anais

Hello,

I looked in the real estate forum, but that seems to be mostly about buying properties. Please excuse if this is the wrong place to post.

Me: Female. Farang. Coming to Bangkok to work at 'The Offices of Central World.' I'd like to live either close to the BTS or within easy walking distance to work. I don't care about a serviced apartment, but I'm not bringing furniture, so that may be the only option. I'd like a safe area where I'm not driven mad by noise 24/7. A proper kitchen and bathtub. A balcony or, if ground floor, a private place to sit outside and brood as twilight falls over the city and drink a cup of coffee in the mornings. A pool would be lovely, although I guess it isn't a must.

In short, I'd like a pleasant, airy, clean place. My budget's around B20K/month.

Any recommendations for neighborhoods or specific properties would be most welcome. Thank you!

Thanks, Jim. If I can buy good tortillas I'll skip the masa and the press. Let me know if you'd like a homemade pudding recipe ... it is dead easy to make your own.

Is Philosophy available in Bangkok, or should I bring a year's supply? Thanks.

I second the recommendation for Bluefly. If you have time in the US, you can also enjoy a little shopping. Vegas is flashier than many American cities, but you can't go wrong with being a beautiful girl who looks understated, like she's not trying too hard.

Bonjour and hello,

I am ALSO looking for an apartment in BKK and wouldn't mind sharing with a female, especially if we could get a nicer place with a very well-equipped kitchen! I'll be working at Central World and would like a convenient walk or close to BTS. Please PM me.

Mercia and thanks,

Cyn

Thanks for the continuing info. Food processor is 120V and weighs a ton. Will try to buy one there or finally learn to use a pastry cutter. But NO OVEN? How can I be expected to make a brandy apple frangipane tart with NO OVEN? It's going to be a long year. (And I'll probably lose ten pounds.)

Curry spices, fortunately, are compact. Can thyme, rosemary, oregano, fennel etc be easily procured?

My friend may be right ... all restaurants, all the time. Sigh.

skip bringing anything that runs on US electricity

<wails> It ALL runs on US electricity! Can't I buy a ... a ... you know, one of those THINGS?

Thanks so much, TC; that's EXACTLY what I needed to know. A good girlfriend lived in BKK for years, but she's not a cook and she very airily said, "Oh, you should bring nothing ... you can buy anything you'd like cheaply. And don't think you'll have anyone in for a meal, because everyone entertains in restaurants."

I'm surprised that things like rice cookers, coffeemakers, etc wouldn't be cheaper, as they're all made in Asia! (My current kettle is actually from Thailand.)

Fortunately I do love street food!

I'll be in BKK for at least a year. Love Thai food and nice restaurants, but I'm a cook and I'll *need* too cook at least once a week for mental health. In the States I have a beautifully equipped kitchen, but I'm coming with 3 suitcases and a box or two shipped UPS.

Can I buy a cast-iron skillet in Bangkok? (Gotta have it for cornbread.) If not, my grandmother's is coming in a suitcase. Ditto for the good knives. Are tortilla presses available? For that matter, what about cornmeal and masa? Yogurt maker? Steel-cut oatmeal?

I do a lot of Mexican and Southern soul food ... just wondering what won't be easy to obtain.

Thanks,

Cyn

Swain, if you can find a few tablespoons of unflavored yogurt, you can use that as starter.

My friend runs www.accuradio.com which has a gajillion stations. I like Pandora and SomaFM.

Hello,

I'm an American journalist, 41, who'll be coming to Bankgok mid-September and staying for 3 months. I'll go back to NYC until the end of January, and then I have no idea where I'm living. There's a maybe gig in Shanghai, some friends in Hanoi, the likely-soon-to-be-ex-husband who'd like me to come back to the States, life gets SO complicated....

Anyway, I've always wanted to live in Bangkok and now's my chance to check it out. I'd like a safe space (I know nothing is ever really "safe," but an area not notorious for random violence would be nice.) How is Thonburi?

I'm open to sharing accommodations ... all I really need is high-speed internet, although a pool and fixed expenses would be nice.

If you have any leads or recommendations, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Hope to see you at a Ladies' Meet Up sometime in the fall.

Cheers,

Cyn

Hello,

I'm an American journalist who'll be moving to Bangkok, at least temporarily, in the fall. I've spent a fair bit of time traveling in Asia but never lived there. Anxious and eager to see how things work out. I'll be looking for a short-term (3 mos) rental as soon as dates for a 3 week China assignment are finalized. I'm sure that I'll have many questions; glad this forum is here.

Cheers,

Cyn

Thanks, Gaz. I think I'll come in on a tourist visa and scope the opportunities before committing to anything ... I'm going to be in Manhattan for the month of January anyway, so the first 3 months should give me a chance to get my bearings. I appreciate the information.

Thanks, OAH. Believe it or not, there are American magazines who try to pay those rates. And they can usually find some sucker who'll do the job. As is the case with almost everything, one gets what one pays for.

I'm thinking of local pubs purely for supplementary income and as a reprint market for pieces I've already published in the States. Am hoping to keep my expenses very low, about a thousand a month or so not including travel (which my pubs pay for). Don't know if this is reasonable or not ... I suppose I'll see when I get there!

Cheers,

Cyn

a sample of my average expenditures:

I don't know about the OP, but this list helps me quite a bit. I'm moving to BKK for at least a few months in the fall, and was worrying about how to plan a budget.

Cheers,

Cyn

Hello,

I'm planning to live in BKK for at least a few months beginning this fall. I'll continue to write for my US outlets (National Geographic, inflights, a syndicated column) but things always change and if all my editors disappeared one day I'd like to be able to eat and pay the rent. What sort of freelance opportunities exist for a journalist in Bangkok? I'm not above proofreading and/or copyediting, although my beat is mostly food, travel and culture. Thanks.