property and hold a 1st Mortgage on the property for extra security.

Appointing a lawyer

It is wise to appoint a lawyer like Knightsbridge Law Co Ltd who is fluent in your language so that you understand properly all the legalities and proceedings. Your lawyer will need to carry out the necessary checks on the property or land in Thailand and complete the legal requirements of the sale.

Knightsbridge Law Co Ltd will:

Check the current Thailand real estate owners have the correct title to the property

Check for any charges and liabilities still owed on the property

Check your contract and advise you on the obligations for both parties

Help you through the payment / funds transfer

Ensure that the property is registered appropriately and in your name

The initial Thailand Real Estate purchase agreement:

The initial purchase agreement will detail price, terms and conditions, settlement date etc. and in most cases a 10% deposit will be required to secure the property. This deposit is refundable should the sale not go through, as long as it is not your fault.

Reservation fees

When buying a new condominium, an initial reservation deposit of about $1,250 is required and this amount is deducted at a later stage from the total price. Once an agreement is signed, usually 10 to 15 days after the reservation, the buyer is required to pay 10% of the total price. Depending on the terms of the contract, the balance then could be due in installments or as a lump sum at the time the title is transferred.

Thailand Real Estate Fees

As a general rule, for residential sales you can expect the total fees and taxes to work out to be approximately 2 to 3% of the property market value.

There is a stamp fee of 0.5% , a transfer fee of 2% , a business tax of 3.3 % (levied against an vendor who has been in registered possession of the property less than 5 years), and income tax (similar to capital gains tax) at a variable rate.

Thailand Property Taxes

There are 2 different types of tax levied on property in Thailand:

Thailand Land Tax

This is an annual tax levied on land ownership. The amount is often so small that in practice the body charged to collect it rarely bothers to do so. When they do collect it, it is usually after several years when the amount has accumulated.

Thailand Structures Tax

This only applies to commercially used properties. The rate is 12.5% on the actual or assessed gross rental value of the property. However, this notional value is well below the commercial market rental value.

If the property is purchased through a company, you need to consider that corporate tax is higher than personal tax, and the cost of setting up the company must be considered as part of the initial investment.

Thailand Capital Gains Tax

There is no capital gains tax in Thailand and income tax (usually between 1.0 – 3.0%) on property is the comparable replacement.

Financing Thailand Real Estate

Mortgages in Thailand are still difficult to arrange. However, recently a new branch of the Bangkok Bank has opened in Singapore, which has opened up borrowing possibilities for property investment in Thailand, financing as much as 70% over 10 years for property purchase. You should expect to get no more than 50% in finance, with the exception to some well-known developments where finance of nearer 70% is available.

HCM has a presence in Thailand and can offer loans of between 3,000,000 and 350,000,000 Thai Baht. Typically they will lend up to 60% of the purchase price and interest rates can be fixed for up to three years.

To buy a condo or another property with a loan, many purchasers get a mortgage in their home country and then transfer the money to a Thai bank account, while using a lawyer to oversee the logistics of the process.

For Assistance Buying Thai Real Estate Contact

Heffernan Capital Management
Sales@Heffcap.com

Singapore

3 Raffles Place #07-01
Bharat Building Singapore 048617
Tel: +65 6329 6408
Fax: +65 6329 9699
Email : info@heffcap.com