Condo Mistakes To Avoid In Thailand

Type #1: Brand New Luxury Condos

Let’s discuss the different types of condos that are available here in the city.

Your first option is to go for a brand new luxury condo, and these condos can be summed up with one word: convenience. If you’re new to Thailand, this can be an ideal choice.

The amenities in these condos are excellent and offer an opportunity for luxury living at very reasonable prices. The locations are also ideal for exploring the city with ease, as they’re normally built next to a BTS or MRT station. As these condos tend to be brand new, you won’t deal with wear and tear problems that can be common in older condos.

The main downside for the luxury condos is the cost, as you’ll pay the highest prices per square meter for your actual condo living space. But the higher prices per square meter can also be advantageous when it comes to finding a condo and negotiating the lease. The higher prices make these condos less attractive in the local Thai market, and there are a lot of available units. This means that you have an abundance of choice when it comes to finding a condo that meets your exact preferences, and you can normally negotiate price discounts or shorter lease terms.

Type #2: Slightly Older Mass Market Condos In Bangkok

But if you’re not interested in all the luxury amenities, you have two options: you can go cheaper or you can go bigger.

Your first option is to go for a slightly older mass market condo. If you’re looking for an inexpensive condo, this is the ideal market for you. These condos mostly date back to the late 2000s through to the mid 2010s. Common areas provide functional amenities such as a swimming pool, gym, sauna, and smaller, more humble shared working spaces. Normally these condos are located within a short walking distance to the BTS or MRT.

This market segment is very popular among the local Thai population, and this can be both good and bad. On the positive side, it normally means that the condo common area has a large selection of food and services at your doorstep. The high number of residents can support a lot of businesses within the condo development. But the main downside is that the higher occupancy rate can also mean that you are much more likely to deal with noise problems.

Type #3: The Oldest Condos

Finally, you’ve got the oldest condos, which normally date back to the mid 1990s and early 2000s and offer the lowest prices per square meter and the largest, most open concept units.

Often dating back to the mid to late 1990s up until the early 2000s, the build quality on the oldest condos can actually be the best. Condo units in these buildings are often quite large with much more open concept designs, bigger balconies, and generally nicer living spaces. The prices per square meter are generally quite low.

When it comes to amenities, these condos provide a much more no-frills environment with a standard swimming pool and gym that often appear quite dated. There can also be plenty of wear and tear issues, and due to the age of the buildings, you can have difficulty getting the fastest internet speeds, as older buildings are often only wired to one specific internet provider and connection level.

I’ve lived in a couple of the older condos here in Bangkok over the years, and my favorite aspect of those older condos is the noise proofing. These are normally built with solid concrete, and you’ll struggle to hear any sounds from any of your neighbors regardless of what they’re doing. This can differ substantially from the condos that were built later.

Overall, older condos can make for a great home environment, and these are especially popular with longer-term expats who grow tired of the newer units that can often be quite small and boxy.

Condo Furnishings

Let’s go over a few more of the ins and outs of the condo market before we move on to the problems that you’re going to need to avoid.

First, let’s talk about condo furnishings. Regardless of what style of condo you select, condos in Thailand normally come fully furnished, so you won’t need to purchase furniture. In fact, it can be difficult to find a condo if you have furniture, as most landlords don’t want to remove the existing furniture due to a lack of storage space.

When it comes to making any changes to the condo, you will need to get explicit permission from the landlord. Most landlords are not overly keen on tenants making changes, and they may deduct costs from the deposit if you don’t get explicit permission. My advice is to find a condo that generally meets your needs. If you really want to personalize a condo, you’re normally better off going for an older condo, where landlords tend to be a little bit more flexible.

Condo Locations: What to Look For

Let’s discuss condo locations.

Living near a BTS or MRT is an absolute must if you’re a newcomer to the city. Even after 8 years of living in Bangkok, this is still at the top of my list when it comes to criteria in looking for a condo. It simply makes life a lot easier, especially during the lengthy rainy season.

My second recommendation is to live near a mall or shopping center. This is more of a personal preference, but malls serve as hubs in Bangkok and are normally attached to BTS and MRT stops. You can buy nearly anything you want or need for your condo, and they provide an easy escape from the heat or rain. The Thai-style food courts are an inexpensive option to grab a quick bite to eat. This is just a little added convenience it’ll make your life a lot easier.

