First Time Renter In Thailand - Some Questions

[californiabeachboy]

I am coming over to Thailand for three months, and I am not finding a serviced apartment in the area I want and the budget I want (Chiang Mai, around 20,000 bt a month), so I am looking at expanding my search to privately owned condos where I can get a three month lease (I know 6 months is the norm). I have a few questions about the process:

1. Do most private landlords deal in cash only? I will be opening a bank account when I get there (I will have a visa) but it may take a while. Do many landlords accept traveler's checks to pay the rent?

2. If the landlord often rents to non-Thais, will the lease be in English as well as Thai? I have a Thai friend I can bring with me if necessary, but I would not sign something that doesn't have an exact translation into English

3. I think the big stumbling block will be the deposit. I am reluctant to give a two months deposit on a three month lease, simply because in a worst case scenario and the landlord wrongfully withholds the deposit, it increases my monthly cost by about 60%. I realize a tenant can do just as much damage in three months as six,but Is there anything I can do to convince the owner to accept maybe only one month deposit - i.e. let them inspect the place one a week, etc.? Or am I wasting my time.

4. Many of the places I see on the Internet are rented through an agency - is that more or less risky in terms of getting the deposit back?. I assume they forward the deposit to the owner, but I will probably have no info on the owner (other than a name). How do I protect myself if the agency says I left it in good condition, but when I ask them to return the deposit they say the owner refuses to return it. Should I get the owner to sign off on the condition of the apartment when I leave?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[mpm]

Hey I'll rent you a 2bed condo on jomtien beach with no deposit at 25k a month, you pay a month when you move in and on same date the next, easy, any damage I'm sure you would cover...message me e mail and I'll post you pics as I'm on an I pad and it don't allow me to load hear...this condo is 100meters to the beach

[LennyW]

Hey I'll rent you a 2bed condo on jomtien beach with no deposit at 25k a month, you pay a month when you move in and on same date the next, easy, any damage I'm sure you would cover...message me e mail and I'll post you pics as I'm on an I pad and it don't allow me to load hear...this condo is 100meters to the beach

Jomtien beach is a long way from Chang Mai !!

[JCchiangmai]

Hi,

I have a condo in Chiang Mai near Big C Extra shopping Center (Hillside 9), 4 km from Tapae Gate, it's a very nice studio 35 m2 and fully equipped, free internet, free cable tv, free water, also "farang standard".

You can pay in USD or in Thai baht up to you, 3 month contract is fine, 10.000 THB per month.

For the deposit, one month is ok.

For more informations and photos, please contact me. Thank you.