Where to live in BKK?

[JameszBond]

Hi, i am planning to move to Bangkok in a few months. At the moment i have not decided which area to choose for long term rental so i hope i can get some decent advice here.

What i'm looking for is a condo close to public parks. Lumpini or Benjakiti will work i guess, basically any park that is ok for jogging will be fine. Although i did not enjoy jatujak park but maybe i should reconsider. 
It should be close to the gym as well and what is very important - the gym should not be busy lol. A few years ago i was staying in huai khwang area and was hitting fitness7 gym at ratchada. It was pretty crowded all the time and i am trying to find areas where this could be avoided. 

My budget is 15000/m.

I know i have specified lumpini/benjakiti parks but if there are other options close to public parks and gyms i can consider those as well. Btw by "close" i mean it can also be 5-10 mins by bike, since i have my own.

 

For all the useful comments - thanks in advance.

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by JameszBond

[Wallet73]

You didn't specify the size you want the condo to be.

In prime area 15k will give you a studio of 24 - 28 square meters, 1 year lease but you'll have to go with the cheaper developments like Aspire, life, rhytm, LPN etc. I'd increase your budget if possible to 25k - 30k for a decent 1-bedroom condo.

Look at the cheaper developments in sukhumvit soi 16, 18 and 20 if you like to be close to bejakiti.

Enough gyms around there, one opposite to sukhumvit 22, one at the president park hotel, a new one on sukhumvit 26 opposite to k-village, fitness first at the landmark hotel, etc.

http://www.ddproperty.com/en/property-for-rent?region_code=TH10&market=residential&property_type_code[]=CONDO&property_type=N&maxprice=15000&beds[]=0&with_photos=1&autocomplete={"objectId"%3A"TH10"%2C"objectType"%3A"REGION"%2C"properties"%3Anull}

Edited April 2, 2017 by Wallet73

[A1Str8]

Thonglor. Siam. Silom. Asoke. Wireless road is also cool. Inside one of the embassies they run a casino. Lots of green outside. I mean lush green parks etc. 

[JameszBond]

1 hour ago, Wallet73 said:

You didn't specify the size you want the condo to be.

Ideally it should be 1br. 

At the moment i am unable to increase the budget. 

[funandsuninbangkok]

On nut

[JameszBond]

6 minutes ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

On nut

Parks around? Doesn't look like that.

Edited April 2, 2017 by JameszBond

[tonray]

16 minutes ago, JameszBond said:

Parks around? Doesn't look like that.

Probably your best value for money would be around JatuJak park. Also not far from both MRT and BTS, also easy access to airport and bus lines.

[Wallet73]

37 minutes ago, JameszBond said:

Ideally it should be 1br. 

At the moment i am unable to increase the budget. 

Sorry to say but you won't find a 1br below 15k around benjakiti or lumpini, your expectations are too high. You should either look for a studio or increase your budget if you want to live in prima area. Otherwise move to on nut perhaps, bang na, lat prao etc. or live in a Thai-style room/building.

 

[bubba]

7 hours ago, tonray said:

Probably your best value for money would be around JatuJak park. Also not far from both MRT and BTS, also easy access to airport and bus lines.

Along those lines, I was going to suggest Ari, which is two BTS stops from Chatuchat market and park.

 

Ari is a bit less expensive than the expat filled areas of Sukhumvit. Many new condos have come online recently. Soi Ari and the sub sois have gained a lot of good restaurants and pubs, but it's still sort of quiet and leafy. The government complex area with the lake at the bottom of Soi Ari is a good place for running.

[tonray]

6 minutes ago, bubba said:

Along those lines, I was going to suggest Ari, which is two BTS stops from Chatuchat market and park.

o

Ari is a bit less expensive than the expat filled areas of Sukhumvit. Many new condos have come online recently. Soi Ari and the sub sois have gained a lot of good restaurants and pubs, but it's still sort of quiet and leafy. The government complex area with the lake at the bottom of Soi Ari is a good place for running.

 

Yes I like Ari also. I used teach at a large government school not too far away from there. Actually Saphan Kwai also is quite a hip area with the Uni crowd just one stop up from there.

[little mary sunshine]

Close to any BTS!

Edited April 3, 2017 by little mary sunshine

[ThaiWai]

58 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

Close to any BTS!

Everyone thinks that then you find out the BTS is overcowded and hot and more often than not standing room only with your nose wedged into someones armpit.  I would avoid areas too far away my my stomping grounds. Some of those BTS rides go on forever.  I lived in Sapan Kwai triangulated between the BTS MRT and water taxi so had options at least. Clean studio with a pool for 14000b short term if I recall.

[alex8912]

Maybe try older (1990's) buildings near Rachatewi BTS but since apts are bigger in those buildings maybe 18k is possible. Many buildings only have 2-3br+ but some have one beds, near Petchaburi 12 and 14 there are some basic studio buildings that are cheap and some newer buildings as well. About 3 to 3.5k to lumpini by bike and Chula campus is 1k BTS right there and easy 15 min walk to MBK about 12/13 min walk to Paragon also canal taxi 5/6 minute walk., Siam 11/12 minute walk and airport link 7/8 minute walk at Payathai.  The malls have gyms and near Payathai BTS is a decent cheaper gym and at Hua Chang bridge there is a super cheap gym. 

