Average Costings For Pattaya Living

[sotsira]

LtCol,

The above post is an important point that you need to consider, probably the most important one that you will have to make when you arrive in Pattaya, the only property that you can buy and own in your name is a condominium that is already owned in a foreign name, this would be your only easy option and will make you the buyer,100% freehold owner.

Houses on the other hand can only be purchased by foreigners in company names, but this is a loophole that Thai lawyers set up under a grey area that questions the legality of the company being that it's non active and still requires 51% Thai ownership, therefore creates a stigma with potential future selling of the house and has caused the house market to become stagnant for foreign buyers.

Your safest bet would be to buy a condo that is already in foreign ownership, otherwise you will end up with a house that will be difficult to resale again, or just rent a house, but that will be an expensive long running option.

There are thousands of houses in and around Pattaya for sale but foreigners are reluctant to buy under the current law.

Be careful with your choice as you and your wife are both foreign and you won't be able to jointly own more than 49% of any company!

Thanks to you & others we have now realised the only property to buy is a Foreign owned Condo as our home,we are expecting visitors from family & friends on a regular basis , so need 2 - 3 Bedrooms.

Next question is where ? & we do not like Jomtien

Jack

If you don't like Jomtien, then you are cutting out 1/3 of the condo market im afraid, also Jomtien offers the best values per sqm2,

alternatively there are two other areas which have plenty of condos, one is Pratumak hill which leads to the big bhuda where the Royal Cliff Resort is, and the other area is Naklua, central Pattaya doesn't have that many good condo's unfortunately.

The condos in the Pratumak Hill area are higher priced than Naklua and then Jomtien.

Prices vary from around 40,000bt per sqm2 to 100,000bt per sqm2, depending on location,interior decor and floor hieght.

My advice would be not to buy in an older than about 10yr building as these tend to have high annual maintenance charges or start to show signs of neglect to the communal areas which is something that you need to also consider when buying a condo.

[LtCol]

Well, I guess we shouldn't be to harsh on Jomtien , it's just that in 2004 we thought of buying a Holiday place & what we were shown were overgrown weed lots with decrepit houses & 'sort of' will be finished Condos , one place even had a cats decomposing skeleton at the back door & you couldn't see the beach because of all the traders. Guess first impressions stuck with us.

Searching on the net with different Agents ads we will not discount any modern Condo , but where is the largest concentration of Aussie/English/Irish/Kiwi/Euro Pats living? what is the 'Best' area??

[sotsira]

Well, I guess we shouldn't be to harsh on Jomtien , it's just that in 2004 we thought of buying a Holiday place & what we were shown were overgrown weed lots with decrepit houses & 'sort of' will be finished Condos , one place even had a cats decomposing skeleton at the back door & you couldn't see the beach because of all the traders. Guess first impressions stuck with us.

Searching on the net with different Agents ads we will not discount any modern Condo , but where is the largest concentration of Aussie/English/Irish/Kiwi/Euro Pats living? what is the 'Best' area??

I've been living here since Jan 2004 when i bought my condo, i was the second owner as the first bought it from the developer and sold it to me as a new shell once the building was completed.The area i chose is Thappraya Rd at the start of Jomtien as you approach from Pattaya, the reason i chose this location is because it's in between Jomtien and Pattaya so i have the best of both areas.

My condo is in a building that is 100% sold and owned by approx 90% foreigners and 10% Thais. 49% of the foreigners own in there name the rest would be owned in company names.

The majority are europeans together with US, AUS & NZ, there are also more condos in this area that have similar ownership ratios, prices range from 40,000bt sqm2 to 70,000bt sqm2.

Naklua is more popular with German expats and Pratumak Hill is more popular with affluent expats.

There are some co-owners in my condo building that are selling their condos, if you want more info, PM me, it could save you an agency fee.

[LennyW]

Well, I guess we shouldn't be to harsh on Jomtien , it's just that in 2004 we thought of buying a Holiday place & what we were shown were overgrown weed lots with decrepit houses & 'sort of' will be finished Condos , one place even had a cats decomposing skeleton at the back door & you couldn't see the beach because of all the traders. Guess first impressions stuck with us.

Searching on the net with different Agents ads we will not discount any modern Condo , but where is the largest concentration of Aussie/English/Irish/Kiwi/Euro Pats living? what is the 'Best' area??

Is that so you know which areas to avoid then?!

