Bangkok area to live?

[kopite]

Looking for a few recommendations for a suburb of Bangkok with good transport links into the city and also to pattaya. Preferably with good schools (for a 5 year old) thai private is sufficient, international supermarket, cinema etc... and not a concrete jungle (i know im laughing too, probably doesn't exist).
 
Looking to buy a house not rent!
 
TIA folks
 
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[Rc2702]

Not bkk but not far but I hear nonthaburi is a decent area to raise a family and TOPPS supermarket had to be there as I'm sure that is where there head office is located. Not sure about the flicks and bkk or central thailand to pattaya is pretty easy given the distance.

[Crossy]

Nonthaburi has the Purple Line MRT (which will link to the Blue Line in August) and Rangsit will have the Red Line in 2019 (maybe, but the main SRT runs there anyway), both also have pretty good road links into town.

 

Or maybe Bang Na and further east (Green Line extension opening end 2018), nearer to Pattaya etc.

 

Do you anticipate having a vehicle? Public transport here in Chiang Rak is ok (bus, songthaw, taxi) to get to the station in Rangsit, but I'd be lost without a car.

[smutcakes]

Try to the south east, where new green line extension is running, down towards Samut Prakan and Bangpoo. A load of new housing estates being constructed by reputable companies.

[greenchair]

Prachauthit

[kopite]

Nonthaburi has the Purple Line MRT (which will link to the Blue Line in August) and Rangsit will have the Red Line in 2019 (maybe, but the main SRT runs there anyway), both also have pretty good road links into town.
 
Or maybe Bang Na and further east (Green Line extension opening end 2018), nearer to Pattaya etc.
 
Do you anticipate having a vehicle? Public transport here in Chiang Rak is ok (bus, songthaw, taxi) to get to the station in Rangsit, but I'd be lost without a car.

Sorry yes. I would definitely be buying a car.

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[humqdpf]

I have never lived in Bangkok with a family but I know people who have. The huge problem they talked about is where to live so that you and your family can get to and from work/school without spending hours in traffic - everything else came second. Invariably, Western parents decide to live near the school and the wage earner gets to spend hours in traffic.

 

Things are getting a little better due to the extending of the coverage of the train service. But clearly that only works if you work near the train and live near the train. The problem in many cases is that rents and real estate prices go up when new train stations appear nearby.

 

I don't know the name of the location but it was "near the airport" but it still took ages to get to the airport as there were no rail links and traffic was always terrible. The houses were in large gated communities with amenities located centrally such as swimming pool and gym but the gardens were almost non-existent.

 

There was much discussion about the problems they went through purchasing such houses - getting a mortgage when the guy was a foreigner was hell (although he had a bank account, good job, work permit, thai wife and kids and all the documents etc).

[kopite]

I have never lived in Bangkok with a family but I know people who have. The huge problem they talked about is where to live so that you and your family can get to and from work/school without spending hours in traffic - everything else came second. Invariably, Western parents decide to live near the school and the wage earner gets to spend hours in traffic.
 
Things are getting a little better due to the extending of the coverage of the train service. But clearly that only works if you work near the train and live near the train. The problem in many cases is that rents and real estate prices go up when new train stations appear nearby.
 
I don't know the name of the location but it was "near the airport" but it still took ages to get to the airport as there were no rail links and traffic was always terrible. The houses were in large gated communities with amenities located centrally such as swimming pool and gym but the gardens were almost non-existent.
 
There was much discussion about the problems they went through purchasing such houses - getting a mortgage when the guy was a foreigner was hell (although he had a bank account, good job, work permit, thai wife and kids and all the documents etc).

Thank you for taking the time to reply. We have the capital to buy without a mortgage but i dont have the patience for what you are describing.

Having done a bit more research i think a return to suburban pattaya may be a bit wiser. Apart from the fact that my wife has all her family there, i myself have a vast network. My work would bring me into bkk a few times a week but that isnt the end of world i suppose. I also fancied a new experience!

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[Crossy]

Troll post and response has been removed.

[timendres]

51 minutes ago, kopite said:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. We have the capital to buy without a mortgage but i dont have the patience for what you are describing.

