Rent Or Buy - Expats Living Here 9 Months Or More Each Year And Have Been Here More Than One Year.

[TomTao]

Not in the middle of nowhere, its the north of the south, a little over two hours south of Hua Hin, about an hour and a half north of Surat Thani, transit point for Koh Tao and other Islands, if you want to go south from the north or visa verca you have to pass through Chumphon, tourists are starting to stop here instead of passing through, unpoluted beaches with no hassels, close to rainforrests and lots of waterfalls.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[patroller]

It becomes evidently clear after mixing with different folk over here that those who can financially afford to buy will tell you to do so, whilst those who are not and are already renting will tell you to not do so.

Personally I will always take the advice of those that are more financially secure then a 6000 baht a month room renter in a string vest.

[TomTao]

Why do people profile others they neither met nor know personally, I choose to rent rather than buy, my wife is a cancer survivor and her health is up and down, I don't know how long we will be in Thailand and renting gives me flexibility to move whenever I choose without being tied to a piece of realestate, how about thinking before calling someone a name such as 'string vester'.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Darrel]

It becomes evidently clear after mixing with different folk over here that those who can financially afford to buy will tell you to do so, whilst those who are not and are already renting will tell you to not do so.

Surprising just how misleading the "evidently clear" can be, isn't it?

Buying here is only worthwhile if you are certain that you will want to keep the property for many years. How financially secure you are has nothing to do with it.

[trogers]

It becomes evidently clear after mixing with different folk over here that those who can financially afford to buy will tell you to do so, whilst those who are not and are already renting will tell you to not do so.

Surprising just how misleading the "evidently clear" can be, isn't it?

Buying here is only worthwhile if you are certain that you will want to keep the property for many years. How financially secure you are has nothing to do with it.

I should think those who purchase their homes here in Thailand need to have both - the desire and the financial means.

[Darrel]

I should think those who purchase their homes here in Thailand need to have both - the desire and the financial means.

When buying property anywhere it probably helps to have the means, and the assumption is that people do. Not that this ever discouraged the US sub-prime buyers. But not having the means doesn't of itself make it any more or less worthwhile.

Some of the property loans currently being offered by Thai banks also have a strong whiff of the sub-prime about them.

[Hooters]

S/E Asia is growing as a sector. Anyone who has traded the stock market understands that everything in a sector tends to move together.

It would foolish to go against the trend in Thailand.

Im seeing a lot of people taking advantage of cheaper rents especially in Pattaya and other sea side resort areas. This is a bubble within itself. The disparity between new and used will become smaller and smaller and this is where fence sitters will get trapped eventually paying higher rents and still out of reach of the new market.

Just had a friend living in soi 8 BKK cop a 30% increase in rent, no warning , just pay or leave.

[GreenSnapper]

I am living in Pattaya. Here they are asking for a small house with about 80 sqm living area and about 300 sqm land about 7 Mill. Baht in a good location. The building quality is very simple. I'm coming from Germany. It is hard to compare, because you cannot find houses with such poor building quality but if I just compare the living area and the size of the land I could buy it for a similar price.

Exactly.

Many here don't understand what "quality" means. Proper plumbing, proper sound insulation (floating floors, double glazed windows, proper doors...), proper kitchens and so on.

I have seen houses in Pattaya, on the more expensive side, which were crap after less than 10 years. A foreign owner usually keeps the place a bit more tidy, but the cheap built quality shows after a while.

Upscale condos which have a unusable pool due to bad maintanance and the condo office doesn't care.

And the Thais know very well that a "few years old" means "trash". They don't buy trash, they buy new.

So to whom do you want to sell your place a few years later, when - according to the beliefs here - all condo prices have gone up?

The few Thais who can afford property will buy new. The huge majority will never think about buying. They will rent for 3000-5000/month.

And those who say "Asia is booming". Hongkong has a 10 fold higher GDP than Thailand. HK people can buy their expensive condos. TH people cannot buy their expensive condos.

