Having grown up in the northeastern part of the US, attended college, and spent most of my adult life working in places like Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, I have a strong affinity for the urban lifestyle. When I first moved to Thailand, I was initially looking at lofts in Pattaya as an option, but couldn’t find anything “out of the box” that was suitable.
I love being in the heart of things, a short walk or drive to restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Stylistically, I have always found lofts with high ceilings, large windows, and large spaces with plenty of wall space to hang my paintings more suitable for my lifestyle.
For my first three years in Pattaya, I lived in a condominium on Wongamat beach. It is a fantastic building, with great views and a quiet lifestyle. But I found that I spent most of my time meeting friends in town for dinner, drinks or coffee. I’m not much of a beach lover and due to the limited time spent at home I didn’t take full advantage of the amazing views.
I decided it was time to return to a more urban environment. My best years from a lifestyle perspective were spent living in a brownstone in one of Boston’s trendiest neighborhoods. And whenever I visited New York, I tended to stay in loft-style boutique hotels in SOHO. This was the look he was looking for here in Pattaya, and he was determined to find it.
After looking at various condo deals around the city, Pattaya lofts were nowhere to be found. I found my best bet was a store in one of the newer areas in South Pattaya, just off Third Road. The immediate area has several boutique hotels, restaurants, and small shops. Ethnically it is a refreshing mix of Thai and diverse foreign residents. It offers easy access to the beach, shops, Walking Street, the rest of Pattaya and Jomtien.
Once I got established in the neighborhood, I started looking for specific properties. The store I selected is a 3-story walk-up building of approximately 150 square meters. After some pretty intense negotiations, I reached an agreement with the owner on a lease with an option to buy. The lease is for 3 years with two 3-year renewal terms. I can exercise the purchase option at any time during the first 3 years.
I was very proud of my progress in the negotiation. Not only did I negotiate a rent discount for the first 18 months, but the landlord also agreed to tile the top floor and install showers in the second and third floor bathrooms. The owner completed the work as agreed, and I then took possession of the building.
That’s when the fun began. I found that the water did not reach the top two floors. I suggested to the owner that since she had agreed to install showers, it was implied that water would be available for them to work. Suffice it to say that she didn’t see it my way. About 16,000 Thai baht (THB) later, she had a pump, pipes, a water tank, and running water.
After installing air conditioning, lighting, and other infrastructure issues, I hired a contractor to set up the space. I was determined to get a good price so I decided to find a Thai builder. Using my office manager as a translator and photos from the Internet to illustrate the style he was going for, we discussed the specifications and price of the job. You will probably hear horror stories from other foreigners about working with Thai builders, but my experience has always been very positive. The most critical factor is obtaining detailed plans and prices for the agreed work.
The finished product includes a contemporary living, dining and kitchen area on the second floor. Features include large ceramic tile, bright white kitchen cabinets and eat-in island, silver mosaic tiles, white painted walls, and designer lighting. There is additional space on this floor to serve as a second bedroom, game room, or storage.
The second floor features white tile floors, built-in cabinets, and a custom-built king-size bed, all in a light cherry finish. Once again, there is additional space that could be used for home massages, a home office, or even more storage.
A few things needed a bit of tweaking (Thai people are pretty clever at fixing bugs), and we made some tweaks as we went. But overall, except for leaving behind a mess and a few minor blemishes, I was delighted with the quality and value I received from my contractor.
If you are like me and Pattaya lofts match your preferred lifestyle, you can avoid a great deal of wasted time, additional cost and frustration by working with a professional who has the experience and contacts to deliver a quality project.