Definition Of 'condominium'

[brahmburgers]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would define an apartment as a room in a large building, with a bathroom (water closet).

It seems to me that a condo would have, in addition; kitchen facilities such as sink, fridge, cooking range AND at least one seperate room in addition to the primary room.

In the States, we have the term 'efficiency apartment,' which is one room with minimal kitchen facilities, plus a bathroom. That would seem to define most of the 'condos' one sees in southern Thailand.

Ok, it's just semantics, but it would seem that most of the places termed 'condos' in southern Thailand would more correctly be termed 'efficiency apartments' or just 'apartments.'

The point I'm trying to make here is the term condo has been 'dumbed down' in many cases to describe a single room apartment with a little fridge and hotplate - as regards places in southern Thailand. If, however, a classy, more expansive place with two or more bedrooms were available (beyond what I would call a condo) ....the word 'suite' or 'penthouse' could be used.

Incidentally, there are no condos north of Chiang Mai - except for a few retro-fitted individual rooms in buildings (where farang tenents have added sink, fridge and hotplate) that I would call 'efficiency apartments' but which would be termed 'condos' in Thailand.

[MickeyM]

I beleive You are comparing apples and oranges - A condominium refers to a legal form of ownership (where individual owners have legal title to their unit and a percentage of the common area). Apartment is simply a generic term for an architectural style of a shared use building - typically rented out.

[Tyke]

I beleive You are comparing apples and oranges - A condominium refers to a legal form of ownership (where individual owners have legal title to their unit and a percentage of the common area). Apartment is simply a generic term for an architectural style of a shared use building - typically rented out.

I understand that condos are apartments that can be bought and sold, which I guess puts the above in a nutshell.

[wilko]

So what's a "flat" then?

In UK you can only buy the lease on a flat/condo /apartment. Freehold is a separate thing that goes with the land it is built on.

(Real) estate agents have a lot to answer for in their never ending search for euphemisms to sell properties

As the words are used in various ways in various countries it would be unlikely that they have a legal definition.

The derivations are very similar.

1. An individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or townhouse, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units.

2. A building or complex containing condominium apartments or townhouses.

also ....

3. A country governed by two or more different countries with joint responsibility.

4. The system under which a country or state is ruled by two or more other nations.

From Latin - Con meaning with or together and dominium - complete power to use, to enjoy, and to dispose of property at will.(owned/ruled) territory or property.

there seems to be a prevalence to use the term condo when talkng about the leisure or holiday industries.

Apartment; much of the same - a partioning of a building for multiple occupancy

"A room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than one household".

"Flat" originates form the idea of one level or floor in a building - "an apartment, generally on one level".

So all infer that they are part of a larger building.

[Tyke]

So what's a "flat" then?

In UK you can only buy the lease on a flat/condo /apartment. Freehold is a separate thing that goes with the land it is built on.

(Real) estate agents have a lot to answer for in their never ending search for euphemisms to sell properties

As the words are used in various ways in various countries it would be unlikely that they have a legal definition.

The derivations are very similar.

1. An individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or townhouse, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units.

2. A building or complex containing condominium apartments or townhouses.

also ....

3. A country governed by two or more different countries with joint responsibility.

4. The system under which a country or state is ruled by two or more other nations.

From Latin - Con meaning with or together and dominium - complete power to use, to enjoy, and to dispose of property at will.(owned/ruled) territory or property.

there seems to be a prevalence to use the term condo when talkng about the leisure or holiday industries.

Apartment; much of the same - a partioning of a building for multiple occupancy

"A room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than one household".

"Flat" originates form the idea of one level or floor in a building - "an apartment, generally on one level".

So all infer that they are part of a larger building.

Yes, a 'flat' is an apartment on a single level, as opposed to a 'maisonette' which is an apartment spread over more than 1 level.

And so what's a 'studio with 1 bedroom', then - I've seen this advertised a lot in Thailand.

[grtaylor]

Yes, a 'flat' is an apartment on a single level, as opposed to a 'maisonette' which is an apartment spread over more than 1 level.

or a "duplex" as they are called in some places.

I think 'flat' is also just the UK word for 'apartment'.

In Thailand, my understanding is:

• Apartment - in a building where all units are owned by the building owner, therefore for rent only.
  
