Real Estate and Urban Development
in Singapore & Thailand
Property Markets, Public Housing and PropTech across Singapore, Chiang Mai and Bangkok
Singapore
&
Thailand
Business
11 Days / 10 Nights
Sustainable Development Goals in Action
The Destination
Program Overview
This faculty-led real estate study abroad program compares two contrasting property markets over 11 days — mature, highly developed Singapore and fast-growing Thailand — for business, real estate, and urban-planning students, with visits to developers, government housing authorities, and PropTech innovators.
Singapore and Thailand offer a fascinating study in contrasts for anyone interested in real estate and urban development. Singapore is one of the world's most mature and highly developed property markets, celebrated for visionary urban planning and a public-housing model studied around the globe. Thailand, by contrast, is a fast-growing emerging market, with a rising middle class and surging demand for property in major cities like Bangkok. Placing the two side by side lets students see the full arc of how real estate markets grow, mature, and are shaped by policy.
This faculty-led program takes students inside both markets through interactions with developers, real estate agencies and consultancies, government housing authorities, and the proptech innovators reshaping the sector. Students visit ecologically designed, state-of-the-art buildings, examine public-housing and affordable-housing models, and compare the two countries across growth trajectory, policy focus, and investment potential. Along the way, cultural immersions reveal the social and economic fabric within which each real estate market thrives.
From Singapore's gardens, heritage districts, and riverfront to northern Thailand's mountains and Bangkok's temples and waterways, the program pairs rigorous industry engagement with rich cultural experience. Through collaborative research, problem-based projects, and reflective practice, students build strong skills in market analysis, policy reasoning, cross-cultural competency, and responsible global citizenship.
Ideal for students in Business, Real Estate, Urban Planning, Finance and related disciplines — undergraduate and graduate students.
What You'll Do
Key Program Elements
Real Estate Markets of Singapore and Thailand
- Meet industry leaders and developers to compare a mature, highly developed market with a fast-growing emerging one.
- Engage major real estate agencies and consultancies to understand transactions, investment, and market dynamics.
- Study the growth trajectories, investment potential, and hottest sectors, including retail, across both countries.
- Visit iconic, award-winning residential and mixed-use developments.
Government Policy and Public Housing
- Learn how government bodies shape the real estate sector and promote development.
- Explore Singapore's celebrated public-housing model with its public-housing authority.
- Compare it with Thailand's public-housing authority and a state housing bank.
- Examine the role of nonprofits in delivering affordable housing.
Technology, Innovation and Sustainability
- Meet proptech innovators reshaping how property is bought, sold, and managed.
- Explore sustainability-focused developers and green-building practices.
- Visit ecologically designed, state-of-the-art buildings.
- Study how technology and sustainability are transforming the sector in both countries.
Impact
UN Sustainable Development Goals in Action for this Program
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Examines the growth trajectories, investment potential, and economic impact of two contrasting real estate markets.
- Studies how the property sector drives employment and economic development in Singapore and Thailand.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Explores proptech innovation and the state-of-the-art buildings reshaping the sector.
- Studies the infrastructure and enterprises behind modern urban development.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Engages public-housing authorities and urban-planning institutions to understand affordable, sustainable housing.
- Examines green-building practices and ecologically designed developments.
Beyond the Classroom
Program Highlights
real estate study abroad
What You'll Take Home
Learning Outcomes
Comparative Real Estate Markets
Understand how a mature, highly developed market like Singapore contrasts with a fast-growing emerging market like Thailand across growth, policy, and investment.
Policy, Housing and Urban Development
Examine how government policy and public housing shape the built environment and affordability in both countries.
Technology and Sustainability in Real Estate
Explore how proptech and green-building practices are transforming the property sector.
Cross-Cultural Competency
Live and learn across three Southeast Asian cities and build the intercultural skills essential for global business careers.
Day by Day
Sample Itinerary
Program services and inclusions are curated based on the faculty's learning objectives and may vary by cohort. The structure below is representative; the day numbers are approximate, and the specific organizations, sites, and free time may shift.
Arrival in Singapore
Group arrival and hotel check-in in Singapore.
Singapore's Story
A guided visit to Pulau Ubin island, an afternoon at the Singapore City Gallery, and a sunset bumboat cruise along the Singapore River, followed by a group welcome dinner.
Meals: B, L, DIndustry Immersion
A full day of company visits with real estate developers, agencies, and industry leaders.
Meals: BCulture and Company
A morning immersion in the Chinatown and Little India districts, and an afternoon company visit.
Meals: BPolicy and Housing
A full day of company and organization visits, including government housing bodies.
Meals: BSingapore to Chiang Mai
A morning reflection session, then an in-program flight to Chiang Mai, with a free evening.
Meals: BMountains and Nature
A full-day excursion to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, the Twin Pagodas, and the Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail.
