Recommend An Apartment!

[JimsKnight]

a story...

recently, I found this place in paradise dove that was not only inexpensive, but was brand spanking new.  the place was so good, the facilities there rivaled places that charged twice the daily rate.

anyway, I told many of my friends about the place.  and they were impressed too by the price vs. value.

next thing I know, the place increases their prices.  (?)

I asked the owner why he did that.  he replied quote, "your friend convinced me that I was charging too little."

I then went to my "friend" and asked him why he did that.  his reply, "it's true, they did charge too little.  they deserve to get the going rate."

I then tried to plead my case with other "friends".  some said I was being cheap.  others said quote, "how would you feel if you were the owner?  wouldn't you want to get as much as possible?"  ..and yet others said I was being selfish.

these are all valid opinions.

but I keep thinking to myself... 

if I had just kept my mouth shut, I could have had the use of the place for a while longer at that great price.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Were your friends thai by any chance? As I don't any falang in there right mind who would stab someone in the back that way! Perhaps they were jealous?

I see their point (to a degree) but people need to remember that we falangs need every leg-up we can get. After all the whole country operates a dual pricing system.

[JimsKnight]

I find it extraordinary that self-respecting farang would leave their home country to come to live in Thailand if they only have enough money to live in a 2500 baht box.  I mean, why do it?  It can't be for the lifestyle.  It can't be quality of life.

If you have no money, ok . .stay where you are and use welfare, rather than be dragged into a poverty spiral in Thailand.  I would never live here unless I can do it on my terms and in relative luxury?

So is it for the girls?  That is flawed too.  You're not going to get much respect from women when they discover you are farang kee nok.

Seems very sad to me.

I live in Phuket in a 2500 a month room. Its awesome, i party with my neighbours all the time, my room is nice, i have a magic rice cooker and a wok. Being retired on tropical islands just seems to make unliMIteD sense to me. I make a lot of money in my birth country and dont have any issues there at all but the whole retirement thing is just too good. Its like be retired and give up some material possessions vs work all day and then buy a lot of shit. Also rum costs 150 bahtz a bottle in Thailand too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is exactly how it works, you earn the big money overseas in your home country and live off it in a cheap country like thailand!

I'm most suprised and impressed that Phuket has rooms for 2500 baht a month though! In Koh Tao where I hang out the comfortable cheap range starts at 6000 baht and thats without a kitchen!

[Drew Aitch]

I was actually wondering what Chiang Mai prices were like, but couldn't find any good information online to that end. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi mattloaf1.

I'm going up to Chaing Mai in the next few days and intend to have a look at apartments and prices around the area. I'll report back by next weekend or sooner most probably.

Mr. Roomfinder is going to launch a National 'Add & Search facility very soon, so as long as landlords are prepared to uploaded their vacancies from around the country we should be able to search for apartments and prices all over Thailand within time.

Aitch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've just returned from a few days in Chiang Mai and yes, there's an abundance of cheap places to stay for around 5,000 THB/Mo. and less.

I never saw anything that had the 'Whow!' factor though and the studio pads there were no better than what I've seen around greater Bangkok other than a little cheaper. Some were dingy while others were neat and tidy boasting a few facilities but your choice is narrowed down considerably at the budget end if you're looking for a direct line.

Wireless internet connection seems to be an option that being offered more and more these days and I found 1 cheap place called Bant House Court (or similar) in a very central location, which had this facility (maybe this is why they were full!) and a couple of service apartments had it installed too.

Veerachai Court seems to be popular among expats at around the 5,000 THB/Mo. mark and is central to the old city.

Chiang Mai seems to be a place where you get a lot more value for money if you’re looking for extra space or a service apartment. Also, if you have transport and don’t mind moving to the outskirts, I’ve been told there are some newer, and cheaper constructions around for a fair bit less.

I found a 2 bedroom joint at 6,500 (very basic decor though), a 48 SQM studio at 10,000 and a brand new serviced apartment that had smart studios at 12,000 (36 SQM) and 14,000 (45 SQM) They also had 1 bedroom options at 71 and 86 SQM for around 22,000 + THB/Mo.

I got speaking to quite a number of local expats, and there appears to be a lot of folks choosing to live in houses around the area. I was informed on more than one occasion that it’s not uncommon to find a 2 bedroom town house for under 5,000 THB/Mo. but I had no time to verify this hearsay.

