Phrom Phong is famous for having lots of high-end top quality condos and apartments. In fact some of the most famous and most expensive Sukhumvit apartments and condos are found in this area.

Here are a few examples of the sort of condos and apartments we are referring to:

The Madison, located in Sukhumit soi 43 this condo offers easy access to both The Emporium shopping center, and Phrom Phong BTS station, both within a 3-4 minute walk of this luxury Bangkok condominium building, no wonder large two bedroom units go for THB 80 000 – 100 000/month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-madison-phrom-phong-1199

Emporio Place, situated in Sukhumvit soi 24 is a brand new condo building in the same road as The Emporium and has great access to Rama IV and other sub-sois including Sukhumvit Soi 22 – soi 16. This condominium is one of Sukhumvit’s most stylish and best quality, and a two bedroom duplex unit will make this condo an expensive rental in Bangkok at THB 100 000 for 120sqm.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/emporio-place-phrom-phong-1200

And it is not just condos in Phrom Phong that are expensive, also the apartments in mid-Sukhumvit are expensive. Anyone who knows about central Sukhumvit knows that it is very Japanese area, with many Japanese restaurants, Japanese shops and apartments catering for Japanese clients. And Baan Jamjuree, which is a fantastic Bangkok property, with great views and facilities and is almost always full with Japanese and American expats who appreciate high-quality.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/baan-jamjuree-26

These properties are all great condos and apartments in Bangkok, but unless you have THB 60 – 70 000/month minimum to spend on your rent, then they cannot be considered.

However there are still some Bangkok property bargains to be had in this area of Sukhumvit. So what are these great Sukhumvit property bargains?

We let’s start with apartments in Phrom Phong that offer tenants excellent value for money, as the locations and quality are high-end whilst the prices remain mid-end.

El Patio is a great Central Sukhumvit condo within a walk of the Phrom Phong BTS station, this 18 month old Bangkok apartment block can also allow residents to access the Asoke BTS station and many Sub sois including access to Phetchburi Road.

El Patio is a Spanish Style apartment block offering apartments ranging from Studio type to 3 bedroom apartments. The Studio apartments located on the high floors of this low-rise building offer great views of Phrom Phong and are great value at THB 15 000/month including a washing machine.

El Patio also has one bedroom units on the lower floors with a generous 60sqm of living space and at just THB 15 000/month, these have to be the best value apartments in Sukhumvit.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/el-patio-823

Arguably equally good value are the two bedroom 80sqm apartments which are great value Bangkok rentals at just THB 20 000/month. With a full kitchen area with a 4 ring stove, oven and washing machine, these are really the complete package for a family wanting to live in mid-Sukhumvit.

Larger again are the apartments with pool views that have access to the large terrace area or ‘Patio’, these units start at THB 30 000/month and have 90 – 120sqm depending on your choice of unit and availability.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/el-patio-63

Another great apartment in the Phrom Phong area is Promsak Mansion, again offering well maintained and attractive apartment units in central Sukhumvit. A duplex two bedroom apartment offering over 100sqm of living space can be rented in Bangkok for as little at THB 25 000/month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/promsak-mansion-566

Finally moving on to condos in Bangkok’s central Sukhumvit district of Phrom Phong, Condo One X offers great value for money. With 50-55sqm one bedroom units for only THB 25 000/month, this Phrom Phong condo is brand new with a great modern style and atmosphere, this is truly an excellent choice for a youthful bachelor or bachelorette looking for a high-end lifestyle in Bangkok.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/condo-one-x-515

So to sum up, although Phrom Phong is a highly desirable and expensive district in Bangkok, with knowledge and expertise there are Bangkok bargains to be had!

If you haven’t head On Nut the last stop on the Bangkok BTS Sukhumvit Line, has recently experienced a major revival. With 6 new BTS stations nearing completion on the Sukhumvit Line spreading as far as Bang Na, On Nut is set to become a new centre of East Bangkok.

With a Tesco-Lotus in On Nut area, a Carrefour on On Nut road, Sukhumvit soi 77, and shops, highway links and of course the BTS On Nut station, condos have been developed in vigor to satisfy the growing demand of those who want to live on Sukhumvit or close to the BTS in Bangkok.

So what’s on offer, and why has this district of Bangkok become so popular?

Well let’s start with price, Bangkok rental prices as people who live in Bangkok know can be at their highest along Sukhumvit. For example mid-Sukhumvit can easily demand THB 500/sqm/month and some Grade A rated Bangkok condos and Bangkok apartments can be even more. However in On Nut many of the Bangkok condos and Bangkok apartments on offer have retained sensible prices and approx THB 250-300sqm/month is a regular price in this area.

