Can you live in a Studio/Bedsitter?

[steven100]

18 hours ago, saakura said:

Read the other thread today about an Aussie retiree who went back home after a miserable 18 months in a 21 sqm studio. There may be many other retirees in a similar situation.

They may be going back to a more miserable experience in Australia ....  recession for sure, depression not ruled out.

[DoctorG]

26 minutes ago, steven100 said:

They may be going back to a more miserable experience in Australia ....  recession for sure, depression not ruled out.

Going to be a bit grim everywhere for the rest of the year I feel, Steven.

[Jane Dough]

Easily....I just need a few inches either side of my Scrabble board.

 

Rooster

[how241]

Yes, I can live happily in a small studio condo, especially if I have a nice Thai girl living with me.  Most times, it is not where you live BUT  who you live with that will determine your happiness...

[seancbk]

I've lived in the same studio for 7+ years.  Total inside area is 33 sq/m. 

At the moment I'm working from home which I actually prefer as I can roll out of bed when I want and don't have to spend 40 mins a day on the BTS.  

I have a decent sized (separate) kitchen which can be closed off behind double sliding glass doors, although I never bother as I prefer being able to just walk in without sliding the door open.   The kitchen is 4.6 sq/m  (210 cm x 220 cm).  Plenty big enough to have a 6" tall Fridge/Freezer and space to cook in. 

Bathroom is a bit smaller at 3 sq/m  (140 cm x 220 cm).   Toilet, sink and glass shower stall.   Perfectly adequate.

Main Room is a decent 25.4 sq/m   (385 cm x 660 cm).  

I've never felt it's too small and I grew up in houses with 6-8 bedrooms and dining rooms, libraries, etc  

I also don't mind staying in.  During this current situation I spend 8-10 hours working and then switch on the TV a watch Netflix for 4 or 5 hours before going to bed.   

I'm right next to a BTS station on the Sukhumvit Line and pay 8000 THB per month.    

 

[steven100]

16 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Going to be a bit grim everywhere for the rest of the year I feel, Steven.

agree ....  but I don't think things will ever be the same as it takes enormous amounts of money to keep businesses running, people in jobs, factories open.  I'm no economist, but it's not rocket science to know that if millions upon millions and possibly billions of people don't have a job then money doesn't go around thereby creating an economy.

[bert bloggs]

21 sq mtr ,God thats about the size of our second bedroom , thank goodness we live in a large det house with big garden , especially as i am now typing this in my computer room . at least we dont get on top of each other (except at night) ????

[adammike]

19 hours ago, steven100 said:

30 sq m is fine ... with a balcony is a plus. If you get a kitchenette, thats even better.  

A balcony would be a must and one that doesn't get the sun all day.

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, seancbk said:

I've lived in the same studio for 7+ years.  Total inside area is 33 sq/m. 

At the moment I'm working from home which I actually prefer as I can roll out of bed when I want and don't have to spend 40 mins a day on the BTS.  

I have a decent sized (separate) kitchen which can be closed off behind double sliding glass doors, although I never bother as I prefer being able to just walk in without sliding the door open.   The kitchen is 4.6 sq/m  (210 cm x 220 cm).  Plenty big enough to have a 6" tall Fridge/Freezer and space to cook in. 

Bathroom is a bit smaller at 3 sq/m  (140 cm x 220 cm).   Toilet, sink and glass shower stall.   Perfectly adequate.

Main Room is a decent 25.4 sq/m   (385 cm x 660 cm).  

I've never felt it's too small and I grew up in houses with 6-8 bedrooms and dining rooms, libraries, etc  

I also don't mind staying in.  During this current situation I spend 8-10 hours working and then switch on the TV a watch Netflix for 4 or 5 hours before going to bed.   

I'm right next to a BTS station on the Sukhumvit Line and pay 8000 THB per month.    

 

I rented a similar size, maybe slightly larger with separate kitchen for 10+ years, garden downstairs, all you need close by ... 500m from Asoke and it was 6,000 THB per month. You were paying 2,000 too much for 7 yrs.

[seancbk]

2 hours ago, Foxy52 said:

After living in Hong Kong for 30 years, my small one-room Thai wooden house with bathroom is like a palace by comparison. Mind you, it has a large covered garden terrace which serves as my office, living room and kitchen

 I lived there for 35 years (left in 2008).  My condo here is only 33 sq/m but also only costs me 8000 baht a month.  Try getting anything that cheap in HK!

I wonder if we know each other or have mutual friends there?  If your forum name alludes to your age and not the year you were born it's quite possible.

 

[seancbk]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

I rented a similar size, maybe slightly larger with separate kitchen for 10+ years, garden downstairs, all you need close by ... 500m from Asoke and it was 6,000 THB per month. You were paying 2,000 too much for 7 yrs.

Damn and there I was thinking I had a great deal  LOL!

 

[wwest5829]

Hmmm, closest I came in Thailand was buying 3 - 33 sq. meter rooms, combining in reconstructing, furnishing for under 1 million baht. Was fine but after 4 years, changed relationship and heart attack, decided to go and rent from here on out. oK, open to buying in name of my Thai love with mortgage bu, as that is not available, renting it is ...

[Max69xl]

19 hours ago, saakura said:

Read the other thread today about an Aussie retiree who went back home after a miserable 18 months in a 21 sqm studio. There may be many other retirees in a similar situation.

No one needs to stay in a 21 sqm shoebox. I don't understand why anyone would even consider it. 

[dddave]

19 hours ago, steven100 said:

30 sq m is fine ... with a balcony is a plus. If you get a kitchenette, thats even better.  

