# Millionaire Buys £1.3M Thailand Villa to Pay Zero Tax on Global Income, After His Agent Cancelled on the Day

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/thailand-prnews/millionaire-buys-1-3m-thailand-villa-to-pay-zero-tax-on-global-income-after-his-agent-cancelled-on-the-day
- Published: 2026-04-24T11:28:47+07:00
- Author: Sahil Sacheva

Samuel Leeds had a full day of property viewings lined up in Phuket. His agent cancelled
an hour before they were due to meet. He bought a four-bedroom villa anyway.

The British property investor, who is based in Dubai and holds property across the
UK, UAE, Africa, and the United States, was in Thailand with his wife, Amanda, looking
for a specific type of purchase: one that would qualify them for the country’s long-
term residency visa and the zero tax on worldwide income that comes with it.

When his arranged agent pulled out on the morning of the viewings, Leeds spent the
day cold-calling contacts, finding alternative agents, and talking his way into 
developments that were technically closed for a public holiday.

By the evening, he had exchanged for a four-bedroom duplex apartment at the Sedara
development near Surin Beach, Phuket. Price: £1.3 million. Freehold. Amanda Leeds
signed as a 50% owner.

_“We don’t drink champagne when we celebrate a deal,”_ Leeds said afterwards._ “
We drink coconut juice.”_

## The Tax Angle

Thailand’s long-term residency visa, sometimes referred to as a golden visa, is 
available to foreign nationals who invest above a certain threshold in qualifying
freehold property.

One of its key benefits is zero tax on worldwide income for residents who structure
their affairs correctly.

Leeds already holds residency in Dubai, another zero-tax jurisdiction, and has been
open about his approach to operating across multiple countries.

_“I go where I’m treated best,”_ he said. “That’s not controversial. _That’s just
how global business works.”_

The Thailand purchase gives the family an additional residency option and an asset
they expect to generate over £100,000 per year in net rental income if let out on
the short-stay market.

## How the Deal Happened

Leeds and Amanda arrived in Phuket on a public holiday with a cancelled agent and
no viewings booked. Over the course of the day, Leeds contacted several agents he
had met previously, arranged access to multiple developments, and toured properties
ranging from off-plan condominiums to completed beachfront apartments.

The Sedara development – an exclusive hillside complex near two beaches and a Muay
Thai gym the couple regularly use, was recommended by a local agent named Asa, a
former BP accountant who has lived in Phuket for many years.

The apartment is a four-bedroom duplex over two floors with a sky pool, private 
elevator, and views across the surrounding landscape. It comes fully furnished and
qualifies for the long-term residency visa.

Leeds negotiated the price and signed the same day.

_“When you buy property in Thailand, you’ve got to walk in with your eyes wide open,”
_he said. _“No bank financing for foreigners. The exit is slower than in the UK.
But the yield makes sense and the residency benefit is significant.__

## Background

Leeds left school at 16 with no qualifications and bought his first property in 
Birmingham at

17. He now holds over 100 properties across multiple countries and has generated
$125 million in career revenue.

He also runs [Samuel Leeds](http://www.samuelleeds.com) Finance, a private bridging
lending operation that has deployed over £15.5 million in loans to first-time property
investors across the UK, with operations now expanding to the United States.

The Thailand purchase is his first property in Southeast Asia.

_Samuel Leeds is the founder of the Samuel Leeds Academy and Samuel Leeds Finance.
Free online property training is available at _[_www.samuelleeds.com_