Condo demand from Chinese remains strong as units near educational institutions and medical services attract a new wave of buyers, according to property agents.
Thitiwat Teerakulthanyaroj, chief business development officer of Century 21 Thailand, said education and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are the latest trends motivating Chinese to buy in Bangkok.
"Bangkok is popular with Chinese parents sending their children to study," he said. "Dormitories located within one kilometre of an educational institution where many Chinese study can close a rental agreement for 10 years."
Middle-income families prefer sending their children to study in Thailand instead of Europe because Thailand is nearer, the visa application is easier and tuition fees are lower, while maintaining good standards, Mr Thitiwat said.
More than 10 Thai educational institutions have partnerships with Chinese counterparts, leading to large increases in Chinese students.
Most of the students are from southern provinces like Guangxi, Guangdong and Yunnan. A job is guaranteed after graduation with a higher salary than in southern China.
According to the South China Morning Post and Thai-language admission information provider www.admissionpremium.com, the number of Chinese students doubled to around 20,000 from 10,000 a decade ago.
Public universities in China can support only 2-2.5 million students, though there are 6-7 million children born a year in that country.
Mr Thitiwat said IVF in Thailand is becoming more attractive among Chinese couples because it is cheaper than in the US, Singapore, Malaysia or even India. The success rate is also high.
"There are nearly 100 million Chinese couples aiming for a second child," he said. "Their spending is around 500,000 baht per family."
IVF customers will usually spend 30-45 days for pre- and post-treatment. They will look for a unit near hospitals or IVF centres to rent, particularly in Ploenchit, Sukhumvit and Rama IX areas.
"There is new demand for long-term leasehold single houses and townhouses, for which we are in talks with investors," Mr Thitiwat said.
Chinese property portal Juwai.com reported last year Thailand ranked fourth among Chinese buyers and investors looking overseas, valued at US$2.3 billion.