Trying to find the 'perfect' condo

[pregnantladyboy]

Still trying to find the 'perfect' condo or apartment in Pattaya. Have stayed in a few places which haven't been right for me for one reason or another. I usually go for a month so I'm looking for month-at-a-time rentals. (price of those cited below ranged from about 17k to 25k bht a month depending on size of room & time of year)

First place I stayed 2yrs. ago was Thep Apartment on the same soi off Buakhao that D-apartment is on (it's a few buildings past D-apartment) and that ticked lots of boxes - it's very close to the all the action on Buakhao but very quiet, not near any noisy bars. Rooms clean & spacious, and the building is not cramped up against any other buildings so most rooms have decent view & light. But at the end of the day it's really just a hotel that does monthly stays as well because you can't cook in the room, which I was hoping to do, so you have to go out for meals. Also I was quite into Walking Street at the time (still am!) and it's a little bit far from WS for taking a lady back ST then heading out again afterwards. Despite those things I thought Thep Apartment was a good 'find' when I stayed there.

 

Next I stayed in Mosaik Apartment off South Pattaya Rd. It has a fantastic on-your-doorstep lifestyle with choice of supermarkets, Tukcom, cafes, restaurants all close by, and near Walking Street. I was tired of sitting in restaurants on my own in Pattaya, feeling like Johnny-no-pals, so I wanted to be able to cook meals in the room. The rooms at Mosaik have a microwave oven, which is ok for some things, but I really wanted a cooker, which it didn't have, so I thought I would look again. (Mosaik great place to stay overall though)

 

Then I stayed at City Garden condo, behind the Avenue shopping centre on 2nd Road, and finally I got to cook my meals as the rooms have a hob cooker! It's a nice place, but maybe a bit elaborate and beyond my needs, with two pools and good grounds & security. I'm just a simple monger and don't really need pools & stuff. Probably good for longer term residents. Also, one small thing at City Garden: when you are in the room, you lock the door from the inside by turning a thumb-turn below the handle to move the locking bolt across. But that means that if somebody else had a copy of the key, they could enter your room. There was no way to additionally secure the door from the inside, like a door chain. So I was getting paranoid thinking that a person(s) could enter the room at night while I was sleeping and off me over the balcony, lol.

 

 

So I'm still looking for the perfect condo. From what I've read the Base would be closer to what I'm looking for - just simple unfussy rooms, but I don't like highrises, feel uncomfortable up any higher than 3 or 4 floors (& I don't need a sea view). I don't understand the obsession with highrise and super-highrise in Asia. Just build buildings which are human-scaled please! (like max 5 or 6 storeys)

 

..... any further suggestions would be great.

 

[davidge]

You could try one of the developments along Soi 15 - Urban, Avenue etc.  Not big tower blocks and reasonable location. You should find something around the 15k mark.

Another in your price range is maybe Center Condo, but that is a big, tall building.

I don’t have first hand experience of staying in these as I stay in Jomtien now. As you want to be Central, the places I’ve stayed in wouldn’t be any good for you.

[hioctane]

The Base has many rooms in your price range. I have stayed at a couple of high rises. The view is nice, but I think I will avoid now. I think cell reception is weak, the higher up you are.

[pregnantladyboy]

 

On ‎05‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 07:11, davidge said:

You could try one of the developments along Soi 15 - Urban, Avenue etc.  Not big tower blocks and reasonable location. You should find something around the 15k mark.

Another in your price range is maybe Center Condo, but that is a big, tall building.

Yeah there's a lot of stuff currently under construction or nearing completion on Soi 15 and I've been eyeing them up for potential future Patt stays. That's the area I'd like to be in, but I would consider a bit further out (like 3rd Rd area) if something met my needs exactly.

