Manila compare to Bangkok

[Georgebob]

Am I right to say Manila is more expensive than Bangkok in terms of renting & buying and even hotel accommodation 

I do see future potential in Manila, especially if they complete the train system to the airport and eventually BGC 

If only they would expand their transport systems,get rid of the jeepneys and bring in buses , more SkyTrain stations 

But would that be correct if I were to say Manila is more expensive than Bangkok

I do see all the new construction going up , virtually on the doorsteps of some areas like Tondo where new Condos are being built .

So the City will be one day a world class city ,I'm not sure when that will happen .

I am thinking though all these big condos I saw being constructed,who will live in them?

I was in BGC last week during the evening and looking at the Condo building over the park I counted less than 20"% of lights on in the building 

 

Edited May 23 by Georgebob

[Gutenberg]

I would say Manila has the same problem the entire Phillipines has. It's missing quality middle class apartments because it's missing the Chinese investors who just scoop them up like in BKK. It's either shacks or apartments that rent for $700-1000 which have the same quality as $300-500 apartments in Thailand.

However if you just look at the price range, I would say Manila is cheaper. You can buy shacks very cheap in the middle of one of those Manila cities while that is impossible in BKK.

Lights are a bad indicator for anything. Rich people buy it to store wealth, not to live in them. Normal poor people buy them to live in them or hope to get an income from rent.

I am watching a lot of Walking videos, especially in Manila and the entire 'Metro Manila' looks like a huge 'modern slum' with low rise buildings, except those couple of districts. There's no way I would want to live there for a longer period. But that applies to BKK as well.

 

 

Edited May 23 by Gutenberg

[JJReyes]

7 hours ago, Georgebob said:

I was in BGC last week during the evening and looking at the Condo building over the park I counted less than 20"% of lights on in the building 

The mentality of local real estate investors is to buy now because construction costs will go up next year and therefore developer prices will be higher.  Not so much at BGC, but many new condo buildings in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu are marketed to OFWs as an investment and a future home when they return.  There is also speculation that many condo units in Makati and BGC remain empty because foreign residents have not returned.  They returned home after business operations shut down during the pandemic.

[scott h]

Good points all around!

9 hours ago, Georgebob said:

I counted less than 20"% of lights on in the building 

My method is to count the number of air conditioning units installed. Empty ac, empty unit.

5 hours ago, Gutenberg said:

Rich people buy it to store wealth, not to live in them. Normal poor people buy them to live in them or hope to get an income from rent.

When we first retired here 12 years ago, condo hawkers (seems to be one at the entrance of every mall) where selling "homes" lately they have been advertising them as "investments". The wife has several overseas batchmates, one from Australia owns a condo near their home barangay, they (and other relatives) use it during visits. I asked why not stay with the family? The answer is that the family home is not up to their current standards, lol. 

9 hours ago, Georgebob said:

who will live in them?

In my view that is the major sticking point that impacts many key issues, traffic, housing affordability, housing size, overcrowding etc. The condos are normally to small for a growing family, or to expensive for a college grad on his/her first job. case in point, my neighbor's son and his wife, early 30's college grads (nursing), two small kids, both are employed as BPO operators. an average condo is to small for them a large one to expensive. Solution? The live in Laguna at the mother in laws house and commute. 

[MotorSarge]

9 hours ago, Georgebob said:

I do see future potential in Manila, especially if they complete the train system to the airport and eventually BGC 

If only they would expand their transport systems,get rid of the jeepneys and bring in buses , more SkyTrain stations 

Don't worry It's coming.

Underground and has been in the works for umpteen years....It will cover the South to North of the Metro.....

 

Metro Manila Subway eyes 'full operations' by 2029 | GMA News Online (gmanetwork.com)

[MotorSarge]

4 minutes ago, MotorSarge said:

Don't worry It's coming.

Underground and has been in the works for umpteen years....It will cover the South to North of the Metro.....

 

Metro Manila Subway eyes 'full operations' by 2029 | GMA News Online (gmanetwork.com)

Ya gotta remember sea level subways take on a different engineering plan which adds to more time and which intern adds to heavy pockets.

Edited May 24 by MotorSarge

[MotorSarge]

3 minutes ago, MotorSarge said:

Ya gotta remember sea level subways take on a different engineering plan which adds to more time and which intern adds to heavy pockets.

 

 

 

[Freebie]

And also re lights on in buildings, dont forget a normal way for a developer here is to pay a contractor in property... ie you build a 400 unit tower, contractor can expect upwards of 20 units for him to resell whenever he likes.. some sub contractors may also get a unit or more....