Condos and Thai construction fraud

[Farang hunter]

I bought a condo but I did not know that locals are so cheap and fraud when I hear Television next door all the time through the wall!! it drives me crazy so, I am not paying maintenance fees because of that.  All I am asking... is there a condition in title deed that demand yearly maintenance fees because it is all written in Thai language? 

[1FinickyOne]

Sorry for your troubles, but did you sign a contract for a home and not know what is in the contract? I don't think this is a Thailand issue but generally, the concept is "buyer beware" - - but surely you will be responsible for maintenance fees if you are the owner. 

[KittenKong]

The common fees in a condo are due from all co-owners. It is part of owning a condo.

 

If your neighbours are particularly noisy then you should approach the front office or the committee. If they are just normally noisy then you should have tested the sound-proofing of the walls before buying. Some buildings are better than others.

[onemorechang]

Sorry to say if you don't pay the fees, the water and electric

will be cut off , by the condo management

Try talking to next door, maybe the Tv / Speakers are  touching the wall.

could be a lot better if moved away  from the wall

Edited April 27, 2017 by onemorechang

[digbeth]

sell it and move on, cause if you keep it up by not paying, they'll sell your condo for you

[Farang hunter]

worse part is next door condo is rental and it is not just TV sound I can hear people voices through the wall and eventually they hear everything said in my condo, but I can sense if all managment can do is cut off electric/water that clearly tells me for sure I am not obliged by law to pay common fees

[Farang hunter]

7 minutes ago, digbeth said:

sell it and move on, cause if you keep it up by not paying, they'll sell your condo for you

not bad idea

[Farang hunter]

1 hour ago, KittenKong said:

The common fees in a condo are due from all co-owners. It is part of owning a condo.

 

If your neighbours are particularly noisy then you should approach the front office or the committee. If they are just normally noisy then you should have tested the sound-proofing of the walls before buying. Some buildings are better than others.

ok I will sell this condo but how can I test sound proof wall before I buy another one?

[Asiantravel]

42 minutes ago, Farang hunter said:

ok I will sell this condo but how can I test sound proof wall before I buy another one?

 simply engage the services of an acoustics engineer before you buy

 

http://www.bangkok-noisecontrol.com/noise_control_consulting.php

 

 

[Farang hunter]

to be honest I don't want to sell because I have breath taking view from my condo, is there a way to install isolation on the wall between my condo and the neighboring condo.

[Farang hunter]

1 hour ago, Asiantravel said:

 simply engage the services of an acoustics engineer before you buy

 

http://www.bangkok-noisecontrol.com/noise_control_consulting.php

 

 

thanks but I just punch the wall with my fist then I can tell if it is cardboard or hard cement.

[Spaniel]

Why not just talk to your neighbors and ask them to turn down the TV.     Maybe they don't realize it is disturbing you.

[newnative]

55 minutes ago, Farang hunter said:

to be honest I don't want to sell because I have breath taking view from my condo, is there a way to install isolation on the wall between my condo and the neighboring condo.

Yes, before you sell I would consider insulating the wall. We had a problem with noise with one of our condos and we had the connecting wall insulated.  Sound-proofing material was attached to the wall and then a new wall of drywall was installed over it.  It helped reduce the sound and wasn't that expensive.  I would also try to speak to the owner of the condo to let him know of the problem.  If he is renting his condo short-term to tenants staying less than a month he is breaking the law--the Thai Hotel Law.  You might use this information to see if he can keep his tenants in line.   As a previous poster mentioned, perhaps he can also move the position of whatever is making the noise--tv, speakers, etc.   What you don't want to do is stop paying your condo maintenance fees, in my opinion.  It's better to stay on the good side of the Juristic Office.  If you owe condo fees, you will not be allowed to sell your condo and you can legally be barred from the public areas--lobby, elevators, facilities, etc. 

[Rimmer]

A baitng post has been removed

[wpcoe]

Go to YouTube and put "soundproof wall" in the search box and you'll find dozens of ideas for reducing the noise from next door.  There are so many strategies and I don't know which is best, but I suspect each of them works to some degree.  I knew someone who did a version of adding a gypsum/drywall layer with an air gap and some sort of foam glued to the initial wall and he seemed happy with the result.  I think all these methods will result in some loss of floor space.

[bkk6060]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.  Another sad example of buying here.  

[Peterw42]

OP, if you have a noise problem then maybe all the other owners have the same problem. Maybe talk to other owners/committee and look into getting the whole block soundproofed. If everyone has the same problem and everyone agreed it is a fault with the building, you could maybe use sinking fund money to rectify it. If its a new block you may have a recourse back to the developer.

 

Not paying your maintenance fees is a bit like buying a television you dont like and then not paying the electricity bill. Its a debt like any other and you cant just stop paying it, eventually they will take action, cut off utilities, hand over to a debt collector or sell your condo to recover the debt. Its not a condition in the title deed, its the law covered by the Condominium Act.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by Peterw42

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/27/2017 at 7:38 PM, Farang hunter said:

to be honest I don't want to sell because I have breath taking view from my condo, is there a way to install isolation on the wall between my condo and the neighboring condo.