I introduced Mr. Roomfinder to a number of apartment owners so we can only hope the landlords of the North will start to upload their vacancies onto the site when we launch the National Add and Search facility.

Chiang Mai had more places to view than I had time to visit them but I'm sure there must be some hidden treasures around the city to those in the know.

Hope that gives a bit of an insight into the area....

Aitch

[monochaser]

I think that anyone who comes here to live in a closet sized, roach/rat infested tenement, has lost his marbles. No self respecting person would do that. All of those who boast of living on 30 cents a day or whatever, may as well be homeless. Being homeless would be much much better. Just think, you could have that extra 30 cents a day for cheap whiskey. party on man. If I ever get to that stage, my 1st stop will be the 86th FL observatory deck of Bayoke Tower. They have 6 diving boards and there's never any wait

[sriracha john]

I think that anyone who comes here to live in a closet sized, roach/rat infested tenement, has lost his marbles. No self respecting person would do that. All of those who boast of living on 30 cents a day or whatever, may as well be homeless. Being homeless would be much much better. Just think, you could have that extra 30 cents a day for cheap whiskey. party on man. If I ever get to that stage, my 1st stop will be the 86th FL observatory deck of Bayoke Tower. They have 6 diving boards and there's never any wait

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[seeker108]

Now, I am not talking BKK here, but outside of CM (and many other places) you can live very well and very inexpensively if you do some leg work and have the help of Thai or other local friends who are in the know. (I think a good support group may be the most important factor and it is nice to see forums like TV filling that role in at least a small way. It sure would have been helpful to me 4 years ago when I first came to Thailand.)

If you do not mind not being in an upscale condo complex or moo baan with other financially comfortable farang and Thai neighbors and would enjoy being in a clean, decent, friendly Thai neighborhood (and maybe the only farang in a several block area), then here is what you can have.

Townhouse or house - fully furnished, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, good size LR/dining combo area, decent Thai kitchen, maybe tel line but maybe no aircon (or maybe vice versa). Did I mention, friendly and helpful neighbors?

How much? rent: B1,000 per month. electric bill: B150 per month (more with aircon, obviously)

For those of you who are paying 5 to 30 times this and saying IMPOSSIBLE, take pause and remember "location, location, location". You are paying a premium to be in an exclusive and possibly more secure neighborhood, more centrally located, better internet and maybe phone access, etc., etc. and it is worth every extra baht to you to have this (if not, maybe you should look around).

I am bringing up the other extreme end of what is possible in Glorious (not just Amazing) Thailand while still maintaining a respectable and comfortable lifestyle, for those who do want the good life here sooner rather than later and need to be on a tighter (but not impossible) budget (like our friends Matt and Craig for example).

For more depth on this, feel free to click on my profile and look at some of my other posts.

Oh and just to be more in line with the BKK nature of this thread, I believe that even in BKK with some kind of what I call "support of nature" or the help of a good network of friends that you could live well but inexpensively IF you really need to. But since most of you living in BKK earn or have decent money the need is not there and your time and comfort is much more valuable to you than saving on your monthly rent.

Seeker

[BKKDUDE]

Pretty self-explanitory. Something near public transport, somewhere you have personal experience with, possibly? I don't care where in BKK, as long as it's a relatively quiet area. I've found a bunch of places on MrRoomFinder but I figured personal references would be invaluable. Thanks in advance!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This kind of places don't offer watchguard, and anyone can break in your home.

[haha]

a story...

recently, I found this place in paradise dove that was not only inexpensive, but was brand spanking new.  the place was so good, the facilities there rivaled places that charged twice the daily rate.

anyway, I told many of my friends about the place.  and they were impressed too by the price vs. value.

next thing I know, the place increases their prices.  (?)

I asked the owner why he did that.  he replied quote, "your friend convinced me that I was charging too little."

I then went to my "friend" and asked him why he did that.  his reply, "it's true, they did charge too little.  they deserve to get the going rate."

I then tried to plead my case with other "friends".  some said I was being cheap.  others said quote, "how would you feel if you were the owner?  wouldn't you want to get as much as possible?"  ..and yet others said I was being selfish.

these are all valid opinions.

but I keep thinking to myself... 

if I had just kept my mouth shut, I could have had the use of the place for a while longer at that great price.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Were your friends thai by any chance? As I don't any falang in there right mind who would stab someone in the back that way! Perhaps they were jealous?

