Why I will always rent in Thailand......

[ltnt]

I watched a guy about 5 years ago in Rangsit build this interesting deal around his house. Never sure what it was until it rained. It channeled all the water from his house right into the neighbors....Sweet deal Eh? JPPR2 is online now Add to JPPR2's Reputation Report Post Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in Technorati

Experience is free, anywhere else you'd have to pay for that education. Once you've seen it all, smirk, then you know what you don't want and the pitfalls. Keep renting you'll keep moving on and on and on.....Thailand is Thailand, good and bad just like where you come from. It is what it is...

[Marmite the Dog]

Yes they are adult men!

I thought you said they were Thai males?

[Seekingasylum]

The Thai live by face. In its crudest sense, and the one dearest to their hearts, it is measured by how much the perceived status gaining acquisition costs. Once the house is bought in the moo baan that's pretty well much it. Why would you spend money on aesthetics, particularly when it will not alter the value of the property, as far as they are concerned.
Most Thai decor and furnishings display a hideous lack of taste and reflects their innate primitivism. Full of natural grace and, on occasion, charm they may be but they have no idea when it comes to fashion in relation to their homes. I once thought colour blindness was endemic but soon realised they were just demonstrating their ignorance and a vulgarity that stemmed from it - how many times have you seen those ghastly pale blue floor tiles contrasting with the prink curtains and lime green painted walls furnished in mahogany coloured wardrobes not seen since the 50s ( or possibly in rural France )?

Apropos whether to rent or buy, I think in the current financial climate it makes more sense to buy and given the assumption relocation to LoS is permanent and the fact exchange and interest rates are not likely to alter radically in the medium term I don't see that view changing.

Certainly, buying land in a favoured position and building mon repos is very much a punt and an act of faith which I think is probably grossly misplaced given the propensity the Thai have for not giving a flying fuck for anyone except themselves. Similarly, a moo baan is a risky option unless it is a falang compound in some island ghetto or of sufficient worth to exclude any Thai except the most moneyed.

All said and done, and taking into account the perennial question of securing oneself from chance attack by the myriad local chickenheaded thugs, I think buying a condo in a premium development is the way to go.

[Loy Toy]

Well, if I had decided to only rent here, and it would be a house with a reasonable garden somewhere near Bangkok it would of cost me over 17,000,000 Baht in fees not to mention the fact I couldn't do what I wanted with the house.

And that is for an average house at a negotiated price.

A big net loss as far as I am concerned.

[nevets]

Condo,s i am told are very noisey and expensive but at least its yours .

[good2bhappy]

the gent
interesting post
but one man's meat is another man's poison

[Stumpy]

I rented for two year while looking for a property to buy. I looked over all aspects you mentioned. I finally found a place that met my requirements, no settlement issues, no flooding as high on a nearby mountain, mostly Thai neighbors, working class and educated, centrally located to all needs and hobbies, cost was generally acceptable and builder agreeable to my requirements and changes. 6 years later there's some irritation, but overall its just fine here.

Renting is certainly a way to weed out the sources of your problems as well as learn about life in Thailand before you decide to make it a life long change. Keep renting if you cannot find what you want. No problem.

I wanted my own plants, my own decor, my own sense of belonging, which is a personal thing. I don't have to put up with wanting something in my house that is owned by someone else. My neighbors are not perfect but then neither am I. Sadly, for you, your neighbors are chickens.55555!

I agree, I actually had a moment when I thought I might drop a few baht on this place and buy it. I figured I would go through with the 1 year rental agreement and see how the house did during rainy season and such. I definitely love the location, beach within a few hundred yards, good breeze everyday, nice swimming pool, 2 hours from BKK for those special needs. Primarily Thai neighbors who have been nice in general, kids playing on street, etc.

Its a single level home on an elevated plot which was perfect as I do not want a 2 story home because I have seen how they build them and if there is even a moderate earthquake here a great portion will fall like a house of cards. So all in all it looked promising.....then BAM...So it goes. Sadly the lot is backed up against a few lots that are undeveloped and this could present a huge unknown later as well. The Chicken farmer will definitely shunt any further development here.

