I am not a big fan of these new condo developments with their tiny rooms. And like the rest of the world the price of property has outstripped inflation. So, I feel older condos have something to offer.

 

Criteria :

Must have been completed over 20 years ago. (i.e. before 2005 - you never know, this thread may run and run)

Must have the majority of rooms over 40 sq. m. 

 

I will start the ball rolling. 

 

Laem Chabang Tower, Laem Chabang, Chonburi

 

Please feel free to add to the list.

I'd recommend renting in the area for a few months first.  The nightmare stories of condos charging fees if some tenants are gone, shoddy construction, deteriorating over time, noisy neighbors, etc.......Rent, walk around at night, snoop on everyone, and then go with your gut.  I thought I would buy a condo in a big city when I could retire but after all these years that will probably not happen.  never say never....if it's "perfect," then you gotta buy.  

 

Local guide, years ago, said Laem Chabang Towers was only two stars.   Yea, read all the reviews.   3.9 on Google isn't high enough for me to even consider, since a lot of 5.0 are fake already.   

Young Place / Grand Le Jardin in Ratchayothin, Bangkok.

Rooms are generally 70sqm, but some are over 100sqm.

Walls and floors are quite thick, so minimal noise.

Building has an open interior that you will never see in a new building.

The building is reasonably well maintained and in good condition.

A pool is the only "facility", but it is nice and on the 7th floor outside.

350m from BTS station Ratchayothin.

Rents run from 12,000 to 20.000 per month.

On a related note, what's the ratio of sale price vs monthly rate?  Is it better or worse for buying newer or older properties?

 

I've been looking (at the lower end) and finding that rent is generally so low compared to purchase price that I can't envision buying.

 

 

In older buildings the ROI is certainly higher. 

Whilst our "management" sucks we still bought multiple 90m2 apartments for in average 20,000 Baht/m2 (15 and 13 years ago). We renovated them to a modern, bright and colorful and my wife rented them out with airbnb. 4 years on a daily basis, back then no one cared about legal or illegal. I do not tell you the back then ROI, it was very good.\

Anyway, now, 2025, we separated the 90m2 into two studio units with 45m2 each, 30th floor, and rent them out for in average 12,000 Baht/month, min. 30 days. 

So even today, with no daily rent out, we are looking at way above 10% ROI, being always fully rented out 🙂

 

The investment was back in in way less than 10 years. Impossible with new apartments...

On 6/10/2025 at 5:17 AM, Briggsy said:

Must have been completed over 20 years ago. (i.e. before 2005 -

 

Why? Are you an idiot?

 

Four Wings residences completed in 2007

 

Baan sathorn chaopraya 2005

 

Many others that are good value and solidly built completed AFTER 2005

2 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

Why? Are you an idiot?

 

Four Wings residences completed in 2007

 

Baan sathorn chaopraya 2005

 

Many others that are good value and solidly built completed AFTER 2005

 

Four Wings and Baan Sathorn are both quite expensive projects with m2 prices well over 50,000 - 60,000 Baht

 

I would always choose older but way way way cheaper. I can always make my apartment outstanding by renovating it to my likes, no matter how bad the management is in the very old buildings. As a scientist I even found managements of newer buildings acting pretty clueless, often they do not even know how to properly maintain a swimming pool, even in very expensive projects.

2 hours ago, zappalot said:

 

Four Wings and Baan Sathorn are both quite expensive projects with m2 prices well over 50,000 - 60,000 Baht

 

I would always choose older but way way way cheaper. I can always make my apartment outstanding by renovating it to my likes, no matter how bad the management is in the very old buildings. As a scientist I even found managements of newer buildings acting pretty clueless, often they do not even know how to properly maintain a swimming pool, even in very expensive projects.

 

The problem with really old 20k per sqm buildings is that after your extensive reno, the common elements will still look like trash.

 

Buy maybe I don't know any better. Can you give me some links as I am also looking into some older condos but narrowed it down to those 2

12 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

The problem with really old 20k per sqm buildings is that after your extensive reno, the common elements will still look like trash.

 

Buy maybe I don't know any better. Can you give me some links as I am also looking into some older condos but narrowed it down to those 2

 

Of course, you are right, there is a reason for 20k/m2. LowSo careless co-owners, corruption, fraud. At least carelessness and uneducated ignorant staff I found in expensive places as well. 

But yeah, Like you say, slum like looks is what comes along with cheap prices.

I will post some pics tmr.

 

Anyway, you know, if some dedicated investors would come together to get to about 20% ownership such a trashy place could get renovated and the value would go up again.

So, just for the looks in areas we do not live in paying 150% more/m2? 

I understand, to some it is worth the extra.

Just for us it is not, especially if you end up renting out for investing 150% more from what I see I do not get 150% more rent...

Asians apparently prefer a new place that hasn't been lived in before because they think it offers better Feng Shui.  I think Thais are also always worried about ghosts.   So buying new is usually not good value.   I am more than happy to live in an older building because they are almost always better build quality.

