i found out that my thai landlord is now

renting out rooms in my building to thais for significantly less

considering that would easily cover my air bill each month

my first response: indignant

there may be other unknown factors

maybe cause it's low season and he has too many empty rooms

maybe the others don't get half hour room cleaning once a week

(cost/worth/value at about 500 a month give or take)

now, how do i approach this tactfully, saving face

but persuasively enough to get my rent closer down to theirs?

maybe it is NOT possible

but i am giving it much thought

and would like to brain storm with the veterans on TV

i can live with it,

though the principle of it can burn me up,

unfortunately, 'the principle of it' simply does not apply here

how can i best negotiate and get equal rent short of finding another place

or maybe i should just leave it the f alone

intelligent and helpful replies requested please

sorry i lost the formatting

wait until your current contract is up and then demand a decrease otherwise move. pretty simple. nothing to discuss really.

Thais in my building pay 2500 less a month as well but they also provided their own furniture and mine is fully furnished

get the girlfriend to negotiate, or leave if no co operation.

The only principle here is basic economics. On other words 'willingness to pay'. You were clearly ready to pay more, didn't so your research till after the fact and didn't shop around.

^ Actually new owner, new policy, kind of makes sense for him.

I decided it is none of my business as long as i am willing to pay.

Biggest issue now is he does not want to be bothered to fix things.

Yes, eventually I should move, but DEALING with current problems is good for me.

I do not think any place will be problem free, that is life, that is thailand.

Thanks all.

On a philosophical note:

This may or may not be true and i don't expect many of the sorts i see in thailand to get this but i beleive what goes around comes around and what you do and how you treat others at some level effects and comes back to you, if he wants to 'cheat.' then it is really more his problem than mine, i only hope he learns this lesson in THIS lifetime. If he is even cheating.

And for all i know i too may be guilty of the same on some level.

Also life is NOT fair sometimes but in general i think it all works out.

I NEVER complained about two tier pricing until now, i believed our (farang) earning power is MUCH greater here than the locals, so why complain?

Though yes i am NOW on a small fixed income.

Even if you found a tactful way to ask him, even if yor GF/BF speaks on your behalf, your only bargaining chip is the power to move out.

You mentioned it's low season and some rooms lie empty; You do have some power. Without that power, all you're doing is asking him to give you money, every month, for nothing.

But you have to be prepared to follow through.