Metro Jomtien Condo

[tt61]

I am planning to purchase a condo in the Metro Jomtien building (on the Jomtien / Na Jomtien border, Jomtien beach rd.). Before I go ahead I'd like to know if any of you can tell me a bit about the place. Maintenance, security, facilities, shops etc, etc.

I would appreciate any information that would faciliate for me to make my decision whether to buy or not.

Cheers

[Thaifan2]

I am planning to purchase a condo in the Metro Jomtien building (on the Jomtien / Na Jomtien border, Jomtien beach rd.). Before I go ahead I'd like to know if any of you can tell me a bit about the place. Maintenance, security, facilities, shops etc, etc.

I would appreciate any information that would faciliate for me to make my decision whether to buy or not.

Cheers

Its well regarded .Has big balcony's .Its nice and quiet down that end of Jomtien .Sorry thats all i know .

[Rimmer]

No cargo lifts so everything goes up the small passenger lifts or if too big up the stairs,

[think_too_mut]

I am planning to purchase a condo in the Metro Jomtien building (on the Jomtien / Na Jomtien border, Jomtien beach rd.). Before I go ahead I'd like to know if any of you can tell me a bit about the place. Maintenance, security, facilities, shops etc, etc.

I would appreciate any information that would faciliate for me to make my decision whether to buy or not.

Cheers

I thought the building was locked and abandoned.

2 weeks over Xmas/New year ,3 months ago, I could see it clearly from where I was staying. Not a single light there at night during "high season". In contrast, the Welcome Hotel is in the view (left to what is in the picture, not shown) before it and it had almost all lights on.

I could be wrong but then I will have to understand why the building looked all dark at night.

Also, 2 years ago, while looking for accommodation I inquired there - and it was full. I could not believe such a large building could ever be full and drilled deeper. It turned that only low rise surrounding was open for rental and that was full (30-40 rooms or so).

Edited March 21, 2007 by think_too_mut

[goldy40]

i own a condo at metro had it two years ,and im quite happy with it , im on floor 26, 58 sq mts, have a fantastic view, its pretty much why i bought it, the block is fairly well maintained, although compared to some the yearly fee is considered high at 11,000 baht per year, it is a very quiet block, somedays i have the pool all to myself. there were people here in december cos i was one of them, i never saw it with no lights though, but you have to see it from the front view to see the lights, the distance can be a problem if you have no transport i have a bike and plenty of time so its ok for me im currently having it refurbished and may let it out while i go back to the uk for the summer so while the work goes on ive moved into view talay one, now thats busy! how much you gotta pay for yours? a few ive noticed for sale are a triple penthouse on the floor 42 advertised for about 11 million baht, the studios units ive seen are between 2million and 2.5 million for ones that are original fixtures and fittings, 2.9 million for high floor refurbished ones, (there will be other units at different prices i havnt seen) anyone looking to rent, mines available from may .

[tt61]

Thanks all you guys who provided input. It seems all of you agree that it is a quiet place. I currently have a condo in VT2 (busy) and quiet is actually what I'm looking for. So in that regard the Metro seems a good bet. It's distant, true, but I suppose that's the price you have to pay for the quietude.

The maintenance fee of 11000b a year is stiff but I've seen the normally cheap VT's creeping up there as well. VT5 is 7200b year and I believe VT6 and VT8 will cost even more.

The unit I've been looking at is a one bed on 36:th floor, 110 Sq.m. refurbished and very fresh, 8.5 million b.

Again thanks for all the comments, highly appreciated

Cheers

[Chopper]

Thanks all you guys who provided input. It seems all of you agree that it is a quiet place. I currently have a condo in VT2 (busy) and quiet is actually what I'm looking for. So in that regard the Metro seems a good bet. It's distant, true, but I suppose that's the price you have to pay for the quietude.

The maintenance fee of 11000b a year is stiff but I've seen the normally cheap VT's creeping up there as well. VT5 is 7200b year and I believe VT6 and VT8 will cost even more.

