Renting in Thailand - The House VS Condo Decision 

I bought a stripped out unit in an older condo a couple hundred meters off the boulevard where a Sky Train line is under construction. I am far enough off the main street, and my soi dead ends at my condo, so that I don't hear traffic noise and the price was so low that I could remodel with all my own furniture and the appliances I wanted, tailored to my specifications, and still be cheaper than a furnished condo. Because I own, the costs will never go up but the property value will when the new BTS station opens in October. I can walk to a large Makro, TescoLotus, Big C, and a full-service private hospital. I pay zero property tax because its value is less than three million baht and my maintenance fee is Bt. 517 a month. We have a good security and maintenance staffs, great water pressure, and friendly, helpful management. I don't mow or paint or have any responsibilities for anything outside my own unit. Of course, I am intending to stay here until I die but, because of the proximity to a Sky Train station, I can always sell my condo for a profit. Because my unit faces East and is on the tenth/top floor, I get a great breeze all dry season and no hot sun in the evening. My best Thai friend found the unit for me and his GF, who owns many properties, did all the negotiating for price and went to the Land Office with me for the title change. The condo has restaurants, stores, hairdressers, laundry, exercise room, pool, and free parking. I've been here 16 months and have no regrets. I like the anonymity of condo life as my unit looks no different than all the others and anyone who sees me go in doesn't know which floor I'm going to much less which unit. I think I have a lot more privacy and security with a condo and certainly less work and expense.

I live in a condo, sometimes I think I would like a house but then I appreciate someone else cleaning the pool, doing the gardens, security, building repairs and maintenance. Cheap to air-condition, easy to keep clean.

I agree with everything you said except for which is better for security. I've had both a house and a condo and I feel a condo is much more secure if you decide to leave for a while. You just need to secure one door (assuming the condo is high enough that it would be hard to get in through the balcony door)

Another on point assessment, Loucous. Condos are definitely better for a minimalist, nomadic lifestyle. With a home, you'll only end up buying more things you don't need🤣😂

Definitely a condo guy in Thailand but thank you for providing a solid and objective comparison. Hope you and yours are happy, healthy, and having a great 2021!

You're not allowed to hook a pump directly to the town supply (for possible contamination reasons if it creates suction in the pipes), so if you need to pump to get water pressure upstairs (i.e. for a shower), you need a tank that you can connect the pump to. (Tank fills up from the town supply, and everything in the house is fed from the pump on the tank). The side-effect of that is you have a tank's worth of water when the town supply is down for whatever reason. It's a down-side of not having a massively pressurised water supply... But it's pretty much a requirement everywhere in Thailand (At least if you have a shower upstairs. - We have a tank at our house in Bangkok for exactly that reason.) Another upside, I'm not aware of a house where you don't get government rates for electricity.

To me...the best advantage of living in a condo,is the security..mine..visitors can only enter with a key card. I have high level condo,wich gives me fantastic sea views,plus a good breeze..i also have cnr unit. When i travel overseas.i just shuf the door and leave.its 99% secure. Being able to own in my own name,a big bonus.. No work involved in maintaining gardens or pool etc..also very secure parking.. Condos are generally in more central area.. Many more bonuses with a condo,but somebody with kids or pets are better to live in a house. Some of the gated complexes are fairly secure.. I last life,ive mostly lived on semi rural properties,with plenty of land,so having condo is a pleasant change.. Higher level condos,generaly free of insects and outside noise..

Hi Loucous. One factor for me would be in case of a fire. It's much faster to wake up to the smoke detector and get out alive in a house. On the 20th floor it's a bit more dangerous. Cheers mate.

