15 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nope, lots of over priced condos in Pattaya. 

 

Copacabana and all the Riviera's condos all selling around 150k baht sq m. 

Many more around over 100 k

 

I can't believe people are paying those prices. My condo is nice, in a good location and goes for 40k a sqm. Are they paying for a fancy foyer which looks great as you walk in and out?

You would have to pay me to live at the Base.

9 hours ago, WhatMeWorry said:

Condo's are a terrible investment in Thailand because..........Thailand is a third world country. Most older condo's in Thailand turn into slums because of lack of maintenance. The Thai's only want to save money, not improve their buildings. Most of Thailand is a slum and that is how these people live.

There are exceptions to your statement. I have lived in two condos, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Both are old, but well maintained. The CR condo has a manager who is one of the best I have seen, and it takes a lot to impress me.

Developers nowadays are focused on profit, and cut corners to maximize it. Thailand is not the only country where it happens.

I am up in one of the oldest condos in pattaya, Pattaya Hill Resort very well run, and very well maintained. 3 new lifts, complete external refresh, roof redone, huge rooms, solid foundations so good places do exist. Recently moved from 30thb PSQM to 40 to cover costs. Other notable things about this building is that rubbish is collected on every level (as opposed to make people bring to ground floor), Pool in all day sun, not used for short time letting.

11 minutes ago, lextsy said:

Other notable things about this building is that rubbish is collected on every level (as opposed to make people bring to ground floor)

 

Is that really "notable"? I'm asking because that has been the case at every single condo I've lived in in Thailand.

I have designed and had built by good quality builders (not luxury quality) 3 houses in Australia  - Canberra 1984, Townsville 1994 and Cairns 2000.  The only problem I had in all those years was one broken flexible hose/pipe in a vanity unit in a bathroom in Cairns.  While I was living in Cairns, 2 Category 5 cyclones hit - no water leaking, not one tile on the roof moved.   Excellent construction.

 

In Thailand, I have lived in (rented) two "luxury" houses.  Luxury? 5 5 5 .  Water leaking through ceiling and walls, cracks in internal and external walls, land subsistance, pool pump breaking down every 6 months, internal corners not square, 2-3 mm gaps between window/door frames and walls, etc., etc.

3 hours ago, lextsy said:

I am up in one of the oldest condos in pattaya, Pattaya Hill Resort very well run, and very well maintained. 3 new lifts, complete external refresh, roof redone, huge rooms, solid foundations so good places do exist. Recently moved from 30thb PSQM to 40 to cover costs. Other notable things about this building is that rubbish is collected on every level (as opposed to make people bring to ground floor), Pool in all day sun, not used for short time letting.

 

Looks nice. For the rent i pay in central pattaya i could almost double the condo size at PHR. I'm guessing you have transport?

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Location is only great for tourists and newbies, usually people want to move further out after a while

 

Then they need a motorbike. Cost of you having a fall is a busted bike and maybe a hospital bill. 

 

What if a fall could cost you +20m baht or more ...all to save a few hundred quid a month in rent. There is some perspective for you and the internal risk consideration that some of us have to do.

 

 

4 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

Then they need a motorbike. Cost of you having a fall is a busted bike and maybe a hospital bill. 

 

What if a fall could cost you +20m baht or more ...all to save a few hundred quid a month in rent. There is some perspective for you and the internal risk consideration that some of us have to do.

 

 

A motorbike is part of expat life otherwise you will be restricted to the baht bus and most likely spend most of your time within a square mile

16 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

Then they need a motorbike. Cost of you having a fall is a busted bike and maybe a hospital bill. 

 

What if a fall could cost you +20m baht or more ...all to save a few hundred quid a month in rent. There is some perspective for you and the internal risk consideration that some of us have to do.

or a really long walk carrying groceries and water every day in the heat because you don't want to use a moped...

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

A motorbike is part of expat life otherwise you will be restricted to the baht bus and most likely spend most of your time within a square mile

 

Baht bus is fantastic, thats why i live in central pattaya. It runs naklua to darkest jomtien - bit more than a mile. Then there's bolt. 

 

Cheap rent and moped is part of many expat lives, but not all. Maybe that will be mine in the far away future. Right now its 1 min walk to villa market and cocktails at horizon (but usually heaven above 555).

