app/condo or hotel for two month in bkk?

[catweazle08]

hi,

somebody recommended this forum to me, he said many experienced expats are using this site.

the last days i was trying to find an app in bkk near skytrain, but only for two month. didn´t make any progress, the biggest problem: they don´t want two month contracts, at least 6 or 12 month...

so my plan b is to find a hotel on a monthly basis. i can pay 10.000 Baht, maybe even more if the place is really worth it.

i look for at least 25sqm and a fridge in the room. visitors should be allowed and near a skytrain-station, (but not far out like on nut)

i think this must be possible and i hope for some advice. if you recommend 5 or 10 hotels, even better.

thanks for your support and ideas.

[Mooner]

I dont think you will be able to find a room near a bts for 10,000 a month. Not a very nice one anyway. Know a few near the mrt for that price.

[catweazle08]

Sure, why not!

thats ok too, i always mix skytrain and metro and all these options...

[Metapod]

I know a few places. I'll post them up tonight when I get home.

Under 10k and near BTS and MRT. Not flashy but hey.

[MarkCyr]

For condos, try craigslist or airbnb. You can find places for any duration. But as the poster above said, you won't likely find much in the 10,000/month range near a station. Even in Pattaya, I typically rent a room that's pretty nice for a month for 10K. BKK would almost certainly be more than that.

If you find any good resources for cheaper places in BKK, please post the links. I'm also looking for a semi-long stay next spring in BKK. Good luck!

[pomchop]

http://bangkokomni.com/

17 k a month for a studio but no long term contracts required...ten mins walk to nana bts....

[stickylies]

most places give discounts for longer term rent. the one i always stay when in bkk charges 700/night and 13,500/month.

near skytrain, quite area, A/C, fridge, water cooker.

just find yrself a place you like and negotiate for a month.

EDIT: Make sure you agree whether electricity and water are INCLUDED when you discuss price!!

Edited October 2, 2013 by stickylies

[soundman]

Members please note that the Bangkok forum is not the correct area to advertise your condo for rent. Please use classifieds.

[soinowinbkk]

I lived in Avenue Mansion 1 (I am NOT the landlord nor connected in anyway):

Address: 70/29 Soi Petchburi 7, Petchburi Rd., Phayathai, Ratchthevee, Bangkok Phayathai , 10400
Local Map here Phone: 02-612-0166, 02-612-0127, 02-216-7397 FAX: 02-612-0166#1101

They had fixed up a couple of the rooms (small studios like 32 sm), complete with linens, TV, refrig, etc. and maid service (not daily), for 350/night, but almost certainly they would book it for less for a month (especially if you prepay!). They are extremely honest and professional, too. It's a 5-minute walk to Phayathai BTS, which is also where the 'new' Airport Link skytrain originates. Lots of great Thai food, cheap, in the 'hood and all night.

PS - Don't know if those numbers are still accurate but those things rarely change. MIght be best to try a FAX enquiry first. English at the front desk is limited in off hours and any Thai person not 'fluent' has trouble on the phone (as do we all...). I saw listings online but it was from years back with when rooms were 5,000 baht but required a 4-month contract (and were not equipped with linens or furniture other than a bed and built-in closets. All rooms have air on and hot water.

[mariemasters]

Check KV Mansion on Sukhumvit 81, roughly 300 meters from the Onnut BTS.

They offer short term rentals i.e. month on the month and you can even book online. Off the top of my head should be roughly 10-15K per month for a short term lease.

Quite a decent place to stay though no facilities like pool or anything like that.

But it's literally a stone's throw from the BTS and by extension Tesco Lotus so the location can't be beat.

[Eric DAL]

http://en.9apartment.com/search/

[catweazle08]

thx for all the information and ideas!!

i think there are some useful places there and who knows, if the place is really impressive i pay mor then 10k.

@stickylies: can u post the name of the place?

keep u updated...

[TheSpade]

Ignore the people who say you can't find apartments close to BTS for 10k. You most definitely can and perfectly liveable ones too.

At nearly every BTS station. I looked at loads under 10k at Victory Monument, Thong Lor, Ekkamai, Siam, On Nut, Ari, Phaya Thai etc.

The issue is whether they do monthly bookings or not which most probably don't.

You'd need to wait until you are here and go looking most likely and you might not want to do that so I'd look into a hotel but not sure you'll get a decent hotel room for 10k per month. Would be a real budget place.

[ekamaihouse]

suggest you check craigslist and post on craigslist what you are looking for, i.e short term. There are some out there has I've done it before for a friend

[catweazle08]

update:

http://bangkokomni.com/

looked great on the website, called them, they speak good english. But the 17000 are not available. wifi is 1000 b extra.

avenue mansion 1

sounds good.

i tried to contact them, mail-adress doesn´t work. i keep on trying.

KV Mansion

looks really great but it´s at on nut. contacted them and try to figure out the monthly rent. lets see... hope their rent tis ok, this could be the one!

i checked out the 9apartments website and i thing it´s a good one. they have a lot of categories for the search, which, especially in bkk, is very useful. contacted a few yesterday.

