Service
Property Portfolios.
Where property fits in a cross-border plan, honestly assessed.
Who Richard advises
Richard advises people from organisations like these.
Employer information is provided by clients during the consultation process and is not independently verified. Logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners and do not imply endorsement of Richard Knight or Business Class Asia.
Who this is for
Who this service is for.
- 01
Expats with Thai property
Own or are buying a home or condo in Thailand and want to understand its place in the wider plan.
- 02
Owners of UK or overseas property
Hold property elsewhere and need the currency, liquidity and cross-border tax implications assessed honestly.
- 03
People being pitched property as an investment
Have been shown an off-plan or overseas property deal and want a conflict-free second opinion before committing.
What's involved
What's actually involved.
Property is the asset expats most often hold for reasons that have little to do with returns, and the one most often sold to them with the largest hidden incentives. The work here is assessment, not sales: what role property plays in your plan, and what it costs you in liquidity, currency and cross-border tax.
The role, not the pitch
A home you live in is not a portfolio holding, and treating it as one distorts the rest of the plan. The first task is to be honest about which property is lifestyle and which is genuinely an investment.
Concentration, illiquidity and currency mismatch are the real risks of an expat property position, and they are rarely in the brochure.
Execution stays at arm’s length
I do not sell property. Where execution is wanted it is handled through disclosed third parties on their own published terms. Whatever any recommendation pays me is set out in writing before you decide, with the position made visible rather than buried.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes to avoid.
- 01
Buying overseas property as a pension substitute.
Illiquid, currency-exposed and management-heavy, property bought to replace a pension often underperforms the plan it displaced. The comparison should be made before, not after.
- 02
Ignoring the cross-border estate consequence.
Thai-situated property interacts with UK domicile and Thai inheritance rules. A purchase made without that in view can complicate the estate for years.
- 03
Taking the introducer’s number at face value.
Off-plan and overseas property is frequently sold with large embedded incentives. Always ask who is paid what on the transaction, in writing.
How the practice works
Three conversations before any commitment.
A measured introduction, a written plan, and a clear engagement. No long sales process. No pressure on the first call. You leave the first meeting with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
- 01
An introduction.
Thirty minutes by video, or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. A discussion of your situation, your concerns, and what the years ahead are intended to look like. Rough figures are sufficient. No documents required in advance.
- 02
A written plan.
A second meeting where the work is appropriate for both parties. A written summary of the plan, the moves in priority order, the realistic timeline, and the cost in plain numbers.
- 03
An engagement, in writing.
A written engagement letter that sets out how I am paid, commission on what is arranged and a fee on what is managed, with every figure and what it pays, before you proceed. Either party may end the engagement at any time. Custody arrangements remain in place regardless.
Free guide
Property in a cross-border plan.
Property is the asset expats most often hold for reasons that have little to do with returns. Where it fits in a cross-border plan, the liquidity and currency it ties up, and the tax that follows.
What is inside
- Why expats hold property, reasons that are not returns
- Liquidity and currency: what the asset ties up
- The cross-border tax: UK, Thai and the 2024 rule
- Execution at arm’s length, through disclosed third parties
Plain English, nothing to sign. Useful even if you never get in touch.
The advisor
Richard Knight.
Richard Knight is a British national with fifteen years' experience in private wealth management, advising internationally mobile clients across Asia, Europe and beyond. Based in Thailand, he works with expatriates and international families navigating the complexities of cross-border wealth, retirement and estate planning.
The practice is built on first-hand experience of international relocation and long-term expatriate life, rather than a purely theoretical understanding of it.
He is an Associate Member of the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (ACSI) and holds CISI qualifications in Financial Planning and Investments.
He also serves as Vice Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand in Hua Hin, supporting the local business and expatriate community.
Richard maintains a deliberately limited client base, focusing on conservative, long-term planning for people who value clarity, stability and peace of mind over unnecessary risk.
“Richard works in finance business for many years and his recommendations are reliable and efficient. He is very attentive to the clients and help them to come to the most beneficial solution. Having Richard as your personal finance consultant you can feel secure for your future.”
“Richard is reliable person, with good knowledge of the products that he propose to clients. He want client to understand the process and he cares of the client future.”
“Richard is a great and reliable service provider.”
Fees and what to expect
What it costs, and how I'm paid.
I am paid through commission on the products arranged and an ongoing fee on the assets managed. Every cost, and what it pays, is set out in writing before you decide.
You may ask what any recommendation pays me, and the figures that apply are agreed in writing in the engagement letter before you proceed.
A first 30-minute consultation costs nothing and obliges you to nothing.
Client assets are held by an appointed trustee or a regulated platform, never by me.
Questions
Questions about this.
Begin a conversation.
Thirty minutes, by video or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. Free, and without obligation. You leave with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
Book a meeting
Choose a time that suits you.
Thirty minutes with Richard Knight, ACSI directly. By video, phone, or in person. No obligation.