As in previous years Bangkok has seen an exciting boost in the numbers of quality and well located Bangkok condos and apartments in the city center. There has been an influx of new condos in both Sathorn and Sukhumvit. Of course there are too many new condos and apartments in Bangkok to review them all, but here is a selection of some of the best.

First if we start in Sathorn, and area traditionally associated as Bangkok’s CBD, there have been two highly rated condos launched next to the Chong Nonsi BTS station. Condos to rent in Sathorn have previously been a mixture of expensive or poorly located properties that have prevented many expats from regarding the district as a serious alternative to Sukhumvit. However that has now all changed with the launch of The Ivy Sathorn and Life@Sathorn, both reasonably price and well located.

The Ivy Sathorn condominium contains Studios, One Bedroom and Two Bedroom condos, this high-rise condominium has excellent views of some of the most impressive towers in Bangkok including State Tower and Empire Tower, resulting in spectacular city views. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/ivy-sathorn-chong-nonsi-1508

Renting a condo at the Ivy Sathorn brings you within just a 5-10 minute walking distance of Chong Nonsi BTS station and so is convenient to get to Siam square, Sukhuvmvit and beyond. Of course being located in the heart of the CBD makes it highly convenient for those working for some of the largest international banks, insurance companies and marketing companies located in Bangkok.

Condos for rent in the Ivy Sathorn start at as low as THB 18 000 for a partitioned Studio and feature well set out and well appointed condos. In addition the condominium offers a large swimming pool and fitness area.

Life@Sathorn condominium is also located within a 5-10 mins walk of Chong Nonsi BTS station, and is also a well constructed and chicly designed condominium. As with the Ivy Sathorn, condos to rent at Life@Sathorn start at only THB 18 000 per month and the building contains Studios, one bedroom units and two bedroom units. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/life@sathorn-chong-nonsi-1660

And also like Ivy Sathorn, Life@Sathorn offers not only some fantastic city views, but also a large swimming pool, fitness area and car parking. With the choice of two new well designed and constructed condominiums within 5mins walk of the BTS and BRT stations, Chong Nonsi and Sathorn has become a much more exciting place to live.

Moving away from Sathorn, there have been a number of well designed condominiums built in Sukhumvit, and unlike previous Sukhumvit condominiums these have been built with the new BTS stations in mind.

S & S Condominium in Udomsuk is one of the best new condominium buildings to take advantage of the new BTS stations on the eastern end of Sukhumvit road. Located within a 10mins walk of Udomsuk BTS station, renting a condo in S & S Condominium also offers the convenience of Tops Supermarket, Starbucks, Major Bowl and even the newly located Night Bazaar all within 10mins walk.

In addition to this S & S condominium offers some of the best value properties in Bangkok. S & S Condominium offers Studios, one bedrooms and two bedrooms, with prices starting at THB 12 000 and two bedroom at only THB 20 000. In additional to all of the above if you rent an S & S Condominium you get access to not only a great swimming pool, car parking and fitness studio, but also a beautifully landscaped garden area. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/s–s-condo-udomsuk-1886

Staying in the Udomsuk district, The Sense condo is another brand new and exciting condominium also featuring Studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units The Sense condominium is a stylishly designed low-rise condominium offering an almost resort style atmosphere, in fact it is easy to feel like you are enjoying the peace and quiet of a resort town whilst remaining in the heart of Bangkok.

The Sense condominium contains Studios, one bedroom and two bedroom units and can be leased from as low at THB 13 000 per month. Leasing a condo in The Sense, like in S & S Condominium gives residents easy access to both the city center and to the Eastern part of Bangkok. Bang Na and Bang Pli areas are only 10-15mins drive from Udomsuk and of course Suvarnabhumi Airport and Pattaya as well as numerous expressways are within easy access. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/sense-condo-udomsuk-2033

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.