Center Condo has a great location, but I looked at one or two of the units and they seemed a bit run down, and it's a big high building as you say. All I can think of when I look at a massive wall of balconies like Center Condo or VT6 is Pattaya Flying Club

 

[Mr Wombat]

On 1/5/2018 at 08:07, pregnantladyboy said:

Still trying to find the 'perfect' condo or apartment in Pattaya. Have stayed in a few places which haven't been right for me for one reason or another. I usually go for a month so I'm looking for month-at-a-time rentals. (price of those cited below ranged from about 17k to 25k bht a month depending on size of room & time of year)

First place I stayed 2yrs. ago was Thep Apartment on the same soi off Buakhao that D-apartment is on (it's a few buildings past D-apartment) and that ticked lots of boxes - it's very close to the all the action on Buakhao but very quiet, not near any noisy bars. Rooms clean & spacious, and the building is not cramped up against any other buildings so most rooms have decent view & light. But at the end of the day it's really just a hotel that does monthly stays as well because you can't cook in the room, which I was hoping to do, so you have to go out for meals. Also I was quite into Walking Street at the time (still am!) and it's a little bit far from WS for taking a lady back ST then heading out again afterwards. Despite those things I thought Thep Apartment was a good 'find' when I stayed there.

 

Next I stayed in Mosaik Apartment off South Pattaya Rd. It has a fantastic on-your-doorstep lifestyle with choice of supermarkets, Tukcom, cafes, restaurants all close by, and near Walking Street. I was tired of sitting in restaurants on my own in Pattaya, feeling like Johnny-no-pals, so I wanted to be able to cook meals in the room. The rooms at Mosaik have a microwave oven, which is ok for some things, but I really wanted a cooker, which it didn't have, so I thought I would look again. (Mosaik great place to stay overall though)

 

Then I stayed at City Garden condo, behind the Avenue shopping centre on 2nd Road, and finally I got to cook my meals as the rooms have a hob cooker! It's a nice place, but maybe a bit elaborate and beyond my needs, with two pools and good grounds & security. I'm just a simple monger and don't really need pools & stuff. Probably good for longer term residents. Also, one small thing at City Garden: when you are in the room, you lock the door from the inside by turning a thumb-turn below the handle to move the locking bolt across. But that means that if somebody else had a copy of the key, they could enter your room. There was no way to additionally secure the door from the inside, like a door chain. So I was getting paranoid thinking that a person(s) could enter the room at night while I was sleeping and off me over the balcony, lol.

 

 

So I'm still looking for the perfect condo. From what I've read The Base would be closer to what I'm looking for - just simple unfussy rooms, but I don't like highrises, feel uncomfortable up any higher than 3 or 4 floors (& I don't need a sea view). I don't understand the obsession with highrise and super-highrise in Asia. Just build buildings which are human-scaled please! (like max 5 or 6 storeys)

 

..... any further suggestions would be great.

 

I am staying at City Garden at the moment. Where is the second pool. I have only seen one.

My room has door chain and dead lock from inside. All the apartments are individually owned I think so all different facilities inside

[pregnantladyboy]

2 hours ago, Mr Wombat said:

I am staying at City Garden at the moment. Where is the second pool. I have only seen one.

My room has door chain and dead lock from inside. All the apartments are individually owned I think so all different facilities inside

Second pool is on the roof of block E (the block at the back on the left).

Yes you're probably right about different apartments being different.

[Mr Wombat]

10 hours ago, pregnantladyboy said:

Second pool is on the roof of block E (the block at the back on the left).

Yes you're probably right about different apartments being different.

555. I am staying in block E and never knew that

[electro]

im staying at the the pride condo behind the ave mall perfect location,also might want to try diana condos not sure if thats the right name.dancewatchers have been advertising a few budget priced condos at talay 6 

[hioctane]

I am curious how you guys go about finding these rentals beides airbnb. I go into the building's office and they always say long term rentals only (I am asking for 1 month rental).

[Mr Wombat]

26 minutes ago, hioctane said:

I am curious how you guys go about finding these rentals beides airbnb. I go into the building's office and they always say long term rentals only (I am asking for 1 month rental).

I just went onto a few real estate agencies in pattaya websites and sent them an Email stating I was looking for 2 months. Most said no. But a few said they would do a shorter term rental at a slightly inflated price. Depends how desperate they are at the time to get a bit of rent

[imitebee]

7 hours ago, hioctane said:

I am curious how you guys go about finding these rentals beides airbnb. I go into the building's office and they always say long term rentals only (I am asking for 1 month rental).

I believe that avenue residence admin people will rent condos for one month, but not less, and at a higher price than for longer term.

