If you have just moved to Bangkok or if you’ve lived in an apartment or condo in Bangkok, you may think about renting a Bangkok townhouse or detached house with its own garden area. However in the past it has been difficult to find a good townhouse in Bangkok to rent and even more difficult to find a detached house to rent in Bangkok, but recently Thai property developers have been building some great new housing estates or Moo Baans as they are called in Thailand.

Renting a townhouse or leasing a detached house in Bangkok always faced the following compromises:

• Price – often a detached house or townhouse would cost far more than the equivalent condo or apartment in Bangkok
• Location – most expats want to live as close to the BTS or MRT as possible and many townhouses or detached houses were located too far from a BTS or MRT station to be practical
• Quality – to find a townhouse or detached house in Bangkok to rent that was in most expats budgets, often quality had to be compromised leading mot expats to prefer a condo or apartment over renting a Bangkok townhouse or detached house.
• Age – a lot of townhouse and detached houses in Bangkok had been built in the 1970’s and 1980’s and they looked it. With old style design and out of fashion fittings. Often bathrooms and kitchen looked very tired and unattractive.

However with the advent of the new BTS stations due to open in August 2011, http://www.ajarn.com/blogs/neil-mcdonough/property-possiblities-on-the-bts-sukhumwit-extension/ more attractive residential land had opened up to Thai property developers and the sharpest ones have been keen to pick up on this trend.

Here we can review some of the best townhouses and detached houses to rent near the MRT and BTS in Bangkok’s city center. The first one is located on the new BTS extension near the BTS Bearing station. Supalai Ville Bearing is a townhouse development located within a few minutes of the new Soi Bearing BTS station. With 3 bedroom townhouses to rent for as little as THB 17 000/ month these Bangkok townhouses represent great value for money and are ideal for those working in the Srinakarin and Bang Na areas of town. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/supalai-ville-bearing-2096

And of course with the opening of the BTS station as Soi Bearing, there has never been a better time to rent a townhouse in the Bang Na area. The Moo Baan also has a swimming pool and secure parking so there are very few sacrifices being made in regards to facilities.

Hop on the BTS at soi Bearing and you could be in central Sukhumvit in approximately 20 mins and even in Siam Square BTS within approximately 30 mins, all in the air-conditioned comfort and without the hassle of Bangkok traffic.

Staying in the same area, The Centro Srinakarin development offers another great way to rent a townhouse or detached house in the Bang Na and Srinakarin areas of Bangkok. A more luxurious development Centro townhouses will rent for approximately THB 25 000/month for a 3 bedroom unit. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-centro-srinakarin-2095

Once again the development containing The Centro townhouses also has a swimming pool, security and garden areas. Ideal for small families looking for a safe modern environment for their children, The Centro Srinakarin again offers a great option for those who work in Bang Na, Srinakarin or even Sukhumvit. Once on the train at Bearing BTS station anyone renting a townhouse at this Bangkok suburb could be in the centre of town within 30mins or so.

Moving on to detached housing, but staying in the Bang Na area of Bangkok, Cosy House Bang Na, offers an excellent place to rent a detached house in a leafy suburb or Bangkok.

A 3 bedroom modern styled detached house in Cosy House Bang Na will cost approximately THB 25 000/month to rent and the Cosy House development offers not only a swimming pool, security and a garden area, but is also surrounded beautifully by a lake, and attractive landscaping. Once you rent a detached house in this Bangkok suburb, you can feel you are in a different world, and yet only be 30mins from the city center via the new BTS extension. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/cosy-house-bang-na-2097

Moving away from the BTS, but still remaining on the Bangkok metro system we find a beautiful new townhouse development in Lat Prao, ideal for those who want to rent a townhouse in the northern part of Bangkok. Town Plus Lat Prao features 3 bedroom townhouses to rent near the Lad Phrao MRT station for as little as THB 20 000/ month. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/town-plus-lad-prao-2094

A brand new development with covered parking, modern stylish design and 24 hour security, this is an ideal way to rent a Bangkok townhouse near the Bangkok city center. For those working in Lat Prao, Phahonyothin or eve n Ratchada, this offers a viable and inexpensive way to enjoy the comfort of a 3 bedroom family property.

So thanks to a new drive by Thai property developers there has now become an increased and improved selection of modern and attractive townhouses and detached houses to rent in Bangkok. And for those who want to rent a detached house near the BTS or a lease and townhouse near the MRT choices are both attractive and reasonably priced.