Looking at Studio condos and Studio apartments in On Nut, we can see two great examples of why living in On Nut offers residents both convenience and value for money, as well as quality.

Green Bells is within a 5 minute walk of the On Nut BTS station and offers residents a swimming pool, and quality finishes in this apartment. A brand new Bangkok apartment, residents can be in central Sukhumvit in just 10 mins.

With prices starting at just THB 9 000/month for a Studio apartment, this really is good value for quality on Sukhumvit road.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/green-bells-1106

My Condo, is a Bangkok condo that was completed at the end of 2009. There are two My Condo condominium buildings in On Nut. One is located in Sukhumvit soi 52, and the other close by in Sukuhumvit soi 81.

These two buildings are identical in every way, in terms of lay-out, units and pricing. And the value is just as good as Green Bells. With Studios starting at THB 9 500/month, My Condo 52 and My Condo 81 offer residents a lobby, car parking, 24 Hour security and a gymnasium fitness room.

If you are looking for something larger than a Studio, but still want to pay under or around THB 20 000/month, then one again On Nut can offer some great Bangkok condo and Bangkok apartment deals. Here are two below:

The Roof Garden is a refurbished condo in Bangkok that can offer a potential resident great value for money considering the space and quality on offer for such a low price. In central Sukhumvit it is difficult to get a condo unit of over 40sqm for THB 20 000/month or under, but at The Roof Garden, one bedroom condos start at just THB 16 000/month and can offer the resident up to 60sqm in stylish chic modern condo unit. With a full kitchen area with an oven and stove, a full living room and balcony. Also a major plus for Japanese clients is the inclusion of a bath-tub in the en-suite bathrooms, a real rarity in modern Bangkok condos.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/roof-garden-1007

Perhaps at even better value is the apartment units at Methavanont Manor, an On Nut apartment block located within a 10 minute walk of the On Nut BTS station. A one bedroom in this traditionally designed, but very new apartment block will start at just THB 15 000/month and yet will still be 50sqm in size, ample room for a couple or even small family.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/mathevanont-manor-81

Finally are you looking for a two bedroom condo in On Nut?, then these two examples will hopefully catch your eye.

The newly built S-Condo is typical of the modern style and look of new condos in Bangkok that have opened in the last 5 years. Practical, well designed with a swimming pool and gymnasium on the roof. For just THB 25 000/month these 2 bedroom units can offer two equal sized bedrooms, two bathrooms and a soacious living room. All incorporate into a 75sqm condo unit.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/s-condo-854

And lastly, but not leastly The Room On Nut is another quality low-rise Bangkok condominium within a 5 minute walk of On Nut BTS station. These 58sqm units are small, but well designed with stylish fixture and fittings.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-room-sukhumvit-79-535

Priced between THB 25 000~30 000/month to rent, these are slightly more expensive than other Condos and apartments in On Nut, but the cost is justified by the location, and the proximity to the On Nut Sky Train station.

Sukhumvit Plus, now entering its 4th year of operation became landmark and set a benchmark on higher Sukhumvit when opened in 2006. it was the first and most prominent condominium in the Phrakanong area to offer the modern convenient living that was soon to become the trend and direction for all new modern mid-ranged condos in the Sukhumvit area.

Why was Sukhumvit Plus so special?

Well it was built purposefully close to the Phrakanong BTS stations, it was the first Sukhumvit condo to offer chic, stylish and modern affordable living for people in Bangkok. Before Sukhumvit Plus was opened the choice for Sukhmvit residents amounted to the following:

1. Live in a stylish modern Sukhumvit Condo close to a BTS station, like The Fullerton close to Ekkamai BTS station, but pay a high price
2. Live cheaper and still within walking distance of a BTS station, but sacrifice quality, age and facilities.
3. Keep quality, style and facilities at a reasonable cost, but then live further away from a BTS station and face the problem of Bangkok traffic.

But Sukhumvit Plus offered it all! Great facilities with a large pool, saunas and a fitness room/ gymnasium. And all within a 5 minute walk of Phrakanong BTS station. Higher Sukhumvit and Phrakanong in particular had never seen anything like it. Now residents could get a Bangkok Studio apartment in a modern attractive building for just THB 15 000/ month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/sukhumvit-plus-289

Those looking for something a little bigger could get a stylish and intelligently designed one bedroom Bangkok condo in the heart of Sukhumvit for only THB 18 000/month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/sukhumvit-plus-290

And small families looking for great facilities for the kids, plus access to a BTS station and whilst retaining a reasonable rental rate, could get a two bedroom condo in Sukhumvit Plus for under THB 30 000/month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/sukhumvit-plus-291

The success of this brand new Bangkok condominium was evident for everyone to see. There was a time when the success rate of clients seeing the property to taking a condo within Sukhumvit Plus was roughly 1:3, a very high ratio! This prompted other Bangkok property developers and of course Plus Properties themselves to try and repeat and expand on the success of this Bangkok condominium project.

