My Experience At Boss Tower On Rama 4, Bangkok

[Bryzn]

I just recently made the decision to move to Thailand for a while to travel Asia and have Bangkok as my "home base," so to speak. I was told about this "great" apartment: Boss Tower. I came and checked out a few of their apartments and was very impressed with their 1 BR. Because I was with a Thai friend who did most of the talking for me, I got what I think was a good deal (20k/month for 78 Sq M and service once a week and laundry 2 times a week) They tell me (before I sign) they'll have the place ready in 2-3 days. Great! After I sign, maybe 4 days. OK.......Well, it takes 6 days and only after I get on them about it. No biggie, I am just happy to be in Bangkok and in my new apartment.

I get into my new place and on the first day I have a look around and things seem a little dirty. The floors are clearly not cleaned, the fixtures have grime on them there is still hair in and around the sink from the old tenants, the shower has thick dirt and buildup everywhere. And then....something catches my eye. Praying I didn't see what I think I just saw, I look a little closer and there it is, a cockroach. Odd because I hadn't seen any in the room they had me in for the past week. And I am pissed because, well, I despise cockroaches and really have no intention of staying in an infested apartment. I immediately go down stairs and tell the lady I have a roach in my place. Very nonchalantly she sends up one of the workers with a bottle of Raid to spray. This is at night, so I can't speak with the manager at this point. He comes up stairs with me and hands me the bottle while he waits outside. OK.....so I go around spraying my apartment and this odour (canned perfume) reminds me of something......Oh! It's the same odour I smelled when I FIRST walked into the new place. Needless to say I am pretty pissed at this point because they clearly had seen the roaches and tried to kill them with Raid.

In the morning I go downstairs and the manager/supervisor (or whoever she is) is informed of what happened and assures me this is going to be taken care of. When I ask, she says for sure tomorrow she'll have someone in here and he'll be spraying the place, it would be today but he is away for personal reasons. I agree and all of a sudden she says "well, maybe it wont be tomorrow but it will probably be the next day." So at this point I am pretty angry, but I hold it in and say calmly if they don't have someone in tomorrow, even if they have to hire outside people, I am gone, period. She agrees.

The next day 3 very professional looking men walk in, one holding what looks like a caulking gun and the two just stand there watching while he randomly places whatever the hel_l is in it all over my apartment. I ask why they aren't spraying, she says this is food for the roaches and it will kill them and in the next 2 days you wont see anymore. hummmm.... "Why wouldn't you just do this all the time so no one sees any roaches in the builing ever, and then there wouldn't ever be a roach problem?" Now she can't speak english and just repeats "food for roaches...they will die when eat" She is quickly trying to leave my apartment when I am asking her about this, and I say "I hope I don't see anymore" She looks up at me as she about to leave and replies, "me too" and quickly shuts the door. I have a bad feeling about this.......

I go around the apartment to see what they have done and notice that they have placed poison everywhere. Right beside my light switches, on the headboard on my bed, and pretty much everywhere else you can think of that I wouldn't want to touch or see poison. I also had shown her the dirt all over the place, while they were laying the poison, and she said that her staff would come in and clean properly.....That was 3 days 1/2 ago.

I have since killed more than a dozen in those 3 1/2 days. Not only has it gotten worse, but I am now seeing their offspring completely take over my bathroom. Every time I walk in, there is AT LEAST 1 little cockroach running around my toilet, bathtub or into my bedroom. I am still seeing big ones run into the little cracks all over the place when I open doors.

Tomorrow I am most likely moving out. Really, I have no option other than stay here and live with it, or bitch at them over and over and over when I know that nothing is going to be resolved. But I truly can't live in a place that is as dirty, filthy, disgusting and so unprofessionally managed.