The unit I've been looking at is a one bed on 36:th floor, 110 Sq.m. refurbished and very fresh, 8.5 million b.

Again thanks for all the comments, highly appreciated

Cheers

The yearly maintenance fee should be calculated on a per sq/m basis.

Therefore 'goldy40' is paying 11,000 baht per annum or ฿189.65 per sq./m. @ 58sq./m

If you are looking to purchase 110 sq./m then your yearly maintenance fee should be calculated as follows:

110 sq./m @ ฿189.65 per sq./m is ฿,20,861.50 per annum.

Read the following excellent advice that was posted here previously with regards to annual maintenance fees and condo management. Unfortunately I am unable to credit the author as I simply copied and pasted it.

''I'm looking to buy a well managed condo so, yes, how the manager manages the staff is important to me. And how the Management Committee manages the manager is important.

A condo will most certainly deteriorate and lose value if there is poor management of the staff.

You can establish the quality of condo management ;

1. Ask to see the most recent audited accounts of the condominium juristic person. That is the association in Thai law which owns the structure. These accounts should be audited, though with accounting standards such as they are in Thailand, this is no absolute guarantee of accuracy. In any building catering well to expatriate owners there will be an English language copy. Use your common sense to review income and outgo, accumulated net worth, presence of reserve funds etc. Ask to see a list detailing maintenance arrears. Be careful if the developer is the major creditor or arrears are substantial/chronic.

2. Ask for a copy of the minutes of the most recent Annual General Meeting. As with the accounts, any well managed building will have these in English translation. Review this to see if key issues like financial viability, management quality, maintenance planning and the like are discussed. See also how election of board is conducted, if it is!. Many condominiums here are autocratically run by the developers as a cash cow with no real ownership input/control.

3. Ask for a copy of the insurance policy covering the building. This will likely be in Thai but check with your lawyer what is covered,who is the beneficiary, for how much and with whom. Often insurance is completely inadequate, covers only fire and is with a company even for major buildings no-one has ever heard of. Strangely such companies often pay brokerage of some substance to the "manager" which should not be done for obvious reasons re independent assessment. Thailand has many reputable brokers in Bangkok who can arrange the right policy with the financially capable insurers plus advise on coverage amount which will increase over time to cover replacement costs. Check there is 3rd party insurance also though this will be rare. Good insurance companies will also offer staff fire training.

4 See a utility bill for a condo and check the unit costs of electricity and water against those an independent householder would pay. These items should not be a "profit centre" for management.

5. Ask for a copy of the association,s land deed which of course should be in its name (e.g. "name of condo" Juristic Association). In many cases the association will own only the footprint of the building and you can have a fun park or shophouses next year on what you thought were your clubhouse grounds or gardens. This is common. One building mentioned above as an exemplar has allocated only 2.5 rai(about an acre) for its new 33 storey twin tower. Now tell me that makes sense!

6. Walk down the fire stairs as you leave. A sign of good management is that these will be completely clear, properly emergency lit etc. Check the maintenance plate in the elevators. Is the manufacturer the maintaining coy? Shoddy lift maintenance is a time bomb. Again commonsense viewing will give you an idea of overall tidiness and housekeeping quality.''

[Gary A]

I have a condo in the Lalana complex off Soi Chaiyapruk. My maintenance is 10 baht per square meter per month, thus my 60 square meter unit is 600 baht per month.

ADDED - Actually if you attend the annual meeting they give you back 2,000 baht because the maintenance fund is VERY fat.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Gary A

[sometime]

I am planning to purchase a condo in the Metro Jomtien building (on the Jomtien / Na Jomtien border, Jomtien beach rd.). Before I go ahead I'd like to know if any of you can tell me a bit about the place. Maintenance, security, facilities, shops etc, etc.

I would appreciate any information that would faciliate for me to make my decision whether to buy or not.

Cheers

I was talking to a family who have a condo in the Metro Jomtien, and I was amazed when they said that there were too many dogs in the Condominium, apparently the Thais just let there dogs out on the corridors.(imagine the mess)!!!

