My Tips on Finding a Comfortable Place to Live in Bangkok

I know there are a lot of people moving moving to Bangkok for long term, whether it’s for retirement or simply for an extended vacation. Apartments are very affordable and the rents are a lot more manageable compared to other major cities.

If you’re planning on moving to Bangkok your first priority is obviously find a decent area to stay in a great location. Your best bet is to stay at an apartment within the city limits. It’s probably not the best idea to think about buying a condo but you can rent, just yet to pay more. No matter how nice and affordable Bangkok condos are, until you know a life in Thailand is what you truly want. Things are going to be different after all since it is a major change in lifestyle.

Thai homes are an even greater value. But there is a hitch if you’re planning to go that route eventually. Foreigners are not allowed to own land which is a big problem if you want your house on top of it. So the only way for a foreigner can chill out at their own humble abode is to marry a Thai national who’s name is the landholder. But that’s a whole different topic.

So what location is the best place to stay within central Bangkok? Or how much and what are the costs involved with renting and leasing and apartment in Bangkok for a few months or years? Even though there are a lot more questions I’m sure those few are the most important.

Most apartments are furnished, meaning there’s a bed with mattress (no linens and pillows), a television with some English but mostly Thai channels, refrigerator, clothes drawers and perhaps a writing desk and chair. There’s most likely Wi-Fi internet access for free but if you want stable internet access it’s best to subscribe to an Internet service provider like True Online. Though you might want to visit one of their service centers to speak with someone because their website is not helpful. You can find a True service center in every major mall. Or ask someone at the apartment management office who should have that info at the ready.

And if it’s a newer building there might even be a pool and or small workout gym. But the most important apartment feature you must have is air condition. Well, at least it’s important for me. The city can get really hot.

The cost of water and electricity is calculated separate from rent. Though typical cost of water is 20THB per unit and cost of electricity is 8THB per unit. I’m sorry to say, to this day, I still can’t figure out what Thailand’s standard unit of measurement is for utilities.

So the best I can do is give you an example. For water, I take showers 2 to 3 times a day. Wash a few dishes and water my plants daily. At the end of the month my water bill consistently comes out to $3USD a month about 90THB.

Speaking of water, is it safe to drink it? There are locals who do drink water straight from the tap and there are those that strictly drink from bottled or treated water.

Personally, I don’t drink the local water from the tap, even though I know it has been treated with chlorine. I do brush my teeth and rinse with it so a little bit of the water does go down my gut. So I guess that’s okay. But I’d try and avoid gulping down a giant mouthful. As far as showering, Bangkok’s water does the job just fine.

My electricity bill fluctuates because the biggest cost factor is running the air condition, which is a must use when it gets hot. I’m out most of the day but I keep a fan running if I am in during the day. I mostly turn on my air con when I’m sleeping, so I have it on for about 5 or 6 hours and program a shut off afterwards.

Just a side note, if you’re really concerned about the heat, which I’m not joking does get bad, do remember to ask for any available room that doesn’t get hit with a whole lot of sun during the day. Your room will be considerably comfortable so you won’t have to suck up so much electricity.

Other appliances that use up the juice is my oven I use for baking occasionally, an electric induction stove for cooking occasionally, my refrigerator (that is on 24 hours) a room fan, television and charging my laptop and iPad. On average my electric bill is between $30USD to $40USD.

Other extra cost is if I want someone to clean my room it’ll cost me $10USD or 300THB per cleaning. My parking space cost $30USD a month.

And my base rent is 8500THB. So every month I pay around 10500THB or with today’s currency exchange rates $350USD.

Most places offer some type of package called full service which means you get a fully furnished room with room cleaning, pillows, bed linen and towels which are changed twice a week. And you’ll get a set amount of electricity included along with unlimited usage of water. Those types of packages can run a minimum of 15000THB depending on where you go.

My tips on apartment hunting in Bangkok is mostly based on my experience. I have only 2 needs which I think most people are concerned about as I am:

Safety and Cleanliness
Location and Convenience

Okay you can consider the above as 4 needs. I just didn’t want to complicate things.

Starting off with safety. Most neighborhoods in Bangkok are quite safe and crime is relatively low compared to other major cities with a large population. Newer apartment buildings are well lit, employ a few security guards with closed circuit cameras recording and running around the clock. And all apartment buildings have electronic key cards provided for tenants only to access the front entrance and or elevators.

You should also take a look at the building management too since they are the folks who manage the building security and cleaning staff.

Which leads me to my next point on cleanliness. Most well managed buildings will without a doubt have a dedicated cleaning crew that sweep the floors on a daily basis and mop the floors on schedule. And you can also arrange room cleaning with the same crew through the office management.