Close by there was a short underdeveloped soi, Sukhumvit Soi 67 was within walking distance of both Ekkamai BTS station and Phrakanong BTS station. With only a few Bangkok apartments on this soi, it was an ideal location to launch a new project.

With Bangkok real estate building laws it was of course not possible to launch another high-rise development like Sukhumvit Plus, so instead Plus 67 an 8 storey low-rise Bangkok condominium was launched.

Again this was a great Sukhumvit condo, with a more intimate atmosphere than Sukhumvit Plus, the views offered by Sukhumvit Plus had been sacrificed, but a far more peaceful and cosy atmosphere was the replacement. With a very inexpensive starting price of just THB 12 000/ month for a Studio condo which is a very competitive price for a Sukhumvit condo within walking distance of a BTS station.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/plus-67-265

If a Studio condo is not big enough the one bedroom condos offered in Plus 67 are a good size at 50sqm, giving ample room for any bachelor or bachelorette, as well as a couple or a small family. And again at THB 18 000/month are very competitively priced for a condo in Sukhumvit.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/plus-67-266

Finally in keeping with the great value for these Sukhumvit condos, the two bedroom units are also well priced at under THB 30 000/month and all within a chic, modern condominium block in the heart of Sukhumvit, with swimming pool, sauna and gymnasium.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/plus-67-267

Plus 67 condominium was another great success and was so good that the same developers built an almost identical property right next door to Plus 67. Condo One 67, was the next successful condominium built in the Phrakanong area.

As we know, this was also within walking distance of Ekkamai BTS and Phrakanong BTS stations.

Again with Studio units starting at just THB 12 000/month, one Bedroom units at THB 16 000/month and two bedroom condo units at just THB 23 000/month, these really are great value Sukhumvit condos.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/condo-one-67-1070 – Bangkok Studio Condo

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/condo-one-sukhumvit-67-1191 – Condo One 67 Two Bedroom Condo

I am sure it has not escaped your notice that all along the BTS and MRT in Bangkok City Centre; new modern condos have been springing up. Many of these are branded The Life condominiums, with many of them within 2-3 minutes walking distance of the BTS or MRTA station.

These Bangkok condominiums are modern, stylish and desirable, and have been purposefully designed and built to suit the modern lifestyles of people in Bangkok. The Sky-Train generation has recently begun to embrace these types of Bangkok condominiums as a great way to live a convenient lifestyle.

Lets take a quick look at some of these new exciting Bangkok condos, which have been deliberately branded ‘Life’ to emphasize the new sky-train lifestyle that has developed.

Strategically placed all over the Bangkok city centre, and along the BTS line and th MRT line, these new condos can offer something to most expats and middle-class Thai people wanting live in various areas of the city centre.

Starting with the ones which will almost certainly be the most popular Life condominiums amongst expats are the Life@Sukhumvit and Life@67 (Sukhumvit 67). Life@Suhumvit is actually situated on Sukhumvit soi 65 and within a short walk of Ekkamai BTS station. With Studio, 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom units available, the development can cover the need of most people.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/life@sukhumvit-65-ekamai-1189 – Two Bedroom Condo at Life@Sukhumvit

Life@Sukhumvit is a large building with approx 250 units, and some great facilities including a large pool, fitness room, gymnasium, sauna and car parking. With Studio condo units starting at THB 15 000 per month, 1 Bedroom condo units at THB 18 000 and Two bedroom condo units starting at THB 25 000. Of course prices alter due to the views presented by the condos and the furnishings.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/life@sukhumvit-65-ekamai-1190 – One Bedroom Condo at Life@Sukhumvit

Life@67, located on Sukhumvit 67 is also within walking distance of either the Ekkamai BTS station or the Phrakanong BTS station. A low-rise, this Bangkok condominium only contains 79 units and so is a lot more personal and intimate than the Life@Sukhumvit building. And the building still contains a swimming pool, fitness room, gymnasium, sauna and car parking.

A stylish Bangkok condo, gain the Life@67, like the Life@Sukhumvit contains 1 bedroom and 2 Bedroom condo units, but does not contain Studio condo units.
With 1 bedroom units priced from THB 22 000/month and 2 bedroom units from THB 30 000/month the prices reflect the personalization and quality of the building.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/life-@-sukhumvit-67-1139

Looking away from the Sukhumvit area to a more northerly area of Bangkok but still firmly on the MRT line. Life@Ratchada-HuayKwang is located near to the Huay Kwang station. With all the same facilitoies as the Life@Sukhumvit and Life@67, this is again a reasonably priced Bangkok condominium, with 1 bedroom units starting at THB 15 000/ month, and 2 bedroom condo units starting at THB 20 000/month.

http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/life-ratchada-huaikwang-1045

Of course as mentioned these Life branded Bangkok condos have only just begun to open their doors and Life@Sutthisan, Life@Thapra and Life@Phahonyothin will all be covered in further articles on this Bangkok Property Blog.