That's the difference.

[Hooters]

Rubbish.

new plumbing all tight and no leaks. the toilets all have the" S" pipe underneath from new , a simple device that traps air so no back smell. This is now standard in new condos

The horror stories are from many years gone by. and continue to be recycled over and over and over By renters living on the breadline in 30 yr old 5000bht/month condos

what do you expect? that money wont even get you into a trailer park back home.

haven't even replaced the bum guns in 7 years. both air conditioners humming along icy cold and untouched except for regular service/clean.

Have not spent a bean. Pool is clear and its a massive lap pool.in heavy usage swimmers/training.

the only thing thats is crap is the furniture but these days developers HAVE to throw it in or they unable to compete. answer is to give it away to your favorite bar girl

Edited January 3, 2012 by Hooters

[GreenSnapper]

Rubbish.

new plumbing all tight and no leaks. the toilets all have the" S" pipe underneath from new , a simple device that traps air so no back smell. This is now standard in new condos

The horror stories are from many years gone by.

Your clueless comment shows well that you haven't done any serious research in the real estate market.

I'm not talking about YOUR place, I'm talking about what I have seen dozens of times in Pattaya, Bangkok, Hua Hin. And I'm only talking about newer places with an asking price of 10 Million or up.

Everybody who wants to invest here is well adviced to do some serious research and not to believe the hype.

[Hooters]

Rubbish.

new plumbing all tight and no leaks. the toilets all have the" S" pipe underneath from new , a simple device that traps air so no back smell. This is now standard in new condos

The horror stories are from many years gone by.

Your clueless comment shows well that you haven't done any serious research in the real estate market.

I'm not talking about YOUR place, I'm talking about what I have seen dozens of times in Pattaya, Bangkok, Hua Hin. And I'm only talking about newer places with an asking price of 10 Million or up.

Everybody who wants to invest here is well adviced to do some serious research and not to believe the hype.

you have seen dozens? 36 -100 condos? thats not research that's insanity ;-) how do you now about new plumbing unless you did number twos in all of them? errrm second thoughts dont answer that

lets just say you are prone to exaggeration

dont sweat man just keep renting , be happy

[Darrel]

I've seen dozens of condos over the last year and as a result have been able to completely eliminate nearly every building in town from my short-list, apart from about 6 on which I concentrate these days. And two of those are a long way out of town.

[london]

[

Andre47 states: Here they are asking for a small house with about 80 sqm living area and about 300 sqm land about 7 Mill. Baht in a good location

The issue is really what one is used to. In Germany, definitely real estate is cheaper than other parts of developed Europe, due I believe to the requirement for very substantial deposits and/or no mortgages (I am open to be corrected on this point, but I have friends who have bought in Germany who have told me this). This then is the basis that Andre47 is basing his comments on expense and for him, it is correct. From my perspective, in the areas where I have bought around the world, $200K for a block of land and a house seems quite INexpensive. Thus our difference of opinion, is based purely on our own experience.

GreenSnapper: your comment: Many here don't understand what "quality" means. Proper plumbing, proper sound insulation (floating floors, double glazed windows, proper doors...), proper kitchens and so on

is possibly accurate for some foreign buyers and a lot of Thai buyers IN THIS SECTOR of the market. But it is clearly inaccurate when one looks at the broader market and certainly more upscale homes and condos. As I have said previously, the best of the building and fit out done in Thailand is no less than the best anywhere else and from my experience is better than most western countries, particularly FOR THE MONEY.

I have seen houses in Pattaya, on the more expensive side, which were crap after less than 10 years. A foreign owner usually keeps the place a bit more tidy, but the cheap built quality shows after a while.

Me too, but that doesn't mean they are all like that, and again, it depends too on what your idea of "more expensive" is. I have seen a couple of superb homes in Pattaya that are certainly $1 mill + and over 10 years old and are just superb...and cheap in comparison to what you could buy for the $$'s in other similar locales.

