Sawasdee Khrup,

A friend of mine will be moving here in early May to work. He is looking to lease, long-term. He does have a Thai wife, but will be "new" to the Kingdom, and has not lived in the Kingdom for any length of time before, and does not speak Thai. fyi : I'm in Chiang Mai and haven't been in Bangkok a long time.

He'll be working at the ITF Tower on Silom Road : 140/36 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

He is trying to get some ideas of the "going rate" for something like the following :

1. within fifteen minutes or so of commute time from housing to work (one-way), preferably by SkyTrain.

2. 2-3 bedrooms, air-conditioning, internet access via at least "adsl" quality

3. swimming pool

4. laundry facilities in building

Of course he wants a secure and clean building not surrounded by howling dogs, or karaoke-nightmare-neighbors

Any general thoughts, rough estimates of rent, any ideas, will be very appreciated !

thanks, ~o:37;

From your friend's requirement (considering your friends' at ITF, access to BTS is a must)

Your ideal location would be

Sathorn/Saladaeng, Ratchadumri, Childom, Ploenchit

Depend on how big he or she want the apartment to be will influence the rental price.

For 2 bedroom

Sathorn/ Saladaeng (most ideal because walkable to ITF): 40,000-60,000 THB

Ratchadumri: 45,000-65,000 THB

Chidlom: 55,000-75,000 THB

Ploenchit: 40,000-65,000 THB

If you want some apartment recommendation, let me know. Another option would be looking for condominium (individual own).

Hi,

It really depends on the quality of building which is going to make your mate happy. Bangkok's BTS and MRT network covers a wide area and there is no need to live in the centre of town and pay exhorbitant rentals listed above.

A short BTS ride will take you to places like Ari, lower sukhumvit and Thonburi where there are much cheaper places. With a bit of looking, you can find a 2-3 bedroom place for 20,000 to 30,000 Baht per month.

I'd advise that before jumping into a rental deal, you get feet on the ground first and spend a month or two in a short term hotel/residence and then explore. There are thousands of places to choose from, but doing a long-term rental deal is a potential minefield so dont rely on anything promised online, always inspect the place personally and make sure that the area is a place you are comfortable in.

Good luck.

My wife and I are actually moving the the other way to England in July and so we have to rent our condo, which may well suit your friend and his wife's needs. PMl me and I will send on the advertisement.