Meals: B, LChiang Mai to Bangkok
Morning company visits, then an in-program flight to Bangkok, with a free evening.
Meals: BBangkok by Day and Night
A full day of company visits and an evening bike tour through old Bangkok along the Chao Phraya River.
Meals: BReflection and Farewell
A morning company visit, a reflection session, and a hands-on cooking class with a group farewell dinner.
Meals: B, DDeparture
Hotel check-out and transfer to the airport for onward travel, or continue to the optional Phuket extension below.
Meals: BOptional Add-On
Optional 2-night Phuket extension: round off the program with a beach-and-islands add-on — a half-day Phuket cultural tour taking in the Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hill, Chalong Temple, and the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Phuket Old Town, and a full-day speedboat excursion to the Phi Phi Islands, Maya Bay, and the Pileh Lagoon, with two nights at a 5-star Phuket beach resort. Meals: 2 breakfasts and 1 lunch.
At a Glance
Program Snapshot
Meals Included
Sustainability
On-Ground Support
Insurance
Investment
Pricing & Inclusions
Program Cost
From USD $3,130*
≈ AUD $4,400 (approx.)
per participant · twin-share basis
Per-participant pricing scales with group size. Pricing is quoted in USD; AUD amounts are indicative and based on current exchange rates.
Request a customized quote*Costs may vary depending on group size, program inclusions, number of program days, and other factors. Please contact us for a customized quote.
What's Included
- Accommodation for 10 nights on a bed and breakfast basis (Wi-Fi included), in hotels in Singapore, Chiang Mai and Bangkok
- Private air-conditioned coach for company visits, tours, and group meals (drinking water included)
- In-program flights from Singapore to Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai to Bangkok
- Group meals — 10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners
- Coordination of company and organization visits
- Guided cultural tours with English-speaking guides
- Carbon offset for all program emissions
- 24x7 on-ground support by a dedicated Authentica Program Manager
- Tips for guides, drivers, and waiters, and all taxes
Good to Know
FAQs About the Program
1. What is the best faculty-led study abroad program in Singapore and Thailand for real estate and business students?
"Real Estate and Urban Development in Singapore and Thailand" is an 11-day faculty-led study abroad program for business, real estate, and urban-planning students. It compares a mature, highly developed property market (Singapore) with a fast-growing emerging one (Thailand) through visits to developers, government housing authorities, and proptech innovators, alongside cultural immersion across Singapore, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok.
2. When is the best time of year to run a study abroad program in Singapore and Thailand?
Singapore is warm and humid year-round, while northern Thailand is most comfortable in the cooler, drier months from roughly November to February; the program can be scheduled to fit your university's academic calendar. Lightweight, breathable clothing, sun protection, and an umbrella are recommended, along with smart-casual attire for company and government visits and modest dress for temples.
3. Do students need a visa for Singapore and Thailand?
Visa requirements vary by nationality; many international students, including U.S. travellers, can enter both Singapore and Thailand visa-free for short stays, while others must arrange entry in advance. Requirements should be checked early for each country. Authentica provides pre-departure guidance, though obtaining any required visa remains the participant's responsibility.
4. Which organizations and sites does the program engage, and how does the group travel between cities?
The program engages property developers, real estate agencies and consultancies, government housing authorities, and proptech companies, alongside public landmarks such as Pulau Ubin, the Singapore City Gallery, and Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand. The group travels between the three cities by in-program flights, from Singapore to Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai to Bangkok, and moves around each city by private air-conditioned coach.
5. What is included in an Authentica faculty-led study abroad program?
An Authentica faculty-led program includes accommodation, in-program flights, private coach transport, coordination of company and organization visits, guided cultural experiences, group meals, carbon offset, and 24x7 on-ground support from a dedicated Authentica Program Manager. Faculty lead the academics while Authentica manages every logistical and safety detail.
6. What are the accommodations and meals like?
Students stay in centrally located hotels in Singapore, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok on a twin-share, bed and breakfast basis. The program includes 10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners, with vegetarian and other dietary preferences accommodated.
7. What should students know about money, cards and tipping?
Singapore uses the Singapore dollar and Thailand the Thai baht. Cards are widely accepted in both countries, though it is useful to carry cash for markets and smaller vendors in Thailand. Tipping is modest and not obligatory in either country, and any tips for guides, drivers, and group meals are included in the program.
8. Is it safe for university study abroad groups, and how is risk managed?
Singapore and Thailand are popular, well-established destinations for study abroad groups, with Singapore among the safest cities in the world and ordinary travel precautions the main consideration in Thailand. Authentica provides 24x7 on-ground support through a dedicated Program Manager, a Day 1 orientation and safety briefing, and a program-specific risk management plan, and carries USD 5M commercial general liability and USD 1M errors and omissions insurance.
Interested in a Similar Program?
Contact us at info@authentica.com to design a faculty-led immersion around your objectives.