Rent Cost in Bangkok

Here are the most expensive neighborhoods in Bangkok:

Sukhumvit
Silom/Sathorn
Thong Lor
Ekkamai

For a comfortable furnished apartment with at least 30 square meters of space including a balcony you can expect to spend a minimum of 15,000THB per month for a room in the areas listed above. You might even be charged a higher rate for utilities too. Because those are prime neighborhoods with ultra convenience to the BTS Sky Train line and or MRT Subway line. You can expect to pay a bit more for an apartment near any of the train station entrances.

Here are inexpensive to medium priced neighborhoods in Bangkok:

Phaholyothin
Ratchoyothin
Ladprao
Ratchadapisek
Victory Monument
Phayathai

The neighborhoods listed above are where you can find the most affordable apartments. That’s not to say you won’t find expensive places to live either. As I mentioned earlier the closer you are to a train line the costlier the apartment. But it’s safe to say you can find a lot of clean and modern apartments in those parts of Bangkok in the 8000THB range. Though the further you get into a soi (lane or alley in Thai) the cheaper and perhaps the older the accommodations will be.

I want to mention that it’s best to get an apartment that isn’t too old. Most older apartments are very cheap, about $100USD or 3000THB per month. Obviously I haven’t seen every apartment in Bangkok in the $100USD price range. But I’ve seen enough to know that not all of the floors are lit. There is no hot water.

And cheap $100USD per month apartments in Bangkok typically have small cramped bathrooms where the shower is directly or adjacent to the toilet so everything including your hanging roll of toilet tissue will get wet. I guess you can fashion a shower curtain but since the bathroom is so small, you might as well not waste your time.

When my wife was 17 years old she used to live in a cheap apartment that cost $50USD a month the first day she came to Bangkok and found a job at a hotel. Yeah, she hated it. It was small and crammed with no air con plus she had to share a bathroom with tenants. Unless that’s your cup of tea these types of apartment dwellings are not listed on the Internet so you’ll have to do a bit of walking.

In general you can sign a lease for a month at a time. Though you may get a better deal on rent if you sign a lease for 6 months to a year. Laying down 2 months of rent deposit is typical too once you’ve signed the dotted line on the lease.

After looking through a few prospects you should also take a look at the area surrounding the apartments. Check if it’s close to a mall or at least within walking distance to a big supermarket. Having a little 7 Eleven convenience nearby is a bonus too. I can’t tell you how many times 7 Elevens have saved me from a mid night munchies attack. Check out my Bangkok Supermarket Guide (coming soon) for places to stock up your fridge as well as well as cost of food.

If you’re curious as to where I stay, it’s a place called Prim Place Apartments, located on Phaholyothin Road by soi 26. As of writing I’ve been keeping an apartment there for the past 4 years. It’s a clean building that is kept that way on a daily basis. Security is good with key card access and friendly security guards.

Prim Place Apartments is in a safe area but to be frank most of Bangkok is safe though crime does happen so I never place myself into any false sense of security. Plus there are coin operated washers and dryers on premise.

The area Prim Place is located on is mostly residential with a large mix of locals that work in the city. There is also an increasing frequency of foreigners in the area I am staying at too. Plus lots of foreign exchange students also choose to stay in the area because it is close to a popular university called Kasetsart where they attend international business courses.

To me it’s a convenient location because there are a handful of big shopping malls in walking distance. Union Mall is a popular shopping center for Thai teens and has a loads of restaurants to check out or chill out. Central Ladprao which is just one of a chain of famous malls with brand name popular malls are just a 15 minute walking distance or a 2 minute bus ride. Tesco a large supermarket that doubles as a mini mall is also along the same route.

The closest mall from where I live is called Major Ratchayothin. Its got a bowling center, movie theaters, restaurants, shops plus a night market. All just a short 5 minute walk. And there are loads of hawker stands from noodle joints to packed restaurants providing affordable delights from Isaan. To me, it’s a great place to stay and suits my needs perfectly.

Finally, I recommend taking a few days to look at a couple of places before you decide on where you want to make your home away from home. Book a hotel for a few nights first instead of rushing ahead and moving into an apartment straight away.

And don’t hire some kind of broker working on commission. There is simply no need to spend frivolously.

Here are 2 really helpful Thai apartment websites:

Because most apartments in Bangkok, particularly in the central neighborhoods are ready for foreign tenants. And besides, it’s really not rocket science.

If the price is right you’ll get a good vibe if the location, building quality and room is just right for you fairly quickly. When the place is clean, close to places you want to go to and meet whatever criteria you have in mind then it’s probably a good place to start a life in Bangkok.

So to summarize, it’s best to pick an apartment on the main road or as close to the main road as possible. Though rooms for rent on those areas are slightly higher, its way more convenient than far down a soi.

In my observations Bangkok apartments in the $250 to $325 price range are an excellent value. Pay anything much less than that and the location may not be so convenient and taken care of.

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