Small Office Needed Around March for Approx Six Months

[Stubby]

Hi Folks,

A friend from Bangkok (Thai) is moving up to Chiang Mai around mid-March and will be looking for some temporary office space for a few months just while he gets rooted. I told him I'd have a look around seeing as I'm familiar with the layout the city. He only needs enough room for himself, a notebook, printer/fax, a reasonable sized desk, and that's about it really. He certainly doesn’t want to spend his days in coffee shops and although a lot of one-person outfits like to work this way, he can't really afford the distractions.

I've heard of Pun Space which actually looks pretty good, but there's the potential for distraction again, hence this post. Even so, I will add it to my shortlist because it's all I've found so far that might be of use

So if anyone has any ideas I might want look at, that would be appreciated. In the meantime, I' will keep my eyes and ears open as go about my days.

Thanks in advance,

Stubby

[vspin134]

Try Pantip....they do short lease starting from 3month

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The space you desribe is quite small, almost any apartment/condo would do. Or does it need to be accessible to the public, i.e. customers walking in? In that case I do agree with Panthip; will still cost 12-16K per month though.

Edited January 27, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[anonymouse]

You can rent private office space at Pun space as well as co-working space, so I'd say this is your friends best option.

For a quarter they charge 26,397B for a small private office.

[Stubby]

Thanks for your repliesfolks, that's most useful.

No, it doesn't need to be available to the public, and I was going to suggest one of the small new apartments that are springing up, but I'm not sure if such places can be let for office space. It wouldn't be long before the owner realized no one slept in the joint.

I hadn't heard of Panthip offering office rentals. Are we talking about Pantip Plaza guys?

As for Pun space, is thought they were all about co-working space only, so thanks for the update on that anonymouse

I was going to suggest he rent a townhouse and maybe live upstairs and have an office downstairs, but he wants to live on the Doi side of the Canal road, and I think nice Townhouses are a bit thin on the ground in this neck of the woods, but I will take a look for him as I go about my days.

Thanks once again everyone, I appreciate your input.

Stubby

[Stubby]

Hi Folks,

I ran the idea by my friend of renting a townhouse and using the downstairs as an office and the upstairs as living quarters, and he seems open to the idea. I've never lived in any kind of house in Chiang Mai so I have no experience about prices, what to look for, what to look out for and so on. He would prefer a location on the Doi side of the canal road if possible, but these things are not as easy to shortlist as a bunch of condos or apartments.

I'm thinking maybe it's best to find an agency as the quickest way here, but like houses, I have no experience with using real estate agents nor do I know anyone who has. If anyone reading here does have experience with either town houses or agencies, please let me know and I will past the details over.

Thanks in advance

Stubby

Edited January 29, 2014 by Stubby

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Your friend is Thai right; so let him plow through all the Thai language real estate / rental sites.

The Mrs. does have a townhouse downtown that she rents out, but the price likely wouldn't work; it's all furnished and ready for shorter stay guests (tourists mostly) so it rents for more than a long-term unfurnished rent of a similar place in a similar location. (Pretty much double the rate of a basic townhouse that you can rent for around 6000 baht even in/near town, although it's more work too of course, keeping it in a state that guests can drop their bags and find the beds made, towels in the bathroom, and the kitchen ready to make breakfast.)

No, it doesn't need to be available to the public, and I was going to suggest one of the small new apartments that are springing up, but I'm not sure if such places can be let for office space. It wouldn't be long before the owner realized no one slept in the joint.

I hadn't heard of Panthip offering office rentals. Are we talking about Pantip Plaza guys?\

Ha, this is Thailand; when you rent anything you can use it for almost whatever purpose you can imaging as long as you don't wreck the place or cause noise or other trouble for nearby residents.

Same for Panthip; most units are used as shops, but some are used as office space, or combined shop/office space. Just like with Department stores (check out Central Kad Suan Kaew..) you rent an empty shoebox shape that you can do anything with. There is electricity but that's about it, anythign else you have to build, and then remove when you leave again.

Edited January 29, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Stubby]

Thanks WinnieTheKhwai, that's a really useful post.

My friend isn't up here now, so I said I'd keep an eye out for him. I think, although I can't be certain, that a shop house is like a terraced house but with a big open front, and a townhouse probably has a front garden or a yard of some sort. At least that's how I see it in my mind. I'm a condo dweller myself so have no experience with any kind of house accommodation in Thailand, but folks have told me that house can actually work out cheaper than condos, and with lots of extra space. Someone told me earlier today that there are some new shop houses for rent near the university but I've never seen them, but then I haven't been looking, so perhaps I'll do a drive around tomorrow morning.

Thanks once again for your post, it cleared a lot of points

Stubby

[stigvinck]

Hi,

We have a building (pair of connecting townhouses) that we will start to renovate next week.

We will be converting it to an office building. It will house our office and about 6 or 7 other small/medium offices that we would like to rent out either furnished or non furnished to small companies or individuals like your friend. Not sure if we will be ready by then, but I will PM you anyway to see if we can work something out.

Stig

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Thanks WinnieTheKhwai, that's a really useful post.

My friend isn't up here now, so I said I'd keep an eye out for him. I think, although I can't be certain, that a shop house is like a terraced house but with a big open front, and a townhouse probably has a front garden or a yard of some sort. At least that's how I see it in my mind. I'm a condo dweller myself so have no experience with any kind of house accommodation in Thailand, but folks have told me that house can actually work out cheaper than condos, and with lots of extra space. Someone told me earlier today that there are some new shop houses for rent near the university but I've never seen them, but then I haven't been looking, so perhaps I'll do a drive around tomorrow morning.

Yes, 'townhouse' in Thailand refers to a small terraced house, no matter the number of floors, typically 2, but 3 or even 4 also possible. There may or may not be significant space in front; there might be just enough (or just not enough) to squeeze in a car, or there may be a bit more. At the back there is often an open area for laundry and the like, though quite often that gets covered (reducing light; townhouses can end up really dark) and/or turned into a kitchen. Also in front many people seem to have an irresistable urge to add a covered car port, again reducing light inside.

Type 'Thailand Townhouse' into Google Image search and you get a good sample of what they might look like.

And yes, for the same amount of floor space a house it almost always cheaper than a condominium unit for some reason. There are advantages and disadvantages to both though. Still, for condominiums, if a house next door to the condo biulding is cheaper than the condo unit then that's probably a sign that the condo is in the wrong area. Condos make sense (to me) when land prices are at such a premium that going 'up' makes sense. This seems rarely the case in Chiang Mai, with a couple exceptions.

New shophouses in a popular area and/or on a main road can get expensive. Especially to buy, but sometimes the rent is reasonable.

Edited January 29, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Stubby]

Thanks WinnieTheKhwai, you're a mine of information

You got me thinking I might just have a look at a townhouse myself if i can find something new. Then again, condos are convenient, especially if maintenance needs doing at the drop of a hat. Talking or which, my place has been like a bloody construction site these past months with so many new owners moving in and renovating the units!

@stigvinck - I replied to your pvt, thanks for letting me know.

Stubby