ศาลาชุมนุม

[David]

Hi all,

With a little luck - that is, the deal currently under noegotiation comes through - it looks like I will be moving to Bangkok. As a result, I am thinking about accommodation, neighborhoods, commuting, etc.

The company docs list their location as Pathumwan but the maps I have seen the area as Pratunam or Patunam; I'm assuming that these are distict transliterations of the same location. Please confirm.

In any case, I have been there and it is a block or two from Central Chidlom, right on the khlong that runs parallel to Petchburi Road. So, the SkyTrain seems to be the transport mode of choice, opening up lots of choices in the city.

Apparently the term "condo" has a very specific meaning in the Thai real estate market. It seems to connote an apartment in a building, sometimes a pretty tall building. Can anyone confirm/elaborate on this?

I'm coming with my Thai girlfriend, so I don't really need big nightlife. Quieter is more desirable and I really do NOT need the upscale trappings of expat life (modern clean, building; security; pool, etc.), though I will confess to needing a standard phone and some UBC. A porch/terrace of some kind would be pretty sweet.

Think any of this is available for less than THB 20K/month?

With all this in mind, what do you all recommend?

Thanks/ขอบคุณครับ,

David/เดวิด

[Bryan.the.Scorpio]

สวัสดีครับคุณเดวิด,

We will be using this map for the following direction - location discussion.

Pathumwan (ปทุมวัน) and Pratunam (ประตูน้ำ) are two different places ครับ. They are by no means the transliterations of the same location either.

Pathumwan (ปทุมวัน) sits topmost on the map (see URL above). Locate Phayathai Rd. (ถนนพญาไท) + Mah Boon Krong Center (ศูนย์การค้ามาบุญครอง) + Pathumwan Princess Hotel (mouseover # 1), and you will get Pathumwan area.

Head south from Mah Boon Krong, past Siam Center, turn left onto Rajdumri Rd. (ถนนราชดำริ) and proceed further past World Trade Center and Arnoma Hotel (โรงแรมอโนมา #14), you will reach Pratunam area. Pratunam is very easy to locate by finding the point where Phetburi (ถนนเพชรบุรี) and Rajdumri (ถนนราชดำริ) - Rajprarop Roads (ถนนราชปรารภ) intersect, and you will have Pratunam. Landmarks = Amari Watergate Hotel (# 10), Indra Regent Hotel (# 11) and World Trade Center.

Stay on Phetburi Road proceeding past Amari Watergate Hotel a little bit and turn right onto Chitlom Road (ถนนชิดลม), you will get to your company's location close to the Phetburi & Chitlom intersection. Considering that you will go for the SkyTrain, I think you might prefer the Rama I (ถนนพระราม 1) - Ploenjit (ถนนเพลินจิต) route (green dotted line) better. So from Rama I Road, head further south past Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel (# 13) & Le Meridien President Hotel (# 15) and turn left on Chitlom Road, you will finally get to the location of your company which must be between Chitlom Road and Phetburi 31. If the Rama I - Ploenjit route was used, you might have to walk (and sweat in the typical morning Bangkok weather) a little bit to get there.

So...from Pathumwan up to Chitlom, it's quite a couple of miles. They are not the same places but they are in the same one L-A-R-G-E area ครับ. The person who sent you the company's location should revise what he/she did.

That ...khlong that runs parallel to Petchburi Road... is the stinky, pitch-black Saen Saab Canal (คลองแสนแสบ) on which I had been commuting (long-tail boats) all through my Bangkok life. Working in an office near that canal calls for your endurance of the canal's odor and noises from the boats that run from 5 am - 10 or sometimes as late as 11 pm.

Yes, condominiums in Bangkok are apartments for rent, lease or sale in from 3-story up to high-rise buildings. A porch/terrace seems to come equipped with all condomimiums. Getting a condo is quite a big deal and requires a jolly good amount of money. Expect about THB 100K or more for down money. The sizes of condominiums vary according to one's money, but you will get quite a nice, happy quarter to live in. The nearer you get to the Chaophraya River (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) and sophisticated areas (e.g. Silom, Pathumwan, Petchburi), the more expensive. UBC packages with Thai-captioned, English-speaking programs are available to your heart's desire as long as you are in Bangkok. The monthly fee could be approx. THB 1,200.00 up.

With all things considered, THB 20K a month alone will be somewhat tight for you & your girlfriend. If both of you worked and could make, say, 30K monthly, you're cool. I used to get 15K a month working in Bangkok 5 years ago, and I was a pretty happy dude. Of course, I lived with my parents and didn't have to pay any rent or monthly mortgage.

Hope you get the deal นะครับ. Wish you all the best!

[Glenn Slayden]

Expect about THB 100K or more for down money.

I assume this is the deposit to start renting (about USD$ 2300); what about prices to own a new unit in a high rise tower?

Glenn

[YahkRian]

Bryan,
With due respect to you, for his question:

Think any of this is available for less than THB 20K/month?

I think he meant 20K per month just for the condo/apartment.

What do you say? I know, I used to pay 40K / month for mine since I didn' t know any better. He (David) sounded like the guy in the know.



Yak.