I see their point (to a degree) but people need to remember that we falangs need every leg-up we can get. After all the whole country operates a dual pricing system.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry for not replying sooner. I was in the states dealing with some family matters. so, didn't have the time to read replies to my postings.

anyway, in answer to you question... no, these friends of mine were not thais.

actually, in retrospect, I have this belief that one of the guys is trying to figure out some way to make money out of this rental market. ..in the way of commissions. ..get it?

middleman.

the guy doesn't care if the rents go up in general for everybody else. .just so long as he gets his cut.

most people don't work for free, you know. sooner or later, they will expect some reward for their hard work.

mr.roomfinder?

[Drew Aitch]

Quote: most people don't work for free, you know. sooner or later, they will expect some reward for their hard work.

mr.roomfinder? End Quote!

Hello haha.

As the last line of your post prompts a question, I’ll attempt to reply with an appropriate answer in order to clarify the site’s principal function and to hopefully eradicate any uncertainties.

Mr. Roomfinder was not constructed with a view to charge fees of any sorts for information or for uploading vacant properties to the site.

We’re not an Estate Agent or Letting Agency of any description nor do we wish to be. Neither are we in any kind of competition with the above. In fact we openly encourage estate agents and letting agencies to advertise their available properties on the site along with Apartment buildings and private owners.

The more vacant properties listed, the greater the choice is for those looking for a new place to live.

The purpose of Mr. Roomfinder is to offer a free information website that brings tenants and landlord together in one place through whatever means possible and we have no direct dealings with any of the above.

This site is simply a free-for-all Add & Search facility for home hunters, private owners, project owners, letting agencies and Estate agents. That’s it!

There are no plans to charge for this service and those looking for homes will always be able to open the site and browse for vacant properties at their leisure.

Quote: most people don't work for free, you know. sooner or later, they will expect some reward for their hard work. End Quote!

Of course, a lot of hard work, commitment, and expense has gone into setting up the Roomfinder project and like any good website we aim to sell some advertising space to landlords and or local businesses to assist with the running costs, but this will not have any effect on the primary purpose of the site or the current layout of the pages, as the banner slots are already built into the layout to accommodate this.

Hope that sheds a more direct light the website and its future.

Best regards

Aitch

[Canadian-Jesse]

I find it extraordinary that self-respecting farang would leave their home country to come to live in Thailand if they only have enough money to live in a 2500 baht box.  I mean, why do it?  It can't be for the lifestyle.  It can't be quality of life.

If you have no money, ok . .stay where you are and use welfare, rather than be dragged into a poverty spiral in Thailand.  I would never live here unless I can do it on my terms and in relative luxury?

So is it for the girls?  That is flawed too.  You're not going to get much respect from women when they discover you are farang kee nok.

Seems very sad to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They don't come there to stay and live in poverty... hah! They don't live in poverty, they just want cheap accomodation to maximize their time spent in Thailand.

When I go backpacking I'm going to try and find the cheapest place possible to make my cash last that much longer. Not like we're moving over there to live in shit holes and stay...

[Canadian-Jesse]

Which is just my point. 

I don't think it's condescending to wonder out loud why a farang would give up a relatively affluent and comfortable lifestyle in the west, with all its attendant advantages and safety nets, to live in squalor in Thailand.  It's just not rational behaviour.

It's not as if Thailand welcomes people with open arms, is it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hear ya Bendix. But let me throw this out. I live a relatively affluent and very comfortable lifestyle here in the west. I have everything I need. Live right in the middle of one of the best entertainment capitals in the world (1KM from Times Square, and right next door to Lincoln Center).

But, I have had it here. And I am giving it up to live in Thailand. I lived there for 2 years and loved it. When I was there, to help stretch my money, I lived in some very cheap places. Once stayed on Koh Chang for 100B a night (OK, so I could only handle one night...at least I tried it!). What living cheaply allowed me to do was to live there, sometimes on a beautiful island, and not work...for 2 years!

Let's see...live in LOS, understandably in cheaper surroundings, and not work. Or live in NYC and work like a dog...in the freezing rain, snow, and incredible crowds (try and cram yourself onto the 1/9 train at 8am...you will understand what I mean). Have a quick, and cheap lunch for $15. And head out after work and have a beer for $10 or more. Dinner for two will set you back around $100.