• Condominium - in a building where each unit is owned by an individual - joint ownership of the building being by an association of owners (known in thai law as a "juristic person"). Unlike the UK, owners of a condominium can buy freehold.
  

The other thing it can affect is the billing situation of things like electricity, where in a condominium you should have a separate electricity meter, in the name of the owner, and be paying the 'correct' amount, whereas in an apartment building you are liable to be ripped of the building owners!

Correct me if I'm wrong.

G

Edited August 19, 2007 by grtaylor

[NanLaew]

MickeyM has it right: a condominium is a form of ownership that has been hijacked as a generic description of a single property.

A flat, maisonette, townhome and/or apartment can all be IN a condominium. Or it can be a rented, leased flat, maisonette, townhome and/or apartment. They can look identical, it's just the ownership that differs.

Rooms in 'condominiums' can look just like a hotel room or they can look like a hotel suite.

Studio apartments by definition are usually single-room, maybe with a foldaway bed aka 'efficiency apartment'. If someone is advertising a 'studio with 1 bedroom', it is either a standard studio with the bed either off in an alcove/broom-closet/curtains (drapes) to separate it off or it is a really small apartment.

Edited August 19, 2007 by NanLaew

[farangfool]

A flat is a broken tire. Anyone in the US will tell you that

I think the confusion in wording is not so critical. In Thailand your likely to deal houses or condos = larger buildings. THe problems is freehold. None for houses, and your likely to get f.... by the developer if you buy off plan as they sell more than 49 % to foreigners. All promises even written are BS as you need a thai language contract. Go 2 times to the same office and speak to 2 different agents and you get 2 different stories....

You description of the lavish kitchen facilities hits the point. Most Pattaya condos are shoeboxes built to shag some short-time guest: The copy of 300-400 baht per night hotels and like in some of such hotels you dont need far to find a 500 baht provider just walk to the entrance. The re-fitting by some enterprising local farangs who claim that these places now deserve premium prices (40,000 + per sqm) are laughable becos you still wake up with the view on last nights pots and pans in your eyes and the kitchen smell in your sheeds and clothes. The unrivaled

In a way, that type of 'condo' confirms to some extent your less than positive assessment of the pattaya cultural life in a different threat. I hope your life in the north is nice and will remain so.

[brahmburgers]

it appears as tho MickeyM put it in perspective - as far as how the words are used in Thai real estate circles:

The word condo applies to the ownership ramifications of an apartment, and doesn't seem to apply to floor plan or appliances therein.

As to the fignificance of related words: condom, Condoliza Rice, condemn, condolences, anaconda, condiments, ....I'll segue to my phi beta Kappa room to do a poop de ville, and hope I don't get interupted mid-loaf before I take my royal flush.

[wilko]

Condom - Also spelled condam, quondam, which suggests it may be from It. guantone, from guanto "a glove."

Con - as in together same in

Condolence and Condoleeza.....dolence = sorrow, grief - dolce - sweetness

Condiment - to pickle or store

Anaconda - "probably a Latinization of Sinhalese henacandaya "whip snake," lit. "lightning-stem." A name first used in Eng. to name a Ceylonese python, it erroneously was applied to a large S.Amer. boa, called in Brazil sucuriuba. The word is of uncertain origin, and no snake name like it now is found in Sinhalese or Tamil. Another suggestion is that it represents Tamil anaikkonda "having killed an elephant.""

[Zeid]

i think for explaining this one must listen to eorge carlin euphemisms(http://www.iceboxman.com/carlin/pael.php#track15)

now in simple terms they are the same just one guy decided to make something fancy about his building so he re-named a flat to be a condo,

though not sure if I personally would call an apartment with curtain wall, an apartment... actually i will still do.. please refer to the link attached.

[wilko]

Agree with Zeid -

BTW - Another theory is that Condom is a euphemism from "conduma" or "condom" (con - with and doma - roof or house) which existed in legal terms before the 18th C - meaning house elevated dwelling et al. So this became a "nice" way of referring to somewhere to put your dick - just as prophylactic and contraceptive are used today.

[jasreeve17]

i think for explaining this one must listen to eorge carlin euphemisms(http://www.iceboxman.com/carlin/pael.php#track15)

now in simple terms they are the same just one guy decided to make something fancy about his building so he re-named a flat to be a condo,

though not sure if I personally would call an apartment with curtain wall, an apartment... actually i will still do.. please refer to the link attached.

