I am also living and teaching in Thailand. I like the way you put things in perspective when it comes to the income and lifestyle. It is on point it is a lifestyle choice, money is not the beginning and end of everything.
Buy a condo with a lot of units. Buy a condo that middle-class Thais would buy. Avoid east Bangkok flood zones. Don't buy anything as soon as you arrive. Just because it's a luxury condo, don't expect it to be well managed. GREAT ADVICE!!! That'd have been worth $5 on Patreon (hint, hint). My plan is to move there next year, and rent for 3 months or so, while checking out the central Bangkok area, and looking for a local Thai builder outside of the flood zone. Thankfully, one of my Thai classmates recently moved back to Bangkok, and another will move back as soon as she graduates, so I oughtta have trustworthy local friends who can advise me, and possibly help me negotiate more honest prices. Even without their help, this video has been invaluable. I really appreciate you making it!
Any advice for how to rent short term in a condo that seems to only offer min 1-year rental contracts? How much more am I expected to pay if I only wanna rent short term (few weeks to few months)? Is it even negotiable?
Another point: buy a condo already built and established. There are too many building projects that go bust. Next, even though they may not be up to US standards, consider hiring a lawyer to over see the purchase. It's very cheap. You can learn the names of attorneys from expat clubs. An attorney can review documents and over see the the "closing". He/she can also draft a will and other documents for the transfer of the unit upon your death.
Good point. I didn't know any but it couldn't hurt if you knew trustworthy ones. Id definitely hire one if you're going with a builder you're not familiar with.
Your videos are generally high quality, and you're a positive guy that everyone will probably sympathize with. I see no reason why you cannot be successful on youtube, however note that the Travel niche, is not very well paid and there are not as many advertisers paying a lot of money for travel bloggers. But, if you're passionate enough, the number of subscribers and patreons will add up. Good luck!
haha yeah... I do travel cause I am passionate about it but I am realizing that it's a super niche genre with alot of competition. I am eventually planning to branch out into food, products, interviews, and life in general with all the places I get to visit and the people I meet depending on what my viewers seem interested in so hopefully I can be successful! Thank you for the feedback :)
Still til this day, this is my favorite video of your. I actually rewatched this video many times. Massive huge big ups ethan. The subjects you touch on this videos is deep and educational.
@@livetravelasia well I've been planning to move for about 5 years now...came across your channel...I haven't caught onto where you bought for 2 mil ..how far are you from lets say terminal 21 by bts. Missing thailand miserably!! :( and its only been 3 months since we've back..
Rekha Mukhia I bought for 1.7 actually but now the prices have gone up and even gone up since I made this video. I am about 15 mins from terminal 21 enquatgier and thonglor in rca
Totally agree about the HOA and how the building is maintained. In the luxury condo market, buy from a company like AP who has a record of maintaining all their properties. Been living in Bangkok off and on for 10 years and it is an amazing place to live and a happy daily life.
Yeah AP seems good but there are a few that seem to have a decent track record so there's lots of choices. AP also has a budget line that felt identical to the Lumpinis at a good value.... I think they are the life line of condos? Lumpini is also getting into the luxury line as well and those looked really nice. So ultimately builders that have a good record, and you can find your budget within their line of buildings I think
After Looking around Bangkok I agree about the HOA. Its the one thing I fear the most. Imagine buying a nice condo but in a few years it looks like a ghetto due to no maintenance.
We have a lot in common. Im moving there in a couple months and will take a TEFL course. I sold real estate in the US and can live off those funds for many years. I just need the visa mainly. Im originally from California but have lived all over the US
My Friend I must say this is one of the best videos I have seen about Thai property. You come across very open and honest. You have a very friendly aura. Thank you so much for being you.
This video of yours couldn't have come at a better time. I'm very interested in moving over to Thailand to stay and I have to say your video cover ton of points I was researching on. Do post more of such contents and I look forward to more of what you will share. Cheers!
I am really happy to hear that... I've been hesitant as I don't know everything on these topics but hopefully you could learn from some of my experiences, good and bad. I'll definitely try to do more informative videos although I am not sure if people will enjoy me rambling on for over an hr... hahahaha
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA I can't say for the others but I definitely enjoyed it. It's always good knowing both sides of the coin rather than just projected fantasy we see based on other videos.
I am really glad you see it that way. I totally agree. Everyone has different opinions so I don’t expect everyone to agree with mine but I hope you got some gems off this video and together with all the other great resources you have out there, you make an even more informed decision than I did back when I first moved out the Thailand
If you have additional information to share please do so. I am not making any claims that my lifestyle is for everyone but simply sharing my experience. Thank you for the comment tom
New subscriber here. I honestly love that you have a finance and real estate background. Most of these travel TH-camrs don't have that, so we never get to see nor understand what it's really like to live in another country. Your perspective is refreshing and extremely educational. In all honesty, I love this type of content on your channel the most. Based on viewership count, it also seems to appeal to a lot of people too. Although to appeal to a larger audience, I think it may be helpful to keep the videos to about 20 min or under. Would love to see a video of a South Korea version of the cost of living analysis you did for life in Thailand.
Thank u so much for this awesome video, as a person who's gonna live and work in Bangkok for a long time, there are so much information i need to absorb to be quickly adapt to this new environment. And i got recommend for u bro! we all know that Bangkok is a growing hub for innovation and other soft power , there are more and more freelancers and businessman coming to Thailand , a brief introduction of the counties or district of Thailand will be very useful for other ppl , like which area is famous for the financial environment, which is famous for something , u dont need to focus on food or fun places, we can focus on industry the concept is like the area is crowded with the ultra-wealth thai which u just mentioned in this vlog. just a minor recommend, thank u very much
@@livetravelasia actually, i think there are a lot of topics which are useful , informative and view-attractive . such as living in Bangkok u should be careful of which types of scams , and also the working permit &visa section or even medical emergency intro. but i understand your core value of the channel is for all Asia. BTW ,you can also go inside Hubba to meet some new friends, share any expat's experience who lives in bangkok and their stories ,working experience as well. I guess the viewers are gonna like it. It depends on if you want to change your vlog style .(long version to short version) So grateful that you read and reply my recommend man ! fully support!
this is great information from who i believe is a trustworthy guy. You dont come off arrogant and overconfident as many of the other thailand vloggers. Glad I came across this channel. I hope one day I can pull the trigger and get over my fear of flying and just go visit thailand.
Awww thank you for your kind comment. Hope to see you out here too. It took me years to pull the trigger myself so I totally get you. Hope you at least come out for a visit one day however :)
Very useful and informative content. I've been going to BKK for a few years now and doing what you advise about exploring different areas before buying a condo. Last year I did a 3 month rental at a Ideo Mobi condo in Bang Na. The condo was inexpensive to rent, very close to the BTS, super clean, with nice huge pool and small gym. Great place but too far from city center for me. I noticed many Ideo Mobi condo's around BKK. Winter 2019/2020 I booked a condo in Ekkamai, close to the bus terminal and BTS. Thank you for sharing your wisdom on purchasing a condo in Thailand. What you do is really helpful to me, and I'm sure many others.
Ideo mobis are definitely popular. I’ve heard from my ex she read they aren’t built well so I’d think twice about buying them but renting them are great cause they all try to place them in convenient locations but take that w a grain of salt. She didn’t have much nice things to say about any builder except the sansiri which is expensive loo
I did a lot of research on property (real estate) in Bangkok. The thing that really surprised me is that the maintenance charge generally doubles every 5 years due to inflation (wage inflation). Thais generally want new. I believe it is easier to get a bank loan on a new condo because of an agreement with the developer. I also see that the advertised sale price on second hand condos are generally never achieved. One is lucky to get 90% of advertised price. I also have seen recently that people that were flipping off plan are lucky to get their money back now. I would only buy a property in Thailand if one intends to live in it for more than 10 years (as you basically say).
Yeah and I also would add that you should come live here for at least a year to know if you really want to live here for 10 years as Thailand isn't for everyone. As for maintenance charge I've been here almost 3 years and it hasn't gone even 10 percent. The inflation was bigger a before as Thailand was on the up for the past 10 years but that's not something you should take into consideration. If you are than one should take into consideration the huge inflation in home prices as well. My aunt purchased the same model as mine back in about 2012 and sold it in 2015 for double the price but I didn't expect that kind of return cause everything is so dynamic. At the end of the day, I'd just buy it with the intent to at least break even on rental payment and anything else above that is cherry on top
This is one of the most informative videos I've seen on this topic. Your channel is also fantastic! I live in Khon Kaen and am looking at moving to Korat. (Not too far from BKK, but close enough.) Definitely subscribing and going to watch all your vids!
