Where Would You Live

[Kananga]

Looking for some advice from those in the know before we move to Bangkok

I've got 90k a month budget for housing. Would prefer to spend a little less, but could stretch to 100,000 if a great place comes along.

Office is at On Nut

Family of 4, wife (Thai) and two preschool kids. May incorporate Mother in law and niece depending on space although not definite.

Where would you live?

[midasthailand]

Depends, do you want a house or would a large condo be OK?

For that budget you could find a very nice house out in Bangna and surrounds and catch the BTS to On Nut. Alternatively you could also get a nice condo in Thong Lo for that money.

[Kananga]

As the office is near On Nut Skytrain it seems stupid to unplug myself from the skytrain service. I would imagine the traffic would be quite bad from Bang Na in the morning??? Although I am purely guessing on that one.

A house would be nice, although I doubt I would get one with a pool in Thong Lor for that budget?

I did see this one, doesnt look too badHouse in Thong Lor

I guess what I am asking is where you people would live if you were in my situation. Would like to understand how other people think based on their experience of living in Bangkok.

[Thailand4life]

100k furnished or unfurnished?

[Kananga]

Furnished

[Crossy]

As the office is near On Nut Skytrain it seems stupid to unplug myself from the skytrain service.

Don't forget the Skytain now goes to Soi Barring (as of Friday 12th).

[jdinasia]

with an office in the Onnut area ... I would look at the area just behind the reservoir and Rama 9 park.

There is an area just outside the reservoir that is particularly nice.

[Geekfreaklover]

Is the 90k per month budget provided by your company? If so then you might aswell go through an agent.

If not then there are some fantastic deals to be had for renting property if you look around. Where I live on soi 68 there are some huge houses for much less than 90k. Close to the Udom Suk sky train link to - 8mins to On Nut.

[Kananga]

This is just the kind of information I was hoping for. Thanks everyone. But please dont stop the advice coming!

The 90k is provided by the company, but I can utilize it how I want (ie a personal lease), I can even purchase a house and use it to pay the mortgage so for all intensive purposes its just an addition of 90k to my salary, although sadly taxed as such!

[Kananga]

Could you give me a bit more information on the neighbourhood in soi 68? Is it purely residential, or are there any restaurants around etc?

[Geekfreaklover]

68 Mostly resendential, but oppostie Udom Suk which has some shops / resturants. It is mostly Thai / Chinese with few farangs. This suits my family and I, but not to everyones taste.

I think with your budget and if you wanted to be nearer the action in terms of facities - shops resturants then soi Ekami might be worth considering along with Tong Lor, or even better Prong Pom. Also that way the commute on the skytrain would be far less busy as you'd be coming out of the city in the morning and into it in the evening.

You should visit the area and spend a few days checking out the places near abouts the skytrain stations. When looking for a new place I usually get a motorcycle taxi to drive around for me and have a look and whats avaiable rather than use an agent.

Best of luck.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Geekfreaklover

[Kananga]

Thanks again. Appreciate the mature and helpful responses. I asked this on another forum and almost got my head bitten off with a scathing attack by a weird old retiree getting by on 8k a month who was accusing me of being 'rich' and therefore responsible for all the world's ills.

I understand these types are par for the course in Thailand...

[Forethat]

The 90k is provided by the company, but I can utilize it how I want (ie a personal lease), I can even purchase a house and use it to pay the mortgage so for all intensive purposes its just an addition of 90k to my salary, although sadly taxed as such!

Despite the taxed housing benefit, unless you are a Thai national it'll be difficult purchasing a house since only Thai nationals can own land. My advice is to make sure there are lots of kids in the area (i.e. gated community) and make sure it's not to isolated. I would rent a house in Thonglor or Ekkamai. The other advantage with these areas is that you'll end up travel against rush hour traffic both in the morning and in the evening (providing that you drive).

I have been in exactly your situation, with wife and kids, looking for a property. Trust me when I say that the house itself is secondary to the needs and well being of your family. Especially your kids must be provided for. Unless there are other kids in the area they will end up very lonely, and then you have other problems to find playgroups elsewhere and so forth. Thailand is not like Europe or US where you can let your kids go on their bike wherever they want. No ther kids in the area and they will end up in a living nightmare. One of the best areas I've seen for kids is Perfect Place (though I would never move there due to location and quality). We viewed a couple of houses and noticed a big park filled with kids in the afternoon. The thing is you don't see this very often, but Perfect Place is HUGE so lots of kids. My advice is that you check on this thoroughly.

[Kananga]

Thanks for that forethat. My wife is Thai and both kids have Thai passports so purchasing property on land is no problem, in fact we already own land and property in Thailand. Our property in the UK and Singapore is in my name, the Thai property in her name.