OF COURSE THERE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just google "how to sound insulate a wall".

I believe felt is a good acoustic insulation and does not take up space. However, I leave you to do the research.

 

Reminds me of the first time I stayed a long time in Thailand and rented an hotel room, only to find the owner had partitioned a large room into 2 smaller ones and I could hear EVERYTHING in the next room as if there was no wall. Needless to say I moved, very quickly.

[Farang hunter]

after googling sound proof wall I am surprised to find out it is not just Thailand, fraud is almost every where 

[balo]

On 4/27/2017 at 11:36 AM, Farang hunter said:

bought a condo but I did not know that locals are so cheap and fraud when I hear Television next door all the time through the wall!! it drives me crazy so

Thats why you should never buy but rent instead. Rent is cheap and you can move on whenever you've had enough of your noisy neighbors.  If you own the condo you're stuck . 

 

[JSixpack]

1 hour ago, balo said:

Thats why you should never buy but rent instead. Rent is cheap and you can move on whenever you've had enough of your noisy neighbors.  If you own the condo you're stuck . 

 

 

No, you should do due diligence before buying, meaning live in the building for a year or two first. Nor are you stuck--common myth.

[bkk6060]

Haha.   Mr. 6 Pack #1 anti bash renters suggesting to rent for 1 or 2 year??  So, what if someone does not like it then go to another place for one or two years??Why anyway one should be able to figure the pitfalls of a place in a few weeks.

You are somewhat confused but it seems you realize now that renting is the most intelligent option.

[JSixpack]

47 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Haha.   Mr. 6 Pack #1 anti bash renters suggesting to rent for 1 or 2 year??  So, what if someone does not like it then go to another place for one or two years??Why anyway one should be able to figure the pitfalls of a place in a few weeks.

You are somewhat confused but it seems you realize now that renting is the most intelligent option.

 

No, you may find the place is what you want after a few months. I don't think a few weeks is enough to make a buy decision. If you think you do, then go ahead--in fact a TVF analyst of your expertise may want to start lil' consulting business. :) I don't agree that the question of "better option" even makes sense. You seem to have a poor memory, but I said "it depends" in several ways in different posts. Hence you're merely bickering and may need some help to, as I said, suck it up and move on.

 

Successful buying, as I told you earlier, takes due diligence; all present owners will agree. If as appears you're too simple-minded for the process and find it too confusing, then you'd better just keep renting, 'cause you'll surely just lose your money. Developers and sellers will take advantage of fools, no question. 

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by JSixpack

[newnative]

17 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Haha.   Mr. 6 Pack #1 anti bash renters suggesting to rent for 1 or 2 year??  So, what if someone does not like it then go to another place for one or two years??Why anyway one should be able to figure the pitfalls of a place in a few weeks.

You are somewhat confused but it seems you realize now that renting is the most intelligent option.

Renting is certainly an option and I always say if you are only here short-term seriously consider renting rather than buying.  However, renting may not always be 'the most intelligent option'.  In the case of my partner and I, we are very happy that we bought our first condo when we came here a little over 6 1/2 years ago. Had we rented, we would have probably spent around 25,000 Baht a month to get something nice in a good area with a seaview.  So, around 2 million Baht down the drain  by now and nothing to show for it.  Instead of renting, we scraped our money together and bought a little studio condo and fixed it up while we lived in it.  Sold it, made some money, and bought another slightly nicer, bigger condo.  Lived in it, fixed it up, sold it, made some money, and bought another even nicer and bigger condo.  Repeat a number of times and now we find ourselves with a very nice condo we own and live in and also a rental condo that we rent out--so all you renters, please keep renting.   We like knowing we own the roof over our heads, we, hopefully, won't ever be homeless, and we enjoy being able to do what we want with the condo and have all our own things--artwork, furniture, etc.   When it comes to renting or buying, 'the most intelligent option' is not a one-size-fits-all deal. 

[balo]

I think it depends on the size of the unit , if you can afford a big size unit with a sea view I am sure it will be well spent money if you decide to live here for a longer period.  But rent is cheap here for the smaller ones , under 10k with a sea view is possible if you live in a studio or smaller rooms .  Not a lot of money , even for people with low income.  Then you can move easily to another location as I did myself , after I sold my noisy condo . 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by balo

[overherebc]

Renting is a good option for 3 to 5 years especially if your job gives an allowance for it.

If you are looking at longer term, lets say 10 years and the rent is out of your pocket then after 10 years you walk away with the deposit.

If you buy then at the end of ten years you can sell it cheap and still walk away with some money, better than 3 months deposit minus repairs which will probably cost the same as the 3 months deposit.

[newnative]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

Renting is a good option for 3 to 5 years especially if your job gives an allowance for it.

If you are looking at longer term, lets say 10 years and the rent is out of your pocket then after 10 years you walk away with the deposit.

If you buy then at the end of ten years you can sell it cheap and still walk away with some money, better than 3 months deposit minus repairs which will probably cost the same as the 3 months deposit.

