Foreign buyers cushion Thailand housing slump as market heads for 4th year of decline

[BANGKOK] On a humid afternoon in mid-April on Phuket’s west coast, prospective buyers crowded into a glass-walled sales gallery overlooking Bang Tao beach along the Andaman Sea. 

Inside, a real estate agent gestured towards scale models of beachfront condominiums and luxury pool villas, switching seamlessly between English and other languages as international clients leaned in with questions.

Many of the foreigners were hunting for second homes; others were exploring rental investments tied to Thailand’s tourism rebound. A few were considering longer-term relocation, drawn by lifestyle factors as much as financial ones.