Baan Dhana (BTS chong nonsi) answered and they are under 10.000 B. i hope i can check them out tomorrow! another "hot" one...

somebody recommended "king royal garden inn", but they don´t do monthly anymore, just daily at 1000 Baht.

PR Place (Boutique apartment)

got a recommendation for this one. been there today. got an offer for 14.000 on a monthly basis. the place was large and a bit dark, but the furniture was not really good looking. aircon only in the bedroom, Lan-cable, fridge, etc. at extra cost. you can try this one, but not my cup of tea for 14.000B. and the boss was almost friendly...

got one offer for an app at 16.500 a month. didn´t like it but it was close to siam square! (can´t find their card at the moment, sorry)

http://www.atriumratchada13.com

one of the more flashy and expensive ones, looks really nice and they invited me to look at the place. hope i get this done tomorrow. sounds good so far...

one big issue for the apps is the short rental time, they want you to rent for 6, or at least three month.

another one is contacting them. sometimes nobody answers on the phone and the mail, sometimes they don´t speak good english, so u have to go there, and i think many of you know how exhausting that can be in "little" bkk.

went to a travel agency today. the woman seemed to be credible. she said most hotels at skytrain-areas charge 1000 B a night and don´t offer monthly, so u pay 30.000 (or better not).

she recommended the sathorn area to me and the sukhumvit 77-93 area, but right now i have no idea, how i´m gonna use this information. been busy with the other options.

Plan C: if the appartment (a) and the hotel ( near skytrain don´t work out i go for plan c, a hotel near khao sarn (or better a few kilometers away from ) and maybe close to the khlong taxi at the democracy monument. i guess i can find a cheap place in that area and the khlong taxi is a good connection to the center.

any recommendations for this area are welcome.

let´s see what wonderful moments i will experience tomorrow. i think u just have to be really persistant!

[TheSpade]

I'd pick the area you want to live in take the BTS there and just start going into apartment blocks and asking if they have rooms. That's how it works in BKK and you'll find somewhere decent that might not be mentioned online whether they do you a monthly rental or not who knows.

Most places will have a reception desk and can show you a room. If you have a Thai friend get them to go with you to ask questions and negotiate in Thai incase English not spoken.

It's what I did and I saw tons of nice places under 10k at many BTS stations but most were not short term rentals.

This guy has done a blog post about cheap apartments on the BTS line in BKK that have monthly rentals - http://www.pokervip.com//blogs/a-farang-abroad-in-bangkok/getting-an-apartment-for-under-250-month-in-bangkok/

Also check out Ratchaprarop Mansion - http://www.thebestmansion.com/ratchaprarop/?lang=2

They have different room prices many under 10k and you can rent for 1 month if you pay a little extra. I think it's 25% extra on whatever the listed monthly rent is.

Rooms are a mixed bag. Some more modern and recently done up some looking dated. They have a pool, gym, restaurants etc.

It's roughly a 10 minute walk to Victory Monument BTS one way, a 5 minute walk to airport link and a 15 minute walk to Central World / Chit Lom BTS which is right beside Siam BTS.

Edited October 3, 2013 by TheSpade

[Dietmar Dzieyk]

Hi, i am very content to stay here in DIN Deang near Huai Kwang Subway station in the Hotel Sarasinee Mansion, 111 Intamara 22.

11000 per month, caution the same for electric etc. The rest you get back. Quiet, friendly, free fitness, wifi, pool on the roof, very nice to relax. Come here. Nice!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JemJem]

Hey, catweazle8, here is my advice :

Unless you are really sure about the place, DON'T arrange and book it before you arrive in Bangkok. For example, one might think the place is great but upon moving, one might see that there is major renovation noise inside the building or at the place next door, etc !!

What you should do is check-in at a not-so-expensive hotel in central Bangkok upon arrival and then, with the info you will have collected beforehand and with new info, go and check out the various apartments yourself and then decide on one and move into one. I am pretty sure you won't need to stay at the hotel for long, before you move into a place you like. But be prepared to pay a bit more than usual, because you will be staying for only 2 months. For example, if long-term stayers pay 7,000 baht a month, you might have to pay 9 or 10 thousand baht.

By the way, I am pretty sure that you can get a hotel in Khao San to give you a monthly rate of around 15,000 baht, especially if the occupancy situation is bad for them. And, I am not talking about lousy places of there. I am talking about safe, clean places (but small of course), with TV, fridge, shower with hot water. Such places have nightly rates of 600-800 baht. As you probably know, Khao San has got lots of Western-friendly things around (eg. 24-hour-open fast food places) and at non-rush-hour times, from there, you can go to for example Silom for around 80-100 baht by taxi. And, if you don't mind the bus, there are several buses going to many parts of Bangkok from there.

Edited October 3, 2013 by JemJem

[TheSpade]

Kowsan is so out of the way and cut off from the rest of the city though.

Taxis are only 80B from Kowsan to BTS / Sukhumvit BUT only if they want to go / turn the meter on which many do not. The traffic can be bad as well.

You can take the khlong which is 10 minutes walk from Kowsan then only 5 minute journey to Hua Chang (Ratchathewi BTS station / Siam just a couple minute walk) but that closes at 8pm.

