Looking for a condo around Bangkok? Now might the right time to take the plunge with the head of the Appraisal and Estate Agents Foundation saying some areas have between 8-14% vacancy rates, some areas of Bangkok up to 17.5%.

Dr Sophon Pornchokchai made the remarks at a news conference yesterday.

“Adding developer price wars, plus inducements to purchase, this represents a buyers’ market.”

He says the figures relate to condos, single houses, townhouses and other dwellings where less than 15 units of electricity were being used, deeming them to be classified as ‘unoccupied’.

Around Bangkok there are 525,889 such vacant properties.

The top three areas for vacancies were Nonthaburi (north west of the central area) with 335,421 available properties with 45,848 unoccupied or 14%. This percentage was also true of Bang Na (south east of Bangkok) with 231,192 properties, 31,289 unoccupied. Bang Yai – to the far north west of the capital – has 221,492 with 28,016 unoccupied or 13%.

Locations with the lowest unoccupied dwellings are Bang Plee (south east) with 8% unoccupied, Min Buri (north) 9% and Lat Krabang (south east) 9%.

Dr Sophon says that when it comes to condos in Bangkok and the surrounding areas, between 13.5% and 17.5% are unoccupied.

“This glut has prompted a selling war with discounts and deals.”

FazWaz‘s CEO Brennan Campbell says that we’re in part of the buying cycle right now that is definitely in the buyer’s favour.

“Long-term, the Bangkok market continues to show its strength, but there is definitely an enormous range of property to choose from, in almost every location, right now. The current dip in demand is just part of the cycle.”

SOURCE: Daily News

A man dressed up in a Thailand Post uniform has got away with gold necklaces valued around 70,000 baht. He robbed the gold shop in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan and then fled in a Thailand Post van. Samut Prakan includes the southern and south-eastern suburbs of greater Bangkok.

It was revealed later that Thailand Post had reported the van stolen the night before and that the robber wasn’t an employee, despite using the uniform as a costume.

The incident happened this morning at the Aurora Gold and Jewellery shop about 10am. The shop is part of the Thai Watsadu store on Theparat Road.

09.41 น.คนร้ายจี้ชิงทรัพย์สร้อยคอทองคำ ร้านทองออโรร่า ภายในร้านไทยวัสดุ ถ.บางนา-ตราด จ.สมุทรปราการ คนร้ายชาย 1 ราย ใช้รถยนต์ทะเบียน 1 ฒน 150 กทม. ก่อเหตุ เส้นทางหลบหนีเข้าเขตนครบาล พื้นที่ สภ.บางแก้ว Cr.ผู้สื่อข่าวอาชญากรรม #ร่วมด้วยช่วยกัน pic.twitter.com/gMu1tmlLYb

— ร่วมด้วยช่วยกัน (@Ruamduay) September 19, 2019

An abandoned shophouse in Bangkok’s Bang Plat district partially collapsed last night. No one was injured as the three-unit shop house, spread over four floors on Soi Charansanitwong 96/2 in Bang Or subdistrict, had been empty for a while.

Officials said the fourth and third floors collapsed onto the lower floors, causing glasses and pieces of wood, and concrete, to fall on the soi below. The collapse occurred during heavy rain and strong winds in the capital.

Police and Bang Plad district officials rushed to the scene and erected a barricade to declare the building off-limits awaiting checks by engineers as to whether the entire building will have to be demolished or not.

SOURCE: The Nation