I am really pissed right now as I am probably going to be out 35k Baht for deposit and now I have to get a hotel room and find a new place....what a great start! Just wanted to let everyone know if you are thinking of getting an apartment in Bangkok don't ever think of Boss Tower.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Bryzn

[Xonax]

Wellcome to Bangkok. Don`t you worry - you will get used to see roaches everywhere here. Even in brand new condos. Just keep spraying.

[ericthai]

ahh weclome to Thailand, bugs..bugs and more bugs. Also I think you are paying too much. Look around you can find cheaper. Check down on On nut or prakanong you can find some decent priced places not fr from the sky train. For that size room I would only bay 12 or 15K max. check out PST on Chongnonsi near Rama 3 they have some clean rooms at good prices. anywhere from 7K up to 15K

[seri thai]

I just recently made the decision to move to Thailand for a while to travel Asia and have Bangkok as my "home base," so to speak. I was told about this "great" apartment: Boss Tower. I came and checked out a few of their apartments and was very impressed with their 1 BR. Because I was with a Thai friend who did most of the talking for me, I got what I think was a good deal (20k/month for 78 Sq M and service once a week and laundry 2 times a week) They tell me (before I sign) they'll have the place ready in 2-3 days. Great! After I sign, maybe 4 days. OK.......Well, it takes 6 days and only after I get on them about it. No biggie, I am just happy to be in Bangkok and in my new apartment.

I get into my new place and on the first day I have a look around and things seem a little dirty. The floors are clearly not cleaned, the fixtures have grime on them there is still hair in and around the sink from the old tenants, the shower has thick dirt and buildup everywhere. And then....something catches my eye. Praying I didn't see what I think I just saw, I look a little closer and there it is, a cockroach. Odd because I hadn't seen any in the room they had me in for the past week. And I am pissed because, well, I despise cockroaches and really have no intention of staying in an infested apartment. I immediately go down stairs and tell the lady I have a roach in my place. Very nonchalantly she sends up one of the workers with a bottle of Raid to spray. This is at night, so I can't speak with the manager at this point. He comes up stairs with me and hands me the bottle while he waits outside. OK.....so I go around spraying my apartment and this odour (canned perfume) reminds me of something......Oh! It's the same odour I smelled when I FIRST walked into the new place. Needless to say I am pretty pissed at this point because they clearly had seen the roaches and tried to kill them with Raid.

In the morning I go downstairs and the manager/supervisor (or whoever she is) is informed of what happened and assures me this is going to be taken care of. When I ask, she says for sure tomorrow she'll have someone in here and he'll be spraying the place, it would be today but he is away for personal reasons. I agree and all of a sudden she says "well, maybe it wont be tomorrow but it will probably be the next day." So at this point I am pretty angry, but I hold it in and say calmly if they don't have someone in tomorrow, even if they have to hire outside people, I am gone, period. She agrees.

The next day 3 very professional looking men walk in, one holding what looks like a caulking gun and the two just stand there watching while he randomly places whatever the hel_l is in it all over my apartment. I ask why they aren't spraying, she says this is food for the roaches and it will kill them and in the next 2 days you wont see anymore. hummmm.... "Why wouldn't you just do this all the time so no one sees any roaches in the builing ever, and then there wouldn't ever be a roach problem?" Now she can't speak english and just repeats "food for roaches...they will die when eat" She is quickly trying to leave my apartment when I am asking her about this, and I say "I hope I don't see anymore" She looks up at me as she about to leave and replies, "me too" and quickly shuts the door. I have a bad feeling about this.......

I go around the apartment to see what they have done and notice that they have placed poison everywhere. Right beside my light switches, on the headboard on my bed, and pretty much everywhere else you can think of that I wouldn't want to touch or see poison. I also had shown her the dirt all over the place, while they were laying the poison, and she said that her staff would come in and clean properly.....That was 3 days 1/2 ago.

I have since killed more than a dozen in those 3 1/2 days. Not only has it gotten worse, but I am now seeing their offspring completely take over my bathroom. Every time I walk in, there is AT LEAST 1 little cockroach running around my toilet, bathtub or into my bedroom. I am still seeing big ones run into the little cracks all over the place when I open doors.

