Condo-staff out of order ... ?

[Jimlove]

My wife and I have rented (long-term) a great condo at Riverside Condominium at Lamphun road, Nong Hoi area. Very nice kitchen (all high quality like oven etc.), big pool, freshmarkets "outside" the door, 10 min drive to Big C, Airport Plaza, local restaurants 1 min walk away and so on.

The snake in the paradise tho is the staff, both cleaning, reception, engineers and guards are behaving like they own the place - here´s a few examples:

#1 Staff has own elevator but generally use elevators for residents

#2 Staff has own parkingarea but use ONLY parking for residents

#3 Staff resting (lying Down ... !) on sofas that are for residents

#4 Reception-staff can hardly speak English even tho about 95% of the residents are falang

#5 Staff are generally very unpleasant to residents and never smile - dont think they know that its the residents that pay their salary - at least until new staff is found (wishful thinking maybe .... 5555)

Can you imagine staff acting like this in your condo or at a hotel or is this simply normal staff-behavior in a condominium ???

[elektrified]

As for #4, this is Thailand. Why should they learn to speak English just for you? You are in their country - learn some Thai.

95% of the residents are falang.

[watcharacters]

As for #4, this is Thailand. Why should they learn to speak English just for you? You are in their country - learn some Thai.

95% of the residents are falang.

#4 Reception-staff can hardly speak English even tho about 95% of the residents are falang

[MMan]

Staff at Twin Peaks Condo are very good. The front desk guys speak excellent English. Security guards are friendly and greet you with a smile. Cleaning staff do a great job. Maintenance staff has always been quick and competent. Sounds like your condo needs new management.

[Jimlove]

As for #4, this is Thailand. Why should they learn to speak English just for you? You are in their country - learn some Thai.

95% of the residents are falang.

I speak thai so whats your point if any .... So when a thai live in England, Russia or whereever they learn that specfic language ..... 55555 yeah right

[kalbo123]

Riverside condominium, never seen a more depressing place in Chiang Mai, plus the staff, management problems immigration/rental problems has been a problem for years.... leave... and never look back.

[kalbo123]

As for #4, this is Thailand. Why should they learn to speak English just for you? You are in their country - learn some Thai.

95% of the residents are falang.

I speak thai so whats your point if any .... So when a thai live in England, Russia or whereever they learn that specfic language ..... 55555 yeah right

Of course your Thai is excellent, like all other TVF members, but some people have a bit of a problem with the language it would be nice to have at least one or two persons working there that speak a bit English considering the foreign population in Riverside condominium.

It's only the most important language in the world.

[iancnx]

The foreign ownership quota for any condo is 49%. I doubt if 90% of the Thai owners are renting to foreigners? Hence people laughing at you for your 95% assumption.

What you need to do is address the poor management at the correct level and put an action plan in place for change. But, it is only really the owner of your Condo (along with fellow co-owners) that can collectively kick the Chairman of the Committee in the arse and into action.

Edited September 28, 2014 by iancnx

[Thighlander]

A realtor brougt me to Riverside in 2004, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Some give it great reviews. I have my doubts.

[FolkGuitar]

In general, Thai cultural requirements are NOT the same as where ever you are from. Having family around while working, taking a break in plain view, (on sofas... Is there some sign that says these sofas are for residents only?) is pretty normal here. Granted, staff should be friendly. But I'm guessing you haven't been smiling at them very much. Why would they smile at you?

Unless I'm mistaken, the majority of foreign residents of Riverside Cond are Japanese. Perhaps the staff have learned to speak of bit of Nihongo for them, and "figure that's enough. Now you learn some Passa Thai!"

I think you are suffering from an acute case of 'Culture Shock.' Time for you to chill out, step back and watch your new world for a few months before making a decision that the world is wrong.

[iancnx]

I think the OP is justified in complaining about the staff. Tenants and owners that put up with rubbish service and fail to hold well paid staff to account are the losers. Good management and accountability is what every condo needs. I suggest the condo committee is responsible for putting that management in place and that includes the control and accountability of the JPM, who may or may not be visible! There are a few excellently run buildings in CM, Baan Suan Greenery Hill being one of them.

Prospective tenants and prospective owners need to do their due diligence in respect of sound management and not listen to the agents who will show them any pile of cr@p just to earn their commission. I speak from experience - I used to own a lovely unit in a crappy building where the management issues had IMO no chance of ever being fixed. I lost a small amount of money when I sold out of there. Best thing I ever did.

[iancnx]

OP PM sent

[sustento]

As for #4, this is Thailand. Why should they learn to speak English just for you? You are in their country - learn some Thai.

95% of the residents are falang.

I speak thai so whats your point if any .... So when a thai live in England, Russia or whereever they learn that specfic language ..... 55555 yeah right

I've got Thai friends who live in the UK. They learnt to speak English. They really didn't expect anyone in England to be able to speak Thai.

[chiang mai]

Several members of the Riverside residents committee/juristic person were recently ousted in a coup involving government and the police, PC's and records were seized and notices posted, shady goings on and misappropriations were mentioned, am not surprised things have not yet settled down. As far as desirability goes, urgh, try looking at the walls on the 19th floor or so, the filled cracks in the hallways are horrific.

[amexpat]

Susento, Your friends, who were among the 60-70 million Thai speakers decided to join the approx. one billion English speakers. Smart move.

Edited September 28, 2014 by amexpat

[sustento]

Susento, Your friends, who were among the 60-70 million Thai speakers decided to join the approx. one billion English speakers. Smart move.