No doubt anyone trying to sell a condo there will totally deny this.

Even at our Condo View Talay 2 pets are not allowed.

[Thaifan2]

I am planning to purchase a condo in the Metro Jomtien building (on the Jomtien / Na Jomtien border, Jomtien beach rd.). Before I go ahead I'd like to know if any of you can tell me a bit about the place. Maintenance, security, facilities, shops etc, etc.

I would appreciate any information that would faciliate for me to make my decision whether to buy or not.

Cheers

I was talking to a family who have a condo in the Metro Jomtien, and I was amazed when they said that there were too many dogs in the Condominium, apparently the Thais just let there dogs out on the corridors.(imagine the mess)!!!

No doubt anyone trying to sell a condo there will totally deny this.

Even at our Condo View Talay 2 pets are not allowed.

That if true would defenitely put me off .Most Condos dont allow pets .Seems strange that a quite upmarket place should allow them .

[wpcoe]

I thought the building was locked and abandoned.

I think you are talking about the "Rimhard" (I've seen various spellings) condo. It is before Soi Chaiyapruek as you head down Jomtien Beach Road from Pattaya. It is the high rise you see in the picture you posted with the domes on top. The Metro is *after* Soi Chaiyapruek.

I've also heard about dogs at the Metro, but not that they were messing in the hallways. Just that they were there when the bylaws prohibit them. A friend who rents there says it has a lot of Thai owners in Bangkok who come down just for the weekend. He said during the week the place is very quiet and almost deserted, but on the weekend it's a bit busier. He didn't say it was noisy, just more people around on the weekend.

I read that the foreign-ownership was almost at the 49% level now, so make sure you are able to get one.

[edited to add link to pic/map for Metro]

For picture and map of location, see: http://www.fairproperties.com/web maps/Jomtien Metro.html

Edited March 21, 2007 by wpcoe

[lou62]

I thought the building was locked and abandoned.

I think you are talking about the "Rimhard" (I've seen various spellings) condo. It is before Soi Chaiyapruek as you head down Jomtien Beach Road from Pattaya. It is the high rise you see in the picture you posted with the domes on top. The Metro is *after* Soi Chaiyapruek.

I've also heard about dogs at the Metro, but not that they were messing in the hallways. Just that they were there when the bylaws prohibit them. A friend who rents there says it has a lot of Thai owners in Bangkok who come down just for the weekend. He said during the week the place is very quiet and almost deserted, but on the weekend it's a bit busier. He didn't say it was noisy, just more people around on the weekend.

I read that the foreign-ownership was almost at the 49% level now, so make sure you are able to get one.

[edited to add link to pic/map for Metro]

For picture and map of location, see: http://www.fairproperties.com/web maps/Jomtien Metro.html

Well I don't think it is the rimhat talay building ( I would say that as I own one of the units there),

I thought , when I first read it , was that it was that really nice ,tall looking building, with squatters in it, that the bank owns (also has a dome on top).

[jbaldwin]

I own a unit in Thabali condo. I understand that Jomtien Metro is managed by the same company that managed Thabali before our Committee terminated their contract around six months ago. Please PM me if you want more information about the reasons for the change here

[goldy40]

i have never seen a dog in the corridor or any dog shit around, and im not looking to sell, may rent though, however there are a few stray dogs who hang around in the field next door and on the road out the front . they sometimes come in through the front fence which is easy for dog but are soon pushed out by staff dogs are not allowed in the condos. most of the thai families i see there mostly at the weekends seem very quiet and respectful. the majority will have paid good money to buy in this block and most people including myself who invest good money dont want to ###### it up. good point by chopper by the way as you are buying a double unit you will pay twice the maintenance fee that i pay , i think there has been some management changes recently and a few farangs who live there full time have just organised a vote with all the owners they could contact (both thai and foreign owners) and called a meeting to get some co- owners onto the commitee so the co owners can have more input into what gets done and who does what ,hopefully should lead to an even better run block .