Top Vlog Today Lucas. Man your good at thinking up new items.👍👍

Really enjoy the channel and this video had some decent points in fairness, but honestly I feel like you didn't even mention the biggest plus for the house, and scored a draw for what in my experience is actually a huge advantage for the condo life. The MASSIVE pro for me at least on house v condo is potential noise issues. If you live in a condo block, as I do and have for 30 years ( in HK houses aren't really in my budget since my budget isn't 40k USD plus a month😕) , you have to look live with the inevitability of noise issues. Your neighbours may not get up when you do, go to bed when you do, like the same music you do, and unless the sound insulation is next level they'll be sharing all that with you and you with them. I've always been pretty lucky with that aspect in the main, but of course get the wrong upstairs neighbor and get ready to move out. Then there's the inevitability of renovation. A renovation involving lay out changes, walls coming down, hammer drilling the bathrooms back to bare shell isn't a question of some decent noise cancelling headphones. I have one two floors up just now I can still hear 5 minutes drive away. And they go on for months. One finishes another starts, my personal best was 4 seperate ones going on simultaneously. A detached house the neighbors could have a barking dog maybe but that's about it. No one's going to drill you out of bed hungover on a Saturday morning. The flip side is safety. High rise condos with good building management burglary is incredibly rare. Robbing a condo unit isn't that easy when you have to take lifts and walk through lobbies with your spoils. Detached homes on the other hand can be a magnet for thieves, especially if you travel a lot. So just my two cents. Houses - huge plus on noise, condos - huge plus on security.

Thank you Lucas ! This video gives another perspective on Thai living. You have always given very good insight and information. Superb !!!

Great video! I am undecided on which way I will go, but have thought about this very much. I think my first place will be a condo to get a feel for living in Thailand, but I think moving to a house later will probably be what happens. Great seeing the comparison video. Thank you!

I have a feeling the worst neighborhood in Pattaya is still safer than the best neighborhood in Baltimore.

Thanks for the video interesting to see, I think many have concluded that if single go for the cool condo, house is for a family I reckon normally, but good fun looking around 😀

Loved the video, great content love this channel 😁

At almost 70 years of age, I am more into a carefree condo than a house.

Yet another great video, trying to bring pets, so depending on my retirement money, thinking on a house. Thank you once again. One video after the other getting better, and better!!!!!!

Wonderful vlog again.. makes me wonder what to pick condo or house.. thanks a lot for the info.. regards and keep on informing us with the best deals we kind a find out there in pattaya.

Great presentation and local scene look see! As always thank you Lucas. House is good for me. No elevators, just pull up your bike / car to you door and unload groceries.

One other factor you could add to your list is maintenance. Houses you have some lawn and gardens to look after albeit mostly very small. Condo - nothing to look after - all done by on site staff. I guess it depends if you enjoy doing it yourself.

Excellent subject matter, well done in comparisons.

currently living on a very short term lease in a condo and already started researching houses. So this was very informative for me, thank you Sir.

Very informative Lucas. I'm hopefully moving there later in the year.... situation allowing! I really want a condo but I have a dog and it's been looking like a house will be more likely. I've had all negative results when enquiring about condos. Thanks for mentioning pets! 👍

Lucas, thanx a lot for that great insight and I think both houses look excellent regarding the asking prices for the value they give you. That is exactly my thinking process for the time after my retirement. We are planning to go back and forth from my home here in Germany and Pattaya, so I will do short time rentals and will try both options for sure. But so far, regarding Condos, I totally agree with your choice of that Grand Avenue place, excellent value for the rental price! Location, interior, pool, gym etc. great package over all! I always enjoy your videos, they actually make me feel a lot better in these strange times; at least for the 20 min. I am watching...haha ;-)

Interesting comparisons R4K the first house was really well laid out, ok little expensive but no worse than inner city living in most countries, probably a lot cheaper ultimately. I'd be sticking with a condo for the facilities myself but thanks for putting it together - really useful perspective as always. Big thumbs up from the UK 🇬🇧 👍

Another great video, thanks.

Listen , I Was Always Favoring Buying Than Renting , But Now Having A House In Thailand For 10 Yrs , Been Trying To Sell To Back To States , Great House , Good Location , Priced Below Market But After 3 Years And No Buyers ! So Now I Would Recommend To RENTING ONLY IN THAILAND , ... YOUR MORE FLEXIBLE IN YOUR PLANNING !

