Is The River too far out to live?

[wordchild 564]

35 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Thanks.

 

So the station is not going to be closed in the foreseeable future and, if it is removed, it will be replaced by a new, better one. 

 

Not much of a problem for the OP, then, I'd guess.

well a two year closure might be an issue, if and when it happens!

 

[HampiK 625]

I live in that area of "The River". I like it here much more and never would consider to change location to the Sukhumvit area. But I think this depends what you want. I travel 2 times per week to the Ploenchit Area with the BTS, which takes about 30-40 minutes from door to door. And that is fine.

The only downside in the Area on of "The River" is when you go out with the car you have to cross the Taksin Bridge and there are traffic jams a lot of the time. But even this is mostly done in about 5-10 minutes. Today I drove the car at around 11 clock in less than 25 minutes to Ploenchit. But anyway I would not recommend to drive regularly into Bangkok traffic. As the BTS is in my opinion the much better option. 

 

For me, it was important, that I have a good view and a nice pool, which is on the top floor of the building and some other facilities which I enjoy.

Most foreigner are staying in the Sukhumvit area and I think this will not change that fast, if ever. But on the other side, maybe this is exactly the good part of this location, that here now are maybe 5-10% foreigners and the rest are Thais. In the future I think the area around "The River" also will become more and more desirable for foreigners. I remember a Time, when I was almost the only foreigner walking around here. And now (also because of the opening of IconSiam) you can see foreigners all the time.

[Airalee 1,162]

8 hours ago, NewbieInBangkok said:

I see.  I’ve always lived in countries where Google Maps was incredibly accurate so I guess I’ll just use it as a guide in Thailand but factor in worst case scenarios.  

 

And Thong Lor - Phrom Phong seems to be where husband would rather stay if he can’t live at the Riverside.  If he can’t get the lifestyle then at least he wants to be close to where everyone else he knows is living.

 

Thank you.

When I was first in BKK, I stayed in a serviced apartment on Sathorn Soi 11.  While the neighborhood is somewhat upscale, it’s also quite sterile.  Move towards Silom and you’re in another sleazy area with Patpong nearby.  

 

Phrom Phong is a red light district as far as I’m concerned.  Not that I have any sort of issue with it, but I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.  By all means, make Emquartier your shopping, movies, groceries and dining outlet...just don’t waste the money living there.

 

Thonglor gets you out of the sleaze...but when you see it, if you’re like me, you’ll wonder exactly “why is it so expensive?” All I can think of is the name.  It’s not like it’s Beverly Hills...in fact, it has much of the same hodgepodge eclectic Thai style...(well...you’ll see) as most anywhere else.  It’s just not worth it.

 

2-3 more minutes by BTS and you have Ekkami.  Plenty close for your husband to see his friends, next to the driving range and while still somewhat posh, you get more bang for your buck rentalwise.  You can also head to the W District area and check out the few condos around there at Line, Le Luk and Sky Walk.  Don’t waste your time with the other condos in the immediate area as while they are nice, I think most don’t have the square footage you’re looking for.  Also, in between Line, Le Luk and Skywalk condos is the W District which has a great selection of affordable restaurant stalls with all kinds of different international cuisine (Greek, Sushi, Oyster Bar, Jamaican, French....you name it...all centered by an open aired treed courtyard eating area with some interesting art installations scattered around (it’s an artsy area).

 

One thing I recommend, is to sacrifice square footage when necessary and shoot for a high floor view unit.  Plenty out there for rent.  I’m in a penthouse unit myself and absolutely love the 180 degree dystopian Blade Runneresque view at night.  

Edited October 11 by Airalee

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

3 hours ago, HampiK said:

I live in that area of "The River". I like it here much more and never would consider to change location to the Sukhumvit area. But I think this depends what you want. I travel 2 times per week to the Ploenchit Area with the BTS, which takes about 30-40 minutes from door to door. And that is fine.

The only downside in the Area on of "The River" is when you go out with the car you have to cross the Taksin Bridge and there are traffic jams a lot of the time. But even this is mostly done in about 5-10 minutes. Today I drove the car at around 11 clock in less than 25 minutes to Ploenchit. But anyway I would not recommend to drive regularly into Bangkok traffic. As the BTS is in my opinion the much better option. 

 

For me, it was important, that I have a good view and a nice pool, which is on the top floor of the building and some other facilities which I enjoy.

Most foreigner are staying in the Sukhumvit area and I think this will not change that fast, if ever. But on the other side, maybe this is exactly the good part of this location, that here now are maybe 5-10% foreigners and the rest are Thais. In the future I think the area around "The River" also will become more and more desirable for foreigners. I remember a Time, when I was almost the only foreigner walking around here. And now (also because of the opening of IconSiam) you can see foreigners all the time.

Yes, the riverside would be our #1 pick but sadly it’s just too far from my husband’s work so we have decided to eliminate it from our choices.

But thank you for your info

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

When I was first in BKK, I stayed in a serviced apartment on Sathorn Soi 11.  While the neighborhood is somewhat upscale, it’s also quite sterile.  Move towards Silom and you’re in another sleazy area with Patpong nearby.  