[wpcoe]

Well I don't think it is the rimhat talay building ( I would say that as I own one of the units there),

I thought , when I first read it , was that it was that really nice ,tall looking building, with squatters in it, that the bank owns (also has a dome on top).

Actually, now I am getting confused. I did a Google and some real estate sites apparently refer to the Jomtien Beach Condo complex (buildings A1/A2/A3 only?) as "Rimhat" also.

When I first moved to Jomtien I was puzzled to the identity of the bulding I was referring to as the one before Chiyapruek that is the "ghost town" condo. Then I read, either in Pattaya Today or Pattaya Mail, that a developer had taken over the building and was renovating it into a serviced apartment complex, and that article referred to it as "Rimhard" (or Rimhart or Rimhat or something similar).

Regardless, the "ghost town" building think_too_mut referred to was not the Metro Jomtien, at least that's not it in the pic he posted.

Where is the "Rimhat Talay" building you own a unit in?

[Thaifan2]

I have a Condo in Jomtien Beach Condominium ,just beyond Soi 10 Jomtien Beach ,and can confirm that its also known as Rimhat Jomtien Condo.Have never heard of Rimhat Talay .

[lou62]

I have a Condo in Jomtien Beach Condominium ,just beyond Soi 10 Jomtien Beach ,and can confirm that its also known as Rimhat Jomtien Condo.Have never heard of Rimhat Talay .

Hello Thaifan2, yes, indeed it is called Jomtien Beach Condominium (Rimhat Condo) that I also own a unit in, I don't know where I conjured up the name Rimhat talay

[fishsauce]

hello

do you fellas have dsl internet connections in the jomtien beach condominium?

do you find it to be fast and reliable?

thanks

[lou62]

hello

do you fellas have dsl internet connections in the jomtien beach condominium?

do you find it to be fast and reliable?

thanks

I don't have it (I just use one of the internet cafes down stairs), but my mate down the corridor (who spends most of his time in Thailand) has a computer in his condo, I don't know how fast or reliable it is.

[Thaifan2]

hello

do you fellas have dsl internet connections in the jomtien beach condominium?

do you find it to be fast and reliable?

thanks

I just have a TOT dial up connection ,which is all i need .You can get a fast connection ,but it may take several weeks to sort out .If you are renting there ,many units will have a fast connection already set up .

[Jomtien]

Somerset Nusasiri Pattaya

The ghosttown condo some of you are talking about is referenced here:

http://www.property-report.com/archives.ph...2&date=0602

http://www.the-ascott.com/investorinfo/new.../676.asp?id=676

not sure what's comming of it, progress is very slow..... or is that because of lawsuit swapping.

Peter

Edited March 23, 2007 by Jomtien

[BlackJack]

i just noticed this post

and there is some confusion as to which building is the Metro Jomtien Condotel (MJC).

So go here http://www.mcogjomtien.com

There have been some problems at the MJC and the co owners have now taken things into their own hands.

There are now over 100 co owners that are members of Metro Co Owners Group (MCOG) both Thai and Foreigners.

Last month at the General Meeting 3 MCOG members were elected to the Executive Committee. Later the Manager was moved on and replaced.

MCOG now has a decisive role in how the Metro is run and how the money is spent

Projects under way now are security, tennis and squash courts, sauna and gym.

The building is managed by IRM and weekly meeting are held with MCOG to determine if work is being planned and done properly. There is now a reporting process and follow ups.

IF you are a co owner I urge you to join our MCOG as we now control 22% of the shares - making MCOG the major share holder.

[BlackJack]

Chopper

all good stuff

thanks

to add to this any condo building needs to get a group together and then get the numbers to get elected into the Ex Committee - not easy however the Metro achieved this after 10 weeks of hard work.

Read the Bylaws and stick to them

Now that we are inside the workings of the committee we are finding all the mice thats been eating the cheese for 12 years.

You would be very surprised at how anything can be turned into a scam

There are some new Condominium Act Laws coming out later this year and look favourable to foreign investors.