Each year Ensign Media organize and host the Thailand Property Awards here in Bangkok. The awards ceremony has now entered its 6th year, and has continually snowballed in terms of interest and importance within the Real Estate industry. And this year the trend has continued with the awards ceremony receiving a record number of nominations for categories varying from developers to developments, Real Estate agencies to websites dedicated to Real Estate.

Starting off as a relatively insular and limited awards ceremony in 2005, mainly concentrating on high-end developments built for wealthy expats and locals buyers alike, the awards have started to embrace a wider range of the market with the introduction of the category this year ‘Best Affordable Condo Development’. And as the awards ceremony expands and increases credibility and recognition amongst both the Real Estate industry and the general public alike, there is hope that the categories will increase to absorb more of the Thai property market and acknowledge more of the players on the ground, as apposed to just the usual suspects.

The judging panel varies from independent real estate experts to lawyers, engineers, agents and surveyors. And although there are many nominations and a wide range of categories there can of course only be one winner in each category.

The gala event will attract over 600 guests and will be held at The Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok on November 5th 2011. However the awards are not solely centered on the Bangkok property market and will include many nominations from Phuket, Samui, Pattaya and other coastal and resort areas.

Previous winners will be up against some tough competition and as the awards continue to be held and develop surely the competition will only increase.

Investing in Bangkok real estate may seem a daunting and difficult task, but as can be seen from the below blog it can also be rewarding if the investments are made in the correct districts of Bangkok. A Bangkok property investment in a well located Bangkok condominium can yield both a high rental yield and a high yield in capital gains.

For example Noble Solo condominium units located in Thonglor can yield rentals of over 8% and the capital gains have gone above 10% since the project was first launched 3 years ago, not bad considering the economic crisis that has affected the world at this time. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/noble-solo-thonglor-1312

In fact highlighted in a recent report by a well-known and highly respected property developer, listed on the SET, states that condominiums in Bangkok’s city center offer on average 7% rental yields across the low-mid, mid and high-end market categories. And the condo resale market within Bangkok remains extremely buoyant despite the economic and political problems of the last 12 months.

Let’s look at some figures, but firstly let’s define some criteria’s we are looking at within our report. Investing in a condominium in Bangkok can range from low-mid end up to high-end luxury Bangkok properties, but all can be found along the BTS and MRT in Bangkok’s city center areas. The main designated areas of Bangkok’s city center are Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn, Ratchada and Central Lumpini (near Lumpinin Park and the Royal Sports Club).

Also when we refer to investing in a Bangkok condominium, the main body of the blog will only be referring to brand new condominium projects. In fact none of the condominiums we will have been completed more than 12 months ago. The reason for this is that older units would have been bought at much cheaper, and therefore will neither reflect the current prices of the Bangkok condominiums on the market, or the rental yields as a percentage of the buying price – clearly Bangkok condominiums invested in earlier will yield higher returns as the purchasing prices would have been lower.

For the purposes of this brief blog, we will concentrate in investing in a Sukhumvit condominium. There reasons for this is that Sukhumvit is the most popular district of Bangkok and most foreign buyers invest in condos in Sukhumvit. In the last 12 months there have been approximately 4 500 condominium units completed within the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. Therefore there has clearly been a large increase in the amount of Sukhumvit condominiums on the market. However this has not stopped the rental yield from remaining attractive, as mentioned earlier with an average 7% return on investing in a Bangkok condo.

The purchasing prices for these Sukhumvit condominiums continues to rise, and on average one can expect to pay approx THB 90 000/sqm for a mid-end Sukhumvit condo, or if you want to invest in a more luxurious Sukhumvit condominium then prices of approximately THB 115 000/sqm are being asked.

Investing in a condominium in Sukhumvit will probably present you with the following returns: For a Studio prices of THB 15 – 20 000/month can be asked; for 1 Bedroom prices of THB 30 – 50 000/month can be asked and for a 2 Bedroom prices of THB 50 – 80 000/month can be asked. Of course all the above depend on several variables such as location, quality of the building, size of the unit and quality of the furnishings in your buy-to-let Bangkok condo investment.