Having done a bit more research i think a return to suburban pattaya may be a bit wiser. Apart from the fact that my wife has all her family there, i myself have a vast network. My work would bring me into bkk a few times a week but that isnt the end of world i suppose. I also fancied a new experience!

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If you could combine the days you work in BKK, then a short time room here would allow you to spend the night and not have to make the commute every day.

[bbi1]

Quote

Looking to buy a house not rent!

You asked for recommendations, so my recommendation would be to be smart and not do the stupid thing of buying property in Thailand.
 

 

 

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, kopite said:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. We have the capital to buy without a mortgage but i dont have the patience for what you are describing.

Having done a bit more research i think a return to suburban pattaya may be a bit wiser. Apart from the fact that my wife has all her family there, i myself have a vast network. My work would bring me into bkk a few times a week but that isnt the end of world i suppose. I also fancied a new experience!

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Why don't you pose this question to your 'vast network'?

 

[kopite]

Looking to buy a house not rent!

You asked for recommendations, so my recommendation would be to be smart and not do the stupid thing of buying property in Thailand.
 
 
 
Why?. Wouldn't it be better to own a property then to waste it on rent? I understand the property market in thailand is vulnerable, and i have seen that prices are cheaper than before. Its been 4 years since i have lived there and im genuinely interested. Prices have also decreased in various places in europe that we have lived.

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[bbi1]

12 minutes ago, kopite said:

Why?. Wouldn't it be better to own a property then to waste it on rent?
 

Buy an investment property and rent it out in a "good" quality stable Western country, yes.

 

Buy a property to live in an unstable market in Thailand to live in, no.

Edited July 29, 2017 by bbi1

[kopite]

Why don't you pose this question to your 'vast network'?
 

I have. Although i dont know many people from bkk, and have always found folk on TV to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Just wanted a broader perspective.

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[tryasimight]

1 minute ago, kopite said:

I have. Although i dont know many people from bkk, and have always found folk on TV to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Just wanted a broader perspective.

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So the cast network is not so vast?  Try facebook friends

[kopite]

Buy an investment property and rent it out in a "good" quality stable Western country, yes.

 

Buy a property to live in unstable market Thailand to live in, no.

Hmmm....good quality reliable western country, do they exist. Wouldnt risk investing in the UK at the moment. Property prices are so inflated and with the brexit scenerio i wouldn't bet against a crash sooner than later. Same goes for investing in europe, property taxs and capital gains tax will increase once we are out of the EU.

 

No sure thing at the moment wherever you live.

 

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[kopite]

So the cast network is not so vast?  Try facebook friends

We have phoned family, spoke to close friends, and have received similar answers. Although 99% of people arent from bangkok.

Not sure why my "vast network" comment has upset you. In hindsight i suppose it sounds a bit snobby! Wasnt my intention at all.

All i was after was a different perspective!

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[tryasimight]

2 minutes ago, kopite said:

We have phoned family, spoke to close friends, and have received similar answers. Although 99% of people arent from bangkok.

Not sure why my "vast network" comment has upset you. In hindsight i suppose it sounds a bit snobby! Wasnt my intention at all.

All i was after was a different perspective!

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Not snobby at all...more like a complete and utter to%%er

[kopite]

Not snobby at all...more like a complete and utter to%%er

Thanks mate!

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[richy2201]

From experience and advice for it's worth, I would prioritise the school first (location and budget for private school) It's common knowledge that traffic is horrendous and getting a place near the school is in my opinion the main factor. Secondly, I would say to rent in an area first maybe even for 6-12 months and if you like it then buy. In the end of the day it's your money and if you want to buy it's personal preference, of course there are pros/cons for rent v buy. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good school you are happy with and also finding somewhere with a reasonable "school run" distance. Remember if you buy a house and then decide to change schools this can be problematic. Minburi, Suan Luang are 2 recommendations with decent access to airport/motorway to Pattaya etc.

[timendres]

On 7/29/2017 at 8:26 AM, kopite said:

Why?. Wouldn't it be better to own a property then to waste it on rent? I understand the property market in thailand is vulnerable, and i have seen that prices are cheaper than before. Its been 4 years since i have lived there and im genuinely interested. Prices have also decreased in various places in europe that we have lived.