[alex8912]

26 minutes ago, ThaiWai said:

Everyone thinks that then you find out the BTS is overcowded and hot and more often than not standing room only with your nose wedged into someones armpit.  I would avoid areas too far away my my stomping grounds. Some of those BTS rides go on forever.  I lived in Sapan Kwai triangulated between the BTS MRT and water taxi so had options at least. Clean studio with a pool for 14000b short term if I recall.

In 12 years I have never found the BTS to be hot. Usually it's very cold. From 5ish to 7 pm more crowded but never EVER is someone's armpit in my face! Go to the middle of the car and there is always room. Your post is pretty exaggerated. 

[buick]

i'm not sure if i have the skill set to attach a link but i gave it a try.  you might consider river court or the adjacent (i think same owner) property river place on sukhumvit soi 41.  a friend of mine lives there, i've only been there twice but i have thought about moving there.  the units are old, one bldg is newer than the other.  but you get a decent size place for a reasonable price.  if i moved there, i'd likely buy my own furniture, bed, etc..  (i've also thought about moving to ari as some folks have mentioned).

 

i live on soi 22 (studio/12k) and use the park next to emporium, benjasiri.  benjakiti is too far for me.  by the time i've walked there, i'm ready to walk back.  i don't use motos (i prefer the safety of walking, which is not that safe on the sidewalks of sukhumvit but better than the street on a moto !!!).  there is a little workout section in benjasiri park that the locals use.  there is also a swimming pool that you can get a membership for (i think it is only 20thb per visit but you need to show a medical certificate).

 

one poster mentioned the gym at president park.  if that refers to capitol club, i think that closed down.  i used to belong there but i let my membership expire one year when i was out of country for 4 months.  i think the hotel used to subsidize that gym and then they installed their own gym and hotel guests no longer got the privilege of using the capitol club (incl nice swimming pool, when clean !!!).  so the gym had to survive on memberships alone and i don't think they made it.  it was great while it lasted rarely crowded, 8-10 and 6-8.  

 

http://www.kobayashi.co.th/Thaigo/sukhumvit/qr.htm

 

another website with info is hipflat but these two properties don't show up on there (last time i looked anyway).

 

in any case, no place is perfect, you'll have to figure out what is most important and move on from there.

[JameszBond]

57 minutes ago, buick said:

another website with info is hipflat but these two properties don't show up on there (last time i looked anyway).

This is the first place i search when i'm looking for condos and actually there are options for 15k/m but, as mentioned here, they are in the old buildings with old furniture.

 

11 hours ago, tonray said:

Probably your best value for money would be around JatuJak park. Also not far from both MRT and BTS, also easy access to airport and bus lines.

Are there good gyms around?

 

 

 

[bubba]

5 minutes ago, JameszBond said:

This is the first place i search when i'm looking for condos and actually there are options for 15k/m but, as mentioned here, they are in the old buildings with old furniture.

 

Are there good gyms around?

 

 

 

 

Friend of mine goes to a crossfit gym called Ari Crossfit at Soi 3.

 

There is also Now Fitness in Ari 1.

[JameszBond]

Just now, bubba said:

 

Friend of mine goes to a crossfit gym called Ari Crossfit at Soi 3.

 

There is also Now Fitness in Ari 1.

Thanks i'll do some research on those. 

 

11 hours ago, Wallet73 said:

Sorry to say but you won't find a 1br below 15k around benjakiti or lumpini, your expectations are too high. You should either look for a studio or increase your budget if you want to live in prima area. Otherwise move to on nut perhaps, bang na, lat prao etc. or live in a Thai-style room/building.

 

There are some options for 15k on hipflat and for 20k there are decent condos already but i assume i'm missing a lot of alternatives while using only one website. 

 

Any real estate agencies you could recommend?

 

[oval]

VP Tower on Soi Rangnam is good. There is a nice park 2 minutes walk away, and the BTS (Victory Monument) is 5 minutes walk. Can't go wrong. 

 

 

[funandsuninbangkok]

Thonburi

[JameszBond]

26 minutes ago, oval said:

VP Tower on Soi Rangnam is good. There is a nice park 2 minutes walk away, and the BTS (Victory Monument) is 5 minutes walk. Can't go wrong. 

 

 

1br rates are 20k+

Although the location is nice. 

Edited April 3, 2017 by JameszBond

[tonray]

6 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Thonburi

 

I love Thonburi and live there myself, but 1) it is a very big area and 2) There is a lack of parks unless you head to the area near the Grand Palace which is expensive.

 

Also Thonburi is not a typical farang location, in some areas not a lot of western comforts outside of the mall(s). 

