View Talay Condos

[expatgaz]

Darknite, i don't know where your coming from Mate, you cannot get an apartment at View Talay Residence for that price.You may be talking abt view Talay 1 or 2 but NOT residence.

[monty]

Prices of condo's are high at the moment, especially at the better located and maintained buildings.

Empty units start around 15000 Baht/sqm and go up to 40.000 Baht/sqm(or more ) for luxuriously finished units. Case in point is the Panchalee condo (which is a renovated hotel, but very nicely done) which sells at 38000 Baht/sqm.

I just sold a unit in the building where I live, 44 sqm, very nice decorated with marble floors and teakwood furnishings, for 1.4 Million. Thats over 31000 Baht/sqm!

Eventhough prices are high, and there seems to be a huge supply, there is still quite a big turnover...

Check out following sites from some of the real estate agents and you'll see the very high going prices at the moment! They offer at these prices because they can sell them at these prices!!!

http://www.realesthai.com/prod02.htm

On the next site you can see some of the lower priced view talay units, but these are very small at 32sqm to 38sqm (same as a big hotel room) and mostly on low floors.

http://www.thaiproperty.com/cgi-bin/db.pl?...Search&Live=Yes

Prices are still at the 15000 Baht/sqm price for empty, low floor units, in one of the cheapest buildings around!

[Kathe]

Hallo saothai,

                      firstly i'm no condo expert, a friend and myself bought a condo each last year in the "Jomtien Beach Condominium" ( sometimes called Rim Talay) paid 800k baht ( could have done better if we'd thought of haggling). It is set back off the beach road, so it's quiet and most of the condo's appear to have great sea views ( ours have ), we each spent another 450k baht to have them renovated to our spec, so still close to your budget,

                            hope this helps,    lou.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many thanks folks for very good ideas. Thanks Lou62, that is quite a good idea. Is there any problem if foreigner buy a condo ? What the documents they need ? Sorry I have EU citizen right now ( used to be thai ). So it's a big different from A Farang Husband buying a condo on his thai wife , who has thai nationality. Do I have to transfer money from my country and do I have to pay cash all in a short period ? Or it 's a better way, let my mom or sister buy for me and later give me as a present ? I have no idea now.

Lou62, are you apperciated on your Condo ? How much is the anual payment for guard and electric or light in that Condo ? Do they have swimming pool too ?

[lou62]

saothai,

with regards to your questions about our condos, I paid the maintenance fee (corridor lighting, cleaning floors, cutting grass, repairs etc. . ) for 2005 three weeks ago, it was 4400 baht. The utilities bill (electicity, water) depends on how much you use, lots of air condition = lots of baht ( I tend to use the fan mostly).

The condos have two pools, and if I understand your question correctly "are you appreciated on your condo ?" for the money we have paid and the views we have we are both delighted, for answers to your other questions, threads on this topic are common ( with replies from people much better qualified than I) however as long as you follow the rules (sending money into thailand in a foreign currency Dollars/Sterling/euros stating it is for the purchase of buying a condominium) it is really quite simple, you MUST consult with a good solicitor/lawyer, they will explain the legal requirements, and good luck with your search lou.

[eljeque]

I cannot remember where I downloaded this from, but it may help.

Some points on life in a condo to consider

After twice reading your publication, I felt compelled to write with regard to your guide on condominiums.

I come from Hong Kong, the land of high-rise dwellings. I don't know whether your property editors - and developers - have lived most of their lives in apartments, but I can assure you that I have since birth. I am talking about first-hand experience here.

So the following comments are what your property editors and developers should actually concentrate on for deciding on condominium projects.

1. Low-rise versus high-rise condos

A. View

The point of living in a condo is that tenants want to have an unobstructed view of the city. Unobstructed views are associated with better fengshui in Hong Kong, so why bother buying a low-rise condominium? One might as well buy a house or a town house.

B. Fresh air

Studies have shown that pollution is much less severe at high floors. In Bangkok one definitely needs to choose a high-rise condo.

C. Quiet

High floors, by nature, are insulated from the traffic noise down below. Few people relish the idea of being awakened by the sound of tuk-tuks or motorcycle taxis.