Dude, you hit the nail on the head on so many topics. With the property tax, It's same way here in Canada, you pay property tax and technically the queen owns everything. Property prices are inflated by foreign money coming in, mainly China, like in Cali, no regulation at all. Regular guy can no longer afford a place in Toronto/Vancouver. I recently visited Thailand, loved it, if I can manage remote work I'll definitely give living there a chance.
Good work. I like how positive you are. Will be moving to Bangkok from NYC. Married to a Thai lady so we decided that we're moving there since it's cheaper than the states. Looking forward to see what else can I learn from Thailand before moving there for good.
I like your informative video. I'm Thai who lived in the US for more than 30 yrs. Now, I'm back in Thailand but not living in Bangkok like I used to anymore.Your vids show and tell me a lot about the city that I used to know and love.Thank you so much!
Thank you. I am always flattered when a native Thai compliments my channel as it's hard to balance being fair and informative and respectful as well. I genuinely love this city with all it's crazy highs and lows and I hope it shows in my videos :)
Thank you so much for the comment. Yes I do have more condo buying vlogs planned which I’ll get to editing after I wrap up some of the travel vlogs in my pipeline
Thank you so much for this comment. It really means a lot to me. Hope to see you comment on my other discussion topics in the future cause it's a fine balance between respectful and being too cautious to express one's opinion. Still trying to find the right balance
28:24 Well the land level map applies for the flash floods from rains above those area which is common during monsoon season when sewage system cannot cope with the amount of rains. However you need to considered the flood barrier in case of flood crisis back in 2012. In 2012 flood crisis, most of the flood came from the dam in the northern part of Thailand. So when those water arrives the greater Bangkok they was blocked by the certain ring roads that has been constructed and elevated for both commuting and flood prevention (indicates as red line with dot in your map). Those area outside the ring road, tho those land may be in the higher ground than most of the Bangkok, they will be heavily flooded coz the water from the north cannot move any further south. And the water level will rise until it exceed the barricade road. Back in 2012 the water did cross the barrier road which means the land outside the barrier has been submerged under 1+ meters of water. BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration) then built up layer over layer of water barricade to divert water to West/East side and hope that the water will remains in only northern part of BKK in order to avoid the downtown flood which is on way lower ground. So it's ended up that BMA allowed flood water to reach only around Central Plaza Lat Phrao which seems to has higher ground, while lower ground downtown was well protected. My houses in Banchak, Onnut and Banga which situated very close to the river and in a very low ground level, were dry. At that time we thought that our house will definitely submerged, however, it does seems that BMA and government will not allow central Bangkok to get flood (apart from flash flood). Meanwhile another house that my family bought near Bang Khean which my parents bought in feared of flood in Sukhumvit area and Bang Khean is on higher ground, it was flooded for weeks. So my point is, there are kinds of flood here. The flash flood from rain downpour and the flood water from the northern dam which associated different risks so please keep that in mind as well. If you are living upper outside the barrier or upper north of Bangkok, you have to accept the risk that if there is flood crisis in Bangkok. Your house will be the very first to submerge. It is very unlikely for such a crisis to occur, but i if it did, it will takes weeks or month to dry.
This particular map I looked at was how much the place was flooded during the 2012 and yes I heard something along the lines of what you are saying but thank you for explaining in such detail. I hear BMA will sacrifice other areas to protect the center of the city if that kinda flood happened again.... I haven't experienced any flash floods but in the last 4 years I guess I am lucky cause my area tends to not get submerged like when I see the news reports of areas in Ladprao and Bangna get flooded in the main roads. Other than that I think it's just the luck of the draw
I have lived on and off in Thailand for the last five years, and I was told a long time ago foreigners can’t own property, so I didn’t check any further, until last week, and I now know I could fully own a condo, I’m annoyed with myself to be honest as I could have paid for one by now, live and learn ... thanks for the video, and good luck.
Yeah I don’t blame you cause most locals are surprised I own my own condo and say that’s not legal. Only way I knew about it to be honest is because my aunt had purchased one herself and told me about the befits of owning one if I wanted to stay long term. I am so sorry to hear that you were mislead. I wish you the best with your future endeavors in thailand or elsewhere and thank you for the comments :)
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA Thanks man, it must be cool not having to worry too many bills at the end of the month, at least now I know, so maybe I’ll take the plunge next year, it’s good to see other people who think similar to me, I fell in love with the place, the expenses are so much less here than in the US or pretty much anywhere, and there’s hardly any downsides, apart from maybe the smokey traffic :)
Would love to hear your thoughts on why you personally prefer Thailand over Vietnam, as you alluded to in the video. Everything can seem the same from an outsider perspective
Actually that is definitely on my things to do but now it’s got pushed back as people have so many questions about Bangkok for the time being. But there are definitely pros and cons
Yes I figured as much but you are a bright dude so you can do some research on it. I suggest you look into it anyhow just because it is something you might want to consider. Honestly brother, you look like a dead ringer for a coder lol. Look into web development or if you are more ambitious Full stack development. You can make good money and its portable (meaning you can live anywhere with an internet connection and be able to work.
Enjoy your video. I am from Thailand myself and been living here in Los Angels since 1997.I also plan to move back sometime in 10-15 years.My plan is buy stocks and sell covered call option for passive incomes and hopefully achieve financial freedom soon. Hope my plan going well and see you there sometime in the future.
Also to further help your point about the condo. Buying something for $30k even if Bangkok sinks in 10 - 15 years! Think of rent in your area in the US or Canada. Where I am a 1BR is between 1000 to 1500 for a nice place. At $1000 in 2&1/2 years you just spent $30k. Much smarter decision to buy if you plan a long term stay in Thailand and then you can get it back on sale.
Yeah it was a no brainer for me cause 10-15 years break even. And I think the sinking thing is a overblown fear. The city in Louisiana is under sea level and they just built a levy to cover for it. We also don't have hurricanes here either
A lot of people like it cause it’s not as noisy as the center. I personally think sukhumvit sucks although it’s convenient next to the roads. But most ppl complain about the traffic and air here and that’s because they live near sukhumvit. Surrounded by tall sky scrapers and there’s literally a roof over the busiest street cause the bts runs over it so all the noise, air is trapped below it and even when it rains it doesn’t do a good job of clearing out the air but instead just makes the streets dirty and the rats to come out. Quite frankly I avoid sukhumvit. Rama 3 is great for all the reasons sukhumvit isn’t. Next to river, better air, slower neighborhood. But it’s also has a central mall like the one you see in my video. Worst thing about Rama 3 however is that no bts, but if you’re retired and not going into the city every day you’ll find most things you need to live your daily life next to you. And it’ll be much more affordable than sukhumvit. Rama 9 where I live in more modern but still away from sukhumvit. In between Rama 3 and sukhumvit area. It’s a bit more pricier as well. Anyways you’ll have to find out for yourself what I mean. Cause I can only speak definitely about the relation of places between each other but I can’t relate it to where you live or your expectations
Thank you for taking the time to comment and encourage me. I hope you will also like my future discussion videos and don't be a stranger on the comments section :)
Thank you, in these kinds of discussion videos I try to be as informative as possible but no matter how hard I try I am still one of the guys who likes living out here in thailand so just be aware ultimately you’ll have to find out for yourself. Feel free to let me know if there are other questions you want covered as well as I am planning to do more videos like this :)
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA - that’s what I appreciate. I’m Black American and my first trip to Asia was Thailand on the advice of a Japanese friend of mine here in Northern California. I was so well received that I’ve been back about 4 times. Now another good friend of mine who is originally from Malaysia is convincing me to buy a condo in BKK for retirement. That surprised me because I couldn’t believe he would choose there over Malaysia. Then a Thai friend of mine got divorced, sold his San Francisco home for a small fortune and bought a condo in BKK. So long story short... although retirement is several decades away, a vacation condo to be used later in retirement doesn’t have to be that far off 😊. So your videos are VERY helpful!