This debate raises it's head periodically in TVF, and you will get two or three entrenched schools of thought.

 

I am of the school that to buy property in Thailand for any reason is a mistake. For one simple reason: YOU DO  NOT OWN ANYTHING.

 

I know I will get a lot of counter-arguments to this statement, but I will stand by it.

The simple, most basic fact is this: Foreigners are not allowed to own land.

If you don't own the land, how can you own the house?

 

Sure, you can lease land and build a house on that land. And the lease can be sufficiently long that as far as you are concerned you own it. But you do not. When you attempt to sell that house, the sale needs to deal with the land issue. That may work out okay. Maybe you find a Thai person that can purchase the land to go with the house. Maybe you cannot. Maybe you can sell it to another foreigner who is able to extend the lease. Maybe you cannot. Seems to me to be a serious issue that in turn will affect your ability to sell the house, and the ultimate sale price of the house. There are some very nice portable houses that can be moved reasonably to another piece of land at a cost. But at the end, how much can you get back selling that?

 

Some will say that owning a condo is true ownership, and to some degree that is true. Condos are not a topic I am an expert on. For instance, I do know that some buildings actually depreciate in value, because the building is tied to a lease of the land it sits on. In other words, the condo builder does not even own the land. Some people here purchase condos and successfully rent them for a profit. Some purchase and live in a condo and later successfully sell it at a profit. Many do not.

 

Many argue that you are throwing away money paying rent. That is debatable. Homes cost money, and so do condos. There are maintenance fees, taxes, upkeep, and many other costs that add up. Markets go up and down. Neighborhoods change. Buildings change. My ex-wife bought a condo in a building in OnNut. It was a very nice unit in a nice building. Ten years later, the building was shit and no one would pay even half of what she paid to buy the condo. She wishes she could get out, but she put all of her money in that condo and prices for other condos have gone up. People across the soi from where I live bought very nice units in a very upscale building. Units started at 5M baht. A few years later, a GIANT outdoor TV was erected for advertising, and the TV now shines the light of the sun onto one side of that building day and night. Who would buy a unit on that side of the building now?

 

You can think of it as throwing money away. Or you can think of it as the cost of flexibility and freedom. I prefer to rent. I am older, and I own a house back in the US that I rent out. I doubt I will live long enough for a property investment here to pay off (without some luck). Rent is super cheap. I prefer to have the ability to pick up and move if I decide I don't like where I am. I like to explore Thailand, and renting allows me to easily move periodically.

 

In the west, we have been brainwashed to think that owning a house is a good investment. The simple truth is that in general it is not always so. Often there are far better investments. You can find many articles that break this down for you. If you have a family, you are young, and you are entering a market at a reasonable moment in history, then it can be a not bad investment. However, in many cases, you can rent and make much better investments with your money. In some cases you cannot.

 

But I will state once again - you cannot own the land. How can you possibly get past this simple, but important, issue?

[Chou Anou]

On 7/29/2017 at 5:48 AM, tryasimight said:

Not snobby at all...more like a complete and utter to%%er

 

On 7/29/2017 at 4:09 AM, bbi1 said:

You asked for recommendations, so my recommendation would be to be smart and not do the stupid thing of buying property in Thailand.
 

 

 

Wow, who would have thought such a simple request for information would bring out all the <deleted>s?  One expects this in, say, the "Farang Pub" forum, but here?  Oh well...

 

Anyway, I wouldn't have said this maybe 5 years ago, but I'd look at Samut Prakan as well, as one of the serious posters suggested in their response.  My girlfriend bought an apartment out there, which I've paid off and will be living in with her upon retirement in about 10 years.  It's not that nice of an area now, but I envision it will only improve as the years go on and the "urban sophistication" of Bangkok, not to mention better transportation options, moves farther and farther into the province.  Yes, traffic is an issue, but there are good schools (my girlfriend's grandson is in one about 45 minutes from home, which provides transportation for a nominal amount) for a reasonable price, Pak Nam is kind of nice (the provincial capital), and it's very convenient to/from the airport.  Plus, it meets your criteria for being not too far from Pattaya...there's even a leg of the Hua Hin ferry that's supposed to stop there (in Bang Pu), though I haven't checked it out yet.