[nigelandjan]

Renting is certainly a way to weed out the sources of your problems as well as learn about life in Thailand before you decide to make it a life long change. Keep renting if you cannot find what you want. No problem.

Good sound advice mate and probably one I shall be going along with , infact my wife insists herself we go this route.

I wanted my own plants, my own decor, my own sense of belonging, which is a personal thing. I don't have to put up with wanting something in my house that is owned by someone else. My neighbors are not perfect but then neither am I. Sadly, for you, your neighbors are chickens.55555!

Again same same for me mate , I very much like to do what I want with my house and garden I like to put some roots down as I say each to their own .
Whilst here in the UK I have always owned my own property except during the period of my divorce ( about 3 years ) when I rented on a 1 year renewable tenancy in an annexe property I never felt so insecure in all my life with my landlady being a dyke with attitude always fighting with her various g/fs although at times very entertaining it was at the same time very unsettling. The moment we bought our next property moved in and closed the door it was an amazing feeling of contentment.

[sabai sabai]

1 year rental agreement

How about the deposit ?

Will the Landlord be giving you it all back ?

[nigelandjan]

Will the Landlord be giving you it all back ?

Doubt it the place stinks of chicken shit now

[Cujo]

Now mind you, these are the elites, the rich of Thailand. They drive BMW's, Mercs and one has a Lotus. They supposedly are all rich and travel about the globe. I have said to my wife and other Thais, that none of that matters if you have zero common sense and even less manners. They are closet savages at best.

The same in China.
The rich arrogant twerps are the worst most mannerless ignorant assholes of the lot.

[larvidchr]

I suppose it is all up to individual preferences and temperament, many of us are conditioned from home with the system of maximizing your savings in owning property rather than rent, my first thoughts and plans also when I initially came to LOS from Spain with my farang Wife and Son.

After our parting and divorce costing me half the Kingdom pr. usual western standarts and quite OK with me by the way.
I was drifting around a bit seeing first hand what happened to many of the farang males in the neighborhood, the percentage of scammed blokes (an even mix of decent guys and plain idiots) loosing homes, cars, savings and last but not least dreams, was just shockingly high.

That said I know farangs and friends who have settled just fine with family and property and are in a very good safe and happy place with their wonderful and very loyal Thai spouses.

For me I have always been for being able to move at a moments notice anyway, and since free of economic family obligations (by costly negotiated settlement ) I have decided to keep that avenue open at all times in the future where-ever I stay, if a girlfriend wants to buy property fine with me I will happily finance it to the tune of what I usually pay in rent every month..... but no more, if the love is lost or if she along the way decides to kick me out, becomes impossible to be with, or whatever happens in country (civil unrest, changing visa reg. etc.) I can leave in a heartbeat with acceptable losses and with no obligations and my income wholly intact to settle down elsewhere.

But that's just me -

Each to their own and with no one solution being the only right one.

[Loy Toy]

if a girlfriend wants to buy property fine with me I will happily finance it to the tune of what I usually pay in rent every month

That's the solution in a heartbeat and especially if you love and respect the girl.

I have always been against dead money contracts so why not make your dollars work for you.

[Cujo]

Can't you throw some poisoned grain in the chicken coop then yell bird flu?

[Bettyboo]

& this is why I hate the fukers.

How goes the build for your GF's house? Just asking.

Delayed; she used it as a sneaky ploy to get hitched because I was gonna get a bank loan (totally in my name), then we changed our minds to just paying for it from money earned; now I have to earn the money... The project should restart later this year - maybe completed by the end of the year.

As far as owning that house: I won't - it's all hers. Also, to be fair, the missus' father is very decent, and in 10 years neither himself not any other member of the family has/have ever asked for money. They have offered me money at times (in the form of getting a bank loan on their land) which I haven't accepted.