 

Phrom Phong is a red light district as far as I’m concerned.  Not that I have any sort of issue with it, but I certainly wouldn’t want to live there.  By all means, make Emquartier your shopping, movies, groceries and dining outlet...just don’t waste the money living there.

 

Thonglor gets you out of the sleaze...but when you see it, if you’re like me, you’ll wonder exactly “why is it so expensive?” All I can think of is the name.  It’s not like it’s Beverly Hills...in fact, it has much of the same hodgepodge eclectic Thai style...(well...you’ll see) as most anywhere else.  It’s just not worth it.

 

2-3 more minutes by BTS and you have Ekkami.  Plenty close for your husband to see his friends, next to the driving range and while still somewhat posh, you get more bang for your buck rentalwise.  You can also head to the W District area and check out the few condos around there at Line, Le Luk and Sky Walk.  Don’t waste your time with the other condos in the immediate area as while they are nice, I think most don’t have the square footage you’re looking for.  Also, in between Line, Le Luk and Skywalk condos is the W District which has a great selection of affordable restaurant stalls with all kinds of different international cuisine (Greek, Sushi, Oyster Bar, Jamaican, French....you name it...all centered by an open aired treed courtyard eating area with some interesting art installations scattered around (it’s an artsy area).

 

One thing I recommend, is to sacrifice square footage when necessary and shoot for a high floor view unit.  Plenty out there for rent.  I’m in a penthouse unit myself and absolutely love the 180 degree dystopian Blade Runneresque view at night.  

We were only considering the upper PP area but I hear ya.  A while ago I thought I had found a lovely place (Kraam) But then I did a google earth walk down the road to the BTS and found a whole bunch of naughty massage parlours so that put paid to that street

 

I’m already wondering why all these boxes of apartments are sooo expensive . But furnishings, cleanliness and convenience are more important to us than space and more bedrooms.  We have lived in smaller and generally when we are abroad we live a much more minimalistic life so all we really need to bring are our clothes, golf clubs and my art table, shelves and easels.

whilst the cost of Thonglor might not be worth it (it definitely isn’t), it’s paid for by the company so the actual cost is irrelevant unless we go over budget and add more ourselves - which we won’t do as 100k should be plenty to find something we can be comfortable in for a few years.  It’s not like it’s a forever home.

 

The W district  you mention sounds great (yes, I had to google it ) but there are no condos or apartments on the list that far down and even Ekkamai only has a few - the nicest of which is The Loft.

 

i think all things considered from some very valuable advice from all of you folks, is that we should live in upper Thong Lor.  It seems convenient to get to the highway and has a lot of restaurants and shops nearby.  If I need to catch the train on rainy days then I’ll just take a taxi and deal with the traffic to the BTS.  It’s not a matter of the right address but simply something that ticks most of the boxes with the access to the highway being #1 priority.

These are some of the condos on our list and within budget;

HQ Thonglor

Quattro by Sansiri

The Ivy Thonglor

maybe some others will appear nearer the time.

Yes the square footage is small but that’s the compromise we have to make.

 

We would like a high rise as we currently live on the 31st floor and love that and if we can’t have a view of the river then we’d like a nice view of the city and being higher than than mosquitoes is a bonus too.

 

Thank you for your info....it’s helped a lot.

I will definitely be checking out the W district

 

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

Actually all 3 of those places (Sky Walk, The Line and Le Luk) look lovely so I will keep and eye out for them to see if they make an appearance on the list the company offers us.

 

 

[Airalee 1,162]

30 minutes ago, NewbieInBangkok said:

We were only considering the upper PP area but I hear ya.  A while ago I thought I had found a lovely place (Kraam) But then I did a google earth walk down the road to the BTS and found a whole bunch of naughty massage parlours so that put paid to that street

 

I’m already wondering why all these boxes of apartments are sooo expensive . But furnishings, cleanliness and convenience are more important to us than space and more bedrooms.  We have lived in smaller and generally when we are abroad we live a much more minimalistic life so all we really need to bring are our clothes, golf clubs and my art table, shelves and easels.

whilst the cost of Thonglor might not be worth it (it definitely isn’t), it’s paid for by the company so the actual cost is irrelevant unless we go over budget and add more ourselves - which we won’t do as 100k should be plenty to find something we can be comfortable in for a few years.  It’s not like it’s a forever home.

 

The W district  you mention sounds great (yes, I had to google it ) but there are no condos or apartments on the list that far down and even Ekkamai only has a few - the nicest of which is The Loft.

 

i think all things considered from some very valuable advice from all of you folks, is that we should live in upper Thong Lor.  It seems convenient to get to the highway and has a lot of restaurants and shops nearby.  If I need to catch the train on rainy days then I’ll just take a taxi and deal with the traffic to the BTS.  It’s not a matter of the right address but simply something that ticks most of the boxes with the access to the highway being #1 priority.

These are some of the condos on our list and within budget;

HQ Thonglor

Quattro by Sansiri

The Ivy Thonglor

maybe some others will appear nearer the time.

Yes the square footage is small but that’s the compromise we have to make.