Tomorrow I am most likely moving out. Really, I have no option other than stay here and live with it, or bitch at them over and over and over when I know that nothing is going to be resolved. But I truly can't live in a place that is as dirty, filthy, disgusting and so unprofessionally managed.

I am really pissed right now as I am probably going to be out 35k Baht for deposit and now I have to get a hotel room and find a new place....what a great start! Just wanted to let everyone know if you are thinking of getting an apartment in Bangkok don't ever think of Boss Tower.

Welcome to Asia Bryzn! Home of the cockroach.

Watch out for those little lizard thingys too, they shit everywhere, you know. ...and if you sleep with your mouth open a Tukay might drop in it (don't ask!)

Don't forget to buy a mosquito net.....

Ants will eat your sugar and mice your breakfast cereal, given the chance. There maybe snakes in the grass, so don't live on the ground floor.

I'd say for b20000 a month your getting great service from the Management! Let us know how you get on at the new place, won't you?

oh, and watch out for sharks

(especially in BKK)

[Bryzn]

It's funny, after reading the (obviously sarcastic) replies I had to sit back in my chair for a few minutes and think "am I overreacting like everyone clearly thinks I am?" And I would still have to say no.

I have seen millions of roaches here all over Thailand when I was here for a couple month earlier in the year, but always on the street or in some not so nice places. I stayed in some pretty nice hotels and never saw one roach even though I had been warned that even in the nicer places I definitely will. We were often told to leave for a few hours so they could spray, I knew what it was for and believe me I looked out for them and either they were the most sneaky roaches ever or they just weren't there. I find it hard to believe that in the nice, new condos you will see dozens a week and have poison out in the open like that. If I had children I would be pissed that they put poison everywhere not just in strategic (for lack of a better word) places.

And really this isn't just about seeing roaches, because I fully expected some to be here. I have lived in apartments that have had roaches, but never like this. And again, when I was in the other apartment I didn't see one. I have been in my new place 4 days and have seen maybe 20 in that time. That I find unacceptable.

I would way rather see those lizard here...I love those things Hard to catch though.

As for the sharks.....I'll tell you that story later.

But really, how am I overreacting, what are your places like? Is this just very common to see several roaches daily in your apartment? Because from my experience, albeit very limited, I would say "nope"

[ma91c1an]

I live in a little house in a Thai neighborhood.

The houses of my neighbors are close, but not too close. We all have high walls around our gardens, so we have some buffer between our properties. This helps, as whatever happens in their homes has minimal impact on mine. One next door neighbor actually runs a small restaurant from her home.

I rarely see a cockroach. I have a maid come in every day, however, as I prefer that my wife have time to do yoga or anything else that she prefers to do instead of housecleaning. Of course, my neighbors all consider me a "rich farang" because I spend roughly 5,000 baht a month for the maid service. My house runs me 15,000 baht a month, and it is well worth it. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two floors. It is small, but well-appointed. I do not live ostentatiously, but I do live very well.

My house is spotless. The only time that I see a roach is when they come up out of the drains after a hard rain, and even then, I may see one or two every other month. Sometimes, I go months without seeing one.

I do have to battle the ants. We do that principally by keeping food in places unaccessible to them, and again, through fanatic cleanliness. I may have to spray Raid along an ant trail about once every two months. Other than that, I kill mosquitos that get into my kitchen. But that is it. Very few bugs invade my home, and that is remarkable, considering the tropical environment.

It is possible, in my opinion, to live here and to live without roaches infesting your home. One problem with living in a condo is that you have no control over what the neighbors are doing. If they live like pigs, then the roaches will migrate over to your place, and you will fight a war that you cannot win against them.

I think that you just have to maintain a very clean home environment, have commensurately clean neighbors (or sufficiently distant neighbors, as I do), and keep all food covered.

