Land/house On The River

[kiakaha]

Does anyone know of the price ranges for land/house(not condos) on the river ?

I've always fancied the idea of a nice colonial era style house on the Chao Phraya river(like the french or portugese embassies) with a lush tropical garden.

Still fantasizing at this point, but netherless would like to put a Baht figure on the fantasy..i presume the further up river you go, the cheaper it gets ?

[quiksilva]

Difficult to say with any degree of accuracy unless there is a specific site you are interested in. You are however correct in assuming that it gets cheaper the further up you go but really its more dependant on the site's vicinity and specific factors.

EG.

I know of a site on the river that is asking 300,000 / sq wah not too far from the JW Marriot Riverside.

Rama 3 also has some sites for sale that are asking 150-200K / sq wah. Obviously, if you go up to Ayutthaya it will be very much cheaper.

Things to consider: a pier on the site is extremely valuable because no more licenses are being approved for new ones. The sites on the whole tend to be large (generally 5 Rai+) [its a throw back to ages ago when the irrigation department owned much of them).

There are also strict setback regulations, which if memory serves me (but perhaps someone can correct me) that its 40m from the riverbank.

Finding a smaller site will be very challenging and bear in mind that the prices I have quoted are for large sites, smaller sites will be higher.

Edited April 25, 2007 by quiksilva

[kiakaha]

Difficult to say with any degree of accuracy unless there is a specific site you are interested in. You are however correct in assuming that it gets cheaper the further up you go but really its more dependant on the site's vicinity and specific factors.

EG.

I know of a site on the river that is asking 300,000 / sq wah not too far from the JW Marriot Riverside.

Rama 3 also has some sites for sale that are asking 150-200K / sq wah. Obviously, if you go up to Ayutthaya it will be very much cheaper.

Things to consider: a pier on the site is extremely valuable because no more licenses are being approved for new ones. The sites on the whole tend to be large (generally 5 Rai+) [its a throw back to ages ago when the irrigation department owned much of them).

There are also strict setback regulations, which if memory serves me (but perhaps someone can correct me) that its 40m from the riverbank.

Finding a smaller site will be very challenging and bear in mind that the prices I have quoted are for large sites, smaller sites will be higher.

Thats interesting about the pier law. Could you still moor a boat up against the wall/river bank in front of your property, or build a boat lift ?

[quiksilva]

To be honest I don't know, but I do know that they are not granting licenses for any more piers to be built, I suspect that it maybe difficult but I would have to do some homework to find out for sure.

[misterme]

A Thai I met last month mentioned her mom would sell thier house on the River, Dusit Area, for 30 Million.

Ouch! I haven't seen the house, but at that price, there's no point in talking further.

[esbobes]

Difficult to say with any degree of accuracy unless there is a specific site you are interested in. You are however correct in assuming that it gets cheaper the further up you go but really its more dependant on the site's vicinity and specific factors.

EG.

I know of a site on the river that is asking 300,000 / sq wah not too far from the JW Marriot Riverside.

Rama 3 also has some sites for sale that are asking 150-200K / sq wah. Obviously, if you go up to Ayutthaya it will be very much cheaper.

Things to consider: a pier on the site is extremely valuable because no more licenses are being approved for new ones. The sites on the whole tend to be large (generally 5 Rai+) [its a throw back to ages ago when the irrigation department owned much of them).

There are also strict setback regulations, which if memory serves me (but perhaps someone can correct me) that its 40m from the riverbank.

Finding a smaller site will be very challenging and bear in mind that the prices I have quoted are for large sites, smaller sites will be higher.

300,000 a sq wah is about 4.5 million pounds a arce I guess Tony when in leaves office will move to Bangkok

[Crossy]

Pathum Thani (40km north, BKK commutable in about an hour), Wat Phai Lom area, 2-4 million per rai depending upon level, available services and access (some is a loooong way from the road). If you take a drive past Wat Phai Lom there are several 'for sale' signs with phone numbers

[pkrv]

Silly reply apologies – I noted that near the Oriental Hotel is a ‘colonial style’ mansion, overlooking the river. It looks run down but is in use. Does anyone know what this is?

[trajan]

if you mean this old Customs House, it was reported in the press that it will be renovted into an ultra-lux Aman Resort Bangkok (of the famous Aman chain e.g. Amanpuri in Phuket)....

[pkrv]

if you mean this old Customs House, it was reported in the press that it will be renovted into an ultra-lux Aman Resort Bangkok (of the famous Aman chain e.g. Amanpuri in Phuket)....

Thanks trajan, I sort of sensed something was going to happen with that property (idiots if they do nothing). By the way - I personally view your opinions as ones that carry weight, of the heavy brigade variety. Please keep it up PKRV.

[quiksilva]

Difficult to say with any degree of accuracy unless there is a specific site you are interested in. You are however correct in assuming that it gets cheaper the further up you go but really its more dependant on the site's vicinity and specific factors.

EG.