I stayed in one of those 2500B rooms near Soi 50 for a few weeks. It was not really that bad. Marble floor, air con, restaurant down stairs with cheap and awesome Thai food...and they even brought up huge bottles of beer for only 50B. Man, that was paradise! No work, sleeping in, eating great, etc. Paradise. Ok, except for only being able to see Thai TV. Took me some time to break my TV habbit!

OK...sure...I would love to be in a villa over looking the ocean on Phuket. But that would mean 10 more years here. I think I will settle for something less so I don't have to do that. And the apartment I was in was not squalor. It was OK.

Now I will have to say, if I had to work like a dog AND live in one of those places...I don't think I could do that. I would stay where I am...totally agree with you on that one.

My wife lived in one of those places TTM describes. 4 girls in one room, no AC, next to freeway, etc. She did just fine. But she sure does enjoy her king size bed and big screen TV now!

Just some randon thoughts coming from NYC at 7 in the morning....as I read TV and plan for my upcoming trip to LOS!!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now that's exactly how I feel and what I meant!

My idea of paradise is experiencing the unexperienced and that doesn't mean I'm going to stay in a Bangkok slum... I'll spend one or two days on Khao San then head to the beaches and stay there for ###### cheap and not work! 80 baht bungalo? Oh ya! Cold showers? It's hot anyway so I don't care

[kaj.l.44]

You can have a look on the new website www.adlist-bangkok.com and see if you can find a room there. The site is in both Thai and English.

[leftcross]

there is a decent apartment block down thanon prakanong soi 29 which is 2,500 a month. electric and water are very cheap too. security is good but no air con...

[lenk]

I find it extraordinary that self-respecting farang would leave their home country to come to live in Thailand if they only have enough money to live in a 2500 baht box.  I mean, why do it?  It can't be for the lifestyle.  It can't be quality of life.

If you have no money, ok . .stay where you are and use welfare, rather than be dragged into a poverty spiral in Thailand.  I would never live here unless I can do it on my terms and in relative luxury?

So is it for the girls?  That is flawed too.  You're not going to get much respect from women when they discover you are farang kee nok.

Seems very sad to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some might say it’s almost as sad as your judgmental, elitist, narrow-minded, condescending attitude…

not that I would, mind you… but some would

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

best ignore these sad cases I'd say.

[john_cain17]

I find it extraordinary that self-respecting farang would leave their home country to come to live in Thailand if they only have enough money to live in a 2500 baht box.  I mean, why do it?  It can't be for the lifestyle.  It can't be quality of life.

If you have no money, ok . .stay where you are and use welfare, rather than be dragged into a poverty spiral in Thailand.  I would never live here unless I can do it on my terms and in relative luxury?

So is it for the girls?  That is flawed too.  You're not going to get much respect from women when they discover you are farang kee nok.

Seems very sad to me.

I live in Phuket in a 2500 a month room. Its awesome, i party with my neighbours all the time, my room is nice, i have a magic rice cooker and a wok. Being retired on tropical islands just seems to make unliMIteD sense to me. I make a lot of money in my birth country and dont have any issues there at all but the whole retirement thing is just too good. Its like be retired and give up some material possessions vs work all day and then buy a lot of shit. Also rum costs 150 bahtz a bottle in Thailand too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi, what comes with that room for 2500b a month in phuket. does it come with a bathroom with western toilet or a squat thing.

what would a one bedroom apt/condo cost with ac, western toilet, and wireless internet connection.

thank you and look forward to your reply

[snoophound]

I find all this quite fascinating.

Why do falangs want to live in LOS??

Logical things come to mind like cheap booze and the fact even the desparately dateless in Falangland can get laid.

I hear many references to the culture?,but few long termers I have met bother to learn to speak thai other than the Eee By Gum Thai variety.

Couple that with the number of Falang suicides ?

What is it???

My Missus is thai and their is NO way I can get her to move back to thailand from AUST.

I find it extraordinary that self-respecting farang would leave their home country to come to live in Thailand if they only have enough money to live in a 2500 baht box.  I mean, why do it?  It can't be for the lifestyle.  It can't be quality of life.

If you have no money, ok . .stay where you are and use welfare, rather than be dragged into a poverty spiral in Thailand.  I would never live here unless I can do it on my terms and in relative luxury?