[LtCol]

Well, I guess we shouldn't be to harsh on Jomtien , it's just that in 2004 we thought of buying a Holiday place & what we were shown were overgrown weed lots with decrepit houses & 'sort of' will be finished Condos , one place even had a cats decomposing skeleton at the back door & you couldn't see the beach because of all the traders. Guess first impressions stuck with us.

Searching on the net with different Agents ads we will not discount any modern Condo , but where is the largest concentration of Aussie/English/Irish/Kiwi/Euro Pats living? what is the 'Best' area??

Is that so you know which areas to avoid then?!

Funnnnnnyyyyyyy

[Geroc]

Hi Jack,

Do you know Pattaya ? It's a very big city now. I mean you have choice for everything, for house, location, internet providers, stores for furniture, cars, hospitals, and of course, so many restaurants.

I live in Pattaya for 2 years and I've bought a house (company), a car, furniture, built a swimming pool, and so many stuffs of the daily life.

If I can help you, don't hesitate for contacting me on my own address.

Friendly,

Geroc

[LtCol]

Thanks Geroc have PMd you & another question we have , does anyone know , can we use our spare Blackberry from Australia in Thailand as a local phone by installing a Thai Simcard ,???? or do we have to buy a new Handset there to get a Thai phone number ??

Thanks for info

Jack

[desktop]

Thanks Geroc have PMd you & another question we have , does anyone know , can we use our spare Blackberry from Australia in Thailand as a local phone by installing a Thai Simcard ,???? or do we have to buy a new Handset there to get a Thai phone number ??

Thanks for info

Jack

Thailand uses GSM network. Blackberry will work with GSM. Buy a Thai SIM card for it. The SIM card will be your local Thai phone number.

[Tolley]

One thing that you need to be very careful with as you are getting older is healthcare.

Healthcare costs can kill you in Thailand!

It is not like AUstralia where you can get it for free on medicare.

If you get seriously ill and you have to get treatment it could seriously dent your retirement nest egg.

[Seizetheday]

Hi Jack,

I'm a member at The Vines in Perth and I've just returned from a month to Pattaya. I've been spending 3 or 4 months a year in Pattaya over the last 4 years. The best piece of advice is NEVER buy property in Thailand, just ask the owners of Jomtien Complex how they feel with View Talay building a massive condo in front of them spoiling their views and reducing the values of their condos. The best thing to do is to keep your money in Australia and use the yield from it to pay rent in Pattaya. You probably get a yield of around 8% from your commercial property, most residential property in Patts gives a similar yield. You may get better capital growth in Pattaya over the long term, but that's open to argument. Good luck.

[retiredusn]

It looks like you may be retired military, and I am not sure about the retirement in Oz so you may want to check on the medical end of it. Being US retired my military insurance (Tricare)covers most of the hospital bills while living here in Thailand. Welcome aboard and good luck.

[LtCol]

It looks like you may be retired military, and I am not sure about the retirement in Oz so you may want to check on the medical end of it. Being US retired my military insurance (Tricare)covers most of the hospital bills while living here in Thailand. Welcome aboard and good luck.

Thanks , but, no ,left the Military in the late 60s , retired from Contracting . (SWAT ,Security & Interrogator Trainer ,Consultant Detective.)Still have 6+ Honorary Life LE Commisions in the US. The Lt.Col. is award from the Governor of Ala.

It is just that we have many conflicting feedback costs from Pattaya , I'll wait til we get there in Nov & talk direct to BPH or somewhere.

Appreciate you input

[LtCol]

Has the finacial eruptions in the USA had any direct effect on Property Prices in Pattaya ?????

Thanx

Jack

[sotsira]

Has the finacial eruptions in the USA had any direct effect on Property Prices in Pattaya ?????

Thanx

Jack

One notable change is that the Thai Baht has strengthend against the main currencies so everything is more expensive from a foreign

investment point of view, some currencies are up to 20% down in value compared to 1 or 2 years ago so if anything, property is more expensive now than before as the listed sale prices havn't changed much.

Saying that though,it is a buyers market now because of the decline of foreign investers.

[Tarqin]

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

[dogit]

$1200 Pm 2 people, nice house good lifestyle nights out motorbike

[sotsira]

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

Alternatively, if you have a Thai partner then ask them to make price enquiries without you being in the proximity, that way you'll always get the real Thai price.

It's one thing to speak Thai but another thing to look Thai, as your face will always be a farang regardless of what language you speak.

