Best condo building(s) for quality of life in Jomtien?

[newnative]

I have lived in View Talay 3, VT5C and D, and VT7. VT3 is smaller than the others and has a nice pool but no garage parking and no public transportation nearby. Pratamnack Road is often very congested and it can be hard to get in and out of the sois at busy times. VT5C and 5D are in good locations but could use more elevators. VT7 has good elevators and location but the pool is small for the building's size and popularity. All the View Talays are short on amenities but if I had to choose I would go with the 5s for pool size and location. C is closer to the ocean, D closer to the street.

You might want to consider Lumpini Park Beach Condo on the southern end of Jomtien Beach where I am renting a 2 bedroom. Fairly new to the scene and a little undiscovered as yet. It's close to Reflection condo but cheaper to rent. There are several condo sizes for rent from small and medium size 1 bedrooms to spacious 2 and 3 bedroom units. Rents for 1 bedrooms are around 12-15,000 Baht and 2 bedrooms can be rented for around 20-30,000 baht depending on size. The complex is large but a lot of the units are owned by wealthy Bangkok residents who seldom visit so it is less crowded than the View Talays except on Thai holidays. Lumpini has, I think, the most amenities for the price of any condo in Jomtien: 2 huge swimming pools, one right across from the ocean. Large rooftop sky lounge. Sauna. Large library with free internet and computers, newspapers, etc. Big, nicely furnished lobbies staffed 24 hours. Basketball practice court. Large gym with ocean view. Bike rentals. Restrooms with shower facilities. 4 story parking garage. Beautiful grounds with nice plantings and walking paths. Condo access from both Jomtien Beach Road and Jomtien Second Road with baht taxis available on Beach Road. Excellent maintenance and cleanliness and good security with keycard access and 4 elevators in each building. Worth a look if you are ok with a quieter location.

[toenail]

.........

I personally would be delighted if the pool in my building had an entry fee for residents as that way the cost of maintaining it would be paid only by those who use it.

I don't share that view. My condo has a beautiful pool that I have never used. It is there for all and I realize I benefit indirectly because it adds value to our project especially when I decide to sell.

-Maintenance fee is more the up keep of a pool (which does take a big bite of the budget) but there is general maintenance of lighting in the hallways, lobby, outside; garden up keep; elevator maintenance, paying for the general cleaners and security man (hopefully he isn't sleeping). Or am I incorrect?

[toenail]

I live in View Talay 2A could not be happier just moved into a double unit from a single costs 20k a month , good management , great pool and handy shops/massage/laundry/barber on ground floor

I have worked in the CIS a bit and View Talay remind me so much of the Soviet-style monstrous apartment blocks housing thousands of not-so- discerning occupants. No wonder so many Russians choose VT as their home away from home. My advice, stay well clear (also if you don't want your vehicle to be parked out in the open and have proper security)

whooo - Who cares what the exterior looks like? No one is going to sit and stare at the outside. The disccussions have been about quality of construction. Sounds like View Talay is basically getting good reviews but is this because many members on this forum live in on of the View Talay apartments? Once one discovers which condo complexes have thick walls to keep out the neighbor's sound, then another factor is how busy is the place. Are most of the apartments in the hallway occupied during the year (wich I wouldn't want)... and do many of the short term renters go there to party? Is the place maintained? ... when the electricity goes off, is there a generator to run the elevators or the whole complex? ...water, has there ever been a water pressure problem?... is the apartment in an area that lacks water and it has to be trucked in?.....sewage, it the apartment hooked up to city sewage or does a #hit truck have to come daily? --- Oh, so many factors when renting long term or buying a condo in Pattaya because city codes, building codes, safety codes are not followed. Not like in the West where you "assume" things are all legit.

That is why the input on this topic has been very informative.