Ah, yes. About mice. I had a kitty, and he kept them out of the house. Then he disappeared a couple of years ago. I now have a small Thai soi doggie, but he is only capable of barking at things and letting me know when I have a rodent intruder. He is not fast enough or smart enough to actually catch them, and those bastards are slick and fast. So I have had to employ a glue trap twice in the past three years. Both times, I captured very handsome mice with expressive black eyes. I did not have the heart to kill them. I just put them in the garbage, out in the street. Maybe they got loose at the dump.

I rather hope so.

[ericthai]

I agree with you MA91, if you have a house then you can control. I have a house in Surin in the country side and dont see many roaches, however I do see and hear allot of geccos and get those bugs that are attracted to lights at night. However my condo in Bangkok I do see roaches more than my house. Not like the OP is seeing 20 or more in a few days, but maybe one or two here and there, mostly when i get a drink in the middle of the night and turn on the light to see one running off across the floor.

If you have that many roaches then yes there is a problem and like I said before I think you can find a lower priced place. I know of boss but never been in the place, the location is good, try prakanong area which is at the end of Rama 4 where it meets Sukhumvit. It's not that far from where you are living now. However you are right you I'm sure you will lose your deposit, but in case I don't think you would ever get your deposit back anyway. Before I bought a place I only got my deposit back one time and that was from a falang I rented from, the other two places I rented from a Thai I left the place in better shape than when I rented it and never got my deposit back, always some excuse or will give it to you next week, next week and next week never comes.

Good luck with things... again welcome to Thailand and the bugs...he he

[trogers]

It's funny, after reading the (obviously sarcastic) replies I had to sit back in my chair for a few minutes and think "am I overreacting like everyone clearly thinks I am?" And I would still have to say no.

I have seen millions of roaches here all over Thailand when I was here for a couple month earlier in the year, but always on the street or in some not so nice places. I stayed in some pretty nice hotels and never saw one roach even though I had been warned that even in the nicer places I definitely will. We were often told to leave for a few hours so they could spray, I knew what it was for and believe me I looked out for them and either they were the most sneaky roaches ever or they just weren't there. I find it hard to believe that in the nice, new condos you will see dozens a week and have poison out in the open like that. If I had children I would be pissed that they put poison everywhere not just in strategic (for lack of a better word) places.

And really this isn't just about seeing roaches, because I fully expected some to be here. I have lived in apartments that have had roaches, but never like this. And again, when I was in the other apartment I didn't see one. I have been in my new place 4 days and have seen maybe 20 in that time. That I find unacceptable.

I would way rather see those lizard here...I love those things Hard to catch though.

As for the sharks.....I'll tell you that story later.

But really, how am I overreacting, what are your places like? Is this just very common to see several roaches daily in your apartment? Because from my experience, albeit very limited, I would say "nope"

Roaches infestation is common in the city. They are attracted by food scraps of human occupants, and it is difficult to convince occupants to clean up their rooms and throw the rubbish daily. A well maintained building will engage a pest control company to fumigate the service shafts and pipes a few times a year to control this pest, not chasing around with a can of Raid...

[Bryzn]

I have been seeing a girl here and have spent a descent amount of time at her place and have never seen a roach there. The most expensive apartment is about 4k Baht. And when I asked her how often she sees them she told me about 5-6 times. "I ask 5-6 times a month?" "no" she replies "5-6 times in four years" Now, even if she is grossly underestimating, which I suspect she is at least a little, that is what I would expect out of an apartment in Bangkok. I would be perfectly fine with seeing 1 a month or so but this is just ridiculous.

I think part of the problem might be that I live right beside the garbage chute. Also when people order food they keep the plates outside and sometimes they sit there for hours with food all over them on the floor outside their door. Also it doesn't sound like they fumigate, they just lay the same poison they put in my place, which is clearly not very effective. I did just see in the lobby a notice to the residence asking if they have a problem with roaches, and if so contact the reception and they will have someone come and do something about it. So my guess is they have apartments with and some without problems.