[JAI DEE MAK]

On 1/5/2018 at 05:07, pregnantladyboy said:

Still trying to find the 'perfect' condo or apartment in Pattaya. Have stayed in a few places which haven't been right for me for one reason or another. I usually go for a month so I'm looking for month-at-a-time rentals. (price of those cited below ranged from about 17k to 25k bht a month depending on size of room & time of year)

First place I stayed 2yrs. ago was Thep Apartment on the same soi off Buakhao that D-apartment is on (it's a few buildings past D-apartment) and that ticked lots of boxes - it's very close to the all the action on Buakhao but very quiet, not near any noisy bars. Rooms clean & spacious, and the building is not cramped up against any other buildings so most rooms have decent view & light. But at the end of the day it's really just a hotel that does monthly stays as well because you can't cook in the room, which I was hoping to do, so you have to go out for meals. Also I was quite into Walking Street at the time (still am!) and it's a little bit far from WS for taking a lady back ST then heading out again afterwards. Despite those things I thought Thep Apartment was a good 'find' when I stayed there.

 

Next I stayed in Mosaik Apartment off South Pattaya Rd. It has a fantastic on-your-doorstep lifestyle with choice of supermarkets, Tukcom, cafes, restaurants all close by, and near Walking Street. I was tired of sitting in restaurants on my own in Pattaya, feeling like Johnny-no-pals, so I wanted to be able to cook meals in the room. The rooms at Mosaik have a microwave oven, which is ok for some things, but I really wanted a cooker, which it didn't have, so I thought I would look again. (Mosaik great place to stay overall though)

 

Then I stayed at City Garden condo, behind the Avenue shopping centre on 2nd Road, and finally I got to cook my meals as the rooms have a hob cooker! It's a nice place, but maybe a bit elaborate and beyond my needs, with two pools and good grounds & security. I'm just a simple monger and don't really need pools & stuff. Probably good for longer term residents. Also, one small thing at City Garden: when you are in the room, you lock the door from the inside by turning a thumb-turn below the handle to move the locking bolt across. But that means that if somebody else had a copy of the key, they could enter your room. There was no way to additionally secure the door from the inside, like a door chain. So I was getting paranoid thinking that a person(s) could enter the room at night while I was sleeping and off me over the balcony, lol.

 

 

So I'm still looking for the perfect condo. From what I've read The Base would be closer to what I'm looking for - just simple unfussy rooms, but I don't like highrises, feel uncomfortable up any higher than 3 or 4 floors (& I don't need a sea view). I don't understand the obsession with highrise and super-highrise in Asia. Just build buildings which are human-scaled please! (like max 5 or 6 storeys)

 

..... any further suggestions would be great.

 

All my Apartments have an electric keypad and fob lock the code is changed for each new customer for lock and fob to his personal code.

There are no past renters with a copy key for my apartments.

JDM

 

[pregnantladyboy]

On ‎09‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 05:03, hioctane said:

I am curious how you guys go about finding these rentals beides airbnb. I go into the building's office and they always say long term rentals only (I am asking for 1 month rental).

I do that too. I haven't encountered many that wouldn't do one month.

When I stayed in hotels on early trips I used to observe what the main serviced apartments & condos were just walking around Pattaya.

In regard to pre-booking or just arriving, I noticed that being on the ground in Pattaya with your cash ready to hand over seems to count for a lot. On early trips I would obsess about getting all the accommodation arranged in advance, but quickly found there's mostly no need to:

(A) because there's such a huge supply of all types of accommodation available at any time of year, (except Xmas Eve & NYE) 

(B) apart from the bigger hotels cash seems to be preferred over card booking & paying

(C) because they can see you're there ready to take the accommodation as opposed to someone who rang from the other side of the world 3 weeks earlier promising to turn up that day

 

On ‎09‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 12:59, imitebee said:

I believe that avenue residence admin people will rent condos for one month, but not less, and at a higher price than for longer term.

Are you sure? I think it may be minimum 3 months in the Avenue Residence.

[kash buc]

Last year i did monthly rentals at the 'Inn of the Golden Crab' on Soi 13… 21000B per month low season and at the 'Pride' condo behind the Avenue Shopping..24000B per month. Both were one bedrooms with a Kitchen 

[hioctane]

Are you sure? I think it may be minimum 3 months in the Avenue Residence.

It might be the condos I was looking at. I asked the larger condos... Centric Sea and Centara. I will try some of the smaller condos next time.

[usexpat46]

3 hours ago, pregnantladyboy said:

When I stayed in hotels on early trips I used to observe what the main serviced apartments & condos were just walking around Pattaya.