Yeah actually I have a Malaysian friend as well who bought a house in Malaysia for his family but chooses to not live there cause he like Bangkok so much... I’ve never been but it’s always ranked as one of the top places to retire and I’ve gotten comments from some people who will swear Malaysia is better. But to each his own :)
I would never buy property in my girlfriend / wife name but what do you think of the ideal of buying property in wife name and then turn. Around and lease it from her at 1 or 2 dollars a month so that you are locked into the property for 33 years if something happens between each she can not remove you from the property.
Some people do this but you're gonna have issues if you want to liquidate it. The issues I see with foreigners buying property revolve mostly around liquidation (inability to liquidate when they need to, being tied down to an area they later don't like cause they can't liquidate, or their girlfriends or whatever liquidate it, or they break up with their girlfriends but can't liquidate it) it's either that or they buy from a non proven builder (it can even be your wife's brother or whatever) and it has issues with construction which actually can be issues with liquidation cause you wanna get out of it but you can't cause nobody will buy it because either 1 it's shoddy or 2 you built a mansion in the middle of Isaln somewhere in the rice fields where nobody but them was crazy enough to wanna live when you could afford to live in a smaller home in civilization. I honestly think if I had to go through all that trouble, I would just cut the wife girlfriend buying and just lease from a stranger with a clause that lets me terminate early for an acceptable fine. If people don't think a small condo in the areas that Thai's like to live (thus they construct a building w/ 100s of units and it sells out instantly) than they probably shouldn't buy a home at all cause they are wanting something nobody else wants out here still stuck in their Western mindsets. And for that reason I recommend living out here for a few a few years at least to understand why their concept of an ideal home doesn't match up with a Thai and at that point if they fully understand why but are willing to accept all the risks as I have over the years, than more power to them. But imho owning property in Thailand is risky if you don't go with the route most people do them. When in Rome...
Thanks Ethan, I love your video and the information you've provided. As a Thai person living in US for 20 years, I do appreciate (and agree with) your opinion and honestly about living in Thailand as a foreigner. My (American) partner has always been thinking about moving to Thailand at some point of our lives, and your video is filling a lot of information gabs that we have. Thanks and keep this up!
I just started watching your channel. Your so sympathic and you are such an honest and kind person. :) you have a good soul buddy. Btw really good video! Its cute how you think about kids too who cant afford the 3$.
Awesome content And I love the Dead Pool figures. Thank you. BTW I pay 10K per in property taxes year here in Silicon Valley. I am selling this summer :(
If you can get the finances to work out where you're making positive cashflow it may be worth it but honestly it's a pain in the ass to property manage in the states... All the talk of a bubble also makes me nervous as well as the upcoming earthquakes. Hope it works out for ya buddy :)
Great job on your video and perspective! Harald on the top of the list does give good advice on buying property abroad. He receives a lot of negative feedback, but he gives out excellent information.
Hope it was helpful. No advice is perfect as we all have unique experiences that help us simply form our opinions but hopefully my perspective helps you in forming yours :)
Yeah it’s definitely not for everyone. I’d only buy it if you plan on living here for more than 10 years or plan on visiting frequently for that period of time. Thanks for the comment!
There is a third alternative...u can lease a property 30 years....with two 30 year options. But should get a Thai lawyer involved. A property developer tried to pull one over me in puhket. Amazing what foreigners will sign because the contract is in English and there's a smile on the opposite side.
Thanks so much for sharing, amazing video - good advice. What is the condo loans available for snow birds maybe planning to live abroad for 1/2 or 1/4 the year. Or is everything cash based which is probably most likely.
Nose bleeds. Have you thought about getting your nose cauterized? I experienced nose bleeds constantly and after getting the procedure two years ago, no more unexpected nose bleeds. BTW, I moved to Asia 30 years ago on a 1-way ticket with $2,000. First two years was tough but after that, all good. I can comfortably retire in NA but I choose to live the rest of my life in Asia. You mentioned you're a teacher for the meantime. From my experience, it's possible to find a better paying career and business in Asia, just need to be very resourceful and ambitious.
Yeah actually it shouldn't be too hard but if I start pursuing another career it would leave no room for me to make videos etc as I already don't have enough time to keep up. It would still be a lot more enjoyable grinding away in the corporate world out here however as everything is at least more interesting and my weekend trips would be a new country instead of just another vegas trip haha
I love Thailand but the visa situation seems to be harder to manage than ever. I feel that making something permanent out there could be a challenge. Your opinion would be appreciated.
I think making anything permanent anywhere other than the country of your citizenship is a challenge but relative to other countries I find Thailand not to be much of a challenge. I think much of the misinformation comes from the old time expats that have literally been living here since the Vietnam war era and are comparing immigration laws or the lack of enforcement there of in those ages to the current time. Having come from America I really don’t see what the fuss is about. They literally have a visa for every imaginable situation that is legal. You wanna travel out here, they got travel visas. It’s so easy people have been using them back to back and staying here for years until they’ve actually attempted to enforce it. You wanna work, your work can sponsor you for a visa. You’re brave enough to attempt starting a business here, well if you got the money you can pay for it. You want to study the language or go to college for like 2k usd a year, you got an education visa. You’re married? Marriage visa. You’re just retiring on a small sum? Show u got 25k USD in a bank account or a reasonable pension you got that too. Lastly you’re just rich and u don’t wanna deal w any of this, pay your way into an elite visa and get transfers from the airport in Mercedes and fast track w lounges etc... I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Not a single developed country in the west has such easy immigration laws and Thailand will eventually become far more developed than most of them. There are other countries where things are lax but I imagine with supply and demand, once there are too many people wanting to live there, they’ll raise the bar as well. If you want to get in, get in now and establish yourself. Don’t be like those complaining expats that discount everything in this country and eventually get priced out. They are the same people who would probably have told everyone it would be crazy to buy real estate in Thailand 10-20 years ago and now they are complaining the home prices are too high it’s getting expensive etc etc when poor farmers that looked like peasants to them are now driving around in Mercedes etc. generally these trends happen until the country becomes over developed, I still see a long way for Bangkok to go until it reaches a developed phase such as Korea or japan as modern as things look here
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA thanks for your reply...you make some great points here and you are absolutely right. I had a bad experience with a nasty immigration officer but it all worked out that time...however it left a bad taste as there was no need for it. Everything was in order. Anyway, thanks again for your input
Hi I have a question. I will be soon marry with a Thai woman. The reason why I'm watching your video is that; now we live in Europe but we are planning to return soon to Thailand and of course to Bkk. I would like to ask in this case how the merriege visa work? Is there any website where I can get those informations? Please don't stop to make your video; people can said any kind of comments, but in the end there is always someone you can help. Thank you
Awesome vid! I'm from Pennsylvania, been living outside the US for 4 years now in Saudi Arabia and am looking to move to Asia to start a business. Thanks for the info!
I'm surprised at how long I watched (46 minutes so far). You certainly have a gift for clear communication. As a long-term expat in SE Asia everything you described very much matches my own experiences. Keep up the great work.
Thank you. Glad you found the information informative and if you do buy a property I wish you the best and hope the property serves you as well as mine has
It’s definitely been increasing but I don’t plan on selling it. It’ll be my forever vacation home. Since I am living in Asia I need a place to park all my stuff
I like the video you made but now I have to ask. Do the Thai people use escrow and do they perform a Title Search before pruchasing a Condo? The reason I ask is because I have seen Thailand property with 8 or more people all owning a single property. I have met a guy who owns a house built on land that does not belong to him. It's OK - he ownes the house and not the land under the house. When he sells the house - he is only selling the house. So is a Title Search performed to make sure ALL the owners of the property are selling the property and do the Thai's use escrow when selling proprty? Thanks for helping me.
It’s not a common practice and thus all the issues. That’s why I recommend if you are gonna buy something, stick w big reputable builders on condos. As a foreigner it’s hard to navigate the pitfalls otherwise
Glad to hear this! Let me know if there are other topics of interest you don't see discussed. I don't like to do these long format discussions anymore but I'll do it on one of my long street walks if it's relevant to the area
Great video man, I've heavily contemplated moving out to Bangkok over the last year. Trying to prepare for it but still wont be for a while. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thank you. I'll try to be as informative as possible but Bangkok is so diverse you'll have to just come out here and figure things out for yourself but hopefully I can give you a head start :)
Thank you so much for this video. Although I’m still working in the US and looking to become an expat for the same reasons you did. Great video quality and most of all you are fun. Definitely a subscriber and fan. 😊
New to your channel sir and I myself am researching into retiring to the south east Asian region and found this episode very informative and in depth of what one should consider...well done
Question: about your condo, How is the NOISE level in your condo? You described everything except how much noise do you get in your condo from: neighbors on the other side of your condo walls, hallway noise, outside noise through your windows?
