How and where should I book my long-term stay in TH with hotels or Airbnbs?

[gastos]

Hi there, if I want a quiet place in Bangkok, should I simply book hotel rooms on hotel sites such as Booking or Agoda one month at a time?

 

So I plan to stay in TH for a while but am not sure what is the best flexible way to book for accommodations. My only requirement is that it is in Bangkok and it is quiet (no partying noises or thumping noises and has internet access) 

 

Should I simply book hotels for 1 month at a time and renew or book other hotels when the stay is up or should I explore for other options such as Airbnb? 

 

How would you suggest if you are to stay in Bangkok for months and you want to have a quiet place to stay and some flexibility if your stay isn't ideal? 

[setbkk]

Sounds like you are overly noise sensitive. If that is correct, only book a hotel for a day or two and see if it works for you. Plenty of hotels far away from "noise", but they will most likely be in very boring areas. Maybe that is what you want.  FWIW, good quality hotels are not "noisy", only the crappy little guest houses.

[gastos]

58 minutes ago, setbkk said:

Sounds like you are overly noise sensitive. If that is correct, only book a hotel for a day or two and see if it works for you. Plenty of hotels far away from "noise", but they will most likely be in very boring areas. Maybe that is what you want.  FWIW, good quality hotels are not "noisy", only the crappy little guest houses.

Yes I am Extremely Noise Sensitive. 

 

Which parts of Bangkok would you recommend me selecting to avoid as much noise as possible? I don't mind moving way out of the city as long as there's public transportation but the soundproofing or the overall quietness would be so important to me. 

 

I can live as far away from the civilization as long as I can get a very quiet place with no loud music, TV noises or people talking. 

 

How do we select quality hotels with without paying a ransom? 

 

Is the Prince Palace Hotel quality? 

[KhunLA]

As suggested, test 1 or 2 nights before committing, and better hotel = better sound proofing.  Anywhere in Bangkok is fine, just depends you preference.

 

For months ? ... what visa ?

[asiacurious]

The hotel you mentioned is in the old part of town.  It's far from the BTS and MRT trains lines, though it is right next to one of the very few canals that actually has public canal boats zipping past all day.  I'm thinking it might be pretty noisy.

 

Regarding long term places to stay, if you'll be here for more than a few months it will be cheaper to rent a condo for 6 months.  Yes, some landlords will rent their place (for a slight increase in price) on a 6 month lease.  You can easily pay less than 1/2 the price of what you would pay doing AirBNB by the month.  A 6 month lease on an apartment should come out about the same price as 3 months in an AirBNB.

 

The way to find a place is to just walk to the office at a building that looks good to you and ask if they have a condo for rent.  They'll call whoever the rental agent is for that building and the agent will come to meet you (or set a time in the future).  The agent will also know of condos available in other buildings, and the ones I've dealt with have always spoken a bit of English.  Tell them your requirements (size/price/amenities/lease period) and they'll take you round to a bunch of places.  The landlord pays their fee (not you) and that's why you'll need to pay a bit extra for a 6 month lease instead of a 12 month lease (so the landlord can make up the extra cost).

 

If you're staying for just 3 months, an apartment might not be worth the hassle.  Also, if you want to move to different parts of the city each month, obviously and AirBNB is better for that.  But if you plan to stay any longer than 3 months, you'll save some money on a condo, even after you add in water and electric.  And better than saving money, you're actually going to feel a lot more like you are living in Bangkok instead of just visiting.

 

As for places to look....

 

I've lived in Thon Buri (west of the river) and it's very quiet.  Too quiet for me actually, but it could be just what you want.  If you do, I suggest you look for a building that's away from the main road that the BTS goes down (or at least a place that faces away from the road).  There wasn't a single night that I lived there where I didn't hear kids racing motorcycles down that strip.  So annoying!

 

There are some really interesting places to walk around in the Thon Buri area, especially the Wongwian Yai area.  But for the most part, I found there wasn't much to do there.  For daily life, I was always going somewhere else.

 

I've also lived in the Khlong Toei/Watthana/Phra Khanong areas - basically the areas that go start around Nana BTS and go all the way down to Udum Suk BTS.

 

Nana, Asok and Phrom Phong are noisy and crowded.  Bars, clubs, noise.  I definitely suggest you avoid those like the plague.  Maybe fun to visit, but not to live.

 

The Thong Lo, Ekkamai, and Phra Khanong BTS stops aren't as bad, but they all feel a little bland and impersonal to me.  These stops don't feel like neighborhoods.  They're places people who commute to work return to after work and dinner somewhere else.  Not places to relax and enjoy your time here IMO.  I'd pass.

 

Probably the best neighborhood that actually feels like a neighborhood, and that has quiet buildings away from bars and clubs, is On Nut.  It has a lot of good things/places for a relaxing daily life in the big city, like supermarkets, a good mix of restaurants, street food vendors, and outdoor sit down eating, and plenty of places to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or relax.  (Regarding supermarkets, a large Lotus and small Tops are right at the BTS stop, and there's a Big C about 5-7 minutes walk away.  A bit farther, there's a Gourmet Market and Makro about a 15-20 minutes walk.)

 

The one thing On Nut is missing is a good park, thought that's true for most of Bangkok except the city center.  Then again, you're about a 20 minute taxi ride from two great parks (Suan Luang Rama IX and Nong Bon) and just a train ride away from the little park at Phrom Phong and Benchakitti Park at Asok.

 

There are plenty of condos to choose from down Soi's 52 and 81.  And they are all going to be quiet and away from any bars or clubs or hustle or bustle.  I think On Nut was the favorite place I've lived in Bangkok.  Hmmm - I should move back there at the end of my lease next year!

 

I'd personally skip the next BTS stop (Bang Chak) as a place to live as it feels a bit chaotic and disorganized, and there aren't a lot of great options for condos.  No good places to sit and relax during the day and no good supermarkets too.  Of course you're just 1 stop (or a 10-15 minute walk) from On Nut.

 

The next stop after Bang Chak is Punnawithi BTS.  It's quieter than On Nut with a good choice of condos to choose from on Soi 64.  There's less stuff you'll want to visit as part of daily life at Punnawithi, but there is True Digital Park (an office/condo/restuarants complex) nearby that has a tops.  And it's an interesting area to walk around (north-east of Sukhumvit).

 

After Punnawithi is Udom Suk BTS, which has a feeling a bit like Bang Chak, though it's definitely getting a lot more development of large condo buildings (with very small apartments).  You'll get a much more Thai living vibe at Udom Suk and Bang Chak than you will from On Nut or Punnawithi.

 

Of course, you can keep going out on the train until you get to Samut Prakan (which is when you're NOT in Bangkok anymore).  The positive is that when you have to deal with immigration to extend visas, you won't have to deal with the main CW office - you can go to the quieter office that handles people living in Samut Prakan.

 

Good luck!

[scubascuba3]

book initially for a couple days then check others, you may want to change location

[Sparktrader]

Bangkok is big and noisy all over. Unless you stay high up in a unit hard to escape. I would suggest Victory area ok.

[ezzra]

Book a high floor's room facing the back of the property and not facing a main road and you should be ok...