newnative

We had a 35 sqm unit on the top floor in the very front, of the north building. This floor was extra desirable because not only was it the top floor with condos, it was also a single corridor floor with condos on only one side-- with windows on the other side of the hallway looking north. Made the hallway very light and airy, and quieter, with half the number of units. Nice seaview unit with the bigger balcony running the entire width of the condo. We paid 3MB for it, buying the contract from someone who had booked the unit early off-plan. Sansiri gave the first buyers to close free sinking fund, closing costs, and, if I remember correctly, paid the first year's condo fee. We rented it for just one year before selling, with the tenant paying 25,000 baht a month.

Totally agree. I had no problems in my 50s or 60s and just starting to slow down a bit in my early 70s. As you say, 50 is way too young. See a doctor.

This 'local' isn't 'reeling'.

Really a shame what happened to The Base. In the beginning it was a nice project in a very good location. Spouse and I were one of the first owners--we bought a 1 bedroom to rent out to long-term renters. We had a great tenant from the get-go on a 1-year contract. However, by the time the year was about over the tenant informed us he would not renew--for the same reasons you stated in your post. We could see the writing on the wall and we decided to sell. We did make a profit on the sale because the project was still popular, and I guess still is. It would be great if the management actually did crack down--there and at several other projects I can think of.

It became a 'campaign issue' when Trump, in this election, acted even more like 'America's Hitler' than he had in the past and, thus, proved Vance correct in his original Hitler assessment.

A mandate is 2.8 million or 7 million voters decisively choosing one candidate over the other candidate. That's a mandate. A candidate winning a state by 1 vote and collecting all the EC votes of the state is not a mandate.

The majority of Americans do not support Trump and they never have. The majority supported Clinton in 2016 by 2.8 million votes. Trump did not even receive 50% of the vote. In 2020, he was rejected by an even larger margin, 7 million votes. Again, never got to 50% of the vote. Both elections were landslides for the Democrats in actual votes and the actual wishes of a majority of the American people. Actual voters have turned thumbs down to Trump by huge margins in both elections. Twice the American voters have spoken loud and clear, we don't want him. Unfortunately, the Electoral College gives the false and very misleading impression that a candidate, rejected by the voters, has somehow won a 'landslide' because he or she wins the EC. Trump is a loser twice-over with the wishes of the majority of the American voters, and likely a third time in 2024.

You can blame Vance, not the 'left', for Hitler being in the mix.

Preview of the worst presidency in history, take 2, if Trump, god forbid, is elected. Wacko and Wackoer.

Centric Sea, for one. Can't remember if The Base did when we owned there.

I don't spend many sleepless nights pondering what ifs. But, I also don't have all my financial eggs in one basket, or one country. Should Thailand and the USA both go belly up at the same time, resulting in Thai baht, USA dollars, stocks, mutual funds, and real estate all being worthless, then spouse and I would, indeed, be SOL. And, likely not the only ones.

My money isn't dying. Dollar to baht today is 33.79. In the 14 years I have been here I think it's ranged from a low of 28 or 29 to a recent summer high of around 37. Probably the average has been around 31 or 32. I didn't like when it dipped below 30 but that didn't last long. Meanwhile, I get COLAs with my pension and Social Security and the COLAs are easily keeping up with Thailand's low inflation.

Happy in marriage. Happy to finally have the legal right to marry in the US and soon in Thailand.

No, Vance 'realized', hey, I could be VP to a very old tub of lard who's a dead man walking. To heck with ethics, to heck with integrity, I'll just be a 78 year-old's heartbeat away from the presidency.

Guess you're forgetting the 2000 election and one state deciding it--Florida.

Fool you three times, you're a Trump supporter.

Let's all remember that Vance was first in calling Trump 'America's Hitler'. Trump supporters seem to conveniently keep forgetting that.

People get sick and die everywhere--and, it can be just as sad and lonely for them in other places than Pattaya. Whether someone dies alone or surrounded by family and friends is usually more a case of how they have led their life than the place they may find themself at the end. There are lots of worse ways to pass away than in a 'condo building overlooking the beach'. In fact, that sounds pretty darn good to me--I love a beach and ocean view. And, it sounds even better having visited some nursing homes in the US while scouting for one with my sisters for our Mother. Even the nice ones I found depressing. I'd much rather be here, in my own home, enjoying the nice weather, and with help available at a reasonable cost if I need it at some point.

Yes, actually several did quit.

The NY Times endorsed Harris. The Post and the LA Times wanted to endorse Harris but the rich owners vetoed the endorsements.

I think you're a bit mixed up. It was Vance who first referred to Trump as America's Hitler.

And Vance beat Cryingdick.

How exactly is it going to 'ignite' tourism by April 2025 if its not yet even built? Likely the legislation might not even be passed by then.

Probably moved to Pattaya.

I've had condo fees ranging from 20 baht a sqm to 77 baht a sqm--and a number of condos with fees in between those two figures, with a dozen or so projects. What's important to me, as a condo owner, is not how much the condo fee is but, rather, is it enough to keep the project maintained properly. A condo is a big investment for me and I want my investment maintained. At the last Pattaya condo I owned, at an older project, the condo fee was not high enough to maintain the project in the style the owners demanded. Rather than raise the condo fee--if I remember 40 or 45 baht a sqm--the project did a special assessment every year to make up that year's shortfall. Special assessments are easier to get approved than raising the annual fees. The special assessments varied but generally amounted to the condo fee being around 60 baht a sqm--about right for the project's size and the small number of units. Obviously, with a project of 1000 units, you get some economies of scale vs. a condo project with 200 units. 1000 owners are chipping in for the guard at the front gate vs. 200 owners at the smaller project. The 20 baht condo fee I mentioned was at a project with 1800 units. At one project I owned at, I could look from my balcony to another older condo project next door. It was easy to see that the condo fee was not adequate to maintain the project. The pool water was often murky green rather than crystal clear and the building had a somewhat rundown look to it. I would guess that not enough owners want to raise the condo fees at that property to maintain it well. I don't want to live in a project where that is the case. If you do your homework before buying you should be able to avoid purchasing at a project that is not adequately funded. Check the condo fee, the sinking fund and the financials. Even when properly funded, some condo projects are not maintained as well as they should be. That's why there's no substitute for on-site observation before buying, with several visits at different times of the day, checking everything you can. I recently visited a condo project that I used to own at--a newer project of around 1000 units. Although I was not there long, I observed enough to see that I would not be happy with how the project was being maintained if I still lived there. Everything still looked to be working, the pool was clean, etc., but a closer look showed a lot of neglected maintenance that would drive me nuts. Quite simply, it has around 1000 units and a condo fee of around 50 baht a sqm. That should provide ample funds to keep the project in tiptop shape. This project was plagued with illegal daily renters when I lived there and it was clear on my recent visit the project had been subjected to very heavy wear and tear. I understand they have since cracked down on the daily renters but the maintenance hasn't caught up. That's what you want to be looking for when you visit. Keep a sharp eye on everything. I was a new owner at this project and it's always a gamble on how a new project will be maintained. Seeing it now, I would give it a pass and look for a better maintained project, one with owners that are far more demanding with management about maintaining the building well.