Reserve a beach-front property in Thailand for as little as £1,000

Spend even a day in Thailand and you immediately understand why it’s known as ‘The Land of Smiles’.

The Thai people are among the most welcoming in the world and live life with a philosophy of ‘sanuk’ or fun. Everything they do, including work, is injected with a sense of playfulness and done with a smile. Enjoying life to the full is infectious, and makes Thailand one of the easiest countries to relax in.

The country has a beautiful and diverse geography, from the hills and forests of the highlands, to the white, sandy beaches of the coasts and islands, surrounded by beautiful, azure seas. Well used to receiving visitors from around the world, Thailand offers pursuits for everyone, from Thai cookery schools and elephant treks, to yoga and spa retreats, as well as more active sports.

Eating in Thailand is a wonderful experience, where there is an emphasis on fresh food prepared according to the five principles of sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Unsurprisingly, with such an abundant coastline, fresh fish features heavily in the Thai diet, while the flavours of chilli, lime juice and lemon grass characterise that ‘thai taste’.

While the market in Thailand as a whole remains strong there is great potential in the areas hit by the tsunami in 2004. The country has recovered well, and overseas buyers are investing again in great numbers. Some of the affected tourist areas, such as Phuket and Krabi, with its new international airport, represent excellent property opportunities, with all forecasts suggesting that growth will continue.

Other tourist areas continue to grow in visitor numbers, with Pattaya being the number one destination in 2006. The island of Koh Samui and the stylish beach resort of Hua Hin are also popular on buyers’ lists. However it’s also worth considering Bangkok, which is a major destination for business travellers and has seen increased development following the expansion of the airport, which made it the largest in South East Asia.

Getting to Thailand is relatively simple from the UK, with many direct flights touching down in Bangkok airport, although the 12hr flight time means that you may have to visit less frequently but for longer. Internal flights are plentiful and make it easy to reach your final destination. Sampling a life of sanuk in a corner of paradise is more achievable than ever before.