Thats a very good point regarding schooling and we will probably be sending them to Bangkok Prep or St Andrews. As they are only 3 and 6 months location isnt hugely important for our first residence, but definitely the main factor when we choose our second should we need to upsize in a few years.

Thanks again.

[Thailand4life]

Move to Silom or Sathorn.. great area with lots of new developments and you can send your kinds to Schrewsbury school on charoen krung. Check out the building called "The Chatrium" its right next to the school..

[Geekfreaklover]

Move to Silom or Sathorn.. great area with lots of new developments and you can send your kinds to Schrewsbury school on charoen krung. Check out the building called "The Chatrium" its right next to the school..

If you read the original post the poster is looking for a short commute to his office in On Nut and the kids are not at the age to go to Shrewsbury yet.

I agree its a cracking school and location by the rvier though!

[Kananga]

Its also about 700,000 baht a year per child. As I'm funding the schooling myself (promotion aside) I need to look at the second tier schools like Bangkok prep or St Andrews (the 350,000 a year bracket).

Thanks anyway. We wont rule out Silom if its near the BTS line, but I doubt I will be getting so much space for the money n that area. Good for nice restaurants and shopping boutiques though.

[Geekfreaklover]

School wise. St. Andrews is on soi 71, near On Nut etc - not sure on there fees though. Wells On Nut another option.

Thinking about it if you could put that 90k towards a mortgage you'd have a nice condo or small house in a few years.

Happy hunting!

[snarky66]

I would go look in Soi Bearing & Soi LaSalle. Easy commute to work by BTS & there are a ton of International schools up there. You have a Foodland close by on SriNakarin Makro & BigC Supercenter, Seacon & Paradise are 15 mins away.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If you do go the mortgage route, at least you can deduct that from your taxable income.

(Though Thailand isn't short on other creative ways to reduce that, of course)

[ExpatJ]

There are a number of condos between Asok and Emporium on Sukhumvit that are full of expat families with kids and good facilities starting at 90k per month. I wouldn't stay in a house as it will be boring for your kids- much better to stay in apartment where they have dozens of other kids to play with regularly. Some of these apartments are Japanese tenant dominated so again not so fun for your kids- so try to find apartments that have good crowd of western expats.

[Tarric]

I happen to know a 3 bedroom/1 study or 4 bedroom 0 study house possibly for rent just off Soi 42 and about a 5 minute walk from Ekkamai BTS and the owner is only looking at 60-70k per month, also there is gardens visible from the windows and I know the lady who owns the compound and she wouldnt mind the children running around and playing on a the roughly 2 rai of gardens. There is 2 maid's quarters attached to the back of the house along with 2 parking spaces.

If you want the details just PM and I will give you her number.

[aneliane]

Depends, do you want a house or would a large condo be OK?

For that budget you could find a very nice house out in Bangna and surrounds and catch the BTS to On Nut. Alternatively you could also get a nice condo in Thong Lo for that money.

why not catch the BTS from Bangna?

[HKLiving]

Phrom Pong area would recommend. Nice area to live sukhumvit 39/sukhumvit 24. Walk to sky train then minutes to On-Nut.

Best area in my opinion still central for shopping (Emporium, Tops, Villa, Fuji) and good restaurants and far away enough from the riffraff :)and close to Samitivej hospital for emergencies.

90k Will get u a new 3 bedroom condo or older condo building 4.

100k-150k opens up substantially more quality condo's housing in this area.

Look up the Rise condo for example I know the guy renting out the penthouse there 3 bedroom+1 huge condo - would accept 110k.

Edited August 15, 2011 by HKLiving

[Forethat]

Move to Silom or Sathorn.. great area with lots of new developments and you can send your kinds to Schrewsbury school on charoen krung. Check out the building called "The Chatrium" its right next to the school..

Sathorn? Great area if you like endless hours of congested traffic outside the door. With a family (and infants) I would assume this guy has a car. Sathorn? Have you lost it completely?

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Having lived in On nut, I say your budget will allow you to get the best of the best.

However saying that. I did not like the traffic, all the people, and dirt everywhere.

I would not live there in BKK again. I was even offered a few well paying jobs there and turned them down.

Quality of life is worth something to me

[7by7]

Already received many replies; but I feel may receive even more in the Bangkok forum rather than General; so moved.

[wileycoyote]

If I had to live in BKK :Nonthaburi

[lazygourmet]

If I had to live in BKK :Nonthaburi

+1

It is where I am living, but this is not Bangkok anymore... Nonthaburi is a province in itself.

[Kananga]

Why Nonthaburi?