You miss the point entirely. If they'd moved to Russia they'd have learnt to speak Russian. Unlike the Great White Entitled Bwanas on this thread they realise that they have to try and fit in to the place that they're living rather than expecting the rest of the world to adapt to their requirements.

[NancyL]

I think some of the OP's observations about the staff at Riverside at valid -- at least compared to other condo buildings I know in Chiang Mai. Of course, 95% of the residents aren't English-speaking -- that's just his perception, but it's possible that many of the Thai owners are renting to English-speakers and it's reasonable to expect a few members of the staff to speak English.

It's up to the owners committee to address these issues -- the staff works for them. Haven't they established rules about where employees take their breaks, park their vehicles, which elevators they use? That's where the fault lies. There seems to be rules about such things in the building where I live.

[Thighlander]

My building is about 120 units, which seems to be big enough to get economies of scale; yet small enough to follow what is going on and get to know the staff on a personal basis. English is very limited, but a camera photo is about all it takes for me to make my point with the JP.

[huawei]

Sorry to go slightly off topic do any of your condos have websites where co- owners can register a complaint such as the op has stated here amongst other things.

Is it effective ?

My committee is thinking about it.

Thanks

[onthedarkside]

2 unpleasant posts removed.

[beau thai]

I am astonished by the OP's comments. I live in Riverside and I love it. The engineer staff are both competent and very helpful and did 4 jobs for me this week at a very reasonable rate. Of course, they dont speak english- they are engineers and bthis is thailand!

There are many sofas in reception and I have NEVER seen a staff member sit on them never mind lie on them

Why do you care where the staff park so long as you have a convenient space? I have just returned and parked by the door It will be different in high season but why would I care where the staff park?

The staff do not have their own lift- there is a lift they are encouraged to use which is also for visiting workmen,deliveries etc. I have no problem sharing a lift with a staff member but maybe my attitude is insufficiently superior.

And it s not true that staff never smile- if you talk to them or smile they smile back. Normal

I wonder how the op treat the staff that he provokes the reaction he writes about? And why complain on a public forum unless he has first approached the committee. The new committee is very approachable and all meetings are 'open'- which means he can go and raise any issues there.

But I can assure him that with 552 units and 49% farang owned, if things were as he suggests they would have been sorted long ago.

I can only assume the language barrier is getting in his way- and, no, I do not speak thai to any extent.

[bazza40]

Jimlove, what is your problem? I've been living at Riverside for over 5 years, and I've got to know most of the staff. One of the office staff speaks excellent English, and is very helpful. Speaking some Thai does help; however, they all try their best to assist if I have a problem.

As for your complaints re staff riding in "resident" elevators and sleeping on "resident" couches - do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? FYI, the furniture on the second floor was moved from the lobby because it was very tired. That's where staff rest occasionally.

I suggest you and your wife move to the Holiday Inn next door, where you will be bowed and scraped to according to your nose-in-the-air standards - at a cost, of course.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

In general, Thai cultural requirements are NOT the same as where ever you are from. Having family around while working, taking a break in plain view, (on sofas... Is there some sign that says these sofas are for residents only?)

I think he may have to get 'whites only' signs printed.

[chiang mai]

In general, Thai cultural requirements are NOT the same as where ever you are from. Having family around while working, taking a break in plain view, (on sofas... Is there some sign that says these sofas are for residents only?)

I think he may have to get 'whites only' signs printed.

Ouch, harsh, but not unfair!

[Myshkin]

Been here one year and staff has always been friendly and helpful. OP obviously must have a problem of attitude or misplaced self-importance. Not surprising, as I must admit that I do sometimes encounter some (not the majority) grumpy obnoxious farangs around the place.

[andreandre]

]

[Jimlove]

In general, Thai cultural requirements are NOT the same as where ever you are from. Having family around while working, taking a break in plain view, (on sofas... Is there some sign that says these sofas are for residents only?) is pretty normal here. Granted, staff should be friendly. But I'm guessing you haven't been smiling at them very much. Why would they smile at you?

Unless I'm mistaken, the majority of foreign residents of Riverside Cond are Japanese. Perhaps the staff have learned to speak of bit of Nihongo for them, and "figure that's enough. Now you learn some Passa Thai!"

I think you are suffering from an acute case of 'Culture Shock.' Time for you to chill out, step back and watch your new world for a few months before making a decision that the world is wrong.

lots of guessing and mistake here:

#1 Didnt see 1 japanese in our 3 months here

#2 We always smile at people until people dont smile back

#3 So normal that staff is floating in sofas unless sign says its for residents/guests ... I call bs on that !

[Jimlove]

2 unpleasant posts removed.

Only 2 .... ? My post yesterday answering 2 OP wasnt unpleasant at all yet removed

Interesting to read how owners at RS try to protect their Investment even tho the enviroment there suxx - reason why (maybe) only 49% is listed as foreign could be a "straw-man/woman" when buying a condo if thats a concept known to this forum ....

[chiang mai]

Agreed, not many Japanese at Riverside, loads at Floral however.

[evenstevens]

to the o/p

cobber ,at my second living address here in c/mai many years ago , i chose the the wrong address to live in

i had a 3 month lease,which i used to the very last day,during this time i searched for another address,and used tunnelled vision,during my stay there

blocking out my misgivings about the place, my next port of call was a little paradise at half the price,and good fortune has followed me ever since

kindly suggest you do the same

very best of luck cobber