I don't have any noise issue but I don't mention it in a video for the general audience cause it'll all depend on where you live. Some places are louder than others
Thank you for this video! It's really helpful. I want to move to Thailand but I'm just trying to figure out a way to have a stable income so I can live there.
thanks a lot for this video. You seem like a really honest guy. I'm currently working in Beijing, but I have spent a lot of time living in Thailand on and off for the past 4 years. For now, I'm saving up cash and when the housing markets around the world finally deflate a little, I'll be looking to buy. I agree with you that now is a bad time to buy as it seems like every market I look at is overpriced. Do you need to pay for these condos IN CASH (in Thailand) or are mortgages available? My guess is cash. Thanks again for the video!
I’ve heard you can get financing up to 50 percent but most lenders require income verification. Prices are even higher... in hindsight I would have told u to buy for sure back when I made this video but now I am even more concerned about giving any kind of advice to buy as it’s even more inflated... at the same time external factors such as a huge influx of more foreign investors etc could happen and prices could keep inflating...
@@livetravelasia I didn't have any money last year so it wouldn't make any difference until just recently. I still only have like 36K saved up, which wouldn't even pay for a shit house in Bangkok. But with the job I have now I could have 75K by Christmas and then I'll be looking to invest next year.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Recently found your Channel and find your videos very informative and entertaining. This one I'll have to watch in two or three sessions :) Working and saving money in Northern Cal in the hopes of making the move to Thailand one day. Subscribed and hope you make more videos to add to your helpful information playlist :)
Glad you found it helpful. And yes I’ll definitely be making more videos about traveling and living out here. It’ll mainly be about travel for the next couple months but I’ll revisit some of these living issues as I encounter them in my life :)
48:20 What you were bought is the reservation rights, I guess. Coz buying the property actually happens at Department of Land, where you mentioned that you pay tax and the builder pay half of them.
Yes the prepurchase contract she had, she sold it to me which for my condo the builder allows the original person to transfer once without a fee. Thank you for clarifying. Not sure if there is an official English term for all this that Thais adhere by
@51:30: that's what worries me. Conversely, I want to escape the 9 to 5.:) And YESsssss, your videos are worthy. You are so organized and a cool dude. So many things you said resonate with my train of thoughts. I'm glad you finally have a patreon.
Thanks buddy! And thank you for your support! Every little bit will seriously help w my expenses and eventually I hope it’ll get me on my feet to do it full time so I can get more interesting content and grow so that eventually my channel can support me. I can’t express my gratitude in words
Hey man, thanks for your videos. It’s nice hearing from another Asian-American living and working in Thailand. Best of luck I would enjoy seeing how your life here develops I would gladly donate on patreon
Thailand doesn’t have enough English speaking financial analyst and those security company pay good money for the jobs. I would say 50,000 baht for a beginner to 200,000 baht and higher for more experience. The requirement is CFA level 1 or more to get your license. May be westerner should considered this jobs coming to thailand as the earning in this business is really inflated .
I am always flattered if my videos have inspired anyone. Anyways, there are lots of risks as I explained. Please take the time to make your decisions and be aware the market conditions may not be the same as when I purchased a condo
First 3min in, "dont buy a condo". Damnit , just bought one and about to move in a few weekends. But this is just for when i travel to thailand. Just found your channel and great job on videos. Im also from So Cali and travel to thailand every summer.
Haha good deal man. If you come here every year to use it and you're on So Cal salary, you can't go too wrong. I can think of worst ways to blow my money in Cali than a cheap condo in Bangkok
It’s all dependent on the builder so I’d recommend going w a reputable one. As for mine it’s well managed so the property is fantastic and no issues w build quality. Probably better built than most American houses especially cause my builder has been using the same floor plan for over a decade and just fine tuning the materials etc for durability. Can’t say the same for any builder you chose
Enjoying the videos! Informative binge watching. Would you care to share how much $ you had or a range when you pulled the trigger and moved to Thailand? I have a great job, but have a plan to quit and move in 2-3 years. Was in banking as well, but now in Energy. Been to Thailand backpacking twice and seek that tranquil lifestyle.
Hmmmm well I'll tell you I had 100K but at the same time I would be hard pressed to assess if that's enough to help me move or if the time wasted building that much is worst... As you get older life is harder in Asia. I see these 20 something year old kids out here in Asia with nothing but with many more opportunities than me and I wish I came sooner... You'll probably just never do what you want to do thinking you don't have enough like I did. Having a near death experience made me realize I could die any day which gave me the courage to pull the trigger and live my life now. That's the only certain thing and I don't regret it so far
I am also living and teaching in Thailand. I like the way you put things in perspective when it comes to the income and lifestyle. It is on point it is a lifestyle choice, money is not the beginning and end of everything.
absolutely right!
Buy a condo with a lot of units. Buy a condo that middle-class Thais would buy. Avoid east Bangkok flood zones. Don't buy anything as soon as you arrive. Just because it's a luxury condo, don't expect it to be well managed. GREAT ADVICE!!! That'd have been worth $5 on Patreon (hint, hint).
My plan is to move there next year, and rent for 3 months or so, while checking out the central Bangkok area, and looking for a local Thai builder outside of the flood zone.
Thankfully, one of my Thai classmates recently moved back to Bangkok, and another will move back as soon as she graduates, so I oughtta have trustworthy local friends who can advise me, and possibly help me negotiate more honest prices. Even without their help, this video has been invaluable. I really appreciate you making it!
Thanks buddy! I’ll see you on the streams! I plan to cover this topic in more detail in the future as well :)
Any advice for how to rent short term in a condo that seems to only offer min 1-year rental contracts? How much more am I expected to pay if I only wanna rent short term (few weeks to few months)? Is it even negotiable?
Another point: buy a condo already built and established. There are too many building projects that go bust. Next, even though they may not be up to US standards, consider hiring a lawyer to over see the purchase. It's very cheap. You can learn the names of attorneys from expat clubs. An attorney can review documents and over see the the "closing". He/she can also draft a will and other documents for the transfer of the unit upon your death.
Good point. I didn't know any but it couldn't hurt if you knew trustworthy ones. Id definitely hire one if you're going with a builder you're not familiar with.
Your videos are generally high quality, and you're a positive guy that everyone will probably sympathize with. I see no reason why you cannot be successful on youtube, however note that the Travel niche, is not very well paid and there are not as many advertisers paying a lot of money for travel bloggers. But, if you're passionate enough, the number of subscribers and patreons will add up. Good luck!
haha yeah... I do travel cause I am passionate about it but I am realizing that it's a super niche genre with alot of competition. I am eventually planning to branch out into food, products, interviews, and life in general with all the places I get to visit and the people I meet depending on what my viewers seem interested in so hopefully I can be successful! Thank you for the feedback :)
This is the kind of stuff you put in a digital course and sell to people.
I want to teach physics math astronomy there
Still til this day, this is my favorite video of your. I actually rewatched this video many times. Massive huge big ups ethan. The subjects you touch on this videos is deep and educational.
Wow interesting... maybe I should do an update video on my thoughts haha
@@livetravelasia please do ethan. I like videos where you just sit down and talk
I was born and raised in Bangkok now living in Europe, I miss home watching this ❤️
Aww you can always come back
Bro, I can honestly say that your videos inspire me to make the move that I've been wanting to do for so long. Really good content, keep it up!
That’s the greatest compliment I could ever receive. Thank you kind sir and see you on the other side!
@@livetravelasia well I've been planning to move for about 5 years now...came across your channel...I haven't caught onto where you bought for 2 mil ..how far are you from lets say terminal 21 by bts. Missing thailand miserably!! :( and its only been 3 months since we've back..
Rekha Mukhia I bought for 1.7 actually but now the prices have gone up and even gone up since I made this video. I am about 15 mins from terminal 21 enquatgier and thonglor in rca
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA thanks for replying
Totally agree about the HOA and how the building is maintained. In the luxury condo market, buy from a company like AP who has a record of maintaining all their properties. Been living in Bangkok off and on for 10 years and it is an amazing place to live and a happy daily life.