I know of a site on the river that is asking 300,000 / sq wah not too far from the JW Marriot Riverside.

Rama 3 also has some sites for sale that are asking 150-200K / sq wah. Obviously, if you go up to Ayutthaya it will be very much cheaper.

Things to consider: a pier on the site is extremely valuable because no more licenses are being approved for new ones. The sites on the whole tend to be large (generally 5 Rai+) [its a throw back to ages ago when the irrigation department owned much of them).

There are also strict setback regulations, which if memory serves me (but perhaps someone can correct me) that its 40m from the riverbank.

Finding a smaller site will be very challenging and bear in mind that the prices I have quoted are for large sites, smaller sites will be higher.

300,000 a sq wah is about 4.5 million pounds a arce I guess Tony when in leaves office will move to Bangkok

Its all down to location bear in mind that Sathorn and Silom is between 400-600K / sq wah, Wireless is at 600-800K, the British Embassy site sold at 900K, Chinatown land can reach levels close to a million too.

[kiakaha]

I love the old russian embassy, at the intersection of Sathorn/Naratiwat, opposite Empire Tower. There is a new condo development going on around it at the moment,I don't know if the old building is being merged into the new development, but I do hope it gets beautifully restored.

Found these photos in the web : http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/rus.../russian1.shtml

[samran]

I love the old russian embassy, at the intersection of Sathorn/Naratiwat, opposite Empire Tower. There is a new condo development going on around it at the moment,I don't know if the old building is being merged into the new development, but I do hope it gets beautifully restored.

Found these photos in the web : http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok/buildings/rus.../russian1.shtml

absolutely stunning photos!

I would have liked to have seen Sathorn 50 years ago, when it was all like that!

Pity that Bangkok civic planners seemed to have all gone to the same Soviet school of urban design, and decided to bulldoze most of it.

[quiksilva]

Actually the building is protected (by the Ministry of Culture, I think) and the owner, Goldenland PLC, told me that they have been forced to accomodate the exterior of the building in any future redevelopment of the site.

[pkrv]

quiksilva - I had absolutely no idea that Thailand has the concept of conservation zones. In a way this information simply reinforces my conclusions on Bangkok and where it is going, thanks for the info. Sorry I am not sure if I have side tracked the thread, but it is all very interesting.

[quiksilva]

This is why they have setback from the river (to preserve the riverbanks), and whilst they do not have many "conservation zones" there are areas of the city where development is prohibited eg. the green area to the south of the Chaophraya opposite Rama 3.

The conservation of historically important buildings is done in a very haphazard manner and is by no means at the same level of sophistication of English Heritage who list and grade historic buildings in the UK but it does happen occasionally. The Russian Embassy is a prime example of this, as is the property mentioned above, most of the others can be found near the Palace.

Edited April 26, 2007 by quiksilva

[GuestHouse]

Our house and land is 'River Front'. as Quiksilva says above there is a building exclusion zone along the river bank. Since we have a natural raised area of land, the obvious place to build our house was outside the exclusion zone, but anyone buying river front land needs to be aware that an exclusion zone may exist.

So son't go buying a bit of land you are not allowed to build on.

Research.... and don't asume that just because neighbours have built near the bank, of that an existing house is near the bank that permission exists.

[kiakaha]

This is why they have setback from the river (to preserve the riverbanks), and whilst they do not have many "conservation zones" there are areas of the city where development is prohibited eg. the green area to the south of the Chaophraya opposite Rama 3.

The conservation of historically important buildings is done in a very haphazard manner and is by no means at the same level of sophistication of English Heritage who list and grade historic buildings in the UK but it does happen occasionally. The Russian Embassy is a prime example of this, as is the property mentioned above, most of the others can be found near the Palace.

I always wondered what the green area was over in Phra Padaeng.Picture Attached.

Is is worth a visit ? Does it have hiking/biking trails etc.... or anything else to do of interest ?

[pkrv]

Sorry I can't resist. If the customs house ever turned into apartments/condominiums, could someone PM me. If done correctly and with taste it could be stunning (OK I am now formally a traitor to The Park, but they are just so different).

[quiksilva]

This is why they have setback from the river (to preserve the riverbanks), and whilst they do not have many "conservation zones" there are areas of the city where development is prohibited eg. the green area to the south of the Chaophraya opposite Rama 3.

The conservation of historically important buildings is done in a very haphazard manner and is by no means at the same level of sophistication of English Heritage who list and grade historic buildings in the UK but it does happen occasionally. The Russian Embassy is a prime example of this, as is the property mentioned above, most of the others can be found near the Palace.

I always wondered what the green area was over in Phra Padaeng.Picture Attached.

Is is worth a visit ? Does it have hiking/biking trails etc.... or anything else to do of interest ?

It's well worth a visit, they have elevated timber paths through the whole area, its a favourite for cyclists, I understand that there is alo a group that does Segway tours over there. The area is called Bang Ka Jao, in fact here is a link

http://www.bangkok.com/cycling-tours/bangkokjungle.html

pkrv The custom's house will definitely be a hotel.