So is it for the girls?  That is flawed too.  You're not going to get much respect from women when they discover you are farang kee nok.

Seems very sad to me.

I live in Phuket in a 2500 a month room. Its awesome, i party with my neighbours all the time, my room is nice, i have a magic rice cooker and a wok. Being retired on tropical islands just seems to make unliMIteD sense to me. I make a lot of money in my birth country and dont have any issues there at all but the whole retirement thing is just too good. Its like be retired and give up some material possessions vs work all day and then buy a lot of shit. Also rum costs 150 bahtz a bottle in Thailand too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi, what comes with that room for 2500b a month in phuket. does it come with a bathroom with western toilet or a squat thing.

what would a one bedroom apt/condo cost with ac, western toilet, and wireless internet connection.

thank you and look forward to your reply

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[The Dude]

ROFLMAO, the OP is really reaching for the stars in his quest for a place "under 2500 bt". That's like a couple of visits to Starbucks. LOL

[billd766]

I find all this quite fascinating.

Why do falangs want to live in LOS??

Logical things come to mind like cheap booze and the fact even the desparately dateless in Falangland can get laid.

I hear many references to the culture?,but few long termers I have met bother to learn to speak thai other than the Eee By Gum Thai variety.

Couple that with the number of Falang suicides ?

What is it???

My Missus is thai and their is NO way I can get her to move back to thailand from AUST.

My wife is Thai also and there is NO way that she would want to live in the UK at all. We live up in the central region in a nice house (hers) and a fair bit of land (hers again) and a 16 month old son (ours).

The only concession my wife has made is that our son now has a UK passport and birth certificate and he will get dual nationality.

We have her 2 brothers, 1 sister in law and their son plus a friend and her daughter living with us and it is not crowded.

I get a job overseas most years for a while which tops up the bank account.

The sun shines most days except in the rainy season, the local area is beautiful to live in and the cost of living is low.

I think to live in the UK at this standard I would need to earn in excess of £150,000 a year and have a mortgage of around £350 to £400,000 and bust my ass out working 60 or 70 hours a week.

The real question is why would I NOT want to live in Thailand.

[thohts]

The website below lists Bangkok rentals for under 10k/month. You may be able to find a few around your asking price.

(some of it is in Japanese, but the useful information is easily understood)

Silom area, Sukhumvit area, other areas

[john_cain17]

How can you trash a people, culture, and nation with such a perspective?

I find all this quite fascinating.

Why do falangs want to live in LOS??

Logical things come to mind like cheap booze and the fact even the desparately dateless in Falangland can get laid.

I hear many references to the culture?,but few long termers I have met bother to learn to speak thai other than the Eee By Gum Thai variety.

Couple that with the number of Falang suicides ?

What is it???

My Missus is thai and their is NO way I can get her to move back to thailand from AUST.

My wife is Thai also and there is NO way that she would want to live in the UK at all. We live up in the central region in a nice house (hers) and a fair bit of land (hers again) and a 16 month old son (ours).

The only concession my wife has made is that our son now has a UK passport and birth certificate and he will get dual nationality.

We have her 2 brothers, 1 sister in law and their son plus a friend and her daughter living with us and it is not crowded.

I get a job overseas most years for a while which tops up the bank account.

The sun shines most days except in the rainy season, the local area is beautiful to live in and the cost of living is low.

I think to live in the UK at this standard I would need to earn in excess of £150,000 a year and have a mortgage of around £350 to £400,000 and bust my ass out working 60 or 70 hours a week.

The real question is why would I NOT want to live in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[creation2474]

Why not? ;-)

[JoeyBonaparte]

> If the dream is to live in Thailand for a long time and to have cheap

>accomodation so the trip can be extended, my own preference would be to >forget those 2500 crapartments in the outer reaches of Sukhumvit and instead >head to one of the island or even a smaller city like Chiang Mai where 4000 >would get you a very decent apartment or even house.

Or Chiangrai. There's a two story teak house on one rai of land for 1,500 per month down the road from our house. Mountain biking, hiking, jogging, and nature. I live in Bangkok because I have a wonderful special job there, but I can't imagine living there if I didn't.

Cheers.

[Drew Aitch]

Or Chiangrai. There's a two story teak house on one rai of land for 1,500 per month down the road from our house. Mountain biking, hiking, jogging, and nature. I live in Bangkok because I have a wonderful special job there, but I can't imagine living there if I didn't.