Even at 3 to 5 years I think buying can be an option to consider.   If you buy wisely the condo should be worth at least what you paid for it.  At the end of the period you have the option of selling it or you could keep it and rent it out.  Some large condo projects like Lumpini have on-site rental offices that will handle the rentals for you.  The ace in the hole if you decide to keep it is the low monthly condo fees--even if the condo isn't rented all the time it's just costing you peanuts and you have something you own as possibly a retirement pad down the road. 

[Asiantravel]

4 hours ago, newnative said:

Even at 3 to 5 years I think buying can be an option to consider.   If you buy wisely the condo should be worth at least what you paid for it.  At the end of the period you have the option of selling it or you could keep it and rent it out.  Some large condo projects like Lumpini have on-site rental offices that will handle the rentals for you.  The ace in the hole if you decide to keep it is the low monthly condo fees--even if the condo isn't rented all the time it's just costing you peanuts and you have something you own as possibly a retirement pad down the road. 

" If you buy wisely the condo should be worth at least what you paid for it"

 

but you don't have a crystal ball and there is no guarantee of that and not everyone is in the mood to speculate on real estate right now.

If property values can decline in a place like Singapore (a regional financial hub) which  has a much more diverse group of people looking to rent why can't it happen anywhere else including Thailand?just wait and see what happens to the market when the rent guarantees all run out

 

 

Singapore Home Prices Slide by Most in More Than Seven Years

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-03/singapore-home-prices-have-biggest-drop-in-more-than-seven-years

 

 

Edited May 1, 2017 by Asiantravel

[JSixpack]

1 hour ago, Asiantravel said:

but you don't have a crystal ball

 

Nor do you, as has been demonstrated.

 

Quote

and there is no guarantee of that and not everyone is in the mood to speculate on real estate right now.

 

Well, duh.

 

Quote

If property values can decline in a place like Singapore (a regional financial hub) which  has a much more diverse group of people looking to rent why can't it happen anywhere else including Thailand?just wait and see what happens to the market when the rent guarantees all run out

 

The usual fear mongering based on an irrelevant example and illogic. Singapore gov't imposed curbs to discourage buyers as prices had been inflating too quickly. They worked. The possibility of Thailand ever doing that is quite remote, to say the least. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley predicts Singapore home prices to start rising in 2018 and double by 2030. So by your "logic" it's a great time to buy in Thailand. :)  We don't need further links to articles whose relevance you don't really understand.

 

Just In Case Fallacy

 

Edited May 1, 2017 by JSixpack

[newnative]

1 hour ago, Asiantravel said:

" If you buy wisely the condo should be worth at least what you paid for it"

 

but you don't have a crystal ball and there is no guarantee of that and not everyone is in the mood to speculate on real estate right now.

If property values can decline in a place like Singapore (a regional financial hub) which  has a much more diverse group of people looking to rent why can't it happen anywhere else including Thailand?just wait and see what happens to the market when the rent guarantees all run out

 

 

Singapore Home Prices Slide by Most in More Than Seven Years

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-03/singapore-home-prices-have-biggest-drop-in-more-than-seven-years

 

 

No, I don't have a crystal ball and, no, there are no guarantees.   I don't think you read what I wrote very carefully.  I wasn't urging "everyone" to "speculate on real estate right now."  I was simply stating that if someone is going to be here 3 to 5 years, buying a condo "can be an option to consider."   Consider.  Key word. My word.  Doesn't mean you have to do it. Consider. Maybe give it some thought, run the numbers.  By the way, buying a condo that you're going to live in yourself for 3 to 5 years is not really speculating, in my opinion.  Let's see, should I speculate on the Honda or the Toyota to get around in?  For some people, 3 to 5 years is a fairly long chunk of time to be living in someone's else's condo with their likely questionable decorating taste and their cheap, hardy, bland furniture geared to destructive renters.  Some people, including me, would rather live in a space they own and can decorate to their own taste, make changes to, and have furniture, artwork, etc. that they have chosen and feel comfortable with.  I rented once for a year here and even though it was a nice condo it wasn't an enjoyable experience.  I wouldn't last 3 to 5 years.  For people who feel the same, they might consider buying as an option.  Now, what's happening with real estate in Singapore really has no bearing on what's going on here.  Or, Timbuktu, for that matter.  My post was talking about Pattaya, a city that I live in and have some experience with.  When I stated that if one buys wisely a condo should at least maintain its value, that was based on my experience.  I have bought and sold a number of condos here, some 1 bedrooms and some 2 bedrooms, and the smallest net amount I have made when I sold has been 200,000 Baht--that was on a 28sqm condo.  I actually rented it for several years so I made more than 200,000 Baht in total but that's another story.  No, there are no guarantees.  But, with 3 to 5 years of savings on the rent you would have paid, you have a pretty big cushion.  And, hey, the condo may even go up in value and all the while you're living in your own space.  Remember the other thing I said--you don't necessarily have to sell at the end of the rent or buy period. Some people may prefer to keep the condo for future use--so easy to do with the low maintenance fees.  But, once again and set at a louder volume for the hard of hearing, buying can be an option to CONSIDER.  Nobody's twisting anybody's arm and since I have a condo I rent out, I am happy with those who choose the rental option.