[Annu Nair]

There are condo's available in Ekmai, value for money. 

[greenchair]

My son goes to a school called wangsawangjit. It is a Thai school, but taught the same as an international school for quarter of the price. There are only 3 schools like this in Thailand wangsawangjit, rungarun and plearnpattana. These school encourage free thought, a lot of play and project work. The parents are very involved if they want to be with school fairs and activities. Many foreigners are sending their children. I dont think I would want my child growing up in pattaya. 

My son is in grade 6 so sadly we are leaving for high school. 

I have a 3 bedroom house for sale at a reasonable price. About 20 minutes from town. 5 minutes from the highway to pattaya. Near to many schools, king mongkut university and shopping malls. 

Please pm if interested in taking a look. 

Ps. I bought this house through my thai husband, after I recieved citizenship he signed it over to me. You can do a ufrustruct, that means you can own the house but your wife will own the land. 

Don't listen to the negative normans. I know many people that have bought in Thailand and had a wonderful experience. 

Edited August 1, 2017 by greenchair
extra stuff

[bkk6060]

Never never never buy here.  Why??  Keep your money working for you in other investments.

Appreciation here is very minimal.  It is a fool's purchase.

There is no transparency or stats on real estate here.  What is the average price per sq mtr in BKK?  How many units have sold in the past year?  What are the prices by location?  No stats, No answer just BS.

You want to guess on your multi million B investment?

Seems like big stupidity...

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by bkk6060

[greenchair]

6 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Never never never buy here.  Why??  Keep your money working for you in other investments.

Appreciation here is very minimal.  It is a fool's purchase.

There is no transparency or stats on real estate here.  What is the average price per sq mtr in BKK?  How many units have sold in the past year?  What are the prices by location?  No stats, No answer just BS.

You want to guess on your multi million B investment?

Seems like big stupidity...

 

What rubbish. I bought my house for 2.4 million 9 years ago. 

The last government valuation  (20 percent lower than market value) was 2.8 million . The condominiums are way over priced and you will not get money back. But paying 15000 to own is better than 15000 rent for 10 years. He has a Thai child so, I am sure he has that in mind. The average price per sq mtr varies in different areas, the idea that there are no standards and guidelines to that is ridiculous. If you are a single man looking to invest I would say no. But if you plan to be here 20 years or more or are buying for your Thai child the sooner you stop paying rent the better. 

[Annu Nair]

The quality of housing in Thailand is better than in the States where my sister lives. And hey you have so much peace and quiet in Thailand that being able to buy property here is a blessing indeed.

[bkk6060]

7 minutes ago, greenchair said:

What rubbish. I bought my house for 2.4 million 9 years ago. 

The last government valuation  (20 percent lower than market value) was 2.8 million . The condominiums are way over priced and you will not get money back. But paying 15000 to own is better than 15000 rent for 10 years. He has a Thai child so, I am sure he has that in mind. The average price per sq mtr varies in different areas, the idea that there are no standards and guidelines to that is ridiculous. If you are a single man looking to invest I would say no. But if you plan to be here 20 years or more or are buying for your Thai child the sooner you stop paying rent the better. 

Unfortunately, you are the Brit type of uneducated they prey on.

The US stock market has gone up almost 200% over the past 8 years.

You have made less then 20% on your investment in 9 years!  

But, many people I know here are like you they have no idea about investing.  Naive who have no savy or sense and no time for research about the truth.

So, that 2.4 million would be worth so much more probably enough to pay that 15,000 a month for the rest of your life and never touch the principal. 

But hey, if it makes you feel secure with your family to buy, good for you and good luck with it.

[Annu Nair]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

Unfortunately, you are the Brit type of uneducated they prey on.

The US stock market has gone up almost 200% over the past 8 years.

You have made less then 20% on your investment in 9 years!  

But, many people I know here are like you they have no idea about investing.  Naive who have no savy or sense and no time for research about the truth.

So, that 2.4 million would be worth so much more probably enough to pay that 15,000 a month for the rest of your life and never touch the principal. 

But hey, if it makes you feel secure with your family to buy, good for you and good luck with it.

Having been able to buy at all is a blessing. The realtors in Thailand are by far the best in the world. Therefore please dont go by the math strictly over here.