In regard to pre-booking or just arriving, I noticed that being on the ground in Pattaya with your cash ready to hand over seems to count for a lot. On early trips I would obsess about getting all the accommodation arranged in advance, but quickly found there's mostly no need to:

(A) because there's such a huge supply of all types of accommodation available at any time of year, (except Xmas Eve & NYE) 

(B) apart from the bigger hotels cash seems to be preferred over card booking & paying

(C) because they can see you're there ready to take the accommodation as opposed to someone who rang from the other side of the world 3 weeks earlier promising to turn up that day

 

On my early trips to Pattaya I would walk into a hotel that interested me and asked to see a room.  If I liked it I would ask the price and after I was quoted the daily rate would them ask how much if I stayed an extended time.  Would then be told that they would have to check with the boss (Thai employees not empowered to make decisions) and would then get a discount of about 20%.  I never visited during the Xmas-New Years period.

[imitebee]

10 hours ago, pregnantladyboy said:

Are you sure? I think it may be minimum 3 months in the Avenue Residence.

I think it is down to availability. There was an English couple here when I moved in on a 30 day lease. Not sure how much they paid, but an guy who asked later told me they quoted him 25k for the month

[hioctane]

On my early trips to Pattaya I would walk into a hotel that interested me and asked to see a room.  If I liked it I would ask the price and after I was quoted the daily rate would them ask how much if I stayed an extended time.  Would then be told that they would have to check with the boss (Thai employees not empowered to make decisions) and would then get a discount of about 20%.  I never visited during the Xmas-New Years period.

hotels and condos are not the same. Yes, it would be easy to get a discount from a hotel for an extended stay. However, condos for short time is extremely hard for anything less than 30 days except illegally through Airbnb.

I will look around again in April. If we can get together a list of condos that allow shorter term stays (1-3 months), that would be awesome. Maybe the time of year has something to do with it too.

[Geordie59]

43 minutes ago, hioctane said:

Hotels and condos are not the same. Yes, it would be easy to get a discount from a hotel for an extended stay. However, condos for short time is extremely hard for anything less than 30 days except illegally through Airbnb.

I will look around again in April. If we can get together a list of condos that allow shorter term stays (1-3 months), that would be awesome. Maybe the time of year has something to do with it too.

Plenty of places rent for a month or less. That is one of the laws that is on the books but in my experience never observed.
If an internal lock is important you could install your own for a few hundred Bhat. As a monger I doubt that would dent your budget.
When you rent from the developer you will normally get an unsold but basically furnished unit. The same development will almost certainly have owner units for rent with better specs.

 

[hioctane]

Plenty of places rent for a month or less. That is one of the laws that is on the books but in my experience never observed.
If an internal lock is important you could install your own for a few hundred Bhat. As a monger I doubt that would dent your budget.
When you rent from the developer you will normally get an unsold but basically furnished unit. The same development will almost certainly have owner units for rent with better specs.

 

Which condos have you rented from for less than a month?

[Geordie59]

16 hours ago, hioctane said:

16 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

Plenty of places rent for a month or less. That is one of the laws that is on the books but in my experience never observed.
If an internal lock is important you could install your own for a few hundred Bhat. As a monger I doubt that would dent your budget.
When you rent from the developer you will normally get an unsold but basically furnished unit. The same development will almost certainly have owner units for rent with better specs.

 

Which condos have you rented from for less than a month?

I own my condo so don't need to rent.
Plenty of friends have rented for a month or less in Soi 15, City Garden, The Urban and The Avenue during the last year.
Also the Base.
There are plenty of places available by the day online as well.

[Thailand Red]

My experiences of the condos I've stayed in Pattaya:

Unixx: 1 month studio on the 40th floor 14,000. Was very impressed by the build quality of the condo, everything about it feels solid, doors, floors, walls etc, very comfortable bed. Very, very good security. Good facilities. The only problem was the location, if you don't have a motorbike it's a hassle.

Novana Residence: 1 month 15,000 studio including bills. Feels cheap build quality, things kept not working (door lock, electricity, internet) , toilet flooded, bed was uncomfortable, 1 security guard at night who is either sleeping or playing on his mobile. It did however have a very good gym with a squat rack.

I'm still looking for that perfect apartment to move into for 6 months or a year and very cautious because Novana looked great in pictures but was a disappointment.