Agreed.

It's marketing. Condos are more expensive.

[Irene]

From Wikipedia, "condominium" is defined as a form of property ownership only:

"A condominium, or condo for short, is a form of housing tenure. It is the legal term used in the United States and in most provinces of Canada for a type of joint ownership of real property in which portions of the property are commonly owned and other portions are individually owned. In Australia and the Canadian province of British Columbia, the legal term for this is strata title. In Quebec, it is known as syndicates of co-ownership. In England and Wales the equivalent is commonhold, but this form of ownership was only introduced in 2004 and so far is hardly used. Colloquially, the term "condo" is often used to refer to the apartment unit itself in place of the term "apartment". This clearly signifies ownership of the property."

[Zeid]

Agree with Zeid -

BTW - Another theory is that Condom is a euphemism from "conduma" or "condom" (con - with and doma - roof or house) which existed in legal terms before the 18th C - meaning house elevated dwelling et al. So this became a "nice" way of referring to somewhere to put your dick - just as prophylactic and contraceptive are used today.

so i guess most houses in Issan are condos they are elevated hahahaha there goes this terminology for over pricing

From Wikipedia, "condominium" is defined as a form of property ownership only:

"A condominium, or condo for short, is a form of housing tenure. It is the legal term used in the United States and in most provinces of Canada for a type of joint ownership of real property in which portions of the property are commonly owned and other portions are individually owned. In Australia and the Canadian province of British Columbia, the legal term for this is strata title. In Quebec, it is known as syndicates of co-ownership. In England and Wales the equivalent is commonhold, but this form of ownership was only introduced in 2004 and so far is hardly used. Colloquially, the term "condo" is often used to refer to the apartment unit itself in place of the term "apartment". This clearly signifies ownership of the property."

so in other words where you buy an apartment and some one keeps finding ways to keep you paying monthly charges,

combining both those defenitions, i guess my elevated house that pay taxes on for the goverment makes it in all logical sense as the above a condo

[tropo]

"A condominium, or condo for short, is a form of housing tenure. It is the legal term used in the United States and in most provinces of Canada for a type of joint ownership of real property in which portions of the property are commonly owned and other portions are individually owned. In Australia and the Canadian province of British Columbia, the legal term for this is strata title. In Quebec, it is known as syndicates of co-ownership. In England and Wales the equivalent is commonhold, but this form of ownership was only introduced in 2004 and so far is hardly used. Colloquially, the term "condo" is often used to refer to the apartment unit itself in place of the term "apartment". This clearly signifies ownership of the property."

so in other words where you buy an apartment and some one keeps finding ways to keep you paying monthly charges,

combining both those defenitions, i guess my elevated house that pay taxes on for the goverment makes it in all logical sense as the above a condo

Yes, it just depends where you live.

In Australia we don't use the word "condominium". "Apartment" and "unit" are the most common terms for divisions of a larger building. eg Highrise apartment and highrise unit are interchangeable. It's irrelevant whether or not they are individually owned.

Edited August 19, 2007 by tropo

[Jersey_UK]

So what is the Thai for "Bedsit"........and do yer get a kettle and a toaster?

[Irene]

So what is the Thai for "Bedsit"........and do yer get a kettle and a toaster?

Thais call them as "haung chow". In English, it means "room rental".

[brahmburgers]

It appears the Thai system legally allows a farang to own title ('freehold' to the Brits, or 'free and clear' to the Yanks) - to a living space that does not set directly on the ground. Hence, the proliferation of 'condos' in heavily touristed parts of Thailand.

Using that definition, would the upper floors of a house qualify? In other words, the Thai person retains the ground floor and retains title to the land parcel, whereas the farang who buys the upper floor(s) of the house could gain title in his name - to that space, but not to the land it sits on.

....or can 'freehold' condos only be in large multi-unit (designated?) structures?

Pen pai dai mai? (is that possible?) - I'd tend to doubt it. Even though the upper-story house scenario appears to fit within the definition of the existing law, this being Thailand, there could well be be lots of 'wiggle room' for Thai officialdom to tweak the rules to suit their strategy - which is, in a nutshell:

....disallow farang from owning property titles intheir names, though make a provision in heavily touristed regions for rich farang (to appear) to own small apartments up above the first floor.