7 minutes ago, shdmn said:

Apparently it's a thing with Asians to want to get a new place that hasn't been lived in before because they think it offers better Feng Shui.  I think Thais are also always worried about ghosts.   So buying new is usually not good value.   I am more than happy to buy used and older buildings are almost always better build quality anyways.

 

No that's not the reason. The banks have better offers and lower interest on new condos.

On 6/10/2025 at 4:17 PM, Briggsy said:

Must have been completed over 20 years ago. (i.e. before 2005 - you never know, this thread may run and run)

Must have the majority of rooms over 40 sq. m. 

 

I will start the ball rolling. 

Pattaya

 

I bought PKCP from the developer for peanuts, it's a 20 story condominium behind Big C extra around 2005. 

 

It's a studio 65m², high floor, great views. 

 

Over the years I've rented it out, at times 20k baht a month. 

 

At the same time I bought a 1 bedroom top floor in the adjacent condo (Centre Point), low rise, cheap as chips. 

 

9 hours ago, Celsius said:

Why? Are you an idiot?

Are you talking to me?

 

Are you an idiot?

 

Do you have the reading age of a 7-year-old?

 

Go back and read what I wrote without foolishly inserting your own expection bias on to the words. 

 

Take your time, stop being the stereotypical impatient angry farang spraying insults and try to understand. 

 

An apology would be appropriate too. 

44 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Are you talking to me?

 

Are you an idiot?

 

Do you have the reading age of a 7-year-old?

 

Go back and read what I wrote without foolishly inserting your own expection bias on to the words. 

 

Take your time, stop being the stereotypical impatient angry farang spraying insults and try to understand. 

 

An apology would be appropriate too. 

 

I apologize 

4 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Pattaya

 

I bought PKCP from the developer for peanuts, it's a 20 story condominium behind Big C extra around 2005. 

 

It's a studio 65m², high floor, great views. 

 

Over the years I've rented it out, at times 20k baht a month. 

 

At the same time I bought a 1 bedroom top floor in the adjacent condo (Centre Point), low rise, cheap as chips. 

 

Are the lifts still under repair? 

7 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

I apologize 

Accepted.

11 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

bought PKCP from the developer for peanuts, it's a 20 story condominium behind Big C extra around 2005. 

I know this condo but I have never been inside. That is precisely the kind of condo I had in mind.

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

I know this condo but I have never been inside. That is precisely the kind of condo I had in mind.

Off the plan, they were very basic inside, the developer is Thai, Ratanakorn. 

 

 

Over the many years the owners have been renovating, some are very well presented. 

 

9 hours ago, Olmate said:

Are the lifts still under repair? 

It's to be expected, the yearly maintenance is only 20 baht a m², if I remember 

 

CHEAP 

I figure that, even aside from the ban on owning land, buying property in Thailand is not an attractive solution.
We rented a really nice townhouse in a condo in South Sathorn (Saint Louis), which was built in the late 90s. Very large, excellently maintained, ideally located. The rent was reasonable for what it offered, and it was not for sale anyway (the entire condo and the 10 townhouses belong to the same owner, who does not sell to anyone). Still, even though the rent was not insignificant, it was a good ratio for the price a place like that would fetch.
Now, we have moved to the suburbs (Bang Wa), in a moobaan, which is a horizontal condo, somehow. The townhouse we rent is nice and modern, well-maintained, and the entire place is well-run (security, services, etc.). Our rent is only 25% of what we paid in Sathorn, and even here, it is a very favourable ratio to what the owner would want for a sale (I know, he already asked if I did not want to buy).

We own property in Samui and upcountry, but for residential use in Bangkok, renting is a better option for us.

11 hours ago, LogicThai said:

I figure that, even aside from the ban on owning land, buying property in Thailand is not an attractive solution.
We rented a really nice townhouse in a condo in South Sathorn (Saint Louis), which was built in the late 90s. Very large, excellently maintained, ideally located. The rent was reasonable for what it offered, and it was not for sale anyway (the entire condo and the 10 townhouses belong to the same owner, who does not sell to anyone). Still, even though the rent was not insignificant, it was a good ratio for the price a place like that would fetch.
Now, we have moved to the suburbs (Bang Wa), in a moobaan, which is a horizontal condo, somehow. The townhouse we rent is nice and modern, well-maintained, and the entire place is well-run (security, services, etc.). Our rent is only 25% of what we paid in Sathorn, and even here, it is a very favourable ratio to what the owner would want for a sale (I know, he already asked if I did not want to buy).

We own property in Samui and upcountry, but for residential use in Bangkok, renting is a better option for us.

Too logical for me! 

Any more old condos?

39 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Any more old condos?

This old girl, built in the 90's.

 

I don't know much about it, great location on Jomtien beach. 

 

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pG7YALPxx1dmFuki6

 

 

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

This old girl, built in the 90's.

I have actually been in this one! I visited a friend there. 

 

Man, you are on my wavelength.

 

The rooms and views are great and interestingly laid out to afford novel angles and shapes. 

 

I was hoping to avoid downtown Jomtien. However, this, and places like it, are where the older condos are, so I may well be swimming upstream, making my life difficult pointlessly.