Living in Bangkok!

[Tookie]

Originally Posted by motoji

I think your girl make me practice my Thai instead of you learning.

Really Bro, maybe i can learn from you than. Are you staying in BKK? If so i would love to buy you a drink for helping out.

[Tookie]

Originally Posted by indianmagicoil

I'm not sure what your level of competency in Thai is but to read sentences like what your tilak sends u must master Basic level already. Dun mind me saying but I think she is just lazy to send in English.

I think property investment in Thonglor is good if u can afford it. That area has many expats, Japs and middle class/hi-so Thais. Well connected by transport and easy access to business, commercial & entertainment centers in Bangkok. Even Abisit has a house there! But search carefully. Don't want buy a condo built on the former Santika site!

Yup Bro, she is plain lazy to send in english, always giving me the excuse that i will misunderstood her english.


I like the area very much, any new developments there Bro?

[Garage1]

hello everybahdee!!!!!!! longtime no log in and chat!!!!!!!!!!

[ChaYen]

Investing in Thonglo... viability can't really say, but living there is not recommended. Traffic jam like mad. Also, if you live deep in a soi, it will be hard to get to the main road if you do not drive, although I hear you can probably get a motocy.

[indianmagicoil]

Well it depends on a lot of factors like your lifestyle. If u say work a 9 to 5 job then yes you will get caught in the rush hour jams. Afternoons and weekends are relatively jam free at Thonglor. Heck even if you stay on the outskirts you also get caught in a jam going to and coming back from work. I see it everyday - On Nut, Srinakarin, Vibavadi-Rangsit, Ladphrao, Ramintra, Rachada, Silom, Lumpini, Sukhumvit... So I think considering everything I think Thonglor still a good investment if not property there won't cost so much right?

[cc66]

Originally Posted by Tookie

I like the area very much, any new developments there Bro?

Do some research on Thailand Real Estate & Property Forum (¤Í¹â´,ºéÒ¹) or Phuket Villa, Bangkok Condo. Thailand property sales, office / factory leasing
There are so many new condos along the BTS & MRT lines, choose carefully.

[khunsanook]

Here are some of the properties I went to view in/near Thonglor area:

THRU Thonglor
Splash_page
EIGHT Thonglor :: The Centre of Life
http://www.sansiri.com/en/project/quattro/
The Alcove by Samirano: The Alcove Thonglor 10, The Alcove Sukhumvit 49, The Alcove Residence Thonglor 23, The Alcove Thonglor 5, The Alcove Hiptique

And lots more which I did not save the weblink.

still researching but meanwhile prices are going up fast recently.

Now considering: PYNE by Sansiri
right next to BTS.

In my opinion, pls consider carefully:

1. Location (near to BTS or ammenties)
2. Developer
3. Grade A or grade B condo
4. Returns (if you are investor)

[Tookie]

Originally Posted by cc66

Do some research on Thailand Real Estate & Property Forum (¤Í¹â´,ºéÒ¹) or Phuket Villa, Bangkok Condo. Thailand property sales, office / factory leasing
There are so many new condos along the BTS & MRT lines, choose carefully.

Thanks Bro

[khunsanook]

I stay in Bangkok and this is how much baht per month, I think is necessary for survival in BKK:

Basic
Accomodation: 10,000 baht for an avg condo
Eating : 5000 baht for mainly street hawker food with occasional Fuji, MacDonalds, MKs
Transportation: 2,500 baht for public transportation, mainly BTS, incl., once in a long long while, taxis
Electricity fees: 1,200 baht includes water, which I pay seperately
Mobile phone: 500 baht
Others: 3,500 baht for clothing, beer Laos etc.
Laundry: 300-400 baht

This works out to be SGD1000 per month roughly. Well, you can stay in an apartment, which might save you another SGD200/month

To live more comfortably and take care of a girlfriend or reasonable chionging life, the follow additions or changes makes more sense:

Accomodation: 20,000 baht. Decent place in a decent neighbourhood
Cable TV: 1,500 baht
Internet: 600 baht
Electricity: 1500 baht
Car: 11,000 baht per month (5 year lease) with downpayment of 120K for a relatively new 1.5 to 1.8 litre car, value around 650K
Fuel & maintainance: est. 7,500 baht, assuming 1,300 baht full tank per week with the rest going towards maintainance and insurance premiums.
Mobile phone: 800 baht maintainance of girlfriends comes at a higher price
Reasonable frequency of massage + pubbing: 20,000 baht/month
Girlfriend licensing fee: roughly 20,000 baht/month
Food : 10,000 baht need to eat at restuarants more often
Lotus/Big C/Carrefour trips: 4000 baht per month

That is close to 100,000 baht per month or SGD4350

In reality my monthly expenditure us about 60,000 baht per month and I spend nothing for my home as it is already fully paid. So just imagine....

