newnative

Well, this is an easy one. Nobody anywhere ever inspects the finished work before final payment--whether it's new sidewalks in Pattaya or a parliament building in Bangkok.

Your mortgage may be 0 but other costs will likely be higher--including property taxes, HOA fees, and utilities. If you own a condo in the US, the monthly condo fees are also likely much higher. My monthly condo fee on my small Virginia condo was $500. I pay $67 a month in condo fees on my Bangkok condo and $100 a month on my Pattaya condo, both mortgage-free. Both condos are in doorman buildings with nice amenities in great locations--so, not dives. You're absolutely right that housing prices here are not rising 200%. But, the other half of that coin is housing prices here are still affordable--a good thing, I think, for any society. If one wants to own mortgage-free there are lots of very reasonable condos and homes available here. If one prefers to rent, also a wide selection, with many nice ones for less than $500 a month. Certainly, if you own property in the US I commend you. Buying my first condo in the US after too many years of renting was the smartest thing I ever did. However, for others not in that boat trying to keep a roof over their heads, Thailand offers reasonable choices both to own or rent--which saves money in Thailand, the topic of this thread..

"...possibly...". Uh, oh.

Good.

That's the biggie, isn't it? Keeping a roof over your head. Usually the biggest monthly expense for many, most anywhere. I know when I lived in America and was working, keeping a roof over my head was, like your pensioners, about 50% of my monthly income, too. In the beginning years probably more than 50% as I was low paid. And, it was 50% whether I was renting or when I finally scraped up enough money to buy a condo. Which brings me to Thailand. Whether I rent or own here, it costs me far, far less than what I'd be spending monthly in the US for something comparable. With a much smaller amount being spent on keeping a roof over my head, it leaves lots more to handle the price increases on other things. And, while rents and housing prices are skyrocketing in some other countries, that has not been the case here.

Aeras is newer, finished in 2017.

Built in 2014.

It's already a mess on Pattaya Beach Road too much of the time. You're often down to 1 lane as you have delivery trucks stopped in the left lane of the traffic lanes and cars stopped in the right lane waiting for a parking place. Parking needs to be eliminated on the beach side like it was before covid.

IKEA

Yes, also bad, as is Thepprasit and others.

Next time take your walk on Pattaya Second Road by the Smart Kids School.

Stand by generators for most condo projects usually only power a few things like the elevators and emergency lighting.

Pattaya Beach Road had sand deposits all along it yesterday and a large construction fence had blown over--must have been high winds coming from the west. We lost electric for awhile.

Me, too. I think there are more than a few retirees who have come to your same conclusion. Some tweaking is needed to make it more desirable.

Just a couple of suggestions. Make sure it is listed with as many agencies as possible. Since it has been on the market for awhile, check the agency websites to make sure it is still listed and hasn't been dropped. Sometimes I have to send a listing several times before an agency gets it listed. If you haven't already done so I would list it yourself on Facebook, Craigslist, Hipflat, Bahtsold, etc. Mention in your listings that agents are welcome. I would also send an email reminder to agencies letting them know it is still for sale and include some new photos so they will have it fresh in their minds. Also remind them of the new, reduced asking price so they can adjust their listings with the new price if they have not already done so. When you get a viewing, it's a good idea to check with the agent afterwards to get their feedback on what the client liked and, perhaps, didn't like. If the clients you have had are liking your property but not buying it, try to discover what is the reason--you might be able to work on that. Good luck with your sale.

Air con on all night set at 27. I don't like a fan blowing on me when I am sleeping.

Liked your post. My partner and I have moved about 16 times since we arrived in Thailand 11 years ago--starting with two moves when we lived in Rayong. We've managed to move twice in Bangkok and we don't even live there full-time. Since our arrival, we've been buying a condo, fixing it up, selling it, and moving on to the next one--which explains all our moves. Most of our moves have been in Pattaya--at least a dozen--and we've been about all over the area--from south Jomtien to Wong Amat and about every point in between the two. Now, we are exploring the last frontier for us here--the Darkside. Recently we did our first house, on the Darkside, sold it, and have just started a renovation on a second one. Hopefully, this might be our last move--but we've said that before. Color us restless. Moving can be stressful, no doubt about it. We attempt to make things easier by trying to always avoid having to do a quick move. We don't like the pressure of having to get everything moved in just a day or two so we usually arrange to have several weeks or more. We sell our properties mostly furnished so we are primarily moving some treasured antiques, artwork, decorative items, housewares, linens, and personal items. It's still a lot--but no large items like king beds, sofas, dining sets, etc. Every item we always take with us on our moves can fit into our large SUV--although a move takes numerous trips back and forth. We don't have to rent a moving truck and we do the moves ourselves, taking our time. One of the best things about moving so often is it has kept us from accumulating a lot of useless stuff that we don't really need or use--although some items I consider useless have inexplicably made the cut move after move. When my parents retired from living around the World they bought a retirement house, never moved in over 38 years of retirement, and accumulated a ton of stuff--they never threw away anything on the dubious theory that they 'might need it sometime'. If nothing else, my partner and I are not pack rats. Good luck with your move (s).

Boo hoo. Next time book a hotel.

All this time and they aren't even 30% finished??? Pathetic. Meanwhile, how about all the other super-slow road work? Week after week, month after month, the giant holes still look like giant holes with no visible progress.

Quality properties priced correctly in excellent locations are still selling.

As an American, this is what I find the most depressing of the whole thing--those two incomprehensible, to me, figures of two-thirds Republicans believing the Big Lie and, even more shocking to me, apparently one-third of all voters also falling for Trump's outrageous, ludicrous Big Lie. Sad that someone like sleazy, grifter Trump can seize on the Big Lie propaganda strategy of the Nazis and have it still maddeningly work so well in the 21st century. And, sad to see too many examples of it working in the 11 pages of this tread. Depressing.

Pronouncing a newly married couple 'man and wife' is actually quite sexist. Why should the woman have to change and now be 'pronounced' as the 'wife', yet the man does not change in the pronouncement and remains a 'man', not becoming a 'husband'. With that outdated thinking in mind, I guess when two males marry it should be "I now pronounce you man and man'. Makes no sense, and neither does 'man and wife' in the 21st century.

Sad

Last time I did the extension I was not given any date to report back so I didn't. My 1 year extension is in a few weeks so I'll see how it goes this year.

Yes. This is not unique to Thailand. If it's too expensive or if just the idea of paying more offends you, don't go. I, for one, am happy to pay because I realize I am saving so much more on many other things by living in Thailand vs. the US.