[Michael8511]

Have been renting in Jomtien for some years 2 months at a time 3 times a year to see where I can find a nice place to rent when retired. Have rented in all VT buildings and personally find VT 2 A&b and VT 5 C&D my favorites. Just now in VT7 for my 3rd time facing the bars, excellent location and the street notice don't bother me but I hear my neighbors on both side, don't mind the regular noise but don't like to listen to their love making. Also the services like laundry etc are not as good as VT 2&5 so goes for the restaurant as well. Also the power in VT 7 is unreliable when it comes to the elevator, a few times last couple of weeks there have been only 1 elevator and a few times none for a extended time. I have limitations walking up the stairs so have found this very inconvenient. Did not have these problems in VT 2&5

[zierf1]

I don't know why anybody would want to live in jomtien. There are no bigc's and the nearest one is far away. No bigc's mean no food courts. I cannot live without food courts since I'm unwilling to cook for myself.

[funlovinkid]

I have lived in Pattaya for 10 years and always seeked the new condo buildings which, for me, was a mistake as the new quarters were always smaller, lower quality building materials, less attentive staff, etc. My new building is 17 years old, only 8 floors, ( means faster elevator service ), spacious, 4.5 star plumbing/electrical and quiet. Most service people here for at least 10 years and keep property as though they lived here, maybe better !

Sounds great, but you never mentioned the name of your building! (or is it so good that you want to keep it a secret?)

[Awohalitsiktoli]

One thing that impacts quality of life is noise pollution, and sadly it has become extremely bad in Jomtien. I am listening to it now (horrible, loud and irritating "music" coming from a bar). The higher up you are, the worse the noise is. The City has ignored this problem for too long. It is destroying the quality of life here.

[alocacoc]

I don't know why anybody would want to live in jomtien. There are no bigc's and the nearest one is far away. No bigc's mean no food courts. I cannot live without food courts since I'm unwilling to cook for myself.

There is a BigC in Jomtien with a Food Court. But, i don't use it.

I have no idea what i should buy at BigC. BigC is a waste of time. Overpriced products and they don't appreciate their customers. No need for BigC anyway.

I only need Foodland. They open a branch in Jomtien. This will improve the quality of living in Jomtien massively.

Edited April 25, 2015 by alocacoc

[balo]

Mate

I have 2 x Condos Vacent side by side Fully Furnished near Jomtien @ Park Lane Complex 8th Floor Block 4,

My Plan is to join both Condos into Family Condo block that will consist of 3 Bed Room,

At the moment I am working here in Indonesia if intrested sms me on + 62 811 111 0126,

Best Regards

Mj

Park Lane is next to Paradise Park , and the developer Matrix used very cheap building material here. I know because I bought a unit in Paradise Park , very noisy neighbors , you could hear any noise coming from the corridors and outside. Add to that a construction camp opposite the buildings with workers playing music late at night and kids playing in the sois , this area in Soi watboon should be avoided if you want to live a quite lifestyle .

Edited April 25, 2015 by balo

[funlovinkid]

There have been a lot of very interesting and useful answers here, so I thought I should throw in my own observations, having stayed in Jomtien several times over the past 4 years or so:

On one occasion in March or April a couple years ago, the VT5D swimming pool was extraordinarily warm, to the extent that I couldn't exercise in it. I was hoping to do some laps for exercise, and found that I was overheating after about two laps. A friend of mine even made the same observation. I'm not sure if this was because the pool was built in-ground (as opposed to those which are on higher floors), but it was virtually unusable for exercise. I would be curious to hear the observations of others who use in-ground pools for exercise.

I also remember that, with only 2 elevators in VT5D, there were a large number of people on the ground floor typically waiting for the elevator - and sometimes having so many people waiting that a single elevator couldn't accommodate them all.

I've also spent considerable time in Jomtien Complex Condotel, and I should mention a few things:

With regard to the above comment about the pool temperature, this pool (which is located on the 4th floor, not in the ground) is virtually always cool - and it's exceptionally long: 35 meters. It's a great pool for swimming laps, and it's very well maintained.

Directly attached to the lobby of this building are three restaurants, a convenience store, a private mailbox business, a real estate office, and a laundry service. The 4th floor common area (which also has the pool) has a self-service laundry, a drinking water machine (for refilling water containers), free wi-fi, and an exercise room with workable equipment, a snooker table, and table tennis. This building also has a 3 or 4 story parking garage, and restaurants and shops in Jomtien Complex are directly accessible via the lobby. It's also about a 200 meter walk to the beach, and it has 2 tennis courts. The location is excellent.

