Dear Editor,
Judging by the enormous response to the online version of my letter you published two weeks ago: ‘No refund for noisy condo’, over 3,000 reads so far, I’d say that the issue of noisy condos was of major concern to many people who’ve either moved to Thailand, or are thinking of doing so. If nothing else my letter might have alerted people to the expression, ‘Buyer beware.’ And to that I’d like to add, ‘Apartment block owners and landlords in Thailand in general, beware, in this extremely competitive climate for foreign income from renting or buying accommodation to use either as a holiday or retirement home, the world is the buyers/renters oyster,’ and they’re exercising that prerogative more and more, especially now the exchange rate’s dropped so dramatically.
As I stated in my previous letter, renting the condo in question was my last attempt to stay in Thailand as a winter holiday home, hoping to spend up to 6 months of the year there, putting money into the local economy. That dream has obviously turned sour, I’m now over £4500 (4644 GBP) out of pocket with no sign of any recompense.
If I didn’t have important personal belongings left in the condo I’d write Thailand off as a bad job, but I will have to return near the time that my 12-month lease is due to expire to retrieve them; I only intend to make it a short visit. The agent only hopes that they’ll still be there, and after being robbed twice at my previous address, so do I.
Mr Philip Fletcher
