OK, before we digress too far: any HIP owners on TV who can comment accurately rather than theorize or reminisce about the past, or do they all rise above such activities?

A Thai colleague of mine lives there and I think is also on the owner's group that discusses upkeep. I can ask him if there are any current challenges or plans.

I would go with a townhouse in a great location for convenience and appreciation.

Yes. not too long ago there was a townhouse on Nimmanhaemin for sale for something like 4 million and a bit. (Could have been 4.5, don't know, but I do recall it as extremely reasonable compared to the usual lala-land prices people look for on Nimman. That is exceptionally easy to rent out for a good price, and land appreciates like crazy there. On the other hand, it is only a townhouse.. but like AnotherOneAmerican said, for an investment you look for what will rent easy and appreciate, not where you'd actually want to live:

If you think land price increase is your investment, buy land, no house.

If you think rental income is your investment, buy property with minimum land.

Usually landlords who buy what they would like to live in, make less money that those who buy what will rent.

^ So with that townhouse on Nimman you actually get both: land price increase AND easy rental income. With a development far out of town you CAN get good rent when offering fully furnished to a nice standard. That of course also costs money. But land appreciation is on a geological time scale.

I would go with a townhouse in a great location for convenience and appreciation.

Yes. not too long ago there was a townhouse on Nimmanhaemin for sale for something like 4 million and a bit. (Could have been 4.5, don't know, but I do recall it as extremely reasonable compared to the usual lala-land prices people look for on Nimman. That is exceptionally easy to rent out for a good price, and land appreciates like crazy there. On the other hand, it is only a townhouse.. but like AnotherOneAmerican said, for an investment you look for what will rent easy and appreciate, not where you'd actually want to live:

If you think land price increase is your investment, buy land, no house.

If you think rental income is your investment, buy property with minimum land.

Usually landlords who buy what they would like to live in, make less money that those who buy what will rent.

^ So with that townhouse on Nimman you actually get both: land price increase AND easy rental income. With a development far out of town you CAN get good rent when offering fully furnished to a nice standard. That of course also costs money. But land appreciation is on a geological time scale.

And at some point, land on Nimman could be worth 10-20 times more than land at HIP. The big payday would come with the bulldozer.