Unfortunately, since VT7 was built, the sea view which many of the condos in this building originally enjoyed are now blocked. And the majority of the rooms are large (66 sq. meter) studios, which are (also unfortunately) long and narrow, which means that they can feel a bit like a cave due to the lack of natural light, especially at the end of the room farthest from the balcony.

I very much like all the amenities this building offers, but unless you happen to have a high floor condo in building B (which still has an ocean view, to the side of VT7), I don't think I would want to live in it long-term.

I hope this is helpful.

I think the response to this posting has been great so far. Keep the comments coming!

[jacko45k]

I have a friend who is happy in VT.2 C-D on Thrappaya.............

Apparently good management, enforced rules, and standby generators...(don't fancy 15 lots of steps).

View Talay 2A is closest to Thappraya Rd. View Talay 2B sits behind the A building.

I have heard that those older buildings are not as good.

As someone else has pointed out I got the number wrong.... it is VT5 C,D.

(They all look the same)

Pretty much across the rd fromVT2 then? ....Road meaning Thrappaya/Jomtiem 2nd Rd.

Coming from Jomtiem towards Pattaya its on the left just before the Threppasit junction.

Edited April 25, 2015 by jacko45k

[ThaiBob]

I have a friend who is happy in VT.2 C-D on Thrappaya.............

Apparently good management, enforced rules, and standby generators...(don't fancy 15 lots of steps).

View Talay 2A is closest to Thappraya Rd. View Talay 2B sits behind the A building.

I have heard that those older buildings are not as good.

As someone else has pointed out I got the number wrong.... it is VT5 C,D.

(They all look the same)

Pretty much across the rd fromVT2 then? ....Road meaning Thrappaya/Jomtiem 2nd Rd.

Coming from Jomtiem towards Pattaya its on the left just before the Threppasit junction.

All of the View Talay condos used the same construction methods and the quality is basically the same, VT7 is the exception. VT1 through VT7 base studio units grew in size with each new project from 32 to 48 sqm. Each new project also had larger balconies. VT7 also has units on the backside ranging in size from 115 to 257 sqm.

[Eneukman]

I have a friend who is happy in VT.2 C-D on Thrappaya.............

Apparently good management, enforced rules, and standby generators...(don't fancy 15 lots of steps).

View Talay 2A is closest to Thappraya Rd. View Talay 2B sits behind the A building.

I have heard that those older buildings are not as good.

As someone else has pointed out I got the number wrong.... it is VT5 C,D.

(They all look the same)

Pretty much across the rd fromVT2 then? ....Road meaning Thrappaya/Jomtiem 2nd Rd.

Coming from Jomtiem towards Pattaya its on the left just before the Threppasit junction.

Yes, VT 5 is more or less across the road from VT 2.

Alan

[Jingthing]

I don't know why anybody would want to live in jomtien. There are no bigc's and the nearest one is far away. No bigc's mean no food courts. I cannot live without food courts since I'm unwilling to cook for myself.

There are some low priced Thai food cook to order places in Jomtien also Rompho market outdoor food court etc.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mokwit]

This is a great thread - keep em coming - already saved me hours of walking and 6 months [contracts worth] of sleepless nights from the noise either side.

[Michael8511]

Sorry for this posting, but it seems a lot of guys are reading it.

Is there any condos in Jomtien that officially allows pets?

I know VT condos wish I like doesn't but seen dogs around.

Sorry again for this post.

[KittenKong]

Sorry for this posting, but it seems a lot of guys are reading it.

Is there any condos in Jomtien that officially allows pets?

I know VT condos wish I like doesn't but seen dogs around.

I know of a couple of buildings where some people have small unofficial pets, and I've heard dogs barking in at least one of them. Dont know of any that officially permit pets though.

I would certainly never vote for it.

[balo]

Even if there are signs up that pets are not allowed , I have seen many owners here with cats. The cats normally do not make s lot of noise , some of the owners keep them inside all the time.

