newnative

I have to disagree. For me, it's always 'worth it' to own my space--and, even more so in my later years. I've owned, for reasons I stated in my earlier post, in my 30s, 40s, and 50s. Why would that change when I hit 60 or 70? Or 80, if I live that long? If I can afford to own a nice place, to do with it what I want, and have the things I have collected over a life time, why not--at any age. I'm 72 and my spouse and I are about half-way through building our next house here in Pattaya on the Darkside. As always, it's been fun, interesting, and challenging. Age is just a number.

Spouse and I have owned a number of condos in Pattaya, at a number of different projects. We never lost money on any of them. We always bought seaview, and almost always in foreign name, which I would highly recommend. To answer your question, buying was always a good decision for us, even with a couple of the projects that became over-run with illegal daily renters when airbnb became popular. I would steer clear of these types of projects, unless that isn't a concern for you. We would still buy--here or anywhere else--even if we thought we might lose some money or only break even on a property. We are owners, not renters. We had to rent a few times when condos we were buying were being finished and we hated renting. Not for us living in someone else's property, tip-toeing around hoping we don't accidently break or spill something on a piece of likely lousy furnture, and likely not in our taste. Not for us looking at art we didn't select and watching Netflix on probably a way too small tv. Not for us throwing the rent money out the window every month, paying someone else, rather than ourselves. Not for us not being able to make major changes and improvements in a place when we feel like it. Not for us always knowing, this is not your place, it's someone else's. The older I get the more I realize that life is short. I have no intention of spending my remaining wonder years in someone else's space. No thanks. I know from comments on threads like this that some are perfectly happy being renters--although I think everyone we know in Pattaya also owns. Nothing wrong with renting, if that's your thing. Just not for us. Someone will likely be along, if they haven't already, to tell you how much money you can make if you rent instead of owning and invest in stocks or whatever instead of property. But, nothing stopping a condo owner from also making other investments--which we do. For us, though, owning is a lifestyle choice, a quality of life choice, more than anything else.

'National outrage'? Hardly. A couple thousand reactions, and a few hundred comments, not all negative, out of a population of 70 million. Hold the almost always excessive hype already, it's getting so tiresome.

Lock him up already! He's nothing special--far from it.

That's rich, coming from someone who used the Nazi 'Big Lie' propaganda strategy to falsely, and ridiculously, lie big and claim the 2020 election was 'stolen' from him.

Agree. Last time I flew to the US I flew Korean Air and the change of planes in Korea was a breeze--the flight to the US was in a nearby gate just steps away. Could not have been much easier.

Again, rein in the hype. I doubt a few ed visa tourists are going to 'revive Thailand tourism'--which seems to be doing fine anyway.

No need for the word 'infamously' in the first sentence. I'm amused by all the wacko theories--especially the maid doing it--this after serving her for many, many years. Why murder her when she was dying?

The only thing Trump does intensely is lie.

Yes, with a follow-up equally moronic.

The majority of Americans are pro-choice, not just those on the 'left'. This includes majorities in 43 states, including some 'red' states, and DC.

Hope it flips Florida.

Buying off-plan can be profitable if you know what you are doing. My spouse and I bought 3 condos off-plan at The Base and Centric Sea in Pattaya. Both projects in great locations, with very little in the way of competition from other seaview condos in that area at that time, and both being built by large Bangkok developers with good track records of completing projects--Sansiri and SC Asset. You do need to do your homework, the numbers need to work, and we would never buy off-plan from a small or unknown developer.

I think 'airbnb' is becoming a generic term for referring to short-term rentals, much like kleenex is for facial tissues.

Me, too. Good to know it applies to houses also.

Agree. Management is taking the easy way out.

Thank goodness my spouse and I didn't take that advice 14 years ago.

Yes--and they were doing the muck thing again this morning. Huge traffic backup because Beach Road was down to just 1 lane. Not a traffic cop in sight and, of course, nobody thought to temporarily ban parking on the shop side to create a second traffic lane.

There are a number of seaview projects in Wongamat. Just a short drive to T21, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Lotus's, Big C at Marina, Central Festival, etc.

Lock him up already.

Scary.

Not believing a word of it. And, no, this was not a 'huge hotel scam'. Hold the hype.

If the demand wasn't there, I doubt an established developer/business would proceed. Centre Point built its large hotel on top of T21. Apparently filled the rooms and needed more rooms to offer so it built Centre Point Space across the street. That seems to be a success and now the developer has the even bigger Centre Point 3 planned for an enormous tract of land in front of Cape Dara. All 3 very big investments, likely not done without some thought. Ditto for Copacabana. Sold well enough and now a second Copacabana is planned. Same for Riviera--a number of successful projects, with the next one, Riviera Malibu, on the horizon. Whether all of the many new projects will be successful . . .we'll see. As far as the 'mess' detering visitors to Pattaya, I doubt it will have much effect. Things like road construction, the state of the sidewalks, lack of shade trees, etc., etc., are issues that are most vexing to locals living here full-time, not tourists here for a short visit. When my spouse and I recently visited China, did we inquire about the traffic before we booked the trip? No.

Agree.

Lock all of 'em up already.