funlovinkid

Apologies for the vague topic title here, but here's what I'm pondering:

- After a LOT of searching, I found a condo that I like: good building, good location, nice view.

- However, most of the owner's furnishings are terrible, but I'm willing to replace them over time (at my own expense - I would selectively buy used furniture) if the owner will take a significantly lower rent in exchange for a long lease period. A friend has advised that 3 years is the longest lease which is legally enforceable. So, in order to hopefully get into this condo, I would be committing to a longer lease than I normally would, in order to justify the time and expense associated with re-furnishing the unit. I don't tend to move around a lot; if I'm comfortable, I typically stay for several years in the same unit.

I would be negotiating directly with the owner - not through any agent. I would offer a 3-year lease, with the option to renew for another 3-year term thereafter, with a one (or two) month security deposit. In addition, the owner would agree to remove his furniture as I gradually replace it.

So, I have two questions:

- is it true that a 3-year residential lease is the longest legally allowable, in practice?

- what if my circumstances were to change, and I had to break the lease? Of course, I understand that I would lose any security deposit, but could the owner legally require me to pay the remaining term of the lease? Maybe more importantly, do such legal judgments occur in practice?

I happen to be retired, so it's not like I might suddenly have a job change which would require me to move, but I'm a little nervous about committing to such a long lease here in LOS. I also am aware of the difference between Thai law as written, and as practiced. The longest lease I've had to date has been 6 months, and I've never had a problem with a landlord, but this situation would potentially be very different.

Any feedback or suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance!

I haven't seen any comments in this thread about Jomtien Plaza Condotel, or Jomtien Complex Condotel - two of the older, largest, and most central, buildings in the Jomtien beach area. There must be people out there who have lived (or do live) in one of these buildings.

Any observations about these?

After doing some searching here, I found a few articles on this subject, but they're very outdated. Can anyone share information about good places to buy this stuff? At a minimum, I'm interested in an armored mesh jacket, and a helmet, but I might go for pants and boots as well.

Thanks in advance for any feedback or suggestions.

EJK, I did a Google search for information about the Ducati swing-arm failure you mention below, and I can't find anything. I would be very curious to learn more about this, and especially to determine if it's fact, or just rumor. Can you provide any reference information?

Awesome

Thai made DUC how cool no thanks !
Did you know a brand new DUC snapped the rear swing arm off riding up the motorway.

Rider dead the Italians were straight on the plain. After seeing that I will pass on the red fella

There's a guy called Mr Dean (Thai) on Beach Rd between Soi 8 & 9 (nearer to Soi 8) who has what you're looking for, blades, R1's, etc.

I used to rent from him on a regular basis, no hassle, no scams, etc. I too owned a single seater Ducati (996) which is of no use when you want a pillion.

Best of luck, and remember what has been mentioned already, no amount of riding skill gets you ready for the unpredictability of the locals, anything is possible!!!

Here's the last No I had for him, 0819458112 (I hope that's permitted on here).

Just called him and confirmed he's still in business. He mentioned having a Honda CB650F, Kawasaki eR6N, Kawasaki 1000, with smaller bikes also. When asked where to find him, he said to go to the Pattaya beach police station, call him, and he would walk to meet me. Apparently his shop is close by.

eeeya, I must say, that's very interesting, and thanks for the input. I'm wondering if your Thai co-worker is in a position to have inside knowledge - like, is he a Ducati enthusiast, or does he work for Ducati?

I'm aware of regular price reductions scheduled for Japanese bikes due to the existing Thai/Japanese trade agreement, but I'm wondering if any such price reductions are in the future (for any reason) for Ducati.

Any insights as to what the price might be for a new Ducati Monster in the near future due to reduced tariffs/duties, etc? I'm drooling over the idea of having a new Monster, but wondering if it would be worthwhile to wait until next year (or whenever any significant price reduction would be effective).

Thanks in advance for any input!

The road around Bang Phra reservoir in SriRacha isn't too far for a day trip from Pattaya

A bit further out in Chantaburi there's this scenic road that's quite an attraction

Depends on what you enjoy more the scene or the curves in the road to play on your bike? There are plenty of roads around 331 highway that cross back and forth with Sukhumvit around Pattaya that's quite curvy and moderately enjoyable on a bike

Thanks a lot for the suggestions, and especially the pics. They really give a great sense of what can be expected on these rides!

