Attention United Kingdom Holiday Home Investors

Something Sleuth picked up in the Times Online targeting UK investors on some South East Asia holiday home investment destinations, here goes...

If you have to endure a 12-or 14-hour flight to your holiday home, you will want it to be different from anything you could get on the Med.

Thailand, the most popular holiday-home haven in Asia, offers a unique cocktail of hedonism, Buddhism and a rich mix of properties. Flats near the crowded beaches and ladyboy bars at Patong, on Phuket, cost £100,000.

If you fancy for something a bit quieter, Claire Brown Realty (www.clairebrownrealty.com) has flats in the Cove, a beachfront development in Krabi, in southwest Thailand, from £78,000.

But there are clouds on the horizon: since last September’s coup, the military rulers have been rigidly enforcing rules that oblige foreigners to set up a “shell” company with Thai nationals to buy a property. Some foreign owners have found it hard to get their rental income out of the country.

Elsewhere in Asia, Singapore is an unusual alternative. After flatlining for years, prices are now going up. For £350,000, you could buy a three-bedroom flat in a good-quality condo-minium with a concierge and a pool. For those with less to spend, the new Nexus Residence resort, on the Malaysian island of Borneo, has two-bedroom villas from £145,000.

Then there is the Indian state of Goa, one of Asia’s lowest-priced holiday-home locations. Of its 75 miles of coastline, 50 are beach. While you would struggle to find a flat for £135,000 in many countries, the same money would buy you a six-bedroom townhouse in the state.

Source: Times Online