Thanks all you guys who provided input. It seems all of you agree that it is a quiet place. I currently have a condo in VT2 (busy) and quiet is actually what I'm looking for. So in that regard the Metro seems a good bet. It's distant, true, but I suppose that's the price you have to pay for the quietude.

The maintenance fee of 11000b a year is stiff but I've seen the normally cheap VT's creeping up there as well. VT5 is 7200b year and I believe VT6 and VT8 will cost even more.

The unit I've been looking at is a one bed on 36:th floor, 110 Sq.m. refurbished and very fresh, 8.5 million b.

Again thanks for all the comments, highly appreciated

Cheers

The yearly maintenance fee should be calculated on a per sq/m basis.

Therefore 'goldy40' is paying 11,000 baht per annum or ฿189.65 per sq./m. @ 58sq./m

If you are looking to purchase 110 sq./m then your yearly maintenance fee should be calculated as follows:

110 sq./m @ ฿189.65 per sq./m is ฿,20,861.50 per annum.

Read the following excellent advice that was posted here previously with regards to annual maintenance fees and condo management. Unfortunately I am unable to credit the author as I simply copied and pasted it.

''I'm looking to buy a well managed condo so, yes, how the manager manages the staff is important to me. And how the Management Committee manages the manager is important.

A condo will most certainly deteriorate and lose value if there is poor management of the staff.

You can establish the quality of condo management ;

1. Ask to see the most recent audited accounts of the condominium juristic person. That is the association in Thai law which owns the structure. These accounts should be audited, though with accounting standards such as they are in Thailand, this is no absolute guarantee of accuracy. In any building catering well to expatriate owners there will be an English language copy. Use your common sense to review income and outgo, accumulated net worth, presence of reserve funds etc. Ask to see a list detailing maintenance arrears. Be careful if the developer is the major creditor or arrears are substantial/chronic.

2. Ask for a copy of the minutes of the most recent Annual General Meeting. As with the accounts, any well managed building will have these in English translation. Review this to see if key issues like financial viability, management quality, maintenance planning and the like are discussed. See also how election of board is conducted, if it is!. Many condominiums here are autocratically run by the developers as a cash cow with no real ownership input/control.

3. Ask for a copy of the insurance policy covering the building. This will likely be in Thai but check with your lawyer what is covered,who is the beneficiary, for how much and with whom. Often insurance is completely inadequate, covers only fire and is with a company even for major buildings no-one has ever heard of. Strangely such companies often pay brokerage of some substance to the "manager" which should not be done for obvious reasons re independent assessment. Thailand has many reputable brokers in Bangkok who can arrange the right policy with the financially capable insurers plus advise on coverage amount which will increase over time to cover replacement costs. Check there is 3rd party insurance also though this will be rare. Good insurance companies will also offer staff fire training.

4 See a utility bill for a condo and check the unit costs of electricity and water against those an independent householder would pay. These items should not be a "profit centre" for management.

5. Ask for a copy of the association,s land deed which of course should be in its name (e.g. "name of condo" Juristic Association). In many cases the association will own only the footprint of the building and you can have a fun park or shophouses next year on what you thought were your clubhouse grounds or gardens. This is common. One building mentioned above as an exemplar has allocated only 2.5 rai(about an acre) for its new 33 storey twin tower. Now tell me that makes sense!

6. Walk down the fire stairs as you leave. A sign of good management is that these will be completely clear, properly emergency lit etc. Check the maintenance plate in the elevators. Is the manufacturer the maintaining coy? Shoddy lift maintenance is a time bomb. Again commonsense viewing will give you an idea of overall tidiness and housekeeping quality.''

[expatgaz]

I know there was problems abt 8 years ago with the land it was built on.Arguements abt whether legal etc.At that time Units where going for practically nothing as it was a real possibility it may have been knocked down,or all owned units not being legally owned and taken away.Not sure how it developed.One thing is for sure,under correct management it could be a wonderful building,guarenteed sea view and exellent location.

[Tammi]

i just noticed this post

and there is some confusion as to which building is the Metro Jomtien Condotel (MJC).

So go here http://www.mcogjomtien.com

There have been some problems at the MJC and the co owners have now taken things into their own hands.

