Thailand is one of Asia’s economic success stories. With GDP growing at 8% and currently standing at 143 billion USD it is south-east Asia’s second largest economy…However, there is no doubt that the disaster which befell the Asian pacific regions last Christmas shook investor confidence, leading many to ask whether the region represents a sensible investment destination.

To start, it’s worth rolling back the years a little…

Over the past two decades Thailand has converted from an agricultural economy to manufacture, trade and exports – although it is still the world’s largest exporter of rice – and the infrastructure is a match for that of the developed world… Above all, its people are renowned for their friendly, relaxed and welcoming ways – so much so that now…

The last few years have seen an average of 10 million people from around the world have visited Thailand annually, not only as tourists seeking its beautiful beaches, luxury hotel resorts, its renowned night-life, culture, gastronomy and sunshine, but also for high-class medical treatment, cosmetic surgery, health spas – and for the sheer value for money!

Although the cost of living in Thailand is rising, they are still markedly less than in an ever more homogenous Europe. A decent hotel? £10 a night… A delicious meal for 4, with drinks? Just £8 each… Clothes, shoes, petrol, beauty treatments, massage, taxis, utility bills, furniture and much, much more all at dramatically lower prices than in Europe.

And property can present amazing value for money as well. Even in the Tsunami-hit regions such as Phuket, the market remains relatively buoyant. This was where much of the affected beach-front land on the western side provided either ramshackle homes for the poor or was owned, for the most part, by hotel and resort groups. Individual holiday-home owners and investors there tend to occupy the other side of the island where land is cheaper, and where homes are mainly unaffected.

However, elsewhere in the country, the story is not so good for overseas investors. Many of the foreign-owned holiday homes that were destroyed were built illegally on or too close to the beaches, meaning that the owners will have no means of recouping their losses. As with any overseas investment, you should make sure that you purchase through a reputable company and carry out your own checks prior to making a purchase.