Bangkok mortgage quote: 5.76% fixed for five years—what should I compare?

R

rowan_questions

First-time buyer
The headline rate is not giving me a clean comparison. My specific concern is how arrangement charges and the applied loan-to-value band affect a Bangkok purchase of about THB 10,260,000.

I am 25 days into the review, and the current quote is 5.76% fixed for five years. Would it be better to compare all payments and fees through month 60, together with the balance still outstanding, rather than rely mainly on APR? I also need to check whether fees are paid upfront or added to the debt.

After that, I plan to compare early-repayment costs, portability and the rate-reset terms at the end of year five. Is there another cost or restriction that commonly makes two apparently similar fixed-rate quotes diverge?
 
For a likely five-year comparison, I would calculate every cash outflow through month 60, then compare the remaining loan balance at that point. That captures fees and different repayment structures better than looking at 5.76% alone. APR can help, but only if each lender calculates it on a genuinely comparable basis.
 
What loan-to-value band did the lender actually use, and is the arrangement fee paid upfront or added to the loan? Those two details could explain much of the gap from the advertised rate. Also, do you expect to sell, repay or refinance near year five, or is this intended as a longer-term home?
 
I wouldn’t limit the decision to the first five years unless moving at that point is genuinely likely. A slightly cheaper fixed period could be poor value if the reset terms are unattractive. I’d also test whether the monthly payment remains affordable after a meaningful rate increase rather than assuming refinancing will solve it.
 
A simple comparison sheet should have: upfront fees, monthly payments, total interest through month 60, principal repaid, balance remaining, and any early-repayment cost at several possible exit dates. Keep portability separate—it matters only if its conditions fit a future move. Ask each lender to confirm the post-fix rate mechanism in writing, not merely the initial payment.
 
That helps. I had been comparing the advertised rate with 5.76% and treating APR as the final answer, without giving enough weight to the balance left after five years. I’ll confirm the LTV tier, whether the arrangement fee is financed, the reset mechanism, and early-repayment costs. The 25-day process still hasn’t produced a clean like-for-like comparison.
 
Run at least two scenarios: keeping the loan beyond five years and refinancing at the end of the fixed period. For the refinance case, include another possible round of fees rather than assuming a free switch. For the keep case, stress the reset payment. Thai mortgage wording and borrower eligibility can vary, so the actual offer terms matter more than the advertised headline.
 
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