Why on Earth would you want to live in Thailand? Let alone buy a property
I think to some degree Thailand receives a bad press in the Western Media, all you seem to hear about is the Tsunami, Bird Flu, SARS and military coupes. The press always prints stories of western tourists that have come a cropper in one form or another. What they never tell you is that Thailand has a relatively low crime rate, the cost of living is very low, places like Phuket have year round average temperatures of 28°C. We have some of the best beaches in the world, children can walk down the street alone without the fear of attack, you can take your children into any establishment and they are welcomed, the Thai people in general are very friendly and relaxed. Having lived here for 5 years it begs the question why on Earth would you want to live anywhere else!!
In terms of property, for the cost a average two bedroom property in London, you can buy a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom villa with pool 5 minutes from the beach like this one in Nai Harn, I know which one I would prefer. So next time your stood on some train station platform with a freezing wind cutting right through you, think of what you could be doing.