Best Value Condos in BKK? Trusted Developers?

[wisemonkey]

I am looking to invest around 5 million into a condo in BKK, wanting to get a 2 bedroom apartment with good facilties close to BTS. Obviously wont be able to get anything too central, I have looked around and currently am really liking The Base 77 in On Nut. The facilties are awesome, huge pool, gym with good quality equipment, basketball court and mini soccer field, close to BTS and also close to supermarkets and department scores. The developer is Sansiri which seems to have a good track record.

Having just moved to bkk , Im not wanting to jump in without looking around a bit first, so wondering if any members that have been here a bit longer and know some condos with the above criteria (2 bedroom, good facilties, close to BTS and around 5 mill) they could recommend me checking out.. including new projects that I would have to buy off the plan, appreciate any pointers, cheers!

[falkan]

land and house, supalai and sansiri good budget developers..

[bkksiam]

Google this condo + developer and you'll see a report in the bangkok post re garbage found in walls of this building.

as well google hip flt + condo names and you'l get info re prices and all units for sale or rent in the complex.

[robertthebruce]

Raimonlqnd have a good name too.

[ezzra]

I would advise you to take your time and look around as there are lots of bargains out there

for that price range and once you'll find what you want you investigate further as to the other

information regarding said unit....

[wisemonkey]

Thanks, for the advice so far.. I actually found one that I like in the base, the owner was asking for 4.8 mill, I tried to bargain and put an offer in for 4.5, it was rejected and the unit was sold 3 days later for the asking price! Hopefully a blessing in disguise, there seems to be so many rental units available, how are condos as an investment these days, easy to rent out? seems like huge supply

[falang07]

There is a huge oversupply of condos in Thailand and many more new are coming every day. That is why rent is cheap and you need to rent it out for a few decades before you even get back the money + inflation which in many cases never happens.

[wisemonkey]

There is a huge oversupply of condos in Thailand and many more new are coming every day. That is why rent is cheap and you need to rent it out for a few decades before you even get back the money + inflation which in many cases never happens.

True but always better than having money in the bank, shitty interest rates, no capital gains, and inflation eating it up every day!

[Globalist]

With a budget of 5M you can't currently get a new 2BR condo close to BTS/MRT unless perhaps near the end stations.

I would suggest focusing more on location and build quality and less on number of bedrooms, i.e. go for 1BR instead. As mentioned by others, there's a large supply, and when that's the case, location becomes even more important than ever.

Yes, Sansisri is one of the reputable mid-end developers, but The Base 77 project is actually one of their lower-end specs, and it's at least 10 min walk to the BTS and you need to cross the busy soi 77. Some other well-known developers in the mid-end field are Land&Houses, AP , Noble and Q Condo. (Some of these are also active in the high-end segment.)

My advice would be to look for something at most 5 minutes walk (=500 metres) from BTS/MRT. Preferably 2 minutes/200 m.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Globalist

[RAZZELL]

Or an older/larger condo?

RAZZ

[Globalist]

Right, a 15-20 year old condo in a top location that has "stood the test of time" could also be a good buy.

(One potential drawback for those under 50 though, is that you can't count it towards an "investment visa" since you don't buy directly from the developer, which is a requirement.)

[wisemonkey]

That sounds interesting, never heard of the investment visa! So you can get a visa based on if you bought off the plan?

[Globalist]

Off-plan yes but it can still be a re-sale, as long as you buy out the first buyer and then deal with the developer direclty. Which means you have to buy it before the freehold title deed is transferred, or in other words, the first ever title deed transfer must be to you. It's a non-B or non-O visa that can be extended 12 months at a time based on investment, you can Google it, lots of info. (Not much info on TV though as most members here don't invest in Thailand.)