There are now over 100 co owners that are members of Metro Co Owners Group (MCOG) both Thai and Foreigners.

Last month at the General Meeting 3 MCOG members were elected to the Executive Committee. Later the Manager was moved on and replaced.

MCOG now has a decisive role in how the Metro is run and how the money is spent

Projects under way now are security, tennis and squash courts, sauna and gym.

The building is managed by IRM and weekly meeting are held with MCOG to determine if work is being planned and done properly. There is now a reporting process and follow ups.

IF you are a co owner I urge you to join our MCOG as we now control 22% of the shares - making MCOG the major share holder.

So pleased to hear of a condo where the co-owners are active. Maybe I should move to you! MCOG will be in good shape when you have 25% of the vote as you will be able to call extra-ordinary general meetings if need be?

[BlackJack]

i just noticed this post

and there is some confusion as to which building is the Metro Jomtien Condotel (MJC).

So go here http://www.mcogjomtien.com

There have been some problems at the MJC and the co owners have now taken things into their own hands.

There are now over 100 co owners that are members of Metro Co Owners Group (MCOG) both Thai and Foreigners.

Last month at the General Meeting 3 MCOG members were elected to the Executive Committee. Later the Manager was moved on and replaced.

MCOG now has a decisive role in how the Metro is run and how the money is spent

Projects under way now are security, tennis and squash courts, sauna and gym.

The building is managed by IRM and weekly meeting are held with MCOG to determine if work is being planned and done properly. There is now a reporting process and follow ups.

IF you are a co owner I urge you to join our MCOG as we now control 22% of the shares - making MCOG the major share holder.

So pleased to hear of a condo where the co-owners are active. Maybe I should move to you! MCOG will be in good shape when you have 25% of the vote as you will be able to call extra-ordinary general meetings if need be?

our plan exactly

[TOKI]

I lost the count of how many times I got scammed by the management......let's just say 100% of the times I need something to be done,they want the money first (I have no problem with that) and once they get it,they do nothing!

THIEVES is the right word for them not mice.

[Tammi]

I lost the count of how many times I got scammed by the management......let's just say 100% of the times I need something to be done,they want the money first (I have no problem with that) and once they get it,they do nothing!

THIEVES is the right word for them not mice.

What kind of things did you need to have done? And how about now that the Metro Co-Owners Group have got some of their members on the Management Committee - are you still paying out and getting nothing done?

[BlackJack]

I lost the count of how many times I got scammed by the management......let's just say 100% of the times I need something to be done,they want the money first (I have no problem with that) and once they get it,they do nothing!

THIEVES is the right word for them not mice.

What kind of things did you need to have done? And how about now that the Metro Co-Owners Group have got some of their members on the Management Committee - are you still paying out and getting nothing done?

We are paying and we are getting things done.

One of the problems was the mind set of the committee and the local manager. We are changing that now and scrutinizing every project and account. Something that hasnt happened before.

Normal it was the old 3 quotes for work to be done - then the committee talked about it and rubber stamped it. Thats when the problems started as jobs were never finished, the price would go up half way through the work, there was never any clean up and the workers normally did more damage to the surrounding areas (more fix it costs to us later)

This has been stopped.

We locally meet once a month and vote on suggestions to improve the Metro and work to be done.

Now that co owners feel more confident that the money is being spent appropriately they are paying their maintenance fees (now 97%)

One of the biggest problems was lack of consultation between the co owners, the building manager, the committee.

Through regular meetings and information sharing we have managed to turn many things around.

We have a way to go but we are on track.

[BlackJack]

Just to clear things up. The dome top white building in Beach road is not the Metro.

This is called Nusa Playa Hotel & Spa.

They had a land dispute and the building was never really opened - people invested and lost big money on this. It is now owned by a Singaporean Consortium and is service apartments/hotel now.

Metro never had any land problems and the CAT developer has now sold out his majority share holdings and is now a co owner like everyone.

else.

Our co owners group are now the largest single voting group at the Metro