Upscale condos which have a unusable pool due to bad maintanance and the condo office doesn't care.

As I have stated previously on other posts, the key to any condo is not the unit, its the building as a whole and the management committee and the funding in place. An average condo building can be very well maintained IF the management committee has sound financial practices.

And the Thais know very well that a "few years old" means "trash". They don't buy trash, they buy new.

No, not quite true. "A few years old does NOT mean Trash" Quality is quality. You can see some of the best buildings in Bangkok or Phuket that are still very much in demand despite their age. Its maintenance, location and the financial strength of the building that makes it retain desirability.

The Thai's, particularly the Chinese Thai's, prefer new for Feng Shui reasons. They just don't like to live in a home/condo that has been lived in previously. However, more educated, travelled and wealthy Thais buy what they like, be it old or new.

So to whom do you want to sell your place a few years later, when - according to the beliefs here - all condo prices have gone up?

I don't quite understand this sentence. Whom would I want to sell a condo or home to? Anyone who can afford it ! Simple.

All condo prices have gone up? I haven't actually seen anyone state that ALL condo prices have gone up. Sure, some may not increase, but experience tells any of us that property in a good location that is well maintained does rise over time. Its inflation as much as anything else. Certainly, my experience in Thailand alone (17 years) is that prices have increased....substantially.

The few Thais who can afford property will buy new. See answer to this above.

The huge majority will never think about buying. They will rent for 3000-5000/month. Why? Because, like any other country in the world, property ownership is not easy. Its a question of income.

And those who say "Asia is booming". Hongkong has a 10 fold higher GDP than Thailand. HK people can buy their expensive condos. TH people cannot buy their expensive condos.

Again, I really don't get your point here. Are you firstly saying that Asia isn't booming ? Well, if so, we'll leave that one in the ether. I think its self evident.

However, its your point re HK that does interest me as I have a condo in Repulse Bay. For the record, HK condo's of comparable quality to Bangkok are around 8 times more expensive MINIMUM. I know that in the area I am, you would be laughed at trying to buy a condo there for even 10 times a comparable Bangkok price. For even the lower end market, HK is much more expensive than even Singapore.

That's the difference. Yes, that IS the difference !!

Edited January 3, 2012 by london

[GreenSnapper]

The issue is really what one is used to. In Germany, definitely real estate is cheaper than other parts of developed Europe, due I believe to the requirement for very substantial deposits and/or no mortgages (I am open to be corrected on this point, but I have friends who have bought in Germany who have told me this).

Not exactly, and it is not limited to Germany. Also take into account that a simple worker in Germany costs at least 1000 Baht per hour including social system, compared to an unscilled Burmese worker of 30 Baht/hour.

As I have stated previously on other posts, the key to any condo is not the unit, its the building as a whole and the management committee and the funding in place. An average condo building can be very well maintained IF the management committee has sound financial practices.

I don't deny that such places exist. But this is Thailand and there is a huge risk that your luxury dream condo will not be what you expect after a short time. And you can do very little about that, different to the West with a proper working legal system.

So to whom do you want to sell your place a few years later, when - according to the beliefs here - all condo prices have gone up?

I don't quite understand this sentence. Whom would I want to sell a condo or home to? Anyone who can afford it ! Simple.

Yes, but those are a small part of the local population and as said before, even if someone can afford to buy your place, he will in most cases prefer another new place. Unless you go down substantially with the price.

If you look closer at the local market here, you will notice that many places for sale are also for rent.

What is the reason for this? Simple - the owner cannot sell without substantial loss. While he still tries to find a buyer, which may take years, he rents it out in the meanwhile to get at least some of his investment back and reduce his losses.

This is a clear sign that the real estate market is not as rose as it is often pictured.

However, its your point re HK that does interest me as I have a condo in Repulse Bay. For the record, HK condo's of comparable quality to Bangkok are around 8 times more expensive MINIMUM. I know that in the area I am, you would be laughed at trying to buy a condo there for even 10 times a comparable Bangkok price. For even the lower end market, HK is much more expensive than even Singapore.