Great video! Excellent detailed comparison of condo vs house. 🤓🌏✈️

Nice job. Keep up the good work. Take Care

Another interesting video...speaking of pets...maybe you coulddo a video on what condo's in Jomtien and Pattaya allow pets...and what type of pet services do they have in you area...if any. As a pet owner would love to take my pet overseas with me. Also is there an agency that takes care of the beloved critters paperwork...just an idea for a video as I am sure there are hundreds of pet owners out there who would love to come to Thailand long term. Also if Pattaya had a condo complex strictly for pet owners I think that would be a big hit...it would have a pet yard for dogs...or a pet room for cats to meet other cats...an active online bulletin board for pet sitting, etc....anyway Lucas, great material!

Another great video Lucas. Mark me down for a brand new CONDO!

Great video mate interesting choices 👍

Thanks for the vid.. enjoy it alot and I was drolling for the first house until I heard the price :) more expensive than my mortgage in US.

great video indicating some important basics and comparisons. I'm a gas stove, gas grill and privacy guy and would the opportunity present it, live further out, away from the hustle and bustle....thats just me.

I think “height” and “views” is another factor... I think it is amazing to have a Seaview balcony on a high floor....the BEST ...to have a morning coffee or a sunset cocktail ...watching the waves roll in...and the sun rising or setting! 😎🌈

Anything low maintenance wins in my book.

Yeah being a single guy the condo wins out every time, but nice to see what's on offer there nice one.

While you were in some rooms in the house you were looking straight out and into the neighbours windows, a very short distance away. Noise is another consideration in a house where there is no management like in a condo to regulate noise levels of neighbours.

I think the advantages of a condo is you're going to get a pool, usually a gym/fitness center, you'll get stuff that breaks fixed faster, and most importantly you get some degree of policing/security.

As a single female, who chooses not to ride a motorbike, this impacts where I live.

Very good video, I love it. I am always for the house life. 🙏

This is a great video. Although the condo life seems simple, when the condo looks like a converted Bella Vista room, I would lose my absolute mind living in such a small, cramped place. This is nice and lots of options. I've also seen lots of videos on villas and they seem like such a nice place (Hua Hin especially). Thanks for the video.

Very interesting. Thx ! I am a drone enthousiast too. Which one are you using please ?

My thai wife would prefer a house, but our condo in Hua Hin provides us the freedom to travel whenever we want.......drawbacks, no pets at our condo, also like you said, only 2 bedrooms so it is crowded when her family comes to visit.....trade offs either way i think......great work, and video again Lucas!

Hey Lucas, there is one factor you mentioned nut forgot to add in your evaluation - method of use. In a house, I would assume that you have more freedom and flexibility in subletting / sublease, etc. than a condo. Anyway, another fantastic vid. Thanks bro.

Interesting and perfect timing as we are considering a rental in Pattaya - live in a nice house in a small village so for Pattaya I think a condo wins for us. Those housing estates have never appealed to me, houses all close together.

2nd house was awesome.. great price.. I think I would end up with a larger bike collection! Definitely nice to BBQ and have some gatherings at that house. Still close to town. Easy to call a Grab and get to bar and back home.. House is key!

If I was single, I'd rent a small house, as long as it was detached. Townhouses here are dreadful places. And with condos, you can't guarantee not to get a noisy person moving into what is effectively the next room.

I look at how close those houses are to each other in your second example and cringe at the lack of privacy I would feel in such a neighborhood. Give me the relative anonymity of a condo unit any day.

Great video..I think you covered it well..is noise better in one than the other? I remember the hotels being noisy there...but I hear burning and other dark side noises could equal condo noise🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️?

Thanks, I was wondering which option would be best for me. If I was buying one tomorrow I would choose -Condo.

