Banking and new condo rental

[mkd]

Hi.

I am moving to Bangkok in a couple weeks to work at an international school. The school has kindly arranged for a hotel for the first week. With the option to stay longer ( but it would be from my pocket).

- is it realistic to think that I can find a condo in the first week with an agent?

-once I find the right condo... How do newcomers pay the lease? I probably won't have my Thai bank account set up by that time. Do newcomers pay cash (taken from the ATM machine)? Can you pay rent with a credit card? Should I plan to bring enough travelers cheques to cover possible rental costs?

Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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[arnestockholm]

1.) it depends if you start the search from overseas already. Would contact a good agency for this. I found my condo in about 1 week and it takes maybe 2 weeks to have the paperwork done and get the key. But all perfectly managed by my agent.

2.) My real estate agent opens the account with me together. But the first month rental and the deposit was done in cash when I get the keys. So I would take care to have the cash with me. Or have access to a debit or credit card with a highly cash limit. Had to pay around 280000 THB after I sign the contract and had luckily different cards to get the cash on the day.

Good luck for your new start!

[Jayroo]

took me a week to find a place and when I did, we did all the paper work and moved in the very next day, we paid deposit by cash which equaled the first 2 months rent, along with paying for the first month's rent, this was for a 6 months contract.

[mkd]

Thank you both. Is it pretty standard to pay a 2 month deposit?

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[PomRakBKK]

2 months deposit + 1 month rent in advance