Cheers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It comes down the same ole thing which is - it’s not so much you get what you pay for in Thailand but more akin to what you can be bothered to seek out.

I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment and there are loads of places around the 5,000 mark (not so much different to Bkk prices) but the difference between CM & Bkk is that CM also has an abundance of places under 5,000 that are probably more livable than the under 5,000 joints in the capital. This also includes houses that are dotted around the outskirts of the city, and I’ve noticed a lot of long term residents tend to opt for houses over apartments or condos as they get space, great rents, and privacy thrown into the deal.

Going by JoeyBonaparte's post above it gets even better in Chiang Rai but the opportunity for work becomes less for those thinking of moving up here (that's if you still need to earn a wedge on a regular basis).

There have been 3 apartment buildings posted on Roomfinder for CM over the past week or so, including 2 serviced apartments, of which there are about 50 dotted around the city. I'll stick them in this forum when I do the next 'Most Recently Added' post.

I'll be heading East soon and it'll be interesting to see the difference in rents & rooms if indeed there are any.

A lot of people who come to Thailand on long holidays spend more time out of the home than they do in it, so spending heaps of 'holiday cash' on a roof is not a priority for them. I guess some of the earlier posts of this thread didn't take that into consideration when they wrote in disbelief at someone looking for a really cheap place to park their bags.

Anyway, it’s certainly kept this old thread alive.

Aitch

[seeker108]

I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment ...

Going by JoeyBonaparte's post above it gets even better in Chiang Rai

Aitch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Aitch,

Actually I think if you look in some of the outer areas of CM you will find better rents. In Mae Rim, I had a very nice fully furnished townhouse, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, good size LR/dining combo area, decent Thai kitchen, tel line but no aircon (but could put in yourself) for 1,000 baht/month. I also found a new, furnished small house on a postage stamp plot for the same price (but no telephone as well as no aircon) In addition to Mae Rim perhaps Doi Saket or Sansai may yield good results.

As you say, you get what you are willing to dig out. You need to be able to be able to read the Thai "For Rent" signs or have someone else who can. Also networking with many Thai friends in the area helps a lot. Good luck in your search! I am putting out my own feelers right now as I will be soon back there.

seeker

[JimsKnight]

I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment ...

Going by JoeyBonaparte's post above it gets even better in Chiang Rai

Aitch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Aitch,

Actually I think if you look in some of the outer areas of CM you will find better rents. In Mae Rim, I had a very nice fully furnished townhouse, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, good size LR/dining combo area, decent Thai kitchen, tel line but no aircon (but could put in yourself) for 1,000 baht/month. I also found a new, furnished small house on a postage stamp plot for the same price (but no telephone as well as no aircon) In addition to Mae Rim perhaps Doi Saket or Sansai may yield good results.

As you say, you get what you are willing to dig out. You need to be able to be able to read the Thai "For Rent" signs or have someone else who can. Also networking with many Thai friends in the area helps a lot. Good luck in your search! I am putting out my own feelers right now as I will be soon back there.

seeker

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm staying in Hua Hin (Near Bangkok) and prices here can be ridiculous, but if you seek out ye will find the good places!

I found by riding about on my bike a good place and am now staying there. It is a nice brand-new one bedroom apartment with restaurant close-by:

ASDN internet connection, massive comfy bed, weekly cleaning service, aircon/fan climate control (one up from air-con), cable tv, free bottled water, hot shower, massive bathroom, 24 hour security, friendly staff, fully furnished...

All for 5500 baht a month!

Now If you head 3 kms south into the center of town a small room in the backpackers hostel with nowt but a bed and fan will set you back 4500 baht!!!

Off topic here but important...

The key is to roam about a bit! And ye shall find!

One of the most overlooked features of getting a place to stay here (especially one-bedroom apartments) is sun-placement!

You want to endevour to get the room 'facing' the North sandwiched between two floors if possible, NOT towards the south and neither on the corner rooms! This is due to the fact that the equator is soutwards and as the sun passes over anyhead the brunt of its rays will hit the southward (windows) facing rooms first and the north facing rooms will generally be a lot cooler even in the evening! All this is the case where I'm staying but maybe I'm just lucky on the building construction as well??

Happy Hunting...