Hi Lucus, enjoyed your video. It gives one ideas and food for thought. I am a single guy and I don't like the idea of condo living. Firstly I do not want to be on the 8th floor I would not feel safe in case of fire. I want to be on the ground so a house would be my preference. I like the idea of living space outside. A dirty kitchen barbeque somewhere outside to entertain guests. Plus you get more space in a house but to get all this one has to expect to pay more. I would be happy to rent in the outer areas where rentals are much cheaper. All depends on what you want we are all different. Keep the vids coming. GOD Bless you and yours. M

Seems to me unless you are looking to buy (for your wife) living in a condo is best for a place like Pattaya. Basically, to take advantage of the city, which is why you are there on the first place.

Nice video! In Thailand, I'll take a condo anytime over a house, just because of better security and lower utility bills. We should be in Pattaya in about 3 weeks. Maybe we'll run into you there.....Gar and Ann

Quality viewing as always

Here is my feedback: Can you do the video regarding condo fees like HOA fee and other cost involving common areas fees? As always you video are fun to watch and very informative especially for expats. Thanks so much and keep them coming.

Furnished vs no furnished would be a deal breaker for me

Tanks Nice topic

Agreed with some others .condos for singles .houses for families. Nice houses in your video . Thanks

Good looking house...and not expensive when as you suggest sharing....

I wouldn't live in a condo in Europe but in Thailand with the gym, pool etc, I think it's not too bad if you like the city living! The problem with them is the're mostly tiny

Your videos are very intesting because it helps to see life in Thailand with the eyes of an expat. Thanks a lot!

I was going to ask if you could do a house review, it’s great that you have. I absolutely agree with you regarding if you have a family that a house would probably be better. I knew a guy who has a house at lakeside who’s house was broken into while he was away playing golf. The good thing was he had cctv and the cops were able to apprehend the toe-rags. Unfortunately I don’t think he got all of the £10000 back. Apparently they ripped his safe out of the wall.

hey Loucous, have you considered doing a vdo / like a “add on” to this topic, but one about “Is it better to Rent or Buy”. I have bought condos here in Pattaya, but when newbies ask me that question, being a finance guy, I tell them it makes better sense financially for some people to just Rent. So, of course people ask me, why is it that you buy condos, but tell others that quite often it is better decision just to rent....now that is a longer and more detailed conversation, but keeping it simple, it’s balancing on one side the “finance side” and the other side “personal side”.

I love the first house!!!

Regarding the 2nd house and the balcony that connects to bedroom #2, would it be against the rules to erect permanent privacy fencing along the side of the unit? Not tall plants that would need to be taken care of however.

5/6 year build (Arnom village, jontien),5 mins from beach 3 bed, 2 bathroom bungalow, large living/dining area, fully furnished modern, AC washing machine, dish washer etc, European kitchen, private pool, jacuzzi, gated/roofed carport, 24 hr security, 28,000 bht month, before C19, lived there for 3 years, before my move to Korat...

Lucas, what about the noise factor, can you hear your neighbors in most condos there?. Conversely, if you're listening to music on a nice system is it heard down the hallway?

Consider noise levels when either renting a condo/house. Utilize your own judgement but that may not be enough during your viewing (likely in the daytime). A luxury for most in cities, but you want to have undisturbed sleeps and not have rowdy neighbors/randoms working during the night/having quarter mile drag races outside; etc. Lol, I remember your situation at your old Bang Saen condo - I would have broke the lease haha. Oh, that's a point to add in one of your housing videos for the viewers. Can one break their 6/12 month lease and what's the penalty? More detached housing rental videos! Cheers from the Bay Area, CA. Safe trip after the SB!

My thoughts ,leaving a house if you go on a trip,or vacation .Worry about break-ins.Think a condo would be to leave unintended much more less worry....

If you don’t mind going basic thai style you can rent low cost houses on the dark side. We own a single story 2 bedroom place off soi Khao noi. Room for a car and a couple of bikes parking plus space to park on the road. My wife deals with the rental and normally to Thai people but only about bht 5000 a month plus water electricity WiFi etc. You don’t get the security and other amenities that you get in the housing complexes like chokchai but it’s ok for cheap living.