I do try to keep a very clean place by keeping most food in the fridge, throw out any scrapes immediately and never leave anything to attract them. Again, I have only been is this particular apartment for less than a week.

The thing is I don't want to move out of here, I LOVE the location, the price (I thought) was decent for what I am getting. The place is huge for just me. I may just have to check out prakanong area. Thanks for the suggestion and replies.

[Trickcyclist]

off Sukhumvit Soi 26

there is a road past new mall being built

goes to Attakravee

Go to 2nd last gate on right on Attrakravee-its a cul de sac

ring bell. sorrry don't have phone. stayed there a few years ago nice Thai family.

ask if one bed still available. Probably about 20kBaht.

spotless in block of three with Thai house out front with little garden

can walk to Rama 4 and Sukhumvit a little further to Emporium and Prong Pong etc.

avoid the big places: you are at the mercy of the service company employed by a disinterested owner.

Good luck

I just recently made the decision to move to Thailand for a while to travel Asia and have Bangkok as my "home base," so to speak. I was told about this "great" apartment: Boss Tower. I came and checked out a few of their apartments and was very impressed with their 1 BR. Because I was with a Thai friend who did most of the talking for me, I got what I think was a good deal (20k/month for 78 Sq M and service once a week and laundry 2 times a week) They tell me (before I sign) they'll have the place ready in 2-3 days. Great! After I sign, maybe 4 days. OK.......Well, it takes 6 days and only after I get on them about it. No biggie, I am just happy to be in Bangkok and in my new apartment.

I get into my new place and on the first day I have a look around and things seem a little dirty. The floors are clearly not cleaned, the fixtures have grime on them there is still hair in and around the sink from the old tenants, the shower has thick dirt and buildup everywhere. And then....something catches my eye. Praying I didn't see what I think I just saw, I look a little closer and there it is, a cockroach. Odd because I hadn't seen any in the room they had me in for the past week. And I am pissed because, well, I despise cockroaches and really have no intention of staying in an infested apartment. I immediately go down stairs and tell the lady I have a roach in my place. Very nonchalantly she sends up one of the workers with a bottle of Raid to spray. This is at night, so I can't speak with the manager at this point. He comes up stairs with me and hands me the bottle while he waits outside. OK.....so I go around spraying my apartment and this odour (canned perfume) reminds me of something......Oh! It's the same odour I smelled when I FIRST walked into the new place. Needless to say I am pretty pissed at this point because they clearly had seen the roaches and tried to kill them with Raid.

In the morning I go downstairs and the manager/supervisor (or whoever she is) is informed of what happened and assures me this is going to be taken care of. When I ask, she says for sure tomorrow she'll have someone in here and he'll be spraying the place, it would be today but he is away for personal reasons. I agree and all of a sudden she says "well, maybe it wont be tomorrow but it will probably be the next day." So at this point I am pretty angry, but I hold it in and say calmly if they don't have someone in tomorrow, even if they have to hire outside people, I am gone, period. She agrees.

The next day 3 very professional looking men walk in, one holding what looks like a caulking gun and the two just stand there watching while he randomly places whatever the hel_l is in it all over my apartment. I ask why they aren't spraying, she says this is food for the roaches and it will kill them and in the next 2 days you wont see anymore. hummmm.... "Why wouldn't you just do this all the time so no one sees any roaches in the builing ever, and then there wouldn't ever be a roach problem?" Now she can't speak english and just repeats "food for roaches...they will die when eat" She is quickly trying to leave my apartment when I am asking her about this, and I say "I hope I don't see anymore" She looks up at me as she about to leave and replies, "me too" and quickly shuts the door. I have a bad feeling about this.......