[David]

Hi Bryan, Hi Yahk,

Yahk, pretty clever display name.

Also, Bryan, pretty wild stuff on your web site:
http://www.suphawut.com/ ;-)

Bryan, thanks a lot for the excellent clarification of the neighborhoods, etc. Very detailed, very helpful.

Yahk is right, I meant THB20K/month on the housing only. Whaddya think?

Some questions about the SkyTrain: How late does it run (0600-2400)? What is the cost?

The way I see the SkyTrain map, I can essentially choose three areas (whose names I am kind of making up):
* East Line - Chidlom, Sukhumvit
* North Line - towards the airport
* South Line - towards Silom/Sathorn

What is the general feel/character of these areas? Like I said, I don't really need the serious expat hang, especially as my Thai improves.

Thanks tons/ขอบคุณมากครับ

David/เดวิด

[Bryan.the.Scorpio]

Hi เดวิด,

Bryan, pretty wild stuff on your web site: http://www.suphawut.com/ ;-)

Thanx, David. It'll be even wilder than that when finished.

...thanks a lot for the excellent clarification of the neighborhoods, etc. Very detailed, very helpful.

You are most welcome.

So THB20K a month--housing only, eh? I'm in touch with my friend in Bangkok who bought a condo in Rachadabhisake (รัชดาภิเษก) area. She hasn't gotten back to me yet. Will keep you posted when I get the answer.

"I assume this is the deposit to start renting (about USD$ 2300); what about prices to own a new unit in a high rise tower?--Glenn"

I also owe you an answer on that, Glenn, when I get her reply.

Some questions about the SkyTrain: How late does it run (0600-2400)?

0600-2400 is almost correct. It depends on if you use it on weekdays or weekends. See more info here: Bangkok SkyTrain FAQs. This is the SkyTrain's Official site.

What is the cost?

Fares are graduated between TH฿ 10 and 40 depending on the length of the route. Frequent passengers can buy different kinds of e-tickets or passes.

The way I see the SkyTrain map, I can essentially choose three areas (whose names I am kind of making up):
* East Line - Chidlom, Sukhumvit; * North Line - towards the airport; * South Line - towards Silom/Sathorn

Officially, there're two lines, i.e. Sukhumvit Line (สายสุขุมวิท) from On Nut Station (สถานีอ่อนนุช) to Mor Chit Station (สถานีหมอชิต) and Silom Line (สายสีลม) from Taksin Bridge Station (สถานีสะพานตากสิน) to the National Stadium Station (สถานีสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ) with the Central Station (สถานีร่วม หรือ สถานีศูนย์กลาง) joined at Silom (สีลม).

What is the general feel/character of these areas? Like I said, I don't really need the serious expat hang, especially as my Thai improves.

Chidlom (ชิดลม) - Sukhumvit (สุขุมวิท) are crowded with foreigners, tourists, and Thai & expats office workers. So it's pretty cosmopolitan. Towards Mo Chit (or the airport) is quite a motley crew. You can expect to see lots of inbound & outbound tourists along the route. This route is somehow like Bronx (NY) to me. You know what I mean. Silom - Sathorn are the most sophisticated of all because they are Bangkok's business districts. Expect a great mix of Thai teenagers, long-term & short-term excurtionists, businessmen-women, etc. A hive of urban activity, if you wish. Personally, I think this route provides the most pleasant vista & SkyTrain riding experience.

[Bryan.the.Scorpio]

All right, David & guys, I have got my friend's e-mail regarding all the condo questions.

* * * This is based on the cost 6 years ago (that's when she bought her condo) * * *

The condo she bought was in the Soi Aree area - ย่านซอยอารีย์. She said the process of owning or buying a new unit was not that complicated. Normally the salespersons take care of everything for you (paperwork and stuff). As for the the payment, you just pay directly to a bank you preferred. The bank will act as a financial sponsor of your condo and will pay the real estate company for ya. Then you pay back to the bank a lil bit at a time plus interest, of course. (A mortgage? -- Bryan).

To answer Glenn's Q: "How much does one have to pay to own a new unit in a 'high rise' tower?" -- she said she paid THB 50,000 a month for the new unit she got. (The price of her condo 6 years ago was THB 3.5 million). Yet, she added, the condo was, surprisingly enough, not as luxurious as it cost. The very reason that makes a condo pricy is the location (ทำเลที่ตั้ง)--a major thing to consider when buying a property in Bangkok. As for the question regarding the deposit to start renting, she said it depends. She doesn't think that there's a law for that. She also lets her condo for rent right now, and she needs only 3 months of rent plus the first month rent for deposit. The rent is about only 15,000 -13,000 baht a month. Apparently, tenants pay only USD$ 1,500 and then move in.

As for facilities and services, her condo has all that David mentioned--modern, clean building, security system, pool, and porch/terrace--except a standard phone line. She said she had to manage to subscribe to one later herself, and it went without a hitch, because we have Telecom Asia now. If you want it fast and convenient, she suggested you use a mobile phone.

Regarding UBC cable TV, the regular price is THB 9,500 a month, but they have an ongoing promotion that slashed it down to THB 7,000/month w/ 1 month free & free installation equipment. More info.

That's all in her e-mail.