Houses often have the possibility of a through draft. Few condos are constructed with that in mind. Finding those that do is a lot of work.

High rise condo for me. To each his own.

Most people are not interested in spending 80,000.00 baht (2,665.00 usd) for a home rental there.

I would be interested to see the difference between Thai style vs Western style houses.

Everybody should have a water tank, even if just renting, if they can afford it. I have one that is hooked up to the city water and house via pump. The second is just a stand alone tank filled with back-up water. It has a valve and hose on it. A decent sized "blue" plastic tank is 2,000 - 3,000 Baht. Not a lot for some peace of mind about water...if you can afford it. Houses in Thailand mostly have tile floors...this means pets are usually OK. I have to believe that there are some older houses in regular neighborhood's that are half or even less than half price of the second house...but that is a whole different living situation too. Good topic.

Yes agreed chap on his own condo every time but add Thai gf/wife and add on kids then house is the way to go . Thanks for your insight Lucas 👍🏽

I've been living and working in Bangkok nearly 10 years. Started out in apartments, then stayed in a couple different condos. Currently renting a house for the last few years. It costs more but it's worth it, for me at least.

I think you are right about this mister👍

Is the city water drinkable or are you required to bring in clean drinkable water on a separate bases.

Condos..get a higher floor. Quieter, no crowing roosters etc., no snakes or other critters walking in, generally a good breeze and as Loucous mentioned, much better security. Plus, the pool/gym/landscaping is all taken care of.

One thing that stood out in this video was something you said about crime in houses vs condos. Is there really that much burglary there?

I lived in a Thai condo. Now I rent a house. The main difference for me is houses have windows in multiple directions. My rened condo was expensive to cool and very hot, only 1 window.

Another pro for a house is you are able to have a garden

Are the villas in East Pattaya or further inland 10 km from the beach prone to floods" Think those nearer the coast would be as flooding can hit up to the railway line ..

I will buy an electric vehicle next. Is there facilities to charge the car/bike in the parking area in condos?

Hello again! Is it Lucas or Lukas? Many condos have poor floor plans and few closets.

You pay for what u get indeed high price for better comfort and surroundings or a price u can afford etc.

I am 100% certain your condo also has water tanks, you just haven't seen them. :-) For me, I guess the number one thing in my mind is that in a condo there is someone else on the other side of the wall, in a house, there isn't. For security, I know more of my neighbors around my house than I did in Pattaya around my condo. The point to that is IMO, I think there is more "security" in a neighborhood, where people look out for people than there is where everyone is anonymous and no one knows any of their neighbors.

Those tanks are required to save water . In Australia they can be connected to toilets , Think about every time people in a house flush it. Toilets uses about 12 litres of water , why not use rain water ? Houses give you space , never buy always rent ,you never know if things turn bad ,you may have to leave fast . Selling real estate can be very hard in bad times and you can loose a LOT .

1 extra thing for me was if your not there year round a condo is easier for leaving empty. And cleaning a condo a lot quicker and cheaper, especially if your paying someone to do it

Thanks for the informative house vs condo video. What does the "dark side" of Pattaya mean? Dark in terms of a bad area, no activities, no "nightlife"? How far away was the house from the center of town, or from restaurant/places to eat?

What about solar on houses?

Internet point could go to the condo. If the house is far from town.

The first Home look very nice but I do share your concern on Security....Second very nice also..Good info... J&R Nags Head

You forgot thai woman Like to have garden vegetable and flower. . Cant have in Condo. I like Condo fir the amenities.

Nice video

Another good thing about having a house is you could have more people round for a Barbecue for example.

If you rent a house in bangsarey, you can get one whit pool for 10-15 000 b easy and its only 20 km from pattaya , and if you dont mind thai stile you can get down to as low as 3-5 000 b 👍

Thanks for upload 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