Yeah AP seems good but there are a few that seem to have a decent track record so there's lots of choices. AP also has a budget line that felt identical to the Lumpinis at a good value.... I think they are the life line of condos? Lumpini is also getting into the luxury line as well and those looked really nice. So ultimately builders that have a good record, and you can find your budget within their line of buildings I think
After Looking around Bangkok I agree about the HOA. Its the one thing I fear the most. Imagine buying a nice condo but in a few years it looks like a ghetto due to no maintenance.
We have a lot in common. Im moving there in a couple months and will take a TEFL course. I sold real estate in the US and can live off those funds for many years. I just need the visa mainly. Im originally from California but have lived all over the US
Nice
My Friend I must say this is one of the best videos I have seen about Thai property. You come across very open and honest. You have a very friendly aura. Thank you so much for being you.
Thank you Dave. Hope it helps you on your journey to becoming a property owner :)
This video of yours couldn't have come at a better time. I'm very interested in moving over to Thailand to stay and I have to say your video cover ton of points I was researching on. Do post more of such contents and I look forward to more of what you will share. Cheers!
I am really happy to hear that... I've been hesitant as I don't know everything on these topics but hopefully you could learn from some of my experiences, good and bad. I'll definitely try to do more informative videos although I am not sure if people will enjoy me rambling on for over an hr... hahahaha
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA I can't say for the others but I definitely enjoyed it. It's always good knowing both sides of the coin rather than just projected fantasy we see based on other videos.
I am really glad you see it that way. I totally agree. Everyone has different opinions so I don’t expect everyone to agree with mine but I hope you got some gems off this video and together with all the other great resources you have out there, you make an even more informed decision than I did back when I first moved out the Thailand
If you have additional information to share please do so. I am not making any claims that my lifestyle is for everyone but simply sharing my experience. Thank you for the comment tom
New subscriber here. I honestly love that you have a finance and real estate background. Most of these travel TH-camrs don't have that, so we never get to see nor understand what it's really like to live in another country. Your perspective is refreshing and extremely educational. In all honesty, I love this type of content on your channel the most. Based on viewership count, it also seems to appeal to a lot of people too. Although to appeal to a larger audience, I think it may be helpful to keep the videos to about 20 min or under. Would love to see a video of a South Korea version of the cost of living analysis you did for life in Thailand.
Thank you. I'll try to do more nitty gritty videos when I can :)
Thank u so much for this awesome video,
as a person who's gonna live and work in Bangkok for a long time, there are so much information i need to absorb to be quickly adapt to this new environment.
And i got recommend for u bro!
we all know that Bangkok is a growing hub for innovation and other soft power , there are more and more freelancers and businessman coming to Thailand ,
a brief introduction of the counties or district of Thailand will be very useful for other ppl ,
like which area is famous for the financial environment,
which is famous for something , u dont need to focus on food or fun places, we can focus on industry
the concept is like the area is crowded with the ultra-wealth thai which u just mentioned in this vlog.
just a minor recommend,
thank u very much
Good feedback. So maybe an introduction to different areas and the crowd and businesses you'll find there. Any other topics you'd like me to include?
@@livetravelasia actually, i think there are a lot of topics which are useful , informative and view-attractive .
such as living in Bangkok u should be careful of which types of scams , and also the working permit &visa section or even medical emergency intro. but i understand your core value of the channel is for all Asia.
BTW ,you can also go inside Hubba to meet some new friends, share any expat's experience who lives in bangkok and their stories ,working experience as well. I guess the viewers are gonna like it.
It depends on if you want to change your vlog style .(long version to short version)
So grateful that you read and reply my recommend man ! fully support!
this is great information from who i believe is a trustworthy guy. You dont come off arrogant and overconfident as many of the other thailand vloggers. Glad I came across this channel. I hope one day I can pull the trigger and get over my fear of flying and just go visit thailand.
Awww thank you for your kind comment. Hope to see you out here too. It took me years to pull the trigger myself so I totally get you. Hope you at least come out for a visit one day however :)
Very useful and informative content. I've been going to BKK for a few years now and doing what you advise about exploring different areas before buying a condo. Last year I did a 3 month rental at a Ideo Mobi condo in Bang Na. The condo was inexpensive to rent, very close to the BTS, super clean, with nice huge pool and small gym. Great place but too far from city center for me. I noticed many Ideo Mobi condo's around BKK. Winter 2019/2020 I booked a condo in Ekkamai, close to the bus terminal and BTS. Thank you for sharing your wisdom on purchasing a condo in Thailand. What you do is really helpful to me, and I'm sure many others.
Ideo mobis are definitely popular. I’ve heard from my ex she read they aren’t built well so I’d think twice about buying them but renting them are great cause they all try to place them in convenient locations but take that w a grain of salt. She didn’t have much nice things to say about any builder except the sansiri which is expensive loo
I did a lot of research on property (real estate) in Bangkok. The thing that really surprised me is that the maintenance charge generally doubles every 5 years due to inflation (wage inflation).
Thais generally want new. I believe it is easier to get a bank loan on a new condo because of an agreement with the developer.
I also see that the advertised sale price on second hand condos are generally never achieved. One is lucky to get 90% of advertised price. I also have seen recently that people that were flipping off plan are lucky to get their money back now.
I would only buy a property in Thailand if one intends to live in it for more than 10 years (as you basically say).
Yeah and I also would add that you should come live here for at least a year to know if you really want to live here for 10 years as Thailand isn't for everyone. As for maintenance charge I've been here almost 3 years and it hasn't gone even 10 percent. The inflation was bigger a before as Thailand was on the up for the past 10 years but that's not something you should take into consideration. If you are than one should take into consideration the huge inflation in home prices as well. My aunt purchased the same model as mine back in about 2012 and sold it in 2015 for double the price but I didn't expect that kind of return cause everything is so dynamic. At the end of the day, I'd just buy it with the intent to at least break even on rental payment and anything else above that is cherry on top
This is one of the most informative videos I've seen on this topic. Your channel is also fantastic! I live in Khon Kaen and am looking at moving to Korat. (Not too far from BKK, but close enough.) Definitely subscribing and going to watch all your vids!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this video!
Dude, you hit the nail on the head on so many topics. With the property tax, It's same way here in Canada, you pay property tax and technically the queen owns everything. Property prices are inflated by foreign money coming in, mainly China, like in Cali, no regulation at all. Regular guy can no longer afford a place in Toronto/Vancouver. I recently visited Thailand, loved it, if I can manage remote work I'll definitely give living there a chance.
Yeah it’s hardest for working middle class people in North America...
Good work. I like how positive you are. Will be moving to Bangkok from NYC. Married to a Thai lady so we decided that we're moving there since it's cheaper than the states. Looking forward to see what else can I learn from Thailand before moving there for good.
I think you'll definitely enjoy it out here :)
I like your informative video. I'm Thai who lived in the US for more than 30 yrs. Now, I'm back in Thailand but not living in Bangkok like I used to anymore.Your vids show and tell me a lot about the city that I used to know and love.Thank you so much!
Thank you. I am always flattered when a native Thai compliments my channel as it's hard to balance being fair and informative and respectful as well. I genuinely love this city with all it's crazy highs and lows and I hope it shows in my videos :)
This has been an incredible video. Super informative. Please keep making more. You are doing a great job.
Thank you so much for the comment. Yes I do have more condo buying vlogs planned which I’ll get to editing after I wrap up some of the travel vlogs in my pipeline
Thanks so much for your time and expertise. It's people like you who make life easier for people like me.
감사합니다
Whatever way I can help!
you're transparent, respectful and informative, really really good video,you just got a new follower and one of my new favorite channel
Thank you so much for this comment. It really means a lot to me. Hope to see you comment on my other discussion topics in the future cause it's a fine balance between respectful and being too cautious to express one's opinion. Still trying to find the right balance
Thank you for your very informative, practical videos. This is the first video that has inspired me to subscribe to a channel.
Oh wow thank you so much for the comment! I'll try to do some more informative videos :)
I can hardly wait until travel opens again and countries open up again! Great video. Thanks.
Yes me too! Thank you!
28:24 Well the land level map applies for the flash floods from rains above those area which is common during monsoon season when sewage system cannot cope with the amount of rains.
However you need to considered the flood barrier in case of flood crisis back in 2012. In 2012 flood crisis, most of the flood came from the dam in the northern part of Thailand. So when those water arrives the greater Bangkok they was blocked by the certain ring roads that has been constructed and elevated for both commuting and flood prevention (indicates as red line with dot in your map). Those area outside the ring road, tho those land may be in the higher ground than most of the Bangkok, they will be heavily flooded coz the water from the north cannot move any further south. And the water level will rise until it exceed the barricade road.
