Overview
It takes almost everyone who visits Central Bangkok less than a hour or two to ask something like “what are those 4 identical silver skycraper?” as Millennium Residence is a highly visible Bangkok landmark. The hihg-end luxury condominium project which took several years and developers to finish before its final completion in 2010 is one the most popular expat condos because of its perceived quality and price. The luxury project consists of four 51-story towers have a little over 600 condominium units total.
The Location
The Millennium Residence complex takes up a huge land plot in between Sukhumvit sois 16-20. It is close to the popular Benjatti (known as ‘Suan Sirikit’ among Thais) park, the office block of Sukhumvit 16 as well as the Asok BTS/Sukhumvit MRT skytrain/subway respectively.
Unit Types (avg. rental prices)
- 1 Bedrooms (68 sq.m.) (฿45-60,000)
- 2 Bedrooms (88-128 sq.m.) (฿60-80,000)
- 3 Bedrooms (146-193 sq.m. ) (฿80-130,000)
- Duplex (200+ sq.m.) (rare)
- Penthouse (305-500+ sq.m. (฿200,000+)
The Millennium Residence has a lot going for it. The highlight of the Millennium Residence is the resort style facilities which include a huge Olympic sized outdoor swimming pool, commercial sized fitness center and tennis courts. Basically all the units at the Millennium Residence have a great view, especially in Tower D and any units on the high floors. The building is very secure and family friendly with plenty of space for kids to mill about albeit it’s seemingly all concrete and steel. All the units at The Millennium Residence are spacious and modern featuring high ceilings and built-in Western fixtures. The location is also excellent. It is far enough from the main roads to not have the noise and immediate traffic congestion yet close enough that most people will be able to walk to the nearby restaurants and supermarkets with no issues. The location also offers multiple entrance and exits so drivers have options for traveling around Bangkok.
The Millennium Residence style is very polarizing. While some people love to call the tall, metal looking skyscrapers home, others find it very impersonal and overbearing, one expat even referred to it as “a futuristic space prison”. The Millennium Residence location is also polarizing as it is on the verge of not being within comfortable walking distance to Sukhumvit Road, for some especially for those who reside in Towers C and D. As mentioned before, there is a lot of foreign investment in the Millennium Residence, this makes it quite difficult for expats to find a ‘foreign quota’ condo for sale in the building.
The Millennium Residence condos showcase amazing views. This was obviously one of the primary selling points when the building was developed but what the developers didn’t account for is the energy costs associated with cooling the spacious units when they receive the harsh sunlight especially from 3-6pm in the evenings. Most residents opt for dark or even blackout curtains or shades for the hottest hours of the day and this of course takes away from the view. Those Millennium Residence co-owners who opt to use their air conditioning end up spending well higher than average power bills which can add up to significant amounts over time.
Renting a Condo at The Millennium Residence
With over 600 units you would expect there to be a plentiful supply of availability at The Millennium Residence but there is not. One bedrooms are the most rare, as they are larger and better laid out than the bulk of Bangkok one bedroom condos. The one bedrooms are rented out longer than average than most one bedroom condos in Bangkok. The other 2-3 bedroom unit types all feature different layouts, so aficionados of the building may get picky and find it hard to find their perfect unit and look for months for the right rental. The duplex and penthouse units are almost never available, usually rented for 3 years at a time so if you ever view a unit you like at this building, it’s a good idea to put down a holding deposit so you don’t miss out.
Buying a Condo at The Millennium Residence
The Millennium Residence is very popular with foreigners and it is hard to find ‘Foreign Quota’ units. The embassy of the United States of America and other big foreign national companies own dozens of the foreign quota units in the building which also add to the scarcity of foreign quota availability. Due to the asking prices in newer luxury condominium projects in Sukhumvit and the relatively low cost and comparable quality of the Millennium Residence, there was a buying frenzy in the mid 2010s that drove up the sales prices rapidly and continue to this day. The prices at the time of this writing are still less than ฿175,000 per square meter which is significantly lower than the new luxury projects so it is still a good buy for investment or a high quality home.
Conclusion
There is no question that the Millennium Residence is a quality project. Most residents are quite happy with the experience living there. Whether it is a good place for you largely depends on the style of environment you’re used to living in. The nitpicks aside, the Millennium Residence really ticks all the boxes for those looking to live the urban highrise lifestyle and don’t mind the somewhat impersonal, sterile environment.