I believe you, but then HK buying power is not TH buying power. The average hard working HK citizen has a better chance of owning property than the average Thai. There is no question that BKK need new condos, but if the prices are so far out of reach for the normal person, it comes to a luxury item like a Ferrari.

[london]

Dear GreenSnapper,

thanks for your reply.

Re the different salary levels: yes, this is true, BUT it is the lack of mortgages that have kept the German property market low...or shall we say more realistic.

Re the Building management: this is an issue everywhere and I don't deny for a second that there are problems here in Thailand with adequate management of some condos, but the better ones do have the systems in place to maintain a very high standard. I will say too (as I have said on another post) that these new HUGE developments will have a problem with management fees and maintenance where the Thai ownership is very low compared to the Foreigner ownership being 100% of the 49%. How can say a 60% sold building support itself ? But this is a discussion for another time.

Re the legal system here: I have had some experience of it !! It has been my lack of knowledge rather than an issue with the system per se that has been my downfall. That said, I now have a very good lawyer and hopefully won't have any issues in the future.

Re the sale situation: I understand where you are coming from. If I decided to sell any of my condos, it is 99% likely that the buyer would be a foreigner for no other reason than cost. It is unlikely that a Thai would buy them due to the still intrenched Thai feeling that a house is more an investment than an condo. This will change, but it will take time. That said, in the building where I live, there are a few Thai owners who own multiple apartments......and keep them empty (for whatever reason).

There are too a lot of owners (foreigners) who think that because in their home countries property has risen by 20% pa for x number of years that they should get the same return here. Also, many of them are in very average buildings that don't attract a premium....or buildings that have no re-sale appeal anyway. Also, from my experience, Thai's will never sell for a loss. They are happy to hold for decades, as long as they don't take a loss. Again, a topic for another time.

I have said previously that the Real Estate market is in for some turbulent times here, but my feeling is that rather than collapse, prices will plateau. It seems to be the way here. Sure, there will be bargains out there now where foreign buyers have lost substantially back in their home countries and just need to liquidate at any price. This will certainly occur more in the next year. But I am quite happy to stay fully invested here....and IF prices do come back, I will buy more.

Re HK: really, when you see condos for under 1 million baht, and homes in the 500,000 baht range, I don't think that for an average office worker here in BKK that buying is out of their reach. Certainly, all the office people I know, NOT at executive level, own either a house or a condo. I would suggest that in fact as a percentage, more Thai's in this demographic own their properties than do in HK. It is cheaper here.......far !

[ludditeman]

That said, in the building where I live, there are a few Thai owners who own multiple apartments......and keep them empty (for whatever reason).

I can answer this one, 51% of the condo units must be Thai owned.

The 'empty' units aren't really sold, they are given to friends and rellys of the developers in order to satisfy the 51% rule.

They will always be unfinished inside and empty, as there was never any intention of selling them.

You will also find these 'owners' never contribute to the management and upkeep fees (but never suffer any penalties)

The fees are divided between the 49% foreign owners. Who paid far more for the condos than they were ever really worth and made a good profit on the total build for the development company. Sometimes they get rented out cheap to anyone.

It's another scam.

Edited January 4, 2012 by ludditeman

[london]

"The 'empty' units aren't really sold" I can assure you they are sold. The owners are in no way related to the developer and are in fact VERY hiSo Thai people. I do know for a fact as at least 2 were purchased from farang who sold in the building last year.

They are FULLY furnished and both are quite spectacular.

The others I have seen are furnished also. The building is over 10 years old.

We have no problem re the CAM fees. All fully paid and quite financial.

[Naam]

_{No, it is not illegal. You can do it legally but not directly. Know your facts.}

Of cause you can not buy directly land. Only Thais can own land. If you choose a company which buys the land for you than you have the problem, that you can hold only 39% of the this company. You must give shares to Thai people. This causes two new problems:

1. who will own these shares

a) Can you really trust these persons for a very long period?