Back in 2012 the water did cross the barrier road which means the land outside the barrier has been submerged under 1+ meters of water. BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration) then built up layer over layer of water barricade to divert water to West/East side and hope that the water will remains in only northern part of BKK in order to avoid the downtown flood which is on way lower ground. So it's ended up that BMA allowed flood water to reach only around Central Plaza Lat Phrao which seems to has higher ground, while lower ground downtown was well protected. My houses in Banchak, Onnut and Banga which situated very close to the river and in a very low ground level, were dry. At that time we thought that our house will definitely submerged, however, it does seems that BMA and government will not allow central Bangkok to get flood (apart from flash flood). Meanwhile another house that my family bought near Bang Khean which my parents bought in feared of flood in Sukhumvit area and Bang Khean is on higher ground, it was flooded for weeks.
So my point is, there are kinds of flood here. The flash flood from rain downpour and the flood water from the northern dam which associated different risks so please keep that in mind as well. If you are living upper outside the barrier or upper north of Bangkok, you have to accept the risk that if there is flood crisis in Bangkok. Your house will be the very first to submerge. It is very unlikely for such a crisis to occur, but i if it did, it will takes weeks or month to dry.
This particular map I looked at was how much the place was flooded during the 2012 and yes I heard something along the lines of what you are saying but thank you for explaining in such detail. I hear BMA will sacrifice other areas to protect the center of the city if that kinda flood happened again.... I haven't experienced any flash floods but in the last 4 years I guess I am lucky cause my area tends to not get submerged like when I see the news reports of areas in Ladprao and Bangna get flooded in the main roads. Other than that I think it's just the luck of the draw
I have lived on and off in Thailand for the last five years, and I was told a long time ago foreigners can’t own property, so I didn’t check any further, until last week, and I now know I could fully own a condo, I’m annoyed with myself to be honest as I could have paid for one by now, live and learn ... thanks for the video, and good luck.
Yeah I don’t blame you cause most locals are surprised I own my own condo and say that’s not legal. Only way I knew about it to be honest is because my aunt had purchased one herself and told me about the befits of owning one if I wanted to stay long term. I am so sorry to hear that you were mislead. I wish you the best with your future endeavors in thailand or elsewhere and thank you for the comments :)
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA Thanks man, it must be cool not having to worry too many bills at the end of the month, at least now I know, so maybe I’ll take the plunge next year, it’s good to see other people who think similar to me, I fell in love with the place, the expenses are so much less here than in the US or pretty much anywhere, and there’s hardly any downsides, apart from maybe the smokey traffic :)
Just binged watched all of your videos, thank you for the perspective! Keep doing your thing fam
Wow! Thank you so much!!
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA
Sir i have few question , can you tell me your contact/whatsapp no.
I know your real when you responded so quickly, keep up the good work!!
Absolutely!
You make some great videos dude , keep up the great work , all the best to you and your girlfriend
Thank you so much!
You're such a bright guy.Thank you so much for sharing!
I am simply glad you found it helpful or entertaining :) thank you for leaving a comment :)))
Thank you for this video, I’m super grateful for this content. Very enlightening, and I will be joining your patreon! Much success to you, my friend!
Thank you so much! See you on the livestreams!
Really good vid! Informative and filled with facts and more objective analysis!!
Glad you found it helpful :)
being old its an advantage for one big reason . the price is locked. a big plus on a fixed bill.
Thank you for the comments :)
I connect so much with your ideology about life. You are speaking my mind. Teacher from Bangladesh here.
Thank you so much for your comment
Thank you for a honest and professional video where you share so much invaluable information. Awesome work
You’re welcome! Thank you for commenting :)
Would love to hear your thoughts on why you personally prefer Thailand over Vietnam, as you alluded to in the video. Everything can seem the same from an outsider perspective
Actually that is definitely on my things to do but now it’s got pushed back as people have so many questions about Bangkok for the time being. But there are definitely pros and cons
Your videos are great and personal opinions even better
Thank you!
Really learned something. Thank you. You also might want to include a bit more info on being a "digital nomad" and doing work such as web development.
I really would but have no experience in that field haha
Yes I figured as much but you are a bright dude so you can do some research on it. I suggest you look into it anyhow just because it is something you might want to consider. Honestly brother, you look like a dead ringer for a coder lol. Look into web development or if you are more ambitious Full stack development. You can make good money and its portable (meaning you can live anywhere with an internet connection and be able to work.
Enjoy your video. I am from Thailand myself and been living here in Los Angels since 1997.I also plan to move back sometime in 10-15 years.My plan is buy stocks and sell covered call option for passive incomes and hopefully achieve financial freedom soon. Hope my plan going well and see you there sometime in the future.
Also to further help your point about the condo. Buying something for $30k even if Bangkok sinks in 10 - 15 years! Think of rent in your area in the US or Canada. Where I am a 1BR is between 1000 to 1500 for a nice place. At $1000 in 2&1/2 years you just spent $30k. Much smarter decision to buy if you plan a long term stay in Thailand and then you can get it back on sale.
Yeah it was a no brainer for me cause 10-15 years break even. And I think the sinking thing is a overblown fear. The city in Louisiana is under sea level and they just built a levy to cover for it. We also don't have hurricanes here either
thanks for taking the time to make this.....very informative....much appreciated.
Hey Ethan, could you expound on how Rama 3 is a nice place to consider???
A lot of people like it cause it’s not as noisy as the center. I personally think sukhumvit sucks although it’s convenient next to the roads. But most ppl complain about the traffic and air here and that’s because they live near sukhumvit. Surrounded by tall sky scrapers and there’s literally a roof over the busiest street cause the bts runs over it so all the noise, air is trapped below it and even when it rains it doesn’t do a good job of clearing out the air but instead just makes the streets dirty and the rats to come out. Quite frankly I avoid sukhumvit. Rama 3 is great for all the reasons sukhumvit isn’t. Next to river, better air, slower neighborhood. But it’s also has a central mall like the one you see in my video. Worst thing about Rama 3 however is that no bts, but if you’re retired and not going into the city every day you’ll find most things you need to live your daily life next to you. And it’ll be much more affordable than sukhumvit. Rama 9 where I live in more modern but still away from sukhumvit. In between Rama 3 and sukhumvit area. It’s a bit more pricier as well. Anyways you’ll have to find out for yourself what I mean. Cause I can only speak definitely about the relation of places between each other but I can’t relate it to where you live or your expectations
Great video Ethan and very extensive information on buying a house and how to make a living there. Thanks for sharing mate.
Bernard Bredhauer thanks for checking it out Bernard!
Thank you for the hipflat recommendation. Really appreciate your advice on this topic.
Glad it helped! I am planning on doing something more in depth with the whole pre purchase process
Thanks for your video! I appreciated your frank and honest advice and opinions. They were very well thought out and logical.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and encourage me. I hope you will also like my future discussion videos and don't be a stranger on the comments section :)
Really informative. Great video! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
absolutely love your vlogs! thanks so much for all the info!!!!!!!!!! very thorough!
Thanks buddy! I am so glad you found some of this info useful!
So informative
Im subscribed
Such a nice dude
Thank you!
Great video! I love the straight talk and transparency
Thank you, in these kinds of discussion videos I try to be as informative as possible but no matter how hard I try I am still one of the guys who likes living out here in thailand so just be aware ultimately you’ll have to find out for yourself. Feel free to let me know if there are other questions you want covered as well as I am planning to do more videos like this :)
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA - that’s what I appreciate. I’m Black American and my first trip to Asia was Thailand on the advice of a Japanese friend of mine here in Northern California. I was so well received that I’ve been back about 4 times.
Now another good friend of mine who is originally from Malaysia is convincing me to buy a condo in BKK for retirement. That surprised me because I couldn’t believe he would choose there over Malaysia. Then a Thai friend of mine got divorced, sold his San Francisco home for a small fortune and bought a condo in BKK. So long story short... although retirement is several decades away, a vacation condo to be used later in retirement doesn’t have to be that far off 😊. So your videos are VERY helpful!
Yeah actually I have a Malaysian friend as well who bought a house in Malaysia for his family but chooses to not live there cause he like Bangkok so much... I’ve never been but it’s always ranked as one of the top places to retire and I’ve gotten comments from some people who will swear Malaysia is better. But to each his own :)
Great video! Very informative and much appreciated!