[london]

Re the Customs House/Fire Department building on the river:

the last I heard is that the Oberoi group is undertaking extensive research into the renovation and modernisation of the building as a hotel, with the likelihood of a taller structure, possibly of similar height to the Oriental next door, being built behind the older building.

Nothing the Oberoi does is less than 5 stars, so if it is as I have heard, it will be a marvellous hotel.

Sorry PKRV, it doesn't sound like its going to be condos.

[pkrv]

quiksilva, london,

To be honest the answer is b****r. Whilst there are huge oportunities with condominiums (no pun inteneded) a certain 'je ne sais qui' is perhaps missing? There is plenty of land in Bangkok not all of it needs to be 700 stories high (Ok I jest).

The river is a part of it, I think.....

Edited May 8, 2007 by pkrv

[quiksilva]

Agreed, it would be nice. Bangkok's planners have a long way to come but they are making great strides in the right direction, with things like decreasing the maximum floor : area ratio from 10:1 to 6:1 in many areas and increasing the open space ratio to 30%. Of course it only affects new properties so it will take decades to see the results but those plans are enforced, well most of them of anyway... sigh..

I think Bangkok does have that certain something though. There is at least some movement to protect these grand old properties here, they are not that common these days but even if they are being converted into hotels etc at least we can hope that by being useful buildings once again they will be taken care of and will be around for much longer to come.

[london]

quiksilva, london,

To be honest the answer is b****r. Whilst there are huge oportunities with condominiums (no pun inteneded) a certain 'je ne sais qui' is perhaps missing? There is plenty of land in Bangkok not all of it needs to be 700 stories high (Ok I jest).

The river is a part of it, I think.....

Sorry PKRV, it may be my advancing years, but I don't understand your response to my post.

What I said was that from the information I had received, the Customs House/Fire Station was to be developed as a Hotel by the Oberoi chain with the possible addition of a newer structure similar to the Oriental next door, approx 10 stories high. From my information, the whole lot will be an Oberoi hotel.

When I said "sorry PKRV" it was in response to your desire to perhaps live there in a condo......which seems unlikely considering the Oberoi only develop hotels.

However, your view of the River (Chaopraya ...NOT The River condo) as "part of it" is in my view correct. In fact, I wouldn't by choice live anywhere else in BKK.

Regards

[pkrv]

quiksilva, london,

To be honest the answer is b****r. Whilst there are huge oportunities with condominiums (no pun inteneded) a certain 'je ne sais qui' is perhaps missing? There is plenty of land in Bangkok not all of it needs to be 700 stories high (Ok I jest).

The river is a part of it, I think.....

Sorry PKRV, it may be my advancing years, but I don't understand your response to my post.

What I said was that from the information I had received, the Customs House/Fire Station was to be developed as a Hotel by the Oberoi chain with the possible addition of a newer structure similar to the Oriental next door, approx 10 stories high. From my information, the whole lot will be an Oberoi hotel.

When I said "sorry PKRV" it was in response to your desire to perhaps live there in a condo......which seems unlikely considering the Oberoi only develop hotels.

However, your view of the River (Chaopraya ...NOT The River condo) as "part of it" is in my view correct. In fact, I wouldn't by choice live anywhere else in BKK.

Regards

Apologies london - perhaps another way of saying it is that I was expressing my disappointment that a share in such a beautiful building was not obtainable via the condominium route (I take quicksilva's point that it will be looked after and am grateful for that). Condominiums are built by corporations who almost always place profit before other considerations, hence high-density high-rise condominiums. IMO there is room for other solutions, the Chaopraya river (sorry I did not mean to imply The River development) is indeed beautiful and there is a lot of it. There are tactical issues at play here I do not have a Thai partner so the condominium route is the only one open to me, I have gone for The Park because although it appears to be a massive structure (highest is 35 stories) a 25 story neighbouring building will come up to about the 11th floor. The Park is a very low-density project in a huge amount of land and overlooks parks, but is very close to all core infrastructures.

Does this help in my expressing an interest in the customs house?

Edited May 10, 2007 by pkrv

[london]

Many thanks for your clarification....appreciated.

Yes, you are 100% correct that may of the condos springing up have absolutley zero aesthetics...just boxes for baht.

The condo route is also my only option, not having a Thai partner, but I am quite at home with that as the security aspects of living in a quality and well managed condo leave me with a more comfortable feeling than having a house unattended when travelling. Also, the views tend to be better from 15 or more storeys up...and the air !!

The Park is a top development...quality. In any city, its location, location, location....but also quality does play a big part, particularly in future capital growth.

Re the Customs House: the good thing is that IF it is renovated and enhanced by a group such as Oberoi, you'll always be able to stay there for at least a night....and no doubt enjoy it too !

Regards.

Edited May 10, 2007 by london