I'm moving to Bangkok in January 2011

[bigfish6009]

Hi there!

This is my first post so be gentle!

I'll be moving to Bangkok in Jan 11 with my girlfriend and I was wondering if anyone could recommend any Bangkok based letting agents or property websites?

I have been looking on mrroomfinder.com and easyhomes.tv but does anyone know of any other sites I should be looking on?

Also, obviously Bangkok is a pretty big place but what sort of moderately priced areas would people recommend someone to live in?

Thanks in advance!

[hillbilly]

What area of BKK are you looking for?

[phunphin]

you could get a hotel in the area your interested in and then just scope out any residence in that area, it would save you getting locked into a contract and find you don't like the area.
Also look in the bangkok post , nation papers,(not online version) as they advertise apartments and residences.

[Mr Earl]

Some salient info could be helpful prior to offering advice:

What will you be doing in BKK? School, business, teaching?
What is your budget?
Is your girlfriend Thai? If not what's she going to do?
Where have you been living?
What kind of lifestyle do you imagine living?
What nationality are you?
Have you been to Bangkok before?

[Thormaturge]

^^
What he says.
You tell us you are moving here but not what you are going to be doing.
If you have a job lined up I suggest moving here four to six weeks before you commence work in order to acclimatise. I spent most of my first month here asleep. Now anything under 30oC seems cold.
Find a hotel near to your place of work and explore the area. It helps to live near your work and also close to a BTS or MRT station.
If your work and accommodation are outside the BTS/MRT coverage then you will need to figure out the buses. There is a bus route planner somewhere on the internet and I suggest learning which aircon buses cover the route(s) you will need.

[bigfish6009]

Thanks for your questions Mr Earl, I've answered them below. Sorry my OP was a little brief!

Some salient info could be helpful prior to offering advice:

What will you be doing in BKK? School, business, teaching?
I have recently completed a TEFL course and hope to do some teaching. I also have experience in copy-writing, content writing for websites so I am going to look into doing this freelance.

What is your budget?
In terms of rent 10000THB per month

Is your girlfriend Thai? If not what's she going to do?
Yes, she is Thai

Where have you been living?
Apart from the UK (Manchester), I have lived in Sydney and Brisbane. I also lived in Phuket for 5 months last year

What kind of lifestyle do you imagine living?
Very modest lifestyle, comfortable but by no means extravagant. I don't want to spend a year living in Bangkok like someone who is there on holiday!

What nationality are you?
British

Have you been to Bangkok before?
Yes, 3 times as a tourist and for no more than a week at a time

Ideally, I am looking to rent 1 bed studio or condo, fully furnished with kitchen in an area with good local amenities - shops, supermarket, and good public transport links - close to BTS. I also like to keep fit and go running often so an area near to a park would be great, although not essential

[dirtydog]

Live near your work, cos thats where you will be most days.

[Bettyboo]

Stay in a chaep hotel for a week or two (there's a sawadee inn at Thonglor (or was...) that's close to a BTS and quite cheap) then go around areas and check out the condos... So many areas to choose from, some folks I know like Ari, as it has a BTS, good nightlife, shops and food. Some folk like PhaKanong and Onnut, close to the BTS there are quite a lot of condos.

Bangkok is just another city... I've never liked it much meself. Good luck.

[Norton]

thailand apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

[splitpin100]

thailand apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

Don't part with any money for something on Craigslist till you can 100% know its legit, and have seen it with your own eyes

[Tom Sawyer]

Pay close attention to the advice above about being close to your place of work - or at least near enough to the transit that will get you there.

Sukhumvit is the most expensive area but lots of bars and western-restaurants. Good access to rapid transit - traffic jams the norm. Mostly condos/apartments. One bedroom air con for you and g'friend is around 25,000 - 50,000 per month. Note landlors want 2-3 months deposit. You can live in a Thai-style studio for as little as 5,000 (no kitchen - probably no air con)

Better still for many is the area from Victory Monument north to about Chatujak Market area. You can get both apartments or houses (for some reason houses are better value). Price range for a decent one bed apt is around 25,000. But a 2-3 bedrm house can be as low as 25-45,000.

Hope that helps.

[Thormaturge]

The nearer you are to the ground floor, the nearer you are to the pollution and a whole host of creatures.

Idon't like spiders, cockroaches, snakes, mice, car fumes, noise, etc. etc. so I prefer to sleep well above the 4th floor.

[Loy Toy]

I have recently been looking at a few apartments along Soi Onnt (Sukhumvit Soi 77) and there are a number of newly built places which look like value for money.

Walking distance from Onnut BTS and most of the places have a lot of expatriates from all over the world staying in the area.