I just moved here from Chiang Mai, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and is a great place for exploring peaceful, curvy roads on a big bike. I'm wondering if there is anything similarly appealing around here. I've looked at the map, and it looks like there are several lakes and some mountainous areas east of Pattaya, but haven't made an effort yet to explore. Anybody know of any good places for this for a casual day trip? I've been to Koh Chang, and it looks great for a motorcycle, but way too far for a day trip. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. Sophon Internet just came by yesterday to set me up with their 6Mbps international service, and my international speed tests indicate that I'm getting around 8/3 Mbps, which is fine (assuming the performance remains consistent!).

Special thanks to KK for all the specific information. KK, BTW, the cable modem they installed is exactly what you predicted above - the white one, with 4 Ethernet ports. Onward and upward!

KK, would you mind explaining what the problem was between Sophon's equipment and yours, in terms of compatibility? I've scheduled them to come do the installation tomorrow, but they weren't able to successfully explain to me over the phone how I'll be able to connect my Windows PC (which doesn't have WiFi capability) to their cable modem in order to gain Internet access. They mentioned something about a "USB" connection, but that still won't do the trick for me, and I'm wondering if this is exactly the issue you encountered with them.

The problems I had with the new Sophon equipment were to do with VPNs and port forwarding for VOIP and other server requirements. Not something that is likely to bother the average domestic user.

The entire problem could have been easily sidestepped if Sophon had bothered to find out how to put their slave router into bridge mode. This they would not or could not do, so they lost a customer. I certainly wasn't going to waste time with them.

The slave router that they supply now has built-in wifi and Ethernet connections. To connect a desktop PC you would normally use an Ethernet cable (all desktop PCs have Ethernet sockets) and these are widely available very cheaply in big supermarkets and electronics shops. Just get one as long as you need. Wifi just works, assuming that your phone or tablet or laptop or desktop has wifi. Most laptops also have Ethernet sockets.

USB is not used for this.

Thanks for that. My PC of course does have Ethernet ports, but it sounded from my phone conversation with Sophon that their cable modem doesn't offer Ethernet ports for that purpose. I appreciate your characterization of their equipment above; I'll just wait for them to show up today with the equipment to see what it has. I also happen to use a VPN service, and I'll just operate on the assumption that it'll work over their equipment. My VPN service worked fine with my previous provider (and I don't think I need port forwarding for this purpose), so hopefully the same will be true with Sophon.

Sophon dont do DSL: they do cable (and fibre) broadband. You should check which cable TV supplier your building uses as normally this supplier will also be able to supply broadband (cable or fibre) to your unit. You may also find that other cable suppliers may be able to do it.

That charge for installing DSL will probably be very similar for any provider. True DSL is also an option depending on which floor you live on (for some unknown reason True will not do DSL to high floors, even though the cable is entirely run inside the building).

I find 3BB DSL to be quite reliable and fair quality, though of course YMMV. Previously I had Sophon which was very reliable until they changed the type of cable modem they used to a router that was incompatible with my equipment. They were not in the slightest bit interested in doing anything to solve the problem, though it would have been relatively simple for them to do so. So they lost a long-term customer (just one of many, I think).

KK, would you mind explaining what the problem was between Sophon's equipment and yours, in terms of compatibility? I've scheduled them to come do the installation tomorrow, but they weren't able to successfully explain to me over the phone how I'll be able to connect my Windows PC (which doesn't have WiFi capability) to their cable modem in order to gain Internet access. They mentioned something about a "USB" connection, but that still won't do the trick for me, and I'm wondering if this is exactly the issue you encountered with them.

OP your post gives the impression you only have wiring that will support DSL service but if building has wired LAN also then go with CAT.

The small condo building I am in has 62 units with wired LAN and we currently have two 30/5mbit fiber lines from CAT connected to dual WAN router configured to load balance between the lines. Rarely problems but any are sorted quickly after a call to CAT and it only cost each condo 150 baht a month.

Not sure what you mean by "wired LAN". Are you referring to twisted-pair Ethernet?

i.use sophon it is fast and quick to instal

Rick, which Sophon subscription package do you use, if I may ask?

