Thailand is one of the destinations that tens of thousands of Europeans traditionally choose for travel and life. Phuket is also one of the most frequently visited locations. Data from Phuket International Airport indicate that only in the period from November 1, 2022 to January 21, 2023, more than 233 000 Europeans arrived on the island. A massive influx of Europeans was recorded in other popular tourist areas - Koh Samui and Pattaya.
Despite the fact that Phuket is a place that Europeans often choose to travel in winter to wait out the cold, many have now moved to the island for long-term residence. Tourists intend to stay in Thailand longer than in previous years. According to real estate agents in Phuket, most of their clients are young wealthy people aged 30-35 years. Many of them arrived in Phuket for a long time, from 3 to 6 months and a year.
Europeans have the opportunity to apply for a visa to own real estate called the “Elite Card of Thailand”, which allows them to stay in the country for a long time, subject to making a minimum payment of almost 1 million baht ($29,242). According to the Thai Real Estate Information Center (REI), at the moment Europeans are actively buying up condominiums - they have already purchased 40% of this type of housing open to foreigners. Some prefer to buy houses for more than 10 million baht ($292,483) on the seashore.
Experts also note that people who have money are willing to pay for international schools for children, which often costs even less than the cost of education in Moscow.