In Spore I spend plenty of time at home & from my window I only see traffic:(
When I'm in Pattaya I would just sit on one of the benches along Beach road & just watch the waves enjoying the breeze. Thinking of getting a condo with a sea view.
Still trying to decide between renting or buying a condo. If I buy a place I can get a decent place for $100k to $150k especially with the poor economic conditions. On my last trip I noticed that there were fewer Russinas & farang. I don't think it's only the economy, but other factors like the uncertain political situation in LOS.
Living in Thailand for more than 10 years now and experiencing the ups and downs of the politics and being in the construction business I have this to say:
- The way foreigners view the current political situation is very different from locals
- Foreigners view the current situation/government as perhaps unstable, so there's little foreign direct investments, industrial sector is hurt by this, my business to this industrial sector had been hurt quite badly as there are less factories to be build.
- On the contrary locals view the current situation/government as stable, protests and mob rule had been effectively gotten rid of and life seems to become normal, the MRT lines are coming up and we are experiencing somewhat a residential construction boom as so ashy condos and residential projects are being build along these lines.
- Ok overall the economy is not doing well so is the world
Conclusion is the residential market don't seem to be slowing not just in Bangkok, past month went to Pattaya twice many new condo projects under construction or about to start. Another personal experience/observation, end 2011 purchased a residential land at 37,000 baht per square wa (4 sqm) latest transaction in this project is 80,000 per sqwa and don't look like going any time soon. Two days ago
Saturday went to an SC Asset (developer) cluster housing project price not negotiable so as you can see, don't expect any cool down of the property sector any time soon. By the way, to give you an idea, the house I was looking at is: build-in 232sqm 5 bedrooms land 70 sqwa or 280 sqm costs 8.99mil baht or S$352k very close to Fashion Island Mall and the developer is a reputable one.