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  • View - Transferring money into Thailand to purchase a condominium
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  • View - Purchasing Real Estate In Thailand FAQs
  • View - Items to look for in housing
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Transferring Money Into Thailand To Purchase a Condominium
Should you require a Condominium apartment, which you wish to put in your own name, just ensure that you have the money 'bank transferred' here, with a statement on the transfer document, "For the purpose of purchasing a condominium apartment in Thailand."

This statement will help you to get what is call a "Tor Tor Sam" document from the bank over here. It will also let you take the same amount of money out of country legally if and when you wish to sell the condominium and take the funds out of Thailand.

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Registering a Company in the Kingdom Of Thailand To Purchase a House & Land
The following is not legal advice from our company, but merely the result of ten years of observing Thai lawyers and their legal practices, as concerns foreigners controlling land and houses in the Kingdom of Thailand. Please note the following:

An alternative to buying a condominium is the purchasing of a house. Purchasing a house will require that you register your own company here in Thailand. The costs for registering a company will range from Baht 15,000 to Baht 25,000. This will depend on what Lawyer you go to. Premier Homes has a great legal firm that does this kind of work and they can help you at a cost of about 20,000 Baht.

Just a few details and back round on purchasing a house and land 'in' a registered company. First and foremost, the reason is that technically, a foreigner cannot own land in most all cases and places throughout the Kingdom of Thailand.

When you register a company, you will at the same time, have each of the required Thai shareholders sign share release forms, thus relinquishing all other persons relationship and influence with the registered company. You keep these documents.

You are now the sole (Managing Director) controller (Owner) and are now able to purchase property, cars, etc. This is the safest and best way to own a home in Thailand. Many, many foreigners all over the Eastern Seaboard here own homes exactly like this.

Many Law offices have 'ghost companies' which have already been set up and already have had the share holders (Usually their own staff) sign the share release forms. All you need to do is to pick three possible names for the new company and pay a deposit of 50% of the company registration price. The balance is paid upon receiving the company registration documents. This entire process can often be accomplished in as little as 15 to 20 days.

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Purchasing Real Estate In Thailand - Frequently Asked Questions
1. Question: Can a foreigner own property in Thailand?

Answer: Yes...a foreigner can own (100%) a condominium apartment in Thailand.

Technically (and in most cases) a foreigner cannot own a house in Thailand as the Thai Government does not allow a foreigner to own land (which a house is obviously built on). In Thailand, a house would come with a title deed (Chenoud) that will also show a certain amount of land with the house, which will be registered to the owner of the property as well.

A condominium apartment's title deed (Chenoud) does not have any land registered to or associated with the condominium apartment. The condominium building's land is owned by a Juristic Persons Group (Association) registered with the Thai Government and made up of a majority of Thai citizens.

2. Question: How can a foreigner own land in Thailand?

Answer: As stated above, legally and technically a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand. Their are a few small cases and a few new laws (over a certain age...with so much money...in certain areas of Thailand...married to a Thai National and have so much money...etc.) that might accept foreign ownership of land in their name, but the above is the normal scenario. (Refer to #1.)

3. Question: Are there many foreigners that have land and houses in Thailand?

Answer: There are many, many foreigners here that are in possession of houses and land...in most all cases the land, the house, etc. are owned as assets of a legally registered Thai Company, which is controlled by a 'sole signatory' (all other share holders had signed share release forms prior to the purchase of the house and/or land).

4. Question: How do these foreigners get properties like land and houses (or do I need a Thai national for this purpose?).

Answer: Most often, foreigners here form a company of dominantly Thai National share holders (usually about $250 to $500 U.S. Dollars to form and register the company properly).

When a registered company's shareholders sign 'share release forms'' one individual may 'become' the managing director and only signatory for the company. The managing director may then sign for property purchases and the company (Managing Director) owns the property (house and/or land). In Thailand, it is possible (easily) for a foreigner to become the managing director of a company.

The company (Managing Director) is also able to transfer ownership (Elect a new Managing Director/Property Owner) by selling the position in the company which owns the property (for the purchase price of the property) and/or sell the property outright at anytime in the future.

5. Question: What should I bear in mind to secure my property against third parties? (Government, etc.)

Answer: Not that much. Things are pretty secure here at this time and there are really no major 'pitfalls' once you get the property in your name (Condominiums can be in your name and land & house may be in a company name) and have the 'Title Deed' (Chenoud) secured and in your (or the companies) possession through the normal legal procedures at the Thai Government Land Office.

6. Question: As I understand it, these coastal areas are very much in demand and I'm not the only one willing to have a seaside-house.

Answer: Yes you are correct....but there is an awful lot of available land.

7. Question: What are the realistic possibilities to find a plot to build a house on some coastal areas (eastern or western coast of the Gulf of Thailand and/or Phuket and the many other islands around Thailand)?

Answer: Possibilities are quite good, but tend to be higher priced than most foreigners expect. The tendency is also for large parcels of land. Parcels of land as small as 1, 2 or 3 home plots are few and far between.