[George Feedback]

I did a search along those lines about two months ago. Most modern condos have gyms but they can get busy in the evening. It depends on where you need to go in the daytime, and where you want to go at night. BTS and MRT stations have lots of apartments with 1 bedroom for 15k within 5-10 minutes walk. 

Sign up to a few of the agencies (see post 2) and see what they have. It is easy enough, but some of the picture galleries are useless. You will get studios advertised as 1 bed too. 

Good hunting. 

[Damrongsak]

I can't imagine finding an economical place to live in BKK these days.  Last place I lived in 1979/80 was Soi Hatsadin, more or less across the street from the Indra Regent Hotel around Pratunam.  Had a very old wooden house in a compound where the original owner lived.  She had about a half acre with a main house, two original bungalows and a two-story garage thing with apartment over.  She was a Khun Ying, so no one messed with the place. I don't think the rent was more than $50. US.  per month.  Three small rooms, no nothing. The Soi was a dirt (or mud) road.

 

Now, it looks like the back side of the Palladium World Shopping Centre is built partly on that property, the back end of the stuff on Petchaburi Rd. 

 

Oh, and the house/property was called Baan Hatsadin.  Don't know the history of the family.  Khun Ying rented to Peace Corps

Edited April 3, 2017 by Damrongsak

[bkkcanuck8]

22 hours ago, tonray said:

 

I love Thonburi and live there myself, but 1) it is a very big area and 2) There is a lack of parks unless you head to the area near the Grand Palace which is expensive.

 

Also Thonburi is not a typical farang location, in some areas not a lot of western comforts outside of the mall(s). 

But oh so much more affordable.  I recently moved from Sukhumvit Soi 8 (7 years) to Pak Nam (near E21 - BTS stop opening by 2018) and my rent went from 32,000 baht for a single bedroom to 12,000 baht for 3 floor townhouse in a Moo Baan.... (though I had to buy my own fridge and washing machine).  Once the skytrain extension opens it will take 35 minutes to get back to Sukhumvit Soi 8 on it....   I am about a 15 minute walk to the big fresh market in one direction (all of the downtown basically), and 15 minute walk the other way to Big-C or on the other side of the highway a big Robinsons shopping mall.  Pretty much all the comforts I need are here.....  now if I were out drinking and bar hopping in farang oriented bars regularly -- it would be a tiring commute (though the costs of grab-cabs would still not bring the total cost back to the old rent -- no matter how hard I partied).

[tonray]

1 hour ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

But oh so much more affordable.  I recently moved from Sukhumvit Soi 8 (7 years) to Pak Nam (near E21 - BTS stop opening by 2018) and my rent went from 32,000 baht for a single bedroom to 12,000 baht for 3 floor townhouse in a Moo Baan.... (though I had to buy my own fridge and washing machine).  Once the skytrain extension opens it will take 35 minutes to get back to Sukhumvit Soi 8 on it....   I am about a 15 minute walk to the big fresh market in one direction (all of the downtown basically), and 15 minute walk the other way to Big-C or on the other side of the highway a big Robinsons shopping mall.  Pretty much all the comforts I need are here.....  now if I were out drinking and bar hopping in farang oriented bars regularly -- it would be a tiring commute (though the costs of grab-cabs would still not bring the total cost back to the old rent -- no matter how hard I partied).

Yeah...I hear you. I live in Talat Phlu not far from you I think. I would not go back to the 'farang ghetto' anytime soon.

[007cableguy]

VP Tower on Soi Rangnam is good. There is a nice park 2 minutes walk away, and the BTS (Victory Monument) is 5 minutes walk. Can't go wrong. 
 
 

Yes I'd second that !.Just have a wonder down the small soi's off Rangnam there are some half descent buildings with apartments!


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[jadee]

I know the OP 'JameszBond' is specifically asking about Bangkok - I'd suggest the Rama 9 park on Chalermprakiat road. Fanastic park, perfect for jogging. Also has a free outdoor gym area that is rarely busy and is very good in the morning. If you go early, I believe the park is free but they do charge entrance fees for cars after a certain time. 
Right opposite the park is a nice appartment building where 80sqm rooms go for 8,000baht/month. Other than a few convenience stores and a 7-11, there's not much around but a 12baht van ride takes you to BTS Bearing in around 20 minutes or so. 

[bkk6060]

Lots of suggestions for places in the middle of nowhere.  What is your lifestyle for food, entertainment, shopping, coffee places, etc?

I pay 15,000 a month for a newly renovated studio (35 sq mtr) in Nana.  It is very quiet and I can walk to anything, all malls close, BTS, markets, restaurants, bars if you want, several gyms in a few minutes (Ambassador hotel gym is very reasonable).  If you are familiar with the area just about anything is very close. 

Before I made my choice for Nana, I did Airbnb at several locations.  I hated places like Oh Nut and other outlying places nothing to do so boring.  Also, the cost of transportation to get anywhere adds up.  I guess if one sits on their computer all day and watches TV, those areas can work.

I would not live any place except Nana as it just fits my lifestyle perfectly. 

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by bkk6060

[oval]

^ So I take it you like the snatch. Not that there's anything wrong with that.