However we hope we have given you an insight in the new modern Bangkok condo developments opening up near the BTS in Bangkok and the MRT lines, and watch this Blog more more information on these and other new Bangkok condos in the future.

We all know the wise old sayings, such as ‘two heads are better than one’, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and ‘no man is an island’, which suggest that we as human beings are quite insufficient alone and we need others close to us to help us think, get over problems or just to be around so we don’t feel lonely.

However when you combine these expressions and compare them to ones such as ‘a man’s home is his castle’, ‘don’t invade my territory’ and ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ then we get quite a contrast in the personality and make-up of the average person.

So here is the conundrum, is it better to be alone or better to share your space with another?

Well of course this depends what context it is in, most people will eventually find a loyal and loveable partner of the opposite sex and form lasting relationship, which may not last a lifetime, but will often last long enough so that they move in with each other and perhaps get married. And of course there are others who will follow the same path with someone of the same sex.

However what happens when you are not in love, are not attracted to each other and have no intention of forming a lasting partnership, and yet however are ‘forced’ into living with each other in the same property?

This is a scenario that appears often in the Western world, where most of us farangs come from. In fact many of us have been placed in this situation at one time or another, whether at University, or our first job away from our home city, or our first apartment after leaving home, or when we leave our countries and start a new life in a big intimidating city like Bangkok. It is here when the scenario can become reality.

When you first move to a new city, it may be comforting to feel you can move in with someone you know, perhaps you were friends back at home or have met via the internet, but you feel it will be nice to have their company when you move to Thailand and experience the cultural shock, Thai food, and unusual nigh life like Pat Pong or Nana offers. Also of course it may be a cost saver, and a way for you to have your own private guide to help you learn about the city.

But beware, as the downsides can easily outweigh the plus sides, more about that later.

Let’s look at economics first:

It is usual that in the West when we live in cities like London, New York, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid etc that we have to share when we first move to the city. Most of us are not fortunate to own our own homes in big cities like this, and especially when we have just moved there, or we are foreigners with a specific finite time ahead of us for living in that city. Perhaps we are on a 2 year contract, we are not sure we want to buy in this city as we do not understand the Real Estate market.

In the West the price of property and rental prices are so high in ratio compared to our income, that we are indeed ‘forced’ to share. Couple that with the lack a decent accommodation in a city like London, then really it makes sense to share to cut costs and live somewhere decent and close to your work.

However when westerners come to South East Asia, unless they are going to live in Singapore, then there really should not be the same issue with costs and locations, as many of South East Asia’s big cities like Bangkok have great relatively low cost condos or apartment to rent right in the heart of the city. With good quality international standard apartments starting at 10 000 Baht/ month to rent (that’s under US$300/month, even by today’s rates) it makes accommodation affordable. And more importantly it makes living in the city centre of Bangkok, in districts and area such Asoke, Petchburi, Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn & Ratchadaphisek easily accessible to those who want live alone.

So unlike London where a typical house-sharing scenario would set back a person US$1 200/ month, just for a bedroom and use of a shared bathroom, kitchen and living room, we can see that for one quarter of that price it is possible to get a self-contained Studio Apartment within about 5 minutes walk of the BTS or MRTA lines in Bangkok.

This makes the necessity to share much lower, and therefore the reason to share then is based on social and not economic choice. However I would caution the idea to choose a house-share, apartment-share or flat-share, or whatever terminology you use, as becoming a house-mate is not always a good way to go.

I know of several young men who have come over to Thailand, to teach English after doing a TEFL course and found that sharing has not worked out the way they wanted it to.

Often they choose big old properties in quite good locations, so that enough of them can have some room and of course so they can all be close to the bars, discos and nightlife Bangkok has to offer. However just like in my old student days in Exeter University, invariably things do not go according to plan. People run out of money, renege on promises they made, or lose their jobs and have to start borrowing. And that is the very crux of why property-sharing is such a bad idea, as you are then not only reliant on your own survival skills, but those of others, if they go down they bring you with them, in the form of losing deposits and getting evicted.

All this seems totally unnecessary when like I mentioned before a good well chosen property, all be it a Studio or a small One Bedroom condo or apartment, can let you relax and enjoy the time you spend in your home rather than worry about, whether the rent will be paid, the TV will be available to watch your show or the bathroom will be available for you to have a shower.

My suggestiom….’go it alone!’