
China, Myanmar and Russia lead foreign condo transfers in Thailand in Q1 2025
Amid global economic volatility and cautious buyer sentiment, both domestic and foreign, REIC revealed that 3,919 foreign condo units were transferred in the first quarter of 2025, totaling 16.39 billion baht. This represents a slight decrease compared to the same period last year, with foreign ownership in Thailand's real estate market holding steady at 29.3 per cent of the total transaction value.
China continues to dominate with 1,481 units transferred, valued at 6.12 billion baht (US$0.19 billion), though this marks a 19.2 per cent decline in transfers. This drop reflects a more cautious approach among Chinese buyers due to economic conditions in China and a global slowdown in foreign investments.
Myanmar saw an impressive 12 per cent increase in the number of condo transfers, securing second place. However, the value of these transactions fell by nearly 30 per cent. This surge may be attributed to increased demand from Myanmar investors, driven by economic growth and housing demand in Bangkok.
Russia showed a 6.9 per cent increase in transaction value, although the number of units transferred declined slightly. The rise in value likely reflects higher-value purchases by Russian investors, particularly in large cities where luxury real estate is developing.
This data indicates that foreign buyers in the Thai real estate market are still cautious due to the slow recovery of the global economy, as well as a decline in investment from many countries, including China, the UK and Germany.
In terms of transaction value, China remains in first place, followed by Myanmar and Russia. Some countries, such as Taiwan and the UK, have seen increases in transaction value, despite a decline in the number of units transferred.
The changes observed in the Thai real estate market in the first quarter of 2025 show that, despite global economic uncertainties, Thailand's real estate market remains attractive to investors from various countries. The continued growth in some countries reflects confidence in the long-term potential of the Thai real estate sector, REIC noted. - The Nation/ANN

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Borneo Post
36 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
Serian's Chinese community backs proposal for Siniawan-inspired night market in Baki
File photo of the Siniawan Night Market in Bau. KUCHING (July 26): The Chinese community in Serian have voiced their support for a proposed night market at Baki Bazaar that is inspired by the popular Siniawan Night Market in Bau. Serian District Council chairman Dato Peter Minos said the proposal generated strong interest after it was discussed and agreed upon during a meeting between the council and Chinese community leaders. He said the Baki Bazaar – located just 15 minutes from Serian town along the Pan Borneo Highway – has a rich history spanning over a century. 'Baki is known to serve the district's tastiest home-cooked meals with residents from nearby Kampung Taee and Kampung Bunga known as regulars at the bazaar. 'Everyone was excited and enthusiastic about the night market idea. It will bring extra business opportunities for food vendors and inject new energy into the bazaar,' he said. He said he plans to work closely with State Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Dato Sri Roland Sagah, to ensure the Baki Night Market becomes a reality. 'We want to make it a success, just like the night market in Siniawan,' Minos added. He said further details, including the launch timeline and market activities, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Baki Bazaar Peter Minos Serian Siniawan Night Market


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Trump administration issues plan to limit AI exports to China
The White House on Wednesday released proposals to restrict exports of American AI equipment and limit the spread of Chinese AI models as part of a sweeping plan to shape the rules governing the fast-moving technology. The 28-page AI Action Plan marks US President Donald Trump's administration's first comprehensive strategy on the topic and comes as national security hawks have raised concerns that superior American chips may reach China – including through third countries – and advance its AI and military development. Under the plan, the US Commerce Department will lead an effort to develop new export controls on chipmaking components to close 'loopholes' in current restrictions that now focus on major systems. The department will also lead efforts to increase the monitoring of exported US chip end users and to explore using new chip location verification features to keep them out of 'countries of concern' – a term often used to refer to China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, among others. The plan also directs the Defence and Commerce departments to coordinate with allies on adopting US export controls and to prohibit American adversaries from being involved in their defence supply chains. 'Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to transform the global economy and alter the balance of power in the world,' White House AI tsar David Sacks said in a written statement. 'To win the AI race, the US must lead in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships ... This Action Plan provides a road map for doing that,' he added. The Trump administration decision last week to allow American chipmaker Nvidia to sell its H20 chips to China reinvigorated furious debate about how to extend the US technological lead without compromising national security. That came months after the administration revoked a rule put in place under former President Joe Biden that limited how much US AI computing capability certain countries could access through imported US chips. American AI companies face increased competition from such Chinese rivals as Hangzhou-based DeepSeek, which sent global shock waves earlier this year when it released powerful AI models built far more cheaply than many had thought possible. Trump has previously warned of China's potential to surpass the US in the race for AI dominance. Speaking about the White House plan at an AI summit on Wednesday, Trump said he wants to make the US an 'AI export powerhouse' while maintaining 'necessary protections for our national security'. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'will work to rapidly expand American AI exports of all kinds, from chips to software to data storage', he said, before signing executive orders to fast-track AI development and promote exports. Ryan Fedasiuk, a former technology policy advisor in the State Department's Office of China Coordination, said that taken together, the export control proposals 'thread a difficult needle' in the lead-up to US-China trade talks in Stockholm next week. 'They tighten technology controls without risking an existential blow to the provisional trade deal struck in London, and they focus on enforcement gaps rather than adding sweeping new restrictions,' he said. The real impact of the plan will depend 'entirely' on its execution, Fedasiuk added. 'Allied coordination is where the rubber meets the road. Export controls only work if they're multilateral, and we've seen too many cases where US restrictions just pushed business to Dutch or Japanese competitors.' The new administration blueprint also makes several recommendations focused on countering the spread of Chinese models. To ensure 'that free speech flourishes in the era of AI', the Commerce Department is to evaluate advanced Chinese AI models for alignment with Communist Party talking points and censorship practices. Along with the US State Department, Commerce will lead a campaign to 'vigorously advocate' for international AI governance approaches that 'counter Chinese influence' at diplomatic and standard-setting bodies. Too many existing efforts 'have advocated for burdensome regulations, vague 'codes of conduct' that promote cultural agendas that do not align with American values, or have been influenced by Chinese companies attempting to shape standards for facial recognition and surveillance', the plan said. The two departments will also lead a new initiative to share technology protection measures, including measures in basic research and higher education, with allies and partners. To promote the use of American AI technology rather than that of adversaries, the Commerce Department will gather industry proposals for 'full-stack AI export packages' – bundled systems that include AI hardware, software, and related services intended for export. In recent years, the US has pushed its European and Asian allies to stop exports of advanced chipmaking equipment to China. Wednesday's document carries a thinly veiled threat to allies, warning that failure to align with US export controls could trigger punitive trade measures through secondary tariffs. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Oil prices ease to three-week low at weekend as negative economic news offsets trade optimism
JAKARTA/SINGAPORE (Reuters): Oil prices eased to a three-week low on Friday night on negative economic news from the United States and China and signs of growing supply despite optimism U.S. trade deals could boost global economic growth and oil demand in the future. Brent crude futures fell 76 cents, or 1.1%, to US$68.42 a barrel by 1:44 p.m. EDT (1744 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 91 cents, or 1.4%, to US$65.12. That put Brent on track for its lowest close since July 4 and WTI on track for its lowest close since June 30. For the week, Brent was down about 1% and WTI down about 3%. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after European Union officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday, even as European Central Bank policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts. In the U.S., meanwhile, new orders for U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June while shipments of those products increased moderately, suggesting that business spending on equipment slowed considerably in the second quarter. Trump said on Friday that he had a good meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Central banks, like the Fed or ECB, use interest rates to keep inflation in check. Lower interest rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. In China, the world's second biggest economy, fiscal revenue dipped 0.3% in the first six months from a year earlier, the finance ministry said on Friday, maintaining the rate of decline seen between January and May. GROWING SUPPLIES? The US is preparing to allow partners of Venezuela's state-run PDVSA, starting with U.S. oil major Chevron, to operate with limitations in the sanctioned nation, sources said on Thursday. That could boost Venezuelan oil exports by a little more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), which would be welcome news for U.S. refiners, as it would ease tightness in the heavier crude market, ING analysts wrote. In the Middle East, Iran said it would continue nuclear talks with European powers after "serious, frank, and detailed" conversations on Friday, the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the U.S. bombed Iran last month. Venezuela and Iran are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Any deal that could increase the amount of oil either sanctioned country could export would boost the amount of crude available to global markets. A meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which includes top ministers from OPEC and allies like Russia, a group known as OPEC+, is scheduled for 1200 GMT on Monday. Four OPEC+ sources told Reuters the meeting was unlikely to alter the group's existing policy, which calls for eight members to raise output by 548,000 bpd in August. In Russia, the world's second biggest crude oil producer behind the U.S., daily oil exports from its western ports are set to be around 1.77 million bpd in August, down from 1.93 million bpd in July's plan, amid the expected rise in refinery runs, Reuters calculations based on data from two sources show. In the U.S., energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the 12th time in 13 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, Robert Harvey in London, and Sudarshan Varadhan and Siyi Liu in Singapore. Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) - Reuters