I go around the apartment to see what they have done and notice that they have placed poison everywhere. Right beside my light switches, on the headboard on my bed, and pretty much everywhere else you can think of that I wouldn't want to touch or see poison. I also had shown her the dirt all over the place, while they were laying the poison, and she said that her staff would come in and clean properly.....That was 3 days 1/2 ago.

I have since killed more than a dozen in those 3 1/2 days. Not only has it gotten worse, but I am now seeing their offspring completely take over my bathroom. Every time I walk in, there is AT LEAST 1 little cockroach running around my toilet, bathtub or into my bedroom. I am still seeing big ones run into the little cracks all over the place when I open doors.

Tomorrow I am most likely moving out. Really, I have no option other than stay here and live with it, or bitch at them over and over and over when I know that nothing is going to be resolved. But I truly can't live in a place that is as dirty, filthy, disgusting and so unprofessionally managed.

I am really pissed right now as I am probably going to be out 35k Baht for deposit and now I have to get a hotel room and find a new place....what a great start! Just wanted to let everyone know if you are thinking of getting an apartment in Bangkok don't ever think of Boss Tower.

[otherstuff1957]

I've lived in Bangkok for six years in various apartments and now in a townhouse. None of them have cost anywhere near 20K (from 5,500 to 12,000). Typically I've seen one cockroach every 2-3 months.

It sounds to me like the whole building is infested. Unless the management gets serious about exterminating them (fumigating the whole building) you will never be more than temporarily free of them. I'd move if I were you.

[bkkmei]

I stayed in Boss Towers a few years ago. Sounds like the place hasn't changed much. Yes, our room was also infested with cockroaches and their little babies. And all the food left around in the corridors from the takeaways certainly doesn't help. They would have to fumigate the whole building to get rid of the roaches. Oh, and the electricity charge per unit was pretty high from what I remember.

Maybe you can ask to move back to the old room that you had, or a different room?

[wpcoe]

They would have to fumigate the whole building to get rid of the roaches.

Bingo! Unless the entire building is treated at one time, all that happens is that the roaches inside your unit are killed, and later the roaches from your neighbors' units (and public areas) will re-infest your unit.

[ebizstudents]

hey guys,

we are students from austria and will live 5 months in Bkk to study at Bangkok University.

Can you give us hint? - Is there a better and cheaper place than Boss Tower!?

It should just be near the University...

Thanks for your answers!

ebizstudents

Edited November 20, 2009 by ebizstudents

[ballzafire]

It's been said that cockroaches will inherit the earth.

From what I've seen so far in my travels, this looks to be true...

[phetaroi]

Good post ma91c1an.

I have lived here 3 months now (well, 6, but I am talking about living in my own apartment, rather than a hotel) Down on Suk 24, an apartment complex built in the 1960s, but totally renovated around 2000 and very aggressive on maintenance. We have yet to see a cockroach. One of the little lizards jumped on my hand one day...scared the hel_l out of me...but I actually like them. One trail of ants one day, so I did a light spray job and have seen none since.

We also have a maid...although only twice a week...but we and she do keep the place extremely clean.

Mosquitoes are rare...maybe one a week...which surprises me because we live adjacent to a large, wooded mooban...but it appears that every once in a while they have a truck come in and spray. Lucky there!

[mauiguy90]

hey guys,

we are students from austria and will live 5 months in Bkk to study at Bangkok University.

Can you give us hint? - Is there a better and cheaper place than Boss Tower!?

It should just be near the University...

Thanks for your answers!

ebizstudents

You can check out KTA Mansion, which is on Sukhumvit 42, about halfway down the road on the left side. I've looked at the units before. Although they are basic, the staff was very nice and the units cost about 7000+ baht per month. A lot of Bangkok U students live there as well. The number listed on mrroomfinder is 02-712-3400, although that may be an agent's number. If I find a direct number, I will message you.

[sibeymai]

I stayed at Boss Tower about 10 years ago. Didn't have any problem them. I guess being 10 years on it's becoming dated.

