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So what’s the difference? And why have a difference? And why does Thailand distinguish between the two? Well before we answer the first 2 questions let’s get the third out of the way. Thailand is a Developing Country and as such has decided to adopt many ideas from the Developed World in order to organize its growing economy and society and to help it expand towards its ultimate goal of being classed as developed. Therefore through all parts of life, culture and the economy, including political structure of the Thai Government and legal structure of Thai Law, Thailand has borrowed ideas and methods from the US, Europe, UK and Japan. You can easily witness this on a daily basis in all parts of Thailand and one quaint example is the use of red Post-Boxes with black bases, as is traditional of the UK Royal Mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When people first started moving to cities both in the Developed world and in the Developing world, they needed accommodation fast. So enterprising wealthy business people started to build mass housing. This was done in the forms of both Apartments and Town-Houses (we’ll get on to those later). So as it was in London and New York, it was the same in Bangkok. People moved to the big cities looking for work and a better life. Of course, as many of these newly arrived residents had little or no money, but wanted to be near their employment, they demanded cheap easy accommodation. At the same time, urbanization and congregation towards the city centers, factories and offices meant land prices increased and so would be landlords decided that Apartments were and often still are the best form of housing to build. Many people living in one big building segregated by internal walls and partitions. Of course though the origin of the Apartment has moved on in leaps and bounds in most cities, including Bangkok since those early days, and as the market has become more wealthy and sophisticated as have the Apartments. Many of the Apartments we work with at EasyHomes have wonderful facilities such as Swimming Pools, Fitness Studios, Security, Car Parking, Jacuzzis, Saunas, Steam Rooms, Golf Driving Ranges, Tennis Courts and Squash Courts. Apartments are essentially owned by one landlord, he/she/or a corporation own the building and therefore ALL the units inside the building. These units are for Rent Only! You can not under any circumstances buy a single unit in an Apartment block. Landlords set their own rules which must be obeyed by all residents or else the landlord can terminate the contract and ask you to leave. The rules they can impose can stretch to the price of Electricity per unit, Water, Telephone or any other amenity or facility they offer. And often there is a premium placed on Utility bills. So why are apartments still popular? Well for a start most landlords are reasonably fair, they have to be, they have to go on market prices. Also many apartments are well located to people’s work, shops, malls, restaurants or the BTS or MRT lines in Greater Bangkok. Added to that, many apartments are cheaper per square meter to Rent than Condos. Condominiums Explained A condominium is also part of a large (or very large) building. Like an apartment it is one unit inside a building which will house many units, perhaps many hundreds of units. However the big difference is all these units are owned by individual landlords. The building was not built by a person wishing to rent out all the units, it was built by a developer wanting to Sell all the units to individuals. It us up to those individuals what they do with the Condo(s) they buy. Many Condo owners in Bangkok opt to live in their property as they can have access to great facilities such as Swimming Pools, Fitness Studios, Security, Car Parking, Jacuzzis, Saunas, Steam Rooms, Golf Driving Ranges, Tennis Courts and Squash Courts, and are often in superb locations such as Nusasiri Grand Condominium which is actually linked to the Sky Train at Ekkamai station. However, fortunately for many foreigners who wish to rent, as will not be staying to Thailand indefintaely, there are a good number of rental properties on the market to chose from. The advantages associated with Condos are mainly the cost of the utility bills. As a condo landlord is not allowed to place a Premium on any bills, all the bills will be direct to the utility company and therefore the cheapest rate. We often find that our clients who wish to rent for 12 months or more, find that condos are better value for money than apartments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Serviced Apartment is a sort of cross between an Apartment and a Hotel. They are often luxurious and will provide daily or weekly maid cleaning services, laundry services and dining services. They will also offer short-term leases as low as a Month, Week or even Day. These are the main differences between a Serviced Apartment and an Apartment. But what differentiates it from a Hotel is that the units are often much larger and they will have a choice of types of unit ranging from Studios to Penthouses depending upon the building and your budget. Like Condos and Apartments they are a practical solution to the City Center problems of overcrowding, expensive land and commuting. Like condos they are individually owned and the utility bills work the same way. However there is less choice in the market, and locations and facilities are generally inferior to those of condos or apartments. What you will get though is a lot more space for you money. Finally Detached Houses, not to be left out. These are not often found in the City Centre and when they are can be very costly properties to Rent or Buy. They are individually owned and all the utility bills are direct without any premiums. However there are indeed hidden costs when renting. When Renting Condos, Apartments, Service Apartments and even many Town Houses in Bangkok, you are also paying for the local facilities to be provided and maintained. This is rarely the case with Detached Houses where you will have to provide your own Gardener, Security Guard or Swimming Pool technician assuming you’re lucky enough to have one. |
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If like me your are from Europe or the UK then the difference between a Condominium or Apartment can be confusing. In the UK we tend to call such properties Flats, as they are generally on just one level, although you can get split-level, duplex or double-decker versions of course. Other parts of the world have similar colloquialisms for these types of properties, but universally they are known as Condos or Apartments.