Siri At Sukhumvit marks the return of Sansiri to the high-rise condominium market after a lull of about two years. The almost four-rai estate, just 47 square wah shy of that amount, is the largest Sansiri condo project to date with 460 units housed insidye a 34-storey L-shaped tower.

Its clean-cut contemporary architectural design bears the distinct style that has made Sansiri the leader in urban residences, whether they be detached homes or penthouses in the sky.

Prices start from Bt85,000 a square metre for the lower floors. One-bedroom units start from about Bt4.2 million. The freehold apartments will be semi-furnished, providing air-conditioners and kitchen sets.

Two-bedroom condos are from 67 square metres, while three-bedroom units are from 105 square metres.

The project offers a large swimming pool, which measures 12 by 35 metres. The pool and large sun deck area are situated on the sixth floor where a fitness room is also located.

The project is scheduled for completion in September 2010. Maintenance fees are set at Bt40 a square metre and the sinking fund is Bt500 a square metre.

Duangporn Luekitinan, Sansiri's senior marketing executive, who is heading the project, said the company had kept prices at an affordable level, considering the current circumstances of the marketplace and the moribund economy.

The project will nevertheless maintain the reputation that Sansiri has earned over the years as a quality builder that can provide high-value residences to buyers who are discerning about living standards and personal esteem.

Duangporn said the target group

for Siri included professionals, entre-

preneurs and sophisticated buyers who

are accustomed to a higher standard of urban living than, say, the average office worker.

This group of buyer is more than likely to frequent the semi-yuppie outlets on Thonglor and shop at expensive shopping malls such as Emporium and Siam Paragon.

Siri's location on the main Sukhumvit stretch between Soi Thonglor and Soi Ekamai, with an second exit-entrance from Sukhumvit Soi 38, provides one of the better residential neighbourhoods left in this midtown section.

Whereas suffocating traffic and abysmal overcrowding lie further up at Phra Khanong and Onnuj, with foul conditions all the way to the Bang Na intersection, this particular stretch is somewhat protected from such chaos.

This quarter is also relatively protected from the more notorious tourists zones along Sukhumvit such as Nana and Asoke, which are packed with untidy vendors and beggars that litter the strip with piles of rubbish daily.

One of Siri's big advantages is its proximity to the Thonglor BTS station, which can be accessed easily from Sukhumvit Soi 38.

To avoid heavy road congestion, residents can use the BTS and MRTA mass-transit lines to travel almost anywhere in Bangkok and avoid the stress of being stuck in the unmoving sections of Sukhumvit.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation