Admins: If this should be elsewhere in a property-related forum, please move it. 

 

We have been living up north for more than ten years, and now think it is time to relocate to the capital. 

 

We know Bangkok quite well, and have an idea what we want from life there. It boils down to us looking for an older condo not too far from a BTS station, one that doesn't break the bank. 

 

Can anyone suggest condo buildings to look at that are a bit older, possibly in quieter back streets (e.g. Sukhumvit Soi 39 to 47 or Ekkamai)? We hope to find somewhere with slightly bigger rooms and perhaps with a decent-sized balcony. This rules out the most modern developments, where every square cm is devoted to squeezing as many condos into the building as possible. In any case, we aren't in the market for places in the upper price brackets. 

 

Any tips with names of specific condo buildings or quieter back-soi districts would be most welcome. 

 

pj

I suggest search for the square meter price i.e. here:

https://www.fazwaz.com/

That narrows it down a lot. 

 

Sent you a PM.

42 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I suggest search for the square meter price i.e. here:

https://www.fazwaz.com/

That narrows it down a lot. 

 

 

Thanks for the tip. I have been doing that on another website. It has dealt up a couple of potential target condos, and now I would really like to get personal recommendations from people with experience of specific condo developments and what makes them worth looking at. 

58 minutes ago, properjob said:

Thanks for the tip. I have been doing that on another website. It has dealt up a couple of potential target condos, and now I would really like to get personal recommendations from people with experience of specific condo developments and what makes them worth looking at. 

Then it would help to mention what price range you are looking for. "not break the bank" doesn't mean much.

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

Then it would help to mention what price range you are looking for. "not break the bank" doesn't mean much.

As speculated by another respondent, we are looking more at the price-per-square-metre. Somewhere around 70K Baht/sq metre is at the upper end of our price range, but of course we would be happier to pay less. 

A friend got a condo in that exact area. About 9 million baht for 2 bedrooms, an older building, considered cheap for the size. Only problem... he didn't realise there was 75 THB/m2 common fee and walls are paper thin including bedroom walls. You picked an expensive area to look for bargains...

5 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

A friend got a condo in that exact area. About 9 million baht for 2 bedrooms, an older building, considered cheap for the size. Only problem... he didn't realise there was 75 THB/m2 common fee and walls are paper thin including bedroom walls. You picked an expensive area to look for bargains...

Good information, thanks. We are not only looking in that area. 

In my limited personal experience, a lot of the market doesn't make sense.

Before I bought something I expected that within the same building there would be a price logic like: the place in the best condition and highest floor should be the most expensive.

But reality is different.

Especially one place which I visited was in the worst condition of all and the owner asked for the highest price...

 

18 minutes ago, properjob said:

Good information, thanks. We are not only looking in that area. 

About the different Sois:

It makes a huge difference if there are schools, if there is a U-turn on the main street nearby, another route at the end of the Soi, etc.

I.e. I drive in the morning often to a bakery near Soi 31. I get there through Soi 23. That Soi, and nearby is standing traffic every morning (and I guess afternoon) because of all the people who bring their kids to school. I wouldn't want to live in that chaos. 

I live in older building on Asok main road, while the side streets are quieter, the price range of around 70-80,000 baht/sq meters is bang on.

in the 'Superblock' between Asok and Thong lor, while there are shortcuts to anywhere it's just essentially a big one-way system if you need to go anywhere by car it can be a nightmare during rush hour, you're stuck. My condo on the main road isn't better, during rush hour it can be 30-40 minutes to go around and make a u-turn from in front of the condo on Asok to go the other way. But at least on the main road the pavement is walkable to the BTS or MRT

the quiet sois aren't really walkable

While the facilities of condos around 20-25 years old doesn't compare to today, the build is generally better but issue like plumbing and leaks are starting to crop up, some might have already replaced the water pipes already, so it's good to ask if that's been done for the whole building. Some with majority expat renters might have better parking situation, but as they get bought op by new residents, it could change. 

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In my limited personal experience, a lot of the market doesn't make sense.

Before I bought something I expected that within the same building there would be a price logic like: the place in the best condition and highest floor should be the most expensive.

But reality is different.

Especially one place which I visited was in the worst condition of all and the owner asked for the highest price...

 

Or you might want to live next to school if your kids were attending, so you don't have to brace the traffic. That was my friend's excuse anyway ????

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

About the different Sois:

It makes a huge difference if there are schools, if there is a U-turn on the main street nearby, another route at the end of the Soi, etc.

I.e. I drive in the morning often to a bakery near Soi 31. I get there through Soi 23. That Soi, and nearby is standing traffic every morning (and I guess afternoon) because of all the people who bring their kids to school. I wouldn't want to live in that chaos. 

Or you might want to live next to school if your kids were attending, so you don't have to brace the traffic. That was my friend's excuse anyway ????

70k/sqm in Ekamai, near the BTS and reasonably nice, I don't think you've got much chance.

 

Ekamai doesn't have much unique to offer in my opinion though, except having an upmarket reputation, then again fancy coffee shops are everywhere nowadays. And as the others point out the traffic is a nightmare, forgetting nip through the back roads to a bakery, coffee shop, foodland thong lor, or to donki as Mercedes Benz school run traffic is everywhere. And at night watch the traffic back up to the beer house on the main ekamai rood.  The people I've talked to that live there bought many many moons ago, and have made considerable gain in their property valuations, and more than happy with that, weather it represents good value now I doubt it.

The older ones are the best, 

Waterford Park Rama 4, 77 Phum Chit Alley, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110.

 

Bigger, older & cheaper.