D. Social status

Higher floors are associated with higher social status. While I do not pay too much attention to this, I have noticed that here in Bangkok many individuals feel the urgency to be chauffeured in big Mercedes. Social status is big in Bangkok. So, again, why build "luxury" condominiums that are "low rise"?

In Hong Kong, as people improve their earning abilities, they move from low floors to higher floors, from smaller condos to bigger ones. I have yet to know anyone in Hong Kong who is willing to move from a higher floor to a lower one. People strive to improve themselves; no one wants to become worse off.

In Hong Kong, apartments on higher floors command a much higher price and are also much more liquid/easier to sell.

2. Open-air balconies

A. Misuse

While having a balcony may seem advantageous, very few tenants spend enough time on their balconies. Balconies are like bathtubs: most condos have them, but few people actually use them.

More often than not balconies are misused for other purposes, such as drying clothes, making the whole building look very ugly. In other countries, the government has stepped in to ban people from hanging clothes on their balconies.

Another form of misuse in Hong Kong is that people use balconies to commit suicide. And if there is a suicide in an apartment, the apartment will be tough to sell or rent out. No one wants to stay in an apartment with a record of people jumping from the balcony.

B. Obstructing the view

Having a balcony actually reduces viewing capability. Once a balcony is added to a unit, the tenants need to sit on it to enjoy the full view, so most newer apartments in Hong Kong nowadays have covered glass balconies that protrude outward instead of the open-air "inward" balconies popular in Bangkok.

C. Impeding proper cleaning

Balconies make cleaning of the buildings much more difficult. Most window-cleaners do not clean the windows of balconies.

3. Mixed-use projects

A. Yes to mixed-use condo-hotel projects

Developers want to make as much money as possible, and therefore many of them could not care less about maintaining their properties once they have sold all the units. Condos that are situated in the same complex as high-end hotels will have better chance of being maintained properly and therefore secure one's investment.

B. No to mixed-use condo-mall projects

Few people like to live in condos that are situated above malls. Malls with food courts and restaurants are major fire hazards for condos built above them.

4. Location

For a city with serious transportation problems like Bangkok, the need for a condo to be situated within a few minutes' walk of a train station is imperative. Less than five minutes of walking to a station is desirable.

Anything more than 10 minutes walking is going to make your body sticky by the time you get to your workplace.

5. Fire-safety measures

Fire safety is often ignored. Many high-rise buildings in Bangkok are poorly built without automatic water-sprinklers. In the event of fire, whether it is low-rise or high-rise, the chance of survival is not dependent on the height of the building but rather on the water-distributing ability of the building itself.

Studies have shown that buildings without automatic water-sprinklers are more prone to being engulfed by fire.

Current technology only allows fire ladders to go up to the sixth or seventh floor at most. Buildings must be able to take care of themselves in case of fire. Water reservoirs located within the building to put out fires are a must.

Buildings cannot rely on water pumped by fire engines. Given the traffic jams, Bangkok should equip its fire-fighters with helicopter fire-extinguishers. I am confident that Thailand can afford this, as shown by the jet purchased for the use of the prime minister.

Other fire-safety measures essential to prevent loss of life in the event of fire include:

l A smoke-detector system. The maintenance of smoke-detectors is the most important part of a smoke-detector system. Many developers fail to change the batteries in their smoke-detectors once every six months.

l Availability of fire-extinguishers within reach of all units of the condominium and regular fire drills for occupants are a must. I have yet to experience a fire drill since my move to Bangkok in less than a year ago.

l An alarm system with 75 decibel audibility from the bedroom, enough to awaken tenants in imminent danger.

l Fire exits with luminescent stairs that will guide people in the dark.

l Pressurised fire exits to minimise the stack effect. Smoke, rather than fire itself, is the number-one cause of death in fires.

l Fire-fighter lifts to enable fire-fighters to move without using fire-exit stairs, which would cause smoke to get into the fire-exit stairs

l Building materials should come with excellent fire ratings. In the event of fire, the materials inside the condo could become fuel. The government should strictly monitor the materials used by developers in building condominiums. I have yet to see any developers adopt fire ratings for materials used in their condo projects. Many developers emphasise furnishings rather than fire safety.