But what about the capital gains on your Bangkok real estate investment? Well as we saw early some projects have offered Bangkok condominium developers rises of up to 25% since launch, The Address Chidlom being such a Bangkok condo investment. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-address-chit-lom-1100

However on average Bangkok condominiums launched in the last 12 months have offered their investors approximately a 10% capital gains return since their launch. However it has been noted the best resale units in general are the larger 2br units. The reasons for this is that developers are generally building more Studio and 1 bedroom units in the newly launched Bangkok condominium projects around the city center, as these often are quicker to sell off-plan and can offer good rental yields. In addition the 2 bedroom units they have launched are on average smaller than those built in the past, with newly built Bangkok condo units over 90sqm becoming rare. So newly built 2 bedroom units of over 100sqm are becoming relatively scarce in the Bangkok real estate market.

Therefore if you are looking for rental return yields you may be best off investing in a Bangkok condo less than 60sqm in size, such as Studio or 1 bedroom. However if it is capital gains you are looking for in your Bangkok condo investment then a larger 2 bedroom unit of up to 100sqm could be your best Thai real estate investment stategy.

Suvarnabhumi airport is Bangkok’s new state of the art international airport, providing a regional hub for up to 45 million airline passengers a year. Bangkok’s international airport is the busiest in the SE Asian region. Suvarnabhumi international airport deals with even more passengers annually than even Singapore’s Changi airport.

Later this year the Suvarnabhumi airport rail link will open, providing passengers visiting Bangkok easy access to Bangkok’s city center, with the service predicted to take under 20mins. The Suvarnabhumi airport link will be a regular express service providing air conditioned comfort directly to the Suvarnabhumi Airport Terminal 1.

If you live and work with the airline industry, or you are a frequent traveler and many Bangkok based expats then it would be advantageous to live in a Bangkok condo or apartment close to the Suvarnabhumi rail link. Frequent flyers travelling on business trips around SE Asia, cabin crew or even just regular travelers will be able to benefit from the new Suvarnabhumi rail link. So what are the available Bangkok condos or apartments that will allow Bangkok residents to take advantage of the Suvarnabhumi airport link?

Starting at the low end of the budget, Sitara Place offers great quality studios for a low price. Starting at just THB 10 500/ month, this Bangkok apartment block offers parking, a lift, a fitness room and 24hr security. And within a 10mins walk of Rama 9 MRT station it is highly convenient for cabin crew and airport staff looking for a base in Bangkok. Rama 9 MRT station is one stop away from Petchburi MRT station and the Makassan airport link which makes the trip from door to door an estimated 30mins travel, pretty convenient for those who regularly use Suvarnabhumi Airport. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/sitara-place-142

Also in the area close to Rama 9 MRT station and Makassan is A-Space Asoke, and these low-priced units offer not only the convenience of a an MRT station close by and the comfort of brand new unit, but also the access to a large swimming pool.

	One bedroom start at just THB 11 500/ month and feature air-conditioning, bedroom sets, kitchenettes and modern shower rooms. This Bangkok condominium also offers http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/a-space-asoke-1334
	Further down the Suvarnabhumi airport link line towards Ekamai, is Le Chateau condominium. A well maintained Bangkok condominium Le Chateau is well placed to take advantage of the new Bangkok airport link, with good sized units, 1 bedroom condos are approx 55 – 60sqm and well built. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/le-chateau-1093

The Le Chateau condo building also boasts 24hr security, a roof-top swimming pool, roof top fitness room and games area. And once again door to door travel to and from Bangkok’s international airport would take approximately 30mins.

The new Suvanarbhumi intersects the existing metro system in 2 places. As we have seen the Makassan Airport link station meets with the Petchburi MRT station near Asok. And the other intersection is further north at Phayathai BTS station, where the new Ratchaprarop airport link station links up.

Villa Ratchatewi condo is a brand new Bangkok condominium within walking distance of both the Phayathai BTS station and of course the new Ratchaprarop station. Once again offering quick and convenient access to Bangkok’s international airport via Suvarnabhumi’s airport link.

	Villa Ratchatewi is a large and well constructed high-rise condominium offering great views of Bangkok city center, and Villa Ratchatewi boasts a large swimming pool, large fitness area and gardens. Along with the usual car parks, security and other amenities standard within many modern Bangkok condominium units. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/villa-rachatewi-1440
	Finally another great condominium that is located within walking distance of Phayathai BTS station is The New York condominium near Ratchatewi. Again another superbly built Bangkok condominium offering great amenities for residents, such as a roof-top swimming pool, roof-top fitness area, squash courts and a beautiful spacious lobby area. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-new-york-326

So if you are looking to be a regular user of the Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport, and you want to live conveniently in Bangkok’s city center, then using the new Suvarnabhumi airport link will be for you. And to add to your convenience and comfort checking out any of the above Bangkok condominiums or apartments to rent or to buy may be helpful.