[khunsanook]

Sorry I double-clicked on this message so I revised it to this message. Pai seh...

[Bushnell 1918cb]

[QUOTE=khunsanook;4754154]I stay in Bangkok and this is how much baht per month, I think is necessary for survival in BKK:


This works out to be SGD1000 per month roughly. Well, you can stay in an apartment, which might save you another SGD200/month


That is close to 100,000 baht per month or SGD4350

Hi bro,

Thank you for your insight of the monthly expenses in Bkk. Let say a budget of US $1500, without owing a car. aims to purchase a 2rooms apartment just out skirt of Bkk like Doung Muang area with a normal middle working class OL girl friend. Of course, with a normal life style like having meal @ food court & road side hawker, & travelling to other provinces for a short holiday quarterly. What's your take on this budget? Cheers.

[naemlo]

Originally Posted by Bushnell 1918cb

aims to purchase a 2rooms apartment just out skirt of Bkk like Doung Muang area with a normal middle working class OL girl friend.

Hmmm who is this OL?? No intro to me...

Don Muang, not much decent apartment. U might want to look at houses.

[indianmagicoil]

Khun Sanook's breakdown is the reality of living in Bangkok at a certain lifestyle level. You must stay in Bangkok long term to realize that it is not as "cheap" as many people on a short holiday think. Sure that bowl of noodles cost BHT30 compared to Singapore but add in a "middle class" lifestyle that many of us wish to live here and it all adds up. You can live as you do in Singapore i.e. keep the restaurants, clubbing & chionging to a minimum but then why would I want to leave Singapore right?

Many of my newly wed Thai friends all choose to live in the suburbs because owning a house in central Bangkok is expensive. BHT 1 million+ gets you a small studio in Rachada but a house in Don Muang. Property values in Thailand will continue to rise so long as the fundamentals of the Thai economy is sound. Even with the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 property prices just moves up. I looked at a few small condos in On Nut & Ari. Then was averaging BHT300,000 (if my memory serves me right) but now its at least a million plus up.

Buying a house might be out of the question if you are not a Thai national. Even if you married a Thai the house will still be registered under her name. So that leaves condos or strata titled property for us.

[Tookie]

Originally Posted by khunsanook

Here are some of the properties I went to view in/near Thonglor area:

THRU Thonglor
Splash_page
EIGHT Thonglor :: The Centre of Life
http://www.sansiri.com/en/project/quattro/
The Alcove by Samirano: The Alcove Thonglor 10, The Alcove Sukhumvit 49, The Alcove Residence Thonglor 23, The Alcove Thonglor 5, The Alcove Hiptique

And lots more which I did not save the weblink.

still researching but meanwhile prices are going up fast recently.

Now considering: PYNE by Sansiri
right next to BTS.

In my opinion, pls consider carefully:

1. Location (near to BTS or ammenties)
2. Developer
3. Grade A or grade B condo
4. Returns (if you are investor)

Bro, thanks for the information, will take a look at it next week, btw how do you define a grade A or B condo?

[khunsanook]

[QUOTE=Bushnell 1918cb;4754316]

Originally Posted by khunsanook

I stay in Bangkok and this is how much baht per month, I think is necessary for survival in BKK:


This works out to be SGD1000 per month roughly. Well, you can stay in an apartment, which might save you another SGD200/month


That is close to 100,000 baht per month or SGD4350

Hi bro,

Thank you for your insight of the monthly expenses in Bkk. Let say a budget of US $1500, without owing a car. aims to purchase a 2rooms apartment just out skirt of Bkk like Doung Muang area with a normal middle working class OL girl friend. Of course, with a normal life style like having meal @ food court & road side hawker, & travelling to other provinces for a short holiday quarterly. What's your take on this budget? Cheers.

Bro Bushnel,

USD1500 is about 50,000 baht. This is pretty decent amount if you can purchase an apartment (no rental), not driving and above all a normal middle class working lady, assuming she earns more than 15-20,000 baht/month. You should be able to lead the lifestyle you want with no problems at all. I even think you can afford an occasional upnarn or coyote clubbing Don Muang area not expensive area. Try to buy an apartment near to near planned MRT line (Can't remember the color), and you property will rise quickly once the plan is realized.