chris2004

I bought my 100 sq m condo at 3.4 million in 2006 (luckily when the Pound was still at 71). That equated to under 50,000 GBP which, at the time, i thought was cheap compared to what you could buy in the UK or Europe. Even if i sold now at 2.5 million with the current exchange rate i would break even. My purchase however was not an investment but just somewhere to live. I am not expecting it to rise in price. It saves me 25,000 a month on rent (with the Pound now at 48).

I saw in Power Buy both at Tukcom and Central Festival they were selling off new Samsung AS13ug models for 13900. I nearly bought one myself.

Used cars, like condos, are absurdly overpriced here. I have seen 2 year old cars in poor condition with an asking price nearly as high as the list price of a new one. Insanity.

What's more insane is that people pay these prices. I would never consider a second hand car when i could get a new one for say 100,000 baht more.

Has nobody said the main deciding factor in this decision ?

You CAN own an apartment but you CAN NOT own a house. What more is there is know.

i wish it was, but it's not avaliable

Yes it is i've started to watch it already. You need a proxy to access the iplayer but plenty of advice on the web.

I was thinking about getting the Kasikorn insurance but if you look at the benefits the only REAL one is the 50,000 medical expenses. Loss of life cover is fine but it doesn't help me when i'm dead. So you are paying 2,500 baht for 50,000 cover.

The big day today, TT races start. TV coverage on ITV4 via the iplayer

My tyres never get tired.

My condo has two quite big balconies. One is included in it's size (and on the chanote) the other is not. Strange, but TIT.

I got someone in to take out my old bath, put in a new tiled floor and shower. Cost 54,000 baht.

I've just seen on Pattaya One that the Euro games will not be screened on Truevisions and will only be watchable via an analogue signal !! I have True visions. Does this mean i have to purchase a TV aerial and tune my TV in an analogue signal with the aerial to get the games. This seems crazy, is there no other way to see them ?

They 'Sus' the punter that does inquire first before disclosing 'a' price.

Sure, if a thai walks in the price is say 300,000. If a farang walks in the price is 350,000.

I use the Halifax and their 9.50 GBP charge i think is the cheapest, takes 2 days.

I have been trying to find out the chargimg policy at the Thailand end. Most websites (I'm with Kasikorn) quote 0.25% with a min of 200 baht and a max of 500 baht. I always send Sterling usually about 1,000 GBP. But the charges at this end seem to equate to about 1.5%, i.e. i'm charged 500 baht for a 1,000 GBP (50,000 baht) transfer. I've tried asking in the Bank but get no real answer.

Anyone know what Thai banks charge for receiving money and transferring it to baht. Are they all the same?

When i looked recently the Galaxy Note was selling for 22,500 baht in Pattaya, which is way above the UK price or the $500 quoted above. Why is that when the Samsung Galaxy 2 is about the same price as overseas.

I want one too but i am not going to pay 1250 baht for the ones in Homeworks. It looks good quality though.

It's really down to the residents' committee. You need to have good (pushy) farangs on the committee who take an interest in all these points who in turn push the manager and/or management company to put them right. If they can not maintain a resonable performance they have to be replaced.

Residents not voting an increase in fees is a problem but we got round it by voting for a supplement to the fees not a permanent increase. Basically there is no excuse for sloppiness like this and the residents need to get a system in place which improves the condo.

No contest. The best massamam is from Numchai, the restaurant on Soi Buakhao opposite the night market.

You forgot "The Axis", one of the biggest, on top of the hill going over to Jomtien. I think over 400 condos. The roads will be gridlocked if they ever get sold.

The land has been sold to the developers of Atlantis. Hundred's of 35 sqm condos will go on sale very soon.

I'm amazed that so many foreigners will come over here and live in 35m2 condos.

Me too, i live in a 2 roomed 100 sq m condo and it's only just big enough for me (and tgf). A 30 sqm condo might be OK for a 2 week holiday but would be terrible as a permanent residence.

I've just booked into the Rinya House which seems to get very good reviews. I'll let you know later what's it's like.

You can't rely on the security guards. They are probably the ones who steal the bikes. I always use a separate lock onto a steel pipe but of course even thse can be easily opened. But at least they might target another bike.

My long term tgf (3 years) has asked that she go on my condo tabien baan. I own my condo in Pattaya and have a blue book which i assume is the Tabien Baan. Her parents are dead and she is on her sister's TB, who lives in Bangkok. She doesn't get on with her sister and would like to be on a TB where she lives in Pattaya.

Firstly has anyone done done? What would i have to do, go to City Hall. What would i need to show just the blue book or other documents, the chanote?

Secondly, and maybe more importantly, if we broke up at some future date how easy would it be to get her name off.

I presume her name on the TB does not confer any ownership rights to the condo, just lists who resides at the property.

Surely the final plan is not to have it lined from one end to the other with "pie in the sky" Condos or shop houses?

Or is it? There cannot be many more ex Soviet Block people left who can or even want to buy a 34 sq Mtr room here.

There are acres of land for an opportunistic, wealthy Thai to build all manner of things necessary for modern life.

Supermarket (Tesco / Big C size), Private School, Petrol stations, Hospital, modern Re-cycling plant and incinerator to produce electricity for increased demand (imagine if they burnt all the crap how clean the place would be).

The property developers seem to think that there is still a lot of steam left in the Russian condo-buying machine. We shall see.

Either way, as you say there is no shortage of space in Jomtien for a decent supermarket; the Ocean1 site would seem an obvious contender, or the plot by Chateau Dale which as far as I know was earmarked for a commercial centre years ago. Not to mention the umpteen empty hectares opposite on the Jomtien side of Pattaya Park.

They seem to have started to build something on the plot next to Chateau Dale/Royal Hill. Anyone know what it will be ?

That's why i won't own a car in Pattaya. The traffic is bad at the best of times and parking is next to impossible in the places you want to go, Soi Buakhau etc. Better to use a bike or public transport or sometimes even quicker to walk.

When you are talking about flat tires, are you talking punctures or just a flat tire for no apparent reason? Punctures I can understand but my wife's tubed type tires go flat from no apparent reason. Recently she has had a new front and rear tire put on. They are better than the old ones but still go flat all too often.

On the other hand, my Elegance with tubeless tires has never had a flat.

I used to have an Elegance with spoked wheels and i used to get a flat every few months. Now i have an Elegance with alloy wheels and i never get a flat. That's the answer.