When we’re talking about convenience, you’ll also want to be very close to a convenience store and I mean very close. My current condo has two 7-Eleven convenience stores, so I can jump in the elevator and go downstairs to buy anything I need. You should aim to find a condo that has a convenience store within a very short walking distance without needing to cross any major intersections.

This might seem like an unusual requirement if you’re coming from a Western city where the nearest convenience store might be 10 or 20 minutes away, but this is Bangkok, where convenience is simply a reality of life.

Finally, when you’re choosing a location, examine the walkability of the area closely. Do you need to cross a major intersection just to do anything or go anywhere? Or do you need to walk 5 or 10 minutes down a narrow, chopped-up sidewalk or overcrowded back street? These are the type of annoyances that will get to you over time.

My recommendation is to examine the area. Try walking around and emulating a daily routine, and see if you think it’s ideal for you. This is a really underappreciated aspect of choosing the right condo.

Problem #1: Noise

Let’s shift gears and talk about the problems you need to avoid when you’re looking for a condo here in Bangkok.

I just ducked into the park in order to escape some of the noise. The ever-present noise here in Bangkok I’ve got traffic behind me, there are birds chirping above me, and I can hear somebody on a loudspeaker right now.

Noise is a problem here in Bangkok, and it’s something you want to think about when you’re looking for a condo. This is a busy metropolis with many possible sources of noise, and when you’re looking at condos, you need to consider both outside and inside sources of noise.

Identifying and avoiding outside noise is generally somewhat straightforward. Take a look around the area prior to renting. Avoid anything with nearby construction, and avoid condos and specific condo units which directly overlook a nearby major roadway. With a little due diligence, you should easily avoid any condos with annoying outside noise sources.

But indoor noise sources are much harder to identify.

Over the years, I haven’t had noise problems in either the very old condos or the brand new condos, but for very different reasons. At the very old condos, the build quality is generally very good, and you simply won’t hear your neighbors this is pretty ideal. For the brand new condos, you often don’t have neighbors as the occupancy rates are generally quite low. I’ve lived in a couple of them; I never actually shared a wall with a neighbor.

You’ll have the most problems in the mid-2000s to 2010s mass market condos that are generally cheaper, as these have very high occupancy rates. They’re very popular, and so you’ll often have neighbors, and the build quality is not great. So just be aware of that if you’re going to choose a cheaper condo.

The reality is that Thailand is a very non-confrontational society, and interior noise can largely be tolerated. Many management offices won’t do much to address noise complaints. This means that you should take as many precautions as possible in order to minimize the chances of renting a condo with noisy neighbors.

One method to check the occupancy rate is to arrange to view the condo in the early evening at around 6:00 p.m. This will be the busiest time at the condo, so you’ll get a sense of how many people are coming and going. When you view the actual unit, listen closely for any noise from neighboring units, as this is also one of the busiest times for tenants returning home from work. This will give you a decent idea as to whether the neighboring units are occupied and how noise-proof the unit is.

Finally, you can check Google and Reddit reviews for any building and look for comments about the build quality or noise problems.

Problem #2: Unpleasant Smells and Moisture

We’ve covered noise issues, and this is a very important problem to look out for. But what other problems might you encounter?

So you can see, there’s a sewage system behind me, and that’s the second problem that you want to avoid: unpleasant smells and moisture in a condo.

This is a tropical country, and some condos have significant mold and water-related structural issues. You may also find leaky pipes which can create unpleasant sewage smells.

When you visit the condo, make sure your nose is clear and be on the hunt for any discreet unpleasant scents, including the smell of dampness or mold.

Problem #3: Pests and Insects

In addition to unpleasant smells, you also need to consider unpleasant pests and insects. Certain pests like cockroaches are almost unavoidable in condos in a city like Bangkok.

The newest condos will generally have the least problems with pests, as the management team tend to be quite active and the occupancy rate is often quite low. In contrast, older condos can be hit or miss.

I recommend that you check out condo buildings from each of the condo construction eras. This will give you the best insight into the entire market and which style matches your preferences.

And before you start your condo rental hunt, I definitely recommend that you watch my rental guide. It will help you in finding that perfect condo and avoiding scams.