Moving To Pinklao Area...Help!

[KJC]

I just accepted a job near the Nakron In road and highway 9 interchange, kind of a strange location. With a travel allowance I will be able to live closer to the city, and people have suggested the Pinklao area. Until I am fully settled and know this job is for me, I don't want to move in to a very expensive condo just yet. I have been told I can find a "decent apartment" for 5 or 6k in or near the Pinklao area, but from what I am seeing online it doesn't seem like that would be very nice. Can anyone give me an idea of what kind of place that much money will get me? It seems I might be looking more towards 10k a month if I want to stay in Pinklao. I currently live out in a province in a community with no expats or foreigners in "thai style" housing. I would like something a bit nicer but don't need much. Any information you have on the area would be helpful, and recommendations would be great too! Many thanks!!

[Archimedes]

Have a look at mrromfinder.com and/or take a trip to Pinklao and walk around looking and preferably bring someone who understands and speaks Thai well.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Archimedes

[duncanb]

9000 baht per month will get you a new condo fully furnished with a pool and a gym and a nice large garden which you can sit out on. let me know if you want more details

[dddave]

Pinklao is recovering from pretty severe flooding so be sure to carefully inspect any place you intend to rent.

Most apartment buildings will have a sign or banner with a phone number to call. As another pointed out, it will help to have a Thai speaker along.

Local motorcycle taxi drivers can be a very good resource. Make a deal for an hour, about B100-150 and have him ride you around, they know every apartment there is and will know which ones are farang friendly.

[KJC]

mrroomfinder is excellent...thanks for the tip. Although, if you are looking for anything just north of pinklao across the border in to nonthaburi, this will not work...bangkok only.

Have a look at mrromfinder.com and/or take a trip to Pinklao and walk around looking and preferably bring someone who understands and speaks Thai well.

[KJC]

9000 baht per month will get you a new condo fully furnished with a pool and a gym and a nice large garden which you can sit out on. let me know if you want more details

This might be just a bit out of my price range...I basically want a fully furnished nice place, but don't need the pool and gym and whatnot....any thoughts on that?

[KJC]

Pinklao is recovering from pretty severe flooding so be sure to carefully inspect any place you intend to rent.

Most apartment buildings will have a sign or banner with a phone number to call. As another pointed out, it will help to have a Thai speaker along.

Local motorcycle taxi drivers can be a very good resource. Make a deal for an hour, about B100-150 and have him ride you around, they know every apartment there is and will know which ones are farang friendly.

Even after living north of Ayutthaya here and having my own home flooded, I somehow completely forgot about the flooding down there. Thanks for the reminder. I know the flooding this year was particularly bad, but does Pinklao pretty much always flood at the end of the rainy season? I'll definitely try to grab a moto for an hour, excellent tip...

[KJC]

As I have been searching online, I am starting to wonder if it would be worth it economically to live out near the nakron in road/highway 9 interchange. I would save a bundle on travel (don't think there are any buses out there, just taxis!) but I wonder if I would be stranded in a social desert. Any thoughts on this? I think the area is called Rama V, but searching that online is a nightmare because the only hits I get is the rama V bridge. according to my map this is the area between Bang Khun Kong and Bang Khu Wiang, just across the border in Nonthaburi.

[dddave]

With a little diligence, You'll almost certainly find a place filling your needs around Pinklao. Any further out and you will indeed be pretty isolated.

One always has to factor in transportation costs when selecting accommodations. Pinklao is pretty far out from the city but is well served by city buses and vans. The BTS is extending from Wong Wian Yai in the near (?) future which will make it even more accessible.

Also, be sure to factor in utility costs when looking at rooms. Many apartments mark the basic electricity rate (B3/unit) way up as high as B10/unit, a significant difference if you run a.c.

Condo's usually have their own meter and pay the base rate so renting a condo can be a big advantage. Look for signs around various complexes. Some places also mark water up outrageously. For one person it shouldn't be more than B200/mo. but some will have a flat charge of +/- B500.

Also be sure to ask about cable TV/internet availability.

[asanee]

1.With a little diligence, You'll almost certainly find a place filling your needs around Pinklao. Any further out and you will indeed be pretty isolated.

2.The BTS is extending from Wong Wian Yai in the near (?) future which will make it even more accessible.

Also be sure to ask about cable TV/internet availability.

@1, right-and judging by the nr of farang faces I see multyplying by the week, as seem to do newly opened condo blocks, it musty be quite popular too. And when do people finally realise thay the cheaper places here in BKK are not on the www etc?

@2. complete nonsense-no help at all. This BTS runs from WWYai (=big traffic circle) SOUTH of Phetkasem rd toward bang Khae (Bang Wa)=some 5-6 kms away fro Pinklao (the proper Pinklao-around the PATA and the Tesco+central further on). They are now starting to build the underground line under Charoensanitwong and also then toward bang Khae along Phetkasem itself and have fenced off the mid-part-enormous jams as result.

[KJC]

1.With a little diligence, You'll almost certainly find a place filling your needs around Pinklao. Any further out and you will indeed be pretty isolated.

2.The BTS is extending from Wong Wian Yai in the near (?) future which will make it even more accessible.

Also be sure to ask about cable TV/internet availability.

@1, right-and judging by the nr of farang faces I see multyplying by the week, as seem to do newly opened condo blocks, it musty be quite popular too. And when do people finally realise thay the cheaper places here in BKK are not on the www etc?

@2. complete nonsense-no help at all. This BTS runs from WWYai (=big traffic circle) SOUTH of Phetkasem rd toward bang Khae (Bang Wa)=some 5-6 kms away fro Pinklao (the proper Pinklao-around the PATA and the Tesco+central further on). They are now starting to build the underground line under Charoensanitwong and also then toward bang Khae along Phetkasem itself and have fenced off the mid-part-enormous jams as result.

Yea I am realizing it's just going to be much cheaper to show up and look around, like the person who said just pay a driver for an hour to drive me around. Also...from what I am hearing I'm not sure I want to live in pinklao anymore. Kinda just seems like a farang haven. I don't have anything against that, but if I wanted to live in a condo block with all western folks I would have stayed in America! I think I would enjoy a 'thai community' a bit more, like i have here in Singburi. I think I might actually live farther out towards my new job (nakron road and highway 9) anyway to cut down on travel costs, and then just spend the money when I went to head in to the city here and there instead of spending the money every day just to get to work. We'll see.

Also...you're right....WWY really has nothing to do with pinklao if you look at the map. Thanks for all the suggestions.