 

We would like a high rise as we currently live on the 31st floor and love that and if we can’t have a view of the river then we’d like a nice view of the city and being higher than than mosquitoes is a bonus too.

 

Thank you for your info....it’s helped a lot.

I will definitely be checking out the W district

 

You think like me.  I’m an art “hobbyist” myself.  Just getting back into it after many years.

 

Anyhow, it’s too bad that the company doesn’t give you 100k and let you pocket the rest.  

 

Myself, being a bit eccentric, would probably approach my boss and say something like.  “Look...BKK is a concrete jungle and if I can’t get out of there on a regular basis, I’ll go crazy.  How about I rent a 70k unit in Bangkok and a 20k 1br in Hua Hin (2 hours away) so I can unwind on weekends.  Saves you (the company) 10k a month and also saves my sanity (add whatever else necessary )”

 

I can let you know what looks pretty good in HH too.  

Edited October 11 by Airalee

[Airalee 1,162]

9 minutes ago, NewbieInBangkok said:

Actually all 3 of those places (Sky Walk, The Line and Le Luk) look lovely so I will keep and eye out for them to see if they make an appearance on the list the company offers us.

 

 

Both Le Luk and Skywalk will have river views up high.  The only issue is that it gets the afternoon/evening sun so your power bills can be pretty high.  I’d look for something on a high floor of Skywalk, looking over Wyne Condo towards the port/refinery/Onnut myself.

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

2 minutes ago, Airalee said:

You think like me.  I’m an art “hobbyist” myself.  Just getting back into it after many years.

 

Anyhow, it’s too bad that the company doesn’t give you 100k and let you pocket the rest.  

 

Myself, being a bit eccentric, would probably approach my boss and say something like.  “Look...BKK is a concrete jungle and if I can’t get out of there on a regular basis, I’ll go crazy.  How about I rent a 70k unit in Bangkok and a 20k 1br in Hua Hin (2 hours away) so I can unwind on weekends.  Saves you (the company) 10k a month and also saves my sanity (add whatever else necessary )”

 

Incan let you know what looks pretty good in HH too.  

You definitely think like me - I thought the same about getting 2 places for the 100k but sadly it’s a big corporation with very fixed expat packages and terms so we just need to do things according to the system they have in place.

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

We might think of getting a wee 1 bed somewhere like HH for weekends ourselves but for the first few months or so we will need to see how much company golf is played and also we’d like to explore as much of the country and surrounding countries as possible.  Sadly in Thailand the work calendar seems a lot heavier with fewer days off.  In all the other countries he’s had plenty of extra long weekends and long summer and winter holidays but not in Thailand

[Airalee 1,162]

2 minutes ago, NewbieInBangkok said:

You definitely think like me - I thought the same about getting 2 places for the 100k but sadly it’s a big corporation with very fixed expat packages and terms so we just need to do things according to the system they have in place.

I know how the corporate machine works.  Bummer.  Definitely get the hell out of BKK on a regular basis.  So much to see in Thailand and to be honest, as much as I am thriving on the dystopian vision of what our future cities will look like (complete with the soma smiles) I think that BKK is really a less than desirable place to live for the ฿ spent.  Hotels in many exotic areas can be quite inexpensive and being in BKK, Airasia can whisk you around the country for next to nothing.

 

Hint...skip Pai.  Fly into Maehongson and rent motorbikes and explore.

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

I know how the corporate machine works.  Bummer.  Definitely get the hell out of BKK on a regular basis.  So much to see in Thailand and to be honest, as much as I am thriving on the dystopian vision of what our future cities will look like (complete with the soma smiles) I think that BKK is really a less than desirable place to live for the ฿ spent.  Hotels in many exotic areas can be quite inexpensive and being in BKK, Airasia can whisk you around the country for next to nothing.

 

Hint...skip Pai.  Fly into Maehongson and rent motorbikes and explore.

Skip Pai?  Sorry...what’s Pai?

[bwpage3 2,053]

Big mistake trusting Google Maps for your commute times!

[NewbieInBangkok 13]

21 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Big mistake trusting Google Maps for your commute times!

Well it has always been unnervingly accurate in any other country I’ve lived in.  But I asked here since I know nothing about Bangkok and I got answers and readjusted my plans.  

 

How else am I supposed to gauge transport times from thousands of miles away?

Edited October 11 by NewbieInBangkok

[bwpage3 2,053]

15 hours ago, NewbieInBangkok said:

Well it has always been unnervingly accurate in any other country I’ve lived in.  But I asked here since I know nothing about Bangkok and I got answers and readjusted my plans.  

 

How else am I supposed to gauge transport times from thousands of miles away?

Ask people that have actually lived in that area and commuted. That is how. 

 

How many cities have you lived in that were built for 1,000,000 cars and have over 14,000,000 cars? 

 

Now throw in heavy rainfall that floods the streets during monsoon season, road construction, police checkpoints, getting to work and returning from work traffic, and you have an educated answer Google cannot give you.

 

Bangkok is at the top of the most congested traffic in the world.

 

Do a search on Google for 2019 Bangkok Traffic.