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For the first time in a long time, because businesses are in short supply, Thailand has now entered a Sellers' Market. It has been a Buyers' Market for a very long time. Consistent with residential and commercial real estate markets in other countries (mainly the larger cities), it's now changed and it probably won't last long.

Demand is currently very high at both ends of the market - high-end freehold hotels and low-end leasehold small cafes, bars and restaurants. Demand is strongest in the major cities of Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, but there is also a lot of interest in the island locations of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Krabi and Koh Chang from overseas buyers looking for a lifestyle change.

Many people thought there would be a glut of businesses available to buy during the lockdowns and period of inactivity over the last couple of years, but this didn't occur. Instead, business owners either tried to trade their way out (often just running out of money) or, with the knowledge that there were no buyers and the fact that the value of their businesses had plummeted, simply closed their doors and called it a day. Thousands of businesses were forced to close or liquidate over the last couple of years and this has now caused a short supply of businesses for sale.

Local cashed-up buyers and (finally) overseas buyers are now looking to enter the small business market or build upon their existing portfolios (expand). Buyers are now here and they are buying.

From our observations and enquiries, and as forecast by the Thai government, the final quarter of 2022 will probably bring many more buyers. It is possible that this (level of) demand will taper off around mid-2023, making now an appropriate time to list your business for sale with a view to sell this year or next.

Buyers (as expected) are quite discerning about what they buy and how much they are prepared to pay, but assuming you can provide all the necessary documents to enable due diligence (even if your trading figures are not all that good), a sale could be achieved at a reasonable price in a reasonable time.

If you own a business in Thailand and want to sell, now is the time to list your business for sale with Asia Business Brokers.

Initial enquiries about selling or leasing your business, commercial property or franchised business, should be sent by email (info@asianbusinessbrokers.com). We only need basic information to begin with (location, type of business, tenure, main features and selling points), but we must know how much you anticipate selling for and what your current average net monthly profit is. With this basic information, we can then assess our ability to sell for you and provide you with listing information to help you make a decision about whether to list/sell or not.