Taking the bus? C'mon! Who wants to spend an hour on a sweaty bus.

OP can find an apartment close to the BTS which does monthly rentals for around 10k he just has to go looking.

[JemJem]

Kowsan is so out of the way and cut off from the rest of the city though.

Taxis are only 80B from Kowsan to BTS / Sukhumvit BUT only if they want to go / turn the meter on which many do not. The traffic can be bad as well.

You can take the khlong which is 10 minutes walk from Kowsan then only 5 minute journey to Hua Chang (Ratchathewi BTS station / Siam just a couple minute walk) but that closes at 8pm.

Taking the bus? C'mon! Who wants to spend an hour on a sweaty bus.

OP can find an apartment close to the BTS which does monthly rentals for around 10k he just has to go looking.

Thanks for the mention of the khlong alternative. I didn't know about that from Khao San. I might give it a try one day, hoping that I don't get any dirty water on me

Buses are not too bad from Khao San. I don't take the bus often but when I do, I always take the air-con ones, and for example, at non-rush-hour times, from Khao San to Victory Monument, it takes around 30-40 minutes; not bad. And, I can usually find an empty seat when I get on a bus near Khao San.

In that area, I haven't had any problems with the taxis regarding meters. I always hail one on the main road, near the bus stop; not at either end of Soi Khao San, where I know some refuse to turn on the meter.

But, I agree with your last sentence; the OP should be able to find a decent place near a central BTS, for around 10,000 baht a month.

Edited October 4, 2013 by JemJem

[TheSpade]

I always take the air-con ones, and for example, at non-rush-hour times, from Khao San to Victory Monument, it takes around 30-40 minutes; not bad.

Life is too short to spend 40 mins on a BKK bus stuck in traffic whether they have air con or not.

If you go to the main road and stop a passing taxi you can get one to put the meter on but not always first time and certainly not in rush hour.

Too many chancers when they see a farang in that area.

I used to live in Banglumpoo and found going to Sukhumvit a real hassle so would not recommend it to the OP.

There are places in walking distance to the BTS that do monthly rental for under 10k so no need to live in Kowsan.

[wooloomooloo]

i tried to contact them, mail-adress doesn´t work. i keep on trying.

Don't waste time. If no answer or response after two or three attempts then move on. Life certainly is too short.

[catweazle08]

Ok, it´s done: i found a place and its the sarasinee mansion!

http://mansionsarasinee.com/

to be honest it was a complete no brainer.

i know the area a little and it´s close to chatuchak, my so far favourite place in bkk. guess im gonna spend a little more there now.

they offered me two apartments (because i asked them to show me two!!!) one smaller (for 10.000 baht) and one larger with two balconies and up on the 7th level, so theres a good view. i can see saphan kwai station from my balcony, it´s maybe 150 meters away. the fridge will come soon. it´s maybe 2000 B more for the bigger room, but wanted to give myself a little treat. WIFI for free, and furniture is nice.

thx to everyone for contributing!

overall recommendation: if u want to rent a place for 4, 6 or 12 month, try the apartments and pay deposit.

if u want to do this 1 or 2 month, i recommend a hotel! (now i know!)

there are many good recommendations in this thread, hope it will be useful for somebody in the future.

@dieter: the guy said no pool on the roof, hmm?!

if u see a tall guy with small face probaply wearing t-shirts with prints and sitting in the coffee place with a netbook , come over and say hello!

im very happy to go away from khaosarn, its ok in the evening for 6 h (or the first 2-4 days when you arrive in bkk), but the rest of the day, no thx.

the khlong taxi boat is a little walk from the democracy monument. the way to platinum at the end is about 12 baht, (1 stop earlier is siam, i think) and i remember i was really happy when i discovered this years ago. fun fact: these khlong taxis are not mentioned in the lonely planet.

the public busses from democracy monument to siam square are 15 and 79, but don´t be surprised to wait 30 or 45 minutes.

when i take a taxi from khaosarn, i NEVER ask the taxis and tuktuks waiting there for you.

when i look at them i see a giant spider, sitting in his web and waiting for a farang to get trapped. a thai friend said, that they even charge him tourist-prices, when he asked for a ride! sorry, but i really hate these guys.

the taxis driving by are the ones to pick and it doesn´t hurt to walk a bit to the main road and away from khaosarn. if they don´t turn on taxameter, just get out. discussing makes no sense, this might happen 3-5 times, persistence is key. my experience and personal opinion is, that the older drivers don´t try to rip you off.

so i think i will spend a few minutes on my balcony and enjoy the view...

[JemJem]

Enjoy it, Catweazle08. Saphan Kwai will always be a special place for me because that was the area I spent the most amount of time in Bangkok; and that was the area I stayed in in my working days in Bangkok. Overall, I stayed in Saphan Kwai for about 4 years. This was in the 90's. Ah, good old days The only bad part about there was that they didn't have skytrain back then; it was being constructed and as you can imagine, the traffic was quite bad there back then. But, hey, I was young and I was really loving Bangkok back then; and I didn't mind the traffic too much