The dad has 10 rai or so with other family members next door/around, and they don't drink, don't mix with dodgy folk, know the village headman well, etc; they are easy and decent folk to live around - not that I will be living around them...

I think I might build the house then go off to HK or somewhere for 3-4 years; work, build up some capital, improve my job security/position. I can't wait...

[Bettyboo]

Well, if I had decided to only rent here, and it would be a house with a reasonable garden somewhere near Bangkok it would of cost me over 17,000,000 Baht in fees not to mention the fact I couldn't do what I wanted with the house.

I don't see how that works? I have a big 4 bedroom house on a double plot with off road parking for 3 cars and a large garden, terraces at the front and back, BBQ area, etc, very big open plan lounge, utility rooms and inbuilt cupboards a plenty, lovely wooden floors throughout... 8,000 baht per month. It's easy to get into Bkk (30 minutes to an hour to Silom or Siam or Sanam Luang) and Hua Hin 1:30 hours.

Very very cheap to rent. The place opposite me (no garden, but similar 4 bed spec) is 7,000 per month - if you look on the older, well built, moo bahns, that are not close to a BTS or MRT (yes you need a car or to be happy on buses) then it is very easy to find great houses under 10,000 baht per month.

[Loy Toy]

I don't see how that works?

I like to live close to the company and 15 minutes from everything including the motorways, International schools and BTS.

60K a month all up is quite chap for a fully furnished house in the inner Bangkok area.

[Bangyai]

Each to their own if you only ever want to rent then fair enuf .

When I buy / build sorry quick rephrase my wife buy's/ builds a home here , yes true any of the above could happen ,, although a fair bit of research will be put in before hand , but more to the point my wife being a Thai is used to living the way they do and the home will be for her , her security , her future , its not about me ,, as she is a lot younger than me its about her , but it will make me feel good the last time I look into those loving brown eyes when I say goodbye . I will know I have done my best for her.

I agree mate. I was spending 100,000 baht a year on rent anyway. At least if I buy the farm ( die that is, not actually buy her a farm as well ) she won't be reduced to penury. So far we've lived in purchased houses for 7 years. Another 5 and I'll break even

[taxexile]

Similarly, a moo baan is a risky option unless it is a falang compound in some island ghetto or of sufficient worth to exclude any Thai except the most moneyed.

most falang populated moo baans are run and managed by falang developers and/or their avaricious wives, at least in hua hin it is like that, and sooner ot later that developer is going to stop throwing money into the upkeep of the project, maybe he has other projects to finance, maybe some owners have stopped paying maintenance charges and are in dispute with the landowners.

legally the owners cannot do anything without the permission of the developer.

i know of one ongoing dispute in hua hin where the developer has stopped any upkeep of common parts, the owners took it upon themselves to mow common lawns and trim hedges and replace broken lighting. the developer took out a court injunction against them, they dont have a leg to stand on, all because one owner refuses to pay his share of the maintenance.

either way, living in one of the many execrable falang ghettos that pollute this country is no guarantee of a peaceful life. when the husband disappears for his stint offshore, the wives family may move in with predictable consequences, the pavements and roads become run down, garbage is not collected , the guards collude with thieves to enter empty properties, the water supply is unreliable and the management lose interest. you live in a walled off enclave remote from the reality of thailand, that reality however is not all that bad once you have thrown away your colonial preconceptions of how you think thais ought to live their lives.

nor could i contemplate living out in the sticks surrounded by the toothless and the lame, the differences between their culture and mine are just too far to bridge. short visits will suffice. buy some fruit, walk the hills, admire their daughters, then jump in the truck and head home.

its far better to live in a pre owned house in a thai neighborhood in a decent part of the town. those moving in to villages with their wives are at the mercy of their in laws as to how much peace you will get, but from what i have seen of village life with its open doors, anarchic mayhem and lack of privacy its definitely not for me.