1 minute ago, JimTripper said:

or a really long walk carrying groceries and water every day in the heat because you don't want to use a moped...

 

Carry water 555 ....7 filter reverse osmosis in my condo

Villa market 60 seconds away.

I don't buy many groceries as i eat at central festival most days and have never cooked anything and never will.

12 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

Carry water 555 ....7 filter reverse osmosis in my condo

Villa market 60 seconds away.

I don't buy many groceries as i eat at central festival most days and have never cooked anything and never will.

i hate those mall food courts with the coupon. the one at big c is kinda depressing in the evenings. the central festival one is nicer.

 

oh nevermind, maybe you eat at the steakhouse everyday 🤣

In complete opposition to @noobexpat I live in Pratamnak, in my own 2 bed, 2 bath 100sqm sea view condo, I do own a click 150 i paid 63k for 2 years ago, I shop for veg at my local market in Soi 5 pratamnak, I shop for everything else at Makro and eat inside exclusively except for Pizza and 711 snacks. I swim almost alone in my 25sqm pool, go to the big buddha running track daily where it is safe to walk, less pollution and less people. Living up here sets you away from the craziness and is probably 5 degrees cooler this high up. It keeps me sane and healthy. Yes it costs me 38b each way in a bolt motorbike each time i go out approx 3 times per week.

 

Most of my friends are like noobexpat, living in 22sqm studios eating over salted, oiled (bad oils), MSG laden food because they dont like to cook.  2 different realities in the same existence. These condos were going for 3m baht a few years ago, a bargain before all the money printing occured.

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, lextsy said:

In complete opposition to @noobexpat I live in Pratamnak, in my own 2 bed, 2 bath 100sqm sea view condo, I do own a click 150 i paid 63k for 2 years ago, I shop for veg at my local market in Soi 5 pratamnak, I shop for everything else at Makro and eat inside exclusively except for Pizza and 711 snacks. I swim almost alone in my 25sqm pool, go to the big buddha running track daily where it is safe to walk, less pollution and less people. Living up here sets you away from the craziness and is probably 5 degrees cooler this high up. It keeps me sane and healthy. Yes it costs me 38b each way in a bolt motorbike each time i go out approx 3 times per week.

 

Most of my friends are like noobexpat, living in 22sqm studios at 60 years old eating over salted, oiled (bad oils), MSG laden food because they couldnt be assed cooking something from scratch.  2 different realities in the same existence. These condos were going for 3m baht a few years ago, a bargain before all the money printing occured.

 

 

so you hire a car and take groceries back from makro? can't fit much on a moped.

 

the 3m price for that size and view looks like a great deal. probably more like 5m now?? i like the older classy style of furnishings and the older building as well. thick walls.

5 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

so you hire a car and take groceries back from makro? can't fit much on a moped.

 

the 3m price for that size and view looks like a great deal. i like the older classy style of furnishings and the older building as well. thick walls.

 

Noo, backpack and bungee net. Veg is bulky so buy locally, alchohol and water from the local shop but for meat, frozen food etc it often fits in a single back pack.

 

As for prices, its still only 40k bht per sqm. They recently had 42sqm studios for sale for 1.1m baht high up with views. Add 200k for a full reno and you have a nice place

7 minutes ago, lextsy said:

 @noobexpat 

Most of my friends are like noobexpat, living in 22sqm studios at 60 years old eating over salted, oiled (bad oils), MSG laden food because they couldnt be assed cooking something from scratch.  2 different realities in the same existence.

 

Most of your friends are like me? Hmmm not from that description - under 50, super fit, great condo, affluent and they are on elite too??

2 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

Most of your friends are like me? Hmmm not from that description - under 50, super fit, great condo, affluent and they are on elite too??

 

Yes, some of the richest people i know eat at central food court daily

52 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

Baht bus is fantastic, thats why i live in central pattaya. It runs naklua to darkest jomtien - bit more than a mile. Then there's bolt. 

 

Cheap rent and moped is part of many expat lives, but not all. Maybe that will be mine in the far away future. Right now its 1 min walk to villa market and cocktails at horizon (but usually heaven above 555).