I hope your property editors and developers read this letter. There are so many condo projects that could have been made into better homes in Bangkok, but, alas, the developers do not understand the way of life in a condominium.

The developers should spend at least sometime living in Hong Kong to make them understand what it actually takes to build a better condo, instead of imagining condo living from their large houses.

Hin Chung

BANGKOK

[spacebass]

I was one of the first dozen people to move into View Talay 1 in 1997. In the beginning it looked promising, but as all kinds of people moved in, and rooms where being rented out to whoever for short amounts of time, things all went downhill. On top of that, everyone wanted to refurbish there rooms, so there was noise everyday from 8 am to 5 pm....

   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very informative from you. I am looking for a Condo at View Talay, I havent seen where is the Condo, only have heard a lot about it. Well, should I change my mind if there are lots of noise and allowed everybody walking in and out as a short term tourists there. Any idea for me for other nice and quiet but near the beach and not so isolate as I have to use public bus or taxi during staying there. Have heard that the price is quite a ceiling there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In my experience there is lots of refurbishment noise in every condo I have walked into, come to that everywhere in Pattaya /Jomtien/ Thailand.

[Thaiquila]

A couple of comments about the newer View Talay:

-- yes, there is refurbishment noise, but that should lessen over time as most of the units get finished

-- yes, the architecture is god awful ugly

-- the location is excellent

-- the higher floors do not seem to be getting many short term tourists

-- I don't know if balcony suicides are a big factor in resales in Pattaya as they can and do seem to happen at most all of the highrise condos. I once lived in a condo in the US where there was a sensational sex scandal murder, the resulting publicity actually pumped up the prices, because the papers referred to the place as upscale and luxury, which it wasn't in the least.

The concept of higher floor, higher status and price is kind of interesting. Yes, this is now true in cities throughout the world.

But imagine the world before elevators ...

in New York City before elevators the higher floors were the slummiest and lowest status places in town.

[Phil Clark]

Prices for a 48 sq.m 1 room Condo at about 2 Million Baht.

WHoaaaaa hahahahahahaha . hahahahahahahaha....hahahahahahaha...

Rotfl...

$$$$$$$$$

Planning on making 1.5 mil Bath Sunny ????

A condo bare of 47 square meters cost you 500.000 bath. Completely furnished with a nice kitchen no more then 800.000.

Did you put in Gold plated walls ????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Darknight View Talay RESIDENCE is abt the price quoted.I think the half mil your talking abt is View Talay 1.I HATE SNOTTY REPLIES WHEN THEY'VE NOT CHECKED ANYTHING.FOOL.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lived there for 7 months expatgz,

I know all how you get suckered in to believing it is that expensive never saw so many shady bum "real estate" agents in my life.

I'll buy one from the chinese owner for 500.000 and fix it up myself , that way i don't have to pay your overpriced yearly salary for doing nothing for the rest of the year. It would maximum cost 800.000 for 47 m²

Sorry to wreck your scam guy's , rip off some other people

555555555555555555555555555

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You seem to living in living in a dream world, Darknight.

Denial perhaps?

I just sold two 37 m² units in View Talay 2 Bldg 'A' for 1.7 m Baht a piece having bought them off plan and had them refurbished to my spec. They cost 684,000 Baht each, less 7% for cash upfront.

I still own another three, and would be happy to sell you an annual two week Timeshare for 500,000 Baht per unit.

You really should get out more.

[colinj]

I just sold two 37 m² units in View Talay 2 Bldg 'A' for 1.7 m Baht a piece having bought them off plan and had them refurbished to my spec. They cost 684,000 Baht each, less 7% for cash upfront.

I still own another three, and would be happy to sell you an annual two week Timeshare for 500,000 Baht per unit.

You really should get out more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you Phil. Currently selling a 42sq metre studio on a low floor in VT 2 for 1.5M which I bought fully fitted out including good furniture for 1.1M in Aug 2003, plus its been rented the whole time.

Now buying two units in VT 5 on a higher floor, sea views etc.

Viewtalay buildings look basic from a distance but they are maintained well and hold there value.

[icecubes]

I agree with you Phil. Currently selling a 42sq metre studio on a low floor in VT 2 for 1.5M which I bought fully fitted out including good furniture for 1.1M in Aug 2003, plus its been rented the whole time.

Now buying two units in VT 5 on a higher floor, sea views etc.

Viewtalay buildings look basic from a distance but they are maintained well and hold there value.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Buying , selling and renting condos in Jomtien.

Never met any westerner yet who has made a fortune..

doing this honestly, ( but the locals do)

Been in Jomtien myself for a long time, seen it all.

Met plenty of tits in bars and restaurants all over town

who will try and Bs you about the money they have made in the

Property game in Jomtien / Pattaya.

They may even try and sell you one. Ha Ha Ha.

Want to buy a nice flat mate, its going cheep better get in

before they all go, Ha Ha Ha

Also money spent on refurbishment is not guarantied back when you resell

as other Condos in the block may well need refurbishment and this

maybe more interesting to prospective buyers.

Everyone has the same idea man.

To buy a condo and stay in Jomtien you won?t have made a bad

choice as its an ok place to stay and only ten minutes from

Pattaya.

But be aware the mad building in Jomtien/Pattay will stop soon

as I think over supply will stuff it all, coupled with the over pricing.

and crumbling infrastructure, it may well end with your property being worth

less than you paid for it in a few years time.

I

[bkkbound04]

ice cubes, there's a risk in any country of buying property that u could end up losing out/negative equity etc

peeps are very concerned about this in the uk due to the increase in market prices

as for supply demand for buildings the supply will be there as long as people are buying them... and considering a lot of peeps buying condo's have sold their previous 1 it tells you about the demand for property

there isn't much more land to build on, there's the talk of the view talay being knocked back on planning due to it being too close to the beach, the plans haven't taken in2 account that a building has already been built in front of the proposed building to try and wangle the council round

there's legislation that prevents certain areas from being built on in and around jomtian due to the increase in buildings, tourist numbers are up most years as are the peeps moving to reside in thailand on a long term basis

when the new builds slow due to lack of land and assuming the demand continues then the prices would be expected to rise like most cities and u would normally see a knock on effect with another town/city being built up as the new pattaya with the cash profits and savings of ex residents of pattaya

i completely agree with you that the profits and ease of sale is determined by the state of other units in the block and not overpricing yourself with renovation costs.

/edit personal insult removed... you'll know

the type of peeps that do eff all but drink in thailand, think they are "in the know" "wised up etc" but can't see that all they are doing is pouring money down the drain..i.e when their expat friends are selling their condo's for a nice profit and basically living rent free in pattaya

i'd be interested to know why a china man would sell to you, i'm guessing you are up on cantonese culture and language and that a china man(??) (guess u don't get shrewd chinese businessmen) would sell you his condo that is in a farang name for less than the market price?? sure he would

post as many pages of property that you can darknight, from the way you have come accross in this thread, finding a 500000 baht condo in view talay is childs play(if that's the price)

so we all await the endless units that u can list....

or are u talking of prices of a couple of years ago? with your head so far up your arse that you've missed the increase in market prices?

with regard to another comment about paying the same for a condo as u would for a house, the incentive is that u can own it in your own name, no company, no registering in a thai's name etc

with a house unless u are married/ have a business in thailand then u will probably end up breaking laws and exploiting loop holes in the thai system

...if u have a thai wife or business already then a house is obviuosly more desireable

Edited June 13, 2005 by Darknight

[liontamer]

Cosmetic work in condo's ,if they are new or old buildings is a constant problem,its ok if you are out all day working,but looking for a quiet life forget it in a condo.

Work stops on one room,then starts on another.Drills and hammers at 9 am for breakfast.

Somebody tell me where this does not happen.Even in new buildings the first thing a new owner does is rip everything out and put in his own design.

[chaiyapoon]

Spent 6 weeks in a View Talay 2b condo earlier in the year.It had only just been rebuilt and was in excellent shape.I mostly rented it to see if I would like to live in a condo in the future.

