Part of the excitement about moving to a new country is the different cultures that it brings. Expatriates arriving in Thailand are likely to have experienced the Kingdom on holiday or as part of orientation with their new job.
However, there are some distinctive variations in living arrangments in Bangkok that are likely to differ from on home soil.
1. Eating out is the norm
Bangkok is world-famous for its street food, but more recently it has shot to fame as a gastronomic destination due to the arrival of several Michelin star restaurants to the capital.
Eating is also very much a social affair with the majority of office workers taking a religious hour lunch break every day as well as catching up with friends after work for dinner or grabbing food on the go. This explains why kitchens in Bangkok condominiums are small as they rarely get used.
2. First-floor condominiums are a rarity
Parking areas within residences are often built above the ground starting on the first floor and finishing around the seventh floor. Facilities then occupy the eighth floor although newer developments locate these at the very top of the building or even split them between both.
Consequently, condominiums start on the ninth floor explaining why the ground floor lobby lift does not have an option to stop at floors two to seven.
3. North facing units are more favourable
In colder climates, there is a real desire for south or west-facing homes to maximise the sun. However with Thailand’s tropical weather, north-facing units tend to be more preferable as they are cooler, often experience a breeze and use less electricity to keep cool.
4. Developers compete to build the best facilities
Unlike Hong Kong and Singapore, a condominium swimming pool is standard. In fact, developers are increasingly becoming more creative in utilising communal spaces to fit with today’s society.
Some condominiums have roof gardens, co-working spaces, even private dining rooms, and cinemas. While typically only luxury condominiums were accustomed to this range of facilities, now the lower end of the market is welcoming these new facilities to satisfy the needs of residents.
5. Diverse choice
Bangkok condominiums come in all shapes and sizes in all locations across the city. Developers tend to focus on building a particular property type suited to a certain budget or style.
The result is that as a buyer or tenant there is something for everyone regardless of the budget with many expatriates arriving in Bangkok happy that they can afford to rent a single unit rather than living with friends.
The best way to gauge what is on the market is to check www.ddproperty.com/en which has extensive listings of all properties for sale and for rent across Thailand.
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