Far cheaper then lower Sukhumvit and if your really lucky you can get our forum member The Gentleman Scamp as your neighbour.

Just walk along the soi and drop by a few places and ask to see the rooms and you may even dodge the agents commission fee.

Good luck with it.

[Tom Sawyer]

^
And you'll be very near the residences of Soi Bargirl as Stickman calls them..

[Loy Toy]

^ To be honest mate I have never heard of that place but sometimes drink in the world famous Onnut beer garden which can be a bit of an eye opener.

[Tom Sawyer]

Where is that 'beer garden'? It's not the few little joints across the street (Suk) from the Tesco (near the foot of the Skytrain)? Is there some bigger place?

FYI - I think Stick refers to Soi Onnut as a generality as many of the bar girls say they live in Onnut.

[Loy Toy]

^ If you look over the elevated BTS wall (left side coming from downtown) you also look down directly onto the beer garden which can probably seat 100 people.

I think the slappers live all over Bangkok and I do know quite a few that live in Udom Suk which offers cheaper apartments then Onnut.

[sabaii sabaii]

5000 baht a month down there in On Nut

[LooseBowels]

FFS Not another TEFLER
Do yourself a big favour and plonk yerself down back in blighty, civilization,Mancsland just fine.
Just make 2 or 3 visits through the year to do your blowin off.
Just far to much shit on the go in the "LOL LOS" , and 3rd world slum.
You could be the next live fire zone.
And thats Absolute.
You can't argue with that.

[Norton]

Don't part with any money for something on Craigslist till you can 100% know its legit

Agree. Same can be said for any advert.

[Mr Earl]

Ideally, I am looking to rent 1 bed studio or condo, fully furnished with kitchen in an area with good local amenities - shops, supermarket, and good public transport links - close to BTS. I also like to keep fit and go running often so an area near to a park would be great, although not essential

Sounds like the a monthly room at Rompo Mansion would fit you budget and most of your needs.
They have a great well cared for 25m swimming pool, weight room, Muay Thai gym, steam room.
5 minutes to Tesco, Carefour, Khlong Toei market.
Lot's of good street food in front of the hotel (ie. somtam for the girlfriend)

15 minute walk to Khlong Toei MRT and a 20 baht moto taxi ride or 20 minute walk to the nearest Phrom Phom BTS.
20 minute walk to Lumpini Park
Good security, good parking extremely pleasant hotel staff.
It's nice and quiet.
It's the one of the residential hotels of choice for many old timers here.

I've kept a room there for the past 6 months or so an like it a lot.

[NLo]

FFS Not another TEFLER
Do yourself a big favour and plonk yerself down back in blighty, civilization,Mancsland just fine.
Just make 2 or 3 visits through the year to do your blowin off.
Just far to much shit on the go in the "LOL LOS" , and 3rd world slum.
You could be the next live fire zone.
And thats Absolute.
You can't argue with that.

+1

OR maybe better still just find somewhere else in the region where by reputation (I have no personal experience) TEFL is paid better, workers treated better and none of the Thai BS.

Thailand [TEFL] is for those with a sex addiction and odious physique or personality such that feeding the addiction is too difficult anywhere else. Actually even for that I understand Thailand is no longer the cheapest-easiestbest (again I have no personal experience).

I do have 6+ years experience of this place and IMO. a. it's getting worse, b. still cheaper than Blighty but NOT cheap any more, c. the bad outweighs the good by far. Spend some time reading this forum and then consider to try just about anywhere else really.

[Bettyboo]

Khlong Toei

Good security

...

[bigfish6009]

Ideally, I am looking to rent 1 bed studio or condo, fully furnished with kitchen in an area with good local amenities - shops, supermarket, and good public transport links - close to BTS. I also like to keep fit and go running often so an area near to a park would be great, although not essential

Sounds like the [rompomansion.com"]a monthly room at Rompo Mansion[/URL] would fit you budget and most of your needs.
They have a great well cared for 25m swimming pool, weight room, Muay Thai gym, steam room.
5 minutes to Tesco, Carefour, Khlong Toei market.
Lot's of good street food in front of the hotel (ie. somtam for the girlfriend)

15 minute walk to Khlong Toei MRT and a 20 baht moto taxi ride or 20 minute walk to the nearest Phrom Phom BTS.
20 minute walk to Lumpini Park
Good security, good parking extremely pleasant hotel staff.
It's nice and quiet.
It's the one of the residential hotels of choice for many old timers here.

I've kept a room there for the past 6 months or so an like it a lot.

This looks great, it seems to tick all the boxes. Good location too.

Thanks for your help