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Your Eastern Seaboard Housing Tour
Items To Look For In Housing

1. LOCATION
It is very important that you know what public transportation (bus/taxi/motorcycle) is available to you and where you may catch them. Also, be sure and check for the location of nearby stores, restaurants, etc.

2. ENTRANCE WAYS
When looking at homes, make sure there are two entrance ways. There should be a way to enter the house from the front and the back in addition to any patio doors. As well, all doors should either lock or be able to have locks attached to them.

3. RESERVE WATER SUPPLY
Most homes will have a large water reserve system (tank & pump) in case of a main water supply failure from the city's own water reserve. This is of great importance since the city's water supply can be cut off at times! Note: This is most often for short periods of time, but can be very annoying if you do not have a reserve water system.

4. WINDOWS AND SCREENS
Check all windows for opening, closing and locking. Make sure that there are enough windows and doors with mosquito screens for your comfort.

5. OUTSIDE WATER SUPPLY
A house should have at least one outside water supply (spigot/faucet). You can buy the hose and clamps here, but any type of special nozzles for spraying may need to be brought with you (Chonburi's True Value Hardware has them!).

6. CABLE OR SATELLITE TV RECEPTION
The local television reception is almost entirely in the Thai language. You will want to look for another option (cable and/or satellite) for TV viewing. Premier Homes highly recommends the UBC Satellite television network. Remember! All televisions here are PAL format (not NTSC or MESCAM) but, multi system VCR (video players) are easily obtainable.

7. HOT WATER SHOWER
You will find that many houses and condominiums will have a small water heater in the bathrooms for hot water showers. You may not find hot water in the kitchen, so make sure you look for a water heater! (Usually under the kitchen sink!). Also, check to see if a shower curtain is included. Bath tubs are a bit of a rarity also, so do not expect to always see one in a house or condominium.

8. GAS STOVE
Most of the time you will see gas stoves in the kitchens. Check to see how many burners are available and whether their is an oven or not. Some places will have a micro wave oven which can be very handy to use.

9. REFRIGERATOR
The refrigerator should be at least medium size if not a large one. Many homes and condos will have one of the small refrigerators and they usually are just not enough. You may want to have your Premier Homes real estate consultant negotiate a larger one into the lease agreement.

10. UTILITIES AND APPLIANCES
It is very important that all of the homes utilities hardware, appliances and air conditioning equipment is in good working order. It is standard procedure with Premier Homes to ensure that the properties Landlord/Owner does check and service all appliances, electrical outlets and switches, plumbing fixtures and air conditioning units before you move into your new home.

11. WASHING MACHINES
Not all of the houses and condos will feature a washing machine. There are laundry services everywhere and usually, they are quite reasonable in price. Dryers are even less seldom seen (hang the clothes out a few hours and they are dry!). If you do find a place that does have a washer or you decide to purchase one, remember that they are often gravity drained (there are often no pumps to get the water up and out). Also, check for places and space to hang out your clothes for drying.

12. AIR CONDITIONING
It would be best to have at least the bedrooms air conditioned. It takes most expats a good while to get acclimated to Thailand's very hot weather...remember you also have a very high level of humidity here also!

13. TELEPHONES
You will most likely want to have a telephone (IDD-International Direct Dial). Normally they are in the homes and are most often assigned to the home owner's account. Be sure and ask what sort of service their phone has and what is necessary to get IDD if it doesn't already have it.

14. STORAGE
You should look to have at least one room available for the storage of items like luggage, boxes, recreational items, etc.

15. NEGOTIABLE
Remember...You can always try and ask for improvements (painting, repairing, replacing, etc.) during the negotiation period (prior to signing the rental agreement contract).

REMEMBER! It is very important that you always have someone that you may contact in case of any problems or emergencies with your new home. You will need a name and number of someone to get in touch with (Property Owner, Property Manager, Your Premier Homes Property Management representative, etc.)

Also, make sure that you know where and when to pay your utility bills (electric, water and telephone) and any additional monthly charges and/or fees you may incur. It is very easy to get these utilities 'cut off' if you are not aware of when and where to pay them.

Remember! Premier Homes Real Estate Co., Ltd. is the only real estate firm on the entire Eastern Seaboard that stays with their client's throughout their tenancy.

Remember...when Premier Homes moves you in... it's just the beginning of their many services!

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Vaccination Guide
The purpose of this guide is to provide basic information about vaccines and vaccination, to enable the readers to make a more informed choice about which vaccines to have for themselves and their families. It is not intended to be a source of reference for health care professionals, who will find data more suitable for them from the CDC and other sources on the internet.

Although I have tried and shall continue to try to keep the information presented here accurate and up to date, the whole subject area of vaccination is continually undergoing reassessment, re-evaluation and improvement, therefore you are advised to double check with other sources on any crucial information. If the reader spots any errors or inaccuracies, I shall be most grateful if I could be informed of them via e-mail.

Please also bear in mind that vaccination policies vary from country to country, and the suitability of individual vaccines for individual persons may depend on many factors. When in doubt it is important to discuss with your doctor the risks and benefits involved in having or avoiding a vaccine. Special reference is made to Thailand and the far east in much of this guide, but most of the information is applicable world-wide.

Specific vaccines

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