中国买家提振泰国楼市

Wealthy Asian nationals have snapped up Thai apartments in soaring numbers in a sign of how foreign money is lifting sluggish property markets in the region, says one the country’s developers.

据泰国一个开发商介绍，亚洲各国的富人近来踊跃购买泰国公寓，这个迹象表明外国资金正在给东南亚地区低迷的房地产市场带来起色。

Buyers from Hong Kong, mainland China and other territories have flocked to the Southeast Asian kingdom and will probably continue to buoy the sector at a time of little domestic demand growth, said Srettha Thavisin, president of Bangkok-based Sansiri.

总部位于曼谷的尚思瑞(Sansiri)的总裁Srettha Thavisin表示，来自香港、中国内地和其他经济体的买家蜂拥而至这个东南亚国家，并且很可能将继续在泰国国内需求增长乏力的背景下提振该国楼市。

His comments highlight the importance of cross-border property sales in Asia and the potential risks to the sector as China tightens capital controls. Sansiri is hoping to increase its residential sales to foreign buyers by as much as 75 per cent this year, while also opening three new offices in China and one in Hong Kong to add to its expansion to Singapore last year.

他的这番言论突显了跨境房地产销售在亚洲的重要性，以及在中国收紧资本管制之际该行业面临的潜在风险。尚思瑞希望今年将其对外国买家的住宅销售增加75%，同时在去年落地新加坡拓展业务后，在中国内地开设三个新办事处，在香港也开设一个办事处。

“Selling to foreigners is a big business,” said Mr Srettha, explaining why the company was quadrupling its office network in mainland China and opening for the first time in Hong Kong. “If we don’t take care of them, then word of mouth is going to be a big destroyer for us.”

“面向外国人销售是一块大业务，”Srettha在解释该公司为什么将中国内地办事处的数量从一个增至四个，并且首次在香港开设办事处时表示。“如果我们不照顾他们，那么口碑将毁了我们。”

Mr Srettha said Sansiri was hopeful sales to foreign buyers would rise from Bt5.7bn ($170m) last year to Bt10bn this year, if new developments in Bangkok’s popular Sukhumvit district and elsewhere did as well as expected. About 37 per cent of the foreign demand last year came from Hong Kong and 31 per cent from mainland China, with Singapore, Taiwan and Japan also prominent.

Srettha表示，如果在曼谷热门的素坤逸区(Sukhumvit)和其他地方的新开发项目销售情况像预期那么好，尚思瑞对外国买家的销售额有望从去年的57亿泰铢(合1.7亿美元)增长至今年的100亿泰铢。去年大约37%的境外需求来自香港，31%来自中国内地，来自新加坡、台湾和日本的买家也不少。

Sales to Thai buyers are not expected to rise much higher than last year’s Bt28bn, reflecting moderate growth projected at about 3.5 per cent in the once fast-expanding economy. The company could sell even more to overseas investors were there not limits on the percentages of apartment freeholds that can be held by foreigners in any Thai condominium, Mr Srettha added.

预计对泰国买家的销售额不会显著高于去年的280亿泰铢，反映这个一度快速增长的经济体今年3.5%的中等水平增长预测。Srettha表示，要不是泰国规定了每栋公寓外国人持有的百分比上限，该公司对境外买家的销售额还有提高空间。

Chinese buyers are particularly tempted by apartments at about Bt5m ($150,000) that hit a “sweet spot” of moderate price, good rental yield and location in an attractive country, Mr Srettha said. “Affordability is key,” he said. “People from Hong Kong and China see this as small change.”

据Srettha介绍，中国买家对售价约500万泰铢(合15万美元)的公寓情有独钟，认为这类房产触及一个“甜蜜点”：价格适中、租金回报率较好、位于一个有吸引力的国家。“价格承受能力是关键，”他表示。“在香港和中国内地人士看来，这只是一笔小钱。”

Foreign buyers — particularly from Hong Kong and mainland China — have provided a welcome measure of relief to Southeast Asian property markets facing stuttering domestic demand. Research from Knight Frank, the international property consultancy, has noted how residential markets in Singapore and Malaysia were “weak” last year, while former star performers Indonesia and Thailand experienced a slowdown.

境外买家——特别是来自香港和中国内地的买家——为国内需求低迷的东南亚房地产市场带来受欢迎的缓解。国际房地产咨询公司莱坊(Knight Frank)的研究指出，去年新加坡和马来西亚的住宅市场“疲弱”，而曾经的明星市场印尼和泰国出现了放缓。

But there have been signs demand from China has been damped after authorities this year tightened capital controls on offshore property investments. Mr Srettha said he had not yet seen a fall in Chinese buyers and did not expect to feel too much impact from the rule changes.

但是有迹象显示，今年以来，随着中国当局收紧对境外房地产投资的资本管制，来自中国的需求有所降温。Srettha表示，他还没有看到中国买家减少，而且预计规则变化不会造成太大影响。

He echoed other executives and analysts in Southeast Asia who say infrastructure development is crucial to the fortunes of property companies in the region. Sansiri is in partnership with BTS Group to build residential developments near the transport company’s elevated SkyTrain rail network in Bangkok.

他呼应了东南亚其他高管和分析师的看法，他们认为基础设施发展对该地区房地产公司的命运至关重要。尚思瑞正与曼谷大众运输集团(BTS Group)合作，在后者运营的曼谷SkyTrain高架铁路附近建造住宅小区。

Mr Srettha called on Thailand’s ruling military junta to press ahead with stalled road and rail projects, particularly outside the capital. “The local market is stable but badly in need of an infrastructure boost,” he said.

Srettha呼吁泰国执政的军政府推进停滞的道路和铁路项目，尤其是在首都以外的地区。他说：“本地市场稳定，但迫切需要从基础设施方面得到提振。”