Always trying to bring you the latest Bangkok Real Estate news and moves on the Bangkok property market, this EasyHomes Bangkok property blog has decided to take a look at the new Bangkok BRT bus system, that recently opened in the Sathorn, Narathiwat, Rama 3 and Thonburi areas of Bangkok.

In May 2010, the BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Association) opened up the Bangkok BRT (Bangkok Rapid Transit) for the public. The first BRT line runs a total of 16.5Km from Sathorn, where it links with the Chong Nonsi BTS station, all the way along Rama 3 and over the river into Thonburi, where it stops at its 12th BRT station at Ratchapruek. This offers increased benefits and convenience for 10 000’s of residents of the Bangkok condos and apartments that exist alongside the new line.

The new BRT is a blessing for those living in the Sathorn district of Bangkok, on Rama 3 road and of course those people on our near the Chaophraya River. And of course those working in Bangkok’s CBD will now find it easier to commute along thoroughfares such as Rama 3 and Narathiwat roads So let’s have a look at some of the condos and apartments that will benefit from this new convenient and great value form of Bangkok transport.

Bangkok Garden Apartment is located in Narathiwat Road, and is only a 10 mins walk from Thanon Chan BRT station. Bangkok Garden apartment is an ideal Bangkok apartment for families and children. In the heart of Narathiwat road and only 10 mins walk from Central Rama 3 shopping center. With a whole host of facilties, Bangkok Garden Apartment offers not only 2 large swimming pools, one of the largest gardens in Bangkok, a 5-a-side football pitch, basket ball court and gymnasium, but also cafes and restaurants. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/bangkok-garden-apt-58

A less expensive, but also stylish Bangkok condominium located close by to Bangkok Garden apartment, is Condo One X Narathiwat, this condominium is only 2 years old offers a swimming pool and gymnasium as well as excellent lay-outs in the condos, making ideal use of space and design. Condo One X offers great value and is also located to Thanon Chan BRT station, Central Rama 3 and is close to a quiet community with coffee shops and local shops. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/condo-one-x-narathiwat-24-1161

Further up the line towards the Sathorn station there is the Yenakart BRT station, which makes life easier for those who live in the Yenakart are of Bangkok. There are some great value condos and apartments in the Yenakart district, but perhaps the pick of the bunch in terms of quality is The Lofts Yenakart, which is a Grade A condominium housing 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units.

The Lofts Yenakart features a large swimming pool, gymnasium, car parking and sun deck, but it is the quality of the fixtures and fittings that make this such a great Bangkok condominium to rent in the Sathorn area of Bangkok. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-lofts-yenakart-1422

However the Bangkok BRT does not only serve and benefit those in Sathorn, but also those on Rama 3, after all this new system stretches for 16.5Km. So those renting Bangkok condos or apartments along Rama 3 will also find the new Bangkok BRT bus system very convenient.

Lumpini are one of the biggest developers in Thailand and in Bangkok, building many convenient and well designed condominium buildings in prime and popular areas of Bangkok. LPN Narathiwat-Chaophraya condo is just such a building and is located near the Chaophraya river’s water’s edge on Rama 3 road.

For those looking for convenient and inexpensive condos living with river views and luxury features like infinity style swimming pools then LPN Narathiwat-Chaophraya is an ideal place to live. Close to Central Rama 3, Tescos and other convenient shops and restaurants, this LPN Narathiwat-Chaophraya has always offered great value for money at the river, with Studios to rent starting at just THB 11 000/month. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/lpn-narathiwat-chao-phraya-196

The Bangkok BRT line then stretches over the Rama 3 bridge and into Thonburi, where in the future it will link up with the BTS when the stations are complete. However it is still convenient for those living in Thonburi and those living in Metro Park Sathorn. This is a great value Bangkok condominium and due to its location in a quiet suburb of Bangkok, just on the outside of the city center, the atmosphere is peaceful.

And at just THB 8 000/month to rent a Studio condo or just THB 10 000/month to rent a 1 bedroom condo at Metro Park Sathorn, this really is low cost living, at a high-level. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/metro-park-sathorn-878