[alocacoc]

I never saw pets within a condo building. With cats i wouldn't have a problem. But when would hear a dog barking inside a condo, i would kill it by myself. <deleted>

[ThaiBob]

Have been renting in Jomtien for some years 2 months at a time 3 times a year to see where I can find a nice place to rent when retired. Have rented in all VT buildings and personally find VT 2 A&b and VT 5 C&D my favorites. Just now in VT7 for my 3rd time facing the bars, excellent location and the street notice don't bother me but I hear my neighbors on both side, don't mind the regular noise but don't like to listen to their love making. Also the services like laundry etc are not as good as VT 2&5 so goes for the restaurant as well. Also the power in VT 7 is unreliable when it comes to the elevator, a few times last couple of weeks there have been only 1 elevator and a few times none for a extended time. I have limitations walking up the stairs so have found this very inconvenient. Did not have these problems in VT 2&5

As you mentioned, there was a problem with the lifts at VT7 because of the sudden storm that caught everyone by surprise. Yes, there was only one lift working for about 24 hours as technicians made repairs to the water damaged electronics. This was an all time first for this building. Of all the View Talays, VT7 has the newest, fastest lifts, and the most with a total of 5 including one designed for wheelchairs. VT7 lifts have short wait times when compared to vt1, vt2 and vt5.

Edited April 28, 2015 by ThaiBob

[pmugghc]

View Talay Residence 1-4, on Sai 2, at Soi 5 corner. Good quality, double glass windows.

[ThaiBob]

View Talay Residence 1-4, on Sai 2, at Soi 5 corner. Good quality, double glass windows.

You will need them as the noise from the Rompo Market bars can get loud.

[johnnybgood]

View Talay Residence 1-4, on Sai 2, at Soi 5 corner. Good quality, double glass windows.

When visiting Immigration, these buildings look good from the outside.

Are the rooms individually owned like VT condos?

Or for rent to tourists or long stay retirees?

What would be an average monthly rent?

Looks a nice area.

[ThaiBob]

I rented years ago, at VT Residence 4,a one bedroom for 30k per month. Studios are cheaper. Nice building, well maintained, nice pool. Do NOT get a unit on Soi 2,the double pane windows will not stop the noise, but get a unit facing the pool/beach.

[balo]

In VT1 you can rent studios up to 40 sqm for 7000 baht , 1 year contract, some of the rooms are quite nice considering the age. But the electricity is charged more than 7 baht per unit so be careful with air-con.

I now live out in soi Chaiyapruek and pay government rates for everything , saving money.

[Spaniel]

I have owned a condo in View Talay 2A since they opened in 2004. Although my wife and I only use it a few days a month (we live in Bangkok) we are very happy with the building and its management and highly recommend 2A &B to anyone looking for a reasonably priced and well located condo.

[pmugghc]

View Talay Residence 1-4, on Sai 2, at Soi 5 corner. Good quality, double glass windows.

When visiting Immigration, these buildings look good from the outside.

Are the rooms individually owned like VT condos?

Or for rent to tourists or long stay retirees?

What would be an average monthly rent?

Looks a nice area.

They are of various sizes, I used to have a 2 bedroom unit. Some are available for monthly rentals. There is an office in the G floor at VTR2 where they rent out some, not sure about the rent these days.

[ThaiBob]

I have owned a condo in View Talay 2A since they opened in 2004. Although my wife and I only use it a few days a month (we live in Bangkok) we are very happy with the building and its management and highly recommend 2A &B to anyone looking for a reasonably priced and well located condo.

I have several friends in VT2A and they are happy with the building, maintenance and management.

[ToddinChonburi]

Has anyone ever measured their condo at View Talay 2 A or B They look really small for 41 sqm

I went and looked today seems like good place with friendly staff. Anyone live in Building B with some feedback.

looks like you park your car in the sun and many many motorbikes.

Guard at main gate did not even look at us so I think could have loaded the pickup full of motorbikes and just drove off.

[ToddinChonburi]

How far away is Tony's gym from the View Talay 2 complex ?