I am not easy to please, but of all the isp's I have tried Sophon is the most reliable, they have a 6MB international service that they don't advertise which is perfect for what I need

Bartender, how is Sophon's international performance and reliability? You've piqued my curiosity with your mention of their international offering, because virtually any server I want to access will be outside of Thailand, and this has been the source of most of my Internet frustration in the past: getting access to international servers.

My building does have Sophon cable TV, and a couple of their technicians came by last week to confirm that my room already has the Internet signal via their existing cable installation as well. It would just be a matter of paying a 500 Baht installation fee, and buying their cable modem for 2500 Baht.

However, a friend tells me that Sophon apparently isn't using the current DOCSIS telecommunications standard for Internet over cable, which has me wondering about the wisdom of buying a 2500 Baht cable modem which uses some other (soon to be obsolete?) standard.

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

I know this topic gets revisited regularly, but I haven't seen any recent postings which would give me a sense of what the best options are at the moment. I just moved into a condo building in central Jomtien, and would like to establish Internet connectivity, but I'm not sure which provider to use.

Earlier postings here suggest that CAT is topographically closest to the international gateways (and would therefore provide the best performance to servers outside of Thailand), but a phone call to CAT informs me that they only offer fiber, and the building I'm in won't support this. Sot he only option available to me apparently is DSL.

There have also been earlier posts here that suggest that TOT and Sophon Cable are poor choices, for reliability, performance, etc. 3BB tells me that they can provide me with service, but that a cable will have to be installed into my building, for which 3BB will charge around 2000 baht, plus a 2000 baht charge that the condo building imposes, plus 12 months advance payment for Internet service.

So, I guess I would ask if anybody has any thoughts as to which DSL providers currently offer decent performance and reliability, and also if the charges I describe above are typical for a new DSL installation?

Many thanks in advance for any guidance on this!

I happened to be riding my bicycle past View Talay Residence 5 last night (on Pratumnak Soi 6, I believe), and it looked almost entirely abandoned. So I was curious, and rode around the building - there didn't appear to be any security people present. There were 2-3 rooms with lights on, and maybe a total of 4 cars in the parking area. The building looks to be in good shape, and the same quality as the other VTR's.

No one has mentioned anything about VTR5 in this entire thread. What's the story with this one? Legal problems?

I suggest you don't put all VTx condos in the same category. View Talay Residence 1-4 has much better quality than VTV 1-2 from what I've seen. It's important to check:

1) Building quality

2) Who is the juristic person, is it the real owners? VTR 1-2 have that, not sure about 3-4.

3) Check the title deeds! Been a mess at some of the condos

4) Who are your neighbors? From what I've seen it's a very different scene at VTV1-2 vs VTR 1-2.

Note: I don't own or have any economical interest in any condo anymore.

I appreciate your advice above, but can you please explain what you mean by "check the title deeds"? I don't understand why I would be doing that, how to do it, or what I would be looking for! Thanks for any feedback on this.

The title deed is called chonoot (spelling?), it's a large yellowish paper giving the address and measurements. The backside shows the owner history and any loans. For some condos the owner never got them, the developer hadn't paid the bank loan. Better use a lawyer.

Thanks for that - the information is helpful, but I still don't understand. It sounds like you're making a suggestion for what to do if I'm interested in buying a condo, not renting. Am I correct?

Also, your original message suggests to "check the title deeds" (plural). Does this mean to ask the juristic for copies of all the titles in the building, or just the one for the condo in which I happen to be interested? I still don't understand what I'm looking for!

I suggest you don't put all VTx condos in the same category. View Talay Residence 1-4 has much better quality than VTV 1-2 from what I've seen. It's important to check:

1) Building quality

2) Who is the juristic person, is it the real owners? VTR 1-2 have that, not sure about 3-4.

3) Check the title deeds! Been a mess at some of the condos

4) Who are your neighbors? From what I've seen it's a very different scene at VTV1-2 vs VTR 1-2.

Note: I don't own or have any economical interest in any condo anymore.

I appreciate your advice above, but can you please explain what you mean by "check the title deeds"? I don't understand why I would be doing that, how to do it, or what I would be looking for! Thanks for any feedback on this.

