The beginning of the year is a chance for people to take a deep breath and think about the long term. That's why the most frequent question I get these days is about the full-year outlook for Chinese property buying in 2019. The number one factor overlooked in Thailand is the degree to which Chinese property buying is the result of stimulants outside of Thailand. Bangkok-based market observers sometimes overrate the importance of local conditions to Chinese demand. Their frame of reference isn't big enough. Yes, local factors such as prices, yields, and fluctuations in the value of the baht help pull Chinese buyers to Thailand. However, for several years now these local factors have been much less important than the sheer number of Chinese families who are seeking attractive overseas real estate - now and in the years to come, says Carrie Law writing for Bangkok Post (9 January 2019).