[Tammi]

It appears the Thai system legally allows a farang to own title ('freehold' to the Brits, or 'free and clear' to the Yanks) - to a living space that does not set directly on the ground. Hence, the proliferation of 'condos' in heavily touristed parts of Thailand.

Using that definition, would the upper floors of a house qualify? In other words, the Thai person retains the ground floor and retains title to the land parcel, whereas the farang who buys the upper floor(s) of the house could gain title in his name - to that space, but not to the land it sits on.

....or can 'freehold' condos only be in large multi-unit (designated?) structures?

Pen pai dai mai? (is that possible?) - I'd tend to doubt it. Even though the upper-story house scenario appears to fit within the definition of the existing law, this being Thailand, there could well be be lots of 'wiggle room' for Thai officialdom to tweak the rules to suit their strategy - which is, in a nutshell:

....disallow farang from owning property titles intheir names, though make a provision in heavily touristed regions for rich farang (to appear) to own small apartments up above the first floor.

If you look around you will find many beautiful and spacious apartments (condo units) in Thailand. They are not all bedsits!

[Jersey_UK]

Using that definition, would the upper floors of a house qualify? In other words, the Thai person retains the ground floor and retains title to the land parcel, whereas the farang who buys the upper floor(s) of the house could gain title in his name - to that space, but not to the land it sits on.

I dunno about in Thailand, but here in Jersey we do have "Flying Freehold" where you own the space of air and are entitled to keep a Flat located their (Or summit like that ).

[booman]

After all of the conversation MikeyM is quite correct.

[Zeid]

I beleive You are comparing apples and oranges - A condominium refers to a legal form of ownership (where individual owners have legal title to their unit and a percentage of the common area). Apartment is simply a generic term for an architectural style of a shared use building - typically rented out.

After all of the conversation MikeyM is quite correct.

so this means i will buy a condo but i will rent it out as a flat???

codo apartment all same thing,

i guess the only time it makes a difference is if some one like to brag, i am going back to my condo, as a marketing scheme again.

i do not know, but where i am from we all say we are going home, doe snot matter if it is a mansion,house, villa, townhouse, apartment, or now condos.

is it the same in thai

"Uu baan." at home not "Uu condo"

Edited August 20, 2007 by Zeid

[booman]

I beleive You are comparing apples and oranges - A condominium refers to a legal form of ownership (where individual owners have legal title to their unit and a percentage of the common area). Apartment is simply a generic term for an architectural style of a shared use building - typically rented out.

After all of the conversation MikeyM is quite correct.

so this means i will buy a condo but i will rent it out as a flat???

codo apartment all same thing,

i guess the only time it makes a difference is if some one like to brag, i am going back to my condo, as a marketing scheme again.

i do not know, but where i am from we all say we are going home, doe snot matter if it is a mansion,house, villa, townhouse, apartment, or now condos.

is it the same in thai

"Uu baan." at home not "Uu condo"

You are quite correct if you believe "Home is where I hang my hat (or coat)" Thais say "pak kondo" not "yuu kondo", but you can "yuu bann"

[retirednavyman]

I beleive You are comparing apples and oranges - A condominium refers to a legal form of ownership (where individual owners have legal title to their unit and a percentage of the common area). Apartment is simply a generic term for an architectural style of a shared use building - typically rented out.

But why would a condo be something that is referred to as a legal form of ownership? It too can be rented out just like an apartment?

Anyway, here in the states, the only difference is semantics

Mike

[Zeid]

booman

from my understanding pak is stay, so should you ask some one in thailand where are you and he says stay knodo this means his is showing off,

an normal answer to tinay? is yuu baan.

but i guess we are still agreeing on the main part is does not matter where you live where you hang your coat is home or baan.

[booman]

booman

from my understanding pak is stay, so should you ask some one in thailand where are you and he says stay knodo this means his is showing off,

an normal answer to tinay? is yuu baan.

but i guess we are still agreeing on the main part is does not matter where you live where you hang your coat is home or baan.

No,

mai chai, khun kit pitt To "pak" is to stay in a temporary location (aka apartment or hotel) condos are considered the same, unless it is pretty exquisite. Most Farang condos are pretty exquisite, but the Thais most of the time do not differentiate.