Suggest you take a short term rental, about 1 month, and keep moving until you find a place you'd be happy to spend more time in. After all, there's no shortage to choose from.

I did enjoy the pool at Boss Tower though, but it's a bit far from the BTS.

[Krap]

Stayed at Boss a long time ago, its not a very good place in my opinion. Roaches seem to be frequent at places where many farang stay short term. Havent seen many in the cheaper thai neighbourhoods that i stayed in at times. Been at my present place now for about a year and probably seen less then 5 roaches in that time, and they seem to turn up in rainy season mainly. Keep on looking, there are so many places to choose from. Deposit? Insist on getting it back for all the trouble u had, after all the service u got wasnt good at all.

[cpofc]

hehehehe, I first went to sea in the Navy when I was 16 and coming from the temperate city of Melb, Australia I had rarely seen a cocky until then. Most of our ship's werepretty much infested with them. Not because they were dirty but because they are impossible to keep off, and they had too many places to hide! We had dedicated 'Cocky Spraying' Teams who would work during the 'silent hours' delousing areas and compartments etc. Basically you learnt to live with them. Some ships were worse than others. I am not telling porkies when I say that you would occasionally even get one turn up in your food, it was unavoidable. You will get used to them.

It has been said that should the world ever descend into total thermo nuclear war, the one lifeform which would be able to survive, would be the Cocky!

So, they are very difficult to get rid of once they are there, the best you can do is 'manage' them. Also try to get over your phobias about them, Harden the **** up, in other words. After all this is the tropics and this is where they thrive!

Keep your place clean, maintain good hygeine standards, do not leave food and foodscraps out, spray often, use baits and traps in the dark, hidden areas they lurk in and you will get on top of them. Even if you only drive them next door!

I live in a typical thai style (non-detached) townhouse in an outer bangkok suburb of some 20 years old. Yes, I'll be sitting there watching the telly and all of a sudden a big '3 Badgeman' will scurry across the deck. No good shitting your self and standing on a chair. Get your baygon out, a handbroom and shit scoop and go get him!

it is not a big deal, you will get on top of them, it is not worth moving and making a fuss about, you will never eradicate them and you will never get away from them anywhere in South East Asia.

[trogers]

hehehehe, I first went to sea in the Navy when I was 16 and coming from the temperate city of Melb, Australia I had rarely seen a cocky until then. Most of our ship's werepretty much infested with them. Not because they were dirty but because they are impossible to keep off, and they had too many places to hide! We had dedicated 'Cocky Spraying' Teams who would work during the 'silent hours' delousing areas and compartments etc. Basically you learnt to live with them. Some ships were worse than others. I am not telling porkies when I say that you would occasionally even get one turn up in your food, it was unavoidable. You will get used to them.

It has been said that should the world ever descend into total thermo nuclear war, the one lifeform which would be able to survive, would be the Cocky!

So, they are very difficult to get rid of once they are there, the best you can do is 'manage' them. Also try to get over your phobias about them, Harden the **** up, in other words. After all this is the tropics and this is where they thrive!

Keep your place clean, maintain good hygeine standards, do not leave food and foodscraps out, spray often, use baits and traps in the dark, hidden areas they lurk in and you will get on top of them. Even if you only drive them next door!

I live in a typical thai style (non-detached) townhouse in an outer bangkok suburb of some 20 years old. Yes, I'll be sitting there watching the telly and all of a sudden a big '3 Badgeman' will scurry across the deck. No good shitting your self and standing on a chair. Get your baygon out, a handbroom and shit scoop and go get him!

it is not a big deal, you will get on top of them, it is not worth moving and making a fuss about, you will never eradicate them and you will never get away from them anywhere in South East Asia.

Condo buildings that are well maintained rarely have such infestations. They call in the pest company to fumigate the pipes and duct shafts 2-3 times a year. If you want to see this pest crawling by the millions, attend one of these fumigation...