Who pay the capital for these shares? Are these Thai people paying the money from their own capital or are you just giving (lending) them

the money for the investment. If you are lending them the money it is a circumvention of the Thai law. Actually the Thai authorities are

checking this only if the farang owns more than 39%, but who guarantee that they will not check it under 39% in future? Fact is that according to

the Thai law its illegal. You can ask any lawyer...

_{I could understand if it is cheap, but the prices are very often too high.}

_{Hello !! High in comparison to where ?}

_{The quality is poor and the political situation here is not stable.}

_{Examples please.}

I am living in Pattaya. Here they are asking for a small house with about 80 sqm living area and about 300 sqm land about 7 Mill. Baht in a good location. The building quality is very simple. I'm coming from Germany. It is hard to compare, because you cannot find houses with such poor building quality but if I just compare the living area and the size of the land I could buy it for a similar price. But the main difference is that I really can own the land in Germany. Even a Thai could buy land in Germany and own it. Another important point is that in Thailand somebody can open 20 bars just 200 meters from your property and make loud music until 4 a clock in the morning. You can't do anything against it. This would be impossible in Germany or many other western countries. In Thailand you have sometimes water and electric power supply and sometimes not. In other countries you have this supply nearly always.

political situation: <snip>

_{Farangs have no rights in Thailand at all. Bring only that money to Thailand what you are willing to loose.}

_{Based on your experience or heresay?}

Ok, so please tell me what are the rights that we have. We have only the right to pay money and if you pay enough than perhaps you get some rights, if you understand what I mean. Talk with other people and read the internet. There are many examples.

_{Are you aware that not all real estate investment is just ownership of land? Ever heard of condo's, strata units, REIT's ?}

Yes, I know. I just don't like to live in a condo. A condo is no problem to own, but everybody must decide for himself if its a good investment. In my opinion the prices are too high.

please give me a valid reason why you live in Thailand when all aspects here are so much worse than the conditions prevailing in our Vaterland (yes i'm a German too). perhaps it is easier for you if i ask questions and you answer them? here we go:

-do you resent the fact that you are not allowed to pay 44.35% income tax?

-do you hate that one kWh electricty is 30% of the price in Germany (soon to be 10%)?

-would you rather pay 320 Baht for one m³ of water instead of 25 Baht?

-does it bother you to pay only 2,450 Baht to fill up your car instead of 7,500 Baht?

-do you miss sorting your garbage into half a dozen different containers and are charged by volume or weight?

shall i continue?

[ludditeman]

please give me a valid reason why you live in Thailand when all aspects here are so much worse than the conditions prevailing in our Vaterland (yes i'm a German too). perhaps it is easier for you if i ask questions and you answer them? here we go:

-do you resent the fact that you are not allowed to pay 44.35% income tax?

-do you hate that one kWh electricty is 30% of the price in Germany (soon to be 10%)?

-would you rather pay 320 Baht for one m³ of water instead of 25 Baht?

-does it bother you to pay only 2,450 Baht to fill up your car instead of 7,500 Baht?

-do you miss sorting your garbage into half a dozen different containers and are charged by volume or weight?

shall i continue?

You forgot cheap pussy!

The single most important factor in most of our lives. (I accept that you are different from the majority)

Edited January 4, 2012 by ludditeman

[Hooters]

please give me a valid reason why you live in Thailand when all aspects here are so much worse than the conditions prevailing in our Vaterland (yes i'm a German too). perhaps it is easier for you if i ask questions and you answer them? here we go:

-do you resent the fact that you are not allowed to pay 44.35% income tax?

-do you hate that one kWh electricty is 30% of the price in Germany (soon to be 10%)?

-would you rather pay 320 Baht for one m³ of water instead of 25 Baht?