Glad I could help :)
Thank u for all information! ( : so glad to find your channel randomly ( :
I am so glad you came across mine as well! Hope you really enjoy the future videos to come!
I would never buy property in my girlfriend / wife name but what do you think of the ideal of buying property in wife name and then turn. Around and lease it from her at 1 or 2 dollars a month so that you are locked into the property for 33 years if something happens between each she can not remove you from the property.
Some people do this but you're gonna have issues if you want to liquidate it. The issues I see with foreigners buying property revolve mostly around liquidation (inability to liquidate when they need to, being tied down to an area they later don't like cause they can't liquidate, or their girlfriends or whatever liquidate it, or they break up with their girlfriends but can't liquidate it) it's either that or they buy from a non proven builder (it can even be your wife's brother or whatever) and it has issues with construction which actually can be issues with liquidation cause you wanna get out of it but you can't cause nobody will buy it because either 1 it's shoddy or 2 you built a mansion in the middle of Isaln somewhere in the rice fields where nobody but them was crazy enough to wanna live when you could afford to live in a smaller home in civilization. I honestly think if I had to go through all that trouble, I would just cut the wife girlfriend buying and just lease from a stranger with a clause that lets me terminate early for an acceptable fine. If people don't think a small condo in the areas that Thai's like to live (thus they construct a building w/ 100s of units and it sells out instantly) than they probably shouldn't buy a home at all cause they are wanting something nobody else wants out here still stuck in their Western mindsets. And for that reason I recommend living out here for a few a few years at least to understand why their concept of an ideal home doesn't match up with a Thai and at that point if they fully understand why but are willing to accept all the risks as I have over the years, than more power to them. But imho owning property in Thailand is risky if you don't go with the route most people do them. When in Rome...
Just like attending a great seminar! Full of usefull informations! Many thanks
Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks Ethan, I love your video and the information you've provided. As a Thai person living in US for 20 years, I do appreciate (and agree with) your opinion and honestly about living in Thailand as a foreigner. My (American) partner has always been thinking about moving to Thailand at some point of our lives, and your video is filling a lot of information gabs that we have. Thanks and keep this up!
Man this really inspires me to make even more videos. I am glad I could be of help. Thank you so much for taking your time to leave a comment :)
I just started watching your channel. Your so sympathic and you are such an honest and kind person. :) you have a good soul buddy. Btw really good video! Its cute how you think about kids too who cant afford the 3$.
Haha yeah I try to accommodate for everyone. Thank you so much for this comment. Definitely keeps me motivated
Awesome content And I love the Dead Pool figures. Thank you. BTW I pay 10K per in property taxes year here in Silicon Valley. I am selling this summer :(
If you can get the finances to work out where you're making positive cashflow it may be worth it but honestly it's a pain in the ass to property manage in the states... All the talk of a bubble also makes me nervous as well as the upcoming earthquakes. Hope it works out for ya buddy :)
Great job on your video and perspective! Harald on the top of the list does give good advice on buying property abroad. He receives a lot of negative feedback, but he gives out excellent information.
Hope it was helpful. No advice is perfect as we all have unique experiences that help us simply form our opinions but hopefully my perspective helps you in forming yours :)
Amazing detail and honest, well informed opinion. Thank you
Awww thank you! You're very welcome!
Great Great information, I watched this like 5 times
Wow thank you!
I stumbled on your video. I love your honest contents and knowledge. You got a new subscriber!
Thank you!
Super insightful video, thank you so much for sharing!!
You’re welcome!
Hey mate you have a similar back ground to me. I probably wouldn't buy a condo but good on you for making this video very different and interesting.
Yeah it’s definitely not for everyone. I’d only buy it if you plan on living here for more than 10 years or plan on visiting frequently for that period of time. Thanks for the comment!
I'm planning on moving to Bangkok by February next year and this video helps a lot!
Wow! Glad to have helped! Wish you the best :)
There is a third alternative...u can lease a property 30 years....with two 30 year options. But should get a Thai lawyer involved. A property developer tried to pull one over me in puhket. Amazing what foreigners will sign because the contract is in English and there's a smile on the opposite side.
You can lease land in 30 year cycles. Property, as in a structure, is a different story.
Thanks so much for sharing, amazing video - good advice. What is the condo loans available for snow birds maybe planning to live abroad for 1/2 or 1/4 the year. Or is everything cash based which is probably most likely.
There are but conditions vary greatly and most of them still require at least 50 percent down
Great analysis bro! Keep the good work up!
Thank you kind sir!
Nose bleeds. Have you thought about getting your nose cauterized? I experienced nose bleeds constantly and after getting the procedure two years ago, no more unexpected nose bleeds. BTW, I moved to Asia 30 years ago on a 1-way ticket with $2,000. First two years was tough but after that, all good. I can comfortably retire in NA but I choose to live the rest of my life in Asia. You mentioned you're a teacher for the meantime. From my experience, it's possible to find a better paying career and business in Asia, just need to be very resourceful and ambitious.
Yeah actually it shouldn't be too hard but if I start pursuing another career it would leave no room for me to make videos etc as I already don't have enough time to keep up. It would still be a lot more enjoyable grinding away in the corporate world out here however as everything is at least more interesting and my weekend trips would be a new country instead of just another vegas trip haha
this is so much value! thank you for your work!
You're welcome! thank you for dropping by to comment :)
I love Thailand but the visa situation seems to be harder to manage than ever. I feel that making something permanent out there could be a challenge. Your opinion would be appreciated.
I think making anything permanent anywhere other than the country of your citizenship is a challenge but relative to other countries I find Thailand not to be much of a challenge. I think much of the misinformation comes from the old time expats that have literally been living here since the Vietnam war era and are comparing immigration laws or the lack of enforcement there of in those ages to the current time. Having come from America I really don’t see what the fuss is about. They literally have a visa for every imaginable situation that is legal. You wanna travel out here, they got travel visas. It’s so easy people have been using them back to back and staying here for years until they’ve actually attempted to enforce it. You wanna work, your work can sponsor you for a visa. You’re brave enough to attempt starting a business here, well if you got the money you can pay for it. You want to study the language or go to college for like 2k usd a year, you got an education visa. You’re married? Marriage visa. You’re just retiring on a small sum? Show u got 25k USD in a bank account or a reasonable pension you got that too. Lastly you’re just rich and u don’t wanna deal w any of this, pay your way into an elite visa and get transfers from the airport in Mercedes and fast track w lounges etc... I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Not a single developed country in the west has such easy immigration laws and Thailand will eventually become far more developed than most of them. There are other countries where things are lax but I imagine with supply and demand, once there are too many people wanting to live there, they’ll raise the bar as well. If you want to get in, get in now and establish yourself. Don’t be like those complaining expats that discount everything in this country and eventually get priced out. They are the same people who would probably have told everyone it would be crazy to buy real estate in Thailand 10-20 years ago and now they are complaining the home prices are too high it’s getting expensive etc etc when poor farmers that looked like peasants to them are now driving around in Mercedes etc. generally these trends happen until the country becomes over developed, I still see a long way for Bangkok to go until it reaches a developed phase such as Korea or japan as modern as things look here
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA thanks for your reply...you make some great points here and you are absolutely right. I had a bad experience with a nasty immigration officer but it all worked out that time...however it left a bad taste as there was no need for it. Everything was in order. Anyway, thanks again for your input
Hi I have a question. I will be soon marry with a Thai woman. The reason why I'm watching your video is that; now we live in Europe but we are planning to return soon to Thailand and of course to Bkk. I would like to ask in this case how the merriege visa work? Is there any website where I can get those informations? Please don't stop to make your video; people can said any kind of comments, but in the end there is always someone you can help. Thank you
Awesome vid! I'm from Pennsylvania, been living outside the US for 4 years now in Saudi Arabia and am looking to move to Asia to start a business. Thanks for the info!
You're welcome! Wish you the best!
I'm surprised at how long I watched (46 minutes so far). You certainly have a gift for clear communication. As a long-term expat in SE Asia everything you described very much matches my own experiences. Keep up the great work.
Thank you. Glad you found the information informative and if you do buy a property I wish you the best and hope the property serves you as well as mine has
Informative video. How do you feel the resell value will be like when you sell the property ? Are you seeing much value increase annually?