My view on this eventually was no.

Plus points were :

Not too expensive seemed to go from 900,000b for very basic place on a 'poor' floor to anything up to many many millions for 4 units knocked into one on a high floor.With a reasonable price being somewhere from 1.2m to 1.6m dependant on size,work done and furnishings included.There were rumours of a few unsold shells still available in poor locations.

Great pool.

Good parking.

Location acceptable.

Minus points were:

Noise going on all round.Units were being improved, customised,knocked through(many people buying next door to make a bigger unit)This often meant gutting the unit and total rebuild over several weeks if not months.I feel this will never stop.There are I believe around 700 units here so many people will be moving as their needs and circumstances change.I saw about 12 units for sale,and that was only on the boards in the foyer; many more with agents.

Even though it was bigger than View Talay 1 after a few weeks it still seemed like living in a box.

Security was only for show.Endless contractors doing all the work going on were taking furniture and boxes down the stairs all the time --could have been from any unit.Not to mention no checks on the many 'visitors'.

Water and electric were not cheap.

The balcony was too small.

The poolside restaurant was poor.

No internet shop

One day I went over and had a look at View Talay one just along the road.That looked quite rough now;will VT2 be the same in a few years? seems very likely.

Speaking to other residents was told in high season it sometimes took 15 or more minutes to get a lift (17 floors)

Heat build up. Many people say don't buy on the Jontien side due to it facing the sun for too long.I thought the Pattaya side had a similar problem with afternoon/ evening sun.

Like others have said where is the condo market going you cannot keep putting up 700 unit condos all over the place and expect the demand to continue.VT project 5 across the road and very near the beach is progressing well at the moment with great demand from investors and speculators.All the best floors and positions have already been bought off plan and some already are being sold on at a profit before they are finished building the shell.

It is said that VT have bought up many locations in Pattaya/Jontien with their big profits and will build on for many years.One person I spoke to said he would buy off plan and move on within three years to their next project to keep away from the down turn in the property maintenance he expected to see.

So for me its looking like a house on an estate,but will have to be this side of sukhumvit.

A condo would be ok for a month or so but I couldn't live there.

[Phil Clark]

/edit personal insult removed... you'll know 

the type of peeps that do eff all but drink in thailand, think they are "in the know" "wised up etc" but can't see that all they are doing is pouring money down the drain..i.e when their expat friends are selling their condo's for a nice profit and basically living rent free in pattaya

i'd be interested to know why a china man would sell to you, i'm guessing you are up on cantonese culture and language and that a china man(??) (guess u don't get shrewd chinese businessmen)  would sell you his condo that is in a farang name for less than the market price?? sure he would

post as many pages of property that you can darknight, from the way you have come accross in this thread, finding a 500000 baht condo in view talay is childs play(if that's the price)

so we all await the endless units that u can list....

or are u talking of prices of a couple of years ago? with your head so far up your arse that you've missed the increase in market prices?

with regard to another comment about paying the same for a condo as u would for a house, the incentive is that u can own it in your own name, no company, no registering in a thai's name etc

with a house unless u are married/ have a business in thailand then u will probably end up breaking laws and exploiting loop holes in the thai system

...if u have a thai wife or business already then a house is obviuosly more desireable

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with most of what is written above, but you will find that many condo's priced at what appears to be a discount is because the farang allotment has already been taken up and so you cannot own in your own name.

Of course that fact may not often be disclosed upfront.

Then people start going down the company route with company establishment costs and annual fees to consider for maintaining the company, plus of course similar problems when coming to sell.

If you buy a condo owned by a farang then that is fine. If you do not, then by and large you are in the same boat as a 'house owner'.

Btw, I also 'own' a house so do know the ins and outs of that scenario in terms of the mechanics and annual cost...

[spacebass]

Its about time Dark Knights piviledge as a moderater was reviewed he is just like an 'officious prefect' at junior school.

End of story.

Edited June 13, 2005 by spacebass

[Darknight]

Its about time Dark Knights piviledge as a moderater was reviewed he is just like an 'officious prefect' at junior school.