-does it bother you to pay only 2,450 Baht to fill up your car instead of 7,500 Baht?

-do you miss sorting your garbage into half a dozen different containers and are charged by volume or weight?

shall i continue?

You forgot cheap pussy!

The single most important factor in most of our lives. (I accept that you are different from the majority)

+1

[Naam]

You forgot cheap pussy!

The single most important factor in most of our lives. (I accept that you are different from the majority)

by judging many TV-postings over the years i conclude that quite often cheap pussy turned into extremely expensive pussy, causing empty bank accounts, loss of life savings and in some cases even attempts to fly from balconies or rooftops

[andre47]

please give me a valid reason why you live in Thailand when all aspects here are so much worse than the conditions prevailing in our Vaterland (yes i'm a German too). perhaps it is easier for you if i ask questions and you answer them? here we go:

-do you resent the fact that you are not allowed to pay 44.35% income tax?

-do you hate that one kWh electricty is 30% of the price in Germany (soon to be 10%)?

-would you rather pay 320 Baht for one m³ of water instead of 25 Baht?

-does it bother you to pay only 2,450 Baht to fill up your car instead of 7,500 Baht?

-do you miss sorting your garbage into half a dozen different containers and are charged by volume or weight?

shall i continue?

I did not write that there are no good reasons to stay here in Thailand. I just tried to argue about my opinion why it is not a good idea to buy a property in Thailand by a foreigner. I cannot understand why you understand my post in that way as if I want to argue that Thailand is not a pleasant place to live. Here are some aspects bad and some are good as in many other countries.

[andre47]

You forgot cheap pussy!

The single most important factor in most of our lives. (I accept that you are different from the majority)

by judging many TV-postings over the years i conclude that quite often cheap pussy turned into extremely expensive pussy, causing empty bank accounts, loss of life savings and in some cases even attempts to fly from balconies or rooftops

and in some cases the lost of the property (which was on the name of the lady)

[Hooters]

_{No, it is not illegal. You can do it legally but not directly. Know your facts.}

Of cause you can not buy directly land. Only Thais can own land. If you choose a company which buys the land for you than you have the problem, that you can hold only 39% of the this company. You must give shares to Thai people. This causes two new problems:

1. who will own these shares

a) Can you really trust these persons for a very long period?

Who pay the capital for these shares? Are these Thai people paying the money from their own capital or are you just giving (lending) them

the money for the investment. If you are lending them the money it is a circumvention of the Thai law. Actually the Thai authorities are

checking this only if the farang owns more than 39%, but who guarantee that they will not check it under 39% in future? Fact is that according to

the Thai law its illegal. You can ask any lawyer...

_{I could understand if it is cheap, but the prices are very often too high.}

_{Hello !! High in comparison to where ?}

_{The quality is poor and the political situation here is not stable.}

_{Examples please.}

I am living in Pattaya. Here they are asking for a small house with about 80 sqm living area and about 300 sqm land about 7 Mill. Baht in a good location. The building quality is very simple. I'm coming from Germany. It is hard to compare, because you cannot find houses with such poor building quality but if I just compare the living area and the size of the land I could buy it for a similar price. But the main difference is that I really can own the land in Germany. Even a Thai could buy land in Germany and own it. Another important point is that in Thailand somebody can open 20 bars just 200 meters from your property and make loud music until 4 a clock in the morning. You can't do anything against it. This would be impossible in Germany or many other western countries. In Thailand you have sometimes water and electric power supply and sometimes not. In other countries you have this supply nearly always.

political situation: <snip>

_{Farangs have no rights in Thailand at all. Bring only that money to Thailand what you are willing to loose.}

_{Based on your experience or heresay?}

Ok, so please tell me what are the rights that we have. We have only the right to pay money and if you pay enough than perhaps you get some rights, if you understand what I mean. Talk with other people and read the internet. There are many examples.