I haven't noticed any difference in the construction between the VTs and the newer condos I have lived in or visited. Many of the newer condos offer a variety of room sizes. My condo has 3 different 1 bedroom sizes. For living long term as I do, I would much prefer a proper 1 bedroom rather than a VT studio. My swimming pools and gym are being maintained very well--the management of a condo is certainly something to look at as part of the selection process. What I appreciate most are the extra amenities that are nice to have when you are living long term--the extra elevators, parking garage, sky lounge, library, nice lobby, 24 hour staffing, good security with keycard access, walking paths, laundry rooms with coin washers and dryers, etc.

I very much agree with the importance of the building amenities. Since you seem pretty happy with your current living situation, can you share where you're currently living? Or, feel free to PM me, if you prefer.

In this entire thread, I don't believe anyone has made mention of what it might be like to live in the Metro Condotel (older tower, at Soi 19). Does anyone have any experience with this building? At a minimum, it looks like it would afford very nice ocean views.

There have been a lot of very interesting and useful answers here, so I thought I should throw in my own observations, having stayed in Jomtien several times over the past 4 years or so:

On one occasion in March or April a couple years ago, the VT5D swimming pool was extraordinarily warm, to the extent that I couldn't exercise in it. I was hoping to do some laps for exercise, and found that I was overheating after about two laps. A friend of mine even made the same observation. I'm not sure if this was because the pool was built in-ground (as opposed to those which are on higher floors), but it was virtually unusable for exercise. I would be curious to hear the observations of others who use in-ground pools for exercise.

I also remember that, with only 2 elevators in VT5D, there were a large number of people on the ground floor typically waiting for the elevator - and sometimes having so many people waiting that a single elevator couldn't accommodate them all.

I've also spent considerable time in Jomtien Complex Condotel, and I should mention a few things:

With regard to the above comment about the pool temperature, this pool (which is located on the 4th floor, not in the ground) is virtually always cool - and it's exceptionally long: 35 meters. It's a great pool for swimming laps, and it's very well maintained.

Directly attached to the lobby of this building are three restaurants, a convenience store, a private mailbox business, a real estate office, and a laundry service. The 4th floor common area (which also has the pool) has a self-service laundry, a drinking water machine (for refilling water containers), free wi-fi, and an exercise room with workable equipment, a snooker table, and table tennis. This building also has a 3 or 4 story parking garage, and restaurants and shops in Jomtien Complex are directly accessible via the lobby. It's also about a 200 meter walk to the beach, and it has 2 tennis courts. The location is excellent.

Unfortunately, since VT7 was built, the sea view which many of the condos in this building originally enjoyed are now blocked. And the majority of the rooms are large (66 sq. meter) studios, which are (also unfortunately) long and narrow, which means that they can feel a bit like a cave due to the lack of natural light, especially at the end of the room farthest from the balcony.

I very much like all the amenities this building offers, but unless you happen to have a high floor condo in building B (which still has an ocean view, to the side of VT7), I don't think I would want to live in it long-term.

I hope this is helpful.

I think the response to this posting has been great so far. Keep the comments coming!

I have lived in Pattaya for 10 years and always seeked the new condo buildings which, for me, was a mistake as the new quarters were always smaller, lower quality building materials, less attentive staff, etc. My new building is 17 years old, only 8 floors, ( means faster elevator service ), spacious, 4.5 star plumbing/electrical and quiet. Most service people here for at least 10 years and keep property as though they lived here, maybe better !

Sounds great, but you never mentioned the name of your building! (or is it so good that you want to keep it a secret?)

I'm looking for a long-term rental, not a purchase. I know there are a lot of condo buildings to choose from, but I'm trying to figure out which one(s) are best in terms of quality of life. I've been in several buildings which have a nice view, but in which the walls are paper-thin, and you can hear your neighbor's TV (or worse!). There are also buildings which are poorly managed (i.e. not maintained) or have constant staffing problems, legal problems, embezzlement, etc.

Location is also important, of course: proximity to restaurants, the beach, etc.

I know, for example, that Reflections is a beautiful building (probably expensive), but not sure about the quality of life at its location. I get the impression it's a bit removed from everything.

I'm looking for something in the range of 20 - 25K.

I suspect this posting will attract the attention of real estate professionals, but I'm really hoping for feedback from people who've lived in the area. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or shared experiences!

Many thanks for all the thoughts! Hmm, where to live, where to live....