End of story.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Meaning? If you want to insult me bring it on

i gave my point a year ago on this thread. that you guy's preffer to pay double for something that you can get for half is up to you

[icecubes]

ice cubes, there's a risk in any country of buying property that u could end up losing out/negative equity etc

peeps are very concerned about this in the uk due to the increase in market prices

as for supply demand for buildings the supply will be there as long as people are buying them... and considering a lot of peeps buying condo's have sold their previous 1 it tells you about the demand for property

there isn't much more land to build on, there's the talk of the view talay being knocked back on planning due to it being too close to the beach, the plans haven't taken in2 account that a building has already been built in front of the proposed building to try and wangle the council round

there's legislation that prevents certain areas from being built on in and around jomtian due to the increase in buildings, tourist numbers are up most years as are the peeps moving to reside in thailand on a long term basis

when the new builds slow due to lack of land and assuming the demand continues then the prices would be expected to rise like most cities and u would normally see a knock on effect with another town/city being built up as the new pattaya with the cash profits and savings of ex residents of pattaya

i completely agree with you that the profits and ease of sale is determined by the state of other units in the block and not overpricing yourself with renovation costs.

/edit personal insult removed... you'll know 

the type of peeps that do eff all but drink in thailand, think they are "in the know" "wised up etc" but can't see that all they are doing is pouring money down the drain..i.e when their expat friends are selling their condo's for a nice profit and basically living rent free in pattaya

i'd be interested to know why a china man would sell to you, i'm guessing you are up on cantonese culture and language and that a china man(??) (guess u don't get shrewd chinese businessmen)  would sell you his condo that is in a farang name for less than the market price?? sure he would

post as many pages of property that you can darknight, from the way you have come accross in this thread, finding a 500000 baht condo in view talay is childs play(if that's the price)

so we all await the endless units that u can list....

or are u talking of prices of a couple of years ago? with your head so far up your arse that you've missed the increase in market prices?

with regard to another comment about paying the same for a condo as u would for a house, the incentive is that u can own it in your own name, no company, no registering in a thai's name etc

with a house unless u are married/ have a business in thailand then u will probably end up breaking laws and exploiting loop holes in the thai system

...if u have a thai wife or business already then a house is obviuosly more desireable

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stating more tourists are coming to Pattaya or Jomtien just

Can?t be true, less and less people come to this palace every year.

Just go out and have a look, are the bars and restaurants full of people

No is the answer, there are more people coming to Thailand but not here.

and remember tourists don?t invest in property they stay in nice hotels.

also making comparisons to other countries is not a good thing to do

Its not relevant , keep this to the country your in.

Not much land to build on, well again go out and have a look

I can see hundreds and hundreds of Rai of land not yet developed.

In and around Jomtien.

The planning regs you take about are for high rise buildings not

small developments.

I suspect the planning department is just as good as all the other departments

in Pattaya, (so developers will build where they like).

If you look along Jomtien beach there are two

large projects that never got off the ground. Why was that?

Building reg?s or people getting cold feet with the so called property

boom in Jomtien.

I suspect you are one of these people who talk about Thailand

from afar like many others on this forum.

Keep your money in your pocket or it might be lost in the next

few years.

But if anyone wants my condo its 10m baht to the first one who comes

up with the money, im sure its worth that now judging by the over

pricing going on , only paid 600 thousand a few years back.

Please don?t be a fended, just don?t agree with all you say.

Have a nice day

[frenchFARANGbkk]

Hi,

Do you know how much View Talay 1 building cheapest apartments sell in 2008 ?

I know the place and I think that it is still ok for an old building, especially when it's not to live full time.

Any other place whee you can find apartments for less than 1 million baht, and so close to the sea ?

Thanks.

[sotsira]

Hi,

Do you know how much View Talay 1 building cheapest apartments sell in 2008 ?

I know the place and I think that it is still ok for an old building, especially when it's not to live full time.

Any other place whee you can find apartments for less than 1 million baht, and so close to the sea ?

Thanks.

For 1.5 million baht you can buy a condo in VT2A which is only 4years old and 37sqm or even 41sqm.

much better value for money.