all thai towns have decent mature residential areas, with well built and characterful houses, houses that are at peace with the environment they sit in, in small compounds with fruit trees, grass and space, and relatively clean surroundings, with regular trash collections, a sense of community and decent neighbors. such houses can be bought for a fraction of the cost of the ghetto shite, and the quality of life will be better, as will security of tenure. no shortage of delightful houses like this around hua hin and cha-am for rent, and i'm sure its the same in other towns.

you dont need wealthy thai neighbours to guarantee a decent neighborhood, you just need decent people, and thailand is not short of decent people. they do tend to keep a lower profile though and consequently are far less visible than those less decent.

but i could never contemplate living in a falang ghetto, to me thats a fate worse than death, its a malignant mutation of western suburbia, all those twee houses, half of them empty, slowly turning into neglected slums with a strange mix of inhabitants from different cultures and backgrounds.

attempts at multiculturalism involving asians is failing miserably in the west, but multiculturalism involving westerners transplanted to asia is an even worse recipe for disaster. some of the characters living in those ghettos, jesus, and their screeching wives !!

i live in a condo, on the beach, jointly owned with my wife. probably 3% falang ownership here, and its mostly quiet, 10% occupancy during the week but fills up at weekends and holidays.

any problems with plumbing, electricity, water etc. and the on site chang is up within 5 minutes to sort it out. no cost. free wi fi, cable tv, pool, gym, sauna and decent gardens and beach too. no worries with security either, just lock up and go off for a few weeks.

i do sometimes miss having some outside space to potter about in, to plant a garden of my choosing, but thats the compromise ive had to make for having the security that comes with owning a condo, in a thankfully well managed block.

if we wanted to sell, we would certainly get our money back, probably even make a 30% profit, but life is so easy and trouble free here, i think we're here for the duration.

for those determined to buy, and to buy in their own name, then a condo is the only way.

[peterpan]

My Place in Udon similar, double story & 4 bedroom, garden front and back, plenty of parking.
7500 / Month been here for 5 yrs and could stay for as long again if wished, never see the land lord, shes a fat bitch that lives in Holland.

[Bettyboo]

I don't see how that works?

I like to live close to the company and 15 minutes from everything including the motorways, International schools and BTS.

60K a month all up is quite chap for a fully furnished house in the inner Bangkok area.

Yes and no.

I live close to companies, 20 minutes from the BTS, 3 minute from the expressway (15 minutes into Silom if i take that route), international schools, supermarkets, central, etc.

8,000 baht.

You can pay several hundred thousand baht in places like Thonglor, if you want to. I used to live in Thonglor, I actually find my current position far nicer, equally as convenient for the vast majority of situations, easier to get to work and a better quality of living.

[FailSafe]

I will never rent in Thailand- I've always managed to find decent spots to build houses (or buy ones that weren't in a position to be fucked up by neighbors)- I've lived in them for a few years, then sold them at a profit and moved on and up- not every real estate deal ends in disaster in LOS, and you can make some pretty good money if you do your research and pick the right place.

I would have thrown away millions of baht over the years in rent and lost equity (like Loy Toy, I enjoy living in a nice house near civilization) had I done otherwise.

[Loy Toy]

I live close to companies, 20 minutes from the BTS, 3 minute from the expressway (15 minutes into Silom if i take that route), international schools, supermarkets, central, etc.

8,000 baht.

I would say you are quite lucky !. 8k a month is very cheap and 2. You like living there.

I am only pointing out that rent is in essence dead money and once I found the right lady and started a family purchasing a house was my only consideration.

I also value my time and to live close to the factory, yes the location is considered a very expensive residential area, would be my only option.

[Dan]

nor could i contemplate living out in the sticks surrounded by the toothless and the lame, the differences between their culture and mine are just too far to bridge.

That's what makes it so interesting.

i could never contemplate living in a falang ghetto, to me thats a fate worse than death

I agree but I'd extend that to any modern housing development, foreign or Thai. I'd rather live on the streets than in some hideous, soulless suburban gated hell. God only knows what the attraction of those places is.

[FailSafe]

I wondered when you would turn up!

LOS ain't a bed of roses, but somebody has to put a bit of a positive spin on things.