Cash-rich early birds are investing in condominiums for attractive returns at a time of low deposit interest rates, says Kittisak Jumpathippong, chief executive of the property consultant Century 21 Realty Affiliates (Thailand) Co Ltd. “No business generates higher margins than property,” he said. “The situation now is like in 2000-01 when the country just came out of the crisis and investors started their...

Owners of older developments should renovate their properties to remain competitive as new, well designed apartments can attract expatriates in rental markets even if they are relatively small, according to the property firm CB Richard Ellis. The total apartment stock in central Bangkok is now 10,048 units; 337 new units in nine buildings came on the market in 2006. The current occupancy rate is 89%, a slight drop from the previous year....

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), operated by the Traffic and Transportation Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, has begun running along the first route from the Chong Nonsi BTS station to the Ratchada-Ratchapreuk intersection in Thonburi. The 16.5 kilometer route comprises of 12 stations with a designated lane for the buses. From our observations, the buses arrive at 5-10 minute intervals but, despite the road barrier...

At the end of each quarter, a picture of the real estate market is taken that reveals the trends of the three-month period. A bottoming out, a peaking, a continual upward trajectory, often there are clear signals that allow us to infer what the following quarter promises. That is in normal times. These are clearly not. Sathorn Square, scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2010, will be the largest office to appear in the capital’s...

A pragmatic and innovative approach from the BMA to improving life in the capital is long overdue. One of the most remarkable things about Bangkok, which celebrated its 227th anniversary earlier this month, is that concerned officials over the past several decades have consistently failed to bring to fruition a comprehensive city-planning initiative. This is even as rapid urbanization has turned the metropolis into the chaotic anthill that it is...

Community condominium projects are expected to grow in popularity among developers in the Kaset-Navamin area and outside the city. The Park Exo site has four rai available for sports facilities and a community mall. Developers looking to succeed in the area should embrace the concept of building community residences that offer full facilities. “Condo projects in the market today are clearly focused on the locations close to existing and...