It’s definitely been increasing but I don’t plan on selling it. It’ll be my forever vacation home. Since I am living in Asia I need a place to park all my stuff
@@livetravelasia we talked before on instagram. so you will have a place in south Korea and thailand.
I like the video you made but now I have to ask. Do the Thai people use escrow and do they perform a Title Search before pruchasing a Condo? The reason I ask is because I have seen Thailand property with 8 or more people all owning a single property. I have met a guy who owns a house built on land that does not belong to him. It's OK - he ownes the house and not the land under the house. When he sells the house - he is only selling the house. So is a Title Search performed to make sure ALL the owners of the property are selling the property and do the Thai's use escrow when selling proprty? Thanks for helping me.
It’s not a common practice and thus all the issues. That’s why I recommend if you are gonna buy something, stick w big reputable builders on condos. As a foreigner it’s hard to navigate the pitfalls otherwise
Informative video...I like it...a lot of good topics
Glad to hear this! Let me know if there are other topics of interest you don't see discussed. I don't like to do these long format discussions anymore but I'll do it on one of my long street walks if it's relevant to the area
Great video man, I've heavily contemplated moving out to Bangkok over the last year. Trying to prepare for it but still wont be for a while. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thank you. I'll try to be as informative as possible but Bangkok is so diverse you'll have to just come out here and figure things out for yourself but hopefully I can give you a head start :)
Thank you so much for this video. Although I’m still working in the US and looking to become an expat for the same reasons you did. Great video quality and most of all you are fun. Definitely a subscriber and fan. 😊
THank you!
New to your channel sir and I myself am researching into retiring to the south east Asian region and found this episode very informative and in depth of what one should consider...well done
Glad you enjoyed it. I'll look into making more videos like this in the future as I've had a better than positive reception of my video :)
good stuff! thanx for taking the time to do tis!
You're more than welcome and thank you for taking the time to comment!
Question: about your condo, How is the NOISE level in your condo? You described everything except how much noise do you get in your condo from: neighbors on the other side of your condo walls, hallway noise, outside noise through your windows?
I don't have any noise issue but I don't mention it in a video for the general audience cause it'll all depend on where you live. Some places are louder than others
Thank you for this video! It's really helpful. I want to move to Thailand but I'm just trying to figure out a way to have a stable income so I can live there.
Yeah that's really going to be your main concern if you want to live out here on a decent income cause all the jobs here sort of pay low
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA - Ok. Thanks!
Wish you the best buddy and see you on the other side soon :)
LIVE TRAVEL ASIA - Yep, for sure!
thanks a lot for this video. You seem like a really honest guy. I'm currently working in Beijing, but I have spent a lot of time living in Thailand on and off for the past 4 years. For now, I'm saving up cash and when the housing markets around the world finally deflate a little, I'll be looking to buy. I agree with you that now is a bad time to buy as it seems like every market I look at is overpriced. Do you need to pay for these condos IN CASH (in Thailand) or are mortgages available? My guess is cash. Thanks again for the video!
I’ve heard you can get financing up to 50 percent but most lenders require income verification. Prices are even higher... in hindsight I would have told u to buy for sure back when I made this video but now I am even more concerned about giving any kind of advice to buy as it’s even more inflated... at the same time external factors such as a huge influx of more foreign investors etc could happen and prices could keep inflating...
@@livetravelasia I didn't have any money last year so it wouldn't make any difference until just recently. I still only have like 36K saved up, which wouldn't even pay for a shit house in Bangkok. But with the job I have now I could have 75K by Christmas and then I'll be looking to invest next year.
Your Videos are very helpful. You're living the dream. Keep it up!!
Glad to be of help! Thank you so much for the comment :)
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Recently found your Channel and find your videos very informative and entertaining. This one I'll have to watch in two or three sessions :) Working and saving money in Northern Cal in the hopes of making the move to Thailand one day. Subscribed and hope you make more videos to add to your helpful information playlist :)
Glad you found it helpful. And yes I’ll definitely be making more videos about traveling and living out here. It’ll mainly be about travel for the next couple months but I’ll revisit some of these living issues as I encounter them in my life :)
keep up the good work pal, you know what pays is WORK hard or not choice is ours, looking forward to move there next year if all goes well here.
Thank you! And hope you have a great time out here!
Your videos are outstanding. Thank you. Coming from SoCal I can totally relate.
Glad you can relate!
48:20 What you were bought is the reservation rights, I guess. Coz buying the property actually happens at Department of Land, where you mentioned that you pay tax and the builder pay half of them.
Yes the prepurchase contract she had, she sold it to me which for my condo the builder allows the original person to transfer once without a fee. Thank you for clarifying. Not sure if there is an official English term for all this that Thais adhere by
You are doing a great Job! Positive ENERGY FOR YOU! Keep it up!
Thank you!
@51:30: that's what worries me. Conversely, I want to escape the 9 to 5.:) And YESsssss, your videos are worthy. You are so organized and a cool dude. So many things you said resonate with my train of thoughts. I'm glad you finally have a patreon.
Thanks buddy! And thank you for your support! Every little bit will seriously help w my expenses and eventually I hope it’ll get me on my feet to do it full time so I can get more interesting content and grow so that eventually my channel can support me. I can’t express my gratitude in words
Hi I like your exposition 👍.. you smart man . Greetings from Uruguay 🇺🇾
Thank you! Love South America!
Hey man, thanks for your videos. It’s nice hearing from another Asian-American living and working in Thailand. Best of luck I would enjoy seeing how your life here develops I would gladly donate on patreon
Thanks buddy! Yeah... I myself have no idea how it'll develop. Hopefully I can keep improving my videography skills and do this full time :)
Thailand doesn’t have enough English speaking financial analyst and those security company pay good money for the jobs. I would say 50,000 baht for a beginner to 200,000 baht and higher for more experience. The requirement is CFA level 1 or more to get your license. May be westerner should considered this jobs coming to thailand as the earning in this business is really inflated .
Wow thats very interesting. Thank you for the feedback!
I am really interested as a final year corporate law student. Do you maybe have more information ?
You inspired me to do the same thing. I recently moved to Tokyo and I want to do the same.
I am always flattered if my videos have inspired anyone. Anyways, there are lots of risks as I explained. Please take the time to make your decisions and be aware the market conditions may not be the same as when I purchased a condo
Good video. Like the way you explained things.
Your Videos are awesome mate, you definitly deserve to do it full time . Just take the risk and jump and then trust on the universe to do it's part.
Thank you so much for the encouragement!!!! I will work harder!
nice opinion , I am from Taiwan and now live in Thailand
Nice! Although I really love Taiwan. I am thinking of moving there eventually :)
@@livetravelasia thanks, Taiwan is a nice place for living actually
First 3min in, "dont buy a condo". Damnit , just bought one and about to move in a few weekends. But this is just for when i travel to thailand. Just found your channel and great job on videos. Im also from So Cali and travel to thailand every summer.
Haha good deal man. If you come here every year to use it and you're on So Cal salary, you can't go too wrong. I can think of worst ways to blow my money in Cali than a cheap condo in Bangkok
Great vid, thanks for the detailed deep dive ... had to watch this over 2 sessions (days) ... very helpful
Glad you found it helpful!
How about the BUILD QUALITY AND REPAIR COSTS OF KEEPING A CONDO???
It’s all dependent on the builder so I’d recommend going w a reputable one. As for mine it’s well managed so the property is fantastic and no issues w build quality. Probably better built than most American houses especially cause my builder has been using the same floor plan for over a decade and just fine tuning the materials etc for durability. Can’t say the same for any builder you chose
Enjoying the videos! Informative binge watching. Would you care to share how much $ you had or a range when you pulled the trigger and moved to Thailand? I have a great job, but have a plan to quit and move in 2-3 years. Was in banking as well, but now in Energy. Been to Thailand backpacking twice and seek that tranquil lifestyle.
Hmmmm well I'll tell you I had 100K but at the same time I would be hard pressed to assess if that's enough to help me move or if the time wasted building that much is worst... As you get older life is harder in Asia. I see these 20 something year old kids out here in Asia with nothing but with many more opportunities than me and I wish I came sooner... You'll probably just never do what you want to do thinking you don't have enough like I did. Having a near death experience made me realize I could die any day which gave me the courage to pull the trigger and live my life now. That's the only certain thing and I don't regret it so far
Love your vids man! Thank you for the honesty
You're welcome!!!