Who Lives in Your Apartment Block ?

[Dodger]

I think renting is usually the best advice for a newly retired expat. Living in Thailand is not the same as coming here for holidays and it never hurts to be patient.

Having said that, I was happy renting various properties spanning 20 years in Jomtien/Pattaya during holidays, although decided to buy my own place a few years before retirement. I knew the lay-of-the-land well, knew exactly what type of environment I wanted after retirement, and had already been settled in a LTR with my Thai partner. So for me it made sense.

I purchased a condo in Bang Saray 2 years prior to retirement and spent the next few holidays doing the renovation work - as I intentionally purchased 2 connecting units in a newer building which were empty shells. By the time I retired our new home was complete and ready for us to move in.

It's been 8 years since making the purchase and we've lived here in our humble abode for 6 years and couldn't be happier with our decision. I knew that Pattaya was imploding...saw the details regarding the EEC (Eastern Economic Corridor) investment impacting the eastern seaboard which encompasses Bang Saray...and decided to buy when the condo prices in Bang Saray were still low.

Drawbacks for me regarding renting include the fact that the building owners almost always charge double what the electric company does for monthly electric charges. This never set well with me. Now I pay the actual meter reading directly to th electric company which costs about half what I was paying as a renter.

Also, renting in a building filled with other renters means the environment is constantly changing...including times when the noise level goes up. This isn't my cup of tea either. Last, but not last, is the fact that it's easier to manage my budget having only one condo maintenance fee to pay each year versus monthly rental charges which can be raised at the owners whim. Also not my cup of tea.

Lots to consider...but renting, at least temporarily, provides a lot more flexibility for the newcomer which is recommended.

[Gaybutton]

I think renting is usually the best advice for a newly retired expat. Living in Thailand is not the same as coming here for holidays and it never hurts to be patient.

Absolutely agree. When moving to Thailand, whether Pattaya or anywhere else, I urge people to keep an "escape route" available for at least 6 months until you know for sure whether it is going to work out.

For me and many others living in Thailand is definitely for us. But many others have also tried living in Thailand and it turned out not to work for them - but they didn't know it wasn't working until they had tried it for several months.

[Jun]

Also, renting in a building filled with other renters means the environment is constantly changing...including times when the noise level goes up.

How do you control that ?
OK, I presume Bang Saray might just attract fewer tourists.

However, for me, whether I'm staying for 2 weeks, 2 months or permanently, the attraction of the area is the boys. So it has to be Pattaya or Jomtien.

As for electricity charges, in an ideal world, it would be illegal for landlords to mark up the electricity price. For a start, if they profit on electricity, it would be in their interests to ensure the aircon is as inefficient as possible.

[Dodger]

........However, for me, whether I'm staying for 2 weeks, 2 months or permanently, the attraction of the area is the boys. So it has to be Pattaya or Jomtien.

I used to think the same thing myself. You never know, after you're here for a while things may change, thus the reason renting is the way to go.

I was a renter at View Talay #1 in Jomtien for 5 years and loved it...very quiet at night, and the next 5 years I rented a friends unit at neighboring Chateau Dale which was also perfect. The only place I ever rented that was noisy at night was one year where I rented an apartment on the upper level in the heart of Jomtien Complex. The boys were literally right in my lap but I couldn't wait for my lease to expire.

I agree with GB, that new retirees are usually better off testing the waters for a while.

As a side note: Boys are everywhere.

[Jun]

As a side note: Boys are everywhere.

Boys are everywhere. Boys who are keen to jump into my bed and look cute are harder to find.
Pattaya's by far the best place I know of for that.
One good reason why the active board members tend to either live around Pattaya or spend long holidays there.

I'm so damn fussy, that when travelling outside of Bangkok & Pattaya, I meet up with boys far less frequently than in Pattaya.
Even in Bangkok, it takes a while to find them, as there are so many lads on the apps looking for people of their own age.

Incidentally, in most of these apartment blocks, can boys walk straight to your apartment door without significant interference from security or doors with entry control ?

[Dodger]

Boys are everywhere. Boys who are keen to jump into my bed and look cute are harder to find.
Pattaya's by far the best place I know of for that.
One good reason why the active board members tend to either live around Pattaya or spend long holidays there.

Yes, cute boys who are keen to jump into bed with any of us are a lot easier to find in Pattaya than romping around the rural farm villiages...no argument there, but remember, once you're retired and have all the time in the world on your hands things have a tendency of changing for many retired expats.

Farang I've known for years did exactly as I did and bounced from boy-to-boy on the bar scene and/or apps, but the majority, including myself, stumble across other more suitable options after a while. A few of my expats friends still go to the bars occasionally, but the majority either have a regular "Hot List" on their phones of boys they see regularly - or use the apps as options to chasing boys at the bars.

We're as different as the leaves on the trees and each person has to decide for themselves what type of lifestyle they want after retirement.

When I planned for retirement (a 2 year process) I knew I wanted to live somewhere with less traffic and cleaner air where I could focus more of health - but also wanted to be close enough to my beloved Pattaya that getting there would be fast and easy to feed my appetite for "Boys".

I selected the place to retire based on being single. I was hoping that my relationship with Jai would last well into the future, but not foolish enough to think there are any guarantees. In-other-words..."I planned for the worst and hoped for the best". If I was single residing where I do now I would be able to hit the scene in PTY as frequently as I wanted...invite "boy specials" back to my place for short stays and still have the advantages of living somewhere that promoted a healthier lifestyle. The best of both worlds.

If you rent for the first year after your retirement you really can't go wrong. But wherever you end up just remember to make "fun, fulfillment, and endless happiness" your goal. None of us live forever and every day counts.

[Gaybutton]

If you rent for the first year after your retirement you really can't go wrong.

Exactly. And that is why I always strenuously recommend doing just that while deciding whether living in Thailand is for you. Renting also allows you to decide whether where you first chose to live is really where you permanently want to plant yourself.

Time and time again over the years I've seen many farang, no matter how Thailand experienced they are when in Thailand for short or long term holidays, find out living in Thailand is a whole different experience.

[christianpfc]

Incidentally, in most of these apartment blocks, can boys walk straight to your apartment door without significant interference from security or doors with entry control ?

Technically yes, but the problem is elsewhere: most apartment block have an access control (by key or key card) that allows only residents to get in. Where I live, this is often circumvented by strangers (?) or several people live in one room, but only one key (?) by waiting in front of the door for someone who has a key, to sneak in with them. However, it would be a poor start to tell a boy to wait for a resident to get in or out, then then get in through the open door and come up to my room. In practice, I go down and wait in front of my building for the boy to arrive and let him in and up to my room.

The other way as well, when I go to see friends at their place, they have to come down to meet me and let me in. One of them lives in a place where the lift has a face recognition (that even works with face mask on!) which recognizes me as a stranger but him as a resident and allows him to go to his floor.

I find this very annoying and think there might be a market for an access system that allows a resident to send a temporary code to a visitor, that allow the visitor to get in once.

[Gaybutton]

I find this very annoying and think there might be a market for an access system that allows a resident to send a temporary code to a visitor, that allow the visitor to get in once.

I think that is an excellent idea. I hope we'll soon see it happening.

[Jun]

An access code would work well. Modern technology ought to allow several other variations on that idea. The obvious one is facial recognition for repeat visitors.
Or better still, have something where you can upload a photo and grant temporary access rights to that person. If that Grindr boy doesn't look like his photo, he's not getting in ! I see some advantages in that.

Where I visit people in UK apartments, I press the button for their apartment number, speak to them and they open the door remotely to let me in.
We know of at least one place in Pattaya that had such a system, but it's no longer working.