There are about a dozen hi-rise condo buildings in view from my balcony but I never see anybody using the balconies except to hang some laundry.  Very rare to see anybody sitting outside on one, even when shaded.

[Max69xl]

15 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

21 sq mtr ,God thats about the size of our second bedroom , thank goodness we live in a large det house with big garden , especially as i am now typing this in my computer room . at least we dont get on top of each other (except at night) ????

My bedroom in my condo in Jomtien is 21-21,5 sqm. Almost every normal hotel room is bigger. 

[Max69xl]

Just now, dddave said:

There are about a dozen hi-rise condo buildings in view from my balcony but I never see anybody using the balconies except to hang some laundry.  Very rare to see anybody sitting outside on one, even when shaded.

Depends on the size of the balcony,I guess. Mine is a 7,5 meter inner corner balcony. Lots of space. 

[cyril sneer]

i moved into a house recently and have mixed feelings about which is better

 

the studio/hotel room was easier to keep clean and generally less effort all around

 

neither come close to the nastiness of house sharing though, i'd genuinely rather be dead than having to do that again, and was the main influence of moving here

 

 

[natway09]

Lived as a couple in a 33m2 apartment, well designed small lounge, swivel TV for bed or lounge, small balcony to hang washing, watch the view, have a fag & a beer, Good little kitchen, very nice bathroom with a bath. It was fine.

[treetops]

21 sqm is probably a bit small, but having stayed 30 years in houses with spare bedroom(s), hardly used dining rooms, extra toilets and eventually 30 years worth of accumulated junk, a much smaller space is more than appreciated. As long as there's cooking, washing sleeping and relaxing space, with minimal storage, then that's more than enough and can be done in roughly 30 sqm with a good layout.

Edited April 14, 2020 by treetops

[mwbrown]

I lived in a 30m2 condo with a balcony for 6 years.  I live alone and am perfectly fine with small spaces.  Then the opportunity came up for me to buy the mirror image condo right next door so I did and knocked out the wall between the units.  It feels so wide open to me now.

[newnative]

    My partner and I lived in a series of 48sqm studios at VT3, 5C, 5D, and VT7.  We separated the space, though, so we had a separate bedroom area by the balcony--that was important because I did not want to be in my bedroom when I was in the living room--and vice versa.  We gradually worked our way up to larger condos.

   When we decided we wanted a Bangkok getaway condo, we bought a 24sqm studio. Even with this small space, I added a floor to ceiling see-thru screen to visually separate the space into designated living/room/dining room/kitchen and the bedroom area.  

    Even though it was a getaway condo that we only used for a few days at a time, we decided it was too small for the 2 of us--and also a too-far walk to the subway.  With 2 people, it's nice to have a separate bedroom so if one of us is sick or wants to sleep while the other watches tv, there is a separate bedroom with a door.  

    So, we sold that condo and bought a bigger 1 bedroom much closer to the subway.  I do think if I was single I could do fine with around 35sqm as long as the project had nice amenities to get me out of the condo.  Some of the new Bangkok condo projects have wonderful public spaces for the residents--big gardens, nice lobbies, sky gardens, sky lounges, libraries, co-working spaces, and, of course, the usual pools and gyms.  

[steven100]

41 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Lived as a couple in a 33m2 apartment, well designed small lounge, swivel TV for bed or lounge, small balcony to hang washing, watch the view, have a fag & a beer, Good little kitchen, very nice bathroom with a bath. It was fine.

I hope you didn't smoke inside the apartment. Nothing worse than someone having to enter a smokers dwelling even after they've left or deceased.

 

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by steven100

[Dap]

Too Funny. First thing I thought of was all millions of people around the world who live in makeshift hovels or worse, no roof at all. We are all so incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work and thus afford the types of accommodations that we do. I've worked with folk who lived in smaller areas than a whole lotta' balconies I've been on. Sure, I could easily live in a studio (Holy Moly) condo (like that's a whole house) and other than families, I couldn't think of anyone not capable of making that small (?) a space comfortable. No slam at all, just a few passing thoughts 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Dap

[daveAustin]

Have done but I would have to get a retractable bed in there or at the least a good sofa-bed and have it as a sitting room by day. If you're handy, something like this is doable if you didn't want to fork out. Just ask management if you can bung their 200 baht cardboard mattress on the roof for the time being. 

 

[Assurancetourix]

I lived ;

let's say rather worked and slept and sometimes eat in a much smaller space than those of which you speak about  and this during very many years:
a cabin of an heavyweight semi-trailer and there was no balcony   ;

 

I can tell you now, the cabin bed of a 1973 Volvo F89 is slightly too short for my 193 cm;
now manufacturers know how to make spacious cabins even for tall drivers 

[talahtnut]

35 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Lived as a couple in a 33m2 apartment, well designed small lounge, swivel TV for bed or lounge, small balcony to hang washing, watch the view, have a fag & a beer, Good little kitchen, very nice bathroom with a bath. It was fine.

Man, if you got a Thai wife or GF, and she likes

cooking that stinking rotten fish delicacy, you

gonna need a big gas mask.

[brokenbone]

i hate it every time i live in a house, condo for me 4ever

[johnray]

Sounds very nice but I have three cats now.

[CygnusX1]

I have a studio in Thailand and a 1 bedroom flat in Australia. As a single person, I far prefer a studio layout, so much more open and airy. Sadly, stuck in Australia now, probably for at least the next 2 years.

[ianezy0]

We used to live in a cardboard box on t tip.

I used to get up, 1/2 hr before I went to sleep, work a 16 hour shift down pit and when we got home, Dad uaed to make us lick road clean wit tongue.

You try tellin’ that to the youth of today!