If you're frightened of motorbikes, don't get bolt, usually no helmets

1 minute ago, lextsy said:

 

Yes, some of the richest people i know eat at central food court daily

 

Oh i see, you were sniping. Was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

The difference between you and me is i don't preach about my way. If you live in a 22sqm condo and you are happy then i'm happy for you! What i get snappy about is 'my way is the best and only way' crowd.

 

Yes some affluent people eat at central, but you wouldn't know it...

 

 

 

 

Bad work, little quality control, and then bad or no maintenance is unfortunately not unusual in Thailand.

One of the problems is that many Thais, and even many Thais in the construction business, know little about how good quality standards can be and are in other countries.

And that problem includes expensive contractors who work on supposedly high-quality projects.

 

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you're frightened of motorbikes, don't get bolt, usually no helmets

 

Yes i only do bolt cars.

I'm not frightened of bikes as such, its the consequences of coming off and the risk/reward. Its other fools on the road i'm frightened of!

56 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

i hate those mall food courts with the coupon. the one at big c is kinda depressing in the evenings. the central festival one is nicer.

 

oh nevermind, maybe you eat at the steakhouse everyday 🤣

 

They use e-cards not coupons.

Either central or T21. I think they are amazing - but people love to knock them. Up to them. Not my concern. 

 

1 hour ago, noobexpat said:

 

Then they need a motorbike. Cost of you having a fall is a busted bike and maybe a hospital bill. 

 

What if a fall could cost you +20m baht or more ...all to save a few hundred quid a month in rent. There is some perspective for you and the internal risk consideration that some of us have to do.

 

 

Hard to imagine a more pathetic pair than yourself and JT. 
What if… ? A totally nonsensical made up scenario. 

 

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

A motorbike is part of expat life otherwise you will be restricted to the baht bus and most likely spend most of your time within a square mile

Good point.When I 1st came to retire here I moved into Diana Estates because of thre location right in the guts of the action.

After 1 year it got old and I moved further afield.

You correctly said it, I spent most of my time withing 1 mile of the place.I never needed a bike/car but used baht bus all the time or walked.

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

A motorbike is part of expat life otherwise you will be restricted to the baht bus and most likely spend most of your time within a square mile

That exactly describes that pathetic duo…

One boasting that he pays more than everyone else to live in the centre and the other moved to the centre so that he doesn’t have to carry his shopping. A more ‘wet’ pair you could hardly conceive. Their parent must be proud. 

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

or a really long walk carrying groceries and water every day in the heat because you don't want to use a moped...

Pathetic. Do you drink six litres of water every day? Doubt it. Then there are water machines everywhere to refill. You must be a serious weakling. 
Carrying groceries? Are you some kind of grandma 👵? Stop embarrassing us here. Readers might think expats some kind of wet lettuce. 

1 hour ago, noobexpat said:

 

Carry water 555 ....7 filter reverse osmosis in my condo

Villa market 60 seconds away.

I don't buy many groceries as i eat at central festival most days and have never cooked anything and never will.

Okay, at least you are differentiating yourself from that totally ridiculous person… at least a little ☺️

Is it worth it or would it been a good investment? No of course not, this entire stuff with the condo's is nothing but a big bubble and people were playing roulette to just try buy and sell and make quick money in it for a few years. As you wrote yourself already for this specific condo: it is now already in a <deleted>ty state, will only get worse.

Then people can of course pretend the current listing price and square meter price is XXX but in reality (almost) nobody is paying it. And eventually the market will crash (soon).

1 hour ago, noobexpat said:

 

Baht bus is fantastic, thats why i live in central pattaya. It runs naklua to darkest jomtien - bit more than a mile. Then there's bolt. 

 

Cheap rent and moped is part of many expat lives, but not all. Maybe that will be mine in the far away future. Right now its 1 min walk to villa market and cocktails at horizon (but usually heaven above 555).

He wrote square mile. How often do you go to darkest Jomtien or even as Far East as Sukhumvit?

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

i hate those mall food courts with the coupon. the one at big c is kinda depressing in the evenings. the central festival one is nicer.

 

oh nevermind, maybe you eat at the steakhouse everyday 🤣

Pier 21 is best. But of course too far away for you 🤭