_{Are you aware that not all real estate investment is just ownership of land? Ever heard of condo's, strata units, REIT's ?}

Yes, I know. I just don't like to live in a condo. A condo is no problem to own, but everybody must decide for himself if its a good investment. In my opinion the prices are too high.

please give me a valid reason why you live in Thailand when all aspects here are so much worse than the conditions prevailing in our Vaterland (yes i'm a German too). perhaps it is easier for you if i ask questions and you answer them? here we go:

-do you resent the fact that you are not allowed to pay 44.35% income tax?

-do you hate that one kWh electricty is 30% of the price in Germany (soon to be 10%)?

-would you rather pay 320 Baht for one m³ of water instead of 25 Baht?

-does it bother you to pay only 2,450 Baht to fill up your car instead of 7,500 Baht?

-do you miss sorting your garbage into half a dozen different containers and are charged by volume or weight?

shall i continue?

Spoken in a deep heavy dark voice.... NEVER BUY VOT YOU cun_t AVFORD IN THAILAND

however, you can blow it all away in germany , actually you cant wrong investing in Europe its guaranteed massive appreciation and phenomenal rental returns in buildings that will last for centuries, this is true just look at the castles.

But no puzzy...

[ludditeman]

You forgot cheap pussy!

The single most important factor in most of our lives. (I accept that you are different from the majority)

by judging many TV-postings over the years i conclude that quite often cheap pussy turned into extremely expensive pussy, causing empty bank accounts, loss of life savings and in some cases even attempts to fly from balconies or rooftops

and in some cases the lost of the property (which was on the name of the lady)

OK, maybe 'cheap' was the wrong word to use.

How about.

A large choice of slim, fertile women much younger than us, to mate with.

[Naam]

I did not write that there are no good reasons to stay here in Thailand. I just tried to argue about my opinion why it is not a good idea to buy a property in Thailand by a foreigner. I cannot understand why you understand my post in that way as if I want to argue that Thailand is not a pleasant place to live. Here are some aspects bad and some are good as in many other countries.

to me your post looked like a rant when i read it first and it still looks like a rant reading it a second time.

[Naam]

OK, maybe 'cheap' was the wrong word to use.

How about.

A large choice of slim, fertile women much younger than us, to mate with.

sounds acceptable but i don't think the "fertile" part plays an important role

[ludditeman]

OK, maybe 'cheap' was the wrong word to use.

How about.

A large choice of slim, fertile women much younger than us, to mate with.

sounds acceptable but i don't think the "fertile" part plays an important role

I'm a Catholic fundamentalist, my reading of the rules is that I can only mate with the intention of producing babies (or risk my immortal soul). If I were to mate with a woman who wasn't fertile it could be seen as a form of contraception, and therefore I would be damned.

Edited January 4, 2012 by ludditeman

[LennyW]

So all the 'buyers', the 70% of the 72, they all have a foreign quota condo?

l I would say most of the responders understood the opening of the poll and are property "owners" (by the initial responses anyway), then the condo renters chimed in, the poll is about "ownership as stated by the OP" NOT renting!! a lot of people are comfortable with their house / land ownership methods here, some people just cannot exist in the confines of a condo - no matter how much they spin the "in your own name stuff", as in every thing though....each to their own.

[GreenSnapper]

Re HK: really, when you see condos for under 1 million baht, and homes in the 500,000 baht range, I don't think that for an average office worker here in BKK that buying is out of their reach. Certainly, all the office people I know, NOT at executive level, own either a house or a condo. I would suggest that in fact as a percentage, more Thai's in this demographic own their properties than do in HK. It is cheaper here.......far !

For sure, outside of inner BKK, Pattaya, Hua Hin.... (Phuket?), prices drop sharply. You can get a house with garden for the price of a 1BR condo near BTS on Sukhumvit.

It was more the latter I was talking about. SQM-prices of 120,000+ Baht aren't really cheap, but of course less than HKG.

Out of curiosity, I looked up some agent's site about Repulse Bay, and I admit, I was deeply impressed about the prices there.