[ebizstudents]

great - so we have to accept them!? - fight them and try to get rid of them...

- thx for your advices! *ggg*

[hhgz]

Before I bought my condo, I lived in Boss Tower for 9 months. I found the place clean, not spotless, and the employees were helpful. I walked to the neared Tesco-Lotus, and bought a can of roach spray, the easiest way to handle the problem. No drama.

[neverdie]

I had a condo appartment in Bkk for a couple of years and can't say I ever recall seeing a cockroach, I'm a very clean person and the building manager was the same, I'm assuming she must of had the place sprayed often to keep it that way.

Im now living in an old thai farm house and have only once seen a cockroach here & it came from the market in a box...and is now pushing daisies.

OP, I hope you never have an experience with a Bangkok rat, they are massive, almost big enuf to saddle and ride ...... & after seeing one of those babies you will quickly forget about the roaches

[trogers]

I had a condo appartment in Bkk for a couple of years and can't say I ever recall seeing a cockroach, I'm a very clean person and the building manager was the same, I'm assuming she must of had the place sprayed often to keep it that way.

Im now living in an old thai farm house and have only once seen a cockroach here & it came from the market in a box...and is now pushing daisies.

OP, I hope you never have an experience with a Bangkok rat, they are massive, almost big enuf to saddle and ride ...... & after seeing one of those babies you will quickly forget about the roaches

Hmmm...no roaches in the condo, but giant rats...so now you know what the rats feed on...

[MikeyIdea]

I live in a small house in a Thai neighbourhood, I occasionally see cockroaches in the kitchen, once a week maybe. I can get it down to zero by forcing discipline in the house when it comes to putting away everything edible and spraying regularly but I can’t be bothered to be honest. I’d see a rat outside the house (or evidence that there has been a rat around) maybe once per month, never inside. The most irritating animal in Thailand by far is ants. Spraying doesn’t work very well for ants but chalk works great. You can buy sticks of chalk at Carrefour, works miracle

I think Thailand has clearly gotten much cleaner than it was 10-15 years ago

Bryzn, I don’t think that you are over-paying really, OK price. But there are plenty of townhouses or lovely small houses to rent for that price so if you don’t miss the swimming pool then consider that

Good Luck

[ArthurPewty]

I know Boss tower. I used to visit friends there and they had the best balcony.

Roaches are everywhere. Buy a few airtight boxes to store food stuffs in or put everything in the fridge, they only come if there is food. Then give the place a really good scrub, not Thai clean, which means a wet cloth, but get in the corners and under the sink with loads of bleach. Then buy a few traps from Tesco. That will keep them at bay.

As for service, well Thailand is not known for service. That will become clear.

[emsfeld]

Used to live in Boss Tower about 8-9 years or so ago. Cant say that I've ever had a problem with cockroaches - cant even remember seeing one during my 8 months stay there. That being said, I never really had food around my place either, as I always went out for meals. The only unpleasant experience with them was when they ripped me off when I left - for an alleged crack in the toilet seat I was never able to discover

[pkrv]

Try this.

If you spray a product called Permedan around all the likely inlets, it dries but stays on the surface and kills them in minutes, in Pattaya it is sold in Friendship

Hmm Permedan. Appears to last one month.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/103355...secticides.html

I will ask what The Park sprayed around.

I think this is what was sprayed around our unit at the wall/floor join. It did not discolour the woodwork etc.

And try this link.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Roaches

Original thread

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Funny-Proble...es-t245496.html

Good luck!

Edited November 25, 2009 by pkrv

[srs]

Try Oriental Suite at Ratchada Soi 7 and City Home at Ratchada Soi 10.

I have never seen a single roach in these places.

Highly recommended.

I have been living in New York (Manhattan). Roaches everywhere inside the houses.

But here in Thailand I do only know them from walking on the street.

Maybe I am just lucky with the choice of my apartment houses.