[Tarqin]

Agreed Sot.

However a great deal of fun can be had by not telling the Thais you speak Thai...

[plasticpig]

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

You can and will still get ripped off, if your a falang.

speaking the lingo is one thing, getting ripped off is a hole diferent ball game.

loads of very smart thais out there ready for your money,

[RetireSoon]

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

Alternatively, if you have a Thai partner then ask them to make price enquiries without you being in the proximity, that way you'll always get the real Thai price.

It's one thing to speak Thai but another thing to look Thai, as your face will always be a farang regardless of what language you speak.

I have seen my freinds Thai wife knowingly over pay, when i asked why "I not lose face to argue" "I can afford no plompem for me"

Got to say I was suprised.

[sotsira]

Before coming to Thailand I too pored endlessly over Excel spreadsheets and questioned people extensively on this and other websites.

So let me change the emphasis and give you my number one cost saving tip.

LEARN TO SPEAK THAI. And read it if you can.

This opens you to a whole new world where the best bargains can be had and the prices are Thai prices as opposed to rammed up for the falangs.

Seriously this will enhance your Thailand experience 100% and cut your expenses by half.

Alternatively, if you have a Thai partner then ask them to make price enquiries without you being in the proximity, that way you'll always get the real Thai price.

It's one thing to speak Thai but another thing to look Thai, as your face will always be a farang regardless of what language you speak.

I have seen my freinds Thai wife knowingly over pay, when i asked why "I not lose face to argue" "I can afford no plompem for me"

Got to say I was suprised.

More money than sense then.

[torrenova]

You can't own the land that a house sits on. Ever. All you can do it put it in a company which means extra costs and you don't actually own it. That is as legal as it gets and it is not legal at all. You can own a condo in your own name. Think about inheritance here.

Car / truck - no problem in your name. Budget a million and you'll be fine unless you want luxury. The Vios at 500k does not have all the things you need and will work out about 700k. Insurance and other maintenance about 25k a year.

Cable - 300-2000

Electric - 1000-3000 (Having a pool will raise these substantially)

Water - 300-500

Service charges - 300-1500

Pool cleaning - ???

Fuel - 2000

Mobile - 500-1000

Internet - 500-1000

I would rent for 6 months then perhaps for another 6 months, don't sign for a year.

One off costs might include appliances, aircon units, beds etc. Do shop around and think only about the total package. Home mart or whatever it is next to Carrefour will negotiate quite a lot, especially if buying in bulk. Index is overpriced unless in a sale. The costs of these will depend only on yourself.

The biggest killers of any budget in Thailand are women and beer. Most everything else is relatively cheap. A decent (ish) steak from Carrefour will be about Bt100 (large piece). That is local beef, imports are way way higher priced.

[catwho]

Ltcol,

i sent ovet 85000 ozzy dollars and recived 29.11,,,and got just under 2 & half mill baht, about 6 weeks ago ,,the very day our dollar started to drop to the now 22/23 baht to oz dollar,at this rate now you would recive 1,910,500. over half a mill diff, [19000 dollars] not wise to send money till baht goes up again.

for anything cause your cost have gone up by a 1/3 almost, not to mention the overs you pay for condo or car at the moment.

and if others have not not mentioned it always send dollars not thai baht,the bank [c/union] did ask why send ozzy dollars i told them i get a better rate here,

they needed to know.

to run our house hold [we own house and car] pool cleaned .water,food, insuance for car and family,[not me]2 kids and wife,adsl,mobile and house phone,which is a good thing to buy or have if renting or buying cause tooo many hassles to have put on,,,a nanny,and school fees fo one kid,we budget for 30,000baht a month,not including my relax cunning kick money,15000 month.

when i retired here 5 years ago i was going to buy a 2 bedroom condo in keing talay, soi 6 partamak 2,500,000 furnished as most sec/hand are sold,

now about 5,000000 walk[300 mts ] to beach,and that would be at the lower end of the market,nice beach[cosy] and plenty of coppers around as queen has a house there.

hope that helps.

cat

[LtCol]

Quite correct , our Budget for a property was around the 8,000,000Bht , but with the drop of the Ozzie $ it would now be around 5,500,000Bht that's too big a difference, guess we will have to wait a little longer. Thankfully we already had cashed in here some months ago for Baht for our Dec/Jan stay at 32 to the Dollar.

This trip won't exceed what we expected , thankfully not much longer to go.